Channel Surfing: Ron Moore Gets Wild, Criminal Minds Shakeup, Punk'd Returns with Justin Bieber, Big Love, Dirk Gently, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Hold on to your (ten-gallon) hats: Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Battlestar Galactica's Ronald D. Moore is said to be developing a remake of The Wild, Wild West, which ran for four seasons in the mid-1960s and starred Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. Project is still in the very early stages, which means not only is there no network attached but Moore has yet to take the project out to networks. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Chris Mundy has left CBS' midseason Criminal Minds spinoff, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and will be replaced by Ed Bernero, who will now oversee both the flagship and spinoff series as showrunner, though he'll lean a little more heavily on Simon Mirren and Erica Messer, who will gain some oversight on Criminal Minds. Mundy's departure from the series was said to be due to the studio deciding that "the spin-off needed more direction from Bernero, who helped turn Criminal Minds into a solid hit for CBS," according to Variety's Michael Schneider. (Variety)

Vulture's Josef Adalian is reporting that MTV is resurrected hidden camera prank show Punk'd, but is close to signing a deal to replace Ashton Kutcher with baby-faced pop idol Justin Bieber as the host. (Kutcher will remain the series' executive producer.) "If Kutcher's past history with Punk'd is any indication, Bieber will likely appear in a few early episodes as a participant in the pranks, then gradually revert to mostly introducing segments," writes Adalian. (Vulture)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Robert Patrick (Terminator) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on HBO's Big Love, which returns for its fifth season early next year. Patrick is set to play Bud Mayberry, described as "the leader of polygamist fringe group." The casting of Robert Patrick comes after producers have also secured the services of ex-24 co-star Gregory Itzin, who will play the Republican Leader of the Utah State Senate. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Stephen Mangan (Green Wing) has been cast as the title character in BBC Four's adaptation of Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency," where he will star opposite Darren Boyd, Helen Baxendale, and Howard Overman. Here's how Auntie is positioning the series: "Anti-hero Dirk Gently operates his eponymous detective agency based on the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Perpetually broke, hopelessly chaotic and utterly infuriating, most people suspect Dirk is nothing more than a cheap conman. And they might be right – but nevertheless his methods, though unusual, do often produce surprising results. When Dirk sets out to solve an apparently simple and harmless disappearance of a cat from an old lady's house, he unwittingly uncovers a double murder which, in turn, leads to a host of even more extraordinary events." Project is expected to air either at the end of the year or in early 2011. (BBC)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Drea de Matteo has been cast in a potentially recurring role on FOX's Running Wilde, where she will play Didi, the step-mother of Will Arnett's Steve Wilde. "Didi comes to the Wilde estate on behalf of Steve’s never-before-seen dad to rein in his monetary expenditures—on the same day Steve decides to fund Emmy’s (Keri Russell) nonprofit organization," writes Ausiello, who notes that de Matteo's episode is slated to air next month. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Was anyone still clamoring for a television version of Hitch? Well, you're getting one. FOX has given a script commitment plus penalty to an one-hour version of Will Smith's date doctor that will be written by Pete Chiarelli and executive producers Smith and James Lassiter. (Deadline)

Morgan Fairchild is set to make a return to NBC's Chuck, where she will reprise her role as Honey Woodcomb, the mother of Ryan McPartlin's Devon, as Ellie's pregnancy develops. "Mom does come back," McPartlin said on a press call. "It's funny, because Mom and Ellie have to learn how to deal with their new roles that each one is going to play as a mother and a grandmother. So that creates a bit of fun drama." Fairchild will make an appearance in the October 25th episode of Chuck, which also features Robert Englund and Linda Hamilton. (Zap2It)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Scott Cohen (Gilmore Girls) has been cast opposite Callie Thorne in USA's drama pilot Necessary Roughness, where he will play "a 'fixer' for a football franchise who works closely with Danielle" (Thorne). Elswhere, Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect) has joined the cast of CBS' Rules of Engagement as surrogate Brenda, while Joan Collins (yes, THAT Joan Collins) will appear in a November sweeps episode as the mother of David Spade's character. (Deadline)

Aquaman (Alan Ritchson) will make his return to the CW's Smallville later this season, and he's bringing a wife in the form of Mera, played by Elena Satine (Melrose Place), according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. The duo are set to turn up in the final season's ninth episode, which is directed by series lead Tom Welling. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

No Tough Trade for Epix, after all. The pay cabler has pulled the plug on its Nashville-set drama project, Tough Trade, the high-profile Lionsgate TV pilot that starred Sam Shepard, Trace Adkins, Cary Elwes, Lucas Black, and Joey Lauren Adams. "It was a combination of running out of time and dealing with distractions, and at some point we had to make a decision whether it works or it doesn't," said Epix CEO Mark Greenberg. "At the end of day, it just didn’t work." Project, from executive producers Jenji Kohan, Sean and Bryan Furst, and director Gavin Hood, may be retooled as a mini-series, while Epix maintains that it is not getting out of the original series game. (Deadline)

Krista Allen (What About Brian) is seto to guest star on an upcoming episode of the CW's Life Unexpected, where she will play "a sizzling-hot multimillionaire named—wait for it—Candy who is being courted by Emma as a client," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, and who will fall for Baze. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other Life Unexpected news, Kris Polaha has taken to E! Online's Watch with Kristin to interview with the series' Austin Basis (Math). (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that HBO is developing a single-camera comedy pilot based on Clint McCown's novel "The Member-Guest," that will be written by Steve Pink and executive produced by Kevin Bacon, who could also star in the project. Project revolves around "a burned-out golf pro of a 9-hole course who just wants one more shot at the tour" but whose "comeback is constantly sidelined as he deals with the needs of the members of the Middle-American country club who are grappling with dashed dreams of their own." (Deadline)

ABC has given a script order (plus penalty) to Awkward Family Photos, a comedy from Moses Port and David Guarascio based on the website of the same name. Elsewhere, NBC ordered family comedy script Man of the House from writer Adam Sztykiel and FOX ordered a script for cop drama Chameleon from Tom Fontana. (Variety, Deadline)

Hmmm, is FOX playing favorites with its freshman comedies? FOX is airing two back-to-back episodes of comedy Raising Hope on October 26th, that will air immediately following Glee's massively hyped Rocky Horror Picture Show homage episode. (Futon Critic)

E! has ordered ten episodes of Kourtney and Kim Take New York, which is slated to launch in January on the cabler. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Emerson/O'Quinn Pilot Targets NBC, Teri Hatcher to Smallville, Goodfellas TV Project, The Good Wife, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

It's official: that Michael Emerson/Terry O'Quinn hit man drama pilot from executive producer J.J. Abrams and writers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (Alias, Happy Town) is heading to NBC after the Peacock landed the rights to the pilot from studio Warner Bros. Television. The untitled project--which had a working title of Odd Jobs--stars former Lost adversaries Emerson and O'Quinn. Which means that your Dharma-branded fantasies of seeing John Locke and Benjamin Linus on television again might not be coming true exactly, but you may get to see these two in action side-by-side again. (Vulture)

[Editor: Meanwhile, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva has some further details about Abrams' and Elizabeth Sarnoff's Alcatraz, which landed at FOX earlier this week with a pilot order. According to unnamed sources, the project is described as "a show about mysteries, secrets and the most infamous prison of all time: Alcatraz."]

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher will fly over to the CW's Smallville (which kicks off its tenth and final season tomorrow night), where she will guest star in an upcoming episode as--wait for it--the mother of Erica Durance's Lois Lane. Hatcher, who played Lois on ABC's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman for four seasons way back when, will appear as Ella in the season's eighth episode. But don't necessarily think that she'll appear on-screen opposite Durance, given that Lois' mother is believed to be dead at this point. "In episode 8, titled 'Abandoned,' Lois discovers old videotapes of her mother," writes Ausiello. "I think you can figure the rest out for yourself. Am I right?" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Mike Fleming is reporting that several studios are in the running to land a television pilot project based on Martin Scorsese's 1990 feature film Goodfellas, which was written by Nicholas Pileggi. Pileggi is said to be on board to write the pilot and Warner Bros. Television is believed to be the top studio in the running to produce the project, given that the feature film arm released the original film. Fleming indicates that Irwin Winkler would likely be the executive producer on the project. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove will guest star on CBS' The Good Wife in a November episode where she will play Sloan, described as "a troubled pop star who is arrested on a DUI charge" and with whom "Alicia finds herself bonding with the misunderstood tabloid magnet." Cosgrove will appear in the November 16th episode. “We’re big iCarly fans, so we really couldn’t think of anyone better for this role than Miranda Cosgrove,” executive producer Robert King told Ausiello. “We were thrilled when she agreed to do it. It’ll be fun to see her handle both the comedy and drama in the role, and we can’t wait to see how she’ll play across from Julianna.” (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX is getting into business again with Fringe co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who were behind this season's Hawaii Five-0 resurrection and also landed a series commitment from the network for Locke & Key. FOX has given a pilot order to drama pilot Exit Strategy, from writer David Guggenheim, which is described by Deadline's Nellie Andreeva as "as a high octane procedural set in the world of CIA agents who are sent in to 'fix' operations gone bad." (Deadline)

FOX has also given a script order to drama The Detail, from writer/executive producer Jason Smilovic, executive producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and director Michael Dinner, from Sony Pictures Television. According to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, "it is described as Ocean’s Eleven meets Revenge of the Nerds" and "centers on a private detective, who, after being released from jail for a crime he didn’t commit, assembles a group of rejects, each with a unique talent, to form a detective agency and bring down his old business partner who framed him." (Deadline)

Elsewhere, ABC Studios signed a format deal with Mediaset for a US remake of a drama format entitled Anti-Mafia Squad, with Gina Matthews and Grant Scharbo attached as executive producers. Project is being regarded as a possible summer series for ABC, though no networks have been pitched on the idea yet. Cougar Town star Courteney Cox has been given a script order for 911 Operators, a drama pilot that she'll executive produce with husband David Arquette, which focuses on, well, 911 operators. (Variety)

Showtime has officially announced launch dates for Shameless, Episodes, and the return of Californication on Sunday, January 9th. The two new series were slated to begin the following day and air on Mondays. But Showtime has apparently changed its mind and scheduled all three series together in a single two-hour block on Sundays. Californication will kick off the night at 9 pm ET/PT, followed by Episodes, while the US adaptation of British drama Shameless will close out the night at 10 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

In other Showtime news, Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage) will guest star in three episodes of the pay cabler's upcoming period drama The Borgias, where she will play Sancia, a Neapolitan princess who marries the Pope's youngest son but has her eye on his brother. Series is set to launch in Spring 2011. (via press release)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich is reporting that Serina Swan (Smallville) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Supernatural, in which she will play "a news reporter chronicling an unsettling series of suicides." She's set to appear in the fourth episode fo the sixth season, which kicks off tomorrow night. (Fancast)

Wolfgang Petersen and Ron Shelton are said to be developing period racing drama Kings of Speed for pay cabler Starz, which is being viewed as a possible ten-hour limited series focusing on the international automobile racing circuit of the 1950s and 19960s, Enzo Ferrari, and "the underground car culture of Southern California." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: TBS Axes My Boys, John Schneider to Wisteria Lane, Top Chef: Just Desserts, Terra Nova, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

It's official: TBS has cancelled comedy My Boys after four seasons. News comes after series stars Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard had to withdraw from pilots that had been ordered to series due to their first position on the TBS comedy, whose days many suspected were already numbered. According to Variety's Jon Weisman, roughly 14 months passed between the end of the third season and the beginning of the fourth season, which kicked off in July. One cast member--Jim Gaffigan--left between the seasons. Spiro's role on Love Bites was eliminated when she was unavailable as the show under went some retooling. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that John Schneider (Smallville) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Desperate Housewives this season, where he will play the father to Brian Austin Green's Keith, the new handyman/contractor overseeing the remodeling of the home of Marcia Cross' Bree. Schneider will make his first appearance in Season Seven's seventh episode. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno has an interview with Top Chef: Just Desserts host/judge Gail Simmons about the culinary competition series launching tonight (after the season finale of Top Chef). "Pastry chefs are so precise and so exacting [that] it really does come out in their personalities," said Simmons. "And they're artists, so with that comes a lot of drama. ... I mean, there's a lot of strategy and sabotage, and what's amazing is that desserts sort of lend themselves to that because they're so delicate and so fragile that you kind of have to guard them with your life or else it all could be lost." (TVGuide.com)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice has confirmed that Stephen Lang (Avatar)--reported by Deadline to be in talks to join the cast of FOX's Terra Nova--is indeed in talks to do just that. Lang would star opposite Jason O'Mara and Allison Miller in the project, which recounts the adventures of a family from the future who travels back to prehistoric times as part of a project to save the human race. Lang would play "the merciless leader of a prehistoric settlement." Series is slated to launch in fall 2011 after a sneak peek next May. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

All is not well behind the scenes on Terra Nova, however. Executive producer David Fury--known for his work on 24 and in the Whedonverse--has exited the project, citing "creative differences." Fury had been serving as co-showrunner on the FOX project, alongside Brannon Braga, who will now become the series' sole showrunner. (Variety)

SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to Bones star Michaela Conlin about just what she and Hodgins will be bringing back from Paris when the series returns on September 23rd. "Angela's pregnant!" said Conlin. "I have to be honest, at first I was a little hesitant. To marry this wild child off and get her pregnant had me worried that this would limit her, story-wise. But I now feel, getting in to the sixth season, it's going to be interesting to see her try to fit her wild life into this maternal situation." Look for Angela's pregnancy to have a major effect on Brennan meanwhile. (TV Guide Magazine)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Rachael Taylor (Transformers) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Grey's Anatomy this season. "Taylor’s character is still being conceived—she’s not scheduled to debut until midseason—but a Grey’s insider confirms that she will be playing a (surprise!) doctor," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

MTV has ordered two scripted pilots: That Girl, a coming of age comedy about "a 15-year-old misfit who suddenly becomes the center of attention after the kids in school mistakingly believe she tried to commit suicide," from creator Lauren Iungerich; and horror comedy Death Valley, about a division of the LAPD that focuses on supernatural threats, from executive producers Austin Reading, Jilie Kellman Reading, Eric Weinberg, and Tim Healy. (Variety)

E! Online's Megan Masters has an exclusive first look at the tenth and final season of the CW's Smallville, which kicks off on September 24th. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ABC is developing an untitled drama pilot about the vice president of the United States and his female chief of staff with writers/executive producers Sheldon Turner and Shaun Cassidy attached. "The drama, which comes with a strong dose of comedy, focuses on the underdog nature of the veep's team -- call it the political equivalent of Glee," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Untitled hour is less about politics and more about office dynamics, including a budding romance between the chief of staff and the veepee's son." (Variety)

Dylan Baker, Matthew Lillard, Amy Irving, and Jennifer Grey are all set to guest star on Season Seven of FOX's House, which kicks off on Monday evening. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other FOX casting news, Jamie Hector (The Wire, Heroes) will guest star in the third season premiere of Lie to Me, where he will play a character involved in a major bank heist. (Hollywood Reporter)

TNT is said to have renewed medical drama Hawthorne for a ten-episode third season, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Official word of the pickup will apparently come today. (Deadline)

Denise Richards has been cast in Season Two of Spike's Blue Mountain State, where she will play "the coach's contentious and meddling ex-wife Debra who adds to his troubles as he must deliver a winning season." (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC Two has renewed comedy Rev, created by and starring Tom Hollander, from Simon Pegg and Nira Park's Big Talk Prods. Series revolves around an inner city priest and is set to return for a second season in Fall of 2011, while the US cable networks are said to be sniffing around a potential American remake. (Deadline)

In other UK-centric news, Comedy Central has given a pilot order to a US remake of BBC Two's Time Trumpet, created by Armando Iannucci, which offers a take on the current news from the perspective of the future. Should it be ordered to series, the format would likely launch in late 2011 or 2012. (Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy has promoted three executives: Tim Krubsack has been upped to senior VP of alternative programming, Lucia Gervino to senior VP of production, and Erika Kennair will now serve as VP of original programming and development. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Psych Has a Twin Peaks Experience, HBO Orders Apatow/Dunham Pilot, SNL, Modern Family Casts Cam's Mom, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

I'm not even a Psych fan and this made me blissfully happy. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that USA's Psych is staging a Twin Peaks-inspired episode that will also feature original cast members Sheryl Lee, Sherilyn Fenn, Dana Ashbrook, Catherine Coulson, Ray Wise, Lenny Von Dohlen, and Robyn Lively. Um, yes please. The episode, co-written by series star James Roday, will air sometime this fall and will revolve around "a quirky Northern California town that has been rocked by the death of a high school student." Sound familiar? Coulson will even play a "mysterious Woman with Wood," a tongue-in-cheek take on her Log Lady from Twin Peaks. Sign me up. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that HBO has given a pilot order to an untitled comedy written/directed by 24-year-old Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture) and executive produced by Judd Apatow and Jenni Konner. Project, which will also star Dunham, revolves around "the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of girls in their early 20's" and will feature autobiographical elements from Dunham's own life. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Parks and Recreation leading lady Amy Poehler will host the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 25th, with Katy Perry serving as musical guest. Season 36 has added four new players to the mix, including Taran Killam, Paul Brittain, Vanessa Bayer, and Jay Pharoah (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

[Editor: Will Forte, as widely reported, will not be returning to SNL this season. Jenny Slate, who made headlines for the F-bomb heard 'round the latenight world, is also "not expected to return," according to Variety's Michael Schneider.]

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Celia Weston (Desperate Housewives) has beat out Delta Burke, Dianne Wiest, and Kathy Bates (along with others) to play Barb Tucker, the mother of Emmy Award winner Eric Stonestreet's Cam, on ABC's Modern Family. Weston is expected to turn up around the holidays for a visit this season. (TV Guide Magazine)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Alan Ritchson will reprise his role as Arthur "AC" Curry on the final season of the CW's Smallville during November sweeps. "AC was last seen in season 8, when his secret identity was discovered by LuthorCorp," writes Ausiello. "I’m told the Justice Leaguer will resurface in this season’s ninth episode." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

MTV is getting back into the live daytime game with new daily countdown show The Seven, according to The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd, who reports that the show, which will launch September 27th, "presents seven stories that MTV viewers need to know, from Hollywood news, music, sex and fashion to other topics." Project, which will also feature interviews and musical performances, will be executive produced by Steve Tseckares. (Hollywood Reporter)

David Nevins has announced his first piece of development business since he took over as president of Showtime. The project in question is an adaptation of Tom Perrotta's novel "The Wishbones," which Perrotta himself will adapt for the pay cabler. Warner Bros. Television-based project, which will be executive produced by Perrotta and John Wells, revolves around a small-time wedding band with plans of rock n' roll stardom. Wells is no stranger to Showtime: his next series, a US adaptation of UK drama Shameless, is set to launch early next year on the channel. [Editor: Having seen the pilot for the US Shameless--twice, no less--and been raving about it for months since, this is one to keep an eye on.] (Variety)

Don't look for Marc Cherry to pull out the stops this sweeps on ABC's Desperate Housewives. Cherry told TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck that the soap will get back to basics this season and ditch the gimmicks. "I'm not doing another big gimmicky natural disaster this year; I'm trying something different," Cherry said. "My big cliffhanger right before we take our Christmas break will have to do with Paul Young. He has a plan for destroying the neighborhood. There will a shocking cliffhanger that effects everyone's lives, and then right before February sweeps, we're going to kill off one of our characters." (TV Guide Magazine)

HBO has acquired rights to Martin Scorsese's documentary Public Speaking, which focuses on writer Fran Lebowitz and which will air on the pay cabler in November. (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that FOX's Bones will feature an episode that's loosely inspired by dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance, as Booth and Brennan tackle a case involving street performers. Episode will feature a guest appearance from So You Think You Can Dance Season Four runner-up Stephen "tWitch" Boss, who will play a murder suspect. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has renewed culinary competition series Masterchef for a second season. (Variety)

Despite the rumors swirling that Simon Cowell will step down from the UK X-Factor in order to focus his attention on the upcoming US launch of the format, his reps have told The Hollywood Reporter that "no decision has been made." (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: NBC Dumps Parks and Rec Repeats, Smallville Return, Creative Arts Emmy Winners, Grey's Closure and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Good news for Community; bad news for Parks and Recreation. The Futon Critic is reporting that NBC has opted to forgo repeats of Season Two of Parks and Recreation for the remainder of the summer, instead using the Thursday 9:30 pm timeslot for a second round of Community repeats. [Editor: While I applaud NBC for recognizing the potential of Dan Harmon's Community, I wish it weren't at the expense of Parks and Rec, which won't even return for its third season until "midseason."] Planned repeats for August 26th and September 2nd will instead be filled by Community episodes... which means that the airwaves will be Pawnee-free until the series returns at a to-be-determined point later in the season. (Futon Critic)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that John Glover will return to the CW's Smallville to reprise his role as Lionel Luthor in a multiple-episode story arc on the tenth and final season. Glover is currently slated to appear in at least two episodes that will air in November, though it's unknown just how Lionel will be making his grand return as he was last seen plummeting to his death after being pushed out of a window by Michael Rosenbaum's Lex. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO took home 17 statues on Saturday for the Creative Arts Emmys, followed closely by ABC with 15. [Editor: Congratulations to Ryan Case, who won an Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Comedy for Modern Family. Go Ryan!] A full list of all winners can be found here. (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Izzie's story is far from being done on ABC's Grey's Anatomy and talks to executive producer Shonda Rhimes about providing closure for Alex when the series returns this fall for its seventh season. "We’re talking about it [in the writers' room] obsessively and trying to figure it out,” Rhimes told Ausiello. “We’re approaching it pretty carefully... I want how ever we deal with Alex growing up and moving on and moving past that relationship to feel authentic and not to feel like something that’s patched together.” So might Katherine Heigl be dropping by Grey's, after all? "I don't know," said Rhimes. Hmmm... (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other Grey's Anatomy-related news, Diane Farr (Rescue Me) will guest star in an episode slated to air in October, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Farr will play a patient with Huntington's Disease in the upcoming season's fourth episode. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy is not only developing a series vehicle for Kristin Chenoweth but is also looking to develop a project that would star John Stamos... and that the security on the set during Britney Spears' appearance was so tight that Murphy himself couldn't get on the set. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Murphy, meanwhile, hinted to Access Hollywood that Spears could end up making another appearance on Glee down the line. (Hollywood Reporter)

A happy ending for Bill and Sookie? Maybe not, but the actors who play them on HBO's vampire drama True Blood, Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin, have tied the knot. The couple were married in Malibu on Saturday evening. Among the attendees: Carrie Preston, Michael Emerson, and Elijah Wood. (Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to 90210 showrunner Rebecca Sinclair about her decision to bring Trevor Donovan's Teddy out of the closet this fall on the CW teen soap. "[We wanted] to play a coming out story that features a kid we already knew," Sinclair told Ausiello about why they waited to delve into this storyline until this season. "Instead of his sexuality being the first and defining characteristic, we’ve already gotten a chance to know Teddy before he explores his sexuality. Teddy’s an athlete, he’s a famous guy’s son, he’s blonde and hunky and yes, he also has a sexual orientation and that’s a huge part of his life. In a lot of ways I think that’s more interesting than Teddy is a gay athlete, a gay famous guy’s son and a blonde and hunky gay gentleman." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that former House star Jennifer Morrison--who may or may not return to the FOX medical drama--will guest star on NBC's Chase this fall, where she will appear alongside current boyfriend Amaury Nolasco. Morrison is set to make an appearance in the sixth episode of the new procedural drama, where she will play Faith, described as "a single mother-turned-fugitive who embarks on a bloody killing spree across Texas with her innocent little daughter in tow." (TV Guide Magazine)

File this under sickening: The Hollywood Reporter's Leslie Bruce is reporting that Jersey Shore's The Situation (a.k.a. Mike Sorrentino) will make $5 million by the end of the year, according to an unnamed source familiar with the reality star's personal finances. "We are really excited about all the opportunities coming Mike's way," Sorrentino's manager, Mike Petolino of Gotham Entertainment, told THR. "He has been able to secure many endorsement deals, business opportunities and additional television offers based on the success of the show. Our goal has always been to try to build a brand if the situation presented itself." (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Tia Texada (Third Watch) will guest star on NBC's Chuck this season, where she will play Hortencia, the wife of Armand Assante's Costa Gravan Premier Alejandro Goya. "We'll meet Hortencia, who (no surprise) is harboring a secret," writes Keck, "when Chuck and the gang visit the Premier's beautiful island in his native Costa Gravas." Texada will appear in the fourth season's fourth episode. (TV Guide Magazine)

Worked for NBC? Anyone and everyone who worked for the Peacock at one time or another is eligible to attend the 15th Annual NBC Reunion Dinner, which will be held at the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank on October 23rd, according to a Variety report. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "Angelina Jolie & Other Nerd Bait at Comic-Con"

San Diego Comic-Con is upon us.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can check out my latest feature, entitled "Angelina Jolie & Other Nerd Bait at Comic-Con," which rounds-up the 14 most anticipated--and thus buzzy--panels from both film and television.

Among the standouts that are sure to be action-packed this year: Salt, True Blood, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Green Lantern, The Expendables, Being Human, Red, The Walking Dead, Tron: Legacy, Thor, Let Me In, Paul, all of WBTV's many shows, and the J.J. Abrams/Joss Whedon Visionaries panel, presented by Entertainment Weekly, among others.

What are you most looking forward to and what panels do you think will live up to the hype? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Channel Surfing: Laura Vandervoort to Return to Smallville, Terra Nova Comic-Con Confusion, Nikki Finke on Tilda, Doctor Who and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

They have... returned? V star Laura Vandervoort will reprise her role as Kara on the CW's Smallville for the series' tenth and final season, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. But don't get too excited, Supergirl fans: Vandervoort is only expected to appear in one installment of the Warner Bros. Television-produced superhero drama, scheduled to air in October. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Just what is going on with FOX's Terra Nova at Comic-Con? After the official San Diego Comic-Con 2010 schedule was announced over the last few days, 20th Century Fox Television opted to pull the panel for its upcoming prehistoric/time-travel drama starring Jason O'Mara from the convention. "Since production on the Jason O’Mara starrer isn’t expected to start until September, the producers don’t have any footage to show the fans in San Diego," writes Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice. "Plus, the writers don’t want to reveal too much about the high-concept series, which Fury promises will have an 'ongoing mythology.'" [Editor: I get that there is no footage but that was always going to be the case and no one expected a screening of the pilot or, indeed, anything.] “There are a lot of surprises, a lot of reveals that come out throughout the course of season,” Fury told Entertainment Weekly. “If we talk about the more interesting aspects of the show now, we’re afraid we’ll ruin the surprise for the audience. In this case, everything is moving along steadily, the script has been well-received. We just don’t have anything to wow anyone with. It’s still in the preliminary stage, It’s a huge undertaking." Complicating things further is the fact that the panel appears to be back on the schedule, leading several to wonder whether 20th balked at the bad publicity such a move would engender among the fanbase... or it's just an error on the Comic-Con lineup. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider, Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Deadline's Nikki Finke has offered her "first and last statement" about HBO's comedy pilot Tilda, which revolves around a Finke-like blogger who has Hollywood trembling. Writing on her own site, Finke attempted to set the record straight about her involvement with the Diane Keaton-led project, offering the following statement after closing an agreement between herself, MMC, and Watski Prods:

"I had no prior knowledge that this show was being created or put into development. I have never written about the show. I have never encouraged Deadline.com journalists to write about the show. I had no prior agreement with HBO or anyone regarding the show. I had no creative or consulting involvement with the show... I still have no creative or consulting involvement with the show nor wanted any. I still won't write about the show. And Deadline.com journalists can still write whatever they want about the show. As for all of you who've asked for a quote from me about Tilda, here it is: 'It should have been called Toldja!' (Deadline)

Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat has joined Twitter, where he has begun to tease details about the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special. "Oh, he's back behind the bow tie - and better than ever," wrote Moffat about Matt Smith returning to the set. (via Digital Spy)

Looks like Larry King's successor at CNN will be Piers Morgan, after all. The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd writes that Morgan is thisclose to a deal that would see him take over Larry King's timeslot on the 24-hour news cabler. "Sources caution that Morgan is still under contract and that CNN may be unable to directly negotiate with the TV personality directly," writes Hibberd. "But if a deal could be struck between CNN and NBC, that allows Morgan to take over the position. Sources say the proposed deal allows for Morgan to remain as a judge on [America's] Got Talent, with the CNN talk show in second position for his schedule." (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Josh Stewart (Dirt) has been cast in ABC's upcoming family superhero drama No Ordinary Family in a recurring capacity as the mentor for Michael Chiklis' character. Series launches September 28th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC Two's reality series The Restaurant, which aired Stateside on BBC America as Last Restaurant Standing, will not be returning for a fourth season, according to the BBC. "The time is right for The Restaurant to close its doors after three successful series." Raymond Blanc is said to be in talks with Auntie about a new season of Kitchen Secrets and other potential projects. (BBC)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting several series are looking for new characters, including FOX's Glee, which is going to add a jock named Sam to the mix (who *could* be a potential love interest for Kurt), Starz's Torchwood is looking to add a series regular and two recurring characters, including the following: "Rex Matheson is a white, twenty-something CIA agent who sounds sort of like... [FX's] animated Archer spy: a fearless, cocky thrill seeker. Recurring characters include Esther Katusi, a newbie Watch Analyst in the CIA who is deeply (and secretly) in love with Rex. And Oswald Jones is the dangerous psychotic villain. He's a forty-something murderer and pedophile who gets sprung from the slammer into the spotlight." (TV Guide Magazine)

Fox Television Studios has signed a rare overall deal with White Collar creator Jeff Eastin which will keep him aboard White Collar and allow for future development of new projects for the studio. (Deal is similar to that held between FTVS and Burn Notice creator Matt Nix.) "Once the dust settles, I'll dig out the ideas book and see if something else lends itself to a TV show," Eastin told Variety. "It's about finding something else I'm passionate about. I appreciate Fox TV Studios for having faith in me to make a deal. Especially as they're few and far between these days." (Variety)

MTV is shoring up the writing staff for the upcoming US adaptation of UK teen drama Skins, hiring Mark Hammer, Matt Pelfrey, and Monica Padrick, who will join the writing staff of the series, expected to launch early next year. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Studios has signed a one-year overall deal with Ghost Whisperer executive producers Kim Moses and Ian Sander. The duo currently have to supernatural-themed projects in development at ABC, including reality series Ghost Town and drama Ghost World, from writer Dana Stevens, about "a ghost on the other side who helps an ambitious young female homicide detective solve crimes in the hopes of uncovering clues to his own life and death and centers on the mysterious, intense and sometimes infuriating connection the two feel toward each other." (Deadline)

Maxine Peake (Criminal Justice), Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks), Natalie Dormer (The Tudors), Tom Hughes (Sex, Drugs And Rock And Roll) and Neil Stuke (Reggie Perrin) have been cast in legal drama series Silk, from writer Peter Moffat (Criminal Justice), which will revolve around "lives, loves and hard cases facing barristers on the front line of criminal law." (Silk, of course, referring to the robes worn by Queen's Counsel members, the highest-level barristers in the UK.) "Bafta-winning writer Peter Moffat marks his return to BBC One with a brilliant new legal drama series, which takes a modern look at the genre," said BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning Ben Stephenson. "Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones lead an incredible cast and star as ambitious barristers competing for much coveted Silk." (BBC)

VH1 has ordered eight episodes of an untitled docusoap that will follow Mario Lopez and his girlfriend Courtney Mazza as they await the birth of their child. Project, executive produced by Cris Abrego, Mark Schulman, Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly, and Lopez, is expected to launch this fall. (Hollywood Reporter)

Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) has been cast as the lead of an upcoming Lifetime telepic Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story, in which she'll play a woman who underwent a daring rescue mission to locate and free her seven-year-old son Kobe, who was seized by her ex-husband during a custody battle and taken to South Korea. (Deadline)

From weird to weirder: former Monkees star Mickey Dolenz has signed on to star opposite Debbie Gibson and Tiffany in Syfy's upcoming telepic Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. [Editor: I did warn you it would be weird.] (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010: WBTV Announces Full Programming Slate

Warner Bros. Television today announced their full programming slate for San Diego Comic-Con 2010, taking place in just a few weeks now.

Among the offerings, Warner Bros. Television will host panels for The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, Fringe, Human Target, Nikita, Smallville, Supernatural, V (which I'll be moderating, in fact), The Vampire Diaries, Children's Hospital, Unnatural History, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, MAD, and Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated. (Whew.)

I can also now officially announce that the V panel I'll be moderating--which will feature Elizabeth Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Laura Vandervoort, Charles Mesure, Morena Baccarin, Scott Wolf and executive producers Scott Rosenbaum and Steve Pearlman--will be taking place Saturday from 2:30-3:15 pm in Ballroom 20. (Hope to see you there!)

Earlier that day, be sure to stop by Ballroom 20 at 10 am for the Chuck panel, which will feature Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak, Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, Sarah Lancaster, and Adam Baldwin.

The full Warner Bros. Television Comic-Con 2010 lineup can be found below, along with panel descriptions and times/locations as well as talent participants.

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP MAKES COMIC-CON 2010 ITS
BIGGEST EVER, HEADING FOR SAN DIEGO WITH A
STUDIO-RECORD 14 SERIES

Stars and Producers of “The Big Bang Theory,” “Chuck,” “Fringe,”
“Human Target,” “Nikita,” “Smallville,” “Supernatural,” “V,”
“The Vampire Diaries,” “Childrens Hospital,” “Unnatural History,”
“Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” “MAD” and
“Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated” to Appear

Warner Bros. Entertainment’s Nearly 3,000-Square-Foot Booth to
Host Signings, Video Game Demos, Numerous Giveaways and
More During the Convention
BURBANK, Calif. (June 29, 2010) – Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) is returning to Comic-Con International: San Diego in unprecedented fashion in 2010. A star-studded lineup of performers, producers and other members of the creative teams of a record 14 series from Warner Bros. Television, Warner Horizon Television and Warner Bros. Animation will be on-hand for panel sessions, screenings, media appearances and autograph signings. This will mark the largest contingent of talent from WBTVG ever assembled for the world’s leading pop culture convention. (In 2009, WBTVG featured 12 television series at Comic-Con.)

For continuing info on the Studio’s plans at Comic-Con, please follow us on Twitter @TheWBdotcom, hashtag #WBSDCC. For the second year in a row, WBTVG will also produce a Con-related online destination at www.thewb.com/comiccon, launching in mid-July. For a complete social media contact list, including official Facebook pages and Twitter feeds for WBTVG series, talent and producers, download the social media contacts page here: www.thewb.com/comiccon/2010WBTVGSocialMediaContacts

Series stars and creative teams scheduled to attend include:

“The Big Bang Theory”: Stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar join creators/executive producers Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for a session moderated by Wil Wheaton

“Chuck”: Stars Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky, with Sarah Lancaster and Adam Baldwin join creators/executive producers Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak

“Fringe”: Stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown and Jasika Nicole join executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman

“Human Target”: Stars Mark Valley, Chi McBride and Jackie Earle Haley join executive producer Matthew Miller

“Nikita”: Stars Maggie Q (“Mission: Impossible III”), Shane West (“ER”) and Lyndsy Fonseca (“Kick-Ass”) join executive producer Craig Silverstein (“Bones”)

“Smallville”: Series stars to be announced join executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson

“Supernatural”: Series stars to be announced join executive producers Sera Gamble and Ben Edlund, and creator/executive producer Eric Kripke

“V”: Stars Elizabeth Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Laura Vandervoort, Charles Mesure, with Morena Baccarin and Scott Wolf join executive producers Scott Rosenbaum and Steve Pearlman

“The Vampire Diaries”: Stars Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Michael Trevino and Matt Davis join executive producers/writers Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec

“Childrens Hospital”: Creator/executive producer/star Rob Corddry (“Hot Tub Time Machine,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”) and executive producer Jon Stern (“The Ten,” “Scotland, PA”) join series stars Lake Bell (“How to Make It in America”), Erinn Hayes (“Parenthood,” “Worst Week”) and Rob Huebel (“Human Giant”). A website for the series will go live July 6 here: www.adultswim.com/shows/childrenshospital

“Unnatural History”: Stars Kevin G. Schmidt (“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel”), Jordan Gavaris (“Degrassi: The Next Generation”), Italia Ricci (“Greek”) and Martin Donovan (“Weeds”) join creator/executive producer Mike Werb

“Batman: The Brave and the Bold”: Voice of Batman Diedrich Bader joins executive producer Sam Register, producers James Tucker and Michael Jelenic, and voice director Andrea Romano

“MAD”: New “MAD” animated television series producer/story editor Kevin Shinick (“Robot Chicken”) and Warner Bros. Animation executive Peter Girardi join MAD Magazine editor John Ficarra, art director Sam Viviano, legendary artist Sergio Aragones and contemporary artist Tom Richmond

“Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated”: Supervising producers Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone join producer Mitch Watson and art director Dan Krall

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP
CONFIRMED COMIC-CON 2010
PANEL DESCRIPTIONS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010

6:00–9:00 p.m. Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings – Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television are proud to continue the tradition of presenting exclusive screenings of some of the most buzzed-about new television series of the upcoming season. For Comic-Con 2010, WBTV will offer multiple screenings of the premiere episode of the highly anticipated action hour Nikita, along with additional special video presentations. Ballroom 20

In the sexy and suspenseful series starring international action star Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III) in the title role, Nikita has gone rogue. Division is an ultra-secret government agency whose operatives are recruited young people with severed ties to family, friends and society and who are trained to be invisible assassins. No one ever leaves Division – except the charming and deadly Nikita, who has managed to escape, making it her mission to undermine the now-corrupt organization. A force to be reckoned with, the rogue Nikita taunts Division, staying on their radar, but always one step ahead. Yet as determined as Nikita is to bring down her former agency, there are those just as determined to stop her, including Division's newest recruit Alex, a beautiful young woman who seems destined to replace Nikita as their next top operative.

In addition to Maggie Q, Nikita stars Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass), Shane West (ER), Aaron Stanford (X2: X-Men United), with Melinda Clarke (The O.C.) and Xander Berkeley (24). The executive producers are Craig Silverstein (Bones), Danny Cannon (the CSI series), McG (Supernatural) and Peter Johnson (Supernatural). From Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Nikita will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. Become a fan of the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nikita.


THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2010

5:00–6:00 p.m. Childrens Hospital Screening and Q&A – Check out the Childrens Hospital panel and hear from the show’s creative team led by Rob Corddry (Hot Tub Time Machine, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and Jon Stern (producer of The Ten and Scotland, PA). They will be joined by members of their ensemble cast of comedic heavyweights, including Lake Bell (How to Make It in America, It’s Complicated), Erinn Hayes (Parenthood, Worst Week) and Rob Huebel (I Love You Man, Human Giant). Childrens Hospital explores the emotional struggles and sexual politics of a group of doctors charged with healthy libidos. Their dedication to their personal lives is relentless, interrupted only by the occasional need to treat sick children. Room 25ABC

FRIDAY, JULY 23, 2010

10:30–11:30 a.m. Batman: The Brave and the Bold Screening and Q&A – The Caped Crusader swings back into San Diego as Batman: The Brave and the Bold returns to Comic-Con for its third consecutive year with an advance screening of an upcoming episode, as well as a lively discussion with voice of Batman Diedrich Bader (Surf's Up), executive producer Sam Register (Teen Titans), producers James Tucker (Justice League Unlimited) and Michael Jelenic (The Batman), and voice director Andrea Romano (Superman Doomsday). As a special bonus for fans, the panel will also screen the world-premiere trailer for the upcoming and highly anticipated Cartoon Network/Warner Bros. Animation series Young Justice. Don’t miss this Comic-Con exclusive. From Warner Bros. Animation, Batman: The Brave and the Bold airs Fridays at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold – Season 1, Part 1 will be released on DVD August 17. Become a fan of the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/batmanbraveandbold. Room 6A

12:45–1:45 p.m. The Big Bang Theory Screening and Q&A – It’s “Anything Can Happen Friday” at Comic-Con as The Big Bang Theory – which kicks off a new night of comedy on Thursdays for CBS this fall – returns to San Diego with a special screening and a Q&A featuring the show’s creators and stars. Resident Big Bang alum Wil Wheaton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) will moderate a lively discussion featuring executive producers Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady (Dharma & Greg), as well as series stars Johnny Galecki (Roseanne), Jim Parsons (Garden State), Kaley Cuoco (Charmed), Simon Helberg (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) and Kunal Nayyar (NCIS). From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory will air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT this fall on the CBS Television Network, and The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Third Season will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD on September 14. Become a fan of the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheBigBangTheory and follow The Big Bang Theory on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BigBang_CBS. Ballroom 20

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010

10:00–10:45 a.m. Chuck Screening and Q&A – Chuck returns to Comic-Con! Join executive producers and co-creators Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl) and Chris Fedak, along with series stars Zachary Levi (Alvin and the Chipmunks), Yvonne Strahovski (upcoming The Killer Elite), Joshua Gomez (Without a Trace), Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence (The Pursuit of Happyness), Vik Sahay (Good Will Hunting), Scott Krinsky (The O.C.) with Sarah Lancaster (upcoming The Good Doctor) and Adam Baldwin (Serenity) for their usual hijinks – a Q&A to discuss the upcoming season four (made possible by the devoted fanbase) and a special video presentation. Produced by Fake Empire, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Chuck airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, and Chuck: The Complete Third Season will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD on September 7. Become a fan of Chuck on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chuck and follow the show on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nbcchuck. Ballroom 20

10:00–11:00 a.m. Mad About MAD! – MAD Magazine has established itself as the original and most imitated and influential satirical publication across generations. This fall, MAD returns to TV screens with MAD, a new show for the next generation! Come join MAD Magazine editor John Ficarra, MAD art director Sam Viviano, legendary MAD artist Sergio Aragones, contemporary MAD artist Tom Richmond, MAD story editor/producer Kevin Shinick and the panel’s host, Peter Girardi (Senior Vice President, Series & Alternative Animation, at Warner Bros. Animation, the producers of the upcoming MAD animated television program), for a light-hearted look at the future of an American institution. Room 7AB

2:30–3:15 p.m. V Screening and Q&A – The cast and creative team behind this thrilling drama series about the world’s first alien encounter make their return to Comic-Con. V series stars Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), Morris Chestnut (Boyz n the Hood), Joel Gretsch (The 4400), Logan Huffman (America), Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), Charles Mesure (Xena: Warrior Princess) with Morena Baccarin (Firefly) and Scott Wolf (Go) will join executive producers Scott Rosenbaum (Chuck, The Shield) and Steve Pearlman (Related) for a Q&A session with fans and to screen a special highlight reel from the show’s first season. From HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television, V will return midseason on ABC, and V: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD this fall. Become a fan of V on Facebook at www.facebook.com/V and follow the show on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VonABC. Ballroom 20

3:15–4:00 p.m. Fringe Screening and Q&A – Fringe returns to Comic-Con as Lance Reddick and Blair Brown make their first appearance at the convention, joining fellow series stars Anna Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble and Jasika Nicole, and executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Join the discussion of this critically acclaimed thriller, which explores the ever-blurring line between science fiction and reality, where hybrid monsters tear through sewers, thieves walk through walls and portals open to worlds unknown. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX, and Fringe: The Complete Second Season will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD on September 14. Become a fan of Fringe on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Fringe and follow the show on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FRINGEonFOX. Ballroom 20

4:15–5:00 p.m. The Vampire Diaries Screening and Q&A – The cast and creative team behind The Vampire Diaries return to take a bite out of Comic-Con! Series stars Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Roll Bounce), Ian Somerhalder (Lost), Michael Trevino (Cane) and Matt Davis (Blue Crush) join executive producers/writers Kevin Williamson (Scream) and Julie Plec (Kyle XY) to show fans a fang-tastic season one highlight reel, followed by a Q&A session. This edgy, romantic drama quickly became the number one series on The CW in its first season. The Vampire Diaries director/co-executive producer Marcos Siega (Dexter) will moderate the panel. From Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, The Vampire Diaries will return for its second season this fall, airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, and The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD August 31. Become a fan of The Vampire Diaries on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thevampirediaries and follow the show on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CW_VampDiaries. Ballroom 20

5:15–6:15 p.m. Nikita Pilot Screening and Q&A – Comic-Con has gone rogue! International action star Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible III) stars in this sexy and suspenseful series as an agent who has escaped from the ultra-secretive and corrupt government agency that trained her to be an assassin … and then betrayed her. Come catch a sneak peek screening of this action-packed thriller, and join Maggie, series stars Shane West (ER) and Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass), and executive producer Craig Silverstein (Bones) for an inside look at one of the most anticipated new shows of the fall season. From Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Nikita will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. Become a fan of the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nikita. Room 6BCF

6:15–7 p.m. Human Target Screening and Q&A – Based upon the popular DC Comics title, Human Target is an action-packed thrill ride about a mysterious private contractor who will stop at nothing to keep his clients alive – even if it means literally becoming a “human target.” The series moves to a new night – Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX – this fall, and executive producer Matthew Miller (Chuck) will join series stars Mark Valley (Fringe), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies) and Jackie Earle Haley (A Nightmare on Elm Street) for a Q&A with fans and to screen a special video presentation. Human Target is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Television. Human Target: The Complete First Season will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD September 21. Become a fan of Human Target on Facebook at www.facebook.com/humantarget and follow the show on Twitter at www.twitter.com/HumanTargetFOX. Room 6BCF

SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2010

10:00–11:00 a.m. Smallville Screening and Q&A – Comic-Con favorite Smallville returns for its last visit to Comic-Con in advance of the show’s 10th and final season. Series stars to be announced join executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson to talk about the year ahead, answer fan questions and give an exclusive sneak peek at clips from the final season. From Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink in association with Warner Bros. Television, Smallville airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD on September 7. Become a fan of the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smallville. Ballroom 20

11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Supernatural Screening and Q&A – Join Supernatural cast members to be announced, executive producers Sera Gamble (Eyes) and Ben Edlund (Angel), and creator/executive producer Eric Kripke (Boogeyman) for an exclusive sneak peek at footage from the highly anticipated sixth season of this thrill-ride series, which moves to a new day – Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW – this fall. The panel will answer questions from the audience and also show a portion of the special features from the upcoming Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season DVD and Blu-ray™ release, in stores September 7. Supernatural is produced by Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television. Become a fan of the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Supernatural and follow Supernatural on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CW_Supernatural. Ballroom 20

1:00–2:00 p.m. Unnatural History Episode Screening and Q&A – Join the adventure! Cartoon Network’s first live-action mystery series, Unnatural History, journeys to San Diego for its Comic-Con debut. Unnatural History chronicles the adventures of Henry Griffin, a teenager with extraordinary skills acquired while traveling the world with his anthropologist parents. His unique abilities come in handy when he moves to Washington D.C. – and begins exploring the mysteries of a charter high school within the National Museum Complex. Fans will be treated to a premiere screening of a never-before-seen episode, as well as a Q&A with series stars Kevin G. Schmidt (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel), Jordan Gavaris (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Italia Ricci (Greek) and Martin Donovan (Weeds) as well as creator/executive producer Mike Werb (The Mask, Face/Off). From Warner Horizon Television, Unnatural History airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. Become a fan of the show at www.facebook.com/UnnaturalHistory. Room 6BCF

2:15–3:15 p.m. Scooby-Doo Screening and Q&A – Those meddling teens are at it again! Find out what Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma and, of course, Scooby-Doo are up to with a sneak peek at upcoming titles from this beloved family franchise. Join supervising producers Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone (both Duck Dodgers), producer Mitch Watson (Ben 10: Race Against Time) and art director Dan Krall (Coraline) as they screen a never-before-seen episode of the new Cartoon Network/Warner Bros. Animation series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (airing Mondays at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network) and take fan questions. Additionally, they will unveil the trailer to Warner Home Video’s upcoming all-new original animated movie Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare (release date: September 14) and will provide fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s forthcoming Scooby-Doo! and the Spooky Swamp videogame, coming September 14. Panel attendees will be served a full course of all things Scooby-Doo, as they will also hear about additional upcoming Scooby-related projects from Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. Room 6BCF

Channel Surfing: NBC Goes Undercovers, Lost Leaked Finale Pages, Evangeline Lilly on Kate, Katee Sackhoff Talks 24, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

NBC has given a series order to spy dramedy Undercovers, from executive producers J.J. Abrams and Josh Reims, the first series pickup for the 2010-11 season. Series, which revolves around the exploits of a married couple who both work in espionage, stars Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Carter MacIntyre, Gerald McRaney, and Ben Schwartz. “Having J.J. on our creative team is a great reason for celebration,” said Angela Bromstad, President, Primetime Entertainment, NBC and Universal Media Studios, in a statement. “In Undercovers, J.J. and Josh have found a breakout couple that is rich in character and brimming with romance and action. We feel he’s found the perfect cast.” (Televisionary)

MEGA-SPOILER! I won't be clicking over to read these (and would ask that you not discuss them in any specific detail here) but Italian blog Macchianera has obtained six script pages from the Lost series finale, scheduled to air May 23rd on ABC. While neither ABC nor executive producers Damon Lindelof or Carlton Cuse have commented on their provenance, it's believed by many that the pages are authentic and they are ridden with spoilers for plot twists between now and the season finale. [Editor: again, WARNING, don't click if you don't want to be spoiled! I also have to wonder why no one in Lost's production thought to individually watermark these pages.] (Macchianera via The Onion's A.V. Club)

Vulture's Mike Ryan, meanwhile, talks to Lost star Evangeline Lilly about the imminent end of the mind-bending drama series. Among the many questions posed to Lilly, one was regarding whether the actress had wished she could rewrite a scene that had featured Kate. "There is this one scene that I stand by that if I could have chosen or written it, it definitely would have gone down differently: the scene where Kate watches Jack carry a meal over to Juliet at the survivors camp," said Lilly. "They sit down together and eat and they're laughing and talking, and then Kate subsequently goes to Sawyer's tent and lavishes him. I feel like it was a cheapening of the character. I feel like she was always an emotionally confused women between these two men, but she was never that manipulative sexually, I don't think. I feel like that was something that if I could have rewritten it — and I tried to work with the producers on that one; I tried to change so at least it wasn't a cut. It could have been Kate seeing Jack then maybe a couple scenes go by, time goes by, and then you see her go to Sawyer's tent. It ended up being a direct cut and that she literally went in a snit, and was in a pout, because Jack was playing with another girl and she went and seduced Sawyer. I didn't dig that. I would have rewritten that." (New York Magazine's Vulture)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks with Katee Sackhoff about last night's recent plot twist on FOX's 24, which saw Sackhoff's Dana Walsh murdered by Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer. "She doesn’t have one redeeming quality," said Sackhoff of Dana. "I tried desperately to give her a redeeming quality. I really tried. The only thing I could come up with was that she didn’t crack when she was tortured... I kind of figured if I couldn’t give her a redeeming quality, I was just going to be the most ridiculously unsympathetic villain ever. I was going to try and make everyone hate her. That was my goal, and I think I succeeded." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FX has renewed Justified for a second season. (Televisionary)

Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore has signed a two-year overall deal with Sony Pictures Television, under which he will develop projects for both broadcast and cable through his Tall Ships Prods. shingle. Moore had previously been based at Universal Media Studios. (Deadline.com)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to V showrunner/executive producer Scott Rosenbaum about what to expect from the final three episodes this season as he offers up eight hints about upcoming plotlines, ranging from V soldiers and alien babies to showdowns, attacks, and betrayal. (TVGuide.com)

Variety's Cynthia Littleton is reporting that NBC might order one or two other projects this week, ahead of its upfront presentations. The likely candidates include dramas The Chase, Kindreds, and The Rockford Files, with The Event and Love Bites also said to be in the mix. On the comedy side, the strongest players appear to be Outsourced, Perfect Couples, Next, This Little Piggy and possibly Beach Lane, which is said to require some reworking. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Smallville executive producer Brian Peterson is "very optimistic" that Allison Mack will return to the CW superhero drama next season. "We’ve learned the hard way not to say [it's official] until everything is signed and dotted," Peterson told Ausiello. "So the best we can say is we’re really optimistic. And so is Allison." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Slightly better news for Party Down in its second episode; the Starz comedy scored a 129 percent increase week to week, bringing its ratings to 289,000 viewers. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Look for Adrian Grenier's Vince to cut his hair this season on HBO's Entourage, according to TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck. “It’s for a story line where Vince cuts his hair without telling the director of his new movie,” executive producer Doug Ellin told Keck, denying reports that it had been Grenier who had shorn his locks without telling the producers. “As always with our show, art imitates life.” (TV Guide Magazine)

20th Century Fox Television has signed a multi-year overall deal with writing partners Patrick Masset and John Zinman--who together worked on Friday Night Lights and Caprica--under which they will develop new projects for the studio and be placed on the staff of a new drama series, likely either Midland, Ride Along, or Breakout Kings. (Hollywood Reporter)

Newcomer Jeff Rosick has been cast as Buddy Jr. in Season Five of Friday Night Lights, where he will recur throughout what will likely be the final season of the drama series. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

History Channel has ordered reality series Stan Lee's Superhumans, which the comic book guru and Daniel Browning Smith, will host as the duo meet "people who have remarkable abilities because of being genetically different." The series will be joined by a slew of other new programming at the cabler, including Brad Meltzer's Decoded, Top Gear, The Kennedys, and Chasing Mummies, as well as specials Voices From Inside the Towers, Jefferson, President's Book of Secrets, and Reagan. (Hollywood Reporter)

Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva offers a look at the rest of the development slate for nascent pay cabler Epix, which includes projects from Todd Field, Todd Holland, and Lawrence O'Donnell. (Deadline.com)

Spike has ordered reality pilot Weapon X, from executive producer Thom Beers, about "whether certain military battles could've been won if the losers had built a high-powered weapon that utilizes today's technology," and has ordered scripted drama pilot Rebel League, from writer Stephen Engel and executive producers Denis Leary and Jim Serpico, about the dysfunctional 1970s World Hockey Association. (Variety)

Syfy will air backdoor pilot (or, er, four-hour mini-series) The Phantom--starring Ryan Carnes--on a single night: Sunday, June 20th, beginning at 7 pm ET/PT. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Tamsin Greig Lands Episodes, Steve Carell Looks to Leave The Office, History Casts The Kennedys, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Cast changes are afoot at Showtime's upcoming Matt LeBlanc-led comedy Episodes, with Thomas Haden Church pulling out of the project due to a scheduling conflict with a film and Claire Forlani being recast after the recent table read earlier this week. But with Forlani out, Showtime has had the luck of landing British actress Tamsin Greig (Black Books, Green Wing, Love Soup) to replace her. [Editor: I think Greig is a much better fit and is a comedy genius. Showtime is beyond lucky to have nabbed her. Grieg's Black Books character, Fran Katzenjammer, remains a perennial favorite.] Greig will step into Forlani's role, as the female half of a husband-and-wife writing team whose British series is adapted for American television... and ruined in the process. Showtime has ordered seven episodes of the series, which is created by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, who executive produce alongside Jimmy Mulville. (Variety)

Steve Carell has announced his intention to leave The Office after one more season. Speaking to BBC Radio 2's Steve Wright, Carell said that his contract with the Universal Media Studios-produced comedy goes "through next year" and then went on to say, "I think it will probably be my last year." NBC isn't commenting though it's thought likely that The Office wouldn't continue without Carell on board as Michael Scott. [Editor: in fact, it's the perfect opportunity to wrap up the series.] "This could be a negotiating ploy, but honestly, I don't think so in this case," an unnamed insider told E! Online's Megan Masters. (Office Tally via E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

History Channel has unveiled the cast for its upcoming eight-hour controversial miniseries The Kennedys, which will star Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes (as Jacqueline Kennedy, no less!), Barry Pepper, and Tom Wilkinson. Project, which will air in 2011, is executive produced by Joel Surnow, Jonathan Koch, and Steve Michaels, with Steve Kronish writing and Jon Cassar directing. The mini will dramatize the "the personal relationships between the Kennedy clan -- including John's and Bobby's tumultuous relationship with their father," according to Variety's Michael Schneider. (Variety)

Ricky Gervais will once again host NBC's Golden Globes telecast, the network has announced. Despite the fact that the 68th Annual Golden Globes don't air until next January, NBC took the unusual step of announcing that Gervais would return... nine months ahead of broadcast. "I can't believe they invited me back after awful things I said," said Gervais in a statement. "Let's see how far I can go this time." NBC's Paul Telegdy, meanwhile, compared Gervais to an unstoppable force of nature. "As viewers discovered with our last awards telecast, Ricky's surprising and unpredictable humor is a great fit for the Globes which will continue as a live event across the nation," said Telegdy. "He's a true force of nature with a wicked sense of humor who always keeps everyone on their toes waiting for the unexpected."(Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILER! Don't expect any sense of closure for Katherine Heigl's character on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, according to series creator Shonda Rhimes. "It’s going to linger," Rhimes told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "And I actually feel good about it lingering because [it means] Alex is left with unfinished business. And that’s going to be very interesting for his character." Meanwhile, Rhimes isn't spilling about the game-changing season finale for Greys. "The events of the finale itself change the game," she told Ausiello. "Whether anyone lives or anyone dies is not really necessarily the point of it." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Jimmy Fallon is said to be at the top of the list for potential hosts for this year's Primetime Emmy Awards, a group that's also said to include Jerry Seinfeld and duo Tina Fey and Steve Carell. NBC will announce the host officially, but it's widely thought that Fallon, who hosts the Peacock's Late Night franchise, will announce the host next week. (Variety)

ABC has ordered six episodes of US adaptation of Russian game show The Six, in which contestants must work together in order to solve logic-based puzzles in under a minute. Project, from Merv Griffin Entertainment, will be hosted by Vernon Kay and production will get underway this summer. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has signed a three-year overall deal with Entourage creator/executive producer Doug Ellin, under which he will develop new projects for the pay cabler and remain aboard Entourage for its seventh and eighth seasons. Ellin already has two projects in development at HBO: a political comedy about a man working for a former US president after he leaves office (written by Ben Schwerin) and a female-skewing project with Ally Musika. (Variety)

Spike has ordered a pilot presentation for comedy Kings By Night, which will revolve around three men who start a casino in their workplace at night. Project, written by Ben and Dan Newmark and directed by Richie Keen, will be produced by FremantleMedia. (Deadline.com)

ABC Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with former Better Off Ted writers Kat Likkel and John Hoberg, under which they will develop new projects for the studio and join the writing staff of a new or existing series. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has a first look image of Jack Bauer from the series finale of FOX's 24, which is set to air May 24th. The photo depicts a backpack-clad Jack Bauer raising his gun at... who knows, really? (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Additionally, Ausiello also has a first look image of the Smallville season finale, airing May 14th, which features a rain-slicked showdown between Clark and Zod. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Comcast and General Electric are optimistic that the NBC Universal deal will be closed by the end of the calendar year. (Variety)

Dr. Drew Pinsky and Howard Lapides are launching their own shingle, Dr. Drew Productions, which will be based in Los Angeles and focus on developing "high-quality reality television projects." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

E! has ordered six episodes of documentary What's Eating You?, which will take a look at both common and extreme examples of eating disorders and air this fall on the cabler. (Examples are said to include ""a woman who eats a roll of toilet paper dipped in pickle juice every night before bed; another who lives in seclusion and feels compelled to eat twigs, pencil erasers and super-glue; and an aspiring model whose body is so starved that she physically smells because her body literally is eating itself alive.") (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Salary negotiations are set to get underway for four cast members on CBS' NCIS, including Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum, and Sean Murray, each of whom are looking to increase their episodic paycheck before the series returns in the fall for its eighth season. "The real question is how much CBS is willing to pay the four stars moving forward: Deadline.com is reporting that the company dangled low-ball offers, which stalled negotiations," writes Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice. "Representatives for CBS declined to comment." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

The cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey will be answering fans questions during a live premiere party that will be hosted by Andy Cohen and will be streamed on Bravotv.com and Ustream.tv. (TVGuide.com)

TLC has ordered a fourth season of L.A. Ink. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Adam Scott Heads to "Parks and Rec," "Rome" Heads to Big Screen, "Smallville Renewed," "Lost" Returnee, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin is reporting that Party Down star Adam Scott is heading to NBC's Parks and Recreation, where he is slated to turn up in the final episodes of the season... alongside Rob Lowe, in fact. [Editor: could their sudden appearances in Pawnee be linked?] Scott, who will serve as as a series regular for Parks' third season, has also signed a first-look deal with NBC and Universal Media Studios, under which he will develop new series projects. Parks and Recreation co-creator Mike Schur described Scott as "brilliant and funny -- and he's funny in a lot of different ways. There just aren't that many people with a comedic range that spans Step Brothers to Party Down." As for Party Down fans worried that this would mean the end of Henry Pollard, Martin reports that "Scott said he'd be open to coming back to reprise his role should "Party Down" be renewed." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

[Editor: Variety, meanwhile, reports that Scott would appear in up to three episodes of Party Down if it is renewed for a third season, per his deal with Starz.]

Good news for fans of HBO's much-missed period drama Rome. Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that a feature film sequel to Rome is finally in development and creator Bruno Heller--who went on to create CBS' The Mentalist--has finished a script for Morning Light Productions, which will finance the film, set in Germany four years after the events of the HBO series. Rice reports that Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson will reprise their roles as Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo in the feature film... which could be difficult as the end of Rome seemed to depict the death of McKidd's Vorenus. "The next step for Morning Light is to find a director and a studio, since HBO Films won’t be involved," writes Rice. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

The CW has renewed superhero drama Smallville, picking up the Warner Bros. Television-produced drama series for a tenth season. Move comes after the netlet previously picked up The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, 90210, Supernatural, and Top Model for the 2010-11 season. (via press release)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Michelle Rodriguez will reprise her role as Ana-Lucia on ABC's Lost later this season, appearing in at least one episode. Rodriguez--most recently seen in Avatar--was last seen in Season Five, when she appeared as a ghostly visitor to Hurley. "There’s no word where or exactly when Ana-Lucia will resurface this time around," writes Ausiello, "but, come on, this has 'flash-sideways cameo!' written all over it!" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Chuck fans had better keep tuning in to the NBC action-comedy, following comments made by the Peacock's Angela Bromstad, when asked by The Hollywood Reporter about Chuck's shot at a fourth season renewal. Despite saying that the series' performance on Mondays was a "pleasant surprise," Bromstad went on to say that Chuck's likelihood of being renewed depended on ratings. "It's got to maintain," said Bromstad, "and it depends on development." In other words: keep buying those Subway sandwiches and keep tuning in... (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

[Editor: meanwhile, Bromstad said she was "hopeful" that Community would return for a second season, though wouldn't confirm or deny that it would or wouldn't.]

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has a rundown of what was revealed at last night's Paley Festival panel for Showtime's Dexter, an event which she moderated and which dealt heavily with the reveals of the Season Four finale and what lies ahead for Dexter and Co. next season. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Scott Caan (Ocean's Eleven) has been cast as a guest star in CBS cop drama pilot Hawaii Five-O, the remake of the classic television series. Caan will play Danny "Danno" Williams in the CBS Studios-produced pilot, which hails from executive producers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Peter Lenkov. Caan's role is being considered a guest starring role for the pilot, due to his commitments to HBO's Entourage; should Hawaii Five-O be picked up to pilot, he'll be bumped to series regular. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has confirmed that the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air live coast-to-coast this year on August 29th. Move marks the first time in over 30 years that the Emmys will air live across the country (the last time was in 1976). (Broadcasting & Cable)

Pilot casting update: Jeri Ryan (Leverage) has joined the cast of ABC drama pilot Body of Evidence; Nate Corddry (The Pacific), Jonathan Sadowski (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Dan Bakkedahl, and P.J. Byrne have been cast in NBC comedy pilot presentation Our Show; Robert Patrick (The Unit) has come aboard Rand Ravich's ABC drama pilot Edgar Floats, where he will play a bond bailsman who is the ex-father-in-law of the titular character, a bountu hunter; Allison Miller (Kings) has scored one of the leads in CW drama pilot Betwixt; Alan Ruck (Drive) and Scarlett Johnson (EastEnders) have joined the cast of CW's untitled Amy Sherman Palladino Wyoming project; Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights) and Devin Kelley (Tease) have come joined the cast of FOX cop drama pilot Ridealong. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that producers of ABC's Modern Family are currently looking to cast the Tuckers, the parents of Eric Stonestreet's Cameron. Stonestreet told Keck that Kathy Bates was originally considered for the role but she's no longer in the running due to her recent turn on NBC's The Office. Stonestreet, however, has one hell of a suggestion for who should play his mother: former Designing Women star Delta Burke. “We like that idea," said Modern Family co-creator Steve Levitan. "We think that could be good.” (TV Guide Magazine)

Tom Bergeron, Fred Willard, French Stewart, Yeardley Smith, and Bill Bellamy have signed on to guest star in the April 26th episode of ABC's Castle, which offers a satirical look at NBC's latenight situation with Conan and Leno, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "Sources confirm to me exclusively that Dancing with the Stars emcee Tom Bergeron has signed on to guest as Bobby Mann, a late-night talk show host who gets permanently shut up by... Well, the prime suspect is his would-be successor, a rival chatterbox (played by Bill Bellamy) who’s long coveted the victim’s timeslot," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Strictly Ice Dancing is heading to the US. ABC is developing an untitled US adaptation of the BBC Worldwide-produced reality series will feature celebrities training with ice skating professionals and then performing on ice and which will air as a six-week series likely between cycles of Dancing with the Stars. Project shouldn't be confused with FOX's short-lived 2006 effort, Skating With Celebrities. (Variety)

Over at NBC, the Peacock unveiled its summer programming--or at least parts of it--with America's Got Talent returning Tuesdays and Wednesdays, beginning June 1st and Last Comic Standing returning on June 7th. International acquisition Persons Unknown will air Mondays at 10 pm, beginning the same night, while long-delayed comedy 100 Questions will launch Thursday, May 27th. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Martha Stewart and Mark Burnett are shopping eight-episode reality series Help Me, Martha, which will feature Stewart and a team of experts "help the show's subjects with everything from wedding near-distasters to planning last-minute parties," to network buyers. (Variety)

HBO is said to be developing an untitled telepic based on Andrew Sorkin's nonfiction book "Too Big to Fail," about the 2008 economic meltdown. Project will be written by Peter Gould (Breaking Bad) and may also use material derived from an upcoming book by Joe Nocera and Bethany McClean as well. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has promoted David Bernath to EVP, where he will oversee program strategy and multiplatform programming. He reports to Michele Ganeless. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Maria Bello Finds "Emergency Sex" for HBO, NBC Gets "The Cape" and "Outsourced," Leno on Oprah, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Maria Bello, Simon Beaufoy, and Russell Crowe have teamed up to develop HBO drama project Emergency Sex, based on Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson's nonfiction book "Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story From Hell on Earth," about "the larger-than-life exploits of expatriate nongovernment-organization workers who find their sanity tested in the face of atrocities, loneliness and primal desires." Bello (A History of Violence) will star in the project, which is being adapted by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire), who will executive produce with Bellow, Russell Crowe, and John Carrabino. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has handed out pilot orders to two projects, both hailing from Universal Media Studios. One-hour drama The Cape, from writer Thomas Wheeler (Empire) and BermanBraun, revolves around an ex-cop in Los Angeles who is framed and sets out to become a masked vigilante in order to clear his name and reunite with his son. NBC also picked up single-camera comedy Outsourced, based on the indie film about about a demoted middle manager who is sent to India to manage a call center. Robert Borden (The Drew Carey Show) will write the pilot script and Ken Kwapis (The Office) is still attached to direct and executive produce alongside Tom Gorai and David Skinner. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a fantastic feature on Jay Leno's appearance yesterday on The Oprah Winfrey Show. "How can you do the right thing and just have it go so wrong? 'Maybe I'm not doing the right thing,' I would think," Leno told Winfrey. "Maybe I'm doing something wrong. This many people are angry and upset over a television show. ...My show got canceled. They weren't happy with the other guy's show. They said, 'We want you to go back,' and I said, 'OK.' And this seemed to make a lot of people really upset. And I go, 'Well, who wouldn't take that job though? Who wouldn't do that?'" (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Score yet another job for Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother). The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that Harris will travel to London later this year to tape a pilot for a US adaptation of British game show The Cube for CBS. Once executives view the pilot, CBS will decide whether to order the project to series. News comes after FOX abandoned its plans to adapt the unscripted format for US broadcast audiences in December. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Leonard Roberts (Heroes) has been cast in the two-part episode of ABC's Castle that will feature Desperate Housewives' Dana Delany. Roberts will play Delany's federal agent partner on the two-parter, the first half of which is scheduled to air March 21st on a special night. In other Castle-related news, ABC ordered two additional episodes of the crime procedural, bumping its episodic total this season to 24 installments. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FX has ordered a pilot presentation for comedy Sweat Shop, about a pair of step-siblings who run a gym in a Scottsdale, Arizona strip mall. Project, from creator/star Pell James, director Jonas Pate, and fellow executive producers Thomas Moffett and Braxton Pope, hails from FX Prods. and Lionsgate Television. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert!Tony Hale (Chuck) Matt Letscher (Eli Stone) will star opposite Danny Wallace in ABC hybrid comedy pilot Awkward Situations for Men, about an Englishman who moves to the US with his wife and discovers that his "everyday behavior clashes with American values and gets him into trouble." Hale will play Will, Danny's first American friend, while Letscher will play the boss at a Jamba Juice-type eatery. Elsewhere, John Michael Hill has landed a role on ABC drama pilot 187 Detroit, where he'll play a rookie homicide cop whose wife is expecting a child. British actor Matt Ryan (The Tudors) is said to be in talks about joining the cast of CBS' untitled Criminal Minds spinoff. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other casting news, many actors of cancelled or on-the-bubble series are said to be in particular demand this pilot season. The cast of Ugly Betty--including Eric Mabius, Becki Newton, Vanessa Williams, Michael Urie, and Ana Ortiz--have been inundated with pilot offers. Additionally, the casts of Lost, Nip/Tuck, Better Off Ted, Scrubs, Dollhouse, 24, and Three Rivers are said to be in demand. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that an upcoming episode of ABC comedy Modern Family will focus on the real-life fears of the child actors that portray the extended Pritchett clan's kids. (TV Guide Magazine)

Variety's Stuart Levine is reporting that NBC will offer a two-hour episode of The Biggest Loser on Tuesday which will go head-to-head with the sixth season premiere of ABC's Lost. "Move pits one of NBC's highest-rated shows against a Lost premiere that has been anticipated for months," writes Levine. "By having the second half of Biggest Loser from 10-11 p.m., net is extending an olive branch to the affiliates who have taken a beating since The Jay Leno Show has been on the air and were instrumental in having scripted programming return at 10 o'clock." (Variety)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to Smallville's Justin Hartley about a potential relationship between his Oliver and Allison Mack's Chloe. "Yeah, I think that's in the works," said Hartley about a Oliver-Chloe romance. "I don't know how long it will last or how far they're going to go with it because we haven't shot that much yet, but that's what's going on right now." But don't count out Cassidy Freeman's Tess, either. "She threw a knife at me the other day, so yeah, we're going to be working together," said Hartley. "I think I pissed her off again, so that's always fun. I don't know if they're going to be involved anymore. I would say no, but then at the same time who knows what Oliver's going to do? He's a dirty bird." (TVGuide.com)

SPOILER!Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has some details about what the series finale of ABC's Ugly Betty, slated to air in May, will contain. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

VH1 has ordered several series that represent an expansion of their brand. Net ordered eight episodes of reality makeover series Transform Me, in which four transgender women help a woman remake herself from her clothes to her outlook on life. Series, from Left/Right Inc., will launch on March 15th. VH1 ordered seven episodes of Famous Crime Scenes, which will delve into the well-publicized deaths of celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Selena beginning February 12th. The cabler also ordered a week-long strip of primetime specials entitled Undateable, which will explore what guys shouldn't do when dating, from the woman's perspective. It's set to air the week of April 19th. Finally, the cabler acquired MTV Canada reality series Peak Season: Vancouver, following the lives of Whistler ski resort bunnies and workers, which it will debut on February 14th. (Variety)

TBS has given a cast-contingent pilot order to one-hour comedy Glory Daze, about the the 1980s pledges at a Wisconsin college fraternity. Project, from executive producer Walt Becker (Wild Hogs), is written by Becker and Michael LeSieur (You, Me and Dupree); Becker is also attached to direct, should the project officially go ahead to pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Team Darlton Talk Season Six of "Lost," Alan Ball Dishes on "Blood" Connection, Summit Developing "Push" Series, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has published the first part of a massive and fantastic Q&A with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The best part? It's 100 percent spoiler-free, so even the spoiler-averse among us can enjoy. [Editor: Go, Mo!] "We... spent a lot of time talking about how we don’t want the last season of the show to be didactic," said Cuse, when asked whether they anticipated a harshly critical reaction to the final season. "It’s very dangerous to basically create a checklist of answers and then start trying to tick them off, because we want to make sure we’re telling engaging stories. For us really, while the mythology is important, for us it’s a story about these characters. And so most of our focus has been on, how are we going to resolve the character stories?" (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

SPOILER ALERT! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to True Blood creator Alan Ball about two potential, er, erotic connections next season on the vampire drama, one of which might be very surprising to fans of the show. [Editor: I can't imagine that it would go much further than some steamy dreams, to be honest.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Summit Entertainment, the indie studio behind the Twilight franchise, has announced that they are teaming up with E1 Entertainment to develop a series project based on the 2009 feature film Push, about a group of individuals with paranormal abilities who band together to take down a ruthless government agency. The pilot will be written by David Hayter (Watchmen), who will executive produce alongside Benedict Carter, Noreen Halpern, and John Morayniss. The companies are currently shopping the project to US networks. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Billy Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) has signed on to appear in at least three episodes of the CW's Gossip Girl this season, where he will play Serena and Eric's father, William van der Woodsen. His first appearance is slated to air in April. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot order alert!ABC has ordered two drama pilots and one comedy pilot; FOX and NBC each ordered a comedy, and CBS is said to be considering one drama. At ABC, the pickups were for Shonda Rhimes-executive produced medical drama Off the Map, about a group of doctors who work in a clinic in a remote area of the world, from writer Jenna Bans; Chris Murphey's crime procedural Body of Evidence, about a female medical examiner; and single-camera comedy Happy Endings, about a group of friends whose lives are thrown into chaos when two of them break up at the altar, from writer Dave Caspe, executive producer Jamie Tarses, and Sony Pictures Television. FOX has given a greenlight to pilot an untitled Ajay Sahgal comedy (a.k.a. Nevermind Nirvana) from 20th Century Fox Television, about two Indian brothers, one of whom enters a traditional arranged marriage and the other who marries a white woman. Over at NBC, the Peacock ordered a pilot for creators/stars Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant's multi-camera comedy The Strip, about an aged child star who owns a strip-mall Hooters-style restaurant on the outskirts of Las Vegas, which hails from Universal Media Studios. And CBS is said to be considering a pilot order for Joel Silver-executive produced buddy cop comedy The Odds, from writer Jeff Wadlow and Warner Bros. Television, about two cops in Las Vegas who are said to be "just as outrageous as the crimes they solve." (Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Annette O'Toole will reprise her role as Martha Kent on the CW's Smallville later this season, citing unnamed sources. "Producers are still working out the exact timing of Martha’s reappearance, but a Smallville insider tells me it’ll most likely fall during May sweeps," writes Ausiello. "That same source hints that the mother-son reunion will be rocked by an 'unexpected surprise' or two." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Theresa Rebeck (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) has been hired to write the pilot script for Showtime's untitled Broadway project, from executive producers Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, and Daryl Frank. Project follows the development of a Broadway musical from idea to opening night and producers plan to take the musical to the real-life stage should the project get ordered to series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Twentieth Television's game show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? will get a second round of syndication, following the conclusion of a renewal deal in the top five markets. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: USA Overhauls Its Schedule, Aunjanue Ellis Takes on "The Mentalist," "Big Love," BBC Confirms "Doctor Who" Dates, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. For those of you Stateside, hope that you're feeling rested (and hopefully recovering from a few days of gluttony) after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Major changes afoot at USA, according to The Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan. Rather than follow the plans the cabler had outlined for January, USA has chosen to revise its entire schedule, moving its series White Collar, Burn Notice, and Psych onto separate evenings, come January. White Collar will return to the lineup on January 19th, where it will move into its new timeslot of Tuesday evenings at 10 pm ET/PT. Meanwhile, Psych will take over the Wednesday night slot beginning January 27th and Burn Notice will remain on Thursdays, returning with new episodes on January 21st. The move gives the cabler original series on three weeknights. Perhaps a ploy to lure viewers from broadcast sibling NBC to some scripted fare at 10 pm? (Futon Critic)

Aunjanue Ellis (The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3) has been cast in CBS' The Mentalist in a major recurring role. Ellis will play "the beautiful but tough new head of the California Bureau of Investigation who is installed following the resignation of the unit's former chief, Virgil Minelli" (who is played by Gregory Itzin). Her first episode of the Warner Bros. Television-produced drama series will air in April. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has a first look at the official poster for Season Four of HBO's Big Love, which returns on January 10th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC One has confirmed its airdates for David Tennant's final two Doctor Who specials, which will air on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, respectively. Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part Two is set to air at 7:30 pm GMT on New Year's Day, followed by EastEnders and the final episode of Gavin & Stacey. (Digital Spy)

Syfy has signed on as the US broadcaster for E1's international co-production of Haven, a thirteen-episode supernatural thriller based on Stephen King's "The Colorado Kid." Pilot will be written by Sam Ernest and Jim Dunn, who will executive produce with showrunner Scott Shepherd, Lloyd Segan, Shawn Piller, John Morayniss, and Noreen Halpern. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert: Lucas Black (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) and Cary Elwes (A Christmas Carol) have been cast in Epix pilot Tough Trade from Lionsgate Television. Black will play an exceptional guitarist and singer who could have followed in his family's musical legacy in Nashville but instead sells illegal ammunition. Elwes will play his father. Elsewhere, Garrett Dillahunt (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has been cast in Greg Garcia's FOX comedy pilot Keep Hope Alive, where he will play the dysfunctional father of Lucas Neff's Jimmy, a man who has to raise his infant daughter--the product of a one-night stand--after the baby's mother winds up on death row. (Hollywood Reporter)

Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who) and Naoko Mori (Torchwood) have been cast in BBC Four's one-off biopic drama Lennon Naked, which will depict the life of John Lennon (Eccleston) between 1967 and 1971. Project, written by Robert Jones (Party Animals) and directed by Edmund Coulthard (Soundproof), will air in 2010. (BBC)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has two exclusive images from the two-hour Smallville: Absolute Justice telepic, which introduces the Justice Society of America. Ausiello has one shot of Justin Hartley's Green Arrow tangling with Michael Shanks' Hawkman and another of Brent Stait's Doctor Fate and Britt Irvin's Stargirl. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Barry Sonnenfeld (Pushing Daisies) will direct ABC comedy pilot Funny in Farsi, based on Firoozeh Dumas' memoir about growing up in Newport Beach in the 1970s after leaving Iran, which was adapted by Jeffrey Hodes and Nastaran Dibai. (Hollywood Reporter)

Tony Curran will play Vincent Van Gogh in an upcoming episode of Doctor Who, slated to air next year as part of the Matt Smith-led Season Five that is written by Richard Curtis (Pirate Radio). ""We've got a brilliant guy playing Vincent van Gogh... He's a guy called Tony Curran, who really could not look more like [him]," Curtis told Bullz-Eye. "He's a wonderful actor who was in this brilliant movie called Red Road that came out, a rather serious movie. But he's going to be great. I’ve had a lot of fun. We start to shoot in about a month." (Digital Spy)

FOX is developing animated comedy series Rooster Tales with executive producers Matthew McConnaughy, Mark Gustawes, Mike McConaughey, and writer Kell Cahoon. Project is based on the life of Mike "Rooster" McConaughey, described as a "a beer-swilling, redneck sheriff who marries a much younger woman from Mexico [and] soon realizes, however, that he's gained not only a wife but an entire clan -- 114 members and counting." Project hails from 20th Century Fox Television and J.K. Livin'. (Variety)

Ryan Devlin (Veronica Mars) has been cast in ABC comedy Cougar Town, where he will recur as Smith, described as "a love interest for Laurie (Busy Philipps), Jules' (Courteney Cox) ditsy assistant and close friend." (Hollywood Reporter)

Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica), Molly Parker (The Road) and Camille Sullivan (Da Vinci's Inquest) have been cast in E1's drama series Shattered, a Canadian series that the indie is shopping to international broadcasters. Project, which will air in Canada on Showcase, will revolve around a homicide detective (Rennie) with multiple personality disorder. (Variety)

TBS comedy VP Nina Howie is leaving the cabler after 3 1/2 years. No reason was given for her departure. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Taylor Kitsch May Miss "Friday Night Lights," Oprah's Harpo Films Lands HBO Pilot, Production Shut Down on "Cougar Town," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Bad news for Tim Riggins fans. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Friday Night Lights executive producer Jason Katims has confirmed that Taylor Kitsch will "will miss part" of the production of Season Five of Friday Night Lights, due to his role in Disney's feature film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's "John Carter of Mars." But there's still hope that they can work around Kitsch's schedule. "We are communicating with the [John Carter] production to work out the schedule so that Taylor can be in as much of season 5 as possible," said Katims. Production begins on the fifth season in March. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO has given a pilot order to Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films for an untitled drama about a woman who walks out on her perfect marriage and children in order to fulfill her secret fantasies in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. Pilot will be written/executive produced by Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary) and will be executive produced by Winfrey and Kate Forte. "It is unsentimental and pretty shocking, and there is something complicated and destructive driving her," Forte told Variety. "It is literally a day at the pool, where she gets up, in sarong and flip-flops, and walks out of her life, leaving everyone behind so abruptly that her husband and kids initially think she's been kidnapped or murdered." (Variety)

The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that production has been shut down on ABC comedy Cougar Town in order to allow Courteney Cox "to deal with a private family matter," according to ABC. There's been no indication as of yet when shooting will resume on the series, which had been scheduled to go on hiatus this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. (Hollywood Reporter)

Fringe's executive producers have indicated that the FOX sci-fi series could go on for as many as six seasons. "If we're lucky enough, we have six seasons that we're really excited about," said Jeff Pinkner during a recent press call. "It's such a great show to work on, because we're only limited by our own imaginations. Once you start to get into this wonderful framework of the characters and stuff, it's so much fun. We're constantly saying, 'Oh, what about this?' and then all of a sudden, we're like, 'Well, that will be a season three thing, yeah'." (via Digital Spy)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Brian Austin Green will reprise his role as John "Metallo" Corben on the CW's Smallville this season. He's slated to appear in the series' 18th episode, which will air in the spring. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Joshua Jackson (Fringe) is set to star in a feature film remake of 1970s cult British television series UFO, that is slated to be directed by Matthew Gratzner. Jackson will play Paul Foster, "a test pilot who joins S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), a covert org built under a Hollywood studio that defends Earth against a race of aliens who have been abducting humans and using the body parts." (Variety)

TVGuide.com's Joyce Eng catches up with Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg to talk about tonight's episode of the CBS comedy, which features an appearance by former Battlestar Galactica star Katee Sackhoff (soon to be seen in FOX's 24), who stops by as Howard Wolowitz's conscience. "There's definitely a possibility that she could continue to be his conscience," said Helberg of Sackhoff. "I don't know how much they plan for, say, the entire arc of the season. Who knows? Maybe next time they'll be in a Jacuzzi, maybe even the shower. I don't know if I have to be wet and naked. Maybe he always has to be in a compromising position. It is his fantasy!" (TVGuide.com)

TLC has ordered eight episodes of culinary series Craving Comfort, in which chef Art Smith will "travel the country exploring variations of simple, popular dishes -- from fried chicken to apple pie." Series, from True Entertainment, is slated to air next year. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere at TLC, the cabler has given a series order for docusoap Mall Cops: Mall of America, which will air in first quarter 2010 and follow the mall cops at the largest mall in the US, and ordered four episodes of docuseries Ghost Intervention, about "a group of women with psychic abilities who help families dealing with paranormal activity in their homes." The latter series, from Pilgrim Films and Television, will launch on December 12th. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Jason Lee Mired in "Delta Blues," Fred Willard Drops By "Modern Family," Gretchen Mol Strolls on HBO's "Boardwalk," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Jason Lee (My Name is Earl) has been cast as the lead in TNT drama pilot Delta Blues, where he will play Dwight Hendricks, a Memphis cop who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator and lives with his mother. Pilot, from Warner Horizon and Smokehouse Pictures, is written by Liz M. Garcia and Joshua Harto and will be directed by Clark Johnson, who will executive produce with George Clooney and Grant Heslov. (Hollywood Reporter)

Proving that the series' casting directors have inherited the comedy casting mantle from Arrested Development and 30 Rock, Fred Willard (Back to You) has signed on to guest star on an upcoming episode of ABC's Modern Family, where he will play the father to Ty Burrell's Phil. [Editor: look for Willard to turn up, oh, before the end of the calendar year.] (Fancast)

Gretchen Mol (Life on Mars) has joined the cast of HBO's upcoming period drama Boardwalk Empire in the recurring role of Gillian, a showgirl in 1920s Prohibition-era Atlantic City. Elsewhere, Sarah Burns (I Love You, Man) will star opposite Laura Dern in HBO's untitled Mike White comedy pilot, where she will play a workplace friend to Dern's Amy, described as "a self-destructive woman who has a spiritual awakening and becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work." (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting alert: Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) will star opposite Radha Mitchell in A&E drama pilot The Quickening, where he will play a homicide detective who was married to Mitchell's bipolar detective Maggie Bird. Elsewhere, Ethan Embry (Vacancy) has joined the cast of USA legal drama pilot Facing Kate, where he will play the brother to Sarah Shahi's Kate who gave up a promising legal career to be a stay-at-home dad. (Hollywood Reporter)

Will Arnett will guest star on NBC's Parks and Recreation later this season. (Televisionary)

Syfy has quietly announced that it will air direct-to-DVD film Battlestar Galactica: The Plan on Sunday, January 10th at 9 pm ET/PT. And the cabler has confirmed that Caprica will be airing in the Friday at 9 pm ET/PT timeslot, followed by repeats of Warehouse 13 at 10 pm. (Futon Critic)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that, unless the series sees a ratings spike by the spring, it seems likely that this will be the last season for ABC's Ugly Betty. Citing an unnamed mole within the production, Dos Santos writes, "The writers have accepted that this season may be the last and are brainstorming endings now, just in case. The big question is: Who will Betty end up with? The writers room is deeply divided." Those three candidates include Freddy Rodriguez's Gio, Eric Mabius' Daniel, or Chris Gorham's Henry. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Daniel Radcliffe will lend his voice to The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror XXI, where he will play Edmund, a child vampire that Lisa falls in love with in a parody of the Twilight franchise. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that four former cast members of Melrose Place will reunite later this season on the CW revival series, with Heather Locklear, Josie Bissett, Daphne Zuniga, and Thomas Calabro set to appear in a scene together at the iconic apartment complex. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ITV has announced the cast for the latest adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot, once again starring David Suchet as the titular Belgian detective. Joining him in the adaptation of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express will be Dame Eileen Atkins, Barbara Hershey, Hugh Bonneville, and Samuel West. No airdate has been given for the telepic, but it will follow the four upcoming Poirot films Appointment with Death, The Clocks, Three Act Tragedy, and Hallowe'en Party. (BBC News)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that the two-part Justice Society storyline on the CW's Smallville has now been combined into a seamless two-hour event movie entitled Smallville: Absolute Justice, which will air on February 5th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CTV has renewed supernatural drama The Listener for a second season, despite the Canadian series' cancellation at NBC. Series, produced by Shaftesbury Films, will air in Canada on CTV and Spaced and internationally on Fox International Channels but currently has no US outlet. (Variety)

Jeri Ryan (Leverage) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace) have been cast in Lifetime Movie Networks horror telepic Secrets in the Walls, about a woman who discovers that her dream house in the suburbs is haunted. (Variety)

Graham King has launched a television division of his GK films shingle and hired former Lionsgate TV international executive Craig Cegielski as president of the new GK-TV division, which will "focus on programming with strong international appeal in an effort to capitalize on the growing appetite at U.S. nets for international co-production and co-financing deals." [Editor: Congrats, Craig!] (Variety)

The Wendy Williams Show has been renewed for two more seasons on Fox TV stations, keeping the syndicated talker on the air through the 2011-12 season. (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV has acquired domestic television rights to the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It, following a deal with Sony Pictures Television under which the cabler and its channel siblings will be able to air the film in 2011 in a six-year window. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Gavin and Stacey" Heads to ABC, Nelsan Ellis Talks "True Blood" FInale, "Bones" Flashback Possible for 100th Episode, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

ABC is developing a US adaptation of British hit comedy series Gavin and Stacey, about the romance between two very different lovers from two very different places (in the original it was Essex and Wales) who fall in love over the phone and begin a relationship, against the advice of their eccentric friends and families. US version, from BBC Worldwide, will be written by Stacy Traub (Notes from the Underbelly) and Hayes Jackson (According to Jim). Elsewhere at the Alphabet, the network has given a pilot order to 18 Years, about a young couple who become parents and must "adjust to their new life as parents -- trading their fast-paced existence for a more domesticated lifestyle," from Sony Pictures Television and writer/executive producers Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith (The King of Queens). ABC is also developing an untitled comedy, from Samantha Who? executive producer Don Todd, ABC Studios, and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, about a thirty-something woman who learns that her new job as boss to a group of twenty-somethings puts her in the role of mother, therapist, and friend. (Variety)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a great interview with True Blood star Nelsan Ellis about the second season finale, which aired on HBO last night. And Ryan recounts that Ellis has one suggestion for executive producer Alan Ball about Season Three of the vampire drama: he wants a Lafayette flashback to see the short order cook with his mother. "There are so many lines about how his mother treated [Lafayette]," Ellis told Ryan. "It would be nice if we found out in the flashbacks that she was a vampire." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Bones creator Hart Hanson is considering using the 100th episode as a flashback to the first assignment that Booth (David Boreanaz) and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) worked togther, before the events of the pilot episode. "We alluded in the pilot that the first time they worked together — the time before the pilot — that it went very badly," Hanson told Ausiello. "They had a terrible time. So it would be really fun to do a flashback episode.... It’s in the bin of ideas for the 100th episode, but it’s a big bin!" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS has given a pilot order to multi-camera comedy True Love, from Sony Pictures Television and writer/executive producer Matt Tarses and executive producer Jamie Tarses, about four friends in their twenties who are looking for love in Manhattan. The studio also has comedy script Nathan vs. Nurture, written by David Guarascio and Moses Port, in contention at NBC. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Julian Sands (24) has been cast as a guest star on the CW's Smallville, where he will play a young Jor-El. Sands is slated to appear in a November episode entitled "Kandor," where "it’s revealed that he arrived with Zod and the other Kandorians." Sands is so far only contracted for one episode but that could change as well. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin is reporting that ABC Family has ordered the back ten episodes of its freshman comedy series 10 Things I Hate About You. The ten additional episodes are thought to be likely to launch in January 2010. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

However, ABC Family opted not to pick up any additional episodes of fellow frosh series Ruby and the Rockits, which will wrap its run after its initial order of ten episodes. (Hollywood Reporter)

TBS has ordered a fourth season of comedy My Boys. The Sony Pictures Television-produced series has received an order for nine episodes, which will launch in 2010. (Variety)

Showtime has given a six-episode order to half-hour reality series Lock 'N Load, which offers a hidden-camera behind-the-scenes look at a gun store in Englewood, Colorado as its gun expert Josh T. Ryan interacts with clients. Project, from Authentic Entertainment, will launch on Wednesday, October 21st at 8 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) has been cast in an untitled single-camera comedy pilot about a recent widower who tries to get his life back on track with some help from his eccentric friends and family. Project, which hails from Sony Pictures Television, was written on spec by Alex Barnow and Marc Firek and will be taken out to the networks in the coming weeks. He will star in a Lifetime telepic about con artist Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, a.k.a. Clark Rockefeller, a high society scammer who ran "the longest con in FBI history." Project, from Sony Pictures Television, is written by Edithe Swensen and will be directed by Mikael Salomon. (Hollywood Reporter)

Fox21 has signed a first-look deal with Stuart Krasnow (Hole in the Wall), under which the reality producer will develop unscripted series projects for the boutique division for both broadcast and cable. He had previously had a co-venture deal with FremantleMedia North America. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Comic-Con Update: Warner Bros. Television Group Announces Panels, Talent For SDCC Next Month

After weeks of anticipation (and speculation), Warner Bros. Television Group has finally announced which series they will be bringing down to San Diego Comic-Con next month.

All of the usual suspects--Chuck, Fringe, Supernatural, Smallville, and The Big Bang Theory--will be in attendance along with new series from the studio including V, Human Target, Past Life, Eastwick, and Vampire Diaries and animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Additionally, Warner Bros. Entertainment (WBE) will once again have a nearly 3,000-square foot, two-story booth right on the convention floor and will naturally be giving away those exclusive and ubiquitous Comic-Con Bags.

The full press release from Warner Bros. Television Group, along with dates, times, and locations (as well as full descriptions) of their panels can be found below.

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP RETURNS TO COMIC-CON IN 2009 WITH STAR-STUDDED LINEUP
FEATURING A RECORD 11 SHOWS

Stars and Creators of “The Big Bang Theory,”
“Chuck,” “Eastwick,” “Fringe,”
“Human Target,” “Past Life,” “Smallville,” “Supernatural,” “V,”
“The Vampire Diaries” and “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” Descend on
San Diego for Panel Sessions, Media Appearances and Autograph Signings

Warner Bros. Entertainment’s Two-Story,
Nearly 3,000-Square Foot Booth to
Host Signings, Video Game Demos and Numerous Giveaways,
Including the Studio’s Exclusive Comic-Con Bags

BURBANK, Calif. (June 25, 2009) – Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) returns to Comic-Con International: San Diego in 2009 with a star-studded lineup featuring a Studio-record 11 series that will be showcased in panel sessions, screenings, media appearances and autograph signings throughout the convention. For continuing info on the Studio’s plans at Comic-Con, please follow us on Twitter @TheWBdotcom. WBTVG will also be launching a Con-related website at www.TheWB.com/ComicCon, coming in July.

Series and selected stars and creators (*) scheduled to attend include:

• “The Big Bang Theory”: Johnny Galecki (“Roseanne”), Jim Parsons (“Garden State”), Kaley Cuoco (“Charmed”), executive producer Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men”) and more
• “Chuck”: Zachary Levi (upcoming “Alvin and the Chipmunks”), Yvonne Strahovski (upcoming “I Love You Too”), executive producer Josh Schwartz (“Gossip Girl”) and more
• “Eastwick”: Rebecca Romijn (“X-Men”), Lindsay Price (“Lipstick Jungle”), Jaime Ray Newman (“Veronica Mars”) and more
• “Fringe”: Anna Torv (“The Pacific”), Josh Jackson (“Shutter”), John Noble (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”) and more
• “Human Target”: Mark Valley (“Fringe”), Chi McBride (“Pushing Daisies”), Jackie Earle Haley (“Watchmen,” “Nightmare on Elm Street”) and more
• “Past Life”: Kelli Giddish (“Damages”), Nicholas Bishop (“Above the Law”), Ravi Patel (“Scrubs”) and executive producer David Hudgins (“Friday Night Lights”)
• “Smallville”: Erica Durance (“House of the Dead”), Justin Hartley (“Gemini Division”), Cassidy Freeman (“Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee”) and more
• “Supernatural”: Misha Collins (“24”), Jim Beaver (“Deadwood”), executive producer Eric Kripke and more
• “V”: Elizabeth Mitchell (“Lost”), Scott Wolf (“Party of Five”) and executive producers Scott Peters (“The 4400”), Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”) and more
• “The Vampire Diaries”: Ian Somerhalder (“Lost”), Paul Wesley (“Killer Movie), Nina Dobrev (“Degrassi: The Next Generation”), executive producer Kevin Williamson (“Scream”) and more
• “Batman: The Brave and the Bold”: Voice of Batman Diedrich Bader (“Surf’s Up”) and more

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP CONFIRMED
COMIC-CON PANEL DESCRIPTIONS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009

Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings – Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly present exclusive pilot premiere screenings of some of the most buzzed-about new TV series of the 2009–2010 season – Human Target, The Vampire Diaries and V – as well as an exclusive preview trailer for additional upcoming shows. Ballroom 20

Based upon the popular DC Comics title and starring Mark Valley (Fringe), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies) and Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen), the highly anticipated Human Target is an action-packed thrill ride about a mysterious private contractor who will stop at nothing, even if it literally means becoming a human target, to keep his clients alive. Executive produced by McG (Terminator Salvation), Jonathan Steinberg (Jericho), Brad Kern (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Kevin Hooks (Prison Break) and Peter Johnson (Supernatural), the series is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Television. Human Target will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX, beginning in January.

Already one of the most talked-about new shows of the upcoming season, V is a thrilling reimagining of the groundbreaking miniseries, starring Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), Morris Chestnut (Boyz n the Hood), Joel Gretsch (The 4400), Lourdes Benedicto (24), Logan Huffman (America), Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), with Morena Baccarin (Firefly) and Scott Wolf (Party of Five). Scott Peters (The 4400), Jace Hall (The Jace Hall Show), Steve Pearlman (Related) and Jeffrey Bell (Angel) are the executive producers for HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television. V will premiere in midseason on ABC.

Writer/producer Kevin Williamson (the Scream movies) is back with The Vampire Diaries, an edgy and romantic new drama in which two vampire brothers – one good, one evil – are at war for the soul of one girl. Based upon the best-selling book series of the same name by L.J. Smith, the show stars Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Everwood), Ian Somerhalder (Lost), Steven R. McQueen (Everwood), Katerina Graham (17 Again), Sara Canning (Smallville), Candice Accola (Supernatural), Zach Roerig (Friday Night Lights), Kayla Ewell (Entourage) and Michael Trevino (The Riches). Williamson, Leslie Morgenstein (Gossip Girl) and Bob Levy (Gossip Girl) are the executive producers for Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. The Vampire Diaries will air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT this fall on The CW, premiering September 10.

FRIDAY, JULY 24, 2009

10-11 am: Batman: The Brave and the Bold Screening and Q&A – Gotham takes over San Diego as Diedrich Bader (Surf's Up), the voice of Batman, returns to Comic-Con alongside executive producer Sam Register (Teen Titans), producer James Tucker (Justice League Unlimited), producer and story editor Michael Jelenic (The Batman) and voice director Andrea Romano (Superman Doomsday). Fans can catch the world premiere screening of the upcoming “Mayhem of the Music Meister” episode – featuring the voice of Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) as the Music Meister – and enjoy a lively discussion and Q&A with the show’s dynamic creative team. From Warner Bros. Animation, Batman: The Brave and the Bold airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. Batman: The Brave and the Bold Volume 1 will be released on DVD August 25. Room 6DE.

1-2 pm: The Big Bang Theory Screening and Q&A – Bazinga! Your favorite scientists and girl-next-door are back as The Big Bang Theory returns to Comic-Con with a special screening and a Q&A with the show's creators and stars. Come chat with executive producers Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) and Bill Prady (Dharma & Greg), as well as series stars Johnny Galecki (Roseanne), Jim Parsons (Garden State), Kaley Cuoco (Charmed), Simon Helberg (Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog) and Kunal Nayyar (NCIS). From Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, The Big Bang Theory airs Mondays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Second Season is released on DVD September 15. Ballroom 20.

2:15-3:15 pm: Past Life Pilot Screening and Q&A – Past Life makes its debut at Comic-Con with a screening of the pilot episode and a Q&A with the show's creator and stars. Come talk with executive producer David Hudgins (Friday Night Lights) as well as series stars Kelli Giddish (Damages), Nicholas Bishop (Above the Law) and Ravi Patel (Scrubs) and learn more about this fast-paced emotional thriller in which a gifted psychologist and former detective must work together to unravel mysteries that must be solved in both the past and the present. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television, Past Life will air Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT midseason on FOX. Room 6A.

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2009

10-11 am: Chuck Screening and Q&A – Chuck returns to Comic-Con! Join executive producers and co-creators Josh Schwartz (Gossip Girl) and Chris Fedak, along with series stars Zachary Levi (upcoming Alvin and the Chipmunks), Yvonne Strahovski (upcoming I Love You Too), Joshua Gomez (Without a Trace), Ryan McPartlin (Super Capers), Mark Christopher Lawrence (The Pursuit of Happyness), Vik Sahay (This Is Wonderland), Scott Krinsky (The O.C.), Sarah Lancaster (Everwood) and Adam Baldwin (Serenity) for a Q&A to discuss season three and screen an exclusive retrospective highlight reel. Plus, don't miss a special surprise from some of your favorite characters! Produced by College Hill Pictures, Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Chuck airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Ballroom 20.

10:15-11:15 am: Eastwick Pilot Screening and Q&A – Be among the first to see the pilot of the highly anticipated series Eastwick. Based on the John Updike novel and the hit film The Witches of Eastwick, this sexy and bold comedic drama centers on three young witches whose powers are awakened when a mysterious man moves to town. Be careful what you wish for – the perfect man truly may be the Devil! Join series stars Rebecca Romijn (X-Men), Lindsay Price (Lipstick Jungle), Jaime Ray Newman (Veronica Mars) and Paul Gross (Due South), along with creator/executive producer Maggie Friedman (Related) and director/executive producer David Nutter (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as they answer questions from the audience after this exclusive sneak peek. Produced by Warner Bros. Television, Eastwick will air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT this fall on the ABC Television Network. Room 6A.

2:45-3:45 pm: V Pilot Screening and Q&A – Already one of the most talked-about new series of the upcoming television season, catch a special screening of the pilot episode of V, a reimagining of the groundbreaking miniseries, followed by a Q&A with stars Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), Morris Chestnut (The Cave), Joel Gretsch (The 4400), Morena Baccarin (Firefly) and Scott Wolf (Go), along with executive producers Scott Peters (The 4400), Jeffrey Bell (Alias), Steve Pearlman (Related) and Jace Hall (Chadam). From HDFilms in association with Warner Bros. Television, V will premiere midseason on the ABC Television Network. Ballroom 20.

4-5 pm: Fringe Screening and Q&A – Fringe cast members Anna Torv (upcoming The Pacific), Josh Jackson (Shutter) and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) return to Comic-Con along with consulting producers Alex Kurtzman & Robert Orci (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) and executive producers Jeff Pinkner (Lost) and J.H. Wyman (Keen Eddie) for a Q&A with fans and an exclusive video presentation. Join the discussion of this critically acclaimed thriller, which explores the ever-blurring line between science fiction and reality, where hybrid monsters tear through sewers, thieves walk through walls and portals open to worlds unknown. From Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Fringe will air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT this fall on FOX, premiering September 17. Fringe: The Complete First Season will be released on DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi Def September 8. Ballroom 20.

4:45-5:45 pm: Human Target Pilot Screening and Q&A – Join Human Target stars Mark Valley (Fringe), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies) and Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) along with the show's executive producers Jon Steinberg (Jericho), Brad Kern (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) and Peter Johnson (Supernatural: Origins Comic Book Series) for an exclusive Q&A and a screening of the highly anticipated pilot based on the popular DC Comics title about a mysterious agent for hire who assumes different identities, literally becoming a human target on behalf of his clients. From Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Television, Human Target will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT beginning in January 2010 on FOX. Room 6BCF.

6-7 pm: The Vampire Diaries Pilot Screening and Q&A – Join The Vampire Diaries stars Nina Dobrev (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Paul Wesley (Killer Movie) and Ian Somerhalder (Lost), along with executive producer/writer Kevin Williamson (Scream), writer Julie Plec (Kyle XY) and executive producer Bob Levy (Gossip Girl), as the series makes its Comic-Con debut with a screening of the much-talked-about pilot and a Q&A. This edgy and romantic new drama, in which two vampire brothers – one good, one evil – are at war for the soul of one girl, is based upon the best-selling book series of the same name. Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly will moderate. From Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, The Vampire Diaries will air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT this fall on The CW, premiering September 10. Room 6BCF.

SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009

10:30-11:30 am: Smallville Screening and Q&A – Comic-Con favorite Smallville returns, as showrunners Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson join cast members including Smallville’s Lois Lane – Erica Durance (House of the Dead) – Justin Hartley (Gemini Division), Cassidy Freeman (Finishing the Game: The Search for a New Bruce Lee) and others (yet to be announced) to talk about the year ahead, answer fan questions and give an exclusive sneak peek at clips from season nine. Award-winning comic book writer, Emmy®-nominated film and television writer/producer, and Smallville alum Jeph Loeb (Heroes) will moderate the session. From Tollin/Robbins Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, Smallville will air Fridays at 8:00 p.m. this fall on The CW, premiering September 25. Smallville: The Complete Eighth Season will be released on DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi Def August 25. Room 6BCF.

11:45-12:45 pm: Supernatural Screening and Q&A – Join Supernatural stars Misha Collins (24) and Jim Beaver (Deadwood), creator/executive producer Eric Kripke (Boogeyman), and executive producers Ben Edlund (Angel) and Sera Gamble (Eyes) for an exclusive sneak peek at footage from the highly anticipated fifth season premiere of this thrill-ride series. They’ll also answer questions from the audience and show a portion of the special features from the upcoming fourth season DVD release. Produced by Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Supernatural airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, premiering September 10. Supernatural: The Complete Fourth Season will be released on DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi-Def September 1. Room 6BCF.

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: AMC Orders "Rubicon" to Series, Callum Blue Takes on Zod for "Smallville," Eve Finds "Glee," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday television briefing.

AMC has handed out a twelve-episode series order to political thriller Rubicon, starring James Badge Dale, Miranda Richardson, Lili Taylor, Dallas Roberts, and Peter Gerety. Series, from Warner Horizon, writer/executive producer Jason Horwitch (Medical Investigation), and director Allen Coulter (Six Feet Under), revolves around an analyst (Dale) of a top-secret government think tank "whose work leads him to uncover a clue that points him toward an unfolding global conspiracy." Series, which will be shot in New York, is expected to launch in 2010. "The pilot is beautifully done and we are very, very excited to move forward with the series," said Joel Stillerman, SVP of programming and production at AMC. "It's a major challenge to find the right balance to take that into a serialized drama format, where you have to pose more questions than are answered but do it in a way that is still satisfying to the audience. Jason and Allen did a phenomenal job on the pilot, and the cast is first class." (Variety)

Callum Blue (Secret Diary of a Call Girl) has been cast as a regular on CW's Smallville, where he will play Superman villain General Zod in the series' ninth season. The role was previously performed by Terence Stamp in 1980's Superman II. (Hollywood Reporter)

Eve will guest star in two episodes of FOX's Glee this fall, where she will play a "no-nonsense girls' choir director from a rival school," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, who writes that producers had made overtures to Whitney Huston, who turned down the role. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Meghan Markle (90210) has been cast in a recurring role on FOX's Fringe, which returns for a second season this fall. Markle will play "an attractive, brash and quick-witted junior FBI agent." (Hollywood Reporter)

Adrianne Palicki will reprise her role as Jessica on CW's Supernatural next season in one episode. "Details regarding Palicki's return engagement," writes Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "are being kept under lock and key." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has given a six-episode series order to relationship-based unscripted series Find My Family, which tracks people desperate to locate a missing relative or friend. Series, based on Dutch format Lost Without a Trace, hails from RelativityReal and RDF USA. Tim Green and Lisa Joyner will host. (Variety)

MTV has ordered an untitled docusoap pilot following The Hills' Audrina Patridge which will be executive produced by Mark Burnett. The cabler also unveiled a host of projects in development including a "reinvention" of 1980s feature film Teen Wolf; animated comedy The Awesomes from executive producer Seth Meyers; puppet-based reality series Warren the Ape; a US adaptation of Argentinian teen drama Patito Feo; comedy Hard Times; and an untitled sketch comedy starring Jamie Foxx. MTV also announced a first-look deal with actress Emma Roberts. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, MTV Networks will layoff one percent of its workforce, or about 50 employees, that will "significantly affect development and programming at its various channels, though the company does plan to hire some replacements in reconfigured positions." (Variety)

Richard Loncraine (My House in Umbria) has replaced Peter Morgan (The Queen) as director on HBO telepic The Special Relationship, which details the often fractious relationship between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton. The project stars Dennis Quaid, Michael Sheen, Julianne Moore, and Helen McCrory. Morgan--who wrote the screenplays for The Queen and Frost/Nixon--was meant to have made his directorial debut on the project and will remain on board as an executive producer. Meanwhile, Morgan will be co-writing the next James Bond feature film. (Variety)

NBC's Ben Silverman is said to be on a shortlist for possible candidates for ITV's CEO position, along with Mike Volpi of Joost, former ProSiebenSat1 head Guillaume de Posch, and former Channel 4 topper Michael Jackson. Silverman had no comment. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Melrose" Mayhem, Acevedo NOT Fired from "Fringe," "Smallville" and "Supernatural" Could Continue Past Next Season, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. (Following a week that included the 2009 network upfronts, I think we are all looking forward to a three-day weekend.)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has the dish on the actual set-up of the new Melrose Place series, kicking off this fall on the CW, and it will either make you squeal with delight or make you want to scream, well, bloody murder. "Sources confirm to me exclusively that the dead body found floating face down in Melrose's trademark pool in the opening minutes belongs to none other than Laura Leighton's bitchtastic ex-stripper," writes Ausiello of Melrose's seemingly resurrected Sydney. "I'm told her death will set in motion a season-long murder mystery that finds nearly all of the show's principal characters -- particularly Syd's ex, Michael (Thomas Calabro) -- a possible suspect." Leighton, meanwhile, will continue to appear on the series via flashbacks that will explore what happened to her and "what really happened after she became road kill more than a decade ago." (Editor's aside: Wasn't this the basic plot setup of short-lived Melrose Place spinoff Models Inc.?) (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The strange story of Kirk Acevedo's firing from Fringe just got a hell of a lot weirder (much like the FOX drama itself) as executive producer Jeff Pinkner now claims that Acevedo isn't fired and will in fact be returning for Season Two of Fringe. Pinkner contends that Acevedo "was not fired" and will be playing two versions of Charlie Francis next season (remember the alternate universe Charlie with the facial scar?) “We have already seen two of him on the show,” Pinkner told TV Guide. “We have already met the second Charlie. He had a scar on his face.” Still not explained, however: why Acevedo believed he had been fired. Hmmm... (TV Guide)

The CW's entertainment president Dawn Ostroff has indicated that it's not certain that Smallville and Supernatural will in fact wrap their series runs at the end of the 2009-10 season. "No [....] It's not necessarily the last season," said Ostroff of whether Smallville will hang up its (metaphorical) tights next season. "I hope it's not." As for Supernatural, Ostroff said, "We'll see how the season goes. [...] [The Supernatural creative team] did a really good job this year and it really paid off in the ratings." (TVGuide.com)

As expected, Joel McHale has confirmed that he will not be giving up his hosting duties on E's The Soup, now that his comedy Community has been picked up to series at NBC. I'm going to do both Talk Soup and Community next fall," McHale told Entertainment Weekly. "People can tune in to E! and NBC anytime they want to see me. The series doesn’t take as much time as it does for us to do Talk Soup because we do that almost every day, like a real job." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

ABC has ordered Prep and Landing, a half-hour animated holiday special from Walt Disney Animation that tells the story of an elite elven unit that ensures that homes are prepped for Santa's annual visit. Voices will be provided by Dave Foley, Sarah Chalke, and Derek Richardson. Project, expected to air this holiday season, is executive produced by John Lasseter. (Variety)

The CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff is said to be "sad" to see One Tree Hill's Chad Michael Murray and Hilarie Burton depart the series. "We tried to get them to stay; we would have been thrilled if they wanted to," said Ostroff. "A show going into its seventh year is very open to reinventing itself. And one thing I have to give [series creator] Mark Schwahn a lot of credit for is that he has kept the show so fresh all these years." (TVGuide.com)

20th Century Fox Television has signed a two-year overall deal with director/produced Dan Sackheim (House, Life), under which he will join drama series Lie to Me as an executive producer. (Variety)

Streaming VOD service Hulu is set to launch in the UK in September. The UK-based version of the site is said to contain more than 3,000 hours of US television content and has signed deals within Britain with ITV and Channel 4 as content partners and is also said to be in talks with BBC as well. It's thought that UK's Hulu will display content from the partner the night after broadcast and allow the material to be accessed for 30 days after transmission, following the established British VOD pattern. (Daily Telegraph)

BBC America has announced the launch of Season Four of Gordon Ramsay's F Word, which returns to primetime with a US premiere of the new season on Wednesday, June 17th. Series will air at 9 pm ET/PT through the summer, wrapping its twelve-episode season on September 2nd. This season will find Gordon traveling the world in search of the very best ingredients and challenging guests to make a three-course meal for 50 diners using recipes that they can make at home while Janet Street-Porter attempts to raise two calves in a cruelty-free environment. Guests include Meatloaf, Graham Norton, Dannii Minogue, Jessica Hynes, Erin O'Connor, and Ricky Hatton. (via press release)

Patti Blagojevich, the wife of disgraced former Illinois governor Rob Blagojevich, will be participating as a contestant on NBC's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! "I don't feel I'm a celebrity. NBC wanted my husband on the show, and when he was unable to go, they expressed interest in me," said Blagojevich in an interview on NBC's Today. "In this terrible economic time, I feel it's necessary to go to work to support my family." (New York Daily News)

BSkyB's Sky Movies has signed a deal to bring the ten-part Steven Spielberg- and Tom Hanks-produced HBO series The Pacific to the U.K. Sky Movies will debut The Pacific, which follows three U.S. Marines in the WWII battle with Japan, next spring. Elsewhere at the company, Sky1 has confirmed that it has canceled reality series Gladiators. (Variety)

BBC Worldwide has renewed its deal with YouTube and, in a first, will allow a "limited number" of full-length episodes of natural history program The Life of Birds to be available for US viewers. It's the first time that long-form BBC content has appeared on the platform, both in the US or the UK. Short-form content from BBC Worldwide will be available on a number of YouTube channels later this year, including BBC America, BBC Explore, and BBC Earth, which feature such series as Doctor Who, Primeval, and Hotel Babylon. (Hollywood Reporter)

USA has promoted Ryan Sharkey to VP of program acquisitions and administration, where he will oversee theatrical and series acquisitions and inventory for USA and sister cablers Sleuth and Universal HD. (Variety)

Stay tuned.