Friday, January 6, 2017 – Edition: #5884

Tomorrow’s Show Prep Today!

BS SHOW BIZ BUZZ:
★ Sylvester Stallone has been training his daughters to walk in high-heels every day. The 70-year-old actor’s children with wife Jennifer Flavin: Sophia (20), Sistine (18), and Scarlet (14), are sharing the title of ‘Miss Golden Globe’ at Sunday’s awards ceremony. In preparation, Sly has reportedly been leading them in hour-long workout sessions in stiletto heels, to help them master their strut without taking any tumbles. The girls are also planning to color co-ordinate their apparel for the 74th annual gala.
– People.com
★ Harrison Ford has met his ‘Han Solo’ successor, actor Alden Ehrenreich. Ford reprised his famous role in 2015’s “The Force Awakens”, in which the character was killed off. But ‘Han Solo’ will continue to live on in form of 27-year-old Alden, who is playing the role in a standalone spin-off movie about the character’s younger years. Alden has made no secret of his desire to chat to Harrison ahead of the shoot, and his wishes seem to have come true this week as they met up at a restaurant in Santa Monica CA. The meeting is a u-turn from comments Ford made at a 2015 press conference, when he said he wanted no involvement in the prequel.
– WENN.com
★ And Kylie Jenner’s official 2017 calendar has a fairly major error – it lists her birthday 10 days later than it actually is. When fans picked up the sensational new calendar featuring seductive photos of the reality star taken by celebrity photographer Terry Richardson, they were confused to find that Kylie’s birthday was marked as August 20th with the caption ’20 today’. In fact, she was born on August 10th, which astute fans noticed immediately. The model and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star has yet to comment on the gaffe. At least her name is spelled right.
–Bang Showbiz

WEEKEND SHOW BIZ SKED:
• “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds” (HBO) – Saturday a documentary following actresses Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds. The film was scheduled to air in March, but the date has been moved up following their recent deaths one day apart.
• “David Bowie: The Last Five Years” (BBC 2) – Saturday the debut of a documentary about the Brit rocker’s last years, including work on his final album “Black Star”. The air-date is 3 days before the 1st anniversary of his death.
• “Golden Globe Awards” (NBC/CTV) – Sunday, hosted by Jimmy Fallon at LA’s Beverly Hilton Hotel. “Hacksaw Ridge”, “La La Land”, and “Moonlight” are competing for the top film prizes. In the TV categories, dramas “The Crown”, “Game of Thrones”, “Stranger Things”, “This is Us”, and “Westworld” are nominated; while the TV comedy category is led by “Atlanta”, “black-ish”, “Mozart In the Jungle”, “Transparent”, and “Veep”.
• “Last Call With Carson Daly” (NBC) – Tonight Strawberry Girls (“Italian Ghosts”, coming later in 2017). Rerun.
• “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC/CTV) – Tonight former Spice Girl Mel B. Rerun.
• “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC/CTV2) – Tonight The Weeknd (“Starboy”). Rerun.

BS MUSIC NOTES:
• Bon Iver – The band has just axed 21 dates in the UK and Europe over January and February. It’s unknown what has caused the sudden cancellation, but at least they have apologized for the inconvenience.
• David Bowie – According to “The Guardian”, musicians around-the-world are celebrating what would have been his 70th birthday on Sunday. An event featuring actor Gary Oldman and some of Bowie’s previous band members has been announced for London UK.
• George Michael – Tonight a Wham!-inspired nightclub in London is paying tribute to the late singer and is expecting more than 2,000 fans. Tropicana Beach Club in Covent Garden, named for the 1983 Wham! hit “Club Tropicana”, is featuring tribute performances and ‘special guests’.
• Gwen Stefani – She says she’s ”so happy” to be the new global brand ambassador for Revlon. The 47-year-old is set to follow in the footsteps of fellow singer Ciara and actresses Halle Berry and Olivia Wilde as the new face of the brand’s ‘Choose Love’ ad campaign.
• Jennifer Hudson – She’s planning to hit the studio with will.i.am to work on her next album. They’ve met in Britain as co-coaches on “The Voice” (ITV) and she says they’re committed to recording together once filming for the spinning-chair show is complete.
• Jennifer Lopez – She has been granted a temporary restraining order against a transient whom she claims has been following her from LA to Las Vegas, attended her shows in Sin City and sending her unwanted gifts. (Is this Drake?)
• Justin Bieber – He’s abandoned a sick puppy, palming off ‘Tod’ (a 7-month-old chow chow) on backup dancer CJ Salvador just a few months after adopting the poor pooch. Now Salvador is trying to raise cash so the pup can undergo lifesaving surgery on his hips.
• Mariah Carey – Her manager Stella Bulochnikov claims the 46-year-old singer is working on a ”secret project”, a scripted TV drama series that shares details about her life. (BS translation: Let’sforget about how she screwed up New Year’s Eve, OK?)
• Rascal Flatts – Retired NFL star Ladainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers) is making his acting debut in a movie based on their 2005 #1 hit “Bless the Broken Road”. Tomlinson plays a pastor who tries to help out a troubled mother and a disabled war vet.

TODAY’S MOVIE OPENINGS:
• “Underworld: Blood Wars” ( R-Rated Action Horror ): In what’s supposed to be the last installment of the blockbuster franchise, vampire death dealer ‘Selene’ (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. Co-stars Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver.
NET: http://www.underworldbloodwars-movie.com/site/
• Opening in limited release: “The Ardennes” (Drama); “I, Daniel Blake” (Drama); and “Railroad Tigers” (Action Comedy).
• Opening wider: “A Monster Calls” (Fantasy Drama).

A BRIDGE TOO HIGH:
This week China has officially opened the world’s highest bridge. The Beipanjiang Bridge is 1,850 ft or 564 m above the Beipan River. That’s essentially the height of a 200-story building. The 4,400-ft-long bridge (1.3 km) is part of the Huangrui Highway, and is expected to cut the travel time between Guizhou and Yunnan provinces by 3½ hours. Construction started in 2013, and its two sides were finally connected last September. It cost circa $143 million to build. China is also home to the world’s 2nd- and 3rd-highest bridges, the Sidu River Bridge and the Puli Bridge. The new bridge might be the world’s highest, but it’s oddly not the tallest. That measurement includes the height of any structures built atop the bridge, giving that record to the Millau Viaduct in France. (You can bet some base jumper is going to try to conquer both.)
– “India Today”

BIG BROTHER CRUISING:
Carnival Cruises has unveiled a new piece of technology developed by 2 former Disney executives called the ‘Ocean Medallion’. It’s a smart device the size of a quarter that cruise passengers can carry or wear to buy food & drinks and even open their room doors without taking it out of their pockets. When their medallions approach cruise staff, the employee’s tablets display their names and info about them so the staff can customize their needs without the cruisers even asking. The medallions also let the crew know where cruisers are at any given time and even allow entertainers to give shout-outs to cruisers watching shows from the privacy of their rooms. (This is kind of creepy, no?)
– “USA Today”

FOR THE RECORD:
A French cyclist has set a new record for riding 14 miles in 1 hour. If that doesn’t sound so remarkable (the world record is 33.8 miles) consider the category in which Robert Marchand was competing … over age 105. The retired firefighter first set a record riding in the over-100 category in 2012, then topped it 2 years later at age 102. He also holds the 100-plus record for fastest 100 km (4 hours, 17 minutes). He turned 105 a few months ago and competed this week at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome near Paris in the new 105+ category created just for him. (This ultra-fit old codger once biked from Paris to Moscow.)
– “The Guardian”

BS AMAZING FACT:
JK Rowling is working on 2 new novels.
– “Daily Telegraph”

BS CHRONOMETER 01.06.17

TODAY’S CELEBIRTHDAYS . . .
1953 [64] Malcolm Young, Glasgow, Scotland, former rock guitarist (AC/DC-“Thunderstruck”)/Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (2003)/left band in 2014 to receive treatment for dementia

1955 [62] Rowan Atkinson, Consett UK, movie actor (“Bean”, “Four Weddings & A Funeral”)/former TV comic (“Mr Bean”, “Blackadder”)/Order Of the British Empire (2013)

1960 [57] Nigella Lawson, London UK, celebrity chef (“Simply Nigella” since 2015, “The Taste” 2013-14, “Nigella Bites” 1999-2001)

1960 [57] Howie Long, Charlestown MA, TV football analyst (“FOX NFL Sunday” since 1994)/former NFL DE (Raiders 1981-93)/Pro Football Hall of Fame (2000)

1969 [48] Norman Reedus, Hollywood FL, TV actor (‘Daryl Dixon’ on “The Walking Dead” since 2010)

1970 [47] Julie Chen, Queens NY, TV host (“The Talk” since 2010, “Big Brother” since 2000)/wed to CBS-TV president-CEO Leslie Moonves since 2004

1982 [35] Eddie Redmayne, London UK, movie actor (“Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them”, “The Theory of Everything”)

1986 [31] Alex Turner, Sheffield UK, indie rock singer-songwriter-guitarist (Arctic Monkeys-“Do I Wanna Know?”, “When the Sun Goes Down”)

1994 [23] Jameis Winston, Bessemer AL, NFL quarterback (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

SATURDAY –
Movie actor Nicolas Cage (“National Treasure”) is 53; Movie actor Jeremy Renner (“The Bourne Legacy”) is 46; Country singer John Rich (Big & Rich) is 43; R&B singer-rapper Aloe Blacc (“Wake Me Up”) is 38; TV actress Lauren Cohan (“The Walking Dead”) is 35; TV actor Brett Dalton (“Marvel’s Agents of Shield”) is 34; Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is 32; TV actor Marcus Scribner (“black-ish”) is 17.

SUNDAY –
R&B singer R Kelly (“I Believe I Can Fly”) is 50; Dancehall singer Sean Paul (“Baby Boy”) is 44; Movie director-actress Sarah Polley (“Away From Her”) is 38; Rock guitarist Disashi Lumumbo-Kasongo (Gym Class Heroes) is 34.

TODAY’S BS REASONS TO PARTY . . .
• “Carnival Season” begins, which runs from today (“Epiphany”) until February 28th (“Shrove Tuesday”).
• “Cuddle Up Day”, an opportunity to snuggle up to someone or something on a cold Winter’s day.
• “Epiphany” (aka “Three Kings Day”), a Christian celebration and public holiday in Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Puerto Rico. In Ireland it’s known as “Little Christmas”; in Italy the kindly witch ‘La Befana’ slides down chimneys on her broom to bring toys & goodies for kids; in Mexico, where it’s known as “Dia de los Santos Reyes”, kids leave shoes out to be filled with toys by ‘Los Tres Reyes’ (The Three Kings), who tote gifts while riding camel-back.
• “Smith Day”, celebrating the most-common surname in the English-speaking world.
• “Take Down the Christmas Tree Day”, as the official holiday season ends today with Epiphany.

SATURDAY –
• “Bobblehead Day”, an annual celebration of the dumb dolls with wobbly noggins that are often handed out as giveaways at sports events. (Then collect dust on a shelves for decades.)
• “I’m Not Going to Take It Anymore Day”, a day to stand up for your rights.
• “International Programmers Day”, honoring the geeks behind many of today’s technological conveniences, pastimes, and work tools.
• “Orthodox Christmas” in many countries worldwide. Why? Both Eastern Orthodox Churches and Oriental Orthodox Churches still use the old Julian calendar.
• “Tempura Day”, celebrating the Japanese cooking tradition of dipping seafood or vegetables in a thin batter of flour and water, then frying them in oil.

SUNDAY –
• “Bubble Bath Day”, a day to take the time to luxuriate in a super-foamy tubful of bubbles.
• “English Toffee Day”, celebrating the ooey-gooey treat that rips the fillings right out of your teeth.
• “Global No Pants Subway Ride”, the 16th annual public participation event that began in NYC, then spread to subway systems worldwide. This year pranksters are expected to drop trou in over 50 cities, including Chicago, London, Sydney, Toronto, Washington, and Vancouver. What’s the point? Fun!
NET: http://tinyurl.com/guxbe5r
• “Women’s Day” (or “Midwives Day”) in Greece, when women spend the day in cafés while men do housework and look after children. Traditionally, men caught outside are stripped and doused with cold water.

THIS DAY IN SHOW BIZ . . .
1997 [20] Matt Lauer replaces Bryant Gumbel as co-host of NBC-TV’s “Today Show”

TODAY’S MUSIC EVENTS . . .
2003 [14] Rocker Elvis Costello weds jazz singer Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John’s mansion in England

2012 [05] Wiz Khalifa is sued for $2.3 million over his hit song “Black & Yellow”, which rapper Maxamillion claims is a rip-off from his obscure 2007 track “Pink & Yellow”

TODAY’S FIRST . . .
2016 [01] It’s reported that more money has been spent on vinyl than downloaded albums for the first time in decades

TODAY’S RECORD . . .
2013 [04] The electric guitar played by Bob Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival is sold at auction in NYC for a record $965,000 (the Fender Stratocaster had been in the possession of a New Jersey family for 48 years after Dylan left it on a private plane)

COMING UP . . .
[Mon] Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
[Mon] Clean Off Your Desk Day
[Mon] Static Electricity Day
[Tues] Cut Your Energy Costs Day
[Wed] Human Trafficking Awareness Day
This Week Is … New Year’s Resolutions Week
This Month Is … Learn to Ski & Snowboard Month

BULL’S BITS

BS SIGNS YOU MAY HAVE A BINGO ADDICTION:
• You brag to your friends that you’re down to just 2 boards-a-day.
• You’re banned on 3 seniors’ cruise lines.
• Every time you sit down to play, you belt out the words: “It’s time to kick some bingo booty!”
• You’ve had to join ‘Bing-A-Non’.
• You start twitching uncontrollably whenever you hear someone sing: “There was a farmer, had a dog …”
• You have to use a fake name when visiting select Florida resorts.
• When you’re diagnosed with a brain tumor, all you can say is that you hope it’s B9.

BS U-PICK TRIVIA:
Which is the worlds highest waterfall?
a. Angel Falls. [CORRECT, the highest uninterrupted waterfall at 979 m/3,212 ft is in Venezuela.]
b. Victoria Falls.
c. Niagara Falls.
– TriviaCrack.com

BS RANDOM JOKE:
I wish I had a loudspeaker on the car so I could yell, “I am not honking because I love Jesus … I’m honking because you can’t drive!”

BS PHONE STARTER:
☎ At what age difference does marriage between an older man and a younger woman become totally tacky? What about vice versa?

BS WATER COOLER QUESTION:
Question: THIS can travel 293 feet in 1 second.
Answer: A NASCAR race car.

BS DEEP THOUGHT:
Sometimes your best isn’t good enough. That’s just reality.