June 23, 2023

Title: PEAK TV

Constructors: Chandi Deitmer & Erica Hsiung Wojcik

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Theme Answers:

FRIENDSGIVING (3D: Fall meal with found family)

CHARMED I'M SURE (13D: "So lovely to meet you")

POSE A QUESTION (17A: Ask something)

Theme synopsis: At the top (PEAK) of each vertical theme answers, we find the name of a TV show: FRIENDS, CHARMED, and POSE. 

Things I learned:

• ELISHA (60A: "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" actress Cuthbert) Are You Afraid of the Dark? is a Canadian-American TV series. The show is a horror anthology that centers on a group of teenagers that refer to themselves as "The Midnight Society." During each episode, a member of the group would tell a scary story, which was displayed to viewers. One of ELISHA Cuthbert's early TV appearances was as Megan on Are You Afraid of the Dark? from 1999-2000. ELISHA Cuthbert has gone on to appear in many other TV shows and movies, including 24, Happy Endings, and The Ranch. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• DAFT (1A: ___ Punk (electronic music duo)) The electronic music duo, DAFT Punk, was formed in Paris in 1993 and consisted of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. When they performed they assumed robot personas to preserve their identities. DAFT Punk announced in 2021 that the duo had split up.
• I DO (5A: Possible response to "Who wants to solve a crossword with me?") This is a delightful clue for I DO!
• BOYEGA (18A: "The Woman King" actor John) The Woman King (2022), is a historical drama about the Agojie, an all-female army in the Kingdom of Dahomey (in today's Benin) in the 17th-19th centuries. John BOYEGA portrayed the king of Dahomey, King Ghezo.
• ASL (19A: Language at Gallaudet) Gallaudet University, located in Washington D.C., is the only institution of higher education where all programs and services are designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students.
• NACHO (32A: Chip often topped with cotija) Cotija is an aged Mexican cheese made from cow's milk and named after the Mexican town of Cotija, Michoacán.
• FRIENDSGIVING (3D: Fall meal with found family) I enjoyed this answer, and was able to fill it in immediately, without the help of any crossing answers. The FRIENDSGIVING tradition started as an alternative to Thanksgiving, but has grown into a celebration of its own. The word FRIENDSGIVING was added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary just three years ago, in 2020. 
• BOSOM (9D: ___ buddies (close friends)) Even though this isn't technically a theme answer, it's interesting, because BOSOM Buddies is the name of a TV series that originally aired from 1980-1982 and starred Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari.
• CASA (25D: "La ___ en Mango Street" (Cisneros novel)) La CASA en Mango Street (The House on Mango Street) is a 1984 novel by Sandra Cisneros about a Chicano girl growing up in Chicago. I originally learned about Sandra Cisneros from the October 8, 2020 puzzle. Today I learned that she has an MFA from the University of Iowa. 
• IMELDA (22D: "The Crown" actress Staunton) The Crown is a TV series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. IMELDA Staunton played the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the fifth and final season of the show.
• EMERIL (29D: TV chef with the catchphrase "Bam!") Chef EMERIL Lagasse is a restaurateur, cookbook author, and TV personality. His Food Network shows include EMERIL Live and Essence of EMERIL. "Bam!" is one of the catchphrases for which Chef EMERIL is known.
• MEME (53D: "Sad Keanu," for one) Sad Keanu is a MEME based on a paparazzi photo of Keanu Reeves sitting on a bench eating a sandwich.
• NAN (57D: Photographer and activist Goldin) I wrote about NAN Goldin in April of this year.

Geography review:

• ABU (8A: ___ Dhabi) ABU Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the UAE's second-largest city, after Dubai.
• ASSAM (23A: Indian state known for its tea) The state of ASSAM is located in northeastern India. It is known for ASSAM tea, which comes from a tea plant indigenous to the area. ASSAM is a black tea known for its malty flavor and strong color.  
• CHAD (25A: Sudan's neighbor) CHAD is a landlocked country in Africa. In addition to neighboring Sudan, CHAD also borders Libya, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger. The capital of CHAD is N'Djamena.
• LOS (61A: ___ Feliz (L.A. neighborhood)) LOS Feliz is a Los Angeles, California neighborhood named after the Feliz family. Members of the Feliz family moved to the area in 1795.
• DOLLAR (6D: Canberra currency) Canberra is the capital of Australia. The currency used in Australia is the Australian DOLLAR.
• USSR (10D: Space Race country) From 1922 to 1991, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), also known as the Soviet Union, was a country comprised of 15 national republics. The USSR constructed Sputnik 1, the first satellite, in the 1950s. This began the Space Race, a competition between the USSR and the United States to achieve superior spaceflight capability.
• NILE (51D: River beginning at Lake Victoria) The longest river in Africa, the NILE flows north from Lake Victoria into the Mediterranean Sea. The NILE River flows through 11 countries: Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
• OSLO (55D: City home to the Viking Ship Museum) The Viking Ship Museum in OSLO, Norway houses three Viking era ships. However, you can't visit the museum at the moment, as it's currently closed for renovations, and won't reopen until 2025 or 2026. 

Lots of fun clues today! Ones I especially enjoyed that I haven't mentioned yet include: (14A: "Help! We've sprung a leak!") for SOS, (36A: Like a bug in a rug) for SNUG, (51A: Vibrantly colored, like '80s spandex) for NEON, and (41D: SpongeBob wears a red one) for TIE. Thank you, Chandi and Erica for this fabulous Friday puzzle.