Question: Do you have any scoop on the fifth season of The Shield?
Answer: Shooting begins in two weeks and I hear this season's big villain will be an Internal Affairs officer who has been brought in to investigate the Strike Team. Producers may go for a big name for the role. Also, they're hoping to get Anthony Anderson back for an episode or two, his busy schedule permitting.
read more
Answer: This humble game-show host can bluff at poker with the best of them. Question: Who is Alex Trebek? Too bad that he ultimately lost on, well, not Jeopardy!, but Celebrity Poker. Hey, at least he fared better than Sean Connery in an SNL parody of Celebrity Jeopardy!. Tonight was quite an exciting night: Dave had to call for security when Michael Vartan tried to return to the table after getting his butt kicked by Anthony Anderson's quad five slow play; those same fives reared their ugly heads when Alex landed a set to take a bunch of Anthony's cash; and awesome poker-player Annie Duke (whom I want to be just like when I grow up) dropped by for a short visit. So cool, as she's like, the coolest chick in this often male-dominated game. I think that even though she picked newcomer Amber Tamblyn to win, she'd probably be pretty proud that Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines
read more
Question: Well, well. I just heard the Emmy nominations. Those were interesting. I won't go on a complete rant and talk about how their whole system is flawed, but can I float a few nominations and omissions by you that go in the all-time "what was this awards show thinking about" category? Six Feet Under and The West Wing for best drama series. I mean come on. Lost, 24 and Deadwood were all great, but absolutely necessary, choices. Where was House, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck or CSI? That was insane. And how about Shohreh Aghdashloo being left off the ballot? What in the world were these people thinking about? And those are just the first three things that came to my mind. Matt, please. Can you account for any of this?
Answer: Not really. And I'm sick about Aghdashloo from 24, and Anthony Anderson from The Shield, being passed over. They were two of the most compelling guest adversaries I've ever seen, and to ignore them for the likes of Stockard Channing, Tyne Daly (both actresses I admire, but
...
read more
Question: I've been reading your column for a while. I was curious about why I didn't hear about Anthony Anderson getting any kudos. Until this season of The Shield, I thought he would be nothing but a typecast moron. As Antwon, he was the most compelling bad guy The Shield ever had. I hope he somehow comes back in some capacity. (Not sure how, since he's off into witness protection.) My only other question now is, how will I.A. find much on the Strike Team since the past season they stayed relatively clean (compared with previous seasons when they killed cops, stole the money train etc.)?
Answer: Anthony Anderson got plenty of acclaim as Antwon, in this and many other columns. It was a major career breakthrough for him, even factoring in the dismay many feel whenever a minority actor plays a villain (often the juiciest roles; ask Denzel). If Glenn Close got more media attention, it's because she's a bigger star, and it was quite a novelty for someone of her status to appear on a show
...
read more
For every drop of refreshing new blood in this year's Emmy field, there's a stubborn residue of tired old blood. The Emmy nominations are an annual rite of frustration in which every positive breakthrough is balanced by an aggravating snub.
This year is no different. As expected, last year's instant hits on ABC, Desperate Housewives and Lost, got their due, leading the comedy and drama pack respectively (although Housewives was tied with the academy's longtime, and inexplicable, darling Will & Grace with 15 nominations).
But because of the TV academy's regrettable devotion to faded perennials like Will & Grace, The West Wing and Si
read more
