Channel Surfing: Whedon Talks "Dollhouse" Season Two, "My Name is Earl" Officially Dead, Middleton Talks "Sarah Connor," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Wondering what Joss Whedon has in store for Season Two of Dollhouse, which returns to FOX this fall? Entertainment Weekly's Mandi Bierly caught up with the Dollhouse creator to find out what to expect. "About two hours after starting to talk to the writers about story, I was back with such a vengeance, and so energized and so pumped because we really understand the show now," said Whedon. "We understand what works, and what didn't work so well or what we weren't so thrilled about. We don't have the onus of trying to be a big hit sitting on our shoulders. We can just be ourselves. And so the stories we're breaking are pure, and exciting, and everybody's on-board in the room, and it's never flowed better." Look for Echo to use that final word of Season One as a springboard for her second season mission. ""Echo wants to find not just Caroline, but what's going on behind everything," said Whedon. "She doesn't have all of the skills. [Laughs] But she does have this weird super power of becoming a different person all the time, so she might start using that more specifically to find out who Caroline was and what happened to her and why this place exists." (Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch)

My Name is Earl has officially been killed, following talks between studio 20th Century Fox Television and cabler TBS about picking up new installments of the comedy series. The studio released a statement yesterday that talks between the two sides had broken off after they were unable to reach an agreement. "While we had hoped to find a way to produce additional episodes for TBS, in the final analysis we simply could not make the economics work without seriously undermining the artistic integrity of the series," said the studio in a statement. "As none of us, [creator Greg Garcia] included, want the show to go out on anything but a high note, we regret that we must put to rest any speculation that Earl will continue." (Variety)

SCI FI Wire catches up with James Middleton, the executive producer of FOX's canceled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles to find out what would have happened in the series' third season, had it continued. "By jumping into this future, [John] has erased his existence in a certain way, and we see that. We see that nobody recognizes him," said Middleton. "We would have to have explored that if we did get a third season. If we had gotten a third season, I should say, we definitely would have explored what it all meant, but I think there's a great moment where we see Allison [Summer Glau], and John's look to her is very meaningful. I think that also would have been a great thing in terms of dramatic potential. Like I said, the show has ended, and it would all be speculation, and I really don't want to raise anybody's expectations." (SCI FI Wire)

Eric Roberts has joined the cast of Starz drama Crash, where he will play "an entrepreneur hoping to bring a professional football team to L.A." Other new cast members for Season Two, which launches on September 18th, include Dana Ashbrook (yes, Twin Peaks' Bobby Briggs himself!), Linda Park, Jake McLaughlin, Tess Harper, and Julie Warner. (Variety)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that Comic-Con's Dollhouse panel next month will be two-hours long and will feature a screening of the unaired thirteenth episode, entitled "Epitaph One" and a discussion with Joss Whedon and series star Eliza Dushku. The two-hour session, according to a 20th Century Fox Television source, will take place on Friday, July 24th. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Meanwhile, Ryan is also reporting that there won't be a Heroes panel this year at Comic-Con. "According to a representative from Universal Media Studios, which makes the show," writes Ryan, "Heroes will "have a presence" at Comic-Con in various ways, but that presence will not involve the typical panel discussion that is a staple of Comic-Con." What that presence is remains to be seen but Ryan implies that it will involve a Season Four sneak peek in some form. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Stephanie March will be staying put on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and will appear in at least ten episodes next season. "The show is expected to introduce one or possibly two new characters to fill the ADA void when Cabot isn't around," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS Television Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with CSI: NY executive producer Peter Lenkov. Under the terms of the deal, Lenkov will remain on board CSI: NY next season, where he teases fans will see ""Much more character. The mystery and the science are important, but people are just as important." (Hollywood Reporter)

Discovery has given a ten-episode series order to Garage Wars, in which mechanics will be pitted against each other to determine the best garage in America; two teams will be given a box with the same parts and must build the best vehicle from them in just four days. Series, from A. Smith and Co., is currently on the lookout for two car experts to serve as hosts. (Variety)

Outbound News Corp. president/COO Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope are said to have already begun taking meetings at the town's top talent agencies and inviting them to begin pitching projects. The duo are launching a new production company as part of Chenin's exit from News Corp that is said to operate under a similar deal as David E. Kelley's former arrangement. (Hollywood Reporter)

Chuck's Sarah Lancaster will guest star in an upcoming episode of TNT's medical drama Hawthorne, where she will play the girlfriend of a horrific motorcycle accident victim (My Boys' Reid Scott). (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Reveille has picked up US remake rights for Icelandic workplace comedy The Nightshift, about three graveyard shift workers at a gas station who try to remain motivated after dealings with eccentric customers. "The Nightshift is that rare international format that has American sensibility, and we're eager to tackle another workplace comedy after the success of The Office," said Reveille's managing director Howard Owens. "The show has a smart, ironic point of view, which we know will translate well in the U.S." (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: CBS Cans "Unit," "Eleventh," "Without a Trace," CW Orders "Melrose," "Vampire Diaries," "Beautiful Life," NBC Axes "Earl," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

CBS has opted to cancel dramas The Unit, Without a Trace, and Eleventh Hour and will renew dramas Cold Case and NUMB3RS and comedies The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gary Unmarried. (Hollywood Reporter)

CW has ordered three new drama series for next season, giving the greenlight to Melrose Place, Vampire Diaries, and The Beautiful Life, while Privileged, Reaper, Everybody Hates Chris, and The Game have all been officially cancelled. Meanwhile, the CW has announced that it will not go ahead with the planned spin-off of Gossip Girl but has indicated that drama Life Unexpected remains in contention for a midseason order. The network will unveil its schedule to advertisers tomorrow. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

After NBC's cancellation of comedy series My Name is Earl, producers on the 20th Century Fox Television-produced series are said to be shopping it elsewhere, including to FOX and ABC. Series co-star Ethan Suplee has started a Save Our Show campaign on Twitter and urges fans of Earl to spread the word. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC Entertainment Group president Steve McPherson has defended the network's decision to move dramedy Ugly Betty to Friday nights, saying that it's not a sign that Betty is on her way to the grave. "I love the show [and] America [Ferrera] is one of our biggest stars," said McPherson. "[But] you look at [Betty's declining ratings on] Thursday night and we think we have a big opportunity with Flash Forward. You have to make some bold moves sometimes. To me, I'd love to see [Betty] have a great run on Friday night the way Ghost Whisperer has [for CBS]." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Meanwhile, My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia lashed out at NBC, which announced that it was not bringing Earl back next season. "It’s hard to be too upset about being thrown off the Titanic," said Garcia, who said he intends to shop the series to other networks. "They woke me up at 7:30 to let me know. I e-mailed Jeff Zucker [president and chief executive of NBC Universal] on Sunday, and I never got a response. But this is show business. The writing was on the wall. When you go to bed the night before the schedule is out, and no one has spoken to you, you know what’s happening. You get somewhat frustrated with how it’s being handled, but that’s the business we work in. I’ve never fooled myself that it’s a fair or friendly business." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

Richard Coyle (Coupling) will be recast on CBS' new series Miami Trauma. (Futon Critic via Twitter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talked with Privileged creator Rina Mimoun about the CW's decision not to bring back the series for a second season. "It's truly heartbreaking," Mimoun told Ausiello via e-mail. "I'm so grateful to everyone out there who supported our little show and fell in love with Megan Smith. She was the most delightful character I've ever had the pleasure to write and watching JoAnna Garcia bring her to life every day was a gift I will never forget. I'm incredibly proud of the work we did and forever indebted to all the fans, critics and to Warner Bros. for being so wonderful and supportive. I will miss this more than you know." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

A&E will launch Season Two of drama The Closer, starring Benjamin Bratt, on June 23rd. Guest stars for the upcoming series include Christine Lahti, Whoopi Goldberg, and Lori Petty. (via press release)

Nickelodeon has given a pilot order for a series based on DreamWorks Animation's Monsters vs. Aliens feature film. Also on tap for DreamWorks Animation: a Shrek Halloween special entitled Scared Shrekless and a Kung Fu Panda holiday special. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: AMC Renews "Breaking Bad" for Third Season, Lifetime Struts on "Project Runway," CBS Shuts Off "Guiding Light," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

AMC has renewed drama Breaking Bad for a third season, only four episodes into the series' sophomore season, which launched with 1.7 million viewers, a 21 percent increase over the series premiere episode. Series, which stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte, Dean Norris, and Betsy Brandt, will join the ranks of AMC drama Mad Men, also renewed for a third year. (Hollywood Reporter)

The battle over Project Runway has finally ended and now that the dust has cleared, it's Lifetime who will air the sixth season of the reality series this summer. "I couldn’t be more excited that Lifetime will bring its viewers an amazing, all-new season of Project Runway this summer," said Lifetime president/CEO Andrea Wong in a statement. "As the highest-rated cable network for women, Lifetime is the perfect home for this outstanding program as well as its companion series Models of the Runway. All of us at Lifetime are thrilled to move forward with Heidi, Tim, Nina, Michael, The Weinstein Company and the entire Project Runway team. We are proud to add these shows to our growing slate of original programming, including the hit series Army Wives, the all-new upcoming series Drop Dead Diva and our top-rated original movies." (via press release)

It's official: CBS has cancelled long-running soap opera Guiding Light, the longest running drama on television (it launched as a radio series in 1937 before moving to CBS in 1952). The series, set in the fictional enclave of Springfield, will air its final episode on September 18th. (The New York Times)

Pilot casting alert: Justin Bartha (National Treasure) has landed the lead on FOX comedy pilot The Station, where he will play a covert CIA operative stationed in South America; Chris Elliott (Everyone Loves Raymond) has been cast in CBS comedy pilot The Fish Tank; and Melissa Rauch (Kath & Kim) has joined the cast ofLifetime's untitled Sherri Shepherd comedy pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Nikki Finke is reporting that NBC is considering cancelling comedy My Name is Earl, which is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, after the studio was said to be unhappy with a "drastically reduced" license fee offered by the Peacock. Finke says that FOX's Kevin Reilly, who originally developed the series when he was at NBC, could pick up the show. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Diane Farr (Rescue Me) has been cast in a ten-episode story arc on Season Three of Showtime's Californication, where she will play a randy grad student who falls under the spell of David Duchovny's Hank. "I am so excited to play someone who is girlie," Farr told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "and wears a sundress without a gun or a fire hose in my hand." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

George Segal (Just Shoot Me) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on Season Six of HBO's Entourage, where he will play a veteran manager who takes Eric (Kevin Connolly) under his wing. Also attached to recur next season: Jami Gertz, Autumn Reeser, and Alexis Dziena. (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Two of Pushing Daisies will be released on DVD on July 21st. The box set will include all thirteen episodes of the series' second season, including three episodes that have yet to air on television, and will be priced at $39.98 for DVD and $49.99 for Blu-ray. (via press release)

SCI FI Wire talks to Eureka's Colin Ferguson about Season 3.5, which launches in July, about what to expect when the series returns. "Well, at the end of season three, or at the end of season 3.4, or 3.49, Nathan [Ed Quinn] dies, and Salli [Richardson-Whitfield's] character is pregnant," explains Ferguson. "So that picks up right after there, where Salli is pregnant through the whole season. One of Joe [Morton's] ... I keep using the actors' names ... One of Joe's long-lost loves comes back. My character has a love interest all the way through. And then Jordan [Hinson], my daughter, deals with 'Is she going to go to college and leave Eureka or is she going to stay?' So all that stuff gets resolved." (SCI FI Wire)

TLC has secured the life rights of US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger, which it will adapt into a documentary special about the life of the pilot, who successfully landed a passenger jet in the Hudson River in January, saving the lives of everyone aboard. The cabler is planning a late 2009 airdate for the doc, which will be produced by Daniel H. Birman Prods. (Variety)

Elsewhere, documentary filmmaker Nanette Burnstein (The Kid Stays in the Picture, American Teen) has signed a deal with RDF USA to develop and produce unscripted series. (Variety)

James Marsters is still open to reprising his role as vampire Spike, should Joss Whedon end up writing a Spike-centric project. "Oh, yeah, when Angel was coming down, [creator] Joss [Whedon] came to me and said, 'Do you want to do a Spike project?'" Marsters told SCI FI Wire. "And I said, 'Heck yes. In fact, whatever you want to do, whether it's Spike or not, wherever I am in the world, just call me. I'll come running. But you have seven years, Joss, because I don't want to do Spike aging. Let's keep him the same age, and I think that I can hold that look for about seven years before it starts to become too different.' Maybe there's a few more years, but at this point, really it would all have to do with a camera test. Can we light my face in such a way that it's still in the same ballpark as what the audience is used to? If that's possible, then I think that it would be a good thing to do." (SCI FI Wire)

BBC America will launch Apprentice UK, featuring 14 contestants competing for a job with tycoon Sir Alan Sugar, on Tuesday, May 8th at 8 pm ET/PT, with subsequent episodes airing at 9 pm ET/PT. The first four episodes previously aried on CNBC; those will be repeated with the channel having the US premiere of all other installments. (via press release)

Lifetime has ordered four-hour mini-series Everything She Ever Wanted, based on Ann Rule's book about a woman and her much younger husband who are determined, at any cost, to become members of Atlanta's elite. Project, written by Michael Vickerman and directed by Peter Svatek, will star Gina Gershon (Life on Mars), Ryan McPartlin (Chuck), and Victor Garber (Eli Stone). (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO, along with Paramount Pictures and executive producer Robert Evans, are developing a six-hour mini-series about the life of Sidney Korshak, a Chicago attorney who arrived in Hollywood and "leveraged relationships with politicians, labor leaders, showbiz and the underworld to become the ultimate behind-the-scenes showbiz fixer." Project, based on a Vanity Fair article by Nick Tosches, will be written by Art Monterastelli. (Variety)

Could drama be leaving UK's Channel 4? That seems to be under discussion as one board member is floating an idea in which the beleaguered channel would drop all of its drama series in an effort to save millions of pounds and refocus the channel on documentaries and reality series. However, many--including Liza Marshall, the head of drama, and Kevin Lygo, director of television and content, are strongly opposed to the idea. (The Stage)

CBS and Sony Pictures Television, along with executive producer Michael Davies, are said to be developing a daytime one-hour update of game show The $25,000 Pyramid as a possible replacement for Guiding Light. However, other options are being looked at, including in-house productions such as talk shows. (TV Week)

CMT has ordered eight episodes of reality competition series Runnin' Wild... From Ted Nugent, that will "feature the right-wing rock star and hunting advocate teaching contestants how to survive in the wild, then chasing after them along with his 18-year-old son, Rocco." Series is expected to launch in August. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Star Trek," Will Arnett, "The Mentalist," David E. Kelley Briefs NBC, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

While not totally TV-related, you can see a sneak peek of the cover of the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly (which hits newsstands tomorrow) to the right, depicting Heroes' Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine as Spock and Kirk in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. The issue also features an in-depth interview with Abrams, in which he talks about Star Trek, his YouTube-fueled feud with William Shatner, and also features quotes from Leonard Nimoy and Quinto about the new film.

Are you GOB Bluth? FOX is said to be in final negotiations for a talent/development deal with Will Arnett (Arrested Development); under the deal, FOX would develop a comedy vehicle for Arnett or cast him in a pre-existing project at the network. Arnett, who is currently recurring as Devon Banks on NBC's 30 Rock, also stars (or his voice does, anyway) in FOX's upcoming animated comedy series Sit Down, Shut Up. (TV Week)

Not such good news, however, for another Arrested Development alum. Jessica Walter has been downgraded from series regular to recurring status on CW's 90210, where she plays boozy faded actress Tabitha. The rationale is said to be budget-related, though Jessica Lowndes (who plays irritatingly shrill Adrianna) has been promoted to regular. As much as I love Walter, I have to say that her talents are being tragically wasted here and I hated the way that the writers trotted her out to utter a few humorless lines every couple of episodes. Let's hope she finds some more challenging material quickly. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS has handed out a full season order to Warner Bros. Television's drama The Mentalist, this season's top new drama in viewers and adults 25-54. Series, which stars Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman, and Amanda Righetti, has averaged 16.14 million viewers so far. (Futon Critic)

NBC has issued a series order for a new untitled legal drama from David E. Kelley and Warner Bros. Television (Kelley moved to a new deal at Warners earlier this year), the first scripted deal that Kelley has struck at NBC since LA Law in the 1980s. Series will be "set in a Chicago law firm and revolves around an aging partner and his daughter who works with him as well as a host of eccentric characters around them." Should the pilot not go to series, NBC is on the hook with what's said to be a multi-million dollar penalty. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

In other Peacock news, NBC has ordered three additional scripts for midseason drama Medium, which is slated to return to the lineup this winter. However, insiders have indicated that Medium may return as soon as this fall. (Hollywood Reporter)

James Strong will direct the Doctor Who Easter Special, slated to air in the UK in 2009. The Easter Special was co-written by Russell T. Davies and Gareth Roberts. Strong has previously helmed several episodes of Doctor Who, including "The Impossible Planet," "Daleks In Manhattan," "Voyage Of The Damned," and "Partners In Crime." (Digital Spy)

Jason Priestley will guest star on an upcoming episode of My Name Is Earl, where he'll play a character named... Brandon, "Earl's better-looking and more successful cousin, whom we first meet in a flashback to Earl and Joy's first wedding anniversary. On that memorable day, viewers will learn, Earl discovered that prior to his marriage, Joy had a steamy affair with his cousin." (TV Guide)

In other casting news, Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin will guest star on CW's Gossip Girl, where she won't play herself but rather created specifically for her by the series' writers. Liukin wasn't sure whether her character would be appearing in just one episode or in several. (Reuters)
Desperate Housewives' Gale Harold is in critical condition following a motorcycle accident yesterday but is expected to recover. Harold plays Susan's boyfriend Jackson on the current season of Desperate Housewives. Executive producer Marc Cherry acknowledged that some rewrites would have to be done in light of Harold's accident. (New York Times)

Spike has renewed reality series DEA and ordered two new series: nine-episode Deadliest Warrior, which features computer-rendered bouts between historical fighters from Morningstar Entertainment, and ten one-hour episodes of Surviving Disaster, in which former Navy SEAL Cade Coutley offers viewers tips on how to survive various disasters such as earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and plane crashes, from Wall to Wall Media. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

My Name is... Incarceration: The "Free Earl" Music Video

My Name is Earl's third season might not premiere until September 27th, but in the meantime, I thought you might enjoy seeing this promo, featuring Randy, a gum-chomping Joy, Catalina and Crab Man putting on a music video in an attempt to shine the light of justice on poor, incarcerated Earl Hickey. And, um, starving African babies, suburban megastores, and the hot-button illegal immigration situation.

Free Earl Music Video

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Aw, doesn't it just make you want to link hands across America right now?

Casting Couch: Burrows Makes It "Legal," While Rapaport Bunks With "Earl"

A quick post today as I am off in a few minutes (yes, bright and early!) for a Producers Guild breakfast for The Office, with executive producer Greg Daniels and producer Kent Zbornak talking about how they transformed this unlikely hit into a network defining comedy. (I can't wait, though I do have to get packed for Comic-Con before long!)

Putting that aside for now, let's turn our attention to some casting notices buzzing about town.

Saffron Burrows has been upgraded to series regular on ABC's legal drama Boston Legal. She'll play Lorraine Weller, a sexy litigator (is there any other kind on television?) and former lover of Alan Shore (James Spader). Suffice it to say that things are more or less unresolved between them.

Burrows, who was originally hired to do a multi-episode arc on the series, was upped to regular status three weeks into production on Boston Legal's fourth season. She is best known for her feature work in such films as Circle of Friends, Wing Commander, Deep Blue Sea, and Troy.

In other casting news, Michael Rapaport has joined the cast of NBC's My Name is Earl as a recurring cast member. Rapaport recently signed a development deal with studio 20th Century Fox Television, under which they will develop a project for the actor for the 2008-09 season.

Rapaport recently starred in 20th Century Fox Television's pilot The Stumps of Hollywood (formerly known as Fugly) for CBS, which was created by Greg Garcia, who just happens to also be the creator of My Name is Earl.

Rapaport will recur on My Name is Earl in a role created for him by Garcia; he'll play a convict in the prison where Earl is incarcerated as the series' third season begins.

His last series work was on FOX comedy The War at Home, which (thankfully) will not be returning next season...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The King of Queens/The King of Queens (CBS); Most Outrageous Moments (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); The Next Best Thing: Who is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX; 8-9:30 pm)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Last Comic Standing (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); American Inventor (ABC; 9-11 pm); Don't Forget the Lyrics (FOX; 9:30-10 pm)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Dateline (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

10 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.

On tonight's episode of Top Chef ("Watch What Happens"), it's a reunion as Bravo maven Andy Cohen sits down with past and present contestants of Top Chef in an attempt to stretch out this season. Yawn.

CBS Gets Its Own "Fugly" Betty, "Lovespring" Runs Dry for Lifetime

My Name is... Fugly?

Well, maybe not. But CBS has just ordered a pilot of an old script called Fugly from Greg Garcia, creator of NBC's My Name is Earl. Said project was originally written by Garcia for Fox way back in the 2004-05 season as a potential star vehicle for Pamela Anderson (who had a talent deal at Fox during that time and ended up on comedy series Stacked instead).

The comedy will center on three rather ugly sisters in North Carolina who decide to pool their inheritance money to purchase an extreme makeover for one of the sisters (I assume that originally this would have been Pam Anderson's role). Afterwards, they move to Los Angeles with stars in their eyes, hoping to start a new life (and earn back that cash) from the beautiful sister's new looks.

Garcia will exec produce Fugly's pilot in March, after the second season of My Name is Earl wraps production, in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Unlike Earl, Fugly will be a multi-camera comedy, with some single-cam elements, rather like CBS' How I Met Your Mother (which, coincidentally is another 20th show on CBS).

In other news, Lifetime has ordered 13 episodes of drama Army Wives, starring Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell, about women living in a military base, with an eye towards a March premiere date.

Cabler also has pilots State of Mind (starring Lili Taylor and Lolita Davidovitch), Marisa Coughlin-led drama Side Order of Life, and legal drama Conspiracy under consideration for next year.

What's not under consideration at Lifetime are freshman series Lovespring International and Angela's Eyes, which the cable network has opted to not renew for second seasons. Both series debuted this summer.

According to Lifetime topper Susanne Daniels, the decision was motivated by the fact that Lovespring was difficult to promote as a cable on comedy (airing at 11 pm on Mondays with no series lead-in probably didn't help) and that Angela's Eyes would have required retooling.

NBC Revamps Thursday Nights with Single-Camera Comedy Block

I can't even tell you how thrilled I was yesterday to learn that NBC was going to revamp its Thursday night lineup, mere days after the Peacock announced that it was effectively going to destroy its 8 pm timeslot by filling it with cheap-to-produce reality fare like Deal or No Deal.

Fortunately, Kevin Reilly didn't budge on keeping single-cam comedies My Name is Earl and The Office right where they are and shifting Tina Fey's 30 Rock to Thursdays and (finally!) bringing Scrubs back the schedule. Combined, these four series display the possibilities of the single camera format and I've been pleading with the networks to combine them into one single night of fantastic comedic TV.

While CBS has its Monday night comedy lineup and CW its urban-themed laughers on the same night, there hasn't been one-stop shopping for single cam mirth until now. Sadly, I've been calling for this arrangement since the days of the dearly departed Arrested Development, but I'll take what I can get. It's a risky proposition going smack against Grey's Anatomy in the 9 pm hour, but it's also somewhat heartening to see struggling NBC willing to take a risk and try to resuscitate Must-See-TV Thursdays with an all comedy lineup. And it's only fitting that in 2006 those comedies would be of the single-cam variety.

The newly revamped lineup is scheduled to launch on November 30th (which can't come quickly enough) and will consist of:

8 pm: My Name is Earl.

8:30 pm: The Office.

9 pm: Scrubs.

9:30 pm: 30 Rock.

I am surprised that NBC would wait until then to launch the new Thursday schedule. But then again, they might want to launch it after November sweeps has ended, giving them a little bit more of a comfort zone to take a chance (and not go up against a sweeps-powered Grey's in the first week of November). No mention was given to struggling sitcom 20 Good Years, so it's safe to assume it's off the schedule come the end of November.

Additionally, prior to the revamp, My Name is Earl, The Office, and 30 Rock will present super-sized 40-minute episodes on November 16th in a two-hour block. (NBC did something similar last season with Earl, The Office, and Will & Grace.) Look for the Peacock to use this scheme once more before the end of the calendar year.

As for me, I'm just happy that I now have a two-hour block of funny on Thursdays and that it's actually comprised of shows that I love to watch. Imagine that: NBC actually making viewers happy for once!

My Name is... a Friend of "Earl"

You know those amusing vanity cards at the end of each episode of My Name is Earl? The ones that depict friends of the series' creator Greg Garcia? Well, that could very well be you looking ridiculous in that sombrero.

According to Variety, NBC and 20 Century Fox Television have pacted with MySpace to select photos of the social networking site's uses to appear in the vanity cards at the end of the first three episodes of Earl next season.

MySpace users can get into the competition by submitting their pics to a special My Name is Earl profile page until September 5th. Five specially selected photos will run each week on the page before the show's creators randomly select three winners' pics to appear under a banner reading, "Friends of Earl," on the episodes slated to air September 21st, September 28th, and October 5th.

So, if you're into this kind of thing or want your mug plastered on a production vanity card, enter now...

My Name is Earl: The Comic Book?

With Comic Con just around the corner, expect a lot of announcements surrounding some familiar television, feature, and comic book properties. (I'll be there on Saturday, so if you see someone wandering around aimlessly, with a press pass, that's me.)

One such announcement is that the adventures of Earl Hickey and the entire Camden County gang will be translated from the small screen to a new licensed comic book property, to be published this winter by Oni Press. Like the NBC series, My Name is Earl (the comic) will follow the story of Earl Hickey, a reformed criminal who sets out to right the wrongs he committed in his life of petty crime in order to gain karmic redemption, after hearing Carlson Daly mention the term. Along for the ride is My Name is Earl staffer Hunter Covington.

According to Oni publisher Joe Nozemack, “When we first started talking to Fox about doing EARL comics, Hunter is one of the first names that came up. Hunter is the script coordinator for the show, a big comics fan, and the writer of one of my favorite EARL episodes, ‘The Bounty Hunter.’ With a resume like that, I knew we had to get him involved in our new adventures of Earl and the gang.”

Apparently, Covington won't be the only writer working on the new Earl comic series and will "be joined by a bevy of comic creators in making the full color adventures of Earl to the comic page."

Further details are scheduled to be revealed at the Oni Press panel at Comic Con in San Diego on Saturday morning. Stay tuned.

"Lost" Walt Found in Camden County

You can call off the search party, Michael. Missing Lost castaway Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) has been found... in Camden County. Well, not quite. But phenom Malcolm David Kelley did show up last night on a new episode of Thursday night favorite My Name is Earl, in an inspired bit of guest casting. (Whoever does the casting for Earl deserves a medal... or at the very least a commendation from the viewing public; the guest shots never seem gratuitous--cough, cough, Will & Grace, cough, cough--or forced.)

In last night's episode ("Boogeyman"), Kelley played Alvie, a rich kid terrified of the dark. Back in his thieving days, Earl traumatized him by hiding under his bed while trying to rob his house, an act Alvie has never recovered from. And this being Earl, there's a twist: Earl first makes it up to Alvie by being his personal slave for a day but ends up liking the kid and talks with him each night. Slowly, Alvie begins to be afraid less and less as they keep dimming the lights, until finally he falls asleep in the dark. End of story, right? Nope. Alvie, thinking that his father doesn't care for him now that he remarried and has two more sons, runs away from home and wants to live with Earl. And when Earl tries calling Alvie's dad to explain, there's a bit of confusion and everyone thinks Earl has kidnapped Alvie, which leads to a tense standoff with the police... and ultimately a tearful reunion for father and son.

It was wonderful to see Kelley, usually so tough and fearless as Walt on Lost, seem vulnerable and scared. This child actor is so natural, his talent so effortless, that he is a joy to watch in any role. Someone needs to give this kid his own show, stat.

Or at the very least, have Malcolm David Kelley (and Walt) make his way back to a certain haunted island in the middle of nowhere.

A Pearl of an "Earl" (and "The Office" Too!)

It's been said that great comedy comes from tragedy... or if not tragedy, then genuine emotion. I just had to write a few words about last night's super-duo of comedy goodness, My Name is Earl and The Office. As readers will remember, my thoughts on the respective series' previous episodes were overwhelmingly negative, but last night's episodes--both jam-packed with heart--restored my love for both shows.

On last night's episode of My Name is Earl ("Dad's Car"), Earl tries to repair his factured relationship with his estranged father (Beau Bridges) by returning the old Mustang that he had claimed to have driven into a lake at age eleven (he actually lost it in a drag race), but learns that the car was intended for him on his sixteenth birthday. Meanwhile, Joy sends Darnell and the kids away for a week so she can get drunk (it's her Mother's Day present to herself) but discovers that she misses them and the feelings she gets from being a mom. Retrieving the old Mustang from guest star Timothy Olyphant, Earl (whom we learn was supposed to be named Carl, except his dad accidentally added an extra loop on the "C" on his birth certificate) and his dad rebuild it together and actually enjoy spending time together. And, as Earl realizes that he cheated himself out of a relationship with his dad, he gets to cross himself off his list.

Meanwhile, on The Office ("Take Your Daughter to Work Day"), everyone reacts differently to the presence of Dunder Mifflin employee's children in the office, in a fantastic episode written by Mindy Kaling (she plays Kelly to boot). While Kelly dreams of getting married and having lots of kids very soon (to Ryan of course) and Angela avoids all contact with the kids, Pam's goal is to make just one kid like her by the end of the day (she succeeds, naturally). Meanwhile, Michael bonds with Toby's adorable five-year-old daughter (she actually likes him!) and inadvertantly reveals part of a traumatic childhood that made him who he is today. Was anyone not on the verge of sympathetic tears when they saw a little suit-wearing ten-year-old Michael talking about how he wanted lots of kids so he wouldn't have to force anyone to be friends with him? It nearly broke my heart... and almost made me like Michael. And then the heart-wrenching moment when Pam turns to make a comment to Jim, only to realize that he's already gone (figuratively and metaphorically), reminded me of how quickly this show can spin on a dime: seguing from quirky and absurd one moment to poignant the next.

And in the end, that's where great comedy comes from: the universal moments that we all feel in our daily lives, whether humorous or heartbreaking. Both Earl and The Office succeeded last night in connecting with me on both an intellectual as well as emotional level, making me laugh and cry (though fortunately not at the same time), and ultimately reminding me why I love television in the first place.

The Joy of "Earl"

As my co-workers and friends know, there are very few things that usually bring me more joy (and yes, er, Joy too) than the one-hour single camera comedy block on NBC on Thursday nights at 9 pm. I look forward to Thursday nights with a newfound appreciation whereas before it was yet another day before Friday. But since NBC wisely shifted My Name is Earl and companion The Office to Thursday nights, it's the television highlight of my week.

Earl could have been truly a one-note joke. Meet Earl Hickey (Jason Lee): a career criminal, no-good thief, and lifelong loser. Whenever Earl does bad things, bad things happen to him. Like in the show's pilot, when he winds $100,000 on the lottery, only to get run over in a car the next moment. Recuperating in the hospital, he learns that his wife Joy (Jaime Pressly, in a career-defining role) has been having an affair with Darnell (a.k.a "Crab Man," played by Eddie Steeples, whom you might remember from those Office Max commercials) and that she is leaving him. (That Earl didn't seem to pick up on a clue to Joy's extramarital activities--namely that Earl, Jr., his youngest son, is black, is an ongoing joke.)

While Earl lays in traction, he catches the Carlson Daly Show, where Carlson talks about karma, a term which Earl is unfamiliar with. The notion of karma (simplified by Earl into meaning do bad things and bad things happen to you; do good things and good things happen to you.) soon takes on great meaning in his life. He soon begins making a list of all the bad things he has done in his very bad life and, with his dopey brother Randy (Ethan Suplee) in tow, sets out to right those wrongs.

Armed with the $100,000 lottery money, Earl and Randy move into a crummy motel, which they use as a base of operations/headquarters (though their room only has one bed in the room, which the brothers share) and which allows them to interact with sexy Latina motel maid Catalina (Nadine Velazquez), on whom Randy is nursing a serious crush. And each week, Earl attempts to cross off one more item off his list, usually with unexpected consequences.

The highlight of the season so far, besides for Joy and Darnell's wedding, was the simply genius episode entitled, "Stole P's HD Cart," which has Earl attempting to return the hot dog cart he had stolen from Pop, a beloved city icon. When Earl's former partner-in-crime Ralph (Giovani Ribisi) burns down the cart, Earl and the gang embark on one final heist to replace the cart. Using the music from "Kill Bill" alone would have made this a memorable episode, but seeing the gang pull off a jewel store "con" and their attempted office infiltration made this a repeat-viewing must. (A definite runner up to the crown is "The Professor," which guest stars Christine Taylor as a college professor who falls for Earl. But when Earl neglects to repair a bus stop he demolished, they must end their blossoming romance when karma goes on a rampage, disfiguring them both. With bees.)

But my favorite thing about show so far (besides the whip-smart writing, zany plotting, and gonzo casting) has been Jaime Pressly as Earl's conniving ex-wife Joy. A viper with frosted blonde hair and cut-offs, Joy is a rapture to watch, tossing off Southern-fried bon mots with relish. Trashy and tough, ruthless and rough, Joy is impossible to take your eyes off of. You really never know what is going to spew forth from her mouth... or who she's willing to run over for some quick cash. She's the trailer park equivalent of, say, Joan Collins on Dynasty, just with better legs and cheaper clothes.

So then, what went wrong last night?

Both Earl and The Office failed to entertain or even amuse as much as they usually do. Most everyone I know felt the same way... there was something just "off" about both. I felt this more keenly with Earl last night. Last night's episode focused on Earl attempting to atone for not paying his taxes, culminating in Earl being mistakenly arrested and thrown into solitary confinement and then trespassing on a local water tower with Randy. When both fall through the (empty) water tower's roof, the two brothers are trapped there for a number of days until the local government bands together and saves them. While the idea was a good one (though a little overly cerebral for Earl), the execution was a little lacking and seemed too filled with disparate plots (the Earl-falsely-incarcerated storyline could have been its own episode, especially with the return of Carnivale's Tim DeKay as a convict and Earl's old friend. While the episode picked up a little bit of steam in the second half (when Earl and Randy found themselves trapped in the water tower), it was Earl Lite, not the full-bodied, laugh-out-loud Earl that has been a much-needed staple of my comedy diet all season.

Any thoughts on what exactly went wrong last night?


What’s On Tonight

8 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); What I Like About You/Living with Fran (WB); America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC); 37th NAACAP Image Awards (FOX); WWE Friday Night SmackDown! (UPN)

9 pm: Close to Home (CBS); Las Vegas (NBC); Reba/Twins (WB); In Justice (ABC)

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

What I’ll Be Watching

Um, none of the above.

Instead, I’ll catch a new episode (for us Yanks anyway) of Black Books on BBC America. If you're not watching Black Books, why not? It's such a surreally funny show and Dylan Moran and Bill Bailey are simply brilliant.

My Name is... Tenacity

Speaking of hit NBC comedies like The Office, I was reading the Sunday New York Times Arts Section today when I came across this article about My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia and the battle he fought to get his show on the air.

Simply put: dude would not give up.

There's something to be said for determination in this crazy business of show... There's also something to be said for a last-place network, desperate for a hit, and a newly appointed network prez willing to take a chance on a show that everyone has passed on.

Those two things go together like chocolate and peanut butter. And thank god, because otherwise, we wouldn't have the boffo brilliance of My Name is Earl to watch each week.

Karma. I'd have to agree with Earl and paraphrase a bit: Fight hard enough for something you believe in and maybe, just maybe, you'll find someone who's willing to fight for it alongside you too.