Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Tube Talk

Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is prepping a possible spin-off for actress Kate Walsh, who plays Dr. Addison Montgomery on the popular hit TV show. (I’ve seen others reference Addison Montgomery-Shepherd, but the character herself pointedly dropped her ex-husband’s hyphenate at least a half dozen episodes ago.)

Bully for Kate Walsh, who I think is the best thing about Grey's, and I’m not alone in that opinion. I don’t doubt that given the right material, she can carry her own show, especially if she’s surrounded by a similarly talented cast.

Boo for viewers. Walsh’s Montgomery anchors a show that’s often adrift on a sea of characters lacking self-awareness or direction or common sense. I liked her budding friendship with Callie, her relationship with the Chief, and her will-they, won’t-they romance with Karev. But now that ABC has spilled the beans regarding a spin-off, what incentive do viewers have to invest themselves in Addison’s storylines?

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Oh, my favorite guilty pleasure, Dancing with the Stars, is back. I ever-so-briefly toyed with giving up TV for Lent, but if God really wanted me to make that huge of a sacrifice, he wouldn’t have cast Heather Mills (who apparently has pointedly dropped the McCartney). I smell a train wreck and there’s no way I’m averting my eyes.

Dancing is one part talent competition, two parts popularity contest. Mills may draw the sympathy vote for her brave attempt to tango with a prosthetic leg, but I have to think that Beatles’ fans—and Mills hate-ahs—will outnumber the pity patrol or those hoping for some sort of freak show. I predict she’s first to go.

By now I know the casting drill: Former athlete, check—basketball’s Clyde Drexler. Former teen heart throb, check and check—‘N Sync’s Joey Fatone and 90210’s Ian Ziering. Schlub likely to have two left feet, check—the Soprano’s Vincent Pastore, who’s also probably pulling double duty as “the old guy.” Person who stretches the boundary of the term “Star,” check—Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessey (aka, the one who didn’t enter rehab).

Among the contestants, I was most surprised to see: Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, former Entertainment Tonight anchor Leeza Gibbons, and ex-supermodel Paulina Porizkova. I didn’t realize any of them considered themselves nearly that washed up.

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