Q&A – The Next Kid Thing

Kevin Can Wait Q&A and Set Tour

October 31, 2016 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last week, I had the unique opportunity to visit the set of Kevin Can Wait, CBS’ new hit comedy starring Kevin James and Erinn Hayes. As a longtime Kevin James fan, I was so thrilled to get a closer look at what it takes to make this funny new show and to hear the stars thoughts on the story, upcoming episodes and much more.

Just an hour outside of Manhattan, Kevin Can Wait is filmed at Goldcoast Studios in Bethpage, NY. The show’s premise revolves around James’ character, a middle aged, newly retired cop who is excited about finally focusing on himself, after years of working long hours protecting others. Much to his dismay, Kevin’s focus on himself quickly shifts to everyone else, including his kids’ various needs.

James plays a lovable, yet flawed and extremely relatable Kevin. His counterpart, Donna, played by Erinn Hayes, is a likable working mom hoping to find her own balance. Together, their chemistry and storylines make for a comical portrayal of a middle class family and enduring the highs and lows of life.

Our Q&A was hosted by accomplished director and equally funny Andy Fickman. Fickman read our questions to Kevin and Erinn, while interjecting his own commentary in between. We learned about how Kevin grew up in Long Island, and how his character is based off of one of his friends. Erinn shared that she, herself, is a working mom whose family is still on the west coast. She relates to the juggle and trying to make it work.

I’ve participated in another junket with Kevin James, and just as one would suspect, he is just as funny as the characters he portrays. He’s obviously not as physical and bumbling as his comedy; he carries himself professionally and is a much more subdued person than the silly characters we know. I had no idea that he is a father of 4, but as always, I enjoyed chatting about how he loves the Mets.

Since we have baseball on the brain with the World Series going on, one of my questions had to do with the Mets. I said, since your love for the Mets is like a secondary character in your films and shows, will there be a Mets cameo on Kevin Can Wait?

D1e0410f37436064 1 Photo credit: CBS Television

As soon as I asked this question, it’s as if the Mets heard me over in Flushing and revealed a teaser of none other than Noah Syndergaard dressed up as a Viking on the Kevin Can Wait set. So, tonight, in time for Halloween, beloved pitcher, Syndergaard, who is also nicknamed ‘Thor’ will have a cameo as a Viking who has an altercation with Chale, Kevin’s daughter’s fiancé. When I told my husband and sons this news, I think they squealed louder than I did!

I’ll have more to share from my Q&A and set tour, but for now don’t forget to tune in tonight to check out the crazy shenanigans on Kevin Can Wait. Kevin Can Wait airs on Mondays at 8pm on CBS.

Full disclosure: I was invited to participate in this set tour and Q&A. I received a stipend for my participation. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

THE Mom of Moms: Q and A with Marion Ross

May 8, 2011May 8, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

She’s played feisty grandmas, cartoon grandmas and not-so-perfect matriarchs, but many of us know Marion Ross best as the perfectly-coiffed Mrs. C., Richie and Joanie Cunningham’s Mom from Happy Days. Back before the internet and too many electronic devices, there were tv shows like Happy Days that celebrated the perfectly imperfect nuclear family of a different era. She may have tangoed with the Fonz and disciplined Richie and Joanie, but Mrs. Cunningham will forever be THE mom of moms.

Tonight, The Hub will be playing the best of Mrs. C, a Happy Days marathon in honor of Mother’s Day. Marion Ross took the time to chat with me about her iconic role as Mrs. Cunningham and shared wise words for single moms, working moms and new moms. And you guessed it: Marion was just as effervescent as Mrs. C.

NKT: Hi, Marion! So, what do you think the kids are saying about the upcoming Happy Days marathon?

MR: I think the new generation isn’t too familiar with Happy Days, but when I tell the young kids that I’m Sponge Bob Square Pants’ grandma, they’re all a-twitter. And then they show me their Sponge Bob underwear!

NKT: How did your role on Happy Days influence your own experience offscreen as a mother?

MR: It was very handy for me because I would practice at work and play “house” with Richie and Joanie, and my own children at home were about 3 years younger. So, my kids wouldn’t have had their “situations” yet, and I could study it a bit, which help me a lot. I was always a step ahead of my kids. I always loved how the writers treated the crises on the show. I was a single mother, divorced, so I’m sure I would’ve been more nervous and panicky, but the writers always treated it as a journey—as a very ordinary thing. The first time Richie drinks, it wasn’t the end of the world; these are natural things that happen along the line. The first kiss, all of that; it helped me prepare for what was next with my own kids.

NKT: Obviously, Moms of this generation are different from a few decades ago, but mother’s intuition is timeless. What piece of advice would you offer to new moms?

MR: For new moms I have to tell them to “not miss this.” Don’t miss THIS; everyone gets so busy with careers and chores, it’s easy to forget to take it all in. The young years go by so fast, it’s so important to take time to really enjoy time with your kids or you’re going to miss it. First things first: somebody said that to me, way back when I was fretting about my career. I think that’s why a show like Happy Days is so treasured because, in a way, many of us would like to get some of those simpler times back.

NKT: Do you have any wisdom that you’d like to share with working moms? How did you balance it all?

MR: I think I did a good job balancing it all. I was single, but I was able to balance it all because I didn’t have a personal life. I had work, but going to work was fun because I got to play “house.” And first of all, I didn’t know how to have a personal life. And when you don’t know how to do it, you just don’t have it. And once the work got successful, I had so much paperwork and trivia. Someone said to me, “What’s your reward now?’ Now you get to work harder than ever.” That’s when I thought, I don’t have enough help. So when you find the extra money and can afford it, I’d recommend getting help. It can be too much for one person to handle. And then I got an assistant who became my everything; my husband, my helper…
When I had littler children, I didn’t have a dishwasher or a dryer; I had to cart everything to the corner to get it all done. Nowadays, we have everything.

NKT: What are some your takeaways from your role on Happy Days? Any memorable scenes/episodes that still resonate?

MR: One of my favorites was when I danced the Tango with the Fonz. Another one was where I tried to revitalize my marriage and bellydanced for Howard. The writers never asked you if you could do these things, they just wrote them and we did it. It was always so fun and interesting.

Q and A: Sarah Ball, Chuggington Writer and Director

February 10, 2011February 10, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Over the weekend, the kid and I did all kinds of fun stuff that were NKT-related. Among the fun events on our agenda, we went to a Chuggington screening and storytime at the Scholastic Soho store.

Along with other Chuggington fans, we had the chance to view a fan favorite, “The Chugger Championship” and preview a never-before-seen episode, “Snowstruck Wilson.” The sneak preview of “Snowstruck Wilson” involved a curious trainee straying, after being told to stay close. Having lost my own curious and adventurous kid the other week at a store, “Snowstruck Wilson” hit pretty close to home.

In addition to the screenings, Sarah Ball, Writer/Director of Chuggington, gave a brief introduction before the episodes. After the screening, the kids all enjoyed a little bit of coloring and crafts, which made for a fun afternoon.

As we’ve been reporting, Chuggington has a whole slew of new licensed products coming our way, which includes a series of Scholastic books (reviews are forthcoming.)

It’s always a pleasure to share the latest and greatest about one of our favorite properties, but it’s even cooler to be able to speak to the brains behind such a beloved show. Check out my brief Q&A with Sarah Ball who told us a little bit about the ideas behind the episodes and the new characters, Hoot and Toot.

Check it

Season two of Chuggington debuts on February 14 on the new Disney Jr. If you’re on Twitter, join me and other Chuggington fans tonight at 9 p.m. as we celebrate the upcoming Season Two premiere. Follow @Chuggington, and #Chuggington. And of course, my twitter handle is @jenrab.

Finally, let’s give @Chuggington a shout out for the Shorty Awards. Chuggington is currently in 8th place 7th place and needs to get to 6th to get to the finals. To nominate Chuggington, just tweet why you think the property deserves a Shorty Award. Easy enough!

Holly Robinson Peete: Tips on Enjoying an Allergy-Friendly Super Bowl Party

February 5, 2011February 5, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For thousands of families, food allergies are a reality that involves carefully reading labels before consumption, as well as educating and communicating with family, friends and schools.

Food allergy awareness requires even more diligence when it comes to parties, such as Super Bowl Sunday. Pot lucks and buffet-type spreads could be a trip to the ER just waiting to happen if food allergies aren’t communicated. Raising awareness, even if the allergy isn’t in your own family, is the first line of defense for avoiding adverse reactions.

Holly Robinson Peete, one of the co-hosts of CBS’ The Talk and wife of former NFL player Rodney Peete, is well versed in food allergies. Mom of four, Holly hopes to help raise awareness and educate other parents about food allergies; each of her kids has some form of allergy, and she’s had her fair share of scary moments.

On Super Bowl Sunday, an occasion that boasts the most food consumption behind Thanksgiving, the reality of food allergies is heightened. Because of her experience with food allergies, Holly spoke with some fellow bloggers and me, on how to enjoy an allergy-friendly Super Bowl party.

Families can enjoy a fun Super Bowl party even if allergies are a concern. Some of Holly’s tips for having an allergy-friendly Super Bowl party include:

Holly Robinson Peete to Host Webinar on Food Allergies

January 31, 2011February 1, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Because allergies run rampant in our family, this topic has been on my radar well before I became a parent. Once I became a mom, introducing food to the kid with the possibility of food allergies became an even bigger reality. Aside from real-life experience by helping my younger brother cope with being “allergic to the world,” my husband and I researched to educate ourselves for the uncertainty of having a child with food sensitivities.

Amidst all the gatherings this time of year, it’s the parties and family events that can be a cause of concern for allergic reactions. After being so cautious with anything new that the three year old has eaten, over Christmas, he had an allergic reaction after having some cashews. Of course, the reaction happened the evening of the post-Christmas blizzard and weather conditions would have complicated everything. Thankfully, the kid is at an age where he can verbally communicate with us now, and immediately told us that his tongue was itchy—a telltale sign of an allergic reaction, and something that I always remember my brother describing after eating various things he was allergic to, when we were kids.

Always reluctant to let the kid have nuts in anything, for some reason, I thought he would have been ok trying cashews for the first time that night. I thought he was in the clear with any nut allergies, but I was wrong.

The kid’s hives, swollen lips and an itchy tongue was enough to remind us that not all foods are safe for our allergy-prone kid. Thankfully, we had Children’s Benadryl onhand to remedy the situation and that it didn’t require a trip to the ER. We learned from this terrifying situation and are grateful it didn’t transpire differently.

Because of our family’s allergies and my interest in sharing this sort of information to other parents, I will be logging into a video webinar on the topic tomorrow.

Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day of the year after Thanksgiving. Since severe allergic reactions to food send 90,000 people to the emergency room annually, TV personality Holly Robinson Peete of CBS’s The Talk (who is married to former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete) will be hosting an online video webinar about handling food allergy dangers at gatherings like Super Bowl parties. Nine out of 10 people say they will be attending one this year, according to a recent Nielsen survey. Since Holly’s four children all have some kind of food allergy, she has plenty of expertise in this topic.

After the webinar, I’ll be one of a few bloggers who will ask Holly questions pertaining to allergies and her experience. It’s always interesting to hear other parents shed light on issues that hit so close to home. I’ll of course share Holly’s insight after the interview, but I’d also like to invite you to watch the online webinar.

Allergy Friendly Superbowl Webinar with Holly Robinson Peete

When: Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT)

Where: Click this link
to get to the webinar, where you will be able to watch Holly via live video feed: http://agencyroad.na4.acrobat.com/allergyfriendlysuperbowl/

Full disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in this webinar and Q&A via TheMotherhood. The webinar is being sponsored by Dey Pharma L.P. As always all opinions on NKT are my own.

Breaking it down with the Imagination Movers

July 9, 2009July 9, 2009 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

viewmedia-6 Music will always play a huge part of our lives, and so, as a fan to various genres, including kid music, I’d like to introduce NKT’s very first exclusive feature!

Just in time for the release of their latest CD For Those About to Hop, the Imagination Movers sat down with me and the kid to chat. The Imagination Movers, who hail from the New Orleans area and appeal to the preschool set and their parents, have been captivating kids on their hit Disney show of the same name. The former journalist, firefighter, architect and teacher break it down to the Next Kid Thing and tell us their favorite Police album and offer some insight to parents on getting their kids interested in music.