Q and A: Week of Feb. 27
Q: I really love watching “Chelsea Lately” and “After Lately” on E! The shows’ casts really seem to have fun and get along. Please tell me this is the case! —George T., Altoona, Pa.A: That certainly is the case. I spoke with series star Heather McDonald recently, and she told me: “We really do laugh all the time, and we really do like each other so much. So many times we’ll be laughing about something and I’ll just go, ‘Oh, don’t we have fun?’ I think it all stems from the example that Chelsea (Handler) has set, and I think that’s important. We’re like a little family where she’s the Mom, and she doesn’t allow jealousy, and she doesn’t allow any real kind of unhealthy competition in any way. We truly believe that each of our success only helps the other.”
And following Chelsea’s example of getting into the publishing industry, Heather has written her own NYT best-selling humorous memoir called “You’ll Never Blue Ball in This Town Again,” and I have to say, the book is deliciously funny. And check back later this week to read my entire interview with Heather. You don't want to miss it!
Q: Like most of the world, I was shocked and devastated to hear of Whitney Houston’s death. I really thought she was on the right path, and about to make a music and movie comeback. Did drugs play a part in her death? — Deena R., via e-mail
A: While there has been no official word as of this writing, TMZ is reporting that according to family sources, Whitney, 48, was killed by a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs mixed with alcohol. Although she did die in the bathtub, the family was told by the coroner’s office that there didn’t appear to be enough water in her lungs for drowning to have been the cause of death. The L.A. Police Department has determined that there were no signs of foul play.
Whitney will star posthumously in the feature film “Sparkle,” which is slated for an Aug. 12 release. She also recorded two songs for the movie, which will, of course, be on the soundtrack.
Q: Is it true that two of my favorite comedians, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, are making a movie together? — Samuel D., via e-mail
A: It is indeed true, and I couldn’t be happier to see these two onscreen together. Will and Zach star in “Dogfight,” a comedy about two battling politicians from South Carolina who each have presidential aspirations. The movie is set to premiere Aug. 10, and also co-stars Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow.
Q: “Harry’s Law” seems to have vanished. What’s up? — Echo H., via e-mail
A: There has been a little shuffling over at NBC. At the end of January, “Harry’s Law” took about six weeks off. But don’t worry, Kathy Bates and company will return with new episodes March 11 on its new night and timeslot, Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
Interview (Army Wives): Brigid Brannagh: "I'm a Little Geeky"
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| From left: Wendy Davis, Brigid Brannagh, Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Catherine Bell |
Celebrity Extra: I can’t believe it’s almost time for the sixth season of “Army Wives” to premiere. I can remember the day I received the press screener for pilot, and I knew right away that you had something special there.
Brigid Brannagh: I know, it’s crazy to me. Time flies! It feels like yesterday to me, and it also feels like a million years ago.
CE: Last season was especially heart wrenching, with Frank and Denise losing their son Jeremy. The scenes dealing with that — especially the funeral — must have been torture to film.
BB: Oh my God, we were all like, “Make this episode stop.” It was bad. I’ve been to enough funerals where “Taps” was played and the song is, just hearing it, it just evokes so many things. It’s impossible not to feel completely consumed with melancholy when “Taps” comes on, let alone that it’s playing over and over [for filming the scenes]. We’ve been surrounded by this world, by this military army life, for all of these years that you just think about a soldier that you love being gone, and you know he’s done his best for his country, and he’s gone, and he’s just a boy. It tore all of us up. Watching Terry Serpico (who plays Frank) walk in and trying not to cry.
It was so exhausting that I didn’t watch that episode for a few weeks, because I didn’t feel like crying again. I was like, “Enough.” And we certainly didn’t go light on it. It was kind of relentless to shoot it, but we all really appreciated what it was. It was just a long day of shooting.
CE: Tell me about working with Jeremy Davidson, who plays your husband, Chase.
BB: We work really hard on trying to get things right, working with the writers and trying to really dig into some of the things that have gone on for Pamela and Chase, and the arc of what our characters have done. We’re very much alike; we’re both a little geeky. Everybody has a different way of rehearsing. Some people think that if they work on something too much it takes away spontaneity. I disagree. For me, I think if you work on something so much, it becomes second nature. So, he and I do that together. There are so many things in our story lines that I’m proud of. Right now I’m just thinking of the divorce, which also killed me. That was heart wrenching. But when you’re working with somebody who you work well with, it’s like a dance. It just flies and it’s amazing.
CE: What’s it like on the “Army Wives” set?
BB: Everybody’s a decent person — there’s no drama about trailers or anything like that. Nobody cares about that sort of stuff, which is nice, because I hear horror stories about other shows. Everybody’s a decent person. Just starting with that is a pretty big deal. I spend a lot of time with Sally Pressman (Roxy) on screen, and she and I have a really easy working relationship. And I always feel humor working with Sally. Everything she does has a wink in it. And then Kim (Delaney, who plays Claudia) is really an emoter. Like when you’re doing an emotional scene and you’re watching Kim do her thing first, you’ll start crying just because she’s so good. She just always has that emotion right there at the ready.
Catherine (Bell, who plays Denise), we’re always cracking up, because Catherine has her phone in one hand and a sandwich in the other, and is totally doing her job. It’s very funny. I’m like, “Are you doing a love scene and you’ve got a turkey sandwich in your right hand?” It’s hilarious. And then Sterling (Brown, who plays Roland) is just standing back, kind of looking at everything. He’s such a good and decent person — although he likes to cause a little trouble. We have a good time.
Q and A: Week of Feb. 20
Q: I’m hooked on Fox’s “Alcatraz” — thanks for recommending it! It’s what I’ve been missing since “Lost” concluded its run. Do you see the similarities? -? Donovan B., via e-mailA: I certainly do, and I’m not the only one. But the prison drama/fantasy series also is drawing comparisons to another “mythology” series. When I spoke with “Alcatraz” star Jeffrey Pierce, who plays anti-hero Jack Sylvane, he told me: “‘Alcatraz’ is sort of a hybrid between the procedural and the mythology of something like ‘Lost.’ Even the guys who die in 2012 while they are being captured, they’re still alive between 1960 and 1962, when the prisoners start to disappear. If the writers keep this sort of storytelling, where they can travel to the past and also focus on getting prisoners out, caught and on to the next, the story expands out like a cone.
“My wife and I have been watching ‘The X-Files’ on Netflix, and the mythology was the backbone of that show. It was explored maybe one out of every five episodes, but they were able to create this incredible mosaic with the Smoking Man, the Alien Bounty Hunter, and Scully’s cancer and pregnancy, but that takes place over many seasons. The key to ‘Alcatraz’ is having patience and letting the story reveal itself. Just enjoy the ride as it unfolds.”
Check back later this week to read my entire interview with Jeffrey.
Q: Over the summer, I saw clips and a promo for a forthcoming new “Dallas.” I watched for it in the fall line-up, and nothing. Then again for the midseason line-up, and nothing. Will this new “Dallas” be a series? — Henry S., Venice, Fla.
A: You and I are both excited for this new series, which will debut this summer on TNT. The 10-episode series stars “Dallas” originals Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Steve Kanaly and Charlene Tilton, and will introduce Josh Henderson (as John Ross), Jesse Metcalfe (as Christopher), Brenda Strong (as Bobby’s new wife, Ann) and Jordana Brewster.
Q: Do the contestants who appear on shows like “Dancing with the Stars,” “Survivor” and “Amazing Race” get paid? I say they all do, but my friend says only the winners get money. Who is right? — B.G. in Punta Gorda
A: You are correct. Contestants on these reality/competition shows do get paid for their time, of course, and the further they make it on the show (for the most part), the more they get paid. Hope you won a nice dinner for being correct!
Q: Are there any plans to release Frank Caliendo’s sketch-comedy show, “Frank TV” on DVD? — Steven K., The Villages, Fla.
A: “Frank TV,” which aired for two seasons on TBS from 2007-08, is not on DVD yet, and there is no official word as to when/if it will be. In the meantime, you can get your fill of Frank and his hilarious impersonations with his stand-up comedy DVD, “All Over the Place.”
Q and A: Week of Feb. 13
Q: I read in an interview with James Van Der Beek that he was going to be in a new comedy this year, but I haven’t seen anything about it. I know he’s in “Franklin and Bash,” but I don’t think that’s what he’s talking about. Can you help? — Violet F., Harrisburg, Pa.A: James was referring to his midseason comedy called “Don’t Trust the B—— in Apartment 23,” in which he plays a “sort of” version of himself. The series debuts after comedy powerhouse “Modern Family” on April 11 on ABC. The show is about a female odd couple who live together in New York City, with James portraying the best friend of Chloe, the mean-girl roommate. I’ve seen the pilot and it is very funny, and I love that James is able to parody himself in a non-self-conscious way, and that he isn’t afraid to bring up “Dawson’s Creek.”
Q: When does the new Snow White movie come out in theaters? — Brandon D., Omaha, Neb.
A: That would depend on which Snow White movie you mean. “Mirror Mirror” — which stars Julia Roberts as the Evil Queen, Lily Collins as Snow White and Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott — hits theaters on March 30. This film is being billed as family fare, in contrast to the darker “Snow White and the Huntsman.”
The latter film stars Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna, with Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Chris Hemsworth as the Huntsman, and will fill the big screens on June 1. “Snow White” is a twist on the fairy tale, in which the Huntsman schools Snow White in the art of war and together they start a rebellion to bring down the Queen.
Q: I watched a full version of the movie “Dressed to Kill” on TV recently, and I’m positive that Sylvester Stallone played the part of Angie Dickinson’s son but was not listed on the credits. Did he use another name? — Lin L., via e-mail
A: The part of Angie Dickinson’s son, Peter Miller, was played by Keith Gordon, 51, whom I remember best as Jason Melon in “Back to School,” the bullied college nerd whose father (played by Rodney Dangerfield) enrolls in college with his son to help him assimilate. In the late ’80s, Keith made the move to directing, helming such series as “Wild Palms,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Dexter” and “House.”
Q: Could you please tell me if “Against the Wall” will be returning? — Kathleen E., via e-mail
A: Despite positive reviews by “New York Daily News,” “Los Angeles Times” and “The Hollywood Reporter,” Lifetime’s cop-drama “Against the Wall” wasn’t able to hold enough of its lead-in audience from “Drop Dead Diva” each week, and its ratings slipped from a meager 1.78 million viewers at its premiere to 1.47 million by its season finale. Lifetime opted not to renew the show for a second season.
Q and A: Week of Feb. 6
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| Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin |
A: Julianne does indeed star as the 2008 vice-presidential hopeful in the HBO movie “Game Change,” which is based on the 2010 book of the same name. The movie premieres on Saturday, March 10, and also stars Ed Harris as Sen. John McCain and Woody Harrelson as campaign chair Steve Schmidt, along with Peter MacNicol, Sarah Paulson and Ron Livingston. The movie will mainly track the actions of the Republican Party during the 2008 elections, while the book devotes equal time to both Republicans and Democrats.
Q: I got completely hooked on HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” and I can’t wait until it returns for its second season. Would you know when that might be? — Brad F., via e-mail
A: Well, Brad, I just happen to have that little nugget of info — and I am willing to share. The next season of the medieval-fantasy series begins (no fooling) April 1 at 9 p.m., and like the first season, the second season will be 10 episodes long. And Lena Headey (who plays Ceresei) tells us that season two will bring even more drama (Is that possible?). The show also stars Peter Dinklage as Tyrion, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys, Nikolai Coster-Waldau as Jaime, Kit Harington as Jon and Michelle Fairley as Catelyn.
Q: I’m confused: First I heard Marg Helgenberger is leaving “CSI” for good, then I heard she’s not, and now I hear she is again. Can you clear this up for me? — Constance D., Newport, Conn.
A: I’ll try. Marg, who left the top-rated CBS crime drama at the end of January, is pretty much gone — as a regular castmember. However, her character’s future has been left open so Marg can return for a guest appearance, if she wishes. Marg assures her fans that they haven’t seen the last of Catherine Willows: “That was one of the reasons why it was a little easier for me to leave the show, because the producers said to me practically every day that the door is wide open. If I’m available and I’m up for it, you betcha.”
Q: I am dying to find out who killed Rosie Larson! When will “The Killing” return? — Darla A., Portland, Ore.
A: Hang in there just a few more months, Darla! Sunday, April 1 marks the return of the suspense drama to AMC with a two-hour premiere starting at 8/7c. The following week, the series returns to its normal timeslot of 9/8c. If you need to catch up or want to refresh your memory, you can see the entire 13-episode first season On Demand starting Monday, March 5.
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