Top 25 Talk Show Topics on TV (Feb. 26-March 4, 2009)
Wednesday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the topics (and all the guests) coming up on TV talk shows.
Here are TV Editor Penny Soldan’s Top 25 picks for shows airing Thursday through Wednesday (Feb. 26-March 4, 2009). For a practically complete list, go to www.newsok.com/tv and click on Talk Shows (located under Resources).
But just like everything else on TV, talk show lineups are subject to change.
TOP TOPICS
••Inexpensive vacations (Feb. 26 on “Today”)
••Getting taxes done for free (Feb. 26 on “Good Morning America”)
••The truth behind the body’s strangest quirks (Feb. 26 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”)
••Mutt dog show (Feb. 26 on “The View”)
••Designer Evette Rios provides tips for turning trash into treasure (Feb. 26 on “Rachael Ray”)
••Properly brining meat (Feb. 26 on “The Martha Stewart Show”)
••Doctors tell how to create a better relationship with one’s own physician (Feb. 26 on “Montel Williams”)
••Mothers seek help dealing with their wild and abusive teenage daughters (Feb. 26 on “Maury”)
••Sexual dry spells brought on by financial hardships (Feb. 26 on “The Doctors”)
••Oprah visits the historic Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Feb. 26 on “Oprah Winfrey”)
••Looking younger (Feb. 27 on “Today”)
••Saving money when planning a wedding (Feb. 27 on “Good Morning America”)
••A woman befriends her husband’s former mistress (Feb. 27 on “The Early Show”)
••Secrets for looking and feeling 10 years younger (Feb. 27 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”)
••A low-carbohydrate pasta fake-out (Feb. 27 on “Rachael Ray”)
••Making night-lights (Feb. 27 on “The Martha Stewart Show”)
••Videos and sound recordings of paranormal occurrences (Feb. 27 on “Maury”)
••A pregnant 15-year-old reveals whether she is keeping the baby or giving it up for adoption (Feb. 27 on “Dr. Phil”)
••A syndrome that puts salon-goers at risk for a stroke (Feb. 27 on “The Doctors”)
••Pet gadgets (Feb. 28 on “Today”)
••Teaching parents to deal with stress and aggression (March 2 on “Today”)
••Digital TV conversion (March 2 on “The View”)
••Teens who live secret lives (March 2 on “The Tyra Banks Show”)
••The anti-aging diet (March 3 on “Today”)
••Saving money with coupons (March 4 on “Today”)
Happy Birthday, Chelsea Handler
Feb. 25, 2009 –Chelsea Joy Handler, who hosts “Chelsea Lately” (10 p.m. weekdays on E!), turns 34 today.
She will play Heather in the upcoming series “In the Motherhood” (premieres March 26 on ABC).
Her first acting role was as Ann in the 2001 TV movie “The Plotters.” She was 26.
Best wishes to Chelsea and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Chelsea Handler arrives at the 33rd Annual American Women in Radio & Television’s Gracie Allen Awards on Wednesday, May 28, 2008, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer).
Join the ‘Wonder Pets’ when they join the circus
Nickelodeon’s popular preschool program “The Wonder Pets!” is coming to primetime.
“The Wonder Pets! Join the Circus!” special will premiere at 7 p.m. Monday, March 9. But preschoolers can join in the fun starting this Wednesday (Feb. 25) at www.NickJr.com.
To complement the premiere, Nick Jr.’s website will feature “The Wonder Pets Join the Circus” game in which youngsters can join the act by spelling out words with seals, getting penguin clowns to the show and helping orangutans perform on the trapeze. The site will also include circus-themed printables, crafts and other activities.
In “Join the Circus!,” it’s summer vacation and the Wonder Pets rescue a young circus lion named Cubby from falling off a circus train. The Penguin Ringmaster is so impressed with the Wonder Pets that he offers them jobs at the circus!
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Debra Jo Rupp
Feb. 24, 2009 – Debra Jo Rupp, who played Kitty Forman on “That ’70s Show” (1998-2006 on Fox), turns 58 today.
She played Edna Winklemeyer on four episodes of “As the World Turns” (2008 on CBS).
Her first acting role was as Helen on the TV series “Spenser: For Hire” (1987 episode titled “Gone Fishin”). She was 36.
Best wishes to Debra Jo and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
‘Amazing Race’ update (Leg 2) — Choctaw’s Christie Volkmer still racing
Christie Volkmer of Choctaw has said that she plans to learn German.
“My husband is German,” she said. “And his family told me there are too many of them and one of me. I do need to learn German.”
She did know enough of the language to help her and teammate Jodi Wincheski of Houston (both pictured above in CBS Photo) stay on “The Amazing Race” one more week.
In Sunday’s episode, she asked Bavarian by-standers “Wo ist?” when they could not locate the wood-cutting machine that would point them to the pit stop.
That bit of “where is” information helped them reach the Leg 2 finish line in ninth place. The 10th team to arrive was eliminated.
Other “Amazing Race 14″ highlights (Feb. 22 on CBS):
••The episode was titled “Your Target Is Your Partner’s Face (Germany).” Christie and Jodi were among the teams who picked the Austrian Folly detour and had to throw pies at each other’s face until they found one with cherry filling. They tossed maybe a dozen pies at each other before Christie tasted cherry on her face.
••Christie accepted the Roadblock challenge to paraglide down a mountain in Schönau am Königsee, Germany. But winds picked up, and rather than waiting for favorable weather conditions, she took a 60-minute hike down the mountain at Jodi’s insistence. Had she waited out the winds (which only one team member did), the scenery would have been better and the flight attendants would have gained some valuable ground in the race.
Next week’s episode (March 1) is titled “I’m Not Wearing That Girl’s Leotard!” and will take the teams to Romania.
–Penny TV
This is worth tuning to ‘TMZ’
Want to know what’s up in Hollywood? Read Tim Henley’s Celebrity Gossip blog (blog.newsok.com/gossip).
For the next two weeks, however, it might be worth everyone’s while to also tune in to “TMZ” (10:30 weeknights on KOKH-25 in Oklahoma City).
Starting today (Feb. 23), the syndicated series that delivers Hollywood’s hottest headlines is hosting a two-week watch-and-win sweepstakes. Daily prize winners will receive Myvu Crystal video glasses worth $300 each. The grand prize winner will get $10,000 in cash and prizes plus a trip for four to Las Vegas.
Simply tune in the TMZ and watch for celebrity answers to the question “who would you most want to sin with?” Then go online to www.TMZ.com and enter the answer to enter the sweepstakes, which ends March 6.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Dakota Fanning
Feb. 23, 2009 – Hannah Dakota Fanning, who played Allie Keys in the TV miniseries “Taken” (2002 on SciFi), turns 15 today.
She will play Cassie Holmes in upcoming movie of “Push.”
Her first acting role was as Delia Chadsey on the TV series “ER” (2000 episode titled “The Fastest Year”). She was 6.
Best wishes to Dakota and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Dakota Fanning poses for a photo at the 40th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/FOX).
Watch ‘Wonderland’
“Wonderland” came to an end eight years ago on ABC, and it’s special run on DirecTV is ending soon, as well.
So don’t miss the second-to-last episode premiering Feb. 25 (9 p.m. on DirectTV’s 101 Nework). It features Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”) and Giancarlo Esposito (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) as guest stars.
“Wonderland,” which delves into the lives of doctors at a fictional New York psychiatric hospital, lasted only two episodes on ABC. DirecTV acquired the show — including six unaired episodes — and began airing the series on Jan. 14.
The series stars a lot of actors who went on to more memorable roles: Ted Levine (”Monk”), Patricia Clarkson (”Vicky Christina Barcelona”), Michelle Forbes (”In Treatment”), Billy Burke (”Fringe”), Dax Griffin (”The Bold and the Beautiful”), Martin Donovan (”Ghost Whisperer”) and Michael Jai White (”The Dark Knight”).
And the series also included a lot of recognizeable guest stars, including Jackson (”Pulp Fiction”) in the upcoming seventh episode titled “Personality Plus.” His character tries to woo an admittance clerk away from her slacker boyfriend. Espositio plays a man with multiple personalities who has kidnapped his diabetic son.
Oklahoma-born Oscar-winning director Ron Howard (”A Beautiful Mind”) was an executive producer for “Wonderland.” That alone is worth giving it a look.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Jeri Ryan
Feb. 22, 2009 – Jeri Lynn Zimmerman, who played Seven of Nine on “Star Trek: Voyager” (1997-2001 UPN), turns 41 today.
She played Jessica Devlin in CBS series “Shark” (2006-08).
Her first acting role was as Pam on the TV series “Who’s the Boss?” (1991 episode titled “The Unsinkable Tony Micelli”). She was 23.
Best wishes to Jeri and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Jeri Ryan from “Shark” arrives for the CBS “Stars Party 2007″ Thursday, July 19, 2007, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Phil McCarten).
Bravo searching for ‘Top Chef”
Aspiring chefs interested in a shot at culinary stardom should consider attending a “Top Chef” casting call.
The show’s producers aren’t coming to Oklahoma City — not yet at least — so plan a road trip to either Atlanta (Feb. 22), New York City (March 1), Philadelphia (March 4), Los Angeles (March 15) or Chicago (email TCCashingChicago@gmail.com for information).
Or here’s an even easier way to audition for the show. Go to www.bravotv.com/casting to download forms and send a 3-minute videotape of your cooking skills to Magical Elves, Top Chef Cycle 6, P.O. Box 13005, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Applications must be submitted by March 20.
Who knows? You could become the first chef-testant from Oklahoma to appear on cable television’s top-rated food show.
“Top Chef” is currently in its fifth season on Bravo (9 p.m. Wednesdays).
–Penny TV
