Sad news this morning!  Maura Tierney — I loved her in NewsRadio and ER and I hear she was very good in Rescue Me as well — has been forced to relinquish her role on the upcoming new series Parenthood.  

Production had originally been delayed while Maura dealt with a “mystery illness.”  It was later revealed that she had breast cancer that resulted in having a tumor removed in July, but by delaying filming until November, she would be ready for the show’s midseason timeline.  Now, it appears that Tierney’s treatment is going to take longer than expected and she has withdrawn from the show.  The studio is scrambling to recast her role.

Maura, you are one of the few, solidly talented actresses out there that I really love!  You have a sincerity and likability that reaches right out of my television screen.  Get better soon now, y’hear?

… smoking, that is, not Grey’s Anatomy, which is what I really want her to quit. Maybe I could start watching that show again if I didn’t have to hear Izzie’s whiny little voice in every other scene.

But, anyway, T.R. Knight tells In Touch that Katie’s quitting, and he’s trying to be supportive. “You have to be ready and find it in yourself,” he says. This isn’t the first time Katie’s said she’s quitting, so we’ll just wait and see. I have to say, though, I must have tried to quit 100 times before it actually stuck. By the end, I was telling my friends, “Oh, I quit smoking!” and they were just like “That’s nice,” like they didn’t care or believe me at all — and understandably so — and that shit just made me want to quit even more.

Meanwhile, the world of cigarette-lovin’ TV docs continues to turn, with ER’s Maura Tierney giving this quote about her smoking to Glamour mag:

“When I can’t have one, I’m fucked. I’ve found myself doing things I’m not proud of, like digging through the trash for a butt. Or smoking through bronchitis . . . During a five-minute break at work, I’ve had to make the decision: Should I pee, or should I smoke? I’ve tried to do both at the same time, and it’s not very satisfying.”