Joely Fisher Savors Renewal of Vows, Even Without Dad

Joely Fisher, busy playing Brad Garrett's better half on Fox's "'Til Death" sitcom, is still savoring her remarriage to cinematographer Christopher Duddy, which took place on the sands of Mexico's Vallarta Nayarit on New Year's Eve.

Joely Fisher Savors Renewal of Vows, Even Without Dad

Some 120 guests were there to cheer on Joely and Christopher as they celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary with a renewal of their wedding vows. Among those present: mom Connie Stevens, sister Tricia, and a host of friends ranging from Camryn Manheim to Mariska Hargitay.  Among the missing: her half sister Carrie Fisher, who was in London, and their father, Eddie Fisher, who, says Joely, "wanted desperately to be there -- well, as desperately as he is capable of."

Thinking back to the years when she and Tricia were young and their father chose not to be a part of their lives, she says, "I don't see him that often. I'd say it was a couple of years this time, and I do know he's been going through another dark period in his life, losing his last wife."

She wants us to know, "I don't harbor the same ill feelings toward him I used to. It takes more of a toll on me than him. He was the one who missed out on so much." She pauses a moment, then comments, "He did tell me he watches my series, and that's a good thing."

Not good is the fact that her childhood left her convinced, "I'd never get married. I had no reason to believe fairy tales happen in this business. But then I met Christopher and came to realize it is possible to have a good marriage to a good man in Hollywood."

And now her sister is realizing it, too. Tricia is engaged to actor/musician Byron Thames, with a wedding tentatively set for July.

Her mom -- a two-time marital loser, after failed unions to actor Jim Stacy and finally to a reluctant Eddie Fisher -- is, says Joely, "thrilled that both her daughters found such good guys. I'm sure she'll be throwing a spectacular wedding."

CLASH OF THE FASHION: Jeffrey Sebelia, the heavily tattooed designer who won season three of Bravo's "Project Runway" -- and may well be the only designer on the scene who found his calling when enrolled in sewing class as part of a drug rehab stint -- doesn't think much of fashion industry stalwarts who put down reality television that focuses on their world. "So much of the fashion industry is an old boys' club. It's a dinosaur," he says. "Things needed to change."

He also says, "Karl Lagerfeld pooh-poohed reality shows about fashion design, but I've just been downloading Karl Lagerfeld on YouTube, a short series where he was running his little couture number getting ready for a fashion show, and that was really a reality show. Any more, 'reality' can replace the word 'documentary,'" opines Sebelia, who unveils his Moviefone.com blog on awards fashions today (1/16). Sebelia, by the way, designed Seal's suit for last night's Golden Globes -- and, of course, he'll be giving his uncensored insights on who wore what at the event.

Sebelia also happens to have high praise for Lagerfeld for, among other things, the designer's way of evoking sexuality in his fashion, even with gowns that cover up the wearer. "One thing I'm tired of in these red carpet fashions is the over-reliance on exposure of the flesh. Every once in a while it's like a Hail Mary pass -- I don't know what else to do, so I'm going to cut this out."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Oprah Winfrey is set to pop up on tonight's episode of "Boston Legal" -- well, sort of. "It might not be the real Oprah, but it's Oprah," says "BL" regular Constance Zimmer with a laugh. She adds the Queen of Television won't be offended. "She's not seen in a bad light at all. It's just a really great way to move a storyline." The actress, who joined the cast as the bitter, sarcastic attorney Claire Simms this season, says "BL" creator David Kelley "blows my mind. It's very exciting to read the scripts because he has his finger on the pulse of whatever everyone's talking about in the news and at the water cooler. I've learned almost as much as you can learn listening to National Public Radio since I've been on this show."

In upcoming episodes, Zimmer says "Boston Legal" will tackle such timely issues as "that new memory drug that wipes out the bad memories and how some corporations out there are claiming you can be cured of being homosexual or bisexual."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Is Hollywood out of ideas? 'Course not. Casting has been underway for a possible one-hour action-comedy series called "Happy Valley Park Rangers," which is being touted as having the "sex appeal and female bonding of 'Charlie's Angels,' with the action and technological gadgetry of 'The A-Team' and 'MacGyver.'" Wow. The gals involved are California park rangers-crime fighters named Dawn, Swallow, and Sunshine, all of whom no doubt have pretty hair.

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)