BY LORI ACKEN
IN FOCUS “The Steps,” www.watchthesteps.com/home.html Created by actor Dylan Kussman (“Dead Poets Society”), who also stars in it, the multiplatform drama from digital studio Giantleap Industries follows alcoholic Los Angeles private eye Charlie Madison, who heads to Chattanooga, Tenn., to avoid prosecution for shady spying. When he gets in trouble there, too, he heads back to L.A. to find information to clear his name. Season 2 of the show is now available.
Justin Willman on the magic of ‘Cupcake Wars’ Having already feted everything from Broadway hits and long-running TV series to awards ceremonies and high-profile sporting events, Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” comes up with as many tasty treats as celebs have reasons to party. And now the show has landed its highest-profile celebrity guest yet: “Private Practice” star Kate Walsh. On the Sunday, July 15, episode, Walsh is on hand to help choose the sweets served at a VIP soiree to launch her newest fragrance, Billionaire Boyfriend. And, says host Justin Willman, she was as down-to-earth as the homegrown bakers vying for her business. “Whenever we have our celebrity guest judges, you get to know them pretty well because we are literally sitting at that table with them for 12 hours,” Willman says. “She was just lovely – and extremely funny, which
was probably the biggest surprise for all of us.” So how did the show’s producers find a way to blend high-end fragrance with the humble cupcake? The same way, Willman says, that they’ve made the show a hit for five seasons running – by thinking outside the box. “The Kate Walsh episode – without giving too much away – was part, ‘Let’s have them use ingredients that are known for their scent – still delicious ingredients, but ingredients that are known for their olfactory influence on people,’ ” he explains. Conversely, in an upcoming episode celebrating the “Angry Birds Space” app, the real magic is in the creations’ visuals. “That one was so much fun,” Willman says. “The ‘Angry Birds’ element really came out in how they decorated their cupcakes and we were just blown away. They just take it to another level.”
•What are three things you have to have in your fridge or pantry?
•When was the last time you were star-struck?
“I have a pit bull named Betty, and she loves her soft dog food, so even when I’ve let my refrigerator run dry, I always have Betty’s soft food. I’m a rice cakes junkie – I can devour a bag of rice cakes in about 10 minutes. And beer.” •If your TV only carried three shows, which would you choose? “ ‘Breaking Bad’ – Bryan Cranston actually came to see my act a few months ago. ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.’ And always ‘The Daily Show’ because I love Jon Stewart.”
“Besides the Bryan Cranston incident, in March I appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ for the first time, and got to do some magic with her. I thought I wouldn’t be as nervous as I was ... but, man!” •When was the last vacation you took – where and why? “I have a friend who hosts a burlesque show. There was a guy in the front row, and I walked by and he says, ‘Hey, it’s the “Cupcake Wars” guy!’ Burlesque dancers don’t generally have a lot of clothes on, so it was pretty odd that he was looking at me.”
“Full Nelson,” zemos98.blip. tv/fullnelson The seven-episode wrestlingoriented show from Giantleap Industries focuses on Jake Nelson, whose inherited independent wrestling operation is about to fail. His wrestlers aren’t drawing crowds, and now the aging star he shelled out big to hire has just dropped dead in the ring. It stars Adam Paul, Carlos Bernard (“24”), Lisa Donovan, Eric Allan Kramer, Mike Mauloff, Derek Carter, Danielle Soibelman and Ric “The Equalizer” Drasin.
“youtoo,” www.youtoo.com The cable channel/website aims to blend a television network with a social network, knit together with technology. Using the Youtoo app or home page, users can send tweets and record short videos to be integrated with the programming on the TV network, which blends Web originals - webcaster KoldCastTV has its own show, with host Stuart Brazell - and a social-media-powered version of “The X-Files.”
SOLUTION NE I L F LYNN AROOA SONS T H A T 7 O S S H OW GRAB 7 TH ONA WE S EARL L YME AHAB K I RA WA C I L E R H B O MM E T E S S AA L TMAN ABRA AMO K ROBERT J OY
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JULY 15 - 21, 2012 – BRAINERD, MN/DISPATCH – 11