Gifford interview comes up Short

It was one of those awkward live TV moments that now lives forever in infamy on youtube.

On Wednesday morning's fourth hour of "Today," co-host Kathie Lee Gifford asked "Madagascar 3" plugger Martin Short about his wife, Nancy Dolman.

Kathie Lee asked, "And you and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years now for you guys?"

"We ... have ... married ... 36 years," Short replied.

Gifford: "But you are still like, in love?"

Short: "Madly in love, madly in love."

Gifford: "Why?"

Short: "Cute, I'm cute."

Co-host Hoda Kotb: "That is true."

Gifford: "And you make each other laugh."

Short's wife, alas, died in 2010.

During the commercials he told Gifford the truth.

"I feel so badly," she told the audience after the break.

Later she tweeted, "I send my sincerest apologies to @MartinShort and his family. He handled situation w/enormous grace and kindness and I'm so grateful."

A highlight of this year's Wizard World at the Convention Center is the appearance of all five Star Trek captains. People Paper comic book writer Jerome Maida had a chance to speak with the first of those captains, William Shatner (whose recorded version of Pulp's "Common People" with Ben Folds is awesome), about his long and varied career and his winning two Emmys as Denny Crane on "Boston Legal."

"Over the years since 'Star Trek,'" Shatner said, "I have been on a number of shows that were nominated for Emmys but the chances of winning one are so fraught with different elements other than the excellence of the work. I never held out much hope for ever winning an award as cherished as an Emmy but then having the great fortune to win awards from your peers is like being welcomed home."

These days, Shatner is touring in a one-man show.

"I did fifteen cities this past year and will do another fifteen cities in the next while, all this after opening on Broadway to very fine notices," he said. "The show encompasses some of the range of things that I have done since I was a young actor, some Shakespeare, some comedy and some music. People have short memories and in show business, you are only as good as the last thing you have done. But this one man show sort of sums up what I have done in the past and what I am thinking of in the future."

Also in town this weekend will be Kristy Swanson, the original "Buffy."

Asked about Joss Whedon's negative comments about the "Buffy" movie, Swanson said, "Kristy Swanson didn't direct or edit it. I was just the lead. You can't help but feel a little hurt when he's bashing a film called 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and you're the title character. It's kind of confusing. He certainly shouldn't take out on me or Luke (Perry). Everybody did the best they could. Doesn't mean it's always gonna work out. Sometimes I wish he would just say, 'I have nothing against Kristy.'"

A few years back Kristy appeared in Tattle due to a "scandal" involving a romance with her "Skating With Celebrities" partner — now husband — Lloyd Eisler (who was married at the time).

"The show was shot in 2005 and did not air until 2006, so there was some faulty reporting on the timing" she said. "I'm not a homewrecker, because by the time we started dating there was no home to wreck. Lloyd and Marcie were separated...Hopefully their children will see that someday."

CNN reports new mom Jessica Simpson has signed with Weight Watchers to lose her baby weight for a reported $3 million.

For that kind of money, Tattle will consider getting pregnant.