Articles by Barb Oates

I’m always looking for opportunities to show my children real-life examples — true success stories — of people who work hard, overcome obstacles and dedicate their lives for the betterment of humanity. This is one of those stories. Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, premiering Feb. 7 on TNT, is an inspiring film. It’s the story of Benjamin Carson, who against all odds became one of the most respected pediatric neurosurgeons in the world. He made medical history in 1987, when he successfully separated conjoined twins who were connected at the head. He’s now director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns […]

It’s a hot September afternoon in Milwaukee and Frank Caliendo sits comfortably at the Hyatt Regency finishing his lunch while rotating through local media interviews. He’s tired — his standup comedy tour has him traveling the nation with few breaks in between. But he makes time for us to talk about his second season of Frank TV debuting Tuesdays beginning Oct. 21 at 11pm ET on TBS. What’s in store for this season, have you made any changes to the format of the show? Frank Caliendo: Yeah, definitely. One thing I wanted to do was shorten up the intros. I […]

Bring your tissues because best-selling author, personal motivator, former private eye, father to seven and veteran “locator” Troy Dunn offers an emotional 30 minutes of real-life drama as he finds and reunites people in WE tv’s new series The Locator, airing Saturdays beginning Sept. 6. Dunn’s family-owned business has resulted in life-changing reconnections for over 40,000 family and friends during the past 18 years. The 10-episode series follows Dunn and his team in the search, and — when successful — the reunion. Their clients range from an adopted daughter seeking her birth mother to a leukemia-diagnosed mother wanting to see […]

JoBros fans have less than a month to wait until the worldwide premiere of Disney Channel‘s Camp Rock, a music-filled movie starring Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas, and a slew of other Disney stars. The film’s premise is a bit Dirty Dancing meets Cinderella, where an arrogant musician (played by Joe Jonas) meets a talented yet unsure young singer named Mitchie (played by Demi Lovato). They struggle to fit in, ultimately learning to believe in themselves and to be who they really want to be. The film airs June 20 on Disney Channel, June 21 on ABC and June 22 […]

I don’t know about you, but the thought of having the gift of “I see dead people” is something I’m not all that upset about being slighted on. Seriously — would you really enjoy having your relaxing bath being interrupted by an aggressive spirit who plunks himself down on your toilet seat and demands to talk? “A bit inappropriate,” muses Lisa Williams, but as a clairvoyant it’s just part of her job. The spunky redheaded Brit returns to Lifetime for a second season of Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead, beginning Oct. 12. Here’s what Williams had to share about […]

After her infamous departure from The View, Star Jones returns to talk television with a show focused on today’s headlines from pop culture, entertainment, celebrity, crime and justice. Jones says the focus of her show (which airs on Court TV Monday-Friday at 3pm ET) is based on what viewers want. “The moment I lose sight of what the viewer wants is the moment I stop doing real television. I want to bring real talk back to daytime television. Not screaming at you. Not talking at you. I’m not engaging in a monologue; I’m engaging in a dialogue.” In an exclusive […]

While you might not know he’s an avid collector of belt buckles (he’s got 90 of them), most teens know Corbin Bleu as one of the hottest new actors and singers on the rise today. The Brooklyn native topped the success of High School Musical with his lead role in Jump In! and then followed it up with the release of his solo album “Another Side.” And, there are no signs of slowing down. I understand you celebrated your 18th birthday on the set of HSM2. How did you celebrate? It was so crazy actually; the last three birthdays I’ve […]

With just a handful of feature film credits, including the critically acclaimed Thirteen, and a host of recurring TV-role credits on her resume, it took just one movie — High School Musical — to catapult Vanessa Hudgens to teen fame. “From the beginning I always wanted to sing and dance,” Hudgens tells us. And today the 18-year-old actor and singer is doing just that. This past year has to have been such a whirlwind for you — with the success of HSM, the concert tour and the release of your album V. What’s been the best part of all of […]

Teen heartthrob Zac Efron is certainly taking his sudden celebrity in stride. Tanned and casually clad in jeans and a plaid shirt, Efron politely greets me at the Beverly Hills Hilton, ready to begin what’s going to be a very long day of press on Disney’s sure-to-be-successful High School Musical 2. Humbled by his popularity, he remains grounded, focused and true to his passions. Here’s what Efron had to share with us. In “HSM2” you will be doing all the singing, what did you have to do to train for that? [The singing voice of Troy Bolton was voiced by […]