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David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Kelsey Grammer, John Mahoney and Peri Gilpin star in “Frasier” actor Levi Dylan, “Scooter Boyz”) in warmth and the smell of food, they By Dana Simpson a fatal car accident, music manager make the decision to stay the night TV Media “Frasier” Go ahead — we’re listening. Don’t miss all 11 seasons of “Frasier,” available now on Hulu. Starring Kelsey Grammer (“Like Father,” 2018) as the eponymous Dr. Fra- sier Crane (a character first made popular on the hit ‘80s sitcom “Cheers”), the half-hour comedy began in 1993 — hot on the heels of its aforementioned predecessor’s series finale — and chronicles Fra- sier’s move from Boston back to his hometown of Seattle to live with his aging father (John Mahoney, “Barton Fink,” 1991) and host a call-in talk-radio therapy show. With his feisty producer Roz (Peri Gilpin, “Mr. Robinson”) at the helm of his popular radio hour, Frasier is an absolute wizard when it comes to dealing with the problems of others, though he often struggles with the issues in his own life. Now sharing an apartment with his overly honest father and his ador- able dog, Eddie, Frasier also has to endure the plights and fancies of his upper-crusty brother, Niles (Da- vid Hyde Pierce, “Down with Love,” 2003), when he often comes to visit — including Niles’ enduring crush on their father’s live-in caretaker and physical therapist, Daphne (Jane Leeves, “The Resident”). A hilarious and frequently relat- able look at family relationships, daily stresses and mental health, “Frasier” remained on the air until 2004, beating out its parent show, “Cheers,” by two years for number of seasons on the air. Both shows were created by writers Peter Casey, David Angell and David Lee. “Mighty Oak” (2020) Explore whether those we love are ever truly lost when “Mighty Oak” comes to the Hulu lineup on Wednesday, Jan. 6. A decade after she lost her brother (also her band’s lead vocalist), Vaughn (budding Gina Jackson (Janel Parrish, “Pretty Little Liars”) connects with a young and gifted guitarist, Oak Scoggins (the newly introduced Tommy Ra- gen), whom she believes to be the reincarnation of her late brother. The more time Gina spends with Oak, the more she believes that he was meant to be a part of the band and the lives of all those involved in their music. As suspicion mounts and tensions rise with the band’s popularity, each musician is forced to draw their own conclusion about Oak’s involvement in their life as they face a resurgence of emotion connected to Vaughn’s death 10 years prior. Also starring Carlos PenaVega (“The Loud House”), Alexa PenaVega (“Nashville”), Nana Ghana (“Savages,” 2012), Ben Milken (“Bosch”) and Raven- Symoné (“Raven’s Home”), this musical dramedy was written by Matt Allen (“Four Christmases,” 2008) and directed by “Soul Surfer” (2011) producer/director Sean McNamara. “Gretel & Hansel” (2020) Draw your own morals from “Gretel & Hansel” when it comes to Hulu on Thursday, Jan. 7. This reimagining of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, “Hansel and Gre- tel,” brings the sinister story to life, highlighting the darkest aspects of the beloved cautionary tale for chil- dren. When a rural mother (Fiona O’Shaughnessy, “Utopia”) begins struggling to support her family and eventually turns her children out to fend for themselves, young Gretel (Sophia Lillis, “It,” 2017) leads her little brother, Hansel (Samuel J. Leakey, “MotherFatherSon”), on a trek through the woods in search of food, lodging and work to earn a living wage. Eager to escape the dark uncertainty of the woods, when the siblings stumble upon a house that appears to be nothing short of a godsend teaming with in the care of the old woman who lives there. But as they awake the following morning, the effects of their relief and hunger from the night before having warn off, Gretel and Hansel come to realize that perhaps they aren’t as safe as they had first thought themselves to be. Starring Alice Krige (“Thor: The Dark World,” 2013), Jessica De Gouw (“Dracula”), Charles Babalola (“Mary Magdalene,” 2018) and Donncha Crowley (“King Arthur,” 2004) in supporting roles, this new- est adaptation of the classic tale was written by Rob Hayes (“Chew- ing Gum”) and directed by Osgood “Oz” Perkins (“I am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House,” 2016). “Vanderpump Rules” Season 8 If there is anything that the Season 8 trailer for “The Vanderpump Rules” makes clear, it’s that “we are gathered here today — to party!” So, join the party on Thursday, Jan. 7, as this reality series’ eighth season joins the Hulu roster. Since 2013, Real Housewife of Beverly Hills Lisa Vanderpump has been wowing viewers with drama, scandal and the salacious details of those behind the doors of her exclusive Hollywood restaurant and lounge, SUR. From servers and bartenders to family, friends and patrons, it would appear that the Vanderpump rules apply to no one at all. Season 8 kicks off with Jax, Brittany, Schwartz, Katie, Sandoval and Ariana all moving into their own homes as Stassi and Kristen face the tension between them head on. Created by Lisa Vander- pump herself, all 171 episodes over the course of the show’s eight seasons were developed by Alex Baskin (“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”) and Douglas Ross (“The Real Housewives of Orange County”). Malin Akerman, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff and Paul Giamatti star in “Billions” By Dana Simpson TV Media “Herself” (2020) Learn what it really means to fight back when the new Irish film, “Her- self,” lands on Prime on Friday, Jan. 8. Faced with the daunting task of fighting to keep her children while managing to drudge up a suitable place for her whole family to live amid a broken housing market in Dublin, Sandra (Clare Dunne, “Spi- der-Man: Far from Home,” 2019) has left her abusive husband to start a better life for herself and her family. In the process of searching for a home or a parcel of land upon which to build a brand-new home, Sandra not only rebuilds her life, but herself. Co-written by Dunne and Malcolm Campbell (“Ackley Bridge”), “Herself” was directed by “Mamma Mia!” (2008) and “The Iron Lady” (2011) director Phyllida Lloyd and also stars Molly McCann (“Vivarium,” 2019) and Ruby Rose O’Hara (“The Secret Market,” 2017) as Sandra’s daughters, Ian Lloyd Anderson (“Love/Hate”), Cathy Belton (“Philomena,” 2013) and Ericka Roe (“Dublin Murders”). “Billions” Follow the money through all five seasons of “Billions,” available now on Prime. When this hour-long Showtime corporate drama series hit the small screen in 2016, it made big waves. Now partway through its fifth season (production was halted during the pandemic and the remaining five Season 5 episodes are expected to air in 2021) and confirmed for a sixth, “Billions” — like its strongest characters — shows no signs of wavering. The show begins centered around U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Gia- matti, “Sideways,” 2004) as he is confronted with one rather unusual and high-profile case of insider trading that points to ties between three separate firms and one billionaire hedge fund manager, Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lew- is, “Homeland”). Once Rhoades begins his hunt for the king of cash and corruption, the two men be- come ensnared in a highly personal game of cat and mouse. As the seasons progress and the power shifts back and forth between the two men and their associates, the one thing that remains an absolute certainty is that no one’s jobs, rela- tionships or principles will ever be the same again. Created by Brian Koppelman and David Levien of “The Girlfriend Experience,” and “Squawk Box” journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, “Billions” also stars Malin Akerman (“Childrens Hos- pital”) as tough lady Lara Axelrod; Maggie Siff (“Sons of Anarchy”) as Chuck’s strong-willed wife, Wendy Rhoades; David Costabile (“Suits”) as COO and Axe’s right-hand man, Mike “Wags” Wagner; and Condola Rashad (“Good Posture,” 2019) as eager assistant district attorney Kate Sacker. “Downton Abbey” You are cordially invited to binge- watch “Downton Abbey,” all six seasons of which are now stream- ing on Prime. Renowned for its costumes, sets and scandal, follow the lives of the Crawley family as they battle changes to life plans, opposing world views, mismatched values and the evolving constructs of high-class English society be- tween 1912 and 1926. When the heir to the Crawley estate is killed aboard the R.M.S. Titanic, Lord Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, “Notting Hill,” 1999) begins to see the future of his family home, Downton Abbey, less clearly than ever before. With the arrival of the family’s next in line, his distant cousin and lawyer Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens, “Beauty and the Beast,” 2017), conservativism clashes with mod- ernism as the world spins madly on. Still the daughters must be married off, the estate must be kept up and the servants have their own lives to tend to when the Crawleys aren’t looking. Starring Dame Maggie Smith (“Gosford Park,” 2001) as the conservative Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, opposite the reputation-hungry social butterfly, Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton, “After Life”), “Downton Abbey” proved to be a captivating sensation from early on in its run on-air. Created by Julian Fellowes (“Vanity Fair,” 2004), Lau- ra Carmichael (“The Spanish Prin- cess”), Jim Carter (“Shakespeare in Love,” 1998), Michelle Dockery (“Defending Jacob”), Elizabeth Mc- Govern (“War of the Worlds”) and Robert James-Collier (“Coronation Street”) also star in all 52 episodes of the series. East Oregonian and Hermiston Herald | January 6, 2021 Screentime | 5