Question: Since J.J. Abrams likes to recycle actors from his shows... any chance he'll have Keri on Alias? — Lisa M Ausiello: Nothing planned at this moment, but he does have a role in mind for her in Mission: Impossible 3.
Question: Got any scoop on The O.C.? — Ashlee Ausiello: I'm hearing Teresa's maternity leave is coming to an end.
Question: OK. I recently had a theory about the monster on Lost. The monster is really the dog! Did you ever notice that the dog is either missing or gone when this thing shows up? — Alex Doster Ausiello: I just assumed he was off licking his privates, but your theory works, too.
Question: How does ER plan to write Noah Wyle out of the show? — Jordan Ausiello: With these eight words: "Thandie Newton's here to see you, Dr. Carter."
Question: I love your column! Any scoop on my two best shows Reba and Smallville? — Vivian Ausiello: Here's some Reba scoop: The next batch of original episodes will be as mediocre as the rest. And on Smallville, someone major is going to die in the season finale.
Question: I know you've got more Lost dirt. Spill it! — Connye Ausiello: Damn, you got me. The indie film actress guest-starring in Lost's season finale is Girlfight's Michelle Rodriguez. Oops, spoiler alert!
Question: Do you know if Medical Investigation will be back for a second season? — Jackie Ausiello: It's not looking good.
Question: Don't take this the wrong way but... how do you pronounce your last name? I've never been able to figure that out. — Taylor Ausiello: Here's the pronunciation yet again: Awe-see-ellow. Practice with your friends.
Question: So you said the whacked Lost cast member took the news of his firing very badly (Ask Ausiello 4/6). But nothing I'm reading seems to indicate Ian Somerhalder's all that upset. What's the deal? — Jim Ausiello: The deal is you need to pick up the new issue of TV Guide magazine to read my colleague Shawna Malcom's juicy Q&A with Somerhalder. In it, he reveals why he stormed off the set immediately after shooting his croak scene and expresses disappointment with the story in general. For a preview of the interview, click here.
Question: So what's your favorite TV show right now? — Emily Ausiello: Deadwood — hands down. Coming in a close second is Gilmore Girls, followed by The Shield, 24, Lost and Veronica Mars.
Question: What's this I'm hearing about Michael Vartan leaving Alias? — Roland Ausiello: I was wondering when that rumor was gonna start gathering steam again. This is a direct quote from J.J. Abrams on the matter: "The plan is to have him back." As always, interpret as you like.
Question: OK, so we've got the scoop on the other two CSIs. Any good stuff coming up on Miami? — Rox Ausiello: Yeah, Miami's got some big surprises in store for May sweeps. For starters, Horatio learns that his brother Raymond is not dead and, in this season's final episode, Calleigh quits ballistics after she gets assaulted at a crime scene. Not sure if that means Emily Procter is leaving, but it sure sounds like it.
Question: Dude! What's all this kerfuffle about a main Scrubs cast member leaving?! It's going to be Turk, isn't it? Don't let him go! — Rach Ausiello: Someone's leaving Sacred Heart, not the show. And to that I say, "Phew!"
Question: I just found your column and I love it. Where have I been? Anyway, what does Reno 911 have in store for its third season? That show just kills me! — Shelli Ausiello: I spoke to exec producer Thomas Lennon (aka Dangle) last week and he dropped a ton of spoilers on my lap about the show's third and fourth seasons, which are currently being shot back-to-back. The big news is that they've signed former Daily Show correspondent Mary Birdsong to play a new full-time deputy. "She is probably the most well-adjusted of the group," Lennon says. Also, ex-Pee-wee Paul Reubens is going to recur as the gang's latest nemesis, a Guardian Angel who ends up beating them to the scene of every crime. Other Season 3 highlights: The entire squad will start off the season in jail; viewers will meet Dangle's son from a one-night stand with a drag queen; and Trudie will finally wed her Death Row beau, Craig, only to see him executed shortly th
Question: When is the next season of Nip/Tuck going to start? My wife swears that it was supposed to have started in March. — Chris Avery Ausiello: Sounds like your wife's been hitting your hashish stash again. It's still slated to return in late summer/early fall.
Question: I believe we should start off this week's Ask Ausiello with a moment of silence for Lost's Boone. — Sean Ausiello: I couldn't agree more. [Moment of silen...] Hey, funny story: I finally got around to seeing The Upside of Anger Friday night and the craziest thing happened: Keri's performance literally melted the screen. No joke. Just moments after her big blowout scene with Joan Allen, the film started to melt like a big, black stick of Hotel Bar butter, bringing the movie to a screeching halt! Within five minutes, a Loews staffer entered the theater and announced that the reel was completely ruined. He then presented the mostly angry mob with "Emergency Re-Admit" tickets and invited us to "come back and see the rest of the film another day." Being the stealth swag whore that I am, I managed to grab three passes simply by jumping back into the line when no one was looking. I felt
Question: Two weeks of no Deadwood scoop? Have you lost your taste for specialty acts and opium? Spill! — Susan M. Ausiello: Mmmm... opium. We're finally gonna meet this Hearst dude everyone's been talking about, and when we do, he's gonna look a lot like Major Dad.
Question: You had a conversation with David Shore, creator of the great show House, and that's all you got? You know more! I know you do! — GMJ Ausiello: Damn, you got me. House's ex (Sela Ward) will be sporting a new beau when she reappears in the cranky doc's life in the season finale. The twist? He's got one of those X-Files-like diseases that only House can remedy. Teases Shore: "House will be put in the unenviable situation of having to save the life of the man who loves the woman he loves." OK, now you know everything I know. Well, almost everything.
Question: Have any spoilers for Everwood's season finale? — Christine Ausiello: Not a single one. Producers are so nervous about the resolution of the Madison story leaking out that they're not only refusing to send out advance screeners to (most) critics, but they're turning down interview requests as well. They wouldn't even fall for my "I just wanna hype your show and subsequently boost your ratings" line. I did manage to get my mitts on a copy of Monday's episode — the first original in, like, two months — and I can tell you that it's heartbreaking. It's also Gregory Smith's finest hour, IMHO.
Question: Hey, did you know you have fans from Holland? — Maurice Ausiello: That's fantastic! Hey, have they aired Boone's swan song over there yet?
Question: Conduct yourself accordingly. Wear appropriate clothing and watch hand gestures. — Helen Ausiello: Memo to IT: Please stop forwarding Michael Jackson's e-mail to Ask Ausiello!
Question: Michael, I love you, but I clicked on your Entertainment News column Thursday morning and there was a story proclaiming Boone's demise on Lost. I worked late Wednesday and had to TiVo Lost! What happened to no spoilers? — Chris Ausiello: Yeah, I got a lot of flak from readers for mentioning Boone's demise in Entertainment News. One guy, who sounded like a dead ringer for Harvey Fierstein, actually left a nasty voice mail for my boss calling for my ouster. (The MP3 may soon be available on michaelausiello.com for a small fee.) But allow me to point out that Webster's defines a "spoiler" as "a huge plot twist that gets revealed prior to a program's original airing." The key words here being prior and original. Besides, how was I supposed to report on Ian Somerhalder's new ABC development deal without mentioning that the network bas