Issue Date: September 22, 2002
Fall TV buzz
Debra Messing is the best comedienne since Lucille Ball. Will NBC put her "Will & Grace" on DVD, like "Friends" is now?
Tricia Marrapodi, Tucson, Ariz.
Eventually, but the network won't say when. The first season already is out in Britain and France, but those discs can't play on U.S. DVD players.
Does "ER"'s Laura Innes plan to stick around or jump ship like so many others?
Arlene Reilly, Kent, Wash.
She's staying, and now she's second, in terms of longevity, behind Noah Wyle. The 43-year-old actress, who plays Kerry Weaver, also has directed some episodes of "ER" and "The West Wing."
What's the status of three films completed by "24"'s Kiefer Sutherland: "Behind the Red Door," "Ring of Fire" and "To End All Wars"?
Carol King, Marietta, Ga.
"Wars" should be in limited release this month. "Fire," now "Cowboy Up," went straight to video; it's out this month, too. "Behind the Red Door" may go direct to video soon. Plus, "24"'s first season is just out on DVD.
Are "Gilmore Girls" co-stars Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson dating?
Alexis Bourgeois, Lafayette, La.
No. They have terrific onscreen chemistry but are just great friends.
Please tell me Dana Delany will come back to TV. She should have a show as good as the one that made her a star, "China Beach."
John Thomas, Chicago
The new CBS drama "Presidio Med," in which Delany, 46, plays a doctor, may be it. If it takes off, Delany will find her daily routine -- yoga class, then her favorite coffee shop -- interrupted again. Last season she starred in Fox's failed nighttime soap "Pasadena."
My mother-in-law says Brad Garrett (Robert on "Everybody Loves Raymond") was one of the
"Brady Bunch" kids. I say no way. Who's right?
Kaycee Cassel, Rohnert Park, Calif.
You are. Garrett, 42, never even had a bit part on "The Brady Bunch." He started out as a stand-up comedian (in the '80s), not as an actor.
Did Whoopi Goldberg decide to leave "Hollywood Squares" or was she asked to leave?
Dianne Wilson, McComb, Miss.
We're told she "couldn't accept" the offer "Squares" syndicator King World put on the table, which suggests money was the issue. As center square and executive producer, she reportedly was paid $10 million a year.
Will Judith Light continue to guest-star on "Law & Order: SVU" this season?
Katie Marple, Frederick, Md.
Yes. She'll have a "recurring" role as "SVU" Bureau Chief Elizabeth Donnelly. Catch her next Friday in "SVU"'s season premiere.
Is ABC's Elizabeth Vargas in line for the weeknight anchor job when Peter Jennings retires?
Don Andersen, Russell, Pa.
Sure -- behind every other ABC star. Anchoring on Saturday night doesn't mean Vargas, 40, is on the fast track to Jennings' job. Unlike NBC, where Brian Williams has been named heir to Tom Brokaw, ABC leaves the possibilities wide open.
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Lorrie's list
New shows I like
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American Dreams
(Sundays, 8 p.m. ET, NBC)
A '60s piece, complete with great music -- but were we really so innocent then?
Presidio Med
(Wednesdays, 10 p.m. ET, CBS)
An all-female doctors' practice. I want my appointment with Dana Delany.
Without a Trace
(Thursdays, 10 p.m. ET, CBS)
Anthony LaPaglia heads a missing persons bureau. He can look for me any time.
Life With Bonnie
(Tuesdays, 9 p.m. ET, ABC)
Blend Katie, Kelly and Kathie Lee: You've got Bonnie Hunt's harried morning-show mom.
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Boomtown
(Sundays, 10 p.m. ET, NBC)
One crime, various perspectives, seen through instant replay. Weirdly compelling.
Push, Nevada
(Thursdays, 9 p.m. ET, ABC)
If you liked Twin Peaks, don't miss this. Warning: The interactive audience element is confusing.
CSI: Miami
(Mondays, 10 p.m. ET, CBS)
David Caruso, all is forgiven. Glad you're back.
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Inside the Emmys
Whether you need insider chitchat for an Emmy-watching party or you just like to impress the spouse and kids, this knowing guide to Sunday's broadcast (8 p.m. ET, NBC) by award expert Tom O'Neil will inform your preshow chatter. Make sure you drop these pearls and predictions:
First-time host Conan O'Brien will rock. Acid-tongued comedians usually do best (like Ellen DeGeneres last year) because they sneak up on their TV pals before they pounce.
Don't look for early trends. You can do that with the Oscars, but the Emmys' voting system is unique: Different people decide each race.
Remember, nominees submit ONE episode. They aren't judged on the year or body of work. Thus, "Six Feet Under"'s Michael C. Hall has a shot at best actor in a drama on the strength of the episode in which he comes out as gay -- the one he gave the voters.
It may be "Friends"' year. TV's top sitcom has lost four times in the best comedy category. But now, for the first time, three cast members are up for lead-actor awards; Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston (who submitted the full-hour season finale) could win.
It's going to be suspenseful. There are more fresh faces than we've seen in eons, which means uncertainty in big races. Among the burning questions: Can HBO's "Six Feet Under", with the second-most nominations in Emmy history (23), bury "The West Wing" (with 21) at such a patriotic time? Three-year-old "West Wing" already has won the best drama prize twice.
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BIRTHDAYS
September 22: Andrea Bocelli, 44
September 23: Bruce Springsteen, 53
September 24: Kevin Sorbo, 44
September 25: Catherine Zeta-Jones, 33; Will Smith, 34; Heather Locklear, 41; Christopher Reeve, 50; Michael Douglas, 58; Barbara Walters, 71
September 26: Serena Williams, 21
September 27: Gwyneth Paltrow, 30
September 28: Mira Sorvino, 35; Janeane Garofalo, 38
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
With: Frappa Stout
Contributing: Bridget Byrne, Tameka Hicks, Evelyn Poitevent, Patty Rhule
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