So where were you the first time you saw John Barrowman?
I was in my old apartment in Long Beach, it was the mid-90s, and John appeared onscreen in the delicious but sadly short-lived CBS prime-time sudser Central Park West. He played a John F. Kennedy Jr. like character (until he killed his crazy tabloid reporter wife!) and I knew I had to see more of that man who turns 58 years old today.
About five years later, I even sat through every dreadful episode of NBC’s short-lived Titans just to see John who played a miserable drunk heterosexual character. Since then, the TV roles have gotten better as John has starred as Captain Jack Harkness in the science fiction series Doctor Who and Torchwood and now stars in the CW’s Arrow as Malcolm Merlyn, the show’s version of the DC villain Merlyn and one of the series main antagonists.
The talented actor is such a great live performer with many Broadway and West End stage credits (Sunset Boulevard, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon). He has been touring with his one man show in recent years.
I’m sure glad Lucille Ball repeatedly got her flowers when she was alive to appreciate them.
This video is from the 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 13, 1981 hosted by Shirley MacLaine and Edward Asner. Miss Ball, then around 70, makes an entrance to I Love Lucy theme song and the standing ovation is one for the ages. It goes on and on and on.
Miss Ball is so moved by the outpouring that she can’t stop crying. If I had been in that audience, I would have been standing too and clapping wildly in appreciation for all the hours of laughs and entertainment that brought my family together time and time again over the years – especially during tough times. Trust me, it makes everything okay.
During the first several years of Knots Landing, I had such a crush on James Houghton, the handsome actor who played Kenny Ward. I don’t know why Kenny and Ginger had to move away from the cul-de-sac during the fourth season but I was not happy about it!
Sadly, it was revealed last week that Houghton died over the summer at the age of 75.
According the The Hollywood Reporter’s obit, Houghton said he didn’t want to leave the show, but with other characters on the Dallas spinoff becoming more popular and getting bigger salaries, he understood.
“There comes a time when you’ve got to throw some ballast overboard in order to make room for something else,” he said. “You know, it’s a pretty surgical process. I didn’t take it personally.”
He went on to play U.S. senator Cash Cassidy — a bitter rival of Charlton Heston’s oil mogul Jason Colby, on the second season (1986-87) of the ABC primetime soap The Colbys, a spinoff of Dynasty. He later received four Daytime Emmys as a writer on The Young and the Restless.
While I crushed on Kenny, I was also all about Gary Ewing. Swoon! Ted Shackelford played Gary for the entire 14 year run of Knots Landing and he ended up being my absolute favorite of the men on a show that was really about the amazing women portrayed by Michelle Lee, Joan Van Ark, and Donna Mills.
But there were plenty of other hunky men on the Knots including a rising star by the name of Alec Baldwin who played Joshua Rush during the 1984-85 season and who fell to his death after being yelled off a rooftop by his mother played by the great Julie Harris.
Other very attractive guys on the show during stretches of its long run included the late Kevin Dobson (Mack MacKenzie), William Devane (Greg Sumner), Pat Petersen (Michael Fairgate), and the late Doug Sheehan (Ben Gibson).
Cher, who performed this weekend at the Beacon Theatre as part of a benefit for the charity God’s Love We Deliver, marks 60 years of international stardom this year.
While most people are aware of her string of 1960s hits as part of the iconic duo Sonny & Cher (I Got You Babe, Baby Don’t Go, The Beat Goes On, among others), it doesn’t seem to be as well known that Cher launched a solo career simultaneously back then and enjoyed tremendous success.
Below are two of her solo top 10s You Better Sit Down Kids, Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), and number 15 hit All I Really Want to Do. She also cracked the top 40 with her version of Alfie which is so terrific.
Her greatest solo successes were to lie ahead but damn, she was already so good all those years ago.
Cher’s career as a recording artist spans seven decades and she is the only artist to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in each of the past seven decades. She has had a total of 34 top-40 hits, beginning with All I Really Want to Do in 1965 through DJ Play a Christmas Song in 2023.
Nick and Angela welcome a fashion icon to Dish HQ. Born in Pennsylvania, Billy Porter was destined for greatness. In this episode, Billy spills all the juicy details on his ever-evolving career—from releasing an album while on jury duty to winning Star Search (1992). He went on to become a Broadway icon, earning a Tony for Kinky Boots (2013) and later winning an Emmy for his powerful role as Pray Tell in Pose (2018). Nick shakes up the margaritas while Angela serves up a mouthwatering Greek chicken with orzo. And to cheers? A glass of Le Mesnil Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Brut, NV.
Even though he’s only been in the UK for a few months, Billy has already formed some strong–and potentially questionable–opinions. Our trio discuss Billy’s views on Jerusalem artichokes, Christmas in England, and the correct way to pronounce your herbs! He also channels his inner fairy godmother, sprinkling some of his signature Porter wisdom and sharing invaluable life lessons from his incredible late mother—especially the importance of self-care.
This is from last night’s episode of SNL: Two people on a first date (Lady Gaga, Bowen Yang) sing and dance in the middle of the restaurant. Very amusing!
Alan Cumming is such a hoot – a talk show dream. The Tony and Emmy award winner talks with Jimmy Fallon about the time he DJ’ed a Cartier party in Florence, the time he accidentally spoiled who won The Traitors and starring in a French film. He also confesses that he could not keep his mouth shut about a major character being killed off of The Good Wife.
Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff has had such great success on Broadway (Merrily We Roll Along, Spring Awakening, Hamilton) and his current show Just In Time. He’s also starred on television in the terrific Looking series and film and in Mindhunter. But aside from his hugely successful voice role in Frozen, he has not gotten to shine in the big screen as much as I believe he deserves to. In 2013, he starred in the movie C.O.G. which opened Outfest that year and he was magnificent – perfect for the big screen. He showed it again in 2023′s thriller Knock at the Cabin but I think this new movie, A Nice Indian Boy, will be all kinds of fun. Enjoy the trailer!
I’ve seen the pilot of this show and watched another episode being filmed and I love it. It’s Mid-Century Modern from the creators of Will & Grace, Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, executive producer Ryan Murphy, and director James Burrows. It’s a comedy about chosen family. Starring executive producers Nathan Lane and Matt Bomer as well as Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin, this series follows three gay best friends who, after an unexpected death, decide to embrace their golden years together in sun-soaked Palm Springs where the wealthiest one lives with his mother.
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A Streetcar Named Desire review: Paul Mescal is far from common EW.com
So where were you the first time you saw John Barrowman?
I’m sure glad Lucille Ball repeatedly got her flowers when she was alive to appreciate them. 
Cher, who performed this weekend at the Beacon Theatre as part of a benefit for the charity God’s Love We Deliver, marks 60 years of international stardom this year. 
