rebecca.peterson

BB5's Yoga Guru Booted

On last Thursday's installment of Big Brother 5, 26-year-old yoga instructor Lori became the second houseguest to be evicted by her roomies. But don't feel too badly for her — the blow was softened by that $10,000 she opted to take instead of stocking the house's pantry. (Anyone still wondering why Lori got the boot?) TV Guide Online caught up with the Boston babe shortly after her ouster to get the skinny on her brief stay in the house that Orwell built. TV Guide Online: Were you shocked to be nominated for eviction so soon?Lori: No, only because Marvin won Head of Household and I knew he was going to nominate me. TVGO: Do you regret choosing the $10,000 windfall over food for the household?Lori: I don't regret it, but I definitely do think that it had something to do with the fact that I was nominated. It made me a target immediately. TVGO: Marvin said he nominated you because you were the stronges

Wed, Jul 28, 2004

Carson Daly Sees Fireworks

That Carson Daly's one busy guy. Not only does the former TRL host have his own late-night TV chatfest (Last Call with Carson Daly) and a nationally syndicated radio show (Carson Daly Most Requested), he's also co-founded an independent record label, 456 Entertainment. This Sunday, he adds another highlight to his r&eacute;sum&eacute; as host of Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular (9 pm/ET on NBC). So, how does a hip dude like Daly get attached to such family-friendly fare? By invitation, of course! "This whole thing started a year ago, when they asked me if I wanted to host [the 2003 telecast]. I said absolutely, really because I wanted a good seat for the fireworks," he explains. "To me, the Fourth of July, it's like must-see TV. It's just a great thing to have on; it just seems like a no-brainer." But the pyrotechnics aren't the only reason to get fired up over the Spectacular. "Aretha Fr

Fri, Jul 2, 2004

Joel Silver's Reality Stunt

Unless you've been living under The Rock — er, a rock — you've seen the flashy ads for NBC's Next Action Star (Tuesdays at 8 pm/ET). In the Peacock's latest reality-TV offering, 14 aspiring Jean-Claude Van Dammes and Linda Hamiltons vie to star in an upcoming made-for-TV movie. Over the course of the series, these masochistic hopefuls are schooled in the basics of stunt work. That means daily acting and combat lessons, as well as race-car driving and wire work. Each week's episode will culminate in a "screen test," eliminating one male and one female until only one competitor of each sex remains. If you're picturing American Idol, Commando-style, you're not entirely off base. The show's backed by prolific producer Joel Silver, the man behind such action smashes as Predator, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon and The Matrix. Reality TV and this movie mogul may seem an unlikely mix, but Silver ha

Wed, Jun 16, 2004

Bravo Stud Comes Out... As Straight!

Move over, Rocco. There's a new reality stud on the scene and his name is Jonathan Antin, hubba-hubba hairstylist to the stars. The hottie at the center of Bravo's Blow Out (premiering tonight at 9 pm/ET), Antin has only 28 days to open and staff his very own Beverly Hills beauty salon — and that's just in the series premiere! Suffice it to say that things get hairy for our hunky hero, who along with executive producer Ben Silverman, took a breather from hectic schedules to plug their project and dish on the beauty biz.How did Blow Out come about? Ben Silverman: I wanted to do a show around a character like Jonathan even before The Restaurant [which Silverman also produces] went on the air. I had been having conversations about doing a show in a salon following a straight, single hairdresser as he went about pursuing his dream. And then it took 18 months to find that guy and it was Jonathan. It took probably around six weeks to

Tue, Jun 8, 2004

Gloria Estefan's Idol Gossip

The third season of American Idol ended last week, but people are still buzzing about it, including former guest judge Gloria Estefan. The Latina diva took a break from her busy pre-tour schedule to discuss her experience with the pop-culture phenom, Fantasia's victory and, of course, the acid-tongued Simon Cowell. Do you think these reality-music contests are taking away from "real" musicians? Gloria Estefan: I think it's kind of arrogant of us to think that we're the only "real" musicians. If you think back, there have been these kinds of shows since the dawn of time; all the way back to Arthur Godfrey, there's always been talent shows. I think the difference with this one and why it's had such success, quite honestly, is Simon. We started watching, my daughter and I, a couple seasons ago, because of "the mean guy." Is Simon really that nasty in real life? Gloria: No, of course not. It's a shtick and he's gotta do it. He'

Wed, Jun 2, 2004

Will Seinfeld's Pal Be a Star?

The summer lull — just after May sweeps mania and before the fall TV season — is when networks like testing out iffy new material. Case in point: Come to Papa, an NBC sitcom starring stand-up comic Tom Papa. Basically, he plays a suburban New Jersey newspaper reporter who dreams of a life less ordinary as a comedy writer. How'd this unknown land such a plum gig? Well, his showbiz connections — particularly ex-NBC golden boy Jerry Seinfeld — didn't exactly hurt. "I'm friends with Jerry. He kind of discovered me in the [comedy] clubs about five years ago, and I have been on tour with him," Papa explains, adding hopefully, "Seinfeld also debuted in the summer, so maybe that's a good omen. It's kind of strange how we've mirrored the same route he's taken. He had a pilot and it took a while to get up on its feet. Once it did, it was supposed to [debut] in the spring and they moved it to the summer, the same way that we did.

Mon, May 24, 2004

Carol Burnett's Reunion Fever

Funnylady Carol Burnett loves to relive memories of her classic 1967-78 variety show in charming (and highly rated) CBS specials. Tonight at 10 pm/ET, she's doing Let's Bump Up the Lights, a different kind of salute to her sketchcom, which also serves as a reunion special for former castmates Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Harvey Korman and Lyle Waggoner. OK, they've done the 25th anniversary show. In 2001, they did an outtakes special called Showstoppers. What's left? Bump winds up what Burnett sees as her Carol Burnett Show reunion trilogy. "A very big section of our show was questions and answers, where I came out at the top of the show," she recalls. "We never had a plant in the audience. I never knew what anybody was going to ask and I didn't know what I was going to answer. So what we did with [Bump] was try to find the funniest clips of the Q&amp;As, but also get the whole gang together and tak

Wed, May 12, 2004

Scrubs' Wedding Fiasco

Forget Trista and Ryan's wedding. Turk and Carla's nuptials tonight on Scrubs (9:30 pm/ET) promise to be the TV wedding of the decade. But don't tune in expecting the carefully orchestrated and executed circus, er, ceremony that ABC and Bachelorette producers whipped up. This is a Scrubs wedding, which can mean only one thing: Everything that can go wrong does go wrong. But when asked what to expect in the third-season ender, Judy Reyes, who plays Carla, would only say, "It's going to be quite a ride... because of the nature of the show and the people who are getting married." Here's what else we know: Turk (Donald Faison) takes an extra shift at the hospital on the day of the ceremony, vowing to his anxious fianc&#233e that he'll get to the church on time. Needless to say, complications arise and pandemonium ensues as the dashing doc races against the clock to meet his bride-to-be at the altar. At least Carla w

Tue, May 4, 2004

Ereka Exits The Apprentice

Last week on The Apprentice, Ereka Vetrini was sacked after Versacorp failed to sell more of The Donald's designer bottled water than Protege. Here, the 27-year-old native New Yorker sounds off on back-stabber Bill, catty Carolyn and, of course, that hoity-toity H2O. TV Guide Online: How did Trump Ice taste? Ereka Vetrini: It's good water. I'm not sure I loved the packaging, though. TVGO: If you owned a restaurant or club, would you serve it to your patrons? Ereka: Based on taste, yes. Based on packaging, not so much. We really didn't have control over which customers we sold to, nor were we allowed to have a marketing campaign. TVGO: Why was Nick so difficult to work with? Ereka: I don't know if he felt threatened. [Maybe] he thought that if it wasn't going to be me [getting fired], it was going to be him. Overall, I just wasn't impressed with Nick or his sales techniques. TVGO:

Wed, Mar 3, 2004

Apprentice's Jessie Defends Herself

Talk about bad karma. Last week on The Apprentice, 21-year-old Jessie Connors got the ax days after back-stabbing teammate Kristi in front of Donald Trump and America. TV Guide Online caught up with the young entrepreneur, who defends her bad behavior in the boardroom, explains her irksome negotiation style and rationalizes her exile. TV Guide Online: You were the youngest contestant. Were you intimidated by the others? Jessie Connors: I don't think intimidated is the right word. I admire some of the players very much. It was awesome just to meet them and to see their resumes and what they've accomplished. TVGO: Whom did you admire the most? Jessie: I loved Heidi. She's so feisty and honest and blunt. Sam, because he thinks outside of the box. Kristi, because working with her was so much fun. She's a great girl. TVGO: That said, why did you stab Kristi in the back in the boardroom?

Wed, Feb 18, 2004

Trump's First Lady Loser Speaks!

After four consecutive Versacorp losses cut the men's team in half, last week's episode of The Apprentice kicked off with a "corporate reshuffle" that mixed male and female contestants and ultimately resulted in the first pair of high heels to hit the bricks. TV Guide Online caught up with ousted restaurateur Kristi Frank to get the scoop on her big on-camera meltdown, that missing dough and Jessie's shocking boardroom betrayal. TV Guide Online: During the corporate reshuffle, was there anyone you wanted on your team whom Nick picked first? Kristi Frank: Amy, definitely. Amy and I worked very well together. She comes up with great ideas and keeps the team motivated. TVGO: Given the chance to lead your team again in the same task, what would you have done differently? Kristi: I might not have done so much research on the flea markets. We spent a lot of time finding out what products would sell. We should have just ju

Tue, Feb 10, 2004

Trump's First Lady Loser Speaks!

Tue, Feb 10, 2004

Apprentice's Latest Loser Speaks

He may not have been the most memorable contestant on The Apprentice, but fourth ouster Bowie Hogg has a personality as big as his home state of Texas. Here, he sounds off on his fellow competitors, rationalizes his expulsion, describes his dream woman and answers the show's $1 million question: What happens to the rejects after they get in that cab? TV Guide Online: Other than a certain legendary rock star, Bowie is a rather unusual name. Is there a story behind it? Bowie Hogg: I was the youngest of four boys — my three older brothers have totally normal names — and I guess with the fourth one they couldn't decide on a name. My birth sticker from the hospital says "Boy Hogg," and they couldn't decide. For two weeks I had no name! And then my brother Jim was playing peek-a-boo as a joke and it stuck. TVGO: You called Sam a "cancer" in the group. Don't you think that was a bit harsh? Hogg: No, I don't. He and I are actu

Tue, Feb 3, 2004

Apprentice Villain Fires Back

As he proved during his brief but memorable stint on NBC's The Apprentice, Sam Solovey is a small guy with a larger-than-life personality. In fact, the 27-year-old Internet entrepreneur is such a big presence that he required two — count 'em, two — TV Guide Online interviews. So, as a follow-up to his pre-pink slip chat, we rang up with the nutty obsessor just hours after he proposed to his girlfriend live on the Today show to grill him some more.TV Guide Online: Which was more nerve-racking: facing The Donald in the Board Room or proposing on national TV?Sam Solovey: It's funny. When other people are most uncomfortable, that's when I'm comfortable. I'm an intense person, so going into the Board Room was an exhausting process, but I was never nervous. And I wasn't even nervous this morning because I enjoy those opportunities for the challenge. I love that kind of scary moment. It's a thrill t

Wed, Jan 28, 2004

Dumped by Trump

On last week's series premiere of The Apprentice, 16 overachievers handpicked by real-estate tycoon Donald Trump embarked on a 13-week job interview. The last man (or woman) standing lands a one-year gig as president of a Trump-owned company. The aspiring entrepreneurs have been divided into two gender-specific teams, competing at various business tasks. The losing team heads to the Board Room, where a player will be fired by Trump and ejected from the game. Here, TV Guide Online meets the reality show's first casualty, David Gould. TV Guide Online: What was it like sitting face-to-face with The Donald?David Gould: Well, I actually enjoyed the whole process. I wasn't intimidated like I think some of the others were. I was hoping to have a more detailed, more drawn-out discussion, but I managed to get in a word here and there. TVGO: Were you surprised to end up in the Board Room so soon?Gould: I wasn't surprised to end up in the B

Wed, Jan 14, 2004