Channel Surfing: Fuller Talks "Pushing Daisies" Comic, Cuoco Checks into Seattle Grace, Whedon on What Will Save "Dollhouse," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller has said that a comic book spin-off of the sadly demised series could be on sale via Marvel as early as this fall, should a deal with Warner Bros for the rights be closed in the next month or so. What should fans expect from the comic, which Fuller describes as Season Three of Pushing Daisies? "We're going to see a lot of exploration with Ned and his father, which we teased but were never able to make good on," Fuller told SCI FI Wire. "We had [Ned's father, played by] George Hamilton save Ned and Chuck, and by having Emerson and Dwight Dixon clean up the whole mess we're going to understand who Dwight was to Chuck and Ned's dad. Dwight will be making a return, and we'll be seeing the adult Eugene Mulchandani and Danny that involves helium smuggling. There's a lot of fun stuff woven into the series that we were intending to pay off that we can now do in the comic-book series. The fans of the show will see a lot of stuff come to fruition, but new fans will have a greater appreciation, too. Since it's Marvel, I would also love for the Pie Maker to touch Captain America." (SCI FI Wire)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco will guest star on the upcoming season finale of ABC's Grey's Anatomy. "I am working on Grey's Anatomy next week," Cuoco told Ausiello. "It is a big ol' secret. I have no clue what I am doing. I swear on my life that I have no idea what I am playing because it is the finale and they are keeping it under wraps until the last possible moment. [...] My guess is that I will be a patient of some kind. I'm practicing my scared-sad-I'm-dying face." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Questioned about what it would take to get FOX to renew Dollhouse for a second season, creator Joss Whedon said it would take more than a fan-mounted campaign to innundate the network with letters. "I don't think it's a 'Save Dollhouse' campaign. Basically, we've got a few more times up at bat," said Whedon. "It's going to be up to the fans to be vocal in their own community to make sure people are watching, that we get those DVR numbers, that they don't slip. If they want to cold call executives, that's good too, I guess. Or Twitter. A lotta people are Twittering. Ultimately, it's just holding the course, because I honestly began to think that we were dead in the water, and the people at Fox made a point of calling me to say, 'That's not the case. We're still working it out. We're fans. We want this to work.'" (SCI FI Wire)

CBS has announced that it has renewed reality series The Amazing Race for a fifteenth cycle and made history by being the first television network to announce a series renewal via Twitter, confirming the news after host Phil Keoghan posted a tweet sharing news of the renewal. (Hollywood Reporter)

Michael Ausiello is reporting that Kathryn Erbe will fill in for Julianne Nicholson on USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent while Nicholson temporarily leaves the series on maternity leave. According to Ausiello, "The move means that for the final four episodes of CI's current eighth season (premiering this Sunday on USA), Erbe will alternate between her current partner, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Nicholson's new partner, Jeff Goldblum." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The New York Post talks to Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson, who says that viewers should anticipate some major surprises in the series' season finale, which airs in May. "I've been told there are some life-changing things that happen to all of us," said Wilson. "I don't know what those things are that [show creator] Shonda Rhimes is talking about... so I don't know how Bailey's life is altered. But I would love to see that final episode!" Wilson also discusses the changes her character has undergone this season and offers a few tidbits about a certain wedding that's coming up on the series. (New York Post)

Elsewhere at the Post, Mary Louise Parker is allegedly thinking of leaving Showtime comedy Weeds after the sixth season when her contract ends. According to the paper's unnamed sources, if Parker does decide to leave the series, Showtime would cancel Weeds, which is slated to air its fifth season this summer. "We'd have to see if it made sense to continue, but we can't envision the show without her," said a Showtime insider quoted in the article. (New York Post)

YouTube has signed deals to offer full-length feature films and television episodes in a move to compete with NBC Universal/20th Century Fox-backed rival site Hulu. The site has signed deals with Sony, Lionsgate, BBC, Starz, Discovery, and National Geographic as well as Anime Network, Cinetic Rights Management, Current TV, Documentary Channel, First Look Studios, and IndieFlix. The content will be offered for free but will contain advertising during the commercial breaks in TV series' episodes; site may also eventually charge for premium content. (Variety)

Adrian Grenier (Entourage) is producing documentary Spin, which explores the relationship between technology and 21st century society. The doc, which is written and will be directed by Matthew Cooke, is being looked at as a made-for television documentary film or as the pilot for a thirteen-episode limited series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has signed a multi-platform output deal with Levity Entertainment Group, under which the cabler will produce 12 comedy standup specials, with half of those coming from such comedians as Christopher Titus, Gabriel Iglesias, Pablo Franscisco, Jim Breuer, Mitch Fatel, and Pete Correale. The cabler will all air all six specials this year, with another six planned for 2010, and eight of these specials will be released on DVD, under the terms of the deal. (Variety)

MTV has given a series order to Gone Too Far, a reality series hosted by DJ AM which will feature "tough-love interventions for young people whose lives have become unmanageable because of chemical dependence. Project, from Ish Entertainment and Gigantic Prods., will feature an addiction specialist as well as DJ AM, who has gone through his own battles with chemical dependency. (Hollywood Reporter)

USA Today's Gary Strauss alks to Stanley Burrell (a.k.a. MC Hammer) about his upcoming reality series, Hammertime, which is set to launch in June on A&E. "I get offers like this 10 times a year, but it wasn't something I was interested in," Burrell told the paper. "But in the last 18 months, I started thinking I might be able to bring something to the genre. There are not a lot of family-oriented shows that speak to the America we're in right now." (USA Today)

SAG's national board is due to sit this weekend in a two-day session in which they might approve the feature-primetime contract deal that's on the table. If the board does decide to approve the deal, which had been floated during back channel talks between SAG and CEOs, it could be sent to members and ratified before the end of May. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Whedon Talks Potential Fate of "Dollhouse," Matthew Perry Shoots Down "Lost" Rumors, Jennifer Jason Leigh Scores "Weeds," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Joss Whedon admitted that it's unlikely that Dollhouse will be renewed for a second season by FOX, given the series' low ratings. "[The chances are] not very good but in limbo," Whedon told SCI FI Wire. "Obviously our numbers are pretty soft, and there it is, but we live in hope. I'm really proud of the episodes that are coming out. More than that, I can't really ask." (SCI FI Wire)

But, at last night's Paley Festival panel for Dollhouse, Whedon seemed to have changed his tune, saying that the series isn't dead just yet. "We also talked about next season, [FOX] called me specifically to say we've been hearing you sound a little despondent, being very clear about this, the show is not cancelled," he said. "The numbers have been soft, but the demographic is wonderful. DVR is great, they [FOX] are big fans of the show and they're waiting to see what happens, so now I've gone from a place that's sort of ehhhhhh, they don't even care, no one loves me, to a place of - God, I can't believe I'm saying this... hope." (Fearnet)

Matthew Perry has personally shot down rumors that will be appearing in the season finale of ABC's Lost. "It is not true," said Perry. "I really don't know why those rumors have been floating about. I have admitted I am a Lost junkie. And at the press junket for [17 Again] I was asked what my favorite TV show was and I said [Lost], so maybe that's how they started. That's probably the one show I wouldn't do. I don't want to know how they shoot it and all that stuff. I don't want to know the secrets of the smoke monster or the island before other people. I want to be able to sit back and get swept away like everyone else. I want to develop my theories from my armchair. I just want to be a fan." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Jennifer Jason Leigh (Margot at the Wedding) has landed a recurring role on Showtime's fifth season of Weeds, in which she will play Jill, the estranged older sister of Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) in at least two episodes. When the heat gets too heavy for Nancy, she sends brother-in-law Andy (Justin Kirk) to take son Shane (Alexander Gould) to live with Jill... who then finds her way back into Nancy's life, intent on dredging up the past between them. Season Five of Weeds is set to launch in June. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting alert: Merrin Dungey (Alias) has been cast in FOX drama pilot Masterwork, where she will play the "longtime colleague" of Matt Passmore's FBI agent on the hunt for some ancient artifacts; Brandy (Mo'esha) has been cast in ABC comedy pilot This Little Piggy, where she will play the demanding wife of Jeff Davis' character; and David Walton (Quarterlife) has landed the male lead in NBC comedy pilot 100 Questions for Charlotte Payne. (Hollywood Reporter)

USA Today has once again launched their annual Save Our Shows campaign and the paper's Gary Levin offers an update on which current series are on the bubble for renewal. Among those who may or may not return next season: NBC's Chuck, Medium, My Name is Earl, Parks and Recreation, and Southland; CBS' Cold Case, Without a Trace, Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Rules of Engagement, and The Unit; ABC's Scrubs, Samantha Who?, The Unusuals, Surviving Suburbia, Castle, Cupid, In the Motherhood, and Better Off Ted; FOX's Sit Down, Shut Up; and CW's Privileged. With Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Prison Break not returning, it's thought that Dollhouse's cancellation is already a done deal. And, rather scarily, it does seem like Chuck's chances at getting a slot on NBC's reduced schedule is looking like a longshot. (USA Today)

BBC has announced three appointments for the fifth season of Doctor Who, set to star Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor in 2010. Beth Willis (Ashes to Ashes) will join lead writer Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger as an executive producer on the series while Tracie Simpson (Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead) and Peter Bennett (Torchwood: Children of Earth) have been named producers. Pre-production on Season Five begins next month, with shooting in and around Cardiff set for this summer. "Beth and Tracie and Pete aren't the A Team, they're the people the A Team call," said Moffat in a statement. "Tracie and Pete are the backstage stars of Doctor Who and having them on board as producers isn't just the best possible news for Matt Smith's first series, it's a massive relief. And Beth Willis, fresh from the brilliant Ashes To Ashes, is joining Piers and I as an executive so finally there'll be someone to wear the trousers." (BBC)

NBC Universal has teamed up with the Canadian Film Center to launch a talent development and mentoring program which will generate series for the company's owned outlets from Canadian writers. Says Variety's Cynthia Littleton, "The program will issue a call for script submissions from Canadian scribes, and then CFC and NBC U execs will select promising candidates to take part in the program, which will formally launch in the fall." (Variety)

History Channel is launching a huge multi-platform push for its documentary project A People's History of the United States, based on the book by Howard Zinn and executive produced by Matt Damon and Chris Moore. The two-hour film will integrate archival footage with readings by such boldface names as Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Viggo Mortensen, Bruce Springspeen, John Legend, Morisa Tomei, David Strathairn, Kerry Washington, and Eddie Vedder. The cabler, meanwhile, will roll out interstitial material that will be distributed online, on demand, and in schools. (Variety)

Cartoon Network is developing live-action movie Reborn, a modern-day retelling of the King Arthur myth from writer Travis Wright (Eagle Eye) and executive producers Wright and Alli Shearmur (who is now the president of motion picture production at Lionsgate). (Hollywood Reporter)

Oxygen has signed a deal with reality staples Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott under which they will star in a fourth season of their docusoap, Tori & Dean, produce and front a new couples makeover series, entitled Mr. and Mrs. Makeover, develop a telepic which they will executive produce, and a web series based on Spelling's book "Mommywood," which will be offered on Oxygen.com, Hulu.com, and iVillage.com. Elsewhere at Oxygen, the cabler announced that it was launching dance/weight loss competition series Dance Your Ass Off, hosted by Marissa Jaret Winokur, The Naughty Chef with Blythe Beck, and Addicted to Beauty, set in the world of medical spas. Cabler is also developing reality series Keshia and Kaseem, following former Cosby Show moppet Keshia Knight Pulliam and her boyfriend, and Celeb-U-Moms, which will track the lives of a crew of Hollywood mothers. (Variety)

VH1 has given a series order to an untitled docusoap starring former American Idol contestant Fantasia Barrino, as she juggles being a single mother with her life as a professional singer. Project, slated to air on the channel in 2010, will be executive produced by World of Wonder's Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, and Tom Campbell. (Hollywood Reporter)

UK viewers will be able to watch FX's Sons of Anarchy now that channel Bravo has acquired UK rights for the series, produced by 20th Century Fox Television, which it plans to launch this spring. "We're excited and proud to have secured such a high-quality and successful series for our viewers," said channel controller Dave Clarke. "US cable drama is the best in the world and FX are past-masters. Sons of Anarchy will be essential and compelling viewing for UK fans of both high quality action and premium drama." (Digital Spy)

Stay tuned.

Showtime Supplies "Weeds" with Two More Seasons; Orders Edie Falco Comedy

Speaking Friday at the Television Critics Association, Showtime made a host of programming announcements, the most salient of which is its renewal of its Mary-Louise Parker dark comedy series Weeds, and handed out some series orders.

The pay cabler has renewed Weeds for two additional seasons of 13 episodes a piece. Which means that the series will air its fifth and sixth seasons--which follow the misadventures of suburban pot-dealing mom Nancy Botwin (Parker) and her eccentric associates and family members--in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

Weeds is currently airing its fourth season on Monday nights at 10 pm ET/PT.

Showtime handed out series honors to the untitled Edie Falco comedy pilot, which will now officially be known as Nurse Jackie. (The name follows a series of name changes over the last few years for this long-dormant project, including Nurse Jenna, Nurse Mona, and Nurse Helen.) Edie Falco will star in the half-hour comedy series about a tough-as-nails Manhattan nurse who does whatever she has to in order to make it through the day, while she harbors a few secrets of her own.

I have to say that the most recent draft of the script for Nurse Jackie--from writers Lix Brixius, Linda Wallem, and Evan Dunsky was one of the strongest pilot scripts I've read in a long, long time, effortlessly creating an entire world for Jackie at the hospital, a collection of intriguing and compelling supporting characters for Falco to work with, and with Jackie herself, an incredibly complicated and layered character.

The cast of Nurse Jackie, which is set to launch next spring, includes Falco, Merrit Wever, Paul Schulze, Peter Facinelli, Anna Deavere Smith, Eve Best, and Haaz Sleiman.

Meanwhile, the Toni Collette-led comedy The United States of Tara about a suburban housewife with multiple personalities--from creator/executive producer Diablo Cody (Juno)--is set to bow in early 2009.

And fans of The L Word can rejoice. In addition to eight episodes slated to air in 2009, Showtime has ordered an untitled spinoff of The L Word featuring one of the series' main characters. No word on who will anchor this spinoff series yet, but fans can start buzzing about who this might be.

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother (CBS); American Gladiators (NBC); Gossip Girl (CW); High School Musical: Get in the Picture (ABC); Bones (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); Nashville Star (NBC); One Tree Hill (CW); Wanna Bet (ABC); House (FOX)

10 pm: CSI Miami (CBS); Dateline (NBC); The Mole (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Gossip Girl.

Looking to relive the freshman season of the teen soap? On tonight's repeat episode ("A Thin Line Between Chuck and Nate"), Gossip Girl reports that Serena is seen purchasing a home pregnancy test before the facts are checked. But if the test isn't for S., then who is it for?

10 pm: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservation on Travel Channel.

This week, Tony heads to Saudi Arabia, where he meets up with Danya, a superfan selected by a worldwide search, to get a taste of the real Saudi.

10 pm: Weeds on Showtime.

On this week's episode of Weeds ("Excellent Treasures"), Nancy finds herself in deeper trouble than before, Silas flirts with a new crush, and Isabel moves.

10: 30 pm: Secret Diary of a Call Girl on Showtime.

On tonight's episode, Belle meets a guy that she likes but he's not a client, a conflict that could cause some issues for Hannah. If you're not watching this frothy, fun series, you are definitely missing out.

Talk Back: Showtime's "Weeds" and "Secret Diary of a Call Girl"

I'm curious to know what everyone thought of Showtime's two program launches last night, which saw the return of Weeds (now in its fourth season) to the lineup and the addition of British import Secret Diary of a Call Girl to the mix as well.

If you couldn't tell from my advance review of both series, I was completely captivated by Secret Diary of a Call Girl and by Billie Piper's incandescent performance as Hannah/Belle in the ITV2 series which aired in Blighty last year. Showtime was definitely smart not to buy the format and remake it here in the US but to just air the original British production as is; it's absolutely perfect the way it is and I can't imagine very many young actresses pulling off the combination of vulnerability and sexual confidence that Piper manages to effortlessly deliver. (You can read my original advance review of Secret Diary of a Call Girl here.)

As for Weeds, I thought that the Season Four premiere was a sign that the series, which struggled creatively in its third season, was definitely back on track and Nancy and the kids went on the lam and ended up hiding out at the beach. (You can read my original advance review of the first two episodes of Weeds' fourth season here.)

But I am curious to know what you thought. Did you like the change in scenery on Weeds? Did you dig Piper as Hannah/Belle on Secret Diary of a Call Girl? And the most important question: are you hooked enough on both (or either) to tune in again next week? Discuss.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: AFI's 10 Top 10 (CBS; 8-11 pm); Deal or No Deal (NBC); Beauty & the Geek (CW); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC); Moment of Truth (FOX)

9 pm: America's Got Talent (NBC; 9-11 pm); Reaper (CW); Samantha Who?/Samantha Who? (ABC); Hell's Kitchen (FOX)

10 pm: Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be TiVo'ing

8-10 pm: Britcoms on BBC America.

I don't know about you but by Tuesday night, I'm usually in need of some comedy in my life. Why not stick around on Tuesday nights for BBC America's new comedy lineup, consisting of classic episodes of Coupling, new comedy Not Going Out, and Absolutely Fabulous? You'll thank me in the morning.

10 pm: Flipping Out on Bravo.

Season Two kicks off tonight with a brand-new episode ("Sell Out") in which we get to catch up with Jeff Lewis and his gang of colorful characters. Come for the tantrums (Jeff's) and stay for the insane interpersonal dynamics. You'll think your workplace is a hell of a lot more sane afterwards.

Up in Smoke: The Fourth Season Premiere of "Weeds"

Ah, how the time has flown. When we last saw Weeds' Nancy Botwin, she had set fire to her own house as Agrestic burned to the ground; it was a figurative transformation for pot-dealer Nancy and a cleansing of sorts as she erased the stuff that defined her suburban existence. Where would she and the kids (not to mention Andy) end up now that her carefully laid plans had gone up in smoke quite literally?

Cut to next week's hilariously wicked fourth season opener for Weeds ("Mother Thinks The Birds Are After Her"), which premieres on Monday on Showtime. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the first two fantastic episodes of the fourth season, which comprise a new beginning of sorts for the extended Botwin clan. Leaving behind Agrestic (and on the lam for the discovery of the grow house), Nancy and the kids drive aimlessly until she stumbles onto a temporary solution: they'll head south to the Mexican border and the small beach town of Ren Mar, where Shane and Silas' great-grandmother has a house.

It's a plan that work have worked except for one thing: Bubbie is nearly catatonic and hooked up a host of machines that are keeping her alive and her son (Andy and Judah's father) Lenny (guest star Albert Brooks) has moved in to the house in order to care for his ailing mother. Naturally, things never work out for Nancy (otherwise there wouldn't be a series) and Lenny absolutely despises Nancy and always has: he prefers to call her Not-Francie rather than by her given name as a constant reminder that Judah should have married the saintly opthamologist rather than the shiksa Nancy. So it's that sort of a family reunion. But she's not alone in her misery. No, Lenny seems to hate his son Andy just as much as he loathes Nancy and calls him a thief (claiming he stole $20,000 from him) and Not-Judah. As for the kids, Silas gives himself a new haircut and Shane gets stuck looking after Bubbie while Lenny heads to the track.

The shift in location has opened up the series in a significant way. I wasn't a fan of the sub-par third season, which seemed to get way off track with drive-by shootings and military maneuvers and already feel like Season Four is off to a good start that has driven Weeds back on track, as it were. As for the matter of which supporting characters make it into the fourth season, there's no sign of Heylia and Conrad but Celia, Isabelle, Doug, Sanjay, and Dean all play a large role in the proceedings, even while they are still in Agrestic. The use of separate locations likely plays a part in alleviating Mary Louise Parker's workload and also works as a narrative device. While Nancy goes skipping off to the beach after the fire, the others are left to clean up the mess... and point fingers of accusation against Celia for the grow house. Celia is a convenient scapegoat for the entire operation (she did own the house where the drugs were being grown) and is thrown to the wolves in prison. If you never thought you'd see the day where Celia is painted and made up to look like a hooker with a black eye, think again.

Ultimately, the two episodes comprise a new beginning and new direction for Weeds, one that pushes Nancy to take larger and larger risks as she tries to get rich from her partnership with the sociopathic Guillermo and forces her to confront the ghost of her dead husband via his family. It's an exciting new journey for these characters and I am intrigued to see just where it's going. I doubt that Lenny will let them stay there for very long so I wonder if the series' creator Jenji Kohan will let the Botwins put down some new roots before they are cast out onto the road again. I for one love the new beach setting, with its Mexican border wall and air of transience (not to mention the fantastic scene with Parker's Nancy waiting an interminable time to cross the border and, um, using her latte cup as a Jane-on-the-go), and hope that it opens up some new dynamic and compelling storytelling for the series in its fourth year.

In the meantime, I can't wait to see how Celia enacts her revenge on Nancy and what the new Ren Mar setting means for Dean and Doug's continued partnership with Nancy. All this and a deal with the devil in the form of Guillermo for Nancy? It's going to be one hot summer for Weeds.

Weeds launches Monday night at 10 pm on Showtime.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Million Dollar Password (CBS); My Name is Earl/Last Comic Standing (NBC; 8:30-10 pm); Smallville (CW); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); Supernatural (CW); So You Think You Dance (FOX)

10 pm: Swingtown (CBS); Fear Itself (NBC)

What I'll Be TiVo'ing:

9 pm: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List on Bravo.

Okay, I know, I know, but I find her acerbic overeagerness somehow calming. On tonight's fourth season premiere, Kathy hosts a New Year's Eve show with Anderson Cooper.

10 pm: Swingtown.

I wasn't crazy about the first episode but I am willing to at least give it a second chance. On tonight's episode ("Love Will Find a Way"), Bruce celebrates an amazing day by attending a party with Susan and the Deckers at the Playboy Club.

Paging Dexter and Nancy Botwin to CBS

Could racy Showtime hits Weeds, Dexter, and The Tudors be heading to primetime on CBS?

It certainly looks that way, based on comments made by CBS topper Leslie Moonves, who says that the Tiffany network will look to repurpose Showtime's slate of edgy series.

"Dexter is probably the first one to go on -- with some edits, "Mooves said. "It fits with our crime shows."

(I don't want to argue with Moonves that his crime series typically feature law enforcement officers solving murders rather than, you know, committing them, but who am I to quibble?)

There's no launch date as of yet for Dexter other than indications that it will air "in the near future," but the strength of the crime drama's second season ratings point towards a potential primetime hit for CBS.

Sister series Weeds, which recently wrapped its third season, and period drama The Tudors may also bow on the Eye, but both would require judicious editing due to the strong sexual content and adult language on both. (If the strike persists, I'd imagine CBS will be getting editors involved with those shows pronto.)

Showtime's execs were quick to counter that CBS had been reviewing their programming slate but noted that no deals were in place.

Elsewhere, NBC is said to be considering repurposing USA's action drama Burn Notice, which seems like a good fit for the Peacock's blend of action and comedy. Perhaps it can fill in for the already-missed freshman drama Chuck?

Which leads me to wonder: what cable series would you like to see make the jump to broadcast network? Should Battlestar Galactica and Top Chef air on NBC? Would you watch The Shield on FOX? Discuss.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Kid Nation (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC; 8-10 pm); America's Next Top Model (CW); Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (ABC); Back to You/'Til Death (FOX)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Gossip Girl (CW); Private Practice (ABC); Kitchen Nightmares

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Life (NBC); Dirty Sexy Money (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: America's Next Top Model.

On tonight's episode ("The Girls Go to the Great Wall"), the girls get a Chinese history lesson from J. Alexander and soon-to-be-gone Twiggy while they move into their new home in Beijing; later, they face a challenge in which they must transform some traditional Chinese garb into their own inimitable style, one girl gives another bad advice, and they participate in a warrior-themed photo shoot at the Great Wall.

10 pm: Dirty Sexy Money.

On tonight's episode of the highly addictive screwball soap ("The Nutcracker"), Nick uncovers Karen's tryst with Simon Elders, which threatens to derail a Darling family tradition and unsettles Nick more than he can admit; Brian tells Tripp he wants to leave the ministry and work for him instead; Juliet falls for her visitor from the Seychelles; Carmelita is convinced she's being followed; and Lisa helps Jeremy impress Sofia with his art, but was that them locking lips in the promo? I can't wait!

10 pm: Project Runway on Bravo.

Season Four of Bravo's Project Runway continues. On tonight's episode, the designers are separated into teams, leading to much angst, chaos, as well as a fair share of tears and recriminations, when they are tasked with transforming a fashion "don't" into a fashion "do."

Showtime High For "Weeds"

Between getting her DEA agent husband killed and participating in a drive-by shooting, Nancy Botwin must be doing something right.

Pay cabler Showtime has renewed dark comedy Weeds for a fourth season, ordering 13 episodes of the Mary-Louise Parker-led ensemble comedy.

Network is targeting a summer 2008 launch for the fourth season of Weeds, with production to begin in April. That of course, depends on the outcome of the current writers strike.

Weeds' current season, pegged at an expanded 15 episodes, is currently in full swing on Monday nights at 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The Big Bang Theory (CBS); Chuck (NBC); Everybody Hates Chris/Aliens in America (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC; 8-9:30 pm); Prison Break (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/Rules of Engagement (CBS); Heroes (NBC); Girlfriends/The Game (CW); Samantha Who (ABC; 9:30-10 pm)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Journeyman (NBC); The Bachelor (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Chuck.

On tonight's episode ("Chuck Versus the Alma Mater"), Chuck returns to where his life seemingly went wrong: Stanford, where he must help a college professor and learns that perhaps it wasn't an accident that Bryce Larkin, the man behind most of his life's misfortune, sent him the Intersect.

9:30 pm: Samantha Who?

On tonight's episode ("The Virgin"), Samantha can't seem to recall sex (pesky amnesia) and has to figure out to approach her second first time.

10 pm: Journeyman.

It's Kevin McKidd (Rome) as a time-traveling newspaper reporter in a drama that's more about human interactions and the nature of choice than, say, technicolored time machines. On tonight's episode ("Double Down"), Katie decides whether or not to return to work as a television journalist, while Dan has to save a witness' life and Jack investigates Dan's life.

10 pm: Weeds on Showtime.

The third season of Showtime's acclaimed comedy, Weeds continues. On tonight's episode ("Risk"), Nancy comes to terms with her new business arrangement, Helia adjusts to her new locale, and Andy chases a biker chick.

Showtime Fetes Third Season of "Weeds" and Launch of "Californication"

It's that time of year when Showtime invites a bunch of people around to catch a sneak peek at the next season of Weeds and last night was no exception, except that this year the pay cabler offered attendees a chance to watch both the season premiere of Weeds and the premiere of new comedy Californication (which I had seen back in April, but who's counting).

This year, the Weeds/Californication screening took place, not at the Egyptian (whew!), but at the Cinerama Dome at the Arclight, a much better venue for this regular event. In attendance, besides for Showtime and Lionsgate executives, numerous agents, and members of the TV intelligentsia (like yours truly)? Series stars Mary Louise-Parker, Romany Malco, Kevin Nealon, Hunter Parrish, Andy Milder, Tonye Patano, Justin Kirk, Indigo, Allie Grant, and Alexander Gould, along with newest cast members Mary-Kate Olsen and Matthew Modine.

I spied Weeds' Maulik Pancholy across the room at the after party at Boulevard3 but didn't get a chance to hit him up for scoop on Season Two of 30 Rock. (Yes, Pancholy recurs as Jack's hyper-efficient assistant Jonathan)

Representing Californication, David Duchovny, Natascha McElhone, Evan Handler, and Pamela Adlon. (Can't remember seeing Madeline Zima or Madeleine Martin there but the whole thing was a bit of a haze.)

For fans of Weeds, the third season premiere is not to be missed. It picks up right where Season Two left off, with Nancy facing down the gun barrels of two rival drug cartels in the kitchen of the grow house, after Silas took off with the pot crop and Nancy's DEA husband Peter got, you know, killed. Now she'll have to contend with Armenians and African-American dealers, her criminal son Silas, and the evil, evil machinations of neighbor Celia (Elizabeth Perkins).

And, oh, did I mention that younger son Shane has been kidnapped by Andy's kooky ex-girlfriend Kat (Zooey Deschanel)? You won't believe how things, er, go off the rails between the two of them, who are being pursued (unknown to Nancy) by Andy and an Alaskan bounty hunter on Kat's trail. All this plus, a drug induced, er, measurement competition between Andy Milder's Dean and Kevin Nealon's Doug that is as hilarious as it is pathetic.

Touching, gripping, and caustically hilarious, this episode is Weeds at its very best. My only complaint: that I'll have to wait to see what happens next in this "to be continued" two-parter. As for you, my gentle readers, you can check out the first episode of Weeds Season Three online at Showtime. How's that for a nifty gifty?

But my last thought is directed at other attendees of Showtime's fete for their summer launches? What was up with those half-nude women lounging at the pools at Boulevard3 blowing bubbles? And did anyone else want to climb into a tub of that hot, rich brownie pudding they were serving?

Mary-Kate Sparks Up for Season Three of "Weeds"

In one of the, er, oddest bits of casting recently, Showtime announced that Mary-Kate Olsen will join the cast of drama Weeds, which returns for its third season of pot-scented shenanigans August 13th.

Mary-Kate Olsen (remind me, is that the blonde one?) will play Tara, a Christian who moves into a new planned community sponsored by a local evangelical church, located next to the Botwin's Agrestic. Tara will quickly become a new love interest for Nancy's son Silas (Hunter Parrish) and Olsen is already contracted to appear in 10 of the 15 episodes ordered for Season Three.

"Weeds isn't your eight-o'-clock family fare," says creator Jenji Kohan. "It's an adult show with adult subject matter and we're confident Mary-Kate is right for the role. She came in and read with Hunter and was absolutely charming and real and seemed like a great fit. Audiences have seen only one side of Mary-Kate but here, we'll see her in a whole new light."

(I could make a joke there but I just won't.)

She joins the recently cast Matthew Modine, who has signed on to play a wealthy developer (the very same one behind Agrestic's rival Majestic) and a potential love interest for Mary-Louise Parker's Nancy Botwin.

Additionally, Zooey Deschanel will pop up in the third season premiere, reprising her role as Andy's eccentric girlfriend Kat, while Carrie Fisher will guest star next season as Celia's divorce lawyer.

Stuck in the "Weeds": Welcome to Mrs. Botwin's Neighborhood

Just when you thought that things couldn't get any worse in Agrestic... they do. Well, at least for just about everyone other than poor Isabelly and a suddenly very happy Shane.

In last night's episode of Weeds ("Mrs. Botwin's Neighborhood"), Nancy (Mary Louise Parker) has to contend with attacks on the home front from a number of directions, the most upsetting of which is eldest son Silas' (Hunter Parrish), um, reaction to the news that pregnant girlfriend Megan (Shoshannah Stern) won't be keeping their child after all. While Silas keeps texting her with thousands of potential baby names, Megan has shut herself in her bedroom and her father is none to pleased with Silas when he attempts to try and see her. (Nor should he be when Silas breaks through Megan's bedroom window and stabs--yes, STABS--Megan's dad with a piece of broken glass.

Nancy's reaction to the entire bloody scene is a classic momma bear action; she gets right up in to the guy's face and pushes him (by the head no less) and says that if he comes anywhere near Silas, she'll kill him. Nancy's angry and she means business, no if, ands, or buts about it. The scene completely showcases Mary Louise Parker's skills as well; Nancy can shift from tender to combative in a few short seconds and it's her body language and posture that belie her strength and rage more than any lines of dialogue. You do not want to mess with this momma.

But some people aren't as intimidated by Nancy as she might like them to be. People like, say, the Armenian mafia who already have installed five grow houses on the block where Mrs. Botwin and the Gang have set up their latest enterprise. This being Weeds, however, the competition doesn't welcome you to the neighborhood with slashed tires or broken windows... rather they bring over threatening... pastries? This is suburbia, after all, and what says get off my turf more than some free carbohydrate-leaden baked goods? Fortunately, Nancy's ace up her sleeve--that would be her secret new husband Peter (Martin Donovan) who just happens to be a DEA agent--gives her the best wedding present that any suburban mom-turned-pot dealer could ask for: the elimination of any competition. Lucky for Nancy that her hubby is willing to play her game, for now anyway. But I am still waiting for the inevitable confrontation when Silas and Shane realize that Mommy's remarried without bothering to tell either of them. I smell fire...

The youngest members of the Agrestic community seem to be the only ones who aren't drowning their sorrows right now. Isabelle (Allie Grant) auditions to be a plus-size model for a children's clothing line called (seriously) Huskeroo, much to the horror of Celia (Elizabeth Perkins) who has to contend with the shame of everyone knowing that Isabelle is (gasp!) fat. Meanwhile, Andy (Justin Kirk) takes Shane (Alexander Gould) to a massage parlor for a happy ending after Shane discovers he's the only member of his class (what is he, 11?) that, um, isn't up on the latest mating rituals of the pre-teen set.

The showdown between Andy and Shane's principal is another priceless comedic gem and Justin Kirk is quickly becoming a major reason to tune in to the show. If the series' producers aren't careful, he might just steal the show away from MLP altogether. As it is right now, he's certainly cornered the market on the majority of the zingers in each episode...

But for me, I'm hoping things lighten up a little bit in Agrestic. All of this doom and gloom can certainly ruin your buzz and I'd like a little more levity with my mafia-delivered pastries and spousal DEA busts.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother: All-Stars (CBS); Fear Factor (NBC); Gilmore Girls (WB); Dancing with the Stars (ABC; 8-10 pm); House (FOX); Desire (MyNet)

9 pm: Rock Star: Supernova (CBS); Law & Order: Criminal Intent (NBC); Gilmore Girls (WB); Standoff (FOX); Fashion House (MyNet)

10 pm: NCIS (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Men in Trees (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Eureka on Sci-Fi.

The whimsical new sci-fi drama that's more Northern Exposure than Stargate. On tonight's episode ("Primal"), Fargo invents a mental mouse that links the human brain to a computer, but somehow winds up interacting with Taggart's healing nanoids. Just another day in Eureka then...

10 pm: A Fish Called Wanda on BBC America.

Because I can never pass up watching this comedy classic for the umpteenth time...

"Weeds" Gets Online Puff

Fans of Showtime's Weeds who don't, you know, actually want to pay for Showtime can catch the second season premiere online.

MSN Video has pacted with the pay cabler to stream Weed's entire season premiere episode ("Corn Snake") online for one week, after it premieres on the network Monday. Additionally, short clips from the Mary-Louise Parker-led dramedy will be available online throughout the second season, but there are no current plans to offer any other full-length episodes.

So catch your hit now while you still can. And, who knows, you might just be willing to pony up that extra money for Showtime.

Spark It Up: "Weeds" Premiere Party Offers Clues to Life in Agrestic

Fans of Weeds are in for a few surprises when the series launches its second season on Showtime next month.

I attended the Weeds Season Two premiere last night at the Egyptian in Hollywood and the audience -- a mix of celebrities, cast members, and execs from Showtime and studio Lionsgate Television -- was able to catch a sneak peek at the first two episodes of next season. And let me just say, if you thought that season finale cliffhanger ending with Nancy (Mary Louise Parker) discovering that her newest beau Peter (Martin Donovan) was a DEA agent after sleeping with him was a doozy, you're in for a real treat.

Before the main event, Showtime president Bob Greenblatt screened the trailer for Showtime's upcoming series The Tudors, a revisionist take on the Tudor dynasty starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Sam Neill, and Jeremy Northam, among others. It's sort of a soap operatic version of history but without any of the flair or panache of HBO's Rome. The first half of the trailer, with its red background, ominous music, and on-screen text talking about how Henry VIII took six wives and forever changed church and state began to make my eyelids flutter. (It had been a long day.) Rhys Meyers looks to turn in another virtuoso performance, but isn't he a little, um, thin to tackle the notoriously overweight and murderous king? (Even Weeds' Celia couldn't make a fat comment about the lean Rhys Meyers.) The Tudors will premiere on Showtime in 2007.

But back to Weeds. In the second season, life in Agrestic is still the messed-up farce it's always been. Look for Nancy and Peter's "relationship" to take a rather intriguing turn at the end of episode two; say buh-bye to the bakery, a convenient front for Nancy's ever-expanding pot business, when Sanjay (Maulik Pancholy) lights up; Nancy's brother-in-law Andy (the hilariously roguish Justin Kirk) inches closer to becoming a rabbi in order to escape military service in Iraq (his Torah-like admission essay to a rabbinical school is a treat); Nancy and Conrad (Romany Malco) split up as business partners after he finds out about Nancy sleeping with DEA agent Peter; a wigging-out Celia (Emmy nominee Elizabeth Perkins) runs for city council just to spite pothead Doug (Kevin Nealon), who refuses to install a traffic light after Celia and daughter Isabelle (Allie Grant) are involved in a hit-and-run accident; and the relationship between Silas (Hunter Parrish) and his deaf girlfriend hits a speed bump when she's admitted to Princeton. (I have an especially bad feeling about that last one; Silas is bound to do something completely idiotic to get her back.)

No sign, though, of Zooey Deschanel in the first two episodes. She joins the cast of Weeds this season and was name-checked by Bob Greenblatt when he introduced the show.

After the screening, attendees gathered on Weeds' Hollywood set for a fantastically fun party, sponsored by Showtime, Lionsgate, Lexus, and Advanced Nutrients. And let me just tell you, if you've never been served food by caterers from a fake kitchen on a television set, you haven't lived. Afterwards, I went out onto the (fake) verandah and had one too many Tanqueray-and- tonics and checked out the celebs, who included Weeds cast members Mary Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Romany Malco, Justin Kirk, Alexander Gould, Hunter Parrish, and "special guest star" Martin Donovan. Also spotted: Luke Perry, Victor Webster, Touching Evil's Jeffrey Donovan, and the ubiquitous Andy Dick. And I believe, Daveigh Chase, who plays Harry Dean Stanton's child bride Rhonda on HBO's Big Love. I think.

It was, in the words of one Clueless character, "a pretty random party." And considering the wacky tobacky show that it was feting, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Weeds returns to Showtime with its second season premiere on August 14th at 10 pm ET/PT.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Big Brother 7: All-Stars (CBS); My Name is Earl/The Office (NBC); Smallville (WB); Master of Champions (ABC); That '70s Show/That '70s Show (FOX); Everybody Hates Chris/Love, Inc. (UPN)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); America's Got Talent (NBC); Supernatural (WB); Grey's Anatomy (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX); Eve/Cuts (UPN)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Windfall (NBC); Primetime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: My Name is Earl.

On tonight's repeat episode ("White Lie Christmas"), Earl tries to make up for all of the awful presents he gave Joy when they were married by winning her a car in a radio contest, but Randy and Catalina have designs of their own on the auto.

8:30 pm: The Office.

On a repeat of The Office ("The Carpet"), Michael begins to question his popularity at Dunder-Mifflin when someone, um, "stains" the carpet in his office. Is an office prank or a karmic sign? (Earl would probably know.)