mary.murphy

What's Next for Trace's Samantha?

Why is Poppy Montgomery smiling? For starters, Without a Trace is now in its fourth season (Thursdays at 10 pm/ET on CBS) and consistently placing in the Top 5 on the ratings chart. But that's far from the only exciting thing going on in her life. TV Guide spoke with the cheeky Australian beauty about her on-screen loves, her real-life romance and her hot holiday movie, Snow Wonder. TV Guide: What's happening this season with Samantha Spade and the men in her life? Poppy Montgomery: We haven't resolved the situation with Samantha and Martin (Eric Close) or Samantha and Jack (Anthony LaPaglia

Thu, Nov 17, 2005

Julian McMahon in a Nip/Tuck Shocker

We're only four weeks into Season 3 of FX's Nip/Tuck (Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET) and already Dr. Christian Troy has been slashed and raped by "the Carver," lost and regained his mojo, proposed to girlfriend Kimber and had a three-way and a four-way. If seems like there's nothing left to happen to, for or with the doc, you'd be guessing wrong, as his popular portrayer, Julian McMahon, recently revealed us. TV Guide: What else can possibly happen to Christian now? Julian McMahon: This week Christian is accused of being the Carver. TV Guide: By whom? McMahon: By the detective he's sleeping with. I'm put in jail! And then she starts looking into my past. She brings in my mother [played by guest star Kathy Baker] to talk me into admitting

Mon, Oct 17, 2005

Las Vegas Bets on Lara Flynn Boyle

Here is one secret that Sin City can’t keep: Lara Flynn Boyle is back. The woman who survived rampant rumors of anorexia, a public firing from ABC’s The Practice and an eyebrow-raising romance with Hollywood heavy Jack Nicholson will heat up the Strip this fall as a new costar on NBC’s Las Vegas. Boyle will play Monica Mancuso, a billionaire widow who takes over the newly renovated Montecito (the old casino blew up in the Season 2 finale). "She’s the mystery buyer from last season," reveals Las Vegas creator Gary Scott Thompson. Adds Boyle, "She is a woman with a wad of cash. Only Monica bought a casino [with it] instead of a lot of sho

Mon, Aug 22, 2005

Bryan Singer Talks House, Superman

It was 6 o’clock in the morning in Sydney, Australia, when Bryan Singer called from the land Down Under to chat about the many hats he wears. The 39-year-old executive producer of Fox’s House was sitting in his car sipping coffee before getting to work on his current directing project, Superman Returns, next summer’s Man of Steel blockbuster-to-be. Singer, who also directed The Usual Suspects and the first two X-Men movies, was only too happy to talk about the cranky Dr. House and the unlikely sex symbol who plays him.TV Guide: What can we expect in Season 2 of House?Bryan Singer: There is going to be a lot more sex

Thu, Aug 4, 2005

Kirk and Michael Douglas Open Up

Kirk Douglas, 88, who has just had double knee surgery, is on a walker and in pain. But that doesn't stop him and Michael, 60, from sitting in Kirk's sunroom to discuss Lee Grant's riveting, warts-and-all documentary about them, A Father… a Son… Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (premiering Aug. 13 on HBO). Though these two Oscar winners are movie royalty, they are willing to talk about how they've maintained a close bond despite deep hurts, as well as their legendary successes. TV Guide: Why did you do the documentary?Michael Douglas: A couple of reasons. Initially we thought we were just going to talk about how [the entertainment] business has changed. Then we got into discussions about how one man is a rags-to-riches immigrant Russian Jew born two years after his father (who cannot read or write) came here. That's an incredible story. And then there is the story of the second or th

Mon, Aug 1, 2005

A Reality Show for Jacko?

It didn't take long after the not-guilty verdict was read for rumors to start swirling about the King of Pop's next venture: a reality show. Could it be true? CBS, NBC and ABC have all confirmed that a six-part reality series — about how the Jacksons rallied around Michael during his 14-week child-molestation trial — is being shopped around. "They called and said it was a reality show and that the whole family was participating," an NBC insider told TV Guide. "It would be from their point of view and they would have [complete] control." But the family's attorney, Debra Opri, denies a reality show is even in the works. "It's just another rumor," Opri says. "I went straight to the horse's mouth, several of the horses, and was told it had been talked about quite a while ago, then the [idea] surfaced again at the time of the verdict. Nobody would be interested in doing it — except the pony." (Yes, she just called Michael Jackson a po

Thu, Jul 7, 2005

The West Wing's New Flight Plan

Don't count The West Wing out yet. The once-mighty series may have lost much of its buzz, but its loyal and upscale audience was enough to filibuster cancellation. Still, expect major changes when the seventh season begins this fall — starting with a move to Sundays at 8 pm/ET. Budget and potential pay cuts may result in the exodus of some veteran cast members. And if producers have their way, a certain dead Desperate husband will be returning to Washington. "We had a licensing reduction of 50 percent [from NBC], and every actor's contract has to be renegotiated," executive producer John Wells says. "My hope is that everybody is going to want to come back." So far, Martin Sheen (outgoing President Jed Bartlet), Alan Alda (Senator Arnold Vinick) and Jimmy Smits (Congressman Matt Santos) are signed for the new season. So is Stockard Channing (First Lady Abigail Bartlet), who will shoot her West Wing scenes ar

Fri, Jun 17, 2005

Sheryl Crow's Beau Denies Split

Lance Armstrong has experienced plenty of tough times, from surviving cancer to completing and winning six consecutive Tours de France. But his endurance, and his ability to focus on cycling, are now being put to the test — by the tabloids. As he prepares for his final ride in the Tour next month, the supercyclist is trying to outrun a published rumor that his relationship with Grammy-winning girlfriend Sheryl Crow has reached the finish line. Armstrong adamantly denied the rumor in a recent phone call from his hometown of Austin, Tex. "Sheryl and I were in the car yesterday when somebody called us about the story," he says. "It is completely untrue." Armstrong, 33, met Crow, 43, at a Las Vegas charity event in 2003 and says he's "mad about her. She is a great woman. We are very similar, and of course it is a challenge sometimes to work things through, but she is a true blessing in my life. I have found happiness the second time around." (Ar

Thu, Jun 9, 2005

House's Sela Ward: 48 and Fabulous!

Back when Teri Hatcher was making doe eyes at Howie Long in RadioShack spots, Sela Ward was TV's go-to sexy, mature woman: a fortysomething mom romancing a local hunk (Billy Campbell) in Once and Again. Now Ward, 48, makes a long-overdue return to TV on House, guest-starring in the final two episodes and the first episode of Season 2.TV Guide: How did you feel when you were first offered a role on House?Sela Ward: The last thing I wanted to do was another hourlong show. I am so over that schedule. I'd never get to see my kids [ages 11 and 6]. TV Guide: But then you saw tapes of the show.Ward: It scares the pants off you! I was watching in the bathtub with my husband and saying, "I can't look now." I thought it would be fun to be a part of. TV Guide: You play a lawyer who used to date House (Hugh Laurie). What's she doing back in his life?Ward: Her husband has some dubious medical

Tue, May 17, 2005

Mary Kay Letourneau's TV Wedding

Linda Bell Blue has covered a lot of weddings — Brad and Jen, J.Lo and Marc Anthony, Britney and Kevin — but when she got a tip that a woman named Letourneau was listed in a bridal registry in Seattle, the executive producer of Entertainment Tonight and The Insider thought she had a scandalous scoop. Could this future bride be the Mary Kay Letourneau — the teacher who was released from prison last August after serving seven years for second-degree child rape? The woman who has two children by Vili Fualaau, the man she first had sex with when she was 34 and he was her 12-year-old student? Indeed it was. Thus began the odyssey that led to ET's seven-part series on the infamous couple. Bell Blue had to hustle to find someone to introduce her to the controversial May-December pair. (That person's identity is a guarded secret.) "We didn't know what to expect," s

Fri, May 13, 2005

Joan of Arcadia's Last Stand

Loyal followers of Miss Joan "I Talk to God" Girardi are waiting with bated breath, not to mention anxiously clutching their rosary beads. The reason for their holy terror? CBS won't announce its fall lineup — and the fate of Joan of Arcadia — until May 18. But the producers have already set the stage for a potential third season by introducing a nemesis for Joan who has Satanic tendencies. In last week's episode, we met Ryan Hunter, a 30-year-old multimillionaire who, just like beleaguered high school student Joan, has conversations with the Almighty in the form of everyday folks. This week, Hunter (played by devilishly dishy actor Wentworth Miller) taunts Joan by desecrating a church and buying an interest in the newspaper where her brother Kevin (Jason Ritter) works. "[Hunter] is like a fallen angel," says Joan executive producer Stephen Nathan. "He feels mor

Wed, Apr 20, 2005

Grey's Anatomy Love Triangle Erupts!

If you think the romance between Dr. Derek Shepherd and intern Meredith Grey is complicated now, just wait until the love triangle begins! A woman from his past arrives in the eighth episode of Grey's Anatomy (Sunday at 10 pm/ET on ABC). "I cannot say if I have a kissing scene with Patrick [Dempsey, who plays Shepherd], but I can say that he is a dreamboat and a cutie-patootie," teases Kate Walsh, the actress playing Dr. Addison Montgomery. This hot lady doc is a world-class neonatal specialist who's called in to perform delicate surgery on a pregnant woman carrying conjoined twins. Turns out, the infants need to be separated while still in the womb. "There are only a few doctors who can do this in the world," she says, "and [Montgomery's] one of them." As if she weren't busy enough with the OR drama, Montgomery will quickly agitate the Seattle Grace Hospital staff. "She

Wed, Apr 20, 2005

Desperate Mom Can't Resist Men

If you saw Sunday's Desperate Housewives, you know Lesley Ann Warren is a major handful as Susan's mother, Sophie. As the wacky actress told TVGuide.com last week, she's got five episodes' worth of trouble to get into. Care to know what's in store for the remaining four? Just read on. Otherwise, stop now, because there's some serious spoilage ahead... In her next episode, Sophie gets sweet on the ice-cream man when his truck comes rolling down Wisteria Lane. "Then I pick up two guys at a club and bring them home — one for me and one for Susan," Warren laughs. "Of course, I [am] drunk at the time." Come May 1, Bob Newhart returns as Morty, Sophie's ex who owns the pancake house. Yes, he's back, even though she left him — and bit him! "There is an exciting surprise coming from Ne

Mon, Apr 11, 2005

Teri Hatcher's Desperate Mom

Actress Lesley Ann Warren joins Desperate Housewives on Sunday (9 pm/ET on ABC) as Susan's mom, Sophie Bremmer. It's perfect casting since Warren, 58, and Teri Hatcher, 40, look like they really could be mother and daughter. Their striking resemblance will be alluded to in each of Warren's five episodes this season. "In the script," she delightedly tells TVGuide.com, "they are always saying to Susan, 'She is too young to be your mother.'"Sophie is wild," Warren continues. "I get to be inappropriately sexy, drinking, vulnerable and volatile. Sophie has been married four times, is a hopeless romantic — and a loving mother, but she can't get it right, just like most of us." Spoiler alert! If you don't want to know any more about Sophie's scandalous stay on Wisteria Lane, read no further. This week, Sophie moves in with S

Fri, Apr 8, 2005

Inside The Michael Jackson Trial

One of reality television's strangest — and most surprisingly gripping — phenomena to date is The Michael Jackson Trial (airing weeknights at 9 pm/ET on E!). Having recently spent time on the set of the trial reenactment, we bring you this hour-by-hour account of how E! turns the controversial court case into a daily TV show.Monday, March 14, 200510 am/PT A reporter sneaks out of the courtroom to call producers with details about Jackson's demeanor and the reactions of his 15-year-old accuser. "We're not saying who it is because he works for someone else," says E! senior vice president Jeff Shore, "and we're not sure they know he's double-dipping."12:17 pm A court reporter e-mails transcripts to executive producers Mark Harris and Simon Bucks. In the next two hours, they will plow through 1000 pages, pulling out the important quotes.2:30 pm Longtime Jackson doppelg&#228nger Edward Moss, 27, a

Fri, Apr 1, 2005

Without a Trace Star Leaving?

The crack FBI missing-persons team on Without a Trace may soon be missing one of their own. Vivian Johnson, the no-nonsense investigator played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, might be killed off by season's end. Earlier this year, Vivian was diagnosed with a serious heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which causes a thickening of the heart muscle and can lead to sudden death. The problem becomes critical when Vivian collapses on the side of the road in tonight's episode (10 pm/ET on CBS). From then on, says series creator Hank Steinberg, "she will be home-ridden and coping with her future while [the squad] copes with the idea of not having her around." They may have to get used to that idea permanently. "By the end of the season, she'll be angling toward surgery," hints Steinberg, "and potentially a life-and-death situation." The story arc came about after Jean-Baptiste met w

Thu, Mar 31, 2005

Can Stallone Save The Contender?

With less than championship ratings, NBC's The Contender is definitely on the ropes. Unwilling to admit defeat, cohosts Sylvester Stallone and Sugar Ray Leonard rushed this week to create a one-hour special that will air just before Sunday night's regularly scheduled episode. On Thursday afternoon, these two tough superstars, both significantly dressed in black, met TVGuide.com for an exclusive interview at a Los Angeles boxing club. TVGuide.com: Despite your star power and a tremendous amount of on-air promotion, The Contender has not lived up to expectations in the ratings. Why?Sylvester Stallone: Other networks were dropping nuclear weapons on us. They were trying to see if we had the legs to survive.Sugar Ray Leonard: Based upon what we have been up against, with the other networks doing everything they can to break us down, we stayed strong.Stallone: [Fox's] The Next Great Champ put a negative spin on boxin

Fri, Mar 25, 2005

Monk Fans Trash Traylor

When Traylor Howard replaced Bitty Schram on Monk, fans had fits. "We knew devotees would be [upset]," says USA Network executive vice president Jeff Wachtel. "But we also knew Traylor could win them over."Half a season later, that hasn't happened. "I hate her!" one wrote on Monk's message board. "She brings nothing to the show," ranted another. But ratings remain the same for Monk's Schramless episodes (about 3.4 million viewers), so it looks like Howard's here to stay. Producers tapped her to play Monk's new girl Friday because she and star Tony Shalhoub clicked during her audition. That chemistry may build next season as writers toy with the idea of a Monk-Natalie romance. Until then, Howard will keep fighting to win fans. "I know some people are still resistant," she concedes. "People don't like change. God knows, I hate it! I think it is sweet [that they

Fri, Mar 4, 2005

JAG's Star: Why He's Out

David James Elliott did not jump ship; he was forced to walk the plank. Elliott, who plays Navy attorney Cmdr. Harmon "Harm" Rabb Jr. on JAG, is leaving the show when it concludes its 10th season in May.Elliott, 44, has already signed a series-development deal with ABC. "David left, and we wish him well," JAG creator Donald Bellisario says. "His contract was up, and we never expected it to go on. We had to cut costs. [So] we started doing episodes with less of David, and it became obvious to him that we were not going to renegotiate." Elliott's manager says CBS never responded to his client's salary request for another season, but "David loves CBS. [The role] had run its course. He has made a lucrative deal with ABC." That said, there may not even be another season. CBS won't announce its fall lineup — including JAG's fate — until May, but Bellisario has made a preemptiv

Fri, Feb 25, 2005

Why Joan of Arcadia Is Cranky

Maybe it's because she didn't get a Golden Globe nomination this season. Maybe it's because her once-hot CBS series, Joan of Arcadia, is attracting just 8.4 million viewers each week — down from an average of 10 million last season. Whatever the reason, Amber Tamblyn is clearly unhappy. In a candid interview, the 21-year-old actress talked about her complaints with the direction the show is taking. "Joan is digressing," Tamblyn says of her character, an average — if slightly flaky — teenager who has conversations with the Almighty (in the form of a variety of everyday people). "Joan is backtracking. Joan is more confused. She learns something in [one] episode, but then she seems to redo [her mistakes] in another, so she never seems to learn anything. I'm not really sure where the growth is." More than that, "Joan's life is tough," Tamblyn insists. "Her reactions are not as hard as they should be. I want to see her more challe

Mon, Jan 31, 2005

Survivor Host's Reality Romance

Julie Berry may have just missed making the final four on Survivor: Vanuatu, but she did wind up with a nice consolation prize: As previously reported, Berry, 24, a youth mentor from Gorham, Maine, began dating Survivor host Jeff Probst shortly after filming wrapped last summer. With the Vanuatu season finished, Probst has gone public with the relationship and calls her "the love of my life." Berry flirted with Probst during the game, "but," he says, "she was playing around and I was harder on her than on [the other contestants] because I thought she was not delivering as much as I wanted. We were definitely not having our own little party out there." But a month after they returned from the island, Probst called Berry. "I had a lingering curiosity about her," he admits. "I have made a few friends on the Survivor shows, like Colby and Savage. And I check in on people sometimes to see how things are going."

Wed, Jan 5, 2005

Larry Hagman: "I'm Not Dead"

Let's clear something up: Larry Hagman is not dead. For months, rumors have been circulating that the actor, who had a liver transplant in 1995, has passed away. Or is dying. Or needs another liver transplant. We caught up with the former Dallas bad boy at his swank Santa Monica pad. And trust us, he's very much alive. TV Guide Online: With the first and second seasons of Dallas due out on DVD August 24 and a reunion special filming this fall, you sure are busy for a dead guy.Larry Hagman: Henry Winkler called me up a couple of months ago [about producing the reunion]. I think Charlene Tilton came up with the idea: a Dallas retrospective. We're going to show stuff from the show and stuff from behind the scenes. I shot thousands of feet of Super 8 on the set. TVGO: How did all these death rumors get started?Hagman: I had a bad patch in December. Turns out it was some kind of E. coli bacteria that crosse

Thu, Jun 17, 2004