October 2006 News Archive (Page 3)

When VH1 honors winners in categories that captured the year in music, news, politics, arts and gossip during its fifth annual "VH1 Big In '06 Awards," our own Katherine Heigl will be among the nominees!

The year-end celebration will premiere on Sunday, December 3 at 8 p.m. from the Sony Stages in Los Angeles. VH1 is once again letting viewers choose who this year's winners will be. Viewers can vote for each category online as of yesterday, and running through December 1.

Katherine is nominated in the strangely-titled BIG "IT" GIRL category, and finds herself up against three formidable foes whose fresh young faces were simply unavoidable this year:

• Vanessa Mannillo
• America Ferrara
• Katharine McPhee
• Katherine Heigl

Katherine is "it" in our minds, that's for sure. She's certainly proven it with her great portrayal of Izzie Stevens both last season and this season.
Another Grey's Anatomy star, Patrick Dempsey is also nominated in the award show's BIG TV STAR category. Nice work, team!

Performers, presenters and special guests will be announced as they are confirmed. Be sure to cast your vote at VH1.com!

Yes, it's sad. But after the first five mostly-terrific episodes of Season 3, Grey's Anatomy takes a break tonight. You can still watch the show -- twice, in fact -- but there won't be an episode.

At 9 p.m. Eastern, the Season 3 premiere, "Time Has Come Today" will be aired, followed immediately by "I Am a Tree," the second episode from this new season, at 10 p.m. These episodes were great, so at least they're worth another look.

You can check out our guides to both by following the links above. For the best Grey's Anatomy quotes and pictures from "Time Has Come Today," as well as the music featured during the episode, check out our special sections devoted to each.

For some memorable quotes, pictures and music featured during "I Am a Tree," follow the corresponding links and enjoy. The two episodes on tonight are very different, with the first wrapping up Season 2 and the second kicking the new season into gear. But both are a lot of fun.

The good news? Beginning next Thursday, five new episodes will air in as many weeks. They are titled "Let the Angels Commit," "Where the Boys Are," "Staring at the Sun," "From A Whisper to a Scream," and "Don't Stand So Close." We can't wait!

People. Can we please move on?

Proving that some publications are determined to bring others down and exacerbate tension at all costs, the cover of the newest Us Weekly (below) features our favorite cast members -- and centers around the infamous dispute that has been amicably resolved as of yesterday.

Number one, we will never know, word-for-word, what went on during the on-set disagreement earlier this month. Number two, Isaiah Washington took responsibility for his actions and received the full, public backing of creator Shonda Rhimes. Just drop it, already. It's over.

Last week saw T.R. Knight make a surprising, very personal announcement. Fans have been overwhelmingly supportive. Can't we all focus on this great program instead of letting needless Grey's Anatomy gossip and rumors drag on -- and drag everyone down?

Actor Isaiah Washington has issued an apology in a statement to People for his behavior during the now-infamous on-set argument with a Grey's Anatomy co-star.

"I sincerely regret my actions and the unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on-set," he said. "Both are beneath my own personal standards. I have nothing but respect for my co-workers, and have apologized personally to everyone involved."

After Washington, 43, and Patrick Dempsey, 40, clashed on October 9, reports began surfacing that Washington had used a homophobic slur during the fracas.

Then on October 19, their co-star, T.R. Knight, disclosed that he is gay.

"I'd like to quiet any unnecessary rumors that may be out there," he said. "I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me."

Fallout from the turmoil has sparked talk of everything from hasty script rewrites of an impending onscreen fight scene (not true, says show creator Shonda Rhimes) to rumors that Washington would be fired and replaced by former ER star Eriq La Salle.

"I found (those rumors) not only ridiculous but offensive that we would consider replacing a member of our family. Also, the (idea) that one black man was interchangeable with another is disturbing to me," Rhimes said.

Rhimes also dismissed speculation that the mood on the set has been tense since the argument.

"The mood's what the mood's always been," she said. "We have a group of people who are more of a family than anything else. We have our fun days, and we have our days when people are tired and the work is hard."

On Tuesday's episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Grey's costar Katherine Heigl played down the incident, calling it a "scuffle" that blew over in a matter of a few minutes.

Washington was scheduled to tape an interview with DeGeneres on Tuesday to air Wednesday, but canceled -- citing a scheduling conflict -- after Heigl jokingly warned DeGeneres to "step back" during Washington's appearance.

So what actually happened between Washington and Dempsey? A set source says that when Knight, 33, was late to film a scene, a debate ensued between Dempsey and Washington, with Dempsey insisting on waiting for Knight before starting the scene. The argument intensified, and the source says that the alleged slur was used -- but Knight was not present.

"Isaiah was running his mouth off," the source told People. "Isaiah verbally attacked Patrick. He tore into him. Patrick's voice escalated and he told Isaiah to f*%k off, (but) that was as heated as Patrick got."

As of today, Rhimes tells the magazine, Dempsey and Washington "are fine" -- as are Washington and Knight.

"They've had conversations," says Rhimes. "They did a really great scene together the other day." The whole affair, she says, "was four and a half seconds of one day in three years. I feel like we've already moved on."

We're glad that Washington and Rhimes have come forward to address the issue and assure us that everything has been resolved. Hopefully, the matter can now be put to bed and we can focus on the show!

While Grey's Anatomy has become TV's top show by transferring the "all for one, one for all" mentality of Friends to the arena of fictional Seattle Grace Hospital, some aren't convinced that's a good thing.

In real life, a Fox News article by Peter Brown asserts, friends don't always look the other way when crimes are committed and rules are broken.

In fact, the columnist finds profoundly disturbing the show's message that it is normal, and to some degree acceptable, for people in a position to decide who lives and who dies to give their own emotions preference over the law and medical ethics.

Of course, it's only TV. But given the series' popularity and the topic's seriousness, Brown finds himself offended by a major story line of the hit show -- which he admits to finding extremely entertaining.

He's talking about when a surgical intern, Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens (above), broke the law and medical canon to manipulate the way a heart transplant was allocated to save her fiance, Denny Duquette.

The show's failing, in this writer's opinion, is the inaccurate impression that the transplant process is capricious, can be easily manipulated, and if so, there's no real harm, since it's to help a friend.

Brown was lucky enough to receive a liver transplant in 2002. He became acquainted with the arduous process by which organs are allocated.

Organ transplants are the ultimate zero-sum game. For every patient saved, someone else is not. Many more eople need hearts, livers, lungs and kidneys than there are available organs. Thousands of Americans die each year waiting for a transplant.

Everyone connected with the transplant process -- doctors, nurses, donor families, or recipients and their families -- understands this.

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One star of Grey's Anatomy spoke out about an incident on set between Isaiah Washington and Patrick Dempsey that has sparked plenty of rumors.

Unfortunately, that's Katherine Heigl.

Washington was to have taped an interview Tuesday with DeGeneres that would have aired today, but canceled -- citing a change in his production schedule -- after Heigl playfully warned DeGeneres yesterday to "step back" during Isaiah's appearance.

Various reports about the dispute have circulated, but Katherine appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Tuesday and played down the incident.

"There was some scuffle. I don't know what the fight was about... It was something silly and manly. There was a little burst of testosterone in the room, and then within five minutes... they were totally fine and joking with each other and laughing."

DeGeneres, who is a lesbian, responded by saying Washington "better not call me a name ... I'll be swinging."

Washington has been under fire from the tabloids for a remark he allegedly made about T.R. Knight, who came out of the closet last week. The incident has not been verified by a credible source, however, and we were looking forward to hearing what happened straight from the horse's mouth.

It's too bad that he had to cancel his appearance, but one thing's for certain -- Washington isn't leaving the show.

ABC's Charissa Gilmore emphasized this, telling USA Today that Washington's status with Grey's Anatomy is fine despite the on-set altercation.

"We have no intention of replacing Isaiah," she said.

Her shiny, cinnamon-colored waves bouncing with every step, the 5'9" Kate Walsh looks picture-perfect. But there's something about her mischievous smile that makes you think she'd walk straight into a pole just to get a laugh. In person, Walsh is infinitely funnier than Dr. Addison Shepherd, the intimidating surgeon she plays on the ABC hit Grey's Anatomy.

"When I first came on the show, my character was like a Wicked Witch of the East, dressed in Prada," she told Women's Health before sitting down for an exclusive interview. "Then throughout the season you see her becoming a little more vulnerable, a little more like me."

Walsh, 39, was born in California, grew up in Arizona, and studied theater in Chicago before moving to New York.

She headed to Los Angeles seven years ago, and though she earned some fans as Nicki on The Drew Carey Show, she remained relatively unfamous before joining Grey's Anatomy during Season 2.

Life has changed dramatically since, and Walsh admits to wearing sunglasses in airports now, after a fan ran up and literally screamed in her face.

Yet despite newfound stardom, she doesn't seem at all self-conscious amid a crowded Hollywood lunch spot. Here's what she told the magazine:

WOMEN'S HEALTH: I hate to sound corny, but you're glowing. Did you just work out?
KATE WALSH: Well... I was supposed to do Pilates this morning. I got as far as putting the sports bra on. Then I realized there was no way I was about to drive through traffic and go to the gym. Noooo. So I threw my bathrobe on over the bra and read the paper. Sometimes I hope that through osmosis I might get a workout — just by wearing the clothes.

WH: You wore a fat suit when you starred on The Drew Carey Show. Did that give you perspective on what it feels like to struggle with weight?
KW: I don't think there's any woman who doesn't struggle with body image or weight. I was intoxicated with the story line on the show — a woman who worked hard to lose weight then dates this guy who eats. And she eats with him and gradually gets bigger and bigger until she can't stand herself. I remember going out to eat wearing the fat suit, and some people stared at me like I was an animal going to the trough. People can be cruel.

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We've done our best to refrain from speculating as to what role, if any, Isaiah Washington's fight with Patrick Dempsey earlier this month had in the decision by T.R. Knight to publicly announce his homosexuality last week.

Our position has been that until the producers or one of the actors themselves comes forward regarding the incident, there's too little credible information to comment on.

We may get the scoop tomorrow, however. Sources tell us Isaiah will be appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show at 9 a.m. to address the rumors of him being replaced (denied by ABC and sources close to the show) and the fight between him and Dempsey.

It's great that he's going on the program to clear the air. His name has been dragged through the mud over the past week, with many media outlets disparaging him based on mere rumors. It will be good to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Then, hopefully, Knight and the rest of us can move on.

Rumors have been circulating that a crass comment from Isaiah Washington during his on-set argument with Patrick Dempsey may have prompted the decision of T.R. Knight (right) to go public regarding his sexuality.

We emphasize the word rumors, because these claims are still wholly unsubstantiated. Past colleagues of Washington's have been relaying accounts of surly behavior on set, and several tabloids are speculating that the man who plays Dr. Burke may be replaced.

But according to a statement released by ABC and sources close to the set, that is not true. Isaiah will be sticking around. However, our sources do report that things are still shaken up on the Grey's Anatomy set and the production department is struggling with how to best to handle the aftermath of the scuffle -- both on set and in the storyline.

The Insider has refrained from commenting on this issue due to the lack of credible information. But if a remark from Washington did force Knight out of the closet, as is being reported, that would be very upsetting.

This was obviously a difficult week for T.R., regardless of what prompted his decision to go public. If he did so not entirely of his own volition, it would be extremely sad. Above all else, we're supportive of T.R. and his decision, and hope he's not suffering any backlash.

But unless Washington's role in the matter is confirmed, it does little good to speculate. Releasing irrelevant stories from Isaiah's past does nothing but fuel rumors and keep the incident from blowing over.

For all we know, he said everything attributed to him -- but he also may not have. The media is clearly conducting a hit job on Isaiah, trying to give a story legs it doesn't have. At least for now. Unless that changes, we're staying above the Fray (bad pun intended).

Here's hoping that the incident is resolved and Grey's Anatomy carries on in all its marvelous glory. If we hear anything new, we'll share it with you ASAP.

The medical examiners on Grey's Anatomy can count up more casualties from CBS' CSI. ABC notched another win over its rival as the ratings for Grey's slightly improved from the previous week, with a 9.6/23 among viewers ages 18-49, versus the 6.9/16 number for CSI.

The gap between the two shows is now almost three full ratings points, each of which are roughly equivalent to a million viewers. Still, CBS will point out that its total viewers' tally isn't so bad. Grey's Anatomy only has a 1.6 million total viewer lead over CSI -- just a 7 percent gap.

The difference between them in the 18-49 demographic ratings is 28 percent. The 18-49 CSI ratings are now its lowest in two years.

But don't give Grey's Anatomy all the credit for derailing the CBS crime drama. Fox's NLCS Game 7 put up a healthy 5.4/15 in the 18-49 group -- the baseball playoffs' best numbers.

All this gave another Thursday win to ABC, its fifth in a row. It averaged a 5.8 rating/15 share, just ahead of CBS' 5.5/14. Fox was third at 4.8/13. Then came NBC with a 4.2/11, the CW at 1.7/4, and Univision at 1.4/3.

Without the big numbers of Grey's Anatomy, ABC wouldn't win the night. The network still has a 10 p.m. headache with its new show Six Degrees, which keeps relatively few of Grey's Anatomy viewers, earning a 3.5/9.