ABC/Mario PerezHowdy, tubers! I'm actually writing this from the wilds of San Diego today (where I'm dealing with a family thing), so I hope you'll forgive today's chat being a little shorter than usual—the telegraph wires are all tangled up and my Morse code isn't what it used to be...
From Tom in Minnesota: Will Men in Trees come back? Is it canceled?
Men in Trees is returning! I have firsthand and gluteus-maximus knowledge of this, because I just so happened to share a Pilates class the other day (gawd, how Hollywood does that sound?!) with Lauren Tom, who plays Mai (Buzz's kooky wife). She mentioned, during butt-lifting bungee kicks, that she's uprooting her whole fam and moving to Vancouver, where Men in Trees is filmed. A good sign for its longevity, no?
Michelle in Sandy, Utah: Is ABC going to finish airing season one of Men in Trees any time soon?
The remaining eps of this season won't air in the United States until next fall, when ABC runs them as part of a "superseason," lumping them together with the beginning of season two. However, if you're craving MIT dish, allow me to do a little reader-reader matchmaking: Rachel in Auckland, New Zealand, meet Michelle in Sandy, Utah. Michelle, Rachel. Now, Rachel, what say you? "A weird twist of fate has meant New Zealand will be screening the final episodes of the first season of Men in Trees before they screen in the U.S. You can read the recaps at throng." Yay for Kiwi TV!
Kelly: Any scoop on So You Think You Can Dance?
Stand by for a juicy item tomorrow! But out of curiosity, let me know: Am I the only one who's kinda in love with Pasha? I know, I know, I'm getting married in less than three weeks—deleting such thoughts from my mind.
Meg in Pensacola, Florida: What is the scoop on Traveler? Is it coming back?
This was supposed to be in the Vine show this week but it disappeared—just like Traveler probably will when it wraps up its summer run. There's little to no chance of a second season. Sorry, kids, I know a lot of you were instant fans.
Peter in Des Moines, Iowa: Will Ron Moore be involved in David Eick's version of Bionic Woman?
Ron told me that Bionic's offices are right next door to Battlestar's offices, so they'll definitely be hanging out together, but once Battlestar Galatica is over, he's going to be focused on a big-screen remake of The Thing and writing the sequel to I, Robot.
Alex from Fort Worth, Texas: Is Degrassi ending after the current season?
No, the show returns for a seventh season, set during the second semester of the school year.
Clo in Atlanta: Is Alona Tal, who plays Jo on Supernatural, returning next season? I hope so, because I love her chemistry with Jensen Ackles.
The Magic 8 Ball says...very doubtful. According to Alona's reps, anything is possible, but since the show hasn't done anything with her character for a long time, they're not expecting a call any time soon. Alona—best known to many of you as Veronica Mars' Meg Manning—does, however, appear in the Cane pilot for CBS, and she should be recurring on that show as the girlfriend of Jamie Vega, one of the sons of Jimmy Smits' character.
Cat in Norwalk, Connecticut: I’m sad Studio 60 isn’t coming back for another season. Do you know whether or not Matt and Harriet will be together when it ends?
I don’t know how Aaron Sorkin plans to tie up the Matt and Harri storyline on the show, but I do know that in real life, they’re totally back together! How do I know? Because Friday was opening night at the Hollywood Bowl and Ms. Kristin Chenoweth performed. And guess who her date was? Yes, Mr. Sorkin, himself! A backstage birdie tells me the two were all smiles and that Aaron was overheard thanking a fan for sticking with Studio 60 all season and saying, “Don’t forget to watch the finale on Thursday. It’s a good one.” (Planet Gossip's Marc Malkin has more on Sorkin and Chenoweth—and a hilarious Jack Black sighting—at the Hollywood Bowl here.)
Victoria in Chicago: The previews for Burn Notice on USA look pretty good, plus Jeffrey Donovan is never bad to look at. Have you heard anything about this show? Worth watching?
It's a fun show, and oddly believable for being about a freelance spy trapped in Miami with his neurotic mother. The main character, Michael Westen, reminds me of MacGyver and/or Michael Scofield. I talked to the creator, Matt Nix, this morning, and he told me they're working on keeping the action as realistic as possible: "I've always been interested in the nitty-gritty of espionage. A really good friend of my dad's when I was little...had been in the CIA. He would tell me things. So, I knew when I was five, like, a CIA agent never parks in the same parking space twice. Plus, our consulting producer worked in private intelligence for years, and my father-in-law was a captain in the Navy SEALs, so we download a lot of stuff from them."
Deirdre: Have you heard if NCIS is coming back? There are rumors that Mark Harmon may not be. Please say it isn't so!
NCIS and Mark are absolutely returning. Worry not. By the way, I recently chatted up an NCIS writer, and it sounds like it's smooth sailing with the new show runners.
Ray in New York: Rumor has it that the most beautiful woman in the world, Aishwarya Rai, is doing an eight-episode stint on Heroes next season. I'll believe it when I hear it from you.
Don't believe it. According to studio sources, it's just not true.
Margaret in Idaho: Congrats on your wedding! When is it, and how long will you be gone?
I suppose this is as good a time as any to break the news that I'll be gone for a little more than a month, starting July 6 (next Friday). The fantastically out-of-this-world news for you is that I happen to work with the best damn people in the world, Korbi Ghosh and Jennifer Godwin, who will be taking over the section in my absence. They love TV. I love them. They love you. And trust me, you'll love them. It's gonna be a big ol' lovefest. And when I come back (Aug. 15), we'll have much to discuss about the TV lands I've visited and, of course, the new fall season! in the meantime, we'll be searching for a new term for "Future Husband." Is it appropriate or not for a married girl to use? Will John Stamos be offended by a new moniker? Can I move to Utah? Feel free to discuss in the comment below, along with your own suggestions for the new phrase for TV crushes!
SPOILER ZONE
Abandon hope all ye who enter here.
Brandi in Taos, New Mexico: What's the latest on Lost? Will Michael come back? Please say yes!
I can tell you that producers definitely have made an offer for Harold Perrineau to return in the new season, which they also did last season (Harold declined because he was working on a pilot). Back then, Harold was offered a truckload of money. Now, sources tell me he wants that same truckload. The question is whether he will receive it—hence, the holdup. I, for one, am happy to empty out my piggy bank and couch cushions and contribute to the H.P. Fund, for I miss him so. Who's with me?!
Mari in Bloomington, Indiana: Any Weeds news? When does it start up again?
As of now, the show is set to return Aug. 13. And I’m hearing Ms. Nancy Botwin might be getting some artwork done this season...on her body.
Amy in Albion, Illinois: Weeds! Any Mary-Kate Olsen info?
Yeah, I’m hearing she’s actually quite good in the role she’s taken on, and I can’t wait to get my screener of the first few eps! But she’s not the only new young lady we're welcoming to the show this year. I’m told there’s a twentysomething biker be-yotch hangin’ around Agrestic these days, and she shakes things up a bit.
Caitlin in Beverly Hills: Okay, please, please tell us straight, who is it that won't return to Heroes? I'm going crazy worrying that it might be Adrian.
It'll be Adrian Pasdar when pigs are flying through the sky with Nathan Petrelli.
Robyn in Louisville, Kentucky: Prison Break news, please!
Season three ushers in a whole new group of boys behind bars. I doubt we’ll fall for them like we did for Sucre, C-Note and even T-Bag, but you never know...
Kyle in Benton Harbor, Michigan: This is a good season of The 4400 so far, don’t you think? Do you have any scoop on what’s coming up?
It is! And I do! Executive producer Ira Behr told me that the first four eps this year show us what life is like for some of the “extracrispies,” so we’ve got a couple more of those coming down the pike. The next three dig heavily into the mythology of the series. He describes episode 8 as a sort of “one-off” palette cleanser. Episodes 9 and 10 bring Richard Tyler back and deal with his whole storyline, and eps 11, 12 and 13 just go into “space madness,” leading the show into whole new territory for season five!
Dani in Springfield, New Jersey: I need Rescue Me news!
I’m hearing there are two deaths in this week’s episode. One of them is a serious surprise, and very sad.
Angie in Phoenix: Could you give some more scoop on shows starting soon, like My Boys?
I've seen the first three eps of My Boys, and I have four words for you: Jack McBrayer cameo, squee! In other news, Ian Gomez appears as a pompous talk-show host, and OMG Keith Dudemeister is cheating on Elliot Reid! (Scrubs' Travis Schuldt guests as a Cubs pitcher who flirts shamelessly with P.J.)
Gina in Los Angeles: Is Las Vegas coming back next season?
Yup, and I hear a stripper moves in with Danny and Delinda.
Teresa from Petaluma, California: Anything on Emma and Sean from Degrassi?
Emma and Sean are getting it on, and they get an abrupt wake-up call when Emma finds out she could be pregnant.
Tobey from Wichita, Kansas: Any scoop on the new Daily Planet editor on Smallville?
The new Daily Planet editor is MIA for the season premiere—but Jimmy Olsen returns.