TVSquad

For the first time in a long time, something was different about the Daytime Emmys. No, it's not that they're on in primetime; that happened years ago. What was different was the 35th Daytime Emmys opted to forgo the theater setting and seat the stars at round tables. As co-host (with All My Children's Cameron Mathison) Sherri Shepherd told the AP days before the AP, "Usually everyone is sitting in a row. This year, it'll be like a wedding. We're also going to do something so that fans will be able to get a view of what's going on at the different tables." That would be web video created by the actors at every table - table cam. Perfect for hams. The vids are at SOAPnet. For details about the show from the winners backstage, check out AOL.

So did the seating arrangements make a difference? Well, it depends. Those who were there probably had a better time because there was an open bar, just like the Golden Globes. For viewers, it still looked like the Daytime Emmys, including many familiar faces winning. After a strained attempt at comedy for the opening -- blending All My Children fictional characters with The View's real hosts -- the show commenced.

On today's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen will announce that she and long-time girlfriend Portia de Rossi are getting married.

Her announcement is in response to this week's ruling from the California Supreme Court that everybody has a "right to marry" whomever they choose. The justices ruled that the state's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. It makes California the second state, after Massachusetts, that will allow same-sex marriage. The legal battle began in San Francisco when the mayor allowed same-sex couples to marry (Rosie O'Donnell and her partner, Kelly, married at that time).

What's happening on other blogs via the interweb.

• Is Katee Sackhoff about to join CSI?
• Daryn Kagan visited CNN for the first time since getting canned after 12 years and it was...odd (especially the second video).
• What the heck was going on at the Ellen show the other day?
• Get ready for more commercials on TV network sites.
• Earl Pomerantz tells a secret about a Mary Tyler Moore Show script he wrote.
• How would you like to star in the new music video that Zach Braff is directing?
• Ratings for The Office hit a season low the other night, and 30 Rock's weren't that great either.
• Check out the storyboards for the second season of Mad Men.

Rachael Ray aired a special tribute episode for Rosie O'Donnell today, and Ellen DeGeneres' show isn't happy about it.

Rosie O'Donnell appeared on the special episode earlier today, one day after Telepictures (the company that syndicates Ellen) called and tried to get the episode pulled. That's right, a company called the day before an episode aired to try and get it pulled. Seems that Telepictures is worried that if Rachael Ray airs old footage from The Rosie O'Donnell Show (which Telepictures also syndicated), then Ellen would be beaten in the ratings.

All you kids who were out buying up posterboard and markers to make your "Ellen DeGENEROUS" signs so you could wave them at next week's Idol Gives Back special need to stop before you waste all that paper. Think green, people. Due to a scheduling conflict, Access Hollywood says Ellen DeGeneress dropped out of co-hosting the special. The special is set to tape this Sunday, and apparently that conflicts with production on her own show.

I think we need to make a controversy out of this. I'm going to say she dropped because Danny Noriega was eliminated from the competition and she thinks it was a homophobic move by producers. Now, run with it! I'd help but I need to keep my schedule clear and wait for that phone call. I've always wanted to meet Ashley Tisdale -- er, I mean Robin Williams, and Bono and other big names like that. You know, like Annie Lennox, Miley--I mean, Heart! ... Dammit!

So, AOL TV did a poll about America's favorite talk show hosts and 1.3 million people made their feelings known. Interesting results. I didn't agree with some of them, like who I like waking up with. Diane Sawyer was the top choice, but I'd go for the second place finisher, Matt Lauer. As for whom to go to bed with -- TV talk show wise, that is -- I can't believe most of the people chose Jay Leno. Is he really that popular? I prefer David Letterman; I'm a sucker for the Top Ten lists.

In a press release today, FOX announced that Ellen DeGeneres would again be taking on co-hosting duties with Ryan Seacrest for the 2nd "Idol Gives Back" special, airing Wednesday April 9 7:30 - 10:30 pm ET. Just like last year, Ellen will host from the Kodak Theatre while Ryan covers from the American Idol stage.

The talent roster continues to expand as well. The complete list (so far) now includes Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men and The Clark Brothers along with already announced Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend and Snoop Dogg. Most of these will be the pre-recorded "Give, give, give" but I'm looking forward to seeing Boyz II Men back in action.

Everyone knew that Regis Philbin is the king, now he'll have some extra hardware to prove it. Like a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. At the upcoming 35th annual Daytime Emmy Awards, June 20 at Hollywood's Kodak Theater, NATAS will present the special honor to Regis, host of Live With Regis and Kelly, during the primetime ABC broadcast. There will be a salute to Regis, no doubt including Kelly Ripa and/or Kathie Lee Gifford, his daytime co-hosts over the years, but the details haven't been announced yet.

Most people have a song or two that strongly reminds them of their college years. Mine is "Anything, Anything," by the relatively obscure '80s alt-rock group Dramarama. I just love the abandon with which frontman John Easdale sings the chorus, especially at the end of the song: "I gave you candy/gave you diamonds/gave you pills/I gave you anything you want/hundred dollar bills/I'll even let you/hear the songs I want to sing/I'll give you anything, anything anything..."

Anyway, apparently, Ellen DeGeneres is also a fan; in fact, "Anything, Anything" is her favorite song, and she asks her DJ to play it during every commercial break. So for her 50th birthday, the DJ surprised her by bringing out Dramarama to play the song live. You can see the video after the jump (be patient - it takes a while to load).

What's going on at the other TV blogs via the internets.

• Could TV ratings actually increase because of the strike?
• Here's The Shield's Shawn Ryan on the strike.
• First Diane Keaton, and now Colin Farrell.
• Lou Dobbs, interviewed by Esteban Colberto.
• Which cast member of The View has had a threesome?
• Oh, never mind, Chris Daughtry actually meant to say he loves American Idol!
• Breaking Bad debuts on AMC tomorrow night.
• Why Margaret Cho won't do Ellen Degeneres' show.
• Brian Williams grabs a red-eye flight.

Sure, Oprah Winfrey might have her own TV network, but that doesn't mean she's number one.

The Harris Poll has released their annual list of the 10 favorite TV personalities, and Oprah actually came in second (after being on top for five years). The first place winner? Believe it or not, it's Nancy Grace.

OK, just kidding about that. Number one is actually Ellen DeGeneres, who was number eight last year. The full list is after the jump.

Ellen DeGeneres just can't stay away from controversy. Even though she hasn't done anything as ballsy as coming out (I guess you can't do that twice, can you?), which fortunately didn't tank her career, this year was a bang-up year for Ellen in the news. The first dog I am referring to in the title is, in fact, a canine. Did anybody not hear about Ellen's infamous dog story? Ellen adopted a dog from a dog agency called Mutts and Moms, and signed agreements at the time that if the adoption didn't work out, she would return the dog to the agency. I presume Ms. DeGeneres has signed contracts before, but maybe this one didn't count. Maybe this one didn't seem binding. Or maybe she was just in a hurry that day, and didn't actually read it. (MSNBC claims that DeGeneres didn't read the contract, and that her partner Portia de Rossi signed).

• At 8, ABC has a new Dancing with the Stars, followed by new episodes of Samantha Who? and The Bachelor.
• CBS has a new How I Met Your Mother at 8.
• NBC has new episodes of Chuck, Heroes, and Journeyman.
• There's a new Everybody Hates Chris on The CW at 8, then new episodes of Aliens in America, Girlfriends, and The Game.
• Also at 8: Food Network has Ham On Turkey.
• At 9, CBS has a new Two and Half Men, followed by new episodes Rules of Engagement and CSI: Miami.
• FOX has a new K-Ville at 9.
• PBS has two new episodes of Athens: The Dawn of Democracy.
• TBS has the special Ellen's Really Big Show at 9.
• GSN has a new High Stakes Poker, also at 9.
• At 10, Showtime has a new Weeds.
• E! has The Soup Presents at 10, focusing on celeb families.

Check your local TV listings for more.

We've entered Week Two of the WGA Strike, and although we're not getting any closer to a resolution, there's still plenty of WGA Strike news to report:

• The WGA-East declares that "Ellen DeGeneres Not Welcome in NY."
• Lost's co-creator Damon Lindelof announces, "Television is dying" in the New York Times.
• Some soap writers are crossing the picket line to resume work.
• Today (Tuesday) was dubbed "Picketing with the Stars" as 100 actors from 30 TV shows joined the picket line at Universal Studios in a show of solidarity.
• Seventeen entertainment blogs went dark for a day in support of the writer's strike.
• Peter Chernin (president of Fox's parent company, News Corp) bragged that the strike is "probably a positive" for the company as it will most likely save them money.
• CBS News is preparing for a possible strike by 500 of their news writers.
• The Simpson's Mr. Burns tells striking writers they can't have the internet: "It's Mine!"

Yup, she's working.

Ellen DeGeneres crossed the picket line and went back to work hosting her TV talk show, and writers aren't happy about it at all. In the opening of her show today, she told the audience that she wasn't going to do a monologue and that she loves and supports the writers, but she wanted to go on with the show for the studio audience that had traveled a long way to see her show.