NBC to remake 'Rosemary's Baby' as a four-hour miniseries

Clearly trying to capitalize on the success of FX's American Horror Story franchise, NBC will remake Rosemary's Baby, the classic 1968 horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, as a four-hour miniseries.

You can understand why. NBC has found something of a niche with horror shows. Grimm, in its third season, remains solid in the ratings while Dracula, the freshman drama starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the famed bloodsucker, has been a modest Friday night hit. Then there's AHS: Coven, the wonderfully decadent cult hit that's enjoying its best season ever on FX. Creepy horror is where it's at.

In case you've never seen the original Rosemary's Baby starring Mia Farrow, it's about a young married couple who move into an old New York apartment building where they're surrounded by weird neighbors who aren't exactly bible study members. When the wife gets pregnant, she begins to fear for her unborn child -- and with good reason.

The remake will take place in Paris instead of New York. James Wong (American Horror Story, The X-Files) and Scott Abbott (Introducing Dorothy Dandridge) will write the screenplay. Good to see that Wong is involved. He did, after all, write some of The X-Files' best episodes, including "Home," about the freakishly deformed family who loved their mother a bit too much.

Although the new Rosemary's Baby will be set in Paris, NBC in a statement said the story will remain faithful to Ira Levin's best-selling novel.

NBC wisely picks up 'The Blacklist' for a second season

NBC did a good thing on Tuesday by giving The Blacklist a second season, 22-episode order. I'm not watching many of the new fall shows, but The Blacklist, a deliciously twisty drama starring James Spader as a clever mastermind working with the U.S. government to catch international bad guys, is one of them.

The reason?

Well, Spader, of course. No one plays creepy-cool better than Spader, a veteran actor who could make Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star sound menacing. As Raymond "Red" Reddington, a nattily-dressed terrorist who was one of  the FBI's most wanted fugitives, Spader is Emmy-worthy superb. Whether he's warning rookie FBI agent Liz Keene (Megan Boone) about her shady husband or simply enjoying a fine wine, Red steals every scene, grabbing viewers by the lapels and daring them to take their eyes off him. And, they can't.

The beauty of Red is that he always knows more than he's telling. And, as a criminal himself, you never quite know when Red is fibbing or telling the truth. Every line is spoken like a double entendre. He's the Chairman of Cryptic-speak. Plus, Red wears a fedora, a suit and Italian leather shoes like no one's business.

The Blacklist employs many of the same elements that made 24 such a hit -- rock 'em, sock 'em, action, duplicitous characters who speak with foreign accents and a charismatic star in the lead role. But, unlike Jack Bauer, Red never shouts. He's too cool for that. Besides, really powerful men don't need to raise their voice. Just an eyebrow.

For NBC, renewing The Blacklist was a no-brainer. The series, after all, has been the network's most watched new drama. “The success of ‘The Blacklist’ demonstrates that inspired storytelling is alive and well in broadcast television, and I’m impressed on a daily basis by this creative team’s imagination and the extent to which they will go to capture this grand vision on film,” Bob Greenblatt, the network's chairman of entertainment, said in a statement.

So far, The Blacklist continues to stay on my must watch list.

'Family Guy' creator kills beloved pooch, Brian

Beloved TV characters are killed off all the time. When 24 was on, about five were offed each week. But, you don't see many treasured animated characters meeting their untimely demise.

That's exactly what happened Sunday when Brian, the wisecracking talking dog on Family Guy died after he was run over (violently!) by a car as he was about to play in the street with Stewie. Fans of the show took the death hard, not sure why creator Seth MacFarlane, who also voiced Brian, decided to off the martini-swigging pooch.

By Monday, a petition on change.org demanded that Brian be brought back to life. If Brian were on American Horror Story: Coven, that would've been a done deal. The petition collected more than 1,500 signatures within hours of popping up on the internet.

It's not clear why MacFarlane killed off Brian, one of the show's most popular characters. I'm guessing November sweeps, that critical ratings period, had a little something to do with it. Hey, whenever a show gets desperate for viewers, that's when characters start dying. Or having lesbian makeout sessions. Do you think it was a coincidence that Taraji P. Henson's badass cop Joss Carter on CBS' Persons of Interest was also killed during sweeps?

Knowing MacFarlane, I wouldn't be surprised if he plays the Bobby Ewing card, meaning Brian's death was just a bad dream and he'll be back in no time mocking Peter and trading barbs again with Stewie.

If I were MacFarlane, that's what I'd do.

Cats have nine lives. Why can't Brian have two?

Christmas comes early for 'Best Man Holiday' at the box office

If anyone still needs proof that black folks do go to the movies, I present the following evidence: The Best Man Holiday grosses over $30 million this weekend -- coming very close to besting Thor: The Dark World, which earned $38 million. While everyone seems shocked that The Best Man Holiday, a sequel to 1999's The Best Man, did so well, I'm not.

For starters, black audiences are always hungry to see themselves on the big screen -- and not just in a Tyler Perry movie. Case in point: Lee Daniel's The Butler grossed over $100 million. That The Best Man Holiday featured such an attractive cast playing characters who don't live in the 'hood and who are upwardly mobile professionals sure didn't hurt.

Secondly, while Terrence Howard, Taye Diggs and Morris Chestnut may not be A-listers like Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Hugh Jackman, they're huge names in the black community. For the ladies, Chestnut is a grown man chocolate version of Taylor Lautner from the Twilight films whenever he takes off his shirt. Studio heads need to understand this. Put all of these actors in a film together and you're talking box office gold. Despite black films making film studios green money, there's still this shock and awe reaction whenever one of those movies does well.

No one, like, says, "Wow, I can't believe The Amazing Spider-man kicked butt at the box office this weekend" or "Damn, Man of Steel really overperformed when it grossed a gazillion dollars."


Moreover, The Best Man, although it was made 15 years ago, remains an extremely popular film, one of those movies that's always seems to be airing on BET. While I don't collect a ton of DVDs (there are very few films I enjoy watching over and over), "The Best Man" is one of them. Probably seen it over 50 times. That's because the story doesn't get old and Hollywood still doesn't make enough ensemble films starring black actors.

Not surprisingly, word is director Malcolm Lee has been approached about a third installment. To be honest, I'm a little nervous about that one. If you saw the third Hangover movie, you know what I'm talking about. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. Still, if there is a third "The Best Man" movie, I'd be one of the first in line to see it. And not surprised if it had another impressive opening weekend.

Black folks, after all, do go to the movies.

Here's another shocker: We buy popcorn, too.

'Scandal' gets even more scandalous

So, Mama Pope is actually alive, but not so well and looking like a possessed hot mess in some prison on Scandal.

Did you really think Khandi Alexander was hired to play a dead woman in flahsbacks?

Ha!

She's too talented for that. And also barely unrecognizable in last night's episode. I mean, I understand the last few decades haven't been glorious ones for Mama Pope, but I halfway expected her head to start spinning and for pea soup to come flying out of her mouth after giving Daddy Pope (Joe Morton) the stink eye.

You've heard the old saying, hell hath on fury like a woman scorned?

Well, I bet Mama Pope has.

Stay tuned...

Angela Lansbury calls 'Murder, She Wrote' remake a 'mistake'

The moment I heard NBC was remaking Murder, She Wrote, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.

But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?

Didn't NBC learn anything from the Ironside disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, Mom, the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can't picture anyone else playing her.

What's next? Samuel Jackson in a Gunsmoke remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: "I said, get off that horse, motherf----er!"

I digress.

Back to the Murder, She Wrote reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.

"Murder, She Wrote will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person," Lansbury said. "So I'm sorry that they have to use the title Murder, She Wrote, even though they have access to it and it's their right."

Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.

"I saw her in The Help and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress," Lansbury sid. "So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn't in Murder, She Wrote."

Me too.

But, like Lansbury, I don't want to see Spencer fail and hope the new Murder, She Wrote doesn't, uh, get murdered in the ratings.

The moment I heard NBC was remaking “Murder, She Wrote”, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.
But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?
Didn’t NBC learn anything from the “Ironside” disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, ‘Mom,” the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can’t picture anyone else playing her.
What’s next? Samuel Jackson in a “Gunsmoke” remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: “I said, get off that horse, motherf—-er!”
I digress.
Back to the ‘Murder, She Wrote” reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.
“‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said. “So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.
“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury sid. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
Me too.
But, like Lansbury, I don’t want to see Spencer fail and hope the new “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t get murdered in the ratings.
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/quickpulse/2013/11/11/angela-lansbury-calls-murder-she-wrote-remake-a-mistake/#sthash.JBQzXYbD.dpuf

The moment I heard NBC was remaking “Murder, She Wrote”, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.
But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?
Didn’t NBC learn anything from the “Ironside” disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, ‘Mom,” the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can’t picture anyone else playing her.
What’s next? Samuel Jackson in a “Gunsmoke” remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: “I said, get off that horse, motherf—-er!”
I digress.
Back to the ‘Murder, She Wrote” reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.
“‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said. “So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.
“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury sid. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
Me too.
But, like Lansbury, I don’t want to see Spencer fail and hope the new “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t get murdered in the ratings.
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/quickpulse/2013/11/11/angela-lansbury-calls-murder-she-wrote-remake-a-mistake/#sthash.JBQzXYbD.dpuf

The moment I heard NBC was remaking “Murder, She Wrote”, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.
But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?
Didn’t NBC learn anything from the “Ironside” disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, ‘Mom,” the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can’t picture anyone else playing her.
What’s next? Samuel Jackson in a “Gunsmoke” remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: “I said, get off that horse, motherf—-er!”
I digress.
Back to the ‘Murder, She Wrote” reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.
“‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said. “So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.
“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury sid. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
Me too.
But, like Lansbury, I don’t want to see Spencer fail and hope the new “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t get murdered in the ratings.
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/quickpulse/2013/11/11/angela-lansbury-calls-murder-she-wrote-remake-a-mistake/#sthash.JBQzXYbD.dpuf

The moment I heard NBC was remaking “Murder, She Wrote”, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.
But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?
Didn’t NBC learn anything from the “Ironside” disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, ‘Mom,” the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can’t picture anyone else playing her.
What’s next? Samuel Jackson in a “Gunsmoke” remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: “I said, get off that horse, motherf—-er!”
I digress.
Back to the ‘Murder, She Wrote” reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.
“‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said. “So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.
“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury sid. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
Me too.
But, like Lansbury, I don’t want to see Spencer fail and hope the new “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t get murdered in the ratings.
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/quickpulse/2013/11/11/angela-lansbury-calls-murder-she-wrote-remake-a-mistake/#sthash.JBQzXYbD.dpuf

The moment I heard NBC was remaking “Murder, She Wrote”, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.
But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?
Didn’t NBC learn anything from the “Ironside” disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, ‘Mom,” the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can’t picture anyone else playing her.
What’s next? Samuel Jackson in a “Gunsmoke” remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: “I said, get off that horse, motherf—-er!”
I digress.
Back to the ‘Murder, She Wrote” reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.
“‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said. “So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.
“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury sid. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
Me too.
But, like Lansbury, I don’t want to see Spencer fail and hope the new “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t get murdered in the ratings.
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/quickpulse/2013/11/11/angela-lansbury-calls-murder-she-wrote-remake-a-mistake/#sthash.JBQzXYbD.dpuf

The moment I heard NBC was remaking “Murder, She Wrote”, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.
But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?
Didn’t NBC learn anything from the “Ironside” disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, ‘Mom,” the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can’t picture anyone else playing her.
What’s next? Samuel Jackson in a “Gunsmoke” remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: “I said, get off that horse, motherf—-er!”
I digress.
Back to the ‘Murder, She Wrote” reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.
“‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said. “So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.
“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury sid. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
Me too.
But, like Lansbury, I don’t want to see Spencer fail and hope the new “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t get murdered in the ratings.
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/quickpulse/2013/11/11/angela-lansbury-calls-murder-she-wrote-remake-a-mistake/#sthash.JBQzXYbD.dpuf

The moment I heard NBC was remaking “Murder, She Wrote”, the classic whodunit starring the wonderful Angela Lansbury, with Octavia Spencer, I thought the move was stupid.
But when are broadcast network executives ever really smart?
Didn’t NBC learn anything from the “Ironside” disaster with Blair Underwood? While Spencer is a tremendous actress and clearly has a funny side as she proved on her recent guest-starring turn as an alcoholic/drug addict/wacko embezzler on the CBC sitcom, ‘Mom,” the role of Jessica Fletcher is so identified with Lansbury, I can’t picture anyone else playing her.
What’s next? Samuel Jackson in a “Gunsmoke” remake? Imagine Jackson as Matt Dillon: “I said, get off that horse, motherf—-er!”
I digress.
Back to the ‘Murder, She Wrote” reboot. It appears as if Lansbury agrees with me, telling the Associated Press that bringing the show back to life is a mistake.
“‘Murder, She Wrote’ will always be about a Cabot Cove and this wonderful little group of people who told those lovely stories and enjoyed a piece of that place, and also enjoyed Jessica Fletcher, who is a rare and very individual kind of person,” Lansbury said. “So I’m sorry that they have to use the title ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ even though they have access to it and it’s their right.”
Lansbury said she was surprised when she got wind of the remake. Still as classy as ever, Lansbury said she wished the Oscar-winning Spencer luck in her new/old role.
“I saw her in ‘The Help’ and thought she was absolutely wonderful, a lovely actress,” Lansbury sid. “So I wish her well, but I wish it wasn’t in ‘Murder, She Wrote.’”
Me too.
But, like Lansbury, I don’t want to see Spencer fail and hope the new “Murder, She Wrote” doesn’t get murdered in the ratings.
- See more at: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/quickpulse/2013/11/11/angela-lansbury-calls-murder-she-wrote-remake-a-mistake/#sthash.JBQzXYbD.dpuf

'American Horror Story' creator wants Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett to return

Ryan Murphy, the deliciously twisted co-creator of American Horror Story: Coven, has told Entertainment Weekly that he wants Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett to return for season four.



"That’s very exciting when you can work with A.) actresses you’ve always idolized and B.) those two are loving this season. They love what they get to do," Murphy told the magazine.

He said Bates even sent the writers a basket of plush toys all in the shapes of disemboweled organs.

"It doesn’t get better than when an Oscar winner sends you a grab bag of stuffed pancreas to say ‘Thank you and job well done," Murphy said.

Bassett and Bates are having a devilish time as archenemies Marie Laveaux and Madame LaLaurie, respectively.They're not chewing the scenery, they're devouring it in what has been AHS' best season.

Khandi Alexander to play Olivia Pope's mom on 'Scandal'

Scandal just got juicier -- if that's even possible.

Khandi Alexander has been cast as Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington) long-dead mom on TV's hottest prime time soap.

As we found out last week, Olivia's mother was aboard a civilian airliner that was blown out of the sky as part of Operation Remington, the same shadowy operation, it appears, that got President Kennedy killed for asking too many questions.

What?????

If that's not bad enough, we also learned that Olivia's main squeeze, Fitz The President (Tony Goldwyn) was the guy who shot down the plane under orders from Olivia's evil father (Joe Morton).

What: Part II?????

So, that means Olivia's mom, Maya Lewis, will only be seen in flashbacks. But that's OK as long as she's being played by Alexander.

Talk about a casting coup. Alexander is a fierce actress who has been underrated way too long. Just go back and check out her work on HBO's compelling miniseries The Corner as a tough-talking mom trying to go straight to her powerful role on Treme as a bar owner in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Too bad CBS never really recognized Alexander's talent. I'm still upset at the CSI: Miami writers for never giving her Dr. Alex Woods character anything to do except talk to dead bodies in a loving tone.

"It's gonna be alright, bay-bay" was about the extent of Alexander's lines on that show.

Speaking of lines, Alexander, had the best one in CB4, a "rockumentary" film that covered the rise of a fictitious rap group headed by Chris Rock's MC Gusto. In the movie, Alexander played Sissy, a gangsta rap-loving hoochie who slept with hip hop stars -- and took pictures to prove it.

After giving MC Gusto's wiry frame the once over Sissy, rolling her eyes to the max, blurted, "Small men drown in my s--t."

Yes, that's the kind of sass and 'tude I want Alexander to bring to Scandal.

History Channel to remake 'Roots'

Why?

That's the first question I asked when I read that, according to Deadline, History Channel is going to remake Roots, the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries that made LeVar Burton a star and a lot of white people uncomfortable.

Well, I guess I can understand the decision from the programming suits' perspective. History Channel, after all, scored big ratings with Haftields & McCoys and The Bible. Roots rewrote the ratings record book when it aired over eight nights on ABC, with about 140 million people watching.

TV shows, of course, aren't watched like that today with DVRs and a host of other distractions like cell phones, iPads, iPods, Twitter and Facebook vying for our attention like spoiled toddlers. Since viewers have the attention span of a gnat these days, the new Roots may have to be boiled down to a one night, two-hour movie. Still, History Channel has to believe it can attract a sizable audience by cable TV standards.

I mean, I'll tune in just to compare the new version to the original. And, if the horrors of slavery can be introduced to a new generation of viewers, well, that's a good thing.

But, there's something not quite right about another actor playing Kunta Kinte.There are some shows and movies you just don't mess with when they're done right the first time.

Roots, that saga of an American family, that cultural touchstone for the 1970s, fits into that category.

'Veterans of Color' to air on TV One

In honor of Veterans Day, TV One announced today Veterans of Color, the award-winning documentary, will air on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. 

Directed by Mark Parry, the documentary explores the untold stories of African-American men and women who served in all branches of the United States military. These men and women were amongst those who stormed the beaches of Normandy, flew as Tuskegee Airmen, and served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.  Through personal interviews, Veterans of Color uses 31 individual experiences and culminates them into one overall message of self-sacrifice and determination to fight for the liberties of all. 

The film began as a partnership between The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and The Veterans History Project, established by Congress in 2000. What resulted was a documentary which explores and preserves the personal accounts of U.S. Veterans. Veterans of Color was the official selection of the 2013 Roxbury International Film Festival, the 2012 Sarasota Film Festival and the 2013 Honolulu African American Film Festival.

During the film, veterans will offer words of wisdom and inspiration through special on-air vignettes. These segments were filmed at a Walmart and Radio One sponsored screening of Veterans of Color held for both active-duty and retired members of the military earlier this year.

Guess what? Black women ARE funny!

Whenever Kerry Washington's role as glam fixer extraordinaire Olivia Pope comes to an end on Scandal, Lorne Michaels, Saturday Night Live's silver-haired kingmaker, should seriously consider adding her to the show's cast.

This, of course, will never happen. 

For starters, Washington, who has a pretty good movie and TV career going, would never accept such an offer.

Secondly, Washington would be way out of Michaels' price range.

Too bad because Washington killed it as SNL host. I mean, absolutely murdered it while demonstrating an impressive comedic range. I still can't get the lyrics of the hilarious parody of that dumb Fox video by Ylvis out of my head.

That Washington -- a black female -- did the honors last night, got a little more press than usual because, well, SNL, hasn't exactly embraced black female comics. The show, after all, has had only four in its 38-year history.

And, consider this, since President Obama was elected in 2008, no cast member has played Michelle Obama.

Can you imagine SNL without Hilary Clinton? Or Nancy Reagan?

Of course not.

So, in a sense, it felt as if Washington was breaking down a color barrier on SNL, even though she wasn't.

Not shying away from the controversy, the writers actually embraced it in the cold opening by poking fun of the fact that Washington would be forced to play The First Lady, Oprah and Beyonce in the same sketch because of the dearth of black female cast members.

The producers at Saturday Night Live would like to apologize to Kerry Washington for the number of black women she will be asked to play. We make these requests because Ms. Washington is an actress of considerable range and talent – and also because SNL does not currently have a black woman on the cast. Mostly the latter. We agree this is not an ideal situation and look forward to rectifying it in the near future, unless, of course, we fall in love with another white guy first.

Keenan Thompson (no relation), one of two black male cast members, was quoted as saying there are no black women on the show because quality black comediennes are hard to find.

"They never find ones that are ready," Thompson was quoted in TV Guide.

Really, Keenan?

Even if you feel that way, did you, like, have to say it out loud? Are you that worried that a talented black woman is gonna reduce your sketch time? You can't be that insecure. Well, you're a comic, so you probably are.

Clearly, there are many black women who are ready for not-so-prime time.

Kerry Washington proved that last night. Perhaps, Washington, as the cutthroat Olivia, can make Michaels fix the problem.

For good.

Five reasons Why 'It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' is still great

It's been 47 years since It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired on CBS. Now the charming animated treasure airs on ABC and will again Halloween night.

Different network, same special.

And, you know what? After all these years, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown still holds up and takes me back to that 4-year-old boy I was when the show premiered way back in 1966.

Here are five reasons why...

    1. Vince Guaraldi: Even if you don't like cartoons, you had to love Guaraldi's jazzy score. His memorable rendition of Linus and Lucy plays for nearly two minutes during the show's pre-credits teaser.  Guaraldi is probably a big reason why I love jazz so much now.
   
    2. Linus' unshakable belief in the Great Pumpkin: He's laughed at by his friends. Told he's wasting his time and that he's crazy. Still, every Halloween, there's Linus, the blanket-carrying dreamer, waiting in the frigid fall night for the Great Pumpkin to rise up with his bag of toys for all the good children. He never does, of course. But deep down, you still believe that one year, he just might.

    3. Snoopy's Halloween exploits: No dog has a more vivid imagination than Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Just watch Snoopy pretend to be a World War I Flying Ace who gets shot down crossing wartime France. Charlie Brown may be the heart of Peanuts, but Snoopy is its soul -- and a very funny one.
   
    4. Lucy pulling the football . . . again: Is this the year that Charlie Brown finally gets to kick that danged football? Lucy has a "signed document" saying it is. Alas, it's not.
   
    5. Four words - "I got a rock." Like Rodney Dangerfield, Charlie Brown never gets any respect. While his fellow trick-or-treaters walked home with gum, candy and popcorn balls, "blockhead" Charlie wound up with a bag of rocks. But that bit of misfortune only makes us love him even more. Who doesn't, after all, love an underdog?
   

Bob Barker returning to 'Price is Right' for 90th birthday

Bob Barker, former host of The Price Is Right, is returning to the long-running game show on Dec. 12 in honor of his 90th birthday.

According to reports, the show will celebrate Barker's birthday the week of Dec. 9. Barker hosted the show for 35 years before dropping that skinny mic of his for good in 2007. The affable Drew Carey now lords over the spinning wheel.

Four years ago, I chatted with Barker, who, like just about every other celebrity, has a Palm Beach County connection. Here's that chat....

   Question: You once worked at a Palm Beach radio station. Tell me about your time in Florida.
   Answer: I was at WWPG. At that time it was a very attractive little station right on the ocean. The manager of the station helped (my late wife) Dorothy Jo get a job teaching biology at Palm Beach High School. We stayed there for a year (1949-50) and loved every minute of it. We spent a lot of time on the beach. In those days, you could be at the beach on the weekend and it wasn't crowded. It was just a lovely place to be.
    I was a staff announcer and I later became news editor. I used to go around and collect the local news and write that up and pull the national news off the wire. That Christmas I played Santa Claus, and I've always claimed to be the best Santa Claus Palm Beach ever had. And my claim has never been disputed.
    Q:Why do you love Florida and Palm Beach so much?
    A: Dorothy Jo and I loved the beach. We love tans. We used to lay in the sun for hours.
    Q:Who has the better tan -- you or George Hamilton?
    A: I hate to admit it, but George probably does. I stay out of the sun pretty much now because I've had one skin cancer after another. I'm now being more careful. I still love that sun.
    I'll tell you why I became a naval aviator. I opened a magazine ... and there was a full-page picture of a young naval aviator wearing an all-white uniform, gold buttons, the white hat. He was leaning on the wing of a fighter plane and had a deep tan. I looked at that guy and thought, 'If I have to go to war, I want to go to war looking like that guy!'
    I went down to the post office that day and signed up to become a naval aviation cadet. Once I got my wings and my fighter plane, I used to put on my white uniform, go out and lean on the wing of the plane. Unfortunately, there was never a photographer around.
    Q:While you were living in Palm Beach, you also did some modeling. That led to an unlikely offer to appear in a porn movie. What's the story behind that?
    A:(laughs extremely hard) The National Enquirer got an advance copy of the book, and that was the one thing they picked out. The headline was 'Price not right for Bob Barker to become porno star.' You can imagine what that did. One person tells another person and pretty soon it's 'Bob has been in a pornographic movie.'
    The story is I was doing some modeling for Cities Service in Palm Beach. A New York photographer came down and he needed a model. Someone -- I don't know who it was -- suggested me. He asked me if I was married and if my wife was pretty. I told him that she was beautiful and he used us as models.
    For years, we were on the road maps for Cities Service. I told this photographer that eventually we were going to move to California and I wanted to get into radio. This photographer gave me the card of a friend of his who he thought could use me as a model to get a little work while I was trying to break into radio. I called him, made an appointment. He said he couldn't use me, but he had a friend on Santa Monica Boulevard who might be able to use me.
    So I met this fellow and it (the offer) was done so diplomatically and gently that I didn't realize at first what we were talking about. But suddenly it dawned on me that this guy was offering me a part in a pornographic picture! I said, 'This is just not my thing' and I fled. I thought it was so funny and I laughed all the way home.
    Q: How'd your wife react?
    A: She turned around with a straight face and she said, 'Did you take it?'
    Q: Did she want you to take it?
    A:(laughing) Oh, nooooo! If there had been an audition, I would've never been offered the part.
    Q: Do you miss hosting 'The Price is Right'?
    A: No, I really don't. I thought I might after all those years. I had been doing a show ever since I was 21. I was afraid I would wake up the first morning and realize there was no show and I might just go off my gourd. Quite the contrary, I'm much more relaxed -- mentally and physically. I'm a complete success at retirement. I think it was because I did it at just the right time. I went out on top and the shows were as good, if not better, than they had ever been.
    I didn't retire too soon. I didn't retire too late, it was just the right time. As a result, I'm really quite content. I've been very busy (with his animal rights foundation), so I won't be sitting around just staring off into space.

AMC renews 'The Walking Dead'

"Sometimes, dead is better."

That line comes from the old dude in the movie Pet Semetary who tried to warn his new neighbor about the creepy cemetery in the woods where animals who were buried there came back to life, but kinda not like they were when they were alive.

Well, AMC can say the same thing.

As expected, the network announced it's renewing the popular zombie drama The Walking Dead for a fifth season. The show's fourth season premiere earned a robust 20 million viewers, which gave AMC 20 million reasons why it should bring the show back.

"This is a show that has erased traditional distinctions between cable and broadcast," AMC President Charlie Collier said in a statement. "Its expanding base of passionate fans has grown every season, most recently -- and most notably -- with the season four premiere earlier this month, which broke viewership records for the series and became the biggest non-sports telecast in cable history."

I keep hearing great things about Walking Dead, but unfortunately, I never got into it. I did, however, get an up-close-and-personal look at several Walking Dead zombies when my wife and I recently visited Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando.

While she was terrified, I kept looking for that hilarious zombie from the Sprint commercial.

Sheen Shines on 'Masters of Sex'

Michael Sheen is doing some terrific work as trailblazing, 1950s sex researcher William Masters on Showtime's racy drama, Masters of Sex.

Look for Welsh actor to get an Emmy nod next year for his quietly understated performance. Unlike ABC's Scandal, where just about every character utters their lines as if they're in a DEFCON 1 scenario, Sheen's performance is more muted.

But just as powerful and attention grabbing.

Nice to see the good doctor finally letting go of his emotions on Sunday -- and taking that proverbial stick out of his butt -- after his wife, Libby (Caitlin Fitzgerald) suffered a miscarriage. It wasn't easy for Bill to, in a sense, stand naked and vulnerable is front of his assistant, Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan).

Which is why Bill literally closed Virginia's eyes before letting out a cry that was decades in the making. You understand why, given his complex relationship with his mother, whose head is buried so far in the sand it would take ages for her to dig it out.

Bill's bedside manner is about as warm and fuzzy as a rattlesnake attack, a personality trait that can be traced to Bill's childhood. Many times, men compartmentalize their emotions. Bill, however, locks his in a steel vault.

Although sex obviously plays a big role in the series -- heck, the word is in the title -- that's not the main reason to watch. To me, Bill and Virginia have become the new Mulder and Scully, those intrepid FBI agents from The X-Files.

They say more with a knowing glace, a slight brush of the hand than they could with 50 pages of dialogue.

And the tightly-wound Bill holds my attention whenever he's on screen. The folks at Showtime were smart to pick up the show for a second season.

The Academy of Television of Arts & Sciences would be equally smart to give Sheen the Emmy nomination he so richly deserves.