Happy Birthday, Jeff Goldblum
Oct. 22, 2008 — Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum, who will be joining the cast of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” for Season 8 on USA Network, turns 56 today.
His most recent TV role was as Michael Raines in “Raines” (2007 on NBC).
His first acting role was as Freak #1 in 1974 movie “Death Wish.” He was 22.
Best wishes to Jeffl and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Best wishes from Animal Planet
Check out Animal Planet’s new series “Living With the Wolfman” premiering at 9 p.m. today (Oct. 21). It chronicles the adventures of Shaun, a wolf expert who’s spent the past several years raising a wild pack of wolves in an English wildlife park.
Happy Birthday, Will Estes
Oct. 21, 2008 — William Estes Nipper, who played JJ Pryor on “American Dreams” (2002-2005 on NBC), turns 30 today.
His most recent TV role was as Adam Halder in “Law & Order” (2006 episode titled “America, Inc.”).
His first acting role was as Brandon DeMott Capwell on the TV series “Santa Barbara” (1988). He was 10.
Best wishes to Will and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
ABC’s “50 States in 50 Days” stops in Oklahoma Tuesday
On Sept. 15, ABC News set out to report from every state in the nation during the 50 days leading up to the presidential election.
The network’s journey stops in Muskogee on Tuesday (Oct. 21). The segment, which features an interview with Muskogee mayor John Tyler Hammons, will air on ABC’s “Nightline” (10:35 p.m.).
“Nightline” correspondent John Donvan will visit with Hammons, who is 20 and the mayor of a city of 38,000 people. Hammons, a Republican, will share his thoughts on the presidential election and talk about his own political journey.
Other state visits this week — all being featured on “Nightline” — are Kansas (Monday), Texas (Wednesday), New Mexico (Thursday), Arizona (Friday). Saturday’s edition of “Good Morning America” will include a report from New Jersey and Sunday’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos” will feature a roundtable from Minnesota.
For more coverage of the “50 States in 50 Days” initiative, go to www.abcnews.com/. The site features an interactive map and includes polls on each state, links to individual state pages and behind-the-scenes video and blog posts. Each state page also includes current and historical information, as well as data on how residents of the state voted in previous presidential elections.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Snoop Dogg
Oct. 20, 2008 — Cordozar Calvin Broadus, who played Slim Daddy on two episodes of “The L Word” (2004 on Showtime), turns 37 today.
His most recent TV role is providing the voice of Macktastic on the Cartoon Network animated series “The Boondocks.”
His first acting role was as Smooth in the 1998 movie “Da Game of life.” He was 27.
Best wishes to Snoop and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Have a healthy Halloween
The most boo-tiful night of the year is near, and PBS personality “Sid the Science Kid” wants viewers to think healthy this Halloween.
In three new episodes airing this week (7:30 a.m. on OETA-13), Sid will help kids discover what can happen if you don’t brush your teeth (Oct. 20), eat too many sweets (Oct. 21) or don’t wash your hands (Oct. 22).
And for viewers who can’t think of any healthy Halloween treats to make, check out www.PBSparents.org/. Four fun recipes that kids and parents can make and enjoy together are featured, including Edible Spiders (made with crackers, peanut butter, raisins and pretzels) and Ants on a Log (made with celery sticks, peanut butter and raisins).
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, John Lithgow
Oct. 19, 2008 — John Arthur Lithgow, who played Dr. Dick Solomon on “3rd Rock From the Sun” (1996-2001 on NBC), turns 63 today.
His most recent TV role was as John Mason in the 2006 NBC series “Twenty Good Years” (cancelled after four episodes).
His first acting role was as John in the 1972 movie “Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues.” He was 27.
Best wishes to John and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Oklahoman is “Millionaire” expert
Monday begins “Teacher Week” on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” and Nancy Christy of Tulsa will man the “ask the expert” line.
She’s the perfect person to do so. She is an eighth grade English teacher at George Washington Carver Middle School. And she is the only woman who has won the top prize on the U.S. version of the show.
And even though she no longer needs to work, Christy continues to teach because she loves her job and her students.
Teachers who find themselves in the hot seat on “Millionaire” episodes airing Monday through Friday will be able to connect with Christy through a face-to-face skype video call when they choose the “ask the expert” lifeline. The show airs at noon on KOCB-34 in Oklahoma City and at 4 p.m. on KJRH-2 in Tulsa.
–Penny TV
Photo above, courtesy of Valleycrest Productions Ltd., features Nancy Christy after she answered the $1 million question correctly on the May 8, 2003 episode of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”
Win at home with “The Price Is Right”
The longest-running game show is giving viewers at home a chance to win prizes.
For the next nine weeks, viewers watching “The Price Is Right” at home will be offerend a chance to win prizes three times a week by calling into the show using any phone — no transaction fees involved.
During a given broadcast, viewers will be shown a prize and will be invited to call a toll-free number to play the “Win-At-Home” game. After listening to a 10-second promo for the “Win-At-Home” game prize, callers will hear three different options from which to choose.
Using the phone keypad, callers will be asked to select the one they think is closest to the manufacture’s suggested retail price. Those who guess correctly will be entered into a sweepstakes to win that prize.
After playing the “Win-At-Home” game, all participants will have the opportunity to hear special offers at the end of the call. This option connects participants with select offers that are tailored to meet the audience’s interests based on user-feedback.
For more information on the “Win-At-Home” sweepstakes, go to www.priceisright.com/win-at-home/.
–Penny TV
TV Talk: Oct. 19-25
The Oklahoman’s TV Talk personalities Penny Soldan and Heather Warlick tape a weekly video for Newsok.tv that highlights upcoming TV programs worth watching. (Mel Bracht fills in when Heather is away).
They’re not fast talkers, but just in case you didn’t catch all the information for a show of interest, here is their script for the week of Oct. 19:
P: Hi, I’m Penny Soldan, this is Mel Bracht and this is TV Talk, The Oklahoman’s weekly countdown of the Top 10 programs worth watching — or at least setting the DVR or VCR for.
M: No. 10 are two Food Network shows airing Saturday that feature recipes you might want to make for Halloween. At noon on “Giada at Home,” chef Giada De Laurentiis shares her recipes for Halloween spice cake with orange butter cream.
P: And at 7 p.m. on “Paula’s Party,” chef Paula Deen makes baked pumpkin ziti with fitness guru Richard Simmons, pumpkins cakes with Anna Gasteyer from “Saturday Night Live” and a spicy vampire dip with Kyle Massey from “Cory in the House.”
M: Sharing the No. 9 spot are five new reality shows. Monday on VH1 there’s “Real Chance of Love” at 8 p.m. and “Scream Queens” at 9 p.m. The first one revolves around bachelor brothers Real and Chance who are looking for love. And the latter follows 10 unknown actresses competing for a role in the upcoming movie “Saw 6.”
P: Also on Monday is “Ski Patrol” premiering at 7 p.m. on truTV. It spotlights an elite group of ski patrollers who keep the slopes safe. And on Tuesday, there’s “Living With the Wolfman” at 9 p.m. on Animal Planet” that follows a wolf expert, and “Rookies” at 8 p.m. on A&E that follows a new class of police academy cadets in Tampa, Fla.
M: Tying for No. 8 are two awards shows. “Scream 2008” airing at 8 p.m. Tuesday on SPIKE honors the best in horror, science fiction, fantasy and comics. And the Third Annual BET Hip Hop Awards hosted by Katt Williams air at 7 p.m. Thursday on BET.
P: Two returning series come in at No. 7. The first is “Frank TV” starring impressionist Frank Caliendo, which begins its second season at 10 p.m. Tuesday on TBS. And on Thursday, Season 2 of “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” begins at 9 p.m. on VH1. Celebrity patients joining Dr. Drew Pinsky this season include Sean Stewart from “Sons of Hollywood” and Steven Adler from Guns n Roses.
M: No. 6 is the new special “Jose Canseco: Last Shot” airing at 9 p.m. Monday on A&E. It focuses on Jose Canseco, the Cuban-born baseball player who admitted to using steroids and named other players who did in his 2005 autobiography. Now in his 40s, he’s still taking the drugs and wants to get clean.
P: No. 5 are five guest stars making appearance on five primetime shows. See Nicole Richie at 7 p.m. Monday on NBC’s “Chuck,” Katie Holmes at 9:01 p.m. Tuesday on ABC’s “Eli Stone,” Dan Rather at 9:01 p.m. Wednesday on ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money,” Lindsay Lohan at 7 p.m. Thursday on ABC’s “Ugly Betty” and Henry Winkler ay 9 p.m. Friday on CBS’s “NUMB3RS.”
M: No. 4 is “Rita Rocks,” a new sitcom premiering at 7:30 p.m. Monday on Lifetime. Nicole Sullivan from ‘‘MADtv” stars as the title character who forms a garage band. Oklahoma City-born actress Tisha Campbell-Martin from ‘‘My Wife and Kids” co-stars.
P: The new Hallmark Channel original movie “Generation Gap” is No. 3. It premieres at 8 p.m. Saturday and stars Ed Asner as a war veteran taking care of his rebellious grandson for the summer. Oklahoma native Rue McClanahan plays a waitress who pursues Asner’s character.
M: No. 2 is “Storm Chasers” which begins its second season at 9 p.m Sunday on Discovery. OU grad Reed Timmer joins the chase this season, which was filmed in and around Oklahoma during April, May and June.
P: And No. 1, if you don’t count Saturday’s college football games pitting the OU Sooners against Kansas State at 11:30 a.m. on FSNSW and the OSU Cowboys against Texas at 2:30 p.m. on ABC, is “Stylista.”
M: “Stylista,” which is featured on the Sunday Oklahoman’s TV Week cover, is a new reality series premiering at 8 p.m. Wednesday on The CW. Eleven aspiring fashion enthusiasts will carry out various tasks and editorial assignments each week, with the winner receiving a junior editor position at Elle magazine.
P: That’s a wrap for this week. For even more TV choices, consult TV Week in Sunday’s Oklahoman or go online to newsok.com/tv. For TV Talk, I’m Penny, this is Mel, thanks for your time.
