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News, scoops, reviews and more from TV land.
Review: History Channel's 'Vikings' with Gabriel Byrne, Travis Fimmel
Photo credit: HBO, 2008
So, some of us have been wondering whether The History Channel's very first scripted series would be good or would be (ummm) "The Hatfields & McCoys." We now have an answer. But you're gonna have to read the review, posted below, to find out! (By the way, this is a huge huge deal for THC, for all sorts of reasons, notwithstanding the fact that it IS a departure, and for us Gabriel...
Read more »Barbara Walters to return to 'The View' Monday
Photo credit: AP
The great and powerful Barbara Walters is back! Or will be! Monday. Mark the calenders. After more than a month away - in Barbara Walters' time, that's like five years for the rest of us - she told her colleagues via telephone at the top of this morning's show, "Hello, my darlings. I'm so glad to be talking to you. ... I really miss you." (Truth alert: Babs has been talking with them obsessively via phone; this is her show after all, and a little chicken pox isn't going to keep BW down.) As you know, the divine Ms. W had that nasty fall in D.C. just before the inauguration, then came down with chicken pox, of all things. She's been off since Jan. 22.
'Dancing with the Stars' season 16 cast announced
Photo credit: AP
We have our cast of the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" -- returning March 18 -- and while a few names here may beggar the definition of what a "star" is -- hey, this is "Dancing with the 'Stars'" after all -- this looks like a reasonably good cast. (Needs to be: Ratings dropped bigtime during the "All Star," and the bloom is very much off this rose...)
Your list, with brief ABC descriptors...Plus my two cents, in italics:
INGO RADEMACHER -- Soap Opera star... VG: Ingo who? Sure, reasonably big soap star on reasonably big ABC soap, "General Hospital.' Ingo's the requisite soap/eye candy fixture, and could go far, but probably not too far.
ALEXANDRA RAISMAN -- Just 18 years old, Alexandra Raisman captained the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team to its first team Gold medal since the 1996 Olympic Games.VG: The oldest rule in the "DWTS" book is "athletes rule!" Impossible to imagine Raisman doesn't go the distance or most of the distance, unless she's personality deficient which she's not. Got Mark Ballas as her pro - a good matchup.
LISA VANDERPUMP -- Hailing from London, restaurateur, designer, author, philanthropist, producer and television personality Lisa Vanderpump moved to the United States eight years ago. Vanderpump is best known for “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” VG: A "Real Housewife" cannot and will not and more to the point should not win "DWTS." It just seems - I dunno - wrong.
ZENDAYA COLEMAN -- Multi-talented actress and singer. VG: 'Nother ABC in-house pick - she's from TDC's "Shake it Up!" But don't discount these inside plants. They're invariably good, so I'm assuming sight unseen she is too.
ANDY DICK -- Andy Dick is an American comedian, actor, writer, director. VG: Oh for God's sakes. At least this will keep him out of the clubs and courts.
DOROTHY HAMILL -- Dorothy Hamill captured the Gold medal at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck. VG: By name alone, the prohibitive favorite. This remains very much a magic name, and once a pro always a pro. She'll do well here or I'll eat my "DWTS" press release.
D.L. HUGHLEY -- D.L Hughley, one of the most popular and highly recognized standup comedians on the road today. VG: Lucky D.L. He's got Cheryl Burke by his side; along with Hough and Maks (Chmerkovskiy, who has left the show) she's one of the dancing stars who's bigger than most of the invitees.
JACOBY JONES -- Jacoby Jones is a professional football player for the Baltimore Ravens, the 2013 Super Bowl Champions. VG: "DWTS" would probably have rather had a household name like Ray Lewis, but JJ should do well (again, see "rule one/athletes") but also has Karina Smirnoff who tends to upstage her partners.
WYNONNA JUDD -- Five-time Grammy winner and New York Times bestselling author. VG: Sure of course great. Big star. Big get. Big backstory. But I don't see this going long and deep. Could be wrong. I reserve the right to be.
VICTOR ORTIZ -- Former Welterweight boxing champion Ortiz finally found his life’s calling as a world class athlete. VG: A Garden City native! Umm, Garden City, Kansas. Don't know much about him, but here's the obvious problem..."former boxer." Boxers tend not to do well here because they tend not to get the vox populi votes.
KELLIE PICKLER -- As a contestant on the fifth season of “American Idol."VG: Kellie! Or should I say, Kellie? Hey, she's had a career since "AI," just can't put my finger on what sort of career. But here's the thing - she's got Derek Hough. That means Kellie will be here for a long long time. She will go far or I'll eat my "DWTS" press release, or another one...
'David Letterman': Alec Baldwin again denies racist comment
Photo credit: Getty Images
Alec Baldwin, who tends to embrace the paparazzi (and airline attendants, and Republicans, and Shia LeBeouf and name-an-antagonist) in his own special way, has denied a recent incident in which he (reportedly) used a racial slur during a confrontation with a New York Post reporter and photographer. He's on "Late Show with David Letterman" Monday night; first clip, and then another one...
Read more »Susan Lucci says she wants to return to 'All My Children'
Photo credit: AP
Susan Lucci, easily the most famous star in "All My Children" history and one of soap history's standouts, says she wants back in and back on. She appeared on "The View" Monday morning, and said she wants to join the re-launch of the online version, beginning later this year, but...
Well, let her tell you about the "but" (but...for fans, it sort of sounds like this is going to happen; who knows though. It's usually about $$:)
Lindsay Lohan to guest star on 'Anger Management'
Photo credit: Getty Images
Sick of Oscar news? Well then, bite into this!
Lindsay Lohan is joining "Anger Management" for one night only to play herself. In other words, she's working off the debt owed Charlie Sheen.
Lionsgate announced and herewith the details. And, no, Lionsgate has nothing to do with "Scary Movie 5," best I can tell.
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In the episode slated to air this April, Lohan develops a romantic relationship with Sheen’s character after becoming his therapy patient. Currently in production on a 90-episode back order, "Anger Management" airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. e/p on FX. Sheen and Lohan most recently worked together in the upcoming "Scary Movie 5," also set to debut in April.
Oscars 2013: The TV highs, the TV lows
So what will we remember from this year's telecast of the 2013 Oscars, when all the tweets, posts, news stories, and various other appurtenances of insta-chattering-class gratification clear away, leaving us only with our cherished, or not so-cherished, memories? (We saw the boobs! And one of 'em was the host! Ba dum.)
I'll tell you what! Seth and Lincoln! But also Seth and dancing. And Jennifer...
Read more »Jimmy Kimmel's 'Movie: The Movie 2V'
And here it is - the movie franchise that will never earn an Oscar, or an Emmy either, for that matter: Jimmy Kimmel's "Movie: The Movie 2V!" In its entirety, I think...
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Read more »Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman named Oscar presenters
A couple more good reasons to tune in Sunday night to the Oscars: Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman were just named presenters. Nicholson of course has presented before, though his presence on this stage always tends to consecrate the Oscars as something truly notable and special. His appearance for his last win, "As Good as It Gets," as an example. Here was his acceptance speech from back then (2008), and it's hard to imagine a cooler or more gracious way to say "thanks:" And after that, Hoffman's cri de cour acceptance for "Kramer vs. Kramer":
Jimmy Kimmel's 'Movie: The Movie' sequel
Nothing like a late night TV tradition, even one only about 11 months old, but it's still a good one: Jimmy Kimmel's "Movie: The Movie," which will be released in prequel after this Sunday's Oscar telecast.
Kimmel and ABC are now shopping the trailer — and it looks sick, as in good sick. Here it is . . . Oh, what is "Movie: The Movie?" An Oscar spoof starring nominees, It is (not) their finest role. I've posted last year's here too.
