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Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions
Aired October 16, 2010 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Don Lemon. Here are your headlines this hour. Coast to coast, from the president to his toughest critics, the battle for control of Congress is turning red hot right now. Sarah Palin rallied the Republican faithful in California blistering President Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and encouraging her supporters to get out and vote.
President Obama campaigned for Massachusetts Governor Duval Patrick urging voters not to let Republicans take control of Congress.
We have a developing story to tell you about out of Mexico. Four Americans dead in a small plane crash. Mexican officials found the wreckage in Baja, California a day after the flight disappeared near Ensenada. The passengers were part of a group called Flying Samaritans, which runs free medical clinic in that part of the country. No word yet on the cause of that crash.
She played one of TV's most famous moms, June Cleaver. Barbara Billingsley has died at the age of 94 after what her family says was a long illness. "Leave it to Beaver" was a hit in the late '50s and early '60s depicting tranquil suburban family life. Billingsley played the role with class and a gentle sense of humor. And for all those years, she was America's mom.
Those are your headlines this hour. I'm Don Lemon keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Right now on this special edition of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions." "Pretty in Pink."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I think we all kind of look the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Back to the Future".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It's just so uncontroversial and just fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Roots." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It was a satisfying moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: An amazing behind-the-scenes look at these brand-new incredible, unforgettable reunions. The blockbuster star-studded casts of some of the biggest movies and TV shows of all time together again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC MCCORMACK AS WILL TRUMAN, "WILL AND GRACE": And you're fake breast looks low.
DEBRA MESSING AS GRACE ADLER, "WILL AND GRACE": I ended up getting bronchitis from doing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions" starts right now.
Hello. I'm A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: Hi, there, everyone, I'm Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, and this is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): They are among the most memorable movies and TV shows of our time, and they all had something in common -- fantastic firsts. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is teaming up with "Entertainment Weekly" to bring you the magazine's extraordinary reunions of the casts of these films and TV shows, all now being featured in the latest issue of "Entertainment Weekly" that has just been released.
We begin with those phenomenal firsts. The shows that dared to be different and changed TV forever. Shows that were real breakthroughs because they dared to go where no shows had gone before.
In 1998, it was a breakthrough sit-com featuring gay characters. And now the cast of "Will & Grace" is fondly remembering all the laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you guys miss most about working with each other?
MESSING: Laughing every day.
MCCORMACK: Yes. ANDERSON: In 1999, this drama was the first primetime series to realistically portray the inner workings of the White House. And now the cast of "The West Wing" is still beaming with pride.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Part of me would have been happy doing it for the rest of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And in 1977, this mini series became the first program to reveal the horrors faced by African-American slaves. And now the cast of the mini series "Roots" is celebrating the lifelong friendships they've enjoyed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: These are my uncles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "Entertainment Weekly" is reuniting the casts of these groundbreaking programs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HAYES AS JACK MCFARLAND, "WILL AND GRACE": Will, I told you, you live with a hetero long enough, you're going to catch it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The comedy "Will & Grace," which followed the friendship between a gay man and a straight woman proved that America would watch a show week after week with openly proud gay characters. When "Will and Grace" stars Eric McCormack and Debra Messing reunited for the great "Entertainment Weekly" reunion, it was the side- splitting moments they remembered most.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCORMACK: Your fake breasts exploding.
MESSING: Will, what are you doing?
MCCORMACK: I think you sprung a leak.
MESSING: What are you talking about?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MESSING: I ended up getting bronchitis from doing that. But it was worth it, it was funny. Anything for a joke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "The West Wing" succeeded with an unprecedented TV setting. A fictional White House with an idealistic president played by Martin Sheen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN SHEEN AS JOSIAH "JED" BARTLET, "THE WEST WING": Killing yourself and innocent people to make a point is sick, twisted, brutal, dumb-ass murder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And when "Entertainment Weekly" brought "The West Wing" cast back together for their great reunion, they were still honored to be associated with such a groundbreaking show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: These people, I adored them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What's your name?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Toby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And the word phenomenal can definitely describe the smash hit 1977 mini series "Roots," a heartbreaking look at the horror of slavery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: There's going to be another day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And at "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunion" of the "Roots" cast, they remembered their program as not only a major moment in African-American history, but in American history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: The title of Alex's book was "Roots: The Saga of an American family."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And as all of these "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions" prove, these stars were as affected by these groundbreaking firsts as those of us who watched them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What a fantastic collection of TV firsts. And all them really had so much influence on pop culture. But which one had the most impact? It's our "Showbiz Flash Point." Which of the firsts had the greatest impacts on pop culture? "West Wing," "Roots," or "Will and Grace."
With me right now in New York from "Entertainment Weekly" is assistant managing editor Dalton Ross and senior writer Jessica Shaw. Also with us is staff writer Tim Stack.
So Dalton, to you in the "Showbiz Flash Point," which of these shows had the biggest impact on pop culture in your mind?
DALTON ROSS, ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It's got to be "Roots." Just look at the numbers. 37 Emmy nominations. The finale was watched by over 100 million people. It was a cultural phenomenon, and 30 years later we're still talking about "Roots".
HAMMER: Yes, it is undeniable. Tim Stack, off to you, do you agree?
TIM STACK, STAFF WRITER, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Yes. I mean, it was, you know, appointment television. If you were around in the '70s, you went home and watched "Roots" every single night. No other show -- we really hadn't seen slavery portrayed that way through African-American eyes before.
HAMMER: What's your choice, Jess?
JESSICA SHAW, SENIOR WRITER, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I'm going to say "Will & Grace," because it really brought gay characters into the mainstream. There was no more of that, oh my God, it's gay, who is he going to kiss? That drama, out and done.
HAMMER: It really broke down walls in a way that hadn't been done before to be sure.
SHAW: Absolutely.
HAMMER: And I have to say that Debra Messing's character, Grace, really had so many of those Lucille Ball moments, including of course how can we forget the infamous exploding breast episode on the show. Well, in "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunion," Debra and her co-star Eric McCormack revealed what really happened behind the scenes when they were shooting that scene.
Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCORMACK: And your fake breast exploded.
MESSING: I ended up getting bronchitis from doing that. It's true. It's true. MCCORMACK: And I got water in the eye.
MESSING: Yes. No, because they had to put like --
MCCORMACK: The tube up you leg.
MESSING: The tube up my leg and it had to connect to the bra, and it was breaking and it was backfiring and whole thing was just soaking me, but it was worth it. It was funny. Anything for a joke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So many great revelations at the reunions, including the "West Wing" reunion. Now this was one of my favorite shows ever. It really revealed so much about how the White House works.
Dalton, other shows have tried to do the same thing, but they didn't have that success. What was the secret for "The West Wing?"
SHAW: I think the secret recipe is basically Aaron Sorkin. You know, 95 percent of that show was just people walking and talking, going from one office to the next. But the scripts were so sharp. It had that Aaron Sorkin magic to it that you really felt like you were there with those characters sort of in the trenches.
HAMMER: Yes. Tim Stack, what do you think? I mean, obviously, that snappy dialogue did so much to bring you into what felt like such a real situation there.
STACK: Yes. I mean, it's one of those shows -- you know, it's basically an office show, but it's an office that none of us have really ever been inside before. And so, you know, to have dialogue like that that really brings you in, just made you feel like you knew what it was like to work in the White House.
HAMMER: We were talking, Jess, before we started rolling here. It's one of my favorite shows of all time, and I really miss it. There is not a show around these days -- while there are certainly terrific shows, that sort of capture that all-enveloping energy of "The West Wing".
SHAW: Absolutely. I don't know that we'd see another show about the White House. It almost seems like entertainment shies away from that a little bit now. It's a little more taboo. So I love that this show was on for so long, and it was so influential and it was great. And it really brought some humanity to the government that we're not really seeing in pop culture right now.
HAMMER: Dalton Ross, Jessica Shaw, Tim Stack, don't go anywhere.
ANDERSON: "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunion" also included the most memorable movie characters. Behind-the-scenes of the reunion of the cast of "Lord of the Rings." Why it became so habit forming?
And it's the amazing Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, "Pretty in Pink" reunion. Molly is Andie, her best friend Duckie, Jon. And of course, Andrew McCarthy is Blane. So where did they all end up? Tell us, Jon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON CRYER AS DUCKIE, "PRETTY IN PINK": Andie and Blane probably did not end up together, but Duckie and Andie ended up friends for life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: McFly, who can forget? Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly in the time-traveling DeLorean in "Back to the Future."
It's the not to be miss reunion between Michael J. Fox and co- star Lea Thompson. You're watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And now, a very special edition of the "Showbiz News Ticker," reuniting the co-stars of "Northern Exposure" and "Alias." "Alias" of course stars Jennifer Garner as butt-kicking spy Sydney Bristow.
Check out this smoking reunion picture of Jen and her TV dad's Victor Garber.
And a New York doctor gets dropped into rural Alaska. That, of course, was the plot of the great '90s show "Northern Exposure." One of my favorites. It started Rob Morrow and his on-again, off-again and on-screen girlfriend, Janine Turner reunited right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL J. FOX AS MARTY MCFLY, "BACK TO THE FUTURE": Doc.
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD AS DR. EMMETT BROWN, "BACK TO THE FUTURE": Marty, you made it.
MCFLY: Yeah.
LLOYD: Welcome to my latest experiment. This is the big one. The one I've been waiting for all my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Going back in time. Who can forget that car? Man, I want one of those. The DeLorean in "Back to the Future." The car really was a huge star in its own right. Maybe he even just as big as star as Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd. The DeLorean still looks fantastic today.
Take a look at this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with behind-the-scenes video of Michael and his "Back to the Future" co-star Lea Thompson on the set of "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunion."
Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions." I'm A.J. Hammer in New York.
And I'm Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And now the most memorable movie characters. "Pretty in Pinks" Molly Ringwald as Andie Walsh. Michael J. Fox this time travelling Marty McFly. It's been 25 years since Michael played his iconic role. And he is just one of "Entertainment Weekly's" most memorable movie characters now reunited.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOLLY RINGWALD AS ANDIE WALSH, "PRETTY IN PINK": I think we all kind of looks the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Still looking pretty in pink, Molly Ringwald reunited with the cast of her classic 1980s big movie for "Entertainment Weekly's" Great Reunions. The pretty party included actress Annie Potts who played the sexy and sassy, Iona, in the movie. And now "Two and a Half Man" star Jon Cryer as the fabulously eccentric Duckie.
Cryer's "Pretty in Pink" enemy was rich, preppy boy Blane, who was pursued by Molly Ringwald's artsy Andie Walsh, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RINGWALD: You're ashamed to be seen with me.
ANDREW MCCARTHY AS BLANE MCDONNAGH, "PRETTY IN PINK": No, I am not.
RINGWALD: You're ashamed to go out with me.
JILL BERNSTEIN, ASST. MANAGING EDITOR, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: She spoke her mind, and she was sort of an iconoclast and a rebel.
ANDERSON: A rebel relentlessly pursued by her pal, Duckie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRYER: His name is Blane, that's a major appliance. That's not a name.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: At "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunion" of the "Pretty in Pink" cast, Jon Cryer speculated about how all the teen angst ended.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRYER: Andie and Blane probably did not end up together. But Duckie and Andie ended up friends for life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: From teen dreams to "Lord of the Rings." "Entertainment Weekly" also reunited a trio of hobbits.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIJAH WOOD AS FRODDO BAGGINS, "LORD OF THE RINGS": It is hard to believe. I mean, it will be eleven years in August. It's crazy. You know, in a lot of ways, it feels like that much time has past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Including Elijah Wood who played the heroic hobbit, Froddo.
BERNSTEIN: He was an underdog hero. People could relate to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOOD: There were markings, some form of elfish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: For Elijah, the fictional world of middle earth seemed very far away at "Entertainment Weekly's" great "Lord of the Rings" reunion. Sean Astin who played Froddo's loyal hobbit friend, Sam, was there.
Along with Dominic Monaghan, whom we came to know as the troublesome hobbit, Merry, and who says the two years filming the rings trilogy led to lasting friendships off-screen.
DOMINIC MONAGHAN AS MERRY, "LORD OF THE RINGS": We were so tight as a unit that everyone on the inside trying to get in could see that, you know. And on the inside, it was really understood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOOD: I wish the ring had never come to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Froddo's epic efforts to rid himself of "the ring" took moviegoers on three timeless adventures. As timeless as --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Thirty years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The three unforgettable "Back to the Future" adventures.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FOX: It's such a sincere movie. It was everything it was meant to be and it just is so uncontroversial and just fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Michael J. Fox first began portraying Marty McFly in the first "Back to the Future" movie in 1985.
KRISTEN BALDWIN, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It's 25 years old, if you can believe it. And it still holds up. I mean, it's fantastic.
ANDERSON: Traveling through time, Marty saves the clock tower and his own future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LLOYD: Marty. You made it.
FOX: Yeah.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And, yeah, Michael J. Fox made it to the great "Entertainment Weekly" reunion as well taking him back to the future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: To this day, I still hope that if I drive 88 miles an hour, I'm going to end up back in 1955. I've actually tried it. It's been 25 years now since "Back to the Future" came out. Well, time does fly.
With me back right now in New York, "Entertainment Weekly" assistant managing editor Dalton Ross and senior writer Jessica Shaw.
I have a hard time thinking of any actor who could have played Marty McFly the way that Michael J. Fox did.
Jessica, what made him so perfect for this role?
SHAW: There's no one else who could have done that role. I mean, he had that rare combination of being so charming and funny and crush-worthy, he could ride a skateboard and he could flirt with his mother without it seeming too creepy.
HAMMER: Yes, because at this day and age that would have been super creepy for some reason.
SHAW: Exactly.
HAMMER: For some reason, Michael was able to pull it off. Well, when Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson reunited, I thought they really captured why "Back to the Future" still resonates.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LEA THOMPSON AS LORRAINE BAINES "BACK TO THE FUTURE": It's quite remarkable, really, that it still endures. I think there's a lot of heart in the movie and that's why it sustained itself.
FOX: It's ironic -- not ironic, but it fits, given what the theme of the movie is that it's cross-generational. Little kids love it, and it's become kind of like -- not to be sacrilegious or anything, but in its own way, maybe small ways, it's kind of become "Wizard of Oz" or something. It's something that kids love in, and don't think about when it was made. They'll think about as an old movie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I don't think of it as an old movie at all. Lea and Michael, I thought really put it so well. What made "Back to the Future" so memorable.
So, Dalton, I have to ask the same question about "Pretty in Pink." What really made Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer so memorable in their roles as Andie and Duckie.
ROSS: Well, they're playing these high school sort of misfit outcasts who just don't really fit in. And they're searching for something that seems just outside their grasp. But I think anyone that's been to high school can relate to that. But more important than that, they had awesome hair, A.J. Come one, just check out the do.
HAMMER: Yes, the hair alone, really. That sums it all up.
You know, so many movies are being remade, Jessica. What about "Pretty in Pink" and "Back to the Future." Personally, I say, leave well enough alone. You just shouldn't mess with masterpieces.
SHAW: I completely -- I agree with you. That is absolutely sacrilegious to even think of remaking those movies. I mean, "Pretty in Pink," especially for me like as a girl growing up and watching that, that movie you cannot touch that. No one else can be those characters.
HAMMER: Yes, and of course "Back to the Future" became a franchise, but nobody should touch it, right?
ROSS: That doesn't mean that they won't, though, A.J.
HAMMER: I understand that. I know how it works.
ROSS: You know, if there's money to be made, someone's going to say, we can update this. And they probably will at some point.
HAMMER: All right. Dalton Ross, Jessica Shaw, thank you again.
ANDERSON: So mirror, mirror on the wall, who were the most memorable co-stars of them all? How about Eric McCormack and Debra Messing from TV's "Will & Grace." Debra reveals the secret of their on-screen chemistry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MESSING: We'd never met before. And he had flown in from Canada. And we just did this reading and we ended up just giggling together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Eric and Debra, reunited. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions."
HAMMER: And now a very special edition of the "Showbiz News Ticker," reuniting the casts of "Scream," a psychopathic serial killer stalked a group of teens in the movie. "Scream," had you not love this movie. Check out the "Scream" reunion picture of David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courtney Cox.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions." And now the most memorable co-stars. The co-stars reunited include Eric McCormack and Debra Messing from "Will and Grace", Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson from "Back to the Future," and Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer from "Pretty in Pink".
Back with me right now in New York, "Entertainment Weekly's" Tim Stack and Jessica Shaw.
So, guys, we took this to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. We wanted to see what our fans think. I can tell you, there was a big- time tie between Eric McCormack and Debra Messing and Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer for co-stars.
Look at what Mari N. wrote on our wall about "Will and Grace."
"I love "Will and Grace." The cast was just awesome to watch. They were always there for each other. I miss that show."
HAMMER: Jess, do you miss this show.
SHAW: I do. But hello, the wonders of syndication, it's always on at some point at night, and it is one of those shows that holds up, still great after all these years.
HAMMER: No question about that.
All right. Let me get to what Laura M. wrote on our Facebook page about "Pretty in Pink's" Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer.
"Andie and Duckie, because Duckie would do anything, say anything, or try anything to make Andie love him. It was a sweet crush."
And look at Molly Ringwald said at "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunion" about Jon Cryer's infamous dance in the movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RINGWALD: I remember shooting the "Try a Little Tender," and I was just telling Jon that my 6-year-old daughter has not seen any of my movies. But I did show her that scene on YouTube. And I think it's phenomenal. And I remember when we were actually shooting it. I think the first time that we saw him do the dance was, I think the first time they filmed it. And I was just so stunned to -- you know, I mean, you were like Mick Jagger all of a sudden. Duckie turned into Mick Jagger, and I thought that was such a fantastic scene and it really holds up.
HAMMER: Tim, it really does hold up, doesn't it?
STACK: It does, A.J., aside from the man broach that Duckie's wearing.
HAMMER: Oh, what kind of problem could you have with that man broach.
All right, we'll leave it there. Tim Stack, Jessica Shaw, thank you both.
There is certainly so much more to see about these fantastic reunions. So you should definitely check it out in the new issue of "Entertainment Weekly." It's on newsstands everywhere right now.
I'm A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I'm Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You can catch an encore performs of this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Entertainment Weekly's Great Reunions" on Sunday. That's at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on HLN. Thanks for watching. Take care.
