Jane Kaczmarek, Raising the Bar
Steven Bochco, the mastermind behind NYPD Blue and L.A. Law, assembles another top-notch cast for Raising the Bar (Mondays at 10 pm/ET, TNT), a new legal drama about New York prosecutors, defense lawyers and one no-nonsense judge played by Jane Kaczmarek. We caught up with former Malcolm in the Middle mom to discuss her new show, working with Zack Morris and her duties as a real-life mom.
TV Guide: It's good to see you back on television again!
Jane Kaczmarek: [Laughs] It's been long enough that I was able to travel and spend some time with my children — I waited really long to have kids. You wait that long and you want to be there. I did not want to put in the kind of time I had to put into Malcolm in the Middle. I passed on a lot of stuff until something came along
read more
Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
It's a year of milestones for Kevin Bacon: The actor turned 50 (!) on July 8, he celebrates his 20th wedding anniversary with Kyra Sedgwick in September, and it's been 30 years since the release of his first movie, Animal House. Tonight, he sits in the director's chair for a third time on Sedgwick's hit series The Closer (Mondays at 9 pm/ET, TNT).
TV Guide: Did you handpick this episode?
Kevin Bacon: It doesn't really work that way, but I definitely lucked out 'cause I got a really interesting and cool script. It's a story that revolves around Sanchez and the murder of his brother. Raymond Cruz did a fantastic job — showed colors that I knew he had in him, but he still surprised me.
TV Guide: What about Brenda?
Bacon: [Sanchez] has sort of a vigilante streak to him [and] when he starts to exhi
read more
John Slattery, Mad Men
Smoke, drink and be merry. That's the motto ad executive Roger Sterling lives by, even after suffering two heart attacks last season on AMC's critical darling Mad Men (Sundays at 10 pm/ET, AMC). We asked for some insight into the character from John Slattery, the Emmy-nominated actor who plays him.
TV Guide: How lucky do you feel to be on this show?
John Slattery: It's the best job I've ever had! Every time I read a script, [Roger] always has something to say that I can't wait to do.
TV Guide: Are the glowing reviews at all surprising to you?
Slattery: Sometimes you're surprised that other people like what you like — and the fact that everybody seems to think it's even better this season.
TV Guide: What's the secret of Mad Men's success?
Slattery: I don't think it's a
read more
Joel McHale, The Soup
Soup's on! Joel McHale has picked the year's best clips from his series that celebrates TV at its most embarrassing and packed them into four The Soup Presents specials airing Monday nights at 10/pm ET through July 21. We asked the funnyman to give us a taste.
TV Guide: What show are you most embarrassed by on E!?
Joel McHale: Where do I start? Thank God Dina Lohan has a show! What a wonderful network we are to give that woman a platform.
TV Guide: Any E! celebrities you're afraid to run into?
McHale: I don't know what I would do if I ran into the Girls Next Door. I would feel like a rancher, wrangling crazy, blonde, orange-skinned creatures. They don't even know what [The Soup] is. They're way too concerned with dressing their dogs up and having photo shoots with them.
read more
Piers Morgan, America's Got Talent
“An amazing collection of talent and some of the most deluded people in America,” promises America's Got Talent (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET, NBC) judge Piers Morgan, when asked what viewers can expect when Season 3 of the competition where anything goes gets underway tonight. We chatted with him about the new season, being tough on the contestants and... wrestling with Sharon Osbourne!?
TVGuide.com: America's Got Talent was kind of a surprise hit when it debuted two summers ago. What do you think is the appeal of the show?
Piers Morgan: I think it's the only show on American TV where you can be any age and have any talent at all. I think it's something the whole family can enjoy because we have people who are 90 years old taking part and even down to a 4-year-old this year. I think it's got thi
read more
Bobby Flay, The Next Food Network Star
As if the restaurants, cookbooks, TV shows, and the line of sauces and rubs weren't enough, now Southwestern cuisine king Bobby Flay takes on responsibilities as host and head judge of The Next Food Network Star, which kicks off Season 4 Sunday night (10 pm/ET, Food Network).
TV Guide: There seem to be a lot of tears this season.…
Bobby Flay: They're never ready for how intense it is. This is what's great about these finalists — they are so passionate and they want it so badly that it gets really competitive.
TV Guide: What's your take on judging the contestants?
Flay: Being critical without being hurtful us the best way to go about being a judge.
TV Guide: Tonight's first challenge is: "In one sentence give your culinary point of view." What's yours?
F
read more
Deion and Pilar Sanders, Deion & PIlar: Prime Time Love
He played in the 1992 World Series, won two Super Bowl rings and Deion Sanders is still in the limelight as the star and executive producer of his own reality show, Deion & Pilar: Prime Time Love (Tuesdays at 10:30 pm/ET, Oxygen). We chatted with him about his views on family life.
TV Guide: Why do a reality show?
Deion Sanders: There's a lack of shows that depict African-American families in the correct manner — we're not all dysfunctional, chaotic and ignorant. We do love Run's House and what Snoop is doing, but we just wanted to put a product [out] that stresses family values and a loving nature.
TV Guide: What kind of dad are you?
Sanders: [I’m] Bill Cosby with a little twist of George Jefferson and bringing it home with [some] James Evans from Good Times.
read more
Gordon Ramsay, Hell's Kitchen
Any chit-chat with Gordon Ramsay, the foul-mouthed British chef and demanding star of Hell's Kitchen (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET, Fox), is likely to be, well, profane. We were relieved Ramsay's harsh words were aimed mostly at the contestants… and not us!
TV Guide: There seems to be a considerable lack of culinary talent this season.…
Gordon Ramsay: Characters have to be flamboyant and funny, but you know they could be on the verge of a liability. That's my battle with Fox — they want to run a show, and I a restaurant.
TV Guide: Are you worried that none of these people are really worthy of the prize — a senior chef position at your new London West Hollywood restaurant?
Ramsay: I'm not worried...I'm sh---ing myself. A $10 million investment, and here I am fa
read more
Marie Osmond, America's Favorite Mom
"You think of Donny and Marie and Mother's Day and it's like saccharine sweet," says Marie Osmond, describing her initial hesitation over hosting America's Favorite Mom (Sunday at 7 pm/ET, NBC). But she quickly changed her mind for the chance to honor stand-out moms in five categories (single moms, working moms, stay-at-home moms, unconventional moms and military moms) — one of whom will be crowned "America's Favorite" and win $250,000 in cash. Some might say Osmond deserves her own award after the year she had in 2007. We spoke with the twice-divorced, single mom of eight kids about her ups and downs.
TVGuide.com: What's a perfect Mother's Day for you?
Osmond: I love a nice quiet day with my children.
TVGuide.com: We hear you are working on a syndicated talk show for 2009.
Osmond: I want it t
read more
Patrick Warburton, Rules of Engagement
Patrick Warburton proves himself a master of deadpan again and again, whether as Elaine's boyfriend Puddy on Seinfeld, the none-too-bright superhero The Tick, or in his current gig, playing macho spouse Jeff on Rules of Engagement (Mondays at 9:30 pm/ET, CBS).
TV Guide: Of all the characters you've played who do you most relate to?
Patrick Warburton: I guess The Tick, only because I see myself as a superhero. [Laughs]
TV Guide: You're best known for that deadpan delivery that made Puddy so popular…
Warburton: Jeff is certainly a departure [from Puddy]. He's still a guy's guy but at the same time he can be manipulative and calculating. Puddy was very singular and dimensioned, so I try to stay away from things that are exactly that. But, whatever, you know, I've got four kids to put
read more
