Channel Surfing: NBC Renews "30 Rock" and "The Office," Daniels Still Mulling "Office" Spin-off, Hopkins Scrubs in on "Private Practice," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

By the hammer of Thor! Good news for fans of 30 Rock and The Office: NBC has renewed both series for the 2009-10 season, which means that we're guaranteed a fourth and sixth respective season of each. Given 30 Rock's comedy win at this week's Golden Globes (and well-deserved statuettes for stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin), I would have been gobsmacked if NBC hadn't ordered an additional season of the critically beloved series. (press release)

Unfortunately, there's no news of the fate of ratings-challenged but critically loved NBC series Chuck and Life, which weren't mentioned in NBC's renewal announcement (which also included another season of The Biggest Loser).

And there's even worse news for fans of ABC's Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Eli Stone. According to Kristin dos Santos' sources, the Alphabet won't be airing the remaining episodes of either series until June at the earliest. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Bryan Fuller is said to be contemplating a feature film version of Pushing Daisies but as co-star Kristin Chenoweth, recently cast in NBC pilot Legally Mad, told me and several other reporters on Tuesday, Fuller would only do it if all six of the series' leads signed on... and they are prepared to do so! "I'm sure that Bryan Fuller wouldn't do it without the six main characters," said Chenoweth. "Paul Reubens was a big part of it and we have certain guest stars that are standouts that we'd want back. But he has such a great idea for it [and] we all want to [do it]."

Scott Bakula (Enterprise) has been cast in Chuck as Chuck and Ellie Bartowski's estranged father; he'll first appear in an episode slated to air in April. "Chuck made a promise to his sister, Ellie, that he was going to find their dad in time for her wedding," co-creator Josh Schwartz told Michael Ausiello. "And it's something that Chuck becomes consumed with pursuing during the second half of the season. But when he finds him, he's not necessarily a guy who wants to be found. He's living in a trailer, he's disheveled, he's paranoid and he's claiming constantly that Ted Roark [Chevy Chase] -- who he used to work with -- stole all his ideas from him. And Ted Roark has now become this super-successful software billionaire, and Chuck's dad has become an eccentric, living in the shadows."(Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Elsewhere at the Peacock, NBC announced launch dates for four new series: Kings on March 15th, Southland (formerly known as Police and even more formerly known as LAPD) on April 9th; the Untitled Amy Poehler/Greg Daniels Comedy on April 9th, and reality series Chopping Block on March 11th. (press release)

Hugh Bonneville (Bonekickers) has been cast in NBC dramedy pilot Legally Mad, opposite Charity Wakefield and Kristin Chenoweth. Bonneville will play Gordon Hamm, a partner at the law firm and the father of Brady (Wakefield) who is going through a bit of a midlife crisis. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, that spin-off of The Office (not to be confused with the untitled Amy Poehler/Greg Daniels comedy) could still be in the works. "It's not possible, physically, for me to be involved in it right this second, but I'm talking to people over at The Office about another idea, and [The Office's British creator] Stephen Merchant came back and directed an episode of The Office so were were talking about the idea," said Greg Daniels at yesterday's TCA panel. "It's possible that some combination of other Office people could produce it without my giving blood for it." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

NBC has reduced the episodic count for freshman comedy Kath & Kim to 17 episodes, five installments less than its original 22-episode order. Look for Kath & Kim to end its season on March 12th. (Futon Critic)

Greg Daniels says that he wants Amy Ryan to return to NBC's The Office as Holly Flax. Ryan will hopefully appear in the season finale of The Office and could return next season as well. "She will come back," Daniels told Michael Ausiello. "We haven't written it yet, but we're discussing her coming back for the season finale. We're hoping she'll be available... Because [Michael and Holly] have such a deep connection, I don't think she can blow in and out every so often. It would be too hard for him as a human being. So, we're hoping to find some very significant things for them. And if we can get her to sign on for a really long period, we'll do it." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

And, finally, Lipstick Jungle isn't quite dead just yet. "We officially have not canceled Lipstick Jungle," said Universal Media Studios' Angela Bromstad. "I think there are alternatives we may look into. It's all a conversation for the fall." (TV Guide)

Lifetime has ordered twelve episodes of dramedy Drop Dead Diva, about a wannabe model who, after a fatal car accident, is reincarnated in the body of an overweight lawyer. Project, starring Brooke Elliott and from writer/executive producer Josh Berman (Bones), will launch this summer. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX is said to be close to ordering two drama pilots: Maggie Hill, from writer/executive producer Ian Biederman, EXPs Brian Grazer and David Nevins, 20th Century Fox TV, and Imagine, about a female cardiac surgeon battling schizophrenia; and Human Target, based on a DC comic about a shady security expert who goes undercover to protect clients, from executive producer McG and writer/executive producer Jon Steinberg (Jericho). (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Josh Hopkins (Swingtown) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Private Practice, where he'll play a surgeon with whom Addison strikes up a flirtation... or, well, more than a flirtation in five episodes this spring. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS has given a cast-contingent pilot order to comedy Tick Tock, about a 30-something single mom who attempts to focus her attention on finding love. Project, from writer/executive producer Bill Kunstler (The War at Home), will be produced by CBS Paramount Network Television. (Variety)

Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia!) has been cast in at least one episode of CBS' The Big Bang Theory, where she will play Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, Leonard's mother and an acclaimed brain researcher. (TV Guide)

TNT has ordered six additional scripts for freshman drama Leverage. (Hollywood Reporter)

Ronald D. Moore talks about Battlestar Galactica spin-off prequel series Caprica. (Variety)

Ugly Betty's David Blue has been cast in Sci Fi's Stargate Universe, the latest iteration in the franchise, opposite Robert Carlyle. Blue will play "Eli Wallace, a total slacker who just happens to be an utter genius with anything he puts his mind to -- mathematics, computers, video games. A lack confidence has left him with an acerbic sense of humor." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Also cast in Sci Fi's Stargate Universe opposite Carlyle and David Blue: Justin Louis (Hidden Hills), Brian J. Smith (Hate Crime), and Jamil Walker Smith (Sister, Sister). (Hollywood Reporter)

Everybody Loves Raymond executive producer Phil Rosenthal has been keeping busy. He's currently developing three HBO projects--comedy The Jeannie Tate Show, drama Random Family, and a telepic about the 1960s Freedom Riders--and has sold a series to the Beeb. (Hollywood Reporter)

Grant Show is said to be open to returning to the new iterations of either of his old haunts, namely 90210 or Melrose Place. But he does have one condition: he wants to rekindle his short romance with Jennie Garth's Kelly Taylor. "“That would be the only angle that would be really interesting,” said Show. “They never really explored that in enough depth.” (E! Online)

Stay tuned.

"Deal With It, Cate Blanchett!": "30 Rock," "John Adams," and "Mad Men" Among TV Winners at Golden Globes

Is it just me or was it positively inspirational to see 30 Rock rack up so many statuettes last night at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards?

The NBC comedy, which many predicted would be canceled as soon as it launched, racked up three awards including Best TV Comedy, Best Actress in TV Comedy (Tina Fey), and Best Actor in a TV Comedy (Alec Baldwin), all three of the categories in which it was nominated. Likewise, HBO's miniseries John Adams cliched all seven awards in all of its nominated categories (go Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, and Tom Wikinson!) and Mad Men took home the top spot for TV Drama... even though series leads Jon Hamm and January Jones were cruelly overlooked for their superlative performances this season.

What did I think of the awards and what burning questions do I still have? Let's discuss.

I'm not quite sure why Jeff Zucker looked quite so displeased when 30 Rock took home the award for Best TV Comedy but the man could barely muster a smile for the comedy series' first Golden Globe best series win, despite the fact that it airs on NBC. I loved that Alec Baldwin had to whisper to Tracy Morgan to remember to thank Zucker but, having given a stink-eye like that, don't look for Zucker to get many more kudos from Fey and Company in the future.

Was it just me or was Morgan's acceptance speech for 30 Rock's win the very best acceptance speech of all time? Sure, my heart melted to see Kate Winslet win not just once but twice last night (after years of going home empty-handed) and Sally Hawkens' shocked I love you's were absolutely adorable, but Morgan brought down the house with his tongue-in-cheek (and stream-of-consciousness) speech.

"Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for the show from now on," said Morgan. "Welcome to post-racial America. I’m the face of post-racial America. Deal with it, Cate Blanchett!"

Um, wow. I was rolling on the floor.

Second best acceptance speech then has got to go to 30 Rock producer/star/writer Tina Fey:



"If you ever start to feel too good about yourself, they have this thing called the Internet, and you can find a lot of people there who don’t like you. I’d like to address some of them now. BabsonLaCrosse, you can suck it. Dianefan, you can suck it. Cougar-Letter, you can really suck it, because you’ve been after me all year." (If she had worked in "by the hammer of Thor," she'd have clinched the best speech.)

Was anyone else shifting uncomfortably in their seats when Baldwin mentioned his daughter Ireland and how she makes him laugh at home?

I was really upset that Anna Paquin took home the award for Best Actress, TV Drama over the vastly overlooked January Jones. I was thrilled that the HFPA finally recognized that amazing talents of Jones, who along with the other women of Mad Men typically seem to be absent from the awards races... so what was up with Paquin's win for True Blood? Could things be shifting back in HBO's favor once again? (And, to my friends at HBO, congratulations on sweeping awards.)

Did anyone notice a man climbing over a wall during NBC's ludicrously awkward red carpet pre-show? What was up with that?

I keep forgetting that Kate Winslet is married to Sam Mendes... and not Leonardo DiCaprio.

Loved that Laura Dern thanked Recount writer Danny Strong (a.k.a. Jonathan from Buffy) during her acceptance speech and made a political statement ("I will cherish this as a reminder of the extraordinary, incredible outpouring of people who demanded their voice be heard in this last election so we can look forward to an amazing change in this country.") to boot.

How hysterical was Ricky Gervais last night as he poked fun at the Hollywood Foreign Press for not nominating him for Ghost Town and bemoaned the lack of gag reels on Holocaust films? If there's one person you can rely on to crack some off-color jokes and make everyone stop drinking and eating for two seconds to pay attention, it's Ricky. (Whereas I thought that Sasha Baron Cohen's jab at the breakdown of Madonna and Guy Ritchie's marriage went a little too far over the line.) And I thought that his way of getting everyone's attention was a hell of a lot more funny than Jennifer Lopez ("Mama's talking"). Genius.

All in all, another reminder of why the Globes are a boozy, unpredictable affair where anything can happen and a lively antidote to the more staid, predictable, and at times painfully slow Emmys and Oscars.

A full list of the winners of last night's 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards can be found here.

(No) Sex and the City: Liz Heads to the Brooklyn Bridge on "30 Rock"

Ah, 30 Rock, I've missed you. There really is nothing better than to head into the weekend with the zany antics of the TGS crew.

This week's episode of 30 Rock ("Senor Macho Solo"), the first of 2009, was no exception, as the plot careened from character to character, with all of our leads getting equal weight.

Let's see: Liz mistakenly went on a date with Stuart (guest star Peter Dinklage) after thinking he was a child and ruffling his hair; Tracy tried to get his wife Angie to sign a post-nup agreement but ended up getting it on everywhere from Jack's desk to the, well, hallway; Jenna tried to audition for the role of Janis Joplin in a new Sheinhardt-Universal produced biopic; and Jack discovered a lump on his testicle and fell in love with his mother's nurse Elisa (guest star Salma Hayek).

All this, plus a fantastic allusion to the recent Sex and the City movie that had Liz and Stuart agree to meet up on the Brooklyn Bridge. What more could you want?

I was glad to see that the writers haven't dropped the Liz adoption storyline and that babies are still very much on the mind of our beloved Ms. Lemon (after all, she's stealing babies' shoes left and right) and that--in true Liz Lemon fashion--she not only told a baby girl to follow the gender inside of her and unwittingly agreed to go out on a date with Stuart ("what?") after she ruffled his hair outside Radio City Music Hall. Rather than admit that she believed he was a child from behind, Liz finds herself dating the UN delegate as part of a mommy complex. (The way she pulled him back from the "fire" was hysterical.)

The Jack cancer scare could have been mawkish on another series but here it served a narrative purpose: to get the "senor macho solo" Jack to admit that he didn't want to die alone and that his original plan to die involved "a McFlurry machine and a video tape of risqué commercials from overseas" may have been an oversight. This quickly pushes him into the arms of Elisa, who between drying off Colleen and hosting her niece's quinceanera, has also fallen for her employer's charms.

What worked for me? Liz and Jenna's baby conversation in which Jenna admitted she was sleepy; Liz saying "cat sound" instead of, well, making one; the solid gold shoes and money suits; Jenna as Janis Joplin getting freaked out by the "iron birds" in the sky; the post-nup calling for Angie to get $8500 if Tracey leaves her for the "chunky chick from Hairspray"; Stuart living under a bridge; the picture of Jenna on a windy day on Access Hollywood; Elisa admitting that "authoritative rapid Spanish subdues white people" including both Colleen and Jack; Jack ordering "a cup of hot water with a chicken bone in it and a bowl of salted ice cubes" for his date rather than the Tasting Menu; Kenneth performing "Top That" from Teen Witch; Liz and Stuart both showing up on the Brooklyn Bridge, just like Miranda and Steve. (Really, I could go on and on.)

The weakest element of the episode, I felt, was the Tracy-Angie storyline but I'm willing to overlook it as it helped spur Jack into Elisa's arms by the end of the episode. Also, the positive/negative lab results gag with Tracy has been done to death already but these were minor quibbles about yet another hilarious and quotable episode of 30 Rock.

Best line of the evening: "You can’t fight synergy, Lemon. It’s bigger than all of us." - Jack

Next week on 30 Rock ("Flu Shot"), Liz tries not to catch the flu; Jack is being selective about which crew members get to receive vaccinations from Dr. Spaceman (guest star Chris Parnell); Liz refuses a flu shot, championing for the rights of the crew; Jack is forced to get creative in order to spend time with Elisa (guest star Salma Hayek) as she is working seven days a week.

Channel Surfing: Fresh Hamm on "30 Rock," NBC Finds "Soundtrack," HBO and John Wells are "Shameless," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

The first appearance of Mad Men's Jon Hamm on NBC's 30 Rock is slated for February 5th. As previously reported, Hamm will join the cast of 30 Rock in a three-episode arc where he will play a new love interest for Liz Lemon (Tina Fey). Let's just hope their relationship goes a lot smoother than Don and Betty Drapers, huh? (The Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Holy British format import! HBO, Warner Bros TV, and writer/executive producer John Wells (ER) are developing a US version of Channel 4's Shameless, created by Paul Abbott (State of Play). Series follows the lives of the members of the rough-and-tumble Gallagher clan, headed up by lovable alcoholic/drug addict patriarch Frank, living on a public housing estate in Manchester. The sixth season of Shameless launches in the UK later this month; Season Seven is slated to air in 2010. (Variety)

NBC has ordered a script for one-hour music drama pilot Soundtrack from writer Jared Bush (Still Standing). Project, from Universal Media Studios and Mosaic TV, will follow the life of a man whose day-to-day interactions are accompanied by the music in his head, which begins after he loses his job and his ex-girlfriend gets engaged. (Variety)

Christine Lahti (Jack & Bobby) and Johnny Sneed (Unhitched) have been cast opposite Emily Roe in USA's 90-minute medical drama pilot Operating Instructions, to be directed by Andy Tennant (Hitch). Lahti will play Commander Helen Keller, the hospital's administrator who quickly clashes with Rachel (Rose); Sneed will play Captain Will McKay, the hospital chief's medical officer who may share a past with Rachel. Already cast: the previously reported Nick Zano and Diana Maria Riva. But, really, a character named Helen Keller? (Hollywood Reporter)

Cabler TNT is said to be close to making decisions on which pilots will be handed series orders, with one or two getting the greenlight. Men of a Certain Age, created by and starring Ray Romano, is said to be a top contender. Also in the running: Jerry Bruckheimer's cop drama The Line, starring Dylan McDermott, and medical drama Time Heals, starring Jada Pinkett Smith. (Variety)

TLC has given a series order to docusoap NASCAR Wives, following the lives of women who are married to famous NASCAR racing legends. Cabler will air a one-hour special of the series on January 24th, will a full season to follow in the spring. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lifetime has allegedly pulled the plug on The Amazing Mrs. Novak. The pilot of the US version of British mini The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, which starred Amy Pietz and Kristin Dattilo, will not be ordered to series. Among the purported reasons for opting not to hand out a series order: John McCain and Sarah Palin's failed presidential bid and the scandal involving Illinois governor Rod Blagojivich. Governors are, apparently, personae non grata right now. (Variety)

Wes Chatham (Barbershop: The Series) has joined the cast of CBS' The Unit in a recurring role; he'll play Sam, a new recruit to the team who also happens to be its youngest member. Chatham's first episode is slated to air in March and it's said that Chatham will "find himself at the center of an intense Bourne/Bond-style action sequence." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Macrovision has agreed to sell its TV Guide assets--including the TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com--to Lionsgate for $255 million. Deal is likely to close by February 28th. (USA Today)

Stay tuned.

Top TV Picks of 2008

As it's nearly the end of the calendar year (only a few more days to go, in fact), I figured now was as good a time as any to look back at some of the shows that that have entertained and inspired me over the past year.

It's been a crazy year, between the WGA strike affecting everything from truncated freshman seasons for Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Chuck, delayed seasons for FX's Damages and HBO's Big Love (and a host of others), and a generally frantic development season that only saw two relative hits emerge this fall.

So, what were the favorite series in the Televisionary household? Which left me wanting more... and which ones made me eager to change the channel? Find out after the jump.

Best Reality Series:

Top Chef
The Amazing Race
Flipping Out

Top Chef remains my number one reality obsession. Bravo and Magical Elves have done themselves proud with this sleek, slick production that makes the art of cooking into a nail-biting competition in which egos clash, visionaries emerge, and the judges knock the competitors down a few pegs each week. While those of us at home can't taste the food being prepared, the aura of creativity around this series is more than enough to sate us.

Despite some creakiness in The Amazing Race's format (this most recent cycle won't go down as the most entertaining iteration of the series), this reality franchise remains one of the most consistently high quality unscripted productions around... if the casting directors do their job right. I'm still engaged with the ride but I was hoping for a bit more out of this most recent season, given that one of the main reasons I tune in is for the interpersonal element, seeing which teams emerge stronger than ever after running this gauntlet and which crumble under the pressure.

Flipping Out remains one of the most gripping and tense hours of television around... and also one of the most bizarre. Its breakneck second season had boss Jeff Lewis installing a nanny cam in his office to spy on his employees, the dissolution of Jenni and Chris' marriage, and the Client From Hell which lead to Jeff quitting, not once, but twice over the course of the season. Flipping Out might nominally be about the Los Angeles real estate market (and speculative buying) but it's about some of the quirkiest characters ever to be drawn on the small screen and I just can't look away.

Reality Series Most in Need of Fixing:

Project Runway

Given the current legal battle over the future of the series (producers the Weinstein Co. tried to take it to Lifetime), it seems like the most recent season of Project Runway will be the last for some time (or until that case is tried)... and I have to say that I found it to be pretty lackluster as the contestants seemed more apt to making each other (and themselves) cry than wowing us with any sartorial finesse. And overall the competition seemed overshadowed by Kenley's tantrums. A series with that many seasons under its belt should know better and it's likely that it will be the last one I end up watching.

Best British Imports:

Doctor Who
Skins
Gavin & Stacey

In its fourth season, Doctor Who remained just as entertaining and exciting as ever, even as it introduced the Doctor's latest companion, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate, who originated the role in the 2006 Christmas Special, "The Runaway Bride"), easily the most heartbreaking character on the revival series. In a season that saw the return of three prior companions (including fan favorite Rose Tyler), it's the sacrifice that Donna makes that adds a sheen of loss and tragedy to this rip-roaring sci-fi adventure series. And its season finale altered the landscape of Doctor Who, featuring a final battle with some ancient enemies in the form of the Daleks and Davros and a bittersweet ending that had our Doctor (David Tennant) off on his own once again, just as he finally found a traveling companion who might have been his very equal.

Like a bolt from the blue, Skins has shown its devoted audience just what the teen drama genre is capable of, deftly turning out plots ranging from eating disorders and love triangles to the death of a parent, unwanted pregnancy, and teenage mortality. It also gracefully juggled a wide array of well-drawn characters that were alternately cruel, kind, funny, bitter, sly, witty, stupid, and gifted (often all at the same time) but who always remained sympathetic. At times laugh-out-loud funny and utterly traumatic, Skins redefined drama for the under-18 set while also remaining completely relatable to those of us who have left our teen years behind.

No romantic comedy has ever achieved the level of bittersweet emotion that Gavin & Stacey has managed to acquire. What started out as a simple love story between strangers--Essex lad Gavin and Welsh lass Stacey--transformed into a touching portrait of disparate national identities, the problems facing today's twenty-something lovers, and, well, omelettes. It's a rare thing to find a series that makes you laugh as much as it does make you cry, but Gavin & Stacey--created by co-stars Ruth Jones and James Corden--effortlessly achieves both ends with a wit and flair all its own.

Best British Import (Yet to Air in the States):

Ashes to Ashes

The sequel to the cult hit Life on Mars (which wrapped its series very early on in 2007 and thus gets an honorable mention), Ashes to Ashes follows a single mum forensic profiler who, after being shot in the head in 2008, finds herself seemingly sent back in time to 1981, where she encounters Gene Hunt, the New Romantics, a terrifying phantom Pierrot clown, and a mystery that involves the death of her parents. Can she figure out a way to return to her daughter in 2008 and cheat death? Both funnier and scarier than Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes breathes new life into this franchise, which seemed to come to an end with John Simm's Sam Tyler. US audiences can catch this fantastic series beginning in March on BBC America.

Biggest Letdown from a Once Great Series:

The Office

I'll be blunt: The Office used to be one of my very favorite series but watching this sodden comedy has become more of a chore than a pleasure. While Amy Ryan's Holly Flax seemed to reinvigorate this comedy for a bit, her six-episode arc quickly came to an end and has left The Office at a bit of a loss this season. The comedy seems more prone to overwrought absurdity than tweaking humor from the mundane, Jim and Pam irritated me more than ever as a long-distance duo, and the moments of comedic genius, which The Office used to have in abundance, seem ever more isolated. To me, it's not Meredith who needs an intervention, it's The Office itself.

Best Canceled Series:

Pushing Daisies
The Wire

More than any other cancellation in recent television history (save perhaps, Arrested Development), I feel utterly betrayed by that of Pushing Daisies. After launching a nine-episode first season last fall (courtesy of the writers strike), Pushing Daisies should have returned with new episodes in the spring... yet ABC unwisely chose to "relaunch" the series this fall and squandered both the creative momentum and the ratings Pushing Daisies had achieved in its first season. Hilarious, touching, and quirky, Pushing Daisies was unlike anything ever to air on network television and redefined genre-busting sensibilities, blending together supernatural drama, romance, humor, and mystery procedural into one tasty package that was as comforting as a slice of warm apple pie. You'll be missed.

Over the course of five compelling seasons, HBO's The Wire tackled every issue facing today's modern American cities--from corruption and the drug trade to the failing educational systems and underfunded police forces--and did so while juggling a cast of deeply flawed individuals each trying to cope with the lot that fate dealt them. But it was the series' Dickensian aspect that earned it a place in my heart, as it gave equal weight to cops, drug dealers, homeless people, hoppers, politcos, and teachers, creating a memorable fabric of a city on the brink of destruction. Season Five of The Wire may not have been the series' strongest--with an indictment of the media and Jimmy staging a series of homeless serial killings--but it also paid off the series' long-standing storylines in a powerful and memorable way. Likely, there will never be another series as raw and honest as this one.

Best US Comedies:

30 Rock
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Chuck

Consistently belly-achingly hysterical, 30 Rock remains my favorite comedy on television and only seems to be getting better and better with age, even as it remains the most politically-minded program on television today. Not bad for a series that's allegedly just about the goings-on behind-the-scenes at an NBC comedy sketch series. In the hands of creator Tina Fey and her crack team of writers, 30 Rock continues to push the envelope for broadcast comedy, offering well-placed snarky jabs at the media elite, politicians, and pop culture icons while also giving the audience one of the most well-drawn (and realistic) portrait of a 2008 working woman in Liz Lemon. My only complaint: that it can't be on every single week, all year long. Blerg indeed.

Raunchy and provocative, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a raucous laugh riot from start to finish. Set in a low-rent Philly pub owned by a bunch of shallow, self-absorbed, and selfish losers, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows Seinfeld's adage that the funniest characters need not be the most sympathetic. It's the best exploration of arrested adolescence ever to hit the small screen and its absurdist plots--Mac and Charlie faking their deaths, a story about the cracking of the Liberty Bell, a forensic investigation into bed-bound fecal matter--reach to new depths of bizarre depravity and hilarity. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Chuck isn't quite a comedy but it is a series that skillfully manages to conflate comedy, romance, workplace intrigue, and action/adventure into one satisfying thrill-ride each week, all while remaining uproarious and emotionally satisfying. And Chuck has something for everyone: a star-crossed romance between Everyman Chuck (Zachary Levi) and his handler Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), explosions, double-crosses, quirky best friends, and fancy spy technology. In its second season, Chuck has only gotten better: more funny, more gripping, more touching. And I can't wait to see where it takes us next.

Best US Dramas:

Lost
Battlestar Galactica
Mad Men

In its fourth season, Lost seemingly rewrote its own rules, having the fabled Oceanic Six made it off of the island and return to normal society and chucking out its own flashback technique in order to make use of a groundbreaking narrative format in which we now flashed forward, seeing the castaways who made it off of the island adapt to life back home and see Jack (Matthew Fox) come to the realization that they had to go back. A brilliant gambit that paid off in spades, the flash forwards added yet another layer of dread and mystery to a series already teeming with intrigue. Having an end date for the series has invigorated the path to that ultimate end of the franchise and made each and every installment count. Plus, "The Constant," in which Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) travels through time and encounters physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) in his quest to find his lost love Penny (Sonya Walger), remains one of the very best single hours on television this year and a reminder of why Lost breaks nearly every one of television's rules, resulting in a series that anything but predictable.

Halfway done with its final season, Sci Fi's Battlestar Galactica has remained must-see TV for lovers of high quality drama. Despite its setting in the far-flung reaches of space, Battlestar Galactica has remained a series that offers a dark mirror through which to view our own society, offering glimpses through the looking glass at the occupation in Iraq, racial cleansing, religious intolerance, human resistance, political tampering, civil war, and the hard choices governments must make in times of war. Having discovered Earth to be nothing but a radioactive wasteland, the crew of the Galactica--in an uneasy alliance with the Cylon race--learns to their dismay that we must all be careful what we wish for. There's still many mysteries to be solves as we begin the countdown to the series finale and I for one and dizzy with anticipation to see how Ronald D. Moore and David Eick manage to tie everything up.

AMC's Mad Men, which wrapped its second season earlier this year, is one of the most gripping dramas on television, regardless of what period of time it might be set in. Expertly recreating the 1960s with its attendant sexism, racism, and homophobia, Mad Men explores the public and private lives of the era's men and women with equal relish. This season produced some shocking twists, including Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) telling Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) that she gave birth to his child and gave it up for adoption, Betty (January Jones) kicking Don (Jon Hamm) out of the house, Don's trip to California and his rendezvous with the wife of the man whose identity he had stolen, and Peggy finally placing herself on equal footing with Don Draper. But none was more brutally shocking than the rape of Joan (Christina Hendricks), right in the offices of Sterling Cooper, by her supposedly "perfect" fiancé. Terrifying, brutal, and horrifying, the scene showed just how far women had come since then, just how little had truly changed, and just how quickly every vestige of power can be yanked away.

Best New Fall Series:

Fringe

I'll admit it: it was tough to find a new fall series that I could give the term "best" to. After a season that saw many new series strike out, only Fringe and The Mentalist emerged as justifiable ratings hits. Fringe is the far superior series and I'm somewhat enjoying it but I still have huge reservations about the series' choice to use self-contained storylines rather than serialized storytelling. (Additionally, I've twice now offered up suggestions on how to improve the series.) Fringe has an extraordinary amount of potential that I want the series to achieve sooner rather than later but it seems to be suffering in its execution: too much formula and water-treading and not enough layered mythology and trust in its audience.

And there we have it. A sampling of some of my favorites from 2008. As the year rapidly swings to a close, I'm curious to see what your favorite (and least favorite) series were, which shows you can't get enough of, and which ones you're happy to see the back of now.

Letters to Santa: After Getting Scrumped, Liz is a Cranky Sue on "30 Rock"

And that's how you do a Christmas episode.

I'm speaking, of course, about last night's brilliant episode of 30 Rock ("Christmas Special"), written by Kay Cannon and Tina Fey, in which Liz attempts to do something good for mankind by participating in a charity program that pairs disadvantaged kids' letters to Santa with "lonely white ladies" who buy them presents, Jack runs over his mother Colleen (guest star Elaine Stritch) and is forced to spend Christmas with her in New York, and the TGS gang has to put on a last-minute Christmas special.

In true 30 Rock style, the episode featured allusions to nude sunbathing in Rio, Liz putting her foot in her mouth and exhibiting symptoms of mild racism with some non-rapping "rapping Black Santas," and Jack and Colleen singing a duet of "The Christmas Song" after reconciling.

I'll admit that I love it each and every time Elaine Stritch drops by the set of 30 Rock: her Colleen is so acerbic, so embittered and caustic, that she makes Jack seem positively emotionally buoyant in comparison. Plus, I did love seeing Alec Baldwin scramble around attempting to please his overbearing mother, a woman set on reminding her son that he bought her a Chopard watch instead of the Cartier one she wanted and that the damn thing stopped when he ran her over with his car. (More troubling, however, is the fact that he waited eight minutes to call 911 after it happened.) So instead of nude sunbathing in Rio for Christmas, Jack is forced to look after Colleen in New York and finds himself attending to her every whim, responding to her many bell rings, and attempting to repeatedly murder her after her titanium hip replacement. ("They’re giving her a titanium hip, like the Terminator. It’s only going to make her more powerful.")

But I loved that Jack learned that Colleen did make Christmas special for her kids, in her own inimitable way: by pretending to be Mrs. Claus, who in Donaghy family tradition would hang the stockings on the fireplace and prepare cookies for Santa, and by shagging the owner of F.A.O. Schwarz to make sure there were presents under the tree for the kids. Did your heart leap just a little when Jack and Colleen sang together after Jack told his mother that he didn't want her die? Aw.

The Liz/Tracy storyline was also fantastic as Liz thinks she's been scammed after going all the way up to 245th Street and Lawrence Taylor Blvd. with Tracy to drop off presents for the two kids, DaShonte and Marcus, from the Dear Santa letter she picked. After seeing "two dudes" open the door and take all the presents without so much as a thank you, Liz freaks and tries to get the charity shut down by going to a post office five minutes before closing. Why is it whenever Liz does something right, it always ends up turning out badly? Still, Tracy offers her some sage advice to appeal to her guilt: "Well, if all you want is a hug from a black person, maybe you should just host The Price Is Right." Wise words.

What else worked for me? Jenna loudly telling Liz in a crowded store that she wanted to get out of there before someone recognized her; Kenneth calling Liz a "c-word" (ahem, "Cranky Sue"); Grizz and Dot Com sticking to the "boundaries" set forth by their therapist; Jack telling Liz that one of Colleen's suitcases was just wigs; Sue's Christmas present bra; Kenneth's Nigerian friends that he met on the Internet; Jenna being drunk on the "spirit of Christmas" (or just some "cheap, high-proof brandy"); the TGS writing team's guesses on their Christmas presents (frozen steaks, iPod nothings, colorful sweaters); Tracy wanting to buy that little girl jet skis as she'll never grow up to be a doctor; Liz hearing sunshine on the phone and her Nic Cage/Joan Rivers impersonation; Liz calling the postal employee "Trene" instead of "Irene" and then having Irene know Tracy; the past tense of scammed; Jack admitting that every time he hears "White Christmas" he gets aroused.

All in all, a great episode of 30 Rock that also functioned as a warped Christmas episode to remember. And any holiday-themed episode that has near-attempted murder, guilt-based shopping, and a showstopping musical number is trumps in my book. Happy holidays, everyone!

Best lines of the evening: " I’m off to have a real Christmas: fly to Rio, tan in the nude, bet on some monkey wrestling." - Jack

And: "We had a falling out over the Jerry Garcia stamp. I mean, if I want to lick a hippie, I’ll just return Joan Baez’s phone calls." - Jack

Honorable mention: "Those are going to be the happiest poor kids since my brother and I went to Neverland Ranch." - Kenneth

30 Rock returns with new episodes on January 8th on NBC.

"I Want to Go to There": White Haven Witch Liz Heads to Her High School Reunion on "30 Rock"

Ah, 30 Rock. You're always good for several dozen belly laughs after being let down each week after yet another tepid episode of The Office.

Last night was no exception to the rule with the latest episode of 30 Rock ("Reunion"), in which Liz debated the merits of attending her high school reunion and gets dragged there by Jack, reeling from Don Geiss' decision to remain CEO possibly forever, who tags along for some booze when he's stranded in Liz's dry-docked hometown of White Haven. And, oh, we learn that nerdy girl Liz was actually the school bully. (Nice twist, that.) Meanwhile, back at TGS, Tracy is irate when Kenneth gets more laughs than he does in the NBC elevators and enlists Jenna to enact a bitter revenge.

While still a great episode, I do have to say that I enjoyed the first half of "Reunion" more than the latter part, which dragged more than a little with the White Haven stuff after we learned that Liz was a mean girl in high school. Still, even a half-fantastic episode of 30 Rock is better than any other comedy on television right now, so I'll take what I can get.

While 30 Rock has been particularly canny with its stunt casting, I also really enjoy the episodes where it's just our beloved TGS staffers interacting amongst themselves. And while this episode didn't feature the writers room or much in the way of on-set shenanigans, it felt a bit like coming home to me, which was why the reunion segment felt slightly too long. Still, I absolutely adored the scene at the hotel where the clerk explains to Jack which areas of "Little Hanoi" he should avoid now that the neighborhood has been taken over by Vietnamese immigrants.

This week's episode--which featured shoutouts to Outback Steakhouse and Dove Anti-Aging Acne Cream--also proved that 30 Rock knows how to seamlessly work product integration (or, ahem, "product intergortion") into its plotlines and dialogue. (Unlike, that is, The Office, which this week featured painfully obvious product integration mentions for TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory. Ouch.)

I loved the hilarious quarterly report photo shoot with Kathy Geiss in which she posed next to a stuffed unicorn and held an Etch-a-Sketch that read "Kathy=CEO." What else worked for me? Tracy and Kenneth's high school reunion flashbacks (particularly Tracy's, in which a nun tells a hysterical Tracy, "Sir, this is a school for deaf girls!"); Jack wishing there was a Princeton reunion coming up so he could "wipe that smug smile off Michelle Obama's face" and referring to Liz as "vaguely ethnic swan"; Geiss' energy beam vision during his coma which could have been an alien, God, or "an unborn Incan king"; Jenna's delivery of a ham sandwich ("hold the bread") to Kenneth in a page uniform and telling a sobbing Kenneth to "keep crying" so he will never again try to upstage them; Liz's telephone messages; Rob Sussman asking Liz if she still thinks he's "gayer than the volleyball scene in Top Gun."

Guest star alert: Yes, that was The West Wing's Janel Maloney who played Jessica, Larry Braverman's high school sweetheart who, apparently, had a child with him, while Robin Lively (Savannah) played Kelsey and The Hogan Family's Steve Witting played Rob Sussman.

Best line of the evening: "One time I laughed at a blind guy eating spaghetti! Sometimes I pee in the shower if I’m really tired! I saw my grandparents making love once... and I didn’t leave right away!" - Liz, upon believing that the NBC corporate jet carrying her and Jack was about to crash

Which has to be tied with: "Suck it, you whittling IHOP monkeys!"

And... scene.

Next week on 30 Rock ("Christmas Special"), Liz's parents ditch her for a couples-only retreat over Christmas; Liz decides to participate in "Letters to Santa," a charity program that helps underprivileged kids; Jack tries to plan a vacation away from his overbearing mother Colleen (guest star Elaine Stritch) and takes out his frustration on the TGS staff when those plans fall apart; the crew has to throw together a last-minute Christmas special.

Miscounting the Men: Gavin Volure, Professional Voleur, on "30 Rock"

With some of my favorite series being canceled left and right (and others seemingly getting worse and worse), it's at least heartening to know that 30 Rock is still dependably great and consistently funny week to week.

This week's installment of 30 Rock ("Gavin Volure") was no exception and offered up a winning guest turn by Steve Martin--Tina Fey's co-star in this year's Baby Mama--as reclusive (or so it seemed) and eccentric millionaire Gavin Volure. Adding to the humor, of course, is the fact that "voleur" is French for "thief" so Liz and Jack really should have been on their toes a bit more going into their embezzlement/MTV Canada-fueled encounters with Gavin.

The opening scene at Volure's dinner party was priceless, especially as Jack and Liz were for once the most normal people in the room, given the outright creepiness of the other guests, including the scary old society dame and John McEnroe. Loved that Jack is actually the author of some historical fiction novels, including one that looks at what would have happened if Germany had won WWII.

So what worked for me this week? The ongoing gag with the Tracy Jordan Japanese Sex Doll as Tracy believed his kids were looking to murder him now that he's a huge, rich success story after seeing a report on the Menendez Brothers; Liz knowing the location of every good cupcake place in Manhattan; Gavin's odd eccentricities such as spending the day napping, looking at celebrity news on the Internet, and watching TV and the fact that it was all the things that Liz craved, including not having to have sex; Jack's realization that he has a "black thing" for men such as Taye Diggs, Denzel Washington, and Michael Jordan; Kenneth keeping his earnings--including Confederate money--in an old coffee can and looking away from the t-shirt containing the "off-color slogan" of California. (Ha!)

What else? Well, the little things like Pete's huge head not fitting into the helmet for the floor emergency marshal who will combat "fires, terrorist attacks, Cloverfield monsters"; Jack explaining the "weird turn" that Jet magazine, formerly about aviation ownership, took back in the day; Liz's Sunday Styles photo ("I only wore that because the fire alarm went off when I was getting a hair cut"); Gavin treating his jailer Carl as one might an indentured manservant; Gavin proving he went to Canada by offering Liz some Canadian cholesterol medication and a direct-to-DVD Paris Hilton movie; Liz telling Jack that she thought she was helping treat Gavin's agora- and germaphobia by letting him touch her boob during Top Chef. Classic.

But it was that ridiculous and utterly hilarious Sunstream commercial (which made absolutely no sense) that had me rolling on the floor with laughter. It was a cutaway gag that would have worked perfectly on Arrested Development and reminded me just why I love 30 Rock so much.

Is it absurd to think that a convicted racketeer (whatever that may be as Jack and Liz don't seem to know) could masquerade as an agoraphobic millionaire in Connecticut and get away with it as long as Gavin did? You bet, but in the heightened reality of 30 Rock, it's moments like these that make sense AND allow for some nifty guest casting like Steve Martin. I did hope that Martin would have stuck around for a bit just because I would have loved to seen Liz sample high society a little more and find someone just as idiosyncratic as herself. After all, he admits that he would be lying if he said he "never danced with a broom," and she admits that she often calls credit card companies to dispute charges so as not to feel so lonely during dinner. A match made in heaven? Or, as Liz might say, "What the what?"

Best line of the evening: "How can I loosen up? I’m in Connecticut, I haven’t eaten, and I’m stressed about an away toilet situation." - Liz

What did you think of last night's episode? Talk back here.

In two weeks on 30 Rock ("Reunion"), Liz is tormented by the idea of attending her high school reunion but Jack convinces her to go; Don Geiss (guest star Rip Torn) wakes up from his coma but surprises Jack with his declaration about who will be the new CEO; a shaken Jack tags along with Liz to her reunion.

Crazy Putty and the Human Macarena: Claire Stalks Jack on "30 Rock"

Another Thursday night, another fantastic episode of 30 Rock. There are some things in life that are just meant to be and 30 Rock proves that it hasn't lost its kooky charm, absurd humor, or bizarre characters in its third season.

This week's episode ("The One With the Cast of Night Court") proved no exception to the above rule, offering up a deliciously outlandish plot that involved new page uniforms, Liz's former roommate Claire (guest star Jennifer Aniston) stalking Jack, and a reunion of the cast of NBC's Night Court. That the latter storyline is a direct outgrowth of the first is just one reason why I can't help but fall for 30 Rock's oddball nature.

I was initially concerned that Aniston's Claire would steal the focus away from the other characters, but Tina Fey (who wrote this week's installment) and director Gail Mancuso did a fantastic job at juggling the Claire-Jack-Liz storyline and that of Kenneth and Tracy. In fact, I thought that Aniston's Claire (a.k.a. life coach Esmerelda Fitzmonster) was a fantastic addition to the already insane denizens of Rockefeller Center, what with her penchant for "sexy birthday" and "mannequin coming to life"-style surprises. I loved the way that Claire crashed Jack's charity fundraiser for Mee Ow (hee!), pulled off her disguise, and then proceeded to serenade him a la Marilyn Monroe (despite the fact that it wasn't actually his birthday at all), broke into his apartment dressed like a French maid and carrying a white pizza she had prepared, and later stole a policeman's gun and planted in on Jack, all in course of a single episode. Crazy putty indeed.

Liz, meanwhile, tried to distract Claire by taking her out to a new club called Aquarium, where the women stand out in a glass box and the men watch and feed them (thanks for the suggestion, Cerie!), only to have Claire decide to ditch her former friend and hook up with Jack instead. Jack, I have to say, has some very odd taste in women. Sure, he's dated Condi Rice and was married to Isabella Rosselini's insane socialite Bianca, but Claire takes the cake in the crazy department. Despite only having a few scenes together, I absolutely loved the chemistry between Jack and Claire and I sort of hope that Fey will consider bringing Aniston back for a second guest appearance in the future. After all, every successful single businessman like Jack needs a psycho stalker.

What else worked for me? I loved the way that Kenneth folded and saluted his former page uniform, the way that Kenneth's moral outrage at progress led Tracy to say that he wanted to pee on someone, Harry Anderson saying that he wanted to pitch a new character on Heroes whose power is close-up magic, Claire telling Jack that she loved him while having sex in a meat locker, and the Eyes Wide Shut allusion from Kenneth as he admits that the last time he was blindfolded, he was playing piano at a masquerade ball. (Seriously, what other series would reference Night Court and Kubrick in the same episode?)

And while it was great to see Aniston back on NBC, I have to say that I was even more pleased to see Night Court's Harry Anderson, Markie Post, and Charlie Robinson turn up. (We get an excuse for the absence of John Larroquette, though where was Richard Moll, I ask you?) Hell, even Jenna turned up to reprise her role as werewolf lawyer Sparky Monroe (seriously, LOL), a part that paid for her "hand reduction surgery." (You can't make this stuff up.)

And somehow the wacky subplots all ended up coming together as Tracy forces the NBC higher-ups to change back the page uniforms or he'll pull out of playing Mac in the upcoming Night Court feature film... and Liz ended up coming through for Jack once again (despite attempting--unsuccessfully--to delete his number from her phone and deny his call from jail) by bailing him out after his arrest.

All in all, yet another hilarious episode of a series that continues to surprise and impress me with its comedic instincts, unpredictability, and memorable dialogue. Cut to freeze frame.

Next week on 30 Rock ("Gavin Volure"), Jack and Liz are invited to a luxurious dinner party at the mansion of eccentric businessman Gavin Volure (guest star Steve Martin) while Tracy fears for his life when he thinks his kids are being too nice to him.

"I'm Snitting Next to Borpo!": Liz and Kenneth Believe in the Stars on "30 Rock"

I can't tell you how happy it makes me that 30 Rock is back on television after a far-too-long hiatus. I reviewed the second episode of 30 Rock's third season a few weeks back (you can read my original review here) but I once again tuned in last night to catch "Believe in the Stars" for a (gulp!) third time because I just can't get enough of its wickedly absurd humor.

Last night's episode, written by Robert Carlock, brought us something that series creator/star/writer/producer/multiple-hat wearer Tina Fey has been trying to do for the better part of a year: get Oprah Winfrey on 30 Rock. A Herculean task, given Winfrey's busy schedule, but not only did Fey manage to pull it off but Winfrey was so winsome, so funny, and so kooky that it meshed beautifully with the rest of the episode's bizarro charms.

And I have to say that I'm happy that it wasn't actually Oprah whom Liz was sitting next to on that flight, but rather "spunky little tween" Pam, who does manage to successfully mediate the conflict between Tracy and Jenna (from which springs forth a "Freaky Friday social experiment" in which they try to live life in each other's stereotypical shoes) even if she isn't the Great Winfrey herself.

As for how Liz could mistake eighth grader Pam for Oprah Winfrey, well that's down to the lovely drugs that Jack gets Liz to calm her during her flight: namely, Comanaprosil, whose side-effects include "dizziness, sexual nightmares, and sleep crime." (Cue Liz hitting her flying companion in the face and moaning "No, grandma, no" during her flight out to Chicago.)

What else did I love? Liz's successful effort to get out of jury duty by dressing up as Princess Leia and saying that she is telepathic; Tracy's third arrest at a Chuck E. Cheese's in the ball pit ("Do you know who I am?"), not to mention his hilariously stereotypical portrayal of a white woman ("Lipstick!"), albeit with alien claws as the makeup artist ran out of white paint; the faking of Tetherball as an Olympic sport; Jack admitting that he met Jonathan while under the influence of Comanaprosil and believed that his future assistant was in fact M. Night Shyalaman; Jenna and Tracy's shared use of the Adrian Brody/Halle Berry kiss at the Oscars for their own devices; Jack offering Brody to be the voice of KITT in "Knight Rider... the film" (ha!); Kenneth trying to shoot himself in the head in the trapped elevator and then offering to have someone strangle him with his own belt so that the other eight people could survive. Oh, and Tracy saying that he watched Boston Legal nine times before he realized it wasn't a new Star Trek.

But the very best bit had to be the plane conversation between Liz and "Oprah," in which she gushed at her hero, leaned over to smell her hair (Liz later says that Oprah smelled like "rose water and warm laundry"), and launched into a litany of what's wrong with her life, from her efforts to adopt a baby (fraught with peril because "my work self is suffocating my life me.") to the fact that she lost her virginity at 25 and once kissed a girl and camp "but she drowned." (The very best, however, was that when prompted to say what suffers most from women trying to do too much Liz says "bowel movements.")

I also loved "Oprah's" favorite things for the year, which included saltwater taffy from Rhode Island and "sweater capes, Calypso music, paisley tops, high heeled flip-flops that lift up your butt and give you a workout," leading the women of TGS to run off to the mall in search of those very items. (Nice touch with Liz later wearing a sweater cape and chewing on taffy.)

Best line of the evening: "Socioeconomically speaking, you are more like an inner city Latina." - Jack to Kenneth, who says that he is a white man.

All in all, another hysterical episode of 30 Rock that quickly proved that this series isn't going through a third-year slump at all, if the first two installments of the season prove to be true. As for me, I might just have to go back and watch the episode for a fourth time, if only to see Liz as Leia in that courtroom one last time.

Next week on 30 Rock ("The One with the Cast of Night Court"), Liz's former roommate/stalker Claire Harper (guest star Jennifer Aniston) turns up in Manhattan to visit Liz and Jenna and falls for Jack; a depressed Kenneth turns to Tracy for help after being let down over the new page uniforms; Tracy tries to surprise Kenneth with the cast of Night Court.

Noblesse Oblige and Strawberry Mouths: More Thoughts on the Season Premiere of "30 Rock"

I am really hoping that all of you watched last night's hysterical third season opener to 30 Rock ("Do Over"), which was available to screen online a week before the linear broadcast. (My original advance review of "Do Over" and the Oprah-centric second episode "Believe in the Stars" can be found here.)

Naturally, being the obsessive 30 Rock devotee that I am, I rewatched the season premiere again last night (I think for the third or fourth time now) and once again fell under its warped spell. Considering the state of the economy, anxieties over the presidential election, and life in general right now, a dose of 30 Rock's absurdist humor is exactly the panacea we all need right now.

Among the moments I absolutely loved: Tracy shouting "Noblesse oblige" and then giving Frank gold nunchuks and Pete a chinchilla coat (promising a lot of "nice nice" while wearing it) for their work on Tracy's porn video game... and Jenna a coupon for a free hug.

Oh, what else? That Sex and the City-inspired opening, Kathy Geiss touching Jack "in [his] swimsuit area" and putting strawberry lip gloss on her "fancy boy," Bev (guest star Megan Mullally) seeing if Liz's window blind cord is capable of strangling a small child and asking if she runs a webcam from the apartment, Liz's casual (and unintentional) racism, Devon scrambling up those rocks in Central Park after an, um, encounter with two gentlemen and telling Jack that he likes to keep his enemies "so close that you're almost kissing," Jack working his way up from a mailroom position (and getting promoted several times in the course of a single day), Jenna's Tokyo University commercial, and Kenneth's hope that he'll one day meet the three of his nine siblings that were adopted.

Best line of the evening: "This job was all I've ever wanted, Lemon, and now it hinges on how far I am willing to go with a woman in Dora the Explorer panties that were clearly made for an obsese child." - Jack

All in all, a fantastic start for what promises to be another fantastic season of the very best comedy on television right now.

What did you think of 30 Rock's third season return? Talk back here.

Next week on 30 Rock ("Believe in the Stars"), Liz flies to Chicago to get out of jury duty and meets Oprah on the return flight; Tracy and Jenna's feud leads to a "social experiment" to prove whose life is more difficult; Jack finds his morality tested by Kenneth.

Channel Surfing: "Pushing Daisies" In Danger of Wilting Away, Mad Man Hamm Heads to "30 Rock," and More

Happy Halloween and welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. I'm still catching up on television from this week, thanks to a busy social calendar and some LA-based preemptions of CW's Wednesday night series, so look for me to spend much time this weekend catching up.

I got many a worried email from readers last night about Kristin Dos Santos' report about the possibility that ABC had not extended Pushing Daisies beyond its initial 13-episode order. While ABC has yet to make a decision about the fate of the series, producers were told to change their original plan for the second season's thirteenth episode (intended as the first of a two-parter) and make said episode a stand-alone installment to "cover all bases," whether the episode be just the thirteenth episode... or Pushing Daisies' series finale. (And be sure to read this item about what you can do to help the Daisies cause.) (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Don Draper has found somewhere new to hang his hat. Jon Hamm (Mad Men) is said to be in advanced negotiations to appear in a multiple-episode story arc on Season Three of NBC's 30 Rock, where he'll play a potential love interest for our beloved Liz Lemon and possibly her neighbor. (Let's just hope he has better luck with her than Achmed.) (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has ordered a fifth season of American Dad and studio 20th Century Fox Television has signed new overall deals with executive producers Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman to keep them on as showrunners on Season Five. Barker and Weitzman, who were writing partners working out of the same deal, have separated their services and signed individual deals, freeing both up to pursue solo projects as well. (Variety)

While American Dad may be returning for the 2009-10 season, one FOX animated skein won't be. FOX has confirmed that it will not go ahead for an additional season of King of the Hill, currently airing its twelfth season. Episodes for Season Thirteen, however, don't launch until February and could, in fact, be held for next season if need be. (Variety)

Bradley Whitford (West Wing) and Romany Malco (Weeds) have joined the cast of NBC's buddy cop comedy pilot Off Duty from writer/executive producer Jason Mantzoukas. Project follows a veteran police detective (Whitford) who finds his life--both on and off duty--complicated by his new partner (Malco), a rising star in the force. (Hollywood Reporter)

Jane Lynch (Lovespring International) has joined the cast of FOX dramedy pilot Glee, where she will play the "antagonistic coach of the high school's cheerleading squad." The former Cindy Lightballoon will star in the project opposite Matthew Morrison, Jessalyn Gilsig, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Lea Michele. Should Glee be ordered to series, it could bow as early as this spring. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Mike Binder (The Mind of the Married Man) has sold comedy pilot script Two Dollar Beer to FOX and 20th Century Fox Television. Project will revolve around a group of twenty-somethings as they deal with the worsening economy in Detroit. Should the project be ordered to pilot, Binder is attached to direct. (Variety)

Emily Rose (Brothers and Sisters) will star in USA's medical drama pilot Operating Instructions as a top female truma surgeon who returns from Iraq to take a position at a military hospital; her attachmen lifts the casting contigency on the project. Elsewhere at USA, Willie Garson (Sex and the City) has joined the cast of drama pilot White Collar, opposite Matthew Bomer and Tim DeKay. (Hollywood Reporter)

Bravo has announced five unscripted projects in development: Fashionality, featuring Manhattan tastemakers in a roundtable discussion about pop culture and fashion from Embassy Row; Celebrity Sew-Off, in which celebs will design their own clothes in a sartorial competition from Lake Paradise Entertainment; Double Exposure, a docusoap following fashion photographer Markus Klinko from Juma Entertainment; Polo, a BTS-look at the lives of professional polo players from Granada America; and The Dubai Project, about the lavish lifestyles of American and Brit ex-pats from World of Wonder. (Variety)

Alison Pill has been cast as one of the leads of Season Two of HBO's In Treatment, where she will play April, a graduate student diagnoses with lymphoma. (Hollywood Reporter)

Dave Franco (Do Not Disturb, Greek) has signed on to appear in a multiple-episode arc of CW's Privileged, where he will play a love interest for Rose (Lucy Hale). His first episode is expected to air in early 2009. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Stay tuned.

Do-Over: A Sneak Peek at the Season Premiere of "30 Rock"

I watched the first two episodes of 30 Rock's third season last week and am just itching with excitement to talk about it more. (You can read my advance review of the first two episodes, "Do Over" and "Believe in the Stars," here.)

While 30 Rock's third season doesn't kick off on NBC until next week, you can, thanks to the magic of the interwebs, catch the entire episode of "Do Over" either at Hulu, NBC.com, MySpace, or, well, right after the jump.



And now that you've watched, head over here to talk about the premiere episode. It might not be Friday at lunchtime, people, but we've got cake.

30 Rock's third season launches--on-air, anyway--on Thursday, October 20th at 9:30 pm ET/PT on NBC.

Sweater Capes, Saltwater Taffy, and Gold Nunchucks: An Advance Look at the First Two Episodes of "30 Rock" Season Three

Out of every series returning to the airwaves this autumn, there was one series that I was jonesing for with every iota of my very being. That series, of course, is NBC's wickedly uproarious comedy 30 Rock. And as soon as I received the first two episodes of 30 Rock's third season from the good folks at the Rainbow Chicken itself, I tore into them with a wild abandon, eager to find out just what the denizens of TGS were up to.

After a shortened second season, I was desperate for a 30 Rock fix and the first two episodes of the upcoming season (launching October 30th on NBC) sated me in every possible way. There's deft racial comedy (Tracy and Jenna dress up as a white woman and a black man respectively as part of a "social experiment"), guest stars galore (Oprah Winfrey and Megan Mullally!), and tongue-in-cheek soap operatics (how far will Jack go to get Kathy Geiss to reinstate him at NBC?). I haven't laughed this much in a long time. Since, well, 30 Rock wrapped its second season.

I'm loath to give away too many spoilerific details about Season Three but I will say that the plot picks up a few months after the end of the second season, in which Jack--then a member of the Bush administration--engineered a spectacular career flame-out in the form of a "gay bomb." In an opening clearly meant to recall Sex and the City, Jack returns to Manhattan, where he encounters a well-heeled Liz Lemon relishing the opportunity to try to impress her adoption agency representative Bev (Mullally). It's the absolute perfect way to begin the third season of this award-winning comedy and showcases 30 Rock's ability to skewer pop culture targets as well as make use of a host of allusions. (Last season's hilarious Amadeus reference springs to mind.)

"Do Over," the brilliant third season premiere is in many ways the epitome of a classic 30 Rock episode, tangling together an assortment of plotlines that includes Liz attempting to adopt a child but being thwarted by the general inanity of her co-workers and herself, Jack working his way back to the top from the very bottom of the corporate ladder (mail room!), Kathy Geiss and Devon Banks running GE into the ground, Pete returning from anger management treatment (he did, after all, shoot Donnie in the leg with an arrow last season), and Tracy Jordan reaping the rewards of his porn video game... but not cutting in the voice actors (i.e., Jenna) who made his success possible while rewarding Frank and Pete with gold nunchucks and chinchilla coats.

In typical Liz Lemon fashion, our girl makes a fool of herself (and comes off as slightly racist) but manages to get a do-over... but not in quite the way you might imagine. Jack, meanwhile, claws his way back to the top but has to, um, make friends with Kathy Geiss in order to do so and save the company from the inept Devon. And a soap opera-inspired twist brings Liz and Jack closer than they've ever been before. Trust me, long-time 30 Rock fans do not want to miss this episode.

"Believe in the Stars," the third season's second episode brings fruition to Tina Fey's longtime plan to get Oprah Winfrey to appear on the series. In a hilarious storyline, Liz returns to Chicago to get out of jury duty (her means involves a Princess Leia costume and the promise of telepathy) and she meets Oprah on her return flight... after taking a prescription drug that promises restfulness, "sexual nightmares," and "sleep crime."

But when Jenna and Tracy nearly come to blows (or at least litigation) over their battle for profits from Tracy's porn video game, look for Liz to turn to Oprah (who also fills Liz in on her new "favorite things," including sweater capes, saltwater taffy, and Chinese checkers) to mediate their dispute when all else fails. (Look for a deliciously unexpected twist there.) All this and a storyline in which Kenneth teaches Jack the true meaning of morality, as evidenced by Kenneth's ability to love everyone and TV and his refusal to steal free cable... or murder someone in order to save his own life. Sweater capes and moral dilemmas? What other series could offer that delicious combo?

Along the way, there's the sort of witty banter, laugh-and-you-miss-it throwaway lines, and deft characterization that we've come to expect from 30 Rock, proving that there's a reason the series racked up the Emmy wins this year. Hands down, this is the very best comedy on television right now in terms of writing, acting, and execution.

"Do Over" and "Believe in the Stars" prove that 30 Rock's talented writers haven't taken their Emmy wins for granted, continuing to produce awe-inspiring television comedy that's smart, sophisticated, and a full head and shoulders above any other sitcom since Arrested Development. I cannot say enough glowing things about 30 Rock or these two superlative installments but don't take it from me. Be sure to watch and you'll thank me afterward, even if your stomach aches from laughing so much. Or from eating too much of Oprah's saltwater taffy.

30 Rock launches Season Three on October 30th at 9:30 pm ET/PT on NBC... but you can catch the season opener ("Do Over") starting October 23rd at Hulu and NBC.com.

Channel Surfing: Should NBC Have Launched "30 Rock" Earlier, Possible "Melrose Place" Redo, "Blackadder," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Last night was quite the busy telly viewing night, with new episodes of Skins, Mad Men, and The Amazing Race on tap, not to mention the latest installment of Masterpiece Contemporary's five-part The Last Enemy on PBS. Whew.

The New York Times' Bill Carter wonders just where 30 Rock is, amid all of the Tina Fey/Sarah Palin fascination that has gripped America. NBC, of course, had plans to launch the third season of 30 Rock on October 30th, allowing plenty of time to promote the series' return behind new episodes of The Office. However, Ben Silverman admits, "If we knew then what we know today about how hot Tina was going to be, would we do it differently? Maybe." (I'll take that as a resounding yes.) Look for Fey to likely pop up in the two remaining editions of the election-focused Thursday editions of Saturday Night Live as the network heavily promotes 30 Rock but I can't help but agree with Carter: the Peacock would have been much better off launching 30 Rock now, with Season Two out on DVD and Fey literally everywhere after her star turn as Sarah Palin. (The New York Times)

Could Melrose Place be the next television series to get touched for a remake? Series creator Darren Star says that there's a possibility he'd be interested and admitted that there had been some unofficial discussions, following the launch of the CW's 90210. "Regardless of whether they do it or not, whether I'm part of it or not, I think it would be a fun thing to do," said Star. "I wouldn't be surprised if it happened — If it can be put together in the right way." Do we want to see another rehashed, underwhelming version of a formerly great program? (TV Guide)

Mark Waters (Mean Girls) will direct the pilot for FOX dramedy Eva Adams, the US remake of Argentinean telenovela Lalola. Project, from writer/executive producer Kevin Falls (Journeyman) and Sony Pictures Television, follows a womanizer who somehow turns into a woman overnight and must endure the same sort of sexist and misogynistic behavior he perpetrated in his former life as a man. (Variety)

Adam Shankman (Hairspray) is attached to direct Cadillac Ranch, a drama pilot about the life of a female small-town mayor that has suddenly become hot thanks to one Sarah Palin. Project, a spec script, is said to be in development at 20th Century Fox Television which will soon take it out to the networks. "It's about a female character who's a mayor in this town with the crazy family and the kids and the stay-at-home dad, and everyone couldn't help but think of Sarah Palin now that they've read it," said the studio's Jennifer Nicholson Salke. (New York Post)

NBC is building a treehouse in Times Square to promote the launch of drama Crusoe on Friday. Yawn. (Variety)

Missing Gilmore Girls' Melissa McCarthy? Or just curious to see what she has to say about the second season of her ABC comedy Samantha Who?, which launches tonight? You're in luck as McCarthy dishes about Season Two, including a possible catfight and some guest stars. (TV Guide)

CW has ordered six episodes of wedding-themed reality series For Better or Worse, which will offer unmarried couples involved in long-running relationships the ability to experience all of the drama that goes into planning a wedding in a single week. Project comes from RDF USA and Next Entertainment; it will be executive produced by Mike Fleiss. (TV Week)

Richard Curtis has revealed that a new season of cult British classic Blackadder would have been set in the 1960s, with Edmund Blackadder (Rowan Atkinson) living as a wealthy businessman (and Baldrick accidentally killing President Kennedy) in this incarnation of the time-spanning series. (Digital Spy)

Stay tuned.

Salma Hayek Heads to "30 Rock," More "Knight Rider"

Yet another guest star for 30 Rock.

Salma Hayek (Ugly Betty) has signed on to guest on the upcoming season of NBC's 30 Rock, where she will recur in several episodes as Elisa, a new love interest for Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin).

"Salma is truly a gifted talent and an incredible force in our industry," said Teri Weinberg, Executive Vice President, NBC Entertainment in a statement. "I've had the privilege of working with her and I can't wait to see what comedic sparks fly with our brilliant 30 Rock cast."

"I have been a fan of Tina's talent, both as an actress and a writer, since working with her years ago on SNL," said Hayek in a statement. "I am so excited to be part of such an intelligent, funny show, as well as working with the brilliant Alec Baldwin and the rest of the cast of 30 Rock," said Hayek.

30 Rock kicks off its third season on October 30th at 9:30 pm on NBC.

In other NBC-related news, the Peacock has ordered four additional scripts for freshman drama series Knight Rider.

Scarily, it's looking very likely that we'll be stuck with Knight Rider through the entire 2008-09 season. The series hasn't done particularly well in the ratings but has shown growth and stability with young men. Somewhere, Devon Miles in rolling over in his grave...

TV on DVD: "30 Rock" Season Two

There are few things guaranteed in this world: death, taxes, and the fact that NBC's 30 Rock will consistently make me laugh more than any other series on television right now, with its winning combination of absurdist humor, off-kilter characters, and brainy throwaway lines. (What other series would have jokes about H. R. Halderman, Bernie Goetz, and Mystic Pizza, I ask you?)

Universal Home Video releases 30 Rock's Emmy Award-winning second season on DVD today and it's easy to see just why 30 Rock works when watching these 15 episodes (save for the shaky "Ludachristmas" and "Episode 210" episodes, filmed during the writers strike without rewrites; hell, the latter doesn't even have a name!), which comprise some of the very best comedy writing to be found on television.

While at its center, 30 Rock appears to be about the deeply dysfunctional cast and crew of a fictional NBC sketch comedy series, it's actually also a delivery system for insightful and cutting humor about political, social, and gender issues and a look at the sacrifices professional women have to make in the workplace. Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) might not be the most put-together woman working in the entertainment industry but you can't help but root for her as she strives to find a balance between her professional and personal lives, which often include fake pregnancies (spurred into a false positive by her beloved Sabor de Soledad Mexican cheese curls), nearly getting thrown under a subway car by ex-boyfriend/Subway Hero Dennis Duffy (Dean Winters), and, well, eating an entire sandwich on camera in order to get past airport security to stop the potential love of her life, Floyd (Jason Sudeikis). Like I said, Liz needs all the help she can get.

She's helped and often hindered by her boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), who this season dates a Democratic Congresswoman from Vermont, Celeste Cunningham (Edie Falco), who is suing NBC parent company Sheinhart Wig Company after they poisoned a river with wig dye that turned many children orange; he also engineers the biggest NBC ratings success story with MILF Island (even after Jerry Seinfeld threatens to buy NBC for $4 million when Jack has him digitally inserted as the series' host) and takes a position with the Bush administration when he's forced out of his job by his longtime rival Devon Banks (Will Arnett), who is engaged to the daughter of Jack's comatose mentor Don Geiss (Rip Torn). Whew.

Fey and Baldwin turn out two of the most memorable comedic performances of recent times; both of their characters can manage to be over the top, complex, and likable, even when they're engaging in some not-so-likable behavior. It's the push and pull of their complicated relationship (dare I say, even friendship) that propels the plot of 30 Rock and keeps us coming back for more. Together, they comprise a paradigm of authority vs. oppression, creative vs. corporate, male vs. female. (It's awe-inspiring to watch them in action, particularly when they are willing to cast aside any boundaries in their performances, such as when Jack channels great black TV performers of the past in Tracy's therapy session in "Rosemary's Baby.")

Equally fantastic is 30 Rock's supporting cast, which truly gets a chance this year to shine as Jenna (Jane Krakowski) gains a massive amount of weight while starring on stage in a musical version of Mystic Pizza, Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) battles evil head page Donnie, Pete (Scott Adsit) tries to reconcile with his estranged wife (while still living with Liz as her roommate), and Tracy (Tracy Morgan) creates the first porn video game, in between other misadventures. Each of them gets more than a few opportunities per episode to shine, and series' writers virtually offer up a manual on how to incorporate a sprawling cast of characters and still make them relevant each week, from ditsy Cerie (Katrina Bowden) and uptight Toofer (Keith Powell) to scumbags Frank (Judah Friedlander) and Lutz (John Lutz).

The second season of 30 Rock, while sadly shortened due to the writers strike, offers up many memorable episodes, including some of my particular favorites in "Cougars," in which Liz dates a much younger coffee boy, Jack and Tracy coach a little league team in Knuckle Beach, the worst neighborhood in New York, and Frank believes he's gay, "Somebody to Love," in which Liz suspects her neighbor may be a terrorist and Jack falls in love with someone of the opposite political persuasion, "Sandwich Day," in which Liz gets a visit from ex-boyfriend Floyd and must consume that aforementioned sandwich (and dipping sauce), "Rosemary's Baby," where Liz teams up with a former old school comedy writer (guest star Carrie Fisher) to take on every possible political target and Jack helps Tracy give up dog fighting (it also coined the now-memorable phrase "Never go with a hippie to a second location"), and "Cooter," in which Jack discovers the sad state of the Bush administration when he takes a job in Washington and strives to get pens for the office... and willingly creates career suicide by creating a "gay bomb."

It's hard to pick one favorite when you've got so many to choose from and that is reason enough to buy 30 Rock on DVD today. I could watch these episodes over and over again (and have on many occasions) but the folks at Universal Home Video have also loaded the two-disc box set with a host of extras, including the 30 Rock staged reading at Uprights Citizen's Brigade in New York (which raised money for the series' out-of-work PAs during the strike), deleted scenes, audio commentary, the Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Tina Fey, and the 30 Rock event at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. (Sadly, no full-length video for Tracy Jordan's Halloween hit "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah" can be found on here.)

But my absolute favorite extra has got to be the "Cooter" script read-through, which presents not only video of our beloved cast at the read-through but also the original script presented on-screen for viewers to read along with. It's a fantastic bonus feature, giving the audience a peek behind the curtain at 30 Rock and some insight into the comedy writing process to boot.

All in all, 30 Rock's second season proves to be one DVD that is a must have for your television collection.

30 Rock Season Two is available for sale today with a suggested retail price of $39.98. Or get it at for only $26.99 in the Televisionary store!

Reality Bites: The 60th Annual Emmy Awards

You do not cut off Patty Hewes in the middle of an acceptance speech.

Come to think of it, you probably shouldn't be cutting off Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Tina Fey, Bryan Cranston, and the aforementioned Glenn Close, period.

But that's just what they did on last night's tedious Emmy telecast, focusing instead on the inane chatter among the five nominated reality series hosts and a plethora of pointless and unfunny filler material.

Sure, the 60th Annual Emmy Awards wasn't as big a fiasco as last year's circular stage debacle, though this year came close with the ridiculous time-waste that was the show's opening twelve minutes or so, cheap-looking on-screen graphics for each category, fruitless use of familiar sets, and awkward "repartee" between presenters and our so-called "hosts."

The few high points for me? Ricky Gervais, for one, whose painfully funny (not to mention cringe-worthy) reminiscing of his in absentia win last year for Extras was absolutely spot-on and brilliant; Tommy Smothers finally getting his writing award from Steve Martin; Kathy Griffin forcing the audience to stand up for Don Rickles; Tina and Amy; Colbert and Stewart's prunes vs. plums debate.

And, oh, yes: some actual love for series like 30 Rock, Mad Men, and Damages, all of which prove that television series don't need to be dumbed-down cookie-cutter programs and that there is a place for smart, compelling, and sophisticated programming on American television.

That 30 Rock (which, incidentally, is releasing its sophomore season on DVD on October 7th) managed to take home awards for writing, best actor in a comedy (Alec Baldwin!), best actress in a comedy (Tina Fey!), and best comedy made my evening (despite the uneven pacing and sub par hosting), as did the best drama award for Mad Men and its writing award for series creator Matthew Weiner and Glenn Close and Zeljko Ivanek (yay!) winning for Damages.

But let's face it: the rest of the awards ceremony was pretty awful. You don't waste time at the beginning by dragging out Oprah to make an introduction and then leave five reality hosts filling precious airtime with unfunny nonsense to then later cut off your actual A-list award winners. Who seriously thought that Cranston would win for AMC's Breaking Bad? I was pretty damn surprised, so I would have liked to have let the man actually finish his acceptance speech... instead of watch Jimmy Kimmel take ten minutes to announce the winner of the new best reality host category. (Yawn.) The less said about Josh Groban's musical montage the better.

But then again, maybe what scared the producers of the Emmys was the fear that network television (save, say, 30 Rock) is completely irrelevant to the Emmy awards any more, given that cable television (and not even HBO at that!) has usurped its position as the home for forward-thinking drama. And, no matter how many reality television hosts you serve up as window dressing (really, the best bit was to have Tom Bergeron and William Shatner strip Heidi Klum?), that's the real issue here?

We might be experiencing, to quote the inimitable Tina Fey, a "turkey-burger economy" right now, but I am thankful to Fey, Weiner, and all of the talented actors, writers, and producers out there who continue to create meaningful, challenging, and stimulating work that not only entertains us but also makes us think. I feel vindicated that series like 30 Rock, Mad Men, and Damages took home some statuettes rather than see some other series (I won't name names here) walk away with the top prizes.

But what did you think? Were you happy with the winners? Saddened by those who went home empty-handed? Bored by the entire proceedings? Talk back.

Channel Surfing: ABC Finds Possible Companion for "Lost," Sci Fi Searches in "Warehouse 13," "Heroes," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. I spent last night holding my sides from laughing so much during the season premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (more on that in a bit) and was on the edge of my seat watching the much anticipated season premiere of The Amazing Race (which kicks off on CBS on September 28th).

Sci Fi has ordered 11 additional episodes of sci-fi dramedy Warehouse 13, which already shot a two-hour backdoor pilot earlier this year. Series, about Secret Service agents tasked with protecting a top secret South Dakota storage facility that contains a seemingly endless supply of supernatural artifacts (hint: like the TARDIS, the place is bigger on the inside), stars Eddie McClintock (Bones), Joanne Kelly (Vanished), CCH Pounder (The Shield), and Saul Rubinek (Blind Justice). Look for Warehouse 13--from writer/executive producer David Simkins, writers Brent Mote and Jane Espenson, and Universal Cable Prods.--to air in July 2009 as a companion series to the net's Eureka. (Variety)

ABC has found a possible companion for Lost in Threshold's David S. Goyer and Brannon Braga's spec script Flash Forward, about what happens after everyone in the world blacks out for two minutes and 17 seconds and experiences a vision of the world's future. Project, originally developed at HBO, is based on a Robert J. Sawyer novel. Goyer will direct the pilot and executive produce with Braga, Jessika Borsiczky Goyer, Vince Gerardis, and Ralph M. Vicinanza. ABC Studios is in negotiations to produce Flash Forward. (Hollywood Reporter)

Jonathan Goldstein (Old Christine) will serve as an executive producer on FOX's space-set single-camera comedy pilot Boldly Going Nowhere, from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creators/stars Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day. Project is about the lazy crew of a wayward spaceship in the distant future. (Variety)

NBC has confirmed that Oprah Winfrey will appear in the November 6th episode of 30 Rock.

Heroes' Tim Kring admits that the downtime following the start of the writer's strike last year was a good thing for the series. "We don't really get a break," said Kring," so the time off creatively helped us." He admits that it allowed for the creative team to be reinvigotated and that Season Three may pacify fans frustrated with the twins storyline and Hiro being trapped in feudal Japan. What else should fans expect for Season Three? Find out here. (Associated Press)

In other FOX news, the network has given a cast-contingent pilot order to single-camera comedy Save Us Then the Whales from Sameer Asad Gardezi (Mind of Mencia) about a middle-aged nonprofit organization staffer who "approaches the world of fundraising as if he's bartering at a Moroccan bazaar," which irks the idealistic co-director of the organization. (Hollywood Reporter)

Wade Allain Marcus (The American Mall) has joined the cast of Gossip Girl as Max, a manipulative 19-year-old photographer with ties to Manhattan's fashion and art scenes. I can only venture a guess and say that he'll likely be a potential love interest for one Miss Jenny Humphrey though I wouldn't mind it if he manipulated Vanessa right off of the series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Sean Bean (The Lord of the Rings) will lead a cast that includes Andrew Garfield (Doctor Who), David Morrissey (State of Play), and Paddy Considine (Hot Fuzz) in Red Riding, a new three-part series for UK's Channel 4 that will adapt David Peace's novel trilogy about life--and its inherent struggles of morality and human nature--in Yorkshire in the 1970s and 1980s. (Digital Spy)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Ghost Whisperer (CBS); America's Toughest Jobs (NBC); Friday Night SmackDown! (CW; 8-10 pm); America's Funniest Home Videos (ABC; 8-10 pm); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); Dateline (NBC; 9-11 pm); Don't Forget the Lyrics (FOX)

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

What I'll Be Watching

Um, I think I'll just go out instead...

Channel Surfing: Steve Martin to "30 Rock," Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, No "Project Runway" for Jennifer Lopez, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Steve Martin has allegedly signed on to appear in a guest role capacity on this season of 30 Rock, reuniting Martin with his former Baby Mama co-star Tina Fey (they also memorably appeared in February in an SNL opening monologue). I cannot bloody wait! (New York Magazine)

Speaking of Tina Fey, NBC is staying mum about whether Fey will make another appearance on Saturday Night Live, but executive producer Lorne Michaels is said to have some backups in mind just in case Fey won't be returning to the sketch comedy series as Sarah Palin. I thought Fey was pitch-perfect as the vice presidential candidate and would love to see her return... so long as it doesn't detract from her work on 30 Rock, which launches its third season next month. (Hollywood Reporter)

"In some other dimension are Ben and Charles Whitmore just two drinking buddies playing a video game?," wonders Lost's Michael Emerson. Find out in this spoiler-free interview. (Los Angeles Times)

Ben Silverman has indicated that he is not attempting to flee the Peacock, despite reports to the contrary. "I am so committed to this job," said Silverman (apparently channeling Chandler Bing), speaking at the New York Television Festival and comparing himself to "Paris Hilton." (Seriously.) Silverman admitted that he hasn't managed his relationship with the press as well as he could have. At least he didn't mention the tiger. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO is developing an miniseries adaptation of James L. Swanson's book Manhunt, about the 12-day search for Abraham Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth with David Simon and Tom Fontana (Homicide) attached to write and executive produce. Sounds like The Wire: 1865. (Variety)

Make it work, people. Jennifer Lopez has canceled her appearance as a guest judge at the Project Runway season finale, due to a foot injury. Rather than attempt to find another celeb worthy of continuing the tradition upheld by last season's Posh Spice, producers have turned to mentor Tim Gunn to act as guest judge, the first time in five seasons that he has done so. (It's about time!) (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

FOX has ordered an untitled animated pilot presentation about a dysfunctional NASCAR family from Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader host Jeff Foxworthy and 20th Century Fox Television. Foxworthy will write and executive produce with Nancy Hower and John Lehr (10 Items or Less). (Variety)

Amy Poehler will leave Saturday Night Live after the November elections to give birth to her first child and then star in the untitled NBC series from The Office's Greg Daniels and Michael Shur. "It's gonna be really hard — Boyz II Men hard — to say goodbye to yesterday," said Poehler in an interview in Men's Vogue. "SNL was dangerous, late-night, last-minute and star-studded, but like any good drug, you need to know when to put it down." (Los Angeles Times)

ABC has signed a three-year deal with Brillstein Entertainment Partners Television, which produces the Alphabet's comedy series Samantha Who? and According to Jim. Company is looking to broaden its slate into unscripted programming and cable; slate includes an unscripted series at A&E with Bob Saget attached and a remake of Israeli series A Touch Away at HBO with writer Kate Robin (Six Feet Under). Set up at ABC: a relationship comedy from David Talbert (First Sunday); The Outlaws, a family comedy from Kit Boss (King of the Hill); and Helping Me Help Myself, a single-camera comedy from Ugly Betty writers Tracy Poust and Jon Kinally. (Variety)

MTV will be ending network mainstay Total Request Live with a two-hour Saturday afternoon special in November. This September marked TRL's ten-year anniversary on MTV. (Associated Press)

Top Gear: from BBC hit to NBC remake. (Variety)

In other BBC news, BBC Worldwide will become a minority investor in Steve Coogan's UK production company Baby Cow in an extention of the distribution deal that the two parties currently have on such series as Gavin and Stacey and Saxondale. BBC Worldwide will continue to distribute Baby Cow's library and develop local productions through its global production centers. (Variety)

Coming soon to CBS' CSI: New York: Rumer Willis as a woman targeted by a serial killer who is killing people with the name Mac Taylor, Nelly returns as an informant, and Julia Ormond joins the cast, playing a new detective. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Sci Fi has cast Preston Bailey (Dexter) and Daniel Newman (Surface) opposite the previously announced David Anders (Alias) and Kandyse McClure (Battlestar Galactica) in its telepic remake of Children of the Corn, set to air in 2009. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Biggest Loser: Families (NBC; 8-10 pm); 90210 (CW); Wipeout (ABC; 8-9:30 pm); House (FOX)

9 pm: Big Brother 10 (CBS); Privileged (CW); Primetime: UFOs...Seeing Is Believing (ABC; 9:30-11 pm); Fringe (FOX)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: 90210.

I was bored to tears by last week's episode, so I'm giving it only one more chance to wow me, especially as Brenda (Shannen Doherty) and Tabitha (Jessica Walters) are on tonight's installment. On tonight's episode ("The Bubble"), Kelly turns to Brenda for help and asks her to replace Tabitha as the director of the school musical (Tabitha herself replacing the previous director) but they find themselves arguing over Kelly's relationship with Ryan; Dixon talks to Nat about a part-time job at the Peach Pit; Annie goes on a date with Ethan.

8:40-9:20 pm: Gavin & Stacey on BBC America.

If my gushing review of this bittersweet (yes, it's literally bitter AND sweet) comedy wasn't enough, why not tune in yourself to see just how wonderful the brainchild of writer/co-stars Ruth Jones and James Corden really is? On tonight's episode, the Shipman clan travels to Wales for a wedding fair and Nessa tells Stacey a big secret.

9 pm: Fringe.

On tonight's episode ("The Same Old Story"), the tenuous partnership between FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv), scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble), and his maverick estranged son Peter (Joshua Jackson) is tested when they investigate the death of a woman who gave birth to a rapidly aging baby after only a few hours of pregnancy.