ben.katner

Swan to Beau: Let's Get It On!

If The Swan's Kelly A. had asked us, we would've told her that she was darn cute even before undergoing nine hours of plastic surgery. No doubt, her longtime boyfriend, Bob, would have agreed. (Had it been up to him, we suspect they would have been intimate more than seven times in three years — the shocking estimate Kelly made on Fox's extreme-makeover show.) But since the 28-year-old stewardess didn't ask us — nobody ever does! — we now have a few questions for her, starting with... TV Guide Online: Has your personality changed to match your new Marilyn Monroe look?Kelly: Yes! I'm a completely different person. I'm so confident and happy. I feel as if everything finally came together for me. I smile a lot now. Three months has completely changed my entire life. TVGO: Yet you were barely out of recovery before you wanted to give up. What happened there? You take your eyes off the prize?Kelly: We didn't e

Fri, Apr 16, 2004

Nikki McKibbin Strikes Back!

A funny thing happened while the world was busy cheering on American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and jeering at her runner-up, Justin Guarini: Nikki McKibbin, the rockin' redhead who trounced Tamyra Gray to steal third, all but disappeared! And take our word for it, she was no happier about her vanishing act than were the millions of us who admired her powerful pipes and defiant demeanor. "I was angry at first," she tells TV Guide Online. "I was signed to a record deal the same day as Kelly, Justin and Tamyra — I was sitting at the same table as they were! — but I was getting no press for it at all." For better or worse, the single mom, now 25, had a bigger issue to resolve: RCA wanted to turn her into a country crooner. "I'm from Texas, I love country. Who doesn't?" she exclaims. "I could cross over and do that. But I felt like the fans who kept me on the show would not have followed me [into that genre]; they kept me around

Mon, Apr 12, 2004

Idol Chatter with Amy Adams

On last week's Motown-themed episode of American Idol, there were a number of performances that were pretty, um, awful. Amy Adams's spirited rendition of "Dancing in the Street" was most definitely not one of them. Yet the 24-year-old with the hot-pink hairdo was the singer kicked to the curb by fickle (and possibly tone-deaf) viewers. Is this a sign that the apocalypse is near? Or was the audience simply watching with the volume turned off? Desperate to achieve some closure on this embarrassing chapter in the talent competition's history, TV Guide Online rang up the Gen-Y Celine Dion to trade conspiracy theories. TV Guide Online: Let's start with the most ridiculous incident in your time on the show. Please tell me you've recovered from Simon Cowell's bizarre remark about your "resemblance" to Jay Leno.Amy Adams: (Laughs) You know what? It wasn't even really a recovery thing that I had to go through. It was just something that I had to

Fri, Apr 9, 2004

Bachelor QB Off the Bench

If what he says is true, and he has only seen a handful of episodes of ABC's The Bachelor, then New York Giants quarterback Jesse Palmer is, scarily, a natural to succeed kissing bandit Bob Guiney in the reality-TV "rose bowl" (starting tomorrow at 9 pm/ET). "There are a couple of hot-tub scenes," the muscle-bound 25-year-old readily admits. "I'll probably get a couple [of phone calls about them from my mother... but] I'm not going to ask for her opinion, I'll tell you that!" Luckily, the affable hunk, who lists a nice rump among the qualities he most admires in a woman, didn't need Mom's input on his selection of a mate. This go-round, a close friend of his is pulling a Jennifer Garner in the ladies' house. "As soon as the idea came up [to employ a spy], I jumped all over it. I thought it was a great idea," he says. "I think it really, really helped me with some of the tougher decisions." Isn't that romant

Tue, Apr 6, 2004

An American Dreams Nightmare

As the sophomore year of NBC's superlative American Dreams comes to a close (Sunday night at 8 pm/ET), viewers should brace themselves: Summer hiatus may bring as many changes to the series as the 1960s did to America. Here, executive producer Jonathan Prince tells TV Guide Online (almost) all about the season finale: Meg and Sam might finally get together. Although thus far the era has made it impossible for the white American Bandstand dancer and her African-American friend to acknowledge, never mind act on, their feelings for one another, their moment could be coming. This fall, "Sam's going to college. In that world, away from East Catholic [High], so much more is possible," Prince says. "In fact, this week, you'll see a scene where someone at Penn actually mistakes Meg (Brittany Snow) and Sam (Arlen Escarpeta) for a couple... and of course, that lands on them strangely yet wonderfully." JJ could die

Fri, Apr 2, 2004

Fallen Idol Matt Rogers

During last week's country-themed episode of American Idol, jolly giant Matt Rogers put his heart on the line, crooning the Lonestar ballad "Amazed." A day later, viewers gave him the cowboy boot right off the show. "Amazing!" you say? We agree. So TV Guide Online rang up the former University of Washington Huskies lineman to get his reaction to being sacked. TV Guide Online: A man's man like yourself warbling a love song seemed like a surefire way to win over the female audience, yet here we are, doing your exit interview. Do you feel betrayed by the women of America?Matt Rogers: I feel like the women of America turned their back on me. I'm very disappointed. And the funny thing is, it seems like I have more fans now than I did when I was on the show. Where were you guys a week ago? Jeez! TVGO: It's always seemed cruel and unusual to me that the show makes the newly eliminated contestant sing the song that got them eliminated bef

Thu, Apr 1, 2004

Joel Siegel, the Ultimate Survivor

There's no telling how many cancer patients have been inspired to carry on by Good Morning America movie critic Joel Siegel's epic, public battles with the disease. Nonetheless, when he recently was given the Gilda Radner Courage Award, "I said right up front in my little [acceptance] speech, 'I don't think I did anything courageous. I was diagnosed with cancer, and I did what the doctors told me'," the 60-year-old explains to TV Guide Online. "It's like if you're being held hostage and a guy puts a gun to your head and says, 'If you move, I'll shoot,' and you don't move, you're not being courageous." We beg to differ, so we asked the genial cineast to share his story. TV Guide Online: You had both colon and lung cancer — that's quite a one-two punch. What kept you in the fight?Joel Siegel: It's hard to talk about this stuff and not sound like a Hallmark card. There was a whole series of coincidences. I was diagnosed with cancer two weeks to

Thu, Apr 1, 2004

Rising Star Jake Simpson

Even before he trounced the competition on Star Search, vocalist Jake Simpson probably could have gotten anything he wanted. For Pete's sake, the guy looks like a mischievous altar boy and sings like an angel! So now that he has in hand his prize money, he ought to be buying Jags! Mansions! Towns! But, he tells TV Guide Online, "I haven't bought anything yet. I really want a mountain bike, though." At least the blue-eyed soul man has a good excuse for not doing his part to boost the economy: He's been too darn busy to go on any spending sprees. First, he has to settle on a musical genre, then — hello?! — he has an album to make. "I'm in between two styles right now — one is very urban, and one is very not," he explains. "I'm having a hard time with it, because I love so many different styles." Fortuitously, as soon as he gets back into, as he puts it, his "hippie brain," one of his nearest and dearest will be able to help him come u

Tue, Mar 30, 2004

Richard Grieco's Show of Force

His 21 Jump Street crony, Johnny Depp, now headlines blockbusters and vies for Oscars, while his own body of work tends to bypass the multiplex altogether. But despite the fact that his smoldering stare and intense presence should have made him a matinee idol as well, Richard Grieco doesn't give a damn. "Even when the films I've done haven't been good, they've been good characters," he explains to TV Guide Online, "so I'll still take them." In the Sci Fi thriller Phantom Force (a spin-off of the FX-citing Interceptor Force flicks, premiering Saturday night at 9 pm/ET), the early-'90s teen heartthrob has himself another doozy of a role: a G-man combatting demons of both the literal and figurative variety. "In a lot of ways, I relate to the darker characters," allows the frequent screen heavy, who plays a hit man opposite Burt Reynolds and Charles Durning in the upcoming comedy Forget About It. "Even my writing and pa

Fri, Mar 26, 2004

Vegging Out with a Mad Man

Contestants on Sci Fi's surprise reality hit, Mad Mad House, would go pale if they ever bumped into their endearing and diverse hosts in a dark alley. But the "alts" themselves can't get enough of one another. In fact, resident naturist Avocado tells TV Guide Online that, although production wrapped ages ago, he still often lets vampire Don turn him into a creature of the night. "Last time we hung out, we went to a goth club — that's his scene, you know? You go out at 2 am and you're out until 5. But we really hit it off." The money-grubbing "normal" folks with whom Avocado & Co. bunked weren't nearly so easily won over. However, the frequent birthday-suit model soon learned that the way to their minds was through their stomachs. "I made a lot of raw foods for them — stuff that was incredibly tasty and nutritious," says the off-screen author of Eating for Beauty. "By the 10th episode, there was a dramatic shift [in the menu], b

Thu, Mar 25, 2004

Eden Vixen: ''Nobody's Dead... Yet!''

Thus far, the hard-bodied lunkheads of Fox's unofficial Paradise Hotel sequel, Forever Eden, have failed to generate the kind of horndog hysterics that their predecessors did. But we're still tuning in (as we will again tonight at 9 pm/ET), to catch host Ruth England casting out the bad apples. Honest to God, the Brit bombshell seems to delight in delivering bad news almost as much as we enjoy watching her do it. "That must be your imagination," she insists to TV Guide Online, then laughs. "Actually, I do feel a little evil some of the time. Friendly-nasty... or sexy-menacing; that's what I'm going for. "Half the people there hate me," she goes on, sighing. "We're recording 24/7, and I hear what they say about me — they get quite nervous when I walk up. But I'm the messenger, and the messenger often gets blamed." Truth be told, England doesn't much mind sending shivers down the spines of the pampered money-grubbers. For all the R&

Mon, Mar 22, 2004

Evan and Jaron Go Retro

Pop rockers Evan and Jaron had already won us over with their smarter-than-the-average-heartthrob lyrics and the sweetest harmonies we expect to hear outside of Heaven. But when the 30-year-old Lowenstein twins rang us up to discuss their resurrection of the Everly Brothers on this week's American Dreams (airing Sunday on NBC at 8 pm/ET), we discovered five more compelling reasons to cheer on the thinking listener's Nelson. To wit: 1. They're heroes. Well, Evan is, anyway. Although he ran late for the interview, he had the best excuse ever: The volunteer EMT had stopped to help out at the scene of a car crash. "He just had a baby," Jarod explained while we waited, "and he was like, 'After giving life, I don't ever want to be around an opportunity where I can't save one'." Of course, incorrigible Jaron was as quick to bust his sibling's chops as he is to give him props. "Saving lives... it's lik

Fri, Mar 19, 2004

Baywatch Babe a Bush-Whacker

Admit it: You read a headline that includes the words Baywatch and babe, and immediately, you get ideas. Red swimsuit. Dangerous curves. Empty head. But only two of those notions are applicable where Alexandra Paul is concerned. The civic-minded sex symbol did jail time for protesting the war in Iraq, champions the rights of animals as well as gay men and lesbians, and, in this election year, is Dubya's worst nightmare. "When you're on a show like Baywatch, people often don't see any other side to you," she tells TV Guide Online. "But every Wednesday night, I register voters, and every Thursday night, I protest... Well, it was the war, but now it's the Bush administration. I'm an anybody-but-Bush person [in the showdown to come]. I'll support 100 percent anybody the Democratic party chooses to run against him." Now that you've got a better handle on the beautiful mind that sits atop Paul's heavenly body, perhaps you'll be as surp

Thu, Mar 18, 2004

NYPD Collars Video Star

Up-and-comer Trevor Wright is used to making a big impression in as little time as possible. First, the California boy's appearance in pop singer Stacie Orrico's "Stuck" video so wowed the TRL crowd that he was invited to return in a follow-up clip. And tonight at 10 pm/ET, you can catch the Tiger Beat dreamboat in what sounds like an especially nasty episode of ABC's NYPD Blue. "It's a great part," he tells TV Guide Online with enthusiasm. "I play a guy who made a suicide pact with his 15-year-old girlfriend because she got pregnant, but my intentions were never to actually kill myself. So it's sort of Romeo and Juliet with a twist — [this time] Romeo's a [jerk]!" Messing with his Clearasil-heartthrob image at this early stage in the game might seem like career hari-kari for Wright, who starred with a snowboarding chimp in his first feature, MXP: Most Extreme Primate. But the ambitious actor has his e

Tue, Mar 16, 2004

Sexy Sorceress Haunts House

While most L.A. residents would enroll in Sorcery 101 if they thought it'd get them a Sci Fi Channel series, Fiona Horne turned down the network three times because she's a Wiccan. Then, finally, the telegenic Aussie relented and moved into Mad, Mad House (airing tonight at 9 pm/ET), the new reality program in which "normal" folks are challenged to bunk with "alts," among them a vampire and a voodoo priestess. "I agreed to it when I realized there were no frauds or freaks," she tells TV Guide Online. "The other alts were all sincere people committed to their alternative-lifestyle choices." What's more, the powers that be let the alts do what came naturally. "They never tried to dictate what would happen [other than that] we had to have a trial every week" (to determine which contender was safe from elimination). Convincing Horne of her fellow hosts' authenticity was one thing. But making believers of the guests was another matt

Thu, Mar 11, 2004

Gilmore Girlfight!

If we were Gilmore Girls' apparently irresistible Rory, we'd start sleeping with one eye open. Lately, she's been throwing off sparks with old flame Dean. The hitch? He's now hitched to the seemingly sweet Lindsay, played by Arielle Kebbel. "I killed a girl," the up-and-comer admits to TV Guide Online. And she's only half-kidding! "It was on Law & Order: SVU. I killed her, then I lied about it and went on trial." Chances are, no such fate awaits Lorelai's man-magnetizing daughter. Instead, her continued presence in her ex's life is more likely to sound the death knell for his young marriage. "No matter what I do for him, it's always Rory!" Kebbel exclaims in character. "I make him lunch every single day, I smile all the time... but I'll never be Rory. It becomes this huge tug-of-war over Dean." Should Lindsay win the battle, viewers

Tue, Mar 9, 2004

WB to Hottie: Get Lost!

Thus far in his career, Mike Erwin has been most widely recognized as "the guy in the coma" on Everwood. But that will soon change, if WB's Lost in Space pilot takes off: The 25-year-old has been cast as the proposed remake's major hottie, Maj. Don West. "I actually get to play a cool character for once," he tells TV Guide Online enthusiastically. "I'm totally excited. "[Buffy the Vampire Slayer grad] Doug Petrie is the writer, and he and I have a great relationship," he continues. "He even opened the door to allow me to create some of my character's choices. He wanted my input; that's really rare." Although the actor bought the whole series on DVD to research his role, "I don't think we're going to be anything like the old one was," he says

Mon, Mar 8, 2004

Tears and Jeers at the Oscars

Let's get real: Nobody watches the Academy Awards to find out who wins. You're going to read all about that the morning after in Michael Ausiello's column, and you know it. No, we tune in to the overlong ego trip for three reasons and only three reasons: the clothes, the catastrophes and the crying (and, when we get really, really lucky, the chance to see all three at once). That being the case, last night's live broadcast of the 76th annual ceremony was, by all accounts, a rousing success. For those of you who were too busy double-checking your office Oscar-pool ballots to pay attention to the goings-on, TV Guide Online offers this instant replay. Clothes CallsFirst, let's take a moment to embrace our inner Joan Riverses and talk about the outfits. Trading her Morticia Addams hand-me-downs for a stunning ivory gown, radiant

Mon, Mar 1, 2004

Brini Maxwell's Oscar Checklist

Move over, Martha Stewart! A new domestic goddess has descended from the heavens, and, with the Oscars approaching faster than paparazzi at a J.Lo sighting, she is eager to impart her wisdom to starlets who might confuse the value of a frock with its likelihood to shock. "You know what I always say?" Brini Maxwell tells TV Guide Online. "Take one last look at yourself before you step out of your hotel room, and make sure when you take that look that it's a critical look." Perhaps picturing the gawdy get-ups that have made certain spotlight lovers laughingstocks rather than trendsetters, the hostess of Style Network's delightful new Brini Maxwell Show can't refrain from tittering. "Grab attention, yes," she encourages Hollywood's A-list lovelies. "But grab attention by looking beautiful." Unlike well-loathed media vultures who have carved

Fri, Feb 27, 2004

The O.C.: Health Hazard?

Samaire Armstrong would never advocate giving up The O.C. (which, coincidentally, she does tonight at 9 ET on Fox). However, she does recommend tuning in without acting out. Although her character, bootylicious brainiac Anna, is as levelheaded as they come, not all of the prime-time sudser's pretty young things are models of the role variety. "After the episode where Marissa OD'd on drugs, [the network ran] the whole 'If you're having suicidal thoughts, please call this number' [PSA],'" she recalls for TV Guide Online, "and we actually got a call from the head of the association saying that their calls had increased by 20 or 30 percent — which is a good and bad thing. It's like, does that mean that people who watch our show have a tendency to commit suicide, or are we really helping people?" All kidding aside, the

Wed, Feb 25, 2004

Big Fat Secrets Revealed!

Steven Bailey should be sweating bullets. When the harrowing conclusion of Fox's My Big Fat Obnoxious Fianc&eacute; airs tonight (at 9/ET), a place in hell is sure to be reserved in his name. After all, as the most uncouth bridegroom since the Stone Age, he reduced faux sweetheart Randi Coy's unsuspecting family to tears on an almost hourly basis. But, to hear him tell it, he doesn't give a... um, darn. "We put the Coys through a lot, and I certainly felt guilty at times," he acknowledges, then adds with confidence, "but it is a practical joke!" Whether said joke was actually practical, it was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, cruel. Not only did Bailey make the Coy clan believe that Randi was marrying someone she hardly knew, he made them think they were inheriting a poor relation whose table manners paled in comparison to those of most house pets. On top of it all, the Coys seemed pretty nice. "[Regardless of] them being sweet people o

Mon, Feb 23, 2004

Seven Silly Questions for... Barbie

Valentine's Day finally has passed, but we're still down in the dumps — and not just because our mailbox saw less traffic than a multiplex showing a Bennifer film festival, either. We can't get over the fact that Barbie gave the heave-ho to longtime companion Ken! However, we are determined to make peace with the breakup, for ourselves as well as for you, our loyal readers. So, to that end, we rang up the living doll intent on asking what's to become of the broken-hearted. TV Guide Online: Barbie, are you out of your freakin' mind, dumping Ken?! The guy hasn't gained an ounce in... well, ever! He's buff! He's even shiny! What were you thinking? Is this because he wouldn't marry you? Is it because he's really gay? What's going on?Barbie: Oh, I agree; Ken is a wonderful guy! I wouldn't have stayed with him for 43 years if he weren't such a great, dedicated boyfriend. The fact of the matter is that we just finished wrapping our fourth movie tog

Wed, Feb 18, 2004