BuzzFeed: "Veronica Mars and 8 Other TV Shows You Can Only Stream On Amazon Prime"

Looking to get caught up on Veronica Mars before the movie comes out on March 14? Turns out, the only place you can do so now is on Amazon Prime Instant.

At BuzzFeed, you can read my latest feature, "9 TV Shows You Can Only Stream On Amazon Prime," in which I run nine shows that you can only watch on Amazon Prime.

1. Veronica Mars

A long time ago, we used to be friends… and you used to be able to stream Veronica Mars on Netflix. But those days are long gone and on Jan. 9, Amazon Prime Instant announced that it had secured exclusive streaming rights to all three seasons of the UPN/CW sleuth series. And what perfect timing to get caught up (or refresh yourself) on all of the intrigues in Neptune: The feature film sequel opens on March 14, marshmallows.

2. Downton Abbey

Episodes of Julian Fellowes’ well-heeled period drama — which airs Stateside on PBS’ Masterpiece Classic and centers on the Crawley clan and their servants — can only be seen on Amazon Prime Instant these days. Downton’s first three seasons are available for streaming on the platform, while the series’ fourth just premiered earlier this week on PBS.

Continue reading at BuzzFeed...

The Daily Beast: "Southland: Television’s Most Underrated Drama"

TNT’s gripping police drama Southland is back for a fifth season, but hardly anyone’s tuning in. My take on television’s most criminally overlooked show.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Southland: Television’s Most Underrated Drama," in which I take a look at a superlative yet underrated drama: Southland, which returned last week for a fifth season.

Why aren’t more of you watching Southland?

Created by Ann Biderman (NYPD Blue) and executive-produced by John Wells (ER), TNT’s uncompromising cop drama returned for a fifth season last week to only 1.16 million viewers, down 34 percent from last year. In a television season that has given us dreck like Zero Hour, Mob Doctor, and Do No Harm, Southland should be a hit.

That it’s not is a shame, as Southland remains one of the most morally complex and insightful dramas on television today. It deftly juggles multiple crimes and incidents, as well as the private lives of these LAPD officers and detectives, played by an extraordinary cast that includes Ben McKenzie, Regina King, Shawn Hatosy, and Michael Cudlitz.

Southland shines at showing these officers as both heroes and flawed individuals whose psychological issues are often magnified by carrying a badge and gun. The battles they face—pregnancy, drug addiction, custody, the death of a loved one, a fallen comrade—are often just as dangerous as gunfire in the line of duty.

Season 5 of Southland continues the slow moral erosion of Ben Sherman (McKenzie), who began the series as a naïve rookie officer and who slowly has been transformed into a decorated, hardened cop whose motivations are often now less than altruistic. McKenzie, best known for his role as Ryan Atwood on Fox’s The O.C., carries himself completely differently than he did when Southland began back in 2009, the weight of what Officer Sherman has seen and experienced etched on his forehead in visible lines. As an actor, the maturity does McKenzie good; he’s cast off the “pretty” label that plagues many former teen drama actors, exchanging his adolescence for a tempered adulthood.

When Ben asks his barber to cut off his blond locks in the season premiere, it isn’t just a physical transformation for the character but a deeper psychological one. It is another manifestation of Ben’s colder, harder persona and his unexpected lack of empathy, one that manifests itself in surprising ways. When, in last week’s episode (“Hats and Bats”), he takes a phone call from his sister while standing feet away from an elderly woman whose sister has been brutally murdered in the home they shared, it’s a shock to Sammy Bryant (Hatosy), yet more evidence of his poster boy partner’s disregard for anyone but himself.

Is it that protecting the innocent—being granted powers and responsibilities beyond mere ordinary folk—sets you apart from humanity? Does power, in its insidious way, corrupt even the most noble of hearts?

Continue reading at The Daily Beast...

The Daily Beast: "Dallas Loses Its Schemer: Larry Hagman Dies at 81"

Larry Hagman, best known as the dastardly J.R. Ewing, died Friday at age 81. I explore the indelible mark Hagman left on television and popular culture.

At The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "Dallas Loses Its Schemer," in which I offer an obituary and appreciation for the late Dallas actor Larry Hagman, who passed away on Friday at the age of 81.

Actor Larry Hagman, best known for his role as Dallas’s Machiavellian oil baron J.R. Ewing, died Friday at age 81, after complications from cancer.

Hagman’s career spanned over 60 years, and included not only Dallas and its revival series, which launched earlier this year on TNT, but also the seminal 1960s comedy series I Dream of Jeannie, where he played Major Anthony “Tony” Nelson opposite Barbara Eden’s titular character. Hagman had, according to The Hollywood Reporter, filmed six of the new Dallas’s 15 episodes at the time of his death, with the second season scheduled to start on January 28. How the show will incorporate Hagman’s death remains to be seen.

“All of us at TNT are deeply saddened at the news of Larry Hagman’s passing,” said cable network TNT in a prepared statement. “He was a wonderful human being and an extremely gifted actor. We will be forever thankful that a whole new generation of people got to know and appreciate Larry through his performance as J.R. Ewing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very difficult time.”

Hagman was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1931. His mother, Mary Martin, would go on to become a renowned Broadway actress and his father was an accountant and a district attorney; the two divorced when Hagman was five years old. Hagman served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War and entertained troops in the U.K. and Europe during the conflict, and opted to follow in his mother’s footsteps with a career in acting once he returned to the U.S.

Roles on the stage segued into television work, with his first on-screen appearance coming in 1956 in syndicated cop drama Decoy; he later joined the cast of CBS mystery soap opera The Edge of Night, where he stayed on board for two seasons. But it was his role nine years later on I Dream of Jeannie that established his meteoric career trajectory, with CBS primetime soap Dallas arriving in 1977. And with that role—as manipulative oil scion J.R. Ewing—Hagman further entered the cultural lexicon. He also appeared in such films as Primary Colors, Nixon, and JFK.

Hagman leaves a lasting legacy, not just among Dallas’s devoted viewers in the 1980s, but among a younger generation that discovered J.R. and the Ewings thanks to TNT’s revival series, which picked up with the Ewing clan 20 years after the end of the series. A schemer and a dreamer, Hagman’s J.R. was known for his devilish eyebrows and for his manipulative streak, as well as for amassing both wealth and enemies in equal measure.

Continue reading at The Daily Beast...

Channel Surfing: Dark Tower Comes to TV (And Cinemas), Chuck Lands Freddie Krueger, TNT Mines Dallas, The Event, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Deadline's Mike Fleming broke the news yesterday that Universal has landed the rights to Stephen King's massive multiple-novel series "The Dark Tower," and is developing an adaptation that will comprise both a feature film franchise as well as a television series element, an unprecedented use of the two platforms. Ron Howard will direct the first film as well as the first season of the television series that would follow on its heels; likewise both elements will be written by Akiva Goldsman, with Universal Media Studios attached as the studio. The first season of the series would use the same actors and focus on gunslinger Deschain after the events of the film, while the second season would revolve around Deschain's past. “What Peter [Jackson] did [with Lord of the Rings] was a feat, cinematic history,” Howard told Fleming. “The approach we’re taking also stands on its own, but it’s driven by the material. I love both, and like what’s going on in TV. With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television. We’ve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. It’s fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.” (Deadline)

[Meanwhile, JJ Abrams--who had previously been attached to The Dark Tower--is said to be shopping yet another television project, this time a crime thriller created by Jonah Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Prestige) that could start a bidding war at several networks, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello.]

Is it just me or is the Chuck casting team on a roll this season? Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Freddy Kreuger himself--make that Robert Englund--is set to guest star on Chick's Halloween-themed episode, set to air in October. "Englund will play Dr. Stanley Wheelwright, an evil scientist who can make your waking life a nightmare," writes Ausiello. "He’ll appear in this season’s sixth episode, titled 'Chuck Versus Aisle of Terror.'" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TNT announced a slew of pilot pickups, including a remake of nighttime soap Dallas from writer Cynthia Cidre (Cane) and Warner Horizon that will focus on the rivalry between brothers J.R. and Bobby Ewing. Other projects include ABC Studios' Perception (formerly known as Proof), from writers Biller and Mike Sussman, about a neurosurgeon who solves crimes using his unique way of viewing the world and an untitled Allan Loeb drama from Lionsgate Television about a widowed cop whose partner has just gotten married (which is based on Marshall Karp's novel "The Rabbit Factory"). TBS, meanwhile, ordered a pilot for comedy Brain Trust, from Dean Devlin and Marco Schnabel, about a detective who gets a second shot at life. (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Hal Holbrook (Sons of Anarchy) has signed on to NBC's upcoming thriller The Event in a multiple-episode story arc, where he will play "a mysterious character by the name of Dempsey." A press release from NBC that hit the wire shortly thereafter expanded upon the description of Holbrook's character: "Holbrook will play Dempsey, a businessman with shadowy intentions, who will be revealed as an antagonist to President Martinez (Blair Underwood) beginning with his first scheduled appearance on October 11." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files, press release)

It's officially official: America's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan will headline his own talk show on CNN, replacing Larry King in the 9 pm timeslot beginning in January. (Variety)

Former Battlestar Galactica and 24 star Katee Sackhoff is finally heading to CBS' CSI three years after producers tried to cast her as Jorja Fox's replacement on the CBS crime procedural, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Sackhoff has been cast in a "potentially recurring role" as Detective Reed, described as "a smart, tough, and feisty investigator with an acknowledged lack of sensitivity." She'll make her first appearance in November. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

There's still more Jersey Shore on tap for MTV: the cabler has ordered two specials that will air after the second season finale on October 21st; the first will be a reunion special slated to air a week later, while the second will be a behind-the-scenes special. No air date has been announced for the latter. Season Three of the reality juggernaut will air next year. (Hollywood Reporter)

Former House star Jennifer Morrison is said to be in the running to join the cast of CBS' How I Met Your Mother as a "major new love interest for Ted," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. She's not the only one, however, as Minka Kelly and Jacinda Barrett are also said to be in contention. "I don’t know if she’s the mother we’ve been waiting to meet," writes Ausiello. "However, I do know that the character—a quick-witted, rabble-rousing activist who initially clashes with Ted over the planned demolition of a historic New York hotel—will appear in as many as 13 episodes this season." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Watch with Kristin team at E! Online rounded up a ton of information about Season Two of FOX's Glee directly from the horse's mouth as it were, talking to the cast on the red carpet of the premiere party earlier this week and revealing information about duets, romances, Rocky Horror and more. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Diane Farr and Peter Tolan have separately received script orders for two one-hour dramas at FOX. Farr's project, based on her upcoming semi-autobiographical novel "You Can't Love One of Them," is said to focus on "several interracial couples living in the South in a post-Obama world." Project, from 20th Century Fox Television and Generate, will be written and executive produced by Farr alongside Pete Aronson and Jordan Levin. Tolan, meanwhile, has sold a script for an untitled Glen Mazzara drama with Sony Pictures Television attached as the studio; it will revolve around "a burnt-out doctor who joins a neighborhood medical clinic." (Deadline)

Showtime has ordered a second season of The Green Room with Paul Provenza, with six episodes on tap for 2011. (via press release)

Epix has hired Jill Burkhart as the director of documentary development for the pay cabler. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "The Summer's Best (and Worst) TV"

Over at The Daily Beast, you can check out my latest feature as I offer a report card for the Summer TV Season: picking the winners, losers, and draws across broadcast and cable.

Be sure to check out the gallery at "The Summer's Best (and Worst) TV," where I break down the successes and failures of the past season show by show. Where did White Collar, Pretty Little Liars, and Covert Affairs end up? And which shows ended up at the bottom of the barrel?

Head over to The Daily Beast to find out and head to the comments section to discuss your favorite and least favorite shows of the past summer season and why you felt certain programs succeeded or failed.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010: CBS Announces Hawaii Five-O Details, TNT Brings Falling Skies

While the full schedule of events for San Diego Comic-Con 2010 is still somewhere in the ether, more details continue to emerge about several television-focused events planned for next month.

CBS today announces details for its Hawaii Five-O panel, scheduled for Friday, July 23rd in Room 6BCF. No Alex O'Loughlin, I'm afraid (sorry, Moonlight fans!) but on hand will be Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Peter Lenkov, and Len Wiseman to offer a sneak peek at the Hawaii Five-O pilot and an in-depth discussion of the series, launching his fall on CBS.

Elsewhere, TNT officially announced its panel for Steven Spielberg's alien invasion drama Falling Skies, set to take place Friday, July 23rd from 4:45-5:45 pm in Room 6A. Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, and executive producer Mark Verheiden will be participating.

The official press releases from CBS and TNT announcing these panels can be found below.

"HAWAII FIVE-0" SAYS ALOHA TO COMIC-CON

Panel Session with Series' Stars and Creative Team on Friday, July 23
Kicks Off a Tsunami of H50 Celebrations
HOLLYWOOD, CA – July 1, 2010 — For the return of HAWAII FIVE-0, one of television's most iconic series, CBS has assembled a team of genre giants: Executive Producers Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Star Trek) and Peter Lenkov (R.I.P.D.), Director Len Wiseman (Underworld), and stars Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) and Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica). They'll be on site to celebrate all things H50 at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego.

FRIDAY, JULY 23 – THE PANEL

H50: ALOHA EARTH (10:15-11:15 AM, Room 6BCF) – Lost castaway found! Battlestar Cylon becomes human! Star Trek writers return from space! A supernatural force has drawn some of sci-fi's giants back to Earth – and they're all gathering on a beautiful and mysterious island in the Pacific. It's HAWAII FIVE-0, a modern day reimagining of one of television's most iconic classics. The epic series, one of the most anticipated new shows of the season, will explore the origins of the Five-0 team and build on an already rich mythology. Join Executive Producers Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (Star Trek) and Peter M. Lenkov (24), Director Len Wiseman (Underworld), and stars Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) and Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) for an exclusive sneak peek at the series and an in-depth discussion on how they plan to marry their genre sensibilities with a classic police procedural.

In addition to the H50 panel – where fans will have an opportunity to win three cast signed collector's surfboards -- there will be autograph signings by the cast and producers at the CBS Booth (# 4129), exclusive giveaways and a chance to win a vacation getaway to the filming location of H50 on the tropical and vibrant island of Oahu.

For the latest updates on all things HAWAII FIVE-0 and behind-the-scenes coverage of Comic-Con 2010, follow us at www.cbs.com/HawaiiFive0, www.twitter.com/HawaiiFive0CBS #H50 and www.twitter.com/CBSTweet.

TNT to Invade Comic-Con with FALLING SKIES,
Eagerly Anticipated Series from DreamWorks Television
And Executive Producer Steven Spielberg, Starring Noah Wyle
The resistance is coming to Comic-Con. TNT is going to give fans the very first look at the eagerly anticipated new series FALLING SKIES, from DreamWorks Television and executive producer Steven Spielberg, starring Noah Wyle. The gripping drama series, slated to premiere in summer 2011, envisions a world where aliens have invaded, and the fate of humanity lies in the hands of a few survivors. Series stars Wyle (ER, TNT’s The Librarian movies) and Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation) will join co-executive producer and writer Mark Verheiden (Heroes, Battlestar Galactica) at Comic-Con for a Q&A panel session scheduled to take place Friday, July 23, from 4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. (PT) in Room 6A. They will also be available for an autograph signing, time and location to be announced.

In FALLING SKIES, Wyle stars as a former college professor who becomes the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians struggling against an occupying alien force. Bloodgood co-stars as Anne Glass, a therapist who works with the surviving children to help them cope with the traumatic situation. The series also stars Drew Roy (Lincoln Heights) as Hal and Maxim Knight (Brothers & Sisters) as Matt, Tom’s two sons; and Seychelle Gabriel (Weeds) as Lourdes, an orphaned teenager who helps run the group’s commissary. Will Patton (Armageddon, TNT’s Into the West) plays a fierce leader of the resistance.

FALLING SKIES is executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and screenwriter Robert Rodat. Rodat, who earned an Oscar® nomination for his screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, wrote the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg. Verheiden and Greg Beeman (Heroes, Smallville) are co-executive producers. The pilot was directed by Carl Franklin (One False Move, Out of Time).

TNT, one of cable’s top-rated networks, is television’s destination for drama. Seen in 99.6 million households, the network is home to such original series as The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick; Leverage, starring Timothy Hutton; and Dark Blue, starring Dylan McDermott; the upcoming Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; Memphis Beat, with Jason Lee; Men of a Certain Age, with Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula; and Southland, from Emmy®-winning producer John Wells (ER). TNT also presents such powerful dramas as Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order, CSI: NY, Cold Case and Numb3rs; broadcast premiere movies; compelling primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards®; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament will appear on TNT beginning in 2011. TNT is available in high-definition.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

The Daily Beast: "19 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer"

Looking to set your TiVo season pass this summer before you head out on vacation? Or sticking around and wondering just what's worth watching (or at least checking out) this summer?

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my piece entitled, "19 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer," where I break down 19 new and returning series airing during the sweltering season, including HBO's True Blood AMC's Rubicon and Mad Men, Bravo's Work of Art and Top Chef: DC, FOX's Masterchef, Syfy's Haven, USA's White Collar, TNT's Memphis Beat and Rizzoli & Isles, BBC America's Being Human, and a lot more.

Check out the gallery to read descriptions of the series and then head to the comments section to discuss just what you're most excited about this summer.

Channel Surfing: ABC Clarifies Lost Wreckage Shots, Julie Benz to Return to Dexter, Friday Night Lights Heads to ABC Family and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

The Los Angeles Times's Maria Elena Fernandez is reporting that the final shots of the Oceanic Flight 815 wreckage that accompanied the closing credits of the series finale of Lost were not placed there by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, but rather by ABC executives who wanted to "soften the transition from the moving ending of the series to the 11 p.m. news and never considered that it would confuse viewers about the actual ending of the show," according to Fernandez. ABC went on to release a statement to confirm this fact. "The images shown during the end credits of the Lost finale, which included shots of Oceanic 815 on a deserted beach, were not part of the final story but were a visual aid to allow the viewer to decompress before heading into the news," said an ABC spokesperson in a statement. [Editor: I am hoping this finally puts an end to the misread of the series' ending, as some have taken to believing that the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 died in the initial plane crash, despite the presence of some lengthy exposition from John Terry's Christian Shephard that spelled out about the nature of the purgatory that they had created... and stated that everything that happened on the island, happened in real life.] (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

[Editor: elsewhere, Movieline attempts to solve as many of the 100 "unanswered" questions from Lost, as raised by a recent College Humor video called "Unanswered Lost Questions."]

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Julie Benz is set to reprise her role as Rita in the first episode of Season Five of Showtime's Dexter but that Benz won't be playing Rita as a ghost. Confused? "We’re not going to do some ghostly thing with her," said executive producer Chip Johannessen. "We reserve those for Harry," executive producer Sara Colleton told Ausiello. "If you have too many things like that it becomes gimmicky." So just how will the writers bring her back from the dead? That's them mystery, although a Showtime spokesperson told Ausiello that Rita's presence will "help Dexter deal with his newfound feelings of loss and grief — emotions he has never really felt before." So interpret that as you will. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Looks like Friday Night Lights is heading to ABC Family. The cabler has acquired basic cable rights to all five seasons of Friday Night Lights, which airs on DirecTV's Channel 101 (and has a second window on NBC), and plans to launch repeats of Season One in September. "Friday Night Lights is a perfect fit for ABC Family's sensibility for the modern day family program," said Bruce Casino, senior vp of cable sales at NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, in a statement. "ABC Family will introduce this award-winning show to a whole new audience segment where the series can thrive in its new environment." (via press release)

TNT has ruled out saving Law & Order, according to a statement released to The Los Angeles Times. "We are not in current talks, and we are not interested in a Season 21," said the cabler in a prepared statement. News comes even as creator Dick Wolf attempts to find a savior for the cancelled NBC procedural drama. (Los Angeles Times's Show Tracker)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that ABC drama Castle will relocate to Wednesdays this summer, a temporary move before it reclaims its Monday night timeslot this fall. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Brett Davern (Desperate Housewives) and Beau Mirchoff (Case 219) have been cast in MTV drama pilot That Girl, about a high school student who becomes the center of attention when she's involved in an accident that everyone believes was a suicide attempt. (Hollywood Reporter)

Variety's Cynthia Littleton takes a look at MGM's television business, which includes the twelve-episode order for drama Teen Wolf at MTV and its This TV movie channel. (Variety)

CBS has announced launch dates for several of its summer series, including Big Brother (July 8th), Flashpoint (June 4th), and the burn-off of medical drama Three Rivers (June 5th). (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, international co-production The Bridge, which stars Battlestar Galactica's Aaron Douglas, will premiere on CBS on Saturday, July 10th at 8 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

UK's Channel 4 has commissioned a fifth season of comedy The IT Crowd as creator Graham Linehan prepares to assemble a team of writers. (Broadcast)

Style Network has given a series order to docuseries Too Fat for 15, which will center on "four extremely overweight teens and one preteen whose parents bring them to Wellspring Academy, a weight-loss boarding school in North Carolina." Series will debut in August. (Hollywood Reporter)

Warner Bros. Television has expanded the oversight of executive Lisa Gregorian, who will now serve as both chief marketing officer and EVP. The former title was created specifically for Gregorian. (Variety)

Elsewhere, former Channel 4 executive Simon Andreae has been hired as West Coast SVP of development and production for Discovery Channel. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Chuck Renewed, ABC Keeps V But Not FlashForward, NBC's Law & Order Conundrum, Lost, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Good news for Chuck fans: Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Chuck has been renewed for a fourth season of thirteen episodes, though NBC declined to comment on the report. While I had hoped for a full-season order, any Chuck is better than no Chuck, right? (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Good news as well for fans of the Visitors: ABC has reportedly given a thirteen-episode renewal to freshman sci-fi drama V. "V was likely a no-brainer, as ABC wants to bring back at least one frosh drama, and the alien thriller is showing signs of life," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Its fellow frosh sci-fi drama, FlashForward, is not." (Variety)

Yep, it's not looking good for FlashForward, which Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting has already been cancelled, along with Better Off Ted, Scrubs, and Romantically Challenged. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

After a day of back-and-forth about the fate of Law & Order, NBC is reportedly in talks to renew the legal procedural for a record-breaking 21st season. "The network has long intended to bring back the Dick Wolf-produced drama for one final season, allowing the show to top Gunsmoke as the longest-running drama in TV history," writes The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "But NBC's testy relationship with Wolf came to head Thursday when the producer rejected the network's offer to continue the show at a reduced license fee. Wolf's office told producers and some cast members that the drama had been canceled, triggering online reports that the show was finished." Apparently, those reports were premature, though it's possible that the eleventh hour talks could result in no deal, at which time Wolf could shop the series to cablers. TNT, meanwhile, denied reports that they are in talks with Wolf. (Hollywood Reporter)

The New York Times' Lorne Manley has a brand-new Q&A with Lost showrunner/executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse just ahead of the series finale of Lost, airing Sunday, May 23rd. "If there’s one word that we keep coming back to, it’s redemption," said Lindelof. "It is that idea of everybody has something to be redeemed for and the idea that that redemption doesn’t necessarily come from anywhere else other than internally. But in order to redeem yourself, you can only do it through a community. So the redemption theme started to kind of connect into 'live together, die alone,' which is that these people were all lone wolves who were complete strangers on an aircraft, even the ones who were flying together like Sun and Jin. Then let’s bring them together and through their experiences together allow themselves to be redeemed. When the show is firing on all pistons, that’s the kind of storytelling that we’re doing. I think we’ve always said that the characters of Lost are deeply flawed, but when you look at their flashback stories, they’re all victims. Kate was a victim before she killed her stepfather. Sawyer’s parents killed themselves as he was hiding under the bed. Jack’s dad was a drunk who berated him as a child. Sayid was manipulated by the American government into torturing somebody else. John Locke had his kidney stolen. This idea of saying this bad thing happened to me and I’m a victim and it created some bad behavior and now I’m going to take responsibility for that and allow myself to be redeemed by community with other people, that seems to be the theme that we keep coming back to." (The New York Times)

ABC has picked up six new series for the 2010-11 season: comedies Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, and Better Together and dramas My Generation (formerly known as Generation Y), The Whole Truth, and Detroit 187. Variety's Michael Schneider is also reporting that Wright vs. Wrong could still be in contention. (Variety)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC drama pilot Rockford Files is now dead, despite it being a major frontrunner just a few weeks ago. [Editor: I can't say that I'm surprised as I wasn't all that chuffed with the script or the casting of Dermot Mulroney.] (Deadline)

CBS has ordered a pilot for Chuck Lorre's comedy Mike & Molly and is said to be high on Bleep My Dad Says, Team Spitz, Livin' On a Prayer, Hawaii Five-O, Defenders, Chaos, and the untitled John Wells/Hannah Shakespeare medical drama. Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is also reporting that CBS is in talks to renew Ghost Whisperer and Old Christine but that, if talks go South, ABC would step in to pick them up should CBS pass. (Deadline)

Over at NBC, it's looking certain that Kindreds, Garza, and The Cape will all receive series orders before Sunday afternoon rolls around. Sadly, Rex Is Not Your Lawyer is said to be dead at NBC. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed, Deadline)

Sony Pictures Television has signed a new two-year overall deal with Damages creators Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman, and Glenn Kessler. There is still no word on the fate of Damages, which wrapped its third season last month. "We originally planned out five or six seasons between Patty (Close) and Ellen (Rose Byrne), about the relationship between mentor and protege," Kessler told Variety. (Variety)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that producers of 20th Century Fox Television-produced drama pilot Breakout Kings, which FOX passed on after it renewed Lie to Me and Human Target, are shopping the project and have been talking to USA, A&E, and Spike. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that TNT has picked up legal dramedy Franklin and Bash, which was originally developed at sister cabler TBS. Series, from creators Kevin Falls and Bill Chais, stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

TBS, meanwhile, has ordered eight episodes of hour-long period comedy Glory Daze, which stars Kelly Blatz, Callard Harris, Matt Bush, Drew Seeley, Hartley Sawyer, Julianna Guill, and Tim Meadows. Series revolves around a group of college friends in 1980s Wisconsin. Glory Daze was created by Walt Becker and Michael LeSieur; it will likely premiere later this year. (Deadline, Variety)

Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year production deal with Todd Holland and Karey Burke's new shingle, which remains as yet unnamed. "Together we really make one perfect creative person," Holland told Variety. "She has all the skills I don't have: all the network experience, the general awareness of the writer community and the memory of so much TV development. I'm always thinking like a director -- 'What are we doing right now?'" (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Chuck Renewal Still Up in the Air, MTV Orders US Skins Series, Lost, True Blood, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that multiple sources have confirmed to him that NBC will be renewing action-comedy Chuck for a fourth season and that "the show has thus far figured into all of the network’s preliminary plans for its May 17 upfront presentation," with Chuck likely to get a thirteen-episode initial order with the possibility of a full season order still in the cards as well. However, co-creator Josh Schwartz hadn't heard anything regarding a renewal as of yet. "That’s news to me," said Schwartz. "I would urge fans to take nothing for granted..." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

NBC's Angela Bromstad also cautioned fans about reading too much into rumors about Chuck's future and wouldn't confirm that it had been picked up when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "It's our highest performing Monday night show," said Bromstad about Chuck. "We look at it as a very strong player and it's a show that matches up with our new shows. It's too early for me to say for certain as it's a conversation we're going to have next week." (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV has ordered ten episodes of a US version of British teen drama Skins, which is being considered for a January launch at the cabler. Co-creator Bryan Elsley is writing the pilot script and will executive produce with Charlie Pattinson and George Faber. Like its predecessor, this version will feature a cast of mostly unknowns but will be set in Baltimore (rather than the original's Bristol). (Deadline.com, Variety)

New York Magazine's Vulture has an interview with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about the end of Lost, now less than two weeks away. "I think we've been prepared for a long time for the ending of the show," said Cuse. "I think that we feel certain that it was the right decision. We're prepared for it. I think that there will certainly be a mourning period when it's all said and done. It's funny: There's this special feature for the DVDs in which some other show-runners discuss what it's like ending a show. There's an interview with Stephen Cannell [The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero, Wiseguy] who said that he's produced something like 42 television series, for network television, and he never ended any of them on his own terms. We're far more grateful for the fact we're able to do this on our own terms. I think that's the emotion, at least at this moment, that outweighs the other ones." (New York Magazine's Vulture)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that British actress Lara Pulver (Robin Hood) has been cast in HBO's True Blood, where she will play Claudine, a pivotal character that has been likened to Sookie's "guardian angel" or "fairy godmother." She'll recur throughout the third season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Ausiello also reports that Michael Steger (90210) is headed to HBO's True Blood, where he will guest star as Tony, described as "a gay prostitute who gets picked up by King of Mississippi Russell Edgington (Denis O’Hare) because of his resemblance to his current steady, Talbot (Theo Alexander)." He's expected to appear in one episode of True Blood's third season, which launches next month, and may recur in Season Four. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to True Blood's Theo Alexander, who plays gay Greek vampire Talbot, the boyfriend of the 3000-year-old King of Mississippi Russell Endgington (Denis O'Hare), who happens to cheat on his BF with a certain straight male character we've seen so far on the series. "Talbot loves Russell immensely because he’s [his] maker, but like any marriage, it has its ups and downs," said Alexander. "One thing we have a huge fight over is that I always have to stay home. Sometimes I have to straighten him out and take drastic measures to save the marriage." (TV Guide Magazine)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva has her latest roundup of pilot-related buzz. FOX seems high on Terra Nova and Midland, with either Breakout Kings or Ridealong getting the second drama slot; on the comedy front, they're keen on Keep Hope Alive and Wilde Kingdom, with Traffic Light, Breaking In, and Most Likely to Succeed still in the running. Over at NBC, the Peacock is still considering The Cape, Rockford Files, and Kindreds (also possibly Garza), while they're said to be circling comedies Perfect Couples, Friends with Benefits, Next, Beach Lane, and maybe This Little Piggy, which has cooled off recently. At CBS, Hawaii Five-O, Defenders, Chaos and possibly the untitled John Wells/Hannah Shakespeare medical drama are frontrunners. (Criminal Minds spinoff seems mixed, with a possible midseason launch being bandied about.) On the comedy side, the network is high on Mike & Molly, Team Spitz, Bleep My Dad Said, Mad Love and Livin' on a Prayer. Over at ABC, dramas No Ordinary Family, Detroit 187, The Whole Truth, Body of Proof, Off The Map, and Generation Y are all said to be in the running, along with comedies Mr. Sunshine, Happy Endings, Wright Vs. Wrong, Awkward Situations For Men, Who Gets the Parents, It Takes a Village, and the untitled couples comedy. CW is high on Nikita as well as Hellcats, while HMS and Betwixt remain possibilities. (Deadline.com)

Fancast's Matt Webb Mitovich has an interview with Elizabeth Mitchell about the final two episodes of ABC's V. "It could be icy as hell," said Mitchell about the season finale's family dinner between the Evans and the Visitors' Anna and Lisa. "You’ve got Anna, who is this fantastic politician/religious leader, and then you have Erica, who’s in the process of becoming exactly that. So you have two people who are pretty good at the games they’re playing coming face to face. They’re looking for any little chink in the armor, any sign of vulnerability on the other’s part. I thought it was fun to play. I enjoyed working with Morena [Baccarin] tremendously." She also teases two major jaw-droppers in the episode, which is scheduled to air next week on ABC. (Fancast)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck speaks to Daniel Dae Kim about this three favorite Sun-and-Jin moments from Lost. (TV Guide Magazine)

Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that CBS may order Chuck Lorre's comedy Mike & Molly to series as early as this week, rather than wait until announcing at their upfront presentation, scheduled for next week. "CBS is said to have a very short window to pick up the comedy or release it so producer Warner Bros. can shop it elsewhere," writes Andreeva. "It’s safe to say the latter won’t happen." (Deadline.com)

E! Online's Drusilla Moorhouse takes a look at whether the winners of this season of CBS' The Amazing Race cheated by taking a look at the official rule book for the reality adventure series... and determined that brothers Dan and Jordan won fair and square. "As long as Amazing Race teams purchase a coach ticket, a network representative confirmed to us today, they are absolutely allowed to upgrade to first or business class," writes Moorhouse. "The Pious brothers' pretty persuasion is not unprecedented, either: Plenty of other teams in previous seasons have talked their way into fancier seats at the front of the plane—something Race superfan Jordan probably knew." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

TBS' hour-long comedy pilot Franklin & Bash now appears poised to move to sister network TNT, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, while Glory Daze is expected to get a series order at TBS. (Deadline.com)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: TNT Renews Southland, Legend of the Seeker Axed, FX Heads to Outlaw Country, Royal Pains, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

In a surprise move, cabler TNT has ordered a third season of hyper-realistic cop drama Southland, commissioning ten episodes that will launch in January 2011. "Southland is a challenging, visceral show that engages viewers with its immersive style, provocative storylines and complex characters," said Michael Wright, EVP/head of programming, for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, in a statement. "These qualities have made Southland a favorite among critics and appointment viewing for an extremely loyal audience." It's a sign of support from the cabler, which picked up the drama series after it was cancelled by NBC before it had even aired a single episode of its second season. TNT aired the six-episode sophomore season run earlier this year. [It's noted in this Variety article that the median viewer age of Southland--47--is younger than any other series on the channel.] (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that syndicated fantasy series Legend of the Seeker has been cancelled and will not be returning for a third season. "The outlook had been bleak since last March, when many of Tribune Station Group’s markets dropped the syndicated series, which had been developed from Terry Goodkind’s fantasy novels by Hercules/Xena producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert," wrote Ausiello. "ABC Studios, which produces it, kept shopping it around. But, I’m told, they found no takers. So, after two action-packed seasons, Legend is history." Sorry, folks, it's the end of the road for Richard Cypher. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FX is heading back South once more: the cabler has ordered a pilot for thriller/family drama Outlaw Country, written by Josh Goldin and Rachel Abramowitz and executive prodced by Art Linson and John Linson. Project, which has no casting attachments, will revolve around organized crime in the South. Production on the pilot, produced by FX Prods., will begin this fall. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Marcia Gay Harden (Damages) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on USA's Royal Pains, where she will play Dr. Elizabeth Blair, described as "a surgeon, board member of Hamptons Heritage Hospital, and an adversary-turned-mentor to Jill (Jill Flint)." She's set to first appear in Royal Pains' second season premiere, set to air on June 3rd. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that The Amazing Race executive producers Bertram van Munster, Elise Doganieri, and Jerry Bruckheimer are developing a new action-based reality competition series at ABC, entitled Catch Me, details for which are being kept firmly under wraps. Adalian writes that the potential series--thought to still be in the pilot stage--is described as "a heart-stopping reality competition" that will reward contestants who "have an adventurous streak and a poker face." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Freplicate alert: Merrin Dungey (Alias) has been cast in a recurring role on Season Two of HBO's Hung, which returns this summer. She'll play Liz, described as a potential new love interest for Thomas Jane's Ray Drecker who is one of his clients and a highly successful businesswoman. (Deadline.com)

Adam Kane (The Mentalist) will direct the pilot for Syfy's upcoming supernatural series Haven, based on the Stephen King novella "The Colorado Kid." (Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILERS! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to House executive producer Katie Jacobs about what's coming up next on the medical drama, ahead of the sixth season finale next month, and what to expect next season. "Considering the fact that he’s not on Vicodin, things have been going as well as they could possibly go," said Jacobs about House's emotional journey this season. "He’s living with Wilson, and I think that’s helpful. And he’s really making an effort to hold it together. It sort of seems like in every episode there’s a new revelation about how well he really is doing. How is he faring just taking ibuprofen for the pain? Is that working? In episode 17 he was stuck in that room for two hours with David Strathairn and we found out he is in pain. And from now until the end of the season, there’s going to be something that challenges House’s [sobriety] in almost every episode." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Dane DeHaan (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) has joined the cast of Season Three of HBO's In Treatment, where he will play a teenage patient for Gabriel Byrne's Paul. He'll be joined by Irrfan Khan, while Debra Winger has not yet decided whether or not to accept a role. (Dianne Wiest will not be returning.) The series will now be overseen by new showrunners Anya Epstein and Dan Futterman, who replace Warren Leight. (Variety)

Vulture has a quick review of the pilot script for TNT's Untitled Alien Invasion Project, from executive producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Rodat. (New York Magazine's Vulture)

The Wrap's Josh Dickey offer his theory about what the real problem is with American Idol: Glee. (The Wrap)

FOX has ordered a pilot for reality series Panic Attack, in which a group of five participants will face off against the shared fear--whether that be heights, snakes, or spiders--with the help of a pair of therapists, Nik and Eva Speakman. Project hails from A. Smith & Co. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times' Scott Collins and Denise Martin have an article about the songwriters featured on FOX's Glee. "They really worked hard to make it their own," Steve Perry said of the series' use of "Don't Stop Believin'." "It's actually brought people's attention to go check out the original… It's something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime." (The Los Angeles Times)

Jamie Kennedy (The Ghost Whisperer) is set to guest star on Season Four of Syfy's Eureka, where he will play Dr. Ramsey in an upcoming episode that will be directed by Colin Ferguson. Here's how Syfy describes the episode ("The Story of O2"): "Sheriff Jack Carter (Ferguson) leaves Eureka to visit his daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson) at Harvard while the town celebrates Space Week. A new self-propagating oxygen technology developed by Dr. Ramsey in order to potentially colonize on Mars mysteriously begins to build up in the atmosphere above Eureka threatening to incinerate the entire town. The episode is scheduled to premiere Friday, July 30, 2010." (via press release)

Looks like The Transporter is headed to the small screen, with an international production--in English--set to start shooting in Europe and Canada early next year. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: AMC Sets Mad Men Return Date, Scott Porter Returns to FNL, Laurence Fishburne Staying Put at CSI, Lost, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Mark your calendars, Mad Men fans: Season Four of the period drama is set to launch on Sunday, July 25th at 10 pm ET/PT while new drama Rubicon will launch with two back-to-back episodes on Sunday, August 1st at 8 pm before it moves into its regular 9 pm timeslot the following week. "Sunday nights are where you find the best of premium television so it should be no surprise that AMC -- the home of premium television on basic cable -- is stacking our original dramas there as well," said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, in a statement. "We welcome back Mad Men and look forward to introducing Rubicon all on Sunday nights this summer." Rubicon stars James Badge Dale (The Pacific), Dallas Roberts (Walk the Line), Jessica Collins (The Nine), Christopher Evan Welch (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Lauren Hodges (Law & Order) with Arliss Howard (The Sandlot) and Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hollow). (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Scott Porter will be reprising his role as Jason Street in Season Five of NBC/DirecTV's Friday Night Lights. Porter, who will appear in the seventh episode of the season, was last seen during Season Three of the drama series. He'll be joined by fellow former stars Taylor Kitsch and Jesse Plemons and possibly other ex-Friday Night Lights cast members for what is likely the series' last season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd is reporting that Laurence Fishburne has renewed his deal and will remain as the lead of CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation through the 2010-11 season. "In the upcoming Season 10 finale, Fishburne will face off against two serial killers in a battle of wits that will conclude in a life-and-death cliffhanger," writes Hibberd. "One villain is played by Matt Ross (Big Love) in a guest-starring role. The other is Bill Irwin, who reprises his role as Nate Haskell, the Dick and Jane Killer. Also in talks to guest star in the finale, veteran actor Marty Ingels." (Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine talks to Lost and Supernatural star Mark Pellegrino, whose enigmatic character on Lost, Jacob, is set to get some major reveals in the May 11th episode ("Across the Sea"). "Jacob has a lot of darkness and corners we haven’t explored yet, so the differences between him and Lucifer are not as much as you would think,” Pellegrino told Keck. "With these archetypal characters, the boundary between good and evil becomes blurry. Jacob’s on a mission. It’s your judgment as to whether he’s good or bad." (TV Guide Magazine)

BBC America has announced the launch of Season Three of comedy Gavin and Stacey, set for Friday, May 14th at 9 pm ET/PT, the much-delayed premiere of Season Two of Ashes to Ashes on Tuesday, May 1st at 10 pm ET/PT, and the third season premiere of comedy Not Going Out on Friday, May 14th at 9:40 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Brannon Braga (24) has come aboard the Steven Spielberg and Peter Chernin-executive produced FOX drama Terra Nova as showrunner/executive producer, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, who reports that the project--revolving around a family from 100 years in the future who return to a pre-historic Earth overrun with dinosaurs--has been given an unofficial pickup, with 13 episodes ordered. (Deadline.com)

Meanwhile, Michael Ausiello is reporting that Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler has been made a "very lucrative offer" to star in Terra Nova. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Gil McKinney (ER) has been cast in a recurring role on Friday Night Lights, where he is set to appear in at least six episodes as a married graduate teaching assistant in the college history department who falls into a relationship with Aimee Teegarden's Julie. In other casting news, Aisha Tyler and Scott Foley (The Unit) have been cast in CBS comedy pilot Open Books; Foley--who is a regular on ABC drama pilot True Blue--will guest star. (Deadline.com)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams has an interview with V star Logan Huffman about why his character, Tyler Evans, is about to change and why he's the real hero of the series. "There is something special going on with him," said Huffman of Tyler. "To be honest, people don't realize it because it's right in front of their face, but Tyler is a hero. Have you read The Hero with a Thousand Faces? He's the only character that fits every criteria. Almost every famous character does not know who his father is. Luke Skywalker! Those characters have huge hearts, but not much of a brain, and through pain they gain a real soul." (TVGuide.com)

David Hasselhoff is returning to CBS' daytime soap The Young and The Restless after an almost three decades-long absence beginning in June. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Donnie Wahlberg (Boomtown) has been cast in a two-episode story arc on TNT's upcoming drama series Rizzoli & Isles, opposite Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander. He'll play Sgt. Joey Grant, Rizzoli's childhood friend who now serves as her boss. Series premieres in July. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has given a pilot presentation order to animated comedy Heel about "a man and his sociopathic dog who is jealous of his owner's family," from writer/executive producer Chris Cluess, Reveille, and Machinima. (Variety)

Elsewhere, FOX renewed Cops for a 23rd season. (Hollywood Reporter)

The premiere of Matt Smith-led Doctor Who on BBC America scored an average of 1.2 million total viewers, a record-setting telecast for the digital cabler, as well as a record for adults 25-54 (0.9). (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

TNT has shot a pilot for reality adventure project The Great Escape from executive producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "The show, which has a MacGyver-flavor to it, puts ordinary people in extraordinary movie-like situations challenging them to escape using only their everyday skills, team work and what they can find around them," writes Andreeva. Project shouldn't be confused with Michael Bay and Magical Elves' own adventure project, One Way Out, which is being shopped to networks. (Deadline.com)

Starz has begun to reorganize its management under recently installed president/CEO Chris Albrecht, with EVP of development Bill Hamm now out at the network and several others expected to receive pink slips. Former HBO executive Carmi Zlotnik is expected to join the pay cabler. (Variety)

Elsewhere, The Wrap's Josef Adalian takes a look at why Albrecht is shaking up the management structure at Starz and offers some rationale as to why Hamm may have been axed. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a two-year overall deal with Fringe executive producer Jeff Pinkner, under which he will remain on board the FOX sci-fi drama as co-showrunner and will develop new projects for the studio. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Paula Malcomson to Sons of Anarchy, Seth Gabel Lands Fringe, Chris Fedak Talks Chuck, Star Wars, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that Paula Malcomson (Caprica) has been cast in an eight-episode story arc on Season Three of FX's Sons of Anarchy, where she will play a character named Maureen. Sons of Anarchy is expected to return to FX's lineup in September, with production slated to begin in roughly three weeks' time. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Seth Gabel (Dirty Sexy Money) has joined the cast of FOX's Fringe. Gabel will play the lead Fringe Division investigator in the alternate universe and is slated to make his first appearance during the season's two-part finale, airing May 13th and 20th, and could, according to Ausiello, also recur next season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The second half of Maureen Ryan's mammoth interview with Chuck co-creator Chris Fedak is now live at The Chicago Tribune. In this section, they talk about the plot twists from last night's episode--originally planned as the season finale--and what else is coming up on the next six episodes. "We looked at the 13 episodes as going from the low point of Chuck and Sarah’s relationship – that his decision to be a spy [potentially would] fundamentally change who she thinks he is, [going] to the point in Episode 13 that Chuck, even though now he is a spy and now a hero and can do amazing things, he’s still the same guy," Fedak told Ryan. "At the core of Chuck, he is still the guy that she originally fell in love with." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Lucasfilm is developing another Star Wars series but--shocker!--this time it's as an animated comedy. No network is currently attached to the project, nor is there an episodic count yet. Project will be written by Brendan Hay, with Seth Green and Matthew Senriech--of Robot Chicken fame--serving as consultants on the project, which will be directed by Todd Grimes and produced by Jennifer Hill and which will "look at the saga's characters with a playful and irreverent tone." (Variety)

Sharon Lawrence (Curb Your Enthusiasm) has been cast in Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller's CBS comedy pilot Hitched, where she will play the prim and nosy mother of Kristin Kreuk's Rachel, who has recently gotten married. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has pulled comedy Sons of Tucson from its schedule, effective immediately, and will burn off remaining episodes of the low-rated series this summer beginning June 6th. Network will fill the Sundays at 9:30 pm ET/PT slot with American Dad. Additionally, FOX confirmed that the series finale of 'Til Death will air on Sunday, June 20th. (Variety)

ABC has given a series order to game show Downfall, from FremantleMedia North America, in which contestants must answer trivia questions while perched on the top of a skyscraper, from which their winnings could be thrown off of if they lose. Project, which has been received an unknown episode commitment, will be executive produced by Scott St. John. (Hollywood Reporter)

Southland producers are still in the dark about the fate of the TNT cop drama series. "The actors are on hold and there's a cutoff date in June by which they have to be notified," producer Christopher Chulack told Variety. "We're hoping for a decision in mid-to-late April." [Editor: fingers crossed.] (Variety)

NBC has ordered second seasons of its three newest reality series offerings, The Marriage Ref, Minute to Win It, and Who Do You Think You Are, all of which will return at some point during the 2010-11 season with Ref getting a 13-episode pickup while the latter two have been renewed for ten episodes apiece. (Variety)

Elsewhere, the Peacock has cut back on its commitment to freshman medical drama Trauma, which will now only produce 18 installments this season rather than the previously announced 20 episodes. Trauma will wrap its season on Monday, April 16th as a result. (Futon Critic)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to V stars Scott Wolf and Laura Vandervoort about what's coming up on the ABC sci-fi series, which returned last week with the first of eight episodes. "We start to see a Chad Dekker who has his better senses telling him that it's time to start paying attention to what might really be going on," Wolf said about his character, Chad Decker. "Once his skepticism and fear take hold, he has to figure out where to go because he can't just run away from the Visitors, but he also can't keep running in the dark. He is really playing both sides, waiting to see who's going to win." (TVGuide.com)

USA has announced their development slate, which includes projects from Steve Carell, Thom Hinkle and John Michael Higgins, Aaron Jorsh, Becky Hartman Edwards, Gay Walch, Mark and Robb Cullen, Gail Gilchriest and Kevin Murphy, Steve Stark, and others. (Variety)

ABC is looking to lend a hand to its Friday night reality series Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution by pulling this week's planned episode of Wife Swap and instead airing a repeat of last week's Revolution in the 8 pm hour, according to The Wrap's Josef Adalian. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to Desperate Housewives creator/executive producer Marc Cherry about the identity of the Fairview Strangler, offering up six possible suspects in the ongoing murder plot, which will be resolved on April 18th. (TV Guide Magazine)

More drama on Wisteria Lane. Former Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan has sued executive producer Marc Cherry, ABC, ABC Studios, and Touchstone Television for $20 million, claiming that she had been physically assaulted by Cherry on the set of Housewives and, when she complained, was fired. "While we have yet to see the actual complaint," said ABC Studios in a statement, "we investigated similar claims made by Ms. Sheridan last year and found them to be without merit." (Hollywood Reporter's THR, Esq.)

ABC has pushed back the launch of its romantic comedy Romantically Challenged--starring Alyssa Milano--by a week, to Monday, April 19th. (Futon Critic)

Gillian Zinser (90210) will star in MTV original telepic The Truth Below, which recounts "teen angst and betrayal on a disastrous ski vacation" that leaves four friends trapped under an avalanche. Project, shooting this week in Calgary, is written by Wendy Diane Miller and directed by Scott Glosserman. (Variety)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Hugh Laurie's Gregory House and Olivia Wilde's Thirteen will find themselves at a Renaissance Fair on the April 19th episode of House. "[Thirteen] is always tough and not particularly girly, but in this episode she shows she likes to have fun and play dress-up," Wilde told Keck. "The Renaissance had their hierarchy, and I’m not very high up. I think I’m a wench!" (TV Guide Magazine)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: DirecTV Could Save Damages, Chris Fedak Talks Chuck, Lost Post-Finale Plans, True Blood, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that the fate of FX's serpentine legal thriller Damages, set to wrap its third season in two weeks' time, is in the hands of DirecTV. "Multiple sources confirm to me exclusively that Sony is talking to DirecTV’s 101 Network about partnering on a possible fourth season of Damages," writes Ausiello. "The cost-sharing arrangement would be similar to the one DirecTV and NBC forged with Friday Night Lights, which means future seasons of Damages would air first on DirecTV with a second window on FX." An unnamed source further tells Ausiello that Sony Pictures Television began talks with DirecTV after it became untenable to maintain financing Damages on its own and the studio has engaged in talks with other outlets as well. Both FX and Sony refused to comment for the story. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a fantastic interview with Chuck co-creator/executive producer Chris Fedak about the remainder of the third season, the series' chances at a fourth go-around, and Brandon Routh's Daniel Shaw. "I’m very happy with [it]," said Fedak about Chuck's third season. "We’re very excited by the way we’ve structured this season. It starts out with some darks spots in the season, we have gone dark, we’ve tested the premise of the show, especially with "Chuck Versus the Final Exam," which aired last Monday. And [Monday's] episode, "Chuck Versus the Other Guy" -- all these episodes are really kind of testing the premise of the show, testing the idea of what we can do on the show. But from the perspective of the overall season, I think that we’re going to a really neat place and we’re having a lot of fun with it. We’re very excited that we’re able to tell such a dynamic story this season. But in truth, [it is] dynamic and also challenging." [Editor: It's a great and lengthy interview, so be sure to read through to the end. Lots of great moments.] (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

In other Chuck-related news, I was so sad to miss this weekend's Chuck panel at WonderCon in San Francisco. But if you--like me--missed out on the festivities, you can ready ChuckTV's in-depth panel report. You'll feel just like you were there, I promise. "Because they already had one season finale (3.13) written before learning that they had another six episodes, they essentially got to have two season finales in one season," writes ChuckTV's Mel. "Chris [Fedak] reiterated that no one is safe." (ChuckTV.net)

Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse will be sitting down with ABC's Jimmy Kimmel for an exclusive hour-long postshow special, entitled Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost, where they will be joined by many cast members from the ABC Studios-produced drama series, which is set to end its run on May 23rd. Plus, ABC has promised that they will be airing alternate endings to Lost on the special as well. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin, The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has an exclusive first-look at True Blood's werewolf Alcide, played by One Tree Hill's Joe Manganiello, shown in a shot from Season Three alongside Anna Paquin's Sookie Stackhouse. "There is definitely some [sexual] energy between the two of them," True Blood's executive producer Alan Ball told Ausiello. "It’s not like either one of them is looking for romance, but they’re thrown into several intense situations [and] it’s hard not to bond on a deeper level." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Los Angeles Times' Irene Lacher has an interview with Damages' Lily Tomlin, the latest in the paper's Sunday Conversations series. "I don't see any difference, really," said Tomlin about shuttling back and forth between comedy and drama. "It's just a matter of style or degree. And I've listened to Marty [Short, who plays the Tobins' devious lawyer], and he has the same point of view. You're just going to try to represent the human who's written on the page." (Los Angeles Times)

The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd takes a look at several "on the bubble" series at the broadcast networks, including ABC's FlashForward and V, NBC's Chuck, Heroes, Parenthood, The Marriage Ref, and Law & Order (Hibberd says that Mercy and Trauma are basically DOA), FOX's Human Target and Sons of Tucson, CW's One Tree Hill and Life Unexpected, and CBS' Cold Case, Numbers, Ghost Whisperer, Medium, Accidentally on Purpose, Gary Unmarried, and Old Christine. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting update: Tisha Campbell-Martin (Rita Rocks has been cast as a regular on ABC comedy pilot Wright vs. Wrong, where she will star opposite Debra Messing and will play the stylist to Messing's political pundit Evelyn Wright; Duane Martin (All of Us) has come aboard Paul Reiser's NBC comedy pilot Next, where he will play Reiser's best friend, a restaurateur; Jonathan Slavin (Better Off Ted) has been cast in CBS comedy pilot Team Spitz; Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris) has been cast in NBC comedy pilot Our Show; and Dejan Loyola (The Troop) has landed a role in the CW drama pilot HMS. (Hollywood Reporter)

For Slavin, the casting is formally in second position to "Ted."

The Futon Critic is reporting that TNT will launch Jason Lee-led drama series Memphis Beat (formerly known as Delta Blues) on Tuesday, June 22nd at 10 pm ET/PT, behind the second season premiere of HawthoRNe. Later during the summer, the cabler will launch Season Two of Dark Blue (in August, specifically) and Rizzoli & Isles. (Futon Critic)

BET is said to be close to a deal to resurrect canceled CW comedy series The Game and is expected to announce the pickup at its upfront later this month, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, who writes that the majority of the comedy series' cast will be returning for this new iteration and that Salim Akil will take over showrunner duties from his wife, Brock Akil, now a consulting producer on ABC's Cougar Town. (Hollywood Reporter)

Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with former My Name is Earl writer/producer Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, under which she develop new series projects for the studio while joining an existing NBC series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Showtime Renews "Jackie" and "Tara," MTV Axes "The Hills," Ricky Gervais to "Curb," Mary McDonnell Returns to "The Closer," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Huzzah! Just a few days after returning Nurse Jackie and United States of Tara to the lineup, pay cabler Showtime has handed out series renewals to both comedies, ordering twelve-episode third seasons for both, which will begin production later this year. "Showtime is enormously proud of these two series starring two of the best actresses working today," said Showtime President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. "Both are iconic shows for our brand and our thanks to the dedicated producers, cast, and crews who work so hard to make them so great. Edie Falco's portrayal of the fierce Jackie is another extraordinary example of her range and brilliance, and recent Emmy and Golden Globe wins for Toni Collette in her tour de force role as a woman with multiple personalities put her in a class by herself. Strong women will continue to rule on this network for a long time to come." (via press release)

Sayonara Heidi and Spencer! MTV has opted to cancel its reality series The Hills after six seasons. The series, which originally starred Lauren Conrad, fell sharply in the ratings after Conrad left. The final twelve episodes of The Hills begin April 27th. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin is reporting that Larry David has approached Ricky Gervais about appearing on a potential eighth season of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. David indicated that he should know about the fate of Curb within the next month or so but that he's already working on some ideas and has approached Gervais about a guest appearance on the improvised comedy series. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica) is set to return to TNT's The Closer during the series' sixth season, where she will reprise her role as Captain Sharon Raydor. McDonnell is set to appear in at least five episodes and will, according an unnamed insider, "create situations that come between Brenda and Pope." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

SPOILERS! Grey's Anatomy creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes has written a teaser for the "game changing" season finale of Grey's Anatomy while guest blogging at Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files and offers several spoilers that are leading up to a major "game changer." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Syfy has given a pilot order to live-action comedy Saved by Zeroes, from creator/star Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), Sony Pictures Television, and Happy Madison. Rosenbaum will star alongside Jonathan Silverman; they will play "two friends, former actors on a science fiction show that has since developed a cult following, who have hit rock bottom and must work together to get their lives back on track." Project is loosely based on Rosenbaum's real-life experiences. "Through drugs and drinking, (the characters played by Rosenbaum and Silverman) didn't save money and, years later, the only thing they have left are the conventions, all they've got are their loyal, devoted fans," Rosenbaum told Nellie Andreeva. "Our show is not about being in the business, it's about being out of the business; it's the 'Non-tourage.' We're the losers you want to see back on top." (Hollywood Reporter)

Don Johnson is in talks to star in ABC comedy pilot Southern Discomfort, where he will play "a tough, hard-core conservative Texan whose life is turned upside down when his grown kids move back in." Project has also cast Steve Talley (American Pie Presents Beta House), who will play Johnson's oldest son, described as "a slacker who kissed off a baseball scholarship to pursue writing." (Hollywood Reporter)

Executive news we can all be happy about: Nikki Finke reported that FOX Entertainment will keep Kevin Reilly at the helm for another three years, following the successful closing of a new deal. (His current deal wasn't set to expire until July but the network wanted to lock him in now.) (Deadline)

FOX will pair Hell's Kitchen with new culinary competition series MasterChef beginning July 29th. The latter, executive produced by Gordon Ramsay, will feature Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliot Bowles. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Pilot casting updates: Terry Kinney (The Unusuals) has been cast in CBS cop drama pilot The Line (also known as ATF), where he will play "a bank robber who is a poet, philosopher and sociopath." Elsewhere, Thomas Middleditch (Splinterheads) has been cast in Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller's CBS comedy pilot Hitched, where he will play the best friend of a newlywed couple (Kristin Kreuk and Jack Carpenter). (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, Jon Bernthal (The Ghost Writer) has been cast in AMC zombie drama pilot Walking Dead, where he will play Shane, the outgoing partner to cop Rick Grimes (as yet uncast); Brandon Routh (Chuck), Hal Linden (A Kiss at Midnight), Amir Arison (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Tina Majorino (Big Love), and Kevin Michael Richardson (The Cleveland Show) have all been cast in TBS' hour-long comedy In Security; Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (Eyes), Reed Diamond (Dollhouse), and Dana Davis (The Nine) have landed roles on TBS comedy pilot Franklin and Bash; and Tim Jo and Josh Brener have joined the cast of period fraternity comedy pilot Glory Daze. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian takes a look at whether NBC is going to be able to turn itself around, pointing to some stability in the schedule, improving ratings, and some new series--like Parenthood and The Marriage Ref--that are plugging some holes. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

After 27 years, UK's ITV has opted to cancel long-running cop drama The Bill, citing plummeting ratings despite a revamp last year and a change to a new timeslot. At least 90 jobs will be lost from the cancellation while ITV plans to use the savings--worth several million pounds sterling--to invest in shorter-form drama in the 9 pm hour, including a medical series from writer Peter Bowker (Occupation) and a drama from Anthony Horowitz (Collision). "The Bill has been a fixture on our screens for more than 25 years and has been the home of some of the UK's best serial drama storylines, and a great showcase for terrific scriptwriting and fine acting talent," said Peter Fincham, ITV's director of television, channels and online. "But times change, and so do the tastes of our audience. Whilst The Bill will come to an end in 2010, we will continue to invest more in drama programming than any other commercial broadcaster in the UK and viewers can look forward to a wide range of high quality drama on ITV1." (Guardian)

In other UK television news, Suranne Jones (Five Days) will star opposite David Tennant in BBC One's four-part drama series Single Father. She'll play Sarah, the best friend of the deceased wife of Dave (Tennant), whom he falls for while attempting to raise his four children after the death of his wife. (BBC)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Michael Vartan's Dr. Tom Wakefield will become romantically entangled with Jada Pinkett Smith's Dr. Christina Hawthorne this season on TNT's HawthoRNe. "We get it on very early," Vartan told Keck. "I think it’s a good time for this to happen because you never know how long a show’s going to run, so go full steam while you can." (TV Guide Magazine)

Michael Tolkin (Nine) is developing two drama projects with Marti Noxon and Dawn Parouse's Grady Twins production company, including a NBC drama he's writing with Noxon about a musician with a jealous manager, and an untitled FX drama about a family in the midst of a world apocalypse. (Variety)

TV Guide Network has acquired rerun rights to Showtime's dark comedy series Weeds, which is produced by Lionsgate Television--which just happens to be a co-owner of the cable network. Weeds is likely to launch on TV Guide Network this fall, where it will be join such off-network acquisitions as Curb Your Enthusiasm and Ugly Betty. (via press release)

Bunim-Murray Prods. has been acquired by French company Banijay Entertainment in a deal said to be in the eight-figure range. Jonathan Murray will remain in place as chairman under the terms of the deal, along with president Gil Goldschein. (Variety)

Wipeout executive producer Matt Kunitz has signed a two-year deal that will keep him based at Endemol, overseeing ABC's reality series Wipeout, and developing new broadcast and cable programming for the reality giant. He's hired Rebecca Shumsky as creative executive as part of his new deal. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Ridealong: An Advance Review of Season Two of TNT's "Southland"

While NBC tonight presents its latest drama Parenthood (you can read my advance review here), TNT is set to go head-to-head with the Peacock by launching Season Two of Southland tonight in the same timeslot.

Given that NBC axed Southland last year after committing to a second season of the series, it will be very interesting to see how the Ann Biderman-created cop drama does on cable and up against the Peacock's latest series offering... and I am sure that NBC's executives will also be looking at the numbers to see whether they made the right or wrong decision to cut Southland from its schedule.

Personally, I think NBC made its decision based on fear and reacting to the fact that Southland struggled after launching with boffo numbers... and the fact that the series, executive produced by John Wells, was a sprawling cop drama where the good guys don't always win and some of them would appear to be just as messed up inside as the criminals they're chasing. I give TNT credit for seeing just the strengths of Southland and taking the series to cable, where it doesn't seem quite as alone as it did among a sea of of spinoff procedurals.

Season Two of Southland begins tonight and finds the series' mix of detectives and uniformed officers grappling with a slew of changes. There's a time jump between last season's finale and this season's opener and the series doesn't draw too much of a breath before revealing just what happened to Russell (Tom Everett Scott) at the end of last season, a reveal that leads Lydia (Regina King, once again transcendent) in the lurch and with a new hotshot partner, Rene Cordero (Amaury Nolasco), who claims to be well-connected upstairs.

Likewise, the tenuous partnership between Ben (Benjamin McKenzie, himself the silent moral center of the series) and drug-addicted John (Michael Cudlitz) is once more put to the test by Ben's worries that his partner is overusing prescription medication to compensate for his back problems. And Ben is further tested when he visits a gruesome crime scene in the March 9th episode ("Butch and Sundance") and can't shut off the images he's seen... nor explain just what he's feeling to his sister or her civilian friends.

McKenzie and King's storylines are the two strongest thus far in the season and offer some emotional meatiness to the visceral atmosphere that the series excels at. However, I'm less than engaged with an overarching drug storyline that enmeshes Kevin Alejandro's Nate Moretta and Shawn Hatosy's Sammy Bryant. It cuts a little too close to The Wire territory, but isn't handled with the same intelligence, poise, and awareness. (It's a comparison that's made all the more palpable by the inclusion of Avon Barksdale himself, Wood Harris, playing a drug kingpin masquerading as a legitimate businessman here.)

Still, having seen the first two installments of Southland's six-episode second season, I can say that I'm along for the ride, if only to see just what happens to such memorable characters as Ben Sherman, John Cooper, and Lydia Adams... and Arija Bareikis' Chickie Brown, who finds herself in a hell of a tight spot after the events of last season.

Her new partner? A lazy cop nicknamed The Slug. In a city as dangerous as Los Angeles, you're only as good as your backup and Chickie--just like her fellow officers--might just find herself in some boiling water in these first two episodes.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Season Two of Southland begins tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on TNT.

Channel Surfing: Grace Park Heads to "Hawaii Five-O," James Callis Has "FlashForward," Dermot Mulroney Lands "Rockford Files," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Former Battlestar Galactica star Grace Park--most recently seen opposite Benjamin Bratt in A&E drama The Cleaner--is the latest to come aboard CBS' remake of cop drama series Hawaii Five-O, starring Alex O'Loughlin and Daniel Dae Kim. Park will play Kona Kalakaua, who is the niece of Hawaii State Police detective Chin Ho Kelly (Kim) and is described as " beautiful and smart champion surfer who is about to graduate from the police academy when McGarrett (O'Loughlin) recruits her to join his team." Meanwhile, Park's former Cylon co-star Tricia Helfer has joined the cast of TNT's Dark Blue, which returns later this year for its second season, as a series regular. (Hollywood Reporter)

SCIFI Wire is reporting that James Callis (Battlestar Galactica) has signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's FlashForward, where he will play a mysterious character whom producers are keeping under wraps. "I don't actually want to tell you anything about the character, because he's a really exciting, unusual character," executive producer/showrunner Jessica Borsiczky. "So I think it's going to be fun for the audience. He's going to be involved with Olivia's trajectory ... some of Olivia's journey." (SCIFI Wire)

NBC has landed its lead for its remake of The Rockford Files. Dermot Mulroney (Flash of Genius) has joined the cast of the David Shore-executive produced drama pilot, where he will play private investigator Jim Rockford, a role played in the original series by James Garner. Project, from Universal Media Studios and Carousel Television, is written by Shore, who will executive produce alongside Steve Carell. (Variety)

[Editor: Additionally, if you're looking for information about the current Paley Festival, you can check out my recap on Friday's Modern Family panel here and Saturday's Lost panel here.]

Jordana Spiro (My Boys) will star opposite Becki Newton in NBC dramedy pilot Love Bites, from writer/executive producer Cindy Chupack, Universal Media Studios and Working Title Television. Spiro will play Frannie, described as "a sarcastic career bridesmaid who is sick of being single." Her best friend is the virginal Annie, played by Newton. They are the only two series regulars as the series will be a loosely connected anthology of modern romance. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Janeane Garofalo has been cast in Hannah Shakespeare and John Wells' untitled CBS medical drama opposite Amy Smart and Rachelle Lefevre. Project, written by Shakespeare, follows a mobile medical team that travels the country and helps the less fortunate. Garofalo will play chief nurse/operations manager Angel, described as "the backbone of the organization, she can tell you who’s where, what’s where, and everything in between. Angel never loses her cool and is always compassionate toward those who need help." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other pilot-casting news, Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) has been cast in Michael Dinner's CBS drama pilot ATF, where he will play an ATF agent who chases down dangerous criminals and raises his estranged teenage daughter. His former co-star, Joely Richardson, meanwhile has landed the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's ABC legal drama pilot The Whole Truth, where she will play Kathryn Pearle, a successful Manhattan prosecutor.

Elsewhere, David Walton (100 Questions) has been cast in NBC comedy pilot Perfect Couples, Eric Close (Without a Trace) has joined the cast of CBS drama pilot Chaos, Nicole Sullivan (Rita Rocks) has been cast in CBS comedy pilot Shit My Dad Says, Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad) has landed a role in CBS comedy pilot Team Spitz, Jacob Vargas (Moonlight) has been cast in CBS drama pilot The Odds, Joel David Moore (Avatar) has joined the cast of NBC comedy pilot Nathan vs. Nurture; and Amber Tamblyn (The Unusuals), Kenneth Mitchell (Ghost Whisperer), Sam Witwer (Smallville), and David Giuntoli (The Deep End) have landed the leads in CBS drama pilot Quinn-Tuplets. (Hollywood Reporter)

Anne Son (ER) has been cast in ABC drama pilot Generation Y, according to series creator Noah Hawley. (Twitter)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a two-year overall deal with director/executive producer Danny Cannon (Dark Blue, The Forgotten), under which Cannon will continue to work with Jerry Bruckheimer Prods. as well as develop new material for the network. He'll next direct the pilot for the CW action drama Nikita. (Variety)

ABC has ordered a one-hour recap special for drama FlashForward, which it will air on Tuesday, March 16th at 10 pm ET/PT (it will pre-empt The Forgotten), two days prior to the return of the sci-fi series. The special, entitled FlashForward: What Did You See?, will recap the first ten episodes of the ABC Studios-produced drama. (Futon Critic)

NBC has renewed its musical competition series The Sing Off for a second season. No premiere date has been given. (Hollywood Reporter)

TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant has an interview with Rules of Engagement star Patrick Warburton, in which he says that he feels like the Sony Pictures Television-produced comedy has been discounted over the years and should get the chance to launch in the fall with most other network series. "This show grew," said Warburton about the upcoming season. "All of a sudden, it just got really fun. The scripts were great and ... the cast has a lot of chemistry. It's what half-hour TV is supposed to be: It's got some laughs and it's entertaining, and I think it's relatable." (TVGuide.com)

Craig Robinson (The Office) will host the upcoming return of NBC's Last Comic Standing, which returns to the schedule this summer for a seventh season. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC One has commissioned one-off drama Atlantis, starring Reece Ritchie (The Lovely Bones) and Stephanie Leonida (MirrorMask), which will recount the legend of Atlantis and the civilization's destruction, which many believe was based around the real-life eruption of a volcano in the Aegean Sea which flooded Crete, created massive tsunamis, and destroyed the island of Thera. (BBC)

Vivica A. Fox will join Carrie Ann Inaba and Chris Harrison as part of TV Guide Network's red carpet coverage of the Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7th. (TVGuide.com)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Lost" Series Finale Date Revealed, FOX Has Had "Conversations" with Conan, "Doctor Who," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and announced that the series will wrap its run on Sunday, May 23rd. "The reason I think that anybody even cares about Lost is that we announced an end date three years ago," said Cuse. "We are eternally grateful to [Steve McPherson] to end the show on our own terms and I think that made all the difference in terms of Lost being the show that it still is." (Hulu)

Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen has an interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about some of the more specific plot points from last night's season premiere of Lost. As it's not yet aired everywhere yet (UK gets it on Friday), I won't quote anything from the piece but urge you instead to check it out. (Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch)

FOX's Rupert Murdoch has acknowledged that it has had "conversations" with Conan O'Brien about hosting a latenight show at FOX but said that no real negotiations have gotten underway. The comments were made by Murdoch as part of his quarterly earnings call with investor. "If the programming people can show us we can do it ... and make a profit, we would do it in a flash," said Murdoch about O'Brien. He went on to say that he was "sure there have been some conversations" but "no real negotiations" had taken place. (Hollywood Reporter)

Doctor Who Magazine has revealed the titles for the first three episodes of Matt Smith's run on Doctor Who, set to premiere this spring on BBC One and BBC America. New showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat has written the first two installments, entitled "The Eleventh Hour" (fitting given Smith's status as the Eleventh Doctor) and "The Beast Below." These will be followed up by the third episode, entitled "Victory of the Daleks," and written by Mark Gatiss. Other writers confirmed for the fifth season of Doctor Who include Richard Curtis, Gareth Roberts, Chris Chibnall, Simon Nye, and Toby Whithouse. (via Digital Spy)

HBO is developing an untitled political drama that revolves around a "young political aide and his relationship with his idol--the former President of the United States." Project, from Leverage, will be written by Ben Schwerin and executive produced by Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg, and Doug Ellin. Separately, the pay cabler is also developing a project with executive producer Tim Gibbons that will be based on Pamela Des Barres' memoir "I'm With the Band." Zooey Deschanel is attached to star. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert: Billy Gardell (My Name is Earl) has been cast as the male lead in CBS comedy pilot Mike and Molly, from executive producer Chuck Lorre. Elsewhere, Harish Patel (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) has been cast in NBC comedy pilot Nevermind Nirvana, where he will play the father of two adult Indian-American children. (Hollywood Reporter)

Futon Critic is reporting that the fourth and final season of Saving Grace will return to the TNT schedule on Monday, March 29th with back-to-back episodes beginning at 9 pm ET/PT before it moves into its regularly scheduled timeslot of 10 pm ET/PT the following week. Southland, meanwhile, will wrap up its second season on Tuesday, April 6th. (Futon Critic)

The CW has ordered pilot presentations for dramas HMS and Hellcats and a full pilot for supernatural drama Betwixt. HMS, from writer/executive producer Amy Holden Jones and executive producer Hayden Panettiere, follows the freshman class at Harvard Medical School. Hellcats, from writer/executive producer Kevin Murphy and executive producer Tom Welling, is set within the highly competitive world of college cheerleading. Betwixt, from writer/executive producer Elizabeth Chandler and executive producer Paul Stupin, follows "'changelings' in an urban setting who are responsible for saving humans from evil." All three are being produced jointly by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, CBS ordered a pilot for drama ATF, from writer/director Michael Dinner, about "an ATF agent who hunts down the most dangerous criminals while trying to balance life as a dad to his teenage daughter who has re-entered his life." Project, from Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Studios, will be executive produced by Dinner, Sarah Timberman, and Carl Beverly. Also on tap: a pilot order for drama The Quinn-tuplets, based on an Israeli series about five adult siblings who have had their entire lives documented on film. Project, from CBS Television Studios, is written by Mike Kelley and Chris Kelley (Swingtown). (Hollywood Reporter)

Looks like Oprah Winfrey isn't quite ready to leave behind her daytime talk show. Winfrey's nascent cable network, OWN, which launches in January 2011, will air Behind the Scenes: Oprah's 25th Season as a weekly primetime series that will depict the behind-the-scenes goings-on at the syndicated daytime talk show and focus both on Winfrey and other staffers. OWN also announced four additional series in development: Kid-napped, based on a British reality format about kids who force their working parents to spend time with them by taking away their Blackberries and mobile phones; Miracle Detectives, which follows a real-life believer and skeptic as they investigate mysterious incidents; Search, which follows people as they attempt to track down people from their pasts in order to find closure; and Sentenced, about real women in prison. (Variety)

CTV isn't waiting for CBS to announce an airdate for the co-produced drama series The Bridge, starring former BSG cast member Aaron Douglas. CTV will launch the series on Friday, March 5th at 9 pm with a two-hour premiere before shifting the series to its normal timeslot at 10 pm the following week. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Idina Menzel to Tackle "Glee", Zach Levi Talks "Chuck," ABC Scores Date with "Conveyor Belt of Love," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Former Wicked star Idina Menzel is in advanced talks to join the cast of FOX's Glee in a recurring role when the series returns in March with its back nine episodes. Menzel, who will play the coach for the glee club's main rivals, Vocal Adrenaline, could potentially appear in all nine remaining installments this season. [Editor: personally, given the strong resemblance between Menzel and Lea Michele, I figured producers would get her to play Rachel's biological mother. Unless...] Menzel will also be joined by Spring Awakening's Jonathan Groff who, as previously reported, joins Glee in a multiple-episode story arc and is slated to appear in five or six episodes this spring. (Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Meanwhile, E! Online's Megan Masters has some details about what we should expect from Glee's back nine episodes. "I don't know if Glee starts back after a school break, but it's basketball now," Corey Monteith tells Masters. "Finn Hudson is the captain of the basketball team." And look for more music, according to Kevin McHale. "There are more songs per episode than the first 13, so it's more work, but it's fun. It's all different genres, the most eclectic so far.... There are classic songs that I never thought we'd be able to do by big, famous bands—oldie, classics, very well-known bands that we're going to Gleeify." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams gets ten fantastic questions with Chuck star Zachary Levi about Season Three of the NBC action-comedy, which (finally!) returns to the schedule on January 10th. "We found out late about the six episode pickup, so the writers had already molded and created the 13-episode arc," said Levi when asked about the late-in-the-game six-episode additional order. "We couldn't try to fit six episodes into that without screwing everything up, so now it's six episodes that stand on their own in a lot of ways. They'll still be coming off of and informed by these 13 episodes, but it won't be a part of the bigger arc. I know that it will be its own mini arc... This season we've gotten to do some international travel with the show, taking it out of the domestic United States of America; that's been fun. I think maybe we'll try and do more of that. I know that everyone will continue to progress with the characters and the relationships." (TVGuide.com)

ABC has ordered reality dating series Conveyor Belt of Love, in which 30 single men are given a minute in front of 5 women and then rolled long on a conveyor belt, and will debut the format as a special on January 4th, following the season premiere of The Bachelor (full title: The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love). Series, from Endemol and executive producers Tom Shelly and Alex Duda, might represent a new low in the already sensationalized dating genre. (Hollywood Reporter)

Hugh Laurie will direct an upcoming episode of FOX's House, which will air this spring. "I am thrilled, daunted and honoured – with a ‘u’ – by this new responsibility," said Laurie in a statement. "House scripts are Fabergé eggs, and I will try my very hardest not to drop this one on a stone floor." According to executive producer Katie Jacobs, the episode Laurie is directing is "very intense and truly a director’s piece." (via press release)

ABC has given the 8 pm Thursdays timeslot (formerly home to FlashForward) to 20th Century Fox Television's six-episode legal dramedy The Deep End. It's expected to premiere in January, with some speculating that the series will debut on January 14th (that night will feature a crossover between Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice), while others contend that it will launch the following week, on January 21st. ABC has yet to indicate scheduling for its other midseason drama entry, Happy Town. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe, Variety)

Pilot casting alert! Alfre Woodard (Three Rivers) has been cast opposite Jason Lee in TNT drama pilot Delta Blues, where she will play a "formidable new lieutenant who tries to exercise her power over Dwight (Lee)" in the George Clooney and Grant Heslov-executive produced pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Additionally, Kate Micucci (Scrubs) has been cast in Greg Garcia's FOX comedy pilot Keep Hope Alive, where she will play a character described as "an unkempt, fairly oblivious cousin of Jimmy (Lucas Neff) living in a tent in the laundry room of their great-grandmother's house." The role was originally written for a male actor and named Mike. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, is about a single dad who must raise his infant daughter with the help of his family after the baby's mother, with whom he had a one-night stand, winds up on death row. (Hollywood Reporter)

FX has ordered a second season of The League, with thirteen episodes set to air beginning in late summer 2010. (Televisionary)

ABC has given a pilot presentation order to The Six, a US adaptation of long-running Russian game show What? Where? When? from Merv Griffin Entertainment. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has given a script order for an untitled multicamera workplace comedy spec script from writer/executive producer Matt Goldman (Seinfeld). Project, from Sony Pictures Television and Tannenbaum Company, follows a man "who tries to make a comeback, both personally and professionally, while working at a dysfunctional company for a woman he dumped five years ago." (Hollywood Reporter)

Oprah Winfrey's nascent cable channel OWN has signed a deal with independent documentary distributor Roco Productions for a monthly documentary showcase on the cabler and possible theatrical releases. (Variety)

ITV executive Natalka Znak, who co-created and executive produced such UK reality hits as Hell's Kitchen and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! has been hired by RDF USA as executive vice president. She will assume her new role beginning in April. (Hollywood Reporter)

Discovery Channel SVP Gena McCarthy has left the network. While no reason was given as to why McCarthy stepped down from her position, reports indicate that it might be related to structural reorganization at the cabler. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: FX Renews "Sons of Anarchy," BBC Renews "Merlin," BBC America Sets "Doctor Who" Special, "True Blood" Lures Two, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

On the heels of Tuesday night's second season finale, FX has ordered a third season of Kurt Sutter's biker drama Sons of Anarchy, with thirteen episodes on order for September 2010. Additionally, the cabler has signed a two-year deal with Sutter that will keep him on board Sons of Anarchy as the showrunner/executive producer. "This has been a wonderful ride and we're just getting started," said Sutter in a statement. "I'm really proud of the work by our incredible cast and crew. The response this season from the fans and critics has been terrific and I can't wait to get back to the writer's room and start on season three." (via press release)

BBC One has commissioned a third season of Shine Television-produced medieval drama Merlin. "With its mix of magic, adventure and humour Merlin is perfect Saturday-evening family television, and we are thrilled that Shine Television will be creating a new series for BBC One," said Controller, Drama Commissioning Ben Stephenson. "I'm looking forward to seeing what adventures our popular young wizard, and his friends in Camelot, will go on in series three." (BBC)

BBC America has announced that it will air Doctor Who: The End of Time, Part Two on Saturday, January 2, a day after the BBC One broadcast. Special marks David Tennant's final appearance as the Tenth Doctor. (via Twitter)

Two more actors have landed recurring roles on Season Three of HBO's True Blood. Theo Alexander (Chuck) will play Talbot, described as the "intensely beautiful" vampiric boyfriend of the Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington (Denis O'Hare), while Grant Bowler (Ugly Betty) will play werewolf Coot, described as "the menacing ringleader of a biker gang." (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

It's official: Comcast and GE have announced that they have reached a deal on NBC Universal, with Comcast controlling a 51 percent stake in NBC Universal in a joint venture with General Electric. Jeff Zucker will head up the new joint venture and will report to Steve Burke, Comcast's COO. Broadcasting & Cable's Claire Atkinson has a fantastic breakdown of the key elements of the transaction between the two entities. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Over at The Wrap, Josef Adalian has created an insightful and intelligent list of "Five Things Comcast Must Do to Save NBC," now that the deal between Comcast and General Electric has been officially closed, pending federal approval. "The once-proud Peacock in recent years has become the poster child for those who believe the network TV business model is just a few heartbeats from extinction," writes Adalian. "Before today's announcement, more than a few pundits wondered aloud whether you might simply chuck NBC altogether. But let's assume you're not ready to give up on the notion of broadcasting. Let's imagine you still think there's value in owning a brand with 70 years of history and entry into just about every home in America." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

HBO is developing drama project Honest, about a man who goes on the run, from writer/executive producer Eric Simonson (Hamlet) and executive producers Carolyn Strauss and Dan Halsted. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert! Abraham Benrubi, Celia Weston and DJ Qualls have been cast opposite Jason Lee in TNT drama pilot Delta Blues, from executive producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov. Weston will play the mother of Lee's cop/Elvis impersonator Dwight; Qualls will play Dwight's protege on the Memphis police force; Benrubi will play Sgt. J.C. Lightfoot, described as a "6-foot-5 Caucasian man with a braided ponytail who is only one-eighth Chickasaw but lives by his tribe's wisdom and dispenses sage quotations to the rest of the Memphis detectives." (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Cougar Town co-creator/executive producer Bill Lawrence about the upcoming guest appearance by Courteney Cox's former Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow in the January 6th episode. "They didn’t want to play friends,” Lawrence told Ausiello. "She plays a dermatologist who is a horrible, horrible person, but [Cox] goes to her because she’s the best. The [sight] of them playing people who dislike each other intensely was very funny for me to watch." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has given a pilot order to an untitled sketch comedy series (which is also being referred to as Inside Jokes) from Merv Griffin Entertainment and executive producer Kevin Connolly (Entourage). Pilot, which is shooting this week, will be hosted by Cameron Bender and feature Mary Scheer, Jay Phillips, Carrie Wiita, Paul Schackman, and Lauren Rose Lewis. (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV has announced that it has renewed The Hills for a sixth season (despite plummeting ratings following the departure of Lauren Conrad) and The City for a second season. (Variety)

UK fans of True Blood are in luck as FX has picked up Season Two of HBO's vampire drama series and will launch the second season in February. (Digital Spy)

Kevin Pollak has been named the host of FOX's upcoming reality competition series Our Little Genius, which launches Wednesday, January 13th before moving to its regular timeslot of Tuesdays at 9 pm ET/PT the following week. "I've been a fan of Kevin Pollak's work for many years. His incredible humor, intelligence and quick wit are all perfect additions to an incredibly dynamic format," said executive producer Mark Burnett. "He instinctively knows when to add seriousness and when to add humor. I am so glad he has joined the Our Little Genius team." (via press release)

E1 Entertainment will join forces with Company Pictures co-produce the US version of British teen drama Skins, which has a pilot pickup at MTV. (Broadcast)

CBS Television Distribution has sold daytime talk show Swift Justice With Nancy Grace into daily syndication and has cleared the programming in nearly all 50 top markets. Series, which will be stripped as back-to-back half-hour installments, will debut in fall 2010. (Hollywood Reporter)

Investigation Discovery has renewed On the Case With Paula Zahn for a second season. (Variety)

NBC Universal Television business affairs executive Rick Olshansky has departed the company in a move said to be unrelated to the Comcast/GE deal, with Variety's Michael Schneider indicating that he is leaving "as much of his oversight has been taken over by NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios chairman Marc Graboff." (Variety)

Stay tuned.