Got a scoop request about your favorite show? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Just want to say hi? You can send any/all of the above to ausielloscoop@ew.com
Question: "Grey’s Anatomy" fans are buzzing about a possible Derek and Meredith break-up this season. Please tell me it isn’t true. —Katherine
Ausiello: It isn’t true. Here’s what is true: The Mer-Der relationship will be written a little lighter during the first half of the season as a result of Ellen Pompeo’s real-life pregnancy and subsequent maternity leave. “I think we would be irresponsible writers if we didn’t give a woman who’s seven-months pregnant a little less time on her feet,” maintains exec producer Krista Vernoff. “She’s waddling around seven-months pregnant about to push a baby out of her body. We have a responsibility to alleviate her screen time a little bit.” That said, Vernoff insists Mer-Der are at no risk of losing their title as Seattle Grace’s reigning super couple. “It would be false to say that Mer and Der are no longer the focus of the series,” she says. “Derek and Mer will always be a focus of the series.”
Question: If you don’t give us some "30 Rock" scoopage, I shall cry. —Amy
Ausiello: No tears, please. They, um, creep me out. So you hold back the flood waters, and I’ll tell you some stuff, okay? Deal? In the season’s fourth episode, Liz will endeavor to round out the cast of "TGS" with a new member, naturally leaning toward a hire who is more than just crazy talented. (Or less than just crazy talented… as in just crazy.) That same episode will introduce a wannabe who’s hoping to be discovered while pretending he’s a robot in Times Square. Since the character’s supposed to recur, his dream just might come true.
Question: Do you have anything scoopy for "Private Practice"? The season finale left me clinging to my seat and cringing in pain for Amy Brenneman! —Mallory
Ausiello: Two things I can share: Violet lives. And twenty minutes will have lapsed between the last frame of the finale and the first frame of the premiere.
Question: I loved Addison and Noah on "Private Practice." I know Josh Hopkins is on "Cougar Town" now, but will he return to give closure to the storyline? —Jamie
Ausiello: Currently, there are no plans for Hopkins to return. Amanda Detmer, however, will be back as his wife.
Question: Heard through the Twitter grapevine that you are talking to "Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke. Please ask him if we are ever going to find out more about Ruby’s knife? Like how it was made, by who, or why it can kill demons. —Vanessa
Ausiello: “I don’t think I’ll ever give up the back story of how that knife got its powers,” Kripke responds. “I like to leave some things mysterious. And that’s likely to remain mysterious.”
Question: Ask Eric Kripke if the Colt pistol is ever going to make a comeback on "Supernatural." We never saw it destroyed and it seems like it would be pretty handy in a demon war. —Wesley
Ausiello: Good news. “The Colt pistol is making a comeback,” Kripke declares. “I was actually in the [writers] room today breaking episode 10 and the cult pistol is in episode 10. And it also pops up a little bit earlier as well. The cult emerges as the boys’ best strategy to shooting the devil in the face.”
Question: Any chance that we’ll see Jeffrey Dean Morgan again on “Supernatural”? —Barbara
Ausiello: Yes, there’s a chance. “I would love to have him back,” says Kripke. “But he is an in-demand actor. It’s all about scheduling. It’s [in the hands] of men who wear ties.” Hey, I sometimes wear ties. Consider this a done deal, Barb!
Question: Any casting news on "Scrubs"? —Jonathan
Ausiello: Yes! "Kidnapped’s" Michael Mosley and relative newcomer Kerry Bishé have just been tapped to play med students.
Question: Last week we were promised a boatload of "NCIS" spoilers. All we got was one about Gibbs’ boat. WTF? —Alyssa
Ausiello: And that one wasn’t even accurate! I erroneously quoted exec producer Shane Brennan as saying that Gibbs would be measuring his basin in an upcoming episode. He actually said he’d be measuring his basement. In my defense, Brennan has one of those funny accents.
Question: Is Gibbs ever going to date again on "NCIS"? —Alyssa
Ausiello: Date? Yes. Marry? No. “He’s had two or three wives too many,” says Brennan. “A relationship that would take him to the precipice of marriage is probably not in the cards.”
Question: Will Cyndi Lauper’s psychic turn out to be Sweets’ birth mother on "Bones"? —Jeannette
Ausiello: That’s a negative. A better question is whether she’ll turn out to be mine. You gotta admit the resemblance is uncanny.
Question: Anything at all on "Leverage"? I absofrakkinlutely love it! —Cindy
Ausiello: TNT is rewarding your devotion by extending the show’s summer run via two bonus episodes, airing Sept. 2 and Sept. 9.
Question: OMG! I’m totally jonesing for "Brothers & Sisters"! Anything new? —Kathy
Ausiello: As I hinted earlier this week, a member of the Walker clan will get some devastating medical news in the Sept. 27 season premiere. Guesses? Head to the comments!
Question: I’m so happy Cameron and Chase are getting their old jobs back on "House." Got any more scoop about them? —Sabrina
Ausiello: Their first significant fight as a married couple will take place in episode 4. And it’s not going to be pretty.
Question: In your column last week you mentioned that someone on House’s team gets fired. Do you mean House’s fellowship team? Or the general team, which would include Wilson and Cuddy? —Alisha
Ausiello: The fellowship team.
Question: Is the character who gets fired on "House" leaving the show? —Sam
Ausiello: No.
Question: Please, some "Desperate Housewives" scoop. —Arno
Ausiello: Marc Cherry tells me that he worked out a “cool situation” with Shawn Pyfrom that both grants the actor’s wish to pursue other projects and ensures that Andrew doesn’t vanish without a trace. It’s basically called being bumped to recurring. “He wanted more freedom [so] we [hammered out] a smaller episode order with him,” he says. “I don’t ever want to say goodbye to him completely. He’s a beloved figure around here.”
Question: Spill it already! What do you know about the identity of Angela’s lover on "Bones"? —Sarah P.
Ausiello: You’d be proud of me. I took all your questions/concerns about Angela’s mystery lover directly to series creator Hart Hanson. The transcript of that interrogation conversation is below:
Who will Angela break her vow of celibacy with?
HART HANSON: I’m not telling.
Can you at least rule someone out?
HANSON: Let’s see… who would I be willing to rule out of the equation… Let me think… No, I shouldn’t rule anyone out. That would be foolish of me.
Can you at least rule out Booth?
HANSON: I’m not going to rule out Booth. Are you kidding?
Is Angela’s choice of sex partners connected to the huge fight she and Brennan have?
HANSON: I’m not saying they aren’t connected. There’s a reason both those things happen in the same episode. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a story reason.
Someone scores major points for trying!
Question: Any "Chuck" scoop? —Deniz
Ausiello: The show is casting the role of a dashing and suave dictator of a small, fictitious nation called Parador. Josh Schwartz, meet my good friend Ian McShane.
Question: Any "Gossip Girl" scoop? Please, tell us something that doesn’t have to do with Dan and Georgina or Dan and Olivia. —Fernanda
Ausiello: Are we on a first name basis with Hilary Duff’s "Gossip" starlet already? Good to know. Well, speaking of Olivia, there’s a new man in her life. His name is Patrick and they’re co-stars in the "Twilight" Vampire Knight movie franchise. Casting is under way for the two-episode role.
Question: Bonjour! Avez-vous des infos sur la saison 3 de "Gossip Girl"??? Merci beaucoup!!!! —Xav
Ausiello: Lady Gaga fera une apparition dans l’épisode spécial “Halloween.” Batman aussi. Et Robin. Et… Vous voyez où je veux en venir? (Ce sont tous des déguisements, mon ami!)
Question: I was wondering if you had any "Smallville" spoilers about Chloe. Apart from her being stuck behind a computer as Watchtower and babysitting the Wonder Twins, is there any reason for Chloe fans to watch season 9? —Donna
Ausiello: All I can say is that a pretty cool Chloe twist will take place within the first 10 episodes.
That’s a wrap! Please send questions/comments/anonymous tips to ausielloscoop@ew.com. Thanks for playing!