Channel Surfing: ABC Family Cancels "Kyle XY," At Odds with Parents Television Council, Adam Baldwin, ABC Pilot News Bonanza, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. I hope everyone's now well rested from Super Bowl weekend and a slew of first-run series programming. Let's dive into the headlines.

Bad news for the belly button-less: ABC Family has canceled teen sci-fi drama Kyle XY. The cabler did however renew Greek, Lincoln Heights, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager for additional seasons and handed out ten episode orders for new series Ruby and the Rockits, Perfect 10, and 10 Things I Hate About You. (Variety)

NBC announced that it will stream both the 3D and 3D versions of tonight's episode of Chuck live at NBC.com starting at 5 am PT tomorrow. Viewers will also be able to choose between watching the 3D installment in either HD or standard definition, with or without closed caption subtitles, and stream while chatting using NBC.com's Viewing Party function. (via press release)

The New York Times profiles Chuck's Adam Baldwin, who returns to the airwaves tonight with the NBC series. “The guy does more with a grunt than most actors could do with a monologue,” said Chuck executive producer Josh Schwartz. “You totally believe him as this N.S.A. agent who’s happy to torture and kill people, but he’s also really, really funny. He gets the comedy without ever breaking character. And his preparation is astounding. Adam really relishes all these details: How does Casey sharpen his knife and fork before he eats? He’s worked all that stuff out.” (New York Times)

ABC ordered an untitled pilot from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer and writer Mark Friedman that will be directed by Danny Cannon (CSI). Project, from Warner Bros. TV and Bruckheimer TV, will follow a team of amateur crimefighters who solve crimes against unidentified victims. (It's known informally around town as The Unknown.) Also getting pilot orders late Friday: high school musical drama Limelight, from writer K.J. Steinberg (Gossip Girl), executive producer McG, director/EXP David Semel, and Warner Bros Television and Wonderland TV, about the teachers and students of an NYC performing arts college and is loosely based on the life of the Neptunes' Pharrel Williams; and Empire State, a modern day Romeo and Juliet story from executive producers Mark Gordon and Deb Spera, writer Michael Seitzman and ABC Studios, about two families--one blue-collar and the other wealthy real estate moguls--who crash into one another in a star-struck romance. (Variety)

Twilight's Jackson Rathbone has been cast in an upcoming episode of CBS' Criminal Minds, where he will play a college student on spring break who could be the target of a serial killer. Episode, to be directed by Jason Alexander, is scheduled to air in April. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

NBC has once again changed the title of Amy Poehler's new comedy, launching in April. Previously known as Public Service, the comedy--which stars Poehler, Rashida Jones, and Aziz Ansari--has undergone another name change and will now be known as Parks and Recreation.

NBC medical drama pilot Trauma will be directed by Jeff Reiner (Friday Night Lights, Caprica), in a move that removes the contingency to be lifted from the project. Also signing on to helm pilots: Simon West (Revolution) will direct FOX drama pilot Human Target; Deran Sarafian (K-Ville) will direct FOX's untitled reincarnation project (informally referred to as The Reincarnationist around town). (Hollywood Reporter)

The Los Angeles Times discusses the monstrously large set of FOX's Dollhouse, a "5,000-square-foot, two-story structure, unusually elaborate for a TV production, sits 10 stories below a Los Angeles high-rise," desgined by Stuart Blatt. (Los Angeles Times)

CBS given a series order to unscripted docusoap Arranged Marriage, from Magical Elves' Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth, the executive producers of Bravo's Top Chef. Series will follow four adults who are married off by their friends and family to a stranger and then, after they exchange vows, follow the newlyweds as they begin married life together. (Hollywood Reporter)

Parents Television Council's latest target? ABC Family's name, which the organization feels is misrepresentative of the material it airs given the word "family" in the network's name. "It's kind of a misnomer to call ABC Family a family channel," said Michelle MacNeal, the head of a local branch of PTC. "When you call something 'family,' it gives the impression that it's safe for all members of the family, even young children." (Los Angeles Times)

Nikki Finke is reporting that George Lopez may land a latenight talkshow at cabler TBS to air at either 11 or 11:30 pm. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Universal Cable Prods. has signed a two-year overall deal with writer/executive producer Steve Franks (Psych) that will keep him on as showrunner on Psych for Seasons Four and Five and a one-year first-look deal with director Jace Alexander (Burn Notice), under which Alexander will develop projects for the cable group. (Hollywood Reporter)

BET has acquired off-net rerun rights to CW's comedy The Game and will beginning airing episodes from the series' first two seasons in February. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: ABC Orders "V" Remake, "House" May Resurrect Amber, Martha Jones Back to "Who," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

ABC has ordered a pilot for a modern day remake of seminal 1980s mini-series V, to be written/executive produced by Scott Peters (The 4400). Updated V, from Warner Bros. Television, will focus on a female Homeland Security agent. Elsewhere, NBC has removed the contingency from period comedy pilot Lost in the '80s, from Sony Pictures Television and Tantamount, which will be directed by P.J. Hogan (Shopaholic). (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Doctor Who co-star Freema Agyeman will reportedly reprise her role as Martha Jones in one of the four Doctor Who specials planned for 2009, despite some rumors of bad blood between her and outbound head writer/executive producer Russell T. Davies, said to originate when she accepted a role on ITV's Law & Order: London rather than star in a new season of Torchwood. “Freema’s on board," said an unnamd source. "It’s early days so it’s unclear what exactly Martha will be up to in the new show. Whatever happens it’s good news for Freema and shows that whatever friction there was between her and Who bosses has gone.” (The Sun)

It's looking increasingly likely that 24's Day Eight will be the last for Kiefer Sutherland. "Whether Season Eight is the end or not, I don't know," said Sutherland. "I love making the show, so I'm leaving my options open. And in all fairness, I think the audience will dictate that more than anybody." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has shifted a comedy block of Samantha Who? and new series In the Motherhood to Thursday nights at 8 pm, a timeslot traditionally held by Ugly Betty, which will go on hiatus until the two series wrap their runs. Additionally, Scrubs will be paired on Wednesdays with new comedy Better Off Ted in an 8 pm timeslot. But don't count Betty out just yet; ABC said that the struggling series would have been airing repeats during that time anyway. (Variety)

Amy Poehler's untitled NBC sitcom, from executive producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, now has a title: Public Service. Series is set to launch on April 9th at 8:30 pm ET/PT. (New York Times)

More info about Scott Bakula's multiple-episode story arc on Chuck from NBC: "In the storyline, Chuck made a promise to his sister, Ellie that he was going to find their dad in time for her wedding. But when he does find him, Chuck discovers that his dad is not necessarily a guy who wants to be found. He's living in a trailer, he's disheveled, he's paranoid and he's claiming constantly that Ted Roark (guest star Chevy Chase) -- who he used to work with -- stole all his ideas from him. In addition, Ted Roark has now become a super-successful software billionaire while Chuck's dad has become an eccentric, living in the shadows." (press release)

Jon Hamm is set to appear in three episodes of 30 Rock starting next week but you can get a sneak peek at footage of him as Dr. Drew Baird on the NBC comedy right now. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Among the teams racing for the million-dollar prize on the next season of CBS' The Amazing Race: screenwriter Mike White (best known for Freaks & Geeks, Pasadena, and Chuck & Buck, among many others) and his father, a gay-rights activist and former speechwriter for Pat Robertson and Billy Graham, and a 22-year-old deaf student and his mother. (Associated Press)

Producers of FOX's House are said to be in talks with Anne Dudek about reprising her role as Amber, Wilson's, er, dead girlfriend, later this season. Just don't look for her to return as a ghost like Grey's Anatomy's Denny. "If we could figure out a way to bring her back that is not a ghost sex plot," said executive producer Katie Jacobs, "we'd be thrilled to do it and have her back." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Doug Allen has been fired as national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG in a move that also replaced the SAG negotiating committee, which is being viewed as a sign that the guild may soon sign a feature-primetime deal. "I'm sure it was a difficult decision to replace SAG's negotiators, but if the other entertainment unions can make a deal their members can live with, SAG can too," said Sally Field, who has audibly opposed Allen this past year, "and now I feel certain that will happen, quickly and productively." (Variety)

MTV has renewed The City and Daddy's Girls for second seasons as well as handed out a twenty-episode order for Teen Cribs and another batch of 28 episodes for series Made. (Variety)

Stay tuned.