Blog Posts by Dave Nemetz

People from all walks of life are mourning the loss of Alex Karras, who died today at age 77. Longtime NFL fans know him as the fearsome defensive lineman who chased down quarterbacks for the Detroit Lions in the 1960s. Movie buffs know him as the horse-punching Mongo in the classic Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles.” But TV fans like us remember Karras best as Emmanuel Lewis’s big, cuddly dad George on the ‘80s ABC sitcom “Webster.”

Plenty of athletes try to transition into TV and film after their playing days are over, but few did so as successfully as Karras. After his scene-stealing turn in “Saddles,” he spent three seasons in the “Monday Night Football” booth and landed key roles in films like “Porky’s” and “Victor/Victoria.” He also filmed a CBS TV movie called “Babe” in 1975 alongside actress Susan Clark, who would later become his wife… as well as his TV wife on “Webster.”

In 1983, ABC approached Karras and Clark to star together in a new romantic comedy, which got picked up

Read More »from How Alex Karras became 'Webster's' dad

The 'Cheers' cast and crew reunite 30 years after the show's premiere (CBS Television Distribution)This week, Entertainment Tonight is the place where everybody knows your name, as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Cheers" with a reunion of the classic sitcom's cast.

Stars Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Kirstie Alley (escorted by pal Dan Cortese), Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, and Bebe Neuwirth all met for dinner this weekend to reminisce about their years on the seminal 1982-93 NBC comedy. Two notable absences: Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), who's promoting his new Starz drama "Boss" in London, and Woody Harrelson (Woody), who's busy shooting the latest "Hunger Games" sequel.

The cast seemed giddy to see each other again, and gushed about their co-stars' performances. Danson even gave all the credit for the show's early success to Long: "You really put us on the map," he told his old sparring partner, who warmly rubbed Danson's back in gratitude. "We hadn't seen a character like Diane Chambers

Read More »from 'Cheers' reunion: Ted Danson says Shelley Long 'put us on the map' [Video]

The top-secret military operation that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden comes to vivid life with National Geographic Channel's "Seal Team Six," a star-studded dramatization of the bold plan to take out the world's most wanted terrorist. "Seal Team Six" doesn't debut until November 4, but we've got an exclusive first look at the movie right here.

From the discovery of bin Laden's whereabouts to the fierce final firefight at his compound, "Seal Team Six" takes us inside every step of the historic mission with a healthy dose of "Homeland"-esque international intrigue. And there are plenty of familiar faces among the CIA agents and Navy SEALs hunting for bin Laden: "Prison Break's" William Fichtner delivers a key briefing; "American Pie's" Eddie Kaye Thomas is an agent questioning the accuracy of the intelligence; and "Twilight's" Cam Gigandet, "Hell on Wheels" star Anson Mount, and rapper Xzibit all play members of the elite team tasked with storming the compound.

It's an Read More »from Go inside the hunt for bin Laden with National Geographic Channel's 'Seal Team Six' [Exclusive Video]

Let’s all raise a glass and give a toast to the gang at “Cheers,” who are celebrating their 30th anniversary this weekend. Diane Chambers first walked into Sam Malone’s Boston bar on September 30, 1982… and viewers couldn’t have cared less, actually. “Cheers” debuted dead-last in the ratings (77th out of 77 shows), but NBC stuck with it, and over an eleven-year run, it grew into the top-rated show on television -- and an all-time comedy classic.

The new issue of GQ has a fascinating oral history of the 1982-93 NBC series, with key cast members and producers sharing never-before-told stories. “Cheers” fans should definitely sit down and read the whole piece, but we’ve collected the best tidbits here, so pull up a barstool and find out what you never knew about the bar where everybody knows your name.

• It was more than just acting ability that landed Shelley Long the role of Diane. She was up against a few other actresses, including “Newhart’s” Julia Duffy, for the part, but a

Read More »from 'Cheers' 30th anniversary: What you never knew about the show

Is the world ready to forgive Michael Richards? Well, his former co-star Jerry Seinfeld is, at least.

Richards, who busted down Jerry's door countless times back in the '90s as wacky neighbor Kramer on the mega-hit "Seinfeld," effectively killed his career in 2006 by going on an ugly racist tirade during a stand-up comedy gig, dropping the N-word on a heckler. The actor hasn't shown his face in public much ever since, but he reappears on the latest installment of Seinfeld's web series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" to reunite with his old pal.

You can watch the episode in full above, with Seinfeld and Richards tooling around L.A. in a rusted-out VW van and reminiscing. But the key segment comes about 14 minutes in, when Richards opens up about how devastated he was following his public meltdown. "I busted up after that event... it broke me down," he reveals. "It was a selfish response. I took it too personally.

Read More »from Michael Richards reunites with Jerry Seinfeld, looks for redemption [Video]

Peter Barnes/Splash NewsCrikey! Looks like eight-year-old Robert Irwin, son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, picked up a few things from his famous dad.

Dressed in his father's trademark short-sleeved khaki shirt, Robert is seen here feeding a herd of baby crocs at the "Crocoseum" at the Australia Zoo (his dad's home zoo); the boy also picked up and handled one of the mini reptiles like a pro.

Steve Irwin gained worldwide fame as TV's "Crocodile Hunter," sharing his love of exotic wildlife alongside his wife, Terri. Irwin tragically died in 2006 after being fatally stung in the chest by a stingray, but Terri and his kids, Robert and 14-year-old daughter Bindi, keep his passion for animals alive.

Peter Barnes/Splash NewsActually, we shouldn't be surprised that young Robert is so comfortable around crocs. You might remember that before his death, Steve Irwin stirred up controversy by feeding a 12-foot-long crocodile with one arm... while clutching a one-month-old Robert in the other. Child welfare advocates around the world

Read More »from 'Crocodile Hunter's' son feeds crocs just like his dad [Photo]

(Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

This year's Emmys shook things up in the top categories with a few surprise wins… and some early favorites went home empty-handed. Read on to get the scoop on the night's biggest snubs and surprises.

"Mad Men" (Snub)

Emmy's love affair with AMC's impeccable period drama seems like it might be on the rocks. (Funny, that's also how Don Draper likes his whiskey.) After stringing together four straight wins for Best Drama, the cast and crew of "Mad Men" had to stew in their seats this year while newcomer "Homeland" took home the top prize. And despite coming into the night with a whopping 17 nominations, you know how many Emmys "Mad Men" won? None. Not one! That's the biggest single-year shutout in Emmy history. Jeez, we know Season 5 was a bit of a letdown compared to the near-flawless Season 4, but it's still "Mad Men," for Pete Campbell's sake.

"Homeland" (Surprise)

The Best Drama race was positively stacked this year, with four-time winner "Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," and "Downton

Read More »from Snubs and surprises from the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards

Emmys host Jimmy Kimmel may have had a few jitters before taking the stage… but he made it out there thanks to some very famous girlfriends. In a hilarious taped bit that led off this year's Emmys, a slew of our favorite TV actresses teamed up to get Kimmel ready for his big night.

The sketch opens with nominees Zooey Deschanel and Christina Hendricks wearing very plush Emmys robes and primping in the ladies' room backstage, comparing their pouty faces. (We prefer Christina's, for the record.) But they're interrupted by some very high-pitched crying coming from one of the bathroom stalls. Joined by Mindy Kaling, Martha Plimpton, and Connie Britton, they knock on one of the stalls… only to find "Girls" star Lena Dunham nude and eating a birthday cake. (As far as awkward shots of a naked Lena Dunham go, this one doesn't even make the top ten… but we digress.)

Lena wasn't the one crying, though; it's coming from the next stall over. The door is locked, but a no-nonsense Kathy Bates makes

Read More »from Jimmy Kimmel gets a ladies’ room makeover in Emmys intro