SueTube – Let’s talk TV with critic Susan Young

We all knew it could never last.

“Bonds on Bonds” ended production after Barry Bonds decided he wanted more control of the series.

Producers Tollin/Robbins Productions and ESPN decided it was time to break ties with the heavy hitter. The next show was to have focused on a behind-the-scenes look at Bonds hitting his 715th home run.

ESPN

Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon heats up the New York fire department this summer on FX’s “Rescue Me.”

Rescue indeed.

For three episodes in the upcoming season, Sarandon plays hottie Franco’s (Daniel Sunjata) latest flame, who happens to be a rich successful older woman.

Sarandon’s character Alicia seduces Franco by teaching him that an older woman is exactly what he needs in the second episode of season three.

Currently in production, season three of “Rescue Me,” which stars Denis Leary premieres in early summer.

The Bay Area lost its only “American Idol” rep on Thursday when it was revealed that Jose “Sway” Penala was voted off the show.

The judges on Wednesday did a thumbs down on his performance. The viewers obviously agreed

More than 42 million votes cast after Tuesday and Wednesday

The Bay Area lost its only “American Idol” rep on Thursday when it was revealed that Jose “Sway” Penala was voted off the show.

The judges on Wednesday did a thumbs down on his performance. The viewers obviously agreed

More than 42 million votes cast after Tuesday and Wednesday

At a time when ABC news is dealing with the Iraqi attack that left anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt critically injured, there’s finally some good news.

“World News Tonight” co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas and her husband, singer-songwriter Marc Cohn, are expecting their second child in late summer.

Vargas and Cohn have a son Zachary, 3, and Cohn has two children from a previous marriage Max, 14, and Emily 11.

“This is joyous news for Marc and our family,” Vargas said. “At the same time, our immediate concern remains with Bob [Woodruff], [wife] Lee, and the entire Woodruff family as we hope and pray for continuing good news about his recovery.”

“I told Elizabeth that during such a difficult time for all of us, it’s good to get such wonderful, life-affirming news,” said ABC News President David Weston.

Vargas, who also co-anchors the ABC newsmagazine “20/20,” will continue to anchor both broadcasts through late summer.

Vargas, 43, and Woodruff, 44, debuted as co-anchors of ABC News’ evening newscast in January 2006. Woodruff is currently being treated at Bethesda Medical Center for injuries he sustained during an IED attack in Iraq on Jan. 29.

Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson will continue to fill in for Woodruff until the end of February as he recovers. When the timetable for Woodruff’s recovery becomes clearer in the coming weeks, ABC News will announce further interim plans for substitution on the broadcast.

Jason Lee, star of “My Name is Earl” couldn’t make the press session for his show because he had the chicken pox.

The chicken pox?

Yep, it seems Lee never had chicken pox. Although we’re a bit confused on the timing. On Sunday Jan. 15, there was a segment on “Desperate Housewives” about a parent trying to avoid the chicken pox.
On that Monday, Jason Lee was at the Golden Globes _ where the cast of “Desperate Housewives were also in attendence _ and on Tuesday, he says he was covered in bumps that turned out to be chicken pox.
Coincidence? Maybe.
All we know is that it won’t throw the series off schedule.

“No, no, no. He’ll be in all the
episodes,” creator Gregg Garcia assured the critics at the winter press tour. “We’re just shut down until he is feeling better and is presentable to put on TV again. “

For all you briefcase addicts, NBC announced the Howie Mandel hosted game show “Deal or No Deal” will be back on the air in March after the Winter Olympics.

So just what is the draw of a show in which all the contestants have to do is whittle down briefcases to win money.

“There’s nothing else on television that allows you to go home with a lot of money with absolutely no skill,” Mandel told critics at the winter press tour. “And I think it’s really obvious there’s no skill. You can be a rock and move into another tax bracket.”

Heather Graham went from ubiquitous poster girl for ABC’s “Emily’s Reasons Why Not” to the invisible woman after just one airing of her tepid comedy.

What happened, inquiring critics wanted to know during the ABC executive session with entertainment president Stephen McPherson.

“Well, we had spent the majority of the big long-lead advertising money before we even saw a script. You have to measure your patience based on how you believe in the creative, and there we felt like, unfortunately, it was not going to get better.”

They could have saved a boatload of money if they just listened to the TV critics last summer….

Hank Azaria arrived from New York to chat with critics gathered at the winter press tour about his Showtime series “Huff.”

He’s currently starring on Broadway in “Spamalot” as Sir Lancelot, which garnered Azaria a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.

But would he want to continue that role when the show opens in Las Vegas?

“When it goes to Vegas, it will be shortened and turned into more than a revue than a play, and that doesn’t interest me as much,” Azaria says.

So he wouldn’t consider it?

“I didn’t say that,” smiled Azaria. “A month in Vegas? And if they backed that money truck up to my door, it would be hard to say no.”

Country legend Reba McEntire , star of the WB sitcom “Reba,” says she doesn’t really care if they put a pair of $1,250 jeans in her Golden Globes goodie bag.

“That’s nice, but my favorite goodie bag item was from a country music awards program: a $5,000 gift certificate for Tupperware. I was so excited. I called back to make sure I wasn’t reading that wrong,” Reba says. “When I found out it was right, I called everyone in my family and we went shopping!”