Channel Surfing: Breaking Bad Won't Return Until July 2011, Nigel Lythgoe Closes Idol Deal, Zombies Vs. Vampires at NBC, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Could it be almost a year before Breaking Bad heads back to AMC? According to a Deadline interview with series lead Bryan Cranston, Season Four of Breaking Bad may not launch until July 2011, over a year after the end of last season. "I think what AMC is thinking here is there will be less competition for us -- particularly from the broadcast networks -- if we launch our season during the summer than if we come back again like we did this time in March," said Cranston. However, AMC and Sony Pictures Television will produce 3-4 minute mini-episodes of Breaking Bad that will run on AMC's website during the break. "The idea is to keep people aware and interested in the show during the long time away,” Cranston told Deadline. “But I, for one, am eager to make these little interstitials important. I don’t want them to be simply filler or recap, but something that actually moves the storyline forward. If we’re going to do it, it ought to be a real part of the larger show." (Deadline)

Well, at least FOX confirmed something: former American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe will return to the musical competition series, where he will serve alongside Simon Fuller Cecile Frot-Coutaz, and Ken Warwick for Season Ten of Idol, which launches in January. "Since we launched the original Pop Idol in England, I’ve remained close with Simon Fuller," said Lythgoe in a statement. "Working as executive producer on American Idol for its first seven years not only was an inspirational journey into the heart of American pop culture, it opened my eyes to the untapped potential of the incredibly dynamic young people in this world. I have been able to continue discovering raw talent on So You Think You Can Dance, which I co-created with Simon. American Idol became a juggernaut of epic proportions, but to me it was always like home. I am elated and honored to be rejoining childhood friend and fellow executive producer Ken Warwick, and look forward to creating more magic." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Variety's Michael Schneider has a Q&A with Lythgoe about his return to American Idol in which they discuss his return to the series and his criticisms of the musical competition series. "I think some of my concerns were that over the last couple of years we've lost sight of the fact that the most important people in the production are the young artists," Lythgoe told Schneider. "And it's revolved around the judges, it's revolved around Kara coming in to make four judges, which often left them no time for them to talk at any great length. Certainly there are times I watched the show where Simon didn't even get a chance to say anything. Then it was about Paula leaving. Then it was all about Ellen joining. And somewhere in all of that muddle of judges the show was losing sight of the actual contestants. And I think we were also losing chemistry between the judges. And I will go back now and hopefully point out now that it isn't about stars, or what people did in the past of might do in the future that makes a good judge. It's about chemistry and it's about a team." (Variety's On the Air)

Could NBC be taking a page from AMC's playbook and going after the zombie-loving crowd? Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that NBC has signed a script deal for Austin Winsberg's spec script Zombies Vs. Vampires, described as a "fun buddy cop procedural" with supernatural overtones. Project, produced by Warner Bros. Television and Wonderland, is executive produced by McG, Peter Johnson, and Winsberg. "It is set in a world where zombies are a part of society, controllable with medication," writes Andreeva. "The show's two leads (one secretly a vampire) are cops assigned to a squad specifically formed to deal with 'zombie crime.'" (Deadline)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has a series of video interviews with Chuck's Zachary Levi and the rest of the cast in which they tease details about Season Four, including the return of Nicole Ritchie, the casting of Linda Hamilton, Chuck and Sarah's relationship, and much more. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

AMC is said to be thisclose to handing out a series order to crime drama The Killing, based on the Danish series Forbrydelsen. (The US version is written by Veena Sud and directed by Patty Jenkins.) Project, from Fox Television Studios, stars Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell, Michelle Forbes, Brent Sexton, Kristin Lehman, Eric Ladin, Jamie Anne Allman, and Joel Kinnaman. [Editor: I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this pans out as I loved the pilot script and would watch Enos in anything.] (Deadline)

MAJOR SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has details on just who Timothy Olyphant (FX's Justified) will be playing on NBC's The Office when he drops by Scranton next year. Ausiello reports that Olyphant will be playing "a rival paper salesman with a deep, dark secret: He used to date Pam!" Watch out, Jim... (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Variety's Michael Schneider is reporting that former United States of Tara showrunner Jill Soloway has signed on to executive produce Zooey Deschanel's HBO comedy I'm With the Band, as well as Season Two of How to Make It in America. (Variety)

Russell Brand will play himself on the upcoming season of The Simpsons, reports TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck. Brand's episode, entitled "Angry Dad -- The Movie," is slated to air in early 2011 and will see him join Halle Berry and Ricky Gervais in the installment, which will feature "Bart and Homer [heading] to Los Angeles after they're nominated for an Academy Award for their animated short based on Bart's cartoon webseries, Angry Dad." (TV Guide Magazine)

NBC has pulled its self-help reality series Breakthrough with Tony Robbins from the schedule, effective immediately. The network will slate repeats of Minute to Win It in the timeslot. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Warner Bros. Television International has signed a package deal with UK's Five, under which the channel will receive exclusive terrestrial and digital right to Season Three of The Mentalist, while Five USA gets rights to Dark Blue and Blade, and Fiver gets Human Target. (Variety)

In other news, the studio is also set to acquire indie production company Shed Media (the makers of Supernanny and The Choir), in a deal said to be worth nearly £100 million. (Broadcast)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Fringe Fest, Diablo Cody Targets FOX, Carol Burnett to Be Sue's Mom on Glee, Ferrigno to Torment Chuck, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello caught up with Fringe star Jasika Nicole to get some information about Season Three of Fringe, kicking off this fall, and a "groundbreaking and mind-blowing" twist. "She is indeed," said Nicole when asked if Astrid would get more to do in Season Three. "And that's due to the fact that there are now two of her that I get to play, which is awesome. [For the first half] of the season, we're alternating episodes, so we've got one in the alternate universe and one in the present universe, so if you were to only [watch] every other episode, you would only see the story happening in one universe." Nicole told Ausiello that the two storylines will converge into a single stream where "everyone's world will be turned upside down." Wowsers. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Diablo Cody is heading to FOX. The network signed a put-pilot deal with the Juno creator--who is the executive producer of Showtime's multiple-personality comedy United States of Tara--for comedy The Breadwinner, which will be produced by Warner Bros. Television, should FOX opt to order a pilot. Details on the plot of the project, which Cody will executive produce with Mason Novick, are being kept tightly under wraps. It's not the first time that Cody has sought to work with the network; she previously developed comedy Sydney Dare at FOX back in 2009. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stop the presses: Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that legendary comedienne Carol Burnett has been cast as the Nazi-hunting mother of Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester on Glee. While details of her arrival at William McKinley High are being kept secret (for now, anyway), it's expected that Burnett will make her appearance in an October or November episode of Glee's second season and Ausiello also indicates that she will be turning up without Sue's father. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other casting news, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that former Incredible Hulk star (and motivated home seller in I Love You, Man) Lou Ferrigno will guest star on Chuck this fall. Ferrigno, who is set to appear in the second episode of Season Four, will play "the bodyguard of an evil spy model (ex-Victoria's Secret Angel Karolina Kurkova." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has two video interviews with the stars of FOX's Bones, Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, in which the two talk about the power shift when Deschanel directs an episode of Bones this season and jokingly vows to make Boreanaz "pay." Plus, the duo tease details of the next season of Bones, including--SPOILER ALERT!--a potential death, a new love interest for Booth named Hannah, and much more. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Sorry sci-fi fans: it turns out that Sky1 has dropped its plan to resurrect classic sci-fi series Blake's 7, created by Terry Nation, after announcing its plans to develop an update back in 2008. "Following the development process we have decided not to produce Blake's 7," said a Sky1 spokesperson. "However, Sky continues to invest heavily in original drama and it remains at the heart of our plans. We have just announced an extended run for the second series of Chris Ryan's Strike Back and we'll soon be unveiling a new long-running series for prime time." The satcaster will also not proceed with a spy drama that was to star Gillian Anderson (The X-Files). But the production company behind the resurrected Blake's 7 plans to shop the series elsewhere. "Sky's deciding to not proceed with the planned TV revival of Blake's 7 is obviously disappointing, but the development process has resulted in the dynamic reinvention of this 'branded' series ... There is a huge opportunity for investment in a TV series that is fully developed, has genuine global appeal and has exciting 360-degree exploitation opportunities," said a B7 Productions spokesperson. "With much praised scripts from lead writers Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle (Going Postal) and 60% of the finance already in place, by anyone's standard we have pulled together a compelling package. We are confident that this reboot of Blake's 7 has the creative and commercial credentials that will enable us to find a partner with the vision to recognise the strength and enduring appeal of the show and the opportunity it represents to produce a bold new drama series with significant international appeal." (Guardian)

Dallas Roberts (Rubicon) has been cast in a potentially recurring role on CBS' The Good Wife, where he will play Owen, Alicia's gay brother, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. But don't look for the series to make a big deal out of the University of Oregon professor's sexual orientation. "“We just thought [it would be interesting] if it didn’t matter. Everybody around them thinks it’s an issue between them, but there’s no issue,” said executive producer Robert King. “We kind of like that it voids expectations of what will happen between them." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno has some further details about Roberts' Good Wife character and talks to executive producer David W. Zucker about Owen. "I think [creators and executive producers] Robert and Michelle [King] came up with a very sort of compelling and surprising way to introduce her brother into the world that immediately impacts [her] and Peter, and then gets us to explore a little bit of what their history was and how it pertains to their future," said Zucker. "What about Alicia's own familial experience informed the way she handled [the] with situation with Peter, and her vigilance about protecting the children and the family first and foremost? We were really interested in trying to start exploring, for Peter and Alicia, what that greater world is, especially as Peter is coming to the public eye in a different way now." (TVGuide.com)

So it turns out that Lost's enigmatic Man in Black does have a name. Sort of. TVOvermind has confirmed that Titus Welliver's character was named Samuel. Or, was on the back of his director's chair, anyway. The news doesn't exactly send ripples through the Lost community, but it does lay to rest one dangling plot thread. (via Blastr)

Jeff Goldblum will be departing Law & Order: Criminal Intent after only two seasons, citing uncertainty "surrounding the show's future." (Ahem.) News comes on the heels of the order for Law & Order: Los Angeles and the cancellation of the flagship Law & Order. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Courtney Ford (Dexter) is heading to the CW's Vampire Diaries, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, who reports that Ford will potentially recur as Vanessa, described as "a grad student at Duke who helps Damon, Alaric, and Elena go through Isobel’s old research." But Vanessa might be more than she seems as she's concealing a secret or two... (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Colm Meaney (Get Him to the Greek) will star opposite Anson Mount, Dominique McElligott, and Common in AMC period drama pilot Hell of Wheels, about the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Meaney will play Thomas "Doc" Durant, described as "a businessman determined to make his fortune building the transcontinental railroad, a man of vision and a self-serving opportunist who is capable of 'creative financing.'" (Deadline)

Sherry Stringfield has landed the lead in Josh Berman's new untitled Lifetime drama pilot, where she will play San Diego police detective Molly Collins, described as a "married mother of two on the verge of divorce, who, along with her partner Brooke Kross, investigate the city’s most high-profile crimes while navigating their divergent personal lives." (Deadline)

Disney Channel has assembled the cast for its upcoming original musical movie franchise, Lemonade Mouth, which follows a group of high school students who meet in detention and start a band. (Deadline)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Bones' Bad Guy and Romance, Idol Rumors, Sera Gamble Talks Supernatural's New Season, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck talks to Bones creator Hart Hanson and series lead Emily Deschanel about Season Six's new recurring baddie, a serial killer that will torment the team and who just happens to be a sniper. Huh, just like David Boreanaz's Booth was before the series began. "You have to be incredibly cold and calculated to be a sniper," said Deschanel, who hinted that one of the interns will be felled by the sniper's bullets. "I don't want anyone to die." Meanwhile, look for the fourth episode of the season to take a weird turn. "It will appear to Brennan that she is solving her own murder," Hanson told Keck. "She is looking at a body and slowly realizes it's her, which leads her to rethink her entire life.... She'll try to keep it hidden from Booth for as long as she can, and will ultimately change how she approaches him." As for their relationship, Deschanel says that Brennan may have changed her mind: "She's had a lot of time to think in the Maluku Islands and contemplate her future, and I think she regrets having said 'no' to Booth... I think him having a new girlfriend will complicate that, but she loves him and wants him to be happy." (TV Guide Magazine)

FOX's Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly were very close-lipped about the ongoing discussions going on behind the scenes at American Idol yesterday during the executive session at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour and refused to comment or "speculate" on anyone's participation, including Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson. "The only thing that's for sure is Ryan [Seacrest]," Jackson told E! Online. "Nothing has been decided." Which would seem to fit with what Rice and Reilly were saying yesterday as well. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd is reporting that Steven Tyler is making claims saying that he's received an offer to join the judges table on Idol but questions some of the details of his statement, made on the radio yesterday. "This beautiful girl from Fox came up to me and made an offer. I honored her offer… and it's just a work in progress," said Tyler. "They mentioned it and I listened, and we're on tour, so I gotta give it some time." So, uh, there. Hibberd wonders specifically about that "beautiful girl" comment as the interested parties at FOX who would be making overtures to Tyler would most likely be Rice or Mike Darnell. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan talks to newly installed Supernatural showrunner Sera Gamble about the sixth season of the supernatural drama, launching this fall on the CW, and the two talk about the tone of the sixth season, the returning guest stars, and that season-long story arc that will be played out behind the monsters-of-the-week format. "If you think of L.A. Confidential, if you think about Sam and Dean together being like a Bud White or being like a Bud White…. Bud White beats people up. He has anger management problems. He drinks too much. But he's a hero. The fact that he is moral is a problem. The other sort of hero in that story has a sort of moral relativism," Gamble told Ryan about next season's moral complexity. "There are a lot of shades of gray that we're playing with this season, in terms of the kind of heroes we're interested in." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Sara Rue (Eastwick) will serve as the host of the CW's midseason reality series Shedding for the Wedding, in which ten overweight couples "live together and battle during a three-month period for the wedding of their dreams." (Hollywood Reporter)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Fiona Gubelmann (Knight Rider) has been cast as the female lead in FX comedy pilot Wilfred, where she will star opposite Jason Gann and Elijah Wood. Elsewhere, Malcolm-Jamal Warner will star opposite Tracee Ellis Ross in BET comedy pilot Reed Between the Lines, where he will play Ross' character's husband. (Deadline)

Janeane Garofalo and Russ Tamblyn will guest star in IFC's The Incredibly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, which stars David Cross, who also wrote the six-episodes comedy, slated to launch Stateside on October 1st. (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV has renewed comedy The Hard Times of RJ Berger for a second season. (Variety)

The two-hour series premiere of Rubicon landed the best numbers yet for an original drama series premiere on AMC, drawing 2.5 million viewers. "With [the] premiere of Rubicon, AMC is now three for three with our original series," said Charlie Collier, AMC's president/general manager. "Rubicon joins our hit series Mad Men and Breaking Bad -- cementing AMC's Sunday night as the place to go for premium programming on basic cable." (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Ricky Gervais is set to return to The Simpsons for an episode in which he'll play himself that is set to air in early 2011. Other guest stars lined up for the 22nd season of The Simpsons include Daniel Radcliffe, Hugh Laurie, and Halle Berry. (BBC)

Disney XD has ordered a third season of comedy Zeke and Luther. Production is expected to begin this fall. (Deadline)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Ellen Quits Idol, Kara Out and J.Lo In, Charles Dance for Thrones, Lizzy Caplan Heads to HBO, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. First up: the swirling rumors, news, and confirmations emanating from FOX about the changes at American Idol...

The big news from last night of course is the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from FOX's American Idol after just one season. DeGeneres released a statement yesterday evening that confirmed her departure from the musical competition series. "A couple months ago, I let FOX and the American Idol producers know that this didn't feel like the right fit for me," said DeGeneres via a network press release. "I told them I wouldn't leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next. It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for. I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on Idol and I am very grateful for the year I had. I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be." DeGeneres' departure comes at a time where there is a huge amount of upheaval at the series, which is set to launch its tenth season this winter, between the departures of Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson remains the only original judge still standing on Idol. (via press release)

FOX has declined comment on the potential replacement for Ellen: Jennifer Lopez. According to Variety's Michael Schneider, insiders close to the situation maintain that there is no deal in place to bring Lopez on board as a judge on American Idol and there are certain sticking points that might make a deal untenable. "The singer -- whose career has been on the skids for quite some time -- emerged as a true contender for the gig in recent weeks," writes Schneider. "While other names have been bandied about -- from Justin Timberlake and Jessica Simpson to Elton John and Sean "P.Diddy" Combs -- Lopez might make more sense. The singer is known for being brash -- witness her 'Jenny from the Block' persona -- and has the obvious industry background." As for why DeGeneres chose to decamp, The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd cites an anonymous source: "A source in the DeGeneres camp said she was prepared to meet the terms of her multiyear contract but told friends that her comedy wasn't effective on the show and that Fox president of alternative entertainment Mike Darnell had told her privately that he blamed her chemistry with fellow judges Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi." (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

As for Lopez, Deadline's Nikki Finke and Nellie Andreeva are reporting that it's already a done deal. "We hear her manager Benny Medina (whom she once fired) orchestrated the meeting with the American Idol producers a month ago, and negotiations have been ongoing ever since," write the Deadline duo. "We've learned a deal was closed earlier this week under the utmost secrecy." Move comes as Nigel Lythgoe returns to Idol as executive producer. (Deadline)

TMZ, meanwhile, is reporting that fellow Idol host Kara DioGuardi has been fired from her position as judge on the FOX competition series and reports that American Idol will return to a three-judge format next season. As for those judges, the online gossip site claims that they will be Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler. (TMZ)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that Charles Dance (Bleak House) has been cast in HBO's upcoming George R.R. Martin drama series Game of Thrones, where he will play Tywin, described as "a wealthy lord and head of one of the most powerful clans in the realm." He is the father of Cersei (Lena Headey), Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). [Editor: Based on his presence and gravitas alone, I think Dance is absolutely perfect for this role.] (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that HBO has teamed up with Party Down's Lizzy Caplan and producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay to adapt Julie Klauser's memoir, "I Don't Care About Your Band," into a comedy series that will serve as a star vehicle for Caplan. "The book, a gritty but comedic look at what it’s like to navigate the dating world in your 20s," writes Andreeva, "chronicles Klausner’s experiences from her preadolescent sexual awakenings through the unsavory details of sleeping with a gallery of losers throughout her 20s." [Editor: while I'm crushed that Party Down won't be continuing, I am chuffed that Caplan will be back on my television and on premium cable, to boot. Move marks a reunion of sorts between Caplan and HBO, where she recurred on the first season of vampire drama True Blood.] (Deadline)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos and Megan Masters have a comprehensive report from yesterday's TCA session for the CW's Gossip Girl, where producers teased the return of Georgina Sparks, haute couture in Paris, Jenny, and much more. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

NBC is said to be planning screening events for its upcoming thriller The Event in five cities across the country, to be determined by a popular vote, according to The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "The network is partnering with Eventful Inc. and its Demand It platform to let viewers lobby for their city to receive a screening," writes Hibberd. "The five cities with the most votes will win a pre-premiere screening." (Hollywood Reporter)

Law & Order: Los Angeles has scored another player. Corey Stoll (Salt) has joined the cast of the Dick Wolf procedural drama, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, where he will play TK Jaruszalski, the partner to Detective Rex Winters (Skeet Ulrich), who is described as "a confident Hollywood native with a cynical view of the entertainment industry [and] a health nut with an active social life." (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Clayne Crawford (24) has landed a role on Alan Ball's HBO drama pilot All Signs of Death, based on a Charlie Huston novel. Crawford would play the friend to a crime scene cleaner (Ben Whishaw) who is described as "a sexy greaser who runs a tattoo parlor." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

New developments in the allegations against former ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson. Deadline's Nikki Finke has obtained a copy of a faxed letter sent to The Hollywood Reporter by McPherson's lawyer Marty Singer, who demands an apology and a retraction after the trade publication published reports that McPherson was the target in a sexual harassment probe before his resignation from the network. (Deadline)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Details on Kanakaredes' Exit from CSI, Alphas Lands Two, More on McPherson, HIMYM, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to CSI: NY executive producers Pam Veasey and Zachary Reiter about the departure of Melina Kanakaredes from the crime procedural and how they'll handle Stella's exit, given that Kanakaredes will not be reprising her role this fall. "We’re giving her a noble exit,” said Reiter. "We chose not to go the route of killing her off or having her go missing. We felt that would weigh too heavily on the team." However, the action will instead pick up a few months after the events of the season finale and reveal that Stella moved to New Orleans. "She left to run a lab there," Veasey told Ausiello. "And she picked that city because it’s the city of Katrina, the city of BP oil, the city where people are looking for someone to lend a hand. She’ll essentially be Mac in New Orleans. We wanted to do something that was respectful and made a lot of sense." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

More casting on Syfy's 90-minute drama pilot Alphas: Malika Yoba (Defying Gravity) and Laura Mennell (Watchmen) have signed on to star in the pilot, which is written by Zak Penn and Michael Karnow and directed by Jack Bender. Yoba and Mennell will star opposite David Strathairn and will play members of the Alpha team, a group of people "who have extraordinary mental and physical abilities" and who "investigate difficult-to-solve cases that the CIA and FBI have either passed over or were unable to solve." (Variety)

The Hollywood Reporter's Kim Masters is reporting that ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson resigned from the network amid a formal sexual harassment probe into alleged misconduct involving several women--both executives and on-air talent--and an incident at a corporate retreat. Said investigation had been going on for the three weeks leading up to his announcement that he would be stepping down from the company. "Upon Steve McPherson returning to work from his vacation on Monday, he made a voluntary decision to resign and ABC accepted his resignation," said McPherson's lawyer, Tom Hoberman, in a statement. "It is not uncommon for high level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo. That would include rumors of internal situations which can easily be misinterpreted or misrepresented. Seems like it goes with the territory, and there is nothing further to discuss." According to Masters, ABC "pointedly did not deny allegations of inappropriate conduct." The situation remains in flux and ABC has yet to officially name a replacement for McPherson, though it's widely believed that ABC Family's Paul Lee has scored the seat. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan talks to How I Met Your Mother creators/executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas about what went wrong with the fifth season of the CBS sitcom. "We set out to say, 'What if every episode, you hit the reset button at the end of the episode?'" said Bays. "...We had fun doing that, but I feel like that's not the show we wanted to do." Thomas concurred. "A certain kind of fan of the show felt like last season was less emotionally interesting, less interesting in the larger arc of 'Who's the mother?' but also less interesting in the sense of moving forward in these characters' lives," he told Ryan. "I feel like we earned fans by exploring a lot of different rites of passage in people's lives, and last year I feel like we did a lot less of it." Ryan also gets Bays and Thomas to discuss details of Season Six of Mother, including the return of Rachel Bilson, the handling of Barney and his quest to find his real father, Marshall and Lily's attempts to have a baby, the third installment of the Robin Sparkles saga, and the fact that "by the end of the season, everyone's lives will change dramatically." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, meanwhile, has a few further details on the return of Rachel Bilson's Cindy to How I Met Your Mother. "Bilson will appear in the show’s sixth season premiere this fall when Cindy shows up at MacLaren’s bar, the favored hangout of Mother‘s central quartet," writes Ausiello. Meanwhile, her return sets up some important storytelling. “The season premiere is going to be very much informed by her presence,” Carter Bays told Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that USA has renewed procedural drama In Plain Sight for two additional seasons, the series' fourth and fifth installments. "The main cast, including Mary McCormack, Frederick Weller and Paul Ben-Victor, are all set to return to In Plain Sight, which will continue to film in New Mexico," writes Andreeva. (Deadline)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has a run down of just who will be on Glee this season, who won't be, and who may be. It's a long list, to say the least. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Paul Giamatti (John Adams) has been cast in an HBO telepic that will depict the two-week tour that Nikita Khruschchev took of the United States in 1959. Project, from Playtone, is based on Peter Carlson's nonfiction book "K Blows Top," and will be adapted by Paul Bernbaum. "Once in the States, Khrushchev famously blew up when he was informed that a planned trip to Disneyland had to be tabled because of security concerns," writes Variety's Cynthia Littleton. "(The book's title comes from New York Daily News headline about the Disneyland flap.)" (Variety)

BSkyB has signed an exclusive output deal with HBO, said to be in the arena of $234 million over the next five years. Under the terms of the deal, the satcaster retains exclusive rights to all new HBO series, with the first being Boardwalk Empire, current series, past series, and right of first refusal on UK co-productions. (Variety)

Elsewhere across the pond, Channel 4 has secured the UK rights to NBC's upcoming thriller The Event, which will launch in the UK in October. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Syfy Plans BSG Prequel, McPherson Leaves ABC, NBC Confirms Carell Departure, Parenthood, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that Syfy is developing an online prequel to Battlestar Galactica entitled Blood & Chrome, which would focus on the life of William Adama during the first Cylon War and will be written by Caprica's Michael Taylor. Project, which would consist of nine to ten episodes of roughly ten minutes each, would focus "about a young man's initiation into war: both the realities of war as fought by soldiers on the ground (and in Battlestars and Vipers), and the somewhat less real version portrayed in the media," according to Taylor. Interestingly, should the online series be a hit, it could serve as the basis for a backdoor pilot or a full-blown series set during the first Cylon War. And, given the fact that it's running online, don't look for any content restrictions. "We're not going to be shying away from R-rated blood and guts and sex," Taylor told Ryan. "Because this is initially meant to air online, we pretty much have no restrictions in that department." [Editor: Ryan also has details from Comic-Con's Caprica panel there as well.] (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

In a stunning move, ABC Entertainment Group President Steve McPherson yesterday resigned from his position, just days before the network's session at the Television Critics Association's Summer Press Tour. He had more than a year left on his contract, which was set to expire in September 2011. "I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best," said McPherson in an official statement that was released to the press. Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that ABC has confirmed that Paul Lee, who previously orchestrated huge gains for BBC America and ABC Family, will be moving into McPherson's office and will take over the leadership role at the network, which slipped into third place this year. As for McPherson's next move? "I'll be announcing my future plans shortly which will include a new entrepreneurial venture in the spirits business. While I will continue with my ongoing wine business, I'll also reveal plans for my involvement in a new media company." (Deadline, Variety)

Looks like the show will go on, after all. NBC Primetime Entertainment President Angela Bromstad has said that Steve Carell will be leaving NBC's The Office when his contract expires next year but that the comedy will continue on without him... and will remain in its Thursday night at 9 pm timeslot. "We've been lucky to have had him as long as we've had. These things happen when you have such a major movie star in a show," said Bromstad. "Not to diminish the departure of Steve, because that will impact the show, but we have tremendous faith in the writers and actors to keep it alive." [Editor: my own feelings about what NBC should do have already been discussed in this feature over at The Daily Beast.] (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Billy Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) is close to a deal to appear in multiple episodes of NBC's Parenthood this fall, where he will play a new love interest for Lauren Graham's Sarah, one who just happens to be the boss to Peter Krause's Adam. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

30 Rock's Cheyenne Jackson is joining the cast of FOX's Glee, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Jackson will play the coach of McKinney High's rivals, Vocal Adrenaline, replacing Idina Menzel's Shelby, who will still turn up in Season Two. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online's Drusilla Moorhouse has a great recap for Comic-Con's Sons of Anarchy panel over the weekend and creator Kurt Sutter's plans for the third season, which will include a clash with the IRA in Ireland. "Our pursuit of Abel really breaks open the world," said star Charlie Hunnam. "John Teller had a lot to do with Ireland and the origin of gun running and the Sons of Anarchy. So, it's through us going to Ireland, inevitably, we learn a little bit more." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Anson Mount (Conviction) and Dominique McElligott (The Guard) will star in AMC period drama pilot Hell on Wheels opposite Common. Mount will play Cullen, described as "a former slave owner and a Confederate soldier determined to avenge the rape/murder of his beloved wife by tracking and killing the Union soldiers who killed her" who ends up working on the Transcontinental Railroad. McElligott will play Lily Bell, described as "an intelligent woman taking care of her ill husband who is part of the team of surveyors mapping the railroad's course." (Deadline)

The Hollywood Reporter has an interview with Community creator/executive producer Dan Harmon in which he admits that is "terrified and humbled" that his NBC comedy will compete with CBS' The Big Bang Theory this fall. "I hope I don't get destroyed," Harmon told Hollywood Reporter. "I think there's room for both. I think we're like little containers of peas in that frozen dinner, but we're not quite the Salisbury steak." (Hollywood Reporter)

Robert and Michelle King, the creators of CBS' The Good Wife, have signed a two-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios, which will cover their services as showrunners on the CBS drama, returning for its second season this fall, as well as a development component. (Variety)

TVGuide.com's Denise Martin is reporting that Noah Munck has been promoted to series regular on Nickelodeon's iCarly. (TVGuide.com)

CBS' legal drama The Defenders is hopping across the pond, following a deal between the UK's FX and CBS Studios International. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Damages Season Four Details, Susan Sarandon Gets Miraculous, RTD Teases Torchwood, Fringe, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Now that the ink has dried on Damages's DirecTV deal, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to executive producers Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman about whether the format for the serpentine legal drama will be altered for its fourth and fifth seasons, whether the budget will be affected, why Ellen has gotten past the fact that Patty tried to have her killed, who will be returning, and a host of other issues. "DirecTV wants us to do the show that we’ve been doing," said Zelman. "If anything, they want us to push what we’ve been doing even further. They’re encouraging us to be as bold as possible, which is something we strive for anyway. There have been no discussions about altering the show in any fundamental way." Except for the fact that the episodes will be longer, that is. "What’s exciting for us as creators is that on the 101 Network there are no commercials, so it’ll be an uninterrupted hour," said Todd A. Kessler. "And that lends itself to the type of storytelling we do." Production on Season Four begins in January. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The cast of HBO's drama The Miraculous Year--from writer John Logan and director Kathryn Bigelow--just keeps getting better and better. Susan Sarandon (The Lovely Bones) will join Norbert Leo Butz, Frank Langella, Hope Davis, Lee Pace, Patti LuPone, Eddie Redmayne, and Linus Roach, among others in the cast of the drama pilot, which follows the lives of a wealthy Manhattan family. Sarandon, who will guest star in the pilot, will play Patty Atwood, the director and choreographer for the new show that Norbert Leo Butz's Terry is mounting. (Deadline)

Russell T Davies has teased information about the upcoming fourth season of Torchwood that will air in the US on Starz next year, telling a journalist from SFX that it will be very dark indeed, if not darker than Torchwood: Children of Earth. "Actually, this story is also very dark," said Davies. "I think with that, Torchwood found its feet. People found something very compelling and very chilling about it. I love the way people got on their high horse saying, 'Oh, he killed his grandson!' Hello! He saved every single child in the world! If you would fail to do that then you're the monster, frankly. It's this extraordinary treatment that only science fiction heroes get You find that. If ever a word is said out of place by the Doctor or Captain Jack, or even by Sarah Jane sometimes, people throw their hands up in horror, whereas in any other drama any character is capable of any thing at any time. That's the only way to write, and it's the same for these people as well. I thought it was fascinating and challenging what he did there, but hard—it was so hard. I do think with the whole of Children Of Earth we found a new heartland for Torchwood." (via Blastr)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has a video interview with the stars of FOX's Fringe, in which Anna Torv, Josh Jackson, and John Noble discuss Season Three, the romance between Olivia and Peter, and familial bonds. Well worth a look if you don't mind vague spoilers. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan talks to Bruce Miller and Jaime Paglia, the producers of Syfy's Eureka about Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton's upcoming turns on the dramedy series as well as about James Callis' Dr. Grant. According to Paglia, Day will play a "very eccentric scientist, someone who was invited to be at Eureka but turned it down," when the series returns for the back half of its season in 2011. According to Ryan, Day's character will be "brought in to consult on a problem and Day's character and the character played by Wheaton, who will appear in several episodes, will be involved in a love triangle with a Eureka regular. The producers wouldn't say who it is, but I'd bet money that it's Fargo." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Glee fans, say goodbye to Coach Tanaka. TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Patrick Gallagher--who plays the surly high school coach/gym teacher, is not expected to return for the second season of Glee this fall and the producers will be introducing a new character--Dot Jones' Shannon Beiste--as the new football coach at William McKinnley High. "As he has not been written into the show's first few episodes," writes Keck, "it appears that Tanaka ran his course after failing in his attempt to marry Emma." (TV Guide Magazine)

Liam Neeson is set to guest star on an upcoming episode of Showtime's Laura Linney-led dark comedy The Big C, where he will play Bee Man, an eccentric man whom Cathy consults for a possible cancer treatment. (via press release)

Nigel Lythgoe is said to be thisclose to finalizing a deal that will see him return to FOX's American Idol as an executive producer for the tenth season. Lythgoe is widely expected to close the deal and serve alongside Ken Warwick, Simon Fuller, and Cecile Frot-Coutaz. "Fox is seeking to bring back Lythgoe to work on the hit series as part of a master plan to reboot the show following the exit of top judge Simon Cowell," writes The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. "In addition, Idol fans can add pop star Justin Timberlake to the list of potential Cowell replacements. Timberlake, along with legendary singer Elton John, is on Idol producer 19 Entertainment chief Simon Fuller's wish list." (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Common (Date Night) has been cast in AMC period drama pilot Hell on Wheels, the first talent attachment to the drama, which depicts the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Common will play Elam, described as "a freed slave who comes west seeking work on the railroad and his place in the world" and who, "as a half black, half white man... does not completely belong to either world." (Deadline)

G4 has purchased four anime-inspired series based on Marvel characters from Sony Pictures Entertainment. The cabler has ordered twelve episodes each of X-Men, Wolverine, Iron Man and Blade, which it will launch in 2011. Marvel Entertainment will produce with Madhouse and each of the anime series will have some thread connecting it to Asia in some way. [Editor: the inclusion of Wolverine here then makes sense, given his history in Japan, but X-Men? Interesting.] (Variety)

It's thought quite elementary that BBC One's new mystery series Sherlock--a modern-day version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's sleuth from Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss--will be recommissioned for a second season after 7.5 million viewers tuned in on Sunday to watch the first episode. (Broadcast)

In other UK news, British viewers will be able to watch the CW's Nikita and NBC's Chase, following a deal between studio Warner Bros. Television and The Living TV Group (a division of BSkyB) that will bring the series to Living. Nikita will air this fall on the channel, while Chase will jump across the pond in 2011. (Hollywood Reporter)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Jeff and Jackie Filgo have left ABC's comedy pilot Awkward Situations For Men, which is being reworked and will be reshot. The cast of the original pilot--Danny Wallace, Tony Hale, and Laura Prepon--will return for the redone pilot though studio Warner Bros. Television will have to find a replacement for the Filgos, who wrote the pilot with Wallace and served as executive producers on the project. (Deadline)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that an earthquake will rock Los Angeles in the September 13th season premiere of 90210. "We wanted to open the season with an event that has both physical and emotional ramifications for several people," co-executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman told Keck and added that the incident will seriously affect one character. "One of them has a very serious injury that takes time to resolve and sort of changes the direction of his or her life." (TV Guide Magazine)

Epix has acquired rights to stand-up comedy film Louis C.K.: Hilarious, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. The pay cabler will air the film on September 18th on Epix, its website, and its on demand service before Comedy Central gets a second window in 2011. (Variety)

CBS and CBS Studios have signed a talent holding deal with former King of Queens star Leah Remini, who will also serve as one of the hosts of CBS' new mom-centric daytime talk show. Under the terms of the deal, Remini will star in a new half-hour comedy pilot for the network. (Deadline)

Former ITV managing director Lee Bartlett has returned Stateside, where he has moved into the business affairs EVP position at Discovery Communications. He'll be based in Los Angeles and will report to Peter Ligouri. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Channel Surfing: Melina Kanakaredes Leaves CSI: NY, Game of Thrones Lands Aidan Gillen, Peter Weller Joins Dexter, True Blood, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Another one bites the dust: Melina Kanakaredes is the latest star to leave their CBS drama series, following in the footsteps of A.J. Cook, Eddie Cibrian, and Liz Vassey. Kanakaredes, who has starred on CBS' CSI: NY for six seasons, has announced that she will not be returning for a seventh go-around as Detective Stella Bonasera. "We hoped Melina would return to CSI: NY for another season, but we respect her decision to move on," said CBS Television Network and CBS Television Studios in a joint statement released yesterday. "Her amazing talent and invaluable contribution to the success of the series are greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten. She will forever remain a friend to the network and studio and we wish her the very best." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Meanwhile, yesterday's rumor appears now to be a fact: Sela Ward is joining CSI: NY, following Kanakaredes' departure. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Aidan Gillen (The Wire) has signed on as a series regular for HBO's upcoming George R.R. Martin drama series Game of Thrones, where he will play Littlefinger, described as a scheming "adviser to King Robert who manipulates those in power to fit his own agenda." Production on Game of Thrones is set to begin later this month in Northern Ireland, with a launch expected in the first half of 2011. (Hollywood Reporter)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Peter Weller (Robocop) has been cast in Season Five of Showtime's Dexter, where he is slated to appear in eight out of the twelve installments as "a troubled Miami Metro police officer who gets caught up in an internal affairs investigation." Season Five is set to premiere September 26th on Showtime. (Deadline)

MAJOR SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that a panther will be appearing on the set of HBO's vampire drama True Blood, fueling speculation that Jason Stackhouse could be transforming into a werepanther at some point this season. "I've been working with the panthers and they're a lot cooler than the wolves," True Blood creator Alan Ball told Keck. "We have shot some scenes with actual panthers in the same way we have shot with actual wolves. But I won't say there are or aren't werepanthers on the show." [Editor: the reveal of the panther would fall in line with what Ball told me a while back for my True Blood set visit and feature for The Daily Beast: that someone's love interest this season is secretly a were. Hmmm...] (TV Guide Magazine)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has some major dirt on a huge plot twist planned in the "game-changing" second season opener of CBS' The Good Wife, as the series' law firm, Lockhart & Gardener "will be in the midst of merging with another firm," according to Ausiello. "Everyone [will be thrown] for a loop,” Good Wife executive producer Robert King told Ausiello, “[especially partners] Will [Josh Charles] and Diane [Christine Baranski]. And Alicia [Julianna Margulies], who thought she was [in the clear], once again has to prove herself in new surroundings." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

MAJOR SPOILER! TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck reports that Booth and Brennan will finally get to close the book on the murderous Gravedigger, Heather Taffet (Deirdre Lovejoy), this season on FOX's Bones... but the same episode that features Heather's final appearance will introduce a new nemesis for the team who creator Hart Hanson said is "someone much worse, who will dog us for the season." What else did Keck manage to get out of Hanson about this new big bad? ""It's someone highly motivated to do great harm to our people — a personal vendetta," said Hanson. "One of our characters will be a victim." (TV Guide Magazine)

Not only did TVGuide.com's Denise Martin moderate last night's Glee event at the Paley Center but she also has an exclusive interview with co-creator Ryan Murphy about the second season of the musical-comedy in which he confirms that the upcoming Britney Spears tribute episode will in fact revolve around Heather Morris' addled cheerleader Brittany, who will sing two of the pop singer's songs. (TVGuide.com)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich is reporting that former Melrose Place star Shaun Sipos is joining the cast of the CW's Life Unexpected, where he will recur as Eric, a new teacher at the high school where Lux attends. (Fancast)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello and Andy Patrick are reporting that Arielle Kebbel (Gilmore Girls) and Amy Price-Francis (The Cleaner) have joined the cast of the CW's Life Unexpected, where they will play respectively Paige, described as "the new hottie in town who may well wind up tending more than bar for Baze (Kristoffer Polaha)," and Kelly, described as "a conservative author/chatterbox who becomes a partner on the radio show that Cate (Shiri Appleby) and Ryan (Kerr Smith) front." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

File this under random recastings: Timm Sharp ('Til Death) has been cast in HBO comedy series Enlightened, where he will play the new boss of Laura Dern's formerly self-destructive character who returns to work after a spectacular meltdown. Sharp replaces Mos Def, who exited the series due to "deal issues," according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Production began yesterday on the project, from executive producers Dern and Mike White. (Deadline)

The title for the season opener of ABC's Grey's Anatomy? “With You I’m Born Again," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In a move that will surprise absolutely no one, ABC has renewed its Canadian summer drama series Rookie Blue for a second season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Among the actors lending their voices to Adult Swim's Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III: Zac Efron, Donald Glover (Community), and Mike Henry (The Cleveland Show), who will join an already burgeoning voice cast that includes Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Breckin Meyer, Seth MacFarlane, Dan Milano, Abraham Benrubi, Donald Faison, Rachael Leigh Cook, Adrianne Palicki, Eden Espinosa, Hugh Davidson, Bob Bergen, Keith Ferguson, Tom Kane, Zeb Wells, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and Ahmed Best. The special will air December 12th. (Variety)

Reveille and Jack Black's shingle Electric Dynamite Prods. have jointly optioned the rights to A.J. Jacob's non-fiction book "My Life As An Experiment," with the aim to adapt the work as a half-hour comedy series. (Deadline)

Joe Jonas will guest star on TV Land's Hot in Cleveland, where he will play the son of Valerie Bertinelli's character. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Sony Pictures Television has promoted James Canniffe to SVP of US alternative development. He will report to Holly Jacobs. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Alan Ball Brings Charlie Huston to HBO, Wire Star Heads to Fringe, Glee Circles Britney, Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

True Blood's Alan Ball is furthering his relationship with HBO. Ball, who created the pay cabler's vampire drama (based on the novels by Charlaine Harris), has signed on to direct and executive producer noir drama pilot All Signs of Death, which is based on Charlie Huston's novel "The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death." Huston himself will pen the pilot script, with production set to begin next month in Los Angeles... though there are no current cast attachments on the project, which will revolve around "a knockaround twentysomething who discovers he has a knack for being a crime scene cleaner, and his life gets messy from there." (Variety)

Bubs Alert! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Andre Royo (The Wire) has been cast as a guest star in the third season premiere of FOX's Fringe, citing unnamed sources. Royo will reportedly play Henry, described as "a soulful taxi driver who is unexpectedly forced into a tense situation with Olivia (Anna Torv)." Will Henry be the one to put the red hat on the alternate universe interloper posing as our Olivia Dunham? [Editor: yes, I love Wire-based humor.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Let's take a look at the current state of Glee rumors: we now know for certain that Javier Bardem won't be appearing on the FOX musical comedy... and neither will Britney Spears either, despite a campaign launched by her manager to bring the scandal-prone singer to the set of the Ryan Murphy-executive produced series. However, Ryan Murphy has confirmed that there will be a Britney tribute episode next season. "We are writing a Britney Spears episode," Ryan told Entertainment Tonight late last week. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin, Hollywood Reporter)

[Editor: in other Glee-related news, actress Amber Riley will sing the national anthem at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.]

SPOILER! Doctor Who head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat has teased details about this year's Doctor Who Christmas Special, which will feature Michael Gambon and singer Katherine Jenkins, appearing alongside Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill. "Oh, we're going for broke with this one," said Moffat. "It's all your favorite Christmas movies at once, in an hour, with monsters. And The Doctor. And a honeymoon. And... oh, you'll see. I've honestly never been so excited about writing anything. I was laughing madly as I typed along to Christmas songs in April. My neighbors loved it so much they all moved away and set up a website demanding my execution. But I'm fairly sure they did it ironically." (BBC)

In a move that will surprise no one, Peter Serafinowicz has been promoted to series regular on FOX's upcoming comedy series Running Wilde, reports Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Serafinowicz, who appeared in the pilot as wealthy scion Fa'ad Shaoulin (the nemesis of Will Arnett's Wilde), will now serve as a regular on the Lionsgate-produced series, which launches this fall. He'll join Will Arnett, Keri Russell, Stefania Owen, and Jayne Houdyshell, while the role of Migo Salazar is currently being recast. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Taylor Kinney (Trauma) will join the cast of the CW's Vampire Diaries in a recurring capacity. Kinney will play Mason Lockwood, the younger brother of the late Mayor Lockwood, according to unnamed sources. He's slated to make his first appearance on the second season opener of Vampire Diaries, airing September 9th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Mark your calendars now: HBO will launch its new Prohibition-era drama Boardwalk Empire--from executive producers Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter--on Sunday, September 19th. [Editor: while the announcement is all over the place, this story links to an older piece that offers a look at Boardwalk's set.] (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

Looks like now is not a good time to be an AT&T U-Verse subscriber. The cable provider is in the midst of a carriage dispute with Rainbow Media Holdings... which means that subscribers are in danger of not being able to watch the Season Four launch of AMC's Mad Men, which premieres in less than two weeks. The two sides have been locked in negotiations that have lasted more than six months without any indications of reaching a conclusion and now U-Verse has threatened to drop AMC, IFC, and We from its lineup. (Vulture)

Despite the fact that the actor options have expired, the CW's medical drama pilot HMS is said to still be in contention for a series order. "There is still no final word from the CW but I hear producer Warner Bros. TV is not giving up and is still hoping for a series order for the project, written/executive produced by Amy Holden Jones, co-executive produced by Hayden Panettiere and directed by Mark Piznarski," writes Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "The actors are aware of the studio's efforts and appear willing to return if there is a pickup soon." (Deadline)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich talks to The Closer's Jon Tenney about Season Six of the TNT drama series as well as the relationship between Fritz and Kyra Sedgwick's Brenda. "In the very first episode, there’s a scene I love where they’re ostensibly discussing a case that she has, and we’re talking about having affairs," said Tenney. "But we’re play-acting, so we’re also sort of feeling each other out a bit… There’s this Nick and Nora sort of banter about the issues of work and personal life and commitment to both of those. That comes to the forefront this season for Brenda and Fritz." (Fancast)

Disney Channel has renewed comedy Good Luck Charlie for a second season as well as greenlighting an original telepic based on the series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Universal Media Studios has signed a two-year overall deal with former Scrubs executive producer Tad Quill, under which he will develop projects for the studio as well as come on board NBC's comedy Perfect Couples. (Deadline)

Former TNT executive Susan Oman Gross has been hired by GK-TV as EVP of television, where she will report to Craig Cegielski and oversee all business and legal affairs for the company. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

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: Mark Pellegrino Bites into Being Human, Weeds Snares Richard Dreyfuss, Marg Helgenberger Staying on CSI, and More

Welcome to your (slightly delayed) Thursday morning television briefing. A few headlines to get through on Emmy nomination day...

Score another genre hit for Mark Pellegrino. The former Lost and Supernatural co-star is heading to Syfy's US adaptation of supernatural drama Being Human, where he will play Bishop, described as the "charismatic and menacing mentor" to Sam Witwer's vampire Aidan. Pellegrino's casting nearly rounds out the cast for the American adaptation, though there's still one role outstanding (that would be Josh, the werewolf, though there have been rumblings about several actors auditioning for the role). Elsewhere, Patrick J. Adams (Friends With Benefits) has been cast as the lead in USA legal drama A Legal Mind, where he will play Mike Ross, described as "a brilliant but unmotivated college student who gets recruited by a top Manhattan corporate law firm despite not being a lawyer" and who must "use his book and street smarts and hustling skills to keep the charade." (Deadline)

In a bit of absolutely amazing casting, Richard Dreyfuss will appear in at least four episodes of Showtime's Weeds, which returns for its sixth season on August 16th. While the pay cabler is keeping a tight lid on just who Dreyfuss will be playing, Showtime revealed that he will play "an unexpected character" who previously crossed paths with Mary-Louise Parker's Nancy Botwin. Hmmm... (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Marg Helgenberger is staying put on CBS' CSI following the successful conclusion of her new contract. "With Helgenberger’s deal done, the spotlight shifts to fellow CSI vets George Eads (Nick), Eric Szmanda (Greg), and Paul Guilfoyle (Jim), all of whom are negotiating new deals ahead of the show’s 11th season," writes Ausiello. "Jorja Fox is also in talks to return in some capacity. Liz Vassey, meanwhile, will not be back." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Alec Baldwin has reiterated his claims that he'll be leaving the cast of NBC's 30 Rock in 2012, when his contract with the Universal Media Studios-produced comedy expires. "As much as I like acting,I know that I would love to have a different life," Baldwin told CNN's Alina Cho. "A private life... I think that doing this now for a living has become really, really hard. I would rather go do other things, and [with] whatever amount of time I have left in my life, have a normal life." (via Vulture)

Which shows aren't going to be at San Diego Comic-Con this year? The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd rounds up the few television series that won't be making the trek down to San Diego, including Undercovers, Game of Thrones, $#*! My Dad Says, Haven, Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Conan O'Brien. And, oh, the reasons why they won't be down there. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) has been cast as one of the leads in NBC's upcoming Law & Order spinoff Law & Order: Los Angeles. Production on the series, from executive producer Dick Wolf, is slated to begin later this month. (Hollywood Reporter)

Vulture's Josef Adalian is reporting that ABC has opted to drop the mockumentary format from its upcoming cop drama Detroit 1-8-7. "The idea of dropping Detroit’s faux doc format was first brought up even before ABC officially ordered the show in May (though as recently as Tuesday, the network's online press materials still included the conceit in the show's description)," writes Adalian. "ABC is also launching another mockumentary-style series in the fall — My Generation, a soapy relationship drama which revolves around a group of pals who've been harassed by documentary makers since they were high school seniors back in 2000 — so one wonders if the network decided that three such shows (counting Modern Family) might test viewers’s patience. Detroit executive producers Jason Richman and David Zabel, however, say that wasn’t the motivating reason for the decision." As for the actual reason, the producers say that ABC found the narrative strong enough without the documentary conceit... and film crews are now banned from accompanying police officers on ride-alongs in Detroit, as of May. Art imitates life? (Vulture)

TV Land has ordered 20 additional episodes for its comedy Hot in Cleveland, a major sign of confidence in the series, which stars Jane Leeves, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, and Betty White, as the initial commitment was only for ten installments. (via press release)

CBS has signed a blind script deal with writer Tom Spezialy (Desperate Housewives) through CBS Television Studios, under which he will write a new series project for the network... and won't be able to take the project elsewhere should a similar situation emerge as it did with Spezialy's last project, the 20th Century Fox Television-produced Chaos. (Variety)

Eric Lange (Lost) has been cast in a recurring role on Season Six of Showtime's Weeds, which launches next month. Lange will play Ellis Tate, described as "an old classmate of Nancy's." Further details were not immediately available as the pay cabler is keeping casting information very close to the vest this season. (Hollywood Reporter)

TeenNick's Degrassi will return to the schedule for its tenth season on July 19th (with a two-hour opener) and will then air Mondays through Thursdays before wrapping on August 26th. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Lost Alum Heads to SVU, David Strathairn Signs on to Alphas, Outlaw Nation Lands Its Cast, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that former Lost co-star Henry Ian Cusick has signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where he will play Erik Weber, a graphic artist. Cusick is expected to appear in at least two episodes of the procedural drama and will cross paths with Mariska Hargitay's Detective Olivia Benson. "There might be some flirtation," executive producer Neal Baer told Keck. "Erik meets Olivia when he comes to someone's aid. And then we'll see how it goes. Olivia is devoted to her job and knows that comes first." (TV Guide Magazine)

It's official: Academy Award nominee David Strathairn will star in Syfy's 90-minute action pilot Alphas, according to a network press release. In the pilot, written by Zak Penn and Michael Karnow and directed by Jack Bender, Strathairn will play the "unconventional, eccentric Alphas team leader" Dr. Leigh Rosen. Here's what the press release had to say about his character: "Though he comes across as somewhat of an absent-minded professor at times, he is also a cunning and manipulative power-player willing to bend the rules in pursuit of his objectives and in support of his team." Production begins next month in Toronto. (via press release)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Luke Grimes (Brothers & Sisters) and Haley Bennett (Marley & Me) have been cast opposite Mary Steenburgen in FX's Nashville-set crime drama pilot Outlaw Country, which will be directed by Michael Dinner. Grimes will play Eli Larkin, described as "a half-cowboy, half-modern guy who tries to get out of the crime ridden life he has grown accustom to in order to help his siblings, however he finds out that it is much harder than he expected." Bennett will play Annabel Lee, described as "a gorgeous country singer who is living in the shadow of her overprotective mother (Steenburgen)." (Deadline)

SPOILER! Some Bones scoop for those of you deprived of the FOX procedural this summer, courtest of TVGuide.com's Mickey O'Connor and Adam Bryant. Asked about whether Booth and Brennan will be apart when Bones returns this fall, this is what the TVGuide.com editors had to say: "It's looking that way, particularly now that we know that Booth will meet his new love interest, a journalist, when she's embedded with his unit in Afghanistan. In a seemingly Grey's Anatomy-inspired Teddy-Owen-like twist, she'll follow Booth back to Washington, where they'll attempt to be together in the real world. And we all know how that goes. But don't blame Bones — she'll be nothing but supportive of the born-under-fire union." (TVGuide.com)

E! is getting into the dance business. The cabler has teamed up with Ryan Seacrest Productions to develop a pilot that will feature Lady Gaga choreographer Laurie Ann Gibson, along with a group of other choreographers and dancers, in Los Angeles. (Hollywood Reporter)

Torchwood fans, make sure you pick up a copy of the new Torchwood comic, which will make its debut at San Diego Comic-Con later this month. The first issue of the monthly will feature a story written by John Barrowman and will be available at the convention exclusively until it hits shelves on August 10th. (Digital Spy)

E1 has signed on to co-produce AMC drama pilot Hell on Wheels, which revolves around the "post-Civil War construction of the Transcontinental Railroad," with Endemol USA. Production on the pilot, written by Joe and Tony Gayton and directed by David Von Ancken, will begin in August in Alberta, Canada It's widely believed to be a lock for a series order. (Variety)

Recasting going on behind the scenes at NBC's upcoming comedy series Outsourced, where Aussie actress Pippa Black has stepped into the role of Tonya. Elsewhere, Maria Thayer has been upgraded to series regular on Cartoon Network's Eagleheart. (Hollywood Reporter)

Jane Kaczmarek (Raising the Bar) and Kim Dickens (Treme) have been cast in Lifetime telepic Reviving Ophelia, based on the nonfiction book by Mary Pipher, in which they'll play sisters who must help one another raise their teenage daughters. Project, written by Teena Booth and directed by Bobby Roth, will air later this year. (Variety)

Reveille is dipping its toes into the television animation business, signing a deal with Mechem Media to "create animated fare in the signature style of Hanna-Barbera." (Company is comprised of several former Hanna-Barbera executives.) First up is comedy The Gloomers, which will be pitched to networks in the next few weeks. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX's animated comedy The Cleveland Show is heading into syndication and has locked up deals at Turner's TBS and Adult Swim, where the series will launch in fall 2013. (Broadcasting & Cable)

20th Century Fox Television has signed a talent holding deal with Wilmer Valderrama, under which he will star in and executive produce a new series project for the studio, reports Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. (Deadline)

More changes afoot at ITV Studios, where Lee Bartlett and Remy Blumenthal are stepping down from their posts following a reorganization that will see former Channel 4 director Kevin Lygo assume oversight of the studio. (Variety)

Elsewhere, former Universal Networks International executive Jon Farrar has been hired by BBC Worldwide Channels as VP, programming for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Javier Bardem Finds Glee, Brian Austin Green Circles Wisteria Lane, Amy Madigan Snares Fringe, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. To those of you who celebrated the Fourth of July, welcome back to work after a long weekend. (Sigh.)

Javier Bardem (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) will guest star next season on FOX's Glee, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello (and Dave Karger), who reports that the Academy Award-winning actor will appear as "a rock star who befriends Artie (Kevin McHale)." In fact, it was Bardem who approached Glee co-creator Ryan Murphy about dropping by the 20th Century Fox Television-produced musical-comedy when they worked together on Eat Pray Love. “We’re going to rock the house,” Bardem told Entertainment Weekly. “We’re going to do some heavy metal — Spanish heavy metal, which is the worst." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck writes that Brian Austin Green (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is weighing a potential role on ABC's Desperate Housewives, according to sources close to the situation. Green would play Keith, described as "a single playboy who makes the women's jaws drop." Allegedly cast for next season: Lainie Kazan (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), who will play Maxine, a neighbor who befriends Susan and Mike in their new digs. (TV Guide Magazine)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Amy Madigan (Grey's Anatomy) has been cast in approximately four episodes of FOX's Fringe, where she will play the mother of Anna Torv's Olivia Dunham. Citing unnamed sources, Ausiello reports that Madigan will make her first appearance in the third season premiere, where Torv's Olivia will come face to face with her dead mother's alternate universe counterpart. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Making it the least kept secret in Hollywood: Reid Scott (My Boys) has joined the cast of Showtime's The Big C. The actor, who appeared in the revised pilot for the Laura Linney-led dark comedy, will play Cathy's oncologist Dr. Todd. So how was Scott able to take on another role while Jordana Spiro and Kyle Howard had to pull out of their respective network projects? "Scott is doing The Big C with TBS' blessing," writes Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. "What also helped him do the series while still under contract on My Boys is that his role on The Big C is technically recurring. Additionally, the smaller size of The Big C's order - 13 episodes - and its production schedule - it is now filming for an Aug. 16 premiere - would make Scott available in the unlikely event that My Boys is renewed for another season." (Deadline)

Sean Young is sticking around on The Young and the Restless, after all. Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Young, who appeared in five episodes of the CBS daytime soap, will return to the series on July 14th and remain on board Y&R through August. Young's attachment comes on the heels of a slew of celebrities recurring on soaps this year, including James Franco, Julianne Moore, Michael Nouri, and Vanessa Marcil, as well as David Hasselhoff and Eric Roberts. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

So much for that Eastwick finale. The Futon Critic is reporting that ABC has scuttered plans to air the final two unaired installments of supernatural drama Eastwick, instead using the Saturday timeslot to air repeats of the second episodes of both Scoundrels and The Gates on July 10th. (Futon Critic)

E! Online's Megan Masters talks to 90210 star Tristan Wilds about the finale that never was. I hope that nobody was upset," Wilds told Masters. "I just think it left some more for the next season so you guys can tune in and watch.... Some of you guys were upset, but you'll get to see what happens next season. You know, we gotta keep the fans thirsty." As for the departure of Rob Estes from the CW drama's cast, Wild said that the change of focus will shine a light on another element of society. You'll see another part of American culture. It's the plight of the single mom," said the former Wire star. "You get to see what she goes through and how she copes with dealing with two kids and still trying to find a job and keep a house et cetera, et cetera. It'll be a very different dynamic, but it's still very, very true to life." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Endgame), Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), Sir Antony Sher (The Wolfman) and Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) have been cast in BBC Two's noir thriller The Shadow Line, from writer/director Hugo Blick (Sensitive Skin). Here's how Auntie Beeb is positioning the six-hour drama: "From the cop with a bullet in his brain, whose amnesia leaves him doubtful of his own moral compass; to the drug-lord driven by a profound personal tragedy, risking it all on one last deal; to the brilliantly lethal puppet-master who gradually emerges from the shadows to bring the story to its shocking climax – The Shadow Line explores the morality of these characters as they negotiate the repercussions of [drug baron Harvey] Wratten's death and attempt to navigate the fine line between right and wrong." (BBC)

In other BBC-related news, BBC Worldwide is set to launch more television channels within the US to complement BBC America, reports Variety's Steve Clarke. [Editor: While no details were given about the potential new digital offerings, one can't help but remember that the division wanted to spin off its BBC World News into a 24-hour news network and allow BBC America to focus solely on entertainment. Whether that is still part of the plan remains to be seen.] (Variety)

Comedy Central's Ugly Americans and Secret Girlfriend are heading across the pond to Fiver. (Variety)

Season Four of Hannah Montana--subtitled Hannah Montana Forever--will feature a slew of guest stars including Sheryl Crowe, Iyaz, Ray Liotta, Christine Taylor, Dr. Phil McGraw, Jay Leno, and Kelly Ripa. The final season begins July 11th. (Hollywood Reporter)

Disney Channel has slated telepic Den Brother, about a teenage hockey star who is suspended from play and then must step in as substitute leader for his younger brother's scout troup, for an August 13th debut, though the film will be available via Disney Channel on Demand beginning August 6th. Project is written by Jim Krieg (with story by Mike Horowitz) and directed by Mark Taylor. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: NBC Pulls Love Bites From Fall Sked, Gervais Offers Carell Office Advice, Neil Gaiman on Doctor Who, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Just a few headlines to get through before the long Fourth of July weekend...

NBC has pulled romantic anthology Love Bites from the fall schedule, pushing it to midseason and using the Thursday at 10 pm timeslot to launch the latest iteration of Donald Trump's reality series The Apprentice. (The series will reportedly either be launched in January or November.) Allegedly the reasons behind the late-in-the-game move: creator Cindy Chupack's request to be relieved of showrunner duries (citing "personal issues"), the loss of Jordana Spiro (whose participation was in second position to TBS' My Boys), and the pregnancy of nominal series lead Becki Newton... who was playing a virgin on the series. (Which, you, know, was sort of a problem. The character will now be reimagined.) Production has been postponed by several weeks to iron out the above kinks. Meanwhile, NBC said that Chupack's decision was motivated by personal issues. "There was something going on with her privately, but it is not an illness, and definitely has to do with some personal stress she's dealing with," said an unnamed Peacock spokesperson. Chupack will remain on board the series as a writer and will work closely with Marc Buckland and Shelley McCrory. "Love Bites is incredibly important to me, and it's been gratifying that NBC feels the same," said Chupack in an official statement. "Launching an anthology series, which breaks the form in so many ways, is a huge undertaking, and I strongly feel that I can be most helpful not showrunning, but writing. … It's just become clear that for several reasons, some of them personal, this change (and a little more time) is what we need to launch this show properly." (Variety)

Elsewhere, NBC announced the return of The Apprentice to the lineup; longtime readers will recall that this iteration will focus on out of work candidates who are looking for a new lease on their careers. NBC was quick to point out that they still love Bites. "Everyone at the network loves Love Bites, but for a number of reasons, it now makes sense to showcase the comedic anthology series a little later in the new season," said Mitch Metcalf, Executive Vice President, Program Planning & Scheduling, NBC Entertainment. "We're extremely fortunate to have a potent show such as the new and contemporary version of Donald Trump's The Apprentice ready to step into the slot and keep our Thursday lineup moving forward from a position of strength." (via press release)

The Office creator Ricky Gervais has applauded Steve Carell's decision to leave The Office at the end of next season, according to a post on his personal blog. "It was expected of me, as executive producer, to persuade him to stay on," writes Gervais. "With syndication in full swing, the more successful the show remains, the more billions we all make. It was tempting, but the truth is, I believe he is doing the right thing. He’s fulfilled his contract and more, and is a huge film star now. (I knocked it on the head after 12 episodes and a Christmas special.) I’d be lying if I said he should do more. He shouldn’t. He should move on, continue to do great work, and buy a new house every time The Office is repeated somewhere." (via New York Times's Artbeat)

Neil Gaiman has confirmed that his upcoming episode of Doctor Who will air as the third episode of the new season, launching in 2011. While precious few details exist about the installment, entitled "The House Of Nothing," Gaiman did at least indicate that the episode, which is reportedly filming next month, will air early in the run. "I think I'll finish this draft of DR WHO (New season 6 episode 3) tonight," wrote Gaiman via Twitter. "A day ahead of schedule. Heavy lifting, but it's faster & better!" (via Digital Spy)

Variety's Michael Schneider takes a look at just what went wrong in the dealmaking between CBS and 20th Century Fox Television over Brett Ratner's drama pilot Chaos, which will not go ahead at the Eye for midseason, despite receiving a thirteen-episode order about a fortnight ago. "Twentieth Century Fox TV's Chaos should have been heading toward production on a midseason order for CBS right now," writes Schneider. "And if this were a few years ago -- pre-economic slowdown and pre-writers' strike -- then perhaps CBS and 20th would have had an easier time ironing out their differences. Instead, a deal between CBS and 20th Century Fox TV fell apart late Wednesday, and options for the show's actors were allowed to expire." The reason: economics. And before you ask: the series won't be jumping to another network as those all-important actor options expired earlier this week, freeing the talent to take other job opportunities. (Variety)

However, several other pilots do remain in contention for midseason as the options were quietly renewed for a handful of actors (though not the entire cast) on several pilots, including Wright Vs. Wrong, Awkward Situations for Men, Team Spitz, and HMS. (No go on Scott Porter-led Nomads, though.) With the exception of HMS, the other projects will shoot new pilots, with altered casts. (Deadline)

Glee's Jane Lynch is heading to Nickelodeon's iCarly, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Lynch, who will appear in an episode slated to air during the series' third season, will play the mother of Sam (Jennette McCurdy). (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Futon Critic is reporting that FX has scheduled new seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The League, as well as new Shawn Ryan drama Terriers, for September, where they will join Sons of Anarchy on the lineup. (Futon Critic)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Blair Redford (Passions) has been cast in a recurring role on the CW's 90210, where he will play Oscar, described by an unnamed 90210 insider as "one part Talented Mr. Ripley, one part young Johnny Depp, and all parts sexy." [Editor: Because that doesn't sound like a publicist at all... ] 90210, which moves to Mondays this fall, returns on September 13th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that ABC has signed a talent holding deal with Curb Your Enthusiasm's Cheryl Hines, under which she may reprise her role from comedy pilot Wright vs. Wrong opposite Debra Messing in the new version of the pilot. (Deadline)

Stay tuned.