matt.webb.mitovich

XM Marks the Shaft for Apprentice's Clay

The fat lady — or, more accurately, Jidé, a fit Nigerian male — has sung for The Apprentice's Clay Lee, whose performance was a bit bitchy (to paraphrase Randy Jackson) for Donald Trump's liking. Here, the 28-year-old Texan talks with TVGuide.com about flirting, awkward sexual positions and, in a way, Alla's bottom. TVGuide.com: Was it rough being characterized as — let me make sure I get it all — the "bitchy, anti-Semitic, hard-to-work-with gay candidate"?Clay Lee: Well, let's see here: I'm the gay cross between Napoleon and Hitler who's a bitchy woman-times-1,000 who's impossible to work with and is a roadblock. I think that's all of it. TVGuide.com: Oops, I forgot "roadblock."Clay: Yeah, you've got to get them all! You know, it was tough at times, but at other times

Thu, Nov 24, 2005

XM Marks the Shaft for Apprentice's Clay

Twin Peaks Alumna Gets in Her Cuts

Guess who's coming to Thanksgiving dinner tonight on Cuts (9:30 pm/ET on UPN)? Why it's no less than Peggy Lipton, who is perhaps best known as The Mod Squad's Julie and Twin Peaks' Norma. Where has the actress been, and what brings her to the UPN comedy? TVGuide.com asked her those questions and more. TVGuide.com: In prepping for this Q&A, I was reminded that three years ago, TV Guide ranked you No. 5 on its "Sexiest TV Stars of All-Time" list. Do you remember that?Peggy Lipton: Yeahhhh... can you believe that? It was a great feeling. It came as kind of a shock, but I guess people have very long memories! [Laugh

Thu, Nov 24, 2005

IS MATT FOLEY GETTIN' SOME?

In a case expected to go before London's High Court next year, Desperate Housewives' Teri Hatcher is suing the British tabloid The Daily Sport for libel over articles that "falsely alleged that she engages in sex romps on a regular basis with a series of men in a VW van parked outside her L.A. home," says the actress' lawyers. "[Hatcher] bitterly refutes these offensive allegations." Offensive, indeed — I mean, a Volkswagen?!

Wed, Nov 23, 2005

RING MY BELL

JAG knockout Catherine Bell recently shot a guest-star appearance for CBS' Threshold as a genetic engineer who, sources say, could become a recurring character should the sci-fi thriller receive a (much-deserved) full-season pickup. What's more, executive producer Brannon Braga revealed in a conference call with the press that Red Team member Lucas will get an as-yet-uncast fiancée and Lost creepazoid William Mapother's alien infectee from the series premiere will come back "in a very, very unexpected way."

Wed, Nov 23, 2005

Entourage Beauty Likes to Mix it Up

In theaters today, In the Mix presents R&B singer Usher as a New York City DJ who, after taking a bullet for a mob boss (Chazz Palminteri, need you ask), finds himself recruited as bodyguard to the don's daughter. Playing Dolly, the headstrong and head-turning Italian-American princess, is Emmanuelle Chriqui, familiar to TV fans from her role as Sloan, the girlfriend of "Aquaman" Vince's manager, Eric, on HBO's Entourage. TVGuide.com enjoyed a one-on-one with the actress to discuss her recent "mix" of roles. TVGuide.com: Let's start with something frothy: A few years ago, you ranked No. 90 on Stuff magazine's list of 102 Sexiest Women. Have you done anything since then to improve your lot?Emmanuelle Chriqui: I just need to

Wed, Nov 23, 2005

FIRST DANCE

It appears Madonna's officially got her groove back. Her latest album, the well-reviewed Confessions on a Dance Floor, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's album chart with 350,000 copies sold. That's 109,000 more copies than her last effort, 2003's disappointing American Life, moved in its first week in stores. Also bowing strongly was American Idol champ Carrie Underwood's debut effort, Some Hearts, which took the No. 2 spot with nearly 315,000 copies.

Wed, Nov 23, 2005

Elizabeth Berkley Is an Alien with Moves

The timing, as it would turn out, could not be better. Elizabeth Berkley's showstopper guest-starring appearance on Threshold, originally slated for earlier in November, instead will air tonight, as the CBS series debuts in its new Tuesdays-at-10 time slot. TVGuide.com was thrilled to talk up the beauty about her role in an alien invasion, the latest news about Screech plus the wildest thing she has ever done! TVGuide.com: I figure you must either be super-jazzed about your Threshold gig and/or a very good gal pal of Carla Gugino's to do press for this, seeing as how you're opening yourself up to

Tue, Nov 22, 2005

Elizabeth Berkley Is an Alien with Moves

"OPRAH, MEA CULPA"

Oprah Winfrey has agreed to appear on David Letterman's late-night talker for the first time since he switched networks to CBS in 1993. Although the origin of the celebs' "feud" is unclear, Winfrey once told Time that she felt "completely uncomfortable" as the target of Letterman's barbs; not helping matters was the talk king's infamously awkward "Uma, Oprah" shtick at the 1995 Oscars. Oprah, out to tout her Broadway production of The Color Purple, will sit with Dave on Dec. 1. Oh, this can't be good: The other guest for that night is Deepak Chopra.

Tue, Nov 22, 2005

POTTER OF GOLD

Conjuring up $101.4 million, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire enjoyed the best opening weekend performance yet for the franchise and the fourth-best three-day opening weekend ever, ranking behind Spider-Man, Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith and Shrek 2. Rounding out the weekend's Top 5 were Walk the Line (bowing with $22.4 million), Chicken Little ($14.8 mil), Derailed ($6.5 mil) and Zathura ($5.1 mil).

Mon, Nov 21, 2005

What Are Medium's Hottest 3-D Tricks?

Tonight at 10 pm/ET, NBC's Medium enters a new dimension — the third one, to be exact — with the broadcast of a special episode introduced by a "resurrected" Rod Serling and featuring scenes that, when viewed through 3-D glasses (available in the current issue of TV Guide), will literally leap out at viewers. The premise facilitating the 3-D segments: Psychic Allison Dubois (played by Emmy winner Patricia Arquette) has eye-popping visions when she looks at the paintings of a troubled young artist. Who planted the seed of this idea in series creator Glenn Gordon Caron's head? None other than the artist formerly known as Pee-wee Herman. "I was reminded of my enthusiasm for 3-D at a party Patricia had," he tells TVGuide.com. "Th

Mon, Nov 21, 2005

Two and a Half Men's Cryer Is a Laugher

When does two and a half equal more than 16 million? When you're talking about CBS' top-rated Monday-night sitcom and the massive audience that tunes in to watch Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen play dad and uncle to a wisecracking kid. As if you aren't already tuning in to Two and a Half Men, note that tonight's episode promises to be, well, special, thanks to a certain guest star who only has eyes for Cryer's lovelorn Alan. TVGuide.com spoke to the film and TV vet about that, Duckie and more. TVGuide.com: First off, I want to say that I loved your series The Famous Teddy Z, which offered an inside look at the talent-agency biz. Do you agree that i

Mon, Nov 21, 2005

Will Dean Cain Win This Time in Vegas?

The Dean's List — i.e., the roster of fab femmes that Dean Cain has gotten to work with in his TV career — boasts no less than Desperate Housewives' Teri Hatcher (who kicked off his impressive run when they costarred on Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman), Kelly Ripa, Vanessa Marcil and, just last week, Mariska Hargitay, on Law & Order: SVU. Starting tonight, Cain and Marcil will go another round or two (or more) on Las Vegas (9 pm/ET on NBC), as h

Mon, Nov 21, 2005

Confessions of Hope Faith's Teenage Fox

When ABC wanted someone "sassier and edgier" (as series creator Joanna Johnson once put it) to play the tarty teen daughter, Sydney, on Hope & Faith (Fridays at 9 pm/ET), they recast the role prior to the fall 2004 season with Megan Fox, whose credits at the time included Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (with Lindsay Lohan) and an Olsen twins movie. Well, edgy is what they got. Although Fox's recent lad-mag pictorial (and its equally buzzworthy quotes about her beau, Freddie's Brian Austin Green) was deemed off-limits, TVGuide.com agreed to interview the ingenue abo

Fri, Nov 18, 2005

Can a Slew of Stars Save the Earth?

On Sunday at 8 pm/ET, TBS presents Earth to America!, a star-studded special organized to raise awareness of a rather large issue, the Earth itself. But what exactly is going on during the two-hour event? I mean, how can the likes of Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller and Jack Black rescue mankind? Earth to America! creator and executive producer Laurie David, wife of Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David, gave TVGuide.com a sneak peek. TVGuide.com: Before we get started, I have to say that every time I see the title Earth to America! I think of that Tom Hanks astronaut miniseries thing.Laurie David: The title's like, "Hello-o-o! Earth to America!" Larry actually came up with the title. It's a good one, don't you think? TVGuide.com: But the exclamation point at the end —

Fri, Nov 18, 2005

Threshold Producer Previews New Harry Potter

What do a pubescent wizard and a team of E.T.-busters have in common? Producer David Heyman, who has helped shepherd all of the Harry Potter films to date and also executive-produces CBS' Threshold (airing Tuesdays at 10 pm/ET, beginning Nov. 22). On the occasion of the premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, TVGuide.com seized the opportunity to have a one-on-one discussion with the man behind both big-screen magic and small-screen spookiness. TVGuide.com: When all is told, after the seventh and final Harry Potter book makes its way into theaters, how many years of your life will have been consumed by the wizards?D

Fri, Nov 18, 2005

Threshold Producer Previews New Harry Potter

Sith Hits the Fan for Apprentice Pair

Fired are you both. So declared Donald Trump (in so many words) on last week's The Apprentice, as the Excel team delivered a Star Wars Episode III — Revenge of the Sith in-store display that fell light-years short of impressing either the Lucasfilm or Best Buys execs. TVGuide.com invited project manager Brian Mandelbaum and fellow castoff Marshawn Evans to — you guessed it — strike back. TVGuide.com: Am I just old or was it a little bizarre that Randall was the only Star Wars-savvy person on your team?Brian M

Thu, Nov 17, 2005

NEW LOST CASTAWAYS FOUND

Wow, just as we get up to speed on Ana-Lucia and the other "tailies," it turns out there are a couple more Lost castaways to meet. ABC is close to making a deal with a major U.S. cell phone carrier to produce "Lost Video Diaries," original mobile video content centered on two of the front-of-plane survivors who have been toiling quietly in the background this whole time. (I always figured they had lousy publicists.) The episodes, about 20 in all and several minutes each, will be shot next month in Hawaii, to be available on phones in early 2006.

Thu, Nov 17, 2005

REGIS HAS '06 PACT

Regis Philbin has been tapped by Fox to ring in 2006 as host of New Year's Eve Live, a direct competitor to ABC's long-running and Dick Clark-fronted New Year's Rockin' Eve. "I'm very happy to be asked to welcome in the new year on TV," says Philbin. "It's a one-of-a-kind show" — if you don't count ABC's long-running and Dick Clark-fronted New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Wed, Nov 16, 2005

Pamela Anderson Flaunts Her Q&A

Pamela Anderson has made a career out of bouncing back. Having made the tricky segues from pinup to camp action heroine to Internet video star to, now, sitcom actress, she is back with a second season of Fox's Stacked (Wednesdays at 8:30 pm/ET), on which she stars as party-girl-turned-bookstore-employee Skyler Dayton. How has she deflected the slings and arrows of critics? TVGuide.com stole a few minutes with Anderson to talk about her resolve, her romances and her radio-show-host buddy Howard Stern — but not before we got one pressing question out of the way. TVGuide.com: You and I were born exactly a month apart, same year and everything. What do you think that m

Wed, Nov 16, 2005

Hardtails' Debbie: The Biker Girl Next Door

Texas Hardtails? This Yankee had never heard of it, but Speed Channel's first stab at a comedy series is threatening to become a cult hit with the choppers-and-customs set as it offers a "mostly true" look at Strokers Dallas, renowned bike-builder Rick Fairless' 35,000-square-foot motorcyclists' mecca. Drop by any Hardtails message board, however, and you'll find fans talking not so much about hydraulic clutches and slammed rear fenders but Grand Prairie native Debbie Beal, who plays a close facsimile of herself on the show. As Hardtails' first season gets a second look (Tuesdays at 8:30 pm/ET), TVGuide.com got schooled on baggers, beer-tubbing and more by the self-described biker babe. TVGuide.com: First off — and you had to know I'd ask this — what is a hardtail?Debbie Beal: Somebody asked me

Tue, Nov 15, 2005

Hardtails' Debbie: The Biker Girl Next Door

SHALLOW OW!

Brooke Burns (Shallow Hal, Baywatch) suffered a fracture to one of her neck bones when she dove into her backyard pool and hit her head last Thursday night. After undergoing minor surgery, Burns is expected to make a full recovery in time to begin shooting the mid-season WB series Pepper Dennis. It's a good thing Mitch Buchannon was on duty.

Tue, Nov 15, 2005

CSI SPINS A WEB

You Internet-savvy CSI: Miami fans will be privy to a real humdinger (or Hummer-dinger, in light of the corporate sponsor) of a twist when CBS.com makes available a bonus scene immediately following the Nov. 21 episode. "This exclusive scene between Ryan Wolfe and Erica Sykes contains a dramatic revelation about someone in our lab," previews executive producer Ann Donahue. "[The secret] threatens to tear the team apart and leads to a shocking conclusion at the end of our season" — which is just about when fans with dial-up connections will finish viewing the video.

Tue, Nov 15, 2005