Rob Owen stories, Page 44
TV Talk: ‘Rustin’ actress Adrienne Warren stars in ABC’s ‘Women of the Movement’Video
When actress Adrienne Warren showed up on the set of Netflix’s bio-pic “Rustin,” which is filming in Pittsburgh through mid-January, the period wardrobe looked familiar from her work playing Mamie Till-Mobley on ABC’s “Women of the Movement” (8 p.m. Thursday, WTAE-TV). Both projects take place during the 1950s/60s civil rights...
TV Talk: Mandy Moore previews final season of ‘This Is Us’
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Pre-pandemic, “This Is Us” co-creator/executive producer Dan Fogelman, who lived in Bethel Park as a child, suggested the possibility of shooting scenes for the partially Pittsburgh-set family drama at a Steelers game in the show’s...
Pittsburgh Pop: Remembering the legendary Betty White; reactions to ‘Boba Fett’
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including the passing of Betty White and her connection to Pittsburgh native Bill Cullen through the TV game show “Password.” They also set their sights...
TV Talk: Steve Harvey as a judge, a new culinary competition and a Jules Verne classic highlight midseason broadcast TVVideo
This year broadcast networks tried a different premiere pattern with both NBC (“American Auto” and “Grand Crew”) and ABC (the excellent comedy “Abbott Elementary”) debuting some series in December but then not rolling them out weekly until the new year. Here are the other midseason series you can expect to...
TV Q&A: How are ratings for ‘Nightly Sports Call?’
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: I’m back to see if the now-accurately named “Nightly Sports Call” — because most nights they only take one call — has increased ratings by...
Pittsburgh Pop: Ghosts of 2021 pop culture past, present and future
In this week’s episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including the year that was in TV and local TV news anchor changes. They tick off some of the highlights of the year in...
TV Talk: Fayette County hunter launches season two of ‘MTN TOP Outdoors’Video
Jeremiah “Jay” Voithofer of Farmington, Fayette County, remembers going to a Holiday Inn in Uniontown at age 8 to meet Terry Drury, a host of TV shows about hunting. “I made a turkey sound call and he gave me – and signed – his box call,” Voithofer said. “It’s just...
TV Q&A: Will Mark Harmon return to ‘NCIS’ as Gibbs?
Q: Mark Harmon’s name and likeness are the first things that appear in the opening credits of “NCIS.” However, he is no longer on the show. Any idea why he’s still in the opening credits? — Jeff, Baldwin Q: Is Mark Harmon really done on “NCIS”? The new guy (Gary...
TV Talk: Mt. Lebanon native charts course for ‘Book of Boba Fett,’ ‘Mandalorian’
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Mt. Lebanon native Dave Filoni has been living his childhood dream of playing “Star Wars” for two decades, trading his childhood action figures for writing scripts and directing costumed actors and massive “Star Wars” props...
Pittsburgh Pop: Upcoming movies, midseason TV and ‘Being the Ricardos’
In this week’s episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including midseason cable/streaming series with local ties. Owen rates recent premieres “1883” and “With Love” and the pair preview what’s coming in midseason TV,...
TV Talk: ‘Yellowstone’ prequel, ‘Downton Abbey’ follow-up highlight midseason cable/streaming seriesVideo
Mid-season cable and streaming scripted series start in earnest in January, but with so much competition, some outlets chose to debut new shows this weekend. “With Love” (Friday, Amazon’s Prime Video): A five-episode, Christmas-set rom-com – it’s more rom than com – about a Latino family and their romantic entanglements....
TV Q&A: Who puts together Jeff Verszyla’s wardrobe?
Q. Weatherman Jeff Verszyla on Channel 4 is the best-dressed man on that station. I would love to know what brand of suits he wears or the identity of his tailor. — Bob, Mt. Washington Rob: “Over the course of many years, I have built up a solid wardrobe,” Verszyla...
Pittsburgh Pop: Reacting to that ‘Sex and the City’ shocker, Rick Sebak’s throwback interview of August Wilson
In this week’s episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including Rick Sebak’s latest WQED-TV special, “Brain Space Energy: My Interview with August Wilson.” Last week’s premiere of “Sex and the City” sequel series...
TV Talk: Rick Sebak revisits August Wilson interview in new WQED-TV special
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Writer/producer/director Rick Sebak’s latest installment in WQED-TV’s “Pittsburgh History Series” revisits a 32-year-old interview with the late Pittsburgh native and playwright August Wilson. Premiering at 8 p.m. Thursday on WQED, “Brain Space & Energy: My...
TV Talk: If you love Lucy, you’ll probably tolerate ‘Being the Ricardos’
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Amazon’s Aaron Sorkin-written-and-directed “Being the Ricardos,” now in theaters and streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video Dec. 21, is … fine. Fans of Sorkin’s rat-a-tat-tat “The West-Wing”-style dialogue will see it expressed most directly during an...
TV Talk: Is the ‘Sex and the City’ sequel series worth watching?Video
There’s a simple question to ask yourself when weighing whether or not to check out the new “Sex and the City” sequel series: Are you comfortable with change? Or would you rather remember characters and a TV show as they were? Billed as “a new chapter of ‘Sex and the...
TV Q&A: Are WPXI-TV’s DeLuca reporters related?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: There are two DeLucas on the WPXI-TV news staff. Are they related? – Mike, Beaver Rob: We noted when reporter Pete DeLuca was hired at...
WTAE promotes Elena LaQuatra
WTAE-TV reporter Elena LaQuatra, who has been filling in as morning traffic reporter since July, has been promoted to that position as well as noon weekday newscast anchor on Channel 4, effective next week. LaQuatra, a Mt. Lebanon native, first worked at WTAE in 2015 as a digital content creator....
Pittsburgh Pop: Talia Kirkland hired at WPXI; details on ACC Network coming to Comcast this month
In this week’s episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including WPXI-TV hiring a new reporter. Originally from Penn Hills, Talia Kirkland is a Duquesne University grad (an undergraduate degree in journalism and a...
TV Talk: Limited series, comedies lead TV’s Top 10 of 2021
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers viewing tips from 2021. While there’s still plenty of new TV this month — “Sex and the City” sequel series “And Just Like That…” streams on HBO Max Thursday but wasn’t available for review by deadline — December also offers an opportunity...
TV Talk: Jeannette woman competes on ‘Meet Your Makers Showdown;’ local TV news ratings released
In an episode of “Meet Your Makers Showdown” streaming Saturday on discovery+, 23-year-old Erin Fulton of Jeannette is one of four stained glass artists competing for a $10,000 prize. “Meet Your Makers Showdown,” which premiered on the streaming service last week, features artisans from a different craft field in each...
TV Q&A: What do I do if a TV show filming on my block is disruptive?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: I have a controversial opinion: I hate having film crews here. I have the unfortunate luck to have “A League of Their Own” filming on...
TV Talk: Filmed-in-Pittsburgh ‘Archive 81’ gets Netflix premiere date
Netflix’s “Archive 81,” the first series to go into production in Pittsburgh after the onset of the covid-19 pandemic in November 2020, will premiere on the streaming service Jan. 14. The supernatural horror series follows archivist Dan Turner (Mamoudou Athie) who takes a job restoring a collection of damaged videotapes...
ACC Network finally coming to Comcast’s Xfinity cable
The two-year-old ACC Network, which carries Atlantic Coast Conference sporting events, including Pitt athletics, will finally become available on Comcast’s Xfinity cable service. The arrival of ACC Network is part of a larger overall carriage renewal agreement between telecommunications/entertainment behemoths The Walt Disney Company and Comcast, parent of NBCUniversal. There...
Pittsburgh Pop: First impressions of ‘Hawkeye,’ the new ‘Waltons’; November TV news sweeps ratings arrive
In this week’s episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including November sweeps ratings for local TV stations and this week’s Pittsburgh-set episode of History Channel’s “Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman.” The pair also...
