By Lori Acken

Everybody can relax now. The long-rumored Jackson Family reality series has become an actuality — and Michael’s three children are NOT the stars of the show.

Instead, it is four of the musical legend’s brothers — Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon — who are featured in A&E’s new docuseries The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, premiering with back to back episodes on Sunday, Dec. 13 beginning at 9pm ET.

The series will follow the brothers as they prepare for a Jackson Five reunion, lend vocals to the soundtrack for Michael’s This Is It feature film and attend it’s bittersweet premiere, and support Tito as he joins Gladys Knight in a concert performance at London’s Wembley Arena — all while trying to come to terms with Michael’s untimely death.

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Categories: Reality TV, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: A&E, Button Knows, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Lori Acken, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, The Jackson Five, The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty, Tito Jackson

By Lori Acken

Well, huh.

Apparently the mother lode of excitement that was the recent Bachelorette — what with its bragging girlfriend-haver Wes, toe-lovin’ Tanner, controversial winner Ed, and a host of relentlessly returning cast-offs — was just a little too much for ABC.

It’s the only reason I can think of to explain why — after taunting us Bachelor faithful with potential promises of Romeo-in-blue-jeans Reid or Ken-Doll-come-true Kiptyn as Season 14′s one for the roses — they up and settled for snoozy, milquetoast, tattletale Jake.

Jake.

C’mon now, Alphabet — and sorry Jake’s mom — but surely you know this here is the kind of guy us girls, even us good girls, even us girls who didn’t have boys lined up on our doorstep, ditched out on the minute someone else came courting?

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Categories: Reality TV, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: ABC, Button Knows, Jake Pavelka, Kiptyn Locke, Lori Acken, Reid Rosenthal, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette

By Lori Acken

Looks like Papa Gosselin is about to get his much-vocalized wish for more time [to party it up] away from the watchful eyes and lenses of TLC film crews … but possibly with much less cash in the bargain.

TLC announced today that — no doubt in light of the show’s plunging ratings and Jon’s escalating affection for the lifestyle of an indulged frat boy — it will relaunch Jon & Kate Plus 8 in November minus its prodigal patriarch.

According to the network, the newly named Kate Plus 8 will “adapt to the changing Gosselin family” and “continue to capture the incredible lives of the eight Gosselin children and their family, but will now include a deeper focus on Kate’s role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life.”

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Categories: Fall Preview 2009, Family, Reality TV, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: Button Knows, Jon & Kate Plus 8, Jon & Kate Plus Eight, jon and kate plus 8 announcement, Jon gosselin, Kate Gosselin, Kate Plus 8, Kate Plus Eight, Paula Deen, TLC

By Lori Acken

My prediction? Ed and Kiptyn be damned (or be the next Bachelor) — Jillian chooses no one.

Or — since we’ve already been treated to that particularly irritating outcome a few seasons back, courtesy of Bachelor Brad Womack — maybe an old Vancouver-based beau returns in next Monday’s finale to sweep her off her feet.

Or maybe she decides that dream dating the dapper duo ain’t such a bad life and continues the competition off-air.

That’d be a new one, too.

In any case, with exactly one successful union under its belt in 17 cumulative seasons, The Bachelor/ette franchise obviously does not require matrimony as the key to its success … so anything that could feasibly be chalked up to “The Most Dramatic Final Rose Ceremony Ever” should suffice, as long as it draws viewers and enrages bloggers. Right?

Right on.

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Categories: Reality TV, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: ABC, Bachelorette finale, Button Knows, Ed Swiderski, Jillian Harris, Kiptyn Locke, Lori Acken, Reid Rosenthal, The Bachelorette, Wes Hayden

By Lori Acken

Smile a while, Sara Sidle lovers!

CBS announced today that SAG Award winner Jorja Fox will reprise the role on multiple episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation when the show returns for its tenth season September 24.

“We’re thrilled for Jorja’s return to CSI,” said executive producer Carol Mendelsohn. “The viewers and longtime CSI fans will be excited to discover where life has taken Sara Sidle and what brings her back to the CSI team in Las Vegas in our premiere episode.”

Fox, a series regular and fan favorite since the show’s first season, left in the midst of Season 8, briefly reappearing in Season 9 as part of the story line that ushered fellow series regular William Petersen — who starred as Gil Grissom, Sidle’s boss and lover — to the other side of the series’ cameras to produce and direct.

Nonetheless, dare we be greedy enough to hope that Grissom is there at his lady’s side when she returns, since Petersen said he was not opposed to making guest appearances?

Stay tuned …

Categories: Drama, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: Button Knows, CBS, CSI, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Gil Grissom, Grissom, Jorja Fox, Lori Acken, Sarah Sidle, William Petersen

By Lori Acken

Bachelorette fans, if you’re like me, you long ago passed the, “Well, DOES he or DOESN’T he?” thing about ol’ Wes The Silver Tongued Maybe-Not-A Bachelor and his waitin’-at-home alleged girlfriend, and moved right on to “Who the hell is she, and why isn’t she pissed?!”

Well, we finally know who the hell she is. And why she isn’t pissed. And if you’re picturing some sweet little Austin-grown posey in a flowery dress and cowboy boots who, like Jillian, is completely snowed by her man’s tender tunes … well … not so much.

Before she spent three years with Jilli’s favorite eye-and-ear candy, 29-year-old Austin-based spa owner Laurel Kagay also dated Season 11′s infamous commitment-phobe Bachelor Brad Womack, an Austin bar owner, for four years — sending the blogosphere into a frenzy with rumors of everything from daily texts from Womack during filming to a love child borne to Kagay about which neither speaks.

One revelation that’s definitely not conjecture: the Texas heartbreaker also dated Austin-based businessman Collin Evans, an unsuccessful contender for the heart of Season 3 Bachelorette Jen Schefft.

Personally, I think the girl seems like a hoot … and one savvy bachelorette to boot, since she suh-wears she and Wes are no longer together. Helloooooo, TB producers … ? Just imagine whom her 5 Extra Men could be.

Categories: Reality TV, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: Brad Womack, Button Knows, Collin Evans, Jillian Harris, Laurel, Lori Acken, The Bachelorette, The Bachelorette Laurel, Wes, Wes and Laurel

By Lori Acken

Back in early May, with storm clouds already directly overhead for TLC’s most famous — and lucrative — couple, Jon & Kate Gosselin, I aimed my “Pushing Buttons” column for the July issue of Channel Guide at the wisdom (or lack thereof) in real Moms and Dads inviting TV audiences to be their nosiest of neighbors. Especially when they are raising a family that is unique because of enormous ranks and the inherent enormous challenges.

Because we work some six weeks out from the time the magazine arrives in your homes, as I was writing, the rest of the nosy neighbors were kept terrifically busy guessing what would go down first: Kate would ditch Jon for her silver-fox bodyguard, Jon would dump Kate for a gum-chewin’ teacher, or TLC would eventually let on that it was all just a little fictionalized stew they cooked up for ratings’ sake. Because let’s face it — the snugglefest that was Father Knows Best went out of fashion a half-century back and we all love to hate Raymond now.

And now, just a few days before that issue and that column arrive in your mailbox, we got the one-two punch that we kinda saw coming: There will no longer be a Jon and Kate at home with the Eight. Not at one time anyway.

For a while, there won’t even be a show. 

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Categories: Family, Reality TV, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: Button Knows, buttonknows, jon and kate, jon and kate plus 8, jon and kate plus 8 announcement, jon and kate plus 8 divorce, Jon gosselin, Kate Gosselin, Lori Acken, TLC

By Lori Acken

Good one, WWE. You had me going there for a little minute.

After boring, confusing and irritating me right into the arms of the UFC with dopey-even-for-wrestling story lines, loathsome new characters, switcheroo casting and just the general feeling that thee and I had been together entirely too long, you almost got me back with Monday night’s announcement that The Vince had sold The Raw to his long-time frenemy The Donald.

“The terms of the deal were not disclosed” said today’s ensuing press release.
“This was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” said Vince (WWE Chairman Vince McMahon).

“WHA’??!” said the world. Or at least those of us who care.

So did Donald Trump REALLY buy a single franchise from the WWE stable of programming? Did uberego Vince McMahon really fork over his biggest, most prolific ratings grabber to a guy that, on camera anyway, he cannot stand?

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Categories: TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: Button Knows, Donald Trump, Lori Acken, Lori Lundquist Acken, RAW, Trump buys RAW, Vince McMahon, WWE, WWE wrestling

By Lori Acken

I’ll admit it.

I enjoyed a deliriously happy 2-season relationship with Bravo’s Real Housewives of Orange County — until my fellow thirty- and fortysomething ladies bid their goofy little twentysomething pal, Jo, adieu and summarily had their turf invaded by a parade of giggly bleach-blonde trophy wives and earthy, defeated-looking brunettes who seemed to render Gina, Vicki and Lauri as disdainful, annoyed and territorial as I was. We stopped talking about the gall of our overprivleged children and the cluelessness of our never-present husbands over backyard barbecues, and started getting pissy about Botox and nightclubs.

I didn’t actually the live fabulous O.C. lifestyle — I just looked at it —  so I tuned out and moved on. And skipped the New York bunch and the Atlanta wives altogether — because when you say “single socialite” or “Countess du Anything,” I do not say Housewife. I say, “Do one load of whites and then we’ll talk.”

Until now.

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Categories: Comedy, Drama, Reality TV, TV News & Program Updates by buttonknows
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Tags: Bravo, Button Knows, Caroline Manzo, Channel Guide, Danielle Staub, Jacqueline Laurita, Lori Acken, Real Housewives, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Real Housewives of Orange County