BuzzSugar

TV Tonight: "The Wedding Bells"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:30:38 PST

From "Ally McBeal" to "The Practice" to "Boston Legal," nobody knows the formula for a television hit quite like David E. Kelley. And that's exactly why I'm both anticipating and dreading tonight's premiere of "The Wedding Bells," Kelley's latest creation. Kelley's built a career on one-dimensional, stereotypical characters who get themselves into one wacky situation after another while learning Meaningful Lessons about Life, and I'm afraid "Wedding Bells" looks like more of the same.

My reservations start with the title: See, they're wedding planners, and their last name is Bell! The Wedding Bells! Yuk-yuk! The clips I've seen stay close to the standard wedding cliches of run-away brides and overly demanding mothers. Add in the "twist" that the Bells themselves are still looking for love, and it starts to sound like a cloying, cutesy nightmare. (To see the clips for yourself, go to the show's site and click the link for video.) Or, to watch an extended preview that made me laugh several times,

What gives me hope is that when Kelley's stuff is on, it's on - and weddings could be the perfect setting for the kind of dramedy he does best. Plus, I'm excited to see Teri Polo, whom I first noticed as the lawyer Dan Rydell obsessed over in "Sports Night," in a starring role. "The Wedding Bells" airs after "American Idol" tonight before moving into its regular Friday time slot.

Photos courtesy of Fox

What's Your Sign, Beautiful? Aries (March 21-April 20)

Jaime Richards — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:05:00 PDT

Much like their symbol, the ram, Arians possess an animal magnetism. The first sign of the zodiac, those born under its rule can be described as confident, bold, and energetic. At their worst, however, Aries folk are characterized by their bossy, self-centered, and blunt natures. These folks are born leaders and are known for their abilities to be both enthusiastic and ambitious. Famous Aries include Kristen Stewart, Victoria Beckham, Jessica Chastain, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Norah Jones, Keira Knightley, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emma Watson, Reese Witherspoon, Diana Ross, and Kate Hudson.

To bring out your inner Aries beauty: Focus on accentuating your hair with volume and accessories. Think: the bigger the better. Red brings out your fiery personality, so give the crimson hue its time in the spotlight, wearing the shade on your cheeks, lips, or incorporated into your coiffure. There's nothing dull about an Arian, so don't be afraid to bring out the sequins or glitter either. To find out more about the Aries-themed products above, just keep reading.

Reasons You Should Try Vinyasa Yoga

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:11:23 PDT

No wonder you're confused about which type of yoga to take - there are so many to choose from. Repetitive Ashtanga, insanely hot Bikram, and alignment-focused Iyengar are a few popular ones you've probably heard of, but Vinyasa is quickly becoming a popular choice. Here are some reasons why.

The Element of Surprise
Ashtanga and Bikram have one thing in common - the sequence of poses are the same no matter who teaches it or what city you're in. Knowing what is coming may bring a deeper awareness to your practice, but it can also bring up negative feelings: you may hate certain poses, or the same sequence in every class may be boring after awhile - it can also cause repetitive stress injuries. Vinyasa is different because it mixes things up, which keeps you and your muscles on their toes. Incorporating different standing, seated, and inverted poses will strengthen your entire body, and prevent the plateau effect you might experience from classes that are repetitive.

Newbies and Advanced Yogis Welcome
Studios often offer Vinyasa classes based on levels such as 1, 2, 3, or combo levels such as 1/2 so you know exactly what ability the class is geared toward. This means whether this is your first time on the mat or you've been practicing for 15 years, you can easily find a class to suit your needs and keep you challenged.

Is That Sarah McLachlan I Hear?
There is something beautiful about listening to the sound of 30 people breathing simultaneously, but when you're not in the mood for Tony the Om-ing Exhaler's deep moaning breaths, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that many Vinyasa instructors play music during class. Some melodies are subtle and serene, while some teachers really like to pump up the loud, tabla beats. You might also find some teachers share their favorite artists, so don't worry if you're not into Indian Pop music - your teacher might end class with some calming Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones, or Jason Mraz.

Continue reading for two more reasons to try Vinyasa yoga.

How to Have Better Hair in 2012

Annie Tomlin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:30:54 PST

Most of us get stuck in hairstyle ruts, but there's no time like the present to revamp your look. 2012 can be the year that your hair goes from good to great - provided you follow a little expert advice. Here, top stylists share the top ways to have better hair.

Soften your strands
"If you want your hair to look its best, you need to treat it with a little love," says Matrix Artistic Director Ammon Carver. "Ask your stylist about getting regular treatments to keep your hair looking healthy and happy." He uses Biolage's Ultra Control Deep Smoothing Masque in the salons, then sends clients home with Total Results Silk Wonder oil to add moisture. "Just a small amount," he says, "and your hair will be silky soft."

Check Out the Top Contenders For Best Cookbook of the Year

Susannah Chen — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:30:54 PST

Thousands of cookbooks were published in the last year, but which ones are really worth buying? The International Association of Culinary Professionals, or IACP, tackled the question as it announced its cookbook award finalists for 2012 today.

Among them: plenty of cookbooks from top restaurant chefs, like Jean-Georges Vongerichten, John Besh, and Andrew Carmellini, as well as new books from reputed publications such as Fine Cooking and Cook's Illustrated.

Cookbook winners will be announced on April 2 in an award ceremony hosted by Mo Rocca, where the honor of best cookbook of 2012 will also be announced. To see the entire list of award winners, keep reading.

J.J. Abrams Talks About Going to a New TV Island With Alcatraz

Shannon Vestal — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:40:26 PST

Lost alums J.J. Abrams and Jorge Garcia found themselves at TCA together again to promote the show they're collaborating on now: Alcatraz. Garcia stars with Sam Neill and Sarah Jones as a team of people trying to track down prisoners who disappeared from the famed prison over 50 years prior. Abrams and the actors talked about the genesis of the series, and the whole slate of mysterious characters.

Abrams talked about how he had been surprised to discover there had never been a TV series about Alcatraz when the show started taking shape. He also revealed that Garcia was the first person cast, and coincidentally, Garcia's girlfriend was writing a book about Alcatraz when Abrams brought it up to him. Abrams joked that Garcia simply said "Yeah, it's cool," when Abrams asked him if he wanted to be a part of the show. Garcia added, "If J.J. asks me to do anything, I say yes, and read second."
Neill lauded the creepy atmosphere of the island prison, saying that "just the name puts a shiver down my spine." It's the perfect place for a mystery series because "the charisma of that strange place has permeated the show." As for his character, an enigmatic government agent, Neill says "he does bad sh*t, but he does what's necessary."
Producers want to employ the rich mythology of The Rock, but Abrams lamented that the island's most famous prisoners, Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, were transferred far before the '60s, the time frame the series flashes back to. It's "definitely a bummer they weren't there to time travel" like the other inmates we'll meet, but Abrams noted that since they're already doing flashbacks, "who's to say we can't flash back further?"
Though it's a procedural, showrunner Jennifer Johnson said Alcatraz is a unique crime show because the team has to think outside of the box to catch the returned prisoners, who are from a different time and haven't aged. "These guys are ghosts," she said, with "no credit cards, friends, or family members." Additionally, they have all committed "tremendous, heinous crimes," and they "have the same venom and urgency that they did before."

Pilot Scoop: Alcatraz

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:05:23 PST

We're at the onset of midseason's brand-new shows, and if you're feeling like you need some fresh TV to shake things up, there's probably a series for you in the new lineup. On the mystery side, Fox and executive producer J.J. Abrams (a showrunner with quite the sci-fi pedigree) are bringing Alcatraz to primetime. The drama, which kicks off Jan. 16, follows a team of people investigating the mysterious reappearance of prisoners from The Rock.

What it's about: Sarah Jones plays San Francisco homicide detective Rebecca Madsen as she tracks a murder suspect who was imprisoned on Alcatraz over 50 years ago. As she tries to determine how he has returned (and hasn't aged a day), she uncovers a shocking secret: Alcatraz never closed and transferred its prisoners, everyone just disappeared one night without a trace. Soon, she and a local expert on Alcatraz's history (Jorge Garcia) are recruited by a strange government agent (Sam Neill) to solve the mystery and capture each prisoner.

Where it works: The procedural-style show follows one prisoner from the past as he gets captured in the future, and the pilot's inaugural tale of an inmate out for revenge is enthralling. If every story is as interesting as his, Alcatraz will be must-see TV.

Where it doesn't: I found myself feeling more sympathy for the escaped prisoner in the pilot than I did toward most of the team tracking down the old inmates (except for Garcia, whom I have a soft spot for due to his Lost past). Jones and Neill come off a bit wooden in the premiere, so I hope their characters both become more compelling.

You might like this show if: You want a new mystery series with a bit of fascinating historical flair.

When it's on: Mondays at 8 p.m. on Fox.

See a preview and some pictures from Alcatraz after the jump.

Details on the Alleged Fighting That Drove Demi and Ashton Apart

Lauren Turner — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:58:47 PST

What really drove Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher apart? - People
Does Gwyneth Paltrow have to pay for her red carpet looks? - Lainey Gossip
Ashton Kutcher has a long history of breaking up - Huffington Post
Alex Rodriguez has some questionable company at his Miami pad (NSFW) - D-Listed
Hilary Duff dishes on her Thanksgiving plans - JustJared
See Ashley Greene's sexy red carpet moments - SI's Hot Clicks
Find out which lucky families will watch a Muppets screening at the White House - Hollywood Reporter
Amanda Seyfried shows off her figure in Marie Claire - Hollywood Tuna
Sarah Michelle Gellar claims she doesn't weigh herself - Pink Is the New Blog
January Jones has help with baby Xander - The Superficial
George Clooney's been caught checking out Stacy Keibler's chest - The Daily Beast
Kendra Wilkinson shows a whole lot of cleavage - TooFab
Can't get enough of Beyoncé's new video? Watch it again! - popbytes

The Style Crowd Gets Glam to Fête Pedro Almodovar at the MoMA

Hannah Weil — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:34:14 PST

Clad in Chanel Couture, style-setters Blake Lively, Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more of the fashion crowd gathered at the MoMA in NYC last night to honor filmmaker, Pedro Almodovar. With a guest list that read like a who's who in Hollywood's hottest stars and fashion greats - Felicity Jones and Olivia Wilde alongside Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg, to name a few - you might gather that a night of impeccable style would follow. As expected, we were treated to glamorous red carpet arrivals (note the gorgeous roses) from Miranda Kerr in a futuristic-print Peter Pilotto, Emma Stone in a printed floor length and more from the rest of the ultrachic attendees. Just click through for all of last night's looks - then be sure to tell us your pick for most Fab in comments.

Sarah Jessica Parker Joins Ashton and Demi For a Zen Evening Out

Allie Merriam — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:40:00 PDT

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore teamed up with Sarah Jessica Parker for the first-ever Urban Zen Stephan Weiss Apple awards at Donna Karan's Urban Zen foundation in NYC last night. The ceremony was named in honor of Karan's late husband, Stephan Weiss, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2001. Bill Clinton was there to pick up the inaugural Apple award while education activist Courtney Ross and Dr. Oz received other honors. The crowd included stars from music, fashion, and drama, including Keith Richards, Wyclef Jean, and Anna Wintour. A Valentino-clad Uma Thurman stepped out as well along with Michael Douglas. Michael spoke about his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones's recent health issues, saying, "She's great! She's down in Miami doing Rock of Ages, the musical. So she's doing great. She's doing a great job." Sarah Jessica's own partner, Matthew Broderick, was also away attending Morgan Freeman's AFI Tribute in LA.