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Wednesday, January 11, 2017

A sneak peek at Mariska Hargitay and Co. in Law & Order: SVU‘s 400th episode! (EXCLUSIVE!)

In the fall of 1999, Hurricane Floyd swept through the Southeast, Donald J. Trump announced his run for POTUS—on the Reform Party ticket—and Dick Wolf launched his first Law & Order spin-off,  Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.  Eighteen years later Trump has finally won that coveted job, and SVU is now the third-longest-running, live-action scripted show in television history after its progenitor and Gunsmoke, both tied at 20 seasons. On February 8, the sex crimes procedural will air its 400th episode as it inches closer to Law & Order’s 452. (Gunsmoke’s record 635 episodes seems unbreakable.)

Not bad for a show whose weekly intro touts a focus on “especially heinous sexual crimes” and whose opening reviews ranged from—“gripping hit” to “crimes that will have the cops and viewers holding their stomachs.”

Delicate constitutions aside, SVU’s longevity and continued sturdy ratings—currently NBC’s third-highest rated scripted show—have been propelled by viewer-friendly stand-alone episodes and what Ice T, who’s been playing Det. Fin Tutuola since season 2, cites as “a whodunit format that offers a chance for fans to play detective each week.”

Read the full story on newsstands everywhere now.

Also in this issue:

• Star: Queen Latifah sings the praises of her brazen beauty parlor owner character in Fox’s sassy, sexy new drama.

• Scandal: Season 6 shakes things up with the possibility of a female POTUS and more White House heat. Read here for more on why the creators opted for a premiere schedule bump.

• Six: Meet the military muscle behind History’s new series, about a Navy SEAL squad, starring Justified and Vice Principals star Walton Goggins..

• Beaches: Grab a hankie (or two!) The 1988 Bette Midler film gets a reboot courtesy of Lifetime, starring Nia Long and Idina Menzel.

• Plus: Timeless meets Harry Houdini, Mercy Street, Grey’s Anatomy‘s Jessica Capshaw, Suits re-tailors its focus, Lily Tomlin looks back on her storied career in a new guest column, Matt Roush on the late Carrie Fisher and M*A*S*H star William Christopher, TCM remembers Debbie Reynolds, and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.

On newsstands December 29, 2016

Arnold Schwarzenegger takes over as host of The New Celebrity Apprentice

Wanted: head honcho for The New Celebrity Apprentice. Candidate must be larger than life. (Political experience a plus.)

As far as job vacancies go, the one at NBC’s reality competition—created when longtime host Donald Trump stepped away in order to begin his successful bid for the presidency—is pretty tricky to fill. So it’s a good thing that Arnold Schwarzenegger just happened to be available.

The hulking Austrian import’s colorful résumé already includes stints as a professional bodybuilder, headliner of blockbuster films like the Terminator franchise and, of course, his 2003–2010 tenure as governor of California. And now the 69-year-old will flex his muscles in a starring role on TV for the first time, calling the shots while 16 famous contestants battle it out to raise money for charity. (Although Trump will retain his executive producer title—and financial stake—he recently tweeted that he will devote “zero time” to the series moving forward.) Schwarzenegger reveals how he’ll put his own stamp on the boardroom—and what he really thinks about his polarizing predecessor.

Also in this issue: Winter Preview! 54 Shows!

• January: Our reports on all the new shows and returning favorites you’ll want to cuddle up indoors for, including Homeland, The Young Pope (starring Jude Law and Diane Keaton), scoop on the final season of Bones, Josh Holloway talks the return of USA’s Colony, and Norman Lear readies a modern take on One Day at a Time for Netflix

• February: Taken premieres on NBC, Damian Lewis on Showtime’s dollars-and-sense drama Billions, everything you need to know about the reboot of 24. Plus: what’s on tap for the Spring

• Plus: Matt Roush pays tribute to late Growing Pains star Alan Thicke, first looks at Sneaky Pete, The Fosters, Scorpion and Black Sails, Top Chef, guest columnist Gayle King on Why TV Morning Shows Matter and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.