Channel Surfing: Summer Glau to Chuck, Zucker's Replacement Named at NBCU, Starz Considers Spartacus Options, Community, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is set to guest star on NBC's Chuck this season, where she will turn up in the eighth episode as the latest Greta, the rotating CIA/NSA joint intelligence task force agent assigned to the Buy More. Glau, who stars in NBC's midseason action drama The Cape, follows in the footsteps of Olivia Munn, Stacy Keibler, and Isaiah Mustafa. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Jeff Zucker is out and Steve Burke is in. Comcast CEO Brian Roberts' right-hand man Burke, will succeed Jeff Zucker as CEO of NBC Universal once the merger deal--valued at $30 billion--is completed. Zucker announced that he would be stepping down from the position on Friday once the merger transaction is closed. "Steve Burke is an experienced, talented and visionary leader with over 25 years in the media and entertainment industry," Roberts said in a statement. "Steve is one of the most well-respectedexecutives in the industry, and I am confident that he will lead NBC U forward to a new era of growth." Burke will also continue to serve as Comcast's COO. (Variety)

[Meanwhile, Michael Schneider and Cynthia Littleton take a look at Zucker's legacy over at Variety, while AOL Television's Maureen Ryan has her own take on Zucker's departure with "Jeff Zucker's Reign of Terribleness Finally Over at NBC."]

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Spartacus showrunner Steven S. DeKnight about the two options available to the production and pay cabler Starz in light of series lead Andy Whitfield's cancer relapse. “The two main options are to close up shop or recast,” DeKnight told Ausiello. “I want to talk to Andy and find out how he feels about the options. That’s obviously very important to us... We’re still absorbing what’s happened. I think it’s going to be a little while before we reach any conclusions.” (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

[The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd, meanwhile, is also reporting that Starz is considering recasting the role of Spartacus so that the planned second season can move along as planned.]

Hilary Duff is headed to Greendale. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Duff will guest star on an upcoming episode of NBC's Community, where she will play "a member of a mean girl clique that goes head-to-head with the Scoobies." [Editor: news matches what I learned on the set of Community two weeks ago: the writers are planning a Mean Girls homage.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Ed Decter and John Strauss have officially signed on as showrunners on USA's In Plain Sight. The duo replaces John McNamara, who departed the series due to medical issues. (Deadline)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that Darren Everett Criss (Eastwick) has been cast on FOX's Glee, where he will play Blaine, described as "a gay student from a rival school glee club named the Dalton Academy Warblers." While some might leap to the judgment that Criss' character will be the love interest for Chris Colfer's Kurt, Dos Santos cites an unnamed source who says that isn't the case: "Although people might speculate that this might be the possible boyfriend for Kurt that Ryan has talked about, he is fairly sure that this particular character won't be. This friendship will be platonic." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Former Heroes star Zachary Quinto is bummed that there won't be a two-movie to wrap up the superhero drama's dangling storylines after NBC axed the potential wrap-up. “It’s disappointing that there was such a lack of resolution,” Quinto told Entertainment Weekly. “But unfortunately that’s just the nature of network television….Nothing really surprises me in terms of network and studio bureaucracy. It’s the way it goes... If it was in their best interest I’m sure they would have done it. And for whatever reason, they didn’t think it was. So that’s a bummer. But we have to just accept it and move on.” (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Meanwhile, Aimee Garcia (Trauma) has been cast in ABC midseason medical drama Off the Map, where she will play a local who falls for Zach Gilford's plastic surgeon, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

More deals coming together at Showtime, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, who reports that Showtime has signed development deals with Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards and with Jeff Daniels and Timothy Busfield. (Deadline)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Neil Patrick Harris Sings Again as "Batman" Villain, Spielberg Woos Wyle for TNT Sci-Fi Pilot, Mohinder Heads to "Psych," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) won't be reprising his role from Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible but he will be singing in an upcoming episode of Cartoon Network's Batman: The Brave and the Bold slated to air this fall. In the episode, Harris will play villain The Music Meister who "has the power to create song wherever he goes, and he’s trying to dominate the world," according to series executive producer James Tucker. Fans looking to catch an animated glimpse at Harris as the Music Meister should attend the Batman: Brave and the Bold panel at Comic-Con next month, where the entire "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" episode will be screened. (TV Guide)

Steven Spielberg is said to be wooing Noah Wyle (ER) to star in his untitled TNT sci-fi pilot, which, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "takes place six months after evil extra terrestrials decimate mankind." If a deal is reached, Wyle would star in the untitled pilot as "the leader of a ragtag group of citizens who try to bring down the aggressors." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin is reporting that Heroes' Sendhil Ramamurthy will guest star on an upcoming episode of USA's Psych, set to air in August, which will be directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, who is not only Ramamurthy's cousin but will also appear in the episode himself. Ramamurthy will play Raj, "a young man who believes that the firstborn in each generation of his family is cursed—a belief reinforced by the fact that bad things keep happening to all of his girlfriends. Jay, meanwhile, plays Jay, Raj's cousin who is directing a Bollywood-style play at the local theater and engaged to be married." Look for the Psych theme song to possibly get a Bollywood makeover for this episode. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

FOX has announced premiere dates for its new and returning series this fall, with the week of September 16th alone seeing the launch of Glee and the return of such drama series as Fringe, Bones, and Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, and a two-hour season opener of House (directed by executive producer Katie Jacobs) airing on September 21st, the first official day of the fall season. (Televisionary)

Meanwhile, the Futon Critic broke down the baseball pre-emptions facing FOX this fall, with every night of the week affected at least once by baseball-based pre-emotions, with Thursdays and Saturdays landing up to three possible pre-emptions this fall. (Futon Critic)

Former companion Freema Agyeman has expressed her approval of the casting of Karen Gillan as the new companion on Season Five of Doctor Who. "I think she looks great!" Agyeman told Digital Spy. "You know what? She's like an amalgamation of all of us: she's rocking the Rose look, she's got the Catherine hair, she's Scottish like David, and we share a story - she had a small part in the series before she becomes companion, and I had a small part in the series before I became companion too. She's a marriage of us all and we love her! Well, I love her and I'm sure the others love her too because she's part of the family now!" (Digital Spy)

It's official: A&E has now confirmed that it has canceled drama series The Beast, which starred Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel. A&E president Bob DeBitetto said the series was "a labor of love" for the network. (Hollywood Reporter)

And UK network ITV officially confirmed the rumor that it had axed sci-fi series Primeval. (The Guardian)

The CW is developing unscripted pilot I Pledge, based on Katalyst's online series The Presidential Pledge, which featured celebrities committing to community service during 2009. The potential series would follow those stars "as they highlight causes they believe in, and help solve a problem in the process." Pilot will be executive produced by Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg, and Karey Burke. (Variety)

MTV Networks' Brian Graden will leave the company when his contract expires. He's expected to transition to a production deal with the Viacom-owned owned cable group. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC Universal has appointed Cory Shields to a newly created post of EVP, global policy strategies and alliances. He'll report to NBC Universal president/CEO Jeff Zucker and EVP/general counsel Rick Cotton. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Katee Sackhoff Clocks in for "24," Dominic Monaghan Presses "Flash Forward," "Earl" Could Live on TBS, and More

Welcome to your (very early) Tuesday morning television briefing.

In a rather major casting coup, FOX's 24 has cast former Battlestar Galactica star Katee Sackhoff as a series regular in Day Eight, where she will play Dana Walsh, a "highly respected and down-to-earth data analyst at the new and improved New York branch of CTU" who is romantically involved with Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Davis Cole and has a "skeleton in her closet she's trying desperately to keep hidden." Sackhoff joins such Day Eight players as Prinze, Mykelti Williamson, Jennifer Westfeldt, Chris Diamantopoulous, John Boyd, and Anil Kapoor. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

It's now believed that Lost's Dominic Monaghan will be joining the cast of ABC's Flash Forward this fall. IGN's Eric Goldman is reporting, citing reports from an undisclosed insider, that Monaghan will be joining Flash Forward and that the actor, who played Charlie Pace on Lost, will "likely have a major role" on the series. Still, ABC isn't commenting at this time. "There is a lot of speculation out there right now," said an ABC spokesperson, "but we're not confirming any casting at this point." (IGN)

Reports of My Name is Earl's demise may have been premature. Variety's Cynthia Littleton is reporting that studio 20th Century Fox Television is in discussions with cabler TBS about a possible thirteen-episode run. "The talks for new episodes are said to be in the very preliminary stages," writes Littleton, "and it's far from certain that a deal will be reached, insiders cautioned." (Variety)

Rufus Sewell (Eleventh Hour), Ian McShane (Kings), Matthew Macfadyen (Spooks), Sarah Parish (The Holiday), Eddie Redmayne (The Other Boleyn Girl), Hayley Atwell (Brideshead Revisited), and Donald Sutherland (Dirty Sexy Money) have signed on to star in Tandem and Muse's eight-hour international mini-series Pillars of the Earth, based on Ken Follett's novel of the same name. Shooting begins June 22nd for a launch date in the later part of 2010. So far, no US or UK broadcast networks have come on board to co-produce though the production has a US DVD sales deal with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. (Hollywood Reporter)

USA is launching Season Four of Psych and Season Eight of Monk (the series' last) on August 7th while Burn Notice will wrap the first half of its season on August 6th before returning in early 2010. (Futon Critic)

In other Burn Notice news, producers are trying to lure Sharon Gless' former Cagney & Lacey co-star Tyne Dale to guest star in an episode slated to air in early 2010, according to Michael Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

David Letterman is said to be in talks about remaining at the helm of CBS' Late Show for three more years, through the 2011-12 season, though the series will see a reduction in license fee. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Lifetime is launching original drama series Drop Dead Diva, starring Brooke Elliott, Margaret Cho, Jackson Hurst, Kate Levering, April Bowlby, and Josh Stamberg, on Sunday, July 12th at 9 pm ET/PT. Series, created/executive produced by Josh Berman (Bones), hails from Sony Pictures Television. (via press release)

More recasting on NBC's comedy series 100 Questions, which will see the roles played in the pilot by Elizabeth Ho and Joy Suprano recast. The news comes on the heels of the announcement that Amir Talai would be recast as well, which leaves only three of the series regulars--Sophie Winkleman, David Walton, and (creator) Christopher Moynihan--on board. Meanwhile, Alex Hardcastle (Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire) has come on board 100 Questions as the house director and will likely also retain some sort of producer credit. (Hollywood Reporter)

Daytime syndicated talk show Rachael Ray has been renewed through the 2011-12 season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that producers on CBS' Ghost Whisperer are considering moving the series's storyline five years in the future, in order to "introduce Jim and Melinda's son as a pre-schooler instead of as a newborn," said Ausiello, citing an unnamed insider. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Season Three of The Bill Engvall Show will kick off on Saturday, July 18th at 9 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Former Crown Media Holdings President/CEO Henry Schleiff has been named president and general manager of fledgling cabler Investigation Discovery. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Stephen Moyer Talks "True Blood," Madeline Zima Suits Up for "Heroes," Rehearsals to Begin on Final "Gavin & Stacey" Season, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

E! Online's Watch with Kristin caught up with True Blood star Stephen Moyer, who plays vampire Bill Compton on the HBO supernatural drama, to talk about Season Two, which kicks off on June 14th. "There's no getting away from the fact that Bill is a vampire. He can't wish to be anything else, because he's a vampire, but he's a vampire who wants to live a human life," said Moyer about his character. "Actually, in fact, he wishes not for a human life, but for a moral life. It's not that he doesn't want to feed on blood, it's that he doesn't want it to involve killing—but in his first season he kills as many people as the murderer. That was something that was very present in our minds. He has that blood lust, he has that very strong sense of right and wrong. If somebody f--s him off, he's going to take them out. He's torn. He's not going to do it just for the sake of it. But if somebody hurts him or hurts his family or hurts his loved one... they're history. [Chuckles]. I like that." As for Bill's relationship to telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), Moyer said, "I think that they love each other more than they have loved anything ever. Speaking from Bill's point of view, she's given him reason to live again." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Californication's Madeline Zima has been cast in a recurring role on Season Four of NBC's Heroes, where she will play Gretchen, described as "an edgy outsider and college roommate to Claire (Hayden Panettiere)," who is heading to college next season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Rehearsals are set to start next Monday on the final season of British comedy series Gavin and Stacey, which will start shooting on June 15th. James Corden, who co-created the series with Ruth Jones and co-stars alongside her, didn't rule out further writing collaboration with Jones after wrapping the third and final season of Gavin and Stacey. "It's an emotional time because we're saying goodbye to these characters that we love. So the whole thing is very sad and I just hope it can be as good as possible," said Corden. "You know, when we wrote the words, 'This really is the end, the end', we were both a bit welled up and we looked at each other and we were sure that's it. I just hope it's good enough. Ruth and I, we'd like to write something else again but we're inevitably not going to spend as much time locked in a room together." (BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat)

USA is said to be close to handing out a pilot order for espionage thriller Covert Affairs, from writers Matt Corman and Chris Ord. Project, from Universal Cable Prods, executive producers Doug Liman and Dave Bartis, and Dutch Oven, focuses on Annie Walker, a linguist and CIA trainee who is "summoned to headquarters and given assignments assisted by blind tech expert [Auggie] Anderson. While she believes she'd been recruited for her language skills, it might be an elusive former boyfriend her CIA bosses are after." USA has very quietly engaged the services of a casting director and is beginning to reach out to agents about potential candidates for the roles of Annie Walker and Auggie Anderson. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has ordered a second season of Important Things With Demetri Martin, with ten new episodes expected to launch early next year. (Variety)

Gregg Henry (The Riches) has joined the cast of HBO comedy series Hung in a recurring role, where he will play Mike, an assistant coach at the high school where Thomas Jane's character coaches basketball. Elsewhere, Courtney Ford (Cold Case) has joined the cast of Showtime's Dexter in a multiple-episode story arc where she will play a reporter. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC will launch primetime talk show The Jay Leno Show on Monday, September 14th at 10 pm ET/PT. The network will use the season finale of America's Got Talent to help launch the series, which takes over the 10 pm hour across the week. It's also thought possible that the network could launch its Thursday night comedy series that week as well but the network hasn't confirmed any plans to that effect. (Variety)

FOX has quietly moved the air date for its two-hour sci-fi telepic Virtuality (originally a two-hour backdoor pilot) from the Fourth of July to Friday, June 26th at 8 pm ET/PT. (Televisionary)

BBC One controller Jay Hunt has said that she will seek out innovative home-grown drama series rather than hand over primetime slots to acquired American series. The network currently airs FX's Damages in a latenight slot. "It is very unlikely that we will show U.S. series in primetime. It is nice to have Damages in the mix. The show is hugely valued by a very small audience, but it is a very small audience," said Hunt speaking at the Broadcasting Press Guild on Tuesday. "Part of what the charter (the BBC’s constitution) commits us to is to find the best of world television and showcase it ... but my main job in drama is to spearhead real innovation and creativity in original British production." (Variety)

Bravo has announced that Las Vegas will be the setting for Season Six of culinary competition series Top Chef. Host Padma Lakshmi and head judge chef Tom Colicchio, along with judges Gail Simmons and Toby Young, are all set to return for Season Six. There's no official launch date for Season Six but it's widely believed that Top Chef will return this fall. (via press release)

TLC will offer a sneak peek at new docusoap Masters of Reception, from executive producers Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Charlie Corwin, and Milojo Prods., on June 12th. The series, which follows a New Jersey family-owned catering business and its clients and events, will return this fall with five one-hour installments. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: First Look at Dominic Monaghan on "Chuck," Glover Gunning for "Earl," FOX Orders Pilots, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Just a few headlines to get through on this unprecedented and hopeful inauguration day.

TV Week's Blink has a sneak peek video at Chuck's February 3rd episode which features Lost's Dominic Monaghan playing eyeliner-wearing rocker Tyler Martin, a character rather similar to the drugged-up faded rock star he played on ABC's Lost... though Charlie never mistook an apartment complex fountain for a urinal. (TV Week's Blink)

Danny Glover (Brothers & Sisters) will guest star later this season on NBC comedy My Name is Earl, where he will play Crab Man's lost-lost father Thomas in a storyline that reveals why Darnell has been in hiding all of these years. (TV Guide)

Smallville showrunners Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin are said to be in talks with CW brass about overseeing the pilot remake of Melrose Place, following the departure of One Tree Hill executive producer Mark Schwahn from the project when CBS Paramount Network Television couldn't close a deal with Schwahn due to his commitment to Warner Bros., the studio behind One Tree Hill. Should Smallville be renewed for a ninth season, it's thought that Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson would take over showrunning duties on the series. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has ordered four comedy pilots and three drama pilots, in addition to the orders already handed out for comedy Boldly Going Nowhere (which is being redeveloped and reshot) and Kevin Falls drama Eva Adams. The new pilot pickups include: Walorsky, comedy about a former cop who now oversees a Buffalo shopping mall and is paired with a rookie partner from writer/executive producers Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, EXPs Ravi Nandan and Scot Armstrong, and 20th Century Fox Television; Sons of Tucson, comedy from writer/executive producers Tommy Dewey and Greg Bratman and 20th Century Fox Television, about a con man hired by three brothers to pretend to be their father; Mike Binder's comedy Two Dollar Beer, about a Detroit couple and their friends and family; and comedy The Station, from writer/executive producer Kevin Napier and EXPs Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld, and Jeremy Kramer, about a "covert CIA office in South America, where the team must install a new dictator." On the drama side, there's Human Target, from McG and Warner Bros. Television, based on a DC comic about a shady security expert who goes undercover to protect clients; medical drama Maggie Hill, from writer/executive producer Ian Biederman, EXPs Brian Grazer and David Nevins, 20th Century Fox TV, and Imagine, about a female cardiac surgeon battling schizophrenia; and an untitled reincarnation drama from writer/EXP David Hudgins about investigators who attempt to resolve clients' current problems by solving mysteries from their previous lives. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Kurt Fuller (Desperate Housewives) has been cast in NBC legal dramedy pilot Legally Mad, opposite Charity Wakefield, Hugh Bonneville, and Kristin Chenoweth. Fuller will play Lou Peable, an attorney at the family-run law firm who is undergoing a mid-life crisis. He'll also appear in a three-episode story arc on CW's Supernatural, where he will play an exec with "supernatural authority." (Hollywood Reporter)

Sci Fi will bid good-bye to Battlestar Galactica on March 20th with a two-hour finale; prior to the event, the cabler will air a Battlestar Galactica Finale Special on March 16th at 10 pm, which will be repeated (along with the prior episode and the two-hour series finale) as a four-hour event on March 20th. The cabler will launch WCG Ultimate Gamer (formerly known as GameQuest) on March 10th, the fifth season of Ghost Hunters on March 11th, and Stargate: Ark of Truth on March 27th. (Futon Critic)

Assaf Cohen (Flightplan) has been cast in USA's 90-minute drama pilot Operating Instructions, where he will play "eager staff anesthesiologist Eli Funston, who alternately is frustrated by and in awe of Rachel (Emily Rose)." (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Doctor Who" Lands Smith and Circles Allen, Wakefield and Seda Declared "Legally Mad," "Royal Pains" at USA, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. While everyone seems to be returning to work today (darn the end of holidays!), I'm still drowning in a pile of screeners and scripts, but c'est la vie.

The big news this weekend, of course, was the announcement that 26-year-old Matt Smith (Ruby in the Smoke) would assume the mantle of the Eleventh Doctor in BBC's Doctor Who, replacing outbound series lead David Tennant, who will depart the series after appearing in four specials in 2009. (Televisionary)

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph has profiled Smith in an in-depth piece which ran today. Among the more interesting points: "Smith comes to the role without Tennant's in-depth knowledge of the series and describes the next six months as a "time to build this Time Lord…to learn the history of the show", which should give his interpretation freshness. His Doctor may also be boyishly mischievous – he spoke with relish of "the sense of mischief" he got when he knew he'd be the Doctor. He also spoke of the show's "magic". Smith is of the Harry Potter generation and so his Doctor Who may be full of the sense of myth and mystery found in the tales of the boy wizard – one quality that Tennant's Doctor maybe lacks." Hmmm.... (The Daily Telegraph)

In other Doctor Who-released news, Lily Allen is once again rumored to be in contention for the role of the Doctor's latest companion. Allen, who made headlines in 2007 when she was linked to the potential role (which was later filled by Catherine Tate), is said to be the "favorite" to take on the part, though Rachel Stevens and Kelly Brook are also under consideration.

However, the singer hasn't actually auditioned for the role. "Having got the casting of The Doctor out of the way, the companion role is where we will be looking next," said Doctor Who executive producer Piers Wenger. "Someone terribly exciting like Billie Piper, who was at the beginning of her acting career but who had a profile for other reasons, would be great. We are looking for someone whose light can burn brightly. We would never cast anyone on the basis of their celebrity, but if Lily wanted to audition we would be delighted. It would be a lot of fun." (Digital Spy)

USA has ordered eleven episodes (in addition to the two-hour pilot) for medical dramedy Royal Pains, starring Mark Feuerstein as an on-call doctor to the Hamptons set. Series is being thought of as a possible timeslot companion for the off-network repeats of House. (Hollywood Reporter)

Michelle Trachtenberg's Georgina is set to return to the CW's Gossip Girl in a multiple-episode story arc during the latter part of the second season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

British actress Charity Wakefield (Sense and Sensibility) and Jon Seda (Homicide) have been cast to star opposite previously announced Kristin Chenoweth (Pushing Daisies) in David E. Kelley's new NBC legal drama pilot Legally Mad. Wakefield will play the series' lead, Brady Hamm, a twenty-something attorney who is holding together her father's crumbling law firm and is utterly devoted to her batty father. Seda will play Joe Matty, an argumentative attorney prone to picking fights (sometimes physical ones) with everyone. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lipstick Jungle's Robert Buckley will join the cast of CW's Privileged as the editor-in-chief of a magazine where Megan and Will are both vying for a position. His first appearance is set for the second to last episode of this season. (TV Guide)

Bill Lawrence talks about the possible series finale of Scrubs--now on ABC--that's planned for later this season, why it's strange to see promos for the long-ignored series, and the possibility of the series continuing on without him or lead Zach Braff. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC One has acquired Season Two of FX's legal thriller Damages and will launch the sophomore season in February. (BBC)

Speaking of Damages, William Hurt--who joins the legal thriller in its sophomore season, kicking off on Wednesday evening--talks to The New York Times about his decision to do television, working with Glenn Close, whether Daniel Purcell will be sticking around for a third season, and how he wishes that, as an actor, he was a "repertory ensemble guy." (The New York Times)

The Los Angeles Times has criticized Shonda Rhimes' ABC series Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, saying that the former "struggles with implausible plots and diminishing characters" and is now "floundering in its fifth season." They claim that perhaps Rhimes is "stretched too thin" and are quick to note that "[i]n truth, the show lost its mooring two years ago, after Meredith's near-death by drowning, but this season has been dizzying, careening like a pinball from one unlikely plot turn to the next, and the continued degradation of characters who, for years, had been etched with careful precision." (The Los Angeles Times)

Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd takes a look at the ratings showdowns slated for later this season, including ABC's Lost versus FOX's Lie to Me versus CBS' Criminal Minds. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Daily Telegraph has a fantastic interview with Gavin & Stacey co-creator/star James Corden about what 2009 holds for him. Of the much beloved series, Corden says that the charm comes from "finding the extraordinary in the ordinary." I couldn't agree more. (The Daily Telegraph)

SAG national executive director Doug Allen has justified a strike in the latest letter sent to members on Friday, in which he argues that a strike authorization is justified even in times of economic crisis. “There is no good time to consider a strike,” said Allen. “Strikes are called only when management’s bargaining positions are intolerable and then only by a vote of the elected actors on the national board, if authorized by a membership referendum. But, tough economic times are when it is most necessary to be unified to resist the studios and networks effort to obliterate contract provisions in our future work.” (Variety)

Marla Sokoloff, Marion Ross, and Christina Pickles will star in wedding-themed telepic Flower Girl for Hallmark Channel. The telepic, written by Marjorie Sweeney and directed by Bradford May, will air in late 2009. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Neve Campbell Gets Charitable with NBC's "Philanthropist," CBS Adds "Harper's Island," CW Announces "Reaper" Return Date, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. Let's get to the headlines, shall we?

Neve Campbell (Party of Five) will return to network television with NBC's midseason drama The Philanthropist, starring James Purefoy and Jesse Martin, about a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth to help people in need. The former Scream queen will play the wife of Teddy Rist's business partner and BFF Phillip (Martin), who runs the men's philanthropic organization and finds herself drawn to Rist (Purefoy). (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC released some new footage from the Season Five premiere of Lost. (Televisionary)

Samantha Who? (and former Ugly Betty) writer Marco Pennette has three projects in development, including ABC drama pilot The Romeos, about four men in the 1960s who eventually become the country's biggest pop stars, which he'll write and executive produce with Brad Meltzer and Steve Cohen (Jack and Bobby), and ABC comedy Straight Up and Dirty, based on Stephanie Klein's autobiographical book about recovering after a traumatic divorce. (Variety)

ABC has announced launch dates for its midseason dramas Cupid, Castle, and The Unusuals. (Televisionary)

Little Britain USA will return for a second season on HBO and BBC. (BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat)

Horror-themed reality competition series 13: Fear Is Real, from executive producers Sam Raimi and Jay Bienstock, will air Wednesdays at 8 pm on the CW, beginning January 7th. Fear will take over the timeslot from America's Next Top Model while it is between cycles. In other CW programming news, Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill will return with new episodes on January 5th and 90210 and Privileged will return on January 6th. And look for repeats of 90210 to take over Stylista's Wednesdays at 9 pm timeslot in January. (TV Week)

In other CW news, Season Two of dramedy Reaper will kick off on March 7th at 9 pm; the thirteen episodes filmed for the series' sophomore season will air uninterrupted this spring. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS is launching thriller series Harper's Island on April 9th, where it will air on Thursdays at 10 pm following the run of current timeslot holder Eleventh Hour. Harper's Island will air its serialized story over the course of thirteen episodes... which will run until July 2nd. The Eye will also return crime drama Flashpoint to the schedule on January 9th and will air on Fridays at 9 pm. (Variety)

Meanwhile, CBS will burn off back-to-back episodes of unscripted series Game Show in My Head--from executive producer Ashton Kutcher--on Saturday nights beginning January 3rd. (Variety, TV Week)

Craig T. Nelson (My Name is Earl) will appear in a three-episode story arc on CBS' CSI: NY, where he will play Manhattan publishing mogul Robert Parker, who happens to be a nemesis of Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise). (Hollywood Reporter)

Christine Ebersole will drop by ABC's Samantha Who?, where she'll play Amy, the "secret sister" of Samantha's mom Regina (Jean Smart)... who has used Sam's amnesia as a way to erase her sister from their family. She'll appear in the fourteenth episode of the current season. (TV Guide)

Disney Channel has ordered six additional episodes of Hannah Montana, bringing the Season Three total to 30 episodes. (Variety)

NBC will be airing two-hour editions of Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday nights beginning in February, with an announcement about the decision to come as early as this week. The decision would appear to be financial, as it would give the Peacock a way to cull some programming costs; NBC would then have five hours worth of unscripted series per week this spring with two-hour Biggest Loser: Couples on deck and Howie Do It to air on Fridays. “Donald has always felt the boardrooms were too short, and I think he’s right,” said executive producer Mark Burnett. “Right now, there’s really only about nine minutes of footage that we use and the boardroom (scenes) go on for hours sometimes. The problem has been trying to squeeze it all in. Every season we go through the struggle of cutting the show down." (TV Week)

Dick Clark Prods. is developing an unscripted series based on the popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" franchise of books. (Hollywood Reporter)

VH1 has ordered eight episodes of unscripted series Tough Love, which follows a group of women, chosen to live together in a house and trained in the art of meeting Mr. Right via a "Tough Love Boot Camp." Project comes from Flower Films, High Noon Entertainment, and executive producers Nancy Juvoven and Drew Barrymore; Steve Ward will host the series. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Lemons and Limeys: HBO's "Little Britain USA" Celebrates Two Countries Divided by a Common Language

There are few things that are certain in this life: death, taxes, and the fact that that I will laugh uncontrollably whenever I watch David Walliams and Matt Lucas.

I speak, of course, of the creators and stars of BBC's Little Britain, who have taken their subversive sketch comedy act on the road, partnering with pay cabler HBO to develop an American-centric take on their comedy of the absurd with Little Britain USA, which launches on HBO on September 28th.

I was extremely curious (not to mention concerned) to see just how well Walliams and Lucas' bizarro characters would translate across the pond. It turns out that I needn't have worried, as the three episodes of Little Britain USA provided for review prove that the dynamic duo's keenly wicked sense of humor is still sharpened like a rapier.

If you have no familiarity with Little Britain, fret not: there's none needed (though shame on you for missing what is arguably one of the very wackiest comedies of the last decade) though Walliams and Lucas have brought along some of their favorite creations--notably Fat Fighters group leader Marjorie Dawes, PM aide-turned-prime minister Sebastian, unconvincing transvestite Emily Howard, gay Welsh lad Daffyd (he of the catchphrase "I'm the only gay in the village"), surly receptionist Carol Beers, the inimitable Bubbles de Vere, chavvy delinquent Vicki Pollard, and fan favorites Lou and Andy, whose arrival at a local motel somewhere in the heart of America sets off the first installment of Little Britain USA.

This is un-PC comedy at its very best, though subsequent installments better deliver on the comedy's premise than the slightly less successful first outing, which brings Rosie O'Donnell to a local American Fat Fighters meeting, where Marjorie unsuccessfully tries to determine if she's so fat because she's a lesbian... or she's a lesbian because she's so fat.

New characters are rather hit or miss. There's something to be said for ambiguously gay body builders Mark and Tom, whose relationship hits new lows following a post-shower discussion in the locker room, potty-mouthed Southern youth Ellie Grace ("I love you more than porn"), and George and Sandra, a British couple celebrating their 40th anniversary with a trip across the States. But I was less than taken with astronaut Bing Gordyn, whose shtick about being the eighth man to the moon wears very thin about five minutes into an interminably long sketch.

However, I'm completely taken with Walliams' latest creation, Phyllis, who is so in love with her adorable King Charles Spaniel Mr. Doggy that she believes that he is not only speaking to her (in the voice of a husky black man, no less) but compelling her to do all manners of unspeakable and disgusting things, like removing her clothes and climbing into a garbage can in public. Adding to the hysteria brought on by this recurring sketch is the fact that the voice in Phyllis' head is so implacable while the pooch himself is so serene and, well, adorable.

Using a mix of those familiar and new characters, Walliams and Lucas skewer not only the British wackos they are used to eviscerating but also turn their gimlet eyes onto larger targets as well: the American public, poking fun at the celebrity-worship, racism, hypocrisy, and moral outrage that inform our everyday lives. Masking this in body-covering latex and funny wigs, the comedy duo manage to give us an outsider's perspective on what makes this country tick in a way that Tracey Ullman recently tried to achieve in her Showtime series Tracey Ullman's State of the Union but failed to hit the mark.

Playwright George Bernard Shaw once famously opined that England and America are "two countries divided by a common language" but HBO's deliciously naughty Little Britain USA truly proves that it only takes hysterical comedy such as that of Walliams and Lucas to unite our two cultures.

Little Britain USA premieres Sunday, September 28th at 10:30 pm on HBO.

Channel Surfing: "24" Shutdown, "BSG" Cast Revealed for Prequel Movie, "Project Runway" Delayed, "Doctor Who," and More

Good morning and welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Production will shut down on 24, whose seventh season has been delayed since last January due to the writers strike, for more than two weeks beginning September 15th. The reason behind the enforced break? 24 executive producer Howard Gordon was reportedly displeased with the direction of the last six episodes of the season. During their time off, scripts will be written in order to change the season's direction, with production set to resume by October 9th. (Variety)

More on that 24 shut down: ""We had a couple of scripts that we weren't happy with," said Howard Gordon in an interview. "We just couldn't get this direction to work, and we found another one that we liked better, so we wound up retooling it [...] The only, only, only concern at all is getting it right. Our feeling was this: We're so happy with what we've done so far, and to the extent that we had that luxury [of time], we said, 'Why not make it as good as we could?'" (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

SCI FI has revealed the cast of its Cylon-centric two-hour untitled Battlestar Galactica event. Suiting up for the prequel feature-length special are Edward James Olmos, Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas, Dean Stockwell, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Callum Keith Rennie, Rick Worthy, and Michael Hogan. Project is written by series co-executive producer Jane Espenson and will be directed by Edward James Olmos. Battlestar Galactica's final season, meanwhile, will resume in January. (TV Guide)

Jamie Bamber (BSG), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who), Bradley Walsh (Coronation Street), and Harriet Walter (Doctors) will star in the British version of Law & Order for ITV, which is being overseen by Torchwood writer Chris Chibnall. (Digital Spy)

CBS has ordered a pilot for multi-camera family comedy The Karenskys, about a woman's return to her large, eccentric, and very ethnic family after her husband takes a gig in her hometown. Project, from writer/executive producer Linwood Boomer (Malcolm in the Middle) was originally set up at CBS ten years ago. Boomer will executive produce the pilot, from Universal Media Studios, along with Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. (Variety)

ABC has given a thirteen-episode order to comedy In the Motherhood, based on the online series starring Chelsea Handler, Leah Remini, and Jenny McCarthy about three women whose trials and travails are based on the stories of real mothers from across the country. Handler will return to star in the linear comedy, with Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) and Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm) in talks to join her. (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Six of reality competition series Project Runway, which jumps networks from Bravo to Lifetime after the current season ends, has been delayed until January 2009. Season Six was originally meant to launch on Lifetime this November. "With this move, the series will resume its traditional cycle of two seasons per year," said a Lifetime spokeperson. "We look forward to ringing in the New Year by giving Project Runway loyal fans a superlative season six with Heidi, Tim, Nina, and Michael. The new date and time will be announced soon.” (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

NBC has ordered a Muppets Christmas special entitled Letters to Santa: A Muppets Christmas, which will feature guest stars Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Sirico (The Sopranos), Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter) and Madison Pettis (Cory in the House), as well as the entire Muppet gang. (Hollywood Reporter)

Wondering what the hell The CW's head honcho Dawn Ostroff is thinking? Look no further than this interview, in which she answers ten questions about 90210, low ratings, and, well, the netlet's failures. (TV Week)

Little Britain USA, which launches on HBO on September 28th, will air this autumn on BBC One. I've seen the first three episodes and they definitely pack a comedic punch, BTW. (BBC)

Catherine Tate, John Simm, and Bernard Cribbins are allegedly returning to Doctor Who next season as part of the casts for the four specials planned for 2009. According to The Sun (so take it with a huge ball of salt), Tate will reprise her role as former companion Donna Noble, Simm will return as The Master, and Cribbins will again play Wilf, Donna's grandfather. (Digital Spy)

Tom Sizemore has been cast in Starz's drama series Crash (based on the feature film) in the recurring role of Detective Adrian Cooper, an unorthodox cop who is investigating a police-involved shooting. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Sneak Peek: HBO's "Little Britain USA"

I don't know about you but BBC's Little Britain has been giving me paroxysms of laughter for several years now and I'm positively salivating with the prospect of catching up with favorite characters Lou and Andy, Vicky Pollard, Marjorie, Emily Howard, and Daffyd as they embark on a series of new adventures.

Yes, HBO is launching Little Britain USA, from the (wickedly) fertile minds of series creators/stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas, on September 28th. (Well, you knew that if you read my What I'm Watching This Fall)

That might still be a few weeks out but in the meantime, check out this clip as Lou and Andy attempt to check into their American motel.

Now where's Tom Baker when you need him to introduce a clip?

Little Britain USA launches September 28th at 10:30 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Yeah But No But Yeah: HBO Sets Fall Launch for "Little Britain USA"

Finally, a bit of news about HBO's US-set transplant of BBC hit sketch comedy Little Britain!

HBO is planning to launch Little Britain USA this fall with six episodes set in America, with sketches shot on location in North Carolina and in a Los Angeles studio in front of a live audience, with segments to be helmed by Michael Patrick Jann (Reno 911!) and David Schwimmer (Run Fat Boy Run).

Series, written by Little Britain creators Matt Lucas and David Walliams, will follow the pair as they bring their hysterical creations--a mix of dangerous eccentric individuals from chavvy ASBO Vicky Pollard and homosexual aide to the PM Sebastian to Fat Fighters group leader Marjorie Dawes and unconvincing transvestite Emily Howard (to say nothing of Bubbles de Vere or fan favorites Lou and Andy)--to the United States, where they will skewer contemporary American culture.

Look for Rosie O'Donnell and Sting to turn up in the live studio segments. Storylines allegedly include Vicky Pollard being sent to a boot camp, Sebastian somehow becoming the prime minister, Daffyd finding himself the only gay at the university, and Lou and Andy visiting a faith healer, along with new characters created specifically for the series by Walliams and Lucas including a gun-obsessed Southern sheriff and Madonna's personal assistant.

I'm very curious to see if the UK-centric comedy stylings of Walliams and Lucas can be translated to the US on HBO so I'll be watching this very carefully... and hopefully roaring with laughter when I do.

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); Most Outrageous Moments/Most Outrageous Moments (NBC;); Friday Night SmackDown! (CW; 8-10 pm); America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC); White Chicks (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); Dateline (NBC; 9-11 pm); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Charlie Jade on Sci Fi.

My expectations for this acquired series are extremely low but I'll do the cabler a solid and check out the first episode. On tonight's series premiere ("The Big Bang"), detective Charlie Jade is thrust into a parallel universe after an explosion while investigating a woman's murder.

9 pm: Doctor Who on Sci Fi.

Season Four of Doctor Who continues tonight with "The Doctor's Daughter," the TARDIS transports the Doctor, Donna , and a very reluctant Martha to the remote planet of Messaline, where the Doctor's DNA is used to create a daughter while a neverending war rages and the threat of genocide looms large. Just why did the TARDIS send them there against their will? Find out tonight.

10 pm: Battlestar Galactica on Sci Fi.

On tonight's episode ("Hub"), the uneasy alliance between the Colonial Viper pilots and the Cylon rebels form a strategy for attacking the Cylon Resurrection Hub. Is this the end of the Cylons downloading their consciousness into new constructs? And what does it mean for the ongoing battle between them and the fleet?

Wee America?: HBO Pacts with Simon Fuller to Adapt "Little Britain"

As Daffyd Thomas might say, "I'm the only gay in the... Peoria, Ill. metropolitan area?"

Variety is reporting that HBO is in talks with American Idol creator Simon Fuller to adapt the wickedly funny British sketch series Little Britain for an American audience. Little Britain creators Matt Lucas and David Walliams have approached Fuller to develop the series for the pay cabler and HBO has confirmed that it is in discussions with Fuller about adapting the show. No further details were released.

"It's not surprising a U.S. take on Little Britain would end up on HBO. The surreal and scatological sketch show, whose characters include 'The Only Gay in the Village,' wayward teen Vicky Pollard and an incontinent grandma, would be a tough sell for the broadcast nets."

I'd have to agree. But even on HBO, I'm not sure how well characters like Daffyd, Vicky Pollard, Emily, Ill. Howard, and Lou and Andy will translate for audiences on this side of the pond. Additionally, I don't think I could watch a Little Britain (or, heck, Little America) sans Lucas and Walliams. To me, it's impossible to separate these two brilliant writer-actors from the characters they portray.

So, what does everyone else think? Will Little Britain fly over here? Or is this another sad attempt to capitalize on the success of a foreign program only to end up bastardizing the show completely (i.e. Coupling)?