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Featured
Stories
“The Slap”
“Better Call Saul”
“The Jinx”
Profiled
athlete
Mikaela Shiffrin
CELEBRITY
SPOTLIGHTS
James Spader
Tom Cavanagh
Jonathan Banks
Retta
Jack Maxwell
WHAT'S FOR
DINNER
Alfonso Ribeiro
The story
Trainor’s sight
set on Grammys
JAY Bobbin's
movies to
watch
And so much more!
Connect to these shows within
this magazine!
Meghan Trainor is a nominee for record of the
year and song of the year in The 57th Annual
Grammy Awards, airing Sunday on CBS.
folio
Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
C
CONTENTS
What’s Hot This Week
Click to jump to these
featured sections!
Meghan
Trainor is a
nominee for record
of the year and song
of the year in The
57th Annual Grammy
Awards, airing Sunday
on CBS.
story on pg 3
“The Jinx”
“The Jinx: The Life and
Deaths of Robert Durst”
premieres Sunday on
HBO. Story on pg 11
“Better Call Saul”
Michael McKean stars
in “Better Call Saul,”
premiering Sunday on
AMC. Story on pg 12-13
“The Slap”
Zachary Quinto
stars in the
drama series “The
Slap,” premiering
Thursday on NBC.
Story on pg 14-15
Mikaela
Shiffrin
The 2015 FIS
Alpine World Ski
Championships
Story on pg 16-17
Page 2 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
James Spader
His reaction to the
‘The Blacklist’ pilot
interview on pg 4
Tom Cavanagh
On the different sides
of Dr. Harrison Wells on
“The Flash”
interview on pg 5
Jonathan
Banks
On the challenges as
an actor
interview on pg 6
Alfonso
Ribeiro
Explores food origins
interview on pg 7
Retta
Checking in!
interview on pg 8
Jack
Maxwell
Profile on pg 9
STORY
Editor's choice
S
seen them happier. I think all their
dreams are coming true, too. They
were always very supportive, but my
mom told me, ‘I didn’t know if it was
just because I love you so much that
I thought you were really good.’ ”
Meghan
Trainor
Apart from the catchy melody that
has earned it countless plays since
its release last June, “All About That
Bass” contains messages about
body image and self-acceptance that
Trainor rejects criticisms of.
is now all
about those
Grammys
By Jay Bobbin
Recently, Meghan Trainor checked Instagram to remember
what her life was like a year ago.
That’s understandable for someone whose meteoric success
gave her one of 2014’s top music hits – “All About That Bass”
– and now has her in the running for two of the industry’s
main honors. As performer and (with Kevin Kadish) co-writer,
she’s nominated for record of the year and song of the year
in The 57th Annual Grammy Awards, which CBS televises
from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 8. LL Cool
J returns as host for the fourth consecutive year.
“I remember asking my manager, ‘Is this how every new
artist starts? Very, very busy?,’ ” the unaffected, friendly
Trainor recalls. “He was like, ‘No. You work 10 years, then
you get a hit song ... maybe. This is very fast, but all your
dreams are coming true right now.’ And I was like, ‘Wow. This
is amazing.’ I mean, it’s only been a few months.”
The 21-year-old Trainor has been singing since she was 6
and writing songs since 11, but her performance of “All About
That Bass” for L.A. Reid – on the ukulele – got her signed to
Epic Records and placed on a career fast track last year.
Trainor claims her Grammy bids are “the last things I didn’t
have. I had the No. 1 song in the world, and everybody
knows me as an artist now. And my parents, we’re all just
buggin’ out! They’re actually handling it very well. I’ve never
“All the people saying I wrote it to
bash skinny people and all that
other stuff, that only helped it,” she
reasons, “because then, people were
actually talking. At first, it all seemed
like only hate, and I wondered if
there was anything positive. Then,
my friends said, ‘Meghan, they’re
talking about you. That’s huge!’ I
thought, ‘Yeah,’ and then I started
retweeting: ‘Everyone, discuss.’ ”
“All About That Bass” and Trainor’s
follow-up single, “Lips Are Movin’,”
are on her recently released debut
album “Title.” She’s proud to be part
of a musical Class of 2014 that also
saw big marks made by such talents
as Sam Smith and Iggy Azalea,
both up for best new artist at the
Grammys.
Trainor also is happy to get news
about her achievements from close
to home. “My mom always tells me
the records I break,” she muses. “Not
even my label. My mom. She’ll tell
me, ‘You beat a Michael Jackson
thing. Do you understand what’s
happening?’ And I’m like, ‘Nah. No
way.’ ”
Click here for
more!
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CELEBRITY
Jay Bobbin’s Q&A
JamesSpader
‘The Blacklist’ on NBC
Has Raymond “Red” Reddington developed
the way you hoped he would from the time
you began “The Blacklist”?
When I first spoke to the writers and gave them
my reactions to the pilot, I think all of us were
very excited. This character was very enigmatic,
and yet I saw the opportunity for letting the
prism through which he saw the world play out
in a tangible way ... in every episode, to different
degrees.
Certainly, the character’s irreverence has been
able to flourish. He’s living, and has lived, a life
that seems incomprehensible – and one of the
things I have thought, and have continued to
think, is that a life lived in the extremes is one
that he finds comforting. And how do you find
peace in the most dire of circumstances, or calm
in chaos? Or humor wrapped up in fear and
threat?
Has it been a challenge for you to keep Red
from dipping into caricature as the series has
gone on?
I think it’s just a matter of staying true. As odd
and singular as the prism through which he
sees the world is, it’s very specific to him, and I
think he’s very convicted to who he is. He takes
ownership and responsibility for that, and it
allows for erratic behavior because it’s all within
the context of who he is.
I do my due diligence in terms of that, but the
writers have a very strong sense of that as well.
They spend a lot of time talking through a lot of
this, and they know Reddington very well.
folio
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Click here for more!
CELEBRITY
Jay Bobbin’s Q&A
TomCavanagh
C
‘The Flash’ on The CW
Are you enjoying playing both the
benevolent and scheming sides of Dr.
Harrison Wells on “The Flash”?
Since we were children, getting a
chance to do this stuff is actually fun for
me, personally. And Grant (Gustin, who
plays Barry Allen/The Flash), we have a
lot of fun. And how could you kind of not,
when you look at what we get to do?
And so that carries most of the battle, I
think, in terms of keeping things loose.
And we’re proceeding from gratitude.
We know it’s a good job and a fun job,
and we’re grateful for it. Which I think,
probably, there’s some ephemeral
translation to that on the screen.
What’s the biggest challenge of
playing a character who is two people
at once, especially when the audience
is in on it?
When you’ve got sort of a dual purpose
for everything you say, dual goals, all
those kinds of things – all that duality,
as an actor, it’s a joy to play, because
you’re trying to approach it from different
levels. And sometimes you succeed, and
sometimes you don’t.
But one of the tremendous things is
to have lines that go, “I look forward to
seeing you soon.” You know, like stuff
like that, which is layered with all sorts
of different things, because he’s also
... he’s the Reverse Flash, but also
Harrison Wells. And his agendas don’t
necessarily make him a bad guy, in the
way that (he’s) not a mustache-twirling
bad guy. He needs Barry to do well,
and essentially, Barry needs him to further his own powers. And so the fact that he’s got certain
complications, for me, is a joy to play.
Click here for more!
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CELEBRITY
George Dickie’s Q&A
JonathanBanks
of ‘Better Call Saul’ on AMC
How different a guy is your character
in “Better Call Saul,” Mike Ehrmantraut,
from the one at the end of “Breaking
Bad”?
Not much. You saw him meet Jimmy, and
very soon you will go back further. You will
learn more and more about Mike.
How much of a challenge is it as an actor
to peel away the layers?
I love the character, so where we go with
it and what we do, I enjoy it because the
writers know the character and they take
good care of it. And they also pay attention
to some of my opinions about who Mike is.
But like I say, I always defer to them. I come
out of their pen.
Actors always say that to create a
character, one has to find common
ground with it. Is that true for you?
You’d like to believe that. You know, I’ve
played some real hard asses over the
course of my life. I’ve certainly backed down
from fights and fled instead of fight. I’m just
a guy. I draw on a lot of things throughout
my life. I draw on people that I have known.
And I’ve been broken up pretty good a few
times. So I’ll just leave it at that. And that’s
to say, listen, you know what? I ain’t so
tough. ... I guess it’s fair enough to say at
my age, I’ve seen a bit. I’ve seen a bit. I’ll
leave it at that.
Click here for more!
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FOOD
George Dickie’s What's for Dinner
AlfonsoRibeiro
F
Ribeiro explores food origins on ‘Unwrapped 2.0’
Alfonso Ribeiro doesn’t consider himself a foodie, but rather a guy who loves
American food.
Which makes his hosting the Monday Cooking Channel series “Unwrapped 2.0”
something of an ideal assignment.
“I am the quintessential American eater,” declares the 43-year-old former star of
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and Season 19 co-champion (with Witney Carson)
of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” “I’m not super fancy. I’m not super creative. I
love heartland-of-America-type foods. So I wouldn’t consider myself a full foodie
because of just simply the fact that I’m not like a big sushi eater and the weird
foods. I’m not into that. But if you make me some basic, fundamental foods ... I’m
into all of that.”
The series, which premiered last week, is basically a reboot of Food Network’s
“Unwrapped” that was hosted for years by Marc Summers. Like its predecessor, the new show takes viewers
across the country to explore the origin, creation and secrets behind such legendary foods as caramel apples,
honey barbecue potato chips and the subject of the premiere episode, honey buns.
“I loved the honey buns,” says Ribeiro, who is currently touring the country with Carson with the “Dancing With
the Stars Live” show. “Like I just love that. I mean, it’s not really a surprising thing about how it’s made. It’s a lot
of sugar (laughs) – a lot of sugar on a lot of different stuff. But ... how they do the honey buns, was kind of cool
to me.”
In Monday’s episode, Ribeiro learns about the origins of sweet and sour. Other episodes delve into pork rinds,
the pecan log roll and something called a chocolate salami.
“It is all-American stuff,” Ribeiro says, “so it’s the treat, rather than it be about burgers and those types of
things. It’s ultimately about the treats that we love.
“It’s when you go to a football game, what do you have there? What comes with the meal? You know, the fun
stuff, the stuff that kids love to eat. This is what this show is about. And that’s really what attracted me to it,
simply that I love all those treats. So it’s a perfect marriage.”
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What book are you currently
reading? “Right now, I don’t have time
to really sit down and read a book, so I
don’t have one.”
What did you have for dinner last
night? “I had a filet mignon steak.”
What is your next project? “That’s still
to be determined. The next one that I
have on the books, I’m directing a TV
show for ABC Family.”
When was your last vacation, where
and why? “My last vacation was right
after the season of ‘Dancing With the
Stars,’ where my wife and I went to the
Andaz Hotel in Maui, Hawaii.”
February 8 - 14, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 7
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CELEBRITY
John Crook's Celebrity ScooP
Retta
For the past seven seasons, Retta has provided one of the few voices
of reason as Donna Meagle on the madcap NBC sitcom “Parks and
Recreation,” currently in its final weeks Tuesdays on NBC.
If you look at her high school record, however, the actress looks more like a
real-life embodiment of Amy Poehler’s over-achieving main character, Leslie
Knope.
“There were people in my group who were way more enthusiastic gogetters than I was,” Retta explains. “I did do a lot of things because I was,
first, a little bit popular, and second, I didn’t want to miss stuff. So I was
on the student council, the yearbook staff, I managed wrestling, I was
a cheerleader and I did track. I did win the Spirit Award one year on my
cheerleading team.”
As an avid student in honors math and science, Retta started college in
North Carolina as a pre-med candidate, but away from home, she began
to discover other career options. Her parents had not pressured her into
her career path, but they weren’t especially thrilled when she told them she
wanted to try comedy as an alternative. (They changed their minds after
seeing her onstage.)
Actually, she embarked on stand-up as a means to an acting career, since
this was when Roseanne, Tim Allen and Brett Butler all were translating
their club acts into hit ABC sitcoms. She just didn’t realize every other
comic in Los Angeles was adopting the same strategy.
As for her “Parks and Recreation” character, “Temperamentally, yes, Donna
and I are alike,” she says. “I tend not to be able to hide my feelings when
I find something to be ‘off,’ or just stupid. I really used to think I was really
good at it until one of my roommates said to me, ‘We can read everything
on your face.’ We are different in that Donna is way more confident than I
am. She has no qualms about going after what she wants.”
Born: Marietta Sirleaf, April 12,
1970
Family ties: Her parents are
immigrants from Liberia, and she’s
related to the country’s first female
president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf;
has two younger brothers.
Her moniker: Retta dropped
her surname when she started
Page 8 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
doing stand-up comedy to avoid
potentially embarrassing her father
(who only urged her to “get health
insurance”). Her family is fully
supportive now.
CELEBRITY
Celebrities profiled
J ac kMa x we ll
C
Jack Maxwell is a professional actor, producer and adventurer.
• He was born in Boston, Mass.
• At a young age, Maxwell made himself an entrepreneur by
shining shoes in neighborhood pubs and gin mills. This early
experience awakened his awareness of alcohol’s magical
socializing effect.
• In Travel Channel’s new original series “Booze Traveler,”
Maxwell ventures the globe to get a taste of a country’s
alcohol, and also to find out what people drink, why they
drink it and the stories they tell when they do.
• He connects with locals, immerses himself in regional
activities, learns about the country’s unique relationship with
liquor and sometimes even participates in the alcohol-making
process.
• He became a lifetime member of the Actors Studio in 2003.
• He won best actor in a lead role at the 2012 Pan Pacific
Film Festival and was presented with both the Emerald Star
and Golden Halo award from the Southern California Motion
Picture Council.
• Additionally, he has shared stage time with Al Pacino and
Jessica Chastain in Oscar Wilde’s “Salome” as well as the
movie, “Wilde Salome,” about the making of the play.
• Jack is currently touring the United States with Joe
Bologna and Renee Taylor doing their play “Lovers and
Other Strangers.” He plays three different characters in this
production.
• His recent credits include “Franklin and Bash,” “Without a
Trace,” “24,” “Lost,” “House M.D.,” “Ugly Betty” and “The Unit.”
• He also won kudos for his turn as Rocco in Rogue Machine
Theatre’s production of “Razorback” and as Granger Sims in
the Actors Studio presentation of George Furth’s “Sex, Sex,
Sex, Sex, Sex and Sex” at both the Tiffany Theatre and the
Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles.
• As a host, Jack Maxwell was hand-picked by the President
of MGM Television to front “National Enquirer’s Uncovered.”
• Jack has appeared on “The Howard Stern Show” and
ended up on the pages of Variety, The Hollywood Reporter,
US Weekly, Stuff Magazine, L.A. Times, New York Post and
Playgirl (interview only).
• He has also hosted “Movie Showcase” on DirecTV and
“Winner Take All” for ABC
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CELEBRITY
Celebs’ favorite shows
James
Spader
Lauren
Graham
Aarón
Sánchez
Jeff
Mauro
Set the DVR
James Spader of “The Blacklist” on NBC
“When I’m disseminating large volumes of
fictional material, I lean toward nonfiction. When
I view something at home, I really want to see a
documentary. And I’m a member of the film academy,
so I try to see as many of the (Oscar) entries as I
can, so that I can vote with some sort of knowledge
– but I can safely say that I don’t watch much scripted
television at all.”
Aarón Sánchez of “Taco Trip” on Cooking Channel
“A lot of history shows, like the history of Rome,
archaeology shows. I watch that kind of stuff. I like
pirates (laughs), stuff like that. Vikings are pretty cool.”
Jeff Mauro of “The Kitchen” on Food Network
“I watch a lot of HBO stuff, Showtime stuff. I’m a big
fan of ‘Homeland,’ ‘Walking Dead,’ ‘Key & Peele.’ ... Of
course, all my shows, which we have to start erasing
because (laughs) it’s taking up the DVR space.”
Lauren Graham of “Parenthood” on NBC
“I am a big ‘Homeland’ fan, I really love ‘The
Americans,’ and I also love ‘Louie’ and ‘Veep.’ Those
would be my top four – and then, also ‘Shark Tank’ and
‘The Voice.’ ‘Shark Tank’ makes me think I can invent
something.”
Page 10 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
STORY
S
Robert Durst
tells his
side of the
story
in HBO’s
‘The Jinx’
By George Dickie
Filmmaker Andrew Jarecki says there was a point when
he knew New York real estate heir and twice-acquitted
murder suspect Robert Durst would be completely
candid with him in the making of his HBO documentary
series “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.”
Jarecki was filming the director’s commentary for the
DVD of his 2010 theatrical release “All Good Things”
– which was inspired by the 1982 disappearance of
Durst’s wife Kathie – and the two sat and watched the
film together. In a pivotal scene, the Durst character
played by Ryan Gosling bursts into a party being thrown
for his wife (played by Kirsten Dunst), grabs her by the
hair and drags her out in front of shocked family and
friends. Jarecki was braced for the worst.
“Bob immediately says, totally calmly, ‘Yes, I’ve heard
this scene described two ways,’ ” Jarecki says. “And
I said, ‘What were those?’ And he said, ‘Well, some
people said I just came back in the house and I
grabbed her by the hair and I dragged her out of the
house by her hair. And then the other way is I yanked
her by the hair and a big chunk came out.’ ... There’s a
long pause and he says, ‘Either one of those is pretty
close.’ ”
The six-part series, which premieres Sunday, Feb.
8, delves into the strange history of Durst, the son
of privilege who was suspected in the still-unsolved
disappearance of his wife as well as the murders of family
friend Susan Berman and neighbor Morris Black, whose
dismembered corpse was found floating in Galveston Bay,
Texas. Durst actually reached out to Jarecki and granted
him unprecedented access for the project, which uncovers
long-buried information and includes interviews with Durst
kin and many who were part of the original investigations.
Still one has to wonder why Durst, now 71 and with
his legal troubles seemingly behind him, would want to
rehash the past and possibly invite trouble.
“One of the things he says,” Jarecki says, “is, ‘For 30
years, people have been telling my story, assuming that
I would never respond and they can say anything they
want because I’m never going to give an interview, so
it’s never going to be disputed. And I see that a lot and
that has bothered me, and I felt like I was not able to tell
my story my way. And at the very least, there’s going to
be something out there from me.’ ... So I think it sort of
comes down to him wanting to be able to tell his side of
the story.”
Click here for more!
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STORY
Before there was
‘Bad’
“Better Call Saul,” the prequel to
“Breaking Bad,” premieres Sunday
on AMC.
Story on next page
BobOdenkirk
Page 12 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
STORY
S
‘Breaking Bad’
shyster
finds his less-than-
honest voice on AMC’s
‘Better Call Saul’
By George Dickie
Walter White may be dead and (presumably) buried,
but “Breaking Bad” fans won’t be totally left out in the
cold with the premiere of its prequel, “Better Call Saul,”
Sunday on AMC.
The hourlong drama series follows the exploits and
evolution of the character who became popular during
the latter years of “Bad’s” 2008-13 run, Saul Goodman
– aka Jimmy McGill (played by Bob Odenkirk) – as he
morphs from struggling lawyer to the sleazy strip-mall
shyster who would become White’s attorney.
Joining Odenkirk from the previous series are
Jonathan Banks as future fixer Mike Ehrmantraut,
along with Michael McKean (“Laverne & Shirley,”
“This Is Spinal Tap”) as Saul’s more legitimate lawyer
brother Chuck; Rhea Seehorn (“Whitney,” “I’m With
Her”) as Saul’s law colleague Kim Wexler; Patrick
Fabian (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “The Newsroom”) as
Chuck’s law partner Howard Hamlin; and Michael
Mando (“Orphan Black,” “The Bridge”) as calculating
career criminal Nacho Varga.
“I had to rethink him,” says Odenkirk of his character
at a recent gathering of TV critics in Pasadena, Calif.
“He’s a different guy. The guy you’re going to meet in
this show is a far more dimensional character than
Saul Goodman was on ‘Breaking Bad,’ a much richer
character, but by necessity, he’s on screen a lot more
and the story’s about him, and so I had to do the job
of acting and reading the script and talking to (cocreators) Vince (Gilligan) and Peter (Gould) about the
character and figuring out ... these new sides of the
character.”
Michael McKean
Standing in sharp contrast to shady Saul is brother
Chuck, an honest attorney with an as-yet-undisclosed
rare illness and a deep and abiding respect for the
law.
“I’m the one who has done very well sticking by the
law,” says McKean in a separate interview. “... I’m
the one who says, ‘Well you could do that except it’s
wrong and against the law.’ Now that doesn’t mean
that lawyers always make the right choice or that
lawyers always do something that’s going to be for the
good of humanity. They’re going to do what’s good for
their clients.
“The law is Chuck’s deity,” McKean continues. “If there
is an absolute, religious people, they say God is the
absolute. That’s who we go to. The word. Well, this is
the word to Chuck, the law, and it’s something that
escapes Jimmy because what Chuck knows about the
law is a lot more than what Jimmy knows. And their
roles are not exactly reversed now, but Jimmy is the
one who is kind of taking care of creature comforts
for Chuck, whereas Chuck used to be the guy who’d
fly to Chicago to bail him out of jail or who’d get him
a job in the mailroom of my firm, to do things for him
like that. But I guess you could say he’s sort of the
conscience, yeah.”
Click here for more!
February 8 - 14, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 13
S
STORY
NBC
delivers
resounding ‘Slap’
Don’t miss this new drama series “The Slap,”
premiering Thursday on NBC.
Story on next page
UmaThurman
Page 14 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
STORY
‘The
Slap’
lingers on for
S
several people
ZacharyQuinto
By Jay Bobbin
All it takes is one moment, and one action, to alter
relationships forever.
For proof, there’s “The Slap,” NBC’s new limited-run
series adapted by playwright Jon Robin Baitz (“The
Substance of Fire”) from a Christos Tsiolkas novel that
also inspired a 2011 Australian television drama.
Premiering Thursday, Feb. 12, the saga is launched at a
birthday party where tensions erupt when the guest of
honor’s (Peter Sarsgaard) cousin (Zachary Quinto, “Star
Trek”) delivers a rough slap to the face of a misbehaving
child (Dylan Schombing) ... who isn’t his, setting off a
wave of overt anger, accusations of neglectful parenting
and looming lawsuits.
Uma Thurman, Thandie Newton, Thomas Sadoski
(“The Newsroom”), Penn Badgley (“Gossip Girl”), Marin
Ireland and Brian Cox also are in the ensemble cast of
“The Slap.” Co-star Melissa George (“In Treatment”) gets
to revisit the role she played in the original version, the
mother of the slapped youngster.
Each of the eight episodes of “The Slap” largely takes
the perspective of one of the people who are party
to the title incident. Also an executive producer of
the show, Baitz believes the American retelling is “far
more psychological, actually, and is about sort of the
ramifications of our moral and internal lives.”
Thurman agrees. Making a rare television appearance
after her 2012 guest stint on NBC’s “Smash,” the “Kill
Bill” actress reasons “The Slap” is “a very interesting
cultural exploration of the changing face of how to
treat a human being, of compassion, of family, what’s
acceptable, what’s not acceptable. I think (Baitz)
explores this in the old world ... like, who can blame
their parent who was lashed in the woodshed if they
slapped you a few times, and they think they did
nothing to you because they were brutalized? So
they’re blinded by their own trauma from how they
may have behaved.”
The slap itself clearly is “a big scene,” Quinto confirms,
especially being the central person who executes it.
“There were a lot of technical elements to it because
there were so many of us in it. The thing that was the
most important for everybody was the well-being and
the safety of the kids, and so I was really impressed
with how our team handled that. Obviously, we had
to do it repetitively, but we isolated the moment of the
slap.”
Known for work on film (“Garden State”) and stage
(“The Seagull”), Sarsgaard – whose wife, Maggie
Gyllenhaal, recently won a Golden Globe Award
for the miniseries “The Honourable Woman” – also
makes a rare move into TV with “The Slap.” It brings
him full circle in a way, since he explains, “When I first
came to New York, I really wanted to be in this Jon
Robin Baitz play, and I auditioned. I really thought I
was the guy. I didn’t get the job. So, this sort of felt like
I’d always wanted to work with him.”
Click here for more!
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S
SPORTS
MikaelaShiffrin
young and
fast
Story on next page
Full Name: Mikaela Pauline Shiffrin
Born: March 13, 1995 (age 19)
Resides: Vail, Colo.
Height: 5 feet 7 inches
Disciplines: slalom, giant slalom
Honors & Achievements: gold
medal, 2014 Winter Olympic Games;
gold medal, 2013 World Championships;
bronze medal, 2011 Junior World Ski
Championships
Page 16 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
SPORTS
S
By Dan Ladd
She’s not even 20 yet and already
Mikaela Shiffrin is paving her own
way in her sport of downhill slalom
ski racing. The 2014 Olympic gold
medalist will once again race down
the mountain, this time in her
hometown, when she competes in the
ladies slalom at the 2015 FIS Alpine
World Ski Championships in Vail/
Beaver Creek, Colo., airing Saturday,
Feb. 14, on NBC.
Shiffrin has literally grown up in the
world of skiing. Originally from New
Hampshire, her family moved west
to Colorado when she was just 8
and by the time she was old enough
to compete at age 15, there was no
stopping her. In 2011, she became
the youngest American to claim a
national title when she won the U.S.
National Championships shortly
after turning 16. For Shiffrin, titles
continued to fall to her like dominoes,
leading all the way up to the 2014
Winter Olympic Games in Sochi,
Russia. There, less than a month
before her 19th birthday, she became
the youngest slalom winner in history
and also went on to finish fifth in the
giant slalom.
Viewers who tune in on Saturday will
likely get a peek at Shiffrin during
the second run of the ladies slalom
in Beaver Creek. The race takes
place on the Raptor racecourse,
constructed in 2012-13 specifically
for this event, giant slalom races and
training. It’s safe to say that Shiffrin
has the home-slope advantage.
The 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski
Championships run through Feb. 15.
MikaelaShiffrin
February 8 - 14, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 17
M
MOVIES
JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review
review
“Taken3”
Liam Neeson gets
‘Taken’ again in third
round
If Bryan Mills had known at the time what else was in store
for his supposed retirement from espionage, he might have
thought rescuing his kidnapped daughter was a walk in the
park.
Liam Neeson had such an enormous hit with the original
“Taken,” it launched a major new career chapter for him as
an action star, fortified by such additional films as “NonStop” and “A Walk Among the Tombstones.” You know what
success breeds, and since “Taken 2” also fared well, there’s
now – you guessed it – “Taken 3.”
In “Die Hard 2,” Bruce Willis’ John McClane wonders, “How
can the same thing happen to the same guy twice?” For
sure, “Taken 3” cements Neeson’s Mills as a member of the
same club, but it’s to the actor’s credit that he still makes it
work without slipping into caricature.
Director Olivier Megaton has built a reputation for this sort
of fast-paced festival of mayhem, and he delivers for those
who already are in the “Taken” house. At the same time,
those who are just getting their first dose of the franchise
will immediately get a sense of what they’ve missed. It’s the
same commanding Neeson, even more confident (if that’s
possible) in the role.
Mills’ family life always has been the basis of his troubles
in these movies, and that’s the crux of his problems again.
He still wants his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) back, but there’s
a new man in her life (Dougray Scott) ... and, probably no
A certain suspension of disbelief is a requirement when
surprise, a man with a questionable past.
you get to the third chapter of a franchise such as “Taken,”
but there’s still undeniable fun in watching Neeson mop up
the screen with various bad guys. The third time may not
The suspicions Mills naturally has about his rival for his
be the charm, but at the same time, “Taken 3” does no real
former spouse leads to a murder that the ex-spy is framed
harm ... unless you happen to be on the receiving end as
for. While he’s trying to clear himself, he also has to
continue to keep watch over daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), one of its villains.
who’s threatened again; the stakes actually are higher,
since she’s expecting her first child.
Page 18 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
MOVIES
JAY BOBBIN's movie review
movies to watch
M
“NIGHTCRAWLER”
Jake Gyllenhaal rightfully has received much
attention for his man-on-the-fringes performance
as a free-lance videographer who provides
graphic crime footage to an eager TV-news
producer (Rene Russo, whose husband – Dan
Gilroy – wrote and directed the film). Bill Paxton
and Riz Ahmed also appear in the drama that
makes salient, and unnerving, points about
what makes much of the media tick these days.
Several veterans of local Los Angeles newscasting
turn up here, and Robert Elswit’s evocative
cinematography also merits note. DVD extras:
“making-of” documentary; audio commentary by
Gilroy, producer Tony Gilroy and editor John Gilroy
(they’re all brothers). ››› (R: AS, P, GV) (Also on
Blu-ray and On Demand)
Top Pick
DVD
Jake Gyllenhaal
upcoming DVD releases
Coming Soon on DVD...
“DUMB AND DUMBER TO” (Feb. 17): Lloyd and Harry (Jim
Carrey, Jeff Daniels) reunite to find the daughter Harry didn’t
know he had. (PG-13: AS, N, P)
“THE INTERVIEW” (Feb. 17): The controversial Seth RogenJames Franco comedy makes its home-video debut. (R: AS, P, V)
“THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING” (Feb. 17): Current Oscar
nominees Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones star in the
personal story of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. (PG-13: AS)
“THE HOMESMAN” (Feb. 17): A drifter (Tommy Lee Jones, also
the director here) is recruited by a frontierswoman (Hilary Swank)
to help transport several troubled people. (R: AS, N, P, V)
“LIFE ITSELF” (Feb. 17): The life of movie critic Roger Ebert
is recalled, in his own words and those of others including
filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog. (R: AS, P)
Jeff Daniels (left) and Jim Carrey
“SONS OF ANARCHY: SEASON SEVEN” (Feb. 24): The saga
concludes as Jax (Charlie Hunnam) realizes how close to home
the source of a personal tragedy is – and weighs his need for
vengeance. (Not rated: AS, N, P, V)
February 8 - 14, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 19
S
FAVORITE SHOWS
“The
Walking
Dead”
Katherine
Heigl stars
in “State of
Affairs”
SUNDAY
8 p.m. on CBS
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards
Two-time Grammy winner LL Cool
J (“NCIS: Los Angeles”) is host for
the festivities at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles honoring excellence
in the recording industry. Artists
scheduled to perform during the threeand-a-half-hour special include Eric
Church, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran,
Madonna, AC/DC, Common, Miranda
Lambert, John Legend, Sam Smith,
Usher and Pharrell Williams. New
9 p.m. on AMC
The Walking Dead
As new episodes resume for one
of cable TV’s hottest series, things
are looking — wait for it — bleak
Hayley
Atwell stars
in “Marvel’s
Agent Carter”
for Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln)
and his plucky band of survivors, as
they find themselves on the road in
the aftermath of the tragic events
that occurred in the mid-season
finale. Worse, perhaps, is that they
now know their hopes that a cure
for the plague is waiting for them in
Washington, D.C., are nothing but a
pipe dream. Not surprisingly, some in
the party are nearing their breaking
point. New
MONDAY
10 p.m. on NBC
State of Affairs
In a new episode called “Here and
Now,” Charlie and President Payton
(Katherine Heigl, Alfre Woodard)
Page 20 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 8 - 14, 2015
LL Cool J
hosts The
57th Annual
Grammy
Awards
must decide what they are willing to
sacrifice in order to apprehend the
world’s most-wanted terrorist when
Nick (guest star Chris L. McKenna)
finally gets Sheikh Hakam (guest
star Yousuf Azami) in his sights.
Unfortunately, Sen. Burke (guest star
Rex Linn) releases sensitive intel for
his own ends that could jeopardize the
entire mission. Adam Kaufman and
David Harbour also star. New
TUESDAY
9 p.m. on ABC
Marvel’s Agent Carter
In a new episode called “A Sin to Err,”
Peggy (Hayley Atwell) is shocked to
discover the truth about Leviathan,
but she doesn’t realize her real
continued on next page
FAVORITE SHOWS
enemies are even closer than she
thinks. Sousa (Enver Gjokaj) may
inadvertently put Peggy in the
crosshairs of the SSR as he draws
closer and closer to learning the
truth about her. Meagan Fay and
Bridget Regan guest star. New
the first of many wedges between
Katya, Alex and Mark (Scott Cohen).
Elsewhere, Alex starts working on a
CIA-FBI task force on which his unique
perspective is vital to unmasking the
identity of a new defector. New
9 p.m. on CBS
NCIS: New Orleans
The murder of an NCIS agent during
a security detail for the Vice Chief of
Naval Operations leaves Pride (Scott
Bakula) and his team wondering
whether the incident was a failed
assassination attempt or a foe’s
attack on one of their own in the
new episode “Careful What You Wish
For.” Agent Brody’s (Zoe McLellan)
somewhat mysterious history
becomes a matter of interest when
she is placed under investigation.
Lucas Black also stars. New
FRIDAY
9 p.m. on CBS
Hawaii Five-0
Former Academy Award nominee
Barkhad Abdi (“Captain Phillips”)
guest stars in a new episode called
“E ’Imi Pono” (Hawaiian for “Searching
for the Truth”), in which the murder
of a journalist sends McGarrett (Alex
O’Loughlin) and the rest of Five-0 in
pursuit of a Congolese warlord who
had been presumed dead but may
be living in Oahu. As Valentine’s Day
approaches, Danny (Scott Caan)
WEDNESDAY
8 p.m. on NBC
The Mysteries of Laura
Laura (Debra Messing) and her
team find themselves exploring the
raucous drag world of New York
as they investigate the murder of
a female impersonator in the new
episode “The Mystery of the Popped
Pugilist.” Their preconceptions are
turned on their heads when they
discover the victim was a member
of an underground fight club. On a
personal note, Laura’s wild night on
the town with an old pal (guest star
Kelly Rutherford, “Gossip Girl”) leads
to a surprise encounter. Josh Lucas
also stars. New
THURSDAY
10 p.m. on NBC
Allegiance
In the new episode ironically
called “Teamwork,” Alex’s (Gavin
Stenhouse) grave suspicions that
his parents are spies forces Katya
(Hope Davis) into a lie that deflects
her son’s concerns but drives
S
overreacts when Grace’s (Teilor
Grubbs) texts to a boy start showing up
on his phone. New
SATURDAY
8 p.m. on FOX
NASCAR Racing
One of the first signs of spring is the
smell of race-car exhaust in the air,
as provided by the first Sprint Cup
preseason race, the Sprint Unlimited,
from Daytona International Speedway.
Denny Hamlin won this contest a year
ago on the 2.5-mile Florida oval. The
likes of Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart,
Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and
defending Cup champion Kevin Harvick
will challenge him.
Alex O’Loughlin
stars in “Hawaii
Five-0”
Jimmie Johnson
competes in the
Sprint Unlimited
Hope Davis
stars in
“Allegiance”
February 8 - 14, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 21