Attending the NATPE confab this year was kinda tough.

It takes a lot of energy and shoe leather to cover a big industry confab, so there's always a bit of groan-factor when NATPE rolls around. But once you actually get to there, it's always fun to see friends and biz contacts that you don't regularly get to hang with, and you're in a setting that is somewhat detached from real-life for a finite period. Lots of parties, dinners and revelry.

Nearly every conversation begins with "When did you get here? And how long are you staying?"

That hey-howya-doin'? element was definitely there this week at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Vegas (for the record I arrived Monday evening and left Wednesday late afternoon) but the somber mood and sparse attendance was unlike anything I'd ever experienced at this confab.

"Put the gun down, Widmore." I squealed at that line.

So, we're three episodes in to the penultimate season of "Lost." Where are we? When are we? Who's who and what's what? I don't have a freakin' clue from minute to minute, but I'm loving the ride.

Tonight's seg, "Jughead" -- written by Elizabeth Sarnoff and Paul Zbyszewski and helmed by Rod Holcomb -- was deceptively slow-paced, at least that's what you think until you see it all the way through. There's lots to digest, but I want to start by focusing on someone who's been bugging me for a while: Juliet.

She knows more than she's telling about a lot of things. I don't mean to suggest that she's got ulterior or evil motives, or that she was anything less than committed to helping the former castaways (Jack, Kate, Sun et al) or Sawyer and the rest of the small group she's stuck with now. I think Jack had it right back in season three when he told her that he could see in her eyes how desperately she wants off that island.

But there's still something beguiling about her, so wonderfully and maddeningly mysterious about her, and that's a testament to Elizabeth Mitchell's talent in handling this tough role. You get the feeling that Juliet hasn't told anyone one-tenth of the horrors she saw in New Otherton and other locales on the island. Maybe it's all just too painful and she's blocking it all out.

But Juliet continues to have these moments where she dribbles out a little more information about her past -- like the scene in this seg where she starts conversing in Latin with the two guys they've captured from Richard Alpert's group. The quizzical look of disdain that Sawyer gives her when she matter of factly explains that the guys speak Latin "for the same reason I do -- because they're Others."

Pound for pound, there is no more talented cast on television today than the "Mad Men" players. We already knew that, of course, but anyone who might've demanded more evidence only needed to get to the Hollywood Theater at the MGM Grand on Tuesday night for the Las Vegas edition of the "Mad Men Live Revue." 

As ancillary products go, this is as good as it gets -- no T-shirt or lunch box or screensaver could come close. I only hope that a recording of one of these revue perfs makes its way onto a DVD set someday. They are entirely too much fun to be enjoyed only by a few hundred people at a time.

I was lucky enough to attend the first "Mad Men" revue in October at the El Rey Theater down the street from Variety's office (for a refresher on that show, click here). As cool as that show was, Tuesday's perf  (official title: "A Night on the Town with 'Mad Men' ") had that extra ring-a-ding-ding of being staged in a Vegas showroom, ground zero of the Rat Pack. The "Mad Men" revue is clearly the spiritual successor of Frank, Dean, Sammy and Joey. And since they were kind enough to let me crash the cast afterparty at the MGM Grand's Tabu restaurant (thank you, Robin Veith), I can testify that they live it up off-stage in an old-school, keep 'em coming manner as well. It was the latest night (earliest morning) I've had in a while (hence the lateness of this posting).

Rich Sommer (Harry Crane), who was not at the El Rey, added a bit of comic relief this time around as he did a running shtick with emcee Joel Murray (Freddy Rumsen) about wanting to help out with the show. First Murray sends him off to go get him a glass of grapefruit juice and some Advil at Bally's. At one point Sommer returned to the stage in a sheer nightie -- with a pair of briefs underneath -- and at another point he was tasked with finding Freddy a "hot girl" to come on stage to help him out with a magic trick. (More on that below.)

"You just gotta be careful what you agree to at a Golden Globes party," Murray observed.

Sometimes, you gotta give thanks in this world for comedy writers. As far as I'm concerned, Chuck Lorre is fast on his way to national-treasure status.

Lorre, exec producer and co-creator of CBS' "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," livened up the Brandon Tartikoff Awards ceremony at the NATPE confab on Monday evening with a few well-placed jabs as he accepted his kudo from the NATPE org and Tartikoff's widow, Lily Tartikoff.

Lorre (pictured left) recalled his salad days as a staff writer on the NBC sitcom "My Two Dads." One of the highlights of his time on the show were the occasions when Peacock programming chief Tartikoff would come in to the writers room to listen to jokes and scenarios from the scribes. Those moments always sent Lorre, who had only recently graduated from writing low-rent kidvid cartoons, into flop-sweats, until one day he got up the nerve to throw out a joke. Tartikoff laughed and told the "Dads" showrunner to make sure it went into the script. That didn't win Lorre any points with said showrunner, but it did wonders for his self-esteem as a writer.

Of course, Lorre didn't toil on the lower rungs for long. His experiences as a top writer and then showrunner on sitcoms fronted by high-maintenance femmes ("Cybill," "Grace Under Fire," "Roseanne") is now the stuff of biz legend. Lorre got in a barb at Cybill Shepherd and "Grace's" Brett Butler, but he admitted to still being too intimated by Roseanne to take aim at her.

The material that really got the aud in Ballroom F of the South Convention Center at the Mandalay Bay Resort going was Lorre's call-out to fellow Tartikoff award honoree, NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios co-chairman Ben Silverman. Lorre took the big boss at NBC Entertainment to task for a remark that he made this time last year, at the height of the management-vs.-labor animus during the writers strike.

What better way to kill time waiting for a flight at LAX than by finishing off the rest of the items I meant to file from Sunday's SAG Awards.

B.J. Novak made my night at the SAG afterparty by telling me that he is an On the Air reader. (I'm always surprised to hear it.). He's just now coming back to "The Office" after wrapping his work on Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds."

"Basterds," Novak assures, is going be to be incredible - an intense, bad-ass war pic but his character does have some dark humor to play too. And as for Ryan's return to the Scranton branch, Novak (flanked by "Office" compatriots Leslie David Baker and Mindy Kaling at the awards) says to expect Ryan to make a big entrance (I think he said in March) after his sojourn in Thailand.

Just like at the Golden Globes, it seemed like everytime I turned around on SAG's red carpet, there was another "Office" player. Kate Flannery took the time to share her insights into what SAG needs to do to right its ship (her prescription: merge with AFTRA) and we also chatted about the recent Meredith-centric seg "The Intervention." Flannery (pictured left) said she and Steve Carell mostly improvised the scene in the parking lot where Carell's Michael Scott tries to drag Meredith into a rehab facility.

 "It was the most fun I've ever had in front of a camera," Flannery said.

Ed Helms, aka the "Office's" clueless Andy Bernard, reported having a blast in shooting the "Duel" seg with Rainn Wilson as Andy and Wlison's Dwight battled for Angela's hand. It was an opportunity to show Andy's sensitive side. "It had some real drama and pathos to it, which is rarely part of Andy's world," Helms said.

"The opportunity to show those kind of visceral emotions was different" for the character, Helms said. There seemed to be as many "Mad Men" troupers out there on Sunday as "Office" workers. And those worlds collided when Rich Sommer ("Mad Men's" Harry Crane) walked by. Sommer had a brief role in "Office" earlier this season as a student in the art school that Jenna Fischer's Pam attended (and his character was very attentive to Pam.)

 Is there a chance that he comes back to "Office" to complicate things for Pam? Not that Sommer knows, but you never know. Sommer also wasn't shy about sharing his feelings about the state of SAG (get off the strike idea, already), and I so appreciated his candor.

Vincent Kartheiser (pictured right) was in full beard and fine spirits as he made the rounds with John Slattery. We talked about the great final scene in season two for his Pete Campbell character, which found him sitting in his office with a shotgun in his lap as the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolds.

Kartheiser said "Mad Men" boss Matthew Weiner freaked him out a bit by telling him that he could easily run that long pan shot backwards "and add a gun shot."

Oh, say it aint so, Matt Weiner! Thanks in no small measure to Kartheiser's skills (and great writing), Pete Campbell was the "Mad Men" character that grew on me the most last season.

The absolute highlight of the red carpet was chatting with Kiernan Shipka and Aaron Hart, aka Sally and Bobby Draper of "Mad Men."

Shipka, who said a polite "thank you very much" after every question, told me that her favorite part of working on the show was just getting the chance to work. "The cast and crew are so nice," she said. When I made a joke about her serving me a cocktail, she smiled sweetly but looked like she'd heard that one a thousand times. The hardest part of her very complex role on the show last season was doing "the more dramatic scenes," of which she had plenty.

Asked if she feels Sally Draper's pain even off screen, she said "Yes, I do." Her favorite moment of season two? "The smoking scene was pretty fun," she admitted. Of course, she has no intention of taking up the habit, but the process of getting shoved in the closet by January Jones was memorable, Shipka said. In her downtime between seasons, she just wrapped a role in the feature "Cats and Dogs 2," which was all comedy and a welcome change from "Mad Men" melodrama, she said.

Hart, who had a Lego toy in the breast pocket of his suit, carried an index card with his name and character name in big block print as he walked down the red carpet. (He had an adult handler who hung in the background, to give reporters the full affect of being schmoozed by a 7 year old.).

Hart said his favorite part of his job is "the great food and making new friends." Jon Hamm has a habit of hanging him upside down by his heels, Hart said with a grin.

Here we are at the Shrine for the SAG Awards. I strolled around the red carpet as long as I could before the security bulldogs forced me into my spot behind the hedge. But I'm in good company - the New York Times' David "Carpetbagger" Carr on my right and the LA Daily News' Greg Hernandez on my left.

Before I was put in my place on the threat of being ejected from the game completely, I got a great glimpse of red carpet insanity from E!'s Giuliana DePandi. She was reading TelePrompter copy to pose insightful questions like this one to Mindy Kaling: "There's a rumor that you were named after Mindy from 'Mork and Mindy'?" Kaling, who looks fab ina low-cut blue number, assured her it was not so. And we learned that Mindy's real name is Vera.

Oh come on, like there were five better movies this year than "Wall-E."

The Oscar nom for the Pixar pic in the animation category was a given, but wouldn't it have been cool to see animation break into the big leagues, or nab a directing nom for Andrew Stanton?

Sheesh, what's a hard-working robot got to do to get a little respect in this town...

Thursday ayem update: "Lost" ratings weren't spectacular, by the show's high standard, but they were solid by any other yardstick. The 9-10 p.m. hour pulled 11.7 million viewers and 5.1 rating/12 share in adults 18-49, according to prelim Nielsens. The second ep from 10-11 p.m. pulled in 11.1 mil and 4.9/13 in the demo. I'm sure the DVR viewing over the next week will swell those numbers considerably.

Welcome to the first "Lost" episodes of the Obama era. Whoo-hoo!

After the excitement of Tuesday's inspirational inaugural festivities and the excitement tonight of watching two hours of "Lost" in glorious high-def on a large-screen TV, my brain can't handle much in the way of deep thought and analysis. (And tomorrow is Oscar noms day.)

So I'm not even going to attempt to recap all of the slam-bang, pot-boiling action that unfolded in the first two segs that bowed tonight, "Because You Left," penned by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (pictured below, Cuse at left) and helmed by Stephen Williams, and "The Lie," written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and directed by the skilled hand of Jack Bender.

It's downright comforting to be immediately sucked right back into the epic saga of Flight 815 and the isle of mystery, after seven long months of waiting since the season four finale. Sure, you have to allow "Lost" some truly fantastic license at times, but if you lighten up and just go with it, there's no more cerebral thrill ride on TV. And there is no more ambitious production on the air today; the work these guys and gals pull off in a week is amazing.

All that said, I'm gonna take the easy way out and get out the bullets (points, not ammo) for a few observations, a few favorite lines/moments and a few questions:

**After three viewings (two on the media preview web stream), I'm starting to get the vibe that Sun had something to do with those supposed lawyers showing up on Kate's doorstep demanding a blood sample to determine if she really is Aaron's mother. The lawyers show up, send Kate back on the run (again) and then suddenly Sun's in L.A. and wants to have tea? Something fishy about all that whole scene as Sun recounts the incidents on the freighter before it went ka-boom. Sun's got a demented look on her face the whole time that she's talking to Kate.

**Trying to interpret the use of Willie Nelson's "Shotgun Willie" in the opening scene with Dr. Marvin Candle. Is it to set the time period? That album was released in 1973, though I suppose Candle could've been listening to a Greatest Hits collection. And who's the baby in that scene? Is it Miles? At first I thought I saw a hint of red in the baby's hair and thought it might even be Charlotte.

**The glimpse of Faraday in the Orchard Station while it's still under construction and the workers have just discovered the donkey wheel. Faraday looks like he's the contemporary bedraggled guy who's presumably found his way in there during one of their time travel skips (surely there's got to be a Billy Pilgrim mention coming soon), but does the fact that he is allowed by the "rules" to insert himself in that situation indicate that Faraday at one time was a Dharma Initiative dude? After all, he tells Sawyer that he's spent most of his adult life studying time travel and the D.I.

Let's get "Lost."

We're waiting for the pizza to arrive. It's just under an hour until "Lost's" season five premiere.

A half-dozen of the biggest "Lost" geeks at Variety are gathering in a conference room to eat, theorize and be merry as we enjoy the first two episodes. "Lost" is better with friends.

For once, a ratings press release doesn't lie. ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" truly did trounce CW's "Gossip Girl" in head-to-head competish in the Monday 8 p.m. slot.

"Teenager" pulled in 3.9 million viewers to "Gossip's" 2.2 million. And "Teenager" beat "Gossip" by a comfortable margin in the demos that matters to CW: persons 12-34, women 18-34 and femmes 12-34.

Clearly, "Teenager" creator/showrunner Brenda Hampton is doing something right.

The stellar Variety features section put together a bunch of feature stories commemorating "Battlestar Galactica" as it kicked off its final season last week. Read them all here.

Also, for a bonus, our friend Mo Ryan of the Chicago Tribune talked to show creator Ron Moore about everything "Battlestar," as well as David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, who wrote the first episode, "Sometimes a Great Notion." She also chatted with Michael Nankin, who directed it. Check out Mo's revelatory conversation here.

— Stuart Levine

Not that it needed it, but CBS gave a nice bounce to its frosh hit "The Mentalist" on Sunday by opportunistically slotting an original seg to follow the AFC championship game that saw the Pittsburgh Steelers whack the Baltimore Ravens to secure their Super Bowl berth against the Arizona Cardinals.

The game delivered monster numbers -- reliable national ratings won't be available until Tuesday, but the prelim Nielsens indicate that it had at least 40 million viewers at the start of primetime.

"Mentalist," which usually airs Tuesday at 9 p.m., started at 10:34 p.m. ET and averaged 16.6 million viewers and 4.7 rating in adults 18-49. That's actually down a tick (or 1%) from the viewer average that the show pulls in its regular Tuesday time slot, but it marks an 18-49 personal best for the gumshoe drama starring Simon Baker. 

CBS' goal was to exposure the show to the gridiron demo; it doesn't sound like "Mentalist" is moving off of Tuesday any time soon. (But I'd bet money that it gets an early second-season pickup any day now.)

(Pictured above, "Mentalist" creator/exec producer Bruno Heller, left and star Simon Baker from last week's TCA sesh.)

Now that season three of"Mad Men" is all systems go, Matt Weiner says he's not expecting to make many changes in the writing staff from last season.

Fans will be happy to hear that the talented Robin Veith is definitely coming back for more adventures with the Sterling Cooper gang. (Veith last season penned three segs: "The New Girl" and co-wrote with Weiner "A Night to Remember" and "The Mountain King.")

Veith (pictured right) was Weiner's assistant nearly a decade ago when he first started writing the little spec that could. She bounced around a few jobs and was working in a behind-the-scenes role for a traveling circus when Weiner called her in 2006 to let her know the show was finally a go and she had a job if she wanted it.

Another "Mad Men" staffer getting a promotion for season three is Kater Gordon, who was the show's writers assistant for season two and has been upped to staff writer this year. Gordon's potential clearly impressed Weiner last season; Gordon was co-writer with the boss on the finale seg "Meditations in an Emergency."

Amy Poehler has been played hundreds of different characters since joining “Saturday Night Live” in 2001 and now she’s content to settle for just one.

“I was excited about the idea of turning the volume down a little bit and sit with a character,” said Poehler in shifting her sensibilities from latenight to primetime in the new untitled Greg Daniels sitcom set to launch on April 9.

Daniels, creator of “The Office,” and co-creator/exec producer Michael Schur, says the show will be similar to the Steve Carell starrer in that it will offer the make fun of the mundane. Skein centers around Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, a midlevel bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, Ind.

“It’s based on Santa Monica city council meetings,” he explained. “That kid of world. We intend to populate it with fun personalities and the conflicts that occur. It’s about  decisionmaking on a local level.”

In coming up with ideas, Daniels said he was looking to stay in the comfort zone of “The Office,” and not populate a world of flash and substance.

“We would sit and think of shows and say, ‘No that’s too glamorous.’ We wanted something more boring.”

Even though this mockumentary is up and running, that doesn’t mean a spinoff to “The Office” is out of the question. He won’t be able to participate on a day-to-day basis, but he’s still interested in the concept.

“I am talking to people at ‘The Office’ for another idea and to Stephen Merchant (creative partner of Ricky Gervais),” Daniels explained. “I think it would be cool to produce it without me giving my blood.”

As for Poehler, this will certainly keep her busy as well, and she doesn’t anticipate returning to the sketch comedy show that made her a star. And she was certainly appreciative of the musical sendoff the folks at “SNL” gave her at the end of that night’s Weekend Update.

“I watched it from my hospital bed with my son,” she recalled. He was born at 6 p.m. and I watched it at 11:30. I was uncontrollably sobbing. You really become a family and to have been there during an amazing season and for my friends to do such a tribute was very emotional and beautiful.”

-- Stuart Levine

Angela Bromstad’s message to fans of NBC’s critically beloved but ratings challenged shows: We love these programs too, but people need to start tuning in.

“There’s an affinity and appreciation for those shows and not something I would cavalierly toss aside even if they weren’t meeting expectations. We can’t stop striving for that but we won’t replace shows beloved by fans,” she said. Minutes earlier, however, she told journos gathered at TCA: “We live in a world we have to have both (quality and ratings). We have to have ratings."

If the messages seem contradictory, it might be the only way Bromstad, the Peacock’s newly crowned primetime entertainment chief, could handle the inevitable questions.

On other networks, shows such as “Friday Night Lights,” “Life” and “Chuck” would probably have an extremely hard time to return but the NBC numbers have been so poor, it could be worth it – maybe for nothing more than pleasing a small but hardcore fan base – to bring these shows back.

That being said, with Jay Leno now taking up five primetime slots, competition for the remaining hours will be fierce, especially among scripted shows since reality takes up a sizeable chunk of the Monday-Friday schedule.

Bromstad is well aware that the network didn’t do itself any favors this past fall with shows such as “Kath & Kim” and “Knight Rider” – “The were a fair try but not holding up and may or may not come back. We’re going to try and beat that.” – and that quality of future programming will have to be held to a higher standard if the network is to recapture its glory days.

As to how that philosophy will help shape the fall lineup, everything’s up for grabs at this point.

“There’s not going to be any hard and fast rules. I’m not making any proclomations about specific shows.”

 -- Stuart Levine 

With the season finale of "Friday Night Lights" airing on DirecTV on Wednesday, Variety's Stuart Levine (who reviews the last episode here) and Jon Weisman chatted with red eyes and heavy hearts about the show facing the end of its three-year run -- and how much "Friday Night Lights" could offer if it were to connect on a Hail Mary bid for a fourth season. Caution: Spoliers aplenty if you've been waiting to watch the third season on NBC, beginning Friday.

Stu: At some point, business will defeat creative and the show won't be able to come back. There's just not enough viewers (650,000 per episode, according to DirecTV) to keep the accountants at bay. And while it's incredibly tough to think about saying goodbye to all our friends in Dillon, there is something to be said about going out on top. Sure, a fourth season could offer a lot about the charcters and story arcs you mentioned, but will it be the same show? And will head writer Jason Katims and his talented scribes be able to keep up the great work? Well, looking at what they've accomplished in three seasons, there's little doubt they certainly could, but I couldn't bear the thought of watching characters that didn't matter to me as much as the ones that arrived when the show premiered in 2006. 

Jon: I guess I'd say if the opportunity somehow arose for a fourth season, why live in fear? Do we regret that the show has been on the past two years, even though the first season remains the show's best? Put it this way: If "Lights" had a 2009-10 pickup, we wouldn't say it should be canceled.

But certainly, it's going to take a white knight to make this conversation anything more than theoretical. If I were leading the Save Friday Nights Committee, I'd start the campaign right now, with the show taking its final bow on NBC (where the third season will reprise) starting Friday. How often, after all, has a network show come pre-approved by even a small sample of the public?

Stu: Yeah, certainly NBC could do a lot a worse than bringing back "Friday Night Lights," even though they know it'll get a small aud.

Changing subjects for a sec, what are some of your favorite moments from the three seasons? I was thinking about that the other day, and a lot of Matt Saracen scenes popped into my head, especially the one where Coach Taylor goes to his house in season two as he's laying in the bathtub, with the weight of the world on his shoulders -- caring for his ill grandma, replaced as quarterback, his dad stationed in Iraq.

In more generic terms, I also love it whenever Coach Taylor gathers his players and begins a speech with "Gentlemen …." No matter what he has to say, it carries such gravitas that you feel you're part of the team and are hanging by every word.

Jon: First scene that comes to mind is the visceral threat you felt in the first-season episode when the team bus was pulled over by cops after a victory over a school (and referees), where racism filled the air. I can't think of many moments in my entire life of television watching that felt so tense.

At the same time, I'd also say the lighter moments between Eric and Tami, often in an episode that would also find them sparring, warmly fill my memories of the show. "FNL" managed to make their relationship both idealistic and realistic -- really quite something.

I did truly enjoy the Matt Saracen arc, highlighted by the bathtub scene that you mention -- heck, there wasn't much about the show I didn't enjoy. I'd say my biggest love-hate relationship was with how the writers treated Landry and Tyra. Their relationship was one I adored -- it truly moved me how Landry won her over -- but it hurt how little the writers seemed to trust moving that relationship forward, instead choosing to repeatedly break them up (most notably with the misguided manslaughter storyline) and force Landry to win her back over and over again. The show that gave you Eric and Tami could have also given us one high school relationship with some staying power. Yes, high school is chaotic, but if Tim and Lyla is your most stable couple, maybe you're being too tough.

I guess you could say it was all worth it, though, when you heard Tyra read her college application essay the other night ...

Stu: Yeah, that scene was chilling, and it brought to the forefront all the challenges that Tyra faced, though she did create some drama on her own. I also loved the episode where assistant coach Mac is accused of making racist statements. Really powerful stuff.

But, for sheer joy, I'll say my all-time favorite is "Mud Bowl," which aired near the end of the first season. When the Panthers can't play at home because of a nearby explosion, they end up playing for the right to play for state in an abandoned field in the middle of a cow pasture, in a driving rainstorm as the players are sloshing and sliding all over. It was pure exultation, playing for nothing but love of the sport.

Jon: The point is, we could spend all day and not run out of great "FNL" moments to rehash. Whatever happens, this is a classic show that will only grow in stature as time passes.

Craig Ferguson knows the water very well in which Jimmy Fallon is about to swim or sink, and he urged writers at Wednesday’s TCA session to be kind to his upcoming 12:30 a.m. rival.

“Give Jimmy a month before you review him,” Ferguson asked. “That would be fair. I would’ve given me a couple weeks. I think you should give him a chance.” 

Certainly, Ferguson, (flanked by producer Michael Nadius, left, and exec producer Peter Lassally), who recently became a U.S. citizen and just got married a few weeks ago, has made the most of his chance when he started his post-midnight shift three years ago. He is arguably the hottest latenight host, according to both critics and the burgeoning ratings.

Ferguson’s trademark has become his unstructured opening monologue, which is a sort of free-form rant on what’s on his mind that night. It can offer anything from the typical potshots at celebrities, a cerebral look at the political issues of the day or, as was the case a few weeks ago, a catharsis on the death of his mom.

As for that particular show in which he talked about his mother, Ferguson recalled: “I didn’t concern myself with what the audience wanted to hear. What I try to do — and what I try to do 99 out of 100 nights — is amuse you before you go to sleep. That night, though, I didn’t feel like that. I try to be as truthful as possible. That’s why I approached it that way.”

His sense of humor, Ferguson said, comes from a very dark place.

“I think if you’re happy as a person it would be impossible to do comedy at all,” he explained. “My psychiatrist said — and this is true — that I have reserves of unhappiness equal to Saudi Arabia’s reserves of oil.”

Certainly, and Ferguson isthe first to acknowledge this, the show has greatly benefited from having talkshow veteran Lassally at its side. The classy Lassally, who spent decades with Johnny Carson, acts as a stabilizing force and voice of reason.

When asked about his thoughts of Jay Leno taking his show five nights a week at 10 p.m. on NBC, Lassally offered up this insight:

“It’s very brave of NBC but a big gamble. If Jay succeeds at 10 p.m., my concern is will people go to sleep after that? NBC affiliates would be very unhappy for the 11 o’clock news ratings to slip, and what would it do for the 11:30 and 12:30 shows?

“It could shake things up tremendously. Competition on latenights shows isn’t the opposition, but sleep. Audiences will have to decide whether they want to stay through the next show or not. Also, there will be five latenight shows in L.A. all going after the same guests. It’s quite a change this year.”

— Stuart Levine

R.I.P. to a one-of-a-kind multihyphenate, who died Tuesday at 80.

If I had the time I could write a book about how much I love Patrick McGoohan, as an actor, as a director, as a producer, as a personality. I got a phone call from him one day after I wrote a gushy column about "The Prisoner" and how well it holds up through the years. I'll never forget the sound of that scratchy voice with the distinctive timbre. I tried to get him to do a Q&A thing at the Paley Center, but no luck, he was not interested in revisiting the past. So McGoohan-like of him.

Think of the publicity opportunities for “United States of Tara."

Showtime could run a poll: Name your favorite alter (the term used for Toni Collette’s multiple personalities). Would it be T, the 16-year-old girl who dresses trashy and wants to party all night long? How about Buck, the beer-swiging trucker who isn’t afraid to get into a bar fight? There’s also Alice, a ’50s homemaker out of a Douglas Sirk film that still thinks baking a cake is the remedy for everything that ails? Or just Tara, a wife and mom who’s constantly trying to get a handle on her life that’s constantly being affected by her Disassociative Identity Disorder.

“I can’t make a decision who I like most,” Collette said. “I would be like a bad parent choosing a favorite kid. Getting into costume, hair, makeup all helps, but it’s about empathy and what I read on the page that make the characters as real as possible.”

Creator-writer Diablo Cody discussed a question as to whether Tara is doing the viewing public a disservice by going off her medication, which would help control her DID.

“I don’t want to portray Tara as irresponsible," Cody said. "I want to make clear that she had not been receiving proper medical treatment. Her medication had made her feel completely numb and she wanted one chance to reconcile. She’s living with her disorder and not muting it.”

Series, which begins Sunday at 10 p.m. and co-stars John Corbett and Rosemarie DeWitt, could

easily be the next hit for Showtime. Early reviews and buzz have been excellent.

-- Stuart Levine

Nina Tassler took the stage at TCA Wednesday morning in a position of great strength.

The network’s entertainment topper arrived at the podium with the Eye seeing an increase in both total viewers and demos from a year ago. It’s an impressive feat in the continuing defragmentation of viewers moving away from broadcast to cable and the Internet.

“Network TV still works. Ad dollars are being put into network TV. It’s the most efficient buy for a mass audience,” Tassler said. “Twenty-eight million people watched the Olympics and 30 million watched ‘American Idol’ last night. You don’t see these numbers on cable or any other medium. Good content and storytelling make great business.”

Network rival NBC has clearly given up on storytelling in the 10 o’clock hour with its move of bringing in Jay Leno five nights a week. Business-wise it might make sense but writers, actors and agents are, obviously, unhappy. Her thoughts on a primetime talkshow? And would that effect what CBS airs in the hour?

‘My first reaction was to say thank you. Our 10 o’clock programs do extremely well. It’s a coveted time period. The creative community was shocked. So many top tier talents vie for that time period,” she said, while adding that she didn’t see the need to rebuild the hour’s template because of the Peacock’s past errors. “Why should one network’s failure in development redirect an entire schedule strategy?”

Clearly, CBS has found success in delivering crime procedurals, and it makes no apologies in sticking with the format. “CSI,” “Without a Trace,” “NCIS” and now the season’s top-rated new show, “The Mentalist,” have all worked because they don’t stray far from what they promise on a weekly basis: Delivering a singular star – be it Anthony La Paglia, Mark Harmon, and now Laurence Fishburne replacing William Petersen -- who helps catch the bad guys.

Not to say everything the Eye does is perfect. When the network leaves its comfort zone – aka no murders in an episode – shows can flop. Despite a likeable star in Elizabeth Reaser, “The Ex List” was a bust.

“It failed in its execution,” Tassler admitted. “People liked the concept but it didn’t find its pulse.”

And “Swingtown,” about sexually liberated couples of the ‘70s, was certainly a better show than “The Ex List” but never caught on either. Maybe it was the time slot or the concept, but "Swingtown" didn’t make it and isn’t coming back.

“We were extremely proud of the execution and are happy to report that it ended up on over a half-dozen top 10 lists in 2008,” Tassler said. “In many regards, that was a victim of the writers strike. It was a risk and we’re proud of it, and we would do it again.”

As for what’s ahead, Tassler said plans for a “NCIS” spinoff are continuing and should be ready for fall, musician John Mayer is working on a variety show that could either be a special or series, and she’s not sure how or if David Letterman will tweak his show when Conan O’Brien takes over “The Tonight Show.”

As for recent transitions, Tassler said she was “thrilled” with how Drew Carey has taken over daytime staple “The Price Is Right” -- despite falling ratings and some fan unhappiness -- and didn’t anticipate any changes on the gameshow.

-- Stuart Levine

So much of the news surrounding Fox's upcoming Joss Whedon drama "Dollhouse" has been downbeat, you could be excused for forgetting that the show is designed to entertain rather than induce grief-counseling.

Fox asked for a reshot pilot, then decided to launch it and the series in the veritable graveyard of Friday night – the same night that buried Whedon's previous effort for Fox, "Firefly."

But with a sprightly sampling released for critics in advance of Tuesday's session at the TV Critics Assn. press tour, along with some believable spin that the Friday scheduling, which includes a "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" leadin, will mitigate audience demands, you could perceive the makings of a backlash to the backlash.

"My initial reaction (to the scheduling) was mixed, I think," Whedon said via satellite from Boston. "I had a bad experience on a Friday night – you might have heard about it. ...(But) I'm very excited about being paired with "Terminator," a show that I love and that shares the same sort of sensibility."

And although "Dollhouse," starring Eliza Dushku in the story of an underground agency that imprints personas on (mostly) unsuspecting people to create (mostly) infallible super-agents, is more serious than Whedon's iconic "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," saying it's humorless would be a stretch.

"The show is much more straight-ahead drama than what we've done before," Whedon said. "(But) we can't fight the funny. The funny is going to win ... partly because that's how articulate people react to difficult situations."

Meanwhile, for fans of Whedon's side project, "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," there was more good news.

"As far as 'Dr. Horrible' is concerned, yeah, we'd like to do that again," Whedon said. "It's just a matter of time and the venue."

– Jon Weisman

It seemed like a good idea to Denis Leary at the time.

At Tuesday's Television Critics Assn. press sesh, the "Rescue Me" star and co-creator/executive producer was extolling the virtues of Michael J. Fox, who along with Maura Tierney ("ER") heads the guest cast list for the series' upcoming fifth season, starting in April. Fox will play the paraplegic new boyfriend of Janet (Andrea Roth), the ex-wife of Leary's Tommy Gavin.

But then Leary realized that the four-time Emmy-winning "Family Ties" and "Spin City" star is going to give him nightmares, offscreen as well as on.

"You know what's gonna happen," Leary said. "He's really great.  It's a dramatic role, with comedic elements. He brought extra stuff to it. His first day on the set was two very heavy, psychotically-driven scenes in a bar. (The character's) got a drinking problem.  So the crew, who had not worked with Michael for the most part, were kind of thrown off. They thought Michael was really like this – that's how good he was.

"And it dawned on me how great he was, in terms of being devoted to this character coming in ... and I was across from him, so I had three things going on. One was my concern for him as a friend, like 'I hope he feels all right.' Then, he was bringing so much to the plate, I was, "I've really got to step it up here.' And third was 'I know what's going to happen.'  I never won an Emmy - he's gonna win an Emmy. Five episodes, he comes in ... he's gonna walk away with the Emmy. That son of a bitch."

– Jon Weisman

A few months ago, "Sit Down, Shut Up" had been shut down, and some had given up hopes it would move forward.

Now, the animated Fox laffer has a firm airdate -- Sundays at 8:30 p.m. starting April 19 -- and was given a lunch time showcase during Fox's day at the TV Critics Assn. press tour.

Writers on the show had stopped working in June after learning that "Sit Down," with Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, left, supplying voicework, rigwouldn't be produced under WGA jurisdiction but instead under IATSE's Animation Guild.

A standoff ensued and a resolution appeared unlikely. But most scribes opted to return to work after producer Sony Pictures TV gave each writer a $200,000 blind script deal and "WGA equivalent residuals."

In the process, exec producer Bill Oakley departed the show, splitting with his longtime writing partner Josh Weinstein, who remains, along with fellow exec producers Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum.

"That was a tough decision that Bill and I had to come to," said Weinstein, who said he and Oakley had a "respectful disagreement" on whether to accept Sony's terms. "The whole thing about myself and all the writers is we feel that primetime animated shows should be covered by the WGA. But we found ourselves staffed on a show already signed by another union."

After five weeks out of the office, the majority of scribes opted to remain if they could be given WGA-like protections.

According to Hurwitz, the WGA was approached about handling jurisdiction over the show's residuals, but the guild declined.

"Their approach was it was all or nothing," Hurwitz said. "And we were of the mind that the only way to keep this show on the air and keep those jobs was to make this compromise."

Hurwitz said the show's writers ultimately got better compensated than they would have under the WGA, and said Sony's "hands were tied" in trying to move the show to another guild.

Weinstein said the show's writers "bonded over that horrible experience."

Meanwhile, Hurwitz hinted that all sides are closer to putting together that long-rumored "Arrested Development" movie. The scribe said he was "really optimistic" that an announcement was imminent: "We have a deal more or less in place from Fox Searchlight," he said.

Hurwitz also quipped that he has a storyline in mind: "It's 'Valkerie' meets 'Hotel for Dogs.'"

— Michael Schneider

Credit Kevin Reilly for keeping his sense of humor in tough times.

The Fox programming chief was contemplating a question from a scribe at TCA about what he thought of NBC running Jay Leno five nights a week at 10 p.m. He thought about it awhile and responded, “NBC is the crazy ex-wife I can’t get away from.”

Reilly’s tenure at NBC ended a few years ago the moment Jeff Zucker decided to bring in wunderkind Ben Silverman (how’s that working out, by the way?), yet he smartly takes the high road when commenting on anything Peacock related.

“I give them a lot of credit for signing up Jay. It’s a smart strategic move for them.” He was quick to add, however, that NBC has struggled with scripted programming at the 8 o’clock hour going all the way back to “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," and having Leno at 10 isn't going to panacea for all that ails the folks in Burbank across the primetime landscape.

While Fox remains in strong shape as behemoth “American Idol” starts up tonight, and other dramas continue to perform well – “Fringe,” “Bones,” “House” – the live-action comedies continue to be a drag on the network.

Despite a renewal of “Til Death” – a decision that feels based much more on economics than creativity – there is little in the pipeline to generate much enthusiasm.

Again, Reilly used humor to deflect reality.

“We made a lot of year-end lists with ‘Do Not Disturb.’ Our comedy brand is the animation block, but we need to rebuild the live-action brand. It’s down to a low-pulse level. It’s very tough when you lose your blocks and protection. I give CBS credit. Their Monday comedies, like ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ are one of the best stories of the year.”

He added: “We’re going to be methodical. We’ve order five half-hour pilots. We’ll see whether one makes it on the fall schedule.”

-- Stuart Levine

At the start of tonight's screening party for Showtime's "United States of Tara," Robert Greenblatt graciously thanked the packed house at the Directors Guild theater for coming out on the night after the Golden Globes when we really should've been catching up on sleep.

But "Tara" is well worth the sacrifice. I suspect Greenblatt will be thanking people re this DreamWorks TV series and the Globes in a different context this time next year.

Screening consisted of the first three segs of "Tara," which bows Sunday. The half-hours played very well back to back in the theater, thanks to the incredible perf from Toni Collette as a suburban wife and mother who shares her mind and body with three very different personalities -- or "alters" as her family calls them. The post-screening party was cleverly set up to reflect the different aspects of the Tara quadrangle. One thing's for sure: all of her alters like to indulge in comfort food (fried chicken, mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, buttermilk biscuits, cole slaw, apple pie, etc.), judging by the array of eats that were spread around the DGA lobby.

Collette is ably supported in the show by a strong supporting cast that includes John Corbett (her hubby), Rosemarie DeWitt (her sister), Brie Larson (her teenage daughter) and Keir Gilchrest (her younger teenage son). And it doesn't hurt to have a concept that sprung from the mind of Steven Spielberg, was executed by Diablo Cody and seasoned showrunner Alexa Junge.

I made a point of finding Larson (pictured left with Collette) at the after-party to tell her how impressive she is in her role. Some early reviews have made mention of the show putting dialogue in the mouths of the kids that is a little too erudite at times to be authentic, but Larson pulls it off with the great slouch and insouciant pout of teen ennui that is real enough, angsty enough and maddening enough to make any mother's skin crawl. 

Judging by the genuine enthusiasm of the industry crowd after the screening, it's hard to see "Tara" becoming anything but another home run for Showtime.

HBO's Golden Globes after-party was, as always, an elbow-to-elbow good time full of familiar faces, industry friends and famous faces.

There's a democratizing aspect to the soiree in that it is so lavish and so lovely that even the rich and famous are impressed, just like us plain folk. That makes for a oddly casual gee-aren't-we-all-lucky-to-be-here atmosphere that seems to put notables in just the right mood to take compliments from a litany of well-wishers, all of whom are "really big fans."

A highlight for me this year was stumbling in to just the right moment to give a hearty handshake to Pixar/Disney Animation chief John Lasseter and tell him, as a mother rather than a journalist, what his life's work has meant to my family. ("Wall-E" is out of this world, no question, but the all-time Pixar fave so far in our house is "Ratatouille.")

Another running gag of Sunday night was running into cast members from "The Office" at every turn. Between the time I spent people-watching in the lobby of the Bev Hilton and the two chat- and food-filled hours I spent poolside at the HBO party, I counted at least seven from the Dunder Mifflin payroll: Craig Robinson, Kate Flannery, B.J. Novak, Rainn Wilson, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez. Hope they had as much fun as I did. (Kinsey and Flannery pictured left.)

So maybe it took a while, but somebody finally noticed how good “In Treatment” is.

That somebody was the Golden Globes, and the HBO shrink series got some love from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. with five nods after Emmy pretty much said thanks but no thanks in the fall.

At Friday’s TCA panel, exec producers Steve Levinson and Warren Leight chatted up the new season. Noticeably absent, however, was top doc Gabriel Byrne, who was suffering from strep throat and a stomach bug and couldn’t make it. Geez, these thesps will do anything to avoid the grilling of the assembled press.

The first order of business discussed was that telecast structure of the second season has been revamped. No longer will it be one half-hour each weeknight. Rather, two episode will air on Sunday nights and then another three the next day on Monday.

Programming topper Sue Naegle said the net found that viewers were watching multiple episodes on Tivo anyway, so why not stack ’em up themselves, and put it on Sunday to start, the cabler’s signature night.

“People like to dig in and watch more than one at a time,” she said. “It’s easier this way for people to find it. It was tough to get into the swing of thing five nights a week.”

The clips for the new season looked intriguing. Byrne’s character, Dr. Paul Weston, has seen his marriage disintegrate and now he’s practicing therapy out of Brooklyn brownstone apartment. His new clients include CEO John Mahoney (“Frasier”), attorney Hope Davis, a young woman suffering with a cancer diagnosis and a teenage boy whose parents are getting divorced.

Also returning are Dianne Weist as Byrne’s own shrink and confidant, Michelle Forbes as his wife and Emmy winner Glynn Turman as Blair Underwood’s grieving father. The series begins in April.

The theme for the new season? Leight, who arrives to the show after years on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” said it’s all about finding out what’s bubbling underneath.

“These are people in pain, in need,” he explained. “What’s the subtext? How did they get to this point in their lives now? These are characters in crisis. Instead of acting out (as they would in “L&O” with a gun or some other harmful way), they see a therapist.”

We’ll also learn more about Dr. Weston’s backstory, and how he got to this place in his life. His children will also make more of an appearance.

“Our challenge is to understand this guy and keep his voice consistent,” said Leight in writing the character, “but Gabriel knows the voice better than any writer would. That’s a help to us.”

-- Stuart Levine

Oh what a treat. HBO's telepic rendition of "Grey Gardens" with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange looks fabulous, absolutely fabulous.

I don't say that lightly because I love love love the Maysles' brothers 1975 docu. It's a gem that my husband found late night on cable years ago -- many moons before the Broadway show -- and made me watch.

The telepic, skedded to bow in April, traces the early years of Big and Little Edie Bouvier Beale (aunt and cousin of Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis) through their time as members of New York's high society in the 20s and 30s through the decades they spent together living in squalor in the East Hampton home that Big Edie refused to leave any other way than "feet first."

Barrymore and Lange both looked incredible on stage at TCA Friday. Really glowing and beautiful in a happy rather than made-up way. They gushed, like only actresses can, about how much they loved each other and loved working together and how they "bonded" over the strains of doing the picture. (It took many hours in the makeup chair for both of them for the later 60s and '70s scenes in the mansion.) But I believed it, just based on their body language and their glow.

Lange looked elegant in a black knee-length cocktail dress. Barrymore seemed to be channeling a happy version of Kate Winslet's character in "Revolutionary Road," wearing an orange and yellow print sling dress with one shoulder bare.

Barrymore bubbled with tales of how she'd never worked harder on a part in her entire career and how grateful she was to have had the chance. Yes, it's a well-worn cliche for actors but she put it over. I believed her.

"I believe that I have not proven myself yet. Michael taking this chance on me is one of the greatest opportunities I have had in my life... I worked harder on this than anything I've worked on in my life," Barrymore gushed.

Lange was a little more restrained, allowing Barrymore to take the spotlight, but she was also effusive about her experience, in contrast with her other recent work.

"It's the most difficult role I've had in a long time as an actor. If you don't flex your muscle, you get flaccid and lazy," Lange said. "I've been very lazy as of late. It was wonderful to really work hard again in an way that I was accustomed to at one time."

A few minutes later, Barrymore wanted to make sure that everyone in the room was crystal clear on how she felt about the part, the picture and her co-star and director.

"I've never had this kind of dramatic role" that involved her aging from 18 to 58 and "embodying another human being who is so well-documented," she said. "I've never laid anything on the line or worked so hard for anything in my life. I've never been given this chance before. I wanted to do nothing but not let them down."

Lange noted that the Grey Gardens manse is now owned by Washington Post's Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, who let them spend a few days out there soaking up the atmosphere. Lange came away understanding why Big Edie was so attached to the place.

"It's one of the most beautiful houses. It's not this kind of cold mansion. It's one of the most beautiful, warm houses and gardens. It's really lovely," she said.

Barrymore said she was glad to have the experience of sleeping in Little Edie's bedroom, except that "Little Edie wouldn't let me sleep."

"Grey Gardens" telepic was spearheaded by writer-director Michael Sucsy, whose makes his feature-length helming debut on the project. His background is helming commercials, but he began working on his vision of "Grey Gardens" the day after he first saw the docu about seven years ago.

Although he was a tyro feature helmer, there was never any question from HBO brass that he would direct "Grey Gardens," Sucsy happily assured reporters.

"A fun way to send him off" -- that's how Will Ferrell described his decision to reprise his George W. Bush impersonation and head to Broadway for a limited run in "You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush."

Ferrell and his producing partner Adam McKay, who wrote and will direct "You're Welcome America," promised in a satellite appearance at TCA on Friday that the show, which will have a live presentation  March 14 on HBO, will probe W.'s record but also take a few fictional talents. Ferrell handled Bush-spoofing duties on "Saturday Night Live" in the early years of W.'s first term.

People who hate Bush will probably think it goes too easy on him, McKay said, and people who idolize him will probably think its way to harsh. But why do it now, just as Bush is exiting the Oval Office? "You're Welcome" begins its run at the Cort Theater on Barack Obama's inauguration day, Jan. 20.

McKay, in a moment of seriousness, said he thought it was "a healthy thing that after eight years people look back at this," and he opined that one reason W. and Dick Cheney felt free to run amok was that people tended to "ignore the crimes of past administrations" after a regime change in the White House.

The premise of the play is actually somewhat generous to the outgoing prez, McKay explained:
"Before you close the book of history, let the man have his say." With Ferrell as the conduit.

The upcoming Danny McBride starrer "Eastbound and Down" should be an interesting addition to HBO's comedy pantheon.

Internally at HBO, the buzz on the show, from Gary Sanchez Prods., is mixed. Some roll their eyes, while others love it for its unabashed balls-out-ness. From the brief clips HBO screened at TCA on Friday, "Eastbound" looks like raunchy, Southern-fried fun, but whether it works as a series, of course, remains to be seen.

McBride, who co-starred in "Pineapple Express," plays a one-time star baseball pitcher who's drummed out of the game by a steroid scandal. A few years later, he's hit such a low point that he returns to his North Carolina home town to work as a P.E. teacher in his old middle school.

If nothing else, "Eastbound," set to bow Feb. 15, should have a ring of authenticity. McBride, who hails from small-town  Virginia, co-created the series with two pals from film school in North Carolina: Jody Hill and Ben Best, who are both sons of small-town North Carolina (though Best bragged that his home town of High Point was "the furniture capital of the world" and hosted a mammoth trade show every year.) And "Eastbound" was shot in North Carolina using "real Southern kids" as extras, "not kids from Burbank," McBride noted. McBride, Hill and Powers said they aim to update urbanites' view of life in the South beyond the "Hee-Haw" stereotype.

HBO's "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" has two comely and charming stars in Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose, but the most prominent player in the dramedy may be its host country, Botswana.

Scott and Rose raved about the experience of working in the African nation during the sesh on the show, a coproduction of the BBC, Weinstein Co. and HBO, at TCA on Friday.

The two-hour telepic/pilot for "Detective Agency," which bows March 29, was among the last project that Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack worked on before their deaths last year. It was important to Minghella and Pollack that "Detective Agency" reflect "the wonder of Africa as a place and the gorgeousness of its people," said exec producer Richard Curtis, who co-wrote the telepic screenplay with Minghella. (Curtis appeared via satellite from South Africa.)

"I didn't completely get it until I saw Botswana and I saw people who looked like me," said Scott (pictured above). Rose said tackling such a specific accent was tough until she "really got to be around the people of area and take those rhythms into my person."

When TCA is most worthwhile, it brings people from recent history on stage to talk about very personal events that made national headlines and shaped the cultural landscape.

Such was the case at HBO’s first session when Ted Haggard explained how his journey – from beloved pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado to besieged clergyman forced to leave the pulpit after being involved in a homosexual affair with Mike Jones and caught buying drugs – has changed his perspective.

On the panel to promote the doc “The Trials of Ted Haggard,” which premieres Jan. 29, were Haggard and his wife, Gayle, and children, Christy and Marcus.

“We were unable to answer questions for two years and now that we have the freedom to answer questions. That’s all we want to do,” said Haggard.

Added Gayle: “We have a powerful story, both a human story and family story. We’re grateful for the opportunity to tell it. We think it’s a great one.”

When pressed as to whether Haggard now considers himself a heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual, he refused to give himself a label, and instead offered: “I think sexuality is confusing and complex. This process opened the door to discuss my own sexuality thoroughly and intimately with Gayle, the children and my therapist. That therapy has been incredibly helpful.

“I’m in a place where I’m thoroughly completely satisfied with the relationship I have with my wife. I’m in a positive constructive process, but the delightful thing is I can be completely open about the process.”

Gayle said she was completely supportive of Ted following his ordeal, even more so than before the controversy began.

“I learned the depth of his problem and struggle going on inside of him. I think everyman is a hypocrite, and some women as well. None of us seem to be able to be the best we hope to be. I love this man as a whole person and this was one area that he had a personal struggle. Our marriage is stronger now because the ability to communicate about these things. I’m prouder of my husband now after making these hard choices.”

Everyone on stage was fully aware that many members of Haggard’s church felt deceived by his actions and transgressions. Christy offered her thoughts and said she understood the feelings of those who felt betrayed.

“People were hurt by us and a lot of people deserve a sincere apology from our family,” she explained. “But people have the right to make their own decisions and how they see themselves without fear of how other people perceive them.”

Looking back at the incident and how it changed his life, Haggard said: “I made the wrong decision and wished I could’ve dealt with it privately. Now, I wish I would’ve been open, more transparent. I wished I resigned my position way earlier that I did and wish I was open with my children way more open than I was. I was afraid, but I’m grateful for the accusations.”

Doc is directed by Alexandra Pelosi, who is currently in production with HBO on a story about  John McCain's presidential campaign, made a name for herself in 2002 with “Journeys With George,” when she covered the first George W. Bush campaign. She’s the daughter of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

-- Stuart Levine

Journos gathered in a packed ballroom at the Universal Hilton on the second day of TCA to listen to Patrick Swayze discuss his new A&E series “The Beast,” as well, of course, to hear of his ongoing battle with cancer. What they soon learned, however, was that the actor was hospitalized Friday morning for pneumonia.

Either AMC topper Charlie Collier has a great poker face or he is genuinely unconcerned that “Mad Men” creator-exec producer Matthew Weiner hasn’t signed up yet for the show’s third season.

“As long as we get the writers room up and running over the next three months, we’re fine,” said Collier after the network finished a panel for “The Prisoner,” a 1960s sci-fi series that’s getting a revision for a November launch. Collier added that the “Mad Men” isn’t behind production based on last season’s schedule and the show remains a firm go for a summer premiere.

Although the skein has never been a ratings magnet, its cache is vitally important to the network. The show has a slew of critical support, a rabid fan base and took home the Emmy in September as best drama.

“(Producer) Lionsgate continues to be in negotiations with Matt,” Collier said, with no other inside information to add. “We remain optimistic.”

That’s more upbeat than Weiner, who was upset when he spoke about the situation a few weeks ago when the show was nominated for a Golden Globe.

“This process has been going on for a long time. Everyone knew my contract was up at the end of the year. I did more than I promised I would do. It's frustrating that it's taking so long,” he said.

Weiner may add more from the podium at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday night if “Mad Men” takes home a Globe. Both the show and star Jon Hamm won last year, but with the writers strike canceling the show, nobody got a chance to speak.

— Stuart Levine

The first season of "Breaking Bad" was filled with all sort of surprises but none might have been as shocking as Bryan Cranston winning the Emmy for best actor in a drama.

The evening at the Nokia Theater remains a bit of a blur to the actor who was on hand with the rest of the cast at TCA to start spreading the word on season two, which begins March 8 on AMC.

"I had three previous Emmy nominations that I didn't win, so I was comfortable not winning," he joked, referring to his years on "Malcom in the Middle." "My wife was getting nervous, though, and started to get sweaty palms."

And when he heard his name called -- and not Jon Hamm of "Mad Men (another AMC show), who many expected to take home the prize -- it didn't initially register.

"For the first millisecond, I went, 'Oh, that sounds familiar. Oh my God, that's me!'  Then the one thought I had, after kissing my family, was please let me put a sentence together. Hopefully, whatever I said was coherent and appreciative."

Added series creator-exec producer Vince Gilligan, "It was one of the finest moments of my life. I knew it would be great for the marketing of the show, and it felt so unexpected. I've never had kids but this was the best moment of my life.

Chimed in Cranston: "I've had kids and it's better to win the award."

Gilligan says, in retrospect, it was fortuitous that the first season was shortened to seven episodes due to the writers strike.

"I wanted to have a slam bang season ending that would’ve been too much too soon," he explains. "For the second season, we didn’t pick up where we left off. The strike saved us from doing too much too soon."

-- Stuart Levine

Please, goodness, no. What is all this madness from the Obama transition team about delaying the digital TV transition?!? Does anyone know how long some of us have been writing and editing dry-as-dirt stories about the digital transition? Let it happen already!

Don't tell me that after forking over $700 billion to Wall Street and billions to automakers, the feds can't find th spare change to fully fund the $40 coupon program to help television Luddites offset the cost of converter boxes. The news that the government program handing out those coupons has blown through its original $1.3 billion budget is what started the eleventh-hour calls for the delay earlier this week.

According to Nielsen, the number of TV homes that are "completely unprepared" for the big switchover to all-digital broadcasting on Feb. 17 stands at 7.8 million, or 6.8% of the nation's TV households. That works out to about $312 million in additional coupons needed. We could hold a benefit at the Beverly Hilton, fer chrissakes.

After all the hand-wringing over the timing of the switch, after all the PSAs (even Oprah has been informing people that the big day is Feb. 17), after all the what-it-all-means blather at industry conferences and frankly, after the billions that TV station owners were forced at the gunpoint of the looming deadline to fork out for digital upgrades, it's time to get it on -- digitally.