Celebrity Extra: Betty Gilpin
By Dana Jackson
Q: I saw that Betty Gilpin has a new show. Whatever happened to the one on Netflix where she played a wrestler? Did it get canceled? -H.E.
A: "GLOW," starring Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin as two friends who become professional women wrestlers in order to pay the bills, was one of those shows canceled too soon. It lasted for three seasons on Netflix and was renewed for a fourth, which was ultimately canceled before filming, reportedly due to COVID restrictions.
The premise is based on the syndicated show "Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling," aka "GLOW," which aired on cable TV in the 1980s. It was a combination of athletic wrestling and over-the-top comedic characters. Netflix's "GLOW" received high praise from critics and the professional wrestling community.
Gilpin's newest project is headlining her own series -"Mrs. Davis," on the Peacock streaming app. It's a sci-fi drama with an unusual plot about a nun who takes on a powerful form of artificial intelligence, in what Peacock is billing as "an exploration of faith versus technology." The series' first four episodes became available on April 20, followed by new episodes every Thursday.
Betty Gilpin ("GLOW" and "Mrs. Davis"). Photo Credit: Courtesy of Peacock
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Q: What was the name of the 1970s sitcom about a waitress who dated a doctor? I remember it starred the actor from the movie "Airplane!" It's one of my earliest TV memories as a kid, but I've never seen it in reruns. -N.M.
A: You're thinking of "Angie," which ran for two seasons on ABC from 1979 to 1980. It was produced by Garry Marshall ("Happy Days") and starred Donna Pescow and Robert Hays as a coffee shop waitress and pediatrician who fall in love. Future "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Doris Roberts played Angie's mother.
Before getting her own show, Pescow was best known for playing Annette in "Saturday Night Fever" and later for her daytime soap roles on "All My Children" and "General Hospital." Her most recent credit is an episode of Hulu's "Welcome to Chippendales."
Actor Robert Hays is now 75 years old and has had a long career in Hollywood. His first movie role was the hilarious classic "Airplane!" in 1980, but prior to that, he guest-starred on multiple primetime shows before landing "Angie." His last role in a major production was playing Capt. Bob Wilson in the TV movie "Sharknado 2: The Second One," in 2014.
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Q: Is Trisha Yearwood going to record a new album anytime soon? I love her cooking show, but miss her as a singer. -W.W.
A: Country singer Trisha Yearwood's last studio album was "Every Girl" in 2019. It included collaborations with her husband -singer Garth Brooks -and Kelly Clarkson. Yearwood decided to pursue her other passion, cooking, a decade ago with her own series,"Trisha's Southern Kitchen," on the Food Network, which won a Daytime Emmy Award a year later.
Yearwood's next solo project remains up in the air, but she will be one of the featured singers on her husband's upcoming album "Duets" later this year.
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(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.