Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) and James Morrison (24)
"Live" from the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Los Angeles, senior editors Matt Mitovich, Mickey O'Connor and Tim Molloy answer your questions. Drop us a line at mega_scoop@tvguide.com.
All I want for Christmas is a spoiler about Juliet from Lost. — Samy
MATT: Hmmm. Since we have missed that Yuletide deadline, how about I promise you a present in time for, I dunno, St. Patrick's Day? Because sadly, the lady doc's Season 5 storyline won't really heat up until then. (But once it does, it'll be in a way that makes some fans very happy.)
Give me some Battlestar scoop. I can't wait until Friday! — Tony
MICKEY: I've been sworn to secrecy by my Sci Fi moles, but let's say this: Just because ...
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Amanda Tapping and Joe Flanigan, Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
9 pm/ET Sci Fi
If you placed a bet that the series would end with the Wraith somehow threatening Earth, you may collect your winnings. The 100th and final episode kicks off with recurring frenemy Todd (Christopher Heyerdahl) tipping off the team about a rogue hive ship that gets bigger and meaner as it gets closer to our world.
Read on for previews of Howie Do It, Monk, Flashpoint and Numb3rs.
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Tony Shalhoub
Monk
9 pm/ET USA
We haven't seen Adrian Monk in action since September, but tonight the wait comes to an end — at least temporarily. In this special Christmas episode, three homeless men seek out Monk during the holidays to investigate the death of their friend.
Read on for previews of SpongeBob SquarePants, Guy's Family Feast, Kids + Money and Psych.
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Masi Oka, Heroes
TV Guide's Senior Critic Matt Roush takes your TV questions. Have a rant, rave or burning question about your favorite show you'd like addressed? E-mail him here!
Question: Would you say Heroes decline in viewership is similar to the decline that Lost suffered after its first season? Lost originally had huge numbers when it debuted, but steadily declined because casual fans found the show "too mysterious" and that there were "too many questions and not enough answers." Would it be safe to say the mainstream, sci-fi shows that are aired on major networks may all suffer from this fate in some form or another? I know a lot of people blame Heroes' decline on poor writing (I don't watch the show so I can't say for myself) as opposed to the impatience some viewers experienced with Lost, but both shows seem to have a very solid fan base who will watch no matter what. Do you see NBC doing what it can to save Heroes the way ABC did with Lost? — Sarah S.
Matt Roush: I see quite a few similarities here, in part because I never expected either show to do as well as they did in their first seasons ...
See the rest of Matt's answer and questions on My Own Worst Enemy, The Shield, Worst Week, Monk, Friday Night Lights and more after the jump.
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Monk
USA Network has announced its pick-up of an eighth and final season of Monk. Find out wen it will air and for how many episodes, after the jump.
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Tony Shalhoub by Evans Vestal Ward/USA Network Photo
TV has really put the “labor” in Labor Day week. It’s only the third day of September, and what is many years a sleepy week has already seen the premiere of six major series (network and cable), with roughly four more (if you count Bravo’s Top Design) on tap for tonight. I dealt with several of these shows already in my Roush Review column—FX’s The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, Fox’s Prison Break, TNT’s Raising the Bar and HBO’s True Blood—but here are some more thoughts on a week so busy it’s hard to fathom that the official network premiere week is nearly three weeks away.Gossip Girl Rocks. Some of the most fun I’ve had in front of the TV in the last week or so (when I’m not absorbed in U.S. Open tennis play) was zipping through the first three episodes of Gossip Girl’s hilariously sizzling second season. On Monday night, we learned that mopey Serena was getting through her summer-without-Dan by watching The Close...
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Monk by Isabella Vosmikova/USA Network
Monk Fridays at 9 pmET USA is back with an aptly named episode Surly Detection A submarine skipper wants to give Monk Das Boot when the sleuth investigates a suspicious suicide for Natalies old Navy friend Casper Van Dien Since claustrophobia ranks high on Monks list of fears he freaks out on the sub Although Monk quickly fingers William Athertons by-the-book commander as the killer the story is just beginning Our show is like Columbo Its more about how they did it than who did it says executive producer Randy Zisk The show also relishes making its hero acutely uncomfortable Monk is in the worst place he can be [an enclosed] space underwater Theres no [way to escape and] that makes it more fun You bet it does particularly when Monk hallucinates that his new therapist Hector Elizondos Dr Bell is talking him through his anxiety The one advantage to an imaginary shrink Theres no fear of being charged for an extra session G J Donnelly
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Brad Garrett in Monk by Trae Patton/USA Network Photo
Cheers to Brad Garrett for his image-changing guest spot on Monk. The 'Til Death star livened up the seventh-season premiere as "Honest Jake," a murderous handyman hired by Tony Shalhoub's obsessive-compulsive detective to fix up his new house. (The inside joke here, of course, is that Garrett was TV's original poster boy for OCD as cop Robert Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond.) The 6'8" Garrett effectively used his size for menace rather than mirth. Maybe he can intimidate Death's writers to give him scripts equal to his talent.• 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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USA Network's Monk returns on Friday, July 18, and stepping in as the OCDetective's psychiatrist is Hector Elizondo. The Chicago Hope alum recently stopped by to talk about his late Monk predecessor, Stanley Kamel, preview his shrink's own relationship with Tony Shalhoub's sleuth, and share some memories about Pretty Woman Julia Roberts. Hector and I also talk about how Alzheimer's has touched each of our families. — Matt Mitovich
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Tony Shalhoub by Gavin Bond/USA Network
Tony Shalhoub is excellent as "Adrian Monk," a former San Francisco police detective suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. His list of quirks is nearly endless, yet they don't prevent him from solving difficult cases as a consultant for the police. With help from Natalie, his assistant, Mr. Monk fights through his phobias to bring order to the streets. This 4-disc set from Universal includes all 16 episodes from the sixth season, presented in Anamorphic Widescreen, and offers commentary tracks with the cast and crew. Notable guest stars include Sarah Silverman, Sharon Lawrence, Snoop Dogg, Diedrich Bader, Alfred Molina, Angela Kinsey, Gail O'Grady, and Dan Castellaneta. — Gord LaceyMonk Season 6 on Amazon.com.
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