Question: I love Gossip Girl! Is it coming back this fall? Answer: Try this summer. Although nothing's official, I'm hearing the CW is strongly considering bringing the show back in July/August with an original run of episodes. And that's in addition to the five new episodes we're getting beginning April 21. For more on when (or if) your favorite shows are returning, see my Strike Recovery Chart.
Question: Do you have any news on how Jeri Ryan's pregnancy is going to affect Shark? Is there any chance of her returning for this season's final four episodes? Answer: She's due in March, so, um, no. But Shark execs are turning this crisis into an opportunity and bringing in a big-name actress to replace Ryan during her absence. One option that was being bandied about pre-strike was bringing back previous guest star Sherry Stringfield to fill the void. Not sure if that's still in the cards.
Question: You are an idiot! October Road is a great show and we are sick of hearing you trash it!Answer: OK, I'll stop — but only because you were such a class act about it.
Question: How's it looking for Friday Night Lights? Answer: Not great. NBC gaveTaylor Kitsch permission to take a major role in the forthcoming X-Men spin-off Wolverine, which essentially KO's any chance the show had of coming back this season.
Question: How 'bout some Lost scoop! And where can us Ausholes send your birthday gifts? Answer: Click here for what would seem to be a major spoiler about Ken Leung's Miles. And re: my b-day, I'm going to do something really out of character and ask that you guys refrain from sending me expensive gifts this year. Instead, please consider making a donation to the Humane Society. Were it not for the group's tireless undercover work, we never would have known of the unconscionable abuse going on at that slaughterhouse in California, prompting the largest beef recall in U.S. history. Do this for me and I promise I'll let you buy me expensive gifts next year. You have my word on that. OK, that's all folks. Here's this week's to-do list:•Head
Question: Do you think it might be time to start plugging Battlestar Galactica? Answer: I think it might! Edward James Olmos confirmed to SyFy Portal that production on the second half of Season 4 will commence at the end of March. (The first half debuts April 4.) "We will finish the story," promises Olmos, "and I think the fans will be satisfied."
Question: What's going on with Scrubs? Is NBC going to air the series finale? The silence is deafening! Answer: Tell me about it. Luckily, in this case, no news really is good news. A Scrubs insider tells me that it's looking very good that NBC will give the show the proper send-off (i.e., several new episodes culminating with a series finale) it deserves. "The details are almost worked out," whispers my source. Translation: Consider that bullet almost dodged.
Question: There's a whole case of Diet Raspberry Snapple waiting for you if you can tell me when Army Wives is returning. Answer: I'm hearing production starts in March with original episodes kicking off in June. And I'm all about the sugar-free Red Bull these days. Get with the program, Maggie.
Question: Got any Desperate Housewives spoilers related to Mike and Susan?Answer: The tax man cometh to Wisteria Lane, and he's in his late twenties, very sexy and answers to the name Tim. He's also Susan's cousin and, per my Desperate mole, he arrives to help Mike fill out his 1040s and gets into a little mischief along the way. The show is also casting a teenaged version of the character. Apparently, Tim witnessed a tragic event when he was 18, and producers want us to see it!
Question: You're totally going back to Jersey to see Kelly Bishop on stage in Steel Magnolias, aren't you? Answer: I'll go if Lauren Graham goes. And I mean really go. No prerecorded messages.
Question: What can you tell us about the character dying on Lost? Have they been on the show since the beginning?Answer: Yes, this person is an original 815er. And as far as major Lost deaths go, this one veers from tradition in one significant way. The Ask Ausiello Discussion Thread is now open and ready to accept your guesses.
Question: Just 50 days until new 30 Rock episodes! Spoilers, please! Answer: Jack Donaghy's dream of creating a TV show that strands a bunch of middle-aged whores-for-hire on a deserted island is about to become a reality. Rock is casting a slew of attractive females in their late thirties to early fifties to serve as contestants on the fictitious "MILF Island". The twist? The male contestants courting the hot mamas on the show-within-a-show are described as being "of eighth-grade age." Yep, 30 Rock's back, folks. Rejoice!
Question: I understand Alyssa Milano is still committed to doing My Name Is Earl. Is this true? Answer: Yep. Series creator Greg Garcia tells me that Milano will be back for "a bunch" of the final nine episodes.
Confession time: I wasn't expecting to like Rebecca Mader on Lost. Not because I think she's a bad actress or anything. She was good on Justice. It's just that, well, the role of Charlotte was originally earmarked for my beloved Kristen Bell, and the thought of anyone else playing the part just felt wrong. But three episodes into Lost's new season, I have to say, Mader is winning me over. It probably helps that the 28-year-old Brit is incredibly likable off-screen, due in large part to a wicked sense of humor that was on full display when we chatted earlier this week about her new day job, her hopes for a Charlotte-Sawyer lovefest and why she feels the urge to knock on Kristen Bell's door and start singing.When do you have to report back on set?Rebecca Mader: I have a feeling we'll be going back into production in about a month. But no one's called me yet.What have you done during your downtime?Mader: I moved. I got a new apartment. I went home to London and spent time with my famil...
The writers' strike may end up being the best thing that ever happened to Lost. ABC is said to be finalizing a post-strike spring schedule that not only hands Lost its best available time slot, but promises to further strengthen the network's stronghold on Thursday night. According to multiple sources, ABC plans on airing this season's final five* Lost episodes on Thursdays at 10 pm/ET beginning in late April, where it will follow all-new episodes of Grey's freakin' Anatomy! Throw in fresh installments of Ugly Betty at 8 pm and you've got yourself the most formidable one-two-three punch since the early days of CBS' Survivor/CSI/Without a Trace smashup. Creatively speaking, I'd go so far as to say this rivals NBC's storied Must-See-TV juggernaut back in the '90s. And I haven't even gotten to the best part.The best part is that I'm hearing that ABC is strongly considering keeping this dream lineup intact this fall... and beyond.I don't know about you, but this almost makes up for ABC'...
Question: I know you took some heat for your criticism of Lost last week, but I couldn't agree with you more. I was totally bothered by the fact that it took nearly the entire length of the episode for Jack and Kate to follow up with Miles and Co. about their primary reason for being on the island. Answer: Some heat? Dr. Phil took some heat for his bungling of Britney-gate. I was tarred, feathered and then raked over the coals. But I stand by my argument. The Jack and Kate I know would've pressed Miles and Faraday a lot harder for an answer to that critical question before traipsing around the island with them.
Question: What's the latest on William Petersen's expiring CSI contract?Answer: My CSI spy tells me that showrunner Carol Mendelsohn's recent decision to re-sign for four more years should go a long way in getting Petersen to stick around. "She's been with the show from the start," says my mole, "and that continuity and stability is important to him."
Question: Any spoilers on who the next celebs will be on Dancing with the Stars? Answer: All I know is what I heard backstage at the tour: This year's lineup could include three sports stars, one magician and a deaf actress.
Question: I need some scoop on the future of Prison Break! Despite a lackluster season, the show was beyond awesome and suspenseful this week. Heard anything about its future? Answer: All I know is that Season 3 comes to an end next Monday and the show remains on the bubble for fall. My guess? Prison Break as we know it will end, to be replaced next season with the "women in prison" spin-off that Fox has been developing. But that's just a guess.
Question: Please tell us something about Jericho! Answer: Three mild spoilers await you in this week's Ausiello Report vodcast.
Question: Oddly enough, we don't see much coverage of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Is Fox satisfied with the ratings? Answer: Doesn't sound like it. One of my House moles tells me that the network is panicking over SCC's relatively soft ratings (this week's ep finished third in its time slot, with roughly eight million viewers) because the show's budget is so astronomical. "They should have given that show the post-Super Bowl slot instead of us," says my spy. "They needed it; we didn't." A Fox insider, meanwhile, points out that SCC is the No. 1 new drama in every demo.
Question: Is Thirteen really bisexual on House? Answer: You wouldn't be asking that question if you'd seen this week's Ausiello Report vodcast.