michael.ausiello

When you see Terry O'Quinn on ...

Question: When you see Terry O'Quinn on the red carpet, could you please grab him, hog-tie him and force him to reveal what is in the hatch? Thanks!Answer: Sadly, TV Guide's strict interrogation policy (no torture unless a major scoop is at stake) prohibits me from engaging in such blatant acts of coercion. So I simply asked him the question. "Tell that fan that we're all going down the hatch Wednesday night," he said. "I would not in a million years even risk taking a tiny step toward ruining it." One thing Terry did ruin spill: This season's third episode will be a Locke-centric flashback. Also, the fifth episode is all about Sun.

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

I say the cop who was ...

Question: I say the cop who was supposed to be watching over Nick at the crime scene was in on the whole thing.Answer: Another good guess.

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Not giving Lauren Graham a ...

Question: Not giving Lauren Graham a nomination was shameful! Asking her to present was a nice gesture. Putting her on stage with Jennifer Love Hewitt was downright insulting! That's like putting Meryl Streep with Pia Zadora! Answer: But, inexplicably, Love was the one acting insulted. First she darted past Lauren in a rush to get to the dais, and then she recited her lines like someone had a gun to her head. I don't know what her damage was, but you damn well better believe I'm going to find out. Not cool. Not cool at all.

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Did you hear the news that ...

Question: Did you hear the news that Joss Whedon has agreed to do a cameo on Veronica Mars? He is going to play a rental-car manager in the sixth episode. Answer: I know! I can't wait! I actually broke the news to Jason Dohring at the Emmys and he was thrilled... after I reminded him who Joss Whedon was.

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

You can't deny it! I have ...

Question: You can't deny it! I have video evidence that you interviewed Veronica Mars' Jason Dohring on the red carpet at the Emmys. What did he have to say! Spill!Answer: God, you people are everywhere! Yes, it's true, I cornered Jay (yeah, we're at that place already) just after he stepped out of his limo and asked him the question on everyone's mind that afternoon: Duncan or Logan? "That is really a hard question," he hedged. "It's really hard to think that she could be with Logan unless he undergoes some serious change, because they're not really on the same wavelength. They could be [together] for a passionate, you know, burst, but then he's just kind of a bad guy. But she's the only person who can really make him change, and in that sense they could totally be together. We'll see."

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Any word on when and how ...

Question: Any word on when and how often Steven Culp will reprise the role of House Speaker Jeff Haffley on The West Wing? Now that Rex is dearly departed on DH, I need my fix of Culp-ability!Answer: I asked Culp that very question at one of the several pre-Emmy parties I crashed (formal invites are so overrated in this town) and, well, your guess is as good as his. Although WW producers have expressed interest in having him back at some point this season, nothing specific has been nailed down. It's worth noting that Culp was very pleasant and chatty, which is surprising considering our conversation started out with him saying, "I've read your stuff, and I've lived to tell the tale. You're not a Desperate Housewives fan, eh?" I was tempted to play the, "You must have me confused with the other Michael Ausiello at TV Guide," but instead I sucked it up and simply sai

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Hey a-----e. I didn't think ...

Question: Hey a-----e. I didn't think my question about Tru Calling in last week's AA was so stupid. And thanks a lot for not answering it.Answer: Should I take this to mean you won't be coming to my book signing?

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Give Mariska a hug for us — ...

Question: Give Mariska a hug for us — not that you need an excuse.Answer: Would you believe we missed each other? Like two ships passing in the night. Sigh…

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

I know this season just ...

Question: I know this season just ended, but any scoop on Season 3 of Rescue Me? Find Denis Leary at the Emmys and grill him!Answer: First off, I had to give Leary hell for closing the season on such a depressing (albeit highly emotional) note. For those in the dark (SPOILER ALERT), Leary's TV son died at the hands of a drunk driver. "It was the beginning of a Shakespearean tragic arc [for Tommy]," Leary explained, adding that "by losing his only male heir… Tommy has to figure out how to replace that kid. How does he make sure, in case he dies, that there's somebody left behind?" Leary added that the third season will probably pick up "three or fourth months" after the second ended, and "Lenny Clark's character will be in prison" for gunning down the aforementioned drunk driver in the finale. And no decisions have been made about whether or not to replace Diane Farr

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Is the character Rose ever ...

Question: Is the character Rose ever coming back to Lost? I heard that the actress had gotten a theater gig but the door was open for her return. She was a great character, and I miss her talks with Charlie. Thanks.Answer: (SPOILER ALERT) Yes, Rose will resurface this season in a big way.

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Have you heard any more about ...

Question: Have you heard any more about the possible return of Anna this season on The O.C.?Answer: No, but I ran into Kelly Rowan at the Emmys and she dropped a tiny little clue about the whole Jeri Ryan mystery. "She's up to no good," Rowan teased. "I've been sworn to secrecy. We'd all lose our jobs if we started talking." OK, can you at least tell me when the nutcase's MO will be revealed? "We'll, let's see… she has a seven episode arc," she said with a wink. Oh, I get it. The wink means we'll find out in her seventh episode. Cool!

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

So I was watching the red ...

Question: So I was watching the red carpet show on E! and I saw you in the background! I was so excited! Does TV Guide know that you made an appearance on a competing pre-show?Answer: Well, they do now, Elana. Thanks a bunch! But in my defense, had I not been in such close proximity to our crosstown rival, I would have missed — drum roll, please — Star Jones' first public meltdown of the day! As the purple people eater was making her way down the red carpet to assume her post on the E! platform, the train on her velvety gown became tangled, prompting one of her handlers to bend down and straighten things out. Biggest. Mistake. Ever. Star stopped dead in her tracks and that's when the gates of hell officially opened for business. She turned her head, glanced down at said handler and hissed venomously, "Let it go, please." And then the most shocking thing happened: The unfortunate grunt continued to pull up the rear,

Wed, Sep 21, 2005

Any special guest stars on ...

Question: Any special guest stars on Everwood this season?Answer: It's not on the level of, say, Scott Wolf or Anne Heche, but the show has cast Steven R. McQueen — Steve McQueen's grandkid — to play Kyle, the young piano prodigy who signs up for lessons with Ephram. He'll first air Oct. 20.

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

Any West Wing spoilers?

Question: Any West Wing spoilers?Answer: The election has been moved from November to March. A perfect cap to February sweeps, no?

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

I missed you so much! Is the ...

Question: I missed you so much! Is the wedding on [achoo] going to be Kirk and Lulu's?Answer: You saw last night's season premiere. You tell me.

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

Is anything big happening to ...

Question: Is anything big happening to Mariska's character this season on Law & Order: SVU? Anything out of the ordinary?Answer: The third episode of the season is built entirely around a telephone conversation between Benson and a girl being held captive. And from what I'm hearing, NBC should wrap it in some fancy paper and mail it off to Emmy voters now. Also, there'll be a big revelation about Stabler in the Oct. 9 episode, which features the return of Mary Stuart Masterson's shrink character. "After seven years, we're going to find out what lies behind Stabler's anger," previews exec producer Neal Baer.

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

Might you have any Medium, ...

Question: Might you have any Medium, Joey or Hope & Faith scoop?Answer: Eeny, meeny, miny… Medium! The rumors of a 3-D episode are true. It'll air in November and TV Guide is the exclusive partner to distribute the glasses. (And no, TPTB will not stick me in the middle of Times Square with a big bag full of 'em.) I'll have more details soon.

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

Regarding the potential faux ...

Question: Regarding the potential faux Lost spoiler you referenced in your last column: As I recall from the original posting, Damon Lindelof never actually said he wasn't going to kill off a female character.Answer: Yeah, he's sneaky that way.

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

I'd love to hear more about ...

Question: I'd love to hear more about the second season of Medium.Answer: An upcoming episode will explore Allison's life as a little girl. Paging Dakota Fanning...

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

I challenge you to write an ...

Question: I challenge you to write an entire AA without mentioning Gilmore Girls. I don't think you can do it.Answer: I'm not playing your little reindeer games, Claire.

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

Can you give us any hints ...

Question: Can you give us any hints about what character dies on Veronica Mars? I'll give you brownies if you do.Answer: No, I can't give you any hints about what characters die on Veronica Mars. (Send the hashish brownies to TV Guide's New York headquarters, care of AA.)

Wed, Sep 14, 2005

For the record, you are ...

Question: For the record, you are missed. Got any good stuff on Desperate Housewives?Answer: Marc Cherry's No. 2 guy, Michael Edelstein, is bolting after this season's first 13 episodes, and sadly, there's no big scandal afoot. "It was a quality-of-life issue," he says. "It came down to, 'Do I want to spend 18 hours a day working on something that I've already built, or do I want to go build something else?' I'm an adrenaline junkie, and I realized that what I really want to do is launch another show."

Wed, Sep 14, 2005