Rueben’s Ramblings

I am sure we all have different ways of celebrating Mother’s Day. Some families probably go out for dinner; some probably have a big party and maybe others treat their mom to a day of pampering. The hard part for many of us, though, is not being able to celebrate Mother’s Day with your mom because she has passed away. …

Last week the unexpected news that not only lead actress Stana Katic but also supporting cast member Tamala Jones on the long-running and one-time fan favorite series Castle were basically fired – should the show return for a 9th season this fall – because of ABC’s presumed efforts to “help cut costs on the aging procedural.” This news, of course, …

The 2015-2016 TV season on the major networks is nearly at an end with a few season finales already airing in April, but with the bulk of them set to air in May. There are also a few returning dramas coming next month along with a made-for-TV movie and mini-series to look out for. Here is what I am looking …

The 5 major networks – ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and The CW – have at least 40 drama pilots that are contending for series pick-up for the 2016-2017 fall TV season. Among those drama pilots are remakes of the hit 1980’s TV series MacGyver; reimagings of the box office films The Exorcist, Lethal Weapon, Frequency, Cruel Intentions and Training Day …

Back in January of 2006, a unique little show called Love Monkey, based on a book of the same name by Kyle Smith, debuted on CBS. It told the story of a 30-something, single, record executive who navigated the tumultuous and highly amusing waters of work and dating in New York City. The series was created by Michael Rauch, who …

Every year I look forward to several TV-related events. The first is the annual Paley Fest that is sponsored by the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio). For the last few years that event has been held at the Dolby Theatre (where the Oscar’s are held) in the heart of Hollywood. The second event is …

This year will mark my sixth straight year attending Wonder Con; but this time around – unlike those past years – the annual pop culture event will be held in downtown Los Angeles instead of Anaheim. [It should be noted that the convention originated in San Francisco before being moved to Anaheim.] Regardless of the location, I will heading to …

Back in 2009, ABC premiered a new supernatural series called Eastwick based on the John Updike novel “The Witches of Eastwick”, which – as many know – was adapted into a film back in 1987 that starred Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer. The small screen version that only lasted for one season starred Paul Gross (of Due …

With spring less than two weeks away (how is it almost April already?!), it seemed like a good time to look ahead (just a little) to the TV shows that will be returning for new seasons as well as some new made-for-TV movies that will be fun to watch. Here is what I am looking forward to seeing in April: …

For the last year or two, I have been volunteering at my local library here in Los Angeles (a terrific “small town” library similar to the one back home), helping out – for the most part – with their quarterly book sales. For me this volunteering was an homage (if you will) to my time “working” as a library aide …