Downton Abbey's fourth season had a blockbuster premiere this past weekend. We revisit a conversation with Lesley Nicol, the show's feisty but devoted head cook on PBS's megahit. Watch a web extra conversation with Nicol and view a slideshow.

After being fired by Louis Sullivan and venturing out on his own, Frank Lloyd Wright landed his first independent commission from a friend. And now the house that Wright designed for William Winslow in 1893 is up for sale. 

The life and influence of movie critic Roger Ebert are celebrated in a documentary by the makers of Hoop Dreams. We get a preview.

Art and Appetite is a celebration of food and drink as depicted by American artists. From Andy Warhol to Norman Rockwell, this new Art Institute exhibition takes a scholarly but tasty look at artistic representations of what we eat and what it reveals about us. We revisit a preview. Read recipes and an Artbeat blog.

We revisit a conversation with stand-up comic and Twitter sensation Rob Delaney about life in comedy, his past struggles with addiction, and his new book. Watch a web extra video.

The Bears-Packers rivalry game lives up to its high expectations. But after all of the drama, wackiness, and big plays, the Bears season is over while the Packers advance to the playoffs. James “Big Cat” Williams breaks down the highs and lows, and gives us his take on what’s ahead in the offseason. Watch a web extra video.

Meet Jason Seiler, the Chicago artist who just scored the biggest commission of his career: a painting of Pope Francis for the cover of TIME magazine’s Person of the Year issue. View a slideshow of Seiler's artwork.

We revisit a performance with Cellist Yo-Yo Ma. View a behind-the-scenes slideshow of Yo-Yo Ma's visit to our studio and watch web extra videos.

We revisit a conversation with Temple Grandin, a well-known adult with autism, best-selling author, and professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Grandin also has an HBO movie based on her life starring Claire Danes which won seven Emmy Awards. Watch a web extra video and read an excerpt from her book.

Evanston celebrates New Year's Eve with several free family-friendly "First Night" performances, including Grammy-winning harmonica player Howard Levy. We get a preview of the event, and a performance from Levy and guitarist Bobby Broom. Watch a web extra video performance.

The Bears get pummeled in primetime. The Eagles run over Chicago, setting up a crucial game with rival Green Bay. James "Big Cat" Williams gives us his take on the Bears' loss and their chances of making the playoffs. Watch a web extra video.

We talk with the Chicago Tribune’s syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson about relationships, love, and healthy living advice she has doled out for the past decade in her column, Ask Amy. Watch a web extra video.

Clowns relate the true story of Chicago's 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire in a stunning and funny revival of a show called Burning Bluebeard at Theater Wit. We get a preview. Read an Artbeat blog about the play and watch Hedy Weiss' web extra video review.

Here is a list of the most memorable art I saw and heard this year. From opera in a swimming pool to barn-blazing bluegrass and forgotten artists, 2013 was a very good year for enthusiams old and new.

As a Muslim girl growing up in Turkey, Meltem Aktas wasn’t planning to make a career of Christian art. Jay Shefsky has a profile of the sacred artist. View a slideshow of her work.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are fast approaching, which means parties and entertaining. Chef Rick Bayless joins us to share a festive margarita recipe and shrimp cocktail with a Mexican twist. Read his recipes.