Nurse Jackie returns to Showtime for its fifth season with more sharp witticisms - and with the bonus of having added some strong new performers to its cast.

Season five comes with some behind-the-scenes changes. It's the first since the departure of co-creator Liz Brixius, who wrote or co-wrote half of the previous cycle, including the season four finale. (Brixius retains a consulting producer credit.) As she leaves, joining the series is former Dexter writer-producer Clyde Phillips, who served as showrunner for the serial killer drama's fourth season. Phillips wrote tonight's Jackie seas...

Early this morning Jimmy Kimmell and Kerry Washington announced the nominees for the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards. Multiple nominees include "Mad Men," "Downton Abbey" and "30 Rock."

Battling it out for the Outstanding Drama Series award will be "Mad Men," "Homeland," "Downton Abbey," "Dexter," "Breaking Bad," and "Boardwalk Empire."

Outstanding Comedy Series nods go to "30 Rock," "Girls," "Modern Family," "The Big Bang Theory," "Veep," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Notable nominees include Zooey Deschanel from fledging series "New Girl," Julia Louis-Dreyfus from HBO's "Veep," Claire Danes f...

Green Day star Billie Joe Armstrong's theatrical debut in 2010 and 2011 has helped him land a big TV role opposite Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie.

The punk rocker will play a potential love interest for Falco's drug-using medic character in the opening episode of season four, which will air in April, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Armstrong, who turns 40 next month, made his professional acting debut on Broadway in the Green Day musical American Idiot.

He'll join new cast member Rosie Perez on the hit show.

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is taking his first steps into acting by accepting a role on hit TV show Nurse Jackie.

The singer has spent time on the Broadway stage starring in his band's musical American Idiot and now he is moving to the small screen by joining the fourth series of Edie Falco's show.

Nurse Jackie's executive producer Richie Jackson revealed the news by posting a picture of Armstrong and Falco on Twitter.com, writing, "Edie and our new cast member (Billie Joe Armstrong)! Wait til you see the season premiere!"

Hit drama Mad Men looks set to dominate the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards after scoring 19 nominations, including Best Drama.

Mad Men star Jon Hamm will go up against the likes of Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Hugh Laurie (House) and Michael C. Hall (Dexter) for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, while his co-star Elisabeth Moss will battle for the lead actress prize against Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and Kathy Bates (Harry's Law).

The Outstanding Drama Series category will be a closely-fought affair - Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Dexter, Friday Night Ligh...

When last we left Breaking Bad's Marie Schrader, she had seen her husband, DEA agent Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), shot four times. Accusing his colleagues of not doing enough to protect him, she found help in the person of her sister, Skyler White (Deadwood's Anna Gunn), who offered to pay for Hank's medical expenses...with money that Marie believes came from illegal card counting. Oh, if she only knew. Now as season four of Breaking Bad arrives next week, I sat down with actress Betsy Brandt to discuss Marie's continuing journey and what it's been like to live in her skin for this ...

Jackie wakes up as Kevin is tiptoeing out of the room. He wanted to let her sleep, but he wants to get in some batting practice before the day starts. As she gets the kids ready for school, she watches Grace and Fiona take their vitamins, and her face, grim with craving, causes Grace to ask her mother if she wants a vitamin. “No thanks, sweetie. Those are for you.” says Jackie. But I think she’s thinking about Grace’s Xanax.

At the Batting Cage, Kevin is furiously swatting at the balls, with Eddie watching. Kevin tells Eddie that he can’t look at Jackie anymore. All of the unspoken things,...

After a week of cold turkey, out of meds, and with her pusher dead, Jackie’s beginning to see the very cold light of reality. As though jonesing for drugs wasn’t enough punishment, the world keeps spinning, and Jackie keeps trying to keep all the balls of her life in the air.

First up, Jackie and Kevin’s daughter, Grace, has asked her psychologist to put her on medication. Grace can’t get her thoughts to slow down, and her dream journal chronicles nightmares about animals and fire. She’s also afraid she’s going to start pulling her hair out again. The psychologist recommends a child sized ...

Jackie is woken from sleep by Grace, who feels like her heart is racing. Over a 2 a.m. cup of cocoa, Grace shows Jackie and Kevin her collection of cards depicting ‘gruesome saints’ deaths,’ which her parents suspect may be causing the sleeplessness. Sipping from her “World’s Greatest Mom” mug, Jackie is pleased when Kevin tells her she’s a good mom.

The next morning, she slips out to score drugs at the East Bay Diner. The nasty drug dealer, Bill, is still charging her $200. per daily dose of 5 pills, though he claims he gave her 6. Leaving, she bumps into Sam, who asks if she’s a friend o...

At the pub, Grace has been Google-ing various names for Satan. Oh, and Justin Bieber, which I believe, may be another of those names. Then Aunt Tunie explains to Fiona and Grace that, should they be arrested, they should use their one phone call to call her. A fight breaks out between two patrons, and Kevin brandishes a baseball bat to make them leave. Later that night, Jackie and Kevin gets amorous.

Next morning, Jackie is Google-ing various names for oxycontin. But when Kevin checks Jackie’s history, all he finds are searches for AA meetings and withdrawal symptoms. Later, Tunie tells J...

Is Zoey going a little loony? Jackie can’t understand why Zoey is getting so upset over some regular visitors to the ER, and then can’t understand why Eddie is texting Tunie. Hang on – maybe Jackie is the one getting a little loony! Jackie warns Eddie that Tunie was up half the night, hacking in to her ex-boyfriend, the pilot’s, email. But go for it, if that’s what you want. He offers her valium, to take the edge off. “There is no edge,” she says, then races off to where she’s hidden the last of her private stash, in a ceiling tile in an unused office.

The stash, the last of the pills she...

Jackie’s elaborate hiding skills are shown as she transfers bags of pills to various stashes in the laundry room.

At lunch with Dr. O’Hara, Jackie intervenes when a belligerent customer berates a waitress, and forces him to apologize for his actions. O’Hara is amused, and says she has missed Jackie. Looks like they are back to being BFFs.

Zooey, working her first double shift, has attached a pedometer to her scrubs – every step counts! It’s morning, and she’s already up to 5000 steps. She’s speed-walking in place to up the mileage. Akalitus shows the staff a bus advertisement that Bellev...

As "Optimistic Voices" from "The Wizard of Oz," plays, Jackie continues to try to win Kevin’s trust back by making pancakes, and preparing special sandwiches for his lunch. She also tells him that she’s put in a good word for Eddie at the hospital, and she thinks he has a shot at getting the job.

The lilting Munchkin voices should have alerted us that things are going to get weird. We’re definitely not in Kansas, my friends.

When she wakes Gracie and Fiona, she discovers Kevin’s sister, Tunie, has stayed the night. Apparently Tunie’s sugar daddy boyfriend broke up with her, via text messa...

In the latest episode of "Nurse Jackie," Jackie and Kevin walk Fiona and Grace to school, for Fiona’s first day. As other students skip double dutch, the teacher tells Fiona that the other students will be excited to meet her.

In Akalitus’ office, she too is attempting rope skipping, as she studies a photo of her idol, Michelle Obama, in full jump. Zoey interrupts, saying she has a complaint. The Maternity ward nurses have been stealing all of the good plastic gloves. Akalitus tells her to steal them back, but Zoey is afraid that she’ll be caught and not able to dissemble if questioned. Zo...

Nurse Jackie's third season arrived on our TVs on Monday night. I saw the pilot when it premiered, but I've been saying that I'd go back to it and never did. Thanks for kicking me in the behind, Showtime! So let's take a look at how this season shapes up, shall we?

The one great pleasure for me with this show is its cast. It's safe to say that Edie Falco has officially broken typecasting with her Emmy-winning performance as Jackie Peyton, and I give her credit for making an insufferable character more likable than I would have thought. But the real joys for me are the names I've see...

Some interventions just don’t take. And addicts can twist the simplest fact into a pretzel. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Jackie’s response to her husband Kevin’s interrogation about her pharmacy purchases was a litany of explanations and complaints that neatly explained away her guilt.

But no matter how glib her cover up, Jackie’s still got some ‘splaining to do. Let’s see – she’s addicted to pain killers, having an affair with a co-worker, is coping with a child with mental issues, has taken money from a rich co-worker/friend for her kid’s education even though the father doesn’t w...

Lesbian country singer Chely Wright has been tipped to take the top music prize at the upcoming Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards.

The singer rocked the world of country music in May by becoming the genre's first openly gay star, and now GLAAD bosses have recognized her with a nomination in the Outstanding Music Artist category for her album Lifted Off the Ground.

She'll go up against Scissor Sisters (Night Work), Antony and the Johnsons (Swanlights), Big Freedia (Big Freedia Hitz Vol. 1) and Kele Okereke (The Boxer).

Cher and Christina Aguilera's movie Bu...

Melissa Etheridge's former partner Tammy Lynn Michaels has voiced her anger after revelations of the star's new relationship hit headlines this week .

The Come To My Window hit-maker ended her nine-year romance with Michaels in April 2010, and the break-up turned messy last summer as they battled over finances and custody of their four-year-old twins, Johnnie Rose and Miller.

Etheridge has found love again with TV writer Linda Wallem, who ironically acted as 'best man' at the pair's wedding in 2003, and after news of the relationship broke on Tuesday, Michaels took to her blog to claim ...

Singer Melissa Etheridge has bounced back following her split from longterm partner Tammy Lynn Michaels last year - she's reportedly found love with TV writer Linda Wallem.

The hitmaker ended her nine-year relationship with Michaels in April 2010, and the break-up turned messy last summer as they battled over finances and custody of their four-year-old twins, Johnnie Rose and Miller.

But the lesbian star has refused to let the bitter split impact her search for lasting love and she's since settled down with her best friend Wallem, creator of medical drama "Nurse Jackie."

Ironically, Wall...

Strapless and shoulder-baring dresses were popular at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards, and many celebrities walked the red carpet wearing all sorts of beautiful dresses.

Of course, there were a few duds as well, including "Modern Family" star Julie Bowen who showed a little nipple and Helena Bonham Carter who wore two different colored shoes.

Take a look at the photos below, and tell us what you think were the best and worst of the evening!

THE MISSES!

"Mad Men" star January Jones showed too much for such a classy event

Christina Aguilera

Sandra Bullock looks like she got stuc...

Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey's hit comedy 30 Rock has landed a trio of nominations for the 2011 Writers Guild Awards.

The sitcom will compete with Modern Family, Glee, Nurse Jackie and The Office for the best comedy series title, while 30 Rock has landed two mentions in the comedy episode category.

Martin Scorsese's hit show Boardwalk Empire has scored critical acclaim with nominations for new series and drama series, which will see it go head-to-head with Mad Men, Dexter, Friday Night Lights and Breaking Bad, which is another triple nominee alongside Modern Family.

The shortlists for the f...

It's Emmy time again, kids. And you know what that means: Mega Emmy Diary time.

Now this is something of special ceremony in my estimation as it is so chock full of new nominees (four alone in each comedic supporting category!) that we're likely to see some surprises and some truly touched performers break through.

So, without further ado, let's see what Jimmy Fallon can do...

5:00 – We start with a backstage shot – one of my favorite things about the Emmys has always been when the person directing the show wins and we get a look at the show being put together as it happens. So, needless...

Hit drama "Mad Men" and comedy newcomer "Modern Family" were the toast of the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night, winning the evening's top honors.

"Mad Men's" win for best drama series marked the third consecutive time the 1960s hit took the prize, seeing off competition this year from "Breaking Bad," "Dexter," "The Good Wife," "Lost" and blood-sucking vampire series "True Blood."

Best comedy series winner "Modern Family" topped "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Nurse Jackie," "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Glee" for its big win. The show's Eric Stonestreet took home the night's first prize...

It’s a transitional year for the Emmys, meaning this is one of the more exciting races in recent memories. The flood of new nominees (brought on by a stellar development slate) means that we can no longer rely on the predictable Emmy voting to determine winners. Instead, this is a year where we can see many newcomers emerging and starting a whole new slate of predictable nominees.

Yes, that was a little cynical, but it’s the sad truth of the Emmys – habits are hard to break for the voters. Luckily, this year the virgin nominees have afforded them an extensive choice for brand new habits.

...

Sexy reality star Kim Kardashian, supermodel Christie Brinkley, and "Twilight" vamp Ashley Greene, and other celebs attended an ovarian cancer research fund event in Water Mill, New York, on Tuesday.

Kim stood out in a frilly bright orange skirt, white sleeveless blouse and chunky belt, while Ashley opted for a simple white shift dress. Christie looked fresh in a beige dress with a bright blue necklace.

Other stars in attendance included "Nurse Jackie's" Edie Falco, TV host Kelly Ripa, Kim's sister Khloe and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

More: Cele...

Sexy Modern Family star Sofia Vergara is preparing to stop traffic in Los Angeles after the Emmy Awards - she's promised to walk naked down Sunset Boulevard if her sitcom wins.

The hit TV show is up for a total of 14 Emmys, including a nomination for the Colombian bombshell in the category of Best Supporting Actress. Network bosses at ABC responded to the success of Modern Family by running a "for your consideration" ad in industry publication Variety, declaring that if the show beats Glee, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Nurse Jackie, The Office and 30 Rock to the Outstanding Comedy Series prize,...

Hit TV musical "Glee" is set to be the toast of the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards after landing a massive 19 nominations.

The comedy about a group of high school students in a choir club will fight for the Outstanding TV Comedy prize against "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Modern Family," "Nurse Jackie," "The Office" and "30 Rock," which has taken home the title for the last three years.

"Glee's" leading stars Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele have been nominated in the male and female categories for the outstanding comedy actor awards, while their co-star Chris Colfer has received a best supporting...

On the season two premiere of "Nurse Jackie," it quickly became apparent that the season finale setup of Jackie's boyfriend talking to Jackie's husband wasn't going to be something quickly resolved or addressed. The episode began with Jackie's day on the beach with her daughters and still clueless husband.

Jackie thought she could ignore Eddie because he was no longer at the hospital, so Eddie overdosed. Since Eddie is a pharmacist, he knew exactly how many pills were enough to land him in the hospital and get Jackie's attention. Jackie was upset enough to bring cake home to her daughters...

"Dancing with the Stars" is back! The favorite reality competition will return Monday for its tenth season with 11 new celebrities strutting their stuff for this season's grand title. They're saying that this will be the best season yet, and they may be right if they mean it will be the best season to see the most hysterical dancers to date. They've put together quite the cast for season 10, and although I don't normally like to pick a winner before the premiere, I'm already putting my money on either Evan Lysacek, the Olympic gold medal figure skater, or Nicole Scherzinger, the Pussycat Do...

Nurse Jackie became Showtime’s newest hit show when it premiered last summer. Less than a whole year to wait, the second season premieres Monday night. Series creators Liz Brixus and Linda Wallem previewed the new drama in store for cable’s favorite pill popping health care professional.

“We wanted to tighten the noose around Jackie,” Brixus said. “Just from a pure storytelling point of view, we are thinking, ‘What is going to make her life a little bit more dangerous every time she gets out of bed?’ It's going to be if her boyfriend reaches out to her husband and wants to become friends. ...