Featured Stories
"I Am Chris Farley" Cheez-It 355 “Next Step Realty: NYC” “Ties That Bind”
Profiled athlete
Ben Roethlisberger
CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHTS
Mike Holmes Robert Osborne Jessica Szohr Nicole Gale Anderson Tim Gunn
WHAT'S FOR DINNER
Featuring: Alton Brown
JAY Bobbin's movies to watch
And so much more!
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The story
'Kevin' works at romance
Noah Reid stars in the comedy series “Kevin From Work,” premiering Wednesday on ABC Family.
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“Kevin From Work” Premiering Wednesday on ABC Family. p3
“Next Step Realty: NYC” A New ABC Family series. p 16
“Ties That Bind”
Premiering Wednesday on UP. p 17
“I Am Chris Farley” Monday on Spike TV.
Pictured: Comedian CHRIS FARLEY on the set of “Saturday Night Live,” 2001.
pp 12-13
Cheez-It 355 Sunday on NBC Sports Network. pp 14-15
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Celebrity potlights Mike Holmes
Alton Brown
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p7
Robert Osborne
Nicole Gale Anderson
of “Home Free” Wednesday on Fox.
of “Summer Under the Stars” all week on Turner Classic Movies. p5
Jessica Szohr
of ‘Complications’ Thursday on USA Network.
“Camp Cutthroat” premiering Wednesday on Food Network.
Checking in. p8
Tim Gunn
of “Project Runway.” p9
p6
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Profiled Athlete Ben Roethlisberger pp 18-19
Editor's choice
STORY
‘Kevin From Work’
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plays his cards in love too soon
By Jay Bobbin If you want lessons on wearing your heart on your sleeve, just ask “Kevin From Work.” Played by Noah Reid, the title character in the ABC Family sitcom – executive-produced and sometimes directed by filmmaker McG (“Charlie’s Angels”), and premiering with two episodes Wednesday, Aug. 12 – believes he’s leaving for a job overseas, so he feels safe telling co-worker Audrey (Paige Spara) of his unrequited love for her, certain they’ll never see each other again. Oops. Suddenly, the other job evaporates, and Kevin finds he’s staying after all ... with Audrey, and others, now very aware of his feelings for her. His boss (recurring guest star Amy Sedaris) and friend Brian (Matt Murray, also seen as Officer Duncan Moore on ABC’s “Rookie Blue”) are among those who weigh in, often none too helpfully, on how he should handle the situation. “He just goes for it and thinks there’s nothing to lose at that point,” former “Backpackers” star Reid says of Kevin’s bravado in expressing himself to Audrey. “It would be great if he could just live his day-to-day life that way, but like a lot of us, it takes a little bit of ‘liquid courage’ to get him there. And that’s what starts the ball rolling for us. “I think the thing I most enjoy about him is that he is the Everyman who goes through the things we wish we didn’t, but often do. All the characters that populate the show are these wacky people you don’t quite understand, but accept for who they are. You’re the star of your own movie, so to speak, and I just think Kevin feels like he’s in the wrong movie a lot of the time.” Contributing to that is Brian, and actor Murray appreciates that the “Rookie Blue” schedule enabled him also to do “Kevin From Work,” since the now-airing Season 6 of the police drama was filmed last year. A “Kevin” scene that ultimately didn’t make it into the pilot’s final cut introduced him to the distinctively humorous Sedaris (“Strangers With Candy”), an experience he won’t soon forget. “She came into this bar scene wearing a very exposed dress,” Murray recalls, “and I said to her, ‘Are you ready to act the fool?’ And she was like, ‘Oh, I’m ready. I‘ve got you.’ And as soon as they yelled ‘Action!,’ she started getting down – dancing with the jukebox, on top of the jukebox, then I jumped in there and she jumped on top of me,
Click or tap here for more! Pictured: Matt Murray
dancing and just going crazy. And everybody was laughing. She just jumps right in, and that’s very inspiring.” Both Reid and Murray are grateful for the creative pedigree of “Kevin From Work,” including the involvement of McG ... whose other television ventures have encompassed “The O.C.,” “Chuck” and the current “Supernatural” and “The Mysteries of Laura.” Murray deems him “absolutely amazing, a guy anybody can talk to,” and Reid attests, “You really feel his professionalism on the set. This is a guy who has succeeded at every level, starting out in the music industry and moving into film and television and running his own company. He brings that caliber of work with him, and everybody kind of feeds into it. He knows how to run a show.”
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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A
MikeHolmes of ‘Home Free’ Wednesday on Fox
How would you describe the skill level of contestants coming in on “Home Free”? First of all, their skill level coming in is not good. These are people who are wonderful people that obviously are trying to win a dream home – and that’s the competition to come in and help me renovate eight houses to give to eight deserving families and at the same time they’re going to learn. They’re going to be – I don’t want to say beaten but they will be. The heat, the pressure, the work – things they did not expect to be working in the construction world, it’s exactly what they’re doing. They live, breathe, eat 24 hours on the job site. They sleep in a little, tiny trailer. It’s a little teardrop trailer. What are the common mistakes you’re seeing them make? I would have to say it’s (succumbing to) pressure because they’re going from morning until night, the heat exhaustion and the mistakes they’re making is thankfully not getting hurt but more making quick, fast (moves) because they don’t have a lot of time to do the competitions that I throw at them. Every day I’ll throw something at them, and they tend to make mistakes and in that time period, if they make mistakes they don’t win. ...
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Have you found any diamonds in the rough? Honestly, yes. I’ve created a MIC Award, and that’s most improved couple. Two girls, I’ve got to tell you, they are twin sisters and the story behind why they’re here is really heart-touching. Every one of them has a wonderful story of why they should be here. But they have improved extraordinarily. I can’t believe how well they’re doing.
CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin’s Q&A
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RobertOsborne of ‘Summer Under the Stars’ all week on Turner Classic Movies Are you happy with the mix of featured actors in the annual “Summer Under the Stars” festival this time? I particularly love it this year because we have people like Monty Woolley, who I think a lot of people think only made “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” The fact that we’ve got 24 hours of his films that show the scope of his career is really interesting. Rex Ingram is a name that a lot of people don’t know. He was an African-American actor who played the genie in “The Thief of Bagdad” with Sabu, and was in “Cabin in the Sky.” He had just a remarkable career, and to be able to show 24 hours of his movies and get people acquainted with him ... he’s somebody everybody in the industry knew back then, but most people don’t know today. What’s the particular significance of showcasing a day of work by someone who mainly was known as a “supporting” or “character” actor? I love the fact that besides the Joan Crawfords and the Barbara Stanwycks, we give attention to people like that. Those people were really the hub of the industry, the glue that keeps it all together. Those big stars kind of came and went – most of them, some didn’t – and those “character” people didn’t get paid that much, but they were around forever. If you had a Rex Ingram or a Monty Woolley, all they had to do was show up, and they kind of let you know right off the bat who the character was ... what kind of guy that was, who you could trust or couldn’t trust, all of that. They just added so much to movies.
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CELEBRITY John Crook’s Q&A
Jessica Szohr
of ‘Complications’ Thursday on USA Network
What do you think makes your character, Gretchen, tick? As the story goes on, you realize that Gretchen comes from this hard, dark, broken-up past, and she has made such a change in her life to do right. But she’s still scarred from some things. She doesn’t care if she goes off on someone or says something that is harsh or rude. What someone else is thinking, she’ll say out loud. She and John are basically two ordinary people who are just trying to make a difference in life and yet they are thrust into this series of extraordinary circumstances. How are she and John alike? The great dynamic with John and Gretchen is that they’re kind of like Batman and Robin. They care about their patients and their loved ones very much, and they’re always trying to save lives. They’re always trying to do the right thing, yet they end up doing it the wrong way and there are so many obstacles. What sets her apart from John? The biggest difference between Gretchen and John when they’re in a situation is that Gretchen is in the moment and makes a decision right there. They make a good team because while they do a lot of things together, John usually tries to plan it out whereas Gretchen is more “Let’s just do it!” As much as they bicker about things, though, they’re sort of on the same page, even if they’re on two different paragraphs.
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FOOD George Dickie’s What's for Dinner
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What book are you currently reading? “I finally decided to settle down and read ‘Infinite Jest,’ which I probably should have read years ago. ... It’s one of those books that you have to read with a dictionary, so I’m actually (laughs) reading it and Webster’s Ninth at the same time.” What did you have for dinner last night? “I had two shrimp tacos for dinner last night out of a small food truck in Oahu.” What is your next project? “I’m working on a new book right now that will be out next year. ... I’m on ‘Cutthroat Kitchen’ right now until mid-August ... and then I will go back to Atlanta and finish up a book manuscript that has a lot of moving parts to it, a very different kind of project from anything I’ve done before. That’s going to take me most of the rest of the year.” When was the last vacation you took, where and why? “I snuck off to Paris last year for a few days but it was more of a working trip. I took a baking class in Paris last year, so I don’t know if you’d call that a vacation but it kind of felt like it part of the time. I don’t vacation real well to be honest (laughs). Yeah, I’m a worker bee.” Pictured: Alton Brown
Contestants face elements real and manufactured on Food Network’s ‘Camp Cutthroat’ Imagine cooking on a gas grill perched precariously on a canoe in the middle of a lake. Or cooking while hanging from a very high wall. Or in high winds. These are but some of the challenges facing contestants in the Food Network competition series “Camp Cutthroat,” a five-episode summer series premiering Wednesday, Aug. 12. Hosted by Alton Brown, the series brings 12 memorable contestants from his “Cutthroat Kitchen” to a remote camp location set up in the mountains near Malibu, Calif., to vie in a series of outdoor-themed culinary challenges and sabotages. The winners of each of the first four episodes advance to
the Sept. 9 finale, with a prize of up to $75,000 at stake. “He who had McGyver DNA did best,” Brown says of the contestants’ ingenuity. “But we didn’t want to just pick people and force them to have been an Eagle Scout or an Airborne Ranger or something like that. But yes, those skills would definitely come in mighty handy. ... And physical dexterity and physical fortitude were required. It was a far more physical competition than we’ve done before.” The spartan conditions of Camp Cutthroat pushed contestants to think outside the box and that resulted in cuisine that ranged, as Brown
describes it, “from the hideous to the sublime.” “You know, the outdoors always makes things taste better,” he says, “and in some cases, that was certainly true. And in fact, it was really funny that competitors that we had had chosen to come on board even though they’d never been camping in their lives, which was the case with some of them, and made some of the besttasting food. “And then of course, some of it ... you’d look for a nice bush to spit out behind. But there were some things where I’m not actually required to taste the food and there were days when I was very, very happy about that.”
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CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin’s Celebrity ScooP
Nicole Gale
Anderson Nicole Gale Anderson doesn’t mind sharing the comic relief on “Beauty and the Beast” these days. As Heather Chandler, the perennially perky halfsister of police detective Catherine (Kristin Kreuk), the actress usually has been brought in to lighten things up on The CW’s Thursday romantic-adventuredrama series. A full-time cast regular now, Anderson allows that the current Season 3 is lighter overall, with “Cat” and her beastly beau Vincent (Jay Ryan) often engaging in repartee that borders on the comical. “With her bright, bubbly energy, Heather is just a lot of fun to play,” says Anderson, who exudes the same qualities herself in conversation. “They really have changed the tone of the show to be more in line with something like ‘Castle,’ where there are serious things going on but at a certain point, it’s just like, ‘Our lives are crazy! We can’t help but laugh about it.’ “It gives me more room to play,” Anderson notes. “I’m really enjoying the relationships between J.T. (Vincent’s close friend, played by Austin Basis) and Heather, and Tess (Cat’s police partner turned boss, portrayed by Nina Lisandrello) and Heather. Completepolar-opposite characters come together, and that’s cause for really great comedy.” The fact that Anderson is playing someone so closely related to Kreuk is giving her real relatives a big kick, since she reports, “I grew up watching ‘Smallville’ with my family, and we were always big fans of Kristin. My parents would say, ‘You guys look so much alike. You just need to get a role as her sister in some project.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, OK. I’ll just call somebody.’ Then I got the audition for this, and it was, ‘You’re kidding me!’ ” Anderson admits she had thoughts of, “If I don’t get this ... ,” but her parents easily were as happy as she was about her ultimate “Beauty” treatment. “They were so excited. It just felt like all the stars aligned, for sure.” Page 8 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 9 - 15, 2015
Birthdate: Aug. 29, 1990 Birthplace: Rochester, Ind. Current residence: Toronto Marital status: Single On “Jonas” co-star Nick Jonas’ current music success: “Oh, my gosh. It’s really cool to see him come into his own as an independent artist. He’s always been so talented and driven, even when he was a part of the Jonas Brothers group. He was always writing and humming new melodies around the set, and going into a corner and jotting them down.”
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CELEBRITY CelebritY profile
Ti mGunn
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Emmy winning co-host and mentor for Lifetime’s “Project Runway,” where he also serves as one of the show’s producers. • Born on July 29, 1953, in Washington D.C. • George, his father, was an FBI agent and a ghostwriter for J. Edgar Hoover. • In 1976, he received his bachelor’s in fine arts from Washington’s Corcoran College of Art and Design. • Was a teacher and former chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons School of Design. • He broke out as a fashion mentor on the hit TV reality show “Project Runway” in 2004. • He also starred on his own show, “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style” in 2007. • Also in 2007, he joined Liz Claiborne as its chief creative officer. • He voiced Baileywick in the 2012 Disney animated film “Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess” and its television series. • He has also made cameo appearances on the television shows “Ugly Betty,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Drop Dead Diva” and “Gossip Girl” as well as feature films “Sex and the City 2” and played an executive assistant at a cosmetics company in “The Smurfs Movie.” • Wrote several books including “Gunn’s Golden Rules: Life’s Little Lessons for Making It Work,” “Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet” and most recently “Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor: A Master Class on Mentoring, Motivating, and Making It Work!” • In 2014, launched the Tim Gunn Collection where he designed a full range of products for all home textile categories including bedding, bath, window and pet lines.
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CELEBRITY
“We never really say ‘goodbye.’ With what you see in the cut that makes it on the air, it is ‘goodbye’ ... however, there’s a little more to that, because its not a true ‘goodbye.’ It is, ‘We can’t wait to see you enter the makeup world now, and what you’re going to bring.”’ – McKenzie Westmore of “Face Off” on Syfy, about the potential for contestants to return to the show
“That’s why I took this show before the other one ended. I have that panic or anxiety thing about not having that job, so I usually say ‘yes’ to things.” – Ryan Seacrest, of “Knock Knock Live” on Fox, about launching the new show before the final season of “American Idol” begins Page 10 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote August 9 - 15, 2015
“We have great plans for it. We’re just really beginning our partnership with MGM and the rebirth of this grand studio. It’s been super-exciting for us and our family and our business, and we have such hopes and dreams.” – Roma Downey of “Answered Prayers” on TLC, about now running the United Artists studio in tandem with her producer husband Mark Burnett
CELEBRITY
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ON DVRs Valerie Bertinelli of “Valerie’s Home Cooking” on Food Network “A lot of Food Network shows. I’m kind of going into a little bit of a depression with (the impending end of ‘The Daily Show With Jon Stewart’). I’m taping every single one of his episodes so I don’t miss them.”
Kix Brooks of “Steak Out With Kix Brooks” on Cooking Channel “ ‘Game of Thrones’ right now.” Jillian Barberie of “Funny or Die Presents: America’s Next Weatherman” on TBS “I finally got into ‘Breaking Bad,’ and ‘Orange Is the New Black’ is my new obsession. I watch ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’ and ‘The Daily Show,’ but to be honest with you, I mostly watch documentaries. And I’m a big cinephile, too; I’ll watch every movie that comes out.”
Keith Urban of “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” on ABC “Oh, ‘Bloodline.’ Nic (wife Nicole Kidman) and I just started watching that a couple of weeks ago. Ben Mendelsohn is a friend of ours, and he’s absolutely riveting in that show. I’ve been a fan of ‘The Newsroom’ from the beginning; I’m a huge Aaron Sorkin fan. And, of course, ‘Top Gear.’ I’m such a car nut, I obsessively watch that show as well.”
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STORY
"I Am Chris Farley" airs Monday on Spike TV. Story on next page
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STORY
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‘I Am Chris Farley’
recalls a gifted comic and gentle soul By George Dickie
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nyone who has ever been a fan of Chris Farley’s work will gain a greater appreciation of the late “Saturday Night Live” comic after viewing the new documentary “I Am Chris Farley.”
Airing Monday, Aug. 10, on Spike TV, 11 days after its theatrical debut, the two-hour film tells the story of Farley, one of five children born to an oil executive and his homemaker wife, who went from a middle-class upbringing in Madison, Wis., to stardom on “SNL” and in 1990s films such as “Tommy Boy” and “Black Sheep” before dying at 33 of an overdose in 1997. A long list of contemporaries and co-stars, including Christina Applegate, David Spade, Dan Aykroyd, Adam Sandler, Lorne Michaels, Jon Lovitz, Bo Derek, Molly Shannon and Bob Odenkirk, share their memories of the loud and manic Farley, as do friends and family members. “I think that one of the things that has always been left out is he’s one of those guys that left an impression on you when you met him,” Kevin Farley says. “And I think at the end of the day, that’s what really remains, is how someone makes you feel ... . And when I approached these (stars who commented on Chris), they were very eager to talk about the impression that Chris made on them. So it wasn’t really that difficult to get them on board because I think a lot of these guys and people that knew him have very fond memories of Chris.” Film clips abound of Farley from his early days in Chicago’s Second City Theatre through his time on “SNL” to his work in movies. Childhood friends and siblings recall how some of the characters Chris created on the NBC late-night show were actually based on people he grew up with – most notably Matt Foley, the overbearing
motivational speaker in the cheap suit who lived “in a van down by the river.” “There were a few football coaches that I see in Matt Foley as well as my father,” Kevin Farley says. “The volume on Matt Foley is definitely my father. He could really bellow. And the movements and everything, those were a lot of the high-school football coaches we had growing up. He used to always imitate them. So he combined people a lot of times. “And Matt Foley is ... a Catholic priest and he just wanted to name him that, so I think Father Matt Foley is stuck with that for the rest of his life,” he says, laughing. What comes through is a portrait of a gentle soul and gifted physical performer who was “on” at all times. If Chris were alive today, Kevin Farley says he thinks his brother would still be making movies because acting was his first love. “He just really loved to create a character and show it off,” Kevin Farley says. “And that was his art – you know, creating a character and then ‘Hey let me show you what I can do with this.’ ”
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STORY
Jeff Gordon competes in the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen Sunday on NBC Sports Network.
Story on next page
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STORY
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By George Dickie Jeff Gordon has a lot to look forward to in retirement. Indeed, the four-time Sprint Cup champ has a family, a wine business, a gig next year with Fox Sports as an analyst on NASCAR races and, of course, the memories and laurels from competing successfully at stock-car racing’s highest level over the course of 24 years. “As a kid, all I wanted to do was just race,” the 44-year-old Northern California native explains. “I didn’t think about how far I could get and what I could accomplish. Along with those accomplishments have just come some incredible experiences in life and memories. Not just winning races, but places I’ve traveled, people I’ve met, being able to do things in my foundation and sharing those things with my kids and my family.” Sunday, Aug. 9, on NBC Sports Network, Gordon makes one final appearance as a driver at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York to vie in the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen. Gordon remains focused on matters on the track as he makes his farewell tour of NASCAR tracks this season. He’s satisfied with his team’s 10th-place standing (at this writing) in the Chase for the Sprint Cup following a slow start. But he admits the R-word enters his thoughts regularly – mostly because he’s constantly asked about it. And then there are the salutes to him at the various venues.
“Tracks like Sonoma, that’s basically home for me, where I was born and grew up, and the effort that they put into that final race there and the way that the fans responded was amazing,” he says. “And I’ve been getting a lot more of that throughout the season and it’s very overwhelming and I’m very appreciative.” If Gordon can put together one final championship season like the ones he had in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001, it will be icing on the cake of a career that he leaves third all-time in wins (92 at this writing), third in pole positions (80) and first in consecutive races participated in (783 with Sunday’s race). That’s to go with victories in the 1997, 1999 and 2005 Daytona 500. But, he says, a fifth Cup title will not change his mind about retirement. For him, it’s a done deal and it’s something that will definitely happen after 15 more races. “I think, for me, it’s really more about Homestead,” Gordon says of the season’s climactic race in South Florida. “Homestead will be that final race and I think that one will be the one where it kind of all starts to come together and hit me and I really understand that, ‘Wow, this is the last time I’m gonna be doing this.’ ”
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STORY
Realty gets real for young home-seekers in new ABC Family series By Jay Bobbin If you’re a young adult seeking an apartment, it can help “All the employees are under 30, and that’s very rare – to have a realty agent who not only knows what you sometimes, you have a company that has a lot of young need, but who’s roughly the same age. employees but Mommy and Daddy are still there – and they’re all beautiful and well-dressed. It’s just a different feel, young and hip and sleek and cool. You felt alive The New York firm The Next Step Realty has established itself on that basis, and it’s about to become when you walked in.” better known as the subject of an unscripted series. ABC Family debuts “Next Step Realty: NYC” Tuesday, The Next Step Realty’s business model isn’t centered Aug. 11, focusing on interactions among the agents principally on financial status, Rossen reports: “It’s as well as their dealings with clients – who come from based on what (clients’) expectations are, where they a variety of economic backgrounds, often challenging want to live, and how serious they are about signing. the realtors to meet their promise of showing up to 12 With a lot of these apartments, it doesn’t matter if the residence options in less than three hours. kids don’t have jobs; the parents are going to have to co-sign anyway, because Manhattan real estate is very expensive. You have to make, like, 20 times your salary “ABC Family has always catered to the Millennials, to even qualify for an apartment.” and now, they’re starting to cater to a new generation that they’re calling the Becomers,” explains executive producer Danielle Rossen, who also makes the series Still, Rossen – the wife of NBC News correspondent “What Would You Do?” for ABC. “It’s from your first kiss Jeff Rossen – stresses the range that “Next Step Realty: to your first house, and this show fits in there perfectly. NYC” covers, not just $12,000-a-month rents. It’s aspirational, it has drama, it has success stories and it has love stories ... so it’s right in the genre of what “We run the full gamut, but some of these students who they want.” are coming out of Harvard and Yale are getting huge jobs in the financial industry. Then there are the three Rossen says she learned of The Next Step Realty girls looking to share one apartment, and they really because “a friend of a friend’s daughter worked there, have to manage to money to figure out how they’re and through that, we did some research and met going to make (the rent of) $3200 a month happen, (but with them. You know the feeling when you walk into they) also can live the New York City life experience. It’s something and you can’t get too excited, because you not out of reach even if you don’t have a job at a top can’t let them think you want it more than they want it? I hedge fund.” walked in there and knew this was gold.
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STORY
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Police work and parenting intersect in UP’s ‘Ties That Bind’ By George Dickie
When you think about it, there are some aspects of parenting that require police work and some aspects of police work that require parenting skills. Kelli Williams stars in “Ties That Bind,” premiering Wednesday on UP.
Which makes Kelli Williams’ new vehicle “Ties That Bind” something of an intriguing mix. In the 10-episode, hourlong drama that premieres Wednesday, Aug. 12, on UP, the former “The Practice” and “Army Wives” actress stars as Allison McLean, a tough and experienced police detective in suburban Seattle who tries to balance her demanding and dangerous job with that of being a wife to Matt (Jonathan Scarfe, “Hell on Wheels”) and a mother to teenagers Jeff and Rachel (Mitchell Kummen, Natasha Calis).
family, that’s everybody’s sort of struggle to do both well. And some days the job comes home with you and vice versa; some argument you had with your kid or your spouse comes with you to work.”
But her life gets ever more complicated when her partner, Devin (Dion Johnstone, “Defiance”), must arrest Allison’s brother, Tim (Luke Perry, “Beverly Hills, 90210”), on an assault charge, and she decides to take in his two children after he is sent to prison. Needless to say, the two pouty newcomers are very resentful of their new surroundings and their no-nonsense aunt, thus adding to Allison’s load. Williams, herself a mother of three who admits she’s new to playing a cop, says she was drawn to the role of Allison because “I was really pleasantly surprised by the whole hybrid aspect of the show. ... It just seemed really interesting to me to try to play both sides because I know with parents and working parents and trying to balance career and
For the role, Williams had to do a little research. She went to a gun range to learn how to handle a gun, did a ride-along with a captain in the Van Nuys (Calif.) police department and sat in on one of their Monday crime meetings. She also had to do stunt work, which left her banged up and bruised but otherwise unbowed. “From how does a cop stand with a big gun holster to interrogation to tackling people – the physical aspect of it, the stunts that you have to do are pretty crazy and extensive and that’s been a really fun challenge. And wow, like the bruises and the tired bodies and all of that, it’s really been exhilarating and exhausting but it’s all good,” she says, laughing.
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SPORTS
Story on next page Full Name: Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger, Sr.
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Passing yards: 39,057
Born: March 2, 1982
Position: Quarterback
Passer rating: 93.9
Birthplace: Lima, Ohio
No.: 7
Height/Weight: 6 feet 5 inches/241 lbs College: Miami University (Ohio)
Honors & Achievements: Super Bowl Champion, 2005, 2008; Pro Bowl, 2007, 2011, 2014; NFL Draft: Round 1, pick 11 in 2004 Touchdowns/Interceptions: Offensive Rookie of the Year, 2004; Team MVP, 2009 251/131
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By Dan Ladd The Pittsburgh Steelers come into this 2015 NFL season with expectations to not only repeat as AFC North champions, but to contend for the Super Bowl as well. Football fans’ first glance at the Steelers will be Sunday, August 9, when they play the Minnesota Vikings in the Hall of Fame Game airing on NBC. Now in his 12th season, and with two Super Bowl Rings on his hand, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is poised to make another title run. Roethlisberger, the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, once again has a solid running game to support his passing attack. With Hall of Fame inductee Jerome Bettis gone, this now comes in the form of the NFL’s second best leading rusher in 2014, Le’Veon Bell. With the running game established, Roethlisberger threw for 4,952 yards last season, his best to date, tossing 32 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions. The Steelers had the second best offense in the NFL, though their rebuilding defense struggled at times. As for this season, the load will likely fall back to Roethlisberger early on, since Bell is under a three game suspension, which includes the season opener against the New England Patriots.
BenRoethlisberger
One thing that Roethlisberger is accustomed to is winning, and as the season progresses, Bell returns in Week 4 and the defense continues to improve, it will come as no surprise to anyone if Big Ben and the Steelers are hanging around in January, and perhaps, February as well.
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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review
review
‘Minions’ make merry in their own spinoff It’s tough enough to come up with an original movie with main characters who sustain it. Invent supporting characters that develop their own popularity as well, and that’s quite a bonus.
minions and, along with her husband (voiced by Jon Hamm, who’s something of a literal mad man here), dispatches her new acquaintances to steal the crown of the Queen of England.
The minions did just that in the animated “Despicable Me” comedies, and they get their own showcase in – what else? – “Minions,” which is more fun when it simply lets the gibberish-spewing creatures run amok than when it tries to cuff them to a far-fetched plot.
The plotting gets somewhat clunky as “Minions” moves along, but again, the characters are the saving grace. Little moments compensate for holes in the story, and the music of the ‘60s also plays a big part in that, with classics by the Who, the Doors and the Rolling Stones included on the soundtrack.
Then again, that fetch can get away with going pretty far. This is “Minions,” after all. Those with an affinity for the 1960s will be a particular kick out of the film, since that’s the story’s primary era. The minions feel pretty isolated from the rest of the world since they have a habit of causing bad luck, so several of them go to a convention called Villain Con in the hope of connecting with their likeliest soulmates. They find a big one in Scarlet Overkill, whose voice is supplied by Sandra Bullock. She spiritually adopts the
Michael Keaton, Allison Janney and Steve Coogan also are heard as character voices, and Geoffrey Rush gives the proper mock-serious intonation as the narrator who sets up the minions’ saga – which actually dates back a lot earlier than the ‘60s. With some story tightening, “Minions” could have been a home run. As it stands, it still gets on the summer-movie playing field quite ably ... and thanks to its title stars’ forked tongues, it’s one of those films you may want to quote, but probably won’t be able to.
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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's movie review movies to watch
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Top Pick
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“HOT PURSUIT” In the style of so many “buddy” movies that rely heavily on the differences between their two stars, this comedy draws upon the inherent differences between Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”) – both producers of the film as well – for the bulk of its humor. After her protection of a drug dealer and his wife goes awry in a drastic way, a strait-laced cop (Witherspoon) flees with the lively woman (Vergara) across Texas, with enemies from both sides of the law in ... well, hot pursuit. Director Anne Fletcher’s (“The Proposal”) cast also includes such reliables as John Carroll Lynch and Richard T. Jones, but there’s little doubt of who stays in focus, and they supply enough tandem amusement to keep the picture afloat. ››› (PG-13: Pictured: Reese Witherspoon (left) and Sofia Vergara
upcoming DVD releases
Coming Soon on DVD... “THE BLACKLIST: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON” (Aug. 18): FBI agent Liz (Megan Boone) needs informant Red’s (James Spader) help when some of her actions catch up to her. (Not rated: 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)
Pictured: James Spader
“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)
“THE AGE OF ADALINE” (Sept. 8): Blake Lively plays a woman who stops aging, posing emotional complications for her; Harrison Ford also stars. (PG-13: AS, P) “EMPIRE: SEASON ONE” (Sept. 15): Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson head the cast of the Fox drama series about a musicindustry titan and his divisive family. (Not rated: AS, P) “FURIOUS 7” (Sept. 15): Paul Walker’s last film in the franchise finds Dom (Vin Diesel) and his hard-driving comrades hunted as well as hunting. (PG-13: AS, P, V)
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FAVORITE SHOWS
Jeff Foxworthy hosts “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila co-hosts “American Ninja Warrior”
SUNDAY 8 p.m. on NBC NFL Preseason Football Though it’s only early August, one of the first sure signs of fall is football, and that makes its first appearance tonight in Canton, Ohio, with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings will kick off the preseason against Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers. MONDAY 8 p.m. on NBC American Ninja Warrior Those who made the cut for the top 30 in Pittsburgh the last time the show was there tackle the course again — with some elements that are new to
Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers
them — in the new episode “Pittsburgh Finals.” The Salmon Ladder, the Floating Monkey Bars, the Door Knob Arch and the Invisible Ladder are the added tests ... and as always, the goal is to qualify for the Las Vegas final and a shot at the $1,000,000 grand prize. Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila are the hosts. New TUESDAY 8 p.m. on FOX Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? The challenge continues for a middleschool principal, while a restaurant manager starts his own quest toward a possible $1 million prize, in the new episode “Brent (Part 2)/Caleb (Part 1).” As usual, several smart youngsters are standing by to help the adult
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players if they need assistance with the grade-school-level questions. Host Jeff Foxworthy has quips ... and you just know he won’t go easy on the principal if the occasion warrants it. New 9 p.m. on BRAVO The Real Housewives of New York City In the season finale, “New Beginnings, My Ass,” Bethenny and Ramona’s front-row ruckus leads to great press for Sonja’s Fashion Week debut. Carole comes over to see Bethenny’s completed apartment and shares the gossip that LuAnn has been talking about Bethenny behind her back. Things turn awkward during a lunch between John and Dorinda when he wants to take their relationship to the continued on next page
FAVORITE SHOWS next level and she says she’s not ready for that. Unresolved conflicts arise during Ramona’s New Beginnings party. Season Finale New WEDNESDAY 10 p.m. on NBC Last Comic Standing Those who were invited into the contest have their final shot to secure a continuing berth in the competition in a new episode with a title that pretty much says it all, “The Invitationals: Last Chance to Advance.” Judges Roseanne Barr, Norm MacDonald and Keenen Ivory Wayans give their takes on the contestants’ performances — and it won’t be a laughing matter to anyone who gets a thumbs-down. Anthony Jeselnik is the host. New 10 p.m. on CNBC Make Me a Millionaire Inventor In this new unscripted six-episode series, top engineers scour the United States looking for amazing ideas that they are convinced can make big money. None of these ideas became a reality the first time around, but now these engineers will track down the inventors and give them a second chance to bring their dreams to life by giving them the resources and assistance they need to take their products from concept to reality, in a process that includes building, testing and perfecting the products to get them pitch-ready. Series Premiere New THURSDAY 9 p.m. on PBS America’s Ballroom Challenge Before “Dancing With the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” there was a series of publictelevision specials by this name. A three-part series revives the franchise, with “So You Think ...” veteran Mary Murphy and Tony Meredith serving as the hosts of episodes recorded during a competition in Columbus, Ohio.
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“Episode One” presents the finals consult a law-school friend (guest star in American Smooth and American Rebecca Mader). Rhythm, encompassing such dances as the waltz and the tango. SATURDAY 11:30 p.m. on FOX FRIDAY Scream Queens 10 p.m. on CBS With the fall television season getting Blue Bloods ever closer, Fox offers brief previews The NYPD goes up against an of its new shows — including this international criminal in “Most Wanted.” much-touted entry from “Glee” and Frank and Danny (Tom Selleck, Donnie “American Horror Story” mentor Ryan Wahlberg) pursue the slippery felon Murphy, casting noted movie “scream who has evaded murder convictions queen” Jamie Lee Curtis as the dean numerous times — but with the of a rather lethal college. Lea Michele, Reagans on his back, it’s likely his Emma Roberts and music’s Ariana number is up. The cost of sending Nicky Grande also star. Similarly short peeks (Sami Gayle) to college makes Erin at “Minority Report,” “Rosewood,” (Bridget Moynahan) consider starting “Grandfathered” and “The Grinder” her own practice, prompting her to follow. New
Mary Murphy co-hosts “America’s Ballroom Challenge”
Tom Selleck stars in “Blue Bloods”
Norm MacDonald in “Last Comic Standing”
Ariana Grande stars in “Scream Queens”
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