Fran Drescher on surviving cancer, returning to TV; Shemar Moore on surviving a near-fatal accident; Danica Patrick on staying fit and fighting COPD

http://basicmedia.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vwb11/i10/p1

http://basicmedia.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vmb11/i05/

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1ty6g/Fall2011GetActiveMag

Launching a new podcast while juggling several other projects (some big, some small!) has its ups and downs. The ups: A new podcast and several other projects! The downs: Little sleep and totally forgetting to blog about some of my noteworthy celebrity health and fitness covers in the last six months or so!

With that said, enjoy the above stories on some of TV's favorite survivors and thrivers!

In case you were wondering ...

And I'm a fan o' Dianne!

There's a reason Dianne Kay was the sweetheart of a generation (or two ... or three, if you ask Dick Van Patten)! The ever-sparkling Eight is Enough star kindly gave us another shout-out on her fun and informative blog, which you can find on her groovy new web site, DianneKayProductions.com.

And she coined a fun new word, "Mannie" (hahaha! love it!) -- which makes me feel sorta-kinda '70s-Mike-Connors-cool. Which, by the way, is a first for me. I was anything but "Mannix" cool growing up in the '70s and '80s. In fact, trying to be so just made me "Mannix"-depressive.

But this fan-o'-Dianne is only happy and grateful today. Thanks a million, Dianne, and we look forward to hearing the latest and greatest about your in-the-works TV comedy Seconds and your other projects and musings in 2012!

Still an angel: my new interview with Cheryl Ladd

So pleased to share my new cover story on Charlie's Angels star Cheryl Ladd -- who, at age 60 (!), continues to shine as an actress, health advocate and now kickboxing grandma! -- in the December issue of Wellbella. This monthly magazine is available nationally at GNC stores and can also be read in its entirety here.

Retroality's "Reimagine That!" podcast, episode 4! ............................................................ Chris Mann's special guest, actress-writer Dianne Kay, on her in-the-works TV comedy "Seconds" and her life-saving psychic vision ALSO: Chris pleads to Oprah/Gayle: reimagine Agnes Nixon's "soaprahs"!

Retro pop meets forward thought as ebullient and enlightening "Eight is Enough" star Dianne Kay -- in part two of her exclusive, in-depth interview -- opens her heart about loving her TV siblings (including her "secret marriage" with Adam "Munch" Rich), working with Steven Spielberg on the set of his feature "1941" (and auditioning at her apartment with Mickey Rourke!!!), dealing with her garage sale addiction (hey, who stole her "8 is Enough" jigsaw puzzle?!?), being mistaken for a faux Betty Crocker, being overwhelmed by ugly reality TV (editor's note: "Kate Plus Eight is Enough!"), raising a teenage son in a hormonal household and developing her new half-hour, one-camera comedy series, "Seconds." In addition, Dianne shares with us her psychic vision that alerted her to her kidney cancer last fall and, in doing so, saved her life.

ALSO: Chris discusses changing media and changing times -- and beseeches Oprah to reimagine the "soaprah" and infuse her O brand of "retroality" drama and personal empowerment in half-hour versions of ABC's sadly-dumped "All My Children" and "One Life to Live." Fellow daytime icon/pioneer Agnes Nixon needs your help, Oprah -- please save all her children!

Chris also talks about the rapidly evolving book publishing world, the rules of which are shifting thanks to Amazon.com Inc. signing deals to publish high-dollar tomes with high-profile celebs ranging from "Laverne & Shirley" star (and fellow cancer survivor) Penny Marshall to New Age guru Deepak Chopra. Then Chris shares his short-lived book "negotiations" with late, legendary Hollywood press agent-business manager Jay Bernstein, who this fall celebrates the posthumous publication of his memoir, "Starmaker."

Offering insight about his "Come and Knock on Our" tell-all and his equally long-in-the-works "Price is Right" tell-all, Chris explains how journalistic, in-depth, "unofficial"/"unauthorized" TV books have become far and few between as the publishing industry, since the late '90s, has moved toward studio/network-commissioned, licensed (and therefore often "fluff-piece") TV books while television has taken over telling these boob-tube biographies. Hmmmm ... can you say, "multimedia e-book"?

Also: the return of Facebook's controversial group "Farrah Fawcett: We Want the Truth 2," a few parting thoughts about ABC's reimagined "Charlie's Angels" turducken, er, turkey, and what '80s TV icon ABC will likely "retool" next. (Goodbye, "Hot Bosley" ... hello, "Hot Belvedere"?)

Finally, in the fourth installment of a recurring "dream weaver" segment, dream interpreter/intuitive life coach Yvonne Ryba (http://YvonneRyba.com) shares two of her compelling, prophetic "death dreams" while encouraging listeners to reimagine their own reality by understanding the creative power of the mind.

For more on Dianne Kay, check out her new web site: http://DianneKayProductions.com and see Chris's site, http://Retroality.TV

Host: Chris Mann

Announcer/"Lassie" whistler: Linda Kay

Created by: Chris Mann

Producers: Linda Kay, Chris Mann

Copyright 2011 by Chris Mann/Retroality.TV (http://Retroality.TV)