jonathan.reiner

Comedy Central's Got Game

What do you call a cross between the Travel Channel, Let's Make a Deal and Double Dare? Comedy Central calls it Don't Forget Your Toothbrush! The offbeat game show, starring Mark Curry (Hangin' With Mr. Cooper), premieres June 20. The series asks that the studio audience bring their luggage and passports to its tapings just in case they're chosen to participate in a wacky game and win a trip to some exotic locale. "It's somewhere between a game show and a sketch comedy show, where the contestants are playing a part," executive producer Andrew Golder tells TV Guide Online. "It's also sort of a hybrid with the reality genre and things like Survivor." Playing Don't Forget Your Toothbrush isn't like coming on down on The Price Is Right. "Contestants come in for an interview, essentially," Golder explains. "They fill out a fairly extensive form ? it's five pages long and asks for some general information like names o

Mon, Jun 19, 2000

Brady Kid Cast as Soap Schemer

Move over, Marcia! Beloved Brady Bunch ingenue Maureen McCormick has joined the cast of Passions, NBC's deliciously innovative daytime soap, as Rebecca Hotchkiss, on-screen mother to a character played by Susan Lucci's real-life daughter! "Rebecca is manipulative and calculating," McCormick tells TV Guide Online. "She wants to control everything! She wants money, power and, from what I can see, to take over the Crane empire. I've already had a small fight with Pilar [the Cranes' housekeeper], who I've heard is always very nice, so the actress who plays her was really excited to do that." McCormick's soap character, who debuts July 5, obviously comes from luxury, but the actress doesn't have the luxury of time working on Passions, which tapes one episode a day. "Oh, it's overwhelming! I want to go back and redo everything," she confesses. "I'm a perfectionist,

Fri, Jun 16, 2000

Lily Tomlin's Nashville Memories

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Robert Altman's Nashville, an American allegory that helped define the '70s, and wacky comedian Lily Tomlin is taking the opportunity to fondly recall her unorthodox role and the eventful, angst-filled making of the film. "I found out sometime later that Louise Fletcher was supposed to have been Linnea [the gospel singer with deaf children]," Tomlin tells Premiere. "Louise's parents were deaf, and she knew sign language. Ironically enough, Michael Douglas came to see me around that time for Nurse Ratched [in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which Douglas produced]. I never got the part; Louise got the part. And somehow I wound up with Linnea. Tomlin was not

Mon, Jun 12, 2000

A Ghost of a Chance on All My Children

Veteran soap actress Ellen Wheeler is usually too busy to reflect upon, revisit or recreate her many soap roles. The statuesque blonde has won two Emmys, played dual roles on two East Coast shows, done stints on Dark Shadows and The Bold and the Beautiful in L.A., and is currently winning raves for her work as a director on As the World Turns. Therefore, it's a little odd, you'll agree, that All My Children asked her to reprise the role of Cindy Parker for one day ? especially since Cindy died of AIDS in the late 1980s. "Of course I was very surprised to hear from AMC," Wheeler tells TV Guide Online. "I knew even before I got to talk to them that it must be something supernatural because there's no other way for her to be there." Wheeler's instincts are correct: She plays a friendly ghost on today's episode, comforting Cindy's husband's current wife, who thinks he's dead. Confusing, but also exciting. "That was maybe the dear

Tue, Jun 6, 2000

Age Before Beauty for Celebrity Drinkers

Yes, Leonardo DiCaprio is 25 years old and can legally knock back a few brewskis, but a majority of Americans say the baby-faced actor is the celebrity of drinking age most likely to be asked for ID when buying alcohol. A recent study by Anheuser-Busch indicates that 86 percent of Americans believe that ID-checking is an excellent or good way to reduce underage drinking, and 55 percent of those polled think Leo is the celebrity most likely to be carded. Runners-up included Will Smith, Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow. Will Smith? The man is 32 years old! The poll, conducted by the Data Development Corporation, reveals that it's not unusual for folks in their 30s to be carded, though. Nine in 10 young adults (ages 21 to 39) say they have been carded when buying alcohol, meaning that bartenders and shopkeepers are doing their part to prevent underage drinking. The

Thu, Jun 1, 2000

Soap Vixen Saves (Your) Face

Soap vixen Catherine Hickland spends most of her time as trying-to-save-face Lindsay on One Life to Live. So it's no surprise that the actress/entrepreneur is endorsing Renaitre, a glycolic skin cleanser, May 27 at 1 pm/ET on QVC. "You don't sell something that you don't use ? that would be pretty bad! I swear by this," Hickland tells TV Guide Online. "I have been using glycolic products for about three years. I was getting them from my dermatologist and it was costing me a fortune, but I still did it because with what my skin goes through every day I need to be using the best products I can." Hickland's motives in this endeavor are far from selfish, though. "I would love to be able to have women who can't afford to go to a dermatologist and pay those prices be able to get the same quality [that I get]," she explains, adding that the cleanser is not just for women. "Not only

Fri, May 26, 2000

Mindy Cohn's Facts of Animation

Mindy Cohn, known to millions of Gen-Xers as bouncy Natalie Green on the long-running sitcom The Facts of Life, is entertaining a new generation of couch potatoes thanks to her role as type-A terror Nancy on the Fox Family Channel cartoon The Kids From Room 402. "The producers probably won't like this, but I always describe her as Peppermint Patty on acid," Cohn tells the TV Guide Channel. "She is so high-strung and so intense, and I really love playing her because I'm very much that way. She's very dramatic and everything is just very important and very crucial. It's her way or no way, but she's not a bully. She just is very demanding ? and she'll grow up to rule the world, I'm convinced. So that's Nancy." A far cry from her days as neurotic Natalie ? especially since Cohn doesn't have to spend hours in hair and makeup. "It's the best! You don't care what you look like as long as you sound right," she explains. "There's a different kind of camaraderie

Thu, May 25, 2000

Bernadette's Hair-Raising Stories

Beloved Broadway Kewpie doll Bernadette Peters is fostering a furry, ferocious creature. "My husband went with a friend to a shelter to get a dog and found this female pit bull whose throat was slit," she tells Spa Finder magazine. "It was either done on purpose or she'd had a collar on too long. "We took her to the vet and we were going to find her a home, but of course I had to keep her. I couldn't throw her out again," Peters explains. "People don't realize what an amazing dog a pit bull is. In World War I it was America's most decorated and beloved dog. They're very loyal and affectionate. Stella is the gentlest dog ? all she wants to do is cuddle". The 52-year-old actress, known for her terrific tresses, admits she does have some trouble with her luscious locks: "My hair does come out of my head curly," she says with a laugh. While such an affliction doesn't mean much in the

Wed, May 24, 2000

A Peek at Some Private Emmy Parties

The best part of Emmy week is, of course, the parties! Things kicked into high gear at the annual Bell luncheon, held Thursday at New York's Rainbow Room. Cast and crew from The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful mingled with the press and dined on delicious food (such an array of pasta!) and decadent desserts (the chocolate cake and home-style, unsweetened whipped cream did not disappoint!). Almost everyone was talkin' Emmys, but Susan Flannery (Stephanie, B&amp;B) and I were discussing politics ? mainly New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's real-life soap opera. "Every time his wife comes out from Gracie Mansion you think, 'Oh, my God! What is she going to say now?' It's sad, because it detracts from what he's done. Giuliani has really turned the town around." Pouring rain prevented me from going to the Passions/Days of Our Lives/NBC party that evening, but most of the cast of Passions was at Marci

Sat, May 20, 2000

Notes From the Emmy Pressroom

Sexy Susan Lucci hosted the evening, but the other Susan ? Susan Flannery (Stephanie, The Bold and the Beautiful) ? walked away with the Outstanding Lead Actress statuette at the 27th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, handed out Friday night at Radio City Music Hall in New York. You only saw half the show if you just watched the telecast, so here's a look at what some of the winners said to the press backstage: Flannery, who has played B&B's steel-willed matriarch for 13 years, was just as cool as her soap character when she realized she'd won Emmy gold ? but her pal wasn't so calm. "When they said my name, I hugged Ian Buchanan (ex-James, B&B) and he was shaking! And I thought, 'Wait a minute, who won?'&nbsp;" Actually, Flannery maintains that all five nominees in her category are champs. "We had lunch today ? Hillary [B. Smith, Nora on One Life to Live

Sat, May 20, 2000

Emmy Voters Snub Regis Philbin

Move over, Susan Lucci! It's Regis Philbin's turn to be an Emmy loser. The hyperactive ham lost the race for Outstanding Talk Show Host (along with partner Kathie Lee Gifford) and was seriously snubbed in the category of Outstanding Game Show Host. The man who single-handedly saved ABC lost out to Bob Barker (The Price Is Right) and Tom Bergeron (Hollywood Squares), who tied for the trophy. Bergeron is well aware that every American was rooting for Reege, the beloved host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. "Oh, God, I know ? not the least of them me! I don't know who the judges are or what they were drinking, but I'm glad to accept this award," he said with a laugh. Millionaire wasn't a total loser, though: It did win for Outstanding Game Show. Executive producer Michael Davies admitted that Millionaire's phenomenal popularity is a double-edged sword. "I apologize for part of it and I'm very happy a

Sat, May 20, 2000

Emergency! at the Smithsonian

The hunky paramedic with the funky name is going to Washington! Seventies icon Randolph Mantooth and the gang from the cult series Emergency! will be at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in the nation's capital Tuesday when a truckload of series clips and memorabilia go on display following a big-time induction ceremony. "We're giving them the coats we wore and the biofoam ? all the things we used," Mantooth tells TV Guide Online. "This is for the public-service section, not entertainment." The actor is quite proud of the positive impact Emergency! has had on American society. "I'm not saying that I can take any credit for that. I was just a kid getting up and going to work and complaining mostly about how early I was getting up," he says with a laugh. "The credit really goes to Robert A. Cinader, our executive producer and the man who created the show. It was his idea, his vision. He knew the [paramedic] program existed but nobody was

Mon, May 15, 2000

Kathy Griffin's Bum Rap

Kooky Kathy Griffin plays a pair of doppelg&auml;ngers on Sunday's episode of The X-Files, but the cute comedienne is sure that die-hard fans of the sci-fi series already know everything about the episode. "The fans are superdevoted, so while we were on location there was a big group of people watching us," she tells TV Guide Online. "And it was so funny. This one woman had a laptop, so I'm sure she was in a chat room the whole time! All they got to see was Mulder going into his van, or something. There was nothing really to see, but I thought this [scenario] was really funny. David Duchovny didn't think it was as funny as I did." Griffin, late of Suddenly Susan, can also be seen in Eminem's new video, directed by Dr. Dre. "I feel I should do a rap album," she says, jokingly. "I've had several offers. I think I'm too gangsta, though. Rap is going throug

Sat, May 6, 2000

Kathy Griffin's Bum Rap

Fri, May 5, 2000

Mark-Paul Gosselaar Gets Down to Business

Mark-Paul Gosselaar made a name for himself on the kiddie sitcom Saved by the Bell, but the 26-year-old actor, currently starring on the Dick Wolf series D.C. on the WB, is hoping audiences are ready for an older, more mature version of Zach Morris. "I think it's time to move on from the twentysomething shows that are dealing with kids that have no idea what they want to do and aren't motivated," Gosselaar tells TV Guide Online, noting that the characters on his show are all smart and accomplished. "Sometimes I feel like people are going to look at our show and say, 'That doesn't really happen.' But anybody who lives in D.C. knows that it is possible. I would imagine the WB's audience wants something more than what they've seen. This is the next step for the network to start doing shows that are a little bit more mature." Like Hyperion Bay? No

Fri, Apr 7, 2000

Joan Rivers Wigs Out on Red Carpet

Adult diapers, a vibrator and other assorted crude jokes, including one about O.J. Simpson, kicked off Joan Rivers's annual Oscar preshow on E ? and it went downhill from there. Joan is supposedly on the red carpet to criticize and compliment the fashions, but she spent most of her show ranting and raving about anything that struck her fancy. "I want to apologize to my dear, dear friend Florence Henderson," Joan told viewers. "She is not a crackhead... anymore." Whatever. Unfortunately, this year's preshow was short on embarrassing gaffes (except for that Kevin Spacey/Kevin Costner mixup), so we had to put up with softball interviews with Haley Joel Osment, Tom Green and ? get this! ? Karen Black. The first hour was a mixture of lame, tasteless gags, while the second hour was crammed with Joan's sometimes toothless, sometimes bizarre interviews with folks like Queen Latifah ("You're performing tonight, right

Mon, Mar 27, 2000

Singing Waitress Minds NBC's Business

Call it a Greenwich Village success story: Saucy singing waitress Amy Engelberg breaks the hearts of hundreds of boozehounds when she leaves raucous cabaret The Duplex to try her hand in Hollywood. Surprise, surprise ? Engelberg scored in Tinseltown! After cutting her teeth on UPN's Clueless, the outspoken alto and her sister, Wendy, are producing and writing the upcoming NBC comedy MYOB. "It's such a good show," she says of the series created by Don Roos, adding that it's different from anything currently on TV. "I think it's smarter, a little more subtle, and it has a different kind of attitude. NBC loves the show ? they just don't know where to put it!" Don't look for Engelberg to go back to her barmaid roots if MYOB should fail. "Oh, God, no," she moans. "I'm so happy not to do it! I don't miss it at all... I don't miss the late nights, I don't mi

Thu, Mar 23, 2000

Winners Get Happy at the TV Guide Awards

They like you... they really like you! The gracious winners at Sunday night's TV Guide Awards went out of their way to thank you, the fans, for participating in the awards process and supporting them. "This is a special treat because it's generated by the fans, the people who sit on their couches and watch our shows," MTV's Carson Daly told TV Guide Online. We caught up with the rising star while he was taking a breather with his dad, and he admitted that these are heady times. "I don't know what the future holds, bro! My world is spinning right now and I'm just taking things one day at a time." Tyne Daly, unofficial spokeswoman for the Judging Amy cast, took a jab at the press while applauding the viewers for recognizing her ensemble show. "The audience caught on and appreciated us immediately, despite what the critics were saying. We were thought of as a clone of Providence and that's not true ? and the audience knows that. A

Mon, Mar 6, 2000