An interesting little tidbit about the Bachelor series, apparently they are running into the problem of significant numbers of women being disqualified from appearing on the show because of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly herpes.

A show insider tells the National Enquirer, “Some of the best looking women have been told recently that they didn’t pass the medical portion of the test due to herpes.”

That said, I do think it is a good thing they are testing these women… would be pretty embarassing to have something like herpes being brought into the show - in more ways than one! - because one of the bachelorettes has it!

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I am getting pretty tired of Isaiah Washington’s incessant excuse making for why Grey’s Anatomy decided not to renew his contract. Why can’t he just own up to the fact he screwed up not once but twice, and move on? But no, he’s coming out once again to dig that hole even deeper to now claim that racism was why his contract was not renewed. And it drives me nuts that he keeps referring to it as a “firing”. His contract wasn’t renewed, plain and simple.

As you will recall, his excuse last week was that it was actually all T.R. Knight’s fault (the one who was the target of the homophobic comment) because T.R. wanted to further his career and publicized the incident in the first place. And because T.R. supposedly pulled this publicity stunt, he should have been the one fired. Puleeeeze. However, everyone will remember T.R. did not comment publicly on what Isaiah Washington said until after Washington’s outburst at the awards show… the second time Washington used the epithet.

“My mistake was believing that I would get the support from my network and all of my cast mates across the board. My mistake was believing I could correct a wrong with honesty and sincerity,” he said in the interview posted online Thursday.

“My mistake was thinking black people get second chances. I was wrong on all fronts,” he said.

His unwillingness to act like a submissive black at work was part of the problem, Washington said.

“Well, it didn’t help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn’t a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn’t speak like I’d just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime,” he said.

“I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that `some people’ were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I’m a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn’t go around saying `Yessah, massa sir’ and `No sir, massa’ to everyone?

“It’s nuts when your presence alone can just scare people, and that made me a prime candidate to take the heat in a dysfunctional family,” he said.

He is also appearing on Larry King Live on Monday, bet his pubicist can’t wait to hear what comes out of his mouth during that one! Isaiah Washington is one person who definitely needs to learn the art of knowing when to keep his mouth shut… something he obviously hasn’t achieved yet. If he was smart, he would have apologized and let it all blow over, and then maybe he would have a shot at getting a job in this town again. Not surprisingly, his supposed NBC deal has stalled.

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I must say I am surprised that NBC wants to consider touching this train wreck, but supposedly NBC is in talks with Isaiah Washington. He was in preliminary discussions with NBC, but apparently talks have stalled. No word on whether they were considering him for a new series or in a role on a current series.

How would you like to be a gay actor on his next series?

I thought the days of According to Jim were done, especially when ABC failed to put it on their new 2007-2008 programming schedule they released in May for advertisers. But According to Jim has been given a reprieve with ABC ordering up 18 epsisodes for a seventh season. The show stars John Belushi and former Melrose Place and Ally McBeal alum Courtney Thorne-Smith.

No word on when the show will air its first seventh season episode, but it will be scheduled as a mid-season replacement.

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Wow, there has sure been a lot of Nip/Tuck casting news the past few days, and they have signed up another stellar actress to next season of the show. Portia de Rossi, the real life partner of Ellen DeGeneres and best known for playing Nell Porter on Ally McBeal, will be playing a lesbian on the fifth season of Nip/Tuck.

Her character will be a recurring character, as a manipulative mother with a teen daughter who wants plastic surgery.

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For everyone who was disappointed to see that Apolo Ohno wouldn’t be appearing on the Dancing with the Stars tour this summer should go out and buy their tickets now. The speed skating star and winner of the recent season’s Dancing with the Stars has decided to join up with the tour for five of the tour dates.

“After the show I started training again for the Olympics but realized quickly that I couldn’t go on without at least one more week of Samba,” Ohno, 25, said in a statement.

Of course, one does have to wonder if his appearances have anything to do with his rumored romance with his dancing partner Julianne Hough, who is on the tour with dancing partner Joey McIntyre (he was in the first season).

His first appearance on the Dancing with the Stars tour will be this Saturday in Raleigh, N.C. That is followed with Hershey, Pa., on July 2; Bridgeport, Conn., on July 3; Wilkes Barre, Pa., on July 5 and Atlantic City, NJ, on July 6. 6th.

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Clarification: Julianne Hough IS paired up with Joey McIntyre for the Dancing with the Stars tour, he is not dancing with his former partner from season one (as someone stated in the comments). Kym Johnson injured her arm, and Julianne Hough replaced her as Joey’s tour partner. Kym is now partnered on tour with Joey Fatone. Confused yet My mistake saying Joey won season one, all these boy band guys confused me! But yes, Julianne Hough IS dancing with Joey McIntyre on tour… although I suspect she’d be dancing with Apolo Anton Ohno too!

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Lauren Hutton is joining Nip/Tuck next season for at least three episodes, where she will be playing a Hollywood publicist.

The show’s upcoming fifth season centers on Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) and Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) as they try to rebuild their plastic surgery practice, McNamara/Troy, in Los Angeles. Model-turned-actress Hutton’s character will bring her star client to McNamara/Troy to get work done.

I think she is perfectly cast for this role!

Fox has decided to order 28 episodes of Bones for the upcoming season, instead of the usual 22. We already know the show gets the Wednesday 9pm slot for its upcoming third season, but no word yet on when we will see new episodes airing.

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Guess money talks after all. Joely Richardson will be returning to Nip/Tuck’s fifth season, thanks to a new deal which pays her nearly $100,000 an episode. And not only that, she will only need to appear in 15 of the season’s 22 episodes… similar to Nip/Tuck’s fourth season where she only appeared on 11 of the 15 episodes.

When last we saw Richardson’s Julia, she was ditching Sean (Julian McMahon) and moving to New York. The entire show is packing up and moving to Los Angeles next season and Richardson isn’t expected to appear until the second episode.

Richardson cut her fourth season short to return to England to spend time with her family. Media reports swirled about health issues involving her teenage daughter, though the daughter’s health appears to have improved.

Too bad we still have to wait so long for the new season!

David Anders of Alias fame has just signed onto the hit Heroes… and get this, he’ll play a 1000-year-old character, Kensei.

Though NBC has not yet announced it, my Heroes moles tell me it is official: Anders has been given the much coveted series-regular role of Kensei, a Sark-ish character who just so happens to be 1,000 years old, for the upcoming second season of Heroes. I’m told Anders starts work on the show on Monday.

Definitely lots of new people signing on for this second season of Heroes, I an starting to wonder how they will get enough screen time for them all!

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Fans of Bones have yet to see the second season episode Player Under Pressure, which FOX pulled as it was scheduled to air right after the Virginia Tech tragedy. The episode is scheduled to be released on the second season DVD, along with episode commentary. But Kristen from E! has the scoop that Fox will possibly be airing this episode in September for those fans not planning on buying the DVD.

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There is a new family moving into Wisteria Lane… and apparently the wife has a history, having lived in town ten years before.

We’re hearing she gives Bree a run for her money in the uptight homemaker of the year contest. Too bad her 17-year-old daughter, Dylan, is an undercover hussy just like Danielle Van De Kamp, and her hubby is a sexy young doctor whom she may have trouble keeping up with.

Hmmm… sexy doctor? Too bad Isaiah Washington burned his ABC bridges or he might have gone out on that casting call! But it does sound very Grey’s Anatomy, does it not?

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Over the past three seasons, we have seen the plane crash from many different perspectives (who can forget seeing the episode when we realized that the Others had seen the plane crash from their cosy little “town”).

Someone has put together an awesome video of the events leading up to the crash, both on the airplane and by various groups on the ground. Enjoy!

Well, for all of you hoping Sara Ramirez would be leaving Grey’s Anatomy so that Izzie could have her shot at George, you are out of luck. Sara Ramirez will definitely be returning next season on Grey’s Anatomy.

All the regular cast members have been confirmed as returning… with the exception of Isaiah Washington.

I do like her character, and kind of hoped she would leave the show and follow Kate Walsh to Private Practice, since their two characters have such great chemistry, but looks like we are out of luck!

Are you one of the three people actually watching Kidnapped on NBC this year? If so, get your TiVo ready, as NBC will be finishing off the run of episodes for those who aren’t interested in paying for the DVD or never got around to watching them online.

Despite a DVD release and a run on NBC.com, the Peacock is giving regular old TV viewers a chance to see the eight previously unaired episodes of its short-lived drama “Kidnapped” beginning this weekend.

According to the show’s official web site, the unaired installments are set to run Sunday nights (or Monday mornings depending on your time zone) at 12:00/11:00c beginning this Sunday, June 24.

Be sure to check your local listings however as timings may vary from market to market.

So, if you care to know who it ends, tune in.

Looks like four new people will be working for the world’s worst boss… House. According to Ausiello, House is bringing on four new cast members to play four new underlings, two male and two female, and they will be starting at the beginning of next season. But what about Foreman, Chase and Cameron? Ausiello spills that all three, played by Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer and Omar Epps, are supposed to be returning next season as well.

Wonder if the four newbies will be temps to be recurring characters on the show or brought on as full regular cast members?

We have some trailers for the upcoming two episodes of Hidden Palms, which will be episodes 6 and 7 of the series. If you are a fan, don’t forget to show your support, it seems extremely likely that Hidden Palms will end with this first season.

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Oh man, I can’t wait for Survivor China. Instead of the rumored All-Star edition which would bring back favorite past Survivor contestants, this time they are bringing in celebs to be contestants.

Both World Wrestling Entertainment star Ashley Massaro and professional tournament poker player Jean-Robert Bellande are both contestants for the million dollar prize… which also brings up the question on whether or not the prize will be upped this season as an enticement for celebs to do it. Or if the cash would go to charity (or be split). Hmmmm….

I am looking forward to this edition of Survivor. But boy, what I would pay to see Paris Hilton as a contestant!!!

Apparently Isaiah Washington doesn’t know when it’s better to keep his mouth shut. His contract wasn’t renewed, so he wasn’t “fired”. But with most of the viewing public siding with T.R. Knight in the whole T.R. versus Isaiah Washington scandal, you’d think Isaiah would be smarter than to come out with guns blazing and saying that they really should have fired T.R. Knight instead of him. Pul-eeeze.

In his most explicit interview yet regarding his firing from Grey’s Anatomy, the former Dr. Preston Burke insists, “They fired the wrong guy.”

“I have to clear my name. I’ll start from the beginning. I’m telling everything. So here’s the truth,” Washington tells his hometown newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, in Friday’s edition.

The truth, as Washington sees it, is that he was made the patsy and costar T.R. Knight should have been fired.

Washington claims that the much reported on-set argument between himself and costar Patrick Dempsey that supposedly ended with Washington referring to Knight as a “faggot” was nothing more than “a lie.”

But wait, there is more. He decides to attack T.R. Knight again, leaving no doubt that Isaiah will find it extremely hard to get any work in a town where no one will want to work with him after this whole incident.

To the Chronicle, Washington says he believed Knight’s comments were a calculated move.

“I feel all of this was about him getting a raise and getting his character to stop being perceived as a dopey, kooky kind of character,” Washington says in an audio clip posted on the newspaper’s Website. “He perceives himself as a leading man. That’s why you could see the change this past season. That was his whole impetus behind this. And I was used and I was exploited…to raise T.R.’s profile. I may be wrong, but that’s how I feel about it.”

Well, if there was even the tiniest chance that Isaiah might have been brought back to the show at a later date when the whole brouhaha was mostly forgotten, his chances just went sailing out the window.

I am so sick of Isaiah’s poor-old-me routine even before his latest cranky whining. I will be happy if I never see his face on the big or little screen again.

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Remember a couple of years ago when everyone was wondering and speculating about why Mario Vasquez bailed on American Idol shortly after being named to the top twelve? The excuse was “Family reasons”, but of course everyone knew that wasn’t the real reason. Well, I don’t seem to recall hearing this as the reason… that he sexually harassed a male assistant production accountant by exposing himself in the bathroom, among other things.

That assistant, Magdaleno Olmos, has now filed a complaint against American Idol and Vasquez, claiming he was wrongfully dismissed after complaining of the unwelcome advances. And supposedly, this was the reason why Mario really left the show.

Vasquez, whose self-titled debut went bust shortly after its release last September, could not be reached for comment. Olmos’ complaint paints a graphic picture of the 29-year-old singer’s alleged misdeeds, accusing Vasquez of tailing Olmos into a bathroom and “masturbating” in front of him, as well as touching “plantiff’s chest, plaintiff’s stomach underneath his shirt and plaintiff’s genitals as Vasquez attempted to unzip plaintiff’s pants.”

Olmos claimed he related the incident to his supervisor, Eric LaPointe, who responded that such claims were “crazy” and that Olmos was imagining things. Per the suit, LaPointe said that if Olmos didn’t stop complaining, “he’d cry [himself] out of a job.”

In any case, wow. I never liked Mario, he came across as a bit too sleazy for my liking, but wow.

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