Q and A: Week of Jan. 7

Q: I can’t wait to see what’s next when “Revenge” returns from its winter break. Do you have any scoops? — Bridget W., via e-mail

A: Everyone involved with “Revenge” is either very good at keeping secrets, or they don’t know what’s going to happen from week to week. I spoke recently with series guest star Michael Nardelli (as Trey Chandler), and he wasn’t divulging much.

“So far, I’ve done the three episodes, and it seems like it’s going to go on,” Nardelli said. “I have no idea what they have in store. … They’re very secretive, but I am hopeful that Trey will return.”

You can catch Michael on the big screen in “The Collection,” which comes from the people who did “Saw,” so you can bet that sucker is pretty scary. He also produced “The Giant Mechanical Man” — starring Jenna Fischer (“The Office”) and Chris Messina (“The Mindy Project”) — which is available on DVD. I watched it the other day, and I can say that it’s one of those breath-of-fresh-air indie movies that deserves more of an audience.

Q: When will “Southland” return? — Jimmy U., Chicago

A: The fifth season of TNT’s hit police drama returns Feb. 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Joining the show as a series regular is former guest star C. Thomas Howell. Also, “One Tree Hill” star Chad Michael Murray is set to guest star in a two-episode arc.

Q: I am dying over here, suffering from “Being Human” withdrawals. Can you tell me when my favorite supernatural show will return to Syfy? — Audrina R., Seattle

A: “Being Human” begins its 13-episode third season on Monday, Jan. 14, with an episode titled “It’s a Shame About Ray.” I asked series star Kristen Hager, who plays newbie werewolf Nora, if that title bodes well for her, since when we last saw Nora and Ray, they were in a standoff, the screen faded to black, and then we heard a gunshot.

Kristen told me: “You’re most likely assuming correctly, but you’ll have to tune in to find out. Season three begins a year and a half after season two’s finale. There are a couple of new characters that are introduced in the first two episodes and recur throughout the season who are wonderful.

“For example, the twins’ father comes looking for them, and he’s played by Xander Berkley, who’s a wonderful actor to get to work with. That’s a very big story line for Josh and Nora. There are some new supernatural elements that are exciting. The show went to some really dark places in season two, and although it still does, I find that a lot of the fun that was in season one is back. In my opinion, this is the best season.”

Check back next Monday for my full interview with this lovely lady.

(L to R) Randy Jackson, Mariah Carey, Ryan Seacrest,
Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban

Q: Everywhere I go online, I keep reading all about the “feud” between “American Idol” judges Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, but all I am interested in is the actual show. When does it start back up? — Julie W., via e-mail

A: The 12th season of America’s No. 1 reality singing competition airs on Fox beginning Jan. 16 at 8/7c, with the always-entertaining audition shows. Mariah and Nicki join fellow new judge Keith Urban with mainstays Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest, as they search high and low for America’s next singing sensation. Personally, I hope they find the next William Hung.

Q: I saw an article for a movie starring Keri Russell called “Austenland,” and it looks really good. When will it be in theaters? — Anna Y., via e-mail

A: “Austenland” will debut in January at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. If it’s received well, it could find a distributor and open to a wider audience by spring or summer. The sooner the better, because I agree with you that this one looks like a winner.

Readers: In a column this past summer, I told you I’d let you know when “Cold Case” alumna Kathryn Morris could be seen on your TV again, and that time has come. Kathryn stars in “The Sweeter Side of Life,” a Hallmark Channel original movie that airs Jan. 19 at 9/8c. Kathryn plays a New York City socialite who loses everything after she’s dumped by her wealthy husband and is forced to redefine herself at her father’s struggling New Jersey bakery.

Q: When can I see my favorite actor, Kevin Bacon, on the big or small screen again? — Holly T., via email

A: Kevin Bacon can be seen next on the small screen, where he’ll be starring in “The Following” on Fox, which premieres on Monday, Jan. 21, at 9/8c. The series is described as an “intense, spellbinding drama that follows Ryan Hardy (played by Kevin), an ex-FBI agent called out of retirement to track down Joe Carroll (James Purefoy of ’Rome’), a devious and diabolical serial killer, and the mastermind behind an ever-growing web of killers.” The series is created, written and executive-produced by Kevin Williamson (“Scream,” “Dawson’s Creek” and “The Vampire Diaries”), and also stars Maggie Grace (“Lost,” “Taken” and “Breaking Dawn”) and Natalie Zea (“Justified” and “Dirty Sexy Money”).

Q: Since “Cougar Town” is returning to TV this month on TBS, is there any chance I’ll see my favorite “Scrubs” alum, John C. McGinley, make a guest appearance? — Mark W., Boston

A: I recently spoke with the multitalented actor (who finishes up a run on Broadway with Al Pacino in “Glengarry Glen Ross” this month), and I asked him just that. He told me: “I love Billy Lawrence (’Scrubs’ and ’Cougar Town’ creator) more than anything. Maybe it’ll happen down the road.” For now, if you’re in New York, you can see him treading the boards in person. Or you can wait until Feb. 5 to catch him in the DVD release of the feature film “Alex Cross,” or you can see him on the big screen April 12 in “42” playing Red Barber.

Of his role as the legendary baseball announcer, John told me: “Red Barber was an iconic radio pioneer who was kind of the co-inventor of the live [play-by-play sports] broadcast. The film is as much a celebration of one of the great civil-rights stories of the last century as it is a sports story. I’ve seen about 20 minutes of the film, and I just thought it was phenomenal. I haven’t seen the whole film yet, but I can’t wait.”

Check back here later this week to read my entire interview with John.

Q: With the passing of Larry Hagman in November, what will become of J.R. Ewing and the future of “Dallas”? — Marianne E., West Palm Beach, Fla.

A: I am sure you agree with me that recasting this iconic role would be pure folly. Larry had filmed several episodes of the new season before he died, with “TV Line” reporting that “Dallas” will bid farewell to J.R., with his funeral taking place during the season’s eighth episode, which is set to air in March.

Q: When will HBO’s “Game of Thrones” return? — Paul R., via email

A: The hit fantasy-drama series will return on March 31 with 10 all-new super-size episodes. Each episode will be a few minutes longer than previous seasons’ episodes, with the season finale expected to exceed the allotted 60 minutes.

Q: There is a show on cable that my husband and I really love called “Paranormal Paparazzi.” Can you tell me if/when the second season will air? — Trudy T., via e-mail

A: I spoke with “Paranormal” host Rachel Fine, and she told me that it might be up to the fans as to whether it gets a second season. “‘Paranormal Paparazzi’ is one of the most interesting projects I’ve ever worked on. While I was excited to take a fun, ’TMZ’-style approach to the paranormal, I was seriously surprised by some of the things I encountered. Working on this show for the Travel Channel really changed my outlook on the world — I legitimately had experiences I can’t explain. My eyes were opened this season, and I definitely hope we’ll come back for more!”

To help facilitate the approval of a second season, I suggest you head over to travelchannel.com/about/viewer-relations. Click on General Comment, then TV Shows, then Other. And then write a couple sentences about how much you loved “Paranormal Paparazzi” and really hope they renew it for a second season.

Q: I read on your Twitter feed that Heart had been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recently, and I wondered if they had gotten in? — Jeremy S., Springfield, Ill.

A: In December, the HOF committee announced that Heart — including sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson — would indeed be in the class of 2013. Other inductees include Canadian rockers Rush, the late disco queen Donna Summer, singer/songwriter Randy Newman, hip-hop group Public Enemy and blues guitarist and singer Albert King. * * * Q: I thought I had seen or read that Elizabeth Perkins would be a new sitcom this fall, but I haven’t seen her anywhere. Was it canceled? — Patricia L., via e-mail

(L to R) Actors Brad Garrett, Elizabeth Perkins, Sarah Chalke; executive producers Claudia Lonow and Francie Calfo

Q: I thought I had seen or read that Elizabeth Perkins would be a new sitcom this fall, but I haven’t seen her anywhere. Was it canceled? — Patricia L., via e-mail

A: Elizabeth can be seen this spring — April 3 at 9:30/8:30c to be exact — in the new ABC comedy “How to Live With Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life).” She co-stars with Sarah Chalke and Brad Garrett. Of the show, Elizabeth told me: “What I love about this show is you’ve got three generations of people living in the same household, mostly because of the economy, which is happening all over the country.

“It’s wacky in the way that real life is wacky. It’s not this big style of sitcom acting; it’s funny in a character-driven way. It’s the situations we find ourselves in that are funny, as opposed to setting up this whole big plot point.”

Check back here in March to read my entire interview with the lovely and talented actress.

Q: I love Steven Pasquale of “Rescue Me.” What can I see him on now? — Yolanda W. in Pennsylvania

A: Beginning Thursday, Jan. 31, you can catch Steven in NBC’s new drama called “Do No Harm.” Steven plays a neurosurgeon who has a serious problem when he learns that his body is no longer responding to the serum that keeps his dangerous alter ego in check.

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Interview: Rachel Fine Owns Her Own

To most of her fans, Rachel Fine is known as the co-host of the weekly comedy news series “The Bonus Show” for Howard TV on Demand, the cable TV service that is the only place to see Howard Stern and his crew from the radio show. (As of press time, the details of Season 2 of “The Bonus Show” had not been released.) But what fans are starting to also realize is that Rachel is a talented songstress as well. Rachel released her debut CD, “Own Your Own” (of which you still have a chance to win an autographed copy!), and is playing clubs in and around NYC promoting it and wowing crowds with her vocal chops.

And to think, it almost didn’t happen: Upon arriving in L.A., Rachel was a struggling actress who decided to take a full-time, nonacting-related job — “the curse of the actor,” Rachel muses — in corporate America. In fact, she was doing so well that if her company hadn’t closed their U.S. corporate offices, who knows how high up on the corporate ladder Rachel would have climbed. As Rachel tells me: “This was the kick in the pants I needed to get my crap together, go pursue my dreams and give it a real try. I’d been working on the album as a side project for a while, and I thought this is a great opportunity to go full time for that.

“I turned to social networking primarily, using Twitter to promote the album and to connect with fans overseas. And it caught fire in Germany and Sweden, the Netherlands and then into London and Japan, Brazil. I was on the cover of their version of Rolling Stone last November. And then because I have the followers in my fan base, the record label came to me. It’s kind of amazing how the industry has changed, and I was able to apply the marketing from the years I was in the corporate world to my music and get it in the hands of lots of people.”



Like most things in the Biz, “The Bonus Show” came about because Rachel owned her audition, and that job has brought about so many other opportunities for her. It’s also been just plain fun: “It was a show where I would get to work with a fun group of people who’ve I’ve enjoyed for a long time,” Rachel says. “It was just one of those things that kind of fell into my lap and was probably the most fun career opportunity I’ve had.”

Right now, Rachel is taking advantage of her downtime from “The Bonus Show” to really get her music to the masses. “Own Your Own,” features songs written by Rachel with music by Timothy Schletter. Rachel is very humble when she describes how she put the album together, telling me: “I’d written really crappy songs for a long time. When I was younger, I tried to write some different musical things that were not as heartfelt. But I used to try to write what I thought would be cool and what I thought would be Oh baby, baby kind of stuff. It wasn’t until this project, which I think taught me that you have to mature a little to write something that’s heartfelt and meaningful.

“So through this project, when I finally found a voice for what I wanted to say, I kind of was writing poetry. Like something rough would happen, and I would sit down with some paper and just pour my thoughts out. And I would talk about what had happened and give the words to Tim, and he would come up with the full auditory picture of what it was. He was able to really capture the mood of what had happened.”

Different moods can inspire a song for Rachel, whether that mood is internal or external. “A lot of my stuff is just late night, bottle of wine, 3 a.m., when all the stoplights are flashing yellow. Stuff that’s kind of dark and in the background and takes you to some moody place — that’s the stuff I really like."

Like any performing artist worth her salt, Rachel has a wide range of musical influences. From “quiet storm” (late-night, soulful radio format) to Bill Withers to Meshell Ndegeocello influencing the music, and Alanis Morissette (who “writes amazing lyrics. She writes stuff that blows my mind”) and Fiona Apple inspiring her lyrics, Rachel looks for honesty when expressing herself.

Among some of the perks of being on the music scene in NY, Rachel has had the chance to see and sometimes meet many of her music idols. “I haven’t met her, but I saw Lauren Hill in concert a few months ago, and that blew my mind,” Rachel explains. “She’s amazing and intimidating in the sense that it reminds me of how much I still have to learn. Her control of the audience and the band is just astounding.

“I’ve met a lot of people in passing that I’d love to sit down and have a more in-depth conversation with. And you don’t get those opportunities too often. I met Smokey Robinson a few months ago, and I gave him my CD — that was a really neat moment."

While Rachel is having fun and making the most of her present, she definitely has big plans for the future — the main item being to stay permanently retired from corporate America. “I never want to have a cubicle or a desk or have to wear corporate suites again, unless it’s for a role.

“I just want to keep doing things that are fun and getting money for them. I want to keep making music. I want to keep doing things that inspire me, and I think that this whole journey has been about putting one foot in front of the other, and if that could keep happening, I’d be thrilled.”

Although music definitely is one of her passions, Rachel would like to get back into the acting scene someday. “I do more hosting than I do acting right now, but I think there will come a time when I’ll do some more acting. It’s funny, I was talking to my management team, and they were saying once you get more into the full-time acting thing, it’s harder to get back into hosting. So, while I’m enjoying hosting, I’m going to do all that I can right now, but there will probably come a time when I will come back to acting again.”

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Q and A: Week of April 4

Q: I love it that a lot of networks are now airing new programming over the summer. At first it was only the cable networks, but now it seems the basic cable networks are getting in on the act. Can you tell me what to expect from my favorite network of the Big Four (that being NBC)? — Fred F., Lansing, Mich.

A: NBC recently announced it does indeed have new programming planned for the summer. “America’s Got Talent” returns on Tuesday, May 31. Howie Mandel, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan all will be back as judges, with Nick Cannon again hosting. “The Marriage Ref” returns on Sunday, June 26, while “Law and Order: Los Angeles” continues with new episodes on Mondays. Speaking of “Law and Order,” “Criminal Intent” begins its final season May 30. Also, the final season of “Friday Night Lights” continues well into the summer. New shows include a vocal talent show called “The Voice,” the game show “Still Standing” and an adventure-dating series called “Love in the Wild” — all premiere in June.

Q: I really enjoyed Jason Dohring in “Veronica Mars” and “Moonlight.” What is he up to now? — Mary A., in Oklahoma



A: Jason, 29, has been pretty busy since “Moonlight” ended, guest-starring in “Party Down,” “CSI” and “Lie to Me.” He recently completed filming on the movie “Searching for Sonny,” which also stars one of the newest “Charlie’s Angels,” Minka Kelly. The story follows three friends who return home for their high-school reunion and get sucked into a small-town murder mystery.

Q: My wife and I love “Law and Order,” and we were sad when S. Epatha Merkerson left the show last year. We know she had to leave because she had cancer, so we would like to know her condition. — Harry T., Essex Junction, Vt.

A: Don’t fret — S. Epatha does NOT have cancer; her character on the show, Lt. Van Buren, had cancer. S. Epatha has said she had a wonderful 16 years on the show, but it was time for her to move on. She recently wrapped filming on the movie “We the Peeples” with Kerry Washington and Craig Robinson.

READERS: This summer is the summer of contests! First contest: Rachel Fine (pictured, above left) is not only the gorgeous co-host of the weekly comedy news series “The Bonus Show” for Howard (Stern) TV on Demand, but she also is an accomplished singer. She recently released her first CD of original music, all of which she co-wrote with Timothy Schletter, called “Own Your Own” (left) I’ll be giving away five autographed copies of the CD — all you have to do is write to me at letters@cindyelavsky.com or at King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, and tell me what you like most about discovering new musical talent. I’ll pick my five favorite entries to win the CDs, and I’ll even print some of the best answers. Deadline is May 15.

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