The stories of the patients of Celebrity Rehab are often about heartbreak, troubled pasts, and redemption, and this week, we’re taking a look at a few of the stars from the second season of the series, whose stories combine all three. Dr. Drew Pinsky and Bob Forrest reconnected with four of the celebrities who appeared on the sophomore season for the second in a four-part series called Celebrity Rehab Revisited. This week’s episode features Rodney King, Amber Smith, Nikki McKibbin, and Andy Dick, who have all had bumps in the road after leaving the recovery center.
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Over the past five years, Dr. Drew has helped countless people, famous or not, battle addiction. After this latest season of Celebrity Rehab, Dr. Drew and Bob Forrest went back to check on the cast ninety days after they left the Pasadena Recovery Center to find out how they’ve fared after rehab, and this month we’ll finally be revisiting the patients from the first four seasons of Celebrity Rehab as well. Starting on November 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, Dr. Drew and Bob will catch up weekly with some of the most infamous patients they’ve dealt with over the first four seasons, from Marey Carey to Andy Dick to Heidi Fleiss and Tom Sizemore. The full schedule and cast listings for Celebrity Rehab Revisited is after the jump.
“CELEBRITY REHAB WITH DR. DREW REVISITED”
One-Hour Specials Revisit Patients from the First Four Seasons of
“Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew”
“Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew Revisited” Premieres
Wednesday, November 20th at 9pm*
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Jeff Conaway‘s struggles with addiction and poor health tended to overshadow his acting talent toward the end of his life, but he wasn’t without his admirers who remember him for his huge talent and bigger heart. Over the weekend, several of his celebrity friends and former co-stars spoke out to honor Conaway, who passed away on Friday, May 27 a day after doctors removed him from life support after he fell into a coma.
Conaway’s sister, Carla Shreve, told TMZ that his Grease co-star John Travolta sent flowers and food to the family and Travolta released a statement that called Conaway “a wonderful and decent man.” Olivia Newton-John, who was not only Conaway’s co-star but his sister-in-law for five years also paid her respects, saying “Jeff had a good heart and was so very talented. He was a big part of our family for many years and he will be missed.”
Marilu Henner, who kept a bedside vigil for Conaway in his last days, starred with the actor on Taxi. “He reminded me of one of my brothers and I reminded him of one his sisters, so we had a real family bond,” she said. Fellow Taxi actor Danny DeVito called Conaway “a good man,” and said “I will always think of him fondly and of our days together with the Taxi family. Finally he’s at peace.”
In a longer interview, Celebrity Rehab star Dr. Drew Pinsky revealed an inside look at Conaway’s struggles with his childhood and his addictions. After the jump, read what the good doctor had to say about Conaway’s traumatic life and the way that the man “lit up the lives” of those around him.
Anyone who watched either of the first two seasons of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew recognizes that Jeff Conaway, who rose to fame in the 1970s thanks to his work in Grease and on Taxi, has a serious addiction to pain killers. This morning, it appears that his addiction has landed him in some life-threatening straits. TheWrap.com is reporting that Conaway is currently comatose in the Encino Hospital Medical Center, following an unspecified drug overdose last week.
You may recall that Conaway broke his hip in January last year after falling down a stairwell in his Los Angeles home. It is unclear what kind of medicine that he was prescribed to recover from that injury, but considering Conaway’s lengthy history of abuse, he looks to have a difficult road to recovery. There is a spot of promising news in all of this, though: According to his rep, Conaway moved his head four days ago, which is considered a promising sign. We here at VH1 wish Jeff the best of luck and have our fingers crossed that he makes a full recovery. In a statement released today, Dr. Drew also expressed his concern, saying “I am deeply saddened to learn of Jeff’s condition. My thoughts and prayers are with Jeff and his family.”
TMZ reports that Kari Ann Peniche is following up her abbreviated stints on Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, Celebrity Rehab 3 and Sober House with Dr. Drew with a non-televised round of rehab. Word is that she checked into a 30-day, high-end rehabilitation program last night to treat her meth addiction, which plagued her through much of her time on televised rehab. On her joining the cast of Sober House, Dr. Drew told us in March:
“She is crazy on meth. She’s really bad. At that point, I was not clear that she was appropriate for this level of care. I had grave doubt.”
We applaud her for seeking a higher level of care and wish her the best.
In other Rehab-related news, Celebrity Rehab 2 alum Rodney King is set to marry Cynthia Kelley, a juror who helped award him his $3.8 million payout in a civil case against the city of Los Angeles after his 1991 police-beating. And in other Dr. Drew news, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution is pitching a talk-show to networks featuring the doctor that would air starting fall 2011. [TMZ, RadarOnline.com, MediaPost]
Celebrity Rehab 1 & 2 star Jeff Conaway recently fell down a stairway in his Los Angeles home. Early reports that he suffered from a resulting brain hemorrhage and broken neck have been recanted, but it has been confirmed that the fall broke his hip. His girlfriend and Rehab staple Vikki Lizzi suggested that things were looking bleak: “Jeff thinks these are his final days. The story is very complicated, which is why I have to tell it.” VH1′s resident voice of reason, Dr. Drew, however, painted a less fatalistic portrait of Jeff’s condition on his Twitter. “Jeff Conaway’s family has asked me to thank people for the prayers and well wishes. Jeff is awake and stable awaiting surgery on his hip,” reads Drew’s tweet. [E! Online]
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This weekend, TMZ reported two unfortunate items on Celebrity Rehab alumnae. Season 2′s Tawny Kitean was arrested Saturday for suspicion of driving under the influence, while Season 1′s Jaimee Foxworth recently was granted a restraining order against boyfriend Michael Shaw, who is accused of having dragged her through glass at one point, among things. While this move seems to be a step in the right direction for Jaimee (she told TMZ that she “strongly encourages all women to leave unhealthy relationships before it is too late”), Tawny’s situation isn’t so rosy. I’m no doctor, but having talked to Dr. Drew throughout both Rehab seasons, I do know that rehabilitation is an ongoing process that’s partially characterized by such setbacks. If Tawny indeed drove under the influence (she was released after posting $2,500 bail), here’s hoping it turns out to be just a speed bump on her long road to recovery.
If you like VH1 programming, well, get ready for more of it. Many of our successful series, including Tool Academy and I Want To Work for Diddy, have been renewed for additional seasons and are set to return to air shortly. Peep the press release for full details (including your chance to try out for the second season of I Want To Work for Diddy):
On the heels of another viewership milestone, VH1 has ordered additional seasons for six hit series including: I Want To Work For Diddy (season 2), Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (season 3), Brooke Knows Best (season 2), Gotti’s Way (season 2), and Tool Academy (season 2).
In addition, VH1’s own Tiffany “New York” Pollard is set to star in a new show on the channel with New York Goes To Work, where she will have to learn a new job skill each week. VH1 has also greenlit a spin-off of Celebrity Rehab that will venture into the rarely talked about world of sexual addiction in Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew.
The renewals and greenlights arrive as the number of successful VH1 series continue to grow. Rock Of Love Bus with Bret Michaels and I Love Money 2 drew huge audiences in first quarter, averaging at least 1 million total viewers in their premiere episodes. New VH1 shows Tool Academy, VH1 Tough Love, For The Love of Ray J and Sober House all averaged at least 1 million total viewers as well in their premiere episodes throughout this past first quarter. Based on that definition, VH1 has debuted more new hit series than any other cable network so far this year.
“VH1 is riding high on its most successful wave of original hit programming yet. We launched more new hit series than any other cable network in the first quarter of 2009,” said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Production, VH1. “Much of our momentum can be credited to many of the franchises and talent that we’re renewing today. These upcoming projects will continue to set the mark for reality television while connecting with some of the most loyal viewers in all of television.”
VH1 series renewals and new projects include:
This is just a quick heads-up to let you know that Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is set to return for a third season. Premiere date and cast have yet to be determined, but when they are, this blog will deliver the news.
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The second season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is over, but the Rehabbers’ lives are just beginning. VH1 will document their continued effort to stay sober in a new spin-off, Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House, premiering Thursday, Jan. 15 at 10/9c. Full press release below:
At the end of the first season of VH1’s Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew, each cast member was given the opportunity to spend three months living in a sober house as they transitioned from a rehab facility to the real world and many of them quietly took advantage of the opportunity. The cast from season two are also being given that same opportunity…and this time it will be filmed.
Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House is an eight-episode, one hour series that is set to premiere on Thursday, January 15 at 10pm. Moving into the Sober House will be Rodney King, Nikki McKibbin, Steven Adler and Amber Smith from Season 2 of Celebrity Rehab, Seth “Shifty” Binzer and Mary Carey from Season 1 and comedian Andy Dick who will join the show a few episodes in.
