The scene furrowed a few brows among the critic crowd, and sure enough, someone asked creator Paul Scheuring and his fellow producers whether they thought the scene would make it past network censors.

They're not sure -- and they shot an underwear-clad version just to be safe. But it turns out that the shot has a name.

"I love naked men," Ratner interjects, drawing a big laugh from the crowd. "He would not direct it unless we had that," fellow exec producer Dawn Parouse adds.

The session ended there, so we didn't get a chance to ask the "Rush Hour" and "X-Men 3" director whether he was being serious.

'War at Home' -- Too Soon?

Yes, we know that the "War on Terror" is now a "Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism," and we know with absolute certainty that FOX's new series is a family comedy starring Michael Rapaport. Still, premiering a show called "The War at Home" on Sept. 11 just seems to be asking for trouble.

"Did I think it was the best choice? No," admits creator/executive producer Rob Lotterstein. "But it's certainly better than no premiere date at all."

Wanting to get as many episodes aired as possible in order to build an audience before baseball throws a fastball through its fall schedule, the network decided that the 11th was the best choice, since the following week no one wants to premiere a show opposite the Emmys on CBS. Having been given the plum spot at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sundays, between "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy," Lotterstein says he can't really complain.

And really, who are we to question FOX on matters of taste?

Elvis Enters the 'House'

"House" has been a good showcase for guest stars in its brief life, with its first season drawing strong performances from the likes of Harry Lennix, Chi McBride, Leslie Hope and Joe Morton. There will be more this year -- LL Cool J appears in the season premiere -- and at least one of them won't even be on screen.

Elvis Costello will be on the second episode's soundtrack, singing a cover of -- of all things -- Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful." Executive producer David Shore says the alt-rock stalwart recorded the song specifically for the show.

The episode is about a young girl who gets sick, Shore says. "At the beginning of the episode, she's listening to [Aguilera's version of] this song. And at the end of the episode, House [Hugh Laurie] is listening to [Costello's cover]. So we get a really, I think, a lovely bookending."

Shore didn't say whether Costello's "Beautiful" would be released commercially, but it has been cleared for the show's DVD.