Padma Lakshmi and Kenya Barris are “getting to know each other.” This would be a power couple.

 

Padma made Variety’s list of 40 Most Powerful Woman on Reality TV. If you scrolled past this in your feed because it looks like it’s all Housewives, it’s definitely not. Talk show hosts, reality TV judges and more make up “reality” - Katy Perry, Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler and Gwen Stefani are in the mix. Variety is also hosting a dinner to go along with this piece and I wonder who will show and who won’t want that label. Of course, like every list, the fans are fighting. 

 

David and Cruz Beckham attended an F1 event together and Brooklyn was also at F1 in Vegas... but the three were not seen together. This is very unusual for this family. Of course they might have met up privately but it was such a public event that the lack of interaction is noticeable. 

 

Francesca Scorsese has turned her dad into a TikTok sensation with her directing skills. Student becomes the teacher.

@francescascorsese

In case you can’t tell, we really love 2001: A Space Odyssey @Letterboxd #fyp #martinscorsese #movieranking

♬ Burning Love (with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) - Elvis Presley & The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
@francescascorsese

He lowkey slayed. #fyp #martinscorsese #dadsoftiktok #dadguesses

♬ original sound - Francesca
 

You know what’s kind of fallen off? True crime podcasts. I think part of the reason is volume and quality - a rush of poorly researched shows and some sloppy Netflix series created too much predictability in the sensationalism. Too many copycats in the serial killer crowd. At least we still have Only Murders in the Building, even if we are far from a new season. 

 

More on TV: now that the strike is over, there’s a flurry of renewals and announcements. Abbott Elementary is back February 7th with an hour-long special. Valentine’s Day theme, maybe? Anyway, obviously this show was a lock for renewal because it’s a solid sitcom, the kind of high-quality show that networks can build an entire night around. It’s a smashing success with critics and audiences, which is rare and valuable. Which leads me to this question: when are contracts up renewal? Because that’s when the cast and writers can negotiate the same way Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family teams did. They better back that Brinks truck up at Quinta’s house.