SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

Even the new HBO executives Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo admit they aren’t really sure what happened at the end of “The Sopranos.”

While there’s been plenty of conjecture about what creator David Chase meant by the fade-out that made viewers believe their cable had gone out including that it referred back to an earlier episode in which Tony says when you die, everything just goes black, the executives admit they aren’t really sure what the ending meant.

Plepler says that he believes the ending said that here’s a guy who will have to lead a life of vigilance, always looking over his shoulder, always worried about when somebody’s going to pull the trigger on him.

And Lombardo?

“I don’t know because my TV went out,” he quipped.

Valerie Bertinelli, who stars in the August Hallmark Channel movie “Clare,” told critics here at the summer press tour that young celebrities weren’t stalked by photographers they way they are today.

“It’s a lot more negative than back when I was famous, and crueler,” says the former America’s sweetheart from “One Day At A Time.”

So is she afraid that now that she’s back in the public eye, how will she handle it?

“Oh, they don’t give a (non Hallmark friendly explicitive) about me,” Bertinelli says.

Bertinelli did grab the spotlight recently talking about her weight battle. She looks fabulous, having lost 28 pounds and counting. But the movie was filmed before she started losing the pounds and admits to partaking to the ample snacks available during filming of the movie, which may become series.

“I ate from the craft table,” Bertinelli says. “Trust me.”

While Bertinelli says she stays pretty close to her diet, fellow Hallmark Channel star Dick Van Dyke got a big laugh when he told everyone “I saw Valerie eating a piece of cake.”

As for another fellow Hallmark star, Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine, Van Dyke quipped that he was happy to see him in the room because “he’s the only guy in the building older than me.”

Move over Chuck Norris, there’s a new bad ass in town and her name is Jane Austen.

Yeah, you heard me right. J.A., the English author of such all time hits as “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sense and Sensibility” and “Emma,” who died in 1818.

She’s now an action figure. And she’s ready to be your travel buddy.

JANE’S THE WOMAN

With quill in hand, she’s ready to wield it like a sword against those who doubt her power.

During a stirring PBS session here at the TV critics press tour, we learned that “Masterpiece Theater” will be doing “The Complete Jane Austen” beginning in January.

At the tables, the centerpieces included the Jane Austen action figure. We learned there were many Web sites devoted to J.A., incuding “Jane Austen is my Homegirl.”

Then there’s Kristen’s Web site that shows you all the places J.A. has been. Check it out: Kristen & J.A..

Fan of Jane’s? Let’s hear it.

It didn’t take long for sex to become the main topic on the first full day of the Television Critics press tour in Beverly Hills.

And we haven’t even gotten to HBO’s explicit “Tell Me That You Love Me.”

PBS rolled out its featured programs today, with a post-lunch session on “What Females Want and Males Will Do.” After duck behavioral ecologist Patricia Brennan described her fascination with the rather large sexual organ of the male duck, which led her to research the inner workings of the female duck, the film’s producer Kevin Bachar sighed and commented that he felt as if he was “doing a duck porno.”

U.C. Davis professor Gail Patricelli says her work as a biologist experimenting with bird sexual selection has led her colleagues to dub her a “pornorthologist.”

Well, that’s the way to start out 18 days on press tour.