Ugh. I am so over NCIS... have I said that yet? Even DiNozzo can't pull me out of my funk! This season is just flat, flat, flat to me and I know I'm in the minority but I couldn't care less about Abby's parents, Gibbs' estranged father and/or potential feisty love interest. Just solve a case and be done with it! Oh, and try to be funny while you're at it (something you NCIS folk are not doing so well these days...) Bah!! I'm working on Robert to let the NCIS season pass go the way of SVU, Medium, The Office, Ice Road Truckers... but so far it's a no go. I'll keep at it though. From the sounds of this, I'm not getting any more interested anytime soon.
[From EW.com's Ausiello] NCIS fans are still freaking out over exec producer Shane Brennan’s cryptic tease last week that Gibbs will be forced to make a “life-changing decision” this May “that will impact every member of the team.” In fact, the tantalizing spoiler left some wondering — crazy talk alert! — if Mark Harmon’s days are numbered.
“I don’t think [that's the case] but I don’t know for sure,” Harmon told us last night prior to the PaleyFest ‘10 event honoring NCIS. “I’m still having a blast doing the show. That hasn’t changed since Day 1. I have no plans to leave. I have a contract with significant more time on it. But that may not stop the producers from getting rid of me if they think that best serves the story or the show. But I have no plans to take myself out of the game.”
Okay, well, that still leaves the question of what crisis will befall his character at season’s end and how it ties into Rena Sofer’s no-nonsense lawyer (and possible love interest for Gibbs) Margaret Hart. “Whatever [fans are] thinking, they’re wrong,” counters Harmon. “It is never the obvious [thing] on this show. As always, these writers make you think something but it is almost never what you think will happen. I think it is good to keep people guessing, especially after seven years.
“I think it is time for us to see these people away from their job and with their girlfriends or family,” he continues. “It is time to let out some of those nuggets. We’ve earned them. They come for the procedure but now we have earned the right to break off another piece of the puzzle.”
Getting back to the big May mystery, Harmon hints that although Sofer’s character plays a part, “she is not alone. Others will play a part, [too].”
Good news! CBS has confirmed that it's picking up Medium next season!!! TVGuide.com reports:
CBS announced eight brand-new series for the 2009-10 TV season, including ones starring Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, Julianna Margulies and Alex O'Loughlin, and swooped in and picked up NBC's castoff Medium.
The Eye ordered a full 22-episode season of Medium, slotting it after Ghost Whisperer on Fridays. As CBS entertainment boss Nina Tassler says, "If Ghost Whisperer and Numbers had an offspring, Medium would be it."
CBS also has tinkered with its Monday lineup in unexpected ways. How I Met Your Mother will now lead off the night, leading into the new Jenna Elfman comedy Accidentally on Purpose. The Big Bang Theory boys will now geek out at 9:30, following Two and a Half Men.
Asked about the Big move, Tassler told TVGuide.com that it's a bid to further bolster the surging sitcom, and offer Men a solid lead-out.
NCIS: Los Angeles, starring O'Donnell and Cool J, will air after NCIS on Tuesdays. That means The Mentalist will now see Thursdays-at-10 as its new home.
The Good Wife, starring ER alum Margulies as a woman who returns to work as a lawyer when her hubby is incarcerated, will air Tuesdays at 10. (Without a Trace is canceled).
CBS' Wednesday roster remains unchanged: Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds and CSI: NY. Thursday kicks off with Survivor: Samoa, followed by (of course) CSI and The Mentalist.
On Sunday, The Amazing Race will lead into Three Rivers, a medical/organ transplantation drama starring Moonlight's O'Loughlin. With The Unit canceled, Cold Case gets moved to the 10 o'clock slot.
Slated for midseason are Rules of Engagement, Miami Trauma, The Bridge, and a pair of new reality series.
The dumbest thing about the new schedule is putting NCIS 2.0 (which I guess is now officially known as the much cooler NCIS: Los Angeles) on right after NCIS (NCIS: D.C.?). CSI:New York doesn't air directly after CSI:Miami and that doesn't air right after CSI! So why not leave The Mentalist - you know, the #1 rated new series from the past season, in its own slot (where it's clearly done quite well) and put NCIS: Caca on in Without A Trace's old slot? Give our brains an NCIS rest, eh?! Sheesh! But no one asked me (the nerve!) so the schedule remains as is. Whatevs.At least Joe Dubois lives on. And that makes me happy.
-----
Ausiello has a Q&A with Chuck executive producer Josh Schwartz on the 3rd season:
I don't know about you, but NBC's official renewal of Chuck has been the highlight of upfront week for me. (ABC's cancellation of According to Jim finishes a very close second.) But it's time to bring the victory celebrations to a close and get down to business -- the business of asking questions. Will a tighter budget lead to a less awesome (and populated) show? Does the massive Subway deal mean an end to Sarah's yogurt shop? Will the midseason launch kill the show's momentum? Will Chuck and Sarah start dating for real? Will exec producer Josh Schwartz answer all of these and then some in the following exclusive Q&A? I can tackle that last one: Yes!
NBC said the show's budget will remain unchanged from last season. I'm hearing different. What's the deal? JOSH SCHWARTZ: I can tell you that [Warner Bros.] asked us to make budget cuts to meet a decrease in the NBC license fee. That's how it was presented to me. That's as far as I know. My job is to then be able to produce the show at the number the studio is able to deficit it for.
How will the cuts affect what we see? SCHWARTZ: Hopefully, you won't be able to tell. I don't think the look of the show is going to change. We might have certain episodes where Chuck's mission is such that we don't get the opportunity to go to the Buy More [as much]. We love our cast and, obviously, we want to use them as much as possible in as many episodes as possible.
I heard Julia Ling [Anna] might not return. True? SCHWARTZ: No. We have plans for Anna to return.
Has she been taken off contract? SCHWARTZ: We actually haven't finalized all of our actor deals yet. It's all being sorted out. But, like I said, we're going to do whatever we can to try to keep the ensemble together.
Will the show's central trio be in every episodes? SCHWARTZ: Yes. Chuck, Sarah, and Casey are in all episodes.
Will Sarah be working at a Subway next season? SCHWARTZ: [Laughs] You know, I don't know the full details of the Subway integration yet. I know it will be significant. Chuck is a show that happens to be well positioned for effortless product integration, especially because Chuck works at an electronics shop in a strip mall. If Sarah or someone worked at a Subway it would hopefully be no more intrusive or unrealistic than Liz Lemon working at NBC.
Are you concerned at all about the show being off the air for 10 months? SCHWARTZ: It was really a tough choice that the network faced: Put us on Friday or [hold us until] midseason. I really believe Chuck is the little show that could. Our fans are clearly passionate, clearly loyal, and hopefully all we'll do is get them more and more [excited] for our return. And we'll come up with fun ways of stoking the fans throughout the fall. We also have something very, very fun planned for Comic-Con this year.
How about a season 3 spoiler in honor of the show's renewal? SCHWARTZ: The biggest thing, obviously, will be dealing with the ramifications of how we ended the season. What does it mean for Chuck [and] how will it manifest itself? And I think for anyone who is concerned that he's no longer going to be the Everyman, or an accidental hero, fear not.
Will Chuck and Sarah start the season off as a full-fledged couple? SCHWARTZ: I don't want to give anything away, but obviously, Chuck having the Intersect in his head will severely complicate their ability to be a couple. Oh, here's something: Look for a potential new love interest on the show.
Really? For who? Someone who could triangulate between a couple of characters.
Male or female? SCHWARTZ: Gosh, isn't it more fun to tease?
I guess. SCHWARTZ: Teasing is what you're good at.
Are you getting tired of TV Tidbits yet? Sorry! I honestly post them as much for me as for you... I am actually so busy at work these days that I'm way behind on my entertainment reading. As such, I post stuff to the blog with the hope that I will remember to read it later (much later) when I have time. But I will have a couple of 'personal' posts later today... or tomorrow... so if you're jonesing for a Garfunkel update to break up the TV Tidbit monotony, you're in luck! ;o)
Until then, however, here's is part 2 of TVGuide.com's Q&A with NCIS's exec producer:
In Part 1 of our in-depth Q&A with NCIS boss Shane Brennan, he shared the secret to creating a "Legend," as in the two-part spin-off pilot that kicked off April 28 and wraps up [last night].
Here in Part 2, Brennan reveals his plan to match if not top last year's season finale, teases the arrival of a trouble-making newcomer, and ponders the future of "Tiva."
TVGuide.com: When we spoke back in December, already you were teasing this season's finale (airing May 19) as "jaw-dropping," saying it would set up a "stunning" Season 7 premiere. Is that still the plan? Shane Brennan: It is definitely the plan. We filmed a secret ending, and those pages were only in one copy of the script. People will see the finale and say, "I know what's going to happen next in the first episode back." Wrong. You don't know what's going to happen. People will go, "Am I really seeing that? What just happened?" It really is exciting. I promised that with [the Season 5 finale] "Judgment Day," and I think we delivered. It is very much in that vein.
TVGuide.com: Does the May 12 episode featuring Jamie Murray's customs agent play into the finale at all? Brennan: Elements of it do. If you want to get the most out of the finale you need to watch the three episodes that come before. Michael Rivkin (played by Merik Tardos) makes an appearance, in a very big way. To say that he causes a few waves is an understatement.
TVGuide.com: I understand that Murray's character ruffles a few feathers as well. Brennan: She does, but in a different way. We may even see a bit of jealousy on Abby's part, which should be a bit of fun.
TVGuide.com: Whatever you have planned for the finale, is it something you're going to catch heat for, as you did a year ago? Brennan: I suspect I will. But the difference is that the fans understand we didn't cheat them [before]. I don't make false promises. If I do something, I like to be able to deliver on it. So it's the same as last season: Buckle up and hang in there until September. All will be revealed and you will be surprised, it will come at you from left field.... It will be a fun ride.
TVGuide.com: You've been relatively mum on the topic of Tony and Ziva. Is that out of some concern that if you talk about their romance too much, NCIS will seem soapy? Brennan: No.... I think what people like about NCIS is that this is a bunch of people they'd love to work with. There's laughter, there are tears, there's office romance, and we've touched on all of those things all of these years. And what we're doing with Tiva is just another part of that. It's up to the audience to decide — and they will, over the summer — what might happen as a result of what we do in these last [three] episodes, but there is a natural progression to it. Everything has a life, and eventually things end. Now if you think I just said that Tiva's going to end, I didn't say that.
TVGuide.com: Sounds like one of those instances of "Be careful what you wish for. You wanted movement on the Tiva front...." Brennan: You definitely get some movement here! These last episodes are really powerful. The fans are going to love them.
EW.com has a couple of good Q&As posted today: one with NCIS' Ziva (partially on the Tiva romance... bleh) and one with HIMYM's exec producer on last night's maybe reveal (you obviously don't want to read that one if you haven't seen last night's episode!).
NCIS:
Isn't it the actor who usually tears up during an interview, not the journalist? Last week, we met up with NCIS' Cote de Palbo for lunch in New York City to talk about the tension that's about to explode between her character, former Mossad agent Ziva David, and Michael Weatherly's Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo in season 6's final three episodes (CBS, Tuesdays, 8 p.m. ET). SPOILER ALERT! If you were hoping that Tony questioning Ziva's loyalty to NCIS after uncovering her connection to the mysterious Michael Rivkin might somehow be one of those situations in which anger turns to passion -- stop. "We could not be farther away from kissing," de Pablo says. "I'm telling you, it's not 'I hate you' [kissing sound] anger; it's 'I want to kill you' anger. Like, 'I want to shoot you in the head, but instead I'm gonna put my gun on your knee' anger....He does something to her that is almost unforgivable. However, the reason he does it is because he truly believes it's going to help her. Little does he know that he almost kills her." Metaphorically or physically, we ask. "Physically and emotionally," she answers. Our eyes get a little misty, which we point out to her. "Tell me when you watch the end of that episode," she says, "because I want to be sitting next to you." Here, de Pablo talks about the Tiva chemistry, what makes NCIS work, and why she doesn't have a TiVo.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Why do you think the show has gotten its best ratings ever -- in season 6?
COTE DE PABLO: People don't watch this show because of the crimes we solve. They watch the show because they want to see how people relate within the show. We're like a little dysfunctional family. I've always thought of Ziva as the adopted kid who comes in and has this really funny thing with one of the siblings, which is Tony. It's funny how the audience caught on.
And what's interesting is that you're able to do that character stuff without sacrificing the logic of the cases. Or maybe it's just because the character stuff is so well written that I don't stop and try to find holes in the plots.
We all have a really great chemistry and when we get a script, we get together, and we make it work. That's one of the things about the show -- and about us -- that is still sort of remarkable, and Mark Harmon always points it out: Isn't it fantastic that during our sixth year, we can still come to work and question a scene to the point where we won't go out there and shoot it unless it's clear to all of us? We make sure we all understand what's going on, that we're all on the same page. So many shows out there, they're just doing the words. We love our jobs, and we care about it so much that we show up and we add our input to make it better...Daddy Mark Harmon. We love him. [Laughs] He's our dad.
I think that will be very interesting. God knows, we all wish them the best of luck. It's a tough thing: They'll go on their journey, they'll find their chemistry, and they'll gel. It happens for every show. I thought Michael Weatherly was so, so good in that episode.
Tell us one moment from these next episodes that is going to floor us.
When I almost shoot Michael in the knee. [Laughs] I keep saying Michael, but it's Tony. I'm not shooting Michael, I'm shooting Tony.
When did you know that you and Michael would click as well as you do?
Michael and I clicked immediately. We sort of hated each other immediately, and loved each other immediately. I walked into the audition and he thought, Ohmygod, she's gonna be so hard to work with. She's so complicated. And I thought, This guy's so incredibly unprofessional. During the audition, he grabbed my hair. He would not follow the lines. He totally went off script and started improvising, and this was my final audition with the heads of CBS. I thought, This guy is sabotaging my audition. So immediately I went, Oh, I'm gonna show this guy. I'm gonna show him. So he tried touching me, and I literally like [mimes slapping his hand away]. That relationship was established the moment that we met. Nothing changed, it was just enhanced. And we loved each other as well. We realized we're so drastically different and so much alike that there was an immediate attraction.
Some fans are worried that Ziva won't be on the show next season. What can you say about that?
Oh, you never know. All I can tell you is that there's a fantastic cliffhanger, and in order for them to continue the show, they'd have to at least bring me back to tie up some loose ends.
But you know how the story arc plays out, right? Or has [exec producer] Shane Brennan kept even you in the dark?
The thing you need to know about Shane is that Shane will always keep everyone in the dark. He's the dark master. He'll give you hints of where he wants to go with things, but there's secret pages coming out on the day you shoot. So there's always mystery. You're never quite sure what's going on, which quite frankly, is kinda nice. You start creating scenarios in your head. It keeps the ideas and creativity flowing constantly.
So do you know what happens in the Season 7 premiere then? Not that you have to tell me, but do you know?
Let's say the team has to get together and they have to help someone because they're in a desperate situation...I gave you all of it, don't look at me like that. [Laughs] I'm not saying that much! I'm not saying that much! You're good. Your little sweet face. The tilt of the head.
Okay, we can move on to the Pop Culture Personality Test portion of the interview. When do you yell at the TV?
The Millionaire Matchmaker. It's the saddest thing. It's an addiction. It's like watching a train wreck all the time. I just think Patti is the funniest person in the world. For the most part, I love Bravo shows: Project Runway, Top Chef, it's what I call "fine reality." I love period pieces. I really liked Rome. Now I'm really liking The Tudors. If you asked me what my dream would be -- obviously, NCISis a dream to me -- I'd like to be on a period show. I love the Discovery Channel. I love all sorts of medical shows. I love a show called Diagnosis: Unknown.
How many TiVos do you have?
I don't have a TiVo.
But you do tape shows somehow?
No. I'm not a technology person.
It's one button!
No, I don't know how to do it. When I have time off, I usually go to the beach. I stay at a rustic place where TVs are non-existent. I'm drinking some fruit juice with a surfboard under my hand. That's how I want to spend my time. Or this: Walking around the city. Sitting down, having great lunches. I love food. [She enjoyed a bloody mary and pear salad with us; then left for a second lunch, where she was going to have a steak.]
The last movie you saw in the theater?
I used to love going to movies, but when you work the way we work, which is a lot, the last thing on your mind is going to a movie theater. Then when the Oscars come around, you feel so left out. Within two or three weeks, you try to watch all the movies. The last movie I saw in the theater was actually a really bad scary movie, The Last House on the Left. And by bad, I mean really entertaining. Like the scary movies usually are. If it were really, really good, I wouldn't be able to stay in my seat. I would never watch Poltergeist.
The movie you have to watch every time you spot it on cable? Like, if I see Baby Boom, it's over. I'm watching it.
That's a good movie. There are so many comedies: Wedding Crashers. When Harry Met Sally...
The person or band you still need to see in concert?
I'd love to see Brazilian Girls and Erykah Badu....I would've loved to have seen Eva Cassidy and Judy Garland. I love music. I'd really love to go see a great opera [in NYC], but I don't think I'll get to see one this time around.
What is your position on karaoke, and what is your song?
If I did it, I would probably sing "Crazy For You," Madonna. I've never done karaoke. I don't think I've ever been drunk enough to do karaoke.
You need more vodka in that bloody mary.
I used to go with friends, and they were always like, "Come on. You sing!" "No, you go ahead." I'd watch my friends bomb on stage. I loved it.
Name something from your childhood you wish you still had.
There are entire outfits that I wish I still had. My taste in clothing has not changed. I used to dress exactly like this when I was 7. Shirt off the shoulder. My hair wild. Hat. Jeans. Back then, obviously, it was a lot cooler. Now it's just normal. But I was like a little tomboy. I had a very defined sense of style. The stuff I liked then, I still like now.
What is your pop culture blind spot?
Ohmygod. I feel so out of it sometimes. I don't even know. Like what?
Have you read Twilight?
No.
Have you read Harry Potter?
No.
Do you get the Jonas Brothers?
No. I have no idea what they are. Keep on going, you'll find out how incredibly removed I am from that.
Name something you think is underrated in pop culture.
Pauley Perrette [NCIS' Abby Sciuto] and I have always thought instead of models or actors on the covers of magazines, it would be great if we could have, like, the best teacher of the year. I think if education was celebrated in pop culture, we'd live in a better place.
Now that you've finished your drink, I'm gonna try one more question about NCIS: Will Tony and Ziva ever kiss again?
The first question I always get is, "Are these people ever gonna kiss?" And I'm like, "I don't know if you remember, but my first season, we did kiss."
"Under Covers."
"Under Covers." They're like, "No, no, no. We mean, like, a real kiss." And I'm like, "I think that was pretty real." Michael and I talked about all of those scenes right before we did them. We had a totally different way of looking at it. In our minds, we thought the characters weren't faking anything. They just got carried away. Then all of the sudden after that, they saw each other in a different light. That's how Michael and I wanted to play it: If something really happened during that, it was okay. Tony was willing to go there, and Ziva certainly didn't mind. She doesn't care about that stuff. We'll leave it to anyone's interpretation....I think that was the beginning of something, and at a certain point, it will have to be addressed.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
HIMYM:
I defy you to find a single fan of How I Met Your Mother who isn't asking themselves exactly that question in the wake of last night's humdinger of an ending -- which seemed to strongly hint (if not outright reveal) that Sarah Chalke's Stella is the show's eponymous mom. Unfortunately, only two people on the planet know the answer. Fortunately, I just got off the phone with one of 'em --executive producer Carter Bays!
Is Stella the mother? CARTER BAYS: I won't say whether she's the mother or not, [but] we were definitely very careful in the wording of the narration. Obviously, we're not going to say, 'Okay, here she is! Show's over."
Was it an intentional fake-out? BAYS: Nothing's a fake-out on this show. We established very early on that this is a very windy, twisty story, and the message of the show is there's a ridiculous series of events that has to happen before this guy meets the woman he marries... I will say this about the next two episodes: Everything will be made clear and it will move the ball forward.
You certainly got people talking. BAYS: We freaked out a ton of people. We've never really kept a big secret from the audience. And what secrets we do have we usually tell people and there are usually spoilers floating around. And this kind of felt like, "Let's try and do something that takes everyone by surprise and really blow people's minds." And I think we did it.
What kind of reaction have you been getting? BAYS: It seems to be split 50/50; some people loved it but a lot of people really hated it. And I certainly don't want to tell you that I like it when people hate my show, but knowing where the next two episodes go, I feel like those are both legitimate reactions and both what we were going for.
Does the yellow umbrella belong to Stella? BAYS: I can't say one way or the other.
Can you give me a preview of next week's episode? BAYS: We'll reveal why Ted running into her again is such huge moment. He already ran into her once before and didn’t do anything, but this one has more meaning and we'll find out why next week.
Is it your plan to hold off on confirming the identity of the mother is until the final episode of the series? BAYS: That's always been the plan, but obviously we have a lot of options at our fingertips.
Which side of the 50/50 split do you fall on? And how do you think Stella figures into the Mother mystery? Weigh in below! And then check out Ask Ausiello on Thursday to see out what else Bays told me about this season's final two episodes.
Still busy, busy, busy... I haven't even read these articles yet - but putting them on the blog will remind me to do so. :o)
From TVGuide.com:
Just as JAG begot NCIS, CBS' NCIS is poised to produce its own progeny. In a two-part arc airing April 28 and May 5 and titled "Legend," Gibbs and the gang will interact with the Official of Special Projects, a Los Angeles-based agency populated by Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, Louise Lombard and other familiar faces. If all goes well, CBS will order this "backdoor pilot" to series for the 2009-10 TV season.
Here in Part 1 of our Q&A with Shane Brennan, the NCIS executive producer shared a look at what fans of the original series can expect from its offshoot, and in what way it will be like nothing ever seen before on TV.
TVGuide.com: Before we get started here, I wanted to tell you that Rocky Carroll is one helluva celebrity blogger for TVGuide.com. Shane Brennan: Yeah, he's a great guy. One of the great things that happened to the show this season was bringing Rocky on [as a series regular], and I think he has delivered in spades. He's a great actor.
TVGuide.com: He's secretly hoping that Vance occasionally pops up in the NCIS spin-off. Brennan: Well, you never know. Let me say something — no one will leave the current show. Everyone is staying. So everyone can relax on the NCIS front! You never know, someone like the director of NCIS might end up having to work with the other agency at some point. That could very well happen.
TVGuide.com: So let's talk about the spin-off's backdoor pilot. How good are you feeling about it? Brennan: We put together a two-parter that really does everything that I hoped it would do, and then some. It was very important to me that these were episodes of NCIS first, and I made that clear to everyone. I didn't want fans of the show feeling alienated by having to sit down and watch these new characters they knew nothing about. That's why I made it a two-hour episode, so that we could integrate the new characters into the story and still give people their dose of NCIS. I am very, very happy with it. The cast and crew did an amazing job, working extremely hard under a tight deadline. When you make a pilot episode you [typically] don't have an airdate, there's no ticking clock. Well, we've had a very loud ticking clock, but it's come together beautifully.
TVGuide.com: Will the spin-off be tonally the same as NCIS? Brennan: The audience, when they hold these two shows up, will see that nothing has changed from the original. The new show reflects some of the tone of the original show in that, you've got a group of people working closely together in sometimes quite extreme conditions, in terms of jeopardy and the intensity of the operations.
TVGuide.com: But this is not a simple case of, "If you like Gibbs, you'll love Chris O'Donnell's Agent Callen!" Brennan: I'm a little careful about holding up comparisons. We could have mixed up any bunch of characters and made them as different as we can, but they're still going to be held up to the original team, and that's fine. I understand that. What people will find is that this ensemble is different because the cases they handle are different, and the way they approach their stories are different. And yet at the same time they are a group of people working together having fun together and being in danger together. It is still very much a family; it's just another part of the family. It's the neighbors down the street, and the audience will fall in love with them.
TVGuide.com: Do we have a title yet? Will it invariably be NCIS-colon-something? Brennan: We haven't officially come out with a title. We will do that if the show is picked up.
TVGuide.com: I hear that you show off some nifty technology at the OSP. Brennan: In "Legend" Part 1 and Part 2, we get insight into some technology that to the best of our knowledge hasn't been seen on television before. Back during the election, there was a touch screen where they dragged images around using their hands; we actually have that technology, and this is the first time it's been used in a scripted drama. But we also have some technology that's never been seen where we actually shoot through the screen, so you can see the image on the screen and the person standing looking at that image.
TVGuide.com: Kind of like, say, Minority Report. Brennan: But it's real technology. Ninety percent what people are going to see on this show is realistic, and it's the actors doing it. It's not a special effect. It's hand-on and it's all happening in front your eyes. Everyone who has stepped onto that set has been blown away by it. In fact, when McGee learns that he is going to the OSP, Ziva says, "OSP — what's that?" And McGee's face just beams: "Cool toys." He's a kid in a candy store and has a lot of fun in both episodes. But the audience also is going to be pretty blown away by what they see.
Next week, in Part 2 of our Q&A: Shane Brennan finally broaches the topic of "Tiva" and hints at why he'll probably take some heat — as he did a year ago — for NCIS' season finale.
And here's a slideshow of stills from tonight's (and I guess next week's) episode, with informative bits to go alongside (courtesy of EW.com).
Courtesy of EW.com, here's a rundown of season finale "spoilers" (they're so NOT - they're sanctioned by the network for goodness sake!) and air dates for all CBS shows:
COLD CASE Sunday May 3 and Sunday May 10 The music of Pearl Jam will rock throughout the two-part sixth season finale. Rush and the team delve into the 2005 murder of the first female cadet of a local military school who didn't live beyond her first semester. The stakes of the case are raised after the cadet's unknown killer commits a shocking act against Rush designed to thwart the investigation. Bonus scoop: Friday Night Lights' Jesse Plemons guest stars!
THE UNIT Sunday, May 10 The Unit must locate and defuse three sets of dirty bombs headed for unknown locations across the U.S. Meanwhile, the team prepares for a wedding of one Unit member and the end of a marriage for another.
THE BIG BANG THEORY Monday, May 11 As he prepares for a three-month science expedition, Leonard reconsiders his feelings for Penny.
THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE Wednesday, May 13 Christine learns some shocking news about New Christine's father (Scott Bakula) after the two of them rekindle their romance at Richard and New Christine's wedding. James Lesure guest stars as a wedding guest and potential hook-up for Barb.
GARY UNMARRIED Wednesday, May 13 Gary and Allison's frustrating personal lives lead them back into the bedroom… repeatedly.
CSI Thursday, May 14 The CSIs investigate a series of murders tied to a scam involving valuable poker chips from a long-gone casino and Det. Ray Langston must use deadly force for the first time in his career as a CSI. Cynthia Watros and Gerald McRaney guest star.
GHOST WHISPERER Friday, May 15 When a ghost pays Melinda an unexpected visit, she worries for her unborn baby. Meanwhile, wedding bells ring for Melinda and Jim.
NUMB3RS Friday, May 15 When Amita is abducted, Don and the team's frantic search leads to a charismatic sociopath (James Callis), but it is up to a distraught Charlie to discover what's behind the suspect's bizarre plans for her. The situation causes Charlie to reassess his relationship and future with Amita. Lou Diamond Phillips returns as Agent Ian Edgerton.
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Monday, May 18 Ted gives Barney his blessing to finally profess his love to Robin.
TWO AND A HALF MEN Monday, May 18 Charlie starts to question his relationship with Chelsea when he hears that Mia is back in town. Meanwhile, when Judith goes into labor, Charlie, Alan and Herb rush her to the hospital.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT Monday, May 18 Jeff wonders if he and Audrey are lacking spontaneity in the bedroom.
CSI: MIAMI Monday, May 18 Horatio fights to save Yelina while Delko goes against Calleigh's pleas and helps his dangerous father with life-threatening consequences. Brian Austin Green guest stars as an alleged carjack victim.
NCIS Tuesday, May 19 Ziva's homecoming to Israel with Gibbs leads to a tense reunion with her father, the enigmatic and powerful head of Mossad. As this delicate situation escalates, Gibbs is forced to make a decision that sends shockwaves through NCIS.
THE MENTALIST Tuesday, May 19 Lisbon suspects that serial killer Red John is drawing Patrick Jane into a trap when the CBI team investigates the murder of a young girl and the abduction of her twin sister.
WITHOUT A TRACE Tuesday, May 19 The team searches for a man who disappears after a late-night ocean dive that includes stolen drugs and three dead bodies. Meanwhile, Danny and Elena take their relationship to another level. Martin Landau reprises his role as Frank Malone, Jack's father. Adam Kauffman, Poppy Montgomery's real-life boyfriend, reprises his role as Brian Donovan, the father of Samantha's son, Finn.
CRIMINAL MINDS Wednesday, May 20 The BAU tracks a serial killer who picks up junkies, prostitutes, and the homeless off the streets of Detroit and takes them across the border into Canada. After solving that case, another killer returns to exact his revenge.
CSI: NY Wednesday, May 20 A member of the team is murdered after a deadly group of kidnappers snatch Robert Dunbrook's son while he is being transferred from prison to court. And, if that loss isn't enough, the life of another CSI is threatened.
I had these bits ready to go yesterday but got sidetracked by work (I know!) and so left them for today. The first two blurbs are from TVGuide.com:
ABC is set to announce return dates for three of this season's celebrated but canceled series: Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money.
The adventures of Ned the Pieman will resume Saturday, May 30, at 10 pm/ET, and air there for three weeks, until the series' sophomore-season inventory is exhausted. Previously, Daisies fans only had the out-of-town Paley Television Festival screening (on April 19, in Los Angeles) and a July 21 DVD release to look forward to.
Following Daisies' swan song, Eli Stone then will hold court in the Saturdays-at-10 time slot, unspooling its final four episodes June 20 through July 11.
Lastly, for four weeks starting July 18, we will welcome the Darlings back into our living room, culminating with an August 8 finale/the reveal of Dutch George's killer.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
CBS has issued its official press release and first photos for the two-part NCIS episode that will serve as a backdoor pilot for a spinoff starring Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J.
Titled "Legend," the episode kicks off April 28 and concludes May 5. In one of the photos, Mark Harmon's Gibbs is seen walking-and-talking with O'Donnell's Special Agent G. Callen.
The setup: When the discovery of a Marine's corpse becomes a matter of national security, Gibbs' team must collaborate with — AOA! Acronym Overload Alert! — the NCIS' OSP, aka the Office of Special Projects.
Joining O'Donnell and LL Cool J at the OSP are Louise Lombard, Daniela Ruah and Peter Cambor, who plays an operational psychologist.
One final tease from the Eye: "Meanwhile, Tony snoops into Ziva's personal life." Yeah, I thought you'd like that.
Though "Legend" is the title of the NCIS episode, the spinoff, should it be picked up as a series, is as-of-yet untitled.
As for the original NCIS, today Ausiello writes:
Question: Seems like forever since Gibbs had a love interest on NCIS. Any scoop about that please? Ausiello: There's a chance he'll see some action later this month when he travels out west to meet the crew of the NCIS spin-off. As exec producer Shane Brennan tells me, sparks will fly between Gibbs and Louise Lombard's character, Lara. "Gibbs and [Lara] have some past history that goes back a long, long way," he teases. "And quite clearly, Gibbs is not very keen to actually fly to Los Angeles and work with her -- particularly when she's given the lead on the case." Brennan adds that it's not immediately clear whether the baggage they share is romantic in nature, "but it is resolved over the two-part episode. The audience will find out exactly what it is, and I can guarantee no one is going to guess what the connection is."
Were I someone who thought Tony and Ziva should get it on, this might distress me. I most certainly am NOT one of those people (Ziva just gets more annoying to me as time goes by, and the old Kate-filled episodes on USA just reinforce my opinion!) so I am not bothered. That is, as long as Tony doesn't die. Or lose a limb. Or get transferred. :o) Other than that, I'm happy!
Ausiello reports:
"Tiva" fans, I've got good news for you, and, as the title of this story suggests, bad news -- potentially very bad news. But hey, first the good: NCIS executive producer Shane Brennan tells me that for viewers who are in love with the duo -- and I know there are lots of you -- "the last four episodes of the season are going to be amazing. They will not believe what's in store for these characters. We focus on Tony (Michael Weatherly) and Ziva (Cote de Pablo) in a way that we haven't focused on them in six seasons!
"I'm very serious," he adds. "They carry the last four episodes in a way that is really, really shocking, and in a way, the audience will not see any of this coming."
Okay, you've got my attention. Now tell me more. "It starts with part one of "Legend" on April 28, which is the spin-off episode," Brennan says. "Now, having said that, it doesn't really start in part one. We've been sowing the seeds of this for some time. And the audience is aware there's a character out there called Michael Rifkin (Merik Tadros), because he was introduced in the first episode of Season 6. And they know Tony's aware of Michael's existence. So let's just say, in the last four episodes, Michael makes his appearance in a big way.
"You've got what you might want to call a triangle," he continues. "It's a triangle with very, very pointy ends. Someone's going to get hurt."
As in, um, dead hurt? "Something tragic will happen to Tony," Brennan confirms. "Something tragic will happen to Ziva as well. It's one of those arcs that has been building and building and building for so long that we decided it really deserved to be featured in a big way. It's emotionally and physically explosive."
"Physically explosive" doesn't sound good. But the boss won't reveal whether anyone, much less either of Tiva's portrayers, is on their way out. "Possibly," he teases. "I won't take it any further than that."
Teeny, tiny, baby scooplets. It was the best I could do!
Any news on ABC airing the final episodes of Pushing Daisies? MICKEY: ABC is still contractually obligated to air the remaining three episodes. The latest I'm hearing is that this might end up happening this summer as part of a Pushing Daisies "event" to stimulate Season 2 DVD sales.
Question: The Office scoop? Ausiello: The titles of two upcoming episodes have piqued my curiosity. One is called "Two Weeks Notice," and the other is called "The New Boss." My guess? Either Michael is faux bolting Dunder Miff or those titles herald the arrival of Wire star Idris Elba as the new big shot in corporate.
Question: OMG, the Tony-Ziva tension on NCIS is so hot right now. Got any scoop on these two? Ausiello: Ziva may want to plant a bug in the interrogation room, because in the March 17 episode, Tony lets some rather shocking details about his love life slip while interviewing a woman in custody.
Holy cow - the TV apocalypse is upon us. Check it out:
It looks like the new NCIS is poised to far surpass its recruiting goals.
CBS declined to comment but multiple sources confirm that Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J are in final talks to headline the Eye net's forthcoming NCIS spin-off. The 38-year-old O'Donnell would play Callen, a role previously described as "a human Transformer who can change personas as easily as you or I change clothes." The 41-year-old LL, meanwhile, is circling the role of Sam Hanna, an ex-Navy SEAL who recently completed stints in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
O'Donnell and LL would be the first actors to climb aboard the high profile project; four other roles are still being cast. Once assembled, the new team will be introduced in an episode of NCIS to air later this season before being launched into their own show next fall.
Chris O'Donnell and LL "My hat is like a shark's fin" Cool J?!!!!! Seriously?!!!! Holy hell. This sounds like a disaster in the making, doesn't it? Not that I'm ever partial to spin-offs in the first place but c'mon - this is like you're not even trying! You know, Ted "Jump the Shark" McGinley is free... maybe someone should call him up for an audition. Keep the shark them going.
Question: Where are you hiding your Office scoop, and can we have some? Ausiello: In my office, of course, and yes, also of course. We caught up with occasional Office director Ken Kwapis at Monday's premiere of She's Just Not That Into You and he told us that he helmed "a two-part special episode that will air this Thursday and next Thursday the 12th, titled 'Lecture Circuit.' And come April," he added, "I will be directing the 100th episode of the series." In that case, maybe he could tell us a little bit about what happens in it? "A lot of romantic foibles including with Jim and Pam," he said. "But in the next few episodes, everybody will have an emotional pratfall. I have not seen a script for the 100th yet, but I am sure they will outdo themselves.”
Question: The Office seems like the equivalent of Fort Knox these days. Are there any JAM spoilers? Ausiello: Sorta. Although Jenna Fischer swears (up and down) that she doesn't know for sure if Jim and Pam will tie the knot in the season finale, she concedes, "We have 11 more episodes to shoot before the end of the season, so it is very possible." That said, she hopes they don't marry this season. "I hope it's next season," she confirms, because "I would like to see them address this engagement more. I feel like it happened so quickly at the end of a random episode, and then we don't talk about it that much. I don't want it to become another Pam/Roy scenario, where she is engaged for seven years. We need to make some forward motion." Besides, she concludes, "I think she and Jim really are soul mates and meant to be together."
Question: What can you tell me about Jim and Pam's wedding? Ausiello: For real? Nothing. So far as anyone knows -- or is saying -- it hasn't yet been conceived. For unreal, however, I can give you this: Jenna Fischer, like any TV bride-to-be, has a few ideas about what should go down. "I really want Jim and Pam to get married at Schrute farms," she says. "And I also want there to be something about the wedding that you don't see on camera. Maybe you just hear it, or there is a photo at the end, or someone recounts it. But I want Jim and Pam to have a private moment at some point. Because they are a part of the documentary all the time, I think it would be nice for them to have some little thing that is just theirs. That would make all the romantics in our fan base happy.”
Question: I'll take one large Medium scoop to go, please. Ausiello: The show will air a special two-hour episode in May that tackles an issue I know a little something about: crazed stalkers. "Allison's public now, and along with that comes certain complications," explains executive producer Glen Gordon Caron. "And one of them is that there is a gentleman [played by Underworld's Tony Curran] who authentically believes that her very existence runs contrary to the will of God. He threatens to kill her, so she starts to require police protection. The episode takes some very interesting turns."
And, a random little ending blurb on NCIS: In an upcoming episode, McGee goes on an eBay tear when he tries to replace a coworker's prized possession that he destroyed.
It's Wednesday! Time for some spoilers!!! I don't have much, though, sorry - just a few tiny blurbs on Pushing Daisies, SVU, Ugly Betty, NCIS and HIMYM. Off we go!
Question: Is there any news on anything Pushing Daisies related? Ausiello: Yes, there are three new developments -- and, believe it or not, all of them are positive! 1) I'm told Warner Bros. will definitely be releasing a season 2 DVD. (Lauren's note: Sweet Jesus! Thank you!! Now I don't have to get the stupid comic book... I just have to shell out $$$ for a DVD rental. Sweet!) 2) After undergoing a major post production tweaking, the series finale is now a loose-end-tying-up extravaganza. 3) And the inimitable Ellen Greene is in talks with Heroes to return as Sylar's mom during May sweeps.
Question: Got scoop on Stephanie March's return to Law & Order: SVU? Ausiello: Only that it will trigger a brief hiatus for the show's current ADA, the woefully underused Michaela McManus. (Lauren's note: "Woefully underused"?!!! Yikes. Michaela's only rival in the Bad Actress-Off is the ADA on Medium - and she's only there because she's the creator's girlfriend!!) In other SVU news, ex-Soprano Robert Iler guest stars in tonight's episode, while Dabney Coleman, Ron Eldard. Burt Young, and Wallace Shawn drop in next week. And on Feb. 10, former ER doc Alex Kingston plays attorney Miranda Pond.
Question: Bottom-line the Ugly Betty situation for us. How dire is it? Ausiello: Not nearly as dire as I first thought. Shortly after my story posted, several very trustworthy ABC insiders came forward to assure me that the perception is much worse than the reality in this case. The reality, they say, is it's highly unlikely that Betty will be forced to close out its third season in June, as the network's ominously worded press release seemed to suggest. And regarding next season, two of the three sources I queried seemed very confident that Betty would be back next season. The third one ignored that part of my question and proceeded to pump me for scoop on House. Bottom line: Phew.
Question: Please give us some scoop on Ugly Betty. Will Betty have any romance in the near future? Ausiello: Do you consider Feb. 19 to be in the near future? 'Cause that's when Daniel Eric Gold debuts as Betty's new love interest, Matt. Word is the YETI hottie is concealing a major secret, and it's not that he's loaded (although he isn't terribly forthcoming about that bit, either).
Any scoop on NCIS' Tony DiNozzo? Out of all the characters, I think we have the least back story on him! MATT: That tide is about to change, Akhila. "Tony fans are in for an exciting season finale — poignant, sad and shocking!" exec producer Shane Brennan tells the Buzz. "But before then, in an episode called 'Knockout,' we'll learn more intriguing details about Tony's recent past." It's like Christmas-come-late, am I right?
This Just In! HIMYM's Barney Stinson has a mom - and she'll be played by Frances Conroy, who as Six Feet Under's matriarch collected a Golden Globe and four Emmy nods.
Conroy will appear on the CBS hitcom's 15th episode of the season, "The Stinsons," in which the gang discovers that Barney has a fake wife-and-kid on call should his mother ever come to town. (Apparently New York City's most eligible bachelor has told quite the white lie over the years, as mom Loretta's health ebbed and flowed.)
Sure enough, an occasion presents itself where Barney has to produce his "family," and it's Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle's Brooke D'Orsay fulfilling the wifely duties.
Ick. I still think this spin-off is a stupid idea but no one asked me and it's forging ahead. Ausiello has the scoop on the new characters:
...the start of shooting on the pilot is just around the corner (late February), all of our hounding is finally paying off. Please allow me to introduce the proposed series' main characters:
• Callen is an average Joe in his 30s... or so he'd have you believe. In reality, he's a human Transformer who can change personas as easily as you or I change clothes.
• Clara Macy is a tough former MP in her early 40s whose tender side shows in the way she plays mother hen to her colleagues.
• Nate "Doc" Getz, 30, is an operational psychologist who, underneath his razor-sharp wit, is as soft-hearted as they come.
• Kensi Lo is a twentysomething Asian-American whose academic record in forensics and criminology got her recruited young by the Feds.
• Sam Hanna, an African American (or Middle Eastern — depends on the actor) ex-Navy SEAL, is in his 40s and the team's only married member. So, between that and his stints in Afghanistan and Iraq, you just KNOW he can handle himself in combat.
• Dominic Vaile is a thirtysomething surveillance expert who's still experiencing separation anxiety in the wake of his exit from the Navy.
Blech. You know one of these guys is going to be Fake DiNozzo and that is just unacceptable. There is only 1 true DiNozzo! And I heart him. :o)
It's that time of week again - spoilers!! Now, I chatted with Christina a bit over the holiday weekend and she mentioned that I never really post anything about shows that she watches. (Because she only watches 2 shows - Grey's and Desperate Housewives - and they both suck. But whatever.) So, I looked for some scoops about Grey's for this week's post... but found none. Still, if there are any shows I'm missing, please feel free to ask me and I'll toss scoops in for those shows, too. Right now, I pretty much only post on:
Amazing Race
Medium
Chuck
NCIS
Pushing Daisies
L&O: SVU
American Idol
SYTYCD
Top Chef
Project Runway
Numb3rs
Life on Mars
HIMYM
Ghost Whisperer (for my mom)
Bones (for my parents)
Though I do throw in a couple other shows here and there if it strikes my fancy. My point is this: if you have any requests, I'm open. :o) Now! On to the scoops.
NCIS
Is Ziva's father going to make a return on NCIS this season? Matt: My moles at the CBS hit may be tight-lipped about the Ziva-Tony romance (a very popular topic in the Buzz box), but on this matter they did let slip some intel: Eli David, played by Michael "What a Feeling" Nouri, will be seen again, and possibly before the end of this season.
Got any more spoilers for NCIS? Ausiello: ... here's your NCIS scoop: In an upcoming episode, McGee finds himself trapped with dozens of women. Baw chika bow wow, right? Wrong. The women are in prison and they're holding him hostage. "It's a tense, exciting episode," reveals executive producer Shane Brennan. "Sean Murray puts in a fabulous performance. The story also reveals a little about McGee's romantic past."
GHOST WHISPERER
On Ghost Whisperer, how is it that the people of Grandview aren't a bit curious about Madly-in-Love-with-Jim Melinda becoming Wildly-in-Love-with-Sam Melinda just weeks after Jim's funeral? Those close to her get it, OK, but surely the neighbors are talking. Are we going to get an episode addressing the human tendency to gossip? Matt: "It's a good question," GW exec producers P.K. Simonds, Ian Sander and Kim Moses say in an email to the Buzz, "but we've tried to be clear that at least to the outside world, Melinda is not 'wildly in love' with Sam (Jim). At least not yet. Though there is plenty of aching and longing, the two of them are scrupulously respectful of each other's boundaries — he because she is grieving her husband, and she because he is grappling with memory loss. We're planning to address what friends and neighbors think, in a big way, as we move forward in Season 4."
PUSHING DAISIES
When will the last episode of Pushing Daisies air? Will it seem like a "final episode" or will we be left hanging? Mickey: The facts are these: ABC isn't talking, and Daisies doesn't appear on the network's midseason schedule at all, but if it does return in January, I'd ballpark the last episode to fall somewhere around the end of February. I'm hearing that by then at least one of the show's big mysteries will be solved, which will be a big relief for one Mr. Emerson Cod. In the meantime, look for Olive Snook to sing a Bangles song I embarrassingly once used as the seductive soundtrack to a fumbling, though ultimately successful high school assignation. Don't tell anyone though, OK?
I know it's probably way too early to be asking this, but what are the chances, if ABC does further irreparable damage to Pushing Daisies fans by not airing the remaining episodes, the second season will be released on DVD? Ausiello: Considering the season 1 DVD sold well, I'd say the chances are very good.
CHUCK
As an avid Chuck fan, I have to ask: Where the heck is Anna? We haven't seen her in weeks, and there was only a passing mention that she was at her parents' for Thanksgiving. Is Julia Ling okay? The Buy More plots aren't the same without her. Ausiello: Fear not, Ling remains a part of the cast, albeit not as big a part as, say, Zach Levi. Like many of Chuck's supporting players, her contract isn't for all shows produced (or ASP). The good news: She's back in a huge way next week.
Is the Dark Intersect from "Chuck vs The Suburbs" (episode 14) going to form the basis for a Feb/March sweeps trilogy? And how will the Dark Intersect affect Chuck? Ausiello: I'm going to throw this one to Josh Schwartz. "The Dark Intersect is the first sign that the bad guys (read: FULCRUM) are figuring out that if they can't find the Intersect, why not rebuild it -- which makes Chuck even more valuable. And yes, it is a trilogy."
L&O: SVU
Will B.D. Wong ever return? Mickey: How can we miss B.D. when he didn't go away? My SVU moles tell me that Dr. Huang is still very much a member of the cast; he just hasn't appeared frequently as of late. That will change with the Dec. 9 episode, charmingly titled "Smut," in which he'll head-shrink guest star Michael Trucco (Battlestar Galactica), who employs the "porn-made-me-do-it" defense, as sound a legal strategy as any I've ever heard. (What?)
BONES
I'm so sick of seeing the words "Grey's Anatomy" in your column every week! How about you dig up some dirt on Bones for a change? Ausiello:Bones... Dig... Dirt... That's the kind of genius play on words that inspires big-time scoopage. It was a year ago that Bones planted a wet one on Booth, so the time seems right to grill exec producer Hart Hanson about the eagerly awaited follow-up smooch. When is it happening? And will this one be real -- as in, not part of some bet? "I think we'll do a little better this season than just an actual, real kiss," Hanson teases. "But you tell me in about three months whether we've succeeded or not. There are a couple of things I've already said they'll do: I've said they'll be naked in bed, and I've said she will ask him to father her child. So, I think we're moving toward something bigger than just a kiss." What could possibly be bigger that sucking face? Yep, sex was my first guess, too. "The truth is," Hanson counters, "if [two people] share a kiss and they're in their mid-'30s, how long is it going to be before they consummate? My intention is to keep [the audience] very frustrated." Getting back to the how long before they consummate question, I'm thinking May sweeps. Why? Keep reading...
I'm skeptical about Bones and Booth being in bed together naked. Is this a big fake-out? Ausiello: Depends what you're definition of the word "fake-out" is. While Hart Hanson confirms that the pair will definitely end up in bed together naked (most likely during May sweeps), he refuses to disclose the context, except to say, "It's not free of encumbrance. It's not free and clear. Nothing is easy on Bones."
I've heard more Bones scoop from my dog than you, Ausiello. Please give me something! Ausiello: Oh, yeah, well... did your dog tell you that Papa Booth's coming to town! 'Cause he just might be some day maybe! Explains Hart Hanson: "Booth has some issues with his dad, so we may bring in his father this season. We also talked about having his grandfather show up, but I'm not sure that will happen."
LIFE ON MARS
Fred Thompson is making good on his threat promise to return to acting. The former U.S. senator, whose presidential dreams went up in smoke earlier this year, has landed a guest stint on ABC's out-of-this-world drama Life on Mars, sources confirm to me exclusively. He'll play the NYPD's chief of detectives in a February episode.
In other Mars news, producers are currently casting the never-before-seen daughter of Harvey Keitel's character. Interested actresses should be in their mid-30s, beautiful, confident, and be willing to work long hours alongside Harvey Keitel.
Not too much to offer this Thanksgiving Eve but a couple blurbs caught my eye.
1.) CBS is Eye-ing (get it?) an NCIS spin-off. According to EW.com's Ausiello:
In a move that will surprise only the brainless,NCIS' odds-defying ratings surge this season has prompted CBS to quietly begin developing a spin-off, sources confirm to me exclusively.
Although a spokesperson for the hit procedural declined to comment, my industry moles reveal that a new crop of naval sleuths will likely be introduced in an episode of NCIS later this season and launched into their own show as early as next fall.
"It's still in the early stages," maintains an insider, who says no final decisions have been made about the premise or the setting.
Eh. I really like NCIS, as you know, but a spin-off? Really? NCIS is a spin-off for crying out loud! I'm sort of concerned that CBS just keeps spinning shows of their tent pole programming. They already have 3 CSIs - next they'll have 2 NCISs and possibly 2 Criminal Minds...es. Throw in a second Without A Trace and a few more Numb3rs and you've got an even wider variety of programming than CBS already offers!! Weehoo!
2.) TVGuide.com has a bit of info on NBC's mid-season schedule:
NBC's midseason slate will bring viewers a largely revamped January, sidelining a handful of shows to make room for some new programming. Also on tap is a pair of Saturday Night Live specials.
The splashiest newcomer is So You Think You Can Dance boss Nigel Lythgoe's Superstars of the Dance — fancied as an internationally flavored "Olympic dance-off" and hosted by Michael Flatley — which premieres Sunday, Jan. 9, before moving to Mondays. There, it will air for several weeks from 8 to 10 pm/ET, bumping both Chuck and Heroes (but only until February arrives).
Superstars leads into Momma's Boys, a new unscripted series from Ryan Seacrest.
Tuesdays has The Biggest Loser: Couples setting up SVU — nothing new there. On Wednesdays (starting Jan. 7), Knight Rider will remain at 8, while SVU repeats will spell Life until February. Law & Order comes on at 10.
Thursdays? Same old, same old.
Fridays kick off with Howie Do It, a new hidden-camera show hosted by Mr. Mandel (premiering Jan. 9), then continue with the arrival of Friday Night Lights' third season (broadcast-premiering Jan. 16).
Specials on tap for the Peacock include Saturday Night Live's Sports Extra (airing Jan. 4), Saturday Night Live's Film Festival (Jan. 18), a Dateline inauguration event (Jan. 20), and the miniseries The Last Templar (airing Jan. 25 and 26).
3.) And, finally, a couple of Q&As (also from TVGuide.com):
All I want to know is the bottom line when it comes to Ghost Whisperer's Jim dying. Will he ever be brought back to life (his life), or is his only involvement going to be in the body of Sam? — Kathy MATT: It's simple, really: Jim is now going by "Sam," but Sam is mostly Jim. "Since it's Jim's soul [inside Sam's body], we will always be seeing David Conrad at Melinda's side," exec producer P.K. Simonds tells me, dismissing rumors that Conrad is leaving the show. Much of the story to come involves Sam (who to everyone else looks like Jericho's Kenneth Mitchell) realizing that he has this new life inside of him. As Conrad explained it to me, "It's the whole question of how you define yourself, in terms of what people say you were and what you slowly find out you are. Jim gets told by people who knew Sam that he was 'this way,' so he doesn't believe what Melinda says." OK, maybe "simple" wasn't the best adjective to use earlier.
Who at Bones can I complain to about the Hodgins-Angela break-up? I want them back together. I don't care for Roxie. — Joetta MICKEY: I don't either, though I loved Nichole Hiltz as Mary McCormack's crazy sister Brandi on In Plain Sight. When TVGuide.com spoke to Michaela Conlin earlier this month, she hinted that Angela would be playing the field this season. So while Roxie won't be around forever, Angela won't be running back to Hodgins any time soon either.
Is it true that Moonlight is going to run on the Sci Fi Channel? OMG, that would be wonderful! — Tawny MICKEY: Yes! We finally have some Alex O'Loughlin-related news for you, Tawny! Starting Jan. 23, Sci Fi will rerun the cancelled vampire drama on Fridays at 9 pm/ET (following repeats of ABC's similarly underappreciated Invasion). There, Moonlight will develop a small-but-vocal fan base, and then be promptly yanked from the schedule. Enjoy!
It's Wednesday and that means - spoilers!! Here's a bit of what I culled from this morning's gossip buffet:
NCIS
From EW.com: Now that Gibbs' team is back together, series boss Shane Brennan opens his files and briefs us on where the characters stand.
According to Brennan, ''for Gibbs, the return of his team is like a homecoming, but the real homecoming occurs when Gibbs goes back to his hometown and is reunited with his father in an upcoming episode that promises to be as emotional as it is revealing.''
''DiNozzo's curiosity about how Ziva spent her four months away from the team will lead to some surprising revelations as the season unfolds,'' says Brennan.
Says Brennan: ''As hinted in last night's episode, Ziva's four months in Israel may not have just been undercover work. We met her father, Ari David, the director of Israel's Mossad, but who is the mysterious Michael Rivkin?''
''With a long career in forensic medicine, the venerable Dr. 'Ducky' Mallard has seen everything, but there is something in his past he'd prefer to forget,'' says Brennan. ''And in an upcoming episode, Ducky's shocking and emotional secret will leave fans stunned.''
''With her three musketeers reunited, Abby has something to sing about,'' says Brennan. ''Get ready for a surprise in the coming season that will delight fans of the world's most loved forensic scientist.''
''Fresh from his tour of the sub-basement, McGee is pleased to be back with the team,'' says Brennan. ''But in an upcoming episode he faces the biggest challenge of his career when he is taken hostage.''
''The enigmatic new director has already gone toe-to-toe with Gibbs,'' says Brennan. ''But can Gibbs really trust him? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? And what was the significance of the document he shredded?''
And a bit from Ask Ausiello: Are Tony and Ziva going to get together romantically this season on NCIS? Do they finally quit the cat and mouse game and start dating? -- Dianna Ausiello: Sounds like a question for exec producer Shane Brennan: "There's no doubt that Tony is intrigued by what Ziva was up to while in Israel, but is he motivated by curiosity or jealousy? The slow dance between Ziva and Tony will continue, but maybe Ziva has another name on her dance card. Could it end badly? Yes. The question is, for whom..." And you guys call me a tease.
Question: So glad Gibbs' team got back together last night! But what's the deal with Agent Lee? Will she be back? Will Gibbs learn of her deceit? -- Kim Ausiello: Yes, she will be back. And yes, "sometime soon Gibbs' gut instinct will kick in," teases Brennan. And when that time comes, look the heck out!
Ugh. I am SO very sick of the Ziva-Tony dance that NCIS has going on. Robert disagrees with me on this but I can't stand it. I don't actively hate Ziva (as I do Abby) but I don't actively like her, either. I find all her malapropisms exceedingly annoying ("You're skills are a little dusty." "That's 'rusty,' Ziva." A-HA!!! That's hilarious. You've been in the U.S. for years now, woman! You should really have a better grasp of the language by now!!!). DiNozzo could do so much better. And speaking of my abhoration of all things Abby - if she sings in one of the episodes I'll scream. I will. You'll hear me. Wherever you are. Trust me.
CSI:NY
I don't watch this show but apparently this new is HUGE so I thought I'd toss it in for those of you who might. (It comes courtesy of Ausiello.)
Anna Belknap's real-life pregnancy is turning into quite the bundle of joy for Danny-Lindsay fans: Not only is CSI: NY incorporating the baby twist into Lindsay's story line, but producers have gone and made Danny the daddy!
"Lindsay will be pregnant," reveals executive producer Pam Veasey. "And, clearly, Danny is the father."
Feel free to kiss the messenger. Or shower him with gifts. Don't be shy.
The bombshell will be dropped in the show's 101st episode, tentatively scheduled to air on Nov. 26, but the fallout will be felt long thereafter. "We're not going to be so typical about it," Veasey adds. "They're both happy about it, but it is unexpected."
Question: Thank you for the news about Danny and Lindsay having a baby on CSI: NY! How will all this impact Rikki's (Jacqueline Pinol) return? -- Lisa Ausiello: Per executive producer Pam Veasey, "It will impact how frequently we will see her. We're constantly talking about when the right moment is for her to come back and be happy for [Danny]. Yes, we're planning on her returning, but I would say the change is that it wouldn't be as often. I think at this point the audience is interested in the [Danny-Lindsay] relationship. We did the bumps already, so let's see what this new [baby] bump means for Danny."
Question: Are Danny and Lindsay going to make it official now that a baby is on the way? -- Nicole Ausiello: If they do, it'll probably consist of a quick trip to city hall. "We wouldn't do it big," Veasey says. "You have to think of Danny. He's a little unconventional. We want to do things that are unexpected but that really tell you a lot about his character."
Question: When exactly did Danny and Lindsay make their baby on CSI: NY? Looking at the timeline, I'm having trouble pinpointing the moment of conception. -- Tracy Ausiello: It happened shortly after Lindsay hung up on Danny in this scene from last May. "That's the night they conceived this child," Veasey confirms. "We believe she turned around and went back. [When we shot the scene] we had no idea Anna was pregnant, but we did leave ourselves options to take this relationship in a lot of different places."
