#Middlebury
Q: When does the new Patricia Heaton sitcom start? I loved her on “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “The Middle.” I’m glad she’s not interested in retiring anytime soon. – J.K.
A: “Carol’s Second Act” premieres Thursday, Sept. 26, on CBS and stars Heaton as a retired teacher who decides to become a doctor in the next stage of her life. The sitcom also stars Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”) as an established physician.
Heaton is in no hurry to retire. She joked at a recent press conference: “My perfect scenario, as I see death getting near, is that I’d die on a sound stage. That’s how I want to go – just as long as I’ve had full hair and make-up.”
Patricia Heaton (Sonja Flemming/CBS photo)
Q: Are they going to make a movie about the college bribery scandal, where the actresses paid a bunch of money to get their kids into prestigious universities? – E.P.
A: It was only a matter of time before a script would be written about the college admissions scandal, and now it’s finally happening. The Lifetime channel just announced that production has begun on the story, but don’t expect it to feature the names Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman specifically.
For those who don’t know about the case, Loughlin (“Full House”) and Huffman (“Desperate Housewives”) were among 50 people indicted by federal authorities. The actresses were accused of paying a “fixer” to help beef up their children’s college applications with false information and also by rigging their SAT exams. An estimated $25 million in bribes was paid in all. At this time, no air date has been announced.
Q: I love watching the game show “Cash Cab,” where passengers in New York City get into what they think is a regular yellow taxi cab only to find out they’re contestants on a game show. My granddaughter told me that the driver-host also is an actor. Is this true? – N.W.
A: Yes, Ben Bailey, who began hosting “Cash Cab” in 2005, began as a stand-up comedian and actor. His credits are almost exclusively one-time guest-starring roles, including “Unforgettable,” a mystery-drama that starred Poppy Montgomery and was canceled back in 2016. He also played himself on an episode of “30 Rock.”
The original “Cash Cab” aired in the U.K., and the American version ran from 2005 to 2012 on the Discovery Channel. It came back in 2017 and 2018 with the same host. You’ll have to change the channel to see future episodes though. Bravo announced it will air all new episodes this fall, with more pop-culture questions and an all new taxi cab. Participants will still get a couple of chances for extra help if they get stuck on a question. They can ask a bystander or reach out through social media, but they’ll have to rely on their own intelligence on most of the questions.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com!
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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