Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes was online Friday, Dec. 21 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss your picks for the Golden Globes, try to plot out a Very Special Episode of "Zoey 101" and give you her annual college football bowl game picks (ha ha ha ha ha).

The transcript follows.

Lisa Watches So You Don't Have To: "Grey's Anatomy"| TV columns | On TV discussion transcripts.

De Moraes has written "The TV Column" for The Post since 1998. She served as the TV editor for the entertainment industry trade publication the "Hollywood Reporter" for almost a decade.

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washingtonpost.com: Lisa de Moraes will start 10 minutes late today.

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Rockville, Md.: Lisa, please enlighten me, as I can't keep track anymore -- is "24" on or off for January?

Lisa de Moraes: Hi. Fox announced not long after writers strike started that it was pulling "24" off its spring lineup. If the strike ends soon -- won't happen -- Fox might put "24" back on. Maybe, but not likely because they don't have all 24 hours of "24" in the can -- I'm not sure they even have 12 hours done. And, let's not forget that Kiefer Sutherland is in the slammer for another month, which means they couldn't get production back up and running even if the strike ended Monday -- which it won't.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: How can Colbert and Stewart do their shows without writers (including themselves)? Are they allowed to think about what they'll say as long as they don't write anything down? What are the WGA penalties if they're found to be "writing" during a strike?

Lisa de Moraes: They can "think" about what they want to say, but they can't "write down" what they want to say. If they "write down" what they want to say on their show, they must rat themselves out to the WGA...

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Baltimore: Hello! Love your column! Do you know what influence the writers strike will have on the return of "The Riches"? I'd read Season 2 was to start in mid-March -- any word?

Lisa de Moraes: Seven episodes have been shot, I'm told and the network still insists the show is coming back in "early to mid-2008."

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Wheaton, Md.: Did you see that Letterman show CBS aired this week from, I think, 1998, with Cher as his guest? It was startling to see how much younger he looked just nine years ago. (Cher, of course, always looks exactly the same.)

washingtonpost.com: Letterman's Company Looking for a Deal With Writers (Post, Dec. 20)

Lisa de Moraes: Yes, but that was nearly 10 years ago, and of course he's not going in for periodic "tune-ups" like Cher.

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If the Golden Globes were on TNT:... maybe they'd get a waiver, too. What do you think? I know everyone's saying the SAG awards got the waiver because the actors publicly have supported the writers' strike, but hey, actors are being honored at the Golden Globes and the Oscars too. It seems to me the only difference is that one awards show is on cable and the others (which have not been granted waivers) are on network TV. I have to say that I'm not feeling as supportive of the writers now that they're gonna wreck the Golden Globes.

Lisa de Moraes: WGA also has given a waiver to the Spirit Awards, which are for "independent" films, which is also airing on cable. Sensing a trend? Somebody needs to tell the WGA that TNT is owned by Time Warner and IFC by Cablevision...

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Re: They can "think" about what they want to say, but they can't "write down" what they want to say.: Can they blink out coded messages like in a hostage video? Or like that stroke victim in that movie?

Lisa de Moraes: I'd watch that!

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Atlanta: So Colbert and Stewart could record what they want to say and have it played back in their ears? Is that okay?

Lisa de Moraes: Interesting question -- and one for which I do not have an answer, which will not stop me from guessing "yes." ... Stewart also can't use his correspondents, who are WGA members. We know Larry Wilmorewon't show up, for instance, because he's a member of the WGA's negotiating committee...

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Los Angeles: I sure hope the writers get back to work soon. They've been hogging all the game tables at the local Mensa clubhouse.

Lisa de Moraes: Did you see that they are going to start entertaining us with a "Why We Write" blog? I personally don't care why the guy from "Hannah Montana" writes -- I just want it to go away...

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Atlanta: If Dave gets his special most-favored-nation deal with the union, does that mean the Big Hollywood Stars can appear on his show without being branded Mean Nasty Strikebreakers?

Lisa de Moraes: Correct. But I doubt a deal will get done, given that the WGA came out the other day and said even if they brokered interim deals with production houses -- like Letterman's Worldwide Pants -- they would not flip the switch on any of them until they had reached "critical mass" -- a number big enough to pressure the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. I'm doubting there will be critical mass by Jan 2, which is the day Letterman has indicated he wants to come back -- which, not coincidentally, is the night Leno, Conan and Kimmel are coming back...

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Re: Larry Wilmore not showing up: Well they've lost me right there. Larry Wilmore is the best thing going on that show right now.

Lisa de Moraes: I agree ... he's the best thing they've got...

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Washington: Any chance Nickelodeon will help reality TV plummet to a new low with a reality show featuring a pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears?

Lisa de Moraes: No, Pookie, she has graduated to another Viacom cable network -- MTV.

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Letterman: Will Dave be re-airing an annual Christmas episode with Darlene Love singing and Jay Thomas throwing a football at the meatball and telling the Lone Ranger story? A rerun would do us fine, otherwise our Christmas is ruined.

Lisa de Moraes: You're in luck -- they are airing that rerun on Christmas night...

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Philadelphia: First, did you get to the bottom of the mystery of what Alan Shore's position is at Crane, Poole, Schmidt? Is he of counsel, a partner or what? Second, how is it that "Boston Legal" is running new episodes? Is it because their lead writer, David E. Kelley, is also management? How is it that the strike does not seem to be affecting their coming out with new shows?

Lisa de Moraes: He's an "associate" at the law firm, we finally were informed. Shouldn't he be a partner by now? And ABC still has original episodes of "Boston Legal" so they're running them -- that simple...

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Baltimore: I say good for the WGA for snubbing the awards shows and trying to make their absence felt as much as possible. However, regarding Stewart and Colbert, can't they do away with at least one scripted bit in favor of extended interviews with guests?

washingtonpost.com: Stewart and Colbert Won't Stay Out in the Cold (Post, Dec. 21)

Lisa de Moraes: They have to do away with all scripted bits on Stewart's and Colbert's shows or incur the wrath of the Writers Guild -- of which they are both members. And the WGA is not snubbing awards shows -- they're snubbing awards shows that air on the broadcast networks. The ones that run on cable networks -- SAG and Spirit -- got waivers...

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Waiver economics: William Booth's nice story the other day about the impact of an Oscars blackout suggests that the WGA isn't thinking about the broadcasters but the studios and the publicity industry. The broadcasters get some revenue, sure, but how much can TNT really be getting for the SAG Awards? And it probably won't offset the value of the publicity that the WGA will get for three hours of actors saying nice things about writers.

washingtonpost.com: Hollywood's Trophy Strife (Post, Dec. 19)

Lisa de Moraes: If the WGA wanted to get publicity for its cause by having A-list actors say nice things about them and their cause in this strike, they wouldn't have announced they will refuse to give a waiver to the Academy Awards. The number of people who watch the SAG awards on TNT is chump change compared to the number of people who watch the Oscars on ABC, or even the Golden Globes on NBC...

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Beltsville, Md.: Lisa, I am guessing that the answer will be no, but the writers strike has me very nervous and I need your help figuring this question out. Please, please, please, please tell me that the strike won't affect the Fourth Annual "Puppy Bowl"! It's only a few weeks away and I have been waiting all year to see this season's performance! Sometimes if I am feeling blue I go online and watch some clips from last season and it never fails to bring a smile to my face. Also, the kitten halftime show rawks! Please tell me I am not going to be disappointed.

Lisa de Moraes: I'm trying really, really hard not to think this question was submitted by an Animal Planet publicist -- it's very hard to believe anybody thinks Puppy Bowl is scripted. But because I love Puppy Bowl, and because it's the holiday season -- you know, peace on Earth, good will to men, blah, blah, blah -- I will pretend this is a genuine question and am happy to assure you Puppy Bowl IV will be telecast on Animal Planet on Feb. 3 -- same time as the Super Bowl, as usual...

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No Writers: People, it's called improv! Both Colbert and Stewart are good improvisers. The shows will be like a one-person, unedited version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" without the audience participation

Lisa de Moraes: They'll have to be "good improvisers," because their shows are traditionally far more scripted than the broadcast late night shows. That said, it will be interesting to see how they handle it. Now, if only the shows were live -- that would be really fun...

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Tampa, Fla.: When does the writers strike stop being fun?

Lisa de Moraes: When it causes the cancellation of the January press tour and possibly the May upfront presentations. Oh wait, that already has happened...

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She's graduated to another Viacom cable network -- MTV: Does she sing? Oh wait, that's not what MTV is about anymore. Never mind.

Lisa de Moraes: I'm thinking she's the next host of "A Shot at Love" when Tila Tequila starts looking too old -- like maybe next year.

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Washington: If Jon Stewart crosses the picket lines to do his show (somehow) without writers and then does the same thing at the Oscars, would he face serious wrath from the WGA? Or will he get a pass because he seems like a nice guy? Or would anyone really care if the writers threw a fit?

Lisa de Moraes: WGA's official position on all the late night hosts going back to work is that they are being forced to by evil media conglomerates. But I'm guessing Stewart won't get the same reception from the WGA if he does the Oscars, because that's not his daily job, excuse the pun. On the other hand, maybe he signed a contract to host the Oscars with a strike clause in it, in which case he could fall back on that. ... I'm hoping the strike is over by then. That's nearly two months away...

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Birmingham, Ala.: I can't wait for the celebrities apprentices, because I don't get enough Gene Simmons from his other six shows. Ladies can't resist him!

Lisa de Moraes: He's frightening. Seriously.

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Clemson, S.C.: Is this "Jamie Lynn Spears" business just a viral Internet thing crafted by some out-of-work TV writer? It has to be, right?

Lisa de Moraes: Wouldn't that be a too-delicious way for writers to ding an important Viacom franchise?

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Baltimore: So I can't decide if I want the writers strike to end or not. If they don't come back we get a Tila Tequila spin-off. If they do come back we get a Very Special Episode of Jamie Lynn Spears's show. Thank god I like to read.

Lisa de Moraes: Jamie Lynn Spears's show's next season is already in the can and I'm doubting they will shoot a Very Special Episode because she probably is showing by now and that would wreck the illusion she's a kid -- oh wait, she is. Instead, Nickelodeon is going to wave the magic Linda Ellerbee wand over the problem and make it go away. She's in talks with them about doing a "very special" telecast for them to explain to Nickelodeon's target moppet audience about "sex and love."

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Delaware: Hi Lisa. Another strike-inspired "what's going to happen to..." question: Any word on the new season of "The Shield"?

Lisa de Moraes: All 13 episodes shot, but no premiere date yet I'm told...

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Why you were 10 minutes late: You were scripting your Pulitzer acceptance speech: "Ellerbee has already done explainer shows for tots on AIDS, the mass shootings at Columbine High School, President Bill Clinton's impeachment and same-sex parents. How hard can jail bait pregnancy be for someone with that resume?" You're the best! Would it be wrong to organize a drinking game (for the grown-ups, of course) for the next season of Jamie Lynn's show, based on the number of unintended double entendres in the scripts? Also, don't apologize for being 10 minutes late -- for Wilbon, that's punctuality.

Lisa de Moraes: The next season of "Zoey" is going to do a huge number, between the people looking for "bump sightings" and all the drinking games. ... I'm just hoping to be a small part of the coverage...

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Re: Puppy Bowl: Oh, grow up. Do you really believe all that cuteness just comes naturally? Oh, honey, those puppies can't wag their tails without a cue card. And as for the kitty half-time show, that show is scripted right down to every little whisker twitch. Just improvised, you say? Suuuuuuure it is.

Lisa de Moraes: I am sooo naive. ... Next you're going to tell me all those puppies are represented by CAA...

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Jon Stewart and the Oscars: If Jon Stewart's Oscars contract doesn't have a force majeure clause in it that specifically lists strikes as a reason for not being able to perform his duties, his first act should be to fire his lawyer.

Lisa de Moraes: We're about to find out. I give it about four more weeks...

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Burlington, Vt.: The Jamie Lynn Spears MTV dating show should be called "Baby Needs a Daddy" where she has to consider whether the dude she's making out with in a hot tub also is willing to change diapers.

Lisa de Moraes: Hope someone from MTV is on the chat -- it's a great pitch...

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North Pole: What is your favorite olde-timey Christmas special ... Peanuts? Frosty? Rudolph stop motion? Baby New Year?

Lisa de Moraes: Truthfully? "Christmas in Connecticut." Cuddles Sakall, Barbara Stanwyck, Sydney Greenstreet -- it's practically perfect...

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Anonymous: Lisa: What's stopping the show producers from just hiring a bunch of scab writers -- probably some funny ones out there -- not that scabs are funny or even proper subject at this festive time of year! Happy holidays.

Lisa de Moraes: They're not ready to mess with the guild to that extent. I read the other day that some of the students in the film department at USC were wondering how they could scab -- very nice...

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Waldorf, Md.: Nice stunt the "lunch lady" from "Survivor" pulled Sunday night during the reunion. Mark Burnett should learn to do research better.

Lisa de Moraes: Have these reality series producers learned nothing in all these years of casting their shows? We know that anyone willing to appear on these shows is already several sandwiches short of a picnic. Nothing they say can be trusted. Verify, verify, verify...

For those of you who didn't see it, this competitor said that when she returned from the competition she was demoted at the school from lunch lady to janitor, so Burnett had Jeff Probst announce during reunion show he was cutting her a check for $50,000. Way the information came out it was clear she'd told producers before the show -- Probst asked her about it. Turns out she was a janitor at the school before she left, which was a promotion from lunch lady, and that she'd gone after the job ... oops. She "apologized" after school officials went public....

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Awards shows Have Writers?!: I thought those actors were as witty and smart as they seem on the big screen. How disillusioning!

Lisa de Moraes: Ha! That's because you've never attended a press tour and listened to them answer questions on stage ... without scripts. It's a revelation...

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Spare Me:"Why I write"...probably because it's a fun/cool way to pay your bills? Now get back to work!

Lisa de Moraes: Duh! Wanna know why I write? Once upon a time...

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Re: "Baby Needs a Daddy": Wow, I can see all the tasks the guys will have to go through to try and get a private date. Diaper changes, burping, cleaning spit-up from clothing. Fun!

Lisa de Moraes: You need to think bigger than that. How about the episode in which the prospective dads have to meet Mom Spears -- and Brit Brit and K-Fed...

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Jon Stewart's lawyer: A force majeure clause wouldn't help, unless the show were unable to proceed because of labor strife. He would need a "not be required to cross a picket line" clause (standard in Teamsters contracts). In entertainment contracts, I think the opposite (a no-strike clause) is standard. So give his poor lawyer a break.

Lisa de Moraes: Really, do we have to? More spirit of the holidays, peace on Earth, good will to men, blah, blah, blah? This is really taxing. I don't know how many more days I can keep this up...

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Fairfax, Va.: Does the writers' strike mean that, when it's over, we'll get a longer spring season because we got shortchanged this fall?

Lisa de Moraes: We may not have a spring season at all, except for the midseason programming the networks already had in the can -- which, best I can tell, covers the gamut from a lot (Fox) to hardly any (NBC). Though NBC is going to start rerunning "Monk" and "Psych" -- in order to expose them to a much bigger audience, reporters were told, which we think is NBC-speak for "we got nuthin'". ... Didn't "Monk" already get exposed to a much bigger audience a few years back when ABC reran the episodes?

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Richmond, Va.: "Survivor"? Isn't that the show my mom used to watch?

Lisa de Moraes: Exactly...

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Washington: Hey Lisa. I've been catching up on "How I Met Your Mother" -- thank God for Netflix. Has Neil Patrick Harris ever been nominated for an Emmy for his role on that show? He is truly brilliant.

Lisa de Moraes: I confess I get my trophy shows confused -- Emmys, Globes, SAGS, etc. Anyway, he's gotten lots of nominations and rightly so. He makes that show...

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Boynton Beach, Fla.: I am so happy that John Stewart and Stephen Colbert are returning to the airwaves in the new year. I actually changed my daily routine because of them. I used to stay up until midnight specifically to watch them. The day the writers' strike started, I began falling asleep at 11:00 p.m. That being said, my favorite part of both shows was the news bits at the front. I am concerned that the new shorter versions will contain only interviews. This format is tolerable with Jon Stewart, who is a very skilled and engaging interviewer; for Stephen Colbert, on the other hand, his interviews were the weakest part of his show (although the weakest part of his show is still better than the best parts of most shows). Guess I'll be going to bed at 11:30 p.m. I'm just so glad they're going to be back. How will I know whom to vote for in the presidential primary if Jon and Stephen don't tell me?

Lisa de Moraes: I too am getting a lot more sleep since Stewart and Colbert went into strike-induced rerun period. I'm counting on Stewart to continue to do some riffing on the news of the day, because otherwise I'll never get through this presidential election.

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"Project Runway": No new episodes for two weeks straight? How ever will I survive? Thanks a lot, Christmas!

Lisa de Moraes: Bah humbug, peace on Earth, good will to men...

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"The Daily Show," etc.: What do you think about Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert returning to airwaves despite the writers' strike? I'm disappointed to learn that they would cross picket lines like that -- they really didn't seem the type.

Lisa de Moraes: That's the one that surprised me too. WGA says they're being forced by evil Viacom empire. That said, let's not forget the below-the-line people who have been tossed out of work by this strike. I'm told Viacom was paying those staffers on the shows but I'm guessing that maybe wasn't going to be in perpetuity. I'm just feeling peace-on-Earth-good-will-to-men-ish enough to buy the notion that concern about these staffers plays some role in various hosts' decision to come back to the air. After the holidays, though, I'm back to being cynical for sure, because my smile is starting to hurt my face...

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Baby Needs a Daddy: On the final episode the chosen one would have to sign a pre-nup!

Lisa de Moraes: Naturally. And then appear on her next video...

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Washington: Are we strikebreakers for writing this chat?

Lisa de Moraes: No, because we're not entertaining anyone ... sigh...

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Alexandria, Va.: What's the skinny on Disney-owned ABC spiking comments favorable to the writers in its online Writers Strike stories?

Lisa de Moraes: I read about that. ... I did not see the comments, so I have no firsthand knowledge that the spiking took place, but it's a delicious story if true...

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Annapolis, Md.: Can we please, please, please talk about "Dexter"? I love that show. I thought the firebug (so glad she's gone) was going to be an over-the-top ending, but it worked. Do I have to wait until September 2008 for new episodes?

Lisa de Moraes: Yes, but we're anticipating a lot of fun watching already aired, slashed-for-broadcast-standards episodes on CBS, and the next morning reading the e-mailed rants from Brent Bozell. We promise to share them with you...

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Lost Springs, Wyo.: How on earth did "Cavemen" get on the air? Hard to believe ABC network executives were pitched the show and actually accepted it. Broadcast TV has become a wasteland. On a positive note -- Dennis Miller has new show on the Versus network called "Sports Unfiltered." Watched it twice -- very fresh and funny.

Lisa de Moraes: I just have four words for you: "My Mother The Car."

Oh, and two more words: "Mister Ed."

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How scabby are they?: I'm trying to figure out the spectrum of scabitude among the late night hosts. If Carson Daly is the scabbiest, where do Stewart and Colbert fall? If they had refused to return to air, could they have been fired by Comedy Central? Or is this about the below-the-line workers? Please explain.

Lisa de Moraes: In his defense (I can't believe I'm doing this, this "peace on Earth good will to men" crap has got to stop) Carson Daly is the only one of these late night hosts coming back who is not a member of the Writers Guild of America. ... Shouldn't we be going after the ones who, um, are?

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Arlington, Va.: Another chatter wrote: "I have to say that I'm not feeling as supportive of the writers now that they're gonna wreck the Golden Globes." I second that! If they don't want to allow people to write for it, fine. I'd be happy with a scriptless Globes because I watch largely for the fashion anyway (as do many other viewers). Can't WGA at least tell the actors that it's okay for them to attend so that we can at least have something to watch? It seems like nobody's thinking about the fans/viewers in this whole process!

Lisa de Moraes: I actually was very surprised that Alan Rosenberg, head of the Screen Actors Guild, yesterday said it was up to each actor individually whether they attended struck trophy shows (Golden Globes, Oscars). When the Writers Guild gave SAG a waiver for its trophy show, I assumed it was in exchange for, among other things, SAG telling its members "don't even think about attending struck trophy shows."

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Washington: If K-Fed is buying the drinks afterward, sure I'd do a sit-down at least. If not, heck no. I wouldn't want to be potentially contaminated by exposure to any of the Spears clan.

Lisa de Moraes: Wow -- the Spears clan is more toxic than K-Fed. What has this world come to?

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They can "think" about what they want to say, but they can't "write down" what they want to say: This might actually be fun to watch, to see how they deal with doing their shows unscripted. Kind of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"-ish every night.

Lisa de Moraes: Um, except "Curb" is scripted. Yes, there is improv on the show, but...

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Idolatry: Please tell me the strike will prevent the horror that is "American Idol"!

Lisa de Moraes: Nope. "American Idol," like all reality series, is not WGA. It's one of the things the WGA is fighting for -- to represent reality-series writers ... but the studio's aren't likely to agree to that point since reality shows are the networks' best writers-strike insurance...

I'm out of time. Bye...

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