While most of us endured the horror of the Grammys (although we really did enjoy watching Marc Anthony and J.Lo wander about a set which resembled a room at the Holiday Inn) or watched Desperate Housewives (because the media says they're hot!), Henry the Intern remained faithful to his gal, Miss Tina Brown. This week, Tina talks with Cate Blanchett about The Aviator, Simon Schama dishes on Chaz & Cammie, and Brian Grazer reflects on Deep Throat — because it wouldn't be an episode of Topic if Tina didn't talk about porn. After the jump, Henry the Intern tells all.

"Topic A" was about C's: Camilla, Charles, Cate, and Condi. Apparently it takes alliteration to get Tina's mind off of the Grammy Awards. But hey, if Tina can pretend she has viewers, I can pretend this is the best show on television. There is, after all, something hypnotic about those eyes.

First up, Cate Blanchett, who "dared to play the great Kate" Hepburn in "The Aviator," survived this interview under strange pink-purple lighting. Blanchett recalled her husband initially responded, "What have you agreed to do? You're insane." Blanchett wanted to get "behind the public face" of Hepburn and had to change her voice ("It's a bit like learning a foreign language. . . like learning Hepburn"). The portrayal won her an Oscar nomination. Tina asked, "You're an incredible chameleon... does that make her less of an actress than you?"

Next, Tina dished with historian Simon Schama about the engagement of Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles. With these two, we'll stay verbatim.
Tina: Is she the longest-running mistress in royal history?
Schama: Yes, I should think so... She's not my type, but I love her... She's so wrinkly, she looks as though she's been smoking a pack of Marlboros a day.
Tina: I think it's a ragingly sexy relationship.
Schama: Ragingly sexy?
Tina: He is returning the family to be something dowdy.
Schama: The mistress-toting King is the rule, not the exception. [Pun intended, I hope]. He's making an honest women of someone who has been strangely, fragrantly naughty.
Tina: She's totally discreet... you just have to know how to play the game... She's a deeply sane woman.

Tina pressed Brian Grazer, producer of "Inside Deep Throat" — see here, here, and here — about which brought porn mainstream, "Deep Throat" or the VCR? Grazer went with Beta tapes.

The editor's desk roundtable was lacking all around but Mort Zuckerman stuck it to Condoleezza Rice ("She brings to Europe a certain level of sophistication and style") and Camilla ("She was quite handsome in a British sort of way").

Hot picks
Richard Cohen: The Hypomanic Edge by John Gartner
Maria Bartiromo: iPod shuffle. Tina: "What if you don't like its taste?"
Zuckerman: The Competition Solution by Paul London
Tina: Saturday by Ian McEwan

Closing quote by Arthur Miller: "Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets."

At one point Tina teased, "We're back in just a mo', so stay with us," and danced a little in her chair (again).

P.S. It could be Tina, or it could be television, but after one hour I feel pretty validated.