Hugh Laurie, House
A new and improved selection process for the 2006 Emmy Awards was supposed to pump some new blood into the nominees.
Instead, we got more kudos for The West Wing, Will & Grace and Six Feet Under. There were some inexplicable snubs as well — what's House (nominated for outstanding drama series) without Hugh Laurie (the most glaring omission from the acting categories)?
But if the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is serious about getting some new faces on
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Sebastian Bach, Supergroup
It's hard to stand out in a Supergroup, but Sebastian Bach has emerged as the breakout star of VH1's hard-rocking reality series, which drops the curtain on its first season tonight at 10 pm/ET. The frequent Gilmore Girls guest star checked in with us from London, where he was touring with Guns n' Roses, to talk about living with his Damnocracy
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Question: David's question predicting the best drama series Emmy mentioned Six Feet Under being out of the running. I thought that since Season 5 aired in the summer of 2005, it would still be eligible for this year. I hear so much about Lisa Kudrow's The Comeback getting nods, even though it aired at roughly the same time. And although it's out of sight/out of mind, SFU should be shown some Emmy love, at least with nominations for "All Alone" (the aftermath of Nate's death) or "Everyone's Waiting" (the series finale).
Answer: Yes, I suppose I should have clarified that. An oversight, or maybe I was in denial, hoping everyone would just forget about the show and let more deserving applicants make the cut (even the last season of West Wing). That wildly overpraised final episode, in which it looked like most of the Fishers would die of boredom in the future, could easily rack up some nominations for the series, if not the cast. I'm thinking The Sopranos and maybe even
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Question: I didn't want to be the one to start it, but since Jennifer opened it with the Lauren Graham question, let's talk Emmys. What do you think will be the five nominees for the outstanding-drama-series category? Judging by quality, ratings, buzz and past nominations/wins, 24, Lost and The Sopranos are definitely going to be nominated. Six Feet Under is thankfully out of the fray, and The West Wing faded this season, which opens up two spots. Since it's the Emmys, I have no doubt in my mind that they'll jump on the latest trend and nominate Grey's Anatomy. Do you think House will be able to snag the fifth spot? Considering its ratings prowess and the big push I hear Fox is giving it, I think it has a chance. To me, the show is the second best on TV, next to 24. But I have this sneaking feeling that The West Wing is going to somehow swindle a nomination from at least one deserving s
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Question: With the loss of some of my favorite shows over the past few seasons, I have a new favorite HBO's Big Love. What are your thoughts, now that the first season has ended?
Answer: I'll reprise the line I used in my initial review of the series: "It's more of a curiosity than a necessity." For my analysis of the season finale, check out my Dispatch. From the start, I've not been entirely sold on this premise being enough to carry an entire series, no matter how excellent the acting and production values. A miniseries, yes, and some of the domestic subplots have been quite intriguing as members of this extravagantly blended family try to keep the details of their lives secret from neighbors, coworkers, friends' parents and so on. Some of the material back in the compound is wildly entertaining, with those hilarious performances by Grace Zabriskie and Bruce Dern, and while I tend to zone out during the Bill-Roman conflicts, I'm always happy to see Harry Dean Stanton chewing the
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Question: I have to say that I share Jason's fears that Lost will decline in quality next season with the continued absence of J.J. Abrams and the reduced involvement of the current show-runners. Not only will it be difficult to keep up the intricate mythology and character development that have been critical to Lost's success, but I have noticed a trend where dramas often suffer creative declines in their third seasons. I've noticed this in some of the best shows of our times, including The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Alias, West Wing, 24, Nip/Tuck and The Shield. All of those shows suffered huge drop-offs in quality after two amazing seasons. The Wire has been one show that seemed to buck this trend, and hopefully Rescue Me, Deadwood, Battlestar Galactica and Veronica Mars (if it gets renew
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Wade Williams, Prison Break
If — I'm saying if — Michael and Lincoln succeed in busting out on Fox's Prison Break (Mondays at 8 pm/ET), one guard in particular will make it his personal mission to hunt down the fugitives: Captain Bellick, he of the shady ways and the perpetually disgusted scowl. Here, the grumpy guard's portrayer, Wade Williams, reveals just how fiercely personal it's going to get for Bellick and the boys.
TVGuide.com: Fans really enjoy your work on Prison Break. Bellick is really the guard you love to hate.
Wade Williams: You know, I'm so fortunate, dude. I've been doing this a long time and to get a job lik
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Sarah Lancaster, What About Brian
Sarah Lancaster recently turned 26, but she's already racked up more TV credits than most actors claim in a lifetime. Her first role was as Rachel on Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Since then she's appeared on Dawson's Creek, Boston Public, That ‘70s Show, Scrubs, 7th Heaven, Six Feet Under and Everwood, to name a few. Now, the sultry beauty is the female lead in What About Brian, a new ABC series (sneak previewing Sunday at 10 pm/ET, then airing Mondays at 10) from executive producer J.J. Abrams (Lost). TVGuide.com caught up with the grizzled TV vet to find out what Brian's all about.
TVGuide.com: How would you describe What
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Question: Just a couple of quick questions. Why do you think Veronica Mars is struggling? Is it just a flaw with the gathering of statistics? I ask this because most people (of various ages and background) I know love this show and think it's the best one on television right now. Also, I was wondering what you thought of the Huff second-season premiere. I know that you're not very fond of shows that try to squeeze too many tragic/dramatic/shocking moments (Six Feet Under, Queer as Folk) into one series but I thought it was really entertaining. Do you agree?
Answer: I'm just being realistic when referring to Veronica's ratings woes — it's not pretty. I like the show a lot (though I've felt it's lost its focus from time to time this season), and I'm reasonably sure that it will end up on the new CW. But I'm not going to paint a rosier picture than the facts support just because its fan base is so passionate. As for Huff: Read my recent review. If anything, I think the show has gotte ...
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Chloe Sevigny and Bill Paxton, Big Love
Question: I am a longtime reader of yours, and I recall that you were one of the first reviewers to say that Six Feet Under was overrated. I believe you said in your review that you didn't think people would love it so much if it weren't on HBO. It took about four years, but then a lot of people agreed with you that SFU was overrated, and not consistently entertaining. My question: Is Big Love your new Six Feet Under? It has gotten really good reviews and only you (of the reviews I have read) gave it a mixed review. And if you believe Big Love will follow the same path as SFU, how long do you think it will take for people to come around to the Roush doctrine this time? Love the column. Thanks.
Answer: In other words, you're asking me: How's the weather out on that limb? (I'm not entirely alone. My buddy and colleague Robert Bianco of USA Today was even less enchanted with Big Love than I was.) I actually like Big Love a bit more than Six Feet Under, because it seems less forced and
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