Walk of Fame

CSI: Miami - Sunday October 24, 10PM ET/PT, A/CBS

The man who killed Horatio's mysterious wife escapes from prison and the entire team is tasked to figure out what he's after (besides freedom from the slammer, I guess) and to stop him before he strikes again. Listen, I've watched enough 'CSI' in my life to know what this guy wants -- he wants to finish the job on the Caine family and put Horatio six feet under, and of course in the end Horatio will outsmart him and deliver some crushingly awful line as the killer is being led back behind bars (or maybe H shoots him?) But either way, I weep for the missed opportunity to kill off Horatio and start fresh with this show.

There's something sweet about birthday reunion celebration, and on Friday, November 13 -- defying all superstitions about Friday the 13th -- The People's Court will honor the original judge, Judge Wapner, on the show. Judge Marilyn Milian will move aside and the distinguished, no-nonsense Wapner will pick up the gavel one more time. Will Dustin Hoffman make a guest appearance? Gosh, I hope so.

Actually, it's Judge Wapner 90th birthday and he's getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (on November 12), so it just seemed appropriate to bring it full circle.

There's not a lot of information just yet, but apparently Barbara Walters will be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame on June 14. Of course, I don't know how much information you really need: she's getting a star, end of story.

But why Barbara Walters? According to IMDb she appeared on an episode of Maude, but I'm not sure that really qualifies her to be on the walk of fame. Though I suppose she is famous in her own right, even if it is for her work in news and daytime yakfests.

For 2007, it looks as though the Hollywood Walk of Fame is going retro! This year's recipients in television have been busting their chops for decades. Former C.H.i.P.S star (and current reality television fodder) Erik Estrada is getting one. So are Jerry Stiller, Kiefer Sutherland, Barbara Walters, and Law & Order creator Dick Wolf. There were more than 200 nominees (also in movies, recording & theater) and the committee in charge of Hollywood immortality chose 23 stars.

Other recipients include P. Diddy (or whatever they're calling him now), Matt Damon, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Pfeiffer, Shania Twain, Lily Tomlin, and Crystal Gayle. The full list is here.

Well, I mentioned it back in October, but in case you forgot, game show host Wink Martindale (who can be seen these days in commercials for Orbitz) recently got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Martindale, who's real first name is Winston, has hosted about fifteen game shows in his lifetime. Having grown up in the 80s, I mostly remember him as the host of The New Tic Tac Dough. His other game shows included High Rollers, Trivial Pursuit, and Gambit. Martindale got his start in radio as a young man in Tennessee, and can still be heard today, hosting the syndicated program "Music of Your Life." So congrats, Wink, you deserve the recognition, and you also have one of the best game show host names ever.

I can't believe Vanna White didn't already have a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. I mean, her star power used to be pretty strong back there in the 1980s when she got to do that goddess movie. Now, all of a sudden, she gets a star? Even Pooh got one before her.

Vanna White by the Numbers:

• Vanna began turning letters on Wheel of Fortune in 1982;
• Her star is the 2,309th in Hollywood;
• Vanna is 49.

Winnie the Pooh, the silly ol' bear of very little brain who first came to life in the 1920s in a series of books by A.A. Milne and later became a Disney icon and a permanent fixture in the subconscious of toddlers everywhere, was honored with a star on the Walk of Fame yesterday. According to reports, Pooh was also joined by Eeyore, Tigger and Rabbit. Apparently Piglet, Owl, Kanga, and Roo couldn't care less about their pal. Way to be supportive, guys. Geesh.

Pooh first hit the big screen in 1977's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Over the next several years this was followed by about eighty-gajillion more movies, TV specials, videos and TV series such as Welcome to Pooh Corner, The Book of Pooh, and The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He was originally voiced by the inimitable Sterling Halloway, who passed away in 1992. In subsequent years Pooh's voice was provided by voice actor Jim Cummings.