michael.ausiello

Stop daydreaming about Smurfs ...

Question: Stop daydreaming about Smurfs and accept that you are short but not blue. Now give us some House scoop, please? Answer: Sticks and stones may break my bones but… short?! Since when is 5'11" with my Durangos on short!?!? How very dare you. I've never been so insulted in my life. (Last person to get that reference is a rotten, smelly egg-beater.) Anyway, yes, I have some House scoop for you. Sources confirm that the lovely and talented Ivana Milicevic (Love Monkey, Ugly Betty) will appear in the show's season finale in a top-secret role. Well, top-secret save for these two hints: Her character may or may not be dressed entirely in black, and she may or may not appear in House's subconscious.

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

Congrats on making the cover ...

Question: Congrats on making the cover of this week's Entertainment Weekly! Answer: Thanks, but I'm a little peeved. I specifically asked them not to airbrush my brows, but, as you can see, they ignored my request.  

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

Battlestar Galactica returns ...

Question: Battlestar Galactica returns this Friday! Have you seen the premiere? What can you tell us? Answer: I have seen the premiere and, unfortunately, I can't tell you much. Sci Fi made me sign a confidentiality agreement in which they threatened to castrate me if I spoiled any aspect of the episode — particularly the last 15 minutes. So I'll just say the episode is awesome (particularly the last 15 minutes) and leave it at that. Luckily, the spooky legal document didn't say anything about revealing future spoilers, but just to be safe I'll cover my naughty bits as I relay the following intel about the second half of Season 4 (airing whenever): Starbuck will become inexplicably drawn to a handsome, charismatic, slick and mysterious piano player over the course of two episodes. The two will become so connected th

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

So now that AS-P's new show ...

Question: So now that AS-P's new show is kaput, what do you think are the odds she'll start getting serious about a Gilmore Girls movie? Answer: Your guess is as good as mine. For the record, my guess is in the neighborhood of 40-1. I imagine Team P has a fair amount of wound-licking to do before they dive back into TV.

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

What's this I'm hearing about ...

Question: What's this I'm hearing about a major kiss in Lost's season finale? Answer: More like a "spectacular kiss" — Damon Lindelof's words, not mine. In the new issue of Lost magazine, DL teased, "Romance is always blooming on and off the island. And I hereby promise you one of the most spectacular kisses you've ever seen on the show in this year's finale." Naturally, I pressed DL's partner in crime, Carlton Cuse, for further details on the earth-shattering smooch, to which he replied, "I can disclose no more details other than to say it's one of my favorite moments of the whole series so far. And contrary to some speculation, it is a male/female kiss." OK, so it's not Mr. Friendly and his little Rent Boy. Who does that leave? Oh, right: Pretty much every other couple on the frakkin' show! Damn you, Team Darlton!

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

Is Friday Night Lights coming ...

Question: Is Friday Night Lights coming back or not? Answer: Yes! It's returning in January! (We did it! Sweet Jesus, we did it!) You can find NBC's Fall and Winter skeds right here.

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

Any new scoop about the third ...

Question: Any new scoop about the third season of Heroes? Answer: Someone may be moving in on Mohinder's narrator turf. Tim Kring is said to be seeking an Australian Aboriginal actor in his fifties to appear in multiple episodes as a storyteller with great wisdom and a soft, soothing voice.

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

Thanks for the awesome ...

Question: Thanks for the awesome interview with Greg Grunberg in your latest vodcast. He seriously is the sweetest, nicest actor ever. Oh, and whatever the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel is paying you for all the shameless promotion you're giving them, it's not enough. Seriously.Answer: It's the least I could do after they went and named a freakin' cocktail after my favorite people in the world: Ausholes! Look, proof! And a recipe! OK, I'm out of time. After you're done mixing you

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

Sunday-night television sucks ...

Question: Sunday-night television sucks lately. Got any Desperate Housewives scoopage to tide us over until its return? Answer: Mitovich has one helluva DH mega-scoop in his vodcast/blog. At least that's what he told me. If not, I just wasted some valuable real estate promoting someone other than myself. And that's never a good thing.

Wed, Apr 2, 2008

Exclusive: Ugly Betty Falls for Pretty Eddie

Somewhere Ana Ortiz is thanking God and/or doing cartwheels. Why?'Cause the underrated Ugly Betty costar will be getting a new love interest later this season, and he's going to look a lot like Eddie Cibrian. Actually, he is Eddie Cibrian!Multiple unnamed moles (all of 'em Ugly) confirm to me exclusively that Dimples Cibrian  aka ABC's go-to guest star of late (see also: Dirty Sexy Money, Samantha Who?)  has been cast as Justin's phys-ed teacher slash eventual boyfriend to Ortiz's Hilda. He'll appear in three episodes this season and could return in the fall. Please join me in congratulating Ana!

Tue, Apr 1, 2008

Exclusive: Ugly Betty Falls for Pretty Eddie

Exclusive: William Petersen Uncovers New CSI Deal

The evidence is in and it's irrefutable: Grissom will remain on the CSI beat for at least one more season  albeit with an asterisk.Sources confirm to me exclusively that William Petersen  whose pact with the show was set to expire in May  has agreed to stick around through the 2008-09 TV season. Although the specifics of his new deal were not disclosed, a CSI insider tells me it's both lucrative (read: reportedly 600K per episode, up from 500K) and brimming with "out" clauses (read: the asterisk I spoke of earlier). In fact, Petersen already has his first "out" lined up: This fall, the actor will return to the stage in Conor McPherson's A Dublin Carol, which kicks off a six-week run in his hometown of Chicago in mid-November. As you'll recall, Petersen missed four episodes of CSI in early 2007 to headline a Rhode Island production of Dublin Carol. Shakespearean thesp Liev Schreiber stepped in to fill the Grissom void, only to get shot to death in his final episode...

Tue, Apr 1, 2008

Exclusive: William Petersen Uncovers New CSI Deal

Exclusive: Army Wives Boss Relieved of Duty

Army Wives' top lieutenant is stepping down. Show-runner Dee Johnson was relieved of her duties over the weekend, sources confirm to me exclusively. Johnson's ouster  the result of creative differences with producer ABC Studios  marks the third show-runner change the Lifetime drama has weathered in a little over a year. Samantha Corbin-Miller was the first to go AWOL in Dec. 06. She was replaced a few months later by Jeff Melvoin (Alias), who stuck around until last August, at which point Johnson took over. This latest exec shuffle couldn't have come at a worse time: Army Wives  which ranks as Lifetime's No. 1-rated drama series of all time  is only two weeks into production on its highly anticipated 18-episode second season.

Mon, Mar 31, 2008

Exclusive: Army Wives Boss Relieved of Duty

Exclusive: Samaire Armstrong Out of Money

Dirty Sexy Money will be down a Darling next season. Samaire Armstrong, who plays Juliet, brat-astic celebutante and fraternal twin to Jeremy, will not be returning to the series full-time, sources confirm to me exclusively. A spokesperson for ABC Studios declined to comment, but a Dirty Sexy insider tells me that producers decided not to pick up Armstrong's contract option. The actress is, however, expected to appear on a recurring basis, her schedule permitting. Last October, Armstrong entered a treatment facility for undisclosed reasons. Producers were forced to write her out of an episode, but she was back on air the following week. Whether or not Armstrong's personal issues contributed to her demotion from series regular to occasional guest star is anyone's guess. Hey, I just thought of something: This probably explains why Seth's onetime O.C. crush was conspicuously missing from Tuesday's Dirty Sexy Money panel at Paley Fest. That's what they call putting two and two together.

Fri, Mar 28, 2008

Exclusive: Samaire Armstrong Out of Money

Prison Break Stunner: Sarah Wayne Callies Returns!

Prison Break fans, prepare to seriously lose your heads. Sarah Wayne Callies  whose rather ugly contract dispute with producers led to her apparent decapitation last October  is returning next season. Full-time. As Dr. Sara Tancredi. Head and all. Seriously.How? Why? When? WTF?! All legitimate questions. Good thing I just hung up with Mr. Answer Man (aka executive producer Matt Olmstead). So... I take it that wasn't Sara's head in that box....Matt Olmstead: Yeah, that wasn't.But initially it was supposed to be her head. What changed?Olmstead: What changed was.... once we realized that the emotional hook of Season 3 was going to be the death of Sara, when we didn't get the actress to do it, as soon as we wrote it and shot it, we realized that there was actually a way she could still be alive. Lincoln glanced at the head in the box for a split second. That could've been anyone. He wasn't about to pull it up from the hair and inspect it closely. And then we were fairly care...

Thu, Mar 27, 2008

Prison Break Stunner: Sarah Wayne Callies Returns!

Breaking: Battlestar Stud Playing Dollhouse with Dushku

Joss Whedon is letting his obsession with Battlestar Galactica get the best of him  and I couldn't be happier about it!Whedon has tapped Galactica stud Tahmoh Penikett (aka Helo) to play Eliza Dushku's "twisted romantic foil" in Dollhouse, a spokesperson for Twentieth Television confirms. Also joining the Dollhouse ensemble are Fran Kranz (CBS' Welcome to the Captain), Aussie actress Dichen Lachman and relative newcomer Enver Gjokaj.Penikett's character, Paul Smith (originally named Paul Ballard), is described as an FBI agent who becomes obsessed with both the urban myth that is Dollhouse and its most recognizable inhabitant, Echo (Dushku).Kranz, meanwhile, has been cast as Dollhouse's nerdy programmer Topher Brink, the dude responsible for imprinting the dolls. Lachman, who starred in the Australian series Neighbours, will play Sierra, a Doll similar to Echo, only not as self-aware. And last but not least, Gjokaj will play Echo's buddy Victor, a handsome Doll who is childlike...

Thu, Mar 27, 2008

Breaking: Battlestar Stud Playing Dollhouse with Dushku

At Paley Fest, Blake Lively ...

Question: At Paley Fest, Blake Lively told you that sleeping with Nate isn't the real reason Serena left. I know you know something. Answer: I know that Michelle Trachtenberg holds the key to that little secret, and I wouldn't think of spoiling it here. What I will spoil is the real reason Lively bolted from the stage immediately after the Gossip Girl panel Saturday night — and it wasn't to escape the gaggle of fans that swarmed the dais, as some in the media have speculated. Anyone who was standing within three feet of Lively as she raced out of the auditorium (i.e., me) could clearly hear her begging someone — anyone — to point her to the nearest bathroom because she

Wed, Mar 26, 2008

You won the sum of 750,000 ...

Question: You won the sum of 750,000 euros from our monthly promotion. You are hereby advised to get back to us to claim your prize. Answer: Oh, Pablo. Dear, sweet Pablo. I can't accept your generous bribery unless you tell me the show on which you want scoop in exchange. OK, that's a wrap. Head over to the Ask Ausiello Discussion Thread to ream me rave about this week's column. And, of course, e-mail questions, hot scoops, Keri Russell sightings to askausiello@tvguide.com. Hey, I just thought of a great idea: How 'bout we do this again next Wednesday?! — Additional reporting by Ben Katner and Mickey O'Connor

Wed, Mar 26, 2008

I have soooo many questions ...

Question: I have soooo many questions about Supernatural. Will Dean die? Will Dean go to Hell? Will Sam turn dark? Will Sam fight against Dean? Help!Answer: The answer to two of your questions is yes.

Wed, Mar 26, 2008

Thank you for your coverage ...

Question: Thank you for your coverage of Paley Fest '08. I especially love the Buffy interviews.Answer: Yeah, the Scoobies were fun. Of course, they don't hold a candle to my Friday Night Lights peeps, all of whom were their typically awesome selves throughout the entire night. Scott Porter, in particular, was radiating some serious positive energy. From the motorcycle hip-thrusty dance he performed in front of the sold-out crowd to the moving speech he gave to FNL fans thanking them for their tireless support, he proved himself to be as eloquent and humble as he is talented and, yeah, I'll go there, hot as all get-out. At times I felt like I was looking in a mirror. I kid. I'm not so much hot as I am one sexy mo-fo. Hey, speaking of Paley, if you missed any of my wall-to-wall coverage, here are some convenient links: &#82

Wed, Mar 26, 2008

You gave us some scoop on Rob ...

Question: You gave us some scoop on Rob Thomas' 90210 spin-off, now can we get some news on his remake of Cupid? I always thought it was a shame the original was canceled. Answer: I never actually watched the original, so I'll be viewing this reboot with virgin eyes. And I like what I'm seeing so far: a behind-the-scenes staff that looks virtually identical to the crew Thomas used on Veronica Mars. That can only mean good things.

Wed, Mar 26, 2008

Battlestar Galactica's final ...

Question: Battlestar Galactica's final season is only a week or so away! Do you have any tidbits? Answer: Pay attention to the condition of Starbuck's viper upon her return from Earth. And a major character is going to get a close shave. Literally.

Wed, Mar 26, 2008

Hey, can you give us some ...

Question: Hey, can you give us some frakkin' news about the new season of Battlestar Galactica? Answer: I hear a pivotal scene in Friday's season premiere involves an authority figure being held at gunpoint.

Wed, Mar 26, 2008