“Grey’s Anatomy” star Sarah Drew (“April Kepner”) is pregnant for the first time and she decided to share her story and some womanly details with Celebrity Baby Scoop as a guest blogger recently.

“My pregnancy has been an interesting ride so far. I was warned about the sickness, exhaustion, sore breasts, and need for sleep. What I wasn’t warned about was the sadness. Because of my nausea and fatigue, I found myself saying “no” to almost every social invitation I received. I hibernated in my house, feeling lonely and frustrated that I didn’t feel more like myself. I am an extremely social person. One of my favorite things to do is throw big parties at my house, or hang out with friends. All of those qualities left me during my first trimester. I would hang out with a few good friends and was forced to leave after an hour because I became so tired. I threw a B-B-Q for my husband and found myself crying in the bathroom about two hours in from sheer exhaustion.”

Read the whole story here.

The musical episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” was able to entice fans who had been neglecting the series of late, leading to a 4.8 in the demo, up 33% from last week. Reviews of the show have been mixed, but it seemed to attract viewers.

“American Idol” won the night for Fox as typical, drawing 22 million viewers and a 6.7 demo rating. It helped boost the special “Mobbed,” which drew a 3.8 in the demo and 10.5 million viewers.

“The Big Bang Theory” was strong at 9 pm, with a 3.6 in the demo, but “Rules of Engagement” was very poor, falling to a 2.3 rating — putting it in danger of cancellation in our Renew/Cancel scorecard. “CSI” and “The Mentalist” remained even with recent numbers.

NBC was in repeats for the night.

8 pm

American Idol: 6.7 demo, 22 million viewers

The Big Bang Theory: 3.6 demo, 11.7 million viewers

Wipeout: 1.9 demo, 6.4 million viewers

*Community: 0.9 dem, 2.2 million viewers

*The Vampire Diaries: 0.4 demo, 1.1 million viewers

8:30 pm

Rules of Engagement: 2.3 demo, 8.1 million viewers

Perfect Couples: 1.0 demo, 2.1 million viewers

9 pm

Grey’s Anatomy: 4.8 demo, 12.7 million viewers

Mobbed: 3.8 demo, 10.7 million viewers

CSI: 2.7 demo, 12.5 million viewers

*The Office: 1.5 demo, 3.1 million viewers

*Nikita: 0.4 demo, 1.1 million viewers

9:30

*Parks and Recreation: 1.1 demo, 2.3 million viewers

10 pm

The Mentalist: 2.9, 13.8 million viewers

Private Practice: 2.8 demo, 7.5 million viewers

*30 Rock: 1.0 demo, 2.1 million viewers

10:30 pm

*The Office: 1.0 demo, 2.1 million viewers

TV Ratings are a regular feature here at Blast, and considering the subject matter, it at times gets heated. We make predictions (some of them right, i.e., “Undercovers” getting canceled) and some of them wrong (“Fringe” being renewed) that are based on the television ratings, but they really anger some readers.

So why is this? Why such intense disagreement over numbers that should be read fairly easily?

Simple. Because most people don’t understand how television ratings line up with renewals and cancellations; they don’t know how the ratings system works, and what it represents.

The two most common television ratings reported are total viewers, and the rating a show attains in the 18-49 demographic. Each rating point corresponds to a set number of people, generally between 1.2-1.4 million people. So a 2.5 rating is closer to 3.5 million viewers than 2.5.

The total number of viewers is self-explanatory. But many fans and viewers place importance on the total numbers; this is where they go wrong.

Total viewers are a great statistic that many youth-challenged shows champion. But it’s the 18-49 demographic that is the most important representation in viewership, and the greatest bellwether as to whether a show is renewed or not.

Take “NCIS” and “Grey’s Anatomy” for example. Both are solid hits, and some of the top shows on television. Last week, “Grey’s” drew 10 million viewers, while “NCIS” drew nearly 20 million viewers. So “NCIS” blew “Grey’s” out the water right?

Wrong. They had nearly identical 18-49 viewership, drawing in the high 3 of a demo (slightly more than 5 million viewers in the demo.) That means that half of “Grey’s” viewership is in the ad-friendly demo, while only a quarter of “NCIS” is.

Why doesn’t total viewership matter? Because television shows run on ad revenue, or the money sold to advertisers for the commercials that air 8.5 minutes per half hour, or 17 minutes per hour.

These ad spots are sold based on viewership in the 18-49 demographic, the region that advertisers have targeted the most, and thus pay for. So while “NCIS” is watched by many more total people than “Grey’s,” the ABC show still commands more in ad revenue and is considered a bigger hit.

The difference in viewers versus ad-friendly viewers is a clever trick the networks have been pulling on the general public for years. They claim “X number of viewers” watch their show, knowing that its a meaningless number. It confuses fans and viewers.

Take this season of “Blue Bloods.” Someone criticized an article at Blast giving the show limited chances at survival, claiming that “Blue Bloods” was the most watched new show of the season.

This is correct only in the most true sense. At times, “Blue Bloods” will eclipse 12 million viewers, which would make it the most watched new show, yes. However, it generally draws approximately a 1.6 in the demo, approximately 2.2 million viewers. That means that only 18% of “Blue Bloods” viewers are meaningful to the network in terms of ad sales.

In terms of cancelation, another popular ratings show has come up with a fairly consistent theory that networks cancels the shows that are significantly less than the network’s 18-49 average — usually shows that are more than 20% less than the network average.

In that logic, each network has its own range of what is acceptable and not. For instance, most shows on NBC average less than a 2.0 in the demo, so some of those shows must be renewed, while a show on ABC, NBC and Fox that averages less than a 2.0 in the demo would almost certainly be canceled.

NBC aside, there is a general accepted range (for this season) as to what is successful versus unsuccessful. As network television ratings decline, each year the bar is lowered.

This year, anything above a 4.0 is a megahit. Shows in the 3.0 range are solid to successful. A show in the high 2.0 range is likely safe. As you go to 2.5 and below, it gets murkier, as the low 2.0 is the danger zone for most nets (aside from NBC). Anything below a 2.0 on a network not named NBC is almost a guaranteed cancelation.

Examples? “Modern Family” and “Glee” each average more than a 4.0 in the demo, i.e., mega-hits. “Criminal Minds” averages approximately a 3.6, so it borderlines successful to hit. “How I Met Your Mother” averages in the low 3 range; successful but not a huge hit. “Private Practice” averages a 2.7. Solid, not a hit, but not getting canceled. “Brothers and Sisters” averages a 2.4; its hovering between renewal and cancelation. And “V?” It averaged under a 2.0 and is virtually a goner.

*The TV Renewal/Cancel Scorecard has been updated to reflect these ratings.

NBC ran a full slate of re-runs Thursday night, but not just any re-runs: an unprecedented six consecutive episodes of “The Office.” They averaged 3 million viewers and a 1.4 rating for the night.

ABC was also in complete re-runs, while CBS aired all repeats except a new episode of “Rules of Engagement.” Good sign, bad sign, or just episodes to burn?

Oh yeah, Fox aired “American Idol.” Given that it aired against all re-runs, it had some of its highest ratings, and the highest ratings on Fox for a Thursday since 2007.

The reason many networks air re-runs the first week of March is February sweeps is over. A sweeps month is a month of more accurate broadcast viewership counting. These numbers are used by the networks to pitch television ad rates, which are almost exclusively based on the 18-49 viewership. So in the three sweeps months (November, February, May) networks try to air exclusively new content.

*repeat

8 pm

American Idol (8-10): 8.1 demo, 24.9 million viewers

*The Big Bang Theory: 2.5 demo, 9.1 million viewers

*Wipeout: 1.4 demo, 4.7 million viewers

*The Office (8-11, 6 Episodes): 1.4 demo, 3 million viewers

8:30

Rules of Engagement: 2.4 demo, 8.3 million viewers

9 pm

*CSI: 1.8 demo, 8.3 million viewers

*Grey’s Anatomy: 1.2 demo, 3.9 million viewers

10 pm

*The Mentalist: 1.9 demo, 10.4 million viewers

*Private Practice: 1.0 demo, 3 million viewers

“Grey’s Anatomy” drew a seven season series low Thursday at 9:00 pm, with a 3.3 in the adults 18-49 demo. It aired opposite the second hour of a two-hour “American Idol,” which led all shows for the night with a 7.1 in the demo; that was down from last weeks 7.5.

“Community” earned a 1.8 in the demo, on the  lower end of NBC’s all-night comedy lineup, ahead of only “Outsourced” and “Perfect Couples,” the lowest rated show on the big four last night with a 1.4 demo rating.

Is “CSI” coming to a close? It hit a series-low 2.7 demo.

8 pm

American Idol (8-10): 7.1 demo, 21.5 million viewers

Big Bang Theory: 3.8 demo, 12.5 million viewers

Winter Wipeout: 2.2 demo, 7.1 million viewers

Community: 1.8 demo, 3.9 milion viewers

8:30 pm

Rules of Engagement: 2.8 demo, 9.6 million viewers

9 pm

Grey’s Anatomy: 3.3 demo, 9.1 million viewers

The Office: 3.3 demo, 6.2 million viewers

CSI: 2.2 demo, 12.5 million viewers

9:30 pm

Parks and Recreation: 2.4 demo, 4.6 million viewers

10 pm

The Mentalist: 2.8 demo, 14.6 million viewers

Private Practice: 2.4 demo, 6.7 million viewers

30 Rock: 2.3 demo, 4.5 million viewers

10:30 pm

Outsourced: 1.5 demo, 3.4 million viewers

No idea why everything last night was having trouble luring viewers (perhaps everyone was watching the Lakers/Celtics game?) but several shows hit season or series lows.

“Grey’s Anatomy” drew its lowest rating of the season with a 3.9 in the 18-49 demo. “Private Practice” was actually up a tick to a 2.7.

“American Idol” was down to a 7.2 in the demo, its lowest ratings of the season. It’s still a behemoth, but its looking like the show may dip in the high 5.0 realm before the seasons through–and that would be showing a God can bleed. “Bones” drew a 3.3, a much higher number than “Human Target” the night before, which came out of a much higher demo from American Idol; proving again why its likely “Human Target” will be cancelled.

The NBC comedies were typical of NBC. “The Office” was typically strong, “Parks and Rec” was down but continues its upward trend indicating a likely renewal, while “30 Rock” was about even with its ratings trend. After a better start in the new year, “Community” has fallen back, and its 1.8 rating isn’t quite to definite cancellation, but it doesn’t look good.

On CBS, its looking increasingly likely that “$#!* My Dad Says” won’t come back for a second season. And with “CSI” continuing to trend down, the show is likely about one season removed from cancellation–unless CBS gutsily decided to cancel it this year.

8 pm

American Idol: 7.2 demo, 21.5 million viewers

The Big Bang Theory: 3.9 demo, 12.8 million viewers

Wipeout: 2.2 demo, 6.9 million viewers

Community: 1.8 demo, 3.8 million viewers

8:30 pm

$#!* My Dad Says: 2.7 demo, 10.4 million viewers

Perfect Couples: 1.5 demo, 3 million viewers

9 pm

Grey’s Anatomy: 3.9 demo, 10.4 million viewers

The Office:3.6 demo, 7 million viewers

Bones: 3.3 demo, 10 million viewers

CSI: 2.8 demo, 12.6 million viewers

9:30 pm

Parks and Recreation: 2.6 demo, 5.1 million viewers

10 pm

The Mentalist: 2.9 demo, 14.7 million viewers

Private Practice: 2.7 demo, 7.3 million viewers

30 Rock: 2.3 demo, 4.6 million viewers

10:30 pm

Outsourced: 1.7 demo, 3.6 million viewers

After touring with ex Kinks frontman Ray Davies, The 88 has set the rock music world abuzz. The Los Angeles-based band has performed on “Conan” and their songs have appeared on hit shows like “How I Met Your Mother,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Community.” Blast caught up with Adam Merrin of The 88 to get an insight into the band.

BLAST: How did The 88 form?

The 88: Keith and I recorded a song together on the last day of high school, and we’ve been playing ever since.  We met Anthony through a recommendation from a friend.  The first time we heard him play, it was obvious that he was the right guy for The 88.  He’s one of the best drummers around.  Todd was in an L.A. band called The Green and Yellow TV, who we used to play shows with.  They had just broken up, and our original bassist, Carlos Torres, had just left The 88, so the timing was perfect.  We asked Todd to join, and the rest is history.

BLAST: How did the name come about?

The 88: “Rocket 88” is a rhythm and blues song that was recorded in 1951, which has been claimed to be the first rock and roll song.  There are also 88 keys on a piano, and since the instrument has always played an important part in our band, the name 88 seemed to be fitting in more ways than one.

BLAST: How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

The 88: Psychedelic, skygazer.

BLAST: How did the tour go?

The 88: Our last big tour in the U.S. was with Ray Davies.  Not only did we get to open up for him, but we got to be his backing band playing Kinks songs with him for his encore.  Here’s a little “behinds the scenes” clip of us playing “Animal Farm” on the tour bus from the tour.

BLAST: Favorite cities to perform at?

The 88: Eighty Eight, Kentucky.

BLAST: What goes into making a good live show, in your opinion?

The 88: Green M&M’s.

BLAST: You performed on CONAN, what was that like? What is it like performing on TV?

The 88: It goes by so quickly.  You’re there from 8 in the morning till 5 at night, and the performance is only 3 minutes.  It just happens so fast, and then it’s over.  We had a great time, and I’m so proud that we’ve been able to accomplish these types of things without the help of a major label.  Things are definitely changing in a positive way in the music business these days.

BLAST: “Love Is the Thing” was recorded entirely on an IPhone. What made you come up with that idea? Can you describe that process and will record any more songs that way?

The 88: We just wanted to try something different.  We’ve been recording the same way for a long time now, so it was refreshing to approach the process in an entirely new way.  Now that we’ve tried that, it’ll be fun to think of another way to record a song.

BLAST: Also, you chronicled the whole process on “Love is the Thing” on Youtube. Why did you decide to share that experience via Youtube?

The 88: I thought it would be a great way to share with people how easy the process is.  You don’t have to be a professional recording engineer to do it.  Anyone that owns an iPhone can record with the FourTrack program.  It’s simple, and it’s another great creative outlet for anyone that’s interested in making music.

BLAST: Anything else you think I should know or what to share?

The 88: We just released a new album called “The 88.” It was one of the most exciting albums to record, and we hope you that you will like it!

Private Practice soared week to week, up 40% in the ratings, largely due to it’s rape/recovery storyline that began this week. Grey’s Anatomy was also up this week.

Fringe and Bones returned after several weeks from Baseball hiatus, and both returned sharply down. Fringe should be on cancellation watch.

NBC and CBS were typical of Thursday nights; The Big Bang Theory was the night’s most watched show.

8 pm

Big Bang Theory: 4.6 demo, 13.9 million viewers

Bones: 2.5 demo, 9.1 million viewers

Community: 1.9 demo, 4.6 million viewers

Grey’s Anatomy (Repeat): 1.2 demo, 4.4 million viewers

8:30 pm

$#*! My Dad Says: 3.4 demo, 11 million viewers

30 Rock: 2.4 demo, 5.3 million viewers

9 pm

Grey’s Anatomy: 4.3 demo, 11.7 million viewers

The Office: 3.7 demo, 7.6 million viewers

CSI: 3.3 demo, 13.9 million viewers

Fringe: 1.8 demo, 5 million viewers

9:30

Outsourced: 2.7 demo, 5.8 million viewers

10 pm

Private Practice: 3.9 demo, 10.2 million viewers

The Mentalist: 2.9 demo, 14.3 million viewers

The Apprentice: 1.4 demo, 4 million viewers

Katherine Heigl attends the "Life As We Know It" premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre on September 30 in New York (WireImage)

Will Boston ever be the east coast version of Hollywood? Ben Affleck finished all the work in Boston for the film “The Town,” but this coming March, Katherine Heigl, the former “Grey’s Anatomy” star, is expected to start shooting “The Age of Adeline.”

In the film, Heigl is going to play woman who doesn’t age due to an accident. When she finally meets the man of her dreams, she has to give up her immortality. We do not know anything about who’ll play the man of her dreams or where exactly they’ll be shooting. However, according to the Boston Globe, Andy Tennant, whose credits include “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Hitch,” and “The Bounty Hunter,” is directing the movie.

Also, producers of “The Fighter” are promoting the boxer biopic two months before it even comes out. There was a long (longer than 2 mins!) ad for the film starring Mark Wahlberg as “Irish” Micky Ward during Sunday’s season finale of “Mad Men.” The LA premiere is December 6th and there may be screening in Lowell and Boston on December 7th and 8th before the nationwide release on December 10th.

Thursday is shaping up to be the only night of television where few shows are facing the threat of cancellation this season, and most shows rose from last week.

“30 Rock” posted a noticeable uptick due to it’s live episode last night, bouncing up to a 3.0 rating and 6.6 million viewers. At 8 p.m., “Community” drew a higher rating than regular, a 2.2 rating and 4.8 million viewers. “The Office” was the third highest rated program for the night with a 3.7 rating and 7.3 million viewers, but “Outsourced” didn’t retain much, posting a 2.5 rating and 5.4 million viewers. At 10 p.m, “The Apprentice” was abysmal, with a 1.3 rating and 3.7 million viewers.

“Grey’s Anatomy” was the highest rated program of the night, with a 4.5 rating and 12 million viewers. A repeat of the show at 8 was low, with a 1.0 rating and 3

.9 million viewers. “Private Practice” was up at 10, with a 3.1 rating and 8.5 million viewers.

CBS won the night due to consistency; at 8 “The Big Bang Theory” posted a 4.1 rating and 12.4 million viewers. “$#*! My Dad Says” rebounded, drawing a 3.1 rating and 10.1 million viewers. At 9, “CSI” was also on the rise, with a 3.1 rating and 14 million viewers, while “The Mentalist” led at 10 with a 3.2 rating and 15 million viewers.

Fox was at the back; “Bones” was steady with a 2.6 rating and 9.5 million viewers, “Fringe” remained low with a 2.0 rating and 5.3 million viewers.

“My Generation” had a worse performance than its premiere, and was promptly cancelled Friday, averaging 3.8 million viewers and a 1.1 rating. It’s demo rating was down 32% from it’s already weak 1.6 premiere. It becomes the second casualty of the fall, behind “Lone Star” on Fox, which had similar trends in its second week.

“Grey’s Anatomy” averaged 12.5 million viewers and a 4.6 rating, topping all programs for the night. That was substantially lower than it’s 5.3 premiere rating last week, when it averaged 14 million viewers. “Private Practice” averaged 7.9 million viewers, and a 2.8 rating.

“The Big Bang Theory” pulled 13 million viewers and a 4.4 rating, and “$#*! My Dad Says” averaged 10.4 million viewers and a 3.3 rating to lead all shows in the 8 p.m. hour. At 9, “CSI” had 13.4 million viewers and a 3.1 rating to fall behind in third for the hour. “The Mentalist” led at 10 p.m. with 14 million viewers and a 3.0 rating.

“Community” was third in the hour at 8 p.m. with 4.5 million viewers and an anemic 1.9 rating. “30 Rock” held steady from last week with a 2.6 rating and 5.7 million viewers. “The Office” was second at 9 p.m. with a 3.7 rating and 7.3 million viewers. “Outsourced” fell to a 2.8 rating and 5.8 million viewers. That’s down more than 20% from it’s premiere ratings. At 10 p.m. “The Apprentice” was last with 3.6 million viewers and a 1.6 rating. The long-running reality show may be on its last legs.

Fox was last for the night with “Bones” averaging a 2.5 rating and 9.7 million viewers at 8 p.m., and “Fringe” was dangerously low at 9 p.m. with a 1.9 rating and 5.2 million viewers.

CBS lead the night in total viewers and in the 18-49 demo Thursday. In its new timeslot, the fourth season premiere of “Big Bang Theory” drew 14 million viewers and a 4.8 in the 18-49 demo, second highest for the night. It’s strong numbers spilled into William Shatner’s new comedy “$#*! My Dad Says,” which drew 12.5 million viewers and a 3.9 in the demo for it’s premiere. The 11th season of CSI premiered to 14.5 million viewers and a 3.4 rating; the third season of “The Mentalist” debuted to 15 million viewers, the highest for any series Thursday, and a 3.3 rating.

On ABC, “Grey’s Anatomy” drew a 5.3 rating, highest for the night, and 14 million viewers for it’s seventh season premiere. Sister show “Private Practice” bowed to a 3.3 rating and 9 million viewers. It wasn’t all good news for ABC though; new 8 p.m. drama “My Generation” floundered out of the gate to a 1.6 rating and 5.2 million viewers. ABC finished second in both categories for Thursday.

NBC didn’t have much luck either. The seventh season of “The Office” logged typically strong numbers, drawing 8.5 million viewers and a 4.3 in the demo, second for 9 p.m. hour. New comedy “Outsourced” had a strong premiere as well, pulling in 7.4 million viewers and a 3.5 in the demo, second in the 9:30 timeslot. At 8 p.m. “Community” was back in third place with a 2.2 rating and 6 million viewers; “30 Rock” drew a 2.6 and 5.5 million viewers at 8:30. The peacock finished last in the 10 p.m. hour, with “The Apprentice” logging a 1.6 rating and 3.8 million viewers.

Fox had its ups and downs with “Bones” pulling a 2.7 and 9.8 million viewers at 8 p.m., good for second place, while “Fringe” was in fourth at 9 p.m. with a 2.1 and 5.9 million viewers. Fox landed in fourth for the night. The CW was also typically in back: “The Vampire Diaries” drew 3.6 million viewers and a 1.6 rating while “Nikita” managed 3.2 million viewers and a 1.1 rating.

Two reality premieres tonight on MTV. “The Hills” is on at 10, and “The City” premieres at 10:30.

“Southland” was marked for death on network television, but it found a new life and a new audience on cable. Now TNT has announced it will renew the cop drama for a third season, with 10 episodes to start airing in January. TNT got the series for a bargain after NBC dropped it quickly. About 3 million people watch it every week.

ABC will air a two-hour sixth season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” on May 20 at 9 p.m.

History Channel’s “America: The Story of Us” premiered on Sunday, drawing 5.7 million total viewers. It was the highest-rated, most watched special in the cable network’s history, and there are five more episodes to come until the finale on Memorial day.

Here are today’s top TV stories.

First and foremost, Oprah Winfrey will talk on the air today about ending her iconic syndicated daytime talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” She will tell viewers that the show will end its run after 25 years on September 9, 2011. Oprah does have her own network, called OWN, launching next year, but we’re not sure what her future plans are beyond the show.

Other news, the season finale of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” starts at 9 on Sunday on HBO.

Some future premieres to talk about. ABC will start the sixth and final season of “Lost” on February 2 with a two-hour episode starting at 9 p.m. An hour-long recap of last season will start at 8, and the show will air Tuesday nights at 9 all season long. ABC will also launch an online companion for “Grey’s” addicts called “Seattle Grace: On Call.” on ABC.com. The six-webisode series will be set at Joe’s Emerald City Bar and will feature cast regulars including Gloria Garayua and Brandon Scott.

Over on NBC, “Chuck” will start its third season on January 10 with 2 episodes starting at 9 p.m. Then it will move to a regular time slot with another episode Monday January 11 at 8 p.m.

G4, the video game and Gen-Y network will start a show called “Campus PD” with a look at police on colleague campuses on Florida, Texas, California, and North Carolina. It premieres December 8 at 11 p.m.

A little slower tonight after yesterday’s craziness.

But only a little.

ABC premieres “FlashForward” at 8 p.m., but the biggest of the night has to be the two-hour premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy” at 9 p.m. After all the post-season cast drama and changes, it will be good to see how the show turns out this season.

CBS premieres a new season of the original “CSI” at 9 p.m. as well as “The Mentalist” at 10.

The Discovery Channel will go the route of SyFy and take on some ghostly ways with two Texas brothers searching for the ethereal in “Ghost Lab,” premiering October 6 at 10 p.m. In the 13-episode series, Brad and Barry Klinge travel the country in their mobile lab in search of ghosts.

Finally, this morning, The CW has ordered a mid-season docu-reality series called “Fly Girls” about a group of female flight attendants (we can’t say stewardesses anymore) working for the new Virgin America airline. The premise of the corporate-feeling show is to follow five hotties around their work and personal life as they share a home in Los Angeles and fly around the country.

Katherine Heigl threw Ellen Pompeo a celebrity-studded baby shower Saturday, ABC reported.

The guest list included Grey’s Anatomy co-stars Kate Walsh and Sandra Oh. Heigl hosted the party at her Los Angeles home.

Pompeo, 39, is expecting a daughter in October with husband Chris Ivery.

A guest told People.com, “Ellen looked gorgeous in a white summer dress with her hair in a braided up-do. She seemed very excited to celebrate with her girlfriends.”

Well, it’s official. What we predicted from last season’s finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” has proved to be true: T.R. Knight is leaving the show and Katherine Heigl is staying.

Knight released a statement today, saying, “Leaving ‘Grey’s Anatomy was not an easy decision for me to make. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much. I continue to wish them the very best, and wholeheartedly thank all of the fans who have supported me and the show with such passion and enthusiasm.”

Creator Shonda Rhimes followed with her own statement saying, “I think I speak for the entire ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ family when I say we wish T.R. Knight the best in his future endeavors. He is an incredibly talented actor and a person whose strength of character is admired by all of us.”

Yesterday, sources confirmed with Entertainment Weekly that Heigl, whose character Izzie Stevens was on the brink of death in the season five finale, would be returning to “Grey’s” for season six.

All this comes two days after season five newbie and Callie Torres love interest Jessica Capshaw was confirmed as a series regular for season six.

Are you glad the off-screen “Grey’s” drama is finally over? How much will you miss Knight next season? Will “Grey’s” still be “Grey’s” with Izzie but no George? Let us know your thoughts below!

While the Internet has opened thousands of doors for musical promotion, many artists have been using movies and television to get their music out there. Ingrid Michaelson became a staple in most iTunes library when one of her songs was used on “Grey’s Anatomy” and Virginia natives Parachute are living up the success after an acoustic version of their song “She Is Love” was used in a Dove soap commercial. Synchronization licenses “" the rights to play a copyrighted song on the air “" are becoming one of the most sought after ways of promoting an artist.

Boston is embracing one such singer-songwriter, Emilie Mover, tonight. Mover, who will be performing in Cambridge at Toad this evening, has been gaining widespread recognition by following in Ingrid Michealson’s footsteps and being featured on “Grey’s Anatomy” twice this past season “" once in October and again in April. One of Mover’s songs will also appear in an upcoming episode of Jennifer Love Hewitt’s show “Ghost Whisperer.”

“It’s gotten the songs out there to a wider audience which is really [great]. I write two kinds of songs. One is more acoustic guitar-based and the other is more [poppy]. Those songs are the ones that get played [on the radio] obviously. Being on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ people get to hear all the types of songs that I have. The exposure obviously is the thing with those shows” said Mover in a phone interview with Blast.

As much as being featured on popular network television shows has done for Mover she confessed to Blast that she thinks it would be awesome to be featured on HBO’s polygamy drama “Big Love” or in a movie done by one of her favorite directors.

“I like the music on Big Love, but they play a lot of old music. I see a lot of movies and think, “ËœThat’s awesome’. You know the movies with the independent music, where the music is part of the scene. [I think it'd be awesome to be in a] Wes Anderson movie” she said.

Mover first started playing music in Toronto when she was 15, even though she grew up significantly influenced by her jazz musician father.

“My dad was a jazz musician and his whole life was just music. I got to hear a lot of amazing music from a really early age. At first I started singing and performing just jazz standards. I just had all these jazz standards at the core of my being” Mover said.

It wasn’t until her teen years that Mover began listening to pop music and developing her own style from that. She maintains that jazz musicians and the music she listened to while spending time with her father as a child are still huge influences on her though, even if they aren’t immediately apparent in her sound.

“It’s just funny because when you have this soft singer-songwriter type of thing going I think that there is a common misconception that their influences are just other soft singer-songwriters. I don’t think it’s necessarily that way for lots of them” Mover explained. “Influences for me are [people like] Stevie Wonder. I’d have to say for me that in terms of songwriting he’s the guy I look to most. It doesn’t even have to come across that way in my songs, it comes across completely differently. I think the bottom line is the love of the craft of songs.”

It is with that love of the craft of songs that Mover began playing her music in the bars of Toronto. While playing those shows Mover was connected with Sync Music, a synchronization company that put her music in commercials and eventually put her in touch with “Grey’s Anatomy.”

The songs featured on the show come from Mover’s first full-length record, “Good Shake, Nice Gloves”. The album for Mover became one half break-up soundtrack and the other half depicting life after heartbreak.

“The songs are really break up songs, on the first side. And then the second side is more after I’d gotten over it and was in a softer place. They’re more upbeat songs. I think it’s a good mixture because half of it is dead kind of music and the other half is waking up in the morning music. I really like that contrast” she said.

Mover’s show at Toad tonight is currently the last scheduled gig before she heads back into the studio in July to begin recording new songs.

Due to illness and scheduling conflicts last night, I only caught the second half of the “Grey’s Anatomy” season finale when it first went live on air. Though I rewatched the entire two hour special this morning, I knew before Izzie went into surgery to remove her brain tumor that she would survive (albeit with some memory issues), I knew Bailey was facing divorce while she was giddy over “Leo,” and I knew George was going to be John Doe before he even enlisted for the army.

But after rewatching the second hour, and then rerewatching the last minute of the show several times, I came to a startling conclusion that contradicts everything I have said up until this point: I don’t want Izzie or George to die.

This revelation could come from several sources. Maybe it was the catch in Meredith’s voice when she said “Oh god!” and look of horror in her eyes when she realized John Doe was George. Maybe it was the beautiful moment when Izzie walked into the elevator dressed in her pretty pink prom dress in a reenactment of the season two finale, but the doors opened to find George waiting for her in full army garb. Or maybe it was the realization that, despite all my personal feelings against Katherine Heigl, “Grey’s” simply wouldn’t be “Grey’s” without Izzie and George.

There has been some debate after the final scene whether George and Izzie will actually end up being dead. For those who missed the culminating season five episodes, Derek was able to remove Izzie’s entire brain tumor and she had just recovered her memory when she coded in Alex’s arms while George turned out to be the John Doe who was hit by a bus saving a woman from a similar face and had his face smashed in beyond recognition. The show ended with a cliffhanger that did not definitively clarify whether both characters lived or died.

The elevator scene, which has recurred in various forms since the second season, symbolizes both characters’ deaths in this episode, but also suggests that Izzie and George are not dead yet. The elevator doors open and Izzie smiles at George in a “this is the way it’s supposed to be” kind of way. However, while the Chief ignores her Do-Not-Resuscitate and allows Bailey, Christina and Alex to try to bring Izzie back to life, Prom-Dress-Izzie has a worried look come over her face that George’s face mirrors. She does not step off the elevator to join George, which means that she is on the brink of death and the resuscitation revives her and she lives, or she could end up passing in to the great beyond in the season six premiere.

My guess is show creator Shonda Rhimes left this season open ended to see the fan response. She has been adamant this entire season that Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight will not be leaving the show, so this feels like a way to gauge the fans’ response to Izzie and George’s “death” and see if people actually care if the two stay on the show. Not to toot my own horn, but I was unsurprised during my first viewing last night of Heigl and Knight’s seemingly tidy exits from the show. But after rewatching the episode this morning, I was surprised by how much I really did care especially about George. Plus, by killing off two major characters, “Grey’s” will become more of a soap opera than a primetime drama, and one “General Hospital” is more than enough.

Beyond the not-so-startling cliffhanger ending, there were some other great moments from the season five finale. Highest amongst those was the long awaited MerDer wedding. Signing their marriage contract on a borrowed blue Post-It that was placed in Meredith’s locker was the sweet and fitting wedding the couple deserved.

But even more than that was the realization that Dark-And-Twisty Meredith really is gone. Meredith slipped under my radar this season after Ellen Pompeo was overshadowed by the great characters of Callie, Bailey, Christina and Sloan, not to mention the season-long Izzie drama, but she reemerged this episode with Christina — and the rest of the audience — realizing that Meredith’s proclamation at the end of season four that she was “all whole and healed” was true. By finally marrying Derek and Meredith and by resolving both characters’ emotional dramas, it felt like Shonda’s way of tying a nice pretty bow on five seasons of serious ups and downs. Hopefully the couple will remain happy and that bow won’t be untied to create unnecessary drama. Sadly, MerDer has run its course.

The best character resolution this finale though was by far that of Christina Yang. Though her awkward declaration of “I love you” to Hunt was uncomfortable to watch, seeing her willingly play the role of Maid of Honor to Meredith when she found out MerDer was going to get married in City Hall and then hugging Meredith when all along they have not been “hugging people” showed how far both characters have come since season one. Christina has always been the somewhat cold, logical, ambitiously badass surgeon, so it’s nice to see she’s developed a softer side. It just gives Sandra Oh an even more fantastic character to play.

One character I wish wasn’t going to face serious emotional trauma is Miranda Bailey, who last season almost went through the dissolution of her marriage and, in a final-hour moment, turns out actually is going to be faced with divorce. Bailey has always been the strong and emotionally healthy doctor in the hospital, so when her seemingly happy marriage with husband Tucker was torn to shreds last season, the resulting unhappiness for one of the few remaining complete characters felt like the writers had gone too far. Bailey’s marital issues have been glossed over this season and the show is better for it. The fact she will be a single mother and have to give up the pediatric fellowship she fought for is sure to be heartbreaking season six drama.

And poor Alex Karev. He is a man I never want to see cry again (kind of like Ewan McGregor at the end of “Moulin Rouge”), but his admission to Izzie that they only got married because they both thought she was going to be dead in week was something I’m glad the writers allowed audience members to hear. Because that is what their marriage was. Could Alex and Izzie actually pull off a life of happiness? I don’t think so.

So now we have four months to wait until we find out if Izzie and George are really dead “" or less than that until we find out who signed on as a full-time cast member. My guess is that, unlike Isaiah Washington’s rapid exit, Heigl and Knight will return for the season six premiere and subsequent episodes, regardless of if their characters die or not. There will undoubtedly be magnificent, beautiful funerals to send of both beloved characters.

But both deaths don’t feel like they’re set in stone. So for those of you like me who don’t want Izzie and George to remain dead, make your voices heard to Shonda and the other “Grey’s” creators “" her responses on Twitter “Grey’s Anatomy” fan pages show that she is listening. And we all know they won’t be the first “Grey’s” characters to return from the dead.

What did you think of last night’s “Grey’s Anatomy” finale? Did you expect George to be John Doe? What about the Sloan and Lexie drama? Do you think George and Izzie will stay dead? Leave your thoughts below!

You can catch Grey’s on DirecTV with these direct SAT TV offers.

It looks like ABC will be featuring the deaths of not one but two young, blonde doctors during next week’s season finales. Izzie Stevens, played by “27 Dresses” star Katherine Heigl, veritably signed her death warrant by marrying fellow doctor Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) in a surprising wedding twist during last night’s penultimate episode. After all, we can’t have two happily – or unhappily – married couples on the show at any given time.

Last night’s episode (the show’s 100th) was hinted in previews to be the long awaited marriage between lead characters Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey). From the start – showing a cancer-ravaged Izzie complete with pasty skin and a bandana covering her head – we realize that is not the case.

Izzie’s opening monologue discussed how it was the ordinary days that become the extraordinary ones that stay with you forever. “Grey’s” hundredth episode was like that: it started out ordinary (or at least not excitement-worthy) and ended in one of the most pleasant moments in “Grey’s” history – Izzie and Alex’s wedding.

Those who find the upcoming and inevitable death of Izzie Stevens a surprise should have been paying closer attention to the strife occurring off-camera between Heigl and “Grey’s” creator Shonda Rhimes. Heigl and best friend T.R. Knight who plays George on the show have been reported to have asked off the show on numerous occasions before their contracts expired. Rhimes has denied allegations and said that Heigl would not be leaving the show, but at this point those claims seem unlikely.

Before last year’s Emmy nominations, Heigl (who had won the Emmy in 2007 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series) preemptively refused an Emmy nomination for her role on “Grey’s” because she felt she was not “given the material this season to warrant an Emmy nomination.”

Undoubtedly, Izzie’s melanoma diagnosis and the hallucination insanity that occurred before it (can anyone say Denny Duquette?) is a great role for Heigl to be playing. But it became poignantly clear last night how disillusioned with her talent Heigl was when she smited a possible Emmy nom — before she was even nominated. What Heigl seemed to have failed to realize is that it is not the content that earns the Emmy, but the actors and actresses performing the content. What has earned Chandra Wilson‚  (Bailey) and Sandra Oh (Christina) repeated Emmy nominations while star Ellen Pompeo has not received one is how they create their characters from the content they are given, not by just reading the lines.

Yes, this season Heigl has been given a great character to play, but her vanity as an actress has diluted the character of Izzie. Telling the show’s creator that she needs to step up her game while Heigl does not step up her own is the biggest disgrace to a show that can be done. Heigl’s hissy fit might have earned her a lead role on “Grey’s” fifth season, but honestly, I am glad to see her go.

That said, last night’s episode of “Grey’s,” entitled “What A Difference A Day Makes,” thankfully avoided all the typical jump-the-shark moments the show employs in its pivotal episodes. There were no ferry crashes, train collisions or bombs in patients and, while Jeffrey Dean Morgan did make his return as ghost Denny, the medical aspect of the show was balanced evenly with the relationship aspect. What the episode did center around was death, and lots of it.

Turns out Izzie’s opening monologue was directed to Denny Duquette, a hallucination she had been having that resulted in her discovering she had a tumor in earlier episodes. Denny’s reappearance meant a new tumor and, after much searching, it was located by Derek and Bailey on Izzie’s temporal lobe. Bailey comments on how small the tumor is, and Derek responds only with a very sad “I wish there was something I could do for her.” To you optimists out there, I’m sticking to my theory. There will be no “Grey’s” miracle for this one. Izzie Stevens is dunzo.

Meanwhile in the pit, Callie (Sara Ramirez) is trying to balance the eight dying college students who were in a car accident on their way to graduation with her relationship with pediatric surgeon Arizona (Jessica Capshaw). The odds don’t weigh in her favor as seven of the eight students die in one of the most moving and well-edited “Grey’s” moments in a while. Alex has the one surviving student tell him her graduation speech – today is the day we begin the rest of our lives – while shots of the other students being zipped up in body bags are interwoven with Derek and Bailey discovering Izzie’s new tumor. I’m telling you, metaphors define “Grey’s,” and this metaphor says Izzie does not stand a chance.

Which brings us to the wedding. Sure, let’s ignore the fact Alex never officially asks Izzie if she would like to marry him – the wedding was great. Izzie had been planning the MerDer wedding replete with a poofy white princess wedding dress and a giant church which, as we all know from Dark-And-Twisty-Meredith days, is much more Izzie’s dream than Meredith and Derek’s, so it was surprisingly fitting when Izzie walked down the aisle with George steadying her weak walk as she went.

Alex and Izzie getting married was perfect, but much like Alex’s plan to artificially inseminate Izzie’s embryos when she first went in to cancer treatment, it was a futile attempt to preserve what is left of Izzie’s life instead of a thought through plan for the future. Alex’s and Izzie’s wedding was the long-awaited “Grey’s” wedding (I still wish Christina and Burke had gotten together in season three), but their marriage is something that would never last a year.

Plus, there is one marriage that desperately needs to last – that of Meredith and Derek. The couple that defined the show with “pick me, choose me, love me” has steadily been losing the interesting value of the show, being replaced with the ill-fated Christina/Hunt (Kevin McKidd) romance and the absolutely adorable Lexie (Chyler Leigh)/Sloan (Eric Dane) relationship. As Izzie said in last night’s episode before the wedding swap, Meredith and Derek are the two people least interested in getting married of all time. And as a result, I find myself wondering, do I really care?

So what do we have to look forward to in next week’s two hour season finale? The MerDer wedding, to be sure, but in what form I can’t guess. I’m hoping a private ceremony with only their close friends – and no Thatcher Grey – to honor Meredith and Derek’s wishes, especially since Izzie has gotten an epic albeit quick wedding out of her system.

The last appearance of Denny Duquette as he guides Izzie through death and off to heaven. Izzie is going to die, and it is going to be shot and presented in a way that tells you to feel sad. Whether you actually feel sad is up to your personal relationship with the character of Izzie Stevens. I know my apartment is making a skull and cross bones cake to celebrate the event.

I don’t think there will be an epic accident in this season’s finale – I hope Shonda Rhimes learned her lesson with those sweeps-catering obnoxious drama-fests when they didn’t draw in the ratings or dedication she wanted. This episode should, and hopefully will, focus around Meredith and Derek getting married and Izzie dying.

George leaving Seattle’s Grace. T.R. Knight has been almost nonexistent this season on “Grey’s,” with his last true storyline on the show being the ill-fated Gizzie match-up in season four. He has come back somewhat to the forefront as a great trauma surgeon, but is lacking any substantial reason for remaining on the show. If Heigl is leaving, then Knight is sure to follow, because the two-peas-in-a-pod friendship that held such a great dynamic both on and off screen is sure to follow the other out the door. I’m guessing Izzie’s death and the seven deaths George was unable to prevent will prompt George to transfer to a different hospital.

If both Heigl and Knight do leave the show, then two fifths of the original “Grey’s” interns will be gone from the show, completely shifting its dynamic to newcomers Lexie, Callie, Sloan and Hunt. If the dynamic does shift in such a way, don’t be surprised if in the next couple seasons Meredith and Derek decide to retire and Lexie becomes the title Grey in “Grey’s Anatomy.” She always felt like the back-up plan on the show anyways. But the question is, will “Grey’s” still be “Grey’s”?

Oh, and if you’re wondering who the other doctor most likely to be offed is, check out “Lost”s two hour season finale. She’s another one I can’t wait to leave.

Hey Blast readers, how do you feel about the Izzie/Alex wedding? Will you still watch the show if Heigl and Knight leave? Are you at all excited about the MerDer wedding? Leave us your thoughts!

We’re sitting in the dark in a trailer outside of Boston’s Paradise Rock Club. The electricity is out in the trailer and the rest of the band is talking very quietly in the front while we conduct the interview in the back. Without even looking for a bottle opener, Ida Maria grabs a water bottle and uses it to pop the cap off her Sam Adams.

She continues telling me how she got started on the path to her first record, “Fortress Round My Heart,” without pausing to acknowledge she had just opened a beer bottle in one off the most innovative ways I had ever seen: “So I had this show booked and I didn’t have a band, I just had a bunch of songs. [...] I went back to Stockholm and was like looking for musicians everywhere. So I found these guys in Stockholm, basically. [...] I told these guys it was just going to be one gig, so that’s why they said yes, but we’ve been on tour for three years.”

Ida Maria (pronounced Ee-da) made a splash on the American music scene far before she physically walked onto its shores. Her song “Keep Me Warm” was featured in the season four finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” (“Grey’s” fans out there will recognize the song from when Derek found Meredith standing outside his camper) and she recently had a big interview with Rolling Stone.

The Norwegian artist waited three years to tour in the States, but said the wait was well worth it.

“It’s like the difference between reading a book and experiencing it, because I had a very certain frame of mind of how the States were before I came here, and when I came here that all changed,” Maria said. “I’m very surprised at how open and including and positive and social Americans are. [My experience with] Americans have mostly been tourists that come into tourists shops, that are talking really loud and are acting very “American.” Everything’s big and everything’s loud and everything. But I just have a totally different view of it now. I love to be here.”

Dressed in an oversized red flannel shirt, maroon leggings and short black boots, Ida Maria took the stage at the Paradise Rock Club March 31 opening for Glasvegas, her opening joke about Italians and the Boston mob met with silence. But the second she opened up her mouth and began to sing, the audience was held in rapture by her haunting voice, especially during her song “Stella,” a song she introduced as being about “love, religion and prostitutes.”

Everything came together when Maria played her hit single, “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked.” Those unfamiliar with Maria would have missed the shared smiles between the band members when the opening chords resonated through the venue, but the second Maria screamed “I won’t mind if you take off all your clothes/Come on, take them off/’Cause I like you so much better when you’re naked,” people were dancing along and bobbing their heads; singing along as if they knew the words even though they’d never heard the song before.

“I just wrote that song because I thought somebody needed to write it. It’s like, it’s so obvious,” Maria said. “It’s fun for me to tour and sing to people every night that I would like to see them more if they were naked.”

Though no one at the Paradise took the song literally, Maria said she had experiences where so many shirts were thrown on the stage there was a “mountain” around her, and once in Dublin when a guy skipped his clothes, went straight for his shoes and threw them at her face.

“But I love it when the guys start taking off their clothes. That’s just fucking amazing. That’s the whole point of the song, you know? The point isn’t that the girls are going to get undressed, it’s that the guys are going to show their… you know,” Maria said.

On Jan. 21, it was announced that Maria had won a Norwegian Grammy for “Best Newcomer of the Year.” Maria performed “Naked” at the ceremony but had a surprise from the award presenters after her performance.

“These two most famous TV presenters came walking out totally naked on live television. Their [genitals were covered ] but I didn’t know they were going to come out naked. It was weird. Some guy sued the TV stations because of that and stuff,” Maria said. “I’m just happy someone finally took [the song] literally.”

Maria will continue to tour in the US on the West coast throughout April, though she said she has started writing music for a potential sophomore album. She said the music will cover “strange topics” very different from “Fortress Round My Heart.” “I’m not even sure if I want to make another record,” she said. “We’ll see.”

Citing influence from Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Lou Reed, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles, Maria said her music is more American than British or Scandinavian.

“As a European we get a lot of culture from the States: TV, films, and music, and we’ve all grown up watching American shows and American films and listening to American artists,” she said. “But if I look at my record collections, it’s definitely more American bands than English or French.”

Maria’s signature sound is very throaty vocals with occasional pops and cracks, which ends up sounding like a toned down version of her screaming. She said the band started out rehearsing in a small venue with no mics set up so she had to scream to hear herself over the drums, bass and guitar. “When I first did shows with the full band and stuff, I just continued singing like that, so it’s a bit of a coincidence or something,” she said.

The last song of her set at the Paradise, “Oh My God,” is definitely a screamer. Even after the last strums of guitar had faded away, Maria kept yelling “Oh my god!/Oh my god!/ Oh my god!” into the microphone, but by that point in the show, the audience was completely engrossed in her performance. After she left the stage, the man sitting next to me who was there to see Glasvegas said he was in awe. He had never heard of Ida Maria before but had thought she was fantastic.

When asked what she thought set her apart from the rest of the musicians out there, Maria said, “They say I’m different. I don’t know.”

Maybe a little bit of “different” is exactly what the American music industry needs right now.

What’s been speculated since Katherine Heigl’s rejection of a potential Emmy last season has finally been confirmed by cast mate James Pickens Jr.: Heigl and T.R. Knight are leaving “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Pickens told Us Weekly he wishes Heigl “nothing but the best” and said Knight wants to pursue other “career paths,” the magazine reported online Tuesday.

Knight has allegedly been itching to leave the show since the Isaiah Washington controversy in late 2006. Washington, who referred to Knight using derogatory gay slang, was subsequently kicked off the show, but sources close to the show say Knight was not pleased with the way the situation was handled.

Heigl refused an Emmy nomination for best supporting actress for her performance in the fourth season of “Grey’s Anatomy” because she said she felt the content of the show was not worthy of an award.

Creator Shonda Rhimes refused to release Heigl from her contract last year and has instead led Heigl’s character Izzie Stevens through a bizarre storyline which features the ghost of her second season love interest, Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Rhimes has insisted the cause of Izzie’s visions will not result in her death, but the facts point otherwise.

This is not the first time Heigl has backed out of a television show contract early. She did the same with TV show “Roswell,” which ran from 1999 to 2002.

Knight’s screen time during the currently airing season five has been extremely limited and he has not had a serious plot line since its debut.

It should also be mentioned that Heigl and Knight are best friends in real life.

Publicists for Knight and for series creator Shonda Rhimes declined comment. Requests for comment from Heigl’s publicist and ABC were not immediately returned.

The future looks uncertain for “Grey’s Anatomy.” I’m thinking a reboot of the show, with Meredith and Derek being lovingly removed from the show following a big sappy wedding sequence and little Grey (Chyler Leigh) taking the spotlight. Either way, what made the show so great when it debuted back in 2005 has irrevocably been lost and, while the show could continue to be great, it will lose an important sparkle that gave the show its personality.
Blast readers, what do you think about the future of “Grey’s”? Are you glad or pissed Heigl or Knight are leaving? Do you think they have just cause? Share your thoughts below!

NEW YORK — Joshua Jackson might now be the star of J.J. Abrams’ new sci-fi drama “Fringe,” but we “Grey’s Anatomy” fans out there remember a time not so long ago where Jackson was supposed to be the new dreamy doctor at Seattle’s Grace.

Though the “Fringe” roundtable interview with Jackson at New York Comic-Con didn’t leave much of an opportunity to get a question in edgewise about “Grey’s” versus “Fringe,” I got the opportunity to talk to Jackson before he was rushed off to the “Fringe” panel.

After informing him how, as enjoyable as Kevin McKidd is on the show, I couldn’t help but watch and think how much different (and better?) the show could have been with him on it, he wistfully responded with, “You know, the day we were supposed to start filming was the day the writer’s strike began.”

It is clear that Jackson is in his element on “Fringe.” If you watch our video clips from the interview, he is off at 100 miles a minute about the intricate nature of the science of the show.

Declaring that “The X-Files” was one of his favorite shows ever and comparing the hidden connections of “Fringe” to how Beastmaster’s third sword was the same as He-Man’s, (“Because it was,” he assured us) it is clear that a sci-fi show could be more up his alley than the adult, hospital version of “Dawson’s Creek.”

He did assure me he regretted not having the opportunity to work alongside Christina Oh – he was supposed to be her love interest in “Grey’s Anatomy” until filming was put on hold due to the strike and he eventually went to “Fringe” and McKidd replaced his character – and he would take any future project where he could work with her.

Maybe if Shonda Rhymes ever does make a second spin-off starring Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh’s “Grey’s Anatomy” character) she could give Jackson a call and have one of her characters live happily ever after. That is, if she doesn’t decide to make a spin-off where Izzie and George (if T.R. Knight gets the same send-off it looks like Katherine Heigl is being sent towards) hang out with Denny Duquette and Ellis Grey and ride unicorns across rainbows over rivers of chocolate joy. Both options seem entirely plausible at this point.

On their third album, The Camel’s Back, the London duo known as Psapp (Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant) continues its foray into the inventive genre of homemade electronica.

Best known for the xylophone-laden Grey’s Anatomy theme song “Cosy in the Rocket” (back when the show, you know, actually had an opening sequence), the pair often uses toys and other household objects in place of instruments.

Several songs on “The Camel’s Back,” out February 17, lend themselves to a game of “Name That Sound Effect,” with bubbles, broken springs and what sounds like a jack-in-the-box sprinkled throughout. “Cosy in the Rocket”‘s counterpart on Psapp’s latest record is “The Monster Song,” a bouncy mishmash of keyboards, percussion and woodwinds. Durant’s airy vocals and the group’s experimental electronic sound call to mind the now-defunct fellow British duo Frou Frou.

But the foundation for all this instrumental weirdness is pop rhythms that are more accessible than one might think. Even the ambient instrumental “Marshrat” manages to remain cohesive through dense layers of sounds that call to mind a toy-making workshop — or at least the background music in one.

Still, some of the album’s best moments come when Clasmann and Durant show some restraint, as evidenced by the “less is more” approach adopted for the straightforward, melancholy, soundtrack-ready piano ballad “Screws” and the subtle orchestration of “Fickle Ghost.”

Durant’s unemotional delivery often borders on indifference, with the exception of the vocal chops she exhibits on the jazzy leadoff track “I Want That.” But more often than not, that listlessness works with the dreamy soundscape that is The Camel’s Back.

She took the stage gracefully, a heavy-laden plastic bag in hand. Ingrid Michaelson threw candy to the tightly packed audience at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club and explained that the reason she and her bandmates had moles on their faces was because it was a part of their costume. For the holiday, they dressed as people with moles on their faces.

Though it was the day before Halloween, the New York City-based indie-rocker said she was disappointed that no audience members had dressed up in costume. Cracking jokes left and right, Michaelson broke into her first song.

“I think some of my songs have a bit of whimsy: buying sweaters and Rogaine and such,” Michaelson told Blast later in an interview. “I suppose I am a bit of a dark soul, so I like to make people laugh to counteract the effects of the majority of my catalog.”

Michaelson’s most recent concert in Boston came after the Oct. 14 release of her newest CD “Be OK.” “Be OK” is a medley of new material, covers and live performances of her older songs. At 11 tracks long, “Be OK” merely whets the appetite for Michaelson’s next full-length CD, which she confirmed would be released sometime next fall.

Michaelson and her band performed most of the new songs from “Be OK” with one noticeable absence: “You and I.” One of six new songs on the album, it was the only new song not performed during the concert.

Among the other new songs on the album are the headlining “Be OK,” “The Chain,” “Giving Up,” “Lady in Spain” and “Oh What A Day.”

“Giving Up” was featured in the fourth-season finale of ABC’s hit TV show Grey’s Anatomy. Other songs by Michaelson that have been featured on Grey’s include “The Way I Am,” “Breakable,” “Corner of Your Heart” and “Keep Breathing.”

“Keep Breathing” is featured on “Be OK,” which is the first time the song has been put on one of Michaelson’s albums. It was previously released on the Grey’s Anatomy: Season 3 soundtrack.

Michaelson is also known for her song “The Way I Am” – also commonly known as “The Sweater Song” – which was part of GAP’s 2007 holiday marketing campaign for winter sweaters. Some of Michaelson’s songs have also been featured on the CW TV show One Tree Hill.

“I don’t think [the publicity] has made me better or worse,” said Michaelson. “I am thankful for all the people’s ears I reached.”

Michaelson’s concert continued throughout the course of the night as her concerts usually do: lots of crowd interaction and tons of jokes, followed immediately by somber or ironic songs.

One of the night’s best moments came when Michaelson was performing “The Way I Am,” and, after she sang the first line (“If you were fallin’”), some of the audience members yelled out “What would you do?” – a joke made from the last time Michaelson had performed in Boston at Berklee College, when she and the audience made up a rap for the song based on one she had seen on Youtube. Michaelson said the moment made her feel “wonderful.”

“It meant people were returning!” she said.

After singing the song most of the way through in its rap format, she then proceeded to re-sing the song in a “fast-forward” format: about three octaves higher and about three times faster than the normal version. Michaelson somehow managed to keep a straight face during the entire “fast-forward” performance, though she had the audience bent over in hysterics.

Michaelson’s witty and moving performance style makes it seem as though she was always meant for the stage, but she said it wasn’t always so.

“I never thought I could perform my own music in front of people,” Michaelson said. “One day, I jumped in head first and booked a small show in New York City. I was hooked.”

Michaelson said that she writes her songs about “what [her] heart wants, usually” and gains her inspiration from her friends, family, fellow musicians, life and food.

Food is one of the most important aspects of the multi-faceted Ingrid Michaelson. As she told her adoring crowd at the Paradise Rock Club, she has two sides: Ingrid before she eats, and Ingrid after. During the show, Ingrid after was unhappy with Ingrid before she eats because she and the band had gone out for Thai food before the venue.

“Pad Thai is my favorite food,” Michaelson admitted to Blast. “Aside from chocolate chip cookies.”

Up until this point, I was waiting to write an article entitled “Why Shonda Rhimes Just Doesn’t Get It,” detailing why all of the episodes so far this season have not fixed “Grey’s Anatomy” in the way it needed to be fixed. After Thursday’s episode, I was proved wrong.

No, it did not feature a resurgence of the MerDer relationship that drove the show through its acclaimed first two seasons, but it had heart in it and – is it even possible? – likable characters.

The thing that has always been so great about “Grey’s” was Meredith and Derek’s relationship. The first season was a meager nine episodes, but those episodes were driven by the underlying passion and dynamic of their relationship. No one cared about the medicine – it wasn’t about the medicine. Seattle’s Grace was always just there to be a metaphor for Meredith’s life.

So when the Chief came out in this season’s premiere and gave his big speech about how Seattle’s Grace (cough “Grey’s Anatomy”) came out of nowhere in the beginning and was regaled as being amazing before quickly become second rate, season five seemed like the second coming of season one. That is until he said personal relationships weren’t to be tolerated and that Seattle’s Grace was going to get serious about medicine.

Seriously? Seriously.

It had seemed like Shonda just didn’t get it. We don’t care about the medicine! If we did, we’d be watching Hugh Laurie cracking some seriously interesting cases. We watch “Grey’s” for the sex, the tears, and above all, the drama.

Well, thank god for dermatology.

After the train wreck that was season four, “Grey’s” was in desperate need of exfoliating off a layer of dry, peeling skin and digging deep to get back shiny, happy Meredith that we knew all too briefly.

This was the epiphany Shonda said she had after the 2007 writers’ strike. This was what she had promised. But now Seattle’s Grace is going back to medicine? Come on. Why not focus on all of those beautiful relationships that had been reformed in the last ten minutes of season four and allow them to grow and prosper? Alex did what he does to often and become a complete jerk, Meredith did what she always does and start having trust issues, and…. But I digress.

The point of this article is not what Shonda Rhimes did wrong, but what she has done right.

In season five episode four, entitled “Brave New World,” Shonda came very, very close to bringing back everything wonderful about “Grey’s Anatomy.”

First and foremost (and previously mentioned) was the return of Joe the bartender. Joe’s Bar is almost a character unto itself in the show, but has been M.I.A. for the past season or so. Sure we’ve seen the bar, but where was Joe? I’m thinking the return of our beloved bartender is a signal for a better “Grey’s.”

Second is dermatology. Christina’s discovery of a completely different universe located just floors away from the surgical universe in Seattle’s Grace brought back one of the biggest missing pieces from last season: humor. The dermatology bit was funny. Who cared that Christina was gone from her patient for almost an hour (except for Lexie who weakly rebuked Christina when she returned to find her patient on the verge of death)? Hearing Christina unbelievingly state how one dermatologist had given another dermatologist their surgery because (insert Christina’s incredulity here) they thought the other would find it interesting was priceless.

Then there’s the fact that Callie and Hahn are close to being the healthiest couple at Seattle’s Grace.

Alex finally apologized to Izzie, which is one small step for Alex and one large leap closer to the relationship that’s been five seasons in the making.

The opening scene with the $20 bill, the pink pillow, and Alex and Izzie’s quarreling was great up until Meredith ruined the dreamiest McDreamy moment in a while because of, surprise surprise, her mother.

Basically all we’re waiting for is Ellen Pompeo to part her hair to the side again and MerDer to get back to making our hearts twist every time they have eye sex with each other and we’ll be all set. You go, Shonda.

Seriously.

For “Made of Honor,” director Paul Weiland follows a sure-fire recipe for romantic comedy success: a love triangle, sexual innuendo at every twist and turn, comedic relief at the perfect moments and of course, Patrick Dempsey without a shirt on for what seems to be the majority of the movie.

Boasting the basic story line of “My Best Friend’s Wedding” with a gender reversal, we are introduced to Tom (Dempsey), a charismatic, wealthy and beyond-belief gorgeous New Yorker. His longtime friend, Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), is a sophisticated woman, an art historian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and his confidante. She’s also the one woman Tom doesn’t subject to his detailed and misogynistic dating “rules” (i.e. no consecutive sleepovers on weekdays, and no family events because “it gives the wrong impression”).

The two friends met at Cornell University, when Tom accidentally crawled into bed with Hannah, thinking she was her “promiscuous” roommate. He admired her candor and she gave him a chance, and almost a decade later, when the movie takes place, their friendship is still strong, based on honesty and a shared spectrum of intelligence.

Tom’s life seems to be charmed, and while he truly cares for Hannah, he often takes her for granted. He has women falling all over him on the streets of New York City, but Hannah is his antiques shopping partner, a friend to laugh with, and the only woman he would bring to attend his father’s sixth wedding.

And then Hannah breaks the news to him. She will be in Scotland for six weeks on business.

While Hannah’s away, it’s epiphany time for Tom, who realizes he has feelings for her and decides to tell her when she returns from Scotland.

Punctuated by missed phone calls and transcontinental static, Tom and Hannah don’t really have a conversation after her departure overseas. Upon her return she invites him out to dinner, where she promptly introduces him to her fiance Colin McMurray (Kevin McKidd), a Scottish duke who absolutely adores her. Hilarity ensues when she asks a stunned Tom to be her maid of honor.

As Tom plans the bridal shower and arranges for dress fitting and the like, Hannah, played eloquently if not slightly dryly by Monaghan, exudes a sense of nostalgia.

The most intriguing aspect of the movie is the relationship between Tom and all his male friends. As they conspire and scheme to “steal the bride,” a softer side of comraderie and helping a friend in need comes through that makes the audience wonder, can men really have these type of relationships?

No doubt the storyline is predictable, but “Made of Honor” is a funny, easygoing, and a downright pure entertainment movie. If you aren’t a McDreamy addict or a lovesick sap, this might just be another boring romantic comedy that you’ve already seen a thousand times. But romantics will definitely feel a moment or two tugging at their heartstrings and maybe their tear ducts.

3 out of 5 stars

The season premiere of “Grey’s Anatomy” marked a refreshing return to form for the medical drama. After a third season that went from so-so to abysmal in the later episodes, creator Shonda Rhimes obviously took a back-to-basics approach for the Season Four debut, and it paid off.

As main character Meredith Grey iterated in the voice-over monologue that opened the episode, “We either adapt to change or we get left behind.” Well, the new season, which picks up 17 days after the Season 3 finale, certainly comes with plenty of changes that require adaptation on the part of the characters as well as the audience. Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) has defected to Los Angeles (see “Private Practice”), Dr. Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington) has resigned after leaving his bride-to-be at the altar (or, at least that’s the fictional explanation behind Washington’s departure in the wake of uttering a gay slur towards co-star T.R. Knight earlier this year), and the interns – with the exception of T.R. Knight’s George – are now residents with interns of their own to boss around.

But some things haven’t changed. Recently Burke-less Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh, who was robbed of an Emmy earlier this month by co-star Katherine Heigl) is back to being her snappy, condescending self – a nice recovery from her final scene in Season 3, when she was wailing on the floor of her apartment trying to shed her wedding dress. On-again, off-again Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) are off again – with a little break-up sex thrown in for good measure and to leave room for a (second? third? I’ve lost count) reconciliation. Let’s just say now that that storyline needs to be resolved once and for all.

For the first time in a long time, a “Grey’s” episode gave audiences a reason to care about what happens in future weeks. The coupling of George (Knight) and Izzie (Heigl) has polarized fans, but Rhimes has at least kept it interesting and the final moments of the premiere indicate this will be a major plot point this season. And might Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) actually become a sympathetic character after a hilarious moment in which he reveals that he came to Seattle not for Addison, but to win back Derek’s friendship? Only time will tell.

New character Lexie Grey (Meredith’s half-sister, played by Chyler Leigh), who breaks the news of their shared DNA to Meredith in the middle of dealing with a multi-victim car crash, might become a nuisance. But putting her personal life ahead of professionalism? She’ll fit in nicely at Seattle Grace. And viewers were given reason to suspect that Rhimes might be contemplating a serious misstep in a potential Lexie/Derek pairing.

All in all, “Grey’s” fans should breathe a sigh of relief that the season premiere at least partially made up for the atrocity that is spin-off “Private Practice.” Now, if there was only a way to get Addison back to Seattle, they’d have a real reason to celebrate.