This Amazon.com listing for The Real Housewives Tell It Like It Is shows a release date for September 21, 2011 and may be the second tell-all book, after The Real Housewives Get Personal, about the Real Housewives series on Bravo.
BUSINESS AS USUAL (3/14/11)Trying to get True Blood executive producerAlan Ball and the cast of the HBO series to give away anything about the upcoming fourth season is not easy. Oh, but how they love to tease! During Saturday's PaleyFest panel, we heard all about fairies, demon babies, amnesia (poor Eric!) and why — brace yourselves — Sookie and Bill are doomed for the time being.
Bill's not getting back into Sookie's, er, good graces any time soon. It's going to take a long while for her to get past Eric's big revelation in last seaon's finale: Bill (Stephen Moyer) had been sent for Sookie by Queen Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood) from the very beginning. (Bill even let Sookie get beaten to a pulp in the first episode just so she'd have to drink his blood and ensure a connection!) "The betrayal is so deep that I don't think she sees a way back from that," Ball says. "That's why we need 17 seasons!"
Speaking of Bill, we last saw him and the Queen, midair, ready to fight. They're weren't alone! Yes, Sookie can uninvite him from her home if she wants — Bill's still not done protecting her. "There is a bite-off [between Bill and the Queen]. Things happen," Ball says. "It's not just the two of them involved."
How did Eric know about Bill's original motives for seeking out Sookie anyway? Blame the Queen. "Eric has a relationship with the Queen," Ball reminded the audience. She was "loose-lipped" and "probably told him a thing or two."
But enough about Sookie ... Eric will have much bigger problems coming up. What kind of problems, you ask? Well, for starters, his memory will be erased. "He messed with the wrong people," Alexander Skarsgard says. When next we meet Eric, he's "definitely not stable." And it gets worse, too. "He doesn't know who he is anymore ... Eric needs help." Help from Sookie? Not exactly. "There are a lot of friendly people in Bon Temps kind enough to help," the actor continues. But the bottom line is Eric is a changed man. "The powerful character he was is just gone. He's the polar opposite of who he used to be. He's just completely lost ... and very vulnerable," the actor says.
Meanwhile, Sookie's been having quite an adventure with the fairies. Of course, Ball and the cast weren't telling what kind of adventures. Anna Paquin says she's learned a few things, just not how to control her "microwave fingers." Says the actress: "I believe that's the technical term for them ... and no, she doesn't have control, but she's still new to all this fairy stuff." At the same time, "we will see what she learned from tempering the way she goes about looking for independence."
Demon baby lives! Oh yes, Arlene (Carrie Preston) will have Rene's (Michael Raymond James) baby sooner than you can say "season premiere." And the baby won't exactly be a bundle of joy. "Evil" is he word Ball uses. Unfortunately, Terry (Todd Lowe) will be smitten from the get-go. "That problem grows exponentially," Preston says.
Tara will be back with a new 'do and a new 'tude. Whew! Tara will be back in Bon Temps as soon as the season returns. "We'll see a new Tara," Rutina Wesley says. She's "a lot more stable." (It's about time! We want tough Tara back!) "She may find some happiness, but just for a bit ... You'll find out early on where she's been."
Lafayette is under the spell of Jesus, recently revealed to be a male witch. At least that's what Nelsan Ellis says. "I think Lafayette can trust Jesus," the actor says. "He does. He has him under a spell so he has no choice but to trust." So their romance isn't real? Kevin Alejandro says maybe, but Lafayette still needs to be careful. "You can never trust anyone," he says. The witches story line will be introduced through a coven of Wiccans (but the Wiccans won't be the "bringers of evil," says Ball.)
Expect good things for Hoyt and Jessica. All signs point to them being soul mates, but they're going to be challenged from all sides. Hoyt's mama will make things even more difficult for the happy couple. (Remember that gun she bought?) "Mom is awful," Parrack says. And then there's the vampire-hating public. "The fairytale can't go on forever," Deborah Ann Woll says. "But maybe the reality is better than the fairy tale." Jim Parrack says viewers should keep the faith. "Jessica is the one."
Is Alcide still going to be hung up on Debbie? "She did have a gun pointed at his head," Joe Manganiello says, laughing. But "she's still alive and at large, so you never know." He and Sookie will be spending more time together too, which won't be making Deb too happy.
Long live the King -- 'cause he ain't dead yet! Ball says the writers made the specific and deliberate decision to not kill the King, Russell Edgington (Dennis O'Hare), in last season's finale. He was merely burned in the sun and buried in cement. "We have definite plans to bring him back — and he's gonna be pissed," Ball says.
Sam's getting another love interest. "I get another shot," Sam Trammell says. "I'm at bat again. I think Sam will sober up." But Alan Ball says sobriety won't last too long. "He can do that for one episode." Why? Well, he did shoot his brother, Tommy, at the end of last season. That's going to cause some problems.
Good luck trying to figure out what Jason Stackhouse is up to this season. All Ryan Kwanten will say is that "he should not be looking after an entire village of meth addicts — he's Jason Stackhouse."
Meanwhile, Andy will be discovering the ups and downs of V. It was no coincidence that viewers saw Andy (Chris Bauer) keep a vial of the potent vampire blood last season. He doesn't exactly know what it does yet, but he'll find out very soon.
Godric will be back, too, but he's still dead. Godric (Allan Hyde) remains a pile of ashes. Ball says with the ancient vampires, "you can go back [in time]... or they can appear in people's dreams." Gary Cole and Fiona Shaw will also guest-star this season. No word on who — or what — Cole will be, but Ball says Shaw will be playing "a witch — among other things."
The panel was moderated by TVGuide magazine Editor-in-Chief Debra Birnbaum.
The new season of True Blood premieres in June.
Now you can get an online personal trainer with The Skinnygirl Workout designed by Bethenny!
Q: What's changed from Bethenny Getting Married? to Bethenny Ever After?
A: I've taken on too much, and I really fully acknowledge it and admit it. Ironically, I wrote a book called Place of Yes, and I'm deciding finally that no can mean yes.
I'm so used to trying to be a survivor and fighting to pay my rent, to meet someone, to have all the things I want in my life. I'm just so used to striving, and it's been a little weird to just have to realize that I have what I want and I can relax a little bit finally.
Q: How are you deciding how much of Bryn to show on camera?
A: In my head, (that's) the most difficult thing. (Early on) she was such a tiny baby, it didn't really matter, but toward the end of the season, she started recognizing the boom and things like that.
The problem is the show doesn't say, "She has to be in so much." She's in a lot because I want to be with her all the time. I'm with her every second of the day that I'm not absolutely incapable of being with her.
Q: How are you and husband Jason Hoppy coping with fame?
A: Truthfully, in the beginning of your career, you want attention and you hope that someone will care to take your picture. To be honest, I wouldn't change it, but once you enter into (fame), you're in a different world, and you can't get off the ride. I can't walk out and say, "Just kidding! I don't want to be famous now, I want to be with my daughter." It's weird that it's a machine and it takes on a life of its own. It's a strange dynamic.
(Jason's) the perfect mixture of not loving it so much that it would be a turnoff but not hating it so much that it would be difficult. I think he secretly likes the attention a little bit, which is natural.
Q: What has the toughest stage with Bryn been?
A: Breast-feeding was the only challenge I've had that didn't come totally natural. But she's the most delightful, sweet child in the world. I hit the baby lottery.
Q: What surprised you about living in Los Angeles for Skating With the Stars?
A: I would think that everyone was way more jaded there, but I got attacked in L.A. And I was like, "Guys, Madonna's probably like three blocks away. I'm not that big of a deal."
Q: Any regrets about Skating With the Stars?
A: I just think it was not a wise decision. I had a new baby, crazy career and there was just no reason to put myself through that. I just thought it was fun and it was going to be ice skating. ... I was painfully thin. I was just miserable. It was the single most excruciating experience of my life. And everyone took it so seriously.
Q: What's the most surprising thing about turning 40?
A: It just happens to be the year that I start to realize "God, you're starting to look old." Just getting out the door involves a crane. The gray hairs, and you've got to get your eyebrows waxed all the time. When you're younger, you can walk out the door without any makeup on. Now you really need to have under-eye concealer and lip gloss. You've got to get your hair colored once a month. It's a lot of maintenance.
Q: What was the hardest thing to film this season?
A: My 40th birthday. I hate my birthday. I'm not a birthday person, and I oddly don't like attention when it's planned like that. I can't explain it. Jason got me a gift, and they filmed that, and I don't like to get gifts in front of people. I was really uncomfortable.
Q: Do you want more kids?
A: I just love (Bryn) so much. She's so sweet, and I'm going to be so sad when this little baby phase is over. So, yeah. We'd better get cracking. Would I love to be 32 and saying this? Yeah, but you are who you are.
Q: Do you miss Real Housewives?
A: Not even a little.
Q: Who are you still in touch with?
A: Ramona, Alex and occasionally Sonja. But not a lot.
Q: Are you going to watch their new season when it returns later this spring?
A: Absolutely.
THERE IS NO NORMAL (3/7/11)
“Glee” fans have reason to rejoice this week – the show’s first ever original songs are set to be unveiled Friday, February 25 with “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” and RyanSeacrest.com at 7:30a PT/10:30a ET.
The show’s music director Adam Anders spoke exclusively with Entertainment Weekly about the lead song “Loser Like Me” and the musical genius behind it.
“It’s a very uptempo, kind-of-summery hit,” explained Anders of the song produced and co-written by hit-maker Max Martin, the man behind such songs as Britney Spears‘ “Hold It Against Me” and Katy Perry‘s “Teenage Dream.”
Leading most of “Loser Like Me” are Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, while the other single “Get It Right” is a slower ballad led solely by Michele. For more details about the songs, hop over to Entertainment Weekly here.
Both songs will air in March 15th episode of “Glee,” as well as in the latest soundtrack compilation, due out March 8th.
