L-R: Sheree Whitfield, NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak, Lisa Wu Hartwell, Kandi Burruss. Photo credit: Brian Hah/www.tinyurl.com/Yogurberry

Attention is like oxygen for “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” If a red carpet isn’t there, do you even exist?

Fortunately for the five women from the Bravo show, last night’s premiere party at the W Hotel in Buckhead was nirvana thanks to the camera-toting media horde. More than 500 people showed up, including Tameka “Tiny” Cottle and Antonia “Toya” Carter from the BET show “Tiny & Toya,” Q from the local R&B group 112 and music producer Jazze Pha. Zolciak invited her cosmetic surgeon Louis Cole, who said he may or may not show up in this season’s episodes. And show creator Princess Banton-Lofters, whose production company Loft 22 Entertainment helped put together the party, came by as well.

The publicist’s media advisory promised attendees such as Mike Vick, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and R&B singer Angie Stone. I did not see them.

Lisa Wu …

Continue reading “Real Housewives of Atlanta” premiere party at W Hotel in Buckhead »

Kandi Burruss, the newest member of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” was lined up to be part of a current BET show “Tiny & Toya.”

That show features Burruss’ fellow ex-Xscape singing group member Tameka “Tiny” Cottle. (They co-wrote TLC’s biggest hit “No Scrubs”)

But that deal did not work out earlier this year. A week later, the producers of “Housewives” called.

“Everything happens for a reason,” she mused in a phone interview last week to promote the second season debut of “Housewives” Thursday at 10 p.m. “Maybe this is what I was supposed to do.”

Burruss was a big fan of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” when it debuted to surprisingly robust ratings last fall.

“I used to TiVo it all the time,” she said. “But I never saw myself being on the show.”

First of all, 33-year-old Burruss said she’s not a “housewife.” “I’m a working woman,” she said. “Even after marriage, I’ll never be a housewife.” But she learned quickly, “it’s just a show.”

Coming in, she noted, she didn’t feel she …

Continue reading Kandi Burruss interview for upcoming “Real Housewives of Atlanta” season two debut July 30 »

In this economy, a better-paying job is not something you turn down.

And when it came to 790/The Zone’s “Sports Babe” Cayci Johnson, she not only got a better paying job but one in an area she really wanted to be in: food marketing with Blue Ribbon Foods.

Johnson, who started yesterday at her new job, said she loved working at 790/The Zone the past eight months, but this was an opportunity she couldn’t say no to.

One thing she said she didn’t expect from the Mayhem guys is the fact they were actually “gentleman.” “I came in expecting it to be more like a locker room,” she said. “They were actually chivalrous.”

Johnson said she felt guilty because the station made such a big deal about the search late last year. “I was just starting to fit in,” she said, as part of the morning team. “A lot of listeners were giving me great feedback. But this job landed in my lap.”

No word on her replacement yet. …

Continue reading Sports Babe leaves 790/The Zone’s Mayhem in the AM »

In 2006, actress and comedienne Wanda Sykes packed the Tabernacle, drawing more than 2,000 people.

So how did Uptown Comedy Corner, which fits 350 people, nab such a big star for such a modest venue?

Family connections. Her cousin Angelo Sykes happens to be a co-owner.

Fellow co-owner Gary Abdo said they ran into her two years ago in Las Vegas at a comedy festival and asked her to come to Atlanta then. But it’s taken her two years to find an opening in her schedule.

“She’s a very hard-working woman, God bless her,” Abdo said. “Her schedule is jampacked.”

Abdo said he loves her brand of “sharp, biting, sarcastic wit. I’m going to watch all four shows.” (Rush Limbaugh fans thought she was bit too biting during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this spring.)

Sykes, in a brief interview earlier this week, said she’ll use the time in the club to prepare for an HBO special she’s going to tape next month and set to air this fall.

When asked how her cousin roped her into doing …

Continue reading Wanda Sykes interview to promote her concert at Uptown Comedy Corner July 30-31 »

Loretta Swit, forever known as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on “M*A*S*H” from 1972 to 1983, remains active as ever at age 71.

She’s coming to the Fox Theatre later this week to play Dorothy Brock in the classic Broadway musical “42nd Street.” She will follow this up with a European theater tour, another play in New York City, a role in a spoof horror flick, then four months early next year in the play “Cactus Flower” in Kansas City.

What drew her to the current musical role was her long-standing friendship with Atlanta Chris Manos, producer at Theater of the Stars, which put together “42nd Street.” She had done two Atlanta productions with him in the past.

“This is a wonderful reunion,” she said. “I adore him.”

She said the Brock character is “a bit underwritten. So it calls upon the actor to provide some of this life and give her a life.” And she praises her acting cast. “It has comedy. drama, extraordinary dancers. The company is dazzling. It’s such a fabulous …

Continue reading Interview with Loretta Swit (”Hot Lips” Houlihan), at Fox Theatre July 28-August 2 for “42nd Street” »

For the past 18 months, dedicated followers of Atlanta TV news broadcasting have gotten an insider’s take of the business thanks to former WAGA-TV broadcast journalist Doug Richards.

The often funny, always insightful blog is dubbed Live Apartment Fire. The name is a reference to a frequent breaking news story that would often supersede whatever is going on, simply because it makes a good visual.

Richards had left the business to start his own production company and he blogged in hopes of generating buzz and some business. But these are tough times and when WXIA-TV offered him a part-time gig as a reporter again, he decided to take it. He starts back August 10, set to work three days a week.

He was genuinely surprised WXIA’s news director Ellen Crooke even called him. “I really hadn’t expected any news director to be particularly interested in my services after reading my blog,” he said.

Although he was a bit burned out with the business when he left WAGA in 2007, he said …

Continue reading Local blogger of Live Apartment Fire goes back to TV broadcasting on WXIA-TV »

I had lunch with Springer last November at Manuel’s Tavern. As a Democrat, he naturally loved the place. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Everyone’s favorite TV circus ringmaster Jerry Springer is going to be in Atlanta Sept. 8 to 13 to play slippery attorney Billy Flynn in the national production of “Chicago.”

He just spent six weeks playing that role in London and may ultimately do it on Broadway.

Springer obviously gets to use some of his soft-shoe skills he learned on “Dancing With the Stars.” To do some theater work, he ceded the hosting gig of “America’s Got Talent” after two seasons to Nick Cannon this season. His talk show, in which he really just shows up for tapings, is on at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. weekdays on WATL-TV.

Ticket info is here.

Continue reading Jerry Springer coming to Atlanta at Fox Theatre for “Chicago” Sept. 8-12, 2009 »

Plenty of Atlantans or former Atlantans are hitting the tube this week.

You’ll see some local cops on MyNetworkTV’s “Street Patrol” Monday.

Atlanta native Corri English spars with Cybil Shepherd in a Hallmark film Saturday. Former Grant Park man Ty Pennington goes overseas Sunday on ABC. Atlanta designer Vern Yip judges former Atlantan Jason Champion on “HGTV Design Star” the same night.

Oh, and some show called “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” on Bravo comes back Thursday night. You know — the show without actual housewives.

MONDAY
“The Bachelorette” 8 p.m. ABC (season finale) — Jillian picks “perfect” Kiptyn or sweet Ed.
“Charm School” 9 p.m. VH1 (third season finale) — Not a lot of charm at this “school.” Ashley, Marcia and Risky vie to win.
“The Closer” 9 p.m. TNT — Howie Greeson, who may have killed two women, is found murdered. Suspects are the family members of those dead women.
“The Yes Men Fix the World” 9 p.m. HBO — Two gonzo …

Continue reading TV best bets: “Real Housewives of Atlanta” back, “Next Food Network Star” to be named »

Credit: AP

This was inevitable: Nadya Suleman, better known as “Octomom,” has signed on to a reality show.

According to USA Today, her 14 children will earn $250 a day for three years, totaling $250,000.

The contracts filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court guarantee the children will collectively earn about $250,000 over three years. The contracts require a judge’s approval.

European production company Eyeworks has inked the deal with Suleman. Eyeworks lists “Breaking Bonaduce” and “The Biggest Loser” among its television credits.

 Loading …

No U.S. network has signed on yet. The show is set to start taping Sept. 1.

Continue reading Octomom signs reality show deal »

Baseball, known forever as America’s past time, may no longer get the buzz of, say, football, but at least for a week, the sport got the spotlight.

For the week of July 13, the All Star Game on Fox was the top draw nationwide and in Atlanta. Nationally, the game drew 14.6 million viewers. Locally, it was tops at 371,000 viewers.

The Braves-Mets series also was a popular draw, with both night games landing in the top 10.

The “SpongeBob Squarepants” 10th anniversary special also made the top 20. The Disney crossover special July 17 also made the cut, bringing in the casts of “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Hannah Montana” and “The Suite Life.” (It was the top cable show of the week nationally, drawing 9.3 million viewers.)

The penultimate episode of “Next Food Network Star” July 19 in which Atlantan Jamike Pessoa got cut brought in a solid 3.7 million fans.

Top 20 primetime shows in Atlanta, week of July 13, 2009

1. MLB All Star game, Fox, 7/14, 371,000
2. MLB All Star …

Continue reading Baseball tops Atlanta TV ratings, Atlanta radio hits feature Drake, Kings of Leon »