Family Affair: Master Chefs and Modern Family on Top Chef Masters

If you've ever been on a working television or film set, you know the mad rush that the lunch call is as the cast and crew head towards a makeshift dining room--usually set amid film equipment and discarded set pieces--to grab a brief respite before heading back into the madness.

Caterers specialize in delivering fast, fresh, and tasty grub that's all ready to go when the crew is meant to go on break and it's a brutal business. So that rhythm and pacing would be the perfect challenge for the five new master chefs entering the Top Chef kitchen this week: Rick Tramonto, Maria Hines, Debbie Gold, Joey Adams, and Susur Lee, the latter of whom was named one of Food & Wine's Ten Chefs of the Millennium. (No small matter, that.)

On this week's episode of Top Chef Masters ("Cast and Crew Meal"), the master chefs were tasked with creating a perfectly styled fruit plate and preparing a cast and crew meal for the actors and staffers on ABC's comedy series Modern Family. (Huh, a single episode that combines my love for Top Chef with that for Modern Family? Heavenly.)

The first season of Top Chef Masters suffered a serious dearth of female master chefs; producers this season seemed to be aware of the gender inequality but this week seemed to contain most of the women competing this season, an odd shuffling of the contestants that was all the more apparent because there were only two men competing this week. While I was glad to see female chefs represented so strongly this week, I do think that there should have been more of a gender balance before now. (Last week's episode, which featured returnees from Season One, featured no female chefs.)

Having said that, I thought that the chefs this week were almost universally strong contenders. Despite her nerves, Joey Adams proved to be one of the toughest competitors here, dominating both rounds. Despite the fact that I was hoping that Adams would make it through to the next round, I was a little surprised that the producers would opt for a "high stakes Quickfire Challenge." After all, that made sense within the context of the Las Vegas season but here, on Top Chef Masters, it seemed extremely out of place, particularly as the challenge--a fruit plate--didn't exactly scream golden ticket to the champions round. But that's just me, anyway. (Was anyone else irked slightly that winning the Quickfire Challenge meant a guaranteed spot among the champions?)

For that Quickfire Challenge, the master chefs had to create an artful presentation of fruit, using 25 fruits from a basket to create a palette that would amaze with its beauty and presentation and delight the palate. (Heh.)

So what did they prepare?

Quickfire Challenge:

• Tramonto: herb and fruit shooters
• Hines: Northwest trio: apple soup, grilled fig, and berries with berry mousse
• Gold: pecan tempura-stuffed fig with persimmon and tangerine
• Adams: fig and walnut tart with pomegranate syrup and zabaglione
• Lee: East Meets West fruit plate with blackberry "ravioli" and Thai basil

There were some head-scratching decisions being made here. I get the spirituality of Rick Tramonto but I thought those culinary/inspirational cards were totally out of place on the plate, much less in a culinary competition. You want to do that in your restaurant, that's cool, but really?

Susur Lee went way over the top with his plate, an East-meets-West cacophony of flavors, textures, and colors that was visually confusing and a little off-putting. I think had he just stuck to those gorgeous and inventive "raviolis," he would have fared better here.

I wasn't sure what to make of Debbie Gold's pecan tempura-fried figs, which I found confusing and odd. A misstep there. And I got what Maria Hines was attempting to do with her starter-entree-dessert concept but it didn't quite work as they all seemed a bit like dessert to me. Had she really wanted to nail the concept, she could have made the first two offerings more overtly savory rather than sweet.

Which left Adams, who absolutely nailed the task, despite nearly destroying her pastry in the flash-freezer. Her dish--fig and walnut tart with pomegranate syrup and zabaglione--was clean, beautifully presented, and made fantastic use of the fruit on offer. It's no surprise that she won... and walked away with a guaranteed spot among the champions, giving her immunity in the upcoming Elimination Challenge.

For that challenge, the chefs had to prepare an cast and crew meal for the, uh, cast and crew of ABC's Modern Family, who--along with the critics--would decide which other chef would advance to the next round. They were tasked with taking a traditional family meal and infusing it with a more modern sensibility.

Here's what they each prepared:

Elimination Challenge:

• Tramonto: truffled white beans with escarole and grilled sausage
• Hines: sockeye salmon with sumac, lemon, paprika potatoes, French beans, and almond mink
• Gold: glazed pork loin with apple butter and winter squash slaw
Adams: braised chicken thighs with mushrooms, semolina gnocchi, and herb salad
• Lee: roasted chicken and farce curry with polenta and grits, tomato jam, chili-mint chutney, and grilled pineapple

I thought that Tramonto's dish looked absolutely fantastic but it didn't really seem all that modern, despite his argument that the use of the truffle oil elevated his dish from its more humble roots. (Personally, I would have used fresh truffle in addition to truffle oil, if that was his argument.) It seemed a little more homey than I think the critics anticipated here.

I had a feeling that Hines would do well with her sockeye salmon dish, which fused the sort of traditional Pacific Northwest comfort food staple with an ultra-modern approach with the use of the almond milk, a genius addition that was wholly modern and also helped to keep the salmon moist. I also appreciated her use of undervalued (at least in American cuisine) sumac, which I wish I'd see more of. Definitely modern and creative... and despite Tramonto's line about seeing Hines' mistakes, she scored better than he did here.

Gold was critiqued for the fact that her glaze and apple butter rendered the pork too sweet and she was also taken to task for the fact that the pork was way undercooked and stringy. Gold seemed aware of this back during the first prep period, yet never really was able to turn it around, despite opting to grill the loins instead of putting them back into the slow-cooker.

Adams had immunity but she still scored well for her chicken and gnocchi dish, which would have been considered pretty classic family fare but her addition of a fresh herb salad took the plate into the more modern era. It's little touches like that which can transform a dish into something else. Well played.

But it was Susur Lee who used the Elimination Challenge as an opportunity to redeem himself after his disastrous showing in the Quickfire. Here, he delivered a stunning dish of curry with roasted chicken and farce (a chicken sausage), polenta and grits, tomato jam, chili-mint chutney, and grilled pineapple. While Jay Rayner thought the pineapple out of place on the plate, it was the only criticism of an otherwise flawless dish that earned five stars from every critic and a nearly perfect score from the diners, giving him 19 1/2 stars, the highest score in Top Chef Masters history. No surprise that he'll be moving on to the champions round with Joey Adams, both of whom did quite extraordinary work this week.

I loved the way that the cast of Modern Family jumped into the challenge, with Julie Bowen asking each of the chefs repeatedly, "what's that?" (It was beyond cute.) And Rico Rodriguez, not surprisingly, got in a fantastic line about liking spice in his life. Seeing Eric Stonestreet, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ariel Winter, and co-creator Steve Levitan (along with Bowen and Rodriguez) discussing the chefs' food warmed my heart to no end. These guys are absolutely adorable.

Do you agree with the critics' decisions? Would you have sent Lee and Adams to the next round? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Next week on Top Chef Masters ("Wedding Wars"), the champions round begins as the master chefs compete in a blindfolded relay race; later, teams are challenged to cater a wedding out of mobile kitchens.

Channel Surfing: Michelle Forbes Gets Killing, Annie Wersching Talks 24 Consequences, Glee, Lost, Modern Family, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

From maenad to murder victim's parent: Former True Blood series regular Michelle Forbes has joined the cast of AMC drama pilot The Killing, along with Brent Sexton (In the Valley of Elah), Eric Ladin (Generation Kill), and Jamie Anne Allman (The Notebook). They join the previously announced Billy Campbell in the drama pilot, from Veena Sud and Mikkel Bondesen, which revolves around the police investigation into the murder of a young girl. Forbes and Sexton will play Mitch and Stanley, the girl's parents. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

If you haven't seen Monday's episode of 24, stop reading. TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams has an interview with 24's Annie Wersching, who discusses the aftermath of this week's surprising twist and what's next for her. "In not knowing each other for that long, they are very similar and understood each other in a lot of ways," said Wersching about the relationship between Renee and Jack Bauer. "No one truly understood what it is to exist as someone who has to do the things that Jack Bauer does. Renee is as close as he was going to get to finding someone that really got him, and vice versa... Poor Jack cannot get a break. As you can imagine, he wants to take care of every single person who was involved with this... I'm so sad that I died, but she's very much still there in these last episodes all the way up until the end. For the most part, he goes rogue and wants to do things that people don't want him to do. Of course, he's Jack Bauer, so he finds a way to do them." (TVGuide.com)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jessalyn Gilsig's Terri and Cory Monteith's Finn are getting a "major season-ending storyline" that won't involve them becoming enmeshed in a romantic relationship. (Whew.) "Finn gets a job at Sheets & Things," co-creator Ryan Murphy told Ausiello. "He is very down on himself, and Terri realizes that she was not very supportive of her husband and she sees a lot of him in Finn. She met Will at 16, so she sees a way to redemption…a way to redo that relationship in a positive way [by acting] almost as Finn’s guardian angel, his fairy godmother. She gives him proper moral advice." The storyline will continue into Glee's second season, which launches this fall. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

SPOILER! E! Online's Megan Masters talks to Lost star Jorge Garcia about this week's Hurley-centric episode of the ABC drama series and about the explosive death of Zuleikha Robinson's Ilana. "Don't hold your breath about too much more information about Ilana," Garcia told Masters. "You will see her again, but there's a lot of stuff to get to in the next six hours, so..." [Editor: I figured that we'd at least see Ilana again before The End but assumed that we'd get at least some information about her backstory, either via flashback or the divergent reality.] (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Fancast's Matt Webb Mitovich talks to Modern Family star Julie Bowen about iPads, Julianna and Clive, working with Sofia Vergara, and why she won't be returning to Lost for the final season. "I really wish that was true, but that’s just a rumor," said Bowen about filming Modern Family in Hawaii and sneaking off to shoot scenes for Lost. "I would have loved to have done more for Lost. I’m a huge fan of the show, I love doing the show..." (Fancast)

Boom: Michael Bay has teamed up with Magical Elves' Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth to develop reality series One Way Out, a reality-based action-adventure series that that "pits everyday people against one another in a competition that involves physical challenges as well as the PSYOPS of creating alliances and keeping their own 'secret pasts' hidden from other players," according to Variety's Cynthia Littleton. Project is being shopped to the networks this week. (Variety)

Former Scrubs star Sarah Chalke is in high demand this development season: after shooting ABC comedy pilot Freshman, Chalke has now been cast in a second pilot, CBS high-school comedy Team Spitz. Given her role in Freshman, Chalke's participation in Team Spitz, where she will guest star as a high school guidance counselor, is said to be in second position. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Cast change afoot at Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller's CBS comedy pilot Hitched, where Sara Fletcher (My Secret Girlfriend) has replaced Kristin Kreuk just before the table read for the pilot. "Kreuk starred on two drama series, including her star-making turn on Smallville, and she was wonderful in an arc on Schwartz's NBC dramedy Chuck this season but she has never done a half-hour sitcom and Hitched ultimately proved not a perfect fit for her," wrote Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva. (Deadline.com)

Tina Brown and Bill Haber have optioned Laura Lippman's novel "In a Strange City," which revolves around female investigative journalist Tess Monaghan (who becomes a gumshoe when her paper closes), with an eye to adapting the book as an ongoing television series. Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York) has been brought on to adapt Lippman's novel and the trio plan to shop the project to broadcast and cable networks for next year's development cycle. (Variety)

Carla Gugino (Watchmen) and Addison Timlin (Cashmere Mafia) have signed on to appear in multiple-episode story arcs next season on Showtime's Californication), where Gugino will play a love interest for David Duchovny's Hank and Timlin will play an actress who stars "in a film within the show," according to Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva. (Deadline.com)

Comedy Central has ordered ten episodes of comedy The Onion Sports Network, will offer a satirical look at the work of sports. Project, executive produced by Julie Smith and Will Graham, will premiere in first quarter 2011. (Variety)

Production has been shut down on A&E's Steven Seagal: Lawman by the Jefferson Parish Police Department, following news that the series' star has been accused of sex trafficking. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Color me intrigued: UK's Channel 4 is developing a female-oriented comedy with the creators of comedies Peep Show and Two Pints of Lager and a Bag of Chips. (Broadcast)

MyNetwork has shored up its fall primetime schedule, which will include off-network acquisitions of such series as Burn Notice, Monk, and Without a Trace. Returning to the schedule are Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, and Don't Forget the Lyrics! (Broadcasting & Cable)

VH1 has ordered eight episodes of reality series Football Wives, which will follow the lives of NFL spouses. Project, from Shed Media, is set to launch at the end of 2010. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

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.

Facing Fears: An Advance Review of Tonight's "Modern Family"

What are you terrified of? is it spiders? Heights? Rollercoasters? What is the one thing that gets your heart beating?

It's the question at the very center of tonight's sensational episode of Modern Family ("Fears"), written by Steven Levitan and directed by Reginald Hudlin, which revolves around the very diverse fears of the extended Pritchett clan as they each grapple with something holding them back.

I had the opportunity to watch "Fears" last weekend in at the packed Saban Theatre before Modern Family's panel at the 2010 William S. Paley Television Festival and have to say that it might just be the series' best installment to date, overflowing with humor, heart, and an exploration of the very universal fears we all have.

Narratively, "Fears" might just be the most ambitious episode of Modern Family we've seen so far, offering several plot strands that include Phil and Luke exploring the crawl space underneath the house, Manny not wanting to go to a party because of his fear of rollercoasters, Haley attempting to pass her drivers' test for the third time, Alex refusing to go to a school dance, and Cam and Mitchell inviting Lily's pediatrician over for brunch.

It's the latter story that's the most heartbreaking and hilarious as Cameron and Mitchell are shocked and depressed when Lily's first word ends up being "Mommy," causing them to doubt their parenting skills and creating the world's most awkward and uncomfortable brunch. There's a nice twist (two, actually) at the end of the storyline that put things into perspective and offer another novel approach to fear-based behavior.

Likewise, Phil is forced to face his own fears in this episode when he and Luke go treasure-hunting under the house. A seething ball of neuroses, Phil has admitted a deathly fear of clowns in the past but his phobias extend to spiders and other creepy-crawlies. Making his exploration of the crawl space extremely difficult, really. But this being Phil Dunphy, he comes up with his own innovative way of checking out just what's under the house, though he too must contend with an unexpected twist.

Look for Phil to make the ultimate sacrifice, Claire to offer possibly the most embarrassing example of dancing ever, Gloria to prove that she is a master manipulator (in more ways than one), and everyone to conquer their fears in one way or another.

I don't want to give too much away about this fantastic episode but I will say that in the deft hands of Levitan and the talented cast, this installment features some envelope-pushing humor that's definitely not of the PC-variety. And I wouldn't have it any other way. No other family comedy has excelled at fusing together the awkward and uncomfortable with the heartfelt and the bittersweet in quite the same way--or with the same level of success--as Modern Family has... and that's nothing to be afraid of.

Modern Family airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Channel Surfing: Dustin Hoffman Gambles on "Luck" for HBO, Julie Benz Suits Up for Superhero Pilot, "Modern Family" Vacation, "FlashForward," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey) will star in HBO's David Milch and Michael Mann-executive produced drama pilot Luck, which is set in the world of horseracing. Hoffman, will play the lead, Chester "Ace" Bernstein, described as "a man in his late 60s just released from four years in prison who's autodidactic, intelligent, and deeply involved in gambling." Hoffman is the latest cast addition to the high-profile drama pilot, following the attachments of Dennis Farina and John Ortiz last week. Project, being eyed for a potential January launch on the pay cabler, is written by David Milch and will be directed by Michael Mann, both of whom executive produce alongside Carolyn Strauss. (Variety)

Dexter's Julie Benz has signed on to star opposite Michael Chiklis in ABC superhero drama pilot No Ordinary Family, about a family that find themselves developing new abilities. In the project, written by Greg Berlanti and Jon Harmon Feldman and directed by David Semel, Benz will play Stephanie, the wife of Chiklis' police artist, described as "a gifted scientist who develops a power for superspeed." Also cast: Christina Chang (24), who will play a police officer who works at the same precinct as Jim (Chiklis). The casting follows that for Autumn Reeser and Romany Malco. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has details on Modern Family's upcoming Hawaiian vacation storyline, which finds the Pritchett clan heading to Maui to celebrate Jay's birthday. [Editor: I don't want to be spoiled about the episode, but if you're not that spoiler-averse, click through to read Keck's interviews with the cast about the episode.] (TV Guide Magazine)

Will ABC order another season of the ratings-starved sci-fi drama FlashForward, which dropped 43 percent of its viewers during its ten-episode run in the fall? According to Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice, the network's decision may come down to the fact that the series does do well overseas, particularly in the UK, Spain, and Italy. "ABC may not make a decision on FlashForward and V, which returns March 30, until right before its upfront presentation in New York this May," writes Rice. "Several ABC dramas, in fact, have yet to receive pickups for another season, though Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Brothers and Sisters are slam dunks. Comedies like Cougar Town, The Middle and Modern Family have already been picked up, while shows like Ugly Betty have already been cancelled. Long shots include Better Off Ted, The Deep End, Scrubs and The Forgotten." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Former American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee (who'll be seen next on Community) has been cast as one of the leads in NBC comedy pilot The Pink House, where she will play Emily, described as "a down-to-earth Midwest girl new to Manhattan Beach who lives in an apartment behind the guy's house and works as a pharmaceutical rep." Project revolves around two twenty-something Midwestern best friends who move to California and rent a house on the beach. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other pilot casting news, Jaime King (Gary Unmarried) and Mehcad Brooks (True Blood) have joined the cast of Noah Hawley's ABC drama pilot Generation Y, Fran Kranz (Dollhouse) has ben cast in NBC comedy pilot Friends With Benefits, Alexandra Breckenridge (The Ex List) will co-star in FOX comedy pilot Traffic Light, Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) and Bryce Johnson (Popular) have been added to the cast of FOX drama pilot Midland, and Peggy Lipton (Twin Peaks) and Escher Holloway (Choose Connor) have been cast in Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas' ABC dramedy pilot Cutthroat. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has a first look at Robert Englund's guest starring turn in the April 15th episode of FOX's Bones, where he will play Ray Buxley, the creepy janitor at Brennan's former high school. "He befriended Bones back when she was a wallflower in high school, and is still carrying a torch for her," Englund told Keck. "He doesn’t like Booth at all!" (TV Guide Magazine)

Elsewhere, The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a first-look video clip from this Friday's episode of Syfy's Caprica featuring James Marsters (Buffy, Torchwood) as Barnabas Greeley. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

David Morrissey (Doctor Who, State of Play), Natascha McElhone (Californication), Eddie Marsan (The 39 Steps), and Aidan Gillen (The Wire) have been cast in Sky1's six-part drama series thorne, based on the novels of Mark Billingham. Production is slated to begin today on thorne: sleepyhead, the first of six planned films that will air this autumn. Telepic will be directed by Stephen Hopkins (24) and is written by Silent Witness' Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton. (The satellite network has already commissioned the second, thorne: scaredy cat.) Morrissey will play DI Tom Thorne on the hunt for an elusive serial killer who has murdered three women and left a fourth with a condition called "locked in syndrome," where she is aware of everything around her but unable to move or speak. Morrissey, Marsan, and Gillen are set to reprise their roles in the second thorne film. (via press release)

ABC has unveiled the newest competitors for Dancing with the Stars, which launches Monday, March 22nd. Competing this season: Buzz Aldrin, Pamela Anderson, Erin Andrews, Shannen Doherty, Kate Gosselin, Evan Lysacek, Niecy Nash, Chad Ochocinco, Jake Pavelka, Nicole Scherzinger, and Aiden Turner. (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Julianne Moore is will reprise her role as twin Frannie and Sabrina Hughes on CBS' As the World Turns, which is ending its 54-year run in September. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Starz has acquired event mini-series The Pillars of the Earth, based on Ken Follett's novel about the construction of a 12th century cathedral in England that's beset by war, religious strife, and power grabs. Project, produced by German company Tandem Communications, will air on the pay cabler in July and will launch with a two-hour premiere, followed by six hourly installments. (Variety)

ABC has announced the new Bachelorette and, like many viewers surmised, has selected Ali Fedotowsky, who left this season's Bachelor in order to return to the work. "I am so excited!" Fedotowsky told host Chris Harrison. "I am so thrilled and honored and grateful, I just can't believe it! I'm just really grateful. I'm shaking so bad." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Could Cablevision subscribers in New York be cut off from the Academy Awards? Looks like it, thanks to a retransmission feud that turned ugly between Disney and Cablevision. "With the help of our viewers, we’ve built ABC7 into the most watched station in the country, and have been trying for two years to get Cablevision to acknowledge the station’s value to their business," said Rebecca S. Campbell, President & General Manager, WABC-TV, in a statement. "Despite our best efforts, it has now become clear that Cablevision has no intention of coming to a fair agreement. We can no longer sit back and allow Cablevision to use our shows for free while they continue to charge their customers for them. We’ve worked too hard and invested too many millions of dollars in programming and community outreach, to be taken advantage of any longer – especially since our viewers can watch their favorite ABC7 shows free, over-the-air, or by switching to one of Cablevision’s competitors." (via press release)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams is reporting that Matt Frewer (Eureka) has been cast on the CW's Supernatural, where he will play Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. "Our first brush with him in Episode 520 seems relatively innocuous and then unfolds into something more substantial," Supernatural executive producer Sera Gamble told Abrams. "Put it to you this way: Horsemen on our show tend to think several moves ahead." (TVGuide.com)

TV Land has ordered ten episodes of comedy Hot in Cleveland, starring Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, and Jane Leeves as three women traveling to Paris who end up living together in Cleveland. (Betty White, meanwhile, will appear in the pilot episode.) Project, created by Suzanne Martin, will launch in June. (Variety)

E! has ordered a second season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians spin-off Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, with ten episodes on tap for this summer. (Hollywood Reporter)

TLC has opted not to renew its deal for the Miss America Pageant, leaving the event without a broadcast home. "We are happy that TLC was part of the modernization and revitalization of the Miss America pageant," said TLC management in a statement. "This year we delivered record ratings, besting any of its prior performances on cable. However, our three-year deal has concluded, and we have chosen not to renew. We wish the Miss America Organization well." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Paley Festival: "Modern Family" Cast and Crew Faces Fears, Offers Laughs

I've been raving about Modern Family since I first saw the pilot episode last May, but there's something to be said about watching a truly great comedy with a crowd. Especially when that crowd is 1,600 in number.

Friday night's Modern Family panel, part of the 2010 Paley Festival and the annual television festival's opening event, offered one hell of an evening, due to the genial charms of the ABC comedy series' cast, co-creator Steve Levitan, and director Jason Winer.

Throw in the advance screening of an upcoming episode, this Wednesday's "Fears," (perhaps one of the most hysterical and amazing installments of the series to date) and even Clive Bixby would be proud of this evening.

Joining moderator Billy Bush on stage were cast members Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Ty Burrell, and Julie Bowen, as well as director Jason Winer and co-creator Steve Levitan. (Sadly, no Christopher Lloyd--who pled a fear of crowds--nor the amazing Rico Rodriguez, who plays Manny.)

I had very low expectations about Bush hosting the event so perhaps that led to the feeling that he wasn't quite as bad as I thought he would be as a moderator. I'm still scratching my head as to why the folks at the Paley Center thought that Access Hollywood's Billy Bush would be a suitable moderator for their opening event and, though he purports to be a huge fan of Modern Family, Bush spent most of the evening quoting other journalists and parroting their observations rather than making any of his own.

Having said that, his moderation wasn't as much of a trainwreck as I had feared (there have, after all, been far worse moderators over the years) and Bush kept things affably warm and kept the pace moving along briskly. I'd sincerely hope that the Paley Festival organizers think more outside the television personality box next time around but, all things considered, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had envisioned. (Nor the rest of the audience apparently, though an audible groan went out through the crowd when Bush was introduced.)

As for "Fears," it's a brilliant gem of an episode and one that will win the favor of Modern Family's devoted army of fans, possibly becoming one of the series' funniest and winsome episodes to date. (You can look for a full review of the episode later this week.)

It's clear that this is a tight-knit group. Not in the way that some casts are--playing practical jokes on each other, etc.--but rather as a lovey-dovey family, one that only comes together every now and then for table reads, given that most of the series' storylines keep the cast separated for the most part.

Nearly everyone loves to imitate Sofia Vergara's Colombian accent. Ed O'Neill, I have to say, does the best rendition, as he teased Sofia for her confession that she always knew she was beautiful. (Julie Bowen also adorably offered a Sofia rendition as well.)

Another fantastically funny bit from the evening: Eric Stonestreet demonstrating his transformation from his privates-scratching self into the serenely gliding Cameron. Cameron, as we've heard in the past, is partially based on Stonestreet's mother as the heterosexual Stonestreet didn't want to play Cam as stereotypically over-the-top or flamboyant. ("I'm appreciative of all my fans, no matter how much hair they have on their back or their chests," said Stonestreet.)

"Basically, we were just looking not to get kicked off the lot," said Levitan about the impetus for creating Modern Family with co-creator Chris Lloyd. "[We] would come in the morning and just look at each other for a while and then started telling stories about what was happening in our lives. I think it started from the pure place of there were a lot of good things happening in our lives right now, a lot of interesting stories every day [and we thought], 'why don't we just write about that?' I think when you start from a place like that, real and honest, good things tend to happen."

Many of the series' storylines come from events that have actually happened to the cast and the writing staff or their family and friends. One of Modern Family's most memorable and hysterical moments--the so-called "moon landing" experienced by Stonestreet's Cam and O'Neill's Jay--was inspired by an actual occurrence of the phenomenon by writer Bill Wrubel. Barkley, Jay's dog butler statue, was also based on a real story as was Claire's inability to work the entertainment center remote control, a point of major contention in the Levitan household, apparently.

Levitan also revealed that such similarities to life extend all the way back to the pilot. He introduced his son--whom he shot with a BB gun--and his daughter, whose room he walked into wearing his underwear while she was on a video chat. Lloyd's son Owen, meanwhile, owns a burgundy dinner jacket, just like Manny's.

While the cast and crew were tight-lipped about what's coming up on the series, Julie Bowen did tease that an upcoming episode will find Claire in an all-out brawl with a mall security guard, a sequence that was shot at Los Angeles outdoor shopping center, The Grove. And we did learn, definitively, that Fred Willard will be back later this season to reprise his role as Phil's father.

And, allegedly, we will see Mitchell and Cameron be more physically intimate with each other as the series progresses. "Chris and Steve have an arc to this show," said Stonestreet. "You're going to see everything you can ever imagine for Cam and Mitchell. We're going to have sex." (That last bit, obviously, is not entirely true.)

While the series has become known for its guest star, Levitan, Lloyd, and director Winer want to keep the focus on the cast rather than the celebrities who happen to be dropping in. Winer said that otherwise you would have to take away screen time from one of the series' talented ensemble and you wouldn't have the chance to discover new acting talent, such as the guy who played the Skinny Santa in the series' Christmas episode.

And Modern Family fans seem to be coming out of the woodwork. Levitan recounted a story in which a friend of his went to an event in Washington D.C. and saw a man wearing a Clive Bixby name tag. (HA!) Burrell said that a homeless man in Central Park stopped playing a two-stringed fiddle to say that "Not since Frasier has a show come on the air so completely confident about its tone as Modern Family."

Prompted by a question from an audience member about the series' mockumentary structure, Levitan clarified the series' documentary/mockumentary format again.

"Modern Family is a family show told documentary-style, rather than a show that is pretending to be a real documentary," said Levitan. "The simple reason is that I love these characters. I'm very protective of these characters and, if these characters allowed cameras into their homes and into their children's rooms and into their bathroom, I wouldn't like them."

"It's just a way of telling a story that has a little grit and edge," he continued. "The documentary form... allows you to cut to the chase in such a nice way. They have a pacing that gets through the exposition. So that's the main reason we do it."

However, Burrell offered another take on the series' documentary structure, via a theory that his wife came up with. She believes that the camera is in fact the audience. The result is that the viewer takes the part of an unseen member of the family, privy to their thoughts and confessions. After all, it's only the series' central family members who turn to, notice, or interact with the unseen camera.

It's a theory that I would like to agree with. After all, who wouldn't want to be a part of the extended Pritchett clan?

Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Channel Surfing: Justin Kirk Gets "Modern Family," "Top Chef Masters," Leslie Hope Returns to "The Mentalist," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday television briefing.

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Weeds' Justin Kirk has landed a guest starring role on ABC's Modern Family but says that there is potential that he could recur later this season or next. Kirk will play Lee Keizler, the "gung-ho and athletic boss" of Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Mitchell, who quits his stressful law job to become legal counsel for clothing line owned by Kirk's Lee. (TV Guide Magazine)

Bravo has unveiled the 22 master chefs who will be competing for the top prize on Season Two of Top Chef Masters, which is set to premiere on Wednesday, April 7th. Those chefs include: Jody Adams, Govind Armstrong, Graham Elliot Bowles, Jimmy Bradley, David Burkey, Wylie Dufresne, Susan Feniger, Debbie Gold, Carmen Gonzalez, Maria Hines, Susur Lee, Ludo Lefebvre, Tony Mantuano, Rick Moonen, Mark Peel, Monica Pope, Thierry Rautureau, Marcus Samuelsson, Ana Sortun, Rick Tramonto, Jerry Traunfeld, and Jonathan Waxman. [Editor: it's immediately noticeable that there are more female chefs competing this season and that there are some familiar faces--Mark Peel, Ludo, Wylie, and others--are set to return to compete once more.] (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Leslie Hope is set to return to CBS' The Mentalist for the final two episodes of the season. Hope will reprise her role as psychic Kristina, last seen during The Mentalist's first season. "Jane tries to prove once and for all that she is a charlatan," executive producer Bruno Heller told Ausiello. "At the same time, [he finds] himself strangely attracted to her." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting alert: Andrea Anders (Better Off Ted) has been cast opposite Matthew Perry in ABC comedy pilot Mr. Sunshine. (Also cast: Nate Torrence.) Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) has landed a role in Jerry Bruckheimer's NBC drama pilot Chase; Matt Jones (Breaking Bad) will star opposite Gary Cole in TBS comedy pilot Uncle Nigel; and Eamonn Walker (Kings) has been added to the cast of ABC drama pilot The Whole Truth. (Hollywood Reporter)

Frank Grillo (Prison Break), Luke Mably (The Prince and Me), Janina Gavankar (The L Word), and Chandra West (90210) have been cast in ABC's supernatural crime drama series The Gates, about the residents of a gated community, all of whom have their secrets. Series, from Fox Television Studios and writer/executive producers Richard Hatem and Grant Scharbo, is being eyed for a summer launch. Pilot will be directed by Terry McDonough. Grillo will play a cop from the city who lands a gig as chief of police in this seemingly idyllic community; Mably will play a cardiologist who is also a "vampire-like creature"; West will play the owner of a local tea shop; Gavankar will play a local cop with a secret. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has ordered a second season of reality dating series Dating in the Dark and has slated six episodes of the Endemol USA-produced series to air this summer. (Variety)

TBS gave out two cast-contingent pilot orders yesterday. Comedies In Security, from writers/executive producers Pete Segal and Ric Swartzlander, about "two sisters who head up a private-security team protecting the super elite while dealing with personal and family issues," and Franklin & Bash, from Kevin Falls and Bill Chais and Sony Pictures Television, about "two street lawyers and lifelong friends who, after taking down a white-shoe law firm in a high-profile case, are recruited by the firm's patriarch." (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC is said to be close to giving a pilot order to an untitled single-camera comedy from Mad About You creator Paul Reiser and studio Warner Bros. Television about a group of male friends. Reiser has written the pilot script on spec as well as scripts for subsequent episodes. (Variety)

Leverage star Gina Bellman would jump at the chance to work with Doctor Who head writer Steven Moffat, if she had the chance. "I think there was a petition online to get me involved in Doctor Who," Bellman told Digital Spy. "I'm not a Doctor Who fanatic but I am a Steven Moffat fanatic. I've worked with him on Jekyll and Coupling so if he was to write anything for me - not just Doctor Who - I'd drop everything to go and do that." (Digital Spy)

Comic book guru Stan Lee has teamed up with Archie Comics and A Squared Entertainment for series Super Seven, about "seven aliens who find themselves stranded on planet Earth after their spaceship crashes, only to be befriended by none other than Lee himself. Taking them under his care, Lee becomes their leader and enables them to resume their lives as superheroes on Earth." Series, produced by Lee's POW! Entertainment, is being looked at for a fall launch. (The Wrap)

TLC has renewed reality series One Big Happy Family for a second season, with twelve episodes set to air in June. (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Five of reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels is set to launch on A&E on Sunday, March 21st at 9 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Maria Bello Finds "Emergency Sex" for HBO, NBC Gets "The Cape" and "Outsourced," Leno on Oprah, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Maria Bello, Simon Beaufoy, and Russell Crowe have teamed up to develop HBO drama project Emergency Sex, based on Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson's nonfiction book "Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story From Hell on Earth," about "the larger-than-life exploits of expatriate nongovernment-organization workers who find their sanity tested in the face of atrocities, loneliness and primal desires." Bello (A History of Violence) will star in the project, which is being adapted by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire), who will executive produce with Bellow, Russell Crowe, and John Carrabino. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has handed out pilot orders to two projects, both hailing from Universal Media Studios. One-hour drama The Cape, from writer Thomas Wheeler (Empire) and BermanBraun, revolves around an ex-cop in Los Angeles who is framed and sets out to become a masked vigilante in order to clear his name and reunite with his son. NBC also picked up single-camera comedy Outsourced, based on the indie film about about a demoted middle manager who is sent to India to manage a call center. Robert Borden (The Drew Carey Show) will write the pilot script and Ken Kwapis (The Office) is still attached to direct and executive produce alongside Tom Gorai and David Skinner. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a fantastic feature on Jay Leno's appearance yesterday on The Oprah Winfrey Show. "How can you do the right thing and just have it go so wrong? 'Maybe I'm not doing the right thing,' I would think," Leno told Winfrey. "Maybe I'm doing something wrong. This many people are angry and upset over a television show. ...My show got canceled. They weren't happy with the other guy's show. They said, 'We want you to go back,' and I said, 'OK.' And this seemed to make a lot of people really upset. And I go, 'Well, who wouldn't take that job though? Who wouldn't do that?'" (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Score yet another job for Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother). The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that Harris will travel to London later this year to tape a pilot for a US adaptation of British game show The Cube for CBS. Once executives view the pilot, CBS will decide whether to order the project to series. News comes after FOX abandoned its plans to adapt the unscripted format for US broadcast audiences in December. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Leonard Roberts (Heroes) has been cast in the two-part episode of ABC's Castle that will feature Desperate Housewives' Dana Delany. Roberts will play Delany's federal agent partner on the two-parter, the first half of which is scheduled to air March 21st on a special night. In other Castle-related news, ABC ordered two additional episodes of the crime procedural, bumping its episodic total this season to 24 installments. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FX has ordered a pilot presentation for comedy Sweat Shop, about a pair of step-siblings who run a gym in a Scottsdale, Arizona strip mall. Project, from creator/star Pell James, director Jonas Pate, and fellow executive producers Thomas Moffett and Braxton Pope, hails from FX Prods. and Lionsgate Television. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert!Tony Hale (Chuck) Matt Letscher (Eli Stone) will star opposite Danny Wallace in ABC hybrid comedy pilot Awkward Situations for Men, about an Englishman who moves to the US with his wife and discovers that his "everyday behavior clashes with American values and gets him into trouble." Hale will play Will, Danny's first American friend, while Letscher will play the boss at a Jamba Juice-type eatery. Elsewhere, John Michael Hill has landed a role on ABC drama pilot 187 Detroit, where he'll play a rookie homicide cop whose wife is expecting a child. British actor Matt Ryan (The Tudors) is said to be in talks about joining the cast of CBS' untitled Criminal Minds spinoff. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other casting news, many actors of cancelled or on-the-bubble series are said to be in particular demand this pilot season. The cast of Ugly Betty--including Eric Mabius, Becki Newton, Vanessa Williams, Michael Urie, and Ana Ortiz--have been inundated with pilot offers. Additionally, the casts of Lost, Nip/Tuck, Better Off Ted, Scrubs, Dollhouse, 24, and Three Rivers are said to be in demand. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that an upcoming episode of ABC comedy Modern Family will focus on the real-life fears of the child actors that portray the extended Pritchett clan's kids. (TV Guide Magazine)

Variety's Stuart Levine is reporting that NBC will offer a two-hour episode of The Biggest Loser on Tuesday which will go head-to-head with the sixth season premiere of ABC's Lost. "Move pits one of NBC's highest-rated shows against a Lost premiere that has been anticipated for months," writes Levine. "By having the second half of Biggest Loser from 10-11 p.m., net is extending an olive branch to the affiliates who have taken a beating since The Jay Leno Show has been on the air and were instrumental in having scripted programming return at 10 o'clock." (Variety)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to Smallville's Justin Hartley about a potential relationship between his Oliver and Allison Mack's Chloe. "Yeah, I think that's in the works," said Hartley about a Oliver-Chloe romance. "I don't know how long it will last or how far they're going to go with it because we haven't shot that much yet, but that's what's going on right now." But don't count out Cassidy Freeman's Tess, either. "She threw a knife at me the other day, so yeah, we're going to be working together," said Hartley. "I think I pissed her off again, so that's always fun. I don't know if they're going to be involved anymore. I would say no, but then at the same time who knows what Oliver's going to do? He's a dirty bird." (TVGuide.com)

SPOILER!Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has some details about what the series finale of ABC's Ugly Betty, slated to air in May, will contain. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

VH1 has ordered several series that represent an expansion of their brand. Net ordered eight episodes of reality makeover series Transform Me, in which four transgender women help a woman remake herself from her clothes to her outlook on life. Series, from Left/Right Inc., will launch on March 15th. VH1 ordered seven episodes of Famous Crime Scenes, which will delve into the well-publicized deaths of celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Selena beginning February 12th. The cabler also ordered a week-long strip of primetime specials entitled Undateable, which will explore what guys shouldn't do when dating, from the woman's perspective. It's set to air the week of April 19th. Finally, the cabler acquired MTV Canada reality series Peak Season: Vancouver, following the lives of Whistler ski resort bunnies and workers, which it will debut on February 14th. (Variety)

TBS has given a cast-contingent pilot order to one-hour comedy Glory Daze, about the the 1980s pledges at a Wisconsin college fraternity. Project, from executive producer Walt Becker (Wild Hogs), is written by Becker and Michael LeSieur (You, Me and Dupree); Becker is also attached to direct, should the project officially go ahead to pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

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).

Lights Off, Hair Up: Judy Greer Heads to "Modern Family"

As if Modern Family hasn't already had a deft hand with their guest casting, the producers have outdone themselves with the addition of former Arrested Development co-star Judy Greer.

Greer, who is currently lending her voice to FX's animated comedy Archer and will forever be Kitty Sanchez to me, is set to guest star on ABC's Modern Family later this season, according to TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck.

"Judy will pop up on an upcoming episode as Denise, an ex-girlfriend of family man Phil (Ty Burrell) who reconnects with him on Facebook," writes Keck. "Though Claire (Julie Bowen) feels Denise's approach was a bit inappropriate, the ex is still invited over for dinner to meet the Dunphys."

And, most likely, hijinx ensue.

What do you think of the casting? Will Greer make an admirable if short-lived addition to the Modern Family cast? Discuss.

ABC Renews "Modern Family," "The Middle," and "Cougar Town"

Breaking from TCA Winter Press Tour:

Stephen McPherson, ABC Entertainment Group President, has announced the second season renewals for Modern Family, The Middle, and Cougar Town. McPherson also indicated that each of the series would air more than the traditional 22 episodes this season.

The full press release from ABC announcing the pickups can be found below.

ABC ANNOUNCES EARLY PICK-UPS OF HIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT COMEDIES
“COUGAR TOWN,” “THE MIDDLE” AND “MODERN FAMILY” FOR THE 2010-2011 SEASON

Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment Group, announced early pick-ups of hit Wednesday night comedies “Cougar Town,” “The Middle” and “Modern Family” for the 2010-2011 Season today at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.

“Cougar Town” (Wednesdays from 9:30-10:00 p.m., ET)

Courteney Cox, who was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for her role on the show, stars as Jules, a newly divorced single mother exploring the honest truths about dating and aging in our beauty and youth obsessed culture. While most women in their twenties go through life experiencing the challenges and often humorous pitfalls of meeting men, Jules took on the responsibilities of marriage and raising a son. Now in her forties, she embarks on a journey to self-discovery.

The second-most-watched new comedy on television this season, behind only “Modern Family,” ABC’s “Cougar Town” ranks No. 2 on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. in Adults, Men and Women 18-34. The freshman comedy is also improving the time period year to year for ABC by wide margins across the key Men demos: M18-34 +50%, M18-49 +63% and M25-54 +43%. On its most-recent telecast (1/6/10), “Cougar Town” marked its highest viewer and young adult numbers in nearly 2 months – since 10/14/09.

“Cougar Town” stars Courteney Cox as Jules, Christa Miller as Ellie, Busy Philipps as Laurie, Dan Byrd as Travis, Josh Hopkins as Grayson, Ian Gomez as Andy and Brian Van Holt as Bobby.

Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Spin City”) serves as executive producer/writer/director, Kevin Biegel (“Scrubs”) as executive producer/writer, and Courteney Cox and David Arquette are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Studios.

“The Middle” (Wednesdays from 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET)

Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations.

Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero — not unless you count getting her kids out the door for school every morning as a superfeat. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact. Frankie has a job selling cars at the town’s only surviving car dealer, while her husband, Mike, is a manager at the local quarry. In between juggling shifts and picking up fast food dinners eaten in front of the TV, Frankie and Mike raise their kids with love and solid Midwestern practicality.

Building on its lead-in Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. among viewers and young adults, “The Middle” is delivering solid year-to-year improvement to the time period for ABC. On average, “The Middle” is boosting ABC’s numbers in the half-hour over the same point last season by +1.2 million viewers and by +5% in Adults 18-49. On its most-recent telecast (1/6/10), “The Middle” hit series highs in key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54), Men 18-49 and across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).

“The Middle” stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob.

Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline are the creators and executive producers of “The Middle,” which is a production of Warner Bros. Television.

“Modern Family” (Wednesdays from 9:00-9:30 p.m., ET)

Today’s American families come in all shapes and sizes. The cookie cutter mold of man + wife + 2.5 kids is a thing of the past, as it becomes quickly apparent in the bird’s eye view of ABC’s half-hour comedy, “Modern Family,” which takes an honest and often hilarious look at the composition and complexity of family life today.

TV’s most-watched new comedy overall this season, ABC’s “Modern Family” is a strong competitor on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. The ABC freshman comedy is a solid second in its half-hour to CBS’ veteran “Criminal Minds” in viewers and young adults, while ranking No. 1 with key Men (M18-34/M18-49). On its most-recent airing (1/6/10), “Modern Family” posted best-since-debut numbers in viewers and young adults, while hitting series-high ratings with key Men (M18-49/M25-54).

In its first season, “Modern Family” has already been honored with some of the industry’s most prestigious award nominations. Thus far the show has been nominated for a Golden Globe, Writers Guild, Directors Guild and Art Directors Guild awards, and the cast has received a SAG nomination for their performance. The series was also recognized by the AFI as one of the top 10 TV programs of 2010.

“Modern Family” stars Ed O’Neill as Jay, Julie Bowen as Claire, Ty Burrell as Phil, Sofía Vergara as Gloria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Nolan Gould as Luke, Ariel Winter as Alex and Rico Rodriguez as Manny.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television in association with Levitan Lloyd Productions. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd are executive producers/creators. Jason Winer is co-executive producer.

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.

AFI Announces Their Official Selections for TV Programs of the Year

Yesterday, American Film Institute announced their official selections for the programs of the year for 2009.

I'm happy that the esteemed board--which included The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan, TV Guide Magazine's Matt Roush, Variety's Brian Lowry, actor CCH Pounder (The Shield), and writer/producer David Milch (Deadwood)--chose to recognize several series that don't get nearly as much love from critics and audiences as they should.

Along with noteworthy freshman series like Modern Family and Glee (both of which I expected would end up on the list) and the always sterling Mad Men, the panel selected such unexpected entries like HBO's lyrical mystery series No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Starz's breakout ensemble comedy Party Down, HBO's groundbreaking (and sadly often overlooked) drama series Big Love (which had its best season yet earlier this year), saved-from-cancellation drama Friday Night Lights, and Showtime's sensational medical-based dark comedy Nurse Jackie.

HBO, not unexpectedly, walked away with a number of programs on the official selections list, landing three spots for Big Love, True Blood, and No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.

The full list of AFI's official TV selections can be found below.

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR-OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
BIG LOVE (HBO)
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (NBC/DirecTV)
GLEE (FOX)
MAD MEN (AMC)
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY (HBO)
NURSE JACKIE (Showtime)
PARTY DOWN (Starz)
TRUE BLOOD (HBO)

What do you think of AFI's official selections for 2009? Are there other series that you would have rather seen make the list? Or ones that did that have definitely earned their spots? (Personally, I'd have substituted The Big Bang Theory presence here for NBC's Parks and Recreation.) Discuss.

Undeck the Halls, Indeed: "Modern Family" Christmas Episode Hits Its Mark

Most Christmas specials have some sort of lesson to impart to their viewers, whether that's Rudolph accepting who is he (light-up red nose and all) or Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang learning the true (non-commercialized) meaning of Christmas.

It's rare for me to add something to my yearly rotation of Christmas specials, but every now and then something new (2008's Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special) manages to become a new tradition.

Traditions and lessons were the main thrust of last night's phenomenal episode of ABC's Modern Family ("Undeck the Halls"), written by Dan O'Shannon and directed by Randall Einhorn, which has made the leap onto my yearly holiday special rotation after a fantastic installment that threaded together three separate storylines into one perfect portrait about the blessings and curses of the holiday season.

As Jay struggles to recreate his family's Christmas traditions and encounters resistance from Gloria and Manny (who want to continue their own Colombian holiday traditions), Phil and Claire threaten to cancel Christmas altogether unless the kids come clean about who left a burn mark on the couch and Mitchell and Cameron invite the mall Santa they got fired to have dinner at their house. (And, oh, Cameron has to learn to forgive the members of the The Greensleevers, the caroling group that booted him from their roster. And we get a peek at Phil's dad, here played via iChat by the great Fred Willard.)

In typical Modern Family fashion, there's heart and humor in a winning package. Jay learns to accept that his new family might not want to continue the traditions he enjoyed with his old family (and might have some new ones of their own to impart). Manny reveals that all he wants for Christmas is a burgundy dinner jacket. Cameron learns about the joy of forgiveness (and about sucker punches when the recipient of said forgiveness is naughty rather than nice). Phil and Claire learn that their kids aren't so bad--Alex takes the fall for the burn mark even though it wasn't her fault--and that they shouldn't be so quick to make huge proclamations. (Or Claire does, anyway. Phil promises a trip to Italy for the whole family.)

Of course, they all come together for a heartfelt meal on Christmas Day, which includes their family's traditional fare as well as some buñelos, courtesy of Gloria and Manny. Pajamas donned on Christmas morning, food consumed with family, and the spirit of the holiday season warmly ensconced in the hearts of each of the members of Pritchett clan, "Undeck the Halls" was a modern-day Christmas classic, one that I'll be watching again and again in years to come.

It's a story about lessons learned, families united, and new traditions emerging out of old ones and it all coalesces into a perfect (snow) storm of holiday spirit. Thanks for creating a new tradition of my own, Modern Family. See you again next year.

Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

The Daily Beast: "TV Report Card"

With the holiday break just around the corner, it's the perfect time to take note of what's worked so far this television season and what hasn't.

Over at The Daily Beast, I have a new article entitled "TV Report Card," in which I take a look at the 30 new (and somewhat newish) series that have premiered so far during the 2009-10 season, breaking them down into winners, losers, and draws as I investigate just why and how they work (or don't).

Everything from Modern Family and NCIS: Los Angeles to Castle, Sons of Anarchy, V, and FlashForward (and even bottom of the barrel entries Hank and Brothers) get discussed in-depth.

What's clicked for you this season? What series didn't disappear fast enough? And which are you still on the fence about? Head over to the comments section to share your thoughts about the season so far.

Channel Surfing: Jason Lee Mired in "Delta Blues," Fred Willard Drops By "Modern Family," Gretchen Mol Strolls on HBO's "Boardwalk," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Jason Lee (My Name is Earl) has been cast as the lead in TNT drama pilot Delta Blues, where he will play Dwight Hendricks, a Memphis cop who moonlights as an Elvis impersonator and lives with his mother. Pilot, from Warner Horizon and Smokehouse Pictures, is written by Liz M. Garcia and Joshua Harto and will be directed by Clark Johnson, who will executive produce with George Clooney and Grant Heslov. (Hollywood Reporter)

Proving that the series' casting directors have inherited the comedy casting mantle from Arrested Development and 30 Rock, Fred Willard (Back to You) has signed on to guest star on an upcoming episode of ABC's Modern Family, where he will play the father to Ty Burrell's Phil. [Editor: look for Willard to turn up, oh, before the end of the calendar year.] (Fancast)

Gretchen Mol (Life on Mars) has joined the cast of HBO's upcoming period drama Boardwalk Empire in the recurring role of Gillian, a showgirl in 1920s Prohibition-era Atlantic City. Elsewhere, Sarah Burns (I Love You, Man) will star opposite Laura Dern in HBO's untitled Mike White comedy pilot, where she will play a workplace friend to Dern's Amy, described as "a self-destructive woman who has a spiritual awakening and becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work." (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting alert: Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) will star opposite Radha Mitchell in A&E drama pilot The Quickening, where he will play a homicide detective who was married to Mitchell's bipolar detective Maggie Bird. Elsewhere, Ethan Embry (Vacancy) has joined the cast of USA legal drama pilot Facing Kate, where he will play the brother to Sarah Shahi's Kate who gave up a promising legal career to be a stay-at-home dad. (Hollywood Reporter)

Will Arnett will guest star on NBC's Parks and Recreation later this season. (Televisionary)

Syfy has quietly announced that it will air direct-to-DVD film Battlestar Galactica: The Plan on Sunday, January 10th at 9 pm ET/PT. And the cabler has confirmed that Caprica will be airing in the Friday at 9 pm ET/PT timeslot, followed by repeats of Warehouse 13 at 10 pm. (Futon Critic)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that, unless the series sees a ratings spike by the spring, it seems likely that this will be the last season for ABC's Ugly Betty. Citing an unnamed mole within the production, Dos Santos writes, "The writers have accepted that this season may be the last and are brainstorming endings now, just in case. The big question is: Who will Betty end up with? The writers room is deeply divided." Those three candidates include Freddy Rodriguez's Gio, Eric Mabius' Daniel, or Chris Gorham's Henry. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Daniel Radcliffe will lend his voice to The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror XXI, where he will play Edmund, a child vampire that Lisa falls in love with in a parody of the Twilight franchise. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is reporting that four former cast members of Melrose Place will reunite later this season on the CW revival series, with Heather Locklear, Josie Bissett, Daphne Zuniga, and Thomas Calabro set to appear in a scene together at the iconic apartment complex. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ITV has announced the cast for the latest adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot, once again starring David Suchet as the titular Belgian detective. Joining him in the adaptation of Christie's Murder on the Orient Express will be Dame Eileen Atkins, Barbara Hershey, Hugh Bonneville, and Samuel West. No airdate has been given for the telepic, but it will follow the four upcoming Poirot films Appointment with Death, The Clocks, Three Act Tragedy, and Hallowe'en Party. (BBC News)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that the two-part Justice Society storyline on the CW's Smallville has now been combined into a seamless two-hour event movie entitled Smallville: Absolute Justice, which will air on February 5th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CTV has renewed supernatural drama The Listener for a second season, despite the Canadian series' cancellation at NBC. Series, produced by Shaftesbury Films, will air in Canada on CTV and Spaced and internationally on Fox International Channels but currently has no US outlet. (Variety)

Jeri Ryan (Leverage) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace) have been cast in Lifetime Movie Networks horror telepic Secrets in the Walls, about a woman who discovers that her dream house in the suburbs is haunted. (Variety)

Graham King has launched a television division of his GK films shingle and hired former Lionsgate TV international executive Craig Cegielski as president of the new GK-TV division, which will "focus on programming with strong international appeal in an effort to capitalize on the growing appetite at U.S. nets for international co-production and co-financing deals." [Editor: Congrats, Craig!] (Variety)

The Wendy Williams Show has been renewed for two more seasons on Fox TV stations, keeping the syndicated talker on the air through the 2011-12 season. (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV has acquired domestic television rights to the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It, following a deal with Sony Pictures Television under which the cabler and its channel siblings will be able to air the film in 2011 in a six-year window. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Minnie Driver to "Modern Family," Jeffrey Tambor Opposite David Tennant in "Rex," ABC Circling "Charlie's Angels," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Minnie Driver (The Riches) has landed a plum guest role on ABC comedy Modern Family, where she will play "a friend and former co-worker of Claire’s (Julie Bowen). The two reconnect after years of being out of touch and things are not exactly how they remembered." Driver's episode is slated to air in January. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) will star opposite David Tennant in NBC's legal dramedy Rex is Not Your Lawyer, where he will play the psychiatrist of the panic attack-prone titular lawyer (Tennant) who is described as "a specialist in anxiety disorders who himself suffers from them and who also becomes romantically involved with Rex's mother." David Semel will direct the pilot, written by Andrew Leeds and David Lampson. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC is said to be close to handing out a pilot order to a contemporary remake of Charlie's Angels, with Josh Friedman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) attached to write and executive produce the new project, which hails from Sony Pictures Television. Also attached to executive produce: Leonard Goldberg, Drew Barrymore, and Nancy Juvonen. (Variety)

Syfy has quietly cut back the episodic order of Battlestar Galactica prequel series Caprica by one episode, bringing the total to 19 installments. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

ABC has given a script order to a comedy pilot based on Howard J. Morris and Jenny Lee's book "Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid," which will focus on a couple with the failed marriage behind them who are looking to make it work the second time around. Morris and Lee will adapt their own book, with Morris and Elliot Webb attached as executive producers. (Variety)

Maggie Friedman, the executive producer of the newly cancelled supernatural drama Eastwick, has clarified remarks that she made to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello about being "furious" about the axe falling on her series. "The other day, when we were discussing the cancellation of Eastwick, I misspoke in the worst possible way," wrote Friedman. "The word 'furious' was poorly chosen by me. You had said to me that 'the fans are understandably furious' and so I agreed that I was too, but the truth is, I’m not. I see that word now in print attributed to me and it’s very painful, because it seems to imply I am angry with ABC and nothing could be further from the truth. They treated me really well. I am not the least bit furious, with anyone. That’s simply not the kind of person I am. Yes, I’m sad about the show being cancelled, because it was creatively fulfilling and tons of fun to make and an amazing group of people, but I’m not angry." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

SPOILER! E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos and Megan Masters are reporting that there's going to be a rather revealing love scene between outbound Melrose Place stars Colin Egglesfield and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz coming on the nighttime soap before the duo depart the series. "Things get pretty violent and kind of crazy," Egglesfield told E! Online. "Auggie ends up hitting the bottle and falls off the deep end a little bit." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

The CW is developing medical drama series HMS, about a group of promising medical students at Harvard Medical School which is being described as a younger Grey's Anatomy. Project, from Warner Bros. Television is written and executive produced by Amy Holden Jones (Mystic Pizza) and co-executive produced by Heroes star Hayden Panettiere. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

The Great Comedy Debate: The Five Best Comedies on Television (Right Now)

Over on Twitter, there's been a great debate waged over the last few days about what the best comedies currently on television are, a subjective discussion if there ever was one. Titles have been thrown about, opinions bandied, and worthiness dissected and then dissected again.

The Great Comedy Debate led Time critic James Poniewozik to yesterday publish his list of the top television comedies at the moment (he included just those that are currently on the air right now) and I thought I do this same, limiting my list to just five US series that are airing new episodes as we speak.

So, in no particular order, here are my picks for The Five Best Comedies on Television:

Modern Family (ABC)

No other series has come close to balancing the sweet with the tart than Christopher Lloyd and Steve Levitan's brilliant mockumentary Modern Family, which each week dazzles its enraptured audience with a winning combination of heart and humor. It's the rare comedy that can make you roar with laughter and tear up with melancholy and it's anchored by one of the most talented ensemble casts on television today, who bring their characters to life honestly and without vanity or pretension.

Parks and Recreation (NBC)

I've remarked on it before but even the opening chords of the series' theme song makes me giddy with excitement. After a shaky start last season, the mockumentary comedy created by Greg Daniels and Mike Schur has developed into one of the season's best series, one rife with one-off jokes, deadpan expressions, and an assortment of some of the kookiest small town individuals you'll ever meet. The Pit was a fantastic MacGuffin to kick off an investigation of small town politics, optimistic do-gooders, jaded politicos, and jilted lovers. It's a joy to visit Pawnee each week and Parks and Recreation has quickly become one of the highlights of my television viewing week.

Community (NBC)

A few years ago, Community could have been a multi-camera sitcom with a laugh track that would have faded into obscurity after a brief run between Friends and ER. But creator Dan Harmon has subverted the sitcom format, infusing it with a nostalgic John Hughes-esque tone as well as a razor-sharp wit that stings even as it wraps you up in a warm embrace. By placing the series' focus not on the situation but the characters themselves, Harmon and his talented ensemble have crafted a deftly layered comedy that's about relationships without being a relationship comedy.

30 Rock (NBC)

While the quality has slipped a little this season (though last night's hysterical installment renewed my faith), 30 Rock remains the linchpin in the Thursday night comedy lineup for me, offering a smart, sly, and savage satire of workplace mores, celebrity vanity, and the general insanity of life in the writers room/isle of Manhattan/Sheinhardt Wig Company. It's not afraid to bite the hand that feeds it and we love it all the more when it does just that.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

FX's subversive comedy series continues to mine the seedy underbelly of Philadelphia for comedy with gleefully depraved results. Whether it's kitten mittens, cannibalism, or Green Men, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia brings the shockingly absurd and twisted to life via its motley crew of selfish and shallow bar owners. I should be horrified but I can't help myself from laughing until it hurts so good.

Honorable mention goes to HBO's current Sunday night crop of comedies: Curb Your Enthusiasm and Bored to Death, the latter of which has proven a scintillating and wacky end of weekend treat.

What comedies would make your top five list? Do you agree with the above? Any series wrongfully left out in the cold? Discuss.

Clowning Around: Eric Stonestreet Reveals Cameron's Backstory on "Modern Family"

One word: Fizbo.

Modern Family viewers are going to get more than a little glimpse into Cameron's hilarious backstory on the ABC comedy series later this season.

I caught up earlier today with Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet, one of the season's biggest breakout stars, to find out more about Cameron's past, which will be revealed in the series' ninth produced episode and it involves clowns.

"It’s revealed [in the episode we're shooting] this week that Cameron has a clowning background and is a classically-trained auguste clown named Fizbo," Stonestreet told me. "The episode is entitled 'Fizbo' and that’s where it comes full circle for me."

Stonestreet, who described Cameron as a "celebrator of life and a celebrator of the moment," was himself a clown and performed at children's birthday parties when he was himself a kid. He even nearly attended Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College.

"Thankfully now, looking back, I didn’t get in or I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now. For me to be able to bring what very early on started out as my performance to bring it to this level of performance on primetime is literally a dream come true," said Stonestreet. "And a great opportunity for me to give a big F you to people who made fun of me for wanting to play football and be a clown."

(Funnily enough, interviewing Stonestreet came full circle for me as well. He continues to harp on the fact that I didn't accept his MySpace friend request years ago.)

"Mitchell, of course, is just not into it," Stonestreet said of Cameron's clown past. "When I ask Phil if there’s going to be a clown [at Luke’s birthday party], I just can’t for the life of me understand who would throw a party and not have a clown and Mitchell is just like, 'Cam, let it go. Let it go.'"

The "Fizbo" episode also features a confrontation at a gas station in which a stranger picks on Mitchell, forcing Cameron to come to his rescue, according to Stonestreet. "You see a side of Cameron in this episode that is more closer to me as Eric than Cameron," teased Stonestreet.

The full transcript of my exclusive interview with Stonestreet, in which he talks about working with Ed O'Neill, the casting of Benjamin Bratt as Manny's father Javier, and what's coming up on this season of Modern Family (including a few hints about several plotlines in the works), can be found below.

Televisionary: Modern Family is one of the few breakout hits of this season. What is it like being on a new series that’s as much beloved by audiences as it is by critics?

Eric Stonestreet: As a cast, we all talk about it. When we got the pickup order, Chris Lloyd called me and said, 'Congratulations, buddy, this is incredible.' And my response was that I am just going to keep acting like I’ve done all this before. Which is sort of how I feel in a nutshell. I can’t believe you go through pilot seasons year and after year after year and you hit one on a random Tuesday and it turns out to be this critics’ darling and a public darling as well, I guess. People just really love it. It’s pretty humbling but by the same token. It adds a little pressure because there is an element that we are all feeling that everyone loves it so we need to keep delivering at a high level. But that’s when you really sit back and say thank god Steve Levitan and Chris Lloyd and the staff of writers that they hired are in place because those guys are incredible.

Televisionary: Well, it’s extremely rare to see a series that has it’s footing so quickly out of the gate.

Stonestreet: That’s what everyone said when they saw the pilot. The best compliment that we as a cast got individually was people would say that it seems like a show that’s been on the air for years and [they] know these characters. From an actor’s perspective at the beginning of creating a character, that’s the best compliment that you can get, to create familiarity right from the beginning. That just goes to the writing and to the cast that they assembled. Everyone is just really good and knows their characters well.

Televisionary: Modern Family’s pilot was just such a fully realized pilot. The only comedy that also set up the universe that these characters inhabit so effectively and efficiently is really that of Arrested Development, which is also essentially about a family.

Stonestreet: I know there was a tremendous amount of discussion between Chris and Steve when they started pitching and coming up with the show and they had very specific ideas. Because the thing that those two shows have in common is that they’re about a family but what they have in common with people who create television is that everyone comes from a family and has a family dynamic that at least they have for reference. The crazier the family dynamic, as personal for people as it is, the better. They are asking us all stories from our past and all the writers are obviously bringing stories to the characters. Some of the kids are based on Steve Levitan’s kids and friends and I know Steve has said that Mitchell and Cameron are based on a potpourri of some of their friends. You have the reference space with a family show because we can all relate to it.

Televisionary: Last week we actually saw a little bit of Mitchell and Cameron’s backstory and specifically how they met. (One word: Casablanca.) When you first came onto the pilot, how much information about Cameron’s past did Steve and Chris give you?

Stonestreet: They didn’t give us much. It was sort of purposeful. They hired Jesse and me because we had good chemistry in our reads and they sort of stepped back and sort of saw what we had concocted ourselves. And that’s the cool thing that I’m finding out about being on a series how you can just give little nuggets of information, bit by bit, and there’s no rush to do anything too fast because you have episode 76 to let some more information out. We didn’t know too much; we knew we had been together committed for about five years but we knew we had probably been together for longer than that. That’s where they started bringing in elements of both of our pasts. I am from Kansas and grew up sort of on a farm and they loved the idea of Cameron flipping the stereotype on its head and is from the rural Midwest and has a different perspective than Mitchell.

Televisionary: He’s a country mouse, as he says. This week you’re filming an episode that directly deals with Cameron’s history, correct?

Stonestreet: Yes. It’s revealed this week that Cameron has a clowning background and is a classically-trained auguste clown named Fizbo. The episode is entitled “Fizbo” and that’s where it comes full circle for me.

As a kid, I never wanted to be an actor, I wanted to be a clown from very early on. My parents have pictures. I was fascinated with clowns and the story goes that once I found out that clowns were just people with makeup, I was just like, well that’s what I want to do, there’s no doubt about it. I would perform for children’s birthday parties. I had news articles written about me in Kansas City, you know, eleven-year-old performing for a six-year-old’s birthday. Then when I was in college, I started to do a little theatre but still my performance background was clowning so I decided I wanted to apply to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College and I almost got it.

Thankfully now, looking back, I didn’t get in or I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now. But just for me to be able to bring what very early on started out as my performance to bring it to this level of performance on primetime is literally a dream come true. And a great opportunity for me to give a big F you to people who made fun of me for wanting to play football and be a clown. (Laughs)

Televisionary: Over the last few days, you had uploaded some rather odd images on Twitpic and one of them looked to be like a pair of clown shoes.

Stonestreet: I haven’t sent the Twitpic out of me in full garb yet. They build me this ridiculous clown suit. Those were actually my shoes from when I was a kid in high school and college but there are little pieces of me in this version of Fizbo the Clown. Mitchell, of course, is just not into it. When I ask Phil if there’s going to be a clown [at Luke’s birthday party], I just can’t for the life of me understand who would throw a party and not have a clown and Mitchell is just like, “Cam, let it go. Let it go.” I don't want to give too much of it away but Fizbo would be at the party.

Televisionary: Where are you right now in terms of filming?

Stonestreet: This is Episode 109, numbered. We had a table read today for the Benjamin Bratt episode called “Javier.”

Televisionary: Speaking of that, I’m so excited that Benjamin Bratt is going to be Manny’s dad.

Stonestreet: Isn’t that great? It totally works, too. I love it. Ed [O’Neill] has said that he’s worked with Benjamin Bratt and said he’s just a great guy, a real talented actor. I know you’ve seen the Shelley Long episode, but just wait until you see the Liz Banks/Ed Norton episode. It’s crazy. We screened two episodes yesterday. We saw “The Incident,” which is on tonight and then we saw an episode called “En Garde.” I won’t tell you what that is but it’s just so sweet. Ed O’Neill is just such a pleasure to watch. Ed built this character Jay and each episode we’re seeing more and more and more. And I told him today, it’s just such a pleasure to watch. When we’re doing scenes, it’s just looking at Ed O’Neill and I’m liking what he’s doing with his character but when I see it on TV, it’s just like, wow! It’s so, so good.

Televisionary: What is it like being on a show, for example in “The Incident,” with Ed O’Neill and Shelley Long?

Stonestreet: Oh, we not only find it weird. I felt the need at the table that day to say, it’s the giant elephant in the room, I am just going to say, this is incredible for me. I am sitting with two television icons. Jesse and I were both very, very excited about it. I had this moment where I was shooting this episode where I have a great moment with Jay in his kitchen and I had to admit to him after we were done with the scene where I said, Ed, I’m in the moment with you but I’m looking at your blue eyes thinking, holy shit, I am in a scene with Ed O’Neill, with Al Bundy right now. And I he says, I know, Eric, I know, it’s happened to me a hundred times too. I know what you mean, it’s weird, isn’t it? Married with Children was on when I was in high school too.

Televisionary; The friction between Cameron and Jay is just so hysterical and real at the same time.

Stonestreet: I can’t wait to see where the relationship between Cam and Jay goes and there’s going to be a lot of exploration of that. There’s an episode called “Coal Digger” [which was the third episode shot] where you see Jay and Cam relating on a level that will surprise the viewers. [Episode] 101 is called “Run for Your Wife” and is on next week and is hysterical too. Cameron and Mitchell take Lily to the pediatrician for the first time.

Televisionary: Can you tease us then about what else is coming up on Modern Family for Cameron?

Stonestreet: You will also find out that I have a sports background, which is where again they are borrowing from our lives because I played football and was a track and field athlete. But I also liked being a clown on the weekend and doing kids' parties. It’s just an interesting dynamic and one that they loved and thought was perfect for Cameron. So you definitely find out I have a sports background, I have a clowning background. You start to find out what my occupation may have been before Lily came long. It’s a visual occupation, something that takes a keen eye and an understanding of situations and moments that I really feel is the cornerstone of Cameron’s character.

I say to people that Cameron is a celebrator of life and a celebrator of the moment. He doesn’t let a moment pass. Where we want to just skate through life, my idea of Cameron is someone who celebrates every moment and is very excited and excitable about every moment.

Televisionary: You’ve now shot nine episodes of Modern Family. Where would you like to see the writers take him?

Stonestreet: Oh, wow. I think Cameron on a vacation would be a crazy, crazy, crazy experience and we’ve all joked around that since we’re on ABC, Modern Family definitely needs to take a Disney cruise. (Laughs) I think Cameron on a cruise with the buffets and the sunning and all the opportunities that a cruise offers, that would be great.

But I think honestly, where Cameron is going to go is oddly though Cameron’s past. And that’s what’s really great about the show; they are really developing the past of each character and I think that’s going to inform where each of them goes. I think he and Mitchell are going to raise Lily and that’s what’s so great about that relationship specifically. I know I’ve heard Steve and Chris talking about how they think Cam and Mitchell are the most traditional family of the show in a sense. That it’s just two people raising a child without a lot of complications of the world involved in raising of an infant but the complications of a relationship between two people raising an infant and just playing those honestly and realistically.

Televisionary: They just happen to be men.

Stonestreet: Exactly right. My goal for the viewing public is for them to think of Cameron as being gay like fifth down the list of what he is. If at some point, someone was to think,” Oh, and he’s gay,” that would be awesome for me. We’re making a comedy here; Jesse and I both said that we aren’t trying to make it a gay platform or anything like that. But it is cool to spin the stereotype and hopefully to shuffle the fact that Cameron is gay just down the list a little bit and he’s a guy, he’s a parent, he’s a boyfriend, he’s a partner, and... oh, he’s gay. That would be great. I’m proud of that and I’m proud to be playing such an amazing character.

It’s cool for me just to come to work and don the shirt that wardrobe has bought for me and my slip-on loafers and have my hair [done]. Me, in the morning, I put goo in my hair and I’m out the door. But I come to work and I have a 25-minute hair process. And that’s so helpful because Cameron would most certainly have his hair in the right place and his shirt and cuffs would be exactly the way he would want them. And that’s all part of it, it’s just helpful and fun.

And in this episode ["Fizbo"], I’m not just Cameron, I’m Fizbo. You’re going to die when you see the scene we shot yesterday… One of my best friends plays a part in this episode and he plays a guy at a gas station that picks on Mitchell and Cameron comes to the rescue. You see a side of Cameron in this episode that is more closer to me as Eric than Cameron.

Modern Family airs Wednesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Channel Surfing: Benjamin Bratt Heads for "Modern Family," Amy Sherman-Palladino Sets Up Project at HBO, "Game of Thrones" Lures Another, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Benjamin Bratt (The Cleaner) has been cast as a guest star on ABC's Modern Family, where he will play the ex-husband of Sofia Vergara's Gloria. Bratt is currently slated to appear in one episode of the ABC comedy series, where his character has been mentioned but not yet seen. Look for some friction between Bratt's character and Ed O'Neill's Jay. (Hollywood Reporter)

Great news for Gilmore Girls fans. Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino will write and executive produce an untitled dramedy project for pay cabler HBO about the "complicated relationship between three adult sisters, all writers sharing the same upper east side apartment building, and their mother, a domineering literary lioness who reserves most of her affections for their ne'er-do-well brother," according to Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva. The project marks the first time that Sherman-Palladino has worked in cable. (Editor: I am keeping my fingers crossed for this one!) (Hollywood Reporter)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that child actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright has been cast in HBO's fantasy pilot Game of Thrones, which starts production on October 24th. Ryan also notes that Jamie Campbell Bower (The Prisoner) is currently speculated to have been cast as the pilot's Waymar Royce but has not been able to confirm the rumor. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

FOX has given a script order to an untitled drama pilot from writer/executive producer Ben Watkins (Burn Notice) about an undercover female investigator of mixed heritage who questions her own identity, having been adopted as a baby. "This is a character who has never truly felt like she belongs anywhere," the bi-racial Watkins told Variety. "The coping mechanism that she developed as a kid makes her able to fit in anywhere." Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, will be executive produced by Mike Tollin. (Variety)

SPOILER! E! Online's Jennifer Godwin talks to Melrose Place star Katie Cassidy about the upcoming "major character death" on the CW soap that will be a "turning point of the season so far." According to Cassidy, "Everyone's going to be surprised. [The death] is a shocker, but at the same time, it's really good." Cassidy also teases some scoop about what's coming up on Melrose. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Todd Stashwick (The Riches) has been cast in a recurring role on NBC's Heroes, where he will play Eli, a member of the traveling carnival who has "close ties to the carnival's evil ringleader Samuel (Robert Knepper)." (Hollywood Reporter)

In other Heroes-related news, E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos is hinting at the possible, er, departure of one of the series' regulars. No concrete information is provided but Dos Santos writes that the character is male. Read into that whatever you will. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Steve Harris (The Practice) has joined the cast of Friday Night Lights in a recurring role, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. He'll play Vernon Merriweather, "an ex-football star and the father of East Dillon newbie Jess (Jurnee Smollett)," and is slated to appear in about seven episodes. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams has an interview with Scrubs star Sarah Chalke about the upcoming season of the medical comedy series, which is undergoing a transformation this season. Chalke is slated to appear in several episodes this season with her Elliot undergoing some transformations of her own... (TVGuide.com)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that ABC has landed the untitled Matthew Perry/Jamie Tarses project that was announced yesterday. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

FOX has announced a November 8th airdate for primetime special Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show, which will feature Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein stepping in front of the camera for a commercial-free half-hour special that will feature "marketing messages" for Microsoft's Windows 7. The special will feature both animated and live-action sketches. (Variety)

Bravo is getting back into the Jackie Warner business as it develops a new reality series entitled Thintervention with Jackie Warner, which will see the Warner help participants to lose weight in their "day-to-day environment rather than in a Biggest Loser-style fat camp." The cabler was originally developing a concept where Warner would help struggling gyms get back on their feet financially but the weight-loss concept has now replaced that project. Project, from Shed Media, will have Warner "kick butt and inspire drastic lifestyle changes for her overweight clients who are struggling to lose weight and get healthy for good." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

20th Century Fox Television has signed a two-year overall deal with Family Guy executive producer David Goodman, under which he will remain on the animated series (while no longer serving as showrunner) and will develop animated and live-action projects for the studio, including an animated comedy pilot presentation from writer Jason Ruiz entitled Fathers and Son. (Variety)

SVP Christina Davis will oversee drama development at CBS following the departure of the department's co-head Robert Zotnowski. The Eye has also promoted Yelena Chak and Bryan Seabury. (Hollywood Reporter)

Australian viewers will get the chance to see BBC's period drama series Desperate Romantics, created by Peter Bowker (Blackpool), following a deal between BBC Worldwide and ABC TV. (Broadcast)

3 Ball Entertainment has hired Brant Pinvidic as EVP of development and promoted Dan Snook to VP of development. The former will report to JD Roth and Todd Nelson. (Variety)

Warner Bros. Entertainment has hired former Yahoo executive Dave Dickman as SVP of digital media sales for Warner Bros. Television Group. (Hollywood Reporter)

Annual market and conference NATPE will move its home from Las Vegas to Miami's South Beach in January 2011. "Miami Beach is easily accessible to our attendees from the U.S., Europe and Latin America," said NATPE President/CEO Rick Feldman. "The entire hotel with its new ocean view suites and a floor marketplace will be ours alone. NATPE will be under one roof in an environment that will provide unlimited possibilities for business being done in a most efficient and enjoyable manner." (Broadcasting & Cable)

Stay tuned.