“Freshmen,” a multi-camera ensemble about three first-year members of Congress who live together in a Washington, D.C., row house, has interesting names behind it. Greg Malins, of “How I Met Your Mother,” wrote it; his producing partner is Arianna Huffington (yes, that Arianna Huffington); and Pam Fryman, director and executive producer of “How I Met Your Mother,” is directing it. Icing on the cake: Sarah Chalke (“Scrubs”) is a lead.

The network has not announced which shows will make it through to the final line-up during the 2010-2011 schedule, but let’s hope that “Freshmen” gets picked up!

Chalke has joined the cast of “Freshmen,” which centers on the friendship of three freshmen members of Congress — two men and a woman — who live together in D.C.

Chalke will play the woman, Jane, a beautiful, smart and funny freshman Congresswoman who was the VP at a multi-billion dollar company when she was just 28, and who won her district with the largest margin of any candidate since 1977. However, when it comes to men, Jane is a disaster waiting to happen.

Greg Malins (“How I Met Your Mother”) wrote the script and is executive-producing with Arianna Huffington.

Chalke, who played Dr. Elliot Reid on “Scrubs” for eight years, reprised the character in several episodes of the show this season.

From Reuters

“We had lots of babies around and I’ve always known I want to be a mother,” the Scrubs star tells Fit Pregnancy.

Even so, Sarah didn’t believe the news when she first discovered she was expecting! Unable to “wrap my head around, that there [was] a baby living inside me,” she stocked up on pregnancy tests until she was truly convinced.

“I did four pregnancy tests because I didn’t believe it, then there’s the ultrasound and they give you a due date!”

“It all feels pretty miraculous, especially feeling the baby kick,” she notes, despite enduring a rough first trimester that included all-day nausea. Once over the bump, however, the rest of the time was a breeze, with the expectant mama taking time to indulge in her intense cravings!

“When I first got pregnant, about a week before the morning sickness kicked in, I was just starving all the time,” she admits, adding that she often looked for “bland, simple foods like carbs” and salt-and-vinegar chips.

Always up for a bit of ice-cream, Sarah quickly developed a newfound love of her sister’s baked goods. “I remember talking to my sister while she was making chocolate chip cookies and I just couldn’t stop thinking about them,” she laughs.

And although the homestretch proved to be a bit nerve-wracking — “like I [was] cramming for exams” — the biggest surprise came in the form of sleep — or lack thereof! “The insomnia! I’ve never had trouble sleeping before,” she insists.

“I [would] wake up and go and do stuff — check e-mails, clean closets, steam some milk and go back to sleep — I guess this is nesting, and also my body preparing to be up at night.”

While she approached Charlie’s birth with an open mind — with her goal to go “as natural as possible” — Sarah never thought twice about her stance on breastfeeding.

“I think it’s such a cool bonding experience and it also feels like you are giving your baby a better shot at health. And it’s so much easier.”

After staying fit with prenatal Pilates, Sarah understands the pressure put on her by Hollywood to bounce back after baby. However, she is determined to shed the pregnancy pounds in her own time.

“I want to spend time getting to know my baby,” she explains. “I can’t wait to put the baby in a carrier or buggy and bring him to a mommy-and-me class.”

Sarah will take the same laid back approach when it comes to heading back to work. Ready to “play it by ear,” the new mama recognizes the opportunities her job as an actress has to offer. “I feel lucky that in my line of work I can have both the career and the family.”

Stocking her closet with an eclectic mix of maternity wear — from Isabella Oliver to Liz Lange for Target — Sarah is looking forward to now putting her efforts toward shopping for baby. “I tossed any skin care products with parabens and just use natural stuff like Dr. Hauschka and Josie Maran’s line,” she says. “And it’s fun to find natural stuff for the baby, like Rosie Hippo, Kicky Pants, and Serena & Lily’s organic bedding.”

A first-time mom, Sarah is confident that she and Jamie will be nothing short of great parents. After being raised with a “no unnecessary no policy” in which no’s were kept for “really important things,” Sarah is ready to let baby Charlie find his own way.

“You need to find that balance, so that your kids respect you and still have a relationship that feels right,” she notes.

“One thing is for sure: I’m gonna love the crap out of this kid.”

From Celebrity Baby Blog

It’s a boy for Sarah Chalke!

The Scrubs star and fiancé Jamie Afifi, an entertainment lawyer, welcomed son Charlie Rhodes Afifi on Christmas Eve, her rep confirms to PEOPLE exclusively.

The baby boy is the first child for the actress, 33, and Afifi, 36, who were engaged in Dec. 2006. The couple announced the pregnancy in August.

Charlie will have some company in the Scrubs nursery – Chalke’s costar Judy Reyes welcomed daughter Leila Rey in November.

Source

The DVD cover art for “Maneater” has just been released! The DVD release is set for February 9, 2010 – so make sure you grab a copy!

You can see both photos by clicking on the thumbnail image to the left of this post!

Site wise, since its going to be slow with Sarah for a while, you can expect a brand new layout, more gallery updates – mainly captures, and I will also be working on site content pages and more media downloads!

Sarah Chalke talked to DVR Playground about her return to the ninth season of Scrubs, discussing what’s in store for the on-screen couple. She claims she’ll be back for a few more episodes in the future, and is excited about how her story will unfold. The actress also revealed the gender J.D. and Elliot’s baby, which is definitely something to look forward to.

Possible spoilers below!

“I’m signed on for four episodes and when I do return Elliot will get to be involved with both J.D. and the hospital,” Chalke explained. “Which is great, because the new cast is fantastic.”

Though her real-life pregnancy was written into the show, the whole story doesn’t end there. We mentioned earlier that the star’s expecting a son, but as for J.D. and Elliot?

“For Elliot and J.D. it’s a girl, for me it’s a boy,” Sarah Chalke revealed. She even talked about names she wouldn’t really want to give the baby.

“In terms of names, nothing has been picked out for both Elliot or myself, which is a problem because the [real-life] baby is coming in a few weeks and is due on Christmas. Although I feel like it would be very-J.D-like to choose “JD Jr.” even though personally I’m very anti-junior!”

Elliot will certainly have to balance her time between working in the hospital and caring for the baby once it’s out, but Sarah Chalke remains optimistic about the whole season. Scrubs has, after all, cheated cancellation several times before.

She said, “Scrubs was the best job I’ve ever had by far and after-season-after-season of “Oh God it’s Over!” it’s really kind of cool that the show gets to live on.”

From Buddy TV

Sarah Chalke voices Magee, a no-nonsense elf who is head of the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center. Magee spends 364 days a year working to ensure Santa’s gifts are delivered to the right house on time. She and her elite team of elves prep the houses before Santa even arrives—hers is a behind the scenes kind of job that requires a certain kind of elf to pull it off. Sarah describes Magee as a “perfectionist [who’s] high-strung and super into her job.” How does Magee get through those tougher days? “She talks really fast and chugs egg nog lattes to stay awake,” Sarah admits, laughing.

You can check out Sarah’s jittery elf voice when Prep and Landing airs on ABC on December 8th.

Christmas TV Tradition

Sarah says: “To be part of a Christmas special was really fun because I remembered so much that as a kid growing up, you sit down altogether with your family and watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. Those [Christmas specials] really stick out in my mind as strong Christmas memories, so get to be a part of that is really cool.” Prep and Landing was executive produced by John Lasseter, one of the big names behind Pixar, so with that kind of pedigree there’s a good chance Magee and crew will be around for many more Christmas’ to come.

Special Delivery

Sarah is expecting her first child, a son, on Christmas Day! “When I started recording [the voice for Prep and Landing], I wasn’t even pregnant, so it’s fun to get to do something that will effect your kids.” Is Sarah as prepared for Christmas as Magee? “I only have a month left, so it’s kind of crazy,” Sarah admits. “We have a couple names [picked out], but I don’t think we have it yet. We’ve got to meet him first!”

Remember to check out Sarah in Prep & Landing on December 8th on ABC!

From Kidz World

Prep and Landing airs December 1 at 8:30 pm and takes viewers inside the world of an elite unit of Elves that secure Santa’s journey each Christmas Eve. Think of Prep and Landing’s crew as Santa’s Secret Service.

SheKnows: What was it like for you to be a part of a holiday film — something that can and will be played for hundreds of years now?

Sarah Chalke: That was the thing that was so cool about this is when I think about Christmas memories as a kid, one of the things that stands out is me and my sisters all on the couch watching Charlie Brown. I feel like it’s amazing to be a part of one of those and to have something for your kids to watch that you did.

SheKnows: I know you grew up in Canada, what first brought you to Los Angeles, or New York…what brought you to the US?

Sarah Chalke: I grew up in Vancouver which was a cool spot to grow up if you wanted to act. Because, it was Hollywood North and it still is now. There is so much that is shot in Vancouver.

SheKnows: Yeah, much more than the X-Files…

Sarah Chalke: (Laughs) It’s a great place to start as opposed to this giant pond (Los Angeles). It’s good to figure stuff out, which still felt giant-like to me, it was nice to have a resource that I felt when I got here I had a tiny bit of experience under my belt. What brought me down here was I auditioned for something that they told me was for a new show. In fact, it was for Becky (from Roseanne). So, I got a part on Roseanne. That was the first time I came to LA and ended up working for four years without fully moving here. I just kind of went back and forth to Vancouver because I was 17 and still finishing high school. I worked in Canada for a few years after that and then decided at 24, OK, now I’m like I’m ready to move there and my best friend just finished film school. We packed up her truck and got a six-month sublet down here — that was all we could wrap our heads around. “OK, we can do this for six months.”

We both laugh.

Sarah Chalke (continuing): Then I had the Scrubs audition after about a year.

SheKnows: Besides Scrubs, another favorite of mine that you have been a part of is How I Met Your Mother. I know the character of Robin (Cobie Smulders) is made fun of all the time because she is from Canada. Does that part of the show ever get to you as a Canuck?

Sarah Chalke: (Laughs) Are you kidding me? I love it! It’s so good. It’s nice to see these little homages to Canada. I see them as more (laughs) homage than mocking. I think it’s absolutely hysterical. She’s from Vancouver as well.

SheKnows: Cobie’s representing!

Sarah Chalke: I love all the hockey references…

SheKnows: …and the Hoser bar.

Sarah Chalke: (Laughs) I know! And the Canadian words that we all get completely messed on all the time. You’ll be in a conversation with somebody and you’ll be dropping words like parkade, or garburator, or tuke and they look at you like you’re crazy.

SheKnows: (Laughs)

Sarah Chalke: It’s another land.

SheKnows: I know I asked about the importance to you as an actress to be a part of a holiday movie. But, what about having a role in a Disney movie? What did that aspect mean to you?

Prep & Landing: inside Santa’s journey
Joel D Amos

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Disney’s Prep and Landing is ABC’s premiere TV special completely overseen by the iconic Walt Disney Animation Studios. Prep and Landing star Sarah Chalke gives SheKnows a call for an exclusive chat about her role in both the holiday film and Disney legacy as well as how this talented Canadian performer landed in Hollywood via an audition for a “new” show that turned out to be Roseanne.
Sarah savors the Lassiter legacy

Sarah Chalke: It’s an honor to be part of a John Lassiter project too.

SheKnows: Oh, absolutely.

Sarah Chalke: His movies are my favorites. Up…just floored me. The way that he combines the funny and the heartwarming on Up, you’re laughing and crying within the first 10 minutes. There’s always something fun for the whole family and every single age group, too. He incorporated that into Prep and Landing as well. We grew up being obsessed with Disney movies. It was really cool to be a part of.

Prep and Landing airs December 1 on ABC

SheKnows: I know the voice acting element is a bit different having been there, done that. How did you find that challenge as opposed to live action like on Scrubs?

Sarah Chalke: Yeah, it’s so different. It’s really fun. You go in there, not with the other actors. It’s just you.

SheKnows: Yeah…

Sarah Chalke: You’re not doing a scene with them going back and forth. You go through your character line by line. It’s kind of fun. Whereas when you’re filming something you might have a few different takes to try different stuff. There’s going to be a finite number of takes whereas with animation, it’s just you and the writer and directors and the microphone. You can really take a line and go through it 20 different times. You’re just doing fun thing with your voice. It’s a really interesting, fun and different way to work. I also love the whole premise of the story.

SheKnows: Seriously, Santa Claus doesn’t just take off and land without help!

Sarah Chalke: It’s the untold story of these elves that go to the homes and establish things on a whole nether level before Santa even gets there. These elves make sure everything’s going to be perfect for him.

SheKnows: Like the Secret Service advance team.

Sarah Chalke: Yeah, totally (laughs)!

SheKnows: When you first saw yourself in animated form, I don’t know if you first saw a sketch before laying your tracks, what was it like when you saw yourself drawn?
Sarah sees herself in a new light

Sarah Chalke: One of my favorite parts of this character is that she’s adorable. She has this homemade jingle bell jewelry, jingling around all the time. She’s chugging egg nog lattes so they can be awake for these crazy shifts they have to work. She’s such a perfectionist and so high strung. I thought she was the cutest thing when I saw the drawings. It’s really fun because I had no idea what she was going to look like – then it was fun to see the drawings and then the storyboards, each time we would go in, they would let us take a peak at the next layer of animation that had been done. That was so cool to see the different stages that it goes through. It’s an amazing process. The writers and directors are working on this for the past few years.
Sarah chalke’s holiday traditions

SheKnows: Do you have any personal holiday traditions you could share with our readers? Maybe some you’ve have kept from your childhood…

Sarah Chalke: Yes! One, that I’m going to promise my kids that we have to carry on, is my favorite was my grandmother made this amazing thing, German soup, called Heinz Chocolate en Faxen. It was hot chocolate soup with whipping cream. You can imagine as a kid, that’s Christmas morning breakfast.

SheKnows: Yum!

Sarah Chalke: (Laughs) So, getting to sit down to a hot bowl of melted chocolate with whip cream on top at eight in the morning (laughs)…you’re head will explode!

SheKnows: (Laughing) The kid in me cannot even wrap his head around it.

Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke in Scrubs

Sarah Chalke: I know, it’s pretty nuts. I’m definitely going to carry on that. But, my favorite thing to make and eat in the world is pumpkin pie. That is something I’ve made in different incarnations throughout my life. I was a vegetarian for a while. I was a vegan for a while. There was a soy, maple syrup vegan version. And then there’s the full-on, yummy, delicious one with pumpkin – that is a tradition that I will keep doing too. We also have a tradition in my family called Desentera. My mom grew up with them and we did as well. It’s sort of like this little plate of…German deserts.

SheKnows: Again…yum!

Sarah Chalke: But, they’re all kind of…you kind excited as a kid because you get this plate of candy. We would never get candy. I grew up in a house with no-sugar cereal — none of that. So, you get this plate of candy but everything is all Marzipan and all…(laughs).

We both laugh.

Sarah Chalke: (Laughing) It’s a little anticlimactic. I think I need to carry that one on with my kids, too.

SheKnows: You’ve got too! Well, Sarah, happy holidays to you and thanks for visiting with SheKnows.

Sarah Chalke: Thanks for having me, Joel.

From She Knows

“I was actually kicked out of the choir when I was in Grade 5,” she says. “My sister and I, we’re not very musical, so our choir teacher would say, ‘Chalke girls, just mouth the words for this performance.’ And this was not a professional choir, this was all the kids from the class going to the mall and singing. Like, ‘Is it really gonna hurt if you have two people who are not in tune?’ We were so excited about Christmas and excited about this mall performance, so there we were mouthing the words to ‘Here Comes Santa Claus.’ For some reason, that song just really brings that back. And it scarred us for life. The reason I wanted to go into acting was because I wanted to be Eponine in Les Mis, and then that just kind of had to go by the wayside.”

Is there a holiday song for which you harbor a secret, irrational hatred? Because we know you’ll share, we’ll give you a gift after the jump: Chalke’s equally mortifying hilarious answer to the question “What’s the most embarrassing song on your iPod?”

“The most embarrassing song on my iPod is ‘Baby Got Back’ by Sir Mix-A-Lot. And what’s more embarrassing than the song is probably the number of times it gets played,” she says. “For Grad Parent Night in Grade 12, a lot of the kids played violin or did, like, a skill. Ten of my girlfriends and I did a dance to ‘Baby Got Back.’ I know every single word. That’s my karaoke go-to, because I can’t sing anything with any sort of a melody. Not that ‘Baby Got Back’ doesn’t have melody, ’cause it does. I take it very seriously.”

From EW.com

Now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that Maneater will arrive on DVD this coming February 9th. Video will be anamorphic widescreen. Audio options will be an English 5.1 soundtrack, and a Portuguese 5.1 soundtrack. Subtitles will also be in English and Portuguese , plus it will be closed captioned. Extras, if any, have not been mentioned. Nor do we have box art yet, but stay tuned for that. In the meantime, this will be a single disc release running 176 minutes long, at a cost of $24.94 SRP.

From TV Shows on DVD

The chat will now take place Monday, November 7th at 11am!

You can see the stills by clicking on the thumbnails below!

I have also added a new theme into the picture gallery, so make sure you check it out!

Join us on Tuesday, December 1st at 11am PT for a live Q&A chat with Sarah Chalke from ABC’s new holiday special Disney Prep & Landing and Scrubs!

Prep & Landing tells the story of the elite group of elves who must prepare each and every house for Santa’s arrival. Sarah voices Magee, the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator who dispatches Wayne (Dave Foley) and Lanny (Derek Richardson) on their pre-Christmas mission.

Prep & Landing is ABC’s first special produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, with Pixar guru John Lasseter executive producing.

Watch Sarah in action as Magee here and check out more video clips from the special!

Be sure to sign up for a chat reminder to receive an email when the chat is about to begin, and don’t forget to catch Prep & Landing on ABC, airing December 1st at 8:30PM ET.

You can sign up for a reminder and join in on the chat at TV.com

Sarah Chalke has been enjoying being back in her “Scrubs” gear as Dr. Elliot Reid filming shows for the series’ Dec. 1-debuting new season “that’s centered around a med school with all these young cast members, John C. McGinley’s character (Dr. Cox), and Turk (Donald Faison). It’s been so much fun to be back and see everybody,” she says. “I’m doing around four episodes and then I’ll go have the baby. I was tired at the beginning of the pregnancy, then loaded with energy in the middle. I can feel that tired is starting to come back now.”

Chalke, who is expecting next month with her fiance, attorney Jamie Afifi, says that the show “definitely parallels real life” in terms of her pregnancy. She and Zach Braff are on hand to help launch the new version. He’s reportedly aboard for six episodes. And his character’s flash-forward at the end of last season has become true — J.D. and Elliot have married and are expecting. Chalke smilingly notes, “That flash-forward — I was obviously not pregnant at that time because we filmed it over a year ago.”

The beautiful Chalke will also be heard Dec. 1 as the voice of the elf who serves as Santa’s command center coordinator on the animated Disney special “Prep & Landing.”

“My character is a multi-tasker; she can do 10 things at once. She wears jingle-bell jewelry. And she has an obsession with scalding hot lattes — she chugs eggnog lattes in giant bowl mugs. She’s up around the clock,” describes the actress. Dave Foley also provides a star voice for the special — the first Walt Disney animation special for ABC, produced by John Lasseter.