Studios' Epix venture runs into tough times
This Epix tale might not be one the Hollywood studios were banking on. Ten months ago, three film studios -- Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. -- teamed up to create a "next generation" movie...
'Shield' veteran checks in to 'House'

Here's a brief clip from Monday's "House," which features Jay Karnes ("The Shield") in a guest-starring role as a patient who can't stop speaking his mind. Fox's full summary of the episode is below the clip.

By the way, how great was Karnes in a recent "Burn Notice" episode? I greatly enjoyed his work and the character he played on that show; let's hope it's not the last time we see him in Miami. (Another "Burn Notice" side tangent -- I loved the show's Thursday season finale. Great stuff).

Back to "House." I probably will watch this Karnes episode. But other than that, I gave up on watching "House" a month or two ago. If you've read any of my "House" rants over the last few months, I'm sure you don't want to hear those complaints again.

Suffice to say, I'm sad that the show has gone in a direction I find maddening, but it's not as if me complaining about it is going to change anything. C'est la vie. (Don't read on or watch the clip if you don't want to know some general plot information.)

By the way, a story in Friday's Entertainment Weekly says there is "trauma" ahead for House. "House undergoes somepretty traumatic stuff in the last half of the season," Laurie told the magazine."Not physical but mental."

Grain of salt time: In the EW story, creator David Shore also says that Cameron and Chasewill finally become actual characters on the show again "in a reallycool way." I don't know, the producers have teased this sort of thing -- and pimped the upcoming House-Cuddy hookup -- so often that I can't help but have very low expectations for any of those developments.

Let's hope it's cooler than what's been happening for much of this fifth season.

A summary of Monday's episode from Fox's press site: "Houseand the team take on the case of Nick (guest star Jay Karnes), a bookeditor who loses his inhibition and starts insulting coworkers at adinner party one night before falling ill. The team realizes Nick hasfrontal lobe inhibition, which has caused him to lose his filter andvocalize all of his innermost thoughts, resulting in extremelyinsulting outbursts. As Nick’s free speech lends to some amusing andinsightful comments regarding the team, he must deal with theconsequences of being unable to lie to his wife and everyone elseimportant in his life. Meanwhile, House suspects Wilson and Taub arekeeping something from him when he catches them both in a lie.

Miss Manners: Internet dates end with wrong question
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Twice now, I have met potential dates over the Internet, and after some e-mailing we met in person over coffee or lunch.