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Smallville Scoop! Clark Meets Lois

Things were pretty bleak on Smallville last season. And we're not just talking about the WB drama's 25-percent drop in ratings. What with all those dank caves and secret labs and depressing story lines, life for Tom Welling's Clark Kent was, frankly, more sad than super. But the Frog isn't bringing out the killer kryptonite quite yet. Executive producer Al Gough promises TV Guide Online he's giving the show's dreary, complicated mythology a rest. This season, look for football, fun and romance! After all, it's Clark's senior year in high school. Spoiler alert: If you don't want to know anything, ya better not read this dishy, in-depth Q&A.... TVGO: That's big news!Gough: No tights. One flight. TVGO: What's Lois Lane doing in Smallville?Gough: She's coming to town to investigate her cousin Chloe's death. TVGO: Sure, her house blew up, but is Chloe really dead?Gough: Maybe, maybe not. T

Tue, Sep 7, 2004

Smallville Scoop! Clark Meets Lois

Things were pretty bleak on Smallville last season. And we're not just talking about the WB drama's 25-percent drop in ratings. What with all those dank caves and secret labs and depressing story lines, life for Tom Welling's Clark Kent was, frankly, more sad than super. But the Frog isn't bringing out the killer kryptonite quite yet. Executive producer Al Gough promises TV Guide Online he's giving the show's dreary, complicated mythology a rest. This season, look for football, fun and romance! After all, it's Clark's senior year in high school. Spoiler alert: If you don't want to know anything, ya better not read this dishy, in-depth Q&A.... TV Guide Online: What's happening this season with Clark Kent?Al Gough: We pick up three months after he was sucked into the cave under Jor-El's tutelage. We'll see him dumped out in a cornfield buck-naked, and he'll run into Lois Lane. That's their first meeting — and he has no memory of being

Mon, Sep 6, 2004

Practice Star's Maternal Instinct

Where has Kelli Williams been since she exited The Practice last year? After learning she was one of six pink-slipped series regulars — including her TV hubby Dylan McDermott — the actress focused on motherhood. "I had my third child four months after I left The Practice ," she says. "So I got to spend a ton of time with my kids [Kiran, 6, Sarame, 3, and Ravi, 1]. I worked a little bit, but it wasn't a priority to me. I just wanted to not have to go to work, be with the kids and look for something for this TV season." By the way, she's past feeling bitter about losing her signature role as lady lawyer Lindsay Dole. "Things have a way of working themselves out," Williams shrugs. "It's never fun to be let go from a job. They say you should experience that once. It's all good in the course of life, even when it's hard. I went back and directed an episode with James Spader and my own cast mates, which

Mon, Aug 30, 2004

Boomtown Star's Big Comeback

On the late, lamented Boomtown, Neal McDonough spent two seasons playing David McNorris  a prickly, intense Irish-American deputy D.A. with a troubled marriage and a drinking problem. In the 38-year-old actor's estimation, McNorris was "a self-loathing mess." Even so, that mess earned him some very loyal fans! "People are still upset by the cancellation," he says. "I'm going to really miss [it]." That said, McDonough's piercing blue eyes have no trouble spotting the silver lining in this cloud. "I got to do 30 episodes of a phenomenal TV show, I had a ball doing it and got to meet some really fantastic people," he says. "Were it not for Boomtown, there's no way that NBC would have given me my own show on the network. I'm so grateful." He's talking about this fall's Medical Investigation, where he'll headline as Stephen Connor  a prickly, intense Irish-American epidemiologist wit

Fri, Aug 27, 2004

V Is for Villainess

V: The Series — NBC's 1984-85 show about reptilian alien "visitors" conquering Earth — didn't last long. Even so, anyone who saw the show (or the two miniseries that spawned it) remembers the deliciously evil Diana. We shiver just picturing that scene where her mouth unhinged and she gulped down a live guinea pig! With that Charlie's Angels hairdo, those blood-red lips and cool shades for Di's human disguise, Jane Badler played her like a Texas cheerleader gone very, very wrong. Here, TV Guide Online rings up the 50-year-old actress to reminisce about the bad old days — and discuss another possible V invasion! TV Guide Online: Diana was such a memorable character. Sort of a lizardy Lady Macbeth.Jane Badler: There are similarities, but there is probably a bit more humor in Diana. I had a lot of cheeky glee with the fact that she got so much pleasure out of being evil. And she was sexually ambivalent — I wanted to use

Mon, Aug 16, 2004

Adrian Paul: Still Highlander

Tall, dark and handsome, with a self-deprecating charm and kick-ass martial-arts skills, Adrian Paul was well suited to play TV's The Highlander. The 1992-98 action series, based on the Sean Connery movies, featured Paul as a swashbuckling 400-year-old Scot who'd rather make love than war. Oh, and he even managed to look dashing in a kilt. Here, TV Guide Online catches up with our immortal beloved for a little reminiscing, and a glimpse into his life post-Highlander. TV Guide Online: Congrats. Your character was named one of TV Guide's 25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends.Adrian Paul: Duncan MacLeod. My goodness. He doesn't seem to want to go away. It's one of those things that's going to come back until I die, probably. TVGO: Which is only appropriate for a show about Immortals.Paul: This show's going to last. It'll be like Star Trek. TVGO: I hear tell there's another Highlander movie in the works.Paul:

Wed, Aug 11, 2004

Meet Lost in Space's Robot!

Viewers never saw him, but Dick Tufeld created two of TV's most enduring pop-culture catchphrases: "Danger, Will Robinson, danger!" and "That does not compute." Yep, the longtime announcer was the voice of Robot on the '60s sci-fi series Lost in Space. Tufeld still does voice-overs today, though he once suffered from a paralyzed vocal chord that kept him from speaking above a whisper. That is, until a rare operation restored his fond, familiar voice. Here, he happily chats away with TV Guide Online about his metallic alter ego. TV Guide Online: It's nice to talk to someone who gave so many generations so much pleasure.Dick Tufeld: You know there was a guy inside the tin can — Bob May. He had to be in there eight hours a day on the set. He moved the arms and legs and memorized all the lines and spoke them. They put me into post-production and I dubbed Robot's voice in. TVGO: Did you know you were creating a legend?Tufeld: I

Tue, Aug 10, 2004

Deaf Survivor Gets PBS Show

Colorado native Christy Smith was billed as Survivor's first disabled contestant. While the 25-year-old is deaf, she's clearly more than able. Even before she did Survivor: The Amazon — as a sort of Father's Day gift for her dad — the former kids' adventure guide had spent a month in Alaska, roughing it in an Outward Bound program. Despite her determination and experience, Survivor was no picnic. As fans will recall, Smith's struggles to comprehend what her Survivor tribemates were saying (and plotting) led to tears and confrontations early on. After her ouster on Day 33, her final words were particularly emotional. "I am going to make sure that those freakin' evil stepsisters of mine are not going to win the $1 million," she said about skin 'n' bones beauties Heidi Strobel and Jenna Morasca. She nonetheless voted for Morasca to win in the end. We guess that machete-sharpening runner-up, Matthew van E

Tue, Jun 22, 2004

Survivor: All-Stars Color Barrier

Here's six players who didn't make Survivor: All-Stars: Original class-clown Gervase Peterson, Clarence Black (Africa), Sean Rector (Marquesas), Nick Brown (Australian Outback), Ted Rogers (Thailand) and Osten Taylor (Pearl Islands). In case you didn't notice, there were no — as in nada, zip, zero! — black male players in the championship edition. In fact, the only contestants of color were two women — Alicia Calaway and Shii Ann Huang. Does this strike anyone as odd? Of course, the absence of some of the guys we listed can easily be explained. Although hunky, Osten was the first Survivor ever to quit the game. Hardly All-Stars material. And maybe Ghandia Johnson's sexual-harassment accusations kept Ted out of the running. But dudes like ace-plotter Sean wonder how they were forgotten. "I'm not surprised that Rob Mariano g

Fri, May 21, 2004

Mary Tyler Moore's Big Break

Before The Dick Van Dyke Show made Mary Tyler Moore a sitcom star, she was a pretty young dancer, best known for her legs and voice — viewers never saw her face — on the 1950s crime drama Richard Diamond, Private Detective. On May 11, Moore reprises her career-making role as Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited (9 pm/ET on CBS). Here, she reminisces about landing the big gig — for which she beat out 40 other actresses — and her favorite memories from the landmark series. TV Guide Online: Winning the role of Laura Petrie was a great step up for you.Mary Tyler Moore: I almost didn't go to the audition. When my agent called, I said, "I'm tired. I've had too many disappointments all week." He said, "You just get in your car and go over there." I walked in, and there was Carl Reiner, on whom I had a tremendous crush from The Sid Caesar Show. We sat down to read this scene — and about a thir

Thu, May 6, 2004

Dick Van Dyke Looks Back

Now happily retired, 78-year-old Dick Van Dyke says he had the time of his life working on The Dick Van Dyke Show. To the undoubted delight of TV-nostalgia fans, the surviving cast of his self-titled '60s sitcom reunites in The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited (May 11 at 9 pm/ET on CBS). Here, he recalls his fondest memories of the landmark comedy, which still lives on in TV Land reruns. TV Guide Online: How did the reunion show go?Dick Van Dyke: It was like a high-school reunion. We all said they should have taped the rehearsals, because it was hysterical. [Rose Marie's] hearing aid kept going out, people forgot their lines and we were all just rolling on the floor, laughing at each other. TVGO: You weren't that well-known, having hosted a game show and done Broadway. How'd you get a sitcom named after you?Van Dyke: We couldn't come up with a name. They tried Double Trouble because it's about a guy whose work li

Wed, May 5, 2004

Prime Suspect Star Returns

There's nothing like a dame, especially when her name's Helen Mirren. The accomplished 58-year-old actress, recently honored by the British government, is back as a tough Brit copper named Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness. This time, Tennison investigates the brutal murder of a young Bosnian refugee. The second half of this two-parter — airing on PBS's Masterpiece Theater — runs Sunday at 9 pm/ET. TV Guide Online: Congratulations on being made a Dame of the British Empire last summer. Did the Queen tap you on the shoulder with a sword?Helen Mirren: I got my honor from Prince Charles, but men get tapped, women don't. It's a great honor that comes from [my] country. It's very sad that a similar thing doesn't exist in America. TVGO: What are you most recognized for over here?Mirren: There's a section of the public who absolutely know me for Prime Suspect, another for Calendar Girls

Tue, Apr 20, 2004

CBS Host's Secret Revealed

Today and tomorrow on CBS' The Early Show, cohost Hannah Storm anchors a very personal story. For the first time on camera, she reveals a facial birthmark she's hidden under makeup for decades. The birthmark, known as a port wine stain, led to several painful childhood operations. These included tattooing — which left "a white splotch over red" — dermabrasion and laser surgery. Here, Storm shares her struggle with TV Guide Online. TV Guide Online: Why are you talking about your birthmark?Hannah Storm: I mentioned I had a birthmark in a magazine piece, and I was contacted by the Sturge-Weber Foundation. They said they would appreciate my bringing attention to the fact there are medical conditions associated with birthmarks. I had no idea! One in 10 kids in the United States is born with a birthmark — and even pediatricians don't understand there are associated medical conditions. TVGO: What kind of conditions?Storm: If

Wed, Feb 25, 2004

Blaxploitation King Returns!

In 1969, NFL star Fred Williamson — called the Hammer for his defensive moves — left football for Hollywood and became a head-busting king of '70s blaxploitation flicks. Today, Williamson, 65, is an independent producer-director, ruler of his own direct-to-video movie empire and, he says, still the man. On Jan. 20, MGM released a couple of his early masterpieces, Hammer and Hell up in Harlem, along with several other blaxploitation films, on DVD. Here, TV Guide Online tries to nail Williamson — but the Hammer hits back. TV Guide Online: You don't like the term blaxploitation?Fred Williamson: I could never understand [it.] At the time I was making my films, Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood were making theirs. No one dubbed them whitexploitation. So what did it mean? Who was being exploited? All the black actors were being paid more money than they ever were before, playing characters we respected. Audie

Wed, Jan 21, 2004

Montel Williams' Drug Story

On Nov. 3, Montel Williams was briefly detained at Detroit Metro Airport, where baggage screeners found a glass pipe and residue of a marijuana by-product in his bags. That's when the talk show host, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was outed as a user of the herb for medicinal purposes. In his first interview after the incident, Williams makes no apologies. In fact, he devotes several chapters to the case for medical marijuana in his new autobiography, Climbing Higher — yeah, that's the title — in bookstores Jan. 6.TV Guide Online: What happened to you in Detroit?Williams: When my bags were going through a metal detector at the Detroit airport, the security people found my needles. I take injectable drugs every day. Then, one guy found a perfectly clean glass pipe that looks like an egg. He said, "What do you smoke in it?" I said, "None of your business." And it p---ed him off. I also had a little bottle that had been in my bag for

Mon, Jan 5, 2004

Sean Astin: Happy Hobbit

Sean Astin is a drifter who chats with God in Jeremiah, his post-apocalyptic Showtime series co-starring Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. It's perfect casting for the actor/director who, after all, had already spent years toiling in the New Zealand fields of the Lord  the Lord of the Rings trilogy, that is! In fact, the filming took so long, Astin  who plays Frodo's hobbit aide-de-camp Samwise Gamgee  says he had his own "spiritual epiphanies." (As any self-respecting fan knows, the final chapter of the fantasy series, The Return of the King, opens Dec. 17.) Given his post-Rings weight loss of 40 pounds, Astin hopes for more leading roles. Still, he calls his tubby hobbit "the single best supporting

Wed, Dec 10, 2003

Kudos for Lily Tomlin

She has given us such characters as mouthy 6-year-old Edith Ann, cranky phone operator Ernestine and philosophizing bag lady Trudy. This week, Lily Tomlin is being recognized for her quirky comedy as the recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. (On Stage at the Kennedy Center: The Mark Twain Prize airs Nov. 26 on PBS; check TV Guide listings.) Friends like Robin Williams and Everybody Loves Raymond's Doris Roberts salute her in the Kennedy Center tribute. Now that's something to stick your tongue out about.TV Guide Online: So what do you and Mark Twain have in common? Tomlin: Maybe our perceptions about the human condition. A kind of satiric view of what's going on, while [believing] we're all part of the same species.

Thu, Nov 20, 2003

CSI Fan Plays Dead

You'd think Charlene Hubenthal would get enough of the grisly and gory in her real life as a firefighter, ambulance driver and former reserve cop in North Charleston, S.C. You'd be wrong. Hubenthal, the only female in her firehouse, just loves watching CSI. So much that the single mom wrote to CBS's Early Show for its "Week of Wishes" requesting the chance to play a corpse on her favorite crime drama. Her back-up faves were JAG and Without a Trace, but she got her first choice! "I got a phone call from an Early Show producer," she says, "telling me they'd fulfill my wish." So Hubenthal and daughter Jessica were flown to Los Angeles, where they were given a whirlwind tour. Then, she got her 15 minutes of fame  literally. That's about how long she had to lie on a morgue slab, eyes closed and

Wed, Nov 19, 2003

The Reagans's First Lady Speaks

To some folks, The Reagans isn't just another TV miniseries, it's a politically polarized polemic! All this controversy began when the New York Times ran its Oct. 21 article about the James Brolin/Judy Davis film, starting the whirlwind of public and political pressure that ultimately led to CBS declining to air it. (Instead, it'll debut on Showtime next year.) TV Guide Online interviewed Davis the day that Times story broke, and the 48-year-old Aussie actress spoke very candidly about her role as Nancy Reagan. But while she is empathetic toward her character, Davis does little to calm Ronald Reagan's supporters, who fear a liberal slant on the Republican former president's story.TV Guide Online: Did you have any hesitation about accepting the role of Nancy Reagan? Davis: I did. I'm not American, I'm Australian. Which, in a se

Fri, Nov 7, 2003

Bob Newhart Checks Into ER

It's taken TV comedy vet Bob Newhart 74 years to make his dramatic debut. Sure, he's done serious films, but "generally as the comic relief." So what better place to do full-on drama than our favorite weepy hospital series, NBC's ER? He begins a three-episode stint on Oct. 30 as a visual artist who's distraught over losing his sight. Back on the funny front, he'll be seen as a "very nice" Santa's helper in Will Ferrell's Christmas flick Elf (opening Nov. 7). Here, he chatters with TV Guide Online about his latest adventure. TV Guide Online: You've won so many awards  Grammys, Emmys, etc. Is there a Bob Newhart Memorial Tribute room in your house? Bob Newhart: No, my wife tends to be very modest about my achievements. Much more modest than I. (Laughs) She tends to hide my awards all over the house. Well, in the den, I have my Emmys. But they're in a bookcase. You really have to

Thu, Oct 16, 2003

Bob Newhart Checks Into ER

Thu, Oct 16, 2003

Barbra Streisand: The Way She Is

Actress. Singer. Director. Writer. Recipient of Grammys, Emmys and Oscars galore. Barbra Streisand has had a remarkable 40-plus-year career that has been plagued by stage fright and, more recently, scathing movie reviews and a perception that she'd rather bash Bush than get out there and sing. But get ready  Babs is back. Her new CD, The Movie Album, hits stores Oct. 14  the same day she bares her soul to Oprah (check listings). And she faces down James Lipton and his little blue index cards on Inside the Actors Studio, airing on Bravo in December. As these outtakes from her TV Guide interview show, it seems the 61-year-old megastar is finally mellowing  just a little.TV Guide: This is your 60th album. Why did you decide to make it a CD of nothing but songs from movies? Barbra Streisand: I've thought about it for a long time. My last two albums (The Esse

Mon, Oct 6, 2003