TV with MeeVee

Actors Doing Stupid Things In Real Life

• Dennis Farina (right) is a a former Chicago cop, so he oughta know better. But the detective turned actor ("Law & Order," "Crime Story" and many movies like the current "What Happens in Vegas") got popped at LAX this weekend for having a loaded .22 in his carryon. He "forgot." Even he said it was stupid.
• Isaiah Washington has already made himself something of a Hollywood pariah by a) getting in a scuffle with a "Grey's Anatomy" co-star, b) using the word "faggot" during the dustup to refer to another co-star, c) denying he said it, d) saying it again and e) most damningly, failing to improve the ratings of "Bionic Woman" when he was added to the cast in a naked publicity grab midseason adjustment. So really, do you think it's a good idea for him to lawyer up and start bitching just because "Grey's" used his picture in a mock newspaper story on the show? Idiot.

A Few Afternoon Links, Mostly About "Lost"

• Yet another take on last night's taxing "Lost." (Buzzsugar)
• And a note about the music. (Buddy TV)
• And despite the writers strike, we will get our full remaining quotient of "Lost" episodes. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Gay kiss on "Grey's Anatomy." But it's two dudes. (Televisionista)
• DVR viewing makes up 7.5 percent of all TV viewing, up 64 percent from a year ago. (TV By The Numbers)

Afternoon Links As We Await The Most Awesome Night Of TV This Season

Let's see, a kickass "Survivor" - unless you prefer "Ugly Betty" or "My Name Is Earl" and "Scrubs" - followed by the first "The Office" since Jim showed us the engagement ring, followed by "30 Rock" - unless you prefer "Grey's Anatomy" or "CSI" - followed by the return of "Lost." All new for the launch of May sweeps! And that's not even mentioning "Without a Trace" or "Smallville" and the return of "Supernatural." Scripted television is back, baybee! On a night like this, that strike seems a distant memory. But we have a few hours to kill first. So here are a couple things to read...

• Roger Friedman says Jimmy Fallon will take over for Conan when Conan takes over for Jay. (Fox News)
• TV Squad says he's talking through his hat. (TV Squad)
• Friedman, by the way, also has some "Weeds" dish that fans won't want to hear, way down in the same column. (Fox News)
• Kathy says she picked the wrong Dunder-Mifflin week to go on vacation. (GMMR)
• An NBC source says, uh, don't worry about seeing O.J. on "The Apprentice." (TMZ.com)
• Another look at the sag in ratings post-strike. (Hollywood Reporter)
• We forgot to link to this yesterday when it was still sorta news, but Showtime has signed "The Tudors" (right) for season three. (AP)

Monday Links: Stuff We Couldn't Make Up

• HBO has pissed off Hell's Angels founder Sonny Barger. To whom did this seem like a good idea? (Hollywood Reporter)
• Tim Allen's web avatar is even scarier than he is. Seriously, look at this thing. (TV Squad)
• Global warming has been stopped in its tracks. Iraq is a utopia of religious understanding and nonviolence. Everyone in Africa has enough to eat. And so President George W. Bush will appear on tonight's episode of "Deal Or No Deal." OMFG.
• A new "High School Musical" game is out for Nintendo. It's like the third or fourth game based on the movies. Who knew. (BuddyTV)
• In possibly the greatest misuse of a new technology since the atom bomb, "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" will soon broadcast in HD. (Broadcasting & Cable)
• Pellicano trial testimony connects former Hollywood heavy Mike Ovitz to threat against Anita Busch. Sorta. Kinda. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
• Cuba will soon air "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Sopranos." They already have "House," "Friends" and "Everybody Loves Raymond." Somebody wanna explain how the studios get around the embargo there? (Reuters)

Good Morning, Good Morning

• More on CW's decision to stop streaming "Gossip Girl" comes in this post and this one. The latter suggests it's all a ploy to whip up interest in the under-watched show. OMFG, really?! (TV By The Numbers)
• Maybe it wasn't Gary Dourdan's idea to leave "CSI" after all. (TV Guide)
• Leelee Sobieski: Obviously A Robot. (Glitterati)
• I've been trying to decide which Robin Sparkles/"HIMYM" post to link to. Let's try this one. (BuzzSugar)
• Some new deets on Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse." (TV Squad)
• Spoilery "Lost" speculation: Could Sawyer be on his way out? (Buddy TV)
• Addison's returning (temporarily) to Seattle Grace and "Grey's Anatomy." Yawwwwwwn. (Buddy TV)

Your Morning Gay Hollywood Update

OK, big whoop surprise, but Luke MacFarlane (right) has come the rest of the way out of the closet, saying the time is right because Scotty, his character on "Brothers & Sisters," is going to marry his boyfriend, Kevin, in the May 11 episode and become a series regular by doing so. MacFarlane, you may remember, has been linked in real life to "Grey's Anatomy" gay champion T.R. Knight, who plays straight on the show but was at the center of the backstage dustup that got Isaiah Washington fired. He's also been photographed with "Prison Break" hunk Wentworth Miller, whose sexuality has been the subject of much speculation and who got dragged into the issue again by MacFarlane's announcement.

Morning Reading: Zac Efron, Stephen Colbert, "The Office"

• Shopping with Mindy Kaling, aka Kelly Kapoor of "The Office" (right). (NY Times)
• "The Colbert Report" to broadcast from Philly all week in effort to make Pennsylvania primary even more ironic. (AP)
• Meanwhile ABC's Charlie Gibson is prepping for Wednesday's Clinton-Obama debate in Philly, which he'll moderate. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Advance word on the Disney Channel '08-09 sked. They'll, um, probably renew "Hannah Montana." (Buddy TV)
• "High School Musical" star Zac Efron to play gay twins? I think somebody's dreaming. (Buddy TV)
• Did "Gossip Girl" flacks try a little trickery to stir up buzz? Duh. (TV Addict)
• All the news on scheduling of "Lost" and "Grey's" season finales, including those extra hours. (TV Guide)

ABC Finally Spills Spring Plans For "Desperate Housewives" And The Rest

ABC has finally unveiled its spring, post-strike debut schedule. The bad news is that "Pushing Daisies," "Private Practice" and "Dirty Sexy Money" won't return until next season. The good news is that they will return. "Desperate Housewives" returns to the scheduled April 13 with seven hours of new episodes including a two-hour season finale. Also returning with new episodes: "Boston Legal," "Brothers & Sisters," "Grey's Anatomy," "Samantha Who?" and "Ugly Betty." "Grey's" returns April 24, when "Lost" switches to 10 p.m. Thursdays. The full release with all the details is after the jump.

Writers Strike: So Now What About "24"? And "Lost"? And...

The staff of your favorite sitcom is champing at the bit to start writing new jokes beginning Wednesday, assuming writers vote tomorrow to end their strike. But serial dramas are in a very different place, as the shows with the most to gain or lose as Hollywood returns to work. In recent seasons, the networks found out that shows like "24" and "Lost" play best in big chunks uninterrupted by reruns, allowing viewers to get fully absorbed in the often complex storylines. But the strike screwed up networks' plans. So what's up with your favorite drama series?

Well, the showrunner - aka the producer who makes it all go - is probably figuring that out at this very second, or possibly staring at his telephone in agitation, waiting impatiently for a call from the network that will give him his marching orders. (Shonda Rhimes aside, most showrunners are still men.) But even though the situation remains unsettled, the contradictory plans for Fox's "24" and ABC's "Lost" will give you a feel for what's really going on out there.

The anti-terrorism drama "24" was due to air 22 straight from early January through May sweeps, tag-teaming the Nielsen ratings with "American Idol" as in years past. ABC and "Lost" producers had committed to three more seasons of 16 episodes each, this year and in 2009 and 2010, giving dubious viewers some assurance of an orderly wrapup to the mystery-laden series. "Lost" was due to start airing in late January or February with a more-or-less uninterrupted run until May.

"Grey's Anatomy Video Game" Sure To Be A Huge Hit

I've seen some stupid video games in my time. I mean, I've played the "E.T." game for Atari, which is widely regarded as the worst video game and the most pointless licensing ripoff ever.

But the "Grey's Anatomy" game for mobile phones sounds like it's going to be far, far worse.  The press release reads:

"The challenging mini-games will resonate with the male audience, while women will be engaged with the game's unfolding drama and character interaction," said Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president of publishing, Gameloft.

I love the way they respect and understand the "Grey's Anatomy" audience. I mean, this guy really understands what women want: Drama. Also, McSteamy. Right? Am I right, ladies?

What a jerk.

"Lost" Dates McDreamy's Timeslot

ABC unveiled its winter schedule on Friday, the last of the big four to do so, and the main news involved "Lost." The castaway hour, already a bit of a drama queen when it comes to scheduling, will indeed air the eight episodes complete before the writer's strike. And here's a kick in the pants - they will air in "Grey's Anatomy's" timeslot, Thursdays at 9 ET beginning Jan. 31. You can argue that this will further confuse the already addled "Lost" audience, or that it will give the show a new chance for audience sampling as it kicks off its final three seasons. No word, though, on what airing eight episodes this year does to that plan for three final 16-ep seasons, which was supposed to tie a bow on the whole island saga.

Also in ABC announcement was word that Dylan McDermott's "Big Shots" will return to Thursdays at 10 until it's replaced by the midseason lawyer series "Eli Stone" on the same day "Lost" returns. Also, Lucy Liu's "Cashmere Mafia" bows Jan. 3 in the "Grey's" slot before movie to its regular Wednesday at 10 slot the following week.

Ya Had To Pull Off "Big Shots," Didn't Ya

In a scheduling move that has a lot of people scratching their heads, ABC has yanked "Big Shots" off Thursday nights with three episodes still to air. Instead the network will air a "Private Practice" rerun after "Grey's Anatomy," ensuring that no straight man will watch the network from 9-11 on those nights. Were "Big Shots" ratings that bad? Well, kinda - the Dylan McDermott series was losing half of the "Grey's" audience. But with the writers strike going strong, expect to see "Big Shots" again after the first of the year.

"Heroes" and "Grey's" Previews!

Via Seriously OMG here are two previews. The first is "Heroes:" in tonight's episode, Claire finally stands up to her dad, and Molly starts to put the "nightmare man" behind her. The real point, though, is that "normal" is something none of the heroes can ever be. They're going to have to accept, even celebrate, their difference from the rest of the world. Hmmm, sounds like something the American Family Association ought to start investigating.

Second, "Vanished" star Gale Harold comes to "Grey's Anatomy", playing a paramedic who doesn't want to be examined by a black doctor. But he doesn't want to admit that he's a racist, you know.  That would be a little rude. Patients that try the patience of doctors are nothing new for the show, but I don't think I've seen anyone on the show act quite as stupid as this.

"Big Shots" And "Grey's Anatomy" And Mary Kate Linkfest

The Boston Globe says Thursday nights on ABC are filled with wimpy, emasculated men and the not-very-interesting women who rule their lives. Zero-sum game, they say. Boring, they say. "Grey's" is OK, they say, but "Big Shots" is just terrible. Pardon me for saying this, but I told you so.

Best Week Ever has a hilarious spin on "Kitchen Nightmares" - a template for a generic episode full of swearing and insults and incompetence. I love the bit about how the maitre'd has to learn not to punch customers in the genitals. You won't believe how many times that's happened to me at fine-dining establishments.

The same folks point us to a great promo from Showtime featuring clips of Mary-Kate Olsen as Tara on "Weeds." Hilarious. My favorite line is still the bit where she's calling bingo numbers at the old folks' home and says "B-9, like your tumor is benign." Awesome.

Finally, here's a preview for a movie called "Wanted" starring Morgan Freeman and a bunch of good-looking young people. The (safe for work, I promise) SG Newsblog has a review, too, but you can get away with just knowing that there are explosions, car chases, and Morgan Freeman's voice of wisdom.

"Grey's Anatomy" Gets Into The OED

I'm sorry to dump two real-newspaper links onto you in one week, but there's a great feature on the origins and spectacular rise of the word "vajayjay," which as we all know was selected by Shonda Rimes as a euphemism for "vagina" on "Grey's Anatomy."

No, Shonda didn't invent the word. It's been around for quite some time and it was suggested by an assistant when Standards And Practices asked them to stop being so anatomically correct. The Times interviews feminist professors, linguists, and television producers, and they're all divided: Is it a step back to need a euphemism for women's genitals, or is it a step forward because it's a friendly, non-threatening word that makes a woman's genitals your friends?

My question is somewhat different. I want to know if there's a similar word I can use when I want to talk about "Pushing Daisies" star Anna Friel and her topless beachgoing (NSFW).

Halloween Specials: "Grey's Anatomy," "Bones," "Simpsons," More!

"Grey's Anatomy" had its Halloween special last week, and BuzzSugar has the talk about it.

"Big Bang Theory" is celebrating Halloween tonight, and you can find out more at Seriously OMG.

"Bones" is up for a Halloween special tomorrow night, and TubeTalk is all over that one.

On Sunday, "The Simpsons" will have "Treehouse Of Horror XVIII" and Wikipedia has the best details I've found so far: Parodies of "Mr. And Mrs. Smith" and "E.T." and a story about Flanders punishing the town's kids for their naughtiness.

Oddly, the "Family Guy" episode also involves a bit of "Mr. And Mrs. Smith" parody, although it's not a Halloween special. It is, however, the 100th episode, "Stewie Kills Lois," in which Stewie actually makes a serious attempt on his mother's life. Yeah, matricide is always hilarious.

"Grey's Anatomy" Makes Me Happy And Sad About Brooke Smith

Some saw it coming. But last night's "Grey's Anatomy" made clear that Brooke Smith will be joining the regular cast after a number of guest appearances. That's good news for "Grey's" fans, who probably see the casting of the bisexual (or so we hear) Dr. Hahn as doubling their favorite character's chances of a date on Saturday night. But those of us who are big "Weeds" fans instead - which is to say, me - are disappointed because it probably spells the end of Smith's guest role on that show. As Valerie, the dead DEA agent's first wife (long story), she provided a far more compelling antagonist for Mary Louise Parker's drug-dealing suburban mom Nancy Botwin than any of the gangbangers and other drug-biz types Nancy rubs up against. Valerie could have been a much-needed friend for Nancy, had money not gotten in the way, and there's an underlying affection in ever their harshest encounters that deepens Nancy's guilt. Oh well. At least Smith's happy. She certainly deserves the success, being one of those actors who turns even the smallest role into a living, breathing, multi-dimensional character.

"Grey's Anatomy" Star Ellen Pompeo Profiled In "American Way"

"Grey's Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo, originally from the Boston suburb of Everett, was profiled in "American Way" magazine and asked about her favorite things in town. Yeah, it's a typical airline magazine fluff piece, but it's about Ellen Pompeo and Boston, so I'm paying attention.

One thing she recommends is a place near to my own heart, Harvard Bookstore. (Note: That's harvard.com, and they're not affiliated with Harvard University, which is harvard.edu).

She also likes shopping at Louis Boston, which is a store so beautiful that I go in to look at stuff, even though I can't afford anything in there. Once I went there with my girlfriend and she bought some lip balm. We're still paying it off.

TiVo Updates: "Private Practice" Voted Off My Island, "Grey's Anatomy" Gets Yellow Card

I've cut "Private Practice" from my TiVo season pass manager and I'm pretty close to dropping "Grey's Anatomy" as well. "Practice" irritates me because Addison's new co-workers are a band of paper-thin stereotypes. If I wanted to watch people have pointless crying jags and destructive casual sex, I'd watch "The Real World."

On "Grey's," it's the Lexie Grey thing that bothers me. It's a lame way to stir up Meredith's neurosis and drama. Add that to her self-destructive McDreamy relationship, and Meredith is becoming less and less sympathetic. She's like that depressed or sick friend you're glad to help for a few weeks, but who eventually just becomes a burden. In real life you'd stand by her, but I don't need that from a TV character.

MeeVee Video Top 5: Tear Jerkers--Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Grey's Anatomy, Intervention, and more

Turn off your cell phone, put down the blinds, and get out the tissue box. The shows this week are a bit on the soft side.  Whether you sympathize or empathize with the characters on these shows, you're bound to shed a tear or two. And guys: if caught in the act of weeping during your guilty pleasure, blame the tears on the dry air or claim you have an itch....in both eyes. Your friends or girlfriend may not buy it, but it's at least worth the try. All in all, these shows leave you either depressed or truly blessed you are not as depressed as these characters.

This week, Video Top 5 looks at five of the tear jerking shows on television. We have highlights of Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Grey's Anatomy.  If you're curious whether past addicts have conquered their addictions, find out with follow-up videos from past cast members of Intervention.  Catch up with episode recaps of ER. We also have tons of video clips from the Ken Burns series The War.  Finally, we went into our archives to pick our YouTube Clip of the Week.  It'll make you want to get up and dance!

"Private Practice," First Look

(Ed. note: We posted this review last week, but since the show debuts tonight, we thought we'd give you another look...)

I've seen the first episode of "Private Practice," and let me say this: it was good. 

Okay, some of it was good, because when it was good, it was very good.  But there were rough spots, and when those were bad, they were very bad. So the question these days really is this: "Private Practice" - redheaded step-child of the season, or the smash hit that we hoped for at first?

It won't be the critics who'll decide, and it won't be the fans.  It won't be the producers, the writers, or the cast.  It'll be one person, and one person alone: Shonda Rhimes.

The success of "Private Practice," debuting Sept. 26 on ABC, rests entirely on Shonda's shoulders, and three years ago that would've been a good thing. You know, before the crash-and-burn that was this past season of "Grey's." From the penitent interviews Shonda has been giving, it seems like she's finally got the message: You can only push the characters so far before they just become impossible to believe - and, worse, relate to. When Meredith says, "Seriously?" the answer shouldn't be, "No."

This "Seriously?" problem with "Grey's Anatomy" last season was what pissed off fans during the spinoff episode for "Private Practice" last season.  The talking elevator was hard to swallow, but at least it was a hard-to-swallow moment in the plot.  The slo-mo gawking as their dripping, muscular surfer-boy receptionist walked in from lunch, the sleeping-around of the surrogate mother - those were hard-to-swallow character points.  And in a show from Shonda Rhimes, the woman who single-handedly brought decent character development back to network TV, that's unforgivable.

So the question is: did the first real episode, with the full power of its own crew, producers, and writers, manage to do better?

(Spoilers lie ahead, so proceed at your own risk!)

MeeVee Video Top 5: Emmy Awards

The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards have come and gone. Now that all the congratulation speeches are over and all the pseudo tears have dried up, it's time for our pampered stars to get back to work. For those of you out there aching for their favorite shows to return, now is the best time of year for television. The dog days of summer television are over and both new and old shows are beginning to premiere.

This week Video Top 5 is highlighting five shows that received a serious surplus of nominations at this years Emmy's. We have clips from Grey's Anatomy, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, and The Sopranos. Also featured this week are full episodes of 30 Rock and video interviews with the successful series The Starter Wife. Finally, we have a bizarre montage of doctored clips for our YouTube Clip of the Week.

Fall TV Night-By-Night: Thursday

Only one new show tonight but a considerable amount of new attitude scattered around the schedule, and Sunday night's Emmys could add some more for "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Office" and others.

The new show is ABC's "Big Shots," at 10, which delivered a very funny press conference from stars Michael Vartan, Dylan McDermott, Joshua Malina and Christopher Titus, and could be a ratings winner. They're four reasonably powerful and successful guys, but the show follows mainly their romantic and domestic difficulties. It was at least unofficially called "Big Dicks" in the beginning, and seems intended to take a male-centric view of the world. But as it follows the guest-star-laden "Ugly Betty" at 8 and "Grey's Anatomy" at 9, I think ABC is counting on a large number of women sticking with the network to eyeball Vartan and McDermott. Not a bad bet, actually, though I didn't much like the show. All three debut Sept. 27.

CBS stands pat on the night with three dependables: "Survivor" (Sept. 20), "CSI" and "Without a Trace" (both Sept. 27). Not much to report here except A) one has to wonder when the "CSI" juggernaut will cool, and B) "Survivor" is going to China this fall for an inland episode, as seen at left.

"Private Practice" Gets Bad Vibes

A friend recently IM'ed me to say she'd seen a promo for "Private Practice," and that before she realized what it was, her first reaction was that "Grey's Anatomy" had really gone downhill. That's not a good sign. Worse is that TV Guide's Michael Ausiello thinks it's painful.  Televisionista isn't surprised, and makes some particularly grim predictions: "Private Practice" will suck but stay on the air, although it might ultimately kill "Grey's" as well; "Dirty Sexy Money" will be brilliant but canceled; and "Big Shots" will be terrible but popular.

Fall TV Night-By-Night: Wednesday

YIKES. More talked-about new shows hit the airwaves on Wednesdays than any other night of the week, including the new "Bionic Woman" (left).

ABC unveils its critic's pet series "Pushing Daisies" on 8 p.m. on Oct. 3, and I'm waiting to hear whether it makes a huge splash or a tiny little cult-audience plink. This is the dreamy, sweet, weird series about a guy (Lee Pace) who can revive the dead with a touch - but his second touch kills them for good. This gets a little tricky when he revives his childhood sweetheart (Anna Friel). Barry Sonnenfeld's gentle weirdness is all over this show, but I'm not sure if audiences will go for it.

Audiences will be all over "Private Practice," the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff ABC debuts at 9 on Sept. 26. Kate Walsh's Addison moves to a new clinic where her co-workers include Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Amy Brenneman, Paul Adelstein and Audra McDonald. The question is whether "Grey's" fans will love the new crew or find them lacking. And that will likely spell success or failure for the show with the season's best title, "Dirty Sexy Money," debuting at 10 on Sept. 26. Peter Krause of "Six Feet Under" stars as the new retainer to a powerful, rich, lunactic family headed by Donald Sutherland and Jill Clayburgh.

Morning Reads: "iCarly" Is Hot, "Grey's Anatomy" DVDs, "OC" Brats, "Dancing With The Stars," More!

Yahoo! talks up Nick product "iCarly," about a girl named Carly, her friend Sam, and their vlog. It's the next big thing for tweens. Sure, I've heard that before. Anyway, worth checking out if you're a parent. I'm not sure I'd let my kid have a webcam, but then again, I've seen what Vanessa Hudgens did with hers.

BuzzSugar is seriously excited about the new "Grey's" DVD. It's called "Grey's Anatomy Season 3, Seriously Extended." Seriously. OK, I get it. That's a catchphrase on the show. Seriously, can we stop saying that?

Tate Donovan, who played a spoiled grownup surrounded by spoiled rich kids on "The OC," says the young actors were spoiled rich kids in real life, and they ditched the show because they thought the small screen was too small for them. Donovan is now working on "Damages," and the kids are... well, if there's any justice in the world, they're hustling on Hollywood Boulevard.

Televisionista has a list of the dancing pairs who will be showing up on "Dancing With The Stars" in a couple weeks. Previously, they announced the stars, but this is the announcement of the dance-pro partners for each particular star.

Kathy Griffin got a little blasphemous this past weekend at the Creative Emmys. E! is showing it ceremony this Saturday, the night before the more-important "Real" Emmy ceremony on Sunday, but they'll cut most of Griffin's speech. That's guaranteed to send her YouTube searches skyrocketing. CelebTV has coverage, but I haven't found the raw video yet. The offensive lines?  "A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now." Yeah, there's gonna be some backlash about that. Just a little.

The Piemaker has a whole bunch of pics of the upcoming "Pushing Daisies" premiere, including some of Paul "Pee-Wee" Reubens in his role.

Both GMMR and Ducky Does TV have recaps of "Big Brother" this morning.

2007 Emmy Predictions Part 4: Drama Series

Four of the five nominees in this category have a chance to win this year, and I'm not sure I can make any meaningful prediction about which one it will be. But dammit, that's not going to stop me from trying! And frankly, most people who make these predictions, about the Emmys in particular, are talking out of  their ass. Sheer merit is only one of many factors that go into deciding who takes home the little statuettes, with other and perhaps more important ones including changes in the judging process, Hollywood politics, high-school style popularity issues and perceived momentum. So let's roll the dice! Here are the nominees...

ABC's "Boston Legal" could be renamed "No Chance" for the
purposes of this post. Audiences are moving away from the David E. Kelley school of high-stakes wackiness. There are some fine moments here, especially when James Spader and William Shatner are sitting out on the deck, philosophising over drinks and cigars. But you're not going to see them on the podium at the end of the night. And there are better shows that weren't even nominated - "Rescue Me" is just one that comes to mind, so don't cry for Kelley and company.

Isaiah Washington On "Bionic Woman"

NBC has posted its first pictures of "Grey's Anatomy" exile Isaiah Washington in character as Antonio Pope on "Bionic Woman." The character is a member of the shadowy government organization that has created the bionic warriors. According to what star Michelle Ryan has said in interviews, Pope tries to get Jamie Sommers to embrace her machine side. Here are two pix, one of him with superior Miguel Ferrer and one sparring with Ryan.

"Private Practice" Recasting, Promos

Shonda Rimes and the rest of the "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" honchos have changed the role of Dr. Naomi Bennet. In the pilot , the role was played by Merrin Dungey, but it will now be played by Audra Macdonald.

In most cases, that wouldn't be news. Televisionista is trying to make a big deal out of it, because Shonda emphatically rejected a suggestion that she replace embattled Isaiah Washington with another African-American actor, Eriq LaSalle. But Washington was already firmly in place on the show, and changing actors midstream is very rare and very difficult.   In contrast, switching actors after a pilot is hardly noteworthy at all. In fact, half the point of making the pilot is that you can retool and recast if necessary.

Over at BuzzSugar, they don't seem to care too much about that. What they want to know is: will the show be a good showcase for Addison's character, or is she going to lose her way and her audience?

New "Grey's Anatomy" Interns Revealed

You already knew that Seattle Grace Hospital is going to have some new faces this fall: there's Lexi Grey, Meredith's sister, played by Chyler Leigh. In addition, Candice Afia and Joseph Williamson, who appeared in last season's "Grey's Anatomy" finale, will return for this season.

But Televisionista has more news: details (and photos!) on the new interns, played by Tymberlee Chanel (left), Gloria Garayua, Winston Story, and Richard Eith. Plus, there's gossip about romantic intrigue: which of the interns will end up sleeping with which of the senior doctors?

Private Practice, Public Appearance

OK, it's the press conference for ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff, "Private Practice," and we're liveblogging... The cast is all here (except late add Audra MacDonald)! ... Creator Shonda Rhimes is talking about how they characters form a wellness group that will do everything but surgery...

They're three days into shooting their first episode, and Kate Walsh says she's more worried about her 5:30 a.m. call that she is about any "pressure" on her to succeed. ... She says the script is like the "delicious, super top-secret diary" of someone else. ...

Now the Isaiah Washington questions. New NBC exec Ben Silverman had told some critics that he was talking to Washington (who landed on NBC's "Bionic Woman") before he was dropped from "Grey's." Tampering? Rhimes sidesteps: "He's a really talented actor...and I hope that show does really well, just not as well as 'Private Practice.'"

"Grey's Anatomy" to be wiped out - by cast member?

Glitterati Gossip reports that "Grey's Anatomy" will add Chyler Leigh to the cast for 13 episodes, after her bit hitting on McDreamy in a bar in the season finale. But the 25-year-old Leigh has already been on nine different series, most of which were quickly canceled. Could she be the greatest TV jinx since the late Robert Urich? ... In unrelated hottie casting news, TV Guide reports that "Smallville" will add 22-year-old Canadian Laura Vandervoort as Supergirl this season.

"Private" Needs More "Practice" Casting

Give Me My Remote mourns the departure of Merrin Dungey from the cast of "Private Practice," the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff, in favor of "ER" and Broadway vet Audra McDonald. We also have to wonder if the "Grey's" brain trust really wants to replace one black actress with another - kinda makes it look as if Isaiah Washington was right and they do consider skin color in these matters, eh?

Isaiah Washington: Still Talking

I'm surprised it took so long, but the former "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington has added racism to the list of reasons he says led to his firing from the show. He's really done so much since his firing to prove that he wasn't dumped for being a hot-tempered, difficult, homophobic asshole, don't you think?

Isaiah Washington, We Can't Miss You Until You Go Away

Keeping the fire of his ire fully lit, Isaiah Washington is going to take his "Grey's Anatomy" grievances to "Larry King Live," TV Squad reports. The blog says the show is on July 2; some listings including ours say this Friday. Either way, it's one more chance for this guy to unload one of the giant chips he's carrying around on his shoulders. Maybe he could borrow some braces from Larry.

Isaiah Washington Opens Up About 'Grey's' Firing

Recent Grey's Anatomy castoff Isaiah Washinton is already talking about his firing. Washington got the axe as a result of some bad behavior, including a very homophobic remark to fellow cast member T.R. Knight. Here's what Washington had to say:

"I'm saddened by the outcome.I did everything that the producers and the network asked me to do. I came back under great duress and stress, and thought I was doing the job I was hired to do." 

Read more over at Hollyscoop>>

Isaiah Washington is out of "Grey's Anatomy"

T.R. Knight is in. But Isaiah Washington is out of "Grey's Anatomy," and that probably tells you everything you need to know. Maybe you could get away with it at the local hardware store. But in Hollywood, in the hothouse atmosphere of a soundstage, in the full glare of publicity, you can't call a co-worker a "faggot" and expect to be re-hired for another season. And in fact both The TV Addict and TV Squad say Washington's difficult attitude before the big blowup contributed to his departure. But Washington's statement - "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore" - suggests this is going to court. And in the meantime no doubt we will have to listen to hypocritical right-wing meatheads like Rush Limbaugh bloviating all day about how Washington is a victim of political correctness. Shudder.

Read more throughout the day at Top 10 Sources for Grey's Anatomy>>

Despite Controversy, T.R. Knight Returns To "Grey's"

Despite everything - "everything" being his famous on-set dustup with his fellow actors Isiah Washington over a homophobic slur - T.R. Knight will return to "Grey's Anatomy" this fall. Give Me My Remote reports that, despite plotlines that would have given either actor a possible exit, Knight has signed to return with a hefty raise. No word on Washington as yet.

Read more at Give Me My Remote.

Tonight's Picks: Thursday, May 17

The Office -- The Job, Parts 1 and 2
The third season ends with a special one-hour episode. The Dunder-Mifflinites rehash their beach competition antics, and a corporate job opening makes the competition heat up. Michael, Jim, and Karen head to New York to jockey for the new job.

Bob Barker: A Celebration of 50 Years on Television
After 50 years on TV, and 35 years on The Price Is Right, Bob Barker is ready to retire. Celebrate the history of the longest running game show and its iconic host. Bob Barker, come on down!

Scrubs -- My Rabbit; My Point of No Return
In the sixth season finale, J.D. asks Kim to move in with him. Elliot gets some help with her wedding, but nothing feels right. Are they settling down with the wrong people?  Also, fatherhood changes things for Turk.

Supernatural -- All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2
With the fight between Jake and Sam concluded, Dean is forced to deal with the ugly consequences. The Yellow-Eyed Demon plagues the Winchester boys -- he wants a general for his army, and he's not giving in easily.

Other Season Finales:

• Ugly Betty
• Grey's Anatomy