Channel Surfing: CBS Hands Out Full Season Orders, "Medium" Gets Super-Sized, "Grey's Anatomy," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. I hope everyone remembered to tune in to HBO's Ricky Gervais: Out of England special on Saturday, which was absolutely hysterical (if not, it repeats about a zillion times throughout the week) and to a rather odd and dream-like episode of Skins last night and another brilliant episode of Summer Heights High.

CBS has given a seven-episode pickup to freshman comedy Gary Unmarried, bumping its season total to a surprising twenty episode order, and also ordered two additional scripts beyond that. Additionally, the Eye also gave some good news to the producers of comedy Worst Week, giving the comedy an additional three episode order, despite sagging ratings. (Variety)

Over at NBC, Medium (which returns to the lineup in January) received a six episode pickup. The news comes as NBC is in desperate need of some schedule hole-filling, with the recent cancellations of My Own Worst Enemy and Lipstick Jungle. Medium was originally intended to air a shortened thirteen-episode season but those aforementioned needs have upped the ante for the Peacock, which might decide to air Medium in the timeslot soon to be vacated by My Own Worst Enemy. (Variety)

Hoping Denny will hang out at Seattle Grace despite being, well, dead? You're in luck as Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be sticking around on Grey's Anatomy for the foreseeable future, appearing in at least five episodes as Izzie's poor dead lover in what could either be an homage to Truly Madly Deeply or a sign that Izzie is developing that oft-discussed brain tumor. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

NBC has is developing an untitled workplace comedy pilot that is set in the world of magic from executive producers Dave Baram, Jason Verone, Adam Shulman, and Criss Angel. Chris Moynihan (Foster Hall) has been hired to write the project script, which is based on Angel's experiences as a magician. Universal Media Studios will produce. Moynihan also has another comedy script set up at NBC entitled 100 Questions for Charlotte Payne, about a woman trying to find her way in Manhattan with each episode beginning at a dating service where Charlotte is asked a question about herself. That project comes from Tagline Pictures, UMS, and executive producers Kelly Kulchak and Ron West. (Variety)

John Simm, who memorably played The Master in Season Three of Doctor Who, could turn up again on the sci-fi series. "I'm not, by the way, ruling out a return to Doctor Who in the future," said Simm, after explaining his performance's impact on his seven-year-old son's social life. "It's too exciting a show to be a part of for me to do that." (Digital Spy)

Joan Cusack is co-creating an untitled NBC comedy set in the world of psychiatry that will be written and executive produced by John Markus (The Larry Sanders Show). Project, based on an original idea of Cusack's, is from Universal Media Studio. (Hollywood Reporter)

USA has ordered an eighth and final season of dramedy Monk, with 16 episodes scheduled to air next summer. (Variety)

Michael Ausiello teases some facts about Reiko Aylesworth's character Amy on Season Five of Lost, kicking off in January. "There's definitely some conflict with the suitors," said Aylesworth about the mysterious Amy. Just what that means is deliberately vague. "Obviously, we want that to be a surprise," said executive producer Carlton Cuse. "Let's just say her role will be emotional." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO and writer Joan Didion are developing a telepic based on the life of Washington Post doyenne Katharine Graham, who lead the newspaper during its Watergate investigation that brought down the Nixon administration. Laura Linney is said to be extremely interested in playing Graham. (Variety)

Brian Dennehy (Righteous Kill) will star opposite Donnie Wahlberg in TNT drama pilot Bunker Hill, where he will play mob boss-turned-flower shop owner Martin Kelsey. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other casting news, Mather Zickel (Rachel Getting Married) and Todd Stashwick (The Riches) have joined the cast of CBS comedy pilot The Kareskys, opposite Sasha Alexander (NCIS). Zickel will play Emily's biology professor husband while Stashwick will play Emily's brother Little Max, who runs their father's butcher shops and has seven children with his wife (Tinsley Grimes). (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has ordered reality competition series Superstar Dancers of the World, which will follow professional dancers from eight countries as the compete head to head. Former Lord of the Dance himself, Michael Flatley, will host the series, which comes from executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment. (Variety)

Oxygen's Kirsten Connolly Vadas is in talks to join the staff of the CW as the SVP of alternative programming, replacing Jennifer Bresnan who departed the netlet in August for a position at CBS. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.