Mega Buzz on Lost, Law & Order: CI, Sex & More!

Was Lost hasty in giving Michael the hook? Which of the Law & Orders has bid adieu to some fans' favorite? Is ABC's Life on Mars already on a shaky mission? In this launch of Mega Buzz, a new weekly column, I'll field your questions about your favorite shows. If there is a topic you want to see covered or a question you'd like to ask, this e-mail is the place to do it.
Since we're just starting out here, I'll have to settle for answering my own questions. Hope I'm not a smart-ass to myself.
Question: What's your take on Harold Perrineau's Lost exit Q&A?
Mitovich: It's an incendiary topic, but I hear where Perrineau is coming from, on Michael's too-short return. Sure, it (partially) explained what became of the Dawson men after their Season 2 sail-away. But to leave Walt fatherless - and in doing so rob the series of its second barely-used African American character (Mr. Eko, we barely knew ye) - was a questionable move. This country now has its first for-real African-American contender for the White House, and yet TV features few people of color in key roles. I'm not suggesting "affirmative action" in the writers' room. I'm just saying, Where are TV's leading men of color?
Question: Your news story on Law & Order: CI being picked up for an eighth season made no mention of Alicia Witt being in talks to continue on. Is she a goner?
Mitovich: Previously rumored, but now official, Witt (aka Det. Nola Falacci) will not be featured in any of the 12 new CI episodes launching this Sunday. What's more, she definitely is not among the cast members currently hammering out deals for Season 8. Why? Because Julianne Nicholson's maternity leave is over, and Wheeler returns to Logan's side on June 15. In the meantime, CI is still operating sans a show runner - Warren Leight has moved on to seize the reins at HBO's In Treatment.
Question: Loved your exclusive on Cress Williams joining Prison Break. But what about the show's existing Williams, Wade? Is Bellick being left behind at Sona?
Mitovich: The big splashy Prison Break news, of course, has had to do with you-know-who's return. And at last month's Fox upfront, it was that person, Went, Dominic and Amaury representing the series. That, plus the way Season 3 left off, could point to us having seen the last of Bellick. Well-placed sources assure me, however, that Wade will be back this fall - and hopefully dressed in far more generous prison garb.
Question: Is CBS' Swingtown as saucy as we've heard? And is it true that CBS has thrown cold water on the show's swinging sex content?
Mitovich: Swingtown premieres this Thursday, after what seems like (because it, well, was) an eternity since CBS first gave it a green light. Yes, the first episode serves up much swinging, as well as pot use and the dropping of a Quaalude or two. As for reports that the Eye ordered a tone-down of the sex, series stars Grant Show and Molly Parker assured me just this morning that no such travesty has come to pass. The meaningless, casual sex lives.
Question: Is ABC's Life on Mars in trouble already? I've "heard things"....
Mitovich: Not only has ABC's adaptation of the BBC series lost David E. Kelley as a show runner, it's going through other premiering pains. "Some" recasting is already underway, I hear - shades of Moonlight circa summer 2007? - and the show's production is moving from L.A. to... no, not Vancouver, but New York City. (Whew.) Still, a source tells me not to read too much into the changes, and notes that while many of you scoffed at DEK being replaced by a triad from October Road, two of those incoming show runners (Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec) also have Alias on their resumes, indicating that they can bring the edge.
This Week's Mini Rant!
Thank you, CBS, for taking a quiet, cozy little game show like Password and tricking it out with overly dramatic music and a Millionaire-like light show. Hey, Allen Ludden just contacted me via séance to say: " The password is... tacky."
This Week's Mega Rave!
Props to TPTB at Lost for speaking rather plainly about a big twist - but without us even knowing it. Team Darlton revealed a while back that this season's finale jaw-dropper was being referred to as "The Frozen Donkey Wheel." Usually their nicknames for the game-changer is pure non sequitur (and always a form of bread), but this time around they spelled it out for us. Ben literally pushed a frozen donkey wheel to "move" the island. A separate round of kudos to co-executive producer Jean Higgins, who told me weeks ago that the set piece for the big move would be cool. Again, transparent scoop!
Got scoop to share... or scoop you want me to track down and share with you? E-mail me at entertainmentnews@tvguide.com.