Lori Acken, Author at StayTuned Magazine

OWN offers previews of its new fall shows

September 16, 2011 Lori Acken

October is premiere month like none other on OWN — the Oprah Winfrey Network — as O’s channel serves up new shows from Oprah herself and Rosie O’Donnell, plus the return of Ask Oprah’s All Stars and the debut of the saucy new reality series Sweetie Pies. But you don’t have to wait weeks to find out what they’re all about. We’ve got sneak previews of the October debuts, plus the brand-new series, Confronting, which brings together anguished survivors of murder victims and the people who killed their loved ones. Confronting Premieres Sept. 17 at 10pm ET

“Dance Moms” Episode 10: There are no real winners here

September 15, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuideLLA Forgive me for saying it, but God bless Cathy Nesbitt-Stein. For if it were not for her and her rosy-red dreams of revenge-steeped glory, this episode of Dance Moms — “Cathy Brings It On!” — may have become too depressing to watch. In a genuinely depressing depressing sort of way — not in the incredulous, “this cannot possibly be happening” camptacular sort of way of the first nine episodes. In a tense, tired, beaten-down moms, tinderbox Abby, pins-and-needles children, “can anybody possibly leave here saying hooray for anything about Hollywood?” sort of way.

Hulk Hogan talks Micro Championship Wrestling … and why it’s not what you think

September 13, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuideLLA Hulk Hogan is one of my favorite people to interview, for multiple reasons. For one, he calls me “dear” and sounds like he genuinely means it, which is utterly heartwarming. For two, I am a lifelong wrestling fan and have alternately loved, loathed and feared his grappling character literally for as long as I can remember. And for three, everything Hogan does, he seems to do with his whole heart and soul — and usually to benefit others as much, if not more, than himself (remember him bringing James Durbin to his knees with joy […]

“Dance Moms” Preview: an Abby/Cathy throw-down in Tinseltown

September 13, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuideLLA Do I trust this video to still be in this cyber-spot when I wake up in the morning? No. No I do not. But in any case, here’s what we have to look forward to tomorrow night, Dance Mom fans and spectators. Cathy versus Abby and a nice little air-slap/talk-to-the-hand mutation. I’ll be back to blog as usual on Thursday.

“Dance Moms”: From Ballerinas to Showgirls to sour grapes and daffy apples

September 8, 2011 Lori Acken

Oh you crafty, crafty Lifetime people! You’re finally onto me. You’ve finally figured out that I watch each premiere episode of Dance Moms pen and paper free in order to stay deeply in touch with my own personal moments of elation and revulsion, to track the number of times my husband drapes himself over the back of the sofa, gapemouthed, to watch … and mostly to save my hands for holding a beer and a bowl of ice cream, which just go really well with Dance Moms. Come morning, I return to the online episode to fill in exact quotes, […]

Ashley cast-off (and Jennifer Love Hewitt crush) Ben “Silent J” Flajnik is the next Bachelor

September 7, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuide Ok, I admit it. I was, at best, a sporadic viewer of Ashley Hebert’s Bachelorette season. For the same reason that I was really fine with whatsisname down there in Austin — the one who jilted Ashley and his chosen Emily — going right back to being the most eye-roll-inducing Bachelor this side a’ Jake. Some people are so flaky that you don’t much care if they find true love or momentary love or whatever … or don’t care to be a part of it, at any rate. Perhaps sensing this, ABC has plucked Ben […]

Lifetime Announces “Project Accessory”

September 7, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuide Ah, yes, it was only a matter of time till someone realized that what all of that cobbled-together couture on Project Runway needed was a decent little cobbled-together jewelry item or a hand knit handbag to really pull it together. Well the time has come, bling lovers. Lifetime — already home to Project Runway and the upcoming Project Runway All Stars — will premiere Project Accessory later this year at the conclusion of the all star series. Project Accessory will be hosted by actress/model Molly Sims (left), who will also serve as a judge along with […]

Former “Real Housewife of New Jersey” Dina Manzo is the life of HGTV’s “Dina’s Party”

September 5, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuide If you were like me, the ultimate pleasure of watching Bravo’s Real Housewives of New Jersey wasn’t watching Danielle get her perpetual whackadoodle on, or Theresa get her this-may-lead-to-trouble shop on, or anything out there like that. It was seeing all the fabulous upscale-boho things in Dina Manzo’s wardrobe and getting little glimpses into her treasure-filled house, with a rooster here and a buddha there and an antique chandelier to spotlight it all. While the other Housewife Homes made for the type of backdrop Housewife-franchise watchers have come to expect, Dina’s felt like a home […]

“Dance Moms”: Love is not on the dance floor or any place else

September 1, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuideLLA With no advance warning (unless I was still reeling from LaQueefa when it happened) the gang is now — SURPRISE! — on a multi-city tour that begins in Orlando. Well sort of. We’re pretty sure that everybody is physically in the Sunshine State. But, Chloe will not be dancing solo, says Abby Lee, because, while she was happy with last week’s fourth place finish, Christi was not. Christi looks like she’s going to choke. Chloe looks philosophical in an, “Oh well, at least I can just sit on my doopa to lose to Maddie this week” […]

“Dancing With The Stars” duos revealed

August 31, 2011 Lori Acken

By Lori Acken Follow @ChannelGuide By now you’re aware of the dozen famous folks about to try their hands — and, uh, feet — at becoming America’s ultimate favorite “dance-lebrity” for what looks to be a kick-butt season of Dancing with the Stars. Now we can answer the burning question whose answer can ultimately determine a celeb dancer’s fate — and how silly (or elegant) they’ll look along the way: Who’s their pro dance partner? Here’s who: