SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

Berkeley’s Nessa Nemir wrote to say that fellow “Pirate Master” Cheryl Kosewicz. was found dead Friday in Sparks, near Reno. It was an apparent suicide just days after the series was canceled by CBS.

The 35-year-old Cheryl was a deputy district attorney who was cut from the show on the June 21 episode.

“Her boyfriend had killed himself a couple months after we got back from the Carribbean,” Nessa writes. “Her funeral will be held in Reno on Tuesday (today)… Everyone is shocked and devastated…. I haven’t seen anything about it in the news yet… Thought you might want to know.”

Fans of “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’’ know that creator Aaron Sorkin tapped into real Hollywood people for the drama and exploited his own stormy relationship with Kristen Chenoweth thought the characters of Matt and Harriet.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH on the TCA panel for “Pushing Daisies.” (ABC/CRAIG SJODIN)

Like Matt and Harriet, Aaron and Kristen have had their share of spats, including a huge blow-up over Christian Kristen appearing on the “700 Club.” That formed the basis of the break-up between Matt and Harriet on “Studio 60.”

Kristen turned up at the ABC party Thursday night wearing a pretty white dress and a large diamond cross. She says she got more upset about things Aaron wrote about her on the show that were fictional, like her stand on stem cell research, than the things that were true.

“Did you watch the season finale?” asks Kristen about the episode in which Matt and Harriet get engaged. “We were broken up at the time.”

The affable star was eager to talk about her relationship with Aaron.

“We are together,’’ Kristen says, adding with a little punch, “This week.’’

Earlier that day when she was shooting her new series “Pushing Daisies,’’ Aaron popped over to the studio and ran around toilet papering her car.

“He says it’s a good luck tradition, but I don’t know,’’ says the chipper Chenoweth. “He’s really great. This week.’’

Charlie Sheen used to be known as the tabloid headling king for his antics involving Hollywood madams, drugs and overall chaotic life.

But now, he reminds us, he’s just a guy doing a TV show who has some nice kids and is happily engaged. And Sheen’s more than eager to let the Lindsay Lohans and Britney Spears take that searing spotlight.

“There’s several people recently at least in the last year that have snatched that torch from me,” Sheen says with his dry wit delivery. “I just stay home and let it happen basically, but I feel for them.”

Any advice?

“I mean, it’s not that complicated to hire a car or just to carry some extra cab fare at some point,” he says.

“Lost” producer Damon Lindelof will be making a major announcement at ComicCon tomorrow in San Diego.

At the end of last season’s “Lost,” we discovered that everything we’ve been watching up until this point was all in the past.

We were tipped to this early when we saw an episode with Jack watching the 2004 World Series game won by the Boston Red Sox that Ben, the leader of the Others, showed him during his during his confinement.

While we’d love to know if this season will be told in flashback or flash forward, ABC says the announcement is that Harold Perrineau, who played dad Michael Dawson, will be returning this season which starts in early 2008.

UPDATE: At ComicCon, Harold told fans that he thinks he’s the one in the coffin shown in the season ender.

“ER” star Linda Cardellini, who stars in the new CBS miniseries “Comanche Moon,’’ wowed the folks at the NBC party and the red carpet with her lacy teal dress, which she says she bought at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.

LINDA CARDELLINI – NBC Photo: Chris Haston

“My dad picked it out for me while we were shopping,’’ she says. “Isn’t it great? It’s a Betsey Johnson.’’

Linda’s gone back to her natural brunette and looks stunning.

Here’s what it’s like to present a Television Critics Association Award:

You go up on the stage where the Golden Globes are presented, looking out at an audience that includes “Sopranos’’ creator David Chase with Edie Falco and Lorraine Bracco, Alec Baldwin of “30 Rock,’’ Matt Dallas of “Kyle XY,’’ “Heroes’’ creator Tim Kring with Adrian Pasdar, Masi Oka, “The Office” producer Greg Daniels and castmembers and Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton of “Friday Night Lights.’’

And you pray you don’t black out.

Makes you understand yet again just how good these people in the room are at what they do.

Alec won the award for individual achievement in comedy and rocked the room. He told the story about how he tried to get a role on “The Sopranos.’’

In New York, he was going to a meeting with “a famous socialite’’ to raise some money for some foundation. But he went to the wrong place, and had to bolt down Park Avenue, he’s drenched in sweat. So he excuses himself to use the men’s room and takes his shirt off, and dries his shirt in the men’s room of the Four Season’s Restaurant.

And David Chase walks in and says, “Alec Baldwin?’’

He didn’t get a role on the show.

Of course, when Chase took the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Achievement in Drama, he says that in response to Alec, “When I walked into the (restroom), I thought `Holy (Shucks), that was Alec Baldwin the famous movie star. I didn’t even notice he didn’t have a shirt on.’’

When he came up again for the Heritage Award, Chase remarked that when you are in New Jersey, you can be sitting in a restaurant and have everything stop.

“It’s not that big of a deal,’’ he deadpans.

He then mentioned that he was awed by other nominees, which included “M*A*S*H,’ `Roots,’ `Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and “Sesame Street.’’

“But I thought we had a pretty good shot when I didn’t see any Muppets in the audience,’’ Chase says.

Then he said a TV critic told him it would be good to actually explain the ending of “The Sopranos.’’

“I wasn’t going to get into it, but when I was going to Stanford, at 23, I went to see the `Planet of the Apes’ with my wife,’’ Chase says. “At the end I said, `Wow. So they had a Statue of Liberty too.’ So that’s what you are up against.’’

For a better insight, check out the season one finale.

“The Office’’ producer Greg Daniels says he spent the whole day reading “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

“I’m on page 450, and it’s good,’’ Daniels says. “If we adapt it for American audiences, it could be really successful.’’

He then introduced the cast that showed up for the awards – and said how he would cast them as “Harry Potter’’ characters.

Brian Baumgartner as Hagrid; Mindy Kaling as Pavarti, or Luna; Angela Kinsey as Delores Umbridge; Kate Flannery as Aunt Petunia; Oscar Nunez as Viktor Krum; Leslie David Baker as Mr. Dursley and Creed Bratton as Lucius Malfoy.

“Is this too nerdy for everyone?,’’ Greg asked.

Not for this crowd.

2007 TCA Award recipients are as follows:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: “Heroes” (NBC)

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM: “Friday Night Lights” (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: “The Sopranos” (HBO)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: “The Office” (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION: “Planet Earth” (Discovery)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: “Kyle XY” (ABC Family)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINI-SERIES & SPECIALS: “Planet Earth” (Discovery)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: Michael C. Hall, “Dexter” (Showtime)

HERITAGE AWARD: “The Sopranos” (HBO)

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Mary Tyler Moore

Oh, and I’m now the newly elected secretary of the Television Critics Association. Go TCA.

So you may have seen those pictures splashed across the tabloids of “Criminal Minds” co-star Shemar Moore.

NOT THE NAKED PHOTO OF SHEMAR

The story that goes with those tabloid photos is that Shemar was at a gay beach in Maui and flashing his equipment for all to see.

“There’s a nude beach that we went to that day. There were men, women, children, all there,” Shemar explains. “But as I understand it, there’s an area a little bit away from there that is known as a gay beach and we were in that area when the pictures were taken.”

Now, Shemar doesn’t deny he was naked on that beach about a year ago, but he says he was with two girlfriends who were cut out of the picture.

“I’m not gay,” says Shemar. “My godfather was gay and died of AIDS. So I’m not saying there’s anything wrong in being gay, I’m just not. I’m a straight man who enjoys being naked.”

While he pondered who could have possibly taken his picture on this very public beach in Kihei, Maui, he didn’t address the question if perhaps it could have been an angry girlfriend.

In any case, Shemar has a reputation for liking to take his shirt off at public events at every opportunity. And he says he likes to bbq for pals in his own backyard sans clothing.

Which sounds really dangerous to us.

In the private dining room of Circa 55 at The Beverly Hilton, about six reporters gathered for lunch with the charismatic star of CBS’ new vampire series “Moonlight,’’ which had a major renovation from the presentation version sent out to critics and advertisers.

BROODING VAMP ALEX

The only actor left standing after the housecleaning was lead Alex O’Loughlin, a charming Australian actor best known in the United States for his role this season on FX’s “The Shield.’’

(Note to “Veronica Mars” fans: Alex’s new vamp pal will be played by Jason Dohring.)

Alex, 30, tells us his mom was devastated by the widely reported Internet rumor that he was one of many children fathered by the late AC/DC wild man Bon Scott.

“She wasn’t very happy being called a harlot,’’ Alex says. “And my dad wasn’t very happy either.’’

O’Loughlin just finished filming a movie with Kate Beckinsale and says after a dry spell he’s finally getting some juice into his career.

“I had sold my car and had to sell my motorbike,’’ Alex, who was being considered for such roles as James Bond, says. “Then I got the chance to go on `The Shield,’ which I love, and then this and two movies.’’

He’s so giddy about it all, he doesn’t even mind going to San Diego next week for Comic Con to boost “Moonlight’s’’ profile before it airs in September. He’s got all of the vamp folklore down solid and he’s waiting to show it all off

“(Producer) Joel Silver told me `You ARE going to Comic Con,’ ” Alex says with a laugh. “I’m ready.”

And it helps to have the beloved icon of vampdom on board, David Greenwalt of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer”’ and “Angel.” David will be overseeing the series and keeping it in the right vein.

MOONLIGHT (L-R) Joel Silver Executive Producers , Alex O’Loughlin, David Greenwalt Executive Producers and Sophia Myles speak to the press at the TCA – 2007

After going off the air five years ago, it looks like there might actually be another “The X-Files” movie in the works.

“I’m looking at the script next week,” says former Agent Fox Mulder, AKA David Duchovny. “Gillian is on board to do it and Frank Spotnitz and Chris Carter have written the script.”

So what’s different about this movie from all the other rumors about a new “X-Files’ movie?

“They wrote a script,” deadpans David, who seems rather excited at the though of bringing the old gang back again.

“It’s been five years and I think it’s a good time to do it,” he says. “There were only two windows: Right after the show ended, which probably wouldn’t have worked (for me and Gillian) or waiting a while. I think this is a good time to do it.”

David says he thinks if everything goes the way they plan, the filming will begin this fall for a summer 2008 release.

David Duchovny’s back on series TV after he departed from the wildly popular Fox series “The X-Files” in 2002.

He’s now on a series trying to cope through drugs, alcohol and sex in the Showtime series “Californication.” He plays a writer whose best-seller has been turned into a crappy sitcom. Now he’s facing a writer’s block bigger than a Hollywood actor’s ego, dealing with his girlfriend’s new relationship with another guy and their 12-year-old daughter testing her sexuality.

But don’t expect David’s wife Tea Leoni to appear on the series.

“We’ve always tried not to work together, mostly because she doesn’t want to work with me, ” he joked. “But I honestly can’t imagine anything creepier than watching people who actually have sex having sex on TV. It’s a funky feeling to act with your wife anyway.”

In the series, David may become the first leading man in a TV series who has sex with a minor.

“Two things I have to do,” David says in response. “Update my resume and call my mother.”