Latest from Ausiello - Various Shows - 17th January 2011

The Good Wife: Exec producer Robert King told me that Kalinda’s big secret — the one Blake’s been threatening to make public — will be “revealed in episode 17 or 18.”

Mad Men: Although AMC recently announced that the show would be back for a fifth season, series creator Matthew Weiner confirmed that he is still negotiating a contract to return as showrunner. The boss man added that he’s feeling “hopeful” that a deal would be made soon. In other Mad news, Jon Hamm is a class act. When I congratulated him on his tour-de-force performance in last season’s “Suitcase” episode, he replied, “Thanks, but that was all Elisabeth Moss.”

The Office: Leslie David Baker was thrilled when TVLine showed him our exclusive story on Dunder Mifflin introducing Stanley’s never-seen adult daughter. “I’m curious to see how this one has grown up!” he had to laugh. “If she is anything like her father, it’s going to make for interesting TV.”

Cougar Town: My favorite duo of the night? Former Dawson’s Creek co-stars Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps. The BFFs were inseparable and could not have been more awesome. In fact, inside the ballroom, Philipps tapped me on the shoulder to say hello, and when I asked for a photo, Williams jumped right in and offered to take it! The result is to the left.

Dexter: Will Lumen return next season? Even Julia Stiles doesn’t know for sure. “I don’t think anyone knows,” she told me. “The [writers] don’t start discussing story ideas until February, so I have no clue. I would absolutely be interested [in returning] I loved being on the show.” Meanwhile, costar Desmond Harrington told Masters that he thought it was smart not to end the season with another Rita-esque cliffhanger. “Dexter has a blank slate now and is maybe even a little darker,” he said. “He’s been hurt now twice and that last shot of the candle going out [symbolized that] he can go anywhere at this point. After last season, there had to be a natural exhale of the show, and credit to the writers for being able to pull off a great season.”

Nurse Jackie: Season 3 will pick up “right where we left off” at the end of season 2, castmember Paul Schulze revealed to Masters. Added costar Dominic Fumusa: “It’s the exact moment [with Jackie] in that bathroom.”

The Walking Dead: Although production isn’t scheduled to resume until later this spring, Andrew Lincoln predicted that season 2 of the zombie thriller would be bigger, better, and grosser. “[We'll] keep pushing the envelope and see how far we can go,” he told Masters. “We’ve already set a benchmark, which is to shock people and enthrall people. I hope we can keep adding to that and growing.” Elaborated leading lady Sarah Wayne Callies: “We all have a lot to atone for and that’s gonna keep brewing.”

True Blood: Season 4 will find Jason Stackhouse “dealing with the highs and lows of being in love” with Crystal, previewed Ryan Kwanten. “Jason in particular doesn’t seem to pick his female companions too well. Crystal turns out to be not what he was expecting. It’s a very rough road. Plus he’s also now a cop. And if anyone shouldn’t have a gun and shouldn’t have any sense of authority it’s Stackhouse.”

Boardwalk Empire: Showrunner Terrence Winter said that Season 2 of the Globe-winning Best Drama Series will pick up “a couple of months later. God willing, we’ll be able to explore the entire [1920s] decade if things work out the way I plan.”

Covert Affairs: Leading man Chris Gorham told Mitovich that production on Season 2 starts up in March, with an eye on a summer premiere. As for what’s coming, “Just tonight I was getting a lot of spoilers [from the producers] — I broke through! — and it’s going to be really good,” he shared. Among other things, expect to get “more specifics” on Auggie’s backstory.

The Big C: “Now that [Cathy's] cancer is out of the bag, we’re excited about having her tackle that head-on in season 2,” series creator Darlene Hunt told Masters.

Homeland: Fresh off her win for Temple Grandin, Claire Danes gave us a sneak peek at the Showtime drama pilot she just began shooting. In it, she stars as a CIA agent who comes to suspect that an Afghanistan war hero who has returned home after years as a POW might be part of a terrorist plot. “It’s a thriller, a psychological thriller, and it’s very character-based, so it’s a lot less kicking and shooting than it is political intrigue.” She also revealed this: her character lives with bipolar disorder.

Misc. Scoop: Somehow amidst a flurry of movie gigs (including Cowboys & Aliens, Reese Witherspoon’s This Means War and Chad Michael Murray’s The Haunting In Georgia), Mad Men alumna Abigail Spencer found time to write and sell to ABC Family a pilot script called Teach. She sums it up as “Grey’s Anatomy with high school teachers.”

Source: TV Line