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| Mark Steines |
A: Instead of seeing Mark every night, now you can see him for two hours each morning. Along with Cristina Ferrare, Mark co-hosts the Hallmark Channel’s “Home and Family Show” every weekday morning from 10e/9c. I spoke with Mark recently about his hosting gig, and he told me he is having such a great time on his new show that it doesn’t even feel like work. According to Mark: “I worked on ‘ET’ for 17 years, and I was never this close to people there because it’s just such a big operation, and you feel like you get lost in it. This is a small show with a big heart. And Hallmark believes in us. We’re the cornerstone of their daytime programming, and I love it.”
And each day Mark is eager to discover what that day’s show will bring. “I used to have to go to the stars, now they come to me. And our show isn’t really star-based, in that regard. But when they do come on, we try to unmask that celebrity. We take them into the kitchen with us or we’ll do a DIY project with them. We’ll build something. We’ll make something. It’s always what I really wanted to do with celebrities, to see the other side of them. That’s what I like about this show.”
Q: This season of “Justified” has just been super so far. Can you tell me if it has been renewed for a sixth season yet? — Kyle L., Baltimore, Md.
A: The hit FX show has indeed already been renewed for another season, however its sixth season will be its last. According to FX Networks’ CEO John Landgraf, the decision had nothing to do with the show having low ratings or lack of critical acclaim. The decision was made by showrunner Graham Yost and star Timothy Olyphant, as he explained at the Television Critics Association press tour: “We talked about it a year ago, and [Graham and Timothy] felt that the arc of the show and what they had to say would be served by six seasons instead of seven, and I regretfully accepted their decision.”
Q: Can you tell me what Sharon Stone has been up to lately? — Kellie T. via email
A: Oscar nominee and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Sharon Stone has signed on to star on a new TNT’s action-drama, which is tentatively titled “Agent X.” Written by William Blake Herron — who wrote “The Bourne Identity” — “Agent X” stars Sharon as America’s first female vice president, Natalie Maccabee, a woman with brains, beauty and a cool composure that belies a restless mind. Initially apprehensive that her job would be only ceremonial in nature, she soon learns that it comes with a top-secret duty: protecting the Constitution in times of great crisis with the aid of her chief steward and a secret operative designated as Agent X. There is no word yet on when the pilot will air, but I’m thinking it’d be a perfect summer series.
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| The Mindy Project cast |
A: “The Mindy Project” will return to Fox with all-new episodes on April 1 (no joke). In the meantime, the Golden Globe-winning comedy, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” has taken the place of “Mindy,” with “Mindy” returning when “Brooklyn” ends its freshman season. Earlier today, Fox announced that both shows have been renewed for new seasons this fall.
Q: My grandfather would like to know when “Longmire” is going to be back on. — LeeAnn R., via email
A: Longmire will return for a 10-episode third season this summer on A and E. I’ll be sure to let you know when I have an exact date.
Q: It’s good to see Jennifer Lopez back in the saddle as a judge on “American Idol,” but I miss seeing her on the big screen. Does she have any plans for a film in the near future? — Gigi R., Chicago
A: Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis (“The Help”) are set to co-star together in the film “Lila and Eve.” The film tells the story of a grief-stricken mother (Viola) who, in the aftermath of her son’s murder, attends a support group where she meets Eve (Jennifer), who has lost her daughter. When Lila hits numerous roadblocks from the police in bringing justice for her son’s slaying, Eve urges Lila to take matters into her own hands to track down her son’s killers. The film is scheduled for a late 2014/early 2015 release date, and is expected hit the festival circuit before opening to wider audiences.
Q: I haven’t seen Samantha Brown on TV in a very long time. Will I see her again soon? — John L., Leesburg, Fla.
A: Next up for Samantha is co-hosting the Travel Channel’s “The Trip: 2014”— which also features Adam Richman, Don Wildman and Anthony Melchiorri — as they explore the ultimate insider experiences in Spain and Morocco. This television special is also a sweepstakes: Go to travelchannel.com by March 24, and enter for your chance to win this $100,000 dream vacation.
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| David Smith |
A: The show you are thinking of is “The Next Joe Millionaire” — a follow-up to surprise hit “Joe Millionaire” — which aired on Fox in 2003. Rodeo-cowboy David Smith of Midland, Texas, went to Italy to find “true love” — by masquerading as a millionaire to a group of European women who were unaware of the show’s actual premise. At the end of the season, David Smith and Linda Kasdova rode off into the sunset together, only to break up a short time later.
Q: Now that Rob Lowe is gone from “Parks and Rec,” what’s he got coming next? — Paul F., The Villages, Fla.
A: Rob may have left “Parks and Rec,” but he’s staying with NBC. He’s been tapped to star in a new pilot, a single-camera comedy called “The Pro,” which centers in and around a golf and tennis club. Rob stars as Ben Bertrahm, a former doubles champion who is reunited with his ex-partner Bobby Welch (the hilarious Rob Riggle) after a public feud that left them both floundering in life.
