VIDEO: TR Knight Serenading Katherine Heigl on 'Oprah'

How much do I love TR Knight??

Here's a video of the Grey's Anatomy star serenading bestie Katherine Heigl when she was a guest on Oprah Winfrey's show this past week.

Could he be any more adorable??

How Cute is TR Knight???

Check out TR Knight's new buzzcut...could he be any more adorable??

I saw the Grey's Anatomy star last spring at Lincoln Center Theater when he caught a marathon performance of The Coast of Utopia, and he was sportin' a pink 'do at the time. I'd say this is a big improvement.

Click for more Cute Boys of Pop Culture

TV Thoughts on Grey's Anatomy: Here We Are Again

I haven't had a chance to watch Private Practice yet (one week into the season and I'm already desperately behind!), but I did finally catch the Grey's Anatomy season premiere last night, and I'm left thinking...here we are again.

As Meredith pontificated at the end of the episode, sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. And while that is probably true in real life, it doesn't always make for super compelling television. Like, are we seriously watching Meredith and Derek dance around each other again? Seriously? I can't tell if they are broken up or together, and to be honest, I'm starting not to care.

Izzie and the deer? Katherine Heigl is a big movie star now and she just won an Emmy Award, people, and she's stuck with a subplot that has her "making the impossible come true"? Ugh, gag me.

And I'm not feeling all the new interns -- it just seems like a group of extras standing around. When Meredith, Izzie, Christina and company started as interns they were a compelling, interested, ambitious bunch. These people just stand there. I'm already over them.

That's not to say the episode didn't have it's moments. Among the highlights:

-Sandra Oh's brilliant reaction when Derek informed her Burke had left the hospital. This woman can do no wrong. And while having the accident victim's children weep over their Burke-lookalike father was a bit heavy handed, it did give Ms. Oh the chance to do some fine dramatic work, so I'll let it slide. And that moment with Alex at the end, where she admits "I miss Burke"? Heartbreaking.

-TR Knight, TR Knight, TR Knight! Hands down the best part of the episode for me was watching George grapple with being a completely different person in exactly the same position he was in a year ago. I teared up when George delivered the baby, and found my eyes misty again when Lexie (Chyler Leigh) boosted him up by repeating "on his very first day" as the other interns were in awe over his accomplishments. My gosh, I love TR.

-Speaking of Lexie, I thought this character was going to be DOA when she decided to introduce herself to Meredith in the ER, but she more than redeemed herself with her chats with George. I won't write her off just yet.

So, not the best Grey's episode ever, but not the total dud I'm hearing Private Practice was. Let's see what happens to the gang from Seattle Grace next week...

Click for more TV Reviews and Recaps

Click for This Week's Top 10 Posts

Predicting the Emmys: Supporting Actor in a Drama

For the next two weeks, I will be giving my predictions for the 2007 Emmy Awards. Who was overlooked? Who should win? And who's gonna win?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Michael Emerson, Lost
Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos
T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy
Terry O'Quinn, Lost
Masi Oka, Heroes
William Shatner, Boston Legal

Overlooked:
Zach Gilford, Friday Night Lights
Walton Goggins, The Shield
Dominic Monaghan, Lost
Stephen Pasquale, Rescue Me
Scott Porter, Friday Night Lights

Should Win: Michael Emerson

Will Win: Masi Oka

Potential Spoiler: TR Knight

This is a category as notable for it's snubs (the young cast of Friday Night Lights, Dominic Monaghan, and most notably The Shield's Walton Goggins) as it is for it's also very-deserving nominees. Emerson created one of the most complex characters on the tube last season in Ben/Henry Gale, but will he end up splitting the vote with co-star O'Quinn. Imperioli and Shatner are previous winners, and Knight could sneak onto the podium if his highly publicized year (not to mention consistently solid work on Grey's Anatomy) pulls at the voters' heartstrings, but I'm guessing the award will go to breakout Heroes star Oka. He's inspired an entire season's worth of geek/fantasy dramas -- could an Emmy Award really be that far behind?

Click for more 2007 Emmy Awards

Click for Today's Top 10 Posts

GLAAD Unveils 'Be an Ally & a Friend' PSA's Featuring Knight, Bass, Walsh and Matlin

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) have rounded up 22 entertainers and athletes to take part in a series of 25 public service announcements that will be released every two weeks over the coming year. The series, entitled "Be an Ally & a Friend," "encourages viewers to combat homophobia and asks straight people to be "allies" of the gay community."

The PSAs feature former professional basketball player John Amaechi, Jamie Bamber, performer Lance Bass, Alexandra Billings, Wilson Cruz, Rachel Griffiths, T.R. Knight, Rex Lee, Jason Lewis, Eric Mabius, Alec Mapa, Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, tennis legend Martina Navratilova, Becki Newton, Jerry O’Connell, Ana Ortiz, Sara Ramirez, Shaun Robinson, Rebecca Romijn, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, Michael Urie, and Kate Walsh.

GLAAD President Neil Giuliano says, "The ‘Be an Ally & a Friend’ campaign empowers each and every one of us to make a difference in the lives of loved ones by listening to and supporting those who come out. The straight allies and community members who gave their time and energy to this campaign deserve our deepest thanks for participating in this effort to reach a critical audience. Straight allies are some of the most effective and powerful voices in the struggle for equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Not only can allies offer vital support to people in the coming out process, they also help others understand the importance of equality, fairness, tolerance and mutual respect."

Go GLAAD!

Source: Towleroad.com

In the News: Miller Steps Out With Pal, Wilson Attempts Suicide, Gonzales Resigns

Three big stories making the rounds this morning:

-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned! Read the CNN article here.

-According to several sources, actor Owen Wilson attempted suicide yesterday. Read the sad story here.

-Is Prison Break star Wentworth Miller ready to come out of the closet? There have been rumors circulating that he is in a relationship with Brothers & Sisters actor Luke McFarlane, and now pictures have surfaced of the two studs walking about in Los Angeles. Could Wenty be the next to follow in the footsteps of Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris and TR Knight (who, coincidentally, also dated McFarlane)? We'll see! (Thanks to Towleroad.com for the photos)

Isaiah Washington Fired From Grey's Anatomy

According to variety.com, ABC has confirmed that Isaiah Washington will not be returning to Grey's Anatomy next season.

Washington, who played Dr. Burke on the show, was, of course, involved in the "f-word" scandal of '06, and is apparently not very well liked on the Grey's set (at least according to Michael Ausiello over at tvguide.com). In response to his firing, Washington released a statement quoting the film Network, saying "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore."

Huh? That's a pretty strange way to exit, if you ask me.

It seems like ABC has taken a look at the big picture and determined what is best for the morale of the show. In recent interviews both TR Knight and Katherine Heigl have expressed how happy they are that the season is over, and that they get a vacation from the set. If Washington truly was a disruptive presence on the set, and the TR Knight fracas was just one example of his unpleasant behavior, than it is right for him to go. Executive Producer Shonda Rhimes must have known that when she wrote this year's season finale -- Burke is not the chief, and he and Christina are no longer together, so what need does the show really have for him?

What do you think? Will Grey's be the same without Dr. Burke? Will you miss Isaiah?

Click here for more Television News/Commentary

TR Knight Will Return to Grey's Anatomy

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that TR Knight, who plays lovable intern George on Grey's Anatomy, will return to the show next season, despite the fact that his character failed his intern test in the season finale.

There had been rumors circulating that either TR or Isaiah Washington (who plays Dr. Burke) might not return, but EW claims that not only will TR be back on our screens come fall, he will also receive a sizable pay bump. Supposedly he will now be earning 125K an episode and will receive a share of the show's profits, a deal similar to the ones made by Sandra Oh, Patrick Dempsey, and Ellen Pompeo. It apparently has not been decided whether Washington will return.

There is also no word on Katherine Heigl's salary negotiations, which have gotten a ton of press coverage in the past week since Knocked Up made almost $30 million at the box office this past weekend (by the way I saw it and loved it!) ABC released a statement a couple of months ago, however, saying that Heigl would definitely return to the hit series.

Click to read more Television News/Commentary

David Hyde Pierce Comes Out of the Closet

Following in the footsteps of Neil Patrick Harris, TR Knight, and Lance Bass, Frasier star David Hyde Pierce (who is currently appearing on Broadway in Curtains) has come out of the closet.

While Pierce did not make a formal announcement about his sexuality, the following paragraph was included in a recent AP story that appeared on CNN.com, amongst other places:

"He worked at Playwrights Horizons, the Public Theater, Shakespeare in the Park and a lot of regional theaters such as the Guthrie in Minneapolis, Chicago's Goodman and Long Wharf in New Haven, Conn. Pierce got to Los Angeles in the early 1990s when his partner, actor-writer-producer Brian Hargrove, wanted to write for television."

Good for David! So who's next?

Idol Thoughts on Grey's Anatomy Season Finale

For a show that has kept me on the edge of my seat for the past three years, last night's season finale of Grey's Anatomy was a bit of a disappointment.

Don't get me wrong, there were still some spectacular and surprising moments. I didn't predict, for example, that George wouldn't pass his intern test -- that's an unexpected twist that will certainly have big repercussions next season, as George has to decide whether to repeat his intern year or simply leave the program (in addition, of course, to figuring out how to sort out his love for two very different women). I don't know how that one is going to pan out, but I'm eager and interested to find out. And I loved his answer when Lexie asked him if had any advice -- simply "No."

And the way the Burke/Christina wedding played out was compelling and complex, raising interesting questions about whether we want the person we are in a relationship with to change who they are for us, or if we love them for who they really are. After her momentary freak-out at the wedding chapel, Christina really did seem ready to walk down the aisle, which made her exclamation of "I'm free" after Burke had left her all the more powerful. Did she want to give herself over to the "happy ending," or was that "happy ending" designed for someone Christina thought she was supposed to be? Throughout the episode Sandra Oh played every moment perfectly, and her final breakdown even left me a bit misty.

In fact, all of the acting was excellent throughout the episode -- TR Knight's quiet realization that his whole life was crumbling around him was heartbreaking; Chandra Wilson's devastation at being passed over for the chief residency was palpable; and Ellen Pompeo's confusion over whether or not she was able to commit to Derek was utterly believable. Patrick Dempsey, Justin Chambers, and Katherine Heigl also had incredibly powerful moments throughout the show.

So what are my complaints? Well, there's a few.

First of all, for weeks we've been waiting for the George & Izzie affair to hit the fan, for Callie to find out, for something other than longing looks between the two and stolen elevator kisses. Instead, we get talk of Callie and George trying to have a baby? I buy that Callie is trying to hold on as she feels George slipping away, but I was hoping for more of an explosion -- but I guess we'll have to wait until next season to see how that all plays out.

Then there's the whole search-for-the-chief thing. This storyline has been going on for months, and what do we get for a resolution -- the chief is staying? Boring! Yeah, yeah, I get that we'll get to see how he will do things differently "the second time around," but I still feel like I've been a bit manipulated.

The Alex-running-to-Ava's-room-but-he's-too-late moment was also a bit annoying -- after months of watching Alex's bad-boy persona start to thaw, he figure's out he really does want to be with her, but just a moment too late? Come on! I have loved much of this storyline throughout the season (and enjoyed watching Justin Chambers reveal different layers to his character), but this ending feels a bit trite to me.

And what about Addison? We know she's leaving (Private Practice was picked up for the fall, after all), and we got a hint as to what the straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back was (the Chief's comment that she should "find a new job or find a new life"), but we never actually saw Addison quit and we never got to see her say goodbye to anyone. What's going to happen in the fall -- she'll just show up in LA? Considering the history she has with Derek and Mark (not to mention the friendships she's developed with Callie and Alex, and her complex relationships with Meredith), it would have been nice to see Addison actually depart Seattle Grace before setting off on her new life. Ah well.

Speaking of leaving -- is Burke gone? As in off the show gone?

And finally, there's the little issue of Meredith's sister showing up as a new intern. Aren't there any other hospitals in Seattle? And won't Meredith's father have an issue with Lexie working at the hospital where his wife (and Lexie's mother) just died? I hope Shonda Rhimes and company can resist the urge to have Lexie start hooking up with Derek -- if Meredith's half-sister has Meredith's father, her job, and her McDreamy, it may be too much for our little waif to handle. Hopefully there is a different reason the writers have in mind for Lexie's arrival.

Despite these reservations, I still love the show, and I, like millions of other fans, will wait patiently until the fall so we can see how everything pans out. I'm rootin' for these folks.

Read more Television News/Commentary

Idol Thoughts on Grey's Anatomy 3/15

I'm not gonna lie, I was a little mad at Grey's Anatomy for awhile. That third part of the ferryboat disaster arc really irked me...I felt used and manipulated and a little bit dirty with all that to-the-afterlife-and-back crap. So I went into tonight's episode a bit skeptical.

And for the first 10 minutes or so, I felt like my skepticism might be justified. There was barely a passing mention to the fact that the last time we saw Meredith she had just come back from the dead. Were we supposed to forget the fact that we spent a week wondering if they would really kill the Grey of Grey's Anatomy?

But then, it started to get good. Like, really good. And by the end it was kind of amazing. So I guess is all is forgiven.

Some highlights for me:

• Katherine Heigl as Izzy. Sometimes I just want to punch her in the face, but then 10 seconds later I'm charmed by her again. Her drunk scene with the adorable TR Knight at the end of the episode was pure genius. And the expression on her face when she wakes up the next morning? Priceless.


• Justin Chambers as Alex. I love that Alex is continuing to show new layers. I love that Alex's "hot date" was with the Jane Doe. I love the way he kissed Izzy sweetly on the cheek. Um, I kinda love Alex.


• Shockingly, the Meredith and her dad stuff. Usually I find it all a bore, but tonight it was surprisingly moving.


• The scene where Meredith and Christina are lying in bed, and the look on Sandra Oh's face. I really believed her when she said "I don't know."


• Finally, I really admire Shonda Rhimes and company for not being scared off by the response to last season's George and Meredith pairing by really going there with Izzy and George. I can't imagine they could be a couple, but it will be interesting to see how the story plays out.