Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes was online Friday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. ET to analyze "American Idol," cringe at "Moment of Truth" and try to pull something vaguely resembling answers out of the "Lost" season opener.

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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San Diego: Lisa, I'm confused about something. When "American Idol" has those huge preliminary auditions in various cities across the country, how do they pick the handful of people they intend to spotlight? It seems they choose a few contestants from those mega-auditions, interview them, follow them to their hometowns, and a majority of them get their golden ticket to Hollywood. But how does it work? Are they psychic and just know by looking who's going to advance?

Lisa de Moraes: The auditions were held ages ago -- notice the constant references by Ryan to "the heat." I think it's safe to say they picked auditioners who were going to go through to Hollywood, and the ones the producers thought particularly catchy then were taped plowing the fields and milking the cows in their hometowns, which then were edited into the audition episodes in such a way as to make them look "psychic," as you say...

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Washington: I honestly believed that the resurgence of modest success for "The Apprentice" franchise was because of the writers' strike and no real competition -- until last night. Did you see that? That was riveting TV. I'm serious. Watching D-list celebrities bump egos after a joke gone wrong? Solid gold.

Lisa de Moraes: It appears you are in the minority."The Apprentice" crumpled against "Lost" -- fewer than 7 million viewers.

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Atlanta: So "Lost" is back finally, and we got a great Hurley episode last night. While there are still tons of unanswered questions, mine has to do with the show itself: If the strike ends soon, are we still stuck with the eight produced episodes, or do you think they'd go into overdrive to round out the season?

Lisa de Moraes: I think they will try to get more episodes done, but conventional wisdom says it will take several weeks for shows to get back up and running, so it still probably would be a shorter season -- shorter than the already-short 16 episodes...

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Seattle: Are you hosting a Puppy Bowl party this year?

Lisa de Moraes: Sadly no, not this year -- I'm going to a Super Bowl party at a friend's house. But she's a dog lover/rescuer, so I'm hoping I can get them to jump over to Puppy Bowl periodically. If not, I'll have to find the other TV in her house...

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Fairfax, Va.: What's your verdict on "Eli Stone"?

Lisa de Moraes: Any show that has as major plot point based on George Michael is okay by me!

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Alexandria, Va.: "Lost" -- Charlie's back! And looking mighty hot, I might add. Great episode.

Lisa de Moraes: The reactions to the episode were very polarized. People seem to have hated it or loved it -- no in between.

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Washington: I'm curious about the future of the CW, which didn't benefit from the combined UPN/WB audience. Audiences for its top shows ("America's Next Top Model," "Smallville" and "Smackdown") tend to be in the 4 million-5 million totals (occasionally 6 million), while its other shows register half that number of viewers. Is it viable commercially for the future?

Lisa de Moraes: That's one of the big questions of the strike -- will CW survive? Its primetime numbers are down 40 percent-50 percent-ish overall, which is terrible. It appears this network was not ready for the strike -- no bench of reality programming to fill the time slots, etc....

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Washington: Puppy Bowl, Puppy Bowl, Puppy Bowl -- am so excited, it's all TiVoed up. Now I no longer have to leave my house on Super Bowl Sunday -- yay! Any new additions to this year's show?

Lisa de Moraes: Hi-def! This year's starting lineup is on the Animal Planet site...

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Washington: I had this plan not to watch "Lost" anymore until the series ended because it seems like nothing actually happens and nothing is revealed in the hour-long shows. My brother said last night's premiere was worth watching, so I watched a TiVoed version -- and still nothing happened and nothing was revealed!

Lisa de Moraes: Like Washington, for instance. ... It appears, based on the numbers from last night, that the die-hard fans are back, but it did not win back viewers like you...

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Lisa de Moraes: Puppy Bowl starters.

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Washington: Hi Lisa. I love "The Wire," but I am not impressed with this season. The two main problems for me are the newsroom plot and Marlo Stanfield. I think the newsroom scenes are boring and bring the show to a halt. Marlo Stanfield is also boring. Stringer Bell and Barksdale were criminals, but were interesting and three-dimensional; Marlo holds no interest for me at all. I get it, he's bad and kills anyone who looks at him wrong or gets in the way. It's the same every episode. I was wondering how other people felt about this season.

Lisa de Moraes: Let's ask. Me, I think they've kept this show on too long. ... Anyone else?

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Lancaster, Pa.: Hi Lisa. On the "Today" show this morning, your gal Ann was filling in for Meredith. She got to talk with Russert about the debate last night. She actually called him "Timmy." I thought his eyebrows were going to straiten up. I almost spit up my coffee. Luckily, things soon moved on to Britney, Natalie and laser removal of wrinkles -- and away from that damned "real news" stuff.

Lisa de Moraes: Wow, in what context was she calling him "Timmy"? Was she flirting with him? Lecturing him because he won't throw himself off a bridge like she has? Giving him her "sad" look because of something he'd just said about the presidential race?

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Washington: Submitting early so I don't see any Lost spoilers -- haven't watched my DVR yet! I got the "Heroes" Season I DVD set for Xmas and am totally hooked. Any chance they will rerun the Season 2 episodes on network or cable so I can DVR those? (Please tell the network brass this would be much better than "America's Next Top Weight Loss Guru" or whatever they've got in the works.)

Lisa de Moraes: I'm guessing NBC will at some point, if they have not already, somewhere on one of their networks. That company is so synergized across it barely can walk ... (I have no idea what that means)...

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Silver Spring, Md.: I noticed that "Ugly Betty" was replaced by a lead up to "Lost" this week ... do you know if they are out of new episodes? Or is there more in store for this season...

Lisa de Moraes: I think everyone's out of everything by now...

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"Friday Night Lights": Tonight is the final episode of "Friday Night Lights" (until after the writers strike) so all you FNL fans make sure and tune in. P.S. Don't hate me because I'm an FNL Fan!

Lisa de Moraes: Okay, except "Friday Night Lights," which has one more episode. Which hardly anyone will watch ... trust me...

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Bethesda, Md.: My roommate and I (both 22-years-old) have massive crushes on Anthony Bourdain. His show is fantastic, he visits amazing places, and come on, he's pretty sexy. Is this completely strange?

Lisa de Moraes: There's far less there than meets the eye, based on what I've seen of him in the flesh at press tour...

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Washington: On the assumption that Jon Stewart takes time to sleep and eat, who actually is writing "The Daily Show"?

Lisa de Moraes: All his writers/correspondents had to go back to work because they're here on work visas and striking is grounds for deportation. ... Who knew Brits, Canadians, etc. were a good strike contingency plan?

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Depressed by strike: So earlier this week, I saw so much optimism online that the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were near an agreement, but so far, nothing ... I was so sad to hear that at this point, even if it does end soon, there probably won't be any more "Pushing Daisies" until the fall. Do you think they'll at least resolve this in time for the Oscars? I started off supporting the writers, but now I'm just totally fed up with both sides and I want this to end!

Lisa de Moraes: The producer of the Academy Awards is going ahead and, um, producing his show -- and because the celebrities who do the presenting, etc. don't actually rehearse anything, the show could go on if there's an agreement about 48 hours before the broadcast, I'm guessing. Meanwhile, the producer also is working on another version of the Academy Awards that ABC could telecast if the strike still was going on and the writers picket. ... I'm guessing that version includes the longest "In Memoriam" in the history of television -- in the history of the world...

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"Idol" Lover: Hi Lisa. I am enjoying the audition rounds of this season of "Idol" more than any other season. I'm thrilled by the producers' decision to show more of the good auditions. A few bad ones are funny, but the good ones are so much more entertaining, and this season it seems like "Idol" finally found the right balance. Does general viewer sentiment agree with me? Do you think "Idol" will stick to this approach in future seasons?

Lisa de Moraes: I'm guessing yes, because I'm guessing they don't "fix" anything on this show unless they think it really is "broke." Clearly something (focus groups?) told them the embarrassingly lousy auditions bits were wearing a bit thin, and that viewers felt bewildered as to who the people were in Hollywood because they had seen nothing of them during the lousy-auditions portion of the show...

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Re: "The Wire": I think David Simon has reached the same point of toxic self-loathing that David Chase did in the later seasons of "The Sopranos": he hates his audience for liking the show.

Lisa de Moraes: Excellent observation, about this show and David Chase -- perfectly describing his attitude during "The Sopranos'" last season, to which we should add "and hated TV critics, reporters and editors for genuflecting whenever he entered a room, and hated himself for continuing to squander his gimongous talent in TV, even if it was 'it's not TV it's HBO' TV."

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Washington: Lisa, is it wrong to make a drinking game for "Celebrity Rehab"?

Lisa de Moraes: Not at all ... we love neo-irony...

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Anthony Bourdain:"There's far less there than meets the eye, based on what I've seen of him in the flesh at press tour..." Come on Lisa, we need specifics!

Lisa de Moraes: Well you can be talking to him and then before you knowzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

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West West Baltimore (aka Seattle): Put me among those who still think "The Wire" is one of the best shows out there. I remember when the third season seemed to go incredibly slow until Bunny started setting up his Hamsterdam Zones. Just be patient -- I have confidence that Simon won't leave us a blank screen while eating onion rings.

Lisa de Moraes: He wouldn't dare ... he'd be stormed by an angry mob. And you're right, re: the third season, so...

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Chicago: This is an offshoot of your regular "Grey's Anatomy" conversations, but what do you think of "Private Practice"? Personally, I think the acting far outshines the writing. In particular, I like Amy Brenneman and Paul Adelstein. I think he shows a lot of range -- when you consider that he played a rather evil character on "Prison Break" and he stole a few scenes as lawyer in the Coen brothers movie "Intolerable Cruelty."

Lisa de Moraes: Could not agree more. The cast is terrific -- yes, I do think Tim Daly is talented, and who knew Amy Brenneman could act? Not me after seeing her on "Judging Amy." But the writing seems rushed, like it has been done by someone who's being stretched too thin working on two series -- oh wait!

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"America's Next Top Model": I see that the next cycle of "Top Model" starts soon. I thought their writers were participating in the strike? Did they film this all pre-strike, or was Tyra stuck thinking for herself?

Lisa de Moraes: Generally reality series are not written by WGA members ... it was one of the issues under discussion in the talks with the AMPTP -- the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The striking Writers Guild of America wants to represent reality series writers, but of course the AMPTP won't let that happen, because as you can so clearly this this week reality programming is the networks No. 1 strike contingency plan. (That and buying series from Canada -- see tomorrow's column.) Reality TV is one of the things the AMPTP insisted the Writers Guild of America take off the table. That was one of the reasons the talks broke down in early December. Recently, however, the WGA took it off the table as a "gesture," which suggests it was always a bargaining card...

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I heard the Timmy remark!: Maybe it was attributable to Ann Curry being waaaaay overcaffeinated this morning. Haven't heard such rapid jabber since my daughter finished potty training. Sheesh.

Lisa de Moraes: Hmmmm. Ann Curry, rapid jabber, potty training ... I think you're on to something here. ... But you still haven't told us in what context Tim Russert was "Timmy"-ed? What was her question/comment? Don't leave us hanging!

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Washington: With the writer's strike and 2008 presidential campaign both in full swing, wouldn't it make sense to show some of the debates on regular TV instead of just cable? There's no reason why the MSNBC-sponsored debates couldn't be moved to NBC. CNN is a bit more tricky, but I bet they could sort something out.

Lisa de Moraes: It appears the networks have decided they'd rather air reruns than debates ... interesting programming strategy..

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Washington: I'm an addict and I'm suffering withdrawal. Any guess why there was no new "Project Runway" this week?

Lisa de Moraes: Bravo says it was a regularly scheduled week off and promises there will be a new episode this coming week...

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Washington: Is it me or did the SAG Awards feel a little flat? Like we were missing some big stars or a little extra glitz.

washingtonpost.com: They're No Oscars: Ratings-Wise, the SAG Awards Live Up to Their Name (Post, Jan. 30)

Lisa de Moraes: I was there, it was a bore ... but I'm jaded from having spent two hours in a heatless press room at the event, at which reporters were served a cauldron of coffee but no cups ... after having spent three hours on the red carpet, standing in a puddle, having to climb over a plastic hedge in a dress and heels ... in order to talk to, say, the head of the the Screen Actors Guild, who assured me patronizingly -- re: whether the actors will stay away from the Oscars if the strike is still limping on that day -- that he does not believe in actors competing anyway ... which I thought a rather odd thing for him to be saying at his SAG Awards but, he assured me, the SAGs are not a competition, they're a "celebration." Covering the SAG Awards was like something out of a Dickens novel, though in fairness, they did provide the press with running cold water...

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Los Angeles: "The Wire": Even being on too long it's still better than anything else on TV.

Lisa de Moraes: Clearly you have not been watching "Celebrity Rehab."

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Debates: Don't the debates average a couple of million viewers, tops? You said "The Apprentice" was "crushed" when they only had 7 million? I think even TV execs could do that math.

Lisa de Moraes: Ah, but "The Apprentice" that got crushed was an original. You can just imagine what reruns are doing. Frankly, CW should be rerunning any debate they can get their hands on, every Sunday. Surely they'd do a better number than the 450,000 they're getting with "Aliens in America" reruns that night.

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DC: So AMPTP wants to keep ANTM WGA-free, right? Ha!

Lisa de Moraes: Right, I think...

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Anthony Bourdain: Have you seen one of the episodes where he takes his shirt off? Not sexy.

Lisa de Moraes: Yes, that too ... sometimes shirts are better...

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Washington: We all know that the Puppy Bowl is really all about the kitty halftime show!

Lisa de Moraes: I'll admit they're adorable, but that's like saying the Super Bowl is all about the halftime show. Unless you're a member of the FCC, that's just not so...

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Anonymous: How much do you think Mitt Romney has benefited from the lack of late night programs lampooning him?

Lisa de Moraes: Why aren't they lampooning him?

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Washington: Can you think of a way to get Kristin Bell on TV more?

Lisa de Moraes: Sure, marry K-Fed, have two kids with him, divorce him and go bipolar...

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Washington: So when I was watching ABC last night, there was a promo to celebrate Jimmy Kimmel's five-year anniversary. First, he's been on the air five years?! Second, who would have guessed Jimmy Kimmel would be on the air for five years?!

Lisa de Moraes: He's a very lucky man for sure. Won't it be interesting to see whether he survives once Jay Leno is a free agent?

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Ratings and money: I'm injured and watching things I normally wouldn't. Really. That disclaimed, last night I sat through most of an episode of "Scott Baio is a Big Loser." Even for a VH1 reality series, the writing was awful and the acting was worse. Does a show like this really generate revenue? More than say, music videos? (Yes, I am old.)

Lisa de Moraes: Yes, shows like that do generate revenue, because they attract, say, teens. But, let's remember, Scott Baio is their Lawrence Olivier...

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Re: Go bipolar...: Hey! That's really insensitive. I'm bipolar! And I don't know whether to be depressed or really, really excited about it.

Lisa de Moraes: Maybe I should have added "with a hunkering for Red Bull."

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Re: Mitt Romney: Dave is lampooning Mitt Romney. Can't speak for the others.

Lisa de Moraes: I think everyone's lampooning Mitt Romney. How can you not lampoon Mitt Romney?

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Halftime Show: Hey at least Tom Petty will be halfway decent. When I think football, I don't think Prince ... or Justin Timberlake ... or Janet Jackson.

Lisa de Moraes: But he's ancient ... can't they find anyone under 30 who will sign a contract promising not to expose a breast?

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Glenside, Pa.: Why would SAG put Mickey Rooney out there by himself and stick him with a no-show award? That was awkward for him.

Lisa de Moraes: Like I said, the SAGs were a bore. ... And wasn't he giving a trophy to Queen Latifah, or is it among the many things I've blocked out about that night? Why was she a no-show when there was a picture of her at the SAG Awards?

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Washington: I have a feeling this Super Bowl will be Super Dull. I also hate both teams and only one can lose. What kind of counter-programming can I find that's not going to be figure skating or some Lifetime-esque made-for-TV melodrama?

Lisa de Moraes: Puppy Bowl ... it's the only game in town...

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Reston, Va.: Maybe Ann Curry was just doing a South Park impression. Timmay!

Lisa de Moraes: Why do I doubt she ever has watched it?

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Long Island, N.Y.: Wow -- the Baldwin brothers are having quite a year, huh? Daniel Baldwin is quite the wreck on "Celebrity Rehab," Stephen Baldwin is "bible-thumping" his heart out on "Celebrity Apprentice" and Alec (in addition to stealing "30 Rock") is publicly humiliated for berating his daughter via voice mail. Has anyone considered pitching "Intervention: The Baldwin Brothers" to A&E?

Lisa de Moraes: I like it better strewn across multiple networks -- spreading the wealth...

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Troy, N.Y.: Moving the debates from cable would not find a mass-market audience. I drank a beer when John McCain and Mitt Romney argued for 20 minutes about timetables. Thankfully Ron Paul told them they were arguing about insignificant semantics. It reminded me when Allen Iverson told the world: "We talkin' about practice ... not a game, not a game ... we talkin' about practice, man." Bethel represent!

Lisa de Moraes: CNN snagged about 5 million viewers the other day with one of its debates. CW would kill for that audience...

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Lisa de Moraes: Other Super Bowl options: Discovery Channel has 18-hour marathon of "Mythbusters"; DIY Network's "Toilet Bowl" 11-hour marathon of its "Bathroom Renovations" series; TNT's 12-hour "The Closer" marathon ... everyone is counterprogramming the game. Sort of...

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Anonymous: What makes you think Tom Petty won't flash a boob at us? Huh?

Lisa de Moraes: Ick, ick, ick...

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Washington: Hi Lisa, I understand that ad revenue is harder to come by in this writers'-strike era, but my goodness, could ABC have shoved any more commercials into the two-hour rebroadcast of last season's "Lost" finale? Did they really think they were going to attract and maintain new viewers by subjecting them to commercial breaks every seven minutes?

Lisa de Moraes: Wasn't it every five minutes? I need to go back and clock it ... seriously. That show had to have set a new record...

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Washington: So did your fave Vanessa Williams deliver at last Sunday's SAG Awards?

washingtonpost.com: Stars and Strike (Post, Jan. 27)

Lisa de Moraes: I missed her. Maybe that was the part when the power went out in the press room.

I'm out of time. Bye!

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washingtonpost.com: Puppy Bowl: There was a whole chat devoted to this earlier! Here's the transcript.

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