ben.katner

Veronica's Closet Stud Back on TV

In the upcoming UPN sitcom Rock Me Baby (airing Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET beginning Sept. 16), MTV mainstay Dan Cortese plays, in essence, the king of all media. But sshh! Don't tell him that he's been crowned the new Fartman. "I'm not modeling my [shock-jock character] on anybody," he insists. "I mean, I'm up at 5:30 in the morning with my [2-year-old] son, but we're not listening to Howard Stern! "I've listened to Kevin and Bean quite a bit here on KROQ in Los Angeles," he continues, "so obviously I've heard these types of [radio personalities], but I don't really want to pattern myself after anyone. I want to make this guy my own." Whatever. If the Veronica's Closet alum believes it, who are we to tell him that he's kidding himself? Besides, aside from that little case of life-swapping, the part of a young-at-heart dad seems tailor-made for the handsome lug, who clearly prefers hip-hop to An Evening at the Pops

Fri, Aug 22, 2003

Jake Robo-Nerd Suffers for His Part

Tackling the lead in UPN's Jake 2.0 (airing Wednesdays at 9 pm/ET beginning Sept. 10) would make most actors wish they possessed the title character's technologically enhanced super-brains and brawn. But former Popular pushover Christopher Gorham needs only his own adrenaline to keep up with the physically demanding role of a government drone who, through a freak accident, is transformed into a top-secret agent. "I really thrive in this environment," the wannabe action hero says happily. "I don't feel like there's a lot of pressure on me [to carry the series], because I have this great team behind me that's creating this show, [so] I just kind of have to show up and do my job." Gorham sure makes it sound easy. But in fact, despite his status as an almost-famous Hollywood climber, he was hesitant to accept the steady gig. The hold-up? The makers of Jake initially wanted to shoot in Toronto, where their chosen one had jus

Fri, Aug 22, 2003

Christine Baranski's Happy Daze

These days, Christine Baranski is always smiling  and no, it's not because she's soused, either. Rather, the Cybill survivor is merely punch drunk because not only is she starring with John Larroquette in what may be this season's smartest comedy, NBC's Happy Family (premiering Sept. 9 at 8:30 pm/ET), but she's also still reaping the rewards of her stint as rich bitch Maryann. "I so often hear from people, 'Oh, you're so much softer [than I expected you to be],'" the actress relates. "And I've had people come to do my hair and makeup for a photo and [be] like, 'Oh my God, I was so nervous about meeting you.' "But," she adds quickly, "it's fun to have played that kind of character. I've been offered more free martinis in my life! I can step on a plane and [the stewardesses] will say, 'We'll get you your martini as soon as we take off.' So there are perks to being that character." In the long run, however, Baransk

Wed, Aug 20, 2003

Case Worker Deems Cold Uncommon

Being cast in a TV series is a big deal for any Hollywood hopeful, but being cast in a TV series by &uuml;berproducer Jerry Bruckheimer? That's like winning the lottery while sipping Dom Perignon on the way to the Oscars. So, naturally, Cold Case detective Kathryn Morris couldn't think too much about her good fortune; otherwise, she just might have dropped dead from excitement herself! "In my career, I've tried to just think about what I would like to do with my day," she says simply. "Fortunately, I've had some amazing opportunities to work with some of the best people in the business, and [in this instance], I thought it was more important that I focus on what I wanted to do for the next one-to-10 years of my life as an actress and try to forget that Jerry did

Tue, Aug 19, 2003

Like Nip/Tuck? Thank Jenny Jones!

It's virtually inconceivable to think that fans of FX's daring and, ahem, incisive new plastic-surgery drama, Nip/Tuck (airing Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET), owe a debt to sleaze queen Jenny Jones. But, series creator Ryan Murphy assures us, it's true. "I've always been incredibly drawn to before-and-after stories," confesses the exec, who also produced the WB's high-school comedy, Popular. "I'm the first person to watch any Oprah or Jenny Jones where there is a makeover. "I love that stuff," he adds with a chuckle. Of course, Murphy would never call the cringe-inducing operations performed on Nip/Tuck a laughing matter the way he has the high jinks on his former series. "In Popular, I [addressed the issue of self image] in a much more blithe way," he suggests. (No kidding  one character carried around a container of e

Tue, Aug 19, 2003

All-American Boy's Big Date

How big a stud is American Dreams co-star Jamie Elman? Although the quick-witted Canuck doesn't wind up with leading lady Charisma Carpenter in the ABC Family romantic comedy See Jane Date (premiering Saturday at 8 pm/ET), he tells TV Guide Online, "I'm one of the few guys who ends up with any girl. Let's put it that way." Considering that the TV movie's rogues' gallery of bachelors includes Antonio Sabato Jr., Evan Marriott and Less Than Perfect funnyman Zachary Levi, that's really sayin' something. Even more im

Fri, Aug 15, 2003

The Second Coming of Jason Bateman

Perhaps not since Tom Hanks shook off the stink of Bosom Buddies has a more-or-less dismissed actor been poised to make as stunning a comeback as Jason Bateman. This fall, Justine's kid brother returns in Fox's Arrested Development (premiering Nov. 2 at 9:30 pm/ET), which he describes as "The Royal Tenenbaums shot like Cops." Even more promising, the quirky docu-style family comedy comes to the tube from highfalutin movie producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. "I've always been very aware of my 'baggage,' per se," admits the child star of The Hogan Family

Thu, Aug 14, 2003

Brat Packer Moves to Poland

How do you know when you've grown up? A member of the '80s Brat Pack with whom you went through adolescence is... is... Heaven help us, she's playing a mom! But Mare Winningham, the plain Jane of St. Elmo's Fire, doesn't seem fazed in the least that she's now too mature for girly roles. Says the female lead of David E. Kelley's fall entry, The Brotherhood of Poland, N.H.: "I've got three sons of my own that are just within two years apart... and I raised them in a small town." However, the concept of the CBS drama (which debuts Sept. 24 at 10 pm/ET) didn't resonate with the sometime folk singer only as a wife  she plays Randy Quaid's unhappy better half  an

Thu, Aug 14, 2003

Kathy Griffin Gets Real

If anyone is more addicted to reality television than we are, or more ashamed of said obsession, it has to be Kathy Griffin, the onetime emcee of Kathy's So-Called Reality and winner of Celebrity Mole: Hawaii. "I happen to think reality television is excellent," the Suddenly Susan funny lady says. "I'm really tired of art." As such, it should come as no surprise to fans of the raucous redhead that this fall she's returning to the genre, as host of NBC's upcoming Average Joe, a dating game that introduces a beautiful bachelorette to  get this!  a bunch of wannabe beaus whose sexiest feature is their personalities, not their biceps. Quips the actress, who is married: "I'm attracted to and repulsed by all men, so I didn't know who the hell was average and who was handsome. I made out with three of 'em!" All kidding as

Wed, Aug 13, 2003

The 411 on The O.C.'s MVP

Whether you caught last week's premiere of Fox's fish-out-of-water soap, The O.C., you know very well who Benjamin McKenzie is  or at least you recognize the handsome 26-year-old. His mug has been featured in so many promos for the series that by now, even he is probably sick of seeing himself. Okay, maybe sick is too strong a word; the prime-time newbie is, after all, still pretty fresh off the turnip truck. His landing the role of Ryan Atwood, a delinquent pauper transplanted to Orange County, home of countless poor little rich kids, "wasn't quite as smooth as me just sort of being dropped off on a bus in L.A. and getting the job the next day," says the lucky star. "But I've been very fortunate. "[The producers] have really put a lot of faith in me," he continues humbly, "because you can look down my bio and, after about three seconds, you'll realize I haven't done anything. So for

Tue, Aug 12, 2003

Tearful Toni's Paradise Lost

Even though Toni got eliminated from Fox's Paradise Hotel last week, we'll still be glued to the tube tonight and Wednesday at 9 ET. (We can't wait to see underdogs Charla, Dave and Keith stick it to the catty original clique!) However, it won't be the same without the onetime Love Cruise passenger's temper tantrums and crying jags. Thank goodness we can look forward to seeing her again soon on another reality show... or can we? "God, no!" the volatile 29-year-old tells TV Guide Online. "I think the world's had enough of Toni. I think they've overdosed on Toni, and they want me out. They're done with me. I don't think the world would miss me if I was gone." But... but what about us, the personal trainer's throngs of admirers who have shuddered at her every threat and chortled over her frequent meltdowns? "For the most part, the people that have loved me being back on TV, it's really appreciated and v

Mon, Aug 11, 2003

Reality TV With the Greatest of Sleaze

If there remains any doubt that sin is in, today's reality-show singletons lay it to rest by adhering to one simple rule: To enjoy 15 minutes of fame, one must indulge in 15 minutes of shame. As a result, we've been introduced to an incredibly uninhibited stable of mack daddies and hoochie mamas, each of whom is more eager than the last to score points with viewers by, well, scoring with each other. But which of them deserves the coveted title of the Big Sleazy? A quick rundown of their hook-up highlights tells the sordid story. KeyKind of incorrigible: man magnet Jennifer Lopez -J- Singularly skanky: boy toy Ashton Kutcher -A- Too trashy for words: late hoops playa Wilt Chamberlain -w- Trishelle: After starting a hot-

Mon, Aug 11, 2003

Attack of the Hotel She-Hulk

Now that Toni has been sent packing from Paradise Hotel, we see little point in checking out Monday's installment (airing at 9 pm/ET on Fox), much less Wednesday's episode or any one thereafter. After all, watching the temperamental Terminatrix kiss up to and mouth off at the reality sexcapade's comparably puny menfolk was half the fun. But, of course, like all of the show's guests, we are lying through our teeth; we wouldn't miss a minute of this summer's guiltiest pleasure. (Go, Charla! Go!) Here, TV Guide Online gives the alumna of Love Cruise a chance to tell a few more fibs of her own.TV Guide Online: So, Toni, I don't want to tick you off or anything, but have you ever given any thought to getting some anger-management therapy? Toni: Nah. I don't need to. I don't think I have an anger problem in any way, shape or form. Plus, any of my friends would tell you that I am by far the most honest and caring person they know.

Fri, Aug 8, 2003

Rules Get Broken on Freaky Tuesday

When last we checked out 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (Tuesdays at 8 pm/ET on ABC), the Hennessy household had been turned inside-out. Or was it upside-down? Or... Oh, it doesn't matter! Suffice it to say, things just weren't right: Manipulative party girl Bridget (Kaley Cuoco) was going steady with an MIA sailor boy and staying home on Saturday nights, while mopey kid sis Kerry (Amy Davidson), now dating her sibling's ex, had become the toast of their high school. What's up with that? And what's more, what's coming up? "We're going to pick up pretty much where we left off [when we return on Sept. 23]," executive producer Tracy Gamble tells TV Guide Online. "We're going to deal with Kerry being popular and a little uncomfortable in her own skin, which she al

Fri, Aug 8, 2003

XXX-tra! XXX-tra! Read All About It!

There is much in porn star-turned-respectable actress Traci Elizabeth Lords's just-published autobiography, Underneath It All (HarperEntertainment, $23.95), that is sure to make the average reader's jaw drop. "But I think the thing that will shock people the most," the blonde bombshell tells TV Guide Online, "is that I wrote it myself and that it really is my story. "I've thought about writing this book for a long time," she adds. "For years, I just sat back and listened to people distort my story and make things up. So now that I'm at a point where I'm really happy and secure with who I am, I felt that it was the perfect time to take back control of how my life and my past are portrayed." Despite the fact that Lords long ago began a new chapter of her entertainment career  she's appeared in more than 20 features since her days in blue movies like Beverly Hills Copulator  her tawdry tale is more likely to uplift her ad

Fri, Aug 8, 2003

Perfect Possibilities to Play Andy Dick's Moms

Now that word has hit the street that Less Than Perfect is casting the lesbian mothers of resident odd duck Owen (Andy Dick), every ambiguously gay duo in Hollywood ought to be beating a path to the ABC witcom's offices. But before producers hand over the plum parts, perhaps they should review our list of unusual suspects. Some of these tag teams, you have to admit, have always seemed queer as folk. Joan Collins and Linda Evans: If the dueling divas of Dynasty actually had sublimated sapphic tendencies, we'd at last have a plausible explanation for their obsession with fisticuffs and shoulder pads. Jane Curtin and

Thu, Aug 7, 2003

Blood-Curdling Freddy vs. Jason Secrets!

Veteran scream queen Katharine Isabelle would sooner slit her own throat than reveal the ending of the long-awaited slash-o-rama Freddy vs. Jason (in theaters August 15). "I can't!" the actress tells TV Guide Online with a laugh. "[The producers will] sue me!" But that doesn't mean the co-star of Disturbing Behavior and Bones isn't willing to rattle a few skeletons in the closets of her creepshow colleagues. For starters, the 21-year-old insists that the scissorhanded villain of A Nightmare on Elm Street (and its umpteen subpar sequels) is really a big softy. "Robert Englund left me a huge bouquet of flowers in my trailer and gave me an 8x10 picture of [himself as] Freddy with the claw that says, 'For K

Tue, Aug 5, 2003

Harlemm Goes Hollywood

Those who would have us believe that cheaters never prosper have obviously never heard of Harlemm Lee. To make it to the finals in NBC's summer talent contest, the eager Fame seeker shaved nearly a decade off his age. What's more, if the pocket-sized powerhouse had it all to do over, he just might do the same thing! "At [the initial] audition, Debbie Allen gave us, like, 10 seconds to sing, and before that, it was, 'Okay, I need your name and age,'" the 35-year-old tells TV Guide Online. "So, with hundreds of people there, the majority of whom were, like, 16, I really felt that if I said I was over 30, ears were going to just shut off. So I took the risk, thinking that was what I needed to do to [make the cut]." There's no arguing with success, we suppose. Besides, despite stiff competition from heartthrob-in-the-making Alex Boyd and wholesome

Thu, Jul 31, 2003

Hotel Guest Tells, But Doesn't Kiss (Much)

Although Fox's decadent summer sexcapade Paradise Hotel boasts more bikini-clad babes than Daytona Beach at spring break, where the show's boys were was almost always wherever bodacious Amanda was  and with good reason. Not only does the 22-year-old resort concierge possess a heavenly body, but her manner is refreshingly down-to-earth. Here, the not-necessarily-swinging single opens up to TV Guide Online about her sometimes-murky motivations, her distorted image and Toni the incredible she-Hulk.TV Guide Online: Since you fibbed to your boyfriend, Jason, that you'd only kissed Beau  and, by now, like us, he must have seen you making out with Alex, Zack and Matt, too  is it safe to assume that your rekindled relationship didn't work out? Amanda: If you look at the tapes, you will never see me touching lips with Alex, Matt or Zach  it's people assuming what they would like to see. Jason understands what the who

Wed, Jul 30, 2003

Recurring Dreams? Sweet!

In case you nodded off the first time we told you, we'll repeat ourselves: Not only is American Dreams the rare family drama that you can actually watch with your family, but the 1960s-set sleeper hit is the only show on TV that leads you onto the dance floor by tugging at your heartstrings. Now you have no excuse not to tune in, either: Beginning Sunday, Aug. 3, NBC is replaying pivotal episodes from the first season, during which high school hoofers Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow) and Roxanne Bojarksi (Vanessa Lengies) tried out for American Bandstand. Besides, if you don't get acquainted with the golden girls this summer  and trust us, to know them is to love them  you won't have any idea how funny executive producer Jonathan Prince's plans really are for boisterous, boy-crazy Roxanne. "I think what we want t

Mon, Jul 28, 2003

Which Sex Symbol's Bound for the City?

We'd bet our monogrammed handcuffs that when Sex and the City climaxes in early 2004, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) will shag off into the sunset with her elusive longtime lover, Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Nonetheless, the HBO hitcom is determined to try to keep us guessing by introducing our bed-hopping heroine to a new lust interest, to be played by not just an A-lister, but an A-plus-lister. (And no, it's not David Duchovny; turns out, the X-Files grad will only be passing through next month.) "Why would we bring in a major name," argues executive producer Michael Patrick King, "if [Big] was already [the clear winner]?" Um, did we mention that they'd like to keep us gu

Thu, Jul 24, 2003

Fame It Boy: Not-So-Ol' Blue Eyes

Don't hate Fame frontrunner Alex Boyd because he's beautiful. If you absolutely, positively have to hate the humble heartthrob, do so because he's not only easy on the eyes, he's also exceptional ear candy, the kind of smooth crooner who once upon a time would've given his idol, Frank Sinatra, a run for his money. &quot;I'm mainly a jazz singer, which is kind of weird  people are shocked when I tell them that,&quot; the 18-year-old relates to TV Guide Online. &quot;I sing mostly '40s and '50s tunes, stuff from the Chet Baker era. Unfortunately, it's not as marketable [as more contemporary genres].&quot; Not yet maybe. But thanks to the chunky-turned-hunky vocalist's status as the breakout sex symbol of NBC's reality series (airin

Wed, Jul 9, 2003