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FOLIO

CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHTS Malcolm Barrett Graham Elliot Tiffani Thiessen Italia Ricci Ashley Borden

STARPLUS* Top Stories * Insider’s guide to movies * Player Profile * Holiday Calendar

Queen Latifah helps several

newcomers on their way

Courtesy of Gracenote December 11 - 17, 2016

YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote December 11 - 17, 2016

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20-21 Theatrical Review, and Our top DVD releases

22-23 Our top suggested programs to watch this week!

FOOD

7 ‘Booze Traveler’ lands south of the border

18-19 Britt, North Carolina already eyeing March

16 How ‘Rock the Troops’ changed two lives

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STAFF PICK

Several young women all aim to become a “Star” of the music world in a new Fox series from “Empire” mentor Lee Daniels that premieres Wednesday. Queen Latifah talks with Jay Bobbin about her role in the show as a mentor to the hopefuls.

12-13 Dean Cain has his own pick for No. 1 on the list, but he’s not giving that up before he hosts Wednesday’s new “Top 12 Greatest Christmas Movies of All Time” special on The CW. The actor talks with Jay Bobbin about the possible choices, and about the many holiday tales he’s made himself for TV.

14-15 Season 2 of the critically acclaimed cycle of Shakespeare’s history plays chronicles the turbulent series of conflicts that rocked 15th-century England following the death of King Henry V, as recounted by the bard in three plays: the two-part “Henry VI” and “Richard III,” with Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role. Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville, Keely Hawes and Michael Cambon also appear in the huge ensemble cast. John Crook previews the miniseries, which continues each Sunday through Christmas night.

17 America remains changed by a different outcome of World War II as the drama series “The Man in the High Castle” begins streaming its second season Friday on Amazon. Co-star Rufus Sewell and two of the show’s producers tell Jay Bobbin about revisiting that revision of history.

Here’s where you can find us

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IN EVERY ISSUE

CONTRIBUTING STAFFManaging Editor: Michelle Wilson

Writers: Jay Bobbin, George Dickie, John Crook, Dan LaddMagazine Design: Nicolle Burton

Quality: Chris Browne

4 Malcolm Barrett considers his series character truly ‘Timeless’

5 Graham Elliot on time management

6 Tiffani Thiessen on Christmas parties

8 Checking in With Italia Ricci

9 Fitness and lifestyle consultant Ashley Borden

CELEBRITY

TOP STORIES

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December 11 - 17, 2016 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote

BY JAY BOBBINApproaching her 30th anniversary as an entertainer, Queen Latifah is getting a strong reminder of her career roots from her newest television role.

The Emmy- and Grammy-winning actress-singer-producer returns to Fox, where she had a substantial 1990s run in the sitcom “Living Single,” to play Atlanta salon owner Carlotta – a surrogate mother to three young women striving for success in the music world – in “Star,” the new drama from “Empire” mentor Lee Daniels and co-creator Tom Donaghy that has an advance premiere Wednesday, Dec. 14. Introducing Jude Demorest (whose character actually is named Star), Ryan Destiny and Brittany O’Grady as the hopefuls, the show begins its regular weekly run in January.

“Sometimes, I still pinch myself that this is really happening,” Latifah says. “Lee is really the reason I took this show, in addition to the fact that TV is really good right now. The things you can do on television, and the kinds of audiences that have a chance to watch your show, are really big. I thought it would be fun to work with someone like Lee, who knows the film world and has an eye for it, and to see what he would bring cinematically to television.”

Latifah (who was born Dana Owens) notes her conversations with Daniels about collaborating on a project began before “Empire” premiered and became an instant sensation, “so this is not really a new thing. He would come up with various ideas over time, and he would call and check in with me every few months or so. When he finally had this concept ready, he sent me the treatment and I thought, ‘This is something else.’ ”

Indeed, Latifah emphasizes “Star” is “something else” than “Empire,” though she acknowledges both shows utilize “music and high drama. I know these characters and I know these stories, because that’s where I came from. This is about a different kind of family, but a family nevertheless. With ‘Empire’ being (Daniels’) first real foray into television, I felt like he learned a lot on it, and he brought a lot of that – both the ups and the downs of it – to this one.

“I think you see pretty quickly that it’s a completely different show,” adds Latifah, “with characters you don’t typically see on television. That’s what Lee does. He pushes the envelope and digs up stories people may not feel comfortable talking about, but are grounded in reality. At the same time, he allows his mind to go into Fantasy Land, places you’d never imagine this would go ... and it’s a way for me to use a lot of the things I’ve learned and been able to do through the years under one roof.”

As one of the more experienced stars of “Star” along with “Law & Order” alum Benjamin Bratt, Latifah says she enjoys working with the cast’s newcomers “collectively and individually. They really work hard. They’ve got a lot on their plates; they’ve got to sing, they’ve got to dance and they’ve got to act. And they’ve got to do it day-in and day-out. The cool thing is that Lee really tried to cast young ladies who came with their own stories. They still have to go farther than who they are, but they all have a bit of their characters in them.”

Though Latifah – who also co-hosts “Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution” for Fox on New Year’s Eve – attests that “Star’s” Carlotta is “a character I’ve never really played before,” she allows that such recent TV ventures as “Bessie” (for which she won an Emmy as a producer) and “The Wiz Live!” helped get her ready for the new series.

“A lot of things that I see as possible are not really possible at the time I think of them,” she reflects, “and it’s been like that my whole career. I’ve always been a little ahead of my time. Who knew that TV would continue to open up like this? Now, the time is right for someone like me who basically started in television and then built a film career to be able to come back to Fox, where it all began. It’s kind of trippy, and at the same time, it’s really cool.”

Editor's choice STORY

‘STAR’stars Queen Latifah as Fox’s new Lee Daniels drama premieres

http://www.fox.com/

FOLIO

MALCOLM BARRETT

How do you perceive your “Timeless” character Rufus?I very much relate to being ... you know, he’s this kid from the West Side of Chicago who is also a scientist who has had expectations about him, and connotations perceived about him. And having to defy those expectations. And me, being a kid from Bed-Stuy who went to a math-and-science high school and who’s played a lot of scientific characters, I very much relate to that.I very much relate to people thinking they know who you are and having some expectations about who you are and being able to defy them, and being able to be more than one type of person. And also knowing that you change and evolve.

What do you think about Rufus being forced into becoming an action hero in most of the “Timeless” missions?(He) very much doesn’t want even to leave his desk when we first meet him and is forced to go back in time – and not only leave his desk, but do these missions and meet these brand-new people and go back in time.I think the sort of “in” that the audience has with me is (that) I represent the more “everyman” character for them. Even though I am (playing) a genius within the world, I’m also one that doesn’t want to leave or go anywhere and is suddenly thrust upon these amazing, epic adventures that he never even expected or never wanted to be a part of.

Do you think Rufus’ reluctance toward time travel works for a show that’s about time travel?There’s nothing more interesting than a person who doesn’t want to be there (and) who is forced to be a leader and forced to fight and deal with those situations. That’s what makes an interesting story ... conflict. And that’s what makes this show interesting.

JAY BOBBIN’S Q&A


of ‘Timeless’ Monday on NBC

CELEBRITY

http://www.nbc.com/

GRAHAMELLIOT

When you’re watching accomplished food professionals perform on “Top Chef,” do you see rookie mistakes?

I don’t think that you’d see “rookie mistakes.” I think that everyone handles pressure differently and I know having done the show and challenges before that the big thing is time management. A lot of times you can be really creative and say, “OK, shrimp and grits. I’ll make a grit cake and poach some shrimp in butter and herbs and whatever,” and then you realize you’ve got two minutes left. So I think that’s the kind of stuff that when you’re running a kitchen, creating a menu, hiring and training, you’re not in that situation. So those are the things that show you, as a chef but also as somebody that’s kind of living and working in the moment. But you don’t really see anybody cutting their hands off and forgetting salt and things like that.

When you were shooting in Charleston, how much of the local cuisine did you get to sample?

It’s always great to go in and try the different spots, whether it’s places that have been there for a long time, new places, and really kind of rely on seeing new things and people who are around you that know what’s great. And what’s awesome, too, now is the ability to get on Twitter or Instagram and just say, “Hey I’m in town. Where should I go?” And have people sort of crowd-sourcing and tell you, “Oh, you’ve gotta go to Husk,” or “You’ve gotta go to Magnolia.” ... All these great spots, come check them out.

GEORGE DICKIE’S Q&A


of Graham Elliot of ‘Top Chef’

Thursday on Bravo

CELEBRITY

http://www.bravotv.com/

GEORGE DICKIES Q&A

Have you always done big holiday dinner parties for friends, family and colleagues?Oh gosh yes, I usually always cook for the holidays. It’s my family always but I tend to every year, either Thanksgiving or Christmas, I would do a friends/colleagues type dinner as well because I have a lot of friends who don’t have family here. So it’s important to feed them, too, and let them have a special holiday. So I usually always try to do that.I grew up where the holidays are truly my favorite time of year and I get the biggest grin on my face. I am not the person who gets frustrated when they start to see all the Christmas decorations come out right after Halloween. I actually am totally in love with it (laughs), so I love the holidays.

What are the most common holiday party mistakes that you see people make?Putting too much on your plate and not being able to enjoy your own holiday party (laughs), so I’m a huge believer in timelines and really kind of spacing out the days for certain things – setting the table ahead of time. You know, I show a lot of really fun DIY crafts (on the holiday special) that I do for the tables and the tree and doing that with my kids, which allows me to spend some time with them but also get things done that I need to for the adult dinner party that we were having. So you know, it’s just really kind of knowing the timeline of the day, leaving time to get ready, making sure each dish is done accordingly and the time is right for everything, and it really kind of alleviates a lot of stress. And I don’t want to be stressful on a holiday.


CELEBRITY

Tiffani Thiessen

of ‘Christmas at Tiffani’s’ Tuesday on

Cooking Channel

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/


TASTYGEORGE DICKIE’S WHAT'S FOR DINNER

When was your last vacation, where and why?

“I hate to put it this way because there is a lot of hard work involved and a lot of traveling, but ‘Booze Traveler’ is a vacation for me. ... But if you’re talking about a vacation away from the show to go away, I don’t remember when the last one was, sadly, but I hope to take one soon.”

What book are you currently reading?

“I read cultural books from around the world and unfortunately I can’t read in different languages although I speak a few words in different languages. I pick up books in different places – Cuba, Russia, Madagascar – to learn about the culture. So I’ll go through those ...”

What did you have for dinner last night?

“I was with some ... very good friends of mine. His wife’s a wonderful cook, so she made this really nice, beautiful pork meal with mushrooms and onions and gravy over mashed potatoes ... and we drank some nice wine.”

What is your next project?

“I don’t have any immediate projects right now, but I filmed two ‘Booze Traveler: Best Bars’ specials for Travel Channel recently that aired in October and I hope that turns into a series. It’s a really fun and different look into the best bars and drinks in the U.S. I’m also hoping I get to do a fourth season of ‘Booze Traveler.’ ”

No one has to remind Jack Maxwell that he’s a lucky man.

After all, as host of Travel Channel’s “Booze Traveler,” which returns for its third season Monday, Dec. 12, he gets to travel the world, meet different people, experience new cultures, and of course, sample the local adult beverages. And get paid for it.

Who wouldn’t like that job?

“We never forgot that it’s all a celebration of all the cultures of the world, and yes, we do it through the lens of a cocktail glass or whatever they happen to be drinking,” Maxwell says. “But it’s never been about anything more than the people and the culture and really a celebration of that as we get to learn about who they are and what they drink and why they do. ... I will be eternally grateful to Travel Channel for that, and for the people in my life who not only allow me to do it but allow me in their lives and share their food, their friends, their families and of course their drinks.”

This season, which Maxwell says is his favorite, takes the native Bostonian to a wide range of destinations, among them Tanzania, Cuba, Madagascar, Ireland, Israel, Siberia, Cambodia and Australia. In Monday’s season opener, Maxwell lands in Mexico to try the traditional drinks raicilla, an agave-based liquor; pulque, a strong drink that Maxwell compares to moonshine; and one famous (or infamous to some) in this country, mescal – which in Mexico, is served without the worm.

“I only saw worms in the touristy version of the perhaps lesser quality,” Maxwell says. “When you think about it, it’s like when we were kids. When I was a kid, in the cereal that nobody wanted to eat there was a toy at the bottom of the box so that the kids would want to buy that cereal and hound their parents. The good cereals sometimes didn’t have them. Well, same with this.

“You don’t have to have the worm if you have a nice product,” he continues. “The worm is just a gimmick for people who want to drink on the cheap and then want to talk about the worm. It’s a novelty more than anything.”

MAXWELL drinks the mescal, eschews the worm in season opener of ‘Booze Traveler ’

http://www.travelchannel.com/

JAY BOBBIN’S CELEBRITY SCOOP


ITALIA RICCI

Someone with limited political experience ends up running the country from the Oval Office.

The stuff of fiction, right? Well, it was before last month’s election, as the cast and crew of ABC’s Wednesday drama “Designated Survivor” know. With Kiefer Sutherland as President Tom Kirkman – who was the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development before a State of the Union Address attack on the U.S. Capitol killed virtually every other government official – the show airs its winter finale Dec. 14.

Italia Ricci, who co-stars as Kirkman’s senior adviser Emily Rhodes, particularly sensed how close to fact the series was on the set the day after the election. She recalls the conversations being “very opinionated, just people letting loose with how they feel with everything going on. Online, I find a lot of the fans have found the show becoming sort of an eerie reflection of the current state of America.”

Still, the characters remain unique to the series’ own demands, and Ricci reveals that Emily is entering “a situation where she doesn’t know what to do. Up until this point, she’s always been take-charge, ‘I can handle it.’ And she’s about to be put in a circumstance where she has to fight her way into figuring out how to navigate it.”

Newly wed to fellow actor Robbie Amell (“The Flash”), “Chasing Life” alum Ricci had another series offer when her “Designated Survivor” opportunity arose. Though she’s happy with her choice, she admits to having had some anxiety over it initially.

“When I booked the role,” she recalls, “I felt that I was too young, I wasn’t ready, and I was going to have to keep swimming as hard as I could to keep my head above water with all of these amazing actors and writers and team members behind it. I sort of feel that’s how Emily feels in the White House. She has to constantly be proving that she belongs there.”

CELEBRITY

The biggest drawback to her Silver Banshee guise on “SUPERGIRL”“The prosthetics were on my lips as well, so all I could do were things like smoothies. And I don’t know how well you follow my social media, but I like food.”

http://www.cwtv.com


CELEBRITYCELEBRITY PROFILE

stats - An avid dancer growing up, she always felt an inherent connection to fitness, yet battled an eating disorder throughout her teen years. Hitting bottom at 18, she finally found a peaceful balance of exercise and nutrition through Overeaters Anonymous. Her unique approach to fitness can be attributed to having tackled her own personal struggles and transforming them into a positive philosophy and dynamic training program.

- Her ability to customize her training system, coupled with her sharp wit and candor, suits many types of high-profile clients ranging from Christina Aguilera, Reese Witherspoon, Mandy Moore and Ryan Gosling, to the likes of Nick Swisher of the Atlanta Braves and nine-time UFC Champion Matt Hughes. She also works as a master trainer with fellow trainers and coaches.

- Her fitness tips and techniques have been featured in InStyle, Vogue, Elle, Allure, Shape, Women’s Health and The Los Angeles Times. She is also an advisor for Livestrong.com and Fitness Magazine.

- Women’s Health elected her a “Top Body Transformer” as one of only six in the country, while the UK edition named her “One of the World’s Top Trainers.”

- She has been a featured expert on the “Today Show,” “The Rachael Ray Show,” “The Tyra Banks Show,” Discovery Health, MTV, E! and VH1.

- She co-authored a book entitled “Your Perfect Fit” with denim designer Paige Adams-Geller. This book was the first to marry fashion, fitness and her S.O.S. Food Plan.

- She has released multiple training DVDs with the latest being 900 Calorie Burn and Six Weeks to Sculpted.

- She owns a private and corporate luxury fitness retreat at the 5-star Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, Calif. The four-day experience includes personal training, spa treatments and customized meals by an executive chef.

- She volunteers with the physical rehabilitation of breast cancer survivors and also works with at-risk youth through the Chaka Khan Foundation, which helps children improve their knowledge of nutrition and fitness.

Ashley Borden is a fitness and lifestyle consultant to celebrities and world-class athletes and has been featured on “The

Rachael Ray Show” on ABC.

ASHLEYBORDEN

http://abc.go.com/


“I’m like every other working mother out there: I’m constantly being pulled in two different directions. There is the continual yearning to be with my child, and at the same time, there’s a constant pull to continue my art and my work and my life’s calling. It is a definite exercise in how to remain present. I get to practice that a lot.” – Jennifer Nettles, seen recently in “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love” on NBC and “CMA Country Christmas” on ABC

“As an actor, I’m looking for challenges and wanting to do things that I haven’t done since New York theater. Exploring theatrical and very dark places is something you do there, in something like a (Harold) Pinter play.” – Scott Patterson of “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” on Netflix

“Now, everyone is going for their own sense of power and they’re trying (for) a power grab to figure out, ‘OK, who’s on top?’ Well, I’ll tell you who’s on top. There’s always that 1 percent that has looked down upon everyone else and kept us fighting each other. And until we figure that out and stop, this is where we’re headed.” – Dennis Haysbert of “Incorporated” on Syfy, about a theme of the series

CELEBRITY


Missy Peregrym,

seen recently on “Hawaii Five-0” on

CBS“I’m super-

disappointed that

‘Togetherness’ is done, but I am currently

obsessing over ‘This Is Us.’ And I think

‘Catastrophe’ is great.”

Lily Aldridge, seen recently on “The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” on CBS“Right now, I love ‘The Walking Dead,’ so that’s usually what I watch on my DVR. And on Netflix, I’m watching ‘Black Mirror,’ which is great.”

Johnny Iuzzini of “The Great American Baking Show” on ABC“This is funny. My girlfriend moved in a couple of months ago and my DVR life has changed. She’s like obsessed with ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Bachelorette’ and all these Chicago things, like ‘Chicago Fire’ and ‘Chicago P.D.’ So for me, I watch like motorcycle racing. I watch redneck shows like ‘Ice Road Truckers’ and stuff like that. I watch ‘Two Broke Girls’ because I think it’s funny as hell. So I tend to watch more stuff like that. I watch ‘Empire’ on HBO. I watch ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ stuff like that. I’m all over the place.”

ON DVRs

Tiffani Thiessen, seen recently on “Christmas at Tiffani’s” on Cooking ChannelOh so many things. A lot of ‘60 Minutes.’ Cooking Channel and Food Network, when the kids aren’t around, is pretty much on all day so I don’t even DVR half the things because it’s just on (laughs). But yeah, ‘60 Minutes’ is something we DVR and watch on a regular basis. And then for my kids, it’s ‘Pepa Pig’ for my little boy – he’s pretty much obsessed with that show. And my daughter is really (into) lots of different things on Netflix.

”“

CELEBRITY


STORY

BY JAY BOBBINDean Cain may be the superman of Christmas movies.

The actor has made more than a dozen of them for various networks – including, this season’s “Broadcasting Christmas” for Hallmark Channel – so he’s an appropriate person to serve as host of “The Top 12 Greatest Christmas Movies of All Time,” a CW special debuting Wednesday, Dec. 14. Clips from each included film illustrate the countdown to the No. 1 pick, and while Cain won’t state outright what that choice is, he leaves no doubt which one he favors.

“One of my favorite movies of all time, bar none, is ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ ” he says. “It just gets me. It may be the greatest Christmastime film I’ve ever seen ... and it has nothing to do with Christmas, but everything to do with that time of the year. It’s not a Christmas story but it is, and I just adore it.”

With such other likely candidates as “White Christmas,” “Miracle on 34th

Continued on next page

DEAN CAIN counts down ‘The Top 12 Greatest Christmas Movies of All Time’Wednesday on The CW


Street” and “A Christmas Story,” the amiable Cain was “surprised at how easy it was” to make the special’s selection of a dozen yuletide favorites. “I didn’t know the order, but I was just hoping ... and for a countdown type of special, I thought this one was dead-on. I was really happy with the way it went. I’m very proud of that list, because it’s just so much fun.

“And I had so much fun shooting it,” adds Cain. “I was as excited as anyone else to find out what the next one on the list was, because it’s something I have knowledge of. None of my movies made it, but I wouldn’t have put mine with these 12 anyway.”

That’s partially because the show hits Cain where he lives, being the ardent movie-lover he is. “My brother and I don’t actually speak to each other in real terms, we just quote movies,” he muses. “We’ll do that, then we hang up on each other, and that says all we have to say.” Absent from those chats is their father, film director Christopher Cain (“Young Guns”). “He thinks we’re idiots,” Dean notes. “And my mom’s like, ‘Don’t you speak to each other like regular people?’ And we say, ”No, Mom. We don’t do that.’ “

Dean Cain’s presence is being felt strongly on The CW this holiday season. He also was featured in the recent

Hollywood Walk of Fame Honors special, and he’s a host – along with Erik Estrada, Montel Williams and travel guru Laura McKenzie – of the network’s telecast of the 85th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade on Friday, Dec. 16.

Even beyond the holidays, Cain and The CW have a strong relationship. He’ll be back for his sixth season of hosting the series “Masters of Illusion” next year (“I’m so happy to be doing that again”), and due to “Supergirl’s” Year 2 move from CBS, he also has CW ties via that show now ... though it’s a question mark when and how his character, heroine Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) Earth father Jeremiah Danvers, may resurface again after his reappearance last month.

“I think everybody’s paying attention” to related Internet chatter among “Supergirl” fans, “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” alum Cain says, “even (executive producers) Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler. I think they have fun with that, and I know they know what they’re doing.

“I can’t say whether I’ve been up there (to the Vancouver set) or anything like that ... and that’s about as much as I can say. I love the show, and Melissa literally is the perfect casting. She’s done so well with the role.”

STORY

Continued from previous page

Pictured: Bing Crosby (left) and Danny Kaye of “White Christmas”

http://www.cwtv.com


STORY

A MEDIEVAL CIVIL WAR ERUPTS IN SEASON 2 OF

‘THE HOLLOW CROWN’

BY JOHN CROOKWilliam Shakespeare explores the question of what makes a great leader in the plays that make up Season 2 of “The Hollow Crown,” a three-part miniseries premiering Sunday, Dec. 11, on PBS and continuing weekly through Christmas Day (check local listings).

Subtitled “The Wars of the Roses” and based on the Bard’s three “Henry VI” plays – trimmed and presented here as the first two episodes – and the far better known “Richard III,” the miniseries opens following the death of the charismatic Henry V, played in Season 1 by Tom Hiddleston. The crown passes to Henry VI (Tom Sturridge), the king’s infant son, but even as he reaches young adulthood, this Henry proves an ineffectual ruler. The ensuing power vacuum leads to bitter rivalry between two branches of the royal house of Plantagenet that erupts into a prolonged series of wars, both in England and in France.

“To Shakespeare, Henry V was the kind of perfect leader because he combined decisiveness, the ability to make a tough call, with the ability to listen and be sensitive to other

Continued on next page

Premiering Sunday on PBS

Pictured: Benedict Cumberbatch


STORY

people,” explains Dominic Cooke, former artistic director of The Royal Court theatre, here making his TV directorial debut. “Henry VI was thrust into being king as an infant and he never has a chance to grow up, really. He can’t make decisions. That’s how Tom (Sturridge) and I got into it: This man is too empathetic, too open, completely at the opposite end of the spectrum from Richard III, who is completely closed off from other people.”

Although his character doesn’t even appear until the second episode, Benedict Cumberbatch dominates this season with his gripping and finely detailed portrayal of Richard III as a cheerful teenager who turns into a raging sociopath.

“A key idea (in these plays) is the way that trauma is replicated from one generation to the next,” Cooke says. “We see this all over the world now, this cycle of revenge and war, especially civil war. Children grow up in violence and then end up acting out, often subconsciously, the trauma they knew as children. I was impressed by how (Cumberbatch) looked all the time for those moments and those clues where he could take the audience into how and why someone becomes that kind of personality.”

The presence of Cumberbatch, now on movie screens in “Doctor Strange,” may draw many of his fans to this project, but this is no mere celebrity stunt casting.

“He brings an incredible depth, psychologically, to the part as he goes from roughly 16 to 40,” Cooke says of his leading man. “He brings a real range of experience. Over the years he just has matured into a genuinely great actor. I learned quite early on to just let him do the first few takes of any scene without any notes from me, because he would come up with the most brilliant things just in the moment. He’s approaching the peak of his powers and I think his Richard is a truly great performance.”

Not that Cumberbatch carries this entire production on his character’s hunched shoulder. Judi Dench also has a smallish yet prominently featured role in “Richard III” as Richard’s mother (Cecily, the Duchess of York). Other familiar faces include Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”), Keeley Hawes (“The Durrells in Corfu”), Ben Daniels (Fox’s “The Exorcist”), Anton Lesser (“Game of Thrones”), Philip Glenister (Cinemax’s “Outcast”) and Ben Miles (Netflix’s “The Crown”).

Continued from previous page

Pictured: Judi Dench

http://www.pbs.org/

BY GEORGE DICKIE

Anyone who has seen a USO variety show, either live or in film footage, can attest to their popularity as thousands of GIs thrilled to the performances of Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Marlena Dietrich, Jack Benny and other Hollywood legends. Both the entertainers and the entertained came away with experiences they wouldn’t soon forget.

And it is in that spirit that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Casey Patterson and Don Mischer created “Rock the Troops,” a music and entertainment event to entertain, honor and inspire American servicemen and women and their families.

Airing Tuesday, Dec. 13, on Spike TV, the two-hour special features performances by Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Katharine McPhee, Kevin Hart, Keegan-Michael Key, Rob Riggle, Terry Crews and Scott Eastwood; music from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Flo Rida, Tenacious D, Nick Jonas and Aaron Lewis; comedy from Jeff Ross and JB Smoove; and a taped appearance by George Clooney.

The show was shot in October before a crowd of 48,000 troops at the historic Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, site of the Japanese attack that drew the United States into World War II 75 years ago last week.

“It’s part of the reason we chose Pearl Harbor ...,” Patterson, an executive producer, explains. “It’s definitely part of the narrative. We were fortunate enough to have two survivors with us and it was such a beautiful moment. They cried, I think they got Dwayne crying. It was standing-room-only for (48,000) people, so I think it was just an unbelievable moment to have them there standing on that spot at this moment in time. We had Gold Star families with us. It was a wonderful time.”

Highlights of the day, according to Patterson include the stories of our courageous servicemen and women, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s performance of “Sweet Home Alabama” and Johnson’s impression of Elvis Presley. But the day proved to be especially memorable for three people, two of whom

arrived at the show single and walked out as husband and wife.

“We ordained Kevin Hart – he married two people,” Patterson says. “There was a wedding ceremony with (48,000) people in attendance, which was really incredible, between an airman and a Marine – the bride was the Marine – and it was just fantastic and it was just a spontaneous wedding, which was really beautifully planned the day before. Kevin Hart married them and Katharine McPhee sang the wedding song. It was really fantastic.”

This being an inaugural show, Patterson indicates she and her partners would have been happy with a crowd of 5,000 or 10,000. But when people kept streaming in, a decision had to be made.

“We closed the gates at 48,000. It’s a hell of a first-year crowd,” Patterson says with a laugh. “It was so heartening to see that this meant something to them and that bringing this kind of entertainment was welcome and that it resonated with that many people because it was so personal for all of us and it meant so much for all of us. ... It was really a wonderful validation for us to keep going and continue to do everything we can and to sort of bring this back and entertain again.”


STORY

Spike’s ‘Rock the Troops’ honors those who sacrifice

Pictured: Jack Black

http://www.spike.com/

BY JAY BOBBINIf you thought the world generated by the first round of “The Man in the High Castle” looked familiar but didn’t feel it, brace yourself for Season 2.

The Emmy-winning Amazon drama based on Philip K. Dick’s novel begins streaming its sophomore set of 10 episodes Friday, Dec. 16, with the post-World War II rule of America still split between an increasingly opposed Japan and Germany – and the Rocky Mountains a zone of neutrality where the seeds of a resistance movement have been sown. Juliana Crain (played again by Alexa Davalos) is deemed a traitor by other freedom fighters, though, for enabling double agent Joe Blake (Luke Kleintank) to escape.

With Rufus Sewell, Rupert Evans, Cary Hiriyuki-Tagawa, DJ Qualls and Joel de la Fuentes also among returning stars, executive producer David W. Zucker (“The Good Wife”) reasons that with series mentor Frank Spotnitz’s departure after Season 1, “I don’t know how anybody could accomplish something of this ambition without putting incredible stock in what your cast has to say about the characters that they are bringing to realization, to your (key players), to your designers, to your directors.

“The contribution across the board – obviously starting, first and foremost, within the writing room – is incredibly critical. No one would, I think, choose to build a show this way. And


‘The Man in

the High Castle’

going forward, we’re going to continue to figure out how we can best realize the show with all the forces we have at hand. At this point, we have a system that is working as good as we can make it, and we’re going to continue to try and find ways to improve it.”

An intriguing aspect of Season 1 was that viewers didn’t meet the titular Man in the High Castle, the resistance leader who inspires different reactions among his followers. He’ll be introduced as a physical presence in the new season, promises executive producer Isa Dick Hackett, novelist Dick’s daughter: “The narrative progression is different in the show than it is in the book, so there was a little bit of jumping around. And there is still quite a bit to do.”

In the role of Nazi officer John Smith, who’s been given a major task by his party while juggling personal concerns, Sewell (‘The Holiday“) stresses that the creative talents behind ”The Man in the High Castle“ accept the gravity of revising such a pivotal point in history for dramatic purposes.

“I think we take our jobs and our roles with this very, very seriously,” the actor confirms, “and the responsibility is not taken lightly of how profound we think it potentially is. Not to get too message-y, but just it feels like it touches on some very important things ... I’m personally very proud of our approach to it. If you actually look at the work itself, I think it is borne out.”

STORY

continues to rewrite history on Amazon

Pictured: Rufus Sewell


FULL NAME: Nathaniel C. Britt II

BORN: Jan. 13, 1994

BIRTHPLACE: Washington, D.C.

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6 feet 1 inch/175 pounds

TEAM: North Carolina Tar Heels

POSITION: Point Guard

CLASS: Senior

NO.: 0

HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Gatorade Player of the Year in D.C. as a high-school sophomore; NCAA Final Four, 2015-16

Story on next page

SPORTS

NATE BRITT LEADS ON THE COURT FOR CAROLINA


BY DAN LADDThe college sports world at this moment may be more about football than basketball but the road to March Madness is already underway in college hoops. Back in the thick of things are the North Carolina Tar Heels, who boast a solid senior class, something you don’t see a lot of these days. That class includes left-handed point guard Nate Britt who along with the Tar Heels will host the Tennessee Volunteers Sunday, Dec. 11, on ESPN.

Britt is not a guy who sits at the top of the stat sheets, but he’s been there when coach Roy Williams and the Tar Heels need him. He’s more of a role player who plays 15-20 minutes each game and averages a handful of points and rebounds but remains a leader on the court, especially now that he’s a senior.

A one-of-a-kind story surfaced last season as the Tar Heels and the Villanova Wildcats surged into the Final Four and eventually met in the championship game. Kris Jenkins, ‘Nova’s power forward, is actually Nate Britt’s adoptive brother. Britt’s father coached both boys when they were young and the Britt family eventually took Jenkins into their home. Thus, Jenkins and Britt are brothers. Ironically, it was Jenkins who sank the game-winning shot that gave Villanova the championship over North Carolina.

There’s a lot to be sorted out between now and March but with both teams among the best in the country it’s very likely they could meet again under similar circumstances.

NATEBRITT

SPORTS


The “Arrival” in the movie by that name is that of aliens, who hover in their spaceships above several parts of the world, including Montana.

That’s the one that most immediately concerns Amy Adams, playing a professor of linguistics enlisted by the Army (and, more specifically, Forest Whitaker as its chief embodiment) to make contact with the travelers and decipher their messages.

She does that along with a physics expert portrayed by Jeremy Renner, and even if their meeting with the aliens is quite tranquil – naturally, think Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” or “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” – at the slightest suggestion that the creatures might be thinking of launching an attack on Earth, others predictably go into panic and retaliation mode.

Of course, there’s a whole tradition of that sort of screen tale. On the more traditional side of sci-fi, it also encompasses “The War of the Worlds,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and certainly “Independence Day.” The “aliens can be our friends” stories aren’t as frequent, and especially when handled with great intelligence, they’re well worth noting.

As familiar as its plot may seem, “Arrival” benefits hugely from the presence of the ever-luminous Adams,

who conveys her character’s willingness to believe in the unknown to moviegoers. Working with director Denis Villeneuve (“Sicario,” “Prisoners”), she generates just the right sort of protagonist for this tale ... grounding the film even when it’s literally up in the air.

She’s not just a stick-figure functionary of the plot, either. The character has lost a child, making her that much more vulnerable emotionally as she undertakes the

mission whose outcome is anything but predictable. Plus, the assignment taps right into where she lives, the world of language; any new discovery she makes there only can be a source of wonder and marvel, and these aliens supply it.

Villeneuve is an interesting choice of filmmaker for this sort of venture. His work largely brings big subjects down to the level of individuals affected by them, clearly the approach needed here, and the result is steady and engrossing.

Ultimately, though, Adams really is why “Arrival” works as well as it does. It may seem to be about aliens on the surface, but thanks principally to her efforts, it’s really a very human story.

JAY BOBBIN'S THEATRICAL MOVIE REVIEW

AMY ADAMS is a great guide to aliens’ ‘Arrival’

MOVIES

Our Take

Pictured: Amy Adams

“THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM” (Dec. 20): A woman (Kate Beckinsale) finds a hidden room in her family’s new home, leading to terror. (R: AS, P, V)

“HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT” (Dec. 20): The impact that the two iconic filmmakers had on other directors is discussed by many of them. (PG-13: AS, V)

“THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN” (Dec. 20): The remake of the classic Western casts Denzel Washington as the leader of an oppressed town’s hired defenders; Chris Pratt also stars.

(PG-13: AS, P, V)

“SULLY” (Dec. 20): Tom Hanks has the title role as the airline pilot who landed a damaged plane in the “Miracle on the Hudson” in director Clint Eastwood’s true drama. (PG-13: P)

“THE DRESSMAKER” (Dec. 27): A stylish woman’s (Kate Winslet) return to her Australian hometown is tinged with a taste for revenge against those who maligned her. (R: AS, P, V)

“SNOWDEN” (Dec. 27): Oliver Stone’s drama casts Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the source of the leak of many classified documents. (R: AS, N, P)

UPCOMING DVD RELEASES

JAY BOBBIN'S DVD DIGEST

Top PickDVD

Pictured: Kate Beckinsale

“SUICIDE SQUAD”

Certainly not the typical breed of DC Comics characters, the title group is more villainous than heroic – though they’re forced into missions for the U.S. government in a post-Superman world – in this enjoyably subversive adventure written and directed by David Ayer (“Training Day”). Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis (“How to Get Away With Murder”) play those in charge the so-called Task Force X, whose unpredictable members include assassin Deadshot (Will Smith), ex-psychiatrist Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie, also Smith’s “Focus” co-star earlier), fire-throwing El Diablo (Jay Hernandez) and a possessed sorceress known as the Enchantress (Cara Delevingne). Through his link to Harley, The Joker (Jared Leto) also inserts himself into the proceedings, which connect to other tales in the DC movie universe through a couple of cameo appearances. Despite mixed-at-best reviews, the picture registered strongly at the box office, and a sequel is in the works. DVD extras: extended and deleted scenes. ››› (PG-13: AS, P, V) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)


Family Viewing Ratings

AS Adult situations P Profanity V Violence N Nudity GV Graphic Violence

MOVIES

Pictured: Margot Robbie

YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote December 11 - 17, 2016 continued on next page

HOLIDAY FAVORITIES

Boxes and bags of new shows, specials and movies

STOCKING STUFFERSSUNDAY

The Simpsons (8 p.m. on Fox – NEW)Love You Like Christmas (8 p.m. on Hallmark Channel

– NEW TV MOVIE)Son of Zorn (8:30 p.m. on Fox – NEW EPISODE)

Holiday Baking Championship (9 p.m. on Food Network – NEW EPISODE)

Family Guy (9 p.m. on Fox – NEW EPISODE)The Sound of Christmas (9 p.m. on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

– NEW TV MOVIE)

MONDAY Cake Wars (9 p.m. on Food Nework – NEW EPISODE)

TUESDAYThe Middle (8 p.m. on ABC – NEW EPISODE)

American Housewife (8:30 p.m. on ABC – NEW EPISODE)

New Girl (8:31 p.m. on Fox – NEW EPISODE)Fresh Off the Boat (9 p.m. on ABC –

NEW EPISODE)The Real O’Neals (9:30 p.m. on ABC –

NEW EPISODE)

WEDNESDAYThe Goldbergs (8 p.m. on ABC – NEW EPISODE)Speechless (8:30 p.m. on ABC – NEW EPISODE)

Saturday Night Live (9 p.m. on NBC – NEW EPISODE)blackish (9:31 p.m. on ABC – NEW EPISODE)

MONDAY, DEC. 129 p.m. on The CWGreatest Holiday Commercials Countdown 2016

Seasonal ads from the past have been combined for specials before, and this new one takes “The 12 Days of Christmas” as its approach, with one commercial representing each of those days. Also teamed recently on CBS’ Thanksgiving Day parade telecast, Kevin Frazier (“Entertainment Tonight”) and Keltie Knight (“The Insider”) are reunited here to present the sales pitches in question – some of which are amusing, while others are heart-tugging. NEW SPECIAL

SUNDAY, DEC. 118 p.m. on CBSThe Dick Van Dyke Show – Now in Living Color! In the tradition of “I Love Lucy” and “The Andy Griffith Show” specials that have colorized episodes, this new offering gives similar treatment to another classic sitcom. “That’s My Boy??” finds Rob and Laura (Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore) recalling their doubts that then-newborn Ritchie was their son, while Laura tells a secret about Alan Brady (series creator Carl Reiner) – to a national viewing audience – the Emmy-winning “Coast to Coast Big Mouth.” NEW SPECIAL

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 148 p.m. on NBCA Pentatonix Christmas Special

Used to being guests on others’ holiday shows, the members of the Grammy-winning a cappella singing group instead get the chance to play the hosts in this new special. They certainly can draw from seasonal selections they’re familiar with, given this year’s release of their third Yuletide-celebrating album, “A Pentatonix Christmas.” Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson are among the announced guests, and “other surprises” are promised. NEW SPECIAL


SATURDAY, DEC. 178 p.m. on Hallmark ChannelMy Christmas Love

A cynic might observe that this new holiday romance seems to be set in an alternate universe where stalking isn’t a thing, but heart-on-their-sleeve romantics probably will brush aside that objection. Meredith Hagner (“Search Party”) stars as one such lady, a woman in love with love, who is charmed when she begins receiving presents mentioned in “The 12 Days of Christmas” from a mystery admirer. Her only anxiety seems to be whether her secret Santa may be her true love. Bobby Campo and Gregory Harrison also star. TV MOVIE PREMIERE

HOLIDAY FAVORITIES

FRIDAY, DEC. 168 p.m. on The CWThe 85th Annual Hollywood Christmas ParadeEven if there isn’t snow on the ground in Southern California, the season is celebrated there by personalities who wave from cars to spectators lined up along Hollywood Boulevard. Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Dean Cain and Montel Williams host this year’s edition of the telecast, with veteran music star and sometimes actress (“Grease”) Olivia Newton-John serving as Grand Marshal. The event also includes musical performances and character balloons. NEW SPECIAL

THURSDAY, DEC. 158 p.m. on The CWiHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2016This popular-music concert is an annual holiday-season tradition, and not just in one city, but in several across the country – with many of the artists performing at more than one of the shows. However, this special focuses on the edition staged at New York’s Madison Square Garden, with headliners including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Meghan Trainor. The Chainsmokers, Fifth Harmony, Ellie Goulding, Diplo, Charlie Puth and Niall Horan also are on the bill. NEW SPECIAL

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your remote!Last Man Standing (8 p.m. on ABC – NEW EPISODE)

Dr. Ken (8:31 p.m. on ABC – NEW EPISODE)

Lidia Celebrates America (10 p.m. on PBS – SEASON PREMIERE)

FOLIO

11SUNDAY

The Little Drummer Boy (Freeform, 7 a.m.) Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (Freeform, 7:30 a.m.)

A Dennis the Menace Christmas (Freeform, 9:35 a.m.)

Scrooge (1935 – TCM, 8:45 a.m.)

Holiday Affair (TCM, 12:15 p.m.)

12 MONDAY

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (The CW, 8 p.m.) The Polar Express (Freeform, 7 p.m.)

14 WEDNESDAY

Home Alone 3 (Freeform, 3 p.m.) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 – TNT, 8 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.)

Arthur Christmas (Freeform, 7 p.m.)

15THURSDAY

Show Buddies (Freeform, 11 a.m.) Disney’s Prep & Landing (ABC, 8 p.m.)

Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (ABC, 8:30 p.m.)

16FRIDAY

A Muppet Christmas Carol (HBO2, 6:40 a.m.) Jack Frost (Freeform, 9:10 a.m.)

17SATURDAY

Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (Freeform, 7a.m.) Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (Freeform, 8 a.m.)

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! (ABC, 8 p.m.)

White Christmas (AMC, 10:30 p.m.)

CALENDAR

13 TUESDAY

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Freeform, 9 p.m.)

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CLASSICS

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