Question: Do you have any spoilers for the Mad Men finale?Answer: Betty learns of Don's betrayal in the unlikeliest of places — their phone bill. And let's just say she exacts her revenge by getting horizontal. Also, expect huge changes for Peggy, both personal and professional.
Question: Kelly Bishop as Serena's grandmother on Gossip Girl? You are a genius! Answer: Sadly, it appears my casting powers have failed me this time. Despite my best efforts, sources tell me that Gossip producers feel the character of Serena's grandmother already bears too much of a resemblance to Emily Gilmore; as a result, they'll likely go with another actress. Damn reverse typecasting!
Question: I'm a fairly new Aushole but still just as hooked on spoilers as anyone else. So do you have anything on NCIS? Answer: The show airs its 100th episode on Mischief Night, so that can only mean one thing: It's gonna be spooky! The action revolves around a haunted WWII-era cargo vessel, and this week's TV Guide magazine contains a first look!
Question: Any good Smallville sweeps prattle? Answer: There'll be a major November-sweeps showdown in the Fortress of Solitude that involves Clark, Kara and two Kryptonians to be named later.
Question: You were right. I forgive Friday Night Lights for their Hewitt-worthy thriller plot. The second episode totally rocked. Now, give me some scoop! Answer: Get ready to see Smash, Riggins and the rest of the Panthers like you've never seen them before: in monkey suits! The Dillon Fall Formal is coming up and all the Panther players are required to wear tuxedos.
Question: Any explanation for Mariska's sudden hair changes this season on Law & Order: SVU? She started out the first two episodes with supershort hair, but in last week's episode with Melissa Joan Hart it was long again. How is this possible? Answer: You can blame that continuity breach on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. As an SVU insider explains it, last week's episode — featuring Marish's old 'do — was shot out of sequence in order to accommodate Hart's availability.
Question: Any idea when Greek is returning with those next 10 episodes? Answer: I'm hearing March, but that's not set in stone by any means. What is set in stone is the plot for Episode 5, which finds the gang flashing way, way, way back to 2005.
Question: Last night I had a dream that you were Emily VanCamp's brother. That has to be worth some Brothers & Sisters scoop. Answer: There's a big intervention coming up — and it shouldn't be too tough to figure out who the headliner is. Also, look for Kitty to suffer a personal tragedy.
Question: Give me some Army Wives prattle, and I'll give you a 21-watergun salute. Answer: The show put out a casting notice for the recurring character of Emmalin, a 16-year-old cheerleader whose dad is an Army bigwig. There's just one problem: That character already exists (or so I'm told; don't watch Wives). So either the role is being recast or producers are introducing a very similar character next season. Let me do a little more digging on this. Check back next week for an update.
Question: I loved last week's Friday Night Lights so much that I watched it again this morning… twice! Connie Britton... OMG! Tim-Lyla... hot! Please share some scoop! Answer: After their little rendezvous in God's house this Friday, Tyla will be dealt a little setback when Tim leans in for a smooch and she goes all "WTF!?" on him.
Question: Can I get some scoop on The Shield, please? I'll be your best friend! Answer: You know how Shane kidnapped Mackey's wife and daughter in the finale? Well, Mackey's going to return the favor in the season premiere.
Question: Is it true that Keri Russell is going to be back on Scrubs this season? If so, got any details? Answer: She hasn't been approached as of yet — and I know this because I asked her myself when she (wait for it, wait for it) visited me at my office yesterday! Really! The proof is in the pudding, and by "pudding" I mean next week's episode of my Ausiello Report vodcast!
Question: What's going on with George and Izzie on Grey's? Are they breaking up or not?! Answer: I honestly don't know what to believe anymore. After my interview with Shonda Rhimes at the Emmys, I thought for sure she was pulling the plug on this ill-conceived romance. But yesterday I got an unconfirmed tip that Gizzie is still alive and kicking in Episode 8. That's right — 8! That means we've got at least five more weeks of these two! My mole also reports that in the same episode, Mer and Der are still going strong with their whole let's-have-sex-but-not-be-super-serious thing.
Question: Have I ever told you how much I love it when you give us 30 Rock scoop? Is it too late to do it now, when I'm writing to ask you to, as Twitney would put it, gimme more? Answer: Twitney… that's mean and funny. Are you me? No, wait, you can't be, because if you were, you'd know that the laffer is about to show Jenna a gay old time — literally. A casting call has been issued for Sacha and Patrice — both male, despite the names — who will make up The Girlie Show star's own velvet mafia.
Question: I'm dying for any Battlestar Galactica scoop. Pretty please with sugar on top or a Smurf on top? Answer: Just finished screening next month's special two-hour "extended episode" (aka Razor), and here's my one-word review: Frak! They need to find a way to bring Michelle Forbes' Admiral Cain back to life, 'cause, man, she is positively electrifying — not to mention a big ol' (rhymes with thespian). My second favorite thing about the movie, er, extended episode? The return of the original talking Cylons! I had no idea how much I missed those little buggers.
Is Rescue Me's Tommy Gavin about to suffer yet another personal tragedy? Reliable sources close to Lost confirm to me exclusively that Andrea Roth — aka Denis Leary's long-suffering spouse on Rescue Me — is joining the cast in a recurring role. Details about her character are being kept under wraps, but a recent Lost casting notice went out for a female character in her mid-thirties described as "a tough, no-nonsense and beautiful" therapist who has a tendancy to be "overly controlling and obsessive." Sounds like a no-brainer to me.Although I haven't been able to confirm the exact number of Lost episodes Roth will appear in, I imagine she'll be able to fulfill her commitment and still return to Rescue Me — that is, if there is a Rescue Me to return to. FX hasn't officially renewed the show for a fifth season. Assuming that it will be back, production will likely resume in early '08 — which would leave Roth plenty of time to squeeze in a juicy little arc on Lost.T...
Fox's New Amsterdam is taking a little breather.Sources confirm to me exclusively that the network's forthcoming immortal-cop procedural will take a production hiatus early next week after completion of its eighth episode. The break, which comes five episodes shy of the show's 13-episode order, will give execs a chance to evaluate the first batch of episodes before moving forward. The move doesn't come as a complete surprise. At press tour in July, Amsterdam producers didn't appear to have a firm grasp of where the show was headed. Shortly after, the pilot underwent a major overhaul and its debut pushed to midseason. In recent weeks, insiders have been buzzing that Fox was still having serious creative issues with Amsterdam.The move comes less than a week after Fox announced it was cutting back on another midseason entry, The Return of Jezebel James. For more on that, check out tomorrow's Ask Ausiello.
This week's Ausiello Report vodcast is a must-see if you're a fan of any/all of the following:• Desperate Housewives• Gossip Girl• Brothers & Sisters• CSI, • Graphic footage of me cheating death.Click here to watch, and then post your critiques below!
Well, this isn't the most encouraging sign. The episode order for Fox's The Return of Jezebel James, Amy Sherman-Palladino's eagerly awaited Gilmore Girls follow-up, has been trimmed from 13 to just seven. The half-hour comedy, which is essentially a female Odd Couple, stars Parker Posey and Lauren Ambrose as estranged sisters who forge an unusual partnership.Although no reason was given for the downgrade, a Fox spokesperson acknowledged in a statement that, "For several years, midseason has been a busy time at Fox as we prepare to launch new series and make room for returning favorites like 24 and American Idol. We have always planned to launch The Return of Jezebel James in midseason, and seven episodes are all we need to allow us to program the series through the current broadcast season. We are big fans of Amy Sherman-Palladino, Dan Palladino and the extremely talented cast and are looking forward to airing the show."The news comes on the same day that it was announced that AS-P...
• Ex-Alias techie Kevin Weisman can't seem to shake the spy biz. Sources confirm to me exclusively that the actor has landed a flashy guest stint on NBC's Chuck. He'll play a poisonous (literally) bad guy in the Nov. 12 episode titled "Chuck Versus the Truth." • Know what time it is? It's time for me to put on my Armchair Casting Director hat, that's what time it is. As all you Ausiello Scoop newsletter subscribers first learned yesterday, Gossip Girl is introducing Serena's "wealthy, manipulative and larger-than-life" grandmother — a role that sounds tailor-made for a certain acid-tongued Gilmore Girls matriarch named Kelly Bishop. No worries, I'm on the case. I've already contacted both exec producer Josh Schwartz and Bishop's agent. With any luck, I'll be able to announce something offical in next week's Ask Ausiello.• Was last night's Pushing Daisies pure genius or what? And I'm not just saying that because Kristin Chenoweth practically name-checked me with t...
Question: Any truth to the rumor that the Winchester brothers will be hunting a Smurf on Supernatural? If not, then you got any legit spoilers for the show? Answer: Yep, but what I have to reveal may be less exciting to Supernatural viewers than it will be to Charmed fans: The show is introducing a trio of witches! OK, two witches and one sorceress who may not be exactly what she appears to be. What, you didn't expect me to give everything away, did you?
Question: Stanford?! Seriously?! Wow. To help you feel better, I thought I'd give you the chance to turn things around and share some Grey's scoop with us. You'll feel better, honest! Answer: I don't usually put a lot of stock in alternative remedies, but I suppose it's worth a try. Dr. Hahn will be returning for the Halloween episode on Oct. 25, and she'll make a controversial decision that causes a major rift between Cristina and Izzie. Also, the fallout from Gizziegate will throw Callie and Cristina together in a very unexpected way, and someone is fired from his/her position. OMG, you're right — I do feel better! Scoop is the new Prozac! Who knew?!