San Diego Comic-Con 2010: USA's White Collar Panel

Missed yesterday's panel at San Diego Comic-Con for USA's stylish and slick caper drama White Collar? No worries as we've got you covered.

Televisionary special correspondent Lissette Lira was on hand for yesterday's panel and offered up the following highlights from the much anticipated White Collar event.

Among the tibits, there are some seriously random insights into the workings of the White Collar cast and crew:

• There was a cute video at the beginning of Willie Garson coming up with plans for the next caper... Since the cast was going to Comic-Con, they were going to steal the Tron Legacy footage... and he even had costumes for everyone.
• Marsha Thomasson is very happy to be back. She prefers filming in NYC to Hawaii where there were bugs crawling all over her while she shot Lost. She didn't want to give out any more info about the music box when pressed.
• Willie Garson kept calling Tiffani Thiessen "Tiffani Garson" every time he asked her a question.
• Matt has fun filming his stunts. He hit the wall hard last season on the first take of him jumping onto that bakery awning and the crew were all stunned but he smiled and said he was fine. This season, we'll see him swinging in a new stunt.
• Tiffani Thiessen had been filming her scenes in LA,since she was preggers (hellooo, it was so obvious as the blue screen looked bad). She's flying back to New York next week to join the gang again in filming.
• On the web there was a lot of talk about Kate being Elizabeth's sister and Jeff Eastin said, no, it's not true: the two actresses just happened to look alike.
• Matt Nix, the creator of Burn Notice challenged Jeff and the White Collar writing team to paintball with the Burn Notice writers and Jeff accepted.
• Matthew Bomer loves doing Arnold Schwarzenneger impressions.
• Tim DeKay said they had to get a new dog because the old one would decide to move in the middle of takes, he shed a lot, and he was a loud licker.

Random, no? Televisionary BFF Lissette Lira also managed to shoot some video of the White Collar panel, which can be found below.

"White Collar" Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2010 from Televisionary on Vimeo.

Season Two of White Collar airs Tuesdays at 9 pm ET/PT on USA.

Talk Back: USA's Covert Affairs Series Premiere

While I reviewed the 90-minute pilot for USA's newest series, Covert Affairs, yesterday, now that the series premiere has aired, I'm curious to hear what you thought of it.

What did you think of Piper Perabo and Chris Gorham? Was Anne Dudek sadly wasted in her role as Annie's clueless older sister? Did you like the relationship between the married spies played by Peter Gallagher and Kari Matchett? Did the series strike you as a tad bit too much like Alias, only without the Rambaldi devices and Jennifer Garner? (Though Perabo clearly seemed to be channeling Garner's Sydney Bristow here.)

What did you think of Covert Affairs' combination of kick-ass action and playful humor? Did you buy Auggie's role within the agency? Did you think that the set-up Danielle arranged for Annie was way too unbelievable? Was it ever even plausible that Annie was yanked from the Farm strictly for her linguistic skills?

And, most importantly, will you tune in again next week?

Talk back here.

Next week on Covert Affairs ("Walter's Walk"), Annie is forced to work on low-key cases until she is tipped off about a clandestine IRA cell operating within the US.

Channel Surfing: Laura Vandervoort to Return to Smallville, Terra Nova Comic-Con Confusion, Nikki Finke on Tilda, Doctor Who and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

They have... returned? V star Laura Vandervoort will reprise her role as Kara on the CW's Smallville for the series' tenth and final season, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. But don't get too excited, Supergirl fans: Vandervoort is only expected to appear in one installment of the Warner Bros. Television-produced superhero drama, scheduled to air in October. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Just what is going on with FOX's Terra Nova at Comic-Con? After the official San Diego Comic-Con 2010 schedule was announced over the last few days, 20th Century Fox Television opted to pull the panel for its upcoming prehistoric/time-travel drama starring Jason O'Mara from the convention. "Since production on the Jason O’Mara starrer isn’t expected to start until September, the producers don’t have any footage to show the fans in San Diego," writes Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice. "Plus, the writers don’t want to reveal too much about the high-concept series, which Fury promises will have an 'ongoing mythology.'" [Editor: I get that there is no footage but that was always going to be the case and no one expected a screening of the pilot or, indeed, anything.] “There are a lot of surprises, a lot of reveals that come out throughout the course of season,” Fury told Entertainment Weekly. “If we talk about the more interesting aspects of the show now, we’re afraid we’ll ruin the surprise for the audience. In this case, everything is moving along steadily, the script has been well-received. We just don’t have anything to wow anyone with. It’s still in the preliminary stage, It’s a huge undertaking." Complicating things further is the fact that the panel appears to be back on the schedule, leading several to wonder whether 20th balked at the bad publicity such a move would engender among the fanbase... or it's just an error on the Comic-Con lineup. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider, Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Deadline's Nikki Finke has offered her "first and last statement" about HBO's comedy pilot Tilda, which revolves around a Finke-like blogger who has Hollywood trembling. Writing on her own site, Finke attempted to set the record straight about her involvement with the Diane Keaton-led project, offering the following statement after closing an agreement between herself, MMC, and Watski Prods:

"I had no prior knowledge that this show was being created or put into development. I have never written about the show. I have never encouraged Deadline.com journalists to write about the show. I had no prior agreement with HBO or anyone regarding the show. I had no creative or consulting involvement with the show... I still have no creative or consulting involvement with the show nor wanted any. I still won't write about the show. And Deadline.com journalists can still write whatever they want about the show. As for all of you who've asked for a quote from me about Tilda, here it is: 'It should have been called Toldja!' (Deadline)

Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat has joined Twitter, where he has begun to tease details about the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas Special. "Oh, he's back behind the bow tie - and better than ever," wrote Moffat about Matt Smith returning to the set. (via Digital Spy)

Looks like Larry King's successor at CNN will be Piers Morgan, after all. The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd writes that Morgan is thisclose to a deal that would see him take over Larry King's timeslot on the 24-hour news cabler. "Sources caution that Morgan is still under contract and that CNN may be unable to directly negotiate with the TV personality directly," writes Hibberd. "But if a deal could be struck between CNN and NBC, that allows Morgan to take over the position. Sources say the proposed deal allows for Morgan to remain as a judge on [America's] Got Talent, with the CNN talk show in second position for his schedule." (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Josh Stewart (Dirt) has been cast in ABC's upcoming family superhero drama No Ordinary Family in a recurring capacity as the mentor for Michael Chiklis' character. Series launches September 28th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC Two's reality series The Restaurant, which aired Stateside on BBC America as Last Restaurant Standing, will not be returning for a fourth season, according to the BBC. "The time is right for The Restaurant to close its doors after three successful series." Raymond Blanc is said to be in talks with Auntie about a new season of Kitchen Secrets and other potential projects. (BBC)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting several series are looking for new characters, including FOX's Glee, which is going to add a jock named Sam to the mix (who *could* be a potential love interest for Kurt), Starz's Torchwood is looking to add a series regular and two recurring characters, including the following: "Rex Matheson is a white, twenty-something CIA agent who sounds sort of like... [FX's] animated Archer spy: a fearless, cocky thrill seeker. Recurring characters include Esther Katusi, a newbie Watch Analyst in the CIA who is deeply (and secretly) in love with Rex. And Oswald Jones is the dangerous psychotic villain. He's a forty-something murderer and pedophile who gets sprung from the slammer into the spotlight." (TV Guide Magazine)

Fox Television Studios has signed a rare overall deal with White Collar creator Jeff Eastin which will keep him aboard White Collar and allow for future development of new projects for the studio. (Deal is similar to that held between FTVS and Burn Notice creator Matt Nix.) "Once the dust settles, I'll dig out the ideas book and see if something else lends itself to a TV show," Eastin told Variety. "It's about finding something else I'm passionate about. I appreciate Fox TV Studios for having faith in me to make a deal. Especially as they're few and far between these days." (Variety)

MTV is shoring up the writing staff for the upcoming US adaptation of UK teen drama Skins, hiring Mark Hammer, Matt Pelfrey, and Monica Padrick, who will join the writing staff of the series, expected to launch early next year. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Studios has signed a one-year overall deal with Ghost Whisperer executive producers Kim Moses and Ian Sander. The duo currently have to supernatural-themed projects in development at ABC, including reality series Ghost Town and drama Ghost World, from writer Dana Stevens, about "a ghost on the other side who helps an ambitious young female homicide detective solve crimes in the hopes of uncovering clues to his own life and death and centers on the mysterious, intense and sometimes infuriating connection the two feel toward each other." (Deadline)

Maxine Peake (Criminal Justice), Rupert Penry-Jones (Spooks), Natalie Dormer (The Tudors), Tom Hughes (Sex, Drugs And Rock And Roll) and Neil Stuke (Reggie Perrin) have been cast in legal drama series Silk, from writer Peter Moffat (Criminal Justice), which will revolve around "lives, loves and hard cases facing barristers on the front line of criminal law." (Silk, of course, referring to the robes worn by Queen's Counsel members, the highest-level barristers in the UK.) "Bafta-winning writer Peter Moffat marks his return to BBC One with a brilliant new legal drama series, which takes a modern look at the genre," said BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning Ben Stephenson. "Maxine Peake and Rupert Penry-Jones lead an incredible cast and star as ambitious barristers competing for much coveted Silk." (BBC)

VH1 has ordered eight episodes of an untitled docusoap that will follow Mario Lopez and his girlfriend Courtney Mazza as they await the birth of their child. Project, executive produced by Cris Abrego, Mark Schulman, Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly, and Lopez, is expected to launch this fall. (Hollywood Reporter)

Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) has been cast as the lead of an upcoming Lifetime telepic Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story, in which she'll play a woman who underwent a daring rescue mission to locate and free her seven-year-old son Kobe, who was seized by her ex-husband during a custody battle and taken to South Korea. (Deadline)

From weird to weirder: former Monkees star Mickey Dolenz has signed on to star opposite Debbie Gibson and Tiffany in Syfy's upcoming telepic Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. [Editor: I did warn you it would be weird.] (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

From One Prison to Another: An Advance Look at the Second Season of USA's White Collar

USA's slick and stylish crime procedural White Collar returns tonight with an installment that points towards a new direction for the agents of the White Collar Crimes Division of the Manhattan branch of the FBI... and for charismatic consultant Neal Caffrey (Matthew Bomer), the reformed thief/forger at the heart of the series.

One of the strengths of White Collar has been the unerring chemistry between series leads Bomer and Tim DeKay, who plays Neal's partner/handler/jailer Peter Burke, the "suit." Despite the circumstances that Neal finds himself in when the second season begins with tonight's season opener ("Withdrawal"), that relationship remains exceedingly strong.

Which is a good thing as there are some new challenges facing Neal and Peter, most notably the mystery surrounding the death of Neal's lost love Kate and the whereabouts of that all-important amber music box, the latter of which might just surprise you. But for the moment, the dynamic duo have their hands full in the season opener with a series of bank heists and a master criminal who might just be slippery enough to evade the unorthodox methods employed by Neal and Peter... and an oily politician running a straw donor scam in the second episode.

And then there's the matter of OPR and the shifty Agent Fowler, who was willing to draw his firearm on Marsha Thomason's Diana in order to prevent her from learning about a meeting going down last season. A meeting that--SPOILER!--thanks to a judicious time jump is actually going down in the second episode back ("Need to Know") rather than later in the season.

It's in this respect that creator Jeff Eastin and his team have done a phenomenal job at balancing the procedural elements of White Collar--the capers or cases of the week--with the overarching mythology involving the doomed romance between Neal and Kate, the music box, Fowler and OPR, and some new elements that creep their way into the second season.

While I was less than pleased with the performance given by Alexandra Daddario as Neal's ex-girlfriend Kate Moreau, her death at the end of the first season has given Neal Caffrey an additional patina of loss and tragedy which, while they don't rob him of his trademark throwback style, give him some layering to his character. While in Season One, he was trying to find Kate and expose a conspiracy, her death in the season finale (and his near-death) have forced Neal into an even more pro-active position. He's now a man on a quest of vengeance, filled with a desire to right the wrongs perpetrated against him while donning an off-kilter fedora and killer Devore suit.

Which isn't to say that the season opener is a downer, because it's absolutely not. Look for some fantastically funny exchanges between Peter and Willie Garson's Mozzie as the two form an awkward rapport that's based more on old spy movie stereotypes than any real friendship. I'm chuffed that the writers are bringing Mozzie further into the center of the series, rather than leave him drifting in and out of the shadows on the periphery. His involvement here creates not only humor but an unpredictable vibe that's infectious... and lets the always sensational Garson do his thing more often.

Meanwhile, I'm thrilled that Marsha Thomason is back as Special Agent Diana Lancing, here back as a series regular after returning for the final few episodes of the freshman season. Thomason adds a nice bit of grit to the already well-tuned machine that is White Collar, bringing a smoky-voiced sensuality and hard-edged charm to the proceedings. While Natalie Morales' Lauren Cruz filled the role of junior agent, I think it will be interesting to see Peter work with someone he shares a past with as well as a deep, unwavering trust.

Ultimately, the start of second season of White Collar proves that the first season of the g-men and grifters drama was no mere fluke, offering a charming and fun weekly escape that's equal parts chasing crooks and looking cool and a throwback to such classic capers as To Catch a Thief. Throw in a love interest for Neal who is just as engaging and mercurial as he is and tighten the weekly crime plots into slightly more taut puzzles and you have the makings of a pitch-perfect series. So steal yourself an hour every Tuesday evening and be sure to tune in all summer long.

Season Two of White Collar begins tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on USA.

A Neighborhood of Voluntary Spies: An Advance Review of the Series Premiere of USA's Covert Affairs

USA has been on a winning streak with lightweight, middle-of-the-road dramedies, so there's no reason the cabler should give up on a formula that's clearly working, even when the series in question revolves around the intelligence forces in a post-9/11 world.

The cabler's newest addition to its stable of breezy dramas is Covert Affairs, which launches tonight with a 90-minute pilot that introduces CIA trainee Annie Walker (Coyote Ugly's Piper Perabo) as it pushes her right onto the front lines of the spy game.

Created by Matt Corman and Chris Ord, Covert Affairs seems from the very first few minutes to walk to walk in the stylish stilettos of ABC's Alias, giving Perabo's Annie a series of dangerous missions, a lukewarm cover story, and a sister (House and Big Love's Anne Dudek, wasted here) that she has to lie to in order to keep her safe.

But while Alias focused on an increasingly intricate overarching mythology, Covert Affairs wants to push in the opposite direction, ditching Rambaldi for run-of-the-mill procedural elements and giving Annie a haunted love life with a man who is definitely more than what he appears to be. There's also a lot more heavy-handed humor here, which will either make you beam with satisfaction or make you concerned about the safety of our country, given the setting.

In case you didn't already get the gist of the plot, here's the quick version: Annie Walker is a polyglot CIA trainee who is whisked out of basic training and thrust into a full flown assignment where she's required to speak Russian, wear a tight dress, and pretend to be a Washington call girl. She's assisted in her new gig by Auggie, the aforementioned blind CIA operative, with whom she shares some banter and a few drinks before the end of the episode.

Covert Affairs is a nice change of pace for USA in that it's more female-centric than any of the other USA series (other than, of course, In Plain Sight) and I think there's a nice chemistry between Perabo and Christopher Gorham, who plays blind CIA analyst Auggie Anderson. But Perabo at times seemed to be channeling Jennifer Garner in Alias, right down to the knowing and lippy pout, and I want to see her a little more at ease within the role.

I also had a difficult time believing certain aspects of the series, namely the fact that Auggie would be placed in such a visually-demanding position. Can he really use the braille-based computer system that quickly to source data? Isn't he at a severe disadvantage that he can't actually see the data on-screen? And might that not prove to be a liability at some point? I'm all for supporting the Americans with Disabilities Act but this seemed to me a bit of stretch too far. Surely, Auggie's skills could have come in handy elsewhere within the agency other than at a computer array?

As I mentioned earlier, while I adore Anne Dudek, the sister/family element of Covert Affairs felt grafted on and a bit tired to me. Every spy show tries to create this shroud of normalcy for the characters but it just felt too convenient and trite here... and likely to get very old, very fast. (Remember how painful the Will and Francie subplots got in the early seasons of Alias? Or how Francie was left with nothing to do except whine about opening her restaurant?)

Likewise, I didn't buy that Perabo's Annie--gorgeous, smart, and vivacious--would need to be fixed up by her sister Danielle in the pilot episode... or with such an obvious dud. (Had the guy been more stereotypically attractive, I would have maybe bought this a bit more easily.) There's a clear disconnect here between the way the audience perceives Perabo's character and the way that Danielle does in ways that go beyond the truth of her profession. (Danielle believes that she works at the Smithsonian but even that doesn't excuse the awfulness of her forced hook-up.)

However, I will say that I loved Peter Gallagher and Kari Matchett as sparring CIA spouses Arthur and Joan Campbell, and I hope that subsequent episodes continue to mine their relationship as a potential cautionary tale for Annie. While I have to question some of Joan's ensemble choices given her line of work (and the fact that she seems to require being perceived as a steely force to be reckoned with), I thought it an interesting angle to have the master spy succumb to feelings of jealousy and paranoia while it's Arthur himself who seems to either be very good at keeping secrets (a professional duty, after all) or is just absolutely cool as a cucumber (ditto). I'm hoping that subsequent episodes will focus more on their marriage and its inherent issues of trust and fidelity when two spies are married to both each other and their jobs.

Additionally, I'm intrigued by Eion Bailey's Ben Mercer and love that that's why Annie was pulled out of training at the Farm early in the first place... and I hope this develops into a full-blown serialized arc for the season. It more than likely will, given the clandestine string-pulling that got Annie transferred in the first place.

Before making up my mind definitively on Covert Affairs, I would be curious to see a second episode in order to determine whether there is more of a balance between the funny and the gritty, a hard line to walk in an espionage show where the protagonist is meant to be on the front line of national defense. Ultimately, I don't want Annie to be tortured or grim (or whip out a pink wig), but I also want to see her a little more centered and mature. If Covert Affairs wants to thrive, both Annie and the series itself could stand to grow up a little.

Covert Affairs premieres tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on USA.

Channel Surfing: HBO's Miraculous Year Lands Lee Pace, Team Darlton Talk Lost, Friday Night Lights, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

According to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, HBO's drama pilot Miraculous Year, from executive producer Kathryn Bigelow just got even more miraculous. The project, which is described as "an examination of a New York family as seen through the eyes of a charismatic, self-destructive Broadway composer," just signed a slew of stars to round out its cast, including former Pushing Daisies star Lee Pace, Linus Roache (Law & Order), and Stark Sands (Generation Kill)... who will join the already high-wattage cast of Eddie Redmayne, Hope Davis, Frank Langella, and Patti LuPone. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Megan Masters spoke to former Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about the ABC drama's Emmy nominations now that the series has wrapped up its six-season run... and why they chose to break their radio silence. "Every year after the finale we've always gone into radio silence just because we're pretty sick of ourselves, so we can't even imagine what everybody else thinks of us," said Lindelof. "And we've always broken our radio silence at Comic-Con, and this year we're obviously not going to Comic-Con because it's about promoting something to come. The idea of looking back on the show is not something we were particularly interested in, looking back at ourselves. But around a week ago, Carlton and I had both been on vacation and received an email from someone at ABC asking [if we would] be willing to do some press. And that was our first contact with each other where it was like, alright, of course. If the show gets recognized, it feels totally appropriate for us to express out feelings about how awesome that is. There's no reason to not talk about Lost ever again, it's just not in our DNA. Had the show not been nominated for anything, I'm sure Carlton and I would have emerged at some appropriate time over the summer to talk about—" "To begin begging for work at Starbucks," Cuse cut him off, laughing. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Elsewhere, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva also caught up with Team Darlton to discuss the 12 Emmy nominations that Lost racked up yesterday and on the divisive series finale. "I do feel we spent so much time talking about how we were gonna end the show (we started getting questions about that right after the pilot) so the fact that we ended it on our own terms makes us feel absolutely no regrets," said Lindelof. "We acknowledge that it was always a polarizing show that created many theories and made fans passionate about it. It wouldn’t be Lost if everyone loved the finale, but we’re pretty pleased." (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello caught up with Friday Night Lights's Connie Britton, who received an Emmy nomination alongside her co-star Kyle Chandler yesterday and who thought that "there must be some mistake." (Aw.) Asked whether she had received an interesting phone calls after the nomination, Britton replied, "I just had a really fun phone call with our executive producer Sarah Aubrey. She works with Peter Berg and has been involved with Friday Night Lights since the movie, and is arguably one of the most passionate people ever about this show. She was like, 'I was doing Pilates and I just unabashedly started jumping up and down!' It’s just exciting. We’re about to wrap the show—we’re two weeks away from wrapping the show—and it’s been really melancholy. I’m just feeling it. I’m feeling it approaching—the end is near. So this just feels like such an unexpected surprise and present." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Remember the rumor floating about the other day that the star of Vicky Cristina Barcelona would be dropping by Glee as a rock star who befriends Artie? Apparently, there's no truth to that story whatsoever, according to Los Angeles Times's Maria Elena Fernandez. A 20th Century Fox Television spokesperson has denied reports that Javier Bardem--and Snoop Dogg--would be appearing on FOX's Glee next season. (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

With Steve Carell set to leave NBC's The Office at the end of next season, one of the show's producers has her sights on his replacement. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to co-executive producer Mindy Kaling about her pick to take over as the boss in Scranton. "I’d love to see Rainn Wilson in that position,” said Kaling. “Dwight has become so nuanced — you actually care about him now. I think if [we did a good job laying the groundwork] this coming season, he would be a fantastic boss... But that’s my dream. It certainly hasn’t been approved by people that are more powerful than me and who make those kinds of decisions." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has announced premiere dates for all of its new and returning fall series (except, that is, for Body of Proof and Secret Millionaire):

September 20th:
Dancing with the Stars
Castle

September 21st:
Detroit 1-8-7

September 22nd:
The Middle
Better With You (formerly known as Better Together)
Modern Family
Cougar Town
The Whole Truth

September 23rd:
My Generation
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice

September 24th:
20/20

September 26th:
America's Funniest Home Videos
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Desperate Housewives
Brothers & Sisters

September 28th:
No Ordinary Family
Dancing with the Stars Results Show

You'll notice that while ABC did change the the title of one of its series, that series isn't Cougar Town, which will keep its title going into its sophomore season after all. (via press release)

Comedy Central has ordered a script for multi-camera comedy Brothers From Another Mother, which will feature comedians Ralphie May and Lavell Crawford as long-time friends who discover that, despite their racial differences, they are actually brothers when their father dies and leaves them his barbeque business. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lewis fans, take heart: ITV has ordered a fifth season of Lewis, comprised of four episodes. (Broadcast)

File under litigious: Hayden Christensen is using USA, claiming that the network stole his idea about a concierge doctor who makes house calls to his wealthy patients and turned it into its dramedy series Royal Pains, now in its second season. Christesen and his brother Tove filed the lawsuit in New York District Court. "The brothers allegedly brought the idea for a concierge doctor show titled Housecall to USA and met with Alex Pepiol, who at the time was manager of original scripted series programing at the network," writes The Hollywood Reporter's Eriq Gardner. "They say they also sent him materials including a treatment, character biographies and show ideas." (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Four of reality series LA Ink will kick off on TLC on Wednesday, August 11th at 10 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Elijah Wood Pets FX's Willard, Larry King to Leave CNN, Nestor Carbonell Gets Psych, Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings) will star opposite Jason Gann in the pilot for FX's US adaptation of Aussie comedy Wilfred, about a man and his talking dog, the latter of which will be voiced by Gann, the original creator of the series. Project hails from writer David Zuckerman (Family Guy) and director Randall Einhorn (The Office). Production is slated to begin this summer. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Larry King will be hanging up his trademark suspenders this fall after 25 years as the host of Larry King Live in order to spend more time with his family. The Los Angeles Times' Matea Gold and Yvonne Villarreal have a fantastic interview with King about his decision to leave CNN. "I said, 'I can't top this,'" King told the Times on Tuesday. "I'm not getting younger. I want more time with other things. It's time to go... The daily grind is tough. And there are aspects of it, you know, when you've got to do tabloid shows, which is the nature of the business, you've got to do the girl that's missing in Aruba. It's hard to make the case that that is major news, but that's what news is today. And my curiosity runs to that, but not nightly." (Los Angeles Times)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich is reporting that Nestor Carbonell (Lost) will join the cast of USA's Psych for a multiple-episode story arc, where he will play Declan Rand, described as "a criminal profiler who over the course of two episodes will shape up to be Shawn’s professional – as well as romantic – rival." Season Five of Psych will launch July 14th on USA. (Fancast)

SPOILER! Doctor Who showrunner/head writer Steven Moffat has teased details about next season of the sci-fi drama, which stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillan. The secret behind just what that voice meant by "silence will fall" will be explored in the new season of Doctor Who, which will air in 2011 (after a Christmas Special, confirmed last weekend by BBC). "What is that, who is that, who are the silence, what's coming? The whole point of the silence is next series," Moffat told Doctor Who Confidential "Also, River Song... who is she really? That's what we're going to find out next year." (Digital Spy)

TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant has some details about the new season of AMC's Mad Men via an exclusive video that goes behind the scenes of the new promos to tease some precious morsels about what to expect during Season Four of the period drama. "I wanted to have a continuity of these characters and things that are happening to them ... and don't pretend like that they didn't happen," creator/executive producer Matthew Weiner said. "At the same time, be prepared for the fact that [for] a lot of the things that happened, you're going to have to watch and see how they worked out." (TVGuide.com)

Emily VanCamp has confirmed her departure from ABC's Brothers & Sisters via an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "It is true. I’m going to go back for a couple of episodes, which I’m really excited about," VanCamp told Ausiello. "I really feel like Rebecca has run her course. And the deal I was offered this year was for two more years and I just felt like since renegotiations were happening that maybe it would be the right time to move on. I’ve been doing this for a very long time and other opportunities have presented themselves that I haven’t been able to do. I’ve had such an amazing four years on the show and I felt like maybe it was time. It was a big risk but I’m really excited about it." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

It's official: after weeks of negotiations, A&E has ordered thirteen episodes of drama Breakout Kings, which had been previously set up at FOX. Production will begin this fall on the episodic commitment and will air in 2011 on the cabler. "We are thrilled to collaborate with accomplished talents such as Matt and Nick, as well as Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope; with phenomenal track records of success," said Bob DeBitetto, President and General Manager of A&E and BIO Channel, in a statement. "As soon as we screened the Breakout Kings pilot, it struck us as the perfect fit for A&E as the network of 'Real Life. Drama.'" Series stars Laz Alonso, Domeick Lombardozzi, Malcolm Goodwin, Jimmi Simpson, and Brooke Nevin. (via press release)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Mitch Pileggi will be returning for a multiple-episode story arc on the CW's Supernatural, where he will reprise his role as Sam and Dean's presumed dead grandfather. How is Gramps returning from the dead? “For one thing, he’s a Campbell — from Sam and Dean’s mom’s side of the family,which, unlike their dad’s, has actually been into hunting for a very long time,” executive producer Sera Gamble told Ausiello. "There’s a whole side of Sam and Dean’s history that they know nothing about. We’ll get to find out a bit about it this season." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Claire Forlani and Peter Mooney have been cast in Starz's upcoming medieval drama Camelot from writers Michael Hurst and Chris Chibnall. Forlani will play Queen Igraine, the mother of Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower), while Mooney will play Kay, Arthur's brother. [Editor: you might recall that Forlani was previously attached to Showtime's upcoming comedy Episodes but was replaced by Tamsin Greig.] The rest of the cast includes Joseph Fiennes, Eva Green, and Tamsin Egerton; Camelot is slated to launch in early 2011. (Deadline)

SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that a new baddie is headed to Mystic Falls on the CW's Vampire Diaries next season and talks to executive producer Julie Plec about this mysterious addition to the Lockwood clan. "Our big new addition is Mason Lockwood, the mayor's much younger and cooler brother, who has been estranged from the family," Plec told Keck. "His return introduces a lot of questions about what is so special about that creepy Lockwood family." (TV Guide Magazine)

Nickelodeon's Nicktoons has ordered 22 episodes of animated series Rush Zone: Guardians of the Core, which is based on NFL's website NFLRush Zone and which will feature the voices of NFL players and coaches in segments approximately two to five minutes in length. (Variety)

UK viewers will get to see the revamped CBS drama Hawaii Five-O following a deal between CBS Television Studios and Virgin Media's Bravo, which secured pay television, Freeview, and digital rights to the Alex O'Loughlin starrer. (Broadcast)

Oxygen has snagged the off-network cable rights to FOX's Glee while USA has done the same for ABC comedy Modern Family; both series will debut on their respective channels beginning in 2013. As part of the Glee deal, Oxygen will also air an unscripted reality series that will depict the search for a new cast member, a series that was originally intended to air on FOX before the network scrapped it. According to Variety's Michael Schneider, "Oxygen is expected to produce the "Glee" reality show, with reality producers experienced in reality competitions likely to be hired." (Variety)

Elsewhere, Style has acquired rerun rights to Run's House and spinoff Daddy's Girls, the former of which will begin airing its second window beginning tonight. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Talk Back: What Are You Watching This Summer?

As the Summer Solstice has come and gone now, the hot months of summer are officially in full swing as the broadcast and cable networks bring out their slate of originals and burn-offs during the sweltering season.

While I'm sinking my teeth into quite a bit of programming this summer (including HBO's True Blood, Bravo's Top Chef, and my latest obsession, BBC America's upcoming Come Dine With Me) and catching up on some others (cough, Friday Night Lights, cough), I'm curious to know just what you are watching right now... and what you intend to watch this summer. Are you hooked on USA's dramedies? Can't wait for the return of Entourage? Trembling at the thought of more True Blood? Intrigued by Work of Art? Spooked by the thought of Syfy's Haven?

Head to the comments section to discuss what's on your season pass this summer, what's failed to click with you so far, and what new and returning television series you are most looking forward to over the next few months.

Channel Surfing: Leigh and Morissette Return to Weeds, Jamie Foxx Preps TV Pilot, Sarah Drew Talks Grey's, Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alanis Morissette will return to Weeds for the Showtime dark comedy's sixth season, set to launch August 16th. Leigh will reprise her role as Nancy's sister Jill in one episode, with Morissette due to appear in two episodes as Andy's girlfriend Audra Kitson, who also happened to be Nancy's doctor. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Jamie Foxx has shot a trailer for a potential television project entitled Tommy's Little Girl, which features Paul Sorvino, Selma Blair, James Russo, and Tony Sirico. Project would revolve around the relationship between a mobster (Sorvino) and his daughter (Blair) and will be pitched to cable networks. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has an interview with newly promoted Grey's Anatomy series regular Sarah Drew, in which they discuss her "polarizing alter ego" April, among other topics. " I definitely had that feeling," said Drew when asked if the season finale pushed April together with the rest of the Seattle Grace crew. "April has been kind of annoying this past season. [Laughs] Just neurotic and really insecure, and this was the first time she was able to band together — both with Cristina and Meredith — to help solve a [crisis]. Most of my stuff before was with Patrick [Dempsey] and fawning over him awkwardly. So this was the first opportunity to actually bond in a positive way with them. They say tragedy brings people together, so I guess that’s what happened." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

MAJOR SPOILERS! UK paper The Daily Mirror has an interview with Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat about the season finale of Doctor Who, which brings an end to the first season under new Doctor, Matt Smith, and finds the Time Lord in a bit of a bind. "The doctor is trapped inside a prison from which even he can't escape," said Moffat. "Amy Pond is dead. Rory is plastic. River Song has been blown up in the Tardis, which has been blown up and destroyed every sun in the universe. I think any other hero would be in a pickle but I think the Doctor can take it... I really do think episode 13, the episode we'll see on Saturday, is a story only Doctor Who can do - no other show could have come close to a story like this." The finale will air Saturday night in the UK on BBC One and in two weeks on BBC America in the US. (via Digital Spy)

Vulture's Josef Adalian is reporting that FOX will not go ahead with its unscripted Glee spinoff, which would have depicted the search for actors to play three new roles on the musical-comedy. "Though they collected the tryout videos, Murphy and Fox execs have since quietly agreed to kill the on-air competition after it became clear that working on the reality show would mean less time for planning season two (and the recently announced season three)," writes Adalian. "As it is, Murphy and his team have already had their schedules crowded by such extracurricular events as the brief Glee live tour, multiple hit soundtrack albums, a trip to the White House, and, of course, Oprah." (Vulture)

TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno talks to Tom Colicchio about Season Seven of Bravo's Top Chef and weighs in on the change at the judges' table, where master chef Eric Ripert has taken over for Toby Young. "For me, I like having him there," Colicchio told DiNunno. "I liked working with Toby [Young], but he didn't have the most authoritative voice when it came to the food. Toby is more of a scene critic when it comes to restaurants — or at least that's my understanding of it. He did know a good amount about food though. Having Eric judging the food has a little bit more weight than Toby judging your food. But you're not going to get the one-line zingers that we got out of Toby. [Laughs]" (TVGuide.com)

[Editor: elsewhere, The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd has an interview with Top Chef executive producers Jane Lipsitz and Dan Cutforth, in which they talk about why this season is Obama-less, the reason behind the name Magical Elves, how they pick the cities for Top Chef, and the status of other projects in development, including spinoff Top Chef Jr.)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Jon Cassar (24) has come board FOX's upcoming adventure series Terra Nova as an executive producer/director. He joins a staff that includes former 24 executive producers Brannon Braga and David Fury and will direct multiple episodes of the series. (Alex Graves is set to direct the pilot episode.) (Deadline)

The Futon Critic is reporting that Project Runway will return to Lifetime on Thursday, July 29th at 9 pm ET/PT, right before half-hour spinoff series On the Road With Austin & Santino. (Futon Critic)

V star Elizabeth Mitchell has indicated that she's open for a possible romance between her character on the ABC sci-fi series, Erica Evans, and Charles Mesure's Kyle Hobbes. “He’s awesome, isn’t he? When he first came on, I said to [exec producer Scott] Rosenbaum, 'You need to make this guy a deal, now,'" Mitchell told Fancast's Matt Mitovich, though she added that Erica could fall for either Hobbes or Joel Gretsch's Father Jack. "Maybe it’s just because I’m a woman, but I’m up for a little romance!" (Fancast's The Big Tease)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has the dish on the upcoming two-parter on USA's Royal Pains, in which Mark Feuerstein's Hank heads to Cuba. The two-episode arc will feature guest stars Tony Plana (Ugly Betty) and Ana de la Reguera (Cop Out), the latter of which will be a potential love interest for Hank. The actress will also appear on Season Two of HBO's Eastbound and Down, where she is set to recur all season as the new love interest for Danny McBride's Kenny Powers. (TV Guide Magazine)

ABC's reality series Shark Tank will return to the lineup this summer... for one episode (a shelved installment from last season) on July 15th at 8 pm ET/PT, while ABC will repeat several other episodes during July and August. There's been no official word on the fate of the Sony Pictures Television-produced series. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer will produce the 83rd Academy Awards telecast, which is slated to air Sunday, February 27th on ABC. Mischer will also serve as the director for the awards telecast. (via press release)

In other Oscar-related news, Deadline's Nikki Finke is reporting that Board of Governor members have discussed moving the annual awards telecast to January, which could lead to conflicts with NBC's Golden Globes. "The awards season is too long currently. This will shorten and reduce the amount of campaigning," an unnamed studio head told Finke. "Also, it will make the Oscars the definitive awards show again. The Globes can't move a lot earlier as all the movies wouldn't be released yet. The only potential downside is how do people see all the films in time to vote for nominations?" (Deadline)

Lifetime has hired Discovery executive Gena McCarthy as SVP of reality and alternative programming at the cabler. She will report to JoAnn Alfano. (Variety)

Tyra Banks' production company Bankable has hired former Warner Music International chairman/CEO Patrick Vien as president/COO, effective immediately. He'll be based in New York and will report to Banks. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Jason O'Mara Signs on to Terra Nova, Marina Klaveno Talks True Blood, Happy Town Yanked Again, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

It's official: former Life on Mars star Jason O'Mara has signed on to topline FOX's new action-adventure series Terra Nova, following the successful close of his deal, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Series revolves around a family from the future who travels back in time to the Earth's prehistoric past in order to save mankind. O'Mara will play Jim Shannon, described as "a devoted father with a checkered past who guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror." (The role was reportedly offered to Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler prior to O'Mara.) Alex Graves (Fringe will direct the pilot. (Deadline)

Back Stage's Jessica Jardine has an interview with True Blood's Mariana Klaveno, who plays Bill's maker, the devious vampire Lorena. "That's one of the really brilliant things about the show," said Klaveno. "[The writers] show how vampires relate to humans, and vice versa: What parts of humanity do they maintain, and what parts do they not? And obviously some do so more than others. Bill fights really hard to maintain some of his humanity, and someone like Lorena doesn't. There's parts of her that are just not there anymore, nor does she want them to be, because that's part of her human life, and that's dead and gone now. But it's interesting to me that love seems to be something that stays with them. Love and jealousy and greed and lust—-those all carry into your vampire life." (Back Stage)

Say goodbye to Happy Town... again. ABC has yet again yanked the low-rated mystery series from its schedule after the network began to burn off the remaining episodes on Wednesday evenings this summer. ABC will instead use the timeslot to house Castle repeats and a Jimmy Kimmel special, though the network does intend to air the final two installments of Happy Town this summer as it will burn them off on a Saturday night in July. Meanwhile, ABC will bring back the final two episodes of The Forgotten on Saturday, July 3rd and the last two installments of Eastwick on Saturday, July 10th. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed, Futon Critic)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has details on just who Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) will be playing when she drops by Wisteria Lane this fall. Keck, citing unnamed sources, reports that Williams, who is set to join the cast of ABC's Desperate Housewives, will play Renee Filmore-Jones, described as "an old college chum of Lynette Scavo" (Felicity Huffman) and bitter rival of Lynette's back in the 1980s. "Renee has been married for years to a handsome, hunky man (likely an athlete) named Keith Jones (I'm so picturing NYPD Blue hunk Henry Simmons in this role, though it's yet to be cast)," writes Keck. "They have no kids, meaning Renee has spent all these years just being a housewife supporting her man. But she's reached a time in her life when she wants to do more. Oh, one last thing: she has a secret." (TV Guide Magazine)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has a spoilery image from the season premiere of House, one that depicts House and Cuddy getting, uh, cuddly on the beach. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), Shanna Collins (Swingtown), and Caitlin Custer have joined the cast of HBO's telepic Cinema Verte, based on the groundbreaking 1970s reality series An American Family, which stars Tim Robbins, Diane Lane, James Gandolfini, and Thomas Dekker. Elsewhere, Alex Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band) has signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on HBO's In Treatment, where he will play the son of Gabriel Byrne's Paul. (Deadline)

Richard Dean Anderson (Stargate: SG-1) will appear in at least five episodes of USA's upcoming Sarah Shahi-led legal dramedy Facing Kate, where he will play David Smith, described as "a charismatic but secretive man who enters Kate’s life shortly after the death of her father." (Fancast)

HBO's Eastbound and Down is slated to return to the schedule on September 26th, with the launch of its second season. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Warner Bros. Entertainment is said to be in talks to purchase UK production entity Shed Media, which produces Supernanny and Who Do You Think You Are? and itself owns a number of shingle including Wall to Wall, Ricochet, and Twenty Twenty. No deal has been reached but the two sides were said to be in talks. (Variety)

Matthew Lillard (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and Gillian Vigman (Defenders) have landed the leads in CMT single-camera comedy pilot The Hard Life, from creator/executive producer Bill Diamond. Lillard and Vigman will play a married couple who attempt to be great parents and spouses but who find it difficult to juggle everything in their lives. (Deadline)

Paul Hewitt has been promoted to SVP of network communications at the CW, replacing Paul McGuire, who has been moved into Warner Bros. corporate communications. He'll report to Dawn Ostroff. [Editor: congratulations, Paul!] (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Glee Finale Secrets, USA Gets Common Law, Sarah Drew Promoted on Grey's Anatomy, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos caught up with Glee's Jane Lynch, co-creator Brad Falchuk, and executive producer Dante Di Loreto to discuss five secrets from the Glee season finale, including the fact that the smooch between Will (Matthew Morrison) and Emma (Jayma Mays) wasn't scripted ("Her reaction is totally real," he said), no tear enhancers were used, Jonathan Groff and Idina Menzel may return next season, the writers deserve an Emmy (according to Lynch), and Sue Sylvester won't be turning all mushy next season. [Editor: personally, I thought the Glee season finale was pretty weak, coasting by on sentimentality rather than genuine--or earned--emotion. But I've found that to be true throughout the first season.] (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

USA has given a cast-contingent pilot order to buddy/cop comedy Common Law, which revolves around two LAPD officers--Wes and Travis--whose once-strong friendship has fractured, leading their captain to send them to couples therapy. Project, from CBS Television Studios and Junction Entertainment, is written/executive produced by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley (National Treasure), and executive produced by Jon Turteltaub. "If you're going to do a cop show, it better be something special, and we believe this one is," said Jeff Wachtel, USA's EVP of original programming. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Sarah Drew has now been bumped to series regular on ABC's Grey's Anatomy next season, following the successful closing of her deal. Move comes after fellow rookie Jesse Williams was upgraded earlier this week. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos talks with John Stamos about his upcoming role on Season Two of Glee, catching up with him while he was at the gym. "I'm singing and dancing every day. All day," Stamos told Dos Santos. "So I hope they let me sing and dance a little. I started watching the show when they goofed on me and fell in love with Glee. I find it to be a celebration of diversity and I'm proud to be joining that whole extremely talented team." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

AMC's upcoming zombie drama The Walking Dead is headed for the international marketplace, following a deal between the cabler at Fox International Channels, which secured the rights to distribute the series outside of the US and Canada as well as home video rights. "We look at The Walking Dead as an amazing opportunity to serve as both the network and the studio," AMC president Charlie Collier told Variety. "We think there's a universality to this type of story, plus the genre travels well and has a longevity to it that makes it a really good business opportunity." (Variety)

Director Leslie Linka Glatter (Mad Men) has joined the staff of FOX's midseason cop drama Ride-Along as a co-executive producer/director. Elsewhere, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva reports that Brad Turner (24) has joined the staff of CBS' Hawaii Five-O as co-executive producer/director and David Amann (Without a Trace) has joined returning ABC drama Castle as an executive producer. (Variety, Deadline)

Oprah Winfrey's nascent cable network OWN is said to be developing projects revolving around celebrity chef Cat Cora and fashion expert Carson Kressley and a reality series that focuses on a mediation program from executive producer Tom Forman. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Studios has singed a two-script deal with 100 Questions creator Christopher Moynihan (who also starred on NBC's ill-fated US adaptation of Coupling years ago), under which the projects will be co-produced by Tagline Pictures. (Deadline)

CBS has hired Louis Boyd as VP, alternative programming. He will report to Jennifer Bresnan. (Hollywood Reporter)

Oxygen Media has promoted Jason Klarman to President, effective immediately. He will report to Lauren Zalanick, President of NBC Universal Women & Lifestyle Entertainment Networks. (Deadline)

Style has ordered a third season of reality series Giuliana & Bill, which will launch either later this year or at the beginning of 2011. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

The Daily Beast: "19 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer"

Looking to set your TiVo season pass this summer before you head out on vacation? Or sticking around and wondering just what's worth watching (or at least checking out) this summer?

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my piece entitled, "19 Reasons to Watch TV This Summer," where I break down 19 new and returning series airing during the sweltering season, including HBO's True Blood AMC's Rubicon and Mad Men, Bravo's Work of Art and Top Chef: DC, FOX's Masterchef, Syfy's Haven, USA's White Collar, TNT's Memphis Beat and Rizzoli & Isles, BBC America's Being Human, and a lot more.

Check out the gallery to read descriptions of the series and then head to the comments section to discuss just what you're most excited about this summer.

Channel Surfing: Julia Stiles Heads to Dexter, Doctor Who Writer Wants Lady Gaga, All Clear Given to Spartacus Star Whitfield, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television update.

It's official: Julia Stiles (The Bourne Ultimatum) has signed on to appear in ten episodes of Showtime's serial killer drama Dexter next season. Stiles will play "a mysterious young woman who forms a unique relationship with Dexter (Michael C. Hall) in the wake of the death of his wife," according to Showtime. Production on Season Five of Dexter gets underway this month and is expected to premiere this fall. [Editor: any guesses on just who Stiles will be playing and just what her relationship is to Dexter? Let the speculation begin.] (via press release)

Could pop superstar Lady Gaga be heading to Doctor Who? If writer Gareth Roberts has his way, she would be. While Gaga hasn't signed on to appear in an episode of Who, Gareth maintains in an interview with OK! Magazine that he has already thought out a plotline for the "Bad Romance" singer to appear in. "She is no stranger to dressing up and would be more than a match for the Doctor," said Roberts in the interview. "It would be a real coup to get her." (via io9)

Good news for Spartacus' Andy Whitfield. Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Whitfield, the star of Starz's period drama Spartacus, has been given a clean bill of health and is ready to return to work following his treatment for Stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He's expected to appear in two episodes of Starz' upcoming six-episode prequel series starring Lucy Lawless and John Hannah and then segue directly into shooting Season Two of Spartacus afterwards. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jesse Williams has been promoted to a series regular on ABC's Grey's Anatomy next season, citing unnamed sources. Fellow Grey's frosher Sarah Drew is also expected to return next season, though a deal has yet to be closed. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Take this news with a grain of salt: British comedian Matt Lucas (Little Britain) has reportedly signed on to appear in an upcoming episode of FOX musical-comedy Glee, according to British tabloid The Sun, where he will play a British teacher who conceals a hidden passion for musicals... and might even burst into song. FOX has yet to confirm the casting. (via Digital Spy)

Is Matthew McConaughey heading to FX? Sort of. His production company, J.K. Livin, has teamed up with the cabler to develop single-camera comedy pilot Kick Ass Militia, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Project will be written/executive produced by Marc Hyman, based on source material by JR Reed and will revolve around "two brothers whose divergent views are always pitting them against each other on their Malibu compound, one a survivalist and one a free-loving cult leader." (Deadline)

AMC will offer viewers a sneak peek of its upcoming drama series Rubicon on Sunday evening, immediately following the season finale of Breaking Bad. Series, which stars James Badge Dale, Miranda Richardson, and Arliss Howard, will officially launch on Sunday, August 1st at 8 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva reports that FOX drama pilot Breakout Kings, which failed to receive a series order at the network, may be heading to A&E as production entity Chernin Entertainment is said to be in talks with the cabler about picking up the crime procedural. Project was written by Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora and directed by Gavin Hood. "At A&E, Breakout Kings would fit into the character-driven procedural direction the channel is taking with the upcoming cop drama The Glades, which also is male-centered," writes Andreeva. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that John Seda (The Pacific) has signed on to guest star on USA's Burn Notice this season, where he will play Cole, described as "a disgruntled ex-Marine who now works as a killer for hire." Meanwhile, Garrett Dillahunt and Tim Matheson will reprise their roles as Simon and "Dead" Larry Sizemore on Burn Notice, Carlo Mendez is heading to Pawnee for a multiple-episode story arc on Parks and Recreation, and D.W. Moffett (Friday Night Lights) and Lauren Holly have been cast in USA's upcoming drama Covert Affairs. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Robyn Ross has an interview with Lucy Hale, who stars in ABC Family's new mystery drama series Pretty Little Liars, which launches tonight. "In the first episode, you're introduced to these characters who have dark secrets that can basically ruin their lives," said Hale. "The series is figuring out what happened to Alison and who is threatening us, but also we have our everyday issues. I think that's what's going to hook people. It's got really cute boys, great love stories and you get to see some cool fashion as well." (TVGuide.com)

Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts have signed a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios, under which they will develop new projects for the studio and join the staff of Shonda Rhimes-executive produced medical drama Off the Map, where they will executive produce alongside Rhimes, Jenna Bans, and Betsy Beers. (Deadline)

Vanessa Marcil will return to ABC daytime soap General Hospital, where she will reprise her role as Brenda, for which she won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2003, beginning August 11th. "We are so thrilled to welcome Vanessa Marcil home to General Hospital," said executive producer Jill Farren Phelps. "Vanessa is a wonderful, talented actress and her portrayal of Brenda makes her a force of nature in Port Charles." (SOAPnet)

Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with Outsourced co-executive producer Michael Pennie, under which he will focus on NBC's Outsourced and develop new projects for the studio. "UMS are willing to take some chances," Pennie told The Hollywood Reporter. "Outsourced is an example of their willingness to try something different in a year where there's a lot out there that feels like versions of stuff I've seen before, and that's definitely something I'm attracted to." (Hollywood Reporter)

Katy Perry will host and perform on the Teen Choice 2010 awards show, scheduled to air on Monday, August 9th on FOX. (via press release)

Former Bachelor contestant Melissa Rycroft has been tapped to host ABC spinoff series Bachelor Pad alongside Chris Harrison. Series, which features past contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, is set to launch August 9th at 8 pm ET/PT. (Variety's On the Air)

Kevin Hooks (Prison Break) has signed on to executive produce ABC's drama series Detroit 1-8-7 and will direct at least two episodes of the series' initial thirteen-episode order. (Hollywood Reporter)

Rob Schiller (The King of Queens) will direct two of CMT's comedy pilot presentations, The 30 Percent and Working Class. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: White Collar Nabs Hilarie Burton, Natasha Henstridge Gets Drop Dead Role, Jim Parsons on Big Bang Move, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Fancast's Matt Mitovich is reporting that former One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton has signed on to appear in a six-episode story arc on Season Two of USA's White Collar, where she'll play Sarah Ellis, a new love interest for Matthew Bomer's Neal Caffrey, who is described as "an insurance investigator-slash-white collar bounty hunter who has a bit of a score to settle with Neal." Bomer's Neal will quickly find himself enmeshed in a game of cat and mouse with Sarah. Season Two of White Collar is set to launch Tuesday, July 13th at 9 pm ET/PT. (Fancast)

Former Eli Stone star Natasha Henstridge is heading back to the courtroom, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, who reports that Henstridge has signed on to a multiple-episode story arc on Season Two of Lifetime's legal dramedy Drop Dead Diva, which returns June 6th. She'll play the "heretofore-unseen partner at Harrison & Parker," according to Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Megan Masters talks to The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons about the CBS comedy's move to Thursdays next season and Sheldon's new love interest, played by Mayim Bialik. "I am optimistically excited about it," said Parsons about Big Bang Theory's new scheduling. "We all know the world of television is unpredictable...but I do feel hopeful about it. It will be very exciting to be a part of a new night of comedy, a new section of comedy, whatever it turns into. My initial reaction was slight disbelief because I didn't see it coming, but as the day wore on I felt like this could be good. It will certainly keep things exciting and interesting. CBS has always been with us. From really very early on they've done these moves like this that made you realize that they have a lot of faith in the show." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

SPOILER! (If you haven't seen last night's 24 series finale) Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice has an interview with 24 executive producer Howard Gordon about the series finale, which aired last night. "Yes, that was very much designed from the beginning," said Gordon when asked if he knew early on that the season would end with Jack going off the rails. "How it would end, however, was something that was really unknown. I saw a little bit further ahead than I generally do, and we wanted to knit Jack and Renee together, only to take them apart, and for that to have a really profound effect on Jack. That’s about as far as we knew in the broad strokes. How that was going to happen, and how it would impact Allison Taylor and Chloe — those were late-to-the-party additions that I think helped bolster that initial idea." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has the skinny on the fake spoiler that Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse attempted to put out into the ether, one that the series ending with a wedding between Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim). "But this wedding, unlike the Kwons' first one (with special guest Jacob), was actually a red herring planted by producers to throw off any spoiler hounds trying to sniff around finale storylines," writes Dos Santos. "According to reliable sources close to the show, a fake call sheet was sent out to the entire cast and extended crew detailing a Jin and Sun wedding scene for the finale. The 'spoiler' never leaked." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that ABC has put five drama scripts into development for spring, hoping land two pilot orders from the pack of new projects. These include the Sony Pictures Television-produced reboot of Charlie's Angels, from Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and Javier Grillo-Marxuach's Department Zero, and three projects from ABC Studios: Ghostworld, from Ian Sanders and Kim Moses (Ghost Whisperer), Behind the Blue, from executive producer Taye Diggs, and medical drama Island of Women, from Matthew Gross. These are on top of the six more scripts ordered for Rand Ravich's quirky bounty hunter drama Edgar Floats. (Deadline)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos talks to Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford about the fact that Crawford's Nate Archibald desperately needs a new love interest on the CW drama series... and that it likely won't be Taylor Momsen's Jenny. "I always thought [Nate and Jenny] was a little weird," Crawford admitted. "There's the age gap, she's still in high school..." Meanwhile, Crawford indicated to Dos Santos that the shocking season finale might point to a darker Nate next season. "That may be where they're going," Crawford said. "It'd be fun to play. Who knows, maybe I'll be the one getting shot next year." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

SPOILER! Elsewhere, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Gossip Girl producers are casting the role of Eva, described as " an utterly gorgeous female in her 20s or 30s who boasts a warm heart and an authentic French accent." Eva will be the new love interest for Chuck, natch, as shooting gets underway in New York and Paris in July. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Jace Alexander (Burn Notice) will direct the Syfy action-adventure drama pilot Three Inches, which is said to focus on "an underachiever who develops a unique 'super' power after being struck by lightning — the ability to move any object by 3 inches using his mind – and is soon recruited by a covert team of superheroes." (Deadline)

Meanwhile, Nellie Andreeva also reports that Ken Sanzel (NUMB3RS) is in the process of closing a deal to come aboard new CBS drama series Blue Bloods as showrunner. (Deadline)

Overall deal roundup: Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Greg Malins, newly installed as executive producer/co-showrunner on ABC comedy Better Together, has signed a two-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television... and Zach Reiter (CSI: NY) has signed a two-year overall deal with CBS Studios, which will keep him aboard the crime procedural and develop new projects for the studio. (Deadline)

Stay tuned.

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: No Mr. Eko for Lost Finale, Lost Live in LA, Unhappy Ending for 24, Shawn Ryan Leaves Lie to Me, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Don't expect Mr. Eko to turn up among the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 this season on Lost. Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaje will not be returning to ABC's drama series Lost before it wraps up its epic run on May 23rd. "Though the producers wanted to find a reason to bring back the former tailie, EW has learned that a deal could not be reached in time," writes Rice. Akinnoye-Agbaje, who played Nigerian warlord-turned-pious-fake-priest Mr. Eko, had previously made it clear that he would be more than happy to return to Lost, which he departed during the series' third season. "I’m here for [the producers]," Akinnuoye-Agbaje said in an August 2009 interview. "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." It does appear than time was not on the side of Mr. Eko. Or the smoke monster managed to intervene once more. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Variety's Cynthia Littleton has details about Thursday evening's Lost Live: The Final Celebration event here in Los Angeles, during which Michael Giacchino will conduct a full live orchestral performance of the music from Lost for 1800 lucky fans (myself included), which will be followed by a screening of the following week's episode, the series' penultimate. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Colburn School of Performing Arts. We thought it was a great way to connect working musicians with students who are looking to make a living playing music," Giacchino told Variety. "And we want it to be fun -- not all academic and serious. We're celebrating what is quite an amazing ending to a long run." Executive producer Carlton Cuse, meanwhile, wanted a way to pay tribute to Giacchino's enormous contributions to the series and the fans. "Lost is so much about the community that has grown up around the show. It seemed like it would be a great culmination for all of us to watch the (penultimate) episode together and have that shared experience," said Cuse. "I think it's going to be a powerful and emotional evening." (Variety)

[Meanwhile, The New Yorker's Alex Ross has a fantastic interview with Lost composer Michael Giacchino that's worth reading.]

Fans of FOX's 24, also set to wrap its run this month, shouldn't expect a happy ending for Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer, according to executive producer Howard Gordon. "[It] leaves him in a compromised place morally, ethically and emotionally," said Gordon. "This show is a tragedy, and to give Jack a happy ending didn't feel authentic..." Meanwhile, a first draft of the script has been written for the big screen version of 24, with a second draft currently being worked on. "We're honoring the series and the creative integrity of (Bauer) and then possibly bringing in a whole new group [of characters]," Gordon said. "What I do think is important is that we do not retread." (Hollywood Reporter)

Shawn Ryan, who took over as showrunner/executive producer of FOX's Lie to Me, has said that he's looking to depart the procedural drama, which is currently on the bubble for a third season renewal. "I had a great year working on the show and helped develop a team that’s ready for more responsibility," wrote Ryan on Twitter. "Time for me to go …When I took gig, I had things in development, nothing in production. Now with Terriers and possibly Ride-Along, too much work... As for timing, this allows studio time to give network succession plan to increase odds of pickup. Still very excited to show you 12 episodes we have in the can. The great Howard Hessman guest stars in one of them." Lie to Me is set to return to the schedule on June 7th. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Lifetime is developing a drama spinoff of its series Army Wives, which will revolve around Brigid Brannagh's Pamela, described as "a former police officer whose husband was a Delta Force soldier" who "is now divorced and back in her old job as a Charleston, S.C., cop," according to Variety's Michael Schneider. The potential new series, which will follow Pamela back to Charleston, will be written by Bruce Zimmerman and T.D. Mitchell and executive produced by Mark Gordon and Deb Spera. (Variety)

USA has announced an official launch date for Season Five of dramedy Psych, which will return to the schedule on Wednesday, July 21st at 10 pm ET/PT. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other USA news, Emmanuelle Vaugier (Human Target) has been cast in USA's upcoming espionage drama Covert Affairs, where she will star opposite Piper Perabo and play a "fearless journalist/blogger." Series is set to launch on July 13th. (Hollywood Reporter)

Variety's Rick Kissell is reporting that venerable crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation could be headed to a new timeslot when CBS unveils their new fall schedule network. "All three [CSI] shows remain fairly popular -- and on most weeks they win their hours in total viewers -- but there's no guarantee they will all be on the fall sked. And keeping all three in the same timeslot for a sixth straight fall seems even more unlikely," writes Kissell. "As currently scheduled, each CSI is the beneficiary of some of the Eye's strongest lead-ins, and CBS may feel the time is right to get more production out of those slots." He believes that CBS will leave CSI: Miami on Monday nights, possibly rest CSI: New York during the fall or shift it to Fridays, and either flip CSI and The Mentalist on Thursdays or move it to Fridays as a lead into another drama, such as The Good Wife. (Variety)

A new Facebook campaign has sprung up, perhaps in response to the success of the Betty White/Saturday Night Live grassroots effort, around Modern Family. The group, "Let Cam & Mitchell kiss on Modern Family," is look for just that: an on-screen smooch between Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson: "Cam & Mitchell, the adorable gay couple on ABC's Modern Family, have not been shown sharing even a brief kiss throughout the series' first hit season. ABC isn't afraid of gay characters, so why won't they let them show some love?" (New York Magazine's Vulture)

Classic detective drama Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is getting another remake, this time for American television as Syfy has handed out a pilot order to an updated version of the project, which revolves around a pair of mismatched detectives, one of whom is a ghost who was killed in the line of duty. Josh Bycel and Jonathan Fener will write the script and executive produce along with Howard Braunstein; project hails from ITV Studios. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Mary Lynn Rajskub will guest star in the June 10th episode of USA's Royal Pains, where she will play the stepdaughter of Christine Ebersole's Mrs. Newberg. "I play a girl who does yoga on diet pills," Rajskub wrote on Twitter. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

20th Century Fox Television drama development czar Patrick Moran has departed the studio and will be replaced by Michael Thorn, the former NBC executive who was most recently the president of Marty Adelstein's 20th Century Fox-based shingle, Lost Marbles Television. He'll move into the position of SVP of drama development in June, and report to Jennifer Nicholson Salke. "Marty has been a great friend and mentor, but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up," Thorn told Variety. "Twentieth has a legacy of developing and producing some of the most creative drama series in TV. To get to be a part of that, and make my own mark, and be able to sell to Fox and the other networks, it was something I couldn't say no to." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: TNT Renews Southland, Legend of the Seeker Axed, FX Heads to Outlaw Country, Royal Pains, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

In a surprise move, cabler TNT has ordered a third season of hyper-realistic cop drama Southland, commissioning ten episodes that will launch in January 2011. "Southland is a challenging, visceral show that engages viewers with its immersive style, provocative storylines and complex characters," said Michael Wright, EVP/head of programming, for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, in a statement. "These qualities have made Southland a favorite among critics and appointment viewing for an extremely loyal audience." It's a sign of support from the cabler, which picked up the drama series after it was cancelled by NBC before it had even aired a single episode of its second season. TNT aired the six-episode sophomore season run earlier this year. [It's noted in this Variety article that the median viewer age of Southland--47--is younger than any other series on the channel.] (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that syndicated fantasy series Legend of the Seeker has been cancelled and will not be returning for a third season. "The outlook had been bleak since last March, when many of Tribune Station Group’s markets dropped the syndicated series, which had been developed from Terry Goodkind’s fantasy novels by Hercules/Xena producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert," wrote Ausiello. "ABC Studios, which produces it, kept shopping it around. But, I’m told, they found no takers. So, after two action-packed seasons, Legend is history." Sorry, folks, it's the end of the road for Richard Cypher. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FX is heading back South once more: the cabler has ordered a pilot for thriller/family drama Outlaw Country, written by Josh Goldin and Rachel Abramowitz and executive prodced by Art Linson and John Linson. Project, which has no casting attachments, will revolve around organized crime in the South. Production on the pilot, produced by FX Prods., will begin this fall. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Marcia Gay Harden (Damages) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on USA's Royal Pains, where she will play Dr. Elizabeth Blair, described as "a surgeon, board member of Hamptons Heritage Hospital, and an adversary-turned-mentor to Jill (Jill Flint)." She's set to first appear in Royal Pains' second season premiere, set to air on June 3rd. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that The Amazing Race executive producers Bertram van Munster, Elise Doganieri, and Jerry Bruckheimer are developing a new action-based reality competition series at ABC, entitled Catch Me, details for which are being kept firmly under wraps. Adalian writes that the potential series--thought to still be in the pilot stage--is described as "a heart-stopping reality competition" that will reward contestants who "have an adventurous streak and a poker face." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Freplicate alert: Merrin Dungey (Alias) has been cast in a recurring role on Season Two of HBO's Hung, which returns this summer. She'll play Liz, described as a potential new love interest for Thomas Jane's Ray Drecker who is one of his clients and a highly successful businesswoman. (Deadline.com)

Adam Kane (The Mentalist) will direct the pilot for Syfy's upcoming supernatural series Haven, based on the Stephen King novella "The Colorado Kid." (Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILERS! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to House executive producer Katie Jacobs about what's coming up next on the medical drama, ahead of the sixth season finale next month, and what to expect next season. "Considering the fact that he’s not on Vicodin, things have been going as well as they could possibly go," said Jacobs about House's emotional journey this season. "He’s living with Wilson, and I think that’s helpful. And he’s really making an effort to hold it together. It sort of seems like in every episode there’s a new revelation about how well he really is doing. How is he faring just taking ibuprofen for the pain? Is that working? In episode 17 he was stuck in that room for two hours with David Strathairn and we found out he is in pain. And from now until the end of the season, there’s going to be something that challenges House’s [sobriety] in almost every episode." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Dane DeHaan (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) has joined the cast of Season Three of HBO's In Treatment, where he will play a teenage patient for Gabriel Byrne's Paul. He'll be joined by Irrfan Khan, while Debra Winger has not yet decided whether or not to accept a role. (Dianne Wiest will not be returning.) The series will now be overseen by new showrunners Anya Epstein and Dan Futterman, who replace Warren Leight. (Variety)

Vulture has a quick review of the pilot script for TNT's Untitled Alien Invasion Project, from executive producers Steven Spielberg and Robert Rodat. (New York Magazine's Vulture)

The Wrap's Josh Dickey offer his theory about what the real problem is with American Idol: Glee. (The Wrap)

FOX has ordered a pilot for reality series Panic Attack, in which a group of five participants will face off against the shared fear--whether that be heights, snakes, or spiders--with the help of a pair of therapists, Nik and Eva Speakman. Project hails from A. Smith & Co. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, The Los Angeles Times' Scott Collins and Denise Martin have an article about the songwriters featured on FOX's Glee. "They really worked hard to make it their own," Steve Perry said of the series' use of "Don't Stop Believin'." "It's actually brought people's attention to go check out the original… It's something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime." (The Los Angeles Times)

Jamie Kennedy (The Ghost Whisperer) is set to guest star on Season Four of Syfy's Eureka, where he will play Dr. Ramsey in an upcoming episode that will be directed by Colin Ferguson. Here's how Syfy describes the episode ("The Story of O2"): "Sheriff Jack Carter (Ferguson) leaves Eureka to visit his daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson) at Harvard while the town celebrates Space Week. A new self-propagating oxygen technology developed by Dr. Ramsey in order to potentially colonize on Mars mysteriously begins to build up in the atmosphere above Eureka threatening to incinerate the entire town. The episode is scheduled to premiere Friday, July 30, 2010." (via press release)

Looks like The Transporter is headed to the small screen, with an international production--in English--set to start shooting in Europe and Canada early next year. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Chuck's Renewal Chances Looking Up, Glee Circles Britney Spears Episode, Parks and Recreation, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that a potential fourth season of NBC's Chuck is looking more and more likely. While we shouldn't breath a collective sigh of relief just yet, Ausiello speaks to an unnamed source close to the production who tells him that it's "looking good" that NBC will renew the Warner Bros. Television-produced action-comedy for another season, bumping the series' position on the Bubble Show Scorecard from "could go either way" to "safe bet." Still, it's important to note that a final decision about Chuck's ultimate fate at the network won't be made for several more weeks... (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Additionally, Ausiello also has a first-look video at the May 3rd episode of Chuck (entitled "Chuck Versus the Role Models"), which features an homage to Hart to Hart and features guest stars Fred Willard and Swoosie Kurtz as a spy couple who are tasked with training Chuck and Sarah. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy has told Entertainment Weekly that he is considering creating an episode around the music of Britney Spears, following an idea floated by Spears' manager on Twitter. "I’m interested in the Britney Spears idea," said Murphy, who is also considering episodes based around Billy Joel, Led Zepplin, and Courtney Love. "I’ve always loved her. I’m entertaining it. I think young kids would like that." (Entertainment Weekly's Music Mix)

Universal Media Studios and NBC have signed Parks and Recreation co-creator Mike Schur to an overall deal that will keep him at the helm of NBC's Parks for several years to come and also develop new material down the line. "I'm an NBC nerd," Schur told Variety. "Every time NBC takes a hit in the press I get angry. They've been nothing but good to me. Their notes on scripts are good. This deal is about solidifying this show and me at NBC." (Variety)

Meanwhile, The Wrap's Josef Adalian reports on the real reason Rob Lowe is being added to the cast of Parks and Recreation: NBC Entertainment chief Angela Bromstad, who felt the series "could benefit from some added star wattage," according to Adalian, and that Lowe could provide the sort of element that Alec Baldwin provides to fellow Thursday night comedy 30 Rock. Still, producers weren't upset by the, er, request to add Lowe to the ensemble, though it did take some pitching from Jeff Gaspin in order for Mike Schur and Greg Daniels to envision how Lowe would fit into the world of Pawnee. "Some of the fans have expressed fears that he won't fit into the world (of Pawnee), but I think those fears will be allayed when they see him," said Schur. He's handsomer than everyone else, but he's also happy to be part of a large ensemble. He fits in because he's being really funny." While Adam Scott's contract locks him in for the long-term, Lowe's deal will be revisited down the line when the network and producers have a chance to see how he meshes with the comedy series. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Meanwhile, you can catch a glimpse of Rob Lowe and Adam Scott on the set of NBC's Parks and Recreation below, courtesy of a new video released by the Peacock:



HBO has announced return dates for comedies Entourage and Hung, which will return with new seasons on June 27th. (Variety)

The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd has a breakdown of which pilots are currently looking like front-runners for series orders at the broadcast network, including CBS' Hawaii Five-O, NBC's Rockford Files and Undercovers, as well as David E. Kelley's Kindreds, Love Bites, Chase, This Little Piggy, Friends with Benefits, Next, Perfect Couples, and Outsources all looking good at the Peacock. CBS is said to be circling Chaos, Defenders, Bleep My Dad Says, Mike & Molly, True Love, and Hawaii Five-O. FOX is said to be high on Breakout Kings, Midland, Ride Along, Terra Nova, Security, Keep Hope Alive, and Most Likely to Succeed. ABC is keen for 187, Off the Map, Body of Evidence, No Ordinary Family, Wright Vs. Wrong, and Mr. Sunshine. At the CW, the network is particularly high on Nikita and Betwixt. (Hollywood Reporter)

Sorry Gina Torres fans, looks like the former Firefly star won't be popping up on Season Two of Syfy's Warehouse 13 after all. Torres has been replaced by Tia Carerre (Relic Hunter) on the sci-fi series, which returns on July 6th for its second season. Lindsay Wagner (Bionic Woman), meanwhile, will guest star as an "in-house doctor for Warehouse 13, home base for the secret storage facility that houses all sorts of strange phenomena being tracked down by agents (Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly)." (Hollywood Reporter)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that Warner Bros. TV is still in "deep talks" to move Conan O'Brien's production company Conaco from NBC Universal to TBS, the cable network now home to O'Brien's upcoming latenight revival. Sources indicated that such a deal could be made by the end of the month. "The deal has been a no-brainer since the April 12 announcement that O'Brien was head to Turner's TBS, which, like WBTV, is part of the Time Warner family," wrote Adalian. "Turner chief Steve Koonin told TheWrap then that he wanted to do 'multiple projects together,' making it inevitable that there'd be a production deal with WBTV." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

The New York Times's Joe Rhodes has a feature about FOX's upcoming action-comedy series The Good Guys, starring Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks and created by Matt Nix (Burn Notice). Series, produced by FTVS, was ordered to series without a pilot. "Matt walks in the door with not only a finished script and a pitch for what the whole season was going to be," Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly told Rhodes, "but with a willingness to deliver a network-quality show on a cable budget. We are getting a lot of bang for our buck, literally." (The New York Times)

Over at Los Angeles Times's Show Tracker site, Claire Zulkey talks to the latest winner of Project Runway. (Los Angeles Times's Show Tracker)

The cast of ABC's reality competition series Dancing with the Stars seems to be enjoying themselves more now that Kate Gosselin has been booted from the series. "It’s a whole new place around the set of DWTS this week!" an unnamed insider told Fancast's Kelly Will. "The cast and crew are working in an entirely new environment. Kate wasn’t the problem, it was the drama that followed her. It was like a cloud of energy everyday that changed the dynamics of the cast when they were filming segments. Now that Kate is out, it’s a quieter place to be. It was a media storm when Kate was around, not by her choice, but it was... Jon may not have been a cast member of the show, but every time he did something in public it quickly trickled down onto the set. If Kate was dealing with something difficult, people noticed, heard about it and had an opinion. The moms were supportive and the guys pretty much tried to avoid it. Bachelor Jake was always very nice to Kate – people liked her but she had so much to deal with besides the show. It was hard to really befriend her because of the media circus." (Fancast)

E! Online's Megan Masters talks with Gossip Girl's Billy Baldwin about his upcoming arc as Serena's father. "This is a good guy who has made some bad choices in his life," said Baldwin about Van der Woodsen, who he said "poses some interesting conflicts and problems for everybody." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

NBC is bumping this week's episode of Mercy to 9 pm (and filling the 8 pm timeslot with a repeat of Minute to Win It) in an effort to give the struggling freshman drama series a shot in the arm, hoping that it will have a better chance at luring viewers when it's not leading off the night. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

TV Squad's Chris Harnick has an interview with Nigella Lawson about her upcoming new series, Jamie Oliver, and KFC's Double Down. "I don't want to feel guilty every time I eat some potato chips," said Lawson, laughing. "But I do admire him for the work he's done. I have to say, he's a great boy." (TV Squad)

Showtime will offer a sneak-peek at the upcoming reality series The Real L Word tonight at 11 pm ET/PT, following new episodes of Nurse Jackie and United States of Tara. The series itself will launch on Sunday, June 20th at 10 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

The Hollywood Reporter has a recap of Friday night's Psych panel at the Paley Center. "Discovering, inventing or stealing a pill that reverses the aging process, kidnapping Barbara Hershey and watching Boxcar Bertha with her, convincing Gus to purchase one of those Japanese video games where you dance ... and possibly kissing Detective Juliet O'Hara on the mouth," said James Roday when asked about his character's five-year plan. (Hollywood Reporter)

CBS Television Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with former NUMB3RS executive producer Don McGill, under which he will come aboard CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as an executive producer next season and develop new projects for the studio. (Variety)

The Daytime Emmy Awards telecast is returning to CBS and will air during primetime on Sunday, June 27th. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pennsylvania labor officials has approved TLC's request to film Jon and Kate Gosselin's eight children for a series of Kate Plus 8 specials to air on the network, according to Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice, who reports that the kids will not be appearing in TLC's spin-off series Twist of Kate, which launches this summer. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Disney Channel has ordered a second season of I'm in the Band. (via press release)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Matthew Weiner Wants Six Seasons of Mad Men, More Breaking Bad (?), Lost, Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Looks like we're at the halfway point for AMC's Mad Men, at least according to creator Matthew Weiner. Speaking at last week's National Association of Broadcasters, Weiner stated that he would like to wrap up the period drama after six seasons as he couldn't see the series, produced by Lionsgate Television, going past that point. [Editor: Personally, I think that this is a good thing as an end date would allow Weiner to not only go out on a high note but begin planning the back half of the series' run while knowing just when it will end, much like Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse had requested an end date for Lost/] (The Weekly Blend via The Wrap's Weekly Blend)

Elsewhere at AMC, The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting that Breaking Bad is likely to be back on the cabler for a fourth season, following news that executive producers were told that the series is ready for a renewal. However, there is currently no deal in place between studio Sony Pictures Television and AMC. While neither side would comment, Adalian writes that "all parties are hopeful [a deal] will happen." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Looks like some lucky fans will be able to say goodbye to Lost in style, with ABC preparing several official Lost-related events next month in Los Angeles and New York. Carlton Cuse spilled the info on the May 13th Lost Live: The Final Celebration event at UCLA's Royce Hall last week on Twitter, which is believed to be a fundraiser that will feature an advance screening of the series' penultimate episode and a live orchestra performance, conducted by Michael Giacchino, of music from the series. ABC has yet to announce this or several other events that are being planned for Los Angeles and New York in May, including two overseen by Paul Scheer and Upright Citizens Brigade for May 22nd. (Variety)

TV Guide Magazine, meanwhile, has the "final Lost cast photo," which depicts the cast of Lost among the wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815 as the actors are asked where they would like to see their characters end up once Lost wraps its run next month. (via Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor will be appearing in two episodes of Doctor Who spinoff The Sarah Jane Adventures, both of which will be written by former Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Russell T Davies. The move marks the first time that Davies will have written for Smith's Doctor. The two-parter, part of the series' fourth season which is set to air this fall on CBBC, finds the Doctor reunited with former companion Jo Grant (Katy Manning)--last seen in 1973--and Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) herself, as well. "It's a fantastic script and I can't wait to work with another Doctor and hope Matt has fun with us," said Sladen. "I've known Katy for ages and I am delighted to be working with her. I last met her in LA but this time we will be in Cardiff. LA was good but Cardiff is better."

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Aaron Ashmore (Smallville) has been cast in a recurring role on USA drama series In Plain Sight this season. Ashmore will play "the smart yet rough-around-the-edges long-lost half brother to Mary (Mary McCormack) and Brandi (Nichole Hiltz)" who looks to reconcile with his siblings. He's slated to first appear in the back half of Season Three. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd is reporting that CBS is has shot a pilot presentation for a hidden camera comedy series WTF! (that would be, ahem, Wow That's Funny!) with Drew Carey. According to Hibberd, "the project combines a hidden-camera show with flash-mob tactics as the group pulls benevolent pranks on deserving citizens." Project is produced by Raquel Prods and RelativityReal, with Jay Blumenfeld, Tony Marsh, Charlie Todd, Drew Carey, and Tom Forman serving as executive producers. (Hollywood Reporter)

TVGuide.com's Adam Bryant talks to Stana Katic about tonight's episode of ABC's Castle, in which Katic's Kate Beckett gets a love interest, who just happens to be played by Battlestar Galactica's Michael Trucco. "It's really wonderful to have the opportunity to show a more sensual, romantic side to Beckett," Katic told Bryant. "I think it's great having someone like Tom Denning who is genuinely interested in Kate and is formidable enough to become a bit of a competitor for Castle... It forces Castle to have some introspection as to why he hasn't approached her yet in that way and what's going on with his relationships and past romantic experiences. He's had a number of girls swing in and swing out. So, this is an opportunity for us as an audience to delve deeper into something he may not realize he's missing." (TVGuide.com)

Casting tidbits: Henry Zebrowski (Michael & Michael Have Issues) has been cast in NBC comedy pilot Beach Lane. Elsewhere, James Carpinello (The Punisher) will recur on CBS drama series The Good Wife. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Land has ordered nine episodes of comedy Retired at 35, starring Johnathan McClain and George Segal. Series, from executive producers Chris Case, Michael Hanel, and Mindy Schultheis, will premiere in first quarter 2011. (Variety)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a blind pilot script deal with Canadian writer Rob Sheridan (Corner Gas), under which he will move to Los Angeles this summer to develop a half-hour comedy for the studio. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO Documentary Films has picked up US television rights to Alex Gibney's documentary My Trip to Al-Qaeda, which it will air this fall. (Variety)

Cybill Shepherd has been cast opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt in an untitled Lifetime original telepic, where she will play Hewitt's mother, a waxer at a women's beauty salon who discovers that her daughter has become a prostitute in order to pay her bills and keep her family in their home. (Hollywood Reporter)

VH1 is set to launch a staggering 44 series, each of which will fall into the cabler's newly devised programming hubs: music, celebrity and "real life stories." (Hollywood Reporter)

Marjorie Cohn has been promoted to president, original programming and development, of Nickelodeon/MTV Networks Kids and Family Group. She continues to report to Cyma Zarghami. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Two-Season Renewal for Burn Notice, Patton Oswalt Out of Beach Lane, Anatasia Griffith to Royal Pains, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. I still have to get caught up on last night's telly as I was out rubbing elbows with the cast and crew of Doctor Who at a BAFTA/LA screening, Q&A, and cocktail party. (Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Steven Moffat, and former showrunner Russell T Davies were all in attendance and all very chatty.)

Burn Notice fans will be very happy this morning: USA has announced that it has renewed the drama series for a fifth AND sixth season even before Season Four of Burn Notice has even launches. The two additional seasons will run at least a respective 15 and 18 episodes, with Season Five set to begin shooting in about a year. "Once Saturday Night Live makes fun of you,' how can you not commit to extra seasons?" Jeff Wachtel, USA's president of original programming, told Variety. It also helps that USA will begin stripping the series in October 2011, following a deal with studio Fox Television Studios for the off-net rights. (Variety)

The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd is reporting that Patton Oswalt has departed NBC comedy pilot Beach Lane, just days after being cast alongside Matthew Broderick and Kristen Johnston. Move comes after Tuesday's table read, though it was immediately unclear just what Oswalt's status on the pilot was. "One source added that producers have offered Oswalt another part instead," writes Hibberd, "but it's unclear at this time if Oswalt is interested in staying on the show in a different role." (The Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Anastasia Griffith (Trauma) is joining the cast of USA's Royal Pains when the series returns for its second season on June 3rd. Griffith will recur as Dr. Emily Peck, described as "a no-nonsense MD and a potential business rival of Hank’s (Mark Feuerstein)." Ausiello also has the spoilery details about just how Griffith's Emily becomes entangled in Hank's world: "Griffith’s doc will be introduced during the USA Network hit’s second season (premiering June 3) when Boris (Campbell Scott) hires her to temporarily fill in for an MIA Hank." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

SPOILER! E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has the skinny on a surprising twist (or not too surprising, if you pegged it from the start) coming up on FOX's Glee, which just happens to involve Lea Michele and Idina Menzel. (Guessed it yet?) Regardless, the two will duet on Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" later this season and co-creator Ryan Murphy teased a link between the two characters. "Lea and Idina Menzel will do an acoustic version of 'Poker Face' that [Lady Gaga] blessed and that she wanted us to do," Murphy told Dos Santos. "It's sort of like a stripped-down mother-daughter 'Poker Face' that Lady Gaga was involved in." [Editor: ahem!] (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Debra Winger is said to be in talks to come aboard HBO's In Treatment as a series regular next season, where she would play "a patient of Gabriel Byrne's psychotherapist character Paul [who is] a former big star who is battling insecurity and fear about her career," according to Deadline.com's Mike Fleming. (Deadline.com)

E! Online's Megan Masters interviews Smallville showrunner Brian Peterson about what's coming up on the rest of season for the CW superhero drama. Asked if Lois will learn Clark's secret, Peterson said, "What I can say is that this year we've really explored the tough duality of Lois having one relationship with this hero, the soldier of duty relationship, and one romantic love relationship with Clark, and so that just drives all the way through episodes 19, 21 and the finale. Everything that's been going on with that love triangle converges." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Fancast's Matt Webb Mitovich is reporting that Tim Matheson will not only direct the Season Two opener for USA's White Collar, but will also guest star in the episode as "a hedge fund manager who likes to dip into other folks‘ funds – as a part-time bank robber." Season Two of White Collar is set to launch in July. (Fancast)

FOX has announced launch dates for Hell's Kitchen and new culinary competition series Masterchef, with the new season of Hell's Kitchen set to start on Tuesday, June 1st, when it will air two-hour episodes until Masterchef takes over at 9 pm on Tuesday, July 27th. (via press release)

Stage actress Lynn Blackburn has been cast in a recurring role for Season Five of Friday Night Lights, where she will play Laurel, described by Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello as "a smart, tough, and dedicated teacher at East Dillon who befriends [SPOILER ALERT!] the school’s newest hire, Tami." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Casting update: Emily Rios (Men of a Certain Age) has been cast in a multiple-episode arc on DirecTV/NBC's Friday Night Lights, where she is set to play Epyck, described as "a rebel goth girl"; Austin Highsmith (Big Love) will guest star on CBS' Criminal Minds; Sunny Mabrey has been cast in a recurring role on TNT's upcoming drama series Memphis Beat; Janel Parrish (Heroes) will recur on ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars; and Warren Kole (24) has been cast in CW drama pilot Nomads, where he will play Ryker. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Desperate Housewives executive producer Bob Daily about the drama's May 16th season finale and has five hints about upcoming twists, from money problems and an explosion to a birth and a death. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Elsewhere, TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that a former series regular of ABC's Desperate Housewives will return to Wisteria Lane in the season finale this May. "I've promised the show that I'd keep the actor's identity a secret," writes Keck, "but the way they re-introduce this character is genius and sets the stage for some major awkwardness in Season Seven. (TV Guide Magazine)

Spike has ordered a pilot for comedy Playing With Guns, which will star Danny Masterson (That '70s Show) and Joey Kern (Super Troopers). Project--from writers Bob Castrone, Brian Levin, and Jason Zumwalt and executive producers Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett--revolves around two "childhood best friends who become police officers in their hometown for the everyday perks." (Hollywood Reporter)

Bill Irwin will reprise his role as Nate Haskell on CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for the season's final two episodes, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "Nate knows who Dr. Jekyll is, which is kind of interesting since he’s been in prison for the last 11 years," executive producer Carol Mendelsohn told Ausiello. "The [May 20] season finale is all about what it will take to get him to give them a name." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO has renewed Real Time with Bill Maher through 2011 and has bumped its episodic order to 35 episodes per season. The current season is set to end in November, with Season Nine expected in February. (Variety)

CBS Television Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with Lost co-executive producer Paul Zbyszewski, under which he will develop new drama projects for the studio and will become a co-executive producer on Hawaii Five-O, should it be ordered to series. (Deadline.com)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian has issued a request of ABC: to let the final credits for Lost's series finale run unadorned by promos, bugs, or spots for The Bachelorette. "Specifically, what if ABC actually just aired the closing credits to Lost unadorned, as Darlton intended them, and with the haunting closing score viewers hear only if they watch the show on DVD, on demand or via syndication?" writes Adalian. "A nation of Lost fans whose minds will (hopefully) have just been blown and heartstrings tugged will appreciate the time to let what they've just seen sunk in." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Discovery Channel has ordered a sixth season of Cash Cab. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.