WE borrows NBC’s “Baby”
For viewers who cannot watch the new NBC reality series “The Baby Borrowers on Wednesdays, WE has got you covered.
WE (channel 260 on Direct TV and 128 on Dish Network) stands for Women’s Entertainment, but the cable network offers programming of interest for everyone.
Take “The Baby Borrowors,” for instance. The new reality series is designed to teach teens about parenthood. And over the course of six hour-long episodes, five volunteer teenage couples will be required to care for an infant, a toddler, a preteen, a teenager and an elderly person.
“The Baby Borrowers” premieres at 7 p.m. Wednesday on NBC. The episode will be rebroadcast at 9 p.m. Thursday on WE, as will all subsequest installments.
Don’t fear for the babies. There was 24-hour nanny supervision while cameras were rolling, and the real parents were watching via monitors next door.
–Penny TV
“Everybody Loves Raymond,” but how about his big brother?
For nine seasons, Brad Garrett played Ray Romano’s big brother Robert on the CBS series “Everybody Loves Raymond.” He currently stars as Eddie Stark, one-half of a long-married couple, in the Fox series “Til Death” that returns for its third season in fall.
In the meantime, Garrett will produce and star in his first original online reality series titled “Dating Brad Garrett.” The 10-episode series will follow Garrett on blind dates with 10 women.
The search is on for women wanting to be a part of the show – and those hoping for a possible love connection with Garrett.
To apply, submit a video application at www.crackle.com/datebrad. A panel of Garrett “experts,” including his ex-wife and urologist, will review the submissions and decide which applicants will spend a night on the town with the Emmy Award-winning actor.
”An online dating show seemed like a logical choice given that I’m in the midst of a mid-life crisis, and adverse to pain, which makes getting my ear pierced out of the question,” Garrett said in a press release. “And since I’m not picky about my choices, I hope women of all sizes, shapes and colors will be compelled to submit their videos.”
“Dating Brad Garrett” will premiere in fall on Crackle.com, YouTube, AOL Video and Hulu.
–Penny TV
Oklahoma’s ‘Nashville Star’ sums up experience so far
Tommy Stanley, who spent a few of his years in Cushing, is spending another week in seclusion at Opryland. But he doesn’t mind.
He is a top 10 finalist on the sixth season of “Nashville Star” and looking forward to next Monday’s live performance at 8 p.m. on NBC.
“Being here and not being able to talk to family and friends is a struggle, but you keep in mind what your goal is and what you’re trying to do,” Stanley, 24, said during a phone interview Friday. “This is my dream, and I’m going to pursuit it.”
Stanley’s performance on last Monday’s live show more than likely secured him another week in the competition. He rocked the place with his rendition of John Rich’s song “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy,” and Rich was just a few feet away sitting at the judges’ table.
“My inspiration for choosing a John Rich song was to make myself stand out,” Stanley said. “I’m not scared to do any song.”
Of course, no one will know for sure who is moving on in the music competition until the viewer votes are revealed on Monday’s episode. And Stanley encourages everyone to tune in and once again vote for your favorite — even if it’s not him.
“I’m looking forward to ‘pop goes country’ on Monday, and I made another daring song choice that I think you’ll be excited about,” Stanley said. “It’s going to be an amazing show, so watch it. And vote, vote, vote — even if it’s not for me. As long as you vote, I’m happy.”
–Penny TV
It’s a gas, gas, gas giveaway on Game Show Network
Want to win gas for a year? Either spend a buck on a lottery ticket or tune in to Game Show Network (GSN) starting Monday.
“Bingo America” is giving viewers a chance to win $500 gas cards or free gas for an entire year during its “Bingo’s Big Gas Giveaway” event from June 23 to July 7. Here’s all you have to do:
Watch “Bingo America” at 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and win the following day by calling in to GSN Live and reciting the winning pair of Bingo Bonus Numbers from the previous night’s episode (Fridays’ numbers are good for Mondays’ call-in). The first person to call in at noon to 1-877-7-GSNBINGO with the correct numbers will win a gas card with $500.
Another way to win is to download at least one free “Bingo America” game-card a day for any five days during the two-week promotion. Everyone who does so will be entered for a chance to win free gas for a year. The grand-prize winner will be announced July 8.
At-home players can download up to 10 sets of free “Bingo America” game cards, giving participants as many as 60 chances to win cash prizes every episode. Simply go to www.GSN.com/bingo to get in on the game.
–Penny TV
Program Planner: June 22-28
Sunday’s Oklahoman, which includes TV Week, hits the newsstands in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday afternoon. And it arrives at the doorstep (or hopefully nearby) early Sunday morning.
But for those who can’t wait to begin planning the upcoming week around the best TV has to offer, here is a sneak peek at programs worth watching the week of June 22:
SUNDAY
♦“Crisis Point” (9 p.m. on truTV): New series that takes viewers inside life-threatening situations from the point of view of the heroes who survived them.
♦“In Plain Sight” (9 p.m. on USA): Dave Foley (“NewsRadio”) guest stars as an agent who is grabbed by the Feds and forced to give testimony against a contract killer in exchange for a chance to join the Witness Protection Program.
♦“Masterpiece” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): The new season, hosted by Alan Cumming (“Tin Man”). opens with the mystery “Whom the Gods Would Destroy.” Inspector Morse’s former sidekick Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) investigates the death of an Oxford graduate.
♦“Million Dollar Password” (7 p.m. on CBS): Celebrity contestants are Steven Weber (”Brothers & Sisters”) and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler.
♦“Spike Guy’s Choice” (9 p.m. on SPIKE): John Cho and Kal Penn (stars of the ‘‘Harold and Kumar” movies) co-host the second annual awards show that is voted on by viewers and features categories such as hottest girl on the planet and most dangerous man. A tribute to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, presented by Pamela Anderson, is also planned.
♦“The Two Coreys” (9 p.m. on A&E): Actors Corey Haim and Corey Feldman reunite in the second-season premiere of the reality series.
MONDAY
♦“Independent Lens” (9 p.m. on OETA-13): The new documentary “Emile Norman: By His Own Design” traces the artist’s life from its beginnings on a California walnut ranch through his years in New York to his present-day life on the California coast.
♦“Hard Times at Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card” (8 p.m. on HBO): This new documentary focuses on a Baltimore high school that is in danger of being taken over by the state unless students’ test scores improve. Students and teachers weigh in on the school’s negative and positive points.
♦“Heavy Load” (8 p.m. on IFC): New rockumentary that follows an England punk band made up of musicians with and without learning disabilities. It was shot over two years as the band records thei first album.
♦“The View” (10 a.m. on ABC): The talk show broadcasts from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
♦Wimbledon 2008 (6 a.m. on ESPN2): Coverage begins for the All England Club’s grass courts tennis event, which concludes July 6. Venus Williams will be back to defend her women’s singles title.
TUESDAY
♦“BET Awards 2008″ (7 p.m. on BET): D.L. Hughley will host the eighth annual event. Scheduled performers include Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Nelly, Chris Brown and Lil’ Wayne.
♦“Big Ideas for a Small Planet” (8 p.m. on Sundance): The final installment titled “Animals” looks at how animals’ diets and living environments are increasingly resembling the “green-ness” of their human guardians.
♦“Celebrity Family Feud” (7 p.m. on NBC): Competing for $50,000 for their charity are the families of Joan and Melissa Rivers, rapper Ice T (Pictured above in NBC Photo), singer Wayne Newton and actress Raven-Symone.
♦“I Survived a Japanese Game Show” (8 p.m. on ABC): In this new series, 10 Americans travel to Japan to compete on a Japanese game show, with a $250,000 prize awaiting the big winner. Challenges include eating from the head of a person running on a treadmill and wearing a chicken suits while smashing giant eggs by sitting on them. Tony Sano (”Beating Vegas”) serves as host and interpreter.
♦“P.O.V.” (9:30 p.m. on OETA-13): In the new documentary “Traces of the Trade: A Story From the Deep North,” descendants of the largest slave-trading family in United States history retrace the old Triangle Trade route from New England to Africa to Cuba.
♦“Wipeout” (7 p.m. on ABC): In this new series, contestants brave a series of wacky courses with a $50,000 prize going to the most successful. Challenges include crossing a bridge made of big red balls and walking along a narrow ledge where boxing gloves pop out at random intervals. John Anderson (ESPN’s “SportsCenter”) and John Henson (“Talk Soup”) co-host the show.
WEDNESDAY
♦“AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Warren Beatty” (8 p.m. on USA): The American Film Institute recognizes the actor’s contributions to the industry with tributes from his fellow stars and highlights from his career.
♦“The Baby Borrowers” (7 p.m. on NBC): In this new reality series designed to teach teens about parenthood, teenage couples move in together and are required to care for an infant, a toddler, a preteen, a teenager and an elderly person.
♦“Nova scienceNOW” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): In the third-season premiere, host Neil deGrasse Tyson reports on the search for a substance called “dark matter,” experiments on mice that could lead to good news for Alzheimer’s patients, a computer expert who can detect photo tampering and more.
♦“Shear Genius” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Jaclyn Smith (”Charlie’s Angels”) returns as host for a second season of the series that looks at the competitive and creative world of high-end hairstyling. Famed celebrity hairstylist Kim Vo and Allure beauty editor Kelly Atterton join the series as lead judges, and accomplished stylist Rene Fris returns as the competitors’ mentor.
♦“When I Knew” (6:30 p.m. on HBO): New documentary that spotlights men and women of all ages who recount the exact moment in their lives when they realized that they were gay. It is inspired by the book of the same name by Robert Trachtenburg, who served as a consultant on the film.
♦“Wife Swap” (7 p.m. on ABC): On the fourth-season finale, a woman who raises pigs swaps lives with a belly dancer.
THURSDAY
♦“Hopkins” (9 p.m. on ABC): New 6-part program from ABC News that takes viewers inside Baltimore’s John Hopkins Hospital to meet patients in the throes of medical crises and young doctors forced to make life and death decisions on the fly.
♦“Fear Itself” (9 p.m. on NBC): The installment titled “In Sickness and in Health” stars James Roday (”Psych”) and Maggie Lawson (“Crumbs”) as a young couple about to get married when the bride receives a disturbing letter.
♦“Last Comic Standing” (7 p.m. on NBC): Richard Belzer (”Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) and Steve Schirripa (“The Sopranos”) guest star on the first of two semifinal episodes.
♦“Live From Abbey Road” (9 p.m. on Sundance): Rascal Flatts, featuring guitarist Joe Don Rooney from Picher, will perform on this music series taped at London’s Abbey Road Studios.
♦“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC) Marlo Thomas (“That Girl”) guest stars as an advertiser with a penchant for younger men.
♦“Untold Wealth: The Rise of the Super Rich” (9 p.m. on CNBC): CNBC correspondent David Faber reports on how there came to be more billionaires and multi-millionaires in our country than in any time in history. In 1985, there were 13 U.S. billionaires. Today, there are more than 1,000.
FRIDAY
♦“The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards” (6 p.m. on Bravo): The first televised airing of the event that honors positive portrayals of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and issues. Among those receiving special honors are actor Wilson Cruz (“Party of Five”), singer Janet Jackson and producer Ilene Chaiken (”The L Word”).
♦“Animal Cops: South Africa” (9 p.m. on Animal Planet): Season finale for the show that follows the work of the Animal Cruelty Inspectors at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Cape Town, South Africa.
♦“Dance Machine” (7 p.m. on ABC): New series in which six people from all walks of life face of against each other in one-on-one dance-offs to popular songs. At the end of each episode, the two finalists compete for $100,000. E! News correspondent Jason Kennedy hosts the show.
♦“Extraordinary Animals” (8:30 p.m. on Animal Planet): The episode titled “Orangu-Can” focuses on Azy, a 30-year-old male orangutan, who uses more than 70 symbols to communicate his thoughts and desires.
♦“Hallmark Heroes With Regis Philbin” (7 p.m. on Hallmark Channel): Host Regis Philbin (”Million Dollar Password”) will surprise four deserving individuals with a prize that will allow and enhance the amazing work they do for others.
♦“Today” (7 a.m. on NBC): Coldplay performs live from Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
SATURDAY
♦“Copperhead” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): In this new original movie, an old western mining town comes under attack by a vast swarm of copperhead snakes.
♦“Groomer Has It” (8 p.m. on Animal Planet): Remaining two groomers prepare for the big finale in which they must groom seven dogs in 10 hours.
♦“The Tenth Circle” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): Kelly Preston (“Broken Bridges) and Ron Eldard (“Blind Justice”) star in this original movie based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Jodi Picoult. It reveals just how far parents will go to protect their children.
♦The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz take on the Lubbock Renegades on arena2 football action airing live at 7:05 p.m. on KSBI-52.
–Penny TV
“Young and Restless” adds cast members
This Just In From CBS …
LOS ANGELES, June 17 — Eva Marcille, the winner of the third cycle of “America’s Next Top Model,” and Jamia Simone Nash (”August Rush”) join the cast of “The Young and the Restless” beginning June 25. at 11 a.m. on CBS).
Marcille will play Tyra Hamilton, Devon’s (Bryton McClure) aunt, who is a single mother to daughter Ana (Nash). Nash, who sang on this year’s Academy Awards telecast, will also perform on the show.
“The Young and the Restless” (11 a.m. weekdays on CBS) has been the top-rated daytime drama for more than 19 years and celebrated its 35th anniversary on March 26, 2008.
The series is nominated for 17 2008 Daytime Emmy Awards, more than any other show. The Daytime Emmys will be handed out live beginning at 7 p.m. Friday on ABC.
“Resue Me” minisodes on FX
Network News Release …
The writer’s strike may have delayed the fifth season return of “Rescue Me” until next spring, but Sony Pictures Television and FX will deliver 10 minisodes of new, original content of the critically acclaimed series from Denis Leary (at right in FX Photo) and Peter Tolan, which will air commercial-free on FX beginning at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Each five-minute minisode will feature Leary and the rest of the show’s cast in weekly comedic, standalone episodes. The minisodes will also be available Wednesdays on Crackle.com (www.crackle.com/rescueme).
Some of the storylines fans can anticipate are:
♦Sean (Steven Pasquale) struggling to hold up to his fast in the face of great adversity – Lou’s (John Scurti) homemade doughnuts.
♦The gang discussing their criteria for a good bar.
♦Tommy’s (Leary) erotic fantasies taking a turn for the worse, much to the delight of his ball-busting bunkmates.
The minisodes will be written by Leary, Tolan, and Evan Reilly, and will be directed by John Fortenberry.
Short film could lead to success
NBC is always on the look out for talent behind and in front of the camera. And one place the network execs look is the Third Annual Comedy Short Cuts Film Festival.
The film festival is a showcase for short, comedic films with culturally diverse production teams, casts or themes. Submissions for the event sponsored by NBC Universal will be accepted through Aug. 15.
Films selected for the semifinals will be screened before an industry audience in New York in September in conjunction with the New York Television Festival. Finalists will be sent to Los Angeles for an exclusive industry screening in October at Universal Studios.
The winning filmmaker will have the opportunity to meet with NBC Universal’s top network, studio, cable, and film executives to pitch their projects and ideas. Additional prizes and opportunities are also up for grabs.
At last year’s festival, the film “A Fat Girl’s Guide To Yoga” captured top honors and a blind script commitment with Universal Media Studios. Tajamika Paxton, former film executive at MTV Films and Gregory M.T. Colleton, the writing/directing team created the comical short about Wendy, an oversized African-American woman, and her yoga journey to lose weight.
For more information, go to www.comedyshortcuts.net.
From Oklahoma to Navy to “Nashville Star”
Tommy Stanley doesn’t necessarily call himself an Oklahoman. But the NBC press release promoting “Nashville Star” does.
A week before the music competition series began its sixth season, NBC released the names of the show’s top 12 finalists. Last on the list (it was not alphabetical, but it did save the best for last) was:
TOMMY STANLEY
AGE: 23
HOMETOWN: Cushing, Oklahoma
CURRENT HOME: USS Kitty Hawk
An interview with Stanley (pictured above in NBC Photo) revealed that: A) he is 24, and B) he grew up mostly in Texas and moved to Oklahoma when he was 21 to live with his sister.
So why didn’t he tell NBC about the mistakes?
“I saw that and I didn’t make a big deal about it,” Stanley said. “I’m happy with any press release.”
He added: “Oklahoma, it’s a good state.”
Go Tommy Stanley. This Oklahoman is rooting for you.
So can you, as viewer votes will decide who continues on and who goes home. So tune in to “Nashville Star” at 8 p.m. Mondays on NBC.
–Penny TV
Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a TV personality
According to producers of a proposed docudrama, approximately half of all marriages end in divorce while arranged marriages have a success rate estimated at 85 percent.
Those same producers are currently casting for “Arranged Marriage.” The series, from Magical Elves (”Top Chef,” “Project Greenlight,” “Step It Up & Dance”) and Lifetime Television, is seeking men and women who are ready to commit to marriage with a match selected by their closest loved ones.
Cameras will then document the couple’s first year of marriage.
Whereas most of us choose our partners based on chemistry, loved ones usually base matchmaking decisions on shared goals, values, experiences and commitment to the relationship.
If this ancient cultural practice of finding a lifelong mate sounds interesting, go to www.arrangedmarriagetv.com to apply.
–Penny TV
