Dorothy Lucey purges co-host's 'mean' at 'Good Day L.A.' [Video]

Dorothy Lucey joked about her promise not to cry during her guest shot Monday on her former rival "The KTLA Morning News," her first TV appearance since being let go a little more than a week ago from "Good Day L.A.", the Fox 11 news/entertainment show where she had worked for 17 years.

But Lucey, whose contract was not renewed, almost teared up when recalling how distraught she was by unflattering comments the show's "weather and lifestyle" anchor Jillian (Barberie) Reynolds had made about her on Howard Stern's radio show. Reynolds in 2009 spoke to Stern about her dislike for Lucey, calling her "very Christian and Bible-thumpy."

Lucey said she would call her friend, KTLA entertainment reporter Sam Rubin, on her way to work, sobbing and saying, "I don't know if I want to be there anymore," she was so upset by the "mean."

The KTLA morning news team and Lucey were discussing Reynolds' apology to Lucey about those insults on the morning before Lucey's farewell. Footage of the apology -- and the conciliatory hug between the women with anchor Steve Edwards between them -- has provoked considerable buzz from some observers and bloggers who felt Reynolds was insincere and faking tears.

Rubin on Monday told Lucey that he felt Reynolds had taken "this unfortunate thing that happened to Dorothy, and made it all about herself." Weather anchor Mark Kriski said he felt Lucey was being blamed because things at KTTV "are not going well."

Lucey said she was also surprised by what she called her firing, since station management had told her that they wanted a "nice" newscast and that she fit right in. "I'm the nice Christian girl, the charity girl," she quipped.

She said she had a sense that she was going to be let go: "People were looking at me for a few weeks with sad eyes. I knew for a couple of weeks. I went through a period of denial."

But Lucey noted that despite the hard times, "for the most part, it was really fun." Saying she loved Edwards and Reynolds, who she called "a sister," Lucey added that she was touched by Reynolds' apology.

"I thought it was something that was deep and lovely, because [the comments] had been gnawing at me," Lucey said. "It helped me say goodbye." She suggested she had never confronted Reynolds about the statements: "You like to think you're the bigger person, that you forgive and forget, but it had gnawed at me."

Edwards remains on "Good Day L.A." while Reynolds will appear on a more limited basis that will allow her to participate in other projects. Executives said they would soon start holding auditions to replace Lucey.

 

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Richard Dawson dies at 79: host of TV's "Family Feud"

-- Greg Braxton

Appreciation: Richard Dawson brought a bit of England to America

The career of Richard Dawson, who died Sunday at age 79, breaks down, broadly speaking, into two not unrelated parts, each of which displayed and depended upon a certain roguish, vaguely foreign charm. American audiences first got to know him as Cpl. Peter Newkirk on the prisoners-of-war sitcom "Hogan's Heroes"; later we grew to love him as the first and still most famous host of "Family Feud" for the entirety of its first run (1976-85) and for the final season of its second (1994-95), after which he retired from show business.

The mid-1960s was a good time to be English in America. (Even if you were only halfway so: the British-born Dawson's father was American.) It was the age of the Beatles and Bond, and to my own impressionable eye, this made Dawson's Newkirk (even more than star Bob Crane's Col. Hogan) the most attractive member of the cast. (I was little enough to take its nonsense seriously.) There was a knowingness to the character that was not quite a naughtiness, a Cockney cocksureness, a streak of larceny appealingly turned to heroic ends.

These qualities Dawson imported, because they may have in some way been native to him, into his post-"Hogan" career, first as a cast member on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," already in progress, and then on the deceptively hip '70s version of "Match Game," where the contest itself was less the point than the loose banter of the panelists. Then came "Family Feud" -- perhaps the most American of great American game shows, with its contestants representing unity and diversity -- where he dispensed innumerable kisses and compliments and kept order with a gently ironic edge.

Apart from "Hogan," Dawson's other acting appearances, which included several episodes of the underrated "The New Dick Van Dyke Show" and a dark inversion of his "Family Feud" persona in the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi film "The Running Man," were few; a psych-pop single, "Apples and Oranges," from 1967, led nowhere, but it remains an interesting artifact of its time.

He was above all a television personality, which has sometimes been described as "being famous for nothing" but in fact requires a particular set of talents, by no means easy to come by: quickness, confidence and the ability to be amusing, accessible and alive on a TV screen. The sort of programs in which Dawson specialized for most of his career are those in which viewer and viewed are at their least remote, where living room and stage set become a single shared space: You don't watch these shows so much as hang out in them. 

He has sometimes been compared to Groucho Marx, whose "You Bet Your Life" he once was briefly set to revive -- but his bearing, in his later years especially, reminded me more of a friendlier, happier W.C. Fields. Respecting the game while not taking it too seriously, maintaining control without superiority, mocking without derision, intelligence without ostentation -- these are the qualities that defined Richard Dawson and keep him fresh in memory.

--Robert Lloyd
twitter.com/LATimesTVLloyd

Image: Richard Dawson hosts "Family Feud" in 1978. Credit: Associated Press

ABC renews 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Revenge,' 'Once ..." and more

ABC has renewed seven of its series: "Grey's Anatomy," "Revenge," "Once Upon a Time," "Suburgatory," "The Middle," "Modern Family" and "Castle."

Quite a mouthful, eh?  

"Modern Family," though experiencing a dip in viewers, will come back for Season 4, and "Grey's Anatomy" will enter its ninth. "Castle" has been a steady performer in its Monday slot; its renewal will take the crime dramedy into its fifth season, helping it reach the 100-episode benchmark. 

"The Middle" has held its own on the network in the Wednesday comedy block -- helping to pass the viewer baton as a lead-in for freshman series "Suburgatory." 

"Suburgatory" has some fellow rookies with which to revel in the renewal elation: The fairy-tale drama "Once Upon a Time" had an impressive debut last fall, with 13 million viewers and a 4.0 in the 18-49 demo, and it has continued to perform well for the network, helping the show to land a spot next season. The devilishly soapy "Revenge" also will get a sophomore season.

The renewals come on the heels of news that "Cougar Town" is moving from ABC to TBS.

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-- Yvonne Villarreal

twitter.com/villarrealy

Photo: Ginnifer Goodwin, left, and Lana Parrilla in "Once Upon a Time." Credit: ABC

'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' accused of racial bias

Two Nashville men plan to file a class-action suit against "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," claiming that the ABC dating shows intentionally exclude people of color.

Representatives for Nathaniel Claybrooks, described as an "All-American football player," and Christopher Johnson, described as an "aspiring National Football League player," contend that both shows over the last 10 years and 23 combined seasons have never featured a person of color in the central role of "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette." They say they play to file class-actions complaints in federal court on Wednesday.

Among those being named in the suit are ABC Inc., Warner Horizon Television Inc. and executive producer Mike Fleiss.

ABC and Warner Horizon representatives declined to comment.

It's not the first time "The Bachelor" has been hit with charges of racism. Shawn Ryan, the creator of "The Shield" and "The Unit," last year blasted producers of "The Bachelor" after they defended the lack of cultural diversity. Fleiss had maintained that the reason why a person of color had not been cast in the main role of the series was becasue minorities had not "come forward."

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— Greg Braxton

Photo: Ashley Hebert kisses J.P. Rosenbaum on the finale of "The Bachelorette's" seventh season. Credit: AP Photo/ABC, Matt Klitscher

Chris Wallace on his late father, Mike: 'He became my best friend'

Chris Wallace, host of Fox News Channel's "Fox News Sunday," was an infant when his parents divorced in 1948, and it wasn't until he was a teenager, following the death of an older brother, that he began to get to know his father, broadcast journalist Mike Wallace. The elder man eventually repaired the damage, and his son was grieving Monday.

Two days after the famed "60 Minutes" reporter died at age 93, Chris Wallace released a statement:

"My dad was everything you saw on television: fascinating and funny, challenging and exasperating.  He was the best reporter I have ever known.  And while work often came first for him, over the last 20 years, he worked hard to make connections with his family.  He became my best friend.  And at the end, he was surrounded by children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.  I already miss him terribly."

Chris Wallace, 64, has been with Fox since 2003 after lengthy stints at NBC News and ABC News.

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— Lee Margulies

Photo: "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace and his father, Mike Wallace, during taping of the television show on Nov. 3, 2005.  Credit: AP / Fox News.

Remembering Mike Wallace

Veteran broadcast journalist Mike Wallace, who found his way into the homes of millions of people through his many years on CBS' "60 Minutes," died Saturday night at the age of 93.

No cause of death has been released, but Wallace's heath had been declining for years. 

"It is with tremendous sadness that we mark the passing of Mike Wallace," CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves said in a statement on the CBS News website. "His extraordinary contribution as a broadcaster is immeasurable and he has been a force within the television industry throughout its existence. His loss will be felt by all of us at CBS."

Already an established fixture on CBS news circuit as host of an early version of "The CBS Morning News," Wallace became a correspondent on "60 Minutes" from its premiere in 1968 and quickly earned a reputation as a dogged interrogator. His tough interview style would carry him through 38 seasons with the program until his retirement in 2006.

Here's a look back at some of his most memorable moments:

(1964) 
A year before the death of Malcolm X, Wallace spoke with the activist leader about his position in the black Muslim community. 

(1982) Part of the CBS investigative report (“The Uncounted Enemy”) claiming the U.S. military had inflated body counts during the Vietnam War, the general in charge of most of the war, William Westmoreland, denied the claims and later sued Wallace and CBS for millions. The case was later settled.  

 

 

(1991) Things got heated between Wallace and Barbra Streisand during this sit-down. She even cried. While questioning her use of psychotherapy, Wallace famously told her, “I really didn’t like you back then, 30 years ago.”

 

 

(1996) Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and Wallace's discussion of corruption in Nigeria led to a tense exchange.  

(1996) It was the Wallace interview with tobacco company insider Jeffrey Wigand that inspired the Hollywood feature film "The Insider," and a flurry of debate. It's hard to find clips of it, but here's a link to the memorable interview. And here's a sample of it.

 

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--Yvonne Villarreal

twitter.com/villarrealy

Photo: Mike Wallace. Credit: Stephen Lovekin / Getty Images

CBS plans new version of Edward R. Murrow's 'Person to Person'

"Person to Person," the iconic interview show hosted and created by legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow, will be revived by CBS News next year.

"CBS This Morning" co-host Charlie Rose and CBS News Chief Foreigh Affairs Correspondent and "60 Minutes" Correspondent Lara Logan will co-host the new version, which will premiere Feb. 8.

The original "Person to Person" broke new ground in 1953 when Murrow began taking viewers into homes of famous figures, including Elizabeth Taylor, John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Harry Truman, Fidel Castro and John Steinbeck. The show also shows Robert Kennedy soothing his young children and Sammy Davis Jr. practicing dance routines.

In the new version, Rose and Logan will also go in the private homes of public perople, including musicians, actors, directors, political leads and news makers.

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Photo: Edward R. Murrow. Credit: CBS Inc.

'Monday Night Raw' recap: The Rock, Mick Foley and Twitter

It was another exciting episode of "Monday Night Raw," with rare appearances by The Rock and Mick Foley. However, it appears they want to change the name of the show to "Monday Night Twitter."

The good: The Rock showed why he is in a different league than everyone else on the WWE roster by cutting an electrifying promo (until it skidded off the rails with his Twitter pandering). Dolph Ziggler continues to shine, and they will hopefully give him a serious push soon.

The bad: The Michael Cole Challenge was just another excuse to try and humiliate Jim Ross. A "Who weighs less" challenge? Really? It has reached a point in which you wonder why Ross puts up with all of this. Maybe he needs the money, but you have to guess he has made a decent sum of money in his career.

The ugly: They bring Mick Foley back after several years, and the best they can do is a "This is Your Life, John Cena" segment that died a slow death? It would have been a lot better, if, instead of The Rock waiting 10 minutes into the segment to give Foley a Rock Bottom, he would have come out immediately and done it. It would have been a nice riff on the horrible "This is Your Life" segment Foley did with Rock several years ago, with Rock not wanting anyone, even John Cena, to go through that again. And it would have built intrigue to Foley's next appearance, whenever that may be.

The mystifying: This continuing obsession with Twitter. The Rock had a great promo going until he tried to get a phrase to trend on Twitter. For the first time in a long time, The Rock came off as less than cool. The annoying pop-ups on screen during the show, letting us know what WWE term is trending on Twitter at that moment. Guys, you look silly with all this constant Twitter pandering. If having a term trending on Twitter doesn't lead to an increase in rating, or an increase in PPV buys, or an increase in website hits, then it's pretty worthless. And looking at the numbers, it doesn't lead to any of those things. So what's the point?

Sunday is The Survivor Series. The Rock and John Cena wrestle R-Truth and The Miz. I'll give you a quick recap of that during next week's "Monday Night Raw" recap.

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-- Houston Mitchell

Photo: Mick Foley, left, and John Cena during the "This is Your Life, John Cena" segment. Credit: WWE

 

Appreciation: Andy Rooney, 1919-2011

The American humorist Andy Rooney, who last month retired from his longtime seat on the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes," which he would cap each week with an observation about this thing or that -- or more often this thing and that, and then another thing -- died Friday night at the age of 92.

Rooney, whose job was to be publicly himself for a few minutes every Sunday evening, was inescapably different things to different people, and even from essay to essay: On the one hand, a teller of truths, old enough to remember a world that made a little more sense, or wise enough to imagine the world in which we finally might get it right; on the other, a mean old man yelling at some damn kids to get off his lawn. (Cameron Crowe's recent documentary "Pearl Jam Twenty," about the Seattle rock band, replays at length Rooney's less than gracious remarks on the 1994 suicide of Kurt Cobain, and the generation that idolized him.)

PHOTOS: Andy Rooney| 1919 - 2011

Indeed, Rooney was nearly (or almost nearly) a senior citizen when he began his long last act on "60 Minutes" -- 33 years encompassing 1,079 editions of his secular sermonette, "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney." He had already lived a professional lifetime by then, beginning as a correspondent for Stars and Stripes during World War II and entering into television in its infancy, where he would write for both entertainer Arthur Godfrey and newsman Harry Reasoner. These comic and journalistic voices he would later combine in his own work, beginning in the 1960s with the video essays he wrote for Reasoner and then, in the '70s, the self-hosted prime-time specials, including "Mr. Rooney Goes to Washington" and "Mr. Rooney Goes to Work," that first established him as an on-air personality.

There are a lot of people talking on television today, in the precincts where Rooney worked, and many of them are talking without much reflection, wit or attention to the words they use. They deal only in volume: They speak loud and they speak long. As a TV personality, Rooney was always foremost a writer -- there, in his cluttered office-as-set was his typewriter for the world to see -- and even with the multiple digressions that were a hallmark of his style, he did not belabor a point. And he made his points quietly. His language was deceptively elegant, colloquial but precise.

Like his fellow video essayist, the late Charles Kuralt -- another longtime employee of CBS, for what that's worth -- Rooney paid exacting attention to the small and overlooked things of the world: The first of the video specials he wrote for Reasoner was titled "An Essay on Doors." Although he was reflexively called a curmudgeon -- not least because, with his beetling white brows, he looked the way we imagine a curmudgeon would -- he also spoke often of things he loved: elastic bands, dogs, New York weather. Even his complaints more often than not betrayed a general delight with the strangeness of the world, not a desire to be shut of it.

He was, of course, a performer; the person you saw leaning confidentially toward you on television was a Rooney edited and organized -- by Rooney -- for comic effect. (When he was simply serious, by contrast, as when commenting on the Oklahoma City bombing, the Challenger disaster or the death of Osama bin Laden, he was simply himself.) But it was a performance informed by real ideas wrought from years' experience.

That experience now includes the last experience of all: "I hate it. I mean, I'm gonna die," Rooney told Morley Safer, when asked how he liked old age in an interview that accompanied his final "60 Minutes" broadcast, "and that doesn't appeal to me at all." He would have gotten a good piece out of his own passing; it's a shame we won't get to see it.

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-- Robert Lloyd

twitter.com/LATimesTVLloyd

Photo: Andy Rooney in 1979. Credit: Los Angeles Times

 

 

Andy Rooney health 'serious' after surgery scare

CBS' Andy Rooney — who announced his retirement from his regular commentator role on "60 Minutes" last month — is ailing following surgery, the network said Tuesday.

"Andy Rooney underwent minor surgery last week and suffered serious complications," CBS News wrote in a statement. "For that reason, he remains in the hospital, but his condition is stable."

At his retirement, Rooney was at 92 among the oldest persons still working on-air in television. (NBC's Don Pardo still does some announcing for "Saturday Night Live" at age 93.)

Rooney joined "60 Minutes" in 1978.

Want to wish Andy well? Sound off in the comments below.

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— Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Andy Rooney is ailing following surgery. Credit: Agence France-Presse /Getty Images.

 

What '60 Minutes' Andy Rooney just won't do

Looks like his looming retirement isn't making Andy Rooney any less curmudgeonly.

In his exit interview set for Sunday's "60 Minutes," the retiring nonagenarian commentator tells colleague Morley Safer that he isn't about to start being nice to strangers who recognize him from TV.

"I just don't sign autographs," Rooney, capping 33 years on the CBS newsmagazine, says.

Duly noted! Kids, stay away from the cranky man with the bushy eyebrows.

Rooney said last year that he intended to work "until I drop," but health issues have forced him to retire from the show that made him nationally famous. CBS has said he's welcome back whenever he wants.

What do you think of Rooney? Will you be watching his Sunday farewell?

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— Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Photo: Andy Rooney, appearing on his last "60 Minutes" commentary. Credit: CBS.

 

As Andy Rooney steps down from '60 Minutes,' a look back ...

 
Veteran commentator Andy Rooney will end his tenure at "60 Minutes," where he's been a mainstay since 1978. He'll make his last regular appearance on the newsmagazine during Sunday's telecast.

His departure leaves a void of his signature commentary, grumpiness and outspokenness. What better time than now to relive some of those moments (and, hey, if you'll miss him that much, consider following in his footsteps with these tips:

-- Gasp! The 92-year-old is not a Little Monster. Rooney confessed to the world he had no idea who Lady Gaga is, but dog gone it, the man likes ice cream!

--Wordsmith? Here, Rooney offers less-than-PC remarks during a segment on Don Imus' radio show.

--Rooney doesn't want to be kind to Bill Gates — he messed up the way those darn computers work! Shut down the computer, Rooney!  Shut it down.

 --We're sure all this extra time will let him participate in his favorite pasttime more often.

 

— Yvonne Villarreal

twitter.com/villarrealy

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Photo: '60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney. Credit: Stephen Chernin / Associated Press.