Channel Surfing: Michael Trucco to "Castle," More "Doctor Who" on Tap, Nestor Carbonell Talks "Lost," Skeet Ulrich Returns to CBS, "24," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Battlestar Galactica's Michael Trucco--next seen on ABC's V this spring--hs signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Castle. Trucco will play a new love interest for Stana Katic's Beckett in the final four episodes of this season and is described as a "charismatic cop in the homicide division." Ausiello also indicates that, if the character clicks with the audience, he could return next season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC has ordered a sixth season of sci-fi series Doctor Who, which will once again feature Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. The broadcaster confirmed that Smith will return for Season Six of Doctor Who and that a Christmas special, written by new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat, is on tap for this winter. (Broadcast)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks with Lost's Nestor Carbonell, slated to get his own Richard-centric episode of the ABC drama series on Tuesday. In a video interview, she asks him whether Richard Alpert will team up with Ben, whether the Man in Black can really be trusted, and more. (TVGuide.com)

Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) is headed back to CBS, this time set to star in the network's untitled Hannah Shakespeare medical drama pilot, about a medical team that travels the country helping the less fortunate. Ulrich will play Billy Jost, described as "a Harvard-educated brilliant cardiologist with rock star looks who embraces the tumult of frequent volunteer missions to escape the hell of his personal life" who is "still in love with his ex-wife, now a hopeless junkie, and is holding out hope that she may clean up and come back to him and their six-year-old daughter." He joins a cast that includes Amy Smart, Janeane Garofalo, Rachelle Lefevre, Jay Hernandez, and Michael Beach. (Hollywood Reporter)

Looks like these are indeed the end times for FOX's 24, according to Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice, citing a recent casting call for the 20th Century Fox Television-produced drama series, which read, "These are the final episodes, so if some of your name people would like to do something on the show, this is the time for them to do it." [Editor: that sure seems final to me.] (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Beau Bridges (My Name is Earl) has been cast opposite Dermot Mulroney in NBC drama pilot Rockford Files, which is being overseen by House creator David Shore. Bridges will play Rocky, father to Mulroney's Jim Rockford, who is described as "a truck driver for thirty years who always helps his son in a tough situation, though he tends to offer a commentary that Jim doesn't always appreciate." (Hollywood Reporter)

In other casting news, Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) has signed on to star opposite Aly Michalka in the CW drama pilot Hellcats, where she will play Sierra, described as "the peppy and fiercely intense captain of the Hellcats who, after an initial clash with Marti, her new roommate, realizes that she just might be the godsend the Hellcats need to win the championship." (Hollywood Reporter)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian explores why viewing figures have fallen off so sharply for once mighty tentpole series... and why no new series have risen up to take over for them. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Jesse Williams will be returning to ABC's Grey's Anatomy, where he will be reprising his role as Jackson Avery during the 2010-11 season. (TV Guide Magazine)

Oprah Winfrey's April 7th episode will feature the cast of Glee as Winfrey interviews the cast and co-creator Ryan Murphy. The episode will also feature backstage videos and a musical performance from the cast, who are slated to appear at the White House the day before. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Sayonara, CNN. Longtime cable news network correspondent Christiane Amanpour is heading to ABC, where she will join the network's This Week as anchor beginning in August. (Variety)

Sarah Palin's Alaska is inching its way closer to reality, with A&E and Discovery Communications said to be interested in acquiring the rights to Palin's reality series, which is executive produced by Mark Burnett. (Hollywood Reporter)

Modern Family's Sofia Vergara wants Italian icon Sophia Loren to play her mother on the ABC comedy series. "My mother should be Sophia Loren, don’t you think?" Vergara told TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck. "She would be perfect. I met her for the first time at the Golden Globes this year. I arrived to rehearse the day before and we ended up waiting together backstage. I was dying. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I couldn’t say anything." (TV Guide Magazine)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that How I Met Your Mother producers are looking to cast an actress to play a TV-movie actress who is herself playing Sarah Chalke's Stella. "Recall last May’s 'As Fast As She Can,' where Future Ted told us what happened to the woman who left him at the altar: She and Tony (Jason Jones) moved to California, where Tony wrote a hit movie The Wedding Bride," writes Ausiello. "Well, that hit movie is coming to the Mother ship — and Ted is not going to be thrilled with how he comes off." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Lucy Gaskell (Being Human) has been cast in BBC One medical drama Casuality, where she will play Kirsty Clements, a mental health nurse who "brings a breath of fresh air--and a bucket of attitude--to Casualty's beleaguered emergency department." (BBC)

CBS Television Studios has hired former FOX current programming executive Beth Miyares as VP of drama development. She will report to Julie McNamara. (Variety)

Cabler VH1 has promoted both Noah Pollack and Kristen Kelly to VP, series development and original programming, where they will jointly develop unscripted programming for the network. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Cuthbert Gets "Happy Endings," Betty White to Host "SNL," Madsen Clocks in for "24," Acker Finds "Human Target," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Elisha Cuthbert (24) has been cast as the female lead in ABC comedy pilot Happy Endings, where she will play Alex, a woman whose relationship ends at the alter and she and her would-have-been husband have to figure out how they and their friends can keep their relationship intact. Project, from writer David Caspe, directors Anthony and Joe Russo, and Sony Pictures Television, also stars Adam Pally, Casey Wilson, Eliza Coupe, and Damon Wayans, Jr. (Hollywood Reporter)

Facebook has spoken and Lorne Michaels has listened: 88-year-old Betty White (The Proposal) will be hosting NBC's Saturday Night Live on May 8th. "It took on a groundswell," Michaels told USA Today's Gary Levin. "It isn't something we would have said no to, [but the campaign] validated that... It was the outpouring of affection from fans, and we feel the same way." White's episode will also feature former SNL-ers Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Ana Gasteyer, Maya Rudolph, and Rachel Dratch. (USA Today)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Michael Madsen (Kill Bill) will be turning up later this season on FOX's 24, where he will play "an ex-military guy from Jack Bauer’s past." (TV Guide Magazine)

Amy Acker (Dollhouse) is slated to guest star in the season finale of FOX's Human Target, according to series star Mark Valley. "Baptiste [Lennie James] comes back, and Amy Acker shows up and plays this one character who's very pivotal in Chance's past," Valley told reporters on a recent press call, "she was the catalyst for him becoming Christopher Chance." (via Digital Spy)

Richard Kind (A Serious Man) and Ian Hart (Dirt) have been cast in David Milch and Michael Mann's HBO horseracing drama pilot Luck, opposite Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, Dennis Farina, and John Ortiz. Kind will play a jockey's agent, while Hart will play "a loudmouth who comes into some cash and bankrolls a series of Pick Six bets." (Variety)

Mamie Gumer (The Good Wife) has been cast as one of the leads in Shonda Rhimes' ABC medical drama pilot Off the Map, where she will play Mina Minard, a doctor who takes a position in a remote South American medical clinic. Gumer, the daughter of Meryl Streep, will star opposite Caroline Dhavernas, Enrique Murciano, Jason George, Martin Henderson, and Valerie Cruz. (TVGuide.com)

Bravo has ramped up its development on both the unscripted and scripted fronts. The cabler announced at yesterday's upfront that it had ordered Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Miami Social Club, Million Dollar Decorators, and Pregnant in Heelsto series, renewed The Fashion Show, Million Dollar Listing, Real Housewives of Atlanta, and Tabatha's Salon Takeover, and was developing several unscripted series, including Around the World in 80 Plates, Commander in Chef, Hitmakers, Fashion Masters, and an untitled docusoap following So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Mia Michaels. On the scripted front, Bravo is developing two dramas, including a Darren Star-executive produced musical-drama adaptation of Josh Kilmer-Purcell's book "I'm Not Myself These Days," about a New York City power broker who moonlights as a drag queen at night, and an untitled dramedy from writers Damian Harris and Gary Marks about a high-end hotel that offers male escorts to its guests. (Variety)

Pilot casting update: Traylor Howard (Monk) will star opposite Dana Gould in Gould's untitled ABC comedy pilot; Lyndsy Fonseca (How I Met Your Mother) will star opposite Maggie Q in the CW's remake of Nikita; Maria Thayer (State of Play), Lauren Weedman (Hung), and Mahaley Hessam (Easy A) have joined the cast of Larry Charles' NBC comedy pilot Our Show; James Frain (The Tudors) has scored one of the leads in NBC vigilante drama pilot The Cape; Stephen Rea (Father and Son) has been cast in CBS drama pilot Chaos; David Gallagher (7th Heaven) has joined CW's supernatural drama pilot Betwixt; Sonja Sohn (The Wire) has been cast in ABC drama pilot Body of Evidence opposite Dana Delany; Raoul Trujillo (True Blood) has been added to the cast of ABC drama pilot Edgar Floats; Will Sasso (MADtv) and Stephanie Lemelin (Cavemen) have joined the cast of CBS' comedy pilot Shit My Dad Says. Finally, FOX is recasting two roles on Greg Garcia's comedy pilot Keep Hope Alive, with The Riches' Shannon Marie Woodward landing one of the available spots. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC America will segue to becoming a dual-feed network on Monday, April 26th. Move means that primetime and late night scheduled will be changed as the cabler will air programming at the same time in both Eastern and Pacific time zones. The British-themed network also announced that it will bring back Peep Show and That Mitchell and Webb Look in April, which also marks the launch of Season Five of Doctor Who. (via press release)

ABC has ordered a pilot from executive producer Mark Burnett for unusual game show Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host, in which two hosts will compete with the contestants on a variety of topics in front of a live audience. One of the hosts will be telling the truth, the other lying, and the contestants will have to figure out which is which. (Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to The Good Wife executive producer Robert King about whether Alicia (Julianna Margulies) and Will (Josh Charles) will ever hook up. "[They have] one of the most complicated relationships… because it really is a friendship that doesn’t want to lose its friendship by going to the next step," King told Ausiello. "There’s an episode [coming up in April] that’s all about not knowing what a jury is thinking and it’s a metaphor for how Alicia and Will can’t get into each other’s heads. During this trial, they have to make moves, guessing where the jury is headed. Sometimes we see that they’re just completely wrong." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Gene Hunt returns! BBC has a first look at Season Three of 1983-set sci-fi/period/trippy drama Ashes to Ashes, featuring Philip Glenister's Gene Hunt and Keeley Hawes' Alex Drake, which returns to BBC One for its final season of eight episodes this spring. Dean Andrews, Marshall Lancaster, and Montserrat Lombard all return, and the team gets a new member in Daniel Mays' Jim Keats, a discipline and complaints officer who adds "an unsettling twist to the team dynamic." Look for the final season of Ashes to resolve its mysteries as well as those lingering from its predecessor, Life on Mars. (BBC)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has a first look at the four original cast members from FOX's Melrose Place--Heather Locklear, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett, and Daphne Zuniga--reuniting on the CW revival series. "We've had visits by original castmembers throughout the year, and we all thought, 'Let's get them together in one show,'" executive producer Darren Swimmer told E! Online. "One of the highlights of the season for me was walking on the set to see all four original castmembers together on the courtyard staircase. There was a true sense of reunion in the room, and I think you can see in their performances how tickled they are to be acting together again." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

The CW is developing two reality competition series, including Stone & Co's One Mass Dance, which features choreographers who assemble a huge dance team from three cities and then perform a "mass dance" in front of surprised viewers, and 25/7's Shed to Wed, in which couples compete to lose weight before their weddings. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Planet Green is preparing to launch a 24-hour daily schedule, including a three-hour primetime block of programming called Verge on March 29th, which will feature such series as Future Food, Living with Ed, Conviction Kitchen, Operation Wild, Blood, Sweat and Takeaways, and off-net acquisition 30 Days. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

BBC America Announces Season Two of "Survivors," New Night

BBC America's post-apocalyptic thriller Survivors will live on... on Tuesday nights.

The Adrian Hodges-executive produced Survivors, which wrapped up its second season in the UK earlier this year on BBC One, will conclude its first season Stateside on Saturday, March 20th... before the digital cabler launches Season Two just three days later on Tuesday, March 23rd at 9 pm ET/PT.

Given that Survivors had previously aired on Saturdays, the move could mark a return for the network to scripted drama series during the week. (Fingers crossed.) In recent years, the network has programmed mostly reality series during the week with a few notable exceptions such as Skins, The Inbetweeners, and Gavin & Stacey... though it's worth noting that the series will now go up against ABC's Lost.

Here's how BBC America described Season Two of Survivors:

"Season Two shows the group now struggling not just against the difficulties of day to day life amid the ruins of the post-virus apocalypse, but also against the threat of other emerging communities and the machinations of the sinister Lab. Returning for this high octane second season alongside Abby is: Greg, a loner, hiding the pain of his past; Anya, a doctor who has seen too much; Al, a playboy who became a surrogate father to young and headstrong Najid; Sarah, a hedonist used to getting her own way and Tom Price – handsome, dangerous and a high security prisoner before the virus hit.

As the season unfolds and the tension mounts, the threat of danger, concealed secrets, lies and violence is eternally present, and the group is forced time and again to ask themselves: are they in it together, or is it each man for himself?"

The full press release from BBC America can be found below.

SURVIVORS CONTINUES WITH THE U.S PREMIERE OF SEASON TWO
NOW ON TUESDAYS

The U.S. premiere season of BBC AMERICA’s thrilling new series, Survivors has viewers glued to their screens and on the heels of season one’s upcoming explosive finale comes the U.S. premiere of season two. TV Guide called Survivors, “down-to-earth sci-fi at its gritty best” while Variety said “Post-apocalyptic visions have been all the rage of late, but BBC AMERICA's Survivors finds a sweet spot in the midst of such mayhem...” Survivors season one finale airs Saturday, March 20, 9:00p.m. ET/PT and season two premieres on a new night, Tuesday, March 23, 9:00p.m. ET/PT.

From the co-creator and writer of Primeval, Adrian Hodges, season one introduced viewers to a bewildered but resilient group of survivors led by Abby Grant (Julie Graham). They all experienced the similar devastating loss of family and friends when a mystery virus killed almost the entire human race. Abby left London to discover whether her son Peter, who was on a school adventure holiday, had survived. On her way, she came across the other survivors, some of whom bonded into a group. But without the rule of law she never knew if the next person she encounters would prove friendly or hostile.

Season two shows the group now struggling not just against the difficulties of day to day life amid the ruins of the post-virus apocalypse, but also against the threat of other emerging communities and the machinations of the sinister Lab. Returning for this high octane second season alongside Abby is, Greg, a loner, hiding the pain of his past; Anya, a doctor who has seen too much; Al, a playboy who became a surrogate father to young and headstrong Najid; Sarah, a hedonist used to getting her own way and Tom Price – handsome, dangerous and a high security prisoner before the virus hit.

As the season unfolds and the tension mounts, the threat of danger, concealed secrets, lies and violence is eternally present, and the group is forced time and again to ask themselves: are they in it together, or is it each man for himself?

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring news with a uniquely global perspective, provocative dramas, razor-sharp comedies, life-changing makeovers and a whole new world of nonfiction. BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more. It is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 67 million homes.

BBC America Announces US Launch Date for Season Five of "Doctor Who," Two Weeks Behind UK Broadcast

BBC America today announced the launch date for Season Five of British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Those hoping that BBC America would air Doctor Who within a few days of the BBC One broadcast may be slightly disappointed. The cabler has announced a launch date of Saturday, April 17th for Season Five of Doctor Who, a full two weeks behind the UK broadcast, which launches on Easter Saturday, April 3rd.

The new season of Doctor Who features a new head writer--Steven Moffat--who takes over showrunning duties from former executive producer Russell T. Davies, as well as a new cast as Matt Smith takes over the mantle of the Doctor from former star David Tennant. He'll be joined in the TARDIS by Karen Gillan, who plays new companion Amy Pond. (Guest stars this season include FlashForward's Alex Kingston, Hotel Rwanda's Sophie Okonedo, and 24's Tony Curran.)

"Britain has a tradition of reinventing its iconic characters, like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes - and Doctor Who," said Richard De Croce, Senior Vice President Programming, BBC America, in a statement. "In introducing the Eleventh Doctor, writer Steven Moffat is opening the show to a whole new audience, while serving fans with an exciting mix of inter galactic, time travelling adventures. We can't wait to meet his new Doctor!"

BBC America describes Season Five of Doctor Who as thus: "Travelling both through time and space, the new series has the mysterious Doctor and Amy Pond together exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. The first three episodes of the 13-episode series have been confirmed as 'The Eleventh Hour,' written by Steven Moffat, 'The Beast Below,' also by Moffat and 'Victory of the Daleks' by Mark Gatiss."

The full press release from BBC America can be found below.

THE NEW DOCTOR WHO ARRIVES ON BBC AMERICA IN APRIL
Starring Matt Smith with lead writer Steven Moffat


New York - February 25, 2010 - BBC AMERICA announced today that the new era of the BBC’s iconic BAFTA-winning drama, Doctor Who, will make its U.S. premiere on Saturday, April 17, 2010, soon after the UK broadcast.

Doctor Who, BBC AMERICA’s highest rated series ever, continues its tradition of rebooting with new lead actors and creative team. Matt Smith debuts as the new, Eleventh incarnation of the famous Time Lord alongside a new travelling companion, the enigmatic Amy Pond (Karen Gillan).

“Britain has a tradition of reinventing its iconic characters, like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes - and Doctor Who. In introducing the Eleventh Doctor, writer Steven Moffat is opening the show to a whole new audience, while serving fans with an exciting mix of inter galactic, time travelling adventures. We can't wait to meet his new Doctor!" comments Richard De Croce, Senior Vice President Programming, BBC AMERICA.

BAFTA-winning writer Steven Moffat, creator of some of the most frightening and award-winning Doctor Who episodes to date, takes over as lead writer and executive producer. Writers for the new series include Richard Curtis (The Boat that Rocked, Love Actually), Chris Chibnall (Law & Order UK, Torchwood), Toby Whithouse (Being Human, Torchwood), Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock) and Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly, Hardware).

Guest stars include SAG Award winner Alex Kingston (ER, Flash Forward), Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees, Hotel Rwanda) and Tony Curran (24).

Travelling both through time and space, the new series has the mysterious Doctor and Amy Pond together exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. The first three episodes of the 13-episode series have been confirmed as The Eleventh Hour, written by Steven Moffat, The Beast Below, also by Moffat and Victory of the Daleks by Mark Gatiss.

Moffat’s work includes the hit comedy Coupling, the critically-acclaimed thriller Jekyll, the new BBC series Sherlock and along with Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, the screenplay for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn - which is being directed by Steven Spielberg.

Piers Wenger (Ashes to Ashes) and Beth Willis (Ashes to Ashes) are the executive producers. It is a BBC Wales production for BBC ONE and distributed by BBC Worldwide.

Fallen Souffle: The Winners Revealed on the Season Finale of "Last Restaurant Standing"

I'm not even sure what to say about Last Restaurant Standing at this point.

Last night's season finale of Last Restaurant Standing ("The Banquet") proved to me that the producers have irreparably damaged this once promising and engaging format.

It's rare for me to go from obsessively loving a series to loathing it from one season to the next but the third season of this culinary competition series (which airs in the UK as The Restaurant) has been so shockingly dismal and so poorly produced that it took all of my energy to keep watching it to the (very) bitter end.

Yes, a winner was named last night for the third season and I can't help but be shocked and depressed by the results, which proves the producers--and quite possibly Raymond Blanc himself--were more interested in concept and uniqueness than in finding partners who could actually, you know, cook.

Just to get to the point: Raymond offered a restaurant to the woefully inadequate JJ and James. While it's not to say that Chris and Nathan were without their faults (Nathan in particular), I have to say that I'm really, really frustrated by this turn of events, which seem to undermine everything that the series is purportedly based upon. What is the point of culinary challenges if the winner of the season didn't need to have cooked at all? What's the point of watching dinner services when the alleged chef is merely expediting orders instead of getting his hands dirty?

Throughout this season, JJ managed to get by without cooking very much... and when he did cook, it was often absolutely disastrous. Last night's banquet dinner was no exception. He produced a glue-like risotto, got lucky with the beef, and failed to produce the requisite souffle, which had been specifically requested by the clients. Yes, JJ was able to create a souffle-like cocktail using egg whites, blackberries, and champagne, which the guests adored, but that wasn't what had been asked for and it certainly wasn't even a dessert course. His lack of experience and knowledge about food was glaringly obvious to everyone he came across.

I don't deny that he can make a mean cocktail because he can; it's clearly his forte, his passion, and his knowledge base. But that doesn't mean that he should open a restaurant with James. They are clearly more suited to opening a bar than beginning a partnership with famed chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc.

But James and JJ have somehow managed to blag their way into the winners' circle. Sarah said repeatedly that they were consummate blaggers and it's true: these two have pulled off quite an impressive con, considering that they can't cook to save their lives and entered a culinary competition. They're flash showmen, charming confidence men, and exceptionally lucky that their competitors weren't flashier, more charming, or more lucky. (They're also lucky that the talent pool this season was, for the most part, rather shallow.)

Raymond, Sarah, and David seemed more taken with JJ and James' overall restaurant concept than they were with Chris and Nathan's Rags and Riches concept. The former could function--with some serious hard work, marketing, and publicity--as an offbeat restaurant chain concept, particularly if they snag a liquor license. Chris and Nathan's concept--which I take to be fine dining on a budget--doesn't work quite so well in the high street but could work quite well as a one-off with some proper attention and guidance.

But it was the awarding of the top prize to blaggers JJ and James that really made me angry and all but erased any goodwill I have towards this once-fantastic series. What is the point of a culinary competition series when actual cooking ability would appear to have no weight whatsoever? When a competitor can fail to make a risotto or a souffle and still walk away a winner? When someone can squeak out of any cooking duties on a regular basis and still wind up being a partner with Raymond Blanc?

Should the series return for a fourth go-around, I hope that the producers have a serious rethink about the format changes they made this season and the casting directors put out their feelers in more suitable directions and lure in some contestants that not only have a passion for food, and a desire to open a restaurant of their own, but also some genuine culinary skill and ability.

What did you make of this season and of the winners? Would you come back for another season of Last Restaurant Standing or are you ready for the check?

Next week on Last Restaurant Standing ("Winners Story"), the winners of Season Two are followed as they work with Raymond Blanc to transform an old pub into the restaurant of their dreams.

Channel Surfing: Production on "Two and a Half Men" Shut Down as Sheen Enters Rehab, "Torchwood," David Anders Finds "Vampire Diaries," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Production on CBS comedy Two and a Half Men has been temporarily shut down after series lead Charlie Sheen checked himself into a rehab clinic. His decision comes on the heels of some serious legal troubles for the star of the Warner Bros. Television-produced series after his arrest in December and a domestic violence charge against his wife Brooke Mueller. (Variety, New York Times)

CBS' Nina Tassler, Warner Bros. Television's Peter Roth, and executive producer Chuck Lorre issued the following joint statement: "CBS, Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre support Charlie Sheen in his decision today to begin voluntary in-patient care at a treatment center. We wish him nothing but the best as he deals with this personal matter. Production on Two and a Half Men will be temporarily suspended." [Editor: it's a bit of an about-face for Lorre, who had cracked a joke at the TCA Winter Press Tour when asked about Sheen's problems.] (via press release)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian takes a look at what's next for Two and a Half Men with Sheen in rehab. He states that CBS is in good shape, with three eps in the can, and plenty of time to produce installments for May sweeps, should Sheen become available. If he's not, Adalian asserts that CBS could move on without Sheen. "There's a rich history of TV sitcoms moving on -- both short-term and long-term -- without their key stars." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Looks like John Barrowman knows just as much about the future of Torchwood as we do. "I don't know if we're gonna be filming Torchwood," said Barrowman when asked whether his upcoming stint on ABC's Desperate Housewives would clash with duties on BBC drama Torchwood. "I haven't heard anything. I haven't heard anything about what you're talking about! I only know that I would - at the drop of a hat - love to do Torchwood again. I would love to do more than five episodes. But if we're only going to do five episodes, I'm happy with that... I have no information on the future of Torchwood - I'm like everybody else at the moment! But I would love to do another Torchwood." (Digital Spy)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that David Anders (24, Heroes) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on the CW's Vampire Diaries, where he will play Jonathan Gilbert, Elena and Jeremy's uncle who travels to Mystic Falls "to cause some trouble," according to Vampire Diaries insider. Anders' first appearance is set to air in April. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting alert: Kelli Giddish (Past Life) has been cast as the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's NBC drama pilot Chase; Ben Chaplin (Dorian Grey) will star in David E. Kelley's NBC drama pilot Kindreds; former Saturday Night Live star Casey Wilson has been cast in ABC comedy pilot Happy Endings; Domenick Lombardozzi (The Wire) will star opposite Laz Alonso in FOX drama pilot Breakout Kings; Eric Lange (Lost) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Sherri) have joined the cast of ABC drama pilot True Blue; Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show) has come on board Josh Schwartz's CBS comedy pilot Hitched; Swoosie Kurtz (Pushing Daisies) has joined the cast of Chuck Lorre's CBS comedy pilot Mike and Molly; Leven Rambin (Grey's Anatomy), Vanessa Marano (Dexter), and Carlos Bernard (24) have joined the cast of ABC's summer dramedy series Scoundrels; and Valerie Cruz (The Dresden Files, True Blood) has been cast in Shonda Rhimes' ABC medical drama pilot Off the Map. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Elon Gold (Stacked) has joined the cast of FOX's Bones in a potentially recurring role. Gold, who will first appear in April, will play a love interest for Tamara Taylor's Cam. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has given a pilot order to multi-camera comedy Southern Discomfort, about a father whose live is disrupted when his adult children move back in with him. Project, from Sony Pictures Television and Tantamount, is written by Chad Kultgen, who will executive produce with Rob Long, Eric Tannenbaum, and Kim Tannenbaum. Order comes after ABC shelved comedy pilot Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid. (Hollywood Reporter)

In Plain Sight writer David Graziano has signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television, under the terms of which he will join the writing staff of FOX's Lie to Me, working under showrunner Shawn Ryan. (Ryan had requested that Graziano come aboard the series.) He'll also develop new series for the studio. (Variety)

Mark Burnett's aborted FOX game show Our Little Genius is now the subject of an FCC investigation, following a complaint by the parent of a contestant, who alleged that his son was coached by Mark Burnett Productions staffers. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has acquired US broadcast rights to paparazzi documentary Smash His Camera, from director Leon Gast, which will have a theatrical release and DVD after a four to six broadcast premiere window at the pay cabler. (Variety)

Canadian reality series Conviction Kitchen, which airs Stateside on Planet Green, has been renewed for a second season by Rogers Media, and will begin shooting a second season in September. (Hollywood Reporter)

Sony Pictures Television has commissioned a half-hour entertainment magazine entitled In the Qube for its Animax channel, which airs around the world in 60 countries. Series, produced by Embassy Row, will feature segments on films, video games, music, sports, and celebrities. (Variety)

Kimberly Williams Paisley (According to Jim), Matt Letscher (Brothers & Sisters), and Tammy Blanchard (Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows) will star in Lifetime Movie Network original telepic Amish Grace, set to air March 28th on the cabler. (via press release)

Stay tuned.

Everywhere and Anywhere: New "Doctor Who" Teaser Trailer Released

"Everywhere and anywhere. Every star that ever was... Where do you want to start?"

BBC One and BBC America have released a new one-minute teaser trailer for Season Five of Doctor Who, which is set to air this spring.

Featuring new series lead Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, who plays the Eleventh Doctor's first companion Amy Pond, the trailer depicts the duo cast into the time vortex, surrounded by some of the Doctor's most fearsome adversaries, including a Dalek, a Weeping Angel, a Smiler, and more.

Not to mention the classic Doctor "who?" pun.

You can check out the trailer below.



Season Five of Doctor Who will air this spring on BBC One and BBC America.

UK Cinemas to Get 3-D "Doctor Who" Trailer

Lucky, lucky Brits.

Broadcast's Will Strauss is reporting that UK cinemas will show a special 3-D trailer for Season Five of Doctor Who, which features new series leads Matt Smith and Karen Gillan... as well as new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat.

The 40-second trailer, which will be converted to 3-D from 2-D, will mirror a new Doctor Who promo spot set to run this weekend on BBC One (and which will be made available Stateside by BBC America). It's expected to begin running in cinemas across the United Kingdom (as well as "external promotional screening events") in March.

"Doctor Who is the appropriate vehicle for 3D," said a BBC spokesperson in a statement. "It just fits. It’s a great way to introduce and showcase the new Doctor to younger viewers."

Season Five of Doctor Who will launch this spring on BBC One and BBC America.

Countdown to New "Doctor Who" Trailer Begins!

The countdown to a new trailer for Season Five of Doctor Who, set to air this spring on BBC One and BBC America, is underway as the two networks today released a new promo image featuring new series leads Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

The duo, who respectively play the Eleventh Doctor and companion Amy Pond, hadn't yet been pictured together in an official promotional materials released by the Beeb, so this new image (pictured above) is the first time that the co-stars are featured alongside one another. (Not to mention along with some other familiar Who entities, including a Dalek and a Weeping Angel.)

And the aforementioned new Doctor Who fifth season trailer will be unveiled this Saturday by BBC One and BBC America, so mark your calendars, dig out your bow ties, and get ready for another look inside Season Five of the sci-fi series.

[Editor: I cannot bloody wait!]

Season Five of Doctor Who will launch this spring on BBC One and BBC America.

The Daily Beast: "The Lonely Life of Survivors"

Looking for more information about BBC America's post-apocalyptic drama series Survivors?

Head over to The Daily Beast to read my latest piece, entitled, "The Lonely Life of Survivors," which is an interview with writer/executive producer Adrian Hodges in which we discuss the differences between Survivors and Terry Nation's original 1970s drama series, H1N1 fears, hope versus hopelessness, the human condition, and much more.

Survivors premieres tonight at 8 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

The Human Condition: BBC America Acquires Two More Seasons of "Being Human"

Cabler BBC America today announced that it had concluded a deal to acquire the second and third seasons of British supernatural drama Being Human.

Series regulars Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow and Aidan Turner all return in their respective roles as werewolf George, ghost Annie, and vampire Mitchell. Season Two of Being Human is set to air on BBC America in late summer, with Season Three to follow "shortly" thereafter. (Season Two of Being Human is set to wrap its run on BBC Three in the UK at the end of February.)

Looking for details about Season Two of Being Human? Here's what BBC America had to say about the upcoming season:

"After the death of vampire leader Herrick at the end of season one, the supernatural friends are hoping they can now get on with their lives, but an even greater danger is lurking, within the very human world of which they want to be a part.

Werewolf George is coming to terms with the fact that he has Herrick's blood on his hands, and a girlfriend who knows his horrific secret. Meanwhile, turning down the door of death has implications for ghost Annie, but her confidence is at a peak and she’s determined to stand up and be counted in the real world. And, with Herrick gone, Mitchell must appease the vampire world - can he find a way to lead by example?"



The full press release from BBC America can be found below.

BBC AMERICA ACQUIRES NEW SEASONS OF BEING HUMAN
- Hit sci-fi show back for two U.S. premiere seasons -


BBC AMERICA today announced the acquisition of two new U.S. premiere seasons of the BBC AMERICA co-production, Being Human. The show’s highly anticipated second season will premiere in late summer with the third season following shortly.

· Being Human (S1, 6 x 60 and S2, 6 x 60) is a Touchpaper Television and BBC AMERICA co-production for the BBC and is distributed by RDF Rights, part of the RDF Media Group.

Being Human premiered on the channel in July 2009 and quickly won over fans, with a sold out crowd at last year’s San Diego Comic Con. The Los Angeles Times said it “has not only avoided any sci-fi Three’s Company comparisons but wound up with a compelling, self-aware and funny story line. Buffy fans – come out of the Twilight and sink your teeth into this import” with The New York Times noting that “all three characters are highly appealing, but the charm of the show lies in the delicate balance of engrossing drama and disarming humor; the series is not campy or self-conscious, it’s witty in an offhand, understated way.”

Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow and Aidan Turner return as George, Annie and Mitchell, the three twenty-somethings trying to live as normally as possible despite being a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost. After the death of vampire leader Herrick at the end of season one, the supernatural friends are hoping they can now get on with their lives, but an even greater danger is lurking, within the very human world of which they want to be a part.

Werewolf George is coming to terms with the fact that he has Herrick's blood on his hands, and a girlfriend who knows his horrific secret. Meanwhile, turning down the door of death has implications for ghost Annie, but her confidence is at a peak and she’s determined to stand up and be counted in the real world. And, with Herrick gone, Mitchell must appease the vampire world - can he find a way to lead by example?

The entire first season of Being Human is currently available on iTunes and Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

The End of the World: An Advance Review of BBC America's "Survivors"

"There are so few of us left, every new person feels like a gift." - Abby Grant

BBC America's gripping and provocative drama series Survivors recounts the aftermath of a viral outbreak that wipes out 99 percent of the world's population. It's a nightmarish scenario that places these characters under the most gruesome of circumstances as they struggle to not only contain their grief and anger but also look for some way to survive.

Based on Terry Nation's novel and adapted by Adrian Hodges (Primeval), Survivors is gritty sci-fi at its most painful and realistic. The opening installment's first 45 minutes might be some of the most brutal and emotionally raw sequences ever to air on television as the virus spreads at an alarming rate and kills just about everyone. There's a palpable sense of loss and fragility as England comes tumbling down, but there's also a sense of hope emerging from the ashes as well.

For a group of strangers who band together into a makeshift community, it's as though they've taken Jack Shephard's message to heart: "We either live together or we die alone." What survives the global viral outbreak isn't so much old ways of thinking but rather the human spirit itself: unbreakable, adaptive, and wholly resilient.

Offering a cross-section of modern British society, the band of strangers is comprised of young and old, men and women, doctors and criminals, a wide swath of races and creeds represented. As this group struggles to stay together and create something new out of the destruction of everything they've known, there is a feeling that's rather similar to the early days of Lost: a group of ordinary people linked together by an extraordinary event that will forever define their lives.

For Abby Grant (Julie Graham), she's lost her husband but is clinging to the hope that her son Peter may have survived the outbreak and is out there somewhere. Greg Preston (Paterson Joseph) is in search of solitude but finds himself caught up in Abby's quest for unity. Tom Price (Max Beesley) is a brutal and charismatic killer who escapes prison and conceals his identity. Al Sadiq (Phillip Rhys) is a playboy millionaire who has never had to fend for himself but his wealth matters little in the world post-virus. Anya Raczynski (Zoe Tapper) is a young doctor who finds herself unable to stop the death around her and is haunted by her failure. Young Muslim Najid (Chahak Patel) continues to see the potential for good around him, despite having lost his entire family. Together, they carve out a new place for themselves in an increasingly uncertain world, one that is beset by lawlessness and anarchy. Their separate stories become inexorbly intertwined.

But Survivors isn't just about their daily struggles to forage for food and water, nor about their attempts to recreate the world. There's an intriguing serialized element, an overarching mythology, that becomes apparent by the end of the first installment. I won't say too much about it, lest I spoil the surprise but I will say that there are far more questions raised at the end of the first episode than were immediately apparent and a nice twist frames the series in a very different way.

The cast is top-notch and the action starts off slow and soon builds to a fever pitch by the time the first season (six episodes) ends, becoming over the course of just a few episodes must-see television that is compelling and addictive.

Ultimately, Survivors offers a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic sci-fi subgenre, offering a vision of a future that is all too real and possible. But it also finds hope among the hopelessness, reminding each of us to count our blessings each and every day.



Survivors launches Saturday evening at 8 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

CONFIRMED: Neil Gaiman to Write "Doctor Who" Script

Author and screenwriter Neil Gaiman ("The Graveyard Book") has been plagued for years by rumors about the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Appearing [Thursday] night to give a live reading and participate in a question-and-answer session at Royce Hall (as part of UCLA Live's spoken word series), Gaiman was once more put on the spot and asked if he would ever write a Doctor Who script.

Gaiman's answer? He nodded emphatically.

While not exactly a confirmation, it's perhaps the most concrete answer those of us in attendance could have hoped for. Season Five of Doctor Who is set to air on BBC One and BBC America this spring and it's highly unlikely that Gaiman will contribute a script for the first season of newly installed Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith's run.

Whether that means that Gaiman will "ever" write a Doctor Who script remains to be seen but for those of us who would love to see the "Sandman" and "American Gods" author tackle The Doctor, it's at least something to hold on to.

UPDATE (2/6/10): After I posted the above yesterday, Gaiman himself confirmed the news at SFX Weekender, announcing that he would be writing a script for Season Six of Doctor Who. Gaiman's episode, currently entitled "The House of Nothing," will air in 2011. You heard it here first!

Channel Surfing: "True Blood" Finds Its Debbie Pelt, Emily Rose Heads to Syfy's "Haven," "Ugly Betty," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Brit Morgan (The Middleman) has been cast in Season Three of HBO's True Blood, where she has landed the pivotal role of Debbie Pelt, the "psycho ex-girlfriend of werewolf Alcide (Joe Manganiello)." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

SPOILER! In other True Blood-related news, TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that an upcoming storyline will involve an Eric flashback to the year 900 A.D., where viewers will meet Eric's father, a Swedish Viking king named Ulfrick. Casting is currently underway for the role. (TV Guide Magazine)

Emily Rose (John From Cincinnati) has been cast as the lead in Syfy's supernatural series Haven, which is based on Stephen King's novella "The Colorado Kid." Rose will play FBI Agent Audrey Parker, who is sent to the titular Maine community in order to investigate a murder and finds herself caught up in a series of supernatural events. Project, from E1 Entertainment and Universal Networks International, is executive produced by Scott Shepard, Lloyd Segan, Shawn Piller, John Morayniss, and Noreen Halpern, along with writers Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Ugly Betty creator/executive producer Silvio Horta about the upcoming end of the ABC dramedy series. "The braces are coming off," Horta told Ausiello about an upcoming March episode in which Betty is sent on a metaphysical journey about what her life might have been like. "There’s a big fantasy element to it. We’ll ask the question, 'What if Betty had perfect teeth?'" Also coming up on the series: a new job opportunity for Betty, a wedding, the return of Wilhelmina's first love, and much more. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO is developing comedy series Tilda, about a "powerful female online showbiz journalist with a no-holds-barred style." [Editor: Hmmm, sound like anyone we know?] Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) and Cynthia Mort (Tell Me You Love Me) are attached to write and executive produce the project, with Condon also attached to direct, should it be ordered the pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Broadcasting & Cable's Melissa Grego is reporting that NBC is considering airing the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards telecast live across the country on August 29th. The move to end the tape-delay comes on the heels of NBC's decision last month to air the Golden Globes live in all timezones across the country. "According to sources, NBC is in the process of discussing a similar live Emmys scenario with affiliates," writes Grego. "Spokespeople for NBC and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which administers the top TV awards, declined to comment." (Broadcasting & Cable)

Syfy has acquired the basic cable rights to BBC's Merlin, the first season of which NBC aired last summer. Syfy will debut the fantasy series in April and will air the first two seasons of the series. "A viewer favorite after only one season, Merlin will be a strong addition to our schedule this spring," said Thomas Vitale, EVP of programming. "We expect its enthralling imaginative vision, engaging young talent, and rich production values to resonate with our audience." BBC, meanwhile, will launch the third season of Merlin in September in the UK. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting alert! Laura Prepon (That '70s Show) will star opposite Danny Wallace in ABC comedy pilot Awkward Situations for Men, where she will play Meg, the wife of British television personality Danny Wallace who moves to the US and who takes a job at a smoothie job with a boss (Matt Letscher) whom she shares a romantic past. Bret Harrison (Reaper) has landed the lead role in FOX's untitled Adam Goldberg single-camera comedy, where he will play a member of a team who crack computer security systems. Michael Kelly (The Sopranos) has been added to the cast of CBS' currently untitled Criminal Minds spinoff; he'll play a former gang member who joins a team of profilers. (Hollywood Reporter)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that Michelle Trachtenberg will return to Gossip Girl for the current season's final episode, while Gossip Girl's Connor Paolo is set to make a guest appearance on Trachtenberg's NBC medical drama Mercy. "I'm sure Georgina will be seeking vengeance," Trachtenberg told Dos Santos. "They haven't written it yet, but she was tricked and sent away, after all. And that li'l lady certainly doesn't like to be tricked." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ABC has given a pilot order to single-camera comedy pilot Wright vs. Wrong about a female Republican political commentator. Project, from Sony Pictures Television and Tantamount, is written by Stephanie Weir (MadTV), who will executive produce alongside Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum, and Mitch Hurwitz. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC America announced that it will premiere the second season of comedy The Inbetweeners on Wednesday, February 24th at 9:30 pm ET/PT, a week after the first season wraps its run. (via press release)

Fox Television Studios has signed a two-year first-look deal with documentary filmmaker RJ Cutler (The September Issue) under which he will develop scripted projects for broadcast and cable, a first for the director who has seen success on the small screen with such unscripted projects as 30 Days and American High. (Variety)

VH1 has ordered an untitled dramedy telepic about two twenty-something African-American women in Atlanta, one a wannabe fashion mogul, the other a former dancer. Project, from writer Stacy Littlejohn, is executive produced by Queen Latifah, Sha-Kim Compere, Maggie Malina, and Jeff Olde. The cabler is treating the telepic as a backdoor pilot; should it be successful, it could be ordered to series. (Variety)

Nickelodeon is developing an untitled comedy, from executive producers Joe Simpson and Tommy Lynch and writer Emily Cutler, that will be loosely based on Simpson's life, revolving around a psychologist raising two daughters in Texas. (Hollywood Reporter)

Telemundo executive Enrique Guillen has been moved to NBC, where he will take over as VP of alternative programming and production. NBC also promoted Nicole Silveira to manager of alternative series and specials. Both report to Paul Telegdy. (Variety)

Michael Grindon, Sony Pictures Television's head of international television, will leave the studio in March after a 24-year tenure. Move comes after much of his oversight was taken over by Steve Mosko in a corporate restructuring. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Broken Airplanes: Let Them Eat Cake on "Last Restaurant Standing"

It's sad to say that I'm now completely fed up with and frustrated by BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing (which airs in the UK under the title The Restaurant), with which I had been previously obsessed.

After two fantastic seasons of culinary competition, the series has completely gone off the rails this season, bringing in unqualified contestants (some of whom don't even bother to cook) and throwing all sense of production values or carefully coordinated challenges right out the window, along with the series' once winning format.

Last night's episode of Last Restaurant Standing ("The Cake") was shockingly awful. Besides for the fact that I found it inconceivable that this group of shoddy wannabe restaurateurs had made it this far in the competition (we're nearly at the end!), I felt like the series was even further undermined by the producers themselves, who created an illogical challenge for the teams--cater a tea dance in under five hours' time--that would be impossible to win unless you had purchased at least some of the cakes yourselves and which was so poorly organized that the teams were doomed to failure from the outset.

At this point in the competition, just a few rounds before the final showdown, I expected to see some real talent emerge from these chefs, which just isn't happening at all. I think that Chris is the only one even in this competition who can cook at all and he's consistently let down by front-of-house partner Nathan, who has shown absolutely no growth or remote understanding of the subtleties of service. Still, they managed to pull off a VIP dinner without a hitch--even producing a stellar cake made in the shape of a ski resort--that was diametrically opposed to their truly terribly performance at the tea dance, where they showed up 45 minutes late, didn't include any mention of tea on the menu, and didn't end up serving anyone, thanks to Nathan's lackluster approach.

JJ continues to remain hands-off in the kitchen of the picnic-themed restaurant he's meant to be running with James but he wasn't even at the pass expediting this week as he spent the entire service decorating his cake in the walk-in. Yes, I get that he baked the cake and all (perhaps the first time he's made anything since they got the keys to the restaurant) but come on. This isn't a cake decorating show; it's meant to be a culinary competition. Grr.

The cake was truly a trainwreck (or shall I say plane crash?) at The Front Room and Stephen's efforts to create an airplane-shaped confection for his VIP guests was a disaster from start to finish. The smooshed nose on the plane, the childlike writing, and the ghastly craftsmanship had me agog. Just shockingly bad.

And then there were Daisy and Nadine, who seemed to lose all focus of the fact that they were running a Westernized Nigerian restaurant and instead cooked up a BBQ for their guests and failed to register the fact that pasta, potatoes, and bread were carbs and that the rugby coach had specifically requested for no carbohydrates to be served and if they had to be that they were wholemeal-based. Instead, the ladies took this to the extreme and offered not one but three major components of the dinner that were carb-based. Argh.

No surprise that Daisy and Nadine's restaurant was closed this week as the emphasis seems to be on the overall concept and its execution. I think they failed on all points but I can't say that I am really rooting for anyone to win this at this point. It's a sad state of affairs that such a promising and exciting program such as Last Restaurant Standing should devolve into such a mess.

What did you think of this week's episode? And have you given up on the series altogether? Just what went wrong this season? Discuss.

Next week on Last Restaurant Standing ("The Singles"), the three remaining couples must create a romantic takeout dinner for two and cater a singles night at their restaurants.

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.

TV on DVD: "Doctor Who: The Complete Specials"

Prepare to say goodbye all over again.

I've only finally just gotten used to the idea that there won't be any more Doctor Who episodes starring David Tennant. Tennant departed the British sci-fi series after a handful of seasonal specials between December 2008 and January 2010 that depicted the Tenth Doctor locked in his final battle. A battle that resulted in the death of the Tenth Doctor and his regeneration.

Doctor Who has always been a series that not only endures after the departure of its lead actor but seems to revel in the new possibilities that an incoming actor can bring to the role of the Time Lord. Still, Tennant has carved out a sizable place in the ongoing mythos of Doctor Who for his portrayal of the lonely traveler and he'll be much missed.

BBC Video today releases Doctor Who: The Complete Specials, featuring David Tennant's final episodes as the Tenth Doctor. This five-disc set features all five of Tennant's Doctor Who specials, as well as a host of bonus material.

Each of the final five Tennant specials gets their own disk here, from December 2008's Doctor Who: The Next Doctor through the two-part swan song Doctor Who: The End of Time (Parts One and Two). It's actually quite nice to see each of the specials get some breathing space and warrant their own individual disks. Each of the specials really does function as its own mini-feature film, so there's something quite pleasant about them being treated as such rather than just shoehorned onto two discs.

Each of the specials is unique in plot and tone. Doctor Who: The Next Doctor finds the Tenth Doctor battling a steampunk robot in Victorian London and meeting a man who might just be his future incarnation; it's an adventure story about the price of vengeance and the power of loss. Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead is a caper story crossed with a tale of survival as the Doctor and jewel thief Lady Christina de Souza (Michelle Ryan) find themselves stranded on a strange planet with a busload of strangers with no way of getting home. Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars is a dark thriller as an alien presence invades Bowie Base One on Mars and the Doctor makes a decision that will haunt him. And the final two-parter Doctor Who: The End of Time (Parts One and Two) finds the Doctor fighting for his life as he is locked in battle once more with his greatest adversary, The Master (John Simm).

But the real treat here is the more than seven hours worth of bonus material that has been crammed into this release. Not only are there audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and episodes of Doctor Who Confidential, but there's also the Doctor Who at the Proms concert, David Tennant's video diaries from his final days on the set, and the entire Doctor Who Comic-Con panel from July 2009.

All in all, this is a must-own item for any fan of Doctor Who or David Tennant himself. With the fifth season of Doctor Who--starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor--set to launch this spring on BBC One and BBC America, there's no better time to say your final goodbyes to the Tenth Doctor with this incredible box set. Allons-y!

Doctor Who: The Complete Specials is available for purchase today for a suggested retail price of $49.98. Or pick up a copy today in the Televisionary store for just $36.99.

Rabbit, Rabbit: Seasonal Ingredients and an Upset Badger on "Last Restaurant Standing"

I'm still scratching my head over the format changes that happened between the second and third seasons of BBC America's Last Restaurant Standing (which airs in the UK as The Restaurant).

I'm especially heartbroken that the series' producers opted to get rid of the intense and drama-laden Challenge in every other episode. Forcing the three lowest-performing couples to fight for the chance to remain in the competition, the Challenge element offered further opportunities to see these couples' strengths and weaknesses on display as well as see how they coped with added pressure and were able to adapt to constantly changing scenarios.

Losing this competition element means that Last Restaurant Standing has effectively been cut down in size (there are only a handful of episodes this season) and we're already now down to the final four couples. Which is shocking in and of itself as I don't feel like I know any of them particularly well. At this point in other seasons, I had a clear-cut understanding of the couples, their personalities, and their quirks. But here we're at the halfway mark already and more than half of the couples have already been eliminated. Yes, the stakes are high but I don't feel like I'm really along for the ride as much as I was in previous seasons.

Last night's episode of Last Restaurant Standing ("The Seasonal Ingredient") made me feel this more than any of the previous installments this season. With five couples in the competition, I would have expected to be connecting with them more than I am and I was surprised and shocked to see how several of the teams performed, considering they've already made it halfway to the final round.

The emphasis this time round seems to be more on the individual restaurant concepts and the success or failure of the weekend service than on the myriad challenges, tasks, and tests that Raymond throws at them. This week, the couples were told that they had to prepare local and seasonal fare at sell it at a local farmers market. Easy peasy, really. Not only would it showcase their cooking and concept, but also allow the couples to market themselves directly to the public.

It's this last thing that nearly all of the couples seemed to either forget about or never realize in the first place. Only Stephen and Rebecca brought menus and made a point about pushing bookings at their restaurant, The Front Room, and they singled themselves out by preparing two locally sourced and seasonal items that could be heated and eaten at home. (They wisely also included directions for heating.) It was a simple trick that everyone else seemed to miss out on.

That said, I thought that Chris and Nathan did the best job with the market task, preparing five offerings for the market public and foraging in the forest for wild garlic and elderflower. I thought they did the best job setting up their stall and placing the focus on the locality and seasonality of their offerings, including an elderflower lemonade, wild garlic mayonnaise, and several beautiful-looking savory dishes.

Daisy and Nadine completely missed the point of the assignment, offering up food that was neither local nor captured the essence of their Westernized Nigerian cuisine concept. Yes, the fish was line-caught but it was from Penzance and it lacked any of the heat, spice, or flavor of their restaurant concept. Likewise, JJ and James once again proved their lack of culinary knowledge by offering skewers of beef shin, a tough cut of meat that requires hours of slow braising. Instead, they cooked the beef for a half-hour in the oven and then finished it on a grill to order, rendering the meat chewy and tough. (Poor Sarah struggled to get it down.)

Of course, they all at least showed up at the market. Barney and Badger, after reeling from a cup ordering fiasco, didn't even turn up to serve the soup that Barney cooked because Badger had second thoughts about remaining in the competition and wanted to withdraw. I felt really bad for Barney; this has been the culmination of a dream of his and an extraordinary opportunity to start something new and fresh with his career, outside of the army. For Badger to just decide that he can't do it--after winning Restaurant of the Week--felt like a slap in the face. Yes, he's outside his comfort zone but so are all of them, really. Grr.

Raymond had another surprise for his couples as they discovered upon returning to the restaurants: he had sent over a slew of rabbits and pigeons to be transformed into dinner specials. Once again, Chris amazed me with his innovation, adaptation, and creative vision, transforming the seasonal ingredients into stunning dishes that demonstrated his significant skill. (Sadly, he was let down once again by Nathan in front of house.) I was pleasantly surprised by Stephen and Rebecca's performance this week; he seemed to take on the judges' criticism of the heaviness of his food and offered somewhat lighter fare this week. (Though the terrine was MASSIVE and customers still complained of being too full to order to dessert.)

Elsewhere, Daisy and Nadine once again struggled and JJ again didn't cook anything in the kitchen. To add insult to injury, he only used about a third of the seasonal ingredients that Raymond had sent over, somehow deciding to only offer eight portions of rabbit, despite having about ten of them on hand... and the pigeon they served was terribly overcooked.

Barney and Badger forged ahead, despite Badger's misgivings about remaining in the competition, knocking out a service that was their best yet and which had Raymond praising Barney for the significant improvement week-to-week (and for the deliciousness of his sauces this time around). But it was still too much for Badger and he wanted to withdraw from the competition. Given the fact that they had failed to turn up at the farmers market, Raymond closed their restaurant. I'll admit that I was sad as I felt that Barney had a lot to offer and they were a very strong team. Just a case of a bad partnership where the team members wanted different things. Sad.

But it was Stephen and Rebecca, on the other hand, who had impressed Raymond and the judges. They walked away with Restaurant of the Week, much to the surprise of the other couples. (I had thought it would go to Chris and Nathan but I think the judges are extremely wary of Nathan's less than stellar front of house skills.)

What did you think of this week's episode? Depressed by Badger's decision? Should Raymond have found a way to keep them--or at least Barney--around? Who is the strongest team remaining? Discuss.

Next week on Last Restaurant Standing ("The Cake"), the final four teams get a chance to show off their baking skills when they take bookings from VIP guests with special requests and each group wants to end their evening with a celebratory cake. But first, the couples must cater a tea dance and serve afternoon tea to over a hundred guests.

Talk Back: BBC America's "The Inbetweeners"

I've been raving about British comedy The Inbetweeners, created by Iain Morris and Damon Beesley, for almost a year. (You can read my review of the first three episodes here and my review of the first two seasons here.)

I spent last night at a little gathering in West Hollywood hosted by Iain Morris and his lovely fiancee (congratulations, you two!) for The Inbetweeners' US launch on BBC America last night. Despite having seen the first two episodes about three times already, my wife and I--and the entire party--were rolling on the floor with hysterics as Iain gleefully shouted out the bleeped-out words that had been censored from the American broadcast. (And, believe me, there were many.)

Now that the first two episodes have finally aired Stateside as of last night, I'm curious to know what you thought of the series. Did you find it painfully funny? Did you laugh and cringe in equal measure? Did you feel relieved that you're no longer in your teens? What did you think of the cast and their chemistry? Did you scream at the telly when Simon (Joe Bird) threw up on Carly D'Amato's little brother? (Did you wonder why BBC America haphazardly censored some expressions and not others and wish, as I did, that they just let it air as is?)

And, most importantly, will you tune in again for the next episode?

Talk back here.

This Wednesday on an all-new episode of The Inbetweeners ("Thorpe Park"), the boys take Simon's new car for a spin during an ill-fated trip to Thorpe Park.

Tune-in Reminder: BBC America's "The Inbetweeners," Season Three of FX's "Damages," and Showtime's "La La Land"

Wondering what to watch tonight? Chuck, of course, but there's also three premieres tonight that you need to be aware of and should definitely tune in for... and none of them actually conflict with NBC's Chuck. (Always a perk.)

At 9 pm ET/PT, it's the US premiere of Iain Morris and Damon Beesley's British comedy The Inbetweeners on BBC America. But this isn't a comedy of social conventions but rather a raucous and touching British sitcom that's almost the anti-Skins in a way. Laugh and cringe in equal measure as four sex-starved social outcasts attempt to fit in, find love, and lose it, not always in that order. (You can read my review of the first three episodes of The Inbetweeners here and my review of the first two seasons here.)

Season Three of FX's gripping legal thriller Damages begins tonight at 10 pm ET/PT and gets off to a rollicking start by offering a riveting case, new mysteries, and old rivalries. You do not want to miss this season. You can read my review of the first two episodes of Season Three here.

At 11 pm, be sure to switch over to Showtime for the premiere of hysterical Borat-style comedy La La Land, in which British comedian Marc Wootton plays three men--an aspiring actor, a documentary filmmaker and a psychic--who arrive in Hollywood with dreams of making it big. You can read my advance review of Season One of La La Land here.