BV Buzz 01.03.05
By Jawn Murray, AOL BlackVoices columnist
Facing the Truth
Former talk -how host turned actress Rolonda Watts will appear in her first primetime series this spring with a reality show called 'Lie Detector.' The show is bound to be a hit, as it will have controversial headline-grabbing people taking lie detector tests under the supervision of world-renowned polygraph expert Ed Gelb, who has performed polygraph tests on such notables as John and Patsy Ramsey, and Congressman Gary Condit.
"I am absolutely thrilled to announce my new show," said Watts. "We are extremely excited about this unique project because it is the only place on television where the truth is immediately tested by the latest state-of-the-art polygraph equipment."
Among those who've already taped episodes of the series are Paula Jones, of Bill Clinton sex-scandal fame; Rob Smitty, of the kidney organ donor Internet scandal; and Lonnie Ford, of the evangelist Paul Crouch sex scandal.
'Lie Detector' premieres March 8 at 9PMETon the PAX Network, though there's buzz that the NBC-produced show may be moved over to the peacock network by the time it's set to debut.
Watts' daytime talk show, 'Rolonda,' aired for four successful seasons and ended in 1997. The former 'Inside Edition' host went on to become a Hollywood actress and has appeared on such shows as 'The West Wing,' '7th Heaven,' 'Sister Sister,' 'My Wife & Kids,' 'Days of Our Lives' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful.'
Robbed of the Job
Despite scoring the show's highest ratings of the season while serving as guest host, D.L. Hughley wasn't chosen as the successor to Craig Kilborn on CBS' 'The Late Late Show.'
Instead, CBS opted to hire 42-year-old comic Craig Ferguson to be the show's new host beginning Jan. 3. Ferguson played Drew Carey's boss on the ABC comedy 'The Drew Carey Show.'
Hughley is now in the early stages of developing a new late night talk show for Comedy Central. During a recent appearance on 'Good Day Live,' the 'King of Comedy' was quite candid about being snubbed for the job.
"I was on CBS for a while. CBS ain't had black people since. Every time I see a black dude on CBS, he's getting indicted for something," Hughley told host Arthel Neville. "You ever notice that? They haven't had black people since football left. Well, Ed Bradley is on there. But my wife used to have a crush on him, so we had to stop watching him. You can only like me if you live in my house."
No word on when Hughley's new show will air on Comedy Central. In the meantime, look for his one-hour special for Comedy Central called 'Shocked and Appalled' to premiere in February. The funnyman also has a comedy album, 'Notes From the GED Section,' scheduled to bow on Comedy Central's new recording division this year.
Charles in Charge
Sheila Raye Charles, daughter of the late Ray Charles, is ready to follow in her father's footsteps. According to Minnesota gossip guru C.J., Charles performed at a holiday party thrown by attorney David Valentini in the Minneapolis area.
Those in attendance say Charles has the pipes to continue her father's legacy. While not all of the late Charles' 12 children can hold a note, this daughter and a few others can.
"I'm not the only one who sings. He told one of my sisters, and I don't know which one, to keep her day job. My baby sister, Robyn, [who lives in Detroit] can really sing. I've been trying to get her to work with me. She's got a lot of other things going on; she's very big in martial arts," Charles told C.J.
Back in the '80s, Sheila Raye said her dad sent one of his people to furtively record her act when she was in Los Angeles. "I put together a band called Sheila Raye & The Evidence because I was the evidence I could sing and [was] not faking the funk like most people," she said.
"My father had fought me the whole way about getting in the music industry because he said it was so rough. He didn't want any of us kids to be in it. But when my father heard the duet I was doing of 'You Don't Know Me,' with [a] guitar player, he flipped out and told me he was so proud of me," she said.
He was proud of her singing and having the good musical sense to follow one of his strongest recommendations -- he advised her to surround herself with musicians from whom she can learn.
As for her father, in addition to his bio flick 'Ray' earning Jamie Foxx one of three Golden Globe nominations, Foxx was also recently bestowed with the coveted 2004 Achievement Honor by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA).
Second Chance?
UPN sitcom 'Second Time Around' may get a second chance at capturing an audience. It was recently announced that the series, which stars real-life couple Nicole Parker and Boris Kodjoe, will go on hiatus while the network attempts to tweak it. New episodes will run through mid-February, and then UPN will premiere its new sitcom 'Cuts.' 'Cuts' is a spin-off of 'One on One,' obviously inspired by the success of the 'Barbershop' films, and will star singer Marques Houston and Shannon Elizabeth ('Johnson Family Vacation'). Nonetheless, 'Second Time Around' would return on UPN's fall 2005 lineup.
Why didn't 'Second Time Around' work? Aside from struggling to find an audience and causing the network a significant ratings drop following 'Girlfriends,' 'Second Time Around' just wasn't exciting. The writers attempt to showcase sophisticated living on the sitcom often alienated viewers, specifically those who watch the UPN network. I was certain 'Second Time Around' would be in trouble when they had an episode based on the film 'The Stepford Wives.' Who saw that movie? I'm sure African Americans didn't!
Can't Say Names ...
... Which current chart-topping music star was trying to solicit sexual favors from an industry fling for his younger brother? Said singer was apparently trying to diversify his younger sibling's sexual appetite, since his little brother apparently only sleeps with woman of another race.
Whispers
... John Singleton has been tapped to helm Paramount's upcoming release 'Four Brothers.' The accomplished director behind the films 'Boyz N The Hood,' '2 Fast 2 Furious' and 'Baby Boy' will oversee the story of four foster brothers taking revenge on the Detroit gangsters responsible for their adoptive mother's murder. The film, which stars Mark Walhberg, Andre 3000, Tyrese and Garrett Hedlund ('Friday Night Lights'), begins shooting this month in Toronto.
... Anticipation is already building for the commercials that'll air during the 2005 Super Bowl game. 'King of Comedy' Cedric the Entertainer will be featured alongside Teck Money, former MTV vee-jay and 'Real World Hawaii' housemate turned actor, in a hilarious Bud Light spot. The comedic commercial, which was shot in December in Miami, centers on karma and has Money playing a tree and Cedric playing a woodpecker.
... Some call Vickie Winans the hardest working woman in gospel music. I call her the richest! The hardest working woman, however, is Connecticut-bred singer Lucinda Moore, who just inked a deal with Tyscot Records. Moore, who'll initially be featured on the label's 'Gospel Next' compilation in March, independently released a maxi-single called 'Unlimited Praise' after having impressive appearances on recordings by Hezekiah Walker, Joe Pace and the Gospel Music Workshop of America Women's Mass Choir. Moore's amazing vocal acrobatics, dynamic stage presence and knack for putting a modern spin on classic gospel hymns keep her in higher demand than many artists with CDs already in stores.
... No one gives a party like the queen of talk Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey gave best pal Gayle King a 50th birthday soiree to remember at the posh restaurant Daniel on 65th Street in Manhattan. Taking a page from her own "Favorite Things" television special, Winfrey had Daniel's ballroom decorated with yellow, Pucci fabric and Swarovski crystals -- King's favorite things. Patti LaBelle, Diane Sawyer, Quincy Jones, Natalie Cole, Jackee Harry, marketing guru Marilyn L. Crawford and Ashford & Simpson were among the family and friends who saluted King. Singer BeBe Winans serenaded King with a song written in her honor, while remaining guests held Swarovski crystal hearts to their chests and made a wish for her life.
Jan. 3, 2005