So just how do the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League plan on topping last year's Neil Patrick Harris-hosted Tonys? By appointing Sean Hayes as fearless presenter of the 64th ceremony on June 13 at Radio City Music Hall. Hayes has had a very busy two months -- after starring in the Broadway hit Promises, Promises alongside Kristin Chenoweth, the Will & Grace star came out of the closet, was dragged unwittingly into controversy when a Newsweek editorial writer isolated Hayes as an example of gay men being unconvincing in straight roles... [deep breath]... earned a Tony nom, and now this. Phew. [Deadline]
The preliminary ratings are in from last night's Lost finale, and Nielsen is reporting that the much-anticipated series closer averaged a 9.0 rating. That means that over 60 percent more viewers turned into last night's show than last season's finale, but roughly the same number of people tuned into the Desperate Housewives episode last year on the same date. The more impressive figure from last night's episode is 45 -- the estimated amount of minutes spent on ads. [EW]
With the way ABC had been publicizing the three alternate endings of Lost that were airing during Jimmy Kimmel's special post-finale celebration, you would have been right to assume they were legit. Or, as legit as those alternate season three endings with Sawyer and Desmond in Locke's coffin were -- a red herring to throw off the scent of any leak-happy crew member. Alas, it was all just one final long con. The "alternate endings" -- featuring the now-radio silenced duo of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse -- were nothing more than jokes. And not even particularly good ones: Did Kimmel really trot out Bob Newhart for a spoof on the Newhart ending? And Jeff Probst for a Survivor ending? Get worse. Still, anything that puts Jorge Garcia's Hurley in the Tony Soprano booth at a diner deserves the attention of your eyeballs. Watch the "endings" after the jump.
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Color me shocked, boys and girls. What's the secret to becoming Donald Trump's trusted, uber-professional apprentice? Simple: Be the most (lovably) unprofessional contestant in Celebrity Apprentice history. Tah-dah! After the show's giant finale and parade of arbitrary judging, Trump gave Bret Michaels the Celebrity Apprentice victory over runner-up Holly Robinson Peete for one ostensible reason: He was brave to attend the live finale just days after another staggering health setback. Look, I admire the hell out of Bret Michaels for going through with the taping, but does that mean he should've beaten Holly? After her record-high fund-raising and strong leadership? No way. However, I happen to love Bret Michaels, so let's toast Trump's newest yes-man with a retrospective of his most unprofessional Celebrity Apprentice moments.
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· Good news: Paula Abdul is returning to primetime. American Idol's fallen angel has inked a deal as a "lead judge, executive producer, creative partner, mentor and coach" on the CBS series Got to Dance, which features dance acts competing in every genre from tap to break dance for viewers' votes. This series means that every major network will be airing a dance competition series this season. The Tiffany network will likely announce a midseason premiere date for the series today, which means that there is a chance that Got to Dance could air opposite Idol. [THR]
Lost's E.P. finds his next job, Charlie's Angels hires new scribes, and more TV Bites after the jump.
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Enough has been written about Lost to fill the completely underwhelming Temple fifty times over -- seriously, of all the disappointing reveals on the show, that might be the biggest; it should have looked awesome and not like an extra set from Legend of the Seeker. Still, from the production values, to the use of the Internet to form a community, to the entire storyline, Lost was literally like nothing television had ever seen before. This is despite the fact that it cribs from almost every geek pop culture landmark from the last 35 years. And now that Lost is ending -- in less than 12 hours! -- it seems fitting that it's leaving the world with one more question: Where will the next Lost come from?
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Many of you might not realize this, but Lost ends this Sunday night. ABC should really be publicizing this more, right? Kidding! The two-and-a-half hour series finale is basically being positioned as the geek Super Bowl: ABC is starting coverage at 7 p.m. and will keep fans tuned in until 1 a.m., when the special Lost edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live -- with cast members and three alternate endings -- wraps up. Two people who won't be appearing with Kimmel, though, are Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Like David Chase -- The Patron Saint of Finales -- the men will go into a self-imposed radio silence following the last frame of Lost as a way to let their work speak for itself. Oh, and also because they have no one left to talk to.
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Over the past week, Movieline has reviewed all kinds of network series featuring a range of cops and crime-fighters. There have been funny, overweight cops looking for love; handsome police officers patrolling Hawaii, three generations of squabbling Irish badges, Detroit detectives and Chicago heat. But nowhere in these line-ups was there room for a gorgeous CIA trainee who shame-eats pints of cookie dough ice cream when she's not taking down deadly assassins. Fortunately, USA Network has that subgenre covered.
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Between avoiding the new Shrek and waiting on the balls of you feet for Lost's denouement, the weekend doesn't have to be a wasteland of twiddled thumbs and regretted multiplex expenditures. You pay for cable already -- use it.
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Here at Movieline HQ, all anyone can talk about today -- besides the suicide-worthy Liza Minnelli "Single Ladies" cover -- is the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. Did you see this thing? For the uninitiated -- or for those of you who stopped watching long ago -- the hospital was under attack from a crazed gunman who wanted to exact some revenge on McDreamy and his cohorts because they pulled the plug on his brain-dead wife. (Never mind that pesky DNR form.) And what revenge it was: Shocking deaths, many shootings, fake blood by the gallons and more cliches than most series pack into an entire season. Aspiring screenwriters, grab a pencil and take some notes. After the jump, a list of the offenses.
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Gordon Ramsay's tying up the second season of Kitchen Nightmares with a traumatizing version of a retrospective. Will knives be hurled? Will faces be eaten? Bien sur! Hopefully the featured restaurateurs will have learned from their last run-ins with Ramsay, who's revisiting them with the blind hope that they've changed their laggard, Yankee ways.
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You'll be surprised to know that Jesse James is not too heartbroken over his impending divorce from Sandra Bullock. At least, that's what it seems like from the preview that ABC released of his upcoming Nightline interview, in which, for the first time since cheating allegations broke, James responds to claims that he stepped out on Sandra Bullock -- America's Sweetheart, new mother, loving wife -- with a nonchalant "yup."
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Optimism will make a long-awaited return to Movieline's American Idol coverage next week when we list the 10 best performances of season nine. For now, things are a little grim. Over this dubious season we've witnessed plenty of bland performances thanks to themes like "Inspiration Week," but terrible performances, luckily, haven't been as prevalent. It's time to commemorate the jaw-droppingly bad moments from season nine, the times when even Randy Jackson forced himself to articulate for the sake of America's kids. Ready for the worst?
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Last week on the Housewives of New York City, the ladies celebrated Ramona's 17th wedding anniversary with a Caribbean bachelorette party. Ramona drank her weight in pinot grigio, Kelly walked into a glass door and Bethenny cursed everyone's stupidity. It was a fun little trip that Bravo did not want to end, so they stuck the wives on an island and let them battle it out Lord of the Flies style -- well, Lord of the Flies-style plus Botox, a fully-staffed mansion and designer bikinis -- in last night's episode "Sun, Sand and Psychosis." And poor Kelly was the first to crack. Relive the craziness after the jump.
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The candlelight vigils for CNN's kamikaze anchoress Campbell Brown are over, and so it's time to get down to the business of replacing her at 8 p.m. And if we're continuing in her spirit of candor, then this is as good an idea as any: Erstwhile NY governor, escort connoisseur and "budding pundit" Eliot Spitzer. "He's a smart guy, extremely smart. And he communicates well," an anonymous cable news executive told the NYT. "The question about him is, how much stench is on him, and is he likable enough?" Those are two questions, of course, the answers to which are not much and not really, which of course means he's a perfect fit on CNN, right? [NYT]
