Channel Surfing: Starz Gets Spartacus Prequel, ABC Pulls Happy Town, Burt Reynolds to Burn Notice, Sarah Silverman Axed, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Starz is heading back to Spartacus, ordering six episodes of a prequel series that will be set before Season One of the gladiator drama series, which wrapped its run last month. The six-episode prequel, as yet untitled, will revolve around the House of Batiatus and its champions and will star John Hannah and Lucy Lawless, as well as Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Antonio Te Maihoha, Nick E. Tarabay, and Lesley-Ann Brandt, and feature a brief appearance by Andy Whitfield, who is currently undergoing treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Production will begin this summer, with the pay cabler eying a January 2011 launch, clearly an effort to keep the franchise humming until a second season can be produced. "The prequel story maintains the excitement and entertainment value of the first season of Spartacus, giving audiences the engaging experience they've come to expect," said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement. "We look forward to continuing the Spartacus story." (via press release)

Bad news for Happy Town: ABC has opted to pull the supernatural drama series from its schedule beginning next week. The series, produced by ABC Studios, will return on Wednesday, June 2nd at 10 pm ET/PT to begin burning off its remaining five installments, wrapping up its run on Wednesday, June 30th. Happy Town's current timeslot will be filled by an episode of Primetime: What Would You Do? next week and the network broadcast premiere of Transformers on May 26th. (TVGuide.com)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Burt Reynolds will guest star on an upcoming episode of USA's Burn Notice, where he will play Paul Anderson, described as "a legendary operative, now retired and cast out of the CIA, who serves as somewhat of a cautionary tale for Michael (Jeffrey Donovan)." Reynolds is slated to appear in the fourth season of Burn Notice, which launches June 3rd. "Things have not gone well for him since he left the spy service," creator Matt Nix told Ausiello. "He’s now working as a bartender under an assumed name, and he gets into trouble with some very nasty Russian guys... He’s not precisely like Michael. He’s Michael should Michael succumb to some of the demons that haunt ex-spies." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Comedy Central has cancelled The Sarah Silverman Program after three seasons after it failed to earn a renewal, despite a Twitter campaign to save the series, which had in its last season been bumped to a midnight timeslot. (Deadline.com)

Alan Ball and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films have pacted to produce an HBO original telepic based on Rebecca Skloot's book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," about a Baltimore mother of five children who died of cervical cancer at age 31 in 1951. However, the cancerous cells removed from her body led to major breakthroughs in medical research, including leading to the cure for polio and AIDS treatments. No screenwriter is currently attached to the project, which will be produced by Ball, Winfrey, Kate Forte, and Peter Macoissi. (Variety)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC is preparing to give comedy Perfect Couples a series order and the network has authorized writers Scott Silveri and Jon Pollack to begin staffing the writing team for the series. Meanwhile, NBC is said to still be high as well on comedy Friends with Benefits and is said to be looking for a showrunner for the series. Drama Garza--which stars Jimmy Smitts--will likely be retooled for midseason. (Deadline.com)

Sir Derek Jacobi (Gosford Park) has been cast in a multiple episode story arc on Showtime's upcoming period drama The Borgias, where he will play Cardinal Orsini, described as "a nemesis to Pope Alexander (Jeremy Irons)" in several episodes. Elsewhere, Richard Griffiths (Harry Potter, History Boys) has been cast in the pay cabler's comedy series Episodes, where he will play a version of himself, "a brilliant British actor deemed 'too sophisticated' by an American TV network to star in a fictional comedy pilot who instead is replaced by Matt LeBlanc." (Hollywood Reporter)

Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who) and Mackenzie Crook (Pirates Of The Caribbean, The Office) will star in BBC One's six-part drama Accused, created by Jimmy McGovern (The Street), each episode of which will follow an individual man accused of a crime and lead to court to hear his fate. "In the time it takes to climb the steps to the court we tell the story of how the accused came to be here," said McGovern in a statement. "We see the crime and we see the punishment. Nothing else. No police procedure, thanks very much, no coppers striding along corridors with coats flapping. Just crime and punishment – the two things that matter most in any crime drama. It's great to work with Chris again and I've often tried in the past to get Mackenzie into something of mine. And needless to say, it's wonderful to reunite the team that made The Street." (BBC)

E! Online's Drusilla Moorhouse has an interview with The Amazing Race's Jet and Cord McCoy, who sadly failed to come in first place this season. "I don't know if it was that one single act that cost us the race," said Jet about Jordan's queue-jumping move at the Shanghai airport. "It was more about the principle than it was anything. We were standing in a marked line of three people, and [Jordan] thinks that's where he wants to play his ace or whatever. Me and Cord were just kinda blown away. My goodness." And those of you wondering whether we'll see the cowboys on television again should take note of the fact that Cord's fiancee wants him to do Dancing with the Stars. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Universal Media Studios has signed a new two-year overall deal with Friday Night Lights executive producer David Hudgins, under which he will remain aboard the drama series as co-showrunner (a title he shares with Jason Katims) until the series' end and will develop new projects for the studio. (Variety)

Spike has promoted Sharon Levy to EVP of original series and animation. She will continue to report to Kevin Kay. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Allison Janney Heads to Lost, Damon Lindelof Speaks, Chuck Fans Plan Flash Mob, Veronica Mars Update, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

SPOILER! "Presence," huh? TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck attempts to get to the bottom of just who Allison Janney (The West Wing) will be playing on the May 11th episode of Lost by going right to the source: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who are being rather cagey about Janney's mystery role. "We were so happy that she was able to do this," said Cuse. "It was really hard for her because she was getting ready to shoot a pilot, but she squeezed us in. Then once we saw her in this part we were like, 'How could anyone else have done this but Allison Janney?'" Lindelof wasn't giving Keck anything either: "We’ve been talking about this character for awhile and how nervous we were that we wouldn’t find the right actress," he said. "When we first started talking about this character in the writers room we called her 'Allison Janney' under the assumption that we wouldn’t be able to get her." [Editor: so who is Janney playing? My first instinct said that she'd be playing the mother of the Man in Black (or Penny's never-before-seen mother), though whether that will turn out to be true remains to be seen. Regardless, the role calls for someone with "incredible presence" and Janney has that in spades.] (TV Guide Magazine)

Elsewhere, The Hollywood Reporter's Matt Belloni has a video interview with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof in which the two discuss the series finale, the flash-sideways, and the fact that Desmond wasn't in the series' final cast photo ("A cast photo that includes some characters but not others is beyond our area of involvement," he said). Most intriguing is the fact that producers had brand new sets built for the final moments of Lost's series ender. "We did not shoot the final scene of the series on the final day ... for reasons of maintaining the secrecy of the show, and we had to build some sets for the finale -- the construction of the new sets took awhile so that's the work that we did last," Lindelof said, who went on to say that there will be a definitive ending to the series, even if some questions are left for the viewers to answer on their own. "The Sopranos ending only worked on The Sopranos," said Lindelof. "The series finale has to fit the show. We're trying to end lost in a way that feels Lost-ian and fair and will generate a tremendous amount of theorizing. We're going to be as definitive as we can be and say this is our ending, but there's no way to end the show where the fans aren't going to say, 'What did they mean by this?' Which is why we're not going to explain it."(Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Chuck fans are headed to Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, and Philadelphia (and possibly other cities as well) to initiate flash mob publicity stunts in support of a Chuck renewal. The idea, the brainchild of chucktv.net, will have fans congregate wearing the series' trademark Buy More uniforms. "Chuck fans are the most loyal, dedicated, imaginative and passionate fans any show could ever hope for," Chuck co-creator Josh Schwartz told The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "Every season they offer more proof they should be licensed and professional fans teaching other fans how it's done. This is yet another example of their awesomeness. We are, as always, grateful and inspired to deliver a show as good to them as they are to us." (Hollywood Reporter)

E! Online's Breanne L. Heldman caught up with Kristen Bell to ask her about the status of the potential Veronica Mars feature film that's been rumored for quite some time (and which someone asked creator Rob Thomas about at last week's Party Down panel at the Paley Center). "I wish I had news," said Bell. "Still in the process of campaigning to tell Warner Bros. that people would actually see it. I think that as long as you guys keep asking those questions and I keep answering them, Warner Bros. will one day get the picture that everybody does want it and that it will make its money back. I think, truthfully, they're a company and they want to know that they'll make their return back. We just have to convince them that they will." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ABC Family has decided not to move forward with its comedy series 10 Things I Hate About You, which will wrap its second season in a few week. News of the cancellation was made originally by executive producer Carter Covington via Twitter."Sad news... ABC Family canceled the show," wrote Covington. "Thanks to our amazing fans. You are the reason I do this." (Variety)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has a first look at Rob Lowe on NBC's Parks and Recreation, where he is set to join the comedy series next month along with Party Down's Adam Scott. According to co-creator/executive producer Mike Schur, Lowe's character, state auditor Chris Traeger, "very quickly falls into a romantic entanglement" with a resident of Pawnee. "I don’t want to spoil who it is because it’s kind of a surprise," said Schur. [Editor: having already seen a sizable chunk of Lowe and Scott's first Parks and Rec episode a few weeks back, I can honestly say that fans are in for a treat with these new characters.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Well, that makes one NCIS cast member who definitely will be returning next season: Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that David McCallum yesterday closed a deal to return to the CBS procedural drama next season. Negotiations continue for the three other actors--Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette, and Sean Murray--whose deals have expired. (Deadline.com)

USA Today's Gary Strauss has a profile of Breaking Bad's Dean Norris, who plays DEA Agent Hank Schrader on the AMC drama series. In its third season, Norris' Hank has quickly psychologically unraveled. "For an actor, playing one character and transitioning to a completely different one is a dream come true," Norris told Strauss. "Part of me misses the old Hank. But nothing could be better than to set up a character, dismiss him and then bring a whole different side to him." (USA Today)

Warner Bros. Television is said to be about to close a multi-year overall deal with Sex and the City multi-hypenate Michael Patrick King that will have him launch his own shingle at the studio, according to Deadline.com's Nellie Andreeva. (Deadline.com)

Futon Critic is reporting that NBC will keep struggling freshman medical drama Mercy in the 9 pm timeslot on Wednesdays for the remainder of its season. (Futon Critic)

VH1 has ordered eight episodes of The OCD Project, in which an anxiety expert will attempt to rehabilitate six individuals with several obsessive-compulsive issues who will live together in a house and participate in "exposure and response prevention" therapy. Project, launching May 27th at 10 pm ET/PT, is executive produced by JD Roth, Todd A. Nelson, Adam Greener, Matt Assmus, Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, and Noah Pollack. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

UK satellite network Sky1 has commissioned a musical competition series, Must Be the Music, in an effort to compete with ITV's X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. Rather than dangle a recording contract, the series will award the winner a cash prize and the opportunity to perform live in a music arena. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere in UK television news, Kevin Lygo will quit Channel 4, where he served as director of television and content, in order to head up ITV Studios as managing director. (Broadcast)

Disney Channel has ordered a telepic based on Mark Peter Hughes' novel "Lemonade Mouth," about five high school freshmen who meet in detention and launch a band centered around unusual musical instruments. Project will be written by April Blair and executive produced by Debra Martin Chase. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "24" to End, Kiefer Sutherland Speaks, ChloeGate at "Big Love," Elizabeth Mitchell Talks "V" Return, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

It's official: the clock has run out on FOX's serialized drama series 24. On Friday, FOX announced that Day Eight of 24 would be the series' last, with a two-hour series finale planned for Monday, May 24th. "This has been the role of a lifetime, and I will never be able to fully express my appreciation to everyone who made it possible," said Kiefer Sutherland in a statement. "While the end of the series is bittersweet, we always wanted 24 to finish on a high note, so the decision to make the eighth season our last was one we all agreed upon. This feels like the culmination of all our efforts from the writers to the actors to our fantastic crew and everyone at Fox. Looking ahead to the future, Howard Gordon and I are excited about the opportunity to create the feature film version of 24. But when all is said and done, it is the loyal worldwide fan base that made it possible for me to have the experience of playing the role of Jack Bauer, and for that I am eternally grateful." By the time that 24 ends its run in May, the 20th Century Fox Television-produced series will have aired 194 episodes, earning it a spot among the longest running action series on television. (via press release)

Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin and Maria Elena Fernandez, meanwhile, had interviews with Kiefer Sutherland and executive producer Howard Gordon about the 24 cancellation. "Everyone concurs that we want the show to end as close to peak form as possible," Gordon told the LA Times."If they said tomorrow that you have a ninth season, it's not something we'd be up for because we realize Jack's story in the real-time format has been told. Jack is a wonderful character who can live past the 24 real-time franchise. As far as doing this high wire act...this is far as we can take it." Fans can take comfort in that the final episodes are leading up to a heart-stopping finale. "What I do like about the ending and what I can say about it is that it's very definitive about where Jack is going to end up," said Sutherland. "It can be perceived as a cliffhanger on some level, but there's no questioning his options. That's something we've never been able to do in the context of this series." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

Elsewhere, Variety's Michael Schneider has a Q&A with Sutherland. "Billy Ray is in the process of writing it right now," said Sutherland about the 24 feature film. "I'm very excited about the idea. He's a fantastic writer. I know he's been working with Howard recently. I'm very excited about the opportunity, and singularly because it's a two-hour representation of a 24-hour day. So for the first time, it will be very feasible in this 24 hours to go from England to Russia, or from China to Japan, depending on where they choose to set it. Before on the TV show, the crisis had to come to us, because the best we could do was get across town. And the two times we ever put Jack Bauer in a plane, it just didn't work." While, across town, the Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd offered a Q&A with executive producer Goward Gordon, who said the film could be released "as early as next year depending on how things come together." (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

And The New York Times' Mike Hale takes a look at whether 24 was a victim of its own success... and its reliable formatting: "It’s essentially a superhero cartoon with a topical overlay, a cartoon that was well done from the start but was so rigidly formatted that it had no way to grow... It was the demands of the format that doomed the show (though eight seasons is nothing to cry about). Repetition set in early, there was a limited stock of villains and it was impossible to up the ante on destructive threats, or absurdly byzantine conspiracies, year after year." (New York Times)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello had an interview with Big Love's Chloe Sevigny, in which the Golden Globe winner expressed regret for her comments about the HBO drama series' fourth season, which she had called "awful" in a recent interview. "I feel pretty terrible," Sevigny told Ausiello. "I feel like what I said was taken out of context, and the [reporter] I was speaking to was provoking me. I was in Austin [at the SXSW festival] and really exhausted and doing a press junket and I think I just… I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying. You know, after a day of junkets sometimes things slip out that you don’t mean, and I obviously didn’t mean what I said in any way, shape, or form. I love being on the show. I have nothing but respect and admiration for our writers and everybody involved with the show. It’s been the greatest opportunity of my lifetime so far — the best role I’ve ever played, the best part I’ve ever had the opportunity to portray. So I love the show. I think it’s the greatest show on television. I think it’s the weirdest show. I think it is very complex and the content is amazing and it’s just very ironic that this statement would come out and blow so out of control. Because I feel absolutely the opposite. It is difficult being on a show for several seasons and having no control and having things go in different directions where you didn’t think they would go. But that’s also the most exciting part [because] they keep the character really fresh and there’s new scenarios that they come up with." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

[Editor: The Onion's A.V. Club writer Sean O'Neil, meanwhile, hit back at Sevigny, issuing audio from the interview itself, which can be heard here.]

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams has an interview with V's Elizabeth Mitchell about what's coming up on the ABC sci-fi series when it returns tomorrow and hints that Erica will have a lot of violence in her future. "I think as long as her son is safe, she's kind of cool as far as all the stuff with Tyler goes," said Mitchell. "She really didn't seem to mind too much that he had a girl in [his room]. She just wants him to be physically safe and he's not obviously. He's in great jeopardy; she just doesn't know it yet. Hopefully, she will be finding out more and more. Obviously, that will lead to a great deal of violence." (TVGuide.com)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Mayim Bialik (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) will guest star--and possibly recur--on CBS' The Big Bang Theory, where she will play a love interest for Jim Parson's Sheldon, whom he meets on an online matchmaking site and is described as "the female version of Jim Parson's theoretical physicist." She's set to appear in the season finale, which airs May 24th, and could return next season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting updates: Christine Woods (FlashForward) has landed the female lead in NBC comedy pilot Perfect Couples; Teri Polo (The Wedding Bells) has joined the cast of TBS' hour-long period comedy pilot Glory Daze; Jason Wiles (Persons Unknown) has been cast in ABC drama pilot Boston's Finest; Jayne Houdyshell (Conviction) and Joe Nunez (Prison Break) will star opposite Will Arnett and Keri Russell in Mitch Hurwitz and Arnett's FOX comedy pilot Wilde Kingdom; Vinnie Jones (Chuck) has been cast in a potential recurring role in NBC vigilante drama pilot The Cape (also cast: Ryan Wynott and Martin Klebba); Gabriel Morales (The Perfect Game) has come on board ABC comedy pilot It Takes a Village; Tessa Thompson (Veronica Mars) has joined the cast of supernatural drama Betwixt; Amber Seyer has been cast in Amy Sherman-Palladino's untitled Wyoming drama project; Gabriella Wright (The Tudors) has landed a role in espionage drama Nomads; and Matt Barr (Harper's Island) has been cast in drama pilot Hellcats. (Hollywood Reporter)

David James Elliot (JAG) has replaced Desperate Housewives' Neal McDonough in ABC drama series Scoundrels, which launches in June. No immediate reason was given for McDonough's departure from the series, which is based on Kiwi drama series Outrageous Fortune. (Futon Critic)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that former ER star Eriq La Salle has been cast in the final two episodes of FOX's 24, where he will play "the charming and regal UN Secretary General." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Fresh off his season-long arc on FX's Damages, Martin Short has signed on to star opposite David Krumholtz's on FOX comedy pilot Tax Man, in which he'll play Mike Babbit, the IRS Fresno office's obnoxiously loud boss. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has finally announced a launch date for the Alyssa Milano-led romantic comedy Romantically Challenged, which will launch April 12th at 9:30 pm ET/PT, right after a 90-minute installment of Dancing with the Stars. Six episodes have been completed of the series, which was created by Ricky Blitt. Elsewhere, FOX announced that Glee will return on April 13th at 9:28 pm ET/PT, following an episode of American Idol. (Variety)

FOX has ordered a pilot for an untitled Jamie Foxx-created sketch comedy show that will be executive produced by MadTV's Fax Bahr and Adam Small and will star Affion Crockett. Project hails from Fox Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television-based Tantamount. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Brace for Impact: ABC Cancels "Ugly Betty"

Looks like it's curtains for Betty Suarez.

ABC today announced that this will be the final season of Ugly Betty and that the series will wrap up its run this spring.

The series had been placed on life support on Friday nights this season before being given a last chance with a Wednesday night 10 pm ET/PT timeslot as part of the network's comedy block.

"We’ve mutually come to the difficult decision to make this Ugly Betty’s final season, and are announcing now as we want to allow the show ample time to write a satisfying conclusion," said ABC in a prepared statement. "We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series, and felt it was important to give the fans a proper farewell."

What do you think of the news? Was it time to bid Betty farewell? Is it good that the producers will have time to wrap up the series' storylines before a final episode?

Discuss.

Channel Surfing: Jennifer Morrison Returns to "House," FOX Rumors Swirl for O'Brien, Possible Curtains for "Crash," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jennifer Morrison will return to FOX medical drama House later this season. While the nature and timing of Cameron's return are unknown, Ausiello quotes an unnamed House insider who said, "You will see Cameron again on House before the end of the season." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Rumors are swirling that Conan O'Brien could be beating a path to FOX to launch a latenight franchise to rival The Tonight Show but it's not exactly a smooth ride. "There are still a slew of obstacles standing in his way at Fox, including those same network affiliates. And several Fox insiders wonder whether it would even be possible to launch a latenight Conan O'Brien franchise anytime soon," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Still, once O'Brien manages to settle out of his NBC contract -- and that's the route he and his reps appear to be taking -- it's entirely possible that Fox could carve out a home for him, sources close to the situation believe." But there are some sizable financial consequences to such a move, including giving up revenue from syndicated shows in the 11 pm timeslot, wariness on the part of local affiliates, and the time it would take to get the series going into production and clear it in the markets. (Variety)

[Editor: For a great take on what NBC needs to do post-Conan, head over to The Chicago Tribune to read Maureen Ryan's insightful thoughts here.]

The fate of Starz drama series Crash is said to be up in the air, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva. "Speculation is mounting that the dark Starz drama won't be renewed for a third season," writes Andreeva. "The pay cable network declined comment Wednesday beyond noting that new president and CEO Chris Albrecht began work just three days ago and is still getting a grasp of the place. It is believed the Crash cancellation likely will be among the first programming decisions made by the former HBO honcho." (Hollywood Reporter)

Rob Zombie (Halloween) will direct an upcoming episode of CBS' CSI: Miami, set to air on March 1st. Move marks the television directorial debut of Zombie and the episode will feature the team heading to Los Angeles to investigate a case that involves "secret tape recordings and evidence tampering." (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting alert! Carla Gallo (Bones) and Jose Zuniga (CSI) have been cast in FOX comedy pilot The Station, from executive producer Ben Stiller and 20th Century Fox Television. (Meanwhile, Jordan Peele, who guest starred in the pilot, has been promoted to regular.) Gallo will play "the smart but loopy director of operatives who oversees the undercover field officers in the Central America outpost and has feelings for Eric" (Justin Bartha) while Zuniga will play "a trained field officer tasked with running the import/export cover office but who is dying to get a position inside the station." (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, Ben Schwartz (Accidentally on Purpose) has been cast in J.J. Abrams' NBC drama pilot Undercovers opposite Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who play Steven and Samantha, a pair of married spies who are reactivated by the CIA. Schwartz will play a "young CIA agent who is wildly respectful of Steve's career as an agent" on the Warner Bros. Television-produced pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lifetime has announced that Season Four of drama series Army Wives will launch on April 11th. (Variety)

TLC has ordered six episodes of docuseries Addicted, which will follow invention specialist Kristina Wandzilak as she helps people kick their addictions. Series, from Asylum Entertainment, will launch in March. (Variety)

FOX has quietly announced that Gordon Ramsay-led Kitchen Nightmares will debut on Tuesday, January 26th, directly behind American Idol. The scheduling change, reported by Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan, "is part of a two-week stunt to showcase the series - which will still regularly air on Fridays at 9 pm - after American Idol." (Futon Critic)

The corporate restructure at News Corp's Fox Network Group has consolidated entertainment oversight under Peter Rice, who will report to Tony Vinciquerra and will now oversee FX Networks under the new organizational chart. (John Landgraf previously reported to Rich Battista, whose role within the newly reorganized group is unclear.) (Variety)

Style has ordered ten episodes of home-makeover series Tacky House, hosted by Thom Filicia. Series, from Lynchpin Prods., is expected to debut this spring. (Variety)

Former ITV Global Entertainment executive Peter Iacono has been hired by Lionsgate as managing director of international television. Replacing the position vacated by Craig Cegielski, Iacono will report to Kevin Beggs and will be based in Los Angeles. (Variety)

Diane Robina has been hired as EVP of development, acquisitions and programming strategy at TV Guide Network. The former MTV Networks executive will also retain her title of president of FearNet and will report to Ryan O'Hara. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: FOX Sends "Dollhouse" to the Attic, ABC Axes "Hank," Syfy Blasts into "Outer Space," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

It's official: FOX has canceled Joss Whedon's metaphysical drama series Dollhouse. The series, which is currently in production on this season's eleventh episode, will finish production and the network is currently expected to air all thirteen installments of the low-rated Friday night drama beginning December 4th. Whedon himself posted on Whedonesque about the cancellation news (which didn't come as a surprise to anyone tracking the ratings) and said, ""I don't have a lot to say. I'm extremely proud of the people I've worked with: my star, my staff, my cast, my crew. I feel the show is getting better pretty much every week, and I think you'll agree in the coming months. I'm grateful that we got to put it on, and then come back and put it on again. I'm off to pursue internet ventures/binge drinking," he wrote. "Possibly that relaxation thing I've read so much about. By the time the last episode airs, you'll know what my next project is. But for now there's a lot of work still to be done, and disappointment to bear. Thank you all for your support, your patience, your excellent adverts. See you again." (Hollywood Reporter, Whedonesque)

ABC has canceled struggling Kelsey Grammer comedy series Hank and has yanked it off of the schedule, effective immediately. The network will instead use the Wednesdays at 8 pm timeslot to air a mix of comedy specials and holiday specials. There are five unaired episodes of the Warner Bros. Television-produced Hank on the shelves and it's not clear whether any of these installments will air. News comes after the network opted not to pick up supernatural drama Eastwick for its back nine, while the rest of ABC's Wednesday lineup--Modern Family, The Middle, and Cougar Town--have all been picked up for full seasons. (Variety)

Syfy has ordered five half-hour episodes of hybrid animated comedy Outer Space Astronauts. Series, from executive producers Russell Barret, David O. Russell, and Scott Puckett, will follow "eight military misfits who journey to the far reaches of the galaxy on board the O.S.S. Oklahoma" in a style that will blend both live-action as well as 2D and 3D animation techniques. It's slated to launch on December 8th. "Syfy fans have never seen animation quite like this before," Syfy EVP of original content Mark Stern told the Hollywood Reporter. "Out of the basement and mind of show creator, Russell Barrett, he's delivered a funny and fresh take on the future of underground and homegrown animation today." (Hollywood Reporter)

Martha Plimpton, Lucas Neff, and Olesya Rulin have been cast in FOX single-camera comedy pilot Keep Hope Alive, from writer/executive producer Greg Garcia. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, follows Jimmy, a 25-year-old man (Neff) who is forced to raise his infant child with the help of his quirky family after the mother, with whom he had a one-night stand, ends up on death row. Plimpton will play Jimmy's no-nonsense mother. Michael Fresco is attached to direct. (Hollywood Reporter)

Author Ray Bradbury has signed a deal with indie producers White Oak Films to develop The Bradbury Chronicles, a six-hour miniseries based on six of his short stories. No network is currently attached to the project, which will be executive produced by Bradbury, John Dayton, Merrill Capps, Todd Klick, Cory Travalena, and Dale Olson, with Bradbury himself adapting his own work. (Variety)

Scott Cohen (Gilmore Girls) and Stephanie Childers (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) have been cast in ABC Family's untitled Michael Jacobs single-camera comedy pilot, where Cohen will play an unemployed architect who "begins to mentor his underdog middle daughter, while his veterinarian wife (Childers) shares a closer bond with their Type-A older daughter." Elsewhere at ABC Family, Troian Bellisario and Ian Harding will star opposite Lucy Hale in drama pilot Pretty Little Liars. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has given a series order to Mark Burnett-produced game show Our Little Genius, in which child geniuses, ranging from six to twelve years old, are given the chance to put their knowledge to the test and earn cash prizes. "In television, we often showcase kids who are incredible singers, actors or dancers, so it's high time we give the spotlight to kids with incredible brains," said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, in a statement. "The kids on this show are ridiculously smart, and with its unique appeal to both parents and children alike, I think Our Little Genius is one of Mark Burnett's most compelling creations yet." (via press release)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a new three-year overall deal with Old Christine creator Kari Lizer, under which she will develop projects for the studio as well as remain on board Old Christine as executive producer, should the series be picked up by CBS for a sixth season. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has confirmed its plans for its musical competition series The Sing-Off and will strip the series across a single week beginning Monday, December 14th. Series, from Tenth Planet Prods., Outlaw Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Television, will launch with a two-hour installment and air double-length episodes on Tuesday, December 15th and Wednesday, December 16th before wrapping up with a two-hour finale on Monday, December 21st. It will take a breather on Thursday, December 17th, when NBC airs a two-hour primetime Saturday Night Live Christmas special. (Variety)

BBC Two has acquired UK rights to Showtime's dark comedy series Nurse Jackie, which it plans to launch early next year. (Variety)

Elsewhere at the British terrestrial network, Mad Men's Vincent Kartheiser will star opposite Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz), Emma Pierson (Little Dorrit), and Jerry Hall (Calendar Girls) in a BBC Two adaptation of Martin Amis' novel Money, a "comedic tale of excess, greed and flawed ambition set at the beginnings of Eighties capitalism." Production begins this month on the two one-hour installments, written by Tom Butterworth and Chris Hurford and directed by Jeremy Lovering. (BBC)

Broadcast's Robin Parker takes a look at the new production models emerging as American and British comedy writers join forces, with several Atlantic-crossing series such as David Cross' The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret and Matt LeBlanc-led Episodes becoming a reality. (Broadcast)

CurrentTV pinkslipped 80 full-time staffers yesterday in the company's Los Angeles, London, New York, and San Francisco offices as the cabler moves from a shortform content strand to a more traditional television network model, with its schedule likely to be filled mostly by acquisitions. (Hollywood Reporter)

TruTV has ordered reality series NFL Full Contact, which will offers viewers a behind-the-scenes-look into the inner workings of the football league and focus on key personalities within the sport. Series, from executive producers Steve Sabol and Anthony Horn, will launch on February 8th. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: ABC to Air "V" in Pod Form, CW Kills "Beautiful Life," Marc Cherry Talks "Desperate" Reveal, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

ABC has confirmed that it has now altered its launch plan for sci-fi drama series V, which is set to premiere November 3rd. The network has decided to air just the first four installments of the Warner Bros. Television-produced series and then place V on hiatus until after the Winter Olympics. The news comes as a surprise as the series, which is written and executive produced by The 4400's Scott Peters, has enjoyed extremely positive buzz from critics and from Comic-Con audiences who screened the pilot episode earlier this summer. However, both Warner Bros. Television and ABC were quick to point out that the episodic order for V hadn't been shortened; series is still set to air 13 installments. (Los Angeles Times/Show Tracker)

The first official cancellation of the fall season is here: The Beautiful Life, we hardly knew ye. The CW has confirmed that it has axed The Beautiful Life after just two episodes, which plunged to just 1 million viewers in its second outing. Series, which was executive produced by Ashton Kutcher, had been filming its seventh episode when the crew received word to shut down on Friday. The series has been pulled from the schedule and its timeslot will be filled by repeats of Melrose Place beginning this Wednesday. (Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry about the resolution to last May's wedding cliffhanger, which was revealed in the opening minutes of the series' sixth season premiere, which aired last night on ABC. Cherry says his decision about which woman Mike would marry "plays better for this season's mystery" and gives the jilted woman a hell of a storyline as well. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

A&E has canceled drama series The Cleaner after two seasons. The series, which starred Benjamin Bratt as a professional interventionist, wrapped its second season earlier this month. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan talks with new Lie to Me showrunner Shawn Ryan about what's coming up on the second season of the procedural drama series, which kicks off tonight on FOX. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Crista Flanagan (Mad Men) has been cast in a recurring role on ABC's new comedy series Hank, where she will play Dawn, the wife of David Koechner's Grady. She replaces Melissa McCarthy (Samantha Who?), who dropped out of the series in order to take a role in romantic comedy feature film Life as We Know It. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The CW has ordered eight episodes of an untitled reality series that will follow the life of New York socialite Tinsley Mortimer, whom some may recall appeared on-screen on the CW's Gossip Girl. Project, from executive producer Andrew Glassman, will follow "Mortimer, currently embroiled in a high-profile divorce, as she hits the New York scene." (Variety)

Production has begun on the third and final season of Life on Mars sequel series Ashes to Ashes, which will air on BBC One in early 2010. "Everyone has their own theory about who Gene Hunt is, and why Alex Drake and Sam Tyler ended up in his world," said executive producer Jane Featherstone. "Alex's journey is nearing its end and Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah have planned a fabulous finale. We're now at the point where we can finally reveal some of the answers and we can't wait to hear what the fans think about it all." (BBC)

As if he weren't animated enough already. Gordon Ramsay is the basis for a new stop-motion animated series entitled Gordon Ramsay, At Your Service from Canadian production company Cuppa Coffee, which will be pitched next week at Mipcom in Cannes. Project, which is currently seeking a writer, will focus on the hot-tempered celebrity chef and television personality. (Broadcast)

TBS has canceled comedy series The Bill Engvall Show after three seasons. (C21)

Charlie Cox (Stardust), Donald Sutherland (Dirty Sexy Money), and Gillian Anderson (Bleak House) have been cast opposite William Hurt and Ethan Hawke in TeleMunchen's big-budget Moby Dick telepic. Cox will play Ishmael; Sutherland will play Father Mapple; Anderson will play Elizabeth, the wife of Captain Ahab (Hurt). (Variety)

Annie Potts, Kim Zimmer, Drew Seeley will star in Hallmark Channel telepic Freshman Father, about a Harvard student who finds himself in a shotgun wedding and must juggle school and parenthood. Project, slated to air in 2010, is written by Bill Wells and directed by Michael Scott. (via press release)

BermanBrauun has hired former Fox Television Studios executive Jerry Longarzo as the head of business affairs. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Gavin and Stacey" Heads to ABC, Nelsan Ellis Talks "True Blood" FInale, "Bones" Flashback Possible for 100th Episode, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

ABC is developing a US adaptation of British hit comedy series Gavin and Stacey, about the romance between two very different lovers from two very different places (in the original it was Essex and Wales) who fall in love over the phone and begin a relationship, against the advice of their eccentric friends and families. US version, from BBC Worldwide, will be written by Stacy Traub (Notes from the Underbelly) and Hayes Jackson (According to Jim). Elsewhere at the Alphabet, the network has given a pilot order to 18 Years, about a young couple who become parents and must "adjust to their new life as parents -- trading their fast-paced existence for a more domesticated lifestyle," from Sony Pictures Television and writer/executive producers Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith (The King of Queens). ABC is also developing an untitled comedy, from Samantha Who? executive producer Don Todd, ABC Studios, and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, about a thirty-something woman who learns that her new job as boss to a group of twenty-somethings puts her in the role of mother, therapist, and friend. (Variety)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a great interview with True Blood star Nelsan Ellis about the second season finale, which aired on HBO last night. And Ryan recounts that Ellis has one suggestion for executive producer Alan Ball about Season Three of the vampire drama: he wants a Lafayette flashback to see the short order cook with his mother. "There are so many lines about how his mother treated [Lafayette]," Ellis told Ryan. "It would be nice if we found out in the flashbacks that she was a vampire." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Bones creator Hart Hanson is considering using the 100th episode as a flashback to the first assignment that Booth (David Boreanaz) and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) worked togther, before the events of the pilot episode. "We alluded in the pilot that the first time they worked together — the time before the pilot — that it went very badly," Hanson told Ausiello. "They had a terrible time. So it would be really fun to do a flashback episode.... It’s in the bin of ideas for the 100th episode, but it’s a big bin!" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS has given a pilot order to multi-camera comedy True Love, from Sony Pictures Television and writer/executive producer Matt Tarses and executive producer Jamie Tarses, about four friends in their twenties who are looking for love in Manhattan. The studio also has comedy script Nathan vs. Nurture, written by David Guarascio and Moses Port, in contention at NBC. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Julian Sands (24) has been cast as a guest star on the CW's Smallville, where he will play a young Jor-El. Sands is slated to appear in a November episode entitled "Kandor," where "it’s revealed that he arrived with Zod and the other Kandorians." Sands is so far only contracted for one episode but that could change as well. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin is reporting that ABC Family has ordered the back ten episodes of its freshman comedy series 10 Things I Hate About You. The ten additional episodes are thought to be likely to launch in January 2010. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

However, ABC Family opted not to pick up any additional episodes of fellow frosh series Ruby and the Rockits, which will wrap its run after its initial order of ten episodes. (Hollywood Reporter)

TBS has ordered a fourth season of comedy My Boys. The Sony Pictures Television-produced series has received an order for nine episodes, which will launch in 2010. (Variety)

Showtime has given a six-episode order to half-hour reality series Lock 'N Load, which offers a hidden-camera behind-the-scenes look at a gun store in Englewood, Colorado as its gun expert Josh T. Ryan interacts with clients. Project, from Authentic Entertainment, will launch on Wednesday, October 21st at 8 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) has been cast in an untitled single-camera comedy pilot about a recent widower who tries to get his life back on track with some help from his eccentric friends and family. Project, which hails from Sony Pictures Television, was written on spec by Alex Barnow and Marc Firek and will be taken out to the networks in the coming weeks. He will star in a Lifetime telepic about con artist Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, a.k.a. Clark Rockefeller, a high society scammer who ran "the longest con in FBI history." Project, from Sony Pictures Television, is written by Edithe Swensen and will be directed by Mikael Salomon. (Hollywood Reporter)

Fox21 has signed a first-look deal with Stuart Krasnow (Hole in the Wall), under which the reality producer will develop unscripted series projects for the boutique division for both broadcast and cable. He had previously had a co-venture deal with FremantleMedia North America. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Zooey Deschanel Could Guest Star on "Bones," FOX Slates First "Glee" Soundtrack, NBC to Get "More Colorful," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

It seems like the stars are finally aligning. Producers on FOX's Bones are in talks with Zooey Deschanel to guest star on the procedural crime drama in December as the cousin of real-life sister Emily Deschanel's Brennan, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "We’ve been looking for an opportunity to get the Deschanel girls together," said Bones creator/executive producer Hart Hanson, "but Zooey’s rockin’ career kept getting in the way... We alluded to [her] having a cousin in Minnesota two seasons ago. I’d very much like to meet her in the Christmas episode." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

As previously reported on this site, 20th Century Fox Television is teaming up with Columbia Records on a series of soundtracks for FOX's upcoming series Glee. The first release, "Glee: The Music, Volume 1," will contain seventeen tracks from the series' first season (including Queen's "Somebody to Love," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and Kanye West's "Gold Digger") and will debut on November 3rd. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has unveiled its new marketing slogan, "more colorful," which is reportedly intended to "reference both NBC's Peacock heritage and the net's famous '60s-era bumpers, which promised 'the following program is brought to you in living color on NBC,'" according to Variety's Michael Schneider. The new tagline will launch on September 14th, the same day that the Peacock will premiere Jay Leno's new 10 pm weeknightly series. (Variety)

So Twitter. FOX will use Twitter later this week during repeat broadcasts of both Glee and Fringe, during which cast members and producers will use the social networking platform to tweet live updates during the telecasts that will be displayed on-air in a scroll at the bottom of the screen. Fringe's Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jeff Pinkner, and J.H. Wyman will participate, while Glee's Lea Michele, Kevin McHale, Mark Salling, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, and Chris Colfer are all set to join them when FOX repeats the pilot of Glee on Friday evening. (Variety)

Casting alert! Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager) has been cast in NBC's medical drama Mercy, where she will play Jeannie Flanagan, the mother of Taylor Schilling's Veronica. Elsewhere, Jesse Williams (Greek) will appear in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, though producers are keeping details about his character firmly under wraps. Matthew Levy will star opposite Tyler Labine in FOX's midseason comedy Sons of Tucson as the eldest of the three brothers, Joshua Leonard (Humpday) will recur on Season Two of Showtime's United States of Tara as "boho-trustifarian" Ricky, and Mido Hamada (Path to 9/11) will recur on FOX's 24 as "Mehran, the leader of a group of operatives in an Islamic country working against their president." (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Garret Dillahunt (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) will guest star in USA's Burn Notice, where he will play Simon, described by Ausiello as "a scary-smart new client of Michael’s (Jeffrey Donovan) — and perhaps the first person to outsmart him." Dillahunt's episode, which also features John Mahoney, is slated to air this winter. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Brenda Blethyn (Atonement) will star in Hidden Depths, a new murder mystery series on UK's ITV based on the novel by Ann Cleeves. Blethyn will play Vera Stanhope, a detective inspector in Northumberland who is on the trail of a murderer who left the bodies of two young people in the water. Project will be adapted by Paul Rutman and executive produced by kate Bartlett. (Guardian)

It's the end of the rainbow. PBS has announced that long-running children's series Reading Rainbow aired its final episode on Friday, after a run that began in 1983. (Hollywood Reporter)

Supernatural creator Eric Kripke told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello that he is sticking to his five-year plan for the drama series and intends to wrap up the storyline at the end of next season. But there's a rather big catch. "I did set out [to] tell a five-season storyline," said Kripke. "Quite frankly, I never expected [the show] to make it to five years. But now that we’re in our fifth year, I have every intention of ending the story with a bang and not drawing it out or watering it down.... That having been said, I’m looking at this season as the last chapter in this particular story. That doesn’t mean there can’t be a new story. Buffy did it. The X-Files did it. You close a chapter on a big mythology storyline and then you begin a new one." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has given a script order to an untitled multi-camera comedy project from writer/executive producers Matt Williams (Roseanne), Carmen Finestra, and David McFadzean and ABC Studios about a sports psychologist who runs his practice out of his house and tries to juggle his career with his role as a father of three and a husband. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC Three has announced three new commissions including drama Lip Service, about the "sex lives and love affairs of twenty-something lesbians living in contemporary Glasgow" from Harriet Braun (Mistresses), comedy Mouth to Mouth, about the "complicated and sometimes funny issues of personal identity, following the year-in-the-life story of six young people," and news-based entertainment series Russell Howard's Good News, in which Howard draws conclusions from the top news stories as well as smaller stories which may not have gotten any ink (digital or otherwise). (BBC)

TLC has ordered twelve episodes of docusoap King of the Crown, which will follow Cy Frakes, professional beauty queen coach as he trains his clients "how to perfect their walk, style hair, and smile on cue." The cabler will debut the series, from Five Five Prods. and Discovery Studios, on Wednesday, September 30th. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Fire in the Hole: FX's "Rescue Me" to End in 2011

TVGuide.com is reporting that FX drama Rescue Me will wrap up its series run in 2011, according to co-creator/executive producer Peter Tolan.

"Within the next couple of weeks, we're going to begin shooting the last 19 episodes, which will be the final two seasons of the show," Peter Tolan told TVGuide.com, with the final episodes of the Sony Pictures Television-produced series slated to air in September of 2011 in order to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Those episodes will be broken down into two seasons, with the first batch airing next year.

"I think they're stretching the airing of it out until the 10th anniversary," surmised Tolan. "So if you put 10 episodes on next year and nine the following year, you'll land there."

Additionally, TVGuide.com also reported that Tolan is seeking to have Maura Tierney (ER, Parenthood) reprise her role as Kelly McPhee in four installments of Rescue Me's final episodes.

Rescue Me will end its fifth season on Tuesday, September 1st at 10 pm ET/PT on FX.

Channel Surfing: MTV Lights US "Skins," FX "Mad" for Cheadle Basketball Drama, HBO to Explore "Savage Love," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

MTV is developing a US adaptation of hit British teen drama series Skins, which airs on E4 and Channel 4 in the UK. Co-creator Bryan Elsley will executive produce the new version, which will be shot in Baltimore with unknown actors, with Company Pictures' Charlie Pattinson and George Faber. "It's been two years that I've been personally involved in trying to get this here to the network," MTV's SVP of series development Liz Gateley told Variety, "and I don't think I've ever had a negotiation drag out as long as this, but I knew it was something very special." Elsley will write the pilot script for the US version of Skins, which MTV has committed to filming. (Variety)

FX has ordered a pilot script for sports drama March to Madness, about a corrupt college basketball program that manages to reach the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament through some duplicitous means. Project, written/executive produced by Joel Silverman, will be directed by Pete Segal and executive produced by Don Cheadle, Dave Miller, and Micahel Ewing. (Variety)

HBO is said to have ordered a pilot presentation for a potential series based around Dan Savage's sex advice column "Savage Love," which appears in alternative weekly papers around the country. The pilot is slated to be taped later this week and the potential series would "focus on current events and cultural trends with sex as the filter," according to a press release. (Hollywood Reporter)

UK viewers will get the chance to watch short-lived serialized horror/thriller series Harper's Island, starring Christopher Gorham, Elaine Cassidy, and Katie Cassidy, on BBC Three and BBC HD beginning Sunday, September 6th. (BBC)

Grant Turck and Alfonso Arau have optioned Gary Jennings' 1980 historical novel "Aztec" and are said to be developing a mini-series take on the project, with John Milius (Rome) in talks to adapt and Arau to direct "at least two hours" of the mini-series, which has yet to be pitched to networks. (Hollywood Reporter)

VH1 has now also cancelled I Love Money 3 after the body of murder suspect Ryan Jenkins was discovered in a Canadian motel over the weekend. The news comes on the heels of the cabler's cancellation of Megan Wants a Millionaire, which also featured Jenkins as a contestant. (Variety)

RDF USA and Artificial Life are said to be developing an interactive animated series, entitled Sleuths, in which viewers can utilize customized avatars that will appear in the episode's broadcast and answer quiz questions; those answering correctly will have their avatar move onto the next round and ultimately "the top five avatars will appear onscreen standing with the show's characters." (Hollywood Reporter)

Former E! and Versus executive Gavin Harvey has been named EVP/general manager of music cable channel Fuse. (Variety)

CMT has ordered a second season of musical competition series The Singing Bee, with 20 episodes on tap for January 2010. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Sanada Gets "Lost," Jayma Mays Returns to "Heroes," NBC Crowns "Rex," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada (Rush Hour 3) has joined the cast of ABC's Lost in a recurring role for its sixth and final season. Details of Sanada's character are being kept firmly under wraps as is the number of episodes that he'll ultimately appear in. Sanada's casting comes on the heels of the announcement that Deadwood's John Hawkes had signed on to the drama series as Lennon, the spokesperson and translator for a foreign conglomerate. Could these two roles be connected in any way, given Sanada's Japanese background? Hmmm.... (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jayma Mays (Glee) will return to NBC's Heroes, where she will reprise her role as Hiro's former love interest Charlie in one episode of the superpowered drama series. But didn't Charlie die? Yep. "As the dying time-traveler zips back and forth through the ages to accomplish his bucket list," writes Ausiello, "well, isn’t it safe to assume that saving his almost-sweetheart would be pretty high on the list?" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

NBC has given a pilot order to legal dramedy Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, about a lawyer with crippling panic attacks who begins coaching clients on how to represent themselves in court. Project, from writer/executive producer Andrew Leeds and David Lampson, BermanBraun, and Universal Media Studios, was originally pitched and sold to NBC in 2007 and then shut down by the writers strike. Barry Schindle (Law & Order) will server as showrunner on the project, which will be executive produced by Gail Berman and Lloyd Braun. (Hollywood Reporter)

Keith Carradine (Dexter) will guest star in two episodes of FOX's Dollhouse, where he will play Matthew Harding, described by Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello as "a powerful businessman." No other details about Carradine's character are available and it's unclear whether he'll be a client of the Dollhouse or someone looking to take it down. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Mickey O'Connor is reporting that Amalia Zinser (Cold Case) has been cast in the CW's 90210, where she will play tomboy surfer Ivy who serve as a potential love interest for both Dixon and Liam. Zinser's first appearance is slated for October. (TVGuide.com)

BET is said to be in talks with CBS Television Studios about ordering a new season of comedy series The Game, which was canceled in the spring by the CW. Should a deal be reached, however, new deals with the actors would have to be made as their options have now already lapsed. (Hollywood Reporter)

Cabler TLC has ordered a second season of docusoap The Little Couple, which follows married couple Bill Klein and Jen Arnold, who are both under four feet tall. Project, from LMNO Prods., will return this fall with eighteen new episodes. (Variety)

VH1 has cancelled reality dating series Megan Wants a Millionaire, after one contestant was charged with murdering a former model. (Hollywood Reporter)

UK satellite network Sky1 has commissioned a six-part mini-series adaptation of Chris Ryan's hostage crisis novel "Strike Back," which will star Richard Armitage, Andrew Lincoln, Jodhi May, Orla Brady, Nicola Stephenson, and Laura Greenwood. Project, written by Jed Mercurio and directed by Daniel Percival, will launch in Spring 2010. (Variety)

Sony Pictures Television has signed a two-year deal with Big Brother executive producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan, under which they will form a joint production company, Fly on the Wall Entertainment. Their shingle will develop and produce reality-based programming for the studio. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Ascends to "Thrones," FOX Breaks in with Olmstead and Santora, Edie Falco Talks "Nurse Jackie," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Virtuality star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has been cast in the pilot for fantasy drama Game of Thrones, HBO's adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novel series. Coster-Waldau will play Jaime Lannister, described by The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd as "one of the king's guards and a ruthless usurper of the previous king." Also cast in the Tom McCarthy-directed pilot: Tamzin Merchant (The Tudors), Richard Madden (Hope Springs), Iain Glen (Into the Storm), Alfie Allen (The Other Boleyn Girl), Sophie Turner (Doctor Who), and Maisie Williams, all of whom join the previously announced Sean Bean, Mark Addy, Jennifer Ehle, Kit Harrington, Harry Lloyd, Peter Dinklage, and Jack Gleeson. Production begins this October in Ireland. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has handed out a pilot script order with penalty to drama Break Out Kings, from 20th Century Fox Television and Prison Break writer/producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora, about a group of former convicts who become members of the US Marshall service in Manhattan and track down fugitives. Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is attached to direct and executive produce, alongside Olmstead and Santora. (Variety)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a fantastic interview with Nurse Jackie star Edie Falco, the series' creators Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius, and Showtime president Robert Greenblatt about the dark comedy, which wraps its first season run on Monday. "Don’t pin it down," said Falco of her belief that she doesn't want the audience to have any specific conclusions about Jackie's complex life. "Leave questions. Treat the audience like they’re smart. Let five people who are viewing it have five different ideas about what just happened in that scene."(The Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson will star in HBO's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy play The Sunset Limited, about a man who saves another from throwing himself in front of a subway train. Jones will direct the two-hour telepic, which will be produced by Barbara Hall. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Kirsten Johnston (3rd Rock from the Sun) has been cast in a recurring role on ABC's Ugly Betty, where she will play Helen, a new office temp at Mode magazine who befriends Becki Newton's Amanda. If the character description sounds familiar, it's because the role was originally meant to be played by former American Idol judge Paula Abdul before talks between Abdul and the series' producers collapsed. "I’ve always considered myself a poor man’s Paula Abdul," Johnston joked to Ausiello and then described her character as "Amanda in 10 years. She’s still trying to get into the right clubs, wearing tight dresses... tragic. I think [Helen] sees herself as Samantha from Sex and the City. Except, of course, she’s a temp." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has given a premium script commitment to an untitled multi-camera family comedy pilot from My Name is Earl executive producer Bobby Bowman about a strange kid who attempts to be normal, even while living among a highly eccentric family. Project, which will be written by Bowman, hails from Peter Chernin's new company and 20th Century Fox Television. (Hollywood Reporter)

Broadcast is reporting that the BBC has announced that it will not order a second season of period fantasy comedy Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire after its funding partner--that would be Comedy Central here in the US--pulled out of the international co-production. (Broadcast)

Anyone else troubled by executive producer Todd Slavkin's recent comments in an E! Online interview about the CW's new Melrose Place, where he describes the "sexual revolution" going on in the series as "post-AIDS"? Said Slavkin: "We feel that there is a current sexual revolution going on. Kind of post-AIDS—where the boundaries are off. Their parents have been shackled, and they want to explore." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Canadian sketch comedy troupe Kids in the Hall have reunited for Death Comes to Town, an eight-episode "comic murder mystery" for the CBC. According to Variety's Brendan Kelly, the series will revolves around a "small town when all its most distinguished citizens are murdered. A suspect is arrested, there's a trial and many dark secrets are revealed along the way." Production is currently underway for a January launch on CBC. (Variety)

BBC Two has given a series order to culinary comedy Whites, starring Alan Davies (Jonathan Creek) as a highly successful executive chef who lacks the motivation to turn his restaurants into an empire, Pam Ferris (The Darling Buds of May), Darren Boyd (Saxondale), and Isy Suttie (Peep Show). Project was created by Matt King (Peep Show's Superhans) and Oliver Lansley (FM) and six half-hour episodes will be shot. (Broadcast)

FearNet has acquired five unaired episodes of short-lived NBC horror anthology series Fear Itself, which it will begin running on FearNet.com beginning September 2nd and on FearNet OnDemand beginning September 7th. (Hollywood Reporter)

Cartoon Network has ordered a second season of reality series Destroy Build Destroy, which Andrew W.K. attached to return as host of the live-action series. (Variety)

Tijuana Entertainment has hired former Reveille executive Ronak Kordestani as director of development and Todd Berger as a creative consultant. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Fire" Sale at ABC, Winslet Cops to "Mildred Pierce," Mr. Eko Wants to Get "Lost" Again, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

ABC has given a script order with a sizable penalty to a contemporary series take on 1985 feature film St. Elmo's Fire. Project, which comes from Sony Pictures Television, will be written/executive produced by Dan Bucatinsky and executive produced by Topher Grace, Jamie Tarses, and Joel Schumacher. The series would revolve around a group of six friends--three men, three women--who hang out together at a Georgetown restaurant called St. Elmo's Bar & Grill. "I feel it is time to re-create Friends in the hourlong genre and feel like this is the perfect opportunity," said Bucatinsky. ""More than anything, the movie evokes a feeling that doesn't go away, the feeling of bonding with your friends who become your surrogate family." (Hollywood Reporter)

Could Kate Winslet be headed for the small screen? HBO is said to be in the running to pick up a mini-series adaptation of 1945 feature film Mildred Pierce that would star Kate Winslet (The Reader) and be written and directed by Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven). The original film, which starred Joan Crawford, revolved around a murder investigation that ensnares a bored housewife-turned-restaurant-mogul, her spoiled daughter, and her vicious husband. (Editor: I'm a huge fan of the original and would love to see Winslet and Haynes work their magic on a remake, which I hope would remain period-set.) (Variety)

Could Mr. Eko be returning to Lost? If actor Adawale Akinnuoye-Agbaj has his way, he will be. "I loved playing that character," Akinnuoye-Agbaj told Entertainment Weekly. "I loved working with that team and the reception I got from people was phenomenal. Even at Comic-Con this year I went to sign my action figure for G.I. Joe and people had tons of questions about Lost. It makes you feel good that you could be off a show for more than a year and still have people thinking about your character. It was a great part. I’m here for them. Adewale is open for business. We have had talks about some things they might do for the final season and there are other dead folks coming back allegedly but at the moment it is still a maybe. A strong maybe but I have not shot anything yet or signed any contracts. But I’m hoping." Lost's executive producers, meanwhile, declined to comment. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Reporter)

TNT has confirmed that drama series Saving Grace will wrap its run next summer with a final batch of nine episodes. According to the Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, the cabler offered studio Fox Television Studios a full fourth season order, but the studio "declined to accept it for financial reasons." Instead, an additional three episodes have been tacked on to the six that were meant to run next year in an effort to tie up any dangling plot lines. "It's been a fantastic beacon for the network, which has both challenged and entertained viewers in ways few other shows on television ever dare," said TNT's programming czar Michael Wright. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other cancellation news, Comedy Central has confirmed that it has cancelled Reno 911! after six seasons. News of the axe was originally made by co-creator/star Thomas Lennon over Twitter. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has signed a deal with writer/producer Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files) to develop two new drama series. First up: Humanitas, a futuristic drama that Spotnitz has written and will executive produce with Gavin Polone, about a potentially threatening pandemic stemming from major advances in medical science and genetic manipulation. Spotnitz and co-writer Adam Rapp will also adapt Robert Silverberg's sci-fi novel "The World Inside," about a future where, following massive overpopulation, the planet's inhabitants live inside "carefully controlled urban centers where frustration and anger are eliminated, sex is rampant and fertility is the most prized human attribute." Meanwhile, Spotnitz is writing a drama pilot Arc for FX about a former spy who tries to leave behind the espionage game and settle into normal life. Based on a true story, it will be produced by Scott Free Prods. and CBS Television Studios. (Variety)

Reveille has acquired US remake rights for Italian drama series About My Brother, about a Manhattan lawyer who returns home to Italy and forms an unconventional partnership with his autistic brother, who has become a dogged investigator. (Hollywood Reporter)

Cartoon Network has ordered additional installments of animated series The Marvelous Adventures of Flapjack, which will now run throughout the remainder of 2009, and has ordered two new series: Regular Show, about groundskeepers and the animals who live on the ground who try to keep themselves busy, and Horrorbots, about two teenage robots who attend high school. (Variety)

A&E and Tony Danza (Who's the Boss) are developing reality series Teach, in which the actor would serve as a co-teacher of a 10th grade English class at a high school in Philadelphia. Production will commence if and when Philadelphia school board officials approve the cameras to enter the school. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Elizabeth Banks Joins "Modern Family," Shawn Ryan to "Ridealong" with FOX, Tina Fey Talks Emmys and "30 Rock," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Elizabeth Banks (Scrubs) has signed on guest star on ABC's upcoming comedy series Modern Family in a potentially recurring role. TV Guide Magazine's William Keck is reporting that Banks will play Sal, a close friend of gay couple Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), in an October episode and that she came to the project via her real-life friendship with Ferguson. "Sal is their old running buddy," executive producer Steven Levitan told Keck. "Mitchell and Cameron decide they need a night out on the town, so they call her up." Lloyd adds, "She's thrilled to be back with her old friends until they start talking about their new (adopted) baby and she doesn't want to hear about the baby, so she starts saying things like, 'I wouldn't mind killing the baby.'" (TV Guide Magazine)

FOX has given a put pilot commitment to Shawn Ryan's one-hour drama project Ridealong, about a group of Chicago-based cops ranging from uniformed beat cops to a female police chief. Ryan will write and executive produce the pilot, which will be shot on location in Chicago. Ryan, who said that the project won't be as gritty as The Shield, indicated that the series will focus on episodic cases "but something will happen in the pilot that will have overarching (ramifications) that we deal with over time. It will be less serialized than Grey's but more than CSI." Project hails from 20th Century Fox Television and Ryan's shingle Midd Kid Prods. (Variety, Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Broadcasting & Cable's Melissa Grego has a fantastic interview with 30 Rock creator/star/executive producer Tina Fey about the Emmys, Ben Silverman, 30 Rock, syndication, and much more. Of Silverman, Fey said, "Ben was always very good to us and good to 30 Rock, and anyone who left us on the air is all right by me. We'll miss him, but all seems well with the new guy, too. I spoke to Mr. Gaspin last week and he seems like a good guy—so far. So far. I'm giving him 10... no, I'm kidding." (Broadcasting & Cable)

Mike Vogel (Empire State) has replaced Richard Coyle on CBS' midseason medical drama Miami Trauma. Vogel will play a "charming and fiercely competitive surgeon with a healthy ego." (Is there any other kind?) Series, from Warner Bros. Television and executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, follows the lives of trauma specialists in Miami. (Hollywood Reporter)

Despite comments made by Kevin Reilly at last week's TCA Summer Press Tour, FOX will be airing the final installments of King of the Hill, according to a new press release. FOX has slated the one-hour series finale of King of the Hill for Sunday, September 13th at 8 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Hilary Duff will star in ABC Family romantic comedy telepic The Business of Falling in Love, based on the book "Diary of a Working Girl" by Daniella Brodsky about a fashion reporter who goes undercover in the financial world to write an article about dating business men. Gil Junger will direct the two-hour telepic, which was adapted by Mike Horowitz (Burn Notice). (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson confirmed that comedies The Goode Family and Surviving Suburbia have been canceled and won't be returning to the schedule. (Futon Critic)

Two more cast additions to TNT's untitled alien invasion drama pilot from Steven Spielberg: iCarly's Drew Roy and The Hole's Peter Shinkoda have signed on to star opposite Noah Wyle. (Hollywood Reporter)

Clint Black will executive produce anthology series American Storytellers from ITV Studios, which transforms country music songs into one-hour drama installments. Black will executive produce the series with Mark Roberts, Lorena David, and Joel C. High. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

HBO Renews "True Blood," "Hung," and "Entourage," Others Still Up in the Air

HBO's Richard Plepler and Michael Lombardo took to the stage yesterday at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Pasadena that HBO had locked in its entire current Sunday night lineup for additional seasons next summer.

The pay cabler has officially renewed True Blood for a third season, Hung for a second season, and Entourage for a staggering seventh season. All will return to the lineup next summer rather than premiering earlier.

"True Blood, Hung, and Entourage will all be coming back next summer and we're very excited about it." Lombardo told the press. "So stay tuned for next June."

The duo, in an executive session at the aforementioned TCA panel, also relayed information about HBO's other crop of series and whether we could expect to see them return or not, with the fate of several series still very much up in the air.

Curb Your Enthusiasm returns September 20th with a new series and will be slotted together with new comedy Bored to Death, starring Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis, which will launch on the same night.

Lombardo wouldn't give any details about Evan Rachel Woods' appearance in Season Two/Season Three of True Blood. "Alan Ball would kill me," he said emphatically.

As expected, Big Love will be back in January. HBO expresses their disappointment that Big Love's talented cast didn't net Emmy nods for the truly amazing third season. (Editor: personally, I agree with them completely. Egregious error.)

Also on the subject of the Emmys, which announced yesterday that they would cut eight categories--including movie and miniseries awards--from the live telecast and instead film them separately and air edited versions of the winners' acceptance speechs, Plepler shot back at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. "For an awards show that seems to celebrate TV," said Plepler, "it seems odd that you would minimize categories that have huge viewership."

Flight of the Conchords isn't quite as dead as it appeared a few months back, with Plepler and Lombardo stating that the future of the series was squarely in the hands of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. "When they are ready, we're ready," said Plepler about a potential third season of Flight of the Conchords. "The challenge is of course they're not only writing a television show but have the added challenge of writing an album. So it's double the pressure. But we're waiting and as soon as they tell us they're ready, we'd be thrilled."

Things are looking less certain for a second season of the critically acclaimed drama series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which HBO co-produces with the BBC. "We're actually in conversations now and try to figure out the next step on that show," said Lombardo. "That show has been a challenge creatively as you know because the creative vision behind that show, Anthony Minghella, unfortunately passed away after the pilot was done." Fingers crossed that they can reach an agreement to bring Jill Scott's Precious Ramotswe back for a sophomore season...

And things are still very uncertain for a third season of In Treatment. "We're trying to put it together," said HBO. "It was adapted from an Israeli series, which had two seasons, so we would have to create new scripts from whole cloth but we're working to see whether that's possible." As for a final word on the series' fate, the duo said: "Gabriel is very interesting in doing it again so stay tuned."

Meanwhile, Little Britain USA is dead. But HBO said that they are in talks with creators/stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams about doing a series of specials featuring new characters and new situations. But don't hold your breath for these; at the very earliest the first special would air on HBO at the end of 2010 or shortly thereafter.

Fellow comedy Eastbound and Down, however, will return for a second season next year. The series "found young, passionate audience... There was no way we weren't bringing it back." Season Two of Eastbound will shoot at the end of winter or beginning of spring next year.

And animated comedy The Life and Times of Tim will return, with season two of the Media Rights Capital-produced series kicking off in the next few months. Ideally, Tim would be paired with the untitled animated Ricky Gervais comedy series--based on the podcast Gervais does with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington--but the latter likely won't make it on the air until next year.

As for new product, HBO said that the plan is to launch David Simon's newest series the post-Katrina New Orleans-set Treme, in April, trailing out of the end of its WWII mini-series The Pacific.

And HBO is anxiously awaiting a cut of its period drama Boardwalk Empire from executive producer Martin Scorsese and writer Terence Winter. Expectations are that once they see a cut of the pilot, HBO can order it to series and go back into production in September. "From everything we've seen it's fantastic, it's big, and it's everything we'd hoped it'd be," said Plepler.

Finally, HBO proved themselves magnanimous in success. Former HBO topper Chris Albrecht, now an independent producer, "should go where the work is and if he has something for" HBO, they are happy to take the pitch, said Plepler.

Channel Surfing: "Robin Hood" Slain by BBC, Hulu Plans September Launch in UK, Neil Patrick Harris to Host Emmys, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Hollywood seems more or less shut down already for the Fourth of July weekend, so just a few headlines this morning.

The Beeb has confirmed that it will not be bringing back drama series Robin Hood for a fourth season. The series, which starred Jonas Armstrong in the title role, saw its viewership decline to roughly four million viewers during its third (and now final) season (compared to the 8.6 million who tuned in for the series premiere in 2006). For his part, Armstrong had made it clear that the third season would be his last, stating, "It's been a great thrill, a great ride, but you can't play one part forever." (BBC News)

Hulu has announced plans to launch a UK-based online video service in September and has indicated that it is close to reaching content deals with local broadcasters after offering them equity stakes in the service as well as a share of advertising revenues. Rumors are swirling that Hulu has already approached ITV about a possible stake but that has yet to be confirmed. Service would feature more that 3000 hours of US programming as well as local-grown fare but, due to rights issues, some programs--such as The Simpsons and Heroes--would be unavailable as those rights are tied up elsewhere. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that CBS and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has reached a deal with How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris to host the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in September, citing multiple sources. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan takes a look at the metamorphosis on Tuesday of cabler Sci Fi to Syfy and talks to Syfy president Dave Howe about the change, the channel's brand, and its future. "When people understand the rationale, they do get it," Howe told Ryan. "You can’t have a brand called 'Sport' or 'Drama' or 'News.' It’s just not a brand name." "The issue that we’ve always had with Sci Fi is that it only communicates three things: Space, aliens and the future," Howe said later. "That’s the default perception, and that’s a barrier to entry for people who we know like [reality fare such as] Ghost Hunters and Destination Truth..." (The Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Access Hollywood is reporting that Rumer Willis will guest star next season on the CW's 90210, where she will play Gia, a student at West Beverly who works on the school paper, the Blaze News, and is described as "a punky cute lesbian who isn’t afraid to speak her mind." Willis will appear in at least one episode of the series next season. (Access Hollywood)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Drea de Matteo Moves to Wisteria Lane, Meloni and Hargitay Return to "Law & Order: SVU," Showtime Axes "Brotherhood," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Sons of Anarchy's Drea de Matteo (best known as The Sopranos' Adrianna) is joining the cast of ABC's Desperate Housewives next season as a series regular, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. De Matteo will play "the matriarch of a new Italian family," writes Ausiello. "Casting is underway for her landscape designer husband and their tightly wound son." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay WILL be coming back to NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit next season, after all. The duo have finally signed deals that will keep them in the lead roles on the NBC drama series for the next two seasons and will be paid just slightly less than $400,000 per episode. Neal Baer also closed a deal to remain on board the series as showrunner and Christine Lahti (Jack & Bobby) has signed on to guest star in the first four episodes of next season's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as an ADA, while Stephanie March will appear in at least ten episodes next season. (Variety, Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Showtime has confirmed to E! Online's Watch with Kristin that it has canceled drama series Brotherhood and will not be returning the series for a fourth season. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia has landed a put pilot deal at FOX for an untitled single-camera comedy about a 25-year-old man who has a one-night stand with a woman on death row for murder and then has to raise the resulting baby with his family. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, will be written by Garcia. (Variety)

SCI FI Wire spoke to Edward James Olmos and Grace Park about what to viewers should expect from Battlestar Galactica prequel telepic The Plan, which Olmos directed. "What their plan was, I think that's a big surprise," said Olmos. "Finding out what the plan was and how it was structured and how close they were to completing it." Park said that there's more than meets the eye with The Plan. "[There is more than] the obvious, which is what was the Cylon perspective," said Park. "If they had a plan, what their plan was, what it entailed. I think besides that, [The Plan shows] probably how alike or unlike humans they really are." (SCI FI Wire)

CBS is launching seven-episode reality competition series There Goes the Neighborhood, in which eight suburban families are enclosed by a twenty-foot wall in compete for a cash prize of $250,000, on Sunday, August 9th. (via press release)

Chris Kattan (Saturday Night Live) has been upgraded from guest star to series regular on ABC comedy The Middle, where he plays car salesman Bob, a co-worker and friend to Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton). He'll next be seen in IFC's three-part Bollywood Hero. (Hollywood Reporter)

SOAPNet has renewed Canadian drama Being Erica for a second season of twelve episodes that is slated to air early next year, according to Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider. "Sources say the next season will find Erica (Erin Karpluk) learning more about the dynamics of time travel," writes Jennifer Armstrong, "and will reveal more about her enigmatic psychiatrist, Dr. Tom (Michael Riley)." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

VH1 ordered three new series including an eight-episode untitled reality project starring Salt-N-Pepa's Sandra "Pepa" Denton as she looks for love after a "self-imposed romantic and sexual dormancy," an untitled eight-episode project starring TLC's Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas as she also looks for love, this time with the help of relationship expert Tionna Smalls, and an untitled ten-episode docusoap featuring Frank "the Entertainer" Moresco from I Love NY as he looks for love and tries to move out of his parents' basement. The cabler also renewed Celebrity Fit Club for a seventh season and Sober House with Dr. Drew for a second season. (Variety)

Danneel Harris will reprise her role as Rachel Gatina in at least seven episodes of the CW's One Tree Hill next season after she was written out of the series in Season Five. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Neil Patrick Harris Sings Again as "Batman" Villain, Spielberg Woos Wyle for TNT Sci-Fi Pilot, Mohinder Heads to "Psych," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) won't be reprising his role from Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible but he will be singing in an upcoming episode of Cartoon Network's Batman: The Brave and the Bold slated to air this fall. In the episode, Harris will play villain The Music Meister who "has the power to create song wherever he goes, and he’s trying to dominate the world," according to series executive producer James Tucker. Fans looking to catch an animated glimpse at Harris as the Music Meister should attend the Batman: Brave and the Bold panel at Comic-Con next month, where the entire "Mayhem of the Music Meister!" episode will be screened. (TV Guide)

Steven Spielberg is said to be wooing Noah Wyle (ER) to star in his untitled TNT sci-fi pilot, which, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "takes place six months after evil extra terrestrials decimate mankind." If a deal is reached, Wyle would star in the untitled pilot as "the leader of a ragtag group of citizens who try to bring down the aggressors." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin is reporting that Heroes' Sendhil Ramamurthy will guest star on an upcoming episode of USA's Psych, set to air in August, which will be directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, who is not only Ramamurthy's cousin but will also appear in the episode himself. Ramamurthy will play Raj, "a young man who believes that the firstborn in each generation of his family is cursed—a belief reinforced by the fact that bad things keep happening to all of his girlfriends. Jay, meanwhile, plays Jay, Raj's cousin who is directing a Bollywood-style play at the local theater and engaged to be married." Look for the Psych theme song to possibly get a Bollywood makeover for this episode. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

FOX has announced premiere dates for its new and returning series this fall, with the week of September 16th alone seeing the launch of Glee and the return of such drama series as Fringe, Bones, and Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, and a two-hour season opener of House (directed by executive producer Katie Jacobs) airing on September 21st, the first official day of the fall season. (Televisionary)

Meanwhile, the Futon Critic broke down the baseball pre-emptions facing FOX this fall, with every night of the week affected at least once by baseball-based pre-emotions, with Thursdays and Saturdays landing up to three possible pre-emptions this fall. (Futon Critic)

Former companion Freema Agyeman has expressed her approval of the casting of Karen Gillan as the new companion on Season Five of Doctor Who. "I think she looks great!" Agyeman told Digital Spy. "You know what? She's like an amalgamation of all of us: she's rocking the Rose look, she's got the Catherine hair, she's Scottish like David, and we share a story - she had a small part in the series before she becomes companion, and I had a small part in the series before I became companion too. She's a marriage of us all and we love her! Well, I love her and I'm sure the others love her too because she's part of the family now!" (Digital Spy)

It's official: A&E has now confirmed that it has canceled drama series The Beast, which starred Patrick Swayze and Travis Fimmel. A&E president Bob DeBitetto said the series was "a labor of love" for the network. (Hollywood Reporter)

And UK network ITV officially confirmed the rumor that it had axed sci-fi series Primeval. (The Guardian)

The CW is developing unscripted pilot I Pledge, based on Katalyst's online series The Presidential Pledge, which featured celebrities committing to community service during 2009. The potential series would follow those stars "as they highlight causes they believe in, and help solve a problem in the process." Pilot will be executive produced by Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg, and Karey Burke. (Variety)

MTV Networks' Brian Graden will leave the company when his contract expires. He's expected to transition to a production deal with the Viacom-owned owned cable group. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC Universal has appointed Cory Shields to a newly created post of EVP, global policy strategies and alliances. He'll report to NBC Universal president/CEO Jeff Zucker and EVP/general counsel Rick Cotton. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Whedon Talks "Dollhouse" Season Two, "My Name is Earl" Officially Dead, Middleton Talks "Sarah Connor," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Wondering what Joss Whedon has in store for Season Two of Dollhouse, which returns to FOX this fall? Entertainment Weekly's Mandi Bierly caught up with the Dollhouse creator to find out what to expect. "About two hours after starting to talk to the writers about story, I was back with such a vengeance, and so energized and so pumped because we really understand the show now," said Whedon. "We understand what works, and what didn't work so well or what we weren't so thrilled about. We don't have the onus of trying to be a big hit sitting on our shoulders. We can just be ourselves. And so the stories we're breaking are pure, and exciting, and everybody's on-board in the room, and it's never flowed better." Look for Echo to use that final word of Season One as a springboard for her second season mission. ""Echo wants to find not just Caroline, but what's going on behind everything," said Whedon. "She doesn't have all of the skills. [Laughs] But she does have this weird super power of becoming a different person all the time, so she might start using that more specifically to find out who Caroline was and what happened to her and why this place exists." (Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch)

My Name is Earl has officially been killed, following talks between studio 20th Century Fox Television and cabler TBS about picking up new installments of the comedy series. The studio released a statement yesterday that talks between the two sides had broken off after they were unable to reach an agreement. "While we had hoped to find a way to produce additional episodes for TBS, in the final analysis we simply could not make the economics work without seriously undermining the artistic integrity of the series," said the studio in a statement. "As none of us, [creator Greg Garcia] included, want the show to go out on anything but a high note, we regret that we must put to rest any speculation that Earl will continue." (Variety)

SCI FI Wire catches up with James Middleton, the executive producer of FOX's canceled Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles to find out what would have happened in the series' third season, had it continued. "By jumping into this future, [John] has erased his existence in a certain way, and we see that. We see that nobody recognizes him," said Middleton. "We would have to have explored that if we did get a third season. If we had gotten a third season, I should say, we definitely would have explored what it all meant, but I think there's a great moment where we see Allison [Summer Glau], and John's look to her is very meaningful. I think that also would have been a great thing in terms of dramatic potential. Like I said, the show has ended, and it would all be speculation, and I really don't want to raise anybody's expectations." (SCI FI Wire)

Eric Roberts has joined the cast of Starz drama Crash, where he will play "an entrepreneur hoping to bring a professional football team to L.A." Other new cast members for Season Two, which launches on September 18th, include Dana Ashbrook (yes, Twin Peaks' Bobby Briggs himself!), Linda Park, Jake McLaughlin, Tess Harper, and Julie Warner. (Variety)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that Comic-Con's Dollhouse panel next month will be two-hours long and will feature a screening of the unaired thirteenth episode, entitled "Epitaph One" and a discussion with Joss Whedon and series star Eliza Dushku. The two-hour session, according to a 20th Century Fox Television source, will take place on Friday, July 24th. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Meanwhile, Ryan is also reporting that there won't be a Heroes panel this year at Comic-Con. "According to a representative from Universal Media Studios, which makes the show," writes Ryan, "Heroes will "have a presence" at Comic-Con in various ways, but that presence will not involve the typical panel discussion that is a staple of Comic-Con." What that presence is remains to be seen but Ryan implies that it will involve a Season Four sneak peek in some form. (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Stephanie March will be staying put on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and will appear in at least ten episodes next season. "The show is expected to introduce one or possibly two new characters to fill the ADA void when Cabot isn't around," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS Television Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with CSI: NY executive producer Peter Lenkov. Under the terms of the deal, Lenkov will remain on board CSI: NY next season, where he teases fans will see ""Much more character. The mystery and the science are important, but people are just as important." (Hollywood Reporter)

Discovery has given a ten-episode series order to Garage Wars, in which mechanics will be pitted against each other to determine the best garage in America; two teams will be given a box with the same parts and must build the best vehicle from them in just four days. Series, from A. Smith and Co., is currently on the lookout for two car experts to serve as hosts. (Variety)

Outbound News Corp. president/COO Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope are said to have already begun taking meetings at the town's top talent agencies and inviting them to begin pitching projects. The duo are launching a new production company as part of Chenin's exit from News Corp that is said to operate under a similar deal as David E. Kelley's former arrangement. (Hollywood Reporter)

Chuck's Sarah Lancaster will guest star in an upcoming episode of TNT's medical drama Hawthorne, where she will play the girlfriend of a horrific motorcycle accident victim (My Boys' Reid Scott). (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Reveille has picked up US remake rights for Icelandic workplace comedy The Nightshift, about three graveyard shift workers at a gas station who try to remain motivated after dealings with eccentric customers. "The Nightshift is that rare international format that has American sensibility, and we're eager to tackle another workplace comedy after the success of The Office," said Reveille's managing director Howard Owens. "The show has a smart, ironic point of view, which we know will translate well in the U.S." (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.