tHE DisnEy ParKs’ Magical cHristMas cElEbration · 4 Queen Latifah helps Pitbull with a ‘Revolution’-ary New Year’s Eve 5 Fiction plays close to fact for Rupert Evans in ‘The

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Julianne and Derek Hough

co-host

EaglEs rEcEivE tHE 39tH annual

KEnnEDy cEntEr Honors

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DicK clarK’s nEw yEar’s rocKin’ EvE

witH ryan sEacrEst

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tHE DisnEy ParKs’ Magical

cHristMas cElEbration

FavoritE 2016

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contentsYOURTVLINK

What’s HOT this

Week!

20-21 Theatrical Review, and Our top DVD releases

22-23 Our top suggested programs to watch this week!

FOOD7 ‘BIZARRE FOODS’ Andrew Zimmern shows cold-climate exotica

18-19 Russell Westbrook, the Thunder’s lightning in a bottle

16 ‘Gone but Not Forgotten’: TV veterans we lost this year

Visit YourTVLINK.com

STAFF PICK

From parades, musical performances and the traditional “A Christmas Story” marathon to holiday disaster movies, sports and even “The Twilight Zone,” television has a wide array of related programming to help you get in the spirit on Christmas Day. George Dickie surveys your options.

12-13 With more than a decade in the job now, “American Idol” veteran Ryan Seacrest talks with Jay Bobbin about returning again to New York’s Times Square for music and celebration on “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2017” Saturday on ABC.

14-15 The recipients of the 39th Annual Kennedy Center Honors — airing Tuesday on CBS — include music’s Eagles, in a salute postponed for a year because of the then-illness of Glenn Frey, who passed this year. Jay Bobbin talks with fellow Eagles founder Don Henley about the accolade and about being alongside such other 2016 recipients as Al Pacino and James Taylor.

17 It’s a year-end ritual to pick our favorite interviews of the past 12 months, and Jay Bobbin and George Dickie cite Megyn Kelly, Anthony Hopkins and Jennifer Lopez among their choices this time — and explain why.

Here’s where you can find us

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IN EVERY ISSUE

CONTRIBUTING STaffManaging Editor: Michelle Wilson

Writers: Jay Bobbin, George Dickie, John Crook, Dan LaddMagazine Design: Nicolle Burton

Quality: Chris Browne

4 Queen Latifah helps Pitbull with a ‘Revolution’-ary New Year’s Eve

5 Fiction plays close to fact for Rupert Evans in ‘The Man in the High Castle’

6 How Hannah Hart accidentally found a career on YouTube

8 Santa chat: The practical spirit of Christmas9 TV host and travel expert Kinga Philipps

CELEBRITY

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8SANTA cHAT!

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Editor's choice STORY

BY GeORGe DICKIeIt’s Christmas morning. The kids’ presents have been opened, played with and broken, the big feast is in the oven and the relatives are en route. There might even be a yule log crackling away in the fireplace.

Clearly, it’s time to get your Christmas spirit on. And on this Sunday, Dec. 25, there are multiple options on television to help with that task.

First and perhaps most famously is the “A Christmas Story” marathon that runs throughout much of the day on TBS and TNT. By now you know the story: 1940s Cleveland youngster Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) wants a Red Ryder B.B. gun for Christmas but Mom (Melinda Dillon) thinks he’ll shoot his eye out; meanwhile, Dad (Darren McGavin) takes delivery of a lamp that looks like it came from a brothel and a kid gets his tongue stuck to a frozen pole. Truly a holiday classic and a quirky piece of Americana.

In the morning on ABC, holiday revelry is underway in Florida and California with “The Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration.” Hosted by Derek and Julianne Hough, the two-hour special features a parade, appearances by favorite Disney characters and performances by recording artists including Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men and Gavin DeGraw.

Looking for a newer Christmas movie? Hallmark Channel’s Sunday schedule is replete with 2016 holiday telepics, ranging from “A Heavenly Christmas,” about a workaholic (Kristin Davis) who becomes a Christmas angel after death, to “A Nutcracker Christmas,” with Amy Acker as an ex-ballerina who rethinks her vow to never dance again. There is also a holiday episode of Lori Loughlin’s “When Calls the Heart.”

If your tastes run to the more familiar, Freeform wraps up its “25 Days of

Christmas” programming event Sunday with a battery of stellar holiday offerings including “elf,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “Scrooged,” “The Polar express” and the Rankin/Bass stop-motion classic “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” There are also holiday favorites on HBO (the live action “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the original “Miracle on 34th Street”), Lifetime (“Christmas With the Kranks”) and USA Network (“A Madea Christmas”).

For nontraditional programming, look to Syfy in the morning for fare with

titles such as “The 12 Disasters of Christmas,” “Christmas Icetastrophe”

and “Ice Twisters.” There is even a 1960 episode of “The Twilight Zone” titled “Night

of the Meek” starring Art Carney as a drunken sidewalk Santa who stumbles upon

a magical bag of gifts.

Those looking to get away from the holiday entirely can tune in to AMC for a day of classic Westerns, including “The Shootist,” “Two Mules for Sister Sara,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “el Dorado,” “Big Jake” and “Rio Bravo.” John Wayne and Clint eastwood fans, we’re looking at you.

And if it is the thrill of competition you seek, there is a quintet of NBA contests starting midday on eSPN with the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, continuing on ABC with Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls at San Antonio Spurs, and finishing up in prime time back on eSPN with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers facing the L.A. Lakers.

Just try to keep the yelling at the TV to a minimum.

TV serves up a spread of holiday fare on

Christmas Day

http://abc.go.com/

folio

JAY BOBBIN’S Q&A


CeLeBRITY

Queen Latifah

of ‘Pitbull’s New Year’s Revolution’ Saturday on Fox

What is your typical

New Year’s eve like?

It varies. Some years, I just sit at home and watch the ball drop on television.

Other times, I’ve been at clubs celebrating and popping open bottles of champagne.

And sometimes, I’ve been in church on New Year’s eve, then we go celebrate afterward.

Probably three of the last four years, though, I’ve been in Miami. It’s just one of those places I like to be. You can relax on the beach the next day, or even sit out on the beach that night. And if you want

to get to something fun, it’s right where you want it to be.

Are you happy about

sharing the hosting duties with Pitbull and

Snoop Dogg?

You can’t pick two better people to have a good time with. I mean, Snoop is a fun time every

time. every time I see him, it’s like seeing one of my cousins. We never know what we’re going to get into. We’ve been close since the beginnings

of our careers.And Pitbull is just, like, the best. He’s a trip, and it’s going to be fun to have that Miami

flavor. That’s his town, and we’re going to be guests there that night, so

I’m going to have to follow his lead a little bit.

With your new series

“Star” about to start its weekly run, are you pleased by the prospect of spending

New Year’s eve on television as a co-host of “Pitbull’s New Year’s

Revolution”?

Yeah, because it’s kind of a party. I’ve been working hard! It’s time to end this year with a bang and start the new year. This has been some year, so it’s just

time to have a good time and celebrate.I’m generally in a reflective place (as a year ends), but Miami is one of my favorite places

to bring in the new year. I’d probably be there anyway, so why not celebrate

with the world?

http://www.fox.com/

folio

RupeRtEVans

What do you think about your character’s development as “The Man in the High Castle” has proceeded, as based on Philip K. Dick’s novel about an America divided after World War II?I think we all have very distinct narratives within this show, and however long those narratives play out for us is way, way beyond our pay grade. But I think in the show’s present course, where we are in Season 2, the book and the show have a lot more to say ... and I think we all feel that very strongly. And I think we’re in very distinct worlds. This is obviously the West Coast (and) the east Coast, and new worlds in Season 2 open up for these characters. The show, as with the book, expands so there’s a lot more for us to do.I hope that our characters can show the audience these differing worlds, and the changing aspects of our characters. For my character, Frank Frink, we see him moving on and becoming radicalized in a way. It’s a huge departure, really, from Season 1 – so there’s huge, huge areas to investigate.

What have people said to you about the story’s alternate reality from what actual history has been?I live in London, and my grandfather (is) that kind of age where they have a close recollection of World War II. I think for them, it’s very poignant. Although it is an alternative history, there is a plausibility on how close to our reality this show is, in many ways. I think that’s what’s interesting.Although there are some parts of it and elements that are very different, there are in fact parts which are very similar. And if history had gone a different way, how that plays out in our show is very interesting and fascinating, I think, to a lot of people. I know some people have really connected with that.

JAY BOBBIN’S Q&A


of ‘the Man in the high Castle’ on amazon

CeLeBRITY

GeORGe DICKIe‘S Q&A

Where did the idea for “My Drunk Kitchen” come from?“My Drunk Kitchen” kind of started by accident. It wasn’t at all about me becoming like a person in entertainment. I actually made “My Drunk Kitchen” in March of 2011 just as a joke for a friend of mine, and I sent it to her on YouTube because back in March 2011 YouTube was just a thing you used to send people you know videos, not like create shows.

And so you got a lot of views and you said, “Hey, let’s do more”?Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. I got a lot of views and I was like, “Oh, I had a really good time making it.” It was really fun to do. I never dreamed I could have a career in entertainment. But maybe I can, aside of working at my part-time job as a proofreader, maybe for fun I can make videos and put them up on the Internet.

You’re a proofreader?I was, yeah, five years ago. I worked in translation. I like to call it white collar mining.

When you do these shows, do you have a script or loose outline you go by?Yeah, it’s improv, you know what I mean? And so I just like to make jokes and so I usually just make a recipe and just drink and just talk about whatever is on my mind. You know, editing is really where the magic is. It takes me like an hour or so to shoot “My Drunk Kitchen” but it takes me about four hours to make it funny.

So it takes about five hours to produce one six or seven minute episode then?Yeah, five hours on a good day.

On average, how many drinks do you have when you shoot the show?You know, I like to say about “My Drunk Kitchen” I’m always exactly as drunk as I seem, and so there are some episodes where I was like, “hachy machy!” and there are some episodes where like I’m just having a good time. I’m a lightweight so it really doesn’t take much.


CeLeBRITY

Hannah Hartof ‘My Drunk Kitchen’ on YouTube


TASTYGeORGe DICKIe’S WHAT'S FOR DINNeR

When was your last vacation, where and why?“My last real vacation was a two-week driving vacation I took with my wife in July through New england. We went up and down the coast visiting friends, hanging out at the beach. For me, a vacation is sitting at home because I travel 230 days a year, so the compromise was taking a driving vacation with my wife.”

What book are you currently reading?“I’m rereading Somerset Maugham’s ‘South Sea Stories’ that is collected under different titles but it includes the ‘Rain’ short story, etc. He’s my favorite writer and whenever the winter comes on I grab that and reread it, and that’s what’s currently on my bedside table.”

What did you have for dinner last night?“I had chicken parmesan with fresh crushed tomato sauce and a pasta cacio e pepe alongside it with my son.”

What is your next project?“I’m dying to get into my book. I’m writing another book coming up very shortly. And probably the biggest thing is that my production company, Intuitive Content, and my hospitality business, Passport Hospitality, are both in high-growth mode right now so I’m really enjoying seeing those grow and nurturing those companies.”

As December nears its end and winter makes its presence increasingly felt, “Bizarre Foods” host Andrew Zimmern appropriately offers up a cornucopia of foods harvested and consumed by those living in frigid climes.

Airing Tuesday, Dec. 27, on Travel Channel, the hourlong episode somewhat deceptively titled “Bizarre Frozen Foods” pulls unused footage from the past decade of the series to introduce viewers to such exotic fare as ptarmigan, a beefy game bird roasted by snowmobile muffler in Alaska; olive oil frozen into cubes by minus-321 degree liquid nitrogen in Chicago; horse milk in Kazakhstan and the sea bird puffin on an island in Iceland.

That hunting expedition saw Zimmern perched precariously on a seaside cliff and wielding a long-handled net used to catch the creatures. It took Zimmern several tries to get the hang of the technique but he nearly lost his balance in the process, which would have sent him tumbling into the icy waters below.

“It is very dangerous when you’ve never done it before,” he says. “What was quite funny was, most people don’t realize that the most dangerous thing was actually getting on the island. Because the little clip that they have in the show shows the boat kind of coming into the rock and you jump out and grab the rope. What they don’t show is the eight-foot swell behind it and the (driver of the) boat literally noses in and then guns it backwards and so you really have to jump when they say jump.”

Zimmern also walked the walk – or in this case swam the swim – when he waded into 53-degree water in Vancouver to harvest bull kelp and sea lettuce for a salmon dinner, a meal that he says turned out to be worth the risk of hypothermia.

“It was delicious ...,” he recalls. “We wrapped that salmon in bull kelp and then in salt and the infusion of that delicate sea vegetable flavor in the fish, you could taste it in every bite. It really was wonderful.”

ZiMMeRn presents the best cold weather has to offer in a ‘Bizarre Foods’ compi lat ion

http://www.travelchannel.com/


Checking in with sanTa ClausSanta settles into an armchair. Mrs. Claus reminds him of his tight schedule, including that extra stop for “The Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration” Sunday, Dec. 25, on ABC.

Santa just laughs. And yes, he really does laugh, “Ho, ho, ho!”

“Well, I have been doing this for an awful long time,” he says.

It may seem surprising that Santa would sit for an interview during his busiest season, but he says, “With so much negative happening in the world, I felt I needed to reassure children that Christmas will come this year.”

Rudolph pokes his head through a window, and Santa tells him to return to the stable.

“Now where was I?” Santa says. “Oh yes, many parents worry about stability in their financial future, never mind buy expensive toys. I want to tell everyone Christmas never goes away, though it may be a little different.”

Santa leans forward, no mean feat considering that belly, and the twinkle leaves those blue eyes. This is the year to remember the holiday’s true meaning, he stresses.

He extracts a letter from a pile. The boy asks for so many pricey console games, it reads like a store inventory. “This is what I mean,” he says. “No one needs this much. I may bring him a game, but 37? No way!”

“Now this letter,” he says, pulling a crumpled piece of paper from a pile, “this is what I’m talking about.”

This little girl wants boxes of crayons for the hospital, where she does art projects with sick children.

“She has the true spirit,” Santa says. “I’m hoping more people this year can ask just a little for themselves and more for others.”

CeLeBRITY

Also known as: St. NicholasBirthplace: Asia MinorWhen: Fourth centuryKnown for: Kindness to children; helping the sickHow stockings by fireplace came about: Nicholas helped a man who had no dowries for his three daughters. Before each girl’s wedding, he tossed a bag of gold into the house. The third bag fell into a stocking hanging over the fire to dry, and the tradition began.Favorite food: Home-baked cookiesCredits: “Miracle on 34th Street” and scores of other movies. Santa allows doubles to fill in for him because even he can’t be at every mall every day.


CeLeBRITY PROFILe CCeLeBRITY

KingaPhiliPPs- Born in Warsaw, Poland, she moved to Oklahoma with her family when she was 5 years old. Shortly after graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in broadcast journalism, she moved to LA, where she appeared in dozens of television shows and movies. Some of her work as a journalist included investigating police corruption, training with wrestlers in Mexico City and attending the first Mardi Gras after Hurricane Katrina.

- She currently hosts “The Wild Side With Kinga Philipps” on the Travel Channel. As an avid adventure traveler, she goes the extra mile to explore national parks through fun activities beyond the carefully marked and manicured trails and takes viewers along with her as she goes kite-surfing and jet skiing and more, while surrounded by the majestic beauty of America’s great outdoors.

- She explores the underbellies of beautiful, postcard-worthy destinations such as Malibu, CA, and Aspen, CO, in her “Real” web series via the local’s perspective on these popular tourist towns.

- She was a guest commentator on Travel Channel’s “Park Secrets” and VH1’s “100 Greatest.”

- She is perhaps best known as the host of the hit Syfy series “Legend Quest” and National Geographic’s “America’s Lost Treasures.”

- Her versatility is rooted in her laid-back, everyday, regular-gal personality. She explored her foodie persona as the host of “Feedback” on Food Network, where she scoured the country for weird eats and food tips.

- She has also excelled in the sports and gaming world, hosting for Fox Sports and DirecTV and covering the annual e3 gaming convention.

- In 2013, she starred in “20 Feet Below: The Darkness Descending” and won Best Actress for her role in the film at the Action On Film International Film Festival.

- She lives in Malibu, and when she has time to relax or sit, she enjoys writing children’s books and blogging for multiple websites.

Kinga Philipps is an adventurer, travel expert and host of “The Wild Side With Kinga Phillipps” on the Travel Channel.

http://www.travelchannel.com/


“I think what makes this show interesting is the way these human characters connect. It’s not about just getting a load of (medical) lines out. It’s about the human story behind them, why these characters are saying what they’re saying. What is it about this specific situation that made this character think about solving it in a completely different way that hasn’t been done before?” – Augustus Prew of “Pure Genius” on CBS

“I think it’s about collaborating with people that you really feel a musical connection with, trying to just be true to what you want to do. There’s so many trends, and if you follow them, they die … because that’s what a trend is, something that goes away. But if you want to remain a classic or try to be a classic, I think you have to keep the through line as yourself.” – Mariah Carey of “Mariah’s World” on E!, on her musical longevity

“I did this really silly thing where I would go and run and go shopping for one hour during lunch every single day, because that was the only time I could see the city. And I thought I could get away with it, and no one would notice. And then one day, I got incredibly lost. And they were like, ‘OK, we’ll send a boat,’ and then the boat didn’t come, and then it was a gondola situation … and then I was just, like, really late for work.” – Lola Kirke of “Mozart in the Jungle” on Amazon, on filming on location in Venice

CeLeBRITY


CeLeBRITY

Do you ever wonder what the Celebs DVR?What’s

been your most-

watched show of

2016?

Norm Abram of “This Old House” on PBS“Well, I record ‘This Old House,’ obviously. I have to watch the shows after they’re made. And we have, I guess, our favorites. We do a lot of Netflix now ... ‘House of Cards,’ all of those we’re into. Cooking series – we’ll record those, like ‘Top Chef.’ My wife and I like to cook so we record those. I’ll record some sports but I usually watch sports in real time. We recorded a couple of new shows that we just started watching: ‘Bull,’ which is kind of an interesting concept of juries. We are ‘Survivor’ fans.”

Terry Crews of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” on Fox“I always watch me ... so it’s always ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’! But other than that, it’s ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I always record it, and some shows are better than others, but it’s required viewing for me because it’s so topical.”

Jackie Evancho, seen recently on “America’s Got Talent Holiday Spectacular” on NBC“I record ‘Game of Thrones.’ I record ‘Westworld’ and ‘The Walking Dead.’ They’re the main ones I record.”

John Dickerson of “Face the Nation” on CBS“The shows we watch are ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ ‘The Flash’ and ‘Arrow.’ I feel like I’m being a corporate shill, but this is what the Dickerson family viewing is about.”

CeLebsDVR

We have the answers!

Visit our facebook page and post your answer to facebook/yourtvlinkNot on facebook? No problem! You can also email your answers to

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BY JAY BOBBINSome people debate where they’ll spend New Year’s eve, but not Ryan Seacrest.

The national “On Air” radio personality, television producer (“Keeping Up With the Kardashians”) and former “American Idol” host has been involved in ABC’s holiday mainstay “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ eve” since the 2006 edition. He’ll preside over the special again Saturday, Dec. 31, as it begins with the traditional primetime-filling “party” from both New York and Hollywood and then moves to the late-night hours to await the descent of the lighted globe in Times Square ... where host and executive producer Seacrest will be stationed, as usual.

“With this show especially, I get butterflies every time I do it,” he maintains, “just because it’s such a big event on such a large scale. And it’s such an important moment, certainly this year, to start to look forward into next year as a reset.”

Mariah Carey will be among the talents joining Seacrest in the Big Apple, with DNCe, country music’s Thomas Rhett and veteran music star Gloria estefan (and the Broadway cast of the estefan-inspired musical “On Your Feet”) also on that roster. Jenny McCarthy will play roving reporter again, with Fergie also returning to oversee the Hollywood segments that will feature performances by Niall Horan, Lukas Graham, Shawn Mendes, emeli Sande, Fifth Harmony, John Legend, Flo Rida and others. Also, Demi Lovato will appear from a Celebrity Cruises concert in St. Maarten.

The genial Seacrest notes that New Year’s eve falling on a weekend this time “makes it a bit more of a festive occasion. However, people seem to party just as much if it’s on a

Ryan SeacReSt returns for another ‘Dick Clark’s new Year’s Rockin’ Eve’


Wednesday or a Thursday, so I don’t know if that affects it too much. It actually does mean that on the back end, people have less time to recover, because Monday comes very quickly. You almost want it on a Thursday, so that people can take Friday and then also Saturday and Sunday before going back to work.”

“New Year’s Rockin’ eve” also will have performers located in such other cities as New Orleans, where “Pretty Little Liars” regular Lucy Hale will introduce Jason Derulo and Panic at the Disco, and (with Lionel Richie as the attraction there) Las Vegas – since for the first time, the program will ring in 2017 from each American time zone when midnight arrives there. “Our intent is to try to bring together the biggest artists of the year,” says Seacrest, “and those who are looking forward to a big new year. This show is certainly the destination for people who don’t want to go out and fight the crowds.”

Having done “New Year’s Rockin’ eve” for more than a decade, though the title retains the name of originator and late media icon Clark, Seacrest reasons that “each year presents something new, and something that you discover not only as a broadcaster bringing the show to everybody, but just as a spectator being in the middle of Times Square. Whether it’s seeing people who have never been there before and the looks on their faces, or reaching that magical moment of midnight ... Dick always said, ‘Be quiet, and let the pictures do the narration.’ My view has been that there’s a moment of unity among a lot of different types of people in that couple of minutes. And that’s pretty special.”

Seacrest is ending 2016 on an “up” note, also having served as best man at his sister’s wedding recently – but he acknowledges the start of 2017 may feel

STORY

Continued from previous page

different for him, it being the first time he hasn’t had “American Idol” to do in many years.

“I don’t know that I’ve felt the impact yet,” he reflects. “With every day that the alarm goes off, you fill the units of time with all the other things you’ve got to do, and maybe you spend a little more time on all the things you didn’t before. I think the real feeling of, ‘Oh, wow, this is not on the air right now’ will come in January when we usually sign on, and in late January and early February when we’re used to going down to the studio to do the live shows. I think that’s when it will sink in. I don’t know that I’ve realized that it’s not coming back yet.”

In a sense, Seacrest is doing “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ eve” for new bosses this time. Dick Clark Productions remains the show’s main entity, and in November, it was purchased by China’s Wanda Group (which also owns the AMC theater chain and the Legendary entertainment firm). With the ownership change, Seacrest feels good about the New Year’s eve special’s place as one of the Clark-founded company’s crown jewels.

“It’s the gold standard” of programs of its type, he says, “and we’re trying to keep it that way. In a world of fragmentation, this has maintained such a large and loyal audience, I think that was an important part of the (sales) equation.”

http://abc.go.com/


BY JAY BOBBINIt’s likely the most bittersweet receipt of the Kennedy Center Honors to date.

Music’s eagles were slated to get their salute last year, but it was delayed due to member Glenn Frey’s illness. Following his passing last January, he was remembered and surviving members of the band were feted during the 39th annual event earlier in the month in Washington. D.C. – with fellow honorees Al Pacino, James Taylor, gospel-and-blues icon Mavis Staples and pianist Martha Argerich. CBS will give the ceremony its yearly telecast Tuesday, Dec. 27, with Stephen Colbert back as host for the third consecutive time.

“It’s complicated,” Don Henley says of his feelings about receiving the accolade along with other eagles. “everything regarding this band is complicated, because there are a lot of relationships involved, but I’m trying to look on the positive side. I’m trying to put my political

feelings aside, both in terms of the band and in terms of our government, and appreciate the award for what it is. I’ve looked over the list of past recipients, and we’re in awfully good company.”

eagles history has been marked by departures and lawsuits, partially accounting for the “ambivalence” Henley maintains he has about the group’s Kennedy Center honor. However, he performed at the 2013 edition in a tribute to then-recipient Billy Joel, and he notes his pleasure at being in the honorees’ box with President and Mrs. Barack Obama (overseeing their last Honors) and with Taylor, with whom Henley has recorded: “I admire James a great deal, so we’re honored to be included with him.”

The many hits by eagles – formed in 1971 by Henley, Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, with Don Felder, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit as later members – include “Take It easy” (performed in the Kennedy Center tribute by Kings of Leon), “Peaceful easy Feeling”

STORY

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DoN HENLEy and Eagles are among latest Kennedy center Honors recipients


(rendered by Vince Gill), “Heartache Tonight” (sung by Bob Seger), “Hotel California” (done by Juanes, Steve Vai and Steuart Smith), “Already Gone,” “Best of My Love,” “One of These Nights,” “Lyin’ eyes,” “Take It to the Limit,” “Life in the Fast Lane” and “I Can’t Tell You Why.” Ringo Starr introduces the eagles tribute.

“Obviously, I had a better reaction to it when Glenn was still alive,” Henley recalls of first getting the Kennedy Center notification, “but I was surprised. I probably had mixed emotions back then as well. It’s difficult for people in rock-and-roll bands to be ‘institutionalized.’ We’re supposed to be the antithesis of that, but on the other hand, President John Kennedy (for whom the Center is named) and the Kennedy family are people for whom I have great respect. Sen. Ted Kennedy was a great supporter of my Walden Woods Project, and he’s greatly missed.”

“The country is in such turmoil, Washington is sort of the last place I want to go right now,” Henley allows, though he adds he was glad to have his family along. “It’s good for the kids to get to see some of the inner workings of the city. (Former Massachusetts Senator and outgoing U.S. Secretary of State) John Kerry has long been a friend of mine. There’s a whole weekend of events, and I had to wear a tuxedo at least twice, so I got that out of mothballs ... hoping it still fit.”

Of course, Henley embarked on a successful solo career (“Dirty Laundry,” “The Boys of Summer,” etc.) in and around what he described as a long eagles “vacation” rather than a breakup. He’ll tour in America, Australia and New Zealand early in 2017 for concerts that will include a tribute to Frey, whose death means the end of the band in Henley’s view.

“We’ve had a great many awards in our career, several Grammys (six for eagles collectively, three for Henley individually) and some other things, and there’s a certain element of ‘put out to pasture’ finality to this thing that makes me a little bit uncomfortable,” Henley says. “I’m not finished working yet – but at the same time, again looking at the list of past (Kennedy Center Honors) recipients, who am I to question any of this?”

STORY

Continued from previous page

Pictured: Stephen Colbert

http://www.cbs.com/

BY JAY BOBBINThe end of a year means looking ahead to new beginnings, but also looking back at favorite people we said farewell to ... including television personalities whose respective gifts brought valued entertainment or information to television viewers.Here’s a remembrance of some who passed in 2016.

Florence Henderson: The loss of one of television history’s favorite “moms” gave a sad ending to Thanksgiving for countless “Brady Bunch” fans of multiple generations.

Alan Thicke: Seen recently as himself in the pilot of “This Is Us,” the “Growing Pains” dad also wrote or co-wrote some of TV’s most familiar theme songs, including “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”

Garry Marshall: The producing-directing mentor of such comedy classics as “Happy Days,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “Mork & Mindy” and “The Odd Couple” also made his mark as a guest star.

Morley Safer: Just days after his retirement from “60 Minutes,” one of the staples of the CBS newsmagazine passed.

Patty Duke, William Schallert and Eddie Applegate: This year saw not only the loss of the award-winning star (times two) of “The Patty Duke Show,” but also of two of her co-stars on it.

Garry Shandling: The droll comedian gave TV two of its groundbreaking comedies, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and the talk-program satire “The Larry Sanders Show.”

Robert Vaughn: Among the bountiful work the smooth-voiced actor did, his incarnation of “Man From U.N.C.L.e.” Napoleon Solo stands very tall.

Doris Roberts: If “everybody Loves Raymond,” they also loved his mother – and also from other shows including “Remington Steele.”

Abe Vigoda: The ever-dour Phil Fish of “Barney Miller” (and its “Fish” spinoff) had one of the most distinctive images of any television performer.

Pat Harrington Jr.: While his TV career reached back to the days of Steve Allen and Jack Paar, Harrington cemented his fame as handyman Schneider on “One Day at a Time.”

Gene Wilder: Though his main fame was from movies, the gentle funnyman had his encounters with the home screen, including “Will & Grace” and his own series “Something Wilder.”

Joseph Mascolo: As Stefano DiMera on “Days of Our Lives,” this actor was one of daytime drama’s top villains over the better part of three decades-plus.

Muhammad Ali: Throughout his boxing career – and especially during his years of humorous byplay with sportscaster Howard Cosell – “The Greatest” often turned up on TV.

Arnold Palmer: Certainly known from his participation in golfing events, this legend of the links also became a readily identifiable product spokesman.

Glenn Frey: “Miami Vice” and “Wiseguy” helped the eagles member with his transition into acting, which sometimes involved his music as well.

Prince: Whether in a Super Bowl halftime show or a “New Girl” episode, any TV gig by “The Purple One” drew attention.

David Bowie: The iconic singer-songwriter-actor’s TV appearances weren’t frequent, but they surely were memorable, as confirmed by his Christmas duet with Bing Crosby.


STORY

Gone but Not forgotten 2016: a year of farewells

to familiar faces

Pictured: Florence Henderson

BY JAY BOBBIN AND GeORGe DICKIeeach year of television yields many interviews, some of which are standouts for different reasons. Here are excerpts from several that made that cut for us in 2016.

Megyn Kelly: When Fox News Channel’s “Kelly File” host did her first interview special for the Fox broadcast network, we asked if she was looking to expand her usual television duties on a regular basis – even more of a pertinent question as the year went along, with her current Fox contract expiring in 2017.

“My plate is very full,” she told us then. “I like my children, and I like to see my children ... so we’ll see. Right now, we’re just looking to hit a single on this. If we can get on base and it’s well-received, maybe there will be more. And if not, I’ve got plenty to keep me busy.” (Bobbin)

Anthony Hopkins: When interviewing the “Silence of the Lambs” Oscar winner for his role on HBO’s “Westworld,” we discussed how he creates his characters and whether he needs to come down from them afterward. His answer was surprisingly simple: He doesn’t.

“I just learned the lines and showed up,” he said. “It’s all on the page. You don’t have to create anything. A lot of actors would disagree with my idea but I think all the knowledge you need is in the script ... if you start taking it seriously, you’ll go nuts, so I don’t take any of it seriously.” (Dickie)

Jennifer Lopez: Returning in the new year, the NBC police show “Shades of Blue” – on which she’s also an executive producer – is a different sort of series work for the superstar who was an “In Living Color” Fly Girl and an “American Idol” judge. She told us that in the end, she couldn’t resist starring in the drama as well.

“Coming back to series work was a big decision for me,” Lopez said. “I knew how taxing it was, physically and emotionally, and just with the hours ... and being the lead in a show and being in almost every scene, how intense that can be. But the material was so strong, and this character was so compelling, it was hard to turn down.” (Bobbin)


Our favorite interviews of 2016:

J. Lo, anthony Hopkins and more talked the talk

Steve Zahn: When the subject turned to his movie career, the star of Amazon’s “Mad Dogs” recalled how he had to up his musical game at the behest of director Tom Hanks to play ‘60s pop-band guitarist Lenny in the 1996 comedy “That Thing You Do!”

“That was really incredible, because Tom was adamant about us playing,” Zahn recalled. “He said, ‘I don’t want to waste time hiding that you can’t play. I got stuff to worry about when I’m shooting and I don’t want to worry about you being ‘on’ or ‘off,’ OK?’ And we were like, ‘Got it.’ So we ... learned it. We were playing.” (Dickie)

Tom Bergeron: In reflecting on having lost his parents within four months of each other, the ever-amiable “Dancing With the Stars” host talked with us about his one-week absence from the ABC show to be with his father.

“I put out a tweet,” Bergeron said, “a black-and-white photo of me as a little boy with him with his arm around me. And I said something like, ‘He supported me my whole life. I’m returning the favor.’ So I was at his bedside, and I said, ‘Dad, I’m going to miss the show, so I put a tweet out. And here it is.’ He looked at it, he paused and then he said, ‘That’s good. How many hits did we get?’ ” (Bobbin)

Craig Ferguson: While discussing his History talk show “Join or Die,” the subject turned to the art of the interview. and whether he uses prepared questions on the show.

“No ... (spontaneously is) the only way I can do it,” he explained. “I don’t think I’m skilled enough in the technique of doing it that way, to be able to do that. I can only survive by the seat of my pants. It’s the only way it works for me. I tried doing it the other way. When I started doing the late-night show, I did try and do it that way, and I just couldn’t do it. I was bad at it.” (Dickie)


STORY

Pictured: Megyn Kelly


FULL NAME: Russell Westbrook Jr.BORN: Nov. 12, 1988BIRTHPLACE: Long Beach, CaliforniaHEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6 foot 3 inches/200 poundsTEAM: Oklahoma City ThunderPOSITION: GuardNO.: 0

COLLEGE: UCLADRAFTED: 4th pick in 2008 draftHONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: NBA All-Star, 2011-2013, 2015, 2016; NBA All-Star Game MVP, 2015, 2016; NBA scoring champion, 2015; Olympic gold medalist, 2012

SPORTS

wEstbrooK steps up for the tHunDEr

Story on next page


BY DAN LADDTo say Russell Westbrook is on a roll would be an understatement. With Kevin Durant now with Golden State, the Oklahoma City Thunder is truly Westbrook’s team and he has responded thus far by putting up career-high statistics in many categories. Westbrook and the Thunder host the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday on eSPN as part of the NBA’s annual barrage of Christmas Day games.

An MVP season could be in the works here. There’s no doubt Westbrook stepped up to fill the void left by Durant. He’s been a scoring machine, as at press time he was averaging 30.9 points per-game, which is nine more than his career average and has made triple-doubles a regular occurrence. He is currently ranked sixth all-time with triple-doubles and his five in the post season is eighth all-time.

When Durant departed, many wondered if Westbrook would be next in line, but he showed his commitment to the Thunder by signing a three-year contract extension that will keep him in Oklahoma City through the 2017-18 season. That gives the Thunder’s front office time to put a supporting cast around him, which has become the norm for winning NBA franchises in the past decade.

Westbrook and the Thunder, meanwhile are contending in the Northwest Division and thus the Western Conference where, if they prevail, they could likely find themselves in another matchup with the Warriors and also Durant. Until then fans can expect Westbrook to keep piling up the stats and hopefully adding to the Thunder’s win column.RussEllWestbrook

SPORTS


BY JAY BOBBIN“Allied” is not “Casablanca,” but the current film’s makers clearly wouldn’t mind if both titles were used in the same breath.

A lot of the new World War II drama from director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump,” “Back to the Future”) references the Humphrey Bogart-Ingrid Bergman classic, either covertly or directly: the setting, the characters, the plot, the mood. And even though “Casablanca” is a one-of-a-kind film, “Allied” does a pretty good job in trying to give it a modern counterpart.

Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard play spies teamed uneasily on a secret mission. He’s Canadian, she’s French, and each of them is mystified by the other’s modus operandi. There’s also charisma to spare between them, and part of their challenge is to keep that under control, at least until they get their job done.

The precise nature of that mission is something the movie keeps under wraps for a while, so far be it from us to spoil that here. It’s actually a clever conceit on the picture’s part, since in the course of figuring each other out, the protagonists also have to determine exactly what they’re supposed to be doing – and how much of that amounts to play-acting between them, and how much of

their presumed connection is real.

As he’s also demonstrated in “Fury” and “Inglourious Basterds” among other projects, Pitt is quite good in period pieces; he has just the right look to say a lot without literally saying much. And “La Vie en Rose” Oscar winner Cotillard pulls off the part of a woman of mystery easily, something that becomes ever more crucial as “Allied” goes along, once the duo allows the personal to supersede the professional.

Steven Knight’s script also allows for nice turns by such reliable talents as Lizzy Caplan (“Masters of Sex”), Jared Harris and Matthew Goode (“Downton Abbey”), but there’s never a question that the focus will remain on Pitt and Cotillard, just as it should in this type of tale. The romance is every bit as important as the espionage, and those two aspects feed off each other very directly here.

Some might say “Allied” is more style than substance, but that’s not really true. It needs this much style, particularly early on, to set up the rest of the story – and in that sense, the two halves of its approach truly are allied.

JAY BOBBIN'S THeATRICAL MOVIe ReVIeW

BRaD PiTT aND MaRioN CoTillaRD are ‘allied’ in war drama

MOVIeS

Our Take

“BLAIR WITCH” (Jan. 3): In a familiar premise, several young people enter a Maryland forest to search for those who vanished in “The Blair Witch Project.” (R: AS, P)

“MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE” (Jan. 3): A youngster (Griffin Gluck) becomes the unlikely inspiration for a revolt by his fellow students. (PG: AS, P)

“DEEPWATER HORIZON” (Jan. 10): In the true drama, Mark Wahlberg plays a supervisor aboard the title oil rig when it’s wracked by an explosion. (PG-13: P, V)

“MAX STEEL” (Jan. 10): A teen (Ben Winchell) and an alien (voice of Josh Brener) unite to form a team to battle extraterrestrial threats. (PG-13: V)

“THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN” (Jan. 17): emily Blunt stars as a troubled commuter who believes harm has come to a woman she frequently has observed. (R: AS, N, P, V)

“THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS” (Jan. 24): A childless, island-bound couple (Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander) claims an infant they find as their own. (PG-13: AS, P)

UPCOMING DVD ReLeASeS

JAY BOBBIN'S DVD DIGeST

top pickDVD

Pictured: “BLAIR WITCH”

Pictured: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

“SNOWDEN”Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the controversial releaser of secret government documents in this drama from director and co-screenwriter Oliver Stone, who’s never shied away from hot-button issues in his films. edward Snowden’s revelation of surveillance efforts by the National Security Agency made him a hero to some, and one of the world’s most traitorous and wanted men to others. Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson and Melissa Leo also are in the cast. DVD extras: “making-of” documentary; deleted scenes; panel discussion with Snowden, Stone, Gordon-Levitt and Woodley. ››› (R: AS, N, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)


Family Viewing RatingsAS Adult situations P Profanity V Violence N Nudity GV Graphic Violence

MOVIeS

SUNDAY 9 p.m. on BBC Doctor WhoA long-standing yuletide TV tradition returns with this year’s new “Doctor Who” Christmas episode, “The Return of Doctor Mysterio.” The setting is New York, where the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) must contend with a race of brain-swapping aliens about to attack earth. The Time Lord and his companion Nardole (recurring guest star Matt Lucas, “Little Britain”) team with an investigative journalist (guest star Charity Wakefield, “Wolf Hall”) and a masked superhero known only as The Ghost. Justin Chatwin also guest stars. New

MONDAY 8 p.m. on ABC Happy New Year, Charlie BrownGood grief! Who assigns elementary-school children “War and Peace”? Charlie Brown’s teacher, that’s who. He has to read it over the Christmas break and write a report, but holiday distractions keep getting in the way. He ends up leaving a New Year’s party and sitting outside to read, but that doesn’t end well. Chad Allen (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”) provides the voice of Charlie Brown in this 1986 “Peanuts” special.

TUESDAY 8 p.m. on PBS American MastersThe finale of the program’s 30th season, the new profile “eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw the Future” looks at the personal and professional lives of the architectural visionary whose accomplishments include St. Louis’ Gateway Arch and the TWA Flight Center at New York’s Kennedy Airport. His cinematographer son eric guides a tour of the works, incorporating archival interviews with the elder Saarinen and his second wife Aline, a noted art critic. Season Finale New

“American Masters”

Peter Capaldi stars in the special Christmas episode of “Doctor Who”“Happy New Year, Charlie Brown”

Page 22 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote December 25 - 31, 2016 continued on next page

FAVORITe SHOWS

WEDNESDAY 12 p.m. on SHOWTIME HomelandSeason 6 of this emmy-winning drama series premieres on January 15, but superfans — or latecomers — can revisit or get up to speed with the storylines and characters via a marathon of Seasons 1-5 that Showtime starts today. A complete season will air each day through this coming Sunday, New Year’s Day. Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin are among the regular cast members.

THURSDAY 6 a.m. on BBC Star TrekBBC America reaches back half a century for “Shore Leave,” an episode that originally aired on Dec. 29, 1966, in which a rest break on an idyllic world goes awry when Kirk (William Shatner) and his enterprise crew members find the fruits of their imaginations coming to life. Subsequent episodes continue in a marathon through early Friday morning.

9:30 p.m. on CBSLife in PiecesHeather and Tim (Betsy Brandt, Dan Bakkedahl) urge Clementine’s (Hunter King) parents (guest stars Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman) to help get her marriage to Tyler (Niall Cunningham) annulled, while Matt (Thomas Sadoski) moves in with Colleen (Angelique Cabral), despite pushback from her roommate. John (James Brolin) lands in the hospital when medication has an embarrassing side effect in “Annulled Roommate Pill Shower.” Dianne Wiest also stars.

FRIDAY 9 a.m. on AMC HumansThis critically acclaimed adaptation of a hit Swedish sci-fi drama attracted a tiny audience when it first aired, but now you can see what all the acclaim was about via this marathon of its first (and to date only) season. William Hurt stars as a widowed scientist living in a suburban London of some “parallel present,” where the latest hot trend in gadgets is the Synth, a highly developed, artificially intelligent servant or companion who eerily resembles its human counterpart.

SATURDAY 11 p.m. on FOX Pitbull’s New Year’s RevolutionThe music star is back to stage another bash in Miami’s Bayfront Park to mark the end of one year and the start of another, with Queen Latifah — who’s returning to Fox series work in “Star” — and Snoop Dogg joining him to host the show. Many other musical talents are expected to be on hand for the celebration, which makes it a point to infuse the proceedings with energy specific to Miami ... where Pitbull was born, so he likely wouldn’t have it any other way. New

William Shatner stars in “Star Trek”

Jenny McCarthy is among those taking part in “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2017”


FAVORITe SHOWS

Documents

tHE DisnEy ParKs’ Magical cHristMas cElEbration · 4 Queen Latifah helps Pitbull with a ‘Revolution’-ary New Year’s Eve 5 Fiction plays close to fact for Rupert Evans in ‘The