Talk show guru Montel Williams got another job! This time, he’s a consultant at an upscale marijuana dispensary in Sacramento, California… and he hopes to put medical marijuana use in a good light.
Montel — an outspoken proponent of medical marijuana use — took the job hoping to create a store that runs more like a pharmacy and less like a shady back-alley head shop.
During a news conference yesterday, Montel announced his partnership with the Albatin Wellness Cooperative — and said, “We want to provide safe access [to marijuana] for patients and really medicalize this. Patients should be put first.”
Montel said he’ll be “involved at every level of the cooperative, from the philosophical direction down to the blueprints.”
He added, “I want this to be someplace your mother and father could see themselves walk into.”
Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the late 90s — and credits pot with alleviating his near-constant neurological pain.
ABC has made a special announcement! Leading news lady Kate Couric will get her own syndicated talk show on ABC.
The network announced the deal today, unveiling the plan which puts Katie in as host and producer. We’ve learned Katie’s mentor – former “Today” show EP Jeff Zucker — will be the Executive Producer.
As we reported, Katie will make $20 million, mostly for the talk show but there’s a relatively small amount for contributing to various ABC news shows.
Sources tell TMZ, the likelihood is … Katie will get the 3 PM time slot when the show debuts in September, 2012. That’s the coveted slot Oprah owned for a quarter century.
The famous “Dr. Death” passed away early Friday at the age of 83.
The assisted-suicide advocate had been hospitalized in Michigan for pneumonia and a kidney-related ailment, his attorney has said.
The 83-year-old former pathologist had struggled with kidney problems for years and had checked into a hospital earlier this month for similar problems, his lawyer, Mayer Morganroth, told CNN last month. He checked back into Beaumont Hospital in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak on May 18 after suffering a relapse, Morganroth said.
Kevorkian, dubbed “Dr. Death,” made national headlines as a supporter of physician-assisted suicide and “right-to-die” legislation. He was charged with murder numerous times through the 1990s for helping terminally ill patients take their own lives.
He was convicted on second-degree murder charges in 1999 stemming from the death of a patient who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was paroled in 2007.
After his release, he said he would not help end any more lives.
In an interview with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta last year, Kevorkian said he had no regrets about his work.
“No, no. It’s your purpose (as a) physician. How can you regret helping a suffering patient?” he said.
In that interview, Kevorkian said that he had three missions in life and that he himself was not ready to die.
One of his missions was to warn mankind of “impending doom” that will come from the culture of overabundance.
“I’m not going to be too popular for that one,” he said.
His second mission was to educate people about assisted suicide, and his belief that in states where assisted suicide has been legalized, it is not being done right. He believed that people shouldn’t have to be terminal in order to qualify for help in ending their own lives.
Kevorkian’s third stated mission was to convince Americans that their rights are being infringed upon by bans on everything from smoking to assisted suicide.
In case you didn’t know, Kevorkian had a failed run for Congress in Michigan back in 2008 at the age of 79.
The assisted suicide advocate is no longer able to lead people to the end of their lives. Attorney Morganroth said that Kevorkian died a “peaceful death.”
Is Roseanne Barr returning to network TV? Looks like the macadamia nut farmer may have to leave her Hawaiian farm and return to the mainland!
Barr is in talks to join the NBC midseason-scheduled first season of “Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea,” series creator and executive producer Chelsea Handler told The Hollywood Reporter.
“I’m talking to Roseanne Barr to do some guest episodes as my aunt,” Handler said. “She’s interested in doing it, so it should be fun.”
Barr would play Handler’s aunt — and also fake Handler’s aunt. That’s because Handler will star on the show not as herself, but as her sister; Laura Prepon, best known as Donna in “That 70′s Show,” will play the fictionalized Handler lead.
In a long recent guest article for New York Magazine, Barr ripped the television and Hollywood establishment as heartless and selfish, saying that she was abused by network higher ups as she began to do her show, “Roseanne.” She called out their superficiality and the slavishness to fame, detailing her rise and fall from grace.
Largely, she said, nothing has changed in the industry, but perhaps with Handler, most obviously a woman, serving as EP and creative voice for the show, Barr feels more comfortable participating in a network sitcom once again. It would be the first time since a brief guest appearance in “My Name Is Earl,” in which she played herself; before that, she hadn’t been on a network sitcom since guesting on “The Nanny” and “Third Rock From The Sun,” in 1997.
Title: Pan Am
Night: Sunday’s at 10:00
Synopsis: ‘Mad Men’ – with Stewardesses
Title: Charlie’s Angels
Night: Thursday’s at 8:00
Synopsis: This big, loud, fun take on the 1970′s smash hit series introduces us to three new angels, all fearless operatives, head-turning beauties and close friends. There’s Abby (Rachael Taylor) a Park Avenue Princess who became a world-class thief. Then there’s Kate (Annie Ilonzeh), a Miami cop who fell from grace, losing both her career and her fiance. Finally there’s Gloria, a disgraced army lieutenant who has a way with explosives. When one of the angels’ missions ends in Gloria’s tragic death, Charlie persuades them to partner with Gloria’s childhood friend, Eve (Minka Kelly), a street racer with a mysterious past. They may not know each other yet, but one thing’s for sure–Abby, Kate and Eve will always have each other’s backs.
I actually think it looks pretty bad – but maybe I’ll be surprised.
Title: Suburgatory
Night: Wednesdays at 8:30
Synopsis: Dad (Jeremy Sisto) leaves the city to move edgy daughter to the suburbsm, where she hates her new stepmom (Cheryl Hines)
Title: Terra Nova
Night: Monday’s at 8:00PM
Synopsis: This much delayed Steven Speilberg project follows a family that goes from the distant future to the distant past to help a team of scientists figure out how to save the planet from economic ruin. Oh, and there are dinosaurs and lots and lots of cool special effects.
I can’t wait to see that! I hope it’s good, it looks like it sorta kinda maybe be like Lost. Maybe?
Title: New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel!
Night: Tuesday’s at 9:00PM
Synopsis: Zooey Deschanel breaks up with her boyfriend an moves in with three macho man roommates who try to teach her a thing or two about life, relationships, and getting herself laid.
This looks amazing! I hope, I hope, I hope it’s good! Zooey is too stinkin cute!
Title: I Hate My Teenage Daughter, starring Jaime Pressly
Night: Wednesdays at 9:30
Synopsis: Jaime Pressley and Broadway’s Katie Finneran star as two mothers with monsterously evil teenage daughters. Jamie Pressley playing a mother of a teenager makes me feel old.
According to In Touch, the host of ‘Real Time With Bill Maher’, and his young girlfriend, Cara Santa Maria, have finally called it quits after their two year run.
“They are taking time off as a couple and have decided to spend less time together,” an insider tells In Touch. “Bill can never stay with one woman for more than a few years. He always gets bored and just wants to go back to playing the field.”
The leggy brunette, who began dating Bill in 2009, was not on his arm at this year’s Vanity Fair Oscar party. Bill instead went to the star-studded soiree with his best friend, online media mogul Arianna Huffington. Bill and Cara “spent some time talking about marriage,” adds the insider, “but [the relationship] just ran its course. She was not exactly his type either.”
Cara confirmed the split to In Touch, saying, “Our breakup was mutual and amicable. We continue to be friends and work together.”
Paris Hilton has convinced another TV network to give her her own reality show.
Sidenote: I was doing a little research for this post (surprising, I know) and found out something rather shocking. Did you know that The Simple Life, which she “starred” in with ex-BFF Nicole Richie aired for four years!? That’s craziness! No wonder they don’t speak anymore, a little Wonky goes a long way!
Anyway, this time around she’s looking to show her serious side, okay? She’s, like, totally deep, and, like, totally misunderstood.
The untitled-future-Emmy-winning-reality-show will air on Oxygen (suckers!) and will be about her life and her “work”.
The show will feature Hilton’s interactions with friends and family. One of the friends that will make an appearance, is the alleged-cocaine-addict Brooke Mueller (soon to be ex-wife of Charlie Sheen), which makes complete sense. Now we know what kind of “work” she’s she’s talking about! Maybe it was Brooke’s purse that contained the cocaine when Paris was busted!
Hey, as I type, I’m starting to get excited about this show. I take it back, it could be pure genius.
