Donald Trump, Penn Jillette and Trace Adkins from All Star Celebrity Apprentice

Photo by Douglas Gorenstein/NBC

The live finale of All Star Celebrity Apprentice aired on Sunday night. In the end Donald Trump pitted celebrity magician Penn Jillette against country superstar Trace Adkins. Trace came out victorious after raising $664,000 (plus the $250,000 prize for winning) for The American Red Cross. We spoke with all three a few days before the finale aired about this season of the show.

On Keeping the Show Fresh
Donald Trump: “To a large extent it’s the people. Having people like Penn and Trace and so many of the others, Little John, everybody loved his performance and the job he did and so many others. A lot of it has to do with that. You don’t like to change the formula too much because it works... We do change things a little bit every season, but you don’t want to go too much with the big change. It’s like changing football or changing baseball. You don’t want to change too much. But largely it’s the people. It’s the demeanor. Some of the players became great players by watching and by having previously performed. So we do get quite a bit of change into each season actually.”

On Comparing Their Two Seasons
Penn Jillette: “For me it’s no comparison. The first time around I was a little skeptical and uncomfortable and guarded. And then as I grew to trust the show and trust Mr. Trump and I’m afraid to say Trump myself. The second year every show I enjoyed more than the show before and I just had a blast. There was no comparison for me.”

Trace Adkins: “I parrot those sentiments exactly. My first season was much more stressful. This season I came in much more confident. I had a good handle on how this game was played and I knew how to play it and knew how to win it. And so I just felt much better this season.”

On Being Competitive By Nature
Penn Jillette: “It’s very new for me. I’ve never played sports. I’ve never been a game player. I’ve always been in my own little world. And I’ve never really focused on any sort of competition thing. And I actually enjoyed it. Maybe I’ve got to start playing chess or something.”

Trace Adkins: “I, on the other hand, am an old jock and yes, the competitiveness started at a very early age with me and it continues on today really. The business that I’m in — country music — it’s a competitive business. To be relevant in this business means to be competitive and that’s how I continue to be relevant because I continue to be competitive.”

Lauren Holly Talks About Motive

hoto by Carole Segal/ABC

Lauren Holly (Picket Fences and NCIS) is starring as medical examiner Dr. Betty Rogers in the new ABC drama Motive — a cop drama with a twist. Creator Daniel Cerone (Dexter and The Mentalist) wanted to focus less on who the killer is and more of why the crime was committed. It also stars Kristin Lehman (The Killing and Judging Amy) as Detective Angie Flynn and Louis Ferreira (SGU Stargate Universe and Rookie Blue) as Detective Oscar Vega.

In a recent one-on-one interview with Lauren, she talked about what sets the show apart from other procedurals. "It takes the typical genre and twists it ever so slightly, but that twist changes it completely. You know who the victim and the killer is right off the bat. And you go along with the detectives to figure it out. And what's really fun about it and it's in the first episode and it continues, is that you're kind of surprised first of all who is the killer and who is the victim. I always am at the beginning of every episode. And then a lot of times you have no idea how the two crossed paths and when you think you have it figured out and there's usually yet another little twist towards the end. It's really fun. It's kind of got an old school feel like a Colombo."

It was this twist that intrigued Lauren right form the beginning although she did have her doubts about doing the show. "It was 100% Canadian show and I had never done anything like that before and wasn't sure if it would be the right thing to do. And then once I started working I loved everybody who I was working with both in front of the camera and behind. And when I saw the first one I thought, 'Wow, this show is really good.' I wasn't surprised at all that it was picked up."

She was approached by show runner James Thorpe before they had cast anyone else. But once they found Kristin Lehman and Louis Ferreira, Lauren got the call to play Dr. Betty Rogers, a medical examiner with a quirky sense of humor. She described her character, "She is the medical examiner and she is very good at her job, has great respect for Flynn, who's played by Kristen Lehman, and they have a mutual respect, very cool relationship that you see throughout the season. They're friends."

Surprises Around Every Corner on Warehouse 13

Photo By Steve Wilkie/Syfy

It’s not surprising that Warehouse 13 fans are rabid. The show’s creators aren’t afraid to make tough choices to keep the show interesting. Take for example the mid-season finale twist in which Leena, one of the show’s beloved characters, was unexpected killed at the hands of another fan favorite, Artie — well the Mr. Hyde that lives within him, Brother Adrian, that is.


In a recent conference call interview Warehouse 13 Executive Producer Jack Kenny and star Eddie McClintock talked about what lies ahead in the remaining installments of Season 4.

The show has already started to address Leena’s demise and how a good guy has to come to grips with the dark deeds he’s done thanks for supernatural influences. As Kenny explained, “Artie's the first person that has to deal with this… And yes, Artie's having a very hard time dealing with what he did. Yes, he was affected by an artifact but he sees it as his hand is the one that did it and so he's responsible. So there's that hurdle that has to be leapt over in terms of Artie making his peace with what an artifact made him do.”

And not surprisingly, the show’s other characters are confronting their own demons about the recent turn of events. Perhaps the person affected most by Artie’s dual personality drama is his young co-worker, Claudia, with whom he has developed a father-daughter-like relationship. Kenny remarked, “Then there's the tension between Claudia and Artie, where we spend actually the next three episodes dealing with in terms of what she had to do to him. She had to stab him and bring him back when he didn't want to come back and a lot of other tension-riddled issues that they have to deal with.”

The Best of the Upfronts — Part Four

Photo by Eric Liebowitz/NBC

The 2013 Upfronts wrapped up this week with the big boys finally throwing their content into the ring. We'll have to wait a few months now to see what sticks. but here are our top choices from the announcements made by ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, A&E, FX and TNT.

The Michael J. Fox Show — NBC
Based on his own life of tang time of from acting to battle Parkinson's disease. We're thrilled to have MJ Fox back on TV full-time.

The Crazy Ones — CBS
We like our Robin Williams in small doses, so we're not sure if his return to series TV is a good idea. But it is this roots after all, getting his start in Mork & Mindy. Now he's back with a new leading lady, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays his daughter.

Resurrection — ABC
Aaron Zelman from Damages and The Killing brings another suspenseful mystery to us with Resurrection. It's about the residents of a small town in Missouri whose lives are turned upside-down when loved ones they thought were dead begin returning home. It stars Omar Epps (House), Matt Craven (Crimson Tide and A Few Good Men), Frances Fisher (Titanic) and more.

The Millers — CBS
We're glad rot see Will Arnett returning this season in The Millers. He plays divorced a local roving news reporter who lets his mom (Margo Martindale) move in after dad (Beau Bridges) dumps her.

Monopoly — TNT
A real life Monopoly game? Sign us up. Eight two player teams will compete to amass property and wealth. Brought to us by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, the creators of Project Runway and Top Chef. Ought to be interesting.

The Big Deal — TNT
And as a second enticing reality offering, TNT has The Big Deal, a cross-country scavenger hunt created by the producers of The Biggest Loser and MasterChef.

24: Live Another Day — FOX
Kiefer's back. A new 12-hour 24 event. Do we rally need to explain?
 
Those Who Kill — A+E
There are a lot of serial killers on TV these days, so we're not sure we need one more. But this one is Produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and stars James D'Arcy and Chloe Sevigny. What's not to love?

For related stories check out:
The Best of the Upfronts — Part 3
The Best of the Upfronts to Date — Part 2

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Jack McBrayer Turns in His Page Jacket for a Dentist Smock

                                                          Photo by ABC/Michael Ansell


When Jack McBrayer hit the scene playing Kenneth the Page on 30 Rock in 2006, he instantly created one the most lovable characters in TV history. One of the greatest disappointments in the demise of Tina Fey’s sitcom was the fact that we wouldn’t get to see the adorable Southern actor in our homes each week. So we were thrilled recently when Jack made an appearance on one of our other favorite shows, The Middle. And more good news was on the way — Jack is back in a follow up installment.

In a recent exclusive interview the 39-year-old reflected on getting the part of Dr. Goodwin the Dentist opposite Patricia Heaton’s Frankie Heck. When asked what got him interested in appearing on The Middle, McBrayer jokingly replied, “Un-em-ployment.”

All good humor aside, he answered, “I had actually been a fan of The Middle from way back. I know Neil Flynn, who plays Mike, from Chicago days, from Second City, even back when Tina Fey. We all knew each other. That’s why I started watching the show but then I was like, ‘Oh, no, this is my life.’ A lot of things I was able to latch on to, growing up with three kids in the family, two parents who were always working and always very tired and having to fix your appliances with duct tape… So I was very, very pleased when the opportunity came up to join them on the show.”