“Millionaire” seeks more contestants like Muskogee’s Jennifer Hill
Jennifer Hill of Muskogee (pictured in photo courtesy of Valleycrest Productions Ltd.) walked away with $16,000 on the June 13 episode of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”
The Power Plant Operator, who was also treated to her first trip to New York City to tape the show, ran into a tough $8,000 question that prompted her to use two lifelines. The questions was:
“Excluding tornadoes, one of the fastest surface wind speeds ever recorded was in 1934 on Mount Washington in what U.S. state? A) New Hampshire, B)Alaksa, C)Colorado, D) West Virginia.”
After using the “Ask the Audience” lifetime (46 percent picked New Hampshire, 25 percent selected Alaska), Jennifer used her “50-50″ lifeline which left both New Hampshire and Alaska as options. She went with the advice of the studio audience and chose New Hampshire, which was right.
Jennifer, 32, then used her “Phone a Friend” lifeline on the $25,000 question which was:
“In the card game baccarat, what is the best score a player can achieve in a single hand? A) Five, B) Nine, C) Eleven, D) Twenty.”
She could not come up with a definitive answer, so she opted to take the $16,000 that she had already won. If she had guessed incorrectly on the $25,000 question, she would have fallen back to $1,000 in winnings.
The correct answer, by the way, was “B.”
For those who answered both of the above questions correctly — or even if you didn’t — perhaps you should try out for “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” The show is currently casting for its upcoming seventh season.
Besides contestants for regular episodes, “Millionaire” is also looking for contestants for:
♦“Netflix Million Dollar Movie Week” (movie trivia buffs answering movie-themed questions)
♦“Famous Names Week” (ordinary people who share a famous name)
♦“Wedding Week” with Brides.com (engaged couples playing as a team)
♦“Halloween Week” (Halloween enthusiasts — all contestants will wear costumes in the hot seat)
♦“Three Generations” (family series that will for the first time, allow a three person team — grandparent, parent and child — in the hot seat)
Contestant auditions are being held in New York City, and traveling auditions are scheduled for Sacramento, CA (June 23), Las Vegas, NV (June 25), Atlanta, GA (June 27), Minneapolis, MN (August 11), Detroit, MI (Aug. 13) and Washington D.C. (Aug. 15).
Go to www.millionairetv.com for information on how to audition for “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
–Penny TV
Norman girl featured in “Paranormal” series
Jillian, 12, from Norman, is one of three youngsters featured in the new A&E series “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal,” which premieres at 9 p.m. June 16.
The series brings together children with paranormal abilities to talk about what they are experiencing with people other than their family. Medium Chip Coffey (pictured at right in A&E Photo) and Columbia University professor Dr. Lisa Miller, a psychologist, meet with the children and help them learn how to deal with what they are experiencing.
Jillian sees spirits and is frequently visited by the ghost of a little boy named Jacob. The episode in which she appears, however, is titled “The Ghost of Freddie.” That is the spirit who appears to Faith, 8, from Illinois.
The girls meet Ahli, 10, from Kansas, in an secret location (which Jillian sees in a dream) and discover some history about the ghost of Freddie that will forever change the way they view their abilities.
A&E originally scheduled “The Ghost of Freddie” episode to air as the premiere June 16, although it is possible that it may air two weeks later (June 30) since it is Episode 103 in the series.
— Penny TV
Program Planner: June 15-21
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 15:
SUNDAY
♦“The 62nd Annual Tony Awards” (7 p.m. on CBS): Whoopi Goldberg (Pictured at right in CBS Photo) hosts. Oklahoma native Kelli O’Hara is nominated for her role as Nellie Forbush in the Broadway revival of “South Pacific.”
♦“The Sixth Annual TV Land Awards” (8 p.m. on TV Land): Vanessa Williams (“Ugly Betty”) hosts. Mike Myers (“Austin Powers” movies) will receive the legacy of laughter award, director Garry Marshall (–) the legend award and Jonathan Winters (–) the pioneer award.
♦“Paula’s Best Dishes” (11:30 a.m. on Food Network): Series premiere of new series in which Southern cook Paula Deen learns secrets from America’.
♦“Rate My Space” (9 p.m. on HGTV): Sneak peek of new series premiering at 8 p.m. Thursday. Host and designer Angelo Surmelis helps homeowners improve their low-rated room designs.
♦“The Summit” (6 p.m. on ION): Four-hour miniseries about a bio-terror threat during the annual G8 Summit meeting. It stars Christopher Plummer (“Syriana”), Bruce Greenwood (“Thirteen Days”), Mia Maestro (“Alias”), James Purefoy (“Rome”), Peter MacNeill (“The Stone Angel”) and Wendy Crewson (“ReGenesis).
MONDAY
♦“How Life Began” (8 p.m. on History): New two-hour special that goes back to the very beginnings of life on Earth, when one-celled organisms filled the oceans and soil. Scientists offer their theories of what set this surge of life in motion.
♦“Intervention” (8 p.m. on A&E): –season premiere of reality series in which families hope that an intervention will help turn their loved one’s life around.
♦“Jon & Kate Plus 8: How We Got Here” (8 p.m. on TLC): Special episode in which Jon and Kate Gosselin share stories about how they went from young newlyweds to the parents of eight children in just a few years. Home videos dating back to their honeymoon demonstrate that they were comfortable on camera even before their hit show began.
♦“The Middleman” (7 p.m. on ABC Family): Series premiere. Matt Keeslar (“Snowglobe”) stars as the titular hero who keeps the world safe from evil otherworldly forces. Natalie Morales (“CSI: Miami”) plays his new sidekick.
♦“Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal” (9 p.m. on A&E): New series featuring medium Chip Coffey who uses his paranormal abilities and psychology degree in dealing with children who show signs of psychic and paranormal abilities.
♦“Resolved” (8 p.m. on HBO): A 2007 documentary about debating on the high school level. It tackles race and class issues, focusing on student debaters from a wealthy Texas suburb and a not-so-wealthy area of Los Angeles.
♦“Secret Diary of a Call Girl” (9:30 pm. on Showtime): Series premiere. British singer-turned-actress Billie Piper (“Doctor Who”) stars as a young woman who works as a legal secretary by day and a high-end hooker by night. It’s already a hit in the United Kingdom.
♦“Weeds” (9 p.m. on Showtime): Fourth-season premiere. Albert Brooks (“Broadcast News”) joins the cast as the extranged father-in-law of suburban mom-turned-drug dealer Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker).
TUESDAY
♦“AFI’s 10 Top 10″ (7 p.m. on CBS): The American Film Institute presents a series of top 10 lists, counting down the best films in 10 different genres, including animation, science fiction, Westerns, sports, courtroom dramas, mysteries and epic films.
♦“America’s Got Talent” (8 p.m. on NBC): Third-season premiere. Judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and David Hasselhoff return to whittle down the field from the thousands who auditioned.
♦“Flipping Out” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Second-season premiere. Due to the soft market, obsessive-compulsive house-flipper Jeff Lewis expands his business and picks up property renovations.
♦“Frontline: Young and Restless in China” (8 p.m. on OETA-13): New two-hour episode that follows nine young Chinese adults over four years as they try to adjust to the rapid changes in their country and culture. An environmental lawyer, a farm woman and a rapper are among those profiled.
♦“Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): Third season premiere. Tori Spelling (“Beverly Hills 90210) and husband Dean McDermott are checking out of their bed and breakfast and moving back to Hollywood.
WEDNESDAY
♦“Black Gold” (9 p.m. on truTV): New series follows the daily lives of the roughnecks working three West Texas oil-drilling rigs. Country singer Trace Adkins wrote and recorded the show’s title song.
♦“Top Chef: Reunion” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Special gathering of season four’s contestants and judges. The winner of Bravo’s “Fan Favorite: will also be announced.
Jeanette MacDonald was born on this day in –, and TCM celebrates the late actress by airing two of her films: 1941’s ♦“Smilin’ Through” (5 a.m.) and 1936’s “Rose Marie” (7 a.m.).
THURSDAY
♦“Last Comic Standing” (7:30 p.m. on NBC): “30 Rock” actors Lonny Ross (Josh) and Keith Powell (Toofer) scout for talent in Miami.
♦“Life From Abbey Road” (9 p.m. on Sundance): Second-season premiere of music series filmed at London’s Abbey Road Studios. This episode features performances and interviews with Mary J. Blige, Dashboard Confessional and James Blunt.
♦“Penn & Teller: Bull—-“ (9 p.m. on Showtime): Sixth-season premiere. The magicians use undercover operatives and copious research to expose the bogus science behind widely accepted notions.
♦“Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew” (9 p.m. on MTV): Second-season premiere. Mario Lopez (–) returns as host and judges JC Chasez (N Synch), hip hop recording artist Lil Mama and choreographer Shane Sparks return to critique the dance competition.
FRIDAY
♦“The 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards” (7 p.m. on ABC): Cameron Mathison (“All My Children”) and Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) co-host. Talk show host Regis Philbin will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
♦“Camp Rock” (7 p.m. on Disney): The singing sibling trio The Jonas Brothers star in this new music and dance-filled movie about a young singing superstar (Joe Jonas) and a shy teenage songwriter (Demi Lovato, “As the Bell Rings”) bonding at a music camp.
♦“Days of Our Lives” (2 p.m. on NBC): Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart guest stars as an Alpha Chi Theta adviser to Chelsea Brady (Daytime Emmy nominee Rachel Melvin) and Morgan Hollingsworth (Kristen Renton).
♦“Today” (7 a.m. on NBC): Rihanna performs live from Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
SATURDAY
♦“Can You Teach My Alligator Manners?” (8:5 a.m. on Disney): New animated short-form series featuring Mikey and his pet alligator, Al. Mikey encourages preschool age viewers to help him teach his scaly best friend how to behave properly.
♦“Joy Fielding’s The Other Woman” (8 p.m. on Lifetime): New 2008 drama based on the bestselling novel by Joy Fielding and starring Jason Priestley and Josie Bisset.
♦“The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rampage vs. Team Forrest” (8 p.m. on SPIKE): Seventh-season finale. Season began with 32 competitors, but only one fighter from the welterweight class will become the “Ultimate Fighter.”
♦The U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials (3:30 and 7 p.m. on NBC): Coverage of the men’s all-around finals (3:30 p.m.) and the women’s all-around finals (7 p.m.).
♦The Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz take on the Bossier City Battlewings in arena2 football action airing live at 7:05 p.m. on KSBI-52.
–Penny TV
Blaine and “The Bachelorette”
Blaine? Who’s Blaine? He goes by his last name, Twilley, on the fourth season of “The Bachelorette.” And the Tulsa native is still hanging in there (see above ABC Photo).
But ABC’s teaser at the conclusion of Monday’s episode indicated that Twilley’s time on the reality series may be coming to a close. Judging by the lack of one-on-one time he gets with “Bachelorette” DeAnna Pappas, that could very well be.
Of the 25 bachelors who began the show, only six remain. Can Twilley make it to the final four next week? Tune in to ABC at 8 p.m. Monday (June 16) to see.
Better yet, check in an hour early at 7 p.m. for “The Bachelorette: DeAnna Tells All.” The special will include a close-up look at the final six bachelors — maybe it will mention that Twilley, 33, is a graduate of Tulsa Metro Christian Academy and the son of former Tulsa football player Howard Twilley.
It will for sure feature the bachelors’ perspectives and get their points of view on how all the drama unfolded, as well as DeAnna’s lowdown on the season’s most dramatic moments.
–Penny TV
U.S. Women’s Soccer Team, “Come on Down!”
This Just In …
CBS’s Emmy Award-winning “The Price Is Right” with host Drew Carey welcomes the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team to the show at 10 a.m. Friday (June 13).
The team will appear in the final Showcase, offering up a trip to Greece where they won their gold medal in 2004.
“The Price Is Right,” the longest-running game show in television history, is nominated for a 2008 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show.
The Daytime Emmys will be handed out June 20 on ABC.
Hot ‘Dog,’ he’s a former Oklahoman
Travis, a bartender, and Presley, a boxer, are among the 12 teams of dogs and owners competing for the title of “Greatest American Dog,” a new reality series premiering July 10 on CBS.
Travis is originally from Perry and now living in Los Angeles. His canine companion, Presley, is 1- and-a-half years old and stands almost as tall as him (see CBS Photo at right).
Zoologist and television personality Jarod Miller will host “Greatest American Dog,” in which the owners and their pet will live together and compete against each other in challenges. Each week, the judges — Wendy Diamond (author and founder and Editor-In-Chief of Animal Fair Magazine), Allan Reznick (Editor-At-Large of Dog World and Dog Fancy Magazine) and Victoria Stilwell (author and host of the television series “It’s Me or the Dog) — will eliminate one dog and their owner.
The last remaining team will walk away with a $250,000 cash prize and the title of “Greatest American Dog.”
–Penny TV
HBO schedules Jim McKay tribute
Network Schedule Change …
In honor of longtime sports broadcaster Jim McKay, who died June. 7 at age 86, HBO has scheduled encore presentations of the hour-long HBO Sports documentary “Jim McKay: My World in My Words”.
The documentary, written and narrated by McKay, will air at 6 p.m. June 12 and 10:30 a.m. June 15 on HBO, as well as at 10:55 p.m. June 16 on HBO2. It is also available on HBO On Demand.
The Sports Emmy-winning presentation features footage of McKay’s landmark broadcasts from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, including the Summer and Winter Olympics; the British and U.S. Open golf tournaments; the Kentucky Derby; the Indianapolis 500; and the 1972 Summer Olympic Games at Munich, when terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage.
CMT welcomes ‘Nashville Star’ to network
“Nashville Star” begins its sixth season at 8 p.m. today on NBC. But if you happen to miss it, CMT is giving viewers a second chance to catch the premiere and all episodes after that.
CMT will rebroadcast the season premiere at 3 p.m. June 14, while remaining episodes will reair at 7 p.m. Fridays.
“With CMT favorites like Billy Ray Cyrus, John Rich and Jewel, this show is a natural fit for our audience,” said Mary Beth Cunin, CMT vice president of programming strategy. “Nashville Star was one of the first music competition series to recognize that the country music genre holds mass appeal, and we’re thrilled to partner with NBC on the series first broadcast run.”
Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”) is hosting the sixth season of the country music competition, that became the longest-running cable reality competition series during its five-year run on USA Network. Serving as judges and mentors for the contestants, which include Tommy Stanley from Cushing, are Rich, Jewel and producer Jeffrey Steele.
–Penny TV
Best new show of season? It stars two actors with Oklahoma ties
Results are in from AOL Television’s end of season poll, and “Pushing Daisies” ranks as the best new show of the 2007-08 season.
Kristin Chenoweth (born and raised in Broken Arrow) and Lee Pace (born but not raised in Chickasha) star in that ABC series about a pie maker with the gift to bring the dead briefly back to life with just one touch. His gift, however, has deadly consequences.
“Pushing Daisies” (actors Chenoweth and Pace are pictured above in ABC Photo) received 24 percent of the votes (21,281 total), while The CW’s “Gossip Girl” got 20 percent. Others receiving votes were “The Big Bang Theory” (19 percent), “Chuck” (15 percent), “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” (15 percent) and “Reaper” (eight percent).
A total of 1,409,394 votes were cast between May 23 and June 2. Here are some other results:
♦“House” beat “Lost” for best drama series.
♦“Two and a Half Men” barely edged out “Ugly Betty” for best comedy series.
♦“Cavemen” received more than 70 percent of votes for worst new show.
♦Nearly 40 percent of voters said “The Bachelor” is “so over,” while almost a quarter voted for “American Idol.”
♦“Dancing With the Stars” was voted best guilty pleasure show.
♦“Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost” beat out “Gossip Girl” and “One Tree Hill” for sexiest cast on television.
♦Wilhelmina on “Ugly Betty” edged out the bug-eyed Ben on “Lost” as best villain.
–Penny TV
Fox announced fall premiere dates
Fox will kick off the 2008-09 season with special two-hour premieres of “Prison Break” (Sept. 1), “Bones” (Sept. 3), “The Moment of Truth” (Sept. 4) and “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (Sept. 5).
“Fringe,” the highly anticipated new thriller starring Joshua Jackson, Anna Torv and John Noble, will debut with a two-hour premiere Sept. 9.
“Do Not Disturb” (pictured above in Fox Photo), the new workplace comedy starring Jerry O’Connell and Niecy Nash, will premiere Sept. 10.
Following is a list of premiere dates and times for new series and returning favorites.
Monday, Sept. 1:
Prison Break (7 p.m.)
Wednesday, Sept. 3:
Bones (7 p.m.)
Thursday, Sept. 4:
The Moment of Truth (7 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 5:
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (7 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 6:
Cops (7 p.m.)
America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back (8 p.m.)
Monday, Sept. 8:
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (7 p.m.)
Tuesday, Sept. 9:
Fringe (7 p.m.)
Wednesday, Sept. 10:
‘Til Death (8 p.m.)
Do Not Disturb (8:30 p.m.)
Thursday, Sept. 11:
Kitchen Nightmares (8 p.m.)
Friday, Sept. 12:
Don’t Forget the Lyrics (8 p.m.)
Saturday, Sept. 13:
Mad TV (10 p.m.)
Talkshow With Spike Feresten (11 p.m.)
Tuesday, Sept. 16:
House (7 p.m.)
Sunday, Sept. 28:
The Simpsons (7 p.m.)
King of the Hill (7:30 p.m.)
Family Guy (8 p.m.)
American Dad (8:30 p.m.)
