To the fan who recently wrote me inquiring if Josh Groban was coming to PBS soon, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” He stars with Idina Menzel and Adam Pascal in ”’Chess’ in Concert” on PBS’ “Great Performances” tonight (9 p.m., THIRTEEN locally). And — Josh Groban groupies, please take note — he’s by far the best thing in this mediocrity. Read more of this entry »

The last Season 5 “Lost” trailer showed Kate packing a suitcase – and a gun – leading Aaron away for a little “vacation.”

Now we know why. Some shady looking lawyer dudes show up at her house with a court order. They represent a client they can’t name, but they want blood from her and Aaron to run some tests. Why? To determine their actual “relationship.”

EEK! Someone’s let the cat out of the bag. The question is: Who?

Not to mention: Where are faux Mommy and son going? Is this how Kate gets convinced to go back to the island?

Go here to check out the entire scene: I guarantee you’ll get the shivers!

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

ABC gave “Lost” fans a little treat during last night’s episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” by airing a video for The Fray’s new single, “You Found Me.”

The wildly appropriate song was set to footage from “Lost”—some old, but lots of new snippets from Season 5.

Juliet and Sawyer running for their lives! Desmond and Penny in bed! Jack and Sayid fighting! Kate and Aaron packing their suitcases!

If you missed the video, go here at YouTube to check it out. Then feel free to dissect every scene in the comments section below, of course!

I’ll get you started. Did you see a flash of a strange logo featuring a tiger and a rising sun?

Those crafty “Lost” folks are at it again: The logo is for Ajira Airways, which – not surprisingly – has its own website. There’s not much on it – yet – except for the show’s Season 5 tagline: “Destiny Calls.”

So what does it mean? No one knows yet. But here are some clues:

E!’s TV diva, Kristin, notes that the tiger is the national animal of Korea, the homeland of Sun and Jin.

A smart fanatic at DarkUFO points out that Ajira means “island” in Hindi.

Looks like the Oceanic 6 is going back, everyone! They’re going BAAAAAAACK!

Only 61 days until Jan. 21…

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

Since the news broke that Reiko Aylesworth has been cast in a significant recurring role on “Lost,”  fans have been all atwitter about who the “24” veteran will play on the island mystery.

Officially, Reiko’s character is Amy, a smart, outdoorsy type who’s looking for the right man. However, it’s pretty well known that those sneaky “Lost” casting folks often lie about characters’ names and/or descriptions because of leaks.

Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello recently caught up with Reiko, who would only say that she was having a little trouble keeping all the confusing storylines straight (uh, us too!) and that her character will have some trouble with a few interested suitors.

Ausiello is going with the theory that Amy – let’s just go with that name for now – is part of the Dharma Initiative. And that Ben transported the island back to the ‘70s when he turned the frozen donkey wheel, which would be about when those Dharma folks brought Ben and his dad into the fold.

Not sure if that’s true, of course: Amy could be part of some flashback sequences, not an actual time-travel scenario. Still, we know that time travel factors greatly into the show’s mythology, and the producers are saying that the upcoming season will be really “science-fictiony.”

Regardless of whether Amy is part of the past – or past-present – the show’s fanatics seem pretty confident about one thing.

That she’s somehow connected to Ben’s childhood friend, Annie.

Read more of this entry »

Entertainment Weekly’s latest issue lists the Top 25 entertainers of 2008, and among the elite crowd is our favorite melancholy couple from “Lost:” Sun and Jin.

The pair came in at No. 17, with Robert Downey Jr. topping the chart. (Well, he WAS Iron Man.)

Actors Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim were interviewed about the honor, too, and they gave a wee bit of info on what to expect in the upcoming season. (Sun’s isolated from the rest of the Oceanic 6; there’s multiple timelines going on.)

It’s very cool to see the island mystery acknowledged, and the mag couldn’t have picked better characters to represent the show: Sun and Jin were a big part of the series’ supercharged season last year.

I mean, Sun’s heartwrenching screams when she saw Jin blown up on the freighter? The fan freakout at the flash-forward/flashback episode that showed the birth of their daughter? The OMG moment we learned that Sun has been telling everyone that Jin died in the plane crash?

And the biggest question of all: Is Jin really dead?

That question will be—we hope—answered when Season 5 kicks off on Jan. 21.

Let the countdown continue…

(Photos courtesy of ABC)

Yes, my fellow “Lost” obsessed friends, we can officially start the countdown.

Set your clocks: It’s now 72 days until our favorite show premieres!

Yup, I hear ABC has set Jan. 21 as the date for Season 5’s debut. And since it’s been so long since the Oceanic 6 was rescued and the island vanished, the network’s giving fans some extra love: Three whole hours of “Lost” goodness!

Hour one starts at 8 p.m.: It’s a clip show, for those who need a refresher course on the first four seasons. Hours two and three will be back-to-back showings of the first two new episodes: “Because You Left” and “The Lie.”

After that, the show will air in its regular time slot of Wednesdays at 9 p.m. (And for those whose brains have turned to frozen donkey wheel mush, that’s a switch from last season’s Thursday at 10 p.m. slot.)

So “Lost” will be taking over the spot now occupied by “Private Practice,” and we probably won’t hear where the Kate Walsh series will land until ABC decides whether it’s keeping the rest of its Wednesday night lineup—namely, “Pushing Daisies” and “Dirty Sexy Money.” (Please, please, pretty please!)

And speaking of other series and die-hard fans, “24” devotees now have another reason to jump on the “Lost” bandwagon.

Word is that Reiko Aylesworth—otherwise known as Tony Almeida’s late wife and fellow CTU agent, Michelle Dessler—is in talks to join the island folk.

Rumor has it that she’ll play an outdoorsy, professional thirtysomething—who’s a possible love interest for one of our main castaways.

Any thoughts on which “Lost” hottie she’ll be cozying up to?

Jack? Sayid?

Or maybe—gasp!—Sawyer?

Ponder that one—and those pretty pictures!—while the days and minutes tick away…

(Photos courtesy of ABC)

There’s been flurry of “Lost” news recently, so I figured I’d give y’all a round up of the latest scoop.

And need I say it again? If you want to remain spoiler-free, don’t keep reading!

Item #1: We’ll be seeing lots and lots of Juliet. 

Lots of fans worried that Season 5 would focus only on the Oceanic 6 and how they get back to the Who-Knows-Where-It-Is-Now island. While that is a big focus, TV Guide assures us that we’ll still see lots of the left-behind Losties. (Did you really think there would be a season without Sawyer?) It also looks like Juliet—who didn’t have a whole lot to do last year—will be a busy little beaver.

Anyone else think S &J make a super cute couple?

Item #2: Matthew Abaddon in cahoots with Charles Widmore? 

Read more of this entry »

Omigod. Omigod. OMIGOD!!!!

Does anyone have a paper bag? I’m pretty sure I’m hyperventilating.

GASP!

“Lost” Season 5 trailer’s been leaked to the Web.

GASP!

Click here to watch.

Hurry up, ABC’s already pulled it from You Tube!

Now, go to your quiet place, calm down, and discuss amongst yourselves.

(Photos courtesy of ABC)

We’ve still got lots of time to wait before “Lost” premieres in early 2009—boo!—but a few tidbits are still trickling out from the show’s set.

Two minor, but way important characters—are there any who aren’t?!?—will be showing up in Season 5: Matthew Abaddon and Mrs. Hawking. (Need a detailed refresher on who they are? Just click on the links.)

We don’t yet know who Abaddon works for, and if he’s a good or a bad guy. So far, we know he’s the hospital orderly who suggested Locke go on his walkabout, he recruited the Freighter Four scientists for the island mission and he posed as an Oceanic executive when he visited a post-rescue Hurley in the institution.

But actor Lance Reddick—who is now starring on J.J. Abrams’ other hit show, “Fringe,” on FOX—told radio hosts Opie & Anthony earlier this week that he’s headed to Hawaii to shoot another episode.

And he promised that this one will tell us all a lot more about who Abaddon is.

As for Mrs. Hawking, played by Fionnula Flanagan, she’s the jewelry store employee who tells Desmond about how he is destined to go to the island.

And Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello is pinky-swearing that the creepy old lady is connected to a major character—besides Desmond!

That’s all for now, Lost-philes! I’ll keep ‘em comin’ as I hear ‘em. Hope these nuggets keep you filled with “Lost” goodness until the new year…

(Photos courtesy of ABC and FOX)

When we last left our Losties, Ben had informed Jack that ALL of the Oceanic Six have to get together in order for any of them to get back to the island.

But why?

Well, E! supposedly has the scoopety-scoop on that one—and do I really need to say, “Stop reading now if you don’t want to know more?”

But if you do, click through for the details:

Read more of this entry »

What’s that? Another mysterious gal added to the “Lost” cast?

Boring? Never! Can’t get enough of those, I say.

The latest news—courtesy of Entertainment Weekly’s Ausiello Files—is that the show has finally hired a gal for what they’re calling the pivotal role of a dangerous European woman named Ilana.

Snagging the role is British actress Zuleikha Robinson, who most recently appeared on FOX’s sadly short-lived detective series, “New Amsterdam.” (She was the one with the immortal NYPD partner. If you never saw the show, don’t ask, but in my opinion, FOX should have given that series a chance…)

Anyway, I suppose every black cloud has a silver lining, and in Robinson’s case, that lovely lining is “Lost.”

And for those thinking that this part is just another one-off for yet another elusive female—as in Elsa, the counter-spy killed by Sayid in last season’s jaw-dropping “The Economist” episode—never fear!

According to Ausiello, Ilana will be sticking around for awhile. Robinson’s deal is reportedly for a recurring role in Season 5, with the option of becoming a series regular in the show’s final season.

Until early next year, when “Lost” returns, we’ll just have to spend our time figuring out how Ilana factors into the Mystery Island puzzle…

(Cast photo courtesy of ABC)

Remote Access voters love their TV, but that adoration doesn’t necessarily extend to many shows on the new fall slate.

Asked “How many new TV series will you watch at least one episode of this fall?”, the answer that got the most responses was “1 or 2,” with seven tallies.

This was my vote, for what it’s worth, because it takes a lot for me to sacrifice another hour or two for new series, so the pitches have to be particularly impressive or unique.

The lone new series I’m making a point to watch this fall is “Fringe,” and that’s primarily due to Lance Reddick, the actor known to faithful viewers of “The Wire” as Cedric Daniels. Other than that, nothing new on network TV interests me and I have about eight active shows that I keep up with on a regular or semi-regular basis.

Besides, I spend plenty of time doing things other than watch TV. That doesn’t make me a snob; my frequent use of semicolons does.

That’s due in part to the writers’ strike limiting production on pilots, resulting in networks having fewer choices from which to pick.

However, five votes were tallied among those who plan to watch at least one ep of “3 or4” new series, and an additional five were from RA readers who will watch “5 or more” series this fall. Hope you clear enough space on your DVRs, people.

A couple of voters said they’d watch no new series due to a lack of time and another voter said they’d watch none due to a lack of interest.

The next Remote Access poll is the brainchild of fellow Accessory Brian Howard: “What series from the last decade have you never seen but most want to catch up with?” My answer is “Lost,” because much like “The Wire,” which I have seen and love, the complex plots of the ABC drama and voluminous previous seasons are what keep me from tuning in.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, and here’s my reply: This poll requires the honor code. We know how many of you RA readers watch “Jericho,” “The Wire” and “Deadwood,” so please don’t vote for your favorite show just to tilt the balance if you’ve seen one or more episodes. Play fair, kids.

Yup, you read that right: According to Michael Ausiello over at Entertainment Weekly, Michelle Rodriguez has been hired for one episode of “Lost” to resurrect the late, not-so-much lamented Ana-Lucia.

Given that we last saw Ana buried in the island boneyard with her fellow murdered-by-Michael-victim, Libby, I agree that she’ll likely return as a ghost—just as Libby did in last season’s final hours.

Ausiello speculates that she’ll be part of a Hurley-centric installment, since Cheech Marin (Hurley’s dad) is scheduled to be in the same episode.

And it’s definitely interesting that Ana, Libby and Mr. Eko—all deceased, but important, figures from the Tail section—are being worked back into the show.

I’m curious to see if the producers actually convince Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to return as Eko—in the flesh, that is. (Hurley was playing chess with an invisible Eko in the May season finale.)

At the recent Comic-Con, the Lost bosses said that they were sorry to see Eko’s storyline cut short in Season 3, but the actor didn’t like shooting in Hawaii, and he’d asked to be written off the show. Could they have been hinting that they’ve persuaded him to take a short trip back for the upcoming season?

So what’s the theory here, Lost-philes? Why are these Tailies coming back to the island?

And will you be glad to see Ana-Lucia again? I know there are lots of Ana haters out there, but I personally thought she was just a tough cookie with a lot more story to tell.

Don’t forget, she’s got connections to Jack and Christian Shephard, not to mention Hurley. (Her old LAPD partner, Big Mike, questioned Hurley after he returned home and got spooked by Ghost Charlie.)

So what unfinished business could she have with our Losties?

(Photo courtesy of the Associated Press)

I gave you the scoop last week that Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly were asking ABC to bump up their “Lost” paychecks.

Well, there’s no word on Lilly’s salary yet—or on whether the rest of the renegotiating ensemble cast will get a raise, too—but Fox must be one happy castaway.

The Hollywood Reporter says that the actor will now get about $225,000 per episode, up from the $150,000 he was making.

According to THR, that’s what the leading ladies of “Desperate Housewives”—also on ABC—are raking in.

Jack-haters may wonder if Fox is worth that much—or that much more than the rest of the Losties.

But is he worth significantly less than Zach Braff?

Last year, NBC promised the “Scrubs” star a reported $350,000-an-episode to bring the show back for another season—then the network dumped it because of low ratings.

ABC picked it up for its eighth year—presumably agreeing to Braff’s insane salary—and then buried the sitcom in mid-season.

Go figure.

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

Here’s an even better question: Are Matthew Fox and Evangeline Lilly worth A LOT MORE than $150,000 an episode?

The Hollywood Reporter says that ABC has quietly (until now, that is) started to re-negotiate contracts with our beloved show’s Jack and Kate to seriously bump up their paychecks.

Let’s do the math: At their CURRENT $150k hourly rate and 32 episodes to go before the series ends, the two actors would rake in $4.8 million.

There’s no telling what that number will go up to after their agents hustle for their 10 percent.

This is nothing new in Hollywood: Actors on shows that become big hits do this all the time. So Fox and Lilly aren’t really being greedy. It’s just show business as usual.

And spare me the whining about how they get paid more for a week’s work than most Americans earn in a few years: I know, life is unfair.

But in their wonderfully rich world, is it fair that Fox and Lilly get paid almost DOUBLE the salary of their co-stars? (THR puts the majority of the cast in the range of $80-90k per episode.)

That’s likely because Fox and Lilly are considered lead actors: That’s the category they get put in when it comes time to consider awards like the Emmys.

The rest of the ensemble are technically supporting players, even if Locke, Desmond, Sayid and Ben seemed to get just as much screen time as Jack and Kate last season. (Terry O’Quinn won last year’s Emmy in the supporting category, and Michael Emerson is nominated in the same group this year.)

Not surprisingly, THR says that once word of these talks leaked out, reps for a bunch of the other Losties started giving ABC a ringy-dingy about their own clients.

I’m guessing O’Quinn’s agent will be waving around that little gold statuette a lot and saying things like, “Dudes. Fox and Lilly haven’t ever even been NOMINATED.”

And Emerson’s might be overheard mumbling something like, “OK, so the other two are hot. Big deal. My man is freakin’ BEN! He’s eeevil. Or is he? Pay up.”

One more thing to put all this in perspective: Whatever they end up paying Fox and Lilly, it wonn’t compare to what the highest paid actor on TV is getting.

Who’s that, you ask? Click here and tell me if this doofus is worth $850,000 a week for basically playing himself?

And yes, that works out to just under $20 MILLION A YEAR.

That’s a hard one to swallow, so I’ll cleanse everyone’s palate with a little “Lost” scoop straight from Entertainment Weekly’s Doc Jensen: The name of Season 5’s premiere episode is “Because You Left.”

You’ve got about five months to dissect that one.

(Photos courtesy of ABC)

We all knew the “Lost” cast had to be some kind of gorgeous to make blood, sweat and general jungle grime look really, really good.

But damn, once those crazy island kids shower and put on some new clothes, they’re the sexiest castaways ever.

What the heck am I talking about? Well, even though “Lost” won’t be back for another six months, ABC just released a gallery of new photos of the individual actors. And in addition to shots in their usual island garb of jeans and T-shirts, there’s a second set of them all glammed up.

I mean, Kate, Sun and Juliet are seriously va-va-voom. Sawyer and Sayid are more smokin’ than usual. Even Hurley and Ben clean up impressively.

But there’s a lot more going on with these pictures than just looking at the pretty people. (Although that’s fun, too: I’m considering using the one of Jin as my screensaver.)

Now, seriously, what do these photos say about the upcoming Season 5? Because as any Lost-phile knows, there’s always hidden messages in anything the show puts out there.

Remember last year’s poster of the island’s reflection in the ocean? Sharp-eyed fans noticed that the image wasn’t of the island, but of a city skyline—hinting at Season 4’s main story arc of the Oceanic Six going home.

So what could a photo of Claire dressed in black mean for upcoming episodes? Are the producers acknowledging that she is indeed dead—or undead, kind of like Christian?

Here’s another one to ponder: Why is there a new picture of Michael? Why is actor Harold Perrineau listed with the other series regulars?

Michael obviously died in the finale’s freighter explosion—and it would seem that Perrineau’s rant about how the handling of his death had racist implications wouldn’t exactly encourage the producers to bring him back. Was it all an elaborate ruse to throw us off track?

Click through to check out the rest of the cast photos—and start wondering how they figure into the “Lost” world…

Read more of this entry »

Just when I thought I’d buried my “Lost” obsession (at least until February, when Season 5 kicks in), a little July event called Comic-Con has to happen.

The show’s producers, Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (a.k.a. Darlton), have been breaking radio silence at the convention for a few years now. And while they didn’t deliver any earth-shattering island news, there were some definite points of interest.

Mainly, that we haven’t seen the last of Locke or Jin!

We last saw Locke in the coffin during the finale’s last moments, and we haven’t learned the fate of Jin on the exploding freighter. But dead or not, don’t worry: Terry O’Quinn and Daniel Dae Kim aren’t unemployed.

Darlton confirmed that the two will be back in some capacity, and that death is a “relative term” on the show.

Same goes for Rousseau, who bit the bullet last season with Karl. We’ll be getting more info on her—FINALLY!—though the producers said it won’t necessarily be in a flashback.

In fact, speaking of flashbacks, that’s SOOO Season 4. We’re done with those—and flash-forwards, too.

The show will be time-hopping like Bunny  No. 15 on and off the island, and you’re not going to know where or WHEN you are. (The guy who makes the whooshing sound effect gets to keep his job, too—YAY!)

And who else will we be seeing more of?

Read more of this entry »

Emmy nominations were announced this morning, and the good news: Comedies like “30 Rock” and “The Office” are in the mix for best series, as well they should.

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.)

I’ll admit it. I’ve never seen an episode of “Lost.”

I know, people tell me it’s amazing. I’m also fiercely intimidated by joining a complicated show so late in its run, which is why it took me so long to give “Deadwood” a try—and wow, I’m glad I did. But I’m also unmotivated to catch up on a series with season after season on DVD, especially when that honor is currently bestowed on “The Wire.” I just finished the fourth episode of Season 2, when Freamon looks 10 years younger than he does in Season 5 and Daniels is slowly working his way up the po-lice ladder. And it’s fantastic, obviously.

But there’s no disputing the powerful, almost cult-like fan base of “Lost.” One friend of mine only watches one show with any regularity and it’s “Lost.” And even people who feel like the show has lost its footing still watch it every week, much like fans of “The Sopranos” would complain that it would never live up to the quality of its first two seasons, but watched all the way through to the end for fear they’d miss something groundbreaking. (Insert joke about that series finale here.)

For a cliffhanger show like “Lost,” the stakes for season finales are much higher than, say, “30 Rock” (which I love, by the way). So when crazy things happened and new twists were revealed—can you tell I didn’t see it?—a heckuva lot of you (31 percent of voters) seemed to like what happened and voted accordingly in the latest Remote Access poll, deeming it the best season finale among fall series we regularly cover on this blog.

Placing second with 26 percent of the vote was “Jericho,” which filmed two endings and wound up using the one that worked more as a series finale.

Placing third (too low!) with 8 percent of the vote was the finale of “The Office,” which was by far the best episode of Season 4 and featured a command performance by “Wire” veteran Amy Ryan, as evidenced by this classic one-minute snippet when she endears herself to Michael and millions of “Office” fans:

Tied for fourth were the finales for “Heroes” and “House,” with 6 percent of the vote. Find out the rest of the results—and our latest poll—after the break. Read more of this entry »

For the first time ever, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is announcing the 10 finalists for the Best Comedy and Best Drama categories.

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

Top 10 Comedy Series Finalists

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight of the Conchords (I’d love to see this win)
The Office
Pushing Daisies
30 Rock (I expect to win, as it did last year)
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty
Weeds

Top 10 Drama Series Finalists

Boston Legal
Damages (Probably will win)
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Grey’s Anatomy
House
Lost
Mad Men
The Tudors
The Wire (If this doesn’t win, there is no justice.)