I know it's been out for a couple of weeks or so now, but the latest ABC House promo got my attention, so I went back and watched it. I remember networks used to do things like this; having characters from different shows interact, and I've always had a thing for crossovers. Hell, I watched Laff-a-Lympics growing up just because of the crossover aspect.
Of course, the primary difference with this one is the McSteamy v. Hurley ending; which I completely agree with. These kinds of creative initiatives help give the network an identity and give fans something to keep the shows in their minds through the summer. And there's so much more potential available here, and even on other networks to play with similar ideas. How about a game show with Dr. House competing against Dr. Bishop (Fringe)?
Yesterday, we gave you a preview of ABC's upcoming fall comedies and dramas. Today, we got the official lowdown on the network's 2009-2010 schedule during its upfront presentation.
As expected, the network picked up a number of new shows and stuck with some of its most solid performers.
Returning: Lost (Update: Lost will be back, but exactly where and on what night has not been determined.), Castle, Scrubs, Better Off Ted, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, Dancing With the Stars, 20/20, Supernanny, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, The Bachelor. Wife Swap, True Beauty, America's Funniest Home Videos
Gone: Samantha Who?, Cupid, The Unusuals, In the Motherhood, According to Jim
New:Cougar Town, Hank, The Middle, Modern Family, Flash Forward, Eastwick, Shark Tank, The Forgotten
New for Mid-Season:V, Happy Town, The Deep End
Watch this space for more details on the new shows and comments from ABC execs...
More on the schedule, comments and some details on the new shows after the jump.
(S05E23 / S05E24) "Isn't it just easier to shut down your hoo-ha until he gives in?" Gaby, offering Lynette her method for getting Tom to give up the idea of going back to college
Well, season five of Desperate Housewives has come to a close. I must say, this season sort of meandered towards the beginning, but really gained steam towards the end. The final episode brought a few stories together, including psycho Dave's, and ended with some good stories heading into next season.
This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by emailing us at tvsquad at gmail dot com, or call and leave a message at (775) 640-8479. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.
This week we have: Desperate Housewives, One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Grey's Anatomy, and Brothers & Sisters (SPOILERS FOLLOW!)
(S05E22) Those of you tired of Tom's mid-life crisis, raise your hand! I'm sure we are a lot of people with one hand raised right now. I know that a lot of men go through it and that it can last really long in real life, but on TV, can we not have Tom go through his mid-life crisis for an entire year?! A few of you mentioned in comments last week how Tom was getting annoying and that he needed new storylines or else. Will Tom find his way before the season ends?
(S05E21) "This is going to come out of nowhere but ..." - Jackson to Susan
As you know, actor Gale Harold, who plays Jackson, had a terrible accident last fall and had to be written out of the show so that the actor could recover from his injuries. The writers decided to have Jackson get a job outside of town. Except for learning that Jackson asked Susan to move away with him, we haven't heard much from the character and his relationship with Susan since then. My brain doesn't recall Susan clearly stating that things were over between Jackson and her, and we haven't seen her date since Jackson skipped town. Therefore, I've sort of been thinking they were doing the long-distance thing or still wondering where things stood between them.
When the actor got back in shape and was able to return to the set, the writers wrote him back in, and this week's episode marked his unexpected return. Jackson arrived with a question, helped give us answers as to where his relationship with Susan stood, and gave Dave a good reason to be scared.
(S05E20) "Everything that ever mattered to me is gone." - Dave
Now that Edie's ashes have been spread out over the Housewives' lawns, the Wisteria Lane residents went back to their normal lives, which means awkward situations, lies, revelations, secrets, more lies, and Dave's mysterious and deadly plan.
EW.com's Michael Ausiello posted this blind item yesterday: "A major female character on a popular and highly rated hour-long drama series will learn that she's pregnant next month."
Other tidbits: The expectant character isn't thrilled to be pregnant. The timing, both personally and professionally, is really bad. The baby daddy's going through some stuff. And the bun in her oven may have company.
Ok, let's speculate here. My first thought is that it's Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy, since her real-life alter-ego Ellen Pompeo actually IS pregnant. But the timing isn't all that bad. She and Derek are getting married. They can use a distraction with Izzie's cancer taking center stage. And although he's had some issues, Derek seems to have pulled it together.
The other night, Band From TV gave a concert to raise money for autism research. The band features Greg Grunberg, James Denton, Adrian Pasdar, Hugh Laurie, Bob Guiney, and others. Of course, I'm assuming that's Pasdar. It could be Sylar. Not the best sound quality, but it's worth seeing (and there are more videos here). Take a look at who joins them on tambourine near the end.
(S05E19) "I died just like I lived, as the complete, utter center of attention." - dead Edie
It's no secret anymore. Nicolette Sheridan is leaving Desperate Housewives, and this was her last episode as a series regular. Even if most major websites, newspapers, and magazines warned us in early February that the actress was exiting the show, some fans were still holding out hope that the news was untrue, as it wasn't the first time we heard a rumor about Sheridan leaving. Those fans must now come to terms with the fact that the sexy, perceptive, strong, beautiful, and one-of-a-kind Edie is now gone. If you ask Lynette, she would tell you that Edie looks like cat litter right now.
One thing is for sure, Edie/Nicolette went out with a bang with what may be the second best episode of the season (my favorite being the 100th episode featuring Beau Bridges).
It occurred to me recently that there are more gay and lesbian characters on TV right now than ever before. That's pretty cool.
And they run the gamut from The L Word 's edgy Shane (pictured) to Desperate Housewives' funny Bob to Entourage's loyal Lloyd, who takes more verbal abuse from Ari Gold than anyone should ever be allowed to take.
See if you agree with my list of top gay characters on TV right now, and feel free to add your own in the comments. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Lead characters are extremely important for TV series, as they are the basis of the shows' storylines. However, to make said lead characters shine and make the storylines interesting, supporting characters must be introduced. Sometimes, those characters have a major impact on a series and even end up becoming leads. Just see how Ben Linus on Lost was set to appear in a few episodes, but ended up being so helpful to the storyline and loved (or hated) by the fans that he became an integral part of the series and is now a major player on the show.
That compelled me to make a list of new supporting characters who helped make their series better this season. Since my list only has 10 items and because I don't watch all current TV series, I will have missed tons of supporting characters, so feel free to add to the list by commenting below. However, note that I restricted my list to supporting characters that were introduced THIS season. So the Ben Linuses of the TV world are not on the list.
(S05E18) "There is nothing simple about murder." - Mary Alice Young
There you have it people, not only Dave's plan finally entered its final phase but a much talked about event took place at the very end of this week's Desperate Housewives. What surprised me is that the final scene happened this week. Quite frankly, I expected it in late April to set the tone for the final episodes to be aired in May. Then again, looking at DH's airing schedule just now, leaving with a cliffhanger (even if the world already knows how it will end) when the next episode is weeks away -- April 19 to be precise, makes sense. In a way, the big event will conclude near the end of April and set the tone to the May episodes just as I first thought.
We've already discussed the death coming up on Heroes, but now it looks like three people are going to die on the show. Two of them will stay dead, and one is a fake out. I would guess that Danko is one of the people who is going to die (I don't see Zeljko Ivanek coming back to the show next season), but I'm not sure who the other one will be. I'm sure Tracy is involved, though I'm not sure if she will stay dead, come back to life, or split into another personality or whatever.
You've gotta admit: tramps are fun. Their boozy, often promiscuous antics are the life of any party. Whether you're cheering them on or witnessing their antics with horror, tramps make any situation interesting. The same goes for TV shows. From Blanche DuBois to, well, most of The Real World cast members after season 3 or so, the television landscape has been filled with entertainingly trampy characters.
They may steal your husband, dance on a bar, or just generally leave a path of destruction in their wake. Whatever it is, it's sure to be memorable. For this reason, TV tramps are not to be looked down upon; they are to be revered. So consider this list a tribute: a tribute to TV's biggest tramps. May they never reexamine the path their life has taken.
I know it's been out for a couple of weeks or so now, but the latest ABC House promo got my attention, so I went back and watched it. I remember networks used to do things like this; having characters from different shows interact, and I've always had a thing for crossovers. Hell, I watched Laff-a-Lympics growing up just because of the crossover aspect.
Yesterday, we gave you a preview of ABC's upcoming fall 
EW.com's Michael Ausiello 
It occurred to me recently that there are more gay and lesbian characters on TV right now than ever before. That's pretty cool. 
Michael Ausiello is the harbinger of death.
You've gotta admit: tramps are fun. Their boozy, often promiscuous antics are the life of any party. Whether you're cheering them on or witnessing their antics with horror, tramps make any situation interesting. The same goes for TV shows. From Blanche DuBois to, well, most of The Real World cast members after season 3 or so, the television landscape has been filled with entertainingly trampy characters. 
TV Squad previews NBC's new shows (part 1)
TV 101: How ESPN controls the world and what the other networks can learn from it
TV Squad previews CBS's new shows
