Lisa Edelstein Plays House, Huddy and Lap Dances
All I’m sayin’ is that whoever does the invites for this Monte Carlo TV Fest has some damn fine taste in TV.
Lisa Edelstein (see with the good taste?) made an appearance this year, and our Senior Lucky Bastard International Junkets Correspondent got some great insight from her about House.
Read on for Lisa’s take on the Huddy relationship, the future of Cuddy’s uterus and how she prepared for that sexy lap dance in part one of the finale…
Cuddy is considering having a baby. Is there a parallel with your personal life because you don’t have a child yet, and would this be a plot developed in future episodes?
Yes, there is a parallel between myself and Dr. Cuddy, only because of my age as an actress and the timing of the show. When the show started, I told the producers that at some point during the run of the show, if it was successful, that I was going to get pregnant one way or another. So they planted that seed in the character’s story so it would be possible for me as a woman to experience that.
Since Cuddy shares feelings of frustration and love for House, which one will win?
They won’t tell me. It’s a secret, but I think it makes for a very interesting relationship because there’s a great deal of admiration and respect, and also an incredible amount of annoyance and frustration, which is like how most relationships are in your life.
Could you tell us something fun about the lap-dance scene?
We filmed for about four hours, and there were several moves that were left out in the final edit, which were my favorite. I rehearsed for about two weeks with a special trainer who does not train strippers but trains women to do that kind of dancing for themselves or for their husbands or wives, however they may roll. It was a little scary, but it was a lot of fun.
How did Hugh handle it?
Hugh was so wonderful. I did it for him before we shot it because I was so worried. It’s a whole different relationship than what we have as friends working together. So for Hugh and the director and producer of that episode, I did a personal lap dance and showed it to them, and Hugh was incredibly supportive, like a cheerleader. There was nothing about what he did that made me uncomfortable. He appreciated it as a man, up to the level that he could and should in a way that was not inappropriate. I felt beautiful, and it ended up being a really lovely experience.
On Ally McBeal you played a transsexual, and on The West Wing you played a prostitute. How did those roles challenge you as an actress?
As for the variations in character…being an actress, you feel like a whore most of the time, so that [latter role] was easy. As far as playing a man becoming a woman, I’ve known a lot of transgenders in my life. At the time they really didn’t have many characters like that on TV, so I tried to just be respectful and sophisticated in the way we presented that storyline, which was really beautiful. Except I didn’t like the way the reveal happened. She never would have been dancing that close without some form of tucking.
Kanye West’s Tribute to Mama
Kanye West’s Tribute to Mama
Last night was a bittersweet time for Kanye West. Having lost his mother last November, the “Jesus Walks” rapper made sure she was remembered via his Grammy Awards performance.
Following his performance of “Stronger,” Kanye launched into a low-key version of “Hey Mama.” Tears welled up in his eyes as his voice broke throughout the performance.
Later, as he accepted the Grammy for Best Rap Album, West addressed the audience regarding his gratitude for their support. “I appreciate all the words of support, appreciate all the prayers.”
As his speech became more lengthy, producers tried to usher him offstage by playing music over his talking. But Kanye wasn’t having it. He boldly declared, “It would be in good taste to stop the music now.”
He continued, “I know you’re really proud of me right now, and I know you wouldn’t want me to stop … and mama, all I want to do is keep making you proud.”
To watch Kanye West & Daft Punk perform Stronger live at the Grammys
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To see the entire photo gallery from the 2008 GRAMMY Awards (February 10) - !
The Latest on Scrubs, Chuck, Betty and More!
Hey, tuberinos! Much to discuss today with all the tubelicious goodness of the new season. (Anyone else have a DVR that's about to explode? Ay!) So, let's get to your Q's…
Michelle in Cayucos, California: Any news on Scrubs? It's coming back soon, right?
Next Thursday, in fact! And I'll be hitting the premiere party this Wednesday to ask the cast your questions, so please email your good, funny and plentiful questions. BTW, Zach Braff just updated his blog with this news about the final season, saying: "I directed episode five, and I'll be directing three more this season. Bill Lawrence [the show's creator] is directing four himself, so between the two of us, we're directing almost half the whole season. I think you will like this last year; there are a bunch of surprises. Look for the return of almost everyone who's had a small part on the show. Including my favorite: Hooch, who is actually crazy…" I can't wait!
Farrah in Madison, Wisconsin: I am loving Chuck! Please tell me it is not in danger of cancellation.
As far as I know, it's not. But it certainly can use your support! If you're a fan of Chuck (i.e., you have good taste), make sure to tell everyone you know to watch it! I've heard that the upcoming episodes with Chuck's blossoming (dare I say?) romance with Sara and, of course, the awesome guest spot by Rachel Bilson, just get better and better.
Julie in Cincinnati: Women's Murder Club was great! Any dish?
The show made a killing on Friday with 11 million viewers (and that knocked Friday Night Lights' ratings down a bit—sniff). FYI, the pilot we originally saw of WMC was radically different than the episode that aired Friday. The original pilot was Law & Order with chicks; the redo was Sex and the City with homicide. Also, in the original there was a completely different crime, the love interest was Matthew Davis (What About Brian) not Rob Estes, the tagalong chick was another DA (instead of Cindy the reporter), and there was most definitely a club. The show is still great, but I liked it better when the women were more badass.
Heidi in Montreal: Loving Samaire Armstrong back on my TV in Dirty Sexy Money! What's coming for Juliet?
Well, you may have heard that according to Samaire's rep, she "decided to enter an outpatient facility to deal with some personal issues in a therapeutic atmosphere and is doing very well." We wish her the best of luck in her recovery. And word is, she'll only miss one episode. Before that, according to Seth Gabel, who plays Jeremy, "We have a lot of battles over who I should be dating. As my twin sister, she has sort of a say in what happens in my life, or so she thinks. And we sort of come against each other trying to find out." In other Dirty news, I hear that Nick learns more about his father's past during this week's trip to Italy.
Wendell in Miami: The "radio silence" is killing me! Do you have anything at all to report on Lost?
That makes two of us! I can only tell you that Robin Weigert, who plays Juliet's cancer-kickin' (or did she?) sister, Rachel, has a gut feeling she's going to be back on the show. Robin told me during a visit to her new show, Life, that although nothing has been set in stone: "I think that character will definitely be back at some point, as I think will all of the flashback characters, because there will inevitably be a point when people reconnect. We've seen a flash-forward which shows some folks have made it off the island, reconnect with their loved ones. Beyond that, I don't know."
Here's hoping we see her alive and well and with the little one! In the meantime, make sure you tune into that other four-lettered L-word show, Life. (And be sure to check out our set visit on the Vine.)
Dominic in Milwaukee: How does the possible writer's strike effect Lost in February? Thanks!
The good news is that the Lost writers didn't take much of a break at all between seasons, and production started in July as usual, despite the delayed season-premiere launch date. So, if the strike does go down, Lost might be one of the few shows we'll still be seeing after the other series' eps run dry. It'll be that and the rebirth of sterling reality series like The Littlest Groom and Who's My Daddy? (If we don't have Lost, I might go work at Starbucks.)
Jasmine in Nebraska: I love Kenneth the Page! Is Jack McBrayer like his character in real life?
More than you'd think! I'm told the reason Kenneth couldn't talk to Jerry Seinfeld in the season premiere is that Jack McBrayer was so flustered around Jerry Seinfeld that he couldn't say his lines—or anything at all! Love. It.
Raddison in Utah: I can't wait for the new season of Project Runway! Any scoop?
Just that I already have my number-one pick to win: Season four Project Runway contestant Christina Scarbo is a wardrobe stylist who helps us out for E! News, and she is adorable, smart, talented and funny, and if she doesn't win, I might have to boycott the show! (Until the next season anyway.) I'm hard-core rooting for Miss Scarbo. Consider yourself warned.
Francisco in Milan: What's up with Tim Gunn's new show?
I've heard Tim Gunn's Guide to Style has been put on hold until at least the premiere of PR on Nov. 14. Rumor has it the show may be getting a little work done.
Misty in Cincinnati: Love, love, love Pushing Daisies! Where can I find my very own pie maker? One question, though: Who is voicing the narration? The voice sounds so familiar, but I can't place it. Is it the same voice from the Willy Wonka remake?
The Pushing Daisies narration is done by Jim Dale, who is best known in the U.S. for being the voice of the Harry Potter audio books. And by the by, make sure you don't blink this Wednesday. It's the episode in which I play a dead body.
Diana in New York City: Anything on Battlestar Galactica yet?
There's a promo for season four over on YouTube. And by the way, if you were within a ten-mile radius of the E! building on Friday and heard an ear-piercing sound that resembled a hyena getting attacked by a wildcat, that would be the moment our resident cult-TV expert (and die-hard BSG fan) Jennifer Godwin received a copy of Razor in the mail. (I know. I hate her a little, too.) We'll post a Razor preview item in the next few days. Hang tight.
Juni in Wilmington, North Carolina: What happened? Where is October Road? Where is Lipstick Jungle? Where is that Will Traveler show? I'm confused, please help! P.S.: Congrats!
October Road returns in late November; the exact date is still to be determined. Lipstick Jungle isn't on the schedule yet, but shooting begins next month. And Traveler was all canceled while you weren't looking. Sorry—TV is so cruel. P.S. Thank you!
SPOILERS FOLLOW
Dahlia in Memphis, Tennessee: Any word on Grey's or Weeds (the two best shows on television)?
Then you're gonna love this news! I'm hearing that Jeffrey Dean Morgan (aka Izzie's Denny) is being courted to come back to Weeds, playing a freaking ghost! You do remember he is Nancy Botwin's ex, right? Well, I hear that—spoiler alert!—there's gonna be a big ol' fire in Agrestic, and Shane will start seeing Daddy Botwin (JDM) afterward. More than one family we know may be losing his or her house. Eek!
MBernal in Dearborn, Michigan: Please tell me Betty isn't actually going to pick that annoying sandwich guy over Henry!
Actually, I'm hearing Henry and Betty may be moving in together soon! Are they living in love or are they living in sin? You be the judge!
Tamara in Syracuse, New York: I love Chuck! Any scoop?
Rachel Bilson’s character, Lou, comes with some baggage—in the form of a strong, Greek ex-boyfriend named Stavros. Also, look for Chuck to have an amusing run-in with Lou’s former beau. As we reported a few weeks ago, it looks like the very much alive Bryce will be working alongside Sarah, Casey and Chuck. Don't forget to watch tonight!
Ginger in Chicago: Got anything Losty? I'm not too proud to take scraps.
You and me both, sister. Jorge Garcia confirmed to thefuselage.com that there will be a death in season four. Yeek! Anybody got a guess? If so, comment below. I've heard many of the castmembers are now living off the island full-time, flying in for episodes, which doesn't exactly help me sleep well at night. (I'm pretty sure Evangeline, Josh, Matthew and Daniel are still residing in Hawaii, but not sure of the others.)
Megan in Dexter, Michigan: The clock is ticking. Three months two days and 41 seconds till 24 returns (or something like that). Any scoop on the new season?
Yes! The storyline involving Africa, which the writers have been toying around with for some time, will still be part of Day 7 in some capacity. We're hearing rumors about an African general who'll be committing genocide in his native country–mass murdering on a scale so horrific that the U.S. government won't be able to ignore it.
Marshall in Idaho: Please! Some Office dirt!
I just hit the set on Friday, and you won't believe who was there: Jim and…Karen!! Gaaah!! And Joss Whedon! Double gaaah! Needless to say, I have much to tell you after visiting the show's Utica branch (whoops, did I just type that?!) and that will be coming your way much closer to the episode airdate. For the time being, all I know is I heard Michael tell Jim, "Get back together with her and take her to a hotel and sleep with her," and it made my skin crawl! (P.S.: Love ya, Rashida. Honestly. But keep your paws off Pam's man!)
Randall in Las Vegas: I am loving Pushing Daisies. What's the word!?
The word is pigeons! The pesky flying rodents will be the subject of next week's episode, with a special appearance by Henry and Hiro's former love, Jayma Mays, in the windmill. It's a very romantic episode for which I sneaked a peek of a script and loved.
Quentin in Palos Verdes, California: Heroes!
The latest Redux will be up after tonight's episode! So stand by. In the meantime, I can tell you that midseason, look for a new villain. They're currently casting for a "predator" type named Knox who returns to his native city of New Orleans, "the criminal territory he used to run before he was sent to prison." This puts him directly in the path of Micah, his great-aunt Uhura (Nichelle Nichols, who plays D.L.'s aunt) and a character we'll meet shortly, Monica Daniels (played by Dana Davis).
Debbie in Grand Haven, Michigan: Brothers & Sisters?
Look for the Walker-McCallister wedding to take place at the Walkers' home, and Nora will be giving away the bride! (I can feel the tears a-comin'!) And here's some scoop to make you go hmmm….
Melinda in Sand Point, Idaho: Gossip Girl!
Good morning, Upper East Siders. Word on the street is that we'll be seeing more of the main characters' extended family members before the end of the year. I'm told S's granny is going to be played by someone we're already familiar with, and Dan's MIA mommy may make an appearance pretty soon. Should be juicy! XOXO, TV Gossip Girl
Gena in Portland, Oregon: Any Medium news to tide me over during the eternity I have to wait before the show comes back?
Devalos is back! After being ousted from the D.A.'s office for spending taxpayer dollars on a psychic (Allison), he starts out the season as an average-Joe attorney at law, but we're hearing that somewhere around the middle of the season, he declares himself a candidate for his old job. Yay!
Clarissa in Tulsa, Oklahoma: Loving Dirty Sexy Money! Is Patrick ever going to get busted for his, um, indiscretions?
Yes, according William Baldwin, who plays young Patrick, and it just leads to more fabulously juicy complications. "Bellamy Young and I were in a scene a couple of days ago, and when her character, Ellen, my wife, found out about this, she called for a powwow. And I'm like, 'With who?' And she said, 'The three of us.' And I said, 'You me and…?' And she said, 'Yes, you, me and Carmelita, your mistress.' And I'm like, 'About what?' And she said, 'I'm not about to let her stand between us and the White House. I did not marry a Darling for nothing.' And we'll figure out what that means."
MaryM in Canton, Ohio: I can't wait for October Road to come back! What's coming up?
It doesn't look as though Owen and his cheating wife will reconcile, much to her dismay. Not anytime soon, anyway. We're hearing the big guy will be dating a bit in season two.
Belinda in Fresno, California: What can you tell us about the Mad Men finale?
Well, according to Jon Hamm (Don Draper), "It's a good way to end the season. I'll put it that way. It makes it a very complete story, but it also opens the door for more conflict and more to be discovered." Mike Gladis, who plays pipe-smoking smartass Paul Kinsey, says, "I think the finale is more of a denouement." Two more fun facts: David Kronke of the Los Angeles Daily News says Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is totally pregnant. Oh, Peg. What are we going to do with you? Also, did you see that Matt Weiner recently talked to Advertising Age about Jack Daniels being a product placement on the show? He was quoted as saying, "They have this whole list of how it [Jack Daniels] can be used…I jokingly said to AMC, 'Would they mind if it was being used to sterilize instruments in an underground abortion?' "
Quentin in Tacoma, Washington: Have you guys heard the rumor that season two of Mad Men will jump two years forward, to 1962?
After getting a "no comment" from the publicist last week, we made a point to ask creator Matt Weiner about those rumors when we saw him at the Paley Center. He said, "I will neither confirm nor deny that." Does that mean yes? We think yes, that means yes, but post your analysis in the Comments. And would the leap work for you, or would you rather follow the denizens of Sterling-Cooper more closely?
Judy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island: You guys never talk about Greek, but it's such a good show! Everyone needs to watch it when it starts back up!
For the record, we love Greek, and we're hearing there might be some changes at ZBZ next season. Seems the girls really do run an equal-opportunity sorority, since there may be a lesbian sister in the house whom we just haven't met yet.
Lady Sweeney in St. Louis: Anything on Monk?
In an upcoming episode, "Mr. Monk on the Run," Mr. Monk himself is accused of murder and goes on the lam. I smell an Emmy nom for Tony Shalhoub!
Valerie in Pasadena, California: Any news on Bones?
Please don't tell the children, but Santa Claus is dead. Well, on Bones at least. Look for a Christmas episode called "The Santa in the Slush," where the team investigates the murder of one Kris Kringle, occupation: mall Santa. Bonus: Booth is back to using his gun (no, his firearm, you sicko) inappropriately. One can only hope this road leads back to Stephen Fry. Also, if you're one of the Bones fans who have been emailing me for the past couple years asking, "When's Jeffersonian Institute director Goodman coming back from his so-called sabbatical?" you should turn into episode two of Women's Murder Club. Jonathan Adams plays coroner Claire's husband. He's recently been paralyzed, and they're struggling together to come to terms with the impact of this on their marriage.
Jake in Tucson, Arizona: What’s the real scoop between Rebecca and Sam on Beauty and the Geek?
I recently spoke to Rebecca, who told me the relationship was real and not created for the cameras, and it sounds like she's still into him. "I would be willing to live closer [to Sam]," she said. We'll see!
That's all for today. Email me your Q's. Then check back later for more scoop!
—Additional reporting by Korbi Ghosh, Jennifer Godwin and Michael Berner
Family Guy: Long John Peter (season finale) - VIDEO
(S06E12) As a result of adopting (and by adopting, I mean bird-napping) a parrot from the veterinarian’s office, Peter becomes a pirate. The sad part was that it wasn’t even International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day.
Actually, that’s not really what the episode is about. It’s more about Chris’ pursuit of a vet intern named Anna. While Chris’ pursues Anna, he gets advice from Peter and the gang (which, as the history of the show has proven, is never a good idea).
The pirate segment of the episode wasn’t very good and seemed out of place. Fortunately, it was very short. Despite its use in the promos, it was kind of forgettable. I did enjoy the car chase bit involving “sugar cane, tobacco and spices”. The car chase itself seemed like something of a cross between a pirate movie and a video-game.
I did like the fact that the British driver was on the left side of the road, which is the correct side in England. It made for a better sword fight that way.
Once the episode focused more on Chris and Anna’s attempt at a relationship, things got interesting and the show was more like the style from before it’s cancellation.
It was nice to see the whole gang of Cleveland, Quagmire and Joe appear in the episode, even though they had minor roles. Enjoy your Cleveland appearances now since he’ll be having his own show soon.
Segments from the show that were funny:
- When Chris, upon seeing Anna, breaks out into the song “Crazy For You” from the movie Vision Quest that was performed by Madonna.
- The vet’s name “Doctor Jewish”.
- “Over the next 90 minutes, all your problems can be solved by my penis”.
- Peter attempting to get rid of the dead frog.
- Stewie showing up in drag on Chris’ blind date.
- Chris’ method of finding a way back to the vet’s office.
- Brian’s completely messed up face and body after Chris used aforementioned method of getting back to the vet.
Segments from the show that crossed the line of good taste:
- Michael J. Fox as Zorro.
- The Family Guy reason behind the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.
- The first attempt to get Brian sick by lifting up Meg’s shirt.
I would like to see Anna again as a recurring character. I like her and think she’s much better for Chris than Jillian was for Brian.
This episode marks the end of this season of Family Guy. This was probably as a result of the writer’s strike. Only 12 episodes were in the season and the remainder of the ones written but not produced are being used for the next. On a positive note, the DVD set for the season should be cheaper. As a result of all this, the episode didn’t feel so much like a season finale as rather just another mid-season episode (albeit a good one).
With that in mind, this season finale was a high note. While it certainly wasn’t as strong as the opening Star Wars parody episode (which, truthfully, is pretty hard to beat as the season’s best), I’m hoping this episode is a sign of the show going back to its roots of using more character development and fewer free-associative gags.