View full sizeJoy (Jane Leeves, on floor) and Melanie (Valerie Bertinelli) start the day after Elka's bachelorette party.Preview
Hot in Cleveland
What:
The Season 2 finale of the cable hit.
When: 10 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: TV Land.
See Diva in 'Hot'
Viewing party
What:
Join us for a viewing party of the season finale of "Hot in Cleveland," in which Pop Diva Andrea Simakis is an extra.
When: The Diva will be holding court starting at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. The show begins at 10 p.m.
Where: Market Garden Brewery, 1947 West 25th St., Cleveland. The recently opened brewery is adjacent to the West Side Market in Ohio City.
Information: marketgardenbrewery.com or 216-621-4000.
Also: Casting directors who would like the Diva to grace their Cleveland film productions should email her at asimakis@plaind.com. She's more than ready for her close-up.
Read more 'Diva'
The second season of "Hot in Cleveland" started with Elka Ostrovsky (Betty White) in a jail cell. It ends, at 10 p.m. Wednesday, with her heading for the altar.
Does she make it? Having traded that orange prison garb for a wedding dress, does Elka get all the way to the "I do" part? Will her wedding to Fred (Buck Henry) come off without a hitch (or at least with her getting hitched)?
You savvy sitcom watchers are probably expecting the second-season finale to end with another Elka-centric cliffhanger, and although there are plenty of comedic surprises in the episode titled "Elka's Wedding," revealing anything about the last five minutes would be revealing too much. Let's just say that the 32nd episode of "Hot in Cleveland" is very much in keeping with the lunatic spirit that shaped the preceding 31.
You're invited to the ceremony, and the guest list also includes Henry, Dick Van Patten, nine-time Emmy winner Carl Reiner (returning as Max) and the one person who could go insult for insult with White's Elka and live to tell the tale, Don Rickles.
So there are plenty of giddy reasons to attend "Elka's Wedding," not the least of which is to engage in a rousing game of "Spot the Diva." It probably won't catch on like "Where's Waldo?" and "Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?" -- but The Plain Dealer's own Pop Diva, Andrea Simakis, did pop in on the "Hot in Cleveland" set in April to film her big scene as an extra (a nonspeaking role in group scenes).
It's a little hometown extra for a show that Cleveland has taken to its heart. This was emphatically and officially underscored in June when "Hot in Cleveland" stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and White received keys to the city from Mayor Frank Jackson. They also attended an event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and Bertinelli threw out a ceremonial first pitch at Progressive Field before an Indians game.
This was the cast's first visit to Cleveland, and it put a regional exclamation point on a second season that has exceeded TV Land's fondest wishes. Premiering in June 2010, "Hot in Cleveland" was the rerun-heavy cable channel's first original scripted comedy. The 10-episode first season scored impressive ratings, and the order for the second season was boosted from 20 to 22 episodes.
The show continued to make wonderful use of its guest stars during its sophomore year, finding fabulous guest stints for the likes of Mary Tyler Moore (White's co-star on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"), Melanie Griffith, Jimmy Kimmel, Bonnie Franklin (Bertinelli's co-star on "One Day at a Time"), Jennifer Love Hewitt, John Mahoney (Leeves' co-star on "Frasier"), Doris Roberts and George Wendt.
View full sizeHere comes the bride, Elka (Betty White).The success of "Hot in Cleveland" also has encouraged TV Land to develop more original sitcoms, including "Retired at 35" with George Segal and "Happily Divorced" starring Fran Drescher. A "Hot in Cleveland" spinoff is being developed for Cedric the Entertainer as the Rev. Boyce character introduced on last week's episode.
Wednesday night's episode begins with the three friends planning a wild bachelorette party for Elka. Victoria (Malick) is miffed when a Cleveland police officer recognizes her and says she is a local celebrity. The former soap star still thinks of herself as a national celebrity.
The party apparently goes a little too well, since Melanie (Bertinelli), Joy (Leeves) and Victoria can't seem to remember it the next day. Their only clues are a large iguana and sleeping frat boys.
Hangovers and out-of-control hairdos notwithstanding, they must find Elka, who again has gone missing.
What isn't missing is a successful formula that recalls a bygone time when sitcoms rode high in the affections of viewers. Strengthening the formula this season have been more Cleveland-specific references in the scripts. Credit three "Hot in Cleveland" producers from Northeast Ohio.
Steve Skrovan, a graduate of Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, is a writer and co-executive producer, as is Akron native Rachel Sweet. And Robert Heath, who is from Akron, is the show's line producer.
The 24-episode third season begins Wednesday, Nov. 30.