Wax Wings: HBO's "Conchords" Ends Flight

Things are looking about as grim as Murray's love life for fans of Flight of the Conchords today.

Flight of the Conchords creators Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, and James Bobin have announced that there will not be a third season of their eponymous Emmy-nominated HBO comedy series, as first reported by The New York Times.

Following months of speculation about the fate of the series, the trio announced their intentions not to pursue a third season of Flight of the Conchords on their official website:

"We’ve noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won’t be returning for a 3rd season. We’re very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We’d like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist."

Digital cabler HBO had previously said that they would be willing to commission a third season, should McKenzie and Clement be up for it. Alas, it looks like we won't find out just what happened to our favorite Kiwi folk-rock band after they returned to New Zealand...

Channel Surfing: "Flight of the Conchords" Might Stop Flying, Rosenbaum Arrives at "V," James Franco to "30 Rock," Colin Hanks, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Flight of the Conchords star/co-creator Jemaine Clement has indicated that there might not be a third season of their HBO comedy series but said that a final decision will be made within a month, once Clement discusses it with fellow co-creators Bret McKenzie and James Bobin. "It very likely might not," said Clement. "It could come back in a shorter season or like a special." One major hurdle is that the team would not only have to write the scripts for the series but also the music as well. HBO, meanwhile, will stand by the Conchords' decision either way. "We've left their future entirely in their hands," said HBO spokesperson Nancy Lesser. "We would love to have more, and we left an open door at HBO." (Hollywood Reporter)

Chuck executive producer Scott Rosenbaum has replaced Scott Peters as the showrunner on ABC's sci-fi series V, which launched yesterday evening. Peters will remain on board the series as an executive producer. Jeff Bell, meanwhile, has left the series. Rosenbaum has signed a two-year deal with Warner Bros. Television, the studio behind V. (Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that James Franco will follow his run on General Hospital with a guest shot on NBC's 30 Rock. Citing an insider, Ausiello reports that "Franco (playing himself) will be involved in a faux romance with Jane Krakowski’s Jenna — a relationship engineered by their respective agents." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Colin Hanks (Mad Men) will star opposite Bradley Whitford in FOX's upcoming drama series Jack and Dan, produced by Fox Television Studios under their international co-production business model. Hanks will play Jack, "an ambitious, by-the-book detective whose habit of undermining himself has resulted in a dead-end position at the Los Angeles Police Department." He's partnered with drunken cop Dan (Whitford). Production is scheduled to begin in early 2010. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX is developing an untitled espionage drama with writer Harris Wilkinson and Chernin Entertainment that will revolve around a specialized division of the CIA that uses remote viewing, i.e., intelligence gathering using paranormal means. Project will be executive produced by Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope, and Lauren Stein. Len Wiseman is attached to direct the pilot. (Variety)

CBS has ordered five additional episodes of freshman comedy Accidentally on Purpose, bringing its season total to 18 installments, just short of a full season pickup. With the additional episode order, it leaves only drama series Three Rivers without any additional commitment at the network; the medical drama is widely expected to be axed though no decision has been made at this point. (Variety)

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts for the 82nd Academy Awards. "I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy, Alec Baldwin," said Martin in a statement. (via press release)

Former Dirty Sexy Money star Blair Underwood is set to reprise his role as Daniel Harris on CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine in an upcoming episode set to air in January. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Writer Craig Doyle has set up two projects, one at FOX and the other at CBS. The FOX project is an untitled comedy about a screw-up who has to rescue his severely Type-A sister after she suffers a tragedy. It hails from 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Entertainment. The second, a multi-camera comedy entitled Three Sisters, is about three very different men who wed three sisters who are all extremely close. CBS Television Studios and Katalyst Films will produce. (Hollywood Reporter)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams has an interview with Glee star Mark Salling. "I would never rule it completely out, especially with this group of writers," said Salling about a possible second go-around with Lea Michele's Rachel. "You never know what's going to happen and who's going to be with whom. I hope it does; I like that dynamic myself. It seems like the fans really liked it, so hopefully they'll take that into consideration." (TVGuide.com)

E! has ordered eight episodes of reality series Bank of Hollywood, in which everyday people will be able to plead with celebrities and business moguls for money for a specific purpose. Panelists will include Candy Spelling, poker player Vanessa Rousso, Wilhelmina Models president Sean Patterson, and Pussycat Dolls singer Melody Thornton. Series, from Ryan Seacrest Prods., Fever Media, and BBC, is set to debut on December 14th. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC will pre-empt supernatural drama Eastwick on Wednesday, November 18th in favor of ABC News' interview with Janet Jackson about her late brother Michael Jackson. (Variety)

A&E has ordered ten half-hour episodes of an untitled docudrama focusing on Kirstie Alley's life as a single mother attempting to lose weight. Project, from FremantleMedia North America, is expected to debut in 2010. (Hollywood Reporter)

CMT is making a foray into the scripted television business and has hired former FOX comedy executive Brad Johnson to oversee the development of roughly twelve scripted comedy projects, with the goal of getting two on the air in 2010. The cabler has also ordered two adventure series, Danger Coast, from ITV and Gator 911, from 12 Forward. Both will launch in second quarter 2010. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Daily Beast: "HBO's Troubadours Take Flight"

Another quick bit of indulgent self-promotion on Emmy day.

Please be sure to check out my latest piece for The Daily Beast, entitled "HBO's Troubadours Take Flight," featuring a one-on-one interview with Flight of the Conchords co-creator James Bobin.

It's the latest installment of an Emmy story package at The Daily Beast and features a Q&A with James Bobin about the possibility of a third season, musical influences, Jemaine Clement's nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, working with Michel Gondry, and much more.

You can read the piece in full here. Be sure to read the whole intro for Flight of the Conchords and then click on the gallery to read the Q&A.

HBO Renews "True Blood," "Hung," and "Entourage," Others Still Up in the Air

HBO's Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo took to the stage yesterday at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Pasadena that HBO had locked in its entire current Sunday night lineup for additional seasons next summer.

The pay cabler has officially renewed True Blood for a third season, Hung for a second season, and Entourage for a staggering seventh season. All will return to the lineup next summer rather than premiering earlier.

"True Blood, Hung, and Entourage will all be coming back next summer and we're very excited about it." Lombardo told the press. "So stay tuned for next June."

The duo, in an executive session at the aforementioned TCA panel, also relayed information about HBO's other crop of series and whether we could expect to see them return or not, with the fate of several series still very much up in the air.

Curb Your Enthusiasm returns September 20th with a new series and will be slotted together with new comedy Bored to Death, starring Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis, which will launch on the same night.

Lombardo wouldn't give any details about Evan Rachel Woods' appearance in Season Two/Season Three of True Blood. "Alan Ball would kill me," he said emphatically.

As expected, Big Love will be back in January. HBO expresses their disappointment that Big Love's talented cast didn't net Emmy nods for the truly amazing third season. (Editor: personally, I agree with them completely. Egregious error.)

Also on the subject of the Emmys, which announced yesterday that they would cut eight categories--including movie and miniseries awards--from the live telecast and instead film them separately and air edited versions of the winners' acceptance speechs, Plepler shot back at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. "For an awards show that seems to celebrate TV," said Plepler, "it seems odd that you would minimize categories that have huge viewership."

Flight of the Conchords isn't quite as dead as it appeared a few months back, with Plepler and Lombardo stating that the future of the series was squarely in the hands of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. "When they are ready, we're ready," said Plepler about a potential third season of Flight of the Conchords. "The challenge is of course they're not only writing a television show but have the added challenge of writing an album. So it's double the pressure. But we're waiting and as soon as they tell us they're ready, we'd be thrilled."

Things are looking less certain for a second season of the critically acclaimed drama series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which HBO co-produces with the BBC. "We're actually in conversations now and try to figure out the next step on that show," said Lombardo. "That show has been a challenge creatively as you know because the creative vision behind that show, Anthony Minghella, unfortunately passed away after the pilot was done." Fingers crossed that they can reach an agreement to bring Jill Scott's Precious Ramotswe back for a sophomore season...

And things are still very uncertain for a third season of In Treatment. "We're trying to put it together," said HBO. "It was adapted from an Israeli series, which had two seasons, so we would have to create new scripts from whole cloth but we're working to see whether that's possible." As for a final word on the series' fate, the duo said: "Gabriel is very interesting in doing it again so stay tuned."

Meanwhile, Little Britain USA is dead. But HBO said that they are in talks with creators/stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams about doing a series of specials featuring new characters and new situations. But don't hold your breath for these; at the very earliest the first special would air on HBO at the end of 2010 or shortly thereafter.

Fellow comedy Eastbound and Down, however, will return for a second season next year. The series "found young, passionate audience... There was no way we weren't bringing it back." Season Two of Eastbound will shoot at the end of winter or beginning of spring next year.

And animated comedy The Life and Times of Tim will return, with season two of the Media Rights Capital-produced series kicking off in the next few months. Ideally, Tim would be paired with the untitled animated Ricky Gervais comedy series--based on the podcast Gervais does with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington--but the latter likely won't make it on the air until next year.

As for new product, HBO said that the plan is to launch David Simon's newest series the post-Katrina New Orleans-set Treme, in April, trailing out of the end of its WWII mini-series The Pacific.

And HBO is anxiously awaiting a cut of its period drama Boardwalk Empire from executive producer Martin Scorsese and writer Terence Winter. Expectations are that once they see a cut of the pilot, HBO can order it to series and go back into production in September. "From everything we've seen it's fantastic, it's big, and it's everything we'd hoped it'd be," said Plepler.

Finally, HBO proved themselves magnanimous in success. Former HBO topper Chris Albrecht, now an independent producer, "should go where the work is and if he has something for" HBO, they are happy to take the pitch, said Plepler.

TV Academy Shines Emmy Love on "Big Love," "30 Rock," "Mad Men," "Lost," "Damages"

I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised this early morning in Los Angeles.

The Emmy nominees were announced this morning and I have to commend them for showering such love onto diverse and unique series such as Big Love, Mad Men, 30 Rock, Breaking Bad, Little Dorrit, Flight of the Conchords, , and Damages, even though Battlestar Galactica failed to garner a single nomination in the major categories.

Hell, one of the talented troika of female leads on AMC's Mad Men--Elisabeth Moss--even landed a nomination, as did the entire main cast of 30 Rock! So, something's right in Hollywood for a change.

Meanwhile, FOX's Family Guy snagged the first outstanding comedy series nomination for an animated series... in fifty years. (Not since The Flintstones has an animated comedy scored a nomination.) Something which sadly The Simpsons was never able to achieve in its heyday.

So which series and actors landed Emmy nominations? Let's talk about the major categories. (The full list of nominations can be found here.)

Outstanding Drama Series:
Big Love (HBO)
Breaking Bad (FX)
Dexter (Showtime)
House (FOX)
Lost (ABC)
Mad Men (AMC)

I have to say that I'm actually quite pleased overall with the selection here, which shows some love for quirky cable dramas like Big Love, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Dexter while also lauding network hits like Lost and House. I'm not surprised by the inclusion of Lost and the sensational Mad Men but if I'm being totally honest, I'd love to see Big Love, which is coming off of a mind-blowingly sensational third season, walk away with the top prize here.

Outstanding Comedy Series:
Entourage (HBO)
Family Guy (FOX)
Flight Of The Conchords (HBO)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
The Office (NBC)
30 Rock (NBC)
Weeds (Showtime)

Loving the inclusion of Flight of the Conchords, despite a somewhat subpar second season compared to the strength of its freshman year, but I'm glad to see that the quirky Kiwi comedy won over Emmy voters not just here but also in the lead actor in a comedy category as well. And kudos to the cast and crew of How I Met Your Mother for snagging a nom in the highly competitive category here. Ultimately, I'm hoping--and it's rather likely--that 30 Rock once again walks off with the statuette here. It really is, hands-down, the very best comedy on television today.

Outstanding Miniseries:
Generation Kill (HBO)
Little Dorrit (PBS)

Generation Kill might have the HBO imprimatur but I'm rooting for the lush and emotionally resonant Little Dorrit to win here. Would love to see a Dickens adaptation win the mini-series prize and the cast and crew of this PBS/BBC production were absolutely top-notch.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series:
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Jemaine Clement - Flight Of The Conchords (HBO)
Tony Shalhoub - Monk (USA)
Steve Carell - The Office (NBC)
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock (NBC)
Charlie Sheen - Two And A Half Men (CBS)

I'm blown away by the fact that Jemaine Clement managed to get a nomination here and I almost want Clement to win, just so I can watch what would be a fairly surreal and hysterical acceptance speech. Just... wow. Never would have imagined this. Love that Jim Parsons got nominated and his reaction on the nomination telecast this morning was priceless. The rest of the category is pretty predictable (cough, Tony Shalhoub, cough) but I'm once again putting my money on 30 Rock's incomparable Alec Baldwin. It's what Jack Donaghy would do, after all.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series:
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad (AMC)
Michael C. Hall - Dexter (Showtime)
Hugh Laurie - House (FOX)
Gabriel Byrne - In Treatment (HBO)
Jon Hamm - Mad Men (AMC)
Simon Baker - The Mentalist (CBS)

As much as I love Bryan Cranston, I have to say that I want Jon Hamm to bring home the win with every iota of my being. His smoldering performance as Don Draper in Season Two of Mad Men was powerful, provocative, and heartbreaking and he anchored the show with a nuanced masculinity and dynamic charisma. As for the others, Laurie and Byrne were expected, but Simon Baker for The Mentalist? Really? Over Bill Paxton for Big Love? Or anyone from Battlestar Galactica? Grr.

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - The New Adventures Of Old Christine (CBS)
Christina Applegate - Samantha Who? (ABC)
Sarah Silverman - The Sarah Silverman Program (Comedy Central)
Tina Fey - 30 Rock (NBC)
Toni Collette - United States Of Tara (Showtime)
Mary-Louise Parker - Weeds (Showtime)

Two words: Tina Fey. Need I say more?

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series:
Sally Field - Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer (TNT)
Glenn Close - Damages (FX)
Mariska Hargitay - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men (AMC)
Holly Hunter - Saving Grace (TNT)

Thank you, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, for--finally!--acknowledging the incredible performance of Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss; her turn as Peggy Olsen this past season was an understated thing of beauty, haunting for her sorrow, inspiring for her strength of character. That fellow femmes January Jones and Christina Hendricks should be overlooked once again is shameful but I do have to credit them for at least shining a much-deserved spotlight on Moss here. Personally, I'd love for her to win. Or for Glenn Close to get the prize for her fearless portrayal of Patty Hewes on FX's Damages, a character who is a seething mess of complexity and anger.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series:
Kevin Dillon - Entourage (HBO)
Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
Rainn Wilson - The Office (NBC)
Tracy Morgan - 30 Rock (NBC)
Jack McBrayer - 30 Rock (NBC)
Jon Cryer - Two And A Half Men (CBS)

I'm loving the support for NBC's 30 Rock here, with Morgan and McBrayer landed nominations for their roles as Tracy and Kenneth. Wish they could both win, but thinking they'll split the vote, so I'm giving the ubiquitous Neil Patrick Harris the edge here. A very tough category this year and one I'll be watching extremely closely.

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series:
William Shatner - Boston Legal (ABC)
Christian Clemenson - Boston Legal (ABC)
Aaron Paul - Breaking Bad (AMC)
William Hurt - Damages (FX)
Michael Emerson - Lost (ABC)
Jon Slattery - Mad Men (AMC)

Tough, tough category here again. I think the Emmy voters tipped their hat a little bit with two nominations for Boston Legal here (would you *really* say that Shatner is supporting?) but I do love the inclusion of Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul (who should be nominated as well for his vastly different turn on Big Love, just for comparison's sake), Michael Emerson, and Jon Slattery, as well as William Hurt. Would love to see Ben Linus take home the win.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series:
Kristin Chenoweth - Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Amy Poehler - Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Kristin Wiig - Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Jane Krakowski - 30 Rock (NBC)
Vanessa Williams - Ugly Betty (ABC)
Elizabeth Perkins - Weeds (Showtime)

Jane Krakowski doesn't get nearly as much recognition as she should for her role as Jenna on 30 Rock, so I am thrilled to see her get the nomination as I am for someone to remember the beauty and bittersweet sparkle of Pushing Daisies and give Cheno a nod as well. As for who will win, I'm not sure at all but I'd love it to be one of these two. Or one of the SNL team.

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series:
Rose Byrne - Damages (FX)
Sandra Oh - Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Chandra Wilson - Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
Dianne Wiest - In Treatment (HBO)
Hope Davis - In Treatment (HBO)
Cherry Jones - 24 (FOX)

I'm thinking one of the Grey's Anatomy ladies will win this category (though no Katherine Heigl?) but nice to see Byrne get some Emmy love as well.

Outstanding Reality – Competition Program:
The Amazing Race (CBS)
American Idol (FOX)
Dancing With The Stars (ABC)
Project Runway (Bravo)
Top Chef (Bravo)

As much as I love The Amazing Race, I think it's about time the Academy recognized the genius of culinary competition series Top Chef.

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series:
30 Rock - "Reunion" (NBC): Matt Hubbard
30 Rock - Apollo, Apollo" (NBC): Robert Carlock
30 Rock - "Mamma Mia" (NBC): Ron Weiner
30 Rock - "Kidney Now! (NBC): Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock
Flight Of The Conchords - "Prime Minister" (HBO): James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie

30 Rock has a near monopoly on the comedy writing awards this year and I can't say that I'm surprised. Glad that Conchords got a single nomination here, maybe it will be enough to get the boys back in the writers room for a third go-around (and maybe some more strenuous work on the music this time around), but it's 30 Rock's category to lose. Of the four, I'd love to see "Apollo, Apollo" win for Robert Carlock. I loved that episode.

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series:
Lost - "The Incident" (ABC): Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof
Mad Men - "A Night To Remember" (AMC): Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner
Mad Men - "Six Month Leave" (AMC): Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Matthew Weiner
Mad Men - "The Jet Set" (AMC): Matthew Weiner
Mad Men - "Meditations In An Emergency" (AMC): Kater Gordon, Matthew Weiner

Hmm, something tells me that Mad Men is going to win this category. I thought that Cuse and Lindelof's work on Lost's "The Incident" was great but I don't think it will be enough to defeat a one-two (sorry, make that four) punch from the Mad Men writing staff. Which one, however? Not sure. They are all so profoundly beautiful, but I'll go with "Meditations in An Emergency" in a pinch.

So there you have it. Who are you rooting for to walk away with the top prize? Who got snubbed? And who do you wish the Academy would award the Emmy to? Discuss.

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards will be telecast on September 20th on CBS.

Evicted: Bret and Jemaine Sing, Herd Sheep on the Series Finale of "Flight of the Conchords"

Was anyone else let down by the series finale of HBO's Flight of the Conchords?

Last night's episode of Flight of the Conchords ("Evicted") marked what is likely to be the series' last installment as Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie have publicly indicated that it's unlikely that they'll return for a third season.

In the episode, Bret and Jemaine discovered that, unless they were able to raise roughly $7000 (in US currency, that is) within a month, they would be evicted from their apartment. Unable to do so, they end up moving in with Mel and Doug and launching a bid at Broadway stardom by putting on a play written by Murray about their lives (with a little Star Wars thrown in). Inevitably, however, the play's themes about illegal immigrants attract the attention of the INS and the duo are deported to New Zealand, where they return to their previous lives as shepherds.

I wasn't terribly impressed with this installment and it felt almost haphazardly thrown together, as though the writers didn't quite know how to wrap up the series or had completely run out of steam at this point. I loved the percussion opening and Mel and Doug... and that was about it.

Full disclosure time: I was one of the Conchords' early adopters. I heard them live in Los Angeles in 2006 and was a fan of their BBC Radio series and I was completely captivated with the series' first season when it aired in 2007. The second season, which wrapped last night, seemed to lack the sort of spark and verve that was completely felt in every single installment of Season One. Perhaps it was the fact that, unlike in the first season, the scripts were written first and then the music tailored to the episodes rather than vice-versa.

Which isn't to say that Season Two of Flight of the Conchords didn't have some memorable moments, because it did: Jemaine becoming a prostitute, Bret forming a gang and embarking on a West Side Story-influenced dance-off, the gorgeous Michel Gondry-directed installment, the fantastic 1980s synth pop of "Fashion is Danger" and the hilarious "Sugalumps." There were some stand-out episodes among Season Two's ten-episode run, but sadly the season finale wasn't one of them.

Which is a shame as "Evicted" seems perfectly set up to be a truly memorable episode. The subplot that had Bret and Jemaine move in with Mel and Doug only to have the couple separate and divide up the band, with one of the boys staying with one of them should have been a bigger part of the episode rather than just a five-minute aside. Instead, the focus was mainly on the meta-theatrical play-within-the-show about Bret and Jemaine's life... which really wasn't all that funny and went on for way too long.

Adding to this head-scratcher of an episode was the fact that the last full-length song the guys perform on screen was the surreal and bizarre "Petrov, Yelyena, and Me," which recounts Bret's dream of being stuck in a liferaft with Russian versions of Mel and Doug as they chop off his body parts and feast on them before he doses himself with arsenic and kills his attackers. Not exactly reaching the same sort of memorable replay value as say "Sugalumps" or "Fashion is Danger"... or any of the first season songs.

Ultimately, "Evicted" lacked the off-kilter humor, hook-filled musical numbers, and character-based banter that have defined Flight of the Conchords since the beginning. And it left me feeling more than a little nostalgic for those early days when the episodes were overflowing with laugh-out-loud moments and clever repartee than about meta-theatrical plays and deportation. Personally, I think I want to remember Flight of the Conchords in that context rather than continue to think about last night's subpar series finale.

But I am curious to know: what did you think of last night's episode? Was it a fitting send-off for the guys and the series? Or did it leave you disappointed? Discuss.

Presidents' Day Weekend Wrap-Up: "Amazing Race," "Flight of the Conchords," and "Secret Diary of a Call Girl"

Due to the loveliness that is a three-day weekend, I didn't quite get around to discussing everything that aired this past weekend, although I did manage to write up my theories and thoughts about the Cylon race, past and future, on Battlestar Galactica and offer an illuminating Talk Back for the series premiere of FOX's new drama series Dollhouse.

However, rather than let the week go by without discussing what else was on this past weekend, I just wanted to share a few thoughts about Sunday night's premiere of The Amazing Race and new installments of HBO's Flight of the Conchords and Showtime's Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

The long weekend might be over and the work week sadly beginning, but that doesn't mean we can't dish about Hannah and Alex, Mike White and his dad, and Kiwis Jemaine and Bret on this rainy Tuesday morning.

The Amazing Race. I'll admit that I was considering giving up on TAR after a lackluster season that saw more drama at the airport check-in counters than between the couples themselves. And yet, entering its fourteenth season (yes, seriously!), Amazing Race seems to have regained the momentum and tension that seemingly evaporated last season. In just the opening installment, I found myself completely invested in the latest iteration of the race and thought that the casting was absolutely a full head and shoulders above that of last season.

I'm already rooting for screenwriter Mike White and his gay activist father Mel and for mother and son team Margie and Luke. Did anyone else get teary when classiest reality show host in the business Phil Keoghan signed the words, "You're team number one"? Call me sentimental, but I thought it was a touching and thoughtful tribute to deaf racer Luke. Also really liking siblings Victor and Tammy but hillbilly couple Steve and Linda creep me out to no end, especially as Linda can't even seem to walk, much less run. Just how did she pass the physical for this series? And the cheese-carrying task left me in absolute hysterics. Has there been a more humorous challenge on the series to date?

Flight of the Conchords. This week's episode ("Unnatural Love"), directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) featured Jemaine getting involved with an Australian woman (Sarah Wynter), a real taboo in Kiwi culture. While the episode seemed directed fairly straightforwardly at first, it was the breathtaking visuals for the Conchords' song "Carol Brown" that cemented the fact that this was being directed by Gondry. An astounding mix of visuals, cutaways, and moving backgrounds, "Carol Brown" may go down as one of the most inventive and visually creative musical segments on Flight of the Conchords so far.

Loved Wynter as the grungy Aussie Keitha who ends up robbing Jemaine and Bret blindly, the entire nightclub sequence, Murray saying that he'll wait outside for Jemaine and Bret to finish "nightclubbing," the "hand" gloves, and the clinic waiting room scene between Bret and Jemaine. In fact, my only complaint in an otherwise absolutely superlative episode? No Mel.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl. I couldn't believe that Hannah was going to tell Alex (Callum Blue) about her secret life as Belle, call girl extraordinaire, especially after the awfulness that was her lunch with Alex and former boyfriend Ben. But as soon as she left the door unlocked during a gig with a wheelchair-bound guy (in case his father needed to come in and help him), I knew that Alex would be finding out in a most painful way: by catching Hannah with a client in flagrante delicto. And, ouch, was it painful. Not to mention embarrassing and humiliating, both for Hannah and her poor client. The fact that his father wouldn't accept the money back only made it even more difficult and awkward.

Loved the fact that Alex didn't wait around to angrily confront Hannah but went immediately to scream at Ben at the bar for not warning him, not telling him. Even worse: that Ben was so calm and told Alex not to react that way but Alex was disgusted with Hannah, her profession, and the fact that he realized now that when they met, she thought he was a punter. Also loved that Alex knows that Ben is completely in love with Hannah and threw that fact in his face, along with the knowledge that Ben's girlfriend Vanessa (whom Ben is meant to be marrying!) is likely also aware of his feelings for her. Can Alex and Hannah reconcile and find a way to stay together in the face of his realization about what she does for a living? I'm not sure but I can't wait to see just what happens next between them...


What did you think of this week's Amazing Race, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, and Flight of the Conchords? Discuss.

(No) Hurt Feelings: A Look Inside the Recording Studio with "Flight of the Conchords"

If you're at all like me, you've been singing "Sugalumps" since Jemaine first uttered those immortal lyrics this season on HBO's comedy Flight of the Conchords.

Thanks to the magic of the internets, you can go behind the scenes on Flight of the Conchords to see everyone's favorite Kiwis, Bret and Jemaine, lay down some tracks for their new album, due out April 14th.

One bit of difference between Season One and Season Two of Flight of the Conchords: the guys had previously written the songs used in the first season and created storylines around the songs; this year, they wrote the stories first and then wrote the music for such songs as "Hurt Feelings," "Sugalumps," "Angels," and others.

Oh, and you can now download the songs via iTunes the morning after they're featured on that Sunday's episode of Flight of the Conchords, so you'll never be without their latest hysterical hit. Find out more via HBO's The Buzz video below.



This Sunday on Flight of the Conchords ("Murray Takes it to the Next Level"), Murray tries to elevate Bret and Jemaine on his friendship graph, bringing his mate Jim in on the plan; Mel demands an apology from Bret for inappropriate dream behavior.

Channel Surfing: Clooney Returns to "ER," Gondry Directs "Conchords," Patti LuPone Heads to "30 Rock," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. I'm sure many of us didn't get a very good night's sleep after the last night brought us the two-hour premiere of Lost, new installments of Damages and Top Chef, and the launch of FOX's Lie to Me. Since when did Wednesday become the go-to night for top-notch television programming?

George Clooney is filming scenes this week on NBC's ER, where he will reprise his role as Dr. Doug Ross. He last appeared on the series in an uncredited cameo in 2000. No word on whether he'll bring Ross' Caesar cut with him. (Entertainment Tonight)

Season Two of HBO's Flight of the Conchords has lined up a host of intriguing guest stars including Saturday Night Live's Kristin Wiig, My Boys' Jim Gaffigan, and Lost's Alan Dale. Also of note: Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) directed the February 15th episode, in which Jemaine dates an Australian (shock horror!). (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Patti LuPone has been cast in an upcoming episode of NBC's 30 Rock, where she will play the mother of TGS staffer Frank. (Yes, really, Frank.) Lupone was most recently seen on the small screen on ABC's Ugly Betty, where she played the mother of Michael Urie's Marc. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC is keeping Samantha Who? benched until this spring; the comedy series was originally supposed to return on January 12th but the timeslot will now be filled by two-hour editions of reality series The Bachelor through its entire run, concluding March 2nd, and by two-hour editions of Dancing With the Stars to air March 9th, March 16th, and March 23rd. (Futon Critic)

NBC is said to be considering a sequel or potential primetime spin-off of Sunday night's miniseries The Last Templar. Should the Peacock order a sequel to the four-hour mini--which stars Scott Foley and Mira Sorvino, it would be set in India. (Hollywood Reporter)

UK network Sky1 has acquired exclusive free and basic TV rights plus non-exclusive VOD and download-to-own rights to FOX's Lie to Me, which launched Stateside last night. Sky1 plans to launch the series in the spring. (Variety)

Hilary Duff has been cast in an upcoming episode of CBS' Ghost Whisperer, where she will play a mysterious woman who may have been involved in a man's death. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

USA has pushed the launch of Season Eight of Law & Order: Criminal Intent once again, this time until this summer. Season Eight, featuring Jeff Goldblum as Detective Zach Nichols (taking over for Chris Noth), was originally to launch in November 2008, three months after the end of the seventh season; in both cases, the explanation given was the cabler's wish to air all sixteen episodes of Season Eight in a row. (TV Guide)

NBC has hired outside marketing firm Naked Communications to revamp its brand. "We're thinking about how we market the brand, how we present ourselves to the advertising community at upfront and how we present ourselves to the consumer," said Adam Stotsky, president of entertainment marketing at NBC. "Naked is working with us to sharpen our image, (as we) look for a fresh perspective on how we go to market." (Variety)

Reality television employees have settled a class action suit against FOX, CBS, ABC, and several production companies including Rocket Science Laboratories to the tune of more than $4 million dollars. The action, filed in 2005, alleged that the defendants violated wage and hour laws by underpaying story department employees and failed to provide meal periods or maintain accurate payroll records. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Conchords' Mel Takes Flight: Televisionary Talks to Kristen Schaal

While I love Flight of the Conchords' Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the real breakout stars of their HBO series are Murray, played by Rhys Darby, and the Conchords' stalker/number one fan, Mel, played with pitch perfect precision by New York-based comedian Kristen Schaal.

Flight of the Conchords is set to return to HBO on Sunday with a second season of what Schaal promises are "madcap adventures." I caught up with the baby-voiced comedian last month to discuss Mel, why Matthew Weiner made her put her cigarette down while filming the Mad Men pilot, her comedic influences, and what character she'd most like to play on 30 Rock.

Televisionary: What it is like working with Bret and Jemaine and the writers of Flight of the Conchords? How involved are you in coming up with any storylines for the show involving Mel?

Kristen Schaal: Pretty involved, but they come up with amazing ideas and they are great to collaborate with, so I can say, I don't think Mel would do that and they'll change it. They're really good about it. And sometimes they'll come up with some really mean things to do to Mel and I'll say, can't you do something else to Mel? But they'll still keep it in. (Laughs)

Q: Can you give me an example of when you actually did put your foot down and tell the writers that what they had written was too mean to do to Mel?

Schaal: Well, I thought it was really mean [in Season One] when they brought their girlfriends to her house. (Laughs) I thought that was really mean. But they did it anyway because it made for good comedy.

Q: One thing that people are constantly wondering is: are you in anyway similar to Mel? Or are you completely different?

Schaal: Well, I like to think we are completely different. But I mean we both talk the same--

Q: And you look the same.

Schaal: (Laughs) Oh, yeah, that's right! Those two things but we don't dress the same, that is for sure. I am obviously very different than Mel. I am actually really waiting for someone to ask me, have you ever stalked anyone or been obsessed with anything? And I just want to be, like, yeah that's how I got this job. (Laughs) We're very different. Mel is just a character, obviously. I don't want to jump either of their bones, personally. That's going to be hard for them to take! (Laughs)

Q: In Season One of Flight of the Conchords, we got to see Murray sing. In Season Two, will we get to see Mel sing?

Schaal: Yes, yes. She gets her own song... and her own video. It's really good. And that's another thing that I got to have a lot of input into, the song. It's really exciting. It's about dreams.

Q: Who would you say are your main comedic influences?

Schaal: I would definitely say Andy Kaufman. He's someone that I've studied and I've read everything that I could about him and I really enjoy how he turned performances into something where no one ever knew what was going to happen. Steve Martin also is sort of a master in the category of experimental comedy which I really admire. Those are two of the big ones for me.

Q: Are you a television fan? Do you watch other TV comedies?

Schaal: I am and just this past year I've been watching more as I've had more TV time. I love 30 Rock; that might be my favorite comedy show on right now, and also The Office is pretty good too. Those are ones that I definitely TiVo. And Mad Men too. I know that's not a comedy but I love Mad Men.

Q: Not many people may realize this but you were in the pilot of Mad Men, weren't you?

Schaal: I was! I was in the pilot but the show got picked up and moved to LA and I couldn't do more because I was doing [Flight of] the Conchords. But I love it.

Q: What was your experience working on the Mad Men pilot? Did you think back then that it would become such a huge drama series sensation?

Schaal: Not at all! It was a pilot for AMC. I didn't think anything of it, especially back then. I mean, it was for AMC and filmed in New York, it seemed just like some funky project. But it was awesome and as soon as you got to put on your costume and get your hair done, it was just so much fun. And I remember, you had to smoke cigarettes constantly. At one point, they yelled cut, cut, hold on, hold on, and Matthew Weiner ran over to me and said, 'You don't smoke, do you?' (Laughs) Cause I was just puffing like crazy. I was like, puff, puff, puff, puff. And he said, 'why don't you just leave your [cigarette] in the ashtray?' (Laughs) That's why I would need to start smoking if I wanted to be on the show. I don't think I could do the show again, which is too bad, but I am just happy to watch it.

Q: So, if you could guest star on any current series, I guess you'd choose 30 Rock. What kind of character would you want to play?

Schaal: Oh, yeah that would be so fun. Oooh, I don't know. I'd think it would be fun to play like a drugged-out rock star. It would be fun to play someone who's really just self-indulgent. I don't think I'd ever look the part but that would be more fun than anything. That would be, wow.

Q: I know you are working on a few projects in the future. I heard that you and Rich [Blomquist] are working on a romance novel?

Schaal: Yes, we are. We're writing it. It's not a romance novel, it's kind of morphed more into a how-to sexual guide that's made up of short stories that are incredibly sexy and funny. We're writing it so you can read it with your baby with these 3-D glasses because we're going to put all the raunchy parts in red ink. Which would also benefit you if you needed to find a, you know, quick fix. I was going to say that this book is the book that Kim Cattrall and her ex-husband wish they wrote. (Laughs) Is that too insensitive? I thought that might be funny but then I thought... (Laughs) I haven't read Kim Cattrall's book. We started writing it and then the show kind of [took over]... and then Rich went to work on the Daily Show and we had some other projects, so hopefully we can get back on it.

Q: And you're in Paul Weitz's upcoming film, Cirque du Freak?

Schaal: That was really fun. I got to live in New Orleans and get fat and feel gross on the food. But it was cool. It was a multi-million dollar movie so that's a type of project I'm not familiar with! I am used to doing low-budget films. I got to do stunts up in a harness a couple of times and I thought it would be fun. And getting to work with John C. Reilly. It's just effortless for him to be a funny character and I got to hang out with him a couple of times, which was a treat. He's so nice and so funny and he loves to name drop Tim and Eric [of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!]. They do great stuff together and he's always, like, hey, do you know Tim and Eric? It's the most awesome name drop.

Q: You get to play a character named Gertha Teeth?

Schaal: That was really fun and she has these amazing teeth. It was again yet another humbling job where I am basically sort of coloring the background of this movie with other people playing freaks.

Q: You've already shot all of Season Two of Flight of the Conchords. If there was anything you'd want the writers to do to Mel, no matter how outrageous, what would it be?

Schaal: Oh, wow. I think it would be so much fun if Mel got some stalker friends of her own and had a taste of her own medicine. I think that would be so much fun to play with.

Something tells me that thanks to her winning performance as star-struck Mel, Schaal--like the Conchords--already does have a fanbase of her very own.

Season Two of Flight of the Conchords premieres Sunday, January 18th, at 10 pm ET/PT.

My Lovely Sugar Lumps: An Advance Review of the First Three Episodes of "Flight of the Conchords" Season Two

HBO's deliciously absurd musical comedy Flight of the Conchords returns after a far-too-long hiatus between seasons due to the writers strike.

I had the opportunity last week to watch the first three episodes of Season Two of Flight of the Conchords, which launches January 18th on HBO, and like the title sequence's whale, I too soared away on a magical carpet of storytelling and imagination.

While the season premiere has been available online via various platforms for a few weeks now, I was particularly curious to check out the season's second and third episodes. Time has not dulled Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement's peculiar brand of off-kilter humor, fortunately, and they return after a seemingly endless break between seasons to engage in bizarro conversations about nothing in particular and perform more hysterical songs. (If you've seen their "women's only toothpaste" commercial advert in the season premiere, you know what I mean.) For fans of FotC, these fantastic episodes are the bee's knees and will leave you craving more Kiwi humor once the end credits roll.

So, what can you expect from Season Two of Flight of the Conchords? Let's discuss.

When we last saw Bret and Jemaine, they had been cast adrift after Murray (Rhys Darby) took on managing duties for a hot band (the Crazy Dogz). Forced to rely on their own skills, they're actually doing better without Murray than with him and manage to get a few gigs going (even if Bret is sans a shoe) and land a job writing and performing a jingle for that "women's only toothpaste" commercial. This being Flight of the Conchords, look for things to naturally settle back into an equilibrium by the end of the first episode as Bret and Jemaine find themselves in a bit of a legal situation and Murray is forced to (sort of) come to their rescue.

Later, look for the guys to take a gig at a local library (shush!) and Bret to form a rather, uh, motley gang in order to take back the streets, which leads to the funniest West Side Story parody ever on film. (Okay, it might be the only West Side Story parody ever, but that doesn't diminish just how hysterical their idea of gang warfare is.)

Meanwhile, Mel (Kristen Schaal) takes up painting and Brett purchases a second coffee mug, which causes major financial complications for the guys resulting in them losing their instruments and Jemaine having to prostitute himself in order to make ends meet. Which in turn leads to two hysterical new songs, one that's a send-up of The Police's Roxanne and the other which is entitled "Sugar Lumps," and which, over a week later, I still can't get out of my head.

Yes, it's already shaping up to be the sort of season where anything, and indeed everything, is possible. Flight of the Conchords has always been the type of series that could feature romantic entanglements, David Bowie impersonations, and ruminations on the trivialities of everyday life, from Mafia retaliations to unpaid electric bills, side-by-side. It's a topsy-turvy world that might seem terrifying were it not so painfully funny.

Season Two of Flight of the Conchords premieres Sunday, January 18th, at 10 pm ET/PT on HBO. Be sure to come back later this week for my interview with Flight of the Conchords co-star Kristen Schaal.

Channel Surfing: Team Darlton Talks "Lost," Details About Amy Poehler NBC Comedy, Olmstead Talks "Prison Break" End, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. I'll have another post up in just a bit recapping the news at yesterday's FOX panel at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, including news about Prison Break wrapping its run, so sit tight.

TV maven Maureen Ryan talks with Lost masterminds Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about the new season. In this phenomenal interview, Team Darlton talks about finding the balance between mythology-based storylines and character-driven ones, time travel, "The Constant," the Dharma Initiative, why they have to go back to the island, Daniel Dae Kim, and, well, cherry pie. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Elsewhere, Matthew Fox talks to Details magazine about whether there is, in fact, life after Lost, which will end its six-season run next year. "When it's all said and done, you'll be able to look at the six seasons of Lost and see a pretty amazing character arc," said Fox. "Jack has been evolving, and not necessarily into a good place. We started the show with him being this hero who had no concept of what that required, sort of trying to live up to the expectations... and then finding the way to redeem himself." (Details)

The 2009 William S. Paley Festival will take place April 10-23 here in Los Angeles and while the Paley Center has yet to announce the full lineup (they'll do so on February 18th), they have disclosed that FOX's Fringe and HBO's True Blood will be featured. Tickets go on sale to members on February 26th and to the general public on March 1st. (Variety)

Some news about the untitled NBC comedy from Greg Daniels that stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, and Aziz Ansari. ""We start shooting in February and it's on in April," Poehler tells People about the series, which she describes "like Tina Turner in [1985's Mad Max] Beyond Thunderdome. I am a boss; I have an office. It's a whole different world. It's not a spin-off, it's a whole different place. [The Office's] Rashida Jones plays my friend." (People)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice talks exclusively with Prison Break executive producer Matt Olmstead about FOX's decision to end the series. Olmstead admits that there was "nowhere to go beyond this season" and says that he "didn't want the show to become a parody of itself." Prison Break returns with additional episodes (though the number is, apparently, under discussion) on April 17th and Olmstead hints that "there will be deaths." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Rhea Seehorn (The Starter Wife) has been cast as the lead in FOX drama pilot Eva Adams, based on Argentinean telenovela Lalola. Seehorn will star opposite James Van Der Beek and David Denman in the Sony Pictures Television-produced pilot, written and executive produced by Kevin Falls (Journeyman), about a sexist sports agent who, following a witch's curse, turns into a woman in order to "endure the harassment he has been dishing out." (Hollywood Reporter)

One Tree Hill creator Mark Schwahn will now NOT be involved in the CW's planned 90210 spinoff Melrose Place. Dawn Ostroff said the network is in talks with a writer but wouldn't say who. "We're in the process of negotiating with someone," said Ostroff, "but I can't say who yet because the deal's not done." Ostroff also discusses the tone of the new Melrose Place and a "stylized" feel for the series. (Zap2it)

Hollywood Reporter has a rundown of the pilot scripts gathering the most buzz at the networks, including:

FOX: Paul Scheuring's thriller Masterwork, which is said to be reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code, Jon Steinberg's Human Target, David Hudgins' Reincarnationist, Jason Richman's Forge, Carlos Coto's Wild Boys, and untitled projects from Jack Orman, Ian Biederman, Adi Hasak, and one from Manny Coto and Brian Helgeland. On the comedy side: Mike Binder's Two Dollar Beer, Kevin Napier's The Station, Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka's Walorsky, Dave Hemingson and Nahnatchka Khan's Don't Trust the Bitch at Apt. #23, and Greg Bratman and Tommy Dewey's Sons of Tucson.

NBC: Jesse Alexander's Day One, Kerry Ehrin's Girls Chasing Men, Ben Elton's Garrick, Dario Scardapane and Peter Berg's Trauma, and an untitled Hank Steinberg drama.

ABC: Scott Rosenberg, Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec's Happy Town, The Witches of Eastwick, Rene Echevarria and Greg Berlanti's The Return, and Richard Hatem's The Gates. Comedy: US adapation of British series No Heroics from Jeff Greenstein and Drew Pearce.

CBS: Untitled NCIS spinoff, The Streets of San Francisco, Hawaii 5.0, Confessions of a Contractor, untitled Curtis Hanson/Carol Barbee medical drama, and untitled Jerry Bruckheimer/Jeffrey Lieber medical drama.

CW: Kevin Williamson's Vampire Diaries and the updated Melrose Place. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Onion's A.V. Club talks to Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement of HBO's Flight of the Conchords, which returns for Season Two this weekend. (The Onion's A.V. Club)

Steve Carell's Carousel Prods. Prods. has signed a three-year overall deal with Universal Media Studios. Former Daily Show producers Thom Hinkle and Campbell Smith will run Carousel's TV operations. (Variety)

Fox's global channels division will launch The Listener, which will air later this year on NBC and Canada's CTV, in a near-simultaneous premiere across 180 foreign broadcast outlets in March, ahead of its US release. (Hollywood Reporter)

Sony Pictures Television has purchased Michael Davies' reality shingle Embassy Row following the close of a deal in the works for over a year. Davies' own overall deal with the studio recently expired after three years. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Swoosie Kurtz Suits Up for "Heroes," Dunaway Scrubs in for "Grey's," Hilary Duff, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. It's been a busy few days, between the ongoing Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour and the Golden Globes, so let's dive right into today's headlines.

Pushing Daisies might (sadly) be canceled but working relationship between creator Bryan Fuller and former co-star Swoosie Kurtz looks to continue. Kurtz has signed on to appear in at least one episode of Heroes, where she will play Millie, a society friend of Cristine Rose's Angela Petrelli. Kurtz's episode, written by Fuller, is slated to air in April and there is the potential that her character could be recurring next season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Amber Benson will guest star on ABC's Private Practice, where she will play a young woman who "in the aftermath of being brutally attacked seeks not just medical care ... but perhaps something more." Benson will appear in the series' 18th episode this season, currently scheduled for mid-March. (TV Guide)

Faye Dunaway is scrubbing in on Grey's Anatomy. Dunaway, who hasn't appeared on the small screen since a 2006 guest appearance on CSI, will appear in at least one episode of the ABC drama, where she will play a renowned doctor at Seattle Grace who "crosses paths with the Chief, Cristina, and Owen." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC America could be airing Torchwood: Children of Earth, the series' truncated five-episode third season, as early as this summer and will be following the same air pattern as BBC One (five episodes over five nights), possibly even airing installments on the very same day they air in the UK. The digital cabler, however, wouldn't say just when the third season would appear--July or August is thought likely, as it is waiting for the Beeb to schedule first. (After Elton)

NBC has handed out a script order for comedy Barely Legal, based on the true story of an 18-year-old who successfully passed the notoriously difficult California bar to become a lawyer. Hilary Duff has been cast as the series' lead, under the terms of her talent deal with NBC and Universal Media Studios. Elisa Bell (Little Black Book) will write the script, which will be executive produced by Rob Morrow. (Hollywood Reporter)

Talk about back from the brink. In an unexpected twist, FOX has renewed comedy 'Til Death--which has been off the air since October--for a fourth season of 22 episodes. The network still has 15 unaired episodes from the Sony Pictures Television-produced series' current third season and the series is missing from FOX's current schedule, although the network could slate back-to-back originals of 'Til Death later this season. (Variety)

Shiri Appleby (Roswell), Kristoffer Polaha (Miss Guided), and Kerr Smith (My Bloody Valentine 3-D) have been cast in the CW's drama pilot Light Years, written by Liz Tigelarr and to be directed by Gary Fleder, about a 16-year-old girl who "tracks down her slacker biological father, bar owner Nick "Baze" Basile (Polaha), and her mother, morning radio host Cate Campbell (Appleby), who haven't spoken since high school when their one-night stand resulted in pregnancy." Smith, meanwhile, will play Cate's boyfriend, her co-host on the radio show. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC will launch culinary competition series Chopping Block on March 4th. Series, which follows couples facing off in the opportunity to own their own restaurant, will air Wednesdays at 8 pm, where it replaces Knight Rider. Look for more info about Chopping Block, Kings, ER, and Police later this week when NBC discusses its midseason plans at the TCA Winter Press Tour. (Futon Critic)

HBO has quietly renewed animated comedy The Life and Times of Tim for a second season and will launch Will Ferrell and Adam McKay-executive produced comedy Eastbound and Down, starring Danny McBride, on February 15th. (Variety)

Fans of HBO's Flight of the Conchords will be able to download new songs from the series' second season from iTunes the morning after each episode airs. The band's next (currently untitled) album, featuring ten songs from the season, as well as five new tracks, will be released on April 14th. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC is said to be mulling a return of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire this summer. The highly successful reality franchise could return this August as a multi-night event strung out over one or two weeks and would likely feature Regis Philbin as a host. (TV Week)

Don't look for Tony Shalhoub to continue playing Monk's Adrian Monk for much longer. "It's a great job, and I work with great people, and I really enjoy doing the character, but I think eight years is enough," said Shalhoub in an interview with the Associated Press. "I think we've kind of explored all the avenues we could possibly cover, and as much as I like the show and working on it, I really do want to think about moving onto whatever the next chapter might be." (Associated Press)

Diablo Cody, creator/executive producer of Showtime's new dark comedy United States of Tara, talks to the New York Times about making the series, which stars Toni Colette as a suburban mom with dissociative identity disorder. “I was nervous at the outset,” said Cody. “The pilot couldn’t be ‘sitcomy’ but, at the same time, it had to be funny. It was a big challenge to find the humor in everyday life and not poke fun at the disorder. And I wanted to be as sensitive as possible.” (New York Times)

Sci Fi has ordered a third season of reality series Destination Truth,which follows Josh Gates as he travels the world in search on unexplained mysteries. Nine episodes of the series, which will track Gates as he investigates bizarre phenomena in Alaska, Florida, Chernobyl, Turkey, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Himalayas, are slated to air this fall. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Band Meeting: HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" Takes Off with a Wing and a Prayer (and a Song from Murray)

With just the opening words of the second season premiere of HBO's Flight of the Conchords, I felt as though I had refound my lost Linus blanket, all comforting and cozy and warm.

Say it with me now: "Band meeting."

If you haven't already watched the Season Two premiere of Flight of the Conchords (either at FunnyOrDie.com or right here at Televisionary), I suggest you do so immediately as it's only available online through the weekend. (The actual linear television premiere of Flight of the Conchords will air on HBO on January 18th.)

Just a few quick thoughts about the premiere as my full thoughts on this and the first few episodes of Conchords will come in a full advance review at a later date.

I've missed Bret and Jemaine (not to mention Murray and Mel). The season premiere ("A Good Opportunity") kicks off just where we left off at the end of Season One: with Murray achieving fame and success with new band Crazy Dogs (complete with three gold records) while the guys continue to slog on without any real gigs or money coming in. But they do get the titular good opportunity when they are asked to create a jingle and star in the commercial for a women-only toothpaste called Femident.

It was fantastic to see Murray achieve metoric success and then lose it just as quickly when he realizes that the Crazy Dogs have in fact stolen the lyrics and music video from an unknown Polish band that put out the same song 15 years earlier. (Or as Murray calls it, a "cover song" from before.) His operatic song about abandonment have nearly overshadowed his Season One debut performance, "Leggy Blonde," but that song will always have a fond place in my heart.

Still, it was great to see the guys attempt to find success without Murray, only to learn that they need him to hold them back from any attempts at success. Especially as they don't have work visas or green cards. Or a legal right to be in the States in the first place, really.

And a storyline involving superfan Mel starting a street fire to protest the claim of plagiarism against the Crazy Dogs was absolutely hilarious, especially as she browbeat long-suffering husband Doug for not wanting to light things on fire. After all, why did he even bother to come if he wasn't going to burn things? Touché.

All in all, a fantastic return of the best damn New Zealand folk-comedy band in the business. I don't know about you but I couldn't keep the smile off my face the entire half-hour and I've missed the Conchords' unique blend of witty comedy, absurdist repartee, and kick-ass musical numbers.

Flight of the Conchords' second season launches Sunday, January 18th on HBO.

"Flight of the Conchords" Takes Off Early

Have all of you watched the second season premiere of HBO's Flight of the Conchords over on FunnyOrDie.com?

If not, watch it straightaway (you can watch the episode in full after the jump) and then come back tomorrow to discuss the episode, which will air on linear television starting January 18th on HBO.

In the meantime, I'm chatting with Conchords' Kristen Schaal (a.k.a. Mel) in just a few minutes, so email me any burning questions about the Conchords' Number One fan you might have that are screaming out to be answered.



Season Two of Flight of the Conchords launches January 18th at 10 pm ET/PT on HBO.

The (Not-So) Distant Future: "Flight of the Conchords" Returns to HBO

January brings us new beginnings, fresh starts, and the return of some of our favorite television series, sadly off the air for reasons as numerous as the writers strike, truncated seasons, and the vagaries of cable network scheduling.

But in less than two months, we can look forward to the return of such series as Lost, Big Love, Damages, and HBO's inimitably zany comedy Flight of the Conchords.

While I miss each and every one of those dramas something crazy, I have to say that I am just itching with anticipation to catch up with Bret and Jemaine, Murray and Mel, and, well, the music.

Check out the promo for Season Two of Flight of the Conchords, lifting off on January 18th on HBO, after the jump.



Just the sight of Bret firing off that gun like he's in a 1970s cop show makes my heart soar with glee. (I think I've watched the promo now about five times.)

Flight of the Conchords' second season begins January 18th on HBO.

Channel Surfing: Possible End for "Flight of the Conchords" and "Gavin & Stacey," Danson "Bored to Death" for HBO, "Gossip Girl," and More

Good morning and welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. I ended up watching 90210's two-hour debut last night, so look for a review of the premiere in just a little while.

Could the upcoming second season of comedy Flight of the Conchords--set to air in 2009 on HBO--be the series' last? That's the indication of a report in The New Zealand Herald, in which creator/stars Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement are quoted as saying that, due to creative difficulties with creating songs for the sophomore season, Flight of the Conchords could be over sooner rather than later. "The second series seems to me like it would be a good end to the show," said McKenzie. (TV Guide)

Jennifer Aniston will guest-star on 30 Rock this season as Liz Lemon's former roommate/stalker. But you lucky Televisionary readers knew that yesterday. (Televisionary)

Ted Danson (Damages) has been cast as a lead in HBO's comedy pilot Bored to Death, opposite Jason Schwartzman who plays Jonathan, an alcoholic struggling writer who reinvents himself in the mold of his heroes from the novels of Dashiell Hammnett and Raymond Chandler as a private investigator. Danson will play Jonathan's friend, an arrogant magazine editor. Lest you Damages fans think that Danson's Arthur Frobisher won't be turning up this season, think again: Danson will appear in at least three episodes of Damages. (Hollywood Reporter)

Willa Holland (The O.C.) will join the cast of the CW's Gossip Girl for three episodes this season; she'l play Agnes, a model who works for Eleanor Waldorf who "befriends Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) but also tries to tempt her over to the dark side (think threesomes and stripteases)." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

NBC has handed a director-contingent pilot order to one-hour drama Lost in the '80s, from writer/executive producer Bob Brush (The Wonder Years). Project, from Sony Pictures TV and Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum, and Kim Tannenbaum's Tantamount, has been described as Fast Times at Ridgemont High meets The Ice Storm... and will be set in the 1980s, natch. (Hollywood Reporter)

Tim Roth (Incredible Hulk), Kelly MacDonald (State of Play), Bill Milner (Son of Rambow), and John Simm (Life on Mars) have been cast in Annabel Jankel's two-hour adaptation of David Almond's children's novel Skellig for Sky One. Pic, about a boy who discovers an owl-like creature (Roth) living in the garage of his new home, will air next year and began production yesterday in Cardiff. (Variety)

In other UK news, Sarah Lancashire (Clocking Off), Neil Pearson (The State Within), Sarah Alexander (Coupling), and Richard Fleeshman (Coronation Street) have been cast in musical drama The Choir Project, set to air in 2009 on BBC One. Project, written by Debbie Horsfield (Cutting It) revolves around the local choir of a small town in the north of England. (BBC)

Meanwhile, Ruth Jones and James Corden, who created and co-star in BBC Three's comedy Gavin & Stacey (currently airing Stateside on BBC America) have said that they are "too busy" to write a third season of the hit comedy but haven't ruled out the possibility that their schedules will open up long enough to sit down together. A Christmas special for Gavin & Stacey is set to be filmed in October. (Digital Spy)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Greatest American Dog (CBS); America's Got Talent (NBC; 8-10 pm); America's Next Top Model (CW; 8-10 pm); Wife Swap (ABC); Bones (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Supernanny (ABC)

10 pm: CBS News: Democratic National Convention (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Vote 08 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8-10 pm: America's Next Top Model.

Cycle Eleven of the reality competition begins tonight. (You can read my advance review of the two-hour launch here.) On tonight's episode ("The Notorious Fierce Fourteen"/"Top Model Inauguration"), 30 wannabe models are trimmed to 14 contestants, with one revealing that she is transgender, as they move into their new digs and participate in a photo shoot at the ballot box embodying issues that are important in the next presidential election.

9 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.

Season Five (the final season on Bravo) of Project Runway continues tonight. On tonight's episode ("Double 0 Fashion"), the designers are given a challenge to create looks that are inspired by one of the fashion icons of the last decade... looks that are then to be judged by fashion visionary Diane von Furstenberg. And, yes, the contestants are shaking in their designer boots.

10 pm: Sons of Anarchy on FX.

It's the series premiere of motorcycle drama Sons of Anarchy. In the pilot episode ("Pilot"), members of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (Samcro) try to keep their town safe from drug dealers and developers... while running guns and putting the competition out of business.

"Mad Men" Vs. "The Wire": TCA Announces Nominees and A Few (Pleasant) Surprises

It's that time of year again as the Television Critics Association has announced their nominations for the TCA Awards, which will be handed out on July 19th in Beverly Hills.

Making headlines: AMC's Mad Men has tied HBO's The Wire with the top number of nominations. (For those of you looking for a sign that critics are clearly behind the itty-bitty cabler and the recent Golden Globe winner for Best Drama, there you go.)

This year's group of nominees are quite exciting choices (as seen from the full list below), with some of Televisionary's favorite programs represented, including multiple nominations for Damages, 30 Rock, Lost, Pushing Daisies, and Flight of the Conchords, to name but a few.

The full list of nominees for the TCA Awards is as follows:

Program of the Year:
John Adams Lost Mad Men Ken Burns' The War The Wire

Comedy:
30 Rock The Colbert Report The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Flight of the Conchords The Office

Drama:
Damages Friday Night Lights Lost Mad Men The Wire

Movies, Miniseries, and Specials:
John Adams Masterpiece: Cranford Masterpiece: The Complete Jane Austen Ken Burns' The War A Raisin in the Sun

New Program:
Breaking Bad Damages Flight of the Conchords Mad Men Pushing Daisies

Individual Achievement in Comedy:
Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Ray Wise (Reaper)

Individual Achievement in Drama:
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights)
Glenn Close (Damages)
Paul Giamatti (John Adams)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
David Simon (The Wire)

Children's Programming:
Curious George Hannah Montana Word Girl Yo Gabba Gabba

News and Information:
Alive Day Memories This American Life Frontline Nimrod Nation Ken Burns' The War

Heritage Award:
M*A*S*H Roots Saturday Night Live Sesame Street The Wire

Which programs are you rooting for to take home the top prize? And who do you think will win in the nomination showdown between The Wire and Mad Men... and who should? Discuss.

Angry Dancing: "Flight of the Conchords" Season Ender Leaves Me Wanting More

Le sigh. Am I the only one already missing Flight of the Conchords' Bret and Jemaine? (Not to mention the series' deliciously absurd supporting characters, Mel and Murray.)

HBO's zany comedy, Flight of the Conchords, wrapped its freshman season on Sunday night and I am already bemoaning the disappearance of the absurd series from my Sunday night viewing lineup.

After all, what other series can boast hilariously tongue-in-cheek music videos about robots taking over the world, Frodo being tempted by that damned ring, or have a spot-on David Bowie (each from a specific decade, no less) visit their series lead in a dream sequence? Or, in the case of the Season One finale, have their other series lead dance a 1980s-style dance to some synth-pop because he's angry?

Answer: just one and that's the pure magic and joy of Flight of the Conchords, which I will definitely miss until the series returns in 2008. (For those of you who simply can't wait that long, the Season One DVD will be released on November 6th!)

On this week's season ender ("The Third Conchord"), the boys from New Zealand found themselves contending with a new member to their two-man folk parody group in the form of a bongo-playing maniac named Todd, who wanted them to ditch their subtle and hilarious ditties in favor of a song whose chorus consisted of "Arf, Arf." (Yes, this must be seen to be believed.) What happens next is classic Conchords: Bret and Jemaine split and form their own bands, with Bret forming the Original Flight of the Conchords with keytar player Demetri Martin (yes, that Demetri Martin) and Jemaine and Todd forming something that's either Flight of the Conchords or Crazy Dogggz (yes, with three g's and a z), depending on whom you speak to.

Of course, the boys are eventually forced out, Crazy Doggz has a huge hit with their inane doggy song (featuring a music video of women in dog ears), Mel's stalker interest moves onto their competitors, and even Murray--who reluctantly manages both the Conchords and Crazy Doggz--strikes it rich and turns up at the very end, living out his materialistic, yuppie dreams. Cue 1980s synth pop as the reunited Flight of the Conchords dances angrily into the sunset.

It was a fitting and touching end for a series that has continually managed to surprise, dazzle, and make me roar with laughter at every turn. As far as I am concerned, the sophomore season of Flight of the Conchords can't come quickly enough. Or, as Jemaine might say, yis.

HBO Renews "Flight of the Conchords" for Second Season

Mel must be positively beaming with joy.

Pay cabler HBO has announced that it has ordered a second season of offbeat comedy Flight of the Conchords, which wraps its freshman season on September 2nd. (Sniffle, sniffle.)

Flight of the Conchords, which follows the travails of Bret and Jemaine, members of the eponymous satirical folk rock band, will return with new episodes in 2008. Timeslot companion Entourage was renewed for its fifth season and will also return next year.

"Entourage is a full-fledged cultural phenomenon, and Flight of the Conchords has quickly become a show to watch," said Carolyn Strauss, president of HBO Entertainment, in a statement. "I'm delighted that we'll be bringing new seasons of these distinctive series to our subscribers."

Best news I've heard all day... and one that will keep me going until the release of the full-length Flight of the Conchords album in January 2008.