Like a dental appointment that ends with news of not just one, but two cavities, this week's back-to-back announcements from the set of Desperate Housewives -- first, that Andrea Bowen will be reprising her role as Susan's daughter Julie (an Ausiello exclusive!), and second that Maiara Walsh (Carlos' scheming niece Ana) has been promoted to series regular -- were, to say the least, unwelcome! I mean, seriously? Bowen and Walsh's individual line readings are so deeply unconvincing, the ladies risk getting upstaged if there's so much as a house plant in a scene with 'em. And this raises a burning question for me: For a show that's never had a problem casting women of a certain age -- think Kathryn Joosten, Lupe Ontiveros, or the fabulous Harriet Sansom Harris -- how come Desperate Housewives has such a dreadful track record with younger actresses (none worse than Joy Lauren as Bree's beastly daughter Danielle)? Am I the only one who thinks Housewives' casting department should outsource any decisions involving actresses under the age of 30? And while we're on the subject, which young (talented) actresses would you like to see make their way to Wisteria Lane? I'd choose Summer Glau, EW's recent pick as a 2009 SciFi hottie, and maybe even her Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles costar Leven Rambin (love that chick!). Your turn, so please sound off below!
So the TV gossip gods are all aflutter this morning over the news that Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan will be leaving her role as neighborhood floozy Edie Britt in April. (Why did I just single her out as the "neighborhood floozy"? They're all floozies!) Naturally, the announcement is already raising some questions--head over to the latest installment of Ask Ausiello to read my esteemed colleague's opinion--and I must admit that it's made me a little sadder than I expected. I didn't really think I was an Edie Britt fan, but taken as a whole, Housewives has been a lot sparkier, campier, and downright funnier because of Sheridan's vampy performance. The one-time Knots Landing ingenue has always done a nice job of balancing Edie's emotionally icy exterior with the softer, needy side that emerges from time to time. She hasn't always been the most likable of Housewives, but Wisteria Lane is going to be a lot less fun without Edie gallivanting down the street in tube tops and Daisy Dukes.
What do you think? Are you happy about the news that Sheridan (or is it just Edie?) will be leaving the Housewives canvas? Will the show suffer without her? Talk to me!
Yesterday, Desperate Housewives, in effect, got reelected for another term. Four more years! According to reports — although the deal isn't sealed yet — creator Marc Cherry is supposedly in talks to extend the series for four more seasons beyond this May, taking it through the end of the 2012-2013 season.
It's an interesting change because just last spring, Marc Cherry was adamant that he would leave the series at seven seasons: "I
don't want to be one of those series that goes on and on and on and by
the time it finishes up its run, no one cares anymore,'' he told EW's Jennifer Armstrong. ''The
great thing about The Mary Tyler Moore Show was that we missed it when
it went away. I feel like I already had my down year, season 2, and now
I'm trying to protect the memory."
But that cut-off date seems to have gone out the window now. And that's likely because of the show's creative resurgence this season, which fast-forwarded five years and provided five years of delicious secrets for the show's writers to slowly unearth. Hi, Dave Williams storyline this season! And, with Grey's Anatomy sagging so much in the ratings, Desperate has become ABC's top scripted show and is behind only Dancing With the Stars as the net's No. 1 series. That's pretty impressive for a show in its fifth season.
But, PopWatchers, how do you feel about four more seasons of Desperate Housewives? Do you think the producers have it in them to churn out that much more story? Will we have to do yet another flash-forward in a season or two? What would you like to see the ladies of Wisteria Lane do in the next few years?
"Gale Harold is out of intensive care and improving daily," a rep for the Desperate Housewives actor, who was injured Oct. 14 in a motorcycle accident, said in a statement issued Thursday night. "A full recovery is expected. He thanks everyone for their good wishes."
Now that we know Gale Harold -- who, you may have noticed, has his own category on PopWatch -- is recovering nicely, I'd like to take a moment to do the following:
1. Remind people that the correct way to inform someone that a person he or she enjoys has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident is not to send an e-mail with the subject line "Gale!!!" It's true, three exclamation points does convey a sense of urgency, but chances are your friend will be thinking that the emergency is something good, like, a rare talk show appearance that she or he needs to tape. Recommended reading on the proper handling of a PCH (Pop Culture Heartache): The PopWatch Confessional (Vol. 36). Have more tips/stories? Share them below.
2. Inform my colleague Michael Slezak that I will not be returning the giant comforting cheeseburger-shaped pillow that I borrowed from his office on Oct. 15 (after reading an email with the subject line "Gale!!!"). I know it was a gift (from Annie Barrett, naturally), but I've never once seen him hold it the way I did that day. (At my desk. As I worked.)
Oh no! From the mixed-up files of Mr. Michael X. Ausiello: Andrea Bowen will return to Desperate Housewives as Julie, Susan's one-note, usually inconsequential daughter who started off the series in an awkward phase and then we realized the awkward phase was going to last her entire life. Julie will tow home a much older boyfriend in the form of Steven Weber -- for just one episode. (Hooray!)
This got me thinking: Why do I hate Julie? No apparent reason! Nothing about her is villainous; she's just...there, and I don't like it. It's the same way I felt about Crystal from Roseanne. It's not like Natalie West couldn't act. I probably just hated that the character was so pathetic. I remember watching Roseanne and mentally deleting Crystal from the Conners' kitchen all the time. It wasn't easy. Thank god we have Photoshop for that kind of thing today.
Quick, name the TV characters you irrationally hate!
Two of my favorite ABC series have gone the "add a child!" route, but in the battle betweenDesperate Housewives Juanita (Madison Lovato) and Ugly Betty's Daniel Jr. (Julian De La Celle), it's no contest (obvs)! Let's compare, shall we?
Juanita Fun: Overindulges in cake
Active: Hops on a city bus (alone!) to thwart Gaby's unsubtle exercise scheme
Playful: Engages in game of 'tag' with mom's convertible
Stylish: Rocks pink princess dresses
Bonus points: Likes her veggies covered in processed cheese
Daniel Jr.
Dreary: Refuses to eat meals
Passive: Locks self in room to thwart dad
Hostile: Sprays Betty with silly string, causing motorcycle crash
Frumpy: Long, floppy locks decidedly age-inappropriate
Automatic penalty: Whines in French
The winner: Juanita, by a landslide! (Even better, the kid has brought out a completely new yet totally hilarious aspect of Gaby's [Eva Longoria Parker] personality.) Of course, you can add to Juanita's tally, or place a vote for little Daniel, in the comments section below!
Last week, Media Life Magazine reported on a new study from Marketing Evaluations, The Q Scores Company, which measured and ranked viewers' emotional attachment to broadcast TV shows during the '07-'08 season. ("Emotional attachment" was defined as how committed you are to continuing to watch a show.) This list of the 20 series that garnered the greatest devotion (I've included it after the jump) definitely got EW's TV department talking.
And that conversation got me thinking: Let's do our own informal poll for the '08-'09 season: Name the five broadcast TV shows you are most committed to watching this fall. (I know we all love our cable, so this may hurt a little.)
My list:
1. Fox's Bones (for those of you wondering where the PopWatch love has been, Abby West will be bringing it back starting this week)
2. ABC's Brothers & Sisters (I would happily marry into the Walker clan, if only for the wine; pictured, David Annable and Emily VanCamp) (Also: Slezak is recapping later today in PopWatch, fear not)
3. ABC's Desperate Housewives (for as long as Gale Harold is on, anyway; bonus pic of him with Teri Hatcher, after the jump!)
4. The CW's Privileged (it's like an ABC Family Channel original movie, only well-written!)
5. I was gonna say CBS' Ghost Whisperer — I've got to see where they're headed with David Conrad's character — but really, it's ABC's Boston Legal. They know it's their last season, which should give them plenty of time to plot an appropriately insane, verbose, and (above all) affectionate exit for Denny Crane (William Shatner) and Alan Shore (James Spader). In the season premiere, Alan took on Big Tobacco and Denny thought his penis had Alzheimer's — very promising.
After seeing this behind-the-scenes photo of new cast member Gale Harold on ABC's press site, my excitement level for Desperate Housewives' Sept. 28 season premiere was at a 10 — even with the hair that I would trim and the shirt that I would lose. So you can imagine the squeal excitement at 5:52 p.m. ET last night, when I received an email saying that ABC had just uploaded the episode to the site. I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say that this — or any — shirt really isn't an issue in his first two scenes as Susan's lover.
The Emmys shortlists keep trickling in over at the swashbuckling Gold Derby -- here are the 10 baked hams in the running for America's Next Top Comedy Actress:
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? ("The Restraining Order") Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives ("Now You Know") America Ferrera, Ugly Betty ("Odor in the Court") Tina Fey, 30 Rock ("Sandwich Day") Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies ("Bitter Sweets") Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives ("Now I Know, Don't Be Scared") Eva Longoria Parker, Desperate Housewives ("In Buddy's Eyes") Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine ("One and a Half Men") Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds ("Bill Sussman") Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program ("Bored of the Rings")
Our selected image suggests we care that OMG TERI HATCHER WAS SNUBBED THIS YEAR. Not really. I'm of the opinion that to expect four actresses from the same not-always-hilarious series to get noms just because they're equally overexposed off-screen and get relatively equal time on-screen, is ludicrous. (And anyhow, isn't series newcomer Dana Delany's omission the real shocker?) Anyhow, I'll be surprised if Huffman, Longoria, and Cross all get nods in lieu of first-time potential nominees Applegate or Silverman, who carry their own shows. Rejoice or disapprove in the comments below, or if you just don't know what to think about the shortlist and airport security simply refuses let you through with that attitude, follow the fine example in the clip below!
So the TV gossip gods are all aflutter this morning over the news that Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan will be leaving her role as neighborhood floozy Edie Britt in April. (Why did I just single her out as the "neighborhood floozy"? They're all floozies!) Naturally, the announcement is already raising some questions--head over to 
Yesterday, Desperate Housewives, in effect, 
"Gale Harold is out of intensive care and improving daily," a rep for the Desperate Housewives actor, who was 
Oh no! 
Two of my favorite ABC series have gone the "add a child!" route, but in the battle between
Last week, 
After seeing this behind-the-scenes photo of new cast member 
The Emmys shortlists keep trickling in over at the swashbuckling 
