"Dear John, These nights in Rodanthe are so beautiful I have to write about it in my notebook. Must run – they’re playing the last song!" Clockwise from top right: Images from "The Last Song," "Dear John," "Nights in Rodanthe" and "The Notebook."

Great romantic movies evoke legendary passion, whether through memorable lines (“love means never having to say you’re sorry…boo…hoo…hoo”), a storyline that makes even the stoniest hearts all mushy, or a singularly unforgettable image.

Like, say, a vision of one lover holding the other’s head with both hands and, perhaps, squeezing a little. We’re calling it Nicholas Sparks Romantic Head Squeeze.

While many have figured out the author’s tried-and-true plot formula (usually involving a love that transcends class, distance and what have you heightened by the discovery of terminal illness, and a game-changing shock or two), it was not until we first laid eyes on the poster for “The Last Song” (now playing in theaters everywhere!) that we realized the Head Squeeze also has become the calling card for a typical Sparks tale.  Seeing it created an intense feeling of deja vu… until we realized that we had indeed seen this couple before.

Three other times, in fact.

When Rachel McAdams played squeezy-face with Ryan Gosling for “The Notebook,”  we have to admit it was kind of adorable. Then Richard Gere gently used Diane Lane‘s ears as face-handles to promote “Nights in Rodanthe“…well, OK then. But then came February, when we saw nothing but Amanda Seyfried passionately crushing Channing Tatum’s jowls in commercials for “Dear John” and now, barely two months later, we’re being bombarded with that picture of Liam Hemsworth holding Miley Cyrus‘s head like he’s intent on using it to bowl a strike.

For what else can great lovers do, when they find out their romance is doomed, but to take each others face in their hands? Usually while in water or near it?

Corey Haim, circa 1985

We were saddened by the sudden passing of ’80s teen idol Corey Haim earlier today.

Most people will remember Haim as Sam Emerson, the plucky younger brother to Jason Patric‘s Michael in “The Lost Boys,” or as the shy, big-hearted title character in “Lucas.” Indeed, Haim played a significant role in so many people’s childhoods and adolescence due to his frequent appearances in magazines such as Tiger Beat and Seventeen, almost always at the side of his best friend (at the time) Corey Feldman.

Sadly, we were also privy to a recent glimpse at Haim and his struggles with addiction, as well as the strain on his friendship with Feldman,  in A&E’s hit reality series “The Two Coreys.”

You can view photos from throughout Haim’s career in our memorial photo gallery. We also have videos from season two’s episodes from “The Two Coreys” linked here.

Farrett Fawcett. Copyright 1978 by Bruce McBroom.

Yours truly would like to begin by letting the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) know that we understand your quandary today. Behind those cold gold statues, behind the lengthy telecasts and spirited pre-game run-up to every Oscars ceremony, is a gaggle of human beings doing their best to make it all work. And as the public occasionally needs to be reminded, humans are imperfect.  We all make mistakes.

The difference is how you handle making those mistakes. Generally, one apologizes quickly and profusely if it’s a major screw-up. Like, say, forgetting to include Farrah Fawcett, one of the most recognizable stars of the ’70s and ’80s, in Oscar’s “In Memoriam” segment.

Full disclosure, AMPAS:  I didn’t really notice the exclusion last night either. Sorry, readers.  (See how easy that was?)

Television is my thing, you see. As such, I was perfectly content with Emmy’s memorial for the actress: A heartfelt montage of Fawcett’s most iconic small-screen roles that included scenes from “The Burning Bed,” “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “Charlie’s Angels,” as well as footage of Farrah, the person behind the icon.

Neither am I one of those viewers who combs through the “In Memoriam” segment.  But most importantly,  I am not on the committee in charge of compiling the list for Oscar’s “In Memoriam” feature.

It’s not hard to understand why the public’s shock at Fawcett’s omission is lighting up the media today. Obviously Fawcett’s longtime partner Ryan O’Neal is ticked…but according to her tweets, so is Star Jones. The venerable  Roger Ebert tweeted a request for an explanation. We thought it was a given by now that to be on the wrong side of Roger Ebert is a bad thing, so one would think that the imperfect humans at AMPAS would be issuing their mea culpas quickly and furiously.

But…’fraid not. In fact, the only thing that AMPAS spokeswoman Leslie Unger would tell E! News in this article was that is was not an oversight. “No matter how carefully and how conscientiously people address who is included,” Unger told E!, “there are people who just simply can’t be.”

Here’s the thing, though:  While it’s true that, as a number of TV specialists have pointed out online in social networking forums, Fawcett was primarily known as a TV icon, she did star in a number of well-known films. We’re not just talking about her two big Runs a la “Cannonball” and “Logan,” either. She had the lead in “Extremities,” and major supporting roles in Academy Award-nominated film “The Apostle” and “Dr. T and the Women.”

Look at “Dr. T’s” poster — that’s her face, second down on the right-hand side. That’s her name at the top, among a list of co-stars that includes Helen Hunt, Liv Tyler, Kate Hudson, and Laura Dern.  One would think that  during their evaluation as to who makes the list and who doesn’t, the AMPAS folks would have taken the time to look at the candidate’s credits on a certain website — or even their own member rolls. As The Wrap pointed out, Fawcett is an Academy member.  Michael Jackson, who died within hours of Fawcett’s passing and made “Memoriam’s” cut, is not. The Academy also found room for a publicist, but not Fawcett.

It bears pointing out that this is not the first time the Academy has omitted actors in its annual remembrance segment. Two years ago the Academy left troubled actor Brad Renfro out of In Memoriam; Renfro died a week before Heath Ledger, who was prominently featured.  According to The Wrap, AMPAS’s failure to acknowledge Dorothy McGuire‘s passing in 2001 almost led to the Board of Governors doing away with the feature completely.  Bea Arthur also happened to be absent from Sunday’s roster. Granted, her film roles were fewer than Fawcetts, but she did co-star in the 1974 big-screen version of “Mame.” That little film that starred Lucille Ball.

Do you think the Academy’s explanation was suitable, or should it apologize for Farrah’s snub?

Kathryn Bigelow, director of "The Hurt Locker." Photo courtesy of Wire Image.

Depending on where you stand in the battle between brave, war-hardened soldiers and the noble Na’vi, the 82nd Annual Academy Awards telecast was either capped by a great victory or a massive upset.

“The Hurt Locker” won the night, defeating “Avatar” for Best Picture and creating history by making Kathryn Bigelow the first woman to take home a Best Directing Oscar. To think it only took 82 years!

If you’d like a sense of how long of a wait that is…well, you only had to watch this year’s Academy Awards telecast from beginning to end.  Hype and oddsmaking aside, this had to be one of the dullest Oscar nights in recent memory, and we reached that opinion long before it ran more than half an hour overtime.

Certainly the 2010 Oscar telecast had its moments; the tribute John Hughes was catnip to all the children of the ’80s tuning in, and it was legitimately touching, as was the In Memoriam montage set to a live performance by James Taylor.  Neil Patrick Harris’s surprise opening number was a winner (if not le…gen…wait for it…), but rare is the time when NPH isn’t a welcome addition to our TV screens.  (…dary.)

The problem was almost everything else.  Oscar’s ode to horror films, for example, inexplicably included a frame from “Edward Scissorhands”.  The thing felt strangely out of place. (And a note to Kristen Stewart:  If you’re going to present at Hollywood’s biggest event, can you please muster up a smidgen of faux cheer for a couple of hours? You’re an actress, for crying out loud, not an undertaker’s wife.)

(P.S.  We apologize to any undertaker’s wives we might have offended with that statement.)

(P.P.S.  But seriously Kristen…leave the sneer at home with your jeans next time.)

Then there were our hosts.  No need get your pants in a twist — Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin did just fine.  But didn’t the idea of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting sound stupendous at first blush?  The reality fell quite short of those expectations. From what we know of these men and their comedic abilities, one would never think that the term “workmanlike” would describe their tag-team hosting stint. Yet, that’s what we got Sunday night. Martin and Baldwin hit their marks and made us laugh at all the right moments, but there were no surprises. Nothing off the book or unexpected.   Their joint opening monologue was pleasant, but this is Oscar night. Oscar demands all things to sparkle.

Alas, most of the night’s glitter was provided by Neil Patrick Harris’s performance blazer and the bodice of Zoe Saldana’s gown. We were promised magic, and were left bored out of our skulls.  We wanted extraordinary fashion, or even some equivalent of Bjork wearing a comatose swan on the Red Carpet, but the stars and their stylists behaved themselves.  We wanted to be wowed by jaw-dropping art direction and choreography worthy of Busby Berkeley’s legacy, but instead, we were served a hot mess of interpretive poppin’ and lockin’.  (Why, Adam Shankman…why?)

All of that was window dressing to the main event: “Avatar” vs. “The Hurt Locker” and the saltier undercard, director James Cameron versus his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow. When the dust cleared and “The Hurt Locker” and Bigelow were declared the winners,  a major blow was landed on behalf of indie filmmakers everywhere.

The final trophy count:  “Hurt Locker” 6, “Avatar,” 3.  It was a feel-good victory, no question. Nevertheless, we will always be haunted by the notion that we never got to see James Cameron make a bombastic, quoteworthy thank you speech delivered completely in Na’vi.

But that’s the way  all Oscar telecasts go;  the victories are either just and deserved, or complete travesties.  It’s all in how you look at it. Tomorrow, there will be many celebrating Mo’Nique’s victory or sniffing that her Best Supporting Actress win was overrated; there will be Sandra Bullock fans who will be in the position of defending her Best Actress trophy to those who believe Meryl Streep was robbed.

As for Jeff Bridges winning Best Actor and Christoph Waltz dancing off with Best Supporting Actor…it’s a fair guess most people are just fine with those wins.

What did you think of the show?  Cast your vote in our day-after Oscar poll, and check out our full list of 2010 nominees at winners here.  Miss something? You can find scores of photos here, or click here for a full recap of the show.

– Pauley Perrette is guest starring on the second episode of “NCIS: Los Angeles,” in a cameo that executive producer Shane Brennan characterized as being “directly involved in helping us solve the case. Pauley is very excited to be joining us, and I think it’s something that the fans are going to absolutely really enjoy.”

On a side note, Brennan delivered this news from the ground floor of the “NCIS: Los Angeles” set, built to resemble an old Spanish mission but, to TV viewers, looks all too much like the courtyard on “Melrose Place.”

Brennan explained that since the original ops center was compromised (in part 2 of the “NCIS” crossover episodes)  they had to find another undercover location. So from the outside it looks like a charming piece of old California, but inside and upstairs is state-of-the-art equipment specially built for the unit (and actually, the series itself) by technology giant Lockheed Martin. This includes a gigantic touch-interactive screen that critics were allowed to play with by waving are hands across it and pretending we were in Minority Report. We discovered fake identification for one character in an upcoming episode, to be played by former “Six Feet Under” star Mathew St. Patrick.

– On the same day we visited “NCIS: LA” we headed over to the Fox lot to see Joss Whedon in the “Dollhouse.” This may be a comfort to “Dollhouse” fans: Whedon shared that when season two opens, Echo (Eliza Dushku) will be deeply impacted by Alpha downloading all of her personalities into her at once, which means she’ll actually have a persona instead of being a passive blank slate. Although lacking a personality is central to being a “doll,” that feature made it nearly impossible for viewers to connect to Echo. When I brought that up during the session, Whedon acknowledged a major correction was due.

“We will see that she has a cohesiveness and a mission that make every engagement mean a great deal more to her and she has, as Echo, her own agenda which is something she didn’t quite have,” Whedon explained, “and we did sort of build to that in Omega where she had been dumped with all the personalities and we heard her say her name. At the end this episode we are going to see how far she’s come and it’s a little further than the people around her know.”

So, I asked to establish complete clarity, even after each episode’s wipe she is going to have a distinct personality?

“We are going to see her as we know her, and then we are going to see something very different,” Whedon said. “And that is pretty much all I can say.”

–After the main session Whedon confirmed to me and a few others that Alan Tudyk would be returning for several episodes over the course of season two. Whedon said he couldn’t confirm an exact number because Tudyk does not like to be pinned down in any particular series. To wit: He has a fairly substantial role in the two-hour pilot for ABC’s midseason series “V.” Whedon also hinted that this season would head outside of the main Dollhouse to, perhaps, visit other branches. Hmm….

– While walking out a Fox publicist dashed past and told us the big “Futurama” news we hope you already know, which is that all of the original cast had signed on for its resurrection.

Up next: CBS.

The Television Critics Association Awards ceremony, however, is a different kind of congratulatory event.  The association’s awards aren’t fancy; often, they’re not even listed in a series or a star’s list of career accolades in their public bios. But over the course of 25 years, we’ve done our part to acknowledge some truly fine programs (“Boomtown,” for example) and actors (Hugh Laurie, twice now) that the Emmys were (are?) content to over look.

It’s also one of the few awards nights in which the recipients know that they’ve won because they’ve been invited. Among the honorees who showed up last night were Jon Hamm, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery and executive producer Matthew Weiner of “Mad Men“; Bryan Cranston and his “Breaking Bad” family; and Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Nelsan Ellis and “True Blood” series creator Alan Ball.

To accept the program of the year award for “Battlestar Galactica,” co-executive producer Jane Espenson was joined onstage by Michael Hogan, Grace Park, Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer.

Here is the full list of 2009 TCA Award recipients:

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: “Battlestar Galactica” (Syfy)

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM: “True Blood” (HBO)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: “Mad Men” (AMC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION: “The Alzheimer’s Project” (HBO)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING: “Yo Gabba Gabba” (Nickelodeon)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINI-SERIES & SPECIALS: “Grey Gardens” (HBO)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)

HERITAGE AWARD: “ER” (NBC)

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT: Betty White

Take your time, we’ll wait.

…Anyway, executive producer Mike Fleiss and Lorenzo Lamas plan to explore the therapeutic powers of  reality television on “The Lamas Life,” which succeeded in what was heretofore thought impossible: Bringing the elder Lamas into the same general space as estranged son A.J., who made recent tabloid headlines with the supposed “revelation” that A.J.’s alleged affair with his father’s fourth ex-wife Shauna Sand caused the end of their marriage.

“There’s only one way to get a family back together,” Fleiss joked to critics on Thursday, “and that’s on television. That’s what the E! channel is all about, really, when you think about it.”

Lorenzo Lamas was joined onstage by his his ex-wife Michelle Smith, son A.J. and daughter Dakota; and his more famous daughter Shayne Lamas, who won the heart of past “Bachelor” Matt Grant. (Ultimately — surprise, surprise — happily ever after was not to be.)

When someone asked Lamas to characterize his relationship with his son, his answer was, “strained,” adding that before E! came calling it had been years since father and son were in the same room. Filming “The Lamas Life” has changed all that.

“The fact of the matter is that I’ve seen more of A.J. in the last two weeks than I have in three years,” Lamas said, adding that he looked at the E! show as an opportunity to grow closer to his kids.

A.J., oddly, agreed. “You know what? Honestly, if it takes a TV show for me and this guy to come back together, then so be it.”

That’s all fine and good, but will Lorenzo use a laser pointer to highlight his children’s flaws when they misbehave? I suppose you’ll have to tune in this October to find out.

Now, the late-to-the-original-programming-party Starz has promised that sometime on or after January 22, 2010, when “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” premieres, we will see Lucy Lawless get naked. You read right: Xena, in the buff.

Now that Starz has your attention, it’s worth mentioning that this detail is not the only reason you might want to check out “Blood and Sand.” It’s not even the main one, although on Wednesday producers gave critics  an eyeful of the boobilicious , uncut promo trailer they weren’t allowed to show at Comic-Con to sweeten the deal.  Keep reading for our list of reasons that this upcoming action drama could be worth a look.

1. If the trailer is any indication of what we’ll see, it looks gorgeous. True, it does look like “300: The Series” as other bloggers have observed, but even those who were profoundly disappointed in the pacing of  Zack Snyder’s sword-and-sandals fantasy gave a few props to the visuals.  In the clips we saw, the digital polish on “Blood and Sand’s” battle scenes made this writer’s jaw drop.

Rob Tapert explained to critics, “having a digital environment and not having to have ultra-realistic backdrops and an arena like in ‘300, or in, like, ‘Gladiator‘… allowed us to actually bring this to the screen. There was no way to do it without having the artifice, so to speak.”

To those who would counter by bringing up HBO’s “Rome,” remember that show’s budget came in at a reported $100 million in its first season and was shot at the fabled Cinecitta Studios in Rome. “Spartacus,” on the other hand, is shot in New Zealand on a much tighter budget — hence, the CGI.

2. “Spartacus” is executive produced by Tapert and Sam Raimi, a team that has proven several times (“Xena,” “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys“) that they know their way around crowd-pleasing fantasy epics. This goes without saying for fans of the syndicated series “Legend of the Seeker,” who might be inclined to follow Tapert and Raimi to Starz. Non-believers could be lured by the familiarity of the story, the genre (who doesn’t love a good gladiator tale?) and the action. Speaking of which…

3. Tapert and Raimi won’t skimp on the fight choreography, a quality not to be underestimated in an era when mixed martial arts is king on cable. Granted, sword-and-sandals brutality is worlds different from that, and the octagon is lot smaller than those arenas. But people will be tuning in to see if these actors have the moves to paint the town red, so to speak.

Additionally, the art department had a field day with the more gruesome aspects of the battle sequences including one scene in which, as castmember Peter Mensah explained, “at a death, the victor could take off the other man’s face and wear it.”

They’re also not going to delay gratification, plotwise; according to head writer and fellow E.P. Steven S. DeKnight, the first season begins before Spartacus (played by Andy Whitfield) is sentenced to slavery and ends with the revolt.

4. Tonally speaking, this is going to be serious business. Don’t look for musical episodes or tongue-in-cheek slapstick. Take Lawless’s character for example. She describes Lucretia, wife of gladiator owner Batiatus, as “his Lady Macbeth.

“And if he has to do something psychotic to do business and it’s against the rules of the time, and there were not very many things against the rules at the time, she’s going to shore him up,” she added.   “I think she sees herself eventually as the power behind the throne of Batiatus.”

5. There will be a number of special appearances by Kirk Douglas…the prosthetic. Yes, we’re back to the nudity again and if we’re perfectly honest, that will be a draw for a number of folks. (See: “Rome” and “I, Claudius.”) The producers have hinted at equal opportunity exposure; thus, an apparatus for the male actors was created. Yes, that is actually its nickname.  No word yet from the Douglas family on how they feel about this…honor?

The longest running science fiction series in television history, “Doctor Who,” is a beloved pop culture icon in its native U.K.   Among U.S. viewers, however, coming out as a Whovian used to be a bit risky. Self-identified geeks once considered the classic series to be a little too geeky even for them.

BBC America, Russell T. Davies and David Tennant changed all that  over the past few years  — Tennant, especially. For three seasons the gregarious actor portrayed The Doctor with a combination of goofiness and gravitas, making him charismatic, sexy and at times even sinister. We believed it when centuries-old Doctor’s companions fell for him because, after all,  we had too. Tennant and Davies’ recent Comic-Con appearance drove the fans into a frenzy.

That’s why the news that Tennant’s run on “Doctor Who” would be coming to an end made our hearts ache a little.  The journey for his incarnation of  The Doctor is already in the process of ending. “Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead” had its BBC America premiere last Sunday. The next special, “The Waters of Mars,” arrives in the fall and enlists a new companion named Adelaide (Lindsay Duncan, familiar to “Rome” fans as Servilia of the Junii).  Tennant’s final special arrives at what would otherwise be the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas. Davies confirmed that it’s called “The End of Time,” and it will be at least an hour and a half, maybe more, with commercials.

The decision to leave wasn’t easy for Tennant but, as he explained to critics on Wednesday,  “I like the fact that I stand a chance of leaving an audience and myself wanting more rather than people asking when I’ve leaving.”

For the record, Davies announced he’d be handing the reins off to Steven Moffat in May 2008, before Tennant decided it was time for him to go — he hit us with that news last October.

The actor described the feeling of abandoning the role that brought him such love and acclaim in both the U.K. and the states as both very exciting, and very sad.  “It’s thrilling to be handing over the show in such good health, actually…we’ve all come on this journey together, and it feels like we’re coming to the end of something very special.”

As do we.

***Warning: Slight spoilers lie ahead.***

Davies explains the arc for Tennant’s final four specials in a note on BBC America’s site:  “The mysterious Ood have told him that his song is ending soon; something deadly is waiting on Mars; Donna’s grandfather, Wilf, is experiencing strange visions; and a powerful psychic warns the Doctor that “He will knock four times…”  The end is coming.  But will the Doctor, and the human race, survive?”

Understandably, this Doctor isn’t ready for his number to be up. “I think this Doctor likes being this Doctor,” Tennant explained. “And I think he’s raging against the dying of the light…He knows the sands of time are running out. He’s been told. And the bell is tolling for him, and he doesn’t want to go quietly.”

Up next for Tennant is a television version of “Hamlet.”  He’s also in the midst of shooting a film called “St. Trinians 2.”

The next Doctor, 26-year-old Matt Smith, is a relative newcomer and the youngest of all the actors to play the last Time Lord. Karen Gillan was recently unveiled as his new companion.  The first of their adventures will premiere in spring 2010.

In the channel’s executive session, HBO co-president Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo, president of its programming group and West Coast operations, officially gave the green light to another season of “Entourage,” a third season of “True Blood” and a sophomore season for “Hung.”

The sheer heat that this summer’s “True Blood”  episodes are putting out makes its renewal a no-brainer.  Ditto for “Entourage,” even if it’s getting a touch long in the tooth by cable TV standards.  But “Hung’s” quick renewal comes as something of a surprise, as it’s barely halfway through its first season.

Could this be a sign that the premium channel is actually thriving in spite of the recession?  Well, Lombardo says, yes. Sort of.

“No business is recession proof,”  he admitted, but described HBO’s business as resilient.  According to Lombardo, they don’t have lots of money to spend, but what he calls an “enviable” amount.  The “cocooning” trend has been good to the channel, according to the execs; DVD sales are doing well, and viewership is up across the board.

“Unfortunately, that has not resulted in the coffers opening wider for original programming,” added Plepler.

But it hasn’t resulted in heartbreaking slices to its content either. “Big Love,” for example,  will be back in January.  The seventh season of  “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is coming September 20, coupled with the arrival of “Bored to Death,” a new comedy starring Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis.

HBO was not ready to commit to another season of “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency,” but execs advised reporters not to write any eulogies just yet. Their hesitance to renew has more to do with the sudden passing of series creator Anthony Minghella last spring. Minghella sculpted the direction for the first season and directed the pilot before he died, and execs stressed the need to find the right showrunner to take his place before committing to season two.

As for a third season for “Flight of the Conchords,” Lombardo said that’s entirely up to Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. “We’re waiting, and as soon as they tell us they’re ready, we’d be thrilled,” Lombardo says.