Lori Acken, Author at StayTuned Magazine

TCA: Kermit and Miss Piggy talk break-up, new ABC series “The Muppets.”

August 5, 2015 Lori Acken

ABC presented a panel on its anticipated new series The Muppets yesterday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, letting the show’s EPs Bill Prady and Bob Kushell and stars Kermit the Frog and a tardy Miss Piggy entertain reporters for a lively half hour. Kushell noted that, while many Muppets favorites will appear in the ABC primetime comedy, the show is a sort of running mockumentary about the behind-the-scenes action at Miss Piggy’s (fictional) talk show and not a reboot of the beloved variety fest The Muppet Show of the ’70s and early ’80s. “Anybody who hasn’t seen […]

TCA: ABC’s Paul Lee talks American Crime, TGIT and new fall shows

August 4, 2015 Lori Acken

ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee touted the network’s string of successes and its upcoming fall and midseason shows today at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. But first he had a bit of pressing business. “I guess, if you take one thing from my comments this morning,” Lee said, “it’s that I think [How to Get Away with Murder star] Viola Davis should win that Emmy. I mean, she is fierce, and she’s fearless, and she’s sexy, and her performance is nuanced, and we are incredibly proud of that show.” Lee also honored the Emmy nom success of John […]

TCA: Amazon Studios presents new series and controversial new partnerships

August 3, 2015 Lori Acken

Amazon Studios presented their slate of new series and season-two returns — plus a pair of controversial new projects — today at the Television Critics Association summer press tour. Studio head Roy Price began the session announcing that the streaming service was moving its Emmy-nominated drama Bosch to a new night before delivering the punchline: “You can see it anytime! It’s your schedule that matters, not ours!” Then drama chief Morgan Wandell launched panels for a pair of ambitious new dramas, Hand of God, which premieres Sept. 4, and the long-awaited The Man in the High Castle, which streams Nov. 4. Hand Of […]

Interview: Edward Burns writes what he knows (and loves) in TNT’s Public Morals

July 31, 2015 Lori Acken

To ask Edward Burns how long he has been working on his richly detailed new TNT drama Public Morals is a complex thing. After all, Burns is a proud Irish-American and native New Yorker, raised up on Long Island as the son of an NYPD cop and the great-grandson of a bona fide Hell’s Kitchen bruiser. Thus, the Catholic schoolboy turned respected actor/filmmaker has always had tales of Irish-American cops and criminals percolating in his mind — and spilling out into screenplays. And now he has 10 episodes, a stellar cast rich with the New York-bred talent he insisted upon […]

Done with the “Daily” grind. Here’s when to watch Jon Stewart’s last Daily Show

July 30, 2015 Lori Acken

What will we do without Jonnie Stew? The Daily Show Daily Show Full Episodes, More Daily Show Videos, Comedy Central Full Episodes Sure, I thought the same of Stephen Colbert and The Colbert Report back in December, but my mourning was tempered with the understanding that I’m getting Stephen back next month in Letterman’s place. Jon … well, I don’t know. And that stings. Yes, The Daily Show will go on. But not The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Because I’m a print journalist who still believes hard in the medium, I get my daily news from a handful […]

Dance Moms Season 5 episode 26 recap: Babies, bats and unruly hats …

July 28, 2015 Lori Acken

Mama’s home, boys and girls! And since I was away for so long, I want everyone to hit up the comments section and tell me the best thing and the worst thing about the two episodes I missed. Also, veteran readers, how about that John R. Kasich, Governor, running for president?! At least WE know who the guy is, anyway. Looks like we got us an intact ALDC LA while I was away, too. Jill’s so happy about it that she decides to do a cartwheel in a skirt, which allows the first screen capture of my return to feature […]

David Spade gives folks their 15 minutes of Fameless on truTV

July 24, 2015 Lori Acken

Some people will do anything for their 15 minutes of televised glory and David Spade plans to prove it. Spade is the star and co-executive producer of Fameless, truTV’s latest addition to its growing sketch/prank comedy stable (see also: Impractical Jokers, Friends of the People and The Carbonaro Effect, all of which are back with new episodes this month, too). On the eight-episode summer laugher, wannabe reality stars believe they’ve been cast in a new unscripted series — perhaps an American Idol style talent competition, perhaps a Survivor-esque endurance test. In the meantime, their costars — a team of seasoned improv actors […]

7 Questions with Kix Brooks of Cooking Channel’s “Steak Out With Kix Brooks.”

July 23, 2015 Lori Acken

As half of the legendary country music duo Brooks & Dunn, Kix Brooks has spent decades hunting down good meals while crisscrossing the country. Eventually, he realized his happily earned gustatory knowledge (Brooks is also co-owner of Tennessee’s Arrington Vineyards) might benefit his fans — and fans of a tasty piece of beef and a good glass of the grape to wash it down with — as well. “Jumping off a tour bus, somebody’d always be hanging around the bus and you’d ask, ‘Hey, where can you get a good steak around here?’ I realized everybody’s got some 30-minute story about […]

I Am Cait premiere date, time and preview

July 23, 2015 Lori Acken

I Am Cait premieres Sunday, July 26 at 8/7CT on E! On the heels of April’s well-received 20/20 chat with Diane Sawyer in which Caitlyn Jenner — then still known as Bruce Jenner — finally confirmed that she has spent a lifetime certain she is a female trapped in one of the most celebrated male bodies in Olympic history, Jenner documents her transition to living openly as a woman in the much-anticipated eight-part docuseries I Am Cait, which premieres Sunday. • RELATED: See Caitlyn Jenner’s moving Arthur Ashe Courage Award acceptance speech at the Espy Awards speech here. Yes, the show comes from Bunim/Murray Productions, the same […]

Alana Stewart talks Stewarts & Hamiltons on E!

July 23, 2015 Lori Acken

Alana Stewart has two dashing ex-husbands, three gorgeous kids and a multifaceted, four-decade career. Now the former Mrs. George Hamilton (he of the legendary tan), who next became Mrs. Rod Stewart (the Brit-rock bad boy turned debonair crooner of standards) and is currently enjoying life as a confidently independent woman, has a family-centric show on E! Stewarts & Hamiltons features George, Alana and her kids — reformed bad boy Ashley Hamilton, practicing bad boy Sean Stewart and single mom Kimberly Stewart — plus Ashley’s half-brother George “GT” Hamilton Jr., giving a frequently comic look at what life is really like […]