An early uptick in flu cases, and how ‘The West Wing’ influenced real-life politics (Sept. 27, 2022)

Published: Sept. 27, 2022, noon

On Tuesday's show: The Houston area is seeing a rise in cases earlier than anticipated for the flu season. Dr. Wesley Long of Houston Methodist outlines what we should know.

Also this hour: The television series The West Wing inspired a whole generation to engage in the world of politics, but did it establish unrealistic expectations? We ask University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus, who uses clips from the show in his classes.

Then we meet Jennifer Hamburg, the Houston-based creator and executive producer of Rosie's Rules, a new show debuting on PBS Kids and Houston Public Media (weekdays at 12:30 p.m.) beginning Oct. 3. The show features a blended family living in suburban San Antonio and aims to teach young kids about social studies and civic engagement.

And we revisit our conversation with director Ti West from earlier this year. He talks about how he got into making horror films. At the time, he'd just released the movie X, which takes place in and around Houston. A prequel to that film, Pearl, is in theaters now, and a third film in the series has just been announced.