Lori Acken, Author at StayTuned Magazine

Dr. Phil hosts Trayvon Martin family on Friday episode (video)

September 13, 2012 Lori Acken

This Friday, the parents of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teen who was fatally shot by self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, will appear on Dr. Phil to respond to Tuesday’s season-premiere interview with Mark and Sondra Ostermann, close friends of the man who killed their son. Trayvon’s father Tracy Martin, his mother Sabrina Fulton and his 21-year-old brother Jahvaris will share how they are coping six months after the tragedy — and seek Dr. Phil’s advice on how to best move forward while honoring the memory of their son. They’ll also reveal their response to George Zimmerman’s recent apology and whether […]

Dance Moms finale recap: Drivin’ and Cryin’

September 12, 2012 Lori Acken

And here we are, the Dance Moms Season 2 finale. Everybody OK? Extra thermoses of Mommy Juice, just in case? Just remember, we still have each other. We’ll be all right. The mommies need time off, too, to see their therapists and shop for dresses and junk like that. We’ll all be fine. But first we have 90 minutes of cliff-hangin’, nationals-goin’, everybody’s-cryin’ mayhem to get through. So let’s. After hollering at everyone for being a big bucket of meh at In10sity, Abby informs the Pitt Crew that, nonetheless, we are staying in California. In fact, we are heading for […]

“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” video: The Lemonade Honey Boo Boo Stand!

September 11, 2012 Lori Acken

Extreme couponing isn’t the only way that the Thomspon/Shannon clan amass cash to send Alana to her pageants. Even the youngest member has ideas on how to score those dollars that make her holler. • RELATED: Channel Guide’s exclusive interview with June “Mama” Shannon! In this preview of tomorrow night’s all-new episode, Honey Boo Boo and June set to work on a lemonade stand featuring June’s family recipe for the drink du jour (“a good five pounds of sugar and, maybe, two gallons of lemon juice”). The episode will also feature a daddy-daughter day at the Fun Factory, during which […]

TLC’s “Breaking Amish” premieres Sunday night

September 7, 2012 Lori Acken

Television critics gathered at the TCA Summer Press Tour got their first peek at Amish youth in the big city weeks before TLC premieres Breaking Amish, its newest “alternative lifestyle” reality offering, Sunday night at 10/9CT. Wearing simple dresses, white bonnets and dark tights and shoes, 21-year-old bishop’s daughter Kate and 25 year old Sabrina, who was adopted by Mennonite parents, took to the stage to discuss their faith, their show and the potential fallout — then noshed sushi and sliders with critics and network brethren later that evening around the pool at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. It was a fitting dual-worlds […]

Susan Lucci talks “Deadly Affairs,” “Devious Maids” and the end of “All My Children”

September 6, 2012 Lori Acken

Susan Lucci has three little words to describe her new Investigation Discovery series Deadly Affairs: “Lust gone loco!” It’s familiar turf for the Emmy-winning actress, who spent more than 4 decades bringing to life the adventures of All My Children’s much-married diva Erica Kane before the beloved daytime drama was unceremoniously yanked by ABC last fall, stunning fans and the series’ devoted cast and crew. So when Investigation Discovery’s president and GM Henry Schleiff came calling with a project that would allow Lucci to keep Erica Kane very much alive in spirit — and on the airwaves — she found the […]

“Dance Moms” episode 25 recap: National Measure

September 5, 2012 Lori Acken

Dance Moms Episode 25: Last ep till the season finale, kids. Are we all prepped for the long, cold months ahead with no Dance Moms? I mean, we’ll have Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition to tide us over — and I’ve talked to her about it, so watch for that coming soon — but if the moms and their girls are the draw for you, that’s probably only some consolation. I’ve heard reliable rumblings of reunion shows to shorten the gap, but nothing official just yet. I’ll keep you posted. And I wonder if they can borrow Andy Cohen to host if […]

“Dance Moms” episode 24 recap: Kaya-yi!

August 29, 2012 Lori Acken

And so it came. The dreaded Dance Moms Episode 24: Since I am pretty sure that Christi had no idea how this thing would edit out, I’m not sure if she was warning me about the preposterousness of Abby inserting a kid who walked in off the street smack-dab into the competition team in time for a trip to L.A.; or the kid’s swear-word-loving, afro-sporting mom whose interactions with the Pitt Crew afford us one uncomfortable moment after the next over issues of race and social class and sexuality and the pinnacle price of stage-mothering; or … what. But in […]

“Days of Our Knives” programming block brings iconic soap stars to Investigation Discovery

August 22, 2012 Lori Acken

Happy news, soap fans! Josh Lewis and Reva Shane are coming back to daytime TV! And John Black and Hope Williams Brady, too (aw, no Bo?)! And Jack Deveraux, Scotty Baldwin, Bobby Spencer, Lucy Coe and other iconic faves. And they’re all on the same channel, too! OK, the actors who played those iconic soap characters are back — as hosts of Investigation Discovery’s new five-week daytime programming block “Days of our Knives” which premieres Monday, Aug. 20 at 1pm ET/PT. Recognizing that we ladies are crazy about the net’s original true-crime programming — and hoping to lure devoted daytime fans eager to […]

“Dance Moms” recap: Light My Ire

August 21, 2012 Lori Acken

Welcome to the very special No Competition Edition of the Dance Moms blog. However shall we have us a pyramid next week without a competition? How ever? Oh wait. We mostly do this by Mom behavior, not kid behavior, anyway. Problem solved. After happy kudos to the group for beating Cathy’s various assemblages of Apples at Starbound Nationals — a feat that results in this awesome win-face from Abby — we launch right on into this week’s pyramid. Bottom of the bottom is Paige – She’s injured. Well, and Brooke didn’t make Abby mad this week. Maddie — She said […]

Oprah interviews Rihanna about fame, Chris Brown and more this Sunday on “Oprah’s Next Chapter”

August 16, 2012 Lori Acken

In early February of 2009, police were summoned to a vehicle parked street side in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park neighborhood. There they found 20-year-old pop sensation Rihanna and her then-boyfriend, fellow singer Chris Brown. Rihanna’s face was bruised and bloodied, the result of a violent altercation with Brown following a pre-Grammy party. Photos quickly emerged of Rihanna’s injuries and Brown pleaded guilty to her assault. Though she avoided her former paramour for a time, Rihanna eventually reestablished her friendship with Brown — inciting the ire of the media and fans around the globe. More than three years later, the superstar finally […]