Dear Televisionista Readers...

After almost two TV seasons of existence, the moment has come for the Televisionista blog to...

...undergo some serious changes. Obviously, it will have something to do with the frequency of updates, but there's a lot more that I would like to know before the next TV season begins and that is why I came up with a little survey.

Those of you who have enjoyed the blog over a certain period of time (be it two years, or just two weeks) are more than welcome to contact me at my email address justin_vandekamp@hotmail.com

If you have a few moments to spare, I would send you a little 20-question reader survey in a Word document, which I would kindly ask you to fill in, save the changes, and send back to the same email address.

It may not be the most convenient way for you to participate in the survey, but I didn't want to post any polls on the blog, for technical and other reasons.

Once you get the survey, you may fill in all the questions, or just a select few (simply omit those you do not wish to answer), whatever feedback you are able to send, I will greatly appreciate it, and use it to improve the blog quality.

Having said that I will say that regular updates, and I really mean regular this time, will resume on Tuesday, July 1.

Yes, I'm aware that I have made all kinds of promises before, so I guess you'll just have to trust me on this one. :)

Basically the idea is, SAG strike or no SAG strike, to get ready for the upcoming season in July and August with a bunch of posts on the upcoming new TV season and then cover it every step of the way, once our favorite shows return in September.

A huge thank you to all of you who will be kind enough to take part in the survey, and to everyone else, I hope you're having a great summer and hope to see you here soon.

Justin

"Desperate Housewives" Recasting Scavo Kids

It appears the producers of "Desperate Housewives" are going ahead with the 5-year leap into the future as they are currently looking for 3 teenage boys and a 9-year old girl to replace the young actors who have played the children of Lynette Scavo (Felicity Huffman) over the past 4 years and become series regulars.

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After the show concluded its 4th season with a cliffhanger flash forward, some had argued "Desperate Housewives" had simply peaked into the future and would return to its normal storytelling come fall, leaving the viewers to wonder how the characters got to their respective futures.




That no longer seems to be the case, as the producers are casting 15-16 year old identical twins with red hair and brown eyes, who are willing to dye their hair if necessary to match the previous actors, a 14-year old boy and a 9-year blond and blue eyed girl.

The producers are also looking for a 5-7 year old boy who will play Maynard, the son of Susan Mayer and Mike Delfino.



In the casting sides currently available for audition, Lynette finds Porter and Preston playing poker and drinking alcohol with their friends at the family pizzeria. After the boys (who recently took a ride in Mrs. McClusky's car) are grounded, Lynette asks her techno geek son Parker to take sister Penny to her soccer practice.

For those who are wondering what the Scavo kids are doing with the Gabby and Carlos, the image is taken from a season 2 episode in which the Solises borrowed Lynette's kids to create a photo album/evidence of their great parenting skills for the benefit of an adoption service.

I'll have more spoilers from the upcoming season of "Desperate Housewives" soon.

VIDEO: Mario Lopez, People's Hottest Bachelor

People Magazine has named Mario Lopez the Hottest Bachelor of 2008. Former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant made an appearance on NBC's Today show this morning to talk about the honor and give the viewers a little taste of the sexy photo shoot he did for the magazine. Talk about the eye candy.



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'Life on Mars', 'Fringe' Leaked on Bit Torrent

Two of the most anticipated pilots this fall, FOX's "Fringe" from J.J. Abrams, the creator of "Lost," as well as the original pilot for ABC's adaptation of the British sci-fi/police drama "Life on Mars" are now available for anyone to download off the Internet.

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Every summer, a number of high-profile US pilots get onto the file-sharing service prior to their premiere in the fall.

Matt Le Blanc's failed NBC sitcom "Joey" (2004), FOX's action drama "Prison Break" (2005), Aaron Sorkin's NBC dramedy "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (2006) and ABC's fantasy procedural "Pushing Daisies" (2007) were just some of the many pilots available on the Internet in recent years.

This year, "Fringe" is one of the two hottest new shows from FOX. The net spent $10 million to produce the 2-hour pilot which premieres September 9.

FOX was said to be very careful not to mail out DVD screeners of its other buzzworthy series, Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse," which premieres in January 2009.

In related news, ABC honcho Steve McPherson says production on "Life on Mars" will go ahead as planned, despite reports to the contrary.

The original show runner David E. Kelley has left the series and some cast members have been let go. The series also moved production from L.A. to New York, but McPherson insists the scripts are ready to film.

Sex and the City Marie Claire Covers

The July issue of Marie Claire Magazine will feature all 4 "Sex and the City" gals on a multiple cover. Check them all out along with an update on the movie's box office gross, after the jump.

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A note for all "Sex and the City" lovers - I have now added Sex and the City Movie link to the pull down menu above.

By clicking on the SATC category you can see all of my posts about the movie since last summer including candid images from the set, movie stills, the Oprah interview and more.

"Sex and the City: The Movie" will have been out for 3 weeks on Friday and it has already made over $260 million worldwide. Not too shabby for a movie that cost only $65 million to produce.

The movie is now a top-5 movie of 2008 both in the US and around the world and is expected to become one of the top-10 romantic comedies of all time.

Yes, there is a point in the middle when the movie appears to climax a bit too soon, but the magic is most certainly there, and that is why I can't wait to see it again later this week.

VIDEO: Eva Longoria Magnum Interview

During her last month's visit to Magnum Manor in Monte Carlo, "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria Parker said you can have a fabulous body like hers and still indulge yourself with those decadent Magnum ice creams. Yeah, right!

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Eva's publicist warned the interviewer not to ask any questions about Tony Parker, or the rumors of infidelity, pregnancy, etc.



As the interviewer later notes in the studio, Eva does come across somewhat distant during the conversation.

As many celebrities in Hollywood, Parker appears to prefer to remain firmly in control during her interviews, which therefore may lack spontaneity and genuine feel to them. Or not? You be the judge.

Will T.R. Knight & Mark Cornelsen Tie the Knot?

As same-sex marriages got under way in California this week (amen and hallelujah to that), the folks at Access Hollywood wanted to know if "Grey's Anatomy" star T.R. Knight and his boyfriend Mark Cornelsen will follow in the footsteps of talk-show goddess Ellen Degeneres and actress Portia de Rossi whose wedding they have been invited to.

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The smiling couple said they were excited that justice has finally been served (I suppose we'll have to see for how long).

Knight and Cornelsen also added how much they love and respect Ellen and Portia and feel very honored to have been invited, but they have only been dating for 6 months, and their own nuptials will have to wait.

After all, just because it's legal and those forces of utter darkness may put a stop to it in November, we don't all have to rush to the altar, do we now?

The attitudes and opinions of the young are clear - the day will come when homosexuality will prompt little or no comment. Sooner or later, the bigots will have been reduced to minority.

"Big Shots" Creator to Run Season 2 of "Dirty Sexy Money"

Oh, boy. This is not good. Is "Dirty Sexy Money" in trouble? Four months after he became executive producer/showrunner of ABC's Donald Sutherland-fronted soap, "Dexter" creator Daniel Cerone, whose job was to make "Dirty Sexy Money" more edgy, is stepping down and will be replaced by "Big Shots" creator Jon Feldman.

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In a recent interview, Cerone explained that in the second season, the stakes would become much higher for the Darling family on "Dirty Sexy Money." For instance, under his leadership, a season 1 scene in which a nail polish stain was found following Carmelita's abduction, would turn out to be blood.



Having produced 3 all-new episodes, the studio has realized Cerone was not a good fit for "Dirty Sexy Money" after all. Although some viewers who gave up on the show last fall accused the luxe drama of being neither "dirty" nor "sexy" enough, Cerone may have taken too much of a melodramatic approach.



I have always appreciated the intelligent writing on "Dirty Sexy Money," the depth of its characters and the witty dialogue laced with subtle humor. Sure, the luxe settings and the opulent clothes gave plenty of eye candy, but there was so much more to the show.

Early spoilers for season 2, including one about a scandalous murder trial for one of the characters, indicated a somewhat different approach to storytelling. Although I was initially surprised by the hiring of Cerone, I thought he could bring value to the show.



Now, with the man who created one of the worst shows of the 2007-2008 season on board (apologies to the loyal "Big Shots" fans who were saddened by the show's expected demise) I really don't know what to expect from the upcoming second season of "Dirty Sexy Money."

The production on the show which began in early May will soon be shut down (they had planned to take a break in July) to give the new showrunner time to catch up.



Let us hope executive producer Greg Berlanti, creator Craig Wright, and the wonderful cast who all remain on board (sans Samaire Armstrong), ensure that the quality we had grown accustomed to remains intact.

In any event, when the show returns it needs to rebuild its momentum, and it needs to do it fast. Any fluctuation in quality in those early episodes could prove fatal - if the viewers fail to return, the show could be gone by November sweeps.

VIDEO: Kate Walsh on Jimmy Kimmell

Towel-clad star of ABC's hot new medical drama "Private Practice," Kate Walsh made an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmell show last night. When the late-night host asked the sultry actress about the recent Katherine Heigl controversy...

...Walsh simply underlined how "Private Practice" has excellent writers and how she hates that the viewers would have to wait until the beginning of October to see the new episodes because they are really juicy. Take a look.



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Fall 2008: FOX's "Fringe" (Preview)

FOX's buzzworthy rookie drama "Fringe" from J.J.Abrams (the creator of "Alias" and "Lost") starring "Dawson's Creek" alum Joshua Jackson will premiere with a 2-hour episode, according to a revised schedule, Tuesday, September 9 at 8/7c. Take a look at what the show is about, after the jump.



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When an international flight lands at Boston's Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent OLIVIA DUNHAM (newcomer Anna Torv) is called in to investigate.



After her partner, Special Agent JOHN SCOTT (Mark Valley, "Boston Legal"), is nearly killed during the investigation, a desperate Olivia searches frantically for someone to help, leading her to DR. WALTER BISHOP (John Noble), our generation's Einstein.



There's only one catch: he's been institutionalized for the last 20 years, and the only way to question him requires pulling his estranged son PETER (Joshua Jackson, "Dawson's Creek") in to help.



When Olivia's investigation leads her to manipulative corporate executive NINA SHARP (Blair Brown), our unlikely trio will discover that what happened on Flight 627 is only a small piece of a larger, more shocking truth.

Idol Gals Film Ads

The 2 Davids may have stolen this year's "American Idol," but that won't prevent finalists Syesha Mercado, Carly Smithson & Brooke White from cashing in on their new found fame before they embark on the 2008 American Idol Summer Tour.

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The ladies spent Sunday afternoon filming an advertising campaign for the Beckley brand.

Kellogg's Pop Tarts sponsored American Idol Tour 2008 featuring the top-10 contestants of season 7 will begin in Glendale, Arizona on July 1.



More than 50 shows have been scheduled in various venues across North America. The tour ends in Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 13.

"Gossip Girl" Leads Teen Choice Nominations

Now that's a surprise. Not. The 2008 Teen Choice Awards nominations have been announced and The CW's buzzworthy drama "Gossip Girl" is leading the pack with as many as 14 nominations, including 3 for the show's resident hunk Chace Crawford.

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Vanity Fair star Miley Cyrus will host the live telecast. Flip over to the TCA website to cast your votes. Users are allowed to vote every day. The 2-hour show airs on Monday, August 4 at 8/7c on FOX.


2008 TEEN CHOICE AWARDS
NOMINATIONS:


MOVIES

Choice Movie: Action Adventure

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Iron Man

Speed Racer

The Forbidden Kingdom


Choice Movie: Drama

21

August Rush

Into The Wild

Step Up 2: The Streets

Stop-Loss

Choice Movie: Chick Flick

27 Dresses

Enchanted

Fool's Gold

P.S. I Love You

Sex and the City


Choice Movie: Bromantic Comedy

Dan in Real Life

Definitely, Maybe

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Made of Honor

What Happens in Vegas


Choice Movie: Comedy

Baby Mama

College Road Trip

Juno

Semi-Pro

Superbad


Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller

30 Days of Night

Cloverfield

I Am Legend

The Strangers

Prom Night


Choice Movie Actor: Drama

Channing Tatum - Stop-Loss

Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild

Jake Gyllenhaal - Rendition

Mark Wahlberg - We Own the Night

Ryan Phillippe - Stop-Loss

Choice Movie Actress: Drama

Kate Bosworth - 21

Keira Knightley - Atonement

Keri Russell - August Rush

Reese Witherspoon - Rendition

Scarlett Johansson - The Other Boleyn Girl


Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure

Emile Hirsch - Speed Racer

Harrison Ford - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Jackie Chan - The Forbidden Kingdom

Robert Downey Jr. - Iron Man

Shia LaBeouf - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull


Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure

Abigail Breslin - Nim's Island

Christina Ricci - Speed Racer

Diane Kruger - National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Gwyneth Paltrow - Iron Man

Rachel Bilson - Jumper


Choice Movie Actor: Comedy

Ashton Kutcher - What Happens in Vegas

James Marsden - 27 Dresses; Enchanted

Jonah Hill - Superbad

Michael Cera Superbad; Juno

Will Ferrell - Semi-Pro


Choice Movie Actress: Comedy

Amy Adams - Enchanted

Cameron Diaz - What Happens in Vegas

Ellen Page - Juno

Kristen Bell - Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Sarah Jessica Parker - Sex and the City


Choice Movie Actor: Horror/Thriller

Will Smith - I Am Legend

Edward Burns - One Missed Call

Josh Hartnett - 30 Days of Night

Michael Stahl-David - Cloverfield

Scott Speedman - The Strangers

Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller

Brittany Snow - Prom Night

Jessica Alba - The Eye

Liv Tyler - The Strangers

Odette Yustman - Cloverfield

Shannon Sossamon - One Missed Call

Choice Movie: Villain
Cate Blanchett - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Jeff Bridges - Iron Man

Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd

Samuel L. Jackson - Jumper

Susan Sarandon Enchanted


Choice Movie: Breakout Female

Ellen Page - Juno

Briana Evigan - Step Up 2: The Streets

Jurnee Smollett -The Great Debaters

Kristen Bell - Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Mila Kunis - Forgetting Sarah Marshall


Choice Movie: Breakout Male

Jim Sturgess - 21, Across the Universe

Ben Barnes - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Drake Bell - Superhero Movie

Jason Segel - Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Michael Cera Superbad; Juno


TELEVISION


Choice TV Show: Drama

Friday Night Lights

Gossip Girl

Grey's Anatomy

House

One Tree Hill


Choice TV Show: Action Adventure

Heroes

Lost

Prison Break

Smallville

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles


Choice TV Show: Comedy

Desperate Housewives

Hannah Montana

How I Met Your Mother

Two and a Half Men

Ugly Betty

Choice TV: Animated Show

American Dad

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Family Guy

South Park

The Simpsons

Choice TV: Reality Dance

America's Best Dance Crew

Dance War

Dancing with the Stars

So You Think You Can Dance

Your Mama Don't Dance


Choice TV: Reality Music Competition

American Idol

Don't Forget the Lyrics!

Making the Band 4

The Next Great American Band

Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious


Choice TV: Reality Beauty & Makeover

America's Next Top Model

Beauty and the Geek

The Biggest Loser

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Project Runway


Choice TV: Celebrity Reality

Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Life of Ryan

Rob & Big

Run's House

The Hills


Choice TV: Looking For Love

I Love New York

Flavor of Love

Rock of Love with Bret Michaels

The Bachelor: London Calling

The Bachelorette

Choice TV: Reality Competition

The Amazing Race

American Gladiator

Big Brother 9

Oprah's Big Give

Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites

Choice TV: Game Show

Amnesia

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Deal or No Deal

Duel

The Moment of Truth

Choice TV Actor: Drama

Chace Crawford - Gossip Girl

Chad Michael Murray - One Tree Hill

Patrick Dempsey - Grey's Anatomy

Penn Badgley - Gossip Girl

Taylor Kitsch - Friday Night Lights

Choice TV Actress: Drama

Blake Lively - Gossip Girl

Hilarie Burton - One Tree Hill

Katherine Heigl - Grey's Anatomy

Leighton Meester - Gossip Girl

Sophia Bush - One Tree Hill

Choice TV Actor: Action Adventure

Josh Holloway - Lost

Matthew Fox - Lost

Milo Ventimiglia - Heroes

Tom Welling - Smallville

Wentworth Miller - Prison Break


Choice TV Actress: Action Adventure

Hayden Panettiere - Heroes

Ali Larter - Heroes

Evangeline Lily - Lost

Kristen Kruek - Smallville

Summer Glau - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles


Choice TV Actor: Comedy

Barry Watson - Samantha Who?

Charlie Sheen - Two and a Half Men

Michael Urie - Ugly Betty

Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother

Steve Carell - The Office


Choice TV Actress: Comedy

America Ferrera - Ugly Betty

Christina Applegate - Samantha Who?

Jaime Pressly - My Name is Earl

Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana

Tina Fey - 30 Rock


Choice TV: Personality

Heidi Klum - Project Runway

Lil Mama - America's Best Dance Crew

Ryan Seacrest - American Idol, E! News

Simon Cowell - American Idol

Tyra Banks - America's Next Top Model


Choice TV: Breakout Show

America's Best Dance Crew

Gossip Girl

Miss Guided

Samantha Who?

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles


Choice TV: Breakout Star Female

Blake Lively - Gossip Girl

Leighton Meester - Gossip Girl

Olivia Wilde - House

Summer Glau -Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Taylor Momsen - Gossip Girl


Choice TV: Breakout Star Male

Chace Crawford - Gossip Girl

Ed Westwick - Gossip Girl

The Jabbawockeez - America's Best Dance Crew

Thomas Dekker - Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Zachary Levi - Chuck


Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star

Brody Jenner - The Hills

David Cook - American Idol

Rob Dyrdek and Christopher Boykin - Rob & Big

Ryan Scheckler - Life of Ryan

The Jabbawockeez - America's Best Dance Crew


Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star

Heidi Montag - The Hills

Kim Kardashian - Keeping Up with the Kardashians

Kristi Yamaguchi - Dancing with the Stars

Lauren Conrad - The Hills

Whitney Thompson - America's Next Top Model


Choice TV: Villain

Ed Westwick- Gossip Girl

Michael Rosenbaum - Smallville

Spencer Pratt - The Hills

Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty

Zachary Quinto - Heroes


MUSIC


Choice Music: Single

Chris Brown - With You

Jonas Brothers - When You Look Me In The Eyes

Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes

Miley Cyrus - See You Again

Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music

Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain - Low

Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown - No Air

Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain - Shawty Get Loose

Nelly featuring Fergie - Party People


Choice Music: Male Artist

Chris Brown

Jesse McCartney

Justin Timberlake

Kanye West

Usher

Choice Music: Female Artist

Britney Spears

Fergie

Mariah Carey

Miley Cyrus

Rihanna

Choice Music: Rap Artist

Flo Rida

Kanye West

Lil Mama

Lil Wayne

Lupe Fiasco

Choice Music: R&B Artist

Beyonce

Chris Brown

Rihanna

T-Pain

Usher


Choice Music: Rock Group

Boys Like Girls

Fall Out Boy

Linkin Park

Paramore

Simple Plan

Choice Music: Breakout Artist

Colbie Caillat

Flo Rida

Jordin Sparks

Leona Lewis

Taylor Swift

Breakout Group

Day 26

Girlicious

Jonas Brothers

OneRepublic

Paramore


Choice Music: Love Song

Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

No Air - Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks

No One - Alica Keys

When You Look Me In The Eyes - Jonas Brothers

Choice Music: R&B Track

Damaged - Danity Kane

Forever - Chris Brown

Hey Baby (Jump Off) - Bow Wow and Omarion

Bye Bye - Mariah Carey

Take You There - Sean Kingston


Choice Music: Rap/Hip-Hop Track
Homecoming - Kanye West featuring Chris Martin

Party People - Nelly featuring Fergie

The Anthem - Pitbull featuring Lil Jon

Shawty Get Loose - Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain

Superstar - Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos


Choice Music: Rock Track

Nine in the Afternoon - Panic At The Disco

crushcrushcrush - Paramore

Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park

Stop and Stare - OneRepublic

The Great Escape - Boys Like Girls


FASHION


Choice Male Hottie

Chace Crawford

Chris Brown

Jonas Brothers

Taylor Kitsch

Zac Efron


Choice Female Hottie

Blake Lively

Hayden Panettiere

Megan Fox

Rihanna

Vanessa Hudgens


Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon Female

Carrie Underwood

Hayden Panettiere

Jessica Biel

Kate Hudson

Lauren Conrad


Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon Male

Chris Brown

Jonas Brothers

Pete Wentz

Shia LaBeouf

Zac Efron


OTHER STUFF


Choice Comedian

Dane Cook

Adam Sandler

Jonah Hill

Will Ferrell

Michael Cera


Choice Action Sports Female

Gretchen Bleiler - Snowboarding

Kristi Leskinen - Free Ski

Hannah Teter - Skateboarding

Stephanie Gilmore - Surfing

Dallas Friday - Women's Wakeboarding

Choice Action Sports Male

Ryan Scheckler - Skateboarding

Shaun White - Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Surfing)

Mick Fanning -Surfing

Kelly Slater - Surfing

Ryan Nyquist - BMX

Choice Female Athlete

Danica Patrick - Indy Racing

Shawn Johnson- Gymnast

Maria Sharapova - Tennis

Candace Parker- Basketball

Serena Williams - Tennis


Choice Male Athlete

Tiger Woods - Golf

LeBron James - Basketball

Kobe Bryant - Basketball

Eli Manning - Football

David Beckham - Soccer

"Dirty Sexy" Zea @ Fashion Votes

Would ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money" be as much fun without Natalie Zea's wacky maneater Karen Darling? I seriously doubt that. The Texas-born actress who got to try Eddie Cibrian's John Hancock on for size last season, appeared at the Fashion Votes event last week.

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Former "Passions" star has been back on the "Dirty Sexy Money" set for over a month filming episodes for the luxe drama's 2nd season which launches Wednesday, September 24 at 10/9c on ABC and will have at least 13 episodes.



According to early spoilers, Zea's character Karen is still heavily involved with Darling family nemesis Simon Elder (the smoking hot Blair Underwood) and gets to meet his gorgeous 16-year old son and vie for his affections.

Is Actors' Strike Next?

Oh, no! Are we in for yet another TV season ruined by a Hollywood strike? Members of the Screen Actors Guild (actors' union) may have to walk out if their union leaders fail to reach a settlement with the producers. How would that affect the next TV season?

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The current contract between the actors' union and the studios expires on June 30 and the talks have reached a stalemate.

If the two sides fail to reach an agreement and a strike is called, this may have immediate repercussions on a number of shows.

Some fall series like "Prison Break," "Heroes," "Private Practice," "Brothers & Sisters" and "Dirty Sexy Money" have already been in production for weeks.

But some shows like "Desperate Housewives" or "Grey's Anatomy" have yet to go into production of the new season.

That means the networks would either use some of the shows on their schedule to start the fall season or delay the season till October or November.

Some cable shows which begin their new season this summer (such as AMC's "Mad Men") might have to interrupt the filming or cut the new season short.

Midseason shows like "24," "Lost" or newbie "Dollhouse" would not be affected as everyone expects the strike would long be settled by the time they get back on air.

A small number of shows whose casts are entirely made up of AFTRA members ("'Till Death" or "Reaper") would not be affected either.

Everyone however hopes the strike will be avoided and the new season will go ahead as planned. Then again everyone felt the same last October and we all know how that finished.

Eva Longoria Parker @ Hancock Paris Premiere

With the basketball season finally over and her red-hot ABC show still on hiatus, Wisteria Lane's sexiest housewife Eva Longoria finally gets to spend some time with her hubby Tony Parker.

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The couple joined Will Smith and Charlize Theron for the opening night of their fantasy comedy "Hancock" in France on Monday.



Longoria recently denied Internet reports that she was pregnant and is looking forward to going back to the "Desperate Housewives" set next month.


The show will begin filming season 5 on July 7. Next season will have 24 episodes including a very special 100th episode set to air in early 2009.

Isaiah Washington Calls Katherine Heigl Emmy Controversy "Unfortunate"

What does he want now? Former (or should I say shamed?) "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington did exactly what Katherine Heigl said he shouldn't be allowed to do - speak in public. The "Bionic Woman" actor responded to a question concerning former cast member's Emmy controversy and said it was 'unfortunate'.

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Washington, who was fired for repeatedly spewing homophobic profanities, also presented himself as class act explaining to Entertainment Tonight he immediately called his friend, "Grey's Anatomy" creator and head writer Shonda Rhimes, to offer his support.

Heigl announced last week that she was withdrawing her name from Emmy contention because she felt the material written for her character was not strong enough to warrant a nomination, causing her critics to immediately accuse her of slapping "Grey's" writers in the face.

Heigl who simply voiced the opinion of many people who agreed her storylines went downhill this year, was immediately branded ungrateful and egocentric by certain members of the viewing public as well as shocked set insiders.

Some however found a lot of humor in the situation. Late night comedian Jay Leno joked on his show last week the writers are now going to kill Heigl's character off.

The medical drama goes back into production on Wednesday, June 25. Season 5 will premiere in late September.

Has Controversy Hurt "Swingtown" Ratings?

The image above shows just how far the orgies go on CBS' light adult drama "Swingtown." That didn't prevent those losers from the PTC (who still don't understand how to use their clickers) from playing the parent card again and start more brouhaha against the show. But has their noise actually hurt the ratings?

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"Swingtown" did lose some groove shedding over one million pairs of eyeballs in its second outing last Thursday (7.25 million). But so far it's hard to say whether the PTC campaign has had any impact since most new dramas drop in week #2. So far, the show is doing as well as any new summer show airing at 10pm would be doing.

Will the show fade away as "Cane" did last fall or will it level off with NBA finals out of the way? I'll certainly be keeping my fingers crossed for the latter, as the period drama's fashion, music and vintage product placement (not to mention the wicked cast including a shirtless Grant Show) has kept me hooked.

Betty's Newton & Urie in Monte Carlo

It's Mandy and Mark, bitches! "Ugly Betty's" duo of catty fashionistas Becki Newton and Michael Urie recently returned from Monte Carlo, where they promoted their award-winning ABC comedy at the television festival.


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The scene-stealers will soon begin to work on season 3 of the comedy which has now moved production to New York City and may feature even more special appearances of fashion celebrities.

But will the more authentic look of Mode magazine help the show bounce back in the ratings? After premiering to about 13-15 million viewers in the fall of 2006, the comedy lost about a third of that audience by the spring 2008.


So what else is in store for season 3?

Although last fall's 'Wicked' episode may not have been one of the show's highs, Newton has explained her hilarious character may get to do more singing on the show.

After all, who can forget her hysterical performance for her former rock daddy Gene Simmons?

As for Urie, expect the return of David Blue who plays his chubby and lovable photographer boyfriend Cliff whom we haven't seen since last fall (prompting irrational suspicions of de-gaying of 'Ugly Betty').

Lipstick Jungle Hottie Supports AIDS Charity

Robert Buckley, the actor NBC better not be launching the 2nd season of "Lipstick Jungle" without, was one of the celebrities taking part in the 9th Annual amfAR Honoring With Pride Celebration in New York City last week.

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The Foundation for AIDS Research is a non-profit organization for HIV/AIDS research and education whose current chairman of the board is designer Kenneth Cole.


Many celebrities (including Madonna and Sharon Stone) have endorsed the organization since 1985 when it was established.

The June 9 event featured multi-platinum recording artist Taylor Dayne performing her new songs and biggest hits like "Tell It To My Heart."

The event raised $250,000.

Luke and Noah: Love Triangle?

I get bored with the whole Ameera mess of a storyline and stop watching and look what happens! The Luke and Noah saga is hot and heavy all over again!

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If I got this right, following all the commotion with Noah's marriage to illegal alien Ameera and the return of his homophobic dad, daytime's resident gay teen couple hit Breakupville.

Now a local player named Reg, who had at one point proposed a little hot tub fourway with his BF and Nuke, is drooling over the suddenly available Luke.

Reg may be a bit of a hottie himself, but all I can say is - run, Luke, run!!! Get back to that gorgeous a-hole of your boyfriend, because - despite all his flaws - you guys are so damn cute together.