Will He Really Say "I Do?"

Let's face it, we'll all be sitting on the edge of our seats when "The Bachelor" Jason Mesnick walks down the aisle with his second choice fiance Molly Malaney on network television on March 8.

After all, Jason's the guy that proposed to Melissa Rycroft on TV. And then broke up with her several broadcast moments later... on TV. And then asked Molly to have coffee with him... on TV... during the same show.

Needless to say there's a strong possibility that Jason could actually bail on the "I do's" at the last minute and ask the Maid of Honor out on a date from the altar. It would be a bad wedding but good TV.  If ABC is smart, they'll shoot the actual vows live - leaving us all anxious until that last fateful moment.

Still, maybe we're being cynical. The "Bachelor" franchise's only other married couple - Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter have been married since 2003 and have two kids. Maybe true love is possible on reality TV after all.

There Is Peace and Serenity in the Light

Zelda Rubenstein was best known as Tangina Barroms, the diminutive lady with the even tinier voice in the "Poltergeist" movies, who realized that Carol-Anne could hear things that "only a child can understand."

The "Poltergeist" film series was plagued by a legendary curse which is rumored to have taken the lives of several cast members including the original movie's young stars Heather O'Rourke (who died at the age of 11 from cardiopulmonary arrest and intestinal stenosis) and Dominique Dunne (who was strangled into brain-death by her estranged boyfriend at the age of 22).  

But at the age of 76, the actress who appeared in all three "Poltergeist" flicks managed to avoid going into the light for a long, long time. Sadly, she finally crossed over this week due to heart complications.

If she believed the words of her medium character - "There is no death. It is only a transition to a different sphere of consciousness" - then Zelda's not gone for ever, she's just on a new adventure.

Goodbye to the Author of "Catcher in the Rye"

Obviously, J.D. Salinger will forever be remembered as a reclusive but brilliant author. Yet when pop culture addicts like us caught news of his death yesterday at the age of 91, we couldn’t help but recall his most notorious celebrity connections.

For not only was Salinger's anti-social poster child, Holden Caulfield, connected to the Mark David Chapman murder of John Lennon in 1980, but he also was linked to John Hinckley Jr.'s assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

It seems both troubled men looked to Caulfield as a kindred spirit. Chapman had a copy of "Catcher in the Rye" with him when he shot Lennon outside New York's Dakota apartment building and quoted the book in his subsequent police statement. Ironically, some reports say that Lennon was also reading the same Salinger novel at the time of his death.

Hinckley, whose attempt on Ronald Reagan is more commonly associated with his obsession with Jodie Foster, had a copy of "Catcher" in his hotel room.

Salinger died of natural causes on Wednesday at his home in New Hampshire. If the dark connections to "Catcher in the Rye" are too much for you, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "Franny and Zooey." You'll be glad you did.

So Long, Betty!

We were sad, though not all that surprised, to hear that "Ugly Betty" has been officially canceled. After starting this season in the Friday night death slot, we thought Betty had been given a reprieve when she was moved to Wednesday following "Modern Family"/"Cougartown" block. But, alas, it was just a last ditch effort to save her.

What was the downfall? Mark turning into a softy? Daniel kissing Willy? Betty not being all that "ugly" anymore?

The producers are promising a satisfying conclusion. Who knows what that means. Here are a few suggestions for them: Henry comes to New York to tell Betty he can't live without her and she goes back with him to Tucson; Justin becomes the star of his new acting class, gets cast in a TV show called "Just Justin," and they all move to Los Angeles (we would love to see that spin-off); or Amanda, who it turns out is a secret genius, gets a boatload of money from her dad, Gene Simmons, buys the magazine, and fires everyone.

OK, we know none of that will happen, but at least they saved us from Hilda's jump the shark sitcom baby. You know, the one who is suddenly a precocious five-year-old when the show returns from summer hiatus.

We will miss you, Betty. Long live ponchos.

Read more about it here.

Written by Amy & Nancy Harrington

It's Olympic Figure Skating Time!

We're not the only ones getting psyched for the Olympics. Watch as these stars of "The Office" talk about their favorite moments from the games. For us, it's impossible to pick a favorite moment, but our number one event? Figure skating. Hands down.

And in preparation for the events, we spent the past two weekends glued to our TV sets watching ice-related programming. Our all time favorite cooking show host, Brain Boitano (oh, yeah, he was a pretty good skater, too) had his annual Skating Spectaular featuring the music of an older, greyer, but-still-can-hit-the-high-notes Chicago (as if skating weren't cheesy enough).

Then of course, there was the main event — the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This year the Nationals not only determined the 2010 U.S. Champs, but who makes the Olympic team going to Vancouver in just two weeks.

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Tweets from the Kirstie Alley/Joy Behar Smack Down

Where does a former prime time star turn when her career’s a bit on the rocks and she has a beef with another celebrity? Why, Twitter, of course. At least that’s the case if the frustrated star is Kirstie Alley and she’s unhappy with opinionated talk show host Joy Behar.

Seems Kirstie is all worked up about the way Joy covered the Tiger Woods story earlier this month tweeting, "CHEATING is between a husband and wife. Not TMZ and Joy Bewhore." She didn’t stop there but, frankly, you don’t want to know what body party Kirstie wants to “bash in” with Joy’s microphone. Trust us.

It looked like Behar wasn't going to be baited by the former “Fat Actress” star until last Friday when she finally tweeted back saying, "Kirstie Alley calls me Joy Bewhore. ‘Compliments! Compliments!’"


If you believe Allie’s tweet today, she’s through with the whole mess claiming, “Now I am done talking about certain women with red hair… let's talk about me getting off the damn computer and going HIKING... bye bye.”

But if you have that car wreck curiosity, you can click Twitter to check in for regular updates from the battling TV stars and decide if are you on Team Kirstie or Team Joy.

Kiefer Asks: "Where's the Beef?"

We thought the time he wrestled that Christmas Tree to the ground in a hotel lobby was embarrassing but now Kiefer Sutherland seems to have been swindled in a grand cow trading scheme.

Just because the “Young Guns” star knows how to win a rodeo (he was on the circuit in the late ‘90s and came out on top in events in Phoenix and Albuquerque), doesn’t mean he knows the ropes when it comes to the cattle business.

The “24” actor might have utilized some of Jack Bauer’s investigative skills and done a background check on Michael Wayne Carr. Seems Carr allegedly hooked Kiefer in on a deal to buy steers south of the border and sell them in the States for a profit.

Kiefer allegedly forked over $869,000, but it seems that Carr never bought the cattle. Now Carr is facing 12 felony charges and Sutherland will have to wait until his re-scheduled arraignment on February 8.

Carr’s possible sentence for scamming a famous movie star: 18 years in prison.

Kiefer’s life lesson: priceless.

"White Collar": Not Your Typical Buddy Cop Show

Last week was the return of "White Collar" on USA Network on Tuesdays at 10:00 pm. The first half of Season 1 garnered great reviews and gained a huge following and left fans clamoring for a resolve to the mid-season cliffhanger. Was Tim really the man with the ring? If you saw last week's episode you now know the answer is yes… and no. And while that plotline was quickly resolved, another twist just as compelling was left in its wake.

"White Collar" is not your typical bumbling detective and suave con man buddy story. Both men are equally charismatic and it is still unclear if the two are truly buddies or just in the midst of one big con. Each week we are left with the burning question, which side of the law are these guys on? And after the latest episode, the rest of this season can’t come soon enough for us.

We got a chance to speak with "White Collar" stars Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay about stealing cars, wearing fedoras, and the similarities between acting and being a con man.

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Jennie Garth Throws a "Garden Party"

No way around it, Jennie Garth will always be remembered as teen icon Kelly Taylor on the ‘80s primetime soap “Beverly Hills, 90210.” But in recent years she’s also become known as one of Hollywood’s most successful moms – balancing a career on shows like “What I Like About You” and the new “90210,” with a nine-year marriage to “Twilight” series actor Peter Facinelli, and raising three daughters.

Now Jennie has teamed with NBC Universal Digital Studio and Hidden Valley Ranch on the original web series “Garden Party.” The show highlights a different vegetable every month with trips to local farms, recipes, and tips for moms on how to get their kids to eat their veggies.

We spoke to Jennie about “Garden Party,” which premiered last week at www.iVillage.com/gardenparty about her new show, how she gets her family to eat healthy, and what’s next in her career.

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"Caprica" is No "Galactica"

Tonight is the much-anticipated pilot of "Caprica," the "Battlestar Galactica" prequel that tells the back-story of the creation of the first cylons. But don’t expect another dark, post-apocalyptic, spaceship adventure. "Caprica" is more like "Dynasty" gone super high-tech (and without the '80s cheese). The series follows two families — the Graystones, who are pioneering major technological advances and the Adamas, helmed by Joseph, a lawyer with underworld ties and the dad to "Battlestar's" future commander.

In a somewhat unusual marketing plan, the pilot has been available in advance of tonight's TV airing, through syfy.com, hulu.com, and other online outlets. So we joined the legions and jumped the premiere gun with a sneak peak. If you missed it in cyberspace, the TV premiere of the extended pilot is tonight, January 22 at 9:00 pm on Syfy.

The plot drew us in from the first hologram-induced scene, and the fact that it stars Eric Stoltz doesn't hurt. As if our DVR's weren't working hard enough, now we have another show to add to the ever-growing recording list. We spoke with series Executive Producer David Eick (from the team behind "BSG") and one of the series' stars, Paula Malcomson, who plays Stoltz's wife.

Here's what they have to say about why this show is different from "Battlestar," playing an unsympathetic character, and gaining a female audience for a sci-fi show.

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Daly & Gless: "Cagney & Lacey," "Burn Notice," and Hot Fudge Sundaes

Hard to believe but true – it’s been over 25 years since Tyne Daly and Sharon Gless exploded onto the small screen as the toughest female TV duo in history on “Cagney & Lacey.”

They’ve reteamed a couple of times since in a few “C& L” specials (released in a 2009 boxed set called “Cagney and Lacey: The Menopause Years”), Tyne appeared on Sharon’s series "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill," and when Gless appeared on Daly’s series “Judging Amy” (following the death of co-star Richard Crenna).

   

Tonight, the ladies are together again as Tyne makes a special guest appearance on the winter premiere of Sharon’s critically acclaimed series, “Burn Notice.”  We talked with the two TV icons and dear friends, about their off-screen friendship, a potential theater collaboration, and hot-fudge sundaes.

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Love Means Never Having to Blog You’re Sorry

There are a few quintessentially sappy iconic moments in movie history. Debby Boone’s heart-wrenchingly saccharine rendition of “You Light Up My Life,” Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze spinning pots to “Unchained Melody” in “Ghost,” and pretty much every moment in “The Notebook,” rank among the best.

But the mother of all melodramatic romance movies has to be “Love Story.”

Sadly, the man who created it all, Erich Segal died of a heart attack on Sunday, January 17 at the age of 72. Segal wrote the screenplay (which was turned into cinematic gold by the all too often underrated director Arthur Hiller) and then adapted it into a novel that came out before the movie hit the screen.

But not all of the screenwriter’s words were delivered correctly. She might have had a flawless complexion for a dying girl, but Ali MacGraw botched the film’s most famous line turning the originally scripted "Love means not ever having to say you're sorry” into "Love means never having to say you're sorry." No word on whether or not she apologized for the mistake.

The Ghost Hunters are Afraid of Mannequins and Planes

Last week we got the chance to speak with Barry Fitzgerald and Dustin Pari, two cast members of Syfy's "Ghost Hunters International." The show is now three week's into the second season and it does not disappoint. First they tried to track down Hitler's ghost (apparently legend has it he did not kill himself in Germany but escaped to the Gran Hotel Viena in Argentina where he lived out the rest of his days with other runaway Nazis), then they contacted the spirit of a small child who in is said to have passed at the Eden Hotel. Tune in tonight as they travel to Australia and visit a quarantine station.

In the meantime, check out what the seemingly fearless ghost hunters Barry and Dustin had to say about what they are most afraid of and their experiences with the paranormal as children. They also explain in scientific terms why children are more in tune with the paranormal than adults.

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Lend a Helping Hand in Haiti

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As has been true in times of other natural disasters, Hollywood is kicking in to help the earthquake victims in Haiti. Reports surfaced almost immediately that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donated $1 million to Doctors Without Borders for relief efforts. Madonna gave $250,000 to Partners In Health and urged her fans and friends to collectively match her. Natalie Portman is encouraging her followers to contribute to FINCA Haiti, a charity that financially aids women of the impoverished country. And George Clooney is working with MTV to stage a telethon scheduled to air on all their networks on Friday, January 22.

But it's not just the big stars kicking into gear to help those devastated by Tuesday's earthquake. The Red Cross is reporting that its campaign with the major cell carriers to text a $10 donation has generated more charitable giving than ever for a drive of this kind.

So how can you help? Check out a few ways here.

The Golden Globes: Our Passionistas Picks

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We aren't checking the odds in Vegas, and we wouldn't lay money down on our list of Golden Globe winners because we haven't picked the nominees we think WILL win, we've chosen the ones we WANT to win. And while we know in our heart that the Globes don't always go the way we hope they will, we're not sure we're emotionally prepared yet for Carey Mulligan to lose to Sandra Bullock. So as we brace ourselves for Sunday's inevitable disappointments, take a look at the people, movies, and TV shows that we'd hand out statues to if it were up to us. 

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2010 Winter Olympics Schedule

Exclusive Summer Olympics news & widgets at NBC Olympics.com!

Golden Globe Countdown

Check back daily for continuously updated coverage of the 67th Golden Globe Awards airing live Sunday, January 17 on NBC at 5 PM PST and 8 PM EST.

A Guide to Hef's Girls Through the Years

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News broke this week, that Hugh Hefner has kicked his 20-year-old twin girlfriends, Karissa and Kristina Shannon, to the proverbial Playmate curb. Don't feel too bad for the blondes, though. They get to frolic in the Playmate house down the street and do promos for Hef's pinup dynasty.

And who knew Hugh was such a techno geek? He announced the news by Tweet saying, "The Shannon Twins are growing up. They're moving to the Playmate House with my blessing so they will be free to do other things."

He also claims his relationship with his third partner Crystal Harris, is getting "more serious." But, before you get too settled in, Crystal, remember this — Hef has shown us time and time again that he's good at loving the ladies and then moving on. Take a look at some of the women he's wooed over the years.

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Keep Conan at 11:30

In a brilliantly frank and decisive counterattack in the ongoing NBC late show battle, Conan O'Brien issued an eloquent, respectful, pointed, and funny statement about his future at the network yesterday. In the press release, O'Brien made it clear that he doesn't want sympathy stating, "For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky."

But clearly there is no love lost between Conan and what he (understandably) feels are unsupportive execs who many agree put a huge ding in the hosts ratings by putting Leno at 10:30. "It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both."

And while it's hard to imagine that his decision isn't at least partially ego driven (and who can blame him for that), Conan clearly has the legacy of the iconic series in mind as well. "I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting."

We couldn't agree with Conan more and we refuse to sit passively back and let NBC destroy "The Tonight Show" and banish Conan. We've started a petition to let the Network know how we (and hopefully you) feel. Add your name to our Keep Conan list and keep late night safe.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keepconan/

Read the full press release here.

"Celebrity Apprentice" Contestants' Job Qualifications

The claws are out and the third installment of "The Celebrity Apprentice" is being filmed in New York. It doesn't start airing for a month, but we are so looking forward to seeing Bret Michaels go head-to-head with Rod Blagojevich.

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He Created Gumby, Damnit!

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In a world where children are the marketing targets of every kids show on TV, it’s hard to imagine a guy like Art Clokey once existed. The creator of Gumby, Pokey, and the Blockheads, who died Friday at the age of 88, refused to sell toys based on the claymation icons for the first seven years the show aired, because he didn’t want parents to think he was exploiting their tots.

No word yet on whether Eddie Murphy will reprise his legendary send up to the plyable green performer. But “SNL” sure could use the stunt to infuse some energy into what has been an otherwise lackluster season so far.

Conan Addresses Rumors

Last night on "The Tonight Show," an upbeat but clearly discontent Conan O'Brien finally addressed the Leno-shuffle rumors:

We can't wait to add Coco and the Chin to our TiVo list.

Beauty & the Beast

It's official. After a three year on-again-off-again relationship, Evan Rachel Wood is engaged to... wait for it... Marilyn Manson. Yes. You heard that right. At the age of 22, the young beauty has decided to settle down with the shock rocker after being back together for just one month.

So how did he do it? Are you a less than hunky dudes wondering how you could end up with such a babe? We decided we would pass on some advice on how to land a lady that's out of your reach. Here are some other not-so-beautiful celebrities who've managed to pull it off in the past.

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Oh no... not Leno

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We're in a TV lover's funk.

We just read the news that NBC might be moving Jay  Leno back to 11:30 and putting Conan O'Brien in limbo - aka, dumping him from the line-up. Given recklessly bad choices like this, is it any wonder that the peacock network has suffered so miserably in the ratings in the last few years?

We understand that network execs believe "Jay Leno is one of the most compelling entertainers in the world today." Personally, we don't get it.

Have they even watched Conan? He's hilarious. They should sit down and check out Tuesday night's episode featuring O'Brien's charming interview with Chris Pratt from "Parks and Recreation" and the funniest Triumph the Insult Comic Dog skit since the edgy pooch blasted "Star Wars" fanatics.

Conan, Andy Richter, and Triumph consistently make us laugh out loud. Jay Leno has never made us chuckle.

Some may prefer Leno's "Tonight Show." We think it's a mediocre series... for Triumph to poop on.

Celebrity Rehab Success Stories

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By all accounts, Charlie Sheen and his wife, Brooke Mueller, did not have a very merry Christmas. Charlie ended up in jail and Brooke made the call that put him there. We weren't in Aspen that week, so we won’t speculate on the details, but rumor has it that they were both drinking — not a big deal unless you've both been to rehab and claim to be sober (which they both allegedly have and are). In fact, news is now surfacing the Mrs. Sheen did a stint in rehab while pregnant with the couples' twins.

We truly hope Charlie and Brooke can work this out. We had high hopes that the "Two and a Half Men" star had finally turned his life around – it honestly seemed like he had for a while there. It wouldn’t be the first time a celebrity did that. Tinseltown is filled with its share of successes. Maybe the Sheens can find inspiration from these celebrities who've been able to beat their own demons after one (or more) stints in rehab.

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How Did They Tame Hollywood's Legendary Bachelors?

Photo by Alan Light

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We’ll never know if Warren Beatty slept with over 12,000 women as author Peter Biskind alleges in his evidently-not-so-authorized-after-all biography of the legendary lothario. But there is one indisputable fact in the ladies man’s life story. He ultimately left all the other starlets behind and married Annette Benning. We will always wonder what was so special about his “Bugsy” costar that made him give up the single life after holding out for so long.

And she’s not the only beauty who tamed a Hollywood stud’s beastly ways. So we’re curious - what has Annette got that Madonna didn’t? Why did Scott Baio choose Renee Sloan to be his Playmate ‘til death do them part? We take a look at them and some other lucky ladies who've landed notorious celebrity bachelors and ask, "How Did She Do It?"

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Looking forward to 2010

Happy New Year everyone!

We spent the first day of 2010, looking ahead at the coming year, watching this most beautiful sunset, and thinking of all the pop culture goodies we have to look forward to in ’10.

Here’s a look at our most anticipated Top 5:

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