101 Groovy Movies #1: Soapdish

Today I'm beginning a new regular column, in which I will be featuring 101 of my favorite films in no particular order. These are not necessarily the "best" movies ever made - but they are ones that I would enjoy watching with friends.

So to kick things off, let's start with Soapdish, which was released in theaters 19 years ago today on May 31, 1991. Directed by Michael Hoffman and written by Robert Harling (who also wrote Steel Magnolias) and Andrew Bergman, this hilarious comedy tells the behind-the-scenes story of the cast and crew of the daytime soap opera, The Sun Also Sets, and the terrific ensemble cast includes Sally Field, Kevin Kline, Robert Downey Jr., Cathy Moriarty, Whoopi Goldberg, Elisabeth Shue and Teri Hatcher. Last week it was reported that Paramount Pictures plans to remake Soapdish, but I'm not too thrilled by this idea because we all know the new movie will never be as good as the original.

Below you can check out some groovy Soapdish trivia, photos and memorable quotes as well as a few film clips.

Kevin Kline was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as Jeffrey Anderson (Celeste's old boyfriend).

The budget for the film was $7 million, and it earned $18 million in domestic revenue and $86 million worldwide.

"No turbans for Miss Talbert!" - David (Robert Downey Jr.), the soap's producer

"Actors don't like to play coma. They feel it limits their range" - Rose Schwartz (Whoopi Goldberg), the soap's sassy writer

According to a Baltimore newspaper article, Sally Field's role as Celeste Talbert, the star of the soap, was originally written with actress Patty Duke in mind.

Dish of the Day #411: Hot Fun in the Summertime

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week.  If you haven't voted for last week's Dish yet, choose your man by clicking here.

Remembering Dennis Hopper in 'Blue Velvet'

Actor Dennis Hopper, who died today at age 74, appeared in many memorable films, including Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Easy Rider (1969) - which he also directed, True Grit (1969), Apocalypse Now (1979) and Hoosiers (1986). However, I became a fan of his in 1986 when I went to see David Lynch's wild ride of a movie, Blue Velvet, in which Hopper plays Frank Booth, a violent sociopath who likes to inhale amyl nitrite and listen to Roy Orbison. The American Film Institute later ranked the character at #36 on its list of the top 50 film villains of all time (I would probably rate him much higher). Hopper is great in the role - for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe Award. So today I'm remembering Dennis Hopper and Frank Booth and the deliciously dark and twisted film that brought them together.

Groovy Books: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Gay Porn (but were afraid to ask)

Chicago author Owen Keehnen began interviewing gay porn superstars in 2005 with his book, Starz, which proved to be so popular that he continued the revealing series with More Starz (2007) and Ultimate Starz (2008). And now comes Rising Starz, the fourth volume of intimate conversations with 45 of the biggest names in porn. Here are a few groovy facts that I learned while reading Keehnen's latest behind-the-scenes dish:

The wildest place that Scott Alexander has had sex is in a Chicago cab, and the driver later told him and his friend that they didn't have to pay because "it was the best sex he had seen in his cab in a while." And that, folks, is what makes Chicago my kind of town.

When asked by Keehnen about his wildest place for sex, Tony Buff reveals that he got it on at age seventeen while in Injun Joe's Cave on Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland.

The kinkiest thing Shane Frost has done off camera involves boys, liquor, big balls and cheese fries. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Murphy Maxwell's secret fantasy is to have sex with two guys in bear suits. I assume they would be more Smokey the Bear than Yogi Bear - but, hey, whatever floats your boat.

Best porno title: Fist & Shout (it made me smile)

Best taste in mainstream movies: Murphy Maxwell likes Party Girl and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, while Ross Hurston loves old black-and-white movies with What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? at the top of his list.

My personal favorite porn star in the book would have to be David Dakota (that's him in the top pic), who watched Saved by the Bell as a teenager in order to see Mario Lopez take off his shirt.

And Keehnen asks Murphy Maxwell the following provocative question: what are the top three craziest things you have ever had up your . . . well, since this is a Chicago Tribune website, maybe I should just let you read all about that for yourself (it's on page 200).

So if you want to know more about that hot hunk you watched last night in Bottom of the 9th or In Too Deep, check out Owen Keehnen's Rising Starz (click here to purchase on Amazon). The prolific author also recently released a humorous fictional memoir, I May Not Be Much But I'm All I Think About (now available online from e-gaymag.com), as well as a horror fantasy novel, Doorway Unto Darkness (click here to purchase on Amazon).

Vote for the Grooviest TV Theme Song: Round 3

Round 2 of the Grooviest TV Theme Song Competition ended last night. The closest race was between Moonlighting and Friends, but I guess Rachel and Monica still have a few "friends" as they won 50% to 49%.

And now on to Round 3! You have until midnight on Monday (May 31) to vote in the third round.

Vitameatavegamin Division

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Division

Meathead Division

NORM! Division

Dish of the Day #410: Vote for your Favorite

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day will be featured, and beginning today you can vote for your favorite Dish this week in the sidebar poll. Today's Dish is Eric Carpenter.



Last week's contest was another close one with #404 barely beating #403, 30.7% to 29.9% of the 137 votes cast. Coming in third was #405 with 21.2%, followed by #402 (10.9%) and #401 with 7.3%.

Of Glee I Sing: Girls Gone Gaga

Sorry for the delay of this week's Glee review, but I waited until my partner returned home from a business trip to watch the episode together. I liked it better than him, but a show with no snarky remarks by Sue Sylvester just isn't the Glee we've come to know and love. However, the 20th episode, "Theatricality", did have its share of enjoyable moments, so here's what I loved the most - and the least - about this week's Glee:

Favorite character and best non-musical scene: I can't remember if I've chosen a recurring character as my favorite before, but Kurt's father, Burt Hummel (played by the wonderful Mike O'Malley), gets my vote this week. After overhearing Finn use the word "faggy" to describe Kurt's redecorated bedroom, Burt delivered an impassioned speech in defense of his son's sexuality, which was very moving. And it was my favorite scene of the episode.

Least favorite character and storyline: Principal Figgins is an idiot, and his believing in vampires was just plain dumb. The school (and the show) needs a better principal than this unamusing doofus.

Most improved character: After calling Tina "the weakest link" and "boring" in last week's review, I actually found her funny this week. Maybe she just needs to hang around more with Kurt.

Best musical performance runner-up: I loved Idina Menzel's "Funny Girl" from the 1968 film adaptation of the Broadway musical, and I also liked Rachel's realization that Shelby was her mother during this scene.



Best musical performance and best costumes: I have to go with the girls' fun performance of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" - and their outrageous outfits were fabulous - especially Tina's bubble dress and white go-go boots and Quinn's pink gown.



Best costume runner-up: Finn's red shower curtain dress

Least favorite musical performance: I've never been a big KISS fan so "Shout It Out Loud" didn't do much for me. However, I did like the boys' performance of "Beth" - which is a far better song.

"Suspend Your Disbelief" scene: The pyrotechnic performance of "Shout It Out Loud", which no high school would ever allow within its walls - but since this is Glee, we'll let it slide.

Best non-musical scene runner-up: Puck's heartfelt confession that he would like to meet his daughter before Quinn gives her up for adoption. Will Quinn really give up her baby? Or will she and Puck raise the child together? I'm not sure how this storyline will play out.

Best plot twist: Having Kurt and Finn's parents move in together so that the boys have to share a bedroom.

Best Brittany reference: "She changes her look faster than Brit changes sexual partners" - Kurt in reference to Lady Gaga
"It's true" - Brittany (you gotta love her!)

Best line runner-up: "He's always just around" - Rachel about Brad the piano player, who suddenly appeared to accompany her and Shelby's musical performance

Best line: "The place looks great" - Burt to Kurt on the redecorated basement

That's my Glee review for this week. Next week Sue returns - and so does Will's long-lost wife, Terri, who will befriend Finn and even sing for the very first time on the show. Should be interesting. Until then, keep singing!

Dish of the Day #409: In Bed Week

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week.

Fuerza Bruta: The Best Extraordinary Reality in Chicago

Last night I got to see Chicago Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss eat a $3 empanada. Fortunately, that was not the highlight of my evening - although she looked like she was enjoying herself. We were both at the official opening of Fuerza Bruta: Look Up, the bizarre, mind-blowing theatrical experience that is now playing at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre.

So what's Fuerza Bruta all about? I have no idea - but it's a visual smorgasbord that will certainly keep your attention for the duration of its 65-minute running time. When I first arrived at the theater, I was surprised to discover that the lobby has been transformed into a groovy nightclub with people in "STAFF" T-shirts serving up beverages and "the Best Empanadas in Chicago". With Michael Jackson singing "Billie Jean", I felt like I was in an '80s dance club with a little bit of Taste of Chicago thrown in for flavor. It's a clever way to get the audience in a festive mood for a show that is weird, wonderful and way out there.

We were then all invited into the theater, where we stood on the actual stage in a hazy fog until the show began. It's explained in the program that "the spectator is within an extraordinary reality" in Fuerza Bruta - which is as good a description of the show that I can think of. And within this extraordinary reality, there were many moments that I found quite impressive and intriguing:

A handsome man in a white suit running for his life on a conveyor belt as other people and furniture pass him by. And when he's shot a couple of times, he just casually removes his bloody shirt to reveal another clean one underneath.

A few cast members hitting each other and some audience members over the head with large reams of paper that burst into thousands of tiny pieces of paper - like the feathers of a pillow. But don't worry, they only select people who look willing to participate - like the guy standing in front of me, who then proceeded to dance like crazy with the female cast member.

An enormous pool of water that is lowered down from the ceiling for us to gaze up at four athletic young women, who proceed to entertain us with their aquatic feats. My only complaint of the evening is that the sexy guy in the white suit never got wet when he certainly deserved a refreshing dip. Watching the lovely ladies frolic and play was fun - but it was definitely a heterosexual man's fantasy.

So if you're looking for a show that is entirely different from anything you've ever seen before, I highly recommend Fuerza Bruta. But a few words of advice: wear casual clothes and comfortable shoes because you do have to stand and move around a lot. I'll confess that I was ready to sit down afterwards - but it was certainly worth experiencing such an amazing theatrical event. Go see it with your friends today - you'll have a great time!

Fuerza Bruta: Look Up runs through July 25 at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University (50 East Congress). Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster (click here), by phone at (800) 775-2000, or at the Auditorium Theatre box office. You can also become a Facebook fan of Fuerta Bruza, and below you can watch a preview of the show.

Dish of the Day #408: In Bed Week

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week.

Sex and the City 2: Sparkle, Carrie, Sparkle!

Sex and the City 2 does "sparkle" from beginning to end, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having liked - but not loved - the somewhat heavy-handed first film of the popular HBO series, I was still curious to see the sequel, in which our favorite ladies vacation in Abu Dhabi and Carrie meets up with her old boyfriend, Aidan.  However, SATC2 has a lot more wonderful things going on in it, so here are five reasons for you to go see the movie:

1) Fabulous Flashbacks: The first few minutes of the film has Carrie - in her familiar voiceover - taking us back to when she first arrived in New York City in 1986 and met her three best friends. We get to see how the characters looked over 20 years ago, which is a lot of fun - and I didn't know that Samantha was once a bartender. It's a great way to reintroduce us to these groovy gals.

2) Pro-Gay Marriage: The first half hour is all about the outrageously over-the-top wedding of Carrie's friend, Stanford Blatch (Willie Garson), and Charlotte's friend, Anthony Marantino (Mario Cantone). These two delightful drama queens used to dislike each other, but in the two years since the first film, they've obviously had a change of heart about their feelings.

3) Liza!: You gotta love Liza Minnelli at age 64 strutting her stuff to Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". I've read some recent criticism about her version of this song - which appears on the movie soundtrack - but in the context of the film, it works beautifully - and she's terrific. Besides providing the wedding reception entertainment - it is a BIG GAY affair - Liza also has another reason for being at the ceremony, which I will let you discover for yourself.

4) The Supporting Cast: I was never a big Mr. Big fan during the 1998-04 TV series - and I became even less enamored of him after he screwed up their first wedding attempt in the original movie. However, he redeems himself in the sequel - and as played by the handsome Chris Noth, I could relate to Big's desire to stay home, eat Chinese take-out and watch old black-and-white movies like 1934's It Happened One Night (which is used for an amusing scene later in the film).

I was a fan of furniture designer Aidan Shaw (played by the still sexy John Corbett), whom Carrie treated badly during the series because of her feelings for Big. Again, I'm not going to give away anything about Aidan's surprise reappearance in Carrie's life in SATC2, but I did enjoy seeing him again.

Both Charlotte's husband, Harry (Evan Handler), and Miranda's Steve (the adorable David Eigenberg), both show up again. I also enjoyed Jason Lewis as "Smith" Jerrod (who does remove his shirt); Max Ryan as a Danish businessman (who removes more than his shirt); Alice Eve as Charlotte's Irish nanny, Erin; Penélope Cruz (looking gorgeous in her cameo); and Michael T. Weiss as a guest at the gay wedding (he starred in the 1995 film, Jeffrey, and on TV's The Pretender - and he still looks hot).

5) Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis & Cynthia Nixon: The four lovely and talented actresses know their characters inside and out after playing them for 12 years. And although they are now in their mid-40s to early 50s and coping with marriage, children and menopause, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda can still be as wild and bawdy as ever. Cattrall's Samantha has most of the memorable one-liners, but I was very glad to see Nixon's Miranda get the chance to let her hair down and enjoy life in the sequel. Fortunately, the screenplay by director Michael Patrick King doesn't get as melodramatic as the first film - and the laughs rarely stop. However, if I had to select my favorite moment of the movie, I would choose a funny but emotionally honest scene between Charlotte and Miranda, who confess their true feelings about motherhood while sipping their cocktails in Abu Dhabi. These two women seemed like real friends who truly cared for each other - and that's what Sex and the City has always been about.

Although co-producer Parker allows her three co-stars to shine brightly, the film still centers around Carrie Bradshaw, who is having a difficult time adjusting to her husband's desire to watch old movies at home instead of going out on the town every night - as she once did as a single lady. Carrie still wants some "sparkle" in her life, which I can certainly understand. And I would highly recommend that she and her gal pals go see Sex and the City 2, which provides some enjoyable "sparkle" worth checking out.

My Grade: A
Running time: 146 minutes
Website: www.sexandthecitymovie.com

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Mame

Every Tuesday I post five questions relating to television or film, and the first person who sends me the correct answers wins the highly coveted Auntie Mame Award (for excellence in trivia).

Please send your answers for this week's questions to deepdishdrama@aol.com or via a private Facebook message at www.facebook.com/marcharshbarger (DO NOT post your answers on here where everyone can see them or they will be deleted).

In honor of the upcoming Tony Awards on June 13, this week's theme is the musical, Mame, which first opened on Broadway on May 24, 1966, and ran for 1,508 performances:

1) Who starred as Vera Charles in the original Broadway production?

2) What Mame song earned Eydie Gormé a 1967 Grammy Award?

3) Complete the song title: "We Need a Little ______"

4) What is the full name of the priggish debutante whom Patrick becomes engaged to in Act Two?

5) Complete Mame's famous motto: "Life is a ______ and most poor suckers are ______"

Last week Tom Bengston answered the following questions correctly about the musical, Gypsy:

1) Who starred as Rose in the 1974 Broadway revival? Angela Lansbury

2) Who played Louise in the 1962 film? Natalie Wood

3) Who won a Golden Globe for her performance in the 1993 television movie? Bette Midler

4) Who wrote the lyrics for Gypsy? Stephen Sondheim

5) What two characters elope at the end of Act One? June and Tulsa

Dish of the Day #407: In Bed Week

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. Today's Dish is Levi Poulter.

Vote for the Grooviest TV Theme Song: Round 2

Who would've thought that The Patty Duke Show and Petticoat Junction would end up being the closest race in Round 1 of the Grooviest TV Theme Song Competition? Not me - but the groovy gals of the Shady Rest achieved victory, beating Ms. Duke 51% to 48%. And I wasn't sure if Mission: Impossible or Hawaii Five-O would win as they were in a dead heat last week - but ultimately Hawaii had a few more fans (52% to 47%).

And now on to Round 2! You have until midnight on Thursday (May 27) to vote in the second round.

Vitameatavegamin Division

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Division

Meathead Division

NORM! Division

Letting Go of Lost

Well, Lost is finally over. It was an emotional ending that I will never forget - and it made me want to pet my cats (I'll explain later).

So here are my thoughts on the last episode of the TV series in chronological order - beginning with the two-hour special, Lost: The Final Journey:

It's clever the way ABC incorporates fans' "final transmissions" (i.e. personal messages) into actual scenes from the show.

The British accent of Naveen Andrews (Sayid) and the American accent of Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) take some getting used to.

Only four scenes of the series were not filmed in Hawaii. Now that's amazing.

I like the Lost Target commercials - especially the one with the Smoke Monster and the smoke alarm.

Nestor Carbonell (Richard) does not wear eyeliner - a funny comment from the creators of the series.

And now the last episode of Lost:

8:12 pm: One of my favorite lines - "This would be so sweet if we weren't all about to die" - Hurley to Kate and Jack, whose true feelings for each other are clearly expressed in this episode.

8:15 pm: I love seeing Rose, Bernard and Vincent the dog again - and that they rescued Desmond from the well. And I'm greatly relieved when Locke doesn't kill them. I was worried there for a second since on Lost, no one is ever safe.

8:20 pm: I'm happy when Miles finds Richard Alpert alive after the Smoke Monster threw him in the jungle in the previous episode.

8:24 pm: Elizabeth Mitchell returns as Juliet, who checks on Sun's baby. This makes me even more happy. And Sun and Jin both remember their time on the island - it's so wonderful to see them again.

8:32 pm: Miles plucks Richard's first gray hair - a funny moment.

8:33 pm: Frank Lapidus somehow survived the submarine sinking. I wish that Sun and Jin had, too.

8:39 pm: Earlier today I suddenly thought that Juliet might turn out to be Jack's mysterious ex-wife in Parallel Time - for some reason this hadn't crossed my mind before - but I'm glad it came true. But I'm disappointed when she and Sawyer don't recognize each other as their paths cross in the hospital.

8:47 pm: Hurley takes Sayid to wait outside of a bar, where the latter is reunited with Shannon. Boone got his sister to come back from Australia when actress Maggie Grace agreed to appear in the final episode. However, Sayid's true love was Nadia, not Shannon, so I do find it kind of odd that they end up together.

8:58 pm: It's nice that Daniel Faraday/Widmore gets a scene with his true love, the gorgeous Charlotte.

9:05 pm: After Desmond makes the light go out, MIB Locke becomes human again - an interesting twist.

9:11 pm: Kate and Claire both get flashbacks as the former delivers the latter's baby for a second time. And Claire and Charlie are happily reunited. I found their scene the most moving of all the reunions.

9:18 pm: Best cut to a commercial: As Jack is about to attack MIB Locke, who has a knife, during a rainstorm as the island is about to sink. Such drama! I love it!

9:22 pm: MIB Locke stabs Jack, but Kate shoots MIB Locke dead. Yeah, Kate!

9:24 pm: The bloody cut on Jack's neck now makes sense in Parallel Time as he received it during his fight with MIB Locke on the island.

9:27 pm: Locke can feel his legs after Jack performs spinal surgery on him - and he remembers the past. "You don't have a son, Jack", Locke tells him, which, of course, is a difficult thing for the good doctor to comprehend.

9:32 pm: I love Sawyer's confusion as a happy Sun tells him, "I am safe", and Jin says, "We'll see you there."

9:36 pm: Saddest line - "Tell me I'm going to see you again" - Kate to Jack just before they confess their love for each other and kiss.

9:45 pm: Sawyer and Juliet remember their past together and kiss in the hospital. They belong together - and I couldn't be happier.

9:54 pm: Whenever Hurley cries, I cry. "You're not supposed to die", he tells Jack - and I have to agree with him.

10:05 pm: After telling Desmond that he'll see him in "another life", Jack saves the island by turning the light back on, but it doesn't look too good for him.

10:10 pm: In Parallel Time, Locke arrives at a church, where Ben is sitting outside. Ben apologizes for killing him, and Locke forgives him. I still haven't made up my mind about the complex character of Ben, who did save Hurley's life during the island earthquake. Is he a good guy or a bad guy or a little of both?

10:14 pm: After Ben agrees to help Hurley protect the island - since Jack put Hurley in charge - the two men have a very brief but illuminating conversation outside the church in PT, in which Hurley tells Ben that he was a real good #2 and Ben says he was a great #1. And now I know that Parallel Time is actually the future - I think.

10:15 - 10:30 pm: As we see that Jack is somehow still alive on the island - but fading fast as he stumbles through the jungle - PT Jack discovers that his father's coffin in the church is empty. Dear ol' Dad appears to be alive at first, but he's really dead - and so is Jack - and they embrace. Apparently everyone in PT is dead, but they all died at different times - some before Jack and some long after Jack. And PT is a place that they all made together in order to remember, reunite, let go and move on. It's the "afterlife" - but I wonder if it's Jack's personal version of it. And I'm a bit confused about why Claire's son, Aaron, is still a newborn baby in the church scene - is he dead, too? But it's nice to see Penny and Libby again.

I love the final moments as Jack's father opens the church doors and lets the bright light in, while island Jack lies in the jungle with Vincent by his side. And then after seeing the plane carrying his friends in the sky above, Jack closes his eyes and dies. Just writing about it makes me tear up, so I guess the episode pushed all the right buttons for me and provided satisfying closure to the epic series. And because of that last scene with Jack and the dog, that's how I ended up petting my cats.

I also must mention Jimmy Kimmel's special Lost show, which had some funny lines from him about "Can't Find My Hairbrush Claire" and Angelina Jolie not being able to adopt Sun and Jin's orphaned baby. And the "alternate" endings he presented were amusing spoofs of Survivor, The Sopranos and Newhart, which had comedian Bob Newhart waking up in bed next to Evangeline Lilly.

I guess now it's time to let go and move on. I'm glad I "found" Lost and stuck with it during its many seasons of wild twists and turns. The series was fun, confusing and totally addictive, and it will forever remain one of my favorite shows.

Dish of the Day #406: In Bed Week

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day is featured, and beginning on Friday you can vote for your favorite Dish of the week. Today's Dish is Rafael Leite.

Sunday Funnies: Phyllis Lindstrom Sings!

I was thrilled to recently discover on YouTube this fabulous Phyllis scene from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which she sings a song that she once performed in a beauty pageant.  It's from the third season episode, "Rhoda the Beautiful", which originally aired on October 21, 1972. Cloris Leachman ranks right up there with Betty White in my book for her brilliant comedic talents. Enjoy!

Let's Get Lost: We're very close to the end...

That's what Jacob told Hurley in this week's episode of Lost - and it makes me sad and anxious and excited and relieved all at the same time. No other television series has twisted my mind so much - although Twin Peaks still fondly remains a runner-up. I will miss Lost and its talented ensemble of actors, but I'm glad to see the show ending on such a creative high. But back to Tuesday's episode: I liked it a lot - especially the wonderful surprise appearances by two former characters. Here are a few more of my random Lost thoughts:

1) Nice opening scene with a close-up on Jack's eye as he woke up in Parallel Time - reminiscent of when we met him lying in the jungle in the very first episode. But what was the bloody cut on his neck all about? I just Googled this, and it seems that everyone is curious about his mysterious cut, which must have some significance.

2) Best overlapping of the two worlds: When Desmond was slapping a startled Ben around in the school parking lot in PT, causing the latter to experience memories of being slapped around by Desmond in the other time period.

3) Funniest line: When Miles said he lived on the island 30 years ago - "otherwise known as last week." And I was glad to see him, Richard and Ben again since they've been missing in action for awhile.

4) Smartest guy on the show: It has to be Desmond - at least in Parallel Time. Turning himself into the police in order to meet Kate and Sayid and later arranging for them all to escape - that takes brains - unless someone is helping him arrange all of this.

5) Was Richard killed by the Smoke Monster? I hope not - he's too sexy to die. But I did try to warn him as he walked around the former Dharma compound. The guy was just asking for trouble.

6) Second funniest line: "Can I get you a glass of lemonade?" - Ben to Man in Black Locke as he sat on his porch like some Southern belle

7) Third funniest line: "He's hiding in my closet" - Ben to MIB Locke about Charles Widmore (well, it struck me as funny)

8) Best surprise appearance by a former character: Mira Furlan as Danielle Rousseau in PT. I'd read that the actress had refused to return to the show, so it was so great to see her again - looking sane and sexy as the mother of Alex, Ben's student. And she wasn't hiding her romantic interest in Ben.

9) I wasn't too upset to see MIB Locke cut Zoë's throat, but I was shocked that Ben apparently shot Widmore to death because he didn't want the man to get the chance to save his daughter, Penny, from MIB Locke, who threatened to kill her. This, of course, has to do with Ben losing his own daughter, Alex, because of Widmore. What goes around, comes around.

10) So Jacob chose all of them because they were seriously flawed and unhappy individuals who needed a place like the island. Makes perfect sense to me.

11) If Jack is now the protector of the island - after drinking the mysterious water - does that mean he and Kate won't get together in the end? Or will she stay on the island, too? Or will she and Sawyer end up a couple? Or will MIB Locke succeed in destroying the island and everyone on it? So many questions and so little time.

12) Commercial interruption: The new ABC summer series, Scoundrels, starring Virginia Madsen looks like it might be good. I'll blog about it after its debut on June 20.

13) Runner-up for best appearance by a former character: Michelle Rodriguez as Ana Lucia, a cop whom Desmond paid off to let him, Kate and Sayid go free as they were being transported to the county jail.

14) Fourth funniest line: "Do I know you, Tubby?" - Ana Lucia to Hurley

15) I guess the big concert - where Jack's son will be performing - will be the main event in Parallel Time during the series finale. Everyone seems to be going there.

The final cliffhanger had MIB Locke discovering that Desmond was alive instead of dead in the well, which pleased him because now he planned to use him to help destroy the island. So fasten your seatbelts, folks, because I have a feeling it's going to be a bumpy night tomorrow. I've heard rumors that Malcolm David Kelley (Walt), Ian Somerhalder (Boone), Maggie Grace (Shannon), L. Scott Caldwell (Rose), Sam Anderson (Bernard), and the fabulous Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet) will be returning for the grand finale, which I'll be blogging about either late tomorrow or on Monday. Until then, get lost.

Deeper Dish with the Ladies of 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

RuPaul's Drag Race Tour is coming to Chicago next month, so I thought it would be fun to interview a few of the lovely ladies.  The LOGO reality series recently concluded its second season as twelve fabulous drag queens competed for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". Tyra Sanchez captured the crown, and now she and another queen will be appearing at Roscoe's (3356 N. Halsted) on Thursday, June 17, as part of the ABSOLUT-sponsored Drag Race Tour. This fashion-forward event promises to be a memorable night of lip-synching, laughter and, of course, delicious ABSOLUT cocktails. So I am delighted to have Tyra, Raven, Jujubee and Pandora Boxx here on the Dish to discuss their Drag Race dramas and answer some pop culture questions.

Groovy TV Series Finale: Newhart

It ain't easy to come up with a memorable TV series finale. I'm looking forward to seeing the last episode of Lost on Sunday, but I'm also a little anxious. Will it be a disappointing finale like Seinfeld? A frustrating cliffhanger like The Sopranos? Or will it join that elite group of TV shows whose endings felt just right - like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Six Feet Under and the one I'm featuring today - Newhart?

I wasn't a big fan of Bob Newhart's second hit series, Newhart, which ran on CBS for eight seasons. I liked his first one, The Bob Newhart Show. much better - I preferred Suzanne Pleshette's Emily over Mary Frann's Joanna, Marcia Wallace's kooky Carol over Julia Duffy's kooky Stephanie, and Bob Hartley's wacky patients over the wacky Larry, Darryl and Darryl. However, I was curious to see how Newhart would end when its final episode aired 20 years ago today on May 21, 1990. I wasn't disappointed - and its brilliant last scene still makes me laugh today. You can watch it below as well as an interview with Newhart about the episode.

Dish of the Day #405: Vote for your Favorite

Every Monday through Friday a new Dish of the Day will be featured, and beginning today you can vote for your favorite Dish this week. Today's Dish is Colton Ford.



Last week's contest was one of the closest we've ever had with #396 barely beating #397, 28.4% to 27.5% of the 102 votes cast. Coming in third was #400 with 17.6%, followed by #398 (16.7%) and #399 with 9.8%.

Fall TV Preview: Vanessa Williams and lots of $#*! I won't watch

But I will watch Vanessa Williams when she joins Desperate Housewives this fall. I love her - and hopefully the show's writers will use her talents well. And that, folks, is the major highlight of an otherwise dreary and depressing week as the five major TV networks revealed their  2010-11 schedules. The new crop of shows are a dismal bunch for the most part, but there are a few series - only four - that I plan on checking out this coming season. So below I've listed what I'll be watching on each network - as well as some shows that I will not be tuning in for (you can check out a complete list of shows and trailers at The Futon Critic):

FOX

New series that I will check out:
Lonestar - a soapy drama about a Texas oil family starring Jon Voight as the patriarch and cute newcomer James Wolk as one of his sons. Hopefully it will be as addictive as Dallas was years ago.



Raising Hope - only 3 out of the 12 shows that I featured on my list of interesting TV pilots last month made the cut, and this is one of them (ABC's Mr. Sunshine and NBC's Love Bites are the other two). With a different - and better - title (it was originally called Keep Hope Alive), Raising Hope now appears to be about a young man - instead of a young woman - who is raising an infant with help from his quirky family. The preview trailer looks funny - and it stars the fabulous Cloris Leachman and Martha Plimpton, both of whom I will watch in almost anything.



New series that looks disappointing:
Running Wilde - it's from the creator of the brilliant Arrested Development and stars Will Arnett from that show as well as Keri Russell (Felicity). However, the preview trailer just doesn't do much for me.



Returning series that I will keep watching:
Glee, of course.

ABC

New series that I will check out:
Mr. Sunshine - This sitcom starring Friends' Matthew Perry and The West Wing's Allison Janney will debut at midseason. It's set in a sports arena, and the preview trailer made me laugh, which was a very rare occurrence while watching most of the terribly unamusing sitcom trailers.



Returning series that I will keep watching:
Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters (hopefully both of them will have better seasons than this year), Modern Family and The Middle.

Returning series that I will not keep watching:
V - Despite a great ensemble cast, I gave up on this boring sci-fi show because the storylines moved so incredibly slow.

NBC

New series that I will check out:
Harry's Law - this quirky new drama from David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal) looks promising, and I adore Kathy Bates.



New series that look disappointing:
The Paul Reiser Show - where's Helen Hunt when you need her?



Love Bites - it sounded good until I watched the preview trailer, which makes the show look like a lame update of Love, American Style. Maybe if Ugly Betty's Becki Newton was starring in a half-hour sitcom about her character's romantic problems, I might tune in - but this just looks bad.



New series that I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole:
Friends with Benefits - didn't we already see a guy licking a girl's face while kissing on Sex and the City?  Been there, done that.



Returning series that I will keep watching:
30 Rock, The Office, Parks & Recreation (which, unfortunately, will not be returning until midseason), and Friday Night Lights (which I assume will be returning for its final season in 2011).

Returning series that deserves a second chance:
Parenthood - I like Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, but this family drama got lost on Tuesday nights because of my Lost and Glee addictions. However, I'm going to try watching it again in the fall.

The CW

New series that I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole:
Hellcats - seriously, CW, a cheerleading drama? I don't think so.



Shedding for the Wedding - the title says it all for this reality show, which deserves to be shot and put out of its misery.

Returning series that deserves a second chance:
The Vampire Diaries - I'm glad this show is a hit because it's very well-written and acted. However, I really wish it wasn't on Thursday night up against NBC's comedies.

CBS

New series that look disappointing:
Mike & Molly - this show looks like the sitcom version of The CW's Shedding for the Wedding with plenty of fat jokes. It does star two actresses I like - the wonderful Swoosie Kurtz and Gilmore Girls' Melissa McCarthy - and it's quite possible that it will become a big hit, airing after Two and a Half Men, but I won't be watching.



$#*! My Dad Says - this Twitter sensation is now a TV sitcom starring William Shatner as a father who says funny stuff to his grown son. However, the preview trailer didn't make me laugh - but it does look like the type of show that could appeal to some folks whose sense of humor differs from my own.



Now here are a few potential pilots that sounded good to me but failed to make the cut:

Wright vs. Wrong (ABC): A workplace comedy starring Debra Messing, Cheryl Hines and Carrie Fisher - I love all three of them.

It Takes a Village (ABC): This sitcom starring Cheyenne Jackson and Christopher Sieber as a gay couple was the most popular one on my recent poll asking readers which TV pilots they were interested in seeing this fall. How could ABC pass on this? It couldn't be any worse than most of the new shows coming our way.

Open Books (CBS): A comedy starring Patti LuPone! I guess there aren't very many gay men in high positions at CBS or ABC.

And, finally, here is my fall TV schedule (all times are Central Standard):

Mondays: Lonestar (FOX), 8-9 pm

Tuesdays: Glee (FOX), 7-8 pm; Raising Hope (FOX), 8-8:30 pm; Parenthood (NBC), 9-10 pm

Wednesdays: The Middle (ABC), 7-7:30 pm; Modern Family (ABC), 8-8:30 pm; Raising Hope (FOX), 7-7:30 pm at midseason; Glee (FOX), 8-9 pm at midseason (it never fails that at least two of my favorite shows end up airing at the same time - but I'll probably tape ABC and watch FOX).

Thursdays: 30 Rock (NBC), 7:30-8 pm; The Office (NBC), 8-8:30 pm; The Vampire Diaries (The CW), 7-8 pm (I will have to remember to tape this in the fall).

Sundays: Desperate Housewives (ABC), 8-9 pm; Brothers & Sisters (ABC) 9-10 pm.