Channel Surfing: Jack Bauer Heads to the Cinema, Christopher Lloyd Finds "Chuck," Nestor Carbonell Talks "Lost," "True Blood," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Variety's Michael Schneider is reporting that 20th Century Fox Television and the studio's feature film division are working on adapting FOX's long-running drama series 24 for the big screen. The studio has hired Billy Ray (State of Play) to write a screenplay for the feature version of 24, which would see Jack Bauer jump across the pond to thwart a plot in Europe. Film would be executive produced by Kiefer Sutherland, Howard Gordon, Brian Grazer, Robert Cochran, and Joel Surnow. "Insiders cautioned that a 24 feature is still very much in the preliminary stages," writes Schneider. "There are a number of factors influencing how quickly it moves ahead, including the fate of the TV show." That fate is still to be determined, though it's thought very likely that Day Eight will be the final season of 24. (Variety, Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) will guest star on NBC's Chuck later this season. Lloyd will play "a therapist who Chuck turns to when the pressures of the spy biz become too much for him to bear," writes Ausiello. Look for Lloyd to turn up in this season's sixteenth episode, slated to air in April or May. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to Lost series regular Nestor Carbonell about Season Six's power struggle on the island. And, yes, we will learn about why Richard Alpert doesn't age and just who this mysterious counsel to the Others really is. "I knew at some point that they were going to answer some of the bigger questions, I just didn't know when," Carbonell told Abrams. "We have gotten to that point where there is an episode that deals with the origins of Richard Alpert and the bigger questions about his character, as well as bigger questions about the island and the mythology of it. It's an episode that reveals a lot. After three years playing this character, I was floored when I got the script and I was so excited to actually get to do the episode. They wrote a really tremendous script." (TVGuide.com)

SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that True Blood's Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) will have a new roommate next season: Hoyt Fortenberry (Jim Parrack). "Rooming with Jason will lead to some pretty adventurous times," Kwanten told Keck. "He’ll encourage Hoyt to sow his oats. In the first episode, my character wakes up with two women." (TV Guide Magazine)

Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) has landed the lead role in CBS comedy plot True Love, from writer/executive producer Matt Tarses. Kelly will play Kate, described as a "pretty, clean-scrubbed Midwestern who is a sweet but strong-willed romantic." Pilot revolves around four friends in Manhattan who are looking for love. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Keri Russell has received several pilot offers in the last few weeks. "She’s focusing on her film career right now," an unnamed source close to Russell told Ausiello. "But if the right project came along she would consider it. It all comes down to the material." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting news: Jennifer Finnigan (Inside the Box) will star opposite Joanna Garcia in ABC's untitled Shana Goldberg-Meehan comedy; Patrick Flueger (The 4400) has joined the cast of ABC's eight-episode drama series Scoundrels (based on Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune); and Rose Rollins (The L Word) has been added to the cast of NBC drama pilot Chase, from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, Laura Benanti (Eli Stone) has landed the lead role in CBS comedy pilot Open Books, about a book editor and her friends. Project hails from writer/executive producer Gail Lerner. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot news: Bones creator Hart Hanson has come aboard FOX drama pilot Pleading Guilty as an executive producer and will supervise; should the project go to series, he'll oversee both Bones and Pleading Guilty. Mick Jackson (Temple Grandin) will direct NBC's US remake of British crime drama Prime Suspect. Brett Ratner will direct CBS drama pilot Chaos. Joe and Anthony Russo (Community) will direct ABC comedy plot Happy Endings. Charles McDougall (The Good Wife) will direct FOX drama pilot Ridealong. (Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILER! Wedding bells will ring out for someone on Bones this season, according to series creator Hart Hanson. "One of the four women in our cast will be getting married," Hanson told TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck. Four possibilities: Booth and Brennan, Angela and Hodgins, Daisy and Sweets, or Camille and a new mystery man. (TV Guide Magazine)

Jeff Probst has renewed his hosting deal for CBS' Survivor: "Survivor fans: I'm jazzed and wanted to share with you guys first," wrote Probst via Twitter. "I'll be back snuffing torches for two more seasons (21&22) of Survivor." (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

20th Century Fox Television has signed a new overall deal with The Cleveland Show co-creator Rich Appel, which will keep him aboard the animated comedy for the foreseeable future while he also develops new series projects for the studio. (Variety)

The CW will launch new reality series High Society and Fly Girls respectively on March 10th and March 24th. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

E1 Entertainment is developing a reality series following R&B star Faith Evans as she looks to jumpstart her career after leaving the business behind five years ago. Project, which would also see Evans juggle her career with raising four kids with her husband, is currently being pitched to networks. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Daniel Dae Kim Finds "Hawaii Five-0," David Goyer Leaves "FlashForward," Zach Gilford Lands "Matadors," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Daniel Dae Kim won't be leaving the island. Or, Hawaii, rather. The Lost star has landed a lead role in CBS drama pilot Hawaii Five-0, where he will play Detective Chin Ho Kelly. Kim's co-star, however, is still unknown. Reports have indicated that former Moonlight star Alex O'Loughlin had been offered the role of Detective Steve McGarrett, but no deal has been reached yet for him to star in the remake project, which hails from executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Peter Lenkov. (Hollywood Reporter)

FlashForward co-creator David S. Goyer is leaving the ABC drama series, where he has served as showrunner since taking the creative reins from Mark Guggenheim in October. No replacement has been named for Goyer on the series, which still has roughly five more episodes to produce for this season's 23-episode order. Goyer, meanwhile, will segue back into film but will retain his executive producer credit on FlashForward. "As my feature projects have started ramping up again, I felt I was being pulled in too many directions," said Goyer in a statement. "I'm proud of the show and excited about the relaunch. It's in great hands." [Editor: just whose hands remain unknown at press time.] FlashForward returns with new episodes on March 18th. (Hollywood Reporter, Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Friday Night Lights star Zach Gilford has been cast in ABC drama pilot Matadors, citing unnamed sources. Gilford will play Alex Galloway, half of a star-crossed pair of lovers whose families work respectively in the Chicago D.A.'s office and in a high-powered law firm and often find each other on opposing sides of the courtroom. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Michael Chiklis (The Shield) has been cast in ABC drama pilot No Ordinary Family, where he will also serve as co-executive producer following the closing of a development deal at the studio. Chiklis will play the patriach of a family that discovers they have super-powers. Dave Semel will direct and executive produce the ABC Studios-produced pilot alongside Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman. (Variety)

In other pilot casting news: Jason Ritter (The Dry Land) has been cast as the lead in NBC drama pilot The Event; Todd Williams (In Plain Sight) has joined the cast of FOX drama pilot Ridealong, where he will play a beat cop who is addicted to the adrenaline rush his job provides; and Aisha Hinds (True Blood) has been cast in ABC drama pilot 187 Detroit as an "overworked and underpaid lieutenant." (Hollywood Reporter)

Confirmed: Neil Gaiman is set to write an episode of Doctor Who to air in 2011 as part of the series's sixth season. (Televisionary)

Henry Winkler will recur on the second season of USA's dramedy Royal Pains, where he will play Eddie Larson, the absentee father of Mark Feuerstein and Paulo Costanzo's Hank and Evan, who heads out to the Hamptons to make up for lost time. Season Two of Royal Pains, which was increased to 18 installments, is set to air this summer. (Variety, Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Sheryl Crow will appear in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Cougar Town, where she will play a new girlfriend for Josh Hopkins' Grayson. Her first appearance is set for March. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Enrique Murciano (Without a Trace) has been cast in Shonda Rhimes' ABC drama pilot Off the Map. He'll play a former plastic surgeon who takes a job at a remote tropical clinic overseen by Martin Henderson's character. (Hollywood Reporter)

Could this be the final season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for Christopher Meloni? According to remarks the actor made to Courier & Mail, it seems as though Meloni could be leaving the series to focus on theatre and film projects. "I think 12 years is enough, a good number," he said. "The writers will have fertile ground to figure out how to arc [Elliot Stabler] out to another place—whether it's this world or the next." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

A&E has passed on drama pilot The Quickening, which starred Radha Mitchell as a bi-polar police detective. Move leaves drama Sugarloaf as the only pilot currently in contention for a series order at the cabler. A decision about whether it will go ahead will be made before the end of the month. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has details about Andy and Erin's upcoming courtship on NBC's The Office. "It’s been a slow process of Andy gaining the courage to ask her out, but he finally does," showrunner Paul Lieberstein told Ausiello. "The wrinkle in their first date is she gets sick [with the flu], but they attempt to push on anyway." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Mathew Horne (Gavin and Stacey), Marc Warren (Hustle), Mark Gatiss (The League Of Gentlemen), and Douglas Booth will star in BBC Two drama Worried About The Boy, about "a young Boy George and his journey to become a star on the Eighties fashion and pop music scene." Project is written by Tony Basgallop (Hotel Babylon) and directed by Julian Jarrold (Brideshead Revisited). (BBC)

Elsewhere, ITV1 has commissioned three-part drama series Kidnap and Ransom, which will star Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead) as international K&R negotiator Dominic King. Project, from Projector Pictures and executive producer Patrick Harbinson (24), will also star Helen Baxendale, John Hannah, Natasha Little, Emma Fielding, and Amara Karan. (Broadcast)

TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant has an interview with Castle star Stana Katic about the recent storyline involving the murder of Kate Beckett's murder. "It was really a smart way to drop more information but not fully resolving it," Katic told Bryant. "I think it is going to be a driving force as we continue to move on. They'll definitely be dealing with it — probably not in the next couple of episodes. But I'm sure before the season's end, we'll get another big bombshell regarding that story line." (TVGuide.com)

Warner Bros. Television Worldwide Publicity SVP Sharan Magnuson will exit her position due to medical issues. "(Sharan's) leadership, talents and relationships working with creative talent, executives and the press are matched only by her character, selflessness and extraordinary work ethic," said Warner Bros. TV president Peter Roth. "She will be sorely missed by us all." (Variety)

TV Guide Network president Ryan O'Hara is leaving the cable network, effective immediately. He's reportedly set to take a new position at the company's New York office beginning next week. (Hollywood Reporter)

Nickelodeon has promoted Roland Poindexter to SVP of animation, current series. He'll report to Brown Johnson. The cabler also promoted Rich Magallanes to VP of animation, current series and will oversee Nickelodeon's diversity fellowship program. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing; HBO Renews "Big Love," Elizabeth Mitchell Talks "Lost," Cynthia Watros Heads to "House," "V" Adds Cast, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Break out the carrot and raisin salad (and mix up some fry sauce)! HBO has renewed drama series Big Love for a fifth season, with ten episodes set to air next winter. The long-running drama series has been on a roll of late, with ratings up 13 percent among viewers this season and some well-earned awards recognition, with Chloe Sevigny walking away with a Golden Globe for her performance as Nicki. "We've taken the show deeper and darker over the last couple of seasons," said executive producer Mark V. Olsen, "and we're overjoyed that HBO has come along with us." Production is expected to begin on Season Five in June or July. (Variety)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos and Jennifer Godwin have an interview with V and Lost star Elizabeth Mitchell. "I feel really bad for Juliet all the time," Mitchell told E! "I feel like, you know, karmically, maybe she's due, because when she was a prisoner, instead of being morally upright, she was Ben's (Michael Emerson) little henchman. But oh, she really has redeemed herself, so I feel like she's deserving of a lovely end. We'll see what happens. We've got another reality going on, and I'm sure she's probably tortured herself in that one, too, but hopefully in that reality we will get to see her happy and vibrant and excited. That to me, would be fun." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Cynthia Watros (Lost) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc this season on FOX's House. Watros, who will first appear in April, is set to play the first ex-wife of Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard), "who comes back into his life as his new girlfriend." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Charles Measure (Crossing Jordan), Nicholas Lea (The X-Files), and Lexa Doig (The 4400) have been added to the back half of ABC's sci-fi series V. Mesure will play mercenary Kyle Hobbes, described as "an in-demand black ops expert who forms an unlikely alliance with the resistance when he’s hired by Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell), Ryan (Morris Chestnut), Jack (Joel Gretsch) and Georgie (David Richmond-Peck) to strengthen their fight against the Vs." Lea will play Eric's ex-husband in a two-episode story arc. Doig will play Dr. Leah Pearlman, "an OB/GYN treating Valerie Stevens (Lourdes Benedicto)." (TV Guide Magazine)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that Rob Lowe (Brothers & Sisters) could be circling a role on CBS' untitled Criminal Minds spin-off, though reps wouldn't comment and publicists for CBS and ABC Studios shot down these rumors. However, citing an unnamed source, Dos Santos is reporting that Lowe would join the already cast Forest Whitaker in the spin-off series. "Lowe's casting would not be as a replacement for Whitaker, but as a costar," writes Dos Santos. "So maybe he could play the good-looking Thomas Gibson type to Whitaker's older and brilliant Mandy Patinkin type?" [Editor: in other words: take this rumor with a grain of salt.] (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Major changes afoot at AMC's upcoming drama series Rubicon, where creator/executive producer/co-showrunner Jason Horwitch has departed the production and has been replaced by executive producer Henry Bromell. Series, which stars James Badge Dale, revolves around an analyst at a national think tank who becomes enmeshed in a conspiracy. Project was ordered to pilot in August 2008 and is production on the series is set to begin in March and is scheduled to launch this summer. [Editor: I watched Rubicon's disappointing pilot last year. It definitely needed a lot of major work. Hoping Bromell can get this project back on track.] (Hollywood Reporter)

Virginia Madsen (Monk) has been cast as the lead in ABC's eight-episode series Scoundrels, based on Kiwi drama series Outrageous Fortune. She'll play the matriarch of a family of criminals who are forced to go straight after their patriarch ends up in prison. When ABC previously developed the project with executive producer Rob Thomas, the character was played by Catherine O'Hara. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, Gary Cole (Entourage) has been cast as the titular character in TBS hour-long comedy pilot Uncle Nigel, where he will play Nigel Wells, described as "a veteran Philadelphia homicide detective who takes on his inexperienced, incompetent nephew as a partner." The attachment of Cole lifts the casting contingency on the project, written and executive produced by Andy Breckman (Monk). (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Scrubs star Sarah Chalke has been cast in ABC comedy pilot Freshman, about a bunch of newbie politicians who live together in Washington. Chalke will play Jane, a former businesswoman turned freshman congresswoman who is unlucky in love. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, is written/executive produced by Greg Malins and executive produced by Arianna Huffington. (Variety)

ABC announced that supernatural/mystery drama series Happy Town will launch on April 28th at 10 pm ET/PT, assuming the Wednesdays at 10 pm timeslot currently occupied by Ugly Betty, which will wrap its run earlier that month. (HitFix)

CBS has ordered a pilot for multi-camera comedy Team Spitz, which will star Rob Riggle (The Daily Show) as a high school football coach. Project, from Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Studios, is written by Bill Martin and Mike Schiff, who will executive produce alongside Peter Principato, Paul Young, Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, and Mitch Hurwitz. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has given a pilot presentation order to sketch comedy Naked But Funny, which has begun casting. Project, from Peter Engel Prods. and New Wave Entertainment, is executive produced by Peter Engel, Barry Katz, and Eric Weinberg. (Variety)

Season Seven of dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance is set to launch with a two-hour season premiere on Thursday, May 27th on FOX. (via press release)

Mo'Nique will host Showtime comedy special Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All-Star Comedy Jam, set to air this summer on Showtime. (It will also be made available via pay per view, DVD, and online.) Special will include such comics as George Willborn, Mike Epps, Paul Mooney, Muchael Blackson, and Corey Holcomb. (Variety)

Reality shingle A. Smith and Co. is developing a series based on the life of Tad Skylar Agoglia, who founded First Response Team of America and a recipient of CNN's 2008 Top 10 Heroes of the Year kudos. Project, executive produced by Arthur Smith, Kent Weed, and Frank Sinton, will follow "Agoglia and his team as they travel to communities impacted by natural disasters." (Variety)

Mark Pedowitz, the former president of ABC Studios, has signed a producing deal with Warner Bros. Television. Terms of the deal are still being discussed and both sides declined to comment. (Variety)

Scott Free, the production company owned by Ridley and Tony Scott, is expanding its UK television operations and has added BBC Films development executive Jack Arbuthnott and BBC television drama script editor Surian Fletcher-Jones (Little Dorrit) to its ranks. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Nothing is Irreversible: The Season Premiere of "Lost"

"Sorry you had to see me that way."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you reveal the solution to a mystery six seasons in the making. Lost has been criticized in the past by some (not me, fortunately) for stringing viewers along with a series of new mysteries while never quite offering answers to the story threads already long dangling. But this is, after all, the final season of Lost and showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse wisely decided to take an approach of beginning to answer questions right from the start this season.

Last night's two-hour sixth season premiere of Lost ("LA X"), written by Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and directed by Jack Bender, was a phenomenal start to the season, offering yet another narrative device employed by the duo and pushing the story along while also offering some more of the series' now trademarked serpentine mysteries.

So what did I think of the episode and the latest plot twists being thrown at the audience? Let's discuss.

The biggest thrill the season opener offered was the chance to see the castaways in two divergent timestreams: one in which Oceanic Flight 815 never crashed on the island and one in which everything we've seen on the series has come to pass and the castaways didn't avert their fates but winded up (as I had suggested back last May) on the island in 2007.

Time travel is, after all, a very sticky wicket, especially when you're attempting to change the past. The castaways' efforts to use the pocket of energy underneath the Swan Station in order to prevent their future from coming to pass was an effort to battle fate itself: what's done is done. For them, anyway. Their actions end up creating a divergent reality, one in which the plane never crashes on the island (it's deep under the sea) and therefore they never wind up there, instead safely landing in Los Angeles.

But that doesn't mean that destiny doesn't play a hand in what unfolds for this group of people, who I'll call the Lost-X castaways. They still continue to cross paths, not just aboard Oceanic Flight 815 but also at LAX and likely in other ways once they've left the airport. Even those not glimpsed about the plane (read: Claire) have a way of winding up back in the mess, as witnessed when Kate carjacks a taxi containing Claire.

While certain circumstances are different for these Lost-X castaways, they are essentially the same flawed individuals, plagued by the same fears and doubts and suffering under the weight of the same sins. The one exception to this rule would seem to be Hurley, who is now convinced not that he's bad luck but that he's blessed with good luck. After all, he still used the numbers to play the lottery and win but those numbers lack their power now that the island has seemingly been destroyed. (Loved, by the way, the shot of the Dharma shark swimming through the undersea landscape.) But Hurley's perception of the events unfolding around him have changed now that he isn't followed by a dark cloud: Mr. Cluck's still stands, after all.

Other changes abound: Boone doesn't manage to convince Shannon to accompany him back to Los Angeles so he returns alone, and ends up sitting in coach next to Frogurt and Locke. Charlie doesn't flush the heroin but attempts to swallow it and is revived by Jack when he loses consciousness. Artz recognizes Hurley. Bernard returns from the restroom to sit down next to Rose. Cindy gives Jack not two but one little bottles of alcohol. Sun and Jin appear to be unwed, given the fact that the TSA officer calls her Ms. Paik and not Mrs. Kwon. (Unclear: whether or not Sun can speak English. She appears to understand what is being said but does not intervene when Jin becomes increasingly angry and can't understand them. But she could be concealing her knowledge as in the mainstream reality.)

And, most interestingly, Desmond Hume is on the flight. With no island to shipwreck aboard and no button to push, Desmond isn't down in the Swan hatch (which may not exist at all) and therefore cannot cause the crash of Oceanic 815. But clearly his fate is inexorably bound to that of the castaways.

But while The Incident may have created a divergent timeline for the castaways, that doesn't mean that there aren't still echoes from the life that they had already lived elsewhere. It's Jack who remembers... something. A half-remembered memory, a sense of deja vu, a shadow that casts a pall over him. He grips the armrest of his seat when the plane hits that pocket of turbulence and doesn't let go. An unexpected spot of blood underneath his collar shocks him when he looks in the mirror. When Desmond sits next to him and calls him "brother," there's a frisson in the air that stirs up some deep memory within Jack's subconscious.

But there's another mystery. Just where does Desmond go? He seemingly vanishes from the plane without a trace. Neither Rose nor Bernard claim to have seen him get up but Desmond's disappearance is strangely troubling to Jack. From my perspective, Desmond has already existed in other divergent timestreams (see: "Flashes Before Your Eyes") and Eloise Hawking previously acted as an agent of course-correction in order to push events back into their proper place. Is that what happened aboard the plane? Is Hawking already attempting to maneuver the unfolding of time into its appropriate pattern?

But destiny is, after all, a fickle bitch. Despite getting off the plane without their lives being noticeably changed by their interactions with their fellow traveling companions, the Lost-X castaways are being pushed back together. Sawyer has seemingly already made a mark out of Hurley and assists Kate in her flight to freedom after her escape from Edward Mars. Boone admits to Locke that he would stick by him if the plane went down after hearing the (false) stories of his walkabout in the outback.

Locke has not received the miracle that the island afforded. Paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair, Locke suffers the same crippling self-loathing and anger that he felt before the series began. The look of shame on his face as he is lifted out of his seat and into a chair by airport personnel as Jack watches was gut-wrenching. He doesn't believe. Yet an airline screw-up--involving the disappearance of the coffin containing Christian's corpse and a suitcase with Locke's knives--brings Jack and Locke together once more. He offers Locke his card, saying that he is a spinal surgeon. Despite Locke's belief that his condition is irreversible, Jack says the immortal line, "Nothing is irreversible." Which makes me believe that Locke WILL walk again, but thanks to Jack's hand and not the island's involvement. It's an especially ironic comment to make in the face of the fact that for the castaways in the main reality, their actions didn't seemingly reverse anything. And yet...

Castaways. The castways find themselves back on the island, after the events of the first five seasons. Which means that the Swan has been destroyed by Desmond turning the failsafe key and everything they've experienced has come to pass. Strange that it isn't just their bodies that are moved through time. The wreckage at the Swan site travels with them as does the Dharma VW van and Hurley's guitar case. Curious...

Juliet. Somehow Juliet managed to survive the fall down the Swan shaft and was pulled through time to 2007 with the other castaways, living just long enough for Sawyer to make his way through the wreckage to kiss her one last time. (I found this scene just as gutting as Juliet's plunge down the shaft at the end of last season and her lines about getting coffee were heartbreaking.) It's clear that Sawyer did love Juliet and he holds Jack responsible for her death, unleashing a blood feud with the good doctor that will likely carry through this season. Juliet died before she could tell Sawyer "something important," but Sawyer very wisely buried Juliet and then asked Miles to find out just what it was. The message: "it worked." Clearly, Juliet--perhaps existing in the space between life and death or closer to the energies contained underneath the Swan station site--was somehow aware of the creation of the divergent reality. Multi-dimensional awareness? Or just blind faith that their actions did produce the results they wanted... just not for them.

Smoke Monster. We finally got an answer to one of the series' most enduring mysteries, one that has existed since the pilot episode. The nature of the smoke monster has been a source of constant speculation among viewers. Was it a security system? An inexplicable Rover-like entity? Or something entirely different. The answer, we learned, was far more complex: the smoke monster and the Man in Black were one and the same.

Having successfully found a loophole in his never-ending battle with Jacob, The Man in Black used Ben to slaughter him and then pushed his body into fire before defiling Jacob's sanctuary: wiping his knife on the tapestry and then murdering Ilana's team in his guise as the smoke monster. It's a rather canny reveal that should have been obvious since last season's finale. After all, the Man in Black can take on any shape he desires (or at least that of the dead) and that's just what the smoke monster has done in the past. Shifting his appearance from that of the false John Locke to that of the smoke monster, the Man in Black reveals himself to a horrified Ben.

Just what are we dealing with here? Is this the Man in Black's true form? Or just another incarnation of this entity. And if the Man in Black can become the smoke monster... just what does that mean about Jacob? Did he have another form too?

Jacob. Lest there be any confusion, Jacob is definitely dead. He went so far as to tell Hurley this fact before reminding him of the guitar case he gave him in Los Angeles before he boarded Ajira Flight 316. But can he really be killed permanently in a place where the dead walk as freely as the living? Separated from his corporeal body, Jacob still managed to talk to Hurley (who, like Miles, can communicate with the dead) and moved events into motion, telling Hurley to take the critically wounded Sayid to the Temple, where he can be saved.

The Temple. Jack, Hurley, and Kate brought Sayid to the hole in the wall where Montand lost his arm and the French research team went crazy. But they didn't encounter the smoke monster down in the catacombs beneath the Temple but rather some Others who were less than pleased to see them. Dragged out into the central courtyard, they beheld the Temple for the first time and met its overseer, the mysterious Dogan (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his right-hand man Lennon (John Hawkes). While Dogan ordered the intruders killed, Hurley managed to save their lives by telling him that Jacob sent him and producing the guitar case that he had been given... a guitar case which contained a large wooden ankh. Inside the ankh: a piece of paper containing their names and a message that if Sayid dies they are all in serious trouble.

After learning that Jacob is dead, the Others take extreme precautions to bar the smoke monster from the Temple, reinforcing walls and spreading protective ash around the entrance. It's this same ash that encircled Jacob's cabin as seen several seasons back and likely protected Jacob until the circle was broken. Bram attempted to protect himself below the four-toed statue using this method but when he was struck by a rock, he fell just outside the circle, making him easy prey for the monster.

Cindy. I was beyond thrilled to see a resolution to the subplot of flight attendant Cindy and the tailie kids taken by the Others. Cindy seems to have assimilated herself into the culture of the Others and, despite recognizing Jack, seemed more than willing to let them die, should that be the wish of Dogan. She's vastly different and almost recognizable from her previous life as a perky flight attendant. Just what happened to her during her stay with the Others remains to be seen.

Dogan. I'm already deeply intrigued by Dogan. Speaking in Japanese, Dogan refused to communicate directly to the castaways, instead forcing Lennon to translate his words. But Hurley realized this and forced Dogan to speak English (which he said was insulting to his tongue). He seems to hold a position akin to master priest and it was Dogan who oversaw Sayid's body beng placed into the healing pool. Just who is he? How long has he been on the island? What is his relationship to Richard Alpert and his tribe? There's a distinctly Eastern-meets-Egyptian theme going on, from the hieroglyph-laden walls of the Temple to their vaguely Asian style of dress.

The Pool. Now where is Ra's al Ghul when you need him? The Others have a healing pool capable of saving Sayid and a ceremony in which he must be submerged in the waters (while Dogan watches black and white sands flow through an hourglass); it definitely reminded me of the Lazarus Pit from the Batman comics. But something was wrong with the waters, which were tinged with red instead of clear. A sign that Jacob had died and his healing influence was no longer flowing through the island? Perhaps. Dogan tested out its healing capabilities by cutting his hand but the waters did not heal him.

Was this the same ceremony used to heal the teenage Benjamin Linus back in the 1970s? Were the risks that Dogan spoke of the same ones afforded to Ben? Could it be that, if successful, the pool would heal Sayid's body but corrupt his soul? Curious.

Sayid. With his life slipping away, Sayid was brought to the pool and then held under the water until he drowned... and Jack was unable to revive him. Dogan writes him off as dead and leaves but Jack is summoned by Lennon for a private talk away from the pool. What he wished to discussed remains a mystery for now as they were interrupted by Sayid coming back to life. Hmmm, another island resurrection? But while Sayid whispered, "what happened?" a chill ran over me. He didn't sound quite like Sayid, now did he? (Or am I overthinking?)

Richard Alpert. Meanwhile, the Man in Black strolled out of Jacob's sanctuary and berated the Others, saying he was "disappointed" in them. After the incident in the sanctuary, I was glad that Richard urged Ilana and the others not to shoot him (he now knows just what False Locke is), but Jacob's Nemesis has plans for Richard, punching him and then carrying him off into the jungle. Just what did he mean when he said that it was good to see Richard out of his chains? A clue that perhaps Richard Alpert was aboard the Black Rock, a slave that came to the island and engaged in yet another round of the war between Jacob and his dark brother? Interesting...

Home. Just where is home for the Man in Black? And what does it mean that he wants to get there? Has he been exiled to this island and have all of his actions been leading up to an attempt to flee the island and escape? And, if that is the case, just what does it mean for the Lost-X castaways that his cage--the island--has been destroyed?

Lost Literary Allusion of the Week: Montand was reading Søren Kierkegaard's 1843 book "Fear and Trembling," a philosophical discussion of the relationship between faith and morality that circles around the Biblical story of Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac (fitting given Ben's sacrifice of Jacob). And, aboard Flight 815, Desmond was reading Salman Rushdie's 1990 magical realist children's novel "Haroun and the Sea of Stories," which contains such fantastical elements as the Ocean of the Streams of Story. (Fitting again, given the island's location beneath the sea.)

Ultimately, "LA X" offered a fantastic opening installment for the final season of Lost that was filled with a tantalizing combination of answers, mysteries, and divergent realities. If Jack is right and nothing is irreversible, then it means that anything--and everything--is possible this season on Lost as the road to the endgame rapidly approaches.

Next week on Lost ("What Kate Does"), Kate finds herself on the run, while Jack is tasked with something that could endanger a friend's life.

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

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "Lost, For the Last Time (Part Two)"

It's here: the sixth and final season of Lost begins tonight!

But before we set off to the island for the last time, get prepared for tonight's season premiere of Lost ("LA X") with the second part of my interview with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse over at The Daily Beast, entitled "Lost, For the Last Time."

In Part One of my interview, Lindelof and Cuse discussed Season Six of Lost, the series' influence on television programming, its legacy, and why viewers shouldn't expect to see every mystery get answered this season.

In the newly released second half of my Daily Beast interview with Cuse and Lindelof, the duo talk specifically about the sixth and final season of Lost: the fates of Henry Ian Cusick's Desmond Hume and Sonya Walger's Penelope Widmore; the return of such long-dead characters as Michael (Harold Perrineau) and Libby (Cynthia Watros) to the series; the show's final image; the future of the Lost franchise; their emotional state; and what oft-rumored project the duo won't be tackling next.

So head over to The Daily Beast to see just what Cuse and Lindelof had to say and be sure to tune in tonight for the start of Season Six of Lost.

Lost returns February 2nd with a one-hour special at 8 pm ET/PT followed by the two-hour season premiere at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Channel Surfing: Lilly and Fox to Quit TV After "Lost," Broderick Finds "Beach Lane" for NBC, Kurtzman and Orci Sign 20th Deal, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that Lost co-stars Evangeline Lilly and Matthew Fox plan to quit television after the end of the ABC drama series and that Lilly wants to leave acting behind altogether. "I think this will be the last time you see me on TV," Fox told Dos Santos. "I'm either going to do the kind of things I want to do in the film world, or maybe I'll just do something else entirely... I've done almost 300 hours of [TV]. It's been two really great experiences between Party of Five and Lost. I'm ready to take it to the next step and see what I can do in that [film] world." As for Lilly, she is looking to continue in the film world in a capacity other than being in front of the camera and focus on philanthropic work in Rwanda. "I just haven't found where that is yet. I don't know if anything has gelled yet. I don't know if it fits," she told Dos Santos. "I want to have some quiet space. [I want to] drop off the radar a little bit and enjoy a little bit of normalcy again." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

In other Lost-related news, it appears that most fans didn't watch the version of the season premiere that had been leaked online over the weekend. [Editor: good on them!] (Hollywood Reporter) And Mike Hale of The New York Times has a fantastic interactive chronological timeline for Lost's narrative as well as audio quotes from Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. (New York Times)

Matthew Broderick has signed on to star in NBC multi-camera comedy pilot Beach Lane, where he will play a celebrated author who represents the last hope for a struggling Hamptons newspaper owned by an oblivious millionaire. The Universal Media Studios-produced project, written by Paul Simms, is executive produced by Lorne Michaels and Marci Klein. Casting is the first time Broderick has signed on as a regular on a television series. The Peacock also gave out a pilot order to multi-camera comedy Perfect Couples, about three couples who are each in a different stage of their respective relationships. Project, from Universal Media Studios, was created by writer/executive producers Jon Pollack (30 Rock) and Scott Silveri (Friends). (Variety)

Fringe co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have signed a three-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television, which goes into effect on March 1st. Under the terms of the deal, Kurtzman and Orci will launch their own production shingle and begin developing series for the studio; while the duo will write, they will also work with other writers as well. "We looked at all the creative heroes that we've had: Steven Bochco, Shawn Ryan, Ryan Murphy," said Kurtzman. "That's the kind of brand-building we want to go for." (Hollywood Reporter, Variety)

CBS gave out two pilot orders yesterday, greenlighting cop drama Reagan's Law, described as a "multi-generational show revolving around a family of cops in New York." Project, from CBS Television Studios, hails from Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green (The Sopranos), who will executive produce with Leonard Goldberg. The Eye also ordered a pilot for an untitled medical drama from writer Hannah Shakespeare (The Philanthropist), executive producer John Wells, and Warner Bros. Television, about a team of traveling doctors who make stops across the US to help low income people. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has ordered a pilot for single-camera comedy It Takes a Village, about the unconventional family formed by two ex-spouses and their new significant others as raise their 15-year-old son. Project, from ABC Studios, is written by Casey Johnson and David Windsor (Greek) and executive produced by Mark Gordon, Deborah Spera, and Andrea Shay. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Michael will get a new love interest on The Office this season. "Michael is going to meet someone," showrunner Paul Lieberstein told Ausiello. "It’s one of these set-ups where a bunch of people go out and you don’t know you’re being set up... he kind of flips out and goes into 'date mode.' And it goes in a weird direction from there." Casting for the role has yet to get underway but the character is expected to appear in March or April. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO is developing a biopic based on the life of ex-beauty queen and anti-gay activist Anita Bryant, with Chad Hodge (Runaway) attached to write and Darren Star (Sex and the City) attached to direct the telepic. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has announced that it will air the two-hour backdoor pilot for Canadian co-produced drama Secrets of the Mountain (also known as The Mountain) on April 16th at 8 pm ET/PT. (Futon Critic)

Spike has ordered six episodes of reality series Half Pint Brawlers, which will "examine the world of little-person wrestling and its increasing popularity as an underground sport." Series, from The Idea Factory and Lumberjack Crew, is set to launch in June as part of a programming block with the ten-episode Scrappers, in which "participants search for scrap metal and other trash that can be converted into cash." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Countdown to "Lost": What Will Happen This Season?

Just what will happen this season on Lost?

With the season premiere of the sixth and final season of Lost only a few scant days away now, I thought it would be a good time to find out just what your theories are about (A) what happened to the castaways after Juliet detonated Jughead, (B) what will happen this season, and (C) what you predict the ending of the series will be.

I'd love to revisit these theories once Lost wraps up its run this May but, given that the first hour of Lost's season premiere is set to be shown to fans in Hawaii this weekend, we could engage in one final round of spoiler-free speculation for Lost before information begins pouring in.

So dig in: what do you think Team Darlton has in store for us this last season? What are your predictions about what will happen, who will die, who will end up together, and just what this all means? Discuss. (But, reminder: no spoilers!)

(Meanwhile, Part One of my interview with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse is up at The Daily Beast while Part Two--due to run this Tuesday--gets more into some elements of Season Six.)

Lost premieres Tuesday night with a one-hour retrospective special at 8 pm ET/PT and the two-hour sixth season premiere at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

The Daily Beast: "Lost, For the Last Time"

Dying with anticipation for the start of the sixth and final season of Lost? You're not alone.

While the ABC drama series doesn't kick off until Tuesday, you can head over to The Daily Beast now and read my latest piece, "Lost, For the Last Time," Part One of an interview with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, in which the duo discuss Season Six of Lost, the series' influence on television programming, its legacy, and why viewers shouldn't expect to see every mystery get answered this season.

Part Two of my interview will run on Tuesday, the day that Lost returns for its sixth and final season.

Lost returns February 2nd with a one-hour special at 8 pm ET/PT followed by the two-hour season premiere at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Channel Surfing: Mystery Men Back on "Lost," "Rex" Not Dead at NBC, Slew of Guest Stars for "30 Rock," "Mad" Man to Wisteria Lane, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Looks like the Final Battle isn't over yet. The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Titus Welliver (The Good Wife) and Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural) will return for Season Six of Lost. Welliver will reprise his role as the mysterious man in black during the second half of Lost's final season while Pellegrino will return as Jacob in at least six episodes of Season Six of Lost. (Hollywood Reporter)

[Editor: Meanwhile, also be sure to check out Part Two of Maureen Ryan's fantastic and in-depth Q&A with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse here.]

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that NBC has yet to make a decision about the fate of legal drama pilot Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, starring David Tennant (Doctor Who). But while the pilot's sets are being dismantled this week, the project isn't dead. "The sets are on fold-and-hold," an unnamed insider told Ausiello. "They will still be available if the show is picked up for the fall." And it's still possible that Rex will make it to air, as that same source told Ausiello that the project is still under consideration for a fall slot on the schedule. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TV Guide Magazine's William Keck is reporting that a bevy of male stars are being lined up to guest star in 30 Rock's Valentine's Day episode, shooting this week. Among the eligible bachelors reuniting with Tina Fey's Liz Lemon: Jon Bon Jovi, Dean Winters, Jason Sudeikis, and Jon Hamm. But it's Sudeikis' Floyd who might have gotten under Liz's skin the most. "Liz is upset to learn Floyd is not only getting married, but is competing to get a free wedding on The Today Show," Fey told Keck backstage at the SAG Awards. (TV Guide Magazine)

Mad Men's Sam Page is heading to ABC Desperate Housewives, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Page has signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on the ABC drama series, where he will play Jeremy, described as "a well-trained cook who idolizes Bree (Marcia Cross) and her old-fashioned values." His first episode is slated to air in late February. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas have signed a three-year overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television said to be in the eight-figures range. Under the terms of the deal, the duo will remain on board HIMYM as executive producers through an eighth season (should one be ordered by CBS) and develop new series projects for the studio. The first project under their new deal will be an untitled comedy from writers Kourtney Kang and Joe Kelly about a Pittsburgh couple who are considering taking their relationship to the next level. (Variety)

Joanna Garcia (Privileged) has been cast in ABC's untitled Shana Goldberg-Meehan multi-camera comedy about two sisters, one of whom is unmarried but in a long-term relationship and one who finds herself pregnant and marries her boyfriend. Garcia will play the latter. Elsewhere, Steve Hawey, Shanola Hampton, and Jeremy White have been cast in Showtime's American adaptation of British drama Shameless. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot order alert! FOX has given a greenlight to drama Breakout Kings, from Prison Break's Matt Olmstead, director Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Nick Santora and 20th Century Fox Television; series follows a group of US Marshals who team up with former convicts to track down escaped prisoners. FOX also ordered pilots for comedies Traffic Light, based on an Israeli scripted format about three male friends, each in various stages of romantic relationships, from writer Bob Fisher; and Most Likely to Succeed, about a "group of friends who were superstars growing up and are now dealing with the reality of adulthood," from writer Dave Walpert (Scrubs), who will executive produce with David Nevins and Brian Grazer. The latter hails from 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV. Elsewhere, ABC scored a pilot pickup for drama Edgar Floats, from Warner Bros. Television and executive producers Rand Ravich and Far Shariat, about a police psychologist turned bounty hunter. NBC ordered two comedies as well: Nathan vs. Nurture, from Moses Port and David Guarascio (Aliens in America) and Sony Pictures Television, about a cardio surgeon who reunites with his biological father and brothers 35 years he was given up for adoption; and This Little Piggy, from writers Stephen Cragg and Brian Bradley (Scrubs), about a married guy whose comfortable family life is turned into chaos when his adult siblings move in with them. (Variety)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Melinda Clarke has signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on the CW's Vampire Diaries, where she will play Matt's trashy mother Kelly... who will soon become involved with Ian Somerhalder's Damon. "If I didn’t have Kelly and Damon hook up there would be no God,” executive producer Kevin Williamson told Ausiello. "What’s the point of doing TV if you’re not going to put those two characters together? That’s going to be a fun relationship to explore... We’ll reveal that she was friends with Sheriff [Elizabeth] and Elena’s mother. The three of them were really tight friends back in the day. Sheriff and Kelly, in particular, have ongoing issues to deal with." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has moved up the launch date for supernatural drama Past Life to Tuesday, February 9th at 9 pm ET/PT, directly behind American Idol. The series will then settle into its regular timeslot on Thursdays at 9 pm ET/PT on February 11th. (Futon Critic)

Alan Cumming is set to guest star on CBS' The Good Wife later this season. According to TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck, Cumming will play an image consultant named Eli Gold hired to help Chris Noth's Peter makeover his image. (TV Guide Magazine)

Does Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) know something about Katee Sackhoff's Dana Walsh? TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams caught up with Rajskub to find out. "It's just getting really interesting," said Rajskub about Sackhoff's story arc this season on 24. "In the next few episodes, there's going to be some pretty twisted stuff happening. Honestly, you can't really grasp what's going on with her for many episodes, and we're all just trying to do our own stuff. Although I give her a look and we suspect [something], it doesn't really come out for a while." (TVGuide.com)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams has an interview with Life Unexpected creator/executive producer Liz Tigelaar, who said that viewers shouldn't think of Cate (Shiri Appleby) and Baze (Kristoffer Polaha), the biological parents of Brittany Robertson's Lux who slept together in the pilot, as soulmates. "Obviously when something big happens like that in the pilot, with two characters carrying a significant secret, you're waiting for it to come out," Tigelaar told Abrams. "That will definitely happen, and as most secrets do, they come out at an inopportune time. In terms of Cate and Baze's relationship, these are two people who have to really reconcile what their feelings are about each other. Because of TV, we're trained to think that Cate and Baze belong together. But there's a good question in there: 'Really? You're the soul mate of the guy who knocked you up in high school in the back of a minivan? Really?' Logic says that's ridiculous." (TVGuide.com)

TVGuide.com is reporting that Odessa Rae (Leverage) has been cast in the CW's Smallville, where she will play Siobhan McDougal, a.k.a. the Silver Banshee, described as "a vengeful spirit of a fallen Gaelic heroine [who is] accidentally released from the underworld, and takes out her vengeance at an unassuming country bed and breakfast." (TVGuide.com)

Debmar-Mercury and ITV Studios have teamed up to bring British daytime talk show host Jeremy Kyle to the US, launching relationship/lifestyle series The Jeremy Kyle Show in a test run this summer during daytime first-run syndication. "We believe there's a market for it if he can hit the right tone for this country," said Debmar-Mercury's Mort Marcus. "It's so rare that you get to try out a new show with somebody who has done this kind of TV a thousand times before." (Variety)

Former Universal Cable Prods. executive Nikki Reed has been hired as VP of original series at Disney Channel and Disney XD. Reporting to Adam Bonnett, Reed will oversee the development of live-action programming at both cable networks. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Lost Reduced (in London): Five Season of "Lost" in Ten Minutes

Lost fans in the UK, this one is for you.

Sky1, the home of Lost in the United Kingdom, has partnered with the Reduced Shakespeare Company to offer a live production that will conflate five season of Lost into a single ten-minute production to be held in Covent Garden on Thursday, January 28th. Attendees will be comprised of winners of various online and radio competitions.

Sky1 will also make the performance available via their online Sky Platform Anytime service.

Better yet, Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have given their permission for this exhibition, so it's legit.

"We are all ginormous fans of Lost," said Austin Tichenor, the co-author of Lost Reduced. "We've followed every twist and turn in the labyrinthine plot since the very beginning. Being trusted to reduce the first five seasons to just ten minutes is a humongous responsibility. All the years we spent poring over Oceanic Airline flight manifests and arcane theories of time-travel will not have been in vain. We can't wait to see the final season! Damon and Carlton will explain everything!"

"We feel this offers a really unique interpretation of Lost that will delight both the dedicated fans and bring everyone right up to date in advance of the Season 6 launch," said Sophie Jones, Controller of Marketing, Sky1 HD, Sky1, 2 & 3. "We’re enormously grateful that executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse along with ABC Studios have given the project their blessing."

The full press release from Sky1 can be found below.

LOST REDUCED
FIVE SEASONS OF LOST IN TEN MINUTES

Reduced Shakespeare Company to perform world premiere in London on 28th January

With the hotly anticipated sixth and final season of LOST launching on February 5th, Sky1 HD is proud to announce LOST REDUCED – a specially created ten minute play from the widely acclaimed Reduced Shakespeare Company.

The celebrated comedy theatre troupe have condensed all five seasons into a fast paced flight through the story of the Oceanic plane crash survivors. The world premiere is to be held in London on Thursday 28th January, performed for an intimate audience of competition winners. The production will also be filmed for internet broadcast as well as on the Sky Platform’s Anytime service.

Conceived by Brothers and Sisters Creative for Sky1 HD the proposal was warmly received by the Reduced Shakespeare Company who quickly agreed to write and perform LOST REDUCED. Austin Tichenor, co-author of Lost Reduced with Reed Martin enthused "We are all ginormous fans of Lost. We've followed every twist and turn in the labyrinthine plot since the very beginning. Being trusted to reduce the first five seasons to just ten minutes is a humongous responsibility. All the years we spent poring over Oceanic Airline flight manifests and arcane theories of time-travel will not have been in vain. We can't wait to see the final season! Damon and Carlton will explain everything!" Martin and Tichenor are managing partners of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and will perform Lost Reduced with long-time company member Matt Rippy.

Co-creator and executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse have praised the idea and granted permission for the production to go ahead.

Sophie Jones, Controller of Marketing, Sky1 HD, Sky1, 2 & 3 says: “When Brothers and Sisters brought this idea to us it immediately leapt out as far too good to pass up and we swiftly commissioned the script. We feel this offers a really unique interpretation of LOST that will delight both the dedicated fans and bring everyone right up to date in advance of the season 6 launch. We’re enormously grateful that executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse along with ABC Studios have given the project their blessing.“

Tickets will be given away to fans through a series of online competitions and radio promotions.

LOST REDUCED is written and performed by the Reduced Shakespeare Company with the project overseen by Sophie Jones and Brothers and Sisters Creative for Sky1.

The final season of LOST launches on Sky1 HD and Sky1 on Friday 5th February at 9pm.

"Lost" Countdown: New Promo, Real-Time Crash of Oceanic Flight 815

With the start of the sixth and final season of Lost only a few weeks away (blessedly), ABC has released a new promo for Season Six that features the first actual real footage.

Or, well, a single shot of new footage. In this case, it's a gun-toting Claire (Emilie de Ravin) in the jungle, along with some new Jacob-friendly phrases like "Plant a good seed and you will joyfully gather fruit," and "Everything changes."

Take a look at the new ABC promo below as well as the kick-ass real-time crash of Oceanic Flight 815, assembled by a diehard Lost fan who has no idea that they may have created the single greatest ancillary video for Lost yet.

Lost: Season Six ABC Trailer #14:



Lost: Flight 815 Crash in Real Time:



Season Six of Lost launches February 2nd on ABC.

2010 William S. Paley Television Festival Lineup Announced

The Paley Center for Media has announced the lineup for the the 27th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival (known affectionately to its attendees as PaleyFest).

Critical darling Modern Family will kick off the festival on February 26th. Other series getting individual sessions include ABC's Lost, CW's The Vampire Diaries, FOX's Glee, NBC's Community, ABC's Cougar Town ABC's FlashForward, TNT's Men of a Certain Age, CBS' NCIS, Showtime's Dexter, AMC's Breaking Bad, and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, the latter of which will be the festival's final offering this year.

Additionally, keep your eyes peeled for Seth MacFarlane and Friends, an evening celebrating McFarlane's animated comedies Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show.

The day-by-day breakdown of the festival can be found below. (All panels begin at 7 pm.)

Feb. 26th: Modern Family
Feb. 27th : Lost
March 1st: NCIS
March 3rd: Community
March 4th: Dexter
March 5th: Cougar Town
March 6th: The Vampire Diaries
March 9th: Seth MacFarlane and Friends
March 10th: Breaking Bad
March 11th: FlashForward
March 12th: Men of a Certain Age
March 13th: Glee
March 14th: Curb Your Enthusiasm

The 27th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival runs from February 26th to March 14th at the festival's new location, The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 22nd for members and January 24th for the general public.

Individual tickets will go on sale to Paley Center Members on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. PT. Individual tickets will become available to the general public beginning the following Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. PT. For Paley Center Members, ticket prices are $60/$35/$25/$15 per event. For the general public, tickets are $75/$45/$35/$25 per event. All PaleyFest2010 tickets are available only via TicketWeb at www.ticketweb.com or call TicketWeb toll-free at (866) 468-3399 (service charges apply).

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

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay tuned.

The Return: "Lost" Cast Unite at Television Critics Association Press Tour

No new footage and precious little information about the sixth and final season of Lost, launching on ABC on February 2nd, but showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and cast members Emilie de Raven, Daniel Dae Kim, Josh Holloway, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, and Jorge Garcia did tease some information about Season Six.

And Team Darlton had one specific announcement that might just be catnip to Lost's legion of obsessed fans: "Harold Perrineau will be back on the show this year," said Lindelof. "Cynthia Watros will be back!" said Cuse.

You heard it here first.

And some other changes are afoot as well. "We're doing something different narratively in this season," said Cuse, which that doesn't require either a deep investment or in-depth knowledge about the series. (Just what that could mean? Hmmm....)

So what can fans expect from the beginning of Season Six of Lost? "The season premiere picks up right after the finale," said Cuse. "We've been very circumspect about the sixth season... We don't really want to give away what this season is." (And Team Darlton has done a phenomenal job at keeping the lid on Season Six. We don't know when it's set, where it's set, what the new narrative device is that's being employed... or, well, very much at all.)

"The story of the sixth season has to go back to the beginning to examine a lot of things," said Lindelof. "We want to show the audience the before [for the characters] and then how far they've come."

"The premiere is definitely like WHAT? Wait. What? Let me read that part again," said Garcia.

As for Cuse, he teased that the final season will offer a "healthy cocktail of mysteries, answers, surprises, and character resolution." But don't look for every single mystery to be tied up neatly with a ribbon.

"Not all questions will get answered," said Cuse. "There's a fundamental sense of mystery in our lives and these characters'." It wouldn't be true to the series, Cuse felt, if he and Lindelof spelled out the answer to every single one of the series' lingering mysteries. Likewise, Lindelof feels that there is bound to be some division among the ranks about the ending itself. "I don't think it would be Lost if there wasn't an ongoing debate about whether it was a good ending or a bad ending," said Lindelof. "This is the ending that we wanted to do on the terms that we wanted to do."

But whatever happens, this is the end of Lost, at least in this incarnation.

"They have not pressured us at all," said Cuse about whether ABC has asked about spinoffs or pressured any of the actors into signing onto a spinoff or sequel. "I mean, the network has been fabulous, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to Steve McPherson again just for this whole notion of ending the show... We are definitively ending this story of these characters and the show that we wanted to tell in May, and there's not going to be an implanted sequel. There's not going to be a secret back-door pilot embedded in that. The story of Lost that we've been telling for these six seasons is coming to a close this May."

But the final image of the final episode is one that Cuse and Lindelof had had in mind since nearly the beginning of the series. "We came up with the final image of the show a long time ago back when we were first plotting out the mythology in the first season and then we started adding elements to that as we went along," said Cuse. "We kind of knew what the end point was, but as you move towards the end point, you add elements. And obviously, the end is not yet written, and there are certain sort of mythological, architectural elements that are intact for that ending, but a lot of character stuff will get worked out as we go along. I mean, that's part of the discovery process of writing."

Let the guessing begin.

Best quote: "I have lots of found memories of breathless confrontations in small rooms." - Michael Emerson, when asked about his favorite moment from filming the series.

Meanwhile, the producers revealed that Terry O'Quinn had no idea about the plot twist revealed at the end of Season Five (which revealed that Locke was in fact dead and O'Quinn was playing a new character). "I think if we had called Terry during the shooting of 'The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham,' which is around the sixth episode of the season, and said, 'Hey, Terry, we do not want to confuse you, but the Locke that you are now playing on the island is not actually John Locke anymore," because thousands and thousands of years ago... He'd say stop," said Lindelof. "But instead you put in the script, 'There's something about Locke that's different,' and Terry plays something about Locke that's different. And you keep it simple and you trust your actors, and it's worked out pretty marvelously for us."

As for the cast, the race to the end is getting under way and each of them will have to deal with the series' passing in their own way. "I am going to cry like a baby when this show ends," said Lilly.

You and me both, Evangeline.

[Keep refreshing for latest info. More tk after my on-camera interviews with the Lost cast for Sky1.]

Season Six of Lost begins February 2nd at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Channel Surfing: "Lost" Here to Stay?, NBC Unveils New Strategy, "Day One" Cut Down to Backdoor Pilot, "The Borgias," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Variety's Michael Schneider takes a look at how ABC executives are attempting to stake out a strategy for the future of Lost, which will wrap up its run in May... but might be sticking around via ancillary products and potential sequels. "We've been talking about this for a couple of years now," ABC marketing exec VP Mike Benson told Schneider. "We want to keep it alive but make sure we maintain the integrity of the franchise. We're not about milking this thing for all that it is right now; it's important to see this live for years to come... What Lost becomes after it ends its run is up in the air. It really depends on who comes in to interpret it next." But whatever that future might hold, whether it be novels and comicbooks or indeed a spinoff series down the line, it won't involve current Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who will end their oversight on the franchise once the series wraps this spring. "Damon and Carlton laid such groundwork, it's going to be a challenge for us, and we have to rise to the occasion," said ABC marketing EVP Marla Provencio. "We have to find different, creative and innovative ways to keep the fans happy and to keep the franchise healthy." (Variety)

[Editor: in other Lost news, Obama's State of the Union Address will NOT delay ABC's intended February 2nd launch date for Season Six of Lost. It's back on track.]

Speaking yesterday at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, NBC's Jeff Gaspin announced that The Jay Leno Show would no longer hold its weeknights at 10 pm timeslot after February 12th and unveiled potential plans to shift Jay Leno to 11:35 pm, move Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show to 12:05 am, and Jimmy Fallon to 1:05 am. Additionally, Angela Bromstad gave critics a peek at the Peacock's current development slate, which includes J.J. Abrams' espionage drama Undercovers (which he'll direct), David Tennant-led legal dramedy Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, remakes of Prime Suspect and The Rockford Files, David E. Kelley-created legal drama Kindreds, thriller The Event, Jerry Bruckheimer action-procedural drama Chase, and the untitled Adam Carolla comedy. Plus, loads more info from the press tour, to boot. (Televisionary)

In other NBC-related news, the sci-fi drama series Day One, which had been cut back to four hours late last year, has had its order sliced in half again. Rather than air a four-hour mini-series as indicated by the network back in September, Day One will now air as just a two-hour backdoor pilot, with no further episodes to be shot beyond the pilot. "The pilot will still air after the Winter Olympics as was the plan for the Day One mini," writes Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, "and NBC still keeps the door open to picking up more episodes for next season should the pilot does well." (Hollywood Reporter)

Showtime has ordered thirteen episodes of historical drama The Borgias, which will revolve around the infamous 15th century Italian crime family and will star Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia. Project, which is being viewed for a 2011 launch, is written by Michael Hirst (The Tudors), who will executive produce with Neil Jordan; the latter will direct the first two episodes. "I can guarantee you've never seen a family quite like this before," said Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt, "and nor could you make up the outrageous twists and turns of their epic saga." (Hollywood Reporter)

The Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin and Joe Flint are reporting that FOX will announce a US version of Simon Cowell's UK talent competition series The X Factor will premiere in 2011. Cowell would serve as host and executive producer of the US format. "News could be made official as early as this week, people familiar with the situation said," wrote Martin and Flint. "As a result, the acid-tongued star judge of American Idol" is unlikely to stay on Fox's long-running juggernaut full time beyond the ninth season, which premieres Tuesday." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

The Wrap's Joe Adalian is reporting that David Nutter (The Mentalist) is in advanced talks to sign on to direct Jerry Bruckheimer's NBC action procedural pilot Chase, from Warner Bros. Television. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Kathy Bates is heading to NBC's The Office, according to E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos, who got the scoop from Office executive producer Greg Daniels. She'll play the CEO of the company that buys the struggling Dunder Mifflin. "She's a larger than life character," said Daniels of Bates' character. "She has two giant Great Danes that accompany her to the office, and she's very funny. Fantastic actress. We're very excited to have an Academy Award [winning] person on the show." Meanwhile, SPOILER! Dos Santos also gets the scoop on Pam's upcoming labor pains. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Bravo reality series Flipping Out has been renewed for a fourth season. Also returning: The Rachel Zoe Project, picked up for a third season, and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List for a sixth. The news was announced at yesterday's Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, where Bravo's Frances Berwick also announced series orders for two reality projects: Thintervention, starring Work Out's Jackie Warner, and Bethany's Getting Married?, featuring Real Housewives of New York City's Bethany Frankel. In other news, Gail Simmons will host Top Chef spinoff Top Chef: Just Desserts and Top Chef: Masters will return for a second season on April 7th. The network will also launch 9 by Design," which follows husband-wife design team Robert and Cortney Novogratz and their seven children, on April 5th and Double Exposure, which follows photographers Markus Klinko and Indrani and stylist G.K. Reid, in April. (via press release)

FlashForward executive producer David S. Goyer remains optimistic about a second season renewal, despite flagging ratings for the first half of the freshman season. He also teased details about what Season Two might be about in a recent interview. "You're going to start meeting some of the faces of the enemy, starting with episode 11," said Goyer. "We'll meet a bunch of them in the second half of the season. One of the other interesting things is we'll start to let you in on who the people that engineered the blackout are and why. There are a couple more that are coming and assuming we go into season two, one of those guys will be a series regular in season two." (via Digital Spy)

Series order! ABC has given a greenlight to Scoundrels, ordering eight episodes of a US remake of Kiwi drama series Outrageous Fortune, from ABC Studios and writers Richard Levine and Lyn Greene, who will executive produce alongside John Barnett, Francie Calfo, Michael Larkin, and Michael Goldstein. Series, which revolves around a family of criminals who are forced to go straight by the family matriarch after their father lands in prison, was previously adapted for US television by Rob Thomas in 2008 and a pilot was shot with Catherine O'Hara starring. (Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy will air mini-series Riverworld and The Phantom later this year, according to The Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan. Elsewhere at the cabler, Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke have been hired to write the network's thirteen-episode supernatural thriller Haven, which is based on the Stephen King's "The Colorado Kid." That project, as well as the US adaptation of British supernatural drama Being Human, could launch as early as this summer. (Futon Critic)

FOX has ordered a pilot presentation for an untitled sketch comedy project to star Dana Carvey, who will develop and executive produce the project with Spike Feresten which will feature a "strong online component." (Variety)

Maz Jobrani (Better Off Ted), Marjan Neshat (Mercy), and Harach Titzian (24) have been cast in ABC single-camera comedy pilot Funny in Farsi, which will be directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. (Hollywood Reporter)

Oxygen announced its development slate yesterday at the TCA Winter Press Tour, unveiling several new series--including Fashion Drop, Hair Battle Spectacular, House of Glam, Russell Simmons Project, When Charlie Met Sarah, and Jersey Couture--as well as returning series The Bad Girls Club, Dance Your Ass Off, and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, set to return for its fifth season in the spring. Former Spice Girl Mel B., meanwhile, will take over hosting duties for Season Two of Dance Your Ass Off. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Team Darlton Talk "Lost" Final Season, Mann and Milch Team Up for HBO, Ball Staying on "True Blood," Sharon Stone to "SVU," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd has an interview with Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse in which they speak about the looming ending of the iconic ABC series, which launches its sixth and final season next month. While Cuse and Lindelof's involvement with the franchise will end at that time, both were quick to point out that they don't own Lost and that the studio could revive the series in some fashion down the road. "The Walt Disney Co. owns Lost," said Cuse. "It's a franchise that's conservatively worth billions of dollars. It's hard to imagine Lost will rest on the shelves and nothing will ever be made with Lost. Eventually somebody will make something under the moniker of Lost -- whether we do it or not. We just made a commitment to this group of characters whose stories are coming to a conclusion this May." (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Are David Milch (Deadwood) and Michael Mann (Public Enemies) joining forces for an HBO project? You read that correctly. Michael Mann is reportedly in talks to direct HBO horse-racing drama pilot Luck. Project, written by David Milch (who will executive produce with Carolyn Strauss), revolves around Ace Bernstein, described by Milch as "a guy versed in all the permutations of finance, elicit and otherwise. When he is released from jail for securities violations, he resumes his place at the race track, where he is a figure of long-standing repute." Production will begin in April, when it will shoot at the Santa Anita Race Track. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Is Season Four of True Blood nearing a lock? True Blood creator/executive producer has reportedly signed a two-year deal with pay cabler HBO that will keep him at the helm of the vampire drama series through the fourth season. "I just closed a deal to show-run [True Blood] for two more seasons, so I would assume that [the series is at minimum] going through Season Four," Ball told Abbie Bernstein of Buzzy Multimedia. (Buzzy Multimedia)

Sharon Stone has signed on for a four-episode story arc on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit later this season. Stone, who will first appear in an episode slated to air in April, will play "a former cop-turned-prosecutor who will (presumably) go toe-to-toe with Benson, Stabler, and the gang," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Elsewhere at Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mischa Barton (The Beautiful Life) has been tapped for a guest star role on the NBC procedural, where she will play a prostitute named Gladys on the March 3rd episode. According to TV Guide's Will Keck, "Mischa’s character is hiding a secret that will prove complicating for Mariska Hargitay’s Benson." (TV Guide Magazine)

FOX has given a put pilot order to Shawn Ryan's cop drama project Ridealong, which follows a group of police officers--ranging from beat cops to the female police chief--in Chicago. Project, written and executive produced by Ryan, hails from 20th Century Fox Television. "Something will happen in the pilot that will have overarching (ramifications) that we deal with over time. It will be less serialized than Grey's but more than CSI," Ryan told Variety's Michael Schneider. "I don't think it will be as gritty a world as The Shield was, but it will feel authentic." (Variety)

There's an online petition started by some diehard Lost fans to have Disney to consider creating a Lost-themed ride at one of its amusement parks. Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse endorse the idea, according to The Wrap's Josef Adalian. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

ABC picked up two multi-camera comedy pitches from Sony Pictures Television and Tantamount, both untitled. The first, a family comedy from writers Mitchel Katlin and Nat Bernstein, will star comedian Carlos Mencia and his based on his life and stand-up act as he plays a man living amid a "very large multigenerational immigrant family." The second, a Cedric the Entertainer comedy vehicle, is written by Al Higgins ('Til Death) and Devon Shepard (Cedric the Entertainer Presents); Cedric will play "a retired baseball player-turned-radio host forced to re-evaluate the type of father he has been when his son and 6-year-old granddaughter re-enter his life." (Hollywood Reporter)

Could romance be in the cards for Ugly Betty's Daniel and Betty? According to executive producer Silvio Horta, it's definitely possible. "We’ve been batting around the idea," Horta told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "It is not outside the realm of possibility that something [could] happen, but we’re not sure yet." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS has given a pilot order to Matt Tarses' comedy True Love, about a group of twenty-something friends in Manhattan looking for love. Project, from Sony Pictures Television, is executive produced by Tarses and his sister Jamie Tarses. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting Jeffrey Tambor will lend his voice to an upcoming episode of FX's animated comedy Archer, slated to air January 28th. The casting reunites Tambor with his Arrested Development costar Jessica Walter, who is a series regular (or her voice is, anyway) on Archer as Malory, the mother/boss of the titular spy. "In the episode, Tambor plays a United Nations intelligence chairman who Walter’s Malory tries to woo for the benefit of her spy agency," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TruTV has ordered eight episodes of docudrama Southern Fried Stings, which follows a former state trooper who investigates criminals as part of a private security firm. Series, from Zoo Productions and Studio Lambert, will launch in March. (Variety)

Lacey Chabert (Mean Girls) and Ryan Merriman (Taken) star in Hallmark Channel original telepic Elevator Girl, set to air on Saturday, February 13th. (via press release)

Two promotions at Syfy: Blake Callaway has been named SVP of marketing, brand and strategic and Michael Engleman has been bumped to SVP of marketing, global brand strategy and creative. Both executives report to Dave Howe. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "23 Shows That Changed Television"

Wondering why I didn't compile a best of the decade list on Televisionary? Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can find my latest feature, "23 Shows That Changed Television," which looks at the cultural impact (both good and ill) of 23 series that launched this decade.

Those influential series include American Idol, Lost, Survivor, The Wire, Mad Men, Weeds, Big Love, Arrested Development, The Osbournes, True Blood, Laguna Beach, Family Guy and Battlestar Galactica.

And if you're wondering why some of your favorites got left off, it's because each of the series had to have premiered after January 1st, 2000 in order to be included in the list. Which negated the inclusion of such influential series from the late 1990s, such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The West Wing, and South Park, to name a few.

Head over to the comments section to share your thoughts on the list and your picks for the most influential series of the decade.

Top TV Picks of 2009

As 2009 begins to wind down, I figured now was the perfect time as any to look back at the series that that have entertained and inspired me over the past calendar year.

And what a year it was for the television industry, which was (and is) still recovering from the writers strike of 2007/08. This past year also saw NBC box up the 10 pm hour for scripted programming, a move that hasn't had quite the effect that the network hoped (I do feel for poor scapegoat Jay Leno), while sending viewers scurrying over to cable, which continued to make huge inroads this year.

It was also a year that saw comedy make a huge comeback, from the success of FOX's musical-comedy hybrid Glee to the season's biggest critical hit, ABC's Modern Family and the surprising resilience of NBC's Parks and Recreation (hands down the winner of the Most Improved Series award). And a year that saw much beloved series Chuck teeter dangerously towards cancellation, only to receive an eleventh hour reprieve, thanks to fans, critics, and Subway.

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 below.

Best US Dramas:

Big Love (HBO)

The third season of HBO's compelling and addictive drama Big Love provided perhaps the single greatest season of any series this year. Gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, Big Love's third season upped the ante by having the family diversify into the casino business and a fourth wife, take a brutal road trip, and deal with barbarians pounding at the gates. Transforming itself into the grand Shakespearean epic we always knew it to be, the series went to some very dark places, revealing the tragic backstories of both Chloe Sevigny's Nicki and the long-dead Maggie Henrickson, killing off Mireille Enos' beloved Kathy Marquart, and having Jeanne Tripplehorn's Barb get ex-communicated from the Mormon church. Throw in the unexpected pregnancy of rebellious daughter Sarah (Amanda Seyfried), multiple murder attempts, the formation of a new church by Bill (Bill Paxton), a newly independent Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin), and a possible end to the Grant legacy in Juniper Creek and you have the makings of a groundbreaking drama. One that effortlessly fuses together soapy intrigue, social commentary, and family dynamics into one unforgettable and unique series that explores the Henrickson clan's unusual familial set-up and renders it not only normal but riveting. I tip my hat to you, Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer.

Mad Men (AMC)

Mad Men's gutting third season, which saw the collapse of the marriage between Don (Jon Hamm) and Betty (January Jones) and the destruction of ad agency Sterling Cooper, proved that there are no sacred cows in the universe of the 1960s period drama, created by Matthew Weiner. Following a season filled with change, presidential assassinations, fear and paranoia, Weiner exploded our expectations of serialized television by upending the twin foundations of the series, giving Don Draper a new beginning and pushing Mad Men's characters towards a new and uncertain future. With its emphasis on the unspoken subtext and the simmering desires lurking beneath the slickly styled facades of its men and women, Mad Men held onto its rightfully earned status as adult storyteller, relishing in exploring the complex emotions and bruised egos of life in the 1960s.

True Blood (HBO)

In its second season, HBO's vampire drama True Blood went from being a guilty pleasure to a series that balanced the outright campy with the truly transcendent. By pushing supporting players such as Alexander Skarsgard's Eric, Rutina Wesley's Tara, Sam Trammel's Sam, Nelsan Ellis' Lafayette, Deborah Ann Woll's Jessica, and Allan Hyde's Godric to the foreground, creator Alan Ball and the series' writers deepened the universe of Bon Temps and gave True Blood some of its most heartbreaking and compelling moments with the suicide of Eric's maker Godric and the doomed relationship between Woll's Jessica and Jim Parrack's Hoyt. There are few series that are as gleefully unpredictable than True Blood, a series that rewrites the rules about storytelling while spinning a bloody good yarn.

Lost (ABC)

The penultimate season of ABC's enigma-laden masterpiece Lost found the castaways split into two groups: one spinning through time before landing in the 1970s and joining up with the series' ubiquitous Dharma Initiative and the other, having escaped, attempting to return to the island. Deepening its mysteries and paying off several long-standing mysteries, Season Five filled in the backstory of the Dharma Initiative while serving up some paradoxical stories about the nature of time travel and free will and introducing two very intriguing diametrically opposed entities locked in an eternal battle. Characters died, sacrifices were made, and the chess pieces shifted around into new arrangements as showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse prepare for one final game.

Honorable Mentions: Battlestar Galactica (Syfy), Damages (FX), Fringe (FOX), No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (HBO)

Best US Comedies (Half-Hour Format):

Parks and Recreation (NBC)

In its sophomore season, NBC's Parks and Recreation has done the impossible: transformed itself into arguably the most hysterical comedy series on television right now. Stepping out of The Office's shadow, Parks and Recreation has found its footing as a deeply layered, character-driven comedy about small town bureaucracy and changed Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope from being a bumbling female Michael Scott replacement into a preternaturally optimistic do-gooder whose main flaw is that she cares too much. Brilliant, hilarious, and biting, Parks and Recreation might just be the best comedy you're not watching.

Modern Family (ABC)

With its pitch-perfect pilot episode, ABC's Modern Family single-handedly announced the return of the intelligent family comedy with its winning blend of realistically flawed characters, mockumentary format, and whip-smart writing. Not to mention the perfectly cast ensemble of actors who embody the series' extended Pritchett-Dunphy clan. Rarely is a series this self-assured straight out of the gate but subsequent episodes have proven just as strong as the series' initial outing. By using relatable situations and universal truths about families, creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd render the engaging characters of Modern Family in three dimensions, crafting a family that many of us want to spend the entire week with and not just Wednesday nights.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

FX's raunchy and raucous comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia continued its winning mix of gross-out humor, jaw-droppingly selfish behavior, and absurdly comic misadventures and I couldn't look away. By playing fast and loose with the format and allowing the owners of Paddy's Pub to remain so completely unlikable, the series remains a hallmark for finding comedy in the most unlikely of places. Who knew that running a bar in Philadelphia could prove to be quite so dangerous... or madness-inducing?

Party Down (Starz)

Likewise, Starz comedy Party Down rendered the mundane quality of the life of a cater-waiter to comic effect, transforming the overqualified crew of Party Down into poster children for slackerdom and reveling in a scripted looseness that felt almost improvised. With fly-on-the-wall precision, Party Down nailed the frustrations of twenty- and thirty-somethings in the name tag-wearing workplace and mixed up a batch of comedy and tragedy in equal measure.

Nurse Jackie (Showtime)

With grit and heart, Showtime's acerbic dark comedy Nurse Jackie brings us a modern-day heroine unafraid of being unlikable and yet succeeding at her job in spite of a drug addiction, extramarital affair, and various unethical and illegal behavior at in the workplace. If the bristly Jackie (the luminous Edie Falco) has a fault, it's that she cares too much for her patients and not enough for herself. If the bristly Jackie (the luminous Edie Falco) has a fault, it's that she cares too much for her patients and not enough for herself, killing herself slowly with drugs, cheating, and a host of lies. The show's biting wit and thought-provoking storylines--not to mention a fantastic cast in Falco, Merrit Wever, Eve Best, and Peter Facinelli, among others-- give us one of the most darkly compelling comedies on television, filled with burn victims, beating hearts, and one extraordinary nurse.

Honorable Mentions: Better Off Ted (ABC), Bored to Death (HBO), Community (NBC), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Flight of the Conchords (HBO)

Best US Comedy (One-Hour Format):

Chuck (NBC)

As if there were any doubt that the fantastic and funny Chuck would make my list in some fashion. The action-comedy hybrid deepened in its second season, thanks to the winning chemistry of the series' talented leads (including Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Ryan McPartlin, Sarah Lancaster, Vik Sahay, Josh Gomez, Scott Krinsky, and Mark Christopher Lawrence), the perfect genre-smashing combination of action, adventure, romance, and workplace comedy, and a taut serialized element that had Chuck finding out the truth about his father and the Intersect, all while making the choice to fulfill his true potential... and his destiny. Building on the strengths of its too-short freshman outing, Season Two of Chuck charmed the pants off this writer (and kept me on the edge of my seat) and bucked the odds, winning Chuck a much deserved third season order.

Best Canceled Series:

The Unusuals (ABC)

While many series got the axe this year, the one that struck home the hardest was that for ABC's short-lived cop dramedy The Unusuals, from creator Noah Hawley. Revolving around a group of eccentric cops, The Unusuals found the detectives of the second precinct tackling some, er, unusual cases. The procedural mysteries were fun and offbeat and the chemistry between the series' sprawling ensemble cast top-notch. Though it only lasted less than a dozen episodes, each installment proved to be a little gem of witty banter, quirky mysteries, and off-kilter cops. It's much missed.

Best Reality Series:

Top Chef (Bravo)

Once again, the same three reality series pop up on my best of the year list and for good reason: they each proved that reality programming, when done right, can have the same stakes and drama as scripted television. No other series sates my culinary hunger like Bravo's formidable Top Chef, which had a season filled with some of the most talented chefs yet and a fiery sibling rivalry in Michael and Bryan Voltaggio. Compelling, hunger-inducing, and cutthroat, Top Chef takes our fascination with food to a whole new level, creating a series that rewards creativity and vision more than manipulation and controversy.

The Amazing Race (CBS)

Coming back with a strong season, CBS' The Amazing Race again sparked my interest once more and cast some intriguing, frustrating, and outright hostile couples--Mika and Canaan, anyone?--in the world's biggest scavenger hunt, sending them around the globe to compete in various challenges and put their relationships to the test. While some teams fell way too soon (sorry, Justin and Zev), the drama and the pacing, thanks to some quality editing, kept the tension going strong, all the way to the finish line.

Flipping Out (Bravo)

No reality series makes me laugh like Bravo's Flipping Out. Despite the plunging housing market and the economic recession, Jeff Lewis, Jenni, Zoila, and the gang were back for some more obsessive-compulsive misadventures in Los Angeles. Fear and paranoia reigned supreme this season, which offered not just some belly-aches but also some genuine emotion as Jeff accused his former business partner Ryan of cheating him out of work and considered adopting a child. It's a testament to the quirkiness of the series' leads that I want to go back to Jeff Lewis' office week after week. (Come on, Bravo, bring on Season Four ASAP!)

Best New Fall Series:

Modern Family (ABC)

Yes, I already mentioned it under Best Comedies but it warrants another mention here. ABC's Modern Family easily walks away with the award for my favorite new fall series. Boasting one of the most dynamic and talented ensemble casts, Modern Family serves up both humor and heart without delving into the melodramatic or the saccharine. No small feat, considering the series has changed my opinion on what's possible with the family comedy format, a creaky sub-genre until this breath of fresh air came along. The Pritchett clan is one family that I can't wait to catch up with each week and the subtle humor--ranging from Casablanca shout-outs to burgundy dinner jackets--is already a surefire hit in this household. Innocente!

Best British Imports:

Doctor Who (BBC America)

While only airing a handful of episodes (sorry, "specials") in 2009, Doctor Who remains at the top of my list of British imports, thanks to the fantastic performance of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. While his song is sadly coming to an end, Tennant offered some fantastic turns in such specials as Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead and Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars, the latter of which might just be one of the darkest and most compelling entries in the entire revival series. Quirky, compelling, and unpredictable, Doctor Who played to Tennant's strengths, allowing the Shakespearean actor to be charming, roguish, and insane in equal measure. David Tennant, you'll be missed.

The Mighty Boosh (Adult Swim)

Come with us now on a journey through time and space. The three seasons of critically-acclaimed BBC Three cult hit The Mighty Boosh (which aired Stateside on Adult Swim) are a dazzling blend of music, surreal comedy, and over the top fashion as Howard Moon (Julian Barratt) and Vince Noir (Noel Fielding), would-be rock gods/zookeepers/sales clerks, explore the twisted backwaters of the human psyche through a series of bizarre misadventures. Joining them on this psychedelic road trip to dimensions as-yet-unseen are pot-addled shaman Naboo the Enigma (Michael Fielding) and his ape familiar Bollo (Dave Brown). It’s indescribably weird, absolutely hilarious, and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before on television.

Ashes to Ashes (BBC America)

Spinning off of the trippy cop drama Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes took a different cop (Keely Hawes' Alex Drake), another David Bowie song ("Ashes to Ashes"), and another era (1980s) and created an slick and addictive drama series that's a dark exploration of the psyche of damaged forensic psychologist DI Alex Drake as she struggles to survive a gunshot wound and make her way back to the present day. Plus, the series' eerie suspense, a twisted Season Two plot involving freemasons and other potential travelers, and the trademark banter between Alex and the gruff Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), who waltzes away with some of the series' best lines, keeps the series cutting-edge and dynamic. As Alex solves some of period cases (and ones involving her own past), the clock is ticking down as the end of the series--and the franchise--looms next year. Just who is Gene Hunt? What is this world? And what has happened to Sam Tyler and Alex Drake? We'll be getting some answers in the third and final season of this fantastic sci-fi/cop/period/psychological drama in 2010. (Note: Season Two has yet to air in the States.)

Torchwood: Children of Earth (BBC America)

Unfolding with the breakneck pacing of an epic miniseries, the third season of Torchwood, entitled Torchwood: Children of Earth, offered an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride and set up a compelling, brutal, and gut-wrenching story of an alien invasion and the past sins of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). While the final installment buckled somewhat under the weight of the previous installments, the limited run proved to be unforgettable, offering some intense moral dilemmas, weighty adult themes, and tough choices for the employees of Torchwood.

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

The Inbetweeners (BBC America)

The much-delayed comedy from creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley might just be the best thing that hasn't yet aired in the US. (Look for the first two seasons of this hilariously raucous comedy to launch January 25th on BBC America.) Almost operating as the anti-Skins, The Inbetweeners tells the story of four teenage friends who spend their time trying to obtain booze, get lucky with girls, and cut each other down to size. In other words: they're painfully average teenage boys. In the hands of Morris and Beesley, the quartet have some painfully hilarious sexual adventures that will have you laughing, gasping, and groaning... all at the same time.

Best British Imports (Reality Edition):

Gordon Ramsay's F Word (BBC America)

Take outspoken British chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay, put him in the kitchen where he's putting some inexperienced brigades through their paces and send him out in search of all things tasty, odd, or curious or to teach people to cook at home and you have the truly fantastic F Word, a blend of culinary competition, food-oriented news magazine, celebrity interview, and all-around celebration of all things delicious. Ramsay's not shy of expressing his opinion but he's also at his most real here, as he transforms his family's back garden to rear pigs and sheep or teaching the hopeless how to prepare a tasty feast on their own.

Last Restaurant Standing (BBC America)

Words can't express my love for British reality series Last Restaurant Standing (which airs in the UK under the title The Restaurant), which challenges couples to run their own restaurants... and hands them keys to eating establishments where they'll man the front-of-house and the kitchen. Judges Raymond Blanc, Sarah Willingham, and David Moore put them through their paces with tough challenges but the real test is the daily service as the couples face the hard grind of the restaurant business and have to meet the judges' rigorous expectations of the food, service, decor, and atmosphere of their restaurants... and they must face the wrath of the culinary troika as well as the dining public. Compelling, shocking, and grueling, it's a treat to watch for foodies, who will count their blessings that they're not on the line for service that night.

And there we have it. A sampling of some of my favorites from 2009. 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. Discuss.

Channel Surfing: "Dexter" Season Finale Postmortem, Syfy Renews "Stargate Universe" and "Sanctuary," "Lost" Season Six Photos, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has an interview with Dexter executive producer Clyde Phillips about last night's season finale of the Showtime serial killer drama. One very interesting tidbit: when asked about when the decision was made about pulling the trigger on the episode's final scene, Phillips said, "I would say we made the decision pretty late in the season. We didn’t quite know what we were going to do [in the finale]." As for when Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) will find out about Dexter's true nature, don't hold your breath. "We’ve bounced that around the [writers] room," Phillips told Ausiello. "But once we do that... want to talk about game-changers? Once we do that, the game is changed in a way that we just don’t know how to anticipate just yet." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Syfy has given series renewals to Stargate Universe and Sanctuary, picking up both series for additional twenty-episode runs that will begin next fall on the cabler. Stargate Universe, which recently aired its midseason finale, will return with the second half of its freshman season in April. "We're dealing with 15 seasons of expectations with a certain fanbase," executive producer Robert Cooper told Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd when asked about fan reaction. "Hopefully, as the show goes on, people will appreciate Universe for being its own thing." Fans should look for an alien race to show up in the second half of the season, more scenes set aboard the ship, and a storyline involving Rush (Robert Carlyle). (Hollywood Reporter)

New York Post's PopWrap has a look at the newly released promotional photos for Season Six of ABC's Lost, which launches on February 2nd. While the gallery shots reveal absolutely nothing in an of themselves (they feature the regulars against a grey backdrop), PopWrap's Jarett Wieselman notes, "it's interesting that although Boone, Charlie and a whole host of dead Losties will be returning, Miles, Lapidus and Ilana are integral enough to... Lost's endgame to warrant series regular status over characters like Desmond!" (New York Post's PopWrap)

Changes are afoot at the CW's Gossip Girl, according to executive producer Josh Schwartz, who promises that Taylor Momsen's Jenny is going to become a lightning rod for controversy. "You're really going to see a real emotional arc from Chuck [Ed Westwick]," Schwartz tells TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams. "I think Jenny [Taylor Momsen] and Chuck are really going to be driving a lot of story as we move into the back half of the season." (TVGuide.com)

History has ordered eight-hour scripted miniseries The Kennedys from writer Stephen Kronish, director Jon Cassar, and executive producer Joel Surnow (all of whom worked together on FOX's 24). Production on the miniseries, which will track the famed political dynasty between the 1960 presidential election and John F. Kennedy's 1968 assassination (and flashback, as well, to earlier times), is slated to begin this spring for a 2011 premiere. "I didn't want this miniseries to be a Valentine -- there have been plenty of them -- neither did I wanted it to be a hatchet job," said Kronish. "I think it is a fairly even-handed look at people who achieved big things at amazingly early ages. We're really trying to see them as people and to strip away some of the patina that has attached itself to them because of their early deaths and to show them, warts and all." (Hollywood Reporter)

Scott Patterson (Gilmore Girls) has been cast in the CW's 90210, where he is expected to appear in at least two episodes as the biological father of Matt Lanter's Liam. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Tyler Posey (Lincoln Heights), Tyler Hoechlin (7th Heaven), Crystal Reed (Hard Times), and Dylan O'Brien have joined the cast of MTV's werewolf pilot presentation Teen Wolf, which has been reimagined as "a dramatic thriller with a buddy-comedy element at the center and a romantic plot line." (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC Universal has renewed its overall deal with indie production shingle BermanBraun for another three years. Under the terms of the deal, BermanBraun will continue to function as a fully independent production entity within the studio, with NBC Universal's broadcast and cable networks retaining a first-look on all of BermanBraun's projects. The shingle's current projects include Mercy for NBC and Accidentally on Purpose and pilots such as NBC's Rex Is Not Your Lawyer and Alphas for Syfy. (Variety)

TNT has secured off-network rights to the CW's drama series Supernatural and will launch repeats of the series weekdays at 10 am ET/PT beginning Monday, January 4th. (Futon Critic)

Thomas Haden Church has been cast in FearNet's six-episode short-form series Zombie Roadkill, about a park ranger who forms a partnership with a teenager (David Dorfman) "to escape a portion of highway where roadkill is resurrected as flesh-eating zombie animals." Each episode will last between four and five minutes and the series, written by Henry Gayden and directed by David Green, will be available on FearNet.com and on its On Demand VOD network. (Variety)

Syndicated daytime medical series The Doctors has been renewed through the 2011-12 season, the series' fourth. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Disney XD will launch musical comedy I'm in the Band, about a teenager who joins a once-hot band and sets out to orchestrate its comeback, on January 18th at 7 pm ET/PT. (Variety)

Stay tuned.