Channel Surfing: Addison Returns to Seattle Grace, Ricky Gervais Considers "Office" Drop-in, "Knight Rider" Gets Retooled, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. I hope you all tuned in to the launch of HBO's new comedy series Summer Heights High; I've already seen the series several times but tuned in once again (it's just that funny) and also caught upon Skins (how cute was Chris' drawing of him and Jal?) and The Amazing Race.

Kate Walsh's Addison Montgomery will return to Seattle Grace... at least as part of a multiple-episode crossover story between Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice that's scheduled to air during February sweeps. (TV Guide)

FOX has delayed the start of animated comedy The Cleveland Show, a spinoff of Family Guy, until next fall. But the network has also ordered an additional nine episodes for Cleveland, bring its episodic total to a full 22 for the 2009-10 season. If that weren't enough Cleveland-centric news, Arianna Huffington has been added to the cast. (Variety)

Less than four months after premiering, NBC's Knight Rider is already undergoing some major retooling, beginning with its tenth episode, scheduled to air in January. Among the changes to the series, look for original cast members Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Yancey Arias, and Bruce Davison to depart; the troika's options were not picked up beyond the original 13-episode order and the series will focus instead on the five core characters (Mike, Sarah, Billy, Zoe, and KITT). "It's a reboot," said executive producer/showrunner Gary Scott Thompson. "We're moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen." (Hollywood Reporter)

Ricky Gervais said he would like to appear in the American version of The Office and has suggested that he play Extras' struggling actor Andy Millman. (TV Guide)

Showtime and BBC are developing a contemporary retelling of Camelot with Michael Hirst and Morgan O'Sullivan (The Tudors) writing an executive producing Camelot with Douglas Rae. Showtime and BBC are co-financing the development of the scripts and, should the project be ordered to series, it would be produced by Eccose Films and Octagon Filmes. (Variety)

ABC has announced the return of Lost. Season Five will kick off on Wednesday, January 21st in a special three-hour event, with Lost premiering in its new official timeslot of 9 pm ET/PT the following week. (Televisionary)

Tori Spelling will reprise her role as gossip columnist/liquefying villain Linda Lake on CW's Smallville and is said to be in "preliminary talks" to reprise her role as Donna Martin on 90210. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Michael Rapaport (Prison Break) has signed a development deal with CBS under which he will develop, star in, and produce an untitled drama project for the network. Said project, to be written by Bryan Goluboff (Basketball Diaries) and executive produced by Denis Leary and Jim Serpico, follows the lives of NYC social workers. Sony Pictures Television and CBS Paramount Network Television are behind the project. (Hollywood Reporter)

Tiffani Thiessen (Beverly Hills 90210) has been cast in USA's drama pilot White Collar opposite Matthew Bomer and Tim DeKay; she'll play Debbie, the "intelligent and supportive" wife of the head of FBI's white collar crime unit (DeKay) who works as an accountant. Elsewhere, Matthew Marsden (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) has been cast as the lead in Spike's two-hour backdoor pilot Madso's War from MGM; project follows the Irish mob in Boston; Marsden will play a thief with links to Boston racketeers who tries to leave the game when two of his men are murdered, only to realize that he's next on a hit list. Also cast: Kevin Chapman (Brotherhood). (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide talks to Jordana Brewster, who joins the cast of Chuck beginning tonight in a multiple-episode story arc where she plays iconic character Jill, Chuck's Stanford girlfriend who broke his heart. (TV Guide)

NBC has ordered a full season of crime procedural Life, bumping the sophomore series to a full 22 episode order. (Televisionary)

TV Land has ordered six episodes of hidden-camera reality series Make My Day, based on a successful British Channel 4 format that is being executive produced by Michael Davies (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) and Sony Pictures Television. Series follows people who are unknowingly put through a series of strange surprises and coincidences set up by their family and friends. Series is set to launch in 2009. (Variety)

FX has opted not to renew unscripted series 30 Days from executive producer Morgan Spurlock. The series, the last remaining reality title on the cabler, wrapped its third and final season this July. (Broadcasting & Cable)

FremantleMedia has signed a deal with Spike for the worldwide financing, marketing, and distribution of three upcoming series, including Jesse James Is a Dead Man, Deadliest Warrior, and Surviving Disaster, all set to launch in 2009. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Alexis Denisof Heads to "Private Practice," Jessica Walter, Starz Plots "Spartacus," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. It's currently freezing here in LA (well, relatively speaking anyway) but I am still shaking after last night's season finale of Mad Men, not to mention another shocking installment of Skins. (Poor Sid.)

Former Angel star Alexis Denisof will guest star in the November 19th episode of ABC's Private Practice, where he'll play a father-to-be with two very expectant wives in need of Addison's specialty. In real life, Denisof and wife Alyson Hannigan announced last week that they are expecting their first child. (TV Guide)

CBS is once again developing some rather, er, unique properties that aren't crime procedurals (did they not learn their lesson from Moonlight or Cane?). Among the projects currently said to be in development at the Eye: Hex Wives, a one-hour drama from Neil Meron and Craig Zadan about four women with magical powers; 1960s period drama Magic City about an iconic Miami Beach hotel from executive producer Mitch Glazer; an untitled medical drama from Curtis Hanson and Carol Barbee; and a variety series. Expected to return: Survivor and The Amazing Race. (TV Week)

Cabler A&E has renewed drama The Cleaner for a second season of thirteen episodes. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Jessica Walter dishes about playing Tabitha on 90210, atonement, Flipper, and that possible Arrested Development movie, of which she says "Mitch [Hurwitz] does have a story line." Reeeeeally? (Los Angeles Times)

Could the struggling economy have anything to do with the networks picking up low-performing series (like FOX's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles or ABC's Private Practice) for full seasons? (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC is shifting Lipstick Jungle to Friday nights (ouch) beginning October 31st and creating a crime-centric block of programming on Wednesday nights that will include Knight Rider (a crime in and of itself), Law & Order, and Life. Law & Order will return to the lineup on November 5th, the same night that Life will move to its new Wednesday digs. And, oh, the Peacock has delayed reality competition series Momma's Boys once again; it's now set to launch on December 22nd. (Variety)

Following the recent launch of Crash, pay cabler Starz has announced its second drama effort, ordering thirteen episodes of period drama Spartacus from executive producers Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Joshua Donen, who are all behind the syndicated drama series Legend of the Seeker, which launches nationally this weekend. The series, which is inspired by the life of a slave in the Roman Republic who leads a revolt, will be reimagined for today's viewer used to "cutting-edge production technology" and is being eyed for a Summer 2009 launch. Steven DeKnight (Smallville) has signed on as head writer and showrunner. (Hollywood Reporter)

Are Booth and Bones the Nick and Norah of the 21st century? The Los Angeles Times seems to think so as they offer a look at FOX's Bones. (Los Angeles Times)

Lifetime announced several casting additions to its two upcoming Nora Roberts adaptations: Emilie de Ravin, Ivan Sergei, and Cybill Shepherd will star in High Noon, while Jerry O'Connell, Lauren Stamile, and Faye Dunaway have joined the cast of Midnight Bayou. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: NBC Orders More "Knight Rider," Brody and Tudyk Find "Good Vibes" at FOX, "Fringe," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

NBC has given a full season pickup to Knight Rider, bringing this season's total to 22 episodes despite sagging ratings. And that's all I want to say on the subject. (E! Online)

CW has ordered a few additional scripts for freshman drama series Privileged, which has struggled to find ratings though has shown significant improvement in recent weeks (it's up 22 percent) despite softening numbers for its lead-in, 90210. Should the trend continue, it seems fairly certain that Privileged will get a full season order. (Hollywood Reporter)

One of my main suggestions for improving FOX's Fringe involved giving its supporting cast some real dimension, especially Jasika Nicole's Astrid Farnsworth. Nicole speaks with TV Guide and reveals in this interview that she doesn't know Astrid's backstory either, other than "Astrid majored in music" and is "really, really smart." Not quite the three-dimensional backstory I was hoping for... though look for Astrid to become slightly more integral to the plot in episode 107. (TV Guide)

While David Tennant hasn't walked away from Doctor Who, rumors continue to swirl about possible replacements. Yet another candidate has emerged as a potential new Doctor, should Tennant decide not to pilot the TARDIS again. Paterson Joseph (Peep Show) may be the first black actor to play the Doctor though no one from production have in fact confirmed that Joseph is being considered for the role. He most recently appeared on screen in BBC's Jekyll mini-series, which was written by Steven Moffat, Doctor Who's inbound executive producer/head writer. Coincidence? You decide. (Sci Fi Wire)

Ricky Gervais has indicated that his short-lived BBC/HBO series Extras might not be over yet and that he wants to produce "another Christmas special" of the series, despite protests from co-creator Steven Merchant. "I think it would be funny to see Andy trying to make it in Hollywood," said Gervais in an interview. "The problem is, I don't think Stephen Merchant wants to do it. But I reckon he will if I insist!" (Digital Spy)

Adam Brody (The O.C.), Josh Gad (Back to You), Debi Mazar (Entourage), Olivia Thirlby (Juno), Alan Tudyk (Firefly), and Jake Busey (Broken) have been cast in FOX's animated comedy pilot presentation Good Vibes. Project, from writer/director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express), 20th Century Fox Television, and Good Humor TV, is under consideration for spring and centers on two high school surfers who live near the beach. Cast will table read the script in November. (Variety)

In other FOX news, the network has signed a talent holding deal with Broadway star Kathryn Hahn, who starred on NBC's Crossing Jordan for six seasons. Under the deal, the network will cast her in either a comedy or drama project, though look for the talented thespian to most likely turn up in a comedy or dramedy. (Hollywood Reporter)

And Vince Vaughn has signed a deal to develop and executive produce a single-camera comedy pilot about the lives of young men who are just out of college and discovering truths about the real world. Pilot will be written by Jim and Steve Armogida (Grounded for Life). (Variety)

Bridget Moynahan (Six Degrees) will star opposite Donnie Wahlberg in Bunker Hill, Jerry Bruckheimer's drama pilot for TNT about crime and corruption in the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Boston. Wahlberg (Runaway) will play Mike Moriarty, a cop who grew up in Boston who returns to his home town to protect the streets of his beloved city but clashes with his sister-in-law Erin (Moynahan) who has a love/hate relationship with Mike since the death of her cop husband. (Hollywood Reporter)

More casting announcements: Kevin Sussman (Ugly Betty) has been cast as the lead in FOX's comedy pilot presentation Sincerely, Ted L. Nancy; his attachment has lifted the cast contingency on the project. Jessalyn Gilsig (Nip/Tuck) has signed on as a regular on FOX's dramedy pilot Glee from Ryan Murphy; she'll play Terri, the put-upon wife of Will (Matthew Morrison), a Spanish teacher who attempts to resurrect the high school's glee club. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Salma Hayek Heads to "30 Rock," More "Knight Rider"

Yet another guest star for 30 Rock.

Salma Hayek (Ugly Betty) has signed on to guest on the upcoming season of NBC's 30 Rock, where she will recur in several episodes as Elisa, a new love interest for Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin).

"Salma is truly a gifted talent and an incredible force in our industry," said Teri Weinberg, Executive Vice President, NBC Entertainment in a statement. "I've had the privilege of working with her and I can't wait to see what comedic sparks fly with our brilliant 30 Rock cast."

"I have been a fan of Tina's talent, both as an actress and a writer, since working with her years ago on SNL," said Hayek in a statement. "I am so excited to be part of such an intelligent, funny show, as well as working with the brilliant Alec Baldwin and the rest of the cast of 30 Rock," said Hayek.

30 Rock kicks off its third season on October 30th at 9:30 pm on NBC.

In other NBC-related news, the Peacock has ordered four additional scripts for freshman drama series Knight Rider.

Scarily, it's looking very likely that we'll be stuck with Knight Rider through the entire 2008-09 season. The series hasn't done particularly well in the ratings but has shown growth and stability with young men. Somewhere, Devon Miles in rolling over in his grave...

Channel Surfing: "Heroes" Suffers, Lifetime Nabs "Mother" Reruns, "Knight Rider" Reviews, "Doctor Who," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. I spent last night watching Fringe (more on that in a bit), catching up on Gossip Girl, and sitting through another dull installment of 90210. At least it took the bad taste out of my mouth from Knight Rider. (Shudder.)

The Season Three premiere of NBC's Heroes (9.9 million viewers, 4.9/12 in adults 18-49) was down 25 percent from its sophomore launch , landing it second in the hour behind ABC's Dancing with the Stars. The slide for Heroes was not unexpected, coming as it did after a season that many fans found creatively lacking and middling and a curtailed season due to the writers strike. (Hollywood Reporter)

CBS will air the original pilot of new drama Eleventh Hour, starring Rufus Sewell and Marley Shelton, as its opening installment, after all. The Eye had previously announced that it would wait to air the original pilot of Eleventh Hour ("Resurrection")until later in the season but the network has now reversed its position. (Futon Critic)

Following the news that Rebecca Rand Kirchner (Gilmore Girls) will oversee the writing staff of CW's 90210, studio CBS Paramount has announced that they have signed a two-year overall deal with Kirchner. She will focus her energies on drama 90210 and, in the second year of her deal, develop new projects for the studio. Kirchner previously worked with executive producers Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah on Freaks and Geeks. (Hollywood Reporter)

The CW has given a put pilot commitment to drama Light Years, about a teenager who discovers that her birth parents were teens who broke up after a one-night stand that led to her mother getting pregnant... and those teens have grown up to become a bar owner (dad) and a morning radio show host (mom). Project is from ABC Studios, writer/executive producer Liz Tigelaar (Brothers & Sisters), and director/executive producer Gary Fleder. (Variety)

Tigelaar will also write Mystic Confidential.com, about a "small-town blog and how it impacts the way a group of people live their lives." Project comes from writer/executive producer Liz Tigelaar, executive producers Greg Berlanti and Laurence Mark, ABC Studios, and Berlanti Television. (Variety)

Missing Ryan Howard something fierce before The Office returns tomorrow night? The New York Times profiles The Office's writer/actor BJ Novak. (New York Times)

Battlestar Galactica's Mary McDonnell will guest star in an upcoming episode of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, though there's precious little detail about just what character she'll be playing. (E! Online)

Lifetime has snagged rerun rights to CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother; network--which beat out TBS, ABC Family, and FX for the rights--will launch the series in a weekly run beginning in fall of 2010 but will be able to repurpose two plays a week of the series starting in early 2009. (Variety)

I wanted to write this up but the folks at Sci Fi Wire beat me to the punch: Battlestar Galactica's Paul Campbell--last seen in NBC's short-lived viral series Nobody's Watching--has returned to television, playing yet another character named Billy in NBC series Knight Rider; this time he's a geeky tech with a penchant for porn, Torchwood, and awkward conversations with co-worker Zoe (Cho Smith). (Sci Fi Wire)

Speaking of Knight Rider--which launches tonight--I thought I'd feature some reviews of NBC's newest drama series. USA Today's Robert Bianco describes Knight as "much to despise in Knight Rider, a shockingly incompetent, barely coherent, ad-driven rip-off about a shape-shifting autobot that owes more to Transformers than it does to the cheesy '80s original that shares its name." (Wow.) Los Angeles Times' Robert Lloyd says, "... notwithstanding an ominously dark hole in Mike's memory, the remade Knight Rider is fundamentally of a piece with its predecessor. As drama and as spectacle, and with a remarkable lack of irony, it re-creates the cheesy sci-fi adventure from the 1980s" and that the series is "something for 12-year-old boys (and 12-year-old-boys at heart), undemanding, unsophisticated, no deeper than the thickness of a comic-book page." And Hollywood Reporter's Ray Richmond says of Knight: "Plenty of adrenaline, but a dopey story depletes the tank quickly."

100 lucky families will get the chance to go behind the scenes at Doctor Who and Torchwood as party of a fundraising effort for this year's BBC Children in Need appeal; all they need to is answer one multiple-choice question, which will be announced on the Chris Moyles show on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Wales, and BBC Radio Cymru and will be available at the Beeb's Doctor Who site. "This is so exciting – giving fans the opportunity to take a behind the scenes look at where we film Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures is just brilliant," said Russell T. Davies. "It'll be the perfect opportunity for the whole family to experience something unique and truly extraordinary. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and the best thing is that all the money raised will go towards BBC Children in Need." (BBC)

Lauren Ambrose, Adam Kaufman, Susie Essman, Ricki Lake, and Mercedes Ruehl have signed on to star in CBS' new Hallmark Hall of Fame telepic Unorthodox. (Hollywood Reporter)

UK's Channel 4 will cut up to 15 percent of its workforce and slash budgets by $185 million over the next two years; broadcaster has told staff that it plans to cut a maximum of 150 jobs amid what the net describes as "some of the most challenging economic circumstances in its history." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: New Adventures of Old Christine/Gary Unmarried (CBS); Knight Rider (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); America's Got Talent (NBC); 90210 (CW); David Blaine: Dive of Death (ABC; 9-11 pm); 'Til Death/Do Not Disturb (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Lipstick Jungle (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode ("Fierce Eyes"), the models must wear blindfolds while practicing their runway walks (that should be amusing) and are then tasked with posing with their eyes during a photo shoot.

9 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.

Season Five (the final season on Bravo) of Project Runway continues tonight. On tonight's episode ("Rock n' Runway"), the contestants are tasked with designing outfits using musical inspiration from guest judge LL Cool J; Jerell considers sabotaging Suede; Jerell AND Korto consider sabotaging Kenley, who breaks down during judging.

Talk Back: NBC's "Knight Rider"

Did you take a break from your three-day weekend festivities to tune into NBC's two-hour backdoor pilot for Knight Rider?

Were you as bored to tears as I was? Did you valiantly fight against the embrace of sleep? Did you think that lead Justin Bruening (as the spawn of Michael Knight himself, Mike Tracer) was so wooden that he made a redwood look positively animated by comparison and that he and Deanna Russo had no chemistry together whatsoever?

And were you so disappointed by a lifeless Val Kilmer as artificially intelligent car KITT that you (A) wished you could have gotten to hear Will Arnett channel GOB Bluth and purr "Michael" in his gravely voice and (B) hoped Arnett knew how very lucky he was to escape this showcase of mediocrity from director Steve Shill?

(Still you know that Silverman will be so chuffed with the numbers from last night that he's just itching to hand out a series order as quickly as possible.)

Talk back here.

The Final Countdown: Arnett Off "Knight Rider"

Say it isn't true. Has Will Arnett been replaced as the voice of KITT on NBC's Knight Rider?

Sad but true, gentle readers. Arnett (Arrested Development's G.O.B. Bluth) has been replaced on the two-hour backdoor pilot by none other than, um, Val Kilmer. (Whah?)

The reason behind the switcheroo, less than two weeks before the pilot is scheduled to air on NBC, is due to a behind-the-scenes conflict with Arnett's other gig, as the voice of GMC Trucks, owned by General Motors.

KITT, of course, is a Ford Mustang and the company is "taking an active role in the marketing and branding of the pic," according to Variety. When General Motors found out about the sponsorship deals already in place, they asked Arnett to leave the project.

"I was very excited at the prospect of playing the part of KITT in the new Knight Rider movie," said Arnett. "However, because of a long relationship with General Motors as the voice of GMC Trucks, I had to respectfully withdraw from the project."

Sadly, Arnett's involvement was perhaps the most exciting thing about the project. And I for one was anxious for the day when I'd again get to hear Arnett spit out the name "Michael."

Alas, it was not to be.

Knight Rider airs Sunday, February 17th at 9 pm on NBC.

Strange But True: Will Arnett to Provide Voice of KITT on "Knight Rider"

I swear, I cannot make this stuff up.

NBC has announced a launch date for its two-hour backdoor pilot of Knight Rider (you can read my advance review of the pilot script here), which will bow on February 17th from 9-11 pm.

While the choice of February is hardly surprising, given the lack of first-run scripted programming for sweeps, what is mind-blowing is the choice of the actor hired to provide the voice of sentient car KITT.

You ready for this? It's Will Arnett.

Whoa.

Yes, I'm stunned and slightly intrigued by this casting. I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined the former GOB Bluth playing the voice of KITT, a decision which will either be completely inspired or just outright wacky.

What do you think? Can Arnett fill the shoes formerly occupied by William Daniels?

Stay tuned.

Televisionary Exclusive: First Look at NBC's "Knight Rider" Pilot Script

It was with a little trepidation that I read the pilot script for NBC's planned two-hour backdoor pilot for the relaunch of classic TV series Knight Rider.

After all, I was more than put off by NBC honcho Ben Silverman's desire to make this relaunch of Knight Rider flavored by a little bit of Transformers, with a K.I.T.T. that was not only artificially intelligent but could also morph into other shapes.

Let me put the record straight after reading the pilot script by Dave Andron (Raines). K.I.T.T., the sentient Knight Industries Three Thousand vehicle, can morph but it's not quite what I had expected; instead of being able to transform into, say, a helicopter or amphibious vehicle, it can morph into a variety of cars... from its sleek black model to a sportier version or even, as in the script, a frilly pink number. So, not quite the Transformers-inspired reversioning that I had imagined; it's merely a case of K.I.T.T. being able to change its facade.

So what's the plot in a nutshell? Charles Kamen, the creator of K.I.T.T., is brutally attacked inside his expansive manse by a group of mercenaries working for the mysterious Client. These men are after a number of encrypted files on his hard drive, but they are extremely irritated when Kamen suffers a heart attack during the attack. Frustrated, they turn to Kamen's estranged college student daughter, Sarah, who might be able to decrypt the files they need. K.I.T.T. is activated and goes off in search of Sarah, in the hopes that "he" might be able to reach her before the Client's hired men.

Not only is K.I.T.T. programmed to protect Sarah in the event of an incursion, he's also been wired to track down the only man capable of helping: former Army Ranger/hotshot race car driver Mike Tracer, a royal screw-up with a penchant for hiring multiple prostitutes to keep him warm at night and a huge debt owed to some people more than happy to break the legs of his Asian friend Dylan. Not coincidentally, Mike grew up in a shack on the Kamen property with his single mom Jennifer. Hmmm, single mom? Could Mike be named for his father, Michael Knight? You'd be right.

Sarah and Mike, who naturally have a romantic history, have to team up and work together in order to recover the hard drives and, you know, stay alive, especially when the Client's men are able to seize control of K.I.T.T. remotely. Hot on their tail are the Client's goons as well as FBI Agent Carrie Rivai, a woman of such single-minded determination and detective smarts that she's made a hottie surfer and a lesbian to boot.

So does Michael Knight make an appearance in this reboot? Well, that would be telling but suffice it to say that there's a final act plot twist that's less surprising than it is fitting for a backdoor pilot that serves to revitalize the franchise with a new generation of heroes.

The pilot isn't perfect and it could have done with a tighter rewrite, along with amping up some of the tension and peril as well as characterizations (show, don't tell, Dave!), but it is a page-turner, if only for the way that the plot keeps moving forward without looking back. Unfortunately, the downside to this is that several supporting characters are given extremely short-shrift, emerging from this pilot as little more than ciphers.

Much of the success or failure of the Knight Rider pilot will definitely be determined by the strength of the actors. Justin Bruening (All My Children) has already been cast as Mike Tracer and he certainly looks the part of the daredevil race car driver/All-American hero.

Ultimately, Knight Rider is a fun, check-your-brain-at-the-door high-octane adventure, but don't expect to see too much brilliance or originality at work here. Andron's script is serviceable but not as inventive or earth-shattering as I would have hoped for such a high-profile series relaunch. As is, I do think that direction from Doug Limon could have elevated this pilot with some feature-quality visuals, but I'm not all that sure, especially after reading the script, that director Steve Shill (The Kill Pit) is the right man for the job.

Still, in such stressful times as these, some mindless fun like this could be the perfect antidote to the real-life drama unfolding outside my windows. And, at the end of the day, one has to at least appreciate the fact that NBC is planning a scripted series instead of more reality TV...

Knight to Bishop Four: "Knight Rider" Finds its Leading Man

Wondering who NBC would get to anchor its planned relaunch of 1980s action series Knight Rider?

Following in the footsteps of former soap star David Hasslehoff is soap star Justin Bruening (All My Children), who has been cast as the lead in the Peacock's two-hour Knight Rider movie, which will be a backdoor pilot for a possible 2008-09 series.

The Transformers-inspired sequel to the original will follow Bruening, who will play the son of Hasslehoff's character, Michael Knight, who is aided in his quest to battle villainy by his artificially-intelligent car K.I.T.T., who can transform into a number of shapes.

I've recently gotten my greedy hands on the two-hour backdoor pilot script of Knight Rider, so expect a script review early next week.

NBC to Shill for "Knight Rider"

Hoping that Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) would direct that two-hour backdoor pilot of Knight Rider at NBC?

Don't hold your breath.

NBC has announced that Liman's feature directing schedule has prevented him from directing the pilot for Knight Rider, scheduled to be filmed and aired later this season. Liman will however stay on the project as an executive producer.

Instead, the Peacock has secured Steve Shill (Spike's The Kill Pit) to direct the backdoor pilot.

I can't say I'm all that pleased with the announcement; I thought that the The Kill Pit visually looked like a low-budget Canadian syndicated television series, so I'm not really convinced that he's the right guy to direct a big-budget pilot about a secret agent and his transforming car...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The Big Bang Theory (CBS); Chuck (NBC); Everybody Hates Chris/Aliens in America (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC; 8-9:30 pm); Prison Break (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/Rules of Engagement (CBS); Heroes (NBC); Girlfriends/The Game (CW); Samantha Who (ABC; 9:30-10 pm); K-Ville (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Journeyman (NBC); The Bachelor (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Chuck.

You know how much I'm already in love with this dramedy, from creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, so why don't you do me a favor and tune in? On tonight's episode ("Chuck Versus the Sizzling Shrimp"), Chuck gets involved in a case involving a deadly Chinese agent in Chinatown against Sarah and Casey's wishes, while Morgan finds himself in a sales competition that could cost him his job.

9:30 pm: Samantha Who?

On tonight's episode ("The Job"), Samantha learns what it is she does for a living when she returns to work after regaining consciousness, only to learn that while she can't remember the past, it doesn't means she can escape it.

10 pm: Journeyman.

It's Kevin McKidd (Rome) as a time-traveling newspaper reporter in a drama that's more about human interactions and the nature of choice than, say, technicolored time machines. On tonight's episode ("The Legend of Dylan McCleen"), Dan inadvertently leaves son Zack all on his own when he travels back to the past, where he encounters an ex-army ranger who hijacked a huge sum of money (D.B. Cooper?) but for a good cause, while Katie is questioned by the police about Dan's behavior the night of the gala.

10 pm: Weeds on Showtime.

The third season of Showtime's acclaimed comedy, Weeds continues. On tonight's episode ("Cankles"), Valerie's private investigator tails Nancy, Celia investigates Aguatecture, Silas learns that Tara is seeing other guys, and Doug finds himself out of a job.

Peacock Resurrects "Knight Rider" from KITT's Watery Grave

OMG. Could NBC really be bringing Knight Rider back to the small screen... with a K.I.T.T. that transforms?

Yes, true believers. It's true. NBC has hired Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) to produce an update of Knight Rider, the 1980s action/adventure drama about a secret agent and his sentient car, voiced by that old guy from Boy Meets World.

According to Variety, the project is said to be "Transformers-inspired" and NBC has already ordered a two-hour backdoor pilot for the series, which it plans to air at some point later this season. If the pilot takes, a series could be on the schedule by next fall.

Limon is open to directing (can't wait to see the budget overruns on that front), should his feature schedule allow him to take the gig. Dave Andron, who wrote Raines for NBC, has been hired to update the series and will serve as supervising producer on the project.

One caveat: that Transformers tag. Ben Silverman was apparently so taken with the recent Michael Bay bombastic opus that he is pushing for K.I.T.T. and the other sentient cars (apparently evil ones, too) to, er, shapeshift into new and interesting shapes and models. Otherwise, the story--about a man who fights crime with the aid of his bitchin' vehicle--will remain pretty much the same. But, man, that transforming car suggestion worries me quite a bit.

The announcement comes as NBC launches another series remake in the form of Bionic Woman; Silverman has also ordered an update of classic series American Gladiators, making this jaded TV writer feel a slight tingle of deja vu.