Madonna to Set Things Straight on Oprah
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Daytime, Talk Shows, Syndication, News, Rumors,
If you’re having trouble keeping up with all of the latest happenings of Madonna’s recent adoption of 13-month-old David Banda, look no further than Oprah to clear things up. Things were going swimmingly with her and hubby Guy Ritchie’s recent adoption process. In fact, many child rights groups were saying that things were going too easily for the couple—and too quickly. Madonna was able to gain custody of the child easily and even have him come to live with them in England. Typically, Malawian laws do not allow international adoptions or require the parents to live in the country for up to one year for evaluation. Then, the boys’ father spoke out, saying that he didn’t really understand the permanency of an adoption. He told the Associated Press on Sunday, “If we were told she wants to take the baby as her own, we would not have consented, because I see no reason why I should give up my son.”
So, where does the adoption stand and what is all of the controversy about? Madonna will be shedding light on the details during an upcoming interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show will air on Wednesday.
Read More 
| E! Online
Gallery: Madonna to Set Things Straight on Oprah
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Mel Gibson Calls DUI Arrest ‘A Blessing’
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Daytime, Talk Shows, ABC, News,
Apparently it was the wake-up call that Mel Gibson needed to get sober. Too bad it was also a huge image-breaker and public humiliation. I’m speaking, of course, about his DUI arrest in July, complete with anti-Semitic comments. He’s finally come forward in an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America to talk about the incident and the subsequent fallout. In the first part of the interview, which aired this morning, Gibson called his arrest “a blessing,” saying that he needed “public humiliation on a global scale” to get sober. Commenting on the incident and his alcoholism, Gibson said, “Sometimes you need a cold bucket of water in the face to sort of snap to, because you’re dealing with a sort of malady of the soul, an obsession of the mind and a physical allergy.” Jewish leaders, addiction experts and PR gurus believe that he still has a way to go on rebuilding his reputation, with many saying that he is hiding behind alcoholism and not taking full credit for the incident.
The second part of the interview will air on Friday morning on Good Morning America.
Read More | Access Hollywood
Gallery: Mel Gibson Calls DUI Arrest ‘A Blessing’
Weighing in on Megan Mullally and Rachael Ray
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Daytime, Talk Shows, Syndication,
Well, now that I’ve caught a bit of both Megan Mullally’s and Rachael Ray’s new daytime offerings, it’s time to weigh in. I have always enjoyed Mullally’s character on Will & Grace and find her very entertaining when she’s on other talk shows. So, she definitely has a likability-factor. She’s quirky and fun, nice but not too nice, and has a lot of energy. Overall, I found her to be delightful (at the risk of sounding old-fashioned), but I do think she has to find her groove. There were a couple of moments on today’s show with guest Eva Mendes, where I found she could have interjected more into the conversation. Her interview with Jenny McCarthy yesterday was fun though, and I find her show opening to be interesting enough.
Rachael Ray also has a lot of energy—and perhaps too much! I’m wondering if they will tell her to scale back the intensity because she is over the top with enthusiasm. I do watch her Food Network 30 Minute Meals because I enjoy cooking, but have never been able to stomach her other shows on the Food Network. With her new talk show, it’s almost unwatchable—perhaps because of her mile-a-minute chatter or just the fact that she is so completely overexposed. Food TV shows, cookbooks, magazine, daytime talk, guest appearances… just too much of Ray for my tastes! The Hollywood Reporter is even calling her show “potentially annoying.”
Read More | Yahoo! News
Gallery: Weighing in on Megan Mullally and Rachael Ray
The Week Ahead in TV
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Action, Comedy, Daytime, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, ABC, CBS, NBC, The CW, America’s Next Top Model, Desperate Housewives, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, My Name Is Earl, Oprah Winfrey Show, Saturday Night Live, The Office,
After a few weeks of sporadic debuts, we can all now breathe a sigh of relief. You now have a reason to be sitting on your couch every night because the TV onslaught has officially arrived! Here are the highlights for this week:
MONDAY
Oprah, Rachel Ray and The Megan Mullally Show (various)
Wife Swap (8pm on ABC)
Deal or No Deal (8pm on NBC)
The Class (8pm on CBS)
How I Met Your Mother (8:30pm on CBS)
Two and a Half Men (9pm on CBS)
The New Adventures of Old Christine (9:30pm on CBS)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (10pm on NBC)
CSI: Miami (10pm on CBS)
TUESDAY
NCIS (8pm on CBS):
The Unit (9pm on CBS)
Law and Order: Criminal Intent (9pm on NBC)
Law and Order: SVU (10pm on NBC)
Smith (10pm on CBS)
Boston Legal (10pm on ABC)
WEDNESDAY
America’s Next Top Model (8pm on CW)
Jericho (8pm on CBS)
Biggest Loser (8pm on NBC)
Criminal Minds (9pm on CBS)
Kidnapped (10pm on NBC)
CSI: NY (10pm on CBS)
THURSDAY
My Name is Earl (8pm on NBC)
The Office (8:30pm on NBC)
Grey’s Anatomy (9pm on ABC)
CSI (9pm on CBS)
ER (10pm on NBC)
Six Degrees (10pm on ABC)
Shark (10pm on CBS)
FRIDAY
Smackdown (8pm on CW)
Ghost Whisperer (8pm on CBS)
Close to Home (9pm on CBS)
Law and Order (10pm on NBC)
Numb3rs (10pm on CBS)
SUNDAY
Extreme Home Makeover (8pm on ABC)
Desperate Housewives (9pm on ABC)
Cold Case (9pm on CBS)
Brothers and Sisters (10pm on ABC)
Without a Trace (10pm on CBS)
Gallery: The Week Ahead in TV
Megan Mullally Tries Daytime Talk
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Daytime, Talk Shows, Syndication,
Brace yourself for the next daytime talk entry—The Megan Mullally Show—and let the cards fall where they may. I don’t mean to sound cynical. I really like Mullally and I think her turn as a fill-in for David Letterman (in 2003) proves she can do the job. If you’ve ever seen her being interviewed, she’s very entertaining too—daytime talk shows come and go however, and I hope she won’t be the latest casualty.
Hopefully Mullally can overcome expectations that she’ll be like her character Karen Walker from Will & Grace. Her show begins on Monday, including interviews (of course), comedy sketches and studio audience interaction. Mullally hopes to bring a little edge to her show, saying, “I don’t have to start as Little Mary Sunshine. What people really want in this talk show is (for) me to be naughty and edgy. We’re doing it.” Be on the lookout for guests such as Will Ferrell, Felicity Huffman, Carol Burnett, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus—with that roster, she’ll be off to a great start! Her Will & Grace co-stars (Debra Messing, Eric McCormack and Sean Hayes) will also be gracing her show at some point. Best of luck Megan!
Read More | USA Today
Gallery: Megan Mullally Tries Daytime Talk
The View: Barbara’s Talking Dog, Rosie’s Production Number
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Daytime, ABC,
OK, I happened to tune in briefly to The View and heard some discussion that Barbara Walters’ dog tells her “I love you.” Apparently, I missed the complete discussion on a show that aired earlier in the week. Walters said of her loving dog’s trick, “You all know I’m a sensible person. I do not exaggerate. I try not to lie. I was standing at the elevator… I said to Cha Cha, ‘I love you, Cha Cha,’ and Cha Cha said to me, ‘I love you.’” Now, I have seen that in funniest videos or stupid pet tricks or the like, and a Hollywood dog trainer supports the possibility that dogs can learn to “talk” and mimic human speech. That didn’t strike me as all that weird, but then…
A Keebler Elf shows up on the stage and Rosie brings out guys in white tuxes holding big cookie cut-outs for a full-out production number. I don’t even understand it. And Rosie, the tux guys and the puffy Keebler Elf all blocked out the other View ladies to sing some obnoxious song about cookies. What is up with that? That was commonplace on Rosie’s daytime gabfest, but this is a whole new venue and it has me wondering what the other co-hosts think about it. It was all very strange. And does Elisabeth Hasselbeck bother anyone else? I thought she was cute on Survivor, but her interviewing skills leave little to be desired. I’m just not sure about the future of this show.
Read More | Access Hollywood
Gallery: The View: Barbara’s Talking Dog, Rosie’s Production Number
Meredith Vieira’s First Day on the Job
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Daytime, Talk Shows, NBC, HDTV, Internet, News,
Meredith Vieira woke up a little earlier than usual this morning to start her new gig on the Today show. While I was only able to catch about a half hour of the program, I’d say she’s off to a great start; Internet reviews agree, saying that Vieira had a solid debut. She seemed at ease and comfortable in her surroundings. She’s by no means a newbie at this sort of thing, but she does have big high heels to fill following Katie Couric’s departure. Her rapport with the rest of the Today show gang, her ability to handle tough news, as well as interject levity and silliness when necessary, all bode well for Today and its ratings. She has pretty wide appeal and I’m sure saying things like she felt “like it’s the first day of school and I’m sitting next to the cutest guy” (referring to Matt Lauer) will make her a welcome morning addition.
Today also revealed its studio, all shiny and cool for their venture into high-def. Bright and modern, the colors and furniture are sure to “pop” for high-def viewers.
Read More | CNN
Gallery: Meredith Vieira’s First Day on the Job
The Week Ahead in TV
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Comedy, Daytime, Music, Prime Time, Reality, Sports, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Amazing Race, The, Dancing With The Stars, Desperate Housewives, Family Guy, Rock Star, Survivor, News,
Things are starting to kick into high-gear now with the introduction of three high-profile reality shows and the finales of several others:
SUNDAY
Sunday Night Football (7pm EST on NBC): TV sales will increase once women realize that football season will contend with Desperate Housewives.
FOX Comedies (starting @ 8pm): Those men not already watching football—and/or live on the West Coast—will have a line-up of father-oriented comedies to watch: The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy and The War at Home.
MONDAY
9/11 Anniversary (various): Most of the networks will choose to pay tribute on the 5-year anniversary. Other programming will most likely be interrupted by a scheduled Pres. Bush speech at 9pm EST.
TUESDAY
Big Brother (8pm on CBS): The finale between Mike Boogie and Erika. Sadly, someone has to be chosen the winner. Maybe they can just have each other.
Dancing with the Stars (8pm on ABC): The 2-hour debut of the ABC powerhouse. Am I the only one who believes that Mario Lopez still deserves some karmic embarrassment for cheating on Ali Landry before their wedding?
WEDNESDAY
Today Show (NBC): The debut of Meredith Vieira. I’m betting she’s happy to have a little more testosterone in her life.
Rock Star: Supernova (8pm on CBS): The winner will be announced. If Dilana doesn’t win, I’ll be boycotting CBS.
THURSDAY
Survivor: Cook Islands (8pm on CBS): My 24-hour boycott of CBS will have ended when I return to watch this controversial racial experiment. Being 1/2 Asian, 1/2 Hispanic…I’m not sure which team I will root for. I just know that if those two tribes merge, the other groups could be in a world of hurt.
SUNDAY (9/17)
The Amazing Race 10 (8:30pm on CBS): Twelve teams of two will depart from Seattle and travel around the world. Twelve teams of two will also be that much closer to Phil Keoghan than I will ever be.
Gallery: The Week Ahead in TV
Now that Rosie O’Donnell has her first day at The View under her belt, the verdict is in—she done good. Critics found the new co-host to be a breath of fresh air, as she took to the post left by Meredith Vieira. “It’s my first day on The View, I’m in the Meredith chair and it’s exciting,” she said. Then she made a comment about her ill-fated haircut, saying, “I had that crazy haircut that scared America to death. I’ve been taking my medication.” She also proved to be a crowd-pleaser—members of the audience received two-day cruises courtesy of The View, saying “This is just the beginning.”
O’Donnell addressed the beef that Barbara Walters had over her blog during the Hot Topics segment of the show, saying “She doesn’t know how to get on Internet Explorer, what are they talking about?” She implied that Walters probably never even saw the post. All water under the bridge, as O’Donnell sent Walters a note of apology and flowers to make amends.
Read More | E! Online
Gallery: Rosie’s First Day on The View a Success
Barbara Walters Asks Rosie to Stop Blogging
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Daytime, Talk Shows, Internet,
Rosie O’Donnell’s web site features a blog in haiku format, but Barbara Walters wants Rosie to stop blogging about The View. Walters told Newsweek that she “didn’t like the blog,” referring to a post that O’Donnell put up in response to a promo for her upcoming co-hosting role on The View. O’Donnell wrote, “I saw the new view promos/Found myself/ in the position/ I loathe the most/ powerless.” Walters also said that she was “counting on Rosie’s intelligence and sensitivity and humor,” as The View is “based on people who like each other and are having a good time, not on people who are arguing and unhappy.”
Ro did right by Walters, sending her flowers and a card reading, “Barbara, I only want the promos and the show to be great. And I love you. Love, Ro.” O’Donnell begins her co-hosting gig on on the chatfest on Tuesday.
Read More | People
Gallery: Barbara Walters Asks Rosie to Stop Blogging
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