The Right Reasons: An Advance Review of Tonight's Episode of The Good Wife

Do we do things for the right or wrong reasons? When you cut beneath the surface, are all the "right" reasons really wrong?

I've been raving about CBS' gripping and intelligent series The Good Wife all season long, and hopefully the praise has rubbed off on those who wouldn't normally tune into a legal drama.

But The Good Wife is no mere episodic courtroom potboiler: it's a canny and critical arbiter of society and technology, a stirring and often emotional exploration of family and morals in the media age, a portrait of working women, and a romance- and intrigue-laden drama that manages to stir both your heart and your mind on a weekly basis.

Tonight's episode of The Good Wife ("Great Firewall"), written by creators Robert King and Michelle King (with a story by Leonard Dick) and directed by Nelson McCormick, ranks up there with some of the very best installments the series has produced to date, an exceptionally crafted installment that juxtaposes the political maneuverings of Peter Florrick's campaign with the backroom politics underway at Lockhart, Gardner, and Bond.

There's an innate elegance to the parallel structure of the stories unfolding here, games of manipulations and shadows enacted to entrap and foil various adversaries. As Alan Cumming's Machiavellian Eli Gold attempts to turn the three-way race for state's attorney into a two-man battle, Diane (Christine Baranski) and Will (Josh Charles) find themselves attempting to outwit Derrick Bond (Michael Ealy) through some underhanded means of their own.

But this is The Good Wife, after all, which means that the action concerns itself with both the bedroom and the courtroom. The case this week focuses on Shen Yuan (Lost's Ken Leung), a Chinese dissent who was tortured for five years in prison after his IP address was turned over to the Chinese government after he posted an anonymous blog about democracy coming to the Communist country. While no one sets foot into a courtroom this week (the action revolves around a series of depositions), the tension over the case and the ethical questions it raises give this week's episode a visceral punch. Should American companies operating oversees have to follow the letter of the law abroad? Is there a moral dimension to the cost of doing business?

In this case, it's the social networking site that's being sued after they turned over Shen's IP address to the Chinese authorities. Did they have a legal obligation to do so? Were there unforeseen consequences to their actions that they couldn't anticipate? That's the defense undertaken by the global site's counsel, Viola Walsh (Rita Wilson, reprising her role here), who returns to Chicago and is sitting on the other side of the table from her one-time friend Diane. Viola argues just that, bringing in a slew of experts and witnesses in an effort to derail Shen's case.

In addition to Leung and Wilson, the episode is overflowing with strong guest stars. Look for The Big C's John Benjamin Dickey to turn up as Neil Gross, the hoodie-wearing head of the social networking site who is raked over the coals by Will and Co. during the deposition. While I don't want to give too much away about the case (or the episode as a whole), I will say that there's an additional dimension to the case, one with ramifications for companies doing business overseas as well as personal ones for the firm itself. Opening the door to the light in China comes with a price, it seems.

Elsewhere, a tip from Zach (Graham Phillips) and Becca (Dreama Walker) might just help Eli eliminate one of the players from the state's attorney race, after the recent revelation that Wendy Scott-Carr (Anika Noni Rose) employed an illegal alien for five years. While Eli grappled with whether or not to out the illegal nanny (America Ferrera), he ultimately pulled the trigger after getting to know her on a personal level. (SPOILER: I'm told she'll return later this season in two episodes.)

We've seen all three players here engage in some dirty politicking as they hope to nab the position. Fingers of blame are pointed, wriggling attempted, and ultimately the conniving and manipulation, the games of politics, pay out in dividends. But, just as in China, there's a price to pay for such business. Politics and big business are both morally corrupt institutions and the hypocrisy of both worlds is all too clear here. Look for Julianna Margulies' Alicia to see first hand just what price is and how it changes the way she looks at someone at the firm. What is interesting is the way in which Zach and Becca jump into the race, all but giving Eli a smoking gun to use against Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver).

That smoking gun metaphor applies to the battle for the future of the firm as well, especially with the eleventh hour plotting by Diane, Will, Julius (Michael Boatman), and David Lee (Zach Grenier) against Bond, as they attempt to gain the upper-hand over the named partner by any means necessary. I'm erring on the side of caution here so as not to spoil, but there are some great scenes between Diane and "altacocker" Howard Lynn (Jerry Adler) and use of Roger Stern's "Gang of Three." I will say, however, that by the end of the episode, the ultimate fate of the firm will be revealed...

Those wondering why there's been little mention of Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi), rest assured that our favorite investigator is being used here to good effect. A change of address card brings some unexpected consequences for Kalinda, who appears to be opening up. Look for a sweet and hysterical scene between Kalinda and Alicia (hint: it jokingly involves "Eat Pray Love") and an intriguing one between Kalinda and Matt Czuchry's Cary Agos. Could it be that the little card Kalinda sent out is her way of opening up to some people? Or is she attempting something else altogether? An attempt to protect herself? And how does this play into the repeated calls she was receiving last week, potentially from that mysterious husband of hers? Hmmm...

Ultimately, "Great Firewall" is one of those episodes of The Good Wife that lingers with you long after the closing credits have run, an installment that fuses together the breakneck pacing of an episodic legal plot with payoffs in the overarching story. There will be numerous consequences yet to unfold as a result of this pivotal and gripping episode. It's not to be missed.

The Good Wife airs tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on CBS.

Casting Couch: Kiefer Sutherland Grabs Touch, Minnie Driver Lands Hail Mary, Jason Isaacs Gets REM

A trio of leading actors are heading back to television this pilot season.

Former 24 star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast in FOX drama pilot Touch, from creator/executive producer Tim Kring (Heroes) and 20th Century Fox Television. The project revolves around Sutherland's character, a father "who discovers that his autistic, mute son can predict events before they happen," according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva.

Production is slated to begin in late May or early June, due to Sutherland's Broadway commitments. (He's currently on stage in a revival of That Championship Season.) Touch will be directed by Charles McDougall, who has become quite the go-to pilot director in recent years, having directed pilots for such series as The Good Wife, The Chicago Code, Desperate Housewives, The Tudors, and many others.

Elsewhere, Minnie Driver (The Riches is also heading back to television, this time to star in CBS drama pilot Hail Mary, where she will play "a suburban single mom who teams up with a street-smart hustler to solve crimes," in the Warner Bros Television-produced pilot, from showrunner Ilene Chaiken (The L Word)

And Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood), who starred in last year's FOX pilot Pleading Guilty, has landed the lead in NBC drama pilot REM from Lone Star creator Kyle Killen. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television, is described as "an Inception-style thriller centered on a cop (Isaacs) who wakes up after an accident to find he is living in two different realities," per Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Isaacs will also serve as a producer on the project, which will be overseen by 24's Howard Gordon.

Bat Girl: Kalinda Takes a Swing, Alicia Strikes Out on The Good Wife

Batter up...

I knew that last night's episode of The Good Wife ("Net Worth"), written by creators Robert and Michelle King, would have a doozy of a twist embedded in its episodic plot, because the episode was being kept under firm wraps by the folks at CBS... and even Archie Panjabi was coy about what was going to happen when I interviewed her a few weeks ago. (For that interview and more information about what's coming up between her and Blake, you can click here.)

But I also didn't quite expect the breathless hotel room showdown between Panjabi's Kalinda and Scott Porter's Blake that followed so closely on the heels of an encounter between Kalinda and Jill Flint's steely FBI agent Lana, an extended sequence that had both Blake and Lana seemingly aiming for Kalinda's, er, heart.

Despite Lana's job offer to Kalinda, she seemed more interested in her body in those moments than in her mind and the aura of conquest hovered over the entire sequence. But while these two danced around the question of sexual union, Kalinda seemed to relish seducing Blake, regaining the upper hand in their twisted relationship in order to strike home a fairly brutal blow. Yet it was Blake who managed to wipe the satisfaction right off of Kal's face in the end...

So what do we know about Kalinda Sharma thus far and how have these preconceptions been changed by this week's episode? Let's discuss:

* Her real name is Leela, rather than Kalinda.
* She may be a Canadian national who is living under an assumed identity.
* She may have faked her death in a house fire in order to escape... something.
* She's married! (This one came as quite a surprise to me.)
* Her husband is still alive and Blake claims to have been in contact with him, so he didn't die in the alleged house fire.

All of these elements come together to paint a rather different picture of Kalinda/Leela than the tough-as-nails badass that Kalinda presents herself as. There's a sense that Kal has been running from something, something dangerous and potentially life-threatening, and that she had faked her own death in order to escape. The obvious answer would be that mystery husband that Blake dangles over her like a Sword of Damocles in the final minutes of their scene together.

It seemingly comes as a surprise to Kalinda as well, whose entire modus operandi in the scene seems to be to string Blake along, get a hold of that baseball bat (now evidence in the beating of that trial witness and an object that the state's attorney's office wants to their hands on), and then deliver a coup de grace that leaves him struggling to breathe on the floor. Unexpected? Brutal? Cunning? All of the above.

But Kalinda is blindsided by the news that "fixer" Blake has been speaking to her husband (or, at least, he claims to be), leaving the victor of this particular round up in the air. Kalinda may have been able to wrap Blake around her little finger, getting him to strip down to next to nothing in an electrifying encounter, and then slugging him with her bat. But I can't help but wonder whether Blake truly wins no matter what Kalinda does, that the demons that she's been trying to outrun have finally and truly caught up with her.



I also loved the reveal that Blake's connection to Will dates back to his days in Baltimore as well and some illegal work that Blake did on Will's behalf. Just what this work was and whether it was professional or personal remains to be seen. Also of note: how Cary (Matt Czuchry) attempts to both protect Kalinda and distance himself from her, though his investigation into Blake and the search warrant he obtains links Blake to Bishop at MS 13... but it also proves to Blake that Kalinda has hacked his computer system and is attempting to set him up. (Consensus is still out whether Cary helped or hindered his new BFF this week.)

Fantastic skewering of Aaron Sorkin (and his TWoP debacle and struggles with drug abuse) and The Social Network in this week's case, which found the subject of a Social Network-esque film, Patric Edelstein suing the movie studio that released the film, claiming that it defamed him. Along the way, we got Rita Wilson as the insanely jealous Viola, F. Murray Abraham as Burl Preston, and a plot that, once it veered too closely into Social Network territory, even pulled out a mention of said film to ground the plotline further still. Questions of right of publicity, defamation of character, and emotional truth marked this intriguing and realistic depiction of the battle between art and commerce. (Well played, Gardner & Lockhart.)

Elsewhere, I loved the scenes between Julianna Margulies' Alicia and Dallas Roberts' Owen; they crackle with the authenticity of siblings and it was fantastic to see these two out of their elements (Alicia searching desperately for wifi, their hotel room banter, Owen smoking "medical marijuana" in the bathroom) as they spent some quality time together. I'm happy that the Kings have chosen to keep Owen in the picture, moving him from Portland to Chicago, where hopefully he'll be more of a (bad) influence in Alicia's life.

Still, I was happy to see that he was willing to ask her what she wanted and their "it's Alicia time!" conversation was insightful and adorable ("sultry-eyed Will") in equal measure. While Owen's line about needing a minute of Will's time was said half in jest, there was an emotional truth to it and to Alicia's need to clear the air and find out just what Will had said on that second voicemail message, to attempt to get the facts and make an informed decision about her future, even as she's finally allowed Peter (Chris Noth) back into the marital bed.

So why doesn't Will (Josh Charles) come clean? Is it that he's moved on and doesn't want the complication of getting involved romantically with Alicia? Are things already just too chaotic at work with Bond? Does he not want to be responsible for jeopardizing Alicia's marriage? Or is he testing her? Seeing whether she'll come after him even if he claims to have taken the moral high road on that voicemail, telling her that she should stay with Peter.

Or is it as simple as Will not wanting to be responsible for a "plan," for something that's not as easy as a casual relationship, to take that plunge and try to be with Alicia? Despite all the talk of everything being fine between them, I can't shake the feeling that the chasm between Will and Alicia has widened even more considerably.

What did you think of this week's episode? Will Will and Alicia ever get their ducks in order and take the plunge together? When will Alicia realize that it was Eli who made the decision for her and deleted Will's voicemail? And just how will things end between Kalinda and Blake? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Next week on The Good Wife ("Last Shot"), Diane represents ballistics expert Kurt McVeigh in a lawsuit; Eli takes an interest in Wendy Scott-Carr s illegal nanny.

The Daily Beast: "The Good Wife's Scene-Stealer" (Archie Panjabi)

Archie Panjabi plays The Good Wife’s law firm snoop, Kalinda, and viewers are obsessed. “I don’t think there’s ever been a no-nonsense, bisexual investigator of Indian origin,” she says.

When Archie Panjabi won the Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actress last year, many said, “WHO?” But to the millions who watch The Good Wife, and are obsessed with Panjabi’s mysterious, ass-kicking investigator character on the CBS legal drama, she was the Academy’s logical choice.

Over at The Daily Beast, I sit down with Archie Panjabi (in a private cabana at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, no less) to discuss playing the hard-edged Kalinda Sharma, the character's bisexuality, tonight's pivotal episode of The Good Wife, and why Panjabi will forever be a "breakout" star in my latest feature, entitled "The Good Wife's Scene-Stealer."

I'm curious though: why do you think viewers are so entranced by Panjabi's Kalinda?

I discussed this issue with Panjabi, but I'd love to hear your take on the character and the audience's engagement with Kalinda. Head to the comments section to discuss.

The Good Wife airs tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on CBS.

The Good Wife: What is the Deal With Kalinda?

I've been fairly obsessed with CBS' The Good Wife this season as the series continues to effortlessly fuse together taut legal drama, compelling family conflict, and a smart serialized storyline that has tackled everything from infidelity to personal desire, politics to underage sex.

But the thing that's keeping me awake at night is the mystery surrounding Archie Panjabi's Kalinda Sharma, the kick-ass investigator employed by Lockhart-Gardner-Bond who might not be what she appears. Throughout the season, the formidable Kalinda been thrown off her balance by the inquiries made by her rival at the law firm, Scott Porter's devious Blake, who seems hell-bent on revealing the truth about her past.

And now State's Attorney's office--under the orders of Glenn Childs himself--is conducting their own investigation into Kalinda, something that rubs Cary the wrong way. (I loved the scene between Matt Czruchy's Cary and Blake in the prison parking lot. Was it just posturing or is Blake as dangerous as he seems?) With the walls closing in around Kalinda, the hunter, it seems has become the hunted.

Last night's fantastic episode ("Silly Season") sought to shed some more light onto Kalinda's possible past, lifting the veil of mystery as Blake contended that Kalinda was actually a Canadian national named Leela who had faked her death in a fire. Kalinda, with her indeterminable poker face, didn't crack under Blake's scrutiny, not revealing whether he's got her or is simply barking up the wrong tree.

Which brings us to the here and now and the question contained within this post's headline. What do you think is really going on with Kalinda? And what dark secret from her past is she concealing? Is Blake right in his determination? Head to the comments section to discuss and debate, though no spoilers please. Let's keep it limited to conjecture and analysis, shall we?

Next week on The Good Wife ("Real Deal"), as Alicia prepares to face Louis Canning (returning guest star Michael J. Fox) in a class-action lawsuit, the firm discovers that it has a mole in its midst.

The Daily Beast: "Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men, and the Hollywood Machine"

Yes, Charlie Sheen, the troubled star of CBS’ Two and a Half Men, has finally entered rehab, amid a production shutdown on his CBS sitcom, produced by Warner Bros. Television.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, entitled, "Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men, and the Hollywood Machine," in which I talk to television industry insiders--from writer/producers to household name showrunners--about why the hell it took so long for Sheen to go into rehab.

And I look at the self-perpetuating system that enables stars like Sheen to indulge in such bad behavior as showrunners and producers--speaking on condition of anonymity--discuss their own culpability in the issue.

Year in TV: The 10 Best (and 5 Worst) TV Shows of 2010

It's that time of year when we bid farewell to the last twelve months and start looking toward the future, but it's also a chance to reflect, to catalogue, and to reminisce as well.

My selections for the Ten Best (and, cough, five worst) TV shows of 2010 have now gone live over at The Daily Beast.

The series selected represent the very best that television had to offer the past twelve months and include such shows as Mad Men, Community, Terriers, Parks and Recreation, The Good Wife, Fringe, Justified, Boardwalk Empire, Friday Night Lights, and Modern Family.

It wasn't easy to whittle down the competition to just ten shows as, despite the overall drain in creativity this calendar year, there were quite a lot of fantastic series. (In fact, one of the very best of the year didn't even air on American television at all: Season Three of BBC One's Ashes to Ashes--including its breathtaking and gut-wrenching series finale--would have made this list if it had been open to overseas programming that hadn't aired within the US during 2010. Additionally, Downton Abbey would have made the list but it's set to air in January on PBS, so will be held until the 2011 list.)

As for other runners-up, that category would include (but wouldn't be limited to) such series as Damages, Party Down, Nurse Jackie, Sherlock, Bored to Death, Better Off Ted, Doctor Who, True Blood, Treme, Big Love, Archer, The Choir, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The IT Crowd, The Life and Times of Tim, Luther, and 30 Rock (for the current season, at least).

But now that the list is (finally) live, I'm curious to hear what you had to say:

What's your take on the best of 2010? Do you agree with my picks for the best of the year and the worst? Head to the comments section to discuss, debate, and analyze, as well as share your own best-of list for 2010.

Penalty Time: An Anger-Filled Amazing Race Watch

Must. Restrain. Myself.

I was going to write a post about last night's episode of The Amazing Race ("I Hate Chinese Food") but I'm actually still too angry at contestant Nick to think clearly... and at the producers for keeping this buffoon around another week.

Quick recap: after shouting at his asthmatic girlfriend Vicki all season, making her do just about every challenge, and managing to avoid elimination several times thanks to Vicki, Nick decides that he's going to take a nap rather than help Vicki look for a boat registration number in the dark, even though he spent several hours sitting in a chair while Vicki gorged on Chinese food and puked her guts out.

Nice boyfriend.

Nick had given up and wanted to walk off the race when they opted to take the six-hour penalty for not completing a Detour and simply walked onto the mat. It had to be over for them, right? They were so far behind the first place team--Nat and Kat--and had that penalty on top of it.

But, surprise of surprises, it was a non-elimination leg, the second time that this team has been spared this season, leaving them still in the running to land in the final three, and thus have a 33 percent chance of winning a million dollars.

Kids, the lesson is: even if quit and don't want to play by the rules, and act like a total tool all the time, you too can still make a killing! (Personally, I wish that they would have dropped out of the race, only to learn after making their withdrawal official that it was a non-elimination leg.)

I do feel bad for Vicki. She might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she's been horribly mistreated by Nick this entire time. Nick, who has no sympathy for her asthma or the fact that she's the one keeping their team racing week after week. Nick, who says that Vicki taught him that other people's feelings matter... because being mean doesn't get YOU anywhere.

TAR has had some selfish, awful contestants in the past but I haven't felt this level of anger towards a race participant in quite some time. Nick, you really do take the cake for being just so woefully awful. And, Vicki, word of advice for you: run as far away from this loser as you can.

I'm curious to know what you think: am I being too hard on Nick? Or are you as turned off by this clown as I am? Head to the comments to discuss.

Next week on The Amazing Race ("I'm Surrounded by Ninjas"), the teams head to Seoul, where one team will be eliminated while the others compete for a final chance at the million dollar final prize.

The Daily Beast: "The Naughty Side of The Good Wife"

Yes, I'm in love with The Good Wife.

Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, entitled "The Naughty Side of The Good Wife," in which I speak to creators Robert and Michelle King and series lead Julianna Margulies about topical plots (masseuse scandal!), wonky cameos (Lou Dobbs!), and adult sexuality (oral sex on CBS!), all of which add up to The Good Wife being one of the best--and most consistently challenging--shows on TV.

But that's not all. In addition to the in-depth interview/thinkpiece on the show, I also got the Kings and Margulies to offer character-specific teases (read: minor spoilers) about what's coming up for Alicia, Peter, Will, Kalinda, Cary, Blake, and more in the second season. (You can read their take here in the gallery.)

What's your take on the show? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Shattered Glass: What is Going on with The Good Wife's Kalinda?

Just what is going on with Kalinda (Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi) on The Good Wife?

The tensions between Kalinda and the firm's new investigator, Blake (Scott Porter), came to a head on last night's episode ("Cleaning House"), amid a storm of shattered glass, taut sexual tension, and lipstick marks on the rearview mirror as Blake threatened to reveal the truth about Kalinda's past. His inquiries have gotten a little too uncomfortably close for Kalinda's liking, so she took a bat to Blake's car and then waited around for him to show up so she could, uh, toy with him further.

While Blake is playing his cards close to the vest when it comes to revealing all that he knows about Leela--I mean, Kalinda--I'm curious to know what you think Kalinda is covering up. Let the theorizing begin. (No spoilers please!)

Head to the comments section to share your theories on what skeletons are in lurking in Kalinda's closet, beside her kick-ass wardrobe...

Next week on The Good Wife ("VIP Treatment"), Will and the partners must decide whether to take on the case of a VIP massage therapist who accuses a Nobel Peace Prize winner of sexual assault; Peter and Eli try to figure out what Wendy's candidacy means for their campaign.

Channel Surfing: Ron Moore Gets Wild, Criminal Minds Shakeup, Punk'd Returns with Justin Bieber, Big Love, Dirk Gently, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Hold on to your (ten-gallon) hats: Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Battlestar Galactica's Ronald D. Moore is said to be developing a remake of The Wild, Wild West, which ran for four seasons in the mid-1960s and starred Robert Conrad and Ross Martin. Project is still in the very early stages, which means not only is there no network attached but Moore has yet to take the project out to networks. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Chris Mundy has left CBS' midseason Criminal Minds spinoff, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and will be replaced by Ed Bernero, who will now oversee both the flagship and spinoff series as showrunner, though he'll lean a little more heavily on Simon Mirren and Erica Messer, who will gain some oversight on Criminal Minds. Mundy's departure from the series was said to be due to the studio deciding that "the spin-off needed more direction from Bernero, who helped turn Criminal Minds into a solid hit for CBS," according to Variety's Michael Schneider. (Variety)

Vulture's Josef Adalian is reporting that MTV is resurrected hidden camera prank show Punk'd, but is close to signing a deal to replace Ashton Kutcher with baby-faced pop idol Justin Bieber as the host. (Kutcher will remain the series' executive producer.) "If Kutcher's past history with Punk'd is any indication, Bieber will likely appear in a few early episodes as a participant in the pranks, then gradually revert to mostly introducing segments," writes Adalian. (Vulture)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Robert Patrick (Terminator) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on HBO's Big Love, which returns for its fifth season early next year. Patrick is set to play Bud Mayberry, described as "the leader of polygamist fringe group." The casting of Robert Patrick comes after producers have also secured the services of ex-24 co-star Gregory Itzin, who will play the Republican Leader of the Utah State Senate. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Stephen Mangan (Green Wing) has been cast as the title character in BBC Four's adaptation of Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency," where he will star opposite Darren Boyd, Helen Baxendale, and Howard Overman. Here's how Auntie is positioning the series: "Anti-hero Dirk Gently operates his eponymous detective agency based on the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. Perpetually broke, hopelessly chaotic and utterly infuriating, most people suspect Dirk is nothing more than a cheap conman. And they might be right – but nevertheless his methods, though unusual, do often produce surprising results. When Dirk sets out to solve an apparently simple and harmless disappearance of a cat from an old lady's house, he unwittingly uncovers a double murder which, in turn, leads to a host of even more extraordinary events." Project is expected to air either at the end of the year or in early 2011. (BBC)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Drea de Matteo has been cast in a potentially recurring role on FOX's Running Wilde, where she will play Didi, the step-mother of Will Arnett's Steve Wilde. "Didi comes to the Wilde estate on behalf of Steve’s never-before-seen dad to rein in his monetary expenditures—on the same day Steve decides to fund Emmy’s (Keri Russell) nonprofit organization," writes Ausiello, who notes that de Matteo's episode is slated to air next month. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Was anyone still clamoring for a television version of Hitch? Well, you're getting one. FOX has given a script commitment plus penalty to an one-hour version of Will Smith's date doctor that will be written by Pete Chiarelli and executive producers Smith and James Lassiter. (Deadline)

Morgan Fairchild is set to make a return to NBC's Chuck, where she will reprise her role as Honey Woodcomb, the mother of Ryan McPartlin's Devon, as Ellie's pregnancy develops. "Mom does come back," McPartlin said on a press call. "It's funny, because Mom and Ellie have to learn how to deal with their new roles that each one is going to play as a mother and a grandmother. So that creates a bit of fun drama." Fairchild will make an appearance in the October 25th episode of Chuck, which also features Robert Englund and Linda Hamilton. (Zap2It)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Scott Cohen (Gilmore Girls) has been cast opposite Callie Thorne in USA's drama pilot Necessary Roughness, where he will play "a 'fixer' for a football franchise who works closely with Danielle" (Thorne). Elswhere, Sara Rue (Less Than Perfect) has joined the cast of CBS' Rules of Engagement as surrogate Brenda, while Joan Collins (yes, THAT Joan Collins) will appear in a November sweeps episode as the mother of David Spade's character. (Deadline)

Aquaman (Alan Ritchson) will make his return to the CW's Smallville later this season, and he's bringing a wife in the form of Mera, played by Elena Satine (Melrose Place), according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. The duo are set to turn up in the final season's ninth episode, which is directed by series lead Tom Welling. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

No Tough Trade for Epix, after all. The pay cabler has pulled the plug on its Nashville-set drama project, Tough Trade, the high-profile Lionsgate TV pilot that starred Sam Shepard, Trace Adkins, Cary Elwes, Lucas Black, and Joey Lauren Adams. "It was a combination of running out of time and dealing with distractions, and at some point we had to make a decision whether it works or it doesn't," said Epix CEO Mark Greenberg. "At the end of day, it just didn’t work." Project, from executive producers Jenji Kohan, Sean and Bryan Furst, and director Gavin Hood, may be retooled as a mini-series, while Epix maintains that it is not getting out of the original series game. (Deadline)

Krista Allen (What About Brian) is seto to guest star on an upcoming episode of the CW's Life Unexpected, where she will play "a sizzling-hot multimillionaire named—wait for it—Candy who is being courted by Emma as a client," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, and who will fall for Baze. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

In other Life Unexpected news, Kris Polaha has taken to E! Online's Watch with Kristin to interview with the series' Austin Basis (Math). (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that HBO is developing a single-camera comedy pilot based on Clint McCown's novel "The Member-Guest," that will be written by Steve Pink and executive produced by Kevin Bacon, who could also star in the project. Project revolves around "a burned-out golf pro of a 9-hole course who just wants one more shot at the tour" but whose "comeback is constantly sidelined as he deals with the needs of the members of the Middle-American country club who are grappling with dashed dreams of their own." (Deadline)

ABC has given a script order (plus penalty) to Awkward Family Photos, a comedy from Moses Port and David Guarascio based on the website of the same name. Elsewhere, NBC ordered family comedy script Man of the House from writer Adam Sztykiel and FOX ordered a script for cop drama Chameleon from Tom Fontana. (Variety, Deadline)

Hmmm, is FOX playing favorites with its freshman comedies? FOX is airing two back-to-back episodes of comedy Raising Hope on October 26th, that will air immediately following Glee's massively hyped Rocky Horror Picture Show homage episode. (Futon Critic)

E! has ordered ten episodes of Kourtney and Kim Take New York, which is slated to launch in January on the cabler. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Taxi Rides of Doom: Teams Head to Ghana on The Amazing Race

I'm actually kind of sad about the outcome of this week's episode of The Amazing Race ("A Kiss Saves the Day"), which took the teams from England to Ghana, where they had to hawk sunglasses in a crowded market, assemble television antenna hookups, and deliver unwieldy coffins through the streets.

All while attempting to stay alive during the series' most dangerous taxi rides ever.

I have to say that this season of The Amazing Race is definitely clicking with me for a number of reasons. There's a fast-paced quality to the challenges and the episodes themselves (to the point where last night's installment only seemed about a half-hour long) and the casting this season is top-notch. I'm waiting to see if a villain emerges from among the remaining teams, who so far have all played nicely with each other.

Personally, I'm rooting for Brook and Claire (particularly after the latter took a watermelon to the face and kept on running), Ivy Leaguers/a cappella singers Connor and Jonathan, and doctors Kat and Nat (who came from nearly last place to the middle of the pack, thanks to a mentally unstable taxi driver). I also like father/son team Michael and Kevin and think that the tattooed Nick and Vicki might just be the dumbest team on the race yet, which makes for some amusement, after all.

I loved seeing Brook plying her trade in the market and quickly selling a bunch of sunglasses to put their team in an early lead. While these two might drive me crazy if I had to spend too much time with them in real life, I'm loving them on the show this season. They're passionate, dynamic, and full of energy and I'm hoping they stick around for quite some time to come.

But I am a little depressed that we won't get to see the fascinating relationship between Andie and Jenna play out. One of the most intriguing teams to date, their dynamic--birth mother and daughter given up for adoption--was extremely interesting to watch unfold, as it represented a real change for The Amazing Race.

Related by blood, they were strangers to one another but were finding commonalities as they raced together. Little things--like having frizzy hair and having to straighten it--took on huge significance as they connected for the first time and found similarities, things that bonded them on a genetic level, even as their emotional bond deepened over the course of the first two legs.

While they ended up dead last in this week's installment (and they were focusing on them quite a lot with the editing), I was hoping that Andie and Jenna would stick around and we'd be able to see their relationship blossom into something, as each was given this rare opportunity to spend time with the other.

Alas, it was not to be, particularly as they were just so far behind the other teams and thanks to some daredevil taxi drivers, the other teams just ahead of them made up significant time when their cabbies invented a third lane of traffic. (Eeek.)

Out of curiosity: which teams are you rooting for? And which are you ready to see the back of? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Next week on The Amazing Race ("In Phil We Trust"), the race continues in Ghana, where some teams are stumped by a deceptively simple quiz.

The Daily Beast: "Lone Star and 10 Other Quickly-Canceled TV Shows"

While the cancellation of FOX's con man drama Lone Star took no one watching the ratings by surprise, some pointed towards the fact that FOX didn't let the show find an audience, axing it after just two low-rated airings.

While such early cancellations might be rare, it doesn't mean that they don't happen. Over at The Daily Beast, I take a look at ten other early cancellations from the last ten years, from Viva Laughlin to reality duds like The Will. (Remember that gem?) You can read my latest feature "10 Most Quickly Axed Shows of the Last 10 Years" here.

(And, before you say it, I know that Wonderland and Girls Club were also canned after two episodes. Couldn't fit everything in there, sadly!)

Also, out of morbid curiosity: do any of the entries on this list ring a bell to you?

Crossroads: An Advance Review of Season Two of The Good Wife

Over the course of its first season, CBS' legal drama The Good Wife transformed itself from a legal procedural into a strong ensemble drama. Which isn't to say that it jettisoned the cases of the week, because, in the hands of skilled creators Robert and Michelle King, it managed to both deepen the characters without sacrificing the courtroom hook, pulling off the rare legal-focused series that actually manages to make us care about the the accused, the defense counsel, and the kids at home.

Inspired by the slew of sexually-charged political scandals, The Good Wife's first season also held up a mirror to our own society, giving us a female lead in Julianna Margulies' Alicia Florick who was determined, harried, and often second-guessing her own decision to stand by her man. In the process, the series posed questions about the choices we make, the value of honesty and fidelity (both in the bedroom and in the state's attorney's office), the plight of the working woman attempting to raise her kids and provide for them with her husband out of the picture.

Of course, Alicia's scandalized husband Peter (Chris Noth) wasn't entirely out of the picture, as the action tracked both the conspiracy that ensnared this crusading state's attorney, his own admitted shortcomings and failures, and his efforts to be released from prison and head back on a campaign to win back both the wife and state that he had lost.

But Alicia is also no meek politician's wife. As proven in the first season, she's a legal dynamo who gives her all to win her clients' cases, even when she doesn't necessarily believe in their innocence. And while we can question her decision to remain with her philandering husband, Alicia has been up-front about putting her children's needs and wants ahead of her own, even as she continues to fall for her boss, Will (Josh Charles), a former law school buddy with whom she missed her chance years earlier.

She might be the good wife of the title but Alicia Florick is also her own woman.

I sped through the first season of The Good Wife on DVD this summer and was immediately struck by how accomplished and self-assured the series was once it allowed its characters to breathe, allowing for a narrative that placed weight not solely on Margulies but on its gifted ensemble: Emmy Award-winner Archie Panjabi's cynical investigator Kalinda (who, it needs to be said, kicks ass), Christine Baranski's liberal partner Diane Lockhart, Matt Czruchy's ambitious climber Cary Agos, Mary Beth Peil's overbearing Jackie Florrick, and Cumming's fantastic Eli Gold.

The focus has also swung at times to sit upon Alicia and Peter's children--Graham Phillip's Zach Florrick and Makenzie Vega's Grace--who continue to grapple with the fallout from their father's bad decisions and sexual appetites as much as they do with the work-related absences of their mother. Wisely, the series explores the insidious nature of scandal, how the consequences infect not just the perpetrator but those around him.

As Zach and Grace attempt to protect their mother from a series of mysterious packages, they are drawn ever closer to the epicenter of the conspiracy, even as they deal with "normal" teenage angst: unprotected sex, privacy issues, strife with parents and grandmother alike. When Peter does return home--and does break his home arrest in order to chase after Alicia--it's their quick thinking that keeps him at home. It's the rare series that explores the bonds of love and forgiveness in such a nuanced fashion.

The second season of The Good Wife, which launches tonight with "Taking Control," picks up in the seconds following Season One's cliffhanger: would Alicia step out on stage to support her husband or would she pick up the phone and open herself up to the possibility of an extra-marital relationship with Will? Would she put her own desire before that of her husband's political career? And would Peter's image consultant Eli Gold (Alan Cumming, here deliciously slimy) allow her to jeopardize their campaign? Hmmm...

The first two episodes ("Taking Control" and "Double Jeopardy"), provided to press for review, retain the strengths of the first season while also throwing several spanners into the works for the team at Lockhart & Gardner. While Alicia may have won the competition and earned a spot at the firm, it came at a heavy price: she had to trade upon her connections and name in order to lure Eli Gold (and likely several of his clients) to the firm in order to keep her place. Cary, meanwhile, lost his job and has gone to work at the state's attorney's office for Glenn Childs (Titus Welliver), setting up yet another turn of the screw for the insatiable war between the SA's office and the Florricks, one that's even more personal as Cary knows Alicia's tactics only too well.

But at the firm, there's even more drama following the arrival of the new third partner that Will and Diane have been so keen to bring on board. While the two of them claim that they want a ref, what they really want is someone they can side against together. They'll find they have an uphill battle with Derek Bond (FlashForward's Michael Ealy), who clearly has an agenda of his own. While Will and Diane settled on Derek together due to a lack of prior connection, a question is raised at the end of the second episode that makes us question whether or not that's really the case.

And Bond's arrival also jeopardizes the role that Panjabi's fantastic Kalinda plays within the law firm as Bond has his own carefully cultivated investigator in Blake (Friday Night Lights' Scott Porter), who proves just as surprising and mercurial as Kalinda herself. He's just as fast, just as resourceful, and just as cunning and Kalinda but Blake also has an ace up his sleeve. One season in and we're still in the dark about Kalinda's past and even, quite possibly, her true sexual orientation. The Kings and Panjabi have done an incredible job making Kalinda sympathetic and intriguing even as they leave her backstory in the shadows.

Which leads us to an interesting twist: Blake knows something about Kalinda that she's rather he didn't, something that she's worked hard to conceal. While the truth about Blake's knowledge isn't revealed in the first two episodes (far too early for that), it's indicated that Kalinda might not be who she says she is. And that Kalinda might not even be her real name...

And then there's Zach's troublesome ex-girlfriend Becca (Dreama Walker) causing trouble again for everyone. Just how much does Becca know? And did Eli's threats to her last season sink in? Look for things to get explosive among the younger generation enmeshed in this political battle, even as a familiar face from Peter's past returns to shake up the foundations of his campaign. Things are going to get nasty.

All of which adds up to a winning start for The Good Wife's second season. While there is already more than enough drama going on, the writers also concoct two provocative cases, one clearly inspired by the real-life WikiLeaks news story. Two murders, two very different clients, and two very different courtroom engagements, the second of which takes Alicia and Will to military court, and, um, Lou Dobbs. There's a delicate balancing act to these early episodes in the season run and the Kings and their talented writing staff manage to deftly pull it off.

You'll want to stay up late for this fantastic and engaging series.

Season Two of The Good Wife begins tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on CBS.

Storming the Battlements: Quick Thoughts on Season Seventeen of The Amazing Race

By now, we've all seen the watermelon-to-the-face viral video making the rounds the last few weeks, but the season opener of CBS' The Amazing Race is far more than just than cringe-inducing moment of pain.

In fact, the opener to the seventeenth (!!!) season of The Amazing Race ("They Don't Call It the Amazing Race for Nothin'!") might just go down as one of the series' all-time bests, sending the contestants across the pond to England, where they're forced to contend with scaling the walls of a castle, learning the definition of "battlements," discovering what Stonehenge is, and performing a rather difficult balancing act. That is, when they're not getting hopelessly lost driving on the left side of the road, as happens to more than just one hopeful team.

As with all great seasons, the success or failure of an individual reality competition cycle rests pretty squarely on the casting and I have to say that they've more than come through with the cast of this cycle of TAR. Ivy League a cappela singers, home shopping network mavens, beach volleyball partners, doctors, a biological mother and the daughter she gave up for adoption, plus the usual assortment of best friends, romantic couples, and family members.

Plus, what might just be the dumbest team ever to race for a million dollars. I'll let you discover just which team this might be as they deliver some absolutely hysterical corkers in this first episode alone. And a new twist that's mentioned at the start that could have some real consequences on the race ahead, as well as a major advantage for whichever team manages to snag this first-time game-changer.

But, ultimately, it's another season of fun challenges, tense team members, beautiful sights and sounds, and a heart-pumping race to the finish line. Not to mention a swiftly raised eyebrow from host Phil Keoghan.

Season Seventeen of The Amazing Race launches Sunday with a 90-minute episode at 8:30 pm ET/PT on CBS.

Channel Surfing: Emerson/O'Quinn Pilot Targets NBC, Teri Hatcher to Smallville, Goodfellas TV Project, The Good Wife, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

It's official: that Michael Emerson/Terry O'Quinn hit man drama pilot from executive producer J.J. Abrams and writers Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (Alias, Happy Town) is heading to NBC after the Peacock landed the rights to the pilot from studio Warner Bros. Television. The untitled project--which had a working title of Odd Jobs--stars former Lost adversaries Emerson and O'Quinn. Which means that your Dharma-branded fantasies of seeing John Locke and Benjamin Linus on television again might not be coming true exactly, but you may get to see these two in action side-by-side again. (Vulture)

[Editor: Meanwhile, Deadline's Nellie Andreeva has some further details about Abrams' and Elizabeth Sarnoff's Alcatraz, which landed at FOX earlier this week with a pilot order. According to unnamed sources, the project is described as "a show about mysteries, secrets and the most infamous prison of all time: Alcatraz."]

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher will fly over to the CW's Smallville (which kicks off its tenth and final season tomorrow night), where she will guest star in an upcoming episode as--wait for it--the mother of Erica Durance's Lois Lane. Hatcher, who played Lois on ABC's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman for four seasons way back when, will appear as Ella in the season's eighth episode. But don't necessarily think that she'll appear on-screen opposite Durance, given that Lois' mother is believed to be dead at this point. "In episode 8, titled 'Abandoned,' Lois discovers old videotapes of her mother," writes Ausiello. "I think you can figure the rest out for yourself. Am I right?" (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Deadline's Mike Fleming is reporting that several studios are in the running to land a television pilot project based on Martin Scorsese's 1990 feature film Goodfellas, which was written by Nicholas Pileggi. Pileggi is said to be on board to write the pilot and Warner Bros. Television is believed to be the top studio in the running to produce the project, given that the feature film arm released the original film. Fleming indicates that Irwin Winkler would likely be the executive producer on the project. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove will guest star on CBS' The Good Wife in a November episode where she will play Sloan, described as "a troubled pop star who is arrested on a DUI charge" and with whom "Alicia finds herself bonding with the misunderstood tabloid magnet." Cosgrove will appear in the November 16th episode. “We’re big iCarly fans, so we really couldn’t think of anyone better for this role than Miranda Cosgrove,” executive producer Robert King told Ausiello. “We were thrilled when she agreed to do it. It’ll be fun to see her handle both the comedy and drama in the role, and we can’t wait to see how she’ll play across from Julianna.” (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX is getting into business again with Fringe co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who were behind this season's Hawaii Five-0 resurrection and also landed a series commitment from the network for Locke & Key. FOX has given a pilot order to drama pilot Exit Strategy, from writer David Guggenheim, which is described by Deadline's Nellie Andreeva as "as a high octane procedural set in the world of CIA agents who are sent in to 'fix' operations gone bad." (Deadline)

FOX has also given a script order to drama The Detail, from writer/executive producer Jason Smilovic, executive producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and director Michael Dinner, from Sony Pictures Television. According to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, "it is described as Ocean’s Eleven meets Revenge of the Nerds" and "centers on a private detective, who, after being released from jail for a crime he didn’t commit, assembles a group of rejects, each with a unique talent, to form a detective agency and bring down his old business partner who framed him." (Deadline)

Elsewhere, ABC Studios signed a format deal with Mediaset for a US remake of a drama format entitled Anti-Mafia Squad, with Gina Matthews and Grant Scharbo attached as executive producers. Project is being regarded as a possible summer series for ABC, though no networks have been pitched on the idea yet. Cougar Town star Courteney Cox has been given a script order for 911 Operators, a drama pilot that she'll executive produce with husband David Arquette, which focuses on, well, 911 operators. (Variety)

Showtime has officially announced launch dates for Shameless, Episodes, and the return of Californication on Sunday, January 9th. The two new series were slated to begin the following day and air on Mondays. But Showtime has apparently changed its mind and scheduled all three series together in a single two-hour block on Sundays. Californication will kick off the night at 9 pm ET/PT, followed by Episodes, while the US adaptation of British drama Shameless will close out the night at 10 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

In other Showtime news, Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage) will guest star in three episodes of the pay cabler's upcoming period drama The Borgias, where she will play Sancia, a Neapolitan princess who marries the Pope's youngest son but has her eye on his brother. Series is set to launch in Spring 2011. (via press release)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich is reporting that Serina Swan (Smallville) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Supernatural, in which she will play "a news reporter chronicling an unsettling series of suicides." She's set to appear in the fourth episode fo the sixth season, which kicks off tomorrow night. (Fancast)

Wolfgang Petersen and Ron Shelton are said to be developing period racing drama Kings of Speed for pay cabler Starz, which is being viewed as a possible ten-hour limited series focusing on the international automobile racing circuit of the 1950s and 19960s, Enzo Ferrari, and "the underground car culture of Southern California." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Talk Back: What Did You Think of NBC's The Event, FOX's Lone Star, and CBS' Hawaii Five-0?

Ding ding.

That sound you hear was the official start of fall premiere week last night as the networks took the wraps off of their new lineups and brought the launches of several new shows to the public last night.

In the battle of the 9 pm dramas, NBC's tepid The Event overtook FOX's more original Lone Star in an outcome that should surprise no one.

While I wrote about both The Event and Lone Star yesterday (and have been talking about them since last May on Twitter), I'm curious to see what you thought of the new series that launched last night.

Which of the handful of new dramas and comedy Mike & Molly did you tune in for? What did you think of the plot, the characters, the dialogue, and the inherent promise of each?

And, most importantly, which of the series will you come back and watch again next week?

Talk back here.

The Daily Beast: "Fall TV Preview: Grey's Anatomy, Dexter, 30 Rock and More"

With so many new fall series premiering over the next two weeks, it's possible to forget that some of our favorites are heading back to the airwaves as well.

Can’t remember how Grey’s Anatomy or 30 Rock ended? Head over to the Daily Beast to read my latest feature, "Here Comes the TV Season!", in which I round-up 13 cliffhangers for returning shows—and offer previews of what’s to come. (It goes without saying: minor SPOILERS aheads.)

The series in question? Oh, the usual suspects, including Dexter, The Good Wife, Fringe, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Chuck, Private Practice, Brothers and Sisters, Friday Night Lights, Bones, Community, Castle, and 30 Rock, presented in order of premiere dates. (Which means Chuck is up first.) Plus, you can watch video previews for all 22 new network series, to boot.

Which returning series are you most excited about watching this fall? Head to the comments section to discuss.

The Daily Beast: "Nine Shows to Watch, Six Shows to Shun"

My fall TV preview--or at least part of it, anyway--is finally up.

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my latest feature, "Nine Shows to Watch, Six Shows to Shun," where I offer up nine new series to watch this fall and six shows to avoid like the plague.

Just which ended up on which list? Hint, The Event ended up on my worst-of list, while things like Boardwalk Empire, Terriers, Nikita, Sherlock, Luther, Undercovers and others ended up on my watch list. (While The Walking Dead is on there, I still--like every other critic--have not seen a full episode, so there's that to consider.)

But while this is my list, I'm also extremely curious to find out what you're looking forward to this autumn. What are you most excited about watching this fall? Head to the comments section to discuss, debate, and tear into my list.

Channel Surfing: The Future of Serialized Dramas, Dan Akroyd on Defenders, Outnumbered, Law & Order: SVU Lands Sagemiller, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Variety's Robert Abele has a very interesting feature on the future of serialized programming, following the conclusion of Lost and 24 (and the narrative burn-out of ABC's FlashForward and NBC's Heroes) last season. Abele talks to AOL Television's Maureen Ryan, NBC's Laura Lancaster, and The Event executive produce Evan Katz about viewer fatigue, commitment, and concerns. "Viewer trust is something you earn by delivering -- it's that simple," said Katz. "It's not easy to accomplish, but when it works, you have something big on your hands... This show is very Hitchcockian in that it's an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances, and you experience the twists emotionally with him," said Katz. "We don't have 660 beats laid out," Katz says, "but you need to know where the characters are going, and those benchmarks are in place. The line is, mystery is good, confusion is bad." (Variety)

Could Dan Akroyd be dropping by CBS' upcoming legal drama The Defenders? It certainly looks that way, as creator/executive producer Kevin Kennedy indicated Friday night at the Paley Center preview event for for the Jerry O'Connell and Jim Belushi-led drama series. We have a lot planned and we certainly have a dream list," Kennedy told The Hollywood Reporter. "The [guest star] we've talked about most recently, and we'll see if we can get it arranged -- it's a scheduling thing and it wouldn't happen until the end of the year if it happens this year -- we want to get Dan Aykroyd together with Jim." (The Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has given a pilot order to a US adaptation of British comedy series Outnumbered, the second time the network has attempted to import the family comedy. (The first time was a 2008 pilot starring Ken Marino and Brooke Bloom, which wasn't ordered to series.) Barbara Wallace and Thomas Wolfe are attached to write the pilot, which will be produced outside of the normal production cycle. The Hat Trick-produced original series revolves around a married couple who are "outnumbered" by their three young children. [Editor: It's also a hysterically funny comedy. The key to the US version succeeding or failing really lands on the strength of the kids they cast.] (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Melissa Sagemiller (Raising the Bar) will take over the role of ADA on Law & Order: SVU, after Paula Patton had to drop out of the role after just one episode thanks to her casting in Mission: Impossible 4. No details were available about her character. Sagemiller will first appear in November. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Well, this might be why NBC hasn't sent it out to press yet... Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Wanda De Jesus has left Law & Order: Los Angeles after two episodes and her part--that of LAPD Robbery Homicide Division captain Arleen Gonzales--will be recast and her scenes in the first two episodes will be reshot. Producers are said to be looking for a potential replacement. They're swiftly running out of time, however, as the series is set to launch at the end of the month. (Deadline)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice is reporting that Michael Badalucco (The Practice) has been cast in a recurring role on CBS daytime soap The Young and the Restless, where he will play Hogan, described as "a tough bookie who helps Jeff (Ted Shackelford) and Kevin (Greg Rikaart) come up with cash to help pay for Jeff’s nightclub/restaurant, Gloworm." He's set to make his first appearance on October 13th. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Lennie James has been promoted to series regular on HBO's Hung, where he previous recurred as Charlie the pimp. Elsewhere, Arie Verveen (Cold Case) has been cast in a six-episode story arc on FX's Sons of Anarchy, where he will play Liam O'Neill, described as "a high-ranking member of a motorcycle club in Belfast, Northern Ireland." (Hollywood Reporter)

Let them eat (period) cake? Mad Men writers Andre and Maria Jacquemetton have been hired to write the scripts for 12-episode period drama Versailles, an English-language French production that is currently looking for British or American production partners. Former HBO executive Anne Thomopoulos is executive producing the project, which revolves around the court of King Louis XIV, for Canal Plus. (Variety)

Lifetime has given a greenlight to telepic Unanswered Prayers, an adaptation of the Garth Brooks song, which will star Samantha Mathis, Eric Close, and Madchen Amick. Telepic, from Sony Pictures Television, will premiere in November. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC's marketing co-head Mike Benson has stepped down from his position as newly minted ABC entertainment president Paul Lee looks to put his own imprimatur on the Alphabet's brand. (Variety)

Stay tuned.