Q: Is Bailiff Douglas McIntosh from "The People's Court" actually in law enforcement or anything? On the show he acts more like a director.
For obvious reasons, the TV court shows try to avoid owning up to the parts of their productions that are fabricated for television. So while Douglas McIntosh's duties on "The People's Court" are quite different than they would be for a bailiff in a normal, un-filmed court of law, he's still just credited as a "court officer" (which is a real title).
World's Funniest Fails, on Fox
Former football player-turned-actor Terry Crews hosts as a panel of celebrities and comedians weigh in on hilarious viral videos. The comedy series was inspired by a hit YouTube channel known as FailArmy, which showcases “epic fail” video clips.
The best medicine: 'Saturday Night Live' is lookin' good for 40 years young
The cast of “Saturday Night Live”
Everyone needs a good laugh. We all have our favorite stops to get a giggle, and for some people, it is a weekly tradition as important as a grocery run or paying bills. Staying up late or scurrying home to catch that always-exciting announcement that once again Saturday night will be “Live! From New York!” is, at this point, a late-night institution.
The Slap, on NBC
When a man's hotheaded cousin slaps a misbehaving child at a party, the incident sets off a chain of events that will uncover long-buried secrets. Based on the Christos Tsiolkas book, this miniseries stars Peter Sarsgaard and Thandie Newton.
Q: Have the writers on TNT's "Major Crimes" decided to make Rusty's character bisexual? He was dating a female fellow classmate in a few episodes, and later Rusty was talking with his adoptive mom, Capt. Sharon Raydor, about his asking out an older man. H
The idea all along, according to series creator James Duff, was to give Rusty a very long coming-out process, but as gay, not bisexual.
The girlfriend plot written into season 2 was designed to show Rusty's confusion and discomfort with his sexuality, Duff told entertainment website TheBacklot.com.
Broad City, on Comedy Central
Ilana’s (Ilana Glazer) greatest fear is confirmed when she and Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) set out in search of the ultimate party. The comedy, which began as a web series in 2009, follows two twentysomething women living in New York City.
Chicago Fire, on NBC
Mills (Charlie Barnett) and Brett (Kara Killmer) face unforgiving elements as they search for a missing teenager during an ice storm. Elsewhere, the rest of Firehouse 51 cares for an abandoned newborn, and Lt. Severide (Taylor Kinney) gets a job offer.
Q: On that TV show "Science of Stupid," they had a very entertaining host whose last name was Herzog, but I noticed lately they have a different host with an English accent. This gent isn't as entertaining.
All of the biggest reality shows -- "Survivor," "American Idol," and "The Amazing Race," to name a few -- have had different versions produced for different countries, with only the format staying the same.
That goes for National Geographic Channel's "Science of Stupid," too. And while the U.S. version, hosted by American comedian Seth Herzog, may not have panned out so well, the British version, hosted by familiar reality-TV persona Richard Hammond, is doing better.
Castle, on ABC
Best-selling novelist turned private investigator Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) draws on his skills as a writer to tackle another case. Castle began investigating real-life crime alongside NYPD detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), who is now his wife.
New Releases for the week of Feb. 8-14
Nightcrawler
A small-time thief (Gyllenhaal) uses the proceeds of his crimes to buy a camcorder and radio scanner, which he uses to shoot the aftermath of a grizzly crime scene. When his footage is bought by the news director at a local TV station (Russo), he tumbles deeper into the city's criminal underbelly and draws the attention of police as he begins altering crime scenes to maximize his impact -- and his profit. With the police growing increasingly suspicious of his activities at crime scenes and the news director's job dependent on his footage, he's soon walking a delicate tightrope in his unrelenting drive to film the next big crime.
Director: Dan Gilroy. Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Paxton, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed. 2014. 117 min. Crime.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Alexander Cooper (Oxenbould) is having a terrible day. With everyone in his family seemingly having a great one -- and with all of them having no time for Alexander, despite his 12th birthday landing on the following day -- he makes an early birthday wish that they experience the same frequent misfortunes that he does. Unfortunately for his family, the wish seems to come true and Alexander's birthday turns into a day of misfortune after misfortune for his unfortunate loved ones.
Director: Miguel Arteta. Stars: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Ed Oxenbould, Dylan Minnette, Kerris Dorsey. 2014. 81 min. Family.
Laggies
In a relationship with her high school sweetheart and surrounded by a great group of friends, Megan (Knightley) seemingly has it all. When her boyfriend (Webber) unexpectedly proposes to her at a friend's wedding, and after she witnesses her father cheating on her mother, she's launched into a quarter-life crisis. She ends up befriending a high school student (Moretz) and moving in with her for a few days to sort out her head. Soon, though, she finds herself in a physical relationship with the girl's handsome single father (Rockwell) and she realizes that her picture-perfect life was actually anything but.
Director: Lynn Shelton. Stars: Keira Knightley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Mark Webber, Sam Rockwell. 2014. 99 min. Comedy.