Home bakers will take on social media bakers and professional bakers on the Next Level Chef holiday spinoff, Next Level Baker. Carla Hall and Candace Nelson join Gordon Ramsay to judge the talented bakers as they whip up holiday treats.
The holiday event series will premiere on December 4, 2025, with new episodes launching Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT.
Fox offers this description of Ramsay’s new show:
“Twelve bakers consisting of home, pro, and social media backgrounds enter a next level winter wonderland and make nostalgic chocolate treats. Then, after an elimination round, the remaining contestants make boozy holiday party bakes and continue battling for the title of first-ever Next Level Baker.”
Next Level Bakers Competitors:
PROFESSIONAL BAKERS:
Maricsa Trejo
Professional Baker
Hometown: Mesquite, TX
Winston Murdock
Professional Baker
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Chad Visger
Professional Baker
Hometown: Delavan, WI
Aubrey Smith Shaffner
Professional Baker
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
SOCIAL MEDIA BAKERS:
Nikita “Nikki” Jackson
Social Media Baker
Hometown: Rowlett, TX
Chloe Sexton
Social Media Baker
Hometown: Germantown, TN
Justin Ellen
Social Media Baker
Hometown: Passaic, NJ
Zoha Malik
Social Media Baker
Hometown: Newark, CA
HOME BAKERS:
Stefanie Embree
Home Baker
Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
Deirdra Lambright
Home Baker
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Michael Mararian
Home Baker
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Jeff Chudakoff
Home Baker
Hometown: West Hollywood, CA
Asami Mizukawa joins ‘Shogun’ season 2 (Photo Courtesy of FX)
FX’s critically acclaimed drama Shōgun has expanded its cast by five as production on season two is set to kick off in January 2026. The network confirmed Asami Kizukawa has joined the cast as Aya, Masataka Kubota will play Hyūga, Sho Kaneta is on board as Hidenobu, Takaaki Enoki is Lord Ito, and Jun Kunimura will play Gōda.
The newcomers join returning series stars Hiroyuki Sanada as Toranaga, Cosmo Jarvis as Blackthorne, Fumi Nikaidô as Ochiba, and Shinnosuke Abe as Buntaro. Hiroto Kanai is back as Omi, Yoriko Dôguchi is Kiri, Tommy Bastow is Alvito, Yuko Miyamoto is Gin, Eita Okuno plays Saeki, and Yuka Kouri is Kiku.
“In the first season, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Sanada) fought for his survival as his enemies in the Council of Regents united against him. When a mysterious European ship was found marooned in a nearby village, its English pilot John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) shared vital strategic secrets with Toranaga that tipped the scales of power in his favor to win a century-defining civil war,” reads FX’s synopsis. “Part two of Shōgun is set ten years after the events of the first season and continues the historically inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.”
Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks created the Emmy Award-winning series, based on James Clavell’s novel. Marks, Kondo, Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, and Hiroyuki Sanada serve as executive producers. Hiromi Kamata and Takeshi Fukunaga will return to direct episodes of the second season. Season two writers include Kondo, Marks, Shannon Goss, Matt Lambert, Maegan Houang, Emily Yoshida, Caillin Puente, and Sofie Somoroff.
Michelle Monaghan (Photo Credit: John Russo / Courtesy of Netflix)
The White Lotus‘ Michelle Monaghan has boarded Netflix’s untitled hockey series, produced by Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps (Stranger Things). Monaghan will star as a small-town hockey coach in the eight-episode series, which doesn’t have a title or targeted premiere date.
“I’ve carried South Dorothy and its people in my heart for as long as I can remember,” stated series creator Nick Naveda. “To finally bring that world to life with my Grizzly family at 21 Laps and Netflix is nothing short of a dream come true. Big love and gratitude to my partners for this opportunity, and for all their unyielding support over the years.”
Bridget Bedard (Ramy) is the showrunner and serves as an executive producer. Additional executive producers include Levy, Dan Levine, and Robert Atwood. Trey Edward Shults (It Comes At Night) also executive produces and will direct the first two episodes.
“This show has long been a 21 Laps favorite and one of the best pieces we have had the privilege of developing and supporting,” said Shawn Levy. “Nick and Bridget have built a world and ensemble of characters that are rooted in authenticity and huge heart, which, not surprisingly, attracted such great talent with our director Trey Edward Shults and lead Michelle Monaghan. With its visceral sports backdrop and a story grounded in deep humanity, we cannot wait to bring this show to a global audience.”
Netflix released this description of the untitled hockey series:
“The series takes place in the small working-class town of South Dorothy, Minnesota, where the high school hockey team has been churning out state championships and NHL stars for decades with their legendary Coach ‘Sully’ Sullivan at the helm. When a bus crash claims the lives of several players and Sully himself, the town looks to Harper Sullivan—Coach Sully’s widow—to coach a new team of battered and broken young men. What unfolds is the hopeful and unforgettable story of an underdog team who comes together to galvanize their town, reclaim their way of life, and turn their shared grief into an unstoppable superpower.”
Danny and Lena delve into an unsolved mystery on CBS’s Boston Blue episode five. Directed by Antonio Negret, episode five—”Suffer the Children”—will air on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 10pm ET/PT.
“Suffer the Children” Plot: Danny and Lena take on a high-stakes murder case that leads to one of Boston’s most infamous unsolved crimes. Meanwhile, tensions rise within the Silver family as a complex shooting case sparks debate over accountability and parenting.
Donnie Wahlberg stars as Danny Reagan, Sonequa Martin-Green plays Lena Silver, Marcus Scribner is Jonah Silver, Maggie Lawson is Sarah Silver, and Mika Amonson is Sean Reagan. Gloria Reuben stars as Mae Silver and Ernie Hudson plays Reverend Edwin Peters.
Donnie Wahlberg reprises his role as NYPD detective Danny Reagan in a universe expansion of the long-running top drama Blue Bloods. In this new series, Reagan takes a position with the Boston Police Department and is paired with Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), the eldest daughter of a prominent law enforcement family.
The Silver family is comprised of Boston district attorney Mae Silver (Reuben), Boston PD detective Lena Silver, police superintendent Sarah Silver (Lawson), rookie cop Jonah Silver (Scribner) and renowned Baptist pastor Reverend Edwin Peters (Hudson). As Reagan settles into his new city, he also hopes to reconnect with his younger son, Sean (Amonsen), who is beginning his own career in Boston.
Executive producers include Donnie Wahlberg, Brandon Sonnier, Brandon Margolis, Jerry Bruckheimer, and KristieAnne Reed.
The clicking of heels and Madonna’s “Vogue” lead up to the reunion of Miranda and Andy The Devil Wears Prada fans have been waiting a decade to witness. 20th Century Studios’ first teaser for The Devil Wears Prada 2 only includes five words, but that’s enough to slip us right back into their world of high fashion.
Three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep returns as Miranda Priestly and Oscar winner Anne Hathaway reprises her role as Andy Sachs. Oscar nominees Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci also return for the long-awaited sequel, back as Emily and Nigel. Tracie Thoms is back as Lily and Tibor Feldman returns as Irv.
Newcomers to the sequel include Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Justin Theroux, Lucy Liu, and Patrick Brammall. Caleb Hearon, Helen J. Shen, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak, and Conrad Ricamora also join the sequel.
20th Century Studios hasn’t released much in the way of a synopsis, other than offering, “Almost twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel—Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon that defined a generation.”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 opens in theaters on May 1, 2026.
The original movie’s director, David Frankel, and screenwriter, Aline Brosh McKenna, return, with Wendy Finerman serving as producer. Executive producers include McKenna, Michael Bederman, and Karen Rosenfelt.
Fire Country‘s Kevin Alejandro guest stars on CBS’s Sheriff Country episode five, “Expecting Trouble.” Directed by Ed Ornelas, episode five will air on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 8pm ET/PT.
Morena Baccarin leads the cast as Mickey Fox, Matt Lauria plays Nathan Boone, W. Earl Brown is Wes Fox, Michele Weaver plays Cassidy Campbell, and Christopher Gorham stars as Travis Fraley. Executive producers include Fire Country star Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Matt Lopez, Jerry Bruckheimer, and KristieAnne Reed.
“Expecting Trouble” Plot: A high-stakes transport mission puts Sheriff Mickey Fox and Deputy Boone on edge as they race against time to protect a vulnerable witness.
Morena Baccarin stars as straight-shooting sheriff Mickey Fox, the stepsister of Cal Fire’s division chief Sharon Leone (Diane Farr of Fire Country). She investigates criminal activity while she patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater, contending with her ex-con father, Wes (W. Earl Brown), who is an off-the-grid marijuana grower, and a mysterious incident involving her wayward daughter.
So far this year, movie fans are two-for-two on Stephen King adaptations. Both Oz Perkins’ The Monkey and Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk were both pretty good. But Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver) has more of an uphill climb, as his adaptation is both of a King story and a classic camp film. Wright is taking his shot at The Running Man.
Set in a near-futuristic (or maybe alternate) timeline, The Running Man is about a down-on-his-luck man named Ben Richards (Glen Powell from Twisters) who, desperate to help his family, goes to a cattle-call tryout for network game shows. The only show for which he is selected is also the one with the biggest payout – The Running Man.
The show challenges contestants to outrun and outsmart a group of hunters for 30 days, with the reward being a billion dollars (or New-Dollars, as they are called in this reality). If the hunters win, the runner dies. It doesn’t take long for Ben to realize that the show is rigged against him. The hunt takes place out in public, and citizens are offered rewards for tips that lead to the runner. So, basically, it’s the runner against the world. And network executive Dan Killian (Josh Brolin from Weapons) and host Bobby Thompson (Sing Sing’s Colman Domingo) are all in on their Most Dangerous Game.
Edgar Wright takes a different approach than the original with his imagining of The Running Man. He actually sticks much closer to King’s novel than its 1987 counterpart did, and therefore, Wright’s movie is more grounded in reality. There are no laser guns or spaceships. Hunters and runners use guns and grenades to fight and defend, but this just makes it more of a shoot-em-up action flick than a science fiction film. Although, it’s still plenty dystopian.
The world in which The Running Man exists is bleak and depressing, which goes with the entertainment angle of the different game shows in the universe. The public wants to be entertained to forget about their miserable existence, and The Running Man is the perfect gladiator-esque escape. They can either root for the underdog to escape (which no one ever does) or cheer for the hunters to end the game. But either way they go, the spectacle is the most important part.
One of the most fun things about the original The Running Man was the colorful characters, and unfortunately, there’s hardly any of that here. While Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 Ben battled hunters who wore ice skates and sang opera, Glen Powell’s most enigmatic foe looks like an ICE Agent (complete with the full-face mask). This is more of the grounded-in-reality aspect of the film, as it seems as if Wright’s hunters could really exist.
Which all leads to the movie’s biggest fault. It takes itself too seriously. Granted, there are funny moments, mostly delivered from one-liners or visual gags (Schwarzenegger’s face is on New Dollars, as much of a wink to his governorship of California as it is to his appearance in the original). But for the most part, the fun is gone. Explosions and knife fights can’t replace razor-sharp hockey sticks and shooting electric sparks, and the networks’ hunters can’t replace Sub Zero and Buzzsaw. The camp and cheese are completely missing, and what’s left is just a run-of-the-mill chase movie.
When the original was made in 1987, reality TV was in its infancy, so it was more of a statement about the public’s fascination with game shows and television entertainment in general. Wright takes this a step further and turns The Running Man (the in-movie TV show, not the movie itself) into a multimedia, interactive reality TV experience. Killian and his crew brainwash the viewers with deepfakes and editing, so the public believes exactly what they are told. Timely message.
Just as is the case with most of Edgar Wright’s movies, one of the biggest strengths of The Running Man is Wright’s choice of music. The musical selections are mostly gritty urban street funk and hip-hop mixed with electronic music. It fits the slightly-futuristic dystopia perfectly. Edgar Wright knows his tunes.
The Running Man isn’t quite the triumph that one would expect coming from Edgar Wright. Sticking so close to the source material is its downfall, as taking away the foot clan villains strips the personality out of the movie. It’s just another bang-bang pow-pow kaboom movie now.
GRADE – C+
Rating: R for some gore, language, and strong violence
Running Time: 2 hours 13 minutes
Release Date: November 14, 2025
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Sheriff Country‘s W. Earl Brown pops in to guest star as Wes Fox on CBS’s Fire Country season four, episode five. “Happy First Day, Manny,” directed by Jimmy Michael Muro, will air on Friday, November 14, 2025 at 9pm ET/PT.
Max Thieriot stars as Bode, Kevin Alejandro is Manny, Diane Farr is Sharon, Jordan Calloway plays Jake, and Jules Latimer stars as Eve.
“Happy First Day, Manny” Plot: The team responds to a dangerous fire at the local drive-in movie theater where they must enlist civilians to help stop the spread. Meanwhile, Bode and Sharon wrestle with the weight of holding secrets from each other.
Fire Country stars Max Thieriot (SEAL TEAM) as Bode Leone, a young convict who sought redemption and a shortened prison sentence by joining a prison release firefighting program in Northern California, where he and other inmates were partnered with elite firefighters to extinguish massive, unpredictable wildfires across the region. It’s a high-risk, high-reward assignment, and the heat is turned up when Bode was assigned to the program in his rural hometown, where he was once a golden all-American son until his troubles began.
Years ago, Bode burned down everything in his life, leaving town with a big secret. Now he’s back, with the rap sheet of a criminal and the audacity to believe in a chance for redemption with Cal Fire.
Fox’s winter 2026 primetime lineup includes new dramas Memory of a Killer and Best Medicine, along with the return of Animal Control and Going Dutch. Fox revives the reality competition series Fear Factor with Fear Factor: House of Fear, hosted by Johnny Knoxville. The network’s winter schedule also includes new seasons of Extracted, Next Level Chef, and The Masked Singer.
American Dad! returns to Fox for season 20, Family Guy kicks off its 24th season, and The Simpsons will drop a landmark 450th episode this winter.
FOX WINTER 2026 PREMIERE DATES
Thursday, Jan. 1
8:00-9:00 PM Hell’s Kitchen (New Episode)
Monday, Jan. 5
8:00-9:00 PM Celebrity Name That Tune (Season Finale)
Tuesday, Jan. 6
8:00-9:00 PM Best Medicine (Series Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Doc (Winter Premiere)
Wednesday, Jan. 7
8:00-10:00 PM The Masked Singer (Special Two-Hour Season 14 Premiere)
Wednesday, Jan. 14
8:00-9:00 PM The Masked Singer (Time Period Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Fear Factor: House of Fear (Series Premiere)
Thursday, Jan. 22
8:00-9:00 PM Hell’s Kitchen (Season 24 Finale)
9:00-9:30 PM Animal Control (New Episode)
9:30-10:00 PM Going Dutch (New Episode)
Monday, Jan. 26
8:00-9:00 PM Extracted (Season 2 Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM Memory of a Killer (Series Premiere)
Thursday, Jan. 29
8:00-9:00 PM Next Level Chef (Season 5 Premiere)
9:00-9:30 PM Animal Control (New Episode)
9:30-10:00 PM Going Dutch (New Episode)
Fridays (On Going)
8:00 PM-CC ET/ Fox Sports Friday
5:00 PM-CC PT
Saturdays (On Going)
8:00 PM-CC ET/ Fox Sports Saturday
5:00 PM-CC PT
Sunday, Feb. 15
8:00-8:30 PM The Simpsons (Special 800th Episode)
8:30-9:00 PM The Simpsons (New Episode, Season Finale)
9:00-9:30 PM Universal Basic Guys (New Episode)
9:30-10:00 PM Family Guy (Season 24 Premiere, 450th Episode)
Sunday, Feb. 22
8:00-8:30 PM Family Guy (Time Period Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM Universal Basic Guys (New Episode)
9:00-9:30 PM American Dad! (Season 20 Premiere)
9:30-10:00 PM Family Guy (New Episode)
Sundays, Mar. 22, 29 and Apr. 5 (Easter Sunday)
8:00-10:00 PM The Faithful (New Event Series)
‘Best Medicine’ (Photo Credit: Fox)
Fox’s New Winter 2026 Series:
Best Medicine: The series centers on Dr. Martin Best (Emmy Award-nominee Josh Charles), a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a child. Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, and he quickly alienates the town, even though he’s all they’ve got.
Although Martin can expertly address any medical ailment or mystery in this idiosyncratic town, he’s really just desperate to be left the hell alone. Instead, he keeps getting dragged right smack into the middle of their personal chaos, feuds and fantasies. What the locals don’t know is that Martin’s terse demeanor masks a debilitating new phobia and childhood trauma that prevent him from experiencing true intimacy with anyone.
But tenacity is the creed of everyone in their small village, and the people who live there may be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Memory of a Killer: Inspired by the book and 2003 award-winning Belgian film De Zaak Alzheimer, Memory of A Killer is a dramatic thriller starring Emmy nominee Patrick Dempsey as a hitman, Angelo Doyle, leading a dangerous double life while hiding an even deadlier personal secret. Emmy winner Michael Imperioli stars opposite Dempsey in the role of Dutch, Angelo’s oldest friend and an accomplished chef whose restaurant is a front for criminal enterprise.
The series also stars Richard Harmon as Joe, a hitman; Odeya Rush as Maria, Angelo’s daughter; Daniel David Stewart as Jeff, Maria’s husband; Peter Gadiot as Dave, a local police detective and Gina Torres as Special Agent Linda Grant.
Fear Factor: House of Fear: Hosted by Johnny Knoxville, the iconic reality competition Fear Factor is coming back bigger, bolder and more daring as Fear Factor: House of Fear! Dropped into an unforgiving, remote location, a group of strangers will live together under one roof, and face mind-blowing stunts, harrowing challenges, and a twisted game of social strategy where trust is fleeting—and fear is a weapon. Only one contestant will conquer all their fears and walk away with the massive grand prize!
American Dad!: American Dad! centers on patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, Virginia. Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life, where Stan’s accepting and fun-loving wife, Francine (Wendy Schaal), is less the voice of reason and more up for anything that takes away the boredom.
His hippie daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), however, doesn’t let him off so easily and knows just how to push her father’s buttons, unlike her dopey, well-intentioned husband Jeff (Jeff Fischer) who doesn’t do much of anything. Son Steve (Scott Grimes) is a geeky-over-confident kid who spends his time playing video games, obsessing about the opposite sex, and singing hip hop.
The Smith cabinet is rounded out by two rather unconventional members: Roger (MacFarlane), an egocentric, sarcastic and routinely inappropriate space alien, and Klaus (Dee Bradley Baker), an attention-starved goldfish with the brain of a German Olympic skier.
The Faithful: The Faithful is inspired by the best-selling book of all time, the Bible, and showcases a faithful dramatization of the Book of Genesis as told through the eyes of the courageous and passionate, yet flawed women whose descendants would shape the future of faith as we know it today. Dimensional, dramatic, intimate, even surprising, The Faithful is about discovering and losing love, the challenges of marriage, the joys and heartbreak of children, confronting temptation, and finding faith.
Episodes of The Faithful will be told through the lens of five of The Old Testament’s most legendary women: Sarah (Minnie Driver) and her maidservant Hagar (Natacha Karam), Sarah’s great-niece Rebekah (Alexa Davalos), and Rebekah’s nieces, sisters Leah (Millie Brady) and Rachel (Blu Hunt). The series also stars Jeffrey Donovan, Tom Mison, Tom Payne, Ben Robson, James Purefoy, Taylor Napier, and Will Stevens.
Peacock’s award-winning reality competition series The Traitors will return with season four early next year, with Emmy winner Alan Cumming back as host. Today, the streamer released a special “Meet the Competition” video with the 23 celebrities who’ll be attempting to ferret out the Traitors among the Faithful.
The new season premieres on January 8, 2026 with the release of the first three episodes. New season four episodes will stream on Thursdays at 6pm PT/9pm ET.
“Emmy Award-winning series The Traitors is a nail-biting psychological adventure in which treachery and deceit are the name of the game. The entertainment industry’s most competitive reality stars and famous faces play the ultimate murder mystery game. Hosted by award-winning actor Alan Cumming at an ancient castle set deep in the Scottish Highlands, contestants work together on a series of exhilarating missions to build a prize fund worth up to $250,000,” reads Peacock’s synopsis. “Hidden amongst the Faithful are the Traitors, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithful and claim the prize for themselves. Under the cover of darkness, the Traitors murder the Faithful one by one in a treacherous spree, while the Faithful try to uncover the Traitors and banish them from the game. If the Faithful contestants banish all the Traitors, they will share the prize fund, but if a Traitor (or Traitors) makes it to the end, they will steal all the money.”
The Traitors Season 4 Contestants:
· Candiace Dillard Bassett (The Real Housewives of Potomac)
· Caroline Stanbury (The Real Housewives of Dubai)
· Dorinda Medley (The Real Housewives of New York City)
· Eric Nam (Singer-Songwriter)
· Ian Terry (Big Brother)
· Johnny Weir (Olympic Figure Skater)
· Kristen Kish (Host, Top Chef)
· Rob Cesternino (Survivor)
· Lisa Rinna (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
· Mark Ballas (Dancing with the Stars)
· Maura Higgins (Love Island USA Aftersun)
· Michael Rapaport (Actor)
· Monét X Change (RuPaul’s Drag Race)
· Natalie Anderson (Survivor)
· Porsha Williams (The Real Housewives of Atlanta)
· Rob Rausch (Love Island USA)
· Ron Funches (Comedian)
· Stephen Colletti (One Tree Hill)
· Tara Lipinski (Olympic Figure Skater)
· Tiffany Mitchell (Big Brother)
· Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho (Survivor)
Alan Cumming serves as an executive producer along with Stephen Lambert, Mike Cotton, Sam Rees-Jones, Rosie Franks, Tim Harcourt, Jack Burgess, and Darrell Olsen.
