Pictured Siegfried and Roy.
Rosie Gets on the Bus
Rosie O'Donnell is back to taking the bus. No, not because she lost her shirt on Taboo, but because she's about to hit the small screen again in Riding the Bus with My Sister. The original TV movie, co-produced by O'Donnell for CBS, is based on college professor Rachel Simon's 2002 memoir, which O'Donnell championed and excerpted in Rosie magazine. O'Donnell will star as Simon's mentally challenged sister, Beth, an independent-minded woman whose days are occupied with riding the city buses in the Pennsylvania town where she lives. After the siblings' father dies, Simon becomes her sister's caretaker and fellow bus passenger, discovering the depth of the relationships Beth has forged in her crosstown travels. Romeo likes to fantasize that Rosie is watching her DVDs of I Am Sam and Charly over and over to prepare.
Cat Got Your Tongue?
Their Las Vegas show might be dark, but Siegfried & Roy aren't tamed yet. Coming this fall are not one, but two new ways to enjoy the not-so-ambiguously gay duo and their prized kitties. First up is an animated series called (for now, anyway) Father of the Pride, about a family of talking white lions who perform with the human pair. Pride is from the creative team behind Shrek and will feature the voices of John Goodman, Carl Reiner, and Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines. Around the same time, Roy Horn, the accident-prone half of the act, will give his first TV interview since being mauled by one of his big cats. The chat with Maria Shriver will air on a 90-minute NBC special. Romeo would be thrilled if Mr. Horn turned the tables on California's liberal First Lady and grilled her about her husband's less-than-positive stance on gay marriage.
PBS Commits to I Can't Marry You
A few years back, before it was cool to care, producer/director Catherine Gray decided to make a documentary about same-sex couples who wanted the right to marry. She traveled around the United States interviewing lesbian and gay couples of all stripes who were in long-term relationships—some having accomplished a mere decade, and others who had been together for as long as 55 years.
Her finally finished project, I Can't Marry You, couldn't be more au courant given the country's political climate. Betty DeGeneres narrates the film, which will air on PBS stations throughout the wedding/gay pride month of June. Check local listings and be sure to complain if that local outlet is backing down from airing it.
Showtime Goes Gay for June
The cable channel that already brings audiences Queer as Folk and The L Word is revving up its gay content for the month of June to coincide with gay pride observances across the country. Repeat episodes of More Tales of the City and Further Tales of the City will air, as will premieres of the original films Jack and The Opposite Sex: Jamie's Story.
Unlike much of the channel's risque queer content, Jack—based on the novel by A.M. Homes—is a 'Showtime Original Picture for All Ages,' starring Anton Yelchin as the 15-year-old title character who has quite a bit on his plate: puberty, his parents' impending divorce, and the news that his father is gay. Meanwhile, Opposite is a documentary about a 47-year-old transgendered woman named Jamie who was formerly known as Jim. And to round it out, Scenarios USA, an anthology of short films about responsible, healthy sexual choices made by high-schoolers, is sure to stir up its share of controversy. Forget the parade! Stay inside and watch TV!
DeepInsideHollywood@qsyndicate.com .
