There is nothing like a year away from the limelight to rejuvenate your career. Ask Star Jones, who returned to television on Monday with a daily talk show called 'Star Jones.'
The hour-long live show is on Court TV (truTv starting Jan. 1, 2008) and to my shock, is actually good.
I got the sense that 'Star Jones' might be decent after watching Jones on 'Larry King Live' last Friday.
The last time she sat one-on-one with King, it was following her abrupt departure from 'The View' in June 2006.
She came off as defensive and the bad guy, when in reality, she was probably the victim at the end of the day.
But this go around, Jones came off as humble and ready to tackle the next challenge in her life.
The opening segment, called 'The Wrap Sheet,' featured broadcast journalist Rene Syler, talk show host Geraldo Rivera and 'Access Hollywood' correspondent Shaun Robinson, all three of which are well respected and well known in the industry.
An exclusive interview with Isaiah Washington was the highlight of the first episode, where the fired 'Grey's Anatomy' star talked about his departure from the ABC show and how the murder of his father at the age of 13 has shaped his outlook on life.
Interesting enough, Washington points out that John Amos from 'Good Times' was his male role model growing up as a kid.
Maybe it's just me, but I could picture James Evans dropping a F-bomb or two on his son Michael, so I can see where Washington might have got his inspiration from.
Don't think because Jones and Washington share the same skin color that she came off easy on him during the interview.
Just like the attorney she studied to become, Jones hit Washington with the tough (but fair) questions that a lot of journalists weren't asking during the fallout from his firing.
Love her or hate her, this Star is burning bright once again on our televisions.
More on Star Jones:
Star Jones Reynolds: Love Coach
1. I am glad to see Star Jones back on television but the show just did not keep my attention. It started off with the topic of children of public figures embarrasing their parents and I just thought the topic was not what I expected. Everyone deserves a second chance...let's just see how it goes.
D at 6:28PM on Aug 20th 2007