Q and A: Week of Jan. 21

Q: I heard that Luke Perry and Jennie Garth are planning to do a project together soon. Is that true? — Dahlia A., via e-mail

A: When I spoke with Luke recently, he was mum on the subject of Jennie, but he WAS eager to tell me about his latest Hallmark Movie Channel movie: “Goodnight for Justice: Queen of Hearts,” which premieres Saturday, Jan. 26, and re-airs throughout the week. (Check local listings.)

On his love for his “Goodnight” series, and Westerns in general, Luke told me: “I don’t need any aliens with my cowboys. I’ll just take my cowboys straight up if that’s OK with everybody else. We all talk about Westerns. There were some great ones made.

“What I love about (the ‘Goodnight’) movies is that you know what you’re going to get going in, which makes it like the old Western serials that would play before the movies. There’s a bit of a cliffhanger element, and the guy rides off in the end. But if he comes back the next time, you know there’ll be some more shooting and some girls and some action, and another little bit of the story will get told. That’s what I wanna do. I’ve never felt really compelled to do the bigger, better, more bang, more stuff. You can still make a good Western.”

Check back later this week for my entire interview with Luke. You don't want to miss it!

Q: Has “Body of Proof” been renewed for another season? — George T., via e-mail

A: The Dana Delany-starring medical drama will return to ABC for its third season on Feb. 5 at 10/9c with a two-part season premiere (with the conclusion airing the following Tuesday). This season, Dr. Megan Hunt tackles the biggest case of her career, and her biggest personal mystery life: Did her father really commit suicide, or was he murdered?

Q: I love this season of “The Biggest Loser,” but I wondered if they are nervous about including kids this time around? — Harriet W., Owings Mills, Md.

A: I spoke with host Alison Sweeney and asked her just that. Being a mom herself, she told me that the show plans to help these kids in the best way possible, and won’t make them submit to the grueling programs that the adults go through.

“The first thing we did was to take into consideration the age of the contestants, and how we could best help and guide them,” she said. “They don’t live on the ranch; they are not going to be competing. We encourage the families to also change their nutrition choices, and get them out there and exercising. This is all done in a kid-friendly way.”

Q: Can you tell me when Charlie Sheen’s “Anger Management” returns for a new season? — John R., via e-mail

A: The FX comedy — whose series premiere was the most watched cable-sitcom premiere in history — returned on Jan. 17. The network has ordered 90 new episodes, which will be produced over the next two years.

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Interview: Alison Sweeney Discusses New Biggest Loser

January is a big month for Alison Sweeney: NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” — which she hosts — returns for its 14th season, and it also marks Alison’s 20th year playing Sami Brady on “Days of Our Lives.” She was thrilled to discuss these two milestones recently, talking about the newest “Loser” and its focus on childhood obesity, as well as Sami’s 20-year reign (some would say “of terror”) in Salem.

“The Biggest Loser,” which returns to NBC this Sunday, is tackling the growing issue of childhood obesity. Alison is quick to support the show’s decision to do this despite some apprehension and controversy, explaining: “The first thing we did was to take into consideration the age of the contestants, and how we could best help and guide them. (Unlike previous adult contestants,) they don’t live on the ranch. They are not going to be competing. We are there to help them learn how to care for themselves in their everyday lives.”

One way the trainers try to help them change is to include the family. “We encourage the families to also change their nutrition choices, and get them out there and exercising. This is all done in a kid-friendly way. We don’t put the same pressure on them that we’d put on adult contestants.”

As a mother herself, you can bet Alison wouldn’t stand for any kind of unnecessary pressure, criticism or unachievable goals being placed on these kids. “I am a mom myself, and I know that (childhood obesity) is an important issue. On a personal level, I see kids all the time who are struggling with obesity. It’s important to talk about it and figure out what we can do to heal and help these kids.”

Much talk has been circulating about the dynamic of the three trainers: Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince, especially since Jillian and Dolvett haven’t worked together previous to this. In Alison’s words, the dynamic is “amazing. It was super awesome to watch the three of them interact — (that alone is) a great part of the season. It’s been very interesting to see their different styles of training. They each have a great respect for each other, and they complement each other in amazing ways.” Jillian, who is a new mom herself, has said that because there will be three teenagers on each team was the reason she decided to return to the show after leaving to start a family in 2011.

Audiences will see that this new season has something for everyone — and, as usual, will have its share of triumphs and tears. So tune in to NBC this Sunday at 9/8c and Monday at 8/7c for a two-night premiere event of the newest season of "The Biggest Loser." And keep tuned in each Monday after that at 8/7c to witness the transformations yourself.

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Q and A: Week of Sept. 12

Anna Kournikova

Q: Can you tell me when my favorite show, “The Biggest Loser,” will be back for its next season? I can’t wait for it to start! — Edie T., via e-mail

A: The weight-loss competition/reality show will be back for its 12th season on NBC beginning Tuesday, Sept. 20 (8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET). This season sees “The Biggest Loser” with two new trainers: tennis star Anna Kournikova (who replaces Jillian Michaels) and celebrity trainer Dolvett Quince. Trainer Bob Harper and host Alison Sweeney will return, and they will be joined by 15 contestants competing in a “Battle of the Ages,” which groups contestants by age. There will be three teams of five divided by age: the youngest players, all under 30; the middle players, ages 30 to 49; and the older players, ages 50 and above.

Q: I loved “Spin City,” and I can find the seasons with Michael J. Fox as the star on DVD, but can’t find the seasons when Charlie Sheen took over. Do they ever plan to release those seasons? — Darren D., Spokane, Wash.

A: When Michael J. Fox retired from the successful sitcom after the fourth season, Charlie Sheen joined Heather Locklear and company, taking over as Deputy Mayor Charlie Crawford for the fifth and sixth seasons. The fifth season also was a who’s who of guest stars, including Marcia Cross, Kal Penn, Regis Philben, Raquel Welch, Dakota Fanning, Jason Priestley, Rosie O’Donnell, Seth Meyers, Scott Wolf and Alyssa Milano. Season five is finally available on DVD, and can be found online and wherever your favorite DVDs are sold.

Q: This spring I really got into Christian Slater’s new show called “Breaking In.” I was so sad when it was canceled by Fox. Now I am hearing it might not be canceled. Is that true? — Dylan F., via e-mail

A: In an almost-unprecedented reversal, Fox decided to uncancel the caper comedy that centered on a team that is hired by companies to break into their own security systems in order to find flaws and weak links. Back in May, all signs pointed to “Breaking In” coming back for the fall, but when the fall schedule was announced a short time later, the show was nowhere to be seen. After much behind-the-scenes negotiation, Fox announced in August that the show would be back for 13 episodes to begin airing midseason 2012.

Q: I was an avid viewer of the ABC show “V,” and especially loved the character of Father Landry. Can you tell me if I can see the actor who played him in anything else soon? — Vivian A. in Pennsylvania

A: Joel Gretsch, who played freedom fighter and priest Jack Landry on the ABC sci-fi show about aliens invading Earth, has risen from the ashes of “V” and can next be seen this fall on NBC’s “The Playboy Club” as a recurring character who clashes with Eddie Cibrian’s Nick Dalton.

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