Stay Tuned

The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, August 17, 2012 2 coverstory By Andrew Warren TV Media here's no shortage of he- roes on the TV screen these days. Brave police officers dodge bullets on the multitude of cop shows that are on the air, such as "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" or "Rookie Blue." It could even be argued that reality TV, usu- ally better known for its vil- lains, has its share of people who could be called "he- roes," especially with shows such as "Secret Millionaire," in which the extremely wealthy go undercover to dis- cover people deserving of a piece of their vast fortunes. Few people would disagree, T "Stars Earn Stripes" host General Wesley Clark (ret.) though, that the true heroes are the men and women who put their lives at risk every day to protect the rights and free- doms that the rest of us take for granted. On Aug. 13, NBC premiered an exciting new re- ality show starring these real- life heroes. Airing on Monday nights, "Stars Earn Stripes" boasts an exciting mix of ce- lebrities, first responders, and servicemen and women. Set at a remote military training facility, the show brings together eight celebri- ties who will be challenged to execute missions that are based on real military training exercises. These contestants will take on some of the most grueling physical and mental tests of their lives as they face the challenges that the real- life heroes meet on a daily ba- sis. Luckily for them, the re- cruits won't have to face these challenges alone. Each of the celebrities is paired up with a member of the first-re- sponder forces or the military special forces who will train alongside their partners. A pair of hosts are also on hand to help guide the celeb- rities through the challenges before them. Retired general Wesley Clark has had a sto- ried life: he is a four star gen- eral, was NATO's Supreme Al- lied Commander, Europe, an investment banker, and even a Democratic presidential candidate in 2003. Alongside him is Emmy-nominated host Samantha Harris, best known for co-hosting ABC's "Danc- ing With the Stars" for eight seasons. Training with the stars Celebrities suit up for boot camp in new competition ans' charity, the Wounded Warrior Project. Fans of NBC's "The Biggest Loser" will recognize Quince as one of the personal train- ers who help the contestants on that show shed their extra pounds. He's competing to raise money for Got Your 6, an organization that endeavors to bridge the divide between civilian and military life. The USO is a charity that everyone knows about. The group's mission is to lift the spirit of America's troops, and with the beautiful Torres in their corner, they may well have a windfall coming their way to help them with their inspiring work. Torres will be instantly recognizable to wrestling fans; she's a WWE Divas Champion. But the point of this contest isn't just fun and games. Each of the teams is competing to win money for a deserving veterans, military or first-re- sponder charity. The celebrities on board run the gamut, from TV and movie stars to sports champi- ons. Facing the harsh compe- tition on behalf of their cho- sen charities are Dean Cain, Dolvett Quince, Eve Torres, Laila Ali, Nick Lachey, Picabo Street, Terry Crews and Todd Palin. Best known for his stint as the legendary Man of Steel in the 90's hit show "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," Cain has kept his acting career busy since that iconic show went off the air in 1997. He's starred in a num- ber of shows and movies and hosted the TBS series "Ripley's Believe It Or Not!" Cain is competing for a veter- Ali is certainly a chip off the ol' block. Following in the footsteps of her famous dad, Muhammad Ali, she's an un- defeated, four-time boxing champion. As the mother of two toddlers herself, she's chosen to compete for the Military Child Education Co- alition. Lachey probably needs no introduction. The multi-tal- ented actor and recording art- ist has been at the forefront of modern pop culture for years, from his beginnings as the front man of the wildly successful band 98 Degrees, to starring on "Newlyweds," one of MTV's most successful programs. These days he's busy pursuing his successful solo singing career. Lachey is of the U.S. Ski Team and is an Olympic Gold medalist. She's also raced her way to three other Olympic medals. Her passion for winning may be just the edge she needs to win cash for Hiring Our He- roes, an initiative launched by the U.S. Chamber of Com- merce to help veterans and military spouses find mean- ingful employment. Crews has kept busy since he retired from his successful NFL career in 1997; he's be- come something of an ac- complished actor. His chosen charity is the Pat Tillman Foundation, an organization that is devoted to providing educational scholarships to veterans and their spouses. Rounding out the eight competitors is an outdoors- man with a famous name. Al- though he's probably best known as the husband of 2008's Republican vice-presi- dential candidate, Palin cer- tainly doesn't live in his spouse's shadow. As an avid outdoorsman, Palin is the four-time champion of the world's longest and toughest snowmobile race, Alaska's fa- mous Iron Dog. A proud Alas- kan, he's competing for the Armed Services YMCA of Alas- ka, which provides support to service members and their families throughout the state. competing for a charity com- mitted to providing support for the families of fallen po- lice officers, the Badge of Honor Memorial Foundation. Street is a retired member Chirstopher's Coins 2 x 2 hollywoodQ&A By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: Where does the term "silver screen" come from? A: "Silver screen," a term that is now associated with classic Hollywood glamor and class, comes from a surpris- ingly literal and workmanlike source. It comes from the early days of cinema, when films were projected on screens coated with metallic paint in order to reflect more light -- early cinema projectors were rather weak. The Online Etymology Dictionary (a searchable database of words and their histories) traces this practice back to 1921, and says that the term came to be used in the "sense of 'movies generally'" in 1924. Some of the paint used on the screens was actually silver, however moviehouse owners often opted for less-expensive aluminum paint. Screens were changed to white in subse- quent years, when projectors became more powerful. Surprisingly, though, silver screens are making a come- back, thanks to the new demands of 3-D. Most 3-D systems in today's theaters use polarized light to produce their effect. The explanation for how and why gets pretty technical, but the interesting thing is that they also require silver- or aluminum-painted screens to work. Back when movies were new, projectionists experiment- ed with other screen coatings, too, including starch and gum arabic (now a popular food additive). Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. A/Krazy Tom's 2 x 3

• Cover