matt.mitovich

Exclusive: Lost Finale's "Code Name" Is Revealed

Since Season 1, the producers of ABC's Lost have assigned a "code name" to the season-ending twist that sends jaws plunging to the floor and heads a-scratching. It started with "The Bagel" (Walt is abducted by the Others!), and most recently we had the "Frozen Donkey Wheel" (a nod to the apparatus Ben uses to "move" the island, but in actuality referring to the reveal of Locke's death). This season, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, via their ABC.com podcast, invited Lost fans to (blindly) suggest nicknames for the Season 5 game-changer. Find out the winning entry, after the jump!

Mon, Apr 6, 2009

Exclusive: Lost Finale's "Code Name" Is Revealed

Leighton 'Lords over New Melrose Pilot! Plus: Meet Jake's Son

Heather Locklear may have passed on the chance to be a part of the CW's Melrose Place reboot, but Laura Leighton — who played sassy schemer Sydney Andrews on the original Fox prime-time sudser — has said yes. Leighton will reprise her role in the pilot and then continue on as a recurring player, "if" the new Melrose gets ordered to series, says the Hollywood Reporter. Sources tell the trade that Sydney will serve as the landlord of the titular apartment complex/den of iniquity. For those not familiar with Leighton's character, I — as someone who used to "blog" recaps for Melrose in another age of man, before this Internet thing met its promise — can sum up Sydney as ...

Mon, Apr 6, 2009

Leighton 'Lords over New Melrose Pilot! Plus: Meet Jake's Son

Will Meat Loaf and House Make Beautiful Music Together?

If you come away from this Monday's episode of House without recognizing the actor who played the central patient, Meat Loaf will consider his guest-star turn a job well done. "I started as an actor," not a musician, he points out. "People don't realize it, but I did the Rocky Horror movie before [the album] Bat Out of Hell." And when he tells people he was in Fight Club, some tend to doubt him. (He played Bob.) Relishing his ability to vanish into a role, he says, "My ideal situation is for people to watch House ... and not even know it's me." Meat Loaf checks into the hit Fox drama as a long-ailing man whose ...

Mon, Apr 6, 2009

Will Meat Loaf and House Make Beautiful Music Together?

Reports: Farrah Fawcett Hospitalized after Cancer Setback

Farrah Fawcett has been hospitalized since Thursday, signifying the latest setback in the actress' 2-1/2 year battle with cancer. Sources close to Fawcett's family tell RadarOnline.com, the first outlet to report on her hospitalization, that she has been unconscious and in critical ...

Sun, Apr 5, 2009

Reports: Farrah Fawcett Hospitalized after Cancer Setback

Ratings: Flashpoint Tops a Weak Friday

How Friday's fared: 8 pm/ETA Ghost Whisperer repeat topped the hour with 7.3 million viewers, followed by Wife Swap (4.62 mil). Howie Do It (3.56 mil) this week claimed third, edging out Terminator, which dipped 12 percent to 3.35 mil. 9 pmFlashpoint was (faint praise alert!) the night's most watched program, returning to an audience of 8.64 mil (down 8 percent from its last fresh episode). Behind Supernanny, Friday Night Lights placed third with 3.61 mil (down 9 percent). Dollhouse dropped 10 percent, to 3.49 mil. 10 pmA not-new Numbers (7.5 mil) led the pack, followed by 20/20 (6.68 mil) and Dateline (4.9 mil).

Sat, Apr 4, 2009

24 Thinks Slumdog Millionaire Star Is on the Money

Who wants to cast a Slumdog Millionaire star? 24 does. Fox's hit drama has announced that Anil Kapoor, who played game show host Prem Kumar in the Oscar-winning indie, will join the cast for Season 8, which premieres in early 2010. Just last week, 24 star Kiefer Sutherland announced his plan to stick around for at least one more of Jack Bauer's very bad days. In Season 8, Kapoor will play...

Fri, Apr 3, 2009

24 Thinks Slumdog Millionaire Star Is on the Money

Lost's Emilie de Ravin Finds Herself Busier than Ever

This Saturday at 9 pm/ET, Lifetime presents its latest adaptation of a Nora Roberts novel. High Noon stars Aussie beauty Emilie de Ravin as Lieutenant Phoebe McNamara, a hostage negotiator who struggles to juggle her intense job with the demands of raising a daughter and tending to her agoraphobic mother (played by Cybill Shepherd). Then, a handsome man (Charmed's Ivan Sergei) and a psychopath enter her orbit, making life all the more complicated. De Ravin spoke with TVGuide.com about the TV movie, as well as the many other star-studded projects (Depp! Bale! Jackman!) keeping her busy until she returns to Lost for its final season. Make the jump for the full Q&A.

Fri, Apr 3, 2009

Lost's Emilie de Ravin Finds Herself Busier than Ever

Getting Lost: Has Kate Made a Grave Mistake? Plus Smoke Monster Secrets, and More!

Featured in this week's Getting Lost video: • Did Kate make a massive mistake by revealing the truth about the Oceanic survivors to Sawyer's babymama? See what Cassidy's portrayer had to say. • Is Kate correct in her belief that Claire is alive? Get the latest word from Emilie de Ravin herself! • Next week in the episode "Dead Is Dead," Ben summons the Smoke Monster for a "meeting." See what one Lost expert has to say about ol' Smokey's origins. • I pass along TVGuide.com readers' best theories as to where/when Daniel Faraday currently is. This week's Burning Question then asks for your thoughts on other "missing" characters.Watch and discuss this week's getting Lost after the jump!

Fri, Apr 3, 2009

Getting Lost: Has Kate Made a Grave Mistake? Plus Smoke Monster Secrets, and More!

Ratings: ER Serves Up Most-Watched Drama Finale Since 1996

Thursday's ratings recap: 8 pm/ETSurvivor returned with a season-low 11.2 million total viewers, thanks in part to NBC's ER retrospective, which drew 10.56 mil. Bones placed third with 9 mil, a dip of 570K from its previous outing.  ABC's comedies were not laughing, as both In the Motherhood (5 mil) and Samantha Who? (4.8 mil) plunged 26 percent. Smallville (3.8 mil) saw a 50K uptick. 9 pmER's two-hour (and rather awesome) series finale was the night's most-watched program, averaging 16.2 million viewers and even flirting with 18 mil at the 10 0'clock mark. That tally represents the largest audience for the final episode of a drama series since Murder, She Wrote circa 1996. (Be sure to check out Trish's fantastic recap of the ER ender.) CSI's William Friedkin-directed 200th episode placed second at 9 pm, drawing a season low of 14.38 mil. Facing stiff competition, Hell's Kitchen (7 mil) saw one-third of its audience get flambéed. Supernatural gained 110 thou, hitting 3.28 mil. 10 pmPlacing second behind ER, Eleventh Hour returned to an audience of 10.38 mil, down 12 percent from its last fresh episode.

Fri, Apr 3, 2009

Ratings: ER Serves Up Most-Watched Drama Finale Since 1996

Dollhouse Gets a Wake-Up Call! Plus Sexy Shower Secrets

This week on Fox's Dollhouse (Fridays, 9 pm/ET), Echo, Sierra and three other actives "wake up" — for realz — in their sleeping pods, fully aware that they have had their lives commandeered for some sort of "experiment." What happens when dolls don't play nice and instead start busting up their house? Dichen Lachman, the Australian-Tibetan actress who plays Sierra, gave us a preview. Plus: Just how much of each other are the "Dolls" seeing in the community shower? TVGuide.com: I called you a "scene-stealer" when we first met, because of your guns a-blazing arrival in the pilot. But you've since gone on to give this steely show some humanity.Dichen Lachman: Yes, seeing myself with the guns and stuff was really strange, yet it was fun because it's so far removed from who we are. But yeah, Sierra goes through a lot of ...

Fri, Apr 3, 2009

Dollhouse Gets a Wake-Up Call! Plus Sexy Shower Secrets

Ratings: CBS Prank Show Pulls One over the Competition

Wednesday's ratings recap: 8 pm/ETCBS' I Get That a Lot, in which celebs played jokes on us regular peeps, got enough viewers — 10.34 million — to win the hour. Lie to Me placed second with 8.98 mil, dipping 10 percent from its previous outing.  A Law & Order: CI repeat (5.06 mil) delivered nearly double what the now-canceled Chopping Block had been getting. ABC's Scrubs scored 5.05 mil, discharging 280K, while Better Off Ted held steady at 4.7 mil. Top Model surged 38 percent, to 3.95 mil. 9 pmAmerican Idol delivered 23.7 million viewers, down 6 percent from last week's results show. Opposite (and yet trailing) a Criminal Minds repeat, Lost found 9.35 million heads, up 6 percent week-to-week. Life, meanwhile, taunted the "bubble" with a 29 percent gain, hitting 5.57 mil.  10 pmAs CSI: NY and Law & Order served leftovers, Life on Mars said goodbye to 5.86 million viewers, adding 190 thou in its last hurrah.  

Thu, Apr 2, 2009

Ratings: CBS Prank Show Pulls One over the Competition

Exclusive: Truth Is, Mekhi Phifer's Joining Lie to Me

Just as ER prepares to tee up its series finale, one of its alumni has booked a meaty new gig. Mekhi Phifer, who for six seasons walked the halls of County General as Dr. Gregory Pratt, has booked a multiple-episode appointment on Fox's Lie to Me, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. Phifer will appear on the freshman drama series as ...

Thu, Apr 2, 2009

Exclusive: Truth Is, Mekhi Phifer's Joining Lie to Me

Bones Star Talks of Half-Eaten Lovers and Mangled Schedules

You could say that Camille's old flame isn't half the man he used to be. Literally. That grim image sets the stage for this week's (non-preempted!) episode of Fox's Bones, airing Thursday at 8 pm/ET. Tamara Taylor, who plays Cam, gave us a peek (through the fingers) at what's to come. Plus: What's the deal with this season's far-out pre-finale episode? Find out, after the jump!

Thu, Apr 2, 2009

Bones Star Talks of Half-Eaten Lovers and Mangled Schedules

Ratings: 90210 Stalls at the (Re)starting Line

Tuesday's tallies: 8 pm/ETAmerican Idol's taste of Top 40 was tops, averaging 23.46 million total viewers over its 85-minute run. NCIS nabbed second with 16.8 mil, dipping 710K week-to-week. The Biggest Loser shed 11 percent of its previous audience, delivering 8.75 mil. Trailing a pair of Better Off Ted repeats, Reaper reaped 2.37 mil, down 100 thou from last week's Obama-stimulated season high. 9 pmThe Mentalist trailed Idol for the first half of the hour, delivering 16.9 million viewers (down 615K). Dancing with the Stars' double-elimination did 13 mil, plunging 17 percent from its previous results show. 90210 returned from hiatus to 2.04 million viewers, down 15 percent from its last fresh outing. Fox's Osbournes: Reloaded show debuted to 9.33 mil. 10 pmWithout a Trace took first place with 12.7 million viewers, followed by SVU (9.38 mil, down 12 percent). ABC's Cupid felt the love of 7.56 million people, but suffered much tune-out over its debut hour.

Wed, Apr 1, 2009

Ratings: 90210 Stalls at the (Re)starting Line

Taye Diggs and Wife Idina Menzel Expecting First Child

After 13 years together — including six years of marriage — Private Practice's Taye Diggs and Tony winner Idina Menzel are expecting their first baby, due later this year. Menzel told Us last year that starting a family was "definitely in the plans," adding that her husband has wanted kids since "the day I met him." "He wouldn't talk about marriage," she said, "but he'd ...

Wed, Apr 1, 2009

Taye Diggs and Wife Idina Menzel Expecting First Child

Mega Buzz on Housewives, 24, Leverage, Lost and More!

Every week, senior editors Matt Webb Mitovich, Mickey O'Connor and Tim Molloy satisfy your need for TV scoop. Please send all questions to megascoop@tvguide.com. When will Kim Bauer be coming back to 24? And will it have anything to do with the bio-weapon Jack has been exposed to? — YongMATT: When I asked Kiefer Sutherland about the nature of Kim's latest encore (slated for mid-April), he said, "Something has happened to Jack, and it's he who asks for her — normally it's the other away around." Kiefer went on to call the father-daughter reunion "very human and real ... a part of the show I'm excited for the audience to see." So your theory sounds about right. Just don't expect the now-married Kim to have Pony Boy at her side; her Season 5 romance apparently didn't take.  Are we ever going to see the Scavo twins on Desperate Housewives again? I love those goofy bastards. — RachelMICKEY: No word on Dumb or Dumber, but if it's adolescent angst you're hankering for, get a load of this: Another Housewife will soon ...

Wed, Apr 1, 2009

Mega Buzz on Housewives, 24, Leverage, Lost and More!

Now and Ben: Has a Blast in the Past Changed Lost's Future?

Lost's Michael Emerson had warned TVGuide.com readers that moments would come along this season where you leap off the sofa and shout, "They can't do that! Can they...?" One such shocker expelled from Sayid's gun and landed in a young Benjamin Linus' chest at the end of last week's episode. Sterling Beaumon, 13, shared with us a look at how that blast in the past may change Ben's future. Or not. TVGuide.com: I know you've done episodes of ER, Heroes and Bones. But was Lost your first death scene?Sterling Beaumon: No, actually. I was on Crossing Jordan and I had to lie on a coroner's table for almost the whole episode. And on ER, I died in the end, with a tumor in my brain.... TVGuide.com: Of course, my question presumes that Young Ben died from Sayid's gunshot. Might that not be the case?Beaumon: You'll have to watch and find out. If this tells you anything ...

Wed, Apr 1, 2009

Now and Ben: Has a Blast in the Past Changed Lost's Future?

Series Finale Preview: Life on Mars' Sam Runs Out of Time!

In a rare instance of mutual forethought and cooperation between producers and a network, ABC's Life on Mars will wrap up its abbreviated freshman run this Wednesday at 10 pm/ET with a proper series finale, bringing to a close Detective Sam Tyler's time-tripping odyssey. Here, executive producers Scott Rosenberg and Josh Appelbaum reflect on their Mars journey, reveal the one song that done them wrong, preview the "straight-out scary" follow-up they have planned, and promise closure for fans of their previous project, October Road. TVGuide.com: The episode airing this Wednesday, is it more or less what you had envisioned the series finale as being? Or is it slightly different, if only because you had less time to build up to it?Josh Appelbaum: We always knew that the season finale was going to be this episode, and we always knew what our series finale would be. Basically we went to [ABC] and said, "Our ratings are grim. We want to ...

Tue, Mar 31, 2009

Series Finale Preview: Life on Mars' Sam Runs Out of Time!

CBS Pilot News: Steenburgen Finds Happiness, and More

Mary Steenburgen has been tapped to play wife to Richard Dreyfuss — and thus mom to Jason Biggs — in the CBS comedy pilot Happiness Isn't Everything. Steenburgen's character is described by the Hollywood Reporter as "unbelievably sensitive," whereas Dreyfuss' is ... not. In other CBS pilot news, British actor James D'Arcy has ...

Tue, Mar 31, 2009

CBS Pilot News: Steenburgen Finds Happiness, and More

Ratings: Medium and Wet, Naked Jack Bauer Show Growth

Monday's ratings recap: 8 pm/ETDancing with the Stars matched its week-ago audience, averaging 20.23 million total viewers across its two-hour run. House placed second in the hour (and No. 1 in the demos) with 12.18 mil, dipping 610K from its last fresh outing. CBS' Big Bang (9.77 mil) and Mother (9.23 mil) combined for third, putting up typical numbers. Chuck dropped 380 thou to place fourth with 5.63 mil. Gossip Girl (2.48 mil) was up 12 percent. 9 pmTwo and a Half Men scored 14.44 mil, up 420K; lead-out Rules of Engagement held onto 11 mil of the crowd. 24's wet, naked Jack Bauer was enjoyed by 11.2 mil, up 900K. Heroes slipped 160 thou to set another (!) all-time low of 6.32 mil. Tree Hill matched last week's 2.29 mil. 10 pmCSI: Miami was No. 1 with 13.36 million viewers, followed by ABC's Castle (which held steady at 9.8 mil). Medium bounced back 11 percent from last week's season low to size up 7.26 mil, its best audience since Feb. 23.

Tue, Mar 31, 2009

Ratings: Medium and Wet, Naked Jack Bauer Show Growth

Pilot News: FNL Cutie Tackles New Role, and More

Fresh off his recently wrapped run on NBC/DirecTV's just-renewed Friday Night Lights, Scott Porter has joined the cast of Masterwork, a Fox drama pilot about an FBI agent (Aussie actor Matt Passmore) who tracks down stolen antiquities. (Think Indiana Jones with a badge.) Porter will play ...

Tue, Mar 31, 2009

Pilot News: FNL Cutie Tackles New Role, and More

VIDEO: Meet the Would-Be Lovers of ABC's (New) Cupid

This Tuesday at 10 pm/ET, ABC and Rob Thomas takes another shot at Cupid, a romantic comedy that first aired in 1998 and returns with Bobby Cannavale and Sarah Paulson picking up where Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall left off. Cannavale, an Emmy winner during his run on Will & Grace, relishes his new role as Trevor, who claims to be the actual Greek god of love but could just as well simply be a loon. "I like that I'm playing a god ... or a crazy person," he says in this video Q&A with TVGuide.com. "Every day that I come into work ...

Tue, Mar 31, 2009

VIDEO: Meet the Would-Be Lovers of ABC's (New) Cupid