Katherine Heigl: Darling Or Diva?

In case you missed it last week, "Grey's Anatomy" star Katherine Heigl announced she wouldn't submit her work to the Emmy voters this year because she feels her work on the show didn't warrant a nomination.

It's pretty big news, since it means that Heigl, who won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama last year, won't be defending her title.

Heigl attributed her decision in part to the weak storylines her Izzie character got this year, implicitly casting blame upon the show's writers.

Reaction in the blogosphere has been mixed. Many feel Heigl is doing the honorable thing by allowing someone more worthy to earn a nomination. Others feel Heigl is forcing the writers to give her a bigger role this year and don't like her outspokeness.

I asked the Cherry Blogger, Stephanie Hartley, a "Grey's" fan, what she thought of the decision. She said Heigl didn't have much of a role this season and was stuck in the background most of the time, so it was probably a good choice on the actress' part.

On the other hand, as some critics of Heigl point out, the writers' strike severely hampered the show's creative staff. Especially with a show of the soap opera nature of something like "Grey's," losing a quarter to a third of the season is severely going to hamper storylines and character arcs, so it's hard to place the blame fully on the writers because of the way they were handcuffed.

Heigl has been the center of controversy before, when she was the most vocal opponent of former castmate Isaiah Washington, who used an anti-gay slur against co-star T.R. Knight a couple of years ago, which eventually got Washington fired. Most of the rest of the cast toed the company line and kept silent, but Heigl defended Knight. (Reportedly, so did co-star Patrick Dempsey, who got into a scuffle on the set with Washington).

Heigl certainly has the most blossoming film career of the cast, with films like "Knocked Up" and "27 Dresses" on her resume, so there is a feeling that she can move on whenever she likes and not pull a David Caruso and torpedo her own career.

My take is that Heigl is doing the honorable thing by not denying an Emmy slot to someone whose work was better this year, though the way she called out the writers and drew attention to herself might not have been the best approach to do it.

Still, Heigl's decision points out a fundamental flaw in the Emmy process, that once an actor or series becomes an Emmy favorite, they occupy a nomination slot for years even when it is undeserved. Think of all the years Candice Bergen won for "Murphy Brown," even when the show moved past its point of freshness. Or all of the nominations "Boston Legal" has nabbed each year, keeping out far more worthy nominees.

If Heigl's actions force Emmy voters to open the field up for more shows and stars, then I'm all for it.

MONDAY'S RECAP: You know, some days it's great to be a Georgia Bulldog.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: You know it's the summer because another AFI list show is on. This time, it's"AFI's 10 Top 10" (CBS, 8 p.m.), which lists the top 10 shows in 10 distinct film genres, such as sci-fi, mystery and romantic comedy. I'll probably end up watching it, then telling you where they went wrong.

It's a tough call for me, because "Nova" is repeating the documentary "Secrets of the Samurai Sword," a supercool documentary about the forging of katanas in both ancient and modern Japan (PBS, 8 p.m.)

The documentary series "30 Days" (FX, 10 p.m.) is brand new tonight.

Everything else is pretty much so-called reality, including the return of "America's Got Talent" (NBC, 9 p.m.)

Oh, and the Lakers and Celtics meet in Game 6 of the NBA Finals tonight (ABC, 9 p.m.)

I Love You, Marion Ravenwood

Just like millions of people around the world, I'm pretty stoked about the debut of the latest Indiana Jones installment.

Nineteen years is a long time to wait, but I'm hoping absence makes the heart grow fonder - especially with the return of Indy's original girlfriend, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), whom we haven't seen since the original "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

I'm not sure if it's a guy thing, or a movie buff thing, but it seems like a lot of men pick their idealized women through movie characters. For me, as a 10-year-old kid back then, it was Marion.

With those big blue eyes and winning smile, she could stand up to Indy (and slug him). She could drink men under the table. Yes, she tended to get captured by Nazis, but she wasn't a damsel in distress - rather, she was a giant pain in the ass to the German army.

One of the reasons why the "Indy" sequels never quite worked for me was that there was no female lead to get me excited. Kate Capshaw (Mrs. Steven Spielberg) mostly whined her way through the second picture. I mean, we get it, it's scary with these crazy cultists, but Marion would have given them lip, not screamed "Help me, Indy!" every five seconds.

And while Alison Doody's classical good looks weren't an unwelcome addition to "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," she loses a lot of points for being, you know, a Nazi. (And not much of an archaelogist, either. No wonder the Nazis had to trick the Jones boys to find the Holy Grail).

Marion broke the mold of making it possible for a woman to be an action star, yet still retain her feminine side. Sigourney Weaver's Ripley from "Alien" was the other strong woman archetype from the early 1980s, but I don't think she would be as fun a date as Marion would be.

Allen, now in her 50s, still looks terrific in the few clips and stills I've seen from the new movie, still with the twinkle in her eye. Hopefully, she also still has that right cross.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 8 p.m.) wraps up its second season with a bit of stunt casting, as Lindsay Lohan makes the first of what could be several appearances on the show. No doubt the producers are hoping LiLo gives "Betty" the same shot in the arm in the ratings that Britney Spears gave "How I Met Your Mother." The difference here is that Lohan (when sober) is actually a pretty decent actress. The "HIMYM" producers should have stopped with Spears after the one time; but Lohan could be a decent addition if she stays committed to the acting, especially in the faux tabloid world of "Betty."

"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 9 p.m.) wraps up the year wtih a two-hour finale, in which creator Shonda Rimes promises a lot of kissing, including one kiss that's supposed to be so huge that viewers will go nuts. That's what is being reported, anyway. Supposedly, the viewers will also get some resolution to the Mer-Der on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again (you get the idea) relationship. They had better, because it pushed back the finale of "Lost" for an extra week.

The reality series "Last Comic Standing" (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) also returns to the network with a 90-minute debut tonight.

Elseworlds

DC Comics used to have special issues called "Elseworlds," in which various characters would find themselves in different circumstances than what we were used to seeing them in. The idea was that these stories never happened in the continuity of their various titles, but rather, what if something different happened.

What if Batman was a 16th century pirate? What if Superman's rocket had landed in communist Russia during the 1940s? Etc.

When I wrote my spec script for "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.) a couple of years ago, it was entitled "Elseworlds." Through a bit of technology, Clark (Tom Welling) was able to see what life would have been like had he been adopted by Lionel Luthor rather than the Kents. Let's just say I brought the idea of sibling rivalry to a whole new level between Clark and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum).

Clearly, that script was never bought, because I'm still here doing this blog for you guys, but "Smallville" does finally visit an Elseworlds scenario for tonight's 150th episode, directed by Welling. As Brainiac (James Marsters) flies back to Krypton of the past to assassinate the young Kal-El, Clark wonders if the world might not be better off without him. The spirit of his father gives him a slice of what that might be like.

Lex is President, with Brainiac as his chief of staff and Kara (Lauren Vandernoot) as his enforcer. Lois (Erica Durance) is a Pulitzer Prize winner investigating Lex's sinister plans.

As a comics enthusiast, I've always enjoyed the Elseworlds ideas that the writers have come up with over the years (Marvel Comics has a similarly themed series called "What If?") While "Smallville" is hardly the first series to tackle the "It's a Wonderful Life" dilemma, at least it can fall back upon the DC Comics tradition of Elseworlds to justify it.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: "Smallville" isn't the only CW series to play with an alternate reality; Dean Winchester experienced his own version last season on "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) Tonight, Dean gets a visit from a spirit claiming to be that of his father.

Addison (Kate Walsh) makes a one-night return to "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 9 p.m.) from her spinoff "Private Practice," no doubt sending "Grey's" fans into a frenzy. It follows a new "Ugly Betty" at 8 p.m. and precedes a new "Lost" at 10 p.m. as Jack falls gravely ill, and Kate and Juliet rush to save him. Ah, to be nursed back to health by Kate and Juliet...

"CSI" (CBS, 9 p.m.) must be investigating Vulcans, because several victims turn up with green blood, followed by a new "Without A Trace," which presumably has no Vulcans.

Earl is finally awake on "My Name Is Earl" (NBC, 8 p.m.), which kicks off the network's terrific comedy lineup of "Scrubs," "The Office" and "30 Rock," followed by a new "ER" at 10 p.m.

Finally, the documentary "Carrier" (PBS, 9 p.m.) wraps up tonight.

Too Much TV!

Everything on Thursday is back and it's all new. Get those VCRs and DVRs fired up.

In fact, it's been such a long time that we've seen some of these shows that I can't remember where we left off.

For example, how did we leave things on "Ugly Betty?" (ABC, 8 p.m.) I remember Bradford Meade dying and Betty trying to choose between Gio and Henry, but other than that, it's all a blank. The networks might have done a better job with a few reruns here and there after the strike.

I suspect there will be some fans of "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 9 p.m.) in the same boat, especially which couples are still together and which aren't, and who kissed whom most recently. Of course, that's a scorecard that changes seemingly every week on that show, so maybe they aren't as badly off.

Of course, "Lost" (ABC, 10 p.m.) last aired a new episode last month, and had a pretty memorable ending of Ben's surrogate daughter Alex being menaced by a sniper. ABC also showed the rerun last week.

Another favorite of the TV Guy, "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) is back after a long absence and follows a new "Smallville" at 8 p.m.

The CBS lineup - "Survivor," "CSI" and "Without A Trace" - is all-new, as is the NBC comedy lineup and "ER." Note that "Scrubs" and "30 Rock" have flip-flopped on the schedule - the former is now at 8:30 p.m. behind "My Name Is Earl" while the latter follows "The Office" at 9 p.m.

Finally, Fox is airing a two-hour "Fifth Grader" beginning at 8 p.m. (thank goodness I have other choices). More of note is "Great Performances" (PBS, 10 p.m.), featuring Antony Sher's one-man show "Primo," which tells the tale of a survivor of Auschwitz.

A Bit More 'Lost' And 'Grey's'

If the bloggings seem light over the next couple of days, it's because I have a tremendous amount of stuff due in the paying side of my job, so apologies in advance.

Just a quick note today to deliver some good news. ABC announced that both "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" will have an extra hour apiece added to their post-strike orders.

The tricky bit is that "Lost" needed an extra hour to tell the season finale the way Team Darlton wanted to, but because of the way the schedule worked out ("Lost's" finale is essentially a three-hour long episode), ABC needed an extra hour filled, so it ordered another "Grey's."

The one bad thing, though, is that the first part of the "Lost" finale will air May 15, but we then get a two-week break before the final two hours air May 29, because Team Darlton felt it better not to break up those final two hours. So ABC will air the "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's" finales during that May 22 run, while the May 15 "Lost" will re-air in the 8 p.m. time slot May 29, making it an all-"Lost" night.

Ironically, none of this will help ABC much ratings-wise, because sweeps end May 21, meaning all of ABC's heavy hitters will be airing their finales after that key ratings period.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Abby tries to prove a dog's innnocence on "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) That's one of the reasons I love this particular procedural - it's exactly the sort of thing Abby would do. Top that, CSI!

ABC airs a new "Boston Legal" at 10 p.m. following the "Dancing With The Stars" results show. Fox is all-reality with "American Idol" and "Hell's Kitchen," while NBC delivers a new "Law & Order: SVU" at 10 p.m. after the finale of "The Biggest Loser."

Finally, a new "The Riches" (FX, 10 p.m.) airs.

Oscar Picks

Keith Demko of macon.com's Reel Fanatic blog and I have teamed up for our Oscar predictions this year. Last year, we did a podcast, but this year, it's full video.

You can check it out here:

The Oscars will air Feb. 24 on ABC, complete with writers and actors now that the strike is over. Though I rarely watch a full Oscars telecast, I prefer it to the option of three hours of clips from previous shows, which was the plan had the strike continued.

Speaking of the strike, now that it's over, here's an amusing tale. As regular readers of this blog know, I am trying to break into the world of professional screenwriting. My latest work, completed in November, is an animation tale. Since animation wasn't part of the contract that was being disputed between the studios and the writers, I could sell a script (in theory) without being a scab, since I don't qualify as a member of the WGA.

Anyway, as I called around in November after the strike had started, a number of companies said they wouldn't discuss my script until after the strike was over, even though it was technically legal to do so.

Finally, I called the WGA and asked about the status of animated scripts. They acknowledged that it was true, animated scripts weren't covered.

WGA LADY: Let me ask you, are you a member of the guild?
ME: No, ma'am.

WGA LADY: Do you ever want to be?
ME: Of course.

WGA LADY: Then maybe you don't want to try to be selling a script during the strike.

I stopped trying after that, since I didn't want to cross picket lines even though I wasn't a member of the union. Wednesday was the first official day I could start calling production companies about my script once more. Of course, me and the 20,000 members of the WGA, all of whom have TV and movie credits and agents, so the strike ending now really helps me very little. But if I ever do sell anything, then hopefully the concessions the union won will be of great benefit in the future.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: TVGuide. com is reporting that "Lost" (ABC, 9 p.m.) has proven so successful on Wednesday's that the ABC suits are considering airing the show in the 10 p.m. slot behind "Grey's Anatomy" when new episodes start airing in April. An "Ugly Betty"-"Grey's"-"Lost" trifecta would be powerful indeed. The Web site is also reporting that "Lost's" eighth episode, which actor Michael Emerson told me ends with a gigantic cliffhanger and shocking twist, may be pushed back to April to air with the five episodes left to be filmed. I guess we'll see. It's followed by "Eli Stone" at 10 p.m. tonight.

"Celebrity Apprentice" (NBC, 9 p.m.) finds Omorosa and Piers on the same team for once, leading to all sorts of wackiness. It's followed by "Lipstick Jungle," which should make at least one reader of this blog happy.

Kara is back (albeit with amnesia) on "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.), followed by the always-entertaining "Supernatural" at 9 p.m.

Finally, Fox is airing the NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin.

Best.Animated.Movie.Ever.

OK, so I'm a little stoked about "The Simpsons" movie premiering this weekend. But then, I'm old enough to remember the Simpsons vignettes on "The Tracey Ullman Show" an eon or two ago.

Truth be told, the series - which has surpassed 400 episodes - hasn't lived up to the high benchmark it set for itself during its first decade. Episodes like the one about the monorail, or the company softball team, or some of the other classics from those early years far surpass most of the ones done in recent years.

In fact, the only truly standout "Simpsons" episode I can think of during the last few years that measures up as a classic was the one written and starring Ricky Gervais as a guy who swaps wives with Homer.

But despite the show's recent faults (and, in defense of the writers, it's probably hard coming up with fresh stuff after 18 years) there's no denying "The Simpsons" have become a part of Americana.

And the reviews of the movie have been pretty good. Whenever adapting a current-running TV series into a movie format (such as "The X-Files" a few years ago), it's hard to do something that doesn't seem like an expanded episode of the series.

So my advice is to grab a doughnut, pour yourself a squishy and race to get the best seat in the house. Woo-hoo!

RIMES RESPONDS: TVGuide's Michael Ausiello has a pretty interesting interview with "Grey's Anatomy" creator Shonda Rimes about the departure of Isaiah Washington, posted here: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Shonda-Rhimes-Breaks/800019387

Personally, I don't believe a word of what she said about the incident. In the interview, she said it was her decision to fire Washington and she wrote the season with that plan in mind all along.

COMIC CON ITEM OF THE DAY: I really should make this a regular feature while Comic Con is still going on. (I plan on attending at some point in my life, but sadly not this year).

Karen Allen, who played Marion Ravenwood in "Raiders Of The Lost Ark," will be reprising her role in the newest Indiana Jones movie.

Though specifics on what Marion's role would be in the story, the mere presence of one of the greatest female characters in the history of cinema (I don't exaggerate; I love Marion) is just getting me more antsy to see this movie.

THIS JUST IN: "The View" will be adding two rotating co-hosts to replace the departed Rosie O'Donnell, the Associated Press is reporting Friday.

Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd, both of whom have appeared on the show before, will be rotating in with regular hosts Barbara Walters, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar.

Whether they will have the ratings impact the controversial O'Donnell had remains to be seen, but the ratings remained strong after Rosie left, so it shouldn't be too much of a worry.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: The Doctor and Martha run into Daleks during 1930s New York on "Doctor Who," (Sci-Fi, 9 p.m.) On USA, "Monk" visits a nudist resort while Shawn takes on an FBI psychic on "Psych" from 9-11 p.m.

On Saturday, BBC America is running a marathon of the entire second series of "Hex," which had one of the more disappointing endings in recent memory.

On Sunday, the second part of "Kill Point" (Spike, 9 p.m.) airs. Hopefully, the show will pick up a bit. Also, "Mystery" (PBS, 9 p.m.) presents a new Miss Marple case. "The 4400" (USA, 9 p.m.) and "The Dead Zone" (USA, 10 p.m.) are also new.

Train Wreck, Thy Name Is Isaiah

Not wish bad health on anybody, but I hope for his sake, Isaiah Washington catches a bad case of laryngitis within the next few hours.

In case you haven't heard, the ex-"Grey's Anatomy" star has not taken his firing well. Ever since using an anti-gay epithet and outing former co-star T.R. Knight last year, it's been one fiasco after another for Washington, including an on-set fight with former co-star Patrick Dempsey.

After a public apology and other acts of contrition, Washington was still fired from the show. I can understand he was upset by this, but his action over the past week or so has quashed the modicum of sympathy I might have had for him.

Washington has lashed out against Knight, claiming he should be the one fired; and he has lashed out against ABC, claiming he was fired because he is black. Kind of makes you wonder how sincere he was about his apology in the first place.

Washington isn't just walking across a minefield here for his career, he's practically running. Tonight, he appears on "Larry King Live" (CNN, 9 p.m.), which has become a haven for celebrities who have said and done stupid things and want a sympathetic interview to rebuild their image. No one does the softball, witless interview better than Larry King. Just take a look at the Paris Hilton interview last week.

Washington, however, may not have the savvy of Paris Hilton. (God, that's a phrase I never thought I'd type.) Washington has been lashing out at everyone the past two weeks, and now he has 44 minutes of airtime to do the same. He may not just burn his bridges, he may actually napalm them.

First, Washington ought to remember he uttered the slur, then repeated it during an interview at the Emmys. If the situation were flipped, and one of his former co-stars had uttered a racial epithet, Washington probably (and justifiably) would want that person gone.

Second, where has Washington been burying his head the past several months to think ABC's motivation was racial? The producer of "Grey's Anatomy," Shonda Rimes, is black and I'm guessing had a little bit of say in the matter (though probably not much.) What of the backlash against Michael Richards? Think he's going to work again any time soon? Or Don Imus?

People have a low tolerance these days for any sort of bigotry (thank goodness), be it against blacks, whites, gays, Jews, Latinos, Asians or any other group. (Which is how it should be, IMHO.) If anyone of any persuasion says anything offensive, he or she must be prepared for the consequences.

Washington says he is still fielding offers for TV and film work; if that's true, he can still salvage his career. But if he continues to lay the blame everywhere but his own two feet, he is risking further trouble.

My unsolicited advice? Use the time with Larry King tonight to claim that you have been stressed out the past couple of weeks and didn't mean the things you said. My guess? Washington does the exact opposite and continues his ugly implosion.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Well, in a night full of so-called reality TV, the Washington interview might be the best pick. I thought we were well rid of "The Real Wedding Crashers" (NBC, 8 p.m.), one of the more appalling ideas to come out of the reality factory in recent memory, but I check my TV grid and it seems to be back.

On a better note, historian Simon Schama looks at the artist Bernini in his series, "The Power of Art" (PBS, 10 p.m.)

Among the new dramas airing original episodes are TNT's "The Closer" and "Heartland" at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively.

Also new are "Kyle XY" (ABC Family, 8 p.m.) and "Big Love" (HBO, 9 p.m.), which will hopefully keep longtime blog contributor Zodin2008 happy.

Keeping One's Mouth Closed

The latest twist in the Isaiah Washington scandal is a real doozy, as TVGuide.com reports today that it should have been T.R. Knight who was fired from "Grey's Anatomy," not him.

Say what?

According to the story, posted at http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Isaiah-Washington-Greys/800017353 with material used from The Houston Chronicle, Washington said that while he did use an epithet against homosexuals, it wasn't directed at Knight specifically when Washington and co-star Patrick Dempsey got physical last fall.

Washington accuses Knight of using the incident to leverage more screentime and pay from the producers.

As idiotic as using a derogatory slur against any group is, Washington's latest statement may be one for the books. I was almost - ALMOST - ready to have the slightest bit of sympathy for him when he was fired a couple of weeks ago, because as he pointed out at the time, he did all the stuff ABC asked of him to try to make the situation right. And ABC hasn't really been the moral beacon in this case, because they chose to fire Washington only when it was convenient for the network - when the current season was over - and not at the time of the incident.

But Washington has not only crossed the line, he's moved two zip codes away from it.

Not even considering his bigotry for a moment in using the slur, Washington forced Knight's private life into the open when it was clear the latter wanted to keep it private, which is his right. There's no telling what impact this incident might have on Knight's career. What if producers don't offer him "straight" roles because they don't think he can be convincing in them, for example?

Washington's career, meanwhile, may have gotten the final nail in its coffin. His negative incidents on the set and perceived bias against homosexuals not withstanding, now trying to turn the victim of the situation into the villain might be the final straw for any producers in the future who might have considered hiring him. At this point, whomever is managing Washington's career needs to put a gag on him.

Had another "Grey's" actor used a racial epithet against Washington on the set, no doubt the actor would have demanded that person be fired, and would have had justification to do so. Washington needs to realize it's a two-way street.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: You know, if "Studio 60" had been as consistent as it has the past three weeks, the show would likely be on the air next season. The show (NBC, 10 p.m.) has really kicked it up a notch with the concurrent storylines of Jordan's pregnancy and Tom's kidnapped brother. I'm going to miss this show more than I thought.

The rest of the new stuff is pretty much all reality. You may want to catch up on "The Office" marathon, with three supersized episodes on NBC from 8-10 p.m.