FOLIO

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FEATUREDSTORIES“Community” “The Royals” “Glee”

CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHTS Regina King Eddie Kaye Thomas Freddie Highmore Julianne HoughPROFILED ATHLETE Pau Gasol

WHAT'S FOR DINNER Buddy Valastro

JAY BOBBIN'S MOVIES TO WATCH And so much more!Connect to these shows within this magazine!

THE STORY Not your

average ‘Family’

Elisha Cuthbert stars in the comedy series “One Big Happy,”

premiering Tuesday on NBC.

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CONTENTS

“One Big Happy” Premieres Tuesday on NBC.p 3

“Community” Premiering its sixth season Tuesday on Yahoo.p 11

“Glee” Series finale Friday on Fox.pp 14-15

Pau Gasol pp 16-17

“The Royals” Premieres Sunday on E! Entertainment Television. pp 12-13

S IXCelebrity POTLIGHTS

+

Featured STORIES

Regina King “American Crime” on ABC.p 4

Eddie Kaye Thomas “Scorpion” on CBS. p 5

Freddie Highmore on A&E Network.p 6

Robert Irvine “Restaurant: Impossible” on Food Network. p 7

Buddy Valastro “Cake Boss” on TLC. p 9

Julianne Hough “Dancing With the Stars” on ABC. p 8

Profiled ATHLETE

Pictured: Check out this shot of ELLEN DeGENERES at

the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony in 2003!

What’s HOT This Week Click to jump to these featured sections!

C

Editor's choice

Ellen DeGeneres is one busy maker of television these days.

In addition to her popular, syndicated weekday talk show, the comedian also has produced the HGTV competition series “Ellen’s Design Challenge” and ABC’s Tuesday program “Repeat After Me.” Through her firm A Very Good Production, she’s adding another credit to her very active TV season ... as an executive producer of the NBC sitcom “One Big Happy,” premiering Tuesday, March 17.

Elisha Cuthbert (“24,” “Happy Endings”) and Nick Zano (“Cougar Town”) play longtime, romantically unattached friends who decide to have and raise a child together. The plan is altered when Luke impulsively marries new acquaintance Prudence (Kelly Brook, “Smallville”) – just as lesbian Lizzy (Cuthbert) learns she’s pregnant – and whether they all can coexist as one big happy family remains to be seen.

“We’re starting out with a lesbian as the central character this time around, so there’s no surprises,” DeGeneres says in comparing “One Big Happy” to her 1990s “Ellen” series. “People aren’t going to freak out, versus when I surprised everybody. I think it’s a more accepting world that we live in, for the most part. Obviously, there are people that are still not on board. The show is not just about that.”

Still, “One Big Happy” is based on the life of its creator and fellow executive producer, Liz Feldman (“2 Broke Girls”).

SSTORY

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cutline

Ellen DeGeneres is ‘HAPPY’

as NBC sitcom

producerBY JAY BOBBIN

Click here for more!

Elisha Cuthbert,

Nick Zano and

Kelly Brook (from

left) star in the

comedy series

“One Big Happy,”

premiering

Tuesday on NBC.

She confirms “it’s based on my relationship with my straight best friend. We were planning on having a baby together. We’ve been friends our whole lives, and then he met the love of his life and that changed the course of our lives. Honestly, it was so difficult to deal with it when it happened, the only thing I knew how to do was write something about it.”

“One Big Happy” continues actress Cuthbert’s move into comedy, a big switch from her well-known work as “24’s” frequently imperiled Kim Bauer. She credits co-star Zano for helping her get used to going for laughs in front of a studio audience.

“I couldn’t believe that they were even considering me for this character,” she maintains. “It just seemed too good to be true. I said, ‘There’s a problem. I can’t do a multi-camera show.’ I mean, I was terrified of the fact that we would have to go in and shoot in front of 200 people live. He said to me, ‘Elisha, I know you can do this.’ If it wasn’t for Nick, I don’t know if I would have had the guts to do it, but I’m grateful to him that I did.”

DeGeneres reasons that “what’s going to be great about this show is, as you get to know these characters, they’re just going to be people that you love and watch and don’t think twice about any of it being weird. It’s just friendship or family or whatever that is. I think friendship is obvious, but family is not so obvious. I think family changes all the time.”

FOLIO

REGINAKING of ‘American Crime’ on ABC

What do you see as the main advantage of “American Crime” being a limited-run series?It’s a complete story, where usually when we’re watching shows or movies, it’s told through a certain character’s perspective. Even though some shows will say it’s an ensemble cast, it’s still a little more through one or two characters’ lens, but this is truly a complete story. You end (up) feeling frustrated like we do, you feel hope like we do – all of the things that all of us feel in our day-to-day lives and experiences that happen to us.

What sort of preparation did you do to play your Muslim character in “American Crime”? Well, luckily, there was a little bit of time prior that I was able to do a little research and phone calls before I left. It kind of all happened really fast, but ABC provided an amazing Muslim woman named Taraji that lived in Texas actually ... San Antonio, Texas. And she would come down, and she taught me how to wrap the hijab, and she just was totally available the whole time.

And she has been Muslim all of her life. So to have someone accessible 24/7 that was there to teach me how to say some of the prayers, the Arabic words properly, I just had a wealth of knowledge, because that’s all she’s ever been, accessible 24/7. And ABC set that up, so it’s kind of one of those things where I’m lucky to be an actor to not have to try to find, “Where am I going to get this information?” It was open for me, and I would go and pray with her, and just kind of dove into the Muslim experience.

JAY BOBBIN’S Q&A

CELEBRITYC

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EDDIE KAYE THOMASYou must have been pretty excited when “Scorpion” was renewed for a second season in January, no?I’ve been pretty excited the whole way through. I was excited when I got the pilot; I was excited when CBS said they wanted to put it on the air. I was amazed at how well we did and how well we continue to do. It’s been a pretty good journey so far.

What drew you to the character of Toby?There was nothing about it that didn’t draw me to the character. It was more of a question of convincing them that I could do it than having to convince myself that it was the right move. It was just a ton of fun. I get to do every actor’s dream on this show. I get to do some great comedy. There are a ton of action sequences. There’s romance. There’s conflicts with friends. There are mysteries. I’m not just saying it. I get to do everything an actor could possibly want to do on this show.

How do you like doing voice work like you do on “American Dad”?It’s superfun. I just stepped into something really wonderful with that. When they were making the pilot, I auditioned to play the voice of the son and I used the voice that I use for the Barry character. And then a week or two later, I got a call from Seth MacFarlane asking me to read different lines with that same voice. And I thought it might just be one or two episodes but they’ve kept me

coming back for 10 years and it’s superfun. It’s great to record something and they write great stuff for me and then six or seven months later I get to see it animated. It’s a trip and a bucket list thing that came true for me.

GEORGE DICKIE’S Q&A

CELEBRITYC

Click here for more!

‘Scorpion’ on CBS

FREDDIEHIGHMOREon A&E Network

What drew you to the character of Norman Bates?It’s fun in so many ways. I guess there’s this dark humor that Vera (Farmiga, his co-star) and Tucker (Gates, executive producer) and everyone on set kind of always enjoy ... these funny moments, I guess, that make us laugh and that makes it fun to play.

And I guess Norman has so many different sides to him and the writing this year, especially, has moved him into a different place and you get to play a character that has this continual change and a continual journey and a journey that perhaps you can map out from the start, whereas others, perhaps, working in television are less fortunate in knowing what the end is going to be from the beginning. Whereas with Norman, you can plan his route to self-destruction, I guess, right from the start. (Laughs)

How much did Anthony Perkins’ Norman influence what you did?Certainly, there was “Psycho,” not purely in terms of its story, and in terms of the way that it was shot, I think Tucker Gates has tried to leave some of those Hitchcock techniques and the house with that replica. And also certainly I watch “Psycho” at the beginning of every season and look at Anthony Perkins’ classic performance and see which way that can be inspiring to this new story of Norman that we’re telling. But it was never, I guess, an attempt to mimic exactly what he did, more to use that as a source of inspiration among others.

GEORGE DICKIE’S Q&A

CELEBRITYC

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FOODF

ROBERTIRVINEIf there is an unforgivable sin in the restaurant business, according to Robert Irvine, it is the sin of dirt.

“For me, (it) is laziness and it’s got nothing to do with having any money,” says the 49-year-old Briton and chef. “It’s got nothing to do with having anything except common sense. It doesn’t take a lot of money to pick up a bucket of hot, soapy water and a cloth and a green pad and clean or sweep the floors or wipe the walls. You know, that to me is just laziness. It drives me nuts. ... I don’t understand. We clean our homes. We make our beds. We do all these things. And yet, when you’re running a business feeding food to the masses, as it were, things aren’t clean.”Irvine returns for an 11th season of “Restaurant: Impossible” Wednesday, March 18, on Food Network, endeavoring to save more eateries teetering on the edge of closing, armed only with $10,000, 36 hours of his time, ideas and frank talk. A lot of frank talk.

This season, Irvine branches out to help other concerns in need such as a pharmacy and a supermarket, which he says aren’t a whole lot different in terms of staff dynamics from a restaurant. A business, after all, is a business.

“I don’t care whether you’re a $78 billion company or a $350,000 company,” Irvine says, “it’s the same; the dynamics are the same. You have people involved, whether it be family members or staff members. There’s always somebody that knows better, there’s always also an alpha male or female, there’s always the ones that are negative, and in the smaller businesses, normally they’re family members. They got into the business because they thought it was good. They made some money, then all of a sudden, they’re not making money and they’re at each other’s throats. There’s no reason for (why things are done), there’s nobody leading the pack, as it were, and people are doing what they want.”

“So the first thing I always find,” he continues, “is, find the root of the problems, fix those problems as best you can to start fixing the business. And you know, they say cut the head off the snake? It’s the same thing, the same context. And again, I’ll re-emphasize it: It doesn’t matter whether you’re Comcast Universal or you’re a Radisson hotel or you’re a Subway; it doesn’t matter what business you’re in. Leadership is the key.”

What book are you currently reading?“I’m reading right now a book called ‘The Trident’ and ‘The Presidency of George W. Bush.’ ”

What did you have for dinner last night?“For dinner last night, you would laugh. I had roast chicken at 11 o’clock at night in a hotel room in Canada.”

What is your next project?“My next project is I launch a Better for You food line April 1 into Giant Food stores and Costco, BJ’s, Walmart and Sam’s Club. And a new book called ‘Fit Fuel.’ ”

When was your last vacation, where and why?“Aruba at Christmas, at the Radisson Aruba. Amazing place. Amazing place. ... It is off the hook.”

Irvine cleans house on ‘Restaurant: Impossible’

GEORGE DICKIE’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER

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CCELEBRITY

Julianne Hough is experiencing “Dancing With the Stars” from the other side of the judges’ table now.

Formerly one of the pro dancers in the ABC contest, she starts her second round of grading contestants alongside Len Goodman, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli when Season 20 begins Monday, March 16. Not only will she be gauging her dancer brother Derek, who will be back despite his earlier announcement that he’d be out this time, but they both have another relative in the mix: second cousin Riker Lynch, a member of the music group R5.

“It was so much fun!,” Hough says of her first judging stint. “It took a few weeks to kind of settle in. It’s definitely a different experience, but it’s one I really love. Because I’ve been on the other side, I know what the celebrities and dancers want and need to hear to make them better for the next week.”

“That’s my whole reason behind everything,” adds Hough. “I just want to make sure I have good critiques, and that they actually take what I say and apply it.”

There’s not a lot of time to say it, Hough notes: “When you’re put on the spot, you might not necessarily say what you’re thinking. You want to be objective and to say something that’s honest and truthful, but that won’t tear them down. It sounds easy, but it’s a lot harder than people think.”

Now marking its 10th anniversary, “Dancing With the Stars” – hosted by Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews – isn’t the only TV venture on Hough’s radar. She and sibling Derek are prepping the ballroom-dance drama series “Blackpool” for Starz, and she’s been cast as Sandy in Fox’s live staging of “Grease,” slated to air next January.

“Certain things give me the opportunity to showcase what I can do,” she reasons, “but the films that I’m looking for now might not have any singing or dancing. I’m actually doing a comedy in which I sing very poorly. For me, it’s about showing all the sides of who I am, but also about embracing those.

JAY BOBBIN’S CELEBRITY SCOOP

Birthdate: July 20, 1988

Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah

Current residence: Los Angeles

Marital status: Single

Movie credits include: “Paradise,” “Safe Haven,” “Rock of Ages,” “Footloose,” “Burlesque”

On her time away from “Dancing With the Stars”: “When I left the first time, I felt, ‘OK, I need to separate myself. I’m more than just a dancer, and I need to prove myself in more facets of my career.’ And I realized that I was putting down the fact that I dance, or that I sing ... and now, I feel really fortunate that I have the gifts that I’ve been given to do that. I have a whole different outlook on life now. Life is just awesome!”

JULIANNEHOUGH

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CELEBRITIES PROFILED CCELEBRITY

BUDDYVALASTRO Buddy Valastro is known as the “Cake Boss”

• He was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, as Bartolo Valastro.

• “Cake Boss” is a reality television series, airing on the cable network TLC.The show premiered on April 19, 2009.

• The show follows the operations of Carlo’s Bakery, an Italian American family-owned business in Hoboken, owned and operated by siblings Buddy Valastro, Lisa Valastro, Maddalena Castano, Grace Faugno and Mary Sciarrone.

• He is a producer, known for “Cake Boss,” “Kitchen Boss” and “Rachael Ray.”

• He makes amazing cakes.

• Carlos Bakery has been in his family since 1964.

• Buddy is the third owner of Carlo’s Bakery, the second being his father. The bakery is named after the original owner.

• He and his wife Lisa have four children.

• Buddy Valastro plans to open Carlo’s Bakery on Long Island.

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Kevin Bacon of “The Following” on Fox“I watch ‘The Missing,’ ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘The Fall’ – and I just started watching ‘Empire,’ which I really like. And I DVR ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ because Kyra (Sedgwick, Bacon’s wife) is on it. And we never miss the PBS ‘NewsHour.’ ”

Freddie Highmore of “Bates Motel” on A&E Network“Most things that I watch on television are soccer games. The Super Bowl came by and I tried to watch a bit of that but soccer is really my main passion.”

Jane Lynch of “Glee” on Fox“ ‘Episodes’ and ‘House of Cards’ and ‘The Comeback.’ I do Netflix and Hulu a lot.”

Eddie Kaye Thomas of “Scorpion” on CBS“Embarrassingly enough, I always make sure I have lots of episodes of ‘Cops’ and ‘Jail’ on my DVR. And ‘Seinfeld.’ But when I just want to turn off and watch TV, for some reason I need to watch ‘Cops.’ I don’t know what it is about that show. I just need to watch it. It’s very odd.”

CCELEBRITY

CELEBS’ FAVORITE SHOWS

Kevin Bacon

Freddie Highmore

Eddie Kaye

Thomas

Jane Lynch

Set the DVR

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BY JAY BOBBIN

SSTORY

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gets a sense of

‘Community’

New location, same “Community.”

After a five-season run on NBC, the sitcom about a community college and its “characters” is moving online. Yahoo! Screen premieres the first two episodes of the show’s latest run Tuesday, March 17, with another new chapter to follow weekly. Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Ken Jeong and Jim Rash all return to the cast, and creator and executive producer Dan Harmon also is continuing.

To hear them tell it, all that’s really different about “Community” now is where it can be seen. “You would be surprised how very little that changes,” Harmon claims, “because a studio like Sony, they have a template for production of television. Whether Yahoo! (or someone else) is going to be the people that are providing it to an audience, that doesn’t really change.”

Back as lawyer-turned-student Jeff Winger, the droll McHale is as happy with the writing quality – if not more so – as he was during “Community’s” NBC era. “Our scripts have just been dynamite,” he maintains. “I’ve run screaming through my house reciting lines to my nine-year-old and six-year-old. They don’t get a lot of the references.”

Former co-star Yvette Nicole Brown is now in CBS’ remake of “The Odd Couple,” but Paget Brewster (“Criminal

Minds”) and Keith David (“Enlisted”) have been added to “Community” for its Yahoo! stint. Harmon, replaced for the show’s fourth season but brought back for the fifth, says Brewster plays “a very nuanced character,” a consultant hired to update Greendale Community College’s image. “I wanted to be careful not to bring two new characters into a show and have one of them have an eyepatch ... and always, every third word he says rhymes, or something that you would feel the plasticity of these new characters (from).

“The tough thing is, you’ve got 13 episodes. You’re very late in the game (in the show’s run overall). How do you, without forcing it on the audience, make these characters feel like classic ‘Community’ characters? You can’t create a classic out of the box. The answer was, you put characters with a lot of potential in a petri dish with these guys and let them grow, let the actors grow them.”

Still on board as unpredictable teacher (among other things, including student at one time) Ben Chang, Jeong is happy about “Community’s” continuation from the personal side as well as the professional one.

“We know each other so well and we love working with each other so much,” he reflects, “and it is pure joy just to come in every day. And to say that six years later, and to mean what you say, is a big thing. It’s a real thing. That’s why we’re here.”

Yahoo!

Joel McHale

STORYS

ELIZABETHHURLEYPage 12 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote March 15 - 21, 2015

Premiering Sunday on E! Entertainment Television.

Story on next page

England can breathe a sigh of relief that the newest royals don’t inhabit a palace in real life.

E! Entertainment Television puts a sassy, racy spin on the concept of Great Britain’s first family by getting into the original-scripted-drama business as “The Royals” premieres Sunday, March 15. Elizabeth Hurley heads the ensemble cast as the very modern Queen Helena, who has her own designs on using the power she has acquired as the wife of the upstanding King Simon (Vincent Regan).

Her aims aren’t necessarily helped by her children, who include headline-making rebel Princess Eleanor (Alexandra Park) and independent-minded Prince Liam (William Moseley), who falls for the American daughter (Merritt Patterson) of the family’s security chief. Iconic “Dynasty” diva Joan Collins also appears as Helena’s mother in the show, created by “One Tree Hill” mentor Mark Schwahn.

“There’s a book that I read that’s called ‘Falling for Hamlet,’ which is a modern-day retelling of ‘Hamlet,’ ” Schwahn says, “but it is through the eyes of the kids. I said, ‘Well, I’m interested in telling that story.’ I’d spent 10 years telling stories about younger characters, but if I could tell a story about a royal family – especially (in) a modern-day London, which is so vibrant and sexy and fashionable – I said, ‘That would compel me.’ ”

For any and all time spent on the younger “Royals,” Hurley enjoys getting to depict a queen her way. She reflects, “I

thought to myself when I got offered this part, ‘What would it have been like if Princess Diana had become Queen of England?’ I felt she was someone we could identify with more, because she (was of) a more similar age group, and then her kids would be about the age of these kids now. And so, I sort of took some inspiration from her.”

As the Grand Duchess of Oxford, Collins gets to add familiar tastes of “Dynasty’s” ever-scheming Alexis in her on-screen showdowns with Hurley. She’s particularly comfortable with her new role since she’s had fans within the actual royal family over the course of her long career.

“I’ve met them all several times,” reports Collins, “but the Queen Mother said to me at a premiere, when we were introduced in the lineup, ‘What are you doing here, my dear?’ And I said, ‘I’m on a hiatus from “Dynasty.” ’ She said, ‘Oh, yes.’ And I said, ‘Do you watch it?’ She said, ‘Oh, yes. We all watch it.’ I said, ‘Do you hate me?’ And she said, ‘Oh, no, my dear. We all love you,’ which I thought was wonderful.”

The Illinois-born Schwahn isn’t overly concerned about reactions from England to “The Royals,” since he feels confident the series will be taken in the spirit intended. “We hope everybody likes the show, obviously,” he says. “I did hear that William and Kate were big fans of ‘One Tree Hill.’ This show has a lot of heart and soul to it.”

‘THE ROYALS’ rule E!’s first scripted

drama series

BY JAY BOBBIN

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SSTORY

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SSTORY

A final dose of

‘Glee’

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LEA MICHELE

Series finale Friday on Fox.Story on next page

What have six seasons of “Glee” meant to Lea Michele and Jane Lynch?

Clearly, the Fox show has been a career changer for both actresses. Michele’s role as Ohio high-school glee-club member (and, later, mentor) Rachel Berry has done much to make her an author, recording artist and cosmetics spokesperson. And Lynch’s portrayal of ever-scheming gym teacher turned principal Sue Sylvester has earned her an Emmy, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ... and even her wax likeness at Hollywood’s Madame Tussauds.

Along with the other cast regulars including fellow founding members Chris Colfer (alias Kurt Hummel) and Matthew Morrison (Will “Mr. Schue” Schuester), they bid farewell to “Glee” as the trendsetting Fox musical drama airs its two-hour series finale Friday, March 20. For Michele and Lynch alike, the occasion draws mixed emotions.

“I’ve talked to Chris about taking a walk through the set, just the two of us,” Michele says in a chat shortly before the end of production, “going down the halls one last time and thinking what we want that moment to be. You can plan for it as much as you want, but obviously, our emotions are going to take over and it’s going to become whatever it is.”

“There’s definitely something to be said for what you want those last moments to be, but I’m in no rush,” adds Michele. “I just want to have a moment with the cast and the crew to say, ‘Job well done.’ We’ve experienced some of the most amazing and some of the most tragic times, and through it all, I’m really proud of everybody for continuing to stick by each other and the show.”

Lynch reasons, “We’re actors, so we’re used to beginnings and endings. That’s what the life of show business is, and

Jane Lynch

SSTORY

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though we’ve had six seasons we’ve been at this show for seven years. We got a great run out of it.”

Echoing the sentiment of the network’s current co-presidents, who were very involved as studio chiefs in launching “Glee,” Lynch agrees that now seems the right time to end the show. She wasn’t part of the original pilot, but she envisioned Sue clearly from the start: “The description said, ‘Sue Sylvester may or may not have posed for Penthouse, and she may or may not be on horse estrogen.’ I knew right away that we were talking about an extreme person.”

Michele is moving on to the next Fox project from “Glee” executive producers Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan, next season’s series “Scream Queens.” She reflects that “Glee” will “go down in history, as far as being a TV show that really broke the mold and made a difference. That is why I am so proud to work for Ryan Murphy. There are people who are paving the way right now, he’s certainly one of them, and that is the ship that I want to be on.”

Lynch will continue in another role that earned her an Emmy, hosting new episodes of NBC’s “Hollywood Game Night,” and she also could have a new series next season: She’s been cast in the CBS comedy pilot “Angel From Hell.” She projects, “I will always be a working actor … I hope! I have a feeling I will, though. Even if film or television don’t want me, I will find a way to do it. You would think I have a plan, and I don’t, really. I just take what comes at me and decide whether it’s something I want to do. Life rolls at your feet what you need to do next.”

‘Glee’ stars eye new directions as

Fox series endsBY JAY BOBBIN

SPORTS

PAU GASOL

S

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FULL NAME: Pau Gasol Sáez

BORN: July 6, 1980 (Age: 34)

HOMETOWN: Barcelona

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 7 feet/250 pounds

UNIFORM NUMBER: 16

FORMER TEAMS: Memphis Grizzlies, 2001-2008; Los Angeles Lakers, 2008-2014

HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Two-time NBA champion, 2009–2010; Summer Olympics silver medalist (Spain), 2008, 2012; five-time NBA All-Star; NBA Rookie of the Year, 2002

Story on next page

ONE BIG

BULL

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SPORTSS

Many would say the reason for the resurgence of the Chicago Bulls this season is the return to form of Derrick Rose or the hot shooting hand of Jimmy Butler. That can’t be denied. Until a recent season-ending injury to Rose, the off-season acquisition of center/power forward Pau Gasol gave the Bulls a solid and surprising three-man attack. The Bulls visit the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, March 15, in a game that airs on ABC.

The Bulls signed the veteran Spaniard out of free agency prior to the 2014-15 season and have been reaping the benefits so far this season. Gasol has been averaging more than 18 points per game, trailing only Rose and Butler in that category. His 7-foot frame has really made a difference on the boards, where he leads the team with 12 rebounds per game and continues to be an aggressive shot blocker. Gasol has been among the league leaders in those two categories throughout the season.

Gasol’s greatest contributions may be realized in the months ahead. Along with losing Rose for the season, the Bulls will have to contend with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top spot in the Central Division as well as seeding position in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs, Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors are among those vying for position in the East. Gasol’s past playoff experience – which includes three trips with the Memphis Grizzlies and six (including two NBA titles) with the Los Angeles Lakers – could be a difference maker.

BY DAN LADD

PAUGASOL

JAY BOBBIN’S THEATRICAL MOVIE REVIEW

REVIEW

MOVIES

‘Kingsman’ plays successfully with the spy genre

“KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE”

“Spy Kids” or “Agent Cody Banks,” it’s not – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Whenever moviemakers tackle the idea of a younger James Bond, the result usually is too child-targeted for its own good. Leave it to director Matthew Vaughn to change up that concept, though, as he did with young superheroes in his two “Kick-Ass” films.

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” keeps many of the Bond trappings while aiming for audiences of all ages ... with Vaughn (who guided the current Bond, Daniel Craig, in “Layer Cake”) really ramping up the violence in the home stretch. To those familiar with Vaughn’s work, though, that shouldn’t be a shock.

Inspired by a comic book, the tale casts Taron Egerton as Eggsy (a nickname, luckily for him), a young ruffian chosen to succeed his late father in the service of her majesty the queen. As the newcomer’s bosses, Colin Firth and Michael Caine add acting heft, yet a fun spirit at the same time.

So does Samuel L. Jackson as the piece’s villain, a fabulously wealthy man who wants to launch a high-tech

scheme to turn much of the world homicidal and rule those who remain. It’s a Bond-worthy plot, and it’s also tantalizing to think what an actual 007 adventure would be like with much of this cast.

Add clever gadgets and lethal cohorts (including Jackson’s henchwoman, whose legs essentially are swords), and Bond fans will feel right at home with “Kingsman.” It would be the perfect vehicle to introduce younger viewers to that world if not for that major spurt of mayhem toward the end – perfectly in keeping with Vaughn’s modus operandi, but not necessarily that of the parents of pre-teen viewers.

One neat touch is how getting to know Egerton here parallels how the public got to know Sean Connery as Bond in “Dr. No.” He seemed to become more refined as that picture went along, and the same applies here, as the initially rough-around-the-edges novice spy settles into his new career.

To go with British colloquialism, “Kingsman: The Secret Service” is bloody good fun. And you can take that phrase in any sense you want, and it still will be accurate.

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Colin Firth

“UNBROKEN” (March 24): Director Angelina Jolie tells the true story of Louis Zamperini (played by Jack O’Connell), an Olympian who became a prisoner of war. (PG-13: AS, P, V)

“THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES” (March 24): Director Peter Jackson wraps up his latest J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired trilogy with this epic; Martin Freeman again leads the cast. (PG-13: V)

“INTERSTELLAR” (March 31): A space explorer (Matthew McConaughey) seeks a future for mankind – and, even closer to home, his family – in the galaxy in Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning sci-fi drama. (PG-13: P, V)

“WILD” (March 31): In an Oscar-nominated performance, Reese Witherspoon re-creates the true, life-changing hike undertaken by Cheryl Strayed. (R: AS, N, P)

“MANHATTAN: SEASON ONE” (April 7): The WGN America series about the development of the atomic bomb includes Daniel Stern and Rachel Brosnahan in its ensemble cast. (Not rated: AS, P)

“SILENT RUNNING” (April 7): Bruce Dern stars as an astronaut guarding Earth’s last vegetation in outer space in the Blu-ray debut of this sci-fi classic. (PG: P, V)

UPCOMING DVD RELEASES

Coming Soon on DVD...

JAY BOBBIN’S MOVIE REVIEW MOVIES TO WATCH

Top PickDVD

MOVIES

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Jack O’Connell

Quvenzhané Wallis and Jamie Foxx

“ANNIE”

It’s still a hard-knock life for the orphaned character in this revision of the hit musical inspired by the classic comic strip. Quvenzhané Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) has the title role, with Jamie Foxx as this version’s Daddy Warbucks, a cellular tycoon named “Will Stacks” ... but there’s a sinister Miss Hannigan that remains on board, played this time by Cameron Diaz. The score also is intact, including such standards as “Maybe” and (of course) “Tomorrow.” Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale and David Zayas (“Dexter”) are among co-stars, and several famous faces turn up in cameos. DVD extras: “making-of” documentary; audio commentary by director and co-screenwriter Will Gluck; music video. ››› (PG: AS, P) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)

March 15 - 21, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 19

SFAVORITE SHOWS

SUNDAY 7:30 p.m. on FOX Bob’s Burgers

Bob (voice of H. Jon Benjamin) doesn’t have the same concept of romance that Linda (voice of John Roberts) does, leading to a disappointing time on the town for her, in the new episode “Adventures in Chinchilla-sitting.” Back at home, mayhem erupts when Louise (voice of Kristen Schaal) fails to keep a close-enough eye on the chinchilla that’s a school mascot. Dan Mintz and Eugene Mirman also are in the voice cast. New

8 p.m. on HBOThe Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert DurstThis fascinating and occasionally horrifying true-crime limited series

comes to a close with “The Second Interview,” a new episode that reviews how it’s been nearly a decade since the filmmakers behind this project started investigating Robert Durst and his alleged crimes. Their pursuit of the truth has led them to interview more than 100 “participants” in Durst’s life and story, including family, police officers, friends, lawyers, jurors and journalists. Series Finale New

MONDAY 8 p.m. on ABC Dancing With the Stars

The ballroom reopens for Season 20 of the competition, with Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews back as co-hosts and Len Goodman, Julianne Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli continuing as judges. Among

the celebrity contestants this time: actresses Suzanne Somers, Rumer Willis and Willow Sheilds; music icon Patti LaBelle; football defensive end Michael Sam; “Shark Tank” regular Robert Herjavec; model Charlotte McKinney; and Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin. Season Premiere New

TUESDAY 9 p.m. on ABC Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

After his brief run last season in “Ironside,” Blair Underwood guest stars as May’s (Ming-Na Wen) ex-husband in the new episode “One of Us.” She hopes he can help her keep the team together when a situation seems likely to have a different result for the agents. Cal (guest star Kyle MacLachlan) plots vengeance against

“Bob’s Burgers”

Julianne Hough is a judge in “Dancing With the Stars”

Chris D’Elia stars in “Undateable”

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“The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary Special With Diane Sawyer”

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SS.H.I.E.L.D. by gathering some literally high-powered villains. Drea de Matteo (“Sons of Anarchy”) also guest stars. New

9 p.m. on NBCUndateableAnother example of a former summer series getting a shot during the regular season, this comedy from executive producer Bill Lawrence (“Cougar Town”) starts its second season with “A Japanese Businessman Walks Into a Bar.” Danny (Chris D’Elia) is still trying to advise roommate Justin (Brent Morin) on romance, but the latter’s intended one-night stand becomes much longer. Bridgit Mendler joins the cast as a bartender newly hired by Justin. Season Premiere New

WEDNESDAY 10 p.m. on ABC The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary Special With Diane Sawyer

As confirmed by Lady Gaga’s recent Oscar performance and the rousing ovation then given Julie Andrews, the 1965 musical remains one of the most beloved movies ever. As it marks a milestone year in its history, former “World News Tonight” anchor Diane Sawyer interviews cast members about making the film (which ABC airs annually) and observing its ongoing legacy. Rare behind-the-scenes footage also is included — as is, of course, plenty of Rodgers & Hammerstein music. New

THURSDAY 8 p.m. on FOX American Idol

One airing this week translates into two eliminations in the new two-hour episode “Top 10 Perform,” as the season’s remaining contestants show again what they have to offer vocally. Judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban weigh in — as does America, ultimately, with the submitted votes for these

FAVORITE SHOWS

performances determining who stays or leaves next week. Ryan Seacrest is the host. New

FRIDAY 8 p.m. on NBC Grimm

The legend of a rabbit’s foot gets a troubling manifestation among humans in the new episode “Bad Luck.” Nick and Hank (David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby) look into the background of a homicide victim whose body is missing — see if you can guess, now — a foot. Monroe and Rosalee (Silas Weir Mitchell, Bree Turner) put themselves at risk to help in the investigation. Juliette and Adalind’s (Bitsie Tulloch, Claire

Coffee) face-off continues to affect Nick. New

SATURDAY 8 p.m. on FOX

BackstromBackstrom (Rainn Wilson) has a personal reason for alarm when a teenager falls prey to an online predator in “Bogeyman.” The kidnapped girl closely resembles the victim in a case that went unsolved when Backstrom handled it years earlier. Almond (Dennis Haysbert) tries to keep his church from losing its location because of several months of unpaid rent. Genevieve Angelson, Kristoffer Polaha and Thomas Dekker also star.

Ryan Seacrest hosts “American Idol”

Dennis Haysbert stars in “Backstrom”

Bitsie Tulloch stars in “Grimm”

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