michael.ausiello

Is Buffy's Loss Angel's Gain?

Word that Buffy the Vampire Slayer may get a stake in the heart at the end of the season could turn out to be good news for sister series Angel. Joss Whedon  the creator/exec producer of both shows  tells TV Guide Online that if Buffy ends its seven-year run in the spring, it's "very possible" some of the show's MVPs could make a permanent jump to Angel. "I think it would be cool," says Whedon. "It's sort of exciting, because you have this universe and all these people and all of their juxtapositions. It's interesting  to me anyway. But until I know what's happening with Buffy  and Angel  I don't know who will go where." The mere fact that Whedon's even looking ahead to a fifth season of Angel is rather remarkable in and of itself, consi

Fri, Nov 1, 2002

Buffy Star Dead Again

Another setback for poor, lovelorn Willow (Alyson Hannigan) on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The recovering witchoholic's deceased love Tara (Amber Benson) will not be resurrected this season after all. According to series creator Joss Whedon, Benson  who was slated to be brought back to life as a different character  failed to reach a deal with producer 20th Century Fox. "It was a question of negotiations, as it sometimes is," he tells TV Guide Online. "It's sad, because I love Amber. But that's between her and Fox." Adds Benson's rep: "She's very proud of her work on the show, but ultimately, we couldn't work out the right deal." Well, Benson's

Wed, Oct 30, 2002

Seven Silly Questions for Sara Gilbert

A new day is dawning for onetime child star Sara Gilbert. The now-27-year-old actress  who during her nine-year Roseanne stint gave rise to TV's most memorable teen mood swinger, Darlene Conner  joins the cast of Fox's 24 tonight (9 pm/ET) as the Counter Terrorist Unit's newest computer programmer. TV Guide Online caught up with Melissa's lil' sis last week in New York and tossed a few zingers her way.TV Guide Online: What is your favorite Kiefer Sutherland movie? Sara Gilbert: I liked Flatliners. What else was he in? TVGO: Young Guns... um... Gilbert

Tue, Oct 29, 2002

Will Fox Swat Firefly?

If you haven't yet sampled Fox's gonzo space Western, Firefly, its creator, Joss Whedon, would like to make one small request: Please do... and preferably tonight at 8 pm/ET. "This week definitely matters [to the series' future]," the celebrated writer-director-producer tells TV Guide Online. "[Network prez] Sandy Grushow said to me before we ever started that this [show] is going to be a slow grow, and [the World Series] is going to hurt us, which it has. Fox has a lot of shows that are underperforming because of this weird season. "So," he continues, "I'm not like, 'My future is assured!' But it's also not like the death knell chiming." Far from it. In fact, Fox just commissioned three additional scripts from Whedon, the mastermind behind UPN's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its glorious WB

Fri, Oct 25, 2002

Buh-Bye, Buffy?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer's creator is about to drive a stake through the hearts of the show's diehard fans: According to Joss Whedon, the Chosen One and her trusty gang of Scoobies will likely call it a doomsday in May. "I'm beginning to suspect that it may be [Buffy's] last season," he tells TV Guide Online. "Nothing's official, but it's starting to feel possible. The way people are talking, there's a finality to it." Might the folks with whom Whedon's been conferring work at A.C. Nielsen? Compared to this time last year, Buffy's ratings are off an alarming 16 percent. In fact, last week more viewers watched Buffy's bloody brilliant spinoff Angel than the mother show itself. "It had a really good seven-year run and it's time to call it quits," implores Mediaweek columnist Mar

Fri, Oct 25, 2002

Ron Howard's Beautiful Oscar Memories

It's been seven months since Hollywood at last bestowed twin Oscars on filmmaker Ron Howard for producing and directing A Beautiful Mind, yet the experience remains a blur for the artist formerly known as Opie. "Not unlike childbirth, I don't remember much of that now," he tells TV Guide Online. "It was pretty emotionally wrenching. "I probably feel the joy of that acknowledgement even a little more deeply today than I did immediately afterward," he adds. "At the time, there was a tremendous surge of adrenaline  and it was sustained for quite a while. Now, there's just a real sense of satisfaction that the movie was acknowledged in that way." Award-show pundits speculated that Howard's triumph was, in part, the Academy's way of making up for lost time. During his 25-year career behind the camera, he n

Thu, Oct 24, 2002

Sopranos Babe Next to Get Whacked?

Few would argue that one of the most engrossing story arcs on this season's Sopranos has been Adriana's inevitable discovery that she's been the target of an FBI undercover sting operation. The bombshell was dropped on the future mob wife during the Sept. 22 episode, when she learned that her best buddy, personal shopper Danielle, was actually a G-woman in disguise. Adriana's explosive reaction  she hurled on the FBI's conference table  is sure to rank as one of the year's most memorable TV moments. "It was a nightmare [shooting that scene]," Drea de Matteo, Adriana's portrayer, laments to TV Guide Online. "There were a lot of things to concentrate on, like cleaning me off, cleaning off my dog, cleaning off the other characters, cleaning off the table, cleaning off my Harry Winston bracelet  which was very important." Although the actress wouldn't reveal whether the on-camera upch

Wed, Oct 23, 2002

Preview: The Osbournes Part Deux

Here's some good #@$%ing news for fans of The Osbournes. MTV president Brian Graden tells TV Guide Online that, despite the ongoing cancer battle being fought by family matriarch Sharon Osbourne, the show's eagerly anticipated second season is still expected to kick off on schedule next month. "We're on track to debut in November," he says. "We're fully in their home and we have enough material for the first four or five episodes. So far, all systems are go." Still, the network reportedly is keeping a January start date open as a back-up  should Sharon's recovery delay production. Whenever Season Two gets underway, Graden says viewers shouldn't expect the same-old same-old. "They're all famous in a different way now," he explains. "Kelly has her own music career, Ozzy was out on tour, and of course, Sharon got sick  and we have been there for that entire experience, at her re

Tue, Oct 22, 2002

Michelle Branch: "Everywhere" at Once

Yo, Britney, if juvie rocker Michelle Branch has her way, moviegoers soon may be saying goodbye to you. Having reached a career crossroads, the chart-topping 19-year-old has begun considering, ahem, branching out and staking a claim to Brit's new turf, the multiplex. "I dabble with the thought," Branch told TV Guide Online at last week's VH1-Vogue Fashion Awards. "One minute, I am very interested in it, and the other minute, I'm like, 'I could never do this.' "When I was younger, I really wanted to be in musical theater," continues the ambivalently aspiring actress, who played wholesome '60s singer Lesley Gore on last week's episode of American Dreams. "I wanted to be on Broadway more than anything. But as I got older and got more into music, it kind of dissipated. Stil

Mon, Oct 21, 2002

Will Ferrell Gives SNL's New Dubya An A!

Among the 8 million people who watched Chris Parnell's debut as George W. Bush last weekend on Saturday Night Live was his wildly popular presidential predecessor, Will Ferrell. Now, for the first time, the 35-year-old funnyman  who left NBC's sketch comedy in May to focus on his film career  casts a vote of support for his replacement. "I thought he was fantastic," Ferrell tells TV Guide Online, adding that he had no inkling exec producer Lorne Michaels was going to elect Parnell as the new commander in chief. "I was pleasantly surprised. I think Chris is kind of a surprising choice, but once I saw it, great choice." After spending three years in the Oval Office, Ferrell knows a thing o

Fri, Oct 18, 2002

ER Newcomer Lashes Out!

Apparently, the meek shall inherit the ER. On tonight's episode of NBC's medical drama, mild-mannered med student Michael Gallant finally lives up to his name when, after suffering months of abuse at the hands of the arrogant Dr. Pratt, he musters up the courage to strike back. "Pretty much, he takes a stand," explains Sharif Atkins, Gallant's relieved portrayer. "He's been really a by-the-book, follow-the-rules, do-what-you've-been-told kind of guy. A good soldier. But part of being a leader and part of being your own person is knowing when to follow and when to lead  and then knowing when to take the lead." A disagreement over how to treat two different patients causes the Army recruit to snap... or as Atkins puts it, "come into full bloom." As a result, the Gallant/Pratt power struggle is forever altered. "Not that he'll cease be

Thu, Oct 17, 2002

Jonathan Jackson Looks Beyond Star Wars

A long time ago, in a galaxy not too far away, Jonathan Jackson was allegedly on George Lucas's short list of actors to take over the role of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode II  Attack of the Clones. At one point, Newsweek even said the former General Hospital teen idol was a virtual shoo-in to play the boy who would be Darth Vader. In the end, the force turned out to be with up-and-coming thesp Hayden Christensen  and Jackson couldn't have been happier. "I personally wasn't even that excited about doing it, just because I didn't know how comfortable I'd be having my face on Pepsi cans all over the world overnight," Jackson confesses to TV Guide Online. "So, I actually

Tue, Oct 15, 2002

Meet Vin Diesel's Competition

Jason Statham  star of the just-released thrill ride The Transporter  isn't surprised that people are comparing him to another recently-discovered action hero: Vin Diesel. But the British toughie is hard-pressed to draw a parallel that's anything but skin deep. "It's probably the short haircut and the rough voice," he tells TV Guide Online of his similarities to the XXX hunk. "[But] I think that's where it ends." One major difference between the two well-muscled butt-kickers: Statham doesn't like to parade around naked in his films. Of course, the 35-year-old hottie will make an exception if the flesh baring is integral to a particular scene  as it was for The Transporter's spectacularly inventive oil slick sequence. To take on a

Mon, Oct 14, 2002

Will and Grace Split! What's Next?

A funny thing happened during the final minutes of last night's change-of-pace Will & Grace. Nobody was laughing. After discovering that Grace had broken their no-boyfriends pledge (by canoodling on the side with special guest star Harry Connick Jr.), a wounded Will ordered Grace to move out! Is this the end of the line for TV's favorite gay-straight duo? According to exec producer Jhoni Marchinko, viewers shouldn't look for a quick resolution  especially considering some of the hateful (if not true) things that were said during Thursday's brutal confrontation. Then again, Will & Grace is a comedy about two best friends. "It's not our intention to keep these people apart," she assures TV Guide Online. "But we want to make the fight real, and then we want to earn the make-up. "Our whole plan this ye

Fri, Oct 11, 2002

Survivor Hottie: Teeth or Tinseltown?

Apparently, God doesn't play favorites. When Vecepia "Vee" Towery won Survivor: Marquesas last May, the fundamentalist Christian chalked up her surprise victory to divine intervention. But where was the big guy last week when fellow Christian Jed Hildebrand became the first member of the Sook Jai tribe to get the boot on Survivor: Thailand? For his part, the 25-year-old hard body isn't holding the good Lord accountable for his early defeat. "I feel like I was given the strength to endure the challenges that came up, and God may have made this opportunity a growing experience," he tells TV Guide Online. "At no time did I ever blame anybody for what happened. I enjoyed my time there, and I think it's all for the best." In truth, Hildebrand confesses that if anyone should take the fall for his ouster, it's him. The Texas native  who was labeled la

Tue, Oct 8, 2002

Why Oh Why Did Steve Kmetko Go MIA from E!?

Loyal watchers of E! Entertainment Television's countless award show extravaganzas noticed something missing from last month's marathon Emmy bonanza. No, we're not talking about Joan Rivers's rib cage. We're referring to venerable talking head Steve Kmetko. The popular celeb schmoozer was MIA from his traditional pre- and post-show perch alongside fellow E! News Live anchor Jules Asner  and he hasn't been seen or heard from since! E! isn't commenting, beyond releasing the following statement: "Steve Kmetko is no longer with the company. He is moving on to pursue other career endeavors. He was a great part of the team at E! and we certainly wish him the best personally and professionally." Apparently, the feeling

Fri, Oct 4, 2002

Seven Silly Questions with Phil Keoghan

Survivor may pull in the ratings, but when it comes to critical acclaim, CBS's The Amazing Race is the reality show to beat. Race's mix of adrenaline-pumping action and angsty relationship drama have earned it bragging rights as TV's coolest thrill ride. And let's face it, host Phil Keoghan ain't that bad looking either. To help kick off the globe-trotting series' third edition (airing tonight at 8 pm/ET), Keoghan agreed to answer seven questions that are actually more random than silly. TV Guide Online: Can you please do something about those cheesy intros during the opening title sequence? Are they intentionally over the top? Phil Keoghan: I think we're just trying to have some fun  like the shot with Dennis and Andrew [the Baptist father and his gay cheerleader son] where Andr

Wed, Oct 2, 2002

Did NBC Diss Rob Lowe?

West Wing fans recently got their first glimpse of what President Bartlet's White House staff will look like when Rob Lowe exits in March. An NBC promo leading into last Wednesday's two-hour season premiere featured practically every member of the show's regular cast  with the exception of the ex-Brat Packer. Has the phasing-out of deputy communications director Sam Seaborn already begun? "Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, Rob was unable to attend NBC's big promo shoot that occurs once at the beginning of each [season]," an NBC spokeswoman tells TV Guide Online. "This explains his absence from the cast promo you saw Wednesday night. "Rob will be included in [future] on-air promos for specific episodes," she adds, "which will use clips from The West Wing to promote upcoming shows." (Lowe's camp confirms that he was in Canada s

Tue, Oct 1, 2002

SNL Giving Martha a Free Pass?

Ana Gasteyer's decision not to return to Saturday Night Live this season probably seemed like a good thing for Martha Stewart. The absence of Gasteyer  whose dead-on send-up of Stewart was the stuff of SNL legend  meant that Lorne Michaels and Co. would likely miss out on the golden opportunity to lampoon the embattled domestic diva's current ImClone stock woes. Or would they? "I talked to Ana about this, and I'm hoping that if we do a Martha skit she will come back," head writer and "Weekend Update" co-anchor Tina Fey tells TV Guide Online. "We don't have one planned right now, but we'll wait and watch the news and see if Ana is around and feels like coming in." Gasteyer's spokeswoman confirms that the new mom "agreed to return as a special guest sta

Mon, Sep 30, 2002

Apollo 13's Missing Scenes

Listen up, film buffs: Ron Howard has a mission for you. The Oscar-winning director is challenging moviegoers to spot what's vanished from his new IMAX re-release of Apollo 13 (in select theaters now). Howard was forced to cut 20 minutes from the original two-hour, 19-minute pic to accommodate the limitations of IMAX projectors. But the artist-formerly-known-as-Opie bets most folks won't know what's missing. "So far, nobody  outside of absolute insiders  has been able to figure out [what we removed]," he tells TV Guide Online. "I was as subtle as I could be. I lost a few scenes, but nothing major. "The good news is, a lot of it I was just able to squeeze out," he continues. "Because, with the large-screen format, you don't need to linger to make sure that an idea is expressed. And you also don't have to repeat dial

Wed, Sep 25, 2002

Your Nagging Emmy Questions Answered!

Where's Robert Stack when you need him? Sure, the 2002 Emmys are history, but the unsolved mysteries linger on. For example, who the heck was Tom Hanks winking at while presenting Oprah Winfrey with her humanitarian award? (Let's hope it was wife Rita Wilson.) And what was Katie Couric whispering to Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels backstage in the press room. (We couldn't get close enough to hear, but it appeared juicy!) Luckily, we had better luck getting to the bottom of these brain teasers.Does

Tue, Sep 24, 2002

Celebs Defend Emmy Backstage!

So, the Emmys are irrelevant, eh? Try telling that to Michael Chiklis. A Sunday Los Angeles Times expos&eacute;  timed to coincide with the 54th annual Emmy ceremony  described TV's biggest night as "the Rodney Dangerfield" of award shows because, well, they don't get no respect. Clearly, this particular Times writer hasn't clocked many hours backstage during the annual kudocast. Because if he had, he'd realize that the Emmys are much more than Oscar's annoying little stepsister. Take this year's celebration, for example. TV Guide Online witnessed first-hand countless examples of Emmy's importance  beginning with the aforementioned Chiklis, a lead actor winner for

Mon, Sep 23, 2002