‘Check, Please! Arizona’ returning to Arizona PBS Jan. 26 for milestone 10th season

10-episode season airing Thursdays at 7 p.m.

Arizona PBS local production, “Check, Please! Arizona,” is returning for a milestone 10th season Thursday, January 26. Utilizing the same basic format as the previous nine seasons, each episode of the new season features three Arizona residents, all of whom suggest a local restaurant for the group to try and subsequently review over the course of a 30-minute program.

With new episodes premiering on Arizona PBS Thursdays at 7 p.m. through early April, the 10th season again sees renowned local restaurant owner, Chef Mark Tarbell, reprising the role of host, a position he has held since 2017.

“I love how dynamic, real and diverse ‘Check, Please! Arizona’ has become in its 10th season; that it is viewer-picked and viewer-reviewed gives it a real feel,” said Tarbell. “You get to know your city and its restaurants through the eyes of Arizona PBS friends and neighbors.”

To celebrate this milestone season, the station is ramping up activity across its digital platforms, including on social media, where it will share both condensed clips from recent and upcoming episodes, as well as unique content captured during production shoots for the new season. As episodes debut on air, Arizona PBS will publish them to its YouTube channel and to the azpbs.org website. Archived episodes from previous seasons will also be published online in the months ahead.

“In January 2022, we were so proud to bring ‘Check, Please! Arizona’ back to the air, after a multi-year hiatus; and, this year, we celebrate a milestone 10th season,” said Arizona PBS General Manager Adrienne R. Fairwell. “This incredible run is a testament to our loyal donors and viewers. Through their support and enthusiasm, they’ve really taken ownership over this series; it’s a show for them, by them.” 

Viewers looking to stream new episodes can do so by visiting the azpbs.org/checkplease webpage or by utilizing the PBS app. Restaurant recommendations for future episodes can also be submitted via that webpage. Viewers looking to talk about the new season on social media are encouraged to use the #CheckPleaseAZ hashtag.

The 9th season of “Check, Please! Arizona,” which premiered last January, was among the station’s top-rated local productions in 2022. A success amongst viewers and critics alike, the 9th season also earned a regional Emmy award in the Interview/Discussion category last October. Throughout its 10-year run, “Check, Please! Arizona” has featured more than 300 restaurants, earning five regional Emmy Awards.

Information about the first five episodes of season 10 is listed below. Details regarding the remaining five episodes of this season will also be announced in the weeks to come.

• Episode 1: “Neighborhood Spots” (featured restaurants: Fabio on Fire, The Coronado and Ocotillo)
• Episode 2: “PBS Staff Picks” (featured restaurants: Cornish Pasty Company, Backyard Taco and Oak)
• Episode 3: “From East (Valley) to West (Valley)” (featured restaurants: Rice Paper, AZ 88 and The Toast)
• Episode 4: “Flagstaff Finds” (featured restaurants: MartAnne’s, Proper Meats + Provisions and Josephine’s)
• Episode 5: “Diners, Burgers & Pizzas!” (featured restaurants: Joy Bus Diner, Paradise Valley Burger Company and Crust Simply Italian)

About Arizona PBS

Arizona PBS is one of the nation’s leading public media organizations, with four broadcast channels and a growing array of digital platforms. A trusted community resource for 60 years, Arizona PBS fosters lifelong learning through quality programming, in-depth news coverage and critical educational outreach services. It is one of the country’s largest public television stations, reaching 80 percent of Arizona homes and 1.9 million households each week. Arizona PBS has been part of ASU since the station launched in 1961. Learn more at https://azpbs.org.

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