Download Report

4B TV
4B The Brunswick News / Thursday, November 15, 2012
Television & Entertainment
HIGHLIGHTS
7:00 AM - Ch. TNT:
CHARMED (CC) Prue,
Piper and Phoebe are
faced with more warlocks than they can
handle. ’ (60 mins.)
7:30 AM - Ch. FX:
MOVIE ››
“Along
Came a Spider” A detective and a Secret
Service agent investigate the abduction of a
senator’s daughter from
a school. Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter. (2
hrs.)
8:00 AM - Ch. TNT:
CHARMED (CC) Prue
must destroy a water
demon to prevent people from drowning at a
summer camp. ’ (60
mins.)
8:30 AM - Ch. 5:
THE CAT IN THE HAT
KNOWS A LOT ABOUT
THAT! (CC) (DVS) Nick
and Sally learn the difference between natural garbage and man
made garbage. ’ (EI)
9:00 AM - Ch. 10:
LIVE! WITH KELLY AND
MICHAEL (CC) Chris
Tucker; Ashley Greene;
Jason Cameron and
Tony Siragusa; recipes;
Bridgit Mendler performs. (N) ’ (60 mins.)
9:30 AM - Ch. FX:
MOVIE ›››‡ “Zodiac” Investigators and
reporters become obsessed with finding the
elusive serial killer terrorizing San Francisco
in the late 1960s and
’70s. Jake Gyllenhaal,
Mark Ruffalo. (3 hrs.,
30 mins.)
10:00 AM - Ch. 9:
THE RICKI LAKE SHOW
(CC) Judge Lynn Toler
and Dr. Mike Dow help
guests decide whether
to get married or to
break up. (N) ’ (60
mins.)
10:30 AM - Ch.
TOON:
CODENAME:
KIDS NEXT DOOR
Numbah One teams up
with an adult to battle
school ties; the Kids
must save a child from
a clothes avalanche.
11:00 AM - Ch. TLC:
FOUR WEDDINGS (CC)
Pizza and beer at a
casual wedding; champagne; all-Spanish affair; Venetian masquerade reception. ’ (60
mins.)
11:30 AM - Ch.
SPIKE: JAIL (CC) A
man is arrested after
officers witness him
driving head on into another truck; a man is
arrested. ’
12:00 PM - Ch.
DISN: MOVIE ›››‡
“Ratatouille” (CC) Animated. A Parisian rat
who enjoys fine food
lives beneath a famous
restaurant and longs to
be a great chef. Voices
of Patton Oswalt, Ian
Holm. ’ (2 hrs.)
12:30 PM - Ch.
HGTV: HOUSE HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL
(CC) A young teacher
from Oregon accepts a
position with the French
International School.
1:00 PM - Ch. FX:
MOVIE › “I Love You,
Beth Cooper” A nerdy
high-school valedictorian proclaims his love
for the hottest girl in his
school who later goes
to his house to give
him the night of his life.
Hayden Panettiere, Paul
Rust. (2 hrs.)
1:30 PM - Ch. FOOD:
10
DOLLAR
DINNERS WITH MELISSA
D’ARABIAN Classic Cubano; black bean soup;
THURSDAY MORNING
Comcast
NOVEMBER 15, 2012
7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:0010:3011:0011:3012:0012:30 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30
NETWORK & AREA CHANNELS
(WSAV)
(WJXT)
(WJCT)
(WCWJ)
(WTEV)
(WJXX)
(WTOC)
(WTLV)
(WAWS)
(WTBS)
3 Today (N) ’ (CC)
Today (N)
4 The Morning Show The Morning Show The Dr. Oz Show ’
5 Arthur
Martha Curious Cat in
Super
Dinosaur
7 Willow
Rescue The People’s Court The 700 Club (CC)
9 CBS This Morning (N) ’ (CC)
Rachael Ray (CC)
10 Good Morning America (N) (CC)
Live With Kelly
11 News Daybreak
CBS This Morning (N) ’ (CC)
12 Today Phil McGraw; the Rockettes; Carson Daly. (N) ’ (CC)
13 Action News
Action News
Dr. Phil ’ (CC)
18 Earl
Home Im Home Im Jim
Jim
There
Today (N) ’ (CC)
Judge
Judge
Sesame Street (N)
Judge Mathis (N) ’
Ricki Lake
Katie ’ (CC)
Mid
Debt
The Doctors (N) ’
Browns Payne
Paid
FamFeud
Court
Court
Tiger
Sid
Maury ’ (CC)
The Price Is Right
The View ’ (CC)
The Price Is Right
First Coast Living
Steve Wilkos Show
Prince
Prince
FamFeud Paid
Days of our Lives
News
Pain?
Grt Pillow Griffith
Barney Caillou Antiques Roadshow
Trisha Goddard
Law Order: CI
News
Young & Restless
Bold
Divorce Paid
The Chew ’ (CC)
News
Young & Restless
Bold
News
Million. Days of our Lives
Jerry Springer ’
Jeremy Kyle
Prince
American American Raymond
Jdg Judy Jdg Judy
Jeff Probst Sh.
Woods. Garden
Judge Mathis (CC)
The Talk ’ (CC)
General Hospital (N)
The Talk ’ (CC)
First Coast Living
Judge B. People
Raymond Raymond
Dr. Phil (N) (CC)
Steve Harvey (CC)
Electric Curious
Bill Cunningham
Let’s Make a Deal
Wendy Williams
Let’s Make a Deal
Katie ’ (CC)
The Doctors (N) ’
Raymond Seinfeld
The Dr. Oz Show (N)
The Dr. Oz Show (N)
WordGirl Clifford
Maury (N) ’ (CC)
Judge B. Jdg Judy
Anderson Live (N)
News
America
Ellen DeGeneres
Dr. Phil (N) (CC)
Friends Friends
News
News
News
News
Martha Arthur
The People’s Court
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
News
FamFeud FamFeud
Friends Friends
CABLE CHANNELS
(A&E) 32 Bio Preview
Dog Bounty Hunter Criminal Minds ’
Criminal Minds ’
CSI: Miami (CC)
CSI: Miami (CC)
Criminal Minds ’
Criminal Minds ’
The First 48 (CC)
The First 48 (CC)
The First 48 (CC)
(AMC) 48 Humana Paid
Nopalea Humana (:15) ››‡ “Big Trouble in Little China”
(:15) ››› “Shanghai Noon” (2000) Jackie Chan.
(:45) ›››‡ “The Truman Show” (1998) (CC)
CSI: Miami “Stiff”
CSI: Miami (CC)
(DISC) 35 Paid
Robison J. Meyer Paid
Almost, Away
Almost, Away
Nightmare Next
FBI: Criminal Pursuit Auction Auction MythBusters (CC)
Auction Auction Auction Auction Auction Auction
(DISN) 16 Little
Chugging Mickey Pirates Mickey Mickey Doc
Pirates Mickey Octo
›››‡ “Ratatouille” (2007) ’ ‘G’ (CC)
Phineas Shake It Shake It Shake It Good
Good
Good
Good
(E!) 56 E! News
True Hollywood
Celebrity Plastic Surgery Stories
Ice-Coco Ice-Coco E! News
Sex-City Sex-City Sex-City Sex-City A-List
A-List
E Special Nicki Mi Nicki Mi Ice-Coco
(ESPN) 14 SportsCenter (CC) SportsCenter (CC) SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter (N)
SportsCenter (N)
Outside Football NFL Live (N) (CC)
Around Pardon
(ESPN2) 15 (6:00) Mike and Mike in the Morning (N) (Live) (CC)
First Take (N) ’ (Live) (CC)
First Take ’ (CC)
Numbers NFL
NASCAR First
Numbers Le Ba
College Basketball
(FOOD) 21 Paid
Yng- Skin Paid
Humana Medicare B. Flay
Challenge
Good Eat Unwrap Paula
Contessa Cooking Dinners Secrets Minute
Giada
Giada
Contessa Contessa Paula
Cooking
(FSSO) 67 Football ACC
SEC Gridiron LIVE English Premier League Soccer
Premier League
NHL Hockey Game 4, from April 17, 2012.
Supergirl Surf
Game
Game
Race
Horse.
UFC Unleashed
(FX) 38 Smarter ›› “Along Came a Spider” (2001)
›››‡ “Zodiac” (2007, Crime Drama) Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo.
› “I Love You, Beth Cooper” (2009)
››› “The Simpsons Movie” (2007)
Mother Mother
(HBO)
“Naked Gn 33”
›› “Sucker Punch” (2011) ‘PG-13’ (CC)
››› “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” (2011) (CC)
“George Harrison: Living”
(:45) ››‡ “We Bought a Zoo” (2011) ‘PG’ (CC)
Witness (CC)
›› “Arthur” (CC)
(H&G) 39 Good
House
Holmes on Homes Favorite Celebs My
My
Crashers Crashers Hunters Hunt Intl Hunters Hunters Hunters Hunters Hunters Hunters Hunters Hunters Hunters Hunters
(HIST) 49 The Most (CC)
Ape to Man (CC)
MonsterQuest (CC) MonsterQuest (CC) MonsterQuest (CC) MonsterQuest (CC) MonsterQuest (CC) MonsterQuest (CC) The Men Who Built America (CC)
(LIFE) 28 Balance Spaces Will
Will
Frasier Frasier Frasier Frasier Chris
Chris
Chris
Chris
Mother Mother Grey’s Anatomy ’ Grey’s Anatomy ’ Wife Swap (CC)
Wife Swap (CC)
(MAX)
“Fierce Creatures” (:05) ››› “Galaxy Quest” (1999) ‘PG’
(9:50) ››‡ “Water for Elephants” (CC)
(11:50) ›› “3000 Miles to Graceland”
›› “Stay Tuned” (1992) ‘PG’
›› “The Pool Boys” (2009)
“The Rundown” ’
(SPIKE) 37 New You! Paid
3x Faster Paid
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
Jail ’
(SPSO) 71 Paid
No.1
Paid
Drill
Paid
Best Drill Easy
Paid
College Classics
College Classics
College Classics
:58 Flat (N) (Live)
Fight Sports: In 60 Fight Sports: In 60 Future
Jeff Mon
(TLC) 40 Baby’s
Multiples Baby
Baby
Baby
Baby
Tiny: Chapter
Four Weddings ’
What Not to Wear
Baby
Baby
Toddlers & Tiaras
What Not to Wear
Four Weddings ’
Say Yes Say Yes
(TNT) 17 Charmed ’ (CC)
Charmed “P3 H2O” Supernatural (CC)
Supernatural (CC)
Leverage (CC)
The Mentalist (CC) The Mentalist (CC) The Mentalist (CC) The Mentalist (CC) The Mentalist (CC) The Mentalist (CC)
(TOON) 42 Ben 10 Beyblade Pokemon NinjaGo NinjaGo Johnny T Coden
Coden
Gumball Gumball Looney Looney Tom & Jerry
Jerry
Scooby Looney Looney Adven
Adven
MAD
Regular
(USA) 25 Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU
Law & Order: SVU
NCIS ’ (CC)
NCIS “Heartland”
NCIS “Nine Lives”
NCIS “Murder 2.0”
THURSDAY EVENING
6:00
6:30
7:00
Comcast
7:30
8:00
8:30
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
11:00
NOVEMBER 15, 2012
11:30
12:00
12:30
NETWORK & AREA CHANNELS
(WSAV)
(WJXT)
(WJCT)
(WCWJ)
(WTEV)
(WJXX)
(WTOC)
(WTLV)
(WAWS)
(WTBS)
3 News
4 Chann 4 News
5 Wild Kratts
7 Meet, Browns
9 News
10 News
11 The News at 6
12 News
13 We There Yet?
18 King of Queens
Nightly News
Chann 4 News
Business Rpt.
Meet, Browns
Evening News
World News
Evening News
Nightly News
Family Guy ’
King of Queens
Wheel Fortune Jeopardy! (N)
Entertainment Inside Edition
PBS NewsHour (N) ’ (CC)
House of Payne House of Payne
Judge Judy (N) Two/Half Men
News
Extra (N) (CC)
America Now Entertainment
Wheel Fortune Jeopardy! (N)
Family Guy ’ The Simpsons
Seinfeld (CC)
Seinfeld (CC)
30 Rock (N) ’ Up All Night (N) The Office (N) Parks/Recreat Rock Center With Brian Williams News
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Jimmy Fallon
Love-Raymond Engagement
Big Bang
Big Bang
The 10 O’Clock News (N) (CC)
Chann 4 News (:35) The Insider (12:05) Excused King of Queens
Legacy
Antiques Roadshow ’ (CC)
The Civil War Lee surrenders; Lincoln is assassinated. ’ (CC)
Tavis Smiley (N) Charlie Rose (N)
The Vampire Diaries (N) (CC)
Beauty and the Beast “Worth”
TMZ (N) (CC)
Access H.
The Office ’
The Office ’
Friends (CC)
Friends (CC)
Big Bang
Two/Half Men (:01) Person of Interest “Critical” (:01) Elementary (N) ’ (CC)
News
Late Show With David Letterman Ferguson
Last Resort “Nuke It Out” (N) ’
Grey’s Anatomy (N) ’ (CC)
(:02) Scandal “Spies Like Us” (N) News
(:35) Nightline Jimmy Kimmel Live ’ (CC)
Big Bang
Two/Half Men (:01) Person of Interest “Critical” (:01) Elementary (N) ’ (CC)
The News at 11 Late Show With David Letterman Ferguson
30 Rock (N) ’ Up All Night (N) The Office (N) Parks/Recreat Rock Center With Brian Williams News
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Jimmy Fallon
The X Factor “Live Results” (N)
Glee Rachel and Kurt visit Lima.
News
News
Two/Half Men How I Met
How I Met
Seinfeld (CC)
Family Guy ’ Family Guy ’ Big Bang
Big Bang
Big Bang
Big Bang
Conan Kellan Lutz; Jimmy Pardo. The Office ’ (CC)
CABLE CHANNELS
(A&E) 32 The First 48 (CC)
The First 48 (CC)
The First 48 (CC)
The First 48 (N) (CC)
Beyond Scared Straight (N)
(:01) Beyond Scared Straight
(12:01) The First 48 (CC)
(AMC) 48 CSI: Miami ’ (CC)
›››‡ “The Green Mile” (1999, Drama) Tom Hanks, David Morse. A guard thinks an inmate has a supernatural power to heal. (CC)
›››‡ “The Green Mile” (1999) Tom Hanks, David Morse. (CC)
(DISC) 35 Auction Kings Auction Kings Property Wars ’ (CC)
Property Wars ’ (CC)
Auction Kings Auction Kings Texas Car Wars ’ (CC)
Auction Kings Auction Kings Texas Car Wars ’ (CC)
(DISN) 16 Phineas, Ferb Good-Charlie A.N.T. Farm ’ Shake It Up! ’ ›››› “Toy Story” (1995) Voices of Tom Hanks.
Dog With a Blog Gravity Falls ’ Phineas, Ferb Good-Charlie A.N.T. Farm ’ Wizards-Place Wizards-Place
(E!) 56 Ice Loves Coco Ice Loves Coco E! News (N)
The Soup
Kardashian
Kardashian
Keeping Up With the Kardashians Kardashian
Chelsea Lately E! News
Chelsea Lately
(ESPN) 14 SportsCenter (N) (Live) (CC)
Football Live
College Football North Carolina at Virginia. (N) (Live)
SportsCenter (N) (Live) (CC)
SportsCenter (N) (Live) (CC)
(ESPN2) 15 College Basketball
College Basketball 2K Sports Classic -- Alabama vs. Oregon State.
College Basketball 2K Sports Classic -- Purdue vs. Villanova. (N) (Live)
SportsNation (N) NFL Live (N) (Live) (CC)
(FOOD) 21 Chopped “I’m Your Huckleberry”
Cupcake Wars
Cupcake Wars
Sweet Genius “Baby Genius”
Sweet Genius “Turkey Genius”
The Next Iron Chef: Redemption Sweet Genius “Baby Genius”
(FSSO) 67 Football Prev ACC All-Access The New College Football Show College Basketball Southern Mississippi at Georgia. (N) (Live)
The New College Football Show SEC Gridiron LIVE
College Basketball
(FX) 38 How I Met
How I Met
Two/Half Men Two/Half Men ››› “Easy A” (2010, Comedy) Emma Stone, Penn Badgley.
Always Sunny The League (N) BrandX With
Totally Biased Always Sunny The League
(HBO)
(5:00) ›› “Arthur” (2011) (CC)
››› “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” (2011) Steve Carell. ’ ‘PG-13’ (CC)
“Crossfire Hurricane” (2012) ‘NR’ (CC)
Safe House
Taxicab Confessions: New York ›› “The Hangover Part II” ‘R’
(H&G) 39 House Hunters House Hunters Hunters Int’l
House Hunters Buying and Selling (CC)
Extreme Homes (N) (CC)
House Hunters Hunters Int’l
Extreme Homes (CC)
Extreme Homes (CC)
(HIST) 49 The Men Who Built America Andrew Carnegie immigrates to the U.S.
The Men Who Built America JP Morgan establishes a bank in NYC.
The Men Who Built America The changing face of America. (CC)
The Men Who Built America
(LIFE) 28 Project Runway All Stars (CC)
Project Runway All Stars (CC)
Project Runway All Stars (CC)
Project Runway All Stars (N)
Abby’s Ultimate Dance
Project Runway All Stars (CC)
(12:01) Project Runway All Stars
(MAX)
The Rundown (:45) ››› “Chronicle” (2012) Dane DeHaan. (CC)
(:15) ›‡ “This Means War” (2012) Reese Witherspoon. ’ ‘PG-13’
››› “Die Hard 2” (1990, Action) Bruce Willis. ’ ‘R’ (CC)
(12:05) ››› “Chronicle” (2012)
(SPIKE) 37 Jail ’ (CC)
Jail ’ (CC)
Jail ’ (CC)
Jail (N) (CC)
iMPACT Wrestling (N) ’ (CC)
Ink Master “Star Wars Forever”
Tattoo Night.
GT Academy ’ Tattoo Night.
Tattoo Night.
(SPSO) 71 Dan Mullen (N) Big 12 Replay Women’s College Basketball Savannah State at South Carolina. (N)
Israeli Bask.
Driven
College Basketball Texas-El Paso at Arizona. (N) (Live)
ACC All-Access Future Phenoms
(TLC) 40 Island Medium Island Medium Bada Bling Brides ’ (CC)
Say Yes, Dress Say Yes, Dress Four Weddings (N) ’ (CC)
Jersey Brides Jersey Brides Four Weddings ’ (CC)
Jersey Brides Jersey Brides
(TNT) 17 The Mentalist ’ (CC)
The Mentalist “Red Bulls” (CC)
NBA Basketball Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets. (N) (Live) (CC)
NBA Basketball Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets. From the Pepsi Center in Denver. (N)
(TOON) 42 Regular Show Wrld, Gumball Adventure Time Annoying
MAD (N)
Regular Show King of the Hill King of the Hill American Dad American Dad Family Guy ’ Family Guy ’ Childrens Hosp Delocated
(USA) 25 NCIS “Collateral Damage” (CC)
NCIS “False Witness” ’ (CC)
NCIS “Restless” (CC) (DVS)
NCIS “Enemy on the Hill” ’
Burn Notice “Over the Line” (N)
(:01) NCIS “Capitol Offense” ’
Law & Order: SVU
homemade angel food
cake.
2:00 PM - Ch. HIST:
MONSTERQUEST (CC)
Searching the jungles
of Central Africa for an
elusive monster said to
resemble a dinosaur.
(60 mins.)
2:30 PM - Ch. TOON:
SCOOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INCORPORATED
Fred’s favorite explorer,
Rick Spartan, has arrived in town to take
over the school’s biology class. But Rick is
not alone.
3:00 PM - Ch. FX:
MOVIE ››› “The Simp-
sons Movie” Animated.
The combination of
Homer, his new pet pig,
and a leaky silo full
of excrement triggers
a disaster that threatens not just Springfield
but the world. Voices of
Dan Castellaneta, Julie
Kavner. (2 hrs.)
3:30 PM - Ch. FOOD:
GIADA AT HOME Giada prepares food for a
bridal shower she is cohosting with a friend.
4:00 PM - Ch. A&E:
THE FIRST 48 (CC)
Detectives in Cincinnati
investigate the double
homicide of a hairdress-
er and his elderly neighbor. (60 mins.)
4:30 PM - Ch. DISN:
GOOD LUCK CHARLIE
(CC) Everyone thinks
Teddy is a jinx on Spencer, as the basketball
team has been on a
losing streak. ’
5:00 PM - Ch. LIFE:
WIFE SWAP (CC) A
woman who lives on an
organic goat farm with
her family trades places
with a self-proclaimed
diva. ’ (60 mins.)
5:30 PM - Ch. ESPN:
PARDON THE INTERRUPTION (CC) Opinion
and analysis of the
day’s sports stories.
With Tony Kornheiser
and Mike Wilbon. (N) ’
6:00 PM - Ch. LIFE:
PROJECT RUNWAY ALL
STARS (CC) Fourteen
designers return for
a second chance; the
designers flaunt their
fashion attitudes.
6:30 PM - Ch. HGTV:
HOUSE HUNTERS (CC)
A couple that prefers
rainy weather is ready
to leave the sunshine of
San Diego for Portland,
Ore.
7:00 PM - Ch. AMC:
MOVIE ›››‡ “The
Green Mile” (CC) In
1935 a head prison
guard realizes a man on
death row may be innocent and have a supernatural ability to heal
others. Tom Hanks, David Morse. (4 hrs.)
7:30 PM - Ch. SPIKE:
JAIL (CC) A man is
brought in for starting fights; a woman is
arrested for hitting a
child. (N) ’
8:00 PM - Ch. 3, 12:
30 ROCK (CC) (DVS)
When Tracy portrays
Jack as a villian in a
movie, Jack and Tracy
engage in a battle of
wits. (N) ’
8:00 PM - Ch. DISN:
MOVIE ›››› “Toy Story” (CC) Animated. A
flashy new action hero’s
arrival creates upset
in a community of toys
that comes to life when
people are absent.
Voices of Tom Hanks,
Tim Allen. ’ (1 hr., 30
mins.)
8:30 PM - Ch. 3, 12:
UP ALL NIGHT (CC)
Reagan causes Chris to
miss out on Thanksgiving with his family in
Maryland. (N) ’
9:00 PM - Ch. 10:
GREY’S
ANATOMY
(CC) As the doctors
move forward with their
lawsuit, they must face
the realities of their injuries. (N) ’ (1 hr., 2
mins.)
9:30 PM - Ch. E!:
KEEPING UP WITH THE
KARDASHIANS Kourt
issues an ultimatum to
Scott when he fails to
take her pregnancy seriously. (60 mins.)
10:00 PM - Ch. A&E:
BEYOND
SCARED
STRAIGHT (CC) A money-hungry drug dealer
and other young Virginia ne’er-do-wells spend
time in jail. (N) (1 hr.,
1 min.)
Kaley Cuoco gets a bang out of her show ‘Big Bang Theory’
By FRAZIER MOORE
Associated Press
NEW YORK — “I know this
sounds like it’s not true,” says
Kaley Cuoco, “but as huge as the
show is, it’s just part of my life —
not my whole life.”
“The Big Bang Theory” is huge
all right. Now in its sixth season
(airing Thursdays on CBS at 8
p.m.), it reigns as TV’s hottest
sitcom, and now hotter than ever
with an average 19 million viewers each week.
As virtually every viewer
knows by now, “Big Bang” centers on a gaggle of geeky Cal
Tech scientists, chief among them
Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki), apartment
mates who, by great good sitcom
fortune, live across the hall from
Penny, played by Cuoco. Penny
aspires to be an actress but pays
the rent by waiting tables at a
Cheesecake Factory.
Unlike the boys, Penny is no
genius. But neither is she a dumb
blonde, which is key to the genius
of “Big Bang.”
“She’s obviously not booksmart,” says Cuoco, “but she’s
street smart and good-hearted
and can make fun of herself. The
producers never made her ditzy.
Maybe she doesn’t always get
what the guys are talking about.
But in that way she represents
most of the world.”
It was pretty smart to make
Penny the “normal” character
through whom the audience can
enter the abstruse, brainy realm
the guys occupy. At the same
time, sexy Penny presides as a
universal object of desire.
Cuoco is totally up to the task
of playing such a gal. During a recent mid-afternoon interview, she
is hearty and self-possessed and
comfortably glam.
She orders a vodka martini —
“straight up, very cold, with a
twist,” she tells her waitress, then
explains to the reporter, “My new
drink. My new thing.”
All that, plus she has a sentimental streak.
Reflecting on what her hit sitcom has meant to other parts of
her life, she mentions her parents
— her dad, a real estate agent who
has weathered tough times, and
her stay-at-home mom in Southern California.
During her childhood, they often had to cut corners, she says,
AP
Actress Kaley Cuoco is pictured in New York. Cuoco stars as
Penny in the CBS hit comedy, “The Big Bang Theory.”
“but I never noticed when things
weren’t great.
“This year, I’m hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas with, like,
25 people at my house — I can
do that now.” Her voice starts to
tremble and her eyes moisten. “It’s
emotional, cause I remember we
could never afford that. The show
has been the hugest blessing.”
Cuoco, who turns 27 on Nov.
30, grew up happy to be the center
of attention.
“I was always very silly and
never took myself seriously,” she
recalls. “When my father had
the camera out, I’d be up close
and annoying. My father would
keep saying, ‘Move back! Move
back!”’
Her parents were supportive
when she wanted to try acting,
“but if I wanted to audition, I had
to play tennis” (at which she excelled as a teen). “If I played tennis I had to be in a dance class. I
always had multiple activities, so
I never had to count on any one of
them to feel successful.”
She landed a role in a 1992 TV
film starring Donald Sutherland.
She played Maureen McCormick
in the 2000 TV film “Growing Up
Brady.” Along the way, she landed
jobs in lots of episodic shows.
But by 2002, she was feeling
discouraged. She hadn’t worked
in a year.
Then her agent phoned about a
project called “8 Simple Rules for
Dating My Teenage Daughter.”
Reluctantly she auditioned for
the part of the older daughter in
a household whose loving but bewildered dad would be played by
John Ritter. Cuoco got the role.
Though it built into a hit for
ABC its first season, “8 Simple
Rules” is remembered mainly as
the final project of the beloved
Ritter, who died abruptly early in
its second year. The show pushed
on through a third season, but it
never overcame Ritter’s tragic absence.
“I just adored him,” says Cuoco,
unleashing a stream of memories
of how he used to cut up on the set
and how much she learned from
him.
“He’d put a potato chip on his
shoulder and go, ‘Do I have a chip
on my shoulder?’ And we would
just crack up! He would do it every day!
“Working with him showed me
that I loved sitcoms,” she goes on.
“I’m a ‘Bridesmaids’ type of girl.
I love silliness. That’s who I am
at heart, and I know I can do it.
If my career path takes me elsewhere, that’s great. But comedy is
my forte.”
“Big Bang” co-creator Chuck
Lorre, who snagged Cuoco for
the show, agrees.
“Kaley was born to the form,”
he says in a separate interview.
“There’s an instinctive thing with
comedy that some people have
— an elegance and gracefulness,
where no effort is apparent.”
But there’s effort for Cuoco,
and on the job it pushes her to
question everything.
“How could it not?” she says
with a laugh. “I wonder, ‘Why did
I do that line that way?’ And I also
constantly think I’m fat and hate
my teeth. But I’ve gotten better
over the years. I’ve started to accept.” She smiles, revealing nothing remotely wrong with those
teeth. “It’s going to be fine.”