My So-Called Life courtesy Shout! Factory
Shout Factory! is auctioning off a My So-Called Life six-DVD deluxe boxed set autographed by cast members Claire Danes, Bess Armstrong, Wilson Cruz, Devon Gummersall, Tom Irwin, A.J. Langer, Devon Odessa and Lisa Wilhoit, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to DonorsChoose.org. Go to eBay for deets.... The 2008 CMT Music Awards will be held April 14.... DVD releases have been set for The Riches: Season 1 (Jan. 8) and Mrs. Doubtfire: Behind-the-Seams Special Edition (March 4).
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Wilson Cruz, My So-Called Life
Back in 1994, one of the best series never to make it was born: My So-Called Life, a teen drama with such heart and truthfulness that many (including its network) didn't know what to make of it. For anyone who was a teenager — or an overgrown teenager — back then and watched each week with bated breath, the complete series is being released today on DVD in a special collectible set. TVGuide.com talked to Wilson Cruz, now 34, whose Rickie Vasquez had one of the show's most poignant storylines, about the show's legacy.
TVGuide.com: After more than a decade, why does My So-Called Life still speak to people so much?Wilson Cruz: I think it took its audience really seriously but didn't take itself too seriously. In the end, what it was trying to say with the parallel storylines between the parents and the adolescent
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Ricardo Antonio Chavira by Bob D'Amico/ABC
Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira wed longtime girlfriend Marcea Dietzel on Sept. 22 in a private ceremony, the actor reveals on Tuesday's Entertainment Tonight.... DVD releases have been set for the My So-Called Life: The Complete Series and October Road: The Complete First Season (both on Oct. 30), and Superbad (Dec. 4).... Best-selling author James Patterson and the executive producers of ABC's Women's Murder Club, which premieres this Friday, will answer fans' questions via a live ABC.com blog tonight at 8 pm/ET.... Who's your favorite recurring Seinfeld character? Choose from our list and vote here.
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Question: I'm not even going to attempt to argue with Julie H.'s recent statement that drugs, alcohol and sex play a part in most high school experiences, considering that none of those things had to do with mine (and I'm 23), but I do want to address the somewhat roller-coaster trend of these teen dramas. I personally loved The O.C., so when I heard about Gossip Girl, I thought it would be a comparable replacement. When I watched the premiere, I (and after reading reviews, it seems that I am the only one) was severely disappointed. It was boring, predictable, at times unbelievable and insulting. After a benchmark-in-the-teen-drama-sector show like The O.C., and after failed attempt after failed attempt at remaking it (Life As We Know It, Summerland, Hidden Palms), what can these shows do to surprise us? I realize that a show about a bunch of poor kids with parents who love them would probably not even show at upfronts, but can't we move in that "normal" direction?
Answer: Stephanie, do I
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Question: In your column this week you said, "And speaking of self-fulfilling prophecies, I'll state my contention again that if you choose not to get behind shows out of a fear they'll get canceled, you may only be contributing to the problem." In recent history, I have tried out The Nine, Invasion, Day Break, Vanished, Studio 60 and now Traveler. With the exception of Vanished (which was wretched), I enjoyed all of them on many levels, with Invasion being my favorite and Day Break being my least. (Vanished doesn't count.) Before those there was Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, Sports Night, My So-Called Life.... I could go on. I'm just curious how many times I'll have to get torn away from a show without any fulfillment before I can stop trying to feel like it's my fault? I think back on a show like Homicide, which was amazing and so critically acclaimed despite the fact that it was never a ratings gem, and I wonder if today's market would have even given it a chance; I think we know the ...
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Devon Gummersall, State of Mind
Most people remember Devon Gummersall from his days as Angela Chase's geeky but sweet neighbor on the cult series My So-called Life, but now the actor has grown up and is portraying a lawyer on the new Lifetime drama State of Mind (premiering Sunday at 9 pm/ET). He's still the young, fresh face on the show, and he's surrounded by another great cast, including indie queen Lili Taylor. Could his humorously named lawyer Barry White have some feelings for the lovely Lili? TVGuide.com couldn't wait to find out.
TVGuide.com: I just watched your show, and it’s so cute!Devon Gummersall:
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Question: Thanks for your support of Invasion this season. I was a little sad but not surprised to see that it had been canceled. I consider it a fascinating experiment that yielded some wonderful results, like Shaun Cassidy's other series, American Gothic, although it certainly wasn't for all tastes. Best of all, it brought the talents of William Fichtner, who was able to simultaneously convey both menacing and sympathetic qualities, to my attention. I will miss Sheriff Underlay most of all. I don't consider it a "waste of time" to have taken a chance on a series that had a high chance of failure. It was worth it to see something interesting and a little different. So tell us what you think now that the decision's in. What do you think about Invasion and about investing time and love in low-chance shows?
Answer: I couldn't agree more with the praise for William Fichtner, one of the more original villains-turned-heros I've ever witnessed. I liked Invasion when it was too slow for many,
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Shane Powers, Survivor: Panama
Every reality show has a contestant fans love to hate, and for CBS' Survivor: Panama — Exile Island (tonight at 8 pm/ET), Shane Powers willingly accepts the title. As he provided a wealth of comic relief for castaways and viewers alike, the Los Angelino took Survivor fans on an emotional roller coaster as he struggled with a severe nicotine addiction and dealt with the anxiety of being away from his son. TVGuide.com sat down with Shane the day after his elimination to chat about the shocking betrayal by his "allies," the fate of his acid-wash denim shorts, and his voting strategy going into Sunday's season finale.
TVGuide.com: What's the reaction been like since your elimination episode aired?
Shane Powers: It's been positive. The [reaction] I cared most about was my son's, and
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Question: I have recently started watching Love Monkey reruns on VH1 and have completely fallen in love with the show. (Tom Cavanagh rules!) I only wish I and about a million other people had started watching the show earlier so that we could all look forward to many seasons to come. My question: Oftentimes, such as with Love Monkey or My So-Called Life, other channels will pick up episodes and rerun them for the "cult" fans. Why can't these same channels actually produce new episodes for the show, knowing they already have a large fan base? Is it that difficult to obtain rights to a show that another network has already canceled?
Answer: From what I've read of VH1's numbers for Love Monkey so far, I wouldn't overestimate how "large" that fan base is, though it certainly deserves one. The basic issue here is that cable networks like VH1 simply don't have the budget to produce costly new episodes of a sophisticated scripted drama (with A-list actors like Cavanagh, Judy Greer, Larenz Tate
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Question: About 20 years or so ago, there was a movie on TV about the dropping of nuclear bombs that was like a live news telecast from CNN or something similar it; I think there was a continuous line at the bottom of the screen saying it was just a movie, not real. They only showed it once and said they would never show it again. What was the name of this movie, and is it available on DVD or has it been destroyed?Answer: You're looking for Special Bulletin (1983), which was formatted as a series of special news bulletins from local channel RBS charting an escalating nuclear crisis in Charleston. It was directed by Edward Zwick and cowritten and coproduced by Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz, who subsequently worked together on projects ranging from TV's thirtysometh
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