TV Tidbits 43 - Baby Scoops

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.

TV Tidbits 38 - Wednesday Scoopage

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.

TV Tidbits 23: CSI, SVU, Daisies Scoopage

Blar. I have been in a general TV funk for a while now - oh, how I've loved the summer and its nearly non-existent TV watching demands - but since shows are going to be slowly creeping back onto the air with new episodes within the next couple months, I guess I'd better prepare myself for the onslaught. Boo. That being said, here are some spoilers for:

Law & Order: SVU (Season premiere: September 23rd)

• Luke Perry's appearing in the.... season premiere, an hour that also features guest turns by Sara Gilbert (Roseanne, ER) and Julie Bowen (Lost, Boston Legal, Ed). According to sources, the plot revolves around a couple (Perry and Bowen) that stands accused of abusing their foster child. Gilbert plays the boy's biological mother. [Ask Ausiello]
• The episode also marks the debut of SVU's new ADA, played by One Tree Hill knockout Michaela McManus, and deals with the repercussions of Benson's attempted rape, and answers some lingering questions surrounding the possible transfer of Ice-T's Fin. (Side note: Robert and I haven't watched the season finale of SVU yet - did I mention I'm sort of averse to watching TV shows right now? - but if Fin gets transferred, Robert will have a STROKE. I don't even want to be in the room if/when he finds out. The man loves him some Ice-T.)

• "Is this the season Benson and Stabler will finally go there?" Because that's the question I posed to executive producer Neal Baer yesterday, and behold his titillating answer. "In the first eight episodes, circumstances put them in a very interesting place," he hinted. Where might this, um, place be located? "Somewhere without clothes." [Ask Ausiello]

• Josh Charles and Teri Polo will play a married couple whose son becomes a suspect in — yep, you guessed it — some kind of grisly sex crime investigation.
  
• The episode is currently being shot and is slated to air on Sept. 30. [Ask Ausiello]

• There will be some serious Stabler drama this season. "We'll be meeting someone in his life who we haven't met before," teases exec producer Neal Baer. "As a result, he'll be dealing with some unexpected problems." [Ask Ausiello]

CSI (Season Premiere: October 9th)

You all already know that William Petersen/Gil Grissom will be leaving the show next season, so I won't go over all that stuff again. I do have some details on his storyline and potential replacement, however, so here goes...

• According to executive producer Naren Shankar, when Melinda Clarke's dominatrix returns in November to console an in-crisis Grissom, "This will be the most intimate that we have seen them." Shankar's partner in Crime, EP Carol Mendelsohn, takes it a step further, revealing that, "Grissom will go to bed at Lady Heather's. Whether he will go to bed with Lady Heather remains to be seen. But Grissom will spend most of that episode at Lady Heather's." [Ask Ausiello]

• Gil's replacement will have a "genetic quirk"- some funky (and potentially lethal) DNA. Hint: This isn't the first time a character in the CSI-verse had this specific abnormality. [Ask Ausiello]
• ...like a chromosome abnormality. (Think: One too many letters.) [Ask Ausiello]

• Film vet Laurence Fishburne is close to signing a deal to... fill the considerable void being left when [Gil] steps down after this season's 10th episode.
• Fishburne will play a doctor/scientist who comes into the CSI as an outsider, and not as the team's new boss, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler revealed at the TCA press tour. As a DNA expert, this new character has identified a common profile among serial killers — and it's even in his own genes. [TVGuide.com]
  
  

• Just how many episodes will Jorja Fox/Sara Sidle be in? Ausiello says: "I don't want to give away the exact number, so let's just say she's doing two more than Gary Dourdan and seven less than William Petersen." I'm guesstimating that puts Gil in 10 episodes, Warrick in 1 and Sara in 3.

Pushing Daisies (Season Premiere: October 1st)

• The O.C.'s Taylor Townsend herself, Autumn Reeser, will guest star in the season premiere as a Southern Belle named Kentucky Fritz who has a deadly run-in with some killer bees. "She's the number one girl at Betty's Bees, who may or may not have been up to some mischief when she was stung to death by a swarm of bees," teases Daisies creator Bryan Fuller. [Ask Ausiello]
  

• Beloved Everwood curmudgeon Debra Mooney has been cast as Chi McBride's chain-smoking, no-nonsense mother... sources confirm to me exclusively. As of now, Mooney's on board for one episode, but I'm told the role has significant recurring potential. Mooney's character, Calista Cod, is one of the best private investigators in the biz. She arrives for a visit with her boy (and ex-partner) Emerson, and winds up helping him with a murder case. As the two begin to reconnect, Mama discovers that her chip off the old block has been keeping some vital information from her. And before you ask, no, Calista's not blind. [Ask Ausiello]

• Stephen Root has booked a four-episode arc on Daisies. His character "has a shared history with both Ned's dad and Chuck's dad," explains series creator Bryan Fuller. "He stirs up a lot of hullabaloo for everyone, particularly Aunts Lily and Vivian." [Ask Ausiello]
  

TV Tidbits 21 - L&O: SVU

Per TVGuide.com:

Michaela McManus (aka One Tree Hill's Lindsey) is joining the cast of NBC's Law & Order: SVU as the new assistant district attorney, effective with this fall's Season 10. McManus will play the ADA assigned to the Special Victims Unit, thus following in the footsteps of predecessors Diane Neal and Stephanie March.

McManus, who attended NYU's graduate acting program, had a recurring role as Lindsey Strauss on One Tree Hill.

I have no idea who this chick is, but okay. I know Dick Wolf likes to shake up his casts so I won't be surprised if Michaela isn't the last ADA we see around the precinct...

And just as an aside, here's a little story about Robert and the name Michaela. This must've been 4 or 5 days ago - Robert was looking something up on the Web when I heard him say "That's the worst name I've ever heard." "What's that?" I asked. "Michael-uh." Now, I'm thinking in my head that he's probably reading 'Michaela' wrong but I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt... maybe it was a dude and his name was Mykaeluh or something, I don't know! Anyway, all of my good wishes were for naught. It was indeed a chick. And her name was 'Michaela.' It wasn't even spelled weird. Hasn't Robert ever heard of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman?! Sheesh!

TV Tidbits 09 - Potpourri

1.) Okey doke, the shows covered in this post are: NCIS, Medium, SVU, The Office, House, Bones, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, October Road and HIMYM. I only watch the first 4 myself so those are, naturally, first. :o) There's not a lot of info - just scooplets from TVGuide.com's Ausiello (if you don't like spoilers, skip, skip, skip!). I'm trying to cover things I know people that actually read the blog regularly but my parents (well, actually, my mother) watch just about every stinking show on TV (even According to Jim! Yes, my mom is that one person.) so I'll have to pick and choose somewhere... sorry, Dad. ;o)

• Question: I need to know who is getting murdered in NCIS! I want answers! — Irv
• Ausiello: Actually, word around NCIS is that the buzzed-about death won't be the biggest surprise of the season. Consider this line from Director Vance to Gibbs from the two-hour season finale: "If you think you can protect them forever, Jethro, you are mistaken. There's already been one casualty. There will be more." What does it mean?! Beats me!

• Question: What is going to happen to Medium? I heard it may leap to CBS. — Nicole
• Ausiello: Not true. NBC's already renewed it for next season — a decision that is proving eerily prescient considering that in recent weeks the show has been enjoying some of its best ratings and press since Season 1.

• Question: With Diane Neal leaving L&O: SVU, what are the odds of Stephanie March returning as Alex? — Judith
• Ausiello: Officially, an SVU spokesperson denies that March is returning next season. Unofficially, I'm hearing that the actress is engaged in very preliminary talks with The Wolfster to appear in a handful of episodes next season.

• Question: You've been awesome with The Office scoop recently, but you haven't said much about Ryan. He's been getting himself into trouble recently. How much more trouble should we expect? — MB
• Ausiello: Let's just say he has a brush with the law, but not for the reason you think.

• Question: No disrespect intended, but you've been really slacking on the House scoop lately. — Ellen
• Ausiello: That hardly qualifies as disrespectful, Ellen. No, disrespectful is telling me (as Aushole Jason did) that I deserve to be "run over by a New York City bus" for ignoring House these past few weeks. See the difference there? Anywho... I'm jumping back on the House scoopwagon in a big way this week with news that Fox, in collaboration with producer NBC Universal, is quietly developing a House spin-off for next season. As I understand it, producers are introducing a new male character for a multi-episode arc and, assuming the actor they find really pops in the role, he may be spun off into his own show. But there's a twist, and it's a big one: Per multiple sources, this newbie is not a doctor, but rather a private investigator! And no, his name isn't Twitter. I'll have more details as they become available…

• Question: Thanks for the awesome interview with Jesse Spencer, but did he offer any assurances about Chase getting more screen time on House next season? — Deb
• Ausiello: He sure did, and his exclusive comments appear in this week's Ausiello Report vodcast!

• Question: Is Thirteen going to have a relationship anytime soon on House — perhaps with another female considering the fact that she's bisexual? It would definitely spice things up a bit. — Zachary
• Ausiello: I don't believe she'll be taking in a lover, but I can confirm that she'll be getting something nearly as important: a name! I'm told in this Monday's episode we'll, for the first time, hear Thirteen's real name. My guess: Tenplusfourminusone.

• Question: I'm a huge fan of Bones. I have one question: Is one of the two deaths you mentioned in last week's Ask Ausiello not real?— Rita
• Ausiello: Good question. It actually might not be. Shortly after AA went live last week, a Bones insider e-mailed me to say, "There are actually two casualties coming up — only one of which leads to death." My mole's tip was all but confirmed by co-star Eric Millegan at TV Guide's Sexiest Stars Party. Actually, Millegan had a lot to say about this season's final two episodes (airing May 12 and 19), paying specific attention to the fate of his character, Zack, and the evil Gormogon.

• Question: Is Ken Jenkins really gone from Scrubs? — Drew
• Ausiello: Well, he's really gone from Sacred Heart, but not from Scrubs. Although it's unclear whether Jenkins will remain a series regular, I hear we'll see glimpses of Kelso's life as a retiree. In the meantime, Bill Lawrence is said to be looking for a new Chief to succeed Kelso, and word is he wants a name.

• Question: Is Rebecca Romijn really going to leave Ugly Betty? What other big changes are they planning for the show? — Linus
• Ausiello: ABC and the show's producers keep insisting that she'll be back in a recurring capacity, but that's assuming Romijn will be available. I have a feeling she'll be snapped up in no time by another show.

• Question: What's the scoop on October Road? Will it be back next season? — Drew
• Ausiello: Nothing official from ABC, but all indications are the show is toast. And I would like to think I was at least partially responsible. Oh, who am I kidding — it was all me.

• Question: Sarah Chalke was, once again, bedazzling on Monday's How I Met Your Mother. Please tell me that wasn't the last we'll see of her. — Gina
• Ausiello: That wasn't the last we'll see of her. Sources confirm that Sarah/Stella will be back for the season finale, which can only mean one thing: OMFG she’s the mother! I think.

2.) I was reading this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly during lunch and was able to gloss over oodles of pages devoted to cover girl Ellen Pompeo and American Idol. I thought you AI people might be interested in this article:

• Why Song Selection is Important

TV Tidbits 05 - SVU

Hooty hoo!!!!! Adam Beach is leaving L&O: SVU! :o) Me likey!!! This will bum Robert out, though - he really liked whatever-his-name-is-on-the-show. Me? I absolutely could not stand the dude's massive overbite and monotone speaking voice. UGH!!! I found it very distracting. Plus, I never understood his purpose on the show... Fin already has a partner (although Munch really doesn't do too much these days) so what the heck is what's-his-name supposed to do, anyway? Dunno. And now, I don't have to know - yay!!

TV Tidbits 04 - CSI & SVU

Soo... if you don't like either of these shows, you're really tired of seeing them pop up in my blog all the time! Sorry. But, for those of you who are interested (hi, Dad!), here's a little scoop-ola on the departures of CSI's Gary Dourdan and SVU's Diane Neal (courtesy of Ausiello, of course):

I believe it was Mark Twain who once said: "Cast shake-ups are like Transformers — there is usually more to them than meets the eye."

And I was reminded of how true those words were this week following my back-to-back exclusives that CSI and Law & Order: SVU would be losing Gary Dourdan and Diane Neal, respectively.

Initially, I reported that the actors were leaving for the most mundane of reasons: Both of their contracts were up, and they had decided to move on. But in the hours that followed the posting of those stories, new information came to light that now calls into question my original sources the exact circumstances surrounding the exits — specifically, whether the stars were leaving of their own accord or if they had been shown the door.

In the case of Dourdan, an insider at the show insists that he and CSI execs "mutually agreed" to part ways for "creative reasons." However, a CBS mole claims the 41-year-old actor was essentially fired, adding that producers are trying to be "as supportive and protective" of him as possible by portraying the departure as mutual. That same mole wasn't willing to share the specific reason for Dourdan's ouster, except to say that it involves an "ongoing problem personal to Dourdan."

That doesn't exactly narrow it down. In 2005, Dourdan pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and was ordered to stay away from then-girlfriend Anne Greene and attend domestic-violence counseling. And last July, a video of him allegedly attacking a TMZ photographer made the rounds on the Web.

Meanwhile, CBS still won't officially "confirm or deny" that Dourdan is on his way out, even as a search for his replacement is underway. Repeated calls to the goodbye guy's camp went unreturned.

Over at SVU, the situation surrounding Neal has become equally suspicious. On Tuesday, a show spokesperson confirmed to me exclusively that the actress would be vacating her role as ADA Casey Novak in what appeared to be a mutual decision. However, shortly after I posted that story, a show insider says an emotional Neal gathered the crew together on the set and informed them that she had just been fired.

While Neal confirms that she "did talk to the crew" about her departure, she declined to say whether she used the F-word. "Rumors are rumors," she shrugs. "I love the crew. The crew loves me. We've really gotten along and bonded over these past five years. And they're always looking out for me and watching my back."

Asked if she was blindsided by the news, Neal, choosing her words carefully, responds, "I don't know if blindsided is the right word.... I've lasted longer – by several years – than almost any other ADA [in the Law & Order universe]. So every year I've been like, 'Is this going to be the one when I leave?' Dick Wolf is known for replacing his cast regularly. And the truth is, I'm really looking forward to the future."

There's the evidence. Who/what to believe?

Juicy! Well, ish. No definitive answers per se but a good inkling of the real deal, no? My gossip peeps are good!

UPDATE: Defamer picked up on this story, as well, and added this funny little bit to the end of their discussion:

Of course, more definite clues could arise once we get a better look at how the show's writers choose to dispatch their series regulars. We're reminded of a similarly acrimonious parting of Prison Break's Sarah Wayne Callies, whose gruesome demise involved the discovery of her character Sara's decapitated head in a box. Should we tune in to the season finale of CSI to find Marg Helgenberger running a black light over Dourdan's battered, limp body to get a better look at the tell-tale semen stains left after his fatal gang-raping, we'll know producers were not entirely broken up about the actor's departure.

Hee! Me likey. :o)

TV Tidbits 02

1. First, the good news: Deadliest Catch is back! Robert and I have watched this show from the beginning and really enjoy it. From the outside it seems repetitive, I know - ooh, they go crabbing... every week. But it actually is a very interesting show; I highly recommend it. And it's become quite popular - there are ads all over the place for the season premiere tonight and the Web is chockablock full of DC sites. The Discovery site is far more fleshed out than it used to be - there are videos, blogs, online cards, podcasts, etc. - and every boat has its own site, too. (There's even a game coming out this month for the Xbox about crab fishing!) My favorite boat is the Northwestern, of course. No, there are no hot guys on this particular show (though Edgar Hansen is supposedly a fan favorite), so that's not my criteria. It's a boat own and operated by three brothers (yes, all three work the boat even though you only see two on the show - Norman does not want himself to be filmed) and they're just funny guys. I really like the brothers' interactions, the liveliness (and competence!) of the entire NW crew and, hey, they're always the best. :o) And Captain Sig is a series consultant so, you know, he's darn good. Captain Phil is pretty good, too, though - he is a funny guy and very animated. He's much more palatable since his haircut... and, apparently, he's single! ;o) (Though, I've never seen a human being smoke as much as he does, so you may need to act fast, ladies...) The Cornelia Marie has gotten a bit more fun now that his sons are also working on board. Anyway, I am excited the show is starting up again and wanted to get the word out...

2. And now, the bad news: tonight's NCIS is all Abby-centric. Bleh. She drives me bonkers! I just think she is absolutely ridiculous and annoying and... well, I already voiced my wish for her demise in an earlier post so I'm sure you understand my dislike by now. Anyhoo, tonight's episode is all about Abby trying to defend a dog from a murder rap. TVGuide.com's summary:

Abby's career is in danger of going to the dogs — literally — when the forensics specialist stubbornly defends a canine suspected of mauling its owner to death... "All the evidence points to the fact that the dog did it," says executive producer Shane Brennan. "But Abby's determined to prove that the dog is innocent." Which leads to an admonishment from Gibbs, who believes the German shepherd is responsible for the death and warns Abby not to get attached. Her response? "She calls the dog 'Jethro,'" Brennan laughs. "There's a lot of opportunity for humor in it." The episode also marks one of the rare times the Goth gal leaves the lab — in her very Abby-appropriate car, no less. "We see her driving a car for the first time," explains Brennan. "It's a red hot rod [adorned with] skull-and-crossbones decorations and coffin emblems. It really works."

Greeeeeeeeeeeeat. Sounds fantabulously interesting, doesn't it? I'm sure oodles of hilarity will ensue. I really wish sarcasm was more easily translated in print...

3. Wow!! People are exiting shows right and left!! Diane Neal is leaving her post as ADA on L&O: SVU!! Ausiello has the scoop again:

A show spokesperson confirmed the actress' departure, saying, "Diane spent five years on SVU and was a tremendous addition to the SVU team. She is looking forward to new opportunities and she will be missed."

Neal, who will make her final appearance in next month's season finale, joined SVU in 2003 as A.D.A. Casey Novak, replacing Stephanie March. She had previously appeared in a Season 3 episode as a different character, a female rapist by the name of Amelia Chase.

The search for a new A.D.A. is already underway, and, sadly, bringing March back doesn't appear to be an option. Word is Dick Wolf is looking to fill the void with an up-and-comer.

I didn't particularly care for Diane when she first started; I really preferred Stephanie's Alexandra Cabot to Casey. However, I've definitely gotten used to her and I just hate meeting new characters on shows I like!! Meh. Bummer.