How Bryan Cranston became LBJ for
‘All the Way’ P13
Katie Couric takes aim at
the gun debate in America P16
`Royal Pains’
last round for stretches boundaries P14
This interview special airs Tuesday on Fox folio Connect to these shows within this magazine!
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CELEBRITY
‘All the Way’
4 Triple Crown caller
brings Lyndon Johnson to life
Collmus’ role in history
5 JENNIE GARTH
The ‘90210’ alum finds ‘A Time to Dance’
6 ‘Cheap Eats’ for $35 a day
8 ‘Coupled’ host
Terrence J loves Anguilla
9 Getting to know travel guru and musician Ashley Roberts ‘ROYAL PAINS’ Mark Feuerstein starts his last season in the Hamptons
FOOD
7 Bear, it’s what’s for dinner on ‘Alaska’s Wild Gourmet’
‘THE SIMPSONS’ Homer talks directly with viewers, right at the moment
17
SPORTS
18-19 Matt Holliday keeps the Cards among MLB’s best
REALITY
the story! ‘MEGYN KELLY PRESENTS’ Fox News Channel host makes her Fox interview special debut
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16 ‘UNDER THE GUN’
Katie Couric looks at the gun debate from both sides now
IN EVERY ISSUE 20-21 Theatrical Review
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MOVIES
22-23 Top shows this week!
Editor's choice
STORY
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Megyn Kelly looks to trump the ratings with her first Fox broadcast special By Jay Bobbin If Megyn Kelly wants to broaden her horizons, now is an optimal time for her to do it. The host of Fox News Channel’s weeknight “Kelly File” program has been one of television’s most-discussed journalists in recent months, thanks largely to the situation involving her and presidential candidate Donald Trump, who appeared to go out of his way to malign her often after her questioning of him at last August’s Republican debate. One sure sign of the former attorney’s heightened profile is her first “Megyn Kelly Presents” interview special for the parent Fox broadcast network Tuesday, May 17 – and Trump is among her guests. With longtime Barbara Walters associate Bill Geddie as executive producer and Fox News Channel chief Roger Ailes as senior executive producer, Kelly is drawing guests for the hour not only from the political world, but also from the areas of entertainment and “human interest” … all of whom she has featured to varying degrees on “The Kelly File.” The special also includes Oscar-winning actor-producer Michael Douglas, “Orange Is the New Black” co-star Laverne Cox and lawyer Robert Shapiro, who was portrayed by John Travolta in the recent FX series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” “I was always intrigued by the prospect of doing longerform interviews on different types of subjects,” she says. “Right now, I’m immersed in politics, because that’s just what the story is at the moment if you cover news. There’s very little opportunity to do more in-depth pieces on ‘characters,’ if you will, people who aren’t necessarily atop the news cycle but who the American people find interesting and want to know more about. “I, of course, have always loved the Barbara Walters specials – and love Barbara Walters,” adds Kelly. ‘While it’s not like I grew up looking at her and thinking I would be her, I’ve been a fan of the genre, and I think it’s a nice way for me to spread my wings a little and try something a little off-page from what I normally do. And I feel like I’m with the master of this kind of special: If anybody knows how to do this, it’s Bill Geddie. And it has Barbara’s blessing, which is even nicer.”
Click or tap on icon for more! It was no secret that Kelly had been pursuing Trump for an interview for the special, indicated by the meeting last month at New York’s Trump Tower that she requested with him. (Extended portions of the interview will be shown on “The Kelly File” beginning Wednesday, May 18.) “Obviously, my desire was to put the strangeness of the past year behind me and Trump and see if we could move forward, and just turn a page,” she reflects. “I certainly haven’t agreed to change anything about my coverage, nor was that even discussed, and Trump is entitled to feel however he wants to feel about me. It’s OK if he’s not my No. 1 fan, but I still think it could be quite a moment for the country to see the two of us sit down together. I can’t really think of a time where one of the subjects of the story has done the interviewing; that’s one of the oddities of this, but also one of the intriguing things.” Should “Megyn Kelly Presents” perform as all involved hope it will, the host – who notes the show is being made by Fox’s entertainment division, not the news division, where she’s under contract until next year – isn’t sure how frequently she’d like to do future editions. “It’s hard, because I have a real job,” she muses, “and I have three children under the age of seven, and I’m writing a book right now, not to mention that we have a couple of (political) conventions coming up. My plate is very full. I like my children, and I like to see my children ... so we’ll see. Right now, we’re just looking to hit a single on this. If we can get on base and it’s wellreceived, maybe there will be more. And if not, I’ve got plenty to keep me busy.” May 15 - 21, 2016 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 3
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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A
LarryCollmus A race caller for the Preakness Stakes Saturday on NBC Calling American Pharoah’s Triple Crown run had to be a life experience for you, no? Yeah. I mean, there’s nothing really for me careerwise to ever compare to that at this point. I’ve been lucky to be able to call a lot of great races over the years but to be the guy who got to narrate a part of history, you know the first Triple Crown in 37 years is just an unforgettable thing and that day, I relive it over and over because it was so much fun. I keep watching the replay of the Belmont and any time I’m in a bad mood, I’ll go watch the Belmont Stakes on YouTube and feel better right away. folio
You had a call prepared for that moment, correct? I mean, you try to be as prepared as possible for something like that and a lot of times the race won’t allow you to say what you’re hoping to say. But in that case, the horse was very cooperative and made it look easy and I was able to say what I thought was the right thing to say to put a stamp on the historymaking race.
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And then you had to call two more races after that, correct? Yeah, that was almost comical (laughs) because you’re in such a crazy high and all of a sudden you have to call two fairly ordinary races that were run after the Belmont Stakes and like, “How am I even gonna concentrate enough to get through them?”
Especially if they’re claiming races. I think they were allowance races. They weren’t quite claiming races but they weren’t exactly the greatest races in the world. I had a friend who came up after the Belmont and (when) they were going into the gate, we were kind of laughing, like, “Can you believe we’ve got to do this now?” But afterwards, it was fun. I went to the NBC trailer and everybody was in full party mode and it was a lot of fun to be a part of the whole show and the whole part of history.
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CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin’s Q&A
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Jennie Garth
of ‘Karen Kingsbury’s A Time to Dance’ Sunday on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Hallmark had success last year with Karen Kingsbury’s story “The Bridge,” so in filming her tale “A Time to Dance,” were you already familiar with her books? I wasn’t, no. I had to introduce myself to them. She’s very popular, she has a lot of books out there, and she has a huge fan base – so I’m hoping that they enjoy the movie.
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One of your very first TV movies, “Danielle Steel’s Star,” also was based on a best seller. Is that something you’ve consciously looked for in the course of your career?
Anytime you get the chance to do something that was a popular novel, it’s like a gift. You kind of have a built-in audience through the author, so I like that. There’s also something about making a book into a movie that just gives it more credibility, I think. There’s so much material to draw upon, that helps a lot.
In your new role as a woman who’s mulling divorce when her daughter becomes newly engaged, Corbin Bernsen plays your father. How was it to have another familiar televisionseries veteran playing your dad?
I’ve known him forever, through management, but I’d never worked with him. We thought it was crazy that we finally got to work together ... and we found it really humorous that it’s been so long, he’s playing my father! I think that was his first time playing a father to someone my age, so it was a little adjustment for him.
You have a teenage son in the movie. Was that an adjustment for you?
I’ve had little boys as sons in movies before, but never a full-grown one, and it was fun. It was a nice area to explore, because I always wanted a son. I was up in Canada shooting the movie and missing my own kids (three daughters), and I have one who’s off in college now, so it was easy for me to have that relationship on camera.
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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A
AliKhan
of ‘Cheap Eats’ Thursday on Cooking Channel What attracted you to “Cheap Eats”? For me, “Cheap Eats,” it just happens to be that, OK, it’s $35 a day. I’m someone who believes that whether it be steak seared with foie gras or a street taco, they’re both equally – and there are those who will appreciate both those things. So I guess part of it is traditionally when one talks about restaurants in media, they’re only talking about expensive food. And I think it’s high time that people put the spotlight on cheap food. And again to me, it happens to be that it’s cheap but again, it’s just like this stuff is awesome, too, and I think that there’s definitely some inspiration just with food writers who have been writing this kind of stuff over the years. So yeah man, I love food. I love food, it’s high time cheap eats got its due. Where did you have the best meal overall? When you look back, it wasn’t so much the moment of fork to lips. It was like what we discovered, like the fun time we had there. Like a really great case in point is – I live in Austin and I’ve only been here since August of last year, so I haven’t even been to Lockhart but I have certainly fallen for brisket. I have fallen head over heels for brisket. And we went to a barbecue place. Now the thing with barbecue and the thing with a very coveted barbecue place is that it’s expensive and you wait a long time. Like, the other day, I waited three and a half hours in a line for barbecue and I got there an hour before the place opened. Needless to say, my wife was not happy with me when I showed back up three and a half hours later. But the place I had gone to, it was literally the moment where I decided I was going to move to Austin. It’s like that good. Now that place is expensive. I mean, basically four adults ate there for like $100.
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FOOD George Dickie’s What's for Dinner
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Family creates five-star outdoor dining experiences in ‘Alaska’s W ild Gourmet’
If one-of-a-kind outdoor dining experiences are your thing, the Ewing family of Outdoor Channel’s “Alaska’s Wild Gourmet” has what you seek. In the half-hour series, now in its first season on Saturdays, the family owns and operates Red Hot Cooking, an upscale remote catering service that creates five-star gourmet meals from ingredients sourced from the best proteins and greens that the 49th State has to offer. And they’ll serve it in virtually any setting, be it on an island, atop a mountain or in a forest. Basically anywhere a four-wheel drive, boat or plane can get into, they can cook there. The idea for the business came from family matriarch Sherri, who created the mobile camp kitchen that is the heart of the action and the series. “That’s what people love,” she says. “They sit there and are just lost in the grandeur of Alaska. It’s right in their backyard, and first of all they just get that feeling. And then they see us and I’m sure they see the passion that we are following with this food. They see Bradley in action and it’s dinner and a movie at that point. And then the food. So it wins people over.” Red Hot Cooking can prepare just about anything – salmon, halibut, venison, bear – and do it in any style,
What book are you currently reading?
“I’m reading ‘Spiritual Graffiti’ right now, by Jeff Brown. I am an avid reader. I read a book probably every three or four days.”
What did you have for dinner last night? “I had wood-baked pizza. I’ve been cooking on a boat now for about seven days and we came in and brought our equipment back in and so it was the nocooking night. So I always go to my favorite and that’s pizza.”
such as fusion, Tex-Mex or Italian. Some of the ingredients are caught or gathered by the Ewings, while others are purchased. Son and head chef Bradley, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu, creates the menu and does some of the foraging, while daughter Amy decorates the dining sites. And those sites can pose logistical nightmares. Stoves, propane tanks, tables, chairs, tents and other equipment must be transported in and out. Dishes must be washed afterward and garbage must be disposed of. And then there’s the wildlife. The family takes great care not to set up near nesting sites, lest there be clashes with an angry mother eagle, and bear fences are a must. “We have some of the largest bears in Alaska in Kodiak,” Sherri Ewing says, “so the potential is always there. And we do scout out the area beforehand and then we tell our clients, ‘Bring your camera, you may see a bear.’ We don’t want it to seem like a negative thing but with that bear fence there, they feel pretty secure in that. “And you know, we’re going beyond their expectations at that point,” she says. “They don’t expect a bear, and then when they see the fence, they’re like, ‘Oh OK, they thought of this. I can concentrate on my salad now.’ ”
Click or tap here for more! What is your next project?
“I’m leaving for the oil fields this morning. I’m cooking on a research boat.”
When was your last vacation, where and why?
“I got back from Thailand about three weeks ago. I just love to try different foods and really try to do some fusion cooking and bring some of their culture back to Alaska with me and so I just went on a food journey all by myself.”
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CELEBRITY
Terrence Jenkins – otherwise known as Terrence J – is a man wearing a few hats these days. In addition to co-producing and starring in the recently released romantic comedy “The Perfect Match” opposite Paula Patton, the 34-yearold North Carolina product is hosting two shows premiering this week, the sports-oriented “The Dunk King,” Wednesday, May 18, on TNT, and the unscripted dating series “Coupled,” debuting Tuesday, May 17, on Fox. The former host of “E! News” and BET’s “106 & Park” has also written a book, 2014’s “The Wealth of My Mother’s Wisdom,” and last year announced a $100,000 endowment to his alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University. “I think in today’s marketplace, there is room for multi-hyphenates like Oprah Winfrey and Nick Cannon ...,” says Jenkins, a Daytime Emmy nominee for “E! News” in 2014. “I think that when you look at someone like Lady Gaga, who has a phenomenal singing career but then can also do ‘American Horror Story’ and be believable as an actress, I would think that she enjoys the ability to do both. And that’s how I feel. If I want to host a show, I’ll host it. If I want to do a film, I’ll do that, and I love to be able to balance between both of them.” On the Mark Burnett-produced “Coupled,” Jenkins hosts as single, professional men and women meet and find romance – or not – on an estate on the Caribbean island of Anguilla.
George Dickie’s Celebrity ScooP level of diversity. I feel like that’s important and ... it’s good to have a diverse cast and a lot of shows in this category don’t. And so I’m really proud to be a part of it.”
Terrence
Jenkins
TV credits include:
“Kourtney & Kim Take Miami,” “106 & Park,” “Big Time Rush,” “Food Network Star,” “E! News,” “E! Live From the Red Carpet,” “The Game”
“It’s unlike anything I’ve done before so I thought it would be a nice change of pace,” he says. “Anguilla is a place I’ve always wanted to go ... and this is the first show like this with, I feel, this
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CELEBRITY CelebritY profile
A shl eyRober ts
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- Born Sept. 14, 1981 in Phoenix.
- Raised in Phoenix, she grew up in a music and art-filled household. Her father is Pat Roberts, a former drummer for The Mamas and Papas. - When she moved from Arizona to Los Angeles after high school, initially to study dance, she appeared in pop videos for the likes of Jane’s Addiction, Counting Crows and Pink and did some commercials. - A short time later, she joined Pussycat Dolls, after singing Bjork’s “It’s Oh So Quiet” in the then legendary Viper Room as her audition piece. - In 2010, when the group split, she started pursuing more TV work and working on solo projects.
Ashley Roberts is a singer, TV personality and current host of the travel program “1st Look.” - In 2012, she was the runner up in series 12 of the U.K. TV show “I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!” - While living in the U.K. she also appeared in the series “The Jump” in 2015 and was a judge for two seasons of “Dancing on Ice.” She has also co-hosted “Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway” since it was revived in 2013. - In 2014, she released her debut solo album “Butterfly Effect” (via Metropolis London). - In January, she took over as host of “1st Look” a weekly travel and lifestyle program that airs after “Saturday Night Live” in many NBC markets. In each episode she travels to popular travel destinations where she searches for the best food and entertainment each area has to offer. - In addition to her on-screen and on-stage work, she also owns a successful clothing line in the U.K. and was an ambassador for the cosmetics brand Garnier.
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CELEBRITY
“I like having a stunt guy. I love communicating with a stunt guy, and I developed a great relationship with our guy – particularly in this piece, because the development of the characters for us was also the development of these creatures, so there was a lot that we were doing for the first time.” – Julian McMahon of “Hunters” on Syfy
“There was a time when the CIA and the President were reaching out to Houdini as a magician. They wanted to see this sleight of hand and all that stuff. They felt they could use that in their espionage, and that magicians really held these sorts of secrets of life.” – Michael Weston of “Houdini & Doyle” on Fox, about playing Harry Houdini
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“I grew up watching television, so it was a very important part. I didn’t go to the theater. My family weren’t theatergoers, but we did watch television. We went to the movies, and I was just aware – especially in a pre-digital world – of how influential the shared conversation about art or entertainment you’d seen in your living room was.” – Kenneth Branagh of “Masterpiece Mystery!: Wallander” on PBS
CELEBRITY
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ON DVRs
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Bryan Cranston of “All the Way” on HBO We record quite a bit, mostly comedies. We do ‘Last Week Tonight’ and Bill Maher. And we record one of my favorite programs, ‘CBS Sunday Morning.’
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Jennie Garth of “Karen Kingsbury’s A Time to Dance” on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries “I watch ‘The Voice’ with my youngest daughter, and we also like to record the ‘30 for 30’ sports documentaries.”
Sharone Hakman of “Kocktails With Khloe” on FYI “I’m a big fan of ‘Game of Thrones.’ ‘The Walking Dead’ is something we record and I watch ’Homeland.’ ”
Megyn Kelly of “Megyn Kelly Presents” on Fox and “The Kelly File” on Fox News Channel “It probably wouldn’t surprise you. It’s almost all news shows ... the Sunday shows, ‘60 Minutes,’ that kind of thing. Then, we have a lot of ‘Blue’s Clues’ – and ‘The Americans’! That’s the first and foremost. That is above ‘The Kelly File’ in order of importance.”
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STORY
‘ALL THE WAY’
Bryan Cranston steps into LBJ’s skin Bryan Cranston stars in “All the Way,” premiering Saturday on HBO.
Story on next page
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STORY
Cranston brings Lyndon Johnson to life in HBO’s ‘All the Way’
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By George Dickie Anyone who knows Bryan Cranston as Walter White from “Breaking Bad” or Tim Whatley from “Seinfeld” may be somewhat startled by the ease with which the handsome actor disappears into Lyndon Johnson’s skin in the HBO telepic “All The Way.” For in the drama that premieres Saturday, May 21, Cranston seemingly channels the nation’s 36th president as he endures the challenges of his first year in office following the assassination of his predecessor, John F. Kennedy, challenges that include the burgeoning war in Vietnam and the political horsetrading that resulted in the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. And that should come as no surprise, since Cranston won a Tony Award for his role in the play of the same name that ran on Broadway in 2014. In the movie, which was adapted from Robert Schenkkan’s Tony-winning play, LBJ labors mightily to get Dixiecrat senators including Richard Russell (Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”) and civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Mackie, “The Hurt Locker”) and Roy Wilkins (Joe Morton, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”) on board for his landmark legislation. Others who play roles include FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Stephen Root, “NewsRadio”), Vice President Hubert Humphrey (Bradley Whitford, “The West Wing”) and first lady Lady Bird Johnson (Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”). Along with the War on Poverty and the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, the bill would turn out to be one of Johnson’s major achievements. But, notes Cranston, he’s generally not remembered for that. “Lyndon Johnson was judged by half of his endeavors,” the actor maintains. “And fairly or unfairly – and I think it leans to me to be unfairly – that he was known and infamously regarded in history for the debacle in Vietnam. And unfortunately, it overshadowed the
constructive, legendary accomplishments that he made domestically. “You know, if you’re going to judge someone in the public eye – whether it’s an actor, singer or politician – it’s fair to judge them; they’re in the public eye and they’re in a profession that includes criticism. But you should do it knowledgeably, that you take in the full breadth of his presidency and his terms and then make your judgments. And I think when you do that people come away with a different opinion.” Much of the drama revolves around Johnson’s dealings with King, with whom he worked and clashed frequently while working to get the bill passed. But despite their differences, Cranston believes Johnson and King were men of a similar mind. “He respected Martin and they were on the same side of the battle for sure,” he says. “The agenda was different, their approach was different, the timing was different. All these things led up to an occasional brush-up. But ultimately they had to work together; they knew they wanted to work together for what they both wanted to accomplish. It was the same goal, just approached differently.” Along with a significant amount of prosthetic makeup, Cranston got into LBJ by reading biographies, talking to people who knew him and just letting the character “get into your bones.” “It’s all about preparation to me,” he says. “And you slowly start to allow the character to seep into you. And I never want to do an impersonation but I do need and want to get as close to that guy as I possibly can. So that’s the goal.”
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STORY
‘Royal Pains’ begins its royal send-off
Mark Feuerstein stars in “Royal Pains,” which starts its final season Wednesday on USA Network. Story on next page
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Prescription
for the end of ‘Royal Pains’? Much that’s familiar By Jay Bobbin The makers of a long-running series have taken pains to ensure that it ends properly. The eighth and final season in the Hamptons for USA Network’s light drama “Royal Pains” begins Wednesday, May 18, with the show’s 100th episode to be marked before it sails into the sunset. Played by Mark Feuerstein, Dr. Hank Lawson has to determine the future of his medical service – logically named HankMed – and his revised personal goals, with his brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) and the latter’s wife Paige (Brooke D’Orsay) also charting their courses. Big decisions also are faced by Lawson associates Divya (Reshma Shetty) and Jeremiah (Ben Shenkman), and the wealthy and enigmatic Boris (Campbell Scott) ... but as usual, “Royal Pains” won’t be steeped completely in seriousness. An action-oriented story filmed on location in Hong Kong was directed by Feuerstein, and a musical episode features guest stars Cloris Leachman and Christine Ebersole. Among guests returning for the last “Royal Pains” stanza are Jill Flint (“The Night Shift”) as Hank’s ex-flame and Henry Winkler as the siblings’ father. “It feels so great to not only have completed the series,” Feuerstein says, “but to have gotten the full run, with the support of USA, so we could finish in a way that did justice to all the arcs of all the great characters that our brilliant writing staff has helped to evolve over all these years. Some series have to jettison arcs in the interest of a quick ‘out,’ but we got the full breadth.” Feuerstein credits executive producers Andrew Lenchewski (also the show’s creator) and Michael Rauch with many things, including “one of the most challenging (aspects) of the entire series for me” with the Hong Kong shoot. “I remember shaking with fear and panic at about 4 in the morning, waiting to find out if we’d be able to shoot anything. On the first day, there was a panic that a typhoon was coming into the main area where we needed to shoot – and when there’s a typhoon warning of Level 8, the highest, they
Pictured: Mark Feuerstein
shutter all the buildings. Any location we had reserved was unavailable and inaccessible.” All turned out well, though, since the typhoon stayed far enough away and the filming schedule was revised to accommodate the conditions. Feuerstein also enjoyed doing the music-based tale that makes the entire cast singers and dancers in a Busby Berkeley-style number (“Every designer from every department was at the top of their game”), but for all the boundaries the “Royal Pains” wrap-up stretches, it also pays homage to what’s come before. Feuerstein has moved on to his next project, Fox’s upcoming revival of “Prison Break,” in which he plays the new husband of Dr. Sara Tancredi (returnee Sarah Wayne Callies). He’s grateful, though, to take a moment to appreciate what “Royal Pains” has given him over a run that also encompassed his guest turns on “Friends With Better Lives” (which was executive-produced by his wife, Dana Klein) and “Nurse Jackie” ... plus his title role in the movie satire “Larry Gaye: Renegade Male Flight Attendant.” “People had children, people got married,” Feuerstein reflects of his “Royal Pains” tenure. “We lived two college terms over the course of the series, and if you think about how impactful those four years of college are, you can imagine what this was. This was a life lived, and luckily, there was so much love among everybody at the end. We grew closer every season, but we never stopped appreciating it every moment we were shooting it. I knew what I had with this from the get-go, which is not the case for every actor. Every day, I pinched myself.”
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STORY
Katie Couric puts firearms debate ‘Under the Gun’ as documentary debuts on Epix By Jay Bobbin Katie Couric doesn’t purport to have the answers to the gun debate in America, but she sees value in posing the questions. Currently the global news anchor for Yahoo!, the veteran television journalist tackled the subject from a variety of viewpoints by reuniting with “Fed Up” director Stephanie Soechtig for “Under the Gun,” a documentary that made its debut in January at Sundance and then played several other film festivals. It now gets potentially its widest audience with its television premiere on Epix on Sunday, May 15, followed by subsequent plays (including 24/7 availability on Epix On Demand). “We began with this very simple question,” Couric explains. “If 90 percent of the American people favor universal background checks, after Newtown and the tragedy at Sandy Hook (the Connecticut elementary school where 20 children and six adults died in a 2012 shooting), why would there be such a disconnect between public opinion and our legislators? I remember so well that everyone felt that after Newtown, something was going to happen in terms of enacting some common-sense gun laws, and I think people were really surprised when nothing happened.
young victims of the Sandy Hook incident, and former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her retired-astronaut husband Mark Kelly -- she’s hardly seen in the project. That’s by design in making what she deems an “intensely personal” film: “I think it’s almost uncomfortably intimate to spend time with these families who have experienced gun violence firsthand. The news cycle is not 24-hour but minute-by-minute, and unfortunately, we’ve become inured not only to urban violence but even mass shootings that used to stop everyone in their tracks. They’re big stories, but not for very long.”
“We also really wanted to understand gun owners and where they were coming from,” adds Couric, “and the ones we have (in the film) really ascribe to the whole notion of the slippery slope … that any kind of gun registration will lead to confiscation. I think that’s something the (National Rifle Association) has very effectively convinced people of, and what we discovered was that there are many members of the NRA who have no problem dealing with laws that would reduce the number of guns that get into the hands of the wrong people.”
In keeping the focus of “Under the Gun” where she wanted it to be, “I think we did operate on a variety of different levels,” reflects former NBC, CBS, ABC and weekday-syndication personality Couric, who also will be an executive producer on a Lifetime movie about the water contamination in Flint, Mich. “We wanted this documentary to give people a really solid background in the facts and the evolution of this debate in this country, so we could all engage in a civil conversation about the issue. Before you talk about something, or have an opinion about it, you should have some kind of understanding of it.”
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STORY
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‘The Simpsons’
hits a Homer by making the character live By Jay Bobbin It’s Homer Simpson, live. Really.
Homer taking questions on the phone and talking live ... and we’re doing it because we can.”
The long-popular animated character will respond to viewers’ questions in real time during a new episode of Fox’s “The Simpsons” Sunday, May 15, with the segment to be staged separately for the East and West Coast airings. It’s part of a story that finds Homer (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) trying his luck at an improv club after his speech at work goes very, very badly.
Castellaneta performs improv regularly, so he’s familiar with being ready for anything. “We don’t know what he’s going to say, but there’s no one better to be doing this,” Jean reasons. “Motion capture (with the character mirroring the actor’s movements) is really the key to it, and the improvements in it have made this possible.”
“Early on, when we were doing ‘The Simpsons Movie,’ we had talked about Dan appearing live as Homer on things like ‘The Tonight Show,”’ says executive producer Al Jean, “but the technology that existed then seemed too rudimentary, and you really couldn’t get very much range with the animation. So, John Frink – one of our writers – was doing an episode about improvisation and he said, ‘Why don’t we try having Homer live at the end?’ “We checked into (the technical aspect), and it’s greatly improved,” Jean reports. “Some guys at Fox Sports, working in tandem with Adobe, have come up with a (computer) program that I think is pretty convincing. It’s going to be
Since the episode airs on a Sunday, Jean notes “there’ll be baseball games” that Homer could talk about, and developments on the political scene also would seem likely that day. “We won’t really know what’s going to happen until it happens,” but there will be only three minutes for it. “It’s a new process, so I didn’t think you could do a full show with it,” Jean explains. “I think people would get tired of it, so three minutes is an optimal length.” And whatever the result is, it will be part of the episode permanently, not just for that night. For however of-themoment the topics might end up being, Jean says that for callers who get on the air, “You’ll be in the show forever, because it’s going into syndication that way. We’re not going to change it.”
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SPORTS
MattHolliday
Holliday builds on an MLB Hall of Fame career
Story on next page Full Name: Matthew Thomas Holliday
Height/Weight: 6 foot 4 inches, 240-pounds
Born: Jan. 15, 1980
Teams: Colorado Rockies, 2004-2008; Oakland Athletics, 2009; St. Louis Cardinals, 2009-present No.: 7
Birthplace: Stillwater, Okla.
Bats: Right Throws: Right Position: Left field
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Honors & Achievements: World Series Champion, 2011; NLCS MVP, 2007; NL Batting Champion and RBI leader, 2007; All-Star, 2006-2008, 2010-2012, 2015
SPORTS
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By Dan Ladd The St. Louis Cardinals are one of those Major League Baseball teams that can never be counted out. They’ve made five consecutive trips to the post season, including three to the NLCS and won a World Series title in 2011. A key player has been left fielder Matt Holliday who will join the Cardinals when they travel to Los Angeles to close out a weekend series with the Dodgers on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast on May 15. Holliday, who typically comes on strong during the second half of the season, needs another solid showing to help the Cardinals contend in what has become a competitive National League Central Division. His biggest challenge is bouncing back from a quadriceps injury that plagued him during the 2015 season, when the Cardinals were ousted in the NLDS by their historic rival the Chicago Cubs.
MattHolliday
Now in his thirteenth season, Holliday’s career has been a storied one. A prospect out of high school, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies where he racked up a slew of statistics and awards to go along with them. The Rockies lost to the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series that followed a monster season from Holliday. By 2009 he was in a Cardinals uniform and eventually signed a contract that extends through the 2016 season with an option for 2017. That deal has surely been worth it for the Cardinals as Holliday has been one of the better all-around players in the game throughout his career. May 15 - 21, 2016 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 19
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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review
review
‘The Jungle Book’
gets a major Disney retelling Pictured: Neel Sethi
It’s not your parents’ “Jungle Book.” That is absolutely the truth about Disney’s new live-action retelling of the Rudyard Kipling tales that the studio turned into a beloved animated movie in the 1960s. The characters and the premise are the same, but director Jon Favreau (and wow, has he come a long way) has used extensive computer graphics to make it a total visual wonder.
from the first Disney version, it’s sometimes terrifyingly real – to the degree that it could keep young viewers awake for many nights afterward, something their elders should really be aware of.
In fact, “The Jungle Book” tries to be different things to different audiences. There’s a real disconnect in keeping the songs, which seems like a bid to appeal to older viewers who remember the Disney cartoon edition. Stack those moments up against the frighteningly It’s still the story of Mowgli, a human youngster (played by authentic threats or attacks by the animal characters, Neel Sethi) raised by wolves and making his way through and it’s genuinely like two separate movies oddly welded a land of animals both friendly and not. They still talk, with together. such performers as Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Christopher Walken, It’s also unlike anything you’ve seen before, even if some precious films have gone the route of generating all their Giancarlo Esposito and the late Garry Shandling giving them voice. settings via computer-generated visuals. In that way, Favreau can do whatever he wants with the look of “The Jungle Book,” but it helps that he keeps the atmosphere Elba speaks the words of Shere Khan, a tiger who has relatable. It has exotic palettes, but we still recognize it as a vendetta against Mowgli’s family. It’s up to the other the sort of jungle we’re familiar with, and that helps a lot. creatures to decide whether to protect the boy, knowing they’ll be putting themselves right in the line of fire if they do. Considering it was made in downtown Los Angeles and looks nothing like it, “The Jungle Book” is a technical Make no mistake: For the fantasy “The Jungle Book” puts marvel – using much more than the movie industry’s bear necessities. forth, and even for the musical numbers that it reprises Page 20 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote May 15 - 21, 2016
MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's movie review movies to watch
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“DIRTY GRANDPA”:
This Robert De Niro vehicle never will be mistaken for “Raging Bull” nor “GoodFellas” … nor for any semblance of a good movie. The legendary actor has one of his least appealing roles as a bawdy, downright dirty-minded military veteran and new widower who gets his staid attorney grandson (Zac Efron) – on the verge of the latter’s wedding -- to take him on a road trip from Atlanta to Florida. Julianne Hough, Aubrey Plaza, Danny Glover and Dermot Mulroney also appear, and they well may have taken the jobs to be able to say they worked with De Niro. However, working with him in this particular film is nothing to brag about. Nor admit to. (R: AS, N, P) (Also on Blu-ray) Pictured: Zac Efron (left) and Robert De Niro
upcoming DVD releases
Coming Soon on DVD... “THE FINEST HOURS” (May 24): Coast Guard members try to rescue the crew of a critically damaged, rapidly sinking oil tanker; Chris Pine and Casey Affleck star in the true story. (PG-13: P, V) “HOW TO BE SINGLE” (May 24): Several New Yorkers seek fulfillment in going solo; the cast includes Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson and Damon Wayans Jr. (R: AS, P) “RISEN” (May 24): A Roman military officer (Joseph Fiennes) is assigned to determine what happened to Jesus (Cliff Curtis) right after the crucifixion. (PG-13: AS) Pictured: Chris Pine
“ZOOLANDER NO. 2” (May 24): Modeling veterans Derek and Hans (Ben Stiller, also the director and a co-writer here, and Owen Wilson) are reunited to find out who’s killing the world’s most beautiful people. (PG-13: AS, P, V) “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES” (May 31): The classic story gets a major revision involving – you guessed it – the undead; Lily James and Sam Riley star. (PG-13: AS, V) “RACE” (May 31): Jesse Owens (Stephan James) faces challenges both on and off the track as he prepares for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. (PG-13: AS, P)
Family Viewing Ratings AS Adult situations
P Profanity
V Violence
N Nudity
GV Graphic Violence
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FAVORITE SHOWS
Melissa McCarthy stars in “Mike & Molly”
Will Forte stars in “The Last Man on Earth”
Jeff Probst hosts “Survivor”
Monica Raymund stars in “Chicago Fire”
SUNDAY 9:30 p.m. on FOX The Last Man on Earth The reunion of siblings Phil and Mike (Will Forte, guest star Jason Sudeikis) really catches fire in the comedy’s second-season finale, “30 Years of Science Down the Tubes.” All of the survivors get a huge surprise, which is more than likely to play into the third season — for which the show has been renewed. Kristen Schaal, January Jones, Mel Rodriguez, Mary Steenburgen and Cleopatra Coleman also star. Season Finale New
MONDAY 8 p.m. on CBS Mike & Molly During this sitcom’s six seasons, Melissa McCarthy became a major movie star ... but she stayed with the show, which draws to a close here with back-to-back episodes. In “Curse of the Bambino,” directed by McCarthy, Mike (Billy Gardell) pays a visit to a psychic with Carl (Reno Wilson). Then, the James Burrows-directed series finale takes its title from the comedy’s theme song — “I See Love” — as Mike, Molly (McCarthy) and loved ones reflect on times they’ve shared. New
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TUESDAY 10 p.m. on NBC Chicago Fire “Superhero,” the drama’s fourth-season finale, pits Lt. Boden and Jimmy (Eamonn Walker, Steven R. McQueen) against each other. Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) faces her potentially dangerous ex (guest star Guy Burnet). Dawson (Monica Raymund) gets support as she makes a strong bid to become a foster parent. Casey (Jesse Spencer) is even more intrigued by politics as he attends a summit with Susan Weller (guest star Lauren Stamile). Taylor Kinney also stars. Season Finale New
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FAVORITE SHOWS WEDNESDAY 8 p.m. on CBS Survivor When the 32nd season of the reality competition series began, it posed the question of whether having brains, brawn or beauty was superior in terms of playing this game, at least for this round. The answer is determined in the two-hour season finale, as the last contestant left standing — and holding a $1 million check — is determined. Jeff Probst is the host here, and also of the traditional reunion special that follows immediately. Season Finale New THURSDAY 8 p.m. on ABC Grey’s Anatomy Amelia’s (Caterina Scorsone) very big day brings her backing from Meredith and Maggie (Ellen Pompeo, Kelly McCreary) in “Family Affair,” the medical drama’s 12thseason finale. Jo and Alex (Camilla Luddington, Justin Chambers) hit a relationship bump when she admits she hasn’t told him everything. The custody arrangement involving Arizona and Callie (Jessica Capshaw, Sara Ramirez) means adjustments for them. Ben (Jason George) rushes to assist a friend. Season Finale New 8 p.m. on CW DC’s Legends of Tomorrow It’s only been a few months, but Rip (Arthur Darvill) decides the Legends have paid their dues and lets each determine his or her own path in the first-season finale, “Legendary.” The process isn’t easy, since each of the individuals must choose between personal desires and the bigger mission of protecting the world. Sara (Caity Lotz) learns about sister Laurel’s fate from their father (guest star Paul Blackthorne, “Arrow”). Brandon Routh also stars. Season Finale New
FRIDAY 10 p.m. on CINEMAX Banshee Jonathan Tropper, who created this hyper-violent, heavily stylized yet compulsively watchable action drama, wrote “Requiem,” a series finale that finds Lucas Hood (Antony Starr) ready to leave Banshee, until he discovers the murder case he thought was closed may be creaking open again. Elsewhere, after facing down Calvin (Chris Coy) and the Brotherhood, Proctor (Ulrich Thomsen) seeks to finalize his deal with the Columbians, while Carrie (Ivana Milicevic) plans a final act of vengeance. Matt Servitto also stars. Series Finale New
Charlie Saxton stars in “Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life”
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SATURDAY 11:30 p.m. on FOX Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life Not wanting to go to her former boyfriend’s wedding by herself, Kelly (Meaghan Rath) recruits Cooper (Jack Cutmore-Scott) to make the trek to Mexico with her in “How to Survive Being a Plus One.” Getting to their destination becomes quite a challenge, eventually prompting Cooper to seek assistance from Neal, Barry, Josh and Leslie (Charlie Saxton, James Earl, Justin Bartha, Liza Lapira).
Jessica Capshaw stars in “Grey’s Anatomy”
Ivana Milicevic stars in “Banshee”
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