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Jane Lynch Michael Carbonaro Philip Winchester Jerrod Carmichael Bear Grylls
WHAT'S FOR DINNER
Featuring: Valerie Bertinelli Keith Urban performs on “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” Tuesday on ABC. folio Courtesy of Gracenote August 2 - 8, 2015
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“CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” Tuesday on ABC. p3
“The Daily Show”
Thursday on Comedy Central. p 16
“Significant Mother” Premiering Monday on The CW. p 17
“Funny or Die Presents: America’s Next Weatherman” premiering Saturday on TBS. pp 12-13
“Job or No Job”
Pictured: KEITH URBAN performs at LP Field as part of the 2015 CMA Music Festival that is taking place in downtown Nashville.
premiering Wednesday on ABC Family. pp 14-15
SIX
Celebrity potlights Jane Lynch
Valerie Bertinelli
p4
p7
of ‘Hollywood Game Night’ Tuesday on NBC.
Michael Carbonaro
of ‘The Carbonaro Effect’ on truTV.
of “Valerie’s Home Cooking,” premiering Saturday on Food Network.
Jerrod Carmichael Checking in.
p5
p8
Philip Winchester
Bear Grylls
of ‘Strike Back’ on Cinemax. p6
is a host, author and seasoned adventurer. p9
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Profiled SPORT Pro Football HOF pp 18-19
Editor's choice
STORY
Keith Urban: Performer, and more, for the CMA
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By Jay Bobbin
Keith Urban is a superstar, but to the Country Music Association, he’s now more than that. The singer-songwriter and “American Idol” judge was among the many artists featured at June’s CMA Music Festival in Nashville – which again yields ABC’s annual special subtitled “Country’s Night to Rock” Tuesday, Aug. 4 – and the occasion meant even more for Urban than its usual chance to commune with fans and other country stars. During the four-day event, he was named the first national ambassador for the CMA’s “Music Education Matters” campaign, which supplies instruments and teaching support for inner-city youth. “Music education, particularly getting it into a lot of the schools where they’re doing away with it, is something that’s very important to me,” the ever-friendly Urban says, “purely because it was such a big part of my life growing up. I just went to a basic public school in Queensland, Australia, but even there in our small town of Caboolture, there was a music room with a piano and a couple of guitars and a little drum kit and a couple of great teachers. “I just took that all for granted,” Urban admits, “so the idea that that side of the curriculum can be pushed aside in favor of other skill sets is concerning to me and every other kid who’s got a musical aptitude. This is such a perfect fit for me, I’m grateful that they asked me and honored that I get to do it.” As part of his effort, Urban is donating 60 guitars (along with amplifiers, strings and picks) to school programs in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta and – not surprisingly – Nashville. Little Big Town hosts the CMA Music Festival telecast for the third consecutive time. Other performers featured in the show include Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Florida Georgia Line, Lee Brice, Cole Swindell, Brett Eldredge and Eric Church. The latter joins Urban on their duet “Raise ‘Em Up,” from Urban’s gold-certified album “Fuse.” Additionally, Urban introduces “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16,” the first single from his next release. “I don’t have a lot of the rest of the record ready yet, but maybe I work good under pressure,” he muses. “It was the right song, and also, I went in and cut it with (veteran music
producer) Dann Huff and we were just so happy with the way it sounded, everybody was ready to get some new music out there sooner than later. And I was all for that.” With a number of U.S. concert dates in the coming weeks, Urban is immersed already in the final season of Fox’s “American Idol” as he again treks with host Ryan Seacrest and fellow judges Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. to various cities for the auditions. Adding even more to what Urban calls his “interesting travel season”: trips to and from London, where wife Nicole Kidman is readying for a two-month run in the play “Photograph 51.” Still, Urban isn’t complaining. “I just always think of it in terms of musicians being born travelers,” he reasons. “That’s what we do. That’s what we know.”
Click or tap here for more! August 2 - 8, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 3
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CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin’s Q&A
JaneLynch of ‘Hollywood Game Night’ Tuesday on NBC How do you find the “civilian” contestants to be in the presence of their celebrity teammates when they first meet on the “Hollywood Game Night” set? They put on their makeup, go into the “green room” and get to know their fellow partiers. We get those civilians in there right away, so they’re comfortable and they feel like one of the gang. How important a “Hollywood Game Night” element do you consider the show’s live house band, Dean Butterworth and the Scorekeepers, to be? They are just the best, the greatest guys. With our new “Song Sung Wrong” game, I got to spend some time with them prepping all the songs – and they’re just so fast and so fun, it’s fabulous. Do you enjoy having “Will & Grace” alum Sean Hayes still involved as an executive producer of the show? It was his inspiration and his brilliant idea to take his epic game nights from his home ... and he has a big house, and you go from room to room and each one has a game that he has made up himself. He and his producing partner, Todd Milliner, are the hosts of those nights and I’ve been a contestant. It’s just the best time, though it’s rather cutthroat. How are you at this as a contestant? I’m pretty competitive. If you are my partner and you’re not doing well, you suffer the shame of my deadly look. And my screaming, “You’ve got to be kidding!” It is not an enviable position. There are some games I’m terrible at, but I’m still pretty cutthroat.
folio Page 4 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 2 - 8, 2015
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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A
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MichaelCarbonaro of ‘The Carbonaro Effect’ on truTV
Do you have trouble keeping a straight face while pulling pranks on the unsuspecting on your truTV hidden-camera series “The Carbonaro Effect”? I usually don’t and it comes because we’re doing so much material so fast ... . There’s such a want and a desperation for it to work that when it’s working it’s just like, “Don’t mess it up. Don’t laugh. Don’t break. Keep it going.” Because you just really want it to be good. Although it’s funny because this was the first time – we were down in Sweet Auburn Market (in Atlanta, where the show is shot) and I was doing a gag; I was oversqueezing an orange where way too much juice was coming out of one orange. It just seems physically impossible, which it was. But I had kind of made a little bit of a goof and I squirted orange juice all over my own face and all over the table and it was – I couldn’t, I laughed. I finally broke and laughed. It was pretty crazy. ... We probably won’t show that one in the episode. Do you ever get recognized? We just had somebody ... we were in a Fry’s electronics store and I was in disguise. And this woman, as I was performing this trick, she was like, “My gosh, you remind me so much of this show called ‘The Carbonaro Effect.’ Have you ever heard of it?” And I was like, “no.” She’s like, “There’s a guy who kind of looks like you but he does something like what you’re showing me right now.” And I show her this new piece of technology and she was like, “It’s kind of like that but he’s actually doing magic tricks.” I’m like, “Oh, so it’s not real when he does it?” And she’s like, “no.” And I’m like, “Oh, that’s so funny.” And I’m there having a conversation about myself with her and she didn’t know who I was. It was really cool.
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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A
of ‘Strike Back’ on Cinemax Did you have difficulty putting your character of Michael Stonebridge away after filming ended? As a guy working with this amazing crew that we have on “Strike Back,” it was such a family at the end of four years. It wasn’t just putting Michael Stonebridge to bed, it was saying goodbye to all these incredible relationships, that we had literally risked our lives along with some of these ... camera guys and (other crew). I mean they were in the cars with us, they were in the helicopters, the fires, the crashes – all this stuff. ... So there’s all these kinds of small deaths that happen at the end of a long production like this, and the biggest one for me is these relationships ... . I’m still having pangs about that and writing emails to people and kind of catching up with people over the Internet and stuff like that. But yeah, that’s tough. How many of the stunts did you do? We, by accident, discovered in that first year partly through just tenacity and being young actors and being full of piss and vinegar that we wanted to do it partly because we were shooting in these crazy locations like South Africa and Budapest where we were allowed to do it. And then the second, third and fourth year, our audience was expecting that. They were expecting Scott and Stonebridge to be in the shot. ... So we did probably, I don’t know, percentagewise, but we did an awful lot of them. ... If it was on a main unit and it was on the schedule, we’d try and do it. They had me jumping in the back of a helicopter this year... . It’s taking off and I’m back there going, “I can’t believe they let us do this.” I loved Bill, who was our stunt choreographer in Budapest. He was like, “You want to do this?” And I was like, “Yeah, I want to do this, Bill! Are you kidding me?” He was like, “OK, don’t fall out.” I was like, “Thanks a lot, man. That’s great advice.” (laughs)
Click or tap here for more! Page 6 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 2 - 8, 2015
CINEMAX
FOOD George Dickie’s What's for Dinner
What book are you currently reading? “ ‘A God in Ruins’ by Kate Atkinson. It’s such a good book.” What did you have for dinner last night? “I made a kale salad with quinoa and a little bit of gorgonzola and some pine nuts and some blueberries. And a little sherry dressing. The key thing about a kale salad, what you really need to do, I use a lacinato because I think it’s better and it’s a deeper, darker green. And when you take all the stems out and you cut it up, blanche it really quickly in some superhot water then take it out, and that way it softens it up a bit. That’s a little trick.”
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ctress and avowed foodie Valerie Bertinelli has been a loyal viewer of Food Network for years, so the idea of having her own show on it seemed like fun.
“I mean, I have it on right now in the house,” she says with a laugh during a recent phone interview. “Sometimes I keep it on without the sound on, and if I see they’re cooking something I’ll turn the sound back on and press the TiVo button and try to make it later.” Her new effort, “Valerie’s Home Cooking,” premieres Saturday, Aug. 8, and showcases recipes developed by the one-time star of “Hot in Cleveland” and “One Day at a Time,” which she prepares for her guests, which are mainly family and friends both in and outside the entertainment industry. The range of cuisine, she says, is “everything,” but with a concentration on Italian.
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What is your next project? “I’m starting the ‘Kids Baking Championship’ (on Food Network) in three days.” When was the last vacation you took, where and why? “The last really great vacation was about five years ago when Tom (Vitale, her husband) and I went to Italy. I so badly want to go back. I can’t believe it’s been five years already. We drove across. ... And it was the most amazing two weeks in my life.”
In Saturday’s episode, she welcomes her former “Cleveland” co-stars Betty White, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick, for whom she prepares Quiche Valerie, Italian tuna salad, grilled romaine with Caesar dressing and for dessert, panna cotta. Of the grilling of lettuce, Bertinelli says, “It’s supereasy. You’ve got to clean it first and you cut the romaine in half. And then you just put a little bit of butter on the grill. I use the indoor grill but you can use an outdoor grill, too. And then you just lay it down on the cut side down first, let it get a little char on it, turn it over and it kind of gets wilty and it brings out the flavor a little bit more because romaine doesn’t have a lot of flavor but it just intensified and gives it more flavor.”
Click or tap here for more! August 2 - 8, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 7
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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Celebrity ScooP
Jerrod
Carmichael Jerrod Carmichael’s relationship with Spike Lee began in the unlikeliest way possible. He called the Oscarnominated filmmaker up. The 27-year-old comedian was in the process of creating the film of his 2014 HBO stand-up special “Jerrod Carmichael: Love at the Store” and he had one person in mind to direct it. “(I) was looking for someone who could capture a documentary feel because that’s what was special was to me, and I thought Spike was an amazing director who could really capture those moments ... ,” Carmichael explains. “We reached out to a representative and then I just got a phone call. A Brooklyn number calls you and you’re like, ‘Oh, it’s Spike. Let’s talk.’ He’d seen me before and was just interested in doing it. He said, ‘I’m interested’ and thought it was kind of fun. So yeah, it was a pretty simple process.” These days, the Winston-Salem, N.C., native is hard at work on his new NBC sitcom “The Carmichael Show,” premiering Wednesday, Aug. 5, in which he plays a young man trying to cope with his opinionated family while he and his girlfriend try to make it in the big city. The series, which also stars David Alan Grier (“In Living Color”), Loretta Devine (“Waiting to Exhale”) and Amber West (“Greek”), is based on Carmichael’s experiences with his real-life family “and some of the more interesting conversations I had with (them).” “We’re very honest with each other, things can get loud, they can get aggressive but we talk about everything,” he says. “And I thought that was really rich, especially at a time where a lot of television, especially the sitcom, isn’t talking about anything, and it’s not real perspective and real emotion and talking about real issues and that type of thing. And my family, I do that in conversation ... . It really is just trying to find the interesting things and between generations and between people in relationships and finding the things we argue about, things that make us different.” Page 8 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 2 - 8, 2015
Name: Jerrod Carmichael Birthplace: Winston-Salem, N.C. Residence: Los Angeles (since 2008) TV credits: “The Goodwin Games,” “Comedy Bang! Bang!,” “Axe Cop” (voice), “Lucas Bros. Moving Co.” (voice) Film credits: “Neighbors” (2014), “The Meddler” (in production)
How he got started as a stand-up comic: “I had a friend who really nudged me into it, like a friend who insisted. She actually refused to speak to me until I did stand-up. She was very, very insistent. ... I started doing it because you have these thoughts and you go through your day and you have these opinions on things. You have these selfrealizations and my favorite thing is sharing that.”
CELEBRITY CelebritY profile
Be arGry lls
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is a host, author and seasoned adventurer. • He is the son of the late politician Sir Michael Grylls and Lady Sarah Grylls. • He grew up on the Isle of Wight, and as a young boy would go mountain climbing with his father. • He spent three years in the British Special Air Service before breaking his back while free-fall parachuting. • At age 23, he became one of the youngest climbers ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest. • His first TV break came when he was approached to star in a Sure For Men deodorant commercial. • His TV series “Bear Grylls: Born Survivor” first aired in 2006. • He has authored 15 books, including the No. 1 best-seller “Mud Sweat & Tears,” which was voted the most influential book in China in 2012. • In the summer of 2013, his new U.S. TV series “Get Out Alive With Bear Grylls” ran on NBC and was voted the No. 1 new network reality show in the 18-49 age category.
Click or tap here for more! • In recognition for his expertise and service, Bear was appointed as the youngest ever chief scout to over half a million scouts in the UK, was awarded an honorary commission as a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy and as a lieutenant colonel in the notoriously tough Royal Marines Commandos.
• NBC’s “Running Wild With Bear Grylls,” in which the British adventurer takes celebrities on a 48-hour trek through rugged and often unforgiving terrain is currently in its second season.
August 2 - 8, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 9
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CELEBRITY
“I know for myself it requires a very different muscle making this show than watching the show, and I’m not prepared to watch it. I’m just keeping my head down and making it, and as it turns out it’s possible to not watch your own show and lead a happy life.” – Lizzy Caplan of “Masters of Sex” on Showtime, on whether she watches her own show
“I always had a studio version of the vocals for all of us, in case we had a bad throat that day or if we didn’t feel like we could do it, but I really wanted to capture the vocals live. I think that any audience member at home now knows if you’re faking it or not.” – Denis Leary of “Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll” on FX, about the song performances in the series
Page 10 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 2 - 8, 2015
“There’s something very calming and comforting about her presence, I think ... her way of going about her life and her abilities as a sleuth and also her understanding of youth and humanity. Her qualities of acceptance are wonderful, and she was so well-written.” – Angela Lansbury, seen recently in “Great Performances: Driving Miss Daisy” on PBS, about her “Murder, she Wrote” character Jessica Fletcher
CELEBRITY
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ON DVRs
Ben Kingsley of “Tut” on Spike TV “I very rarely watch TV. My life’s really crowded. ... So the TV shows I might watch would probably be news and documentaries and comment(ary).”
Zachary Levi of “Geeks Who Drink” on Syfy “I’m recording ‘Halt and Catch Fire,’ and I try to watch ‘Game of Thrones’ live. And I’m looking forward to another season of ‘The Leftovers’; it’s so fascinating when you take this massive (subject) that, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t that massive ... but the implications of it just ripple through the world.”
Philip Winchester of “Strike Back” on Cinemax “We just finished ‘House of Cards.’ We just started ‘Orange Is the New Black.’ And ... there are a couple of shows that I really like that I go back to every year. There was a great Canadian show called ‘Slings and Arrows.’ It’s so good. It’s so fantastic, so I really enjoy that. ‘Freaks and Geeks’ is another one I try and watch once a year just because it was so much fun. ... I just started ‘Sense8’ to try and get my head around it. I haven’t quite got my head around it yet but I’m trying to. So our television watching has taken a massive hit because I have a 4-month-old daughter, so that is everything right now.”
Roma Downey of “Answered Prayers” on TLC “Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention ‘Shark Tank’ and ‘The Voice’ and ‘Survivor’ (all executiveproduced by Downey’s husband, Mark Burnett). I also have been a fan of ‘Homeland’ and ‘House of Cards’ ... but in a house with three kids, everybody’s home for the summer, and I was horrified to see that some of my things were pushed down on the list. I continue to watch ‘60 Minutes,’ though.”
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STORY
Jillian Barberie is a judge on “Funny or
Die Presents: America’s Next Weatherman,” premiering Saturday on TBS. Story on next page
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STORY
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By Jay Bobbin Jillian Barberie has given weather forecasts in her own lively, sometimes bawdy way, but she also has a bigger view of what it takes to get the job done. That’s why she’s one of the judges for “Funny or Die Presents: America’s Next Weatherman,” a Mark Burnettproduced TBS competition series that leans toward humor and premieres Saturday, Aug. 8. As Matt Oberg (recently of FX’s “The Comedians”) hosts, Barberie and another forecasting veteran of Los Angeles television – Johnny Mountain – gauge 12 contestants who vie for $100,000 and a weathercasting spot on the CNN morning program “New Day.” Having also had a national presence on Fox football telecasts, Barberie realizes there is such a thing as “a weather-weenie crowd. They are just nerds about weather ... or there are people who are just hot and want to be on TV to do the weather because they think it’s super-easy. There are all kinds.” There also are all kinds of entrants in “America’s Next Weatherman,” half of whom are women. Some have backgrounds in meteorology, one is a former Miss Ohio, another is a pastor, and still another is a fitness trainer who claims to have “only five-percent body fat.” “I’ve done weather for 25 years,” says Barberie, who also has had stints in Miami and her native Canada, “and I think because I do it in a certain way, I’ve had so many people say, ‘I want to do what you do.’ When it comes down to it and you’re actually in front of that green screen throwing out real weather terms, it can be daunting. It’s very interesting to see what happens.” The show’s grand prize appeals to Barberie herself: “$100,000 cash and a gig on CNN? OK. Every once in a while, I’d be judging and I’d say, ‘Is it too late for me to jump
Click or tap here for more! in?’ ” (Barberie’s current “day job” is as an afternoon talk-radio host on Los Angeles’ KABC-AM.) Given her own experiences, Barberie doesn’t discount the notion of a solid career starting with a venture such as “America’s Next Weatherman.” She reasons, “People are discovered on a daily basis. Think of Elisabeth Hasselbeck; she was a contestant on ‘Survivor’ and ended up hosting beside Barbara Walters (on ABC’s ‘The View’). You just don’t know what this business has to offer, and I’ve learned that you can have a gem in the middle of a bunch of crazy people. “When I was in Montreal trying to get a job,” Barberie notes, “and ultimately ended up working in Miami during Hurricane Andrew, I sent out a resume tape of all the screw-ups that happened to me on the air ... and how I recovered. And they hired me. I told the contestants here, ‘You have to think outside the box.’ Inevitably as a weather person, you have to be affable and able to go from one story to the next with ease. My approach has always been that it’s not brain surgery, though there is a science to it.”
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STORY
Pursuing a job ...
or three
Jane Buckingham advises job candidates on “Job or No Job,” premiering Wednesday on ABC Family. Story on next page Page 14 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 2 - 8, 2015
STORY
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By Jay Bobbin It’s not news that today’s job market is challenging ... and for certain candidates, ABC Family is coming to the possible rescue. Premiering Wednesday, Aug. 5, the unscripted series “Job or No Job” hails from the producers of CBS’ “Undercover Boss” and offers its young-adult subjects the chance to join the workforce. Actually, each gets not one employment opportunity, but three ... with career expert and “The Modern Girl’s Guide to Life” author Jane Buckingham advising one potential employee per episode. Depending on how the prospective worker fares, one, two or three – or zero – job offers can result. Also the founder and CEO of Trendera, a consulting firm that specializes in reporting and predicting trends among different generations, Buckingham believes the timing and demographic target of “Job or No Job” are correct. “I think, on both ends of the spectrum, it’s so needed,” she says. “It’s hard for anyone to get a job right now. it’s a tough economy, and we all know there aren’t enough jobs out there ... but I also think that older people have this idea that young people in general are so entitled, and don’t want to work hard, and want to do it all through social media. “On the other side,” adds Buckingham, “young people today are not well-prepared. No one has ever shown them how to interview for a job, or that they have to proofread their resumes, or that they should follow up on an interview. It’s a really nice chance for me to do what I love to do, which is to help the generations understand each other.” Buckingham admits it’s helpful that each job-seeker’s three potential positions are in the same general discipline. “Each week is a different category,” she explains. “The person might be interested in being in advertising, or in real estate, or in the restaurant business. Even though the exact job might shift a little bit, it’s within the same category.”
Pictured: Jane Buckingham In each case, Buckingham coaches what she terms “the broad skills of being a better interviewee and, hopefully, being a better employee. It helps in the specific interviews and, even if they don’t get one of the jobs, for the rest of their lives. I’m finding that these skills cut across the spectrum, no matter what they’re interviewing for.” Though “Job or No Job” might suggest plenty of jobs are out there, Buckingham stresses the situation posed by the series is aimed specifically toward those selected to be in the show. “We know that these people are lucky,” she notes, “and we’re saying that to them. We are picking them from hundreds and hundreds of candidates, so it’s important to us to say to them, ‘This is a really great opportunity, and we want you to take it seriously.’ ” Buckingham certainly is taking it seriously herself: “I don’t want someone to waste my time, the employer’s time, and the time of the other (job candidates) who might have taken it more seriously. Yes, getting the opportunity is a huge part of the process – but hopefully, some of the things that we’re saying are going to help as well.”
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STORY
Stewart says goodbye
to ‘The Daily Show’ after 16 years of satire By George Dickie
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t is said that to find out what is really going on in the world, one only needs to look in the comics section of the newspaper. There is lots of intelligent commentary, satire and social criticism to be found – sometimes better than what is in the rest of the paper.
The same can be said about “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” which ends its 16-year run on Comedy Central on Thursday, Aug. 6. Though often steeped in silly sight gags, odd noises and sophomoric humor, the program famous for presenting fake news was the smartest on TV and always had something serious to say – sometimes more so than the “real” news outlets. And certainly funnier. And it was the mainstream media that was probably his favorite target. Stewart took on the broadcast, cable, online and print media with equal zeal, especially when he felt they weren’t doing their jobs. Witness his skewering of the coverage of the run-up to the Iraq War and how few outlets seemed to question the claim that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. No news organization was safe from his scathing and often hilarious criticism then. He also loved to expose hypocrisy, whether it was from a journalist, a public official or a captain of industry. One of his favorite techniques was to juxtapose footage of what someone is saying now with what they said earlier.
As an interviewer, Stewart came across as erudite, quick on his feet and ever willing to engage in thoughtful discussion. And if a heavier discussion ran longer than its allotted time slot, it would be made available in its entirety on “The Daily Show” website. Often, they were enlightening gems of discourse. More importantly, he was never disrespectful to his guests, no matter where they fell on the political spectrum or whether he agreed or disagreed with them. Stewart may lean left politically but he gave both conservatives, moderates and liberals their chance to speak their piece. “The Daily Show” also saw some first-rate talent come through during his watch. Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Ed Helms, Rob Corddry, Larry Wilmore, John Oliver and Aasif Mandvi all went on to TV or movie careers following their time with Stewart. Stewart was always the first to admit that he’s not a journalist, that he’s a stand-up comedian by trade. But as a watchdog of the media – an industry that is charged with watching over government and thus ensuring a free society – he was invaluable, both as a commentator and a source of laughter. He will be missed.
Click or tap here for more! Page 16 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 2 - 8, 2015
STORY
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Krista Allen lands ‘Significant’ role in new CW sitcom
By Jay Bobbin
In most descriptions of her many television roles, “sexy” is a qualifier for Krista Allen – and it’s working for her again. The veteran of “Days of our Lives,” “What About Brian,” “Baywatch Hawaii” and countless guest shots on series from “Friends” to “The X-Files” is the “Significant Mother” in The CW sitcom premiering Monday, Aug. 3. She plays a newly separated wife and mother who worries her restaurateur son (Josh Zuckerman) by dating his best friend (Nathaniel Buzolic) – which also reignites her husband’s (Jonathan Silverman) interest, prompting him to try to win her back. “It’s really a dream role for me,” says Allen, “and it’s comedy, which is something I love doing. This character, Lydia Marlowe, is a woman who’s lived her life for everyone else. She is just starting to listen to her own needs and do what makes her happy ... which currently is dating her son’s friend, but it evolves and becomes so much more than that. I guess you could say it’s a slightly delayed coming-of-age story for her.” Actually, the coming-of-age notion applies to virtually everyone in “Significant Mother,” including Lydia’s mother. She’s played, in an extended guest role, by another familiar TV face: Linda Gray, legendary as Sue Ellen Ewing on both iterations of “Dallas.” “She is so amazing,” Allen enthuses. “I’ve been a fan of hers for so long, I just loved having her around. I couldn’t think of a better person to play my TV mom, and she was really excited. She was like, ‘Nobody’s ever really given me a chance to do comedy before,’ and she had a lot of work to do, a lot of dialogue. And she killed it.” “Significant Mother” originally was developed by writers and executive producers Erin Cardillo and Richard Keith, both actors as well, for The CW’s digital CW Seed outlet that also yielded last summer’s “Backpackers.” “They believed in the show so much, they just took us right to network,” Allen reflects, “so it’s already like, ‘OK, we’re doing something special here.’ And it’s really cool.” Humorous as “Significant Mother” is meant to be, Allen believes it also has a serious undertone. “Lydia makes a ton of mistakes,” the actress allows, “but I find her to be quite relatable because of that. In trying to reinvent ourselves and change, we all stumble and fail as we try to do our best, and that’s what this character is doing through all of this. It’s not just the mom sleeping with her son’s best friend.”
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SPORTS
Pictured: Jerome Bettis
Pictured: Charles Haley
Pictured: Tim Brown
Pictured: Junior Seau
Jerome Abram Bettis
Charles Lewis Haley
Timothy Donell Brown
Tiaina Baul “Junior” Seau Jr
Teams: Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams (1993-95); Pittsburgh Steelers (1996-2005)
Teams: San Francisco 49ers (1986–1991, 199899); Dallas Cowboys (1992–1996)
Teams: Los Angeles/ Oakland Raiders (19882003); Tampa Bay Buccaneers, (2004)
Teams: San Diego Chargers (1990–2002); Miami Dolphins (2003– 2005); New England Patriots (2006–2009)
Rushing yards: 13,662
Sacks: 100.5
Receiving yards: 14,934 Tackles: 545
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SPORTS
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By Dan Ladd On Saturday, August 8, the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony airs live on ESPN. Jerome Bettis, Charles Haley, Tim Brown and Junior Seau are the inductees. Running back Jerome Bettis attended Notre Dame and was a top ten draft pick in 1993 by the Los Angeles Rams. He spent three seasons with the Rams and was named 1993 Offensive Rookie of the Year. In 1996 he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers where he had his most success, eventually winning a Super Bowl before retiring after the 2005 season. Whether playing linebacker or defensive end, Charles Haley was a menace to opposing quarterbacks. Drafted in the fourth round out of James Madison, he won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers in the late 1980s and three with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s. Receiver Tim Brown also attended Notre Dame and was drafted sixth overall by the Los Angles Raiders in 1988. He had an immediate impact setting a record for the most combined yards gained by a rookie with 2,317. Brown played on several Raiders teams that made it to the postseason, including the 2002 AFC Championship team. A top five pick out of USC in 1990, linebacker Junior Seau had a long NFL career, but a short life. For 13 seasons he was the pride of San Diego leading the Chargers defense before spending three seasons each in Miami and then New England, where he played in the Super Bowl. Seau tragically committed suicide in 2012.
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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review
review
‘Magic Mike XXL’ The magic is still in the moves
There really is magic in “Magic Mike XXL” ... and even more so for those made among the faithful by the first edition. The sequel is one of those films that lets you know just what you’re getting well before you enter the theater. By now, it seems just about impossible that anyone wouldn’t know this isn’t a saga about the world of male strippers, based on actual experiences of star Channing Tatum. The original “Magic Mike” proved ... well, original enough (especially for a major-studio movie) to be a considerable hit with a strong afterlife on home video and cable, so we now have the winkingly titled “Magic Mike XXL.” And as sequels go, it’s pretty enjoyable. Its makers – including returning screenwriter Reid Carolin – do a commendable job of establishing a plausible reason for Round Two that sends Mike (Tatum) back into the bare-it-all game for a swan song to that profession, along with former comrades played again by Matt Bomer, Adam Rodriguez, Kevin Nash and Joe Manganiello. Virtually all of them have moved on in their lives, but they’ve still got the moves, and they regain the drive to prove it in sites including the club run by Jada Pinkett Smith’s character. (Between this and her recent Fish Mooney portrayal on television’s “Gotham,” that actress is providing wonderful redefinitions of the term “fierce.”) Amber Heard also has good moments as another stripper with insights to offer; Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Banks and Michael Strahan turn up as well. Though Steven Soderbergh hasn’t returned as director, “Magic Mike XXL” still has his stamp: He’s the cinematographer (under the alias Peter Andrews) and editor, so the picture’s physical look is very much his, while the directing reins have been assumed by his longtime associate Gregory Jacobs. The elephant in the room for “Magic Mike XXL” is that earlier co-star Matthew McConaughey is absent, but it’s much to the credit of the movie that even though he’s missed, it still rises to the occasion and emerges as quite a satisfying follow-up. It could have gone a different way very easily, so is there magic in the result? Yes. Yes, there is.
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Pictured: Channing Tatum
MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's movie review movies to watch
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“INSURGENT” The “Divergent” saga continues with this solid first sequel, as heroine Tris (Shailene Woodley) tries to find respite while being hunted by enemies – including the determined Jeanine (Kate Winslet) – both physically and psychically. Tris is still considered a danger in a society separated by traits because she embodies several different categories, and she and love interest Four (Theo James) delve into the past to ensure their loved ones will have a future. Other returning cast members include Ansel Elgort (also Woodley’s “The Fault in Our Stars” co-star), Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn (“Scandal”), Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q (“Stalker”) and Mekhi Phifer. DVD extras: “making-of” documentary; audio commentary by producers Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher. ››› (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)
Top Pick
DVD
Pictured: Kate Winslet
upcoming DVD releases
Coming Soon on DVD...
Pictured: Shelley Hennig
“UNFRIENDED” (Aug. 11): Chat-room members are alarmed to receive a message from a classmate who committed suicide; cast members include Heather Sossaman and Shelley Hennig. (R: AS, P, V)
“SCANDAL: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON” (Aug. 11): Washington, D.C., “fixer” Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is missing as this round of the ABC drama series begins. (Not rated: AS, P, V)
“HOT PURSUIT” (Aug. 11): A police officer and a drug lord’s widow (Reese Witherspoon, Sofia Vergara) flee together as enemies pursue them across Texas. (PG-13: AS, P, V)
“ALOHA” (Aug. 25): While on a mission in Hawaii, a military contractor (Bradley Cooper) gets involved with his professional liaison (Emma Stone) and an old flame (Rachel McAdams). (PG-13: AS, P)
“THE KNICK: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON” (Aug. 11): Clive Owen stars as an early-20thcentury surgeon using primitive methods of certain practices in the Cinemax drama series. (Not rated: AS, P, V)
“THE WALKING DEAD: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SEASON” (Aug. 25): The entire population of Earth faces a new threat in this latest round of the AMC hit. (Not rated: AS, P, GV)
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FAVORITE SHOWS
“Stitchers”
Jerrod Carmichael stars in “The Carmichael Show”
SUNDAY 8 p.m. on ABC Bachelor in Paradise Once is not enough for some people who have been through the “Bachelor” or “Bachelorette” process, so it’s a good thing for them — and host Chris Harrison — that there’s this chance for them to make a love connection again. In the case of this second season, some participants already have tried more than once, having also been a part of this show or the preceding “Bachelor Pad.” An unidentified “Mystery Woman” will be among them. Another episode airs Monday. Season Premiere New
Chris Harrison hosts “Bachelor in Paradise”
MONDAY 10 p.m. on LIFETIME UnREAL This rookie dramedy, set behind the scenes of a reality show that looks suspiciously like “The Bachelor,” hasn’t set the ratings on fire during its first season, but it has drawn across-theboard critical raves for its brilliant writing and acting. That probably explains why Lifetime recently picked it up for a second season. Meanwhile, in “Future,” the Season 1 finale, Rachel (Shiri Appleby) is betrayed and Adam (Freddie Stroma) makes a decision that will change his life forever. Constance Zimmer also stars. Season Finale New
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TUESDAY 9:01 p.m. on ABC FAMILY Stitchers When Cameron and Detective Fisher (Kyle Harris, Damon Dayoub) are targeted in a shooting, Kirsten’s (Emma Ishta) stitch leads the team to Robert Barbiero (guest star Henry Rollins), a security expert who once was close to Kirsten’s mother. Kirsten finds unexpected answers to some long-held questions as she follows clues that Ed Clark left her in the season finale, “Full Stop.” Elsewhere, Linus (Ritesh Rajan) gets jealous when Cameron trains Camille (Allison Scagliotti) as his back-up. Season Finale New continued on next page
FAVORITE SHOWS 10 p.m. on CNBC West Texas Investors Club Self-made multi-millionaires Rooster McConaughey and Butch Gilliam invest in promising entrepreneurs who have the gumption to venture to the investors’ home turf of Midland, Texas. In the premiere of this new eight episode unscripted series, one young pitchman seeks financing for an app he insists could revolutionize the bar scene in terms of getting drink orders faster, while another pitches a device that promises to reduce contact with germs. Series Premiere New
FRIDAY 8 p.m. on CBS Elementary Murder victims have unusual clues left with them — envelopes filled with cash — in “When Your Number’s Up.” Holmes and Watson (Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu) eventually connect the killings to wrongful-death payments. Watson’s efforts to cope with a personal situation draw Holmes’ compassion ... and more. Alicia Witt (“Justified”) and Michael Cumpsty (“Boardwalk Empire”) guest star.
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SATURDAY 8 p.m. on CBS Hawaii Five-0 Rarely seen since her “CSI: NY” days, Melina Kanakaredes upholds law and order again in “Nanahu” (Hawaiian for “Embers”). She guest stars as an ATF agent helping McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) seek an arsonist (guest star Randy Couture) who’s victimizing couples on Oahu. Danny and Amber (Scott Caan, Lili Simmons) are imperiled by Amber’s ex-husband. Golfer Michelle Wie guest stars as herself. Joe Dante (“Gremlins”) directed the story.
WEDNESDAY 9:30 p.m. on NBC The Carmichael Show Star Jerrod Carmichael’s life is the basis for this new sitcom, revolving around his relationships with various people. The “Pilot” introduces his devoutly religious mother (Loretta Devine), ever-spontaneous father (David Alan Grier), constantly scheming brother (Lil Rel Howery) and aspiring-therapist girlfriend (Amber Stevens West). Nicholas Stoller, who directed Carmichael in “Neighbors,” is an executive producer of the show along with him. Series Premiere New Alex O’Loughlin stars in “Hawaii Five-0”
THURSDAY 10:03 p.m. on USA Graceland Some well-meaning plans go badly awry in the new episode “Bob Voyage,” as Charlie (Vanessa Ferlito) tries to pull Amber (guest star Brit Morgan) from Florida, while in an effort to help Briggs (Daniel Sunjata), Paige (Serinda Swan) sets up a bust aimed at pulling the plug on the Sarkissian organization. Val Lauren, Tom Schanley, Rhys Coio and Katherine Crawford also star. New Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu star in “Elementary”
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