Marie Kelly Mike Shenk’s Wall Street Journal contest crossword, “Now Showing”—Laura’s review
WSJ Contest – 9.7.18 – Solution
This week we’ve got a grid with left-right symmetry, and we’re looking for a two-word phrase.
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[19a: TV series with “hosts” who rebel]: WESTWORLD
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[22a: TV series whose first winner was BeBe Zahara Benet]: RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE
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[53a: TV series set at the Stratford Inn]: NEWHART
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[55a: TV series featuring rapper Paper Boi and his cousin Earn]: ATLANTA
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[62a: TV series set at the Pearson Specter Litt law firm]: SUITS
I didn’t see any entries into this meta, even using some tried-and-true extraction methods: making lists, looking at letter patterns, etc. Thinking laterally, I tried another approach, and started ideating on what other things the shows had in common: the first three all involve hosts, the second two are about college dropouts; they’re all currently being broadcast except Newhart — but nothing. Then I made a list of the networks each show has appeared on (mostly; RuPaul’s Drag Race has been on both LOGO and VH1) — didn’t really see anything there, until the slightest of nudges from a pal in my solving group led me back to the networks, which are, respectively:
HBO
LOGO
CBS
FX
USA
… and there it was, right at [1a: Bindle bearer]: HOBO. For each network, there is a corresponding additional entry in the grid that has one extra letter, like so:
1a: HOBO
58a: LONGO
46a: CABS
33d: FIX
41d: URSA
… which makes ON AIR, a two-word phrase that is somewhat synonymous with the puzzle’s title, “Now Showing.”
This was a nice one, just tough enough without being maddening, and it rewarded my TV trivia knowledge. What did you think?
I listed the networks…but never got the next connection. Oh well, a nice meta nevertheless.
A vidiot’s delight.
I had no idea. I never watched Newhart but was aware it existed, and the other four are from after I stopped watching TV, so never even heard of them. I’d no clue what to look for in connection with them. They might as well have been in another language.
I had the network list, but had Rupaul’s show on VH1, and I couldn’t do anything with it so I didn’t pursue it further. Never heard of LOGO. Dang it.
I had the same issue at first. Thankfully I googled to check my memory and LOGO came up.
Ditto here
VH 1 didn’t compute so I got nowhere
It was “hobo” and “Westworld” that got me started on the right track.
Oh “longo,” a nod to Frank Longo!
Unbelievable. I got nowhere with this meta and almost submitted ON AIR as a Hail Mary. Oh well. In retrospect, this was gettable and I shoulda, coulda…
Beautiful meta — simple and clean. Very well done.
I think the reference to the winner of the first season of Ru Paul may have been an indicator to the first season which was on the Logo network.