Question: Thank you for jumping on the Deadwood bandwagon!! I love this show! I have the first season DVD if you want to get caught up. I'll come to your place. What was that password again? — Leanne Ausiello: It hasn't changed, Leanne. It's still, "Someone call security! There's a stalker in the lobby!"
Question: Got any new news about Alias? — Malin Ausiello: As a matter of fact, I do! Jennifer Garner has just inked a deal to direct an episode during May sweeps. Plus...
Question: You're saying that the big Lost death will take place "way before" the season finale, but your good friend Kristin at E! Online says the complete opposite, that it will be in the season finale. One of you isn't as in-the-know as you think. Which one is it? — Rob Ausiello: Did you ever think that maybe we're both wrong, Mr. Smarty Pants? Huh? Didn't think so. Speaking of Lost, as you may have heard the season finale will be a two-parter, with the second part being 90 minutes long.
Question: According to www.trekunited.com, their fundraising efforts have caused a halt in the teardown of the Enterprise sets. True? — Peter Ausiello: Yes, it's true that the sets weren't immediately dismantled after production ended. But no, it wasn't because of any kind of fan campaign to keep the show alive. My crusted-over Enterprise mole says there's typically a period after principal photography wraps to break down and store sets. The decision to end the series is final. It may be time to move on.
Question: Are Rory and Logan getting married on Gilmore Girls? Is that the crisis? — Fran Ausiello: Nope.
Question: So, what dirt did you get while on the Gilmore Girls set? — Lauren Ausiello: Although I kinda have to save most of the juicy stuff for my upcoming cover story (!!!!!), rest assured, I'll be sprinkling little scoops and anecdotes in Ask Ausiello in the weeks leading up to said cover story (!!!!). And of course, I'll be providing you with answers to some of those GG queries you bombarded me with last week. But I have to spread this stuff out a little. Because, as some readers have pointed out, this column is called Ask Ausiello, not Ask Ausiello about Gilmore Girls and Keri Russell.
Question: Ben Katner's 3/10 Entertainment News column (in your stead) was excellent. Although there is no substitute for your Smurf-loving self, his Kip Winger kicker at the end was absolutely sublime! Kudos to your fill-in! — Christopher Telschow Ausiello: Kudos indeed! That's the kind of solid work that gets temporary fill-ins fired.
Question: So what really ticks you off? I mean what is your pet peeve? — Harry Ausiello: Shameless self-promotion.
Question: When is TVGuide.com going to give you two columns a week, like Matt Roush? — Lee Ausiello: When they give me two paychecks a week, like Matt Roush.
Question: Does the crisis with Rory have anything to do with her affair with Dean at the beginning of the season? — Nancy Ausiello: Nope.
Question: I say the actress with two Oscar nods and five Globe wins coming on to play Catherine's mother is Ann-Margret. Am I right? If I guess correctly do I win a prize? — Robert Ausiello: No comment.
Question: So, will Lorelai and Emily ever speak to each other again before the season ends? — Janette Ausiello: They sure will, although their exchanges will be far from pleasant. Lorelai will even return for a special Friday-night dinner attended by Logan. How do I know this, you ask? Because after I wrapped my guest stint, Amy personally invited me to sit in on a table read for this episode — only the second time she has allowed a journalist this far inside the process. To say the experience ranked among the most exciting 45 minutes of my life is an understatement. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. The biggest laughs were generated by Kelly Bishop (Emily) and Edward Hermann (Richard), who, being the pros that they are, nailed every single one of their line readings as if they had had the script for a month. And they weren't even there in the flesh. Both were teleconferenced in — Kelly from her home in New Jersey and a vacationing Edward
Question: So... how did your trip to Stars Hollow (aka Gilmore Girls) go!?!?!?!?! — Jennifer Ausiello: I was wondering when someone was going to get around to asking me about that. As you can tell by the photo to your right, they all loved me. They really, really tolerated, er, loved me. There's so much I have to tell you guys that I honestly don't know where to begin, so let's start with my much-hyped cameo as Dragonfly Inn Guest No. 6. Turns out, my character's name changed to Dragonfly Inn Guest No. 1 when producers discovered that, well, I was the only person in the scene with Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson! I'm standing by the bookcase in the back of the main living room flipping through Great Men of Literature by Will Durant when Luke throws one of his trademark tantrums in front of Lorelai. Startled by all the commotion, I take my book and make a hasty exit. The cameras had barely stopped rolling when the raves starte
Question: Any idea when we'll finally see a new episode of Desperate Housewives? It feels like years! I'm having serious withdrawal. — Sue Ausiello: March 27. The episode is titled "The Ladies Who Lunch" and features the return of Sharon Lawrence's S&M vixen Maisy Gibbons. Elsewhere, Gabrielle's plumbing goes out and she doesn't have the money to fix it, and Lynette's twins are blamed for a lice epidemic at their school. Isn't it about time she had these kids put down? And on that note, I gotta go work on my Gilmore Girls cover story (!!!!) A big thanks to all you non-Gilmore fans for putting up with all the Stars Hollow excess in this week's AA. I promise, next week I'll limit GG to one, possibly two questions. Three at the most. No more than four. Seriously, four's the max.
Question: I'd like to know if Alexis Bledel and Milo Ventimiglia are still dating. — Mary Jane Ausiello: Yes, but it was like pulling teeth to get Alexis to talk about him. I did manage to get her to tell me that "everything's great."
Question: So, if Melanie Griffith is out of Gilmore Girls (Ask Ausiello 3/9), who's the actress they're talking to now? Surely you found something out while on set. — Melanie Autin Ausiello: Actually, I jumped the gun when I said Ms. Griffith had turned down the gig. According to Amy Sherman-Palladino, if the scheduling can be worked out, Antonio's paler half — who was recently sidelined with a broken foot — is game to appear on the show either this season or next. "We logistically haven't found the time when she's in town, out of a cast, and available for an episode," Amy told me. "She's interested and all parties are go. It's a story line we won't do unless we have Melanie Griffith. It's for her." I thought about telling Ms. Sherman-Palladino about all the anti-Melanie sentiment pouring into Ask Ausiello in recent weeks, but I just didn't have the heart. She's
Question: Are you serious when you say there is a new Tasti-D-Lite in Times Square? Where? You're not just talking about the candy shop that sells Tasti-D-Lite? — Jennifer Ausiello: I hate to break it to you, Jen, but that candy shop closed its doors six months ago. And the building that housed it is now just a pile of rubble. The new Tasti-D-Lite is on Broadway between 47th and 48th right next to Jamba Juice. Today's flavors are French Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Cookies and Cream, Rice Pudding and Fluffer Nutter.
Question: Do you think Matt Czuchry (Logan) will be back on Gilmore Girls next year? — Sarah Ausiello: Yes. "I don't know what the formal wording of the deal is," Amy says, "but he's on the show for the entire season." In a completely unrelated matter, my colleague Bonnie Vaughan has kindly asked me to solicit burning questions for Donald Trump about this season's Apprentice for an upcoming issue of TV Guide. So, if you got any, send 'em to me ASAP! As an extra incentive, Bonnie has agreed to pay me 20 cents for every Trump-related question I forward her from an Ask Ausiello reader. C'mon, help make me rich, folks!
Question: OK, I give up: I looked for weeks for that damn hidden Alias scoop and I still can't find it (Ask Ausiello 3/2). Can you give a guy a break and give it up! (The scoop, I mean.) — Jack Ausiello: I'll make you a deal: If you get your eyes checked, I'll point out the scoop.
Question: What can you tell me about Rory's big crisis (Ask Ausiello 3/2)? — Sophie Ausiello: I have to save the details for the upcoming cover story (!!!!), but let me once again assure everyone that Rory is not going to get pregnant.
Question: Have you ever met Mariska's husband, Peter Hermann? — Morgan O'Riley Ausiello: Sure have. In fact, I interviewed him during his late-'90s stint on Guiding Light when I was a reporter at Soaps In Depth magazine. I knew back then he was destined for marital greatness.
Question: Just wanted to say I saw you on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann Monday night. You looked adorable and did a great job talking about American Idol. I was proud of you! Can't wait for this week's column. — Jaime Ausiello: Thanks for that, Jaime. That's much nicer than the reader who said I looked like "a hamster on steroids."