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42

August 9 • 2018

jn

Opens Aug. 10: Dogs Days is a romantic
comedy that seems appropriately titled.
It’s a breezy little movie that doesn’t tax
your mind during the summer heat. We
are all familiar, now, with the ensemble
anthology film — a bunch of strangers
have something in common (a holiday
they all celebrate, etc.) and eventually
their respective storylines join up. Days’
gimmick is that the main characters are
all Los Angeles dog owners. Humans and
dogs run into each other, lives intertwine
and some things change. The large cast
includes Adam Pally (The Mindy Project),
36, as one of the main dog owners. Pally
recently told a Canadian interviewer that
he was grateful to appear in a movie that
his young children could see with him.
Pally and his wife, Daniela Liben Pally
(his high school sweetheart), 37, have
three children (two boys, age 6, and age
1; and a girl, age 5). Their younger son
is named Drake. I’d love to know if the
name was inspired by the Jewish rap-
per Drake, 36. His latest double album,
Scorpion, is breaking just about every
sales record.

TV OFFERINGS: NEW
AND DISCOVERED

Chicago Voices is a PBS “Great
Performances” musical event that
highlights the diversity of music in the
Chicago area. The 90-minute show
includes opera star Renee Fleming sing-
ing the classic George Gershwin tune
“Summertime.” Jussie Smollett, 36, a
star of the hit TV show Empire, is joined
on stage by Terrence Howard, another
Empire star. Together they sing “A
Change is Gonna Come,” a 1960s civil
rights anthem that crossed-over into a
pop hit. (Airs Friday, Aug. 10, at 9 p.m.).
Meanwhile, over on Netflix, you might
check out Insatiable, a dark comedy
starring Debby Ryan as Patty, a woman
long bullied for being overweight who
seeks revenge on those who shamed
her. Jordan Gelber, 42, an accomplished
mostly-Broadway actor, has a recurring
role as Hank Thompson (starts stream-
ing on Aug. 10). Looking ahead: It’s
been confirmed that famous novelist
Michael Chabon has written a Star Trek:
Discovery episode that will air this fall on
Netflix.
During the summer, I look for hid-
den gems among series I haven’t seen.
I found at least one: I’m Sorry, on the
TruTV cable station. I’m Sorry is a funny,
if not hilarious, sitcom about a suburban
mother (Valerie Savage, 45) who is also
a comedy writer. The first two seasons
now stream on Hulu and On-Demand.

Adam Pally

Drake

Jussie Smollett

Valerie Savage

Savage co-created the series, and Andy
Samberg is the executive producer.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

As you might imagine, readers sometime
contact me and ask if someone infamous
is Jewish. Recently, several asked me if
the late Dr. Richard Strauss, who alleg-
edly molested around 100 Ohio State
college wrestlers, was Jewish. While out
of my “beat,” I see it as a public service
to usually respond because I know many
tribe members wonder. The short answer:
Dr. Strauss’ family history (obit, census
records, etc.) is on the internet and
his family (both sides) was not Jewish.
Several generations back were checked
by me and by an expert friend. •