Mega Buzz on Housewives, Terminator, The Closer & More
Marcia Cross by Danny Feld/ABC; Summer Glau by Jill Greenberg/Fox; Kyra Sedgwick by Andrew Eccles/TNT
Senior editors Matt Webb Mitovich and Mickey O'Connor answer your burning questions.
I'd love it if you could give a "hint" as to whom on Wisteria Lane Desperate Housewives' Dave Williams has a vendetta against? - Barbara Matt: Hint, coincidence or sloppy character-naming? You decide. George-the-nutty-pharmacist's last name was Williams.
I need scoop about what is going on with Cameron on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Sookie on True Blood. - Sarah Matt: Tackling Terminator first, are you ready for some girl-on-girl action? Because the Oct. 20 episode finds Cameron slugging it out with another fierce fembot - all within the confines of an elevator. I need a cigarette already. Mickey: I'm going to give you a non-spoiler spoiler about True Blood. I accidentally found out who the serial killer is the other day, and it kind of broke my heart. (Hint: It's one of the "good" guys.)
Have anything juicy on Gossip Girl? - Kate Mickey: Remember how Nate and his mom helped The Captain escape prosecution? Well, I'm hearing that Mr. Archibald (Sam Robards) will reward their loyalty by double-crossing them! Which is pretty crummy considering Nate almost became a manwhore to fix the family's money problems. Thanks, Dad!
Could you indulge my Bones theory? Considering a) the big backlash against making Zack evil, b) the "backtrack" by making Zack not the killer and empirically repentant and c), the lack of a permanent lab replacement, will Gormogon's apprentice be doing some community service time at the Jeffersonian? - Charles Mickey: I will indulge your theory, Charles, but as we've already seen, Zack can sneak out of the booby hatch to go back to work at the Jeffersonian almost any time he likes! Yes, Eric Millegan is going to show up "periodically" this season, but I'm guessing it won't always be in this unique professional capacity.
Any chance of Zooey Deschanel turning up on Bones? - David Mickey: At the moment, no. The producers are fans, but don't hold your breath for Brennan's "long-lost sister" to pop up or anything.
Need scoopage on Lipstick Jungle and Private Practice! - Jill Matt: Airdate alert! Former Las Vegas minx Vanessa Marcil's trio of Lipstick episodes kick off Nov. 11. Watch for her to set her sights on Paul Blackthorne's character, much to Brooke Shields' no-likey. As for Private (as they call it in the ABC hallways), be sure to check out my fresh Q&A with Paul Adelstein. Also, 24 fans should be glad to "spy" Leslie Hope in the Oct. 22 episode.
Is Dell gone for good? - Melissa Matt: Depends on what you mean by "gone." Gone from Oceanside Wellness? I now shall emulate a certain governor and ignore your question to instead tease my upcoming video of Chris Lowell talking all about Dell's possible (and pregnant!) new love interest.
Do you have anything on The Closer's Brenda and Fritz? - Maya Matt: I have more than "anything"; I have teases straight from the series' creator. "The next five episodes will revolve around the resolution of the engagement between Fritz and Brenda," says James Duff, who promises a trio of appearances by Brenda's parents (aka Barry Corbin and Frances Sternhagen) as well as "a special star turn" by Billy Burke (Twilight). Duff also let slip one other thing, but it sounded like a news story in and of itself, so shhh!
What will happen to Pushing Daisies after getting such low ratings? I seriously don't want to see that show gone. - Marin Mickey: Nor do I, especially since what I've seen of Season 2 is just as creative and fulfilling as its eight pre-strike episodes were. I just spoke with Pieman Lee Pace himself about this very issue, and he maintains that series creator Bryan Fuller's unique vision has the support of ABC. That said, I'm guessing that if the ratings don't perk up, Ned's magic finger might come in handy.
Is The Mentalist a hit because of its great ratings? - Keith Matt: I'm don't pay attention quite as well as Simon Baker pseudo-psychic, but I'd say so! In fact, last Friday the Eye ordered six more scripts.
Dirty Sexy Money's second season opener was awesome! Did Tripp's wife kill Nicks father? - Diane Matt: I doubt that Letitia did it - and so does Nick. In related news, watch for Dan Rather to moderate the debate between wannabe senator Patrick Darling and his opponent in the Oct. 22 episode. (Queen Latifah was not available?)
Season 4.0 Battlestar Galactica DVD release date? - Ann Mickey: Our buddy Dave at TVShowsonDVD.com says Season 4.0 is heading your way on January 6, 2009, which is probably around the same time that Sci Fi will resume the final stretch.
I love Lincoln Heights, but it's been on for three seasons now and still no DVDs. Do you have a clue as to why? And what are the chances of it being renewed for a fourth season? - Kirsten Matt: An ABC Family rep wants you to know they're looking into DVD distribution, but there's no release date yet. Similarly, "No decision has been made yet" about Season 4 so keep watching it now and through mid-November, Tuesdays at 8 pm/ET.
Mickey's Mega Rave: Since I've been tasked with writing the episode recaps for Dancing with the Stars this fall, I haven't have a lot of time for other TV on Monday and Tuesday nights. When the weekend rolls around, my TiVo is chock-full of great viewing: Gossip Girl, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, Fringe, 90210 and House. I am officially part of the DVR generation!
Matt's Mini Rant: I know, Mickey, that's it's akin to kvetching, "So sunny!" But really, one man's "chock full" is another man's "glut." I'd need Sheldon, Leonard and the boys to rewire my DVR to come close to capturing Monday-night's TV offerings alone! What say we remove Saturday of its wasteland status and slot some of the family-friendlier low- to mid-range series there?
Reader Quote of the Week: "What girl wouldn't prefer a heartfelt pre-set 'how R U' over flowers and a personal visit in a time of great need? It's just so sweet, it brings a tear to my eye!" (Mr. Furley, on David Spade's "cellular" outreach to troubled gal pal Heather Locklear)
Pushing Daisies' Lee Pace on Pieman Ned's Special Touch
"Poor Ned!" says Lee Pace, of the romantic piemaker he plays on ABC's fantastical Pushing Daisies (Wednesdays, 8 pm/ET, ABC). You think you have problems with your love life? Ned's current romantic entanglement is a doozy, boasting a very unusual obstacle. Because of his special gift (he can bring things back to life with just a touch, but if he touches them again, they die forever), his one true love, played by Anna Friel, is one big hands-off zone, owing to her having once been deceased. Can you imagine? Pace tells us how Season 2 will examine Ned's sexual frustration, his dysfunctional families both literal and figurative and Chuck's biggest secret of all. Mickey O'Connor
TVGuide.com: Pushing Daisies is so visually colorful, with a very specific, rich, saturated palette. So why is Ned always stuck wearing drab black or white all the time? Lee Pace: That was my idea. It makes sense for the character; he's the center of this mad world.
TVGuide.com: It is a mad world. Have you ever gotten any pressure, either from the inside or the outside, to tone down the show's fairy-tale quality and make it more accessible, more real? Pace: It's all about [series creator] Bryan Fuller really. He has really, really good taste. The network supports him, and we all support him. I think the show combines comedy and heartbreak, and when it all comes together with the look of it, I don't think there's an answer for how that formula came to be. When you can watch Pushing Daisies or a movie on On Demand, we want to make the show as satisfying as a movie.
TVGuide.com: Family seems to be a recurring theme this season Emerson's, Chuck's will we ever meet Ned's family, whether they be alive or dead at the moment? Pace: You're absolutely right family is a big issue this season, how what went on in their pasts has made them the people they are now. Later this season, Chuck and Olive take it upon themselves to find Ned's twin half-brothers, and they make life very complicated for Ned. But it's good for him. He's got a lot of problems, a lot of hang-ups that he's not particularly ready to confront. But he does, and I think in every episode you see Ned take a step forward. It's all about making life complicated for Ned. Poor Ned!
TVGuide.com: Speaking of "poor Ned," the show is very quaint, very old-fashioned and innocent. But since Ned can't ever touch Chuck, will his sexual frustration ever become an issue? Pace: Yes, I think so, for both of them. They've been together for over a year now, and it's getting complicated. Is this going to be it for the rest of their lives spooning through plastic? I like that Bryan Fuller is tackling these things with them because it makes them more grown-up, that they actually do have a sex life.
TVGuide.com: Let's talk about the "no touching" rule. Is there someone whose job it is to patrol that? Has there ever been a time that you've had to change the way something is filmed say, an action scene to ensure they don't ever touch? Pace: Oh yeah, when we're standing together at the Pie Hole counter, we'll always touch a little bit, and then we have to reshoot it. There's a scene in the episode "Circus Circus" [which airs Wednesday] where Anna and I decided we were going to play "slap jack" [in which one player tries to yank their hands away before the other slaps them], which is basically Russian roulette for Chuck. And then [executive producer] Barry Sonnenfeld watched the dailies and said, "What were you thinking, and who let you get away with this?"
TVGuide.com: Was that just something you improvised? Pace: Yeah, we thought it would be funny. We didn't want to just be sitting in a booth. But they couldn't use the scene, because as an audience, you're really invested in the idea that if she touches him, she's dead. You don't want Chuck to die.
TVGuide.com: Has there ever been a time where a touching gaffe has made it to screen? I haven't noticed any. Pace: No, but there are times when, because of the way it's filmed, I'll be reaching across in front of her or something, and it might look like we're touching; it's a little too close for comfort. We have to be clean when we're shooting. From the beginning, I've been sitting on my hands and shoving my hands in my pockets. Ned loves Chuck so much, it's always on the front of his mind. It's the psychology of the character.
TVGuide.com: Will Chuck's secret ever be discovered or is it the part of the DNA of the show that it never will? Pace: Well, she hasn't been found out in a big way yet. But, as I said, the show is about making life hard for Chuck and Ned, and that would certainly make life hard for them. I think it's Ned's deepest, darkest fear, because then he'd be found out, and then he turns into E.T.
Models Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, Selita Ebanks, Marisa Miller and others are expected to strut the runway in "angel"-like and barely-there Victoria's Secret fashions.
The hotel boasts a magnificent setting for the fashion show since undergoing a billion-dollar renovation.
Lifetime Movie Network has announced pre-production on The Natalee Holloway Story, which will air sometime next year.
The TV movie will dramatize the story of the 18-year-old Alabama native who disappeared in May 2005 during a high school trip to Aruba, reports Variety. Although no body was ever found, Holloway's family believes she was murdered.
Senior VP in charge of original movies, Tanya Lopez, says the network will be "working closely" with Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty, "to raise awareness of how to keep our children safe at all times."
The movie is said to focus on a love story but one between mother and daughter.
No word on who will play Natalee or her mother.
Are you interested in seeing a movie about Natalee Holloway's life and disappearance? Erin Fox
Tony Rock, who just happens to Chris Rock's brother, is his own man, with his own show. The former star of Will Smith's All of Us, has a new series called The Tony Rock Project that premieres Oct. 8 at 9 pm/ET on MyNetwork. The show is a mix of man-on-the-street interviews, sketch comedy and even some celebrity "stuff" (Find out which celeb makes an appearance at the 0:40 mark). Tony sat down with Erin Fox to talk about his hysterical new show, how his huge family influences his comedy and shares advice for up-and-coming comedians.
VIDEO: Will Peter Krause Have a Dirty Sexy Affair?
As evidenced by the season opener, Peter Krause says Dirty Sexy Money will "live up to the title this season more so than last." Though ABC was concerned about the characters being nice and likeable, he argues, "You can't make a high-stakes primetime soap with people getting stabbed in the back."
In this video, Krause goes on to ponder Letitia Darling's arrest ("Nick is more suspicious of someone else"), the prospect of Nick defending his own father's killer (at the 2:25 mark), and the possibility that Simon has a hand in this latest wrinkle (3:00).
As for things being "OK" with his alter ego's marriage, Krause counters that Nick and Lisa "are on pretty shaky ground" (3:25), adding that Karen (and her considerable charms) might not be the only female interloper to worry about! Matt Mitovich
The comedy is based on the semi-autobiographical book by Jessica Cutler about the "sexploits" of a low-level female congressional staffers, titled Washingtonienne, says The Hollywood Reporter.
The story revolves around the lives of three smart, sophisticated 28-year-old girls working on the Hill: Jackie (Taylor), an intern with ambition to be a speechwriter, April (Tulloch), who has worked on the Hill since graduation and Laura (Walsh), a workaholic Republican who is always defending her views to more liberal friends. (Three guesses as to who Elisabeth Hasselbeck will be rooting for!).
Susanna Fogel and Joni Lefkowitz wrote the script for Washingtonienne and are executive producing with Parker, Sarah Condon and Stacy Taub.
No word on whether Ms. Parker will make a cameo as her own version of a Washingtonienne.
Given the recent political climate and the absence of shows like The West Wing, will you be tuning in to Washingtonienne? Erin Fox
My Boys will be back in town. The critically acclaimed sitcom has been picked up for a third season by TBS.
The series stars Jordana Spiro as PJ Franklin, a 20-something sportswriter looking for love in Chicago.
PJ spends her days covering sports for a major Chicago newspaper and her nights hanging out with friends playing poker or sharing drinks at their favorite hangout, Crowley's.
"This past summer, My Boys continued to catch on with audiences and critics," said Michael Wright, senior vice president of the Content Creation Group for TBS. "It's that truly rare television combination of a talented cast with great chemistry, extremely smart and funny writing and outstanding production."
Are you excited to sit down with your boys and a few brewskies to watch another season of My Boys? Erin Fox
Ratings: CBS' Comedies Are (Mostly) Looking Pretty
The Big Bang Theory by Cliff Lipson/CBS
Monday's ratings highlights:
8 pm/ET Dancing with the Stars was the night's most-watched program, holding relatively steady week-to-week with 18.8 million total viewers. CBS' comedy combo of Big Bang (9.33 mil) and Mother (8.96 mil) continues to pack some punch, with the laffers gaining 615K and 150K, respectively.
Chuck, dipping 11 percent (to 5.89 million), was nearly terminated by Sarah Connor (5.6 mil), which enjoyed a gain of 280 thousand.
9 pm Two and a Half Men placed a strong second behind DWTS (and bested the ABC juggernaut in demos), inching up to 13.94 million viewers. Lead-out Worst Week, however, dropped another 500K, to 8.79 mil or 63 percent retention. Heroes (8.2 mil) slipped another 12 percent, while Prison Break (5.43 mil) added 170 thou.
10 pm CSI: Miami drew 13.6 mil, shedding 700K (as Horatio continues to glare at Kyle Bornheimer.) Boston Legal placed second with 9.4 mil (down 400K). NBC's Life (5.78 million) was down more than a mil from its week-ago premiere, yet up a bit from its original Friday outing.
The original series starred Saunders and Joanna Lumley as Edina and Patsy, two booze hound best friends who desperately try to stay hip and young. It was a huge hit in Britain and successful import for Comedy Central, reports Variety.
In the U.K., Ab Fab ran as a regular series from 1992-95, and included a two-part finale that aired in 1996.
The new Fox vehicle will be transplanted to L.A. while holding on to the basic premise of the U.K. version and will center around the friendship of two ladies, who carry on their shenanigans under the disapproving eye of Edina's teenage daughter, Saffy.
The new vehicle will be executive produced by Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum for Sony Pictures TV, Tantamount and BBC Worldwide America.
Will you bust out the martinis and watch the new Ab Fab? Do you think this redo will take in the U.S.? Erin Fox
"David has successfully completed his rehabilitation," Duchovny's lawyer, Larry Stein, told TVGuide.com in a statement. "He is out of rehab and will be starting a movie soon." The X-Files and Californication star, 48, voluntarily checked himself in for treatment in August.
Duchovny is married to actress Tιa Leoni, with whom he has a nine-year-old daughter and six-year-old son.
While the actor's on-screen character, Hank Moody, struggles with constant temptation of the flesh in Showtime's Californication, let's hope that the real-life actor has put his own struggle behind him.
Do you think he can get a fresh start? Anna Dimond
FX has decided to keep the motor of its new bad-boy biker drama Sons of Anarchy running for a second season.
The Fox 21- and FX-produced series received a 13-episode second season order Monday after only the first five episodes of its current run. During those five weeks, the newbie drama has averaged 5.4 million viewers weekly and 3.5 million adults 18-49, making it FX's most successful series since Rescue Me.
The show's success is no doubt a relief to the FX execs who are soon bidding adieu to the The Shield, the series that put the network's original programming on the map. Its incredibly gratifying to everyone at FX [that The Shield's] audience has embraced Sons of Anarchy and made it a success," John Landgraf, president and general Manager of FX Networks, said in a statement.
The remaining eight episodes of Son of Anarchy's first season air each Wednesday night at 10 pm/ET until Nov. 26. Are you excited for more leather-clad biker action? Adam Bryant
Eastwood: Is Jolie Too "Gorgeous" for Her Own Good?
Angelina Jolie by Theo Wargo/WireImage.com
Angelina Jolie may be envied around the world for her stunning looks, but could her beauty be holding back her career?
"She's somewhat hampered sometimes by having this gorgeous face, the most gorgeous face on the planet," Clint Eastwood said of the actress, according to People.
"But," he added, "she is a great talent, and it would be easy to overlook that, except after seeing this you realize that she is this great, talented person."
Jolie stars in Eastwood's upcoming film, The Changeling, about a 1920s woman who fights to find her son after a kidnapping. Her looks, however, don't seem to "hamper" this performance or her suitability for the role.
Do gorgeous women really have it rough when it comes to being serious actresses? Anna Dimond
Since almost the start of this season and this Ocean's 11-like caper being orchestrated by Michael and the Fox River Remnants, stalwart Scofield has been plagued by intermittent nosebleeds. Thus far, Linc has taken notice, and he obviously suspects what the cause might be, having seen his younger brother exhibit the same symptoms when he was 11.
Those with good memories recall that Michael's mother was felled by cancer when he was a kid. Perhaps her son has been in remission with his own form of the stubborn disease?
Any speculation on Michael's health sitch will come to an end in this week's episode, sources tell me, when Lincoln loops in Sarah on Michael's history.
Will Michael's medical crisis force him to decide between his own well-being and the success of the mission which he and the gang have so adamantly been pursuing? Might he elect to disregard his diagnosis for the greater good?
"I think that theres definitely a price to be paid for this little adventure," Wentworth Miller said when I asked him about Prison Break ultimately and ironically ending its run with Michael's death. "Can there be any sort of redemption for Michael? What would that look like? What would that take? Perhaps laying down his life so that someone else can live might be one answer to that question." — Matt Mitovich
