By: Mary Fran Bontempo It's absurd, it's overwrought, it's unbelievable, it's engrossing, it's exciting, it's addicting. It's Scandal, which began season three last night at 10 PM on ABC. I started watching the show last season at the behest of my daughter, Laura, who was hooked early on. For the uninitiated, Scandal stars the lovely Kerry Washington as a high-powered Washington, D.C. "fixer" with direct ties to the president. Washington's Olivia Pope is [...]

By: Mary Fran Bontempo James Spader is one creepy dude. I've never been a great fan of the actor, mainly because he specializes in portraying off-the-wall, and sometimes downright menacing, characters. The fact that he makes me uncomfortable really just means that he does his job extremely well. Spader extends his creepy, menacing streak with his latest endeavor--The Blacklist, airing on NBC Mondays at 10 PM. The actors stars as Raymond "Red" Reddington, [...]

By: Mary Fran Bontempo Atlantic City could use a little beauty boost. I'm a fan of the gambling mecca by the sea in New Jersey. Well, at least I'm a fan of parts of this town that has seen much better days. There's plenty to do, from restaurants to shopping to shows and entertainment, and that doesn't even include the lure of the casinos. But Atlantic City is, unfortunately, one of those places [...]