Entertainment News from Eye On Weho

Eye on Entertainment
Nathaniel Grey
Entertainment Editor
February 1, 2011

I Thought the Super Bowl Was Made By Tupperware

I like most, red, white and blue-blooded Americans I am looking forward to Feb. 6 for this year's Super Bowl. But while they watch the actual game I just DVR it and fast- forward through the plays to watch the commercials. I bet you thought it was to wear out the pause button during the locker room interviews? But more importantly, after the game, FOX will broadcast what may be the biggest extravaganza filled episode of Glee to date. Already scheduled is the USC Marching Band, the cast dressed as Zombie football players in a Thriller mashup, a cover of Katy Perry's California Gurls and Sue Sylvester being interviewed by Katie Couric. Let's just hope Sue remember what type of publications she reads and avoids Sarah Palin's answer of "All of them."

What happens if you cross TV game show classics Match Game with The Dating Game? Some might guess, cocktails with Charles Nelson Reilly but you'd be wrong - he's dead. What you do get is a hilarious live on-stage performance called The Fix-Up Show. Hosted by J. Keith van Straaten (former host of the short-lived Comedy Central game show Beat the Geeks) at the ACME Comedy Theatre, 135 N. La Brea, LA., The Fix-Up Show features a panel of three people, two who know the single contestant with the third being a celebrity panelist. For example, the Feb. 3rd show offers Margaret Cho with Tipi Hedren stepping into the VIP chair on Feb. 23rd. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Even if you miss out on the advance tickets, isn't $15 worth it to see the iconic Miss Hedren. For you people that are younger than me, Tipi Hedren is Don Johnson's ex-Mother-in-law.

If you have yet to experience the brilliant new Showtime series Shameless, STOP what you are doing and add it to your TV viewing must list. The fact that it's based on a UK series of the same name and stars William H. Macy, Joan Cusack, Justin Chatwin and Emmy Rossum, is just icing on the cake of this unpredictable quirky drama. You might call me biased since this series occupies the number one slot on my DVR priority list but after you get caught up with the last 4 episodes, you'll know why. While the MTV version of the British series Skins is an embarrassing and pathetic recreation, Shameless actually improves upon its UK progenitor. Cameron Monaghan, who has received well- deserved praise for his performance as Gay son Ian, gets to play for the other team as a hetero high school student in the April Disney release - Prom.

Will & Grace veteran, Debra Messing heads back to prime time with a guest appearance on Law & Order: SVU this month. She'll be a TV Reporter working to introduce communities to the pedophiles who live among them. Once her life is threatened she reaches out to justice champions, Elliot and Olivia. *** Among the celebrities tracing their family history in NBC's Who Do You Think You Are' genealogy series, returning Feb. 4th, are Gwyneth Paltrow, Rosie O'Donnell, Vanessa Williams and Kim Cattrall. I'm just wondering but how many LDS commercials do you think will air during the broadcast? ***John Waters brings his self described one-man vaudeville act This Filthy World Goes Hollywood to UCLA's Royce Hall for one night only Feb. 23rd. *** The new seasons of Million Dollar Listing debuts on Bravo Feb. 3 and features new agent Josh Altman. He replaces bowl haircut Chad Rogers but shouldn't be confused with returning cast member Josh Flagg. Also on board is the former questioning youth-fullness of Madison Hildebrand.

F. Murray Abraham (The Ritz) and Rita Wilson (Mrs. Tom Hanks) appear on the Feb. 15th episode of The Good Wife in a story influenced by the movie The Social Network. Over at FX, season two of the Timothy Olyphant (The Broken Hearts Club) series Justified begins its second season on Feb. 9th. *** Known for its action packed drama, the CBS revival of Hawaii 5-O will feature comedian Dane Cook playing Danny "Danno" Williams' (as played by Scott Caan) brother in an upcoming episode. ***
If you are like the multitudes of viewers who fell head over heals for Eka Darville as Barka's lover on Spartacus: Blood and Sand, rejoice. He' has joined the cast of the eagerly awaited Steven Spielberg series Terra Nova, about a family sent from a dying future Earth to 85 million year into it's prehistoric past to start civilization over again. Following their success with the debut of Glee, FOX will premiere the Terra Nova pilot episode this May and return it to it's regular weekly slot this Fall. The cast includes Stephen Lang (Avatar,) Jason O'Mara (Life On Mars,) Christin Adams (Tron: Legacy,) and Mido Hamada (24.) In other Spartacus news,If you recognize Antonio Te Maioha from Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, he has a distinctive history with sword and costume dramas. Currently half of the Gay couple of Barca and Auctus on the prequel series, you may have also noticed Antonio from his past appearances on Legend of the Seeker, Xena Warrior Princess and Hercules: the Legendary Journeys. Playing Auctus, the other half of this intimate Gadiator tag team is Australian actor Josef Brown, best known down under for appearing on the series Dance Academy. ***

Feb. 11th brings the next animated Disney film. Gnomeo & Juliet brings to the screen a romance between lawn ornaments and contrary to rumor is not a biography about the Travelocity gnome. The musical features tunes by Sir Elton John who also acts as producer with partner David Furnish. James McAvoy (Wanted) and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) voice the lovestruck garden residents with supporting characters played by Matt Lucas (Little Britain,) Jason Statham (The Transporter,) Hulk Hogan, Maggie Smith and Dolly Parton. Don't ask me how they go this band of entertainers together but I'm guessing it involved a dartboard or a casting agent who one a bet with a producer.

If you remain shocked that nobody has hired Jennifer Beals for another TV Series since the conclusion of The L Word, justice is at hand. Debuting Feb. 7, The Chicago Code comes from the creative mind of Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and introduces Beals as Chicago's first woman police superintendent. Joining Ryan as executive producer is his former co-worker from Angel, Tim Minear. Interesting fact, the series was formerly titled 'Ride-Along' but maybe some feared such a double entendre title could sound like it was a spinoff series to The L Word. I'm just saying.

Though he won the 1984 Tony Award for his book to the musical La Cage Aux Folles, Harvey Fierstein has never performed the lead role in the hit musical. That changes on Feb. 13th when the stars of the current revival, Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge leave the production with Fierstein stepping in the heels of Albin at the Longacre Theatre on Feb. 15th.

The multi-talented actor/comedian and former comedy traffic school teacher Jason Stuart has been cast as a chef who opens a restaurant with his BFF played by Lisa Sheridan (CSI: Miami) in the upcoming film Home Invasion. Actually, Jason accepted the role before he even read the script and that was due to a title sheet typo that read 'Homo Invasion'. Jason naturally assumed it was a porno movie. Described as a thriller, the picture stars C. Thomas Howell (Southland) and Haylie Duff (7th Heaven) who gets to play intense as she chokes someone, poisons a salad bar and burns down a building. Wait a minute, weren't those plagiarized from Mel Gibson's divorce papers.

Until next time, I'm Nathaniel Grey and I was born this way.

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