First look: Watch Oprah ask Sarah Palin about Levi Johnston and the infamous Katie Couric interview

The Chicago Sun-Times has posted the first clips from Oprah's highly anticipated interview with former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The episode, which was pre-taped, will air Monday, Nov. 16.

In the video above, Oprah asks Palin if Levi Johnston, her estranged almost-son-in-law and father of her grandchild, will be invited to Thanksgiving dinner.

"That's a great question because it's lovely to even think he would even consider such a thing," Palin said. "Because of course he is a part of the family. ... He needs to know he is loved. ...This can all work out for good, it really can. We don't have to keep going down this road of controversy and drama."

Oprah also asked Palin about her infamous -- and disastrous -- interview with Katie Couric. Did she think it was a seminal, defining moment for her?

"I did not, and neither did the campaign," Palin says. "The campaign said, 'Right on. Good. You're showing your independence. This is what America needs to see. This was a good interview.' And I'm thinking, 'If you thought that was a good interview, I don't know what a bad interview is.' Because I knew it wasn't a good interview."

-- Denise Martin

Minnie Driver to guest star on 'Modern Family'

"Modern Family" just keeps getting better.

After guest spots from Edward Norton, Elizabeth Banks and Shelley Long, ABC confirmed to Show Tracker that Minnie Driver will make an appearance on the comedy.

In an episode slated to air in January, Driver will play Claire's (Julie Bowen) friend and former co-worker. The two reconnect after years of being out of touch. But of course things are not exactly how they remembered.

We're certain hilarity will ensue. Besides, if she's half as amazing as she was on "The Riches," which should have never been canceled, then her spot will make for a great episode.

-- Gerrick Kennedy

Related:

'Modern Family': Too much nice, not enough fire

Elizabeth Banks, Edward Norton to liven up 'Modern Family'

Complete coverage of 'Modern Family' on Show Tracker

Photo: Minnie Driver. Credit: Getty Images

CNN's John King says he doesn't have to give up objectivity to woo cable viewers

CNN anchor John King may be known for the ease with which he navigated the network’s interactive “magic wall” during last year’s presidential race, but the longtime Associated Press reporter describes himself as “a dinosaur.”

“I don’t think you have to give up your objectivity and give up being a reporter to be part of a very lively, provocative, feisty conversation about the issues of the day, as long as it is built around facts and information,” he said Thursday in an interview from Montana, as he was headed to a local diner to interview customers. “I think people are hungry for it. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong.”

CNN is doubling-down on that notion by giving King the daily hourlong time slot that had been occupied by host Lou Dobbs, who abruptly resigned from the network Wednesday. In replacing the populist commentator with a veteran newsman like King, network officials are furthering distancing the operation from the kind of opinionated programming that has lifted the prime-time fortunes of Fox News and MSNBC.

The move is a gamble. After enjoying ballooning viewership during the 2008 race, CNN has seen its prime-time ratings fall by a quarter this year. In October, it recorded its smallest audience of 2009, barely beating sister network HLN to avoid placing fourth in the key 25- to 54-year-old demographic.

King will have to work to build viewership for the 4 p.m. hour that Dobbs hosted, a key time period that leads into the network’s prime-time block on the East Coast. In October, “Lou Dobbs Tonight” attracted just 631,000 viewers on average, placing third behind a repeat of MSNBC’s “Hardball with Chris Matthews.”

King, CNN’s chief national correspondent, acknowledged that he faced “a huge challenge,” but said he’s not going fret about the ratings.

[Updated] Carrie Prejean accuses Larry King of being 'inapproprate' and then fails to walk off his set

You know that video that's going viral today -- trending on Google and Twitter, thanks in to large part to celebrity blogger Perez Hilton -- of Carrie Prejean calling Larry King "inappropriate" on his talk show last night and threatening to leave?

We'd like to call it "inappropriate" too.  And maybe even throw a "misleading" for good measure. In the entertaining three-minute clip, Prejean becomes agitated when King repeatedly asks her why she dropped her claims of libel, slander, and religious discrimination against the Miss USA pageant. TMZ has reported that Prejean decided to strike a deal only after the lawyer for the pageant revealed a homemade sex tape of a 17-year-old Prejean.

King wasn't asking about the particulars of the settlement, just why she settled, mind you.  But Prejean repeatedly called him "inappropriate," took off her microphone, and appeared to want to leave. She never really owned that moment, we should add. She fumbled, looked around the room, and stayed sitting in the chair, even though she had removed her mike.

And then after the commercial break -- which you don't see on the clip that hit cyberspace last night -- Prejean is still in her seat. She didn't go anywhere. There was still her new book, "Still Standing" to promote.  So she forgave King for his other violation -- Prejean's publicist had set some rules: no phone calls and King had turned to his phone lines when she refused to answer his "inappropriate" questions.

CNN taps John King to replace Lou Dobbs

CNN is handing Lou Dobbs’ 4 p.m. PT time slot to anchor John King, whose encyclopedic political knowledge and deft use of technology made him one of the network’s standouts during last year’s political coverage.

King, who anchors the network’s Sunday morning show, “State of the Union,” will start his daily show early next year and give up the weekend program. The network this morning described the program as a “definitive political hour” in which King will interview newsmakers, political reporters and elected officials.

“The program will reflect what CNN is all about: straight facts from our anchors and the widest range of opinions from across the political spectrum,” CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein said in a statement. “John has enthralled CNN viewers with his vast political knowledge, and he has spent the past year reporting from beyond the Beltway on pressing policy issues and the real people they impact. Every night, he’ll share his passion and his insights about what is really going on in Washington and across America.”

King said he planned to use his new platform “to discuss and explore the big issues of our time.”

“There is a lot of noise and conflict in our political discourse, which is fun to cover, but I’m convinced from my travels that people also thirst for more details as well as insight and context,” he said. “I’m looking forward to combining those conversations with top newsmakers, smart reporting and expert analysis.” The anchor came to CNN in 1997 from the Associated Press.

The move comes after Dobbs made a surprise announcement on his program Wednesday that he was resigning after nearly 30 years at the network.

-- Matea Gold

[Updated] Lou Dobbs resigns from CNN

CNN host Lou Dobbs resigned from the network today, saying that he has been urged by political and business leaders to leave his television platform to “engage in constructive problem-solving” on national issues. He said today's show was his last.

“Over the past six months, it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us,” Dobbs said, adding that he’s considering pursuing a number of options.

“As for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive to be a leader in that national conversation,” he said.

Dobbs’ break with CNN comes after he worked at the network for more than a quarter century, starting with its inception in 1980, often clashing with network executives in the process. While he originally led the network’s business coverage, in recent years Dobbs developed a populist persona that has increasingly been out of step with the network’s emphasis on neutral reporting. He has railed about the country’s immigration policy and used his show to raise questions about the validity of President Obama’s birth certificate. 

Several months ago, CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein discussed with Dobbs tamping down the opinion on his show, something he agreed to do. But his presence on CNN continued to be a source of friction within the network. Liberal groups have been calling for CNN to let him go and on Wednesday celebrated his resignation.

“Our contention all along was that Lou Dobbs – who has a long record of spreading lies and conspiracy theories about immigrants and Latinos – does not belong on the ‘most trusted name in news,’ ” said Roberto Lovato, co-founder of Presente.org, a national online advocacy organization coordinating BastaDobbs.com, a Latino-led coalition. “We are thrilled that Dobbs no longer has this legitimate platform from which to incite fear and hate.”

[Updated]: CNN President Jon Klein issued the following statement today: "Lou Dobbs is a valued founding member of the CNN family. For decades, Lou fearlessly and tirelessly pursued some of the most important and complex stories of our time, often well ahead of the pack. All of us will miss his appetite for big ideas, the megawatt smile and larger than life presence he brought to our newsroom, and we're grateful to have known and worked with him over the years. With characteristic forthrightness, Lou has now decided to carry the banner of advocacy journalism elsewhere. We respect his decision and wish him, Debi, and his family the very best."

— Matea Gold

'Dollhouse' comes crumbling down; Joss Whedon expresses disppointment [Updated]

Well, at least, this time Joss Whedon fans can't retaliate against Fox. 

"Dollhouse" has been canceled. Please don't yell at me, members of the Whedon cult. I am only the messenger.

Take heart in the fact that the network really did give the low-rated series, starring Eliza Dushku, a chance. All 13 episodes will air, and the advance notice has given Whedon a chance to give the series a satisfying ending, according to a Fox spokesperson. The remaining episodes will begin airing Dec. 4.

And if that doesn't make you feel any better, consider that now Whedon is free to direct even more episodes of "Glee" if he wants to.

And if you're still not consoled, buy hundreds of thousands of DVDs. It worked for "Firefly" and "Serenity."

[Updated 1:30 p.m.: The remaining episodes of "Dollhouse" will air this way: Two episodes will air each night on Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The last three episodes will air Jan. 8, Jan. 15 and Jan. 22 at 9 p.m.]

[Updated 2:13 p.m.: Whedon has posted a statement on whedonesque.com, where he says, in part, "For now there's a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear." Read it in its entirety here.]

-- Maria Elena Fernandez

Photo: Dushku in an episode of "Dollhouse." Credit: Fox

Related:

Joss Whedon speaks about his "Glee" directorial debut

Fox sticks with "Dollhouse"

ABC yanks Kelsey Grammer comedy 'Hank'

That's 0 and 2 for Kelsey Grammer's post-"Frasier" TV career.

After just five episodes had aired, ABC confirmed today that it had canceled "Hank," the network's new comedy series starring Grammer as a corporate executive who is let go in a downsizing and forced to spend more time with his family. "Hank," the weakest performer in ABC's all-new fall-comedy lineup, had been preempted in recent weeks, and now that hiatus will be permanent.

Grammer's last show, Fox's "Back to You," lasted just one season.

In "Hank's" 8 p.m. time slot, ABC will air repeats of its other comedies and holiday specials. The network picked up full seasons of “The Middle,” “Modern Family” and “Cougar Town” last month.

"Hank's" cancellation follows this week's news that "Eastwick" will not receive a full-season order.

-- Denise Martin

Photo: ABC

Exclusive: Ryan Murphy calls tonight's episode of 'Glee' a 'game changer'

If you are one of those TV viewers who think “Glee” is just about funny lines and amazing music — and there’s nothing wrong with that — you’re in for a surprising ride tonight when the hit Fox show returns after its three-week hiatus.

In previous episodes, “Glee” has hinted at its big heart: Remember Kurt (Chris Colfer) coming out to his father and Finn (Cory Monteith) learning that his girlfriend is pregnant and crying on his teacher’s shoulders? Weepy stuff. But tonight’s episode is a game-changer for the off-beat series about an underdog glee club, guaranteed to make you laugh, cry and probably dance a little, all the while answering burning questions about Artie (Kevin McHale) Sue (Jane Lynch) and Tina (Jenna Ushkowitz) and showing off the vocal talents of Rachel (Lea Michele) and Kurt in a Diva-Off.

Overcoming emotional and physical disabilities is the central theme of tonight’s episode, titled “Wheels,” which showcases McHale, who plays the wheelchair-bound Artie, and reveals in a fresh way the daunting challenges some people face in their everyday lives. Filmed last spring and directed by Emmy winner Paris Barclay, the emotional episode kept the actors and crew in tears throughout its entire production and, according to creator Ryan Murphy, had long-term effects on its three writers.

“This episode is the turning point for the show,” he said during a recent telephone interview. “Certainly, after this, it remains a comedy, and it’s fun. But writing this made me feel the responsibility of showing the truth of the pain that outcasts go through. It’s not all razzle-dazzle show business. It’s tough, and it’s painful, and it was for me growing up, and it is for most people. So I think this made me realize that amid the fun and the glamour, it’s really great now and again to show the underbelly of what people who are different feel.”

Things kick off with Artie’s first solo, a confident, wheelchair-bound bop to the Nouvelle Vague version of Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself.” The number is a response to a prior scene in which his fellow glee clubbers dismiss the idea of paying extra for a special wheel-chair accessible bus so that Artie can ride with them to sectionals. They assume he won’t mind riding with his dad – only he does.

“ ’Dancing With Myself’ is where Artie gets to break away from being misunderstood by everyone,” McHale said. “It’s where he gets to express himself. He's actually a very secure guy – you know, he does rap! – and he doesn’t usually care what anyone else thinks. But here’s an instance where his friends have taken for granted the fact that he’s in a wheelchair. So this performance is all about him saying, ‘Look, this is who I am, and this is who I want to be.’ ”

McHale, formerly of the boy band Not Like Them, said it didn’t take him long to adjust acting (and singing and dancing) in a wheelchair – “I do have to concentrate on keeping my legs still and laid to one side,” he said -- but that the role has made him more aware of the challenges other people face. 

“It’s a completely different side of life,” he said.

Lawyer for alleged Letterman blackmailer asks judge to dismiss case

An attorney for Robert Halderman, who allegedly sought to extort $2 million from comic David Letterman, filed court papers today seeking to have the indictment dismissed, saying that the CBS producer had merely been seeking to sell the late-night host a screenplay treatment.

“Having experienced certain circumstances, he had the right to publish, he had the commercial right to sell and he had the right to offer the product to Mr. Letterman,” defense attorney Gerald Shargel told reporters after a brief appearance in Manhattan criminal court today.

“There was no extortion,” he added, as Halderman stood by him silently. “There was a treatment for sale. The facts of this case are largely undisputed. They’re simple and straightforward. This was a commercial transaction. It was nothing more. It did not violate the penal law. The district attorney’s office jumped all over this, I suggest, without taking an appropriate, objective view.”

Halderman, dressed in a dark suit and a green tie, maintained a somber expression throughout the court hearing and news conference, but did not comment. The veteran producer for the CBS newsmagazine “48 Hours Mystery” was arrested Oct. 1 after attempting to cash a fake check for $2 million given to him by Letterman's attorney. New York Dist. Atty. Robert Morgenthau said his office has evidence that Halderman left Letterman a letter and a proposed screenplay in the back seat of his car early Sept. 9, threatening to make a movie exposing the comic's affairs unless Letterman paid Halderman money.

Halderman pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted grand larceny in the first degree, a crime punishable by as much as 15 years in prison, and has been suspended from CBS. He is due back in court in January for the judge's ruling on his motion to dismiss the case.

During today’s news conference, Shargel said the district attorney’s office overzealously pursued the case because of Letterman’s public profile. “I think that celebrity is why we are where we are today,” he said.

In his 34-page memorandum, Shargel also claimed that the grand jury may have been improperly instructed on the law and that New York’s extortion statute is vague and too broad.

After Halderman and Shargel walked away from the microphones, surrounded by a scrum of reporters and television cameras, attorneys for Letterman stepped forward to counter the defense’s position.

“The evidence described by Mr. Morgenthau in his press conference suggests that this is anything but a legitimate business transaction,” said Daniel J. Horwitz, a lawyer for the comic. “Ask yourself if the evidence of Mr. Halderman waiting in the shadows outside Mr. Letterman’s apartment building at 6 o'clock in the morning with an extortion demand to throw in the back of his car, threatening that his world is going to collapse, threatening Mr. Letterman’s personal and professional life if he didn’t pay Mr. Halderman a big chunk of money, and demanding that Mr. Letterman get back to Mr. Halderman in two hours – I suggest to you that that evidence is not a legitimate business transaction and it’s classic blackmail, no matter how Mr. Halderman’s lawyer wants to dress it up.”

Horwitz said he is confident that the motion to dismiss will be denied and that the case will proceed to trial. “And let me say this: Mr. Letterman is fully prepared to see this case through to the end, including testifying at a trial to see that justice is done,” he added.

-- Matea Gold