Blog Posts by Dave Nemetz

Everybody's favorite rock star from Mars, Charlie Sheen, is returning from Hollywood exile this month with a brand-new sitcom, FX's "Anger Management." And now that he's had a full year to process the public meltdown that led to his "Two and a Half Men" firing, he's gained a little much-needed perspective on the whole mess. "Clearly, a guy gets fired, his relationships are in the toilet, he's off on some f---ing tour, there's nothing 'winning' about any of that," Sheen admits in the new issue of Rolling Stone. "I was in total denial."

But Sheen's not in denial about his battles with substance abuse; in fact, he's open about the fact that he's not exactly clean and sober these days. "I don't see what's wrong with a few drinks. Mine's vodka. Straight, because I've always said that ice is for injuries, ha ha." (That may help explain the strange, oblique email he sent to TMZ this week in response to accusations he's still on drugs.)

As part of his rehabilitation tour, Sheen has also

Read More »from Charlie Sheen admits he wasn't 'winning': 'I was in total denial'

NBC's summer talent show "America's Got Talent" looked like it had found a new star this week in country singer Tim Poe, who came to the stage with a heart-tugging story: He's an Afghanistan war veteran who was injured by a rocket-propelled grenade, suffering brain damage and developing a stutter that he can only suppress while singing. But his tale might be too good to be true. Reports are now surfacing that Poe may have fabricated the whole story.

Reality TV blog Rickey.org first reported that the military records didn't match Poe's story. Poe served with the Minnesota National Guard for nine years (not 14, as he said) as a supply specialist, and they can't find any evidence of the injury he describes. "Sgt. Poe's official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports," the Minnesota National Guard said in a statement.

The Associated

Read More »from Is 'America's Got Talent' breakout star Tim Poe a fraud? [UPDATED]

Having logged a solid quarter-century on television now (scary, isn’t it?), Mark-Paul Gosselaar is back this week, starring alongside Breckin Meyer as the titular bad-boy lawyers of TNT’s “Franklin & Bash.” But try as he might, Gosselaar can’t escape his most famous role: teen Zack Morris on the cheesetastic early-‘90s relic “Saved by the Bell.” And to this day, Gosselaar can’t figure out why people are still so obsessed with the Bayside gang. In fact, he doesn’t think all that much of his TV launching pad: “It’s not a great show,” he admits.

“The writing is kind of hokey… it’s very much a piece of that time,” Gosselaar told us in an interview last week. But even though he might cringe a little looking back at “Bell” now, the 38-year-old actor says he learned plenty from his 1988-94 stint as Zack. “It taught me to have a strong work ethic, and to take it very seriously. Even though we had fun, the one thing the producers instilled in us is that this is a business. You can still have

Read More »from 'Franklin & Bash' star Mark-Paul Gosselaar on 'Saved by the Bell': 'It's not a great show'

We were saddened to hear about the death of TV game show host Richard Dawson today, who passed away at age 79 from complications related to esophageal cancer. But thanks to the magic of TV, his legacy lives on forever as Corporal Peter Newkirk on "Hogan's Heroes" -- and, of course, as the congenial, lady-kissing host of "Family Feud." We're honoring Dawson's nine-year run as "Feud" host by bringing you a trio of his best moments.

Granny Sure Does Love Her Appliances
Being a game show host requires immense patience -- which Dawson displays here when dealing with a sweet old lady who just doesn't seem to understand the rules of the game. She keeps trying to give different appliances as an answer when "appliances" is clearly already on the board. She does catch on eventually... well, sort of.



Crime Family
Crime doesn't pay... at least not for this family. When Dawson asks them to name a crime we've all thought about committing, one woman answers "prostitution." (Dawson, ever the charmer, Read More »from Richard Dawson: Three great 'Family Feud' moments [Video]

Just like the Manhattan socialites it features, Bravo's "Real Housewives of New York City" is getting a major facelift this season, introducing three new wives into the mix -- including 38-year-old lawyer Aviva Drescher. But Aviva has more to talk about than just Prada bags and summer homes in the Hamptons; she's lived with only one leg since she was a child, and she's using her "Real Housewives" role to raise awareness about people living with disabilities.

While visiting a friend on a farm upstate when she was six years old, Drescher was involved in a terrible accident that forced doctors to amputate her left leg. But she hasn't let that disability stop her from living a full life: The born-and-bred New Yorker earned her law degree and practiced law until marrying investment banker Reid Drescher and becoming a full-time mom to their four kids. And in true "Housewives" fashion, she has two artificial legs: one for heels, one for flats.

Drescher (whose husband's cousin is TV star Fran

Read More »from New 'Real Housewife' Aviva Drescher opens up about her disability

Cold-calling celebrities in the early-morning hours. Breathlessly reporting on flesh-eating "zombie" attacks. Hiring TV chef Anthony Bourdain. There are a lot of changes going on over at CNN these days. And there's a very good reason for all the changes: Last month, ratings for the cable news network sunk to a 20-year-low.

In May, CNN averaged a mere 389,000 viewers in primetime, its lowest total since October 1991 (back when the first George Bush was still in the White House). To be fair, all of the major news networks were down year-to-year from last May, when the death of Osama bin Liden boosted viewership. But CNN's primetime audience declined a whopping 51 percent, finishing a distant third to Fox News and MSNBC. Most humiliatingly, CNN even fell behind its more tabloidy kid-sister station, Headline News, among key demographics.

So the network has had to resort to stunts like "Wake 'Em Up," where the "Early Start" anchors dial up famous names in the early morning to pepper them

Read More »from CNN Looks to Shake Up Schedule After Ratings Hit 20-Year-Low

Where's Regis when you need him?

Kathie Lee Gifford made a very unfortunate error this morning while interviewing actor Martin Short on NBC's "Today" show. Chatting with Short about his new movie, "Madagascar 3," Gifford asked him how he keeps his marriage to wife Nancy fresh after all these years. The problem? Nancy passed away in 2010 after a long battle with cancer.

You can watch the awkward exchange right here:



To Short's credit, he gallantly covered up for Kathie Lee's mistake by answering as if his wife of 30 years were still alive. And Gifford soon realized her error, later tweeting out a mea culpa: "I send my sincerest apologies to @MartinShort and his family. He handled situation w/enormous grace and kindness and I'm so grateful." Guess she should spend less time guzzling wine and more time researching her guests, huh?

Read More »from Kathie Lee Doesn't Know Martin Short's Wife Is Dead [Video]

The current “Bachelorette,” Emily Maynard, is the picture of Southern sweetness… until you cross her.

We chatted with Maynard this week about her experience on the latest installment of ABC’s reality-romance franchise, and she revealed that later this season, she unloads on one of her male suitors who dares to question her parenting: “Any mom knows that there’s a line you just don’t cross. And one of the guys definitely crossed it, and he felt the wrath of Emily.”

Check out our full interview right here:

Along with her fierce mama-bear tendencies, Maynard talked with us about the procession of wacky contestants she faced on the first night (hey, Ostrich Egg Guy!), how it feels to be the one handing out the roses, and why she can’t reveal anything about how her season ends. Uh-oh… does that mean we’re headed for another Brad Womack-style “none of the above” ending? Say it ain't so, Emily.

“The Bachelorette” airs Mondays at 8 PM on ABC. Read More »from 'The Bachelorette' Emily Maynard Talks About Unleashing the 'Wrath of Emily' [Exclusive Video]