michael.ausiello

Pauly Shore's Biggest Fan

Before she started turning heads as power-hungry viper Lori Volpone on Showtime's showbiz satire, Beggars and Choosers, Charlotte Ross starred opposite Pauly Shore in the infamous 1997 Fox sitcom Pauly. And get this ? she's not denying it. "I never claimed the show to be highbrow," Ross tells TV Guide Online. "I knew what I was getting into, and I had the best time playing that character. I laughed the whole time we did that show." Ross believes the media's bias toward the offbeat comedian contributed to Pauly's sudden death. "All of the interviews that I did for that show, I spent the first 10 minutes defending Pauly," she sighs. "Thank God I really did like him. The press just ate the poor guy alive. I've never seen anything like that and I'd never wish that on my worst enemy. "It was such a harsh rap," she says. "I thought, 'How could someone deal with that?' And now every time I pick up the paper it says something like, 'It's as

Thu, Jul 6, 2000

Leeza Goes the Extra Mile

Leeza Gibbons hopes her announcement on replacing Maureen O'Boyle as anchor of the newsmagazine Extra will finally put to rest those persistent rumors that she's after Kathie Lee Gifford's highly coveted throne on Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee. "It seemed like the more that I said I wasn't going to [succeed Kathie Lee], the more [the rumor] kept circulating, so this should put an end to that," Gibbons tells TV Guide Online. "I adore Regis and I think that's the coolest job, but it's not for me. My family is based in L.A. [not Manhattan, where Live! tapes]." Geography isn't the only perk of her new Extra gig. The former Entertainment Tonight personality ? whose self-titled talk show was recently axed after six years ? has signed a development deal with Telepictures (Extra's producer) and will now base her company there. What's more, as its executive consulting editor, she will play an active role in the show's

Fri, Jun 23, 2000

Felicity Reenters the Zone

Felicity fans have another chance to check out one of last season's most inventive hours of TV: Tomorrow night the WB is rerunning the critically hailed but little-seen Felicity episode that found Keri Russell and Co. trapped in a Twilight Zone-type quandary. And this time, co-creator J.J. Abrams is hoping that the stylish installment ? shot in black-and-white and directed by Zone vet Lamont Johnson ? doesn't vanish from viewers' radar screens. "They decided to air it against the Golden Globes [last January] and, literally, our ratings had never been lower," Abrams tells TV Guide Online, adding that he "begged" the WB to reschedule it. "But they didn't listen to me, unfortunately." "[The Golden Globes

Tue, Jun 13, 2000

Keri Russell: Her Own Hair Story

The biggest cliff-hanger of the just-concluded TV season didn't involve gunshots (The West Wing), an alien abduction (The X-Files) or a passionate twist (Frasier). No, the ultimate nail-biter dealt with... hair. Specifically, when Felicity returns in the fall, will Keri Russell's locks be long or short? A firestorm erupted last season after the actress chopped off her trademark tresses. And when ratings dipped, WB execs wigged out and held the shag responsible (as opposed to the real culprit: the show's disastrous move to Sundays). But fans needn't pull out their hair wondering how this plot will play out. "It's growing back," Russell tells TV Guide Online. "I haven't actually had it cut since those first few weeks after it was originally cut. It's definitely growing and getting longer every day." Still, she points out that there's little chance her 'do will be restored to its former crowning glory in time for Felicity's season pre

Wed, Jun 7, 2000

Buffy Movie Slain

Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon has absolutely no interest in taking his hit TV franchise to the big screen ? not yet, anyway. The acclaimed auteur ? whose 1992 Buffy film starring Kristy Swanson was slayed by critics and moviegoers alike (and reportedly bore little resemblance to his original vision) ? admits that he'd stake himself through the heart before undertaking such a project. "I don't believe that I could give a movie the kind of attention that I would want to while the series is in production," Whedon tells TV Guide Online. "Not that it wouldn't be fun, but 22 [episodes] a year is plenty. It would have to be after the show [ends], &agrave; la Star Trek, in the future." Although Whedon does acknowledge that the idea of a Buffy film frequently is talked about, he insists that when and if it happens, it's going to be done right. "I'm no

Tue, May 30, 2000

Doherty's Mysterious Face-Lift

We probably should be over this by now, but we're still intrigued by the mystery surrounding Shannen Doherty's digitally blurred face on last Wednesday's Beverly Hills, 90210: The Final Goodbye. Watching the Fox retrospective was an eerie experience for 90210 fans, who saw a blurred image in the place of Doherty's head. Everyone knows the bratty actress caused some well-publicized turmoil on the 90210 set before leaving the show in 1994. But who knew she could still cause trouble years after she left? Sources close to the show had told the Los Angeles Times that Doherty wanted an exorbitant fee to participate. Now, Doherty's publicist, Leslie Sloane, tells TV Guide Online that Doherty chose not to take part because of her heavy Charmed workload. "She couldn't do the special because she was directing the final episode of Charmed. She would have loved to have been part of everything, but she wasn't able to, there

Wed, May 17, 2000

Emma Caulfield Knows Those Hills

Emma Caulfield has all the dirt about Beverly Hills, 90210! The Buffy the Vampire Slayer star, who played Brandon's brainiac girlfriend Susan Keats during the 1995-96 season, reveals that if the walls of the Peach Pit could talk... "Well, let's put it this way: There's always dirt," she tells TV Guide Online about the show, which ends its 10-year run Wednesday. "But I don't think I can say anything. I would make a lot of enemies. Now, if we were best friends, you would know everything." When the topic turns to one particular former co-star, however, Caulfield doesn't pull any punches. "For some reason people have a fascination with asking how Tori Spelling was... like they're expecting me to just start bitching about her," the actress says. "And they're surprised when I tell them that she's the nicest person. All of these stories that you hear about her, they're just crap. "I mean, that girl has such an amazing work ethic. She was really prof

Mon, May 15, 2000

Buffy Creator Titillates the Audience

Buffy The Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon believes that less is more when it comes to depicting same-gender romances. To wit, in last week's episode, Alyson Hannigan's sexually ambiguous character, Willow, proclaimed her love for fellow witch Tara (Amber Benson). But the screen went blank just as the duo were about to kiss! "On a [bigger] network, you don't have an opportunity with a same-sex relationship to show the kind of graphic coupling that you do with, say, Buffy and [boyfriend] Riley," Whedon tells TV Guide Online. "So you have to use your imagination, and to me it's the best thing that could have happened to us. It forces you to come up with something that is a little more primal and I think much sexier than if we were allowed to do anything we wanted." Whedon initially put this titillating strategy to work in February when Willow and Tara cast a spell. The se

Mon, May 8, 2000

Buffy Honcho Has Faith

Faith the Vampire Slayer? That's just one title producers of Buffy the Vampire Slayer might consider should series star Sarah Michelle Gellar hang up her stake to take a full-time stab at films. In fact, Buffy creator Joss Whedon admits that Eliza Dushku ? who plays Buffy's bad-ass rival, Faith ? would be more than up to the task. "I think absolutely you could have a show that revolves around Eliza. She is an extraordinary talent," Whedon tells TV Guide Online. "But [it] would be a very different show. There's a reason why Sarah is Buffy and Buffy is Sarah. What Eliza brings to the show is very different than what Sarah brings. They have very different personas... a very different kind of magnetism. "Could there be another Slayer?" Whedon continues. "Yeah. But you are talking about a radically different show, and right now I'm happy with this one." Ironically, Whedon put the scenario to the test in a recent two-part episode when

Tue, Apr 25, 2000

Felicity Defers to Buffy's Brilliance

For the first time, Felicity's Keri Russell is responding to some biting comments made by Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar in a recent magazine interview. When asked her opinion of the October Jane magazine cover story in which Russell revealed details of her deflowering ("I lost it on the closet floor"), Gellar rolled her eyes and groaned: "I'm not interested in when or how [actors] lost their virginity. We give away too much information." So, how does Russell feel about getting a lecture from her WB sister? "I would have rolled my eyes, too," she tells TV Guide Online. "I would be, like, 'Oh, my God!'&nbsp;" In fact, the actress believes that Gellar ? who very quietly has begun dating matinee idol Freddie Prinze Jr. ? is the quintessential spokesperson when it comes to issues of privacy. "If anyone understands that kind o

Mon, Apr 17, 2000

Gillian Wants More X

As the future of Fox's The X-Files remains up in the air, star Gillian Anderson is making it loud and clear that she wants the show to return next fall for an eighth season. For one thing, she tells TV Guide Online, she'd like to take another stab at writing and directing an episode. The actress wrote and directed last night's episode, "All Things," which found her Scully character rocked by a spiritual awakening. "[But] I'm not crazy about writing a script again during the season," says Anderson, who admits it took her more than five months to come up with last night's episode. "On the other hand, I can't imagine directing an episode that wasn't mine, so if I am going to direct again on this show, I would just have to bite the bullet and try to write another one." The experience of playing taskmaster ? leading man David Duchovny was a model employee, she says ? gave the actress a whole new understanding of what series creator Chris Carter do

Mon, Apr 10, 2000

Felicity: Heading for a Wedding!

The WB's Felicity may have found the perfect way to deal with its title character's unpopularly short hairdon't: Hide it under a bridal veil. Executive producer J.J. Abrams confirms that a wedding will take place during the show's season finale, and it may or may not involve Felicity and the object of her obsession, Ben. "I can tell you, however, that Ben and Felicity's romance comes together in a surprising way," Abrams teases TV Guide Online. One thing is certain: The criminally underrated show ? which, after a tough go of it on Sundays, moves to Wednesdays at 9 pm/ET starting this week ? is pulling out all the stops in the season's remaining eight episodes in a bid to boost ratings and avoid ? ouch! ? expulsion. Other highlights: Sean finally tells Julie that he loves her; a secret about Meghan is revealed that, Abrams says, "really humanizes" her; and Felicity runs against Noel's nerdy sidekick, Richard, for Student Council president. Whether Fel

Mon, Apr 3, 2000

Felicity Flirts With Foul Language

Last October, CBS's Chicago Hope got itself in deep doo-doo when Mark Harmon's character, Dr. Jack McNeil, uttered the phrase "Sh-- happens." Well, for more than a year now the WB drama Felicity has been developing a bit of a potty mouth as well. The funny thing is, no one seems to give a sh--! Last season, Scott Speedman's alter ego, strapping jock Ben, called one of his professors "a real dick." Executive producer J.J. Abrams says the expletive caught on. In fact, "dick" has come out of Ben's mouth three times this season. "We just sort of realized that it was Ben's word," Abrams tells TV Guide Online. "The reality is that college students have a far greater vocabulary than we're allowed to use on television." So why isn't the Federal Communications Commission giving Felicity a hard time? "We never comment on any given show," an FCC spokesperson explains. "

Sat, Mar 18, 2000

Felicity Flirts With Foul Language

Fri, Mar 17, 2000

Buffy Villain Stops Her Bitching

After nearly two years of recurring status as Anya, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's man-hating demon, Emma Caulfield has finally been promoted to a series regular. So what the Hellmouth took so long? "I really couldn't get into the head of [series creator] Joss Whedon," Caulfield tells TV Guide Online. Her mug will be added to the opening credits this fall, though. "I started with what was supposed to be one episode, and it kept evolving." In Caulfield's December 1998 Buffy debut, her character ? the 1,120-year-old patron saint of scorned women ? twitched her nose and created an alternate universe in which Buffy never came to Sunnydale. And although a kinder, gentler ? i.e., human ? Anya has emerged, she's thankfully retained her trademark acid tongue. "There are times," she admits, "when I thought, 'God, I wish I could say that!'&nbsp;" Fans can catch Anya in all her wisec

Mon, Mar 13, 2000