Below, the week's most potent quotables -- from The Office, Bones, How I Met Your Mother, Survivor, and more! Anyone who's sick of having Twilight drilled into his or her consciousness Clockwork Orange style (we had no idea PopWatch could be so effective!) won't want to miss the Goth vs. Vamp South Park clip at the end. (You can watch the whole episode online, here. Trust me, you want to. Five words: Hot Topic store on fire.) Come on, don't be a douchebag vampire wannabe boner. Press play. "All of you."
Share your favorite quote from this week's TV, below!
Last night's Betty was great for lots of reasons, but let's talk about just two of them. First, Marc (Michael Urie) and Betty (America Fererra) really patched things up and are now headed to the Y.E.T.I. (Young Editors Training Iniative) together. The end of the episode was so touching between them, especially when they said they're "gonna be huge." Sweet, right?
Second, of course, there were a boatload of great sound bites. So I've rounded them all up here for your enjoyment. Check out the video of the four best quips of the night, and then vote in the poll below. Want even more? Of course you do. A roundup of all the night's best bites are after the jump. Leave some love in the comments section. Tell me which is your favorite — or which ones I missed!
The scariest/most greatest thing ever happened on last night's Ugly Betty: Wilhelmina wielded a hunting rifle! And no, she wasn't using it to kill of any of her rivals at Mode. Although, she did threaten Claire with it once. But honestly, who knew Willy was a hunter? Of course, the situation brought about a plethora of great one-liners for the ferocious editrix, which brings us right to the issue at hand. Last night's equally heart-warming (Daniel's love for Betty is so sweet) and sad (poor Cliff!) episode, as usual, was rife with quippy quips and bitey bites. So, like always, we've got a short video with the three best bites, followed by a poll. So watch and vote for your favorite. Then click through the jump for a round-up of all the best bites from the night. Don't see your favorite listed? Tell me about it in the comments!
On last night's stellar Ugly Betty, both Jesse (Val Emmich) and Betty (America Fererra) uttered a catchphrase I'll be incorporating into my vernacular: "You're a snow day." How sweet is that? So simple and so powerful all at the same time. I'm just thinking about how, especially back in my school days, a snow day would make everything better. And that's the idea here, obvs.
But last night's best Betty sound bites, as usual, didn't come from Betty herself. This week, Marc (Michael Urie) ruled with sassy lines referencing everything from Dick Cheney to Barbra Streisand. So that's why this week's Ugly Betty Bites video is an all-Marc edition! (Okay, there's a teeny bit of Vanessa Williams' sublime Wilhelmina throw in for good measure.) Enjoy the video, then vote for your favorite Marc bon mot in our PopWatch poll. And, of course, a round-up of all the other genius lines of the night -- and a bonus picture of Willy's Fashion Moment of the Week -- are after the jump. Don't see the quip you loved in the list? Please slap it up in the comments section!
No, no, no…not you, PopWatchers. I'm referring to the subjects of EW.com's brand new (and must-read) photo gallery, "Our 20 Favorite Movie/TV Idiots," which includes my personal favorite, the utterly ridiculous (and perpetually hilarious) Amanda Tanen (Becki Newton) of Ugly Betty. Watch a classic clip (embedded below) of Amanda performing Kelis' "Milkshake" to entertain the audience during an (unexpected) break at the Wilhelmina Slater-Bradford Meade wedding, and after the jump, an Amanda highlight reel (featuring her extra-special pronunciation of "hola").
Anyhow, do read our gallery, and when you're done, head to the comments section and tell us which idiots we left off our list. Without calling us idiots, of course.
Happy Friday, Ugly Betty fans! Isn't it always a Happy Friday when PopWatch serves up a load of the best sound bites from Ugly Betty? I think so! Last night, we saw the fiery end of Lindsay Lohan. And, natch, the episode was a doozy in terms of funny lines. Watch our video below for last night's three best quips, then vote for your favorite in the poll that follows. Looking for even more bites? Follow the jump for a round-up of the rest. And, of course, leave your opinions in the comments section: Did I miss a particularly great Ugly Betty bite? Which was your favorite? Who's the most biting biter: Willy (Vanessa Williams) or Amanda (Becki Newton)?
After a couple of serious episodes, Ugly Betty roared back last night with a quip-filled episode of pure fun. Lindsay Lohan was back as Kimmie Kegan! Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) and Daniel (Eric Mabius) went on a date! Marc (Michael Urie) and Amanda (Becki Newton) were as nasty as ever! The target of most of the jabs: Betty (America Fererra), of course! And I've rounded up those jabs here. Watch our video of the top three bites of the night, and then cast a vote for your fave in our poll below. A digest of the best lines follow the jump -- if I missed some of your faves, let me know on the message board!
Yikes! Last night was the second episode of Ugly Betty in a row to be overly serious. I want rambunctious, witty, quippy Betty back. Now! I know the show's producers are on this big kick right now to get back to the show's "heart," but does that have to happen at the expense of the funny? Anyway, I still culled the best lines from the episode, titled "Betty Suarez Land," and present them here to you. The best two of the evening -- one, naturally, from Willy (Vanessa Williams) and the other from her doting assistant Marc (Michael Urie -- are in the video right below. Watch it once, twice, or a zillion times, then vote in the accompanying poll. Follow the jump for a (rather short) list of the best of the rest.
Last night, Ugly Betty took rather strange turn into murder mystery territory,
with Betty (America Ferrera) interrogating most of the Mode staff about
where they were when Christina (Ashley Jensen) was pushed down the
stairs at the end of the previous episode. That's a new one -- Betty solving crimes! The whole conceit made for a rather somber
night in terms of sound bites. The second half of the episode was so
heavy -- with Alexis (Rebecca Romijn) being carted off to jail for the
crime -- that it yielded nary a good line. But never fear! I scraped
together the best quips of the evening and have them here for your
enjoyment, and naturally, Willy (Vanessa Williams) again delivered. Take a look at the video below for the best three-- one each
from Willy, Claire (Judith Light), and Amanda (Becki
Newton) -- and then vote for your favorite in our poll. All the rest of
the best bites are after the jump.
How delicious was last night’s episode of Ugly Betty? Hands down, the best moment was the hammy flash-forward scene where we saw a future version of Betty (America Fererra) reimagined in the divalicious image of Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams). Honestly, who requests a snack of carrot shavings? And that bit with the puppy at the end? Genius! The sequence produced at least one of the night’s best bites, which is one of the four moments included in our “Quote Off” video pitting the best Betty quips of the night against each other. Watch the video, then vote for your favorite in our poll below. The rest of the night’s best lines are after the jump. Oh, and don’t forget to leave your own comments telling me which of your favorites I missed!
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!
One of the best parts of Ugly Betty is the campy show’s hilarious, over-the-top quips from its cast of crazy characters. Remember how you almost choked on your extra-skinny latte when Wilhelmina (Vanessa Williams) uttered the now-classic line “Did you just gesture at me when you said Kwanzaa?” In that spirit, each week there’s a new episode of Betty, I’ll bring you a roundup of the best lines from the night before. Don't be surprised if Willy dominates them—she dominates everything!
Here’s the really fun part: We’ll also post a quick video of my top three for a Quote Off. Check it out below, then after the jump, get the rundown of my nine favorite sound bites from last night, and head to the comments section to vote for your faves (and tell me which ones I missed!).
Look, I didn't want to have to run another photo of Ugly Betty's Vanessa L. Williams on PopWatch this week -- okay, that's a blatant lie -- but after she got snubbed by Emmy tonight for the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy statuette, I had no choice but to vent. No disrespect to Jean Smart, who's a terrific actress, but let me just say that Samantha Who? rhymes with "get a clue!" I know, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I just finished four hours of grueling live blogging, my brain aches a little, and nothing makes sense in a world where the woman who has given us two seasons of Wilhelmina Slater awesomeness still doesn't have a freakin' Emmy! So yeah, Vanessa (L. Yeah) Williams is my pick for the biggest Emmy snub of 2008. (First runner-up goes to Lost, naturally. The show's total shutout on the Emmy telecast was completely screwy, though a well-dressed birdie tells me the ABC drama could still take home a little something from EWwy when those winners are announced right here on EW.com at 10 a.m. EDT today.)
It wasn't all bad, though. I let out a little "squeee!" when under-the-radar (but totally worthy) Zeljko Ivanek took home the trophy for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work on Damages. When you look at this fine character actor's IMDb page, you realize he's been in pretty much everything, without ever managing to become a household name. And so a night that finds him taking home one of his industry's most prestigious prizes can't be all bad. Not to mention that shows with small (but passionate) audiences like Breaking Bad, 30 Rock, In Treatment, Damages, and Mad Men got the kind of recognition that -- while it doesn't always lead to increased audiences -- can help to keep the Grim Reaper at bay for an extra season or two.
Anyhow, I'm wondering what you all thought of the 2008 Emmys telecast. What were the biggest snubs? Which winners had you cheering from your living room? Vent or celebrate or do a little of both on our message boards right now!
Ugly Betty is blessedly back in just six days, but fellow Betty lovers, can you believe it's been nearly four months since we've heard a classic put-down from Wilhelmina Slater?! Honestly, how are you surviving? Well, if you're like me, you're enjoying the show's latest vodcast, in which Betty faves (and EWwy nominees) Michael Urie and Becki Newton lead a tour of the show's new New York City-based sets. (Betty moved production from LA this year.) The delightful video (check it out below!) doesn't reveal too much about season 3 plotlines, yet it's worth watching for a peek at Wilhelmina's austere redesign of Mode HQ. Even though she's didn't commandeer Daniel's office for herself, it will be home to her spawn. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Willy's decorating style for the nursery, which looks like it sprang from an episode of HGTV Design Star starring Cruella de Vil.
So that video is below, but unfortunately, you won't find any classic put-downs from Willy there. If you're like me and need a little something from your favorite diva, check out the "I Don't Get Wet (Remix)" on YouTube. (I sometimes sing this to my EW colleague Annie Barrett. It's very catchy.) You'll be grooving to a techno version of Willy's spat with guest star Betty White. Or, just watch the hilariously satisfying scene where Wilhelmina and Marc (Urie) duke it out in the stairwell. Can someone please give this woman an Emmy this weekend? Please?? PopWatchers, don't you think she deserves it?
On Monday night, while attending ABC's premiere party for season 3 of Ugly Betty, I made contact with the No. 1 person on my Celebrities I Want to Meet Before I Die List. Yes, PopWatchers, I got to shake hands with Vanessa (L. Yeah) Williams. Unfortunately, my hand was not the only thing that shook. Other affected limbs included knees, elbows, ankles, jaw, spleen, and, well, let's just say I resembled a sheltered and skittish Chihuahua who suddenly finds himself on the 10-yard line during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. I blurted something about her "Did you just gesture at me when you said Kwanzaa?" line on Betty, my deep appreciation of her classic Comfort Zone disc, and my outrage over her lack of a richly deserved Emmy. For her part, L. Yeah was totally gracious and sweet, which is to say she did not call security. (Good thing my colleague Michael Ausiello was there on official business, and snagged an official interview with Williams and a chat with her fellow Emmy nominee America Ferrera -- do click and watch 'em, people!)
Anyhow, I bring up my hellaciously somewhat embarrassing encounter because this Saturday, Sept. 20, EW will be hosting its annual Emmy party in Los Angeles. I've had a sneak peek at the likely guest list, and suffice to say there are more than a few A-list TV stars (and Emmy nominees) (and EWwynominees) who are planning to attend. We'll have roving reporters (including Mr. Ausiello) in attendance, and we're hoping you'll do our work for us help us brainstorm some questions for the stars of your favorite shows. Yeah, I know, I can't share the guest list (my boss says it's strictly verboten!) but dream big. In a week where I got to meet the woman who plays Wilhelmina Slater, anything is possible. Let's just hope you (and your questions) manage to be a little more eloquent than yours truly.
So let's hear it: If you could meet any current TV actor at our party, who would it be, and what would you ask him or her? (Check EW.com on Sunday and Monday for video from the EW party to see if your questions made the cut!)
Today, EW.com launched its 2008 Emmys Prediction Game (pictured, with a shout-out to Monk's Tony Shalhoub, who celebrates his 100th episode tonight). Submit your picks in 13 major categories, and see how they stack up against those of EW TV expert Michael Ausiello. Come back after the Emmys (Sept. 21, ABC), and find out what position they earned you on the leaderboard. There are prizes — Amazon gift certificates — but we all know the real reward is bragging rights.
Tip: If, in a feeble attempt to speed up the game, you repeatedly click on a nominee and it somehow registers your selection for the next category as well, know you will have an opportunity to switch picks. (No one should have to bet on Dancing With the Stars, other than Annie.)
You may not know it if you arrive here every day via a PopWatch bookmark (holla), but EW.com has a new guy! Michael Ausiello's been breaking exclusive TV scoops on his very own EW.com blog, and today marks the premiere of his new video series, Ausiello TV. Watch for some hot cameos by today's most important A-list celebrities, like Michael Slezak, Kristen Baldwin, and yours truly, "Felicia." (Okay, fine, plus some people who are on real television. Ugly Betty and Project Runway fans, YOU'RE NOT EVEN READY.) Enjoy!
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!
Brace yourselves, TV addicts: The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences have announced the top 10 finalists for Emmy nominations in the Best Comedy Series and Best Drama Series categories. And before we get into snubs territory, it should be noted that fans of PopWatch favorites such as The Wire (left), Friday Night Lights, Mad Men, Flight of the Conchords, and Pushing Daisies have reason to celebrate. No, none of the shows have landed nominations (yet), but they're still in the running for their initial Best Series nods.
The shorlists are as follows. Under consideration for Best Drama are: Boston Legal, Damages, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Lost, Mad Men, The Tudors, and The Wire. Still in the running for Best Comedy are: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Family Guy, Flight of the Conchords, The Office, Pushing Daisies, 30 Rock, Two and a Half Men, Ugly Betty, and Weeds. (Click here to get the specific episodes for which each series is being considered.)
Good news aside, my first response to the lists was this: Where the frak is the nail-bitingly awesome Battlestar Galactica (right)? I call SciFiPhobia! And coming off a particularly strong season, shouldn't Desperate Housewives have won a spot over Two and a Half Men and Family Guy? (Maybe the Emmy overlords feel the residents of Wisteria Lane aren't done paying the price for the Applewhite Incident?)
Who else would make your list of snubs? And which finalists have you doing the happy dance? Holla!
My wish list starts with Damages' Zeljko Ivanek (left), whose heartbreaking portrayal of a morally dubious, sexually conflicted attorney might get overlooked by Emmy voters, considering his FX series last aired in October and featured standout performances by a couple of bigger names — Glenn Close and Ted Danson -- who seem more likely to get kudos. But seriously, I'm calling 911 and reporting a felony crime if Ivanek's name doesn't get included for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama. Similarly, much deserved recognition for the aforementioned (and absolutely sublime) Ms. Williams and headliner America Ferrera on Ugly Betty might lead to a snub for Ana Ortiz (right), despite the fact that her season 2 work as Hilda Suarez went from heartbreaking to hilarious and back — often in the course of a single scene — and even though her reaction shots are among the best in primetime.
Also on my dream nominations list: the consistently gripping Battlestar Galactica for Best Drama (it's time to do the right thing, Emmy voters!); Chandra Wilson, whose mix of brass and brains makes Grey's Anatomy bearable even in its most indulgent moments; Jake Weber, the quiet balance to Patricia Arquette's more ballyhooed genius on Medium; Lost's Yunjin Kim (for that helicopter scene alone); and Mia Wasikowska for HBO's In Treatment (I'm only a few episodes in, but my word, she's tremendous, as you can see in the clip I've embedded after the jump).
Okay, your turn: Which actors, writers, and shows deserve Emmy
nominations? Speak now, or forfeit the right to gripe when the Academy
of Television Arts and Sciences inevitably gets it wrong next month.
Here's a potentially relationship-saving tip for any PopWatchers out there who've been caught by surprise on this 14th of February. If your paramour is passionate about certain ABC primetime shows, send an instant e-valentine,via abc.com, featuring your favorite Lost, Ugly Betty, or Grey's Anatomy character. There are 12 options for each show, and while these obviously double as mini-ads reminding fans to tune in, they're a way to confirm for a loved one that you totally get how much they adore John Locke or Justin Suarez or Dr. Izzy Stevens.
I've been with the same wonderful valentine for many years, and maybe we're over it, but tonight we're eschewing the old five-course candlelight dinner on the town for Lost (pictured). Intellectual seduction, it's powerful stuff! (Let it be known, however, that an e-card featuring Ben Linus surrounded by hearts is no substitute for buying me chocolate. I have cash if you need some.) Take a moment and tell us, PopWatchers: What are you doing on the allegedly-most-romantic night of the year? Extra "rebel" points if your plans are not at all romantic.
There must be a little-known proviso in the Writers Guild rules that permits striking TV writers to pen scenarios for shows other than their own in snarky magazine articles. So it is with New York magazine, which cross-assigned teams of writers from various strike-afflicted shows to dream up season-ending arcs for other strike-afflicted shows. (Hat tip to TV Barn and TV Tattle for the link.) The results aren't as funny as I'd have hoped, though I did enjoy the Simpsons crew's apocalyptic take on The Office. I'd still like to see what, say, Tina Fey's 30 Rock-ers could do with House or Heroes. How about you, PopWatchers? What TV writer swaps would you like to see?
The Golden Globe nominations are in, and while we await expert analysis from EW's Ken Tucker and Dave Karger (keep an eye on our Golden Globes hub), tell us: Which snub hit you the hardest? There's a lot to choose from. For starters:
• Keri Russell (pictured) for Waitress: Would it have been too much to include her alongside Juno's Ellen Page? No room for two quirky indie pregnancy comedies at the HFPA inn?
• Into the Wild: The only love the film got was for Original Score and Song. Sorry, Emile Hirsch and Sean Penn.
• Ugly Betty: Only America Ferrera got a nod. Somewhere, a vacationing Michael Slezak is weeping for Vanessa Williams.
• The Sopranos: Edie Falco was the sole nominee. At least the network dramas — Lost, Heroes, Desperate Housewives,24 — weren't the only ones missing from the top TV category. Which leads us to another question:
Which snubs were actually warranted?
How's this for a juicy casting rumor: An anonymous someone told the New York Observerthat Lindsay Lohan's next big project could be a three-episode guest role on ABC's Ugly Betty. For some celebwatchers, this is just another opportunity to throw shots at one of their favorite punching bags. ("Tipsy Terror Mulls Part," cracks the Observer story's subheadline — yuk, yuk, yuk.) All kidding aside, though, I think this sounds like a pretty smart move for ol' LL Cool LL (pictured).
For one thing, the part sounds like it'd be right up her alley. The Observer's source has her playing "a fallen beauty queen who takes a gig as the assistant manager of the fast food chain where Betty’s dad toils... Betty befriends Ms. Lohan’s character, who has fallen on tough times since high school." And how! It's tough to resist linking that description to Lohan's own career path post-Mean Girls. But the comparison is a useful one for less flippant reasons, too: This part would let Lohan return to the light social comedy that she excels at for the first time in years. Give audiences a chance to laugh with her, not at her, and they just might start respecting her again.
When on Monday night's episode of The HillsLauren Conrad announced that she had the perfect dress she's been holding "on reserve" for her next Amy Astley meeting, what fashionista wasn't foaming at the mouth to see the couture creation she'd pull out? Imagine our surprise when the Teen Vogue-r didn't show up in an LC Original, or something terribly exclusive, but the same form-fitting Black Halo dress (pictured, top right) that has steadily been making its way across the viewing week. First Amanda sported it in Season 1 of Ugly Betty (left), then Susan Meyer crashed a funeral in it on Desperate Housewives (bottom right). (It's also made a slew of red carpet showings, pretty much whenever celebs like Kelly Ripa and Jenny McCarthy want to rock the sexy secretary look.)
As for how much it helped Lauren Conrad with her best impersonation of a highly respectable bow tier, that depends on whether you thought Marc Jacobs left their meeting with a stifled giggle or grimace. Still, from Becki Newton to Teri Hatcher to LC? As they saying goes: One Dress to rule them all...
Perhaps some of you PopWatchers caught Whitney Houston's triumphant return to the world stage at London's Fashion Rocks spectacular? She made the surprise appearance on Thursday (the same day CMT announced a new reality show with the former Mr. Houston, Bobby Brown, who'll try his hand at "Goin' Country!") while introducing Brit girl-group sensation the Sugababes, and looking oh-so-fabulous — glowing, happy and smashingly put together in a white Valentino gown. And she sounded great, too. Not her singing voice, per se, since Whitney didn't perform, but her reading voice.
In fact, it was that TelePrompTer script that, well, prompted me to think of Vanessa Williams. One thing I love about her Ugly Betty character is that indiscernible accent — half-way between old school acting coach and early 20th century Anglo-Saxon Manhattan (neither of which make much sense). Nor does R&B queen-turned-recovering addict, but Whitney's rehabbed drawl had an eerily similar cadence. Which made me think: Wouldn't Whitney be great to play Wilhelmina's, or rather Wanda's, long lost sister? The one got snubbed at the door of Studio 54? Maybe started her own fashion line, under a guy's name, that grew into a multi-million dollar business? See where I'm going here? Talk about a comeback.
Growing up in the '70s, I learned what I thought were two hard and fast laws of fashion: Don't mix plaids with stripes. And never mix multiple plaids in one outfit. And while in recent years I've changed my tune and worn such verboten combinations myself, I've never seen these rules broken with as much panache as on last night's episode of Ugly Betty, where Marc (the fantastic Michael Urie, left) rocked a plaid jacket, plaid shirt, and plaid tie — along with a striped pant! — in what's undoubtedly the fall TV season's greatest fashion triumph. The way his orange pocket hankie tied the whole look together was, as Marc might say himself, "a-mah-zing!"
Oh, and speaking of Ugly (not ugly) trends, I'm pretty sure the clingy purple dress (the one with the gathered front seam and plunging back) that Amanda (Becki Newton, right) had on was the same exact one that Natalie Kimpton (Tamara Feldman) wore to Patrick Darling's Senate campaign launch on Wednesday's Dirty Sexy Money. Fashionistas, discuss! And for those of you reading this and thinking, "Ugh, too gay," you might want to skip the items I'm writing about Madonna, Kylie, and Beyoncé later this morning. Oh, snap!
8:00 p.m. Slow clap: L-Yeah! L-Yeah! Oh wait, sorry, gonna try to be neutral here for at least five minutes. Em-my! Em-my! Em-my!
8:01 p.m. Seeing that this Family Guy medley isn't actually live, you think they could've come up with funnier stuff than a Charlie Sheen pedophilia joke and a bit about the age of the Desperate Housewives ladies. That said, rhyming Zach Braff with "doesn't have to make you laugh" made me chuckle. A little.
8:02 p.m. Oh Fox, so classy with that closeup of T.R. Knight during the Isaiah Washington Joke.
8:05 p.m. Uh-oh. Ryan's trying to be funny. And the audience is trying to be nice and pretending to laugh. But seriously, my dream of a shtick-free Emmys -- where every acting nominee gets a 30-second pre-awards highlight clip is about six minutes away from flatlining.
8:07 p.m. Tell me I did not just hear a Hayden Panettiere age-of-consent joke in the first 10 minutes of the telecast.
8:10 p.m. Maybe Ray Romano said something funny during that technical glitch where they cut to the ceiling? 'Cause I'm not really laughing at any of this mess.
8:11 p.m. Okay, that bit about Romano's sexual encounters ending the
same way as The Sopranos' final episode…that was kinda priceless.
8:13 p.m. I liked Jeremy Piven better when he was on Cupid. And I'm not just saying that because he beat Rainn Wilson.
And the first runner-up for this blog post's headline is... "No, this will not be another enthusiastic plug for Vanessa L. Williams in the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Category." That said, if for any reason the winning headline is not able to complete its duties, the first runner-up will be asked to step in and take its place.
Seriously, though, P-Dubs, with the Emmys less than a week away, it's time to break out the homemade banners and declare your support for your absolute favorite nominee. And while I have to admit that 30 Rock probably gave me my biggest laugh of the season — courtesy of its "There is nothing like New York in the spring!" moment (watch it after the jump) — I'll be rooting hardest for Ugly Betty, the series that gave us "Did you just gesture at me when you said Kwanzaa?", come Sunday night. After all, Betty not only has the highest laughs-per-minute ratio on TV, but it also has the most snubs-per-supporting-cast tally among Emmy nominees. (Check out the Becki Newton highlight reel, also after the jump, if you don't believe me.)
Anyhow, now that I've declared my not terribly surprising Emmy loyalties, it's your turn. So riddle me this: Which show or actor absolutely needs to win an Emmy on Sunday? I dare you to narrow your list to just one! (And if you need a refresher course on the nominees, just in case you still can't believe Battlestar Galactica's not on the list, click here for EW.com's cheat sheet.)
No, seriously! First, Fantasia hits No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart with her lovely "When I See U" (and now it's inched up to No. 42 on the Hot 100). Then yesterday, Vanessa L. Williams (pictured) scores an Emmy nomination for her hellaciously funny turn as stylish Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty (and I didn't even have to give up a kidney). All of which has me wondering: Should I be playing Mega Millions tonight? And have any of you uncovered other recent pop-cultural signs of God's existence?
I'm actually relatively happy at the moment. Perhaps because I don't watch 24, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, or Friday Night Lights — all of which failed to receive Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nods this morning. (Check out the full list of nominees here.) I personally would've put Brothers & Sisters in Grey's Anatomy's slot. However, I humbly accept that surprise and well-deserved Boston Legal love in the category (its first time!) and say thank you, TV Academy.
PopWatch — and EW's Nicholas Fonseca, especially— would like to express our condolences to Ugly Betty's Becki Newton (pictured), whose fine work as receptionist Amanda went unrecognized in the comedy supporting actress category. We were hoping she'd inherit Megan Mullally's funniest-hag-on-TV slot. Maybe next year. PopWatch's Mike Slezak also notes the absence of love for Newton and wonders why there was no recognition for The Office's John Krasinski or any nominations at all for the CW, save for a sound editing nod for Smallville.
While you're waiting for EW's TV critic Gillian Flynn to weigh in on the good and bad of this morning's list, tell us the omissions that have you fuming.
Well, if it wasn't already obvious, now it's official: Vanessa L. Williams is a full-fledged gay icon.
At a panel yesterday at this year's Outfest (i.e. the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival) titled "Ugly Betty is a Beautiful Thing," Williams charmed the designer socks off of the near-capacity crowd. To be fair, so did the rest of her Ugly Betty compatriots — America Ferrera, Eric Mabius, Ana Ortiz, Michael Urie, Judith Light, and exec. producers Silvio Horta and Marco Pennette — but only Williams took to the stage to demonstrate how she taught costar Becki Newton (i.e. scheming Mode magazine staffer Amanda) the dos and don'ts of walking the red carpet. It was right about when Williams began explaining with a knowing grin that one must always stand at a three-quarter turn with one leg arched out to best give the camera a full womanly line that she was completely drowned out by the raucous approving applause from the audience.
The moment was but one of many highlights from the delightful 90-minute conversation between the Ugly Betty peeps and moderator David M. Halbfinger of The New York Times. After the jump, I'll single out some of the best, including some inside scoop on the upcoming season, exec. producer Salma Hayek's unconventional pitch to Betty star Ferrera, and Ms. Williams' big surprise at costar Rebecca Romijn's wedding to Jerry O'Connell.
I've been remiss, PopWatchers. It's been more than 18 months since I brought up a subject of vital pop-cultural importance: TV catchphrases! And while it's hard to fight the nostalgic urge to travel back to the simpler times of December 2005, when I was entertaining friends, coworkers, myself by regularly shouting things like "Hell to the no!" and ''I don't need to see that" (now a classic), today, it's time to move forward. In that spirit, I give you the three TV-coined zingers from the last year or so that seem to be popping up in way too many of my current convos.
3) "Gay P.B." A handy twist on A.P.B. — coined by Ugly Betty's Marc (Michael Urie) — best used when you're trying to get the scoop from your gays.
2) "I just wanna tell you that some people have war in their countries." Who could forget when Natasha, runner-up from the latest cycle of America's Next Top Model, used this earnest zinger in response to whiny Brittany's temper tantrum? (For the uninitiated, the brilliant folks at FourFour have the audio clip.) Trot this one out when someone you love desperately needs a perspective check.
1) "Did you just gesture at me when you said Kwanzaa?" Modify this one any way you like: "Did you just gesture at me when you said skittish?" "Did you just gesture at me when you said tapas?" "Did you just gesture at me when you said Klimpy's?" Still, you'll never make it as delicious as the original, uttered with icy perfection by Vanessa (L. Yeah) Williams, as Ugly Betty's Wilhelmina.
Now it's your turn, PopWatchers: List your favorite recent TV catchphrases in the comments section below!
Only 10 days left till this year's Emmy nominations are announced — which means two things: My left kidney will soon be deposited on a shrine dedicated to Vanessa L. Williams' very necessary nod, and the good folks at Gold Derby are getting their leak on. Last week, while I was on vacation, the site reported the rumored list of 10 finalists still in the running in the Best Drama and Best Comedy Series categories, and on Friday, a pair of judges who'd attended screenings of various nominated episodes spilled the beans about which series are most likely to hear their names called when nominations are announced July 19. (Click here to read the full scoop.) According to that duo, Best Drama Series nominees are likely to include The Sopranos, House, Grey's Anatomy (pictured), 24, and Heroes, while the Best Comedy Series race could come down to Two and a Half Men, Entourage, 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, and The Office. If Gold Derby's sources predicted correctly, that would mean snubs for the remaining five drama (Boston Legal, Dexter, Friday Night Lights, Lost, and Rome) and comedy finalists (Desperate Housewives, Extras, My Name Is Earl, Scrubs, and Weeds).
Considering how many Grey's Anatomy and 24 fans feel those respective series are coming off weak seasons, their inclusion among TV's five best drama series seems a little surprising. And if a sci-fi show is destined for Emmy recognition, shouldn't Lost (or Battlestar Galactica, which apparently didn't even crack the top 10) get Heroes' slot? On the flip side, if 30 Rock, The Office, and Ugly Betty score Best Comedy nominations (as predicted), I'll be hard-pressed to feel my usual brand of post-nominations outrage. Unless, of course, L. Yeah doesn't get her due. Then I'll be hellaciously upset.
What do you think of Gold Derby's list of predicted nominees? Should the Emmy judges have read the PopWatch Fantasy Emmy Nominees Gallery before going to work? Holla back!
Yesterday, May 31, marked the cutoff point for eligibility in the 2007 Emmy race, and that means today I can begin ranting about how it's a matter of vital national importance that Ugly Betty's Vanessa (L. Yeah) Williams (pictured) and Battlestar Galactica's Michael Hogan score nominations come July 19.
As you may recall, I was "hellaciously upset" when the Golden Globes snubbed L. Yeah for a supporting actress nod back in December, but with a whole season of Betty underneath her white fur hat, there's no way she can be denied. I mean, all those fusty voters need to do is peruse some of her finest moments on YouTube — the carnivorous foot-soak, the seeing-eye gay, the violent stairwell altercation with Marc — and they'll have to put her name on the ballot. There is not a single woman on the small screen who scores bigger or more consistent laughs than Williams — and her ill-fated mid-season romance with Ted LeBeau (Brett Cullen) proved she can do more than just high camp.
As a professional TV pundit, I guess I'm supposed to join my colleagues in wringing my hands over the turmoil in NBC's executive suite and to profess shock that entertainment chief Kevin Reilly was fired so soon after presenting his handcrafted fall schedule. Yet I think would have been a shock if the network hadn't fired him, given NBC's basement-dwelling ratings over the last couple of years.
Similarly, I can't get agitated over his replacement by hotshot producer Ben Silverman; in terms of taste, they're really not that different. Reilly is known for greenlighting quality scripted shows (such as The Office, Heroes, and My Name Is Earl) and lowbrow unscripted fare (Deal or No Deal), while Silverman's company Reveille is known for producing quality scripted shows (The Office, Ugly Betty, The Tudors) and lowbrow unscripted fare (The Biggest Loser). Plus, things won't be changing much under Silverman, at least not at first; before his ouster, Reilly committed NBC to second seasons of such struggling shows as 30 Rock and Friday Night Lights (shown), so Silverman won't have a lot of room to make radical shifts in direction.
I already did a blog post yesterday consisting solely of the word "no," a decision I'm regretting now that I'm faced with the task of writing about the trailer for Jessica Simpson's latest movie vehicle, Blonde Ambition. And since I can't bring lazy back to PopWatch twice in two days, I am forced to wax a little more verbosely — and hopefully, poetically — about what looks like the surest-fire box-office bomb of 2007. (No official release date yet, apparently.) So without further ado:
The pratfalls and the Tunstall tunes Won't make you Ugly Betty And don't dare whisper Working Girl For that would be too heady Can't blame you for the reference to Madonna's "Blonde Ambition" But Jessica, I've heard you sing You'd better keep on wishin' Add cut-rate clothes and tacky sets You think that's N.Y.C.? Listen, sister, I've walked these streets It looks more like Albany*!
I may be the last Ugly Betty fan alive to come to this realization, but this morning as I read the news at Zap2It that Rebecca Gayheart has been cast in a May sweeps guest-starring role on ABC's delectable dramedy, it hit me: the 90210 actress (last seen in the canceled Vanished, pictured at left) and Betty's Emmy-worthy Becki Newton (at right) could pass as sisters. Which has to be what Betty's writers are secretly planning, no? (ABC says Gayheart will be a former flame of Alex(is) Meade... but there's got to be more to the story.) Anyhow, I'm seeing big sis as the polar opposite of Amanda: Intellectually curious, wickedly successful (maybe a top editor at something like The Economist?), and disarmingly sweet. It'd be a hoot to see her befriend Betty and to watch Amanda struggle with the realization that she's (gasp!) jealous of sharing her Queens-based nemesis.
Not to be a Debbie Downer about a show I truly, madly, deeply love, but if I ran the Ugly Betty makeup department, I'd dial down the foundation, blush, and frosty pink gloss on Eric Mabius' Daniel Meade. After all, he's not the Meade sibling who just underwent gender reassignment surgery. You're with me on this one, PopWatchers, yes?
Maybe it's the curse of loving Ugly Betty too much. We're so protective of our obsession that we critique every quip, every storyline, every guest star. And, naturally, we all think we know exactly what should be happening each and every week. For example, I might ban all storylines involving an HMO, but one of you might think you have the perfect plot twist to make health care seem sexy (or at least like something other than the worst story idea in TV history). Instead of stifling our creativity or boring our significant others with plot twists we're absolutely positive that Betty's writing staff needs to hear, let's get our thoughts out in the open. Write us your best log line for Ugly Betty and we promise to read every single one (even the HMO ones, but seriously, have pity on us). Best of all, we will choose the top three and bring them to head writer and executive producer Silvio Horta for his feedback. Who knows? Your vision may help shape season 2.
Just when I think Ugly Betty can't get any more fabulously glamorous, ABC goes and announces that Project Runway's silver fox, Tim Gunn, will be guest-starring as a Fashion TV reporter on the Feb. 1 and 8 episodes. (He'll be joined by American Idol's Katharine McPhee in the first of those two.) And while there's nothing I love more than the style guru's "carry on" and "make it work" catchphrases, I'm kind of hoping Betty's writers will introduce new and depraved phrases into Gunn's lexicon -- perhaps things like "notorious manwhore," "effete, curly haired sycophant," and "Wilhelmina Slay-taaaah." What other words should Gunn's alter-ego be forced to utter? Holla!
How unspeakably awesome is Ugly Betty's Becki Newton? Yeah, I know her reaction shots -- like that gag-reflex response looking at Betty's shoes during the Mode Christmas party -- are worthy of an Emmy nomination on their own, but did you notice that on last night's episode, Newton performed double duty as Mode's trollop-in-chief Amanda and MYW's bespectacled, braces-wearing Ruthie? (Yep, that's really her; ABC confirmed it to PopWatch.) Seriously, I was howling so hard at Newton's makeunder, I had to rewind to catch her best line: "My rosacea flares up if the elevator even stops at [Mode's] floor." Of course, that was a distant second to Amanda's assault with a deadly handbag at episode's end. LOVE HER! All together now, slow clap. Beck-i! Beck-i! Beck-i!
Two of my favorite ABC series have gone the "add a child!" route, but in the battle between
Look, I didn't want to have to run another photo of Ugly Betty's Vanessa L. Williams on PopWatch this week -- okay, that's a blatant lie -- but after she got snubbed by 
On Monday night, while attending ABC's premiere party for season 3 of Ugly Betty, I made contact with the No. 1 person on my Celebrities I Want to Meet Before I Die List. Yes, PopWatchers, I got to shake hands with Vanessa (L. Yeah) Williams. Unfortunately, my hand was not the only thing that shook. Other affected limbs included knees, elbows, ankles, jaw, spleen, and, well, let's just say I resembled a sheltered and skittish Chihuahua who suddenly finds himself on the 10-yard line during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl. I blurted something about her "
Today, EW.com launched its 
The Emmys shortlists keep trickling in over at the swashbuckling 
Brace yourselves, TV addicts: 
The regular 2007-2008 season has come to its end, I'm about 90 percent caught up with my DVR backlog, and 
Here's a potentially relationship-saving tip for any PopWatchers out there who've been caught by surprise on this 14th of February. If your paramour is passionate about certain ABC primetime shows, send an instant 
There must be a little-known proviso in the Writers Guild rules that permits striking TV writers to pen scenarios for shows other than their own in snarky magazine articles. So it is with 
The 
How's this for a juicy casting rumor: An anonymous someone 
When on 
Growing up in the '70s, I learned what I thought were two hard and fast laws of fashion: Don't mix plaids with stripes. And never mix multiple plaids in one outfit. And while in recent years I've changed my tune and worn such verboten combinations myself, I've never seen these rules broken with as much panache as on last night's episode of 
8:00 p.m. Slow clap: L-Yeah! L-Yeah! Oh wait, sorry, gonna try to be neutral here for at least five minutes. Em-my! Em-my! Em-my!
And the first runner-up for this blog post's headline is... "No, this will not be 
No, seriously! First, Fantasia hits No. 1 on the 
I'm actually relatively happy at the moment. Perhaps because I don't watch 24, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, or Friday Night Lights — all of which failed to receive Outstanding Drama Series Emmy nods 
Well, if it wasn't already obvious, now it's official: Vanessa L. Williams is a full-fledged gay icon.
I've been remiss, PopWatchers. It's been more than 18 months since I brought up a subject of vital pop-cultural importance: TV catchphrases! And while it's hard to fight the nostalgic urge to travel back to 
Yesterday, May 31, marked the cutoff point for eligibility in the 2007 Emmy race, and that means today I can begin ranting about how it's a matter of vital national importance that Ugly Betty's Vanessa (L. Yeah) Williams (pictured) and Battlestar Galactica's Michael Hogan score nominations come July 19.
As a professional TV pundit, I guess I'm supposed to join my colleagues in wringing my hands over the turmoil in NBC's executive suite and to profess shock that entertainment chief Kevin Reilly was fired so soon after presenting his handcrafted fall schedule. Yet I think would have been a shock if the network hadn't fired him, given NBC's 
I already did a blog post yesterday consisting solely of the word "no," a decision I'm regretting now that I'm faced with the task of writing about the trailer for Jessica Simpson's latest movie vehicle, 
I may be the last Ugly Betty fan alive to come to this realization, but this morning as I read 
Not to be a Debbie Downer about a show I truly, madly, deeply love, but if I ran the 
Maybe it's the curse of loving 
How unspeakably awesome is Ugly Betty's Becki Newton? Yeah, I know her reaction shots -- like that gag-reflex response looking at Betty's shoes during the Mode Christmas party -- are worthy of an Emmy nomination on their own, but did you notice that on 