“Live With Regis and Kelly” heading to Prince Edward Island, Canada
Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa of "Live With Regis and Kelly" - AP Photo
“Live With Regis and Kelly” is traveling to Prince Edward Island for episodes airing July 12-15 this summer.
Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa will host their show in Confederation Landing Park in Charlottetown, the capital city of Prince Edward Island, according to a press release.
Viewers will be able to join Philbin and Ripa as they explore the island and its history, food and culture.
“Prince Edward Island is one of the most unique destinations in Canada, and it’s a great opportunity for us to be able to broadcast from the province. Charlottetown will provide an extraordinary backdrop for the shows, and we’re really looking forward to showing our viewers the island’s special qualities,” “Live With Regis and Kelly” executive produer Michael Gelman said in a press release.
Prince Edward Island is located on the east coast of Canada. The island is Canada’s smallest and greenest province. It is famous for red sand beaches, potatoes and “Anne of Green Gables.”
“Live With Regis and Kelly” airs Monday-Friday at 9 a.m. on Channel 9 on DirectTV, Dish Network and U-verse, and Channel 10 on Cox.
Hallmark Channel movie “Freshman Father” has bit of a different twist
Drew Seeley stars in the Hallmark Channel movie "Freshman Father." - Photo by Katie Yu/2009 Crown Media
The Hallmark Channel movie “Freshman Father” is a story about a young couple who have a baby as the husband, John Patton, (Drew Seeley) is beginning college at Harvard.
Both John and his wife Kathy (Britt Irvin, “V”) love each other and want to do the right thing, even though they keep getting told how hard it’s going to be.
The situation does end up being difficult, of course, and things don’t end up as planned.
Seeley gives a sound performance. He has guest-starred on shows such as “One Tree Hill” and “Dawson’s Creek,” and is a musician as well, co-writing the Emmy-nominated “Getcha Head in the Game” for Disney’s “High School Musical” soundtrack, and recording and touring.
Annie Potts (“Designing Women”) co-stars in a role as John’s “mom-away-from-home” and is solid as always.
I like that this is a little different version of a common plot line and it’s an overall enjoyable movie.
“Freshman Father” airs June 5 at 8 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel.
– Melissa Hayer
Drew Seeley and Annie Potts of the Hallmark Channel movie "Freshman Father" - Photo by Katie Yu/2009 Crown Media
Paula Abdul to lead upcoming CBS reality competition series “Got to Dance”
Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul has been named executive producer, creative partner and lead judge of “Got to Dance” (working title), which will be a new reality competition series on CBS, according to a press release.
“Got to Dance” is derived from the British hit that premiered earlier this year. It is one of the UK’s top-rated pay TV series this season.
Amateur dancers from any age group from across the nation (either performing solo or in a group) can audition with any form of dancing from ballroom to ballet to tango.
The most talented and entertaining dancers will be invited to audition for Abdul and her fellow judges, all world-class dancers themselves. The very best of the contestants will perform live in the semifinals and finals for the right to become the “Got to Dance” champion.
“I’ve spent the better part of my life teaching, mentoring, nurturing—working with so many talented people—and I consider myself truly blessed to be able to continue to do something that I hold so dear to my heart. I am thrilled to be creative partners with Reveille, Shine, and CBS and to present the best new dance talent to American audiences. Each and every week we’ll showcase the challenges and successes of a fantastic group of dancers, as they perform and compete—compelling stories, exciting competition and amazing dance performances are guaranteed,” Abdul said in a press release.
“True Blood” begins third season June 13
"True Blood's" Joe Manganiello and Anna Paquin - Photo by John P. Johnson/HBO
“True Blood” will start its third season June 13 at 8 p.m. on HBO.
Sookie (Anna Paquin) begins her search for Bill (Stephen Moyer), who was abducted right after proposing to her in last season’s cliff-hanger finale.
Season 3 plot lines involve Sookie looking to Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) for help to find Bill and Sam (Sam Trammell) getting in touch with his past. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) will get distracted from taking police exams and Tara (Rutina Wesley) will get charmed by a shady vampire, Franklin Mott (James Frain), according to a press release.
Other new cast members this season include Tulsa native Alfre Woodard as Lafayette’s (Nelsan Ellis) mother Ruby Jean Reynolds, Joe Manganiello will play Alcide, a werewolf bodyguard assigned by Eric to protect Sookie and Marshall Allman will portray Sam’s long-lost brother Tommy Mickens.
All of this appears to be just the tip of the iceberg for the upcoming season of “True Blood” – and if Season 3 is anything like the first two seasons, I’m sure it is.
– Melissa Hayer
Sam Trammell and Marshall Allman of "True Blood" - Photo by John P. Johnson/HBO
“America’s Got Talent,” “Last Comic Standing” and “Persons Unknown” among NBC’s summer offerings
From left: Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, Nick Cannon and Howie Mandel of "America's Got Talent." - NBC Photo
A sampling of the upcoming shows highlighted in NBC’s summer lineup, according to a press release, include:
“America’s Got Talent” will be back June 1 at 7 p.m. featuring celebrity judges Sharon Osbourne, Piers Morgan and newcomer Howie Mandel. Nick Cannon continues to host this variety competition series.
“Last Comic Standing” returns June 7 with a two-hour episode at 7 p.m on NBC. The new host of the show is Craig Robinson and judges are Andy Kindler, Natasha Leggero and Greg Giraldo. This will be the seventh season for the series searching for America’s funniest comic.
For a little something different, “Persons Unknown” is a mini-series beginning June 7 at 9 p.m. The story line involves seven strangers being abducted and waking up in an abandoned town. Quickly they discover that cameras are watching them and whoever has taken them has gone to extreme measures to keep them from leaving. The plot thickens after a dinner at a Chinese restaurant when a character’s fortune reads, “Kill your neighbor and you’ll go free.” Daisy Betts (“Shutter”), Alan Ruck (“Spin City”) and Jason Wiles (“Third Watch”) are among the stars.
(Clockwise, l-r) Alan Ruck, Kate Lang Johnson, Chadwick Boseman, Sean O'Bryan, Tina Holmes, Jason Wiles and Daisy Betts of "Persons Unknown" - NBC Photo
Daris George talks ‘The Biggest Loser’
Daris George
Daris George of Ardmore may not have been “The Biggest Loser” in Tuesday night’s finale of the TV show, but he’s definitely a big winner. Dropping 168 pounds, Daris started the show weighing 346 pounds and ended it weighing 178 pounds.
Contestants Michael Ventrella and Ashley Johnston won their spots as the top two finalists, but the viewers had to vote for either George or Koli Palu as the third finalist. George was chosen by America’s votes, but was beaten in the finale by Ventrella, who went from weighing 526 pounds to 264 pounds.
While his weight loss was a hugely important goal for George, he said in a phone interview with The Oklahoman that he is most proud of playing the game with integrity.
“I was there for a purpose and I was there to try to get to the end, but it was way more important to make me proud, make my family proud and, you know, everyone that knows me,” George said. “I didn’t ever want someone to say ‘I can’t believe you did that.’”
Getting a girlfriend was also a big priority for George, and another goal he met during the show.
At the finale, host Alison Sweeney pointed out George’s new girlfriend, Heather, who was in the studio audience. When asked about her, George played it cool, keeping his response simple.
“I knew of her before but her sister introduced us. We’ve been together a little over five weeks, just having a good time,” George said.
But making his way through “The Biggest Loser Couples” competition, ending up with a new body, a new girlfriend and his integrity intact wasn’t always easy, George said. Being isolated at “The Biggest Loser” ranch was tough.
“It gets to you every once in a while,” George said. He had very little contact with family and friends, so it was the occasional letters from home that helped him through the experience.
“I knew there were just so many people who believed in me. It made it all worth while.”
The stress of maintaining his new eating and exercising habits became a problem when George went home for 30 days before the episode before the show’s finale. He admitted that late night eating binges caused him to gain two pounds at episode’s weigh in.
“It was all about just figuring out what made me do that,” he said. “One thing, I was stressing out about stuff. I would come home and just let myself eat. I also figured out, too, that if you eat dinner at 5:30 at night and you stay up until three in the morning, you’re going 10 hours without eating and you’re going to want something to eat. It’s all about time management and realizing what’s making me hungry like that.”
What was he doing up so late?
“You know, out searching for that girlfriend… and putting in time trying to see all my friends,” he said.
George’s mother, Cheryl George, was his partner during the show. She started at 227 pounds and lost 76 pounds by the finale.
“My mom just walks around smiling all the time. It’s hilarious. I’ve never seen her so happy in my life,” Daris George said.
And what about the romance between contestants Stephanie Anderson and Sam Poueu?
“They were dating from like the third week we were on the show,” George said, laughing. “They just, you know, kind of kept it secret because they didn’t want to just throw it out there if something doesn’t happen with it. They were always snuggled up next to each other…. a pretty good little couple.”
George said of all the other contestants on the show, he’d probably miss Ashley Johnston the most.
“We’re very similar personalities. We just kind of went with the flow,” George said. “We tried not to let everything stress us out. We just went with it and realized that we had a goal and we were going to work out and there was going to be tough times but you know what? There’s tough times everywhere. Just take a deep breath and going.”
What’s next for George? He plans to go back to college. He attended Oklahoma State University and studied mechanical engineering before the show but thinks he might change his focus to something more health and fitness related.
And to keep him motivated to exercise and eat right, he signed up for the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island, in July.
“Dancing With the Stars”: Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough take the Season 10 trophy
Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough on "Dancing With the Stars" - ABC Photo
Like the judges expressed tonight, this has been the fiercest finals competition on “Dancing With the Stars,” certainly since the last few years that I’ve been watching.
All three finalists are fantastic dancers. Overall, I think Nicole Scherzinger and her partner Derek Hough have consistently been the best and deserve the trophy.
Evan Lysacek and Anna Trebunskaya have had some pretty strong dances but at times they’ve seemed to be missing something.
My heart was with Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, though. They danced with a special chemistry and Erin really improved from the beginning of this round of “Dancing With the Stars.”
It’s too bad they all couldn’t win the mirror ball trophy, but good for all of us fans to get to see so many sublime performances.
Congratulations Derek and Nicole!
– Melissa Hayer
Erin Andrews and Maksim Chmerkovskiy on "Dancing With the Stars" - ABC Photo
‘The Biggest Loser’ not Oklahoma’s Daris
THE BIGGEST LOSER -- "Season 9 Finale" Episode 919 -- Pictured: Daris George
Koli Palu, Daris George and Alison Sweeney on 'The Biggest Loser' finale
Daris George, Ardmore’s contender for this season’s Biggest Loser made it to the final three… but didn’t lose quite enough weight to win the title of “The Biggest Loser.”
Michael Ventrella ended up winning the big prize.
Koli Palu won the “At Home” prize of $100,000 and if America had chosen him instead of Daris, he would have been the big winner. He started out weighing 403. He weighed in at 188 for a total loss of 215 pounds or 52.55 percent. Nobody lost a higher percentage of weight than Koli.
Daris was the first of the final three to weigh in for the finale. He started out at 346 pounds and weighed in at 178– for a total weight loss of 168 pounds or 48.55 percent.
It looked like Ashley Johnston might be the big winner when she stepped on the scale. She started out at 374 and weighed in at 191 for a total loss of 183 pounds or 48.93 percent.
Then Michael stepped up. He started out at 526 pounds. He needed to lose 257 to beat Ashley and weighed in at 264 for a total loss of 262 pounds or 50.19 percent.
So, Michael won the title of “The Biggest Loser.”
Daris, we still love you and are super proud of you! You look amazing and have been an inspiration to watch.
Congratulations, Michael!
I’ll be talking with Daris tomorrow so check back for another post with a story about Daris’ journey on “The Biggest Loser.”
‘The Bachelorette’ Ali gets dealt a lousy hand
Did you watch “The Bachelorette” last night?
Ali Fedotowsky, the girl who chose her job over Jake last season is the new Bachelorette. She quit her job and gave up her apartment to find true love on the show. And was does she get greeted with? The biggest group of dweebs ever. OK, that’s just my opinion. I know plenty of you probably disagree but let me just say that Jillian, from season-before-last, had a ton of really quality guys to choose from.
Poor Ali has a bunch of clowns with maybe three or four decent options sprinkled in.
Not to mention Ali’s hair. What used to be pretty, soft, shiny and healthy blond hair is now stringy, too-long, yellow, dry and frizzy extensions. Why was that necessary? I was somewhat distracted by the hair the whole two-hour show.
And, pretty much the highlight of the evening’s entertainment, “Shooter” explaining how he got the nickname.
TMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What made him think that it was appropriate to talk about his prematurity (’nuff said?) within the first five minutes of talking to a girl? What an idiot!
Then there’s “Rated R,” the professional wrestler. He actually seemed sweet but nobody, including Ali, could seem to get over the fact that he’s a professional wrestler. He pulled the super cheesy superhero move of pulling open his button up shirt to reveal his spandex “Rated R” leotard underneath.
Sorry, Ali, you really should have stuck it out with Jake. Now, you’ve quit your job, lost your home for the likes of “Shooter” and “Rated R.”
There, I got it off my chest. If you disagree, sorry. I’m sure I’m overreacting but I truly think Ali has been dealt a lousy hand.
Anyway, moving on.
Here are some great descriptions of the guys, courtesy of the Los Angeles Times:
First, we’ll talk about the notable men:
Frank: He’s got that Seth Cohen cute-geek thing going on, and it works for him. That said, he’s definitely trying really hard. Climbing out through the sunroof of the limo? Declaring “We’re getting married!” in his intro video? This one may be coming on a little strong. Still, we found him endearing, if a little bit overwhelming. Also, he lives with his parents … while he chases his dream of being a screenwriter. Maybe it’s the L.A. cynic in me, but I think this dude needs a real job and a reality check. Rose status: YES.
Jay: He’s a lawyer from a whole family of lawyers, and he says “the family that sues together stays together.” I definitely hate him already. Luckily … Ali doesn’t dig him either. Rose status: NO.
Phil: I love Phil! He discusses the tragic death of his 22-year-old brother and how it inspired him to … do a reality TV show. OK, maybe it’s cheesy, but he’s really good-looking, so I forgive him. He kind of looks like Jake Pavelka, minus the spray-tan and the nervous laughter. Unfortunately, he fails to make an impression on Ali. (Really, Ali?) Rose status: NO.
Craig M: Remember that striped chewing gum from when you were a kid? It had all these colored zebra-stripes, and you could use the wrapper as a temporary tattoo? This guy was wearing that gum as a tie. He also had a hot-pink pocket square and his hair added four inches to his height. Hopefully this guy won’t last long, because he gives me the uh-oh feeling. Rose status: YES.
Kyle: When a guy’s occupation is listed as “outdoorsman,” alarm bells should ring. This man’s house in Colorado is full of things he’s killed. He goes ice fishing for fun. We’re not sure he’s entirely evolved, but he definitely has the hunting-and-gathering thing down. It’s like they stuck the GEICO caveman in a goldenrod shirt and a salmon tie. Rose status: NO.
Rated R: Rated R’s real name is Justin, but we’re definitely going to refer to him only as Rated R from here on out. Rated R is a professional “entertainment wrestler,” and the closest thing to a guido you can find in Toronto. He fake-wrestles, but he’s got a real broken ankle. The rest of the guys hate him. They call him “Rated Bad” and “Rated Dishonest” because they’re Rated Original. Rose status: YES.
Chris L: Chris is a New York City math teacher who moved back to Cape Cod to take care of his mother in the last year and a half of her life. He still lives on the Cape with his dad, and this is one case in which we can forgive a guy for living with the parents. He’s just so hot. And he has dogs. And he lives on the Cape! We also liked that he avoided discussing his mother’s death on his first date with Ali. The sob story can wait until Episode 2. Rose status: YES.
Kirk: Kirk is a sales consultant from Wisconsin. He’s also the first guy who whips out an inappropriate gift. (There’s always that one person. On “The Bachelor,” it was the girl with the letter about her no-kissing rule.) His is a scrapbook with photos of himself and his family. Dude, she doesn’t even know you yet. Why do you think she wants a picture of your mom? Rose status: YES.
Hunter: Hunter is a short guy who makes up for his lack of height with … ukulele skills. Oh, dear. It doesn’t help that his first meeting with Ali involved him darting inside to pee. Rose status: YES.
Shooter: We think this guy’s real name is Derrick, but we’re going to stick with Shooter. That’s a nickname given to him in college for, uh … being a little premature. This is a story he shared with Ali on their first date. Hint to men everywhere: Don’t do that. Rose status: NO.
Jonathan: Jonathan is a weatherman. Or a weather boy. He looks 12-years-old, and he talks way too much. He had to get dating advice from Craig M. after they sat with Ali, and when you’re getting advice from a guy whose tie is made of gum, you have a problem. Rose status: YES. (The producers must have made her do this. There’s no way Ali would ever see herself with this guy.)
Craig R: Craig is a lawyer from Philadelphia. We don’t know much about him yet, but he reminds me of Toby Flenderson from “The Office.” I always liked Toby … but I wouldn’t want to make out with him in a hot tub. Rose status: YES.
Kasey: While we watched, my friends and I couldn’t help but comment when Kasey started talking about how he planned to guard Ali’s heart, and for once, our comments weren’t about the drivel he was actually saying, but about how he was saying it. “He needs to clear his throat!” “He sounds like a Muppet!” “He forgot to take out his retainer!” He followed that up with an over-share about his parents’ divorce, and judging from the preview of the rest of the season, he’s about three roses away from going totally restraining-order bananas. I can’t wait. Rose status: YES
Roberto: Ooh. First date and he’s already whispering sweet nothings in Spanish and teaching her to salsa dance. This guy is good … or at least, he was, until he used the term “supa-fly” to describe Ali. Rose status: YES, with the first impression rose!
Jesse: OK, Jesse’s super cute. He’s really close with his older sister, and he brought Ali a heart necklace that he made with a jigsaw. But he’s only 24. Are we sure he didn’t find that jigsaw in his fourth-period shop class? Rose status: YES.
Ty: During his intro video, Ty appeared with an adorable dog. Then he whipped out his guitar. If he coaches a Little League team of underprivileged kids, he’s just hit the girl-magnet trifecta. Of course, he’s divorced, which means he’s got some serious baggage. Rose status: YES.
And now, the less notable. In addition to the winners listed above, Ali gave a rose to Tyler V, Steven, Chris N, Chris H, and John C. There were also a host of extremely boring guys that got sent home, but I’ll spare you the random names.
“Glee” picked up for third season
From left: Rachel (Lea Michele) shares some news with Will (Matthew Morrison) and the glee club in the "Theatricality" episode of "Glee" airing tonight, May 25, at 8 p.m. - Fox Photo
Though its first season isn’t even over yet, “Glee” has been renewed by Fox through a third season.
“In just one year, “Glee”has transcended the television landscape and emerged as a global pop culture phenomenon. We are incredibly proud to have talent like Ryan Murphy and the “Glee” cast in our Fox family, and we can’t wait to see where Ryan takes the show in Seasons Two and Three,” Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment, Fox Networks Group said in a Fox press release.
“Glee’s” episode tonight, airing at 8 p.m on Fox, features the music of Lady Gaga and a plot line involving Rachel having a life-changing encounter and Tina embracing her inner goth. Broadway’s Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff are guest stars.
The first season finale of “Glee” will be June 8 at 7:59 p.m on Fox.
