Catching Up...

Breaking News Alert:
For those inquiring minds (like myself) who've been wondering when the TV adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's profilic play A Raisin in the Sun will finally air, I have an answer. Tune in to ABC at 8pm on February 25, 2008 (the night after the Oscars) for the premiere.

This is long over due. The film, starring the cast of the Broadway revival (which I was lucky enough to see), including Sanaa Lathan, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Phylicia Rashad, was actually filmed last November.

Audra McDonald, John Stamos, and Sean Patrick Thomas round out the cast of this three-hour movie event.

Mark your calendars!

And in an unprecedented turn of events, I'm willing to give Tyler Perry's House of Payne a second chance.

I don't know if it was because I was in need of a good laugh after a stressful day at work or what, but I thoroughly enjoyed the two episodes last night. Dare I say it, but was that a smile I saw finally crack Allen Payne's face? (Perhaps his Botox injections have worn off!) My favorite scene was the firehouse dating game, and Allen displayed more personality in that one sequence than in the entirety of the previous half-dozen or so episodes I've seen. That right there is a definite cause for celebration.

The actors seem more relaxed and comfortable with their characters and with one other. My only (small) complaint was that the topics were a bit heavy-handed last night -- and AIDS episode, followed by one on colon cancer. Every TV show in history has had at least one of these "very special episodes" but seeing two back-to-back was a bit much. But, I think they handled the topics with grace and honesty.

Well, HOP seems well on it's way. Has anyone else been keeping up with it over the past few weeks? Notice any changes -- for good or bad?

Finally, we must bow down to the fabulosity that is Kimora Lee Simmons on her new reality show Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, on the Style Network.



I have always admired Kimora's confidence and drive and now we get an inside look into the secrets of her success. She's not only the CEO of the multi-million dollar Baby Phat fashion empire but a mother to two adorable little mini-me's—Ming Lee and Aoki Lee.

Two episodes into the series (which airs Sundays at 8pm), we’ve seen Kimora (and entourage) shuttle from coast-to-coast several times, plan and shoot her Fall campaign, score a coveted magazine cover, and attend the biggest party of the year – Vanity Fair’s annual post-Oscar bash. It’s not always an easy road to travel – when her photo shoot goes over budget, she tears her marketing director a new one, yet maintains her professional commitment. And even when she’s 4 hours late, as she was to her Source cover shoot, or has to make a last minute dress change for the Oscar party, she’s the epitome of cool under fire. But the best part, for me at least, is to watch Kimora interact with her kids, who obviously love and adore her. Returning home from a late-night photo shoot, she takes the time to read love letters her daughters wrote to her in her absence and eat the cupcakes they so creatively made. She’s an example to women that while it can be a challenge to juggle all the balls on our plate, the rewards are certainly sweet.

Tune in next week as she travels to the Cannes Film Festival and interviews for a new assistant. Watch out Donald Trump, because Kimora makes you seem tame in comparison.