The premise is straightforward: With Sheindlin presiding as judge and attorneys Larry Bakman and Dan Mentzer as the attorneys facing off, a real court case is recreated on a television set, moot court-style, and interspersed with dramatic recreations of the crime itself. It’s a ripped-from-the-headlines sensibility.

“While we’re not going to recreate the trials verbatim, all the courts’ ultimate decisions are accurate,” Sheindlin says at the top of each episode. “It will be up to you to decide whether the case was fair and the outcome just.” The show’s tagline: “Real cases. Actual lawyers. Surprising verdicts.”

To assess the series, it’s worth thinking about why the original “Judge Judy” remained popular for so long. The schadenfreude of watching her tear into someone who was refusing to take responsibility was a big factor. But I always liked that the show featured a cross section of Americans whose lives are rarely given much attention on TV. Grievances and interpersonal clashes of the poor and working class were taken just as seriously as anyone else’s. All were equal before the withering gaze of Judge Judy.

The show was shamelessly tacky, which was perhaps some of the appeal as well, which has only gotten more pronounced with her subsequent efforts. Perhaps “Justice on Trial” is an effort to combat some of that, because instead of exploiting yet another interpersonal conflict for ratings, the intention here seems focused on helping laypeople understand why, as Sheindlin says in every intro, “justice doesn’t always end up feeling just.”

She’s trying to explain how the law works. Sure. Fine. Great. But the context in which the show is premiering makes this a surreal project, where legal rights and principles we were once told were sacrosanct are being eroded. It’s hard to take anything Sheindlin says seriously, considering the real-world backdrop we’re currently living through.

A disclaimer runs at the beginning of each episode: “Although some details have been altered, the outcomes are very real.” What details have been altered, and why? No information is forthcoming. Some of the cases are more interesting than others. The most fascinating, from the late 1980s, involves an abusive father who is also a diplomat from Zimbabwe who claims he can’t be prosecuted because he has diplomatic immunity. Sheindlin actually ruled on the case before it was appealed to a higher court.

The man is accused of beating his 9-year-old son and the details are gruesome; the boy says he was tied up by the arms and whipped, sometimes with a belt or electrical cord. His mother and sister were allegedly forced to watch. When he collapsed at school, child protective services removed him from the home. The father is seeking his son’s return.

According to international law, Shiendlin says, “high-level diplomats are not subject to the laws of the foreign country where they serve. So they cannot be prosecuted for the crimes they commit. But what about the rights of a child from Zimbabwe living in America and being abused by his father?” The reasons why diplomats have immunity are explained and they make sense, but Sheindlin’s researchers either could not or didn’t bother to follow up and see if they could find out what fate ultimately befell the boy in the years since the case was decided.

Another case involves a traffic stop that led to the discovery of a dead body. The issue at hand concerns evidence that is considered “fruit of the poisoned tree” (a conflict beloved by “Law & Order” writers for decades). Another case centers on a lawsuit that argues hate speech is not protected under free speech. These are all good debates. In theory. But ultimately, this feels like such a hacky exercise. In one dramatic recreation, someone drinking wine gets so upset, their hand contracts into a fist, crushing the glass they’re holding. I’ve never seen this happen in real life, but more to the point, it’s silly.

The courtroom set and lighting are similar enough to that of the other shows Sheindlin produces that it’s likely they’re just being repurposed for this series. The judges from “Hot Bench” are the appellate court. The overall vibe is: Sure, we’re doing this on a budget in an artificial setting — with extras in the gallery as audience — but viewers are meant to take this seriously. The aesthetics, however, are that of a grimier show.

“Justice on Trial” — 2 stars (out of 4)

Where to watch: Amazon

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

“Doug played the villain or straight man, the man in authority,” Waters said. “He took direction well. His character often reacted meanly or insanely, a character who was against the morals of my world — which was actually correct.”

Born Lloyd Douglas Roberts in Richmond, Kentucky, he was the son of Lloyd Roberts, an insurance salesman, and his wife, Ann, who raised show dogs. He was a Lafayette High School graduate in Lexington, Kentucky, and was a graduate of the University of Kentucky.

Mr. Roberts moved to Manhattan and appeared with George C. Scott in the Circle in the Square Theatre’s production of “Desire Under the Elms.” He was also a page and talent coordinator for the “Today” show at Rockefeller Center.

When a new dinner theater, The Barn, opened near Richmond, Virginia, he became intrigued by the concept. He tried it briefly and later moved on, in 1966, to the Oregon Ridge Dinner Theatre in Cockeysville.

Mr. Roberts proposed marriage to his future wife, Tara Russo, at the final game of the 1966 World Series between the Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers. She replied, “Only if we win.” The Orioles won, and the two married a year later.

When times were lean, he became a waiter at the old Charcoal Hearth and Oyster Bay restaurants in downtown Baltimore and worked in public relations at the Painters Mill Music Fair and for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He later bought into the Bolton Hill Dinner Theatre, where he described himself as a cook, actor, director, owner, and dishwasher and bottle washer.

“There were, in Baltimore’s early days of theater and dinner theater and radio and TV and movies and ad voice-overs, a few people like Doug who were talented, willing to work hard and were very generous,” said Stanley Heuisler, the former Baltimore Magazine editor who acted in the 1970s. “And they were respected as the warm, genuine and professional people. Doug could do, and did, it all. And very well.”

Mr. Roberts found that a good living could be made doing commercials and voice-overs for local advertising agencies. His family said he was in more than 5,000 commercials — often anonymously. He sold cars, furniture and appliances over the air, uncredited. He also handled political campaign announcements.

But as Baltimore began attracting film scouts for location work, Mr. Roberts found himself in demand.

He appeared in “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “The Wire.” He also appeared in John Waters’ “Hairspray,” “Cecil B. Demented,” “Serial Mom” and “A Dirty Shame.”

At Maryland Public Television, Mr. Roberts appeared in “Book, Look, and Listen,” alongside singer Ethel Ennis; hosted the food documentary “Eatin’ Crab Cakes: The Best I Ever Had!”; performed in the “Consumer Survival Kit”; and did comic skits in “Crabs.”

An MPT colleague and director, Richard George, said: “‘Crabs’ was a live-on-the-air sketch comedy show featuring local talent that won 13 Emmys, and Doug was our comedy director. He was the smooth 350 V-8 engine under the hood of ‘Crabs’ that drove us to airtime on every show.”

His favorite film was 1997’s “G.I. Jane,” in which he had a scene with Anne Bancroft.

He also appeared on WBAL-TV and WBAL Radio as an entertainment and food reporter called the Beltway Gourmet.

A baseball and basketball fan, Mr. Roberts served on the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum’s board. He also fished, hunted and collected penknives.

“He was outgoing and generous, almost to a fault,” his wife said. “But most of all, he was a family man and loved his grandchildren. He was proud to have been a working actor all his life.”

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Tara Russo Roberts, a retired Baltimore County Schools teacher; two daughters, Hilary Roberts-King and Amy McLoughlin, both of Baltimore; a son, J. Brooke Roberts, of Marietta, Georgia; and eight grandchildren.

The Ruck Towson Funeral Home is handling the funeral arrangements.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jacques.kelly@baltsun.com and 410-332-6570.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A doctor who was a primary target in the sweeping investigation of actor Matthew Perry’s overdose death pleaded guilty Wednesday to supplying the “Friends” star with ketamine despite knowing he was a struggling addict.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia became the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry’s death to plead guilty. He and a woman prosecutors say was a major ketamine dealer faced the most serious charges after Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on Oct. 28, 2023.

Plasencia stood next to his lawyer and said “guilty” four times for four different counts before Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in federal court in Los Angeles.

Plasencia, 43, was to have gone on trial in August until the doctor agreed last month to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the signed document filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

The charges can carry up to 40 years in prison. He is likely to be sentenced to much less, but there is no guarantee in his agreement.

He spoke only to answer the judge’s questions. When asked if his lawyers had considered all the possibilities of pleas and sentencing in the case, Plasencia replied, “They’ve considered everything.”

One of Matthew Perry’s ketamine suppliers expresses regret

“Dr. Plasencia is profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry,” the doctor’s attorney, Debra White, said in an emailed statement after the hearing. “He is fully accepting responsibility by pleading guilty to drug distribution. Dr. Plasencia intends to voluntarily surrender his medical license, acknowledging his failure to protect Mr. Perry, a patient who was especially vulnerable due to addiction.”

In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors have agreed to drop three additional counts of distribution of ketamine and two counts of falsifying records.

Prosecutors outlined the charges in court before the plea, and said that he did not sell Perry the dose that killed the actor.

They described, and Plasencia admitted, that Perry froze up and his blood pressure spiked when the doctor gave him one injection, but Plasencia still left more ketamine for Perry’s assistant to inject.

In court, Perry was referred to only as “victim MP.” Plasencia acknowledged that he knew the actor was in addict when he charged him thousands of dollars and gave him ketamine, a drug primarily used as a surgical anesthetic.

Plasencia has been free on bond since shortly after his arrest in August, and will be allowed to remain free until his Dec. 3 sentencing.

Defense lawyer Karen Goldstein assured the judge that he is not a flight risk, saying he was born and raised in the area and is one of the primary caretakers for his son, who is about 2 years old.

Plasencia has already turned over his license to prescribe controlled substances. He has been allowed to practice medicine in the past year, but he must inform patients of the charges before treating them. Goldstein told the judge he’ll now surrender his medical license too.

Plasencia left the courthouse with his lawyers without speaking to reporters gathered outside.

Case raises questions about at-home ketamine use

“While Dr. Plasencia was not treating Mr. Perry at the time of his death,” his lawyer’s statement said, “he hopes his case serves as a warning to other medical professionals and leads to stricter oversight and clear protocols for the rapidly growing at-home ketamine industry in order to prevent future tragedies like this.”

The only remaining defendant who has not reached an agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors allege is a drug dealer known as the “Ketamine Queen” and sold Perry the lethal dose. Her trial is scheduled to begin next month. She has pleaded not guilty.

According to prosecutors and co-defendants who reached their own deals, Plasencia illegally supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine starting about a month before his death on Oct. 28, 2023.

According to a co-defendant, Plasencia in a text message called the actor a “moron” who could be exploited for money.

Perry’s personal assistant, his friend, and another doctor all agreed to plead guilty last year in exchange for their cooperation as the government sought to make their case against larger targets, Plasencia and Sangha. None have been sentenced yet.

Perry was found dead by the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine was the primary cause of death.

The actor had been using the drug through his regular doctor in a legal but off-label treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry began seeking more ketamine than his doctor would give him.

Plasencia admitted in his plea agreement that another patient connected him with Perry, and that starting about a month before Perry’s death, he illegally supplied the actor with 20 vials of ketamine totaling 100 mg of the drug, along with ketamine lozenges and syringes.

He admitted to enlisting another doctor, Mark Chavez, to supply the drug for him, according to the court filings.

“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia texted Chavez, according to Chavez’s plea agreement.

Perry struggled with addiction for years, dating back to his time on “Friends,” when he became one of the biggest stars of his generation as Chandler Bing. He starred alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s megahit.

Cake by Jason

As Shark Week is one of this Timonium bakery’s “favorite holidays of the year,” according to the Cake by Jason Facebook, a cupcake six-pack featuring limited-time flavors will be available to order through Saturday. Among the selection of colorful cupcakes are the Lemon Shark with cookie dough buttercream and the Whale Shark chocolate with marshmallow filling. These cupcakes, as well as custom Shark Week cakes, are available for order on the bakery’s website. 47 E. Padonia Road, Timonium; 410-431-2253; cakebyjason.com.

EC Diner

This Ellicott City crabcake spot has a Shark Week Extreme Shake on special, according to social media. The artful drink starts with a blue vanilla milkshake and strawberry drizzle, while the glass boasts a graham cracker “sand” rim. On top is the eye-catcher: a strawberry shark head cake with frosting waves and Swedish Fish. 10055 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City; 410-750-3300; ecdiner.com.

Flavor Bakery & Cafe

In Bel Air, a limited-time Shark Week refresher beverage is made with blue raspberry lemonade, grenadine and a gummy shark through Saturday, the 13-year-old Flavor Bakery & Cafe cupcakery posted on its website. 118 N. Tollgate Road, Bel Air; 443-371-6664; flavorcupcakery.com.

Frazier’s on the Avenue

This week, Hampden’s Frazier’s is bringing back its $12 Shark Week appetizer specials, including beer-battered ahi tuna bites, salmon cake sliders and half racks of baby-back ribs, as well as streaming “Shark Week” on its televisions. According to Juliet Ames, social media and events manager at the restaurant, Shark Week comes at the perfect time: “It’s kind of like the doldrums of summer right now. People aren’t really going out, the Orioles aren’t doing awesome, and we’re waiting for football to start,” she said. “It’s fun to do something different for a week.” 917-919 W. 36th St.; 410-662-4914; fraziersontheavenue.net. 

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood

Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., Jimmy’s Famous Seafood in Broening Manor will host a Shark Week Paint Night. Expect shark-inspired painting instruction, along with Shark Bite cocktails and ocean-themed fare. Matt Cornblatt, sales director at Jimmy’s, said he’s most excited for on-special shark meat tenders and tacos — “we’re pretty shark-obsessed around here,” he said of the restaurant team. Paintings will automatically be entered into a restaurant contest, with Shark Week merch and gift cards as prizes. Tickets, which include painting materials and one drink, are $40, with more details available on Facebook. 6526 Holabird Ave.; 410-633-4040; jimmysfamousseafood.com.

Pink Flamingo

At this Remington, tropical-inspired gastrobar, an entire food and drink menu is dedicated to the Shark Week festivities through Saturday — including a fried calamari “Chum Bucket” ($14), blood sausage with apple gastrique ($12) and cocktails with theatrical pours of blue Curaçao and passionfruit-cranberry grenadine. Ten percent of sales from the limited-time menu will go to Baltimore’s National Aquarium — so executive chef Blaine Welsh said via text that he hopes to “get as many people in here this week as we can!” 300 W. 30th St.; 443-449-5854; pinkflamingobaltimore.com.

The Point

Through Saturday, Fells Point’s The Point will offer “jaw-dropping” food and beverage specials, along with streaming “Shark Week” across bar televisions daily, the restaurant said. More information about the weeklong event is available on AllEvents, while reservations are available on Resy. 1738 Thames St.; 410-327-7264. thepointfells.com.

Have a news tip? Contact Jane Godiner at jgodiner@baltsun.com or on Instagram as @JaneCraves.

An adjunct professor at McDaniel and Carroll Community colleges, Hugendubler, 33, flew to Culver City, California on May 8 to film the last episode of this season at Sony Pictures Studio. The episode is scheduled to air at 7 p.m., Friday on FOX45 WBFF.

In addition to his day jobs, Hugendubler said he’s been a trivia enthusiast for about 10 years, and became a trivia host and writer for Charm City Trivia during the pandemic.

Being on the show was an “out-of-body experience” for Hugendubler, who lives in Charles Village said he’s proud to represent Baltimore on the show. He can’t disclose the results of his show until it airs, he added.

“If you asked me under oath to recall the experience, I probably still wouldn’t remember about 80% of it just because of how intense it was,” he said. “It’s been a really interesting experience.”

Applying contestants for Jeopardy! must first take and pass its ‘anytime test,’ which gives contestants fifteen seconds to answer each of 50 questions, according to its website.

Hugendubler said it’s not disclosed to the public how well applicants must perform on this initial test to move forward with the application, but said test-takers must do “pretty well” with such a high number of applicants nationwide. If the test is passed and an applicant moves forward, Hugendubler said they must then complete another test via Zoom and participate in an interview to be considered for the show.

Hugendubler was notified March 20, about six weeks before filming, that he would be participating in an episode of “Jeopardy!” this season, he said. He had to take a week off from teaching to participate on the show, which was filmed on the same day as four other episodes in the season.

“It was fun,” he said. “It’s a very intense experience, because they do five episodes in one day. I was the last episode of the season, so it was like a lot of sitting and waiting.”

Trivia has been one of Hugendubler’s interests since high school, he said, where he was “volunteered into a trivia competition” in his sophomore year and won. His love for trivia took flight when he was getting his master’s degree in music at Johns Hopkins University.

Hugendubler had a library job during which he would often play the trivia game Sporcle, and that’s how he found his love for trivia. He used games as well as flashcards he made to study in the weeks leading up to his “Jeopardy!” debut. Hosting weekly trivia at Johns Hopkins’ HomeSlyce, Mt. Vernon’s HomeSlyce and The Brass Tap through Charm City Trivia also helped him prepare, he said.

“I’m honestly surprised that people like were so excited when they found out I was going to be on the show, or that they cared at all,” he said. “It’s been cool to try to represent Baltimore.”

Have a news tip? Contact K. Mauser at kmauser@baltsun.com.

DETROIT (AP) — For Black youth and teens growing up in the mid-1980s, “The Cosby Show” offered something rarely seen on television up until that time: a sitcom that placed characters who looked like them in a positive light.

And Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Theo Huxtable was the character Generation X most related to. Fans took quickly to social media on Monday as news of Warner’s accidental drowning in Costa Rica spread.

“It’s like losing one of us,” said Harriet Cammock, a 58-year-old Detroit author and speaker. “This is the thing with television. When you’re watching people every week on television, you think you know them and you’re related to them.”

Warner was swimming Sunday afternoon at Playa Cocles in Costa Rica’s Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the Caribbean, according to that country’s Judicial Investigation Department.

First responders found him without vital signs.

Cori Murray, executive vice president of content at Ebony Magazine, was saddened upon hearing about Warner’s death. She said his Theo character mirrored the everyday Black teenager, which was rare to see on TV at the time.

While so many portrayals of young Black teenagers leaned negative, “The Cosby Show,” especially Theo, showed warmth, joy and relatability.

“He wasn’t just a character. We saw ourselves in him,” Murray said. “You know how Kendrick Lamar has the song ‘Not Like Us’? Well, Theo was one of us. He was like us.”

Murray, who met Warner a few times, recalled his character off-screen matched the warmth he exuded on television. She called him respectful and pleasant and said he had a “megawatt smile” that lit up the room.

“His energy stayed with you,” Murray said. “You don’t have a bad memory when it comes to Theo or Malcolm-Jamal Warner. As much as we loved the character, we also watched Malcolm grow up in real life. No scandals. No mess. Just a talented young man who matured into an upstanding, handsome adult.”

“The Cosby Show” was groundbreaking and a ratings giant, drawing in viewers across racial, cultural and economic backgrounds. The show ran for 197 episodes from 1984 to 1992. In 1986, Warner earned an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy.

The show starring Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad as his wife, Clair, “made the wider society aware that there are Black people who live like white people do,” said Cammock, who is Black. “The perception that we don’t live like they do was hurtful.”

Gil Robertson, co-founder and president of the African American Film Critics Association, reflected on Warner’s rare path in the entertainment industry.

“There was never any scandal, no controversy,” said Robertson. “He transitioned from a teen star to a respected adult without the baggage we often see from others in his generation. That’s no small feat.”

Robertson added: “The legacy of Theo Huxtable — and Malcolm’s performance — will live on. It left an imprint that will continue to resonate in our culture for generations.”

Lynn Reasonover, 62, of Oak Lawn, Illinois, began receiving messages Monday afternoon about Warner’s death. Her initial thoughts were “Nope, didn’t happen.”

“Then, I kept seeing the news flashes and friends started sending texts,” Reasonover said. “So, it’s sinking in. Makes you realize how much some celebrities help shape our memories. His work had such a huge impact. I’m feeling a personal loss because we grew up with him. It’s like losing a part of our childhood.”

Reasonover saw much of her family in the Huxtables, where both parents were professionals who valued education and handled family issues with understanding and love.

“They had similar problems to what we experienced growing up,” she said. “We could relate and that’s why we laughed.”

Rasheda Williams, 46, of Detroit was about the same age as Rudy, the youngest character on “The Cosby Show” and Theo’s little sister. Williams said she and others are mourning Warner’s passing because of what they saw in the character he played.

“He’s like the ideal cousin you wish you had,” Williams said. “Hearing the news has really affected some of us. It was unexpected. He wasn’t sick. That makes it even more tragic.”

“He wasn’t just an actor,” she said. “He was also an activist, a positive role model, not just for young Black men, but for young Black women as well.”

AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifty years ago, “Jaws” unlocked dread in millions about man-eating sharks. This summer, that fear may be somewhat reduced as they become contestants on a TV dance show.

Former “Dancing With the Stars” host Tom Bergeron steps up for a marketing masterstroke by Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” — “Dancing with Sharks,” where humans and 20-foot-long hammerhead sharks do a little mambo.

“I had a decade and a half experience of hosting a dance show, but this one was different,” Bergeron tells The Associated Press. “I’d often thought on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ wouldn’t it be great if we could incorporate another species? And here I’ve finally got my dream come true.”

In the show, five scuba-diving shark handlers use bait to twirl and guide various sharks into mini-waltzes, in what’s being billed as “the world’s most dangerous dance competition.”

One contestant wraps his arms around a nerf shark and spoons it. Another takes off her air tank and does a double backflip. A third — a hip-hop loving shark handler — does an old school head spin on the ocean floor as sharks swirl.

“These are some of the best shark handlers in the world. These are people who know the nuances of sharks, know how they move, know how to behave, know how to safely move with them, and they’re guiding these sharks along as you would a partner,” says Kinga Philipps, a TV correspondent and one of the three judges. “It is so fluid and beautiful, all they really had to do is put a little bit of music to it and they’re actually dancing.”

It’s a shark-a-thon

“Dancing with Sharks” kicks off the week of programing, which includes shows on how to survive a shark attack, why New Smyrna Beach in Florida has earned the title of “The Shark Attack Capital of the World” and whether a mysterious dark-skinned shark off the coast of California is a mako, mutant or possibly a mako-and-great white hybrid.

The seven nights of new shows — and a related podcast — ends off the Mozambique coast with a once-a-year feeding frenzy that turns into a showdown between the sharks and their massive prey, the giant trevally.

One highlight is Paul de Gelder’s “How to Survive a Shark Attack,” which he has intimate knowledge about. He lost his right hand and leg in 2009 during an attack by a bull shark in Sydney Harbor.

“If you’re in the jaws of a shark, you want to fight for all of your life. You want to go for the soft parts. You want go for the eyeball. You want to go for the gills,” he says. “But if you’re not being attacked by a shark and you’re just encountering a shark, then you just want to remain calm.”

De Gelder debunks one myth: Punching a charging shark will stop its attack. “If you really want to hurt your own hand, go ahead,” he says. A better approach is to not thrash about and gently redirect the animal. “The secret I got taught many years ago was don’t act like food and they won’t treat you like food.”

“Shark Week” has become a key part of the summer holiday TV schedule, a place where humans safe on land can see ancient apex predators unnervingly glide into view and snap open their jaws.

This year’s highlights also include the hunt for a 20-foot great white that can leap into the air — “Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus” — and a show about male and female great whites competing in a series of challenges to determine which sex is the superior predator, naturally called “Great White Sex Battle.”

Joseph Schneier, senior vice president of production and development at Discovery, says the shows are born from listening to what the diving and science community is seeing, like pro divers moving artistically with the sharks as they fed them, leading to “Dancing With Sharks.”

“We realized, well, there’s something here that we can go further with,” he says. “We’re lucky that sharks continue to surprise us. Which helps us get kind of new stories and new things to focus on. That’s been the mantra for us — the sharks are the stars, not the humans.”

As always, there is a deep respect for the creatures and strong science beneath the amusing titles, sharky puns, dramatic music and racy titles like “Frankenshark” and “Alien Sharks: Death Down Under.”

“It’s like putting your vegetables in a dessert,” says Bergeron. “You get all the allure of a ‘Dancing With Sharks’ or other specific shows, but in the midst of that you do learn a lot about sharks and ecology and the importance of sharks in the ecosystem. It’s all in your strawberry sundae.”

Discovery’s “Shark Week” has a rival — National Geographic’s “SharkFest,” which also has hours of sharky content. There’s also the unconnected shark horror comedy “Hot Spring Shark Attack” and a movie earlier this summer that added a serial killer to a shark movie — “Dangerous Animals.”

Born from ‘Jaws’

“Shark Week” was born as a counterpoint for those who developed a fear of sharks after seeing “Jaws.” It has emerged as a destination for scientists eager to protect an animal older than trees.

“’Jaws’ helped introduce this country and this world to a predator we’re all fascinated with,” says Schneier. “But we also feel ‘Jaws’ went too far. These are not creatures that are out to hurt humans by any means, but they have had 50-plus million years of evolution to get to this place where they are just excellent predators. It’s fun to celebrate just how good they are at their job.”

Kendyl Berna, who co-founded the ecology group Beyond the Reef, and is a veteran on “Shark Week,” says studying the ancient beasts can teach humans about changes to the planet.

“So much of the programming this year speaks to what’s happening with the rest of the world — climate change and how much that affects where sharks are and when they’re there and what they’re eating,” she says. “As a keystone apex predator, sharks do set the tone for what’s happening.”

Bergeron says being a part of “Shark Week” for the first time and meeting some of the divers who interact with sharks has actually made him braver.

“I don’t think I’m at a point where I could go down there with them and have the sharks swirling around me without a cage. But with a cage, I think I am ready to do that,” he says. “Just don’t tell my wife.”

Alison Brooks doesn’t have much excitement in her life. She lives with her mother, who is lovely but a little needy, and she also has an ex-boyfriend who keeps showing up, trying to understand why their relationship ended. Both her mom and ex are deaf, and there’s an important intimacy that comes through in their interactions that she doesn’t have with hearing people. But she’s also just generally bored, and being looped into an investigation is a welcome change of pace.

The police are watching a small group of criminals who meet in outdoor locations that can’t be easily bugged. Video is possible with hidden cameras, but the department’s professional forensic lip-readers are busy working other cases, hence the need for Alison’s skills. As played by Rose Ayling-Ellis, Alison is an intriguing mix of naivete and risk-taking, with a side order of sex appeal. Most people underestimate her because she’s deaf. She’s too self-confident for that, but also worn down by the struggle of her working-class reality, and the exciting details of the case — turns out, they’re planning a jewel heist — prove too thrilling for her to ignore.

Initially, the detectives try to limit just how much Alison knows for her own protection. But when she’s alone, she finds the group’s computer hacker, a guy named Liam Barlow (Kieron Moore), on social media. With just enough information to pique her curiosity, she gets a bartending job at the pub he frequents. He’s nice enough, in a rough and tumble way, and he takes a liking to her. He’s also charming, which complicates everything. Suddenly, Alison finds herself functioning as an undercover informant for the police.

For the first time in her life, people are taking her seriously. Maybe that’s why she’s a true believer in the police in ways that seem naive. It makes sense that law enforcement would care about the heist, but the show doesn’t explore why we, as viewers, should agree that there’s a major injustice afoot if an obnoxious rich person might be robbed of what is just one more expensive bobble in their collection.

Like “Patience” on PBS, this is a British cop show that features a disabled person whose skills become an unexpected asset to police work. And to “Code of Silence’s” credit, it’s told from the point of view of Alison, rather than the police. Disabled actors playing disabled characters should be more commonplace generally on television, but I appreciate that, in these two instances, they are being incorporated into a genre that has otherwise never made much room for them.

And the show (from creator Catherine Moulton, who is partially deaf herself) has an intriguing way of illustrating Alison’s experience lip-reading. Early on, as she’s busing tables in the canteen, she looks over and sees two people deep in conversation. “I’m o in razee here,” the subtitles read. Then the words adjust as Alison puts together what’s being said: “I’m going crazy here.” The man continues: “ewe se ewe leaf im,” and a moment later the words on screen become “You said you would leave him.” This format continues throughout the series, and it’s an effective way of conveying some of the guesswork involved. She explains that the letters B and P and M all look the same when reading lips, which is why she’s initially unsure if Liam’s last name is Barlow or Marlowe. But also: “It’s not just about seeing words.” You also need context. ”It’s who’s talking and what you know of them.”

The detectives are a mix of annoyed and concerned as Alison keeps putting her neck on the line, courting danger. What is she getting herself into? “I know what I’m doing,” she says firmly. She does not know what she’s doing. But she’s brazen, and that gets her further than anyone anticipates.

“Code of Silence” — 3 stars  (out of 4)

Where to watch: BritBox

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

So they hatch a plan to take down their student loan company and wipe out their remaining balances — and those of everyone else while they’re at it.

“The Payback” is funny, knowing and a shot of hope-filled adrenaline that comes at a moment when the cultural temperature is especially on edge and shaped by feelings of powerlessness over larger forces.

Author Kashana Cauley began her career as an attorney before shifting to writing for TV (including the animated Fox series “The Great North” and “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”) and as a novelist.

We talked about the origins of “The Payback” and the conspicuous absence of stories like these — of regular people banding together against the odds — in present-day TV and film. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What were the seeds that led you to conceive this story?

A: I paid off six figures of student loan debt myself, and I paid it off thanks to TV work. But I don’t think you should have to hit the lottery like I did in order to want to better yourself as a member of the working or middle classes.

I’m a first-generation college student, so nobody in my family really knew what college was for, how to get there or what it is you might do with such a degree. I don’t think that’s uncommon among Black American families; only two or three generations of us have been going to college. So I did my undergrad in economics and political science at the University of Wisconsin, but I had no idea how you got a job because I didn’t know you were supposed to get jobs through your friends’ parents; my parents sent me to college so I didn’t have to work on the assembly line at General Motors like my dad, so I was completely confused.

I went to law school at Columbia University, which is something you can do without connections. And law school is expensive and I got stuck with a quarter million in student debt.

We were told this is an investment in yourself and your future. I thought I was doing the things that I was supposed to do to construct a feasible American life. It’s the same for the girls in “The Payback” — they’re doing the things American society tells them are the ways to better themselves. Are they rewarded for that? No, they’re not. They’re stalked and harassed by the Debt Police.

So in the wake of being abandoned (by systems we’re told to buy into), what can people do to change their circumstances? Throughout American history— the civil rights movement, farm workers who organized, other civil rights movements — it’s mostly everyday people going, “I don’t want to live this life. What can I do about it? Well, I can talk to my friends and maybe we can come up with a plan together where we don’t have to be as under the thumb as we are and devoid of rights. Maybe we can fight for what the American promise is supposed to be.”

And that’s where “The Payback” came from. It’s three girls who work at the mall who go: We’re kind of all we have.

Q: Stories about regular people coming together to problem-solve, to work through conflict, to figure something out, these used to exist in various forms throughout Hollywood history. You’re a TV writer yourself, so I’m curious if you’ve pitched storylines similar to what we’re describing — and if so, what was the response?

A: My last book, “The Survivalists,” is about survivalism but also how people come together to form a community in incredibly unlikely circumstances, which I feel like is related to what you’re talking about. The book had a lot of Hollywood interest that kind of fizzled. This is a weird time in Hollywood right now, where they’re just not buying anything. Everybody I know who is pitching shows right now is suffering. So there was a lot of interest, but I don’t know if it would have gotten to the finish line.

I had another show I pitched called “Black Republicans,” about a Black person who’s like: I’ve been fired from my job, I’m at my wit’s end, my only plan to make money is to become a Republican for the cash. And what happened was, a lot of people we talked to tried to fit that one into what they called “middle of the country narratives.”

I’m going to note that I’m from Madison, Wisconsin, originally and the concept of “middle of the country narratives” is pretty wild. Basically, they want whiter, more conservative ideas. But this is completely unfair considering the history, because many white folks from the “middle of the country” have gotten together in groups to campaign for better lives for themselves, including poor white people from Appalachia.

I think there’s this idea that a “middle of the country” narrative is white people farming in Iowa. I was always afraid any adaptation of “The Survivalists” would suffer from that, too. But I think it’s a shame that we don’t have more of these stories on TV because we love underdogs.

Q: A lot of shows function as a digital narcotic as opposed to something that galvanizes audiences to help envision what’s possible, even if you aren’t in a position of power.

A: One exception is “Andor,” which is a great show about everyday people joining together against something much bigger than themselves — the Empire — and going: So there are little things you can do to throw a wrench into their operations. It’s not like the big plot that they carry off in “Rogue One,” where they steal plans for the Death Star, but they do the little things in “Andor.”

The show was really well-received and I think it’s because regular people were inserted into the narrative. Over the almost 50 years of the franchise, the people in those movies and TV series have become larger than life. But at the end of the day, I feel like they were always meant to be that “regular people” concept.

Q: Media executives are captains of industry themselves and therefore a segment of society who would be criticized in a lot of these kinds of stories. And it seems like there’s this energy that’s basically: Let’s not give audiences any big ideas about pushing back. But studio bosses have always been captains of industry, so it feels worthwhile to try to understand what’s informing this trend right now.

A: Back in the day, everything wasn’t a big-budget Marvel movie that costs “X” and we have to make that back, so we’re not taking any chances. Without that spirit of experimentation, there’s less opportunity for stories like that to emerge in lower budget projects.

We’re also just generally not living in a great time for workers’ rights. When I see AI coming and hear people say maybe we can replace everyone from film editors to screenwriters, I don’t see an industry that is understanding about things like workers rights. So perhaps they wouldn’t be as friendly to those stories. Especially if they’re not making many lower budget movies.

Q: One of your characters is a computer hacker, and I think the common perception is that hackers have antiauthoritarian personalities. So it’s interesting that we haven’t seen an entire generation of people who became hackers for good. Is that perception accurate to you?

A: Yes, and in the book she’s very antiauthoritarian. I call them ethical hackers — folks who are hacking for good — I’m amazed that type of character has not been represented so much either. We live in a digital world and while there are plenty of folks doing stuff offline and analog, a lot of life exists on the internet. And if you’re looking at the problem of student loans, like they are in the book, it’s impossible to not think that it has an online component.

Q: Do you want to see “The Payback” optioned for TV or film?

A: You bet! I have a gung-ho TV and film agent and we are in the middle of that process, so I should probably not provide specifics (laughs).

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Severance” separated itself from the field with 27 Emmy nominations Tuesday, while “The Studio” led comedy nominees with a record-tying 23 in a dominant year for Apple TV+.

No other dramas came close to the dystopian workplace series “Severance,” which achieved a convergence of acclaim and audience buzz for its second season that brought an expected Emmy bounty.

Lead acting nominations came for Adam Scott and Britt Lower for what amounted to dual roles as their characters’ “innie” work selves and “outie” home selves. Tramell Tillman got a supporting nod for playing their tone-shifting, pineapple-wielding supervisor, and Patricia Arquette was nominated for supporting actress for playing an ousted outcast from the sinister family business at the center of the show. Ben Stiller got a directing nomination.

Apple’s Hollywood satire “The Studio” was expected to make a significant showing for its first season, but it romped over more established shows like “Hacks,” which got 14, and “The Bear,” which got 13.

And “The Studio” tied a record set by “The Bear” last year when it also got 23 nominations, the most ever for a comedy.

“It’s been the best kind of morning,” Apple TV+ head of programming Matt Cherniss told The Associated Press.

“The Studio” co-creator Seth Rogen personally got three nominations — for acting, writing and directing. Its A-list roster of guest stars brought in a bounty, with nominations for Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Bryan Cranston, Anthony Mackie, Dave Franco and Zoë Kravitz. The men made for five of the six nominees in the guest actor in a comedy category.

“The Penguin,” HBO’s dark drama from the “Batman” universe, was also surprisingly dominant in the limited series category with 24 nominations, including nods for leads Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti.

Netflix’s acclaimed “Adolescence” got 13 limited series nominations, including a supporting actor nod for 15-year-old Owen Cooper, who plays a 13-year-old suspected of a killing.

Many expect Cooper to become the youngest Emmy winner in more than 40 years, largely because of a breath-taking episode that is one long therapy session inside a juvenile jail. Like all “Adolescence” episodes, it’s done in one long shot.

His psychologist scene partner, Erin Doherty, was also nominated, for limited series supporting actress.

“If you just sit and listen, and let someone talk, that is such a gorgeous offering,” Doherty told the AP. “I don’t think we do it that often. I’m trying to take that forward.”

“The White Lotus,” “The Pitt” and “Matlock” score in acting categories

HBO’s high-end soap “The White Lotus” got its usual flowering of drama acting nominations for its Thailand-set third season, with four cast members including Carrie Coon getting supporting actress nods, and three including Walton Goggins up for supporting actor. It was second in the drama categories to “Severance” with 23 nominations overall.

“The Pitt,” HBO Max’s prestige medical procedural, got 13 nominations, including best drama and best actor for its star, “ER” veteran Noah Wyle. One of its nurses, Katherine LaNasa, was able to squeeze in among the women of “The White Lotus” for a supporting actress nod.

Wyle, who was nominated five times without a win for “ER,” could join Scott to make best actor in a drama a two-man race, with both seeking their first Emmy.

The broadcast networks have largely become Emmy non-entities in the top categories. Oscar-winner Kathy Bates was a big exception this year. She’s considered a heavy favorite to win best actress in a drama for CBS’ “Matlock.” She’s the first person nominated in the category from a network show since 2019, and would be the first to win it since 2015. At 77, she’s also the oldest ever nominee in the category.

ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” which has kept hope alive for the networks in recent years, got six nominations including acting and writing nods for creator Quinta Brunson.

HBO is still king in the overall numbers

“The Last of Us” brought in 16 nominations in drama categories for HBO to add to the elite cable and streaming giant’s totals run up by “The White Lotus,” “The Pitt” and “The Penguin.” Bella Ramsey got a nod for best actress in a drama for “The Last of Us.” Pedro Pascal was nominated for lead actor despite appearing in only about half of the season’s episodes.

HBO with its streaming counterpart HBO Max has been so prolific for decades in Emmy nominations that it almost felt like an off year without it having a “Succession” or a “Game of Thrones” atop the drama category. But it definitely wasn’t. It led all outlets with 142 nominations, the most it’s ever gotten.

Netflix followed with 120 nominations overall, including 11 for “Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story” and 10 for “Black Mirror.”

Apple TV+ had 79 nominations overall.

“Shrinking” added to its total with seven in the comedy categories, including acting nominations for Harrison Ford and Jason Segel.

“Andor” represented Disney+ with 14 nominations. The gritty series from the “Star Wars” galaxy is up for best drama series and a slew of technical categories. Forest Whitaker was nominated for best guest actor in a drama.

He’s one of several Oscar winners in the guest acting categories along with Scorsese, Howard and Jamie Lee Curtis and Olivia Colman for their performances in “The Bear.”

“Andor” star Diego Luna was surprisingly omitted from the lead actor in a drama category. Other snubs included former Emmy powerhouses “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which got just one nomination, and “Squid Game,” which got none.

Actors Harvey Guillén and Brenda Song announced the nominations in key categories.

Key nominees for the 2025 Emmy Awards

The nominees for best drama series are: “Andor”; “Paradise”; “Severance”; “Slow Horses”; “The Diplomat”; “The Pitt”; “The Last of Us” and “The White Lotus.”

The nominees for best comedy series are: “Hacks”; “The Bear”; “The Studio”; “Only Murders in the Building”; “Abbott Elementary”; “Nobody Wants This”; “Shrinking” and “What We Do in the Shadows.”

The nominees for outstanding limited series are: “Adolescence”; “Black Mirror”; “Dying For Sex”; “Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story” and “The Penguin.”

The nominees for best comedy actor are: Seth Rogen, “The Studio”; Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”; Jeremy Allen-White, “The Bear”; Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”; Jason Segel, “Shrinking”

The nominees for best comedy actress are: Uzo Aduba, “The Residence”; Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”; Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”; Jean Smart, “Hacks”; Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear.”

‘Severance’ delivers big for Apple TV+

“Severance” has become a signature show for Apple TV+. The streamer has gotten plenty of Emmy nominations for dramas including “The Morning Show” and “Slow Horses,” and “Ted Lasso” thrived the comedy side.

But Apple has lacked the kind of breakaway prestige drama that HBO seems to produce perennially. “Severance” became its most-nominated show ever and could easily become its biggest winner when the Emmys are handed out in September, reaching the upper echelons previously enjoyed by “Succession” and “Shogun,” which left room for others by taking this year off.

Cherniss said Apple TV+, which has been knocked as the streamer with big stars and big budgets for shows that go unnoticed, was rewarded for taking big swings.

“’Severance’ is such an ambitious show,” he said, adding that “all of the shows that have been nominated took big risks, and were really, I think, audacious in terms of their approach to storytelling and it’s nice to see that when that’s rewarded.”

How streaming has changed TV and the Emmys

All the shows are living in the splintered world of the streaming era, and the like the Oscars its most acclaimed nominees rarely have the huge audience they once did. While an impressive average of 10 million people per episode watched Wyle on “The Pitt” on HBO Max, according to Warner Bros. Discovery, 30 years ago an average of 30 million sat down and watched him on “ER” on NBC.

The broadcast networks rotate on who airs the Emmys. This year is CBS’s turn. It will air the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 14. Nate Bargatze is slated to host.

AP Entertainment writer Ryan Pearson contributed.

For more coverage on this year’s Emmy Awards and recent television shows, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/television