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Joy's Liquid Therapy is a cocktail recipe especially for fans of Hot in Cleveland. Stir up some trouble, be glamorous and let your inner lush soar — but be warned, Joy likes her sips just like her men: strong and fresh! (And for the teetotalers in the house, you can always omit the booze to make a still-refreshing beverage.)

I’m With The Band: The Groupie Greaser

There are some drinks that are so delicious you want to drink them all night. They can get you into trouble: they’re so refreshing and light, you don’t realize you’re completely knackered until you’ve woken up in the backseat of some band’s tour bus wearing nothing but a fast-food wrapper… All thanks to the tasty Groupie Greaser: making bad decisions seem like good ones backstage at rock concerts everywhere.

Ingredients

1/4 of a honeydew melon, cut into cubes (rind removed)

1 oz St. Germaine

Sprig of mint

2 oz vodka

Squeeze of lemon juice

Ice

Serving Suggestion

In a shaker, muddle the honeydew and add a squeeze of lemon. Combine the rest of the ingredients and shake well. Then strain it into a cocktail glass and avoid rock concerts at all costs. Cheers, mates!

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Sarpa

Don’t forget to pair this cocktail with tomorrow's episode,I'm With the Band at 10PM/9C guest starring Huey Lewis!

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Not So Hot in Cleveland: The Best of Romance Gone Wrong

Posted by TV Land Editor Friday, February 3rd, 2012 - permalink

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Let us count the ways that romance on Hot in Cleveland has gone horribly awry. Here’s a look back at the show’s top 5 not-so-hot moments…

1. Who’s Your Mama?

Joy’s all set for an intimate evening with a great younger guy she’s been seeing. But wait – she thinks her date could be the son she gave up for adoption years ago. Awkward! Before getting romantic, Joy must first try to inconspicuously snag a DNA sample from him. Let’s just say it doesn’t go well.

2. A Love Story for the Aged

When rock star Johnny Revere comes to Cleveland, Victoria plans to seduce her old flame like it’s 1979. But when the pair attempts to recapture the wild old days, they realize they’re not as limber as they used to be. It’s all fun and games until somebody pulls a muscle.

3. Holier Than Thou

Elka sets Melanie up on a blind date with a guy who’s everything Melanie wants in a man. He’s kind, caring, intelligent, and almost perfect for her, except for the fact that he looks like Jesus. For Melanie, dating Jesus’ doppelganger is a deal-breaker. And possibly also a sin.

4. Elka’s Wedding

After some soul searching, Elka is finally ready to marry Fred. Unfortunately, this blushing bride’s trip down the aisle is thwarted by several suitors not willing to forever hold their peace, and one dead ex-husband back from the grave.

5. Beard Burn

Trying to milk her sham marriage to Joy for all the publicity it’s worth, Victoria takes the gang along for her speaking engagement aboard a lesbian cruise. The facade becomes harder to maintain, however, when both Joy and Victoria get hot and heavy with the ship’s sexy, and stubbly, male captain. Ultimately they both get burned, and outed.

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Ken Marino Parties Down on Season Finale of The Exes

Posted by Samantha Lowery Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 - permalink

We know you've been following TV Land's quirky divorced guys and gal since the premiere of The Exes last November. You've seen them lie about being engaged, sell vuvuzelas online, and pretend to be each other's dates, all in the name of making the most out of life as former spouses.

This week the four apartment-mates face the ultimate test of their friendships when Holly learns she must attend a party for her law firm that will throw her together with her cheating ex-fiancee, Brad — aka the guy she told her mom she was still engaged to a few episodes ago, and who has so far appeared in the show only as a disembodied object of Holly & co.'s ex-centric conversations.

In case you're worried that Brad won't fulfill your expectations sleaze-wise, allow me to quell your fears. According to an exclusive video clip released by The Hollywood Reporter yesterday, Holly's infamous ex will be played by Ken Marino, who is well-known for portraying unflappable and hilarious head cater waiter Ron in the Showtime sitcom Party Down. THR also reports that the Exes season ender will feature a kiss between Holly and Phil.

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What is Holly doing in such an unexpected lip-lock? That will have to remain a mystery for now, though I can tell you that her trysts last week with Phil's famous basketball player client (played by Amar'e Stoudemire) don't last long past Stoudemire's singular exit from Holly's apartment on that stretcher, and at the beginning of the finale Holly finds herself frantically searching for a date to her work function who will make Brad jealous of her.

It only takes three guesses to figure out who takes Holly to the party to irk Brad. But you'll have to wait and see which one of our favorite exes across the hall turns out to be Holly's ideal jealousy-inducing gentleman. Is it Phil, with his oh-so-gallant promises ("You called in the thunder for backup and the thunder's gonna rain down on this house!")? Or Stuart, who spends part of the episode recovering from a champagne-drinking binge? Or is it Haskell who saves the day, with his shtick about being a foreigner who "owns much of the world's gold?"

Make sure you tune in to TV Land WEDNESDAY at 10:30PM/9:30C to find out the fates of Holly, Phil, Stuart and Haskell, and to see whether their friendships can withstand the temptations of old spouses, neighborhood gossip and gift bags full of enticing swag.

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Joy's Liquid Therapy:Plan B Punch

Posted by TV Land Editor Monday, January 30th, 2012 - permalink

Life with Lucci: Plan B Punch

Unexpected guests are the worst. You tend to be sitting alone in your pajamas with the house to yourself enjoying nice cocktail when suddenly, the doorbell rings. You gaze through the curtains and see some guests at your door. Undoubtedly, your first plan will be to try to ignore them in the hopes they’ll relent and go away. But no, they recognize your car in the driveway. Ultimately, you realize they probably won’t leave, and to cover your absence you’ll change into some running clothes and sneak out the backdoor. You’ll splash some water from the garden hose onto your face to give yourself that sweaty look before nonchalantly jogging past your front door and greeting them. “I’ve been out all morning training for a 10k” you’ll say. Fast forward to an hour later: you’re playing host to group of interlopers you wish would stop drinking your booze and leave. This is when “Plan B” punch comes in handy.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup simple syrup

1 750ml bottle of gin

2 liters ginger ale

15 dashes of angustora bitters

lemon and lime slices for garnish

Directions

This is a great party punch because it’s simple ingredients means you can make it in a pinch, such as when unexpected thirsty guests show up. Funny thing about alcohol, it generally makes those boring houseguests much more interesting. And in case it doesn’t, this cocktail closely resembles ginger ale so you can always mix up an individual serving for yourself, claim to have a stomach ache, and adjourn to your room to enjoy your drink in peace.

Photo Courtesy of James Baigrie

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Style Profile: Elka

Posted by TV Land Editor Friday, January 20th, 2012 - permalink

We've interviewed Hot in Cleveland Costume Designer Lori Eskowitz-Carter about each characters style. Today, we are featuring Elka played by the amazing Betty White. Lori has worked on many movies and TV shows including 'Will and Grace', 'Whitney' and 'Boston Common'.

“It’s All About the Track Suit”

So, I have to ask. Where do you get Elka’s track suits?

Lori: We get them from this lovely woman up in Seattle that makes these great track suits, Christine Alexander. They give us her track suits for the most part.

They’re almost iconic.

Lori: (Laughs) And they’re also beautiful colors. Betty’s all about color. She does not like black or brown and if she has to wear it she gets kind of miserable.

Her favorite colors are; turquoise, pink, yellow and green. So this woman makes up the track suits for her. We probably have 25 to 30 of them.

I bet that makes the company very happy.

Lori: The company is very happy. During the People’s Choice awards last year the public got to vote for their favorite track suit and Betty wore it on an episode. One of them had a unicorn on it, which was really cute.

Is that what the character of Elka wears most of the time?

Lori: In every show she’ll always wear one. We’re sticking with it this season. It’s her thing. I can’t imagine her ever NOT wearing track suits.

How closely does Betty’s personal style mirror Elka’s?

Lori: It doesn’t. Betty doesn’t wear track suits. She’s such an animal activist that most of her clothing has an animal theme to it. We had Christine Alexander make her a bunch of track suits with cats and dogs on them, but for the most part she wears animal prints that are colorful.

For women in their 80’s and 90’s are there fashion rules?

Lori:I think as far as Elka’s concerned there are. You don’t show your arms and you don’t wear things that are too trendy. I try to dress her classic older lady.

Is Betty easy to dress or does she fight you on anything?

Lori: The only thing she fights me on is color. In one episode of the show she was volunteering in a zoo and she had to wear a khaki colored jacket. I ended up putting a bright t-shirt on her to make her happy.

Betty is the sweetest person on the planet, she would never say anything. But, I can tell when she likes her clothes and when she doesn’t. I consciously stay away from black and brown for her. She’s happiest when she’s in her colorful track suits. They’re comfortable for her and she gets to wear sneakers with them.

- Josephine

Josephine Bennett is an award-winning public radio reporter with an extensive cardigan collection.

Posted in Hot in Cleveland | 3 Comments »

The Exes: My Dinner with Phil

Posted by Samantha Lowery Friday, January 20th, 2012 - permalink

TV Land's favorite divorced dudes (and dame) are up to their usual antics in the episode "My Dinner with Phil" from The Exes.

When "My Dinner with Phil" starts, we learn that Haskell is attending traffic school online as a substitute for horrible drivers who have committed major road violations. "The goal of Lutz Traffic Academy is to put these menaces… back on the road!" Haskell declares. Even Phil knows, "Their motto is: No eyesight? No problem!"

Holly is also in the business of deception during this episode, as her amorous feelings for her boss come to the surface. After flirting with him under the guise of legal jargon in her office ("Holly, your brief regarding declaration of income and expenses is a thing of beauty," her boss says), she decides it's time to take Eden's advice and make a move.

Holly subtly invites her crush over to her apartment under the pretense that they will be working, and not-so-subtly dons a sparkly purple top for the rendezvous. But the pseudo-date proves to be more heart-wrenching (literally) than she would have liked, and her budding office romance comes to a screeching halt.

Meanwhile, Phil gets coerced into accompanying Stuart to his last dinner at Renauro's, the restaurant where Stuart and his ex-wife celebrated special occasions when they were married.

As emotionally attached as Stuart still is to Laura, Phil is equally as incapable of physically escaping Carrie, his own ex. He bumps into her at the restaurant, where he sees her enjoying caviar, champagne and lobster, all of which he knows she is purchasing with the money he's paying her in alimony. Suddenly Phil starts making a gnarly disgruntled-divorcee scene that grates (claws?) on the wait staff's nerves, and the guys are asked to leave.

Want to know what happens between Phil and Carrie? Or see Donald Faison's "I don't have to pay no more (alimony)" dance? Go to tvland.com to watch full episodes of The Exes, and make sure you tune in to TV Land every Wednesday night at 10:30PM/9:30C for new ones. In the mean time, you can follow the show on Twitter for all the latest Exes updates.

Posted in The Exes, TV Land | 1 Comment »

Lessons in Love from Hot in Cleveland’s Top 5 Dating Disasters

Posted by TV Land Editor Friday, January 20th, 2012 - permalink

Being Hot in Cleveland isn’t all wine and roses. Sometimes it’s man boobs and foot fetishists. Here we recount the ladies’ five most epic dating disasters, and what can be learned from their mistakes.

1. A Murderer and a Prostitute

Victoria paid a stranger at the bar to pose as Joy’s perfect blind date. Luckily the couple hit it off, at least until Joy’s friends glanced a police sketch of a murder suspect that looked alarmingly like her guy. The gals took him down and called the cops, only to find that they had the wrong man. The lesson: Don’t buy your friends dates.

2. The Shrimper

Melanie tried to embrace dating a “shrimper,” i.e. a guy who’s into feet. She thought she could handle his being taken with her toes. But when he got too freaky with her foot, she had to put it down. The lesson: Fetishes aren’t for everyone.

3. Conjoined Twins

Melanie set Victoria up with a great guy she’d met at a crowded event. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize how attached he was to his brother – literally. Although Victoria couldn’t handle their bond, a more open-minded Joy became taken with the other twin. But then his angry wife stormed in and broke up the party. The lesson: If someone seems two-faced, they probably are.

4. Bad Bromance

When Melanie and her boyfriend Pete started getting serious, it was time for her to meet his family. His mom instantly despised her. But it was his brother Hank – who turned out to be Melanie’s previous, and married, one-night stand – who officially killed the relationship. The lesson: Keeping it in the family does not apply to dating.

5. Victor/Victoria Chase

When the ladies go dancing at a gay bar, Victoria finds an instant attraction with a handsome man. The only problem? He thinks she’s a drag queen. What makes matters worse? She decides to go with it. When he ultimately ditches her for a male Susan Lucci-impersonator, she learns a valuable lesson: If you’re a woman mistaken for a man pretending to be a woman, you should probably clear that up sooner than later.

Here’s a bonus love lesson from 1-800-Flowers…Don’t settle for less! Wow someone this Valentine’s Day by shopping 1-800-Flowers.com. Save $10 when you use the code HOT and don’t miss Hot in Cleveland Wednesdays at 10PM/9C on TV Land!

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TV Land picks up new series “Have Faith” and Green-lights a Fourth Season Of Smash Hit “Hot in Cleveland”

Posted by TV Land Editor Wednesday, January 18th, 2012 - permalink

TV Land has picked up its fifth original sitcom, “Have Faith,” starring Cedric “The Entertainer,” it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, president of TV Land. The network has ordered 12 episodes for the first season, which is set to premiere in June of this year.

The sitcom, which was created by Cedric and “Hot in Cleveland” creator Suzanne Martin, revolves around Cedric’s character, Reverend Boyce “The Voice” Ballentine, an R&B superstar-turned-minister who takes over as preacher of his father’s church. Niecy Nash ("Reno 911") also stars as the reverend’s wife, Lolli. The pilot also features John Beasley (“Everwood”) as his father, Wesley Jonathan (“What I Like About You”) as his younger brother, and Jazz Raycole (“My Wife and Kids”) as his daughter. The character of Reverend Boyce originated on a second season episode of “Hot in Cleveland” in which Cedric guest-starred.

“The show that Cedric and Suzanne have created is a fantastic family sitcom that you just don’t see as much on TV today,” said Jones. “That’s just one of the reasons we’re so thrilled to welcome him to the TV Land family. From the moment he appeared on ‘Hot in Cleveland,’ we knew we wanted to work with him in a greater capacity.”

“Hot in Cleveland,” TV Land’s first original sitcom starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick and Betty White, has also been greenlit by the network for a 24-episode fourth season, it was announced today. A syndication deal was recently reached for “Hot in Cleveland,” giving CBS Television Distribution the domestic distribution rights for the series. This season pickup would bring “Hot in Cleveland” to 80 total episodes. The series, which is currently in its third season, averages 2.5 million total viewers per episode.

“With the show’s recent win at The People’s Choice Awards and Betty’s recent SAG® Award nomination, it’s clear that the fans love and want more of ‘Hot in Cleveland,’” said Jones. “TV Land is growing in a major way, and these pickups are just the tip of the iceberg.”

Cedric and Martin will serve as executive producers for “Have Faith,” along with Eric Rhone and Emmy® Award-winner Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills Productions, who also executive produce “Hot in Cleveland.” Keith Cox and Larry W. Jones will be executive producers for TV Land. The series is filmed in front of a live studio audience.

Send your congratulations to the Hot in Cleveland cast and watch highlights of past seasons here. Hot in Cleveland airs Wednesdays at 10PM/9C only on TV Land.

Posted in Hot in Cleveland, TV Land news | 3 Comments »

HOT IN CLEVELAND WINS PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR FAVORITE CABLE TV COMEDY

Posted by TV Land Editor Friday, January 13th, 2012 - permalink

The fans have spoken! Thanks to all of you, Hot in Cleveland took home the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Cable TV Comedy.

The ladies kicked off the night walking the red carpet. They looked amazing with Wendie in an elegant, short, black dress; Valarie wore a fabulous,black tuxedo suit; while Jane wowed the crowd in a stunning red strapless gown.

Betty White was even a trending topic on Twitter as she cozied up to her seatmate, actor Rob Pattinson of Twilight fame. The People’s Choice facebook page was calling them the new power couple!

Betty received not one but two standing ovations as she stood at the podium with castmates Valarie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendy Malick.

The crowd broke into loud laughter as Betty responded to Wendie Malick’s comment calling the cast “fresh faced newcomers” with, “She drinks a lot”.

Betty, who turns 90 on January 17^th thanked people for their birthday wishes but demurred saying, “You don’t really do anything, 90 just happens”.

After the award, the fab foursome stopped for photos. Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) tweeted this one:

and then had some fun on the WonderWall.

So THANK YOU Hot in Cleveland fans – We couldn’t have done this without all of you! Make sure to leave your congratulations on the Hot in Cleveland Facebook page.

Photos courtesy of Getty Images for PCA and @WolfiesMom

Posted in Hot in Cleveland | 7 Comments »

Ask Elka: Question from Facebook Fan

Posted by TV Land Editor Friday, January 13th, 2012 - permalink

"Ask Elka" is an advice column courtesy of Hot in Cleveland's resident guru. Have a friend who's stolen your man? Ask Elka! Tired of computer hackers? Ask Elka! Should you try that new Zumba class at the senior center? Ask Elka!

Dear Elka,

If you could be any animal which one would you be and why?

-Katie Marshall Willis

Dear Katie,

Hmmm… this one’s a tough one. There are so many options to choose from! For example, being an eagle for a day could be fun. Birds are so majestic and flying would be pretty cool. Not to mention, the thought of pooping on Joy’s head does seem slightly appealing. (And yes, I know it would be very naughty thing of bird me to do, but I can’t help imagining the look on her face as she curses the sky and I fly away chirping.) Sorry, I digress…

On the one hand, the honey badger is known to be kind of a bad ass. But, the lion is the king of the animal kingdom and if you’re going to do something, it’s best to be in a position of power, am I right? However, house cats do seem to live the good life. I’ll admit – napping, eating and getting petted all day seems like pretty nice deal. But, then again, when Joy and I spent the night at the Cleveland Zoo, I did strike up a fascinating conversation with Mokolo, the silverback gorilla, that I’ve been dying to continue. Is it possible I could be a different creature every day to fully experience what life’s like in the animal kingdom? Or do I have to choose just one?

Sincerely,

Elka “I Can’t Choose Just One Animal I’d Want to be For a Day” Ostrovsky

Posted in Ask Elka, Hot in Cleveland | 6 Comments »