TV

Ontario actor Michael Seater was still a teenager when he landed the title role of the easy-going older brother, Derek Venturi -- who would rather be playing in his band than studying for school -- in the classic Disney Channel show "Life With Derek."

He was joined on the family television program by Ashley Leggat as the book-smart older sister, Casey McDonald, Daniel Magder as Derek's sibling sidekick, Edwin Venturi ... and Ariel Waller as the adorable kid sister, Marti Venturi.

Michael went on to be on a bunch more TV programs like "Bomb Girls," "Murdoch Mysteries" and "The Wedding Planners."

Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil are warning folks to watch out for scammers using their names to sell CBD -- they don't endorse the products, which could be poisonous.

The good docs joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and railed against online retailers using bogus celeb endorsements to trick customers. They say the scammers are stealing people's money and messing with their health.

It's pretty shocking ... Dr. Oz tells us he got his hands on some of the CBD products sold by online retailers falsely claiming to have his blessing, and lab testing showed lead levels that were 15 times higher than allowed!

Dr. Phil cautions folks to watch out for the clickbait ads, he says once you hand over credit card information it's practically impossible to cancel the automatic payments.

Monday night's 'Bachelor' had all the usual stuff -- cocktail party, a group date, and a couple rose ceremonies -- but there was NO reference to the fact host Chris Harrison is stepping away.

'Bachelor' Matt James went about his reality dating show biz as usual, and there was no statement -- from producers, ABC or Harrison -- addressing Harrison's alleged excusing of historical racism.

As we've reported ... Harrison has stepped away from his 'Bachelor' duties amid the backlash he's received since his Extra interview last week with former 'Bachelorette' Rachel Lindsay, during which many people believe he downplayed current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's past. She was photographed at a southern plantation-themed party in 2018.

Now, most of Matt's season has already been filmed -- so Harrison's absence won't be felt on camera until the 'After the Final Rose' episode. Still, many fans expected a statement added either before or after last night's episode.

Many fans and even its current cast have vowed to not watch the rest of this season in solidarity with the perceived mistreatment of cast members of color. Then again, the presence of Kirkconnell -- who advanced to next week's hometown visits -- might attract more viewers.

If Zach Braff were to put on his old TV scrubs and take his dog's vitals right now -- they'd probably be through the roof ... especially on their way to the dog park.

The actor was spotted this week taking his newest pooch, Billie, to play some fetch ... and the little gal was literally bouncing around in the parking lot as Zach swung around his fancy toy. We're not exaggerating either -- this dog's got HOPS!

It looks like what Billie was gonna go chase down is part of a ball launcher -- which helps people chuck a dog's best friend way further and more easily than they might normally be able to with just their arm.

In any case, Billie was all about it. You can almost hear her screaming, "Gimme, gimme, gimme!!!" ... in dog language, of course. BTW, Zach's pup is a foster dog he and GF Florence Pugh recently took in back in April -- who's been spayed, as Zach has documented.

Chris Harrison excusing historical racism has left former Black contestants from the franchise divided on how to proceed with the host's future -- some say he needs teaching, others want him gone for good.

We spoke to several Black 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' alums from recent years, and the consensus is they're disappointed with the longtime host's downplaying of Rachael Kirkconnell's past ... which many have called straight up racist.

We're told Chris' apparent lack of interest in understanding why Rachael's prior actions were upsetting ... came off as him talking down to the Black community.

So, what does that mean for his future on the shows? Well, Marshana Ritchie ('Bachelor,' Season 12) and Leslie Hughes ('Bachelor,' Season 17) tell us Harrison needs a long break, and a lot education on Black history ... plus, sensitivity training before he returns.

Marquel Martin ('Bachelorette,' Season 10) and Robyn Jedkins ('Bachelor,' Season 17) both think Chris should be given a second chance -- and probably shouldn't be burned at the stake, but they add ... he needs to do better at understanding the Black perspective before speaking on these issues again.

Fan fave Mike Johnson ('Bachelorette,' Season 15) says he wants to see Chris do work in the African-American community before coming back, while genuinely attempting to connect to Black viewers ... who might see the show as skewed toward white audiences.

Now for some of the harsher takes, courtesy of DeMario Jackson ('Bachelorette,' Season 13) and Jubilee Sharpe ('Bachelor,' Season 20) ... they both want Chris gone permanently.

DeMario and Jubilee tell us they don't think Chris should be allowed to return as host, and that 'Bachelor' execs should turn the page entirely ... both in a new host, and a new environment within the franchise that's more inclusive of POC, from the top-down.

Jubilee says she sensed producers tended to focus more on the white, blue-eyed/blonde contestants more than anyone else. DeMario echoed that to us, and went on to say it was time 'Bachelor' producers truly cater to Black people if they really want to make them part of the fan base. Up to now, he feels it's been a lot of pandering.

Tammy Slaton, one of the stars of "1,000-lb. Sisters" has come out as pansexual.

Producers released a clip of an upcoming show, in which Tammy opens up to Jerry, her boyfriend of 2 years, saying, "It means love is love," adding, "I would date anybody, whether they're transgender, straight, gay."

Tammy's sister, Amy, and her husband, Michael, are seated at the restaurant along with Tammy and Jerry.

Tammy explained in another interview how she came to her realization ... "I always thought I was bisexual, and then I started talking to one of my friends and she told me she was pansexual, and I asked her kind of what it meant."

She goes on ... "It means you love everybody, not just the same sex. And I was like, 'Well, I guess I am too," because I wouldn't mind being with someone who's transgender, or whatever."

Chris Harrison is stepping away from 'Bachelor' duties -- including moderating the 'After the Final Rose' ceremony -- and is once again apologizing for defending a contestant's alleged racist past.

The longtime 'Bachelor' host issued a new, lengthier apology Saturday ... this after he posted a quick one on Instagram a couple days ago that many felt was not up to par in addressing his recent remarks. Some said he was dismissive and excusing of racist behavior alleged against Rachael Kirkconnell -- one of the final few women vying for Matt James' heart.

Chris' statement is much more heartfelt than perhaps his initial remarks. He says ... "I have spent the last few days listening to the pain my words have caused, and I am deeply remorseful. My ignorance did damage to my friends, colleagues and strangers alike."

He goes on to say by excusing historical racism, he defended it ... and now realizes that was wrong, especially doing so in an interview with none other than Rachel Lindsay, the franchise's first Black 'Bachelorette.' He says he's been educated and open to being taught more about this topic, and promises to be more mindful about these issues in the future.

That said, Chris also broke some news about his time on camera ... saying, after consulting with ABC execs, he's decided it's best if he skips the 'After the Final Rose' ceremony, where the lead man/woman gets to reflect in front of a live studio audience.

It's unclear how long Chris plans to be absent from the series -- usually, 'The Bachelorette' starts taping immediately after 'The Bachelor' wraps. In any case, he's taking some time off.

Now, as for what the heck this is really all about ... Chris basically stepped up to defend Kirkconnell after old photos of her at a college antebellum party surfaced -- which many say celebrates the South's racist past, and is part of Confederate culture. It's a bad look.

There's also a TikTok video out there that chronicled Kirkconnell's social media history -- including stuff she'd posted and liked in recent years ... and there appears to be a lot of pro-Trump stuff, Confederate flag backdrops, MAGA shots and Blue Lives Matter posts.

She's also alleged to have made fun of white friends of hers in high school for dating Black guys -- but the evidence for that seems to be a little thin and less documented.

She'd been mostly silent over all the outrage that had been building, until Friday ... when she issued this statement and an apology -- copping to some of the social media activity, but not all of it.

Kirkconnell says a lot of the posts and behavior she engaged in occurred when she was young, and says she's a different person now ... realizing the hurt she inflicted. She notes her apology doesn't mean she's deserving of forgiveness, but she's asking for it anyway.

Alex Trebek's last great "Jeopardy!" champion has died at the young age of only 24.

Brayden Smith, who scored a 5-game winning streak and more than $115,000 in winnings as Trebek's era came to a close, died unexpectedly last Friday in his hometown of Las Vegas. The cause of death is unclear.

Brayden's lifelong dream had always been to appear on "Jeopardy!" ... and the young man, who had reportedly tried getting on the show at least a dozen times, left a lasting impression on Trebek and fans alike.

His run was so impressive he drew comparisons to the great James Holzhauer because he also had a knack for finding the Daily Doubles and laying huge wagers when he did.

Trebek was very much impressed with Brayden's prolific run ... dubbing him "Billy Buzzsaw" for his ability to dismantle the competition. Trebek also uttered "Most impressive. I don't know what to say." Brayden, of course, appeared in the final shows Trebek ever hosted before he died from pancreatic cancer.

Brayden, who died about a month after his episode aired, had been looking forward to competing in the show's Tournament of Champions. He had just graduated from UNLV last year with a degree in economics and had hoped to attend law school and become a U.S. Attorney.

The family's asked that donations be made in Brayden's name here ... a fund benefiting Nevada students furthering their education.

RIP, Champ.

Lori Loughlin's out of prison, and now she wants the right to leave U.S. soil, but there's a hitch.

The "Full House" star's legal team filed new docs, asking the court to order the return of her passport -- which her lawyers say is currently in the possession of the United States Pretrial Services Office.

Lori had to surrender her passport during her criminal case stemming from the college admissions scandal, but now that she's served her 2-month prison sentence she's looking to get that puppy back in her hands.

Remember ... Lori flew back home in a private jet after spending 2 months at California's FCI Dublin ... so she's definitely the jet-setting type.

The docs say Uncle Sam does not object to returning her passport -- so it's just a matter of time before she gets it back. Once she does, Lori will be in the same boat as a lot of us ... wondering where she can safely travel in the middle of the pandemic.

Lori won't be crossing any borders with her husband just yet, though ... Mossimo Giannulli's still behind bars. He's set to complete his 5-month sentence in April.

Dave Chappelle says he got what he wanted from Comedy Central -- millions of dollars, and rights to his show -- so now "Chappelle's Show" is back on Netflix ... with his blessing.

Dave shared a bit from his recent stand-up Thursday night in which he revealed the show's return to streaming Friday ... just 2 months after Netflix yanked it at his behest.

On stage, Chappelle summarized his power struggle with Comedy Central to get paid for any "Chappelle's Show" deals they made ... and he gave all the credit to fans for not watching the show at his request.

Dave said ... "When you stopped watching it, they called me. And, I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much."

Dave went on to shower his fans with appreciation for putting him back after his 12-year hiatus from comedy, which he says "kept me free."

Morris Chestnut is choosing his words very carefully, but it's clear his 'Best Man' character will be moving on romantically in the new TV series based on the hit movies.

The 'Best Man' star tells TMZ ... it's been a long time since fans saw his character, Lance Sullivan, go through an emotional roller coaster following his wife Mia's (Monica Calhoun) death from cancer.

Morris says the new series -- "The Best Man: The Final Chapters" -- will offer Lance some closure, and possibly a new woman in his life. MC knows how much fans loved Lance and Mia as a couple ... so he stresses, "There will never be anyone that could replace Mia."

The franchise's loyal followers never got to see Morris properly mourn Mia's death in the sequel 'Best Man Holiday' -- but that's about to change. The Peacock streaming service has ordered 10 episodes for a limited series featuring the entire original cast -- Melissa De Sousa, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long and Harold Perrineau.

The creators are eyeing a September premiere. Malcolm D. Lee, who wrote and directed the 1999 and 2013 films, will write and produce with Dayna Lynne North ... best known for writing/producing HBO's hit "Insecure."

One more thing about the new series ... Morris says it will likely include some of the real-life events we're all going through right now.

Daniel Wu says that much of the Asian-American community are afraid to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year in public amid a spike in racist attacks.

The actor joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us why Chinatowns across the country are looking like ghost towns on the eve of Chinese New Year ... and it's not because of the pandemic.

Daniel says the community fears the increasing number of attacks, and it's putting a damper on a time that's usually filled with pride, joy and happiness.

He says there have been more than 3,000 incidents of anti-Asian attacks in the past year, mostly targeting the elderly and vulnerable -- and those are just the ones reported. Daniel's sure it's even worse.

Remember ... Andrew Yang noted this as the attacks were just starting last April, telling us how many Americans were aiming their hostilities over the coronavirus at Asians.

Like Andrew, Daniel says Donald Trump's partially to blame ... because Trump repeatedly said "China Virus" and "Kung Flu" when referring to the coronavirus.

Olivia Munn's trying to sound the alarm and raise awareness too, but Daniel says more people need to wake up to the fact Asians are under attack.

Colin Cowherd was hospitalized Saturday night for what turned out to be a blood clot in his lung -- after a terrifying medical emergency at a restaurant.

The 57-year-old host of FS1's "The Herd" -- one of the biggest stars in sports talk -- says he was having dinner with his wife near his home in Southern California when he felt a sharp pain on the right side of his chest.

So, Cowherd phoned a friend who raced over, picked him up and sped Colin to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

Cowherd says he was in "incredible pain" and was understandably scared -- thinking he may have come down with COVID.

Doctors told Colin he tested NEGATIVE for coronavirus twice during his hospital stay -- but noted they found a small blood clot in his right lung.

The clot was limiting Cowherd's breathing so doctors admitted him to a room and used morphine to control the pain.

"I was pretty much knocked out with morphine, a narcotic, for 16 to 18 hours," Cowherd said.

Now, doctors are trying to figure out WHY Cowherd suffered the clot.

"I'm waiting for the blood work," Colin said ... "I have no idea why it happened. I have been doing a lot of skiing at high altitudes, traveling, that could be it. We don't know. We’ll find out in a few days."

Cowherd says he's already feeling better -- noting he went on a 30-minute walk on Tuesday ... "which is amazing considering where I was 48 hours ago."

Cowherd says the goal is to return to his show as soon as possible -- but the focus is on his recovery ... and he shouted out FS1 and iHeartRadio for being incredibly supportive during this scary time.

Alex Trebek's polished "Jeopardy!" look is about to serve others needing professional attire as they try to turn their lives around -- another testament to Alex's unending spirit of giving.

A significant portion of Alex's on-set wardrobe from the game show is being donated to The Doe Fund -- a nonprofit that helps underserved individuals bouncing back from homelessness or incarceration get back on their feet, especially men.

A lot of those guys are looking for work, and need suits for job interviews. To that end, Alex's own suits will now be worn on their backs as they move forward. It's pretty incredible.

"Jeopardy!" honchos say all-in-all ... The Doe Fund is getting 14 full suits, 58 dress shirts, 300 neckties, 25 polos, 14 sweaters, 9 blazers, 9 pairs of dress shoes, 15 belts, 2 parkas and 3 pairs of slacks. That's quite a haul from Alex's closet and will help so many in need.

As for how they decided what to pick -- Alex's own son, Matthew, actually linked up with "Jeopardy!" costumer Steven Zimbelman to make the selections and pack them up for shipment. There are photos of them going through a coat rack of Alex's wardrobe, and pics of some of the men in need holding up suits after receiving them.

They look pretty stoked, and we would be too ... it's not every day you can slip into a suit worn by Alex himself. Based on what we see here, it appears the donation features a lot of his darker suits.

Paris Hilton called on none other than President Biden to denounce child abuse in schools ... this as she testified about alleged torment she went through as a kid.

The heiress spoke publicly Monday to a state congressional committee in Utah in support of a bill that would enact stricter regulations on private institutions like Provo Canyon School -- where Paris says she endured years of abuse as a teen by the facility's staff.

In her opening statement, Paris appealed directly to the top of the food chain of politics ... calling on not just Utah leaders to do the right thing, but also Sen. Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, VP Harris and even 46 himself to jump on this issue.

PH choked up at certain points in her testimony, saying that since her documentary -- 'This is Paris' -- premiered in September, survivors from all over have been coming forward to share their stories with her.

She urged the Utah senators to pass the bill, SB127, in hopes of reining in the alleged bad behavior and instituting more oversight.

Los Angeles local Erin Sanders was only 14 years old when she scored the life-changing role of the brainy best friend Quinn Pensky -- who shows her smarts with the other students at Pacific Coast Academy -- in the Nickelodeon kids show "Zoey 101."

Erin Sanders was cast alongside some pretty stand-out actors including Victoria Justice as the starry-eyed aspiring actress and BFF, Lola Martinez, Paul Butcher as the book-smarts younger brother, Dustin Brooks ... and of course Jamie Lynn Spears as the sporty older sister and title character, Zoey Brooks.