Stephanie March will be returning to Law & Order: SVU this fall, TVGuide.com has confirmed.While the length of her commitment has yet to be finalized, March's Alex Cabot will assume ADA duties for only part of the season, as producers have cast a wide net to search for other ADA types as well. NBC had no comment.March left SVU in 2003. Cabot headlined ...
Twentieth Century Fox, the producers of My Name Is Earl, want to make it clear that the sitcom is officially dead, despite reports of talks with TBS earlier this week. So they issued the following very specifically worded statement: "Greg Garcia's brilliant My Name is Earl kept America laughing for the past four seasons and certainly deserved to continue for many more. While we had hoped to find a way to produce additional episodes for TBS, in the final analysis we simply could not make the economics work without seriously undermining the artistic integrity of the series. As none of us, Greg included, want the show to go out on anything but a high note, we regret that we must put to rest any speculation that Earl will continue. We are grateful to everyone at TBS for their enthusiasm for the series and wish to offer our heartfelt thanks to the cast and crew of My Name is Earl for their incredible work." 'Nuff said. Post you condolences below.
David Letterman said he regrets telling jokes about Sarah Palin's daughter after the Alaska governor called them "sexually perverted" and her husband, Todd, called them "despicable." On Wednesday's Late Show, Letterman repeated the jokes in question. He denied that they referred to the Palins' 14-year-old daughter — as the Palins' his-and-hers statements seemed to indicate (see below) — but rather their 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, who, as Letterman pointed out, "was knocked up."
If anyone had planned it, it would have felt too soon. On Monday's season premiere of Weeds, Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon) sports noticeable ligature marks around his neck. When Andy (Justin Kirk) asks him what happened, Doug replies with signature nonchalance, "[Masturbated] with a noose," a scene we saw in vivid detail in the Season 4 finale. The premiere aired, of course, just days after reports and speculation that actor David Carradine might have died under similar circumstances. (The death remains under investigation; Carradine's manager has said he suspects "foul play.") For Nealon, the show's apparent ability to echo current events is nothing new. "You know, it's really interesting how Weeds is prophetic in a way; it's kind of eerie," he says. He points to prescient storylines about the California wildfires and the Mexican drug wars. "We did a story about [the show's fictional suburb] Agrestic burning down, and we shoot in Valencia [Calif.], and then Valencia sort of burnt down shortly thereafter," he says. Nealon says the latest scene was shot last year. "It was too late to have any second thoughts about it." He says the edgy scene is par for the course on a show like Weeds. "I'm never surprised by what the writers come up with," he says. "You have to be willing to pretty much do anything on that show." Has he ever refused them? "No, not yet," he says.
Showtime has green-lit a second season of Nurse Jackie. Monday's premiere of the Edie Falco medical dramedy nabbed 1 million viewers, the cable network's highest-rated premiere audience ever. In addition, 350,000 people watched the premiere's encore presentation — for a total of 1.35 million same-day viewers. Showtime has ordered up 12 new episodes, but has yet to schedule an air date for them.
Call it karma: My Name Is Earl may be reincarnated on cable. Following NBC's unceremonious dumping of Earl this spring, the show's creators are in talks with TBS, TVGuide.com has confirmed. The cable network and Earl producer 20th Century Fox are in "preliminary conversations" about creating 13 new episodes of the sitcom together, a TBS spokesperson said. It's unclear when these new episodes might air. Moving a show from network to basic cable would surely require budget cuts, and while the cast is still "on hold" with Fox TV, they would still have to renegotiate lower salaries. So don't cross this off Earl's to-do list just yet. The good news? In a separate deal, TBS will start running repeats of Earl in the fall.
Dear Andrew Shue: According to the New York Daily News, you don't think the CW's Melrose Place remake is a good idea. You're probably right! That said, since I've already decided it's the most important piece of television ever, I'm feeling kind of protective of it. So back off! You've kept busy in your post-Melrose years doing some nice work for kids and moms. Stick to that. No more of this: "Melrose Place was a great show in its time, and if I were calling the shots, I would say don't bring it back," Shue said. "Leave it as it was at its time. That's the way it should be." Yes, Billy Campbell, we wouldn't want to tarnish the memory of your tour de force acting in scenes like this one. Shakespeare in the Park it was not. Shut yer pie hole. Regards, Mickey O'Connor
Here's what I learned about my new best friend Jackie Peyton (Edie Falco) from watching Monday's premiere of Nurse Jackie: Jackie has a bad back — and a prescription-drug problem. "What do you call a nurse with a bad back?" Jackie asks. "Unemployed." As such, she's a highly functioning pill-popper who'll take whatever she can get her hands on. Literally take. Jackie is dedicated. From the get-go, it's clear that Jackie owns the ER. She hits all the right notes with doctors, other nurses, cops and patients. She's knowledgeable, courteous, but not exactly what you'd call nice. Read on to see what we thought of Edie Falco's new show...
Scott Caan, William Fichtner and Matt Letscher have signed on to guest-star on Entourage's upcoming sixth season, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Caan will play Scotty Lavin, a talent manager who becomes E.'s headache this season. Fichtner (Prison Break) takes on the role of slick TV producer Phil Yagoda, who is trying to remake his hit 1990s teen series for Drama. Letscher, who got some confusing screen time opposite Calista Flockhart on Brothers and Sisters this season, plays Dan Coakley, a TV exec who oversees Drama's TV series. Entourage returns Sunday, July 12 at 10:30 pm/ET.
You're Edie Falco. You've got a rec room full of shiny acting awards. Everyone in town wants to work with you. What do you do next? For Falco, the answer is Nurse Jackie (premiering Monday, 10:30 pm/ET, Showtime), a dark dramedy about Jackie Peyton, an unconventional nurse at a New York City hospital who works unauthorized double shifts, robs from the rich to give to the poor and uses sex to get what she wants. Oh, she's also a highly functioning pill-popper.
Last we saw Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker), she narrowly escaped getting gunned down by Mexican drug kingpin Esteban (aka the mayor of Tijuana, aka her boyfriend) by producing a sonogram that appeared to show that the would-be turncoat was with child! As Season 5 of Weeds premieres (Monday at 10 pm/ET), Nancy's delicate state might have kept her safe in the short run, but not without its own set of complications. Parker tells us what she thinks of Nancy, ponders how far she'll fall this season, and surveys sisterhood with Jennifer Jason Leigh and the relative cleanliness of Alanis Morissette.
Let's face it: Mark Feuerstein is the menschiest mensch who ever mensched. He is known mostly for his good-guy roles on Good Morning, Miami and The West Wing, and in movies like What Women Want and In Her Shoes. Next up he plays Hank Lawson, a noble surgeon, on USA Network's Royal Pains (its 75-minute premiere is Thursday at 10 pm/ET). After a rich patient dies on Hank's watch, he's blacklisted from the Manhattan medical community, but —irony alert! — after heading out to the Hamptons to forget his troubles, he ends up becoming a "concierge doctor," a private, discreet advisor to the area's wealthy. Feuerstein spoke to TVGuide.com about whether he has bad-guy fantasies, why his show isn't just about rich people and what makes costar Campbell Scott's German accent so damn hilarious.
Mary-Louise Parker wants to set the record straight: She loves being naked. The star of Showtime's Weeds (Season 5 premieres Monday, June 8 at 10 pm/ET) is speaking out in response to a recent interview with More magazine that gave the impression that she regretted doing a nude scene that appeared in the Season 4 finale episode. "They made it sound like I was like, 'They made me take my clothes off and chained me to the bathtub,'" Parker says. What's the naked truth? Read on...
We were all sad to see the charming Dustin Milligan get the heave-ho from 90210 this spring, but fear not! TVGuide.com has learned exclusively that West Bev is getting a new shot of testosterone in the fall, courtesy a new recurring character. Read on to meet the new Peach Pit pipsqueak...
The shake-up of late-night TV continued last night with the introduction of the new, Conan O'Brien-hosted Tonight Show. While there were lots of new, shiny things to look at, overall it was like the return of a familiar old friend, starting with the display of a charming vintage NBC peacock logo....
Pushing Daisies is back! Well, for three weeks anyway, as ABC fulfills its promise to the fans to schedule the three unaired episodes. The end of the Daisies drama unspools over the next three Saturdays at 10 pm/ET. The facts were these: Some time in December 2008, after months of disappointing ratings, ABC pulled the plug on our beloved Pushing Daisies. Shortly after its cancellation, the network atoned by announcing that it would air the three unaired episodes at a later date, probably over the summer. It was even reported that series creator Bryan Fuller (who has since decamped for his other baby, Heroes) was given the opportunity to recut the season-finale episode so that it could act more like a series finale. Which is all well and good, but... does anyone even remember what was happening on Pushing Daisies back in December?
Phil Spector was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison on Friday for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge sentenced Spector to 15 years to life for second-degree murder and an additional four years for personal use of a gun, according to the Associated Press. Clarkson, who starred in Roger Corman's cult hit Barbarian Queen, died of a gunshot fired in her mouth in Spector's mansion in 2003. She had met Spector only hours earlier at her job as a nightclub hostess. Spector was best known as a music producer in the 1960s, whose signature "Wall of Sound" souped up the tracks of Ike and Tina Turner, the Ronettes and the Beatles.
In their first joint interview in six years, Lionel and Nicole Richie appeared on Larry King Live together Thursday. Why now? Unclear! What's that? Lionel has an album to promote? Ah, I see. Just Go (in stores now) features collaborations with Ne-Yo, Akon, Tricky and other youngfolk. "I just wanted to just come and support him and just — you know, just show how proud I am of him," Nicole said. Aw. Read what they had to say after the jump...
John Lithgow has signed on to play Dexter's new serial killer. The Emmy-winning actor will play Walter Simmons, aka the "Trinity Killer," so named because he murders in threes. Simmons is a mild-mannered suburbanite who shows up in Miami, on the run from FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy. (Keith Carradine returns as Lundy after a season-long absence.) Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) becomes infatuated with the Trinity Killer's methods, and his ability to evade capture for more than 30 years. Lithgow will appear in all 12 episodes of Season 4, which premieres Sunday, Sept. 27.
At Thursday's CW upfront presentations, we got our first glimpse of the Melrose Place reboot. We saw a few scenes, and then asked the cast members about their new alter egos. But as it was just a preview, take these comments with a grain of salt. That said, it was simply the most important piece of television ever. Read on to see why: Who's Back from the Original? Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro are reprising their roles as Sydney Andrews and Dr. Michael Mancini, respectively. Though they've shared a marital bed in the past, they aren't a couple in the pilot episode. But Syd-Mike 'shippers needn't fret. Leighton left the door open for some future hanky-panky. "Sydney has most likely always maintained some sort of relationship with Michael," she teases. "It's been complicated, and that's not going to change." Where's Amanda? Heather Locklear has not yet agreed to appear on El Nuevo Melrose, but at least one former cast member is ...
Uh-oh! ABC announced Tuesday that it plans to move Ugly Betty to Fridays in the fall, wedged between wacky neighbors Supernanny and 20/20. A move to Friday is often a show's last stop before cancellation, but ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson expressed confidence in Betty during his presentation of the network's fall schedule. "I love the show," he said. "I'd love to see it have a great run on Friday night, the way Ghost Whisperer has." He said he hopes that Betty will hold on to Supernanny's lead-in. What's taking Betty's place? Read on to find out...
"I will be looking for you at the bar," Kiefer Sutherland told guests at Fox's upfronts on Monday, prompting much laughter. What was he thinking? What would normally be a friendly sentiment within the context of a network's advertiser lovefest carries additional meaning these days for the legally challenged 24 star. Sutherland already served 48 days in jail for a 2007 drunk-driving charge and is currently facing third-degree assault charges stemming from an incident earlier this month involving Jack McCullough, a fashion designer, at a New York City nightclub.
