Who Should Replace Joy Behar on "The View"

One of the most popular pop culture questions being asked this week is who should replace Joy Behar on The View.  I most likely won't watch whoever it is since Elizabeth Hasselbeck is a right-wing Stepford wife, Whoopi's "sister act" has grown as tired as she looks, Sherri Springfield is a babbling Jesus freak and Barbara Walters insists on constantly talking about sex which makes me want to run to the bathroom every single time.  But there are a few choices that would shake up the panel enough to make the cat fur fly.

Kathy Griffin--Unless hell freezes over, there is no way the vulgar comedienne extraordinaire will ever be invited to the panel.  But it would be must-see TV to watch Hasselbeck's, Springfield's and Walter's heads spin like Exorcist stunt doubles.  And it may even put a whoopee cushion under Goldberg, who has an Oscar for actually being funny, something you don't see at play on this show at all.

Chelsea Handler--Another late-night choice known for her off-color humor, the reasons she would be a gold-star addition are the same as Griffin's.  However, since it's doubtful the Vodka-hawking star even wakes up before noon, so morning TV is probably not in the cards for her.

Kirstie Alley--A realistic possibility since Alley has an emptier plate than Handler or Griffin, aside from a cable comedy series that won't take that long to film.  Any woman who has thanked her husband at an awards show for his "big one" would be a breath of fresh air, where flatulence jokes, usually thanks to Whoopi, are considered hilarity.  And on Dancing With the Stars, she handled the difficult Maks effortlessly and brought out the Ukrainian dancer's charm.

These are the big three.  Ali (I sleep with George Stephanopoulos) Wentworth and Pretty Baby Brooke Shields are boring and more realistic choices for a show I stopped watching the moment after Rosie O'Donnell and Hasselbeck provided this train wreck of a moment.

Still, the venerable Walters deserves any article mentioning her creative baby to end on a positive note.  See Katherine Hepburn answering perhaps the finest interview question ever,  "If you were a tree, what tree would you be?"  Barbara blames the incident on Hepburn, rather than taking ownership of this fantastic highlight of her long career, showing that her "view" has definitely gotten foggier with age, but what a view it was.

TV Obsession-- The Rachel Zoe (and Rodger Berman) Project

As I'm usually a little late to the party, it's no surprise that I am just now obsessed with The Rachel Zoe Project, which just began it's fifth season on Bravo.  While I have no use for the Kardashians or the billion Housewives haunting the airwaves, Zoe is a fresh, strong feminine heroine with real skills and life smarts.

The first episode detailed Fashion Week in New York City, which is a big deal for fashion designers' careers.  The show keeps the action moving, following Rachel and her fashion team as they get her collection together.  Flowers for the backdrop of the show actually make for decent drama shockingly. 

The key in all of this is Rachel.  She remains an intriguing presence, and not just because she looks like the lovechild of Fergie and Michelle Pfeiffer.  She's stubborn and demanding, yet insecure and needy.  However, she manages all of these sides of her personality with something sorely missing from most reality stars--star-powered charisma. 

Another big draw of this show is that her husband, Rodger Berman, seems to really have her back.  This is on the basis of one episode.  However, they have been married since 1996, so he is doing something right.  They share a sparky chemistry.  And, let's face it, he's hot.

And then there is the kid, Skyler, who Rachel keeps fashionably dressed in Burberry, which results in a cute little bit of banter between Rodger and Zoe.

It's a really strong show with a feminine protagonist I would not mind my daughter watching, if I were ever to procreate.  The world can have their Housewives and Mob Wives and Sister Wives--I'll be watching a woman who is not defined by her relationship with a man, but by her relationship with herself and everyone around her.

Chris Stark and Mila Kunis=Cutest Couple of the Week

We all know that Kunis is dating celebrity douche Ashton Kutcher, the man who broke Demi Moore's heart.  But the actress showed real chemistry with charming British reporter Chris Stark who interviewed her during her junket for the latest Oz ripoff.  Watch it below.  I have seen it about ten times.

Stark basically "Hugh Grants" his way through the entire interview, beguiling the gorgeous star and the world in the process.  And Kunis gets major props for running with it, encouraging the adorably bumbling interview neophyte to keep the conversation off the rails. 

Of the various blogs and stories I have read about this moment in pop culture history, the most interesting was by Vulture.  The article details why Kunis and Jennifer Lawrence are America's new BFFs, while Anne Hathaway is the woman we'd like to see take her Oscar and go away.  The link to that article is below.

http://www.vulture.com/2013/03/mila-kunis-jennifer-lawrence-are-americas-best-friend.html

So, basically it's just a matter of time before we are all making snarky comments about all the things we now love about Kunis and Lawrence, thanks to the ebb and flow of public opinion.  But for now, the two actresses can bask in the stardom due to their girl next door likability.  And in Stark, the Brits have a new journalism star who will hopefully ride that boy next door cuteness as far as it can take him.

"Drop Dead Diva" Back From the Grave and "Army Wives" Mourn One of Their Own

Lifetime redeemed itself a bit this past week by pulling Drop Dead Diva from the ashes and granting the show a fifth season thanks to a little budget cutting.  While there is no word when the new season will air, the show will most definitely be must-watch television when it returns, most likely this summer.

So much on the air is serious drama, police procedurals, reality ridiculousness or edgy comedy.  This dramedy has its share of drama and can pull at the heart strings, but in that great Sleepless in Seattle way.  After all, the premise is pure fluff...hot vacuous model named Deb dies by running her car into a fruit truck and comes back in the body of a smart lawyer named Jane who isn't a size zero. 

But it's this premise that gives the show its heart and soul.  Seeing Deb adjust to life while her ex-fiance and family move on without her provide the biggest moments of impact because of the central conceit--if Jane tells anyone that she is actually Deb, bad things will happen. Although thankfully this rule does not apply to her model best friend and confidante Stacy, the only one besides her guardian angel who knows her secret.

However, it never gets too soul searching--the point is not to solve any giant life problems, but to provide the audience with some cotton candy in a world that can be a carnival of errors.

The cast is game with the biggest name being gay icon, Margaret Cho, who does funny supporting work as Jane's assistant.  The show has attracted a who's who of kitschy celebs including Joan Rivers, Rosie O'Donnell, Paula Abdul, Kim Kardashian, and Brandy.  Plus the men seen below...Jackson Hurst, who plays the object of Jane's affection; Josh Stamberg, who plays her boss; and Ben Feldman, who plays her guardian angel.

I am, of course, saving the show's best asset for last.  Brooke Elliott, who plays the titular heroine, is a marvel.  It would have been easy to play this character too broadly.  But Elliott somehow walks that tightrope of playing up Deb's vapid personality with an effervescent charm and heartbreaking sweetness and strength while proving her crack comic timing time and time again without reducing the character to caricature.  Plus she can sing.  The proof is in the pudding below.

The biggest mystery since the show premiered is why the actress didn't become a bonafide star as a result of the show.  It's not because of her size--witness the heights that funny lady Melissa McCartney is currently climbing in Hollywood.

But I digress.  If Elliott decides to not take on another project, we will always have the lasting joy of this show and her magnetic performance.  Kudos to Lifetime for giving it a chance.

Be sure and catch the revamped Army Wives this weekend.  The promo is below.  Just don't make the mistake of finding out the reason Kim Delaney is leaving the show.  This actress's fall into darkness is heartbreaking and this episode, in which the characters mourn the death of Delaney's Claudia Joy, promises to be a doozy.