TV Guide is reporting that the fifth season of the plastic surgery drama begins Tues., Jan. 6 at 10 p.m.

And thirteen new episodes of “Damages” kicks off the following night — Weds., Jan. 7 — in the same time slot.

When we last left Hewes & Associates, the diabolical Patty had just wrapped up her case against Arthur Frobisher, who was left for dead after being shot by one of the employees he’d swindled. And Ellen is now working with the FBI to destroy Patty. (She did try to kill Ellen and all.)

So who’s on board for the new season?

None other than two—count ‘em, two—Oscar winners. With Glenn Close’s five Oscar nods—and her recent Emmy win for playing Patty—the cast was already pretty formidable, and it keeps getting better.

William Hurt will play Daniel Purcell, a man from Patty’s mysterious past. (Hmm, Patty’s baby daddy, perhaps?) Marcia Gay Harden joins the show, too, as an attorney going up against Patty in her latest case.

And Timothy Olyphant of “Deadwood” shows up as a guy who gets caught up in Ellen’s personal and professional problems.

Wow, with “Lost” gearing up to start at 9 p.m. on ABC in late January, and “Damages” to follow on FX at 10, my winter Wednesdays are looking pretty cozy. You know where you’ll find me, fellow couch potatoes!

(Photo courtesy of FX and the Associated Press)

The bad: I swear the only reason “The Wire” isn’t among the best drama nominees is because lazy Emmy voters—i.e. most of them—never saw the show. Despite a phenomenal fifth and final season, it’s only up for one writing award. Its only other nomination, also for writing, was back in 2005.

Geez. Where’s the acting love for Lance Riddick (Daniels), Clarke Johnson (Gus), Michael K. Williams (Omar) or Sonja Sohn (Kima)? The only rationale for no acting nominations I can think of is that so many talented “Wire” actors have split the vote over the last five seasons.

“John Adams” led the Emmy nomination pack with 23, and “Mad Men” (17) and “Damages” (16) were the first basic-cable series to be up for top drama.

I’m sure you’ll hear more Emmy commentary from many of us in the weeks to come before the Sept. 21 broadcast, but here’s the crucial info you need to know.

Drama: “Boston Legal,” “Damages,” “Dexter,” “House,” “Lost” and “Mad Men.”

Comedy: “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage,” “The Office,” “30 Rock” and “Two and a Half Men.”

Best actor—drama: Gabriel Byrne (“In Treatment”), Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”), Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”), Hugh Laurie (“House”) and James Spader (“Boston Legal”).

Best actress—drama: Glenn Close (“Damages”), Sally Field (“Brothers and Sisters”), Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), Holly Hunter (“Saving Grace”) and Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer”).

Best actor—comedy: Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”), Steve Carell (“The Office”), Lee Pace (“Pushing Daisies”), Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”) and Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men”).

Best actress—comedy: Christina Applegate (“Samantha Who?”), America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) and Mary-Louise Parker (“Weeds”).

And here’s the complete list of 2008 Emmy nominees.

UPDATE: More good news/bad news, this time in the category of best supporting actress in a comedy series. A long-overdue and well-deserved nod has been given to “Saturday Night Live’s” Amy Poehler, but how in the world is Jenna Fischer snubbed for her work on “The Office”? Instead, the category includes Jean Smart for “Samantha Who?” and Holland Taylor on “Two and a Half Men.” As Poehler herself on Weekend Update would say, “Really?!”

(Photo courtesy of Fox.)

My personal choices for the top 5 in each are in bold. The top 10s are:

Top 10 Comedy Series Finalists

Top 10 Drama Series Finalists

Premiere Of Paramount’s “Flags Of Our Fathers” Arrivals served by picapp.com

Timothy Olyphant joined Glenn Close and the rest of the cast when the legal thriller kicked off production of its second season in NYC this week.

He’s the second newbie named to the show this month: Oscar winner William Hurt is also on board.

Understandably, FX is trying to keep a lid on at least some of the secrets surrounding the legal thriller—especially since it won’t air until at least January.

But according to the Hollywood Reporter, Olyphant plays a man who gets close to Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) as Hewes & Associates takes on a new client (Hurt).

Vague enough for you, “Damages” fans? But on the positive side, if the casting is any indication, could the series’ sophomore season be even better than the first?

(Photo courtesy of FX)

Oscar winner William Hurt—currently starring in “The Incredible Hulk”—will join Glenn Close and the rest of the cast when the show kicks off production of Season 2 in NYC next week.

FX was candid about withholding details of Hurt’s character: The better to preserve the suspense of the series, which won’t air until January.

But producers did say he’ll play a new client of Patty Hewes, who’ll be taking on a new case next season now that the Frobisher brouhaha is wrapped up.

The only other tantalizing hint is that Hurt’s latest alter ego will have had a personal relationship with Patty in the past.

Hmm, could he possibly be the father of Patty’s baby girl, who was stillborn in 1972?

We’ll have to see. In the meantime, not a bad casting coup, eh?

Hurt’s been nominated four times for the Academy Award, most recently in 2006 for “A History of Violence.” (He won in 1986 for “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”) And like Close before “Damages,” he’s never done a TV series before.

There’s another Close connection, too: The two starred together 25 years ago in “The Big Chill.”

That was on the big screen, of course. And look how well that turned out. Hopefully their reunion will do as well for “Damages.”

(Photos courtesy of AP/Dan Steinberg and FX)

While true, I’m more upset about how the strike ruined this summer’s schedule: With a few exceptions, the small screen is pretty much a wasteland for the next few months.

For instance, I’m recalling how happy I was about last year’s warm-weather sensation, FX’s “Damages,” which debuted in July. Those back-and-forth storylines could be a tad confusing, and some episodes occasionally veered towards the overwrought. The series also tended to score more critical acclaim than high ratings.

But who cared? Man, did star Glenn Close keep you on your toes! Ted Danson as a sleazy CEO was genius! And the question of whether Patty tried to kill Ellen—and who murdered Ellen’s fiance, David—kept me riveted until the very end.

So I was thrilled to hear that FX planned to give the second season of “Damages” another summer run. Until the strike happened.

Now, the second season won’t kick off production until sometime next month, which means it won’t premiere until January.

But in the meantime, Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online cornered two of the show’s executive producers and got some scoop on what’s in store for Hewes & Associates.

We already know that Patty (Close), Ellen (Rose Byrne) and Tom Shayes (Tate Donovan) will be back. There will be some new characters introduced, in addition to reappearances of the FBI folks who popped up late last year.

But don’t rule out appearances by David (Noah Bean) and Ray Fiske (Zeljko Ivanek).

(Since David had his head bashed in, and Ray’s brains went kablooey all over Patty’s office wall, I’m assuming any  possible pop-ups would be in flashbacks.)

And although producer Daniel Zelman said not to rule out any character comebacks, I was intrigued by who he DIDN’T mention: Ted Danson—a.k.a. Arthur Frobisher.

Frobisher’s fate was definitely left open-ended in the finale, and while I seriously enjoyed Danson’s performance, I hope the writers leave well enough alone—and Frobisher dead in that open field.

And, no surprise here, the producers say the season’s big tension will be over whether Patty knows Ellen is now an FBI informant, determined to bring her down.

Even if it’s not until winter—sob!—I’m psyched for more. Bring on the drama, gals, bring it on!

(Photos courtesy of FX) 

The new Julianna Margulies legal drama has fared so poorly in the ratings (last Monday’s episode drew just 5.7 million viewers), that FOX has exiled the show to Friday nights at 9 p.m. for the rest of its run.

It’ll be replaced by repeats of “House,” until new eps of that show return on April 28.

Apparently Fridays are where FOX series go to die.

“Canterbury” will join “The Return of Jezebel James,” the Parker Posey-Lauren Ambrose sister sitcom, in the TV wasteland. “Jezebel” did even worse with viewers: Its first two outings attracted an audience of just over 3 million.

It’s too bad, really.

Despite terrible reviews everywhere else, I thought “Jezebel” actually had some potential—but perhaps it was just wishful thinking on my part, given my love for Parker Posey and creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

And “Canterbury” could use some tinkering—Marguelies’ character needed to be toned down a tad—but I found it compelling.

It had more of a feel of a cable show, like “Damages” or “Saving Grace,” and that was kind of the point.

Margulies said that FOX picked up the show because they wanted to bring a little FX to its broadcast lineup. Meaning, presumably, that they wanted something a little riskier and more creative.

The problem with that plan, though, is that those kinds of original shows usually have niche audiences.

Almost 6 million viewers probably would be fine for FX: That’s roughly the ratings for shows like “Nip/Tuck” and “Rescue Me.” But it’s something a major broadcast network trying to lure big-bucks advertisers consider a flop.

The big networks can’t have it both ways.

So unless they’re willing to stand by shows they like creatively—despite vastly lower ratings than they’re used to—they can’t complain when cable networks are the ones snagging all those Emmys in the fall.

(Photos courtesy of FOX)

Here’s a look at who won, and who your Remote Accessories thought were going to win:

Here we go:

Best TV drama:

Best TV comedy or musical

Best actress in a TV drama:

Best actor in a TV drama:

Best actor in a TV comedy:

Best actress in a TV comedy:

Best supporting actress/TV:

Best supporting actor/TV:

Miniseries:

Actor in a miniseries:

Actress in a miniseries:

So I snagged the Remote Accessories’ Golden Globes picks from a previous post and reworked it to make it easy for you to see our picks and our predictions for each of the television categories. Come back later to see how right (or wrong) we were.

Will 30 Rock and Damages walk away with armfuls of trophies? Stay tuned.

Here we go:

Best TV drama:

Best TV comedy or musical:

Best actress in a TV drama:

Best actor in a TV drama:

Best actor in a TV comedy:

Best actress in a TV comedy:

Best supporting actress/TV:

Best supporting actor/TV:

Well, Fox has got your back. The network will start sneak previewing the Jan. 13 premiere at Yahoo! TV tonight at 9 p.m. The advance look will stream for 24 hours and features an introduction by Lena Headey (Sarah Connor herself).

In less immediate but still kinda cool news, the pilot will feature a 30 Rock connection (hence the innate coolness) that nearly went right over my head. Here’s the deal…

So I’m reading a news item at BuddyTV about Dean Winters guest starring on Chronicles, joining Owain Yeoman of The Nine, Garret Dillahunt of Damages, Andre Royo of The Wire and Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills 90210 fame.

My first thought is: “Dean Winters? The guy from Quantum Leap? How old must that guy be now?” Yeah, well, I was thinking of Dean Stockwell, but I blame the article’s initial reference to Rescue Me, which I’ve never seen. If they’d said right up front that it was Dennis, Liz Lemon’s beeper-selling, Dateline NBC-fleeing boyfriend from a three-episode arc in the first season of 30 Rock, I would have been quicker on the uptake.

That makes two of the five above-named guest stars I recognize, the other of course being Green, who played 90210’s geek-turned-DJ David Silver. Geez, I hated that guy.

Anyway, Winters will appear in the Chronicles pilot Jan. 13 as Charley Dixon, Sarah’s fiance. Of course she abandons him when she and son John flee the terminators. You know how that can be. Winters is back the next night for the second episode, “Gnothi Seauton”.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Michael Keaton / James Jesus Angleton – The Company (TNT)
Kevin Kline / Jacques – As You Like It (HBO)
Oliver Platt / George Steinbrenner – The Bronx is Burning (ESPN)
Sam Shepard / Frank Whiteley – Ruffian (ABC)
John Turturro / Billy Martin – The Bronx is Burning (ESPN)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Ellen Burstyn / Posey Benetto – Mitch Albom’s For One More Day (ABC)
Debra Messing / Molly Kagan – The Starter Wife (USA)
Anna Paquin / Elaine Goodale – Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (HBO)
Queen Latifah / Ana – Life Support (HBO)
Vanessa Redgrave / Woman – The Fever (HBO)
Gena Rowlands / Melissa Eisenbloom – What If God Were the Sun? (Lifetime)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
James Gandolfini / Tony Soprano – The Sopranos (HBO)
Michael C. Hall / Dexter Morgan – Dexter (Showtime) (my pick)
Jon Hamm / Don Draper – Mad Men (AMC)
Hugh Laurie / Dr. Gregory House – House (FOX)
James Spader / Alan Shore – Boston Legal (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Glenn Close / Patty Hewes – Damages (FX) (my pick)
Edie Falco / Carmela Soprano – The Sopranos (HBO)
Sally Field / Nora Walker – Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Holly Hunter / Grace Hanadarko – Saving Grace (TNT)
Kyra Sedgwick / Deputy Police Chief Brenda Johnson – The Closer (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin / Jack Donaghy – 30 Rock (NBC) (my pick, though Carell is a close second!)
Steve Carell / Michael Scott – The Office (NBC)
Ricky Gervais / Andy Millman – Extras (HBO)
Jeremy Piven / Ari Gold – Entourage (HBO)
Tony Shalhoub / Adrian Monk – Monk (USA)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate / Samantha Newly – Samantha Who? (ABC)
America Ferrera / Betty Suarez – Ugly Betty (ABC)
Tina Fey / Liz Lemon – 30 Rock (NBC) (my pick)
Mary-Louise Parker / Nancy Botwin – Weeds (Showtime)
Vanessa Williams / Wilhelmina Slater – Ugly Betty (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boston Legal (ABC)
The Closer (TNT)
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Mad Men (AMC) (my pick)
The Sopranos (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
Desperate Housewives (ABC)
Entourage (HBO)
The Office (NBC) (my pick – close, but as an ensemble, The Office slightly edges out 30 Rock)
Ugly Betty (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
24 (FOX) (my pick – c’mon, what’d you think I’d choose?)
Heroes (NBC)
Lost (ABC)
Rome (HBO)
The Unit (CBS)

Screen Actors Guild Awards 44th Annual Life Achievement Award
Charles Durning (He’s done so much on TV as well as movies, so I figured I’d include him here. Most recently on the small screen, he’s been playing Tommy’s dad (that’s even how he’s credited!) on Rescue Me. By the by, did you know he was born in Highland Falls, just outside the LoHud, by West Point?)

Well, my fellow Remote Accessories and I have had a chance to mull these over and here’s some of our picks (and predictions) for winners, after the break

Brian:
Best TV drama: Big Love (should win), Mad Men (will win)
Best TV comedy or musical: 30 Rock (should/will)
Best actress in a TV drama: Edie Falco, The Sopranos (should win), Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters (will win)
Best actor in a TV drama: Hugh Laurie, House (will win), Bill Paxton, Big Love (should pick)
Best actor in a TV comedy: Steve Carell, The Office (should win), Ricky Gervais, Extras (will win)
Best actress in a TV comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock (should/will win)
Best supporting actress/TV: Abstains out of disgust at Jenna Fischer’s snubbing
Best supporting actor/TV: Ted Danson, Damages (will win), Jeremy Piven, Entourage (should win)

Chris:
Best TV drama: House (will win), Mad Men (should win)
Best TV comedy or musical: 30 Rock (should win), Extras (will win)
Best actress in a TV drama: Glenn Close, Damages (should/will win)
Best actor in a TV drama: Michael C. Hall, Dexter (should win), Hugh Laurie, House (will win)
Best actor in a TV comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (will win), Steve Carell, The Office (should win)
Best actress in a TV comedy: America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (will win), Tina Fey, 30 Rock (should win)
Best supporting actress/TV: Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters (will win), Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (should win)
Best supporting actor/TV: William Shatner, Boston Legal (will win), Adam Baldwin, Chuck (NOT NOMINATED BUT MY PICK ANYWAY!) [Amy note: I concur!]
Best actress in a TV miniseries or movie: Bryce Dallas Howard, As You Like It (should win; gotta support LoHudders!), Debra Messing, The Starter Wife (will win)

Heather:
Best TV drama: Damages (should win), House (will win)
Best TV comedy or musical: Pushing Daisies (should/will win)
Best actress in a TV drama: Glenn Close, Damages (should/will win)
Best actor in a TV drama: Hugh Laurie, House (should/will win)
Best actor in a TV comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (should/will win)
Best actress in a TV comedy: Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (will win), America Ferrera, Ugly Betty (should win)
Best supporting actress/TV: Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy (will win), Jamie Pressly, My Name Is Earl (should win)
Best supporting actor/TV: Ted Danson, Damages (should/will win)

Amy:
Best TV drama: Big Love (should win), Mad Men (will win)
Best TV comedy or musical: 30 Rock (should win), Pushing Daisies (will win)
Best actress in a TV drama: Glenn Close, Damages (should/will win)
Best actor in a TV drama: Michael C. Hall, Dexter (will win), Bill Paxton, Big Love (should win)
Best actor in a TV comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (should win), Steve Carell, The Office (will win)
Best actress in a TV comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock (should win), Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies (will win)
Best supporting actress/TV: Rose Byrne, Damages (should/will win)
Best supporting actor/TV: Kevin Dillon, Entourage (should win), Donald Sutherland, Dirty Sexy Money (will win)

So how about you? Who do you think should win and will win? See this post for a list of all the nominees.

Here’s a look at who the (striking) Writer’s Guild of America nominated for its annual awards (just the TV nominees):

Dramatic series:
Dexter, written by Scott Buck, Daniel Cerone, Drew Z. Greenberg, Lauren Gussis, Kevin Maynard, Clyde Phillips, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattman; Showtime
Friday Night Lights, written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Carter Harris, Elizabeth Heldens, David Hudgins, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Andy Miller, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, John Zinman; NBC
Mad Men, written by Lisa Albert, Bridget Bedard, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Tom Palmer, Chris Provenzano, Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner; AMC
The Sopranos, written by David Chase, Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, Matthew Weiner, Terence Winter; HBO
The Wire, written by Ed Burns, Chris Collins, Dennis Lehane, David Mills, George Pelecanos, Richard Price, David Simon, William F. Zorzi; HBO

Comedy series:
Curb Your Enthusiasm, written by Larry David; HBO
Entourage, written by Marc Abrams, Lisa Alden, Michael Benson, Brian Burns, Doug Ellin, Alex Gansa, Tim Griffin, Dusty Kay, Stephen Levinson, Ally Musika, Wes Nickerson, Rob Weiss; HBO
The Flight of the Conchords, written by Damon Beesley, James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Eric Kaplan, Bret McKenzie, Iain Morris, Duncan Sarkies, Paul Simms, Taika Waititi; HBO
The Office, written by Steve Carell, Jennifer Celotta, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Anthony Farrell, Brent Forrester, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, Paul Lieberstein, B.J. Novak, Michael Schur, Justin Spitzer, Gene Stupnitsky, Caroline Williams, Larry Wilmore; NBC
30 Rock, written by Brett Baer, Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Dave Finkel, Daisy Gardner, Donald Glover, Matt Hubbard, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Ron Weiner; NBC

New series:
Damages, written by Jeremy Doner, Mark Fish, Davey Holmes, Glenn Kessler, Todd A. Kessler, Willie Reale, Adam Stein, Aaron Zelman, Daniel Zelman; FX
The Flight of the Conchords, written by Damon Beesley, James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Eric Kaplan, Bret McKenzie, Iain Morris, Duncan Sarkies, Paul Simms, Taika Waititi; HBO
Mad Men, written by Lisa Albert, Bridget Bedard, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Tom Palmer, Chris Provenzano, Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner; AMC
Pushing Daisies, written by Chad Gomez Creasey, Dara Resnik Creasey, Bryan Fuller, Abby Gewanter, Jim Danger Gray, Lisa Joy, Kath Lingenfelter, Rina Mimoun, Jack Monaco, Scott Nimerfro, Peter Ocko; ABC
The Sarah Silverman Program, written by Dan Fybel, Rich Rinaldi, Rob Schrab, Jon Schroeder, Sarah Silverman, Dan Sterling, Harris Wittels; Comedy Central

Episodic drama (any length – one airing time):
Final Grades (The Wire), Teleplay by David Simon; Story by David Simon & Ed Burns; HBO
The Second Coming (The Sopranos), Written by Terence Winter; HBO
The Round File (The Closer), Written by Michael Alaimo; TNT
Flashes Before Your Eyes (Lost), Written by Damon Lindelof & Drew Goddard; ABC
The Hobo Code (Mad Men), Written by Chris Provenzano; AMC
The Dark Defender (Dexter), Written by Tim Schlattmann; Showtime

Episodic comedy (any length – one airing time):
Pie-Lette (Pushing Daisies), Written by Bryan Fuller; ABC
The Job (The Office), Written by Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur; NBC
Negotiation (30 Rock), Written by Matt Hubbard; NBC
Local Ad (The Office), Written by B.J. Novak; NBC
Phyllis’s Wedding (The Office), Written by Caroline Williams; NBC
Sally Returns (The Flight of the Conchords); Written by James Bobin & Jemaine Clement & Bret McKenzie; HBO

Long form, original (over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times):
Pandemic, Written by Bryce Zabel & Jackie Zabel; Hallmark Channel
The Lost Room, Night One, Teleplay by Laura Harkcom & Christopher Leone; Story by Christopher Leone & Paul Workman. Nights Two and Three, Written By Laura Harkcom & Christopher Leone; Sci-Fi Channel

Long form, adaptation (over one hour – one or two parts, one or two airing times):
The Company: A Story of the CIA, Teleplay by Ken Nolan, Based on the novel by Robert Littell; TNT
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, Teleplay by Daniel Giat, Based on the book by Dee Alexander Brown; HBO
The Starter Wife (Nights 1&2), Teleplay by Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon, Based on the book by Gigi Levangie Grazer; USA

Animation (any length – one airing time):
The Haw-Hawed Couple (The Simpsons), Written by Matt Selman; FOX
The Homer of Seville (The Simpsons), Written by Carolyn Omine; FOX
Kill Gil Volumes 1&2 (The Simpsons), Written by Jeff Westbrook; FOX
Stop or My Dog Will Shoot! (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink; FOX
The Passion of the Dauterive (King of the Hill), Written by Tony Gama-Lobo & Rebecca May; FOX
Lucky’s Wedding Suit (King of the Hill), Written by Jim Dauterive; FOX

Comedy/variety (including talk) series:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Head Writer Steve Bodow, written by Rachel Axler, Kevin Bleyer, Rich Blomquist, Tim Carvell, J.R. Havlan, Scott Jacobson, D.J. Javerbaum, Rob Kutner, Josh Lieb, Sam Means, Jason Reich, Jason Ross, Jon Stewart; Comedy Central
The Colbert Report, written by Bryan Adams, Michael Brumm, Stephen Colbert, Rich Dahm, Eric Drysdale, Rob Dubbin, Glenn Eichler, Peter Grosz, Peter Gwinn, Barry Julien, Jay Katsir, Laura Krafft, Frank Lesser, Tom Purcell, Allison Silverman; Comedy Central
Late Night with Conan O’Brien, writers Mike Sweeney, Chris Albers, Jose Arroyo, Dan Cronin, Kevin Dorff, Daniel J. Goor, Michael Gordon, Tim Harrod, Berkley Johnson, Brian Kiley, Michael Koman, Brian McCann, Guy Nicolucci, Conan O’Brien, Robert Smigel, Brian Stack, Andrew Weinberg; NBC
Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, written by Penn Jillette, Teller, David Weiss, Jon Hotchkiss, Michael Goudeau, Star Price, Sheryl Zohn, Cliff Schoenberg; Showtime
Real Time With Bill Maher, written by Scott Carter, David Feldman, Lance Crouther, Adam Felber, Matt Gunn, Brian Jacobsmeyer, Jay Jaroch, Chris Kelly, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Jonathan Schmock, Danny Vermont; HBO
Saturday Night Live, Head Writers Seth Meyers, Paula Pell, Andrew Steele, Writers Doug Abeles, James Anderson, Alex Baze, James Downey, Charlie Grandy, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Lorne Michaels, Matt Murray, Paula Pell, Marika Sawyer, Akiva Schaffer, Robert Smigel, John Solomon, Emily Spivey, Andrew Steele, Jorma Taccone, Bryan Tucker, Additional Sketch By Jim Cashman; NBC

(No nominations this year in the Comedy/Variety – Music, Awards, Tributes – Specials category.)

Daytime serials:
All My Children, written by James Harmon Brown, Barbara Esensten, Megan McTavish, Addie Walsh, Chip Hayes, Stephen Demorest, Michelle Patrick, Amanda L. Beall, Jeff Beldner, Karen Lewis, Rebecca Taylor, Marla Kanelos, Courtney Bugler, Joanna Cohen, Kate Hall; ABC
As the World Turns, written by Jean Passanante, Leah Laiman, Christopher Whitesell, Courtney Simon, Anna Theresa Cascio, Lisa Connor, David A. Levinson, Gary Sunshine, Bettina Bradbury, Richard Culliton, Susan Dansby, Judy Donato, Mimi Leahey, Elizabeth Page Judy Tate; CBS
General Hospital, written by Robert Guza, Jr., Elizabeth Korte, Michael Conforti, Garin Wolf, David Goldschmid, Michele Val Jean, Mary Sue Price, Karen Harris, Susan Wald, Tracey Thompson; ABC
The Young & the Restless, written by Lynn Marie Latham, Scott Hamner, Jeff Gottesfeld & Cherie Bennet, Bernard Lechowick, James Stanley, Natalie Minardi Slater, Lynsey Dufour, Marina Alburger, Sara Bibel, Paula Cwikly, Janice Ferri Esser, Eric Freiwald & Linda Schreiber, Joshua McCaffrey, Sandra Weintraub; CBS

Children’s episodic & specials:
Look Whose Not Talking (Flight 29 Down), Written by D. J. MacHale; Discovery Kids
Nat is a Stand Up Guy (The Naked Brothers Band), Written by Polly Draper; Nickelodeon

Children’s script – long form or special:
R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It, Written by Billy Brown and Dan Angel; Cartoon Network
Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board, Teleplay by Ann Austen & Douglas Sloan and Max Enscoe & Annie deYoung, Story by Ann Austen & Douglas Sloan; Disney Channel

Documentary – current events:
The Enemy Within (Frontline), Written by Lowell Bergman & Oriana Zill De Granados; PBS
News War Part 1: Secrets Sources and Spin (Frontline), Written by Raney Aronson-Rath and Lowell Bergman & Seth Bomse; PBS
News War Part 3: What’s Happening to the News? (Frontline), Written by Stephen Talbot & Lowell Bergman; PBS
Return of the Taliban (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith; PBS
Security vs. Liberty: The Other War (America at a Crossroads), Written by Edward Gray; PBS
Spying on the Home Front (Frontline), Written by Hendrick Smith & Rick Young; PBS

Documentary – other than current events:
Alexander Hamilton (American Experience), Written by Ronald Blumer; PBS
Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life (Independent Lens), Written by Robert Levi and Robert Seidman; PBS
Forgotten Genius (Nova), Written by Stephen Lyons & Llewellyn M. Smith; PBS
The War, Episode Four: Pride of Our Nation, Written by Geoffrey C. Ward; PBS

Here’s a look at the (television only) nominees, with my picks noted (as well as what I think will actually win):

Best TV drama:
Big Love (my pick — this season was outstanding!)
Damages
Grey’s Anatomy
House
Mad Men (what I think will win)
The Tudors

Best TV comedy or musical:
30 Rock (my pick)
Californication
Entourage
Extras
Pushing Daisies (will win)

Best actress in a TV drama:
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Glenn Close, Damages (my pick/will win)
Minnie Driver, The Riches
Edie Falco, The Sopranos
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best actor in a TV drama:
Michael C. Hall, Dexter (will win)
Hugh Laurie, House
Bill Paxton, Big Love (my pick)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors

Best actor in a TV comedy:
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (my pick)
Steve Carell, The Office (will win)
David Duchovny, Californication
Ricky Gervais, Extras
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies

Best actress in a TV comedy:
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock (my pick)
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies (will win)
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Best supporting actress/TV:
Rose Byrne, Damages (my pick/will win)
Rachel Griffith, Brothers & Sisters
Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy
Samantha Morton, Longford
Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Jamie Pressly, My Name Is Earl

Best supporting actor/TV:
Ted Danson, Damages
Kevin Dillon, Entourage (my pick)
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Andy Serkis, Longford
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Donald Sutherland, Dirty Sexy Money (will win)

Best TV miniseries or movie:
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
The Company
5 Days
The State Within
Longford
(no selection, as I saw none of these)

Best actress in a TV miniseries or movie:
Bryce Dallas Howard, As You Like It
Queen Latifah, Life Support
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
Sissy Spacek, Pictures of Hollis Woods
Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre
(no selection, as I only saw The Starter Wife and, as enjoyable as it was, I find it hard to believe it was the best performance out of these)

Best actor in a TV miniseries or movie:
Adam Beach, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Jim Broadbent, Longford
Ernest Borgnine, A Grandpa for Christmas
Jason Isaacs, The State Within
James Nesbitt, Jekyll
(no selection, as I saw none of these)

Meanwhile, what if they held an awards show and no one came?

The Golden Globes awards show is scheduled for Jan. 13 on NBC. Variety reported this week that the show requested a waiver from the Writer’s Guild of America for the telecast, but that was unlikely to be granted. And during the strike in 1980, Powers Boothe was the only winner who showed up to the Emmy Awards (he got one for his role in Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.)

Stay tuned.

And coming later this morning: The Writer’s Guild of America’s own television nominees.

Here’s a link to the official list of all the nominees and past nominees and winners, too). Variety also reported that Mad Men won a special achievement award for best ensemble cast, but I couldn’t find that on the official list.

Miniseries:
Jane Eyre, BBC/WGBH
The Starter Wife, USA Network
The Company, TNT
Five Days, HBO
The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, BBC/Kudos Productions

Motion picture made for television (otherwise known as the made-for-TV movie, or, now, MPMFT):
The Wind And The Willows, Masterpiece Theater, PBS/BBC
Mitch Albom’s For One More Day, ABC
Longford, HBO/Channel 4
Life Support, HBO
The Trial Of Tony Blair, Channel 4
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, HBO

Actress in a miniseries or MPMFT:
Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre
Ellen Burstyn, Mitch Albom’s For One More Day
Samantha Morton, Longford
Queen Latifah, Life Support
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
Sharon Small, Inspector Lynley Mysteries, PBS/BBC

Actor in a miniseries or MPMFT:
Toby Stephens, Jane Eyre
Jim Broadbent, Longford
Robert Lindsay, The Trial Of Tony Blair
Aidan Quinn, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
David Oyelowo, Five Days, HBO
Tom Selleck, Jesse Stone: Sea Change, CBS

Supporting actress in a series, miniseries or MPMFT:
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty, ABC
Judy Davis, The Starter Wife
Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy, ABC
Jamie Pressly, My Name Is Earl, NBC
Polly Bergen, Desperate Housewives, ABC
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters, ABC

Supporting actor in a series, miniseries or MPMFT:
Andy Serkis, Longford
Michael Emerson, Lost, ABC
Masi Oka, Heroes, NBC
Justin Kirk, Weeds, Showtime
T.R. Knight, Grey’s Anatomy
Harry Dean Stanton, Big Love, HBO
G. David Zayas, Dexter, Showtime

Television series, drama:
The Riches, FX
Dexter, Showtime
Mad Men, AMC
Friday Night Lights, NBC
Grey’s Anatomy
Brothers & Sisters

Actress in a series, drama:
Minnie Driver, The Riches, FX
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer, TNT
Ellen Pompeo, Grey’s Anatomy
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Jeanne Tripplehorn, Big Love
Glenn Close, Damages, FX

Actor in a series, drama:
Eddie Izzard, The Riches
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
James Woods, Shark, NBC
Hugh Laurie, House, Fox
Bill Paxton, Big Love
Denis Leary, Rescue Me, FX

Television series, comedy or musical:
Ugly Betty
The Flight of the Conchords, HBO
Extras, HBO
Chuck, NBC
Weeds
Pushing Daisies, ABC

Actress in a series, comedy or musical:
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Tina Fey, 30 Rock, NBC
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, CBS
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives, ABC
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies
Patricia Heaton, Back to You, Fox

Actor in a series, comedy or musical:
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office, NBC
Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report, Comedy Central
Ricky Gervais, Extras, HBO
Zachary Levi, Chuck

DVD release of a TV show:
The Office, Season 3 (Universal)
Twin Peaks, Season 2 (Paramount Home Video)
Rome, Season 2 (HBO Home Video)
Ugly Betty, Season 1 (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
Nip/Tuck, Season 4 (Warner Home Video)
Daniel Deronda (BBC/Warner)
Muppet Show, Season 2 (Walt Disney)
Lost: The Complete Third Season (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
House Of Elliot, Complete Collection (Acorn Media)
Dexter, Season 1 (Showtime Entertainment/Paramount)

“FX is proud of our status as a leader in fostering bold, high quality scripted programming,â€? said FX President and General Manager John Landgraf. “We commend Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, Daniel Zelman and their magnificent cast, headed by Glenn Close, with pulling off this hugely ambitious series and establishing Damages as one of the best dramas on American television.â€?

FX also confirmed that Close, Rose Byrne (who plays Ellen) and Tate Donovan (Tom Shayes) are currently signed on as series regulars for season two.

So we’ll be getting more Hewes & Associates insanity for 26—count ‘em—full episodes. More Patty. More Ellen, more Tom.

More Uncle Pete cleaning up some more crime scenes? That seems to be his speciality…

The only mystery is whether Ted Danson’s sleazy Arthur Frobisher—who we last saw gut-shot by an angry ex-employee in a remote field (though he did have a cell phone to call for help…) —will be back as well.

FX says production is scheduled to kick in on the new season in New York early next year. No word yet on whether the current writers strike will affect that timeline.

Fingers crossed that we’ll be getting sucked into Patty’s world again a lot sooner than expected.

Sure, we got some answers: Frobisher’s flunky killed David, Mr. Nye is really a stand-up guy (we think) and Patty’s as evil as we thought (uh, right?).

Obviously, the finale opened up a lot more doors than it closed. And we still don’t know the answer to the biggest question: Will FX renew the ratings-challenged “Damages” for another season?

No word yet. Sigh. What is that network waiting for? And it seems like the producers are as impatient as we are to find out whether they need to kick start their nefarious plans for Season 2.

TV Guide chatted with the terrific trio that co-created and writes the series: Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler.  They answered a bunch of questions that fans have been debating, like:

• Is Frobisher the father of Patty’s unborn child of 35 years ago? No. (Come on, people, seriously? THAT was what you thought? I’m ashamed of you.)

• Was Patty’s son, who mysteriously showed up at the apartment, involved in Ellen’s attack? Nope, but he was doing SOMETHING shady.

•  Was Lila connected to Frobisher’s gang of goons? Sorry, she was just your average nutso stalker.

Go here to read the rest of the interview, and find out more—sort of—of whether Patty really tried to have Ellen killed.

And even though I think having Frobisher return next season (if he didn’t die in that field) is a bit cheap, it sounds like the producers have a really interesting season laid out for us.

Now, if only FX will let them do it…

(Photo courtesy of FX) 

Except instead of throwing a dog collar into the sea, she’s throwing Ellen back into the deathtrap of working at Hewes & Associates.

But by now, Ellen’s not nearly as naive—having been through what’s quite possibly the worst post-graduate job ever. And she’s out for—as James Brown so fabulously sang in “The Payback” over the closing credits—REVENGE.

Star Glenn Close and the producers had been making rounds of interviews in the last few weeks, drumming up publicity for the critically-acclaimed but ratings-challenged show. (FX has yet to say whether it will renew the drama for Season 2.)

They’d all said that the Frobisher case would be wrapped up, but some new plotlines would develop for another season.

(SPOILER ALERT!)

And they sure did wrap up that Frobisher case—thanks to Larry, the elderly turncoat client.

Last night, “Damages” really did what the show is known for—twists and turns, and then some more twists. And then they twist what you think you know all over again.

I have to say, the flashbacks and forwards were making me a little dizzy: And I’m a “Lost” fan, so you’d think I’d be used to it. But the time shifting kept you unsettled—as it has all season – and I honestly didn’t know how it was all going to play out until the absolute last minute.

I knew Patty wasn’t going to let Frobisher get off as easily as making a huge payout. After all, Frobisher himself said as long as he had that land to develop, he could build another company and his wealth.

But I didn’t see the gunshot coming, and certainly not from Larry—who was forced to give up his share of the $2 billion settlement because of his double-dealing with Frobisher.

So it looks like Ted Danson won’t be back next season, if he’s indeed dead. Though theoretically, if Ellen will be going after Frobisher’s men for David’s murder, he could show up in flashback sequences. As could the departed David, Ray and Gregory Malina, I suppose.

I was kind of annoyed by that: I sort of liked the innovative idea of starting with a nearly all-new cast next season. But I can get on board with the concept of Ellen working as an FBI spy to bring Patty down, even if the scenario leaves the door open for nearly everyone to return.

And although I think making Frobisher’s henchman a cop was a bit of a cheat, I loved that the show didn’t water Patty down into a sympathetic character.

Glenn Close is such an amazing actress, I honestly believed Patty’s tearful dockside apology to Ellen—when she said she regretted everything they did in the Frobisher case.

Turns out, she was being as cunning and manipulative as ever.  That beachside freakout of Patty’s we saw earlier?

She wasn’t upset about Ray committing suicide in front of her. She was upset because the attempted murder of Ellen—which she set up—went bad. Truly amazing!

Enter Uncle Pete, who clearly knows how to clean up a crime scene. (Whatever Patty’s paying this old dude, it’s not enough.)

Still, what was it about the murder gone wrong that sent Patty rushing to a graveyard? We discovered that she delivered a baby girl who died 35 years ago. Those were the only tears of Patty’s the entire season that seemed genuine.

I was happy, too, that sweet Hollis Nye didn’t turn out to be a bad guy. (Sheesh, this show needs SOMEONE who isn’t devious!) He was looking a tad bit evil last week with his mysterious phone call telling someone Patty posted Ellen’s bail.

But it was revealed that he’s been working with the FBI to bust Patty—why they turned to him for help isn’t clear yet—and that’s why he tried to convince Ellen not to take the job with her.

As much as I loved “Damages” this season, I’ll admit I was a bit worried about how all of this was going to shake out. The writers could have easily stumbled, but I think they may have pulled a rabbit out of their hat.

It remains to be seen whether their writing abilities are so stellar, they can pull off a spectacular sophomore season. Or whether FX is going to give them that chance.

But fingers crossed, because I think there’s a lot of reason to at least let them try.

(Photos courtesy of FX.)

I spoke to her for a half-hour last week and she wouldn’t give me a single spoiler about tomorrow night’s finale of “Damages” (10 p.m., FX), which brings the legal drama’s thrilling, mysterious season to an end.

Or does it?

You can read my story about Close and the finale in today’s Journal News, but here’s what the tight-lipped star did say about tomorrow’s conclusion:

“I think enough is answered that will satisfy people, and enough is left hanging that will hopefully bring them back, if we go to a second season.”

FX hasn’t yet announced whether it will be picking “Damages” up for Season 2; ratings weren’t as great as the network had anticipated.

The show skewed towards an older demographic—apparently, I’m an old lady at heart—and the complex storylines may have been a bit demanding for viewers. (Of course, that’s also what makes the program terrific.)

But if “Damages” does come back for another round, we probably won’t be seeing Ted Danson.

I also talked to the show’s three creators and executive producers, who told me that a second season will likely revolve around a new case or two. The finale will definitely set up next season’s plot.

And you haven’t necessarily seen the last of Ellen (Rose Byrne).

Yes, she’s charged with her fiance’s murder. And someone tried to kill her because of her involvement in the Frobisher case. And Ray shot himself because she and Patty were blackmailing him about his relationship with Gregory Malina and his own illegal stock trades.

So realistically, why in the world would she go back to work with Patty?

Well, the producers weren’t talking about that, either. Not exactly.

But producer Todd A. Kessler did say that another season would allow them to dig deeper into the characters. And he specifically named Patty, Tom (Tate Donovan) and Ellen.

Hmm. I didn’t think it was possible to be MORE intrigued by this show.

But last week, my mind was pretty much blown since it looks like sweet old Mr. Nye – Ellen’s old boss who warned her against Patty—is BAD?!?

Plus, I still don’t know who Patty was visiting in the graveyard.

Or what the heck Patty’s son was doing in the apartment just before Ellen was attacked.

Or whether Frobisher’s goons get a hold of Gregory’s tape, and if the sleezy CEO goes down.

Shucks, guess I’ll have to tune in tomorrow—and hopefully next season—like everyone else to find out.

If the net deemed the plug absolutely necessary, why not just put it there for just a few minutes instead of the whole dang hour? Oh, I forgot: How about FX, shoving promos for “Damages� down our throats until we were ready to choke.

What happened to the days of unimpeded views of TV shows—back when networks’ logos weren’t planted on the screen for the duration of every show. Yes, I know that there is such a glut of cable channels that the stations want to help channel surfers find them in the fray, but, goodness, do I miss the era when stations simply followed the FCC requirement to do a station ID on the hour and on the half hour.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been some highlights and even some spectacular shows.

• Damages, for one, has been the big surprise. We generally shy away from cop/lawyer shows (though my hubby’s hooked on FX’s The Shield and HBO’s The Wire is simply one of the best shows ever to grace the small screen), but we had to give this one a chance. Fantabulous. The acting, the script, everything about it is terrific. Though I’m tiring of the serialized drama with a mystery, I’m totally hooked.

• The 4400 had a slow start but the last couple of episodes have been fantastic, completely true to form and really getting at the central core of the show’s mystery. Joel Gretsch’s transformation from good-guy cop/federal agent to evil man from the future was creepy as hell.

• Kyle XY is goofy, fun, mysterious and sappy without making you want to puke.

• Mad Men is seriously well-written and -acted and probably has one of the most realistic portrayals of how women were used and used men in the 1950s. Too bad that’s also why I can’t bring myself to watch it. Everytime the women in the secretarial pool are referred to as “girls,” I get ticked off all over again. Never mind the rest of it. But good job, folks.

• John From Cincinnati — I wanted to like this show. I really, really, really did. I even loved some of the performances. (Ed O’Neill, I’ll watch whatever show you’re on next.) But in the end? Just did not care enough to both watching the entire run, deleting about four or five hours worth of the show off my DVR. The good news is, that got us below 70 percent of our storage capacity.

• Big Love. Season 2’s been even better than Season 1.

• Entourage. Fun, fun, fun! As usual. Ari Gold is that guy you just looooove to hate. And Mrs. Ari’s been getting more screen time this season. Good. She’s the perfect foil for him.

• Flight of the Conchords is possibly the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. It’s an acquired taste and you have to really listen to the song lyrics. I was not surprised much when I read in the Star-Ledger recently that the episodes are built around their songs. It made the storylines actually make a lot more sense. But you watch the show for the songs. “hip-hopopotamus vs. the rhymenocerous” is a classic (Be more constructive with your feedback, please), as is “part-time model.” Here’s a lyric sample from the latter:

And when you’re on the street
Depending on the street
I bet that you are definitely
In the top three
Good looking girls on the street

• Slacker Cats. I watched less than 5 minutes of the premiere. It wasn’t that it was offensive (I love South Park, so I’m not easily offended). It was that it was just, well, stupid. And not funny stupid, either. Just stupid. Not worth wasting a half-hour of my life.

• Flash Gordon was easily the biggest disappointment to me. I’m a huge sci-fi fan (shocking, I know) and was looking forward to this very much. But the acting and script in the first episode were so freakin’ lame that about 20 minutes into it, I started fast-forwarding. Kept stopping in spots that looked interesting. I was wrong. Snoozefest.

• Burn Notice is still on the DVR and I’ve finally watched the first episode. Was it great? No. Was it fun? Yes. Jeffrey Donovan does a great job as the burned spy with the hypochondriac mother (a fun Sharon Gless in that role). But Gabrielle Anwar’s Irish accent bothers me; it didn’t sound right. She is from England, though, so maybe that’s it—some actors from New York can’t do a credible Boston accent, after all. Will I watch all eight or nine episodes already recorded? Not sure. Will I watch at least a couple more? Definitely.

• Eureka has been just about as enjoyable this time around as last season. The characters are becoming more fully realized and now that we know what to expect from them, they’re able to surprise us and give us the unexpected. I don’t particularly like this dark turn Henry’s taken, though. The scenes between him and the Sheriff were always my favorites.

• Doctor Who, I think, is doing just fine with Martha instead of Rose, though I do miss her, just as the good Doctor does. The whole Torchwood angle (c’mon, you know those mysterious folks telling Martha’s mum how dangerous the Doc is are from Torchwood) has added an extra dimension to the show, too. I think David Tennant is a really good Doctor, but he does yell an awful lot.

OK, so maybe the summer’s been better than it seemed at first blush. I hear good things about Monk and Psych, too, but I never started watching them. What’s on your DVR?

UPDATE, 8/21: This came out a few days ago, full disclosure, but I just heard about it – Entourage and Flight of the Conchords both have been picked up by HBO for another season (Entourage’s 5th, Flight’s 2nd). That’s great news; Flight especially deserves more time to develop an audience.

She plays Detective Rosario Ortiz, one of the cops interrogating Ellen about her fiance’s murder.

And while Days’ role isn’t huge, the police play a pivotal part in the show: They’re just like us viewers, trying to figure out the mystery behind the murder and the lawsuit handled by Close’s character, Patty Hewes.

Anyway, I got the chance to interview Days earlier this month at the Rockland home she shares with her three-year-old son, Boston, and her husband, Keith Flannery. (Check out my story in today’s Journal News.)

As I mention in the story, Days’ hubby is a big part in how she landed this plum role—her first ever on television. Until now, this Broadway performer spent most of her career onstage in shows like “Rent,” “Aida” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

You see, Keith is an NYPD detective, just like the one his wife plays on TV.

When Days was auditioning for “Damages,” he told her exactly how a real-life investigator would react to finding a body in a bathtub (which, as the show’s fans already know, is what the cops discovered in the first episode).

Here’s an audio clip of Days talking about her husband’s advice:

Download:

Speaking of acting tips, Days is thrilled to be on a show that stars Bedford’s Glenn Close, who’s been nominated five times for an Oscar and won three Tony awards and an Emmy.

Yikes! So is it intimidating being, uh, so close to Close’s talent?

Days hasn’t had a scene with CLose yet, but she acknowledges her “big presence.”

Here, Days talks about the legendary actress:

Download:

So that’s what Days has been up to lately!

But here’s what she was up to in 1998, when she was lead vocalist for “Feel It,” a pop song by the Tamperer that went to No. 1 in the U.K. and was a huge club hit here in America.

Any of you club kids remember this tune? Check out Days in the video, which she says played “twice an hour” on MTV Europe at the time.

So look for Maya Days on “Damages” tomorrow night…and hopefully you’ll have gotten that chimney song of hers out of your head by then!

(Photo of Days: Angela Gaul/The Journal News. “Damages” photo courtesy of FX.)

The show’s Tuesday night premiere “drew 3.7 million viewers”:http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-damagespremiereratings,0,1646857.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines – a number that went up to 5.1 million when additional airings were factored in.

Hey, it’s not “CSI� numbers – but for basic cable, that’s a bona-fide blockbuster.

As “Zap2It.com”:http://www.zap2it.com/ notes, more eyeballs were on “Damagesâ€? than on the Season 4 premiere of “Rescue Meâ€? last month.

So what did you all think of the show’s shocking opening episode? Who’s the bad guy: Patty, Arthur—or both? Why, oh why, does poor Ellen need a lawyer? What will the cops find in her blood-stained apartment?

And speaking of poor creatures, poor Saffron the dog. Anyone ID the real killer before that surprising closing scene?

Tune in next Tuesday for a few more clues – I’m betting you’ll stay hooked!

But after checking out the show’s very first episode, I’m sure you’ll join me in returning for more every Tuesday night. That’s because “Damages� might just be the best new show of the year.

Check out “my review in today’s Journal News,”:http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070724/ENTERTAINMENT/707240311/1275/ENTERTAINMENTFRONT but here’s my opinion in a nutshell: I’m totally hooked on this finely written, beautifully acted thriller!

You can also catch a sneak peek of the show before tonight’s premiere by going to the official site for “Damages”:http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/damages/. (Click on “Videosâ€? once you enter the site to view trailers.)

And here’s a few extra fun facts for lovers of TV trivia:

• “Damagesâ€? was created by brothers Glenn and Todd Kessler and “Daniel Zelman.”:http://imdb.com/name/nm0954664/ Zelman’s name might be familiar to regular readers of US Weekly: He just happens to be married to “Will & Graceâ€? star Debra Messing and father to their three-year-old son, Roman.

• Close hasn’t ever starred in her own series, but she’s done plenty of TV work that’s earned her 10 Emmy nominations. Her most recent nod was for her portrayal of Capt. Monica Rawling on Season 4 of FX’s “The Shield.â€? Close “told TV Guide”:http://www.tvguide.com/News/glenn-close-examines/070604-01 that her great experience on “The Shieldâ€? played a big part in taking on “Damages.â€?

• Stick around for tonight’s credits. After viewing the episode’s surprise ending, you’ll laugh out loud to hear the White Stripes’ ““I Think I Smell a Ratâ€?”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgDnDne6ryE used to conclude the premiere.

Enjoy tonight’s show and come back here tomorrow to post your thoughts!

(Photo courtesy of FX)

American Body Shop, Comedy Central, — 10:30 p.m. Sundays (premiered July
America’s Next Producer, TV Guide Channel, 8 p.m. July 18
Back To The Grind, TVLand, 10:30 p.m. July 18
Big Brother, CBS, 9 p.m. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays (July 5)
Bill Engvall Show, TBS, 9 p.m. July 17
Bronx is Burning, ESPN, 10 p.m. Tuesdays (July 9)
Code Monkeys, G4, 9 p.m. July 11
Dallas SWAT, A&E, 10 p.m. July 12
Damages, FX, 10 p.m., July 24
Doctor Who, SciFi, 9 p.m. Fridays (July 6)
Don’t Forget The Lyrics, Fox, 9:30 p.m. July 11 and 8:30 p.m. July 12
Drive, Fox, July 13 (According to TVGuide.com, it got yanked completely and now the finale will be streamed at MySpace.com/fox and on network affiliate sites beginning July 16)
Eureka, SciFi, 9 p.m. Tuesdays (July 10)

First 48, A&E, 9 p.m. July 12
Flipping Out, Bravo, 10 p.m. July 31
Greek, ABC Family, 9 p.m. Mondays (July 9)
Harvey Birdman, Cartoon Network, 11:45 p.m. July 15
Hogan Knows Best, VH1, July 22
I Hate My 30s, VH1, July 26 (but you can view the entire first episode on VH1’s V Spot on July 16
Just For Laughs, ABC, 8 p.m. July 17
Kill Point, Spike, 9 p.m. July 22
Mad Men, AMC, 10 p.m. July 19
Mind Control with Derren Brown, SciFi, 10 p.m. July 26
Mind of Mencia, Comedy Central, 10 p.m. Sundays (July
Monk, USA, 9 p.m. July 13
Murder, Spike, 10 p.m. July 31
My Boys, TBS, 10 p.m. July 30
Psych, USA, 10 p.m. July 13
Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, BBC America, 8 p.m. July 12
Rock of Love, VH1, 9 p.m. July 15
Room 401, MTV, 10 p.m. July 17
Saving Grace, TNT, 10 p.m. July 23
Scott Baio Is 45 … and Single, VH1, 10:30 p.m. July 15
Set For Life, ABC, 8 p.m. July 20
Side Order of Life, Lifetime, 8 p.m. July 15
Singing Bee, NBC, 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays (July 10)
State of Mind, Lifetime, 9 p.m. July 15
Suburban Virgin, MTV, 10 p.m. July 18
TV Land Confidential, TVLand, 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. July 11
Two Coreys, A&E, 10 p.m. July 29
Welcome To The Parker, Bravo, 11 p.m. July 26
Who Wants To Be A Superhero?, SciFi, 9 p.m. July 26

Eureka cast photo courtesy of NBC Universal.