KATE’S CLIMBING AGAIN
These days, it seems like everything old is new again. Because her song was part of a pivotal episode in season four of Netflix’s popular sci-fi series Stranger Things, English singer/ songwriter Kate Bush’s poppy 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” is now more popular than ever.

When the song first came out, it reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. But 37 years after its debut, the song is now in heavy rotation on both the radio and TikTok. Recently, the tune hit No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 Bush’s highest placement ever in the U.S.!

“It’s just extraordinary,” she said during a BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour podcast. “It’s such a great series, I thought that the track would get some attention, but I just never imagined that it would be anything like this…The whole world’s gone mad. I think they put it in a really special place…I thought what a lovely way for the song to be used in such a positive way, as a kind of talisman for Max. It’s very touching actually.”

MAN’S BEST FRIEND
Over the pandemic, dog adoptions hit record highs as people turned to four legged friends for comfort and companionship. Cesar Millan’s latest series for National Geographic and Disney+, Better Human Better Dog, captures this unreproducible bond. It was just renewed for a second season.

Kicking o this month, Millan strives to deepen the human dog spiritual connection, working with dog owners in each episode, to help them better understand their beloved four-legged friends. “I work with humans a lot more in this series, focusing on their energy, philosophy, and activities. I almost become like a mix between Tony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Oprah, and Dr. Phil!” he quipped.

Millan said he’s grown more careful in his delivery. “I try to prepare people as much as possible, focusing on how the human has become responsible. I help them to understand where they went wrong without making them wrong.”

AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, the stars of ABC’s uber hit Abbott Elementary, will be hosting the 38th annual Television Critics Awards (TCA) on August 6.

The series is the TCA Awards’ most-nominated program. “We are ecstatic to finally be able to gather in person again for this year’s TCA Awards, and we’re going all out with not one, but three talented hosts for the occasion,” said Melanie McFarland, TCA president. “Through Abbott Elementary, ABC has revitalized the concept of the must-see network comedy, reminding us of the hope shows like this provide in challenging times. With these multitalented co-stars, we expect the TCA Awards to be in a class by itself.”

The event highlights the best programs and performances from the 2021-2022 television season, as voted on by the TCA’s membership of more than 200 professional journalists covering television.

GIRLS’ GETAWAY
It’s been more than ten years since Jill Zarin became a favorite on Bravo TV’s The Real Housewives of New York (RHONY). The popular reality show star has returned to television for a reunion on the second season of Peacock’s The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.

The series brings eight women from different Housewives series to vacation at Bluestone Manor in the Berkshires, one of the iconic homes from the franchise, for an amusing mix of drama, fashion, and wild escapades.

Zarin has been thrilled to be back on television; recent posts on her Instagram feed showed her counting down to the Ultimate Girls Trip premiere, remembering her time on RHONY. Since she left the original series, Zarin has focused on family, personal growth, and her business ventures, including those she launched in the last few years: Jill Zarin Home, a line of rugs, bedding, and furniture; and, along with her daughter Ally Shapiro, the lifestyle brand Jill & Ally.

CHAINS OF LOVE
Lifetime has built a solid following with its “Ripped from the Headlines” stories. Its latest film, Jailbreak Lovers, tells the true story of Toby Dorr, who fell for inmate John Manard and eventually broke him out of jail.

“I think there’s always that idea of, ‘Oh, what if I broke the rules and did something wild for a moment,” said executive producer and star Catherine Bell (Dorr). “People always say, ‘Why would someone break the law and do something like this?’ Hopefully, we give you a little insight into where that comes from.”

Bell watched several interviews of Toby to prepare for the role.

“Obviously, I don’t look anything like her so I gave that up quickly. But there’s an essence to her that I tried to get. She’s got that little bit of the Kansas accent, this sweet woman who really just was totally taken by surprise by this guy, and it just completely altered the course of her life. It was a lot of fun trying to become this woman who is very different from myself.”