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Guests galore: Stars line up to be a TCM 'Programmer'

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Author: 
Sheila Busteed / TV Media
Robert Osborne welcomes musician Chris Isaak as part of the Turner Classic Movies "Guest Programmer" series

Robert Osborne welcomes musician Chris Isaak as part of the Turner Classic Movies "Guest Programmer" series

GUESTS GALORE: When it comes to landing celebrities for the "Guest Programmer" series on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), it pays to book ahead.

The network recently announced a big list of stars who will appear on the program from now until the beginning of next year. They're coming from many aspects of the entertainment business -- from actors to producers and even musicians -- but they all share a love of timeless films.

Starting this week and running through the summer, the show will welcome Peter Guber, Chris Isaak and Conan O'Brien, who will present their chosen films alongside TCM host Robert Osborne. Then, in the fall and early winter, Osborne will be joined by Cher, John Carpenter, Ron Perlman, Winona Ryder and James L. Brooks.

Guber, the producer of such films as 1988's "Rain Man" and 1989's "Batman," will appear on the show this Monday, May 9. He has chosen to present 1962's "Lawrence of Arabia" and 1984's "The Killing Fields."

Next month, Osborne will welcome Grammy-nominated musician Isaak to the set to present four flicks on Wednesday, June 15. The list includes "The Night of the Hunter" (1955), "Touch of Evil" (1958), "God's Little Acre" (1958) and "A Face in the Crowd" (1957).

Independence Day will be marked by a visit from late-night host O'Brien. His selections for the Monday, July 4, edition include "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942), "The Roaring Twenties" (1939), "Network" (1976) and "Duck Soup" (1933).

In September, musician and Oscar winner Cher will present her selections, followed by an appearance the next month by Carpenter, a famed horror-film writer and director.

November's edition will be co-hosted by Perlman, who's best known for starring in the "Hellboy" franchise, while Oscar-nominated actress Ryder will join Osborne in December. The new year will be marked by an appearance by Brooks in January.

 

SUDSING UP: Seeing as the realm of daytime TV will soon undergo a major overhaul with the cancelation of ABC's "All My Children" and "One Life to Live," rival network CBS seems to be boosting its already top-rated sudser "The Young and the Restless" with the addition of new cast members.

Starting this month, legendary soap opera actress Genie Francis will debut on the daytime drama, starring as Ethan "Cane" Ashby's long-lost mother.

In an unusual twist, Cane (played by Daniel Goddard) was actually killed back in February during a shooting, but he's since mysteriously been reappearing, but only to his grieving wife.

Francis previously starred in "General Hospital" as Laura Spencer off and on from 1977 to 2008 -- a role that won her a Daytime Emmy Award in 2007. It was on "GH" that she co-starred with actor Tristan Rogers, who currently portrays Cane's father, Colin Atkinson, so her addition to the "Y&R" cast will be a reunion for the two performers.

Francis is also known for her role as Ceara Connor Hunter on "AMC," which she held from 1990 to 1992, and she even appeared in one episode of "Days of Our Lives" back in 1989.

Within days of ABC announcing it was cancelling its two classic soaps, CBS revealed that well-known film and TV star Sean Patrick Flanery would also join the "Y&R" cast. His character, a veterinarian named Sam, debuted in mid-April when he lent Sharon some help.

Flanery fans will recall his starring roles in 1995's "Powder," 1997's "Suicide Kings," 2010's "Saw 3D" and the two "Boondock Saints" movies. His past TV work includes starring as the title role in "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," as well as lead roles in "Dead Zone" and "The Strip."

 

ICEBERG, RIGHT AHEAD!: Less than a year from now, people all around the world will mourn the great tragedy that befell the HMS Titanic when it sank in icy Atlantic waters 100 years prior.

To mark such a momentous anniversary, ABC is teaming with BAFTA-winning producer Nigel Stafford Clark ("Bleak House," "Peacekeepers") and Oscar-winning writer Julian Fellowes (2001's "Gosford Park") to create a gripping new miniseries about the historic ship's fateful maiden voyage.

Filming begins this week in Budapest, Hungary, where Clark and Fellowes are being joined by a slew of talented cast members.

In the four-part miniseries, characters of all types -- from steerage guests to upper-class passengers -- are followed through various intrigues, mysteries and romantic affiliations until all of their stories converge as the ship begins to sink. Cliffhangers will leave viewers in suspense until the very end, when they learn who survives and who perishes in the frigid waters.

The huge ensemble cast will be led by Linus Roache ("Law & Order"), Geraldine Somerville (the "Harry Potter" franchise), Linda Kash (2007's "Are We Done Yet?"), Celia Imrie (the "Bridget Jones" movies), Toby Jones (2008's "W."), Perdita Weeks ("The Tudors"), Lee Ross ("EastEnders"), Jenna-Louise Coleman ("Emmerdale"), David Calder (2008's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"), James Wilby (2001's "Gosford Park"), Dragos Bucur (2010's "The Way Back"), Lyndsey Marshal ("Rome") and Sylvestra Le Touzel (2006's "Amazing Grace").

The episodes will also feature appearances by Noah Reid, David Eisner, Sophie Winkleman, Steven Waddington, Antonio Magro, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mark Lewis Jones, Ruth Bradley and Peter McDonald.

The project is a co-production between Hungary, Canada and the U.K. and is being distributed by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.