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9:30 pm - 10:00 pm, Today on KBDI DW (12.3)

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About this Broadcast
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Program features interviews and commentary on a variety of issues.

English Stereo
Biography Interview Documentary

Cast & Crew
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Did You Know..
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Madison Michele (Actor)
Born: June 16, 1971
Birthplace: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Trivia: Spokesmodel for Wonderbra in the mid-'90s. Made her acting debut in 1997's The Definite Maybe. Appeared on the August 23, 1997 cover of TV GUIDE, posing as "Miss Congeniality" for the Miss America pageant.
Whitney Cummings (Actor)
Born: September 04, 1982
Birthplace: Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Trivia: Comedian, actress and writer Whitney Cummings first caught audience's attention as a cast member on the reality prank series Punk'd. The former model began cutting her teeth as a stand-up comic in the early-2000's, and soon began appearing on shows like The Tonight Show and Chelsea Lately. Without at doubt, Cummings' career hit a new high in 2011, when two shows she produced and wrote, 2 Broke Girls and Whitney, both were picked up by major networks, with Cummings also starring in the latter.
Kim Serafin (Actor)
William Shatner (Actor)
Born: March 22, 1931
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Trivia: For an actor almost universally associated with a single character -- Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise -- William Shatner has found diverse ways to stay active in the public eye, even spoofing his overblown acting style in a way far more hip than desperate. Years after he last uttered "warp speed," Shatner remains a well-known face beyond Star Trek conventions, re-creating himself as the spoken-word pitchman for priceline.com, and starring in a popular series of smoky nightclub ads that featured some of the most cutting-edge musicians of the day.The Canadian native was born on March 22, 1931, in Montréal, where he grew up and attended Verdun High School. Shatner studied commerce at McGill University before getting the acting bug, which eventually prompted him to move to New York in 1956. He initially worked in such live television dramatic shows as Studio One and The United States Steel Hour in 1957 and 1958, as well as on Broadway. His big screen debut soon followed as Alexei in the 1958 version of Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov.Throughout the 1960s, Shatner worked mostly in television. His most memorable appearance came in a 1963 episode of The Twilight Zone entitled "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," in which he plays a terrified airline passenger unable to convince the crew that there's a mysterious gremlin tearing apart the wing. He also appeared in such films as Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) and the bizarrely experimental Esperanto-language horror film Incubus (1963). In 1966, he got his big break, though neither he nor anyone else knew it at the time. Shatner was cast as the macho starship captain James Kirk on Star Trek, commanding a crew that included an acerbic doctor, a Scottish engineer, and a logician with pointy ears, on a mission "to boldly go where no man has gone before." However, the show lasted only three seasons, considered by many to be high camp. After providing a voice on the even shorter-lived animated series in 1973, Shatner must have thought Star Trek too would pass. A costly divorce and a lingering diva reputation from Star Trek left him with few prospects or allies, forcing him to take whatever work came his way. But in 1979, after a decade of B-movie labor in such films as The Kingdom of Spiders (1977) and a second failed series (Barbary Coast, 1975-1976), Shatner re-upped for another attempt to capitalize on the science fiction series with Star Trek: The Motion Picture. This time it caught on, though the first film was considered a costly disappointment. With dogged determination, the producers continued onward with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), at which point fans finally flocked to the series, rallying behind the film's crisp space battles and the melodramatic tête-à-tête between Shatner and Ricardo Montalban.Shatner had to wrestle with his advancing age and the deaths of several characters in Star Trek II and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), but by Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), the actor got to indulge in his more whimsical side, which has since characterized his career. As the series shifted toward comedy, Shatner led the way, even serving as director of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), which many considered among the series' weaker entries. During this period, Shatner also began parodying himself in earnest, appearing as host of Saturday Night Live in a famous sketch in which he tells a group of Trekkies to "Get a life." He also turned in a wickedly energetic mockery of a moon base captain in Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). Shatner made one final appearance with the regular Star Trek cast in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), then served as one of the crossovers to the new series of films in Star Trek: Generations (1994), in which endlessly theorizing fans finally learned the fate of Captain Kirk.The success of the Trek movies reenergized Shatner's TV career, even if it didn't immediately earn him more film roles. Shatner played the title role on the successful police drama T.J. Hooker from 1982 to 1987, directing some episodes, then began hosting the medical reality series Rescue 911 in 1989. Shatner returned to the movies with another parody, Loaded Weapon I, in 1993, and in 1994 began directing, executive producing, and acting in episodes of the syndicated TV show TekWar, based on the popular series of Trek-like novels he authored. In the later '90s, Shatner was best known for his humorously out-there priceline.com ads, but also guested on a variety of TV shows, most notably as the "Big Giant Head" on the lowbrow farce Third Rock From the Sun. He also appeared as game show hosts both in film (Miss Congeniality, 2000) and real life (50th Annual Miss America Pageant, 2001). In 1999, Shatner suffered public personal tragedy when his third wife, Nerine, accidentally drowned in their swimming pool. The champion horse breeder and tennis enthusiast owns a ranch in Kentucky and remains active in environmental causes. Shatner took on a small role for 2004's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, and voiced the villainous wildebeest Kazar in Disney's animated adventure The Wild in 2006. Shatner returned to television for a starring role on the popular dramady Boston Legal, in which he plays Denny Crane, a once unbeatable lawyer who co-founded the successful law firm where he continues to work despite his reputation as an eccentric old man.
Rosanna Tavarez (Actor)
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Trivia: Spent a summer researching Afro-Dominican dance and music in the Dominican Republic. As a winner of the WB reality show Popstars, became a member of the all-female pop group Eden's Crush; they released one album in 2001 before disbanding. Was just one project away from completing her graduate dance studies at Ohio State University when she got the call for Popstars. Cohosted the talk show On Air With Ryan Seacrest in 2004. Under the name Chana, records and performs a style of music she calls "trop-electro-hip-hop."
Dolly Parton (Actor)
Born: January 19, 1946
Birthplace: Locust Ridge, Tennessee, United States
Trivia: Born January 19th 1946, Dolly Parton has risen from relative poverty to become one of the most famous and wealthy country music stars in the world. Easily recognizable for her flamboyant platinum blonde wigs, vivid makeup, petite physique, and extra-large breasts -- which figure prominently in her humorous on-stage remarks -- Parton has shown a real knack for marketing herself in creative, lucrative ways that belie the downhome mannerisms and apple pie sweetness of her public persona. Parton's ventures range from a songwriting career,a semi-successful crossover to pop music, a sporadic acting career, a 100-million-dollar company, Dolly Parton Enterprises, and her ultimate self-promotion, the Dollywood musical theme park in Tennessee, which has become so popular since it's opening in 1986 that in 1997, it was largely responsible for the closing of its only rival, Opryland. Parton's singing career began with television appearances in Knoxville at age 12. The following year she had a recording contract and was appearing at the Grand Ole Opry and at age 21, she had her first hit song, "Dumb Blonde" (1967). It was, however, Porter Wagoner who made her a star when he hired her to duet with him. Together, they toured the country, made records, and appeared numerous times at the Opry. She went solo in 1974 and soon had a string of hits, including the semi-autobiographical "Coat of Many Colors." During the '70s, Parton was a favorite on talk shows and music specials. In 1980, she made her acting debut opposite Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dabney Coleman in the hit revenge comedy 9 to 5. As in most of her subsequent acting endeavors, Parton essentially played herself. She wrote and performed the film's title song and earned an Oscar nomination. She has since continued composing and singing in her films. Parton offered one of her best acting performances as a big-hearted beautician in Steel Magnolias (1989).Parton would continue to selectively revisit the realm of acting over the coming years, appearing in Frank McKlusky, C.I. and Joyful Noise, as well as on TV shows like Hannah Montana.
Tom Selleck (Actor)
Born: January 29, 1945
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Trivia: Leading man and sex symbol, Selleck has a gentle, humorous manner. He attended college on an athletic scholarship, majoring in business. A drama coach suggested he become an actor; soon he began making the rounds of auditions. He won a part in the disastrous film Myra Breckinridge (1970), his screen debut, then appeared in small roles in a handful of films during the '70s. Meanwhile, Selleck was signed to a seven-year contract with Fox, leading to a great many TV roles, including appearances as a recurring character on the TV series "The Rockford Files." Eventually he was chosen as the lead for the TV series "Magnum P.I.;" the show became a hit, staying on the air from 1980-88, and he became a star and sex symbol, winning an Emmy, a Golden Globe award, and a star on Hollywood Boulevard. He suffered a serious career setback in 1981, when he was chosen to star in the Lucas-Spielberg blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark, but couldn't get released from his TV responsibilities. Beginning in 1983 he tried to break back into films, finally landing a major hit in a co-starring role in Three Men and a Baby (1987); although he appeared in a dozen films after 1983 he never firmly established himself as a screen star. He has also been active as a TV producer. He is married to English dancer Jillie Mack.
Barry Manilow (Actor)
Born: June 17, 1943
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Trivia: Began songwriting career writing advertisements for brands like Coca-Cola, KFC and Pepsi. He was also behind the "like a good neighbor" State Farm and the "stuck on Band-Aid" jingles. First recorded tracks under the name Featherbed in the 1970s. Hit "Mandy" was originally called "Brandy" and was changed because a track of the same name was released at the same time. Appeared in a 2003 episode of Will and Grace entitled "Fanilow," the name of his fans. The 2011 album 15 Minutes was about struggling with fame and inspired by Britney Spears' personal meltdown in 2007.
Kimberly Caldwell (Actor)
Born: February 25, 1982
Birthplace: Katy, Texas, United States
Trivia: Though she rose to fame by virtue of her involvement in the second season of the Fox network's competitive reality series American Idol (2003), Kimberly Caldwell was actually a veteran entertainer by the time she hit the Idol stage, at the age of 21, in front of judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. Born in 1982, Caldwell gained youthful experience as an entertainer years prior to Idol -- first via performances at beauty pageants and the Grand Ole Opry, then on Star Search, and finally on such programs as The Pulse and Popstars: USA. Though Caldwell made the top 12 in her particular season of Idol, she failed to make the final cut, losing the competition (along with many others) to first-place favorite Ruben Studdard. Post-Idol, Caldwell launched a second career as a TV host, beginning with acting as an insider Idol host before moving into other realms of entertainment like Celebrity Paranormal Project and Best Ink. Caldwell moved into a slightly different sphere of entertainment in 2007, with a (non-musical) dramatic role in the direct-to-video slasher opus Wrong Turn 2: Dead End. She appeared on an episode of Franklin & Bash in 2012.
Carly Steel (Actor)
Born: August 21, 1987
Birthplace: Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Trivia: Started her on-air reporting for TV Guide Network in 2008 with Chris Harrison, who is best known for hosting The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.Has covered the Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, the Academy Awards, and the Grammy Awards among many others.Made her feature film debut playing Party Girl #2 in the 2009 comedy drama He's Just Not That Into You.Has worked as a correspondent for CBS's Entertainment Tonight and The Insider.
Mira Sorvino (Actor)
Born: September 28, 1967
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Trivia: Since her first leading role, as a convict's loyal girlfriend, in her friend Rob Weiss' debut film Amongst Friends (1993), Mira Sorvino has been on the fast track to stardom, playing a wide variety of multifaceted characters. Her breakthrough role displayed her willingness and ability to take on unusual parts; Sorvino shocked and delighted audiences as a crass New York streetwalker in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995). The stretch paid off, not only did her performance steal the show, it also earned Sorvino an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.Born in Tenafly, NJ, on September 28, 1967, Sorvino is the daughter of character actor Paul Sorvino, best known for roles in films like Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990). Initially, her father attempted to steer Sorvino and her two siblings away from the acting profession. He was particularly adamant that his offspring not do any professional acting during childhood, so Sorvino contented herself with appearing in various school productions. Following her high school graduation, she earned a degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard University; she spent one year of her education as an exchange student in Beijing, China, where she became fluent in Mandarin. Upon graduation, Sorvino still wanted to act and she moved to New York to pursue her career. Between small acting gigs, she waited tables and worked as a production assistant until 1992, when Weiss hired her as a third assistant director on the low-budget, independent Amongst Friends. She proved so adept at her job that he promoted her to associate producer and eventually cast her as his leading lady. She appeared in two short films, Susan Seidelman's The Dutch and the satirical The Second Greatest Story Ever Told (both 1993), in which she played a contemporary Virgin Mary. In 1994, Whit Stillman hired her to play a two-faced party girl in Barcelona, while Robert Redford cast her as Rob Morrow's wife in Quiz Show. After winning her Oscar for her performance in the following year's Mighty Aphrodite, Sorvino started finding steady work in Hollywood. After a turn as Matt Dillon's anorexic girlfriend in Beautiful Girls (1996) and an Emmy nomination for her performance in the made-for-TV Norma Jean and Marilyn (1996), Sorvino went on her first big-budget outing as a scientist trying to save New York from giant cockroaches in Mimic. Unfortunately, the film was rejected by critics and audiences alike. Her other major project that year, the comedy Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, attained a level of cult status thanks to its 1980s soundtrack and over-the-top costumes. The following year, Sorvino made two small, offbeat features -- Paul Auster's Lulu on the Bridge and Wonsuk Chin's Too Tired to Die, which cast her as Death -- and another big-budgeted action thriller, The Replacement Killers. Starring opposite Hong Kong action star Chow Yun-Fat, Sorvino was able to put her past experiences in China and her fluency in Mandarin to use; unfortunately, critics and audiences alike had little use for the film. In 1999, Sorvino decided to try her hand at romantic drama, starring opposite Val Kilmer in At First Sight. The multi-handkerchief weepie was something of a critical and commercial disappointment, although Sorvino did win some positive attention for her performance as the architect who helps restore her blind lover's sight. Later that year, she won more acclaim for her starring role as John Leguizamo's estranged wife in Spike Lee's Summer of Sam, a story revolving around the long, hot summer of 1977, when New York was terrorized by serial killer David "Son of Sam" Berkowitz.Little seen performances in a made for television adaptation of The Great Gatsby and the period comedy The Triumph of Love found Sorvino's star dimming in stateside theaters in 2001, though her supporting performance in Tim Blake Nelson's acclaimed holocaust drama The Grey Zone served as a notable reminder of what the young starlet was truly capable of when given the opportunity. A pair of bombs both domestic and foreign dropped in the year that followed, and after appearing opposite Glitter star Mariah Carey in Wisegirls Sorvino's Semana Santa somehow managed to get even worse reviews that even Carey's afformentioned solo effort. Of course by this point Sorvino had almost mastered the art of balancing the bad with the good, and her portrayal of a conflicted war photographer in Between Strangers at least drew fair reviews. By this point stateside fans were likely left wondering whether Sorvino had forsaken her film career for a behind-the-scenes approach to filmmaking, and although she had indeed stepped into the producer's chair with Griffin Dunne's 2000 comedy drama Famous she returned to the silver screen in a big way with a role in the sweeping civil war drama Gods and Generals. As she prepared for roles in the sci-fi thriller The Final Cut and the large scale adventure Instant Karma, Sorvino appeared to be edging towards something of a comeback on stateside screens. Fans eager to catch a glimpse of the actress were pleasantly surprised when Sorvino turned in a winning guest appearance in the popular sitcom Will and Grace in 2003. later turning up on the popular prime time drama House, Sorvino continued to maintain momentum in her film career with roles in Multiple Sarcasms, Union Square, and her father Paul's 2012 feature directorial debut The Trouble with Cali.
Jenny McCarthy (Actor)
Born: November 01, 1972
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Trivia: Curvaceous blonde Jenny McCarthy has tried to forge an acting career based on the strength of her vivacious and sometimes raunchy persona, but has had only moderate success. Prior to entering the entertainment industry as a Playboy centerfold, McCarthy studied nursing at Southern Illinois University. While scrambling through her second year, she decided that modelling would be more lucrative and dropped out. Though she possesses a wholesome, athletic beauty, her figure proved too voluptuous for high fashion modelling, so she marched to the Chicago offices of Playboy, handed them photos of herself and ended up chosen Miss October 1993. She was subsequently elected Playmate of the Year. This, in turn, led to an erotic video pictorial. Despite her notoriety as a pinup girl, McCarthy's initial bid for stardom in Hollywood met with failure, until her manager/boyfriend Ray Manzella doggedly convinced executives at MTV to audition her for the network's upcoming game show Singled Out, a ludicrous riff on The Dating Game in which contestants made fools of themselves to win dates with beautiful or handsome strangers. She won the part of co-host and soon proved herself the show's one redeeming feature. Realizing her potential, the network hired McCarthy as a vee-jay and then allowed her to develop her own show, which ended up a short-lived sketch comedy show. She then starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom, The Jenny McCarthy Show (1997). She made her film debut with a tiny role in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) and had her first major role in the abysmal comedy The Stupids, as a neurotic film star opposite comedian Tom Arnold. In 1998, McCarthy co-starred in David Zucker's BASEketball. She had a supporting role in the comedy Diamonds.McCarthy had the distinction of appearing on both Scream 3, and the spoof Scary Movie 3. She published two books about pregnancy and motherhood. She wrote and starred in the romantic comedy Dirty Love, but the film had a limited theatrical run. In 2006 she appeared as a very sexy mom in the teen comedy John Tucker Must Dies, and she gained some off-screen notoriety by being romantically involved with Jim Carrey. She joined The View as a co-host for a season in 2013. She is an outspoken advocate for autistic children, and courted some controversy when she defended the theory that immunization booster shots cause the disorder.

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