Primetime TV Review: Love Can Surprise You

TV Review!

“Love Can Surprise You” Review on by Eva 9/20/2023

Carina (Camilla Belle) is a romance columnist who works for Sparklife. Carina thinks she is headed for marriage with her boyfriend Tom (Karn Kalra) until he suddenly breaks up with her. Camila’s boss pairs her with a new writer named Liam (David Lafontaine). Her boss thinks the romance section of the website needs a male perspective.

Carina and Liam don’t get along at first, because he is more spontaneous in his writing while she has a more serious and organized approach to her writing. Carina and Liam become friends when they work on an article about the ten best activities to do on a date. Carina tells Liam she wants to get back together with her boyfriend and Liam comes up with a plan to help Carina. Liam’s plan works and Carina’s boyfriend asks Carina for another chance and he arrives at her parents vow renewal ceremony. Carina discovers that just because her and her boyfriend seem like a good couple, it doesn’t mean they should be together.

This movie is worth watching, even though in my opinion, it would have been fun to explore Carina’s Brazilian heritage a bit more since it was mentioned that her mother was from Brazil. I also would have liked to see a bit more of the vow renewal ceremony. I really enjoyed Camila Bell in this movie.

This movie was previously released as “10 Truths About Love” in 2022. The movie is available under this title in Tubi.

If you missed the movie look on your DVR guide for the next airing because Great American Family channel airs movies several times.

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.

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Primetime TV Review: Come Fly with Me

TV Review!

“Come Fly with Me” Review on by Eva 9/20/2023

This movie is about a single mom, Emma (Heather Hemmens), who moves to Las Vegas to train with the Air Force Thunderbirds. Emma meets a widower named Paul (Niall Matter) who is also a single father. Emma and Paul meet when their daughters Lucy (Pietra Castro) and Alice (Georgia Aken). The girls notice the chemistry between Paul and Emma and, since the girls want to become sisters, they make a plan to get their parents together.

This movie was filmed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense which provided beautiful footage of airplanes in flight. This movie has three important messages about love, friendship, and organ donation. I would have liked it if they would have concentrated a little bit more on the organ donation part of the story, but I enjoyed that this movie was a little different than the Hallmark movie formula. It is definitely worth watching and if you miss the movie, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries will repeat it several times; just check your DVR guide or the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries website.

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.

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Interview with Karen Lam

TV Interview!

 

Writer/Director/Producer Karen Lam; Photo by Tallulah Photography - © opiatepix

Interview with Karen Lam of the movie “The Curse of Willow Song” by Thane 9/9/23

It was great to talk to award-winning filmmaker Karen Lam about her upcoming horror movie, “The Curse Of Willow Song.” This movie won multiple awards, but I found her very humble about it. I can tell that she’s in it for the love of art, and she loves working with people.  Make sure to check out the trailer because it’s really cool.

 

MORE INFO: VIEW AND SHARE THE TRAILER!

Director/producer/writer Karen Lam (from her cats' Instagram)Canadian writer, director, and producer KAREN LAM is promoting her upcoming film THE CURSE OF WILLOW SONG, on digital and DVD September 26.

Lam grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. Lam‘s father, a professor, would show his daughter horror films that she cites as an influence for her work. Lam also lists Gothic literature and Asian horror films as influences. After receiving a law degree from the University of British Columbia, Lam began working at BC Film.

Lam‘s first featured-length film was Stained (2010), a thriller starring Tinsel Korey. A year later the horror revenge short Doll Parts (2011) was released and distributed, which Lam credits for paving the way for Stained to get viewership in the United States. She landed on Hollywood’s map with the starry horror Evangeline in 2013.

KAREN LAM‘S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED COMES TO DIGITAL SEPTEMBER 26

THE CURSE OF WILLOW SONG

Key art for the film, "The Curse of Willow Song"

STARRING VALERIE TIAN FROM “THE MAGICIANS”, “ARROW” AND JENNIFER’S BODY

Karen Lam‘s highly-anticipated The Curse of Willow Song, starring Jennifer Body’s Valerie Tian, has been picked up by Uncork’d Entertainment. The horror pic, receiving great early buzz thanks to its strong special effects, will release on both digital and DVD formats in the fall.

“The Curse of Willow Song has so much to offer. It will appeal for the genre audience but also the Asian community – as represented in front of and behind camera”, said Keith Leopard, President Uncork’d Entertainment. “Karen Lam is truly one of the most exceptional filmmakers out there, and The Curse of Willow Song reiterates that.”

Willow Song, a recovering addict and parolee, struggles to start over. Willow finds herself in a concrete wasteland. Facing isolation and displacement, shadows creep into Willow’s mind and her nightmares become too real.

The Curse of Willow Song will release on Digital and DVD September 26, 2023.

About Uncork’d Entertainment

Uncork’d Entertainment was founded in July, 2012 by Keith Leopard, a Home Entertainment industry veteran with more than 23 years of experience in purchasing, acquisitions, merchandising, marketing and analysis of major studio and independent supplier to the home entertainment market.

The Company focuses on distribution in six areas: Digital Media, Physical Home Entertainment, Aggregation, Theatrical and Television, Foreign Sales, and has secured relationships across all platforms to ensure your film reaches the widest audience possible.

Keith and his team are committed to maximizing revenue, controlling costs, and assuring their Content Partners the highest quality of service, a commitment to market and merchandise their film and a rewarding experience by partnering with Uncork’d Entertainment.

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Writer/Director/Producer Karen Lam; Photo by Tallulah Photography - © opiatepix
Writer/Director/Producer Karen Lam; Photo by Tallulah Photography – © opiatepix

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Days Opinion Article Week of 9/4/23

Opinion Article

 

by Cheryl

EJ and Johnny on "Days of Our Lives" on Peacock

EJ was suddenly thinking of Susan. He basically forgot about her all this time. Now that Ava is back he is suddenly thinking about her. He wasn’t ready to get revenge on Ava before she came back and now he has become obsessed with making her pay for Susan’s death. He also wanted to get revenge on Xander for not going after Ava. Being a new father hasn’t changed him at all.

 
Why would Theresa come back to Salem without Tate? Victor was his great grandfather so it didn’t make sense that she didn’t bring him with her to the funeral. She claimed he had school, but she still should have brought him to the funeral. Rachel should be in school, but no one has mentioned her being in school. It was an excuse not to have Brady be around his son. We were surprised he even remembered Tate’s name since he hasn’t seen him in years. 
 
Brady clearly hasn’t been seeing Tate over the years because he and Theresa were talking about what she did with Xander as if it happened yesterday. We understand they had to use exposition to let new fans and remind longtime fans of their history, but it didn’t make sense that they are just now having a conversation about it. 
 
Theresa and Xander talked about their relationship woes. How did Theresa know about Xander’s relationship with Sarah? Theresa wasn’t in Salem when Sarah was with Xander. Who was keeping Theresa up-to-date about Xander and Sarah’s relationship? 
 
Nicole needs to make up her mind about who Chloe should be with. One minute Nicole wanted her to be with Brady, and now she wants her to be with Philip. Nicole must want Chloe to be indecisive about the man in her life the same way she is. It was obvious that Nicole’s advice was about her own life and not Chloe’s. Nicole is the one who can’t make up her mind about her love life. We loved how Chloe called Nicole out for her hypocritical advice. 
 
Why would Johnny defend Ava to EJ? Did Johnny forget that Ava killed his grandmother? Johnny tried to downplay Ava’s actions by mentioning her mental issues. We know Johnny had a soft spot for her once upon a time, but it doesn’t change what she did to his grandmother. 
 
Why would Harris risk his life to go on the run with Ava? He doesn’t know her very well, so why risk his freedom for her? Is he starting to fall for her? That would be the only explanation for why he would choose to go on the run with her. 
 
Why didn’t the writers find a way to bring Victor and Maggie’s families to Salem for his funeral? It didn’t make sense for them to be missing. Where were Melanie, Ciara and Claire? If they couldn’t get the same actresses to play them, they could have recast them. 
 
How many times is John’s story going to change? It has changed several times. The writers don’t seem to be able to decide who he is going to be. They will probably end up changing his paternity once again.

 

Harris and Ava on "Days of Our Lives" on Peacock

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Days Nitpicks & Flubs Week of 9/5/23

Opinion Article

 

by Michele

Victor's Funeral on "Days of Our Lives" on Peacock

Monday

-EJ was suddenly dreaming about Susan dying. He wasn’t thinking about her before.

-EJ was able to find out where Xander and Chloe live. He has no reason to know about that.

-Theresa has been gone for years, but she is still in love with Brady.

-Theresa didn’t bring Tate with her for the funeral because he had school. Even if he’s back in school, they would have let him have time off for a death in the family.

Tuesday

-Sarah looked at her ring as if Rex just put it on her finger.

-It was daytime when Xander and Theresa saw each other, but it was nighttime in this episode.

-If Ava didn’t kill Susan, why was she seeing her face? She didn’t have to haunt her if she didn’t do anything to her.

-Who was keeping Theresa informed about what was going on in Salem? She knew too much about Xander’s relationship with Sarah and Chloe.

Wednesday

-Where did Talia get the money to change her hair? Speaking of hair, Chanel also managed to change her hairstyle.

-Jada suggested that she and Rafe go to his house. If they went to his house before, they wouldn’t have gotten caught.

-Why would Johnny defend Ava to EJ? Did he forget that Ava killed his grandmother?

Thursday

– Ciara was too far along to go to Victor’s funeral but Chelsea wasn’t. They were pregnant around the same time, yet Ciara couldn’t make it to the funeral.

– Why didn’t Will come with Sonny to Victor’s funeral?

– Why didn’t Claire come back for Victor’s funeral?

-Brady and Justin were sitting in the front row, but Philip was behind them at Victor’s funeral.

Friday

-Maggie can be heard talking while Sarah was shown.

-John didn’t go to Victor’s funeral. He had a relationship with Victor because of Isabella, so he should have been there.

 

Victor's Funeral on "Days of Our Lives" on Peacock

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Interview with the creators of “The Inventor”

TV Interview!

 

Writer/co-director Jim Capobiano, co-director Pierrce-Luc Granjon and composer Alex Mandel of "The Inventor"

Interview with writer/co-director Jim Capobianco, co-director Pierrce-Luc Granjon and composer Alex Mandel of the movie “The Inventor” by Suzanne 8/10/23

This is a cute stop-motion animated movie about Leonardo da Vinci and his quest to find out the secret of life. It’s great for kids, families, or anyone. The music is very good, too.

The first interview was with the show’s directors, Jim Capobianco and Pierre-Luc Granjon; Capobianco was also the writer. The second interview was with Alex Mandel, who wrote the music. Both interviews were very enjoyable. I hope you can go see this film, which comes out September 15.

Writer/co-director Jim Capobiano and composer Alex Mandel of "The Inventor"

 

 

 

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"The Inventor" key art

THE INVENTOR

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER HERE

SYNOPSIS

Directed and written by Jim Capobianco (the Academy Award¼-nominated screenwriter of “Ratatouille”) and co-directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon, THE INVENTOR is a stop-motion adventure film about the life of Leonardo da Vinci featuring the voices of Stephen Fry, Daisy Ridley, Marion Cotillard, Gauthier Battoue, and Matt Berry.

The insatiably curious and headstrong inventor/artist Leonardo da Vinci (Fry) leaves Italy to join the French court where he can freely experiment, invent flying contraptions and incredible machines, and study the human body. Joined in his adventure by the audacious Princess Marguerite (Ridley), Leonardo attempts to uncover the answer to the ultimate question: “What is the meaning of life?”

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Leonardo di Vinci of "The Inventor"

 

Why I think Days is Ridiculous 2023

Opinion Article

 

Random Rant by Jonathan Massey Moss

Leo (Kevin Rikaart) and Susan (Stacy Haiduk) on "Days of Our Lives' on Peacock

They just revealed that Susan Banks is alive. I’m not surprised – nobody dies in Salem! I doubted her death from day one. Some people hate her, but I find her hilarious. Some people also hate Leo, but I also find him hilarious. He has the funniest lines. I don’t care about the Dimitri triangle, but I guess he and Leo are well-suited. It’s obvious Dimitri will lose out on the money.

I don’t like Alex; he’s very annoying. I liked him much better when he was having casual flings – at least people don’t normally do that on the soaps. Perhaps Abby will return alive just before Chad and Stephanie get married…. that would be fun!

I am thankful the story line with Nurse Nuts and Abe is gone – that plot was tortuous. Speaking of tortuous, I liked the idea of Theresa coming back, but her character has been just annoying so far. It’s been a decade, so couldn’t she find someone else by now?

The residents of Salem have quite a few secrets. I’m not sure why they bother keeping them because they always come out. Salemites must have memories like goldfish.

I would hate to be Sloane when EJ finds out the baby isn’t his. Such a shame. I think Nichole and EJ are better suited. Wendy and Tripp are pretty boring, but it’s a good excuse for Lucas Adams to be shirtless. Xander and Chloes romance is obviously doomed – why are we even bothering with them?

Sonny is back, but what about Will? Oh, great, now I sound like some ridiculous fan whining about casting decisions…one of those who doesn’t realize that the showjust can’t afford lots of returnees.

People on social media were upset that Victor died in a plane crash instead of in his sleep. I don’t know what difference this makes, he’s dead either way. I did like Victor, though… he was funny and is already missed. RIP John.

 

John Aniston (Victor) on "Days of Our Lives" on Peacock (photo from NBC)

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Does Days Still Have a Future?

Opinion Article

 

by Suzanne

Days of Our Lives older actors 2023

In March, the streaming service Peacock renewed “Days of Our Lives” for two more years, which means the show will make it to its 60th Anniversary. The question is, will it last beyond that? There are many factors that put the show in jeopardy. Mind you, we hope the show is around a good long time.  We’re not optimistic, however.

The show has been on a small budget for a very long time. NBC canceled it a few years back, but they moved it to their streaming site. This was a calculated move to bring its aging audience into the world of streaming (and hopefully introduce it to younger fans).  Peacock invested some money in it, I believe, at first, but I think it’s back to being low-budget now.  One of the ways they save money is by rotating their huge cast. Certain characters come and go all the time (such as Will and Sonny) or are hardly seen (Tony and Anna).  Fans are used to this by now, even though it can be frustrating when our favorites are not given much story.

The large cast has quite a number of senior actors (see above), from a relatively-young Judi Evans (Bonnie) at age 59, to Bill Hayes (Dough) at age 98, as well as a few in their 50’s (Eric Martsolf, Stacy Haiduk, Steve Burton, Galen Gering, Greg Vaughan, Tamara Braun, and the sometimes-seen Bryan Dattilo).This isn’t even to mention the myriad over-50 actors that occasionally come and go, such as Eileen Davidson (Susan/Kristen), Kassie DePaiva (Eve), Lisa Rinna (Billie), Kristen Alfonso (Hope), Alison Sweeney (Sami), Cady McClain (Jenn), Kyle Lowder (Rex) and others…

John Aniston (Victor), who was 89, passed away at the end of last year.  We hope no one else leaves us any time soon, but it’s sort of inevitable that will probably happen in the next 5 years or so.  If the actors on the show, and their fans, die out, then what will happen to the show?  Sure, there are younger actors, but what is “Days of Our Lives” without Marlena (Deidre Hall, age 75) or Maggie (Suzanne Rogers, age 80)?  Can actors like Robert Sean Wilson (Alex) and Abigail Klein (Stephanie) be the next John and Marlena or Steve and Kayla? We may find out.

The other age-related problem is that the show doesn’t seem to offer contracts to many of their younger cast members, which is probably why they lose so many of them, such as Kate Mansi, Marci Miller, Victoria Konefal, Freddie Smith, Lamon Archey, and Camila Banus.  There are other reasons young people leave as well, such as wanting to try their hand in movies or primetime.

The show was originally a more serious soap, but in the 80’s (like many other daytime soaps), they had a lot of wild stories. Then they became a more serious soap for a while, and they’ve been up and down ever since. Since their move to Peacock, the stories have been pretty out there. I think this is part of the reason that it had lower ratings than the other soaps. It’s hard to take a show seriously when they have stories about demonic possession, people constantly coming back from the dead, psychic powers and more.  I don’t think anyone would want the show to go back to when it was boring, but it would be nice if there were a little more realism.  On the other hand, they have had some great groundbreaking stories dealing with mental illness and gay romance. Also, the show has added more three-dimensional characters of color with the addition of Li and Wendy, as well as Paulina’s family. And most importantly, they’ve given Abe a lot more to do.

Another thing they’ve improved over time is having more “love in the afternoon,” even if some people don’t approve of the more suggestive love-making scenes, as they had with the threesome between Allie, Alex and Chanel. They have many great kissing scenes (and suggestive bedroom scenes) among all of the cast, which is nice to see because it adds some realism and gives us a nice break from the outrageous or dramatic stories.  There is also a lot of humor in the show, and that credit goes to head writer Ron Carlivati.

This week they brought on 97-year-old Dick Van Dyke as a character with amnesia, which is an interesting mystery storyline. He also did a little song-and-dance with Doug and Julie, which was very fun. I don’t think Van Dyke will be on the show for very long, which is too bad. I think he’s brought new life into the show, and it would be nice to see more. I don’t mind “stunt casting,” which soaps do a lot of, as long as they are fun to watch.

There are definitely positives to the show being on streaming, including the fact that they never have to show a re-run or be impacted by daytime news interruptions.  However, they may have lost many fans who refuse to pay for Peacock Plus or Premium, or who don’t want to watch the show on their computer or phone.

One thing that’s disturbing is that the show recently got rid of its publicist and her publicity department.  This was probably a cost-cutting measure, but it seems pretty extreme to me.  None of the other soaps have done this. It makes me wonder what else they’re going to cut.

If you read about the show, you’ve no doubt heard about its recent scandal involving one of the producers. They fired him, but it sounds like they should have done that quite some time ago. Let’s hope it doesn’t have any further negative impact on the show.

Unfortunately, all TV networks are having problems financially now because there are just too many of them, and they not only have to compete with each other, but with video games, movies and other internet fun. There is a strike going on right now between the actors, writers and the big corporations that run the networks. What effect this will have on the daytime soaps and their future, we don’t know.

All we can do is keep watching and hope the show sticks around for many more years!

 

DAYS OF OUR LIVES -- “Day of Days” -- Pictured: (l-r) Stephen Nichols, James Reynolds at the Xbox Plaza at L.A. Live on November 12, 2022 -- (Photo by: Todd Williamson/Peacock)

The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Days of Our Lives Q&A

DOOL Interviews

 

DAYS OF OUR LIVES -- Season: 55 -- Fifty Fifth Anniversary Portrait -- Pictured: Cady McClain as Jennifer Deveraux -- (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)

By Suzanne

by Thane

Ciera Payton (ex-Officer Kent, 2012) 4/5/19 by Krista

Ryan Scott (Harold) By Justin

Check out our other Interviews!

 

DAYS OF OUR LIVES -- Season: 55 -- Fifty Fifth Anniversary Portrait -- Pictured: Ken Corday, Executive Producer -- (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)
DAYS OF OUR LIVES — Season: 55 — Fifty Fifth Anniversary Portrait — Pictured: Ken Corday, Executive Producer — (Photo by: Chris Haston/NBC)

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Primetime TV Review: Learning to Love

TV Review!

Picture #1 Here

“Learning to Love” Review on by Eva 9/4/2023

Learning to Love is the first movie in the Great American Autumn movies from Great American Family network. Ever week a new movie will be shown every Saturday until the middle of October.

The movie is about Harry Carlton (Philip Boyd) who is dealing with the death of his wife and having to raise his two daughters while working as an architect. Harry has hired several tutors for his daughters, but the tutors have never gotten along well with them. Harry meets Stephanie Miller (Ina Barron) who accidentally arrives at his office thinking she is there for an interview with an advertising agency but after talking to Harry for a few minutes she finds out the advertising agency is on another floor. The interview with the advertising agency doesn’t work out because Stephanie arrives late and without a resume because she left the resume in Harry’s office. Harry offers Stephanie the job as a tutor because Stephanie was a teacher before she worked in advertising.

I really enjoyed watching this movie, it was funny and sweet and Philip Boyd and Ina Barron had wonderful chemistry together and you are really hoping that they become a couple and get their happy ending. Harry’s daughters Rosa (Caroline Skye) and Bella (Zoe Willis). do a wonderful job and are really believable as sisters who love their dad and want the best for him.

I give this movie a 5 out of 5 stars. If you miss the movie or forget to set your DVR, the movie will rerun on Great American Family or it will stream on pureflix.com.

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Interview with Monique T. Parent

TV/Movie Interview!

 

Monique T. Parent (from her Instagram)

Interview with Monique T. Parent of “That’s a Wrap!” by Suzanne 8/9/23

It was nice to speak to Monique. We had a great chat. I even asked her about some makeup things after our “official” chat here. She’s had a long and interesting career. I’m not a big fan of horror movies…especially “slasher flicks” like this one, but it has quite a lot of comedy and art to it that was fascinating to see.  Monique did a great job in it.

 

"Blood Scarab" poster starring Monique T. ParentMORE INFO: Trailer

Known as ”The Thinking Man’s Sex Symbol”,  the sci-fi and horror vet also runs a YouTube channel offering makeup and hair tips for women over 40 as well as sharing her life as an actress. She is an advocate for celebrating natural beauty and graceful aging. She lives in L.A with her two cats.

Instagram

"That's a Wrap" key art

THAT’S A WRAP

STARRING Cerina Vincent, Monique T.Parent, Sarah French, Gigi Gustin, Dave Sheridan

DIRECTED BY Marcel Walz

ON DIGITAL AUGUST 25

Award winning director Marcel Walz’s upcoming horror/thriller THAT’S A WRAP is scheduled to release on digital platforms on August 25th, 2023 from Quiver Distribution.  Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever), Monique T. Parent (Jurassic City), Sarah French (Space Wars : The Quest for Deepstar), Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators) and Dave Sheridan (The Devil’s Rejects) star in a film written by Joe Knetter and Robert L. Lucas.

The cast of a film arrive to a wrap party, but someone has dressed up as the slasher in the film, and begins to stage their own kill scenes. One by one, the cast disappear until the true nature of the evening is revealed.

Joe Knetter, Marcel Walz and Sarah French produce, with BJ Mezek, Andreas Tremmel, Justus Heinz, Yazid Benfeghoul,  Tina Limbeck , Robert L. Lucas and Kai E. Bogatzki executive producing.

Says director Walz (Blind, Pretty Boy), “I’m so excited to have a colorful Giallo slasher as the first movie from our own production company, Neon Noir. Everyone involved in this project brought so much love and talent to the table and made the whole process from start to finish something special. I know the audience will see the love in the end product. My favorite film of all time is Wes Craven’s Scream. That’s a Wrap is a fun meta slasher that showcases my love for that series of films combined with my love of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story. As a gay director I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to have LGBTQ characters represented in the film. One even plays a key part in a scene that will no doubt get people talking about how that kill is something they’ve never seen before. It’s so ridiculous. I love it.”

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Monique T. Parent in "That's a Wrap" (from her Instagram)

 

Interview with Hudson West

TV Interview!

 

Hudson West - Jake Spencer of "General Hospital" on ABC. Photo by Cathryn Farnsworth

Interview with Hudson West of “General Hospital” on ABC by Suzanne 8/10/23

It was so great to speak to this young man! I’m glad he’s coming back on GH. It sounds like he’s going to have a good storyline. If you’ve been watching the show for years, you know what an amazing actor he is.  Even more importantly, he seems to be very grounded and to have a good head on his shoulders.

 

MORE INFO:

Scene on "General Hospital" with Hudson West (Jake), Michael Easton (Finn), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) and Jason David (Aiden) on ABC (screencap).

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Hudson West booked his first commercial at the age of six. Currently, he can be seen as Jake Webber in ABC’s General Hospital. Shortly after relocating to Los Angeles, he was cast as Andy in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and also appeared in True North, directed by Tom Nittoli, as well as Roads, Trees & Honey Bees. His other television credits include the recurring role of Jesse on Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here as well as the recurring role of Marcia Clark’s son Travis on Fox’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. He can also be seen on Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, Cartoon Network’s Clarence, TV Land’s Teachers, TNT’s Major Crimes and ABC’s Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS LA and 9-1-1.

The ABC daytime soap opera has depicted the ongoing lives of the diverse and evolving citizens of Port Charles, New York. While delivering romance and the high-flying adventure for which soaps are often known, “GH” has regularly capitalized on its setting to present stories that speak to and enrich viewers’ lived experiences around the country.

In 2022, “General Hospital” won five Daytime Emmy Awards including the marquee Outstanding Drama Series, marking the show’s 15th win for this honor as well as the record for most wins in the category, a truly incredible fete and testament to the impact and resonance that the series has had with viewers to this day.

 

“General Hospital” stars Genie Francis, Maurice Benard, Finola Hughes, Kristina Wagner, Nancy Lee Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, Kelly Monaco, Laura Wright, Kirsten Storms, Dominic Zamprogna, Maura West, Chad Duell, Roger Howarth, Donnell Turner, Michael Easton, Eden McCoy, Cynthia Watros, Josh Swickard, Katelyn MacMullen, Sofia Mattsson, Amanda Setton, Brook Kerr, Nicholas Chavez, Avery Kristen Pohl, Cameron Mathison, Charles Shaughnessy, Tajh Bellow, Tanisha Harper, Tabyana Ali, Robert Gossett, Josh Kelly, Gregory Harrison and Evan Hofer.

“General Hospital” was created by husband-and-wife soap writers, Frank and Doris Hursley. Frank Valentini is the executive producer and showrunner. Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor are co-head writers. The series is produced by ABC.

About General Hospital
ABC’s Emmy¼ Award-winning daytime drama, “General Hospital,” is both the longest-running scripted drama and the longest-running American soap opera currently in production. One of four remaining daytime dramas, “General Hospital” holds the record for the most Outstanding Daytime Drama award wins, taking home the prestigious Emmy Award a record 15 times. Filmed in Hollywood, California, the show aired its 15,000th episode on June 22, 2022.

“GH” continues its tradition of passion, intrigue and adventure that has depicted the ongoing lives of the diverse and evolving citizens of the fictional town of Port Charles set in upstate New York. The glamour and excitement of those who have come to find their destinies in this familiar seaport town intertwine with the lives, loves and fortunes of beloved, well-known faces. As always, love, danger and mind-blowing plot twists abound on “GH” with contemporary storylines and unforgettable characters.

“General Hospital” is known for elevating awareness for numerous health and social issues, often ahead of its time, in conjunction with storylines including HIV/AIDS; tolerance and understanding for the gay, lesbian and transgender community; bipolar disorder, spousal abuse, sexual assault, workplace sexual harassment in the #MeToo era, gentrification, war refugees, voting rights and voter suppression, the fight for civil rights and against environmental racism, drug and alcohol addiction; breast cancer awareness; surrogacy and adoption; organ donations, autism and Alzheimer’s-related stories are all topics “GH” has trailblazed.

Many actors got their start on “General Hospital” including Demi Moore, John Stamos, Jack Wagner, Mark Hamill, Rick Springfield, Ricky Martin, Amber Tamblin, Emma Samms, Kimberly McCullough, Jonathan Jackson and Richard Dean Anderson.

“General Hospital” was created by husband-and-wife soap writers, Frank and Doris Hursley, and premiered on April 1, 1963. In 1978, Gloria Monty was brought in as executive producer and is credited with the creation of the first super-couple, Luke and Laura Spencer. Their 1981 wedding brought in 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history. Frank Valentini serves as “GH”’s current executive producer. Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor are the show’s co-head writers.

“General Hospital” airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).

Follow “General Hospital” (#GeneralHospital #GH60) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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Hudson West - Jake Spencer of "General Hospital" on ABC. Photo by Cathryn Farnsworth

 

Primetime TV Review: Battle of the Decades

TV Review!

“Battle of the Decades” Review on by Eva 8/17/2023

This show is a nostalgic look at different decades of cooking starting with the year 2002.

Two chefs from different generations team up to cook. In the first round, the teams have to cook a classic dish using gadgets and ingredients from the year assigned to them. The second round sees the chefs putting their spin on a dish that is viral on the internet. One team is eliminated in each round. The remaining team of two is split up and the two chefs who were once a team put their modern spin on a classic dish. The show has three judges from different generations. The winning chef wins $10,000. The show is hosted by amiable former “All My Children” star and Hallmark movie vet Jonathan Bennett.

The show is fun to watch because the show includes classic commercials, as well as trivia questions from the year which the episode is focused on.

The show airs on the Food Network on Mondays and can be streamed on Max. I give the show 5 out of 5 stars.

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The opinions in these articles are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of TVMEG.COM or its other volunteers.

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Primetime TV Review: Superfan

TV Review!

“Superfan” Review on by Eva 8/14/2023

Superfan is hosted by Nate Burleson (CBS Morning) and Keltie Knight (E! News correspondent).

The first episode featured Superfans of rapper and actor LL Cool J. The contestants play several different trivia games that test how much they know about LL Cool J and, after each round, one contestant is eliminated. The final round has two contestants, and the winner of the show is chosen by the home audience via Twitter voting. The winner of the show gets a day with LL Cool J in which they get backstage passes to his concert, exclusive concert merchandise, and access to one of his recording sessions. The show will feature different stars over seven of the remainder of its eight-episode first season.

In my opinion the show has a lot of problems, the major one is its too boring and slow. The show would be much better if they would just play trivia games to eliminate contestants and get rid of the Twitter vote at the end, there is no need for it.

The other problem is they have two hosts. This game show doesn’t need two hosts. If you have insomnia this show will put you to sleep. The only thing that I like about this show is that the star that is featured in the episode sings a song.

I give this show a 2 out of 5 you can watch the show on CBS or stream it on Paramount+.

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Primetime TV Review: Worst Cooks in America: Love at First Bite

TV Review!

“Worst Cooks in America:  Love at First Bite” Review on by Eva 8/8/2023

Season 26 of Worst Cooks in America has Chef Ann Burrell and Chef Jeff Mauro teaching a group of sixteen boot camp recruits how to cook. The twist this season is that all the recruits are single and want to learn how to cook so they can find a significant other.

I enjoy watching the show because I like watching the contestants become better cooks each week. I do, however, recommend that the first two weeks you eat before you watch the show because after you watch the food they make, you may not want to eat for a few hours.

This year the Blue Team and the Red Team, known as the Rocking Red Stars, are divided into pairs and the winning pair that cooks a restaurant quality meal will win $ 25,000.

I like this show because it is fun to watch and you get attached to the contestants and want them to learn how to cook. The show lasts 8 episodes and can be streamed on Max.

I give this show 5 out of 5 stars.

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Interview with Jessica Matten and Kiowa Gordon

TV Interview!

 

Jessica Matten as Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito - Dark Winds _ Season 1, Episode 3 - Photo Credit: Michael Moriatis/AMCKiowa Gordon of "Dark Winds" on AMC+ Screenshot from the trailer.

Interview with Jessica Matten and Kiowa Gordon of “Dark Winds” on AMC+ by Suzanne 7/10/23

This is such an excellent show, and was really nice to speak with these two.  I spoke with Jessica on 7/10 and Kiowa on 7/11. Although they were both via Zoom video, it was requested that I only use the audio for Kiowa’s interview. I put both up on YouTube, so I made a slideshow for Kiowa’s audio. This new season is spectacular, with lots of action, drama, more developing story, and great guest stars.

First, the video with Jessica! I hope you enjoy it.

Jessica Matten of "Dark Winds" on AMC+

Here’s the audio interview with Kiowa, and my slideshow. I’m not great with video editing. I use a free program called Clideo.

Kiowa Gordon of "Dark Winds" on AMC+ At the TIFF Premiere of Through Black Spruce. Photo from his Instagram.

 

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Season 2 of the Noir Thriller Returns to AMC on Sunday, July 30. Available to Stream Early on AMC+ on Thursday, July 27.

"Dark Winds" season 2 on AMC and AMC+ key art

“Perhaps the most ambitious Native-led TV show ever made.” – The Hollywood Reporter 

“Gripping, gorgeously shot
” – TIME

Watch Official Trailer

NEW YORK – June 15, 2023 – The highly anticipated return of AMC’s lauded hit series, Dark Winds, starring Zahn McClarnon (The Son, Westworld, Fargo), Kiowa Gordon (The Red Road, Roswell, New Mexico) and Jessica Matten (Tribal, Burden of Truth), is set for Sunday, July 30 at 9pm ET/PT on AMC, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays. Episodes will be available early on AMC+ starting Thursday, July 27, with new episodes every Thursday. Produced by AMC Studios, the second season is comprised of six episodes.Jessica Matten as Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito - Dark Winds _ Season 1, Episode 4 - Photo Credit: Michael Moriatis/Stalwart Productions/AMC

A Martinez (Longmire, Days of Our Lives) joins this season as Valencia County Sheriff Gordo Sena, while Joseph Runningfox (The Politician, Valley of the Gods) will portray Henry Leaphorn, Lt. Joe Leaphorn’s father. This season also sees the return of series regulars Deanna Allison (Accused, Edge of America) as Emma Leaphorn and Elva Guerra (Reservation Dogs, Rutherford Falls) as Sally Growing Thunder. All join previously announced Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Picard, Bosch) who plays Rosemary Vines, and Nicholas Logan (Dopesick, Creepshow), who plays Colton Wolf.

Season one premiered to glowing reviews, earning a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Ahead of the second season, viewers can get caught up on the captivating series on AMC+. Episode 101 is also available to watch for free on the AMC+ YouTube channel.

This season, Lt. Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon), reunites with Jim Chee (Gordon), his former deputy turned private eye, when their separate cases bring them together in pursuit of the same suspect. They find themselves in the high desert of Navajo Country chasing a killer who’s turned his sights on them to protect a secret that rips open old wounds and challenges Leaphorn’s moral and professional code. With the help of Sgt. Manuelito (Matten) and Valencia County Sheriff Gordo Sena (Martinez), Leaphorn and Chee must thwart their would-be assassin and restore balance not only to their own lives, but to the reservation that depends on them.

Based on the iconic Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds is created by Graham Roland (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Returned, Almost Human, Fringe). John Wirth (Hell on Wheels, Hap and Leonard) serves as showrunner. The series is executive produced by Roland, Wirth, McClarnon, Robert Redford, George R.R. Martin, Anne Hillerman, Chris Eyre, Vince Gerardis and Tina Elmo.

"Dark Winds" season 2 on AMC and AMC+ key art

NOTE TO EDITORS

If you have any questions or would like to arrange cast or crew interviews, please contact those listed below. We appreciate your support and coverage of Dark Winds.

 About AMC

AMC is home to some of the most popular and acclaimed original programs on television. AMC was the first basic cable network to ever win the Emmy¼ Award for Outstanding Drama Series with Mad Men in 2008, which then went on to win the coveted award four years in a row, before Breaking Bad won it in 2013 and 2014, and the network’s series The Walking Dead is the highest-rated series in cable television history. AMC’s current original series include Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, Fear the Walking Dead, Dark Winds, Lucky Hank and the forthcoming series The Walking Dead: Dead City and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, among others. AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand, mobile, and on AMC+, the company’s premium streaming bundle featuring content from across AMC and sister networks BBC America, IFC, and SundanceTV as well as streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited.

About AMC+

AMC+ is the company’s new premium streaming bundle featuring an extensive lineup of popular and critically acclaimed original programming from AMC, BBC America, IFC, and SundanceTV and full access to targeted streaming services Shudder, Sundance Now and IFC Films Unlimited, which feature content such as A Discovery of Witches, Creepshow, and Boyhood. The service features a continually refreshed library of commercial-free content, with iconic series from the AMC Networks portfolio including Mad Men, Halt & Catch Fire, Hell on Wheels, Turn: Washington’s Spies, Rectify, Portlandia, and series from The Walking Dead Universe, among many others. The service also offers a growing slate of original and exclusive series including Gangs of London, This is Going to Hurt, Dark Winds, and the first two series in a new Anne Rice universe, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire and Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches. With new movies released every Friday, AMC+ is the newest destination for exclusive film premieres direct from theaters all year long. AMC+ is available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, and Spain and is available in the U.S. through AMCPlus.com, the AMC+ app, and a number of digital and cable partners.

 

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Kiowa Gordon and young boy in "Dark Winds" season 2 on AMC+

 

Interview with actors from “Heels”

TV Interview!

 

Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig in "Heels" on Starz

Interview with Stephen Amell, Alexander Ludwig and Mary McCormack of “Heels” on Starz by Suzanne 6/21/23

This was a fun press day for the great family wrestling drama. First, there was a roundtable with Amell and Ludwig (and other members of the press). There’s a transcript below for that.  Then I had a short, one-on-one video interview with Mary McCormack. I really love the actors in this show. They’re not only incredibly talented, and in great shape, but they couldn’t have been nicer.  Check out the show because it’s worth watching.

Mary McCormack “Willie Day”

 

Stephen Amell “Jack Spade” and Alexander Ludwig “Ace Spade”

Question:   Both your characters go on quite emotional journeys this season, so can you sort of maybe tease where they’re at, relationship-wise, as brothers, what that’s like this season for the two of you?

Stephen:   Okay, I think, I was gonna say this in a previous interview, and then I we ran out of time, but, for Jack, I think it’s become a little bit less about worrying about Ace or worrying about Staci or worrying about Thomas or the DWL. He’s more focusing on handling his own business and taking accountability for his actions and the way that he’s behaved since his father killed himself, which has been, I think, well intentioned, but misguided, and has hurt people. So, this is very much about him, just not trying to wave a magic wand and make everything better with everyone all at once, but just taking accountability for his actions, specifically with Ace and Staci, and just saying, “Look, this, this is me; this is what happened. Here I am, hat in hand. I’m sorry. What do I do?” which is a fun thing to play, humility. You know, who knew?

Alexander:   Ace is trying to pick up the pieces, you know, he’s still a complete mess after what happened. There’s a huge rift between the brothers. This show has been so much about, it’s not just a wrestling show. It’s about family, and it’s about identity, and Ace is trying to find his identity in the ring and outside of the ring. What I love about this season so much is not only do the women lead the charge, and you get to see that on a whole other front, which is, I think, really exciting with this backdrop, but you get to see the inklings of what this could be with Jack and Ace. You know, how big this actually could be, and a road has finally caved to the kind of national sensation or promotion this actually could be, which it is exactly.

Question:   Alexander, you kind of spoke on it a little bit, but Ace really goes through a real revelation this season. Can you talk about how his view and aspect on the situations pertaining to the DWL and the FWD change and lead him towards a different path, I think, one of clarity this season?

Alexander:   Yeah, that’s a really well said. Thanks for the question. I think that, you know, again, this show has also been about mental health, and that’s becoming a big conversation in sports in general. And Ace is dealing with his own version of that. He’s been traumatized for years, and I think that his outlook needs to change on his life and on himself, because he feels abandoned by his father. And this is the first time you see Ace fully step into a role that he never, ever wanted to step into, both as a as a performer, but also as a human being, a role that he never thought that he could step into. I think towards the end of this season, you really start to see him, perhaps, become more of the man he was always destined to become. To me, what’s always been excited about this show is where it could go. In success, I think, I always had the feeling as an actor, that Ace and Jack have, you know, as these small town wrestling promotion guys, like, this could build out to something really beautiful, and that’s the hope for both of them.

Suzanne:   I enjoyed the screeners I saw
  I thought the show’s even better this season than last season. Everything’s all very exciting. Since you two are the stars of the show (if there’s such a thing as stars in an ensemble show), do you have any input into the writing of your characters or the show as it’s going on? Do they let you do that?

Stephen:   I’d say that Mike O’Malley and Michael Waldron are both very, very collaborative, collaborative people. That being said, you know, Mike will come to me for some general questions about like, you know, what would be a cool idea, but it’s very much the macro of it all, the micro, all the details. Boy, when we get a script, and we sit down for a table read, what gets said at that table read or what ends up on television are pretty much the exact same thing.

Alexander:   Which is quite rare. I’ve been lucky. I’ve only got to work with really collaborative people in general, and Mike is certainly one of those people, but there isn’t much that you would change. They, of course, they talk to you about your characters, but it’s like, it’s also beautifully on the page. I’m just like, this just seems the way it should be. Of course, when scenes come up, things happen, and you go, “I want to say this instead of that,” or whatever, of course. You know, that’s a day by day basis. But we have an incredible team with us on this show, and I’m grateful for it.

Question:   It’s obvious that this is a labor of love from every cast member in this show. What does it mean, each of you personally, to be back for a second season?

Stephen:   Second season is the toughest season to get. Well, I guess, like actually getting something off the ground and getting to shoot it in the first place, probably, technically is more challenging, but bridging that gap from a first to a second season. You know, I don’t know, it just it seems to always be where the show takes off, where you you have some time under your belt to see what works. You also have the real benefit of audience interaction and seeing what pops for people and what doesn’t. So, you know, I’ve been very fortunate. This is the second time I’ve gotten a second season, and I hope that very shortly [for] the second time that I get a third.

Alexander:   Yeah, I mean, it’s very humbling. When I first read this script, and I think I speak for Stephen as well, like, there’s not a lot of shows like this, and there’s not a lot of shows that are made like this, and that’s what drew us to it. We’re like, “When will we ever get a chance to do something like this and tell this kind of a story,” for hopefully, you know, six years plus. And it’s so far and few between. You know, back in the day, this would have been the kind of movie that would have made me want to be an actor, and now it’s TV shows, right? And I just, I love everything about this. I love that it’s flawed characters. I love that it’s a world I’m not super familiar with and that I’ve fallen in love with simultaneously.

Question:   I was wondering how Ace and Jack feel about Crystal this season, and how her actions in the finale move the story forward?

Stephen:   Well, I mean, for Jack, we’re dealing with the immediate aftermath of this. And it’s like, is it a big sea-change? Or have we just, you know, do we just call an audible and we’re gonna put everything back to where it was the next day? I think what we discover for Jack, is that while you appreciate what Crystal did, he may not see it as the big sea-change that audience members or fans or she might have seen it as. So, that’s a point of contention in the early part of the season.

Alexander:   I think, for Ace, it was the nail in his in his coffin of what used to be. So, for him, he’s just constantly taking punches, and he’s and he’s throwing them wildly, but kind of not really focusing on on what the next step should be. And I think that the second season, you see Ace kind of come to terms with who he’s always been destined to become.

Question:   So, you mentioned that they’re flawed characters, and this is for both of you, but you made me think, what has your character taught you about yourself since you’ve been on this journey?

Alexander:   I have to say, you know, I’ve gone through my own demons, and I think that’s probably why I loved Ace so much is that I wouldn’t say I’ve learned a lot from him, but I would say that I’ve had to go on my own journey that he’s had to go on before him. So, actually, I would say, Ace can probably learn a lot from me. So that, to me, was something I loved about that character, was that I’ve dealt with my own versions of substance abuse and whatnot. And, you know, when you go to rehab, for example, you’re doing three years of therapy in fifty days, right? And you get really, really into why there are certain things that are driving you to become the human being you’re becoming. So, it wasn’t that I’m learning from Ace, it’s that I’m understanding Ace, and that’s why I loved him, is that I understood that underneath these child like temper tantrums that he throws and these irrational outbursts, there is a child crying for help. And the saddest thing about it is that only he can save himself from it. There’s nobody else who can do it for him. He’s looking for all this external validation, when in actuality, the only thing that is ever going to save him is himself and coming to terms with himself and his father’s suicide. So, to me, I thought Ace was such a beautiful character, because you love to love him, and you love to hate him.

 

Question:   What about you, Stephen?

Stephen:   It’s really, really simple. Pride comes before the fall. I’m dealing with this situation in my own life personally, right now, where a good friend of mine that I trust a lot is saying to me, “You have to take the emotion out of it.” Like, that’s impossible. He’s like, “No, it’s not. You have to take the emotion out of it, because the goal should be the outcome.” And that’s something that, you know, Jack is put in this position right now, where throughout the course of this season, he has to eat shit, multiple times. Not get shit on, like, Alexander, but each shit. And it’s like, well, listen, you have to eat it one way or the other. So, do you want to do with a smile on your face, or do you want to kick and scream the entire way? And that’s just been because he lets his emotions get in the way, and he’s prideful. So, I’m trying to learn that lesson to just not be that way personally, and I’m learning a lot watching how how things mess up for Jack. Yeah, it’s proven to be the right way to go about things.

Question:   For Stephen, so, I know we’ve kind of talked about Jack and Ace’s dynamic, but I want to talk about Jack and Staci’s relationship, because at the end of season one, it’s very strained, as Jack continues to put the DWL over his family. What can we expect throughout season two? Will we get to see Jack put the real work into that relationship and winning her back, or will that sort of fall on the back-burner and happen off scene?

Stephen:   No, we come to a resolution with Jack and Staci in the early part of the season. Then, I think their relationship gets into a great place, which I was very happy about, because I think that the the troubled marriage or, you know, the conceit of like the nagging spouse, be the husband or the wife, it’s not tired – well, it’s a little tired, I think, personally. So, I thought it’d be fun, and I think Mike thought it’d be fun too, to examine, like, a relationship where, look, these guys love each other, but life isn’t perfect, but here’s what they’re gonna do. And this is the important thing, is they’re going to show up one another, and they’re going to be honest with one another about everything, about the big things, the little things, not just the Kleenex and trying to destroy Ace’s life, but like, you know, were you on time for work today? Or were you five minutes late? You could say you’re on time, but no, you say you’re five minutes late, honestly, about everything. And, in that sense, too, I’ve been learning from Jack, because that’s an important thing, being honest, just even about little things, especially about the little things.

Suzanne:   I know that you guys were both really fit before you did this show, but did you have to add on extra workouts in order to play people who are basically running around in their underwear quite often?

Alexander:   It wasn’t as much of an aesthetic thing, just like looking good and tight as opposed to literally being able to withstand what’s asked of us physically. So like, when we weren’t filming, we were literally in the gym with our stunt team, training specific ways to be able to withstand what we had to do. And I’m talking like, you know, it’s nothing compared to what these actual guys do in real life, but it is really, really tough on your body, and it’s something that Stephen and I can’t fake. It’s like, we have to do it. So, when you see somebody doing a backflip off the top turnbuckle that’s something I have to be able to do. Or you see Stephen doing a suplex it’s something he has to be able to do, and they don’t want us to get injured. So, that’s the most important thing.

Stephen:   Yeah, like, there’s no way around it. It’s not like taking a flat back bump gets easier in the same way that like if you start weight training a bunch, the pads of your hands, like you’re gonna get all these blisters. The blisters don’t go away, they callus. And when you learning how to bump in the ring and stuff like that, it doesn’t get easier. You just get used to it. It’s like a cold plunge; it doesn’t get easier. You just get used to it. And I wouldn’t say that we added anything, but what we did and what the production did, which was very, very helpful, is we just said, “Listen, if we’re going to be playing wrestlers on TV, then we need to look like wrestlers on TV, and in order to do that, we need to be in wrestler shape and have wrestler bodies, which come in many shapes and forms and sizes.” But they did a great job of building us a gymnasium, building us a program, and then enforcing it and making it part of our schedules, so that it’s not our responsibility to find the motivation on a Thursday when we’re not working to get to the gym at 10 o’clock. No, it’s on the schedule. We have to go. We’re contractually obligated. But we just go.

Transcribed by Jamie of SciFiVision

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"Heels" season 2 premieres on Starz July 28!

STARZ RELEASES EMOTIONAL TRAILER FOR SEASON TWO OF CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED SPORTS DRAMA “HEELS” AIRING JULY 28
THE NEW TRAILER LEAPS FROM THE TOP ROPE AND BEGS THE QUESTION: WHO’S IN YOUR CORNER?
Santa Monica, Calif. – June 29, 2023 – STARZ released today the trailer and key art for season two of the critically-acclaimed drama Heels,” which returns to the ring for season two on Friday, July 28 at midnight (ET) on the STARZ app. Starring Stephen Amell (“Arrow”) and Alexander Ludwig(“Vikings”), the small-town sports drama series based on a wrestling league in rural Georgia will also debut via linear tv on STARZ at 10:00 PM ET/PT in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, July 28, 2023.
Heels” is aptly named after the wrestling term for a villain or antagonist. Most stories center around heroes vs. villains, but in wrestling, it’s faces vs. heels. Season two brings fans back to the family-owned wrestling organization, Duffy Wrestling League (DWL), where brothers and rivals, Jack (Amell) and Ace Spade (Ludwig), continue to fightover their late father’s legacy and their individual versions of success, while also working to find their own identity as a “face” or a “heel.” The show invokes feelings of nostalgia akin to  “Friday Night Lights,” while covering topics like the effects of trauma on communities, finding personal identity, and women taking the lead in every facet. It is centered around a small-town community where everyone knows each other and everyone in town follows the saga of the Heels and Faces in the DWL.    
Season two also stars Alison Luff (“New Amsterdam”) as Staci Spade, Mary McCormack (“Deep Impact,” “The L Word”) as Willie Day, Kelli Berglund (“The Goldbergs,” “The Animal Kingdom”) as Crystal Tyler, Allen Maldonado (House Party, “The Wonder Years,” “The Last O.G.”) as Rooster Robbins, Chris Bauer (“Gaslit,” “Survivor’s Remorse,” “True Blood”) as Wild Bill Hancock, Trey Tucker (“The Outpost”) as Bobby Pin, Robby Ramos (“Chicago P.D.”) as Diego Cottonmouth,Alice Barrett Mitchell (“The Thing About Pam,” “Billions”) as Carol Spade, Roxton Garcia(“Reminensce”) as Thomas Spade, David James Elliott (Trumbo, “JAG”) as Tom Spade, Joel Murray(“Mad Men,” “Shameless”) as Eddie Earl, CM Punk(“Mayans,” “AEW Dynamite”) as Ricky Rabies, AJ Mendez (“Women of Wrestling,” “WWE”) as Elle Dorado, Josh Segarra (Scream VI, “Arrow,” “The Other Two”) as Brooks Rizzo, and Emmy Raver-Lampman as Jen Lussier.
“Heels” showrunner and executive producer Mike O’Malley (“Survivor’s Remorse,” “Shameless”) also portrays Charlie Gully on the series. Michael Waldron (“Loki,” Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, “Rick and Morty”) is the show creator.Christopher Donnelly (By Sidney Lumet), Pete Segal (Get Smart, 50 First Dates, Tommy Boy,“Shameless”), Patrick Walmsley (JT LeRoy), and Julie Yorn (Hell or High Water, White Boy Rick) also serve as executive producers on the series. “Heels” is produced through O’Malley Ink and LBI Entertainment in association with Lionsgate Television for STARZ. 
Follow “HEELS” on Social
Twitter: @HeelsSTARZ
Instagram: @HeelsSTARZ
Facebook: @HeelsSTARZ
Join the conversation with #HeelsSTARZ

About “Heels” Season Two
“Heels” is a drama that follows Jack (Stephen Amell) and Ace Spade (Alexander Ludwig), two brothers and rivals who war over their late father’s wrestling promotion, vying for national attention in small-town Georgia. In the ring, one is a villain, or “heel,”; the other a hero, or “face.” Season two begins after a spectacular showing at the South Georgia State Fair, the Duffy Wrestling League’s popularity is suddenly on the upswing. Hoping to seize the opportunity, Jack and his cohorts prepare for a possible business deal with a new streaming service that may propel them onto a national stage. But the past and its tragedies threaten to upset everything when Ace leaves Duffy and the Dome in his rearview, and rival promotion Florida Wrestling Dystopia’s vengeful frontman Gully comes calling.”
About STARZ 
STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company, is a leading global media streaming platform committed to delivering premium content that amplifies narratives by, about and for women and underrepresented audiences. STARZ is home to the highly rated and first-of-its-kind STARZ app that offers the ability to stream or download STARZ premium content, as well as the flagship domestic STARZŸ service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels, and the associated on-demand and online services. In 2018, STARZ launched its international premium streaming platform STARZPLAY, now LIONSGATE+, to provide subscribers access to bold, curated storytelling. LIONSGATE+, coupled with the STARZPLAY ARABIA joint venture in MENA and Lionsgate Play in South and Southeast Asia, has a footprint that extends across the globe. STARZ and LIONSGATE+ are available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies around the world. In February 2021, STARZ launched #TakeTheLead, a multi-faceted and innovative inclusion initiative expanding its existing efforts to improve representation on screen, behind the camera and throughout the company. 
 
About Lionsgate 
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) encompasses world-class motion picture and television studio operations aligned with the STARZ premium global subscription platform to bring a unique and varied portfolio of entertainment to consumers around the world. The Company’s film, television, subscription and location-based entertainment businesses are backed by an 18,000-title library and a valuable collection of iconic film and television franchises. A digital age company driven by its entrepreneurial culture and commitment to innovation, the Lionsgate brand is synonymous with bold, original, relatable entertainment for audiences worldwide.

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Mary McCormack stars as Willie Day in "Heels" on Starz

 

Interview with Alyson Levy and Alissa Nutting

TV Interview!

 

Alyson Levy and Alissa Nutting, creators of "Teenage Euthanasia" on Adult Swim

Interview with Alyson Levy and Alissa Nutting, creators of “Teenage Euthanasia” on Adult Swim by Suzanne 7/18/23

I enjoyed speaking with these two women. They’re very funny and talented. If you like funny animated cartoons, check out their show. It starts today!

 

MORE INFO: TRAILER OFFICIAL SITE

Teenage Euthanasia Season 2 key art

About Teenage Euthanasia:

Adult Swim returns to the Tender Endings Funeral Home when season two of the adult animated comedy Teenage Euthanasia debuts Wednesday, July 26 at Midnight ET/PT and streams the next day on Max. Set in near-future inland Florida, this series follows the latest undead adventures of the Fantasy family voiced by Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite), EmmyŸ Award-winner Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers), Jo Firestone (Joe Pera Talks With You) and EmmyŸ Award-winner Tim Robinson (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson).

Returning with ten all-new episodes, the second season of Teenage Euthanasia features a massive lineup of guest voices including:

  • Ann Dowd (Garden State, The Manchurian Candidate)
  • Chris Redd (Saturday Night Live)
  • H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob’s Burgers)
  • J. Smith Cameron (Succession)
  • Janelle James (Abbott Elementary)
  • Jinkx Monsoon (RuPaul’s Drag Race)
  • Joe Pera (Joe Pera Talks With You)
  • Kieran Culkin (Succession)
  • Lori Tan Chinn (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, Orange is the New Black)
  • Sophia Bush (One Tree Hill)
  • Tim Heidecker (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Office Hours, Killing It)
  • Ziwe Fumudoh (Ziwe)
  • and more.

Teenage Euthanasia centers on the Fantasy Family: Grandma Baba, her adult children Uncle Pete and Trophy, and Trophy’s teenage daughter, Euthanasia (“Annie”), a name accidentally given to her during the time of Trophy’s own unbearable suffering. The half-hour animated series is co-created by Nutting, a novelist and screenwriter/showrunner (Made for Love), and EmmyÂź Award-nominated producer Levy (The Shivering Truth, Xavier Renegade Angel). Teenage Euthanasia is produced by PFFR and animated by Atomic Cartoons. Executive producers include creators Nutting and Levy as well as Lisa M. Thomas, Vernon Chatman, and John Lee, with Scott Adsit as co-executive producer and Jo Firestone as producer.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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"Teenage Euthanasia" Season 2 key art

 

Interview with “Shark Week” hosts

TV Interview!

banner for "Shark Week" on Discovery

Interview with hosts of “Shark Week” on Discovery by Suzanne 7/17/23

This was very enjoyable! I don’t normally watch non-fiction shows, but they definitely make these shows fun as well as educational. “Shark Week” is celebrating it’s 35th year and the popular actor Jason Momoa is hosting it. Tune in starting today, 7/23/23.  Here’s the schedule of shows. I watched quite a few of them. I was pleased to speak to these hosts, who all share a great love for the ocean, its creatures and for our planet (and for the future of all of those things). Below are the videos for my interviews. Enjoy!

Click on the names of the hosts to see more about them!

Dr. Austin Gallagher – “Belly of the Beast” and “Monster Mako: Fresh Blood”’

 

Tom Hird – “Cocaine Sharks” and “Great White Fight Club”

 

Forrest Galante – “Alien Sharks: Strange New Worlds”

 

MORE INFO:

"Shark Week" promo pic

Click Here to view Shark Week 2023 Promo

More Shark Week Clips!

Shark Week 2023 Lineup:

Sunday, July 23

“Belly of the Beast: Feeding Frenzy” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery

In a Shark Week first, researchers with cameras brave a great white shark feeding frenzy from inside a life-size whale decoy. Their findings could be the key to finding the biggest great white shark in South African history.

“Jaws vs The Meg” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery

The MEG, a massive shark measuring 50 feet and weighing 60 tons, was once feared as the most fearsome predator. It could devour a killer whale effortlessly, but new evidence suggests that its cousin, the great white shark, may have caused its extinction.

“Serial Killer: Red Sea Attacks” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery

Shark attack investigator Brandon McMillan and cinematographer Fo Zayed travel to solve the mystery of what’s behind three recent deadly shark attacks off of the posh beaches of Egypt’s Red Sea.

“Shark Week: Off the Hook” premieres at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

Dive into the biggest thrills and most terrifying moments from 35 years of Shark Week, celebrating behind the scenes of iconic moments and revealing never-before-seen footage of the fearless adventurers who get up close with the world’s scariest creatures.

Monday, July 24

“Great White Fight Club” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery

A team of experts venture into the treacherous waters of New Zealand to provide groundbreaking evidence that female white sharks unequivocally dominate the ocean, reigning as the ultimate controllers of its fierce battlegrounds.

“Monster of Bermuda Triangle” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery

A healthy, 10-foot pregnant Porbeagle shark vanishes in the Bermuda Triangle. The evidence suggests an unknown, monstrous predator could be to blame. Dr. James Sulikowski and a team of scientists dive into the most mysterious part of the ocean to uncover the truth behind the attack.

“Alien Sharks: Strange New Worlds” premieres at 10PM on Discovery

The tip of South Africa is a hotspot for unusual sharks that exhibit bizarre behaviors and unusual, otherworldly appearances. Wildlife biologist Forrest Galante explores stunning kelp forests and ocean depths never-before-seen by humans to study these extraordinary creatures.

Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

Tuesday, July 25

“Mako Mania: Battle for California” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery

​​Off the coast of Los Angeles, a new population of super makos challenge great whites for their hunting territories. Dr. Craig O’Connell, Fo Zayed, and Kendyl Berna deploy state-of-the-art technology to reveal their dominance and unveil the mysteries that have transformed these makos into some of the fiercest predators in the oceans.

“Raiders of the Lost Shark” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery

Shark expert Matt Dicken and Shark Week legend Dickie Chivell embark on a relentless quest to locate an elusive and colossal shark named Dutchess, who mysteriously vanished from Gansbaai, South Africa years ago. 

“Monster Hammerheads: Killer Instinct” premieres 10PM ET/PT on Discovery

Dr. Tristan Guttridge believes Hammerhead sharks can reach monster sizes by hunting other species of sharks. The only way to prove his theory is to obtain tissue samples from some of the largest sharks on the planet.

Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

Wednesday, July 26

“Air Jaws: Final Frontier” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery

Shark filmmakers hunt for “Air Jaws” in New Zealand’s hidden launch pad. Andy Casagrande and Jeff Kurr seek the second-ever breaching great white in these waters to uncover history-making secrets. 

“Florida Shark: Blood in the Water” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery

Paul de Gelder dives into the Shark Attack Capital of the World to conduct experiments that will confirm what makes up these dangerous waters and determine methods to mitigate the risk.

“Cocaine Sharks” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery

For decades, rumors of cocaine-fueled sharks have spread throughout the fishing community. Shark expert Tom Hird travels to the Florida Keys to investigate what happens when the sharks come in contact with the most notorious drug on the planet.

Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

Thursday, July 27

“Jaws in the Shallows” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery

Shark Week veteran Dr. Riley Elliott has traveled all over to study great whites, which are now terrorizing the beaches of New Zealand. He sets out alongside his wife Amber Jones to find answers to protect his loved ones from the apex predators before it’s too late.

“Monster Mako: Fresh Blood” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery

Twelve-foot-long monster mako sharks compete head-to-head with great whites for prey off the coast of California. Using a custom clear, acrylic diving bell, Dr. Austin Gallagher and legendary free diver Andre Musgrove get up close with both predators and track makos breaching eight feet out of the ocean.

“Shark vs Snake: Battle of the Bites” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery

Tiger sharks are washing up dead on the beaches of Western Australia with no sign of attack. Forrest Galante has a theory that deadly sea snakes are turning these apex predators to prey. In the battle of shark against snake, are snakes winning?

Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

Friday, July 28

“Tropic Jaws” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery

When a 16-foot great white invades Indonesia’s warm coast of Bali, it sparks fears that they are adapting to hunt the tropical beaches where millions of people swim every day. Dr. Craig O’Connell and Madison Stewart are on a mission to find Tropic Jaws and discover why they left the cold water environment that they have called home for thousands of years.

“Deadly Sharks of Paradise” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery

Scientists in South America are studying the shark species thought to be responsible for a spike in deadly attacks since 1990. Marine biologist Danni Washington and shark conservationist Paul de Gelder join a team tracking tiger sharks off a pristine tropical archipelago in Brazil.  

“Haunting at Shark Tower” premieres at 10PM ET/PT on Discovery

News of a harrowing shark encounter at North Carolina’s Frying Pan Tower sends underwater cinematographer Andy Casagrande and shark expert Kori Burkhardt on a dangerous quest to discover whether great white sharks are moving into the state’s waters.

Encores run at 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

Saturday, July 29​

“Dawn of the Monster Mako” premieres at 8PM ET/PT on Discovery

A 14-foot giant mako shark is spotted in the waters of Portugal’s Azores region. Underwater cinematographer Joe Romeiro and his marine biologist wife, Lauren, search the teeming depths around the ancient islands to capture the beast on film.

“Mega Sharks of Dangerous Reef” premieres at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery

The remote islands off the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia are believed to harbor some of the biggest white sharks on the planet. While local fishing reports suggest these giant sharks are still around, they are rarely seen.

Encores run at 10PM & 11PM ET/PT on Discovery

About Discovery: 

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 88.3 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 224 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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"Shark Week" on Discovery starting July 23, 2023

 

Interview with Christian Kane

TV Interview!

 

Christian Kane in "Almost Paradise" season 2 on Freevee

Interview with Christian Kane of “Almost Paradise” on Freevee by Suzanne 6/28/23

It’s always nice to speak with Christian! Unfortunately, he was having technical difficulties, so we had to do an audio interview instead of a video one. He was very sweet about it and offered to do another one any time. I hope you enjoy the little slideshow video I made from the audio below! Don’t miss season 2 of “Almost Paradise.” It’s a really fun show on Freevee. That’s the Prime Video streaming service that’s free! Lots of other enjoyable shows on there.

 

Suzanne: My first zoom call ever was with you and Dean (Devlin) back in April 2020.

Christian: Oh my gosh, what were we doing – “Almost Paradise?”

Suzanne: Yeah. First season.

Christian: Yeah, that’s Right. Exactly. Oh my gosh. That’s so crazy.

Suzanne: It seems like a long time ago now.

Christian: That might have been my first Zoom call as well. I gotta be honest with you.

Suzanne: Yeah. And I think we had a few difficulties with the sound on that one. So, I guess now we’re even.

Christian: Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us and talk to me about this. I appreciate your help, man. I’m really proud of the show. So, the more people that can know about it, I just love it.

Suzanne: Oh, yeah. I love it, too. It’s great. I’ve only watched two episodes so far of the new one, but I’m enjoying it.

Christian: Oh, fantastic. That’s fantastic. Yeah.

Suzanne: So, what are some new challenges that Alex faces this season?

Christian: Well, the fun thing about Alex is that, you know, he always thinks he’s right. When the season opens up, you see that he’s pretty proud of himself. He’s walking around with a little pep in his step that he didn’t have first season, because he was sick, you know what I mean? And he thought it was physical. But when you actually think about it, it was more mental than anything else. So, now he feels like he’s overcome that. So, I mean, he’s back in business. He’s the Alex of old. And then, you know, it doesn’t take very long for him to get right back into trouble where he was. And that’s the funnest part about watching this show and more or less watching Alex Walker, is that he always thinks he’s got everything under control. He never has anything under control. And I’ve sort of said this before, but, you know, it’s really fun, and I think this makes good television. There aren’t a lot of shows out there like that. I’m very fortunate with the writing they give me, but it is so much fun to root for someone to do well, at the same time really rooting for the fact that he messes up so he’s in a pickle, you know? And that’s just the beauty of this show, that you want him to do well, because you’re a fan. But, man, isn’t it a better show when when everything goes wrong and he messed it up? It’s just so great.

Suzanne: Yeah, I think similar to Eliot, on the other show, is it. They’re both at their best when they’re fighting, because they have a little trouble handling everything else.

Christian: That’s exactly what it is. That’s exactly when they shine, is in situations like that. That’s funny that you picked that up. Yeah. And it’s really crazy, because I’ve tried to differentiate between both of those characters in the fights, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job. I mean, Alex is more of a bar brawler, and Eliot’s a precision fighter. But once I get into it, and these guys move fast, especially in the Philippines. They’re really good at what they do. And when they start moving so fast that I’ve just got to move fast, and I turn right back into Eliot, but I don’t think anybody cares about that as long as you can tell the difference between the two characters, which you can.

Suzanne: Right, right. And are you still doing your own stunts?

Christian: I’m still doing my own stunts. Yeah. I’m doing my own stunts. I’ve let a little bit of the choreography go. A guy I worked with for a long time on Leverage, Lex Damis, has come out as the stunt coordinator. I just didn’t have time on Leverage to really be involved that much. I’ll change some things, but he’s really good at what he does. And he’s one of my best friends and has been for over 10 years. He’s my golf partner. I trust him with what he’s doing, which is why I brought him in on Almost Paradise. I’ve got no time at all. I literally worked six months straight. I didn’t have one day off, and it’s not “Woe is me.” I prefer that. Idle hands are not good for me, and I love to work, because I really feel like I’m on vacation when I’m at work, no matter where I’m at. And I just did not have time to do it. So, we had Rodney – Rodney Cook came in, and Julian, and you know, these are ex military guys. They’re really good at what they do. And I’ve kind of realized at this point in my life, I’m still doing my own stunts, nobody fights for me. Nobody does stunts for me ever, but I just I don’t have time to fight anymore, and it just takes up too much of my soul. So, I would rather just go and learn the fight and fight and I think that helps out a lot as well, because I’m starting to listen to some other ideas other than stupid Christian Kane being Eliot Spencer.

Suzanne: And did you get injured at all this season?

Christian: Which season? Season of Leverage or season of – no not on Almost Paradise. I mean everything hurts. You know what I mean? This is bone to bone. I mean this is not jumping off a building onto a mat. This is going literally bone to bone with people. So, everything always hurts, but I don’t mind it. I don’t mind it. You know me, I’m a Steve McQueen fan and a big Tom Cruise fan, and as long as they let me keep doing my own stuff, man, it just is exhilarating for me. I love to say to people, “Slow it down, and see if you can catch me not on there,” because they can’t.

Suzanne: And you say it took six months to film the season?

Christian: Six months, yeah. It was six months in New Orleans for Leverage. And then I had one day in Los Angeles, literally one day to pack my bag and get on the plane for another six months in the Philippines. And like I said, I’m not complaining, I’m blessed. I would not trade it for the world.

Suzanne: So, overall on the show, are there any big changes in the second season? You know how sometimes on TV shows they they change things from season to season?

Christian Kane and Samantha Richelle in "Almost Paradise" season 2 on Freevee!Christian: You know, some people do. I mean, there’s no big changes. We love the storylines. The storylines are all new. The stakes are a little bit higher, which is great. As long as your stakes get higher every season, that’s the show that you’re doing. That means you’ve got a successful show. And we did that this year. You know, I’m coming [from] Dean Devlin school, you know what I mean? Which is, you know, how many seasons did I do Leverage? How many seasons of The Librarians were [there]? We’re on season two of Almost Paradise. You know, if it’s not broke, he doesn’t try to fix it. The shows that we do, you know, it’s not a comedy; it’s not a drama; it’s not an action movie. It’s all three of them rolled into one. That’s why, you know, we’re never going to be up for an award where it’s the best drama or the best – you know what I mean? The only awards we win are when we win the People’s Choice Award, because people love the show, you know? So, he doesn’t change it that much, because there’s kids watching it. There’s adults watching it; there’s families that watch the show. So, he does a really good job of not changing it too much to where you’re just blown out of it.

Suzanne: Yeah. Okay. I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but can you name any of the fun guest stars this season?

Christian: Well, I’ll tell you what we did. We did an episode where Lisa Brenner, who is Dean Devlin’s wife, she comes into play my wife, my ex-wife, which was a lot of fun, because I’ve known her as long as I’ve known Dean, 2007. And all we do is argue, and then when they say cut, we start laughing at each other. And we didn’t have to shake hands and introduce ourselves and go, “Hey, I’m playing Alex Walker
[unintelligible] it was like, first scene up was in a car, we had a huge argument scene, and we did it, and then we started laughing. It was fun not to have to learn who somebody is. You already know who they are. So, that was a lot of fun coming in. Let’s see. I don’t know. I mean, I just don’t know when this is coming out. I’m not sure if I’m gonna get in trouble.

Suzanne: Well, I’m not gonna put it in until like the day before the show starts.

Christian: Okay. I mean, we’ve got a good guy coming in. I don’t see how it’s not going to be seen, but I mean, Dante Bosco comes in. He was on Hook, everybody’s favorite kid on Hook. It’s fun to see him in the light that he’s playing. That was a lot of fun to to have him coming in. And then the cat’s already out of the bag on this guy. John Story comes back and does such a spectacular job on a couple of episodes. And he played Lockhart first season and became a fan favorite. And so to have him back this year, was just tremendous.

Suzanne: Right? And I know Reese Richie is going to be in the first episode as the priest.

Christian: Yeah, Reese was so great, man. He did such a good job. My friend Maureen comes in as for a little role, who’s Asia’s Next Top Model. She did such a great job. Yeah. She was a friend that I invited in, and she said “yes,” which I thought was very nice. You know, it’s the usual suspects, man. Some of us are a little older, but we all still play just like a family, man. It’s been really incredible.

Suzanne: So nobody from Leverage.

Christian: Christian Kane comes in from Leverage.

Suzanne: Nobody else.

Christian: No, no, nobody else, man. But I tell you what, you know, after the time that we took off we had – Well, John Story was on Leverage, but it was awhile back, and Lisa Brenner was on Leverage. Pretty much Dean regurgitates people all the time. But it’s funny, because we had so much downtime because of COVID, because of the pandemic. And I love talking about this. When we went back to Leverage, it was like a second didn’t go by. I mean, Dean Devlin was very smart. He put all of us a huge scene with all of us in in the same room, and it just took two seconds to go back into character. We all knew our characters, and we all knew our dynamic with each other. And I didn’t know if that was gonna work on Almost Paradise, because I don’t know them as well, but it absolutely worked. We touched down. Everybody got into character. And we did the first scene and it was like, “Wow, we’re back.” And that, just normally, it takes a little bit on a television series, well, just entertainment in general, and it didn’t at all. I was so proud of these guys. It made job so much easier, and I think it comes off on screen too. You can see it.

 

Suzanne: Yeah, watching season two is just like… it just took off from season one, and there was no break at all. Are there a lot of differences between filming in the Philippines and in the US?

Christian: Oh, my God. It’s night and day. You know, we were filming “Leverage” through the pandemic. I mean, we filmed it through the pandemic, and you couldn’t even go back to the Philippines at that point. They would not let you in. Right before we were getting ready to shoot, a typhoon came in and leveled the Philippines. I feel bad about talking about us when it actually took lives and homes, but it completely took our stages out. So, we had to build stages miles away, just to be able to go. The heat is something that’s unlike anything. But I’ll tell you, half of the people that got stuck there during COVID, the first time they were there for three to four months after the first season. Not one of them didn’t come back. They all wanted to come back. We have such a good family. And I tell you, it seems easier to film in the United States, but there’s a family out there that I have that made it so incredibly easy to film in the Philippines, because we all just absolutely love each other. It’s a different vibe out there, man. These people have really become become part of my family. So, there’s a camaraderie there that that sometimes you don’t get in the United States. Everybody just wants to go home. These guys just want to hang out. And you know, we’re all giving each other hugs and celebrating and laughing and it’s so much fun.

Suzanne: That’s nice. And the food is great there.

Christian: Well, the food’s great. Not only that, but the fact is that we have breakfast together. We have lunch together; we have dinner together. We don’t go home; we all sit around. When we wrap, we all sit down and have another meal. We don’t do that in America. It just builds camaraderie like you’ve never seen. So, the food is great. The food is plentiful. There’s always a lot of food.

Suzanne: Yeah, I have a friend who’s married to a Filipino lady, and also I lived in Hawaii for a few years and there’s a lot of Philippine people. They throw great parties.

Christian: Yeah, I mean, it’s just it’s incredible. When we throw a party we – and the great thing about it is in the Philippines, when we film a party, we actually cater it, and as soon as we’re done filming that scene, we all go through and eat whatever we had onset, which is fantastic. So, we have parties once every two weeks.

Suzanne: That’s great you got to do all that, all those fights and all that training, because otherwise you’d be 200 pounds, right?

Christian: Listen, man, I gained 15 pounds in New Orleans just because, I mean, well with COVID you couldn’t go to the gym and everything there was fried. I went to the Philippines, I ate whatever I wanted, and I lost 10 pounds. I mean, pig, I’m eating rice. I’m you’re eating rice at every meal. It’s just crazy. You’re eating – it was spam. They call it something else, but it’s basically spam. You know? Hawaiin/Filipino, and I lost weight, man, because you’re just sweating all day. You’re doing fights. And so it was paradise for me – almost.

Suzanne: I see what you did there.

Christian: You like that? Yeah. It’s just been a blast, and I’m so excited about this season. And I really would encourage people – we come out on Freevee on the 21st of July. I really hope that even if you’ve seen it, you go back through and take a gander at it, the first seaso. Freevee’s also been nice enough that now Almost Paradise the first season’s on Freevee. So, you can watch that and then gear up for the show. And I just really don’t know if I’ve ever been this proud of something coming out. I really enjoy what we did on this thing.

Suzanne: I have two questions for you that you probably don’t know the answer, or if you do, you can’t say, but let me ask them anyway. One is, do you know anything about what’s going to happen on Friday as far as the actors?

Christian: I don’t know what’s going to happen with that. It’s a little discerning, because the writers strike is not over yet. So, I figured that if the writers sort of made some leeway there, that there might not be something that we have to do. So, I really honestly don’t know, and I don’t honestly know where I stand on it either. I wish that I was more informed of actually everything that the writers or the the actors are trying to shoot for. But I feel like now watching what the writers are going through, there’s a possibility that the actors could strike.

Suzanne: Okay, and the second question is, have you heard anything about Leverage: Redemption season three?

Christian: I have not, because of the writers strike. I mean, everybody, like everyone just had to hang everything up. You know what I mean? I’ve heard ideas. I’ve heard some really good ideas about a season three. Dean went over some storylines with me, and it’s just fantastic. It’s really honestly, like, fantastic. It’s where Leverage needs to go. And it’s very exciting to the point where it could be our best season yet, just because of where we’re starting and where we have to go. But you know, then of course, it’s over, and they can’t talk about it, and they can’t even get together. I mean, they can’t call each other and say, you know, “What about this?” So, we’re sort of in a holding pattern right now as well as everybody else.

Suzanne: Yeah. Okay. Well, thank you. Those are better answers than I thought you might have. Better than saying, “I don’t know.”

Christian: Yeah, exactly.

Suzanne: And you own a chain of sushi restaurants called Sunda?

Christian: Sunda, Sunday without the y. Yeah, there’s one in Chicago, which I don’t own. My buddy Billy Deck owns [it]. Billy was the security guard I fought. I gave him a little roll. He was a security guard I fought a couple of times. It was a brutal fight on Leverage last season. Billy owns it. He’s really good friends with David Schwimmer. He was on Friends, you know, stuff like that. But he owns the restaurant. I’m an investor, but I get to say that I own it, because I do own some of it. And it’s one. There’s a Sunda in the Gulch in Nashville. I just got back from there. It’s so beautiful. We just won number one restaurant there, number one in Chicago. We’re opening another one on Chicago. I’m not familiar with – I love Chicago. I’m not familiar where the A train [is], but it’s somewhere like A train ish, I don’t know. But next week one opens up in Tampa, Florida. So, we’re really, really excited about that. And I do have a piece in all those.

Suzanne: Oh, great. Yeah, I think I’ve been to Tampa once or twice. They have some great restaurants there.

Christian: They do. Look up Sunda when you get there, because I think you’ll be really, really impressed. I’m biased, but the food is incredible. And Billy’s half Filipino. So, it’s this Asian fusion. So, it’s really Japanese. There’s some Chinese, but it’s really Japanese. But there’re like six or seven things on the restaurant that are completely Filipino, and people don’t know what it is, because they’re not familiar with Filipino food. So, he snuck them in, and people are absolutely loving it now.

Suzanne: So, it’s not just sushi.

Christian: It’s Asian fusion.

Suzanne: Okay, good. Good.

Christian: You can get noodles. You can get – He brought in one of the best guys out of Japan for Chicago, and he came to Nashville for two years to instruct their guy. So, you can get straight up sushi, and you get your Filipino food.

Suzanne: Wonderful. Sounds wonderful. We’ll have to try it.

Christian: Please do.

Suzanne: If nothing else, next time we’re in Chicago… because we usually go there in April every year.

Christian: Yes, absolutely. I mean, he literally just won the number one restaurant in Chicago.

Suzanne: Oh, nice. Wow. Okay. Well, thank you. I appreciate you talking to me today. And I hope we get to where I can see your handsome face next time.

Christian: Let’s do that. Let me know when you need me.

Suzanne: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Christian: You got it.

Transcript by Jamie

Our other interviews with Christian Kane:

MORE INFO:

Here’s an exclusive video clip of the season!

Video clip from Episode 206 – Episode description: Ernesto tries to convince Alex that death is not the end.

"Almost Paradise" season 2 key art

Almost Paradise Season Two With Christian Kane Premieres July 21 on Amazon Freevee

Jun 12, 2023

Art Acuña and Samantha Richelle return as series regulars

REVIEWS AND SENTIMENT EMBARGOED UNTIL MONDAY, JULY 17
Watch the Official Trailer
HERE
View Key Art
HERE
Episodic Photos
HERE
The Full Season Now Available on Screeners.com

CULVER CITY, California—June 12, 2023— Amazon Freevee has released the official trailer for the second season of Almost Paradise and announced it will premiere July 21. All 10 episodes from the season will be available on premiere day exclusively on Freevee in the U.S. and UK. Christian Kane returns to star along with returning executive producers and co-showrunners, Dean Devlin and Gary Rosen.

Kane is Alex Walker, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent forced into early retirement. The combination of his partner’s betrayal and a life-threatening battle with hypertension has sent him as far from the madness as he can get—to a small tropical island in the Philippine archipelago. He now runs the gift shop in the island’s luxury resort hotel, which attracts the rich, powerful, and sometimes criminal elite from around the world. Despite his best efforts to transition from Jason Bourne to Jimmy Buffett, Alex is pulled back into a world of dangerous people and deadly situations—either through his friends in the local police, Kai Mendoza (Samantha Richelle) and Ernesto Alamares (Art Acuña), or encounters with people from his old life. And the problem is that he likes it.

Almost Paradise was shot entirely in the Philippines. Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson of Electric Entertainment executive produce alongside co-showrunners Devlin and Rosen. Mark Franco co-produces.

The first season of Almost Paradise is available now on Freevee for viewers looking to catch up on Alex’s adventures.

About Electric Entertainment
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Electric Entertainment is an independent studio headed by veteran producer Dean Devlin along with his partners Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan-Wilson. Electric Entertainment also houses acquisitions and sales divisions, with domestic sales headed up by Steve Saltman and the international division headed by Sonia Mehandjiyska. Electric also has a satellite office located in Vancouver, Canada.

Among Electric’s hit television series are “Leverage: Redemption” the spin-off continuation of “Leverage,” which ran for five seasons on TNT.  Both series are currently streaming in the U.S. and the U.K. on Amazon Freevee.  “Leverage: Redemption” premiered its second season in November 2022. “Almost Paradise” is currently streaming on Amazon Freevee after having premiered on WGN America. Season 2 of “Almost Paradise” will premiere July 21 on Amazon Freevee in the U.S and UK. Electric’s new series “The Ark” premiered February 1, 2023 on SYFY and has been green-lit for a second season. Other Electric series include “The Librarians” which ran for four seasons on TNT, and “The Outpost,” which premiered its 4th season on The CW in 2021, and is now streaming on Amazon Freevee. 

Electric’s Feature Films have included “Bad Samaritan” starring David Tennant and Robert Sheehan, the award-winning film “Say My Name” starring Lisa Brenner and Nick Blood, the critically acclaimed documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?,” and most recently “The Deal” starring Sumalee Montano and Emma Fischer. Electric also acquires, distributes and sells worldwide rights to Electric’s produced and acquired content, as well as theatrical films from around the world, including “Blood On The Crown,” starring Harvey Keitel and Malcolm McDowell, “Heavy,” starring Sophie Turner and Daniel Zovatto, Rob Reiner’s historical biopic “LBJ,” starring Woody Harrelson, and “Book Of Love,” starring Jessica Biel and Jason Sudeikis. The company’s domestic distribution division, headed by Steve Saltman, is a full-service operation serving all significant outlets with various rights to films and series including: TVOD, EST, AVOD, SVOD, PTV, Linear Basic Cable and Broadcast. 

About Amazon Freevee
Amazon Freevee is a streaming video service with thousands of premium movies and TV shows, including Originals and free ad-supported (FAST) channels, available anytime, for free.

  • Expansive Catalog: Amazon Freevee offers viewers ambitious Originals, including Bosch: Legacy; Emmy-winning court program Judy Justice; coming-of-age drama High School; docu-comedy series Jury Duty; performance special Monumental: Ellie Goulding at Kew Gardens; reality design series Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis; comedy series Sprung; music documentary Post Malone: Runaway; heist drama Leverage: Redemption; spy thriller Alex Rider; and the sports docu-series UNINTERRUPTED’s Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers. Combined with an always updating library of broadly appealing hit movies and TV shows across a wide selection of genres, and a catalog of more than 250 FAST channels, including Judy Justice and Crime 360, Amazon Freevee delivers customers the content they would expect to see on a paid service.
  • The entire catalog of content on the service is free. No paid subscriptions necessary.
  • Limited Ads: Amazon Freevee provides customers highly sought content supported by limited advertising.
  • Instant Access: Amazon Freevee is available as an app on Fire TV, Fire Tablets, and within the Prime Video app. Amazon Freevee is available as an app on third party devices including Roku, Samsung smart TVs (2017-2021 models), Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Comcast’s Xfinity Flex, Xfinity X1, Chromecast with Google TV, NVIDIA SHIELD and other Android TV devices, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, as well as LG Smart TVs (2018-2021 models). The app is also available on iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices.

To learn more about Amazon Freevee, visit www.amazon.com/freevee and follow @AmazonFreevee.

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Arthur Acuña, Christian Kane and Samantha Richelle in "Almost Paradise" season 2 on Freevee!

 

Interview with Jordan Canning

TV Interview!

 

Jordan Canning of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" on Paramount+ Photo by Kristina Ruddick

Interview with director Jordan Canning of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” on Paramount+ by Suzanne 7/14/23

This was a fun interview. Jordan directed the most recent episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” Charades, where Spock and Chapel are in a shuttle accident and rescued by some aliens. When they fix up Spock, they leave out his Vulcan DNA, so he’s suddenly human.  He has to deal with all of the human emotions. Making it more difficult for him is that he has an important dinner with his fiancĂ©e, T’Pring, and her judgmental family. While Pike, Amanda (Spock’s mother) and the rest of the crew try to help Spock pretend to be Vulcan and get through the dinner, Chapel frantically searches for a way to reverse what the aliens did. It’s a fun episode and really showcases the talents of Ethan Peck (Spock) and Jess Bush (Chapel). I’ve been a Trekkie as long as I can remember, so it was awesome to speak to the episode’s director.Jordan Canning - Director and Anson Mount as Capt. Pike in episode 205 “Charades” of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, streaming on Paramount+, 2023. Photo Cr: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

Suzanne: Were you a fan of the show, or of the Star Trek franchise, before you started on this?

Jordan: Yeah, I was a big “[Star Trek: The] Next Generation” fan when I was a kid, and I probably watched, “[Star Trek IV] The Voyage Home” movie two dozen times. I loved that movie so much. And then, when I got the job, season one hadn’t aired yet, but I got to watch cuts of it. I had [seen] the season of “[Star Trek] Discovery” that had Spock in it… I think it’s season two. And then I got to watch season one [of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” before it was fully finished, and I was like, “Oh my God, this show is so good!” I loved it because it really reminded me of NextGen. It had that same playfulness to it, and the episodic alien- or planet-of-the-week vibe. And yeah, I got even more excited about the job once I’d seen it.

Suzanne: Well, that’s cool. Now, please forgive my ignorant question here because I’ve mostly interviewed actors, but… as a director, how are you chosen, for a TV episode? Is there anything similar to an audition process?

Jordan: You know, often there’s an interview. Sometimes– usually, your agent would put you up for something. I think with this one, They had reached out to my agent about it. Because of my comedy work and because this was a comedic episode, they wanted a director who was good at comedy. And so, yeah, memory serves that when I got the call from Chris, I was like, “Okay, this is an interview.” And then he was like, “Yeah, you’re great. You got the job.” And I was like, “I did. Oh, okay. Great. Love it.”

Suzanne: It takes the pressure off.

Jordan: Yeah. I called my agent. I was like, “Oh, I think I got the job.”

Suzanne: So, when you direct an episode (I know it’s not like directing a movie), are you in charge, more or less, or is it more of a collaborative process with everybody?

Jordan: Well, I will say, always in TV… you’re sort of working towards the vision of the showrunner, who has the whole show in their head and knows how all the pieces fit together. And there’s usually already a style and tone of the show that’s been set since the pilot, or since at least the first first season that you’re trying to slot yourself into. But what’s really unique about “[Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is [in reference to what you just said]: It is more like directing a movie. This was more like doing a movie than any TV episode I’ve done before because the episodes are more standalone. They approach them kind of like standalone movies of the week in terms of the tone and the style. And they really work hard to match a director with a script that works with them in terms of the style of the director or their strengths. So I was overjoyed by how much creative freedom I had on this episode. They sort of say, “Okay, you do a big sort of tone download with Henry, the showrunner.” And he’s like, “Okay, here’s the tone meeting.” And then they’re like, “Okay, how do you want to shoot it? How do you want to block it?” There aren’t these rigid rules about, [for example] “This is the way we shoot the closeups, this is when we use handheld, we don’t use handheld at all…” Yada, yada. You can use all of the sort of creative tools in your toolbox that serve the script and serve the story. So it was a real joy to be able to work on this and shape it so much.

Suzanne: That’s great. And, did you encounter any problems or glitches, or was it all smooth sailing?

Jordan: Well, we did… Ethan and I were talking yesterday, and both of us remembered at the same time that we had a COVID shutdown in the middle of our episode… but both of us had forgotten this, but he and Jess both got COVID in the middle of us shooting it. So we had to. There were no other scenes we could shoot because they were in everything. So we had to go down for a couple of weeks. I think the episodes are around 12 days? We’d probably shot maybe seven days, and then they got covid, so we had to go down for a couple of weeks. I think they started shooting the [next] episode and then we picked it back up once they were clear again. So that was kind of the only real, you know, problem.

Suzanne: That’s a pretty major one!

Jordan: Yeah, it was… it was great timing. But, yeah, you know, it happens. It happens so much.

Suzanne: Well, they shoot them pretty far in advance though, right?

Jordan: Oh yeah. Well, it’s such a long VFX post-production process.

Suzanne: Yeah.

Jordan: We were shooting, over a year ago. I shot my episode last May and June. So it was more than a year of [post-production].

Jordan Canning and Ethan Peck filming the episode Charades of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" on Paramount+.

Suzanne: Were you worried at all about dealing with such an iconic part of Star Trek history (Spock and the Vulcans), and how fans might react to that?

Jordan: I wanted to treat it with real respect and reverence because I knew that Spock being human for an episode is something that I think has been daydreamed about for many, many years– and decades even. So I knew that this was a very important, iconic thing that we were delivering. I wasn’t nervous about it. No, I just really wanted to be prepared. Ethan and I had so many conversations about how to do it properly and exactly how to fine tune his performance, so that it never felt untethered to the real Spock (who was there, you know, still inside this human Spock). And, you know, making sure that it never went too kind of broad. With comedy, it’s just about anchoring it in reality and not hitting the jokes over the head… playing everything like it’s real. And I think that’s why I find it so fun in this episode is: everybody gets a moment or more to show how great they are at comedy, you know? Everybody gets a fun moment…some great lines, [and] some great reactions. It’s a real showpiece, I think, for just how versatile all of these actors are. And in particular, Ethan and Jess. They really worked so hard on this episode and did such a beautiful job.

Suzanne: And it had such a great ending for the fans, too.

Jordan: And for me! I mean, that’s the end. I was like, “I love it.” I love a big smooch, you know…

Suzanne: And the nice thing about this episode, is that it took you back. If you were a fan of the original show, it took you back all the episodes where they split Kirk into two characters –one good, one bad…things like that.

Jordan: Yeah. Nice. Yeah. I mean, the canon of this is so fun to play in, and there, they take such care and consideration in writing all of these scripts.

Suzanne: Well, I really appreciate you talking to me and I enjoyed it. It was a good episode. Thank you very much.

Jordan: Thank you.

Jordan Canning, Ethan Peck and other bridge crew in the Charades episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" on Paramount+MORE INFO:

ABOUT JORDAN CANNING

Jordan Canning has directed more than a dozen short films which have played at festivals all over the world, including the Tribeca Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and Interfilm Berlin. Among them, COUNTDOWN won a number of awards including a Golden Sheaf for Best Director; NOT OVER EASY swept all three awards at the National Screen Institute Film Festival; and SECONDS won the 2012 TIFF RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition and the Shaw Media Fearless Female Director Award. Jordan directed all 23 episodes of the CTV digital series SPACE RIDERS: DIVISION EARTH. The show won the 2014 Canadian Screen Award for Best Digital Series and four Canadian Comedy Awards, including Best Director.

Her first feature, WE WERE WOLVES, premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Her second feature, SUCK IT UP, premiered at Slamdance 2017 and won Best Feature Film at the B3 Frankfurt Biennale. Her third feature, an omnibus film called ORDINARY DAYS, won Best Director at the 2018 Canadian Film Festival.

Her television credits include two seasons of the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning SCHITT’S CREEK, as well as hour-long dramas – SAVING HOPE (CTV), PRETTY HARD CASES (CBC), BURDEN OF TRUTH (CW), FAMILY LAW (CW), ASTRID AND LILLY SAVE THE WORLD (SYFY) – and half-hour comedies – BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW (IFC), THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES (CBC), THE LAKE (Amazon) and FRAGGLE ROCK and THE BIG DOOR PRIZE for Apple TV. Most recently she directed for season 2 of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS for CBS and Paramount+. She has won two Canadian Screen Awards and a DGC Award for directing.

Jordan is a 2010 graduate of the Director’s Lab at the Canadian Film Centre and an alumnus of TIFF Talent Lab, TIFF Pitch This!, and Women in the Director’s Chair.

Key Art for season 2 of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" on Paramount+“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” Episode 205: “Charades” – Available to stream Thursday, July 13

Directed by Jordan Canning

Written by Kathryn Lyn & Henry Alonso Myers

Logline: A shuttle accident leads to Spock’s Vulcan DNA being removed by aliens, making him fully human and completely unprepared to face T’Pring’s family during an important ceremonial dinner.

In season two of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike, confronts increasingly dangerous stakes, explores uncharted territories and encounters new life and civilizations. The crew will embark on personal journeys that will continue to test their resolve and redefine their destinies. Facing friends and enemies both new and familiar, their adventures will unfold in surprising ways never seen before on any “Star Trek” series.

The series stars Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, Ethan Peck as Spock, Jess Bush as Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’An Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas and Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M’Benga. Season two also features the return of special guest star Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk and new addition Carol Kane in a recurring role as Pelia.

Season two of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment. Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Jenny Lumet, Henry Alonso Myers, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers.

Season two of STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It will also be available to stream on Paramount+ in South Korea, with the premiere date to be announced at a later time. In addition, season two will air on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and stream on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe.The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Season one is currently available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the U.K., Latin America, Australia, South Korea, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave in Canada and on SkyShowtime in the Nordics, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Check out our Star Trek Page!

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Director Jordan Canning on the transporter in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (from her Instagram)

 

Interview with Walt Willey

TV Interview!

 

Walt Willey plays Jackson Montgomery once again on "General Hospital" on ABC

Interview with Walt Willey of “General Hospital” on ABC by Suzanne 6/15/23

It was a pleasure to speak with Walt! He’s a funny guy, and clearly, he is enjoying being back in the TV spotlight.  Since I watched “All My Children” from 1985 until it finished, and I’ve watched “General Hospital” since 1985, it’s a special thrill, as a fan of both shows, to have had a chance to ask him questions about both shows.  I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did!

 

MORE INFO:

Walt Willey plays Jackson Montgomery once again on "General Hospital" on ABCWalt Willey’s Bio:

Born in Ottawa, Illinois, Walt Willey attended Southern Illinois University, where he majored in Fine Arts. It was during his time at college that he became involved in acting, performing major roles in several productions. In 1981, Walt left Illinois for New York to break into acting professionally.

After numerous Off-Broadway productions, including Dust Off with Dan Lauria, and stints on NBC’s Another World as “James La Russo”, and “Joe Novak” on ABC’s Ryan’s Hope,

Walt joined the cast of ABC’s All My Children in 1987 – playing the role of lawyer Jackson Montgomery. MORE

UPDATE: ‘General Hospital’ Celebrates Historic 60th "General Hospital" airs weekdays on ABCAnniversary on April 1, 2023

Special Episode Honoring the Late Sonya Eddy To Air in March

 The Return of the ‘GH’ Nurses Ball Will Kick Off the Week of April 3

 Jane Elliot Reprises Role as the Iconic Tracy Quartermaine

 ABC To Dedicate Stage at Prospect Studios to ‘GH’ in Honor of Milestone

ABC’s Emmy¼ Award-winning daytime drama “General Hospital” will celebrate its 60th anniversary on April 1, 2023. To honor the milestone, the network is set to present the cast and crew with a stage dedication on the Prospect Studios lot, permanently commemorating the show’s legacy and serving as a reminder of the history that has been made in that very spot.

The show will kick off its anniversary programming at the end of March with a special episode honoring the late Sonya Eddy, who played “GH” head nurse Epiphany Johnson on the series since 2006. Then, the beloved Nurses Ball returns starting the week of April 3, a fictional glamorous charity event complete with red-carpet fashion and musical performances from the illustrious citizens of Port Charles dedicated to HIV/AIDS awareness. This marks the first time the Nurses Ball has aired since 2020. The festivities will then continue as icons of Port Charles unite to stop a legendary threat from the past. Jane Elliot is set to reprise her role as the legendary Tracy Quartermaine in April.

The ABC daytime soap opera has depicted the ongoing lives of the diverse and evolving citizens of Port Charles, New York. While delivering romance and the high-flying adventure for which soaps are often known, “GH” has regularly capitalized on its setting to present stories that speak to and enrich viewers’ lived experiences around the country.

In 2022, “General Hospital” won five Daytime Emmy Awards including the marquee Outstanding Drama Series, marking the show’s 15th win for this honor as well as the record for most wins in the category, a truly incredible fete and testament to the impact and resonance that the series has had with viewers to this day.

“General Hospital” stars Genie Francis, Maurice Benard, Finola Hughes, Kristina Wagner, Nancy Lee Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, Kelly Monaco, Laura Wright, Kirsten Storms, Dominic Zamprogna, Maura West, Chad Duell, Roger Howarth, Donnell Turner, Michael Easton, Eden McCoy, Cynthia Watros, Josh Swickard, Katelyn MacMullen, Sofia Mattsson, Amanda Setton, Brook Kerr, Nicholas Chavez, Avery Kristen Pohl, Cameron Mathison, Charles Shaughnessy, Tajh Bellow, Tanisha Harper, Tabyana Ali, Robert Gossett, Josh Kelly, Gregory Harrison and Evan Hofer.

“General Hospital” was created by husband-and-wife soap writers, Frank and Doris Hursley. Frank Valentini is the executive producer and showrunner. Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor are co-head writers. The series is produced by ABC.

About General Hospital
ABC’s Emmy¼ Award-winning daytime drama, “General Hospital,” is both the longest-running scripted drama and the longest-running American soap opera currently in production. One of four remaining daytime dramas, “General Hospital” holds the record for the most Outstanding Daytime Drama award wins, taking home the prestigious Emmy Award a record 15 times. Filmed in Hollywood, California, the show aired its 15,000th episode on June 22, 2022.

“GH” continues its tradition of passion, intrigue and adventure that has depicted the ongoing lives of the diverse and evolving citizens of the fictional town of Port Charles set in upstate New York. The glamour and excitement of those who have come to find their destinies in this familiar seaport town intertwine with the lives, loves and fortunes of beloved, well-known faces. As always, love, danger and mind-blowing plot twists abound on “GH” with contemporary storylines and unforgettable characters.

“General Hospital” is known for elevating awareness for numerous health and social issues, often ahead of its time, in conjunction with storylines including HIV/AIDS; tolerance and understanding for the gay, lesbian and transgender community; bipolar disorder, spousal abuse, sexual assault, workplace sexual harassment in the #MeToo era, gentrification, war refugees, voting rights and voter suppression, the fight for civil rights and against environmental racism, drug and alcohol addiction; breast cancer awareness; surrogacy and adoption; organ donations, autism and Alzheimer’s-related stories are all topics “GH” has trailblazed.

Many actors got their start on “General Hospital” including Demi Moore, John Stamos, Jack Wagner, Mark Hamill, Rick Springfield, Ricky Martin, Amber Tamblin, Emma Samms, Kimberly McCullough, Jonathan Jackson and Richard Dean Anderson.

“General Hospital” was created by husband-and-wife soap writers, Frank and Doris Hursley, and premiered on April 1, 1963. In 1978, Gloria Monty was brought in as executive producer and is credited with the creation of the first super-couple, Luke and Laura Spencer. Their 1981 wedding brought in 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history. Frank Valentini serves as “GH”’s current executive producer. Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor are the show’s co-head writers.

“General Hospital” airs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).

Follow “General Hospital” (#GeneralHospital #GH60) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

Our Other General Hospital Interviews

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Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Jackson Montgomery (Walt Willey) on "All My Children"

 

Interview with Brec Bassinger, Donna Mills, Jesse Metcalfe, Joey McIntyre, and Khobe Clarke

TV Interview!

 

Panel with Brec Bassinger, Donna Mills, Jesse Metcalfe, Joey McIntyre, and Khobe Clarke of "V.C. Andrews' Dawn" on Lifetime

Interview with Brec Bassinger, Donna Mills, Jesse Metcalfe, Joey McIntyre, and Khobe Clarke of “V.C. Andrews’ Dawn” on Lifetime by Suzanne 6/26/23

If you like V.C. Andrews’ books and Lifetime’s adaptations of them, you’ll probably like this one as well. I only saw the first episode, but it was enjoyable.  It was great to see these actors in the panel. Unfortunately, I don’t think Donna Mills and Jesse Metcalfe are in the later segments, just the first part. This particular book was not written by V.C. Andrews. She died in the 80’s. It’s written by Andrew Neiderman, who writes all of the “V.C. Andrews” books now, with permission from her trust.  There is a short introduction here from him.

 

MORE INFO:

Key Art for "V.C. Andrews' Dawn" on Lifetime

Dawn follows the story of Dawn Longchamp (Brec Bassinger), who after growing up in humble surroundings with a very hardworking family including her devoted father Ormand (Jesse Metcalfe) and older brother Jimmy (Khobe Clarke), suddenly has everything she loves ripped away from her. After discovering the shocking truth about the people who raised her, she is thrust into a new family whose dark and twisted secrets change the course of her life forever.  As Dawn struggles to fit in, her wicked grandmother Lillian Cutler (Donna Mills) rules her life with an iron fist and inflicts cruel punishments when Dawn does not follow her strict orders.  When Dawn finds herself entrenched in the mysteries surrounding the family, it becomes clear that a dark and inescapable curse looms over the Cutlers.

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Dawn is escorted out by the local police detective while her grandmother watches, smugly.

 

Interview with “Jack Ryan” actors

TV Interview!

 

Actors from "Jack Ryan," Michael Peña, Louis Ozawa, Betty Gabriel and Abbie Cornish

Interview with Michael Peña, Louis Ozawa, Betty Gabriel and Abbie Cornish of “Jack Ryan” on Prime Video by Suzanne 6/16/23

These were two very short interviews for this show. I don’t watch the show regularly, but if you love lots of action and some political intrigue, this is the show for you. I think it does help to know who’s who and what’s going on if you watched the first three seasons, but it’s not impossible to enjoy this fourth season if you haven’t. It’s fairly self-contained. Betty Gabriel is a regular on the show. Abbie Cornish is returning to the show. Michael Peña and Louis Ozawa both play very interesting villains this season.

Jack Ryan Season 4 Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Abbie Cornish (Cathy Mueller)Jack Ryan Season 4 Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Betty Gabriel (Elizabeth Wright)

Jack Ryan Season 4Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Michael Peña (Domingo Chavez)

Jack Ryan Season 4Credit: Attila Szvacsek/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: Louis Ozawa (Chao Fah)

MORE INFO: Trailer

"Jack Ryan" season 4 key art

About

The fourth and final season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan finds the titular character on his most dangerous mission yet: facing an enemy both foreign and domestic. As the new CIA Acting Deputy Director, Jack Ryan is tasked with unearthing internal corruption, and in doing so, uncovers a series of suspicious black ops that could expose the vulnerability of the country. As Jack and the team investigate how deep the corruption runs, he discovers a far-worse reality—the convergence of a drug cartel with a terrorist organization—ultimately revealing a conspiracy much closer to home and testing our hero’s belief in the system he has always fought to protect.

The series stars John Krasinski as Jack Ryan, Wendell Pierce as James Greer, Michael Kelly as Mike November, and Betty Gabriel as CIA Acting Director Elizabeth Wright, with Abbie Cornish returning as Cathy Mueller. Joining the cast this season are Michael Peña as Domingo Chavez and Louis Ozawa as Chao Fah.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is co-produced by Amazon Studios, Paramount Television Studios, and Skydance Television, and executive produced by Allyson Seeger, Andrew Form, John Krasinski, Brad Fuller, Michael Bay, and John Kelly. Additionally, Tom Clancy and Skydance Television’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunell executive produce the fourth season, along with Vaun Wilmott, Mace Neufeld and Carlton Cuse.

Proofread and Edited by Brenda

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Jack Ryan Season 4 Credit: Jonny Cournoyer/Prime Video Copyright: Amazon Studios Description: John Krasinski (Jack Ryan), Betty Gabriel (Elizabeth Wright)