SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

It looks as if Isaiah Washington’s inability to keep his mouth closed has cost him his “Grey’s Anatomy” gig.

TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello is reporting that Washington’s contract with “Grey’s” has not been renewed.

It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that Washington’s inappropriate remarks towards his co-star T.K. Knight, who plays the lovable George on the show, were the catalyst to his plight.

Washington used an offensive sexual orientation word to refer to Knight. Knight later came out as being gay.

Washington, who apparently doesn’t learn from his mistakes, repeated the slur again backstage at the Golden Globes during press interviews.

When last we saw his character Dr. Burke, he had left Christina (Sandra Oh) at the altar and cleared out of his apartment.

That’s probably the last we’ll ever see of Dr. Burke.

As a movie, “Ruffian” probably isn’t the best or the worst of the lot. What makes it better than the average movie-of-the-week is Sam Shepard’s brilliant take on Ruffian’s trainer, Frank Whiteley.

Which makes it all the more interesting that Whiteley’s one of a group of people suing to stop the broadcast of the movie based on the filly who broke her leg in the mid-’70s during a match race at Belmont against the greatest colt of the day, Derby winner Foolish Pleasure.

According to Throughbred Times reporter Pete Denk, the hearing on the lawsuit has been postponed and the movie will air at 9 p.m. Saturday June 9 on ABC -the day ABC will air the Belmont Stakes race.

Denk writes that the hearing that could have blocked the broadcast of the movie has been deferred until next week, opening up the way for the movie to air this weekend.

Trainer Frank Whiteley Jr., jockey Jacinto Vasquez, and Thoroughbred Legends LLC filed a lawsuit in United States District Court in Atlanta against Walt Disney Co., ESPN, American Broadcasting Co. Inc. (ABC), and Orly Adelson Productions, alleging copyright infringement.

Denk reports that the lawsuit asks for monetary damages in excess of $10-million and sought to block broadcast of the movie unless it carries a disclaimer stating it contains fictional content. The two sides were negotiating on Wednesday and another meeting has been scheduled for next week.

On Monday, NBC decided to stick with most of its schedule. When it was ABC’s turn at bat on Tuesday, the network announced it was bringing on a whopping seven new dramas, four new comedies and one new “alternative’’ series this fall.

Although the buzz was bad on the “Grey’s Anatomy’’ episode sending Addison (Kate Walsh) down to sunny Southern California from Seattle Grace, ABC is still strong on the show. Now titled “Private Practice, the series will air on Wednesday, a day ABC has programmed with all new series.

ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson acknowledged Tuesday that the episode wasn’t up to snuff.

“ `Practice’ needs work,’’ he said in a press conference. “It was a hybrid introduction that introduced all the characters and didn’t spend enough time on story. What (`Grey’s’ creator) Shonda does brilliantly is the conflict between people and the intricacies that (weren’t well served in the pilot).’’

McPherson also talked about the dramas that didn’t make it from last season, including “The Nine’’ and “Six Degrees,’’ compared to more escapism fare like ABC’s “Ugly Betty,’’ “Brothers & Sisters’’ and NBC’s “Heroes.’’

“Look at the news every day and it is bad. Paris Hilton is going to jail,’’ McPherson said, getting a chuckle out of the room. “People didn’t show up for these shows. They didn’t see them and reject them, they just didn’t show up. `Nine’ was very hard, very dense. It was compelling but demanding.’’

In a move to less demanding shows, ABC is going to comedies like “Cavemen,’’ based on those obnoxious guys from the Geico commercial.

Initially, ABC will roll out eight new shows in the fall, staggering the other series through the rest of the year.

The schedule offers a nice dose of Bay Area influence, from “Eli Stone’’ and “The Women’s Murder Club,’’ both set in San Francisco, to Bay Area actors like Newark’s Christopher Titus in “Big Shots’’ and Santa Rosa’s Peter Krause in “Dirty Sexy Money.’’

The new dramas are:

(ABC/KEVIN FOLEY) CHRISTOPHER TITUS, WENDY MONIZ, MICHAEL VARTAN, NIA LONG, PAIGE TURCO, DYLAN McDERMOTT, PEYTON LIST, JESSICA COLLINS, JOSHUA MALINA, AMY SLOAN

“Big Shots’’ stars Titus, Michael Vartan , Dylan McDermott and Josh Malina as four friends at the top of their game professionally who have some trouble with the ladies in their lives.

FRANCES O`CONNOR, JULIAN OVENDEN, LUCY LIU, BONNIE SOMERVILLE, MIRANDA OTTO, PETER HERMANN
“Cashmere Mafia’’ stars Lucy Liu, Frances O’Connor, Miranda Otto and Bonnie Somerville as four gal pals fighting the glass ceiling in the Big City. The series comes from “Sex and the City’’ producer Darren Star.

(ABC/BOB D`AMICO) FRONT ROW: SAMAIRE ARMSTRONG, ZOE McLELLAN, PETER KRAUSE, JILL CLAYBURGH, DONALD SUTHERLAND, NATALIE ZEA; BACK ROW: BILLY BALDWIN, GLENN FITZGERALD, SETH GABEL
“Dirty Sexy Money’’ stars Krause as an idealistic lawyer who takes on the wealthy, and morally muddled, Darling family. Co-stars are Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin, Samaire Armstrong and Jill Clayburgh.

(ABC/BOB D`AMICO) NATASHA HENSTRIDGE, VICTOR GARBER, JAMES SAITO, JONNY LEE MILLER, LAURA BENANTI, SAM JAEGER, LORETTA DEVINE
“Eli Stone’’ stars Jonny Lee Miller as a San Francisco lawyer who might also be a prophet. Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge and Loretta Devine co-star in this series from the team who brought you “Brothers & Sisters.’’

(ABC/BOB D`AMICO) TAYE DIGGS, MERRIN DUNGEY, TIM DALY, KATE WALSH, AMY BRENNEMAN, PAUL ADELSTEIN, CHRIS LOWELL
“Private Practice’’ stars Walsh as she sheds McDreamy and McSteamy for more adult company in an established medical practice. Co-stars include Tim Daly, Taye Diggs, Paul Adelstein and Merrin Dungey.

(ABC/BOB D`AMICO) ELLEN GREENE, SWOOSIE KURTZ, ANNA FRIEL, LEE PACE, CHI McBRIDE, KRISTIN CHENOWETH
“Pushing Daisies’’ is a fantasy forensic series about a guy who helps solve murders through his ability to bring things, and people, back to life _ and then put them back into the grave. Lee pace stars with Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Swoosie Kurtz and Kristin Chenoweth in a series from Bryan Fuller (“Wonderfalls,’’ “Heroes’’).

(ABC/BOB D`AMICO) ELIZABETH HO, LAURA HARRIS, TYREES ALLEN, ANGIE HARMON, PAULA NEWSOME, AUBREY DOLLAR

“Women’s Murder Club’’ is base don James Patterson’s best-sellers about four women _ a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner and a reporter _ working in San Francisco. Stars Angie Harmon.

The new comedies are:

ABC/CRAIG SJODIN) JERRY MINOR, JERRY O`CONNELL, T.J. MILLER, ALLISON MUNN, TIM PEPER, FRED GOSS, FAITH FORD

“Carpoolers’’ starring Fred Gross, Faith Ford, Jerry O’Connell, Jerry Minor as four guys who commiserate about their lives, jobs and families while bonding during their commute.

.(ABC/CRAIG SJODIN) STEPHANIE LEMELIN, DASH MIHOK, NICK KROLL, BILL ENGLISH, KAITLIN DOUBLEDAY, JOHN HEARD

“Caveman’’ is described as a unique buddy comedy offering a twist on stereotypes and race relations. Come on now, it’s based on a Geico commercial.

(ABC/BOB D`AMICO) EARL BILLINGS, JONATHAN SADOWSKI, JUDY GREER, KRISTOFFER POLAHA, BROOKE BURNS

“Miss/Guided’’ has Judy Greer returning to high school as a counselor and reliving her unpopular past. Comes from Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldburg, the guys behind “Beauty and the Geek.’’

(ABC/CRAIG SJODIN) MELISSA McCARTHY, CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, JENNIFER ESPOSITO, TIM RUSS, JEAN SMART, KEVIN DUNN

“Sam I Am’’ has Christina Applegate starring as a woman who emerges from a coma without a memory and discovering she wasn’t very nice. Now she wants to make amends.

The lone “alternative series’’ is “Oprah’s Big Give’’ where needy contestants vie for a chance to win large amounts of cash.

The midseason series “October Road’’ and “Notes from the Underbelly’’ and the new series “Cashmere Mafia’’ will premiere after “Dancing with the Stars’’ and “The Bachelor’’ conclude their fall seasons.
As previously reported, “Lost’’ will not return until 2008 with 16 new episodes running almost uninterrupted.
In addition to shows already axed, the network canceled the drama “What About Brian,’’ and comedies “George Lopez,” “Help Me Help You” and “Knights of Prosperity.” ABC is still debating whether to bring back “According to Jim.’’

Monday:
8 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars”
9:30 p.m. “SAM I AM”
10 p.m. “The Bachelor”

Tuesday
8 p.m. “CAVEMAN”
8:30 p.m. “CARPOOLERS”
9 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars Results”
10 p.m. “Boston Legal”

Wednesday
8 p.m. “PUSHING DAISIES”
9 p.m. “PRIVATE PRACTICE”
10 p.m. “DIRTY SEXY MONEY”

Thursday
8 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
9 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
10 p.m. “BIG SHOTS”

Friday
8 p.m. “Mind in Trees”
9 p.m. “WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB”
10 p.m. “20/20”

Saturday
8 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”

Sunday
7 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
8 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
9 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
10 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

Could it be? How could it happen?

All we know is that John Locke was last seen gasping for air after Ben shot him dead in the chest and sent him tumbling into a mass grave for all those dead Dharma guys.

Oh, and we also know through Eonline gossip goddess Kristin Veitch that Terry O’Quinn, who plays Locke, recently sold his home in Hawaii…not good.

We did learn a lot about Ben. Mom Emily (which was also Locke’s mom’s name) died in childbirth outside Portland. Dad Roger holds it against Ben. Dad’s also the guy who became dead Roger Work Man in the VW van that Hurley found a few episodes back.

After years of dad ignoring Ben’s birthday, on this particular birthday Dad decides it’s time to take the boy out for a beer in the jungle. Too late, daddy dearest. Ben kills daddy.

These father issues just don’t quit on this show.

And we finally got a glimpse of the mysterious Jacob, who is apparently one of the “whisperers” on the island. He whispers to Locke “Help Me” when Ben brings Locke to the old cabin where the mostly invisible Jacob lives.

Locke better hope Jacob can help him out. Otherwise it’s hasta la Locke.

And we’ve also seen that Ricard hasn’t aged at all in the decades he has known Ben.

Who are these “Others” anyway? We know they whacked the Dharma people, with the help of Ben. We know they steal women and children. And we know that they can’t reproduce.

And if you really want to get your head spinning, check out Jacob.

And why did Ben kill all the Dharma people, including, it would seem, his sweet little girlfriend. Or maybe she was one of the children carried off by “The Others.”

We don’t know much, but we know there’s going to be a big showdown soon. It’s going to set up quite a new season. Next week, we get a catch-up special where the “Lost” producers get us up to speed on anything we might have missed. Then just two more episodes before the mind-blasting finale.

Now talk amongst yourselves about the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland references.

Just how badly did “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes NOT want to do a “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off?

Apparently, enough to give us a horrible “Grey’s” episode last week that had Addison going down to So Cal to hook up with some old med school pals. We were slightly encouraged at the beginning with Addison, played by the fantabulous Kate Walsh, getting whipped by her hair in the convertible as she cruised along oceanside highway.

Then it just went oh-so-bad.

A talking elevator? Addison going all girly over some doctor she met in the talking elevator?

And while I won’t go as far as the New York Times did in remarking that the scene with the three women doctors oogling the young male receptionist as he walked out half naked to surf was setting feminism back decades, I will say that it was corny and stupid.

Maybe Rhimes is still ticked that the network put the brakes on her real passion project about journalists that starred “Denny” – Jeffrey Dean Morgan – and instead wanted an Addison-driven doc drama.

In any case, if ABC puts that stinker on its schedule next week, then we know those people have spent way too much time cooking their brains at the beach.

“Lost” creator Damon Lindelof made no bones about it in January: He wanted to announce an end to “Lost” and he didn’t want to go much past 100 episodes – the golden number for syndication.

Damon figured that meant that “Lost” would end either next season or possibly the season after. Instead, “Lost” will bow out in the spring of 2010.

The hitch is that both Damon and ABC got what they wanted, because the seasons will be abbreviated. There will only be 48 more original episodes of “Lost.”

Starting with the 2007-08 season, ABC will begin airing the 48 remaining original episodes. The episodes will air uninterrupted over three seasons (16 episodes each season), with the series concluding in 2009-10 with what the network is calling a “shocking finale.”

“In considering the powerful storytelling of ‘Lost,’ we felt this was the only way to give it a proper creative conclusion,” says ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson. “I always said that we would allow the series to grow and give viewers the most compelling hour possible. And, due to the unique nature of the series, we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout, and to give the audience the payoff they deserve. ”

We, of course, means Damon.

Damon and Carlton Cuse have signed on to complete the series.

“This is a bold and unprecedented move for ABC,” said Damon and Carlton in a prepared statement. “We always envisioned ‘Lost’ as a show with a beginning, middle and end. By officially announcing exactly when that ending will be, the audience will now have the security of knowing that the story will play out as we’ve intended.”

It’s true. “The View” won’t have Rosie O’Donnell kicking up any more dust – and more importantly heating up the ratings.

ABC announced early today that the network was unable to come to a contractual agreement with “The View” co-host. As a result, her duties on the show will come to an end mid-June.

“They wanted me three years, I wanted one year, and it just didn’t work,” Rosie says on today’s show.

(ABC/HEIDI GUTMAN) ROSIE O`DONNELL,BARBARA WALTERS,OLYMPIA DUKAKIS,JOY BEHAR,ELISABETH HASSELBECK

“Going in we knew we would have an amazing year with her, and that anything beyond that would be gravy,” says Brian Frons, president of daytime programming for the Disney-ABC Television Group. “But we were willing to take the chance because we understood what a coup it was to entice Ro back to daytime television. So here we are a year later, and while we’ve tried to come to terms on a deal that would extend her co-hosting duties on ‘The View,’ we find ourselves unable to agree on some key elements.”

Rosie pumped up the profile of the daytime show with her ongoing feud with Donald Trump, her politically incorrect comments and her attacks on those she felt were intolerant of the rights of others.

Barbara Walters, creator and co-executive producer of “The View,” said in a statement that she was the one to coax the high voltage Rosie into taking a seat on “The View.”

“She has given the program new vigor, new excitement and wonderful hours of television. I can only be grateful to her for this year,” Barbara says. “I am very sad that ABC Daytime could not reach an agreement with her for a second year.”

As for Rosie, she says in a release sent out by ABC that it has been an amazing experience and one she wouldn’t have traded for the world.

“Working with Barbara, Joy and Elisabeth has been one of the highlights of my career, but my needs for the future just didn’t dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me.

To all the viewers out there, I just want to say ‘thank you’ for opening up your hearts and your homes to me this past year. But you can always find me at rosie.com. Here’s hoping there’s more confetti for all of us going forward.”

(ABC/HEIDI GUTMAN) ROSIE O`DONNELL,JOHN LITHGOW

Since the departure was made on friendly terms, ABC hopes to entice Rosie back next year to take part in a series of one-hour specials or guest host once in a while.

There are no current plans to announce a new co-host.

Now we know why Desmond likes to call everyone “Brother” on “Lost.”

Turns out that after a drunken spree to avoid marrying his girlfriend Ruth, Des wakes up to find Brother Campbell in his monk frock ready to take him away to monk-land.

Sure he’s found his true calling, Des is ready to take on the robe when Ruth’s brother finally tracks him down and punches him in the snout. Des gets smashed on monk wine and gets booted out of the monkery. But not before we have a little scene between Des and Brother Campbell, who tells him he’s destined for greater things.

On Brother Campbell’s desk is a picture of the brother and Ms. Hawking. If you remember, she’s the soothsayer who was working at the store where Desmond goes to buy an engagement ring for Penny during his flashback/dream after he turned the fail-safe key.

She knows all about his timeline, which went wonky after he turned the key. She tells him he has to stay the path or else everyone’s going to die. Besides, she tell him, fate has a way of “course-correcting,” which is why Des seems destined to be saving Charlie for the rest of his island stay.

CHARLIE AND DESMOND

But now we’re wondering about the girl who parachuted out of the helicopter (???) into the forest. Des thought for sure it was his beloved Penny, but we don’t know this girl.

But she knew Des. She mumbled his name right before she passed out, or died.

Do we have a new person on the island? Probably not. But we do know there is a way on and off the island if the castaways only had a submarine…or a helicopter.

Next week looks great with a Sun-centric episode.

You can’t trust what the promos say, but it was interesting that tonight’s episode of “Lost” ended with the narrator telling us that the countdown to the end was coming.

This seems to confirm what creator Damon Lindelof said in January about next season being perhaps the last for the mysterious drama.

Just a little tangent here, but did anyone else get a little teary when Sawyer and Kate came together? While we’re talking about Sawyer, we’re glad he’s back with the nicknames. Three Men and a Baby…

In any case, it seems that the writers are trying to toss a few bones to fans and critics of the series. We loved it when Sayid finally said what we’d all been thinking: Give us some answers about this island.

Tonight, our suspections about Juliet were confirmed: She’s no good.

DON’T TRUST JULIET NO MATTER HOW LONELY SHE LOOKS

She was brought to the island to “create life where life is not meant to be,” she’s told. Women who try to have babies die here. So the Others snatch the children of those unfortunate enough to land on this rock.

The Others can cure cancer. So, why did they need Jack to take out a tumor? Apparently, Jack’s not the target after all. The targets are mother Claire and mother to be Sun.

After learning about Juliet’s plan with Ben (and that comment about “after all we’ve done to them”), we know nothing good is about to happen to our castaways.

Remember that Goodwin, Juliet’s lover, was killed by Ana-Lucia after she realized he was probably an Other and not a tailie as he tried to portray. Goodwin, you’ll remember, snapped the neck of Nathan – a guy Goodwin said “was not a good man.”

And hats off to the writers, who gave us a lot of tidbits, but left the larger mysteries of the island still buried.

They also presented a few new questions like why is it better to arrive unconscious? And why was Danielle Rousseau able to have a baby on the island? We also heard the theme of good and bad people once again, as Jack tells Juliet that the crash survivors are “good people.”

I’d also like to think that Jack hasn’t really been taken in by Juliet and is just playing along until he can figure out here game. But if that’s the case, why did he let her treat Claire? Is it because he some how figured out Ben and Juliet’s game?

Ah, the plot just keeps on getting thicker.

It’s baaacck.

We’re talking about the black smoke that smotes the bad guys and scares everyone else. Tonight, it chased down Kate and Juliet. Juliet says The Others don’t know what it is either, they just know that it can’t get past their super-shield fences.

What’s the flash? What’s the gear noise? How can black smoke be so stinkin’ loud?

Oh, and Sawyer’s a good guy who is about to be a papa – even though he doesn’t know it. Turns out the woman he conned and dumped is pregnant, and that she and Kate had a close encounter of the mom kind in the Before Crash world.

And Kate’s got second thoughts about boinking Sawyer now that she knows Jack and Others played peep show.

The interaction between Hurley and Sawyer always makes me smile. But I’m beginning to be so over Locke. We know that Locke is the key to the island. But does he have to be such a jerk about it?

What was that pious speech he gave to Kate about how he tried to tell them what a good person she was, but they had the rap sheet and aren’t quite as forgiving and forgetting about the past.

When are the Others going to get smoked?

And does anyone trust Juliet? I’m with Sayid about the trust factor.