Posts Tagged ‘ABC’

The Unusuals: a double dose!

April 21st, 2009

Most actors have to do a little research when they’re playing a character suffering from a brain tumor.

Not The Unusuals’ Adam Goldberg.

“Years ago, I was convinced I had a brain tumor, so that’s helped. I even had an MRI,” he told the TV Fanatic over a laid-back lunch in Seppi’s at the hotel Le Parker Meridien New York.

The experience has come in handy.

Adam was able to offer technical assistance when his alter ego, Detective Eric Delahoy – who is dealing with the grim cerebral discovery  – goes in for a scan in an upcoming episode.

“It’s easy to relate to the notion of confronting your mortality. I’ve been confronting the demon of that since I was a kid,” Adam shared.

The Entourage alum could also be speaking of the mortality of The Unusuals, one of ABC’s midseason replacements. The network has yet to announce its future fate.

But things are looking up for the new cop dramedy. This week, the series will broadcast two new episodes, starting tonight.

The first will air after Dancing with the Stars’ elimination round, followed by one on Wednesday in the series normal time slot.

While Adam’s taking his hiatus to work on personal projects – he’s dropping an album, Eros and Omissions, on June 23 – he has no problem returning to cast if the show does get picked up for another season.

“It’s a laid back, unpretentious, funny group of people,” he says.

“I don’t have a negative thing to say about anybody, except maybe for Amber Tamblyn.”

Wha??? Is there a little on set war brewing?

Not really.

“She promised to take one of my dogs home early to help me when she went back to Los Angeles and then reneged on that,” Adam declared.

“I’ve been meaning to get her back publicly. I now I feel I have achieved it,” he joked.

Happy we could oblige.

The Unusuals airs Tues., April 21 at 10 p.m., and Wed., April 22 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

Harold Perrineau: From Lost to Unusual

April 8th, 2009

Harold Perrineau is no longer Lost.  

The actor has moved on to a new show, The Unusuals, premiering tonight.

My Los Angeles counterpart, OK!’s Carole Glines, caught up with Harold backstage at the live broadcast of Dancing with the Stars, where he talked about his new series.

“I play detective Leo Banks, who just turned 42, and all the men in his family died at 42, so he’s a little nervous about his own fate.

“He takes extra precautions with everything he does—flame retardant clothes, anti-bacterial [stuff], bullet proof vest—just to be sure,” Harold laughed.

The star revealed that his partner, played by Adam Goldberg, is just as odd because he has a brain tumor.  

“He hasn’t told anybody and he’s trying to find a really great way to die in the line of duty,” Harold explains.

Well known for his Lost stint, Harold compared the two shows for us.

“The only stranger island than the island of Manhattan is the one on Lost,” he declares.

“We’re still in some crazy places, but maybe not as crazy as that. We’re having a good time and it’s not as desperate.”

The 45-year-old actor said while his character feels like he lives on borrowed time, there are things he’d also like to accomplish in real life.  

“All the things I want to do I’d better do in the next 15 or 20 years before I run out of energy.”

Harold said he recently achieved one goal by adding to his family with wife Brittany.  

The couple, who are already raising daughter Aurora, 13, had another daughter, Wynter, last year.   

“We have a new princess,” he said of Wynter, who turns one in May.

In addition to that, he wants to “get a black belt in martial arts.  I’m studying Brazilian jujitsu.”    

Would probably come in handy on either island!?

The Unusuals premieres Wednesday, April 8 at 10 p.m. on ABC.

BOB SAGET: Back in Action!

March 30th, 2009

Bob Saget is returning to ABC on a new sitcom, Surviving Suburbia.

Yep, he plays a dad, again. Yes he has kids, again.

But don’t expect a Danny Tanner sentimental life lesson in this raunchy peek inside life on Main Street, USA.

Bob plays Steve Patterson, a man married for 20 years who has a love/hate relationship with his neighborhood.

“He loves everybody, but he just doesn’t want to get that involved,” Bob explains.

Such as?

“Don’t borrow the neighbors’ keys to take in the mail because suddenly you’re house-sitting. So it will come back to bite you in the ass,” Bob says with a laugh.

Luckily (though not so much for his neighbors), Steve’s the type of guy who lets you know how he’s really feeling.

“It’s really wicked some of the things Steve says,” Bob reveals. “But he says the things other people are thinking.”

And then there’s Steve’s favorite wardrobe staple.

“He walks around the neighborhood in flip-flops,” Bob says with a laugh.

Steve’s also the kind of guy who takes his daughter to Indian Princess play dates, so he can sit around and drink with the other dads.

“He’s does have a bit of a drinking issue on the show,” Bob says. “We’ll get into dealing with his vices.”

And don’t even ask about Steve’s profession.

 

"You never find out what he does for a living, which I love,” Bob reveals. “It’s financial stuff, but he’s like Michael Corleone—we never talk about his business.”

Bob doesn’t have to go far to be inspired for his new gig. He just taps into a slice of his own real life.

“I was taking my youngest daughter to school this morning and the pool broke,” says the single dad of three. “And then we had a security issue in the neighborhood. Life imitates art all around.”

Still, Bob feels that his former Full House audience will connect with his new series.

“They’re older now, and it’s a domestic sitcom with a 2009 feel to it. There’s financial troubles, and when we play the game of Life it turns into an argument.”

Yep, that definitely happens in the suburbs!

Surviving Suburbia premieres Monday, April 6 at 9:30 p.m. on ABC.

ABC to Bench Ugly Betty?

January 26th, 2009

ABC has just announced that it is taking Ugly Betty off its Thursday night lineup beginning March 26 and replacing it instead with episodes of Samantha Who? and Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines‘ comedy In the Motherhood, according to EW.com.

"Ugly Betty will return to Thursday nights at 8 p.m. following the run of In the Motherhood and Samantha Who?," the network release said on Monday.

While Betty has slipped somewhat in the ratings, it still remains one of ABC’s signature shows.

"The Thursday night block is a good opportunity to launch these comedies," an ABC spokesman says. "Betty is a solid performer and there is no question that it will definitely be back to complete its season, just without repeats."

The network is not saying when the show will return.

From Daytime Diva to Senator?

January 26th, 2009

If Oprah Winfrey were a United States senator, do you think the whole country would receive her favorite things?

 

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, at the center of an alleged plot to sell President Barack Obama’s open senate position, admitted to ABC’s Good Morning America that it had crossed his mind to offer the spot to the daytime diva.

 

"She seemed to be someone who had helped Barack Obama in a significant way become president," Blagojevich revealed. "She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators."

 

Although it seems everybody likes Oprah, Blagojevich says he decided against asking Oprah to serve in the senate for Illinois. 

 
"She probably wouldn’t take it," the governor explained, "And then … if you offered it to her, how would you do it in a way it didn’t look like it was some gimmick and embarrass her?"

 

Don’t get out your "Oprah Winfrey for U.S. Senate 2010" signs just yet, however – the queen of all talk shows says she was never contacted by the Illinois governor.

 

If she had been watching GMA when Blagojevich revealed his Oprah aspirations, she says, "I would have fallen off the treadmill."
 

Patrick Dempsey: I Don’t Know What Happened

November 12th, 2008

After producers issued a “do not resuscitate” order for Brooke Smith — whose character, Erica Hahn, was involved in a same-sex relationship with Sara Ramirez’s Dr. Callie Torres — fans are fearing that an ailing Grey’s Anatomy is going into shock.

Brooke’s Erica made her last appearance in a Nov. 6 episode before admitting she was “floored” by the abrupt termination of her contract. The 41-year-old’s co-stars are equally shocked.

 

“I don’t know what happened,” Patrick Dempsey admitted on a Nov. 5 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Dr. McDreamy showed Ellen a statement provided by ABC about Brooke’s exit.

 

“The conclusion has been an orgasmic… I’m sorry, organic ending to the story line,” he deadpanned.

 

On Nov. 11, Isaiah Washington, who was axed from the show for using an anti-gay slur, weighed in, “For [Brooke] to be treated this way, I find very interesting.” But Grey’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, explained. “We did not find that the magic and chemistry with Brooke’s character would sustain in the long run.”

 

This isn’t the first drama to rock Seattle Grace. Movie star Katherine Heigl, who plays Dr. Isobel “Izzie” Stevens, is rumored to want out, although sources close to the show deny reports of trouble.

 

Meanwhile, an insider tells OK! that 26-year-old Chyler Leigh is being groomed to replace her onscreen sister, Ellen Pompeo, 39. Ellen’s reps, however, assure OK! that “Ellen is contractually obligated to the show for seven seasons.”

TV HUNK Discovered: Grant Bowler

November 6th, 2008

On Ugly Betty, Meade Publications has a new employee, CFO Connor Owens. CFO definitely stands for cute financier, oh yeah!
 
Knowing this is a character I could seriously invest in, I called up Grant Bowler, who plays Connor, to find out his statistics. Grant revealed that Connor’s alliance with Daniel is going to go south, fast.
 
"He kind of dumps that agreement with Daniel and lets it be known he’s not going to be a stooge for him," Grant reveals. "Connor’s playing for his own team and pretty much making his own decisions."
 
That includes getting into bed with Wilhelmina, literally.
 
"There’s kind of a budding relationship between them," Grant reveals. "And it gets hotter and hotter. You could say the water’s done, and you can throw the vegetables in.
 
Well, Wilhelmina did say she likes to get her needs met!
 
The Australian transplant is having a blast working with his co-star Vanessa Williams.
 
"She’s been fantastic," he says. "We had full day of shooting scenes in a hotel room and I laughed all day. It’s a great way to spend a day at work."
 
With Ugly Betty now being shot in the Big Apple, Grant is taking full advantage of his surroundings when he’s not working.
 
"New York’s changed so much since last time I was here," he says.  "I’ve visited the Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Zoo, lovely Park Slope and Brooklyn. And Alphabet City is a much nicer place to go for a drink at night."
 
But does Grant miss anything about his native Australian homeland? "At the moment, the temperature," he exclaims. "It’s coming into the summer now. So when I phone home, everybody is telling me about having just coming from the beach."
 
Thank goodness Connor has Wilhelmina to keep him warm.
 
And if she doesn’t work out, I also happen to reside in the Big Apple!
 
Catch Ugly Betty, Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Miley & Billy Ray to Present at CMAs

November 3rd, 2008

Country’s biggest stars are already onboard for the 42nd Annual CMA Awards on Nov. 12, and now the star-studded roll call has gotten a little bit sparklier –father-daughter superstars Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus will also be presenting an award together.

 

CLICK HERE for OK!’s Miley Mega gallery!

 

The superstar singers join presenters like Taylor Swift, Lee Ann Womack, Darius Rucker and Heidi Newfield and performers like Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and Kenny Chesney. Carrie and Brad are also co-hosting the live awards on ABC. 

 

"The CMA Awards showcases the depth of our format to the entire nation," said Tammy Genovese, CMA chief executive officer. "These performers and presenters are all unique artists who come together under the banner of Country Music."

Christina Applegate: I Avoided Hugs

October 10th, 2008

In order to keep her breast cancer diagnosis a secret, Christina Applegate says she told those in her inner circle to shield her from contact for weeks.

 

"I told my make-up and hair people and people that are really close to me just so I had a protection wall so that no one was pushing me," Christina told Ellen DeGeneres on her show today.

 

While she returned to the set for weeks after her double-mastectomy, Christina, who revealed her diagnosis in August, hid her cancer from others and was reluctant to hug people.

 

"But now I’m good. I’ll grab you," she told Ellen.

 

"I’m going to hug you a bunch during this commercial break," responded the daytime host.

 

The Samantha Who? star says she’s feeling better now, and is cancer-free. She was nominated for an Emmy this year for her starring role on the show, and won an Emmy in the past for a guest role on Friends.

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