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Nothing better than sitting down for the holidays and bingeing television shows this weekend with loved ones. Here's some help on what's new and worth watching.
This week's shows: Julia Season 2, The Crown Season 6 and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Keep reading... to save yourself the trouble of going into a show unaware of what to expect.
Heading into a week where folks spend their holiday time watching television with family, it’d be nice to watch something entertaining together, right?
On LAist 89.3’s AirTalk, we're joined by television critics each week to give you a rundown of shows that are as fresh as the pies folks will have cooling on their window sills. I’ll also give you some added insight into three shows we’ve talked about to get you prepared.
We had a lot of adapted content to talk about this week, so I’ll take you through three of those shows to give you a better sense of what's worth your precious time this holiday weekend.
This week, AirTalk’s Larry Mantle talked about the latest on television and streaming with Jen Chaney, television critic for Vulture, and Dominic Patten, senior editor for Deadline.
Today’s shows include:
Streaming on Max
“It feels a little more sprawling… still very entertaining, and it's the kind of show you want to watch over Thanksgiving. It just feels very cozy.” – Jen Chaney, Vulture
First Impression: Centered on the storied history of Pasadena-native Julia Childs as she ascends to icon status through her cooking program.
Lasting Impression: The first season offers a good introduction to Childs’ celebrity through personal issues that many go through, like experiencing menopause, but also the more unique problem of attempting to assist in kickstarting a cooking program following her successful cookbook.
Season 2 sees more fruits borne of Childs' labor as she gets a chance to work on her next book and continue building a legacy following the success of her television program. Along with seeing that process and Julia’s personal life at the time, you’ll also get to see the production staff at WGBH go through the process of building off the lightning-in-a-bottle success with The French Chef.
Overall, definitely worth a watch given its timeliness, particularly as folks arrive at the kitchen to make their favorite holiday comfort foods. For those who grew up on Childs’ work, this also serves as a great reminder about why she was so beloved.
Who's behind it: The creator of the show is Daniel Goldfarb, whose most notable credits include serving as a producer for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a show that takes place during a similar era in American history. Goldfarb had worked on Seasons 2 through 4, with his growing in size, first serving a co-producer and ending his time on the show as a supervising producer.
When and where: Episodes 1-3 are now streaming on Max; Episode 4 releases Thursday, Nov. 23.
Streaming on Netflix
“The Death of Diana episodes are drawn out, maudlin, [and] cliche-ridden” – Dominic Patten, Deadline
“I will say that Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Diana at this point in her life, is continuing to give just a terrific performance” – Jen Chaney, Vulture
First Impression: Following the life of the British Royal Family of our lifetimes, we see drama within the family as most struggle with the balancing of its royal traditions and meeting their own personal desires.
Lasting Impression: For as much fascinating gossip each season has offered, and its cathartic elements keeping viewers intrigued, it does seem like the start of Season 6 is capping the show’s end in lackluster fashion. For context, the first 4 episodes of the new season are centered on some of the last moments prior to Princess Diana’s death.
Who's behind it: The creator of the show is Peter Morgan. He’s been nominated for 2 Academy awards, one for his work on the 2008 film Frost/Nixon and the other for the 2006 film The Queen. Along with this, he’s of course been nominated and won multiple Emmys for The Crown.
When and where: Part 1 (Episodes 1-4) are now streaming on Netflix; Part 2 (Episodes 5-10) will release on Dec. 14.
Streaming on Netflix
“It does follow some of the same narrative beats [as the film] and then it goes in a completely different direction that you don't expect.” – Jen Chaney, Vulture
First impression: Tells the story originally written by Bryan Lee O'Malley that started out as a comic book series, but eventually gained traction in being adapted into a film and video game. It follows Canadian slacker Scott Pilgrim as he literally fights to date his love interest Ramona Flowers, needing to defeat her seven evil exes.
Lasting Impression: Having the work be adapted into a television show is very fitting, allowing for a bit more time that isn’t awarded in a film and making it a closer attempt at bringing to life what the comic book was.
And, in a fun turn of events that is sure to delight fans of the 2010 Edgar Wright film Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, it serves as a reunion for the actors from that cast — Michael Cera returns as our intrepid hero, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the mysterious Ramona Flowers, Kieran Culkin as Scott's wisecracking roommate Wallace Wells and an slew of other recognizable faces like Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Brie Larson and Chris Evans.
Who's behind it: The creators of the show are Bryan Lee O'Malley and BenDavid Grabinski. O’Malley of course was the creator of the series, some notable credits for Grabinski include the 2019 revival of Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark? and writing the 2021 crime-comedy Happily.
When and where: All 8 episodes are now streaming on Netflix.
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Advocates had pushed L.A.’s World Cup host committee, an arm of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, to produce its human rights plan. But now that it's out, they're not satisfied.
What's in the plan? It includes a list of online resources including where to file complaints with various local and state level agencies and a summary of local, state and federal laws protecting human and civil rights. The committee is also touting a partnership with L.A. County in which people can call 211 to report a concern during the tournament.
How are activists responding? "Los Angeles is weeks away from hosting one of the largest sporting events in the world, and yet what has been posted is not a plan,” Stephanie Richard, director of the Sunita Jain Anti‑ at Loyola Law School, said in a statement. “It is a list of laws and hotline numbers."
Read on…for concerns about ICE and other issues dropped in the human rights guidance.
The Los Angeles World Cup host committee has quietly posted its guidance on human rights after months of speculation over where the plan was and when it would be published.
Advocates had pushed the committee, an arm of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, to produce its plan. But now that it's out, they're not satisfied with what they're seeing.
The human rights guidance is required by FIFA and outlined on the host committee's website. It includes a list of online resources including where to file complaints with various local and state level agencies and a summary of local, state and federal laws protecting human and civil rights. The committee is also touting a partnership with L.A. County in which people can call 211 to report a concern during the tournament.
"Los Angeles is weeks away from hosting one of the largest sporting events in the world, and yet what has been posted is not a plan,” Stephanie Richard, director of the Sunita Jain Anti‑Trafficking Initiative at Loyola Law School, said in a statement. “It is a list of laws and hotline numbers."
The human rights document also skirts fears around ICE and its potential presence at the tournament and surrounding celebrations. Todd Lyons, the agency's head, said earlier this year that ICE's investigatory branch will play a key role in security for the tournament.
But ICE and immigration enforcement aren't mentioned on the host committee's web page on human rights or in its outline of its approach to human rights. "Immigration status" only gets a mention in the list of existing anti-discrimination laws.
"It certainly could have been much stronger," Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, said of the plan. She added that her organization participated in a roundtable on the plan, and she was disappointed ICE and recent immigration sweeps weren't mentioned in the resulting document.
"In order for all of this to happen, immigrant workers are part of it," she said of the World Cup. "Your hotel workers, your service workers, stadium workers, drivers."
There have been some recent signs that other host committees aren't concerned that ICE will disrupt the tournament.
LAist reached out to spokespeople for the host committee for comment via email, phone and text, but did not hear back in time for publication. FIFA's press team also did not respond to an email from LAist.
According to the host committee's website, the human rights plan is the result of coordination with the city and county of Los Angeles, the city of Inglewood, and 14 roundtable discussions held in the fall of 2025.
"As a non-profit organization, the Host Committee’s role is primarily and necessarily focused on aligning and collaborating with governmental and non-governmental organizations," the document sums up the committee's approach.
The plan also promises more actions, including "Know Your Rights" training for L.A. residents and visitors and "Know Your Responsibilities" training for businesses and vendors. The committee also says it will develop a "rapid response" strategy to respond to potential problems at the tournament.
Available details on those plans were scant. And with the tournament just 30 days away, labor unions and community groups are continuing to voice concerns about potential ICE presence at SoFi Stadium and other potential consequences of the tournament coming to town.
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The mayor of Arcadia has agreed to plead guilty to a charge she acted as an agent for China, federal prosecutors announced Monday. She has resigned from her position with the city.
The charges: Eileen Wang, 58, faces one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun of Chino Hills, worked at the direction of the Chinese government and with individuals based in the U.S. to promote pro-People’s Republic of China propaganda in the United States. Those actions occurred between 2020 and 2022, prosecutors said.
What's next: Wang, who was elected to the City Council in November 2022, was expected to make her first appearance in U.S. District Court Monday afternoon. Citing a plea agreement, prosecutors said she's expected to enter the guilty plea within the next few weeks.
Read on... for more on the charges and allegations.
The mayor of Arcadia has agreed to plead guilty to a charge she acted as an agent for China, federal prosecutors announced Monday. She has resigned from her position with the city.
Eileen Wang, 58, faces one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun of Chino Hills worked at the direction of the Chinese government and with individuals based in the U.S. to promote pro-People’s Republic of China propaganda in the United States. Those actions occurred between 2020 and 2022, prosecutors said.
According to federal prosecutors, Wang and Sun operated a website — known as U.S. News Center — billed as a news source for the local Chinese American community in Los Angeles County. They posted content on the site, described as "pre-written articles," based on directives from Chinese government officials.
Sun, 65, pleaded guilty in October 2025 in federal court to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. He is serving a four-year federal prison sentence.
Prosecutors also said Wang communicated with John Chen, whom they described as “a high-level member of the [Chinese government] intelligence apparatus,” in November 2021, and asked him to post an article from her website.
In a group chat, Wang referenced the article and wrote: “This is what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to send,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Chen pleaded guilty in New York to acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China and conspiracy to bribe a public official. In 2024, he was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison.
Wang, who was elected to the City Council in November 2022, was expected to make her first appearance in U.S. District Court Monday afternoon.
Citing a plea agreement, prosecutors said she's expected to enter the guilty plea within the next few weeks.
Arcadia's mayor is selected from the elected council members. A post on the city's website announced that Wang had resigned her position as of Monday and that a new mayor would be picked from the remaining council members at the next meeting.
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Location: Council Chambers, 240 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia
Time: 7 p.m.
Watch: Live stream or via live broadcast on lon the Arcadia Community Television Channel (AT&T channel 99, Spectrum digital channel 3). Daily replays at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
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Starting next month, families in California will get hundreds of free diapers for their newborns in a new state initiative.
What’s new: The state is partnering with Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, to send 400 free diapers home with families when they’re discharged from the hospital. Any baby born in a participating hospital would be eligible, regardless of income.
Which hospitals? State officials say the program will be first prioritized in hospitals that serve a large number of Medi-Cal patients, but said there isn’t a current list of participating hospitals. A spokesperson for the state’s Department of Health Care Access and Information said once hospitals begin to opt-in, a list will be available on Baby2Baby’s website.
Why now: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the program is aimed at easing the financial strain of raising a family. Newborns can need up to 12 diapers a day — and families spend about $1,000 on diapers in the first year of a baby’s life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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The Supreme Court on Monday gave itself more time to consider a national ban on telemedicine access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Rules for prescribing mifepristone online or through the mail remain in effect through Thursday at a minimum.
The backstory: The tumult over the future of telemedicine access to mifipristone started on May 1 with a ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That ruling re-instituted prescribing rules from before the pandemic that required patients to receive mifepristone in person in a doctor's office or clinic. The Food and Drug Administration determined that the rule was medically unnecessary in 2021. The state of Louisiana sued last fall, arguing that telemedicine access undermines the state's abortion ban.
What is telemedicine abortion: The telemedicine abortion process starts with a patient connecting with a healthcare provider on the phone or online. If the patient is eligible, that provider can prescribe two medications — mifepristone and another pill called misoprostol. Patients can pick up the medicine at a local pharmacy, or providers can mail the drugs to a patient's home. Now, most abortions in the U.S. use this combination of medications, and one quarter happen via telemedicine. After the 5th Circuit ruling, some providers said they would continue offering telemedicine access to abortion medication using a different protocol that involves higher doses of misoprostol and no mifepristone.
Read on... for more on what's at stake.
The Supreme Court on Monday gave itself more time to consider a national ban on telemedicine access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
Justice Samuel Alito extended an earlier order he issued by three more days, so rules for prescribing mifepristone online or through the mail remain in effect through Thursday at a minimum.
The tumult over the future of telemedicine access to mifipristone started on May 1 with a ruling from the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That ruling re-instituted prescribing rules from before the pandemic that required patients to receive mifepristone in person in a doctor's office or clinic.
The Food and Drug Administration determined that the rule was medically unnecessary in 2021. The state of Louisiana sued last fall, arguing that telemedicine access undermines the state's abortion ban.
The telemedicine abortion process starts with a patient connecting with a healthcare provider on the phone or online. If the patient is eligible, that provider can prescribe two medications — mifepristone and another pill called misoprostol. Patients can pick up the medicine at a local pharmacy, or providers can mail the drugs to a patient's home.
That access is a big part of the reason why the number of abortions nationally has actually increased since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022. Now, most abortions in the U.S. use this combination of medications, and one quarter happen via telemedicine.
After the 5th Circuit ruling, some providers said they would continue offering telemedicine access to abortion medication using a different protocol that involves higher doses of misoprostol and no mifepristone.
Researchers say that method is just as safe and effective, but tends to cause more pain for patients and more side effects, like nausea and diarrhea. Misoprostol has other medical uses, such as treating gastric ulcers and hemorrhage, and has been on the market longer than mifepristone. It is likely to remain fully accessible, even if mifepristone is restricted.
Since the FDA's prescribing rules for medications apply to the whole country, a change to the rules about how mifepristone can be accessed has national impact. That means it affects states with constitutionally-protected access to abortion, states with criminal bans, like Louisiana, and all states in between.
Nearly two dozen Democratic-led states submitted an amicus brief in this case, writing that the appeals court decision put the policy choices of states with bans above the choices of states "that have made the different but equally sovereign determinations to promote access to abortion care."
There are also stakes related to the power of FDA and other expert agencies to set rules. While the Trump administration's FDA did not respond to the Supreme Court's request for briefs, a group of former leaders of the agency, who served under mainly Democratic and some Republican presidents, wrote about this in an amicus brief.
They defended the FDA's process in approving the medication and modifying the rules for prescribing it, and say the appeals court decision "would upend FDA's gold-standard, science-based drug approval system."
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