Election Coverage: Which Network Will You Watch for the Results?
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Old Christine's Ex-Hubby Talks Marriage
Clark Gregg's a busy guy. Apart from playing Julia Louis-Dreyfus' ex-hubby on The New Adventures of Old Christine, he costarred as a mysterious agent in Iron Man and directed the black comedy Choke. Plus he's married to Jennifer Grey! Still, he found time to chat with us. TV Guide: In this week's episode, little Ritchie's in a commercial? Clark Gregg: The parents expect to suffer at the school play because Ritchie's usually awful. But he's incredible, and Christine wants him in showbiz! See the full Q&A after the jump.
Swingtown's Molly Parker Talks About "Freer" Times
Molly Parker likes playing pioneering women. On the mean streets of Deadwood (circa 1876), she was headstrong Alma Garret, and now on Swingtown (circa 1976), she's open-minded suburbanite Susan Miller. Parker talked with us about the buzz surrounding her new series — and no, it wasn't generated by that wacky '70s weed. (Swingtown airs Thursdays at 10 pm/ET, CBS.) TV Guide: Swingtown is creating a stir.Molly Parker: It's interesting. Clearly the show doesn't shy away from sexual subject matter. But it's not a show about sex, it's a show about the inside of these marriages. TV Guide: Any '70s memories? Parker: My memories are those of a child. I grew up in Canada on a farm. I remember the music, the clothes... it was a much freer time. I have no memory of swin
Dulé Hill Sees Psych (and Laughs) in Your Future
In 2006, Dulé Hill leapt from the gravity of The West Wing to the giddiness of Psych (Fridays at 10 pm/ET, USA). Season 3 opens with Cybill Shepherd joining the fun as Shawn’s mom. You don’t need to be a fake psychic to predict this season’s going to be a blast. TV Guide: Cybill. Discuss! Dulé Hill: I didn’t have scenes with her, but hopefully when she comes back later this season we’ll interact. She was great. TV Guide: Describe the Gus-Shawn dynamic.Hill: I look at Shawn and Gus as brothers, really. Gus is starting to loosen up. He’s still neurotic but he’s having more fun. TV Guide: How do you like being the straight man? Hill: We all play our positions, like any basketball team. The power forward can’t be the poin
Ring in the Fourth with Jimmy Smits
New Dexter costar Jimmy Smits serves as host of A Capitol Fourth (tonight at 8 pm/ET, PBS), the annual holiday bash from Washington, D.C. The fireworks are provided by Jerry Lee Lewis, Huey Lewis and the News, Taylor Hicks and, of course, the fireworks.TV Guide: Sounds like a pretty sweet way to watch fireworks….Jimmy Smits: You've got to experience the fireworks on the lawn with the backdrop of all those monuments and the "1812 Overture!" It gives you goose bumps. TV Guide: What does the 4th of July mean to you?Smits: It's joyous, but kind of reflective too considering we're in the midst of conflict. TV Guide: You've just joined Dexter. Details! Smits: There's not a lot I can say because I just hopped on. I play an assistant ADA
Sophia Loren Surveys Her Classic Career
Each Wednesday in June, TCM has been paying tribute to Sophia Loren with an all-night marathon of her films. (This week's block opens at 8 pm/ET with 1958's Desire Under the Elms, costarring Anthony Perkins.) For six decades now, Italy's most intoxicating export since vino has dazzled fans with her voluptuous beauty and estimable talent. Since this is no time for false modesty, we persuaded her to take a bow. TV Guide: Onscreen, we see a goddess. What is it like to watch yourself?Sophia Loren: I’m always afraid because there will be things I may not like. But when I get accustomed to my face, I always say “I’m not so bad after all!” TV Guide: You affect guys like an aphrodisiac!Loren: [Laughs] You scare me! I think it’s nice to be looked at like a spec
Bill Bellamy Dishes on Keeping Last Comic Standing Funny
Tonight, The Office's Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez evaluate yuksters in L.A. with the blessing of irreverent Last Comic Standing host Bill Bellamy, the man perhaps best known for coining the phrases "booty call." He gave us the scoop on this season's comics. TV Guide: What's new with the show?Bill Bellamy: It’s going to be an exhilarating, funny, super-duper show. The scope — the world wide search — is bigger [this year]. It’s like the Super Bowl of comedy! I think people are going to get committed to the comedians. Not only are you going to get an opportunity to see funny people, you’re going to know their story. It’s a lot of fun. TV Guide: How does the talent level compare to previous seasons?Bellamy: We’ve gotten better because more comics are seeing it. Wh
Lea Thompson Dishes on Hallmark's Final Approach
Lea Thompson plays an ex-FBI agent's spouse in the airline hostage drama Final Approach (May 24 at 8 pm/ET, Hallmark). The former Caroline in the City star spoke with us about her eclectic career. TV Guide: You play Dean Cain's wife in Final Approach. Discuss.Lea Thompson: It was fun playing his wife, though I didn't get to do that much with him. I was on the phone most of the time. It's hard to build a rapport. I always thought he was cute as Superman [in Lois & Clark]. He's way cuter than me, which is a problem. [Laughs] TV Guide: Approach is like a high-tension Love Boat episode — you, Cain, Anthony Michael Hall, Tracey Gold, Barry Livingston, Richard Roundtree… Thompson: A little bit. I did most of my work with Ric
John Oliver Shares His Terrifying Times
Having wowed The Daily Show faithful with his poker-faced topical barbs, John Oliver steps away from Jon Stewart's green screens and onto the stage of New York City's Symphony Space for his first American stand-up special, John Oliver: Terrifying Times (tonight at 10 pm/ET, Comedy Central). We asked this one-man British invasion to give us his impressions of the Land of the Free. TVGuide.com: Any special message for the Colonies in your first stand-up special? John Oliver: It's so good to hear that word, "colonies." I want to reassure Americans that empires die, and you won't be blamed forever. We were destroying the world long before you were. People just see [Britain] as a benign, ex-aggressive uncle now. It’s all going to be fine. TVGuide.com: What topics do you address?
Patricia Heaton on Getting Back to Back to You
Sure, Kelsey Grammer is worth his weight in sitcom gold, but Back to You (Wednesdays at 8:30 pm/ET, Fox) relies as much on the ballast of Patricia Heaton’s caustic Kelly Carr as it does on Grammer's pompous anchor Chuck Darling. The former Everybody Loves Raymond star explained why she doesn’t live in her old show’s shadow. TV Guide: What’s in store for Kelly and Chuck?Patricia Heaton: Generally, their relationship, and whether they should reveal that he’s Gracie’s father, will come to a head. The pressure’s on Chuck to get over his Peter Pan complex. TV Guide: Kelly’s like Moe Howard in the way she keeps everybody in line. Heaton: [Laughs] That’s a great metaphor! Debra Barone was like that. But Kelly is allo
Charles Gibson Breaks Down the Democratic Race
On the eve of April 22's Pennsylvania primary, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will clash in a 90-minute Democratic presidential candidate debate from Philadelphia (tonight at 8 pm/ET, ABC). At ringside is Charles Gibson, the ABC World News Tonight anchor who shares moderating duties with George Stephanopoulos. We caught up with Gibson to get his thoughts on the grueling campaign. TV Guide: Explain the significance of Obama vs. Clinton.Charles Gibson: It's self-evident — we have two candidacies that I'd never thought I'd see. It is the first time since 1928 that there hasn't been a president or a vice president on the ticket for one party or the other. It's the first time we've had anything this wide open in my lifetime. TV Guide: What are the keys to the knockout for Obam
Shannon Woodward Lives the Good Life on The Riches
If Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver are the big names among TV's favorite identity thieves on The Riches (Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET, FX), then the enchanting Shannon Woodward, who plays levelheaded 15-year-old daughter Di Di, is the secret weapon. And that's no con. TVGuide.com: How would you describe Di Di?Shannon Woodward: When you have parents who are a little out of their minds, somebody has to take responsibility. I think she's a rather normal teenager who faces ridiculous circumstances and has to take responsibility for their decisions. But at the same time she's still a teenager, so there's this really great duality between the impetuous girl and the totally sane woman. TVGuide.com: Can you relate to her?Woodward: I didn't kill people and take over their lives, but I had a very similar life to Di Di. My p
Tracey Ullman Examines the State of the Union
English native Tracey Ullman has a unique perspective on the United States — actually, she has dozens. In her zany sketch-comedy series, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union (Fridays at 10 pm/ET, Showtime), the multitalented mimic will each week deliver a series of rapid-fire vignettes that capture a day in the life of America. We caught up with her for some insight into the method behind her madness. TVGuide.com: You sing, dance, act…. Is there anything you can't do?Tracey Ullman: I can't draw. Stick people come out! [Laughs] But, in general, I don't like to be pigeonholed. I'm lucky — I get to have a chance at anything. I'm a happy schizophrenic! TVGuide.com: Explain the concept of State of the Union.Ullman: We spend a day in America — from dawn to dusk
David Morse Remakes History in HBO's John Adams
In HBO's historical miniseries John Adams (Sundays at 9 pm/ET), David Morse is tasked with the role of recreating one of the United States' most legendary figures, George Washington. We chatted with him about playing the first president, brushing up on his history and remembering some favorite gigs on his résumé. TVGuide.com: How did you prepare to play George Washington?David Morse: I didn't have a lot of time. I found out about three weeks before shooting that I was going to do it. It was really a cram session. Obviously I was looking at every single portrait I could find just to get some feeling of how people saw him and how he held himself. Literally, I started reading from the moment I started to the day I wrapped. TVGuide.com: Describe your interpretation. Morse: When I looked at por
Lewis Black Gets to the Root of All Evil
Evil is the new black. Lewis Black, that is. The angriest man in show business is now presiding over the court of pop culture on his new show, Lewis Black's Root of All Evil (Wednesdays at 10:30 pm/ET, Comedy Central). We caught up with the raging funnyman to discuss his new venture. TVGuide.com: Explain the concept of Root of All Evil. Lewis Black: The idea was that we pick two things from culture or life and we have a head-to-head. Two comedians are charged with coming up with why, let's say, Oprah's more evil, or the Catholic Church is more evil. I ask questions and goad the comics and over the course of a half hour we try to discover who or what is more evil. TVGuide.com: What inspired the show?Black: Scott Carter from Bill Maher's show, and David Sacks, who had written a number of good shows,
Quarterlife Makes the Leap from Web to TV
Tonight marks the premiere of Quarterlife (10 pm/ET, NBC), a new series from Marshall Her­skovitz and Edward Zwick that chronicles the angst-ridden lives of creative twentysome­thing pals. But what sets the drama apart is its unique gestation — it was ultimately developed specifically for the Web. According to Her­skovitz, a Quarterlife pilot was originally filmed for ABC in 2005, but, dissatisfied with the re­sults, he overhauled the concept. "It became more about a girl [Bitsie Tulloch's Dylan] who blogs and tells the secrets of her friends," Herskovitz explains. "It was a perfect vehicle for an Internet series." Herskovitz and Zwick took their self-financed pilot to MySpace, which began airing the show in 8- to 15-minute installments last November. The results attracted 250,000 viewers per webisode. Says Herskovitz, "Our the­ory was if you brought the same level of qual­it
Law Order Preview: Mad Men's January Jones Reveals Her Dark Side
Tonight's Law & Order (10 pm/ET, NBC) offers the luminous January Jones a chance to explore her dark side as she portrays amoral beauty Kim Brody, whom Lupo and Green link to all sorts of nefarious deeds, including a real estate scam and a deadly hit-and-run accident. Kim's shenanigans would no doubt shock Betty Draper, the repressed '60s housewife Jones brought to life on Mad Men. The actress spoke with us about her hit AMC series, her eerie resemblance to Grace Kelly and her unique first name. TV Guide: What attracted you to Law & Order? January Jones: The script. I'd never seen an episode before I shot the show! I don't know if I could describe the character. I relate her to the Ed Norton character in Primal Fear. She's an
Carl Reiner on What Makes Us Laugh
Tonight, Part 2 of The Jewish Americans (check local listings for time, PBS) focuses on early 20th-century America, where artists like songwriter Irving Berlin and The Goldbergs' Gertrude Berg found mainstream acceptance despite growing anti-Semitism. Writer-director-actor Carl Reiner recalls America in the '40s and the Catskills resorts where many great comics — Reiner included — honed their craft. He spoke with us about the performers who inspired him. TV Guide: How did growing up Jewish influence your work?Carl Reiner: Radio had some of the funniest comedians. With the exception of Fred Allen, they were all Jewish — Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, George Burns. And somebody said, "You can do it if you're Jewish — look at these people." TV Guide: Why d
Corbin Bernsen Gets in the Game
Corbin Bernsen has worn many hats over the years — caddish leading man (L.A. Law), movie star (Major League, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), soap-opera and B-movie heavy (General Hospital, The Dentist), indie writer-director (Donna on Demand) and, most recently, character actor (Psych). Now he adds game-show host to his résumé with How Much Is Enough? (tonight at 9 pm/ET, GSN). Four contestants compete to accumulate as much cash as they can without being the greediest, as a money clock escalates and they must choose a given amount. The one who chooses the highest amount gets nothing. "This specific game really goes to a sociological, philosophical question of today — how much is enough?" Bernsen explains. He sees his latest project as a logical extension of his career. "
Inside Saving Grace's Dramatic Return
Tonight, Saving Grace (TNT, 10/9c) returns from a three-month break with the first of four new episodes, as a twister hits Oklahoma City. Mary Kay Place guest-stars as Dorothy, a bus-company secretary tied to a deadly crime. She's stuck in a collapsed building with Holly Hunter's hard-living cop, a scenario that, naturally, results in plenty of soul-searching for both Grace and her imperiled companion. "She's the last woman you'd expect Grace to have a connection with," says series creator Nancy Miller. "Dorothy is trapped physically and metaphorically because of what she has done, and Grace is there to help her in ways other than being a cop." But Grace and Dorothy aren't the only ones looking for a way out. Death-row inmate Leon Cooley makes a spiritual choice that could impact his future relationship with Earl t
Boston Legal Preview: What's Weighing Denny Down?
Tonight, in an episode rescheduled from Nov. 6, Boston Legal (10:02 pm/ET, ABC) addresses several weighty matters, not least of which is a suit against knucklehead Denny, who fired an associate for being — Mr. Tolerance strikes again — too fat. Why? "Because he's Denny Crane," says executive producer Bill D'Elia. "He read this article — a study from Harvard that's been misinterpreted — which indicated that being fat is likely to make other people fat. The thing that's so entertaining about it is that clearly Denny's wrong." As usual, Legal weaves a tapestry of intersecting storylines that ranges from the offbeat to the dramatic. One of them is a watershed moment for Jerry Espenson, who anxiously prepares to go on a date with his former client (and fellow Asperger's-syndrome sufferer) Leigh. "It's the evolution of a character," D'Elia says. "Now, [Jerry] can not only be in
Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" Carves Up Some Scary Spoofs
As synonymous with Halloween as pumpkins (even if they do air after the holiday), the celebrated annual "Treehouse of Horror" episodes of The Simpsons (8 pm/ET, Fox) are always a treat. "It's a tradition, like the Macy's Thanksgiving parade — only more violent," says executive producer Al Jean. "This is where we can do those jokes you can't do the rest of the year — the things that are unreal." Like many of its predecessors, tonight's "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" offers a mix of film parodies, pointed satire and genuine scares. This year's trilogy opens with "E.T. Go Home," a send-up of the 1982 Spielberg classic that charts Elliott's — er — Bart's friendship with a stranded alien. Unfortunately, Bart's new friend is the decidedly uncuddly and diabolical Kodos. Next up is "Mr. and Mrs. Simpson," a spoof of Mr. and Mrs. Smith
