Question: Please tell me anything you can about Sunday's post-Super Bowl episode of Grey's Anatomy!Answer: It'll probably result in an Emmy nomination for Chandra Wilson. And I think Mark Burnett may get an idea for a new Survivor challenge after watching Christina Ricci's performance in the episode, which, BTW, starts on Super Bowl Sunday and continues the following week. Damn two-parters!
Question: There's a rumor that Marcia Gay Harden is replacing Mariska on Law & Order: SVU during her maternity leave. True? Answer: False. Although Neal Baer insists that no final decision has been made about who'll be stepping in for Marish, a reliable source confirms that Gladiator's Connie Nielsen will fill the void for at least six episodes. In related news, you have to check out these SVU-themed Valentines. I especially heart the "YOU'RE EXTRA SPECIAL" one.
Question: You said we'd find out in Episode 15 of Gilmore Girls that one of the show's leading men had an affair with a girl named Walker (Ask Ausiello 1/25). Well... who is it?Answer: Can't say, but the revelation does lead to a rather nasty (and possibly permanent) split.
Question: I am freaking out! What is happening to Everwood now that WB has merged with UPN? Answer: I have some really depressing news on that subject, but first some much-needed good news: WB announced Tuesday that Everwood will return to its original Monday time period next month, beginning with a two-hour episode on March 20. (Supernatural heads to Thursdays after Smallville — a much better fit, if you ask me.) Now, back to the bad news: According to one of my industry moles, an early draft of CW's fall schedule is making the rounds in Hollywood, and Everwood is not on it. Now, that doesn't mean it won't be back next season, but it's certainly proof that TV's most underappreciated drama series is fighting for its life. And on that note…
Question: What can you tell us about the upcoming season of Rescue Me? Answer: Well, for starters, you won't see Marisa Tomei. She had been approached to play Denis Leary's new love interest, but a FX source says the Oscar winner turned them down. Why? Beat$ me.
Question: Congrats on scoring another column on TVGuide.com. You deserve it. And we deserve some Battlestar Galactica scoop in AA. Answer: That baby Cylon's arriving sooner than I thought.
Question: In last week's AA, Jim asked you if Lost's Libby was a ********** ****. Can you at least give us the first letter of whatever this is? Or maybe all the vowels? Or maybe one of those nifty abbreviations you used to do? Or maybe Jim's e-mail address?Answer: Or maybe just this: *******i** ****.
Question: Scrubs scoop please! This season has been amazing and I can't wait until it comes back after the Olympics.Answer: Elliot is going to start dating one of J.D.'s interns. And I hear this BF's gonna stick.
Question: Holy crappers! Izzie has a daughter on Grey's Anatomy! I wasn't expecting that on Sunday night. Answer: Me neither. And Shonda Rhimes is usually so good about giving me a heads-up on stuff like that. THIS JUST IN! Major Grey's Anatony casting scoop in The Ausiello Report! Run, don't walk!
Question: I have this feeling that John Wells is going to have Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) step in and replace Leo as Santos' new V.P. Answer: Interesting theory. At press tour, I grilled exec producer Alex Graves about Lowe's possible comeback, specifically with regard to the length. "That's part of the negotiation," he said. "Does he have time to do one episode? Does he have time to do two?" But more importantly, does West Wing have time for him? Says Graves: "Once we get past Episode 17, which is the election, we only have five episodes left to wrap up everybody's story line and then get to the inauguration." And he's not even factoring in the inevitable Josh/Donna sex scene, which will eat up at least two episodes.
Question: You wrote last week that a recurring character on Veronica Mars will die in Episode 16. But how do you define recurring? Is it like a Logan or a Jackie-type character? Answer: Watchoo talkin' 'bout, Carrillis? I never said someone was dying — I said someone was leaving (Ask Ausiello 1/25). And this person is more on the level of Jackie than Logan.
Question: Requesting 24 spoilers. Answer: If you, like me, are wondering when the Chinese government will find out that Jack Bauer is alive and kicking, wonder no more. (Remember, it was that whole mess at the Chinese embassy that led Jack to fake his death and go into hiding in the first place.) "We have been figuring out a way to bring it in," says executive producer Howard Gordon, "but, to be honest with you, we haven't yet. We brought up plans for that and then tabled them. I don't know when that'll happen but certainly not in the first half of the season."
Question: Please tell me that Jack breaks up with Diane and gets back together with Audrey on 24! Answer: Based on Monday's episode, it certainly seems like Jackdrey's headed for reconciliation — although it may be short-lived. Kim Raver just got cast opposite Ben Stiller and Threshold's Carla Gugino in the comedy feature Night at the Museum, which begins shooting this month. Personally, I'm rooting for Jack and Diane, mostly because I got a chance to hang out with Connie Britton at Fox's press-tour party and she's too cool for school. She practically out-snarked me. I think I might even invite her to my birthday party on the 23rd.
I've seen next Tuesday's Gilmore Girls, titled "Friday Night's All Right for Fighting," and all I'll say is that the final act — set at the Gilmore manse where Lorelai, Rory, Emily and Richard convene for their first Friday-night dinner in nearly a year — is unlike anything this show has done before. By the end of the episode, my choppers were on the floor next to a huge puddle of my Snapple spit-up. After having some time to digest it (and watch it again), I've come to the conclusion that Amy Sherman-Palladino is an even bigger genius than I first thought. I can't wait to hear what you guys think. OK, thanks for checking out my inaugural Ausiello Report on TVGuide.com! I don't want to get your hopes up, but, my busy schedule permitting, there's a good chance that I may post breaking news here throughout the week. At the very least, there'll be a new column every Friday. When you factor in my magazine column, Ask Ausiello (big SVU scoop Wednesday, BTW) and my w
It looks like Jack Bauer's problems are about to get a lot bigger — literally. Discussions are underway to bring Fox's serial thriller to a multiplex near you, but the clock is ticking. "It's something we really need to decide, or, I should say, [20th Century Fox] needs to decide within a month or so," says 24 executive producer Howard Gordon, "[because] we'd like to shoot it sooner than later." Why the rush? According to Gordon, the plan would be to unspool the film in theaters prior to the start of Season 6, which means production would need to begin immediately after Season 5 wraps this spring. "I wouldn't put stock in anything just yet," Gordon hedges, "but I think there will be news in short order." Like, say, within 24 hours? (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
Reliable sources tell me that Eric Dane — that's Jason Dean to all you Charmed fans — has landed the pivotal role of Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy. Not that you need to be reminded, but Mark is the creep who slept with Addison behind Derek's back. The traitorous doc shows up at Seattle Grace on Feb. 19.
HBO's Entourage is expanding. In yet another sign of the boys' growing popularity, the show's third season (which launches in June) will consist of 20 episodes — six more than last year and more than double the Season 1 order. "HBO's happy with it, and they want to have as many episodes this year as they can," notes series creator Doug Ellin, who concedes that the increased workload "is pretty daunting." With production scheduled to begin in a matter of weeks, shouldn't Ellin be writing scripts instead of chatting with, well, me? Oops, wrong question. Um, can we have a wee bit of preview? "We're going to be dealing with Vince and the release of 'Aquaman,'" he reveals, "and whether it's going to take him to the next level, kind of a Leo status, or be a disaster." As for the matinee idol's romantic travails, he'll have "dozens" of girlfriends, says Ellin. "He's coming out of a relationship [with Mandy Moore], so he's hitting the single life a little harder
Based on the flood of e-mails I've received in the past three days, many of you are worried about what all this CW insanity means for our beloved little-drama-that-could, Everwood. Well, the simple answer is no one knows — and that includes executive producer Rina Mimoun. "Obviously, the news was a shock to everyone here, and to be honest, we aren't sure what this means for us," she says. "Hopefully, Les Moonves and Dawn Ostroff will fall in love with our little show and find a place for it on CW. Thanks to people like yourself, we've had an amazing run and a nice amount of critical acclaim this year, which we're hoping will be recognized." And just in case it doesn't, I'm sure it wouldn't, couldn't, shouldn't hurt if we reminded Moonroff — with letters and e-mails from you guys and with me and my considerable TV Guide clout — how much this show is treasured and how devastated we'd be if it became a casualty of UPN and WB's shotgun wedding.
Question: Is there any chance whatsoever that Firefly could be picked up and brought back to life? Answer: An independent production company is apparently trying to obtain rights from Fox to continue the series either on another network or on an in-demand basis, so I guess the answer is yes. Click here for more.
Question: Will we ever see any of Cameron's family on House? I would love to see how House would react to Cameron's family! Answer: Not sure about Cameron's, but we will meet Foreman's brood later this season when a dramatic, life-changing medical crisis rocks his world. "One of the dangers of working in an environment like this is you tend to get exposed to a lot of sick people," says exec producer David Shore. "So, we actually will have him deal with his mortality to give us an opportunity to deal with his family situation." So, what is Foreman's family situation? "He's not married" is all Shore will say.
Question: What happened to last week's podcast? Answer: I go to Los Angeles for two weeks and everything falls apart — that's what happened. I kid — I kid. The simple truth is I went to Los Angeles for two weeks and everything fell apart. OK, all kidding aside, I went to Los Angeles for two weeks and everything fell apart. But I'm back now and we're recording a new one this Friday.
Question: What's going to happen on Grey's Anatomy with Dr. Bailey having a baby? Will she eventually be back?Answer: Sooner than you think. I hear her delivery is going to be super-nail-biting. (Hint: I italicized "super" for a reason. Think long and hard about this one, folks.)