Columnist Lisa de Moraes was online Friday, Dec. 5 at 1 p.m. ET to take your questions about the drama, comedy and heartbreak of the world of television -- both onscreen and behind-the-scenes.

This week, Lisa discussed the bumper crop of TV hunks, the basis for the latest poll. She also examines if Rosie O'Donnell should be arrested for murdering the variety show, if America is ready for double-doses of The Donald, and how to fill the Shatner void in your life after "Boston Legal" closes up shop next week.

The transcript follows.

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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Lisa de Moraes: Hi. Let's get started with our:

Washington Post Team TV Status Watch Update

RENEWED

"The Suite Life on Deck" (Disney) for a second season

"Rachel Zoe Project" (Bravo) for a second season

PICKED UP

"Hannah Montana" (Disney) for six more episodes, totaling 30 this season

"Caprica" (Sci Fi) prequel to "Battlestar Galactica" officially in the works

"Eleventh Hour" (CBS) for five more episodes, totaling 18 this season

R.I.P.

"Boston Legal" (ABC) series finale airs Dec. 8

"ER" (NBC) series finale airs March 12

QUESTIONABLE

"Knight Rider" (NBC), which had been picked up for a full season, had its order reduced to 17 episodes, which will end on Feb. 25.

DATE SET

"The City" and "Bromance" (MTV), Dec. 29

"XIII" miniseries (NBC), Feb. 8

"Howie Do It" (NBC), Jan. 9

"Superstars of Dance" (NBC), Jan. 4

"Kings" (NBC), March 19

"Homeland Security USA" (ABC), Jan. 6

"Cupid" (ABC), March 24

"Castle" (ABC), March 9

"Unusuals" (ABC), April 8

"Flashpoint" (CBS), returns Jan. 9

"Amazing Race" (CBS), returns Feb. 15

"Survivor" (CBS), returns Feb. 12

"Game Show in My Head" (CBS), Jan. 3

"Harper's Island" (CBS), Feb. 12

"Reaper" (CW), March 17

"13: Fear is Real" (CW), Jan. 7

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Brooklyn, N.Y.: Okay, so Dead Denny wasn't quite as annoying on last night's Grey's, but I just heard he's supposed to be around till FEBRUARY! Is that true, and if so, what the heck is Shonda Rhimes thinking?

Lisa de Moraes: Oh, and I forgot to mention: Get Out the Vote for this week's poll. So far, Simon Baker in the lead for Hot Guy, followed closely by Jon Hamm and poor Kevin McKidd has 0 votes which I am going to make sure ABC knows because they really have got to get rid of that whole Roy Scheider in "All That Jazz" thing they have going on for him. Remember Rome!

Now, your question: Apparently Izzy has some brain disorder, though Shonda Rhimes technically was not lying when she told some gossip columnist Izzy does NOT have a brain tumor. It's something else. But she's definitely medically messed up and the storyline will go on for ever and ever because, hello, February is another sweeps month, silly! And that, my dear pookster, is what Shonda Rhimes is thinking!...

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Lancaster, Pa.: The Today show seems lost without some missing woman in peril topic to persue. How about this idea? They have a big wedding in the plaza with Ann Curie marrying Drew Peterson. Since they always seem to be trying to do Ann in, this could be boffo for them in many ways. I know this idea is twisted, but that's why I asking you about it.

Lisa de Moraes: You have come to the right place! I was thinking they could marry her off to OJ Simpson, but I had him on the brain because I've just watched him telling the judge how veryveryvery sorry he is to have been convicted of armed robbery etc in the Vegas stuff-grab. And, of course, he's a former bit of TV on-air talent so there would be less coaching needed than with Peterson. Still, I do love your idea. It has far more sweeps potential than making Curry climb some dumb mountain or bungee jump off a bridge....

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Annapolis, Md.: Is television these days mostly geared to unmarried women younger than 50?

Lisa de Moraes: Hahahahaha! Seriously? Yes, more women watch TV than men and yes advertisers pay a premium for viewers under the age of 50 because viewers over the age of 50 watch TV. But, like I said, women also watch more TV. So the most sought after, and programmed-targeted, viewer is guys who are under 50 because they are the hardest to reach so the networks figure they'll pull out all the stops to try to snag them because, what the heck, women and older viewers will watch pretty much anything because they're watching the stuff that's already on. This is, as I've said before the High School Dating Model favored by television execs -- always wanting the chick who plays hard to get.. It's very simple.

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She Already Called Me Pookie: Have you adjusted your opinion on Penny from "Big Bang Theory"? I used to love your Kaley Cuoco bashing because it was so true, but I've been struck at how funny she's become lately.

Her battles with Sheldon make that show.

Is it possible for a bad actress to change her stripes? Or is it the work of better writing?

Lisa de Moraes: It is most definitely possible for writers, particularly good ones like Chuck Lorre, to figure out how to write to a mediocre actors' strength. She has a range from A to B and that's just what is being written for her. She's definitely got the Sheldon-cross-talk thing down pat and yes, it's very funny.

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Fairfax Station, Va.: Hi ya Pookie. All those new shows you listed -- hurts my brain. Pick one that I should watch and save me hours of valuable time whereby I could be drinking ... er, I mean, reading. Yeah, that's it. Reading.

Lisa de Moraes: Sorry but I love them all like they were my own children. How can you miss "Howie Do It" candid-camera-esqueness with Howie Mandel hosting -- he's great. And "Superstars of Dance" from "Idol" producers -- also sounds craptastic. Don't bother with "Kings" unless you're a student of train-wreck TV. Watch "Cupid" to compare with the terrific Jeremy Piven version of the same show which ABC stupidly canceled. How can you not watch Amber Tamblyn as a cop in "Unusuals"? "Harper's Island" sounds like a CBS update of an old Agatha Christie book -- pretty "Murder on the Orient Express." I just don't know how to pick, seriously....

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Washington, D.C.: Lisa,

When Ben Silverman eventually gets fired, will "Biggest Loser" be affected? Its my favorite show and I hope its not only on the air because its executive producer runs NBC.

Thanks

Lisa de Moraes: No, it's actually one of the few bright spots on NBC's lineup. I'll give you a minute to contemplate that, and remember NBC used to be home of "Cheers," "LA Law," "Cosby Show" and "Seinfeld."...

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Fairfax, Va.: What happened to "Rules of Engagement"? Is it dead?

Lisa de Moraes: CBS tends to slap it on and off its lineup to fill the Monday comedy block....it's been a solid bench warmer.

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Washington, D.C.: Apropos of "The Mentalist," do women fall for damaged men for the same reason men fall for crazy women? I.e., because they think they're going to be wild in bed?

Lisa de Moraes: No, dear. This is the big difference between men and women. Chicks love to fix men, and pet them -- oh, and cuddle. Men love the crazy wild skanky sex...Didn't your mother have this talk with you?

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Shatner fix:: What about his new talk show, "Shatner's Raw Nerve"? Personally I'd rather see him answer questions than ask them...

Lisa de Moraes: Don't miss it. You'll be telling your grandkids about it. It's his best effort yet. Even better than the Priceline ads.

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Tampa, Fla.: When does Battlestar Galactica return? And what happened to the No. 6 in Baltar's head? Is she still around, or did she die with Caprica 6?

Lisa de Moraes: I'm posting the answer next, compliments of my producer, Paul....

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washingtonpost.com: Baltar's inner Six (Wikipedia)

Lisa de Moraes: Here it is....

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I heard it's an aneurysm...: Izzy's non-brain tumor, that is. Which makes her very Eli Stone-ish, doncha think, with an aneurysm that gives her hallucinations? I mean, I've heard there are only seven basic plots in all of literature, but this is ridiculous.

Lisa de Moraes: One more aneurysm and we have a Washington Post trend story -- three's the rule... Why are aneurysm's so popular with broadcast TV execs these days?

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Pittsburgh: Pookie, I'm glad "Flashpoint" is returning, as it seems to prefer to resolve hostage situations with more psychology than violence -- a Canadian mindset, eh?

Lisa de Moraes: A much-cheaper-to-produce mindset. Which I guess is saying the same thing...

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Chattanooga, Tenn.: I like TV!

I would say, "I LOVE TV," except that my Grandmother told me that you can't love inanimate objects. She would suggest I say, "I love the PEOPLE who make TV," but I won't because I don't think that's true.

P.S. My Grandmother is dead now.

Lisa de Moraes: ...and she was a very wise woman.

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Rockville, Md.: Izzie and Denny still doing it... WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY!!!!!!!!!???

This show needs to stop torturing its audience. Where is this bizzaro story line going?

Lisa de Moraes: Where it's going is Very Special May Sweep Izzy Brain Surgery episode. Also where it's going is Katherine Heigl Emmy Submitted Episode....

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Washington, D.C.: Coming and going: Doesn't "Scrubs" start on ABC in early January? Didn't see it on your otherwise comprehensive (and much appreciated) list. While I know that show's best days are behind it, I'm still glad it will be around for awhile...

Also, I've always been a big fan of "Boston Legal" but am glad it's going out in style. I especially like the way they've been wrapping up plot lines and poking fun at themselves. A real class act--your thoughts?

Lisa de Moraes: You had me til Kelley did the "let's sue the broadcast networks" last week. I'm a little done with Kelley using an hour of my primetime to vent about some wrong he feels is being done against him..."Boston Legal" skews old and that's one of the reasons it's going away and Kelley is clearly peeved about it. Remember when Kelley did the Andie McDowell kidnaps CBS CEO Leslie Moonves and duct tapes his mouth (okay that part I liked) to turn into a reality TV series to pitch to Fox network chief Sandy Grushow episode of "The Practice" -- and all because he was mad as a wet hen that Fox's "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire" had pulverized "The Practice" in the same time slot... Or maybe I just dreamed that.

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Under-50 Male: My favorite shows are "Boston Legal," "Eli Stone," "Ugly Betty," "Pinks" (Speed), "Little People, Big World" and anything Mixed Martial Arts.

Lisa de Moraes: Wow -- almost all canceled, or about to be...I don't think I've ever met a guy under 50 who watched "Boston Legal"...This is like discovering some rare new exotic bird.

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Washington, D.C.: I didn't like the poll choices. Maybe they should let gay men do the casting. Donald Faison of "Scrubs" or that guy who plays Eli Stone would get my vote.

Lisa de Moraes: The first Mr. Angelina Jolie? Really? Ick....

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These crazy women ...: ... of whom you speak that promise the crazy wild skanky sex? Might you know where I find them? Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Lisa de Moraes: No, no, pookie. I said it's MEN who like the crazy wild skanky sex. They're the ones who date women they know are insane -- for just that reason. Geesh, there are apparently a WHOLE lot of men on this chat whose mothers never gave them The Talk.....

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washingtonpost.com: William Shatner interviews Jenna Jameson (Bravo)

Lisa de Moraes: Here is William Shatner at his best, for your viewing pleasure....

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Defending Betty Draper: re: today's column, you state that Jon Hamm's character, Don Draper, is "saddled with nutso ex-beauty queen suburbanite wife."

But she's not really nutso, now that she knows Don's a rotten, cheating pig of a husband.

Well, okay, she's still a little nutso, but don't you love the outfits? My mom dressed like. Ah, sweet memories.

Lisa de Moraes: I actually own one of the Prada dresses she wore in an episode once; I've never been so proud in my life. I would watch this show just for the clothes and the sets, and yes, the hot, hot smoking. There I said it....

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three's the rule... : Alert! Three shows did stories about couples/lovers who were actually related to each other (two by sperm donation, one by an affair) -- "House," "Private Practice" and "Boston Legal."

Lisa de Moraes: I think they shared the exact same episode, actually. I should see which version did the bigger number. I'm guessing it was "House" but you never know...

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WAIT!!!: "Little People, Big World" is canceled? What about "Jon and Kate Plus 8"? I watch it religiously as a form of birth control!

Lisa de Moraes: No, that one's not nearly canceled. And TLC should use you on air talking about using "Jon and Kate Plus 8" as birth control in their promos for the show.....

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Washington, D.C.: If ABC adopted a BBC model and gave all their shows one year, think how great they'd be?!? "Lost," "Grey's," "Desperate Housewives" ... all fantastic the first year. Now it's like watching a once hot neighbor get fat and yell at the kids for riding their bikes on the lawn.

Lisa de Moraes: That's not unique to ABC, though I get your point. But particularly with dramas, since there is no rerun value in the episodes, the DVD, overseas, etc sales are an important part of making them work financially. The industry can't afford to let a show run just one, or two, seasons.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi Lisa --

Did I blink and miss the new season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"? Is that show on the HBO schedule?

Lisa de Moraes: "Curb" filming its next season as we chat. That's the beauty/problem with HBO. It lets producers wait until inspiration strikes to do their next season...

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What? "Ugly Betty" about to get canceled?: Say it ain't so, Lisa!

Lisa de Moraes: It's numbers are dismal this season. That said, ABC has even bigger problems on its schedule, so it may survive. Meanwhile, OJ just got 15 years in the slammer...

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Arlington, Va.: When is the new Joss Whedon show ("Dollhouse") starting? I have high hopes!

Lisa de Moraes: Debuting Friday the 13th -- of February... Perfect.

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Portland, Maine: Is the new Timothy Hutton show any good? I have a hard time staying interested in FX shows. The one I stuck with was "The Shield," and that ended horribly.

Lisa de Moraes: "The Shield" ended in a manner that leaves open the possibility of a "Shield" movie. And yes, utterly unsatisfying. I wanted to see him popped off in the worst way, and I'm not a violent person. But Chiklis had so become the Most Annoying TV Star At Press Tour and we always think that merits on-screen offing...

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Falls Church, Va.: What women want more than anything is sincerity. If a man can fake that, he's got it made.

Lisa de Moraes: See -- your mother gave you The Talk...

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Manassas, Va.: About your column damaged attractive men on TV: what about Vincent D'Onofrio? Perhaps not the same demographic, but still a very charismatic actor portraying a damaged character - Bobby Goren on L&O CI, whose mother was schizophrenic and whose biological father was a murderer. The weight gain and grizzled beard growth (for a recent movie) over the last season or so was not his best look, but he's a good-looking man playing an intelligent compassionate character on the side of right, despite his damage.

Lisa de Moraes: Actually, today's charticle was about men who have been recently added to the TV firmament. We had to set parameters or the list could have taken up the entire Style section and, sadly, the editors would not give me that kind of space.

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Yeah, let the gays pick the hot dudes!: Washington, D.C. is right -- Donald Faison is hot! Have you never seen him without his shirt on? Same for the Eli Stone guy. Yummy.

Lisa de Moraes: Okay, now that he's lost so much weight, I'll agree in regards to Faison. But Eli Stone guy -- I just don't get it. But that's all irrelevant because, like I said, this was about the newbies, not long-running TV on-air talent...

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Is it true...: that ABC is doing viewer polling about the Dead Denny storyline on "Grey's"? How do I become part of such a poll?

Lisa de Moraes: The networks are forever doing testing to gauge how viewers like this and that. Clearly they've done some on Dead Denny....

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Under-50 Male Here: Hey, I watched Boston Legal until it became a disjointed, annoying, cluttered polemic against everything that's good about America...you know, about 10 episodes in.

Lisa de Moraes: You have just perfectly described David E Kelley's series -- every one of them...

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Dulles: Wait a second here. This "Izzy has a brain injury/illness" thing is actually REAL? Holy crap, I thought it was a joke you made up here to try to potentially explain the stupidity that show has become. Unreal.

Lisa de Moraes: Nope. We couldn't make this stuff up....

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Springfield, Mass.: How is "Law & Order" doing this year with the new cast? Will NBC let them beat the "Gunsmoke" record?

Lisa de Moraes: They've already blown the "Gunsmoke" record thing so far as I'm concerned, and so far as every really serious student of TV should be concerned because NBC has for some time owned the studio that produces the show and putting it on for half a season doesn't count the same as a season of "Gunsmoke." It's hooey...

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Gee Street: Lisa, thanks for the round-up of TV hotties this morning. I thought I was the only one mooning over Lee Pace and the sexy way he wears that apron. But you forgot my favorite damaged man on TV right now - Damian Lewis's Charlie Crews on "Life." Wrongly accused and imprisoned for 12 years and now hunting the people who set him up while pining for the wife who left him. Yum.

Lisa de Moraes: I thought he was hot last season, but this season he just seems dopey -- and enough with the fruit!

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San Francisco: How can we find out the name of the song that was played during the final minutes of the series finale of "The Shield" and the name of the singer who performed it?

washingtonpost.com: I believe it's Concrete Blonde -- Long Time Ago (youtube.com).

Lisa de Moraes: This is it, we think...

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Chinatown: "Is So You Think You Can Dance" returning?

In this economy, I'm sticking with tried-and-true shows...

Lisa de Moraes: Yes, it does okay for Fox and I believe grew in ratings in its last edition, which is good...

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Falls Church, Va: I like Tina Fey, but I think "30 Rock" is overrated. It's not as funny or clever as people seem to think. And what's up with all of the named actors in the into? We hardly ever see the "writers" -- do they really get paid even if they never appear in the episode?

Lisa de Moraes: Depends on their agent -- da dum dum....

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New York, N.Y.: If we wanted to launch a grassroots initiative to save "Eli Stone" and "Pushing Daisies" how many of us would it take to hit critical mass? 10,000 people? Or is that the baby pool when it comes to the broadcast networks? (Should we sign names, send products...what works best?!)

Lisa de Moraes: I think broadcast networks have stopped falling for that gag after the "Jericho" debacle. Tons of peanuts, thousands of emails -- but no additional viewers.

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Re Ugly Betty: I love this show, but it would help if they let Betty evolve a bit. I mean, she's been working at a fashion mag for two years now, surely she'd pick up a little fashion sense? And it's time for the braces to go. I'd love for them to explore her becoming "citified" while staying true to herself.

Lisa de Moraes: I am soooo with you on this one. If she's supposed to be so smart, yes, she should have figured it out by now and at least not be wearing polyester dresses with babydoll sleeves and turtlenecks underneath to stay warm.

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Clearly they've done some on Dead Denny.... : Ummm, if they've tested on Dead Denny, Pookie, wouldn't he be gone by now? I mean really, is there a majority of viewers saying to keep this story going?

Lisa de Moraes: OMG yes! Necrophilia is very hot. Didn't your mother give you that talk either? What's happening to the mothers of America, falling down on the job like this?!

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Scrubs: Any chance "Scrubs" will ever bring Heather Graham back? I've been watching the episodes she's in on Comedy Central, and she's fabulous. Plus, they're among the only episodes that don't thoroughly annoy my husband, as he's at least happy to stare at her shoes.

Lisa de Moraes: I doubt ABC is going to spend any kind of bucks on this show this season because it's presumed to be its final season. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing your husband will have to find someone else's shoes to watch on the show.

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Hot and Damaged... and Talented: I had to vote for Jon Hamm, but Lee Pace's character can bake pies. Mmm... May have to vote again...

Lisa de Moraes: Yes, a guy who will do the cooking is very very hot.

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HBO... It lets producers wait until inspiration strikes to do their next season... : If that was the case, "Entourage" would still be on hold after season two. No inspiration to be found there anymore!

Lisa de Moraes: lol....

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Fairfax City: Hi Lisa,

I have a two year old son and the only TV we watch now is "Blues Clues." We have 25 shows on Tivo. "Puzzle Time" with Moose A. Mosse and Zee is a nice bonus and actually has a lot of cute songs. Have I lost my mind?

Lisa de Moraes: Not at all. Sounds charming. But I would suggest you watch a little "Fringe" or something every once in a while to cut the treacle.

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Bowie, Md.: Pookie, you clearly have a number of 18-to-34 and 35-to-49 males in your audience. Why not some polls for them? Sure, include some versions for other demographics, the way Weingarten does. But once you've got them split up, you can show the results to the suits and say, See, young males also want interesting stories in addition to hot chicks and explosions, and middle-aged males will frequently prefer interesting stories to explosions.

Lisa de Moraes: Love it -- consider it done.

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Black Rock: "30 Rock" is exactly the type of show I should like (quirky, great writing, not contrived, no kids), and yet, I don't! It has a bunch of clever jokes and throw-away pop culture references, but all wrapped inside a 'look how clever we are' package. It's not unlike "Family Guy" that way.

Lisa de Moraes: I take it you're no fan of "Family Guy." And you are in good company in re "30 Rock" -- it appears all but about 9 million Americans feels the same way.

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Must-see TV?: Your article about NBC was just perplexing. If I understand correctly, they're running out of money because no one watches their shows because their shows are dreck. So...they're going to put on cheaper dreck? Someone please tell them that two hours of The Donald is not the answer. Maybe they can borrow Simon Baker for an hour every week.

Lisa de Moraes: They ran out of programming because they were expecting two series "Philanthropist" and "Merlin" which are not yet ready to air. Oops on that. Maybe the whole no-pilots thing wasn't the greatest idea after all.

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Seattle: Thanks for having us, Pookie. I was so disappointed to hear that ABC is giving up on "Pushing Daisies." It's such a wild and fun show with Kristin Chenoweth doing the occasional song. When is the last episode?

Lisa de Moraes: ABC has scheduled an episode for next week and the week after that and nothing more. That said, ABC will have three episodes left at that point and I'm guessing they will air them -- just do not know when....I'm out of time. Poll update: Simon Baker has the slimmest of leads with 37.38 percent of the vote. Jon Hamm is breathing down his neck with 32.71 percent. And poor Kevin McKidd, made up to look like Roy Scheider in "All That Jazz," has a meager three votes. Vote now -- Vote often!Bye.

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