Jenna Elfman on Her Ballet Career, Landing ‘Dharma & Greg' and Meeting Carol Burnett

Jenna Elfman, 53, is an actress best known for TV's 'Dharma & Greg' and 'Fear the Walking Dead.' She currently appears in the ABC sitcom 'Shifting Gears' and stars in season 3 of AMC's 'Dark Winds,' premiering March 9. She spoke with Marc Myers.
I saw my first concert when I was 7. My uncle on my dad's side, Tony Butala, was the lead singer in the pop-vocal trio The Lettermen. I sat in the front row of a San Fernando Valley theater with his two daughters. We had to bend our heads back to look up at the stage.

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Yahoo

30 minutes ago

• Yahoo

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 3 Premiere Date Set — Plus, Check Out the Trailer and… Was That a Kiss?!?

Just like when one door closes, another opens — or someone croaks, a walker rises — as one season ends, another begins. During Sunday's Season 2 finale of the Negan-and-Maggie-centric Walking Dead: Dead City, AMC dropped a trailer for Season 3 of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon — and revealed that the fifth spinoff in the franchise would return on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 9/8c. Per the show's official logline, 'Season 3, which filmed in Spain, will follow Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol (Melissa McBride) as they continue their journey to somehow return home and to the ones they love. As they struggle to find their way back, the path takes them farther astray, leading them through distant lands with ever-changing and unfamiliar conditions as they witness the various effects of the walker apocalypse.' More from TVLine What to Watch This Week: 30+ Premieres, Finales and More Save the Dates: Sinners to Stream on Max, The Summer I Turned Pretty Rollout Plan and More Shrinking EP Tees Up Brett Goldstein and Cobie Smulders' Returns, Michael J. Fox and Jeff Daniels' Season 3 Arcs Every Walking Dead Series, Ranked View List You'll recall that by the end of the Season 2 finale (recapped here), Clémence Poésy's Isabelle, Adam Nagaitis' Quinn, Anne Charrier's Genet, Joel de la Fuente's Losang, Nassima Benchicou's Jacinta… OK, basically almost everyone who wasn't Daryl or Carol was dead. At least Louis Puech Scigliuzzi's Laurent made it out alive, taking off with Manish Dayal's Ash to return to the States. To watch the trailer, which includes what looks like an altogether unexpected kiss, press PLAY on the video above. Then keep scrolling below to get a sneak peek at the new cast members and more.

Forbes

8 hours ago

• Forbes

‘The Walking Dead: Dead City' Season 2 Finale Review — A Crushing Disappointment

The Walking Dead: Dead City The season finale of The Walking Dead: Dead City was, in some ways, a fitting conclusion to the second season. It was just as lackluster, dreary and pointless as the seven episodes that came before. It's impossible for me to care about these characters or the haphazard villains that come and go or the story of Negan and Maggie at this point. Every time Maggie's son Hershel is onscreen, I just grit my teeth. Ho hum a derry oh. I'm bored. Negan and Maggie's story should have wrapped up in the main show. This all feels like fan-fic, though I'd hope for spicier, more transgressive material from fans. (You know what it is). Spoilers ahead. Dead City's entire setup is problematic for so many reasons, none of which involve Maggie and Negan doing the deed. The truth is, this pair being forced together for a spinoff feels gimmicky. We already spent so much time in the main show wondering if Maggie would finally snap and kill Negan, to drag that out into a spinoff is just beating a dead CGI horse at this point. It's a weird combination of Walking Dead nostalgia (oh look, he has Lucille again!) and AMC's inability to come up with any genuinely new ideas. I mean, they have ideas, sure, but they're all some version of 'Let's take this main character from The Walking Dead and put them in a different location.' Daryl is in France. Negan and Maggie are in Manhattan. What next, an Alaskan spinoff with Eugene? Just picture it: Eugene leaves the Commonwealth because he's received a radio transmission from a science outpost in Alaska – or heck, let's say the South Pole (go big or go home!) He ventures south, traveling by truck, by donkey, by sailboat, by aircraft and at last by submarine all the way to Antarctica where he heads off in search of the scientists who may, in fact, have found the cure to the zombie plague! This is no more outlandish than Carol's flight to France by way of Greenland, or Daryl's voyage on a massive freighter. But to make The Walking Dead spinoff – let's call it The Walking Dead: Cold Freeze and not The Walking Dead: Eugene – to make it truly fit the mold, we'd have to sprinkle in a few more elements. Eugene would find two communities here in a state of ongoing conflict. The leaders would both be ruthless women with tragic, if jumbled, backstories. The American leader would be a scientist who never got enough credit in the 'old world' and showed those silly male scientists who the real boss was once it all collapsed. The Russian leader would be the cleaning lady who was overlooked and mistreated by the scientists in the good old days but who, uh, showed those silly male scientists who the real boss was when the zombies showed up. Each group would have distinct 'uniforms' letting us know which side was which. The Russian scientists would wear classic Soviet winter gear, the poofy hats and all that, and they'd drink lots and lots of vodka; the American/European scientists would look like Star Trek characters. Eugene's arrival would lead to escalation and chaos. Unable or unwilling to settle on just who exactly the actual bad guys are supposed to be, the show would kill off one villain after another, though some would miraculously survive only to be killed off again an episode or two later. A minor male character would emerge as the true villain, only to be supplanted by one of the female leader's untimely return. The only likable new character would be killed off in the second episode. In the end, everyone dies except Eugene. Daryl Dixon's second season shares a lot in common with Dead City's second season. Both shows just burn through villains in the most haphazard and jarring way, never really allowing for any of them to build up into something truly threatening, let alone interesting enough to carry the mantle of Big Bad. In Dead City, our late-stage villain ended up being Bruegel, who bucked the recent Walking Dead trend of all-female leaders by being a man. He wanted methane and was willing to kill and betray his rivals to get it, but Negan burned him to death in the Season 2 finale. In Daryl Dixon, the late-game bad guy is almost beat-for-beat the same concept. In a show where every leader is a woman, Losang popped up in Season 2 to become another short-lived male antagonist, though he was driven by his twisted faith rather than a need for energy sources. Daryl made short work of him. None of these villains provide any kind of real threat. Our heroes can't die. They're practically ensconced in plot armor at this point. At least in Daryl Dixon, Genet didn't come back from the dead. Here, somehow the Dama survives being burned to death and manages to worm her way back into Hershel's life. But she's one of the worst bad guys in The Walking Dead history – and there have been a lot of terrible villains. She has no real power other than her inexplicable influence over Maggie's son, and frankly at this point she can have him. Hershel has turned out to be a pretty horrendous character. The apple fell very far from the tree when it comes to him and his father, Glenn, who must be rolling in his grave at this point. The Season 2 finale essentially wraps up the conflict between the Burazi and other New York factions. By the end, Bruegel is dead, the Croat is AWOL and the Dama and Hershel are on their own. Negan, Maggie and Perlie are off on their next adventure. The New Babylon forces – goofily marching like actual army troops through the streets of NYC – have taken control now that everyone else is dead. Who is their leader? Nobody knows. The whole 'will Maggie kill Negan' gimmick reached fever pitch this episode, with Maggie hunting down Negan only to find him doing the very same 'eenie-meeni-miney -mo' speech he did before killing Glenn. He kills Bruegel and when it looks like he's about to kill Perlie, Maggie stabs him in the back. Just like when Rick cut Negan's throat, it's all just a headfake. Tis merely a scratch! When he crawls over to Ginny's cell and finds her dead, Maggie sees just how much pain he's in, just how much he genuinely cared for the girl, and shows mercy. Again. It's actually more than mercy: She does a threeway with him. Not like that, you perverts, it's a threeway voiceover with Negan, Maggie and Perlie, saying cringey stuff about sticking together and facing the odds. I was half-expecting them to say 'We're the ones who live!' It's Gimple-speak at its absolute worst and most blatant, and I have no idea how anyone making TV in this day and age would think it's a good idea. Just when you think you can't cringe any harder, TWD throws you a bone. Beyond this, the episode had one big action set-piece when Bruegel brings a Trojan Horse into Negan's banquet hall. The statue they gift to him is filled with swords and sabers, so when Negan double-crosses him by hiding zombies under the table (yes, that's the plan) Bruegel's people spring to action, immediately tipping over the statue to get the weapons and – wait, no, actually they stand around like mopes while the zombies pick them off. We get lots of the signature 'zombie shove' that's become so common in these shows. Just give those shambling undead a good push or two and they'll back right off. They stand around dying until Bruegel remembers the statue and Perlie knocks it over and they all rush to grab swords and Bruegel even gets a flamethrower off one of Negan's guys and sprays it around the room some. It's not quite as bad as the genuinely bizarre scene a couple episodes back when New Babylon tries to hang Maggie, but it's pretty close. The worst news is that Dead City is very clearly being setup for a third season, and if this one is anything to go by, it's just going to be even more ridiculous and lame than the last two. Pointless, boring, gimmicky claptrap. This also means that AMC will probably not greenlight my Eugene spinoff, which is pretty damn tragic if you ask me. Cold Freeze sounds so very, very Walking Dead! The Deadest! What did you think of Dead City season 2? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

Yahoo

9 hours ago

• Yahoo

Scrubs Revival: Everything We Know About the Potential ABC Sequel Series

As the new Scrubs awaits an official series order at ABC, TVLine is rounding up everything we already know about the highly anticipated revival. The hospital-set comedy first bowed on NBC in 2001, and chronicled Dr. John Dorian's rise from intern to attending at Sacred Heart. When NBC announced that it would not renew the series beyond Season 7, ABC swooped in and picked up the show for what was conceived as an eighth and final season, complete with a series finale that creator Bill Lawrence first conceived of years prior. But ABC ultimately renewed Scrubs for Season 9, which was subtitled Med School and featured a mix of new and returning characters, with Kerry Bishé's med student Lucy Bennett installed as the quasi-spinoff's new narrator. More from TVLine Casting News: Andor Subs In for Kimmel, Connie Britton Joins Steve Carell Comedy and More Bad Monkey EP Bill Lawrence Offers Season 2 Update, Confirms 'Razor Girl' Adaptation On Hold in Favor of New Story With Same Cast Shrinking EP Tees Up Brett Goldstein and Cobie Smulders' Returns, Michael J. Fox and Jeff Daniels' Season 3 Arcs The original Scrubs ensemble consisted of Zach Braff (JD), Donald Faison (Turk), Sarah Chalke (Elliott), Judy Reyes (Carla), John C. McGinley (Dr. Cox), Neil Flynn (The Janitor) and Ken Jenkins (Kelso), while recurring players included Christa Miller (Jordan), Robert Maschio (The Todd) and the late Sam Lloyd (Ted). Season 9 additions included Bishé (Lucy), Michael Mosley (Drew), Dave Franco (Cole) and Eliza Coupe (Denise). So, what can we expect from Scrubs 2.0? And how soon can we expect to see the revival should ABC pull the trigger and order Season 10? Scroll down for a recap of all of TVLine's original reporting. The in-the-works Scrubs revival has locked in its leading man: TVLine reported on May 21 that Zach Braff closed his deal to reprise Dr. John Dorian (aka JD) in Season 10, which is still awaiting an official green light at the network. Attention now turns to closing deals with fellow legacy cast members Donald Faison (Turk) and Sarah Chalke (Elliot), who, along with Braff, are expected to return as series regulars. Additionally, TVLine hears that talks are underway with a number of OG Scrubs supporting players — Judy Reyes (Nurse Carla Espinosa) and John C. McGinley (Dr. Perry Cox), among them — to recur. 'My hope would be that we establish where everybody from [the original show] is,' series creator Bill Lawrence previously told TVLine, 'whether they're still with us at the hospital or not.' That also includes Neil Flynn (The Janitor) and Ken Jenkins (Dr. Bob Kelso): 'I hope Ken [who is now 84] is able to come play with us a little bit. He's a little older, but we love him so much.' 'The only bummer [about doing the revival], obviously, is that Sam Lloyd [who played hospital lawyer Ted Buckland] was such a huge part of the show, and he passed on [in 2020],' Lawrence has said. But other than Lloyd, you can expect to see all your favorites back. Lawrence has even said that, unlike Roseanne and Will & Grace, which found clever ways to erase their divisive finales from series canon once they were revived, Scrubs Season 10 will stay true to the developments of Season 9, which shifted gears (and locations) and focused on a quartet of newbies, including Kerry Bishé (Lucky Bennett), Michael Mosley (Drew Suffin), Dave Franco (Cole Aaronson) and Season 8 holdover Eliza Coupe (Denise Mahoney). That means the door is open for any (or all) of them to make guest appearances. 'I'm not against seeing those people, and I think it would be fun to have one of them zip by,' the EP said in December. 'But that [season], if you remember, was supposed to be a med school, and those people that were going through it would then go off into the world and land as physicians in places here, there, everywhere. What I think we will really be focusing on is a place where some of our core regulars' — AKA the legacy cast. There will, however, be a major change behind the scenes: Although Lawrence, who is under an overall agreement with Warner Bros., struck a deal that allows him to shepherd the 20th Television-produced revival, he will not serve as showrunner if Season 10 moves forward. Braff has said that the Scrubs revival will aim to capture the same humor and heart as the original run, but showcase a version of JD who has been 'beaten down by the system' over the last 15 years — an idea that Lawrence also expressed during a recent interview with TVLine: 'The hardest part is that Zach and Donald have aged,' the EP said with a laugh. 'People still have that affinity, and love, for that goofy youthfulness — it's why the T-Mobile commercials work so well. But if I saw two guys in their late 40s/early 50s doing 'World's Most Giant Doctor,' and carrying each other around all the time, I would go, 'What the f–k is going on,' you know? To see what that [friendship] looks like at their age, and [take] a comedic look at what medicine has become since those kids started out as interns, and see how our people would look at it, deal with it, and try to remain optimistic,' is their main objective. 'I will tell you that the people I based the original characters on, like the real JD [Dr. Jonathan Doris], is still the medical advisor on the show, and still a cardiologist and a heart surgeon in L.A.,' Lawrence revealed. 'But the real Elliot [Doris' wife, Dr. Dolly Klock] is no longer in medicine because it got to be too much for her, and she wanted to do other things that are equally as philanthropic. She does this education thing for adolescents and kids now. So, to look at how the system not only changed, but how it has beaten some of these people down, and how they retain their optimism with a new wave of young characters, has really been fun.' Meanwhile, unlike Season 9, which saw JD pass the proverbial torch to a new protagonist, Lucy, a hypothetical 10th season will be told exclusively from Dr. Dorian's perspective, and the story will 'start with JD and Turk.' If ABC hands a series order to Scrubs 2.0, it could premiere as soon as midseason/early 2026. TVLine will keep you posted as we learn more, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back for updates. 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