matt.webb.mitovich

APB STILL OUT FOR SENSITIVITY CHIP

Contrary to rumors, Brad Pitt did not give ex-wife Jennifer Aniston an early heads-up that he and Angelina Jolie are expecting a child together. "The reports about phone calls between Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt... are all made-up lies," the former Friends star's publicist told Extra on Thursday night. As such, Aniston — whose marriage to Pitt reportedly crumbled, in part, due to family-planning issues — is "devastated" by the pregnancy news, a source tells the New York Daily News.

Fri, Jan 13, 2006

Can We Get 24's Chloe to Break?

That glorious glowing digital clock is about to start ticking away again, as Fox's 24 returns with a two-night, four-hour Season 5 premiere airing Sunday at 8 pm/ET, and continuing Monday at the same time. TVGuide.com invited quirky little Chloe, aka Mary Lynn Rajskub (rhymes with "rice cub," says the actress), to leak to us some top-secret vittles. TVGuide.com: So what am I missing by not bothering with the Season 5 "prequel" packed in the newest 24 boxed DVD set?Mary Lynn Rajskub: Oh, you're missing both of our hairdos — Jack Bauer has a great hairdo, and my hair is down, which is exciting. OK, it's not really that exciting. I just get to have a different outfit for a minute. It all just

Fri, Jan 13, 2006

Smallville Star: The Lex Is Yet to Come

At the end of "Lexmas," Smallville's last fresh episode, Lex Luthor — having seen a semi-idyllic (and also semi-tragic) possible future flash before his eyes — vows to use any means possible to win election to the Kansas state senate against his opponent, Jonathan Kent. The moment was chilling, and not because of all of the prop snow. TV Guide went to Michael Rosenbaum for the scoop on the WB drama's brand-new episode, "Fanatic" (airing tonight at 8 pm/ET), and Lex's descent into total villainy. TV Guide: There has been some debate over what Lex's end-of-"Lexmas" declaration of war against Jonathan is really about. Care to shed some light on his decision to fight dirty?Michael Rosenbau

Thu, Jan 12, 2006

"LAP DANCE" LOHAN

Lindsay "I Did Drugs... No I Didn't" Lohan and Kate "I Didn't Do Drugs... OK, I Did" Moss put on quite a show at NYC's Scores the other night (and by night, we mean early morning). Per the New York Post, the scandal magnets visited the strip club at 2:45 am Wednesday, enjoyed numerous lap dances and vodka shots in the Champagne Room, then proceeded to each hop on to the bar and treat onlookers to pole dances. "They were swinging on the pole with their arms around each other's waists, kissing each other, caressing each other, acting just like strippers," one eyewitness tells the Post. "They didn't take off any clothes, but it was very hot." When tipped by one patron, Moss said it was the first time she’d seen a $20 bill not rolled up.

Thu, Jan 12, 2006

WOMB RAIDER

Angelina Jolie is pregnant with beau Brad Pitt's baby, People has confirmed, citing a summertime due date. This would be the first biological child for Jolie, who has two adopted children, Maddox and Zahara. The couple's baby registry is at Sensitivity Chips "R" Us.

Wed, Jan 11, 2006

Mum's the Word for Veronica Mars' Dad

With the next new episode of Veronica Mars still way too many weeks away — the UPN series returns Jan. 25 at 9 pm/ET — TVGuide.com thought to give Enrico Colantoni a ring and see if maybe ol' Keith Mars might give us the scoop on what lies ahead. (You call us "naive"; we prefer "optimistic.") Here is what the TV vet had to share about the fate of Neptune, the future of the Galaxy and other out-of-this-world topics. TVGuide.com: Before Veronica Mars ever premiered, you were hesitant to sum it up for reporters, worried that you'd make it sound "cheesy." How would you sum up the show now?Enrico Colantoni: Oh, the same way, but now hopefully they've seen it and the

Wed, Jan 11, 2006

Jensen Ackles Eyes a Super Second Half

When last we tuned in to WB's freshman frightfest, Supernatural, bogeyman-busting brothers Dean and Sam Winchester had fended off the insanity of an old, shuttered asylum only to come home to a phone call from their perpetually MIA father. The action picks up right from that instant with this week's new episode (airing tonight at 9 pm/ET). Jensen Ackles, who plays Dean, shared with TVGuide.com a preview. TVGuide.com: Were you happy when Supernatural got picked up for a full season so early on?Jensen Ackles: Yeah, it's always a crapshoot with the whole television thing in general, so the fact that we had a nice little buzz and had the powers-that-be pushing for us gave us the confidence we needed to move ahead

Tue, Jan 10, 2006

ASK AND YOU SHALIT RECEIVE

Gene Shalit has made peace with GLAAD, which had taken issue with the wording of the film critic's Brokeback Mountain review, in which he characterized Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack as a "sexual predator." On Tuesday, Shalit responded to GLAAD's request for an apology with a statement saying, "In describing the behavior of Jack, I used words that I now discover have angered, agitated and hurt many people. I did not intend to use a word that many in the gay community consider incendiary. I certainly had no intention of casting aspersions on anyone in the gay community or on the community itself. I regret any emotional hurt that may have resulted from my review." As additional penance, Shalit has agreed to see Aeon Flux a second time.

Tue, Jan 10, 2006

BLOODY LIES

Comedy Central has shot down claims that it bowed to pressure from religious groups and banished from existence a South Park episode concerning a bleeding Virgin Mary statue. In a letter to viewers obtained by the New York Post, network execs say that while the eppy was bumped from a Christmastime South Park marathon, "we have not permanently shelved 'Bloody Mary' from future airings due to outside pressure, nor will we exclude it from future DVD releases." The missive goes on to say that "as satirists, we believe it is our First Amendment right to poke fun at any and all people, groups, organizations and religions, and we will continue to defend that right." (Sniff) I love America.

Tue, Jan 10, 2006

Commander's Chief of Staff Takes Charge

As Jim Gardner on ABC's Commander in Chief (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET), Harry J. Lennix plays a White House chief of staff caught in the middle as he protects the legacy of President Mackenzie Allen's (Geena Davis) late predecessor — occasionally even lending his ear to her arch enemy — while still serving the highest office in the land. TVGuide.com spoke to the actor about Jim's dilemma (and jettisoned love life), as well as the thrill of watching Ray Charles come to life. TVGuide.com: People who have seen The West Wing and/or Th

Tue, Jan 10, 2006

John Stamos' Jake Makes Progress

Seemingly since the day ABC and John Stamos agreed to put on a show together, Jake in Progress has been a work in progress. Originally envisioned as a real-time (i.e., 24-style, probably minus the gunplay) chronicle of a couple's first date, it dropped the gimmick in favor of a traditional single-camera take on hotshot publicist Jake Phillips' wild and woman-filled life. Now entering its second season (premiering tonight at 9:30 pm/ET), Jake has a new look (sharkskin suits out!), a new pal (Hidden Hills' Dondre Whitfield) and a "new" ex to pine for (NYPD Blue's Charlotte Ross). With those tweaks and others, everything's "jake" more than ever for the series' star, who phoned TVGuide.com last week from Miami. TVGuide.com: I had read on Page Six or somewhere that you'd be among the bold-faced names New Year's Eve-ing in Miami. Is it strange to have your whereabouts mon

Mon, Jan 9, 2006

MOTHER'S DEBUT

Phinnaeus and Hazel's mom, Oscar winner Julia Roberts, will make her first appearance since giving birth to the twins in November 2004 at the Broadcast Film Critics Association's Critics' Choice Awards, airing Jan. 9 on WB. Roberts will present Ocean's Eleven pal George Clooney with the Freedom Award, all the while trying to pretend she doesn't hear the stereo squawking coming from just off-stage.

Fri, Jan 6, 2006

ADMIT IT: YOU LOVE TO TATUM

Thursday's second-season premiere of Dancing with the Stars led ABC to an overall second-place finish for the night, attracting 17.33 million viewers — a 29 percent bump from the series' summer debut and the network's best regular-programming showing in the Thursday 8-10 pm block since Nov. 16, 2000. Elsewhere, NBC's Will & Grace bowed in its new time slot with 7.98 million viewers (a slight improvement over Joey), newbie Four Kings drew 8.84 mil, and the new My Name Is Earl-The Office comedy hour averaged 10 mil — close to (but not quite) Apprentice numbers.

Fri, Jan 6, 2006

Curb Star Is Now Big Girl on Campus

Curb Your Enthusiasm player Cheryl Hines is going back to school — the fictional University of the Midwest — as executive producer of Oxygen's new improvised comedy series, Campus Ladies (premiering Jan. 8 at 10 pm/ET). Starring Carrie Aizley and Christen Sussin as Joan and Barri, two middle-aged housewives in search of the wild college years they missed the first time around, Campus Ladies represents one of Oxygen's most daring endeavors ever. TVGuide.com spoke with Hines about the series' origins, May-December sex and whether Curb fan

Fri, Jan 6, 2006

THINGS GET HAIRY

Mustachioed Today-show film critic Gene Shalit has drawn fire from GLAAD for his Thursday review of Brokeback Mountain, in which he characterized Jake Gyllenhaal's Jack as a "sexual predator" who "coaxes" Heath Ledger's Ennis into "sporadic trysts." Deeming Shalit's commentary "gratuitously offensive," "defamatory, ignorant and irresponsible," GLAAD is asking for an apology from both him and Today.

Fri, Jan 6, 2006

"WHAT EXIT?" STRATEGY

According to the New York Daily News, the New Jersey Economic Growth and Tourism Commission is deciding whether to pony up $175,000 to use Bon Jovi's "Who Says You Can't Go Home" as part of a new tourism campaign targeted at young folk. Should the already deeply discounted price be deemed too steep for the Garden State, they'll go with Plan B: Bon Jovi's lesser-known "Who Says It's All Landfills."

Fri, Jan 6, 2006

Is "Bumped Joey" Now on Earl's List?

Tonight, Earl Hickey claims that which is rightly his: a berth on NBC's Must-See TV slate, as the freshman hit My Name Is Earl relocates from Tuesday to Thursday at 9 pm/ET, where it will be followed by the equally worthy tagalong The Office. The shake-up also shuffles Will & Grace to the 8 o'clock slot, begging the question — and TVGuide.com wasn't afraid to ask it — of whether Earl will be adding "aided and abetted the bumping of Joey from NBC's lineup" to his famous list of wrongdoings. Earl creator Greg Garcia a

Thu, Jan 5, 2006

Book of Daniel Mixes Dope and Faith

Aidan Quinn's Daniel Webster sees and talks to Jesus in NBC's new (and controversial) The Book of Daniel (premiering Jan. 6 at 9 pm/ET, before settling into its Fridays-at-10 time slot). Then again, maybe the good reverend is simply stoned on all the Vicodin he's taking on the sly. Or stressed out about having a gay son or a pot-dealing daughter. Yes, it's that kind of "religious" series. But as opposed to the most obvious comparison, CBS' God-seeing Joan of Arcadia, Daniel's sit-downs with J.C. (played by Deadwood's Garret Dillahunt) aren't presented as "the grand gimmick." "If someone wants to make it the hook, they could, but I think it's very much just a by-product," Quinn tells TVGuide.com. "The

Thu, Jan 5, 2006

Will Four Kings Trump Its Rivals?

Four Kings, the new NBC comedy (premiering tonight at 8:30 pm/ET) from Will & Grace creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick, treads Friends-ly territory with the story of four lifelong buds — Barry (Seth Green, the Austin Powers movies; Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ben (Josh Cooke, Committed), Bobby (Shane McRae) and Jason (Todd Grinnell) — who inherit an improbably fantastic New York City apartment when Ben's grandmother passes away. With a quartet of young actors onboard, the backstage shenanigans probably rival what you'll see on screen. "One of the games we play, involving a blue fuzzy pillow being wi

Thu, Jan 5, 2006

GIMME STEWART

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed on Thursday that Jon Stewart will host this year's Oscars, to air March 5 on ABC. In a statement, the anchor of The Daily Show and two-time Grammys host said, "As a performer, I'm truly honored to be hosting the show. Although, as an avid watcher of the Oscars, I can't help but be a little disappointed with the choice. It appears to be another sad attempt to smoke out Billy Crystal."

Thu, Jan 5, 2006

BACK TO THE FUTURAMA

Variety is reporting that 20th Century Fox TV is in early discussions to go back into production with Futurama, the Emmy-winning animated series that ran on Fox from March 1999 to August 2003, giving it a Family Guy-style resuscitation. Based on the misadventures of Fry, Leela and Bender, Futurama is set in the year 3000, at which time Lindsay Lohan will have stopped making "news." But until then...

Wed, Jan 4, 2006

John Stamos' Jake Makes Some Progress

Seemingly since the day ABC and John Stamos agreed to put on a show together, Jake in Progress has been a work in progress. Originally envisioned as a real-time (i.e., 24-style, probably minus the gunplay) chronicle of a couple's first date, it dropped the gimmick in favor of a traditional single-camera take on hotshot publicist Jake Phillips' wild and woman-filled life. Now entering its second season (premiering Jan. 9 at 9:30 pm/ET), Jake has a new look (sharkskin suits out!), a new pal (Hidden Hills' Dondre Whitfield) and a "new" ex to pine for (NYPD Blue's Charlotte Ross). With those tweaks and others, everything's "jake" more than ever for the series' star, who just yesterday phoned TVGuide.com from Miami. TVGuide.com: I read on Page Six or somewhere that you'd be among the bold-faced names New Year's Eve-ing in Miami. Is it strange to have your whereabouts monitored so?J

Wed, Jan 4, 2006