Tube Talk

Surprise: a second ‘Extreme Makeover’ in St. Louis

Gail Pennington — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:25:25 +0000

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” is taking on a second project in St. Louis. In addition to the Martirez home in Shrewsbury, the team will make over Sam Malek’s coffee shop, More Than Coffee, at 14240 Manchester Road in Manchester. Even the existence of a second project was a secret until the team showed up Thursday morning with the news.

We ran a story on Malek last year. To sum up: He was born in Egypt with cerebral palsy and came to St. Louis for treatment at Children’s Hospital at age 4; he’s now 44 and the father of two teenage sons. He fits this season’s ”EM:HE” theme of “heroes” because the mission of his tiny, drive-through coffee shop is to “help challenged people one cup at a time.” He does that by hiring people with disabilities and giving to charity from his proceeds, with customers helping to decide which organization benefits. Last year, the community rallied to give his struggling business a really big day. That’s when the picture above was taken; Sam is at left, with supporters.

“Sam is a true hero and is a living testimony of the potential all of us can reach when given the opportunity,” says Dave Dunlap of Consolidated Construction Group. “His hard work, perseverance and success are an inspiration to us all…. Sam is an example that hope can prevail.”

“When ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ told us about Sam, again we had to say ‘yes!’,” added John Shea of Callier Thompson Shea. “Sam always puts himself and his needs last, and we are excited to build a new and improved coffee shop for his employees, family and the community that is so dedicated to supporting his mission. Our plan is to complete construction within the next two days.”

The weather did not cooperate today, but here’s a tentative timeline on the build:

Thursday — demolition, foundation and concrete work

Friday — Set building structure; interior finishes

Tuesday — reveal; time TBA

Talk TV today!

Gail Pennington — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:03:47 +0000

I’ve been so busy this week that I toyed with skipping today’s chat, but then I checked and you guys have already put up quite a few questions/comments, so let’s do it. Click HERE to go right to the spot, then come back at 1 p.m. to follow along in real time, or read the transcript later.

Meet the St. Louis ‘Extreme Makeover Home Edition’ family

Gail Pennington — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:53:52 +0000

The St. Louisans chosen for ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” are Dawn and Emmanuel Martirez of Shrewsbury. (Pictured: the scene this morning on the Martirez’ street, as photographed by a neighbor.)

Dawn is a pediatric cancer nurse. They have a daughter, Elle, and twin boys, Evan and Alec. According to the information released this morning:

“Evan has an extremely rare genetic condition called 9P minus, and Alec has another uncommon genetic disorder known as Crouzon Syndrome…. Both twins suffer from skeletal abnormalities that require extensive corrective facial and cranial surgeries, with Evan having physical handicaps and mental retardation and Alec being profoundly hearing impaired.”
Dawn Martirez had to give up her job to take care of the twins full time.

“As the boys get older, the home’s cramped narrow hallways, steep stairs, crumbling driveway and single, handicapped inaccessible bathroom are posing great problems for them and slowing their development. Now it is up to Ty (Pennington) and his designers to equip the Martirez’s home to accommodate the twins’ special needs.”

The “EMHE” team (including designers Paige Hemmis, Ed Sanders, Eduardo Xol and John Littlefield) will work with local builders Callier Thompson Shea Construction & Design LLC and Consolidated Construction Group Inc., plus hundreds of volunteers and workers. During the process, the Martirez family will go on vacation to Disney World.

‘Gossip Girl’: How old are those ‘kids’?

Gail Pennington — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:42:40 +0000

As Season 2 of the CW’s “Gossip Girl” slithers onto the scene, one of the big storylines is that Nate (Chace Crawford) is having an affair with an older woman (Madchen Amick). But those “Gossip Girl” high schoolers seem so old (not to say mature) that the affair really isn’t all that shocking — at least, it’s not all that shocking in the broader context of “Gossip Girl” trying to be as shocking as possible so the network will have something to promote. I looked up their ages, and according to IMDB.com, Amick is 36 (she was in “Twin Peaks” in 1990, 18 years ago!) and Crawford is 23. He’s the oldest of the group of “kids,” most of whom are 21 or 22. The way their characters drink (don’t bartenders in New York card?) and sleep around, it’s a good thing the actors are of age. And the viewers? Yikes. I’d say “Gossip Girl” was what the V-chip was invented for if I weren’t afraid the CW would quote me in one of those ads turning negative criticism into mock praise.

‘Deal or No Deal’: ‘Million-Dollar Mission’ accomplished

Gail Pennington — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:10:39 +0000

NBC tipped me off that Monday night would be the night somebody finally broke the million-dollar barrier on “Deal or No Deal.” I was left with the question of whether to mention that here and in my TV Picks for Monday but opted just to hint and not to make it a spoiler, which people always yell at me for even if it’s something the network has promoted out the wazoo. NBC was clearly getting panicky that nobody would ever have the luck (and guts) to go all the way. I personally was glad to know because 1.) I almost certainly wouldn’t have watched otherwise; and 2.) being aware of the result made it more enjoyable, and a lot less stressful. (The heartbreak of seeing someone go bust is not fun TV.) The adorable winner, Jessica Robinson, started with five $1 million cases and almost seemed to have a psychic knowledge of where the various amounts were. Even her conservative husband and her mom told her “no deal” when she was down to $200,000 and $1 million, with an offer from the banker of almost $600,000. She stuck it out and, like nobody before her, actually had the million. The biggest surprise: Howie didn’t make her wait for the reveal until “after the break.”

‘Prison Break’: make up or break up?

Gail Pennington — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:29:15 +0000

Last season, you may recall, I broke up with “Prison Break.” I could barely stand to spend time (even with Michael Scofield) in the hideous Sona prison, and the last straw was the beheading (make that “beheading”) of his true love, Dr. Sara Tancredi. Well, it’s a new season, and I’m back on board the “Prison Break” bus in a big way. Loved the two-hour season premiere, and the fact that this season seems to be shaping up as a caper-style adventure with humor in addition to the very high — and frequently fatal — stakes is exciting to me. And after the premiere, I have no issue at all with the fact that Sara wasn’t dead after all. Yes, it’s like something out of a soap, but I don’t find the explanation particularly implausible, and did I mention I don’t care anyway? You may, of course, disagree, but a not-dead Sara (pictured: Sarah Wayne Callies with Wentworth Miller) gives me the human element I need to keep “Prison Break” on the DVR.

Chat Thursday!

Gail Pennington — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:16:43 +0000

Lots to chat about this week. I’ve finally seen some of the new fall shows and have also previewed several returning shows — “Prison Break”: wow! – so go ahead, quiz me. (Oh, and “Cane”? Still canceled. Sorry.) Premieres are just around the corner, meaning Labor Day, and I’ve also tracked down the new syndicated shows you might have heard about, from “Bonnie Hunt” to “Trivial Pursuit.” On a less cheerful note, feel free to use the chat (as well as my previous Tube Talk post) to discuss changes in the features sections, most notably the absence of the daily TV grids.

Click HERE to go to the form that will allow you to post questions now, then come back at 1 p.m. Thursday to follow along, or read the transcript later. You can always find links to the chats and transcripts on the TV page of STLtoday.com.

Missourian on ‘Survivor: Gabon’

Gail Pennington — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:07:24 +0000

We can hardly claim him as our own, but Randy Bailey, 49, a wedding videographer from Eagle Rock, Mo., is one of the 18 castaways announced Wednesday for “Survivor: Gabon.” Eagle Rock is in far southwest Missouri, almost on the Arkansas line it looks like from the map.

“Marooned in the wilderness, 18 individuals will embark on an amazing African adventure, battling extreme conditions and interacting with wildlife such as elephants and gorillas, while attempting to forge alliances with strangers from diverse backgrounds,” CBS says of “Survivor: Gabon,” subtitled “Earth’s Last Eden.”

“In a strange coincidence to Earth’s Last Eden, good vs. evil emerges as a major theme this season,” says host Jeff Probst. “I think the audience will quickly identify with one group or the other.” So, “Will the group of deceitful castaways outlast those individuals who play from their heart?,” CBS teases. “Or will the forces of evil prevail? Will temptations interfere with logical decision-making? More importantly, which side will come out on top?”

“Survivor: Gabon” has a two-hour premiere on Thursday, Sept. 25. Here is the list of players against whom Bailey will compete:

JACQUE BERG

25

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Medical Sales

DANNY “GC” BROWN

26

Portland, Ore.

Maintenance Man

MICHELLE CHASE

24

Los Angeles

Music Production Assistant

CRYSTAL COX

29

Durham, N.C.

Former Olympic Gold Medalist

ROBERT “Bob” CROWLEY

58

Portland, Maine

Physics Teacher

KELLY CZARNECKI

22

Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Retail Sales

ACE GORDON

27

Naples, Fla.

Jewelry Sales

CHARLIE HERSCHEL

29

New York

Lawyer

KEN HOANG

22

Westminster, Calif.

Professional Gamer

CORRINE KAPLAN

29

Los Angeles

Pharmaceutical Sales

DAN KAY

32

Boston

Lawyer

JESSICA “Sugar” KIPER

29

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Pin-up Model

GILLIAN LARSON

61

Temecula, Calif.

Retired Nurse

MARCUS LEHMAN

28

Atlanta

Doctor

SUSIE SMITH

47

Charles City, Iowa

Hairdresser

PALOMA SOTO-CASTILLO

24

Downey, Calif.

Student

MATTY WHITMORE

29

Pacific Palisades, Calif.

Personal Trainer

What?! No #@%**!! daily TV listings?

Gail Pennington — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:05:10 +0000

I’ve talked to a lot of people and answered a lot of e-mails in the last two days about the elimination of the daily TV listings. Yes, my ears are ringing. Most people understand that it wasn’t my decision (it wasn’t, and I’m sad about it), but they’re frustrated and angry over the loss of a feature they’ve counted on for years. And hey, I looked at those grids every day too, just to make sure I hadn’t forgotten something I needed to watch that night.

The simple reason for the change is that the economy is bad, many businesses, including newspapers, are suffering, and the price of newsprint is soaring. As editor Arnie Robbins explained in notes to readers, many of the changes were intended to save newsprint — the TV listings alone took up almost a full page a day.

Printed TV listings are, I fear, a dinosaur. Fewer and fewer people use them, relying instead on interactive on-screen guides, customizable online listings or the old click-around method. The Post-Dispatch weekly TV magazine, which may have been on your coffee table as long as you can remember, has been cut way back and is now included only in papers delivered to subscribers. Even the iconic TV Guide magazine, which sells for $3.99 a week, has comparatively few listings these days.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re not one of the people who still makes much use of printed listings. For people who do still count on them, I can only recommend saving and using the PDtv guide from the Sunday paper and consulting my TV Picks in the daily Everyday pullout, which I’ll try to make as comprehensive as possible. If you have cable, check the TV Guide Channel; with digital cable or satellite, use its built-in guide.

And if you have computer access — and many of the complaints I got came by e-mail, so I know you folks have computers — I do suggest trying the listings on STLtoday.com. They are really very good, and not that hard to set up; they give you everything you need and more, and you can even print them out. Here’s where to go.

The TV page at STLtoday (click on the highlighted words to go directly there) is your first stop. In addition to my TV Picks and a link to new posts on Tube Talk, you’ll find a link to the TV Grid. Once you click through and set them up by entering your location, by ZIP code, you’ll get listings for your local channels. (If you don’t set the listings up, you won’t get all the info.) Click on a show title and get a description of the episode — and in many cases a list of upcoming episodes. Go forward in time, by hour or day, as far as two weeks. Set preferences to see only your favorite channels. Print the grid out, if you want to, and put it on the coffee table.

By the way, we’re improving the TV page every day, including adding the full day’s talk show listings, beginning with the morning shows and going straight through to midnight. So bookmark it and check back regularly.

Some people have also complained to me that there’s no place online to vent. Feel free to make use of this post by adding comments (watch your $#&! language, though). But phone comments are being compiled to gauge reader reaction, so please also call. The number is 314-340-8966. You can opt to leave a message or speak to someone; you can also e-mail comments@post-dispatch.com.

Update: Neal E. Boyd’s ‘Got Talent’

Gail Pennington — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:20:54 +0000

After a long break for the Olympics, “America’s Got Talent” returned Tuesday, and singer Neal E. Boyd — St. Louis by way of Sikeston — was the last of 10 semifinalists to perform. The judges thought the wait was worth it. Boyd (dedicating his performance to his grandmother, who died the day after his first performance on the show) sang “Somewhere,” from “West Side Story,” and got huge cheers (maybe the most of the night) from the crowd and a standing ovation from all three judges. They said:

Piers Morgan: “Only in America could you get a guy like you who sells insurance who now comes to this stage … and does that. That was incredible. You have become the Michael Phelps of this competition. You are the man to beat, and whoever beats you will have to give the performance of his life.”

Sharon Osbourne: “Superb. Just superb.”

David Hasselhoff: “I love your choice of songs. ‘There’s a place for us.” The place for you is right here at the top.”

Jerry Springer: “You are incredible. And you sell insurance during the day?”

Neal: “Just trying to make a living.”

Boyd will learn Wednesday night whether he’s one of the five (of the 10) who will advance. It will certainly be a big shock if he doesn’t.