Cheers to Jessica Walter for continuing to develop her career after more than 40 years. The versatile actress recurs as Holly Hunter's in-denial mom on Saving Grace and recently guested as a mother-in-law from hell on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Plus, she's been cast as a '70s movie star-turned-alcoholic granny on The CW's update of 90210. (Walter's fans will recall she was a movie star in the '70s, most notably as a psycho in Clint Eastwood's proto-Fatal Attraction thriller, Play Misty for Me). And if the reports are to be believed, Walter will soon reprise her Emmy-nominated role as Lucille Bluth in a big-screen version of Arrested Development. Pretty impressive, considering most actresses of Walter's age can't get arrested. • Share your own raves and rants about other shows on the Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board.• We may feature your Cheer or Jeer on TVGuide.com or in TV Guide magazine!
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It isn't Kelly Bishop, but this will do rather nicely: Sources confirm to me exclusively that Arrested Development's grande dame, Jessica Walter, has been cast as hard-drinkin', faded, '70s-movie-star Tabitha Mills on the CW's fast-tracked-for-fall 90210 update.To recap: Tabitha is the grandmother of the show's central teens, siblings Brenda Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Brandon Walsh Dixon Mills. As I reported yesterday, Lori Loughlin will play the pair's mother. The role of the dad (and Tabitha's son) has yet to be cast. I don't know about you, by my excitement about this show just swelled tenfold.This Just In: Dirt's Ryan Eggold has snagged the role of Ryan "the teacher."Related:• Hilary Duff Out, Degrassi Teen In at New 90210• Exclusive: Lori Loughlin Is 90210's New Cindy Walsh
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Question: It seems to me that TV is constantly going younger. I greatly miss Jessica Walter on Arrested Development, and now with the cancellation of Gilmore Girls I'll miss Kelly Bishop. While Sally Field is wonderful on Brothers & Sisters, I can't help but wonder what the future holds for older actresses on TV, or if audiences must grow even more accustomed to viewing shows targeted for a much younger audience.
Answer: I think you're already seeing it. TV is a demographics game, and the focus on who's winning in the 18-49 sweepstakes has become much more pronounced the longer I've been covering this beat. If we're lucky, the example set by Sally Field will encourage other shows, producers and networks to create similarly meaty roles for veteran actors of both genders. But these stars will rarely be asked to carry a show, it seems. Hard to imagine a network giving a shot to a Golden Girls-style show anymore, which is a real shame ...
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So the runaway bride returned tonight for a second shot at wedded bliss, only to run again! This time I thought for sure it would have been her beau, Lucas (Jeffrey Stubblefield), who would have bailed in the final moments. Especially after he admitted to David how embarrassed he was when DeDe (Pamela Adlon) ran out on him the first time. I could have sworn he had the look of sweet revenge in his eyes, but I guess I was wrong. Further proof that my guessing skills were completely off this evening, I also found myself incorrectly thinking Cedric was going to tell Debbie he was ready to take the plunge, when he first pulled her aside tonight. I'm not sure I could have been more wrong on that one. Telling Debbie it would take "no longer than six years" for him to make his decision made my jaw drop. Surely he had to know how Debbie would react and if he didn't, then he must not know her very well. To say she was pissed would be a huge understatement. Ironically, on the other end of t...
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It's been a bittersweet week for Arrested Development fans. We got to see the cast reunited at the Emmys, though everyone knew a win for Fox's dearly departed comedy was a long shot. Then Season 3 was released on DVD this week, but for many, this, too, is a reminder of the show's premature demise. To ease our pain, TVGuide.com called Michael Cera (aka painfully awkward teen George-Michael Bluth), who was back at home in Toronto and has apparently recovered nicely from AD's cancellation.
TVGuide.com: Um, do you know that Warrant's "Cherry Pie" plays on your phone line before you answer?Michael Cera: Yeah, I get a lot of calls from people who hang up right away after hearing that, thinking they've called some weird wrong number. I
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