Popular TV series have run out of episodes

Posted in News, TV on Jan 25th, 2008 | 0 comments

20 TV show casualties
These popular TV series have run out of episodes, thanks to the writers’ strike.

We knew it would come to this. Thanks to the strike, no new episodes are being produced, and more and more of our favorite shows have run dry. Click through this slideshow for the up-to-the-moment tally of popular series that have met their strike-induced end and see where the stories left off. ~ By Lizbeth Scordo

When we left “CSI” on January 10th, Grissom had taken a break from the glitz of the Vegas strip, and was investigating the death of a bull-riding rodeo performer, his prostitute ex-girlfriend, and her pimp. Despite the complicated case, the gang was able to solve the murders in the end… even without the help of Sara, whose character was written off in November after actress Jorja Fox left the show. CBS/Robert Voets

The last new episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” was about as drama-packed as they come. Meredith finally started warming to sis Lexie and even showed it by making her breakfast (which Lexie was actually allergic to, but that’s another story). Derek told nurse Rose that the kiss meant nothing, and then freaked Meredith out by showing her plans of the future “dream house” he wants them to build. Dr. Bailey’s son needed emergency surgery after a bookcase fell on him, and George’s Mom showed up with baby clothes for George and Callie’s future kid… and then promptly put them away and reamed George when Izzie accidentally spilled the beans about her affair with George. Now just try to remember all that until the next new episode airs! ABC/Bob D’Amico

We knew it wouldn’t last, but we were still thrilled to see Edie Falco’s character, the liberal Congresswoman C.C., stick around as Jack’s unlikely love interest for much of this season. On the last new “30 Rock” that aired on January 10th, despite Jack and C.C. giving their all to their long-distance romance by meeting halfway between New York and Washington in a rural Pennsylvania town (and even symbolically throwing their cell phones in a lake), they just couldn’t make it work. Sayonara, Mrs. Soprano! NBC/Mary Ellen Mathew

 

On the last new episode of “CSI Miami” to air on January 14th, Kyle’s mother, Julia, suddenly popped into Horatio’s life when the CSI investigated the death of her dead billionaire husband. When it was time for Kyle to face his day in court for the kidnapping of Kathleen Newberry, the case was thrown out after Kathleen didn’t show up for court. It turns out Kathleen was bound, gagged and thrown in the water and Horatio is convinced that Julia had something to do with this latest crime which, coincidentally, kept her son out of jail. CBS/Andrew MacPherson

 

‘Law & Order: SVU’ had babies on the brain on January 22nd when Benson and Stabler investigated the theft of 100 embryos and fertilized eggs from a sperm bank. The case really hit home with Benson after a fertility specialist explained that the eggs were worth a lot because so many women are putting motherhood on hold for their careers and having trouble conceiving later in life. Later, Benson admitted to a woman whose embryo was stolen that she too wanted kids someday. Might we see some baby Bensons soon? NBC/Mitchell Haaseth

On January 23rd’s last new episode of “Criminal Minds” the contents of a self-storage unit revealed the chilling early signs of a serial killer, prompting Hotchner and the team to profile the items left behind and track down the suspect… before he began killing innocent people. CBS/Monty Brinton

 

Lindsay finally started getting over the harsh reality that her ex-husband, Tom, is moving on and marrying someone else on the last episode to air on January 4th. But just as she was about to jump back into the dating scene, she was warned she could be in serious danger, which took her mind off of romance. And, of course, the ladies of the “Women’s Murder Club” stayed busy as they investigated the brutal murder by decapitation of a local wine broker. ABC/Andrew Southam

 

The “NCIS” team investigated their last case on January 15th when a Muslim member of the U.S. Marines suspected of terrorist recruitment was found dead near a mosque. As Special Agent Gibbs and the gang tried to figure out whether or not the Marine had ties to terrorism, their search quickly hit a speed bump when Ducky refused to perform an autopsy on the victim in order to honor his family’s religious beliefs. CBS/Darren Michaels

 

“Without a Trace” will live up to its name now that the last new episode aired on January 17th, when the FBI’s New York Missing Person’s Squad investigated the case of a woman who went missing while working in a veterans’ hospital. The team’s detective work led them in two directions — first to the victim’s connection to a radical anti-war group, and then to her Vietnam vet father. CBS/Monty Brinton

 

When we left “My Name is Earl” on January 10th, the gang was celebrating Earl’s release from prison, but Earl was having second thoughts about his do-gooding, since it doesn’t seem to have done him much good. When Earl finds that Ralph is living the good life masquerading as the widow Doris’ dead husband, he throws the list away in frustration. Then, after a bizarre series of events including Earl’s quick stint as a stripper and his accidentally tipping over Joy and Darnell’s trailer, Earl is hit by a car by Billie, a girl he has the hots for. After she’s hit by another car and ends up lying in the street next to Earl, one thing becomes clear. Karma’s back! NBC/Mitchell Haaseth

 

“Desperate Housewives’” Wisteria Lane was tornado-free by the time the last episode blew through on January 6th. After a big scare Tom and the kids were rescued from the rubble safe and sound. Karen was devastated to find out, however, that her friend Ida died… but helped save the Scavo kids first. After a head injury landed Carlos in the hospital Gaby told him she still wanted to marry him even without the money. But turns out Carlos is keeping a secret from her… the accident caused him to go blind. ABC/Andrew Eccles

 

On December 3rd’s last new episode of “Heroes,” Peter’s Odessa reunion with Nathan became violent when Adam (and his pursuit of the deadly Shanti Virus) caused a clash between the brothers, Matt and Hiro. After witnessing the kidnapping of his heroic cousin by a street gang, Micah looked for help from the one person he knew could help save Monica -– his mom. Meanwhile, Elle played hero to get back on her father’s good side, but it took a tragedy to prove to Maya what a monster Sylar actually is. And it looks like two heroes might not be with us whenever new episodes return.NBC/Mitchell Haaseth

 

When we left “The Office” way back on November 15, Jan had sued Dunder Mifflin for wrongful termination and brought Michael to arbitration as a witness. But when it became clear that Jan never had much respect for Michael, the devoted regional manager sided with the company and their relationship bit the dust. On a more romantic note, Jim and Pam are still lucky in love… and we hope they still will be by the time the show comes back! NBC/Mitchell Haaseth

 

“Gossip Girl’s” last episode on January 9th certainly lived up to its name after the episode began with Serena buying a pregnancy test. Though she was picking it up as a favor for Blair, rumors swirled that Serena herself might be preggers. As Blair wondered who the father might be, Nate flipped out after he found out about Blair’s tryst with Chuck, and Chuck began blackmailing Blair. Luckily, Blair found out there’d be no baby on the horizon, and we viewers were left waiting for our next installment of juicy Upper East Side gossip. The CW/Timothy White

 

As “Two and a Half Men” wound down, mom Evelyn had gotten engaged to Teddy, and Charlie quickly jumped into bed with his future stepsister — against Teddy’s wishes. When we last left the Harper Brothers on November 19th, Alan got revenge on Charlie for stealing his girlfriend… back in high school. Hey, stealing is stealing, right? CBS/Cliff Lipson

 

When “Pushing Daisies” last aired on December 12th, Chuck learned Ned’s big secret… and didn’t take it well, refusing to forgive him. Emerson tried to get Ned’s mind off his lady love by throwing him into a case, but Ned still couldn’t stop thinking about Chuck. Will she get over it and come back to him? We’re dying to know! And how about the revelation that Lily is Chuck’s mom? Wow! ABC/Justin Stephens

 

We left the Oceanside Wellness Center in relationship chaos during the last new episode of “Private Practice” on December 5th. On-again/off-again couple Sam and Naomi tried to figure out where their relationship was headed, Addison wasn’t sure about how to handle the world of dating, and Cooper was in the midst of a secret affair with the St. Ambrose chief of staff, Dr. Charlotte King. ABC/Eric Ogden

 

As Ted anticipated a hot date with the doctor who was going to remove his tattoo on the last new episode of “How I Met Your Mother” on December 10th, the gang quickly started raining on his parade with warnings about why you should NEVER date anyone you see on a regular basis. Not surprisingly, Robin, Marshall and Lily each had plenty of examples to serve as warnings about what happens when you break “The Platinum Rule.” CBS

 

Jaime got to take a vacation to a spa resort with her sister Becca during the last new episode of “Bionic Woman” on November 28, but the trip turned into more business than pleasure when Jonas ordered her to provide an assassin staying at the hotel with information on his hit… not easy when she’s trying to keep her spying ways a secret from her little sis. After a weekend of murder, adventure and deceit, Jaime came close to confessing to Becca, but didn’t. NBC/Mitchell Haaseth

 

Koothrappali was nervous after his parents set him up on a blind date on November 12th’s last new episode of “The Big Bang Theory,” but after a couple of drinks he realized he CAN actually talk to the opposite sex. The story took a turn, however, when he realized his date was actually more interested in Sheldon. Poor Rajesh! CBS/Monty Brinton

Jessica Szohr Photos and Biography

Posted in Celebrities, TV on Jan 16th, 2008 | 0 comments

Jessica Karen Szohr, born March 31, 1985 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a Kohl’s Department Store model and is now an actress for the CW’s Gossip Girl, where her role is Vanessa Abrams. Jessica is 5′5 and graduated from Menomonee Falls High School in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Jessica has had appearances in many TV shows including Somebody Help Me, CSI: Miami, Gossip Girl, What About Brian, House at the End of the Drive, The Reading Room, That’s So Raven, Joan of Arcadia, Drake & Josh, What I Like About You, Uncle Nino, and My Wife And Kids.

Graduated from Menomonee Falls High School, located in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. The oldest of six children, Jessica Szohr enjoys reading poetry and writing down memorable quotes. Jessica Szohr lives in the Los Angeles area with her French bulldog. Height: 5′ 5″ (1.65 m). Measurements are 32B-25-32.

Jessica did print modeling for Kohl’s Department Store during high school. Jessica has modeled for Mountain Dew. She was in a Sears commercial, a “Got Milk?” ad. She has also done Quaker Oats, Jockey, JanSport and was featured in a full-page ad in Seventeen magazine for Claire’s Boutiques. 

At a young age of 5, Jessica started doing print work then moved on to commercials. Jess is half Hungarian, a fourth African-American and a fourth Caucasian. Jessica graduated a semester earlier so she could continue her acting career in Los Angeles.  In 2003, Jessica played an MC in the movie Uncle Nino. Jessica in 2006 worked on the production of the movie Somebody Help Me as Nicole. Jessica appeared in the movie House at the End of the Drive in 2006 as Krista.

Brooke Shields and Lipstick Jungle

Posted in Celebrities, TV on Jan 16th, 2008 | 0 comments

Brooke Christa Camille Shields is an American actress and supermodel. From teen icon to sitcom stardom to postpartum depression, Brooke Shields is no stranger to the limelight. Not even a public spat with Tom Cruise got between her and her fans. Now she fares in NBC’s “Lipstick Jungle,” the other “Sex and the City”-inspired series to air this season.

Through the connections of her manager mother, a former model, Brooke Shields landed her first professional modeling job before her first birthday when she was selected to pose for advertisements for Ivory Snow photographed by Francesco Scavullo. Within two years, the toddler was a pro on the runways as well and was later featured as a Breck girl and in Colgate commercials shot by Richard Avedon.

With her thick eyebrows, sensual pouty lips, lustrous hair and bright eyes, Shields projected the image of a Lolita while off-screen she was a conservative Catholic girl. When Louis Malle tapped her for the title role of a child prostitute in “Pretty Baby” (1978), a drama loosely inspired by the life of photographer E.J. Bellocq, she became embroiled in controversy, partly over the overt sensuality of her role and partly for her somewhat innocent nude scenes (such as a shot of the actress emerging from a bathtub).

Shields’ career as a model began in the late 1960s as an infant, and she continued as a successful child model throughout the 1970s. In early 1980 (at age 14), Shields was the youngest fashion model to ever appear on the cover of the top fashion publication Vogue magazine. Later that same year (at age 15), Shields appeared in controversial print and TV ads for Calvin Klein jeans. The TV ad included her saying the famous tagline, “Do you wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

Shields attempted to demonstrate a more wholesome persona co-starring with George Burns in “Just You and Me, Kid” (1979) and featured appearances in numerous TV variety specials headlined by veteran comic Bob Hope. Yet she reverted to teen vamp for the 1980 remake of “The Blue Lagoon” and Franco Zefferelli’s overwrought adaptation of “Endless Love” (1981).

By the time she enrolled at Princeton in 1983, Shields was considered more of a personality than an actress and the few movies she made during her college years (e.g., “Sahara” 1984; “Brenda Starr” filmed in 1986 but released in 1989) merely confirmed that opinion. (It also didn’t help that her beauty and modeling work had landed her on the cover of TIME magazine as “the face of the 80s”.) She was equally famous for a chapter in a 1984 book she penned (“On Your Own”) in which she extolled the virtues of remaining a virgin.

As the 1990s rolled around, Shields worked hard to dispel those images. She effectively portrayed a stalking victim in the 1993 CBS movie “I Can Make You Love Me: The Stalking of Laura Black” and surprised many with her Broadway musical debut as bad girl Betty Rizzo in a revival of “Grease” in 1995. A well-received guest turn as a rabid soap opera fan on a two-part episode of “Friends” awoke many to her capabilities as a light comedienne and Shields soon was fielding offers for sitcoms. She opted to portray a San Franciscan journalist coping as a single woman in the NBC series “Suddenly Susan” (1996-2000). While the sitcom had a promising beginning, it quickly deteriorated into banality becoming the butt of jokes and critical derision.

The actress was unstoppable, though, and during each hiatus squeezed in at least one feature. Shields offered a nice turn as a snooty socialite at first willing to marry Chris O’Donnell until she learns of the terms in “The Bachelor” (1999). She also offered a strong turn as a documentary filmmaker following a group of white urban kids enthralled by hip-hop culture in James Toback’s messy and uneven “Black and White” (also 1999).

In “The Weekend” (filmed in 1998 but released in 2000), she was cast as a daughter who constantly disappoints her critical mother (Gena Rowlands) while the 2001 Lifetime TV movie “What Makes a Family” offered her a juicy role as a lesbian single parent.

Shields was next seen in a pair of miniseries: “Widows” (ABC, 2002) as the low-rent actress Shirley, one of the widows of three men killed while trying to steal a famous painting who join forces to find their husband’s killers and finish off the job of stealing the painting; and “Gone But Not Forgotten” (2004), as a female lawyer who defends a mogul accused of being a serial killer. She also enjoyed a recurring role as the vain Pamela Burkhart, mother of Mila Kunis’ character Jackie on the popular Fox sitcom “That 70s Show” beginning in 2004.

In 2005, Shields released her memoir Down Came the Rain, which chronicled her struggles with post-partum depression, including becoming dependant on anti-depressant Paxil, following the birth of her daughter Rowan in 2003.

The sparked an odd public war of words with her one-time “Endless Love” costar Tom Cruise, who in an interview with “Access Hollywood” denounced Shields’ use of medication–in line with the teachings of the Church of Scientology, he suggested that “vitamins” would have been a sufficient cure–and took a swipe at the state of her career. Shields fired back, calling his comments “dangerous” and suggested that people shouldn’t take advice from someone who devotes his life to a worship of aliens.

The actress also had a string of successful stints on stage, beginning with her off-Broadway debut performance as Suzanne in “The Eden Cinema” in 1986. Later in her career, she wowed skeptical crticis with her replacement stint as Rizzo in the revival of “Grease” in 1995.

Following a 2001 Los Angeles performance in the “Vagina Monologues” Shields was tapped to play Sally Bowls in “Cabaret” with Broadway’s Roundabout Theatre Company that same year.

In 2003 Shields appeared, while pregnant, in the off-Broadway production of “The Exonerated”, a piece based on interviews with death row inmates. She next starred as Ruth Sherwood in the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of “Wonderful Town” at the Martin Beck Theatre in 2004 and made her London stage debut playing Roxie Hart in the West End production of “Chicago” in 2005, then returning to Broadway in the same later that year.

Personal life: Shields was born in New York City into a well-known American society family with links to Italian nobility. She was delivered by the New Jersey obstetrician, Dr. Frederick A. Small. Her father was Francis Alexander Shields, and her mother was Teri Shields (né Maria Theresia Schmonn). Shields adopted her middle name, Camille, for her Confirmation at age 10.

Shields’ parents divorced when she was a child, and her father later married Diana Lippert Auchincloss, the former wife of Thomas Gore Auchincloss (a half-brother of Gore Vidal and a stepsister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis). The actress has three half-sisters: Marina (who married Thomas William Purcell), Olympia, and Christiana Shields. She also has two stepsiblings, Diana Luise Auchincloss and Thomas Gore Auchincloss Jr. She attended an all-girl school, Lenox, and graduated there at the end of high school.

Her paternal grandparents were Francis Xavier Shields, a tennis star of Irish descent, and his second wife, the Italian princess Donna Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi, a half-Italian, half-American socialite who was a sister of Don Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince di Civitella-Cesi, the husband of Infanta Beatriz of Spain (an aunt of King Juan Carlos I of Spain). Shields is a second cousin once removed of the actress Glenn Close. Shields’s great-grandmother Mary Elsie Moore (wife of Don Marino Torlonia, 4th Prince di Civitella-Cesi) was Close’s great-aunt, a sister of Close’s maternal grandfather, Charles Arthur Moore.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Shields’ romantic relationships were the subject of many tabloid articles. Among the celebrities she dated were Ted McGinley (her high school prom escort), Dean Cain (her Princeton roommate and the first man with whom she had sex, according to an article published by the Associated Press), John F. Kennedy Jr., Michael Bolton, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Michael Jackson (his date to the 1984 Grammy Awards).

Shields was married from April 19, 1997, to April 9, 1999, to professional tennis player Andre Agassi; their marriage was annulled. Since April 4, 2001, she has been married to television writer Chris Henchy. They have two daughters: Rowan Francis (b. May 15, 2003) and Grier Hammond (b. April 18, 2006). Coincidentally, Shields’ second child was born on the same day and in the same hospital (Saint John’s Health Center) as the first child of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, Suri.

Honorary Ambassador of Peace for the Harvey Ball Foundation along with Jackie Chan, A. V. T. Shankardass, Jerry Lewis, Prince Albert of Monaco, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Phil Collins, Jimmy Buffett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Heather Mills, Yoko Ono, Patch Adams, Sergei Khrushchev and Winnie Mandela.

Postpartum depression: In the spring of 2005, Shields spoke to magazines (such as the Guideposts shown here) and appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to publicize her battle with postpartum depression, an experience that included depression, thoughts of suicide, an inability to respond to her baby’s needs, and delayed maternal bonding.

The illness may have been triggered by a traumatic childbirth, the death of her father three weeks earlier, stress from in vitro fertilization, a miscarriage, and a family history of depression, as well as the hormones and life changes brought on by childbirth. Her book, Down Came the Rain, discusses her experience.

In May 2005, Tom Cruise, a Scientologist whose religion frowns upon psychiatry, condemned Shields both personally and professionally, particularly for both using and speaking in favor of the antidepressant drug Paxil. As Cruise said, “Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman, you look at [and think], where has her career gone?” Shields responded that Cruise’s statements about anti-depressants were “irresponsible” and “dangerous.” She said he should “stick to fighting aliens”, (a reference to Cruise’s starring role in War of the Worlds as well as some of the more exotic aspects of Scientology doctrine and teachings), “and let mothers decide the best way to treat postpartum depression.”

The actress responded to a further attack by Cruise in an essay War of Words published in The New York Times on July 1, 2005, in which she made an individual case for the medication and said, “In a strange way, it was comforting to me when my obstetrician told me that my feelings of extreme despair and my suicidal thoughts were directly tied to a biochemical shift in my body. Once we admit that postpartum is a serious medical condition, then the treatment becomes more available and socially acceptable. With a doctor’s care, I have since tapered off the medication, but without it, I wouldn’t have become the loving parent I am today.”

On Thursday, August 31, 2006, according to USAToday.com, Cruise privately apologized to Shields for the incident, and Shields accepted, saying it was “heartfelt”. Three months later, she and her husband attended the wedding of Cruise and Katie Holmes in November 2006.

Since writing her book, Shields has guest-starred on shows like FX’s Nip/Tuck and CBS’ Two and a Half Men. In 2007 she made a guest appearance on Disney’s Hannah Montana playing Miley/Hannah’s mother.

Tyson Beckford Make Me a Supermodel

Posted in Actors, TV on Jan 16th, 2008 | 0 comments

Tyson Craig Beckford (born December 19, 1970 in Bronx, New York) is a Jamaican American male supermodel and actor, best known as a Ralph Lauren model. With “Make Me a Supermodel,” Bravo is looking to repeat the success of its other supermodel-hosted reality series, “Project Runway.” Does one-time catwalk star Beckford have the chops to outperform “Runway” host Heidi Klum? If anyone can make it work, it’s Tyson.

Both of Beckford’s parents are Jamaican. His paternal grandmother is ethnically Chinese. Growing up in Rochester, New York, he attended Bay Trail Middle School in the suburbs of Penfield, NY and then Pittsford Mendon High School in the affluent suburb of Pittsford as a participant in the Urban-Suburban Program, a busing program designed to give educational opportunities to urban youth in the city’s surrounding suburban school districts.

Tyson was a member of his high school football and track teams. In 1991, he was recruited to hip hop magazine The Source by a talent scout who had come across him by chance in a New York park. In 1993, Beckford was recruited by Ralph Lauren as the front model for the company’s Polo line of male sportswear. Beckford was named “Man of the Year” in 1995 by the cable television music channel VH1, as well as one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine.

Born on Dec. 19, 1970 in The Bronx, NY, model and reality personality Tyson Beckford rose to prominence as a preeminent face for high-end clothier Ralph Lauren and went on to become the first African-American male supermodel. Beckford moved with his family to Jamaica early in life and lived there until he was seven.

Back in upstate New York, he attended top-ranked Pittsford Mendon High School in an affluent suburb of Pittsford, thanks to his participation in a busing program that brought youths from urban areas to suburban schools. In the summer of 1993, he was discovered at random in Washington Square Park in Manhattan by an editor for The Source, a hip-hop magazine that gave Beckford his first modeling gig. Convinced he had found his career path, Beckford landed an agent and began modeling for Ralph Lauren, leading him to appear in print ads, on television and at various fashion events around the world. In 1995, he was named “Man of the Year” by VH1 and one of the “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” by People magazine.

Beckford expanded his modeling horizons, appearing in GQ, Vogue and Essence before making the shift to a film and television career. He made his feature debut with a cameo as himself in the Ben Stiller comedy “Zoolander” (2001), before scoring a more substantial supporting role in the low-budget thriller “Pandora’s Box” (2002). On the television side, he served as a correspondent on the syndicated magazine show “Source All Access TV” (2000-01), then landed guest spots on “Half & Half” (UPN, 2002-06) and “My Wife and Kids” (ABC, 2000-05).

After making an early exit from “I’m a Celebrity – Get Me Out of Here!” (ABC, 2002-03), a short-lived reality competition pitting a group of celebs against each other in an Australian rain forest, Beckford returned to film with noticeable roles in “Biker Boyz” (2003) and “Into the Blue” (2005). In June 2005, Beckford crashed his Dodge Ram into a utility pole in New Jersey, causing the vehicle to be consumed in flames.

He was treated for head trauma and cuts, then appeared on “Oprah” to discuss his near-fatal experience. Meanwhile, Beckford shared hosting duties with fashion model Niki Taylor on “Make Me a Supermodel” (Bravo, 2007- ), a reality competition with seven men and seven women living together in a Manhattan loft while trying to win a $100,000 modeling agency contract.

In June 2005, Beckford was injured in a car accident near his home. His vehicle caught fire, and Beckford was able to pull himself out before it became fully engulfed in flames. The accident had a profound effect on his spirituality, which he later revealed on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Beckford has been a resident of The New Jersey communities of Edgewater and West New York. He is currently co-hosting the reality series “Make Me a Supermodel” on the television channel Bravo with fellow supermodel Niki Taylor.

Bret Michaels new Photos and Biography

Posted in Singers, TV on Jan 16th, 2008 | 1 comment

The glam metal wunderkind may have been dumped by Jes, the winner of the first season of his reality love-search, “Rock of Love,” A huge number of ladies are hitting the Web for more of his eye-linered mug. Bret Michael Sychak, also known as Bret Michaels, (born March 15, 1963 in Butler, Pennsylvania) is best known as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison and starred in the reality show Rock of Love with Bret Michaels on VH1.

Born on Mar. 15, 1963 in Butler, PA, glam rock front man and eventual reality television personality Bret Michaels set his sights on a music career at a young age. After his family relocated from Butler to Mechanicsburg, Michaels performed in a few bands before forming Paris in 1984. The band moved from Harrisburg to Los Angeles, CA, renaming themselves Poison after hearing a group of angry parents protesting that rock music was poisoning their children.

They toured the local club scene, gaining a large following, thanks to raucous live performances fueled by their hard-partying reputation. The heavily made-up band – complete with lipstick and eyeshadow – signed a recording deal with Enigma Records in 1986 and released their debut album Look What the Cat Dragged In, which featured their first hit “Talk Dirty to Me.” The record went on to sell over two million copies. Their next effort, Open Up and Say…Ahh! propelled Michaels and the band into the limelight, thanks to their most recognized hit, the ballad “Every Rose Has its Thorn.” By the end of the 1980s, Poison had become a top-selling band featured heavily in MTV’s video rotation.

Michaels formed the band Paris in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1984. The band, which later became Poison, moved to Los Angeles in 1984 to begin touring the clubs there. The song “Go That Far” appears in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Bret Michaels also makes an appearance as the lead singer for this song and “Talk Dirty to Me” by Poison in the same game, re-recording the vocals for the in-game cover of the second-mentioned song.

In 2003 Michaels released the solo album Songs Of Life. He also served as a judge during the 2005 season of reality television singing competition Nashville Star, and released a country rock album in the same year called Freedom Of Sound.

Despite the band’s success, the situation behind the scenes began to deteriorate. Michaels and lead guitarist C.C. DeVille came to blows backstage during the 1991 “MTV Video Music Awards” because of the latter’s obviously bad onstage performance, a result of his cocaine and alcohol problems. The band replaced DeVille with two other guitarists of little consequence and soldiered on, though they never duplicated their previous success. While recording their sixth album, Crack A Smile, Michaels suffered multiple injuries – several broken bones and missing teeth – after he crashed his Ferrari into a telephone pole in Burbank in 1994. The near-fatal collision put the album on hold until 1996, and then went on to only sell a million copies worldwide. By then, the band’s decline was in full evidence.

Meanwhile, Michaels ventured into other avenues, notably filmmaking. He joined actor Charlie Sheen to make “A Letter From Death Row” (1998), writing, directing and starring in the low-budget thriller about an innocent man writing about his life on death row. Michaels directed Sheen again in the made-for-TV movie “No Code of Conduct” (USA Network, 1998), a crime thriller about two undercover cops trying to crack a Phoenix drug ring while battling the city’s crooked politicians.

Michaels continued to work with Poison, finally going on tour in 1999 to support the band’s Greatest Hits album, a tour that featured a rejuvenated DeVille. The band enhanced its newfound popularity after taking part in an episode of VH1’s “Behind the Music” (1997-2006), which highlighted their well-known partying lifestyle. After a successful reunion tour, Poison hit the skids again with Hollyweird, a mess of an album that was panned by fans and critics alike. Meanwhile, Michaels made more headlines, thanks to a sex tape with Pamela Anderson that made the Internet and DVD rounds before he successfully stopped continued distribution.

Taking another path, in 2007, Michaels became the latest celebrity to land a reality show, starring in “Rock of Love With Bret Michaels” (VH1, 2007- ), a “Bachelor”-esque style competition for the big-haired crowd, that pitted a group of female suitors against each other in a series of challenges – including an album photo cover shoot and a phone sex competition – that ultimately determined which one could keep up with Michaels’ notorious lifestyle. Michaels picked the eventual winner, Jes, from two finalists, but she obviously felt otherwise and said he had better chemistry with runner-up Heather. The show was renewed for a second season that aired in January 2008.

Michaels and actor Charlie Sheen established a film production company, Sheen/Michaels Entertainment, which produced the movie A Letter From Death Row (1998) which Michaels wrote, directed and starred in, as well as releasing a soundtrack album. They also produced No Code Of Conduct in the same year. Their company also produced the feature film Free Money, starring Marlon Brando and Mira Sorvino.

Michaels appeared in an episode of the CBS sitcom Yes, Dear. The cable-TV network VH1 announced on February 14, 2007 that Michaels would star as the bachelor in the reality television dating-competition series Rock of Love With Bret Michaels.

Jes was the winner of the series; however, she announced during the reunion show that she and Michaels were not right for each other and he should have chosen the runner up, Heather. Michaels is also the star in the second season of Rock of Love, which premiered on January 13, 2008. Bret Michaels also did the motion capture for the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock lead singer.

Michaels has suffered from Type 1 diabetes since the age of six (as Michaels later attested in the Behind the Music special, backstage photos of the singer injecting insulin led many to think that he was a heroin addict). As a child, his family relocated to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg. He attended Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School and was interested in music from an early age.

Michaels was associated with singer Susie Hatton during the early 1990s. He has two daughters with Kristi Lynn Gibson. Raine Elizabeth Sychak was born on May 20, 2000, and Jorja Bleu Sychak was born May 5, 2005. As of 2007, Michaels and Gibson are separated and share custody of their children.

Michaels had a short but notorious relationship with Pamela Anderson. An explicit sex tape the couple made appeared on the Internet and it was released as a DVD on September 7, 2005 by Metro Studios. Michaels later stopped the sexually explicit tape from continued distribution, though it is still widely available on the internet.

Michaels is a Pittsburgh Steelers football fan. He has a personalized guitar bearing the team’s logo, and played the national anthem at Three Rivers Stadium. His favorite player was Jack Lambert, and Michaels has been a member of fan club “Lambert’s Lunatics.” In 2007, Michaels was part of a USO tour through Kuwait and Iraq.