The Daily Beast: "Summer 2011 TV Preview: 15 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer"

We’re starting our summer at a bit of a disadvantage: there is no new season of Mad Men to look forward to this year, as we’ll have to wait until March 2012 to find out what happens to Don Draper and the other staffers at Draper Cooper Sterling Pryce. It’s enough to put a damper on anyone’s television-viewing this summer, but there are still some bright points amid a series of repeats and burn-offs like NBC’s Love Bites. (Seriously, avoid that one like you would the plague.)

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, entitled "Summer 2011 TV Preview: 15 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer," in which I round up what’s new and noteworthy on the telly in the coming months, from True Blood and Torchwood: Miracle Day to British period drama The Hour and the return of Damages and Breaking Bad. All in all, 15 reasons to come in from the warmth of the summer evening and sit down on the couch for a few hours.

What are you most excited about heading to the small screen this summer? Which intrigues you the most? And which will make you change the channel instantly? Head to the comments section to share, discuss, and debate.

Back to Bon Temps: True Blood Return Date Announced

Warm up a bottle of Tru Blood, because we're heading back to the Louisiana bayou for another season come June.

HBO today announced the official launch date for Season Four of the vampire drama, which will kick off its twelve-episode season on Sunday, June 26th at 9 pm ET/PT.

The pay cabler also announced return dates for Curb Your Enthusiasm, which will launch its ten-episode eighth season on Sunday, July 10th at 10 pm ET/PT, and the final season of Entourage, which will begin on Sunday, July 24th at 10:30 pm.

Glad to finally have a date to circle on your calendar, True Blood fans? You're not the only ones anxious to sink your teeth into the fourth season this summer...

Channel Surfing: HBO Returns to Curb, NBC Has Faith in Parenthood, Top Gear Heads to US, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

HBO yesterday announced that it had renewed Larry David vehicle Curb Your Enthusiasm for an eighth season of ten episodes, slated to air in 2011. Production will begin this summer in New York and Los Angeles. "After much soul searching – and by the way, it was nowhere to be found – I have decided to do another season of Curb,” said Larry David in a statement. "I look forward to the end of shooting, when I can once again resume the hunt for my elusive soul. I know itʼs here somewhere or perhaps in the rugged mountainous regions of Pakistan." The renewal was announced by Michael Lombardo, president, Programming Group and West Coast Operations, HBO. "Larry always loves to paint himself into a corner, and after the incredibly wonderful seventh season of Curb, you have to ask, "How does he ever top this?' But he always finds a way," said Lombardo. "We canʼt wait to see what he does in season eight." Having said that... (via press release)

NBC has renewed its midseason drama series Parenthood for a second season. "We are so happy to welcome back this multi-layered and compelling series about an extended American family for another season," said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in a statement. "It's gratifying that Parenthood continues to garner critical acclaim and is generating highly positive reaction from viewers, thanks to the fearless creativity of its producers and the extraordinary performances delivered by its ensemble cast." The series has averaged a 3.2 rating/9 share in the key demo and 7.8 million viewers overall since it launched on March 2nd. [Editor: still no news about Chuck's future, however...] (via press release)

BBC Worldwide Productions is bringing a US format of Top Gear to History Channel this fall, following a ten-episode order from the cable network for the automotive series. Top Gear, executive produced by Scott Messick, will be hosted by
Adam Ferrara (Rescue Me), stunt driver Tanner Foust, and racing analyst Rutledge Wood. "It will have a completely different landscape," BBC Worldwide's Jane Tranter told Hollywood Reporter. "There's a different relationship with cars in the U.S. and a fascination with customization that's much greater than in the U.K. There's the potential for the U.S. Top Gear to have even greater traction with an audience." (Hollywood Reporter)



Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that David Sutcliffe (Gilmore Girls) is set to guest star on Season Two of Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva, where he will play a man who is secretly married to two women (Vivica A. Fox and Bellamy Young) in a June episode. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant is reporting that Monet Mazur will be returning to ABC's Castle for its second season finale, where she will reprise her role as Gina Cowell, Castle's ex-wife and book editor. "Cowell, who last appeared in the show's pilot, turns up because Castle (Nathan Fillion) has fallen behind on his latest book. Gina hopes to get Castle back on track — in more ways than one," writes Bryant. "The old flame will be rekindled, creating some interesting reactions from Beckett (Stana Katic). However, Gina's reappearance may just open both Beckett's and Castle's eyes." (TVGuide.com)

FX has announced that Rescue Me will kick off its penultimate season on June 29th at 10 pm ET/PT and will be followed by the series premiere of the 13-episode Louis C.K. comedy series Louie at 11 pm. "The pairing of Rescue Me and Louie this summer will create an hour and a half of the funniest and most ruthlessly honest comedy and drama about men ever seen on commercial television," said John Landgraf, President and General Manager, FX Networks, in a statement. "We're thrilled by the quality of both these shows." (via press release)

Elsewhere, A&E has renamed its upcoming crime drama Sugarloaf as The Glades and has announced a launch date of Tuesday, July 13th at 10 pm ET/PT. Series stars Matt Passmore, Kiele Sanchez, and Carlos Gomez. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

The Onion A.V. Club has a fantastic interview with Party Down star--and soon to be Parks and Recreation ensemble member--Adam Scott. (The Onion's A.V. Club)

ABC is said to be developing a daytime talk show for Tori Spelling, according to Los Angeles Times' Joe Flint. "The program, which is in the very early stages of development, would feature Spelling and a male co-host who would basically serve as Spelling's best friend forever," writes Flint. "The network is looking for a Will & Grace vibe between Spelling and her as-yet-undiscovered BFF. Who knows, maybe finding a co-host can be its own reality show for Spelling." (Los Angeles Times' Company Town)

More restructuring at Starz: Chris Albrecht has brought in John Penney as EVP of strategy and business development, following the appointment of Carmi Zlotnick earlier this week. Both have previously worked with Albrecht at HBO and IMG. (Variety)

Sony Pictures Television has signed a two-year overall deal with Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar, under which they will develop series for broadcast and cable networks. (Hollywood Reporter)

CBS Television Studios has signed separate two-year overall deals with Medium showrunners Craig Sweeny and Robert Doherty. Under the terms of the deal, the two will remain aboard Medium, should CBS renew it for next season, and will develop projects for the studio. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: AMC's Walking Dead Grabs Andrew Lincoln, Yvonne Strahovski Talks Chuck, True Blood, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Looks like The Walking Dead has grabbed its lead (and fortunately not feasted on his brain): British actor Andrew Lincoln (Teachers, This Life, Love Actually) has been cast as Rick Grimes in AMC and Frank Darabont's adaptation of Robert Kirkman zombie comic series, which has been ordered for six episode. Series, which is set to launch in October, will revolve around a group of human survivors who attempt to find a place to live after a global apocalypse renders the majority of the planet's population into zombies. Lincoln will star opposite Jon Bernthal, who plays his police partner, Shane. Meanwhile, Sons of Anarchy's Jack LoGiudice has come aboard the series as a co-executive producer. (Variety)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a brand-new interview with Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski, in which they discuss the major plot twist that occurred in this week's episode and what's coming up on the next six episodes. "It's a different feel," said Strahovski about the next pod of episodes. "I think for my character, she's always sort of been abnormal -- she's always been a spy and she doesn't really know how to live a non-spy life. I think Chuck has taught her over the seasons how to sort of be more normal. I think she relaxes somewhat and she doesn't hold her feelings in so much. It's definitely an interesting journey for my character and it's definitely a lot of fun to play that, when they're together. It's kind of a release." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Lauren Bowles (Old Christine) has been cast in a recurring role on HBO's True Blood, which returns this summer for its third season. Bowles will play Holly, described as "an oddly prescient single mom who gets hired as a waitress at Sam’s watering hole." While Bowles will recur in the third season, she could return as a series regular for Season Four of True Blood. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that Jack Black's Electric Dynamite shingle has signed an exclusive production deal with Reveille as it expands into the arena of television and that Priyanka Mattoo will over the shingle's television business, which will be based at Reveille's offices. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

FOX is getting into the music game as it prepares to launch a week of music-themed programming that it has dubbed Fox Rocks during the beginning of May sweeps. Among the offerings: a duet between Booth and Brennan on Bones, a fairy tale episode of Fringe featuring songs performed by Anna Torv and Lance Reddick, an appearance from Olivia Newton-John on the May 4th episode of Glee, a musical couch gag on The Simpsons featuring Ke$ha’s "TiK ToK," and more. (via press release)

American Chopper is heading back to TLC. The cabler has made a deal with the series' Teutul family--all of them, in fact--to appear in a resurrected version of American Chopper that will be announced later this week at TLC's upfront presentation (Hollywood Reporter)

House's Nurse Jeffrey (Patrick Price) will get his own spinoff of sorts in the form of a iPhone application called inHOUSE, which will feature Jeffrey in a series of "appisodes" beginning May 24th, which according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "will feature an Upstairs, Downstairs style of storytelling and explore the world of Princeton Plainsboro that exists beyond Dr. Crankypants and Co." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Hollywood Reporter has a recap of last night's White Collar panel at the Paley Center, where creator Jeff Eastin and cast members Matthew Bomer, Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, and Tiffani Thiessen. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Channel has found its celebrities for its upcoming Curb: The Discussion series, which will follow each episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm when it launches in June. Among the actors who will watch each episode and then discuss the ethical issues that it brings up: Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Hamm, Seth Green, Dave Navarro, Dr. Drew Pinsky, and Hill Harper. Susie Essman will serve as a moderator. (via press release)

BET has given a pilot order to comedy Let's Stay Together, from writer Jacque Edmonds Cofer and director Henry Chan. Project, which stars Malinda Williams, Bert Belasco, Joyful Drake, RonReaco Lee, and Erica Hubberd, revolves around an engaged couple--pediatrician Stacy (Williams) and contractor Charles (Belasco)--who try to "blend their successful, independent 21st century lives into a traditional 20th century marriage." (Hollywood Reporter)

Warner Bros. Television has promoted Melinda Hage to EVP of current programming. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Showtime Renews "Jackie" and "Tara," MTV Axes "The Hills," Ricky Gervais to "Curb," Mary McDonnell Returns to "The Closer," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Huzzah! Just a few days after returning Nurse Jackie and United States of Tara to the lineup, pay cabler Showtime has handed out series renewals to both comedies, ordering twelve-episode third seasons for both, which will begin production later this year. "Showtime is enormously proud of these two series starring two of the best actresses working today," said Showtime President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. "Both are iconic shows for our brand and our thanks to the dedicated producers, cast, and crews who work so hard to make them so great. Edie Falco's portrayal of the fierce Jackie is another extraordinary example of her range and brilliance, and recent Emmy and Golden Globe wins for Toni Collette in her tour de force role as a woman with multiple personalities put her in a class by herself. Strong women will continue to rule on this network for a long time to come." (via press release)

Sayonara Heidi and Spencer! MTV has opted to cancel its reality series The Hills after six seasons. The series, which originally starred Lauren Conrad, fell sharply in the ratings after Conrad left. The final twelve episodes of The Hills begin April 27th. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin is reporting that Larry David has approached Ricky Gervais about appearing on a potential eighth season of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. David indicated that he should know about the fate of Curb within the next month or so but that he's already working on some ideas and has approached Gervais about a guest appearance on the improvised comedy series. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica) is set to return to TNT's The Closer during the series' sixth season, where she will reprise her role as Captain Sharon Raydor. McDonnell is set to appear in at least five episodes and will, according an unnamed insider, "create situations that come between Brenda and Pope." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

SPOILERS! Grey's Anatomy creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes has written a teaser for the "game changing" season finale of Grey's Anatomy while guest blogging at Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files and offers several spoilers that are leading up to a major "game changer." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Syfy has given a pilot order to live-action comedy Saved by Zeroes, from creator/star Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), Sony Pictures Television, and Happy Madison. Rosenbaum will star alongside Jonathan Silverman; they will play "two friends, former actors on a science fiction show that has since developed a cult following, who have hit rock bottom and must work together to get their lives back on track." Project is loosely based on Rosenbaum's real-life experiences. "Through drugs and drinking, (the characters played by Rosenbaum and Silverman) didn't save money and, years later, the only thing they have left are the conventions, all they've got are their loyal, devoted fans," Rosenbaum told Nellie Andreeva. "Our show is not about being in the business, it's about being out of the business; it's the 'Non-tourage.' We're the losers you want to see back on top." (Hollywood Reporter)

Don Johnson is in talks to star in ABC comedy pilot Southern Discomfort, where he will play "a tough, hard-core conservative Texan whose life is turned upside down when his grown kids move back in." Project has also cast Steve Talley (American Pie Presents Beta House), who will play Johnson's oldest son, described as "a slacker who kissed off a baseball scholarship to pursue writing." (Hollywood Reporter)

Executive news we can all be happy about: Nikki Finke reported that FOX Entertainment will keep Kevin Reilly at the helm for another three years, following the successful closing of a new deal. (His current deal wasn't set to expire until July but the network wanted to lock him in now.) (Deadline)

FOX will pair Hell's Kitchen with new culinary competition series MasterChef beginning July 29th. The latter, executive produced by Gordon Ramsay, will feature Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot Bowles. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Pilot casting updates: Terry Kinney (The Unusuals) has been cast in CBS cop drama pilot The Line (also known as ATF), where he will play "a bank robber who is a poet, philosopher and sociopath." Elsewhere, Thomas Middleditch (Splinterheads) has been cast in Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller's CBS comedy pilot Hitched, where he will play the best friend of a newlywed couple (Kristin Kreuk and Jack Carpenter). (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, Jon Bernthal (The Ghost Writer) has been cast in AMC zombie drama pilot Walking Dead, where he will play Shane, the outgoing partner to cop Rick Grimes (as yet uncast); Brandon Routh (Chuck), Hal Linden (A Kiss at Midnight), Amir Arison (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Tina Majorino (Big Love), and Kevin Michael Richardson (The Cleveland Show) have all been cast in TBS' hour-long comedy In Security; Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (Eyes), Reed Diamond (Dollhouse), and Dana Davis (The Nine) have landed roles on TBS comedy pilot Franklin and Bash; and Tim Jo and Josh Brener have joined the cast of period fraternity comedy pilot Glory Daze. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian takes a look at whether NBC is going to be able to turn itself around, pointing to some stability in the schedule, improving ratings, and some new series--like Parenthood and The Marriage Ref--that are plugging some holes. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

After 27 years, UK's ITV has opted to cancel long-running cop drama The Bill, citing plummeting ratings despite a revamp last year and a change to a new timeslot. At least 90 jobs will be lost from the cancellation while ITV plans to use the savings--worth several million pounds sterling--to invest in shorter-form drama in the 9 pm hour, including a medical series from writer Peter Bowker (Occupation) and a drama from Anthony Horowitz (Collision). "The Bill has been a fixture on our screens for more than 25 years and has been the home of some of the UK's best serial drama storylines, and a great showcase for terrific scriptwriting and fine acting talent," said Peter Fincham, ITV's director of television, channels and online. "But times change, and so do the tastes of our audience. Whilst The Bill will come to an end in 2010, we will continue to invest more in drama programming than any other commercial broadcaster in the UK and viewers can look forward to a wide range of high quality drama on ITV1." (Guardian)

In other UK television news, Suranne Jones (Five Days) will star opposite David Tennant in BBC One's four-part drama series Single Father. She'll play Sarah, the best friend of the deceased wife of Dave (Tennant), whom he falls for while attempting to raise his four children after the death of his wife. (BBC)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Michael Vartan's Dr. Tom Wakefield will become romantically entangled with Jada Pinkett Smith's Dr. Christina Hawthorne this season on TNT's HawthoRNe. "We get it on very early," Vartan told Keck. "I think it’s a good time for this to happen because you never know how long a show’s going to run, so go full steam while you can." (TV Guide Magazine)

Michael Tolkin (Nine) is developing two drama projects with Marti Noxon and Dawn Parouse's Grady Twins production company, including a NBC drama he's writing with Noxon about a musician with a jealous manager, and an untitled FX drama about a family in the midst of a world apocalypse. (Variety)

TV Guide Network has acquired rerun rights to Showtime's dark comedy series Weeds, which is produced by Lionsgate Television--which just happens to be a co-owner of the cable network. Weeds is likely to launch on TV Guide Network this fall, where it will be join such off-network acquisitions as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Ugly Betty. (via press release)

Bunim-Murray Prods. has been acquired by French company Banijay Entertainment in a deal said to be in the eight-figure range. Jonathan Murray will remain in place as chairman under the terms of the deal, along with president Gil Goldschein. (Variety)

Wipeout executive producer Matt Kunitz has signed a two-year deal that will keep him based at Endemol, overseeing ABC's reality series Wipeout, and developing new broadcast and cable programming for the reality giant. He's hired Rebecca Shumsky as creative executive as part of his new deal. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Glau to Don "Cape," "Parks and Rec" to Lose an Actor, "Doctor Who" Companion, USA Orders "Facing Kate," Callis to "Eureka," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

It was only a matter of time before someone snapped up River Tam. Former Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Summer Glau, who most recently appeared in a multiple-episode story arc on Dollhouse this season, has landed one of the leads in NBC's vigilante drama pilot The Cape. Project, from writer Tom Wheeler and directed by Simon West, revolves around a a disgraced former cop (David Lyons), framed for a crime he didn't commit, who becomes a costumed vigilante in order to clear his name. Glau will star opposite Lyons, James Frain, and Dorian Missick, and will play Orwell, described as "a cute and intrepid investigative blogger who fearlessly goes after corrupt cops and costumed bad guys" and who "gets physical and is quite capable of kicking ass." If that isn't a part made for Glau, I don't know what is. (Hollywood Reporter)

Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin talks to Parks and Recreation co-creator Mike Schur about Paul Schneider's planned departure from the NBC comedy, set to return for a third season this fall. "It was a combination of us always knowing that the character would always leave some day, the timing of this movie, and then sort of feeling like, well, the way the character's gone...we were all on the same page here and we decided to write the character out," Schur told Martin. "But the goal and the aim is to have him come back as soon as his schedule permits and as soon as the arcs we're writing call for it. We very much want him back and he has told us he very much wants to come back in the future. It really is one of those mutually beneficial situations. And we're hoping we can have him back in Season Three." And the door will definitely be open for Schneider to return as Mark Brendanawicz and possibly recur in Season Three. "He's going to remain in the world of the show in a way that not only allows but hopefully demands that he'll reenter it," said Schur. "He's not going to be killed in some weird accident." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

The Observer's Euan Ferguson has an interview with Doctor Who's Karen Gillan, who plays Amy Pond, the latest traveling companion to the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith). "To be honest, I wasn't really a huge follower of Doctor Who before I got this part," Gillan told Ferguson. "But having read the first episode I was utterly smitten, and with the character. Amy's a sassy lady, funny and passionate, and her relationship with the doctor has a really interesting dynamic... She has a love for him, a really deep love for him. But not romantic." (The Guardian)

USA has given a series order to legal drama Facing Kate, which stars Sarah Shahi. The cabler ordered eleven episodes (plus the 90-minute pilot) for the series, which hails from Universal Cable Prods. and was created by Michael Sardo, who will executive produce with Steve Stark. Series, which follows Shahi's Kate Reed as she leaves behind litigation for mediation, also stars Michael Trucco, Virginia Williams, and Baron Vaughn. (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Battlestar Galactica star James Callis--who will next be seen later this season on ABC's FlashForward, has joined the cast of Syfy's Eureka, which returns for its fourth season this summer. Callis will play Dr. Grant, a former resident of Eureka who is a romantic interest for Salli Richardson-Whitfield's Allison Blake. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting, citing multiple unnamed sources familiar with the situation, that 20th Century Fox Television, the studio behind FOX's 24, is in talks with NBC about picking up the serialized action drama should FOX opt to make Day Eight Jack Bauer's last. "A move to NBC — while still considered somewhat of a long shot given the hefty price tag — would likely delay 20th’s plans to launch a Jack Bauer film franchise," writes Ausiello. "From a production standpoint, 24 execs have long maintained that it would ne next to impossible to make a movie while the series was still on the air. Reps for 20th and NBC declined to comment." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO's upcoming miniseries Mildred Pierce just gets better and better. The Todd Haynes-directed adaptation of James M. Cain's novel, which stars Kate Winslet as the the titular character, has cast Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker), Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood), and Melissa Leo (Treme). [Editor: Also cast: James LeGros and Brian F. O'Byrne.] (Variety)

TVGuide.com's Kate Stanhope is reporting that it's looking likely that HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm will return for an eighth season. "I'm leaning towards it, so I would say there's a good chance," said series creator/star Larry David, though an eight season is "not definite yet, but we're working on it." (TVGuide.com)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has an extensive recap of the Glee panel at the Paley Festival this weekend, which teased Lady Gaga, more romance, new characters, more Kristin Chenoweth, and more. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Zap2It's Marisa Roffman is reporting that Annabeth Gish (The X-Files) has signed on to appear on ABC's FlashForward, where she will appear as a guest-star during the back half of the sci-fi drama's first season. (Zap2It's KorbiTV)

Pilot casting roundup: Mary Steenburgen will star in ABC comedy pilot Southern Discomfort, where she will play the matriarch of a family whose grown children move back in with her and her husband; Carly Pope (Day One) and David Ramsey (Dexter) will star opposite Jimmy Smits in NBC's untitled John Eisendrath drama pilot (a.k.a. Rough Justice); Ian Reed Kessler (Sons of Tucson) has snagged one of the leads in NBC comedy pilot Friends with Benefits; Kerri Kenney (Reno 911) has come on board FOX comedy pilot Tax Man; Xander Berkeley (24) has joined the cast of CW drama pilot Nikita; and Odette Yustman (October Road) will play the female lead on FOX's untitled Adam Goldberg comedy pilot; and Lindsey Broad ('Til Death) has been cast as one of the leads in ABC comedy pilot Who Gets the Parents. (Hollywood Reporter)

Chris Parnell (Archer) and Horatio Sanz (In the Motherhood) will star opposite Jon Heder in Comedy Central's untitled multi-camera comedy about a man (Heder) who continues to chase his dreams despite failing miserably at everything he tries. Sanz will play one of his friends, an ex-convict, while Parnell will play a down-on-his-luck teacher. (Variety)

Colme Feore (24) is said to be in talks to star opposite Jeremy Irons in Showtime's upcoming period drama series The Borgias, where he would play Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere, described as "Borgia's nemesis... who vigorously opposes Borgia's election as Pope Alexander VI and continues to tangle with him." (Hollywood Reporter)

Betty White is set to guest star in the season finale of ABC family comedy The Middle, where she will play "a school librarian who confronts Brick (Atticus Shaffer) over his failure to return numerous overdue books." (via press release)

Season Four of Showtime's period drama The Tudors, the series' last outing, is will premiere Sunday, April 11th at 9 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Marsha Thomason (Lost) will return to USA's dramedy White Collar as a series regular, after she appeared in the pilot episode and the season finale. Move comes as Natalie Morales, who has recurred throughout the series' first season, will depart the Fox Television Studios-produced series. Elsewhere, Billy Brown (Star Trek) has joined the cast of FX's upcoming drama series Lights Out, where he will play Raymond "Death Row" Reynolds, described as "the current heavyweight champion and longtime rival of Leary (Holt McCallany)." And Gregg Henry (The Riches) has been promoted to series regular on HBO's comedy Hung, which returns later this year for a second season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Bobby Flay will serve as one of the judges/mentors on NBC's upcoming culinary competition series America's Next Great Restaurant (formerly known as United Plates of America), where he will search for a winning chef or businessman to launch a restaurant with. Casting is currently underway to select the participants on the series, which hails from executive producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz. (Variety)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a new two-year overall deal with Privileged creator Rina Mimoun, under which she will develop new series projects for the studio and work on current series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

2010 William S. Paley Television Festival Lineup Announced

The Paley Center for Media has announced the lineup for the the 27th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival (known affectionately to its attendees as PaleyFest).

Critical darling Modern Family will kick off the festival on February 26th. Other series getting individual sessions include ABC's Lost, CW's The Vampire Diaries, FOX's Glee, NBC's Community, ABC's Cougar Town ABC's FlashForward, TNT's Men of a Certain Age, CBS' NCIS, Showtime's Dexter, AMC's Breaking Bad, and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, the latter of which will be the festival's final offering this year.

Additionally, keep your eyes peeled for Seth MacFarlane and Friends, an evening celebrating McFarlane's animated comedies Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show.

The day-by-day breakdown of the festival can be found below. (All panels begin at 7 pm.)

Feb. 26th: Modern Family
Feb. 27th : Lost
March 1st: NCIS
March 3rd: Community
March 4th: Dexter
March 5th: Cougar Town
March 6th: The Vampire Diaries
March 9th: Seth MacFarlane and Friends
March 10th: Breaking Bad
March 11th: FlashForward
March 12th: Men of a Certain Age
March 13th: Glee
March 14th: Curb Your Enthusiasm

The 27th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival runs from February 26th to March 14th at the festival's new location, The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 22nd for members and January 24th for the general public.

Individual tickets will go on sale to Paley Center Members on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. PT. Individual tickets will become available to the general public beginning the following Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. PT. For Paley Center Members, ticket prices are $60/$35/$25/$15 per event. For the general public, tickets are $75/$45/$35/$25 per event. All PaleyFest2010 tickets are available only via TicketWeb at www.ticketweb.com or call TicketWeb toll-free at (866) 468-3399 (service charges apply).

Sunday Night Television: The Season Finale of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and Latest Episode of "The Amazing Race"

Looking to discuss last night's season finale of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and the latest episode of CBS' The Amazing Race?

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site where you can read my takes on both episodes, including last night's Seinfeld-centric season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm and the latest installment of CBS' The Amazing Race, which featured some whiny behavior, dirty gamesmanship, and a laughing opera singer.

Be sure to head to the comments section to weigh in on both episodes.

Sunday Night Television: HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "The Amazing Race"

Looking to discuss last night's episodes of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and CBS' The Amazing Race?

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site where you can read my takes on both episodes, including last night's "Table Read" episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm (complete with a parody on Michael Richard's controversial 2006 comments) and what will likely come to be known as the pixelated crotch episode of CBS' The Amazing Race.

Be sure to head to the comments section to weigh in on both episodes.

Sunday Night Television: HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and CBS' "The Amazing Race"

Looking to discuss the latest episodes of CBS' The Amazing Race and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm? You're in luck.

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on last night's episodes of both series. In "The Amazing Race: For Whom the Bell Tolls," I take a look at last night's episode which featured feats of strength, counting, and herring-eating as well as some tears.

You can also read my take ("Curb Your Enthusiasm: Swan's Way") on last night's episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, which was a bit of a return to form for the absurdist comedy, which this week depicted Larry accidentally killing a man, somewhat intentionally killing a black swan, and basically making a mess of everything he touched, not least of which his mother's headstone.

Head to the comments to discuss both.

Sunday Night Television: "The Amazing Race," "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Looking to discuss the latest episodes of CBS' The Amazing Race and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm? You're in luck.

Head over to the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on last night's episodes of both series. In "The Amazing Race: Slip and slide," I explore what some people aren't willing to do, even with a million dollars at stake. And, yes, deal with the push heard around the world head-on.

Switching channels, I explain why I am still scratching my head over the oddly surreal episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in a piece entitled "Curb Your Enthusiasm: Trust your gut," following an episode "overflowing with flashbacks, splashbacks, murder, an arrest for napkin theft, a bald police lineup, a urine-stained Jesus painting, a suicide attempt, and finally life-saving belly flab."

Head to the comments to discuss both.

Los Angeles Times: "Curb Your Enthusiasm: Wendy wheelchair"

Looking to discuss the latest episode of HBO's painfully funny comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Head over to my piece, entitled "Curb Your Enthusiasm: Wendy wheelchair," on the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on the latest installment of the Larry David-created series ("Denise Handicapped") and discuss your feelings about the episode.

What did you think of this week's episode? Was Larry in the wrong or in the right for the most part? How much did you cringe this week? Speak out in the comments section!

Los Angeles Times: "Curb Your Enthusiasm: Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You"

Looking to discuss the latest episode of HBO's painfully funny comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Head over to my piece, entitled "Curb Your Enthusiasm: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," on the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on the latest installment of the Larry David-created series ("The Hot Towel") and discuss your feelings about the episode.

What did you think of this week's episode? Was Larry in the wrong or in the right for the most part? And would you have freaked out at Ted and Mary? Speak out in the comments section!

"Curb Your Enthusiasm": The C Word

Looking to discuss the latest episode of HBO's painfully funny comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Head over to my piece, entitled "Curb Your Enthusiasm: The C Word," on the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site, where you can read my take on the latest episode of the Larry David-created series ("Vehicular Fellatio") and discuss your feelings about the episode, which I thought was one of the funniest--and most painful--to date.

Thought Larry was crazy to concoct a plan to get Loretta to break up with him? Wish he wouldn't have agreed to pay for Dean's broken glasses? Astounded that Dr. Trundle beat Larry mercilessly with a copy of her "Walking Out on Cancer" book?

Sound off in the comments.

Los Angeles Times: "Larry David talks about putting 'Seinfeld' back together for 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'"

Some more self-promotion this morning as the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker has today run my first piece for their website, an interview with Curb Your Enthusiasm creator/star Larry David.

I caught up with David earlier this week to discuss Season Seven of Curb (which launches Sunday evening), that Seinfeld reunion, Larry's relationships with Cheryl and Loretta, sacred cows, and much more.

You can read the piece in full here at the Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker site.

Curb Your Enthusiasm's seventh season launches Sunday evening at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Reunions, Rapprochements, and Ridiculous Behavior: An Advance Review of Season Seven of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

There's a lot of anticipation for Season Seven of Larry David's absurdly entertaining Curb Your Enthusiasm, which returns to the HBO lineup on September 20th after a hiatus of nearly two years.

For one, there's a meta plot in there about the reunion of the main castmembers of NBC's Seinfeld, which David co-created with Jerry Seinfeld. Acting as a throughline for the season, the Seinfeld reunion not only allowed David to rope in his former Seinfeld actors for one last time but also serves to fulfill the audience's desire to see the quartet reunite. Sort of, anyway.

Rather than actually write a Seinfeld reunion, David has given us a about him writing a Seinfeld reunion. And this being Larry David, there's a pretty selfish reason behind his desire to give the audience what they want. (Just what that is, you'll have to wait and see.)

I had the opportunity the other day to watch the first three hysterical episodes of Curb's seventh season and was instantly sucked into Larry David's topsy-turvy world as though I had never left. The series is just as sharp as it always was and David has found new targets for his needling humor: impenetrable plastic packaging, the mentally disturbed, nosebleed stadium seats, Lyme disease, and even network executives.

David has excelled at creating metatheatrical plots in the past. Just look at the Seinfeld storyline where Jerry and George pitched a series about nothing to NBC, a plot which uncannily imitated life in fact. Here too, the meta piles up quickly as David decides to meet with NBC about a Seinfeld reunion, ropes in Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards, and then pitches them plotlines... all of which happened to Larry throughout the six season run so far on Curb Your Enthusiasm. Still with me?

The Seinfeld cast doesn't appear on-screen until the season's aptly named third episode ("The Reunion") but there's so much going on in Larry David's life (and inside his curmudgeonly head) that it's almost a relief that there's a bit of delayed gratification going on. It's been so long since we've seen David that I was glad to catch up with the self-absorbed misanthrope before we tackle this overarching plotline.

Season Seven of Curb Your Enthusiasm is set roughly a year since we last saw Larry and his situation hasn't changed all that much. The Black family is still living with him in his palatial Brentwood home and he's still dating the outspoken Loretta (Vivica A. Fox), though things aren't exactly blissful as possible cancer victim Loretta awaits biopsy results. So can we expect to see a kinder, softer side of Larry David then? Hardly. This is, after all, the man who stuffed a doll's head down his pants. Larry David isn't growing up any time soon, rest assured.

The hijinx quickly mount early on. When Bam-Bam (Catherine O'Hara), the sister of Marty Funkhouser (Bob Einstein), is released from a mental hospital, Larry and Jeff (Jeff Garlin) are roped into spending time with the mightily eccentric woman and things quickly descend from bad to worse, culminating in what might just be the worst dinner party of all time at Jeff and Susie's house. O'Hara is perfectly cast as the loopy Bam-Bam and blends in perfectly with the off-kilter atmosphere that the series engenders.

But it's not all new faces. Besides for David and Garlin, Susie Essman returns as Jeff's hilariously foul-mouthed martinet wife Susie, Jeff Lewis turns up as Larry's neurotic friend, and, yes, Cheryl Hines is back as Larry's now ex-wife. In regard to her return to the series, there's an unexpected (and genuine) sweetness and poignancy to the scenes that David shares with Hines. We get the sense that these two were meant to be together in spite of David's obvious and numerous faults. Their tenuous new relationship as exes attempting to reconnect as friends is so deftly and beautifully handled that it's hard not to root for these two to find a way back to one another.

Ultimately, if these first three episodes are any indication, we are in for such a hilarious treat this season on Curb Your Enthusiasm, that the title itself feels vaguely misleading. If anything, we should expect to see our enthusiasm rewarded as Larry David takes us to some soaring heights and the darkest depths of the inner struggle of all humans to do good... at no expense to ourselves.

Season Seven of Curb Your Enthusiasm launches Sunday, September 20th at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Larry David Gives Clues About "Seinfeld" Reunion, Season Seven of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

The cast of Seinfeld will reunite for a look at what happened to their characters eleven years after the end of Seinfeld's run on NBC. Sort of, anyway.

The reunion is actually a major storyline threaded through the upcoming seventh season of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, which launches on September 20th. The cast of Seinfeld, including Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander, and Michael Richards--will each appear in approximately five episodes apiece on Curb this season as the fictional Larry David gets the cast together for a reunion special.

"For years, I've been asked about a Seinfeld reunion... and I would always say no," David told reporters at yesterday's Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour gathering about the impetus for the idea. "It's a lame idea. But it might be very funny to do on Curb."

Given David's disinclination from staging a Seinfeld reunion, just does the fictional Larry David give in and decide to do a Seinfeld reunion? David promises this very point will be addressed in an episode of Curb. Asked whether the fictional Larry David would seek to derail the reunion, David played coy: "My guy might consider wrecking something like that. My guy could very well wreck it."

David told reporters that we'll see the "writing, read-throughs, rehearsals, shooting, and the finished product" of the Seinfeld reunion... on Curb via the Seinfeld reunion show-within-a-show, which will give viewers a look into what happened to the characters in time since the Seinfeld series finale.

The storyline will be "scattered throughout" the season and will provide this season's spine, leading up to the Curb season finale, which could be a one-hour installment, according to David. (He'll have a better idea once he finishes editing it.)

David wouldn't confirm that Michael Richard's recent brush with notoriety will be dealt with on-camera on Curb, but he also didn't deny it either. (Read: look for it to be dealt with head-on by David.)

"We'll be picking up this season where last season left off with some lapse of time," said David about the beginning of the seventh season. "I won't tell you how that works out but [the Black family] will be back."

David went on to say that Vivica A. Fox's Loretta will be back as will J.B. Smoove's Leon, who was seen in the hysterical trailer that HBO assembled for Curb's seventh season.

So are Larry and Loretta still dating? David was extremely tight-lipped. "There's a little dating," he said. "I think there's two dating shifts and they were fun."

And the real question: will Cheryl Hines be returning for Season Seven? According to David, Cheryl is "back in it." No elaboration there from David, though Hines was seen in a scene with the fictional Larry in the Curb trailer. The state of their fictional marriage (or separation) remains to be seen.

What we do see in the trailer is Larry attempting to make out--painfully--with a woman in a wheelchair, attempting to open a plastic container, making sure his mobile phone is safe before rushing into the ocean to save Jeff and Susie's daughter Sammy, screaming at a woman on the street who tells him to "smile," Susie kicking Larry out of her house for the umpteenth time, killing a golf course swan, and a host of other awkward, uncomfortable, and painfully funny scenarios.

David said that Rosie O'Donnell is hilarious in the season's fifth episode. "She is a riot," said David, whose character is seen tangling with O'Donnell over a lunch check. "She is a force. She is very formidable physically."

As for the outrage he experiences in attempting to open the aforementioned plastic packaging, David said: "That packaging is insane."

David admitted to watching Gossip Girl with his teenage daughters. He smirked when asked what he thinks of the CW series and then whispered that the characters are "very breathy."

"Would I prefer they watch Seinfeld or Curb?" said David. "Yes! They don't seem to be fans of mine. Go figure."

Still, David admitted that the real-life Larry David and the fictional Curb Larry David are "melding together a little." "I am becoming a little happier," he said smirking.

And after blowing kisses to the journos, David left the stage. A happier Larry David? Might just be possible, after all.

Curb Your Enthusiasm's seventh season launches on September 24th on HBO.

Channel Surfing: Mary-Louise Parker to Keep Puffing on "Weeds," "Scrubs" Back to School, Meg Ryan to Guest Star on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. I'm back from vacation so there's loads of television-related headlines to catch up on. Buckle your seatbelts; it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Weeds star Mary-Louise Parker has put those rumors that she's leaving the Showtime comedy series to bed, stating that she's sticking around for quite some time. "Sometimes when I think about the show ending I get sad. I just can't imagine what it's going to be like," Parker told E! Online's Watch with Kristin. "We for sure have one more year, so I don't have to be sad yet. I can smile a little bit longer. I would stay on, but at a certain point it would get a little bit tired. It'd be like, we don't need to see Nancy and Andy running around in their 60s. I think it will depend on how this season goes, as to whether or not it will have a little velocity for staying around a little longer." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

When Scrubs returns for a ninth season this fall, there will be more change than just some of the regular cast, with the focus of the series shifting from Sacred Heart Hospital to the classroom. "It'll be a lot like Paper Chase as a comedy," series creator Bill Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "It's going to be a different show. It'll still be life-and-death stakes, but if the show is just Scrubs again in the hospital with a different person's voiceover, it would be a disaster and people would be mad." But there will be some familiar faces, with Donald Faison and John C. McGinley on board as series regulars and Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Judy Reyes, and Ken Jenkins slated to make guest appearances when the medical students are working at Sacred Heart. "Med students in their first three years have to spend anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of their time at a hospital," said Lawrence. "And that's when you'll see some of the [original cast members]. Continuity-wise, Sacred Heart will still exist with those people still working there." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

I'll have what she's having: Meg Ryan will guest star on an upcoming episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. The former When Harry Met Sally star will appear early on in the series' seventh season, which returns to HBO in September. The season will also feature an ongoing storyline that will reunite Larry David with his Seinfeld cast. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Confirmed: T.R. Knight won't be returning to ABC's Grey's Anatomy this fall following his request to be let out of his multi-year contract. "Leaving Grey's Anatomy was not an easy decision for me to make," said Knight in a statement. "I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to play this character and will miss my fellow cast and crew very much." Series creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes, meanwhile, wished Knight "the best in his future endeavors" and said of the actor: ""He is an incredibly talented actor and a person whose strength of character is admired by all of us." (Variety)

Katherine Heigl, meanwhile, WILL be back next season on Grey's Anatomy, reprising her role as Izzie Stevens, despite a cliffhanger ending that made it seem as though Heigl was off the series for good. Sources close to the production have indicated that Heigl's option has been picked up and she will continue as a regular on the ABC medical drama series. (Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly)

Linda Hunt (The Year of Living Dangerously) has joined the cast of CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles as a series regular; she'll play "an efficient and hard-nosed former film industry technician who now oversees the 'backroom' support staff -- the folks tasked with providing everything from micro surveillance cameras to cars for the team," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Clayne Crawford (Jericho) has joined the cast of Day Eight of FOX's 24, where he will play "a bad boy from Dana Walsh's (Katee Sackhoff) past." (Hollywood Reporter)

Showtime has renewed comedy series Tracey Ullman's State of the Union for a third season, with seven new installments set to debut in 2010. (Variety)

Battlestar Galactica's Rick Worthy is reportedly in talks to join the cast of NBC's Heroes, entering its fourth season this fall. If a deal is reached, Worthy will allegedly be playing a Los Angeles cop and the new partner for Greg Grunberg's Matt Parkman. (Digital Spy)

Musical chairs: The Primetime Emmy Awards telecast is back on September 20th, its original ceremony date. The move comes after CBS and the TV Academy moved the telecast to September 13th in order to avoid starting late due to NFL double-header overrun... but failed to take into account that the date clashed with MTV's Video Music Awards. So it's back to September 20th, after all. (Variety's Emmy Central)

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane will recur on ABC's Flash Forward this fall, as will ER's Alex Kingston. MacFarlane plays an FBI agent in the David S. Goyer and Marc Guggenheim-overseen drama series. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Reville has signed a talent holding deal with actor Bobb'e J. Thompson (30 Rock, Role Models) under which the company will develop a sitcom for the 13-year-old actor. (Variety)

The CW will begin rolling out its fall premieres on September 8th, which will see the second season premiere of 90210 and the series premiere of Melrose Place. Gossip Girl, meanwhile, will swap timeslots with One Tree Hill next season, with the former moving to the 9 pm timeslot; both series will launch their new seasons on September 14th. America's Next Top Model kicks off on September 9th, Vampire Diaries and Supernatural on September 10th, Beautiful Life on September 16th, and Smallville on September 25th. (Hollywood Reporter)

TLC has given a series order to Stager Invasion, which depicts professional stager Lisa Lynch giving frustrated home sellers tips on how to get their houses sold in difficult times. The twelve-episode series will launch June 30th at 8 pm ET/PT. (Variety)

Travel Channel has ordered reality competition series The Streets of America: The Search for America's Worst Driver, in which awful drivers are placed in a series of challenges in order to determine which is really the worst driver. Series, based on an international format and from A. Smith and Co. and Mentorn, will launch in the first quarter of 2010. (Variety)

USA Network has hired Spike executive Bill McGoldrick as SVP of original scripted programming; it's a return for McGoldrick who previously worked at USA. He will report to Jeff Wachtel. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: J.J. Abrams Compares "Lost" to Dickens, Emily Deschanel Dishes on "Bones" Action, "Cold Case" Unearths Ratings Surge, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Lost co-creator J.J. Abrams tells The Guardian that the writing staff on the ABC series, which airs its fifth season finale next week, approach the series a bit like Charles Dickens approached his own serialized storytelling. "It's a leap of faith doing any serialized storytelling," said Abrams in a new interview. "We had an idea early on, but certain things we thought would work well didn't. We couldn't have told you which characters would be in which seasons. We couldn't tell you who would even survive. You feel that electricity. It's almost like live TV. We don't quite know what might happen. I'm sure when Charles Dickens was writing, he had a sense of where he was going - but he would make adjustments as he went along. You jump into it, knowing there's something great out there to find." (Guardian)

(SPOILER) Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks with Bones star Emily Deschanel about next week's Brennan and Booth-based plot twist on netx week's episode of the FOX drama. "It definitely changes the dynamic between the characters," said Deschanel of the hook-up between Booth and Brennan. "But it's done in a very clever way. [Series creator] Hart Hanson wrote the episode in a way that gets these two characters together -- which a lot of the audience was waiting for -- but doesn't dissipate the sexual tension between them and, therefore, ruin the show... Let's just say there's definitely a twist. It's not a dream, but there are twists. And there are [other] twists at the end of the episode that will be shocking as well. [...] It's not a matter of life or death, but it's kind of huge. There's a cliffhanger and it has to do with Booth and Brennan's relationship. It puts their relationship in jeopardy." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Things are looking up for CBS' Cold Case, currently on the bubble for a renewal for next season. Sunday night's episode showed a 38 percent uptick in the ratings with 12.9 million viewers overall, the series' best performance in six weeks. No decision has yet been made about Cold Case's ultimate fate but the ratings surge does point strongly in its favor and rumors are swirling that the crime procedural will get another shot next season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Adult Swim has given a nine-episode order to stop-motion animated comedy Titan Maximum from executive producers Tom Root, Matthew Seinreich, and Seth Green, creators of the network's Robot Chicken. Titan Maximum, which will feature the voices of Green, Breckin Meyer, Rachael Leigh Cook, Dan Milano, and Eden Espinosa, will parody 1980s Japanese animated series such as Voltron as it follows a group of fighter pilots whose spaceships combine to form a gigantic robot named... Titan Maximum. Additionally, "because of budget cuts, the team has been disbanded but must hastily reassemble when a former team member turns rogue and tries to conquer the solar system." The writing staff is said to include comic book writers Geoff Johns and Zeb Wells. (Hollywood Reporter)

Dominic West (The Wire) will star opposite Joe Armstrong (Robin Hood), Denis Lawson (Jekyll), and John Sessions (Oliver Twist) in BBC Four drama Breaking the Mould, which recounts the true story of Professor Howard Florey who, along with his team of researchers at Oxford University, were behind the discovery of penicillin during WWII. (BBC)

Kiefer Sutherland's latest brush with the law could find him in violation of his parole... and delay production on Day Eight of FOX's 24, set to begin filming at the end of the month. The latest charges stem from an altercation on Monday evening in which Sutherland allegely head-butted a fashion designer while Sutherland was talking with actress Brooke Shields at an event. Whether Sutherland was intoxicated at the time of the altercation may effect any parole violation discussions and could land the actor back in jail or performing community service. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Nicktoons has ordered 26 additional episodes of animated series Wolverine and the X-Men from Marvel Animation, bringing the series' episodic total to 52 installments. New episodes of the series will kick off on Nicktoons on May 22nd. (Hollywood Reporter)

Tribune Broadcasting stations have purchased off-network syndication rights to HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and Entourage from HBO and will begin airing episodes of both series in fall 2010, when it will be able to broadcast repeats between 4:30 pm and 12:30 am Monday to Friday, along with one weekend slot. Content will be edited for language and content. (Variety)

TNT has confirmed earlier reports about its summer lineup, with Mondays playing host to The Closer and Raising the Bar beginning June 8th, Tuesdays the home of Wedding Day, Hawthorne, and Saving Grace beginning June 16th, and Wednesdays the berth for Leverage and Dark Blue starting July 15th. (via press release)

Lauren Holly and Rob Lowe will star in Lifetime Movie Network telepic Too Late to Say Goodbye, based on Ann Rule's novel about a woman who discovers her husband's infidelity and has an affair with a man she meets online and then turns up dead, the victim of an apparent suicide. Holly will play the woman's sister, who believes that she was murdered and that her husband (Lowe) is the prime suspect. (Hollywood Reporter)

Zoo Prods. is developing an untitled docusoap based on the live of Larry Ramos Gomez, a 31-year-old man who suffers from "wolfman syndrome" (hypertrichosis) as he looks for love. Executive producers Amy Rosenblum, Barry Poznick, and Charles Steenveld will pitch the project to networks next week. (Variety)

Stay tuned.