Big Lost scoop! Harold Perrineau is returning to the serial ABC drama as killer Michael Dawson.
Getting the news out of ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson wasn't easy, however.
The session began with Hope Hartman, one of ABC's top PR chiefs, getting the day off with some really good news -- because we're on the final legs of the tour's "death march with drinks" all ABC functions will take place on-site at the Beverly Hilton hotel. Woo-hoo!
"You have to be either cranky, drunk, delirious, or not here," McPherson told the group of weary reporters who've been here for over two weeks.
The executive did have one announcement before answering queries. He said that given Kevin Reilly's new gig at Fox, he's not going to be able to partake in next season's Dancing with the Stars.
Boy, as Chuck Lorre said to me yesterday after my Two and a Half Men joke: Keep your day job, kid.
Actually, he said, "Don't try this at home."
A reporter asked if Dana Delany joining Desperate Housewives. "She is," McPherson confirmed. "Marc [Cherry, DH's creator] will be here to explain that. Dana's joining along with Nathan Fillion."
A reporter points out that CBS brought back Jericho because of its online audience. How much does that play a factor in a show's survival?
"It does to a certain extent," said McPherson, cautioning that you have to be careful about Internet fan sites -- you can't build a show with 12,000 viewers. "We're under the Nielsen reign. We have to listen to what those numbers are."
One journalist said his editor won't be thrilled that the biggest news (about Perrineau) on one of ABC's top shows -- Lost -- is coming out at a fan convention (San Diego's Comic-Con) tomorrow.
I've got nothing against Comic-Con; in fact, I'm going this weekend. And I'm not even a huge Lost fan, but my colleague has a point. We're the press! The people have a right to know! Today!
It wasn't really a question so McPherson didn't address it directly.
Then, another journalist followed up on the Lost/Comic-Con controversy. Why give out the news an at event that people are paying to get into -- when 150 (plus) journalists are here with access to millions of readers?
We're actually closer to 200, but some of us have left already for Comic-Con.
Okay, McPherson conceded. Here's the news: "Don Imus has been cast on Lost."
Thud.
In the words of Chuck Lorre: "Don't try this at home."
Thank you very much, drooled the journalist.
Later, still another journalist asked why Lost news is being given out tomorrow at a time when reporters are fighting to keep their jobs and with editors to keep coming out to L.A. for TCA. Giving out the news at Comic-Con isn't going to endear us to our editors.
Is Lost even a comic book anyway?
As McPherson defended the position, Hartman whispered into the exec's ear.
"We've just spoke to [Lost producers]," explained McPherson. They've given the okay to release the news based on the press' reaction to being kept in the dark. "Harold Perrineau [who plays Michael Dawson] is returning to the show."
Two thoughts: Oh, that's the news? And, wow! The pen (or a room full of drunk, delirious and/or cranky reporters) really is mightier than the light sabre.
What was the genesis for the Grey's Anatomy spin-off, starring Kate Walsh? "Shonda [Rhimes] wanted to tell Addison's story in a different world with other characters and dynamics," explained McPherson.
The session wraps up -- strangely with no one asking about Isaiah Washington's exit from Grey's.
Next: writing break and Pushing Daisies with Chi McBride and Kristin Chenoweth.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-25-2007 @ 4:40PM
Larry said...
Michael's back? Ugh.
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7-25-2007 @ 5:26PM
Jennifer said...
I am distinctly unpleased to hear this news. I was enjoying a whole season of not hearing "WAAAAAAAAAAALT!" screamed over. and over. and over. again. Dammit. Why bring him back? No offense meant to the actor, but the character stinks on ice.
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7-25-2007 @ 5:02PM
F Ron said...
Thanks for the spoiler TVSQUAD! There's still about six months to go so be sure to let these out in slowly over a long period of time. It's the best way to ruin any suprises! Sheesh.
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7-25-2007 @ 5:05PM
victor said...
WALLLLLLLLLLLTTTTT!!!!!!!
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7-25-2007 @ 5:26PM
RSL said...
Damn you, Victor. I just knew I could be the first clever person to say that line. Seriously, though... Here's hoping that the return of Michael marks either the return of Walt or some kinda freaky awesome storyline involving his character. My money's on Michael's tremendous guilt over having betrayed our castaways to the Others and helping Penny/Jack/whoever locate and/or get back to the island.
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7-25-2007 @ 5:50PM
Bash said...
I explicitly warned the darn TV Squad writers when they announced Speedles return to CSI: Miami that I would be _extremely_ pissed about a "Lost" spoiler of this kind.
THIS IS IT! Only half a day after may email. *§=$ THIS.
You have Spoilers Anonymous on your website and stuff like this you plaster all over the place, in the title, in the opener. Dammit. WTF is going on here? In the mood of all that is TCA you feel you can simply put this so totally in the face of every fan when you usually put BIG HUGE "WARNING: LOST SPOILERS TO FOLLOW" signs everywhere during the regular season?
How's this any different.
Dammit.
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7-25-2007 @ 6:38PM
Keith McDuffee said...
Seriously, you guys are pissed about this news? News that will be plastered all over the 'net after this weekend, if not already.
I seriously think you're all just looking for something to complain about. Relax.
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7-25-2007 @ 7:48PM
Carmack said...
I, for one, was totally shocked when Walt showed up in the finale. I would have loved to have been just as shocked when Michael showed up out of nowhere next season. This is highly frustrating, and I don't appreciate having the surprise ruined for me by a blog that I usually enjoy reading a great deal.
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7-25-2007 @ 8:25PM
Keith McDuffee said...
Do you think people were angry when we posted about Washington being canned from Grey's Anatomy? No, because it's big news and you will see it everywhere.
This is hardly a spoiler, as I would think the situation surrounding the "how" of him appearing back on the show would be just as much a surprise.
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7-25-2007 @ 8:45PM
kyler said...
wtf? that was the most disjointed article i have ever read. how about a little cohesion, tvsquad? if you're going to post an interview, post the interview. if you're going to write an article, actually write one, don't just put up disjointed clips.
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7-26-2007 @ 12:55PM
David said...
WAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLTTTT!!!!
BOY HAVE YOU GROWN!
Reply
7-26-2007 @ 10:12AM
Bash said...
You know I WONT SEE IT EVERYWHERE because I am a friggin GERMAN and I don't get E!, I do NOT read Ausiello and I in general don't watch "regular" TV anymore and rely totally on the internet.
I did NOT read the BIG HUGE SPOILER about the Flash forward, I do NOT tell my friends who still wait for Lost Season 3 to come to germany about the big HUGE thing that comes in the finale and I simply knew that it MIGHT happen because of the Lost Podcast. MIGHT.
I don't need to know that speedle comes back to CSI: Miami, I do NOT need to know whether Jorja Fox manages to get a new contract and I do NOT need to now that Perrineau is coming back to lost - I want to be SURPRISED by that.
I also don't really like the Slap Bet Countdown.
So if you folks make it impossible for me to be able to not read about this on your page then I have to drop TV Squad. You put it into the GOD DAMN HEADER for god's sake. There's no way to navigate around it, read selectively, nothing. You put "Walt coming back to lost" in the header. That sucks big time.
If he'd show up in some network trailer (which I ALSO would not be able to watch unless I would go directly to abc.com and watch trailers there) then I could not bitch like this about it but this is simply not the case. This is casting news and you put those news into the body of articles all the time.
And you know what, it's not even just because I am not in the US right now. I bet my ass there are a lot of people who watch TV in the US just like I do - they TiVo everything, they fast forward through commercials and they in general don't see anything about this if they don't watch entertainment news on TV.
And if this were in the entertainment section of my local newspaper in the US, I would STILL bitch about it.
You usually do this kind of news differently and I liked it the way you did it. It's great that you want to get all the BUZZZZZZ but you still get that if you put the news into the body of an article and simply label the news "BIG HUGE LOST CASTING NEWS" in the header. It's not THAT hard.
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7-26-2007 @ 10:13AM
Bash said...
Michael, not Walt. And Perrineau was lacking an r. Anyway. Still pissed about this.
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