OK, so maybe we're getting a teeny-tiny bit ahead of ourselves, but Jessica Capshaw (Arizona) has announced via Twitter that she's pregnant in real life: "It is with profound happiness and sheer delight that Christopher Gavigan and I can say that another sweet Gavigan baby is on the way!"
So how will that affect the show?
Well, we can tell you that unlike her first real-life pregnancy, Jessica's character Arizona won't be shipped off to Africa (marking one of the saddest breakups the show has ever seen). Grey's boss Shonda Rhimes has tweeted "I won't," and adding that Grey's has included one real-life pregnancy in the past: "Bailey. Season 2."
The last time Jessica took a hiatus from set (and her character bolted for Africa), Callie slept with McSteamy (Eric Dane) and got pregnant. So maybe now it's time for a more planned pregnancy for Callie and Arizona?
Rhimes also points out that the Grey's cast has produced a sizeable offspring during the show's eight-year run, "Brings our number up to 10. We've had a lot of Writer Babies, too!"
Congrats, Jessica!
Jessica Capshaw and Christopher Gavigan are expecting their third child, she announced via Twitter.
“It is with profound happiness and sheer delight that @Christopher_Gav and I can say that another sweet Gavigan baby is on the way!” the actress, 35, writes. “We are thrilled,” her husband adds.
Capshaw and Gavigan, founder of The Honest Co. and former CEO of Healthy Child Healthy World, are already parents to children daughter Eve Augusta, 14 months, and Luke Hudson, 4.
The baby will be the latest addition to the Grey’s cast — Sarah Drew expects her delivery surprise on Jan. 24, while Ellen Pompeo is mom to daughter Stella, 2, and Chyler Leigh has three young children of her own – Anniston, 2½, Taelyn, 4, and Noah, 8.
Written by KJ Steinberg (Gossip Girl, The Nine) and set in 1895, Lillys follows the opening of the first true luxury hotel built in New York City, along with the family who owns it, the staff who work it and those who stay there.
Rhimes has a long-standing relationship with the network whose collaborations include Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and the upcoming drama Scandal.
And that is exactly what the actress did. After meeting and marrying singer Josh Kelley in 2007, the couple adopted their first child, daughter Naleigh, now 3.
“Josh and I started talking about it before we were even engaged,” Heigl, 33, tells Scholastic Parent & Child‘s February issue.
“We have talked about having biological children as well, but we decided to adopt first. I’d like to adopt again.”
While Kelley was completely supportive, Heigl admits it takes everyone time to adjust to the idea of adoption.
“Anyone who doesn’t have experience with adoption wonders, ‘Does love for a child come through DNA?’ I knew it didn’t,” the One for the Money star shares.
“They’re yours. You love them the moment they’re put into your arms. Josh had to learn that, but he was so gracious and accepting.”
In the end, reveals Heigl, it was Kelley who immediately won over their daughter’s heart.
“[Naleigh] felt really comfortable with Josh and they bonded quickly,” she says. ”It was harder for me. It was a struggle for me because all I wanted to do was bond with her. But it takes time for a child to trust this new situation and to trust you.”
Encouraging fellow adopting parents to not “be discouraged,” Heigl finally made peace with her family dynamics: while Kelley is “Disneyland Dad,” the first-time mom is content with her nurturing role.
“He’ll get on the floor and roll around and make her laugh. That wasn’t really me. So I felt like, ‘Oh gosh, I’m not the kind of parent she prefers,’” Heigl recalls.
“Then I realized — I’m the cuddler. I’m the one she comes to if she’s hurt. And I have a ritual for putting her to bed. She has one blankie that goes over her, one that goes by her face, and one that she holds. It’s our little thing.”
Raised in a family that values “character, integrity, and morality,” Heigl and Kelley’s main parenting priority is ensuring they all count their blessings — despite the couple’s success in the spotlight.
“We feel strongly about these things because of the industries we’re in,” she explains. “We’ll have to work a little bit harder to keep Naleigh grounded and to make sure she understands how blessed she is — how blessed we all are.”
As we first reported, Private's Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) will venture up to Seattle Grace in the first hour of the crossover during Grey's. She'll plead with older brother Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and sister-in-law Lexie (Chyler Leigh) to help save the life of Erica (A.J. Langer), who, it was revealed in Thursday's episode of Private, is suffering from a serious ailment.
Next, Derek and Lexie are scheduled to appear in the Private hour of the crossover, but in a surprising twist, they won't be heading to Seaside Wellness. Instead, they'll stay put, and Cooper (Paul Adelstein), Charlotte (Kadee Strickland) and Erica's son Mason (Griffin Gluck) will make their way to Seattle Grace, which will become Ground Zero in the rush to save Erica.
The special crossover episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice are slated to air Thursday, Feb. 16 beginning at 9/8c on ABC. Private Practice, which has regularly followed Grey's, will move to Tuesday nights at 10/9c once executive producer Shonda Rhimes' third drama Scandal debuts on Thursday, April 5 at 10/9c.
Other premieres were not so strong. "The Finder" opened to pretty soft ratings for FOX, and "30 Rock," while improving on "Community's" numbers from the fall, had one of its weaker outings.
CBS scored 14.3 million viewers and an 8.6 rating/13 share in households for the night, leading second-place ABC (8.1 million, 5.1/8) by more than 6 million viewers. FOX took third with a shade over 7 million viewers and a 4.3/7. NBC (4.55 million, 2.9/5) came in fourth, while The CW drew 2.4 million viewers and a 1.5/2.
CBS also led the adults 18-49 demographic, albeit not by as much. It earned a 3.5 rating to top ABC's 2.8. FOX came in third with a 2.0, followed by NBC, 1.8, and The CW, 1.0.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (15.9 million viewers, 9.4/15 households)/"Rob" series premiere (13.5 million, 7.9/12)
FOX: "Bones" (8.6 million, 5.3/8)
ABC: "Wipeout" (7.1 million, 4.0/6)
NBC: "30 Rock" season premiere (4.6 million, 2.9/5)/"Parks and Recreation" (4.1 million, 2.6/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.8 million, 1.8/3)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (5.2)
9 p.m.
CBS: "Person of Interest" (14.7 million, 8.8/13)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (10.6 million, 6.8/10)
FOX: "The Finder" series premiere (5.45 million, 3.3/5)
NBC: "The Office" (5.9 million, 3.5/6)/"Up All Night" (4.3 million, 2.6/4)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2.1 million, 1.3/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (3.8)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (13.4 million, 8.3/14)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.7 million, 4.6/8)
NBC: "The Firm" (4.2 million, 2.8/5)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.7)
By tackling a complicated conjoined-twin surgery, one doctor teetering painfully on the edge and two more on the verge of a major relationship step, of course! Find out now how Teddy is faring (hint: not well), and a silver lining of hope for Mark and Lexie fans, courtesy of executive producer Shonda Rhimes...
WHAT WE LEARNED
14 Days Later: Sounds a bit like a zombie movie and it sort of was. But you can't really blame Teddy (Kim Raver). It's only been two weeks and Teddy is wrist deep in surgery and deep dark grief. We get it, we are still wearing black for dear sweet Henry. But watching Teddy grill Cristina (Sandra Oh) repeatedly on what exactly went wrong during surgery is heartbreaking. And who knew Kim Raver could ugly cry so darn well? She's really bringing it in these scenes, so we might be a little selfish in hoping her heartbreak continues.
Baby Bliss: We could watch Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Zola home videos all night long. Maybe that could be a spinoff web series? Seriously though, Meredith and Derek as parents is the cutest thing ever. And when they cut to Zola clapping along with all the docs in the ER, well we died. Our ovaries quaked and exploded. How have we lived this long without a Meredith and Derek baby? If she continues like this we'll have to give her the award for cutest TV baby. Watch out Raising Hope baby, you have new competition!
Shacking Up: For a second there we were wondering, is Bailey's (Chandra Wilson) boyfriend Ben (Jason George) getting evicted or something? He's in a really big hurry to move in together. OK, we get that he wants to spend more time with her and has some good speeches all prepared, but this is after two weeks! Ben, seriously you are hot and funny and all but stop suffocating us Bailey!
Lessons Learned: Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) can be very manipulative to steal surgeries from Alex (Justin Chambers) and a Bluetooth earpiece is an instrument of torture. We wanted to crawl in a hole and die alongside Lexie (Chyler Leigh) when she mistakenly thought Mark (Eric Dane) was talking to her and inadvertently blurted out her feelings. Guess that is one awkward confession out of the way.
ONE-LINERS
"You hush. Nobody is interested in your life." —Bailey
"You know what else is horrible? Having a dead husband." —Jackson
"She's going to take her first steps in day care and then I'm going to kill myself." —Meredith
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Long Lost Loves: When asked if Mark might have lingering feelings for Lexie since he is basically dating her clone, Shonda Rhimes didn't deny the eerie similarities: "I think you might be right about that. I think we're already clear in seeing that Lexie already has some feelings that she thought maybe she didn't have. I'm hopeful that you will see something interesting with the two of them." There you go Mark and Lexie fans, hope is there. We think that's hopeful. "Interesting" is hopeful, right?
Joy! Straight Ahead!: It's only taken a billion seasons, and ups and downs that could give the loyal viewers the bends but Shonda says the joy will last "awhile." Oh happy day! These two deserve some happiness in their lives.
Which Couples Are Endgame? Shonda told us right here!
Well Grey's fans, how was it for you? What stage of grief for dear departed Henry have you entered into? And how adorable is Meredith and Derek's baby?
None!
Rhimes tells me she hasn't plotted out who will end up with whom on either hit series. So, if you're thinking you've figured it all out, think again!
"You know what?" muses Rhimes, whose new series Scandal premieres April 5 on ABC. "Who should end up with who is not the question for me. It's where they are going to end up as individuals that is more interesting to me than who should end up with who. I'm not really about that any more."
So, good news: Maybe different heated shipperdoms can all get along now? Chest bump!
As for Private Practice's core (but troubled) coupling, Sam (Taye Diggs) and Addison (Kate Walsh), the verdict is also...still out.
"I will tell you that I have not decided which way it's going to go," Rhimes says of Sam and Addison. "Not quite yet. It's fun for me. I get to go to set and sort of watch Benjamin Bratt be amazing and go watch Taye Diggs be amazing and figure out which one. It's been fascinating to do."
Rhimes adds, "They are going through a tough time right now and there is also going to be a little heatedness between Addison and Jake (Bratt) which may or may not be Addison's way of trying to get over Sam. They're in an impossible situation in the fact that she desperately wants a baby and [Sam] desperately does not and they've got to work it out…or not."
So how long does she have to figure it out? With the Grey's cast member contracts up at the end of this season, the future of the series is unclear, and Rhimes tells me: "I feel like I will write the shows as long as they're interesting to me. When they stop being interesting, then I'll stop writing them. It is not necessarily that the shows will stop going on, you know, I'm not responsible for that decision, that's a network decision, of how long the shows go. But Grey's is still interesting to me, Private is still interesting to me and I will write them as long as they are."
Check out Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice tonight, and stand by for more info on Shonda's new daring series Scandal, starring Kerry Washington, coming April 5 to ABC.
ABC President Paul Lee announced Tuesday that he has high hopes for Grey's to return for next season. Are you ready to tackle that?
Shonda Rhimes: I feel like we were told that is what's happening. So, we're just making the plans the way we always make the plans. I have a full plan for what's going to happen next season. I have to say a month-and-a-half ago I didn't have a full plan. But one day, I woke up and I did.
The obvious question is if Pompeo decides not to renew her contract, is Lexie (Chyler Leigh) being prepped to be the Grey of Grey's Anatomy?
Rhimes: No. I mean I love the character of Lexi. I think Chyler is amazing. That was never really the vision of the show, like we were seeking a replacement. I wouldn't assume that at all.
Now that Meredith and Derek have Zola back, how will that change the dynamic of their marriage?
Rhimes: They're having so much fun with Zola that it's been amazing to watch. I also love, story-wise and character-wise, the evolution of Meredith's character, this woman who, I remember saying in a bunch of interviews, she will never have kids. Then, really using the shooting to get her to a place where she would think that maybe she would want to have kids, and to now see her as a mother is really beautiful.
I didn't feel like their marriage was messed up. She just felt like if they couldn't get their baby back, it was going to be a problem, but there's a lot of joy there, which is really fun to see for the two of them. They're having a lot of fun together.
ABC at TCA: Scoop on Grey's, General Hospital and when Cougar Town may return
What will we see for Mark (Eric Dane) and Lexie, who clearly still have feelings for each other, which is made especially difficult now that we know Lexie doesn't hate Mark's new girlfriend?
Rhimes: I don't think that's going to change her being able to overcome her feelings though. Mark and Lexie, I love them together. We have heated, heated arguments in the writers' room about the two of them. Some people feel like they shouldn't be together at all, he's too old for her, he's got a baby. I feel like she's got some growing up to do, as does he and maybe they're going to get there.
Following the death of Henry, it seems like Cristina and Owen (Kevin McKidd) are about to hit a rough patch. What can you tease?
Rhimes: The explosion is coming. I think it's going to affect every corner of their lives. Some of the performances that Sandra and Kevin are turning in are, like, people are crying while watching the dailies. It's unbelievably good what they're doing.
Fans are really invested in the Cristina-Owen relationship and would be, ahem, very outspoken should anything happen to them.
Rhimes: I think everyone's really dedicated to them as a couple. I'm not going to say whether or not they're going to break up or not because, honestly, that's kind of not the point in this. But I feel like they're two people who really want to be together, who are fighting to make it work. What that's going to mean is it's going to be fairly painful, even if they make it work. It's going to be a painful journey"
Turning to the alternate-reality episode, we know that Derek is still married to Addison (Kate Walsh), but who is Meredith with?
Rhimes: There are some very surprising things that happen in the alternate-reality episode. I know that fans have been going crazy with their worries and their fears. It's an alternate reality, which means it doesn't exist. Really, the premise is what would have happened if Meredith's mother had never had Alzheimer's, if Meredith had been raised as a bright and shiny person. So, bright-and-shiny Meredith makes a lot of things in the world very different. I think it's really surprising when you discover what she's been doing with her time and the kind of person she's become.
What about Cristina in the alt-reality?
Rhimes: It's the idea that without Meredith there to be her ally in anything, and if Meredith hadn't been there to cut her out of that wedding dress, who would Christina have been? She's just a fundamentally different person and, I think, a lonely one.
And Bailey (Chandra Wilson)?
Rhimes: Without Richard to spend the time mentoring her, Mandy Bailey might have stayed Mandy Bailey and never gotten to be the Nazi.
Now that we know Callie and Owen are together in the alternate-reality episode, what will we see for them?
Rhimes: Callie being with Owen is the largest mistake of both of their lives. It's very funny because they so have no business being together. She's so pining for this peds surgeon and she doesn't know why. It's because she never had Mark Sloan there and Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith) never came, because [Callie] was the heart surgeon, so she never had her first experience with a woman. It's really charming and beautiful. It's more about the fact that they're with the wrong people than it is about them being together.
Will there be a mention of George and/or Izzie in the episode?
Rhimes: You understand where they went in this new world.
Creator Shonda Rhimes, who cast Kerry Washington as a Washington, D.C., crisis PR expert, said the country has been ready for African-American leads for years. She referenced Diahann Carroll's lead turn on "Julia" more than four decades ago. The problem, she said, is that "people have failed to cast the actors that they should have been casting."
Rhimes and the cast spoke during a panel Tuesday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour.
After decades of African-Americans leading some of television's biggest shows -- including "The Cosby Show" -- series have increasingly featured African-American actors only in multi-racial casts that appeal to as many demographics as possible.
Laurence Fishburne was the key character on "CSI" before he departed at the end of last season, but even his show was an ensemble. NBC's "Undercovers," with two African-American leads, was quickly canceled last season.
"Scandal" co-star Columbus Short said minorities have been marginalized on television, and that he hopes Washington's work on "Scandal" will encourage more colorblind casting.
"I think there's a way people want to perceive people of color," he said. "This is what they are, this is how they work, this is how we accept them. Which is a completely gross overassumption of people. And I think this show... tells the story of people. It has nothing to do with color."
ABC announced Tuesday that "Scandal" will debut Thursday, April 5, after the Rhimes-produced "Grey's Anatomy."
"It's not a procedural, it's not romance-y, there is no MerDer," Rhimes told reporters Tuesday during ABC's winter TV previews, comparing her upcoming drama, Scandal, instead to a British miniseries "full of intrigue."
In the show (premiering Thursday, April 25 at 10/9c), Kerry Washington plays a "professional fixer" who formerly worked at the White House and is looking for a new start in opening her own crisis management firm. The character is based on real-life consultant Judy Smith, whose career has included handling aspects of the Iran Contra investigation, the Los Angeles riots and the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Rhimes said that because of the confidential nature of Smith's work, the show's stories will be merely inspired by her famous clients. Smith, who serves as a co-executive producer on the show, provides her expert opinion. "I'll call [Judy] up and say, 'What if I have this conservative soldier who's secretly gay and he's getting the congressional medal of honor?' Rhimes said. "She's been a fascinating and amazing resource for us."
The Grey's boss added she is neither relieved nor worried about tackling a series that doesn't revolve around, as one reporter put it, people with stethoscopes. "This is just a different story," Rhimes said, adding that the through line in her shows is "strong women and flawed people."
Scandal is so tense and un-soap operatic that not only do the characters not have time for love, but they speak at a breakneck pace — an element that drew some comparisons to Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing. "That was about me not wanting the actors lingering in the moments," Rhimes said. "It's a world where everyone's incredibly busy... the pace really serves the story."
At today's ABC press tour today, ABC President Paul Lee answered the tough question of when Cougar Town is coming back, and why the comedy Work It (which was bashed by critics and viewers alike) made it on the air instead. Reporters also asked Lee about the fate of dramas Grey's Anatomy and Pan Am...
"Well, certainly we don't have any comments about those contracts," Lee says of the Grey's cast negotiations for a season nine. "Grey's came roaring back, it's creatively still at the top of its form. Shonda Rhimes has a vision like nobody else. We've heard her vision for this season and beyond, and I'm feeling really good about the show."
As for Cougar Town, which has yet to air new episodes this season, sources tell us Lee had planned to announce a return date during today's press tour, but die-hard fans will have to sit it out a bit longer.
"We're not quite ready [to announce a return date]," Lee says. "But you'll be hearing in the next couple weeks...The reality is I think Cougar Town is having some of their best episodes. I think when we launch it we'll bring a big strong message that we love the show. We haven't yet landed where it's going to go. It's tentatively slated for March. It's in there for a good reason."
When asked if Cougar Town's delayed return is indicative of a move away from single-camera comedy (in favor of shows like Tim Allen's Last Man Standing), Lee insists, "Quite the opposite. The core of our comedy offering is our Wednesday night, it's something we're extremely proud of...This may be a bit of a dream but it if you look at Happy Endings, Cougar Town and Apartment 23, it'd be great to have a bunch of young irreverent comedies together. That's a little bit of a dream for the future."
So what about Pan Am? It may or may not be a dream for the future as well. "When it opened, it really brought a good audience to it," Lee says. "I think there's a lot of goodwill toward the show. It's a great cast. We have new and original shows right through the end of February and it'll be in contention past that. "
And how's this for a little tidbit to make you go hmmm, Revenge fans? When asked if it's still a possibility that Revenge may move locations away from the Hamptons, Lee says: "I don't want to give anything away about a show that people are on the edge of their seats for, but yes, it is in the cards."
American Horror Story-Revenge crossover next season, anyone? Maybe they can be neighbors in...Tallahassee?
Oh, and in the "yeah-duh" category, Dancing With the Stars is totally not getting the boot anytime soon. "Dancing With the Stars has many more years to come. It's all about the casting, and that's how you keep it alive," Lee says.
Yes, that seems to be a definite possibility for ABC's Grey's Anatomy, which is currently in its eighth season. ABC president Paul Lee hinted that this season will not be its last, but will creator Shonda Rhimes be sticking around should it continue on?
At ABC's winter press tour, we caught up with Rhimes to discuss the future of Grey's...and whether or not it could go on without her. Oh, and what's ahead for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey)?
When asked about the future of Grey's Anatomy earlier today, ABC boss Lee said the medical drama is "creatively still at the top of the its form" and he's hoping to see Rhimes' vision for future seasons. "Shonda Rhimes has a vision like nobody else," he said. "We've heard her vision for this season and beyond, and I'm feeling really good about the show."
After hearing that ABC would be open to additional seasons of Grey's, we had to go straight to Rhimes, who was in attendance to promote her new ABC show Scandal starring Kerry Washington, and ask how she's feeling about the future of the show. "I honestly can say that I don't know that it matters what I want to do, because I feel like ABC has a plan," Rhimes said. "It's [ABC's] show, not mine. I don't own it. I think Paul Lee has said publicly that he wants it to show to go for 10 more years. So we'll see what happens."
Ten more years at Seattle Grace? Huzzah! However, would Rhimes continue with the show if it does go on to stay on the air for years to come? When asked if she'd like to see the show go on for another 10 years, Rhimes admitted she's hesitant. "I don't know how I feel about that concept, but I'm not going to say no to my employers at this moment in time," she said.
Rhimes hints that the show could go on without her at the helm if she decides she's run out of interesting ideas. "I think we are all interested in doing the show as long as the show is interesting to do," she said. "When I'm done having interesting ideas for the show, I will be done with the show. But that doesn't necessarily mean the show will be done."
Don't worry, MerDer fans. We didn't forget about you. When asked for some scoop on the fan favorite couple, Rhimes said, "They are going to get to be parents and we're going to see a lot of joy from them. I think that's a really great evolution for their characters. I think [the joy] is going to last for awhile. It's interesting for the characters and to see Meredith as a mother and see what that it is.
Rhimes adds that "we've been having a lot of fun with that, and Ellen is amazing with the twins that play Zola." All together now: Awww!
Would you continue to watch Grey's Anatomy if Shonda Rhimes left the show? Are you excited to see MerDer as parents?
Heigl writes in a blog post for iVillage.com about finding her footing in her career since adopting her daughter at 10-months-old.
"I knew, of course, as I prepared to welcome my daughter into my life that it would be a bit of a juggling act but I had no doubt that I could do it," writes Heigl. "After all, it’s 2012 and women have been told that we can have it all if we want it. I went into it full throttle, ready to buckle down and make it all work seamlessly as I always imagined I could."
But Heigl says she quickly discovered that she couldn't handle both responsibilities.
"No matter how great my intentions, how lofty my goals, how passionate my commitment, I was failing. I was failing my work, I was failing my daughter, I was failing my husband," writes Heigl. "I was stressed out and exhausted. I was worried and afraid it was all slipping through my fingers no matter how tight my grip."
Heigl continues, "I couldn’t help but wonder ... if the choice I made to be a working mother was the most selfish decision of my life."
The solution for Heigl was to pull back from her career and become a stay-at-home mom.
But now that Naleigh has turned three, Heigl says that things have changed and that she once again finds herself drooling over roles.
"When the next job came around I jumped like a fish starving for water," said Heigl. "I asked myself what was wrong with me. How can I want to leave my child to go back to work? How can I miss all those important little moments with her to do nothing more significant then make a movie? ... The simple truth is that I love my daughter passionately and as most mothers do, think she is the smartest, funniest, prettiest child in the whole world -- but she cannot fulfill everything in me."
Heigl says that, in the end, she feels like she's reached the right balance.
"Now when I take a job, I look my daughter in the eye, screw up my courage and try to explain to her that Mommy has to go to work," writes Heigl. "And when she looks back at me and says, 'But why?,' I tell her the truth: that work makes me a better person, a better woman, a better mother."
Dempsey, whose contract with the medical drama is up in May, was at Daytona International Speedway over the weekend, testing his Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series "Roar Before the Rolex 24" event.
Dempsey wasn't the only celeb at testing. AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson and Los Angeles Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson were among the 112 participants.
Dempsey added he probably would be able to stick with Grey's, though made it clear that racing and a movie career are priorities.
"We're certainly talking about the future (with ABC)," Dempsey said. "The biggest point for me in negotiations is getting time off to come race -- so if I don't miss races, I'll probably stay on (Grey's).
"It certainly helps with the racing, and that's my real passion, but I also enjoy the show as well."
Dempsey, who will turn 46 on Friday, has been racing in the Grand-Am series since 2007 with 32 career starts, including a career-high 11 in 2011. His best finish was third at Daytona last year.
The Rolex 24 is Jan. 28-29 at Daytona and will be televised live on Speed.
Team principals Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster confirmed to SPEED.com that Dempsey Racing will enter the LMP2 ranks sometime in 2012, and has not yet ruled out a debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June.
"We'll have a presence in LMP2 at some point this year,” Dempsey said. “Certainly, we want to do it correctly. We have a lot of different directions we could go in and we're trying to figure out which one is the best one for the long term. We're really looking towards 2013 as well, so we need to make sure that we have a strong car.”
First revealed by SPEED.com last year, Dempsey expressed ambitions of moving into LMP2, initially with a limited-season program prior to a possible full-season effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship for 2013.
Those plans still appear to be on track, but the scale of its LMP2 program for its initial season has yet to be decided. Dempsey and Foster said they have multiple scenarios in the works at the moment, but both are expected to be part of the driver lineup.
“The goal is an absolute, proper full-time deal in 2013,” Foster said. “There's a taste-tester that has to happen before that. But we want to be realistic. We've been really lucky to have expanded the program into LMPC and we want to be sure we don't bite off too much than we can chew.”
With the actor/racer’s insurance policy prohibiting him from racing an open-top car, it narrows Dempsey's chassis choice down to either Lola’s cost-capped B12/80 coupe or the new South African-built Bailey LMP2, the latter an unlikely option given the time frame.
In terms of engine options, Foster has ruled out Mazda for this year but has remained committed to the Japanese manufacturer for what it could deliver in 2013. It’s expected the team would use a non-competing brand, such as Judd, in the meantime.
"We still want to do it with Mazda,” Foster said. “We hope there will eventually be a Mazda engine. We're working with Mazda on the whole program to make sure it's correct for them this year as well. It's all part of our long-term deal.”
Dempsey ruled out any possible collaboration with Dyson Racing, which has two automatic LMP1 invites to Le Mans this year for its pair of Lola-Mazdas.
With the Le Mans entry request deadline of Jan. 18 looming, Dempsey said further details about the team’s new program should be announced in the next week or two, alluding to that a Le Mans debut could very well be possible, if awarded an entry.
"We have to make sure all of our partners are happy to achieve our goals,” Dempsey added. “We need to get in and understand that series. We need to understand the technical side of that car and I need seat time. That's what we're doing. We're trying to figure out the best way to realize those goals."
The numbers were close, though. ABC drew 9.5 million viewers 6.0 rating/9 share in households while CBS was close behind with 9.3 million viewers (5.8/9). After a steep drop off, FOX followed with 4.5 million viewers (3.0/5). The CW (2.6 million, 1.8/3) in a minor coup managed to top NBC (2.3 million, 1.5/2) with the return of "The Vampire Diaries."
ABC also led the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.3 rating, finishing ahead of CBS' 2.3. FOX and The CW tied at 1.1 while NBC finished last with 0.8. Thursday hour-by-hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "Big Bang Theory" rerun (11.6 million viewers, 7.1/11)/"Rules of Engagement" rerun (8.6 million, 5.2/8)
ABC: "Wipeout" (8.5 million, 4.8/7)
FOX: "Bones" rerun (4.8 million, 3.1/5)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.2 million, 2.1/3)
NBC: "Community" rerun (2.6 million, 1.8/3)/"Parks and Recreation" (2.4 million, 1.6/3)
18-49 leader: "Big Bang Theory" (3.5)
9 p.m.
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (12 million, 7.8/12)
CBS: "Person of Interest" rerun (8.7 million, 5.4/8)
FOX: "Bones" rerun (4.3 million, 2.8/4)
NBC: "The Office" rerun (2.6 million, 1.7/3)/"Whitney" rerun (2.6 million, 1.5/2)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2.0 million, 1.4/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.5)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" rerun (9.1 million, 5.7/9)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.8 million, 5.3/9)
NBC: "The Office" rerun (1.8 million, 1.2/2)/"Up All Night" rerun (1.9 million, 1.3/2)
18-49 leader: "Private Practice" (2.8)
But if you thought the pain would subside with time, grab your tissues as we break down what happened tonight when Teddy (Kim Raver) finally learned the truth, and what lies ahead...
WHAT WE LEARNED
Heartbreak in the Dark: It's like the writers didn't want to miss one spare moment to exploit our heartbreak and slow healing. So we are right back to where we started. Henry (Scott Foley) is dead, Teddy still doesn't know. And Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Alex (Justin Chambers) just got out of their stalled ambulance to a post-apocalyptic looking car crash. Clearly time does not heal all wounds.
We were tempted to start a morbid tally of people who knew about Henry's death (sob!) before Teddy. And by the 30-minute mark we already had Owen, the Chief, Cristina, April, Bailey and Callie on the list. And while we were tempted to question the long painful process of telling Teddy, we have to admit Kim Raver was quite extraordinary. From her pleading with Cristina (Sandra Oh) to tell her he was dead, to an excruciating trip to the morgue, it was restrained and horrible and the most real we've ever seen Teddy.
Torture Triangle: Mark (Eric Dane) and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) are like unrequited lover ships passing in the night. When one is single, the other is having a baby with his BFF. When the other is ready, a new significant other is added to the mix. And of course said new significant other just happens be the only one available to consult on a case.
This is where we are willing to plead to the highest authority. Shonda Rhimes, please just put Mark and Lexie back together and put us all out of our misery, with the longing looks and sparks of hope. Worst part of all of this? Mark's Dr. New Girlfriend is actually good at her job and reveals her vulnerability to Lexie. Ugh. We hate that we are warming up to her.
She's Back!: Zola! Just when we're going to break down into sobs for Henry, a baby rings the doorbell. We've never been so happy to see Meredith and Derek's adorable MIA baby. And just in the nick of time, we needed good news.
ONE-LINERS
"Dammit. Now I like her." —Lexie
"Cristina, I need you to say it." —Teddy
"I wouldn't mind if you didn't give me quite so much space." —Bailey
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Specialized Surgery: What happens when you put a dozen or so doctors in an ER to perform complex surgery on conjoined twins? If we search the deep recesses of our minds to our elementary school history lessons, we're pretty sure this is what they meant by powder keg. Either everyone works together in harmony or chaos ensues or both! Our favorite kind Grey's episode.
Twilight Zone: Grey's Anatomy will go full butterfly effect in an upcoming episode. What would have happened if Meredith wasn't so dark and twisty? Certainly no tequila and no hooking up with a Derek in a bar. But would Meredith and Cristina still be besties? Are the sisters Grey on great terms? OK clearly we have tons of questions and can't wait to see this alternate universe Seattle, but maybe things aren't all bright and shiny.
That was a tough one, kids. Was it torture to see Teddy left in the dark for so long? Did you scream when Zola was at the door?
Following the "If/Then" episode of Grey's — in which Kate Walsh will appear in an alternate reality that sees Ellis Grey (Kate Burton) alive and Addison and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) still married — Caterina Scorsone's Amelia will head to Seattle Grace for an episode slated for mid-February. Details are scarce, but both Derek and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) will also appear in the Private Practice hour of the crossover.
During the Season 7 crossover, Amelia ventured to Seattle Grace in hopes of reconciling with Derek. The two had not been on speaking terms since Amelia turned to drugs while grieving the death of her father, who was shot and killed in front of her and Derek. Now that she's getting clean and sober again, the siblings will surely have plenty to talk about.
Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday at 9/8c followed by the midseason premiere of Private Practice at 10/9c on ABC.
"The whole concept is really cool — a Sliding Doors kind of thing," says Private Practice star Kate Walsh, who guest stars. "It's interesting to see all of the characters turned upside down a little. Ellis is alive and well and has changed everything. She has a different relationship with her daughter, which makes Meredith a different person — not the kind of woman who would continue on with someone who's married." Meow!
To create an alternate-universe look, the makeup, wardrobe and hairstylists returned Kate to the way she looked in 2005. "It was really fun for me to be back in the really coiffed hair and red lips," she says. "And all the guys are wearing ties and buttoned-up white coats. Patrick [Dempsey] looked a little like a mad scientist so we were calling him McDreary instead of McDreamy. It was all very strange, creepy and cool."
While the hospital staff perceives the Drs. Shepherd as the perfect couple, Kate says viewers will "see what's really transpiring. There may or may not be a baby on the way."
This may also be the year when Addison becomes a mommy on Private Practice. Kate teases, "She's going to Palm Springs with Jake." Hmmm... perhaps to conceive a baby in the desert? "That's all I'm tellin' ya!"
Gayheart, 40, and Grey's Anatomy star Dane, 39, are already parents to daughter Billie Beatrice, who was born in March 2010.
"Rebecca Gayheart and husband Eric Dane welcomed Georgia Geraldine Dane on Dec. 28, just in time for the New Year!" the rep says. "Both mom and baby girl are happy and healthy, Billie is thrilled to be a big sister, and dad is getting ready to live in a house full of ladies!"
In August, an expectant Gayheart shared some details about her more relaxed second pregnancy.
"What’s made it different is that I’m very focused on Billie … so I’m not very focused on [the pregnancy]. I'm not as neurotic," she told PEOPLE.
She also confessed to readying herself for the obstacles that awaited the couple as they prepared to parent two kids under the age of 2.
"I've heard that's very challenging. But I think I'm up for it," she said. "Eventually it's going to be great because they're going to be very close in age and very close, hopefully."
The pair announced the pregnancy in July.
"It's worth having a conversation. I have a family to support, and why not have a discussion about continuing?" he tells TV Guide in its upcoming Winter Preview issue (out tomorrow). "The question is will I do a full season, a half season or come back at all? There are a lot of things I'd like to do: (car) racing, films ... so if I'm able to balance all those things and continue on with the show, why not? There are so many other things than just the money. But it's a nice position to be in."
He added that the show's much-hyped musical episode may not have been showrunner Shonda Rimes' best idea. "It's very difficult to keep it fresh when you're doing 24 episodes a year. Shonda Rhimes has a lot of ideas, and she is in a position where she can take more chances. Sometimes that works, sometimes it does not. Last year we had the singing episode, which I think was a big mistake. But you have to try."
But the current adoption story line for him and onscreen wife Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is one that he's definitely into.
"I'm very happy with the baby story. I'm glad it's not about Meredith and Derek together, but it's about them raising a child. Meredith always has tragedy around her that creates a lot of drama. It's amazing that Derek continues to stand by her. But it's good that they made the commitment to stay together."
While we still refuse to believe that Grey's Anatomy actually killed off Noel Henry (Scott Foley), we guess we can't live in denial forever...just as Teddy (Kim Raver) can't remain in the dark about her husband's tragic death.
ABC just released a new promo for the medical drama's Jan. 5 return, and from the looks of it, viewers are going to need a box of tissues (and maybe some wine) to get through the episode. Way to kill our Christmas buzz, ABC!
"Her husband just died in our O.R.," Richard (James Pickens Jr.) says of Teddy in the promo. "She'll never forgive any of us." Yes, Grey's is definitely bringing on the drama in the second half of the season.
A heartbroken Cristina (Sandra Oh), who was performing the surgery on Henry when he died, is faced with the impossible task of breaking the news to Teddy, her mentor. Yeah, we'd rather stick our hand in a blender than have to break the news that Noel Crane has passed. It also seems like Owen (Kevin McKidd) will be in some serious hot water with Cristina after making the decision to cover Henry's face so Cristina wouldn't know she was performing the surgery on him.
And as if the aftermath of Henry's death isn't enough drama to deal with, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Alex (Justin Chambers) are still in the midst of the ambulance collision they were involved in at the end of the fall finale.
Grey's Anatomy returns on Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. on ABC.
While these numbers aren’t a key piece of the puzzle for the broadcast nets when they are setting ad rates and deciding whether to renew a series, they definitely help to tell a story of a program’s true popularity.*
1. NCIS (CBS, 21.4 million)
2. Sunday NFL Football (NBC, 19.9)
3. Two and a Half Men (CBS, 18.9)
4. Dancing with the Stars (ABC, 18.5)
5. NCIS: LA (CBS, 17.4)
6. DWTS: Results (ABC, 16.65)
7. Big Bang Theory (CBS, 16.61)
8. Modern Family (ABC, 15.066)
9. NFL Pre-Kick (NBC, 15.063)
10. 60 Minutes (CBS, 14.67)
11. Mentalist (CBS, 14.6)
12. Criminal Minds (CBS, 14.4)
13. The OT (Fox, 14.0)
14. 2 Broke Girls (CBS, 13.6)
15. Mike & Molly (CBS, 13.56)
16. Unforgettable (CBS, 13.532)
17. Person of Interest (CBS, 13.531)
18. Hawaii 5-0 (CBS, 13.4)
19. CSI (CBS, 13.2)
20. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC, 13.1)
21. Blue Bloods (CBS, 12.9)
22. X Factor Wed (Fox, 12.5)
23. Survivor: South Pacific (CBS, 12.5)
24. X Factor Thurs (Fox, 12.3)
25. Castle (ABC, 12.2)
26. Once Upon a Time (ABC, 12.0)
27. Good Wife (CBS, 11.9)
28. How I Met Your Mother (CBS, 11.5)
29. Last Man Standing (ABC, 11.47)
30. Rules of Engagement (CBS, 11.45)
31. CSI: Miami (CBS, 11.42)
32. CSI: NY (CBS, 11.34)
33. Football Night in America 3 (NBC, 11.1)
34. Amazing Race 19 (CBS, 11.05)
35. Body of Proof (ABC, 11.03)
36. Desperate Housewives (ABC, 11.0)
37. Bones (Fox, 10.2)
38. New Girl (Fox, 10.0)
39. Terra Nova (Fox, 9.98)
40. Glee (Fox, 9.90)
41. Revenge (ABC, 9.8)
42. Middle (ABC, 9.82)
43. House (Fox, 9.7)
44. Law & Order: SVU (NBC, 9.1)
45. Suburgatory (ABC, 9.0)
46. Harry’s Law (NBC, 8.99)
47. Private Practice (ABC, 8.98)
48. How to be a Gentleman (CBS, 8.6 million)
49. A Gifted Man (CBS, 8.5)
50. Fear Factor (NBC, 8.5)
51. Pan Am (ABC, 8.2)
52. Simpsons (Fox, 7.77)
53. Happy Endings (ABC, 7.70)
54. Hell’s Kitchen Mon 9 (Fox, 7.4)
55. Hell’s Kitchen Mon 8 (Fox, 7.3)
56. Office (NBC, 7.29)
57. Family Guy (Fox, 7.26)
58. Parenthood (NBC, 7.1)
59. Grimm (NBC, 7.0)
60. Charlie’s Angels (ABC, 6.919)
61. Man Up (ABC, 6.915)
62. America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC, 6.8)
63. Biggest Loser 12 (NBC, 6.7)
64. Raising Hope (Fox, 6.6)
65. Sat. Night College Football (ABC, 6.30)
66. Up All Night (NBC, 6.14)
67. Prime Suspect (NBC, 6.12)
68. I Hate My Teenage Daughter (Fox, 6.0)
69. Football Night in America 2 (NBC, 5.97)
70. Dateline Fri (NBC, 5.93)
71. American Dad (Fox, 5.7)
72. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC, 5.77)
73. 48 Hours Mystery (CBS, 5.75)
74. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 9 p.m. (ABC, 5.4)
75. Whitney (NBC, 5.3)
76. Playboy Club (NBC, 5.2)
77. Sing Off (NBC, 5.17)
78. Cleveland Show (Fox, 5.14)
79. 20/20 Friday (ABC, 5.10)
80. Cleveland Show Sunday 8:30 (Fox, 5.07)
81. You Deserve It (ABC, 5.03)
82. Crimetime Sat 9 p.m. (CBS, 4.5)
83. Middle Tuesday (ABC, 4.48)
84. Allen Gregory (Fox, 4.45)
85. Parks and Recreation (NBC (4.42)
86. SVU Saturday (NBC, 4.3)
87. Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, 4.29)
88. Prime Suspect Sat. (NBC, 4.26)
89. Sat. Football pregame (ABC, 4.22)
90. COPS Sat. 8:30 (Fox, 4.19)
91. Community (NBC, 4.18)
92. Fringe (Fox, 4.10)
93. Rock Center (NBC, 4.01)
94. Free Agents (NBC, 3.9)
95. Chuck (NBC, 3.888)
96. Suburgatory Tues. (ABC, 3.886)
97. COPS Sat. 8 p.m. (Fox, 3.77)
98. Up All Night 8:30 (NBC, 3.72)
99. Comedytime Sat. 1 (CBS, 3.6)
100. Harry’s Law Sat. (NBC, 3.5)
101. Comedytime Sat. 2 (CBS, 3.3)
102. Vampire Diaries (CW, 3.1)
103. Terra Nova Sat. (Fox, 2.5)
104. America’s Next Top Model 17 (CW, 2.37)
105. Secret Circle (CW, 2.34)
106. Supernatural (CW, 2.25)
107. Hart of Dixie (CW, 2.1)
108. Nikita (CW, 2.06)
109. Ringer (CW, 2.02)
…112. 90210 (CW, 1.7)
113. Gossip Girl (CW, 1.68)
114. Bob’s Burgers (Fox, 1.65)
…120. H8R (CW, 1.2)
*Note: Season averages include repeats. If a program (original or rerun) aired in a different time slot, it is listed separately. Rankings for NBC’s Sunday Night football is also broken up because each half-hour can command different ad rates.
The 27 Dresses star courted controversy after claiming director Judd Apatow's script for her hit film Knocked Up was "a little sexist".
She then infuriated a number of her TV co-stars soon afterwards by insisting she didn't deserve an Emmy Award for her work on Grey's Anatomy because her character "had no material worthy to submit".
Heigl's publicist worked overtime to repair the damage the comments had done to her reputation, but when the actress refused to hide her true feelings and instead give more "chipper interviews", her rep promptly dropped the blonde beauty as a client.
She tells Elle magazine, "I've never really been America's sweetheart, but for a minute I think that's what they wanted me to be. And I had 'em for a second thinking maybe I was. And then I opened my mouth, and it was very clear I wasn't."
And while Heigl doesn't regret any of her actions, she wishes she had kept some of her more cutting comments to herself: "I look at some of what I had to say, and I'm like, 'Oh my god, I would tell myself to shut up too.'"
But the actress is learning from experience - she's trying to reign in her blunt honesty and sarcastic attitude in a bid to better connect with her fan base.
She adds, "I'm just that a------ who really wants everyone to like me, and it's a ridiculous goal and it's an impossible goal. But I think if I keep pushing forward and showing myself through and through, they will see me again for what I really am and not what has been sort of spun about me."
For those of you out there with the legitimate worry that this is just another princess who'll need to find her prince to make her happy, a bad message for little girls, Disney wants to reassure you. In announcing the series, Nancy Kanter, Senior Vice President, Original Programming and General Manager, Disney Junior Worldwide, said, "In Sofia, we have a 'peer to peer princess,' a relatable girl experiencing the same social issues as our young viewers - learning how to fit in, making new friends, conquering new skills and building sibling relationships."
She continued, "Although Sofia will have plenty of pretty dresses and sparkly shoes, our stories will show Sofia, and our viewers, that what makes a real princess is what's inside, not what's outside. That the inner character of kindness, generosity, loyalty, honesty and grace make you special, not the dress you wear."
Sofia will be voiced by Ariel Winter from "Modern Family." Also providing voices are Tim Gunn, Sara Ramirez and Wayne Brady.
"I've been debating this lately," the actress, 33, tells the January issue of British Cosmopolitan. "Josh and I always said that cheating would be a deal breaker; there is no second chance. But I've seen friends and acquaintances go through it and they've found a way back to the relationship, and a way to forgive each other."
Not that she's giving her husband of four years, and the father of her 3-year-old daughter Naleigh, a hall pass or anything. But perhaps a fling wouldn't automatically mean an end to their marriage.
"As much as I would kill him if he cheated because it would destroy me, I have started to question whether, if a mistake were to be made and it was a one-time thing, I would forgive him," Heigl says. "Because look at the life we've built together. We have history, we have a child."
Yet she adds: "At the same time, it would be really hard to ever fully trust that person again."
It's a good thing Heigl, who stars in the upcoming New Year's Eve, is married – as certain aspects of the single life do not appeal to her, like one-night stands, for instance.
"I don't like them," she says. "I've never met a single woman who has ever walked away from a one-night stand and been like, 'That was awesome! Oh, my god! Best ever!' "
The ever-outspoken actress is, well, speaking out in advance of New Year's Eve's release, and among the first topics she tackled while sitting down with Elle magazine was her decision not to conform to the stereotypical, people-pleasing actress M.O.—even when it looked as though she was headed that way.
"I've never really been America's sweetheart, but for a minute I think that's what they wanted me to be," the January covergirl told the magazine. "And I had 'em for a second thinking maybe I was."
So what went wrong?
"And then I opened my mouth, and it was very clear I wasn't."
Oh. That.
"There's so much of my mother's caustic, sarcastic, irreverent take on things," she explained. "But I also love and embrace it. I look at some of what I had to say, and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I would tell myself to shut up too.'"
Still, her deviation from a cookie-cutter career does have its drawbacks, and chief among them are her critics—often every bit as vocal as the star herself.
"I think it's a female thing. I'm just that a--hole who really wants everyone to like me, and it's a ridiculous goal and it's an impossible goal. But I think if I keep pushing forward and showing myself through and through, they will see me again for what I really am and what has been sort of spun about me."
Meanwhile, in her quest to get the spin respun, Heigl also sat down with Cosmopolitan's U.K. edition, where she drove home the point and owned up to her own part in it.
"Hollywood likes to label everyone so you're easier to identify," she said. "I didn't mind it; I got mouthy, the way a child does when you celebrate them for something. The mouthier I got, the more I'd be celebrated. I was like, 'You think that's outspoken? How about this…' Then it bit me in the hand."
Though, seeing as how she's about to open a star-studded movie, we'd say her tell-it-like-it-is outspokenness aside, she's still done pretty well for herself.
“I used to want like six kids,” the New Year’s Eve actress, 33, says in an interview airing Wednesday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. But she and husband Josh Kelley have cut that back a little.
“We’re thinking maybe like three to four kids,” Heigl says. “That would be my ideal.”
“That’s still a lot,” DeGeneres points out. To which Heigl replies: “That’s still a lot, isn’t it? Alright, maybe two.”
The episode will imagine all the ways Meredith's life would be different if her mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's before she died in Season 3, was alive and well.
In the February episode, entitled "If/Then," Kate Walsh also returns as part of an alternate reality where Derek (Patrick Dempsey) stayed with Addison.
Burton, who has recently appeared on Grimm, The Closer and The Good Wife, was nominated for two Emmys for her role on Grey's Anatomy. She will also appear in Scandal, the upcoming ABC political drama from Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes.
Who else do you think should return for this very special episode of Grey's?
Yes, "Private Practice" star Kate Walsh is returning to "Grey's Anatomy" for another crossover event, and yes, in this episode, Addison Montgomery will be with Derek (Patrick Dempsey) once again. In the romantic sense.
However, there's a twist. TVLine reports that the episode, set to air in February, is a look at what would have happened at Seattle Grace if Meredith's mother, Ellis Grey, never had Alzheimer's. The idea is that if her mother had continued on as a world-class surgeon, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), would be a very different woman today.
In the episode, Walsh returns to play Addison, who -- yep -- never broke up with McDreamy. They're still married; we're just not too sure it's a happy marriage. We can also expect the return of other former cast members, including one who died in the hospital shooting back in Season 6.
"Grey's Anatomy" is back on Thurs, Jan. 5 at 9 p.m. on ABC. In the meantime, we're still mourning Henry (Scott Foley). Why, cruel world? Why?!
To promote her message, Heigl posed topless while holding a puppy for print ads, and partnered with FunnyorDie.com to create a snarky PSA where she explains, "I can't cut the nuts off human men — yet. So I've dedicated my time to the neutering of dogs. Because that's legal!"
Check out the PSA here: Video.
Last night, Los Angeles was struck by powerful Santa Ana winds at speeds that would put freeway limits to shame (we're talking up to 100 mph), and we can count a couple of stars among those who felt the full force of Mother Nature.
Just before 8 p.m. last night, a large eucalyptus tree smashed through the Beverly Hills home of Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane and his heavily pregnant wife Rebecca Gayheart. So what was the damage? And, more importantly, is everyone OK?
According to various neighbor accounts, the couple—and their young daughter Billie—were indeed home at the time of the scary incident, though luckily no injuries were reported.
Per the local CBS affiliate, the more than 30-foot-tall tree was uprooted by a wind burst and smashed through the wall of couple's home, bursting a water pipe and taking out a parked car in the process.
Firefighters quickly arrived on the scene and shut off power to the home to ensure that none of the exposed wires sparked up and caused further damage.
Reps for the stars have yet to comment, or even confirm that the duo was home at the time. Stay safe out there!
"I wouldn't have cared. Stephanie is not her hair," the author says, before deadpanning to Heigl: "But my fans would have run you out of town."
Hence the lengths Heigl went to for the brunet 'do in One for the Money. She went from dyeing her hair, months before she was due on set, to wearing a wig. (Says Heigl: "There were all these online debates, do I look better as a blonde or a brunette? I ignored it.")
The wig itself caused its own little drama. "The producers were really nervous about it," Heigl says. "It was a big deal."
Heigl pulled hair inspiration from the likes of Julia Roberts and Taylor Swift for the stylish creation, which arrived on set the day of a major Money screen test. When she rocked the new wig for the producers, the relief was palpable.
"I think they thought I was going to come out looking like Bozo the clown," says Heigl. "You could tell there was so much relief that I wasn't doing something completely bananas."
Producer Gary Lucchesi calls the resulting look "perfect." Heigl says it's "my Julia-Roberts-does-Trenton look." Now that she's back to her usual blond hair, she misses her foray into brunet-dom.
"I feel more sophisticated as a brunette, more European," says Heigl. "And with that brunette, I felt more Jersey."
A major break occurred when Evanovich saw 2008's 27 Dresses, notably the scene in which Katherine Heigl's straitlaced character rushes from a bar cursing at the top of her lungs.
Discussing the moment with Heigl for the first time during a joint interview at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Evanovich explains that, right then, everything clicked.
"I just knew it," Evanovich says to Heigl. "From that instant, you were Stephanie Plum to me."
In January, Heigl, 33, will be Stephanie Plum to the rest of the world when the film adaptation of the first novel in Evanovich's series, One for the Money, hits theaters. Seventeen years after the book was released, the actress will finally put a face to the lingerie saleswoman turned bounty hunter who has sparked a behemoth 80 million copies in book sales (including nine No. 1 USA TODAY best sellers) and an audience of die-hard fans.
"I don't know why it took so long, but as far as I'm concerned, the search is over," says Evanovich, 68, who last week released her 18th Plum novel, Explosive Eighteen (Bantam, $28). "Every time I write Stephanie Plum, it's going to be Katherine Heigl's face there. She totally nailed it."
Amazingly, Heigl's casting had nothing to do with Evanovich's 27 Dresses epiphany, because the author had relinquished any say in production matters when she sold the rights to One for the Money before it was published in 1994. Despite the early sale, there was no concrete movement on a film adaptation for years. Evanovich continued churning out new, increasingly successful novels, while actresses' names occasionally surfaced as potential players — none to the author's total satisfaction.
Fans wanted Bullock
"Every now and then, I would get a phone call that would be: Jennifer Lopez is going to be attached to this," says Evanovich, clearly unimpressed. "Or Reese Witherspoon. There was never anybody really there." Her fans clamored for Sandra Bullock. "They could see her with the dark hair. And she has great comic timing."
The author, who was a successful romance writer before moving to mystery writing in the early '90s, never had a Hollywood personality in mind for the sassy character she was creating. Stephanie Plum featured a little bit of Evanovich herself and some of her daughter Alex, then 20. But that changed once she set eyes on the former Grey's Anatomy star.
"I had been going around to everybody saying Katherine Heigl has to be Stephanie Plum, and then one day, I got that phone call saying that it was Katherine," says Evanovich. "I was like, 'Oh, my God.' "
On the set of 2009's The Ugly Truth, producer Gary Lucchesi had presented Heigl with a copy of One for the Money. The avid reader was hooked.
"Two months later, someone was able to get me to come out of the bedroom after I had gone through 10 books," says Heigl. "(They are) so addicting."
Lucchesi and Lakeshore Entertainment acquired the rights with their choice, Heigl, to star as the unemployed Plum, who takes a job as a rookie bail bondsman hunting down a cop accused of murder. The suspect happens to be her hunky ex-boyfriend (Jason O'Mara). The View's Sherri Shepherd was cast as Plum's street-level informant, Lula, and screen legend Debbie Reynolds signed on as kooky Grandma Mazur.
But a major hurdle lay ahead: Fans were not pleased that Heigl is famous for her blond hair while Plum is a brunette.
"They had a hard time with it because (Heigl's) blond," says Evanovich. "But 90% of them were just so excited that the movie was going to get made."
Heigl tried dyeing her hair, but then had to go to a plan B to get the desired look. "I wigged it," she says. "Sorry."
Hair done, Heigl moved onto the finer aspects of bounty-hunter training. She took her first trip to a gun range, where she proved to be a sure shot. ( "I called my dad and kept my target to show him," she says, beaming). Producer Lucchesi says Heigl also showed impressive skill behind the wheel of a 3-ton, stick-shift truck in another scene.
Still, there were some low points while delving into the New Jersey crime business, such as Handcuffing 101. "Ugh," says Heigl. "I could never get that smooth handcuffing motion."
Even tougher was her first on-camera accent — and a broad one, to boot.
"It was nerve-racking," says Heigl. "There were moments I saw it wavering. I'm normally the jerk in the audience who goes, 'Blah, they totally lost the accent there.' This was karmic."
Her attention to detail also played into her dedication to keeping the movie true to the book.
"I became very possessive of Janet's material," says Heigl. "I was really loud about how important it was to honor the book."
Mutual fans became friends
Evanovich, meanwhile, stayed in the dark during the film process. "I always felt once it goes into movie land, the book belongs to someone else," she says.
So neither producers nor Heigl had any idea what Evanovich would think once she finally saw the completed film. Evanovich concedes that she, too, fretted about the final result and put off the screening for months.
"I was terrified to see it," says Evanovich. "But when I did, it was everything I could have wanted and more. I was almost in tears when the movie ended. I was so relieved."
The author's stamp of approval caused the filmmakers to literally pop the Champagne.
"That was the best call we got in the entire process — that Janet loved the movie," says Heigl, exhaling dramatically. "We were like, 'Thank God!' "
Movie wrapped, Heigl reached out to Evanovich, and the two immediately talked over the phone for an hour and a half for the first time about everything from dog rescues to kids. This led to an instant e-mail relationship.
"I get the funniest, quippiest e-mails from Janet, none of them appropriate for sharing," says Heigl. "I don't have to censor myself. I can just be me."
"That's another thing we have in common," adds Evanovich. "I'm from New Jersey. I have an extensive vocabulary. I'm totally politically incorrect."
After their first in-person meeting for this interview, the two fast friends even escaped back to Heigl's Los Feliz, Calif., house for a home-cooked meal that lasted late into the evening. Evanovich reported back that she was especially tickled when the Hollywood star searched in vain to find all the ingredients for a martini.
"It was like Stephanie searching through her apartment for a Snickers bar," says Evanovich. "I knew she was one of us.
"She had the vodka, she had the chilled glass, but she couldn't find the vermouth," the author adds. "It showed the human side of a person who has a lot going on in her life."
The ingredients for a suitable martini were eventually found ("She located an olive, and we were good to go," says Evanovich), and now the duo feel they have the ingredients for future Plum adaptations for the screen. With 18 novels in the can (and counting), it could lead to unlimited possibilities.
Or a new set of problems, since Plum remains 32 years old throughout the series — a tough feat to mimic, even for Heigl.
"You'll have to go to the gym and no Cheetos," says Evanovich.
"This could be a dilemma. I'll have to keep my face frozen with Botox so I can be ageless for years," jokes Heigl. "Jason (O'Mara) and I were talking about it. It's like, 'Oh, my God, if we do all 18 of these books, how old will we be? How will we pull this off?' "
"But if we shoot six at a time," she adds in a light-bulb moment. "There we go."
Vardalos, who wrote and starred in the hit comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has recently appeared on Cougar Town and Drop Dead Diva. Gilpin, who played Kelsey Grammer's sidekick on Frasier, currently co-stars on the ABC Family series Make It or Break It.
The pair's episode is schedule to air mid-January.
Dempsey Racing and Silicon Tech Racing (STR) announced a new partnership that will see Silicon Tech/Dempsey Racing contest the full ALMS schedule. The effort marks the first foray into the American Le Mans Series for Dempsey Racing – owned by Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey.
Dempsey and Joe Foster, co-owner of Dempsey Racing, are joined in the 2012 ALMS program by Henri Richard – STR team principal and a three-time winner in the Series including an LMPC victory at last month’s Petit Le Mans.
“We’ve been seeking to expand our program base for some time and we firmly believe that we’ve arrived at the correct opportunity with Henri and his Silicon Tech Racing partners,” Dempsey said. “Next year will be a big step for Dempsey Racing as we continue to work with our long term manufacturer partner Mazda and expand into the ALMS. We have long term, international aspirations, and long term international partners like Silicon Tech Racing and Mazda will help us achieve those goals.”
A founding goal of Dempsey Racing was to ultimately expand to a multi-faceted motorsports program with teams competing in several different racing series, and the announcement of the Silicon Tech/Dempsey Racing partnership is a major step in that direction.
The team will take delivery of its ORECA FLM09 with a comprehensive testing plan scheduled prior to the 60th anniversary of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the opening round of the 2012 ALMS.
“Joining with Patrick, Joe and everyone at Dempsey Racing is an amazing opportunity for next year,” Richard said. “We all seem to have mutual interest in using this as a forum for our guests and business partners. Dempsey Racing brings a great name to our business-to-business platform, and the value it will bring to each event will be a great boost for our team. At the very least I’m sure we’ll have a lot more executives pushed by their wives and daughters to come out to the races. This is also another step forward toward my ultimate objective: competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the prototype category.”
Established in 2003 as Hyper Sport, Dempsey Racing has operated from its Atlanta base for the last nine years. Dempsey and Foster, who handles the day-to-day operation of Dempsey Racing along with team manager Greg Cates, have also been co-drivers of the team’s No. 40 Mazda RX-8 GT in Grand-Am for the last four seasons.
“Patrick and I both are super excited about having Henri as part of Dempsey Racing and for allowing us this next step as a team,” Foster said. “Patrick has made no secret of his desire to return to Le Mans again and this is the first step in building the team in that direction.”
Richard, who lives in Los Altos Hills, Calif., is the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales for Freescale Semiconductor.
Sarah Drew celebrated the upcoming arrival of her delivery surprise — due in January! — with a shower held at her Aunt Rosa’s home on Saturday in Los Angeles.
The Grey’s Anatomy star, 31, and husband Peter Lanfer were joined by castmates Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, Grey’s creator Shonda Rimes, as well as family and friends.
Designed by Jayneoni Moore and hosted by Daddy Scrubs, the black, white and purple shower centered around a vintage silhouettes theme.
Guests enjoyed a cake from The Sugar Fairy Bakeshop.
How did you feel after your baby shower?
I felt so incredibly loved. I was surrounded by all of my favorite women and was just so cared for all day. I felt so grateful to have such an amazing community of friends and family. It was so special to have my mom fly out from N.Y.C. for the shower, and I had the wonderful surprise of my aunt and cousins flying in from San Francisco as well.
What was some of your favorite parts?
Karl of Cut Arts silhouettes was the hit of the party. He made these beautiful silhouettes of all of my guests and they each took one home while a copy was put into a book for me. I spent an hour looking through all the pages of the book that night. It was so special.
My mom made a really special slideshow for me that featured baby pictures of myself and Peter, along with pictures of us dating, to when we married to now — it was amazing! And The Sugar Fairy Bakeshop made the most gorgeous cake I’ve ever seen. It was so delicious.
Why did you decide on a delivery surprise?
There are so few surprises in life that are really worth looking forward to, and we decided this is one of them. We were excited to be surprised.
I also thought it would be a good idea to wait to find out because I am a control freak by nature. I’m about to walk into a chapter of my life where I have no control over anything anymore, and I figured I’d ease myself into it by not allowing myself to plan for the gender of the baby. I’ll just go with it when the baby arrives. It’s good training for me!
You sang “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan at your shower and dedicated it to your baby. What inspired you?
I heard a version of it on Sons of Anarchy right at the beginning of my pregnancy. I fell in love with it and couldn’t stop crying every time I listened to it. There are so many blessings in the lyrics of the song, and I just wanted to bless my baby with those words.
I had my dear friend Kate Kilbane learn the song on the guitar and play and sing it with me. It was such a sweet moment.
What were some of your favorite gifts from the shower?
I was overwhelmed by the gifts I received. I was truly “showered” with gifts at my shower. I was so excited about the iCandy stroller! It’s fantastic! Also, up until the day of my shower I wasn’t sure if I’d want to use cloth diapers, but Happy Heinys gave me a whole set of cloth diapers and now Peter and I are really excited to try them out! We also got some awesome scrubs for Peter from Daddy Scrubs. He’s so excited to wear them when our little one makes his/her appearance!
You’re donating products from your shower to Baby2Baby. Why did you make that choice?
I went on their website to read about their mission and I just had to get on board. Peter and I have been so incredibly blessed with the resources to prepare for our little one, but there are so many new moms out there who do not have those resources.
Baby2Baby provides for these women, and since I’ve been given so much, I really wanted to give back. I’m so excited to be supporting this amazing organization.
CBS led the night in viewers despite airing repeats of both "Person of Interest" and "The Mentalist," drawing 10.9 million viewers and a 6.8 rating/11 share in households. FOX's "The X Factor" helped the network land in second (9.5 million, 5.7/9), while ABC (8.0 million, 5.4/8) landed third. NBC (4.5 million, 2.6/9) and The CW (2.7 million, 1.7/3) trailed in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Fox won the night in the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.0 rating, however, with CBS (2.8) and ABC (2.7) not far behind. NBC scored a 1.8 while The CW nabbed a 1.1.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (15.7 million viewers, 9.3/15 households)/"Rules of Engagement" (11.8 million, 7.0/11)
FOX: "The X Factor" results (10.2 million, 6.0/9)
ABC: "Charlie's Angels" (5.1 million, 3.4/5)
NBC: "Community" (3.5 million, 2.3/4)/"Parks and Recreation" (3.6 million, 2.2/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.3 million, 2.1/3)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (5.2)
9 p.m.
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (11.2 million, 7.4/11)
CBS: "Person of Interest" rerun (9.1 million, 5.7/9)
FOX: "Bones" (8.8 million, 5.5/8)
NBC: "The Office" (5.9 million, 3.6/5)/"Whitney" (4.3 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2.2 million, 1.3/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.0)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" rerun (10.0 million, 6.4/10)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.7 million, 5.4/9)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" (4.8 million, 3.3/5)
18-49 leader: "Private Practice" (2.9)
Will this pain in our hearts ever subside? Was this another Denny situation? And what the heck just happened in those final seconds? Plus, get the scoop on what we can expect when Grey's returns in the New Year...
WHAT WE LEARNED:
We Are Deep in Denial: We just need to take a moment to compose ourselves: mop up the tears, control our weeping, the usual. We've seen the writing on the wall for weeks, maybe months, but our love for Scott Foley lead us to (wrongly) presume Shonda Rhimes couldn't kill off Noel Freaking Crane. Sob!
Now to get to the actual heartbreaking Henry dying business. It opened the floodgates of tears. Add that to Cristina's flippant attitude to the mystery patient and former Chief Webber's (James Pickens Jr.) refusal to stop chest compressions. Then witnessing Cristina (Sandra Oh) learning who just died on the table. It was heartbreaking in all the worst, and perfect, ways. Hello, Owen's (Kevin McKidd) dying-inside face. And we still haven't even seen Teddy's (Kim Raver) reaction yet. We so wanted to be wrong about this storyline. Instead, we are crushed.
Dark and Stormy Night: One thing we noticed about this episode was the very different pacing. A slow build not unlike a campfire horror story where we constantly waited for the other shoe to drop. Alex (Justin Chambers) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) go to the boonies to collect a teeny tiny baby. Alex gets the chance to go Peds doc MacGyver, but of course in bad weather the ambulance breaks down. And of course they are sitting ducks in a powder keg of oxygen tanks. But something odd happens, the ambulance doesn't blow up... yet. And Meredith and Alex talk about feelings as much as Meredith and Alex are capable. But that eerie shot of the bodies strewn outside really has us worried for Alex and Meredith's safety next episode.
Bringing Home Baby: Finally some news on Meredith and Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) MIA baby! But it's pretty much the worst news possible. When Meredith says: "I'm never going to see her again," it was like a crying button was pressed and we were only five minutes into the show. We really hope this isn't the end of the adoption story because it feels like a letdown after weeks of buildup. And it all happens through a phone call?! We have a hard time believing we won't get a chance to see Meredith fight for Zola. We have been known to live in denial before. See: Henry's complete Grey's run.
M.D. Malpractice: From the moment we saw that sweet patient of Callie's (Sara Ramirez) with the adorable son and nice husband, we knew no good could come from it. And we were right. Not only did she start gushing blood like a Halloween slasher movie, but the giant potential malpractice suit of why she was in there brought reality crashing down around us. Callie and Jackson (Jesse Williams) are so screwed. Literally. With a screw that came loose from the patient's spine. We just know this isn't over and someone could have a serious career setback over this one.
ONE-LINERS
"She told you to go screw yourself. We could hear it all the way from here."—Meredith
"She's a baby, not a timeshare in Cabo."—Derek
WHAT LIES AHEAD:
Rocky Relationship: Teddy and Cristina's working relationship has been uneven from the start. It's had all the dramatic ups and downs of typical Grey's romance but without the girl on girl action. So can Teddy ever forgive Cristina for killing her husband? That might not be a fair assessment of what happened in the OR, but we're going to brace ourselves for epic fallout in 2012.
All the Single Ladies: Well, really just one single lady: Lexie (Chyler Leigh). Will Lexie still be denying her feelings for Mark (Eric Dane) now that Jackson is out of the way? We assume that the pesky softball playing girlfriend is still in the picture. But what is one meddling Mark Sloan love interest when soul mates are on the line? Soul mates we tell you!
Are you as heartbroken as us over Henry's death? We're starting a support group for all of us emotionally invested in Grey's Anatomy characters and are convinced the two-month wait for a new episode may actually destroy us.
Poor Teddy (Kim Raver), she finally found happiness with patient-turned-husband Henry (Scott Foley) only to have him die in a surgery within the walls of Seattle Grace, probably only one OR down... so close yet so far away as his heart gave its final thump.
Though Teddy is not yet aware of the outcome — Owen (Kevin McKidd) lied to her so she could finish a different complicated surgery — she'll soon come to learn that he died in the surgery Cristina (Sandra Oh) performed, unaware of who the patient actually was. How will Teddy feel about losing what Kim Raver calls Teddy's "first true love"? TVGuide.com caught up with Raver to find out:
Teddy has been so happy this year. How did you feel when you found out that happiness would be taken away from her?
Kim Raver: Oh it's devastating. I had such training for it with 24, it was like the minute anything is good, you know you've got a bull's-eye on your back. [Laughs] Working with Scott Foley is just so great. He's really just so easy to work with and so funny. I thought, "Oh no, something is coming soon." I lived in a delusion for a while. I was like, "Oh this is so great. Teddy's so in love." It's terrific and then I got the news. I think that the whole cast is actually very upset. During the table readings when anything starts happening, the whole cast is like, "No, no, no!"
Talk about the evolution of their relationship. At first it was manufactured just to save him, but she really did fall in love with Henry.
Raver: Teddy has this thing for wanting to fix things. Initially it was, "Oh this is completely unjust. We should all have healthcare. It's not your fault that you can't do this." That's also why she is such a good surgeon, her ability to get in there and turn a dire situation into a really great situation.
Then it was really about them being best friends and her not seeing that she had this amazing man for her in front of her. Then, when she took that leap of faith as they were having this amazing time and had this amazing connection, they really fell in love. Probably for Teddy, this is her first true love, which came out of this strange situation that really grew into a really deep connection.
Because of this being her first real love, how will Henry's death affect her as a person and as a doctor?
Raver: That's what we're going to explore. I talked to the writers about that. She's dealt with death a lot actually, which is going to be interesting. I think it will probably be different than the way that other people have dealt with it on the show in the past. Her best friend died in 9/11. She saw death in Iraq when she was there.
I have a feeling, and I could be wrong, but knowing Teddy, she will probably become a work maniac because of her inability to process it. The day that she actually does have to process it is going to probably be really messy. [Executive producer] Shonda Rhimes and I have discussed a little bit of that. It will probably be her wanting to really not deal with it by continuing to fix things and working.
It feels like the Grey's Anatomy audience is now seasoned pros at recognizing the signs of PTSD because of Owen and Cristina. Do you think Teddy will have a similar reaction to what they've dealt with?
Raver: What's always been interesting about Teddy is that you never really saw her with PTSD. When she arrived at Seattle Grace, she has an incredibly positive, life-affirming, grab-life attitude, whereas Owen was much darker. I think there's definitely going to be something, but I'm not quite sure what that is going to be. I know that Teddy's not going to be a puddle on the floor. Shonda and I did talk about that. It's not going to be that. Everything is going to be about work so she doesn't have to process a huge loss.
What can you say of Teddy's reaction when she does find out?
Raver: It's really so well done and so beautifully and horrifically done.
Teddy, Owen and Cristina finally got past the love triangle and now the writers have thrown a wrench in their working relationship. How will the events of this episode affect these relationships, especially with Owen lying to her about Henry's fate?
Raver: I think that's going to be huge. That's definitely going to be a big factor to contend with. I'm glad to see the three of them having to work out stuff again. Not them as a relationship, but us as working surgeons together. I'm excited to be dealing with Teddy and Owen's friendship. What is this going to mean to that friendship?
Do you think there's a chance Dr. Perkins (James Tupper) could come back into her life or is it too soon for Teddy to even start thinking about that?
Raver: Oh gosh yeah, I think it's way too soon. Honestly, I really don't know how Teddy's going to get over this. Teddy is so madly in love with Henry. With Perkins, they were good for each other on paper, but Henry and Teddy were good from the heart. They were just good on so many levels. Those people are so rare to find in your life. I just don't know how she's going to ever let someone back in her life to that level.
Grey's Anatomy returns with new episodes in early January.
Are you sad to see Henry go?
Yep, sounds like a midseason finale to us. What are the most alarming and heartbreaking moments from tonight's Grey's Anatomy that we just had to share with you? Find out now:
Seriously Stock Up on Tissues: Tonight's episode is one of those Five-Hanky Heartstring-Tuggers. And once you think you are done crying over the episode's most tragic death, cue more crying. The sooner you accept that you will be bawling tonight, the better. No shame, people. No shame. And hey, after tonight's episode, you can come back here for our Grey's Redux and we can all cry together.
Holy Cliffhanger Batman: Grey's Anatomy knows it's way around a heart-stopping cliffhanger, but this time it's a little different. It may not be a machine flat lining as we fade to black, but trust us, it's just as shocking. We finished the episode wondering, "What's going to happen next?" And two of our favorite (and original) docs are at the forefront of the drama.
Career Crisis: Not one, but two doctors' careers are in serious danger after a catatrophic mistake. Like so serious there is no way this won't have major ramifications in the New Year.
Baby Answers: In this hour, there is definitely an answer to the Zola question. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) finally hear from their baby broker and the answer might not be happily ever after. But we're not convinced the story is over yet. Please don't let the story be over yet!
Are you ready for tonight's heart pounding (and heartbreaking) episode of Grey's Anatomy? Get your tissues and your popcorn ready. And be sure to check back later for the Grey's Anatomy Redux and mandatory therapy session.
At the end of last week's episode, Teddy (Kim Raver) came home to find husband Henry (Scott Foley) coughing up blood. His trip to Seattle Grace won't be the only heart-stopping moment in the midseason finale, though. As we know from the episode description, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) custody issues come to a head, Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) are blamed for a patient's post-op complications and Alex (Justin Chambers) and Meredith land in a dangerous situation.
While we're sworn to secrecy from revealing, well, pretty much anything, we've decided to lighten the mood with a pretty tough guessing game.
1. Dr. ______ offers Dr. ______ his/her ______. Jokingly, we think.
2. Dr. ______ has to tell a lie to save a patient.
3. Dr. ______ and Dr. ______ lose their ______, causing one of them to lose hope.
4. Dr. ______ breaks down after a surgery.
5. Dr. ______ loses his/her ______ though he/she doesn't know it yet.
Our one hint: Only two of the blanks are the same. Hit the comments with your guesses. Good luck!
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursday at 9/8c on ABC.
Favorite Network TV Drama:
The Good Wife
Grey's Anatomy
House
Supernatural
The Vampire Diaries
Favorite TV Drama Actor:
David Boreanaz
Hugh Laurie
Ian Somerhalder
Nathan Fillion
Patrick Dempsey
Favorite TV Drama Actress:
Blake Lively
Ellen Pompeo
Emily Deschanel
Eva Longoria
Nina Dobrev
CBS led the night in viewers, drawing 12.9 million people and an 8.0 rating/13 share in households. FOX (10.65 million, 6.3/10) was a healthy second. ABC came in third with 7.1 million viewers and a 4.9/8, followed by NBC (4.5 million, 2.9/5). The CW drew 2.8 million viewers and a 1.7/3.
FOX earned a narrow win in the adults 18-49 demographic, scoring a 3.4 rating to beat CBS' 3.3. ABC took third with a 2.4, followed by NBC, 1.9, and The CW, 1.2.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (15.5 million viewers, 9.2/15 households)/"Rules of Engagement" (11.9 million, 7.0/11)
FOX: "The X Factor" results (11.3 million, 6.6/11)
ABC: "Charlie's Angels" (5.4 million, 3.5/6)
NBC: "Community" (3.9 million, 2.5/4)/"Parks and Recreation" (3.9 million, 2.5/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.3 million, 2.0/3)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (5.1)
9 p.m.
CBS: "Person of Interest" (11.7 million, 7.4/11)
FOX: "Bones" season premiere (10 million, 6.0/9)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (9.3 million, 6.3/10)
NBC: "The Office" (6.05 million, 3.7/6)/"Whitney" (4.3 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2.3 million, 1.4/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (3.5)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (13.5 million, 8.6/14)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.75 million, 4.8/8)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" (4.5 million, 3.1/5)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.9)
Who broke up, who made up and which character is on death's door? And which very important patient comes to Seattle Grace with a nostalgia-filled trip down memory lane that brings on all the tears? Find out:
WHAT WE LEARNED
Magic Eight Heart: Cristina (Sandra Oh) has high-class problems. Last week Teddy (Kim Raver) finally took the leash off and is letting her choose a bucket list of cool surgeries to perform. Problem is Cristina's eyes are bigger than her stomach. Actually that's not a good metaphor for heart surgery. The point is Cristina has a long list. So she asks for advice from the still pumping donor heart that's waiting for a body. Cool. And it listens. And answers. And creeps April out. Actually how it works is it puts everything into perspective. It's a little like a game of "Would You Rather?" Is what you want cooler than a heart in a box? Problem is this Magic Eight Heart also gives love-life advice.
Be Still My Heart: In one of the more awesome and meta storylines, Lexie (Chyler Leigh) gets embroiled transcribing an epic time-traveling romance novel by an author and patient (Alfre Woodard). Here's something we may be able to relate to: Lexie is a Kate/Nathan shipper. We're told he's good and handsome and not a criminal. And they want the same things. But he's not Kate's soulmate. Mark Alexander is.
Hold the phone. In some weird roundabout way were we just told that Lexie and Mark (Eric Dane) are soul mates? Oh Shonda, don't toy with us! We're emotionally fragile. You don't have to read too much between to lines to hear Shonda's message: Mark and Lexie will be together after three more books. Oops. Guess that part got messed up in translation. But in probably the most hilarious direct way possible, the novel writer told Lexie and loyal crazed viewers readers that she may want to choose the nice good guy now, but he's not her soul mate. The bad boy is. Awww. We totally want to read this book now.
But that's neither here nor there because Jackson (Jesse Williams) beats Lexie to the punch and breaks up with her first. And then chooses Mark. And the "Plastics Posse" aka our favorite bromance lives on, while Lexie cries. We don't like that last part.
Very Important O'Malley: In case you had finally gotten over the tragic and gruesome, death of George O'Malley, guess what y'all? Mama O'Malley (Debra Monk) came back to break our hearts a little more. And we are quickly reminded of the long list of O'Malleys that didn't leave Seattle Grace alive. Yikes. We wouldn't have our surgery in that hospital either. The best part about Mama O'Malley's reappearance was her interaction with now married mother, Callie. Remember when Callie's name was Callie O'Malley? Good times.
ONE-LINERS
"Yeah, I'm picking Mark. Can you tell me I shouldn't?" —Jackson
"George is dead and Izzie is gone and we're all different." —Alex
"Do you see any family sitting with me? I'm a writer, my characters are my family." —Patient
"A heart in a box. Hot-diggity." —Chief
"I wouldn't have taken the surgery if I knew I was breaking up the plastics posse." —Alex
"Wow, you're 15 right now." —Derek
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Too Smooth: Things have been going well for Cristina and Owen. Too well if you ask us. We get suspicious when the waters are too calm during November sweeps and Kevin McKidd tells us the drama we've been experiencing pales in comparison to what's coming up: "People better watch out. It's been quite sedate up to this point." We need a drink.
Not Noel! We're not doctors and we don't even play them on TV but we're pretty sure gushing up blood is not a good sign. So much for med school dreams, in next week's Grey's Anatomy Teddy puts her husband's life in the hands of her peers when Henry (Scott Foley) is sent to the OR for surgery and she's called away on another case. Non-doctor love interests never end well on this show. Grab your tissues. We hope we're wrong.
Sk8R Boy and Girl: Grey's is currently casting a young "skater-type" couple who also have "good hearts." We think they mean personality-wise and not full-sized aortic pump-wise. Who here thinks they come in with a skateboarding-related accident? Wear a helmet, kids!
Have you asked the Magic Beating Heart for your life-altering advice? Did you get Shonda's writerly message loud and clear? Who else is shocked Mama O'Malley made it though that surgery alive and well?
With the extension of the existing license agreement, Netflix will also add new TV show episodes from ABC Studios, Disney Channel and the ABC Family to its existing library, it said in a statement.
Netflix will now also carry episodes of ABC's "Switched at Birth," "Alias" and prior season episodes of Disney Channel's animated series "Kick Buttowski."
Netflix will continue to carry every episode of ABC shows including "Lost," "Ugly Betty,," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Desperate Housewives" and a number of programs from the Disney Channel.
FOX's World Series coverage led the night in viewers, averaging 19.8 million and a 12.0/19 share in households. CBS finished second with a solid 12 million viewers (7.5/12). Then after a steep drop, ABC drew 8 million viewers (5.0/8), NBC (4.2 million, 2.7/4) came in fourth, topping the CW (2.7 million, 1.8/3).
The adults 18-49 demographic was a total win for FOX, too, with a whopping 5.8 rating. CBS took second with 3.0, followed by ABC (2.8), NBC (1.7) and The CW 1.2).
Thursday hour-by-hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: World Series baseball (17.5 million viewers, 10.7/17 households)
CBS: "Big Bang Theory" (14.3 million, 8.8/14); "Rules of Engagement" (10.7 million, 6.5/10)
ABC: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (7.3 million, 4.0/6)
NBC: "Community" (3.4 million, 2.4/4); "Parks and Recreation" (3.9 million, 2.5/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.1 million, 2.0/3)
18-49 leader: World Series baseball (4.8)
9 p.m.
FOX: World Series baseball (21.4 million, 13.0/19)
CBS: "Person of Interest" (11.5 million, 7.2/11)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (9.8 million, 6.5/10)
NBC: "The Office" (5.5 million, 3.3/5); "Whitney" (4.3 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2.3 million, 1.5/2)
18-49 leader: World Series baseball (6.3)
10 p.m.
FOX: World Series baseball (20.1 million, 12.3/19)
CBS: "The Mentalist" (12.2 million, 7.7/12)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.6 million, 4.5/7)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" (4.0 million, 2.8/4)
18-49 leader: World Series baseball (6.4)
Find out what happened on the latest (and baseball-metaphor themed) episode of Grey's Anatomy:
WHAT WE LEARNED
Pitch Perfect: We don't pretend to know a great deal about America's pastime, beyond choosing the cutest of the L.A. Dodgers, but we can appreciate healthy competition. The Seattle softball league competition really brought out the best and worst in everyone. While Meredith and Cristina got drunk in the outfield, Lexie's (Chyler Leigh) green-eyed monster came out in a major way. She didn't appreciate Mark's (Eric Dane) new opposing-team girlfriend and sent her a message in the form of a softball to the chest. Ouch. We did learn some fun facts about Little Grey this episode: She was a softball pitcher. Which helps with both the crosstown competition and strategy coaching for Derek's surgery. It also gives her fantastic aim when throwing a ball at a chest. Who didn't appreciate that? Present boyfriend Jackson (Jesse Williams). He's no dummy and he'd have to be blind not to see the ever-present Mark-Lexie writing on the wall.
We have to hand it to the writers, not only are they able to write in non-doctor Henry (Scott Foley). But they accomplished three things this episode. They made his health start to fail (conveniently for upcoming high-drama sweeps weeks), made him a baseball pro and hired him at the hospital. All semi-solid (and hilarious) reasons to explain Scott Foley's adorable presence in Seattle Grace Mercy West. Someone send that boy to medical school. We'll suspend our disbelief, it's cool.
Surgeries for Social Work: Despite his gruff attitude, we've always known Alex (Justin Chambers) has a good heart and really does care for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and especially Meredith's MIA baby, Zola. Alex spent the episode out of the ER and trying to work within the system to get information on what's the hold up with the court hearing. Alex worked the clearly faulty system and risked prosecution to bribe the judge and a social worker or two. Awwww. Now that's true friendship and even better, future baby Shepherd-Grey has a court date.
Moving On and Moving Up: Cristina (Sandra Oh) has been chomping at the bit all season to get more fancy work to do, but Teddy (Kim Raver) has had her warming the bench. But today after seeing her play well on the team, the surgical team that is, she's making the lineup. It's so clever how that all comes together on the special team-building baseball episode. The good news is Cristina is rewarded with a "Bucket List" of amazing surgeries to perform. Like we said, baseball brings out the best and worst in everyone. Bailey and Meredith finally hash it out in the outfield. And for now, their differences seem to be set aside. Meredith is out of the pink scrubs and into Bailey's diabetic mouse trial.
ONE-LINERS
"Doctor, attempting to influence a judge is a federal offense." —Judge
"We're going down. So what do you say we go down fighting?" —Owen
"Right in the boob!" —Callie
"What? I thought she was stealing second." —Lexie
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Messy Midseason: There are a few things you can expect from TV as we wind our way to winter: shorter days and, most importantly, high sweeps drama. Kevin McKidd tells us the drama we've been experiencing pales in comparison to what's coming up: "People better watch out. It's been quite sedate up to this point." Oh lord, someone please hold us through the drama.
Triangle Straight Ahead!: Because we are completely professional we only cackled with glee for a few minutes. Finally, after months—make that seasons and years—of Mark-Lexie back and forth, we're going to be treated to more Mark-Lexie back and forth. Jackson Avery is no one's fool and when he got involved with a rebounding Lexie he knew there was and boy is it coming back with a vengeance. Jesse Williams calls it "competition" and "macho crap," but we call it "epic Mark-Lexie-Jackson love triangle ahoy." It's a mouthful, we admit.
So what did you think? Are you happy to see Cristina's rock-star surgical skills back on track? How great was Alex hunting down info on baby Zola? And are we setting ourselves up for heartbreak whatever way this Mark-Lexie-Jackson triangle goes?
“She’s a total girly girl,” Heigl, 32, told PEOPLE at the Elle Women in Hollywood Tribute event in Beverly Hills Monday.
“I had my stylist over and we were working on the outfit for tonight, and she had a slew of beautiful shoes and jewelry and clothes. Naleigh Moon loves all that stuff — she put on these crazy stilettos.”
“She’s [almost] three years old and her foot’s this big,” Heigl marveled. “But she could clomp around in these stilettos I think are impossible to walk in.”
Naleigh’s budding passion for fashion isn’t the only similarity to her actress mom.
“She’s really chatty now, and she gets this little attitude — not a bad attitude, but a very grown up, saucy attitude that blows my mind because I don’t even know where she’s picking it up from,” said Heigl before admitting with a laugh, “Unless it’s from me, which would just be upsetting.”
But despite their similarities, the Grey’s Anatomy alum admits her daughter is totally smitten with dad Josh Kelley.
“She’s a real Daddy’s girl, so she’s always liked him better than me,” Heigl told reporters. “But she has these moments where she just wants me, and there’s nothing more heartbreaking and beautiful than that moment when she calls for me.”
And what’s the best part of being a mom for the upcoming star of New Year’s Eve?
“There are so many,” she says. “There’s something really sort of magical about this little being that looks at you like you’re God’s gift.”
FOX averaged 12.9 million viewers and an 8.0 rating/13 share for the night, although those numbers will rise some when the live baseball telecast is taken into account. CBS was right behind in second with 12.6 million viewers and a 7.8/12. ABC (7.2 million, 4.8/8) was in line with its performance last week. NBC (2.7 million, 1.9/3) came in fourth overall with a night of reruns, while The CW drew 2.5 million viewers and a 1.6/3.
FOX also led the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.7 rating. CBS grabbed second with a 3.2, followed by ABC at 2.4. The CW's 1.1 edged NBC's 1.0 for fourth.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (14.7 million viewers, 8.9/15 households)/"Rules of Engagement" season premiere (11.5 million, 6.8/11)
FOX: World Series Game 2 - Rangers/Cardinals (11.4 million, 7.2/12)
ABC: "Charlie's Angels" (5.6 million, 3.7/6)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.85 million, 1.8/3)
NBC: "Community" rerun (2.5 million, 1.8/3)/"Parks and Recreation" rerun (2.5 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (4.9)
9 p.m.
FOX: World Series Game 2 (13.1 million, 8.2/13)
CBS: "Person of Interest" (12.3 million, 7.6/12)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (9.4 million, 6.2/10)
NBC: "The Office" rerun (3.2 million, 2.0/3)/"Whitney" rerun (2.6 million, 1.7/3)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2.1 million, 1.4/2)
18-49 leader: World Series Game 2 (3.8)
10 p.m.
FOX: World Series Game 2 (14.2 million, 8.7/14)
CBS: "The Mentalist" (12.5 million, 8.1/13)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.55 million, 4.6/7)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" rerun (2.8 million, 2.0/3)
18-49 leader: World Series Game 2 (4.4)
"Big risks yield big rewards" was the moral of this week's episode. As was, "knock before walking into any conference room or risk getting an eyeful." Clinical trials, inoperable tumors, sexual frustration were front and center, but which doctors found their voice and their power? The answer may surprise you:
WHAT WE LEARNED
Scrubbing and Sexting: There were two camps in this week's Grey's Anatomy: the doctors that were having hot monkey sex all over the hospital and those who were not. Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (Kevin McKidd) fall into the former category while basically everyone else was in the latter. Callie's (Sara Ramirez) lack of sex life pushes her to succeed in the OR. And Mark (Eric Dane) pushes baked goods on everyone like a pimp. All's well that ends well and Callie kicks her baby daddy out to get some quality time in with her wife.
Fortune Favors the Bold: We didn't go to medical school, majored in TV watching instead, but we're told that fifth year residency is tough. And since hitting that dreaded fifth year, suddenly our once awesome young docs are floundering and scared. Gone are the rock-star surgeons of seasons past, instead Cristina and Alex (Justin Chambers) opt to do the safe procedure. Sigh. We are so disappoint in all of you. If you could see us we are doing a very harsh disapproval face. Buck up, docs!
Zero to Six Months: In order to properly understand how much we loved one of this week's medical cases you have to understand our ridiculous obsession with Justified. In particular, our obsession with the show's resident hot shotgun slinger, Ava Crowder (Joelle Carter). Imagine our surprise to see Joelle Carter, named Mary, in Seattle Grace Mercy West. And she's Meredith's OB patient. And then boom! She's also Derek's Neuro patient. We love it when it works out like that (No, we don't. We're not completely evil). But she got to play the week's tragic no-win situation, unless of course it's win-win. We, and those crazy docs, learned that with big risk comes big rewards and when life, death or six months are on the line, it's time to take the biggest risks, including operating on an inoperable tumor. Derek (Patrick Dempsey) really is that good.
We have to admit we were a little worried as we watched Derek walk from the ER to the elevator, and then on what was one of the longest elevator rides to the waiting husband. Seriously nerve-wracking, but so worth it when we—we mean the husband got the good news. Yay for happy endings.
Great Mouse Detectives: We'll let you in on a little secret: We kind of love when Chief Webber (who we refuse to stop calling the Chief) and Meredith team up. When the Chief gave up his job as Chief, he also lost something important. His mouse friends. But he wheedled his way back into to mouse lab with a little manipulation, flattery and a pretty good distraction for Bailey (Chandra Wilson): sleep.
ONE-LINERS
"Can you go have sex with him to make him be nicer?" —Lexie
"Not just sex. Hot, dirty, stand-on-my-head sex." —Cristina
"So you're using me? I'm your tumor mule." —Lexie
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Macho Macho Men: When Lexie's ex and current boyfriend work together we can safely assume it will only bring trouble. Or as Jesse Williams calls it, "competition" and "macho crap" between Jackson Avery and Mark Sloan. We don't have to assume anything. This threesome is the Bermuda Triangle of Grey's Anatomy and at least one ship will be going down soon.
Still Waters Run Deep: Call us crazy but we think Cristina and Owen are getting along way too well for it to last forever. They went through some heavy stuff at the beginning of the season, and we don't believe for one second Shonda Rhimes will let that go. Drama is simmering below the surface, waiting to pounce. (We mix metaphors when we get anxious.)
This is what Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) is hoping for with her on-screen squeeze Owen (Kevin McKidd) in tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy.
We were on set for the filming, and can tell you the episode does not disappoint. Perhaps because Kevin McKidd is so good at contorting himself into at least two very different positions…
Actor and director!
What, did you think we were talking about some other kind of "positions," you perv?! (Well, there'll be plenty of that too, as Cristina and Owen embark on a sexathon that lands them in a few inappropriate settings, including a conference room, much to the chief's dismay.)
"It really is rubbing your head and patting your stomach!" Kevin told us of pulling a double duty. "You're constantly thinking about the shot and how the camera's moving and how you're performing in the middle of that, but also trying to keep an eye on everything and also you can't keep an eye on it too much when you're performing because you have to get into your character. It's a definite exercise in mental focus."
Costar Jesse Williams (Jackson) insists Kevin is "amazing" at directing. "[He's] a smart guy and really patient and knows how to communicate what he wants. This scene actually he is the centerpiece of the scene as an actor as well, so he's doing both. He's calling action, doing his lines, calling cut, giving us notes, giving himself notes and going again. He's a very good multitasker."
So that's why Cristina looks so happy in the promos. (Zing!)
Our camera crews were invited to set to chat up Grey's hair, makeup and wardrobe specialists for a special behind-the-scenes segment airing on E! News. The girls also gave us some romance scoop (which we shared last week), and Kevin had this to say about where things are headed with Cristina: "It's going to get more interesting. I think the waters have settled a little bit, but you never know when the wind can change and the water can get rough again."
Jesse, meanwhile, hints that the Mark-Lexie-Jackson love triangle is only getting more intense. "I get to do a lot of scenes with Mark Sloane, Eric Dane's character. That's an interesting dynamic there with him, somebody who's the ex-boyfriend of my current girlfriend [Lexie], but also his attending surgeon, so kind of a superior, kind of a student-teacher relationship there as well, and just two guys, so there's going to be competition. Just macho crap that we all know and love."
Check out Kevin McKidd wearing a lot of hats, and very little clothing, on tonight's Grey's Anatomy on ABC: Video.
The former Grey's Anatomy starlet was gushing over locking lips with another musician!
Heigl plays Jon Bon Jovi's love interest in New Year's Eve, Garry Marshall's followup to Valentine's Day.
"I play a young woman who's a caterer and she's catering the New Year's Eve party and event," she explained. "Jon plays my big, famous musician ex-fiance who comes back into town to sort of win me back."
And then Heigl beamed, "Yes, I made out with him!"
How was it?
"It's always so nerve-wracking," she said. "There's all the giggles and there's all the Altoid popping."
And Bon Jovi couldn't have been more of a gentleman. "He's just a gem," Heigl said. "One of the nicest guys ever."
In other New Year's Eve news, Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron may or may not get it on. "We have a very unusual relationship," Pfeiffer told me. "We're sort of an odd couple.
"He only really hangs out with me in the beginning, because I bribe him with super-fabulous party tickets for New Year's Eve, but then I think he grows a little fond of me," she said.
We can see why. At 53, Pfeiffer seriously remains one of the hottest women in Hollywood.
True Blood's Vedette Lim has signed on as Dr. Polly Preston, who arrives at Seattle Grace with a pediatric fellowship, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) will take a liking to Polly, so much so that she'll boot Alex (Justin Chambers) from her cases.
Lim, who portrayed Tara's lesbian lover on the fourth season of the HBO series, will first appear in Episode 8.
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
When she was on the red carpet at the Elle's Women in Hollywood event on Monday (Oct. 17) night, Heigl said that she'd spent some time on the road with her husband when he was on tour with Swift. "I adore that girl. I was so excited to meet her! I tried to keep it cool but after chatting for only 20 minutes I was like 'we're best friends now!' She is so sweet and down to earth," Heigl told Celebuzz.
One thing is for sure. They certainly have impeccable style in common. Heigl wore an LBD from Amanda Wakeley and David Yurman jewels to the event. Josh Kelley looked nice, too, in a tux and a brand new crew cut. His beard is still fully intact, but I have to say I'm loving the cropped haircut over the shaggy one he has on his Georgia Clay album cover.
It was a painful moment for everyone around when an interviewer with Canadians Abroad -- a non-profit social organization that promotes Canadian events in Southern California -- failed to comprehend that she was standing in front of one of Canada's television stars, James Tupper.
The smiley and pleasant young woman was hired to conduct video interviews at the L.A. opening of a new Cirque du Soleil show.
When actress Anne Heche exited after the show with her significant other -- the delicious 46-year-old Tupper, leading man of such prime-time shows as Mercy, Men in Trees and with a recurring part in Grey's Anatomy -- the Canadians Abroad interviewer said, "Anne, Anne."
Looking only at Heche, the interviewer asked the actress how she had liked the Montreal-based company's show. She also tried to elicit a response from Heche about how great Canada is. That's when a bewildered Heche pointed to a bewildered Tupper. "We love Canada ... ahem .... James IS Canadian," Heche said.
The poor interviewer, who perhaps did not read the celeb list the Cirque had given out and obviously never watched one of Tupper's shows, was at a loss for words. She clearly didn't know who the Dartmouth, N.S.-born Tupper was. And she continued to ignore him while asking Heche variations on the "Do you like Canada?" themed question.
Heche kept trying to explain who Tupper was. "Grey's Anatomy," Heche said.
That's when Tupper jumped in to help.
"I went to drama school in Montreal. Part of my training was with an acrobat with Cirque du Soleil."
No response.
"I am Canadian" Tupper said.
Ah, forget it.
Tupper -- who co-stars in the upcoming film Playing the Field with Gerard Butler, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Jessica Biel -- moved on to comforting his squirming 2-year-old son, Atlas.
CBS scored 12.2 million viewers and a 7.6 rating/12 share in households for the night, beating out FOX (10.8 million, 6.4/10) for the top spot. ABC (7.45 million, 5.0/8) finished third. NBC averaged 4.5 million viewers and a 2.9/5 to take fourth, and The CW trailed with 2.3 million viewers and a 1.5/2.
FOX's 3.6 rating among adults 18-49 was the night's top mark, half a point better than CBS' 3.1. ABC came in third with a 2.4, followed by NBC, 1.9, and The CW, 1.1.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (13.3 million viewers, 8.2/14 households)/"The Big Bang Theory" rerun (12 million, 7.3/12)
FOX: "The X Factor" (10.5 million, 6.3/10)
ABC: "Charlie's Angels" (6 million, 3.9/6)
NBC: "Community" (3.8 million, 2.4/4)/"Parks and Recreation" (4 million, 2.4/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.8 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (4.4)
9 p.m.
CBS: "Person of Interest" (11.9 million, 7.4/11)
FOX: "The X Factor" (11.1 million, 6.5/10)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (9.7 million, 6.5/10)
NBC: "The Office" (6.05 million, 3.6/6)/"Whitney" (4.2 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (1.8 million, 1.2/2)
18-49 leader: "The X Factor" (3.8)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (12.25 million, 7.7/13)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.7 million, 4.7/8)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" (4.5 million, 3.1/5)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.5)
What fun revelations did Dr. Mama Avery bring with her? Is Meredith and Derek's baby or adoption in danger? And who is the biggest heartbreaker in Seattle Grace? Find out what happened on tonight's Grey's Anatomy:
WHAT WE LEARNED
Meddling Mommy: Dr. Catherine Avery, don't leave us. Ever. We can say Dr. Mama Avery has absolutely no boundaries and we love it. She was like a delightful hurricane that brought only happiness, for us viewers that is. For Jackson, she brought headache. So much so, he sent Lexie (Chyler Leigh) packing to see her other sister, Molly. (Continuity fairies strike again!) While Lexie may have been in another time zone, she was still front and center in tonight's episode. Groundbreaking surgery be damned, Dr. Mama Avery wanted to know all about her baby's girlfriend.
It's no secret we feel so many emotions when it comes to the complex Mark-Lexie-Jackson triangle. And it was there tonight. Oh boy, it was there. Mark (Eric Dane) can't help but defend Lexie, and in doing so, makes it obvious how much he still loves her. Swoon. And then Jackson's blush and smile when his mom asks if he loves Lexie. We absolutely just died. We can't choose, so don't make us.
My, What a Big Transplant You Have: This week's LOLs are brought to you by a penis transplant. We aren't men and we don't play them on TV, but there's nothing like a few good penis jokes to make the male docs and April (Sarah Drew) squirm. But with Dr. Mama Avery also comes dating advice. She essentially tells April it's time to cash in her V-card. For the sake of her surgical career, of course. See, we told you how much we love Dr. Mama Avery, she's a matchmaker too!
Baby Blues: Poor little Zola. That cute baby cannot catch a break. This childhood foster-home flip-flopping and trauma are what Lifetime movies are made for. She's rushed into the ER and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) aren't even allowed to know about it. That social worker is really becoming a supervillain. Next week, we'll see her twirling her mustache and cackling. It's really a good thing Alex (Justin Chambers) is on a mission of penance and is determined to tell the parents. But that sad Derek-Meredith elevator ride. Sobs. This story just has to have a happy ending. Do you hear us, Shonda Rhimes? We need Meredith, Derek and their little baby to have a happy ending.
While they may be having blissful breakfast, by dinner there is clearly trouble brewing for Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Cristina (Sandra Oh). Cristina is far too good holding a baby and it clearly breaks Owen's heart all over again.
Bonus Points: Did you spot Cougar Town's Ian Gomez in the background? Neither did we, but apparently he could be seen in the first five minutes. ABC loves them some cross promotion.
ONE-LINERS
"You had a mother. Jackson and I had surgeons who procreated." —Meredith
"I'm not a tummy tuck tycoon." —Mark
"It's very simple, people. All it has to be is perfect." —Catherine Avery
"When this is over I never want you to mention my penis again." —Transplant patient
"Don't count out Lexie Grey until you meet her. She's smart. She's beautiful. She's perfect. A guy couldn't do any better."—Mark
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Pretty in Pink: A little change of colored scrubs is not small detail in Seattle Grace Mercy West, remember those ghastly orange scrubs? Yikes. But this recent change of apparel marks Meredith's indefinite stint in OB. What else is coming up for our favorite Seattle ladies? You watched-slash-read our exclusive set visit, right?
Bailey's Bed Hopping: Were you surprised by Bailey's abrupt breakup? Her hot and heavy romance with Nurse Eli (Daniel Sunjata) fizzled very quickly, and the sparks are still flying with Dr. Ben (Jason George). So are they headed for coupledom? Chandra Wilson says, "There's no telling with Bailey." Well, there probably is, but Chandra's not telling!
Do you want Dr. Catherine Avery to stay in Seattle and meddle forever? Where is the epic Mark-Lexie-Jackson triangle headed? And how long do you think little Zola will break our hearts?
The CW has placed a script order for a possible drama to be executive-produced by the former "Grey's Anatomy" star and her mother Nancy via their Abishag production company.
The series, currently titled "Trending," is based on the 2006 Cynthia Langston novel "Bicoastal Babe," about a young woman who lands at a job at an advertising agency spotting trends, despite her ineptitude at doing so.
On top of her career difficulties, she also must contend with a messy romantic life.
Gren Wells, who penned the Kate Hudson/Gael Garcia Bernal rom-com "A Little Bit of Heaven," will write as well as executive-produce.
As previously reported, Heigl is also developing an adaptation of Ann Hood's 2007 novel "The Knitting Circle," in which she'll also star, for HBO.
News of "Trending" being purchased by the CW was first reported by Deadline.
In the process, we unearthed some fun, slightly spoilery info from Grey's femme fatales, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson, based on who's wearing what, and messing with her hair...
Look for Meredith to step into some new threads, and a new job! Ellen Pompeo confirms to us: "I'm wearing pink scrubs because Meredith is doing a stint in OB right now." Clearly she needed a new career direction, now that she and her former clinical-trial partner Derek (Dempsey) have parted ways, professionally speaking. And seriously, where better than with the babies? "I'm wearing the pink and I don't know how long I'm going to be in the pink for," Ellen insists. "We don't know."
What we do know? Christina and Owen are definintely on the road back to happy coupledom after their pregnancy (termination) issues earlier this season. In fact, Sandra Oh teases that the script for next week's episode inspired her to do something she never lets her hair stylist (Melanie Smith) do: Put in a giiiiirrly braid. "I've always been kind of a stickler for my hair, meaning like I rarely every change it," Sandra admits. "I don't like things that are too pretty because I just don't feel it falls into the character. I think Christina is very very practical and doesn't really care about how she looks. Good or bad, I think that it's quite true to the character. But this episode happens to be where there is a lot of romance between myself and Owen Hunt so I thought maybe a little prettier hair."
You heard that right, Crowen diehards, a lot of romance! And the episode is also directed by Kevin McKidd himself, so you'll certainly get your hot Scot fix. (This just in from Shonda Rhimes and the Grey's writing staff: You're welcome.)
Still, it may actually be Chandra Wilson's Bailey who's getting the most action of all in coming episodes. Now that the hotness that is Jason George has returned to Grey's (after his Off the Map stint), Chandra hints that things are headed toward a love triangle. "Isn't that crazy?...It's the season of Bailey hopping around!" Sluttery has never looked more civilized.
Watch our exclusive video interviews above with Ellen, Sandra and Chandra, then check back tonight after Grey's Anatomy airs a new episode on ABC for our Grey's Redux. Next week, we'll bring you part two of our set visit—with the guys.
In this week's Grey's Anatomy, Jackson's mother, Catherine Avery (portrayed by Debbie Allen, who has directed multiple episodes of the ABC medical drama) comes to Seattle Grace to perform a groundbreaking surgery. His intrusive mother's visit becomes even more uncomfortable for him when it's revealed what procedure she's doing: A penis transplant.
TVGuide.com caught up with Jesse Williams to get the scoop on Catherine's stay at the hospital along with what's in store for the future of Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Jackson (Or "Jaxie," as he likes to call them):
What kind of person is Catherine Avery? Is she Ellis Grey, 2.0?
Jesse Williams: I would say she has a lot in common with her in that she is a bit of a narcissist, she's incredibly meddling and all-knowing, not only in medical skills, but that spills over to social confidence and relationships, just giving advice on every level. However, I would say she's very different from Ellis Grey (Kate Burton) in that she's very warm, very maternal and nurturing. She's a touchy[-feely] mom who wants to swaddle you up. That's engaging for Jackson, but also a bit of a deterrent because there was a stage in his life for that, but he's always been trying to make it on his own. Jackson doesn't want to live off his legacy and his name, which also conflicts with him wanting to be close to his mother.
We hear Jackson will ship Lexie off. Why doesn't he want her to meet his mother?
Williams: He doesn't want to scare her off. He doesn't want to have her feel like she's being hit by a battering ram and getting grilled. He doesn't expect his mother to be there long. He expects her to show up, give a lecture, and take off. He doesn't know there's a groundbreaking procedure that she wants to do, and he has no idea she'll essentially be living there for that short time. With sending Lexie off, he's trying to do something right, trying to start new with her and let the pace set itself by not rushing into anything.
What are Jackson and Catherine like in surgery? Is he trying to prove himself?
Williams: Sure, he wants to have her approval and wants her to think he is ahead in his class. But I don't feel like he is overburdened by wanting to be good enough for her in the same way as [he is with] his grandfather, who in many ways, doesn't like him as a person. He wants his mom to not be embarrassed about him, but he doesn't want her to be meddling all up in his sh--.
What kind of interaction does Catherine have with Jackson's mentor, Mark (Eric Dane)? Does he seek her approval?
Williams: Yeah, it's nice that Mark is sometimes funny, sometimes a prick, but he's always cocky and confident. It's nice to see somebody put anybody with those characteristics in their place, or flip them on their heads where they're the one seeking approval when they're very stingy in dishing it out. It's part of Jackson's growth process with Mark in figuring out who this dude is. There's a part of Jackson who doesn't know if he should take him seriously, both as a personality and as a potential threat to his girlfriend and love life. Will he be a problem or a real asset to Jackson?
Who else will Catherine interact with at Seattle Grace?
Williams: You're going to see Catherine Avery get into it with Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). Her dynamic with Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is funny because Catherine starts meddling. She knew Ellis Grey, she knows the Chief (James Pickens, Jr.), so she is aware of who Meredith is. Her trying to toy with Meredith a bit is to suss out what the deal is with Lexie. She's trying to play a not-very-slick meddling detective, usually directly in front of Jackson's face. It harkens back to what Jackson and Meredith went through when Jackson's grandfather was here. Meredith was the only person who really got the pressure and frustration of being a legacy and trying to make your own name.
Because he worked alongside April (Sarah Drew) and has been friends with her for years, Jackson's mom knows her as well and taught her in a class. Unbeknownst to Jackson, it turns out April has not only been staying in touch with his mom, which he didn't know about, but they're actually Facebook friends. [Laughs] He's startled and annoyed by the idea she's even on Facebook, so he feels there's no confidence in confidentially anymore.
Moving forward, what will we see for Lexie and Jackson? Especially since Chyler Leigh hasn't been around much this season.
Williams: I'm actually really interested in how the next few episodes will play out with the two of them, "Jaxie," as it were. Now they will have to deal with the reality of working in the same space all the time, working with Mark, her trying to find her place, him having the pressure of fifth year, and also, Jackson trying to juggle everything. They've had a really nice stride for a couple months, so I'm excited to see where it goes. But you definitely will see them engaged in a very serious and relaxed dialogue and will actually be interacting in the coming episodes.
Mark clearly still cares for Lexie, so how will that affect "Jaxie's" relationship?
Williams: We haven't totally sussed that out yet. Mark has traditionally been a dirt bag who just chases tail, but his relationship with Lexie was real and it's hard to shake those feelings. The whole triangle is about feelings and how quickly they can fade or return, or convincing ourselves we're over somebody when we're not. Jackson went into the relationship with eyes wide open and he knows the deal. Mark is doing a fairly admirable job about staying in his place. He really cares a lot about Jackson as a student and a surgeon.
How do you feel about the fans who feel so strongly about Mark and Lexie getting back together?
Williams: I take the audience's awareness very seriously. I always want to be mindful of that as we make decisions as actors to put time and energy into creating these characters. I'm aware that they have more information than Jackson does. When they see Jackson and Lexie, they're keenly aware of her history with Mark and they expect something to happen. They want to figure out if she's really over him and if she's moving on. It's a perfectly reasonable question, and what I've been enjoying playing is Jackson dealing with that in a mature way, being aware of it, but not being obsessed with it. Jackson is learning that he can't control everything.
"I think it's dangerous as an actor to get too comfortable, but maybe sometimes I go towards the discomfort a little too much," Knight tells TVGuide.com with a laugh. "There are a lot of things I maybe should have walked away from, but instead they kind of draw me in a little bit more because there's that terror to it."
Since leaving Grey's Anatomy in 2009, he's starred in his first musical (Parade) and performed David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre on Broadway. For his return to TV on Wednesday's Law & Order: SVU (10/9c on NBC), Knight is again embracing the unexpected to play a suspected rapist — a (seemingly) far cry from Grey's sweet, soft-spoken Dr. George O'Malley.
In the episode, Knight plays Gabriel Thomas, a family man who stands by his innocence despite the fact his description and DNA match a string of rape cases. "It was just out of the blue," he says about his invitation to guest-star. "It's cool when you get that phone call and they want to invite you to the party."
It also didn't hurt that Knight knew both Mariska Hargitay and new series regular Danny Pino. "It was good to get a chance to work with people that you've always wanted to work with," he says. "It's very interesting because you have a show that's been on the air for 12 years so you've got a lot of people who have been there for the entire time, and then you've got the new people too so it's a great combination of energies."
The revolving door of dramatic series television is one Knight is familiar with. After rising to household stardom and earning an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of George on Grey's Anatomy, he departed the hit medical drama at the end of Season 5. Since hanging up his Seattle Grace scrubs, Knight has mainly appeared on stage. "I had been away from it for awhile, so you get those little voices in the back of your head saying, 'Oh I'm never going to be able to do it again because I've been away so long,'" he says. "It's been nice to get back to the stage in the last couple of years. That was all I did really previously before Grey's. Theater's been in my life longer than television has."
Between Parade and A Life in the Theatre, two years have passed since Knight last stood in front of the camera, which made his return to TV that much more thrilling. "They're so completely opposite as far as rehearsal and preparation. In theater, you have so much time to work on something and figure stuff out and then the challenge is to keep it fresh constantly even though you've worked on it so much," he says. "Television moves so fast, there's so much work. You try to do as work as you can do before, but a lot of it is right then as you're doing it when you're filming, which has its own level of excitement to it."
Looking to the future, Knight says he would love to continue jumping back and forth between the stage and the small screen. However, he says picking projects is more about the role than the medium. "You play a certain character for five years, and the character was a wonderful character and I loved playing him, but part of the reason you want to be an actor is you don't want to just do the same thing all the time. Part of the reason why you put up with the constant job-to-job thing is because you want to do as varied and as interesting roles as possible," Knight says. "Every actor has their own scale of what they're right for, so I like to stretch that as much as possible if people allow me to."
But would that ever include a foray back into a series regular role? Knight isn't ruling anything out. "If that comes along and that's in the cards — that's wonderful," he says.
Law & Order: SVU airs Wednesday at 10/9c on NBC.
The Sun Journal of Lewiston (http://bit.ly/oCj5ha ) reports that about 4,000 people took part in the third annual fundraising effort to benefit the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing at the Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
Hundreds of cyclists pedaled between 10 and 100 miles along roads in Androscoggin and Oxford counties during the two-day event, which ended Sunday. The roads were lined with spectators cheering the cyclists.
Dempsey, a native of Buckfield, plays Dr. Derek Shepherd on TV's "Grey's Anatomy." He founded the Dempsey Center in 2008.
Coverage of the baseball playoffs on TBS probably siphoned some viewers away -- based on metered markets, the cable channel will likely beat ABC, NBC and The CW in viewers -- but with the exception of "The Mentalist," which rose a little from last week, and The CW's shows, which declined just a tiny bit, everything else was down.
CBS averaged 11.7 million viewers and a 7.4 rating/11 share in households for the night, beating out FOX's 11.2 million and 7.0/11. ABC (6.9 million, 4.9/7) finished a fairly distant third. NBC (4.7 million, 3.1/5) came in fourth, and The CW trailed with 2.25 million viewers and a 1.6/2.
FOX led the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.7 rating. CBS grabbed second place with a 2.9, while ABC was third at 2.1, down half a point from last week. NBC scored a 1.9 and The CW a 1.0.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (13.6 million viewers, 8.2/14 households)/"How to Be a Gentleman" (7.8 million, 4.8/8)
FOX: "The X Factor" (10.6 million, 6.6/10)
ABC: "Charlie's Angels" (5.9 million, 4.0/6)
NBC: "Community" (3.4 million, 2.2/4)/"Parks and Recreation" (4.1 million, 2.5/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.55 million. 1.8/3)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (4.4)
9 p.m.
FOX: "The X Factor" (11.8 million, 7.3/11)
CBS: "Person of Interest" (11.5 million, 7.2/11)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (8.5 million, 6.0/9)
NBC: "The Office" (5.7 million, 3.4/5)/"Whitney" (4.9 million, 3.1/5)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2 million, 1.4/2)
18-49 leader: "The X Factor" (4.0)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (12.9 million, 8.2/13)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.2 million, 4.6/7)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" (4.9 million, 3.6/6)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.7)
What great understandings did we learn on the trip into the male brain? Why do guys like power tools? And who is Grey's latest hot triangle? Time to find out...
WHAT WE LEARNED:
The House That Doctors Built: There's nothing quiet like manual labor to relieve stress. Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) dream house on the hill is actually progressing quiet nicely. And we love that, deep inside, Derek knows he's still fighting the good fight and building the dream for Meredith and baby to live in. In addition to soapy doctor dramas, we watch a lot of HGTV, so we love a good outdoor space.
It's a big boys club when he invites Jackson (Jesse Williams), Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Bailey's (Chandra Wilson) former love interest Dr. Ben Warren (Jason George), who is presumably back from the unnamed South American country in Off the Map (now we're getting our TV shows confused). But the best thing about boys with power tools is Jackson's mid-construction outburst. Finally expressing his frustration at the Mark-refusing-to-teach-him situation. But that leads us to a whole new obsession.
And Thus, a Bromance Was Born: We have so many emotions when it comes to Mark, Jackson and inevitably Lexie (Chyler Leigh). But for this week, we got to see how, in a perfect world, Jackson and Mark would be as besties. And it was a beautiful thing. They need a cute name. Markson? Sloary? We were prepared to say that Eric Dane does his best work while sharing scenes with a tiny baby actress, but when he rolled into the boys party and told Avery to get in the car, well, we just about died from hysterical laughter. Died.
It's just like our fickle Dr. Sloan to get jealous when another doctor wants to teach his resident. But all's well that ends well. A nice long overdue heart to heart with real BFF Derek sets things right. Everyone's struggling with the big changes. Owen is chief. Mark is a father. Derek is not. Big life changes people, big life changes.
Ear Over Tardis? Those are the real tough life decisions, right? How is a Dr. Who Fan to choose? This week's background case is another thing the geeky TV lovers know well: Comic-Con! Or actually a nontrademarked Seattle version of the days-long geektastic mecca. And where there are geeks, there are costumes. And where there is rare geek swag, there is fighting. And missing ears. And hobbits with crushes on April (Sarah Drew). Move over not-funny sinkhole! Because we like our maimed patients geeky.
ONE-LINERS:
"You have a reputation for being a nice person. I think it's crap."—Ben
"I don't care about my ear. I care about the tardis."—Earless Nerd Patient
"You know you're the chief not the sheriff, right?"—Mark
"My guess, which one of them gets to take you to prom."—Ben
WHAT LIES AHEAD:
Hello, Mommy! As we saw in the promo for next week's episode, Debbie Allen stands up and makes her presence known. As completely awesome. She comes to Seattle Grace with a groundbreaking surgery and no doubt some family drama with son Jackson. Expect a little (but probably big) shake up, because there's nothing like a good meeting-the-boyfriend's-mother over a super-rare operation scene.
Holding Babies Brings Up Feelings: Owen did some really nice baby-holding this week. In fact, if you listened closely, his nonexistent ovaries were crying. Couple that with his little mention of walking on eggshells at home and you've got a goldmine of drama brewing. OK, we may have mixed some metaphors but you get the idea: The Owen and Cristina (Sandra Oh) drama is far from over.
But new adult stuff is hard, right? So which docs soared and which sank? And can our favorite couples with trouble in the marriage department fix what's broken? Find out what happened on tonight's Grey's Anatomy.
WHAT WE LEARNED
No Animals Were Harmed in the Making of This Episode: Pretty ominous warning at the top of the show, right? We braced ourselves for the worst: a deer surgery, Meredith's dying dog. But our worries weren't warranted, and it was actually just for practice. Dr. Pretty Eyes Avery (Jesse Williams) might be the (current) winner of the Mark-Lexie-Jackson triangle but he was passed up on the surgery front. Speaking of Lexie (Chyler Leigh), 18 minutes into the episode and still no sign of her. Yes, we kept looking at the clock. This episode was all about the surgeons making the tough decisions. And for the benefit of a child's future prom date, Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) swoops in to save the day. And we are reminded again: Where is Lexie? It must be her day off.
Awkward Roommates: Both Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) are feeling the strain of their rocky relationships. Cristina and Owen (Kevin McKidd) are walking on eggshells around each other since Cristina went through with the abortion. After a day of avoidance and painfully awkward small talk, who knew food poisoning could bridge the gap? Alas, bad Chinese cannot fix a glaringly empty crib but a framed Post-it can. Can we just talk about how happy we are for that Post-it? So happy. We almost forgot why they were still married. Derek is upset and doesn't trust Mere, but that promise made on a Post-it will keep them fighting for another day. Seriously we think this Meredith-Derek chat saved a rather so-so episode. Saved it.
Not Here to Make Friends: April (Sarah Drew) isn't the only one who wants to be liked by her peers. She's still struggling to control the masses as chief resident. Clearly she doesn't get that getting those troops to fall in line is a lot like herding cats. Hilarious and frustrating. New chief of surgery Owen has a stubborn cat of his own and we're pretty sure he won't win her over. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is pretty resistant to change and is always loyal to Chief Webber (James Pickens Jr.). Haven't we been here before? It seems like in the past few years the chief has retired/fired/quit every other episode. Wonder if it'll stick this time? He's not exactly fitting in in the doctor's lounge. He said "goodbye" to a sandwich after all.
ONE-LINERS
"It's what I love about you."—Derek
"And what you hate about me."—Meredith
"Call the morgue, moron. He's dead."—Cristina
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Dr. Mama Avery: Debbie Allen is coming to town as Dr. Avery's Dr. Mama! We know Jackson struggles on a daily basis with being too pretty and having a famous last name. (Cue playing the world's smallest violin.) But will being the son of a visiting doc hurt or help his chances of scrubbing in on a groundbreaking surgery? Well, it's no fun if a family reunion is drama free!
Swept Under the Rug: No emotions stay buried on Grey's Anatomy forever. In fact they usually come back in the worst way possible. We'd be willing to bet a solo surgery that this will come back to haunt Cristina and Owen. Kevin McKidd tells us: "I don't think that's the end of it. It's such a big issue. These things always come back. I've noticed in life you can't brush these things under the carpet."
CBS led the night in total viewers with 12.3 million (and a 7.6 rating/12 share in households), narrowly edging out FOX's 12 million (6.9/11). ABC took third place with 8.3 million viewers (5.6/9), NBC fourth at 5.2 million (3.4/5). The CW finished last with 2.3 million (1.5/2).
FOX did win the adults 18-49 demographic with a 3.8 rating. CBS followed with 3.0, ABC with 2.6 and NBC 2.1. The CW's "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Secret Circle" earned a 1.1.
Ratings hour-by-hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "Big Bang Theory"/"How to be a Gentleman" (11.8 million, 7.1/12)
FOX: "The X Factor" (11.3 million, 6.6/11)
ABC: "Charlie's Angels" (7.2 million, 4.7/8)
NBC: "Community"/"Parks and Recreation" (4.2 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.7 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "Big Bang Theory"/"How to be a Gentleman" (3.8)
9 p.m.
FOX: "The X Factor" (12.6 million, 7.2/11)
CBS: "Person of Interest" (12.4 milllion, 7.7/12)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (10 million, 6.6/10)
NBC: "The Office"/"Whitney" (6 million, 3.7/6)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2 million, 1.3/2)
18-49 leader: "The X Factor" (4.2)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (12.7 million, 8.0/13)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.9 million, 5.4/9)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" (5.6 million, 3.8/6)
18-49 leader: "Private Practice" (2.8)
It came and went with little fanfare, considering that it used to be a fairly taboo topic for TV, points out New York magazine. But Grey's creator Shonda Rimes, who is also on the board of Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles, says she didn't have to clear it with any network execs. "I didn't ask anybody," she tells New York.
"We all know that these things aren't necessarily done, but I didn't want to do an episode [puts on ponderous voice] "The Grey's Anatomy: Abortion Episode." Like, that wasn't the point. I think for me the point is it's a painful choice that a lot of women have made in their lives and we just wanted to portray it honestly and with a really good conversation that I think started in the season finale and carries over in this episode."
She says she didn't hear much about the abortion storyline. "It seems fairly quiet around my house."
It was done within the context of the character, says Rimes, and that could be why.
"I feel you have to portray all different sides of who people can be if you're going to create a world. And I feel like Cristina's choice to give up a child, to have an abortion, is her choice. Meredith would never have had an abortion, I don't think — I'm not saying she's not pro-choice — but she would never have had one for herself because she wants a child so badly. I like that we're portraying all of the different sides."
Meanwhile, in other Grey's news, George's mom - played by actress Debra Monk - is returning for an episode in November. George, played by T.R. Knight, was hit by a bus two years ago.
“I’m not expressing anything negative or positive about it necessarily,” the Grey’s Anatomy star tells Latina of having children.
“I’m thinking about it, and I’m really taking it very seriously, because I feel that when you bring a child into the world, it’s a very, very big responsibility.”
After turning 36 last month, the age factor only adds to the pressure for the actress, who knows time is no longer on her side.
“I’m very aware of how old I am and I’m very aware of what that means in terms of statistics, and so, yes, I’m considering it,” she says. “The clock’s ticking and I totally hear it!”
And while Ramirez may find herself contemplating children later in life, her decision to hold off on starting a family is a choice she doesn’t regret.
“At the end of the day, I’m a much more giving person in my 30s than I would have been in my 20s,” she explains. “I’ll be a lot clearer about who I am and what I want and how to give unconditional love and attention to a child.”
From the beginning of the ABC medical drama, Cristina (Sandra Oh) has been dead-set against having children. She was pregnant with Dr. Burke's baby in Season 1, and was planning to have an abortion, but it resulted in an ectopic pregnancy. This time around, Cristina gave husband Owen (Kevin McKidd) no say in the decision, which will certainly cause a divide between them this season.
Still, executive producer Shonda Rhimes promises, "The love is still there."
"I didn't want to create situations this season where something happened and they broke up," she continues. "What's adult about this is to give our characters impossible situations and see how they make their way through it together."
That's not to say Cristina and Owen, who rushed into marriage in the aftermath of the Seattle Grace shooting rampage, won't have a falling-out as a result of the abortion. "They were in an impossible position where he wanted one thing and she wanted another, and he gave her what he felt she needed," Rhimes says. "It's going to put them in a strange position with one another for a while."
"They're going to shut down their feelings about it for quite some time," McKidd adds, noting that becoming chief is a blessing in disguise for Owen. "He has this very convenient environment where he can become so consumed with work that they can try and brush it all under the carpet. I'm not sure it's going to work. He genuinely tries to put that to bed and go, 'OK, this is the woman I love. This is the person I married.' But whether he can manage that in the long-term is going be the big question mark over Cristina and Owen."
Though Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) was the one to persuade Owen to give Cristina his blessing, so to speak, McKidd believes that will come to a head in coming episodes. "Meredith supports her because it's her decision, in the same way that Owen supports her because it is her decision," he says. "I think Meredith is there for her, but what her true feelings are are going to come out later."
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
Those list-making fools over at Forbes have released a list of the top 10 highest paid actresses on TV—and all four of the leading ladies from Desperate Housewives are on it. However, only one of them is tied for first place.
So, which scene-stealer is sharing the seven-figure spotlight with a triple-threat Emmy-winner?
The sexy-even-in-sweats Gabrielle, aka Eva Longoria, banked $13 million between May 2010 and May 2011 to join 30 Rock mastermind Tina Fey at the top of the list.
Surprised?
While Teri Hatcher may have been the name driving Desperate Housewives when it premiered in 2004 and Felicity Huffman was considered the serious thespian in the neighborhood, it was Longoria whose star skyrocketed thanks to some smokin' hot scenes on TV, her high-profile romances in real life and her red-carpet style.
Longoria, while nominated for a Golden Globe in 2006, is the only one of the four original leads who has not been nominated for an Emmy. Huffman won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005.
Not that her costars are making peanuts.
Marcia Cross is sitting pretty right behind Longoria and Fey with $10 million, putting her in the ranks of small-screen crime fighters Mariska Hargitay and Marg Helgenberger.
Stewing in $9 Million Land, meanwhile, are Hatcher and Huffman. Of course, the great equalizer is that all four Desperate stars will be looking for new jobs come springtime, as their series' eighth season is going to be its last.
Courteney Cox is enjoying post-Friends life in Cougar Town, surely helped along by $7 million, the same amount earned by Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy is named after her, after all).
Rounding out the top 10 is The Good Wife's Julianna Margulies, an Emmy winner for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series less than two weeks ago.
Hence today's new trailer, which shows off both more—Jessica Biel and Seth Meyers battle it out with another couple to deliver the first baby of the year—and more than we bargained for—Abigail Breslin channeling Girls Gone Wild in front of Sarah Jessica Parker? Uh, OK.
Needless to say, there truly is something for everyone in this flick. Especially the part where Katherine Heigl bitch-slaps Jon Bon Jovi, because really, who can't watch that on repeat?
Our only problem with this trailer: not enough Ryan Seacrest! Way to, um, drop the ball.
New Year's Eve is out Dec. 9.
Like Jackson's grandfather, Catherine shares ties to Meredith's past. "She knows the history of this hospital and knew Meredith's mother, Ellis," says Debbie. "There is a bit of tension with Jackson about what mom is there to do."
No surprise there, considering mom's meaty mission is to perform a transplant on a guy diagnosed with cancer of the penis! "This episode will be talked about for a long time," assures Debbie, with a laugh. "The surgery scene was difficult. But it's not a laughing matter what's happening to this poor young man."
Burton, who played the mother of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), will portray Vice President Sally Hewitt on the ABC drama, which follows a professional fixer (Kerry Washington) who formerly worked at the White House. The leading role is based on crisis management consultant Judy Smith, who was involved in the Monica Lewinsky case.
Others from Rhimes' productions have landed roles, too. Jeff Perry, who played Meredith's father, fills the role of the president's chief of staff. JoBeth Williams, who portrayed Addison's mother on Private Practice, will appear in Episode 3 as a client, while Liza Weil, also from Practice, plays a former White House aide who becomes a client.
Burton will first appear in Episode 5 for a multi-episode arc of the new series, which does not yet have an air date. Scandal is expected to premiere sometime in late February or early March.
The two-hour premiere ended with Cristina (Sandra Oh) going through with an abortion after finally having the conversation about it that she and Owen (Kevin McKidd) had been avoiding since last season's finale. Owen dropped his steadfast position against the abortion after getting an earful from Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) on what being an unwanted child has done to her:
"Do you know what it's like to be raised by someone who didn't want you? I do," she tells Owen. "... I was raised by a Cristina. My mother was a Cristina, and as the child she didn't want, I'm telling you: Don't do this to her because she's kind and she cares and she won't make it. The guilt of resenting her own kid will eat her alive."
"Grey's" has mined this territory to some degree before: When Cristina got pregnant by Burke (Isaiah Washington) in the show's second season, she talked about terminating it but later discovered she had an ectopic pregnancy. But it's exceedingly uncommon for TV characters to actually go through with it -- either a complication like Cristina had the first time around makes the decision for them, or they decide to bring the baby to term.
Gut-wrenching though the decision was for Cristina, it seems in line with everything we know about her. She has long been the most single-minded character on "Grey's Anatomy" and has always been upfront about the fact that her devotion to becoming a top-flight surgeon makes just about everything else in her life secondary.
What did you think of Cristina's storyline in the premiere, and of the way the show handled it?
Most notably, however, is the second night of FOX's "The X Factor," which performed almost the same as its Wednesday outing.
ABC's "Charlie's Angels" reboot was greeted with modest ratings, falling short of the network's two-hour "Grey's Anatomy" premiere. And on CBS, "Big Bang Theory" topped scripted efforts with an 8.6 and the night's strongest performance in adults 18-49.
That, combined with a strong start for "Person of Interest" helped CBS score the biggest overall audience of the night, averaging 13.6 million viewers and a 8.4 rating/13 share among households in primetime. FOX (12 million, 7.3/11) followed in second, with ABC (9.8 million, 6.6/10) in third, NBC (5.7 million, 3.6/6) in fourth and The CW (2.3 million, 1.5/2) coming in last.
Thanks to "X Factor," FOX topped among adults 18-49, drawing a 4.1 rating. CBS came in second with a 3.6, followed by ABC (3.4), NBC (2.4) and The CW (1.0).
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" one-hour season premiere (14.4 million viewers, 8.6/14 households)
FOX: "The X Factor" (11.4 million, 7.0/11)
ABC: "Charlie's Angels" series premiere (8.7 million, 5.7/9)
NBC: "Community" season premiere (3.99 million, 2.5/4)/"Parks & Recreation" season premiere(4.1 million, 2.4/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.5 million, 1.6/3)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (4.9)
9 p.m.
CBS: "Person of Interest" series premiere (13.2 million, 8.3/13)
FOX: "The X Factor" (12.7 million, 4.2/6)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" season premiere (10.1 million, 6.9/10)
NBC: "The Office" season premiere (7.6 million, 4.5/7)/"Whitney" series premiere (6.7 million, 4.0/6)
The CW: "The Secret Circle" (2 million, 1.3/2)
18-49 leader: "The X Factor" (4.4)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" season premiere (13.6 million, 8.4/13)
ABC: ""Grey's Anatomy" season premiere (10.5 million, 7.1/11)
NBC: "Prime Suspect" series premiere (5.99 million, 4.1/7)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.2)
Do Derek and Meredith kiss and make up? Is Cristina keeping her baby? Does anyone actually believe April can reign in this rogue group of doctors? And who has left the hospital by episode's end? Find out now:
WHAT WE LEARNED:
In Sickness and In Health: The moral life lesson of tonight's case was be nice to your husband because in a second you could fall down a sinkhole and he might have to amputate your leg. Poor Danny (Mackenzie Astin) wasn't able to make the final cuts to his wife's leg. But all's well that end's well. One giant sinkhole and one less leg equals repaired relationship. Somehow this paralleled Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Cristina's (Sandra Oh) relationship in crisis. Instead of making Cristina choose between him or a baby, he stands by her in her decision to end the pregnancy. Owen, you win all the Best Husband in the Hospital awards, even beating out the guy who cut his wife's leg off.
We Built This House Out of Rock 'n' Roll: Being separated has made Derek (Patrick Dempsey) antsy, so finally he and Owen work on that long-awaited dream house on the hill. But frankly, at the pace Derek is going with those rocks, it'll be season 24 before he finishes. We think it's time to hire some contractors.
Buddy Docs: In a different world, where we aren't torn over who Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) should choose, we really think Jackson (Jesse Williams) and Sloan (Eric Dane) would make great friends. BFF bracelets and all. Or they'd make amazing leads for buddy cop show. The good news is Dr. Pretty Eyes reigns as the Gunther or the doc that is awesome enough to take charge in a crisis. And just as quickly, Mark switches teams. He knows a winner when he sees one. We are positive this is going to bring so much comedy gold this season. Positive.
Teddy Is Creepy Happy: We all love us some Henry (Scott Foley), but Teddy (Kim Raver)—with the baby talk and the weird nervousness for her husband—is creeping us out. We get it, Teddy. You are having great sex with your husband instead of going off to Germany with that other dude you liked a hot minute ago. Really, we're thrilled for you, but we all know how well sick loved ones work out on Grey's. They don't. And we're pretty convinced Teddy's glee is signing Henry's death certificate. We'll get our tissues ready for when Noel dies.
I Don't Give a Damn 'Bout My Bad Recommendation: We learned during this episode that Dr. Bailey is not who you should ask when you want a letter of rec. Nope. No way. She basically dumps everything that's bad about Meredith in one giant swoop, and while it's all true, it also stings.
Baby's Gone: Noooooo! Forget spousal amputations, this was the most tragic event of the night. Little adorable African baby being ripped from the arms of Meredith while we sob from our couch unable to do anything. Sure, separating from your husband is not the best sign for a pending adoption. Cue us sobbing again. When Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) starts talking about Zola's giraffe all the tears come. All. The. Tears. Meredith has really grown up in so many ways since we first met her, and watching as her heart breaks is so hard. And where was Derek to console her? Not there, and instead Alex (Justin Chambers) steps up as awesome.
WHAT LIES AHEAD:
Mama Avery Is Coming to Town: Jackson Avery's badass doctor mother is coming to town. As we all know a man's relationship with his mother can tell us a lot. We've met quite a few parents along the way: Meredith's mean mommy; Meredith's MIA, then drunk and then sober daddy; and Derek's badass mom. And when Debbie Allen checks into Seattle Grace Mercy West, we are going to find out if she's responsible for the smart, nice sensitive doc we all love.
Babies Behind Us: Owen was super supportive through Cristina's decision to have an abortion, but is that really the end of the story? Kevin McKidd tells us: "I don't think that's the end of it. It's such a big issue. These things always come back. I've noticed in life you can't brush these things under the carpet." Brace yourself.
Love Triangle Still Going Strong: Jesse Williams, one-third of the show's hottest and complicated love affair told us that feelings arise when you work with an ex. Boom! We take that as Mark-Lexie-Jackson love triangle shenanigans.
We'll give you a moment to mop up your tears. Ready? So how was that for a premiere? Are you excited for where this season of Grey's is headed? Will Meredith and Derek put their differences aside to get Zola back? Did Cristina make the right decision?
Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo)
Where Were We? She tampered with the Alzheimer's clinical trial in hopes of saving Adele's life, which caused her to be suspended from the hospital. She also adopted baby Zola, but ended up having a huge fight with Derek.
What's Next? As we've seen in the promos, Meredith will soon be out of a job, but don't expect that to be permanent. As for Mer and Der, "They'll struggle," executive producer Shonda Rhimes says. "It's not really about Meredith and Derek breaking up forever. I think people's marriages get screwed up. People have to work to fix them." Also look for trouble with baby Zola.
Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey)
Where Were We? After learning that Meredith tampered with the trial, he shunned her and moved out to the future McMansion.
What's Next? With no signs of forgiving Meredith in sight, Derek will begin to bond with Owen. "Derek and Owen are dealing with the twisted sisters — Meredith and Cristina — who are very connected and very similar in a way," Kevin McKidd tells us. "So, they try to get away from the women a bit more. Owen starts helping Derek build his house, so they bond over that and the manliness of being outdoors and carrying wheelbarrows full of rocks. It's a way for them to decompress from all the pressure."
Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh)
Where Were We? She found out she was pregnant with Owen's baby, and when she told him she planned to give it up, he kicked her out.
What's Next? Cristina will struggle with whether or not to abort their child. "Cristina has always had a certain stance in how she feels about having kids and that stance doesn't change just because she's married and in love with Owen," Rhimes says. Plus, Teddy will finally, happily (see below), take her under her wing in cardio.
Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd)
Where Were We? He was tasked with choosing the new Chief Resident — April won — while dealing with Cristina's decision to possibly abort their child.
What's Next? Cristina and Owen may finally come to a détente. "I think he realizes that it really is her decision," McKidd teases. Still, Owen will be plenty busy once he's elected the new Chief of Seattle Grace. "Owen is as shocked as everybody else, so it changes the whole structure of the hospital," he says. "Owen, even though he's the Chief, [goes] to Richard a lot."
Alex Karev (Justin Chambers)
Where Were We? Worried that his hard work in pediatrics would be overlooked, Alex ousted Meredith for tampering with the trial in hopes of landing the Chief Resident spot. He was also dumped by Lucy (Rachael Taylor), who took his spot at Arizona's former hospital in Malawi.
What's Next? Everyone hates him, really. "We're going to watch Alex both grow up and backslide a little bit," Rhimes spills. "He starts off in a real bad place, like really behind and nobody likes him. He's not doing so well. We're going to watch him pull it together and work to get his friendships back and charge forward." He will make a move in the premiere that will actually put Meredith in his debt.
Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh)
Where Were We? After many ups and downs with Mark, Lexie decided to start a stable relationship with Jackson. Though she did admit she was still in love with Mark in the finale.
What's Next? Her relationship with Jackson is still going strong. Lest we forget, Lexie is a year younger than the other docs, so she won't be doing solo surgeries just yet. As for whether Lexie is being prepped to be the new Grey of Grey's Anatomy, Rhimes says, "I feel like Meredith Grey is the Grey of Grey's Anatomy and that's how it goes."
Mark Sloan (Eric Dane)
Where Were We? After nearly losing his and Callie's unborn child in a car accident, he gave Jackson and Lexie his blessing to continue seeing each other, but admitted he will always love her.
What's Next? He'll cut back on his philandering ways and really focus on being a surgeon this year. "People have forgotten or lost sight of the fact that Mark Sloan is one of the most talented plastic surgeons in the country," Dane tells us. Still, things will get complicated when Mark mentors Jackson, as he once did Alex when he was dating Lexie. "It's the same set of circumstances, so we're going to find out if Sloan is a good teacher or not," he says.
Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams)
Where Were We? When tasked by Mark to look into how Lexie was coping, Jackson got in her good graces and secretly started a relationship with her. He was prepared to let Lexie go back to Mark. Luckily, she decided to stay with him.
What's Next? Working under Mark will be tough, but the real thing Jackson has to worry about is making sure he treats Lexie right. "Mark sees that Lexie really likes Jackson and that Jackson is a good guy, so it's more a situation that 'if you break her heart, I'll break your face,'" Dane says. Plus, Avery's mother is coming to town!
Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez)
Where Were We? After a tragic car accident nearly killed her and her unborn child, Callie healed and went on to marry Arizona.
What's Next? After the tumultuous year she and Arizona endured, Rhimes wants them to be happy this year. "I think they've earned the right for us to enjoy them as a couple and to enjoy them as mothers and to watch them juggle what motherhood means to their relationship, their sex life and their jobs," she says.
Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw)
Where Were We? Feeling insecure about her place in the newly formed multi-parenting situation with Mark and Callie, Arizona proposed to Callie. Following the nearly fatal car crash, the pair married.
What's Next? On top of being a happy mother and wife, she'll also push Alex to get his act together. "Arizona is like his only friend," Capshaw tells us. "She has a deep fondness for him, so she's definitely probably his only ally."
April Kepner (Sarah Drew)
Where Were We? After being on the outs with Dr. Stark, who tried but failed to start a relationship with her, April received a glowing review in the race for Chief Resident from him that ultimately, along with her tried and true checklist system, won her the position.
What's Next? "It's an uphill battle for her," Drew says of her taking on Chief Resident. "She's trying her best, but nobody is paying attention and nobody is taking her seriously. She's actually covering everybody's a--es in the first couple episodes because nobody listens to her or steps up when she's trying to delegate." Also, we'll see a geeky crush. What we won't see: her virgin character knocked up quickly even though Drew is pregnant in real life.
Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.)
Where Were We? Reinstalled as The Chief after Derek briefly took over at the beginning of the season, Richard was faced with Adele (Loretta Devine) possibly having Alzheimer's and being admitted into the clinical trial. He was forced to suspend Meredith after Alex ratted her out for tampering with the trial.
What's Next? In order to save Meredith's career, Webber takes one for the team and steps down as The Chief. "At the end of the day, he's cool with this decision," Pickens says. "This allows him to spend more time, obviously, with Adele and her condition with the Alzheimer's. It'll get him back to what he loves to do, which is to be surgeon and mentor and teach young surgical students."
Teddy Altman (Kim Raver)
Where Were We? After feeling sorry for Henry (Scott Foley), a patient who was unable to pay for his intense and lengthy medical treatments, Teddy married him before reconnecting with Dr. Perkins (James Tupper), who asked her to move to Germany with him. Ultimately, Teddy chose Henry over Perkins.
What's Next? She's happily in love with Henry this year. "She's finally, for the first time, out of the relationships that she thought were something, but turned out to not be anything and she's really glad to be out of the triangle with Owen and Christina," Raver tells us. "Henry and her are really in love. So, it's a good time for her." Teddy will focus her happiness into making Cristina a great doctor. "Teddy is trying to impart humility to her because Cristina sees that she's a genius, but she's lacking the really big, and basic parts of being a great doctor."
Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson)
Where Were We? Bailey took the shooting at Seattle Grace the hardest, but bounced back this season after she began dating Nurse Eli (Daniel Sunjata).
What's Next? She's still happily dating Eli, but the return of a certain former lover may shake things up a bit. Plus, she's very unhappy about The Chief stepping down, but even angrier that Owen is Webber's replacement. "Her anger with the Chief for resigning is all dumped on Owen, because she has to respect [Webber's] decision that he feels it's time to retire and to hand over that power to somebody else," McKidd says.
In fact, plans for a Dempsey Racing LMP2 effort in next year’s twice-around-the-clock French endurance classic are rapidly moving forward, with a final decision to be made within the next 30 days.
“We’ve made a lot of great headway,” Dempsey told SPEED.com last weekend at Mid-Ohio. “I think the outlook of getting back there is very exciting. We have a lot of balls in the air. As soon as one lands, everything sort of falls into place. That’s where we are right now. Each day we’re getting closer and closer to realizing that, which is exciting.”
Initially revealed in a SPEED.com exclusive in June, the multi-talented actor/racer has continued putting the pieces together for a hopeful one or two-car LMP2 attack in 2012.
While a full-season effort in the new FIA World Endurance Championship was originally considered, Dempsey has since ruled it out for next year. Instead, his Georgia-based squad would likely focus on the key endurance races, including the Twelve Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans, in addition to the big one in France.
“I think gearing up for [a full season in] 2013 makes much more sense,” Dempsey said. “To be doing a few races over there, getting our feet wet, getting an understanding of the car and getting myself and Joe [Foster] up to speed I think is the smartest move to make [for next year] in the long term plan.”
If the trigger is pulled, it appears Dempsey will go with Lola’s new cost-capped LMP2 coupe, as the Hollywood actor’s insurance policy prohibits him from racing an open-top car. Dempsey met with ORECA in July but the French constructor has been unable to build a closed-top version of its Oreca 03 to fit within the ACO-controlled costs.
On the engine front, Dempsey is hopeful his longstanding relationship with Mazda could continue into LMP2, but questions remain whether the Japanese manufacturer could have its new-generation powerplant ready in time.
Mazda had initially set a deadline of the end of August on whether or not it would green-light a production engine, developed by SpeedSource, for the new cost-capped LMP2 regulations. Dempsey said that a final decision from Mazda has been pushed back.
“We’d certainly like to get to Le Mans and if we can’t work it out with Mazda, I think we’d like to look at some other options,” Dempsey said. “But we’d definitely like to go back and hopefully can do it with the support of Mazda.”
Despite talks of a move into the prototype ranks, Dempsey confirmed his brace of Mazda RX-8s will return to the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series next year, including a two-car effort in the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona. A full-season program, however, would be dependent on the magnitude of their P2 effort.
For now, Dempsey remains hard at work in finalizing his team’s programs for 2012 but realizes where he ultimately wants to be in the not-too-distant-future.
“The [WEC] would be great to travel around the world,” Dempsey said. “I had dinner with Tracy Krohn recently. We had a great conversation about it. He’s really enjoying himself over there. It’s a great car count and certainly exciting racing. It would be one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences to do a true international series.”
We got an early look at the super-sized episode, and ours heads are still spinning with all the emotional and medical action going down in the premiere. But what are the top five things that got our hearts pounding and we just had to share with you? Find out now:
1. Baby From a Broken Home: As we know from the promos, this episode has a Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) domestic crisis, front and center. Remember that pesky fight about tampering with a clinical trial? Apparently Derek (Patrick Dempsey) still isn't over it. But life continues and so does the impact of motherhood on a certain awesome surgeon's future. Some want it, but others would rather have a five-gauge needle to the eye. Hmm…who could that be? In Thursday's premiere we will learn exactly which docs are cut out to be parents. We can't tell you everything, but we can tell you that Owen (Kevin McKidd) surprises us the most. Like, whoa. Whoa.
2. April's First: First day as chief resident, that is. And let's just say it doesn't go well at all. April (Sarah Drew) cannot get a handle on her notoriously headstrong docs and it leads to a potentially disastrous result. Like so bad she could be fired on her first day.
3. Holy Sinkhole, Batman: Sometimes it just feels like the earth has opened up and eaten the unlucky heroes alive, but this time it actually happens. However, with the bad comes some good and even better, familiar faces. If you are a Deadwood fan, you might squint and recognize Robin Weigert of Calamity Jane fame. Also perfectly heartbreaking: Mackenzie Astin. But we've cried with him over tragedy before. Remember the dog sledding flick Iron Will? Netflix it.
4. Plastics Make the Heart Grow Fonder: It's not all near disasters for the docs, there is a very strong vein of humor throughout this episode. Once again Mark (Eric Dane) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) bring the funny to an otherwise stressful day at Seattle Grace Mercy West. Jackson has a new found interest in plastics but being Lexie's (Chyler Leigh) current boyfriend won't win him any popularity contests with Mark. However skills and leadership might. Odd couple for the win. And there's even a little something to keep the Mark-Lexie hope alive.
5. Heartbreak Hotel: While watching we were all prepared to tell you how surprisingly lighthearted this episode was, but it turns out we were bawling by the end. Completely ugly crying. Once again showrunner Shonda Rhimes brings us to tears and sets up what we hope will be a good fight.
Are you super excited for Grey's Anatomy's eighth season premiere? We know we are, and we already saw it! That's how good it is.
“We’re in the process of converting our house a little to make space,” the Grey’s Anatomy star, 30, tells PEOPLE during the Pink Party 2011 on Saturday in Hollywood, Calif. ”We are moving an office out into the garage.”
Despite her initial curiosity, the actress — who is five months pregnant with her first child — is staying strong when it comes to the delivery surprise decision she made with husband Peter Lanfer.
“We’re not finding out the sex. We are going to be surprised so everything is neutral and could be for a boy or girl,” says Drew of the couple’s nursery plans.
“We’ve gotten some beautiful stuff so far.”
And with things on the home front falling into place for baby’s big arrival, Drew admits her sudden increase in hours on her hit series has her plenty busy otherwise.
“My level of exhaustion is still pretty high so I’m trying to fight through that, especially on 14-hour work days,” she reveals. “It’s definitely challenging and this is the most intense year for me on the show. I’ve worked more than I have ever. It’s interesting timing.”
Fortunately, Drew finds herself in great company with fellow actresses Ellen Pompeo, Chyler Leigh, and Jessica Capshaw, who are all at the ready with tips and tricks for motherhood.
“The minute you get pregnant everybody comes out of the woodwork and has their ideas coming at you. It’s so great because I feel like I don’t have to read any books!” she laughs. “Chyler gave me great advice about breastfeeding, Ellen gave me great advice about my nausea that I was dealing with, and Jessica gave me diaper advice.”
Still untitled, the series is about a young Minneapolis defense lawyer who struggles to start his own firm after being fired from his high-powered gig. As he delves into his new path, he realizes he may have been cashiered from his old firm after getting to close to a deadly cover-up.
The project will be executive-produced by Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Jenna Bans (Off the Map), who will also write.
ABC keeps giving business to Rhimes. The woman behind Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and the upcoming drama Scandal, she also recently sold another show, Gilded Lillys, to the network.
Last week, we gave you a behind-the-scenes look at a new Grey's Anatomy music video, Scars on 45's "Heart on Fire" that featured footage of the new season. Today, we have a 30-second preview of the entire video, with glimpses into what the season premiere holds for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey). Little warning: it's not looking too good for MerDer...
It's bad enough that Derek and Meredith are on very shaky ground, but add the new baby and the haunting melody of the song, and you'll get the urge to curl up into a ball and pray to the TV gods (or just showrunner Shonda Rhimes) that MerDer will make it through.
Get a little preview at Scars on 45's ode to Grey's, and then head on over to abcmusiclounge.com to watch the full video. And if you want to come on back and panic about the future of Meredith and Derek in the comments, we understand. In fact, we'll meet you down there. Maybe we can all download the song and have a "Keep MerDer Together!" protest party set to "Heart on Fire." But that's just one idea: Video.
Assuming ABC does ask her to re-up (and that's a pretty safe assumption), Ellen seems game. "I would love the opportunity to discuss it," she says. "I would never turn up my nose at Grey's. As long as the stories are honest and truthful, and Patrick [Dempsey] and I feel there is material for us to be passionate about, it still beats a 9-to-5 job any day. If I hear from the fans that they want us to keep going, then I would continue because we owe them everything."
But of course she's not speaking for Patrick, who may likely exit, along with Sandra Oh (Cristina), to pursue a film career. Surprisingly, Ellen says that wouldn't deter her from continuing Meredith's story. "I have been blessed to work beside Sandra Oh for the past eight years; she's an incredible talent," says Ellen, who feels the same way about Patrick and "all the original cast members who aren't there anymore—T.R. [Knight], Isaiah [Washington], Katie [Heigl]. I didn't think the show could go on without any of them, yet we found a way to do it. It might be an interesting story for Meredith to have to deal with losing Cristina."
Rhimes says she has indeed "thought of some scenarios" should Patrick choose to leave while Ellen remains. "I would be lying if I didn't say that I lie awake at night wondering what would happen," she says. "And I have some ideas. Do I love them? I don't know yet. I'd prefer to think of them as Armageddon scenarios. There are no easy answers."
The "Grey's Anatomy" star rolled into an LAPD station Friday afternoon ... to report that some mystery person had been using her social security number.
Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops don't believe the scumbag was trying to pose as Sandra, but merely jacked her SS# so the person could get a job.
We're told cops are currently looking into the matter. We called Oh for comment -- hopefully the right Oh -- but so far, no word back.
George, who recently starred on Off the Map, will reprise his role as Ben, the anesthesiologist Bailey (Chandra Wilson) dated before having a come-to-Jesus moment in the aftermath of the Seattle Grace shooting.
Since then, Bailey has been getting pretty physical with Nurse Eli (Daniel Sunjata), so their reunion should be pretty awkward.
George, whose credits also include Eli Stone and What About Brian, will first appear in late October or early November. The news was first reported by TVLine.com.
Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c on ABC.
Luckily for all of us, in this exclusive video about the making of Scars on 45's music video for "Hearts on Fire," we not only get sneak peak at the making of a video that's joining the legendary lists of Grey's featured soundtrack songs, but we also get a look at exciting new footage from the eighth season premiere. Check it out: Video.
So what do you think? Just how beautiful does Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) look holding baby Sofia? If we were betting people, we'd say Owen (Kevin McKidd) looking longingly at a wedding band and Cristina (Sandra Oh) sobbing can only mean a storm ahead for their troubled marriage. While our hearts are rooting for a happy ending, we definitely believe Music Supervisor Alex Pastavas' ominous warning to the show's lovebirds when she says "this season we definitely see relationships coming apart."
Be sure to check the ABC Music Lounge Thursday, Sept. 8 for the full "Hearts on Fire" music video and tune into Grey's two hour season premiere on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9 p.m.
Shazam, the world's leading mobile discovery company, today announced that Shazam for TV will be featured in new "Grey's Anatomy" promos which will begin airing tonight. Fans eagerly awaiting the Season Eight premiere will get an early treat by Shazaming the promo spot to unlock an exclusive sneak peek into their favorite drama!
In addition to the exclusive preview, over the coming weeks new content will also be added to the Shazam tag result, including a music video by Scars on 45 and more scenes from the hit show, so Shazamers should keep tagging the promo whenever they see it to unlock new features.
For consumers who don't yet have the Shazam application on their smartphone, it can be found on iTunes App Store, Android Market, AT&T's AppCenter, Verizon VCast app store, the Ovi Store by Nokia, Windows Phone Marketplace, BlackBerry App World, and GetJar. The Shazam free App is available with five tags per month and Shazam Encore is priced at $3.99 for a 1-year subscription or a one-time fee of $5.99 on iOS; or a one-time fee of $4.99 on all other platforms.
The network has just bought Gilded Lillys, another one-hour drama from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Written by KJ Steinberg (Gossip Girl, The Nine) and set in 1895 in New York, Lillys is described as chronicling the history of the first true luxury hotel built in the city, along with the family who owns it, the staff who work it and those who stay there.
Rhimes is the woman behind Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and the upcoming drama Scandal, all of which Beers serves as an executive producer (along with the short-lived Shondaland drama Off the Map).
The Fame alum will play Catherine Avery in the fifth episode of the new season. Her arrival will shed some light on Jackson's family background, according to Entertainment Weekly, which first reported the news.
Allen should feel right at home on the Grey's set — she's directed three episodes in the past year.
The eighth season of Grey's Anatomy premieres Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c on ABC.
"The story of [their adopted] baby, Zola, is going to be amazing," promises Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes. "As an adoptive mother myself, I really want this story to have a sense of authenticity — with both pain and joy. In a surprising way, I think the baby will bring them back together." The season premieres September 22 on ABC.
Dempsey was taking part in the Grand-Am Rolex.
"When I was little, my father was a big fan of racing. He was even part of a team. I think that's where it all began," Dempsey told QMI Agency. "Now I have a the chance to compete in a series."
Dempsey started his own dream team and said thanks to a partnership with Mazda, they were able to get the crew into Saturday's Montreal 200, which is part of the Grand-Am Rolex sports car series.
Known for his good looks -- he was dubbed Dr. McDreamy on the hospital television drama -- Dempsey may also become known for being a daredevil, saying he's not afraid of getting hurt.
"It's true that it can be dangerous, but we are careful when we're in the race. I know there are risks, but it's better not to think about it," he said.
He said he loves the race fans in Montreal and willingly smiled in photos and signed autographs for fans.
"People are passionate and my team is very happy to be here and to participate in this event," he said. "The crowd is amazing and the city is fantastic."
As TVGuide first reported, Richard (James Pickens Jr.) will step down as Chief of Surgery in Season 8, handing the reins over to Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd). Devine, who is slated to appear in at least one episode this season, thinks Adele won't necessarily be happy with the news even though she has spent years trying to convince Richard to slow down and give up his position.
"A lot of times wives complain about stuff — like my husband watches too much baseball or he's too attached to this, that, and the other — but, in a way, you're really glad that the man has passions the same way we do," Devine tells TVGuide.com. "Adele might say she doesn't want him to work but that's all she's ever loved about him. She may be unhappy for him until he adjusts to his new life."
For now, Devine just hopes Adele, who began a downward spiral into dementia last season, will be able to remember her husband, let alone the sacrifices he's made for her. "You hope that there's some kind of recovery for her or that there's a better way of life or state of longevity of life, where she's clear on things," she says. "You're hoping that she doesn't even have it."
Her newfound disease — suspected to be Alzheimer's — was the catalyst for some of the biggest changes hitting Seattle Grace since it merged with Mercy West. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) jeopardized her own career by tampering with her and Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) clinical trial, and in turn, those ethical misdeeds forced Richard to resign as Chief.
It's bittersweet that Meredith has risked her job for Adele, since it was her own family that once caused the Chief's wife so much pain. Meredith's now-deceased mother, who also suffered from Alzheimer's, had carried on a decades-long affair with Richard while working at Seattle Grace back in the day.
Devine credits Grey's creator Shonda Rhimes and her "tremendous writing" for the story coming full-circle. "They pre-plan everything now so by the end, everything just sort of matches up in an incredible way. The scene where I confront Meredith and I think she's her mother, where she has to tell her, 'No, I'm not my mom,' it's just incredible writing," Devine recalls.
What was more exciting for Devine was playing out the deterioration of a once-strong female into someone who was forgetful and prone to accidents — landing her in the ER more than once without clear recollection of what happened, putting her in defense mode. "The whole fact that the character was totally in denial made absolute sense," she says. "I think she was in denial up until the very end, and that's what happens a lot of times with people who are dealing with the disease."
But there's more to the first episode of season eight than just slaps and medical mishaps. According to Justin Chambers and Kevin McKidd, there's going to be a lot of "fallout" within the group, plus Owen and Cristina going head to head on that whole baby issue. Or should we say babies…
When we chatted with McKidd about Cristina and Owen being on the outs, he assured us that there would be no easy solution to the problem put forth in the season-seven finale. In fact, this problem will probably be around for a while.
"It resolves in an interesting way. In a quite unexpected way, I think," he says. "But I don't think that's the end of it. It's such a big issue. These things always come back. I've noticed in life you can't brush these things under the carpet."
Chambers then jumped in to spin a happier ending for TV's cutest doc duo. "He's gonna knock her up. That's what's gonna happen," he (unfortunately) jokes. "He's gonna knock her up and she'll have a baby by the end of the season. Twins."
"Triplets!" McKidd adds with a laugh.
Alright, you two. Stop before the fans start believing these baby storylines and go running off to Twitter with them. Well, we're not really helping with rumor control either, are we? Let's move on to a safer subject…The first episode back.
"There's a big sinkhole in the opening episode. It's like a Towering Inferno episode," McKidd tells us. "It's pretty crazy. So, it gives us a lot of cool medical stuff to do."
Meanwhile, Karev will have his hands full with not only stitching people up, but stitching up his ruined personal life. "I think right now he needs to really work on his friendships, and he has a lot of trust issues," Chambers says. "And I think he needs to work on being a better doctor."
Maybe Karev should scrub up and start preparing for a triplet delivery. What? We're not fueling rumors! OK, we are. But wouldn't it be awesome if Cristina and Owen had three adorable babies?
Watch the full interview with Kevin and Justin here.
The 23-year-old hitmaking singer was at the Greek Theatre in L.A. last night making up for the show she had to cancel earlier this summer because of nasty case of laryngitis.
The sold-out crowd was jam-packed with celebrities from movies, television and, of course, music.
Read on to find out who was there, plus what does Jessica Simpson have to say about being "drunk" during the show...
In the audience of more than 6,000 people was—ready?—Robert Pattinson. At least according to one fan's tweet that read, "Robert Pattinson to the left of me and Christina Aguilera to the right of me at @OfficialAdele. #celebritywatching"
No doubt about Aguilera being there because she tweeted a backstage pic of herself and the British songstress along with the message, "'Someone Like You'" is my favorite!" she tweeted. "Beautiful to see all her fans sing it tonight! ;) love u Adele."
Other celeb tweets included:
• Amber Riley: "Dear Adele, you are officially my "girl crush" A-freakin-mazing! Who sings like that!!!!!! Love, Amber in Shock and Awe!"
• Dianna Agron: "Saw Ms. Adele at the Greek theatre last night, lucky to say it was for the second time. My love just grows fonder and fonder."
• Kevin McHale: "Thank you Adele for making my soul happy :)"
• Jessica Capshaw: "Someone like you" in my head all day long! And yes, to those who have asked, saw @katewalsh and she was pretty, funny and sweet as always."
• Gordon Ramsey: "Adele was amazing, great new material, very witty, such a powerful voice proud to be British."
Earlier today, Simpson, who attended the show with hubby-to-be Eric Johnson tweeted, "There are rumors that I was 'drunk swaying' at the Adele concert last night. That wasn't drunk swaying, that was professional dancing!"
In between songs, Adele's banter was hilarious. She cracked wise about things like wearing a wig and a see-through dress, paying for her mother's paragliding helmet and naming her new "wiener dog" Ella Fitzgerald because she already has one named Louis Armstrong.
She took a more serious tone when she asked everyone to raise their lighters or cellphones into the air when she performed "Make You Feel My Love" in honor of the late Amy Winehouse.
Adele's opening act was a hoot—77-year-old Wanda Jackson, also known as the Queen of Rockabilly. The two first met last year when Adele played the nearby Hollywood Bowl.
An outing to the park with his adorable baby daughter Billie Beatrice was the Grey's Anatomy star's first public appearance since leaving the rehab center he entered in mid-June for a painkiller addiction he was battling.
It was a fun-filled day for the dynamic duo.
Daddy and daughter hit Coldwater Canyon Park in Los Angeles, where the shoeless, smiling Dane, 38, smiled as he carried his girl, dressed in a polka-dot dress and a hat, around the grounds.
McSteamy is about to have a bigger brood soon enough, with wife Rebecca Gayheart pregnant with the couple's second child.
Looks like that "preventative" trip to the sober-living residence did him well.
As we first reported, in the new season of Grey's Anatomy, Chief Webber (James Pickens Jr.) will take the fall for Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) tampering with the Alzheimer's clinical trial. As a result, he'll step down as Chief of Surgery. So who's replacing him?
TVGuide.com can exclusively reveal that Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd), whom the Chief enlisted to pick the new Chief Resident last season, will become the new boss.
What will happen to Dr. Webber? "He has already had enough as Chief," McKidd tells us. "He goes back to being an attending surgeon in the hospital. He gives Owen the job, and Owen is as shocked as everybody else, so it changes the whole structure of the hospital. Richard becomes like the all-seeing oracle, because he has all this knowledge. He's now a normal doctor, but everybody still comes to him. Owen, even though he's the Chief, comes to Richard a lot."
Are you surprised Owen is the new Chief? Will he be able to handle this new position with so much turmoil in his relationship with Cristina (Sandra Oh)?
The new season of Grey's Anatomy, premiering Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c on ABC.
When the new season begins, Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c, the Chief (James Pickens Jr.) will have made a self-sacrificing decision, taking the fall for Mer's misdeeds. Because of this, Richard Webber is no longer the Chief of Surgery. (Never fear, Pickens is still a cast member of the ABC medical drama.)
So who's taking over his position? TVGuide.com can tell you exclusively that one of the following Seattle Grace docs will be the new boss in Season 8:
Dr. Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson): The Chief did once tell her she'd someday run the hospital, but is she ready to take on that much commitment when Tuck is still so young?
Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane): He was really competitive during the last race for Chief, but Mark may be busy trying to win back love-of-his-life Lexie (Chyler Leigh).
Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd): The Chief did ask Owen to pick the new Chief Resident, so trust and responsibility isn't an issue, but with Cristina (Sandra Oh) on the verge of deciding whether or not to abort their child, now may not be the best time.
Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey): He's been the Chief before, so you'd think he'd be a frontrunner, but honestly, been there, done that.
Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez): If Bailey could be in the running, why not Callie? However, she was fired from the Chief Resident position rather quickly a few seasons back.
This is the fifth time Wilson has directed. Her co-star Kevin McKidd, who plays hunky trauma surgeon Owen Hunt, is slated to direct his second episode this season.
Grey's Anatomy premieres Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c.
But Melissa George and Russell Simmons made head turns—and not just because of their unabashed PDAs—when the suddenly (and quite unexpectedly) loved-up duo made their public debut as a couple over the weekend at a Hamptons charity event hosted by the hip hop mogul.
Yeah, this is one coupling we're pretty sure no one saw coming. Least of all George's husband…
Though, at this point, it's probably safe to call him her estranged husband. At least, we hope that's what he is.
There was never any formal announcement of a split or separation, but George was last seen in public with her husband of 11 years, Chilean film director Claudio Dabed, in Los Angeles in March.
Cut to last Wednesday, when the 34-year-old Grey's Anatomy alum and the 53-year-old Simmons were caught kissing it up in the stands of a MLS All-Star soccer game against Manchester United in New Jersey.
Then, on Saturday, the duo made it official, marking their public debut as a twosome by arriving arm-in-arm to the 12th annual Art for Life Benefit in East Hampton. The couple didn't seem shy about their burgeoning relationship, and happily mingled in a crowd that included Simmons' ex-wife Kimora Lee and her new husband, Djimon Hounsou.
Color us baffled. Happy for them, but baffled all the same.
Knight, 38, will play a suspected serial rapist who consistently maintains his innocence despite overwhelming evidence.
Knight is best known for his portrayal of Dr. George O'Malley on Grey's Anatomy, for which he earned an Emmy nomination in 2007. During his five-year tenure, Knight was involved in an on-set argument when co-star Isaiah Washington made comments insulting Knight's sexuality in 2006. Knight subsequently came out, and Washington exited the series in 2007. Knight followed in 2009, when he asked to leave the hit medical drama and his character was killed off.
Since his time at Seattle Grace, Knight has starred in the Los Angeles production of the musical Parade and appeared on Broadway in the 2010 revival of David Mamet's A Life in the Theatre.
Knight's episode is in production. No airdate has been set.
The new season of Law & Order: SVU premieres Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10/9c on NBC.
“I don’t have slim children. I have hearty ones,” the Grey’s Anatomy actress, 34, tells PEOPLE with a laugh at the Ella Moss 10th anniversary party in Los Angeles on Thursday.
“My son [Luke, 3½] was almost 9 lbs. My babies keep getting heartier. [Eve Augusta, 9 months] is crawling like a crazy little monkey — she can move like a butterfly. She’s amazing.”
Her two children with husband Christopher Gavigan are fed with care, Capshaw says.
“I make all of her organic baby food, like I did with Luke,” the actress explains. “I don’t know how or why I decided that I was going to keep up with it, but I do. It’s like a second job! I say to my husband, ‘Why am I the only one that makes food?!’”
The actress admits the extra work is more for her own peace of mind than anything else, though.
“I’ve been making it all because I’m terrified of Eve choking,” Capshaw says. “She’s going to be able to eat more chunky foods [but meanwhile] I would feed her purées until she’s 18!”
Before the final year of residency for the Seattle Grace doctors kicks off, executive producer Shonda Rhimes talked to TVGuide.com about the difficulties the docs will face and the future of ABC's long-running medical show:
If last season was about growing up, what is this season about?
Shonda Rhimes: This is our last year as residents for Meredith, Cristina, Alex, Jackson and April. It feels like it's a new beginning for everybody in a lot of ways.
How is writing this season different knowing that it is likely the last for a lot of the main castmembers? [The contracts of Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Chandra Wilson, among others, are up after this season.]
Rhimes: I don't know about the word "likely" possibly the last. I usually start planning my seasons [by planning the last scene first]. This year, we just don't know. I just don't know what we'll be doing at the end of the year, so we couldn't start out that way. We're doing it a little bit differently this year. I pitched eight different scenarios for the end of this season, but we don't know which ones we're writing to. So right now, we're concentrating on the first half, then we're going to concentrate on the second half as a separate shock.
Among those eight scenarios, is there a possibility this could be the end of Grey's?
Rhimes: I don't speak for the network and I don't decide when the show ends, but I can't imagine that that's going to be true.
Has there been any thought to having Lexie (Chyler Leigh) become the Grey of Grey's Anatomy?
Rhimes: I feel like Meredith Grey is the Grey of Grey's Anatomy and that's how it goes.
Let's start with Alex (Justin Chambers) and Meredith. He really screwed himself over in outing her for tampering with the Alzheimer's clinical trial. What will we see for him this season?
Rhimes: We're going to watch Alex both grow up and backslide a little bit. I think he starts off in a real bad place, like really behind and nobody likes him. He's not doing so well. We're going to watch him pull it together and work to get his friendships back and charge forward.
How will what he did continue to affect Meredith's job as well as her relationship with Derek?
Rhimes: I think it affects her job tremendously. What Meredith did has real ramifications for her job and for her relationship, both in her personal and her work relationship with Derek.
You've always said Meredith and Derek are made for each other. How will they find their way back to that this season?
Rhimes: They'll struggle. They're grown-ups, and what's nice about this is that it's about more than that now. They have a child and they're in a much more mature place than they have been in the past. They made vows and they have a Post-It, which is really the most important piece of paperwork that they have. It's not really about Meredith and Derek breaking up forever, I think people's marriages get screwed up. People have to work to fix them.
Will there be a possibility of seeing the "dark and twisty" Meredith this season?
Rhimes: I think Meredith is always dark and twisty, no matter what. I don't think I've ever written a happy, shiny Meredith.
Cristina's new pregnancy harkens back to when she got pregnant in Season 1 by Dr. Burke. What will she go through this time around?
Rhimes: I think it does harken back to that. What we liked about that, and what I felt really strongly about that, is that Cristina (Sandra Oh) has always had a certain stance in how she feels about having kids and that stance doesn't change just because she's married and in love with Owen (Kevin McKidd). I think that there's something interesting when someone absolutely doesn't want children. I find it an interesting character. People get vilified for that in our society and I think it's really unfair because I feel like if someone doesn't want a kid, they shouldn't have to have one.
Speaking of pregnancies, news broke yesterday that Sarah Drew is expecting. Is it too soon to say whether that's being written into the story, especially because her character is a virgin? Or will she do pre-shoots like Ellen and Jessica Capshaw did?
Rhimes: April Kepner is a virgin and we'd have to work really fast to get April unvirginized, pregnant and having a baby by January. That feels a little insane, so I don't think we want to speed that story up. We're quite good at hiding things like that, so we'll do what we always do.
How will April handle being Chief Resident?
Rhimes: Oh, like April would. It's a lot of anxiety and many, many mishaps. I think it's going to be fun. We're having a really good time with it. I love the idea that there's this person that everybody kind of hates, yet they all have to deal with, [and even] lean on. She is one of them, even though they find her terribly annoying, and I think that that's sort of charming. And while her title is being in charge of them it's a near-impossible task.
Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday, Sept. 22 at 9/8c on ABC.
Favorite TV Actress – Leading Role in a Drama
Cote de Pablo, NCIS
Eva LaRue, CSI: Miami
Francia Raisa, The Secret Life of the American Teenager
Sara Ramirez, Grey's Anatomy
Sara Shahi, Fairly Legal
Less than a month after news broke that Dane's wife Rebecca Gayheart is expecting again, Dr. McSteamy's costar Sarah Drew – who plays Dr. April Kepner on ABC's hit show – is announcing a pregnancy of her own.
The actress, 30, is due in January, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively. This will be the first child for Drew and husband Peter Lanfer.
George will play Mattie, the mother of a young child embroiled in a custody battle. Brosnan's widowed character, a novelist, winds up helping Mattie as she fights her father-in-law to keep her child. Anabeth Gish also stars in the miniseries, which is set to shoot in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Bag of Bones is based on a 1998 King novel, which has been adapted by Matt Venne for the mini-series. Mick Garris is directing.
George's other credits include In Treatment, Alias, Thieves and Roar. Bag of Bones will premiere on A&E in late 2011.
Regardless, Rhimes has some reassuring news for MerDer fans. While the couple ended last season apart, "we open the [first] episode with Derek working on their dream house, and I would love to have them moving in around the end of the season." Expect their newly adopted baby to be the reason for their reunion. "Baby Zola is transformative for Meredith, and what happens will be painful, unexpected and wonderful."
As for Cristina's unplanned pregnancy, we'll know by the end of the September 22 season premiere whether or not she keeps the baby.
Other story lines in the works:
A giant sinkhole opens up in a Seattle street during the two-hour premiere.
New chief resident April will likely lose her virginity.
We'll meet Jackson's mom; Debbie Allen is mulling over the role.
Alzheimer's-stricken Adele will continue to decline.
A Shepherd family reunion for Derek and his mother and sisters is in the works.
According to documents filed with the L.A. County Recorder's Officer, Heigl and Mama Heigl have each shelled out $850k towards an investment group which bought 8 condo units in Sherman Oaks, Ca.
The units ain't too shabby -- with hardwood flooring, granite counters, balconies and fireplaces.
Plus, the condo building is right down the street from an In 'n Out Burger!! Location! Location! Location!
His day’s worth of stubble, wavy hair, and blue eyes that make women swoon are hidden in the cockpit. Patrick Dempsey is ready to ride, just another driver fighting the heat at New Jersey Motorsports Park; just another driver wanting to earn a podium finish in Sunday’s race.
There’s just one exception:
“You don’t see a lot of A-list movie stars walking around,” said Dempsey Racing teammate James Gue.
In other racing series, like NASCAR, the closest a celebrity gets to the track is to command drivers to start their engines. Dempsey, star of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” proved long ago his love affair with sports-car racing was more than just some frivolous dalliance for a restless, rich actor. It’s his passion—maybe felt more deeply than acting.
Dempsey is the most famous face behind the wheel in theRolex Grand-Am Series American Red Cross 250, even if he’s not the most successful one. But he’s getting there. For the first time, he’s carved enough space in his schedule to compete in all but one Grand-Am event this season. He led laps in the No. 40 in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona and nabbed his first career podium finish. Dempsey was in tears over his third-place result, validation that all his time and money had earned him the success and respect in the garage that every competitor craves.
“It was definitely the highlight of my career so far, that and racing at Le Mans,” Dempsey said. “It’s so hard to get on the podium for this series.”
Even better, Dempsey and each of his teammates led laps.
“You can’t deny it, either you’re No. 1 or you’re not,” he said, smiling at the recollection.
Dempsey has been at the top of his game in his day job as a primetime star of ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” since 2005. He took a break from Dr. Derek Shepherd and the start of filming season eight to catch a midnight flight, land at 7:45 a.m. Friday and hit the track at 9:20 a.m for practice. Three hours later, he’s stretched out in the back of his transporter, escaping an energy-sapping heat that has the public address announcer directing fans to public showers (yes, really).
“I’m getting used to it now,” Dempsey said. “I’ve been training, so hopefully I’m in good shape.”
Finding time to dedicate to every race has been Dempsey’s biggest obstacle.
He formed Dempsey Racing in 2002 and had his first competitive driving experience in 2004. He made his debut in the GT series in 2007, and ever since has tried to balance the commitment of racing weekends with an active acting career that included movie roles in “Made of Honor,” and “Enchanted.”
Dempsey believes he’s become more proficient at both crafts because of their similar traits.
“You test yourself physically, emotionally and psychologically, too,” Dempsey said. “One helps the other. A lot of the stuff that helped get the job for `Transformers’ was because I was racing. I’m starting to gain credibility in both worlds.”
Dempsey plays a villain in “Transformers,” for the first time in a leading role.
“No one perceives me as the bad guy. They see me as the `McDreamy’ guy,” Dempsey said. “I’m not that kind of guy in real life. It’s fun to have an opportunity. It’s like driving a different type of car for a different seers. You want to stretch a little bit.”
The lone race Dempsey skipped was because he was promoting “Transformers” in Moscow.
Dempsey teams with Joe Foster in the No. 40. Gue and Dane Cameron share the No. 41, the second Mazda RX-8 Dempsey Racing entry. It’s a timed race that starts at 1 p.m. and ends at 3:45 p.m. Sunday. At least one driver change is required on the 2.25-mile track and the winning cars are expected to complete about 260 miles. It will be televised on SPEED.
Dempsey qualified 13th on Saturday.
Gue and Leh Keen drove the No. 41 to victory last year at Watkins Glen International for Dempsey Racing’s first career victory.
Gue believes Dempsey will celebrate a win one day.
“At the end of the day, he’s a racer and so am I,” he said. “He’s certainly very good as a driver. That’s not even taking into consideration how little time his schedule allows him.”
Dempsey’s teams are racing for more than trophies. The prize money of the No. 41 is donated to charity. Dempsey has the No. 41 racing in support of Team Seattle, which is one of the largest fundraising guilds affiliated with Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing in his hometown of Lewiston, Maine.
Dempsey called it the most rewarding part of his visibility in racing.
Except for a couple of photographers hovering around his car and some fans peering behind a fence, Dempsey blended in on pit row with the rest of the field. If McDreamy gets the girls to a race, “Transformers” gets the men.
“What’s fascinating is, it used to be just women showing up to the track,’ Dempsey said.”Now, it’s a nice combination of men and women. The guys come now with the girlfriends who didn’t like racing before.”
He’d like to pattern his racing career after Oscar winner Paul Newman, who was part of the 1995 Rolex winning team at the age of 70. When they met, they did what two guys who love fast cars would do: talk racing.
“Nothing to do about Hollywood,” Dempsey said. “And he was complaining about his allergies. It was pretty funny.”
Dempsey has no plans of scaling back his acting or racing careers. He caused a bit of a stir when he said he was finished with “Grey’s Anatomy” after this year, before backing off. Show creator Shonda Rhimes said the show will go on beyond this season.
“It’s the first time anyone said that,” Dempsey said. “I think it’s a question of what ABC wants to do and what kind of deal will be in place that makes it worth staying. It’s up to the fans, too. Are they liking the stories and still connecting with the characters.”
No matter the future of his character, Dempsey says, “I want to go racing.”
The actor, whose wife Rebecca Gayheart is reportedly pregnant with the couple's second child, enrolled himself in a 30-day program at The Hills Treatment Center in Los Angeles last month, his representative has revealed.
Dane's spokesperson tells GossipCop.com, "Eric Dane voluntarily checked himself into a treatment facility to help him get off of pain medication that he was prescribed for a sports injury that he suffered over the recent hiatus (of Grey's Anatomy)."
Dane is expected to return to work on the hit medical drama later this week after completing his rehab stint.
Creative Achievement in Interactive Media
Grey's Anatomy Sync
Conan O'Brien Presents: Team Coco
Fringe: Division
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Oscar Digital Experience
Guest Actress, Drama
Mary McDonnell, The Closer
Julia Stiles, Dexter
Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy
Randee Heller, Mad Men
Cara Buono, Mad Men
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Alfre Woodard, True Blood
So what's the deal with the rumors that the eighth season will be Grey's last?
Basically, don't believe it, because it's just not true. Shonda tweeted today: "Just for the record: This is not the last season of GA. Definitely. Not."
Case closed, everybody. We'll all be enjoying a ninth season after all. But she didn't stop there with GA news. Shonda also tweeted that there will be no new castmembers this season. "Full house already," she claims. So if you were waiting for McDreamy's hot cousin twice removed on his mother's side, you are sadly out of luck.
Speaking of McDreamy, a fan tweeted at Shonda that Patrick Dempsey and Ellen Pompeo leaving would break her MerDer-loving heart. Her response? "Mine too. Hope they stay." There you go, MerDer shippers. The boss is definitely pulling for them to stick around.
And just in case any of you were thinking the canceled Off the Map had a fighting chance, Shonda is here to crush all your hopes and dreams. When someone tried to enlist her help on getting OTM back on the air, Shonda did not sugarcoat things: "I wish I could. Honestly. But it is gone. It can't come back." Then, another OTM fan demanded to know why she couldn't bring it back, with which Shonda replied: "Because I do not own or run ABC."
This now concludes Shonda Rhimes' awesome online class called Television 101. Thanks for being here.
Happy to hear next season of GA won't be the last? Will you still watch if Meredith and Derek exit? Debate amongst yourselves in the comments below, but play nicely.
Grey's Anatomy's Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart are expecting their second child, People reports. The new baby will join Billie Beatrice, the 16-month-old daughter of the 39-year-old actress and 38-year-old actor.
Gayheart and Dane married in 2004.
The Walk of Fame, which honours significant achievements in the arts, sports, science and innovation, yesterday announced Canadian-born Hollywood stars Sandra Oh and Ryan Reynolds as new inductees. Another choice is Burton Cummings, best known for singing with The Guess Who, already a member of the Walk of Fame.
“What a cool deal,” Cummings told QMI Agency’s Darryl Sterdan. “I’m the first one ever that’s going to have two stars. The Guess Who, we got one 10 years ago; now I’m getting a solo one. It’s a tremendous honour. I’m very thrilled that I will have one as a solo artist. Now, I’m thinking that if I can start some kind of new band and get one more, then I’ll be the Eric Clapton of Canada.”
Tennis star Daniel Nestor was also chosen this year, although the timing was lousy given that he and his doubles partner just bombed out early at Wimbleton. Nestor matches Reynolds’ bad timing: his new Hollywood comicbook adventure movie Green Lantern just did poorly at the boxoffice.
Other inductees have no such problems. Acerbic comic Russell Peters is always in vogue. Dr. Roberta Bondar, a neurologist and astronaut, is a Canadian of extraordinary standing in the scientific community. The posthumous inductee this year is Montreal author Mordecai Richler, back in focus because the film adaptation of his novel Barney’s Version has been acclaimed this year. Coincidentally, it was released on home entertainment Tuesday, just as Richler was named.
The members of the class of 2011 will officially be given their places on the Walk of Fame Oct. 1 as part of the four-day Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival in Toronto. Canada’s finance minister, Jim Flaherty, joined the corporate shmooze-fest Tuesday at the Windsor Arms Hotel. Calling it “another great day to be a Canadian,” Flaherty coughed up a $500,000 grant to subsidize the festival, claiming it will help “stimulate the local economy and enliven Toronto’s cultural landscape.” He also quipped that the money comes from taxpayers, “so you should all pat yourself on the back as well.”
That got a rise out Peter Soumalias, president and founding director of Canada’s Walk of Fame. Soumalias quoted famous lyrics from Canadian singer-songwriter David Clayton Thomas, warbling “you’ve made me so very happy” from the Blood, Sweats & Tears hit.
Among others, both Flaherty and Soumalias paid tribute to emerging talent, one focus of the coming festival. The Fame folk did a good job Tuesday, showcasing dynamic young Ontario performer Alysha Brillinger and her three-piece ensemble.
“It’s all about the opportunity to be seen, to be heard, to catch a break,” Soumalias said. Sure enough, when Waterloo’s Brillinger did a morning sound check, John Legend and his manager overheard and made contact — with the possibility that Brillinger may get her break soon than later.
SANDRA OH: Age, 39, hometown: Nepean, Ont.
The sassy and talented Korean-Canadian made her mark in Canadian TV and film before going Hollywood, where her sterling credits include Sideways and five Emmy noms for her work in the hit TV series Grey’s Anatomy.
It actually worked out okay, because in the pilot episode, Blucas was seen mostly in flashbacks to Van Camp's character's childhood.
But with Blucas committed to USA's "Necessary Roughness," ABC has cast a replacement with a couple of years on him to play daddy dearest. TVLine reports that "Men in Trees" star James Tupper will be replacing Blucas.
The role is a recurring guest spot, and Tupper is expected to appear in several flashbacks throughout the series -- though there's no word on whether he'll enter the modern day Hamptons setting of the new show.
"Revenge" premieres on Wednesday, Sept 21, at 10 p.m. on ABC.
"Sara Ramirez and her longtime partner, Ryan Debolt, are thrilled to announce their engagement which took place in Paris, France, on June 17th, 2011," her rep said in a statement.
In the seventh and most recent season of Grey's Anatomy, Ramirez's character, Dr. Callie Torres, wed her girlfriend, Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) in a beautiful outdoor wedding. It capped off a season full of strife for the pregnant Callie, who was thrown through the windshield of Arizona's car just three episodes prior to the nuptials.
No, J.J. Abrams didn't finally admit that Noel was way better than Ben, though we're still holding out hope for some retroactive closure. (Yeah, "Felicity" ended nine years ago... what? What's your point?)
First of all, Foley joined Twitter. You can follow him at @TheScottFoley, as confirmed by "Felicity" co-star Greg Grunberg. He's still figuring it out, but he did take some time to re-tweet congratulations to Busy Phillips for her Critic's Choice Award for her work on "Cougar Town," which Foley recurred on in its first season.
Now, TVLine reports that Foley will guest star on "True Blood" this season, as Patrick, a "tough and ruggedly attractive" buddy of Terry's (Todd Lowe) from his army days. (Translated into WB-speak: OMG, Noel from "Felicity" and Zack from "Gilmore Girls" are totally friends!!!!!!!!!!!) The role is described as "pivotal." No word yet on whether or not it will require the use of a modesty sock, but really... who on "True Blood" hasn't gotten naked?
The good news continues -- Foley's "True Blood" gig is not expected to interfere with his return to "Grey's Anatomy" as the best thing to happen to the show in years Dr. Altman's husband-turned-love-interest. Yes, it happened in that order. While there hasn't been any official confirmation from ABC that Foley will be back, his "True Blood" shooting schedule doesn't overlap with the "Grey's" cast returning to Seattle Grace, and Shonda Rhimes has said that she has plans for Henry and Teddy this season.
Now, because you can, watch Noel Crane get slapped by Tyra Banks. Just trust us.
SPEED.com has learned that Dempsey is in the evaluation stages of a possible LMP2 program for next year’s 24-hour endurance classic, which could also include a full-season entry in the new FIA World Endurance Championship.
“I would love to come back here with Mazda,” Dempsey told SPEED.com. “That’s certainly a lot of what we were there to do [last weekend], to help bring that awareness and start to put certain elements together. Once you’ve [driven] Le Mans, you have to do it again. It was a life-changing experience in such a positive way for me.”
Dempsey made his Le Mans debut in 2009 at the wheel of an AF Corse-run Ferrari F430 GT with longtime team partner Joe Foster and Team Seattle’s Don Kitch Jr. The trio finished ninth in the GT2 category that year. It was that race that clearly ignited Dempsey’s ambitions of returning not only as a driver, but also with his own team.
Now with two full seasons under its belt in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, highlighted by a win last year and a podium finish in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, Dempsey Racing could be the latest American squad to mount an attack on the global sportscar championship.
“I definitely want to do something under the Dempsey Racing banner,” he said. “I think, ultimately, it would be really nice to have two cars [at Le Mans]. I think that would help us in the development and certainly that shared knowledge helps. We’re really learning that now in GRAND-AM.”
While Mazda has yet to confirm plans of an LMP2 effort, as it would require an all-new powerplant different from its two-liter MZR-R turbo that powers Dyson Racing’s Lolas in the American Le Mans Series, Mazda Motorsports North America director John Doonan said they’re evaluating such a possibility for 2012.
SpeedSource has been commissioned by Mazda to carry out a study to see how its new production-based SKYACTIV platform of engines could be used in GT and prototype racing. A diesel-powered version is also being explored, according to Racecar Engineering.
LMP2 could to be the best fit for Dempsey. With Pro-Am driver pairings now enforced in the new-look category, Dempsey said it would give he and Foster a fighting chance for victories. The ACO has also laid out revised rules, including the use of cost-capped chassis and engine packages, that effectively eliminates the possibility of full factory teams as seen in previous years.
“LMP2 is definitely the way to go,” Dempsey said. “It would be great for Joe [Foster] and I. That’s something we’re looking at doing because the atmosphere in Europe is so much greater. The passion for road racing and their knowledge of all the drivers and their history is quite exciting. We get a glimpse of that at some tracks like Montreal in the Rolex Series. But [at Le Mans], it’s really, really special.”
If he’s able to pull off a two-car effort, Dempsey said he’d like to have a mix of nationalities behind the wheel of the prototypes, including drivers from Japan and France in addition to he and Foster.
With the green light having not yet been given, it’s still early days in Dempsey’s dream of mounting an attack on next year’s twice-around-the-clock classic. But it’s clear the desire is there.
“I always feel very comfortable at Le Mans for some reason,” Dempsey said. “I love the atmosphere and you feel the history. There’s only a few places that you get that feeling, perhaps Indy and here. And when it comes to endurance racing, this is it. This is the [Mount] Everest.”
Tupper had his first guest appearance on Grey's in the first episode of Season 7 last September, playing trauma psychologist Dr. Andrew Perkins. The show is known for its hunky nicknamed males, including Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey and Eric "McSteamy" Dane.
Although Tupper's acting spot was billed as a one-time-only guest appearance for the former Men in Trees and Mercy actor, I reported that show producers were eager to write him into more episodes, depending on fan reaction.
Well, the fans spoke, and Tupper was brought back another six times during the season as the love interest of Dr. Teddy Altman (Kim Raver). In the season finale on May 19, Teddy seems to be ready to dump Tupper's character in order to give it a go with a man she married to help obtain health insurance, played by the compelling Scott Foley, but an ABC source says it is not the end for Tupper. In fact, it may be just the beginning.
"His hunk factor grows each time he makes an appearance. The phones and e-mails get jammed by fans," said the source. "Grey's fans want James Tupper."
Although the show just ended, this is crunch time for the writers who must have scripts in hand when shooting begins for Season 8 next month. "There are so many scenarios on how to get Teddy and Andrew back, or maybe Andrew with someone else. The writers are playing with what will work."
Tupper -- who lives in Los Angeles with actress Anne Heche and their three-year-old son, Atlas -- isn't exactly begging for work. The sexy 45 year old has a sizable role in Jim Carrey's Mr. Popper's Penguins in theatres next month. And right now he's in post-production on Playing the Field, a movie set for release next year also starring Gerard Butler, Uma Thurman and Jessica Biel.
Grey's Anatomy show creator Shonda Rhimes, who is known to pull up her sleeves and re-write an entire script herself, has not publicly commented on Tupper's role for next season. She did, however, admit to still being confused over what to do with the other top Canadian star in her cast, Sandra Oh.
Oh, who's contract with the show expires next year, left her character, Dr. Cristina Yang, pregnant and wanting an abortion, much to the vexation of her TV husband, Owen (Kevin McKidd).
"I'm still debating what's going to happen with Cristina and Owen, in my own head," Rhimes said in an interview last month.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the company’s overall win, a dedicated team of Mazda Motor Corporation employees has prepared the striking looking and sounding, 700-horsepower, four-rotor Mazda 787B to once again take to the track at speed. This will not be a race, but demonstration laps to honor the achievement and to thank the fans for 40 years of support for Mazda and the rotary engine in competition.
Behind the wheel will be a familiar face – familiar to a global audience of TV and movie fans, and familiar to North American road racing fans – Patrick Dempsey. Patrick will squeeze in the trip to France between racing his own Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 at Watkins Glen the week before and at Road America two weeks later, and a trip to the Cannes Film Festival in May. Dempsey scored a personal-best race-finish earlier this year with third-place at the 2011 24 Hours of Daytona.
Also behind the wheel during the Le Mans weekend will be Johnny Herbert. Herbert, one of the three young racers who drove the Mazda 787B to victory, and was competing in Formula 1 at the time, will be reunited with the car that he drove into the history books for the first time since that June day.
“I’ve been a member of the MAZDASPEED family since 2007," Dempsey said. "I race a three-rotor RX-8 in Grand-Am GT competition, and Mazda allowed me to drive the amazing RX-792P at Mazda Raceway last year. I love the heritage of the sport, and to be given the chance to drive THE car that scored the highest-visibility win in Mazda’s storied racing history is indeed an honor.”
"This is a very special occasion for Mazda," said John Doonan, Manager, Mazda Motorsports North America. "This will bring together our most iconic prototype with our most recognizable racer. Over the past several years we have come to know Patrick as someone who is deeply committed the sport, and very knowledgeable about the heritage involved. We wouldn’t allow just any racer to drive our masterpiece. Patrick earned this honor.”
“In 1991, Mazda was very much an underdog team competing against Mercedes and Jaguar. This win was the racing embodiment of our expression – the will to never give up," said Seita Kanai, Director and Executive Vice President, Mazda Motor Corporation. "We are pleased to be able to share this car once again with our many fans and employees around the world.”
"It's gonna be my last," Dempsey says. "I do not know what's going to happen to the other characters, but for me it's done."
Dempsey's contract is up after the eighth season, along with those for other original castmembers Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson, Sandra Oh and Justin Chambers.
Executive producer Shonda Rhimes has already expressed that she's planning Season 8 to be the last for the original cast. "It might be the last hurrah for a lot of them; you never know," she told TVLine.com. "Everybody has an individual choice to make and I get that."
While Pompeo previously said she's unsure whether she'll return for Season 9, her on-screen husband says leaving the ABC medical drama is "bittersweet because it's been great and a great part of my life. But I can't see me doing it anymore."
ABC reps did not immediately respond to TVGuide.com's request for comment.
In other finales, "The Office" regained some of its post-Carell audience loss with a one-hour episode that topped in adults 18-49, and the season finale of "The Mentalist" was up from last week's numbers.
FOX led the night with 15.6 million viewers and a 9.1 rating/15 share in households, besting the improved CBS (12.5 million, 7.7/12), which came in second. ABC came in third with 7.5 million viewers and a 5.0/8, with NBC (4.7 million, 2.9/5) in fourth and The CW at the bottom with just 1.3 million viewers and a 0.8/1.
The adults 18-49 demographic also belonged to FOX, with a 4.7 average -- down just a fraction from last week's, topping CBS (2.8), ABC (2.5), NBC (2.4) and The CW (0.5)
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" results (21.2 million viewers, 12.2/21 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" season finale (11.1 million, 6.8/12)/"Rules of Engagement" season finale (8.7 million, 5.4/6)
ABC: "Wipeout" (5.6 million, 3.2/5)
NBC: "The Office" two reruns (2.9 million, 1.9/3)
The CW: "Smallville" rerun (1.3 million, 0.8/1)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.2)
9 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" season finale (12.7 million, 7.9/12)
FOX: "Bones" (10 million, 6.0/9)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" season finale (9.6 million, 6.5/10)
NBC: "The Office" two-hour season finale (7.1 million, 4.3/7)
The CW: "Smallville" rerun (1.4 million, 0.8/1)
18-49 leader: "The Office" (3.8)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" season finale (14.8 million, 9.1/15)
ABC: "Private Practice" season finale (7.5 million, 5.2/8)
NBC: "Parks and Recreation" two-hour season finale (3.98 million, 2.5/4)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (3.0)
With jaw dropping medical maladies all season, tonight's episode hit at the emotional heart of every doc. Who became parents, who got fired and who's breaking up? Find out here:
Pizza Versus Thai: Baby or no baby? That is the question. Cristina (Sandra Oh) insists it's not like choosing takeout but we really like that food metaphor. It is dinnertime, and we're hungry. Moving on, Cristina has a bun in the pizza oven and she doesn't want it. That's her bolded line in the sand. Of course, Owen (Kevin McKidd) wants a little baby and even has some nice things to say about their potentially huge life. This seems to be very much the Calzona baby argument of seasons past and could very well be their breaking point.
Paternalistic and Weird: OK, we're calling shenanigans on the Mark (Eric Dane) and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) storyline in this episode. Mark tells Dr. Pretty Eyes that he can have Lexie. Um, she's been dating him for a good six months at least but OK, sure Mark. Despite the longing looks of last week, Lexie tells Mark to stop talking to her. Oh, and she also said she'll always love him. What a double-edged knife to our hearts. We'll admit it, earlier this year, when Shonda tweeted hope for Mark-Lexie fans, we thought we'd have to just bide our time this season for a happy season finale reunion. Apparently, that wasn't the case. Fingers crossed for next season or was the Shonda-implied timeline for the whole series? We must be gluttons for punishment. Are the writers just going to torture us with will-they-won't-they forever?
Gorked Out Lump: FYI, gorked out lump was Meredith's term not ours. But that's her argument for messing up Derek's clinical trial. She didn't want Adele (Loretta Devine) to be a lump. That is so sweet, if not mildly offensive. Fortunately for Meredith and her career, the chief (James Pickens, Jr.) didn't want Adele to be a gorked out lump either. Alas, Derek is still pissed, so Meredith soldiers on as a single mom.
Malawi Lullaby: If you told us seven seasons ago that Meredith Grey would be bringing an adorable African baby to her mother's house, we would have sent you to the pysch ward, stat. But Meredith showing around her new Malawian baby around an oddly quiet house was pretty darn perfect.
Unaccompanied Minor: Somewhere way deep in the background was the case of the week: a plane crash that yielded one survivor. The relationship casualties of this episode were far greater in emotional impact than the deaths on the plane, but that makes us sound just a tad blasé. So, hands up if you cried when all the grieving family members stayed until the sole survivor's family arrived!
Shepherd Dream House: High on a hilltop are some nails and a wooden frame of Derek's perfect life. We think what he's forgetting is, life isn't perfect and neither is his wife. And that's the real reason Meredith is such an intriguing character, because she has those flaws. We have complete confidence that he'll remember that it's not all about a perfect blueprinted life and remember why he loves a woman who would risk everything for a friend. Maybe he'll miss a soft bed and a roof as well.
Streusel-Eating Babies: It would have been way too easy to send Teddy (Kim Raver) to Germany with Dr. Hot Trauma. When Noel Henry (Scott Foley) finally got angry and told her to get lost, she came to her senses. See boys, nice guys finish last and that's why you need to yell and be mean to get the girl. It'll be interesting to see how long he survives next season. Miraculous recovery or November-sweeps-scheduled traumatic loss?
What did you think about that wrap-up to the season? It sure wasn't a musical, but we have all summer to mull the big questions.
Will Derek come back to Meredith and baby? Are Mark and Lexie done for reals this time? Will Cristina cave and keep the baby? Was that chief resident race a real let down?
In Thursday's (May 19) episode, Meredith found out her penance for switching Adele's placebo for the real thing in Derek's Alzheimer's clinical trial. Meanwhile, the hospital prepares itself to treat the passengers of a plane crash, but find that only one young girl survives. And the other doctors are forced to define their romantic relationships in whole new ways.
Meredith and Derek: When the chief discovers that it was Adele that Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) was protecting, he decides to suspend her instead of fire her. But to Derek (Patrick Dempsey), there's just no getting past what he believes is Meredith's inability to see right and wrong. While he fixates on her bad judgment, Meredith takes on the responsibility of their new adopted child all by herself for the first night.
Christina and Owen: When she finds out that she's pregnant, Christina (Sandra Oh) decides she won't keep the baby. Owen (Kevin McKidd), on the other hand, tries to convince her that she needs to open herself up to the idea. So when she goes forward on making an appointment for an abortion, Owen hits the roof. He claims that the issue isn't whether she keeps the baby or not (though, how could that be true?), but more about not being part of the decision process.
Clearing up the gray: Teddy (Kim Raver), Bailey (Chandra Wilson), and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) all take steps to clearly define their romantic relationships in new ways. Teddy decides that she's indeed falling in love with Henry (Scott Foley). Finally! Bailey moves beyond the mainly sexual relationship she's having with the hot male nurse when she decides to let him meet her son. And Lexie finally tells Mark (Eric Dane) that he can't just give her over to Avery with his words, but he needs to stay away from them as well. She doesn't trust herself with any of the in-between.
Chief resident: By default, the position goes to Kepner (Sarah Drew). While Alex (Justin Chambers) may have had good reason to rat Meredith out, it backfired on him. Owen points out that by doing what he did, he had lost the respect of the other doctors. So, how could he be an effective chief resident if no one will listen to him?
If creator Shonda Rhimes wanted us to examine the question of whether there exists a definite right and wrong, then she accomplished that task and then some.
Now, the question is where do you fall on the gray matters?
Oh, Meredith Grey, you have really screwed up this time.
In the season finale of Grey's Anatomy, Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) decision to tamper with the Alzheimer's clinical trial was put front and center, as her actions fractured her marriage with Derek (Patrick Dempsey). As Derek sought refuge at the unfinished McMansion, Meredith was left alone to care for newly adopted baby Zola. Fortunately, this may open the door for more dark and twisty Meredith!
"It will give her and Derek some interesting stuff to play [next season]," Sarah Drew tells TVGuide.com "They've been so happy for the last few seasons and there hasn't been much drama between the two of them, and now this is a massive thing that's come between them."
Meredith will also have to deal with the fallout between her and Alex (Justin Chambers), who had revealed her misdeed to Owen (Kevin McKidd) in hopes it would pull her out of the running for Chief Resident. Unfortunately for Alex, he could not have foreseen that this would cause irrevocable damage to both their careers, as Owen elected April the Chief Resident in Alex's place, and Meredith was suspended from the hospital.
"That's going to be something the whole hospital will feel," Drew continues. "There will be tension between the two of them, and the happy home of residents that Meredith created in her house is now kind of split and crumbling apart — and there's going to be a baby crying in the background!"
Meredith and Derek weren't the only couple to reach an impasse. After Cristina (Sandra Oh) discovered she was pregnant, she decided to cut Owen out of the decision making and scheduled an abortion, prompting Owen to kick her out of the house. "I think there's going to be a lot of movement towards healing and reparation," Drew says of next season, "People really hurting each other and trying to get past it."
As for the new hierarchy with April in charge, it's one thing to be Chief Resident on paper and another to put the title into action. "I think she's going to be amazing at creating protocols that work incredibly efficiently," Drew says. "However, part of being Chief Resident is demanding respect so that people actually do what you say and follow the protocols you set in motion. The biggest thing for her is to really gain the respect of her peers."
What do you hope to see next season?
As the hospital is hit with a major medical emergency, Christina (Sandra Oh) reveals some surprising news, and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) deals with the fallout of Alex (Justin Chambers) exposing her for tampering with the Alzheimer's trial.
"You know we like the crisis at 'Grey's Anatomy,' but nobody's getting shot or anything like that," Chandra Wilson, who plays Dr. Bailey, jokes of the medical emergency on Thursday's "The View."
"This is a more character-driven season finale," she continues. "There's things going on in the hospital - everything about Meredith switching the placebo with the real thing [on the Alzheimer's trial], so Adele can get the real thing. There's consequences to that."
Spoiler alert!
In the finale episode, Meredith's actions will spiral now that her secret is out. Everything seems to be in danger: her relationship with Derek (Patrick Dempsey), her job, the hospital's reputation, and her pending adoption.
Meanwhile, Christina will reveal to Owen (Kevin McKidd) that she's pregnant, and she's not too happy about it.
"Last year, the finale was about something external coming in and forcing our characters to cling to one another for dear life," Sarah Drew tells TVGuide.com. "This finale is about something internally that implodes and ends up breaking relationships and tearing people apart."
Who's to blame? Well, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) first set the events of the finale into motion in the episode "It's a Long Way Back," when she tampered with the Alzheimer's clinical trial packets, ensuring the Chief's wife, Adele (Loretta Devine), would get the actual medicine and not the placebo. Though she believed it was the right thing to do at the time, Meredith jeopardized not only the trial, but the hospital and her marriage, as well as her impending adoption of Zola.
Afraid that Meredith would edge him out in the race for Chief Resident, a drunken Alex (Justin Chambers) revealed her misdeed to Owen (Kevin McKidd). "Alex is going to have to deal with the fallout of making the choice to rat her out," Drew says. "He walks into the decision hoping to accomplish one thing and ends up accomplishing something completely different, which creates a huge storm of drama between him and Meredith.
"Cristina [Sandra Oh] also finds out, so there is also drama between Cristina and Meredith," Drew adds, noting that most of the hospital will be unaware of Meredith's indiscretion. Unfortunately, Derek (Patrick Dempsey), who only officially married Meredith recently, does find out and isn't pleased at all. "All these relationships that we thought were so strong, we're going to see them all crack and crumble."
Cristina has more to contend with than a friend who betrayed her trust though. "You discover she's pregnant," Drew says. "It's going to create a huge amount of drama between Cristina and Owen. It became clear a few episodes ago that he was really excited to have children and she was like, 'Are you kidding? Do you know me? No, never.' That is going to present a huge issue in their relationship and marriage."
Amidst all this drama, the race for Chief Resident will come to a head. We've already seen a few doctors pull out — Cristina because she wants to focus on surgery and Jackson because he dropped out of the Chief's trial. "We just have Meredith and Alex left over," Drew says, noting that we shouldn't count April out of the race yet. "Alex has just tattled on Meredith and she has just screwed with the Alzheimer's trial, but there will still be tons and tons of drama associated with this whole run for Chief Resident."
The season finale of Grey's Anatomy airs Thursday at 9/8c on ABC.
As Patrick Dempsey was revvin' his engine for the final practice of the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway yesterday, another car on the track lost control and was heading straight towards him...
Dempsey was driving the No. 40 Mazda RX-8, and while returning to the track after a harmless spin in the final session, a Daytona Prototype slid off course and into the grass, directly into his path.
The car hit Dempsey's vehicle, but luckily, the actor was uninjured. However, car No. 40 needed major front end and radiator repairs.
At least the precious driver's anatomy was safe!
Elsewhere, "The Office" dipped a little bit in week two of the post-Carell era, and the season finale of "The Vampire Diaries" was up slightly from last week's numbers.
FOX averaged 16.3 million viewers and a 9.8 rating/15 share in households in primetime, cruising to a win over CBS (11.5 million, 7.4/12). ABC took third with 7.35 million viewers and a 5.0/8. NBC (3.9 million, 2.5/4) was fourth, and The CW trailed with 2.4 million viewersd and a 1.6/2.
FOX's 4.8 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic was a smidge higher than last week's average and led the competition by a wide margin. CBS came in second with a 2.7, beating out ABC's 2.4 and NBC's 2.0. The CW finished with a 1.0.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" results (21.6 million viewers, 12.7/21 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (10.5 million, 6.4/11)/"Rules of Engagement" (8 million, 5.0/8)
ABC: "Wipeout" (5.5 million, 3.3/5)
NBC: "Community" season finale (3.2 million, 2.1/4)/"The Office" rerun (2.6 million, 1.8/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" season finale (2.8 million, 1.9/3)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.3)
9 p.m.
CBS: "CSI" season finale (11.5 million, 7.4/11)
FOX: "Bones" (11 million, 6.9/10)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (9.4 million, 6.5/10)
NBC: "The Office" (6.25 million, 3.7/6)/"Parks and Recreation" (4.55 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "Nikita" season finale (1.9 million, 1.3/2)
18-49 leader: "Bones" (3.4)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (13.8 million, 8.6/14)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.2 million, 5.1/8)
NBC: "Parks and Recreation" (3.6 million, 2.2/3)/"Outsourced" season finale (3 million, 1.9/3)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.6)
It was a process of elimination for the position as the episode rolled on. Avery (Jesse Williams) pulled himself from the diabetes trial and by doing so, out of the running for chief resident, as well. By going over Teddy's (Kim Raver) head, Yang (Sandra Oh) proved that her passion was in surgery and would probably die on the vine as chief resident. And while Kepner (Sarah Drew) had the rules down, she lacks the forcefulness to enforce them.
That leaves Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Karev for the position. But, Karev had a tough week and then his new girlfriend (and ruthless witch) snatched away his option of taking a job with the African kids. So, when faced with the possibility that he may lose the chief resident position to Meredith, he ratted Meredith's tampering with the Alzheimer's study to Owen (Kevin McKidd).
We know your first thought was probably "Bastardo!" But, we think he did the right thing (recently crossed by the hot doctor and possibly drunk considered).
Hear us out! We have five good reasons:
1.) This is business, not personal.
2.) Meredith took it upon herself to decide between one patient's life over another. And she had no right.
3.) Derek deserves to know that his trial was in jeopardy and she wasn't going to tell him.
4.) By doing what she did, Meredith proved she wasn't the right person for the chief resident job and she really brought all this upon herself.
5.) If Karev didn't say anything, then he's as guilty as Meredith is.
Do you disagree? Should Karev have kept his mouth shut?
Which doc stumbled? Who triumphed? And what couple is one step closer to bringing home baby?
WHAT WE LEARNED:
Dr. Mommy: We've seen Derek (Patrick Dempsey) coo over the adorable African orphan baby, but this week was Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) turn to stretch her mommy muscles. In her own words, she was raised by a mother who was, "as nurturing as a steak knife," so maybe that's not the best example for fine parenting. However, Meredith brings it in the interview and proves you can be a surgeon and a concerned mom. Clearly Ellis just sucked at multitasking. And here we continue our begging: Please, please can MerDer get this baby?
Lady Bait: Come on gals, admit it. There is something about a cute guy with a baby (or puppy) that makes our ovaries inexplicably ache. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) didn't do a lot of doctoring this week but he carried around baby Sofia like a champ. Added bonus: Lexie (Chyler Leigh) is loving this softer side of Sloan. Sofia is a lot better behaved that his other daughter, and when he told Lexie, "I have everything I always wanted...almost." Well, we just melted. Perfectly perfect. Honestly, we do feel badly about Avery's (Jesse Williams) inevitable broken heart. But we're sure someone will take one for the team and be there to comfort him. And we're available. Just sayin'.
Stealing Hearts and Jobs: Alex (Justin Chambers) really does have the worst luck in women. Just when you think the poor guy is making the right decision to take a chance on love with Lucy (Rachael Taylor)...Boom. She becomes a job-stealing hussy. We guess since Meredith is all happily post-it and legally hitched, there needed to be a new commitment-phobic lady doc in town. Another job stolen.
Pesky Nepotism: Being Harper Avery's grandson is really cramping Dr. Pretty Eyes' chances at Chief Resident. But he's so noble. And so pretty. At least there was one doctor this episode who was willing to fall on his or her sword rather than stab someone in the back. He bows out of the trial to give the Chief a chance at the prestigious award. OK, that earns him a couple points for Team Avery.
Conifer Heart: Sounds like a bad indie rock song, right? But can we just take a moment to thank the medical researchers over at Grey's for yet another bizarre ailment that we'll be convinced we contracted. Yes, we need to get help for our hypochondria, but we're still never going camping again. Cristina (Sandra Oh) really saves the day and shows yet again why she is a billion times more awesome than Teddy. Maybe she won't be winning the Chief Resident title, but we think she should at least get a cardio goddess tiara. Just a small one, something tasteful.
WHAT LIES AHEAD:
All the Single Ladies? It's hard to top a bloody two-hour hospital massacre, so how will Shonda Rhimes bring it this finale? With a knife straight to our hearts, it seems. Meredith's clinical trial deception threatens to cost her a job and perhaps husband in next week's emotional season ender.
Triangles Are Complicated: Lexie's longing looks at Mark and Avery's frequent interruptions aren't by happenstance. It's about that time again for a predictable Lexie-Mark involved triangle blowout. But who will prevail this time? Hopefully some ground is gained in next week's season finale. That girl needs to choose one way or another, and we think Sofia could do with three mommies. Why not?
Bun in the Oven: We're not usually ones to be gobsmacked by a notoriously perplexing promo department, but Cristina saying she's preggo makes us pause. Or scream. Cristina being antibaby and Owen wanting a kid might spell finale doom for this once-happy couple.
Not Dead and Buried: We can only hope that Meredith's meddling hasn't completely derailed the Alzheimer's clinical trial. But we do know Adele Webber (Loretta Devine) is still alive or alive enough to come back for at least one episode next season.
So Grey's fans, is Cristina better off as an awesome surgeon/cardio god? Will baby Sofia be enough to bring Lexie to the dark side? And just how excited are you for next week's season finale?
“I don’t know if there’s any change more significant that a human being can make than that of a woman becoming a mother. There’s no change more dramatic,” the Grey’s Anatomy star, 38, tells PEOPLE during the opening of IWC‘s A Night in Portofino.
“You know, I’m a hundred times more attracted to her now and I love her exponentially more than I did before. It’s just great to see her be a mother.”
And while the couple “have a little bit of help,” Dane reveals Gayheart happily takes on the responsibilities of motherhood.
“Rebecca is really hands-on,” he says. “There’s not a lot that goes on that she’s not a part of.”
But Gayheart isn’t the only one who loves spending quality time with Billie. Dane — who admits the “unconditional love” he receives from the 14-month-old who “doesn’t know any better” is the best part of fatherhood — enjoys spending afternoon father-daughter dates at the park.
“I like watching her laugh,” he shares. “Seeing this kid laugh when you put her on the swing, or slide down the slide with her, it’s just … She owns me.”
Billie has even won the hearts of the family’s beloved brood of dogs — in particular Nellie the chihuahua.
“The second we brought Billie home she elected herself the Buckingham Palace guard,” he laughs. “When Rebecca was feeding Billie, she would sit under Rebecca’s feet. Any time anyone got near Billie, even if it was me, the dog would just start barking.”
Set to spend their summer moving into their brand new home a few miles down the road, there is nothing Dane is quite looking forward to like enjoying his days off poolside with his family.
“I just want to teach my daughter how to swim and sit by the pool and gear up for next season,” he explains.
FOX averaged 15.95 million viewers and a 9.3 rating/15 share in households for the night, cruising to victory over second-place CBS (11 million, 7.0/11). ABC came in third with 7.2 million viewers and a 4.9/8. NBC (4.2 million, 2.6/4) finished fourth, beating out The CW's 2.3 million viewers and 1.5/2.
FOX's 4.7 rating among adults 18-49 led the demographic by a wide margin. CBS, 2.5, edged ABC, 2.4, for second. NBC came in fourth with a 2.0, while The CW drew a 1.0.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" results (20.8 million viewers, 12.0/20 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (10.3 million, 6.4/11)/"Rules of Engagement" (7.7 million, 4.9/8)
ABC: "Wipeout" (4.8 million, 3.0/5)
NBC: "Community" (3.5 million, 2.2/4)/"The Office" rerun (2.7 million, 1.7/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.7 million, 1.8/3)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.1)
9 p.m.
FOX: "Bones" (11.1 million, 6.6/10)
CBS: "CSI" (10.5 million, 6.7/11)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (9.9 million, 6.6/10)
NBC: "The Office" (6.8 million, 3.9/6)/"Parks and Recreation" (5.1 million, 3.0/5)
The CW: "Nikita" (1.9 million, 1.2/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" and "The Office" tied at 3.5
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (13.6 million, 8.5/14)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.9 million, 5.0/8)
NBC: "30 Rock" (4.2 million, 2.6/4)/"Outsourced" (3.7 million, 2.3/4)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.6)
But TV weddings are even more fun because of the drama! And of course Grey's Anatomy knows how to bring all kinds of heartfelt stuff on the big day.
How many couples made it down the aisle? Are the newlyweds getting a baby? Which doc could moonlight as a small animal vet? We got all the rundown on the old, the new and the not so blue…
WHAT WE LEARNED
Meet the Parents: Oh, in-laws can be tricky and Mark (Eric Dane) has only ever been able to impress one parent, Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry). If that isn't a sign that Mark and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) should be together, well then we don't know what is. But we digress. Mark isn't making the best impression on his baby mama's parents. However, in the darkest moment, Mark really stepped up in all the right ways. He comforted Arizona and knew when to bring out the big guns of Dr. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) to talk Callie (Sara Ramirez) back into wedded bliss.
Lesbian Fiancé Bastard Child: Whoa there, mother- monster-in-law. We know you didn't just call Arizona and baby Sofia that. OK, you didn't say those words exactly, but you definitely implied as much. We understand that Mrs. Torres has deep Catholic beliefs and all that, but we like to think if you came thatclose to losing your daughter mere months before, you'd be a little lenient on the whole "going to hell" thing.
Bailey the Babynapper: We love that we can always count on Bailey as the voice of reason. And she always has the best speeches. That lady needs to get on the motivational speaker circuit, stat. She really put everything about church and God and marriage into such a nice succinct package. Preach it, sister!
Dr. Pretty Eyes, Pet Detective: Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) is cute. Wait, there's more: He's funny too. And he's sick of taking care of his lab mice. We can't really blame him, cleaning mouse cages isn't the same as cutting into a human body. But when he massaged a mouse back to life, we swooned. We realize that might make us a little crazy, but run with us here. We like guys who like dogs, but in this special case, for Jackson Avery, we'll extend the rule to include rodents as well. This is where our Team Sloan versus Team Avery alliances get all sorts of blurred.
The Princess Brides: Can we just get an "Awwwwwww"? Such a perfect wedding for Callie and Arizona. After all they've gone through this season they needed a really good day like this. The dresses, the flowers, the big giant veil that Callie had made to match her mother's, and the juxtaposition to the less-traditional wedding of Meredith and Derek was pretty darn great.
Going to the Courthouse: And MerDer got married! Yes, yes, we know Shonda Rhimes said they were already Post-It married, but this time it's official. We've been pleasantly surprised by this development, but mostly because we want Meredith and Derek to adopt that adorable African orphan. They need that baby yesterday. So of course we'll get our hopes up and then they'll be dashed by season's end.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Honeymoon Phase: To say Callie and Arizona have gone through a lot this season would be an understatement. Breakup, unexpected pregnancy, life threatening car wreck, it would be just mean to put them through much more. Grey's scribe Stacy McKee tells us things are going to be smooth sailing, for now. Dun dun dun
How's a Girl to Choose? Oh poor Lexie, she has two gorgeous men fighting over her. We do admit at this point we don't know which way she'll go, but Stacy McKee says the Slexie love is still there. But is love really enough to overcome those gorgeous green eyes on Avery?
Bye-Bye, Teddy? Will Teddy take Dr. Andrew Perkins up on his offer to move to Germany? Cristina might be right; at this point, Teddy does just seem to be nursing a bruised ego, so maybe it's time to hit the road. Read our interview with James Tupper for all the scoop.
So, what'd you think about tonight's episode, Grey's watchers? Was it a nice day for a white wedding? How much do you want Meredith and Derek to adopt that baby? Has Teddy bought her ticket to Germany yet?
Of course, the course of TV love never does run smoothly, so we can expect "a little conflict"—but for now the two are in the "magical part." Here's what we can tell you about Callizona's big beautiful day, the "honeymoon stage," plus what's to come for Mark (Eric Dane) and Lexie (Chyler Leigh):
Q&A With Grey's Anatomy Writer Stacy McKee
What have you learned from working with Shonda Rhimes for eight years?
Well, we had a motto season one, it was called, "No hugging, no crying, no secret pain." Basically, you don't want people to talk about their feelings—you want people to feel their feelings, you want to tell a story that makes the audience feel their feelings. That's the motto of season one and we stuck to that motto for about five seconds so what I've learned is, "Mottoes are useless." [Laughs.] I've learned so much from her, I've grown up on the show. As have all the characters, [they] have grown up on the show too.
How did you get the wedding episode?
I was assigned actually. I was only supposed to do two episodes this season and then Shonda called me; I was home sick, in fact. And she was like, "Stacy, I would like you to write episode 20." And my heart dropped a little because, oh my god I was so tired—I thought I was kind of done for the season. So I was like, "Episode 20? Really? OK, let me think about it." And she was like, "I would like you to write the lesbian wedding." And I was like, "All right. Fine. You had me at lesbian wedding. I can't not write that—come on, are you kidding?"
Do we finally meet Arizona's family?
Yes, we meet Arizona's family.
She's given a lot of good Arizona speeches about that family.
I know she has.
Does she get a good speech in this episode?
Yeah, she has a really good speech and it talks about her family, in sort of an unexpected way. I think it's a piece of her family she talked about before and it's nice. It's a really nice moment.
Is it true you wrote special vows for them?
I wrote their vows. They are special TV "I love you" vows, but I did use fairly traditional Catholic vows as a template because that's Callie's background. And it was important to Callie to have a lot of tradition in her wedding. And as you can see there are white dresses and lots of flowers. No white leisure suits here. It's full-on wedding.
What's the B-story for this episode?
Basically in the background, all of the senior residents are realizing that Alex (Justin Chambers) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) are the front-runners for chief resident and everyone, in their own way, is trying to step up their game. Jackson's (Jesse Williams) working with the Chief (James Pickens Jr.), and by the end of the episode...everyone's a little bent out of shape about that. I'd say by the end of the episode the playing field has been leveled.
What do we see of Alex Karev in this episode?
I adore him and, to me, he's this great character—he's kind of a douche with a heart of gold. His heart is always in the right place. Even though it comes out in all the wrong ways and at the end of the day, which does apply to this episode, he's always honest. Even if it means being a jerk, he's always honest and that plays a big role in this episode—the fact that he is at heart a truth teller, and he's surprised that someone else isn't.
What about April (Sarah Drew) and Dr. Stark (Peter MacNicol)?
Stark has a really wonderful turn in this episode.
Are Callie and Arizona's problems over forever after the wedding?
Forever? I hope not. I mean I want them to stay on the show, and you can't have two amazing characters without throwing a little conflict in there. But right now they have reached a very happy place that I think we'll hang onto for a while. They've been through an awful lot this season, and it gets even worse soon, so this is sort of the happy ending, to all of that. This is the magical part and they'll get to be in the honeymoon stage for awhile.
What about Mark and Lexie? Is love enough for them to be together, or do they have too many larger problems?
Is love enough? Well, I don't know. That's tough. I don't know. I have no answer for that, that's too philosophical for me. Do they love each other? Well, I think that's pretty obvious, they do. It doesn't necessarily mean that—kind of like ships passing in the night, who knows if they'll be able to find their way back to each other...Just because you love someone it doesn't mean it's meant to be and it doesn't mean that you're always on the right page at the right time.
They can keep yearning.
The yearning is the fun part. The push and the pull, and "I'm available and you're not." Oh, how did that happen? I love that stuff.
WHAT WE LEARNED
Dr. Torres, Medicine Ball Woman: Remember that time when Callie (Sara Ramirez) went head first through a windshield and it seriously messed her up? Well so did the continuity fairy. It's nice to see that Callie hasn't had a completely miraculous healing and we get to see some of her struggle to walk, get function back in her hands and hold the teeny tiny baby.
Let's Do the Time Warp Again: Maybe we spoke too soon about the miraculous recover. We like a good flashforward as much as the next person, but boy, was that a lot of story told in 42 minutes. Callie and baby recover, Alex (Justin Chambers) creates and executes an African baby journey, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) single handedly compromises the Alzheimer's trial and that's not even the half of it. In this episode we got the set up and the pay off, but it seems like we missed most of the hard work in between.
Some Guys Have All the Luck: Alex learned a valuable lesson, being mean and a grifter (as Lexie put it) pays off big in the end. Good thing too because I'm not sure Alex Karev would look good in an orange jumpsuit. Due to the power of the flash forward, just when the mean old lady flatlined and all hope was lost, we get credit card fraud and African orphan lifesaving check for 200 grand. Not too shabby. Really the African orphans were the big winners, but this won't hurt Alex's chances for Chief Resident.
Dr. Stark hates African Orphans: OK, Dr. Stark (Peter MacNichol) doesn't hate African orphans, but he is really mad at April (Sarah Drew). Even though she was his friend, and said the sweetest things about him, he shoots her down with an "It's Dr. Stark to you." And a mean sneer maybe an evil cackle too. Ouch, buddy, completely unnecessary. April you should save your kindness for someone who'd appreciate it, like maybe that grifter Karev.
Secrets and Lies: Oh, Meredith, how are you going to keep this giant mammoth of a secret from your post-it husband? Post-its must emotionally affect Meredith because as soon as she saw Adele (Loretta Devine) Post-it reminder of her husband we just knew it cut her to the core. And when Meredith switched Adele's top-secret medicine or placebo paper we were screaming for her to stop fumbling and get out of there pronto. It's pretty much a given that this will come back to bite them. But we're pretty proud of Meredith for doing that.
WHAT'S TO COME
Take Me Home Tonight: Read our interview (do it!) with James Tupper to find out if Dr. Trauma will whisk Teddy away or will she choose her sweet devoted husband? She's not teaching Cristina and she's not choosing Noel, so maybe it's time to hit the road?
Nice Day for a White Wedding: A Callie-Arizona white wedding to be exact. These ladies deserve something good in their lives but we can't imagine a Shonda Rhimes written wedding will go off without at least a little hitch. Can you say "in-laws?" Well, can you? We can't hear you...
We Are the Champions: Dr. Pretty Eyes is bringing his big guns to this chief resident fight, and a little Harper Avery name dropping never hurt anyone. Who will be the victor? We'll find out in the season finale.
Let's Adopt: It's a little convenient a few children show up at the hospital just when Meredith and Derek want a baby. But we are all for it! We so want them to adopt an adorable African orphan. And from the looks of next week's promo Derek is for it it. Please, Shonda, pretty please.
So what'd you think about tonight's episode? Did you love the Callie-Arizona-Mark fam finally leaving the hospital with the baby? Did Meredith do the right thing for Adele? Are you confused by our bevy of '80s music or Back to the Future references?
Will she go? Or will he stay on the show for season eight? (Hint: He's ready and willing.)
Here's what the hot doc told us we can look forward to from Teddy's love triangle on Grey's Anatomy:
Q&A with Grey's Anatomy Guest Star James Tupper
When you were first on the show, your character, Dr. Andrew Perkins, was really entangled in Seattle's recovery from the trauma of the shooting rampage. Are things a little more positive for him this time around?
Well, one would hope. Teddy up and got married while I was gone, and I think I have been living this very nomadic life. [But] I made a decision: I want to settle down, so I proposed to her that we live our life in Germany at a military facility. And I am hoping that she will agree to it, but of course there is always controversy at Seattle Grace...
How would you characterize Andrew and Teddy's feelings for each other?
I feel like it's the seed of something that could grow into a really giant forest. We're beginning to have deeper feelings. I have made the decision that I want to settle down with her, which I have never done before.
You mentioned a military base—are the armed services something they share an interest in?
I think the main thing they have in common is their fear of commitment.
How can your character date her while she is legally married?
Well, as you know, she only got married to him because he needed medical coverage so I guess it's a marriage of convenience of sorts, but she has not made a commitment. I think Scott Foley's character wants a commitment from her [as does Andrew], so it's decision time at Seattle Grace.
Do you think it's going to work out for Teddy and Andrew?
Well, listen, I would like you to do one of those online polls like, 'Who would you date?' I want you to do it and then I am going to show them because I think we're right for each other. I mean he has been on the show the whole season but I still think...Vote for me is what I am telling the fans.
How does Grey's compare to your previous TV experiences, and what was it like coming on to such a long-running show?
I don't know that I have enjoyed a cast so much. There is this feeling when you're there that they have all come up out of a theater background or a feeling of, 'Let's work this,' and any time you get that on a set, the best idea wins, the best way to do the scene wins. When people are supporting each other and trying to get the most creative energy, it just creates a much better project and there is a feeling of success there.
I remember when we sat down for the reading, and they announced that this was episode 148...to get to that level is a milestone, I felt honored to just be a witness to it. And Eric Dane came up to me on the first day, 'Hey welcome, James! I saw you on Men in Trees, you're great,' and everyone has that open feeling instead of being competitive and weird and worrying about their own place. They're all very supportive and clued me in on what it's like on set; they have my back. I invited Eric Dane and his wife over and we're going to have a swimming party at the house.
Have you talked to the writers about whether your character might stick around long-term?
We have not discussed anything.
Would you be interested in an extended run on the show?
I love the show, I really enjoy the show and I love the cast. I think it's just a wonderful show and they're doing great work. There still maintaining a very huge veiwership. I told you, I have done a lot of projects and as often as I run into someone who recognizes me from something else, I run into someone who is like 'You're on Grey's Anatomy' and I have only been on for seven episodes. It's kind of amazing. I love it there. Sandra Oh and I, we were both in Montreal in drama school and we knew all of these people in common.
Is there one particular scene or story turn that you're most exited for in the upcoming episodes?
The most compelling for me is when Kim Raver is going to choose my character to be with. [Laughs.]
James Tupper can be seen next in the major motion picture Mr. Popper's Penguins (premiering June 17); he's currently in Shreveport, La., shooting Playing the Field with Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid and Jessica Biel.
The former Grey's Anatomy star will produce and star in the cable network's adaptation of Ann Hood's best-selling novel The Knitting Circle.
The book revolves around a young mother (Heigl) who overcomes the death of her daughter by joining a knitting circle and sharing her grief with her new friends.
Heigl will produce the TV movie with her mother and producing partner, Nancy Heigl. Dirty Sexy Money creator Craig Wright is writing the screenplay.
Heigl, who won an Emmy during her run on Grey's, can next be seen in the ensemble comedy New Year's Eve.
"Overall, the concept worked since music really has always played a big part in the show. Some songs were more appropriate and/or better performed than others, though," opined blogger Nicole Golden on TVfanatic.com.
"During surgery, the whole cast sang 'How to Save a Life' by the Fray while operating. The song seemed perfect for the particular scene, although it was a little weird that the doctors were singing from behind their masks," Golden added.
"One of the stranger moments in the episode involved a flashback to the car scene pre-crash," Golden noted. "The concept also worked in part because it was so new to the show. The format would probably not have the same effect if used in future episodes."
The Boston Herald thought several of the actors pulled off notable performances, but overall was not a fan of the concept.
"I really wanted to love this episode," wrote Herald critic Mark Perigard. "But the 'Grey's Anatomy' 'event' proved how tricky it is for an established show, especially a drama, to pull off a musical episode."
Perigard was a fan of Ramirez, and wrote that, "Chandra Wilson and Chyler Leigh (whom I never have anything good to say about) delivered some impressive vocal work. Eric Dane did some of his best acting of his career last night as an anxious father-to-be terrified he would lose his best friend. Jessica Capshaw was appropriately numb as Arizona, bleeding, trying to figure out how her proposal went so awry." (Arizona had just proposed to Torres when she crashed into a truck, causing Torres to fly through the windshield.)
"Other shows have done musical episodes before - "Scrubs," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Shonda Rhimes' inspiration) - but we're talking about shows that are either light-hearted or fantastical in nature. This felt like an episode of "Cop Rock" - out of tune," he said.
The Wall Street Journal had few very positive things to say about the episode.
"If 'Glee,' and 'E.R.' had a baby it would be tonight's episode of the medical drama 'Grey's Anatomy' titled 'Song Beneath the Song,' wrote The Journal's Lyneka Little.
"The doctors sing to Callie as she's being wheeled to surgery. It's unclear if she was crying from the pain or the sound of their voices, which were equally painful," she adds. "'Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark,' meet 'Grey's Anatomy: The Musical.'"
The stars admitted they were nervous about how the show would be received.
Capshaw, who performed KT Tunstall's "Universe & U," told the Hollywood Reporter before it aired: "There were many times where I felt like, 'Oh my gosh, we're doing the best episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' ever. And there were other times where I thought, 'Did we drink the Kool-Aid and we're all terrible?'"
Strap on your seatbelts, suspend your disbelief and find out what went down on the big musical extravaganza Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event.
WHAT WE LEARNED
Welcome to the Other Side: We were going to make an off-color joke about diving headfirst into this episode—but that would be in poor taste, right? As good TV addicts we watch a lot of bloody CSI-type shows, but nothing could prepare us for the bone-chilling image of poor Callie lying bloodied and broken on the hood of the car. Yikes. Honestly, we could have gone our whole lives without seeing that.
Chills, They're Multiplyin'~ There is usually a lump of ice and cynicism where our heart should be, but we'll admit we got chills when Lexie (Chyler Leigh) sang "Breathe". There's been a lot of talk about Sara Ramirez's awesome pipes, something about a Tony, but we are going to give tonight's rookie award to Chyler Leigh. She can sing and while her best notes may have been the backdrop to a melodramatic search for Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), it was sweet and awww, Lexie doesn't hate him. There's your hope, Mark-Lexie shippers. Hold on to it, because even though this episode is all Callie-trauma-focused, coupledom dramz doesn't get left behind.
Callie Versus Baby: We understand that Mark and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) are stressed and under a lot of pressure but their fighting was truly awful. Fighting over saving the baby or Callie? Mark saying that he and Callie can hook up later? All while Callie lies unconscious in the other room?! We like to believe that that argument was in the deep bleeding broken recesses of Callie's mind because at that point we would have been happy to toss both Arizona and Mark off a cliff and save Callie and the baby instead.
Floating Cloud Roadtrip Redux: Need a break from all the tears and stress? Good. So did Callie so of course she imagines an intermission where all her coworkers got in on, in grand Grey's Anatomy fashion. Kinky Callie, kinky. That whole interlude was really bizarre. Let's stop talking about it.
O Cruel World: When it comes to babies, Meredith has been seeing jealous green, not pink or blue. We think maybe Meredith should lay low and not tempt fate. We mean really, does she know what show's on? P.S. Did anyone else think that when Derek (Patrick Dempsey) they would have a baby that he might steal one? Our brains might have crossed over to super-dramatic mode somewhere during this episode. Still, we get the vibe that Mer-Der might become parents through some other means than pregnancy. We see an adoption storyline coming.
Gross Fake Babies: Sorry. Spoiler Alert: Gross fake babies. We can take branch hands and a two-by-four in the skull like it's nothing, but gross fake babies creep us out. It's one of our continuing problems with Grey's Anatomy, they freak us out with their tiny gross fake baby hands and rubbery skin. We guess you can't find good one-pound premature baby actors in this town. Huh. Anyway, welcome to the world, Baby Torres-Robbins-Sloan! Your daddy and mommies love you. And hopefully Mark and Arizona have finally buried the hatchet and not in one another.
Sara Ramirez is a Pretty Good Singer: Ha. That was our understatement for the night. We admit it we cried through the final minutes of the episode while Sara Ramirez belted out "The Story" and the song might be already downloading from iTunes. But the real tears came when Callie woke up and said "Yes" to Arizona's pre-accident proposal. There's nothing like a baby and a life threatening accident to bring a couple together.
WHAT'S TO COME
Cardio Catfight: Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (Kevin McKidd) might not be arguing about future babies, the big Chief Resident decision looming and Cristina and Teddy on the outs it'll likely put Owen in the middle of a cardiac catfight.
Torn Between Two Lovers: While the musical may have revealed Lexie's often present feelings for Mark, she still went home with Dr. Pretty Eyes Avery; if you haven't read it yet, we spoke to Chyler Leigh about the upcoming Lexie-Mark-Jackson triangle drama in the episodes to come.
And Baby Makes Four: Judging from the next episode promo, one pound Baby Torres-Robbins-Sloan is not out of danger yet. Come on, wee micropreemie. You can do it!
We've been talking about the Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event for months now, so did it live up to you expectations, or are you going straight over to DVR DOA to file a complaint? Did the music heighten the emotion, or just distract from what could have been a pretty respectable medical story?
Following the heartbreak of the chaotic musical episode, Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) will get married in an outdoor ceremony officiated by Bailey (Chandra Wilson, also the episode's director).
Callie and Arizona have seen their ups and downs this season. First, the couple planned to move to Africa so Arizona can work on her grant. But, much to her chagrin, she had to leave Callie behind at the airport after Callie expressed doubts about leaving Seattle. Arizona didn't last long abroad, though, and upon her return had to attempt to win Callie back as well as digest that her former girlfriend was pregnant with Mark's baby.
"I didn't know if they were going to make it through that," Ramirez says. "But I think that through the writing of Arizona's character, who just continues to fight for what she wants, the persistence pays off. At the end of the day, Callie realizes who she is and the life that she's chosen with Arizona is worth fighting for."
As for Arizona quickly coming around to understanding the tri-parenting arrangement, Capshaw attributes that to "the love that's there between them."
"Probably the baby did hurry things along a little bit, but the question that Arizona asks Callie about getting married is born, pun intended, out of not knowing what her place is and not feeling legitimate. Because Arizona is the one that saves the baby, I think that legitimizes them more than anything, but who doesn't like a good wedding?"
Executive producer Shonda Rhimes says she was "excited" about portraying a same-sex marriage on television and "dealing with the fact that it's not legal and it's not necessarily recognized by a church or by the state."
"We wanted to deal with that in a way that felt relevant and real, but also allow them a really magical wedding," she says.
"It's incredibly positive," Capshaw adds. "The whole thing that I like about the episode is that it's not politicized. It's about two people falling in love and taking the step that solidifies and legitimizes them in their minds and community."
The episode will be jam-packed, Capshaw continues. "It takes us from soup to nuts, as far as the wedding goes. Teddy and Arizona have a conversation where she says, 'You're the calmest bride I've ever seen.' It's like, yeah, we go from a makeshift rehearsal dinner to brideapalooza in 42 minutes! There's a lot that happens."
Also appearing in the episode: the families of the two doctors. Judith Ivey and Denis Arndt come on as Barbara and Col. Robbins, parents to Arizona, while Hector Elizondo will return as Carlos Torres and Gina Gallego will play Callie's mother.
"There has been a lot of family conflict that's come up for Callie," Ramirez says, recalling when Callie's father brought a priest to Seattle Grace to encourage her to date men before agreeing to a truce. "When you look at the bigger picture, I know that there are some folks out there who will really appreciate seeing how all of this develops with the wedding, and seeing how one or two particular characters deal with family members who may not really accept what you're choosing."
The Grey's Anatomy wedding will air Thursday, May 5 at 9/8c on ABC.
Also, Ramirez just released her 4 song EP, which includes "The Story," which is also available on iTunes.
The episode revolved around Ramirez's character, Callie, who got into a car accident with her girlfriend, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw). That was the event that sent an extremely injured Callie hallucinating that she and her colleagues who were trying to save her expressed their emotions in song.
A Tony winner for her role in Broadway's "Spamalot," we already knew the girl could sing. But, what about her cast mates? They also showed quite a talent for the musical arts.
Here's a list of all the songs from the episode and who sang them:
"Breathe (2AM)," Anna Nalick - Chyler Leigh (Lexie)
"Chasing Cars," Snow Patrol - Kevin McKidd (Owen), Chandra Wilson (Miranda), and Ramirez
"Grace" Kate Havnevik - Ramirez and the female cast
"How To Save A Life," by The Fray - Capshaw and the cast
"Runnin' On Sunshine," Jesus Jackson - The cast
"How We Operate," Gomez - McKidd
"The Story," Brandi Carlile - Ramirez
"Wait," Get Set Go - Wilson
"Universe & U," KT Tunstall - Capshaw
Which song was your favorite? Will you be buying the soundtrack?
FOX averaged 16.4 million viewers and a 9.4 rating/15 share in households Thursday night, leading second-place CBS (12.1 million, 7.6/12) by a comfortable margin. ABC came in third overall with 8.8 million viewers and a 5.6/9. NBC (2.4 million, 1.5/2) was well off the pace with a lineup of mostly repeats. The CW trailed with 1.2 million viewers and a 0.8/1.
FOX's lead in the adults 18-49 demographic was wider. It scored a 5.2 rating in the demo, two-plus points better than ABC's 3.1. CBS took third with a 2.9. NBC drew a 1.1 and The CW a 0.4.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (22 million viewers, 12.6/20 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (11.7 million, 7.1/12)/"Rules of Engagement" (8.2 million, 5.1/8)
ABC: "Wipeout" (6.3 million, 3.6/6)
NBC: "Community" rerun (2.3 million, 1.5/3)/"Perfect Couples" (2.1 million, 1.3/2)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" rerun (1.2 million, 0.8/1)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.7)
9 p.m.
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (12.7 million, 8.1/12)
CBS: "CSI" (12.5 million, 7.8/12)
FOX: "Mobbed" (10.85 million, 6.2/10)
NBC: "The Office" rerun (3.2 million, 2.0/3)/"Parks and Recreation" rerun (2.4 million, 1.5/2)
The CW: "Nikita" rerun (1.15 million, 0.7/1)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.8)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (13.9 million, 8.9/14)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.6 million, 5.2/8)
NBC: "30 Rock" rerun (2.2 million, 1.5/2)/"The Office" rerun (2.1 million, 1.4/2)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.8)
And we're not sure if we ever really got used to them breaking out in song. A musical episode is just really hard to do. And we know very few television shows that can pull it off. Even in most musical theatre we've watched, plot falls victim to the conceit of the musical performances.
Were the voices good? Certainly. Were the songs entertaining? In and of themselves, yes. Ultimately, though, we were never quite able to suspend our disbelief. In other words, it never stopped feeling jarring.
We would have loved to just watch Callie (Sara Ramirez) and the team play the dramatic events of her injuries and surgeries out without having a random song pull us out of the story.
"Grey's" has done this colleague in danger storyline before and nailed it. They've even had the audacity to kill a well-liked regular character before. We're don't think adding music to this episode made it better. It took a risk with the musical elements, definitely, but we've seen them take bigger risks that truly did become game-changers for the series and not one character had to sing a note.
"It was not a love scene, it was a shot," creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes explains to TVLine.com of the reused footage.
Rhimes says that the episode needed another beat with Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey), but the two were unavailable to shoot it at the time. "We would've had to drag them [back to the set] from places we couldn't drag them in from to do one shot," she says.
Rhimes decided to insert the shot from Season 5 (we believe, but we're sure you'll correct us) and says that isn't strange in the "Grey's" world.
"We've used the shot of Derek standing on the catwalk from the pilot like 700 times," she explains. "It was just a shot. I would never recycle an entire scene. [But] I love that the fans are so invested in the show that they noticed. After seven seasons I take that as a true compliment that they got outraged."
Compare the scenes: The original, here; From March 24, here.
Are we all good now?
Viewers are about to find out Thursday, when several of the more melodically inclined members of the cast – Tony winner Sara Ramirez, Kevin McKidd, Chandra Wilson and Chyler Leigh among them – raise their voices in song for a special musical episode of the medical drama.
Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event features an extended musical fantasy playing out in the head of Callie Torres (Ramirez), with performances of several tunes very familiar to longtime viewers of the show, including The Fray's "How to Save a Life," Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" and Brandi Carlile's "The Story."
"I sing a little bit," McKidd told PEOPLE recently at the 8th Annual John Varvatos fundraiser for rape crisis center Stuart House. "I'm not like Sara Ramirez – she's pretty amazing! I mean, off the chart. She's a Tony Award winner for a reason, and the rest of us bask in her shadow. Chyler is a great singer, Chandra Wilson's a great singer, and I can get away with it, let's put it that way. I'll let people judge what they think."
One Grey's doc who wasn't McDream-ing about a solo was series star Patrick Dempsey. "I have no voice at all, so I was very adamant not to sing," Dempsey said. "I'm very much happy to be supporting the rest of the cast in this one." But Dempsey said the cast quickly got over any apprehension about the high-concept episode.
"Everybody was a little leery of it at first, because we were like 'Well, should we jump on the bandwagon of Glee?' because they do what they do so beautifully," said Dempsey. "But it was an opportunity, I think, for some of the cast members to really show their talents musically. And it's really quite moving when you hear Sara's voice and Kevin's voice. Even Justin Chambers sings beautifully, and Eric Dane does a great job. So it's really nice to see them have a moment to shine in a different way and hopefully entertain the fans and keep it fresh."
McKidd said he didn't care if he fell flat. He loved the chance to shake things up. "Nobody has a clue what's going to work, and that's the fun of it," he said. "That's the experiment of being in show business. You don't know what is going to resonate with an audience and what isn't, and you've got to try stuff. I'm always up for that challenge. That's what I love about acting and the job I do."
"I don't love musicals, so I was kind of like 'Oh, great,' " admitted Jesse Williams, who plays Dr. Jackson Avery. "But it's really, really beautiful. Shooting it was really, really moving."
But not quite moving enough for Williams to want to move from the chorus into the spotlight. "I think the producers mistook me saying no for false modesty, but then they got me in the booth and realized, yeah, they should probably not make anybody endure the horrors of my voice."
I was on set for a preview of the special March 31 episode, in which a crisis unfolds involving five-months pregnant Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and we're taken on a musical head trip through the doctor's mind. It's a clever device that allows most of the cast, plus guest star Kate Walsh, to break into song.
"We're in Season 7, so a departure episode is always cool," says Chandra Wilson (Bailey). "It's given everybody an opportunity to let off steam," adds Kevin McKidd (Owen).
Rehearsing an OR scene, Kate (Addison), Chandra, Patrick Dempsey (Derek), James Pickens, Jr. (Webber) and Kim Raver (Teddy) are having a difficult time keeping straight faces as Kevin croons "How We Operate," by Gomez: "Calm down; and get straight" he sings. "It's not our eyes, it's how we op-er-ate."
Taking in the absurdity of it all, Patrick cracks, "this is very James Bond," before joining in the fun with air guitar and spanking motions. He even suggests cutting the dialogue altogether and substituting in its place "interpretive dance." Admonishes Kate: "There will be no dancing before we stretch."
What there will be: some "semi pole dancing" moves which Kim says she performs around a bed for Scott Foley's Henry. "Teddy gets a little frisky!"
To be sure, the cast is making the most of a risky gimmick that was previously tested on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, How I Met Your Mother and Scrubs. The muse behind this variety hour is Sara, the cast's one musical pro who collected a 2005 Tony Award for her Broadway run in Monty Python's Spamalot. But even she had initial misgivings. "I'm protective of my character and didn't want anything to seem contrived," she says. "But the context makes sense." While remaining a bit cagey, Sara says Callie experiences "a life-altering event that [allows her] to process why her life with Arizona is worth fighting for."
Before signing off on the idea, ABC executives needed some convincing. So series creator Shonda Rhimes recruited Sara, Kevin and Chandra to perform a cabaret-style presentation of favorite songs heard in Grey's early years. The next step: hiring a vocal coach and luring skeptical cast members like Patrick, Ellen Pompeo (Meredith), Sandra Oh (Cristina) and Justin Chambers (Alex) — none known for their musical stylings — to participate in the background chorus. "Everybody had their own reaction," says Sara. "And understandably so. For some, it can be confronting."
But for Sara, it has been what she calls, "a dream coming true I didn't even know I had. It feels like everything in my life and career has been leading up to this moment."
So, at hour's end will the doctors be singing lullabies or the blues? Sara advises coming prepared for either scenario. "Have a Kleenex nearby," she says. "Just in case it gets to be too much."
She said that the rest of the cast stepped up to make the ep a real ensemble performance: "Singing can be very confronting and can be overwhelming, a little intimidating if you're never done it before...[but everybody] showed up, and I was so proud of everybody—not like in a condescending way—but just like [I was] really inspired by everybody's gusto and fearlessness. Or if they had issues they worked through them and they showed up anyway!"
So which costar shocked Sara with her standout singing chops?
Sara told us, "Chyler Leigh sings a beautiful song called 'Breathe,' and she does a beautiful job. She has never really sung in public before...We would do crazy fake runs with each other on set, really just horrible-sounding runs with each other, just to make each other laugh, and there was something about every time she did it, I was like, 'Wait a minute. You can sing. Oh yeah. All right.' But she's so shy about it. I just love her and she did a really great job."
In case you aren't yet hip to the plot twist that's making the musical possible, Sara explained, "Callie's state is such that we're seeing people behave in ways that we normally wouldn't see—like the fact that they break into song...So storylines are still developing throughout the episode with different characters, but what we're seeing is because of all the trauma, we're seeing a lot of this through her state, and it's being interpreted through her brain and her state."
"Song Beneath the Song" airs Thursday at 9 p.m. on ABC; to see Sara sing on TV before then, be sure to tune in to Good Morning, America Wednesday for a preview of her pipes.
Are you planning to tune in on Thursday night, or are you still suspicious of the whole production?
The cast of Grey's Anatomy is wearing Seattle Grace scrubs and small, unseen earbuds. There's blood, there's medical jargon and everyone is ... singing Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars"? While this may sound like a bad Saturday Night Live skit, it's not. Thursday's episode, in which we learn what happened to girlfriends Callie and Arizona after that ominous fade-to-white, is a full-scale musical event, in which cast members sing many of the songs the show has made famous.
"I have been wanting to do it since we made the pilot basically," creator Shonda Rhimes says. "We needed it to make sense for our show. Plus, I had to convince the network, which took me seven years."
Having a Tony-winning singer-actress in the cast — Sara Ramirez, who won for Spamalot — certainly helped matters. At the close of the March 24 episode, Ramirez's character Callie, who is pregnant, was — spoiler alert! — moments away from flying through the windshield of Arizona's car after removing her seatbelt to retrieve the cell phone her girlfriend threw in the backseat.
Just before the accident, Arizona took a big leap and proposed to Callie. "I think that the proposal is something that is 100 percent heartfelt, but it's just something that she sees as an answer to not feeling legitimate in this new arrangement," says Jessica Capshaw, who will sing KT Tunstall's "Universe & U" with Ramirez. "So, before you can even figure out why it is that she asks Callie to marry her, they're in this horrible situation."
Harming a pregnant woman was not Rhimes' prerogative in trying to get ABC to green-light the musical episode. "That story was destined to happen whether or not there was singing in the episode," she says. "It just turned out to be the exact right way for singing to happen." How's that exactly? The musical portion of the episode is seen from a semi-comatose Callie's viewpoint, in which her colleagues both treat her and communicate with her in song. Ramirez points out that Calliope, Callie's full first name, is a mythological Greek figure who was the muse of song. "They make the connection from the get-go, so we understand why it's music that Callie's soul is speaking to her through and why she sees everybody singing."
(For a better idea of how it will all work, check out this sneak peek of the first minute of the musical episode, which features "Cosy in the Rocket" by Psapp, the song used in the show's original title sequence.)
"When they first said it, all I could think of was song-and-dance, jazz hands and kicking your feet and acting silly," Justin Chambers says. "I mean, at this point in Season 7, we've ventured into every territory you could, so why not do this?" After weeks of vocal lessons from Rachael Lawrence — who has worked with members of the Glee cast — and hours in the recording studio, the cast was ready.
In the scene the Grey's cast is filming, it's all hands on deck because of Callie's extensive injuries. "In fact, it makes me laugh because it seems like there's no other patients in the hospital because everybody is working on Callie," Chambers says between takes.
"Callie's injuries are so catastrophic," Chyler Leigh adds, likening Callie's plight to that of George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) in the Season 5 finale when he was hit by a bus. "It's pretty comparable," she says. "I think the only thing that gives Callie more of an edge is the fact that there's a baby involved too."
"I don't know how anybody survives that," says Ramirez, who will sing Brandi Carlile's "The Story," among other tunes. "But, I'll tell you something: It's a wake-up call of epic proportions for Callie. What lies in front of her [after the accident] is more than just glass. It's an opportunity to fight for her life and to make sense of why her life, and her life with Arizona, is worth fighting for, if that's the case."
While the action centers on Callie's treatment, "Owen is very much the man of the hour," says Kevin McKidd of his character. The Chief (James Pickens Jr.) has elected him to oversee Callie's case. "I am given the job to manage all the surgeons, who are all desperately trying to be first in line to get their procedure done and to try and save the baby and Callie," says the Scottish actor, who will sing Gomez's "How We Operate."
Meanwhile, it's the relatively green Dr. Lucy Fields (Rachael Taylor) who is tasked with keeping Callie's baby alive. Not all will go according to plan. "Lucy is obviously young to be in the position that she is," Taylor says. "She's probably come from a world of academia and doesn't have a lot of hands-on emergency room experience. That kind of deficit in her training is revealed in this episode."
"Obviously, what's cool is I get to work with the lovely Kate Walsh as a result of that," Taylor says, as Walsh's character, Addison, who heads Grey's spin-off Private Practice, returns to help save the baby. "She's one of Lucy's heroes," Taylor continues. "She's the person that, when Lucy was training, she wanted to be like her. But obviously, Addison is frustrated that Lucy hasn't taken some of the necessary precautions."
Through the tragedy, Mark, who is the baby's father, and Arizona will find some common ground, following many episodes of discord between the pair as they navigate their unconventional parenting arrangement. "All he's wanted is a kid and now he's going to have one with his best friend," Eric Dane says. "In a matter of seconds, it all changes and very possibly gets taken away from him. So he's kind of freaked-out and a little shocked."
Lexie will be there to support him during this troubling time. "They have a moment where they can just be together and it's OK to cry," Leigh says. "You just know that you're with somebody that you love, somebody that you trust, and somebody that you can break down in front of."
Leigh will be one of the many cast members who will surprise you with her pipes when she sings a stunning version of Anna Nalick's "Breathe (2AM)," which fans will remember from the Emmy-nominated bomb-in-the-OR episode. "I'll never have this chance to be able to do something like this on this show again," Leigh says. "It was an opportunity for me to really be able to explore that side of me that I've always wanted to but just have been too afraid."
Arizona and Callie's dire straits help to establish a couples theme in the episode, as each romantic pairing at Seattle Grace figures out where they stand, which will be highlighted by an ensemble performance of "Running on Sunshine," by Jesus Jackson.
Because the episode is told from Callie's perspective, "some of us act out of character," Chandra Wilson says. For instance, McKidd reveals that the episode includes a fantasy sequence in which Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen "get a big make-out session, which seems kind of incongruous, but it's there for a reason."
The real challenge for the actors came in timing the music and dialogue, which happens simultaneously as some cast members sing, while others, including Ellen Pompeo, Oh and Patrick Dempsey work to save Callie. "It's a game really to make sure that you get all the words in by the end of the music so it all matches," Wilson says.
Executive producer Tony Phelan, who directed the episode, recalls thinking on the first day of filming, "'Oh my God, I made a horrible mistake; this isn't going to work.' Once we started shooting, then I knew it actually could work." He hopes the audience will go through the same experience. "You'll see them start to sing and then you'll just be in it and along for the ride."
Whatever the fan reaction may be, the cast has enjoyed the experience. Taylor says she cried when she read the script. "Watching this happen, I feel like Grey's is doing something really special and it'll be part of the zeitgeist."
The Grey's Anatomy musical airs Thursday at 9/8c on ABC. A full album of the episode's songs — which will also include the cast's renditions of The Fray's "How to Save a Life," Kate Havnevik's "Grace" and "Wait," by Get Set Go — will be available for download on iTunes Thursday morning.
"The word 'musical' tends to mislead people," said cast member Sara Ramirez, who plays Callie Torres. "Understandably so. The word 'musical' implies that there's dancing, a lot of jazz hands and some kicks and some turns."
"Grey's Anatomy: The Musical Event" will pick up where last week's show left off with Ramirez's character injured in a car accident. The episode will be told from her point of view.
Music has always been a big part of the ABC medical drama. Since it premiered in 2005, three soundtracks featuring music by such artists as Tegan and Sara, Ingrid Michaelson and KT Tunstall have been released.
On Thursday, longtime viewers of the show might recognize songs from early episodes, such as "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol and "How to Save a Life" by The Fray — but this time, the cast will perform them.
Singing is nothing new for Ramirez. She won a Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical for her role in "Spamalot" in 2005.
Still, she admitted the experience was a challenging one.
"I wasn't walking into this like, `Oh, I've got this. I've done this before,'" she said. "I learned a lot."
Ramirez is using the experience as a platform to launch a career as a music artist. She's released an EP on iTunes where she co-wrote three of the four songs. She performs one of them, "The Story," on "Grey's Anatomy."
Of the cast members who sing in the episode, Ramirez said Chyler Leigh, who plays Lexie Grey, stood out.
"She just blew everybody away, and I think we're all really excited for her. ... She has this amazing instrument and she's never sung publicly before, which I thought was really interesting and courageous. She just jumped right in and did an amazing job."
The episode airs at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Just as Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) started working out their differences as a couple and begun planning a life together, Grey's Anatomy goes and literally throws Callie through a windshield. What the hell, show?
We're terrified that next week's supersad musical episode is going to be curtains for Callie's baby, or even Callie herself. Are they doomed? Here's what the cast told us exclusively about who's singing and what they're so darn sad about:
Kevin McKidd (love! him!) tells us, "Owen is given the job, during the musical event, he steps up to being the point person on saving Callie's life, essentially. Basically, there are so many different traumatic injuries that someone has to organize all these surgeons."
So wait, like triage or…? "It's more of the fact that so many surgeries need to be done," says McKidd. "And Owen's kind of in charge of that—brokering all these surgeons—what Owen's challenge is, is that there's so much that needs to be done, and all of it is priority number one. Each injury should be done first. They are in this impossible situation. It just becomes really hard to finesse this and pull it off. He just has to step up to it and do it."
So what about the actual singing part of the show? Tony winner Ramirez takes the lead, obviously, but who else gets in tune?
Capshaw, who plays Callie's partner, pediatrician Arizona Robbins, also participates in the musical festivities. She tells us, "I sing a duet with her, and I sing bits and pieces of other songs."
Chyler Leigh also participates in the musical event, but the actor who plays her love interest, Jackson Avery, stays mum. Jesse Williams tells us, "I am not a singer. I'm a horrible horrible singer. And I accept that, there's other things I'm good at." (Like being pretty, for one thing.)
We'll also hear quite a bit from Sarah Drew's April Kepner during the musical episode. She tells us, "I had so much fun. I grew up doing musical theater; I have a classically trained high soprano voice, so when we found out at the table read, when Shonda asked us all, 'Does anybody sing? I'm thinking about a musical,' I shrieked. I got really excited."
Drew says, "Everything I sing in this episode, I sing with Chyler. Double awesome, right? I sing on this song called 'Grace' with her and with Sara. And I sing on a song with Chandra Wilson called 'Wait'—and Chyler also has a tie in to another scene during that song, so she sings on that too. Mostly I did a bunch of harmonies. I had fun in the recording studio finding the harmonies."
Now, for those skeptics amongst us who were wondering if a Grey's Anatomy musical episode was really a good idea, Drew has some consoling words about the quality of the episode and the emotional dividends paid by the combination of trauma and melody. She says, "I think you're going to cry a lot; there are multiple moments to cry. I think what the musical really adds is a level of gravity and gravitas. It's also a love letter to our fans, I think. The songs that we are singing are all iconic Grey's Anatomy songs from seasons one and two. I think people will love hearing our reinventions of these songs, and they are all interwoven into the stories, so the lyrics really make sense with what's happening in the story."
And in case we haven't said Tony winner Sara Ramirez enough times to emphasize that the girl can sing, Drew reiterates that we are going to be in the hands of a master next week. She says, "Sara just kills it, it's insane. And there are a lot of really amazing voices out there—like Chyler Leigh has never sung before in public, and she has this amazing song that she does. And Kevin McKidd is fantastic and so is Chandra."
Are you excited for the "musical event" or just dreading the melodrama? Do you think we're going to lose Callie, her baby or maybe both?
Share your thoughts in the comments, and then be sure to check back next week for more on the musical event from Jessica Capshaw and Sara Ramirez about what this means for them and their kiddo.
"I'm not looking to make some giant, huge, electric finale," Rhimes says. "You can't have a gunman in the hospital every season. It would just lose all its power. I wanted to do something that felt a little more quiet."
That's not to say that the finale won't be emotional for the doctors of Seattle Grace. As Rhimes told us before Season 7 began, the doctors would be challenged with more grown-up problems this year... and boy, have they. Following last season's tragic shooting rampage, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) has been struggling to get pregnant, Cristina (Sandra Oh) battled PTSD, and Callie (Sara Ramirez) found out she got pregnant with Mark's baby while Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) was working in Africa.
And then there's the shocking conclusion to Thursday night's episode, in which Callie was seconds away from flying through Arizona's windshield. It's the catalyst for next week's big music event that Rhimes says they won't try to top in the finale.
"Part of what we wanted to do at the end of the season is to really focus on the characters and to split our characters off in really new ways as we head to the end of the season, but not have it be an outside force that hasn't already happened," she says. "It's really about their growth as characters this year and who our characters are as people."
Still, that doesn't mean Rhimes hasn't got a few tricks up her sleeve for the final few episodes, which we hear include some life-changing moments.
The Grey's Anatomy music event airs Thursday at 9/8c on ABC.
Thanks to "Idol," FOX led Thursday by a wide margin, averaging 14.8 million viewers and an 8.6 rating/14 share in households. ABC (8.5 million, 5.4/9) came in second. CBS' 7.15 million viewers and 4.6/8 took third (those numbers may change some because of its live NCAA coverage). NBC (4.7 million, 2.9/5) was up some with a new episode of "The Office." The CW trailed with 1.4 million viewers and a 0.9/1.
FOX also scored the top spot among adults 18-49 with a 4.4 rating. ABC finished second in the demographic with a 2.8, beating CBS' 2.5. NBC averaged 2.1, and The CW was back of the pack at 0.5.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (20.7 million viewers, 11.8/20 households)
ABC: "Wipeout" (7.5 million, 4.1/7)
CBS: NCAA tournament (6.8 million, 4.4/7)
NBC: "Community" (4.5 million, 2.9/5)/"Perfect Couples" (3.4 million, 2.2/4)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" rerun (1.4 million, 0.9/2)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (6.2)
9 p.m.
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (10.1 million, 6.6/11)
FOX: "Bones" rerun (8.8 million, 5.4/9)
CBS: NCAA tournament (6.8 million, 4.4/7)
NBC: "The Office" (7.1 million, 4.2/7)/"Parks and Recreation" (5.2 million, 3.1/5)
The CW: "Nikita" rerun (1.4 million, 0.9/1)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (3.6)
10 p.m.
ABC: "Private Practice" (8 million, 5.4/9)
CBS: NCAA tournament (7.8 million, 4.9/8)
NBC: "30 Rock" (4.4 million, 2.7/5)/"Outsourced" (3.6 million, 2.3/4)
18-49 leader: NCAA tournament (2.9)
Plus, find out what moment made our hearts stop:
WHAT WE LEARNED
Love Your Wife: In a twist that everyone saw coming, Teddy's (Kim Raver) paper hubby Henry (Scott Foley) is falling for her—and hard. Sure, his first confession of love was while he was high on pain meds, but what girl doesn't like to be told her eyes are beautiful? Awww...Well apparently Teddy doesn't as much as you'd think, leading to one of this episode's many broken male hearts. Sometimes smart girls can be really dumb. Come on, Teddy, he's adorable, and you are already married to him!
Paging Emmy Voters: Another super sadduo: the Chief (James Pickens, Jr.) and Adele (Loretta Devine) are in the midst of Alzheimer's testing and knee-deep in denial. And can we just say, whoa, Loretta! She stole the whole sad scene perfectly from denial to desperation. We'll go ahead and predict a rapid deterioration of Adele's lucidity between now and the season finale.
Triangles Hurt So Good: Jackson and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) getting busy everywhere, and we mean everywhere, which results in two important things: drama and shirtless Jesse Williams. Both are things we love and can support. Things we don't love: Mark's (Eric Dane) sad face when he realizes Lexie has moved on. And if that kicked-dog look wasn't enough, Callie (Sara Ramirez) tells us via text, "Mark is freaking out." We really needed that clarification.
I Heart My Mommies: Thanks for the heart attack, Shonda Rhimes. Callie and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) were on their way to B&B bliss, but they definitely missed that reservation. In one of the tensest driving scenes ever, the ladies went from arguing over Mark to sharing a marriage proposal (yay!) to enduring a car-crash cliffhanger. (No!) We understand it wouldn't be proper Grey's Anatomy style to let us fans wait peacefully for next week's emotional musical, but man, we're too young to have heart palpitations. Of course, Callie'll survive, she has to. Right? But just how close will she come to dying next week?
WHAT'S TO COME
Musical? What Musical? If you've been living under a rock or were recently sprung from the big house then maybe you haven't heard about a little thing called the Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event. The ep is chock-full of all the favorite tunes of seasons' past and tear-worthy Callie-in-peril drama. The best part: It's just one short week until we get to see it on March 31.
Cutthroat Docs: Does having a hubby deciding Chief Resident help or hurt your chances? While Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Owen (Kevin McKidd) might not be arguing about future babies, the big Chief Resident decision is likely going to cause some friction for newlyweds.
Big Decisions: It must be tough, two gorgeous docs clamoring for your affections. Are you Team Jackson or Team Mark? Chyler Leigh talks upcoming Lexie-Mark-Jackson triangle drama in the episodes to come.
So drama fans, did you need paddles to restart your heart after that cliffhanger? Are you enjoying the Jackson-Lexie romance and the shirtless Jesse Williams that comes with it? Exactly how many minutes are there until next Thursday?
"It definitely seems like it happened very, very fast," Chyler Leigh, who plays Lexie Grey, tells Zap2it. "But if you do look back to earlier episodes, you can definitely see there's been a good friendship for Lexie and Jackson."
"So, even though the form of their hook up is a shocker," she adds. "I don't think it was too much of a shocker to expect something might happen between the two of them... But you know, he's a good-looking guy! Who wouldn't get in the shower with him? I mean, let's be honest. It's an interesting step, but it's an understandable step I would think."
Whether you agree with Lexie and Jackson's new relationship, one thing is clear: It isn't a passing fancy. Jesse Williams tells us that his character takes the new romance very seriously and Leigh says that with just two episodes left to shoot for this season that the relationship continues.
So when we last spoke to the stars, we asked them to consider the fallout from the burgeoning relationship -- both on Mark (played by Eric Dane) and with the fans.
How will the new romance affect your relationship with Mark?
Williams: Jackson was just lobbying Mark to let him do plastic surgeries a couple episodes ago. They've been in surgeries together. Mark has confided in him to go do some recon on Lexie and he kind of deflected that. But now, what happens in the hallway when we see each other? Do we square off? Do we become buddies? Who knows? That will be the next step that we'll find out. These two guys, what happens when there's a girl in the way? What are they going to do?
Leigh: With Mark, it hasn't fully been addressed quite yet. It might come up in the next episode that we're going to film. We see that he's upset about the whole thing. There hasn't been a fistfight if that's what you're asking. It will definitely be addressed by the end of this season as far as how Mark really reacts and how he really feels about the whole thing.
We've already seen a lot of comments both in favor of and against Lexie and Jackson's relationship. What are your thoughts on the fans' reactions to the new romance?
Williams: It sounds like people are kind of keen about the idea and kind of interested in what's happening with Jackson and Lexie or 'Jaxie,' whatever the name is they make up for it. But I would be surprised if there wasn't a little fallout from the Mark and Lexie lovers. That makes sense. Their relationship happened for a while, so it would be weird if people didn't care. They should care.
Leigh: As far as the fans go, there's usually some kind of uproar about a new relationship or a relationship that happens in the wings or on the cusp of another one. So, I think you got to give it some time. Let it simmer. Let things marinate a little bit. And it could be surprising which way she goes and you might actually really like it and in true 'Grey's' fashion it can all change tomorrow. Enjoy the ride!
Meredith and Derek (Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey): The pair has been grappling with infertility issues, which will come to a head in the musical episode. "It's starting to be a really sore point," executive producer Shonda Rhimes says. "Part of this episode is about really bringing up how painful it is for Meredith to be watching other people get pregnant, have babies and deal with that other stuff. We've been using the clinical trial for a while and that's going to launch into a very big story about them as we head towards the end of the season." Don't fret though. We're hearing it may be good news.
Cristina and Owen (Sandra Oh and Kevin McKidd): While Meredith has been hoping to get pregnant, Cristina revealed to Owen that getting knocked up is not part of her life plan. "It's almost like they didn't quite check in on certain fundamental issues before they tied the knot," McKidd says. "So, a lot of that's going to come back and haunt them." Adds Rhimes: "I don't think the end of the season is going to be easy for any of our fans, but I think it's going to be pretty explosive for [the Cristina-Owen ones]."
Callie and Arizona (Sara Ramirez and Jessica Capshaw): As Arizona struggles to find her place in the tri-parenting arrangement, she and Callie will go away for the weekend, which will lead to a turning point for Callie to figure out "why her life with Arizona is worth fighting for, if that's the case," Ramirez says. "She loves them both in different ways." Rhimes adds that she has always believed the women are "MFEO... made for each other," she says. "All of the issues that fans have been feeling — that we've been feeling — about the fact that this is not Arizona's dream to have a baby with Mark Sloan, and this is not necessarily the way that she wanted any of this to happen, is going to come to a head and be a big part of the [musical episode]."
Mark, Lexie and Jackson (Eric Dane, Chyler Leigh and Jesse Williams): Following the announcement that Callie was pregnant with Mark's baby, Lexie found a new love interest in Jackson, whom she shared a steamy shower session with in the last episode. "It's going to upset him that she's going out with somebody else who's handsome," Dane says. While Leigh believes Lexie does still love Mark, she doesn't think Jackson is a rebound. "She can confide in him and she can talk with him," she says. "There's something refreshing about it that it's someone who is in the same place as she is, just trying to make it as a doctor. It's definitely something that has the potential to blossom into something pretty big."
April and Stark (Sarah Drew and Peter MacNicol): When Grey's returns, the series will have jumped ahead, so April and Stark, who asked her out in the last new episode, have actually been on a few dates now. "I think she's really enjoying having some sort of companionship," Drew says. "She truly does like him and she sees something in him that he hasn't allowed anyone else to see. But you'll see that things go awry because it's not a physical relationship and then we realize he feels much more deeply for her than she does for him." And in case you're wondering, yes, April is still a virgin. "She's not losing her virginity for awhile," she says, but adds that when it does happen, "The [writers] promised me that it will be beautiful."
Alex and Lucy (Justin Chambers and Rachael Taylor): Even though Taylor left to shoot the Charlie's Angels pilot, we hear the pair will share a smooch before she exits. "Justin seems very kissable to me, so I would be very happy to be one of the many women that his character has been with on the show," Taylor says. Lucy Fields is no random hookup either, says Chambers. "Alex still doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve," the actor says. "I'm feeling that he's really smitten with this new girl, and I don't think he's been smitten with anyone for a while."
Bailey and Eli (Chandra Wilson and Daniel Sunjata): Following a hot on-call room tryst between the new lovers, the pair will be singing with the other couples during the musical episode. "This whole season, it's been about getting on with it so that we weren't just mourning after the shooting," Wilson says. "So, she let herself begin to try some new things. That's not necessarily the 'new Bailey' but it was just enough mourning. I don't even think she's in a place where she's calling it a relationship."
Grey's Anatomy returns Thursday at 9/8c on ABC.
On the other hand, we've been hearing a lot about something very sad happening in the episode, which makes us worry. And our recent chat with Chyler Leigh, who plays Lexie Grey, just intensified those feelings.
"We all had such a great time doing the episode," she tells us. "It was a lot of work and it was a very emotional episode. But amidst all that, we're able to laugh and we're able to just joke around and cut up with one another. It's great, because it breaks the tension of what's happening in the scenes."
We know the episode revolves around pregnant Callie (played by Sara Ramirez) and some kind of crisis around her. From the sneak peek, we see the doctors all run outside to meet the incoming ambulances. That's not a strange scene at the hospital as the doctors regularly compete for the most complicated surgeries. But is that ambulance holding someone we know and come to love? Callie, perhaps. And is her baby in danger?
Leigh will be singing "Breathe (2 a.m.)" by Anna Nalick, a song (now this is open to interpretation) that seems to have the message that life isn't all that we expect it to be and sometimes we just need to accept what has happened, learn from it, and move on.
"[The song] is tied into my storyline in a sense," Leigh tells us without giving away too much. "Yeah definitely, with what Lexie is kind of faced with, what she needs to do in the episode."
The singing contest topped Forbes.com's list of TV's biggest moneymakers in 2010, despite sliding ratings last year and generally lackluster talent.
Far behind "Idol" was America's most-watched TV comedy "Two and A Half Men", with an estimated $2.89 million in advertising revenue for CBS per half hour show, according to Forbes.com.
Forbes.com used data from Kantar Media who surveyed all regularly scheduled prime time shows in 2010, excluding sports events, to compile the list based on estimated ad revenue per average 30 minutes.
ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" came in third and fourth respectively with an estimated $2.74 and $2.67 million.
Reality show "Dancing with the Stars", also on ABC, rounded out the top five with an estimated $2.67 million.
The CBS comedy "Mike & Molly" was the only new TV show to make the top 10. It ranked 10th on the Forbes.com list, earning $2.11 million per half hour.
The full list can be seen here.
And while it may seem to some viewers like his romance with Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) kicked off with a sexy shower scene, Jesse Williams says it has been a romance in the making for a while now.
"I think some people might have received it kind of abruptly like 'oh, crap, they're in the shower hooking up immediately,' like it goes from zero to 60," Williams tells Zap2it. "But, I think if you reflect back on it as I've looked back on it, Jackson and Lexie have been around each other a lot and have come to rely on each other a lot and confide in each other."
So, does this burgeoning relationship have legs? Williams says the production is only a few episodes in front of the viewing audience and there's still lot of questions.
"The next two episodes will deal with are they an item?" he says. "Is this puppy love? Is this just a little lust, just having a little sex? And is this something that can really last? The elephant in the room is Mark [Eric Dane]. Jackson knows that Lexie's been with Mark for a long time, has a history with him, went away from him, went back to him. He's going to have to deal with that. And everyone's going to be very aware and treading lightly and being careful about this."
Whether the couple lasts for a while or becomes a short romantic spark, Williams is glad to see that his character is finally finding someone to get close to.
"Jackson doesn't have a whole lot of relationships on the show to be honest," he tells us. "He's got April Kepner [Sarah Drew] who he came in with, the other two were literally murdered at his workplace, he's got a little bit of rapport and relates to Meredith [Ellen Pompeo], and I think this kind of takes it one step further with her sister. So while it's not like he's buddies with a lot of characters, I think this is something that he values."
Fans of Avery may also find this relationship exciting, because we know very little about the character and this relationship with Lexie could provide us the opportunity to get to know him better.
"I'm excited as an actor going forward that he will have somebody he could speak to and maybe open up a little more," Williams tells us. "And get to see who this guy is and get to learn a little more about his past, and also get to understand better what he'll do in the future... So, I think with Lexie, Jackson will get a chance to learn about her, but also have somebody he can feel comfortable enough to reveal stuff about himself. It's part of the courtship process, right?"
What's your take on the developing Jackson-Lexie romance?
Tony award winner Ramirez, who plays Callie, performed a live sneak peek from the upcoming music event airing on March 31 on ABC.
Ramirez appeared on Extra to sing Brandi Carlile's "The Story," one of the songs that will be featured in the musical episode which revolves around a crisis with Callie in which she envisions the hospital and her colleagues in a way we've never seen on the show before.
Watch the performance here.
He's so hot that he even straight men can't help but gush over his stellar looks.
For instance...
Jonah Hill was on hand at last night's 19th Annual A Night at Sardie's fundraiser for Alzheimer's to help gala host Seth Rogen introduce the Grey's Anatomy star. And boy did he gush.
So without further ado, here's Hill on Dempsey.
"He is the sexiest man alive and I can tell you why," Hill said. "It's because he just is. Literally, he is sex on a stick...like somebody took a normal, every day stick and then dipped it into a boiling pot of sexiness and then they removed the stick...that's how sexy he is!"
There's more.
"He is so gorgeous," Hill said. "He is a personal inspiration to me. He has the most gorgeous head of hair that I have ever seen in my entire life. His breath smells like peppermint. His ears are the shape of what I would imagine God's ears to look like."
Last night's gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel included musical performances by Dempsey's Grey's costar Kevin McKidd, Private Practice stars Taye Diggs and Audra McDonald, Nick Jonas, Luke MacFarlane, Vanessa Williams, Kristen Bell and the cast of Hot in Cleveland.
While the Grey's Anatomy musical episode hasn't even aired yet, one of the show's stars says he there's definitely potential for more musical medicine on the hit ABC drama...
"I kind of hoped that it was going to be a two-parter because it's just so kind of overwrought with talent and passion and power," Jesse Williams told us at the John Varvatos Stuart House benefit in West Hollywood.
Funny enough, Williams also admitted, "I hate musicals. I'm not really into them."
In other words, don't look (or listen, that is) for any Jesse solos during the highly-anticipated episode.
"I'm not singing," he laughed. "I think they layer me nicely into like a seven-part mass surgical harmony and I might even be auto-tuned."
That doesn't mean the hunky blue-eyed actor didn't prepare his pipes prior to shooting.
"We had a really amazing, amazing vocal coach who is wonderful," he said. "She invited me to come back. I think she was wincing when she said it, so I don't know. We'll see...I mean, she was being very positive. It's very hard for me to believe it. You know, there's other stuff I can do. Singing just ain't one of them."
Williams is looking forward to the summer break. He said he'll probably head New York to spend time with family back in Brooklyn and hopefully book a movie, too. "I'm excited to break out of the scrubs," he said, smiling. "But I'm mostly excited to just kick back and relax."
While Season 7 has seen major storylines for Cristina and her PTSD, Lexie and Mark's relationship, and Callie's pregnancy and tribulations with Arizona, fans have been wondering when the Grey of Grey's Anatomy would step back into the spotlight.
This season has been especially unfortunate for Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), who suffered a miscarriage in the Season 6 finale. And then, in trying to get pregnant again, Meredith wound up using fertility drugs that made her temporarily blind.
The current baby fever at Seattle Grace, of course, hasn't helped.
"Meredith and Derek have been dealing with infertility, and it's starting to be a really sore point," executive producer Shonda Rhimes tells TVGuide.com. "Part of [the musical episode] is about really bringing up how painful it is for Meredith to be watching other people get pregnant, have babies and deal with that other stuff."
The Alzheimer's clinical trial, which Derek and Meredith have been laboring over this season, will be the catalyst for a new storyline. "We've been using the clinical trial for a while and that's going to launch into a very big story about them as we head towards the end of the season," she says.
Are you excited for more Meredith and Derek?
But no. Even Ms. Rhimes had to prove to ABC executives that a musical episode of her hit primetime drama was worth doing before they'd give her the greenlight.
So, how'd she do it? Read on to find out...
"We had to show the heads of ABC Studios what the idea was all about," Kevin McKidd told me yesterday at John Varvatos' eighth annual Stuart House benefit in West Hollywood. "We set it up at the studio and made it like a mini-theater and presented a truncated version of the episode as a live performance."
McKidd pulled double duty for the presentation. "I love playing guitar and I love singing," he said, "so I was given the job to round up a band because I know a lot of session musicians in Los Angeles. I ended up having to be the guitarist as well as having to sing."
And as much as McKidd is modest about his musical prowess, it turns out he's got quite the background. Not only did he have a number in the Mike Leigh film Topsy-Turvy, but he was pretty darn close to belting it out on stage courtesy of the man who gave the world Phantom of the Opera. "I developed a musical with Andrew Lloyd Webber called The Woman in White," McKidd said. "But I got offered [HBO's] Rome so I did that instead. So I've been around the musical thing. I've dipped my toe in a bit but I haven't quite dived in the pool yet.
"I sing a little in the episode but this is very much Sara Ramírez's moment to shine," he continued. "We're all kind of basking in her shadow."
Not a bad shadow to bask in, that's for sure.
Also at yesterday's Stuart House benefit were event hosts Patrick Dempsey and wife Jillian along with Jayma Mays, Jesse Williams, David Schwimmer, Eva La Rue, Zoe Saldana and Trevor Donovan, among others. More than $500,000 was raised for Stuart House, which provides support, care and protection of sexually abused children.
Gina, 55, is known to daytime audiences for her recurring roles on numerous daytime soap operas. Her credits include Santa Barbara, The Bold and the Beautiful and, most recently, Days of Our Lives, where she played a prison warden.
Lucia and Carlos are coming to Seattle at the same time Callie's girlfriend, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw), welcomes her parents, Barbara (Judith Ivey) and Colonel Robbins (Denis Arndt), fueling speculation that a wedding might soon be taking place.
Don't miss the coming episodes of Grey's, which I guarantee will take Calzona on a roller coaster ride of epic proportions.
With a Tony Award winner in the cast, Sara Ramirez, it's no surprise she receives the bulk of the solos on the drama's first musical episode. As Dr. Callie Torres, she sings lead on Kate Havnevik's "Grace" and Brandi Carlile's "The Story" and shares lead duties with Jessica Capshaw on KT Tunstall's "Universe & U." The show will feature nine songs closely associated with the show.
Chandra Wilson, who starred in "Caroline, or Change" on Broadway, sings lead on Get Set Go's "Wait." Only one of the songs, Gomez's "How We Operate," will feature a lead male voice, that of Kevin McKidd who portrays Dr. Owen Hunt.
The ensemble of Ramirez, McKidd, Daniel Sunjata, Scott Foley, Justin Chambers, Chandra Bailey, Kim Raver and Capshaw gets two numbers: "How to Save a Life" and Jesus Jackson's "Running On Sunshine."
A video of Ramirez, who won her acting Tony for the musical "Spamalot," McKidd and Bailey singing Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" is featured in a promo for the drama. The show returns to original episodes March 24.
The show's creator Shonda Rhimes and director Tony Phelan had the songs selected and written into a script in November when Chris Horvath was brought in as music director. He spent about two months on arrangements and rehearsing musicians; the vocals were recorded over four days.
"When we started I knew we had four people who had serious vocal talent, some had a little bit of experience and some had barely sung in the shower," Horvath tells Billboard. "There was some pushback from some of the cast but I was impressed by how everybody responded."
Capshaw, for example, worked with a vocal coach and came up "with some really cool qualities" in her voice, Horvath said. He was also impressed with Chyler Leigh, another non-singer.
Horvath, a composer, producer and arranger, is putting the finishing touches on the soundtrack, which will be digitally available on March 31.
It sounds outside the box for the show, but we know the cast has an amazing amount of talented singers on it and "Private Practice's" Kate Walsh (Addison) returns for the episode. Plus, creator Shonda Rhimes wrote the script herself!
"This is not jumping the shark, it's not a trick, it's not a gimmick," Jesse Williams, who plays Jackson, tells Zap2it. "It's totally in line with this season and these characters. And it's just incredibly moving."
Also, ABC just announced that iTunes will have a sneak peek at the musical event's soundtrack on Tuesday, March 29.
The full "Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event" soundtrack featuring the cast, including songs by Ramirez, a Tony Award winner for Broadway's "Spamalot," Kevin McKidd (Owen), Chandra Wilson (Bailey), and Chyler Leigh (Lexie) will be available on Thursday, March 31 - the same day the episode airs on ABC.
Don't forget to keep an eye on ABC's Music Lounge in the days approaching the episode as the network promises exclusive video from the music event.
The ABC series has just cast Judith Ivey (Designing Women, Big Love) and David E. Kelley favorite Denis Arndt (Picket Fences, The Practice) as Barbara and Col. Robbins, parents to Arizona (Jessica Capshaw).
And Callie's papa, the formerly homophobic Carlos Torres (Hector Elizondo), will finally be getting his missus, named Lucia, a role now being cast.
The arrival of Callie's (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona's parents further fuels rampant on-line speculation that the lady loves will join several other TV couples set to marry during May sweeps.
But if this is true, the women have some major challenges to overcome before then, including something that happens in Grey's March 31 musical episode that Sara describes as "a life-altering event that [allows Callie] to process why her life with Arizona is worth fighting for."
Might that thing worth fighting for be a three-tiered yellow butter cake with chocolate ganache topped with two plastic brides?
We just talked to fan-fave Grey's Anatomy star Kevin McKidd about Owen and Cristina's (Sandra Oh) path for the rest of the season, and there's an unexpected and serious obstacle in the way, and it's not the baby dramz you're expecting.
Could this pairing be in peril? Here's what McKidd just revealed to us exclusively:
"[The baby issue] gets put on the backburner," says McKidd. "I think it's something they both realize is a hot-potato subject for each other. They really do love each other, so I think they want to enjoy their honeymoon period, as it were, for as long as they can." But that procreation détente isn't enough to keep perfect peace in the kingdom.
"There's an added complication to the mix between Owen and Cristina that comes from left field in the latter part of the season as well, that isn't connected to babies," McKidd tells us. "A work-related issue comes up that adds tension again to their otherwise happy existence. There something else that comes along to that's a problem to them."
Hmmm…Could Owen and Cristina be in competition somehow, or might this work-related tension be related to the race for chief resident? McKidd tells us, "There is the element of competition there—she's not in direct competition with Owen, but Owen suddenly finds himself in the line of fire. I'll put it that way. But again that was unexpected I think. So not directly in competition with him but he's very much certainly in the line of fire." Mmmm...
But before we get to work drama, there's singin'! We know that McKidd will be singing in the musical episode, but what, oh what, is he performing? Will he serenade lovergirl Yang in the musical episode, set to air at the end of March? And most important of all, will there be tap-dancing? Or maybe a Rockettes-style kickline?
"I can't really divulge too much or I'll get hung from the nearest tree, but there is some serenading action from most people. I would say, [the singing] is more like a sort of fun diversion—because it's a very dramatic episode, and there's a section in it where there's some levity. But again there's a really great, unexpected payoff to that. I can tell you there's no tap-dancing, I can guarantee that. The episode being cut together right now…I'm as interested as anyone to see how it turns out."
McKidd also revealed that the musical episode was particularly time-intensive for the cast and crew, saying: "We're actually shooting episode 20 right now, and we're only doing 22 episodes this year—I think partly because the musical episode has taken the time it usually takes to shoot two, almost three, episodes, that's the reason we have three episodes to go."
As for his future, McKidd is hoping to visit his family in Scotland this summer, find a movie gig based in Europe and then return to work on the show this summer with his fingers crossed for another directing gig. He says, "The directing went really well this season. My episode was the highest-rated episode this season so far, although not by any of my design, which I am pretty pleased about. I don't think it had anything to do with me, but hopefully they'll let me direct more, because I've been bitten by that bug now. Hopefully I'll do that next year too."
McKidd will also take some time during the hiatus to visit Mozambique with a friend who works for Partners for Pediatric Progress, a charity devoted to educating developing-world healthcare providers in cutting-edge pediatric medicine techniques. Good stuff, right?
What do you think is going to cause that "tension" between Owen and Cristina? Do you think they should have a baby together one of these days?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, casting is now complete on the ABC project that follows the follows the life and work of a professional fixer, Olivia Price, and her dysfunctional staff. Kerry Washington stars as Price, who is based on the career of legendary crisis management consultant Judy Smith.
Perry, who recurs on Grey's as Meredith's father, Thatcher, has landed the role of Cyrus.
Columbus Short, Henry Ian Cusick, Katie Lowes and Guillermo Diaz round out the cast.
"People might not love it. I tend to not like musicals on principle," Williams, 29, tells Zap2it. "But this is not jumping the shark, it's not a trick, it's not a gimmick. It's totally in line with this season and these characters. And it's just incredibly moving."
The musical episode revolves around a crisis with Callie's (Sara Ramirez) pregnancy and will feature some "Grey's" classics, including songs by Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars, and even the show's former theme song, "Cosy In The Rocket" by Psapp.
"I don't even think this should be called a musical," Williams says. "It's just a regular episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' that's just super-heightened, really intense, incredibly well-written and there's singing in it. Music is a big part of our show anyway, right? We break artists all the time. There's always terrific musical assistance. And this is no different. It's just instead of hearing the original artist's voice, you're going to hear Sara Ramirez or Kevin McKidd or Chyler Leigh or Chandra Wilson, who is phenomenal. One of my favorites scenes is when she sings."
Williams has avoided confirming whether or not he's helming a song in the episode, but he now tells us, "I'm not really singing in it. I'm a really awful singer."
Of course, that's not without trying. The actor tells us that the producers heard everybody sing, including him.
"It wasn't so much an audition," he says. "They've heard people sing. Kevin McKidd has sung before in a webisode, I believe. Sara Ramirez has won a Tony for a show on Broadway and so has Chandra Wilson. So, they wanted to get a sense of the newer people who they haven't heard sing. I think they thought I was giving them false modesty like, 'Oh no, I'm really not that good,' but maybe I am. Then, they realized, 'Oh my God, he's telling the truth.' That's fine. I'm good at other things and this happens to not be one of them."
But the fact that he doesn't do any major vocals in the episode hasn't tainted his opinion of the episode. He believes the musical episode will definitely leave an impression on viewers.
"I think like in the finale last year when everyone universally loved it and thought it was amazing and a cool departure from our regular pace," he says. "I think this will be similarly talked about."
Watch a featurette on the musical episode here!
Yes, the Private Practice star will be appearing in Grey's Anatomy's upcoming musical episode. Yes, she will be singing at Seattle Grace.
However...
She won't be giving folks like Lea Michele a run for her Glee money.
"Put it this way, I had to take voice lessons for this," Walsh told me at the Women in Film pre-Oscar event at Soho House. "I'm in the chorus. You're not going hear any solos from me."
Walsh wrapped her work on the episode on Thursday. She was under doctor's orders to keep mum on specifics. "After I stopped crying, it was really fun," she cracked.
She laughed when I asked if she's at all inspired to pursue a music career. "That's right," she smiled. "I'm going to release a Christmas album. Yes, my goal at 43 is to be a triple threat—a singer slash dancer slash actor."
Also at the WIF soirée (sponsored by M.A.C., Perrier-Jouët and MaxMara) were Halle Berry, Amy Adams, Hailee Steinfeld, Melissa Leo, Dale Dickey and Brenda Song.
Meanwhile, in other Shonda Rhimes television news, Kerry Washington says she wasn't on the hunt for a television series when she signed on to star in In Crisis, Rhimes' upcoming series about a crisis management consultant.
"I was never like, Oh, it's time to look at TV," Washington told me at the Elle Green Room at the Independent Spirit Awards. "I just read a brilliant f--king script and it happened to be for TV."
"Ellen Pompeo [Meredith] was very much like, 'Tell me we're not going to sing and dance in the hall. This is crazy!'" recalls creator Shonda Rhimes, who dreamed up the risky concept as a love letter to fans. But after the cast's first script read-through, Rhimes says Ellen "came up to me and said, 'I never say I'm wrong, but I was wrong and I want to sing more!' She's having so much fun with it."
I'm sold, too, after a visit to the set to hear the cast's full soundtrack — just wait until you hear Chyler Leigh's Lexie croon Anna Nalick's "Breathe (2AM)" — and see how the songs are used to orchestrate a crisis involving pregnant Callie (Sara Ramirez). The hour, which airs March 31, takes us back to the much-beloved early seasons of Grey's, when music played a vital role on the show. Rhimes says the songs selected "are the ones most associated with the show and make me think of the scenes they [originally] played in."
For instance: Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," recorded for this episode by Sara, Kevin McKidd (Owen) and Chandra Wilson (Bailey), and Kate Havnevik's "Grace" (sung by Sara and the female cast) were first heard during the Season 2 finale "when Meredith and Derek had sex during the prom, Denny died and Izzie quit," says Rhimes, who next hopes to showcase Taye Diggs' talent with a musical Private Practice.
And anyone remember the abandoned Grey's theme song, Psapp's haunting "Cosy in the Rocket"? (Sample lyric: "Nobody knows where they might end up; nobody knows...") "It's used in this episode in a really interesting way," says Sara, who won a Tony Award in 2005 for Broadway's Monty Python's Spamalot. "Not at all how you might expect."
FOX ruled the night with 21.6 million viewers and an 11.9 rating/19 share in households, beating CBS (12.7 million, 7.8/13) by nearly 9 million viewers. ABC came in third with 7.6 million viewers and a 4.8/8. NBC (4.3 million, 2.5/4) was a relatively distant fourth, while The CW (2.5 million, 1.4/2) was fairly steady compared to last week.
FOX's 7.2 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic was more than double that of its nearest rival, CBS (3.0). ABC posted a 2.6 in the demo, half a point better than NBC's 2.1. The CW earned a 1.0.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (21.3 million viewers, 11.9/19 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (12.5 million, 7.5/12)/"Rules of Engagement" (9.6 million, 5.8/9)
ABC: "Wipeout" (7.1 million, 4.0/6)
NBC: "Community" (3.9 million, 2.4/4)/"Perfect Couples" (3 million, 1.8/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.9 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (7.0)
9 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (21.8 million, 11.9/19)
CBS: "CSI" (12.5 million, 7.7/12)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (9.1 million, 5.8/9)
NBC: "The Office" (6.2 million, 3.6/6)/"Parks and Recreation" (4.65 million, 2.7/4)
The CW: "Nikita" (2 million, 1.2/2)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (7.3)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (14.7 million, 9.0/15)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.7 million, 4.6/8)
NBC: "30 Rock" (4.5 million, 2.7/4)/"Outsourced" (3.4 million, 2.1/4)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.8)
"'You gotta sleep, you gotta eat well, you gotta work out, you gotta be grateful,'" Taylor says, mimicking Pompeo's American accent. "I feel like they were very good lessons if the show should go on to be a success."
Taylor, who is currently guest-starring on Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Lucy Fields, is set to leave for Miami to shoot the Angels pilot next week, after the musical episode of the ABC medical drama wraps.
Joining the Charlie's Angels franchise is "daunting," Taylor says. "There are only like seven women in the world that have ever played angels. There's something about girls kicking ass that just appeals to my personal taste at the moment."
"Often, as a young actress, you find yourself being the only girl in a room full of men... and one of the reasons why I like Grey's Anatomy is because they have such strong female characters and the women really drive this show."
As for future Angel co-stars Minka Kelly and Annie Ilonzeh, Taylor says, "Annie is tough, feminine and fantastic. Minka's exterior beauty is matched by what a sweet, warm girl she is. As far as girls that I could potentially be spending a lot of time with, I'm very relieved that it's both of them."
What We Learned
Cut the Line: It's no secret that Dr. Pretty Eyes has been harboring a deep crush on Little Grey. While Lexie gives Mark longing looks, Dr. Avery watches from the shadows and plots an evil plan to steal her. Okay, that's not exactly how it happened but he did spend the entire episode telling Lexie that she deserves better than to be fourth wheel on the baby train, there's more than one soulmate in the sea, blah blah blah. He's just trying to get in your pants, Lexie! But we can't blame her for being hypnotized by those ridiculous eyes and letting him cut the line of potential soulmates. Oh shiz! Hot steamy shower of the night goes to Jackson and Lexie. The Grey's Anatomy love polygon gets ever more convoluted—and we love it.
18 to Life: You know who knows about complicated baby-raising? Nancy Travis, the baby mama from the classic '80s comedy Three Men and a Baby. But while Travis plays a mother with Alzheimer's in the one room, the baby circus that is Mark, Callie and Arizona are setting up camp in the other room, arguing between the three of them about an amniocentesis. Gone are the happy pink clouds of baby fluffiness now that the reality of their three-way relationship work is setting in. Buckle your seatbelts, we'd bet this is the start of a bumpy Calzona ride. And it's not one of those nice fancy smooth modern roller coasters, but a scary carnie-operated Tilt-O-Whirl.
Paging Dr. Evil: We haven't had the best impression of that other peds doc, Dr. Stark (Peter MacNicol). And we were all ready with our torches and indignation when he said to call Child Protective Services on the sweetest little Johnny Cash-singing boy with an Alzheimer's mom. However, in a shocking turn--one that has us seriously questioning our attraction to authority figures--Stark asked out April…on a date. We know it's odd, but somehow it works. Maybe April won't be holding onto her V-card forever. OK, wait, now we have to scrub our brains out.
Blind Love: So those side effects warnings are real, who knew? Meredith loses her vision in an alarming rate throughout this episode, all because of that future MerDer baby. While Meredith sacrifices her eyesight for a future perfect-haired baby, Cristina refuses to think about babies. Apparently when people get married they usually have a chance to talk about this sort of thing. However, Cristina was all traumatized and looking to get hitched, so it seems like Hunt and Cristina never had the big bad baby talk. What's the opposite of a shotgun wedding?
Eating Crow: The only person who can talk sense into Chief Webber, besides his tough wife, is Dr. Bailey. Dr. Bailey, is awesome and smart and suspects the chief's wife is a secret day drinker. We think that is the most hilarious explanation of her falling. Sadly all the pieces are finally falling into place. Now we see why this Alzheimer's clinical trial was invented, to save the Chief's wife. We're going to speculate that before the end of the season the Chief will have to make a Denny-like decision to cut the proverbial LVAD wire. No, no he won't have to kill Adele but maybe get her into the trial and force Derek to give her the real medicine.
What's To Come
Grey's Goes Glee: The much talked about musical episode is coming on March 31, bringing with it: Callie baby dramz, Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" and the favorite baby doc to call in a crisis, Addison Montgomery Forbes!
Are you all for the steamy Jackson-Lexie shower sex or do you subscribe to the one soulmate-per-lifetime theory? What side effects would you suffer to get a MerDer baby? Was Three Men and a Baby your fav movie in 1987? And are you grossed out or intrigued by Stark and April?
Wilson, who plays Dr. Miranda Bailey on the ABC medical drama, is set to helm Episode 20 of the seventh season. The 41-year-old actress has directed three times before, twice in the sixth season and once earlier this year.
Kevin McKidd, who plays Dr. Owen Hunt, also directed this season, and Wilson plans to take a few ideas from her co-star. "I called him right after the episode and said, 'I saw so many things I'm going to steal, so just don't be mad when they show up in my episode because I'm taking them,'" Wilson tells TVGuide.com with a laugh. "He was like, 'I stole them, so you can take them, too.'"
While details of the episode have yet to be shared with even the director-to-be, Wilson says she looks forward to trying something new. "I haven't used any of the cranes yet, so hopefully my script will give me some kind of justification to bring in a big old crane and do a nice aerial sweep across the cast," she says. "So if you see it in the episode, you'll know that's something I lobbied for."
In the meantime, the cast is currently shooting the Tony Phelan-directed musical episode, titled "Grey's Anatomy: The Music Event," set to air Thursday, March 31 at 9/8c on ABC.
FOX scored 15.95 million viewers and a 9.0 rating/15 share in households for the night, up slightly from last Thursday. CBS (13.1 million, 8.0/13) also improved a little bit on last week. ABC (7.75 million, 5.0/8) and NBC (4.2 million, 2.5/4) both shed some viewers, but The CW (2.6 million, 1.5/3) rebounded some from last week's lower-than-usual numbers
FOX dominated the adults 18-49 demographic thanks to "Idol," averaging a 5.4 rating for the night. CBS took second with a 3.0, beating out ABC's 2.7. NBC could only muster a 2.0 and finished fourth. The CW scored a 1.1.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (21.9 million viewers, 12.0/20 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (12.5 million, 7.5/12)/"$#*! My Dad Says" season finale (9.8 million, 6.0/10)
ABC: "Wipeout" (6.2 million, 3.4/6)
NBC: "Community" (4.2 million, 2.5/4)/"Perfect Couples" (3.05 million, 1.9/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3 million, 1.8/3)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (7.5)
9 p.m.
CBS: "CSI" (13.3 million, 8.1/13)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (10.2 million, 6.7/11)
FOX: "Bones" (9.95 million, 6.0/10)
NBC: "The Office" (6.4 million, 3.7/6)/"Parks and Recreation" (4.4 million, 2.5/4)
The CW: "Nikita" (2.1 million, 1.3/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (3.7)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (14.9 million, 9.2/16)
ABC: "Private Practice" (6.85 million, 4.8/8)
NBC: "30 Rock" (4.1 million, 2.5/4)/"Outsourced" (3.2 million, 2.1/4)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (3.0)
This season of Grey's Anatomy is chock-full of juicy baby-related storylines, and when we were lucky enough to catch up with Shonda Rhimes at the TV Summit sponsored by Variety and the Television Academy Foundation, she revealed that there's much more to come for our beloved and oh-so-troubled favorites at Seattle Grace Mercy West.
Find out what Shonda shared about Mark and Lexie's romantic struggles, how Cristina Yang has changed since the shooting trauma, and the way in which Callie's pregnancy is intertwined with Meredith and Derek's fertility struggles:
In the aftermath of the shooting, several characters have really had emotional journeys, especially Cristina.
SR: We really worked hard to—when I said last season that we were going to [do] the shooting, one of the commitments I felt like was important to make was our people struggle through it, and it was going to be a full 13-episode arc to see them come back to themselves, which is what it took. It took 13 episodes to watch Cristina, who really was our way into this [story], come back to being herself. Now I feel Cristina is back, and she's stronger than ever, and she's a little bit more Cristina than ever. She also has a new layer of compassion to her, that is unexpected for her, as well as, I'm sure, for the fans.
Was that moment when she was compassionate with a patient just to get back at Jackson or is she really more sympathetic?
SR: It was a real moment. Sandra and I talked about it a lot. It's a real moment for her to connect with a patient and that's something she wouldn't have been able to do, she wouldn't have been able to fake that before, so I thought that was really nice.
You often take to Twitter to calm the fans, most recently the Mark-Lexie fans. Where do you see that couple going through this Callie baby storyline?
Shonda Rhimes: I think it's interesting, we have great fans, and I love that. I have to say I really do love them, even when they are sending me tweets of hate, I love them. It feels like everybody can't be happy all the time, that's not television, that's a Hallmark card, and it's charming, but it's not what we set out to do. Mark (Eric Dane) has some growing up to do, and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) has some growing up to do, and we're working through that.
How does Mark and Callie's having a baby impact Meredith and Derek's journey to have a baby?
SR: It doesn't, if I have a baby, it doesn't mean my friend can't have a baby.
But are they affected emotionally because they are struggling to get pregnant?
SR: Yeah, I feel there's a real level of frustration there, I'm sure, from a couple having trouble conceiving versus a couple who had a one-night stand and got pregnant.
Do you think Meredith and Derek will succeed in having a baby this season? Will Mark and Lexie do all that growing they need to do, or will they just grow apart?
Tupper, 45, who played a trauma counselor helping the doctors in the horrific aftermath of a shooting, will return for three episodes toward the end of Season 7.
The Men in Trees star also played a love interest to Teddy (Kim Raver) in the first few episodes this season. Anyone hoping they rekindle that flame?
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.
No fewer than four of our ladies are now playing lead doctor characters in the top rated shows, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Off the Map.
That's an unusually high number considering there aren't more than a dozen and a half such female doctor roles on shows airing this season.
How or why this happened could be a mere coincidence of casting. Or, more likely, it means Canadian actresses have a unique combination of talent, beauty -- and that inner strength of character that surviving heavy snowstorms creates in us -- to be winning some of TV's strongest roles.
Here's the lowdown on who these enigmatic, strong creatures are and why, in case you're ever in need of emergency medical care, you'd want these ladies by your side.
Caroline Dhavernas
Plays the idealistic Dr. Lily Brenner on Off the Map, an understated beauty with cornfed sky-blue eyes and a soft, soothing voice. If you need a limb amputated without anesthetic, she's the face you'd want to look at while it's being done.
In real life, the 32-year-old Montrealer grew up in an acting family and learned hard work is what gets you to the top. To play swimmer Marilyn Bell in one of her first roles in 1999, she trained for two months swimming in lap pools and the freezing St. Lawrence River.
Rachelle Lefevre
Also on Off the Map, also a Montrealer and also 32 years old. But that's where the similarities with Dhavernas end. Lefevre plays Dr. Ryan Clark, a striking, flame-haired knockout with a steely personality. She's the one you'd want tending your wounds if you fell out of a tree in the jungle -- because she'd personally carry you out as well.
Things seem to come easy for Lafevre -- she was working at a restaurant while a student at McGill University when a TV producer asked her if she wanted to audition for some upcoming roles. This is a powerhouse actress known for playing the fierce Vampire Victoria in Twilight.
Caterina Scorsone
Plays Dr. Amelia Shepherd on Private Practice, the brilliant but foxy brain surgeon sister of the iconic Dr. Derek Shepherd from Grey's Anatomy (Private Practice is a spin-off).If your brain is imploding, Shepherd is the one to fix it -- plus she'll flirt madly with you while sewing you up.
In real life, 29-year-old Scorsone grew up an odd mix of childhood actress (she was a regular guest on Mr. Dressup starting when she was 8) and an intellectual who studied post-modern theory at the prestigious Trinity College at the University of Toronto.Scorsone said she wanted to attend medical school for real, but big acting gigs kept getting in the way.
Sandra Oh
Her character, Dr. Cristina Yang, the solid anchor of the Grey's Anatomy cast for seven seasons, is the most intriguing of all. Yang, a heart surgeon, values logic and reason over emotions. A crazed killer just shot you in the chest -- and he's still out there with a gun? Yang can be trusted to put her life on the line to save you.
Oh, 39, is a dedicated thespian and dancer from Nepean, Ont. and is one reason why casting directors in this town are thrilled to hire more Canadians.The camera -- and the audience -- loves her.
In the off-seasons, Oh can also be counted on to star in great movies, like Rabbit Hole, For Your Consideration, Sideways, and the soon-to-be-released Sideways 2.
FOX averaged 15.9 million viewers and an 8.9 rating/14 share in households for the night, topping CBS' 13 million viewers and 7.9/13. ABC (8.2 million, 5.2/8) came in third, a good ways ahead of NBC (4.5 million, 2.7/4). The CW trailed with 2.3 million viewers and a 1.5/2.
In the adults 18-49 demographic, FOX's 5.3 rating led the way by a large margin and was off just slightly from last week's 5.4. CBS, 3.0, finished second, just ahead of ABC's 2.9. NBC averaged 2.2 in the demo and The CW 1.0.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (21.7 million viewers, 11.9/19 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (12.8 million, 7.6/12)/"$#*! My Dad Says" (10.4 million, 6.3/10)
ABC: "Wipeout" (6.9 million, 3.9/6)
NBC: "Community" (3.85 million, 2.4/4)/"Perfect Couples" (3.1 million, 1.9/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (2.75 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (7.2)
9 p.m.
CBS: "CSI" (12.65 million, 7.8/12)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (10.4 million, 6.6/10)
FOX: "Bones" (10.1 million, 5.8/9)
NBC: "The Office" (6.9 million, 4.0/6)/"Parks and Recreation" (5.1 million, 3.0/5)
The CW: "Nikita" (1.9 million, 1.2/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (3.9)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (14.75 million, 8.9/15)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.3 million, 5.0/9)
NBC: "30 Rock" (4.6 million, 2.8/5)/"Outsourced" (3.65 million, 2.3/4)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.9)
But, Kevin McKidd (who plays Owen Hunt) says he's cautious about being glad that's all over with.
"I think Owen's had to be the shoulder to cry on and be the rock for Cristina," McKidd tells Zap2it. "He was very flaky last year in Season 6 and he was obviously completely troubled and messed up in Season 5. So, it's sort of his turn to be really be there for her and I think he's done that. And he hasn't done that perfectly, because he was human, but he really tried to give her the space she needs and the support she needs."
Of course, now that the post-traumatic stress has been dealt with, "Grey's" fans know better than to expect smooth sailing ahead for the couple. And McKidd says we'd be right.
"Now that she's healed again," he says. "I think inevitably because it's 'Grey's Anatomy,' they can't all be happy for too long, because angst is what gives Cristina and Owen's relationship its juice and gives them power. So, I think there's still some bumps in the road to come for Owen and Cristina and I'm interested to see how that plays out."
"The 'Grey's Anatomy' scrubs offering enhances the ABC Online Store, which we launched last September," said Amy Maniatis, Vice President of Marketing at CafePress. "Bringing Barco Uniforms into the fold extends our relationship with ABC Entertainment Group even further, while engaging fans of 'Grey's Anatomy' in a new way that benefits a good cause."
To raise awareness of Barco's Nightingales Foundation and promote its efforts to help children in need, the writers of "Grey's Anatomy" have woven the organization into the storyline of the February 10, 2011 episode. ABC has also produced a corresponding Barco's Nightingales Foundation PSA, starring "Grey's Anatomy" actor Eric Dane, to generate additional support for the cause.
"We are excited to expand our collaboration with Barco Uniforms on the best-selling 'Grey's Anatomy' scrubs line. By tapping into CafePress' online merchandising know-how, we are able to make the 'Grey's Anatomy' scrubs more accessible to consumers, thereby deepening the connection of our fans to the show," said Mia Rondinella, VP of Business Planning & Development at ABCEG. "This is the first online opportunity for fans to get the entire top-of-the-line scrubs collection while lending support to Barco's Nightingales Foundation through their purchases."
"We are honored that ABC is making such a significant commitment to Barco's Nightingales Foundation," said Michael Donner, Director, President and CEO of Barco's Nightingales Foundation and President and CEO of Barco Uniforms. "Their support, along with that of 'Grey's Anatomy's' fans, will help us accelerate our efforts to help children with medical needs and honor the spirit of the nursing profession."
For more information, visit the online flagship store featuring "Grey's Anatomy" scrubs, the ABC Online Store, or abc.com.
FOX averaged just under 16 million viewers and an 8.8 rating/14 share in households for the night, topping CBS (13.6 million, 8.2/13) by more than 2 million viewers. ABC (8.7 million, 5.3/8) came in third. NBC was a somewhat distant fourth with 4.7 million viewers and a 2.8/4. The CW delivered 2.8 million people and a 1.6/3.
FOX's lead among adults 18-49 was wider. It scored a 5.4 rating in the demographic, well ahead of ABC and CBS, which tied for second at 3.1. NBC drew a 2.3 and The CW a 1.2.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "American Idol" (21.8 million viewers, 11.8/18 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (13.8 million, 8.0/13)/"$#*! My Dad Says" (10.5 million, 6.3/10)
ABC: "Wipeout" (7.9 million, 4.1/6)
NBC: "Community" (4.35 million, 2.7/4)/"Perfect Couples" (3.1 million, 1.9/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.2 million, 1.8/3)
18-49 leader: "American Idol" (7.5)
9 p.m.
CBS: "CSI" (13.8 million, 8.4/13)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (11.1 million, 6.9/11)
FOX: "Bones" (10.2 million, 5.9/9)
NBC: "The Office" (7.3 million, 4.2/6)/"Parks and Recreation" (5.05 million, 2.9/5)
The CW: "Nikita" (2.4 million, 1.4/2)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.2)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (15.05 million, 9.1/15)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.1 million, 4.9/8)
NBC: "30 Rock" (4.8 million, 2.9/5)/"Outsourced" (3.8 million, 2.3/4)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (2.8)
Outside of Mark (played by Eric Dane), the other surgeons of Seattle Grace-Mercy West have found a way to settle their problems (for now). Bailey (Chandra Wilson) gets to tweet during surgeries now that the chief has bought into it. After feeling left out from Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) clinical trials, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is back on the project.
We thought that things would be a lot worse for Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) after the big pregnancy reveal in the last episode. Instead, Callie seemed more resolved to forgive Arizona. And Arizona was willing to push aside her anger at Callie having had sex with Mark, so that she could be there for Callie and the baby. So, the big challenge going forward is how to make sure Callie doesn't freak out. Obviously after George cheated on her and Arizona went to Africa without her, she fears being left alone with the baby. But, we think Mark will always be there. After all, this is what he has been wanting. And while we foresee some tough times ahead for her and Arizona, we don't think Arizona wants to go anywhere either.
So, that leaves Mark's little dilemma. It's obvious after Mark's daughter stayed with them that Little Grey (Chyler Leigh) isn't ready to be anyone's stepmom. So, it was totally true to form that she would be pissed at the news that Mark will soon be a father again right after they've gotten back together.
It's a tough situation he's in, but the fact remains that he's going to be a dad in seven months whether or not he's with Lexie. So, either she'll just have to come around or he'll need to move on. There is the possibility that he'll decide to be the "fun uncle" as Callie offered, but we don't see (nor do we want) him making that decision.
What do you think Mark will do? And what do you think of Kevin McKidd's (who plays Owen) directorial debut? Did he do you proud?
So, one would think that Kevin McKidd (who plays Owen) would feel some of that, as well. After all, Thursday's episode marks the actors first time ever sitting in the director's chair. But, he says the worst is behind him.
"I don't feel the pressure now," McKidd tells Zap2it. "Because there's nothing we can do about it. It's in the can and it's been cut and the picture is locked. I felt a lot of pressure in December while we were shooting and in January when I was editing it. But, no, weirdly I don't feel any pressure now [laughs]. The ship has sailed as they say."
We spoke with McKidd about his first time directing, what it was like to work with the cast and what the pressure was like back when he was preparing to shoot the episode.
Note: Mild spoilers!
How long have you had the desire to direct and why now?
I've had a desire to do it for years, even going back to my time in Europe. I think it's a natural transition for actors to want to direct at some point. I've had the desire for a long time. I've always been too busy as an actor. At 'Grey's,' the workload is pretty split amongst the cast. It seemed like the perfect place to do it.
What was it like balancing the acting and directing responsibilities?
Luckily for me, they wrote my episode quite light as far as for Owen Hunt. You know, Owen Hunt is basically at the dentist that day. So, I'm in one scene in the episode, which is fine by me. It gave me a chance to get my feet under me for directing. Weirdly getting into acting in the show made me feel comfortable again. It was my second day and I got to do my scene with Jim Pickens [who plays Chief Webber]. And once I was able to put the acting hat back on, I suddenly felt at ease and from that point started to have a complete blast with the directing.
Did your cast mates play any practical jokes on you?
Everyone was hugely supportive. I was amazed at how fantastic everyone was. There were times that I was directing the actors to do certain things that they didn't think their characters would do and they kind of made fun of me like when I don't like what I'm told to do. They were kind of like, 'Wow, you're asking me to do that? Really?' But all of it was in good humor. There was no hazing, which was great, and everybody kind of brought their 'A-game.' I was actually moved and touched at how supportive everyone was.
So, this is a pretty anticipated episode. What was the pressure like?
I was lucky, because I was handed a really tight script by Mark Wilding, one of the senior writers. In fact, we have these meetings called tone meetings when the director gets notes and [EP and creator Shonda Rhimes] told me, "I love Mark's script, don't mess it up!' She used different words than 'don't mess it up.' And that was it and she called me after she saw my cut and said, 'You did a great job.' So, hopefully the fans will be okay with it.
What was your favorite scene as a director?
I really loved the montage in Act 5 that revolved around Derek's (Patrick Dempsey) clinical trial and Callie trying to find a heartbeat for her baby. And I just think how that montage and that song ended up being a really lovely cocktail. To me if feels like the classic sort of 'Grey's Anatomy' and that's what you're going for. You're trying to emulate that feel and tone that 'Grey's Anatomy' has.
McKidd's directorial debut of "Grey's Anatomy" airs Thursday, Feb. 3 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Thursday's episode will include the launch of Derek's Alzheimer's clinical trial, Bailey tweeting from the operating room, and the beginning of parenthood for Mark, Callie and Arizona. How did his directorial debut go over? McKidd dishes:
Worst (Exhausted) Direction: "There were a couple moments where I had to direct Sara Ramirez and Sandra Oh, and I basically gave them bad direction," he says. "It had been a long day and I was trying to squeeze the last bit of something out of myself. I had given them a straight-ahead corny, cheesy direction. I said, 'Be more sad,' which is one of the worst directions you can give to an actor. They both called me out. They both raised their eyebrows, like, 'Really? I'm not going to do that.'"
Biggest Challenge: "In general, the episode is very static. A lot of the scenes took place in a room with people just talking and no movement," McKidd says. "So I worked hard to try and relocate a lot of the scenes that didn't necessarily need to be in a patient room or an O.R. Whether it was them moving, or an exterior, or the cafeteria, I was trying to get the life of the hospital going again."
Most Emotional Scene: "It's the first day of Derek's Alzheimer's clinical trial. There's a very emotional scene between a husband and wife, and the impact of Alzheimer's on a marriage. One of my grandparents had Alzheimer's and another one had dementia, so it's been in my family. It was quite hard to revisit that, but I think it helped me help the actors get to a place where they really gave amazing performances."
Easiest Actor to Direct: "Eric Dane is amazing," McKidd gushes. "He came up to me and said, 'Just tell me what you want me to do. I've learned the lines. You just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it.' And he did. I've never had an actor say that to me before. Usually actors are fighting and saying, 'No, I want to do this!'"
Easiest Scene to Direct: Since McKidd was on director duty, Owen is very light in this week's episode. "Shonda Rhimes made him go to the dentist for the day," McKidd says. "I do one scene. Actually, getting to act in that one scene was the thing that really made me settle into directing. Getting to go back to what I know, which is acting, made me suddenly just sink into it and go, 'Oh, this isn't as strange as it actually seems.'"
The McKidd-directed episode airs Thursday at 9/8c on ABC.
Launching with the February 3rd episode, the app will allow "Grey's Anatomy" fans to seamlessly interact and engage with specific moments in all of this season's remaining, first-run episodes. In addition to exclusive companion content like polls, trivia, behind-the-scenes insights, production details, character bios, video and photo galleries, users will also be able to "check-in" to virtual environments within episodes, such as riding an elevator with Dr. McDreamy. Users can then share their experiences with friends and other fans of the show through their Facebook account.
In addition to engaging with episode content, users will have the ability to interact directly with Lexus' ads through trivia and also link back directly to the Lexus website (m.lexus.com/TheHardWay).
The new offering is the latest collaboration between Disney/ABC and Nielsen following last fall's My Generation Sync app, a proof-of-concept experiment that was initially tested last fall.
Nielsen's Media-Sync Platform is a complete application development and operating environment that allows TV content producers and broadcasters to deploy sync-to-broadcast mobile apps in a rapid and scalable fashion. The platform relies on audio watermarks already inserted into nearly every TV program in the U.S. as part of Nielsen's industry standard TV audience ratings service. In addition to giving viewers the ability to interact with synchronous content tied to their favorite shows, the Media-Sync platform also delivers interactive advertising modules as companions to the ads on the big screen. This capability gives viewers the opportunity to dive deeper into TV ads for products that interest them, and gives advertisers a powerful new way to extend the effectiveness of their TV ad buy.
ABC's Grey's Anatomy Media-Sync App is available from the App Store on iPad at www.itunes.com/appstore
Berry dropped out of the flick in order to make herself available for custody litigation. The actress and her ex Gabriel Aubry are going to court over custody of their two-year-old daughter Nahla. Not much is known about Berry's role in the film, but she was rumored to be playing a caterer. This wouldn't be the first time Heigl has played a caterer; She played one in her most recent film "Life As We Know It."
Heigl will reunite with several of her former on-screen leading men in the flick, including "Killers" co-star Ashton Kutcher and "Life As We Know It's" Josh Duhamel. Also starring in the film is a long list of actors including Jessica Biel, Zac Efron, Lea Michele, Robert De Niro, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jon Bon Jovi, Sofia Vergara, Seth Meyers, Hilary Swank, Abigail Breslin and Michelle Pfeiffer.
For McKidd, the experience was something he had wanted to do for a long time. Taking advantage of "Grey's" ensemble cast, the veteran actor started shadowing directors on the set before being handed the reins to helm webisodes of the hit ABC medical drama, a gig he highly recommends to his fellow thespians looking to make the switch to behind the lens.
McKidd recently discussed his experience at the helm of the February 3 episode of "Grey's Anatomy" -- titled "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)" -- and how being an overthinking actor helped him.
BACK STAGE: WHEN DID YOU FIRST GET THE BUG TO DIRECT?
Kevin McKidd: I've wanted to direct for a long time. I've always been too busy as an actor, but on this show, because it's such a large ensemble, you can have episodes where it's pretty light for you. It seemed like the perfect fit to kind of go, "Okay, this might be the area that I can start to maybe shadow and learn and observe." I went and approached ("Grey's Anatomy" creator) Shonda (Rhimes) and (executive producer) Rob Corn last year and said I'd like to start shadowing this year. They were really both excited. Then, from that, directing the webisodes came about, which went really well. I was amazed that they offered me a full show. It's not small potatoes, you know? I took the full weight of it upon myself and stressed out and lost a lot of sleep over it.
BACK STAGE: HOW DID DIRECTING THE WEBISODES PREPARE YOU TO DIRECT A FULL EPISODE?
McKidd: Well, the biggest thing psychologically was the fact that there wasn't any other person on that set saying the words "action" and "cut." It was less pressure of a situation. I got the chance to get my feet wet before the big show, which was ideal, really. Also, the webisodes, even though they're smaller in scale, essentially are scenes of the show. The preparation and the process to produce them is exactly the same. We went through the same ins and preparation that we did on the show. It gave me a dry run and a prep. They were essential for me. I recommend anybody who's interested in directing do the webisodes, because it gives you that confidence that you've done it once before; maybe not on such a big canvas, but it's still the same process.
BACK STAGE: WHEN YOU WERE IN THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR, DID YOU HAVE TO TURN OFF THE ACTING SIDE OF YOU?
McKidd: I actually think it was my main strength, really. I think sometimes there can be a lot of communication issues between actors and directors on set, especially the pace that TV is set at. Good directors can get an actor to where they need them to be quickly in a shorthand of dialogue without the actor feeling like they're being pushed or shoved or pulled to kind of be a chattering monkey. All the actors came up to me afterward and said they really felt listened to, but we didn't waste any time. I cut to the chase a lot because I'm an actor. I know more instinctively what works for actors and what doesn't. Some directors who have always just been behind the camera maybe haven't acted or don't know what that process is.
BACK STAGE: YOU'VE SAID IN THE PAST THAT YOU'RE PRONE TO OVERTHINKING SCENES AS AN ACTOR. DID YOU HAVE THAT SAME EXPERIENCE AS A DIRECTOR?
McKidd: Having done it now, I think it's the director's job to overthink the scenes. Of anybody on that set, it's that person's job to have lived with that script and have read it so many times and have it inside their bones. An actor should do that too, but I think an actor can just focus just on the lines, whereas the director has to think of every single detail. It played on my strength of overthinking and working and reworking and studying stuff. I spent every day for the week leading up to my show directing on the stage and on my own. What's interesting as a director, if you plan it in that way, that you walk the scene ahead of time and come up with an idea of where you think the actors should be. Because I'm an actor, I acted out every scene and playing every role in the episode beforehand. Obviously, understanding that an actor will show up and maybe have a different instinct. You have to come as a director, especially on TV, with an idea that can then change. You can't just show up and say, "What do you want to do?"
BACK STAGE: DID YOU HAVE TO DIRECT YOURSELF MUCH? IS OWEN IN THIS EPISODE A LOT?
McKidd: I'm in one scene, which I directed. The scene that I was in, which is a very funny scene, I was nervous. It was on the second day and I was still nervous. As soon as I got a chance to disband from the camera and act again, suddenly everything came into place. I don't think anybody expected that. Everybody thought it might be too much for my brain to handle. For some reason, being able to act a little bit was the scene that stabilized me, and I was fine from that point on.
BACK STAGE: DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO DIRECT FUTURE EPISODES?
McKidd: I'd like to. They really seemed happy with the end product, which is the important thing. I'm open to doing it again. But I certainly don't want to become a director. I've realized that. My first love really is acting. But it feels like it's a natural progression for me as I go forward and start using that experience to build to my own independent project -- probably more European-based independent films in the future that I might act and direct. But it's opened up a whole new world for me.
Dr. Derek Shepherd was behind the wheel of the car at the front of the Grand Touring class when the sun came up on the twice-around-the-clock endurance event.
How could it be that an actor with the kitschy nickname "McDreamy" could be leading the most prestigious road race in America?
The answer, it turns out, is actor Patrick Dempsey has developed into a pretty decent race car driver.
For a few hours Sunday, Dempsey Racing's No. 40 Mazda was inexplicably in contention for a win in a world-class sports car race. Neither Dempsey or his team had ever led a lap at this level, nor sniffed a podium finish.
Victory was ultimately snatched away when teammate Tom Long spun with just under six hours remaining in the race, and the car fell four laps behind the GT leaders. But they rallied to a third-place finish, a career best for both Dempsey and his team that left the actor in tears.
"I'm retiring from 'Grey's Anatomy' as of today," Dempsey declared in his post-race news conference. "I'll be racing full-time from here on in. There's a headline for you."
He was joking, of course, but the finish validated Dempsey's work in pursuit of his passion and finally gave him some credibility.
There's a term in sports-car racing for guys like Dempsey, who are typically branded by the serious drivers as "Rolex Racers." It's a derogatory reference to rich guys who buy a ride at Daytona International Speedway as nothing more than a macho way to stroke their egos.
They aren't there to win the coveted Rolex watch. They're probably already wearing a vintage model they bought on their own.
The real racers roll their eyes at the rich guys wrecking expensive cars, and Dempsey earned his share of ridicule over the years.
But he was determined to prove he's serious about racing. And through driving schools, low level races and years of commitment, he's steadily improved.
"He's too modest to say it, but he's got a good passion and true passion for the sport," teammate Charles Espenlaub said. "He's not some (jerk) that just wants to come in here and race because it's cool. He does it because he loves it."
Juggling his budding racing career with his real job hasn't been easy.
Dempsey's acting, directing and producing commitments — you know, his real job — limited him to only four GT races last season. But three of them ended with top-10 finishes, including sixth at the Rolex 24 in 2010.
He was able to race in seven Grand-Am events in 2009 and nine in 2008, but finding the time has been challenging, even this last weekend as Dempsey had to race, literally, back and forth between Daytona and Park City, Utah, to promote his new film "Flypaper" at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film, which Dempsey also produced, screened Friday night and Dempsey made it after a practice session in Daytona earlier in the day. He was back in Florida about 5 a.m., ready for all the pre-race commitments and the start of a grueling event.
Still, he was angry with himself after his first stint in the car, a double shift, was so difficult.
"By the time I got in the car, I was completely depleted," he said. "I didn't have a lot of energy, I didn't have the same snap in practice, which was difficult and demoralizing. I got out of the car and was extremely frustrated and upset with myself and was like, 'What am I doing wasting my time if I'm not going to be successful and be out there and be competitive? Was it a mistake to go out and do the premiere?'"
Some time alone in his motorhome, listening to the radio chatter of his team, watching race coverage on television, and reflecting on his love of racing helped Dempsey pull himself together.
"It reminded me of like, remember to have fun and not to forget about how lucky we are to be here and competing with such an incredibly talented group of drivers," he said. "To really work through all of those emotions and to get out and find a place where I was much more aggressive, and then I found myself leading the 24 Hours, which was remarkable. You just think of the waves of emotions ... from getting off the couch, from watching SPEED on Sunday, to my wife saying 'Go and follow your dreams.' It's pretty special."
Drenched in champagne and fighting off tears, Dempsey said he'd not been as happy as he was Sunday since the birth of his children. And he talked of the validation Sunday gave his fledgling second career.
"I really work hard to try to be respected in this series," he told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. "I'm very respectful and I have a lot of respect for what they do and for their talent. The fact that I'm inching in, getting closer on my lap times ... this week I was putting down some of my best times. I'm starting to taste it and feel it now."
Oscar winner Paul Newman was the last actor to find success pursuing racing as a second love. Newman was part of the 1995 Rolex winning team, at the age of 70, making him the oldest winner in series history.
And Newman-owned race teams won 107 races CART races and eight series championships.
Dempsey may never be the next Paul Newman.
But Dempsey, who repeatedly talked at Daytona about "life after 'Grey's,' certainly is trying.
Long in gestation project from "The Hangover" co-writers Scott Moore and Jon Lucas has moments of hilarity, but overall the script evinces neither the inspired comedic mayhem nor the intricately disciplined structure of 2009's smash hit.
The combination of Minkoff's solid track record, the A-list comedy writers and stars Patrick Dempsey and Ashley Judd will assure a favorable opening, but if the Sundance world premiere (belatedly added to the festival lineup) was any indication, the R-rated material and mixed audience response may combine to dampen box office after initial playdates.
A casual trip to the bank at closing time proves unlucky for hottie math whiz Tripp (Dempsey), first when his casual flirtation with very much engaged teller Kaitlin (Judd) provokes a cool response and then when he's caught in the middle of a double heist by two different crews. Professionals Darrien (Mekhi Phifer), Gates (Matt Ryan) and Weinstein (John Ventimiglia) break in with automatic weapons drawn, only to encounter amateurs Peanut Butter (Tim Blake Nelson) and Jelly (Pruitt Taylor Vince), intent on blowing open the lobby ATMs for quick cash.
A brief shootout ensues, prompting Tripp to leap over the counter, protectively tackling Kaitlin. During the Mexican standoff that follows, Tripp impulsively intervenes and negotiates a deal: the pros will execute their original plan to crack the vault while good 'ol boys Peanut Butter and Jelly can eviscerate the ATMs with their plastic explosives.
With the bank locked down overnight by the internal security system, the robbers lock Tripp and the employees, led by manager Gordon (Jeffrey Tambor), into the break room. Off his meds and feeling totally OCD, Trip immediately begins looking for a way out, giving the others nervous fits in response to Gates' threat to kill them all if there's any attempt to escape.
Things start getting really weird after Weinstein and the bank's computer administrator, who's already admitted to taking a payoff in return for providing critical security information, fatally shoot one another. Then Darrien's welding rig blows up, killing him too. Faced with flying solo if he wants to break into the vault, Gates reluctantly teams up with Peanut Butter and Jelly so he can use their explosives.
Back in the break room, Tripp is trying to figure out how the two heist teams happened to hit the bank at the same time. Bouncing theories off Kaitlin only increases her frustration with him, so he goes off sleuthing around the building by crawling through ceiling airducts and returns with a bizarre theory. Trip suspects that the simultaneous robberies are a cover plan for a single criminal mastermind to bring his all outstanding liabilities together in one location so he can kill them off. The money in the vault is just flypaper, he concludes - bait to lure them to the bank.
Refocused on identifying the ruthless killer among them, the surviving robbers and civilians all begin to suspect one another, with Tripp the main target of their distrust. By now, however, Tripp and Kaitlin have formed an alliance and set the killer up to expose himself, if they can manage not to get shot first.
Minkoff smoothly choreographs the rapid-fire action sequences and adeptly integrates the movie's intersecting plotlines, although directing the sprawling cast comes off less effectively. Jokey line readings and forced humor draw too much attention to many of the performances, although Nelson and Vince consistently deliver with their absurdly incompetent Peanut Butter and Jelly routine.
Given a bit of breathing room in the breathless script, Dempsey and Judd might have been able to develop some convincing chemistry, but relationship dynamics get squeezed out by relentless plotting. Dempsey endows Tripp with a curious combination of nerdiness and charm that's endearing without being totally engaging. Judd gives her best, but Kaitlin never comes across as a fully formed character, serving primarily as a foil for Tripp.
Starting from a clever premise of colliding bank robberies, the writers cram too many characters and a surfeit of plotting into the 85-minute running time, which makes the movie seemed rushed, perhaps another reason for the underwhelming sense of attraction between Dempsey and Judd. Plot twists quickly pile up on one another during the final reel with an improbability that makes comparisons to 1985's Clue seem inevitable.
Production values overall are top-quality, with cinematographer Steven Poster providing crisp visuals and Tom Finan's editing ably underpinning the film's frantic pace.
"I'm retired from Grey's Anatomy as of [Sunday], and I will be racing full time from here on in -- now there's a headline for you," Dempsey quipped.
In fact, Dempsey now has two day jobs. He flew from Daytona to Park City, Utah, on Friday for the screening of Flypaper, a film he produced and starred in, at the Sundance Film Festival. He flew back to Daytona on Saturday in time for the 3:30 p.m. start of the race.
"It's really tricky because you have to balance the two [racing and acting]," Dempsey said. "And this weekend, it was so obvious with having to get to the premiere that was successful, and the career, I had to balance them out.
"I hope I can successfully balance both out -- be competitive in both of those arenas and make time for both."
Dempsey, the “Grey’s Anatomy” star, brought two entries to the twice-around-the-clock endurance race at Daytona International Speedway, and drove the No. 40 Mazda into the lead of the Grand Touring class Sunday morning.
Tom Long was behind the wheel when he spun on his own with just under six hours remaining in the race. Long was unable to get the car restarted after a pit stop, and the Dempsey Racing team fell four laps down.
It was the first time Dempsey has ever led a race at this level.
The weekend wasn’t a complete loss for “McDreamy,” though. He attended the Sundance Film Festival on Friday for the premier of his new film “Flypaper” and said it got strong reviews. He also produced the film.
Dempsey said after Saturday’s driving stint that the trip from Daytona to Park City, Utah, and back to the track had left him exhausted, but thought the effort to participate in both events was worth the energy.
“It went really well. The screening was phenomenal. The response was huge right from the beginning,” Dempsey said. “So on that side of things, I couldn’t ask for a better response to the movie. It’s the first time I’ve produced a movie and for it to be received that strongly was a really good thing.
“We paid for it a little (Saturday) with some fatigue, but we’ll be good.”
Meanwhile, the Chip Ganassi Racing teams remained in control of the Daytona Prototype class and appeared poised to battle each other for the overall title.
Juan Pablo Montoya powered past teammate Memo Rojas on a restart to put the No. 02 BMW Riley out front, continuing a trend of the two Ganassi entries controlling the front of the field.
Early morning fog led to a nearly three-hour period under yellow—the most significant delay in the event since a red flag for heavy rain stretched almost three hours in 2004—and the Ganassi cars wasted no time jumping out front when racing resumed around 8 a.m.
Three-time Rolex winner Scott Pruett passed Buddy Rice to put Ganassi’s No. 01 back into the lead with a little over seven hours remaining. Dario Franchitti then worked Ganassi’s No. 02 into second place.
It was another comeback for the No. 02 entry, which suffered two blown right rear tires in the early stages of the twice around-the-clock endurance race.
Then while leading, Montoya struck debris entering the pits overnight and the car had to go to the garage to change the front end. The team lost two laps while completing the work.
While promoting the movie at the Sundance Film Festival this week, The "Grey's Anatomy" actor described the experience as sometimes "painful," where there were days he "didn't want to show up." In the end he believes pushing himself outside his comfort zone was a good thing.
"Flypaper," a comedy about a bank robbery, also stars Ashley Judd and Tim Blake Nelson. Dempsey believes the outcome of the experience was "very good" and would "probably" produce another film in the future.
For Patrick Dempsey this weekend, his race will already be half over by the time the green flag flies Saturday at 3:30 p.m. That’s because the multi-talented actor/racer will be spending Friday fulfilling his ‘day job’ commitments, before jetting back in time for Saturday’s race start.
“I’ll be in the morning practice [Friday morning], then get on a plane, fly off to the premiere, do some press and fly back,” Dempsey said. “I’ll be in great shape by the sunrise!”
Dempsey’s latest movie, “Flypaper”, premieres Friday at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The comedy, which he produced, follows a man caught in the middle of two bank robberies and his efforts to save the bank teller, whom he’s secretly in love with.
There’s a rather interesting racing connection here, as Ashley Judd, wife of three-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, stars in the film, alongside Dempsey and Tim Blake Nelson.
But you have to thank Dario for ‘helping’ Ashley land her role, thanks to the Scot's accolades at the Brickyard last year.
“It was funny how that worked out because I was watching the [Indianapolis] 500 and we had an actress fall out at the last minute,” Dempsey explained. “And I’ve always wanted to work with Ashley and she said she had some time available... So we just called her up and told her we’ll send her the script. She got it at the [Indy 500] banquet and said yes the next day.”
The low-budget Indie flick, which Dempsey hopes will get picked up by a major studio, comes at a transitional point of his life, where he hopes to ultimately spend more time racing.
“It was an incredible process of agony making and producing a movie,” he said. “I thought raising money for a race team was hard, but this was even harder. But we got through it and the movie turned out really well. We’re getting a good response.
“It’s one more stab into the process of life after Grey’s [Anatomy] and to continue my career and not be pigeonholed playing one type of character. I guess it would be like driving different types of cars, moving up to DP or changing it up. It just strengthens you and teaches you something new.”
As for his next film, Dempsey is still working hard on getting Garth Stein’s award-winning novel “The Art of Racing in the Rain” onto the big screens. If all goes according to plan, it could start production this year.
“There is a tremendous passion to get the movie made at Universal,” Dempsey said. “I want to make it my next movie. I think it’s a great story all the way around. I would then get to go do both things at the same time, which would be fantastic.
“I think it would be a great platform to bring visibility to this series and road racing in American and throughout the world. It can bring in people who don’t like racing and expose them to that and hopefully that will be realized this year.
“Anything can happen. It’s an incredible cut [throat] business. There’s a lot of politics involved. But I know people want to make it and we’ll do everything we can to get it done.”
But first, he has a race to run. The No. 40 Visit Florida Mazda RX-8 will roll off 15th on the grid in GT, with Dempsey sharing the wheel with Joe Foster, Charles Espenlaub and Tom Long.
As we first speculated, the musical episode will feature songs made popular by the medical series, like The Fray's "How to Save a Life" and Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars," which were both featured in the second season.
Kevin McKidd tells TVGuide.com that he'll be involved in both of those numbers, as well as singing Gomez's "How We Operate," which was heard in the penultimate episode of Season 2, "Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response."
"We're in the studio right now," McKidd says. "I did my recording [Wednesday]. I've got quite a big couple of numbers. It's a one-off episode in Callie's point of view. It's very dramatic. It's a very intense episode. It's not going to be jazz hands and glitter balls."
Though fans have been nervous that the show may be jumping the shark by doing a musical episode, McKidd insists that it's "a love letter to the fans." "It's very exciting and quite experimental. I think it's great that the show has taken such a bold move to do something like this, and I think it's going to work in a big way."
Grey's Anatomy returns with new episodes Thursday, Feb. 3 at 9/8c on ABC.
That's the word from Kevin McKidd (Dr. Owen Hunt) about next week's episode, which marks the actor's TV directorial debut—and answers the most important question of all:
How do you tell your on-again, off-again girlfriend that you've impregnated your on-again, off-again sex friend who, by the by, is currently separated from her lesbian lover?
Q&A With Grey's Anatomy Star Kevin McKidd
What can you tell us about the episode—titled "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)"—you directed?
Mark (Eric Dane) has things to deal with Lexie (Chyler Leigh), like how's he going to tell her about Callie's (Sara Ramirez) pregnancy. That plays out in a big way. Also, Mark has things to deal with Lexie, like how's he going to tell her about Callie's pregnancy—that plays out in a big way.
The episode revolves around the very first day of Derek Shepherd's (Patrick Dempsey) clinical trial for Alzheimer's, which then plays out for the rest of the season. The trial very important to Derek.
That's the framework, and also during that day Callie has a meltdown—her hormones are up. She's very anxious…about how things are going to go down with Arizona and Mark. So she has an OB doctor, Rachael Taylor, who is a new castmember—Callie drives her around the bend because Callie basically becomes hypochondriac, which is very funny but also very touching and moving.
How much acting do you do in the episode?
They wrote my character to basically be at the dentist for most of the episode which is great, so I got a chance to take the foot off the gas—I did have to act in one scene.
Do you get to direct Sandra Oh as Cristina in this episode? Is she fully back on her feet?
She's back, she's healthy again, and she's not paralyzed in the way that she was, and it's fun. She's back and fighting, pushing people out of the way to get into an OR, all that stuff. It's great to see Cristina back to her old tricks.
How did your fellow castmembers react to you being behind the camera?
Everyone in the cast, everyone, came up to me and they were just so supportive. Patrick [Dempsey] said to me, 'I've got your back.'
Everyone knows it's a lot of stress and you've taken on a whole new thing and there are millions of dollars riding on your shoulders and all that stuff—and everybody was amazing and I am very thankful to all of them. They just came to work and just supported me in the most loving way, and I will be eternally grateful to all of them for that, I have to say.
What's it like behind the scenes these days?
It's really a very good place to come to work. We all have other actor friends, a lot of people in this industry are finding it hard to get work because of the economy, so we all are very painfully aware of how lucky we are, and we're just blessed to come to work every day and get to act and get to do the thing we love so.
Everybody has their lives, a lot of people have kids, and it's almost like we all come to work and have fun catching up with each other and find out how things are going with each other...it's almost like a getaway from our real lives. That's the way it should be—being an actor is all about make-believe and about transporting yourself from this real world, and that's what I love about acting. I think it's a really fun and healthy and warm place to work.
Where did your directing ambition start—have you done it before? How did you approach the executive producers with your interest?
I have worked with some great directors, I've been very lucky over the years to watch some great directors make real visions come alive, but I've always been too busy really as an actor to pursue it. But I approached [the Grey's Anatomy producers] about a year and a half ago to ask if I could shadow directors maybe and start to learn. So I did that and then they said, look, we have these webisodes and we would like you to direct some.
I think the webisodes were my tryout or my audition, and it seems like I passed it because they offered me an episode pretty quickly after that.
I feel very lucky about how it's all gone. I am still pinching myself.
What elements of this episode are you most proud of as a director?
Everyone, including the guest stars, gives good performances, and I am very pleased with the teaser, this little two-minute sequence before the title card comes up. And I am also very pleased with the montage of act five and the montage of act six, where the music kicks in. I am just really pleased with how those all came out emotionally and the transitions from scene to scene, how all that edited together in the way that I hoped it would—I'm proud of those moments.
Be sure to tune in to Grey's Anatomy on ABC next Thursday at 9 p.m. for Kevin McKidd's television directorial debut, "Don't Deceive Me (Please Don't Go)."
So it's easy to forget that it's also a place where well-known stars try to break out of the mold in which they've been cast.
This year, actor Patrick Dempsey is hoping to shed his Grey's Anatomy McDreamy role and dodge romantic-comedy pigeonholing after such movies as Made of Honor, Enchanted and Valentine's Day.
Dempsey has produced and stars in a dark comedy called Flypaper. "I'm trying to get away from how people perceive me," he says. "I'm trying to break that typecasting."
The film, a whodunit that involves a bank robbery, has its share of violence and explosions, along with humor. It also stars Ashley Judd, Tim Blake Nelson, Mekhi Phifer and Jeffrey Tambor. "It's a very eclectic group," Dempsey says.
During the $7 million shoot in Baton Rouge, improvisation played a large part.
Dempsey plays Tripp Kennedy, a guy who goes into a bank near closing time just as two different gangs converge to rob it. During a shoot-out, Tripp tackles the teller Kaitlin (Judd) to protect her. The bank's security system end-of-day lockdown kicks in, and everyone is sealed inside the building, leading to a comical cat-and-mouse game.
Even the film's director, Rob Minkoff, was taking a sharp turn after making movies such as Stuart Little and The Lion King.
Other actors have used Sundance to pull off reinventions:
• Actor Steve Carrell showed he could do sad as well as funny when he played the depressed Proust scholar in the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine.
• Actor Michael Rapaport has a documentary in this year's festival, Beats, Rhymes and Life, about the musical collective A Tribe Called Quest.
• Actress Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) has a first-time directing project at this year's festival, Higher Ground. She also stars as a wife and mother who begins to question things after a life spent in a fundamentalist cult.
In Flypaper, Dempsey's character is a man with obsessions. "My character has mental-health issues," he says. "I went to a psychiatrist to get a handle on the behaviors. (Tripp) has ADD and Asperger's. He has a quirky relationship with money. That's why he goes into the bank, then gets caught up in a bank robbery. This happens right at the same time that he's run out of the meds that keep him sedated."
Dempsey enjoyed talking to an expert to get a handle on his character. "The character was a little bit of a pivot for me, as far as what I've done up to this point," he says. "It was different and challenging. A lot of my behavior comes out of my conversations with the therapist. It was nice to sit down and talk with a professional about the disease and the behaviors."
His character and Judd's strike off sparks while trapped in the bank with the thieving gangs. "Through the course of time they're stuck in the bank together, they develop a fondness for each other," Dempsey says.
Judd ran into Dempsey at the racetrack with her race-car-driver husband, Dario Franchitti. (Dempsey has another professional life as a race-car driver.)
Dempsey sent her the script, and she read it on her BlackBerry en route to the Indy 500 banquet.
For Dempsey, the almost-month-long shoot was a long time away from his wife and three young children. "It had been a while since I'd been on location," he says. "(The cast and crew) all stayed in the same hotel in Baton Rouge, and there was one trailer where we all could watch the World Cup and get to know each other."
His first effort at producing was eye-opening, Dempsey says.
"I learned a lot of things. The technical side of things I was really learning as I was going along," he says. "We had a couple of people I actually had to fire, which was hard to do."
Easier for him was "feeling compassionate for the actors, making sure they're comfortable and supported."
Dempsey hopes audiences will take to the film, which has its premiere Friday and screens again the following day. Both performances have already sold out.
Dempsey will be in Park City for only a few hours. He flies in from the Daytona International Speedway, where he's readying for a race, then flies back to Florida after the premiere.
"I'm literally going to be there for only three hours," he says. "It should be a very interesting weekend."
While details on what Addison will be doing are scarce — the script isn't even finished — it's safe to assume that Derek's former wife will be helping Callie (Sara Ramirez) with her impending baby.
Until then, Callie will be treated by Seattle Grace's OB-GYN, Dr. Lucy Fields, who will be played by Transformers star Rachael Taylor.
Walsh, 43, stars on ABC's Private Practice, a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy.
Grey's Anatomy returns with new episodes Thursday, Feb. 3 at 9/8c on ABC.
Travis will play Allison, a patient in Derek's Alzheimer's clinical trial. Her 10-year-old son takes more care of her than the other way around, which will make Dr. Stark (Peter MacNicol) insist that Social Services be contacted.
The 49-year-old actress is best known for her film roles in So I Married an Axe Murderer and 3 Men and a Baby. More recently, Travis starred in The Bill Engvall Show and appeared on Desperate Housewives.
Magic City follows the mobsters, politicians and entertainments involved in establishing Miami's first big-name hotel, just as Fidel Castro is taking control of Cuba and putting an end to gambling in Havana.
Morgan, 44, would play the suave Jewish-American man who builds the hotel and makes unusual friends and powerful enemies along the way. The actor is best known for his multi-episode arcs on Grey's Anatomy, as heart transplant patient-turned-ghost Denny, and as Sam and Dean's father on Supernatural.
Mitch Glazer (The Recruit) created Magic City, and will executive produce with Geyer Kosinski (Hope & Faith). The drama is set to premiere in 2012.
"I'm working with Justin Chambers a lot," says Taylor. "Justin's hilarious. He has a wicked sense of humor." In fact, Taylor's been pleasantly surprised over the warm welcome she's received on the ABC medical drama. "I wasn't sure what to expect from the cast, but they can't have been more gracious or welcoming," she tells us. "Ellen Pompeo is like the sweetest woman in the world — she's so delightful. Patrick is a gentleman. They've all been wonderful. And it's really impressive as well that seven years on they show up, know their lines, put in great performances and also have the energy to welcome a newbie like me. I didn't expect it."
As far as a romantic connection on the show, Taylor plays coy, saying she gets her scripts a week before she shoots. "I don't know. There's been no steam yet, I don't think..." Taylor teases. "Depends what you call steam."
TV Guide Magazine: Boy, you sure didn't waste any time graduating from directing Grey's webisodes to a primetime gig. You must be a gifted student.
McKidd: I know. It kind of shocked me.
TV Guide Magazine: What's your episode about?
McKidd: It takes place during the first day of Derek's Alzheimer's clinical trials and he picks Alex to be his point man — much to Meredith's ire. So we follow Derek and Alex through what turns out to be a very complicated day. Very quickly they realize dealing with Alzheimer's patients is far more emotional than they first anticipated. Alex questions if he's really the right man for this job, while Meredith's waiting in the wings desperate to be part of it. Derek, of course, has reservations about working with Meredith because he feels it's a little too close for comfort.
TV Guide Magazine: What would you say was your most challenging scene?
McKidd: There's a very moving story about the patient Derek's working on who has fallen in love with another Alzheimer's patient in their facility and has forgotten he was ever married to the woman he is actually married to. This breaks her heart. This is really close to home for me because I had one grandparent who suffered from dementia and another from Alzheimer's. It was so heartbreaking in my personal family that it was hard for me to spend time with this.
TV Guide Magazine: What's going on with the other docs?
McKidd: There's a really fun story with Bailey and the Chief, which also involves April and Lexie. Basically, Bailey becomes a superstar in the Internet world — specifically with Twitter. She becomes a tweet queen, and Richard does not approve of this at all. Lexie and April become her tweet minions, while Richard is not up to speed on what Twitter even means and is not sure it's a good thing to be doing in an O.R.
TV Guide Magazine: Fans are really curious about how the triangle of Mark, Arizona and pregnant Callie is going to play out. Any developments on this front?
McKidd: It really starts to play out as Callie starts to suffer ill effects due to not knowing if Arizona is on board or not. Callie kind of becomes one of our patients of the week. It introduces a fantastic new character, Dr. Lucy Fields (Australian actress Rachael Taylor), who will be Callie's OBGYN for the duration of her pregnancy. She is also a potential love interest for Alex, I believe.
TV Guide Magazine: What about Cristina? It must have been interesting directing your on-screen wife.
McKidd: Cristina is back to her old self. She and Jackson are vying for Teddy's attention for a triple bypass. This was my first time on the big stage directing and Sandra [Oh, Cristina] and everyone were so supportive and had my back. I felt really blessed. It was a huge joy!
TV Guide Magazine: What about your character? Where's Owen?
McKidd: Owen's sort of just referred to. I thought it was quite amusing that they have him going off to the dentist that day. Cristina manages to use this in her battle with Jackson in a very funny way.
TV Guide Magazine: Will we see you at all?
McKidd: I'm in one scene. I'm on my way to the dentist and I stumble into Richard on the computer trying to figure out how to log on to Twitter. Owen asks him if he needs some help, and Richard says, 'I'm trying to look at Bailey's teets on the Internet.' I tell him, 'No, no. I think you mean tweets.'
TV Guide Magazine: Hysterical! What's this I hear about you being one of the lead singers in Grey's upcoming musical episode?
McKidd: I'm nervous about this but also excited. I love to sing and have done a few workshops with Andrew Lloyd Webber and others for potential musicals, but I've always been too busy as an actor in movies and TV to do them. A few years ago, I was in the Mike Leigh film Topsy-Turvy as [Mikado character] Nanki-Poo and sang "A Wandering Minstrel," which was the last time I sang on film. The episode is going to be great and what nobody expects — a real left of field one-off. There's a very real life-and-death situation that makes this element occur. It's really a love letter to the fans.
TV Guide Magazine: How did Shonda Rhimes find out which of you guys could sing? Did she audition you?
McKidd: (laughs) Well, it's obvious that Sara Ramirez [Callie] can sing, having won a Tony. One of our head writers was a big fan of Topsy-Turvy. Chandra Wilson [Bailey] had done a stint in Chicago during her last hiatus. James Pickens [Chief Webber] already did a little singing in last year's Christmas episode. And there are a lot of other good singers in the cast. I've heard Ellen Pompeo [Meredith], Sarah Drew [April] and Chyler Leigh [Lexie] all have great voices. I don't think anyone's going to be left out. In the next couple weeks we'll go into the studio and prerecord all our songs.
TV Guide Magazine: Lastly, what's to come for Owen and Cristina as the season continues?
McKidd: They've been in a really good place ever since rushing in to this marriage, but something comes to light in this latter half of the season regarding a life situation going on with lots of people in the hospital. Cristina and Owen realize they have very opposing opinions on this life decision.
TV Guide Magazine: Sounds like they're also going to be discussing baby making?
McKidd: It's going to become a real problem for them. Kind of choppy. They both want different things. This will play out for the rest of the season and I'm told it will build toward something very interesting.
TV Guide Magazine: Well, if they've already survived both of their battles with post-traumatic stress disorder — including Owen strangling Cristina in bed — I would think the topic of babies should be a breeze.
McKidd: (Laughs) You never know....
As it happens, the character in question is coming back with a serious problem that requires personal attention from one of the docs at Seattle Grace.
So who's coming back, and what's the trouble?
Sources reveal to us that Loretta Devine is returning to Grey's Anatomy.
Devine, who has appeared on the show as Adele Webber, Chief Webber's (James Pickens Jr.) woman, since the show's first year in 2005, is set to return to Seattle Grace Mercy West later this year. Why? Because apparently Adele has taken ill and needs medical care. Eek.
Look for Adele's Grey's Anatomy return engagement to air in mid-February. (Hmmm...could this medical treatment also be the situation that sets up a Valentine's Day reunion for the pair?)
The Eye averaged 10.1 million viewers and a 6.4 rating/11 share in households for the evening, beating out ABC's 9.6 million and 5.8/10. FOX (5 million, 3.0/5) came in a fairly distant third, while a lineup of repeats on NBC (2.9 million, 1.9/3) was even further back. The CW drew 1.6 million people and a 1.0/2.
ABC scored a 3.3 rating among adults 18-49 and led the demo by a comfortable margin. CBS was a point behind at 2.3. FOX, 1.5, finished third, followed by NBC at 1.3 and The CW at 0.6.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
ABC: "Wipeout" (10.5 million viewers, 5.7/9 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" rerun (10.4 million, 6.6/11)/"$#*! My Dad Says" rerun (10.2 million, 6.3/10)
FOX: "Million Dollar Money Drop" (5.65 million, 3.4/6)
NBC: "Community" reruns - two episodes (2.6 million, 1.6/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" rerun (1.65 million, 1.1/2)
18-49 leader: "Wipeout" (3.6)
9 p.m.
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (12.2 million, 7.7/12)
CBS: "CSI" rerun (9.7 million, 6.1/10)
FOX: "Bones" rerun (4.4 million, 2.7/4)
NBC: "The Office" reruns - two episodes (3.4 million, 2.2/3)
The CW: "Nikita" rerun (1.5 million, 0.9/1)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.4)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" rerun (10.3 million, 6.6/11)
ABC: "Off the Map" rerun (6 million, 4.0/7)
NBC: "30 Rock" reruns - two episodes (2.6 million, 1.8/3)
18-49 leader: "Off the Map" (2.0).
Produced by Inaba and Krista Vernoff (Grey's Anatomy), Grace will focus on a dysfunctional family set in the world of professional dance.
The other project, Partners, comes from Criminal Minds' Edward Allen Bernero. It revolves around two female police detectives who are fiercely loyal to one another because they're secretly sisters.
Outstanding Drama Series
• "Detroit 1-8-7" (ABC)
• "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
• "HawthoRNe" (TNT)
• "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC)
• "Treme" (HBO)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
• Chandra Wilson - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw - "Undercovers" (NBC)
• Jada Pinkett Smith - "HawthoRNe" (TNT)
• Regina King - "Southland" (TNT)
• Wendy Davis - "Army Wives" (Lifetime)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
• Andre Braugher - "Men of a Certain Age" (TNT)
• Giancarlo Esposito - "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
• James Pickens, Jr. - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
• Nelsan Ellis - "True Blood" (HBO)
• Terrence Howard - "Law & Order: Los Angeles" (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
• Alfre Woodard - "Memphis Beat" (TNT)
• Sandra Oh - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
• Sara Ramirez - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
• S. Epatha Merkerson - "Law & Order" (NBC)
• Vanessa Bell Calloway - "HawthoRNe" (TNT)
There are also laughs at the expense of Arizona (Jessica Capshaw), who, desperate to get Callie (Sara Ramirez) back, turns to somebody she typically can't stand: Callie's BFF, Mark Sloan (Eric Dane). "Mark is nothing if not loyal to Callie, and he doesn't make it easy for Arizona to gain his advice," explains Vernoff. "What Arizona is dealing with throughout the episode is that she doesn't think she has any flaws, and Mark has no problem naming them for her — it's hilarious!"
But will eating humble pie be enough to convince Callie to give Arizona another shot? "Callie is a hopeless romantic and she's trying not to be hopeless this time," says Vernoff. "I think it's safe to say that love will win out in the end, but it's going to take a lot more work for Arizona to get her back." Vernoff adds that Calzona fans shouldn't expect a reconciliation anytime soon because, she says, "tonight's episode is a cliff-hanger in terms of the state of their relationship." And the next new episode won't air until February 3 — news that might just wipe the smile right off your face.
"I thought it was so perfectly written and I wanted to do it justice," Cruz tells Zap2it. "I'm eager to see if I did. I'm going to have to take a xanax or something while I watch."
The show's executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, had told Cruz on a couple occasions that she wanted to work with him, but things started picking up momentum when they ran into each other at a party.
"Shonda was a big fan of 'My-So-Called-Life' and my work afterwards, which is very flattering," he says. "And then we were at Sara Ramirez's most recent birthday and she said to me, 'We're going to work together someday.'"
Fortunately for us, Cruz has been friends with Sara Ramirez, who plays Dr. Callie Torres on the show, for more than a decade. "I love her so much, I can't express it in words," he tells us. "First time I saw her was on stage in "Capeman" on Broadway. And I was so blown away by her voice and presence that I just wanted to know her."
So even though Cruz had relocated to New York City from Los Angeles just three weeks prior to his manager's call that "Grey's" had a part for him and that he had just a few days to get back to L.A. for shooting, there was no way he was going to pass this up.
"I didn't even know what the part was," he says. "I didn't care. I just knew that I loved Shonda and I've watched every single episode of the show. So, I was going to do it no matter what. Even if I was supposed to be a corpse, I was going to do it."
Cruz doesn't play dead (as far as we know), but very much the opposite. He plays a typically optimistic guy whose good nature will be tested when his partner gets injured on the day they were celebrating their domestic partnership.
"He's the kind of person that tries to make the best of every situation and tries to mine as much happiness out of any situation he finds himself in," he explains. "His goal was to make that day the most special day of their lives. And if it meant wearing a kilt, because his partner is Scottish, and hiring bagpipes and a horse-drawn carriage, then that was his way of making the day as special as possible."
In the state of Washington, where the show is set, marriage isn't an option for gay couples and that presents its own set of challenges for Cruz's character, who spends most of his scenes with Callie.
"It was great to work with Sara and feel supported and like in any good scene, it was like a tennis match," he says. "We were just hitting the ball back and forth. She's brilliant and I really can't say enough about her. She's fantastic. And I just feel like as a gay Latino man, to see her play this lesbian Latina woman on a major network television show and do it with such grace, I couldn't be more proud to know her."
So, what are the chances that his character will return? "In a wonderful, beautiful world, it could happen," he says. "I don't think it's going to happen, but I don't think it'll be the last time I'm going to work with Shonda or Sara. So, we will see."
Medical dramas Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, crime drama Castle and the network's three sophomore comedies, The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town will each return next season.
"We really stood by our Wednesday comedy block and who would have thought a year ago that The Middle, which I think is such an underrated show, would kick off what I think is one of the best nights of comedy," ABC President Paul Lee said at the Television Critics Association's winter previews. "That's a core part of our schedule."
Lee also said Grey's and Private Practice "were really at the top of their creative form" this season, while he heavily praised Castle's performance in the difficult Mondays-at-10 timeslot. (The show topped CBS' buzzed-about Hawaii Five-0 reboot several times in the fall.)
"Castle really showed its mettle this year," Lee said. "It's a show that I think hits the target of our brand. ... We have a really powerful procedural there."
Notably absent from the pickups, however, were Sunday dramas Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. Housewives creator Marc Cherry is contracted for two more seasons, but contracts for stars Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria expire at the end of this season.
Brothers & Sisters' renewal prospects have been debated all season. The network originally ordered only 18 episodes for its current season. Decent ratings then led ABC to up the order to the traditional 22 episodes.
This batch of early renewals doesn't necessarily mean those two shows or other network series such as Detroit 1-8-7, V and Better with You are doomed. Lee said the network "[has] ambitions" to renew Housewives and that a decision about Detroit wouldn't come for two or three months.
CBS and ABC were pretty much the only games in town ratings-wise Thursday night as the other broadcast nets are a couple weeks away from debuting their midseason schedules. The Eye led the night with 13.8 million viewers and an 8.3 rating/14 share among households. ABC (10.3 million, 6.1/10) was a solid second. There was a huge drop from there to third-place FOX (4 million, 2.6/4). NBC (3 million, 1.9/3) came in fourth, and The CW trailed with 1.4 million viewers and a 0.9/1.
"Wipeout's" strong debut (3.7 rating among adults 18-49) helped ABC lead the night in the demographic; it averaged 3.6 for the evening. CBS was close behind at 3.4. FOX and NBC tied for third at 1.2, while The CW delivered a 0.5.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" (14 million viewers, 8.2/14 households)/"$#*! My Dad Says" (10.9 million, 6.5/11)
ABC: "Wipeout" premiere (11.6 million, 5.9/10)
FOX: "Million Dollar Money Drop" (4.6 million, 3.0/5)
NBC: "Community" rerun (3 million, 2.0/3)/"30 Rock" rerun (3.2 million, 2.0/3)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" rerun (1.4 million, 1.0/2)
18-49 leader: "The Big Bang Theory" (4.4)
9 p.m.
CBS: "CSI" (14.2 million, 8.6/14)
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (11.7 million, 7.3/12)
NBC: "The Office" rerun (4 million, 2.4/4)/"Outsourced" rerun (3.2 million, 1.9/3)
FOX: "Bones" rerun (3.4 million, 2.3/4)
The CW: "Nikita" rerun (1.4 million, 0.9/1)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.2)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" (14.8 million, 9.0/15)
ABC: "Private Practice" (7.8 million, 5.2/9)
NBC: "The Office" reruns - two episodes (2.2 million, 1.5/3)
18-49 leader: "The Mentalist" (3.0)
“Every day is like Christmas morning. Every day when I go to her room to get her from her crib, it’s indescribable,” the Grey’s Anatomy star tells PEOPLE Moms & Babies at the grand opening of The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas and Marquee on Friday.
“I thought I was happy before, but she just brings so much joy. She’s such a happy girl.”
According to the proud mama, 15-month-old Stella has also been making great strides — literally — in her milestones.
“She’s got the walking thing down, which is terrifying because the falling thing comes with that of course,” Pompeo, 41, shares.
In fact, adds the actress, baby girl’s latest achievement came only hours before attending that night’s event with husband Chris Ivery.
“When we left the hotel room she said, ‘Bye’ [to her father]. She said it once and it was super exciting. I screamed!” Pompeo reveals. “The door was slamming and I opened the door and said, ‘Did you hear that?!’ She’s adorable.”
Caldwell, who played Rose, a cancer patient who was healed by the island, on Lost, will play the wife of a patient participating in the Alzheimer's clinical trial that Derek is heading with Alex assisting.
Her episode is scheduled to air Feb. 23, according to TVLine, which first reported the news.
So which Buffy boy is heading to Seattle Grace now? Here's the scoop:
Adam Busch, who us Buffy fans will remember as Warren, one of the dastardly Geek Trio who contributed to the death of Amber Benson's Tara is set to guest in the Jan. 13 episode "Start Me Up." (Busch and Benson later dated in real life, BTW, and Benson guested on the Nov. 4, 2010 episode of Grey's Anatomy.)
Busch is playing a first-year resident who must shadow Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). At the moment, the role is planned for one episode.
You know what this means, don't you? That fishing-trip psychological breakthrough stuck, and our girl Dr. Yang is finally getting her medical mojo back. Woo to the hoo!
But what causes Lexie (Chyler Leigh) the most heartache is seeing her daddy dating Danielle (All My Children alum Alexa Havins), a heavily tattooed girl her same age. "He met her in AA," explains Jeff. "They were taken with each other and fell in love, which horrifies Lexie."
Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), meanwhile, shrugs off her father's latest escapade. "She's bemused," says Jeff. "But keeps a safe distance."
In what was sure to be one of the most star-studded concerts of the year, Jay-Z and Coldplay rocked Las Vegas on New Year's Eve, performing at the grand opening of The Cosmopolitan, a $3.9 billion hotel on the famous Strip.
But those two acts weren't the only ones to take the stage: Beyoncé, Kanye West and John Mayer all made surprise appearances during Jay-Z's performance.
Beyoncé joined her husband for "Forever Young" and sang "Halo" with Chris Martin. Mayer played guitar with Jay-Z on his hit song "99 Problems."
"All the problems you were going through have been kicked out the door," Jay-Z told the crowd before a collaborative performance of West's "Homecoming," which featured Jay-Z, West and Martin.
Gwyneth Paltrow was also on hand to watch the show – and ring in the 2011 with her husband and close friends.
The intimate crowd was littered with celebrities to witness the show that Jay-Z called "once in a lifetime." Following their Mexican vacation, Cameron Diaz and Alex Rodriguez were spotted in the audience. Diaz spent some of the evening chatting with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, not far from Ellen Pompeo and Blake Lively.
Following the concert, the stars headed to Marquee Las Vegas where famed DJ Eric Morrillo entertained the concert crowd.
CNN's Marquee reports that according to a recent study by Global Compliance, some of our most beloved shows are in constant ethical violation of workplace conduct.
Leading the pack? NBC's "30 Rock," averaging 11 violations per episode.
Hot on their heels is "Grey's Anatomy" with seven violations, followed by "CSI" and "House" with six apiece. Other shows receiving a wag of the finger include "The Office," "NCIS," "White Collar," "Ugly Betty" and "Glee."
Global Compliance is an organization which aims to help companies achieve the highest level of ethical behavior. Let's just say, we're not entirely shocked that they don't appreciate Michael Scott's managerial skills.
The Grey's Anatomy star recently filmed a cameo role for the beloved kids' show, in which she teaches children all about wellbeing.
Accompanied by cuddly character Elmo, she says, "The word healthy means taking good care of yourself and there are lots of ways to keep your body healthy.
"(Fruit and vegetables are) healthy. Good hygiene is very healthy. Resting is healthy. Exercise is definitely healthy Elmo!"
Pompeo follows in the footsteps of Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Alba by appearing on the show.
The show already had the teen in us screaming when it cast "Felicity" star Scott Foley (and, yes, from "The Unit," as well) as Teddy's new project, but in the Jan. 13 episode, we'll be seeing another blast from the past.
An ABC spokesperson tell us that Wilson Cruz (who played Rickie on "My So-Called Life") guest stars as a man whose partner gets injured by a freak accident on their wedding day.
Aside from the cult series, which also introduced us to Claire Danes, Cruz has starred in Logo's "Noah's Arc," FOX's "Party of Five" and the gay coming of age film, "All Over Me," among others.
Déjà shoot: After all the controversy of last season's crazed gunman, the show is going there again. In the next episode, patients spill into the hospital after a gunman targets a local university. Will the crew be able to manage their deep fears during the crisis? Does Yang (Sandra Oh) find her way back to practicing medicine?
Callie's big news: In the next episode, Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) doesn't get a kind welcome from Callie (Sara Ramirez) after her surprise return from Africa. That's to be expected. But, ABC's description for the Jan. 13 episode is creating a little buzz around Callie. It reads, "Arizona seeks Mark's advice as she tries to reconcile with Callie, who has big news of her own."
Big news of her own? We all remember that Mark (Eric Dane) and Callie partook in some rebound bump and grind. Could a baby be on the way? It would definitely increase the bond between the two, who have both had some parental urges in the last season. Arizona, a pediatric doctor, though, was not too fond of bringing her work home. Could this mean Arizona may be permanently shut out?
Meredith and Derek's rift: Also, TVGuide.com reports that Derek (Patrick Dempsey) will soon begin his Alzheimer trials, but he's still keeping Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) on the outside looking in. When he decides to choose another researcher, big Grey goes big cray.
Teddy wedded: It's clear from the clip that Teddy (Kim Raver) goes through with marrying Henry (guest star Scott Foley), so he can get health insurance. Do you trust him?
The untitled project will follow the life and work of a professional fixer and her dysfunctional staff. The main character is based on famous crisis management consultant Judy Smith. Over the last two decades, Smith has guided many public figures, including Monica Lewinsky and Michael Vick, through their individual scandals. Smith will co-executive produce the project.
Rhimes wrote the script, which marks the first pilot she's written since Private Practice's backdoor pilot on Grey's Anatomy in 2007. She will executive produce along with fellow Grey's Anatomy executive producer Betsy Beers.
ABC is already home to three of Rhimes' series. Besides Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, Rhimes is the executive producer of Off the Map, a medical drama set in the jungle which premieres on ABC on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 10/9c.
From 2003-2007, blonde beauty Alexa played the very popular role of Babe Chandler on the ABC soap opera, All My Children (she also crossed over to One Life To Live for a few episodes). While Alexa has appeared on episodes of Cold Case and CSI: Miami, Grey's is by far her highest-profile primetime gig to date.
How will Thatcher's daughters feel about their daddy dating a girl their own age? You'll have to wait and see, but it's safe to say they won't be overjoyed.
The award-winning executive producer has proven it in big ways this year with her two ABC series: "Grey's Anatomy," which ended its sixth season with an intense gunman-loose-in-the-hospital episode last spring; and the "Grey's" spinoff "Private Practice," involving in its current fourth year the workplace rape of hospital chief of staff Charlotte King (KaDee Strickland) and its aftermath.
"I'm thrilled with how it's gone," Rhimes tells Zap2it about "Grey's Anatomy" post-hospital-shootings. "It did exactly what I was hoping it would do, which was to take the characters back to square one. It's really opened things up and allowed us to take some characters in new directions. A lot of them have pushed forward this season in a way that's been really wonderful."
To set up the current "Grey's" season, ABC scheduled the repeat of the two-part shooting story for Thursday, Sept. 16. That day at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a man shot a doctor, then killed himself and his mother (a patient at the facility). ABC responded by placing additional viewer warnings in the "Grey's" airing, and also by letting affiliates opt for a different "Grey's" rerun.
"I thought they did the responsible thing," Rhimes reflects. "I wrote those episodes, and I had a lot of concern about having them out there ... that they might confuse people, or hurt someone, or whatever. Mostly, what I wanted to do was to present the best anti-violence message I could come up with."
About the sexual-assault story still playing out on "Private Practice," Rhimes says, "I was gratified that so many people watched and really responded to it. KaDee and I talked a lot about wanting to honor the experiences of survivors. It was really powerful to do, and I'm glad it came out the way it did."
Rhimes will have another credit when ABC's South American medical-clinic show "Off the Map" premieres Wednesday, Jan. 12. Series creator Jenna Bans is another of its executive producers, and Rhimes calls it "really Jenna's show. She has the relationships with all the actors and what's going on down there (in Hawaii, where 'Map' is being filmed). It is an amazing team, and it's working quite well."
"She knows a lot about being healthy," says Elmo — aka actor Kevin Clash, who spoke to TV Guide Magazine in character, of course — with his trademark giggle. "We brush our teeth, she eats an apple, and she jogs...with pumps on. It was cool!"
And when the cameras weren't rolling, the two shared lots of hugs and chatted about Pompeo's 1-year-old daughter, Stella Luna, who wasn't on hand — being only 6 months old at the time of filming — to watch mommy yuk it up with every preschooler's favorite little guy.
Now Pompeo can't wait to see Stella's reaction to the segment. "She loves Elmo so much," says Pompeo. "She has a DVD we bought her for the plane. I have to hide it because she grabs it every day and wants to watch it. The minute she hears the music, she starts clapping. I'm superexcited to get to see how it registers when she sees me with Elmo." And Pompeo, for her part, was tickled to be hanging with the puppet. "He's very charming. I have to admit I kind of have a crush on Elmo."
We have to ask: Would Elmo consider returning the favor and guest starring on Grey's? "Elmo hopes so. Elmo would love to see Miss Ellen again."
• Scott Foley is so the new Denny Duquette. As a seriously ill but oh-so-charming patient, the former Felicity star first encountered Izzie – er, Teddy – in the elevator, where he announced that he planned to propose to his girlfriend. The next time the two met, though, Henry admitted that he'd only (unsuccessfully) popped the question because he desperately needed health insurance. Rather than spend another day blaming herself for Cristina's decision to quit the surgical program, Teddy threw herself into trying to convince the Chief, and then the hospital board, that the tumor-afflicted patient deserved pro bono surgery. And when that ultimately failed, Teddy made an impulsive proposal of her own. "I have great medical insurance," she said. "I'll marry you." Will this union of convenience evolve into something more? And considering how things turned out the last time a doctor got engaged to a patient (RIP, Denny), do Teddy and Henry have a shot at a healthier prognosis?
• Arizona is out of Africa! In the weeks since the doc left Callie, and Seattle Grace, behind for a gig in Malawi, poor Callie has tried everything – from cutting her hair to hooking up with Mark – to mend her broken heart. Just when it seemed she was making progress – surprise! – Arizona showed up at her door, claiming she'd made a mistake and was home to prove it. But judging from the door that Callie slammed in her ex's face, the gesture may be too little too late.
• All I want for Christmas is you: Former couple Mark and Lexie are back on! Inspired by a pair of injured newlyweds, who'd gotten together thanks to the guy's persistence, Sloan refused to give up on a future with Little Grey. At Joe's for a drink after work, Mark made the first move, planting a lingering kiss on Lexie, but it was she who chose to stay, rather than return to the hospital when she was paged, for more. Bailey got a dose of romance, too, courtesy of male nurse Eli (Daniel Sunjata), who asked the single mom out – and just may prove to be her match in the tough-as-nails department.
• Cristina goes fishing with Derek. Her brief stint as a bartender behind her, the troubled doc agreed to go fishing with Derek, an unlikely pursuit for the city girl that hubby Owen supported but best pal Meredith did not. While those two clashed loudly in the OR – Owen labeled Mer a "reckless" bad influence – Cristina reluctantly learned the value of silence. Stuck on a boat in the middle of a lake with Der, she had nowhere to run and could no longer hide from herself. Catching her first fish proved to be a source of genuine joy and pride but also prompted a flood of cathartic tears, which Derek made sure to immortalize with a Polaroid. In the snapshot, Cristina at long last looks at peace, surely a sign that things are looking up for her in 2011. Happy New Year indeed!
Overall, though, it was a pretty soft night for the networks. CBS averaged 9.1 million viewers and a 5.8 rating/10 share in primetime to finish a little ahead of ABC (8.8 million, 5.5/9) in the overall race. FOX took third with 7 million viewers and a 4.3/7. NBC (5.1 million, 3.1/5) finished fourth. The CW drew 3.2 million viewers and a 1.9/3, although an NFL pre-emption in the Houston area may bring those numbers down slightly in the final nationals.
ABC easily won the adults 18-49 demo with a 3.1 rating. NBC took second with a 2.2, beating out FOX's 2.1 and CBS' 1.9. The CW came in at 1.3.
Thursday hour by hour:
8 p.m.
FOX: "Bones" (8.9 million viewers, 5.4/9 households)
CBS: "The Big Bang Theory" rerun (8.9 million, 5.6/9)/"$#*! My Dad Says" rerun (7.4 million, 4.7/7)
ABC: Special - "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (7.3 million, 3.9/6)
NBC: "Community" (4.6 million, 2.9/5)/"30 Rock" (5 million, 3.1/5)
The CW: "The Vampire Diaries" (3.7 million, 2.2/4)
18-49 leader: "Bones" and "The Big Bang Theory" tied at 2.4
9 p.m.
ABC: "Grey's Anatomy" (10.9 million, 7.1/11)
CBS: "CSI" rerun (9.8 million, 6.2/10)
NBC: "The Office" (7.3 million, 4.2/7)/"Outsourced" (5.4 million, 3.2/5)
FOX: "Fringe" (5.1 million, 3.2/5)
The CW: "Nikita" (2.75 million, 1.7/3)
18-49 leader: "Grey's Anatomy" (4.0)
10 p.m.
CBS: "The Mentalist" rerun (9.3 million, 6.2/11)
ABC: "Private Practice" (8 million, 5.5/9)
NBC: "The Apprentice" (4.1 million, 2.7/5)
18-49 leader: "Private Practice" (2.9)
While most of the talk surrounding Foley surrounds whether his character is the new Denny (you know Izzie's star-crossed love), we're more interested in whether he's the new Yang (Sandra Oh). After all, Teddy needs a new project since Christina quit...
"Here is this person who is basically being sent home to die," Raver tells TVGuide.com. "And that, to her, is just unconscionable, so she will do whatever it takes to make sure she can right the system." Yep, project!
Of course, there's the likelihood that Henry and Teddy's relationship could get steamy (which is pretty Denny/Izzie-ish), but Raver says Teddy isn't doing this, because Henry's hot.
"[Helping Henry is] what feeds the fire to her," she says. "Not like, 'Oh wow, this guy's really cute and I get to fix him.' It would be much easier if she was conscious of that [spark between them]."
And what does Foley have to say for Henry's intentions for Teddy? "He needs someone to take his cause up, but I think he's just a nice guy," Foley tells the site. "I think anybody who's sick and pos