According to a  deadline.com article this week, Steve Carell, star of The Office said in a BBC Radio interview that he intends to exit NBC’s top comedy series at the end of next season when his contract is up.

Presumably, this move would pave the way for Carell to put all his focus on his movie career.

The transformation from TV star to movie star is a common one as well as a risky one.  Throughout history, we’ve seen careers built and careers flounder with this very maneuver.

In fact, just this week, the Radio Happy Hour welcomed back Amy and Nancy Harrington, the “Pop Culture Passionistas” of PopCulturePassionistas.com/ to share their lists of Top 5 Best (and Worst) TV Star to Movie Star Transformations.

The Pop Culture Passionistas come on at the 17:25 mark

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5 Best TV Star to Movie Star Transformations

5.   Bruce Willis

4.   Will Smith

3.   Bill Murray

2.   George Clooney

1. Tom Hanks (left)

5.   Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

4.   Shelly Long

3.   Ellen DeGeneres

2.   The Cast of Friends except Jennifer Aniston

1.   David Caruso (right)

Do you agree? Disagree? We sure had opinions on the show.  Please share yours.

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by Philip Recchia, BlogTalkRadio

While on the et of The Royal Family in 1991, actress Naya Rivera witnessed star Redd Foxx suffer a fatal heart attack at the age of 68.  Eleven years later, she won a recurring role on The Bernie Mac Show – whose star, Bernie Mac, would die tragically of complications from pneumonia in 2008, at age 50.

Also during her Bernie Mac run, in 2004, Naya landed a guest spot on 8 Simple Rules, just months after star John Ritter fell ill on the set – on September 11 – and died later that day of a congenital heart defect.

Less than a year after Naya’s appearance on John’s final TV project, the sitcom tumbled to 94th place in the Nielsen ratings, and was unceremoniously canceled.

Now, with Naya’s latest sitcom, Glee, set to launch May 19 on Fox – immediately following powerhouse hit American Idol – she fears her co-stars will be put off by “The Curse of the Sitcom Kid.”

“Everyone on Glee is gonna be like, ‘Oh, something bad’s gonna happen because Naya’s on,’” she says this week on Dr. Blogstein’s Radio Happy Hour.

Earlier in the show, Naya, now 22, recounts her experience watching Redd’s demise.

“It was really weird because I was, like, five and a half, and I got rushed upstairs and I didn’t know what was going on. And now, looking back on it, I’m like, that’s freaky,” she tells host Dr. Blogstein.

“I watched a legend die.”

“Everyone thought he was joking. And then they were like, Oh, snap! He’s for real. It was kind of like the universe answering what he’d been putting out forever,” Naya adds, referring to the “I’m coming, Elizabeth!” fake-cardiac-arrest routine Redd immortalized on Sanford and Son during the ‘70s.

To hear the entire Naya Rivera interview, click play below:

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Coming up this week on DR. BLOGSTEIN’S RADIO HAPPY HOUR: (Live on Tuesday July 22nd at 9PM ET and forever archived at BlogTalkRadio.)

Francia Raisa comes in at the 8:55 mark

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The stunning Francia Raisa will make her return to the Radio Happy Hour.

Francia, who we met back in the spring, is now starring in Dr. Blogstein’s latest obsession, The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

We’ll find out how her life has changed since the premiere of this record breaking ABC Family Channel series, get the inside scoop about her cast mates, including former Blogstein guest Daren Kagasoff and find out what fans can expect from the rest of the first season for Francia’s character Adrian.

All that, plus, Vinny Bond in the Radio Happy Hour Lounge to chat live with the listeners, Justin the Weatherman walks the fine line between funny and offensive and we’ll take your calls at 646-652-4804.

Join us live every Tuesday night at 9PM ET. The Radio Happy Hour Lounge-a live chat room during show time-is a whole new reason to make sure you listen live! It’s the show within the show!

But if you can’t and miss us live, we’re ALWAYS ON at www.DrBlogstein.com

Coming up this week on DR. BLOGSTEIN’S RADIO HAPPY HOUR: (Live on Tuesday June 17th at 9PM ET and forever archived at BlogTalkRadio.)

On April 24, 2007, Jane defeated Neil the Lawyer in the first installment of Blogstein Idol.

Now, over a year later, Dangerous Lee challenges Defending Champion Jane in another Karaoke Grudge Match.

Also, an interview with Deal or No Deal model Tameka Jacobs.

Jacobs, who is case model #21 on the hit NBC game show, is not just another pretty face. She made national headlines before she was even able to speak when she was the centerpiece of a groundbreaking and racially charged custody battle.

All that, plus Vinny Bond drags his Big Leather Couch into the Radio Happy Hour Lounge to chat live with the listeners, Justin the Weatherman and we’ll take your calls at 646-652-4804.

Join us live every Tuesday night at 9PM ET. The Radio Happy Hour Lounge-a live chat room during show time-is a whole new reason to make sure you listen live! It’s the show within the show!

But if you can’t and miss us live, we’re ALWAYS ON at www.DrBlogstein.com

Coming up this week on DR. BLOGSTEIN’S RADIO HAPPY HOUR: (Live on Tuesday May 27th at 9PM ET and forever archived at BlogTalkRadio.)

Dr. B and Dangerous Lee welcome Judge Alex E. Ferrer of TV’s Judge Alex.

Judge Alex is the only television judge with extensive police, legal and judicial experience, presiding over a wide array of cases, resolving complicated issues with his straight forward approach and cogent rulings. He’s also a Cuban refugee, fleeing Fidel Castro’s Communist regime at when he was one year old.

Then, Dr. B’s buddy Frank “franQ” Anthony Polito will stop by to discuss his new book “Band Fags“. The book, which is a semi-autobiographic coming-of-age while coming-out story, includes a chapter that takes place at a Judy Tenuta show.

We’ll find out just how semi-autobiographic the book is, whether franQ has plans to get gay married in California and we’ll play a round of “Are You Gayer Than a franQ Grader“

Also, musician Celeste Lear, known to her friends as “One-Ear Lear” because she is deaf in one ear, will stop by to play some tunes and to talk about her famous grandfather, inventor of the Lear Jet and the 8-Track.

All that, plus Vinny Bond drags his Big Leather Couch into the Radio Happy Hour Lounge to chat live with the listeners, Justin the Weatherman and we’ll take your calls at 646-652-4804.

Join us live every Tuesday night at 9PM ET. The Radio Happy Hour Lounge-a live chat room during show time-is a whole new reason to make sure you listen live! It’s the show within the show!

But if you can’t and miss us live, we’re ALWAYS ON at www.DrBlogstein.com