Happy Birthday, Brian Kerwin
Oct. 25, 2008 — Brian Kerwin, who plays Charlie Banks on “One Life to Live” (1 p.m. weekdays on KOCO-5 in Oklahoma City), turns 59 today.
He has guest starred on several shows in recent years, including “Big Love” on HBO, “Monk” on USA Network, “Desperate Housewives” on ABC and “Without a Trace” on CBS.
His first acting role was as Greg Foster #2 on “The Young and the Restless” in 1973. He was 24.
Best wishes to Brian and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Who can forget TV’s “Greatest American Dog”?
TV Guide Magazine names television’s top canines in its Oct. 27 issue.
Presley, who won the CBS competition series “Greatest American Dog” last month, did not make the top 10.
TV Guide’s top dogs are:
◊No. 10 — Paul Anka (Lorelai’s bearded collie on “Gilmore Girls”)
◊No. 9 — Scooby-Doo (Shaggy’s Great Dane on “Scooby Doo, Where Are You”)
◊No. 8 — Tinkerbell Hilton (Paris Hilton’s chihuahua on “The Simple Life”)
◊No. 7 — Elizabeth Taylor (Charlotte’s King Charles Spaniel on “Sex and the City”)
◊No. 6 — Vincent (Walt’s yellow Lab on “Lost”)
◊No. 5 — Doc (Meredith and Derek’s terrier mix on “Grey’s Anatomy”)
◊No. 4 — Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (puppet on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien”)
◊No. 3 — Eddie (Martin Crane’s Jack Russell terrier on “Frasier”)
◊No. 2 — Lassie (Timmy’s collie on “Lassie”)
◊No. 1 — Snoopy (Charlie Brown’s beagle on “Peanuts” TV specials)
I agree with all the picks but one. Take Triumph the Insult Comic Dog out and put in Presley (Travis Brorsen’s boxer) at No. 4.
Presley is real — and real cute. Just check out the latest photo above sent to The Oklahoman by Brorsen, a Perry native.
–Penny TV
Celebrities tell “Ghost Stories”
Actors Gina Gershon (“Bound”) and Ernie Hudson (“Oz”) have seen ghosts. So have musicians Belinda Carlisle (The Go-Go’s) and Sammy Hagar (Van Halen).
They will talk of their personal encounters with the paranormal in the hourlong special “Celebrity Ghost Stories” premiering at 9 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 25) on Bio Channel (119 on Dish Network, 164 on Cox Digital Cable, 266 on Direct TV).
In their on-camera interviews, they said:
♦“I would literally wake up and I would have scratches and some bruises. It was definitely this very violent energy in my room.” — Gershon (pictured at right in “Bound”)
♦“I would hear sounds, sense the presence of things. I just knew there was somebody in that house.” — Hudson
♦“I woke up all of a sudden to this thing. It wouldn’t let me breathe. It just kept choking me. I thought I was going to die.” — Carlisle
♦“I really wouldn’t say I was a believer in ghosts at first, but this was so physical, I was scared.” — Hagar.
–Penny TV
TV Preview Podcast: ‘Center Stage: Turn It Up’
Each week, The Oklahoman TV Editor Penny Soldan hosts an audio podcast discussing an upcoming TV premiere.
This week’s premiere is the new Oxygen original movie “Center Stage: Turn It Up” starring Peter Gallagher and Ethan Stiefel.
To hear her discussion with Melissa Hayer, assistant news research for The Oklahoman, click here.
Happy Birthday, B.D. Wong
Oct. 24, 2008 — Bradley Darryl Wong, who plays Dr. George Huang on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (9 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC), turns 48 today.
His previous series work was as Father Ray Mukada in the HBO series “Oz” (1997-2003).
His first acting role was as a member of Miss Karnisian’s Class in the 1983 TV series “No Big Deal.” He was 23.
Best wishes to B.D. and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
(Pictured at right: NBC Photo featuring B.D. Wong in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”)
Muskogee mayor meets Jeff Foxworthy
Is Muskogee mayor John Tyler Hammons smarter than a 5th grader?
He is a full-time college student at Northeastern State University, so the 20-year-old should be able to hold his own against the 10-year-old students on the Fox show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” airing at 7 p.m. Friday (Oct. 24).
Tune in to find out just how much cash the nation’s youngest mayor takes home.
He does leave something behind, though. Hammons gave a key to the city to host Jeff Foxworthy.
–Penny TV
Fox Photo at right features Muskogee mayor John Tyler Hammons with Jeff Foxworthy, host of “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
Program Planner: Oct. 26-Nov. 1
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 Oct. 26:
SUNDAY OCT. 26
◊“Brothers & Sisters” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Chad Lowe (“Life Goes On”) directs today’s episode titled “You Get What You Need,” in which Nora and Holly discuss William’s long lost son.
◊“Cities of the Underworld” (8 p.m. on History): Host Don Wildman is once again tearing through the streets of the world’s most famous cities to uncover secrets hundres of feet beneath the pavement. The Season 3 premiere stops in London.
◊“Entourage” (9 p.m. on HBO): Jamie-Lynn Sigler (“The Sopranos”) guest stars as herself in the new episode “First Class Jerk.” She finds herself next to Turtle on a plane, and he makes a mile-high claim his friends don’t buy.
◊“The Ghost of Mae Nek” (11 p.m. on Sundance): In this new take on a scary Thai legend, a pair of young newlyweds acquires an abandoned house in Bangkok that is the domain of a vengeful spirit.
◊“Mad Men” (9 p.m. on AMC): The Emmy-winning drama series starring Jon Hamm and John Slattery concludes its second season with the episode titled “Meditations on an Emergency.”
◊“Nature” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): “White Falcon, White Wolf” follows the perilous parenthood of two species — white gyrfalcons and Arctic wolves — that raise their families on Canada’s remote Ellesmere Island, where June is spring, July is summer and August is autumn.
MONDAY OCT. 27
◊“Boston Legal” (9:02 p.m. on ABC): Alan Shore and Denny Crane saddle up at a dude rance, but they find themselves at odds with their fellow horse enthusiasts and in court. Betty White (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) guest stars.
◊“Car Toons” (5:56 p.m. today through Wednesday on Toon Disney, channel 151 on Cox Digital Cable, 174 on Dish Network, 292 on Direct TV): This new animated short series features Mater, the rusty firetruck from the film “Cars.” All three short films will air throughout the day Saturday on the Disney Channel.
◊“Chuck” (7 p.m. on NBC): Life in espionage takes its toll on Chuck, who tries to explain his unusual behavior to the Buy More efficiency expert (Tony Hale, “Arrested Development”).
◊“How to Make a Hole-in-One” (10 p.m. on Golf Channel): Nick Faldo, who has made 11 aces, provides instruction in this humorous look at how to make golf’s toughest shot.
◊“Lisa Williams: Voices From the Other Side” (10 a.m. today through Friday on Lifetime): English clairvoyant Lisa Williams returns with a new five-episode special programming event airing this week. Each episode will feature Williams doing one-on-one readings in a studio and impromptu meetings with people on the street.
◊“Primal Fear” 8 p.m. on History): This two-hour special explores human fears, such as being buried alive, getting bit by a snake and drowning. The special will replay at 9 p.m. Friday.
◊“Two and a Half Men” (8 p.m. on CBS): This rebroadcast from May was directed by series star Jon Cryer (Alan) and features guest star Susan Blakely (“Rich Man, Poor Man”).
TUESDAY OCT. 28
◊“Billy Wilder Speaks” (5:45 p.m. on TCM): This documentary uses footage from interviews director Billy Wilder gave over the years to tell the story of the man behind “Sunset Boulevard,” “Some Like It Hot,” “The Apartment” and other classics.
◊“Coolio’s Rules” (9 p.m. on Oxygen): Hip-hop star Coolio returns from life on the road and tries to get his family life in order in this new six-episode reality series.
◊“Dirty Jobs” (8 p.m. on Discovery): Host Mike Rowe teams up with the boys from Bartos Bait & Fish in Waubun, Minn., to catch leeches that will later be sold for fish bait.
◊“Greek” (8 p.m. on ABC Family)(ABC Family Photo above features Spencer Grammer, Lauren Conrad and Amber Stevens): Lauren Conrad (“The Hills”) guest stars as a spiritual adviser to Casey (Spencer Grammer) in the show’s second-season finale.
◊“Independent Lens” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Directors Sabiha Sumar and Sachithanandam sit down with Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf to address his ideas of a democratized society in their country.
◊“Nova” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): The revolutionary new branch of math called fractals is the subject of the new episode “Hunting the Hidden Dimension.” It looks at how this “new math” could change our understanding of life.
WEDNESDAY OCT. 29
◊“Biography” (8 p.m. on Biography): Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will be featured in back-to-back profiles.
◊“Criminal Minds” (8 p.m. on CBS): A serial killer who jumps trains and targets people living near the railway is the subject of a Behavioral Analysis Unit manhunt. Meta Golding (“Eli Stone”) guest stars.
◊“Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m. on SCI FI): Colin Ferguson (“Eureka”) joins the TAPS team to investigate the historic USS Hornet aircraft carrier in San Francisco.
◊“Pushing Daisies” (7 p.m. on ABC): Ned is startled when a mysterious man (Stephen Root, “The West Wing”) appears at the diner claiming to be an old friend of his dad’s and asks for his help in finding him.
◊“A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway” (7 p.m. on OETA-13): Rick Sebak, inventor of the public television nostalgia documentary, takes viewers on an armchair trip on the United States’ first transcontinental highway, built in 1913.
◊“Shaken Not Stirred” (8 p.m. on My Network TV): This new series of specials morphs the old-school roast with edgy nighttime talk. The first installment welcomes Rev. Al Sharpton and “toasters” Anthony Anderson, D.L. Hughley, Paul Rodriguez and John Salley.
◊“Top Design” (9 p.m. on Bravo): Jeff Lewis (“Flipping Out”) is back to judge part one of the Season 2 finale, in which each designer is given one room in a house to create the best possible space.
THURSDAY OCT. 30
◊“30 Rock” (8:31 p.m. on NBC): In the third-season premiere of the two-time Emmy winner for best comedy series, Liz tries to keep the TGS (“The Girlie Show”) staff from ruining her chances at adoption when an evaluator (Megan Mullaly, “Will & Grace”) drops by the job.
◊“Austin City Limits” (10 p.m. on OETA-13): Wallflowers leader Jakob Dylan showcases tunes from his debut solo album “Seeing Things.”
◊“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (8 p.m. on CBS): The CSI team investigates the suspicious death of a young woman who turns out to be the daughter of a wanted criminal. Nicholas Turturro (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”) and Jason Lewis (“Sex and the City”) guest star.
◊“Eleventh Hour” (9:01 p.m. on CBS): When a deadly virus infects a demolition site in Pittsburgh, Dr. Hood is called in to contain a potentially lethal outbreak. Oded Fehr (“Sleeper Cell”) guest stars.
High School Football: Norman North plays Edmond Santa Fe at 7:30 p.m. on Cox.
◊“Iconoclasts” (9 p.m. on Sundance): This installment of the series that pairs together two leading innovators from different fields to discuss their passions features skateboarder Tony Hawk and actor Jon Favreau.
◊“Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force” (9 p.m. on A&E): In the season finale, the force gets a computerized license plate reader and takes it out for a spin/
◊“Life on Mars” (9:01 p.m. on ABC): Sam is pulled back into his childhood when he becomes entangled in a local gangster’s assault on a young woman, who turns out to be his mother. Robert Klein (“The Stones”) guest stars as a mob boss.
◊“Ugly Betty” (7 p.m. on ABC): Betty finds herself competing with Kimmie (Lindsay Lohan, “Georgia Rule”), who finally shows her true colors. Ralph Macchio (“The Karate Kid”) guest stars as a new customer at Hilda’s shop.
FRIDAY OCT. 31
◊“100 Scariest Moments” and “Even Scarier Movie Moments” (3 to 10 p.m. on Bravo): These back-to-back specials count down the most bone-chilling scenes in cinematic history. What will the scariest movie moment of all time be?
◊“Die, Monster, Die!” (8:30 p.m. on TCM): In this 1965 adaptation of a story by H.P. Lovecraft, Boris Karloff plays an Englishman whose household is being destroyed by a mysterious meteor that crash-landed nearby.
◊“Doomed to Die? 13 Most Shocking Hollywood Curses” (7 p.m. on E!): This hourlong countdown examines the mysteries, misfortunes and uncanny coincidences surrounding some of Hollywood’s most famous curses.
◊“Ghost Hunters Live” (6 p.m. on SCI FI): The TAPS team led by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson returns to the Fort Delaware for this live Halloween special. During their last visit in June, they experienced a variety of paranormal encounters.
◊High School Football: Choctaw plays Stillwater at 7:30 p.m. on KSBI-52; Sapulpa plays Sand Springs at 7:30 p.m. on Cox.
◊“True Hollywood Story” (8 p.m. on E!): Star Jones, whose publicized feuds with her former co-hosts on “The View” made her a household name, is profiled.
SATURDAY NOV.1
◊“Archangel” (7 p.m. on ION): Daniel Craig (“Casino Royale”) stars in this three-hour thriller that was adapted from author Robert Harris’ novel of the same name. The movie revists the stark landscape of Communist Russia and takes place over four days in the life of former Oxford historian Fluke Kelson (Craig).
◊“Center Stage: Turn It Up” (7 p.m. on Oxygen): This sequel to the 2000 feature film reunites Peter Gallagher (“The O.C.”) and ballet star Ethan Stiefel. They reprise their roles as Academy Artistic Director Jonathan Reeves (Gallagher) and teacher Cooper Nielsen (Stiefel) at the
fictitious New York City American Ballet Academy.
◊“Legend of the Seeker” (5 p.m. on KOKH-25): This new syndicated fantasy series follows the extraordinary travels of woodsman Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), who must stop a ruthless tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world. The series kicks off with a two-hour premiere.
◊“Gladiators” (3 p.m. on BBC America): This British version of the popular competition series features 12 new Gladiators who rule the arena and control the fate of the contenders.
–Penny TV
Photo show for “24″ Fans
Tired of waiting for new “24″ material. Take a trip to Los Angeles next month.
On Nov. 10, the “24: Redemption — Captured in Africa” photo exhibit will open at the Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles. It will feature a collection of photographs taken by five members of the show’s creative team during the overseas filming.
The two-hour television event “24: Redemption,” which bridges the gap between Seasons 6 and 7 of the Emmy-winning drama, will premiere at 7 p.m. Nov. 23 on Fox. It is the first new material from “24″ producers in nearly two years. Season 7 of “24″ begins in January.
The photo exhibit, which runs through Jan. 11 and is included in the free admission to the Paley Center, offers a rare inside look at the making of the show. The museum quality prints capture candid moments between cast and crew, including Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland, and feature spectacular action sequences and scenic South African locations.
“24: Redemption” catches up with Jack Bauer (Sutherland) in Africa where he is doing missionary work. But he finds himself in the midst of a bloody uprising in which a dictator is drafting children to serve as soldiers. Jack sets out to rescue the children and get them to safety.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Cat Deeley
Oct. 23, 2008 — Catherine Deeley, who hosts “So You Think You Can Dance” on Fox, turns 32 today.
Her first acting role was as a presenter in the British TV series “Stars in Their Eyes Kids.” She was 27.
Best wishes to Cat and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
(Pictured at right: Fox Photo featuring “So You Think You Can Dance” host Cat Deeley)
Oklahoma “Locator”
Enid High School graduate Troy Dunn has the most-watched show in WE tv’s history.
He is “The Locator” and helps family members and friends track down loved ones from their past. WE tv turned his profession into a series, and that first episode on Sept. 6 also ranks as the network’s highest-rated original series premiere.
The first-season finale of “The Locator” will air at 8 p.m. Saturday (Oct. 25) on WE (channel 128 on Dish Network, 260 on Direct TV). And production for a second season is in the works, with the premiere scheduled for Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14, 2009).
Last month, Dunn, 41, visited with The Oklahoman by phone from his home office in Fort Myers, Fla. He had a good feeling about the show and an even better feeling about what he does for a living.
“My belief is that people appreciate family-friendly, real-life programming, and this is something the whole family can sit and experience together,” he said. “Whether it’s on TV or not, it’s not going to slow down what I’m doing. Until my last breath, I will try to reunite someone.”
Since the show’s premiere, viewers have been connecting and finding lost loved ones through the “Locator Talk” feature online at www.wetv.com/thelocator/. The site also features tips from Dunn on how to track down a loved one, casting information and a contest in which the winner will receive Dunn’s expertise to aid in a search.
–Penny TV
