Channel Surfing: Linda Hamilton Ups Chuck, Alfred Molina to Law & Order: LA, Felicia Day Gets Eureka, Burn Notice, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. It's the brief calm between the dual storms of Comic-Con and the TCA Summer Press Tour and there oh so much to do. Let's hit the headlines.

Chuck's executive producers Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak stunned audiences at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend by announcing that Linda Hamilton (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) would be playing Chuck's mama Mary Bartowski, the oft-mentioned missing mother of the Bartowski siblings who was briefly glimpsed in the season finale. Hamilton will recur throughout Season Four of Chuck, though producers are being cagey about saying just what Mary has been up to since she walked out on her family, though they do admit that espionage runs in the family. "Hamilton will appear throughout the season, leading Chuck to discover that her life was shrouded in secrets," said Warner Bros. Television in an official press release about the casting. "She was a spy, a CIA agent ... and that's just the beginning. Who is she today? One thing is certain: She's not the soccer mom who left her children so many years ago." (via press release)

[In other Chuck news, composer Tim Jones will take over scoring FOX action drama series Human Target for its second season, which launches this fall. Jones will replace Bear McCreary, who will himself move over to AMC's The Walking Dead, while--fret not!--Jones will also continue on Chuck as well.)

In a surprising twist, Alfred Molina has joined the cast of NBC's Law & Order: Los Angeles, where he will play a deputy district attorney on the latest incarnation of the long-running procedural, set in the City of Angels this time around. Molina is the second actor to join the production and will star alongside Skeet Ulrich in the Universal Media Studios-produced series, which launches September 22nd. (Hollywood Reporter)

Felicia Day (Dollhouse) has signed on to appear in ten episodes of Eureka, while Caprica's Polly Walker will appear on two episodes of Syfy's Sanctuary, where she will play Ranna, described as "a powerful foe who faces Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) after the team encounters her in the show's mid-season cliffhanger." No details of just who or what Day will be playing on Eureka were immediately available and the network seems to be keeping the lid on such details for now. [Editor: could it be that they're saving something for TCA? Hmm...] (Hollywood Reporter)

USA has ordered a telepic for its action series Burn Notice that will serve as a prequel focusing on Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell) in his final assignment as a Navy SEAL. No writer or director have been announced for the project, which will be shot between the fourth and fifth seasons of Burn Notice, nor were any other actors announced for the two-hour film. (Variety)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Melora Hardin (The Office) has signed on to recur on NBC's legal drama Outlaw, where she will play Claire Sax, described as "a powerful senior partner in an elite law firm and love interest to Garza." She replaces Gina Gershon, who played the role in the original pilot. Hardin has also signed on to appear in a multiple-episode story arc on The Office, where she will turn up once again as Jan Levinson for Steve Carell's potentially final season on the comedy series. (Deadline)

Elsewhere, Andreeva is also reporting that British actor Ben Whishaw (Brideshead Revisited) has been cast as the lead of Alan Ball's new HBO drama pilot All Signs of Death, based on Charlie Huston's novel "The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death." Whishaw will play Webster Filmore Goodhue, described as "an inveterate twenty-something slacker who stumbles into a career as a crime scene cleaner, only to find himself entangled with a murder mystery, a femme fatale and the loose ends of his own past." (Deadline)

Indira Varma--most recently seen in BBC One's Luther--has joined the cast of FOX's Human Target as a series regular. Varma, best known for her roles on HBO's Rome and BBC's Torchwood, will play Ilsa, a wealthy widow who purchases the protection service company run by Mark Valley's Christopher Chance and becomes their new boss. (Hollywood Reporter)

E! Online has a full recap of yesterday's Glee panel at San Diego Comic-Con, including news that the series will feature a Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired episode this season, there will be new love triangles (including an Artie-Tina-Mike Chang one), the Britney Spears episode will air in September, Idina Menzel will return, and more. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Jonathan Sadowski (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) will replace Ryan Devlin on CBS' $#*! My Dad Says and will star opposite William Shatner in the Warner Bros. Television-produced comedy series. (Variety)

Sarah Carter (Dirty Sexy Money) has joined the cast of TNT's upcoming alien invasion drama Falling Skies, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Carter will star opposite Noah Wylie and Moon Bloodgood, and will play a member of a motorcycle gang who helps the heroes escape the aliens. (Deadline)

The Futon Critic is reporting that Stargate Universe and Sanctuary will move to Tuesday nights beginning in September. Both series will return with new seasons on September 28th. (Futon Critic)

The New York Times' Sarah Lyall has a great feature on Showtime/BBC's new comedy series Episodes, which stars Matt LeBlanc, Tamsin Greig, and Stephen Mangan. "It takes the whole Joey persona that I have and meets it head-on," LeBlanc told Lyall. "It’s really liberating. When you get pigeonholed as one character, people tend to think, 'That’s all he can do.' [...] The Matt LeBlanc in the show uses the fact that people assume I’m dumb because I played the dumb guy on Friends — he uses that to manipulate situations to his advantage. He manipulates the writers so that the show is more the way he wants it to be. Not that he’s right, but it exposes his insecurities about his ability." (New York Times)

Nickelodeon is transitioning animated series The Fairly OddParents into a live-action telepic to star Drake Bell, Cheryl Hines, and Jason Alexander next year. Pic, entitled A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up, Timmy Turner, will also feature Steven Weber and Daniella Monet. (Variety)

Producer Francie Calfo will succeed David Nevins as the president of Imagine Television. (Nevins has left to take over as entertainment president of pay cabler Showtime.) Calfo will report to Brian Grazer and will step into the role within the next fortnight. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

To Live to See the Great Day That Dawns: True Blood's Killer Sizzle Reel for Season Three

As Comic-Con 2010 wraps up today (and I head back to Los Angeles to prep for the TCA Summer Press Tour), HBO has released the absolutely killer teaser reel it lovingly crafted for its True Blood panel (which you can read about here).

The two-minute-and-twelve-seconds clip depicts upcoming scenes--and MAJOR reveals--coming up in the back half of the third season and had the crowd in Ballroom 20 cheering and screaming at the top of their lungs. Yes, True Blood fans, things are about to get really, really crazy in Bon Temps. (And Jacksonville, of course.)

You can watch the full clip below but be warned that there are MAJOR SPOILERS for the rest of the season contained within. Yes, seriously. I'm not kidding: MAJOR.

Watch below at your own risk and come back tomorrow to discuss tonight's episode...



True Blood airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010: HBO's True Blood Panel

HBO's panel for True Blood is always a highlight of the Comic-Con schedule and yesterday's offering of vampiric delights did not fail to disappoint, particularly as the pay cabler opted to introduce the panel by screening a teaser reel of footage from the back half of the third season... and it looked smoking hot. (We'll put the trailer up as soon as it becomes available but it gave away LOADS of upcoming plot twists, so watch at your own peril.)

While Alexander Skarsgard and Ryan Kwanten weren't free (both are shooting films at the moment), nearly the entire rest of the cast joined showrunner Alan Ball and novelist Charlaine Harris on stage to celebrate True Blood, field questions from moderator Tim Stack, and attempt to not give anything away when asked some rather piercing questions from fans.

While we already knew that Howlin' Joe Manganiello had been promoted to series regular on True Blood, there was a real sense of electricity in the air as he officially announced it to 2000 fans in Ballroom 20 yesterday but that was only one of many memorable moments. (A few of the others? Anna and Stephen loving caressing a cardboard cutout of Alexander Skarsgard; Anna doing her Bill Compton impression; anything involving Kristin Bauer van Straten.)

A few of those moments and reveals can be found below, as well as a video I shot during the panel in which Stephen Moyer discusses the "twist heard round the world" from a few weeks back. I've put the video at the top and then below that the highlights. But there are SPOILERS lurking below, so be warned!



  • "There's still more to come," said Moyer re: Bill's journey.
  • Anna is looking forward to kicking someone's ass in an upcoming ep and said it's a fair fight. You can guess who. (From the teaser, it certainly looks like Debbie Pelt.)
  • Joe says his happiest moment was three says ago when they finalized the deal for him to become a series regular.
  • How long can the series run for? "I would love this show to continue for as long as possible," said Alan Ball, "but I don't want to get to point where we have to explain how vampires age."
  • Tara: "There will be a brief break for her at the end of the season but it won't last," said Ball about Rutina Wesley's Tara.
  • Lovers in the Night: "I do believe Bill and Sookie are soulmates," said Alan Ball. "I do believe that their love is genuine and true."
  • Franklin:"He does care in his own twisted way," said Ball of Franklin's feelings for Tara. "Unfortunately, he is a psychopath."
  • Which is more difficult: shooting the sex scenes or shooting the violent bits? "I prefer to get naked earlier in the day, and kill people later in the day," said Anna Paquin.
  • On working with animals:"Skarsgaard isn't so bad when you get used to him," said Kristin Bauer van Straten
  • Super-Alcide? Joe said he'd be up for playing Superman.
  • Charlaine Harris on what she's looking forward to most: "Meeting Sookie's great-grandfather."
  • Kristin Bauer van Straten referred to Pam as "Auntie Pam" when it comes to Jessica.
  • Asked about Jessica and Hoyt's future as a couple, Deborah Ann Woll said, "You have to learn to love yourself before you can love someone else."
  • Kristin Bauer van Straten says that Elizabeth Taylor loves True Blood. Charlaine said that Anne Rice loves the show.
  • Rutina Wesley says Tara is "a little unstable right now but is hoping for some stability in the near future."

Season Three of True Blood airs Sunday nights at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Guilty as Sin: Showtime Unveils Dexter Season Five Promo at Comic-Con

"I was not really honest with you. I am a serial killer; that's what I am."

Showtime has released the action-packed video for the trailer for Season Five of Dexter, which it showed to a packed house in Ballroom 20 on Thursday at San Diego Comic-Con.

Missed the panel? No worries as you can check out the full trailer for Season Five of Dexter below. But warning: it contains serious SPOILERS if you haven't seen the fourth season finale... and you might want to lower the volume for the first bit.



Season Five of Dexter launches Sunday, September 26th at 9 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010 Diary: Day Two

A persistently limited internet connection again made things rather difficult yesterday, the second official day of Comic-Con 2010 but I ended up having perhaps one of the most exciting (and strangely relaxing) days covering the convention that I've ever had.

Perhaps it was the fact that I spent the morning on the other side of the train tracks and not in the convention center itself (though it did mean missing out on Bones and The Joss Whedon Experience later in the day as a result), doing some one-on-one interviews for some upcoming feature pieces.

First up was director Edgar Wright, whom I sat down with to discuss his new film Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World and talk, of course, turned to the awful American remake of Spaced that I savaged a few years back (you can read my review of the McSpaced pilot here) and Wright thanked me for supplying the final nail in the project's coffin back then. (Introduced to him as a reporter for The Daily Beast, I mentioned that I had written said review, at which point Egdar said, "You're Televisionary!")

Also, Michael Cera dropped by as we were talking and was wearing a kick-ass homemade Ramona Flowers t-shirt based on the squiggle sketch of Ramona from Bryan Lee O'Malley's pencil. I nearly offered to buy the shirt right off his back.

Next up: Bryan Lee O'Malley himself as we talked about what's next for the author/penciler of the Scott Pilgrim series, the film, Michael Cera, and much more.

After a quick break, it was onto a sit-down interview with Cloverfield director Matt Reeves and veteran actor Richard Jenkins in which we discussed their upcoming film Let Me In, based on the haunting Swedish vampire movie Let The Right One In. To say that they were every bit as gracious and charming as you might expect is an understatement of the highest order.

The one panel I did get to yesterday (since I couldn't get into Bones or Joss Whedon) was that for HBO's True Blood, which as always delivered a fantastic panel, some hysterical moments, and some teases about what's to come for the back half of the third season and Season Four. I'm hoping to get that panel write-up done very, very soon, though I did live-tweet the entire thing.

And then I ended the day with a pair of parties: the WBTV VIP event where the casts of the studio's slew of series mingled with journos and guests as the Barenaked Ladies played, and NBC's party at the pool of the Omni Hotel.

A very fun day, really. As for today? Chuck, an interview with Maggie Q, moderating the V panel, Fringe, Paul/Cowboys & Aliens, and the Entertainment Weekly/Syfy party.

"I Might Need More Than a Little Time": FOX Releases Bones Six Teaser at Comic-Con

Got skeletons in the closet or an ache in your heart?

FOX today released a new teaser reel for Season Six of Bones to attendees of the Bones panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

Not in San Diego? Or stuck outside Ballroom 20 all afternoon? No worries as you can watch the gorgeous trailer in its full glory below.

And, trust me, it looks AMAZING.



Season Six of Bones kicks off this fall on FOX.

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.

Being Human Creator Toby Whithouse Discusses Syfy's US Adaptation

Appearing on SFX's SFX presents The British Invasion panel, Toby Whithouse, the creator of the BBC Three supernatural drama Being Human, responded to a question about his feelings surrounding the American adaptation of Being Human, which is currently being cast and which will air on Syfy.

"It will be a wrench, but I will console myself with the money," joked Whithouse when asked by moderator Dave Bradley about how it would feel to see his series adapted for American audiences.

Whithouse's full answer to to the question can be found below, courtesy of Televisionary special correspondent Mark DiFruscio, who was on hand to film Whithouse's response.



Season Two of Being Human launches tomorrow night on BBC America.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010 Diary: Day One

Apologies for not writing or tweeting yesterday during the first official day of San Diego Comic-Con. I was stuck in the cavernous expanse of the behemoth Hall H all day yesterday (yes, from waiting in line at 8 am until I left Hall H at 7 pm last night) and had limited internet connectivity and no access to Twitter. (Thank you, AT&T, for making the first day of SDCC so bloody unbearable.)

But while internet issues were a headache, the day was actually quite a lot of fun. I spent the day covering the various film panels that were going on for The Daily Beast's Cheat Sheet, firing off small news items about such films as Megamind, Tron: Legacy, Salt, The Expendables, RED, Scott Pilgrim, and the Entertainment Weekly Visionaries panel for J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon.

While there wasn't much in the way of news emanating from the latter (other than Joss "officially" confirming that he is directing The Avengers), it was a blast to see these two genius creators in conversation together as they discussed everything from 3D filmmaking, the differences between creating for film and television, their passions and their inspirations.

And the end of the day brought with it the chance to see Edgar Wright's new film Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World with the cast, the press, and some very lucky fans who grabbed 1-UP buttons during the Scott Pilgrim panel. As for the film itself? I absolutely adored it in all of its hyper-surreal fantasy trappings. It opens nationwide on August 13th and if you're fans of Bryan Lee O'Malley, Michael Cera, Wright, or Spaced, I urge you to see it that very day.

Today's schedule is a little looser though still without a break: a bunch of one-on-one interviews this morning including Edgar Wright, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Matt Reeves, and Richard Jenkins, along with the panel for HBO's True Blood, and--hopefully--more Joss Whedon.

Let's just hope my internet connection is better today...

San Diego Comic-Con 2010: Preview Night Photos

San Diego Comic-Con International 2010 kicked off last night with the annual Preview Night, an opportunity to walk the convention floor before the true madness begins.

Which is funny in a way because the floor was already teeming with people who were either after the latest freebies or checking out the behemoth booths and merchandise offered by a slew of studios, television networks, comic sellers, and, well, anything and everything under the sun.

Missed Preview Night? Here's a selection below of photography capturing some of the highlights of the convention floor--from Green Lantern and Tron: Legacy to The Walking Dead--courtesy of Mark DiFruscio.

WBTV Booth



Tron: Legacy









The Walking Dead







FOX Booth



Green Lantern



Salt/Priest

The Daily Beast: "Angelina Jolie & Other Nerd Bait at Comic-Con"

San Diego Comic-Con is upon us.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can check out my latest feature, entitled "Angelina Jolie & Other Nerd Bait at Comic-Con," which rounds-up the 14 most anticipated--and thus buzzy--panels from both film and television.

Among the standouts that are sure to be action-packed this year: Salt, True Blood, Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, Green Lantern, The Expendables, Being Human, Red, The Walking Dead, Tron: Legacy, Thor, Let Me In, Paul, all of WBTV's many shows, and the J.J. Abrams/Joss Whedon Visionaries panel, presented by Entertainment Weekly, among others.

What are you most looking forward to and what panels do you think will live up to the hype? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Channel Surfing: Olivia Munn Tackles Chuck, Scott Porter Investigates The Good Wife, Chris Isaak Could Replace Simon, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. A few things to get through before I hit the road for San Diego and Comic-Con.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Olivia Munn (the newly minted Daily Show correspondent) will guest star on NBC's Chuck this fall when the series returns for its fourth season on September 20th. Munn, who is a series regular on NBC's midseason comedy Perfect Couples, will play "an impossibly cool, smart, and pretty CIA agent who intimidates and schools Chuck and Morgan" in the same installment that features Dolph Lundgren. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other scoop, Ausiello writes that former Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter will be joining the cast of CBS' The Good Wife this fall. Porter, whose CW pilot Nomads was not ordered to series, will play Blake, described as "Kalinda’s private-eye counterpart at the D.C. firm that’s merging with Lockhart & Gardner" who "offsets his cynical attitude with lots of hidden humor and sexual charisma. He is disguised as a landlord when he first encounters Kalinda, who doesn’t appreciate being taken in by this ‘master of disguise.’ However, underneath their fractious interactions, there’s definite chemistry between these two." Porter is expected to appear in at least ten episodes of The Good Wife's second season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Wicked Game? Singer Chris Issak is among the frontrunners to replace Simon Cowell on FOX's American Idol, as is Harry Connick Jr. while Bret Michaels and Donald Trump have each lobbied to replace Cowell for the tenth season of Idol. "The network is determined to land a widely known music industry figure for the post, and THR has learned that singer Chris Isaak has met twice with the network," write James Hibberd and Kim Masters. "Also, at least one desirable candidate has set off a tug-of-war between Idol executive producer Simon Fuller and Cowell -- whose upcoming Fox singing competition The X Factor is similarly seeking judges." Hmmm... (Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy has announced that the back half of Season One of Caprica will not air until January 2011, a sizable delay given that the first half of the season wrapped in the end of March. Here's how Syfy is positioning the remainder of the season: "In season 1.5, the once idyllic world of Caprica – as well as life across the colonies – falls prey to an explosive chain reaction of consequences set off by the characters’ many questionable actions in the season’s first half. Tensions rise, power shifts and the line between reality and the virtual world becomes increasingly blurred as everyone struggles to learn – and conquer – the stakes in this volatile setting. As the season races towards its stunning conclusion, events of each episode lay the framework for the inevitable (and brutal) clash between the newly-created Cylon race and their human creators." (via press release)

Universal Media Studios has signed a deal with The Office writer/co-star B.J. Novak that will keep him aboard the NBC comedy series for two more seasons and will be bumped to an executive producer title halfway through the series' upcoming seventh season. He'll also develop new projects for the studio as well. "B.J. has been an integral part of The Office since the launch of the show," said Angela Bromstad, NBC's president of primetime entertainment. "Whether he's in the writing room or appearing on screen, we always get the smart, sophisticated, ridiculously funny humor from him that the fans have come to love." (Variety)

Mark your calendars: HBO has announced that Bored to Death and Eastbound and Down will return for their second seasons on Sunday, September 26th at 10 pm and 10:30 pm ET/PT respectively. (via press release)

TVGuide.com's Denise Martin is reporting that Katherine Moenning (The L Word) will guest star in the upcoming season of Showtime's serial killer drama Dexter, where she will play a tattoo artist appearing in one episode. "How she'll become embroiled in the serial killer's world remains unknown," writes Martin. The fifth season of Dexter launches Sunday, September 26th at 9 pm ET/PT. (TVGuide.com)

Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond) will be dropping by ABC's The Middle for the second season premiere, airing September 22nd. She'll play a new teacher for Brick who is "an intimidating force to be reckoned with" and "'strong' opinions about Frankie's parenting methods." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

File under strange but true: CBS' drama pilot Chaos, the subject of a lively back and forth between the network and studio 20th Century Fox Television, is allegedly alive again, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "The resurrection process took a step forward yesterday when CBS' entertainment president Nina Tassler had lunch with 20th TV chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman to discuss the matter," writes Andreeva. "I hear the Brett Ratner-directed Chaos is now back on track for a midseason series order at CBS, possibly as a co-production between 20th TV and CBS TV Studios. The only major obstacle is bringing back the cast, led by Freddy Rodriguez, which was released on June 30 when the actors' options expired. I hear the actors have been approached about returning and things look optimistic on that front." (Deadline)

If you were worried that the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore wouldn't be back for a third season, you can rest easy today: the entire cast has renegotiated their contracts and will be approximately $30,000 per episode for Season Three. [Editor: the sound you hear? Me gagging.] (The Wrap)

ABC Family is launching new comedy Melissa & Joey on Tuesday, August 17th, with two back-to-back episodes at 8 and 8:30 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Cinemax is resurrecting the thriller anthology genre with a new latenight series Femme Fatales, based on the magazine. Format will be a half-hour anthology, airing in a latenight slot with a narrator introducing short-form thrillers. Project, which has received a series order, is executive produced by Mark A. Altman and Steve Kriozere. (Hollywood Reporter)

Bert Salke will replace Chris Carlisle as the president of Fox21, the subdivision of 20th Century Fox Television that specializes in cable and reality programming. He is expected to start in August and will report to Dana Walden and Gary Newman. (Deadline)

FremantleMedia has teamed up with Mark Sennett Entertainment and Headline Pictures to develop period racing drama The Drivers, which will be based on Wallace A. Wyss' book, "Shelby: The Man, the Cars, the Legend." Series will revolve around a group of drivers from US and Europe who race for the top prize at Le Mans and will be set in either the 1950s or 1960s. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Long Cons and Lovers: Trouble on True Blood

A very late night on Sunday meant that I didn't have a chance to watch this week's installment of True Blood until yesterday, but it was well worth the wait. (And at least I had a much better evening than poor Tara did.)

This week's sensational episode of True Blood ("Trouble"), written by Nancy Oliver and directed by Scott Winant, ramped up the tension of the previous episodes to deliver an installment that was drenched in blood, vengeance, and a wee bit of madness to boot. In the more than capable hands of Oliver, the fifth episode of True Blood's third season becomes a pivotal chapter in a number of plots, including the psychotic romance between Franklin Mott and the imprisoned Tara Thornton, the reveal of Bill's true feelings, and an uneasy alliance between Eric Northman and Russell Edgington, whose, uh, relationship goes back a few centuries.

But the episode isn't just about the crimson splatter of blood (though there was a fair amount of violence this week) but also about the small moments that deepen the characters and their world. A scene between newly installed Merlotte's waitress Jessica and Arlene becomes a humorous reveal about Jessica's powers... and her intention to put Arlene in her place. A shared cigarillo between Lafayette and Tommy becomes a scene about the power of patience and the potential for love in the most unexpected of places.

In other words: Oliver brought all of the depth and polish of the best of True Blood into an mid-season episode that transformed it into an accomplished exploration of the way these characters tick with chaos swirling around them. (I can't wait to watch it again.)

So what did I think of this week's installment? Let's discuss "Trouble."

Everyone's keeping secrets on Season Three of True Blood, so it's a good thing that Bon Temps' resident telepath, Sookie Stackhouse, is perfectly willing to rip information from the brains of the people she encounters along the way. This week, she finally came face to face with her missing would-be fiance Bill Compton, but it was too late for both of them as Bill was pursued by Russell, Coot, and some hefty bodyguards.

Bill's been perfectly willing to play the role of the jaded vampire, one who has cast off his humanity and shifted fealty from his queen to the Vampire King of Mississippi in order to protect Sookie and keep her safe. That he would go so far as to tell Eric Northman that Sookie is no longer his proves just how desperate he is and the lengths he's willing to go to in order to safeguard his human lover.

But there are a few problems with Bill's impromptu plan, one of a few long cons going on currently. For one, Eric has turned up in Mississippi searching for Bill and claiming that he was selling vampire blood, rather than the other way around. (In order to save Pam, Eric is sticking to this Bill-as-V-dealer cover story Pam hastily concocted.) But Russell knows all about the V trade in Louisiana and knows that Sophie-Anne is behind the illicit sale of vampire blood in order to evade the IRS. Additionally, Franklin has gathered information for Russell about just what Bill was doing in Bon Temps... and it has to do with Sookie's family tree.

Russell believes that Bill was playing a game of "track the telepath," investigating Sookie's genealogy to see if telepathy ran in the family and looking to trace its root for... Well, that's still unknown, particularly as Bill has denied the entire affair. But we know that Franklin did find the Stackhouse family tree concealed among Bill's possessions, which means that Bill was searching for some connection between Sookie's family and her inexplicable abilities. As for what purpose? We know that he's in Sophie-Anne's employ and that Sookie's cousin was seen in her court, so it's more than conceivable that Bill didn't just happen upon Sookie but was watching her for some time (hence the surveillance photos) in order to lure her in. But what does Sophie-Anne want with a telepath, particularly one who can't read vampire minds? Hmmm...

This week saw the return of Sookie's electric fingers power as Coot tried to grab her at Alcide's house and she blasted him backwards with a touch (much as she did Maryann last season). So does this mean we'll be getting to the root of Sookie's powers and find out just what she's capable of this season? It certainly looks that way. I can't help but wonder that that revelation will push Sookie and Bill apart once more. After all, he may have not been entirely honest about the early days of their meeting.

But Bill's possible duplicity pales in comparison to a potential long con being waged by the Mickens against poor Sam Merlotte, who seems to be their latest mark. While Sam was distrustful of Tommy, recent events have pushed the two brothers together and, seeing Joe Lee go off the handle, has suddenly made Sam a hell of a lot more sympathetic to his shifter brother. But I can't help but wonder if that isn't a part of their plan as well. Longtime readers will recall that I picked up on a look that passed between Melinda and Joe Lee when Sam met them for the first time. While Joe Lee is the one banging on Sam's door in the middle of the night, I think it's Melinda who is pulling everyone's strings here. And, a shifter herself, it could have been her attempting to break into Sam's safe a few episodes back rather than Tommy, who was the more likely suspect. Is Melinda looking to rob her biological son blind? Just what is their plan for Sam and how are they willing to go to get what they want? Curious.

Jason. Likewise, I can't help but be suspicious of Crystal, Jason Stackhouse's new love interest. I loved the scene in which Jason paused from washing Andy's sheriff car to catch a glimpse of the mysterious blonde he previously encountered that night in Hotshot... and then took off in the car to pursue her, sans badge, gun, or, uh, shirt. But he did get her name and a promise to meet him at Merlotte's... and Crystal did show up, after which she masterfully dodged his questions and they got busy against a tree. Just what is Crystal's deal? We know she's tied up with the meth dealers (and now V dealers) but she seems far too shifty. Just what is she hiding? Given that this is True Blood, it's likely something dark and dangerous... (I also loved the scene with Jason smearing fingerprinting ink all over his face and shirt during his desk shift. Hilarious.)

Lafayette. I'm loving the burgeoning romance between Lafayette and charismatic nurse Jesus, particularly as Jesus was more than willing to make a fool of himself hanging out for nine hours at Merlotte's on the off chance that Lafayette would want to hang out that night. And while their relationship has been limited to a game of pool, there's a magnetic charge between the two. Lafayette needs a love interest and I'm glad that the writers are having fun with this storyline. I loved the exchange between the two as Lafayette menacingly demanded to know what Jesus had heard about him, only to discover that he's not interested in anything other than just hanging out with him. Nelsan Ellis played a perfect balance between charmed and suspicious but the two had a tender moment as Lafayette admitted that he was sneaking glances at Jesus throughout the night.

Tara. Things aren't going quite so well for Tara, who is still Franklin's prisoner. A daring daytime escape attempt from Russell's mansion was curtailed by the arrival of Coot, who knocked Tara to the ground outside the home after chasing her in his wolf form. It seems that Russell keeps his werewolves close to him, particularly during the day, a mobile military strike force that can protect him while he sleeps. Fortunately, Tara is learning how to manipulate the psychologically unstable Franklin and get on his good side. (Loved how she complained about needing food after Russell's staffers gave her a bowl of day lilies.)

But Franklin has done this before and he has plans for Tara: he wants to turn her the next night and make her his vampire bride. Uh-oh. I'm not sure how Tara is going to be able to talk her way out of this one, especially given the fact that Bill wouldn't come to her rescue earlier. However, I am pleased to see that the writers are not only having fun with this dark storyline but also demonstrating the inner strength within Tara. She's pushing herself not to give into the darkness but to fight to live. For a fighter like Tara, it's a true testament to her determination and grit that she is continuing to struggle and is being intelligent about her predicament. Let's just hope she can figure a way out of this situation fast.

Jessica. I loved the scene where Jessica and Tommy bonded about her being a smoking hot vampire (and Hoyt being a radioactively bombed sixth grader) and there could be some sparks between the two as each has one foot in the supernatural and the other in the real world. Likewise, Arlene's inability to look Jessica in the eyes (lest she be hypnotized) is inverted quite hilariously when Jessica glamours a couple at Merlotte's and commands them not to tip Arlene no matter what. I'm still hoping there's a chance for Jessica and Hoyt to mend their relationship; each of them clearly misses the other and the awkwardness of their first meeting at Merlotte's was heartbreaking.

Eric. This week, we got a glimpse into the life of Eric Northman, seeing our vampire sheriff as a human. While the scene is short (and, true to Eric, features him engaged in coitus), it reveals Eric's disaffected air as a Viking price who wants no part of leadership, turning his back on his kingly father only to have his entire family slaughtered minutes later by a pack of werewolves, who bring his crown to a mysteriously black-cloaked individual outside. An individual who warns Eric about being a hero and then swirls off into the icy darkness. An individual who is, of course, none other than Russell Edgington himself. The fact that Russell has Eric's father's crown in his possession (Talbot describes it as "some random tribal crown") would lead me to believe that we'll be seeing Eric finally get the chance to enact revenge for his father's death as he's now face to face with the vampire who ordered his extermination.

Has Eric been searching for Russell all along? Was that what his and Godric's quest during World War II was about? Was he looking to enact a bloody vengeance upon Operation: Werewolf and the vampire who was their lord and master? Hmmm...

All in all, "Trouble" was a simply superb episode that lingered with me long after the closing credits ran. The wait for next week's installment of True Blood just got that much more difficult, as though the only thing to sate my appetite between now and then is a bowl of flowers.

Next week on True Blood ("I Got a Right to Sing the Blues"), Spurned by Eric, Sookie fears the worst for Bill, whose fate now lies in Lorenaʼs
hands; fueled by a night of bloody passion, Tara executes a desperate plan to stave off Franklinʼs advances; in Bon Temps, Tommy finds it difficult to leave the family nest; Jessica puts Pamʼs teachings into practice; Jasonʼs romance with Crystal hits a snag, as does Lafayetteʼs with Jesus; after revealing his master plan to Eric, Russell visits Louisiana to put it into action.

Trailer Park: BBC One and PBS' Modern-Day Sherlock Trailer

"My name is Sherlock Holmes and the address is 221b Baker Street..."

The details might be the same but this is most definitely not your great-grandfather's Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's detective is given a modern-day makeover courtesy of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss with the new Sherlock, which launches on Sunday in the UK on BBC One and Stateside at the end of October on PBS as part of Masterpiece Mystery.

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch (The Last Enemy), Martin Freeman (The Office), and Rupert Graves (Death at a Funeral), Sherlock deposits the titular master sleuth and his trusted companion Dr. John Watson to contemporary London, where they will use their deductive skills to solve all manner of bizarre, surprising, and just plain weird cases.

"Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light," said Moffat. "They're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes... and, frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters."

The full trailer for Sherlock can be viewed below, as well as an interview with Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss about the new series.





Sherlock launches Sunday, July 25th at 9 pm GMT on BBC One and October 24th on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery.

Meet the Newmans: Showtime Releases Weeds Season Six Trailer

"The Newmans will succeed where the Botwins failed. They will find jobs, have hobbies. They will have a normal life."

Showtime has released a new trailer for Season Six of Weeds, which returns to the lineup on August 16th.

On the run after Shane took a croquet mallet to Pilar's head at the end of last season, the Botwins hit the road in an effort to evade both the long arm of the law and the less than merciful killing hand of the Mexican drug cartel run by Nancy's husband. It's a trip that takes them through the heartland of America as they blow through a number of cities, trailing identities in their wake.

But as much as it represents an effort to escape death, it's also a new chance at life for Nancy and the gang. Hence the above quote from Mary-Louise Parker's Nancy, looking at this messed-up road trip as a chance at a clean slate. Sort of, anyway.

You can watch the entire three-minute trailer for Season Six below. "You can take the girl out of the business but you can't take the business out of the girl..."



Season Six of Weeds begins August 16th at 10 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

Channel Surfing: DirecTV Saves FX's Damages, David Cross to Join Running Wilde, Gregory Itzin Finds Big Love for HBO, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Many had given up hope that FX's brilliant and labyrinthine legal drama Damages would survive another season, given the low ratings for the series' fantastically taut third season, which wrapped its run earlier this year. Not so: DirecTV has come to the aid of the Sony Picture Television- and FX Productions-produced series and has renewed the Glenn Close-led series for two seasons of ten episodes apiece. The only problem: it won't be airing on FX anymore as DirecTV has the exclusive rights to the series on The 101 Network. "We're excited to partner with Sony Pictures Television as we breathe new life into this outstanding drama," said Patty Ishimoto, general manager of The 101 Network and vice president of entertainment for DIRECTV, in a statement. "It's a win for our customers because only they will be able to see these new episodes and another great step forward for DIRECTV as we continue to build our growing portfolio of exclusive, award winning programming." Season Four will launch in 2011, with the fifth season on deck for 2012. Additionally, DirecTV has secured the rights to air the first three seasons. "FX was very proud to have developed one of the best scripted series on television, but, in order to have a future, the show needed DIRECTV and we are thrilled they stepped in," said John Landgraf, President & General Manager, FX Networks and FX Productions, in a press release. "Sony Pictures Television is a great production partner and we at FX Productions are excited for these next two seasons." (via press release)

Is FOX's upcoming comedy Running Wilde turning into a massive Arrested Development reunion? Former Arrested Development star David Cross has been cast as a series regular on Mitch Hurwitz's Wilde opposite Will Arnett. He's set to appear in seven of the initial thirteen episodes, where he will play Andy, a radical environmentalist. [Editor: As well as the boyfriend of Keri Russell's character.] The role was originally filled by Andrew Daly in the original pilot. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva has the full story behind Cross' casting on Running Wilde, where he was the original choice to play Andy. "But just as filming on the Lionsgate TV-produced pilot was underway in April, Cross got stuck in the UK when the country's airspace was closed as air travel in Northern Europe was severely disrupted by the eruption of Iceland's now-infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano," writes Andreeva. "With Cross certain to miss the shoot, actor Andrew Daly was approached to step in and do the role in the pilot. Daly had just wrapped another comedy pilot, NBC's The Paul Reiser Show, where he was a regular, so for him Running Wilde would've been in second position at best." Daly, meanwhile, maintains that he was brought in as an "understudy" for the role, knowing that "a) if the show got picked up, David would come back to play Andy and b) if The Paul Reiser Show got picked up, I'd have a full time TV job and wouldn't have been able to play Andy anyway even if the Fox executives were so thrilled with my performance in the pilot that they were desperate to have me at any cost! (might've daydreamed about that scenario once or twice)" (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that 24's Gregory Itzin has joined the cast of HBO's Big Love for its upcoming fifth season. Itzin will recur on the series, where he will play Senator Richard Dwyer, the Republican Majority Leader of the Utah State Senate. Yes, the same senate where Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton) was elected at the end of last season. Production on Season Five of Big Love is slated to begin this week. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy is close to signing a massive four-year deal with 20th Century Fox Television that will keep him aboard Glee for the foreseeable feature as well as allow him to develop new projects for the studio. The price tag on the overall deal? It's said to be worth $24 million, though Murphy will also share profits from the music business generated from the FOX musical-comedy, including both sales and downloads, tours, and merchandising (and he'll be paid retroactively for the first season as well). (Deadline)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Michael Ealy (FlashForward) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on Season Two of CBS' The Good Wife, where he will play Derrick Bond, the head of the D.C. law firm that is merging with Lockhart & Gardner next season. Ealy will appear in at least ten episodes of The Good Wife. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Clifton Collins (Star Trek) has been cast in NBC's upcoming drama series The Event, where he will play Thomas, described as "a key player in the show's secret conspiracy who will come into conflict with the president of the United States (played by Blair Underwood)." (Hollywood Reporter)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a one-year deal with writer/producers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (Happy Town, Life on Mars), under which they will develop new projects for the studio from both their own scripts as well as work with other writers. The duo is expected to collaborate with JJ Abrams' Bad Robot shingle, which is also based at WBTV. (Variety)

Aussie actors Justin Clare (Underbelly), Jaime Murray (Dexter), and Marisa Ramirez (General Hospital) have joined the cast of Starz's Spartacus prequel, entitled Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Clare will play Gannicus, the House of Batiatus' premiere gladiator before the arrival of Spartacus (Andy Whitfield). (via press release)

Rochelle Aytes (The Forgotten) has been cast in a recurring role on ABC's upcoming cop drama Detroit 1-8-7, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. She'll play Alice Williams, described as "a smart, sexy, ambitious lawyer in the Wayne County prosecutor’s office." Series launches September 21st. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos talks to John Stamos about Glee, Entourage, the end of his extortion trial, and playing with the Beach Boys in concert. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Jon Kinnally and Tracy Poust (Will & Grace) have come on board NBC's midseason romantic anthology Love Bites as showrunners, under their two-year overall deal with Universal Media Studios. They will take over showrunning duties from creator Cindy Chupack, who has given up oversight on the series due to personal issues. "We worked with Jon and Tracy for many years on Will & Grace and feel they are perfect for this job on Love Bites," said Angela Bromstad, NBC's president of primetime entertainment. "Not only do they bring intelligence, passion and great experience, but they are one of the funniest writing duos working in television today. This is great news for an incredibly promising new show." (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O'Day has landed her own series on Oxygen. The cabler has greenlighted The Aubrey O'Day Project, which "will chronicle her attempt to make a comeback in the music industry while working with a demanding team of industry professionals," according to The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. No launch date has been announced, nor an episodic order. (Hollywood Reporter)

Cartoon Network has ordered ten new episodes of reality competition series Hole in the Wall, which previously aired on FOX during the 2008-09 season but the format--based on a Japanese game show--will be retooled for a younger audience. "In the new version, the half-hour game show will pit two teams of families against each other," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "But the gist of the show is the same: Contestants, dressed in spandex, contort their bodies in order to clear a series of moving barriers with various cut-out shapes." (Variety)

Syfy is teaming up with videogame maker THQ for two-hour backdoor pilot Red Faction: Origins, which would air in March 2011. "The story of Red Faction: Origins follows rebel hero Alec Mason and the Mason family and is set during a period between the Red Faction Guerilla video game and Red Faction," writes Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "The screenplay for Red Faction: Origins screenplay was written by Andrew Kreisberg (Warehouse 13), based on a story developed by Paul DeMeo, THQ Director, fiction development." (Deadline)

Science Channel has renewed Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman for a ten-episode second season. (Variety)

ABC Studios has hired former 20th Century Fox Television executive Patrick Moran as the new head of drama, replacing Josh Barry, who will step down from his position after just a year. (Deadline)

Sarah Paulson, Karen Allen, and Emily Alyn Lind have been cast opposite John Corbett and Sam Elliott in Hallmark Hall of Fame telepic November Christmas, which will air Thanksgiving weekend on CBS. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

San Diego Comic-Con 2010: Questions for the V Cast and Crew?

They have arrived... in San Diego.

The cast and crew of ABC's alien drama V will once again invade San Diego Comic-Con with a panel on Saturday afternoon in Ballroom 20 that will be moderated by yours truly.

To that end, I'm collecting any questions you might have for V showrunner Scott Rosenbaum or cast members Elizabeth Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Laura Vandervoort, Charles Mesure, Morena Baccarin, and Scott Wolf, all of whom will be making the pilgrimage down to the annual convention next week.

While I can't promise they'll get asked, I'll be reviewing questions as I write my own for the panel, which will feature the cast and crew in a Q&A session as well as a brief screening.

Feel free to email or use the comments section below to offer up potential questions. Hope to see you all down in San Diego!

Channel Surfing: James Tupper Heads to Grey's Anatomy, Game of Thrones, Tammy Blanchard Gets The Good Wife, Michael Emerson, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that James Tupper (Mercy) has joined the cast of ABC's Grey's Anatomy, where he is set to recur as trauma counselor Andrew Perkins, who is "brought in to help Seattle Grace recover from that nightmarish season-ending bloodbath" and who will appear in at least two episodes next season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has some dish on the casting--and recasting--going on at HBO's upcoming fantasy drama Game of Thrones. "Varys, the calculating spymaster for the king of Westeros, will be played by UK actor Conleth Hill," writes Ryan. "The role of Waymar Royce has been recast due to a scheduling issue. Jamie Campbell-Bower had played the role in the pilot but when the producers decided to do reshoots of his scenes, Campbell-Bower was unavailable. The role of Royce will now be played by Rob Ostlere." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Tammy Blanchard (Guiding Light) has been cast in a recurring role on Season Two of CBS' The Good Wife, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Blanchard will play a "fair-minded assistant state’s attorney who looks more like an indie-band drummer than a lawyer,” and who will serve as "one of Glen Childs’ underlings and a confidante to Cary (Matt Czuchry)." Meanwhile, Chris Saradon (Judging Amy) has been cast as Judge Goode; he'll recur throughout the season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Megan Masters talks to former Lost star Michael Emerson about his desire to appear on HBO's True Blood, alongside his real life wife Carrie Preston. "When I see Alan, he always says 'We have to find something for you.' I'm delighted to hear him say it," said Emerson, who said he'd be up for anything on the vampire drama. "Yes, some new kind of supernatural creature," he tells us. "Or [I could play] just an everyday humanoid. I could be a pizza delivery man who's torn apart by werewolves... I would be more than happy to do something on that show if they have the right part and I'm available. It would be a treat." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

NBC yesterday announced their fall launch dates for new and returning series and you know what that means: we've got a return date for Chuck! Yes, Team Bartowski returns to the Peacock on Monday, September 20th at 8 pm ET/PT, joined by new dramas The Event and Chase, launching the same evening. The next night brings the returns of The Biggest Loser and Parenthood; Wednesday, September 22nd will see the launch of JJ Abrams' Undercovers as as well as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Los Angeles. Thursday, September 23rd brings Community, 30 Rock, The Office, Outsourced and The Apprentice. (Parks and Recreation sadly won't return until midseason.) Finally, on Friday, September 24th, it's School Pride, Dateline, and Outlaw's turn. (via press release)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Criminal Minds's Kirsten Vangsness may pull double-duty and appear on the Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior spinoff in either a regular or recurring capacity, following a similar trend to Rocky Carroll on NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. Vangsness would bring her Penelope Garcia to a cast that also includes Forest Whittaker and Janeane Garofalo. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Supernatural creator (and former showrunner) Eric Kripke about why he stepped down from overseeing the CW drama, which returns for a sixth season this fall, and what's coming up for the Winchester boys. "We were reaching the end of this five-year story line [so] I thought the timing was right," said Kripke of his decision. "I knew that we were closing this chapter and opening a new one. It felt like it was the right time to take a step back and focus on new projects, but still keep my grubby little mitts in the show. It was a lot about Sera and her enthusiasm and her ambition. I really think after five years of all of my crap, to have someone who has a fresh perspective and a fresh energy on these characters and this universe is healthy for the show. Supernatural has always been a show about reinvention. We try really hard not to do the same thing. I thought that Sera’s [increased] involvement really helped guarantee that this season is going to feel a little different, a little fresher. She has a different sensibility." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FX has announced its fall launch dates: Season Three of Sons of Anarchy begins Tuesday, September 7th at 10 pm ET/PT, Shawn Ryan's dramedy Terriers launches Wednesday, September 8th at 10 pm ET/PT, Season Six of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia launches Thursday, September 16th at 10 pm, followed by the Season Two opener of The League at 10:30 pm. (via press release)

The Guardian's Data Blog has a breakdown of every Doctor Who villain the Time Lord has ever faced since 1963. A must see for Who fans. (The Guardian, h/t Dave Izkoff)

Good news for Mad Men fans who also happen to be AT&T U-Verse cable subscribers: Raindbow Media--which owns AMC, IFC, and WEtv--has successfully concluded a carriage deal with AT&T U-Verse to keep their channels on the cable provider's lineup. "We are happy to report that AMC, IFC and WE tv will remain on AT&T U-verse(R) TV," said AT&T in an official statement. "We're very satisfied that we were able to reach the fair deal we wanted for our customers - one that includes the right content, across platforms, at prices that are in line with the marketplace, and that helps us with important strategic content initiatives. We are very grateful to our customers for their support." (via press release)

Production has been pushed by roughly a week and a half on the start of NBC's Law & Order: Los Angeles, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, who reports that producers need additional time to continue casting the project. At press time, there was only one talent attachment on the series as Skeet Ulrich signed on to play Detective Rex Winters, though four series regular roles remain uncast. (Deadline)

Veronica Mars, Pushing Daisies, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Nip/Tuck are all heading to Netflix Instant, following a streaming rights deal between Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Netflix. Separately, Nip/Tuck will also go into off-net syndication on MTV's Logo. (Variety)

Broadcasting & Cable's Andrea Domanick has a great recap of the session for CBS' The Good Wife at NATPE's recent LATV Festival earlier this week. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Remember how the CW shut down its comedy department a while back? While they're not reopening the shuttered development division, the netlet has dipped its toe back in the comedy game, acquiring US rights to Canadian single-camera comedy 18 to Life, which will air Tuesdays at 9 pm this summer, beginning August 3rd. Project, created by Derek Schreyer and Karen Troubetzkoy, revolves around two eighteen-year-olds who get married. (It was originally a CBC-ABC co-production but ABC dropped out ahead of production.) Move comes as the CW looks for ways to slot first-run programming on during the summer and the series will join reality show Plain Jane on the lineup. (Variety)

EVP of current programming Marcy Ross is staying put at FOX, signing a deal that will keep her at the network for three more years... and seems to point towards the fact that FOX is committed to keeping its current programming department, unlike other networks, which have in recent years merged theirs with development. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Friday Night Lights Watch: Dreams Deferred (and Achieved) on Season Three of FNL

Last night, we finished watching Season Three of Friday Night Lights. I'm still recovering, emotionally, from the end of a season that brought the promise and potential back to this extraordinary series.

I had no doubts that the series would come back around and be able to find its true creative direction (one without murder conspiracy cover-up plots or capital-D Drama) after the uneven and truncated second season, which screamed of network interference and, no sooner did it finally begin to find its way again, the season was cut short due to the writers strike.

While I had extreme doubts about the second season, I knew that the writers--with Jason Katims at the helm--could bring back the emotional resonance and connection that the groundbreaking first season of Friday Night Lights had so effortlessly pulled off.

My belief wasn't mislaid: with Season Three, the writers not only brought back the very elements that had made the series a success but built upon them, continuing to observe life in this small Texas town through the prism of high school football and wrapping up the storylines of both Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) and Jason Street (Scott Porter), while taking us through yet another season of Dillon Panthers football to create a tremulous and taut final hour that brought a slew of changes for the characters we've come to know and love.

It's these changes that carry some of the most emotional complexity and weight, charting both the naturalistic rites of passage--high school graduation, job hunts, and marriage--as well as some intricate and deft plotting about the intricacies of high school administration.

No other series could pull off a masterful storyline--threaded throughout the entire season--about school budgets, redistricting, and the class war in Dillon, a storyline that culminates in Tami Taylor (Connie Britton, once again electric here) having to tell her husband, Coach Eric Taylor (touchstone Kyle Chandler), that he had been replaced as the head coach of the Dillon Panthers after a coup from wealthy booster and chief nemesis Joe McCoy (D.W. Moffett). But rather than cast Eric into the four winds, the school board hatches a plan that both blatantly punitive and likely their very downfall: they make him the head football coach at the soon-to-be-reopened Dillon East.

The move creates a cascade of potential storylines, splitting a town in two and creating an atmosphere of tension and animosity in a community that was unified and motivated by their local football team. It also setting up the married Eric and Tami as possible rivals, with Tami still the principal of Dillon High proper and Eric having to move over to a school that makes Dillon H.S. look like an Ivy League institution. But Eric has always been motivated by adversity (just look at how he brought home a state ring even after Jason Street's paralysis in Season One) and putting him in charge of some underdogs will likely only push his desire to get even with McCoy and trounce the Panthers next season.

Additionally, Season Three ended on a series of intriguing notes, centering around the wedding of Billy Riggins (Derek Phillips) and Mindy Collette (Stacey Oristano), with the hard work and perseverance of both Tyra (Adrianne Palicki) and Lyla (Minka Kelly) paying off for both of them, as Tyra makes it off of the waitlist and into UT and Lyla finally turns her life around and admits that she still does want to go to Vanderbilt (and Buddy comes through with the money, after having blown her college fund on a bad investment). But it's the fact that Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) actually makes it to college is one surprise that I didn't expect, despite his plans to live together with Lyla.

Riggins, upon seeing Billy purchase that auto repair shop, wanted the life that his brother was having: a wife, a kid on the way, a job that you could leave early from and drink some beer whilst doing, and some "me time" that meant not pushing himself and not leaving Dillon. But Billy, thankfully, doesn't want that life for his brother: he wants Tim to be a symbol of something better, of dreams achieved, of college degrees, and real potential.

It's a tender and emotional scene between the two brothers that reveals the truth depths of their feelings for one another and for the writers' belief that these characters can grow and change. They can reach for the stars, they can falter and even fall, but there is always the possibility of achieving one's potential.

This is also felt in the way that the storylines of Smash and Jason were wrapped up this season. With Smash's off-screen injury between the seasons and Jason's new fatherhood, the duo have been through quite a bit in the time since we had last seen them. While some series would have had them go off to school and disappear, Friday Night Lights would appear to be just as much in love with these characters as the audience and the writers wisely opted to give both Gaius Charles and Scott Porter a handful of episodes each in which to tie up their dangling plotlines and push them into a bright future.

I loved the way that Eric wouldn't give up on Smash until he had gotten him in school and back on the road to pro football, not allowing him to give up on himself and accept anything less than his dream. Through Eric constantly pushing him to get better and better and regain his confidence, there was apparent the real love that Eric has for these kids, even after they leave the Panthers. (Which makes his betrayal by the school board all the more gutting.) These kids are his family, his life, his passion. Tami said it best when she said that Eric was a "molder of men." He absolutely is and his care for both Smash and Jason proves that unconditionally. (It's the small things on Friday Night Lights: the paint in Eric's hair as he shows up late to the school dance, demonstrating that he helped Jason finish painting that house.)

While Smash found a way to reclaim his passion and confidence and find himself again, Jason needed to find a new context for his life, a new identity that had nothing to do with being the injured star quarterback of the Dillon Panthers. With his girlfriend and baby son having left for New Jersey, he launched an ambitious plan that included flipping Buddy Garrity's old house and landing him (along with the Riggins Brothers and Herc) some cash and then set out to Manhattan with Riggins to land a position as a sports agent. While that was not without serious setbacks, Jason proved that he could not only do what he needed to do in order to land the job, but he made good on his promise to be a good father to Noah and to help take care of his young family. (And the look of profound pride and loss that swirl over Riggins' face as he says goodbye to his best friend was like an emotional sucker punch.)

I'm pleased too that Julie (Aimee Teegarden) and Saracen (Zach Gilford) found their way back to each other, even as Matt faced increased pressure on the team from freshman quarterback J.D. McCoy (Jeremy Sumpter) and lost his starting position... though quickly proved himself to Eric in a new role even as his relationship to Julie took a turn towards the sexual. And Matt was also able to come to terms with his abandonment as a child by his mother Shelby (Kim Dickens) and forge a new and adult relationship with his mom.

But it was Matt's relationship with grandmother Lorraine (Louanne Stephens) that proved to be the most fraught with heartbreak. Very few series--particularly those that on the surface appear to be about a high school football team--would dare to offer a gripping and realistic portrayal of dementia. Over three seasons, Lorraine's struggles with dementia has been at the heart of the series but Matt's acceptance into a prestigious art school in Chicago meant that major decisions had to be made as Lorraine's condition worsened. This storyline was handled with such care and reverence that it brought tears to my eyes, particularly in the final episode of the season.

Lorraine finally realized that she couldn't hold Matt back or stand in the way of his dreams and relented about being placed in an assisted care living facility, believing that he should go to Chicago. But for Matt, Billy and Mindy's wedding brings up a lot of unresolved and complex feelings. He dashes off from the wedding to get Lorraine and bring her there, telling her that he's going to take her back home afterwards and that he'll stay in Dillon.

On the one hand, it's a heartrending decision that Matt would put aside college to look after his grandmother. On the other, he's right when he said that she's the only one who never walked out on him. His decision to stay is a sacrifice forged in love. One can only hope that he deferred his admission rather than just abandoned it. After all, Lorraine's condition is deteriorating. But she might only have another year of semi-lucidity before her disease eats away at her mind to the point where Matt can't care for her anymore. Why shouldn't she spend that year surrounded by who she loves? What price is a single year if it means not abandoning his grandmother when she needs him the most?

Meanwhile, the season also offered a storyline that plumbed the intense pressure that parents can put on their athlete children, something that we hadn't seen to date on Friday Night Lights. While J.D. may have a fantastic arm, he lacks the maturity to lead the team and inspire them, particularly as he takes his cues from his overbearing father Joe, a man so determined to brainwash his child and live vicariously through him that he denies him socialization, fraternization, and any free will of his own, separating him so mercilessly from the team to the point where he is made a laughingstock. The storyline culminates in a shocking showdown in the parking lot of Applebee's, where Joe physically assaults his son in view of Eric and Tami, who have no choice but to report the matter to child protective services.

It's a rain-slicked scene that not only rends the already tenuous relationship between the McCoys and the Taylors but also seals Eric's fate at the end of the season, creating a nemesis in Joe who is unrelenting in his determination to make his son a star and make Eric pay for what he did. With one punch, everything in Dillon changed... and not necessarily for the better.

I'm already anxious to watch Season Four of Friday Night Lights (I very luckily have a screener set from NBC of the entire season), but it will have to wait until after Comic-Con as I don't want to rush through the fourth season... and I still want to turn the brilliant, engaging, and emotionally layered third season over in my mind a little more.

Ultimately, this season stands up to the perfection of the freshman season, offering just as many tears, smiles, and laughs as the original did as well as some genuine emotional stakes that don't require stalkers, teen murderers, or student-teacher affairs in order to make it compelling. Sometimes the very best drama not only comes from the heart but from the everyday reality we all live. Thanks for the memories, Dillon.

Channel Surfing: Amber Tamblin Checks Into House, Betty White Heads to Community, Dolph Lundgren Vs. Chuck, Luck, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello and Andy Patrick are reporting that Amber Tamblyn (The Unusuals) will join the cast of FOX's House while Olivia Wilde is shooting feature film Cowboys and Aliens for Universal. Tamblyn has signed on to appear in a multiple-episode story arc where she will play " a whip-smart med student House (Hugh Laurie) recruits for his diagnostic team — despite the fact that she isn’t yet 100 percent qualified to treat patients" who will "have to find a way to adjust to her new mentor’s unique bedside manner." [Editor: as someone still mourning the loss of ABC's The Unusuals, I'm glad to see Tamblyn heading back to network television.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Is there anything Betty White can't do? The octogenarian actress, hot off a streak that includes hosting Saturday Night Live, a slew of films, and a new sitcom (Hot in Cleveland) for TV Land, White will guest star on NBC's Community this fall, where she will play June Bauer, described as "an esteemed, albeit slightly unhinged, anthropology professor," when the series returns for its second season, appearing in the season opener. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV) will be heading to NBC's Chuck next season, appearing in a guest starring capacity in the Season Four opener, entitled "Chuck Versus the Anniversary." No details were immediately available about just who--or what--Lundgren will be playing, other than the fact that he'll face off with our own Chuck Bartowski. (Executive producer Josh Schwartz tweeted that Lundgren will "try and 'break' Chuck in Season 4 premiere.") But Lundgren isn't the only guest star confirmed for the season premiere: Ausiello also reports that Big Love baddie Harry Dean Stanton will also guest star. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO yesterday announced that it had given a series order to horseracing drama Luck, from executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, which stars Dennis Hoffman, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Kevin Dunn, Richard Kind, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Coster, Ian Hart, Tom Payne, Kerry Condon, Gary Stevens, and Nick Nolte and features Jill Hennessy. "Michael Mann delivered a pilot from David Milch's brilliant script that took our breath away," said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo. "We are truly excited that these two artists, and our extraordinary cast headed by Dustin Hoffman, will be bringing Luck to life." (Variety)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that George Eads has signed a new deal which will keep him aboard CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Nick Stokes, citing reports from Eads' reps. Additionally, Keck said that Eads' Nick will be getting a new partner on the series, "a bombs expert named Kacey Monohan, who will be Nick's new partner on the Vegas streets." (TV Guide Magazine)

More details emerging about Piers Morgan's potential deal at CNN to replace Larry King. The America's Got Talent judge is said to be thisclose to signing a deal that will see him take over CNN's 9 pm timeslot and rake in $5-6 million per year as well as keep his position on AGT as well. (Hollywood Reporter)

As of press time, AT&T U-Verse hadn't removed Rainbow Media's cable channels--including AMC, IFC, and We--from its lineup, despite the expiration of their carriage agreement and a threat that the cable provider would ditch the channels if a deal couldn't be reached in time. (Variety)

E! Online's Watch With Kristin collects a whole bunch of tweets from the stars of CW dramas Vampire Diaries, 90210, and One Tree Hill, looking to parse some meaning--or spoilers--from the tweets that emerged this week as all three went back into production. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Nascent pay cabler Epix has hired producer Maureen Taran as VP of original programming, live events, where she will report to Laverne McKinnon. (Hollywood Reporter)

David Weintraub--who starred on A&E's unscripted series Sons of Hollywood--has been hired as VP of series development at Stone and Co., reporting to Scott Stone. (Variety)

Stay tuned.