matt.webb.mitovich

Earl's Jaime Pressly Has Broughten It

For a moment there, it appeared as if Jaime Pressly's legacy might be Not Another Teen Movie, in which her cheerleader RSVP'd to a rival's invite to "bring it on" by snapping, "Oh, it's already been broughten." But with her starring role on NBC's hit freshman comedy My Name Is Earl (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET), Pressly has dodged such a date with infamy, eliciting raves from both the press and the populace for her portrayal of Jason Lee's on-screen ex, Joy. This week's episode, centered around Joy's pending nuptials to Darnell (aka Crab Man), promises Pressly in her finest form, as the script immediately beca

Tue, Nov 15, 2005

Lake Bell: We've Only Scratched the Surface

There's something in the water on NBC's Surface (Mondays at 8 pm/ET), and as the series dives deep into sweeps with one revelation-packed episode after another, rest assured that each discovery will be offset by a new mystery. As oceanographer Laura Daughtery, Lake Bell joins Jay R. Ferguson's fisherman, Rich Connelly, in investigating otherworldly sea creatures that somebody (of course) would rather have kept under wraps. TVGuide.com chatted with Bell about making her massive prime-time splash. TVGuide.com: This month the show has really heated up. I mean, people are dying and stuff!Lake Bell: [Laughs] I know! It's going to get crazy. I swear to god, the things we're shooting now I can't even b

Mon, Nov 14, 2005

Lake Bell: We've Only Scratched the Surface

Lisa Kudrow Seeks More Happy Days

On the occasion of the DVD release of the summer film Happy Endings — in which Lisa Kudrow plays Mamie, an abortion counselor searching for the son she had as a teenager and gave up for adoption — TVGuide.com caught up with the actress to discuss her own massage experiences, the unfortunate fate of HBO's The Comeback, and whether Phoebe might ever drop in on her pal Joey. TVGuide.com: In Happy Endings you and your masseur boyfriend make a fake documentary about the extra-special treatment he gives women. Ever have a crush on a masseur?Lisa Kudrow: Oh, no. [Laughs] I prefer to be massaged by women. TVGuide.com: Was it just a big ol' coincidence that your first big post-Friends project

Mon, Nov 14, 2005

Magic's Penn & Teller Make a Splash

If you love a good — no, make that great — illusion and you missed any of Penn & Teller's previous TV projects (e.g. Penn & Teller Go Public and Penn & Teller's Bulls for example), NBC is offering a can't-miss opportunity to see what the acclaimed magic duo has up their sleeves in the brand-new — and filmed entirely underwater! — two-hour special, Penn & Teller: Off the Deep End, airing Nov. 13 at 7 pm/ET. What on earth led the performers to take their act straight off a pier and into the drink? "Probably a lack of sleep when we were [appearing] on Broadway," Penn quips. "Teller and I have always had this love-hate relationship with magic, where we grew as kids absolutely loving it but then, by the time we got good enough to earn a living at it, it got to be kind of old hat. A lot of it had bee

Fri, Nov 11, 2005

Apprentice's Markus Has Words for Trump

For a reality-show castoff who's not quite so chatty, be sure to read our Insider Q&A with Survivor's Brandon. When Donald Trump ejected Mark(us) Garrison on NBC's The Apprentice, it was a scary moment. After all, who wants their 60-minute interview tape filled up with incomplete thoughts? But, promised that the 41-year-old inventor from Sarasota, Fla., is better-spoken off camera, TVGuide.com pressed the record button to hear what he had to say about his team's utter lack of sex appeal in last week's task. Here's Markus, almost unedited. TVGuide.com: I don't know if you heard, but I almost b

Thu, Nov 10, 2005

One Deranged Killer Torments Two CSIs

Anyone who wants a free — albeit rather blood-soaked — trip from the Sunshine State to gritty New York City need only tune in to CBS' massive CSI: Miami-CSI: NY crossover, beginning tonight at 10 pm and reaching a shocking climax on Wednesday at 10 pm/ET. In the sprawling saga, a mass murderer in transport to Florida becomes a man on the loose, offing a lot of people who get in his way and ultimately leading Miami's Det. Horatio Caine (David Caruso) to the Big Apple, where he and NY counterpart Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise) pull out all the stops to ferret out the fugitive. The case is so complex and the killer (played by 24 good-guy

Mon, Nov 7, 2005

Househusband Sticks Up for Housewives

As with any red-hot series entering its second season, ABC's Desperate Housewives (Sundays at 9 pm/ET) has come under added scrutiny. As critics (OK, gossipmongers) spec that the divas' backstage dueling has taken a toll on the sudser, all the male cast members can do is sit back and get their jobs done. TVGuide.com spoke with Doug Savant about the supposed slump, Tom's mysteriously dropped secret and Housewives' "rivalry" with Lost. TVGuide.com: Does being on such an estrogen-heavy set create a special camaraderie among the menfolk?Doug Savant: Occasionally. Most of us play on the Desperate Housewives softball team, so on Saturday we get together and bat some balls around. [Laughs] Right now, I think we're in fourth place. There are some teams that have bee

Fri, Nov 4, 2005

Jennifer Loves a Good Ghost Story

When Melinda Gordon sees dead people, CBS eyes ratings gold, as Jennifer Love Hewitt's Ghost Whisperer handily wins its time slot, sometimes drawing nearly 3 million more viewers than its Fridays-at-8 predecessor, Joan of Arcadia. As such, the net gave the freshman drama a ghost of a chance, ordering posthaste a full season. What led America to "catch the spirit," so to speak? TVGuide.com invited Love to whisper sweet nothings — or, at least, the answers to our questions — in our ear. TVGuide.com: How delighted are you with Ghost Whisperer's reception? Some critics scoffed at its prospects early on.Jennifer Love Hewitt: We're more than delighted. I know everybody on the show feels really lucky and I definitely feel like, I don't know, t

Fri, Nov 4, 2005

West Wing Livens Up Dead Debates

When NBC's The West Wing presents its first-ever live broadcast on Sunday at 8 pm/ET, it will be an experiment not to see who might flub a line amid giggles and titters, but to shed light on the predictable pablum-dispensing exercises that presidential debates have become over the years, as candidates Congressman Matt Santos (played by Jimmy Smits) and Senator Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda) make their strongest bids for the United States' highest office. "It's very unusual in a [real] debate that a candidate is surprised by a question," notes West Wing executive producer John Wells. "They're usually very rehearsed. So we're planning to solicit questions via the Internet from people who are interested. "We had a wonderful tradition in this

Fri, Nov 4, 2005

Did We Talk To Reunion's Corpse?

Tonight at 9 pm/ET, Fox hopes to reunite Reunion viewers with the relationship drama they sampled before MLB play-offs knocked it off the air for several weeks. To recap: Reunion follows the investigation of the murder of one of six friends whose past is recalled in flashbacks covering one year per episode. Although the victim has yet to be ID'd for the audience, based on those we have seen alive and kicking in the present-day scenes, Amanda Righetti's Jenna Moretti has a one-in-three chance of being the deceased. TVGuide.com made sure to chat up the O.C. alumna before she possibly went (gulp) 6 feet under. TVGuide.com: Was it a tease to have Reunion debut and get some good notices, only to be plucked off the air?Amanda Righetti: Yeah, it's a pain to deal with that wh

Thu, Nov 3, 2005

Strike Three, Four Out on Apprentice!

Last week on NBC's The Apprentice, the newly reshuffled Excel team swung for the fences in a sporting-goods task but instead whiff-whiff-whiff-whiffed in short measure, managing to actually lose money for the sponsor retailer. Donald Trump was not happy, so in a boardroom first, he fired a foursome: project manager Josh Shaw, former beauty queen Jennifer Murphy, Mark Lamkin and James Dillon. TVGuide.com spoke with the two bigger drama magnets, Josh and Jennifer, about choking at the plate. TVGuide.com: On a scale of 1 to 10, how shocked were you to see Trump fire all four of you?Josh: I'd put it at a 12. [Laughs] It was definitely a shock. With that magnitude of a loss, we expected something drastic to occur, but I don't think anyone expected a fou

Thu, Nov 3, 2005

Can Donald "Trump" a Quadruple Firing?

Albeit a few days early for Halloween, Donald Trump axed not one, not two or even three, but four candidates on the Oct. 27 installment of The Apprentice, as the reshuffled Excel team suffered the most mortifying loss in show history, effectively losing money for the episode's sporting-goods sponsor. TVGuide.com squeezed its way onto the Donald's day planner the following morning to follow up on the bloodbath. TVGuide.com: You must still be dead-serious about maintaining the integrity of The Apprentice — even in Season 4 — if you're firing four at a time.Donald Trump: I really am. It was a very good episode last night and they continue to do well. We got very good ratings, as you probably saw. Actually the last part of the show was through the roof in terms of ratings. People love the boardroom, they love the boardroo

Tue, Nov 1, 2005

Friday the 13th's Jason Speaks Up!

Call me a twisted freak or a serial slayer waiting to happen, but this Insider editor loves him some Jason Voorhees. Ever since the boy who refused to drown "popped up" in the original Friday the 13th, I've been in the theater (or at the video-store checkout counter) for almost every sequel. That's why, on this day of celebrating ghouls and goblins, I sought out Kane Hodder, the man who has played Jason more than anyone else (in parts VII, VIII, Jason Goes to Hell and Jason X), to shed light on the man behind the hockey mask.

Mon, Oct 31, 2005

It's Greg Evigan vs. a Three-Headed Dog!

Talk about terror unleashed. In Sci Fi Channel's Cerberus, premiering Oct. 29 at 9 pm/ET, Greg Evigan plays a slithery sort who, in his greedy quest for a fabled sword, sets loose the titular three-headed hellhound. In the end, will he or good-girl historian Emmanuelle Vaugier (Saw II) be the pooch's next snack? TVGuide.com offered the My Two Dads star a fleabag-fighting tip, then dogged him with questions about his TV past. TVGuide.com: Imagine my surprise when I start watching this movie and see Greg Evigan playing the villain!Greg Evigan: You know, I've been playing the bad guy in the last seven or eight projects I've done. I like it. It's a lot more interesting! [Laughs] Being the good

Fri, Oct 28, 2005

It's Greg Evigan vs. a Three-Headed Dog!

Apprentice's Kristi Is Za-through-a!

Things were far from peachy for Georgia's Kristi Caudell, who last week was fired from The Apprentice for, well, fabricating some freaky-big kids for a parade float promoting Sony's upcoming Zathura movie. Should project manager Jennifer M. have gotten the hook for, among other things, repeatedly mauling the Zathura name right in front of director Jon Favreau? TVGuide.com spoke to Kristi about that, about Toral's taunts and more. TVGuide.com: What happened to the little "blondes and Marshawn have more fun" clique you had going on there? It's like, all of the sudden everybody turned on you.Kristi Caudell: [Laughs] Actually, they all didn't. You didn't get to see Alla

Thu, Oct 27, 2005

Kristen Bell, You've Got Mail!

Yeah, we were disappointed, too. That plucky little "Fame"-singing Veronica Mars star, Kristen Bell, is so busy headlining one of TV's best shows (or "Best. Show. Ever." as Buffy overlord Joss Whedon recently put it) that Insider had to settle for e-mailing our list of questions to her, then waiting out the weekend — and all day Monday and half of Tuesday, but who's counting? — until her answers hit our in-box. Did Neptune's finest play nice? Or did she treat us like spam? TVGuide.com went all out to make the most of the electronic exchange (which was filtered through Kristen's people, folks, so no harassing me for her e-mail addy). TVGuide.com: What R U wearing right.... Oops. Sorry, wrong window. Let me start by, um, thanking you for taking the time to do this.Kristen Bell: No problem. I'm

Wed, Oct 26, 2005

Jenny McCarthy Is Ready to Party!

So, Jenny McCarthy calls last Friday.... TVGuide.com: I have to be honest, when I put in this request to talk to you, it was for E!'s 101 Craziest TV Moments special, which you hosted but which will be over with by the time this Q&A is published. But we'll find other things to talk about, right?Jenny McCarthy: Oh, I think so! TVGuide.com: So, um... how is the weather there?McCarthy: It's actually quite beautiful. It’s a little crisp, but at least the sun is shining. TVGuide.com: Did you make it onto E!'s Craziest Moments list?McCarthy: Of course!  TVGuide.com: How? Did you belch in Joy Behar's general direction on The View?McCarthy:

Wed, Oct 26, 2005

Pleasant Dreams for Prison Break Exec

A year ago, the TV landscape warmly welcomed two little shows entitled Lost and Desperate Housewives. The insta-success of those newbies — one about supernatural goings-on, the other about suburbia's secrets — appeared to portend the success of a Fox offering that boasted both. Point Pleasant, starring dewy Elisabeth Harnois as Satan's daughter and Grant Show as the Dark Prince's sinfully handsome henchman, debuted amid much buzz, only to be bedeviled by low numbers and, thus, a truncated run. Now, that first season, including a making-of doc and five never-aired episodes, is out on DVD. Series creator Marti Noxon

Tue, Oct 25, 2005

Office Space Star Is Really Tripping

Familiar funny man Stephen Root is Tripping the Rift, as he has been on the animated Sci Fi Channel series (Wednesdays at 10 pm/ET), but this time Chode and the gang are in glorious DVD splendor. (Season 1 hits stores this week.) What is Tripping the Rift, you may ask? And what does it have in common with the 9/11 Commission report? TVGuide.com chatted with Root about that, his Office Space legacy and much more. TVGuide.com: OK, so sum it up for people who haven't seen Tripping: Who are you, what are you and what are you doing?Stephen Root: [Laughs] I would have to say that Tripping the Rift is an R-rated Star Wars-type extravaganza. I'm a purple-tentacled ship captain who is a total reprobate,

Mon, Oct 24, 2005

Threshold Plan Is a Success for Gugino

If someone is going to save the world from alien infestation, then why the hell shouldn't she be a fabulous femme? As the star of CBS' Threshold (Fridays at 9 pm/ET), Carla Gugino plays Molly Ann Caffrey, a government contingency analyst whose expertise proves indispensable when the aforementioned worst-case scenario threatens our planet. Of course, she gets a weekly assist from ragtag Red Teammates Charles S. Dutton, Brent Spiner, Peter Dinklage, Rob Benedict and Brian Van Holt. How did Threshold, so often cited by critics as being the best of the bunch, break away from this season's supernatural pack? Speaking with TVGuide.com during a rare break in her schedule, Gugino admitted she hasn't been able to read any reviews or sample either

Fri, Oct 21, 2005

Charmed's Leo Safe from Demons

Sure, Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs have been around since Day 1, but it says a whole lot more that Brian Krause has lasted a full seven years on WB's Charmed (Sundays at 8 pm/ET), which frankly isn't known for providing job security for male actors. Indeed, Krause knows that his is a charmed existence, in more ways than one. TVGuide.com: Dude, you work with Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs, Rose McGowan and now Kaley Cuoco. Not exactly the hardest job in Hollywood, is it?Brian Krause: Yeah, I think there have been more difficult jobs, that's for

Fri, Oct 21, 2005

The Apprentice's Toral Lost in Blizzard

She may not like to dress up (at least not as a Dairy Queen mascot), but The Apprentice's Toral Mehta sure liked to dress down her teammates. Surely it was just a case of titillating reality-TV editing, right? TVGuide.com talked up Toral just days after last week's ouster. TVGuide.com: So, you had the weekend to recoup....Toral Mehta: Yeah, for sure. I never heard more people say my name or stare at me as I walked down the street. I went shopping in SoHo and everyone stared. "Are you Toral?" Yes, I am. No one has a comment, they just stare. TVGuide.com: Let's start by recapping your suggestions for the DQ Blizzard mascot's name. What is a "blizzamarole"?Toral: What is a blizzamarole? Oh, I can't remember. TVGuide.com: Wharton isn't known for its name-generation classes?T

Thu, Oct 20, 2005