A-listers flock to ‘Yo Gabba Gabba!’

TV shows for pre-schoolers have seldom been called cool, or celebrity-friendly — Sesame Street being one notable exception.

But it’s clear that Yo Gabba Gabba! has struck a chord with both A-list celebrities and regular folk alike. The program is now in its third season on the Nick Jr. cable channel in the U.S., and on Treehouse TV in Canada.

According to the current issue of Entertainment Weekly, “it’s a the coolest kids show on TV ... because of its guests and pop-culture references.”

Among those making guest appearances on the program — which revolves around five costumed characters as toys brought to life by their human host, DJ Lance Rock — have been Jack Black, Andy Samberg, Elijah Wood, Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) and music acts including The Shins, MGMT and The Ting Tings.

Season 3 will feature appearances by Sarah Silverman and “Weird Al” Yankovic, and performances by The Flaming Lips, Weezer and The Killers.

“Most all of the (stars) have kind of approached us as fans of the show,” said co-creator Scott Schultz, 38, down the line from Knotts Berry Farm in Orange County, Calif., where screaming children on rollercoaster could be heard in the background.

“We went after our favourite bands, but really most of those people either have kids or are really kind of doing it for the kids. They’re not just coming on the show to play their newest single or hit song, they’re recording a brand new kids song that we wrote.”

Still to come: the feature-film version, which could be out as soon as next year (Canadian director Jason Reitman is rumoured to be involved). There’s already a touring version, Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!: There’s a Party in My City, which arrives at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre for shows Tuesday and Wednesday (at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m both days) on their first North American tour, which is promoted by Toronto’s Michael Cohl via S2BN Entertainment.

“From the very start of the show, being musicians ourselves and playing in bands and being real music connoisseurs, we were really excited and waiting for the time we could translate this to the live stage,” said Schultz, who created the program with cousin-in-law Christian Jacobs. “We were really excited to kind of go for more of a live concert feeling, where we could all sing our favourite songs, and kids could jump around and dance in more of a concert type of setting than watching a play.”

Schultz says the duo’s mandate was simple in 2001, when they both became fathers for the first time.

“We just thought there’s kind of a wide-open hole here for kids entertainment, for music shows, that could (play) different styles of music, a variety. Kind of like Sesame Street but maybe for our generation ... a more updated version,” Schultz said. “We wanted a show where two- or three-year-olds could be really excited about, just on face value, and jump around and dance around. And not just the kids but also the parents could maybe feel a little bit more involved. Not just sitting their kids in front of the TV, but making a show that I wanted to watch with my pre-school kid at that time.”

Showbiz in the blood for ‘Gabba’ co-creators

Yo Gabba Gabba! co-creators Scott Schultz and Christian Jacobs both come from showbiz backgrounds.

Schultz’s father produced touring variety shows, and Jacobs was a child actor who appeared on All in the Family and The Love Boat.

The duo also grew up skateboarding with the likes of Spike Jonze and Tony Hawk, and played in each other’s bands — Schultz’s defunct indie-pop outfit Majestic, and Jacobs’ cartoon-rock act The Aquabats, who are part of the touring Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! show.

So it’s no surprise that Yo Gabba Gabba! — the title of the kids TV show, a reference to “the magic words” that host DJ Lance utters to bring the five toy characters to life — also has huge celebrity cache.

When Brad Pitt was spotted dressed up for Halloween as DJ Lance, it was the Hollywood equivalent of a royal blessing of the show.

Actors such as Dennis Quaid, Christina Aguilera and Jason Bateman have been spotted at Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! events.

“There’s some street cred for sure,” Schultz said. “We’re just doing a show that we want to see, and we’ve just been lucky enough that everyone else has bought into it and been excited about it.”

Larry David working on 8th round of "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Larry David says he is working on "some stuff" for an eighth season of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which we presume means there will be an eighth season.

"I think there's a pretty good chance," for another season, the "Curb" creator and star told about 2,000 fans who'd paid good money to breathe the same air as David and "Curb" cast members Sunday night at the Paley Center's annual TV festival in Beverly Hills, Calif.

"It's not definite yet, but we're working on some stuff," he said, including the return of house guest Leon, played by J.B. Smoove.

David, never one to share information, seemed to check out about one minute into the evening when the moderator, Los Angeles Times television editor Martin Miller, asked whether there would be another "Seinfeld" reunion on "Curb."

"There will be no more 'Seinfeld' references on the show. 'Seinfeld' questions are probably not appropriate," David said icily.

Unlike earlier nights in the PaleyFest at which fans of other TV shows have been showered with affection and gratitude by those on stage, "Curb" fans had to scavenge for crumbs.

When one ticket-holder noted "Curb" has a lot of jokes about race and ethnicity and wondered whether David's trying to tell people we need to be able to laugh at ourselves, series regular Bob Einstein, who plays Marty Funkhouser on the unscripted comedy series, asked, "Are you armed?"

"Yes, I feel it's important to laugh at ourselves," David all-but-sneered. "After all there are some black people and some white people -- if we could only recognize our differences."

Most of the evening focused on two things: how much everyone up on stage hates to rehearse or memorize lines, and how weary they are of fans who do and/or say shocking things in their presence that are entirely in keeping with the shocking behavior of the characters they play on the show, and who enthusiastically pitch them episode ideas. Cast member/executive producer Jeff Garlin said he's been pitched ideas by thousands of people and "I've never heard one funny one."

Even so, one brave ticket-holder in the audience wondered whether David would continue to drive a Toyota Prius in future episodes. David said he took the guy's point. Another courageous audience member asked whether David and his made-for TV-wife, played by Cheryl Hines, would get back together this season, with the clear understanding it was what she hoped. Acting uncharacteristically publicity minded, David said, "I think so."

Miller got off to a bad start with David when the Paley Center showed a compendium of clips from the show before the interview, giving Miller the idea he should kick things off by noting how great those clips looked on a big screen and wondering whether we would see a movie version of "Curb" any time soon.

"I don't think so," David said frostily.

Miller then dove straight into the "Seinfeld' reunion question and, after David hit him between the eyes on that one, tried to get some time to recover by asking the cast members if they would each recount how they came to be on the show.

"Well, I know Jerry Seinfeld," joked Einstein, who knows road kill when he sees it.

A short while later, Miller made like a lemming and dove off the "Seinfeld" cliff again, as he started to blah, blah, blah about David having recently appeared on Jerry Seinfeld's NBC reality series "The Marriage Ref."

"We're here to talk about 'Curb', Martin," David responded testily.

Strong ratings for Leno's return to late-night

NEW YORK – After a smashing return, Jay Leno appears headed to a battle with David Letterman for late-night television supremacy.

The Nielsen Co. says Leno averaged 5.6 million viewers last week, his first back at NBC's "The Tonight Show" following the ill-fated prime time experiment. Letterman had 3.7 million at CBS. Leno took advantage of curiosity over his return and a strong lineup of guests, including Olympic stars and Sarah Palin. It was a half-million more than he averaged his last season at "Tonight."

It's been much closer the second week. Through four nights, Leno is averaging 4.3 million viewers and Letterman has 4 million.

Considering Leno usually beat Letterman by a million and a half during their last season of competition, that's a sign of erosion for NBC's late-night franchise. Letterman consistently beat Conan O'Brien after O'Brien took over last year.

Time is up for '24'

USA TODAY's Gary Levin reports that the clock has apparently run out on 24. Fox's real-time thriller is expected to end its run after eight seasons in May because of escalating costs and declining ratings, say production sources not at liberty to speak publicly before the announcement. The show averages 11.7 million viewers. But producers are mulling a feature film to extend the life of the groundbreaking series starring Kiefer Sutherland as an antiterrorism agent. Fox declined comment.

Andy Richter calls 'Tonight' exit frustrating

NEW YORK – Andy Richter, Conan O'Brien's sidekick at "The Tonight Show," is acknowledging some ill will toward NBC and Jay Leno in the wake of the network's late-night upheaval.

"Why wouldn't I?" said Richter, who was filling in Tuesday for Regis Philbin on "Live! with Regis and Kelly."

Richter told Kelly Ripa he was frustrated that Leno was allowed to reclaim "The Tonight Show" host chair just nine months after O'Brien had inherited that plum assignment.

"NBC, definitely, everybody said they were going to do something and they didn't," said Richter, implying the network broke long-standing commitments it made to O'Brien.

O'Brien left NBC and "Tonight" in January amid complaints by NBC of low ratings. NBC had proposed reinstating Leno in the 11:35 p.m. EST slot and bumping O'Brien back a half-hour.

O'Brien's future is unclear. So is Richter's, though he said, for now, he's still an NBC employee, "so we'll see if those checks keep coming."

He called a rumored live concert tour for O'Brien and Co. "a distinct possibility."

It all ended much quicker than he could have imagined, said Richter, who figured his "Tonight" job was "as good as it gets in show business."

He said he figured "I'm a tenured professor of show business now," but quickly learned otherwise. "I guess I'm really good at getting kicked off the air, because it's what I've been doing for the last 10 years."

Ripa had a suggestion for his next career move.

"You and Conan should do another show on another network called 'We Were on The Tonight Show,'" she joked. "Wouldn't that be exciting!"

Exclusive: 'Fringe' picked up for a third season

Sci-fi fans who may be concerned about the state of the genre on network TV have at least one reason to rejoice: Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Fox has picked up Fringe for a third season.

Though the show isn’t exactly blowing the roof off of Nielsen — it’s been averaging just 7.6 million viewers and is ranked No. 50 in the all-important adults 18-49 demographic this season — it managed to survive in a tough new time period on Thursdays.

The show returns with new episodes — and the promise of more visits from Leonard Nimoy and to the parallel universe — on April 1.

New episodes of 'Futurama' to debut in June

Comedy Central confirms it will premiere the first of 12 new episodes of Futurama on June 24, at 10 p.m. ET. The network had acquired the rights to the 72 existing episodes of the former Fox series in June 2006, three years after it went off the air, and began airing them in January 2008. Viewer response, along with DVD sales, urged 20th Century Fox Television to resurrect the show on cable.

Leno returns to late night, but can he rule?

LOS ANGELES – The chin is coming back to late-night on NBC. So is the desk, the couch and, the network fervently hopes, the audience.

When Jay Leno reclaims "The Tonight Show" on Monday, NBC is banking that the ratings spiral that marked Conan O'Brien's brief tenure as host will quickly fade to a dim memory.

If viewers want to dwell on the messy dithering that led to this point — Leno moved to prime-time, NBC affiliates rebelling at his low ratings, O'Brien balking at NBC's directive that he and "Tonight" shift to midnight, O'Brien exiting and leaving a diminished audience behind — the network is focused on the end result.

With the Winter Olympics providing a big platform, NBC aired a promotional spot advising that "the chin" was back. Another spot had Leno breezing down a coastal highway in a snazzy convertible that shed the number "10" for "11:35." It cast him as a happy traveler headed home, back where he belongs, after a misadventure not even worth a postcard.

Lisa Howfield, general manager of NBC affiliate KVBC in Las Vegas, thinks Leno's fans will be right behind him.

"I suspect he'll get the same numbers (ratings) he had in prime-time, which are the same numbers he had in late-night. ... I think it's probably going to get right back into normal viewing patterns," Howfield said.

Media analyst Steve Sternberg agrees Leno should regain the late-night lead, which he held for most of his run, despite some observers' assertions that he ended up cast as the villain when O'Brien took a powder.

"I don't think Leno's image took much of a hit with his fans at all," said Sternberg. "That was more of a press and Conan fan-Twitter creation than anything else. Half of Leno's audience is over 55, a group that tends to be very loyal."

Leno averaged 5.2 million viewers nightly in his final season of "Tonight" before O'Brien took over last May, and was drawing virtually the same number — 5.3 million — to his prime-time show.

Expectations were higher for the new show, however, because more people watch TV in prime-time, and affiliates complained loudly to NBC because their local newscasts were taking a viewership hit because of the weak lead-in. NBC eventually bowed to the pressure.

Aside from the Olympics spots, the network has taken a relatively low-key approach to Leno's comeback, especially compared to his splashy debut last fall with "The Jay Leno Show."

The comedian has declined interviews and NBC, which proudly toured reporters through the Burbank set built for Leno's new show, is keeping the now-revamped studio largely under wraps. It will include the time-honored desk-chair-couch setup, which was banished from prime time, and a new color scheme.

Bill Carroll, an analyst with media-buyer Katz Television in New York, said NBC is taking a wise approach by reminding viewers that "Tonight" again has Leno but not "overhyping" the event so expectations remain reasonable.

As for content, Leno will bring along some elements introduced in prime-time, including field reports from comedians and the "Cop N Kitty" sketch, a parody of police teams. These will be blended with the "Tonight" bits Leno has kept alive, including odd headlines and his "Jaywalking" man-in-the-street interviews.

His first-night guests will be Jamie Foxx, Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and Brad Paisley. Sarah Palin is set for Tuesday, along with Olympic snowboarder Shaun White and a performance by Adam Lambert.

Leno is facing a changed landscape. O'Brien had lost half the audience that his predecessor had drawn to "Tonight," with CBS' David Letterman and other shows the beneficiary.

Whether Leno can reclaim those scattered viewers and his No. 1 status is unclear. A benchmark moment, such as the Hugh Grant interview that helped Leno get traction when he started as "Tonight" host, could make the difference, analyst Carroll said.

But whether that moment belongs to Leno or Letterman remains to be seen.

"Over the long haul, it could go either way. Late night is so fickle," Carroll said.

'Saturday Night Live' books Zach Galifianakis, Jude Law

"Saturday Night Live" will put on a pair of new shows in March with hosts who could hardly be more different: Zach Galifianakis and Jude Law.

Oddball comedian and "The Hangover" star Galifianakis will make his "SNL" debut on March 6 and will be joined by musical guest Vampire Weekend. It will be interesting to see how his very quirky comic sensibility fits in to the framework of the show -- and how many sketches feature him pantsless, as seems to be his penchant (see: numerous scenes in "The Hangover," the first episode of HBO's "Bored to Death," etc.).

On March 13, Law ("Sherlock Holmes," the upcoming "Repo Men") will take his second turn as host -- his first was the infamous Ashlee Simpson lip-sync episode in 2004. The musical guest will be Pearl Jam, so a repeat of the Simpson fiasco is unlikely.

"Saturday Night Live" returns from its Olympic break this weekend with host and musical guest Jennifer Lopez.

Jay Leno sets high-profile "Tonight Show" guests

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Jay Leno's first two weeks back as host of NBC's "Tonight Show" features a celebrity-packed lineup as NBC tries to revive the late-night franchise.

Leno, reclaiming the reins from Conan O'Brien next Monday, will welcome former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, the cast of MTV's "Jersey Shore," "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell and Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno, Shaun White and Lindsey Vonn.

Musical guests include Brad Paisley, Avril Lavigne, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

Both Leno's and NBC's ratings and reputation took a beating after he was eased out of the prestige slot last May, and given a weeknight primetime show. Viewership of "The Tonight Show" also declined under O'Brien (until his final week last month). NBC paid O'Brien more than $30 million to exit the show.

Having big-name draws like Palin can only help as NBC tries to make "Tonight" appointment viewing once again. His other guests his first couple weeks include Dakota Fanning, Kim Kardashian, Jamie Foxx and Morgan Freeman.

Longtime Leno bandleader Kevin Eubanks may exit

NEW YORK – Jay Leno's longtime bandleader, Kevin Eubanks, may not play very long once the Leno troupe returns to "The Tonight Show."

NBC said Tuesday that Eubanks has expressed interest in personal touring and recording. The network says he will be part of the show when it reoccupies late night March 1, but his continued involvement is uncertain.

The 52-year-old Eubanks, whose duties include comic sideman to Leno as well as guitarist, has been a fixture since Leno took the reins of "The Tonight Show" in 1992. He became musical director when Branford Marsalis left in 1995.

Eubanks was also part of "The Jay Leno Show," the NBC prime-time flop that just ended.

Leno is returning as "Tonight Show" host, a job he held for 17 years until giving it up to Conan O'Brien last May.

Fans want Betty White on 'SNL'

NEW YORK - More than 188,000 people on Facebook are urging "Saturday Night Live" to make Betty White a host.

The campaign has been gaining followers and attention, just as the 88-year-old actress has become more ubiquitous. She was given a lifetime achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and starred in a Super Bowl commercial for Snickers that has ranked as one of the game's most popular.

The Facebook page, which isn't affiliated with White, says she would be a "fantastic" host and that it would be a terrific way to honour her.

Representatives for White said she had no comment. NBC is also not commenting.

Grohl Sets 'SNL' Record

Maybe Dave Grohl should host "Saturday Night Live" some time.

Performing on the show with his sidegroup Them Crooked Vultures with John Paul Jones and Josh Homme on Saturday, Grohl set a new record for the number of time a guest musician has appeared on the show -- 10.

But Grohl seems particularly well suited to the rest of the show too. He's always been game for comedy (and costumes) in so many Foo Fighters videos and got his chance to show that side Saturday by appearing in a skit in which a father gathers his old band on stage to play at his daughter's wedding reception.

In it, former musician Fred Armisen sings as frontman; Will Hader played bass; fourth time host Ashton Kutcher was playing guitar and Grohl was back on the drums for a set of noisy metal that climaxed with the destruction of the reception room.

The band (which I believe Armisen called "Christ of the Deformity"), was the sixth different group Grohl has played with on the show (and the second of the night).

Alec Baldwin or Steve Martin may be the ranking record holders on the number of times they've hosted the show (14 and 15 respectively), but Grohl is the new leader among musical guests on the show, surpassing Paul Simon as the only one to reach double digits

Grohl of course first appeared with Nirvana twice, and then was on five times with the Foo Fighters. But he also sat in with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and backed up Tenacious D before playing drums in Them Crooked Vultures (and the skit band) on Saturday.

Mark your calendar: 'Lost' finale date set for May

Mark your calendars, "Lost" fans, because your final trip to The Island has been set for a special night in May.

Oh, don't look so sad. You knew it was coming.

ABC formally announced that the "Lost" series finale will air on Sunday, May 23. The two-hour episode has been set from 9-to-11 p.m. and it will, as always seems to happen with "Lost" events, be preceded by an hour-long recap special.

"Lost is an example of what happens when you put creativity above everything else, trust the creative vision, and take the risks required to be truly original," says ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson in the network's statement. "It's a testament to staying true to the creative vision of one of the most iconic shows ever on television, and we’re giving the producers an unprecedented opportunity to respect the fans and really satisfy the viewers with a spectacular conclusion."

The finale announcement came the morning after "Lost" premiered its sixth season to a large and receptive audience, improving on the fifth season premiere by 6 percent in total viewers, 10 percent in viewers 18-49 and a whopping 20 percent in adults 18-34.

The sixth season premiere was the most-watched "Lost" telecast in nearly two years among adults 18-49 and 18-34.

Jay Leno tells Oprah he'd like to talk to Conan O'Brien

To promote Jay Leno’s appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show tomorrow, Harpo Productions released a short transcript from the interview that was taped yesterday on the set of the comedian’s cancelled primetime show. There’s nothing extraordinary about this particular exchange – Leno typically keeps his feelings to himself during most interviews — but apparently, he goes on to address his decision to return to The Tonight Show and the public reaction to the negotiations, which is obviously being reserved for tomorrow’s broadcast. Here’s an excerpt from the interview:

Winfrey Have you talked to Conan in person?

Leno I haven’t talked to him through all this. No. I haven’t.

Winfrey Did you want to pick up the phone?

Leno Yeah, but it didn’t seem appropriate.

Winfrey Why?

Leno I don’t know. I think it — let things cool down and maybe we’ll talk, you know.

Winfrey Were any of the things that he said about you hurtful?

Leno No. They were jokes. And that’s okay. I mean –

Winfrey So jokes don’t hurt you.

Leno It’s what we do, you know? You can’t — it’s like being a fighter and say when you got punched in the head, did it hurt? Well, yeah. But you’re a fighter. That’s what you do.

'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' marks 7th anniversary with guests Harrison Ford, Kristen Bell

LOS ANGELES - There is happiness to be found in late-night TV these days. Just ask Jimmy Kimmel, who is celebrating the seventh anniversary of his ABC show Tuesday with guest Harrison Ford.

Ford is set to deliver a "very special" gift to the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host to mark the occasion, ABC said Monday.

"People often ask me if I ever imagined we'd be on the air this long," Kimmel said. "It's a weird compliment wrapped in an insult, but I'll take it."

He added that he feels lucky to work "for a network that showed enough patience to allow us to grow and, more importantly, pays almost no attention to what goes on after midnight."

Kimmel's milestone comes just days after Conan O'Brien ended his seven-month tenure as "Tonight" host, with Jay Leno set to reclaim the job he left last year. O'Brien's exit was preceded by a bitter public battle with NBC over its plan to shift him to a post-midnight slot.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs at 12:05 a.m. EST weeknights on ABC. Also appearing on the anniversary show Tuesday are Kristen Bell and the Silversun Pickups band.

Among the highlights of Kimmel's run: a pair of comic films that went on to become Internet sensations, one in which Matt Damon and Kimmel's on-again, off-again girlfriend Sarah Silverman sing of their faux hot love affair, and the other with Kimmel striking back by claiming a romance with Damon's pal Ben Affleck.

Telethon raises more than $58 mln for Haiti

NEW YORK (AFP) – A telethon led by actor George Clooney to help earthquake victims in Haiti has raised more than 58 million dollars, setting a new donation record by the general public, organizers announced.

"The public has set a new standard of giving for a relief telethon with 'Hope for Haiti Now,' and the donations continue to come in -- people can still contribute 24/7 via phone, web and text," said Lisa Paulsen, president and chief executive officer of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a non-profit organization providing philanthropic support to "Hope for Haiti Now."

The event led by Clooney was broadcast by all major television networks in the United States.

It featured performances by Wyclef Jean, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, Coldplay, Bono, Jay-Z, and Rihanna.

Internet social networks Facebook and MySpace contributed to funds collection.
The January 12 earthquake has left more than 111,000 Haitians dead and about 500,000 homeless, according to the latest figures released by the Haitian Interior Ministry.

Canadians make a plea for Haiti

Canadian stars presented a unified plea Friday night to help victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake.

An early estimate suggested $2.5 million was raised during the one-hour Canadian special, which was broadcast live on CBC, CTV and Global Television.

The show began with the song “Try” by Nelly Furtado and also included performances by K’Naan, Metric and The Tragically Hip.

Home renovator, television host and author Mike Holmes was among the Canadian celebrities making a live appearance. Holmes said he is already at ways to help the stricken country in the same way he helped in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.

“I picked up my phone right away and I said we should start talking about we can do to help.”

On his role as a telethon co-host Ben Mulroney said, “When we talk about being leaders in the world, this is what we mean and this (telethon) is just another way for us to do that. This is a long-term project, it’s going to require countries from around the world and we’re doing more than our part in an attempt to pull people in the same direction. I’m just privileged to play a small role in that.”

Telethon co-host George Stroumboulopoulus said, “The fact that all the networks have come together, man, makes this so much better on a personal level. This actually is altruistic, there is no competition. You rarely get to do that in television, purely altruistic, commercial-free one hour, everybody working together. Lord have mercy, how crazy is that?”

Hip-hop artist K’naan, a performer at the concert, urged fellow Canadians to keep helping the devastated country recover fully from an earthquake.

“I can’t say it’s good to be here,” K’naan said Friday afternoon after a sound check at the CBC headquarters on Front St. in Toronto, where the concert will be broadcast.

“When something like this happens, you can’t really say you feel great being here.” Instead, he called his performance “a necessity. We show the best of ourselves during times of crisis. I’m just here to try to do my little bit.”

The 31-year-old Somali-born singer, who turned to rap to help learn English when his family moved to Toronto, will perform one song. The Tragically Hip is also scheduled to perform amid a glittering lineup of top Canadian talent, including singer Céline Dion and director James Cameron.

The benefit concert is a collaboration among three networks, CBC, CTV and Global Television, which will all air the show at 7 p.m. ET and PT. It will also be streamed live to their websites and broadcast on CBC Radio Two.

From the world of film, the stars include Jason Reitman, Ryan Reynolds, William Shatner, Rachelle Lefevre, Joshua Jackson, Eugene Levy, Norman Jewison, Tom Jackson and Will Arnett.

From TV: Brent Butt, Hugh Dillon, Mike Holmes, Rick Mercer, Alex Trebek, Sandra Oh and Pamela Anderson.

Musicians Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, Simple Plan, David Foster, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida and Measha Brueggergosman will be part of the broadcast.

Also appearing are humanitarian Craig Kielburger and star athletes Wayne Gretzky and Steve Nash. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean will have special messages for Canadians.

“As the relief efforts move from rescue ... to reconstruction, there’s going to be so much more need, and that’s one of the reasons that we’ve all come together,” said Mulroney.

Stroumboulopoulos said it wasn’t hard getting celebrities to give their time to the project.

“One of the things about this country is we have a long history of giving and a long history of trying to come together,” he said. “It’s part of (our) identity.”

Donations collected during the broadcast will go to a number of non-profit organizations, including the Canadian Red Cross Society, Care Canada, Free the Children, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, Plan Canada, Save the Children Canada, UNICEF Canada and World Vision Canada.

All donations will be split evenly among the charities, said World Vision Canada president Dave Toycen, who urged Canadians to give Haitians hope.

“I’ve been involved in disaster work for over 30 years and this is one of the worst I’ve ever (seen),” said Toycen, who just returned after spending six days in Haiti.

One of the lasting experiences he had was meeting a woman who insisted that Toycen take her young son, because she feared he had no chance of a good life in Haiti.

“That’s what this special is about in a way. First, it’s to answer that call to give help, but it’s also to prove to that mother: You don’t have to give your child away in order for your child to have a future,” he said.

“We’ve had a great response. Canadians have given very generously already and yet, I think there’s still people who haven’t given. So I hope tonight’s program will particularly challenge and touch people who haven’t given yet.”

The U.S. benefit “Hope for Haiti Now” will air immediately after the Canadian benefit. The two-hour special — on CBC, CTV, Global, MTV, MuchMusic and National Geographic Channel — will be hosted by George Clooney and include performances by the likes of Beyonce, Madonna, Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay and Taylor Swift.

Keith Urban, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow plan to perform a song together, as will Bono, the Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna.

Canadians can donate by visiting www.CanadaForHaiti.com, dialing 1-877-51-HAITI, or texting AID to 45678.

Conan O'Brien exploring options

Conan O'Brien is a free agent after his $33 million settlement with NBC was finally completed early Thursday morning -- but his hiatus probably won't last long.

As part of the overall payout from the Peacock, worth about $52.6 million with staff severance and shutdown costs, O'Brien will be allowed to join another network Sept. 1. With his demo ratings on "The Tonight Show" and his online popularity soaring during the final two weeks of his seven-month tenure, the comedian already is being courted by a number of networks.

Because O'Brien was formally under contract with NBC until Thursday morning, no formal talks have been initiated, but there have been a lot of informal inquiries.

Fox is the most logical option as that network has been trying to get into the late-night fray for decades and its brass repeatedly have stated their interest in O'Brien, whose core younger audience is a perfect fit for Fox's target demo.

Several cablers, including Fox sibling FX, USA, TNT/TBS, Comedy Central, HBO and Showtime, reportedly also have sent out feelers to explore the possibility of bringing O'Brien into their folds.

O'Brien's longtime manager Gavin Polone wouldn't be drawn on specifics about his client's plans but noted that he would like to "take advantage of all the momentum" on TV and online, where the popularity of "I'm with Coco"/"Team Conan" movements is growing rapidly.

With his quirky, offbeat sensibility, the comedian could be well suited for the cable world.

And he could feasibly do both cable and broadcast, said Shari Anne Brill, senior vp at ad buyer Carat.

Because clearing a late-night show with O'Brien on Fox would require extensive discussions with the network's affiliates that have commitments for airing off-net comedies in the 11 p.m. hour, O'Brien could debut on FX and then move to the broadcast network at a later date, she said.

First-run syndication is a longer shot. While Sony TV pursued a syndicated show with Jay Leno before he decided to stay at NBC for a primetime stint, syndicators do not seem in a hurry to raise their hands.

The reason: The main target for such a show would be the Fox stations, which, if interested in a late-night show with O'Brien, would give their blessing to Fox and get it from the network.

The dramatic denouement between O'Brien and NBC -- which was done at 1 a.m. PT and completely signed off at 3 a.m. -- was a fitting finale for the twists and turns of the past weeks.

The final $52.6 million tab include the $33 million settlement for O'Brien, about $7 million to pay out the contracts of "Tonight" sidekick Andy Richter and executive producer Jeff Ross and the rest going for severance expenses and shutdown costs.

The payoffs for the show's staffers, apparently more generous than the standard exit deals, are being supplemented by checks from O'Brien.

"He just wants to make sure they are taken care of," Polone said.

Ironically, despite the acrimonious divorce, O'Brien will stay in business with NBC through his company Conaco, which will remain based at NBC until the end of this development season and has several projects in contention at the network.

Also staying behind are the characters created by O'Brien on "Late Night" and "Tonight," whose rights are owned by NBC.

During his second-to-last "Tonight" on Thursday, O'Brien "revealed" some provisions from his contract with NBC.

Among them: "I am prohibited from coming within 500 yards of 11:30," and "I'm not allowed to make fun of NBC programming; I have to let the programming speak for itself."

Meanwhile, announcing his March 1 return to "Tonight" on his primetime show Thursday, Leno said, "I have chosen to stay on the Titanic."

Analyzing the aftermath of NBC's late-night shifts during the past seven months, most media pundits agree the network has been hurt.

"The decisions have hurt both NBC in the ratings and more importantly with their viewers who have to question whether the management at NBC knows what they are doing," Katz TV programming head Bill Carroll said.

John Rash, senior vp at Campbell Mithun, called the late-night fight "a distraction" at a time when the viewers' attention should've been focused on the upcoming Olympics.

NBC's fortnight of Olympics coverage will actually help put the late-night drama behind, according to Brill.

"It gives NBC a hiatus and hope that the public has some amnesia," she said.

As for the effects on Leno's ratings on "Tonight," Brill said, "It may hurt him for a little while, but I think the audience will come back."

Canada For Haiti telethon a star-studded fundraiser

Canadian band the Tragically Hip has signed on to headline Canada For Haiti, while a pantheon of stars from Wayne Gretzky to Nelly Furtado and James Cameron will also participate in Friday's telethon to raise funds to support earthquake relief for the stricken nation.

Organizers from broadcasters CBC, CTV and Global unveiled on Thursday a celebrity-studded list of participants for the one-hour, commercial-free, cross-network special event.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean are scheduled to deliver messages to Canadians, while the Tragically Hip and K'naan will perform live.

Prominent Canadians from music, film, television and sport to appear on the special include:

Musical acts Nelly Furtado, Measha Brueggergosman, Justin Bieber, Céline Dion, Sarah McLachlan, Barenaked Ladies, David Foster, Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine Maida and Simple Plan.

Directors James Cameron, Jason Reitman and Norman Jewison.

Actors William Shatner, Joshua Jackson, Pamela Anderson, Eugene Levy, Sandra Oh, Tom Jackson, Ryan Reynolds, Michael J. Fox, Rachelle Lefevre, Will Arnett, Hugh Dillon and Brent Butt.

TV personalities Mike Holmes, Rick Mercer and Alex Trebek.

Sports stars Gretzky and Steve Nash.

Humanitarian Craig Kielburger.

The money raised during the telethon will be distributed equally amongst a coalition of 10 large Canadian non-governmental organizations — including World Vision Canada, Canadian Red Cross Society, UNICEF Canada, Oxfam Canada and Save the Children Canada — with the funds exclusively earmarked for Haiti.

World Vision Canada president Dave Toycen, who just returned from a six-day visit to Haiti, described the situation as "one of the worst [he's] ever been involved in" after 30 years of working on disaster-response campaigns.

"Still people are hungry, still people are not getting water, and still people are not getting adequate medical care and all the other things that go along with that," he said.

"Every day it's getting better but it's still a race against time."

Acknowledging that it is unusual for the charitable organizations to team up in this way, "it says how critical the situation is," Toycen added.

"We've put down any sort of competition and said we're going to do this together ... We will collaborate, we will leverage any way we can to help."

The program, which will precede the U.S.-organized Hope For Haiti telethon, begins at 7 p.m. ET. It will be hosted by Cheryl Hickey, Ben Mulroney and George Stroumboulopoulos and air on CBC Television, CTV, Global Television, MTV, MuchMusic and National Geographic Channel.

CBC Radio 2 will carry the broadcast, hosted by Garvia Bailey, and it will also be streamed online on CBC.ca, CTV.ca, GlobalTV.com and MuchMusic.com.

The telethon will also be simulcast on Canadian Forces Radio and TV.

Signs point to Friday farewell for Conan O'Brien

LOS ANGELES – Conan O'Brien all but posted a farewell banner on this week's "Tonight" shows as his exit negotiations with NBC neared their conclusion Wednesday.

In the late-night tradition of a star-studded goodbye, O'Brien's guests Thursday include such big names as Robin Williams and Barry Manilow. Tom Hanks was scheduled for Friday, as was Will Ferrell — the first guest O'Brien welcomed when he started last June as "Tonight" host.

And then there was this joke from his monologue Tuesday: "Hi, I'm Conan O'Brien, and I'm just three days away from the biggest drinking binge in history."

It was yet another indication that he's bracing for the bitter end of his brief tenure at "Tonight," less than eight months after taking over as host from Jay Leno. The show previously had been scheduled for reruns next week.

The red-headed comedian was negotiating with NBC for a severance package of more than $30 million, which would clear the way for Leno to return to late night. The proposed deal would allow O'Brien to work at another network as soon as this fall.

The announcement of an agreement was possible Thursday as the sides worked to resolve the final hurdle: compensation for O'Brien's staff and crew of about 200 people.

O'Brien was said to be "dug in" on the issue out of concern for the workers, while NBC said this week that it had already agreed to pay "millions of dollars to compensate every one of them" and deemed it a public relations "ploy."

Meanwhile, the comedy assault on NBC continued on "The Jay Leno Show."

Referring to the stormy California weather Wednesday, Leno said, "this rain couldn't have come at a worse possible time. Today was the day NBC was supposed to burn down the studio for the insurance money."

NBC's effort to keep both O'Brien and Leno at the network ran aground when Leno's experimental prime-show show drew poor ratings and affiliate complaints that forced its cancellation. When NBC proposed moving Leno back to 11:35 p.m. EST with a half-hour show, O'Brien refused to host "Tonight" at 12:05 a.m.

O'Brien, after posting lackluster numbers, has seen his viewership jump in recent days. His Monday night Nielsen Co. rating was up more than 60 percent in total viewers over the previous fourth quarter average and up about 80 percent among advertiser-favored young adults.

Fox executives have expressed admiration for O'Brien but said they couldn't discuss opportunities with him while he's under contract to NBC.

O'Brien's recent "Tonight" monologues have been notable for a barrage of jokes at the expense of NBC and Leno ("I just want to say to the kids out there watching: You can do anything you want in life, unless Jay Leno wants to do it, too," was one crack).

His final shows may be far less celebratory than those of his long-serving predecessors but, like them, he'll have top-notch company.

Johnny Carson's final guests, after 30 years at "Tonight," were Williams and Bette Midler, who appeared on his second-to-last broadcast. Carson hosted his final show in 1992 without guests.

When Leno left "Tonight" last May after 17 years, his final week of shows included Mel Gibson, Prince and Billy Crystal. Leno's final guest on his last show was his then-successor, O'Brien.

Leno anticipates return to 11:30, lauds O'Brien

LOS ANGELES – Jay Leno turned serious on his show Monday to discuss the late-night chaos at NBC, explaining events from his standpoint and telling viewers he considered Conan O'Brien a "great guy."

In remarks after his monologue Monday, Leno said he'd tried to avoid doing a show in prime time but was convinced by NBC that it could work.

It didn't, with NBC pulling the plug on "The Jay Leno Show" after four months and devising a plan to put Leno back on at 11:30 p.m. and push O'Brien and "Tonight" to midnight. With O'Brien's rejection of the plan, NBC is now trying to negotiate his exit and return Leno to the late-night spot.

Leno said it looks like he might be back at 11:30 and that the situation could be resolved by Tuesday.

O'Brien's NBC departure leaves bits behind

As a deal nears for Conan O'Brien's exit from NBC, one thing is certain: The characters and recurring comedy bits O'Brien originated during his 16-plus years on "Late Night" and "The Tonight Show" will not follow the host when he leaves NBC.

The Peacock owns the intellectual property behind such popular O'Brien characters as Pimpbot 5000 and Conando, as well as recurring segments such as In the Year 3000 and Desk Driving. Sources involved in the settlement negotiations say NBC is keeping the copyrighted and trademarked elements of O'Brien's shows as part of the deal. That means the bits and characters will likely never be seen after O'Brien's "Tonight" ends its run Jan. 22.

While the vast majority of the characters O'Brien introduced are said to owned by NBC, it's unclear who controls Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the crass canine puppet that is perhaps O'Brien's most popular recurring bit. Triumph was originated by writer and longtime O'Brien pal Robert Smigel, whose reps declined to comment on whether Smigel or NBC owned rights to the character.

In 1993, David Letterman got into a dustup with NBC when he departed "Late Night" for CBS' "Late Show." NBC attorneys attempted to prevent Letterman from taking intellectual property originated on "Late Night" to the comic's new home. Letterman responded by dropping certain bits and renaming other recurring segments -- "Viewer Mail" became "CBS Mailbag" and frequent guest Larry "Bud" Melman began referring to himself by his real name, Calvert DeForest. Letterman mocked the dispute on his first "Late Show" when NBC anchor Tom Brokaw interrupted the monologue and stole cue cards in the name of securing NBC's intellectual property.

O'Brien, if he lands at another late-night show, might be in a tougher spot. Unlike comic personalities Letterman and Jay Leno, O'Brien began his career as a writer on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons," and his shows relied more heavily on the cleverly scripted bits and outrageous characters.

Losing those assets could hurt O'Brien as he looks for another home, although his "Tonight" had featured fewer of the characters than "Late Night" and the host -- who is considered one of the top comedy writers in the business -- may be looking for a fresh start. Sources close to him said he was not interested in taking his NBC characters with him.

Kimmel tweaks Leno, NBC over late-night dispute

LOS ANGELES – Jimmy Kimmel stepped into NBC's late-night fray on Jay Leno's turf, taking comic aim at him and NBC on "The Jay Leno Show."

Appearing by satellite Thursday for Leno's "Ten at Ten" question-and-answer segment, the ABC late-night host was asked to relate his best prank ever. Kimmel replied that he told a guy five years ago that he'd give him his show, and "then I took it back."

It was a thinly veiled reference to Leno's agreement in 2004 to surrender "The Tonight Show" to O'Brien in 2009, after 17 years as host.

NBC, which is ending Leno's prime-time show, wants to return him to 11:30 p.m. EST by bumping O'Brien and "Tonight" to midnight, a plan O'Brien has rejected. The network was in talks with both hosts.

Kimmel also joked that Leno had "$800 million, for God's sake," and advised him to leave other hosts' shows alone.

Leno might have known what to expect from his guest, who'd already made pointed fun of him on Tuesday's "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Wearing an exaggerated fake chin to play Leno, Kimmel joked that he was taking over all late-night shows, including Kimmel's, and announced that ABC stands for "Always Bump Conan."

O'Brien did some pummeling of his own Thursday, in what is becoming a pattern for him and Leno.

"Hi, I'm Conan O'Brien, NBC's `Employee of the Month,'" he said in his monologue. "There's a rumor that NBC is so upset with me, they want to keep me off the air for 3 years. My response to that is, if NBC doesn't want people to see me, just leave me on NBC."

Leno delivered a punch in his monologue: "Welcome to the new show, `I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Off NBC!'" he said.

Meanwhile, NBC looked to the future by announcing that new and veteran NBC dramas and a comedy produced by Jerry Seinfeld will take over the bulk of the prime-time slots soon to be vacated by Jay Leno.

The network said Thursday that the freshman drama "Parenthood" and the relocated "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victim Units" will fill three slots. Another will go to the comedy panel series "The Marriage Ref" from Seinfeld.

"Dateline NBC" will fill another 10 p.m. EST slot.

The new lineup will debut after NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics from Feb. 12-28.

For now, though, dramas can claim to be winners in the schedule shake up, reclaiming most of the slots lost when NBC decided to experiment with Leno's show as a cheaper alternative.

"Law & Order" will return after the Games on Monday, March 1, with a two-hour episode airing at 9 p.m. EST. The show, in its 20th season, will begin airing regularly at 10 p.m. the following week.

"Parenthood," with an ensemble cast including Lauren Graham and Peter Krause, will debut 10 p.m. EST Tuesday, March 2.

The "Special Victims Unit" member of the "Law & Order" family will air in the final prime-time slot on Wednesdays, starting March 3.

The other new 10 p.m. show, "The Marriage Ref" with comedian Tom Papa, will air Thursdays beginning March 4 after a Feb. 28 sneak peek following the closing ceremony of the Olympics. "Dateline NBC" will air 9-11 p.m. EST Fridays starting March 5.

Also bowing after the Olympics are "Who Do You Think You Are?" — a look at the family history of celebrities, 8 p.m. EST Friday, March 5, and "Minute to Win It," a game show with TV food personality Guy Fieri, 8 p.m. EST Sunday, March 14.

George Clooney, MTV working on Haiti telethon

LOS ANGELES – MTV Networks is working with George Clooney to stage a telethon for Haitian earthquake relief.

MTV spokesman Mark Jafar said Thursday that details are still being worked out.

There's no word yet about other stars getting involved. But Clooney representative Stan Rosenfield said the actor is in the process of helping organize the telethon, which likely would air Jan. 22 on all MTV Networks — which include VH1, Comedy Central and CMT — as well as on ABC, NBC, HBO and CNN.

Thousands are feared dead after the massive earthquake, and the Caribbean island nation desperately needs aid.

Piscopo aims to launch Chicago-based late-night show

Former "Saturday Night Live" star and Frank Sinatra impersonator Joe Piscopo will be in town Tuesday talking up the Chicago-based talk show he's trying to launch at The Joynt nightclub in River North.

Called "After Dark With Joe Piscopo," the show is being modeled after the old "Playboy After Dark" series, which featured Hugh Hefner chatting with guests in a party setting.

Piscopo won't be in his pj's, but, producer Jimmy Haimann said, "You have celebrities, sports people, musicians hanging out in a nightclub-lounge atmosphere. Cocktails and martinis will be flowing."

Haimann said the show is in negotiations with a few unnamed celebrities for the pilot, scheduled to shoot next month at a local studio dressed up to resemble The Joynt. (Joynt owner Stan Wozniak, who worked with Sinatra on the road and befriended Piscopo through that connection, is another producer.)

Beyond the pilot, Haimann said, "a major network is interested. There is no deal signed."

Kiefer smiling over new '24' season

PASADENA, Calif. — Kiefer Sutherland was passing a hot tub when he first started to realize Jack Bauer was becoming a cultural icon.

This isn’t a story about steamy, naked girls recognizing Sutherland as Jack Bauer from 24, and calling him over for some wet-and-wild fun. Well, that might have happened, too — if it did, Sutherland left that part out — but it’s more of a family-friendly tale.

“A bunch of people from the crew of 24, we all went skiing in Mammoth,” said Sutherland, recalling an incident from a few years ago. “We were coming around the back of the main lodge, and there was a series of hot tubs.

“This one kid came running from a snow bank and jumped off it, into the hot tub. In the middle of the air he yelled, ‘I’m going to Jack Bauer you’, and splashed.

“We started laughing at that.”

Well, Fox and Global are going to “Jack Bauer you” again this Sunday and Monday, with the debut of the eighth season of 24. As has become tradition, 24 kicks off its new campaign with a four-hour extravaganza, two hours on Sunday and two hours on Monday.

Early in the first episode of the new season, you will see something very unusual, and it has nothing to do with the fact that 24 is set in New York this time around.

We see Jack Bauer smile broadly.

“It felt weird to do it,” admitted Sutherland, who definitely smiles more often than his character. “The only time Jack Bauer smiled — just because it happened so rarely, we noted it — was in Season 3.

“He had finally captured Nina (played by Sarah Clarke) and was flying back with her on the cargo plane and he had her in handcuffs. He looked at her and smiled. And that was about four episodes before he got to shoot her. So this was a different kind of smile.

“But I must say, when we first shot (this season’s smile), it felt awkward for me and I think everybody else involved.”

Whether Jack Bauer will be “not smiling” beyond this season remains to be seen.

Fox has been promoting the eighth season of 24 with the slogan that Jack Bauer has to “survive one more day.” But Sutherland and the show’s producers said such intricacies are the domain of Fox’s marketing department and not too much should be read into it one way or the other.

“I’ve always said that as long as people wanted us to make it, and people were really interested in watching it, I would be interested,” Sutherland said. “There are a lot of components involved. The task of writing it is far greater than the task of acting in it.”

The task of acting it looks pretty tough sometimes, too.

“Our cinematographer and I were sitting at an event for our 150th episode, and they put together a montage from the very beginning through the 150th episode, some behind-the-scenes stuff, and we were laughing and thinking, ‘Oh, how cool all of this is,’ ” recalled Sutherland, 43.

“And then about halfway through the little documentary, they showed some pictures of us from Season 1. We realized that we had aged and we stopped laughing.”

There have to be some advantages, though, to playing Jack Bauer for so long and having people recognize you as such.

“I’ve always been shocked that people who I’m flying with actually say, ‘Oh, I feel safer on the plane,’ ” Sutherland said.

“I’m thinking, ‘You must not watch the show because everybody around me gets killed.’ ”

No sequels, spinoffs for `Lost'

PASADENA, Calif. – When ABC's drama "Lost" ends in May, it will definitively end — don't look for any sequels or spinoffs.

The show's producers said Tuesday they've known the final image of the mythologically dense series about Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 since the first season, although Carlton Cuse said the last episode hasn't been written yet. It will air sometime in May.

Cuse and Damon Lindelof were giving away few secrets to the show's rabid fans at a news conference Tuesday, even refraining to show video clips. They said the show's sixth and final season will hearken back to its first, and most popular, season in 2004.

The producers were initially sweating about their two-hour season opener, scheduled for Feb. 2, when they heard President Barack Obama had been considering that night for his State of the Union address. It promises to be a challenging episode; actress Emilie de Ravin said she had to read the script three times before it made any sense.

"Get ready to scratch your heads, America," Lindelof said.

A one-hour recap special, an attempt to get uninitiated or casual viewers as familiar with the story as they can, will precede the opener.

In its lifetime, "Lost" proved that it's possible for a television series to challenge its viewers and pull off production values that rival feature films, said Stephen McPherson, ABC entertainment president.

"It will arguably be one of the most influential shows of the decade, if not of all time," McPherson said.

One secret producers did reveal: actress Cynthia Watros, who played the character Libby before being killed off in the second season, will return this year.

"Finally, all of your questions (about Libby) will be answered," Cuse said.

"No, they will not," Lindelof said.

That's something fans should prepare themselves for overall: not all of the questions raised during the series will be answered. "That would be too pedantic," Cuse said.

They're hoping that final show is something that will be talked about afterward in much the same way as the diner scene that ended "The Sopranos."

"I don't think it would be `Lost' if there wasn't any arguing and active debate among the viewers about whether or not it was a good ending," Lindelof said. "My mom will say it's a good ending, even though she doesn't understand the show."

"Lost" has gone through so many inexplicable twists and turns, and flash-forwards to the future, that one writer wondered whether fans had already seen the ending in a previous episode. Cuse said no.

Actors said filming the series has been an emotional journey.

"I'm going to cry like a baby when this series ends," actress Evangeline Lilly said.

Conan O'Brien says no thanks to NBC move

LOS ANGELES – Conan O'Brien has refused to play along with NBC's plan to move "The Tonight Show" and return Jay Leno to late-night, abruptly derailing the network's effort to resolve its scheduling mess.

O'Brien said in a statement Tuesday that shifting "Tonight" will "seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting," and he expressed disappointment that NBC had given him less than a year to establish himself as host at 11:35 p.m. EST.

O'Brien is in line to make approximately $30 million from NBC if he is replaced on "The Tonight Show" or if the show is canceled, said a source close to the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about it publicly. However, the source said the sum would not apply just for moving O'Brien to a later time slot.

O'Brien said he doesn't have an offer in hand from another network. Fox, which lacks a network late-night show, has expressed its appreciation for him but said this week that no negotiations have been held.

In his statement, wryly addressed to "People of Earth," the comic knocked his network's prime-time ratings woes, which stem in part from the poor performance of Leno's new prime-time show. "The Jay Leno Show" debuted in the fall after Leno surrendered his 17-year stake in the "Tonight" last spring to O'Brien.

"It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both," O'Brien said.

"But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my 'Tonight Show' in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Growing up watching "Tonight" host Johnny Carson and getting the chance to "one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me," and was an opportunity he worked long and hard to obtain, O'Brien said.

"Tonight" has long been the dominant late-night program on television, with O'Brien following in a line of hosts that included Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Leno. For many of those years, an appearance on "Tonight," particularly for comics, could make or break a career.

NBC wants to move Leno out of prime-time and to the 11:35 p.m. slot with a half-hour show, bumping "Tonight" to 12:05 a.m. — the latest it's ever regularly aired. The network was under pressure to make a change from its affiliate stations, who found Leno's show an inadequate ratings lead-in for their lucrative local newscasts.

Online, many took to O'Brien's defense and applauded the host's stand against NBC. "Team Conan" was one of the most popular Twitter topics Tuesday afternoon, as young viewers pledged their allegiance to O'Brien.

An O'Brien portrait also circulated as a badge of support. Referring to the "Tonight" show host's playful nickname, it read, "I'm with Coco," and featured a black-and-white picture of a regal-looking O'Brien standing in front of an American flag. The only color: his shock of orange hair.

It doesn't make sense for NBC to try and hold him to a contract, said John Rash, a media analyst for the Chicago advertising firm Campbell & Mithun.

"An unhappy comedian is not a good premise for a program," Rash said.

Jody Simon, an entertainment lawyer with Peter Rubin & Simon, said it's very likely that O'Brien and NBC will reach some sort of settlement that might require him to refrain from working at another late-night show for a certain time.

He expected O'Brien will not boycott his show, despite the expressed desire to quit.

"Until this is settled, I would be surprised if he said he wasn't going to show up for work," Simon said. "It would be unprofessional and would expose him to liability."

The late-night shuffle has played out amid wide speculation that O'Brien might bolt for Fox. And the network's top entertainment executive, Kevin Reilly, said on Monday, "I love Conan personally and professionally."

Fox has had trouble launching late-night shows in the past, with Chevy Chase and Joan Rivers as notable failures. O'Brien offers the advantage of being a proven performer with a team experienced in putting on a show.

"Certainly Conan has a loyal audience and he's been able to effectively position himself as a victim of NBC's schedule shuffle," said Rash, who added that the tone of O'Brien's show seems to fit Fox's brand better than it does NBC's.

ABC's top entertainment executive, Stephen McPherson, said his network had no interest in O'Brien. ABC would have sought Leno if he hit the open market, but its executives believe that O'Brien's show is so close in tone to Letterman's that it wouldn't be good competition.

Fox declined comment Tuesday on O'Brien's statement, but it is taking action that would indicate the network is seriously considering bringing him to late-night, a period now largely filled by a variety of syndicated fare that includes network reruns.

Fox is asking some of its stations to study and report back on how much money is made with current late-night programming, according to a person familiar with the request. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss the request.

The syndication agreements that are in place are a costly sticking point if Fox wants to put in a late-night show across the network, the person said.

It might not be easy for affiliate stations to break profitable syndication agreements, said analyst Rash.

NBC announced the "Tonight Show" succession plan in 2004, well before Leno's departure, to try to avoid the Leno-David Letterman battle that ensued when Carson retired. (On his CBS "Late Show" Tuesday, Letterman joked that he received a call from NBC with the message, "Look, look, we still don't want you back.'") But it didn't count on Leno remaining atop the late-night ratings when he was pushed out of "Tonight."

To keep Leno from becoming a late-night competitor to O'Brien at another network, NBC offered him the daily 10 p.m. EST prime-time series. The network also saw it as an opportunity for cost-cutting, with a talk show considerably cheaper to produce than the scripted dramas that typically fill the final hour of prime-time.

"Tonight" with O'Brien is averaging 2.5 million nightly viewers, compared with 4.2 for Letterman's "Late Show," according to Nielsen figures. And the younger audience that O'Brien was expected to woo has been largely unimpressed; O'Brien and Letterman tie among advertiser-favored viewers ages 18 to 49.

Leno was drawing around 5 million viewers to "Tonight," about the same number now watching his new show.

O'Brien said he hoped that he and NBC could resolve the issue quickly so he could do a show of which he and his crew could be proud — "for a company that values our work" — raising the possibility he might go to another network.

NBC declined comment Tuesday, adding that O'Brien was scheduled to do his show Tuesday night. Leno also declined comment.

For O'Brien, it's been a stark contrast to early in his career, when he was an unknown replacing David Letterman in the 12:30 a.m. slot. He suffered brutal reviews, tough ratings and was working on a week-to-week contract. But NBC's management then stuck with him, and he blossomed into a proven performer.

The network had been counting on O'Brien's cooperation, and wanted an answer quickly, so it could get the revamped schedule ready to begin airing after NBC broadcasts the Winter Olympics, which will dominate NBC's schedule from Feb. 12-28.

O'Brien noted in his statement that he'd received sympathy calls and added that no one should feel sorry for him because he's been "absurdly lucky" to do what he loves most in a world with real problems.

He ended the statement with a punch line: "Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way."

Bill Lawrence, executive producer of ABC's "Scrubs" and "Cougar Town," said he was impressed by O'Brien's letter.

"I'm sure it's going to lead to good things for him," he said.

Kids comeback

TORONTO - Of all the Kids in the Hall fans who have been waiting for the beloved comedy troupe to return to series television, perhaps none has been as eager as group member Scott Thompson.

The quintet brings their absurdist comic mystery, "Death Comes to Town," to CBC-TV on Tuesday, and the funnyman says if it were up to him it would have come years earlier. He says his own professional pursuits sputtered after the Kids retired their CBC sketch comedy show in 1994 and that his stage career virtually imploded in 2001 when he sunk all his money into an ill-timed show about terrorism in New York City.

Thompson says it was the Kids' well-received reunion tour in 2008 that reignited the creative juices of the group, inspiring them to brainstorm an eight-part miniseries about a codpiece-wearing demon who arrives in a quirky Ontario town to collect a few souls.

"This show has been the panacea for all five of us.... for me, it's definitely what I've been waiting for," Thompson says in a recent interview, adding that he long wished for a TV reunion - "probably since '96," he jokes.

Thompson says he had hit "rock bottom" by the time Mark McKinney, Kevin McDonald, Dave Foley and Bruce McCulloch agreed to regroup, but he was dealt another blow just as the revered comics began work on new material - cancer.

He was diagnosed last March with non-Hodgkin's gastric lymphoma, an aggressive form of stomach cancer, and told it was inoperable.

"We were getting ready to write the first drafts of the series and I got thrown overboard by my diagnosis," says Thompson, who was living in L.A. at the time.

"It completely threw me so I had to come home (to Toronto)."

Thompson says he underwent six bouts of chemotherapy and was determined to get well enough to shoot the miniseries before summer was over.

"For me, it was that light in the darkness for all those months," says Thompson, whose characters on the show include ditsy meteorologist Heather Weather, Dusty the coroner and Crim, the hand sanitizer-sniffing town ne'er-do-well.

"I just kept focusing on it and going, 'I have to be well enough to shoot this series. First of all, I can't die - that's not going to be good. And I'm not giving these parts to Mark and Dave, forget it."'

The irony of working on a series about death was not lost on anyone, adds Thompson.

"I got pretty sick and I couldn't really participate for a certain period," he notes. "In the writers' room they just set up a bed for me - they put a mattress on the floor and whenever I would feel well enough to join in I would and then if I was going to vomit I'd go outside, have some medical marijuana, and come back in."

Shooting was postponed so that Thompson could complete his chemotherapy before appearing in front of the cameras. He wrapped up the rigorous treatments on Aug. 1 of last year and was shooting the series in North Bay, Ont., by Aug. 15.

"They were amazing," Thompson says of his comedy partners. "They treated me like nothing was different, they mocked me ruthlessly, made fun of my cancer and it's what I needed."

Two days after the seven-week shoot ended, Thompson began a four-month stint of radiation. He says he's now cancer-free.

McKinney, who largely appears half-naked in his role as the surly, single-toothed Death, says the reunion was so much fun there's talk of more collaborations. In the meantime, negotiations are ongoing to land a broadcast deal for "Death Comes to Town" in the United States.

Of all the Kids, he and Foley have arguably maintained the strongest public profile since the group left television roughly 15 years ago. McKinney built a successful career as a writer on critically acclaimed series including NBC's shortlived "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," the defunct Canadian drama "Slings and Arrows," and the dark comedy "Less Than Kind," which begins a second season on HBO Canada next month.

Foley went on to a steady stream of TV and film gigs, including a starring role in the NBC sitcom "NewsRadio," recurring guest spots on big-network shows "Will and Grace," "Scrubs" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," and voiceover work including 1998's "A Bug's Life."

McCulloch moved on to feature film directing, helming Molly Shannon's comedy "Superstar" in 1999 and the Tom Green farce "Stealing Harvard" in 2002, and later creating and writing the shortlived ABC sitcom, "Carpoolers" in 2007. McDonald's string of character roles included stints on "That '70s Show" and "Less Than Kind," and he recently toured a one-man show, "Hammy and the Kids."

Interspersed were various shortlived Kids reunions that included the poorly received 1996 film "Brain Candy" and three tours in the last 10 years. Thompson says group members - notoriously fractious when they were together - stayed close even as each went in different directions, with Thompson increasingly eager to try a TV comeback.

"The first few years (after the sketch show ended) I was convinced that the rest of my career would just be an ongoing slope up. And then the slope ended and there was a precipitous drop," says Thompson, whose post-Kids days included recurring roles on "The Larry Sanders Show" in 1998, "Providence" in 2001, and "Carpoolers" in 2007.

"And then, as I was dropping, about halfway to the bottom I went, 'Geez, maybe it'd be good if the Kids in the Hall did something more in television.' And then I hit rock bottom. And then I woke up and the next thing I knew, it was happening."

Hardly kids anymore, the offbeat comics appear thicker around the middle and greying on top, but a glimpse at the new series reveals the same ludicrous sensibility that earned them a cult-like following. Characters on the half-hour show include McCulloch's Ricky, a 600-pound, shamed hockey player; McDonald's Marnie, a senile pizza delivery lady; and Foley's kindly Doc Porterhouse, who offers a free kitten with every abortion procedure.

Looking back on the past year, Thompson calls it both the best and the worst of his life. But after overcoming devastating health and career woes he says he feels invigorated and excited by the future, and especially proud of returning to the spotlight with his comedy "brothers."

"I'm so excited, I'm so happy," Thompson says. "Imagine - I'm alive, I'm cancer free and I'm on the verge of a comeback."

"Death Comes to Town" debuts on CBC-TV on Tuesday.

Leno to leave prime-time

PASADENA, Calif (AP) — NBC decided to end the Jay Leno experiment when some of its affiliates started talking about dropping the nightly prime-time show, its top entertainment executive said Sunday.

NBC Universal Television Entertainment Chairman Jeff Gaspin said Sunday that Leno’s nightly prime-time show will end with the beginning of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 12. NBC wants Leno to do an 11:35 p.m. show each night, a return to his old time slot, Gaspin said.

Gaspin said despite lower ratings for NBC at 10 p.m. compared with last year, the network was making money off the show.

But affiliates were upset that the show was leading fewer viewers into their late news programs, costing them significant advertising revenue. Some affiliates told NBC in December they would go public soon about their complaints if a change wasn’t made, or even take Leno’s show off the air.

“The drumbeat started getting louder,” Gaspin said.

Gaspin has proposed moving Conan O’Brien’s “Tonight” show to 12:05 a.m., and Jimmy Fallon’s show would start an hour later. But the late-night hosts had not agreed to the move. Gaspin said he expected NBC’s late-night situation to be cleared up by the start of the Olympics.

Asked if O’Brien and Fallon expressed anger at his proposal, Gaspin said both men were professional and understanding when they talked.

“Beyond that, it was a private conversation,” Gaspin said.

Obama State of the Union Threatens Lost Premiere

Lost has had to overcome many obstacles through its first five seasons, but never before has it been threatened by the Commander-In-Chief.

News is circulating the Internet today that the White House is considering either January 26 or February 2 for President Obama's State of the Union Address.

Losties know full well February 2 is the season six premiere which would mean if that date is chosen, the planned 3-hour event would be preempted in favor of a political speech. Doesn't anyone in the White House watch Lost? Ouch!

ABC is surely monitoring this situation closely and has a backup plan in place should they lose their date. I have a hard time imagining Lost starting after the Address, which would leave either the previous or following Tuesday evenings as likely candidates.

Of course there is a big Twitter movement underway with a hashtag of #NoStateofUnionFeb2 to stop this television travesty in its tracks. Personally I favor returning to Lost on schedule rather than another update on the improving economy and the latest anti-terrorist measures.

Tyra Banks Says Goodbye to Talk Show

After five seasons, two Daytime Emmy awards and too many girl-power episodes to count, Tyra Banks is announcing the end of The Tyra Show.

“This will be the last season of The Tyra Show,” Banks told PEOPLE magazine. "I've been loving having fun, coming into your living rooms, bedrooms, hair salons for the past 5 years.”

Wrapping at the end of its fifth season in the spring of 2010, it will be lights out for the show that brought viewers memorable weave-exposing, cellulite-revealing and tear-jerking moments.

Banks will focus on the launch of Bankable Studios, a N.Y.-based film production company currently reviewing possible projects. Sticking to her mission, Banks aims to bring “positive images of women to the big screen,” says an industry insider.

“My next huge steps will allow me to reach more women and young girls to help us all feel as fierce as we truly are,” Banks says.

Adds the insider: “Tyra is sad because she’ll be missing so much of the daily connection to her viewers, but excited at the same time to be taking on a new challenge.”

With encouragement from filmmaker Tyler Perry and longtime mentor Oprah Winfrey, Banks is “redefining beauty for women in film,” adds the source. “With Oprah’s big announcement this year, I think that gave Tyra the confidence to get out there and follow her longtime dream of film producing.”

But fashion fiends worry not. America’s Next Top Model is slated to return for its 15th season in February along with Banks’s ABC show True Beauty.

“There’s a lot cooking right now and a lot of fire burning in my heart,” Banks writes in an open letter on her Web site. “And I salute you my amazing family of viewers; without you there never would have been a Tyra Show. I really love you all.”

'Flight of the Conchords' is grounded

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, who starred in and co-created HBO's "Flight of the Conchords," say there won't be a third season of the show.

In a statement posted on the Conchords web site Thursday, McKenzie, Clement and co-creator James Bobin say they "like the way the show ended" and are leaving it at that. They've spoken in the past about the difficulty of writing songs to fit the show's episodes -- which contributed to the 16-month gap between the first and second season on HBO.

Here's the full statement from the Conchords site:

"We've noticed the less we say about the future of the show, the more people want to talk about it, so in an effort to reverse this trend we are today announcing that we won't be returning for a 3rd season. We're very proud of the two seasons we made and we like the way the show ended. We'd like to thank everyone who helped make the show and also everyone who watched it. While the characters Bret and Jemaine will no longer be around, the real Bret and Jemaine will continue to exist."

While I would have loved to see more of the Conchords on HBO, I have to respect the fact that Clement, McKenzie and Bobin are happy with how they went out and won't try to milk the show any further. And we'll always have "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros."

CBS cancels another daytime drama

NEW YORK – CBS is canceling the soap opera "As the World Turns" after more than a half-century on the air.

CBS says the final episode will air next September, in its 54th year. Daytime dramas have been in a long-term ratings decline, and CBS ended the daytime soap "Guiding Light" earlier this year.

Through the years, actors Marisa Tomei, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey and James Earl Jones have appeared on the show.

The cancellation will leave CBS with only two daytime dramas: "The Young and the Restless" and "Bold and Beautiful."

Wiig to host `SNL' Christmas special as Gilly

NEW YORK – Kristin Wiig's recurring character Gilly might not seemed filled with holiday cheer, yet NBC is turning to her to host a "Saturday Night Live" Christmas special.

"SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas" will air Dec. 17 at 8 p.m. The two-hour special, the first for "SNL" since 2002, will be led by Wiig's Gilly, an ever-smiling Annie-lookalike who delights in violent mischief.

The special will feature new sketches with Gilly and highlights of classic holiday "SNL" sketches.

Wiig, roundly considered a standout performer on the NBC sketch comedy show, has built Gilly into a popular character. In a phone interview Monday, she said part of the fun of Gilly hosting is in her slim vocabulary, which consists mainly of the simple catch-phrase "Sorry."

"That can be a tough one to work around," Wiig said. "There's going to be no long monologue. Maybe her five-word vocabulary will stretch to 10 or 11."

A Gilly sketch is a very structured thing. It's always set in a classroom where an uncertain teacher (Will Forte) questions his students (Kenan Thompson, Bobby Moynihan) on the source of some trouble making.

Wiig and Paula Pell, a writer on the show, came up with the sketch while writing something else, but the idea continued to stick.

"We just kept doing the smile and we did it for a couple weeks," said Wiig. "We were just like, `Let's write it.' Maybe she's this bad kid. We just started saying `Sorry,' and it came organically from there."

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will also make guest appearances on the special to help introduce clips they've appeared in as hosts, including Baldwin in "NPR's Delicious Dish and the Schweddy Balls" and Martin in "A Holiday Wish."

If pressed for a holiday favorite, Wiig cites John Malkovich's maniacal reading of "`Twas the Night Before Christmas" last year.

"Since `SNL' has been on for so long, it's 35 years of at least two or three shows a year kind of based on Christmas stuff," said Wiig. "There's a lot of good material there."

Costello makes 'Spectacle' of U2

Music fans fantasize that all the biggest rock stars know each other. And they live together in a big house.

"Like the Monkees," Elvis Costello said enthusiastically.

"Or Help!" added Costello, referring to the Beatles movie. "We live in a row of terrace houses, and they're connecting inside."

That Help! house was so damn cool, we always wanted to live there.

"Yeah, me too," Costello said. "With the sunken bed ... there are plenty of people who have lived that out."

The fact is, there are some fellow titans of rock that Elvis Costello knows very well, and others that are mere acquaintances, if that. Costello's experience hosting Spectacle -- the second season of which gets under way Friday on CTV, with Bono and the Edge from U2 -- has taught Costello that good friends don't automatically make good interviews.

"Only a couple of them are people I know really well," Costello said of the second-season guest list, which includes the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Nick Lowe, Sheryl Crow, Levon Helm and Ron Sexsmith.

CTV is airing the U2 episode of Spectacle -- which sees Costello talking to, and performing with, Bono and the Edge -- as a pre-Christmas treat. The rest of the second season will air sometime in 2010, although filming has been completed already.

"We did two in Toronto at the Masonic Temple (MTV headquarters) and the rest in New York at the Apollo again," Costello said. "This second season has a different personality in that it's based more on songs rather than on the careers of individuals. We concentrated on framing things very tightly in the musical fashion."

Costello introduces Bono and the Edge with a rap about how U2 has joined the likes of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and the Who and Led Zeppelin in the rock pantheon, as unlikely as that might have seemed when U2 formed in Ireland in the late 1970s.

"You have to be happy if you open the series with Bono and Edge," Costello said. "And they're coming along to the Masonic Temple -- it's hard to imagine Led Zeppelin ever played there (but they did, in 1969). When you've got television production in there, you've got 700 people, maybe less. And U2 is playing to 40,000 people the next day at the Rogers Centre.

"It came home to me halfway through the show, around the time Bono started thanking everybody on the show from the stage, I thought, 'What incredible generosity it was for them to let themselves take part in this.' They didn't know what I was going to ask them. It's not all scripted. There's no collusion."

We asked Costello if he'd ever fantasized about having Spectacle travel back in time so he could interview and jam with some of the dearly departed titans of rock -- people such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, John Lennon, etc.

"I haven't actually had that imagining," Costello said. "But now that you say it, you could go on forever."

And then you all could move in together. Like The Monkees. Or Help!

Underwood aims for family fun with variety show

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The variety show was once a television staple, and Carrie Underwood thinks it might be time for a resurgence.

The country music star hosts Monday's "An All-Star Holiday Special" on Fox, and believes it's just the tonic for the regular TV lineup.

"I think it's really great they're making a comeback because I think it's really good family programming, and nowadays it seems like every show is about, like, murder or police and people shooting at each other," Underwood said.

The 26-year-old Oklahoma native was too young to catch the golden age of the variety show. It once was as common as the reality show with stars like Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell sisters, Sonny and Cher, and even The Muppets mixing music and comedy to draw in a family audience.

But Underwood did her research before shooting her show in Los Angeles earlier this fall.

"I remember a little bit of the Mandrell sisters and I have gone back and seen episodes of their show just to kind of, I don't know, get some ideas and kind of see how it's done from a master's perspective," she said.

She also had variety show veteran and country music star Dolly Parton on the set to lend advice. Underwood said she'd never met Parton until they did the show together, and the two hit it off right away — especially when they realized they lived close to each other.

"I told her and she was like, 'You don't live far from me, let's get together. Do you like Southern cooking? You don't look like you eat,'" Underwood said.
Brad Paisley, fellow "American Idol" winner David Cook, "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest and Neil Patrick Harris also appear in the special, along with Underwood's mother and sister.

The show caps quite the year for Underwood. She won the Academy of Country Music entertainer of the year award in the spring, and her new album, "Play On," debuted at No. 1. She also hosted the Country Music Association Awards for the second straight year.

After a quiet holiday with family, she'll turn her attention to touring in the new year, hitting the road next spring.

"I think my whole life next year will be revolving around touring," she said.

Taylor Lautner, James Franco to host 'Saturday Night Live'

"Saturday Night Live" has landed Taylor Lautner, wolfy guy from "Twilight's New Moon" as a host. Ooh, maybe there will be a Taylor Swift cameo!

Lautner and James Franco are the two newest names to be added to "SNL's" December hosting lineup after "Gossip Girl's" Blake Lively was revealed as the Dec. 5 host, paired with Rihanna as musical guest.

Lautner, who became a "Rolling Stone" cover boy and was briefly on NBC with the short-lived "My Own Worst Enemy," will follow on Dec. 12, making his hosting debut alongside musical guest Bon Jovi. Lautner's face and body have been plastered everywhere in the media in conjunction with the release of "New Moon," the second installment of the "Twilight" saga that features his character Jacob coming into his own supernatural heritage.

Lautner can be seen next in the romantic comedy "Valentine's Day," to be released in February 2010.

Franco, who has been guest starring on "General Hospital," will host for his second time out on Dec. 19 with the band Muse. Franco has his own romantic comedy coming out, "Your Highness" opposite Natalie Portman in 2010, and the upcoming biopic "Howl" about poet Allen Ginsberg.

Former Doctor Who to play John Lennon

Former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston is to play John Lennon in a new BBC drama covering Lennon's life from 1967 to 1971.

Lennon Naked centres on the effect on Lennon of the death of the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, and the impact of re-establishing contact with his long-lost father Freddie. It also covers the period of his life when he breaks up with first wife Cynthia Lennon and meets Yoko Ono, to be played by Naoko Mori.

The 90-minute drama is scheduled to air on BBC 4, one of four channels run by Britain's public broadcaster, next year. It is currently being filmed in London.

Eccleston starred in Danny Boyle's 1994 film Shallow Grave and served a single season in the role of Doctor Who in the BBC revival of the show in 2005. He later appeared in NBC sci-fi show Heroes and Hollywood film GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra.

No more ‘Spectacle’ for Costello

Rocker Elvis Costello is to end his run as a chat show host after just two seasons because his "side project" takes up too much of his time.

The Brit fronts music and interview show Spectacle and the second season of the critically-acclaimed series is just about to begin in America with chats and performances from Bono and Bruce Springsteen, among others.

And no matter how successful the show is, Costello insists he won't be back for a third series.

He says, "I wasn't looking for a career in TV. It's something I did as a side project from my real career."

"Conchords" star Clement says HBO show may end

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Flight of the Conchords" star Jemaine Clement has said his offbeat HBO comedy series may not continue for a third season because it requires so much work, but a final decision will be made within a month.

Clement told Reuters that he needs to discuss the future of the show with his co-star, Bret McKenzie, and with the director of the series, James Bobin.

"It very likely might not" return for a third season, Clement said.

"It could come back in a shorter season or like a special," he added.

The largely autobiographical "Flight of the Conchords," an offbeat, cult favorite in the United States, tells of two New Zealand bandmates named Jemaine and Bret who move to New York to try to make it in the music business.

The show began in 2007 and is based on Clement and McKenzie's folk parody band Flight of the Conchords. The second season ended this past spring on the U.S. network HBO.

This year, the show gained an Emmy nomination for best comedy series, but lost to "30 Rock" on NBC. Clement also was nominated for best lead actor in a comedy series.

Clement, who took flight on a solo career last week starring in a new movie "Gentleman Broncos," said he and McKenzie are challenged to keep up with the work required for the show.

"We've got to write the series, but we've also got to write the songs, and just dividing your time into those two writing tasks is really tricky," he said.

Clement, who also told Reuters in January that Season 2 could be the last for "Flight of the Conchords," said its end would be "bittersweet" because "it's so hard" to produce.

"Flight of the Conchords" averaged 3.1 million viewers per episode last season, in-line with Season 1, HBO said.

"We've left their future entirely in their hands," said Nancy Lesser, a spokeswoman for the network. "We would love to have more, and we left an open door at HBO."

Last year, Clement and McKenzie's musical duo Flight of the Conchords won New Zealand's first Grammy since 1984, for their EP "The Distant Future." They won for best comedy album.

"30 Rock" scores zero rating in German debut

COLOGNE, Germany (Hollywood Reporter) – "30 Rock" scored a 0.0 rating in its debut on German television Sunday night, meaning fewer than 5,000 viewers tuned in for the Emmy-winning comedy.

Making 82 million Germans laugh is never easy, but the debut was below even the lowest forecasts of broadcaster ZDFNeo. The digital niche channel, which is run by public broadcaster ZDF, had made "30 Rock" the flagship entry in a relaunch promising more cutting-edge programing for a younger demographic. But no one, young or old, tuned in Sunday.

The show is hardly a ratings hit in the United States. The series premiere on NBC drew a decent 8.1 million viewers in October 2006. Last week's episode averaged about 6.0 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

'SNL': January Jones and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to host in November

Saturday Night Live announced its line-up of guest hosts and musical acts for November and it’s looking like there will be a lot of new faces in Studio 8H. Mad Men’s January Jones will host the show on Nov. 14, with the Black Eyed Peas doing the musical honors. A week later, on Nov. 21, (500) Days of Summer star Joseph Gordon-Levitt will stand center stage with the Dave Matthews Band, who return to the show after nearly a decade. As previously reported, pop star Taylor Swift will wear two hats as both host and musical guest next Saturday night, Nov. 7.

Joss Whedon Speaks Out Regarding Upcoming 'Dollhouse' Absence

News broke yesterday that Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" is getting pulled from Fox for the month of November, signaling the network's lack of faith in the Eliza Dushku-starring show's prospects going forward.

While the removal of "Dollhouse" from sweeps month wasn't exactly a shocker to anybody following the series' downward spiral in both the creative and commercial departments, it did prompt the show's much-beloved creator to speak out.

Following an open letter posted at The TV Addict, Whedon took to his own blog to address some of the growing concerns about "Dollhouse" and the show's November absence.

"Well, I'm not as depressed as everyone else," wrote Whedon. "We weren't about to rock sweeps anyway, and though there's a chilly November, December is CRAZY. It's like an Advent calendar of episodes!"

Aside from expressing enthusiasm about "Dollhouse" posting double-headers on Friday throughout the month of December, Whedon suggested that the lack of November airtime would afford him the opportunity to promote the show to new viewers.

"We get November to try to spread the word (which I'll be leaning on Fox to do, though it's hard to imagine them doing as good a job as the WhyIWatch guy) and then December is pure gluttony," he said. "Plus the episodes line up extremely well in these pairs, and we'll have an absurdly appropriate lead-in."

Whedon also spoke about his upcoming director stint on Fox's "Glee," which some have viewed as the network's attempt to connect Whedon and "Dollhouse" with a different audience.

"This is not a diabolical Fox scheme," he said of the directorial gig. "This is me going 'can I can I?'"

'Dollhouse' draws big DVR numbers

"Dollhouse" fans can breathe easier: Fox will air all 13 episodes.

On the heels of impressive DVR data for the "Dollhouse" premiere, network execs said they will run each produced hour of the show's current order despite the Friday drama's modest overall ratings.

"We're going to run all the episodes," Fox scheduling chief Preston Beckman said. "We're not saying we're happy with those numbers, or accept them, but we don't have to overreact."

Premiere-week DVR data released Monday showed that the second-season "Dollhouse" debut climbed 50% from its very modest base of a 1.0 rating in the adults 18-49 demo. Beckman said DVR results have played a role in the show's fate, though he wasn't surprised by the new numbers.

"It's one of the reasons that we brought 'Dollhouse' back; we knew it was DVR-friendly," Beckman said. "Hopefully we'll see the overnight ratings increase from week to week. With some shows, you have to look at the bigger picture."

As for ordering additional episodes, or a third season, Fox says it will make that decision after the current run.

The news represents a relief to "Dollhouse" fans that the current season won't be cut short but also suggests that a full-season order is unlikely. Waiting until all 13 episodes have aired before making a decision generally means allowing production on the show to shut down for the season.

"Dollhouse" creator Joss Whedon said he's writing the 13th hour to give fans a degree of closure.

"We'll definitely have closure but will leave some doors open," said Whedon, who's shooting the eighth episode.

"Dollhouse" stood in sharp contrast to its lead-in, Fox's freshman comedy "Brothers," which occupied the other extreme end of DVR data, and was flat.

The program with the largest overall rating increase based on raw gains -- not a percentage compared with its original number -- during premiere week was ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," which boosted its adult demo number from 6.7 to 8.2. That was followed by another Fox drama, "House" (6.8 to 8.2). Other top climbers based on sheer gains include "The Office" (3.9 to 4.9) and "The Mentalist" (3.6 to 4.6).

In addition to "Dollhouse," some other shows particularly aided by DVR gains include NBC's "Heroes" -- its Live+7 rating of 3.7 is greatly improved from its previous 2.7. Same with ABC's "Castle"; the difference between a 2.3 and 2.9 is significant in the eyes of a network. And heavy DVR gains for Fox's Thursday lineup of "Bones" and "Fringe" suggest that the shows are drawing the short straw in terms of live viewing on the intensely competitive night.

"All viewing matters," John Rash, senior vp at media agency Campbell Mithun, said of the gains. "The numbers particularly matter for relatively low-rated shows like 'Dollhouse' and 'Smallville,' which have an established fan base -- albeit one that time-shifts -- which may give a show longer life if this data wasn't accounted for."

Shifting back to percentage increases, after "Dollhouse" and "Smallville," which also gained 50%, the next-biggest DVR gainer is the CW's "90210," climbing 40%, followed by Fox's "Fringe" (39%) and the CW's "Melrose Place" (38%) and "Gossip Girl" (36%).

"A time-sifted show signifies engagement with the content because they've taken that extra step," said Shari Anne Brill, vp and director of programming at Carat. "A lack of time-shifting suggests, 'If I miss it, oh well.' "

NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" occupied many of the lower spots, generally gaining about a tenth of a rating point (or 5%). This was expected and was one of NBC's selling points of Leno's show ("DVR-proof").

"God didn't invent news to be time-shifted, nor Jay Leno," said NBC's research guru Alan Wurtzel. "The whole point of Leno is to be topical."

Wurtzel noted one aspect that was surprising was how quickly viewers have continued to adopt time-shifted viewing -- overall, broadcast shows gained an average of 14% for premiere week, compared with 9% last year. The CW gained the most (30%), followed by Fox (19%), CBS (13%), ABC (12%) and NBC (7%).

Carrie Underwood to host variety special on Fox

NEW YORK – The Fox network says Carrie Underwood will host a two-hour variety special tentatively titled, "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special," to air Dec. 7.

The network says Underwood will perform new music from her upcoming album, previous hits and holiday classics. Musical guests will include Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley and David Cook.

Underwood won season four of "American Idol." The 26-year-old country singer is a four-time Grammy winner.

Her new album will be released Nov. 3.

Leonard Nimoy gets new sci-fi life on "Fringe"

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Leonard Nimoy returns to U.S. television this week in his new guise as a mysterious mastermind on the show "Fringe," but doubts that his Mr. Spock will head back to space, the final frontier.

Nimoy, 78, reprised his role as Spock, playing an older version of the character in director J.J. Abrams new movie take on "Star Trek" this year. But he told reporters on Wednesday he does not think there will be a role for him in the sequel, slated for release in 2011.

"I think I was useful in this last film to help bridge between the original actors and this new cast," Nimoy said.

"They have a wonderful new cast in place... and I don't see why they would need me in this next film. But if they called me, I would be happy to have a conversation about it," Nimoy said in a conference call.

"Heroes" star Zachary Quinto played the younger version of Spock in the latest "Star Trek" movie, and Nimoy and Quinto acted together in one time defying scene, as old and young Spock met face-to-face.

It was the connection with Abrams that led to Nimoy's brief appearance in May on "Fringe" -- the Fox science fiction TV show created by Abrams that explores the existence of a parallel universe.

Nimoy said viewers will learn more about his character William Bell, the founder of a mysterious corporation called Massive Dynamic, when they see him again in an episode airing on Thursday, and in at least one more episode this year.

Discussions are under way regarding further appearances.

Nimoy described Bell as a "master of the universe" character who is "brilliant, wealthy and very powerful." As for whether Bell is good or evil, "time will tell," he said.

"The character was somewhat a blank slate and therefore attractive, because there is an opportunity to build an interesting and unpredictable character," he said.

Nimoy all but gave up acting for photography 10 years ago, but said he is enjoying his comeback.

"I am very flattered that people are still finding me useful," Nimoy said. "I still feel strong and healthy and active, and as long as there is interesting work to do, I'll probably keep on doing it."

James Franco to guest star on 'General Hospital'

NEW YORK (AP) — James Franco will guest star on ABC's General Hospital for a lengthy story arc this fall.

The Pineapple Express and Spider-Man actor will play a mystery person who comes to the soap opera's town of Port Charles. The recurring role will begin Nov. 20 — to coincide with November sweeps — and will last about two months.

Executive producer Jill Farren Phelps says it's "an honor that an actor of Franco's caliber would choose to spend some of his valuable time in Port Charles."

The 31-year-old Franco will star as Allen Ginsberg next year in the film Howl.

On HBO's 'Curb,' the whole 'Seinfeld' gang's here!

NEW YORK – You know you want it.

You may never have said it out loud, that you wanted a "Seinfeld" reunion. Why would you, cool "Seinfeld" fan that you are? You know TV reunions are lame. You also know the "Seinfeld" gang is way too cool to stoop to doing one.

But now Larry David has reunited his four "Seinfeld" stars for a sassy story line on his current series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He has recaptured the twisted genius of the old show and reignited it, fresh and funny and safely removed from any danger of lameness.

The made-for-TV version of himself that he portrays on his HBO comedy (a caviling provocateur named Larry David who formerly produced a show called "Seinfeld") sets the plan in motion for a "Seinfeld" reunion on Sunday's episode of "Curb" (airing at 9 p.m. EDT).

But not before resisting.

"You know those reunion shows, they're so lame," TV-Larry scoffs when the idea is first bought to him.

Then, befitting TV-Larry, when he eventually consents, it's not for any logical good reason.

His ulterior motive: to win back his estranged wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines). He means to cast her, a would-be actress, as the ex-wife of George Costanza (the character who, played by Jason Alexander, always served as David's "Seinfeld" doppelganger).

Granted, Pirandello would be easier to sort out than this double-helix of parody and truth. Doesn't matter. What matters is, this particular "Curb" — the third episode in its triumphant seventh season — is a compact masterpiece. It finesses a hilarious clash between David and the "Seinfeld" foursome (Alexander, Michael Richards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and, of course, Jerry Seinfeld), reconvened 11 years after the "Seinfeld" finale with hilarious, organic aplomb.

"Why isn't it lame?" says TV-Jerry when TV-Larry coaxes him to say yes.

"Because we'll do it in a way that won't be lame," vows TV-Larry, flush with his covert Cheryl-targeted agenda.

And he does! They do! They mount a real reunion within a mock reunion. They wangle a way to have it both ways, for themselves and for the audience. How cool is that!

Larry and Company would never have done it under any other terms.

"Honestly, and I know I can speak for Jerry, too, I can tell you that neither of us ever gave a moment's thought to doing it for real," says David.

And in contrast to the overeager, unctuous NBC executive who proposes the idea on "Curb," David says that, in real life, NBC has never made an overture for a reunion in all these years.

Fine, but what if Larry had picked up the phone and volunteered? Wouldn't those NBC execs be doing back flips (or something even more unseemly)?

"Yes," says David with a sly smile. "Yes, I think they would have. I think it would have been an unpleasant sight to witness. Or even hear. I don't know what would have been worse — to see it or hear it." Suffice it to say, he spared himself and NBC from finding out.

But in the meantime, he thought of the idea to bring back the four "Seinfeld" stars within the context of a "Curb" story line. Then the plot line of his winning Cheryl back presented itself. Here was a potent synthesis.

In person, David is the 62-year-old spitting image of TV-Larry, from his tennis shoes and lanky, loose-limbed frame to his irredeemably bald head. This only certifies the confusion intertwining fiction with reality.

Life certainly imitated art once real-life Larry recognized he had to persuade the four "Seinfeld" alums to come aboard before he could begin a "Curb" script where TV-Larry tries to persuade their TV counterparts to come aboard.

"I had to make four separate calls to ask them if they would do the show, 'cause I couldn't do it if any one of them refused."

On Sunday's episode, TV-David is seen starting with TV-Jerry, then hitting up TV-Jason, TV-Julia and then TV-Michael.

What order did he follow in real life?

David flashes an oh-no-you-don't smile and answers, "Let's just say I contacted Jerry first."

After Sunday, Seinfeld will appear in four more of the remaining seven episodes, while Louis-Dreyfus will be in three, and Alexander and Richards in two. The season climaxes with the "Seinfeld" reunion show, which, of course, unfolds "within a 'Curb' story," David adds pointedly. "I must emphasis that."

Though David hastens to remind you that, while the dialogue on each "Curb" episode is improvised, the story structure is tightly plotted out.

"The writing is the hard part. But the shooting is a lot of fun," he says, adding, "People would not want to see other people having this much fun. They would be angry. I would be angry if I saw it: 'Stop it, Larry!'"

And it was never more fun than when the four "Seinfeld" alums actually gathered on the show's original sound stage for a scene (airing on a future "Curb" episode) where they did a table read for the mock-"Seinfeld" show.

"They were all together reading from a 'Seinfeld' script, and the scene's being filmed, and while that's going on, I've got other things to do." And it's all part of his "Curb" show.

David smiles with what, for anyone else, might signal satisfaction. "It's quite a hybrid."

It's a hybrid you never knew you wanted, but will love.

'Dollhouse' returns to lowest ever ratings

The second season of Dollhouse premiered to the show's lowest ever audience last night, according to early ratings data.

The opener, which guest-starred Jamie Bamber, pulled in just 2.57m for Fox in the 9pm hour. The ratings are the lowest ever for the Joss Whedon series but are roughly on par with the 2.75m audience for the first season finale in May.

The season premiere of Medium on CBS won the hour with 8.78m, while Dateline NBC managed 5.82m for the Peacock. Encores of new comedies Modern Family and Cougar Town put in respective audiences of 4.28m and 4.18m for ABC, and on The CW, a rerun of America's Next Top Model grabbed 1.17m.

The fifth season premiere of Ghost Whisperer won the 8pm hour for CBS with 8.58m, while the premiere of Law & Order delivered 6.29m for NBC. An encore of FlashForward took 4.55m for ABC, the series premiere of new Fox comedy Brothers had 2.82m, and the season premiere of Smallville appealed to just 2.5m on The CW.

At 10pm, the season premiere of Numb3rs logged an impressive 7.92m for CBS. ABC was second, with 7.11m for 20/20, while NBC's The Jay Leno Show averaged 5.68m.

'Saturday Night Live' starts season with F-bomb

NEW YORK – "Saturday Night Live" has started the season with a bang, or, more precisely, an F-bomb.

Newcomer Jenny Slate let the dreaded word slip during a parody of a talk show by biker women. Called "Biker Chick Chat," the sketch was laden with tough talk from its participants, played by Slate, Kristen Wiig and guest host Megan Fox.

But the most objectionable word was substituted, with rapid-fire comic frequency, with an inoffensive stand-in for that vulgarity.

Then, midway through the sketch, Slate slipped and said the word she meant to avoid.

"You know what? You stood up for yourself," she declared, "and I (expletive) love you for that."

She puffed her cheeks, perhaps realizing her error, but the sketch continued with no interruption or further flubs.

Slate is an actress and comedian who this summer appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," and is perhaps best-known as half of the comedy duo Gabe and Jenny — until her memorable "SNL" debut this weekend.

NBC declined to comment on the incident, other than to say the word had been restored to the intended "freakin'" for the show's replays in western time zones.

The sketch aired live at about 12:40 a.m. Eastern, well after prime time, when use of expletives can be punished by the FCC.

It wasn't the first time this particular word had been heard on "SNL." Cast member Charles Rocket made the slip in 1981.

But less than two weeks ago, a veteran New York City news anchor created a sensation by accidentally dropping an F-bomb during a newscast while bantering with the weatherman. The clip was soon an Internet favorite. Ernie Anastos of Fox affiliate WNYW apologized on the air the next night.

Changes afoot at `Law & Order: Criminal Intent'

LOS ANGELES – Changes are afoot at "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," with charter cast member Vincent D'Onofrio exiting the USA Network series and recent recruit Jeff Goldblum taking over full-time.

D'Onofrio's character, Detective Robert Goren, will say goodbye in a two-hour hand-off episode to open the ninth season early next year, "Criminal Intent" creator and executive producer Dick Wolf said Friday.

Goldblum, who joined the series last season, will continue as Detective Zack Nichols in the NYPD Major Case Squad.

"After eight seasons, and with the addition of Jeff Goldblum, now is the perfect time for me to explore other acting opportunities," D'Onofrio said in a statement.

He added, "I wouldn't be surprised if Goren pops up from time to time."

"Criminal Intent" premiered on NBC in 2001 with D'Onofrio as the series' sole lead. From 2005 through Goldblum's arrival, Chris Noth co-starred on an alternating basis with D'Onofrio.

USA became the series' primary outlet two years ago.

In another possible cast change next season, Goldblum could be joined by Saffron Burrows, replacing Julianne Nicholson, according to a person close to the production who spoke on condition of anonymity. The person, who is not authorized to speak publicly about casting, said Nicholson isn't expected to continue with the series. She has played Detective Megan Wheeler since 2006.

Burrows' credits include the film "The Bank Job."

Heather Locklear will join updated 'Melrose Place'

NEW YORK (AP) — Heather Locklear is reprising her signature role as scheming Amanda Woodward on its updated version of Melrose Place, the CW network announced Tuesday.

Locklear will make her debut appearance Nov. 17 on the prime-time soap. The revived Melrose Place premiered earlier this month.

The 48-year-old Locklear joined the original Melrose Place in 1993, at the end of the first season. She stayed throughout the series' seven-year run on the Fox network. As Amanda, she was the ruthless head of the D&D advertising agency.

Before Melrose, Locklear had been a regular on the cop show T.J. Hooker and the glamorous melodrama Dynasty. She later co-starred with Michael J. Fox on the sitcom Spin City.

She will now be joining original Melrose castmates Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bisset and Daphne Zuniga in the CW's updated version.

No details were released on how many appearances Locklear will make on the series.

Winner crowned on CBS TV show 'Big Brother 11'

LOS ANGELES – Jordan Lloyd was served the $500,000 grand prize on "Big Brother 11."

The goofy 22-year-old waitress from Matthews, N.C., bested Natalie Martinez, the scheming 24-year-old recent college graduate from Gilbert, Ariz., on the season finale of the voyeuristic CBS reality show. Lloyd received five votes from the show's seven-member jury, which included viewer votes as the possibly tie-breaking seventh pick for the first time.

Lloyd, who spent most of the season aligned with and romantically linked to charming 31-year-old advertising salesman Jeff Schroeder, defeated Kevin Campbell, the cunning 29-year-old graphic designer from Chula Vista, Calif., in the last round of a three-part Head of Household competition, which allowed her to choose Martinez to battle against for votes.

"It was my fault," Campbell lamented. "I should have won the last competition."

Martinez, who earned a $50,000 second-place prize, had been aligned with several jury members, but her lies in the game apparently caught up to her in the jury house and cost her votes. Her biggest fib? Fooling most of the contestants — or houseguests, as they're referred to on the show — into believing she was an 18-year-old recent high school graduate.

"She acted like she was 12," said Schroeder, who was voted "favorite houseguest" by viewers and won a $25,000 prize.

Lloyd outplayed her 12 competitors, who were all isolated from the outside world and monitored by dozens of cameras and microphones, for 73 days inside the "Big Brother" house.

She cited her unbreakable bond with Schroeder and ability to win competitions after he was eliminated as the main reasons why she should win.

So what is she going to do with the moolah?

"Put a down payment on a house for me, my mom and my brother," she said.

The live two-hour finale also featured the jury's interrogation of the final two and a reunion of the "Big Brother" cast — except for Chima Simone, the 33-year-old freelance journalist who was expelled after tossing a microphone into a whirlpool spa. Because Simone wasn't part of the jury, viewers cast the possibly tie-breaking seventh vote for Lloyd.

Critics slam `Leno Show,' call it `Tonight' rehash

NEW YORK – Jay Leno snagged mostly negative reviews with his entry into prime time as he stuck to familiar ground — just 90 minutes earlier.

Monday's premiere of "The Jay Leno Show," which transports the longtime "Tonight Show" host to 10 p.m. EDT weekdays on NBC, was slammed as a "cut-rate, snooze-inducing, rehashed bore" by Robert Bianco of USA Today. And that was even with the presence of Leno's much-buzzed-about guest Kanye West.

The Associated Press' Frazier Moore identified "the biggest difference between Leno's new show and his old one: With his fade-out at 11 p.m., the local news began."

Of course, Leno has never been the critics' darling. The first response from viewers wouldn't be known until Nielsen ratings are released later Tuesday.

But audience numbers aren't likely to sway The Los Angeles Times' Mary McNamara, who called the show "a strange, shallow puddle of comedy."

"This is the future of television?" she wrote. "This wasn't even a good rendition of television past."

"The future of `The Jay Leno Show' is likely to look almost exactly like `The Tonight Show' past," complained Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times. "So much ink has been devoted to describing how Mr. Leno's new show would depart from his old one that it was startling to see how little difference there was."

Indeed, much ink has been devoted to "The Jay Leno Show" since NBC's announcement last December.

And many questions have swirled: Will a cost-cutting comedy show stripped across weeknights imperil more expensive weekly scripted drama shows? Will the audience embrace this NBC alternative to fictional docs, cops and lawyers? Has fourth-rated NBC found a strategy that not only will improve its fortunes, but also alter the programming landscape on rival networks?

Or will this prove to be NBC's biggest flop yet?

These are questions likely to remain unresolved for months.

The premiere was relentlessly hyped by NBC all summer, even prompting Leno to crack when he arrived on stage, "This isn't another annoying promo. This is the actual show!"

For his debut, he had booked a relatively big name, Jerry Seinfeld, besides lucking into TV's biggest get, Kanye West, who was not only able to perform a song ("Run This Town," along with Jay-Z and Rihanna), but also apologize lugubriously for his bad behavior on an MTV awards show Sunday night.

Giving curious viewers yet more reason to sample Jay's first night was the fact that ABC and CBS were airing retreads during his time slot: the final hour of the 2006 film "Dreamgirls" and a rerun of "CSI: Miami," respectively.

'Saturday Night Live' subtracts after it adds

The two new hires "Saturday Night Live" made last week won't end up making the cast any bigger after all.

NBC's late-night comedy show added two new female performers, Nasim Pedrad and Jenny Slate, to its cast last week, but we now know that their addition came at the expense of two people who were with the show last year: Michaela Watkins and Casey Wilson. That means the cast will stay at 13 people, with four women -- Pedrad, Slate and returnees Kristen Wiig and Abby Elliott.

As was the case with the hirings of Slate and Pedrad, The Comic's Comic was first with the news about the firings of Wilson, who joined "SNL" in February 2008, and Watkins, who came aboard last November. In an e-mail to the site, Watkins says her tenure on the show, while brief, was "awesome."

"I will say to you now, though, that I had a GREAT time there. Met some of the most truly talented and fantastic people, had the most exciting job and I honestly can say I don't have any regrets I can think of right now," she says. "Although it seems kinda crazy right now, this may shake out to make sense to everyone. ['SNL' executive producer] Lorne [Michaels] isn't known for indulging in any lip-service, and I feel very encouraged by his words last week. I'm working on something I'm very excited about now, so ... the journey continues, and I feel so lucky I got to stop off at 30 Rock. It was awesome."

"Saturday Night Live" begins its season Sept. 26 with host Megan Fox and musical guest U2.

Kenny and Spenny ask fans for show ideas

Outlandish frenemies Kenny Hotz and Spencer Rice are turning to their fans for ideas for the next season of Kenny vs. Spenny.

The TV duo is known for staging wild and gruelling competitions on their Showcase series like "who can stay tied to a goat the longest?" and "who can wear a dead octopus on their head the longest?"

Now they're inviting viewers to send new ideas to them online through the Showcase website.

Hotz and Rice say they will choose a winning submission and carry it out in an episode this season.

The competition runs now until Sept. 30 at showcase.ca.

The sixth season of Kenny vs. Spenny returns Nov. 15.

"Everyone hates Spenny as much as I do. Please help me give him a nervous breakdown," Hotz said today in a release.

"I trust viewers will submit competition ideas that are fair. Fans, my life and sanity are in your hands, treat them kindly," added Rice.

MuchMusic turns 25...quietly

As MuchMusic marks its 25th anniversary this month, there will be no stylishly produced retrospectives, no neon-splashed '80s videos from the vault, and no nostalgic appearances by former VJs.

In fact, representatives from the network – which has survived by keeping a finger firmly on the pulse of young people – say they will not mark the milestone at all, arguing that their audience just doesn't care about it.

"We will be doing absolutely nothing for the 25th anniversary," said Brad Schwartz, senior vice-president and general manager of Much MTV Group.

"It's actually really, really important to me. ... You will not see a press release from us, they will not do anything special on air, there will be nothing going on, you will never know that Much turned 25, because for us it's not a story.

"We are in the looking-forward business, we are in the looking-at-today business, we are in the young-person business. We are not in the looking-back business."

And, apparently, business is good.

Schwartz says MuchMusic was the No. 2 network for 12- to 34-year-olds last year, behind TSN. Overall ratings steadily increased until 1997 and have held steady since, despite an increasingly competitive landscape and the fact that music videos – once Much's lifeblood – are now available at the click of a mouse.

Schwartz remembers when viewers had to stay glued to their sets to watch the latest offering from their favourite artist – and even sit through videos they didn't like to get to videos they did.

"Remember, when MuchMusic was playing music videos, it was the only place to get music videos," Schwartz said.

"You couldn't get them anywhere else, so you had to tune into MuchMusic and watch the countdown. If you wanted to watch the Michael Jackson `Thriller' video, you had to watch videos six, five, four, three, two and then finally get to it.

"Today, you don't need to do that. If you want to watch the `Thriller' video, you go online and you watch it, you watch it 10 times in a row. ... Today's music is so on-demand that you don't need to watch a Beyonce video to get to a Britney video, you can just go straight to a Britney video."

As a result, videos have largely been pushed to the margins of the network's programming. Meanwhile, Much has found higher ratings with in-house fare such as Video on Trial, in which comics poke fun at popular videos; reality shows including So You Think You Can Dance and Pimp My Ride; and with teen dramas including One Tree Hill and Degrassi.

Much still devotes 50 per cent of its programming to music videos, as per the requirements of its CRTC licence. But once-beloved Much mainstays such as The Wedge and Rap City have been relegated to late-night airings – where the network tends to tuck much of its video-centric programming – while The NewMusic was cancelled outright in 2008.

Unsurprisingly, many Canadian artists lament Much's change in direction.

"Definitely, they've been playing a lot more reality TV programming, and I'm not really a fan of that," Billy Talent guitarist Ian D'Sa said in a recent interview.

"Or even pop culture TV programming," added the band's bassist, Jon Gallant. "They're a smash success, I guess they're just following the money, but it's kind of a drag."

Said Alexisonfire vocalist George Pettit: "Sometimes you just feel like you're missing out on what's the best of our culture, and we're trading that for `Hogan Knows Best."'

Rheostatics singer Dave Bidini was more blunt.

"I don't think MuchMusic contributes to youth culture anymore," he said. "I think it's let Canada down in a lot of ways. It's becoming this teenage lifestyle channel as opposed to an outlet for great, wild, strange, interesting, beautiful music."

Even John Roberts – one of the network's first VJs, when he went by J.D. – says he misses long-cancelled music-centric shows such as City Limits and The Power Hour.

"I lament the loss of the shows, because when we first were on the air it was all about the music, it was all about exposing new talent to the audience," said Roberts, now the anchor of CNN's American Morning, on the line from his New York office.

"I guess I am somewhat saddened by the fact that a lot of what was supposed to be quote `music television' has gone into reality TV mode. And I know that people probably just got bored of the videos, but I'll tell you ... I just like listening to and watching music, and you can keep the reality shows, I'm not really interested in those at all."

Videos, of course, have not disappeared from MuchMusic's repertoire. The station's website has more than 14,000 music videos, interviews and clips available for free. And Much also owns cable networks MuchVibe, MuchMoreRetro, MuchLoud and PunchMuch, which will be going commercial-free in the fall.

But as far as the main network is concerned, has the Internet killed the music-video station?

"It's almost like, why would you want to watch a channel of videos and wait and hope something you like comes on, when you have control now?" said Edmonton hip-hop artist Roland Pemberton, a.k.a. Cadence Weapon.

"It's kind of disappointing that there's not more of a music focus on a music channel, but they've gotta go with what people are watching."

Added Dallas Green, guitarist/vocalist for Alexisonfire: "I can appreciate what (MuchMusic) was before the Internet and before reality TV, because I remember it and it meant a lot to me ... but things change, and it's all about how I think you change with it."

So, what changes are next, and where is the station headed? The altered music landscape – and overall direction of MuchMusic over the past decade – might indicate that the station will continue to move away from music, or, at least, music videos.

But executives at the station insist that's not the case.

"I think music is always going to be a part of MuchMusic, yes," said Craig Halket, senior music programmer for Much MTV Group. "I don't see that changing. I think the evolution is going to continue, but music isn't going away."

Schwartz has lots of ideas for the future of the network, saying the network needs to get smarter at presenting music videos.

He suggests showing music videos in commercial breaks between programs, or showing 30-second clips of music videos and directing viewers online to watch the rest.

He also says that campaigning the CRTC to have Much's licence changed is not out of the question.

"We constantly need to evolve the channel along with the desires of young people," he said. "If our licence doesn't allow us to be everything that our audience wants us to be, then obviously we have to look at that.

"But I can't tell you that we have any firm plans or anything on paper that anything's coming, but we will always have to evolve with our audience."

Schwartz considers the mandate for the modern MuchMusic to be an ``excitement channel," dedicated to connecting with youth and connecting youth to music.

One need only look to Much's headquarters on Toronto's Queen Street West on a typical afternoon to get an idea of whether they're succeeding.

For a recent appearance by dimpled teen-popper Justin Bieber, screaming throngs of preteen girls crowded the corner, digital cameras fastened to their wrists.

"It's crazy," Bieber muttered, over and over.

Heck, the mostly preteen "MuchOnDemand" crowd was so amped to be in the Much building, they even mustered appreciative cheers when recent guest Quentin Tarantino cited long-dead Italian director Sergio Leone as a primary influence (``whoo!").

These are Schwartz's people. He's not too concerned with whether the Much of today stacks up to nostalgic memories of the Much of yesterday – which is why the network doesn't feel the need to promote its past.

"My friends come to me and they say: `Oh, MuchMusic isn't what it used to be,"' he said. "I'm like: `You're 36 years old, you're not supposed to be watching MuchMusic anymore.'

"If we're doing our job properly, then we're staying focused on our audience, which is the ripping, burning, young, early adopter young Canadians.

"So to people who don't think that we are what we used to be, I'd say we're even more and greater – we're just not for you anymore. And if we're doing our jobs right, we shouldn't be."

Shania Twain set as `American Idol' guest judge

LOS ANGELES – Shania Twain is joining the ranks of "American Idol" guest judges.

A spokesman for the show said Tuesday that the country singer will take part in the Chicago auditions set for the end of August.

Kelly Clarkson, the original "American Idol," and one of the Jonas Brothers also may end up as guest judges. But they had yet to be confirmed Tuesday.

"American Idol" began enlisting visiting celebrities after a contract dispute led Paula Abdul to announce she was quitting the show. There's been speculation that Abdul still could reach a deal and return for the ninth season, starting in January.

'Big Brother 11' to address Chima's expulsion

LOS ANGELES – Why exactly was Chima Simone kicked out?

Tuesday's "Big Brother 11" episode promised to address why producers removed the 33-year-old freelance journalist from the CBS reality series, which isolates 13 contestants inside a makeshift two-story house and monitors their every move with dozens of cameras.

"You will see why, basically, our back was up against the wall and we had to expel her from the game," show host Julie Chen said Monday on CBS' "The Early Show," which she co-hosts. "You will see her behavior that led up to the expulsion. Then, you can decide."

CBS released a statement Saturday that said Simone, from West Hollywood, Calif., was evicted by the producers for violating the rules. The network also said Simone will not be part of the show's seven-person jury, which selects the $500,000 grand prize winner.

Sunday's episode showed how Simone was aggravated because her ally, bodybuilder Jessie Godderz, was spontaneously nominated for eviction Thursday because of the "coup d'etat," a power secretly voted on by viewers that was used to overthrow Simone's nominations.

Fans have questioned whether Simone was booted or quit. Chatter from the remaining seven houseguests suggest she wanted out of the house. On Friday, Simone was seen on the show's live Internet video feeds throwing her microphone into the backyard whirlpool spa.

"She still didn't have to leave after that. She just didn't want to be here," contestant Natalie Martinez said on Monday's "Big Brother After Dark," an uncensored and unedited live Showtime 2 broadcast of what's happening inside the house each night.

Since entering the house last month, Simone has been one of the season's most outspoken houseguests. When she was nominated for eviction during the first week, CBS censored her live last-plea speech, which referred to derogatory terms used by her competitor.

Producers have evicted two contestants on previous "Big Brother" editions. Justin Sebik was kicked off the second season when he placed a knife to the throat of a fellow houseguest. Scott Weintraub was removed from the fourth season after throwing furniture.

Producers evict Chima Simone from 'Big Brother 11'

LOS ANGELES – Chima Simone is no longer in the "Big Brother" house.

CBS said producers removed the 33-year-old freelance journalist from the voyeuristic reality series for breaking the show's rules. The network also said Simone will not be part of the jury that selects the $500,000 grand prize winner.

"Chima has been evicted by the producers from the 'Big Brother' house for violating the rules," CBS said in a statement released Saturday. "She will not be part of the show's jury. Her eviction will be addressed on an upcoming broadcast of the show."

A CBS spokeswoman did not immediately return messages seeking further comment.

Simone, from West Hollywood, Calif., was last seen on the show conjuring conspiracy theories after her ally, bodybuilder Jessie Godderz, was spontaneously nominated for eviction Thursday because of the "coup d'etat," a power secretly voted on by viewers that was used to overthrow Simone's nominations.

"Looks like me and the producers need to have a little bit of a talk," she said.
Since entering the "Big Brother 11" house last month, Simone has been one of the season's most outspoken houseguests. When she was nominated for eviction during the first week, CBS censored her live last-plea speech, which referenced derogatory terms used by her competitor.

Seven contestants remain on "Big Brother 11."

Seinfeld to be Leno show's first guest

NEW YORK - NBC says Jerry Seinfeld will be the first guest on the premiere of "The Jay Leno Show."

Seinfeld will join previously announced musical guests Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West. The new weeknight prime-time series debuts Sept. 14.

Leno stepped down in May as host of the "Tonight Show" after 17 years.

Seinfeld, who starred in his own hit NBC comedy, will be returning to the network early next year with "The Marriage Ref," a reality series that he'll produce.

'At the Movies' co-host turnover is announced

NEW YORK – After a year of getting slammed for their performance as film critics, "At the Movies" co-hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz are getting their tickets punched.

Replacing them next month on the long-running syndicated series will be film critics A.O. (Tony) Scott of The New York Times and Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune, ABC Media Productions announced Wednesday.

The abrupt change reflects a move back to the show's quarter-century-old roots after a year its detractors dismissed as lightweight and too fast-paced.

Lyons, a Hollywood reporter and film critic for the E! network and ABC's "Good Morning America," took particular heat for hobnobbing with Hollywood insiders and allegedly seeking blurb glory in movie ads.

"We tried something new last season," said Brian Frons, who heads up the Disney unit that oversees ABC Media Productions. The departing co-hosts "did everything we asked of them, and they have been complete professionals.

"However, we've decided to return the show to its original essence — two traditional film critics discussing current motion picture and DVD releases."

Scott and Phillips seem to follow in a tradition of critic co-hosts that reaches all the way back to the show's first incarnation in 1975, a local effort called "Sneak Previews," which paired rival Chicago newspaper film critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel.

The incoming Scott has spent nearly a decade as a film critic at The New York Times. He was the Sunday book critic at Newsday and a freelance contributor to publications including The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Review of Books.

Phillips is the film critic of The Chicago Tribune. He has written about entertainment and the arts as a staff writer and critic for the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune, among other publications.

The pair, who in the past have both appeared on the Chicago-based "At the Movies" as guest critics, will take over when the new season begins the weekend of Sept. 5 (check local listings for day and time).

In an interview Wednesday, the departing Lyons said he looks back on his year with the show with satisfaction and no regrets.

"I'm extremely proud of the work Mank (Mankiewicz) and I did on the show," Lyons said. He has been able to put complaints about him into perspective, though he did take exception to "malicious" attacks leveled by those who "hide behind a computer screen."

In a separate interview, Mankiewicz said his soon-to-be-former co-host "took most of the heat" directed at the show, "and I think it was unfair and mean-spirited.

"But we're film critics — and we can't really go ballistic when people criticize us," he reasoned. "I loved working on the show, all of it. It will sound hokey, but it really was an honor to continue that broadcast legacy that Roger and Gene created.

"I have worked on TV a long time," he added, "and I know nothing is permanent in television."

Fox confirms Paula Abdul is leaving 'American Idol'

Paula Abdul has announced on her Twitter feed, and Fox has confirmed to Entertainment Weekly, that she will not return to American Idol for another season.

Here is the full statement from Abdul:

“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to IDOL. I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon. What I want to say most, is how much I appreciate the undying support and enormous love that you have showered upon me. It truly has been breathtaking, especially over the past month. I do without any doubt have the BEST fans in the entire world and I love you all.”

Here is the full statement from Fox:

“Paula Abdul has been an important part of the American Idol family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.”

David: 'Seinfeld' cast to reunite on 'Curb'

PASADENA, Calif. – Larry David says the on-screen reunion of the "Seinfeld" cast will be "tough to beat." The "Seinfeld" co-creator and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator-star says the cast will appear together in the finale of the upcoming seventh season of the HBO comedy series.

It marks the first time in 11 years that Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards have appeared together on screen.

David says the "Seinfeld" stars will appear in five "Curb" episodes during the season in a storyline about the cast reuniting. He says he worked closely with Seinfeld on the show-within-a-show script.

He also says an actual "Seinfeld" reunion is unlikely.

The comments were made at a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

Joan Rivers bashes Jay Leno at critics confab

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Don't look for Joan Rivers to be a guest on Jay Leno's new talk show anytime soon.

The ribald comedienne ripped Leno when asked about the prospects of his upcoming 10 p.m. weekday outing on NBC.

"I think it's brilliant that Leno is at 10 p.m., because America can get bored more easily and go to sleep earlier," Rivers told reporters at the Television Critics Assn confab Wednesday. "When was the last time you heard, 'Did you hear what Leno said last night?'"

Rivers, of course, frequently subbed as guest host for Leno's "Tonight Show" predecessor, Johnny Carson. She also is a Leno competitor since her new TV Land cable TV show "How'd You You Get So Rich?" will debut in the 10 p.m. slot on August 5.

Jamie Bamber is coming to Joss Whedon's 'Dollhouse'

It's a "Battlestar Galactica" reunion, courtesy of our boy, Joss Whedon.
"BSG"'s Jamie Bamber will guest star in the season premiere of "Dollhouse" and his character will not only share scenes with Eliza Dushku's Echo, but with fellow "BSG" alum Tahmoh Penikett (Paul Ballard) as well.

Per FOX, Bamber's role has him heavily involved in an engagement that Echo and Ballard are assigned to.

Heavily involved, hmm?

Will he be an ally or foe?

Whatever the case, Apollo and Helo sharing the small screen once again? We're good with that.

Katherine Heigl’s First Day back at Grey’s Was ‘Cruel and Mean’

Katherine Heigl may be back to work on the set of Grey’s Anatomy, but according to the actress, it hasn’t been a super-happy homecoming.

“Our first day back was Wednesday and it was — I’m going to keep saying this because I hope it embarrasses them — a 17-hour day,” Heigl told David Letterman during a visit to the Late Show on Monday, “which I think is cruel and mean.”

One reason for her lack of pep: her good pal T.R. Knight’s departure from the show.

“It was actually kind of really great to be back,” she said. “All my friends are there and at this point, they’re sort of like family, but it was a little weird because [T.R.]’s not there anymore.”

As open as she is about her feelings about the show, Heigl remained tight-lipped about the fate of her character, who was last seen in an ambiguous scene after undergoing surgery for a brain tumor. “You last saw Izzie, you know, flatlining,” she told Letterman. “So, I won’t give it away but, you know, I’m there so I’m either there as a ghost, on the other side or I survived a disease no one survives.”

“I’m guessing if you’re working 17 hours, that means you’re not dead,” Letterman observed.

Heigl’s reply: “What if, however, Dave, I was in a bed in a coma for 17 hours, they could do that to me.”

Despite the long days shooting the medical drama, Heigl said she hopes Grey’s Anatomy, which returns to ABC on Sept. 24, will stick around for a while.

“We have another two years, I think, at least in the contract,” she said. "Hopefully the show goes, you know, ER time, which would be cool.”

Jorja Fox returning to CBS' `CSI' as Sara Sidle

LOS ANGELES – Sara Sidle is coming back to "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
Actress Jorja Fox, who left the CBS crime drama as a regular two years ago, will return as Sara for the 10th-season debut and other episodes, CBS said Friday.

"We're thrilled for Jorja's return to `CSI,'" said executive producer Carol Mendelsohn, adding that viewers will "discover where life has taken Sara Sidle and what brings her back to the `CSI' team in Las Vegas in our premiere episode."

The show returns Sept. 24.

Fox, part of "CSI" since the show started, left during its eighth year. She was seen briefly last season, including one episode in which her character reunited with ex-colleague and romantic interest Gil Grissom, played by William Petersen.

Petersen left the series last season, with Laurence Fishburne joining the cast. CBS didn't say whether Petersen might drop back in next season along with Fox.

Fate of 'Corner Gas' site up in the air

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government is wading into the discussion over the future of the set of the hit TV show "Corner Gas."

Tourism Minister Dustin Duncan says a meeting is to be held next Tuesday to talk about the potential development of the site in Rouleau, Sask. - the town that stood in for the fictional community of Dog River.

Rouleau officials say the exterior set for the show's filling station is falling into disrepair since production ended last fall and tourists are disgusted.

But the show's producers say the filling station was designed as a set, not as a tourist destination, and it would be expensive to renovate.

Duncan, who visited the "Corner Gas" set as a tourist, says there's a lot of interest in the site and pride in the show.

The minister says it's early, but he hopes a compromise can be reached that would satisfy the community, the production company and Tourism Saskatchewan.

Disused Corner Gas set becoming eyesore, Rouleau mayor says

The buildings once used to depict the fictional Saskatchewan town of Dog River in the popular television comedy Corner Gas have fallen into a worrisome state of disrepair, says the mayor of Rouleau, where the series was filmed.

The small community about 45 minutes southwest of Regina was the main backdrop for comedian Brent Butt's show, which ran for six seasons on CTV. Its final episode aired in April.

Filming of the last episode wrapped up in fall 2008, and since the production left town, the set has become an eyesore, Rouleau Mayor Allen Kuhlmann told CBC News on Thursday.

Kuhlmann said windows were covered with plywood boards, and untended grass had overgrown the areas around the buildings, including the primary set of the gas station and Ruby's Cafe.

Kuhlmann said it was not a very welcoming site, especially considering the set continues to attract fans of the show.

"We have a lot of tourists that are coming and looking and seeing [that] this set has been allowed to deteriorate," Kuhlmann said. "There's no pumps, there's no signs, there's no maintenance."

Kuhlmann pointed out that the town of Rouleau has been specifically barred from entering the property or resurrecting any of the familiar signs associated with the program.

"We don't own the property," Kuhlmann said, noting that the production company had rented the space from private owners.

Kuhlmann said the town has tried to meet with people associated with the production, to address concerns but have been put off.

"We have a nuisance bylaw," Kuhlmann added, indicating that the town could insist on some action if the property remained neglected.

Ultimately, Kuhlmann said attending to the property would require money.

"Do we need to get together a group called The Friends of Corner Gas?" Kuhlmann mused, suggesting that some sort of fundraising effort might be required. "I guess that would be ideal. And then you could have a tourist attraction that was open, and people could tour between, maybe, the first of May and the September long weekend."

The head of the company that produced Corner Gas told CBC News that a part of the old set would be painted some time this week, but there were no plans to do anything more.

"We're not in the tourism business," said Virginia Thompson, president of Verité Films. "We've been able to raise funds independently to be able to make [the old set] as attractive as possible for our fans, but we can't go beyond that."

Kuhlmann said he does not understand why people associated with the site and the program are not interested in its value as a tourist destination. The town itself does not have the capacity to develop the site, he said.

"It's something to look at and take pictures of," Kuhlmann said, if only the windows were intact and the familiar signs were restored. "Admission could be charged, and people could take a tour and … get information. I'm sure that if we had this in the United States, they would have long since figured out how they were going to keep making money from it."

Kuhlmann is especially bothered because prior to the program ending, the town had been promised that even after the departure of the production, there would be a legacy for the locals. However, he could never get details on what that would be.

"We were constantly stonewalled and told to wait and that there would be a wonderful legacy for Rouleau," Kuhlmann said.

"Since they filmed their last episode, absolutely nothing has been done."

Liability an issue

Thompson told CBC News that it would cost a minimum $250,000 to renovate the site to make it suitable for tourists.

"We've explained that to make it safe for tourists, it has to be rebuilt," Thompson said. "It wasn't built as a tourist destination. It must be safe, and that is expensive."

Thompson was also concerned about liability issues if someone was injured while touring the sets.

"If a fan gets hurt on our premises, that would not be good for Corner Gas," Thompson said. "We're not going to get involved in something unless it's going to be really safe for the public."

'Lost' will last a little longer

If you're already preparing yourself for the departure of "Lost" in the spring of 2010, take heart. The series will go on a little longer than expected.

OK, it's only one hour longer, but we'll take what we can get.

An ABC rep confirmed Monday (June 29) that the final season of "Lost" will run 18 hours. That's an hour more than initially planned, although where that extra time fits in -- although a two-hour series finale seems pretty much like a given at this point -- is far from determined yet. "Lost" begins filming season six in Hawaii later this summer.

Considering the possibly game-changing events at the end of season five -- wherein Juliet (Elizabeth Mitchell) detonated a nuclear warhead in an effort to hit the Island's reset button and, in theory, prevent Oceanic 815 from crashing in the first place -- any extra time the show's creative team wants to take unraveling what happened could be welcome.

When ABC and executive producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof agreed to an end date for the show after season six, the network asked for three 16-episode seasons to wrap things up. The 2007-08 writers strike messed up that schedule somewhat, and only 14 episodes made it onto the air in the fourth season.

Last season ran 17 episodes (with the two-hour finale counting as two), and the final season was set to do the same thing. Adding the extra hour to the final season will bring the total number of episodes in the final three years to 49.

'Curb Your Enthusiasm': Meg Ryan to guest along with 'Seinfeld' cast, but there's a catch

We're just three months away from the seventh season debut of Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and the anticipation continues to build as the show has just added another big name guest star to their roster.

EW.com reports that America's rom com queen of yesteryear, Ms. Meg Ryan, will appear in an episode.

The cast of "Seinfeld," Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards, have also signed on to play themselves in a storyline that will span several eps.

This news was first reported by EW.com back in March, and was touted as the first time that all four actors will appear together in a scripted TV show since "Seinfeld" took its final bow more than a decade ago.

I am told that there is, however, a catch.

A source close to "Curb" says there isn't a single scene in the "Seinfeld" cast's entire "Curb" arc in which all four actors appear together.

So, yeah, that's not exactly the "reunion" we were expecting, is it?

Seinfeld, Louis-Dreyfus and Alexander have all made individual appearances on "Curb" -- which, of course, was created by and stars "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David -- in the past.

Colbert shaves head for troops

BAGHDAD - Wearing a camouflage suit and tie, Stephen Colbert took his show to Baghdad to entertain U.S. soldiers in Iraq. For openers, President Barack Obama appeared by video to thank the troops.

"You're welcome," the mock pundit answered.

"I wasn't talking to you," the president deadpanned.

To the roaring approval of hundreds of troops at Camp Victory, on the western edge of Baghdad, Colbert taped the first of four episodes of "The Colbert Report," in which he plays a pompous, blustering conservative TV host.

His first guest was the towering, bald Gen. Ray Odierno. When Obama and the U.S. commander suggested Colbert had to look like a soldier in order to be a soldier, the general took an electric razor to Colbert's perfectly parted cable-news coif.

The four shows are being taped in the domed marble hall at Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Palace are to air this week starting Monday on Comedy Central.

Colbert has promoted the trip for weeks but only vaguely because the military urged caution. Instead, the pundit introduced segments with a jaunty theme: "Where in the World and When in Time is Stephen Colbert Going to Be in the Persian Gulf?"

At Camp Victory, Colbert was in typical, cluelessly egotistical form. He showed a clip pretending that he himself didn't know his destination until he got off the plane and somebody threw a shoe at him.

In another skit, he arrived at Fort Jackson, S.C., in a stretch limousine for "the full 10 hours" of basic training, then struggled to do push-ups and sit-ups while a drill sergeant barked at him.

And, concluding that the six-year war in Iraq must be over because nobody's talking about it anymore, Colbert said he would take it upon himself to make it official: "By the power vested in me by basic cable, I officially declare we have won the Iraq war!"

(To bolster his point, he offered a list of successes, including finding weapons of mass destruction - "easier than we thought" - and told the troops Obama should deploy them to General Motors.)

Odierno gently took issue with the self-sure pundit's suggestion the war had ended.

"We're not quite ready to declare victory," he said. "Things are moving forward but again, it's about bringing long-term stability."

Colbert, who sat at a desk propped up by sandbags painted to make up an American flag, responded by asking Odierno if he can bring long-term stability to the United States when he's done in Iraq.

The 45-year-old comedian, who travelled to Iraq from Kuwait on Friday on board a military transport plane, has said he decided make the trip when he noticed economic news coverage was eclipsing reports from Baghdad.

"It must be nice here in Iraq because I understand some of you keep coming back again and again," he joked. "You've earned so many frequent flier miles, you've earned a free ticket to Afghanistan."

He also joked about the economic crisis, congratulating one soldier in the audience who recently got his college degree while serving in Iraq for being the only 2009 graduate able to land a job.

Former Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain, chided by Colbert throughout the campaign for his advanced age, made a surprise appearance, thanking the troops in a video for their service and reminding them to clean their muskets.

Many celebrities have visited Iraq to entertain the troops. But Colbert's series - "Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando" - marks the first time anyone has broadcast a taped, non-news talk show fully produced and broadcast from Iraq as part of a USO tour.

USO senior official John Hanson said the production faced a major setback when a sandstorm grounded the crew on Saturday, forcing it to cancel plans for an outing.

Both the character and the real Colbert are ardent supporters of the troops. He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Yellow Ribbon Fund, which helps injured service members and their families, and is a board member of DonorsChoose.org, which is raising money for the education of children of military parents.

Colbert planned the trip after former Assistant Defence Secretary Bing West suggested it last summer following an interview "The Colbert Report." The show sent about 30 production workers, about a third of its regular staff, to Iraq.

Troops in the audience said they enjoyed Colbert's equal opportunity humour.

"Definitely the highlight was seeing him sacrifice his hair," said Spc. Ryan MacLeod, 35, of Greenville, S.C.

Conan O'Brien makes debut on 'The Tonight Show'

NEW YORK – Conan O'Brien debuted as host of "The Tonight Show" Monday with a "run" across the country to Los Angeles and other comedy bits emphasizing his entry into a strange new culture.

He joined a line of predecessors — Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Jay Leno — on television's most historic late-night franchise.

"I think I've timed this move perfectly," he said in his opening monologue. "I'm on a last-place network, I moved to a state that's bankrupt and 'The Tonight Show' is sponsored by General Motors."

O'Brien spent 17 years as host of NBC's "Late Night" in New York, and the move up one hour has been in the works for five years. Leno, his immediate predecessor, will do a weeknight prime-time show on NBC. The workaholic Leno will start "in two days, three days tops," O'Brien joked. Actually, it's in September.

O'Brien christened a new studio on the Universal City lot with a handsome art deco look. The stage has a blue glass background for the opening monologue, before O'Brien retreats to a desk in front of a sparkling backdrop of Los Angeles.

From the top, O'Brien showed the silly comic style that sets him apart from Leno, with more comedy skits filmed earlier and less reliance on jokes in front of the studio audience. The first one showed O'Brien marking off a to-do list with "move to L.A." left undone, as a camera panned a New York skyline outside his window.

A frantic O'Brien went out in the street to find a cab. When he couldn't, he began running. He ran out of New York, and sprinted through various spots across the country — across Wrigley Field in Chicago, past the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, by the Rockies and through the desert to Las Vegas. Finally he arrived at the locked door to his new studio, only to realize he'd left his keys behind.

In other segments, O'Brien commandeered a tram filled with tourists on a Universal Studios lot tour and took his used green Ford Taurus for a ride into the car-obsessed culture. Fabio complimented him on his ride.

O'Brien appeared nervous at the long-awaited opening night, pacing onstage during his monologue and mugging with his red pompadour.

"I remember watching Johnny Carson when I was a kid and thinking: That's what I want to be when I grow up," O'Brien said. "I'm sure right now in America there is likely a kid watching me, thinking: 'What is wrong with that man's hair?'"
Longtime sidekick Andy Richter slid smoothly into the role Ed McMahon once played for Carson, standing at a podium to the side of the stage and loudly laughing at his boss' jokes.

Over at CBS, David Letterman slyly made mention of NBC's transition.

"I'm still here," he said. "I knocked off another competitor."

He said he got a call from his mom and she said, "Well, David, I see you didn't get 'The Tonight Show' again," a reference to Letterman losing out to Leno to become Carson's successor.

Comic Will Ferrell was O'Brien's first guest, his appearance less manic than some of his memorable "Late Night" visits. He offered O'Brien some "tips" for L.A. living, including a good burger joint in Pasadena "called Burger King."

Pearl Jam was the musical guest, debuting a song off an upcoming album.
Ferrell sang his own song in tribute to O'Brien, a version of "Never Can Say Goodbye" that "bewildered" the host. Why sing a goodbye song on the first night?

"Don't get me wrong," Ferrell said. "I'm pulling for you. But this little thing is a crapshoot at best."

Broadcast regulator tunes out private TV networks appeal

OTTAWA - The federal broadcast regulator is hanging tough against an aggressive public relations campaign mounted by CTV, saying Canada's networks will have to prove their commitment to local TV in exchange for financial relief.

CTV launched a "save local TV" campaign this month, complete with open houses at their stations, a petition and a rally on Parliament Hill.

Other networks are also lobbying the government behind the scenes at the highest levels.

The networks are urging the Conservative government to allow them to charge cable and satellite companies for their signals - called fee for carriage - or else see more local stations disappear. The cable industry says that will result in higher monthly bills for customers.

Konrad Von Finckenstein, chairman of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), rejected the networks arguments Monday during an appearance before the Commons Heritage committee.

"Conventional broadcasters need to refocus on the core elements of their service - local news, local programming and programs of national interest," Von Finckenstein said.

"Rather than perceiving it as a cost of doing business, they need to see it as the central element of their survival and expend meaningful resources and energy on it."

Von Finckenstein did not dismiss the idea of fee for carriage, but rather the term, saying the industry should analyze instead the "value of a signal" depending on a variety of market factors.

He kicked the ball back into the broadcasters' court, pointing out they already manage to agree on the value of specialty channels.

"You are the players in the market. You negotiate. If you can't negotiate I'll arbitrate it for you if I have to," Von Finckenstein said in his characteristically blunt style.

An internal memo circulated by the Prime Minister's Office on Friday reminded Tory MPs that fee for carriage would wind up costing consumers, and that it was up to the CRTC to decide on the issue.

Von Finckenstein outlined two other possible revenue streams for broadcasters, including a local programming fund from which all networks could draw.

The second would be mechanisms for protecting Canadian broadcasters from unfair competition from American signals that carry the same programs. There would also be a mechanism for charging cable and satellite companies for transmitting a network's local TV signal into another Canadian market - called timeshifting.

But any of this help would be contingent on a "meaningful commitment" to local news, local programming and programs of national interest.

"That means we're going to hold your feet to the fire. You're not going get that stream of income unless you deliver."

Conservative, Liberal and NDP MPs on the committee all suggested the CRTC might need more teeth to force broadcasters to live up to their obligations.

"What were the consequences that we would look toward if you were to use your teeth to make sure you keep these people in lines?" asked Conservative MP Shelly Glover.

Von Finckenstein said the regulator's tools are "all or nothing," with revocation of a license after a court proceeding being the main hammer. He would also like the ability to fine violators.

The commission would also like broadcasters to submit group applications for TV licenses, which include their pay, speciality and conventional operations. This way, the regulator would get to see the whole picture of their viewership, their Canadian content and their financial situation.

Critics of the private networks say they're being disingenuous when they threaten to close local stations while at the same time reaping profits from other channels.

NDP MP Charlie Angus said the committee's main objective was to protect local TV, while making sure any new division of the revenue pie "doesn't end up with the broadcasters continuing to run their local stations into the ground and taking the money and spending it elsewhere..."

The battle between the cable companies and the broadcasters over the fee-for-carriage issue has heated up since the global financial crisis hit TV advertising hard.

Cable and satellite companies lodged a complaint with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council on Friday, saying CTV News' coverage of their corporation's "Save Local TV" campaign has been biased.

Von Finckenstein called the larger dispute "background noise."

"In the end, they need each other."

Biel Surprised By Timberlake's Raunchy Comedy Routine

Jessica Biel was stunned when boyfriend Justin Timberlake performed an sketch mocking his relationship with Britney Spears live on U.S. TV - because she knew nothing about the skit before it aired.

Timberlake made his third appearance on comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live at the weekend.

In one sketch the pop star dressed as his immigrant ancestor and predicted the future for his great-great grandson (Timberlake), making reference to his teenage romance with Spears.

He said: "He (Timberlake) will date a popular female singer (Spears). Publicly they'll claim to be virgins, but privately - he hit it."

And although Biel admits she was caught by surprise by the swipe at Timberlake's ex, she insists the sketch sent her into fits of laughter.

She tells the New York Daily News, "I thought that was really funny. I had heard a couple of things (about the show), but I didn't really know what it was actually going to be. It was all pretty much a surprise."

‘Corner Gas’ closing up shop

Brent Butt was asked what the viewing public can expect in the final episode of Corner Gas.

Will you laugh? Will you cry? Will you be angry? Will you get indigestion? All of the above?

“It will make you question your sexuality,” Butt said. “That’s what we were going for.”

Well, if that’s the case, it would be a different direction for Corner Gas, which wraps up its six-year run tomorrow on CTV.

We’re fairly sure that Butt, the creator and star, was just kidding about the sexuality thing. But please note, we said “fairly” sure.

Butt announced last year that this would be the final season for Corner Gas, which by all measures is the most successful sitcom in Canadian history. Actual shooting on the series was completed last fall, so for Butt and the rest of the cast — his wife Nancy Robertson (Wanda), Gabrielle Miller (Lacey), Fred Ewanuick (Hank), Eric Peterson (Oscar), Janet Wright (Emma), Tara Spencer-Nairn (Karen) and Lorne Cardinal (Davis) — Corner Gas already feels like quite a long time ago.

“I don’t watch it every week, because I’m doing a lot of stuff and I’m busy,” Butt said when asked if he follows along with the broadcast dates. “By the time they hit the air, I’ve seen each episode about 50 times, right? So I don’t feel a need to make sure I’m home to watch.

“But if I’m around, there’s something nice about watching it on TV as it airs, knowing that the rest of the country is watching it, too. It’s that shared experience thing. And it has commercials and everything, so it feels more like, ‘Hey, I’m on a TV show,’ as opposed to sitting in an edit suite by yourself.

“It does seem as if it was a while ago. But it was such a big part of my life, a lot of it still seems pretty fresh.”

Butt said he’s happy with the way the final episode turned out, in terms of it being simultaneously kind of the same and kind of different.

“My mandate was, I wanted it to feel like an episode of Corner Gas, but I still wanted to have a special element to it,” Butt said. “I’m very proud of it because I think that was nailed.

“If you’re a fan of Corner Gas, this feels like an episode of Corner Gas. But because it’s the finale, it has a little something different that you’ve never seen before, something we’ve never done, and it worked really well.

“I think it ends in a really good way.”

The pilot has been completed for Butt’s new show Hiccups, which stars Robertson, and he’s waiting to see if it will be picked up as a series by CTV. Butt also is working on a comedy special of his own.

But whatever Brent Butt does from now on, he already is Canadian TV royalty. How many people can say that?

Thanks for the laughs, Corner Gas.

NASA to announce module name on `Colbert Report'

NEW YORK – Stephen Colbert is still clinging to hope that NASA will name a new room at the international space station after him.

The space agency said Friday it would announce the name of the module Tuesday on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." Astronaut Sunita Williams will appear on the program.

The agency held an online contest, letting the public vote on a name for a future addition to the station. "Colbert" beat out NASA's four suggested options: Serenity, Legacy, Earthrise and Venture.

The comedian said in a statement: "I certainly hope NASA does the right thing. Just kidding. I hope they name it after me."

Saskatchewan Declares 'Corner Gas Day'

REGINA - The Saskatchewan government is declaring April 13 "Corner Gas Day" to coincide with the airing of the sitcom's final episode.

The popular CTV show, shot in rural southern Saskatchewan, wrapped up production of its sixth and last season earlier this year.

The series about life in a small prairie town called Dog River has been described as the most successful Canadian comedy ever made.

The show has snagged numerous Gemini awards and airs in syndication in countries around the world, including the United States.

Premier Brad Wall plans to sign a proclamation at the legislature in Regina this Monday.

Also present will be the show's star and creator, Saskatchewan-born Brent Butt.

Boston doesn't want Jay Leno show

The first great NBC-affiliate battle over the new primetime Jay Leno show is poised to take place in Boston -- the host's hometown.

WHDH-TV, Boston's Peacock affiliate, announced via its website Thursday that it plans to launch an hour-long 10 p.m. newscast in the fall.

That would pre-empt Leno's new, still-untitled 10 p.m. series. NBC swiftly responded, warning WHDH that such a move would make them in breach of their pact with the net -- and that the Peacock wouldn't hesitate to yank the station's affiliation.

"WHDH's move is a flagrant violation of the terms of their contract with NBC," John Eck, NBC TV Network president, said in a statement. "If they persist, we will strip WHDH of its NBC affiliation. We have a number of other strong options in the Boston market, including using our existing broadcast license to launch an NBC-owned and operated station."

Insiders said NBC is already looking at contingencies in Boston should WHDH go ahead with its plans -- including turning its Telemundo station in the market, WNEU (Channel 60), into an NBC outlet.

Sunbeam chief Ed Ansin, who owns WHDH, told the Boston Globe that he decided to replace Leno with news because "it fundamentally is a better financial plan for us."

"We don't think the Leno show is going to be effective in primetime," Ansin said. "It will be detrimental to our 11 o'clock (newscast). It will be very adverse to our finances."

Ansin told the paper that WHDH had asked for permission to push Leno to 11 p.m., but the network said no. Instead, he has no plans to run Leno at all, and will continue to air an 11 p.m. newscast leading into "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" at 11:35.

Ansin also claimed that WHDH held a clause in its affiliation contract that would allow the station to dump the 10 p.m. Leno show -- an assertion that NBC also vehemently denied.

"That is absolutely wrong," said NBC general counsel Rick Cotton. "It is clear that WHDH is contractually required to air NBC programming as scheduled by the network."

The radical move by WHDH comes as several affils nervously wait to see how NBC's primetime Leno series evolves and ultimately impacts their business.

The Peacock affils have been conducting a study to see how viewers actually watch "The Tonight Show" -- and how there might be ways to produce and schedule Leno's new show in order to help out affiliates. NBC has also put a task force in place to work with the stations on the launch.

"We've been engaged in an open dialogue with NBC about the format of the show, and we're looking forward to working with Jay and the entire team," said NBC affiliate board chairman Michael Fiorile, who's also vice chairman of the Dispatch Group.

This isn't the first time NBC has faced the possibility of having to replace a major affiliate in a top market. After failing to come to terms in 2001 with its long-time San Francisco outlet KRON, NBC wound up affiliating with (and later purchasing) San Jose-based KNTV.

Like KNTV, which only covered part of San Francisco, WNEU only reaches a portion of the Boston market. But the Peacock has other options in Boston as well, including WSBK, a one-time superstation that is now an independent owned and operated by CBS.

After 72 years, TV's `Guiding Light' switching off

NEW YORK – CBS is pulling the plug on the soap opera "Guiding Light" after a 72-year run that predates television, the show a victim of the economy and changed viewing habits.

The drama's final episode will air on Sept. 18.

The Guinness Book of World Records has cited it as the longest-running television drama. It began as a 15-minute serial on NBC Radio on Jan. 25, 1937, and debuted on CBS TV in 1952, focusing on the fictional town of Springfield and the Spaulding, Lewis and Cooper families.

"For many of us, it was the first show we ever watched," said Lynn Leahey, editorial director of Soap Opera Digest. Unlike prime-time shows that came and went, it was a constant in people's lives. "It really is heartbreaking to see something like this go away."

Procter & Gamble Productions, which makes the show, informed cast and crew Wednesday at separate sets in New York and New Jersey. The company isn't giving up on the story, and will explore different ways to keep it going after September, a spokeswoman said.

Soap operas have been in a long, slow decline in popularity, primarily because many of the women who made up their loyal audiences are no longer at home at that hour. They're working, and can find the communal experience that their favorite soaps once gave them elsewhere.

"Guiding Light" had the lowest ratings of the eight daytime dramas on the air. When it leaves, CBS and ABC will have three weekday soap operas, with NBC having one.

"The numbers are really tough for all of these old dramas," said Ron Raines, the actor who portrayed the villain Alan Spaulding in "Guiding Light."

"I don't think any of the other shows want any of us to go off. We're all in this together," he said.

Many successful actors got their start on "Guiding Light," including James Earl Jones, Calista Flockhart, Hayden Panettiere, Kevin Bacon and Taye Diggs.

Faced with extinction a year ago, "Guiding Light" significantly revamped its operations. It ditched its fixed, three-camera set in favor of portable cameras that enabled producers to shoot in different locations. The move saved money and changed the show's look to make it seem more like the reality shows younger viewers are accustomed to.

It didn't work, at least enough for CBS. The network hasn't said what will replace "Guiding Light" on the schedule, but it will almost certainly be a talk or game show, which are much cheaper to make than dramas with a large cast.

The changes also made many of the fans and cast members unhappy, said Carolyn Hinsey, Soap Opera Digest columnist. Two of its biggest stars, Beth Ehlers and Ricky Paull Goldin, quit and now work on ABC's "All My Children."
For fans of the genre, Wednesday's move could be a peek into the future.

Ten years from now, "I absolutely think (daytime dramas) will still be around," Leahey said. "I don't know if you'll be able to watch them from noon to three o'clock on network television."

In fact, the cancellation could be an opportunity for "Guiding Light," she said. Perhaps there's a way to keep the show alive on cable or online; Procter & Gamble says it will have to evaluate whether there's a cost-effective way to do that.

For now, its cast and crew are in mourning.

"What is it? 72 years continuous?" Raines said. "That will never be touched. It's a very sad thing, but these are the times we live in. It's very tough out there."

Legendary British rocker Elvis Costello launches new TV show

TORONTO - Elvis Costello has never seemed a likely host for a television talk show.

Though as an artist he's been stubbornly impossible to pin down through his 30-plus years in the industry, on a personal level he has always seemed intense, nervy and fiercely intelligent - not necessarily the formula for a successful talk show host.

As he first began putting together his new show "Spectacle: Elvis Costello With..." - a Costello-hosted mixture of interviews with musicians and performances - he admits there was an adjustment period.

"Nobody's born to be a television presenter, you have to gather some skills and confidence about it over a matter of weeks," the legendary musician said over the phone from his Vancouver home. "If you went back and looked at the first appearances of the most practised and confident of TV performers now, you'd find the same thing. You'd find them being more hesitant.

"Little by little the process kind of educates you."

For "Spectacle," which premieres in Canada on Friday (CTV, 10 p.m. ET), Costello interviewed such heavyweights as the Police, Elton John, Tony Bennett and even former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The show features laid-back interview segments peppered with performances, which often feature Costello himself.

Costello, who was warm, friendly and sharp-witted even when reached early in the morning for an interview, says his participation is important, because it reminds the guests that he too is a performer, not strictly an interviewer.

He opens each show by performing one of his guest's songs. In John's case, Costello performed "Bordertown," while he played a medley of "Please Stay" and "Every Breath You Take" for the Police.

Costello, however, said he ran into trouble when he had a certain Montreal-raised singer on the show.

"Rufus Wainwright's songs are all so difficult, I couldn't possibly sing any of them, you'd need to be as gifted as he is as a vocalist," he said.

Instead, Costello made reference to Wainwright's recreation of a Judy Garland concert by singing "If I Only Had a Brain" from "The Wizard of Oz."

"I thought (it) would amuse him," he said.

Costello has been on the other side of thousands of interviews over his career, and he also had a bit of experience on television, filling in for David Letterman in 2003 when the talk show host fell ill.

Still, it was a skill that Costello honed over the course of the first season.

So how does he describe his interview technique now?

"Like a lion tamer - it's a chair and a whip," he replied.

Costello said that his status as an artist has helped him draw his guests into some surprisingly candid conversations - "They shared a side of themselves where, in some cases, people were quite surprised about it," he said.

Specifically, Velvet Underground frontman Lou Reed might have caught viewers off guard, Costello said.

"I think people were surprised that he was as enthusiastic about other people's music as he was," he said. "I think maybe because they have just one image of him, instead of thinking of him as a human being with different moods, you know?"

Costello, meanwhile, hasn't actually had the chance to sit down to a broadcast of the show. Since finishing production of the first season in New York, he's either been in Canada or the U.K., where the show wasn't available yet.

He says he's looking forward to getting to watch it.

"It'll all be new to me," he said. "I'll be sitting there with my cup of tea when it airs on CTV."

Costello also has a new album coming out in June called "Secret, Profane and Sugarcane."

T-Bone Burnett produced the record and co-wrote two songs with Costello, who also collaborated with Loretta Lynn on a track.

Costello said they recorded the album in three days in Nashville.

"People say it's live - of course, everything you do is live," he said. "But it wasn't an overdub record, it was a recording of performances. That's the best way to play the music we were playing.

"It's a really beautiful sounding record, I'm really happy with the way it sounds."

He says he plans to head out on the road between June and August to play some shows in conjunction with the album.

Of course, scheduling such trips isn't easy.

Costello is married to Vancouver singer Diana Krall, and the couple has twin two-year-old sons. He says that he and his wife are so busy, they need to be firm in trying to schedule time together.

"We've spent a lot of time heading in different directions, and there's a master plan of how we retain a sense of family life by grabbing all the available days that we have together, no matter how far flung they are on the map," he said. "We're pretty tenacious about finding the days that we can carve out of a very busy year."

It doesn't help that both need to travel so much, though Costello does note: "I regard Vancouver as close to a hometown as I can have as a travelling musician."

But he implies that they may need to put down roots more firmly in the coming years.

"It is a travelling life, you know," he said. "There might be some decisions to be made about our family in the next year or so because of having twin boys.

What the deuce? Stewie Griffin on 'Bones'?

You read that headline correctly -- FOX will do a rather unusual crossover in May when Stewie, the hell-raising, hyper-intelligent infant from "Family Guy," makes an appearance on "Bones."

Stewie completed his shooting recently and had this to say: "Oh, have you seen it? Was I good? Because I heard they said I was amazing and they want me to replace Emily [Deschanel], but that's just a rumor."

His scene partner, David Boreanaz, adds: "The guy was good during the actual scenes, which is the important thing. But between takes he literally vanished -- nowhere to be seen. I guess it's true that Brits and cartoons tend to be standoffish. Or maybe it was a method thing. I don't know."

In the episode, scheduled for May 7, Booth (Boreanaz) will have babies on the brain after Brennan (Deschanel) decides she wants to have a child -- and asks Booth to be the father. The idea consumes Booth -- as does an unrelated (and undiagnosed) health problem that lays him out and causes him to hallucinate. Stewie will "assess the situation" and offer his advice. (But will there be dancing?)

I'm thinking Stewie might tell Booth to take Brennan up on her offer, since my intrepid colleague Korbi has written at length about a Bones-Booth coupling (finally) in the season finale, which airs the following week.

The May 7 episode, by the way, is called "The Critic in the Cabernet." Body in a wine barrel, maybe? Jokes about the wine having a good nose?

Richard Dreyfuss finds "Happiness" on small screen

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss will star opposite Jason Biggs in "Happiness Isn't Everything," a comedy pilot for CBS.
"Happiness" revolves around adult siblings and their parents, who are over-involved in one another's lives.

Dreyfuss will play the pushy, loving and funny patriarch of the family, with Biggs playing his son.

Also cast in the pilot is Ben Schwartz as Biggs' explosive older brother.

Dreyfuss, who recently portrayed Dick Cheney in Oliver Stone's biopic "W," will next star opposite Nia Vardalos in the romantic comedy "My Life in Ruins."

George Clooney's Dr. Ross returns to `ER'

NEW YORK – George Clooney led a parade of old favorites back to "ER" on Thursday as the medical drama nears the end of its 15-year run.

Clooney, who left the show in 1999 to pursue movie stardom, reprised his character Dr. Doug Ross. Now in Seattle, Ross works with wife Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) to persuade a grandmother played by Susan Sarandon to donate the organs of her grandson.

One of those organs, the kidney, went to "some doctor in Chicago," Hathaway said. Neither she nor Ross knew the transplant patient was their old colleague John Carter, played by fellow "ER" original Noah Wyle.

The finale of the NBC drama is scheduled for April 2. Once television's most popular show, "ER" anchors a diminished NBC lineup with about one-quarter the audience it had during its peak. Next season, NBC will replace it with Jay Leno.

Thursday's episode, written and produced by "ER" executive producer John Wells, was a reminder of the show's glory days and perhaps an era of network television that is gone for good.

"Let's hope we didn't bring all of these people out here for nothing," Clooney's character said to a group of people waiting to transport donated organs. He may as well have been speaking to audience members tuning in to "ER" for the first time in years.

The show even poked fun at its revolving door of actors since the original cast left. When Ross learned that two of the people waiting for organs were from his old County General Hospital in Chicago, they questioned each other on colleagues each might have worked with. There were few matches.

As he waited for a transplant, Wyle's character was visited by Dr. Peter Benton, played by Eriq La Salle. Benton tormented Carter back in the day, but this time stood by him and watched his surgery, saving Carter from trouble caused by an impatient surgeon.

"You stayed here," Carter said upon waking from the surgery.

"I didn't want to miss all the fun," Benton said.

During its peak, in the 1995-96 season, "ER" was the most popular show on television and averaged 32 million viewers a week. To put that in perspective, only one entertainment program — ABC's broadcast of the Academy Awards — has gathered more than 32 million viewers this entire season.

"ER" was TV's No. 1 show for three seasons and, as late as 2000-01, was the top-rated scripted series after fare like "Survivor" and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

This season, "ER" is limping along in 49th place, averaging 8.2 million viewers an episode, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Besides Clooney and Marguiles, other old favorites from the show's heyday have paid respects with returns this season.

Anthony Edwards, who played Dr. Mark Greene, returned even though his character had been killed off: He appeared in a flashback scene. Laura Innes, who played Dr. Kerry Weaver from the second season through 2006-07, made a guest appearance, as did Sherry Stringfield, Alex Kingston and Paul McCrane.

Clooney had led the parade of series originals out the door. Margulies left in 2000, Edwards and La Salle in 2002 and Wyle in 2005.

...Clooney checking back into 'ER'

Tonight is supposedly the night George Clooney returns to ER.

The long-running medical drama, which airs on CTV and NBC, is wrapping up for good on April 2, at the end of its 15th season. But tonight's instalment has been touted as a "reunion" episode, and we all know what that means.

Clooney played Dr. Doug Ross as a regular cast member on ER from 1994 to 1999, before leaving to pursue a big-time movie career.

Dr. Ross' love interest was nurse Carol Hathaway, played by Julianna Margulies. That character is coming back for sure tonight, since Margulies openly has been featured in promos for the episode.

Everyone is being more cagey about Clooney, but the inside buzz is deafening.

Clooney last was seen on ER in May 2000, when he showed up for the final scene of Margulies' last episode. Clooney had left the show a year before that.

On the set of ER in Los Angeles last summer, executive producer John Wells told television critics that Clooney always was a model citizen, both when he was on ER and when he departed the series.

"I think everybody knows this story, but (Clooney) never asked, as the show took off, to make a dime more than he was paid at the beginning," Wells said. "He completely fulfilled his contractual obligations to us over five years, stayed committed, did publicity, worked hard, and was just a completely standup guy.

"We see lots of examples where people have had those kinds of opportunities and they don't respond that way. So I have nothing other than admiration for him as a friend and a professional. He was a big part of what made the show successful at the beginning."

Tonight's episode initially was scheduled to be the last for ER, but NBC and Wells ultimately worked out a deal for three additional episodes.

All season, former ER cast-members have been coming back.

"I did not want anyone to leave the series at any point, to tell you the truth, particularly any of the original six actors," Wells said.

The "original six" in this case is not an NHL term. Rather, Wells was referring to Clooney, Margulies, Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene, Sherry Stringfield as Dr. Susan Lewis, Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter and Eriq La Salle as Dr. Peter Benton.

Wyle currently is back for a multi-episode arc. Edwards has been back. And La Salle will be back tonight, too.

"We really didn't anticipate that we would be able to change casts, particularly after the sort of -- with all due modesty -- the extraordinary success we had at the beginning," Wells said. "We sort of felt like, 'Wow, as soon as people start to leave, that will be that.'

"But we were able to replace the actors who were leaving with really extraordinary actors. When we look back at the list, we've had 26 regulars on the show over 15 years."

Not many series are able to withstand that kind of turnover. The only other one that comes immediately to mind is Law & Order, and not coincidentally, ER and Law & Order are among the longest-running primetime dramas in TV history.

"I remember how we were talking when Sherry (Stringfield) was leaving the first time -- she was the first person to leave the cast, that was in year three," Wells said. "We all thought, 'Oh, well, here it comes, we'll be gone by year five.'

"But we were able to introduce characters slowly so we didn't have actors coming in to replace someone. I think the audience embraced that, because it's similar to their workplaces. People come and you care about them, they're friends, they leave, other people replace them, and they become your friends."

Of course, there are friends, and then there are FRIENDS.

Welcome back, Clooney.

Prince To Play Four Nights on 'Leno'

Prince will perform on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno three nights in a row, March 25-27, as he builds anticipation for the March 29 release of two new albums, "LOtUSFLOW3R" and "MPLSoUND." Prince will also perform a fourth night on the "Tonight Show," May 28th, in celebration of the end of Leno's run as host of the show.

Both CDs, along with a third by new artist Bria Valente, will be available as a three disc set exclusively through Target for a price of $11.98.

The "Tonight Show" performances are part of a larger roll-out for the CD package in Los Angeles. In an email message sent to fans who signed up for updates on lotusflow3r.com, Prince wrote, "From the 24th on, there will b a slew of NPG-related events happening around electric LAlaland.. we don't want 2 give away all the details yet, but b prepared 2 get yo groove on, numerous ways 4 numerous days. We know $ is tite but the adventures will b worth ur while! Stay 2ned 2 this outtaspacestation."

As previously reported, Prince is just the latest music legend to release new music exclusively through a major retailer. AC/DC and the Eagles were among the acts who sold millions of CDs through their partnership with Wal-Mart.

He's also the latest artist to promote new music with a multi-night run on a late night talk show. Last week, U2 performed five nights in a row on the "Late Show with David Letterman" as the band mounted a full court press for its newly released "No Line On The Horizon" disc and upcoming world tour. The White Stripes and the Strokes both did multiple nights of performances on the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien."

Jewel, Nancy O'Dell drop `Dancing With the Stars'

LOS ANGELES – Pop star Jewel and TV host Nancy O'Dell have dropped out of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

Both women sustained injuries during training for the show that prevent them from continuing the competition, the network announced Thursday. Jewel was diagnosed with a fractured tibia in both legs, while the "Access Hollywood" host will need surgery to repair a torn knee cartilage, the network said.

Jewel said in a telephone interview Thursday that she initially dismissed the pain in her legs as soreness from the show's six- to eight-hour daily rehearsals. She eventually sought treatment and was "completely shocked" by the diagnosis.

"The doctor just looked at me and said, 'You're done dancing,'" she said.

The 34-year-old singer-songwriter said she is in pain and using crutches and will have to be seated to perform her next two shows — set for Thursday near Los Angeles and Saturday in Seattle.

"It's my first time sitting down in a concert," she said.

Jewel and O'Dell are still slated to appear on the show's season premiere Monday, when "additional changes to the cast" will be announced.

Jewel's husband, rodeo champ Ty Murray, remains a contestant on the program, though he said it's "a huge bummer" that his wife had to withdraw.

"That's a big part of the reason why we did the show," he said. "It was chance for us to work together and go through this together."

Jewel said she will continue to support her husband and her professional dance partner, Dmitry Chaplin, and she expects to return to the show.

"I think I'll be able to sing this season, so I can sing for Ty on the show if I can't dance for him," she said. "And I hope to dance with Dmitry again and vindicate ourselves."

'Seinfeld' stars guest on `Curb Your Enthusiasm'

NEW YORK – "Seinfeld" isn't coming back, but its stars will be together again this fall on HBO.

The network says that Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards will appear in several episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The HBO comedy stars Larry David, who helped create "Seinfeld."

HBO wasn't giving out any other details about the appearances, which were first reported on the Entertainment Weekly Web site http://www.ew.com. But they are sure to be eagerly anticipated by fans of "Seinfeld," which continues to be shown frequently in syndication.

Jimmy Fallon begins his 'Late Night' adventure

Jimmy Fallon is prepared for whatever criticism he may get as the new host of NBC's Late Night. This is, after all, the man who starred in Taxi.

And besides, the former Saturday Night Live regular figures nothing he'll hear in the coming weeks will be as bad as what his predecessor, Conan O'Brien, went through when he took over for David Letterman in 1993.

"I don't think anyone could put up with what Conan was given when he first started," Fallon said on a conference call with reporters last week. "I mean, that poor guy went through the ringer ... that was insane. There wasn't anyone who liked him at first, and he stayed in the ring and stayed up, and you've got to respect him for that. So, I mean, as bad as a ribbing as I could get for this, I don't see it being that bad."

It's not that Fallon expects his first show on Monday night -- with guests Robert De Niro and Justin Timberlake and a musical performance from Van Morrison -- to go entirely smoothly. In fact, he assures us it won't. But as he's been doing test shows in recent weeks, he's been drawing on a piece of advice O'Brien (who will take over The Tonight Show in June) gave him.

"I think the thing he's repeated most is that you've just got to do it," he says. "Just do it, just keep doing it, because then that's how you learn how to do it. Just get up there and just start swinging and then you'll figure it out, which is good advice. And after the first two test shows I can tell you he's right.

"It's like you can prepare, you can get the great writers, you can get the great set and the great director, but if you don't get these interviews down it can get weird. And, you know, it can -- even a writer can't save you in those things. So I think the more I do it the more comfortable I'll be with talking to people."

Some highlights of the conversation:

Putting his stamp on the show: "I think ours will be different in the fact that we're younger, we're into tech stuff, gadgets, phones, video games. We'll treat a video game premiere like a movie premiere. I'm just going to be honest with what I like and what I do, what I enjoy. And we're not going to hide the fact that people are on the Internet all day. ... We're going to try to be as interactive as possible with our fans.

"I'm currently on Twitter and Facebook and Flickr and Digg; I'm on all that stuff. And I want to be as interactive as possible. I know we tape at 5:30 [ET], we air at 12:30, but I think my fans are smart enough to realize that we do tape early. And so we'll figure out some way to keep it interactive, either through Tweets or, you know, I'll tell you -- I can say on the show between 5:30 and 6:30 Eastern Standard Time, you know, please send in [comments]. I still have to figure out how that’s going to work. [The show will also have three bloggers posting during the day with clips and other items from the set and around the Internet.]

"And the fun thing is, if it doesn't work it's still fun to experiment and try stuff; it's 12:30 at night, I mean, honestly I just want to kind of keep people awake. Or at least give you one joke to go to bed with."

On becoming a better interviewer: "Every morning I sit my wife to the right of me, and I ask her what she's going to do that day. And then ... we run a clip and then we go to commercial.

"I realized after the first two test shows that it is tricky, it's hard. And I think the hardest part for me is you have these pre-interviews, these segment producers that pre-interview your guest. And they give you these bullet points of what funny stories they have.

"And your job as the host is to -- you hit on these bullet points to strike up a conversation with them. So, you know, the first couple I've done I've been a little nervous and I've been like, 'Hey, where you from? Connecticut, oh good. Do you do impressions? Oh great. I heard you went on vacation, and you had a hang gliding incident? Oh good. We'll be right back.' And I was like, 'Wait -- that was the worst conversation I've ever had in my life.'

"So I think the more calm, the looser I get and the more I make people feel at home and at ease and just have them not worry that they have to score, that I'll make sure they look good -- that's my job as the host is to make them shine. ... I'm just going to try to make my guests shine on my show. And I think between that and my house band it's going to be a good show."

About that house band, The Roots: "I got a lot to play with. I really, really, really struck gold and I'm so happy that they -- and honored -- that they would be my band. ... It should be something you want to go do [if you're in New York] because not even counting me, the band alone, will freak your bean. They're going to give you a heart attack. It is like going to see a concert for one hour. And they are so good, just so impressive."
---
The Jimmy Fallon era on Late Night begins at 12:35 a.m. ET Monday/Tuesday on NBC.

Jerry Seinfeld bringing reality series to NBC

NEW YORK – Jerry Seinfeld is headed back to NBC as the producer of a comic reality series about marriage.

The series, called "The Marriage Ref," will feature a real-life couple involved in a marital spat. A team of celebrities will provide commentary and a "referee," whose identity hasn't been determined, will give the final verdict on who is right and wrong.

Seinfeld, in a statement, stressed that it's a comedy show, not a therapy show.

His production partner, former "Oprah Winfrey" producer Ellen Rakieten, says it's not clear yet whether Seinfeld will appear on the air. It's also not clear when the series will start, but producers are shooting for next season.

Richter, O'Brien to reunite on `Tonight Show'

LOS ANGELES – NBC says Andy Richter and Conan O'Brien will be back together again on late-night TV.

Richter, who worked with O'Brien for seven years on NBC's "Late Night," will become the "Tonight" show announcer when O'Brien takes over from Jay Leno as host in June. NBC said Richter also will take part in comedy bits.

O'Brien called Richter a friend and one of the funniest people he knows, but couldn't resist a joke: O'Brien said he's looking forward to their reunion because Richter owes him $300.

After leaving "Late Night" in 2000, Richter starred in the TV series "Andy Richter Controls the Universe" and "Andy Barker, P.I.," and appeared in "Talladega Nights," "Blades of Glory" and other movies.

Meet the New 'Dancing with the Stars' Cast

A married couple, an Olympic champ, yet another former NFL star and the man who serves up "Chocolate News" will be "Dancing with the Stars" in a month's time.

ABC announced the cast for the eighth cyle of its popular dance-off on Sunday night (Feb. 8), dropping names during its prime-time schedule. The 13 stars will begin competing on Monday, March 9.

Singer Jewel and rodeo champion Ty Murray are not the first husband and wife to have been part of "Dancing with the Stars" -- that honor falls to Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin. They are, however, the first married couple to compete against one another in the same season (Rinna danced in the show's second season, and Hamlin followed her in season three).

The cast also includes NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who joins the likes of Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Jason Taylor and Warren Sapp in transitioning from the football field to the dance floor. Shawn Johnson, one of the stars of the U.S. gymnastics team at the 2008 Olympics, will also compete. So will comedian David Alan Grier, the host of Comedy Central's "Chocolate News."

Here's the full cast:

Name: Belinda Carlisle
Famous for: A music career with the Go-Go's and as a solo artist

Name: David Alan Grier
Famous for: " In Living Color," "Chocolate News"

Name: Jewel
Famous for: A Grammy-nominated music career, hosting "Nashville Star"; married to fellow competitor Ty Murray

Name: Shawn Johnson
Famous for: Her four-medal (one gold, three silver) performance in gymnastics at the 2008 Olympics

Name: Lil Kim
Famous for: A Grammy-winning hip-hop career, outrageous fashion choices

Name: Gilles Marini
Famous for: Making Samantha have impure thoughts in the "Sex and the City" movie

Name: Ty Murray
Famous for: Winning seven world all-around rodeo championships; married to fellow competitor Jewel

Name: Nancy O'Dell
Famous for: Hosting "Access Hollywood"

Name: Denise Richards
Famous for: "Wild Things," "The World Is Not Enough," a rocky marriage to Charlie Sheen and currently an E! reality show

Name: Steve-O
Famous for: Being a "Jackass"

Name: Lawrence Taylor
Famous for: Terrorizing quarterbacks in a Hall of Fame NFL career

Name: Chuck Wicks
Famous for: Country-music hit "Stealing Cinderella," dating "Dancing" pro Julianne Hough

Name: Steve Wozniak
Famous for: Co-founding Apple Computer

Bob Costas to MLB Network, leaving HBO

Bob Costas is going to work for Major League Baseball — by joining the MLB Network — and is leaving HBO.

Costas, will debut on the MLB-owned cable channel on Thursday with an interview with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre, and then go on to host specials as well as call an unspecified number of the channel's 26 regular-season TV games.

Costas had appeared since 2001 on HBO, where he hosted specials as well as his Costas Now talk show.

He also hosted HBO's Inside the NFL show until that show moved to the Showtime channel last season.

Says HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg: "Television is about change and we respect Bob's decision to move."

24 Liked the World Better Without Heroes

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Monday TV's Winners: Just about everything not named 24, including the 100th-episode-celebrating House (14.7 million, per Nielsen estimates), the rocking-the-women's-vote The Bachelor (11 million) and the coming-at-you-in-3D Chuck (8.3 million).

Heroes Watch: The show was retooled, rested and, well, on par with its season average in total viewers (8.5 million) and the 18-49 demo.

24 Watch: With Heroes back, the Fox series (11.3 million) fell to fourth in the 18-49 demo at 9 p.m.

Etc.: Two and a Half Men (night-best 16.5 million), The Big Bang Theory (10.9 million) and How I Met Your Mother (10.2 million) stayed strong. One Tree Hill (2.6 million) outdrew Gossip Girl (2.3 million). CSI: Miami (16 million) spoiled the premiere party for Medium (8.5 million).

The Arizona Cardinals, However, Still Lost: Absolute final numbers show Sunday's Super Bowl was record big.

What's up with Lost's Nestor Carbonell not aging? And the 'guyliner'?

Nestor Carbonell—who is again playing the mysterious, apparently ageless Richard Alpert in the fifth season of ABC's Lost—told SCI FI Wire that he understands if viewers are a little disoriented by the show's time-jumping storyline this year: So is he.

"I'm a little dizzy," Carbonell admitted in an exclusive interview on Wednesday. "Initially, it took me, in the first episode, [a moment to figure out] 'OK, when am I exactly? Where are we, and when am I?' But, no, it didn't take long. I think the viewers, after this episode [that aired Jan. 28], the show very much settles down, and you get the gist of the season, that you're going to be dealing with some elements of time travel."

Carbonell—who was initially hired in the third season for only a quick guest spot—will instead be appearing in the rest of season five and the balance of the show, which is set to wrap in 2010, executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse told reporters at this month's Television Critics Association winter press tour in Universal City, Calif.

Carbonell spoke with SCI FI Wire to promote the DVD release of the slasher film Killer Movie. The following Q&A features edited excerpts from that interview. Lost airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

It must be a great deal to be so sought after by the producers that they hire you for the rest of the show.

Carbonell: Oh, it was great, and I never know what's going to happen. It just started out as an audition for a guest spot, third season. Even though I was told it was possibly recurring, they called me about six episodes after I shot that, kind of out of the blue for me, and told me they wanted me to go to the island for about five episodes. The role grew from there. You just never know, but, yes, it was great. It was great that they were so enthusiastic. I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled to be a part of it. ...

It appears that Alpert is ageless. Does it affect the way you play him?

Carbonell: I'm not playing him as if he's 100 years old or several hundred years old. It's very clear, obviously, that the guy doesn't age, but I think there is something to being a guy who's been around, a guy with some wisdom, a shrewd man who's seen a lot in his times here on this island and abroad. I hope that carries in some way into the character. ...

At the TV Critics Association press tour, some reporters asked if you wore eyeliner, which Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse denied. What do you think of this?

Carbonell: My brother sent me this link about the TCA, where you guys were at. Someone had asked about whether I was wearing eyeliner. I think Carlton came to my defense, and he said, "He's 100 percent sans makeup" or something like that. I could see why some people would think I have eyeliner on because [my eyelashes] are dark. Especially the bottom row, they're pretty dark. I've been dealing with it since I was a little kid, and so to me it's very funny when it comes up, especially at TCA. My brother told me to look online and sort of Google something about that, and my name came up as a couple things. One of them was Maybelline Man. I've been dubbed by some people as Guyliner. It's very amusing.

Have any of your Dark Knight friends called you to be their plus-one for the Oscars? [Carbonell appeared in the movie in the role of Gotham City mayor Anthony Garcia.]

Carbonell: Oh, the plus-one thing? No, not yet. I have a plus-one, so I couldn't be someone else's plus-one, but no. I haven't been anybody's plus-one yet. I'll be watching. Hey, I may be in Hawaii [where Lost shoots].

George Clooney Scrubbing Into ER

Los Angeles (E! Online) – ER paged Dr. Ross—and he answered.

Sources tell E! News that George Clooney will be shooting scenes this week for an upcoming episode of the hit medical series, which is in its 15th and final season on NBC.

The network recently ordered up another three episodes of its stalwart Thursday-night drama, raising hopes that nabbing Clooney for a guest spot was one of the reasons for the extension.

Aw, George. Is there any humanitarian cause he won't support?

The Oscar winner last appeared on ER for an uncredited minute in 2000, a year after taking off to make movies fulltime, to help tie up the storyline for Julianna Margulies' departing character, Nurse Carol Hathaway, who had twin daughters with Clooney's Dr. Doug Ross.

Whether or not Clooney would pop up one last time has been up in the air for months, despite Noah Wyle's past assurance that his former costar would return, "schedule permitting."

The Michael Clayton star's publicist didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. An ER rep would not confirm other reports that Clooney would be shooting his scenes Thursday and Friday.

ER's series finale airs April 2 on NBC.

Series is Conchords' flight from reality

The best thing to come out of New Zealand since the kiwi is back for another session of surreal merriment.

Yes, Flight of the Conchords, the series that dares to ask the question "How clueless can two musicians be?" starts its second season tonight at 10 p.m. on HBO Canada.

When it first appeared in June 2007, viewers were initially caught off-guard and then instantly pleased by the show's desert-dry humour, endless self-mockery and deliciously tasteless music videos.

The saga of the feckless folk duo Flight of the Conchords and its inept attempts to make it in the Big Apple became a favourite of critics and viewers alike, winding up with four Emmy nominations in 2008.

There have probably never been two anti-heroes as decidedly anti-heroic as Jemaine and Bret, played – with marvellously coincidental symmetry – by Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie.

Clement's the one with the black-framed glasses and unruly hair that make him seem like a Down-Under cousin of Garrison Keillor, while McKenzie's wispy beard and waif-like physique would qualify him for a role as a slightly anorexic hobbit in Peter Jackson's next movie (he was actually in two Lord of the Rings movies).

They're on the phone from Los Angeles, cracking wise about the unlikely success of their determinedly quirky series.

"I think it's due to my winning personality," deadpans McKenzie.

"And to Bret's not wearing any pants," adds Clement.

McKenzie suggests he's not worried about whether the audience will take to the second season, "but I'm nervous I won't like it myself."

The gents guard the details of the show's minimal plot as though they were pictures of Jennifer Aniston's Brangelina voodoo doll, but they still let some details slip out.

"There's quite a few romantic moments," offers Clement. "I get involved with a few different women." Pause. "Nothing lasts, I'm afraid."

"Ah, yes," sighs McKenzie. "We tap into real pain all the time."

"Especially for our songs," adds Clement. "They're all about our true life moments. Girls breaking up with us, awkward social situations."

"When our feelings are being hurt," continues McKenzie, enjoying the masochistic duet they're improvising.

"Yeah, like when you don't get invited to the birthday party," Clement sighs.

That stops McKenzie short. "What birthday party?"

At moments like that it becomes clear these aren't guys playing roles, but a tightly knit pair that has been working on this off-the-wall synergy for many years.

Clement is 35, McKenzie 32. They met at Victoria University of Wellington, while working on an educational production called Body Play, about body consciousness and image issues.

"It had a cast of 25," remembers McKenzie, "and we were all dressed in black pants with Velcro-detachable penises."

The guffaw that escapes from Clement at this point suggests that his partner might be embroidering the truth, an element at the heart of the Conchords' comedy style.

They formed a comedy duo in 1998, but weren't an instant success. Far from it.

"I did one of those real-life advertisements where I had to wear a suit that was really a boat to publicize a local ferry service in New Zealand," McKenzie recalls. "I was walking up and down the street wearing it and I kept running into friends who were successful lawyers."

"My low point was a gig at a cricket club in New Zealand," offers Clement.

"Yeah," remembers McKenzie with a shiver. "We weren't playing any songs they knew and so they got angry. It was kind of a Blues Brothers moment."

"Bret finally decided to humour them and play `The Gambler' while I was packing," Clement laughs.

"Yeah," McKenzie concurs, "but I didn't know the lyrics and I could only remember one chord."

He then launches into a desperate, tuneless rendition of a man moaning, "You gotta know when to gamble, know when to ramble," and it's easy to see where the tacky songs that dot the Conchords' TV show today had their origins.

One of the highlights of Season 1 was their take on every saccharine French love ballad that haunted the scene in the late 1960s. Their version was a bit of nonsense entitled "Foux du Fafa," and it was accompanied by a video that was Jacques Demy's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at its very worst.

"I had just come back from a holiday in France, so I was moved to write it," declares Clement with ersatz passion.

"And by then I had learned a second chord," adds McKenzie, "so we were good to go."

They started appearing on New Zealand TV in 2000, but it was their appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2003 and 2004 that really jump-started their careers. "Antipodean comedy goes down well in the U.K.," McKenzie says.

"They're laughing at our accents," suggests Clement.

"Yeah," McKenzie agrees. "They already think we're stupid."

But, whether they wanted it or not, their star was in the ascendant.

An HBO special led to an appearance at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin in 2006, which in turned spawned a mock documentary entitled Flight of the Conchords: A Texan Odyssey.

They next wound up on David Letterman's show, where their antics prompted HBO execs to wonder if they could sustain a comedy series.

"We like some TV comedy series," says McKenzie cautiously. "The Black Adder. Garry Shandling."

"But we never saw ourselves doing one week after week," Clement observes with horror. "We ran out of ideas after the first episode of Series 1. We just keep disguising the fact."

They even enjoy the trappings of their cultish fame. "Groupies now show up at our concerts and seem quite determined," Clement notes.

"And our fans give us home crafts that have our names on them," preens McKenzie. But the ultimate secret is something Clement gives away at the end of the conversation.

"Every horrible experience in the show is something we've been through in our lives 10 or 15 years ago and we just dig it up and relive it on TV."

Does this mean that the bad times are all over?

"Not at all," insists McKenzie. "We go back every night and compare notes about the awful things that happened to us during the day and we use it as material."

"And then," chuckles Clement, "we turn the rest into songs."

NBC announces `30 Rock,' `The Office' renewals

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – NBC is renewing Tina Fey's "30 Rock" for the 2009-10 season, along with "The Office" and "The Biggest Loser."

Besides the return of the comedies and the weight-loss reality show, NBC announced Thursday that it has set a premiere date for Amy Poehler's new comedy, a mockumentary about local government. The show, yet to get a title, will debut 8:30 p.m. EST April 9.

"Southland," a new police drama from "ER" executive producer John Wells, also will debut April 9, at 10 p.m. EST.

NBC said that fans of "ER" will get three more episodes than previously announced before the show ends for good, a total of 23. That will push its two-hour finale to April 2.

Angela Bromstad, new president of prime-time entertainment for NBC, weighed in on the fate of other series at a meeting of the Television Critics Association.

Despite a drop in ratings, "Heroes" is secure, Bromstad said. The sci-fi drama, in its third season, "may have taken on too much in terms of characters and multiple story lines," she added.

Bromstad said the network feels "very strongly" about "Life," "Friday Night Lights" and "Lipstick Jungle." She denied reports that "Lipstick Jungle," which stars Brooke Shields, has been canceled.

The network executive's enthusiasm doesn't extend to the new sitcom "Kath & Kim" and "Knight Rider." The two shows were "fair tries" but aren't holding up in the ratings, she said. She called them "indicative of shows that may or may not be coming back."

Bromstad, who was named to her position in December, also oversees production at NBC and Universal Media Studios.

The network finished last season in fourth place and continues to struggle with its scripted programs. None of NBC's four new fall series clicked with viewers, including the already canceled drama "My Own Worst Enemy."

'Law & Order: SVU' star rips NBC

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- Actor/comedian Richard Belzer blasted NBC for giving its Monday-to-Friday 10 p.m. slot to Jay Leno, describing the situation as "a tragedy" and "the last gasp of a dying network."

Belzer has nothing against Leno personally. But the subject came up when Belzer was asked about his own NBC show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, being forced to move to 9 p.m.

"Jay Leno, of course, is going to be on every night, meaning that thousands of people will be out of work -- actors, producers, writers, wardrobe people," Belzer said. "It may be good for comedy in a limited way, but it's a terrible, terrible trend for network television to take five hours of primetime.

"I'm not denigrating Jay or his show. I just think it's a network that is desperate."

Belzer then prompted laughter by adding, "I'm already signed so they can't really ... "

Belzer, 64, acknowledged the Leno move may be a bottom-line success for NBC.

"It's the last gasp of a dying network that could turn out to be brilliant financially," Belzer said. "But in terms of actors, writers, producers and all these people, I think it's a tragedy, frankly."

Leno currently is the host of The Tonight Show. But back in 2004, NBC was desperate not to lose the then-hot Conan O'Brien to another network, so it promised O'Brien, the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, that he could take over The Tonight Show in 2009.

Since then, O'Brien's stock has fallen, while Leno's popularity in the ratings remains strong. Since NBC is having trouble coming up with new scripted or reality shows that people want to watch anyway, it announced last month that Leno would be given a new 10 p.m. talk show, Monday to Friday.

That way, the network gets to keep Leno; it still keeps its promise to O'Brien for The Tonight Show at 11:35 p.m.; and it clears the way for Jimmy Fallon to take over O'Brien's show at 12:35 a.m.

That's a lot of talking every night, though. As Belzer said, if may work financially, but creatively and philosophically, it could be another nail in the coffin of network TV.

Law & Order: SVU certainly deals with some disturbing subject matter, so Belzer was asked if he thinks NBC will ask the creators to lighten up a little for a 9 p.m. audience.

"That's actually a good question because we do deal with some very dark issues of human sexuality," Belzer said. "Unfortunately people never stop doing bad things to each other so we never run out of stories.

"We haven't heard anything from the network about toning it down. I doubt if we will, but it's certainly a legitimate question."

O'Brien takes over The Tonight Show on June 1. The new Leno show will debut in the fall.

Belzer was on hand at the Television Critics Association tour to promote a PBS special titled George Carlin: The Mark Twain Prize, which airs Feb. 4.

Ken Burns adding a 10th inning to 'Baseball'

LOS ANGELES – Filmmaker Ken Burns is adding a tenth inning to his nine-part "Baseball" documentary series that aired in the '90s on public television.

PBS said Wednesday that the new film, titled "The Tenth Inning," will air in spring 2010, along with a rebroadcast of the original nine-part "Baseball" documentary series that debuted in 1994. Meanwhile, the series is running Tuesday nights on the new MLB Network.

The new film will track baseball history from 1993 through 2008, beginning where the original series ended, and feature interviews with Felipe Alou, Joe Torre and other baseball figures.

'24's' Jack Bauer relocates to Washington

WASHINGTON – Early one cold November morning, actress Annie Wersching leads Kiefer Sutherland to an "armored" SUV with dark windows parked outside the U.S. Department of Agriculture building.

After director Brad Turner yells "Cut," onlookers snap photos of the star. Sutherland spots a participant in a charity run for Lupus on the Washington Mall and comments, "Why is that guy wearing shorts? It's cold."

Where Sutherland normally works, people wear shorts year round. Welcome to Washington, Jack Bauer.

A little over a year ago, Sutherland and the crew of his popular Fox TV series, "24," came to the nation's capital to film segments of the show's seventh season. The completion of that season was delayed a year by the Writers Guild strike, but it finally makes its debut in a two-night premiere beginning Sunday, Jan. 11 (8 p.m. EST).

Jack Bauer actually returned to the screen this past November in the Fox TV movie "24: Redemption," a series prequel that was set in Africa. Now, the series' new season begins with the intrepid agent for the fictional federal Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU) forced to return to Washington to face a Senate investigation into his conduct.

"He's called to face charges of abuse of power and torturing certain individuals in an unlawful manner," Sutherland says. "For the first time, he's put in a position to have to confront a lot of the things that he's done."

However, Bauer is pulled from the hearings by FBI agent Renee Walker (Wersching) to help with a more pressing matter — the reappearance of Bauer's thought-to-be-dead fellow agent, Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), who is apparently is no longer one of the good guys.

After six years of making "24" mainly in Los Angeles, the production thought it was finally time to take the show to the home of oft-seen presidents in the series. "We wondered if that was starting to bother people," laughs director Turner.

While filming in Washington isn't new for fed-themed action series, it was a welcome change for the "24" team. "It was kind of like going on a field trip," Bernard says.

Shooting here lends the show a sense of realism impossible to produce by simply intercutting stock "plate" shots of Washington with scenes shot in Hollywood. "To have the Washington Monument in the background of a drive-up, and in a simple, incidental way, just tells you you're in Washington," explains cinematographer Rodney Charters. "That's a pretty hard thing to fake."

Turner and his crew searched the season's early scripts for opportunities to make use of recognizable Washington locales. "It was a matter of finding moments to get scenes on the street, and do it naturally so that it's seamless," the director says. Adds Sutherland, "If you can take advantage of getting iconic places like the Capitol or the Lincoln Memorial in a shot, you try and do that. It's like a postcard for us."

Yet doing so isn't a simple matter of setting up a camera and taking pictures, particularly in a security-sensitive city such as Washington. "There are 17 different jurisdictions to deal with, some with their own police forces," says Jon Pare, the show's production manager. "Sometimes, when you leave a curb and step into a street, you've just crossed a jurisdiction."

But an OK from the District of Columbia to film on a sidewalk and one from the National Park Service for the grass beyond may still not be enough.

"There's one place I can think of specifically where the sidewalk is divided into three different jurisdictions," says local location manager John Latenser. Simply put, "Washington, D.C. is the most difficult city in the United States to film in."
But for the actors, it's worth all the trouble. "You're constantly aware you're in a capital city," says Sutherland. "You can feel the power of it, the sense of responsibility that's in the air all the time. Somehow it felt like more was at stake."

Even a visit to the Capital Grille, a stylish restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue, left an impression on the actor. "Three tables over, there were three men that were talking about something that was going to have an impact on our lives," he says.

Among the many loyal fans of "24" is Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, whose office said he was thrilled to see Sutherland's acting and stunts in person when he visited the set the following day.

"He's a fan of the show and checked out what we were doing. He's always been really gracious and kind with us," Sutherland says. The crew even visited the real CTU — the National Counterterrorism Center — while in Washington.

Meanwhile, fans greet Sutherland as he arrives in the toney Georgetown section of Washington to film a scene at a house once occupied by John F. Kennedy.

"I'm just waiting for (Sutherland) to break into Jack Bauer mode and start neck-punching people," says bystander Kim Sandlin. "I'm looking forward to having Jack Bauer's blood on our sidewalk!"

Star Zach Braff is moving on, but 'Scrubs' may not

On Tuesday night, Scrubs enters its final year — at least in its current form.
For its eighth season, the modestly rated but critically praised hospital comedy gets new life on ABC (two episodes Tuesday, 9 ET/PT), which picked it up when it ended its NBC run in May.

With the impending departure of Zach Braff, who plays Dr. John "J.D." Dorian, Scrubs is approaching this season as its last, resolving the characters' stories and answering long-running questions along the way.

"The end of the show was always about J.D. moving on and whether you can hold on to your youthful relationships," creator Bill Lawrence says. "We've had the finale outlined for four years." However, he says, if the show performs well, the comedy could return, but in some altered form.

The move to ABC reinvigorated the writers, cast and crew of the show, which Lawrence says had gotten broader, sillier and further from its roots. "This show only works if it's grounded enough that (it can) switch gears and be dramatic and really about something."

When ABC program chief Stephen McPherson proposed the network switch, a rare move, "we said, 'If we're going to do this, we're going to go back tonally to what the show was and … try to make it have emotional resonance,' " Lawrence says.

Scrubs is produced by ABC's studio, which McPherson used to run, so the network has more to gain financially than NBC did. ABC has been more involved and provided more promotion, Lawrence says.

Although the tone will be less silly, Scrubs won't lose its oddball moments and fantasies.

Tonight's episodes feature Courteney Cox guest-starring as the new chief of medicine and the arrival of fresh interns.

If Scrubs were to return for a ninth season, the loss of J.D. would mean shifting the focus, possibly toward the interns. Lawrence, who would be involved to a lesser degree, hopes that it could be akin to Frasier growing out of Cheers and that at least some series regulars return.

For now, eight seasons is enough, says Braff, who had feared that the show might end with a fairy-tale episode on NBC that wasn't intended to be the finale.

"It's been almost the last season for us for so many years," he says. "We're all really grateful that we have a chance to end the show on our own terms."

TV reminds you to drink responsibly this New Year's

Today is New Year's Eve -- or, as some call it, Amateur Drunk Night. As we close the books on 2008, it's likely that a fair number of us will be knocking back a glass of champagne or five, or perhaps a couple of nice cocktails.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, provided you're not driving and provided you don't overdo it and end up with a tongue-fuzzing, eye-reddening, dear-lord-why-won't-everyone-just-be-quiet hangover.

I'm not going to go all The More You Know on you or anything, but I thought it might be helpful to share a few examples from recent TV history about what happens when you overindulge.

Beverly Hills, 90210 - "U4EA"

The story: This Very Special Episode of the original 90210 finds the gang heading to a rave that Emily Valentine (in one of her earlier appearances, before she came back with the really weird haircut) knows about. She slips a mickey -- the Ecstasy stand-in referenced in the episode title -- into Brandon's drink, which causes him to get so loopy that he has to leave his beloved car at the club, where it's vandalized. Also, David downs a bottle of whiskey, but only Kelly seems appalled. (Link is to the full episode, which has some embedded ads.)

The lesson: While at an underground club populated by your new friend's sketchy acquaintances, make sure you keep your drink in your hands. Plus, make sure you bring your egg to the right convenience store.

Gilmore Girls - "To Live and Let Diorama"

The story: While Stars Hollow wonders (OK, snickers) at the new town museum, Rory, Paris and Lane -- each of them feeling down on love -- partake of a few cups of Miss Patty's leftover Founder's Day punch, which Rory says "is used to remove tar from construction sites." Paris ends up wandering the streets barefoot, Lane discovers Zach is in a bluegrass band, and Rory finds herself on Lorelai's bathroom floor, still despondent. Kirk, meanwhile, gets sideways on sugar and needs a Pop-Tart hair of the dog the next day.

The lesson: Stay away from any beverage that can also be used as a solvent, but if you don't, greasy food will help.

The Bachelor: London Calling - "Episode 1"

The story: Opening-night jitters have gotten the better of several Bachelor contestants over the years, causing them to overdo it on the champagne and make slurry spectacles of themselves on national television. Few have done that as spectacularly, though, as Stacey Elza, who got very handsy with Matt Grant, shoved her underwear into his hands and babbled on about discovering a drug to cure a disease no one even knows about yet -- before passing out. The relevant clips are about seven minutes in here and at the start of this one.

The lesson: Eat something before the limo picks you up. And don't go on The Bachelor.

Friends - "The One in Vegas"/"The One After Vegas"

The story: Before "What happens in Vegas ..." became a tourism-board tagline and an Ashton Kutcher movie vehicle, this season finale/season premiere two-parter put the lie to that, while also illustrating a lesser-known maxim: It's all fun and games until someone with a fake beard drawn on her face gets married to the guy who said her name when he was marrying someone else. (Although I do love the "Hello, Mrs. Ross!" "Hello, Mr. Rachel!" exchange.)

The lesson: When you're married in Las Vegas, you're married everywhere.

The Simpsons - "Boy Scoutz 'N the Hood"

The story: After finding $20, Bart and Milhouse go on a Squishee- and candy-fueled bender (Broadway style!) that ends with the two of them enrolled in the Junior Campers. I'm actually not a fan of the episode's second half -- despite the presence of Ernest Borgnine, Homer is a little too aggressively stupid for my taste -- but the first part is absolutely brilliant. The Squishee scenes can be found here, as well as below.

The lesson: You need to cut your Squishee syrup with some kind of mixer, and never, ever go camping with Homer.

Happy New Year, everyone!!

BNL's 'HNIC' to debut on New Year's Eve

TORONTO - The Barenaked Ladies' cover of the old "Hockey Night in Canada" theme song will debut on TSN on New Year's Eve.

The bluegrass version of the song - which includes vocals - will air during the first intermission of a game between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames at 10 p.m. ET.

The group recorded their version of the song last month, following Simple Plan's rock recording of the iconic tune in October.

Barenaked Ladies drummer Tyler Stewart says it was a thrill for him as a die-hard hockey fan to play the song.

In June, CTV acquired the rights to the song, which is officially called, "The Hockey Theme."

It was created by Vancouver-born Dolores Claman in 1968 and was heard on the CBC for decades on "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcasts.

It is now heard on TSN and RDS and will be used during CTV's hockey coverage of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Dick Clark, 79, is still rockin' New Year's Eve

LOS ANGELES – Four years after a stroke, Dick Clark is relishing the prospect of another New Year's Eve celebration, determined to appear for his 36th year in Times Square. And he's hardly surprised by the current state of the music industry he helped build — he predicted this, after all.

Clark, who turned 79 last month and has been in front of the cameras for 61 years, said in a recent interview by e-mail that his involvement in "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2009," diminished though it may be, is a labor of love and "not really a job."

"Obviously, I'm not able to be as actively involved as I used to be out on the street, up on a platform and interacting with the crowds in Times Square" in New York, Clark wrote. "Thank goodness my friend Ryan Seacrest is able to handle that end of the activity on the show these days.

ABC-TV's 3 1/2-hour live extravaganza will include performances by Natasha Bedingfield, Fall Out Boy, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo, Pussycat Dolls, Solange and Robin Thicke. Fergie hosts the Hollywood segments.

Clark woke up with right-side paralysis on Dec. 6, 2004 — "Your life changes overnight," he said. (Regis Philbin filled in for Clark on the New Year's Eve show that year.) Clark still uses a walker or wheelchair, and speaking is difficult.

"I am one of the fortunate ones who survived and have been minimally impaired, so I'm just thankful I'm still able to enjoy this once-a-year treat of bringing in the New Year."

The "American Bandstand" icon and longtime producer of the American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards and Golden Globes has long considered them "my television kids."

He's also watched their ratings plummet in recent years.

"There was a time when they attracted a huge audience," Clark wrote. "The audiences have dropped off as the years have gone by because of increasing television competition.

"What we are seeing is more and more talent and less emphasis on people getting awards. Television's award shows have now become gigantic showcases for variety."

Clark was there at the birth of rock 'n' roll ("American Bandstand" kicked off July 9, 1956), and he's watched dramatic changes in the music industry. Not that those changes would come as much of a surprise.

"I can remember writing an article several years ago where I let my imagination run wild," Clark wrote. "I said we'd see the day when music is delivered directly to our homes, and delivered to us in some form of wireless communication.

"The fun of actually holding a record in our hands will disappear and we'll all have our own individual library of our favorite songs that we'll listen to at home, at work, in the car wherever we happen to go."

These days, Clark divides his time between his Malibu home and Burbank office. There's an hourlong therapy session each morning, then he answers mail and phone calls, attends meetings and reads.

The day ends with his devoted wife Kari.

"My wife and I may join friends for dinner at a restaurant, attend a movie or just grab a bite to eat by ourselves away from home," Clark wrote. "Occasionally, we'll attend a music concert. Recently we've seen Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Frankie Valli and Cher."

Winter TV Premiere Dates Calendar!

Los Angeles (E! Online) – Is winter secretly the best season?

TV-wise, it just might be, what with the return of Lost and 24, plus the premiere of much-anticipated series like Dollhouse, Castle and Amy Poeher, Beyond Thunderdome.

Want to know when your faves are back on the air?

Read on for the complete premiere dates calendar!

WINTER PREMIERES

* Denotes series returning from a winter break, rather than season or series premiere.

Monday, Dec. 29
The City (MTV)

Monday, Jan. 5
The Bachelor (ABC)
Gossip Girl (CW)*
Momma's Boys (NBC)
One Tree Hill (CW)*
Secret Life of the American Teenager (ABC Family)
True Beauty (ABC)

Tuesday, Jan. 6
90210 (CW)*
According to Jim (ABC)*
The Biggest Loser: Couples (NBC)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC)*
Nip/Tuck (FX)
Privileged (CW)*
Scrubs (ABC)

Wednesday, Jan. 7
13: The Fear Is Real (CW)
Damages (FX)
Knight Rider (NBC)*
Law & Order (NBC)*

Thursday, Jan. 8
30 Rock (NBC)*
ER (NBC)*
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)*
Kath & Kim (NBC)*
My Name Is Earl (NBC)*
The Office (NBC)*
Private Practice (ABC)*
Ugly Betty (ABC)*

Friday, Jan. 9
Flashpoint (CBS)
Monk (USA)*
Psych (USA)*

Sunday, Jan. 11
24 (Fox)

Monday, Jan. 12
Samantha Who? (ABC)*

Tuesday, Jan. 13
American Idol (Fox)

Wednesday, Jan. 14
Wonderland (DTV 101)

Thursday, Jan. 15
Bones (Fox)*
Smallville (CW)*
Supernatural (CW)*

Friday, Jan. 16
Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi)
Friday Night Lights (NBC)

Sunday, Jan. 18
American Dad (Fox)*
Big Love (HBO)
Family Guy (Fox)*
Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
King of the Hill (Fox)*
The L Word (Showtime)
Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Showtime)
The Simpsons (Fox)*
United States of Tara (Showtime)

Monday, Jan. 19
House (Fox)*

Tuesday, Jan. 20
Fringe (Fox)*

Wednesday, Jan. 21
Lie to Me (Fox)
Lost (ABC), two-hour premiere

Thursday, Jan. 22
Burn Notice (USA)*

Monday, Jan. 26
The Closer (TNT)
Trust Me (TNT)

Wednesday, Jan. 28
Life on Mars (ABC)*

Thursday, Jan. 29
Hell's Kitchen (Fox)

Monday, Feb. 2
Chuck (NBC),* 3-D episode
Heroes, Vol. IV: Fugitives (NBC)*
Medium (NBC)

Thursday, Feb. 12
Survivor (CBS)

Friday, Feb. 13
Dollhouse (Fox)
Terminator (Fox)*

Sunday, Feb. 15
The Amazing Race (CBS)

Sunday, March 8
Breaking Bad (AMC)

Monday, March 9
Castle (ABC)

Tuesday, March 17
Reaper (CW)

Thursday, March 19
Kings (NBC)

Tuesday, March 24
Cupid (ABC)

Wednesday, April 8
The Unusuals (ABC)

Thursday, April 9
Harper's Island (CBS)

EXACT DATES To Be Determined
• Amy Poehler, Beyond Thunderdome premieres on NBC in April.
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent returns to USA in March or April.
• Life returns to NBC in February.
• Prison Break and 'Til Death return to Fox in the spring.
• Rescue Me returns to FX in March or April.
• Rules of Engagement returns to CBS in the spring.
• Saving Grace returns to TNT in March.
• The Tudors returns to Showtime in April.

Jack Black to guest-star on `The Office'

NEW YORK – Jack Black is headed to "The Office," guest-starring in an episode slated to air during a ratings-rich time slot: after the Super Bowl.

The Feb. 1 episode of the sitcom, titled "Stress Relief," will follow the office drones as they try to secretly watch a bootlegged Hollywood movie at work. The network did not say how Black will factor into the story line.

Black recently starred in "Tropic Thunder." His other film credits include "King Kong," "High Fidelity" and the voice of the main character in the animated "Kung Fu Panda."

Jon Stewart lampoons Canada's parliamentary crisis

Canada's parliamentary crisis is now fodder for jokes south of the border.

On Monday night, comedian Jon Stewart addressed our current problems in Ottawa on his satirical news show, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, saying Canadians are facing the biggest political challenge since the "controversial decision to reshape bacon."

Stewart appeared incredulous that a coalition of opposition politicians tried to oust Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"Force him from office? You can do that?" he asked. "Because we've had no confidence in our guy for quite some time now, and he's taking forever to leave."

He also seemed puzzled by the crisis in light of Harper's numbers in political polls.

"I mean, this guy — his approval rating is 46 per cent and they're trying to kick him out," he said. "You know what we call a 46 per cent approval rating down here? President Clinton."

Canadian voters were also the butts of Stewart's jokes. He showed video footage of a protester shouting, "What are you afraid of, sir?" at Harper.

"Sir?" Stewart said. "You're heckling him. It's not a job interview! Do you Canadians save all your obnoxiousness for hockey games?"

And he wondered aloud why Americans should care about Canadian politics, noting that Canada isn't a nuclear state and our chief export is "jokes that they are the butt of."

Stewart has hosted The Daily Show on Comedy Central since 1999.

Jay Leno staying on NBC in prime time

NEW YORK – Jay Leno is staying at NBC, and he's moving to prime time.

The network announced Tuesday that Leno will host a show five nights a week at 10 p.m. Eastern, after he leaves the "Tonight" show next year. The network had announced nearly five years ago that Conan O'Brien would move to "Tonight" and succeed Leno.

The deal not only prevents Leno from moving to another network and competing with O'Brien, it also has the potential to be a big cost savings for NBC. A talk show is considerably cheaper to produce than the dramas that usually air at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Leno could now deliver his nightly monologue and sketches to more viewers. Generally about 50 percent more people are watching TV at 10 p.m. than at 11:30 p.m.

Dramas used to be a mainstay of network schedules, and NBC's own history at the time slot includes "ER," "Hill Street Blues," "Law & Order" and "L.A. Law."
Yet dramas have been fading in recent years. One reason is digital video recorders; more people are watching shows they taped earlier than the live 10 p.m. shows.

Ten years ago, "ER" was the top-rated show in television, with an average of 25.4 million viewers. This season, its last, "ER" is averaging 9.9 million viewers and is ranked No. 33 in prime time.

Besides "ER," NBC this season airs "Law & Order" and its "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" spinoff in the 10 p.m. time slot — both shows that could easily move to an earlier hour. "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Lipstick Jungle," shows in the 10 p.m. hour on Monday and Friday, have already been canceled.

NBC had said last summer that Leno's last "Tonight" show would be on Friday, May 29, and that O'Brien would take over the following Monday, June 1.

Jimmy Fallon is taking over the 12:30 a.m. time slot that O'Brien is vacating.

Battlestar Galactica prequel Caprica gets full season go-ahead

The final episodes of Battlestar Galactica will air in the new year, but a new prequel series to the hit sci-fi show is already on the horizon.

U.S. network Sci-Fi Channel has given the go-ahead for production of a full season of Caprica, a spin-off series to the critically acclaimed BSG, according to Hollywood trade press.

Though producers had originally planned to broadcast a two-hour Caprica TV movie this year, it will now serve as a pilot for the new series, which is slated to debut in early 2010.

The final 10 episodes of BSG begin in mid-January, with a two-hour movie entitled Battlestar Galactica: The Plan slated for broadcast next summer.

The prequel tale Caprica will be set 50 years before the plot of BSG, focusing on two rival families, one of whom is pushing artificial intelligence forward by developing living robots called Cylons. The cast includes Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales and Polly Walker, with the series to be executive produced by BSG creators Ronald Moore and David Eick.

Filmed in Vancouver and featuring a host of Canadian actors, the reimagined Battlestar Galactica got underway with a miniseries in 2003 and a regular TV series in 2004.

Though some originally believed the show would simply revamp the 1970s series, the latest BSG — always slated to last just four seasons — became a hit, garnering praise from both viewers and critics. Its accolades include winning a prestigious Peabody Award in 2006 and two outstanding program trophies from the American Film Institute in 2005 and 2006.

'Scrubs' returns with a 'friend' as its guest star

NEW YORK – "Scrubs" will have a new medical plan when it returns next month. After seven seasons on NBC, the hospital comedy will air on ABC starting Jan. 6, with Courteney Cox Arquette in a guest role as Sacred Heart's new chief of medicine.

The former "Friends" star will be on duty for a three-episode arc, joining series regulars including Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison and John C. McGinley.

"Scrubs" marks a comedy encore for the 44-year-old Arquette, who, after the long-running "Friends," more recently starred as a tabloid-magazine boss on the FX network melodrama, "Dirt."

Elvis Costello's new TV show 'Spectacle' offers different look at music

NEW YORK - During an interview with Elton John for the debut of his new television show "Spectacle," Elvis Costello didn't ask about stage costumes, boyfriends or "Island Girl." Instead, the conversation turned to Laura Nyro, Leon Russell and David Ackles.

The two men closed the show performing the obscure British songwriter Ackles' "Down River."

"For all of his successes, people don't realize that he's a great fan of music," Costello said of John. "They assume that he's this flamboyant guy who has hit records. They don't know that it's grounded in a great love and tremendous knowledge about music."

Costello could as easily have been talking about himself. That background, his experience on the other side of interviews and a natural rapport with people in similar jobs more than make up for any deficits as a trained TV prober.

They give "Spectacle," a mix of music and talk, heft along with entertainment value. Although conceived in Canada and airing at some point on CTV, "Spectacle" debuts Wednesday at 9 p.m. on the U.S. Sundance Channel. Costello is married to Canadian jazz singer Diana Krall and they have a home on Vancouver Island.

Besides John, who is an executive producer of the 13-episode series, future guests include Lou Reed, James Taylor, The Police, Rufus Wainwright, Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, Renee Fleming and Costello's wife Diana Krall (interviewed by John).

As the first episode's interview revealed, Costello's goal was to get his guests talking about their enthusiasms, hoping they'd reveal more of themselves in the process.

During his session with a clearly nervous Taylor, Costello mentioned hearing a Gene Autry record recently that reminded him of Paul McCartney, and Taylor began talking about his days at Apple Records.

Reed picked up a guitar to show the proper way of playing "Sweet Jane."

"It was funny because he wouldn't seem to be a guy who would do an instruction thing," Costello said. "He was in good humour throughout the show, contrary to a lot of people's expectations about him. Maybe they approach him through a lens of darkness, solely concentrating on the image that is projected through a very limited slice of his repertoire."

The Police's show had an end-of-tour frankness and frivolity. It also illustrated another highlight of "Spectacle" - the music - when they and Costello played a version of "Watching the Detectives" that morphed into "Walking on the Moon."

An amateur saxophone player who served two terms in the White House is on Dec. 17th's show. Former President Bill Clinton talked about music, not politics, saying how he gave up the dream of being a professional musician when he looked in the mirror and realized he'd never be good enough to be the best.

Costello's closest experience to "Spectacle" was a few nights subbing for David Letterman. He's not sure whether there will be a second season, noting the difficulty juggling his family and guests' schedules, without neglecting his day job.

The freedom to be flexible with format, and to talk in-depth with heroes like Smokey Robinson, made it a good experience.

"For every frustration, for every idiotic suggestion that you get when you work in television, the great moments far outweigh the minor frustrations," he said.

Station takes call letters of TV show

CINCINNATI – WKRP is back on the air in Cincinnati — but this time it's for real.

A low-power TV station has changed its call letters to WKRP, the same as the fictional radio station in the 1970s hit series "WKRP in Cincinnati."

The station changed its call letters to promote its new digital TV signal. It formerly went by WBQC-TV.

General Manager Elliott Block says the new call letters give the station recognition because so many people remember the television sit-com.

CTV confirms 105 layoffs in Toronto

A little more than a week after CTV chief Ivan Fecan warned staff of impending layoffs, the private broadcaster has announced it is cutting "approximately" 105 positions.

"Virtually all of these positions are here in Toronto," spokeswoman Bonnie Brownlee said about the cuts on Thursday.

Brownlee added that she doesn't "have the full breakdown" of the divisions affected.

CTV Inc. owns and operates 27 conventional television stations across the country and has news bureaus across Canada and internationally, including in Washington, London and Beijing.

Its parent company, CTVglobemedia Inc., owns sports channel TSN, music network Much Music, arts and culture channel Bravo and more than two dozen other specialty TV channels.

CTVglobemedia also owns the Globe and Mail newspaper as well as 34 CHUM radio stations across the country.

"No further reductions will be taken for the balance of this year," according to an e-mail staff received on Thursday from Dawn Fell, CTVglobemedia's executive vice president of human resources and operations.

Last week, Fecan — who serves as chief executive officer of CTV as well as president and CEO of CTVglobemedia — informed employees that layoffs, a hiring freeze and other operational changes were pending because of declining ad revenues, in part because of the global economic downturn.

Earlier this month, media giant Canwest announced it was cutting 560 jobs — about five per cent of its workforce — including 210 jobs on its broadcast side.

Conventional TV broadcasters have complained of declining revenues in the face of rising competition from pay and speciality services.

In July, Statistics Canada reported that revenue for conventional television fell by 5.3 per cent, slipping to $1.267 billion in 2007 from 2006. By comparison, pay television revenue in Canada rose by 13.5 per cent for the same period, hitting $547 million in 2007.

In the spring, CTV and Canwest Global teamed up to call on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to enact a controversial carriage fees proposal to help traditional broadcasters. The CRTC rejected the idea.

The CBC, which was also calling for the introduction of carriage fees, will be carrying out its own cost-cutting plan, given the current economic climate.

However, in his note to staff on Friday, CBC/Radio-Canada president Hubert Lacroix said "where others are contemplating and predicting layoffs, we are looking to put in place and push forward with solutions that won't involve cutting jobs."

DVR usage making big changes in television viewing

NEW YORK (AP) — Figuring out a prime-time schedule is usually one of CW network chief Dawn Ostroff's most important duties. Never, however, has it seemed to matter less.

The promise inherent in digital video recorders — that viewers can be in control of their own TV schedules — is rapidly being fulfilled this fall, and the business is changing around it. Nearly 30% of the nation's TV homes have at least one.

Nowhere is the impact more apparent than at the CW, where recording the shows and watching them later account for nearly 17% of the network's viewership over a one-week period. Two years ago, it was less than 5%, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The time-shifting is more dramatic for individual shows. The CW even had a week where the audience of 18-to-34-year-old women for 90210 increased by a stunning 79% over the live broadcast.

Viewing for ABC, CBS and NBC programs are all more than 10% time-shifted now, too. Fox's programming is only 8% time-shifted this fall, in large part because it has shown postseason baseball, which very few people watch later.

"More and more people are changing the way they consume television," said Alan Wurtzel, NBC's chief research executive. "In the next few years, we will rewrite all the rules."

The most time-shifted show is NBC's The Office, where 28% of its audience watched it sometime other than Thursdays at 9 p.m, Nielsen said. Action shows and serialized dramas, like Fringe,Heroes and Grey's Anatomy, have big time-shifted audiences. Not surprisingly, young people are the quickest to adapt to new technology.

Among the least time-shifted shows this fall were Deal or No Deal,60 Minutes and King of the Hill.

With The Office, time-shifting has kept alive a show that might otherwise be dead. The comedy has the week's toughest time slot, competing directly against CBS' more popular CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and ABC's Grey's Anatomy.

The flip side is that DVRs make it harder for new shows like NBC's just-canceled My Own Worst Enemy to get established. Given the choice of trying something new or watching a recorded version of a favorite show, the DVR usually wins out.

"I call the DVR our frien-emy," Wurtzel said.

Time-shifting has played a prominent part in the decline of the 10 p.m. time slot, where a powerhouse like NBC's ER ruled television not too long ago. Only three of Nielsen's top 20 prime-time shows a week ago started at that hour, all of them on CBS.

Many viewers are recording shows from 8 or 9 p.m. and watching them later, after dinner or when the kids go to bed, instead of what's on live at 10 p.m. This phenomenon hurts late-night programming, too.

"The biggest single competitor to network programming in any time slot now is (pre-recorded) network programming," said David Poltrack, chief researcher at CBS.

Networks will likely continue to concentrate their top shows in an earlier hour. Some executives can even see a day when networks stop putting high-cost scripted series at 10 p.m. altogether, although there's pressure from local stations to provide strong lead-ins to their late-night news shows.

There was a time, not too long ago, when network executives slept with laptops or fax machines by their beds so they could rise before dawn to check the previous night's ratings.

Now, Ostroff said, "it's a system that's no longer relevant."

She got a peek at the new TV world last spring. CW executives were getting an anecdotal sense that Gossip Girl was catching on, even though it wasn't reflected in the overnight ratings. It had a big DVR pickup, and many young fans watched free video streams. The CW briefly stopped streaming the show in order to increase the TV ratings, but fans quickly found illegal versions online, so CW streamed again.

The problem: the CW isn't earning as much from the show as it should, considering how many people are watching it.

"We've got to figure out a way to monetize this content being consumed," Ostroff said.

The networks' weekly ratings scorecard, a traditional psychic barometer, also means less. It's based on live viewing, plus playbacks within 24 hours. One recent week the broadcast networks were down 10% from the previous year — an alarming sign of failure on its face — but add in a week's worth of time-shifters and the decline was only 3%, Poltrack said.

Asked whether the increased time-shifting helped the networks, Fox chief scheduler Preston Beckman was as ambivalent as Wurtzel.

"It's a little of both," he said. It's always encouraging that viewers watch the shows, whenever they do it. But advertising rates are calculated based on people who watch a show within three days of its original airing. So if you tape House on Tuesday to watch Saturday night, Fox gets nothing for it.

He worries that the ease of DVRs may get people out of the habit of watching their favorite shows. First, they don't have to worry about being at the TV at a certain hour because their shows are being recorded. Then they forget to watch the playback. Before you know it, they've stopped seeing the shows regularly.

It isn't simply more houses getting DVRs that is making a difference these days, it's houses getting their second or third DVRs, the experts said.

CBS' Poltrack believes that DVR usage will continue to grow until the machines are in about half of the nation's homes with TVs. He expects the technology to become obsolete soon after that, because more people will have televisions and computers working together to give them even more freedom to program their personal networks.

"We basically have reached the point now where everyone realizes that it's in everyone's best interests to make popular programming available so people can watch it any time they want to watch it," he said.

Sutherland back as Bauer

Kiefer Sutherland is back as Jack Bauer this weekend and, as usual, he's surrounded by Canadians.

Jon Cassar, a native of Malta who grew up in Ottawa and is a graduate of that city's Algonquin College, has directed "24" since it went on the air in 2002. Often, he does so sporting a Toronto Maple Leafs cap.

A veteran who paid his dues in Canadian television, he is now an executive producer on "24," winning an Emmy for directing the series in 2006.

Cassar's allegiances to his homeland remain strong, notes Vancouver native Gil Bellows, who is in the new TV movie "24: Redemption" (airing Sunday at 8 p.m. on Global and Fox).

"Jon's a homer," says Bellows. "If he worked with somebody in Toronto, and he thought they were really good, he would fight for them to get a job on the show."

During the late '90s, Cassar perfected his run-and-gun, one-or-two-takes-tops shooting style on the action series "La Femme Nikita" in Toronto.

That series was produced by "24" co-creator Joel Surnow. Many of the Canadian actors who passed through "Nikita," including Alberta Watson and Carlo Rota, were later brought into the "24" mix.

Another of Cassar's past jobs was directing "Forever Knight." The star of that series, Geraint Wyn Davies, has had some face time on "24."

Cassar is still reaching across the border for Canadian talent. Colm Feore, who Cassar worked with years ago while directing episodes of "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues," plays the White House's "First Gentleman" in the TV movie and in upcoming episodes of the series.

Shooting in South Africa really energized the cast and crew, says Cassar. Gone are the computer-crammed CTU crime labs and other spy gadgets.

"It's all very low tech," he says. "We wanted it to look different. There's almost a period kind of feel to it."

At first, Cassar was against sticking to the strict, real-time format for the TV movie.

"I said to them, 'Guys, we don't really need to do this,"' he said.

The writers, however, came up with a story that worked as a real-time, two hour adventure, complete with "24"-style tension.

The story finds Bauer, devastated and alone when we last saw him on the side of a cliff at the end of the sixth season, searching the world for some answers.

"He was so disillusioned by not only what he had done with his life, but circumstances that he had been confronted with here in the States," Sutherland told reporters last July in Los Angeles .

In Africa, he stumbles across an old Special Forces buddy (played by Robert Carlyle) and throws himself into his pal's project, providing a safe haven for children caught up in war.

"There was something wonderful about beginning in South Africa , that he had actually found a kind of peace and calm there with his friend," said Sutherland.

Shooting during the African winter proved a challenge. There was only eight hours of sunlight a day, and conditions were often windy.

This didn't curtail Cassar and his breakneck shooting pace. While an entire season of "24" unfolds in sequence, with one episode always directly leading to the next, Cassar has worked out a production system allowing the cast and crew to shoot two episodes at once. The "24: Redemption" TV movie was shot and banked in a little over three weeks.

The TV movie could be a dry run for an eventual "24" theatrical release.

Cassar says it is a project he and Sutherland and fellow executive producers Surnow and Howard Shore have discussed in the past.

"Doing the series takes 10, 11 months out of my year," he says, "so there never seemed to be a way to work in a movie until the series was finished.

This year, with the writers strike forcing a full year delay in getting to a seventh season (starting Jan. 11 and 12 in a four hour block on Fox and Global), they finally had a chance.

"Now we're back talking about a feature again," says Cassar.

Sources: Daisies, Stone and Dirty Sexy Canceled

Los Angeles (E! Online) – ABC has canceled Pushing Daisies, executive producer Bryan Fuller confirms to me exclusively.

According to reports, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money have also been canceled, but reps for both shows have declined to comment.

Bryan Fuller tells me, "[ABC president] Steve McPherson called me, and said 'We gave it the best shot we could.' "

According to Fuller, the facts are these: "It's very likely that Pushing Daisies will end after episode 13, which as you know, is a cliffhanger. But we are talking to DC Comics about doing comic books that will wrap up our storylines, and I already have a pitch for a movie ready to go.

"To be honest, I'm really not feeling very boo-hoo about it. I am so proud of the show. We put together 22 really good episodes, and there is a lot to be proud of. I'm sure I'll be working with a lot of these people again, and I would love to do so."

Hark! Colbert sings in new Christmas special

NEW YORK – The permanently suit-clad Stephen Colbert has traded in his pinstripes for a cardigan sweater, red turtleneck and furry boots.

Following the tradition of Andy Williams and Bing Crosby, Colbert hosts his own holiday special in "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All." The hour-long special airs Sunday at 10 p.m. EST on Comedy Central, and will on Tuesday be released as a DVD, complete with a Yule log of burning books.

Clearly in the Christmas spirit, at the first mention of old holiday specials, Colbert launches into renditions of Williams' "Little Altar Boy" and Crosby and David Bowie's "Little Drummer Boy."

The latter was the inspiration for a duet between Colbert and Willie Nelson, who appears — in one of the more bizarre numbers — as a tiny wise man in a miniature nativity scene.

"This is just some good fun to watch during your eggnog-induced dementia," Colbert joked in an interview Wednesday.

The special finds Colbert far from his "Colbert Report" set in an obviously made-for-TV room of a mountain cabin dressed for Christmas. Hanging by the fireplace are two stockings, one labeled "Stephen," the other "Colbert."

While he's snowed in and a bear lurks outside, Colbert is visited by Nelson, Toby Keith, Jon Stewart, John Legend, Feist and Elvis Costello to sing Christmas songs that were penned by "Daily Show" executive producer David Javerbaum and composed by Adam Schlesinger.

"I had a clear, clear command to everyone involved: 'No cynicism,'" said Colbert. "We're not mocking Christmas specials. We're doing MY Christmas special. And that was the aesthetic we tried to bring into it. Like, we're really doing this. I want people to see this every year."

The special was originally planned for last Christmas but was delayed a year when Colbert became swamped during his brief run for president in the South Carolina primary. Instead, the special was taped mostly over a three-week period in August.

The 44-year-old comedian, who lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children, is a practicing Catholic who has taught Sunday school at his church. The special concludes on a positive note, with Colbert and Costello singing that "there are much worse things" than believing in Christmas.

Costume pieces from the special are being auctioned to benefit Feeding America, and a percentage of the DVD proceeds will also go to the charity.

Conservative pundits, of course, were the basis of Colbert's character — and there is some allusion to the "war on Christmas" that various commentators have waged in recent years.

But while Colbert still remains in character, the special is ultimately mostly free of politics. During the nonstop campaign, Colbert looked forward to the special like a "gift box," completely removed from the election.

"See, no politics," said Colbert proudly, as if proving his versatility.

Though fodder from the campaign was a boon to "The Report," Colbert says he feels greater freedom now that the election is over.

"I've actually had a better time than I've had in a long time," he said about the last few weeks. "I was strapped to someone else's galloping horse. There was no escaping how fast the news was changing. We were completely in a responsive comedy."

But there is nothing reactive about the unique "A Colbert Christmas."

"I'm so proud that we made something that is sincerely strange," said Colbert, "but also strangely sincere."

Tim McGraw to host 'SNL'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tim McGraw's spokeswoman says the singer will host "Saturday Night Live" on Nov. 22, joining a short list of country stars to host the popular show.

Garth Brooks was the last one, and that was back in 1999. Other country singers to host SNL include Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.

McGraw - who is married to country star Faith Hill - says he isn't exactly known for comedy in his movies but fans who come to his concerts at least know he has a sense of humour.

Hanging out with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon might help. McGraw appears with them in the holiday comedy "Four Christmases" out later this month.

His many hits include "Live Like You Were Dying," "Where the Green Grass Grows" and his latest, "Let it Go."

'Law & Order' boss slams TV lineup

Law & Order creator Dick Wolf didn't hide behind legal lingo when asked about the current TV season.

"You want one word? Disastrous," Wolf said.

"Have I missed something? Is there a new breakout hit? This is the second year in a row where nothing has gotten traction and it's November. That's not good for the business."

In an effort to save the business at NBC, Law & Order is being brought back this week, moved up from its original "early 2009" start-date in an effort to stop the bleeding in the ratings.

"Scheduling choices are something I have absolutely nothing to do with and no say in," the 61-year-old Wolf said about being brought in off the bench early. "I'm glad to be back is the bottom line. I wish we had some more promo time. The episodes are just fine, but I wish more people knew we were coming, because it's a daunting promotional climate now.

"But this is like complaining about global warming. Everybody is having a lousy year. My fondest hope is Law & Order is going to carry the water here and help the network, because for better or worse, a rising tide raises all boats."

Olbermann gives Affleck an 'A+'

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and a "flattered" Keith Olbermann is giving Ben Affleck high marks for his Saturday Night Live impersonation. "As a technical achievement, it was an A+," Olbermann told TV Newser's Gail Shister. "Ben got most of the facial expressions right, and the camera turns were hilarious."

He adds, "From the moment I heard about it as they rehearsed on Friday, I was flattered. I might nitpick the details, but there is a status implied by this. Especially running it before midnight. Especially having the host doing the impression. Also, you can kvetch now and again about criticism, and Lord knows I do, but if you are insulted by something like this, it's time to become a Park Ranger."

Edwards discusses his cameo as Dr. Greene on `ER'

NEW YORK – Anthony Edwards says it's easy being Greene.

The actor, who left "ER" six years ago, said in a telephone news conference Monday that he had no problem getting back into the swing of things while reprising his role as Dr. Mark Greene for the Nov. 13 episode of the NBC medical drama.

Said Edwards: "It was really like going back to high school, in the best way. It was like going back to your favorite class and having your favorite teacher. ... It took about a half an hour — and after about a half an hour, I really felt like I'd never left."

Dr. Greene, who died of a brain tumor at the end of the 2002 season, appears in flashback scenes with former County General Drs. Kerry Weaver and Robert Romano (portrayed by Laura Innes and Paul McCrane, respectively).

He also has an encounter with series newcomer Dr. Cate Banfield (Angela Bassett), an attending physician at the hospital, after she brings in her sick son. The flashbacks are interwoven with a present-day story line that shows Banfield helping in the rescue of a young girl who falls into a lake.

Discussing the character's passion for medicine, Edwards said: "When you get on an airplane, you hope that the pilot really loves flying — I think that's what Greene had. You do want to go to a hospital and have a good doctor who loves being a doctor there."

Edwards' appearance comes in the 15th and final season of "ER," which debuted in 1994 and launched the careers of George Clooney, who left the show in 1999, and others in the ensemble cast.

Like many "ER" fans, Edwards hopes for the return of Clooney's character, Dr. Doug Ross. He has said Clooney would be a fool not to make a cameo.

Said Edwards: "I would never judge anybody else. All I can do is share that I had a good experience, and I hope that whoever gets asked and has the opportunity does do it."

'Heroes' duo get the ax

Big shakeup on the staff of NBC's "Heroes" came down on Sunday with the axing of co-exec producers Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb.

Both scribe-producers had been with the show since its first season and were known to have led the day-to-day production operation under the direction of creator/exec producer Tim Kring.

"Heroes," produced by Universal Media Studios, has struggled in the ratings its third season. It's understood that Alexander and Loeb were let go because of Peacock execs' frustration with the creative direction of the show. The show is also said to have been grappling with hefty budget overruns this season, that are going well beyond its already sizable $4 million per-seg pricetag.

Reps for NBC and UMS declined comment.

Fox Counts Down to 24 Premiere

Los Angeles (E! Online) – For those suffering from Jack Bauer withdrawals, Fox has the cure for what ails you: a firm premiere date for the long-awaited, delay-plagued seventh-season premiere of 24.

The network today announced that Kiefer Sutherland and his terrorism-fighting costars will return to kick off their new run with a two-night, four-hour premiere Jan. 11 and 12.

The fourth hour of the premiere will mark the series' milestone 150th episode. The season will run without interruption through to May.

This time around, the seventh-worst day of Bauer's life will revolve around—wait for it—a national security crisis that unfolds as the protagonist's presumed-dead former colleague Tony Almeida returns.

For fans unwilling to wait until January—and who have already been waiting for about 18 months, as the season-six finale aired in spring 2007—Fox will air a two-hour TV-movie prequel that bridges the gap between seasons six and seven.

24: Redemption takes place on Inauguration Day and sees Bauer attempting to save the world from South Africa, his first ever non-L.A. location. Jon Voight stars as the requisite bad guy.

The special airs Nov. 23.

Can 'Law & Order' outlive 'Gunsmoke'?

NEW YORK - "POPPA DON'T TAKE NO MESS!"

The outburst comes from Anthony Anderson, who is describing the essential qualities of Kevin Bernard, the latest detective to join NBC-TV's long-running "Law & Order." The fun-loving and funny Anderson debuted last season as Bernard and resumes busting bad guys on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 10 p.m. EST (in Canada the premiere airs Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 9 p.m.).

If Anderson has an off-camera "off switch," it's nowhere to be found this day as he shoots scenes inside Silver Screen Studios at Chelsea Piers, which houses the crime drama's precinct, district attorney's office, courthouse, prison and morgue. He bellows throughout the day, at one point jokingly scolding a crew member, "GET OFF THE TELEPHONE, WOMAN!" And he even speaks in tongues - "TELEMUNDO! OH, THIS IS A TELENOVELA!" - to describe an episode's plot twist involving double murder, DNA evidence and an illicit affair.

Anderson's outsized personality doubtless proved a draw for show creator Dick Wolf, who cast him as Detective Cyrus Lupo's (Jeremy Sisto) partner. Wolf hand-picks each police detective and prosecutor on "Law & Order," and deemed Anderson a "natural" successor to Detective Ed Green (Jesse L. Martin), citing his comic timing, screen presence and acting chops.

Another factor? Youth.

Anderson, 38, follows Sisto, 34, and Linus Roache, 44, as the third in a swift succession of young actors - well, young by "Law & Order" standards - recruited by Wolf for the 18th season, which concluded in May. The venerable series is a recent victim of near-cancellation, and fresh blood could be just the bait needed to lure the younger viewers that advertisers love and keep the show going for another two decades.

"Law & Order" is returning to the air earlier than the announced date of early 2009, the result of an NBC schedule reshuffling to shore up the network's ratings as sweeps month begins. After almost two decades, this durable old veteran still has the juice to help rescue NBC's prime-time.

The new season has S. Epatha Merkerson (Lieut. Anita Van Buren) remaining on duty, overseeing Sisto and Anderson; Roache as Chief Assistant District Attorney Michael Cutter, who succeeded Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), the newly promoted district attorney. And Alana De La Garza (Executive Assistant District Attorney Connie Rubirosa) resumes her role.

But it remains to be seen whether the cast reshuffling will achieve Wolf's greatest ambition: to surpass "Gunsmoke" as the longest-running prime-time drama in the history of television.

Wolf, 61, has long voiced his desire to overtake the classic Western, which ran from 1955-1975 on CBS; Wednesday's season premiere will herald 19 years for "Law & Order." "It's one to tie and two to win. I think after that, (we'll do) another 20," Wolf said.

But the TV mogul, who oversees the spinoffs "Law & Order: SVU" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," nearly lost his chance when NBC threatened to cancel after a sharp ratings drop last season.

Any plug-pulling seems preposterous, given the series' enduring status as the mother ship of one of the strongest franchises on TV. Wolf struck a last-minute deal to save the show in May 2007 by trading "Criminal Intent" to the NBC-owned USA Network in exchange for another year of "Law & Order" on the Peacock Network.

As it happens, the original series fared well in its 18th season: It debuted in January amid the writers strike with fresh episodes, and averaged a total 10.7 million viewers. That's a major jump, up 19 per cent from the previous season (nine million average viewers), according to NBC ratings expert Tom Bierbaum.

It's also a positive sign for a show that peaked in its 2001-02 season with an average viewership of 18.7 million, and has steadily decreased in the ratings as TV began losing viewers to the Internet and other digital phenomena.

Waterston attributed the audience bump to the show's move to Wednesday from Friday, one of the least-watched nights on TV, and to Wolf's talents at keeping it fresh without tinkering too visibly with a tried-and-true format.

"He's a magician. ... He changed the look of the show, he changed the way it's lit, he changed the way it's shot and the way it's edited, but not so that you go, 'Oh this is not the same show.' But it's all refreshed," said the 67-year-old actor, citing the increased practice of shooting scenes from different angles and lighting scenarios to provide more options in the editing room.

Waterston, a series veteran alongside Merkerson, takes a laissez-faire approach to the health of the show ("I'm fine with whatever happens") but he'd like to beat the "Gunsmoke" record.

"The only reason for me to care about whether this show lasts or not is the absurd goal of beating 'Gunsmoke,' and that's too much fun as an idea to want it to be defeated by the fact that there's a temporary dip in the ratings here and there," he said, with a laugh.

Dipping into the fountain of youthful actors could help Wolf achieve that goal.

If "Law & Order" has a weakness, it's that its core audience - boomers who value a good whodunit - skews outside the target 18-49 demographic coveted by advertisers, said TV historian Tim Brooks, who compared the show to non-glitzy, well-written mysteries such as "Matlock" and "Murder, She Wrote" - and "a comfortable old shoe."

That's not a bad thing, though. It provides stability for NBC, which continues to struggle in the ratings, and has also grown a following in syndication on cable; on any given night, viewers can find "Law & Order" on TNT, and "SVU" and "Criminal Intent" on the USA and Bravo networks.

"Law & Order" pioneered the concept of the TV franchise by extending the brand to "SVU," "Criminal Intent" and the short-lived "Trial by Jury." It inspired copycats including CBS' "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

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Wolf is the Great Oz behind the business model. The New York-born guru started as an East Coast ad man, writing commercials for brands that included Crest toothpaste, before heading to Hollywood to pursue a career in entertainment. He eventually became one of the industry's biggest players, producing feature films and writing for "Hill Street Blues"; in 1988, he formed his own production company, Wolf Films, and debuted "Law & Order" two years later.

Wolf, who milked a TV empire from the show, said the reason it has remained on the air so long rests with its self-contained, plot-driven formula.

"You don't have to see it for a week, a month, a year," said Wolf, who's based in Los Angeles. "You come back into a totally complete hour of television with a beginning, middle and an end, and hopefully, a satisfying conclusion. And you can go on your merry way and, if you catch it two years later, it can be a completely different cast. But it still works as exactly the same."

Despite cast turnover, "Law & Order" has retained its tradition of using real-life headlines and twisting them into dramatic plot lines. Wednesday's show delivers a thriller of messy elegance as the detectives and attorneys clash over McCoy's bold move to classify a bloody street fight as a terrorist attack; in this case, the viewer is treated as a jury member, forced to decide between two convincing arguments.

The first victim: A stockbroker beaten to death in broad daylight. "In this economy, this is the kind of thing that might catch on," quips Bernard upon inspecting the body.

The episode could easily be one of the show's greatest hits, with strong writing that continues the creative momentum of last season's finale in which McCoy wrestled with a prostitution scandal involving a New York governor (hints of former Gov. Eliot Spitzer).

The final word on cast changes rests with Wolf, who reserves the power to hire - and veto - the actors and actresses working full-time in the 27th Precinct and the DA's office.

But he couldn't control the nine-year itch of Martin, who decided to depart his popular role in the middle of last season because he "was just feeling really burned out," Wolf said.

Enter Anderson. The actor makes No. 11 in a long succession of police detectives: George Dzundza, Chris Noth, Paul Sorvino, Jerry Orbach, Benjamin Bratt, Martin, Dennis Farina, Michael Imperioli, Milena Govich and Sisto. Anderson grabbed Wolf's attention playing tough cops in the Oscar-winning film "The Departed," the former Fox series "K-Ville" and in a guest spot on "SVU."

Once Martin backed out, Wolf made a play last fall for Anderson, wooing the actor over lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel amid the Hollywood writers strike. Anderson's police drama "K-Ville," set in New Orleans, shuttered production during the strike, and lasted half a season before Fox pulled it from the schedule.

By the end of the meeting, Anderson recalled Wolf dispensing advice on moving his family from Los Angeles to New York - without so much as a "you're hired."

"And I was like, 'Did he? Was this like a Jedi mind trick? Did he just tell me I got the job without telling me the job is mine?' I think he did,"' says Anderson, who has also appeared in "Transformers," "Hustle & Flow" and TV's "The Shield."

Wolf likened Anderson to the late Jerry Orbach, who delivered one-liners with a wink as Detective Lennie Briscoe from 1991-2004.

"He has the ability in terms of his wry observations to bring the same type of rhythm to certain scenes that Jerry did," he said. "And not to compare them as actors, but it's great to have somebody who has mastered the art of comic timing."

But while Orbach's Briscoe was warm and comforting, Anderson's Bernard can be cool and combative.

"There's something innately likable about him and, at the same time, innately tough and innately 'cop,"' said executive producer Fred Berner. "And that combination is kind of fun to watch and dangerous all at the same time. As a human being and an actor, he's a total joy. And as a character, he's beginning to find his sea legs."

His chemistry with the understated Sisto is a plus.

"The secret of partners is always to have ideally one be the yang to somebody else's yin, and I think that they are really very complementary to each other," Wolf said.

Wolf also sees a good yin-yang balance between De La Garza, 32, and new hire Roache, who has shown off Cutter's cocky side.

"He's a huge find," Wolf said of the British actor, who has big shoes to fill following Waterston. "He has really brought Alana into a whole other level. The dynamic between the two of them is terrific."

Waterston, meanwhile, has settled nicely into his new gig as district attorney. Initially, he wasn't so sure he'd enjoy the upgrade after standing up to the lions of injustice for 13 years as Jack McCoy.

"I pretty categorically had said I was never going to (accept the job)," said Waterston, who envisioned he'd portray the Executive Assistant District Attorney as long as the show ran or until he wanted out.

He also thought McCoy himself might disapprove, given the character's strong moral compass and disdain for the politics that come with the high-level position.

But Wolf and executive producer Rene Balcer persuaded him to take the bigger office.

"They were both extremely generous and very smart with me," Waterston recalled. "They said that it was up to me, I could do whatever I wanted. And then they sort of dangled the enticement of more free time in front of me and made it sound like that might be kind of nice."

When asked if his seniority had anything to do with his promotion, Waterston laughed and said: "The word 'age' didn't cross anybody's lips."

Wolf said it's a natural progression for McCoy - and for Waterston.

"(He) said, 'I don't know. I'm not killing the bull every week,"' Wolf recalled. "But I said, 'Look, Sam, it's the same thing that all of us face at some point. It's intergenerational. It's believable.' You know, I think playing that note is incredibly interesting. It's handing over power to the next generation."

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Plasma computer screens sit atop desks cluttered with papers, folders, coffee cups and tired old books. A series of hallways leads from the den of offices to a courtroom scattered with wooden witness boxes that the crew will clear for later scenes. Even more passageways lead to the morgue, which contains the requisite storage spaces for dead bodies. The Rikers Island jail is recreated, complete with an admissions office and steely gates through which inmates pass to enter the slammer.

The true star of the set, though, is the squad room, a virtual museum of "Law & Order" nostalgia. Though some NYPD precincts updated their look following the Sept. 11 attacks, Wolf left it alone "because it actually is so emblematic of the show," Berner said.

Computers displaying screen grabs of Web sites and fingerprint scans are flourishes of the new, yet the old-school grit continues: a retro typewriter; peeling green paint; the worn look of a sign that reads, "N.Y.C. Detectives: the greatest detectives in the WORLD."

An American flag hangs above a doorway. An empty holding cell, big enough for one, stands next to a bulletin board littered with "Wanted" posters. A coffee pot awaits a refill - and, oddly, there are no doughnuts.

Here, like so many before them, detectives Bernard and Lupo crack cases.

"Ted Sanderson - he did nine years for killing his wife until DNA evidence cleared him last year," Bernard, wearing a grey suit and stern expression, informs Van Buren as cameras roll for the third take of a one-minute scene in her office.

Bernard, who thinks Sanderson murdered his wife's ex, tells the boss the suspect drives a white Suffolk County truck (which may be the vehicle that ran over the victim); Lupo, who's not so sure Sanderson is the guy, stands in the doorway.

Van Buren directs the duo to "take a closer look."

They file out, and that's a wrap.

Anderson becomes himself again, laughing boisterously at a personal joke between him and Sisto.

The race to outlive "Gunsmoke" was never so much fun.

'Mad Men' flying high -- except in the ratings

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- "Mad Men" draws a slice of viewers as slender as Don Draper's 1960s neckties, yet the TV drama unquestionably is all the rage.

There was a "Mad Men"-themed category last week on "Jeopardy!" along with an online game. A "Mad Men" homage is tucked like a fancy chocolate treat into the November 2 Halloween episode of "The Simpsons."

Fashion designer Michael Kors cited "Mad Men" as an inspiration. The show's beautifully retro-styled stars are on magazine covers. A "Mad Men" DVD was spotted at the elbow of Barack Obama aboard his campaign plane.

Jon Hamm, who stars as New York ad man Draper, was picked to host NBC's "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, the night before the AMC series concludes its second season (10 p.m. EDT Sunday).

And, no small point, "Mad Men" was crowned best drama at this year's Emmy Awards, the first basic cable show to claim top series honors. Shy of being pumped into the water supply, "Mad Men" is everywhere -- except on most people's TV sets.

About 1.5 million U.S. viewers tune in weekly, with another half-million watching later on DVRs. That compares with the 19 million-plus audience for last week's No. 1 program, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS.

Doesn't matter. It's "Mad Men" that's permeating the zeitgeist.

"It's been great. It's been amazing. Do you have a theory about why it is?" asks series creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner, sounding both delighted and overwhelmed.

"It's hard to break out from basic cable. ... I had no foresight I would get articles sent to me from friends where it's become an adjective, or involved in the presidential election," Weiner said. "And there's the rest of it: 'Why don't we dress that way? Why don't people have better manners?' "

So how does a period drama -- albeit a really cool one with a great-looking cast -- end up being so influential? Let's check with an expert for answers (caution: references to both "elite" and "intellectual" follow).

It's a recurring phenomenon, said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

"It happens in literature all the time," Thompson said. "Everyone knows about Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick,' but a tiny percentage of the population has read it. But we all know about it and it's highly influential in American literature."

Television isn't exempt. Consider the 1987-91 drama "thirtysomething," which never attained hit ratings but influenced fashion, language and the look of commercials. Or "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," which Thompson calls an important part of the civic conversation despite its small audience.

"You get one of those programs that grip the elite intellectual minority, the people that are writing and about talking about culture, and the influence extends a lot further than the actual audience would indicate," he said.

In the case of "Mad Men," it's deserved: Thompson calls the show "brilliant" and a gift to television (both here and abroad, where it's widely distributed).

Al Jean, executive producer of Fox's "The Simpsons," pronounces himself a "Mad Men" devotee.

"My wife and I were huge 'Sopranos' fans," Jean said, citing the HBO show that Weiner wrote for. "When 'The Sopranos' ended, we were really jonesing for a show like that."

It was Jean's inspiration to adapt the animated title sequence of "Mad Men" for a segment of The Simpsons" annual Halloween trilogy titled "How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising."

In the drama's opening, a sleek, silhouetted figure (presumably Draper) carries a briefcase into his high-rise office and then is seen tumbling in free-fall past images of ads and slogans ("Enjoy the best America has to offer").

"The Simpsons" version plays to the haunting theme music of "Mad Men." A rotund, lunchbox-carrying figure, undoubtedly Homer Simpson, enters a living room and then floats past windows bearing Springfield-centric displays that include a Duff Beer ad.

The long-running animated show always is laden with pop culture references but, says Jean, only those with heft.

"We want to make sure that when people watch these shows 10 years in the future" they'll get the joke, Jean said. He's convinced "Mad Men" will be "well-remembered. It's just a great show."

Rewarding followers, AMC's drama has become even more dramatically and emotionally rich in its second season as its vibrant characters push against self-imposed and social limits. Meanwhile, the world quivers with approaching change.

"Mad Men," which started in 1960, fast-fowarded in season two to 1962, the year that Marilyn Monroe died (the secretarial pool at the Sterling Cooper agency was in tears) and nuclear destruction loomed.

When he planned the season and its finale, Weiner decided it was "going to be about the end of the world," a theme he knew would echo with viewers even before the economic crisis hit.

But "Mad Men" is more than social commentary; it's a dazzling and intimate chronicle of specific lives and a visual tour de force.

"If you're lucky, (a show) resonates on more than one level. If it's just, `I wish I could dress like that, 'I hate Pete Campbell,' 'Jon Hamm is so handsome,' " that's OK, Weiner said. "I'd love to have people welcome it on any level they want to."

All they have to do is watch.

From Scranton to Winnipeg: The Office goes north

Winnipeg is about to take a star turn in the offbeat TV comedy The Office.

An episode scheduled to air Nov. 13 has star Steve Carell, in his role as office manager Michael Scott, taking a business trip to the windy capital of Manitoba.

Emmy-winning writer Brent Forrester chose Winnipeg as a suitable destination for the cringe-inducing boss of fictional paper firm Dunder Mifflin.

"It seemed like Montreal was maybe too exotic and Vancouver also a little maybe too conventionally sexy, and Winnipeg seemed to strike the right balance between exotic and obscure," he told CBC News in an interview from Los Angeles.

"In fact, some people on our staff have named it the Scranton of Canada in a way — a nice kind of analogy to where Michael is from."

Office underling characters Oscar Nunez and Andy Bernard make the trip to Winnipeg with Michael. The episode centres around Michael having an affair with the concierge at a hotel in the city.

"Michael Scott is trying to turn Winnipeg into a city of international intrigue in his mind so much that he wants this business trip to be all it's cracked up to be. We sort of imagined that Winnipeg in November was not Paris in summer, so it's a little colder and a little lonelier than he hopes," Forrester said.

Episode shot in California

Carell and the rest of the cast and crew actually never set foot on Canadian soil.

The whole episode was shot in the Los Angeles area, with the aid of some background footage and a shipment of Canadiana from Destination Winnipeg.

The show's propmaster contacted the Winnipeg tourism promotion agency, which sent along airport baggage tags, shopping bags from The Bay, Old Dutch potato chips, Fort Garry brewing company paraphernalia and other distinctive items.

In consolation to fans of The Office who had hoped to see its stars in Winnipeg, Los Angeles also stands in for Scranton, Penn., the supposed location of the office featured in the NBC sitcom.

Forrester says the show, the U.S. version of a British sitcom of the same name, has too tight a budget to move locations.

"We know it's cold and we know, if we had the budget, we would have put a lot more snow in the shots," he said.

"The episode is supposed to represent Michael travelling in November, when presumably you would have a bit of snow there, but it turns out snow is incredibly expensive and difficult to create, especially in downtown Los Angeles, which is where we filmed our fake Winnipeg."

The show is known for its irreverent humour and improvisational acting.

"I would think there would be a joke or two at our expense, but I think we'll laugh," said Jody Tresoor of Destination Winnipeg, who helped send Winnipeg artifacts to Los Angeles for the shoot.

"We have a really good sense of humour over here and we're willing to accept the jokes, but we're really curious," she told CBC News.

After playin' Palin, Tina Fey returns in '30 Rock'

NEW YORK – This couldn't be better if Tina Fey had written it herself. And she's an Emmy-winning writer.

Here's how it unfolds: Fey is the creator-star of "30 Rock," an NBC comedy series that everybody loves (though a few more viewers wouldn't hurt). Then, shortly after the show starts shooting its third season, a presidential candidate announces as his running mate the governor of a large state you can see Russia from. And the would-be Republican veep happens to look a lot like Fey.

Can you see where this is going — uh, went?

Fey makes several guest appearances spoofing the candidate on the late-night satire show where she used to be a regular, and she's a smash. Then the real-life candidate does a much-anticipated walk-on, doing her version of how Fey has been doing her. Spoofing the spoof. About 17 million tune in for this spectacle of twice-removed reality.

Then everyone on "30 Rock" awaits its season premiere Oct. 30, riding this powerful publicity wave. On the big night, the whole country is watching, bless its heart. And faster than you can say "you betcha," "30 Rock" explodes as the hit it was destined to be.

"I hope this ends up helping `30 Rock,'" allows Fey, referring to her Sarah Palin sideline the past few weeks on "Saturday Night Live." But she's keeping her expectations modest. "I would like the audience to go up just enough so that people don't have to refer to it as 'the ratings-challenged "30 Rock'" anymore."

Never mind those doggone ratings. Last year "30 Rock" averaged about 6 million viewers every week. But that's just pointing backwards. As the new season nears, Fey is giving everyone a shout-out who hasn't been watching.

"If they want to try a fun comedy show," she says, "then we'll be there."

Over coffee last week around the corner from the Manhattan apartment she shares with husband Jeff Richmond (music director of "30 Rock") and Alice, their 3-year-old daughter, Fey is enjoying a rare morning off from the studio. She's clad in jeans, T-shirt and tennies, and looks relaxed, noting happily she got to sleep late.

But it's been a jam-packed autumn, which, along with her "SNL" gig, entailed a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles to collect a new batch of Emmy Awards, adding to the Peabody and Golden Globe earlier this year.

And then word leaked about Fey's book deal.

"I don't know much yet," she said when asked for details, "except it would be a humor book and not a memoir, and that my mom has already pre-ordered 50 of them."

In short, Fey, 38, seems as busy as her fictitious "30 Rock" alter ego.
Along with serving as a writer and producer, she plays Liz Lemon, the overextended producer of an NBC comedy inspired by "SNL" (where Fey toiled for nine seasons, the last six as head writer as well as cast member).

But "30 Rock" is a finely crafted marvel of looniness concerned with lampooning more than the TV world. It also mines humor from absurd corporate scheming and from Liz's nonstarter romantic life, plus (in the spirit of "Seinfeld") skewering the solipsistic vanities of being a Manhattanite.

Liz is surrounded by kookie comrades like company boss Jack Donaghy (played with purring megalomania by Alec Baldwin) and Tracy Jordan (portrayed by Tracy Morgan), Liz's boisterously unhinged star.

Jane Krakowski, Scott Adsit, Jack McBrayer, Judah Friedlander and Keith Powell richly complete the ensemble, supplemented by frequent guest stars. Oprah Winfrey, Steve Martin and Jennifer Aniston will appear on future episodes, as well as Salma Hayek as Jack's new love interest.

In the season premiere (which Fey wrote) Liz wants to adopt a child. But Liz's screwball workplace could raise questions about her fitness as a parent when the agency's counselor (guest star Megan Mullally) pays a visit.

Wait — isn't something about Mullally's appearance familiar?

"It's funny: Megan chose a very Sarah Palin hairstyle for her character," says Fey. "It may look purposeful now, but it's not. The episode was shot before any of that." Fey makes no claims to prophesy. It was only when she saw TV coverage of Palin at a rally nearly two weeks after teaming with John McCain that she began to see the possibilities. "That was the first time I thought, `Well, I kinda do look like her. I'd better really listen to how this lady talks.'"

Apparently, she did. Just a few days later, she greeted "SNL" viewers with her funny-mirror debut as Palin. It created a sensation, and made clear: Through some sort of accident of timing, genes and public mandate, Fey and Palin had occupied adjoining berths in the zeitgeist.

"The `SNL' stuff has certainly changed things for me," says Fey. "A lot more people seem to know who I am."

And it's been fun. But with a political race as harsh and divisive as this one, her prominence within it "has made me feel weird and vulnerable."

It's not that she hadn't mimicked or otherwise mocked politicians before, sometimes creating a stir. "But this is at a different level," she says. "It will settle down after the election — whoever wins."

And far beyond the election — far beyond it, she hopes — "30 Rock" will keep her at full throttle.

"We're so in the thick of it," says Fey, looking pleased and, come to think of it, not so much like Palin. "We're spending all day every day trying to figure out ways to make stuff funny. That's the business at hand."

Chase Not Tickled By Palin's SNL Appearance

Comedian Chevy Chase wasn't laughing at U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's guest appearance on sketch show Saturday Night Live this weekend (18/19Oct08), insisting TV bosses made a "big mistake" inviting her on.

The National Lampoon's Vacation star, a former SNL alum, was not impressed by Palin's lack of improvisation skills on Saturday's programme, which was hosted by W star Josh Brolin and featured Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin.

Palin appeared in an opening skit with staunch Democrat Baldwin, and again in the Weekend Update segment, when she nodded along to a rap song by SNL's Amy Poehler.

But the Alaska Governor's performance failed to crack a smile from Chase.

He tells Access Hollywood, "Quite frankly, it's a big mistake to let her go on. What was brilliant about (SNL producer) Lorne (Michaels) was that he had nothing written for Sarah and that apparently she cannot improvise herself out of a paper bag!

"On Weekend Update, that was her big chance. Nothing."

And Chase has no doubt that Palin's performance has had a negative effect on the campaign of her running mate, White House hopeful John McCain.

He adds, "The management behind McCain's campaign has been dumb. This has only helped accentuate the problem of his judgement in choosing, in such a cynical way, a candidate like Sarah Palin for vice president. I think the last thing that they would want right about now is to have the rest of America knowing all that... to have her be seen on SNL, certainly never there... If anything, you just want her to be seen just from a distance."

'Battlestar Galactica' Begins Swan Song January 16

Mid-January marks the beginning of the end for " Battlestar Galactica" fans.

The acclaimed Sci Fi Channel show will return with the second half of its fourth and final season on Friday, Jan. 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

So that means just before our new president takes office, "Battlestar" will pick up from June's cliffhanger, during which the Colonial fleet and their Cylon allies finally discover Earth, only to find it a barren nuclear wasteland.

The final 10 episodes of the Peabody-winning show will end with the ultimate finale on March 20.

Those wanting just a bit more "Battlestar" can also look forward to the previously announced "Battlestar Galactica" two-hour special next year starring Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas and Dean Stockwell reprising their roles as Sam T. Anders, Chief Galen Tyrol and Cavil.

Leapin' Lizards! V Gets Rebooted

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Hide the hamsters...the Visitors are baaack!

Hoping to do for V what the Sci Fi Channel did for Battlestar Galactica, ABC has given the go-ahead on a reboot of the hit 1980s franchise about alien lizards from another planet who take over Earth.

Scott Peters, the brain behind The 4400, will write and executive produce the update with Warner Bros. TV, per Variety. Warners shepherded the 1983 NBC TV movie, its sequel and a standalone series that ran during the 1984-85 season.

The new version will completely revamp the original, including changing the allusions from the Holocaust to 9/11.

Original V mastermind Kenneth Johnson, the über-producer who also created The Bionic Woman, The Incredible Hulk and Alien Nation, had previously tried to get a new V off the ground, but he is not involved in the new incarnation.

"I was convinced that V should be a movie," he tells E! News. "I discovered that Warner controlled the TV rights. I, as the creator, own the motion picture rights to V. Virtually all the majors wanted to do it...and pay me a lot of money to write and produce a $200 million tentpole."

Back in the '80s, Johnson was shunted aside by NBC and Warners and had nothing to do with V: The Final Battle or the subsequent TV series, both of which failed to match the critical or commercial success of the original. Still smarting, he has been reluctant to hand over the reins to a movie version, preferring to do it himself.

Enter Peters.

"Warners felt they wanted to develop [a new TV project] and had Scott write a script. And now they announced they have a development deal with ABC for a potential pilot for a potential series. But that's what it is, development for a potential," says Johnson. "In the meantime, I've been trying to get V done the way I want it done so I can...make sure the integrity, quality and substance of the original is maintained."

Should he manage to get financing for his big-screen vision, Johnson also has plans for a sequel, V: The Second Generation, which would pick up with Earth's freedom fighters 20 years later and possibly feature castmembers from the 1980s edition, including Marc "Beastmaster" Singer and Faye Grant.

"It'd be a real treat for the fans and the cast of V to be reunited again," says Johnson. "So that's the game plan."

A Fey-Palin comedy summit? Stay tuned

NEW YORK - It seems like the inevitable comedic summit of this fall's presidential campaign: the real Sarah Palin coming on "Saturday Night Live" to meet her look-alike impersonator, Tina Fey.

"All in good time," said a cagey Lorne Michaels, longtime executive producer of NBC's "Saturday Night Live," which has been rejuvenated this fall by Fey's three skits as the Republican vice presidential candidate.

Michaels said on Wednesday he wasn't actively seeking Palin, but that the McCain campaign called after the first skit, when Fey's Palin appeared with Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton on the show's Sept. 13 season premiere, to say they enjoyed it.

"Saturday Night Live" has a long history of political walk-ons. Michaels prefers keeping this sort of news a surprise until it happens, an opinion reinforced when word leaked that Barack Obama would be on that same show and the Democratic presidential candidate had to cancel at the last minute. "I think we looked stupid," he said.

There are three more first-run "Saturday Night Live" episodes before the election. Starting Thursday, NBC is also airing three prime-time editions of the show at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

Palin told reporters on Tuesday she'd love to appear on the show with Fey.

"I love her, she's a hoot and she's so talented," Palin said. "It would be fun to meet her, imitate her and keep on giving her new material."

From the moment Palin was selected as John McCain's running mate, Michaels said he barely had time to consider the idea of Fey impersonating her. Others did it for him.

"The next day the doorman in my building said, `What a gift, you're going to have so much fun with Tina Fey,'" he said.

Fey needed some convincing, primarily because she was busy with her Emmy Award-winning role as harried late-night show producer on "30 Rock." The day of "SNL's" season premiere, she was shooting an episode of "30 Rock" with Oprah Winfrey as guest.

"There are certainly people here who could have played her and played her well," Michaels said. "But the audience would have been disappointed if it had not been Tina. They cast her."

During that first impersonation, Fey got laughs simply by nailing Palin's accent. She described global warming as "just God hugging us closer."

Michaels knew he wanted Fey back for the Oct. 4 show, two days after the vice presidential debate. But Palin's interview with CBS' Katie Couric was so priceless, they had to write a sketch around that, he said.

In one answer to a question by Couric, played by Poehler, Fey gives a circular response of campaign cliches that reaches a dead end. Asked for specifics on how a McCain administration would spread democracy, Fey's Palin said, "Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines."

Through the first three weeks of the season, "Saturday Night Live" has averaged 8.3 million viewers, or 49 percent more than last year, according to Nielsen Media Research. The skits have also drawn tremendous Web traffic, with 9.3 million people watching an online clip of the "Clinton-Palin" segment. The "Couric interview" has been seen by nearly 7 million people, NBC said.

"She's made `Saturday Night Live' look, for the first time in a long time, like it's playing in the same satire league as Comedy Central, said Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

Fey has been off "Saturday Night Live" for two years, but was the guest host last winter in the first show back from the writers strike, where she made a vivid defense of Hillary Clinton.

"With all her years on `Weekend Update' and even more as Liz Lemon on `30 Rock,' she's become someone the audience trusts," Michaels said. "She's credible. And I think none of that would have mattered if her take on Sarah Palin hadn't been fresh and funny."

While the comic impersonation is tough, Fey's character is likable, much like Will Ferrell was in his days talking about "strategery" as George W. Bush, he said.

Richard Greene, a public speaking coach and author of "Words That Shook the World: 100 Years of Unforgettable Speeches and Events," said if he were a Democratic official, he'd be pulling any favor he could to keep Palin off "Saturday Night Live."

"She is so charming and so media savvy," Greene said. "When she has a script, she will completely seduce America."

Michaels is enjoying the ride, letting Fey know that she only has to impersonate Palin through Nov. 4.

But what if she is elected the next vice president?

"I think we'll find somebody else to play Sarah Palin," he said. "I don't think she's going to be playing Sarah Palin for the rest of her life."

Cop drama "Life on Mars" a trip

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Life on Mars," a British cop show with a twist, has had two extreme makeovers.

The first time, producer David E. Kelley set it in Los Angeles. The second time, a new team of producers relocated the show to New York. Through it all, only Jason O'Mara, who plays Detective Sam Tyler, survived.

In the case of ABC's "Life on Mars," what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Tax incentives aside, the show truly belongs in New York. Also, not only is O'Mara able to carry the drama, but the new cast members are, without exception, well-chosen.

For those who missed the original when it played on BBC America, the show is about a police officer (Tyler) who is hit by a car while chasing down the guy who abducted his work and romantic partner, Maya (guest star Lisa Bonet). The next thing he knows, he is back in 1973. He's still a cop, but nothing -- from fashion to technology -- is the same.

In the British version, Tyler is convinced he is insane, in a coma or time-traveling. The American version spells out other options but deliberately refrains from becoming enmeshed in the science fiction aspect of the story. Tyler does not go back and forth, and no consideration is given to theories about the future impact of his actions in the past.

Part of the pleasure of watching is seeing how much things have changed in a relatively short time. Tyler grabs for his cell phone, asks for his computer and orders a Diet Coke, all to no avail. On a TV screen, William Conrad plays "Cannon." In the streets, wide collars and stripes are everywhere.

Equally stunning are the social attitudes of the day. The commander of Tyler's precinct, Lt. Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel), has no patience for warrants or Miranda rights. The only woman in the precinct, Annie (Gretchen Mol), tolerates the nickname "No Nuts" to blaze a trail for future female cops.

The premiere mostly sets everything in motion, particularly the relationships between Tyler and the others on the force. The script, from Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg, is true to the spirit of the original and exciting enough to make you swallow the premise and beg for more.

If it holds its own against the final season of NBC's "ER," "Mars" might be orbiting the schedule for years.

China state TV to air 50-part Bruce Lee biography

BEIJING - Bruce Lee is getting a belated hero's welcome in China, with the country's state broadcaster set to air a 50-part prime-time series on the late kung fu star.

Lee became a chest-thumping source of nationalistic pride to Chinese around the world with his characters who defended the Chinese against oppressors in a series of movies in the early 1970s. But his influence wasn't felt immediately in China, which was then a closed communist country.

Lee's films started surfacing in China on video in the 1980s — years after his death in 1973 from swelling of the brain.

China's official China Central Television hopes to fill the void with the exhaustive 50 million Chinese yuan (US$7.3 million) biography, "The Legend of Bruce Lee" — the country's first movie or TV series on the actor, according to producer Yu Shengli.

Shot in China, Hong Kong, Macau, the U.S., Italy and Thailand over nine months, the series, starting Sunday in prime-time, will air daily on the CCTV's flagship channel, with two episodes airing consecutively every night in a two-hour slot.

Unlike past films about Lee, "The Legend of Bruce Lee" is unusually detailed in tracing Lee's life, from his teenage years in Hong Kong to his move to the U.S., where he studied and taught martial arts, to his movie career and early death at 32, the Hong Kong actor who plays Lee told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday.

"We've only seen the glorious side of Bruce Lee — he comes out all guns blazing, his films are entertaining. But very few people know what injuries he suffered and what grievances he suffered," Danny Chan said, noting the series even reveals that Lee was afraid of cockroaches.

The 33-year-old actor, whose best known work is Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Shaolin Soccer," makes up for his lack of star power with his uncanny resemblance to Lee with his thick eyebrows and slender body.

Lee's message of Chinese strength in movies like "The Chinese Connection" and "Return of the Dragon" also matches that of the Chinese government.

"Lee had strength, agility, pride, intelligence, not to mention charisma to burn, which coupled with the pro-Chinese rhetoric in his films have made him a potent symbol for the powerful new China that is now rising," said Michael Berry, a professor in contemporary Chinese cultural studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

"He wrote the word 'kung fu' into English dictionaries. He made people aware of China," CCTV official Zhang Xiaohai said at a news conference Tuesday.

Lee is shown bursting with Chinese pride in a trailer shown at the news conference, bellowing "I am Chinese" to spectators after defeating a foreign opponent.

In an apparent effort to boost racial pride, the series was originally scheduled to be aired before the Beijing Olympics in August, but was pushed back in keeping with the period of mourning for the deadly earthquake in China's central Sichuan province on May 12, which killed 70,000 people.

The series was authorized by the Lee family. Producer Yu said Lee's daughter, Shannon Lee Keasler, approved the script and is credited as an executive producer. It's unclear, however, how Lee himself, who spent his time in the U.S. and then-British colony Hong Kong, felt about the communist Chinese regime. The Lee family didn't respond to requests for comment from the AP sent through intermediaries.

Berry said China is also catching up on pop culture that it missed when it was a closed country, such as kung fu films, noting the emergence of martial arts epics in recent years. When Lee died in 1973, China was still in the middle of the ultra-leftist Cultural Revolution, when millions of people suspected of opposing the communist government were persecuted.

Top young director Jia Zhangke told the AP he was one of the Chinese youngsters that belatedly found out about Lee by watching his movies on tape in the early 1980s at "video-watching parlors," which he describes as "a room with 15 or 20 chairs."

"I really liked them. He fights with great style. Boys like violence. There is nationalism in his movies — he's always fighting foreigners. I was very happy watching the movies," he said.

'Entourage' Earns Another Season

Vinny Chase and his boys will continue living the Hollywood dream for at least one more season.

HBO has picked up "Entourage" for a sixth season, meaning Vince (Adrian Grenier) will have that much more time to rebuild his fallen star image. Production on the new season is scheduled to begin early next year, with episodes scheduled to air during the summer.

"'Entourage' is that rare phenomenon in TV: a smart, sharp comedy series that continues to evolve," HBO Programming Group chief Michael Lombardo says. "[Creator] Doug Ellin and his remarkable team consistently deliver a show that's must-see viewing."

The show has undergone something of a creative revival this season after a fourth year that had a lot of critics down on the show. Early episodes this fall have focused on Vince's efforts to rebuild his career after the disastrous "Medellin," while his friend and manager Eric (Kevin Connolly) tries to expand his business.

Jeremy Piven, who plays Vince's shark agent Ari Gold, recently won his third consecutive Emmy for the role.

"We're thrilled to be back for another season," Ellin says. "HBO has been amazing in allowing the show to grow and mature. I never imagined when we started that we would make it to six seasons."

Brent Butt to create pilot for new series Hiccups

When Corner Gas wraps up at the end of this season, Brent Butt will have Hiccups.

The star of the popular TV sitcom has agreed to create a pilot for a new half-hour comedy series called Hiccups for CTV and Comedy Central.

He won't be in front of the camera. Instead, the series will star his wife and Corner Gas co-star Nancy Robertson.

She'll play Millie Upton, a children's author who's normally a happy person, but has fits of depression, rage or euphoric highs. She hires an inept life coach to help her overcome this handicap.

Butt is creator, writer, show runner and executive producer for Hiccups. Corner Gas producer David Storey directs.

The pilot starts shooting in Vancouver later this month. Butt announced earlier this year that the 2009 season would be the last for Corner Gas.

New channel offers Canadians more HBO shows

A new pay channel with a slate of HBO programs never before seen on this side of the border is to be launched in Canada in October.

Astral Media and Corus Entertainment are jointly launching a channel that will be known as HBO Canada, they announced Monday.

It will be available at no extra charge to those who already subscribe to the Movie Network and Movie Central.

HBO is the U.S. network Canadians most often say they would like to see offered in Canada.

But the federal broadcast regulator has blocked attempts to launch U.S. pay channels, such as HBO and USA Network, in Canada saying Canadian players are not well enough developed to withstand the competition.

The Movie Network and Movie Central already carry a large slate of HBO programs such as Entourage, True Blood and Flight of the Conchords.

But Corus and Astral said this will be the first chance for Canadians to get programs such as Real Time with Bill Maher, Def Comedy Jam and Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger.

The network will also carry older HBO series such as OZ and Da Ali G Show, movies Gia, The Late Shift and If These Walls Could Talk and older miniseries including From the Earth to the Moon and Angels in America.

"For years, HBO's dramatic programming has been available on The Movie Network and Movie Central. But even with all of the HBO titles we offered, Canadians still wanted more," John Riley, president of Astral Television Networks, said in a release Monday.

HBO, backed by Time Warner, will have no business interest in the new channel, but Astral Media and Corus Entertainment have expanded their long-term programming deal with the U.S. network.

HBO Canada, like all other Canadian stations, will be required to carry Canadian content, and that will include the series Durham County and Terminal City.

TMN, owned by Astral, is available only in eastern Canada while Movie Central, owned by Corus, is available in western Canada.

Clooney and 'ER' return? Thanks, but no thanks

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The producers of hospital drama "ER" are hoping to entice George Clooney back for the show's upcoming final season, even though Clooney has said he's not interested in putting his scrubs on one more time.

"ER" executive producer David Zabel told TV Guide that story lines had been dreamed up for the show's 15th and last season for all major past characters, including Clooney's Dr. Ross and his old flame, nurse Carol Hathaway, played by Julianna Margulies.

In an interview with TV Guide released on Monday, Zabel told the magazine he was "optimistic that we might be able to get them all. We have a really good story line for every (major) character from the past to show (the actors) what we want to do."

Anthony Edwards, whose character, Dr. Mark Greene, died of brain cancer in May 2002, has already agreed to return in flashback scenes this season, along with Laura Innes (Dr. Weaver), Paul McCrane (Dr. Romano, who also died) and Noah Wyle (Dr. John Carter).

But Clooney hasn't been tempted yet.

"He is on record as saying he is not coming back," said Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, on Monday. "It is something he has already done. He is busy making movies."

"ER" launched the career of Clooney as a matinee idol after he left the regular cast in 1999 to pursue his movie career full time. He returned for a surprise cameo in May 2000 marking the departure of Margulies from the show after six seasons.

The groundbreaking series, set in the emergency room of the fictional Chicago-based County General Hospital, was the top-rated drama on U.S. television for several years but ratings have slipped in recent years.

The series will end with a two-hour finale in May 2009, preceded by a one-hour retrospective.

'Flight of the Conchords' may ground itself after season two

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, the New Zealand duo whose HBO comedy became a cult favorite last year, say the show's second season will likely be its last. The duo are still working on songs for season two and say they've had some struggles in putting the music and the narratives that build from them together.

"We've got a lot of half-songs. We've got an album's worth of beginnings of songs," Clement tells the British music magazine Q. McKenzie adds that the second season "seems to me like it would be a good end to the show."

Flight of the Conchords was not a huge hit for HBO last summer -- it hovered around the million-viewer mark for most of its run. It did, however, attract a devoted cult of fans and a good chunk of critical praise. It's also up for four Emmys, one each for writing and directing for a comedy series and two in the original music category for the songs "The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)" and "Inner City Pressure."

The show also helped raise Clement and McKenzie's profile as they toured and propelled their first full-length album to a top-five debut on the Billboard charts earlier this year.

There's no word yet on when the show's second season will premiere.

Vampire novels adapted for HBO's 'True Blood'

CALABASAS, Calif. - As fictional lovers go, bubbly blond Sookie Stackhouse and tall, pale Bill Compton are as massively mismatched as they come. After all, Sookie (Anna Paquin) is exuberantly human and Bill (Stephen Moyer) is, well, totally undead in HBO's flamboyant new vampire saga, "True Blood."

"Bill is really genteel but that doesn't stop him from being blood-hungry," Moyer says of his menacing 173-year-old character in "True Blood," adapted for television by Alan Ball ("Six Feet Under") from the popular series of Southern vampire novels by Charlaine Harris.

"The tension between Bill and Sookie is quite palpable," Moyer says in between scenes in which the courtly vampire, who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, escorts his lady friend Sookie, a telepathic roadhouse waitress, home on a dark and eerie night.

That sexually suggestive tension is key to "True Blood," premiering 9 p.m. EDT Sunday. Set in a small Louisiana town (actually the Santa Monica Mountains northwest of Los Angeles), the edgy series chronicles a time when synthetic blood supplies enable Bill and other vampires to live openly among humans, without necessarily feeding on them.

Like Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) in the classic vampire soap opera "Dark Shadows" (1966-1971), Bill has returned to his ancestral home, where he woos Sookie and tries to fit into human society. Like Frid's Barnabas, Moyer's Bill is an unresolved paradox — part seductive protagonist, part menacing monster.

"He's not typically vampiric," says Moyer, who played a vampire in the Brit miniseries "Ultraviolet." No long black cape and ghoulish grin for Bill, who dresses yuppie-casual. "But we do get to see him sort of sex-starved at one point," Moyer says. "And there are moments when he is quite confrontational with other vampires, when other people are predatory with Sookie."

"True Blood" also pushes the content boundaries of premium cable, with plenty of extravagantly gushing arteries and over-the-top bedroom antics to rival Showtime's "Californication" — all mixed with a good dose of Southern gothic goofiness.

Ball was looking to produce "lighter" fare after the life-and-death introspection of critically acclaimed "Six Feet Under."

"Charlaine has just created this amazing world that's funny and vibrant and scary and also a sort of social treatise, you know what I mean?" Ball says.

"The books are violent and that's part of the appeal," he says. "It's visceral and predatory and unapologetically sexual. And it's unapologetically romantic in the sense of an old-fashioned romance novel."

The centuries-old vampire metaphor is "also about the terrors of intimacy, and about any kind of misunderstood, hated, feared minority — homosexuals, other cultures," Ball says. "When I first pitched 'True Blood' to HBO, I called it 'popcorn TV for smart people.' "

Still, vampire series are not always surefire. Last season, CBS spiked "Moonlight," despite its loyal following for undead hero Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin).

Like "Moonlight," "True Blood" plays on the thrill of a vampire-human hookup. But the mechanics of Bill and Sookie's romance proved tricky for Moyer and Paquin during filming.

"You do get fangs caught in places," Paquin says, remembering her first lip lock with Bill's lethal teeth, which pop down when he's lost in bloodlust. "Perhaps it's like people with braces trying to make it work. Puncture wounds aside, one gets used to it," she teases.

Although Ball says his series "is true to the spirit of the novels," there are differences. "True Blood" takes the powerful and ruthless nature of vampire clans a little further than the novels do, he says. Sookie narrates the Harris books but not "True Blood." Instead, Ball has given Sookie a female best friend and confidante named Tara (Rutina Wesley).

The events in the 12 episodes play out over a fast and furious two-week period, like they do in Harris' first vampire novel, "Dead Until Dark." As in the novels, Sookie's mysterious boss Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) is very much in evidence, keeping close to Sookie.

But Ball has greatly expanded the characters of the roadhouse's gay short-order cook, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis), and Sookie's bumbling and sexually indefatigable brother Jason (Ryan Kwanten).

"They've given me some really outrageous story lines," Kwanten says. "Jason just jumps into things before he thinks about them. He thinks he's Louisiana's answer to Casanova. Any reservations or inhibitions I had before starting the show have well and truly gone now in a good way," he says of his sex scenes. Then he laughs. "One of the grips jokes that he sees me naked more than he does his girlfriend."

What the `frak'? Faux curse seeping into language

NEW YORK - Lee Goldberg thinks Glen A. Larson is a genius, and not because the prolific television writer and producer gave us "Knight Rider" and "B.J. and the Bear."

It was Larson who first used the faux curse word "frak" in the original "Battlestar Galactica." The word was mostly overlooked back in the '70s series but is working its way into popular vocabulary as SciFi's modern update winds down production.

"All joking aside, say what you will about what you might call the lowbrow nature of many of his shows, he did something truly amazing and subversive, up there with what Steven Bochco gets credit for, with 'frak,'" Goldberg said.

There's no question what the word stands for and it's used gleefully, as many as 20 times in some episodes.

"And he was saying it 30 years ago in the original goofy, god-awful 'Battlestar Galactica,'" said Goldberg, a television writer and novelist whose credits include "Monk" and "Diagnosis Murder."

The word is showing up everywhere — on T-shirts, in sit-coms, best-selling novels and regular conversation.

"I have to start by saying that I'm drinking coffee out of a mug that says 'frak off' on the side of it, so much has it seeped into my life," "Galactica" star Jamie Bamber said.

The word is insinuating its way into popular vocabulary for a simple reason.

You can't get in trouble. It's a made-up word.

"It may have been the great George Carlin who talked about these things so cleverly," Larson said. "He'd say, 'Mother would say shoot, but she meant ... when she reached in and burned her fingers on the crocker.' And the child says, 'I know what you meant mom.'"

The word has slipped the bonds that tethered other pretenders like Mork's "shazbot" in "Mork & Mindy" or Col. Sherman T. Potter's "horse hockey" in "M.A.S.H." Its usage has moved from the small but fervent group of "Galactica" fans into everyday language. It's shown up in very mainstream shows like "The Office," "Gossip Girl" and "Scrubs." One YouTube posting has 2 minutes of sound bites that cover the gamut.

"I'm in my own little cocoon of science fictiondom, but it is certainly used around here and amongst the people I know," said Irene Gallo, art director at the sci-fi imprint Tor Books where employees held a "frak party" to watch the season premiere. "It's sort of a way to be able to use a four-letter word without really getting into any kind of HR trouble or with people you're really not quite comfortable being yourself with."

The word has even appeared in the funny pages where Dilbert muttered a disconsolate "frack" — the original spelling before producers of the current show changed it to a four-letter word — after a particularly dumb order from his evil twit of a boss.

"Dilbert" creator Scott Adams calls the word "pure genius."

"At first I thought 'frak' was too contrived and it bothered me to hear it," Adams said. "Over time it merged in my mind with its coarser cousin and totally worked. The creators ingeniously found a way to make viewers curse in their own heads — you tend to translate the word — and yet the show is not profane."

Best-selling novelist Robert Crais slips the word into the prologue of his latest Elvis Cole mystery, "Chasing Darkness." He did it because "Galactica" is his favorite show, like calling out in the wilderness to his fellow fans. But he sees the word popping up everywhere, even among those who have never watched the show.

"It's viral, it spreads like a virus," Crais said. "That first wave of people who use it are all fans. They use it because they're tickled by it and like me they're paying an homage to the show. When they're using it, they're probably doing it with a sly wink. But as it gets heard and people use it, it spreads."

The re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" tells the story of the human survivors of a war with a robotic race known as the Cylons. Fewer than 40,000 humans remain in a ragtag fleet being pursued across space by the Cylons, who wiped out the 12 colonies in a surprise nuclear holocaust.

Their destination is the mythical planet Earth, a legend passed down in religious texts. Shooting wrapped in July and the final 10 episodes will appear beginning in January.

Larson, one of television's most prolific and successful writers, doesn't much care for the new series. He used "frack" and its cousin "feldergarb" as alternates for curse words because the original "Battlestar" was family friendly and appeared on Sunday nights. The words fit in with his philosophy that while the show was about humans, it shouldn't have an Earthly feel.

In what he said was his first interview about the series, Larson says there were no red fire extinguishers on his Battlestar Galactica and characters wore original costumes, not suits and ties.

"Our point was to whenever possible make it a departure like you're visiting somewhere else," Larson said. "And we did coin certain phrases for use in expletive situations, but we tried to carry that over into a lot of other stuff, even push brooms and the coin of the realm."

When new series producer Ron Moore first introduced "frak" in early scripts, Bamber said the actors were dubious. But as writers expanded its use, they caught on to the possibilities.

"I mean why are we not offended by `frak' because it means exactly the same thing as the other thing?" said Bamber, who plays fighter pilot-turned-president Lee "Apollo" Adama. "So it raises questions about language and why certain words are offensive. Is it their meaning? ... Clearly it's not their meaning. Clearly it's literally their sound."

Co-executive producer and writer Michael Angeli, an Emmy nominee for the episode "Six of One," said using the word in scripts is satisfying for anyone who's been censored over the years.

"It's a great way to do something naughty and get away with it," Angeli said. "One of the things that television shows do constantly is they battle with Standards and Practices over what can be seen and what can't be seen, what can be said and what can't be said.

"A lot of our characters are soldiers. That whole sort of view and that subculture, that's how they speak. They're rough and tumble, and they're bawdy and they swear."

He said producers have gotten no complaints from SciFi owner NBC Universal or the Federal Communications Commission.

Goldberg believes Larson should get more credit for "frak" and has posted an appreciation on his Web site. He even sought out Larson to let him know how he feels: "I told him, 'Frak is fraking brilliant, Glen.'"

Carla Bruni scheduled to jam with McCartney, Metallica on BBC show

France's first lady, is expected to jam on British television with Paul McCartney and Metallica.

Former supermodel Carla Bruni, who married French President Nicolas Sarkozy in February, is slated to appear on BBC's Later … With Jools Holland on September 16th.

In July, Bruni released her latest album, Comme si de Rien N'était (As If Nothing Happened), which raised a few eyebrows with its risqué lyrics concerning her paramour, Sarkozy.

As she sings in Ta Tienne (Yours): "You are my lord, you're my darling, you're my orgy … my charming Prince I am yours … I who always sought fire, am burning for you like a pagan woman."

And in My Drug, she croons that her lover is her drug, "more deadly than Afghan heroin, more dangerous than Colombian white [powder]."

A BBC statement says Bruni, 40, will perform "a song or two from her recently released third album."

Sharing the spotlight will be heavy rockers Metallica, making their first appearance on the show in 12 years, who will play new songs from their ninth album, Death Magnetic.

Ex-Beatle McCartney will team up with record producer and bassist Martin Glover under the name The Fireman.

Tradition usually has Holland's guests jamming together after the opening credits.

Jennifer Aniston will make a return visit to NBC

NEW YORK - Jennifer Aniston will return home to NBC, the TV network where she became a breakout star on the hit sitcom "Friends."

She's currently filming a guest appearance on the network's "30 Rock," Aniston publicist Stephen Huvane confirmed Friday.

There were no immediate details on the role Aniston will play — as herself or a fictitious character — or the episode's planned air date.

The New York-based series, which begins its third season in October, stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin in a behind-the-scenes, sometimes self-directed spoof of a television network and the huge corporation that owns it. The show has won a modest but devoted following, and critical raves. Awards include Golden Globes, a Peabody and last year's Emmy for outstanding comedy series.

With its show-biz slant, it has become a haven for guest appearances by big names from entertainment — even politics, including Al Gore.

Another of the six-member "Friends" troupe, David Schwimmer, had a "30 Rock" guest shot last season.

Since "Friends" concluded its highly successful 10-year run in 2004, Aniston has concentrated on films, including "Friends with Money," "The Break-Up."

SNL Plucks Michael Phelps Out of the Hosting Pool

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Saturday Night Live is looking to make a splash this season.

The series has tapped Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps to host its 34th-season premiere Sept. 13 on NBC, which probably wouldn't mind basking in the glow from its history-making coverage of the Beijing Games a little longer.

Aside from all the commercials and inevitable talk-show spots, this will be the first "acting" role for Phelps, whose world-record-smashing, eight-gold-medal-winning performance at the Summer Olympics made him the poster boy of U.S. swimming for generations to come and won him the hearts of millions of admiring fans.

Lil Wayne, who, appropriately enough, has also had the most successful year of his career in 2008, will be the musical guest.

Meanwhile, the MTV Video Music Awards has also capitalized on (or is helping to wear out the welcome of) the Phelps juggernaut, securing an appearance by the 23-year-old Baltimore native at the Sept. 9 kudosfest.

But considering we already know that teenage girls dig him, it's the SNL gig that will be the gangly lad's chance to prove he's more than a superhuman swimming machine with abs on which he can wash his own Speedo.

Assuming, however, that he'll leave the LAZR Racer® at home (although, if they're smart, he'll be wearing it in at least one sketch), the question remains: Can Phelps duplicate his poolside appeal while wearing everyguy gear?

CBS Pushes Back 'Survivor: Gabon' Premiere

Scrap those "Survivor" viewing parties for Thursday, Sept. 18, but get ready to schedule an extra-long gala for the following week.

CBS announced Monday (Aug. 25) that "Survivor: Gabon -- Earth's Last Eden" will now premiere on Thursday, Sept. 25 with what will be the first two-hour premiere in "Survivor" history.

As has been well-documented, the franchise's second trip to Africa will also be its first season broadcast in high definition.

The "Survivor" premiere will be followed by a rebroadcast of last season's cliffhanger finale to "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

A fall TV season with questions in the air

NEW YORK - With fall in sight, ABC is inviting viewers to stay home and watch ABC as an energy-saving measure.

For this tongue-in-cheek promotion, National Stay at Home Week begins Sept. 21 — also the official start of the 2008-09 TV season.

If only sky-high gas prices would guarantee ABC a captive audience!

Alas, it's hard to make an argument that viewers are breathlessly awaiting ABC's fall season — or any other network's. Audience buzz remains at a hush.

With the networks still reeling from the disruption of last winter's strike by screenwriters, only 17 new series have been slotted for fall — about half the usual number.

And most of them have been unavailable for preview. As the networks continue to play catch-up, few new shows have been put in front of critics, who, in other years, would have been warming up the crowd.

Not that there isn't plenty going on. Broadcast networks were already dogged by audience erosion, growing competition from cable and the Internet, and TiVo-equipped viewers who blow off the commercials.

These challenges are only intensifying now. So whatever the programming networks air this fall, there is likely to be drama, suspense and pratfalls as the networks race to adapt to a medium in flux.

Beyond that near-certainty, mostly questions prevail.

• For starters: Will viewers surprise the networks (and themselves) by discovering a hit among the limited fall prospects?

The most eagerly awaited entry is "Fringe," Fox's paranormal thriller from J.J. Abrams ("Lost," "Alias"). It also happens to be an exception to all the new shows no one's seen yet: Its 90-minute pilot was screened for critics way back in June and for fans at Comic-Con in July. For weeks, it could be downloaded by anybody else to sample from the Internet.

No one will be sampling "90210" beforehand — by design. The premiere will be kept under wraps until its Sept. 2 airing as a "strategic marketing decision," the CW network recently announced. Thanks to that strategy, any buzz about "90210" is free to dwell on the likelihood it will fall far short of "Beverly Hills, 90210," the 1990s cultural phenomenon that spawned it.

ABC is introducing just two new series. One, "Opportunity Knocks," is a trivia-based game show. The other, a cop drama with a time-travel twist called "Life on Mars," began life as a British series. But it's not the only transplant this fall.

• Will global imports tighten their grip on the networks?

CBS' wedding woes comedy, "Worst Week," and its sci-fi crime drama, "Eleventh Hour," also have been adapted from British TV. NBC's mother-daughter comedy, "Kath & Kim," sprang from an Australian hit. CBS' "The Ex List," a romantic comedy, was inspired by an Israeli series.

They will take their place with successful imports such as NBC's British-born "The Office" and ABC's "Ugly Betty," which originated as a Spanish-language telenovela.

It's worth remembering that last fall, CBS belly-flopped with its version of the British hit "Viva Blackpool," which, transformed into "Viva Laughlin," lasted two weeks.

But for a decade, the networks have been mining reality and game-show formats from around the world with spectacular success ("Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," "Survivor" and "Big Brother" are early examples). This fall, Fox is introducing a game show called "Hole in the Wall," from Japan.

If any of the networks were to strike gold this year with scripted imports, it would likely spur an even bigger global shopping spree.

• But will more imports, or anything else, do the trick for NBC and its entertainment czar, Ben Silverman?

A 36-year-old wunderkind producer when he came to NBC Universal 16 months ago, Silverman inherited a fourth-place network whose Fall 2007 schedule was already announced.

Today, NBC, thanks to the Beijing Olympics, has crept ahead of ABC to claim third place in total viewers. But the Olympics and their explosive ratings are just a beautiful memory as NBC heads into a brand-new season, its fall schedule crafted by Silverman's team.

Although he champions an inventive multimedia-platform approach to programming, his vision of what viewers want to see is oddly derivative: "Simple themes reinvented, accessible entry points, universality," he rhapsodized when pitching the schedule last April.

But it remains to be seen whether Silverman's stated mission — providing a video respite from the harsh modern world — will placate the restless channel surfer. Or whether other networks will convert to a similar gospel.

His new fall shows include "Kath & Kim"; a remake of the 1980s man-and-his-car hit "Knight Rider"; the self-explanatory "Crusoe"; and "My Own Worst Enemy," an action drama about a family man with a split personality.

At the same time NBC unveiled its fall schedule, it also presented a schedule for midseason, reinvigorated with more new and returning series.

Other networks are also adopting this strategy of prearranged replenishment. It's aimed at minimizing reruns and refreshing the lineup in an orderly way to keep viewers on board.

• But does alerting them this far ahead to all the shows awaiting them come winter undercut the effort to excite them about fall? Will the audience suspect the networks of holding out their best stuff for midseason, stuff like Fox's spinoff from "Family Guy," an NBC comedy starring "Saturday Night Live" alum Amy Poehler, and the return of ABC's "Lost" and Fox's "24"?

Long before then, the audience will be sizing up fall entries that also include a Fox comedy about a luxury Manhattan hotel, "Do Not Disturb," and "Gary Unmarried," a CBS comedy about a guy navigating his recent divorce. CBS' drama "The Mentalist" focuses on a consultant to the cops who has a keen eye for clues but a dubious past. CW weighs in with "Privileged," about a sexy live-in tutor in posh Palm Beach, and "Stylista," a reality show where competitors vie for a job at a fashion magazine.

Still, it won't be new shows that determine the outcome of the networks' ratings race. The pivotal factor: Which network has the strongest slate of veteran series.

Several proven hits — Fox's "House," NBC's "Heroes," ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" — are now awaited by viewers with eagerness that nothing new can match.

Whether returning shows like ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money," "Pushing Daisies" and "Samantha Who?" can reclaim their initial popularity after months on ice — that's less certain.

But is anything certain as ABC sets the stage for Stay at Home Week? Right now, the networks' biggest show is a guessing game, the one they're trying to win.

A Bronze Fonz Hits Brew Town

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Finally, a Fonzie that's incapable of jumping the shark. If only he existed 30 years ago.

A statue of Arthur Fonzarelli was unveiled to a Happy Days-loving crowd on Wisconsin's Milwaukee River today, commemorating the 10-year run of the classic sitcom and its most iconic character in the city where the series was set (but, alas, never shot).

Fonzie alter ego Henry Winkler was on hand for the invite-only occasion, as were show creator-director-producer Garry Marshall, stars Anson Williams (Potsie), Don Most (Ralph), Marion Ross (Mrs. Cunningham), Tom Bosley (Mr. Cunningham) and Erin Moran (Joanie), as well as Laverne & Shirley leads Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams. Ron Howard was on location and unable to make the unveiling.

Winkler took quite a liking to his life-size leather-jacketed likeness, giving it the ultimate seal of approval: two thumbs up.

"I hope that this statue really represents in the way that this city deserves," Winkler said.

"This is one of the great cities in the United States of America and everyone should actually come here to enjoy the theater, enjoy the good food, enjoy the warmth of the people and the Fonz!"

Just 34 hours left for TV's "Lost"

SAN DIEGO - "Lost" fans can start expecting some answers.

Writer-producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof said Friday that they know exactly how the ABC series will end.

"We have 34 hours left for you guys to see — seasons five and six," Lindelof told the Comic-Con crowd. "We owe answers. We know the answers that we owe. The questions have to begin to diminish."

"We know where we're going and we know how long we have left to tell the story," Cuse added. "There's also an organic process that goes on."

They compared the process to a road trip, which can often include alternate routes and unexpected stops.

The showrunners said they will continue to supplement their storytelling with Webisodes, mobisodes (on mobile devices) and games.

"We're doing it primarily for the die-hard fans of the show," Lindelof said.

They offered no spoilers at Entertainment Weekly's panel dedicated to visionary TV producers. But they did reveal they'd like to see the return of Mr. Eko.

"Mr. Eko was a character we really loved," Cuse said of the role played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Turns out the British actor didn't like living and working on an island.

"Hawaii was not his bag," Cuse continued. "Real life intervened and forced us to end the arc of that character much sooner than we would have liked."

No word on whether Mr. Eko will come back when "Lost" returns this fall.

Keitel Set For Life On Mars

Movie tough guy Harvey Keitel has signed up to star in his first TV series after joining the cast of U.S. drama Life On Mars.

The hit British show, which has been recast for American TV audiences, will also feature Jason O'Mara and The Sopranos star Michael Imperioli.

The Piano star Keitel will play the leader of a no-nonsense homicide task force.

The show revolves around O'Mara's cop character, who wakes up in the 1970s after he's knocked unconscious in a traffic accident.

New At the Movies Cohosts: Bens There, Done That

Los Angeles (E! Online) - A day after Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper announced they were vacating their aisle seats on At the Movies, producer Disney has given two thumbs-up to a couple of new hosts for the venerable movie-review show.

Producers have tapped E!'s resident movie buff Ben Lyons and Turner Classic Movies go-to man Ben Mankiewicz as the new cinematic tastemakers on the weekend show.

"I am incredibly excited to be involved with such a prestigious show," Lyons said. "Reviewing films for a living is a thrill, and now that I will be a critic for At the Movies, it is an honor and huge responsibility that I look forward to."

As for their first review—that is, of their new joint gig—the two critics are unanimous.

"I am thrilled and honored beyond words to be joining the series," Mankiewicz said. "As a movie fanatic, this is my dream job. Without question, I certainly have big shoes to fill."

In addition to the new hosts, the show will also be introducing several new segments come its September relaunch.

The signature "cross-talk" reviews will continue, but the series will also introduce a "Critics Roundup," where the Bens are joined via satellite by reviewers across the nation to discuss new releases.

Both hosts will also chime in for a new "3 to See" segment, where, as the title would suggest, Lyons and Mankiewicz give viewers their recommendations for new features.

Film critics Ebert, Roeper leaving their TV show

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Influential film critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper are departing the movie-review show that bears their names, the two announced separately, leaving the program's future unclear.

Ebert, 66, who has been sidelined as co-host of "At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper" since 2006 due to health problems, said in a statement posted on Monday on the Web site of the Chicago Sun-Times that he was ending his relationship with the show.

He had no explanation for his departure, but said producers had decided to "take the program in a new direction." Ebert, arguably America's best-known film critic, had remained active behind the scenes despite losing his voice to cancer.

His announcement came a day after Roeper, 48, said his last appearance on the show would be an episode airing August 17. Both Ebert and Roeper are columnists for the Sun-Times.

The show's production company, Disney-ABC Domestic Television, had no immediate comment on the future of the long-running program, which Ebert launched 33 years ago with late Chicago Tribune critic Gene Siskel.

Ebert said he and Siskel's widow, Marlene Iglitzen, will retain the show's trademarked catch-phrase "two thumbs up" for some future use.

"After 33 years on the air, 23 of them with Disney, the studio has decided to take the program named 'Siskel & Ebert' and then 'Ebert & Roeper' in a new direction. I will no longer be associated with it," Ebert's statement said.

Roeper joined the show eight years ago, after Siskel died of complications from a surgery to remove a brain tumor.

Roeper said in his statement that Disney had offered to extend his contract several months ago, but ultimately he and the company did not come to terms.

"Much transpired after that behind the scenes, but an agreement was never reached, and we are all moving on," Roeper said.

Roeper said he intends to "proceed elsewhere" and co-host another film review show that "honors the standards established by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert more than 30 years ago."

"I will be free to share the details on that program in the near future," he said.

Leno's last 'Tonight' is May 29; O'Brien in June 1

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Conan O'Brien will take over the "Tonight" Show next June — and what happens to deposed host Jay Leno after that is anybody's guess.

Leno's last show will be Friday, May 29, and O'Brien will start the following Monday, June 1, NBC executives told a Television Critics Association meeting Monday.

NBC is angling to keep Leno with the network but the late-night king has indicated he's ready to jump ship. Eager NBC competitors, including other networks and syndicators, are eager to help him make the leap.

Ben Silverman and Marc Graboff, NBC Entertainment co-chairmen, were asked about the specter of Leno being hired by ABC and overpowering O'Brien in the ratings.

"We really believe in the decisions we've made with our partners, including Jay" and are standing by them, Silverman replied.

Jimmy Fallon is poised to take over O'Brien's "Late Night" in March or April of 2009, after honing his approach in brief Internet shows, Silverman and Graboff said.

O'Brien will wrap his "Late Night" run sometime in the first quarter of the year, with exact dates to be determined, the executives said. O'Brien reruns will fill the gap until Fallon takes over.

Brenda Lives! Doherty Zips Back to 90210

Los Angeles (E! Online) - The beeyotch is back.

The CW has confirmed that erstwhile Brenda Walsh Shannen Doherty will be reprising her role as one-half of Beverly Hills' best-loved Minnesota twins for a multiple-episode stint when the 90210 spinoff hits small screens this fall.

Doherty's reprisal marks the fourth official return from a Beverly Hills, 90210 regular to the spinoff, joining Tori Spelling, whose Donna Martin is now an upscale boutique owner, Joe E. Tata, whose Nat is still the owner of the Peach Pit, and—cue the maniacal moustache-twirling—Jennie Garth, whose Kelly Taylor is now the guidance counselor at West Beverly High.

It remains to be seen whether she—Taylor or Garth—also reprises her role as a certain brunette's mortal frenemy.

Though murmurs of such a casting coup have been circulating for weeks, with E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos reporting earlier this month that Doherty's appearance was a done deal, the network only made it official this morning, with an announcement at the Television Critics Association conference.

As for Doherty, she will apparently remain the show's resident drama queen.

Since leaving West Bev, Brenda has become a successful theater actress and director who divides her much-sought-after time between the London and New York stages. She is dragged back into the high school fray when her alma mater approaches her to direct a musical production for the students.

For more details on what's in store for the gang come the Sept. 2 premiere, jump over to our Watch With Kristin TV blog.

Larry David primed for more "Curb"

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Larry David is bringing back "Curb Your Enthusiasm" for a seventh season, HBO said on Thursday.

The premium cable network hopes the latest installment of the edgy comedy series will premiere at the beginning of 2009, marking a gap of more than a year since the sixth season ended in November 2007.

David, the show's star and creator, is "excited about it," HBO West Coast president Michael Lombardo said during the network's portion of the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour in Beverly Hills.

Meet the 'Big Brother 10' cast

STUDIO CITY, Calif. - "Big Brother 10" is returning to its roots.

The claustrophobic CBS reality show is sealing 13 actual strangers — no ex lovers, secret twin partners or long-lost siblings this time — inside a makeshift house on a Studio City soundstage for the chance to be the last houseguest standing and take home the $500,000 grand prize.

"There's somebody for everyone in this cast," executive producer Allison Grodner recently told The Associated Press at CBS Radford Studios. "It's going to be interesting to see people that come from such opposite worlds living together, which has always been a part of this show, but this season, we really do have our most diverse group ever."

The contestants — which will include a gay bull rider, a Hooters waitress, a professional bodybuilder and a 75-year-old former Marine — will spend the summer competing in challenges and evicting each other while being monitored by over 50 cameras. It's the first time since the show's third season that the houseguests are all strangers.

"When approaching this season, we wanted to look at what made this spark and last for 10 seasons," said Grodner, who's worked on "Big Brother" since the second season. "Every season had its unique twist. I think, in a way, going back to basics and having the cast be all strangers is part of the twist of '10.' Of course, there will be more."

In last season's first-ever winter edition of "Big Brother," which was quickly put into production because of the writers strike, contestants were partnered with each other and evicted as pairs for the first four weeks of competition. Grodner said a new "Big Brother 10" gameplay twist would be introduced during the premiere episode on July 13.

"It's really a power-play," teased Grodner. "The game will actually start before they enter the house."

In recent seasons, contestants have come under fire outside the house for controversial remarks made inside the house. During the eighth season, Amber Siyavus said that Jewish people tend to be "really money-hungry" and "selfish." Last season's winner Adam Jasinski was fired by a nonprofit autism organization because he used the word "retards."

"Those types of comments are not something we want to happen," said Grodner. "It's a live show. It's not censored on the Internet. These are real people. We aren't telling them what to say, but we're not telling them what not to say either. Things do happen. We, of course, can choose what we put in the show, and we do so carefully."

This season's contestants seem to be more aware of the repercussions of their actions from the outset. Before meeting their competitors or entering the house, the "Big Brother 10" cast was individually interviewed by the AP while they were voluntarily sequestered — no television, newspapers or telephones — from the outside world in a Studio City hotel.

"If you make a mistake and say the wrong things, you may offend people and be known for that forever," said Steven Daigle, a 35-year-old geographic consultant and gay rodeo competitor from Dallas. "People make mistakes. If I do make a mistake, I hope I can learn from it and know that was some part of my life that I was ignorant or uneducated about."

The rooms inside the "Big Brother" house this season will be themed to different decades. The kitchen, for example, resembles a '50s diner while one of the bedrooms is filled with '70s-inspired furnishings. The timeliness extends to this season's crop of contestants. At 75, Jerry MacDonald will be the oldest "Big Brother" houseguest ever.

"Age does not bother me," MacDonald told the AP. "I hope it doesn't bother them."

Libra Thompson, a married 31-year-old human resources representative from Spring, Texas, left behind her husband and three children — including 4-month-old twins — to participate in "Big Brother 10." During production, Thompson and the other "Big Brother" contestants are prohibited from communicating with the outside world.

"It's better for me that they're younger," said Thompson of her newborns. "At four months old, they're not going to remember much. It's probably going to be a little bit more difficult for my 4-year-old. However, I'm going to stay focused and remember the reason I'm here, and that's the cash. That will help me."

Prize money talks.

"I'm motivated because I'm a big fan of the show, but I'm more motivated that I have a chance to win $500,000," said Angie Swindell, a 29-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Orlando, Fla. "I just have to keep telling myself that if I start feeling all queasy about the 24-7 thing, there's an end to the means."

April Dowling, a 30-year-old car dealership finance manager from Higley, Ariz., said she doesn't think the "Big Brother" experience will be any more difficult than the time she had to spend 15 days in a "tent city" jail for drunk-driving charges. She also believes living in the house may remedy some of her obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

"I have seen a therapist," said Dowling. "They tried to put me on anti-anxiety medication, but I'm not big on prescription medication. I just don't like to take it. I'm actually hoping the 'Big Brother' experience will be therapeutic. My life will not end if the green beans aren't behind the corn in the pantry."

The 13 contestants of "Big Brother 10" are:

• Michelle Costa, 28, real estate agent from Cumberland, R.I.

• Steven Daigle, 35, geographic consultant from Dallas

• April Dowling, 30, finance manager from Higley, Ariz.

• Robert "Memphis" Garrett, 25, mixologist and party planner from Los Angeles

• Dan Gheesling, 24, high school teacher from Dearborn, Mich.

• Jessie Godderz, 22, bodybuilder from Huntington Beach, Calif.

• Brian Hart, 27, telecommunication account manager from San Francisco

• Jerry MacDonald, 75, retired marketing executive from Magnolia, Texas

• Renny Martyn, 53, hair salon owner from Metairie, La.

• Bryan Ollie, 27, marketing sales representative from Bloomington, Minn.

• Keesha Smith, 29, waitress from Burbank, Calif.

• Angie Swindell, 29, pharmaceutical sales representative from Orlando, Fla.

• Libra Thompson, 31, human resources representative from Spring, Texas

Stars Line Up For Elvis Costello TV Show

Elton John, Tony Bennett, Lou Reed and former U.S. President Bill Clinton will be among the heavy hitters appearing on Elvis Costello's new variety show.

The show, called "Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...," has taped four one-hour episodes of a planned 13-program run. The series is being co-produced by CTV in Canada and Channel 4 in the U.K., as well as the Sundance Channel in the U.S. A broadcast schedule has yet to be announced.

The format for the series will see Costello have conversations and collaborations with his guests. According to the production company, one of the early episodes will see Costello perform with John.

"I'm hoping that future shows continue to embody the great joy, passion and celebration of music we've had thus far, mixed with rare poignant and powerful moments," Costello said in a statement. "It's early to say too much about 'Spectacle' other than it has been a wonderful and surprising experience."

Additional guests confirmed for this season include musicians Davey Faragher, Pete Thomas and Steve Nieve of the Imposters; guitarist James Burton, who played with Elvis Presley; legendary producer, pianist, writer, arranger and singer Allen Toussaint; jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny, winner of 17 Grammy Awards; as well as others.

Mr. Big out, Goldblum in for `Criminal Intent'

LOS ANGELES - Mr. Big is out, and Mr. Goldblum is in.

Jeff Goldblum will be joining "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" while Chris Noth — Mr. Big in the "Sex and the City" TV show and movie — is leaving after three seasons, a series spokeswoman said Thursday.

"Criminal Intent," part of the "Law & Order" franchise that includes the original series and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," recently was picked up for a 16-episode eighth season by USA Network.

"Jeff's presence will add a new dimension to an already successful show," series creator Dick Wolf said.

Noth's character, New York police Detective Mike Logan, was a member of the "Law & Order" family since the start, Wolf noted, adding, "We all wish him the best."

Noth played Logan on the original NBC series from 1990 to '95, in a "Law & Order" TV movie and then on "Criminal Intent" starting in 2005. The show's seventh season airs Sundays on USA.

A call requesting comment from Noth was not immediately returned by his representative.

Goldblum recently starred in the short-lived NBC series "Raines" but is mostly known as a film actor with credits that include "Jurassic Park," "The Lost World," "Independence Day" and "The Fly."

He shared an Academy Award nomination in 2005 for the live-action short film "Little Surprises."

"Criminal Intent" originally aired on NBC. But when the network decided that last season's schedule had room for only two of the shows a deal was struck to air "Criminal Intent" first on USA, then on NBC.

NBC and USA are corporate cousins within NBC Universal, and "Criminal Intent" reruns on USA already had proved among its most popular programming.

"Criminal Intent," which looks at cases from both the perspective of police and lawbreakers, stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and Eric Bogosian.

Saturday Night Live Rewinds For Carlin Tribute

Saturday Night Live will pay tribute to late comedian George Carlin this coming weekend by re-airing the programme's 1975 debut, which the funnyman hosted.

Carlin died after suffering a heart attack on Sunday. He was 71.

In a tribute to the comic, SNL creator Lorne Michaels says, "He was gracious, fearless, and most of all, funny."

Albert Brooks is high on his `Weeds' role

LOS ANGELES - Albert Brooks' mordant on-screen neuroticism has lifted his films and characters to comedic heights, with "Defending Your Life," "Lost in America" and his Oscar-nominated turn in "Broadcast News" among the prime examples.

But it's difficult to find evidence of personal torment during an interview prompted by Brooks' guest role on Showtime's "Weeds." He's relaxed, congenial and wears no furrowed brow, looking younger than any true worrywart has a right to.

"I'll be honest with you," offers Brooks, 60, in that familiar, rhythmically whiny cadence that can presage a riff, or a meltdown. "I've always felt that the word `neurotic' was really `Jew.' ... It's a legal way of saying, `That Jew over there,'" he said, with a mild chuckle.

He's on a roll: "I thought of it years ago, when someone said, `You dirty neurotic. Get the hell out of here.' Then there was the sign at the Los Angeles Country Club: `No neurotics allowed.' I knew what that meant."

Brooks, who is Jewish, is busting up now and it's impossible not to do the same. He's an ex-comic who still revels in leaving 'em laughing, even when he's got an audience of one.

Brooks' reputation, as recently and lovingly detailed in "Comedy at the Edge," Richard Zoglin's book on groundbreaking 1970s comedians, is of a brilliant standup whose departure from the field left a void.

It's a talent Brooks acknowledges but when he pursued to get what he really wanted. Watch "Weeds," which features him in a four-episode arc starting with Monday's season premiere (10 p.m. EDT), and you see where his heart lies.

An actor, he says, "is all I wanted to be."

"Weeds" marks Brooks' first return to series TV since he made short films for the inaugural 1975-76 season of "Saturday Night Live," excepting a handful of voice-over turns on "The Simpsons." (He also had voice roles in "The Simpsons" movie and in "Finding Nemo.")

As Lenny Botwin, father-in-law of single mom and pot merchant Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker), Brooks is a key part of the drama's relocation from suburbia to the fictional Southern California border town of Ren Mar.

His work on "Weeds" was as satisfying as being in a fine independent film, Brooks said. He's a fan of the show's writing and the cast, especially Parker ("at the top of her game; everything she does is interesting") and Justin Kirk, who plays brother-in-law Andy Botwin.

And, he said, the role of the grizzled Lenny was a welcome change.

"He's not the part I normally play," he says. "He's a gambler, a guy who never made anything of his life and hates his son. He's a fusty curmudgeon. If you isolated the part and said, `Is this going to be a movie, or on Showtime?' it doesn't matter because the part is great."

He'd like to find such roles on the big screen as well, but current fare doesn't lend itself to that possibility. Studios are too busy cultivating projects that pass what Brooks calls the "14-year-old/Korea test."

"This is a generalization, because there are always good movies that pop up, but for the most part movies need to appeal to very young people and to foreign people, and that's not a dynamite combination for smart, intellectual comedy," he said.

Which is exactly what writer-director Brooks traffics in; not blockbusters but films with distinctly singular themes that have the added bonus of showcasing familiar actors in new, sometimes startling ways (think Debbie Reynolds as the overbearing parent in 1996's "Mother").

Besides 1991's "Defending Your Life," in which he and Meryl Streep explore a Brooksian vision of the afterlife, and 1985's "Lost in America," a skewering of yuppiedom, there's his latest, "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" (2005).

His big-screen directorial debut was 1979's "Real Life," a prescient take on then-nascent reality TV — PBS, of all things, was the groundbreaker in 1973 with its "An American Family" documentary series. In "Real Life," a filmmaker (played by Brooks, who wrote the script with Harry Shearer and Monica Johnson) persuades a family to let him record their daily life and ends up a home-wrecker, literally; he burns their house down for a big finish.

His movies often tap into the zeitgeist or even foreshadow it, and his comedy was the same. One Brooks routine recounted in Zoglin's book is "Rewriting the National Anthem," in which open auditions are held for average Americans to warble their proposed replacement.

"American Idol" come to mind?

"I was friends with (singer-songwriter) Harry Nilsson, who said the job of the artist is to get way ahead and sort of scout," Brooks said. "It's like Davy Crockett."

"Not all entertainment does that," he continued. "And, by the way, the entertainment that makes the most money is entertainment that doesn't do that. Somebody said to me, `You're always ahead of your time.' I said, `Go to the bank. There's no window there for that.'"

His next film project?

"I'm going to think of something done 10 years ago," he jokes.

Brooks said he enjoys the luxury of working in a movie without being responsible for it as a director. But the pull of a story idea, once born, often won't let go. He turned down "Big" after his "Broadcast News" role because "Defending Your Life" had begun gestating.

He admits to routinely letting obsession take hold.

"So much so that when my wife and I bought a new mattress a number of years ago — and I'm not proud of this — but I think I knew more about mattresses than the guys at Sit 'n Sleep," Brooks said. "I went to a mattress store and in four minutes the salesman was afraid of me."

The comic patter flows so easily in conversation it provokes the idea that he might someday want to give standup another try. He abruptly exited the game in the mid-'70s, with his many appearances on Johnny Carson's "Tonight" show and two comedy albums, "Comedy Minus One" from 1973 and "A Star Is Bought" from 1975, serving as evidence of his artistry.

Turns out that his buddy, Richard Lewis, has suggested that Brooks stroll in sometime and share one of Lewis' gigs.

But Lewis "is another guy more worried about life than I am," Brooks said, then imagines how their pairing would be billed: "Spend an extra-neurotic evening. Or, as we call them, Orthodox neurotics!"

British beauty Billie Piper is Showtime's Belle de Jour

LICKFOLK, England - On an early summer evening, Billie Piper is sitting in the back garden of a pub near her country home.

She's talking about sex and a city girl — the London-based professional escort Belle, whom she portrays in the Showtime series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," premiering 10:30 p.m. EDT June 16.

"I was thinking it was quite racy for America," says Piper as she ponders just how the series will come across in the U.S.

In the United Kingdom, it aired last September and was blasted in the media for glamorizing prostitution.

"I thought it was a side to prostitution that we are not normally exposed to, and I thought there was a story worth telling there," Piper says in defense. "I kind of knew it was going to cause a bit of an uproar, especially because I was playing the part. People are always so used to me doing children's shows or family drama."

As a teenager, Piper became a star in England in 1998 with the chart-topping pop song "Because We Want To." And she has been a popular subject for the British tabloid press.

She was previously married at 18 to popular DJ Chris Evans. Now 25, she's married to Laurence Fox, who plays Detective James Hathaway in "Inspector Lewis," airing on PBS' "Masterpiece Mystery" beginning June 22 (9 p.m. EDT).

Piper and Fox married on New Year's Eve, about a year after meeting while acting together in the play "Treats," and they recently moved from London to the country.

Piper has had recurring roles in the popular sci-fi series "Doctor Who," and has starred in several British made-for-TV movies. Yet never has the actress revealed more of herself than in the sexy "Call Girl."

The series is based on the Belle de Jour blog, which was written by a young woman who enjoys being a sex worker yet pretends to family and friends she's just Hannah, a legal secretary.

Doubts have been raised about whether Belle really exists or whether the blog was simply the fictitious concoction of some clever minds.

However, Piper says: "I met her and she was quite a character and she was the most useful part of my research."

"I started asking really simple, mundane questions — like `What's your favorite song?' `What kind of films do you watch?' Often those very simple details can be really useful. They tell you a lot about the human side of things," says Piper, explaining that because Belle's way of life was "so far removed from anything I know, I had to make her more human in my head."

She also consulted several other professional escorts and went to their apartments "where all these intimate moments take place" to see "step by step, how it's done."

How it's done, of course, meant strong language and nudity. But Piper counters criticism by saying that's just part of the acting challenge of honestly portraying the lifestyle.

Showtime is running the eight half-hour episodes uncut as part of an hourlong block with the fourth season of the hit series "Weeds."

Undaunted by the media criticism, Piper has begun filming a second series as Belle, and a third series has been ordered. But she may soon need a body double, she says, because she's pregnant.

Newhart mulls 'Corner Gas' cameo

Theoretically speaking, Bob Newhart is intrigued by the possibility of making a cameo appearance in the Corner Gas series-finale.

"I'd have to see the script, but I've heard of it, yeah," the legendary comedian said of Corner Gas, the creator of which, Brent Butt, jokingly broached the subject of using Newhart in an interview with Sun Media in April.

In a more recent interview with Sun Media, Newhart laughed quite hard -- in a good way, not a sarcastic way -- when told about the door to Corner Gas possibly being open. The series-finale for Newhart's self-titled sitcom Newhart, of course, is the most famous exit in TV history.

"Right now there's an illness in the family that is kind of my focus, unfortunately, so I'm trying to stay at home as much as I can," said Newhart, who is making a very quick trip to Canada this week for two shows at Casino Rama, north of Toronto. "So I don't know. It would depend on when it was, whether it would fit into the time."

But if it merely were a cameo appearance, Newhart might even be able to tape it at home, right?

"Yeah, that's true," said Newhart, 78.

The final moments of the Newhart finale featured Newhart waking up in bed with actress Suzanne Pleshette, who died earlier this year. Pleshette had played Newhart's wife in his earlier series, The Bob Newhart Show, so the joke was that the entire eight-year run of Newhart had been a dream.

Back in April, a day after announcing his decision to shut down Corner Gas, Butt fondly recalled the Newhart finale.

"I don't have a previous series to tap into," said Butt, who also stars in Corner Gas. "But maybe I'll end it with Bob Newhart."

Well, all kidding aside, Bob isn't against the idea.

"Law & Order: CI" is returning for 8th season

LOS ANGELES - "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" will remain on the case for another season on USA Network.

The show has been renewed for a 16-episode eighth year, the network said Thursday.

Part of the three-series "Law & Order" franchise created by Dick Wolf, "Criminal Intent" originally aired on NBC. But when the network decided that this season's schedule had room for only two of the shows, a deal was struck to air "Criminal Intent" first on USA, then on NBC.

NBC and USA are corporate cousins within NBC Universal, and "Criminal Intent" reruns on USA already had proved among its most popular programming.

"We're thrilled to have 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' for another season," Bonnie Hammer, president of NBCU Cable Entertainment & Cable Studio, said in a statement, adding that USA "forged new ground" by debuting what had been an established network series.

Wolf, executive producer of the "Law & Order" shows, said in a statement that "Criminal Intent" has "thrived in its new home on USA and will for years to come."

The new order from USA trims the series from the 22 episodes that were ordered for the seventh season. The show returns Sunday, June 8, after a break.

"Criminal Intent," which looks at cases from both the perspective of police and lawbreakers, stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Julianne Nicholson and Eric Bogosian. Chris Noth, of the "Sex and the City" TV show and movie, also stars.

Both "Law & Order" and spinoff "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" will return to NBC next season.

It will be season 19 for the original series, second only to "Gunsmoke," which aired from 1955 to 1975, as the longest-running network TV drama series. "Special Victims Unit" will be in its 10th year.

Cook triumphs over Archuleta on 'American Idol'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The grown-up rocker triumphed over the smooth-voiced kid as David Cook claimed the "American Idol" title Wednedsay, and it wasn't as much of a surprise as it seemed.

While 17-year-old Archuleta was heaped with praise by the judges the night before, the voters decided otherwise — and did they ever. Host Ryan Seacrest said during Wednesday's show that 12 million votes was the difference, and they broke in the favor of the 25-year-old from Blue Springs, Mo.

Cook was overcome by emotion, bending toward the stage after his name was announced.

"This is amazing," he said. "This is all your fault," he added, addressing the brother who Cook had accompanied to the "Idol" audition that started it all.

Cook immediately took the microphone and began to sing "Time of my Life," which won the annual "Idol songwriting competition, to close out season seven.

Cook refused to bow to the conventional during his three-song set Tuesday, with Collective Soul's "The World I Know" as his pick for a closing performance. He also sang U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and the power ballad "Dream Big," his choice from the songwriting competition's finalists.

"If I had to choose between playing a song that not a whole lot of people know that I could get behind, or the opposite, I'll choose the lesser-known every time," Cook told The Associated Press backstage Tuesday.

Judge Simon Cowell said at the time that the song choices sunk him, and told Archuleta that he'd scored a "knockout" performance in the boxing-themed performance finale.

Cook was unshaken, and now his choices are vindicated.

With a record 97.5 million audience votes cast by phone and text, the split between the two contestants was 56 percent for one David and 44 percent for the other, Seacrest announced at the start of the show.

Only 2 new shows on Fox network in the fall

NEW YORK - Fox is launching only two new series in the fall, traditionally its slow season, but the network plans flashy two-hour premieres of four shows during the same week as the Democratic National Convention.

The network's biggest priorities next season will be launching two new science fiction series by the creative forces behind "Lost" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Despite some audience erosion from "American Idol," Fox will end the current television season as the nation's most popular network among all viewers, not just young ones. That's the first time Fox has achieved this in its 20-year history, and it breaks CBS' five-year winning streak.

Its edgy strategy hasn't changed, though.

"We're just looking for good, noisy shows," said Fox Entertainment President Kevin Reilly.

"Fringe," "Bones," "Prison Break" and "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" will open the fall season the week of Aug. 25.

They should not conflict with major moments of the convention because political planners try to time them after 10 p.m. on the East Coast, when the shows will be over, said Peter Liguori, Fox entertainment chairman. Fox is avoiding any conflict on Thursday, when the party's nominee gives an acceptance speech.

Producer J.J. Abrams ("Lost") is behind "Fringe," a drama about an airplane flight whose passengers meet untimely ends. "Fringe" will be paired on the schedule with "House" on Tuesdays in the fall and "American Idol" in the spring.

A comedy, tentatively titled "Do Not Disturb" and set in a trendy Manhattan hotel, is the only other new fall show.

Fox executives said their series development was hurt by the writers strike, one factor in the small number of new fall shows. But the new season on Fox usually starts slowly and kicks in when "American Idol" and "24" join the schedule in January.

Some network rivals are being conservative in introducing shows this fall "by default," Reilly said. "We're doing it by strategy."

Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") is the creator of midseason entry "Dollhouse," about an underground group whose members have their personalities erased so they can be given others. Two animated and one alternative series will debut in midseason.

Fox is reintroducing viewers to "24," which wasn't shown this year because of the strike, with a two-hour prequel Nov. 23.

Fox executives introduced their schedule to advertisers a week after "Idol," TV's biggest show, had its smallest Tuesday audience in five years. Fox was satisfied with the show creatively but not with its performance, Liguori said.

"The network and producers really want to take a look at the show next year and see what we can do to inject it with new levels of energy and greater storytelling," he said. The Wednesday results show will be cut from an hour to 30 minutes.

And, yes, Paula Abdul will be back, he said.

The network canceled "Back to You," the sitcom with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. Reilly said the show didn't seem to be striking a chord and he wasn't confident of its future direction. The comedy "'Til Death" will be back but revamped to expand the cast, he said.

The two animated shows are Seth MacFarlane's "The Cleveland Show," about a man who marries his high school sweetheart, and "Sit Down, Shut Up," about staff members at a high school. The alternative series is "Secret Millionaire," which takes some rich folks and puts them undercover in poor neighborhoods.

Jennie Garth Moves Back to 'Beverly Hills, 90210'

Kelly Taylor is back.

Jennie Garth, who was rumored to return to her old stomping grounds at West Beverly High, will indeed join the cast of The CW's spinoff of "Beverly Hills, 90210," reports People.

Garth, 36, will make special guest appearances as a guidance counselor at her alma mater. She is the first original cast member to hitch herself to the project and the second person to be cast as part of the faculty after Ryan Eggold, who will play an English lit teacher.

The show will center on the experiences of the Mills family when they move to Beverly Hills because of the latest drunken exploits of grandmother Tabitha Mills (Jessica Walter), a has-been Hollywood starlet. Lori Loughlin will play her daughter-in-law Celia, while granddaughter Annie (Shenae Grimes) and adopted grandson Dixon (Tristan Wilds) maneuver through the hallways of West Beverly High.

Also previously cast are Jessica Stroup, AnnaLynne McCord and Dustin Milligan.

Garth recently exited the CBS pilot "My Best Friend's Girl," sparking rumors that she was freeing herself up for appearances on the as-yet untitled "90210" project. Although she made a name for herself on the original show, she also enjoyed a run on "What I Like About You" and performed honorably on "Dancing With the Stars."

Person close to talks: NBC installing Fallon on 'Late Night'

NEW YORK - Jimmy Fallon will officially be given the keys to NBC's "Late Night" franchise following Conan O'Brien's exit.

A person close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement hadn't been made confirmed the widely rumored change Sunday and said a news conference was planned for Monday.

All that's left is an official date for NBC's transition: O'Brien moving out West to take over for Jay Leno on the "Tonight" show and Fallon following in the next time slot.

Fallon was a "Saturday Night Live" cast member before leaving for a movie career in 2004. He has had mixed success, with his most notable role as a childlike Boston Red Sox fan and Drew Barrymore's paramour in "Fever Pitch."

He signed a deal with NBC in 2007 that was widely seen as a way to keep him in the fold until the time came for Monday's announcement.

It would be hard for him to have a rockier transition than O'Brien had when he took over from David Letterman in the mid-1990s. O'Brien was a writer with a quick sense of humor but a mystery to the television audience, and he was savaged in early reviews. NBC nearly fired him but persevered, and O'Brien grew into the role.

It was in large part to keep O'Brien happy that NBC announced four years ago that he would replace Leno next year.

While Leno went along with the plan, there are reports that the workaholic comic is not eager to leave. NBC Universal is trying to find a job that would satisfy him and avoid having Leno move to ABC or Fox to compete directly against O'Brien.

NBC could decide to back out of the plan and keep Leno on "Tonight," but O'Brien's contract calls for a penalty fee reportedly close to $40 million.

It all amounts to a roll of the dice in late-night, where NBC has stayed on top despite the network's prime-time problems.

NBC's announcement opens network television's "upfront" week, when fall schedules are set and presented to advertisers. NBC took the unusual step of announcing its schedule a month ago, and it has invited advertisers for a Monday sales presentation emphasizing all of NBC Universal's properties.

ABC Makes Up for Lost 'Lost'

ABC is making official what the producers of "Lost" have been saying for some time: Fans of the show won't be shortchanged any episodes.

The show will film 17 episodes for each of its final two seasons, instead of the 16 initially planned when ABC and the show's creative team hammered out a three-seasons-and-that's-it deal last year.

The extra shows in 2009 and 2010 will make up for the two episodes lost to the writers' strike this season, meaning the total number of episodes (48) isn't changing.

Executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have been saying as much for a while. In a conference call with reporters last month, Lindelof said they expected to deliver the two shows they couldn't this year in the future.

"I think it means there will be 34 left," he said. "We did 14 this year because of the strike, but we promised 16, which means we owe two more hours."

"We're not actually shortening the total number of episodes," Cuse added. "We're just deferring them into seasons five and six."

"Lost" has three episodes left this season, all of which Lindelof and Cuse consider part of the season finale. The first part airs Thursday, May 15, and the conclusion airs as a two-hour show on May 29. The show is taking May 22 off to make room for a two-hour "Grey's Anatomy" finale.

50 years since she said, 'Julie, don't go!'

Fifty years ago this Sunday night, Canada successfully invaded America, or more precisely, Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster made their legendary first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show.

They performed "Rinse the Blood Off My Toga," a wry historical parody of the type they excelled at. In tough detective-story style, private eye Flavius Maximus (Wayne) pursued Brutus (Shuster) for the murder of Julius Caesar.

And although they scored a hit, the biggest laughs of the evening went to another member of the cast.

It was Sylvia Lennick who brought the house down as Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, with her oft-repeated lament: "I told him, `Julie, don't go!'"

Lennick is 92 now, still living in Toronto. She's the only surviving member of the company from that historic night and she remembers it well, although the sharp-as-a-tack showbiz veteran begins her reminiscences with a vintage ham-on-wry quip.

"I don't know how it can be 50 years ago," she deadpans, "when I'm only 52."

Back in the 1950s, Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town, which appeared on CBS-TV every Sunday night at 8 p.m., was one of the most influential media showcases in America.

Each week, an assortment of talent ranging from rock idols (Elvis Presley appeared, from the waist up) to novelty acts (remember Topio Gigo, the Italian mouse?) to stars of the latest Broadway shows (Mary Martin, Ethel Merman) would fight to be on Sullivan's show. A successful appearance could turn a career around overnight. It was a very big deal.

So was Lennick nervous about appearing on such a prestigious show?

"You're always a little nervous when you're performing," she ho-hums. "Without nerves, you might as well stay home. You work on those nerves."

She did have one major area of concern. "I was doing the part in a heavy Bronx accent and I thought to myself, `Here I am going where everybody talks like that!'"

But her mind was soon put at ease.

"In those days," she recalls, "they did two rehearsals the day of the show and all the actors in New York would come to the first one in the morning.

"I said my first line and they roared with laughter. Then when I made my exit, they applauded. That's when I knew I'd be fine."

The same thing happened at the afternoon's dress rehearsal and the live evening broadcast brought Lennick her biggest response of all.

The next day, all of America was buzzing about the show and "I told him, `Julie don't go!'" became an instant catchphrase.

Lennick was initially unaware of all the fuss.

"All I knew was I had gotten three hands on the same day with the same material. It was like I had gone to heaven."

It even made up for the fact that appearing on the Sullivan show had forced her to postpone her son David's bar mitzvah.

"And it all shows you how much I know," laughs Lennick.

"When I read the script, I never thought `Julie don't go,' was my big laugh line.

"I thought I was going to kill them when I said, `It's the Ides of March, already.'"

'The Sarah Connor Chronicles' Will Be Back

Judgment Day won't come for at least one more season.

FOX has picked up its freshman series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" for 2008-09. The show earned a 13-episode order for 2008-09, on the heels of its strike-shortened and reasonably successful nine-episode run earlier this year.

The pickup isn't a big surprise; FOX Entertainment chief Kevin Reilly said in an interview last week that the show was already hiring staff.

"The Sarah Connor Chronicles" enjoyed a big premiere in January following an NFL playoff game, drawing better than 18 million viewers. The show's ratings fell off in its regular home on Mondays, but it still averaged 10.8 million viewers and a 4.5 rating among adults 18-49. In the latter category it's the top-rated new scripted series this season.

The series stars Lena Headey as the title character, who's obsessed with protecting her son John ( Thomas Dekker), the future leader of the human resistance against the machines that will one day wipe out most humanity. Summer Glau and Richard T. Jones also star, and Brian Austin Green, who appeared in five episodes this season, will be a regular next year.

FOX has several shows in development that could form a sci fi-tinged block with "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," including Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" and "Fringe," from J.J. Abrams' company.

Reports: Fallon to succeed Conan on 'Late Night'

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Fallon appears to be inching closer to Conan O'Brien's "Late Night" chair. For months, Fallon has been widely considered the top choice to succeed O'Brien when he steps down next year. On Thursday, published reports said Fallon has signed, or soon will sign, a deal with NBC.

NBC had no comment Thursday on the stories by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. The network had been expected to announce its choice of host within the next few weeks, possibly at its May 12 presentation for advertisers.

A former regular on "Saturday Night Live," Fallon, 33, would take over sometime next year as host of the 12:30 a.m. talk show. O'Brien is to replace Jay Leno on NBC's "Tonight" show, aired at 11:30 p.m. each weeknight.

Fallon taking over "Late Night" is the only part of this talk-show turnover that remained in any doubt. The succession plan at the "Tonight" show, including Leno's departure, was announced by NBC in 2004.

But as long ago as last summer, NBC late-night boss Rick Ludwin was quoted as saying that Fallon "is at the top of our short list."

'Corner Gas' pumped for finale

Corner Gas has only two finales left, and one of them is tonight.

The popular Canadian sitcom will air its fifth-season finale this evening on CTV. This comes on the heels of the announcement that season No. 6 will be the last for the show.

Fans can expect something special tonight, as regularly has been the case with the previous season-finales of Corner Gas.

Remember last year when we all were set up to believe that massive changes had occurred? And then, well, nothing actually changed. It was all a dream, and life went on as usual in Dog River.

As things begin tonight, it's 30 minutes before midnight, at which point Brent -- played by series creator Brent Butt -- will turn 40.

As you would expect, the other seven main characters -- Lacey, Wanda, Hank, Oscar, Emma, Davis and Karen -- are planning a big bash. But as you equally would expect, those party plans go awry.

With the final season set to begin shooting next month in Saskatchewan, Butt said he has taken the time to appreciate what a unique endeavour Corner Gas has been. After all, Canadian sitcoms usually stink; and even when they're good, usually nobody watches; so to have one that doesn't stink and people actually watch it, too? Well, sound the trumpets.

"It was an anomaly and the likelihood of having a million and a half people watch whatever I do next is pretty slim," admitted Butt, who presumably will continue to develop other projects for CTV.

'SMELL THE AUTHENTICITY'

"So I am kind of intellectually aware of that aspect. But the idea isn't to create Corner Gas again. The idea is to do the same thing I did with Corner Gas, which is, not worry about what the response is or how many people watch. Just worry about doing a funny show, and then no matter what happens, you can walk away with your head held high."

Corner Gas also has benefited from the fact that it isn't directed at any specific portion of the TV audience.

"One of the things I was most appreciative of was that CTV never gave me a demographic to write to, or any type of agenda," Butt said. "And I think people smell the authenticity of that, or felt it, you know?

"They knew we weren't trying to be something we weren't. A lot of shows try to be hip and edgy and adult, and generally fail, right? I always have found it kind of ironic that shows that consider themselves 'adult' are often the same type of show somebody in Grade 7 would write. 'And then they jump into bed and have sex, and then they go skateboarding.' "

Hmmm ... have you copyrighted that one, Brent?

In any event, tonight isn't the end of Corner Gas, but merely the beginning of the end.

"It's one of those things, kind of a no-win situation in a way," Butt said of the decision to stamp an expiry date on his pride and joy. "But I have no doubt this was the right time.

"That's the rock I'm hanging onto through all this. Whenever I seriously ask myself, 'Was this the right time?' the answer always comes back, 'Yes.' "

'Lost,' 'Grey's Anatomy' Tack on Episodes

Fans of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost" will get a little more of the shows they love this season. Eventually.

ABC announced Monday (April 14) that it's adding another episode to each show's season, allowing both to have two-hour season finales. That will make for 17 total episodes of "Grey's Anatomy" for the season and 14 of "Lost" (two short of the initially planned 16).

However, because ABC had scheduled its post-writers' strike episodes so tightly, the finale of "Grey's Anatomy" will force "Lost" off the air for a week in May.

Both shows had been scheduled to end their seasons on Thursday, May 22. Now, though, "Lost" will cede its place on the schedule that night to make room for the two-hour "Grey's Anatomy" finale. It will return on Thursday, May 29 for its own two-hour finale. (Both finales, incidentally, will fall outside Nielsen's May sweeps period, which ends Wednesday, May 21.)

ABC's other Thursday show, "Ugly Betty," will also have its season finale on May 22, as planned.

The network initially ordered five episodes of both series when the strike ended. Once the shows were up and running again, a combination of the ABC wanting the extra hours and the producers of the two shows believing they had more stories to tell resulted in the additional episodes.

Ferguson tops O'Brien for first time

NEW YORK - Recently sworn-in U.S. citizen Craig Ferguson is being embraced by his new countrymen: The late-night comic hit a ratings milestone last week with his first victory over NBC's Conan O'Brien.

The CBS "Late Late Show" averaged more viewers than O'Brien's "Late Night" (1.88 million to 1.77 million) for the first week during which they each competed with all-original shows since Ferguson started in January 2005.

It caps a slow and steady climb for Ferguson and raises a red flag for future "Tonight" show host O'Brien, although NBC says it is still happy with O'Brien's audience.

"He's getting looser and looser all the time and for the last few months it's clear that he's having such a good time that you can't resist it as a viewer," said veteran late-night hand Peter Lassally, Ferguson's executive producer.

Ferguson, a Scotsman, passed an American citizenship test and was formally sworn in on Feb. 1. He'll be host of the annual White House correspondents' dinner in Washington later this month, a high-profile gig for a comic.

Although Ferguson had slowly become more competitive with O'Brien in the ratings, the writers strike was crucial to the surge, said producer Michael Naidus.

"It was a tough thing but for us it just let us play with the show in a looser way," Naidus said. "We threw out everything and now just have our writers doing a comedy show."

The strike also put a brighter spotlight on late-night programming and Ferguson benefited from the attention, with correspondents from newspapers and magazines writing flattering stories about him, Naidus said.

NBC acknowledged Ferguson's victory but noted O'Brien — the designated successor to Jay Leno when Leno steps down next year — still led among viewers aged 18-49, the youthful demographic the network bases its advertising sales on. Among the younger half of that demographic, O'Brien gets more viewers than David Letterman, NBC said.

NBC also noted that CBS got a boost by having all-original shows at the 10 p.m. hour last week, possibly increasing its audience in late-night, while NBC was still in reruns.

'Corner Gas' calling it quits

TORONTO - After six years of pumping gas, pouring coffee and pontificating about life and love, the "Corner Gas" gang is packing it in.

The hit CTV comedy, one of the most successful Canadian sitcoms ever made, is coming to an end after the upcoming sixth season, the show's star and creator, Brent Butt, said Thursday.

The final 19-episode season, about the hijinks at a small-town gas station in the fictional town of Dog River, Sask., begins shooting next month in Saskatchewan, with the series' finale airing some time in the spring of 2009.

"It's a very difficult decision, but the right decision, and one I felt I had to make," Butt said in a news release.

"When I told CTV about my decision, they made it clear that they were keen to do more seasons. They didn't want it to end yet. But for the good of the show, I wanted to exit gracefully, on top of our game, when we're at our prime - because that's how I want viewers to remember 'Corner Gas': at its very best."

"Corner Gas" has been a ratings winner for CTV for years and has won numerous Gemini awards. It also airs in syndication in countries around the world, including Australia and the United States, where it outperforms shows like "Heroes" and "Prison Break" on the cable channel Superstation WGN.

CTV's Susanne Boyce lauded the show.

"This is not goodbye, it's see you later," she said. "Brent and his team have accomplished something that has never been achieved before. They said it couldn't be done, but 'Corner Gas' did it anyway. The series has paved the way for other Canadian productions by proving that if you make great TV, Canadians will watch."

"Corner Gas," which also stars Eric Peterson, is shot entirely in Saskatchewan and will end its run on its 107th episode.

-

'Corner Gas' chronology

June 2003 Production begins on Season 1 of "Corner Gas."

Jan. 22, 2004 - More than a million viewers tune into the series premiere.

Oct. 4, 2004 - "Corner Gas" is nominated for an International Emmy Award.

Oct. 5, 2004 - More than 1.5 million viewers tune into Season 2 premiere.

Oct. 1, 2005 - Finland becomes the first of 26 countries around the world to purchase the show for broadcast outside of Canada.

Oct. 31, 2005 - Prime Minister Paul Martin makes cameo appearance on "Corner Gas," attracting a record audience of 2.2 million viewers. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson, Darryl Sittler and Ben Mulroney, among many other notable Canadians, also make appearances in later episodes.

Nov. 19, 2005 - "Corner Gas" wins two Gemini Awards.

Dec. 12, 2005 - "Merry Gasmas," a "Corner Gas" holiday special, attracts record-setting audience of 2.43 million viewers.

Nov. 4, 2006 - "Tales from Dog River: The Complete Corner Gas Guide" is released and becomes a bestselling book across Canada.

Nov. 4, 2006 - "Corner Gas" wins its second Gemini Award for best comedy series.

Nov. 24, 2006 - "Corner Gas" secures U.S. broadcast deal with Superstation WGN.

Sept. 17, 2007 - "Corner Gas" premieres on Superstation WGN in the U.S.

Oct. 28, 2007 - "Corner Gas" takes home three Gemini Awards including its third for best comedy series.

April 10, 2008 - Brent Butt announces that "Corner Gas" will end at the conclusion of Season 6 in 2009.

Source: Prairie Pants Productions.

'Galactica' set for final showdown

Like all good things -- life, love, that particularly good chorizo empanada you had for lunch -- even Battlestar Galactica must come to an end.

The Peabody Award-winning series, hailed as one of the decade's finest TV offerings, is spooling up the faster-than-light drive for its fourth and final season, premiering tomorrow night on sci-fi channel Space.

It's the beginning of a bittersweet last leg for the cast and crew, including stars Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park. On screen, there's been much friction between their characters; Sackhoff plays tough-but-vulnerable ace pilot Kara (Starbuck) Thrace, while Park's Sharon (Boomer) Valerii (please, we call her Athena now) is a Cylon, the race of androids who destroyed humanity's homeworlds.

But in person during a recent visit to Toronto, they're as close and comfortable as sisters, alternating between finishing each others' sentences and ragging on each other without mercy.

"It's like having friends without trying," Vancouver native Park said of shooting a series as tight-knit and intense as Battlestar. "You see some of these people more often than you see your own family, and you have experiences that are deeper than the things you'll have with most of your friends."

What began as a huge TV gamble -- resurrecting the name and premise of a cheeseball 1970s Star Wars ripoff and giving it a gritty, politically aware edge -- has paid off with mainstream recognition, a ferociously devoted fanbase and significant fame for its stars.

Fame that includes a recent GQ magazine photo shoot featuring Sackhoff, Park and Canadian former supermodel Tricia Helfer (who plays smokin' hot Cylon Number Six) posing on motorcycles. In leather chaps. And bikinis.

"You get close. Literally," said Park, turning to coo at Sackhoff: "Your skin is so soft."

"Grace is laying on my back and Tricia's ass is my face," recalled Sackhoff. Fans, enjoy the mental image. GQ, enjoy the readership spike.

Between talk of how the writers' strike had some fearing Battlestar wouldn't come back ("We were drinking Irish whiskey at 9:30 a.m. on the last day because we pretty much thought it was the end," said Park) and a wild tangent about Sackhoff's brother biting the head off a crab that attacked him ("Do you think that crab was like, 'What the f---! Normally I go in the pot first!' "), we revisit the inevitable question: Why does political and religious commentary like Battlestar's have to be cloaked in a shield of sci-fi?

"It allows people a sense of comfort, to be talking about heavy issues but in the back of their minds to be able to dismiss their emotion toward the issue as science fiction," said Sackhoff.

"Everyone talks about it, but not addressing it directly," said Park. "And being able to do it in green flight suits and jetting off into space and FTL drives makes it that much easier.

"If someone gets their back up too much, someone else says, 'Look, it's called Battlestar Galactica.' "

It's not all metaphysics and Iraq war pokes, of course. But fans tuning in tomorrow night to discover what's up with Starbuck's miraculous return, find out whether or not the fleet will locate Earth and learn the identity of the final Cylon are going to have to wait awhile.

Sackhoff and Park, who were shooting Episode 14 of 20 at the time of our talk, said even they don't know the answers yet. They will come, though. All in good time.

"I think there's a tremendous freedom in what (the show's creators) want to say, but they know that they need to wrap it up, and they've got a lot of loose ends that need to be tied up," Sackhoff said.

"There's no way that we're going to be disappointed."

The last Cylon? Even the writers might not know

It is this TV season's "Who shot J.R.?" or "Which Simpsons character is gay?" Who is the last, yet-to-be-revealed Cylon in the Battlestar Galactica universe?

Of the 12 models of androids who've infiltrated human society, seven were identified over the first two seasons, and another four in Season 3's shocking finale, including crusty Col. Tigh and goodhearted Chief Tyrol.

But who is the final Cylon? Is it Admiral William Adama? President Laura Roslin? Apollo? Starbuck? Baltar? Some Viper pilot who has only been half-glimpsed in a couple of episodes?

Forget about prying the secret out of series stars Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park, though. They can't even agree with each other about who it is.

"We're already fighting about it," Park said. "She (Sackhoff) thinks she knows, and I think it's not true."

"Oh, I think it's not true, too," Sackhoff countered. "But I know. We all know. You think it's not real, I think it's real but they're going to have to change their minds."

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on a second. Change their minds? About one of the series' biggest surprises?

"I think they're going to have to just pick a person out of thin air when we get to that episode, and make it make sense, or everyone's going to find out," Sackhoff said.

Plugging ears now! Don't want to hear that something so significant to the Galactica story arc could be decided on a whim at a writers meeting!

"It's not that casual, and you want to believe that something so great was contrived, that they meant to do it," Sackhoff said. "But I think that sometimes the things that are so great in life are by accident."

Spinoff of "The Office" highlights new NBC shows

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - NBC will launch a spinoff of its popular workplace comedy "The Office" following the broadcast of the National Football League's Super Bowl championship next February, the network said on Wednesday.

The announcement came as NBC unveiled its upcoming programming lineup, including plans to bring back the acclaimed hospital drama "ER," which launched the career of movie star George Clooney, for a 15th and final season next fall.

Another returning show is the low-rated but critically acclaimed series "Friday Night Lights," a drama centered on football in a small Texas town that will be back next winter.

Among new shows set to debut next season in a prime-time schedule heavy on fantasy and action fare is a remake of the 1980s hit "Knight Rider," a series titled "Merlin" and a modern warrior drama called "Kings," inspired by the themes in David and Goliath.

Other highlights include new dramas "The Philanthropist," about a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth to help people, and "My Worst Enemy," starring Christian Slater as a suburban dad who lives a secret life as a spy.

NBC Entertainment Co-Chairman Ben Silverman, hired last year to help the network recover from a long ratings slump, said we wanted to bring "inspirational, heroic, escapist" drama to the schedule.

"We've watched a lot of dark stuff not work -- and we've learned from that," he said.

NBC, majority-owned by General Electric Co, took the wraps off its programming plans six weeks ahead of the other major broadcast networks, saying it wanted to give advertisers time to plan long-term campaigns and build their marketing around the programs.

In all, the major TV networks will sign about $9 billion worth of advertising deals in the coming weeks, as they unveil their new schedules after a miserable 2007-2008 season. Prime-time ratings are down about 12 percent from a year ago.

NBC UNDER PRESSURE

NBC, struggling since favorites "Friends" and "Frasier" ended their runs four years ago, is facing particularly intense pressure to rebound. It could again finish the season last in the ratings race behind Fox, ABC and CBS, and its poor performance in recent years has given rise to talk that GE may consider selling NBC Universal.

In one notable programming move for next season, NBC said it would air four half-hour editions of the late-night sketch comedy series "Saturday Night Live" in prime time on Thursdays, with plans to schedule at least some of them the same weeks as U.S. presidential debates.

But the long-rumored spinoff of "The Office," the comedy starring Steve Carell as a cluelessly offensive boss at a Pennsylvania paper company, drew the most attention from journalists and advertisers gathered in New York for NBC's "upfront" presentation of its new shows.

In a bid to give the spinoff the widest possible exposure, the new series will premiere back-to-back with an episode of the parent show following NBC's coverage of the Super Bowl, which ranks as the most watched U.S. telecast every year.

However, executives offered no information about the casting or premise of the new series, other than to say it is from the same creative team as the original NBC show.

Indeed, details about all the new shows announced by NBC were extremely sketchy given that the network lacked any promotional trailers or pilots to showcase them.

"We've got so many terrific plans already in place, there was no reason to wait," said Marc Graboff, co-chairman of NBC Entertainment.

Since NBC announced its schedule before competitors, however, there could be changes in coming weeks and months.

"We always obviously have to react to the three-dimensional chess game we're playing," Silverman said. "Clearly, if something happens that requires us to make an adjustment, we'll make that adjustment."

Walt Disney Co's ABC, News Corp's Fox and CBS Corp's CBS will unveil their lineups in May, the traditional month of the upfronts, when negotiations between networks and advertisers hit full stride.

Jimmy Kimmel marks milestone show

LOS ANGELES - Ben Affleck might be history. Jimmy Kimmel is trying for video magic with someone else to mark the 1,000th episode of his late-night talk show Thursday.

"This morning I woke up with Richard Simmons in my bedroom for something we're preparing for the show. I don't want to give too many details, but suffice it to say that Sam Elliot and Richard Simmons were hovering over me," Kimmel told The Associated Press earlier this week.

Whether the taped bit can top Kimmel's video duel with girlfriend Sarah Silverman remains to be seen. Kimmel himself marvels at the online popularity of the comic films, one in which Silverman and Matt Damon sing of their faux hot love affair and the other with Kimmel striking back by claiming a romance with Damon's pal Affleck.

Last time Kimmel checked, he said, 25 million people had viewed the videos online. "I guess this Internet is useful for something other than pornography," he said.

There's a chance Silverman might contribute to the 90-minute "Jimmy Kimmel Live" anniversary special, airing at 11:35 p.m. EDT Thursday on ABC (a half-hour ahead of its usual start time). Eva Longoria Parker and Kid Rock are among the scheduled guests.

"I'm aware there are plans being laid I'm not supposed to know about," Kimmel said. He has mixed feelings about a possible surprise, he said, "but it usually works out OK."

Kimmel recalled his early ambitions for the show.

"When I started, I said I won't stand up and do a monologue, I won't wear a tie. ... Most of that didn't work out," he said, and the show ended up reverting to "tried and true" conventions.

But he prides himself on bringing his own twists to the format, such as showcasing unexpected talent like the parking lot guard who has become a show staple.

"No one is too small to put on TV. If someone makes us all laugh around the office, then they'll make the audience laugh, too," he said.

The late-night scene is facing upheaval in 2009, when NBC has said Jay Leno will turn "Tonight" over to Conan O'Brien. There has been speculation that ABC might make a bid for Leno and fit him into its late-night lineup.

Does Kimmel ponder how that scenario might affect him?

"I try not to worry about it too much," he said. "It seems like every year something like that comes up. I used to obsess about it. ... But five years later, we're still here."

He attributes that to dedication, among other factors.

"We've been on long enough and proven that we can put a pretty good show on. That's pretty rare, when you look around. It takes a combination of things to be a talk show host — one is being a good host and committing your life to that completely."

No one is good enough to do the job just by breezing in, he said, pointing to Chevy Chase's short-lived 1993 talk show as a cautionary tale.

But if Kimmel finds himself hit by fallout from late-night's coming changes, he's ready.

"I'm planning to open a bait and tackle shop," he quipped.

CBS Pilot Lures Elisha Cuthbert Back to TV

Elisha Cuthbert has booked a new TV gig, one that ought to keep her safe from mountain lions, terrorists and nuclear attacks. Whew.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cuthbert has landed the female lead in CBS' one-hour romantic-comedy pilot "Ny-Lon," marking the actress' first potential regular television gig since "24."

Based on a 2004 Channel 4 series, "Ny-Lon" focuses on a New York based record store clerk (Cuthbert) and a London stock broker who meet in London and begin a cross-continental romance (hence the show's title).

Rashida Jones and Stephen Moyer played the leads in the original.

The trade reports that Caterina Scorsone ("1-800-Missing") and Johnny Whitworth ("CSI: Miami") have also landed roles in the CBS pilot as the roommate and ex-boyfriend of Cuthbert's character.

Best known as Kim Bauer from "24," Cuthbert has transitioned into roles in films including "The Girl Next Door" and "Captivity."

In other CBS pilot casting news, Rachel Boston will appear in the network's "Mythological X," about a young woman who learns from a psychic that she's already met and dated the man she's supposed to marry.

Boston ("American Dreams") will play the main character's younger sister, a sassy dancer.

Eick: Bionic Is Dead

David Eick, co-executive producer of NBC's SF series Bionic Woman, confirmed to SCI FI Wire that the network has indeed canceled the show, though the network has not yet officially said as much.

"I just felt that the process was so frustrating, and the conditions under which we were making that show never really came to fruition in such a way that I felt like we could make the show well," Eick said in an interview at SCI FI Channel's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on March 18. "The actress [Michelle Ryan] we found was wonderful. Some of the writing was good."

But, he added: "We just didn't ever bring it all together like we did with Battlestar. At a certain point, when it becomes that frustrating, I think you're better off to say, 'Let's try again another time,' and let it go."

Bionic Woman, a reboot of the 1970s series of the same name, debuted to strong ratings last fall, but its numbers dropped precipitously after that, and behind-the-scenes problems persisted. Cancellation was expected after the network failed to order additional episodes once the writers' strike ended.

Sci Fi keeps fight going with 'Battlestar' prequel

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will live on with "Caprica." At its "upfront" presentation to advertisers Tuesday in New York, the cable channel said that it has green-lighted a two-hour pilot for the prequel, which had been in development for two years.

Sci Fi also has given the go-ahead to "True Believer," a two-hour back-door pilot created by Rosario Dawson and David Atchinson -- who co-wrote the comic book series "Occult Crimes Task Force" -- about a comic book enthusiast who hires a former superhero to teach him about crime-fighting. It joins "The Stranded," a two-hour pilot of a Sci Fi/Virgin Comics joint venture.

The network also plans an "Alice in Wonderland"-based six-hour miniseries titled "Alice." A two-hour comedy-drama pilot, "Deputized," follows a man who fights crime around the galaxy after getting super powers.

"Caprica," which is set 50 years before the events in the departing "Battlestar," will begin production in the spring. It hails from the "Battlestar" masterminds Ronald D. Moore and David Eick.

As for "Battlestar," the series' final-season premiere will debut online nine hours before it airs on TV.

Sci Fi's reality slate includes "Estate of Panic," a series about seven people who compete to find millions of dollars at an estate, and "Brain Trust," in which geniuses bands together to solve problems. The channel also announced new seasons of "Scare Tactics," now hosted by "30 Rock's" Tracy Morgan; "Mind Control With Derren Brown"; and "Ghost Hunters International." And a May 18 special by NBC News correspondent Lester Holt will feature "Mystery of the Crystal Skulls," about the real-life search for what the objects at the center of the latest "Indiana Jones" movie.

The channel also will expand its digital offerings with a game site launching in mid-April as well as "Battlestar" webisodes and a social game based on the show. An original Web series, "Starcrossed," is planned to debut in the fourth quarter.

Robin Williams set for `Law & Order'

LOS ANGELES - Robin Williams will guest star on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," but don't expect him to bring laughs to the NBC crime drama.

Williams is playing an "engineer whose life has gone terribly wrong" and who faces serious repercussions, series spokeswoman Pam Golum said Tuesday. The episode, which films later this month, is scheduled to air April 29.

After his breakthrough role on the 1980s sitcom "Mork & Mindy," Williams' career has mostly centered on a mix of movies, including "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Dead Poets Society" and "Patch Adams." He won an Academy Award for 1997's "Good Will Hunting."

The "Special Victims Unit" episode with Williams, titled "Authority," is the show's 200th, Golum said.

"Big Brother" feels summer love

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Big Brother" is going back-to-back.

CBS is gearing up for a summer edition of its voyeuristic reality series to follow the winter run that's still on the air.

The network has aired "Brother" the past three summers. Once the Hollywood writers strike kicked in last November, CBS opted for the show's first in-season edition, which premiered in February.

Although a summer season of "Brother" always has been likely, the prospect of the series' first back-to-back run has been tempered by the current edition's modest ratings.

Season-to-date, the winter run has averaged just 6.6 million viewers, according to a Nielsen Media Research, despite some video outtakes of lurid bedroom (and bathroom) coupling that have made entertainment blog headlines.

Given the numbers, it was unclear whether CBS might opt to give the show a breather before bringing it back. But some "Brother" episodes have gone up against Fox's "American Idol," which offsets the larger audience benefits of airing in-season. And fans contend that the sun-drenched summer atmosphere is ideal for the show.

CBS has not announced a premiere date for the summer edition.

Reality fans also could face another unprecedented back-to-back series run because of the strike: With Fox's "Hell's Kitchen" to premiere in-season for the first time next month, the show also might have its regular summer version. The network has a second run on tap, having ordered two editions shot during the show's recent production cycle.

Mariah fills in for sick Janet on `SNL'

NEW YORK - "Saturday Night Live" has replaced a flu-ridden Janet Jackson with another diva: Mariah Carey.

Carey, 37, will fill in for Jackson on the March 15 "SNL" telecast, NBC announced Wednesday.

Jackson, 41, was scheduled to perform live Saturday night in support of her latest album, "Discipline," which was released last month. The singer's publicist, Patti Webster, said Tuesday she dropped out because she has the flu and "needs some time to get better."

Carey's latest album, EMC2, arrives April 15.

"Cleveland" on map as "Family Guy" spin-off

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Family Guy's" henpecked husband Cleveland Brown might be getting his own show.

The Fox network and the show's producer, 20th Century Fox TV, are developing a spin-off from their hit animated series centered on Peter Griffin's bathtub-accident-prone neighbor, sources said.

The project, tentatively titled "Cleveland," is being written by "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane, Mike Henry -- a writer/producer who voices Cleveland -- and Rich Appel, an executive producer on MacFarlane's other Fox cartoon, "American Dad."

Cleveland, who plays off black stereotypes, is the most levelheaded among Griffin's trio of friends. He's also pushed around by his wife.

Once canceled by Fox, "Family Guy" triumphantly returned on the network in 2005. It is Fox's top-rated comedy and has grown into a $1 billion franchise with red-hot DVD and merchandise sales.

Fox executives have made it a priority to find another hit animated comedy to complement their Sunday comedy lineup. They have several cartoons in the works, including an animated version of the 2003 short-lived live-action comedy "The Pitts." In addition to "Cleveland," Fox is also developing a spin-off of the drama series "Prison Break," set at a female prison.

...here are the best Oscar alternatives on TV

When someone says "Juno," do you say, "Awards"?

When someone says "3:10 to Yuma," do you say, "Air Canada totally has screwed up my itinerary?"

When someone says "No Country For Old Men," do you say, "Are the Rolling Stones touring again?"

When someone says "There Will Be Blood," do you say, "Yeah, I'm really looking forward to the next federal election"?

And when someone says "Ratatouille," do you say, "There's no way I'm eating that goulash"?

If any of those examples rings a bell, then maybe the Academy Awards, which will be televised tonight on CTV and ABC, aren't for you.

Luckily, there always are TV alternatives. Among them:

Intruders: Aliens Speak Out (Space)

In some previous years, you could categorize the Oscar acceptance speeches this way, couldn't you? Anyway, this Canadian-produced documentary digs into the phenomenon of so-called alien abductions by featuring the stories of five alleged abductees. If this all sounds quite reasonable to you, then hey, tear yourself away from your $11,000 worth of video games and enjoy!

On Screen (Bravo)

The presentation tonight looks at the movie Kissed, which is Lynne Stopkewich's 1996 film about necrophilia. Hey, we said there were alternatives. We didn't say they'd all be suitable for the whole family.

The Godfather Part II (AMC)

OK, this movie officially has replaced The Blues Brothers as the most frequently seen movie on TV. Rarely while clicking around does one come across the original version of The Godfather, nor do we encounter the largely dreadful Godfather III. It's always Part II. Sheesh, if we knew anyone named Fredo, we'd take him fishing, if you know what we mean.

Big Brother: 'Til Death Do You Part (Global, CBS)

The nomination ceremony and food competition take place. Hmmm, hopefully no one is serving ratatouille.

Cheerleader Nation (CMT)

America's bizarre and borderline creepy fascination with cheerleading continues as tryouts start for the Dunbar High School Varsity and Junior Varsity squads. "Gimme a C. Gimme an R. Gimme an A. Gimme a P. What's that spell?"

Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work (CBC)

The third and final instalment of this documentary series sees the Queen's children discussing the lifetime jobs into which they were born. Wait a minute, the Queen's kids have jobs? We've never seen any of those positions posted on Workopolis.

Hannah Montana (Family)

Okay, this whole Miley Cyrus craze caught us totally off guard. Of course, when we look in the mirror, we don't see a 9-year-old girl, either. Anyway, with an episode called "She's a Super Sneak" (Rick James is rolling in his grave), here's a chance to investigate what all the fuss is about. By the way, Miley Cyrus will be one of Barbara Walters' victims tonight on her annual Oscar "Let's see who I can make cry" interrogation special on CTV and ABC, along with Vanessa Williams, Harrison Ford and Canuck Ellen Page.

Trailer Park Boys (Showcase)

Two words: Bubbles wrestles.

Cast changes in store for 'Law & Order'

LOS ANGELES - Jesse L. Martin is putting down his "Law & Order" detective's shield, and Anthony Anderson is in negotiations to pick it up.

Martin, who has been with the NBC drama since fall 1999, will film an episode to air this spring explaining the departure of his character, New York police Detective Ed Green, a person familiar with the show said Wednesday.

Anderson is concluding negotiations to join the cast as a new partner for Detective Cyrus Lupo, played by Jeremy Sisto, said the person, who wasn't authorized to announce the change and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Martin is set to play Marvin Gaye in "Sexual Healing," a movie biography of the ill-fated singer, with James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos") costarring. Filming on the project from Gandolfini's production company is to begin this spring, according to trade paper reports.

Anderson recently starred in the Fox TV series "K-Ville." His other credits include FX's "The Shield" and the films "The Departed" and "Transformers."

Martin once took a break from "Law & Order" to star in the 2005 film version of "Rent," the Broadway version of which he appeared in.

Jenna Fischer back at the 'Office'

LOS ANGELES -- Cue the water-cooler chatter.

It turns out fans of The Office may have doubly good reason to rejoice when the Emmy-winning comedy returns in April, says Jenna Fischer.

The actress, better known as girl-next-door and office receptionist Pam, tells Sun Media the drones of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company were working on a series-best installment when the work stoppage by Hollywood's scribes mothballed production.

"The episode we were shooting when we got shut down is maybe the funniest episode I've ever read. It's a plotline the writers have been talking about for two years and it planted all the seeds that would pay off for the rest of the season ... It's a great, great episode where (Steve Carell's Michael Scott) throws a dinner party."

Fischer made the remarks during a recent mid-strike interview.

The Office had completed 12 of 28 episodes before film and TV scribes swapped their pens for pickets last November. The first post-strike The Office will air April 10, along with fellow NBC Thursday-night series 30 Rock, Scrubs and ER. My Name is Earl returns to the peacock network a week earlier with its first post-strike episode set for April 3.

Yet even as Hollywood continues to deal with the fallout from the work stoppage, attention has turned to the potential walkout by the Screen Actors Guild this summer.

Last week, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro took out an ad in Variety urging union bosses to begin contract negotiations immediately and avoid another industry-crippling labour action in June.

Still, Fischer says the issue the writers battled over -- namely residual payments from new media revenue streams -- is just as critical to actors.

"Most people in SAG, they live mainly on their residuals. I think of myself and I'm doing very well right now and you can feel very financially secure because I have work and I have a job and I try not to get too doomsday about it, but I think about shows that were really popular 15 years ago -- and what are those actors doing these days? You can be hot one minute and not the next and in 15 or 20 years I might really need those residual cheques to get by."

In the meantime, the U.S. broadcast networks continue to set post-strike return dates.

On March 17, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men will be back. Also announced by CBS: Cold Case (March 30); CSI and Without a Trace (April 3); Ghost Whisperer (April 4).

ABC and the producers of Lost have announced their current run of new episodes will end March 13 with the seventh episode of the fourth season.

The show will then go off the air for six weeks and return April 24 with the eighth episode that was shot pre-strike to be followed by five post-strike episodes.

As well on May 1, Lost moves back one hour on Thursdays to make room for the return of Grey's Anatomy (for five post-strike episodes).

Over at The CW, executives have also finalized their post-strike schedule. Everybody Loves Chris returns March 2 with new episodes that were filmed before the strike. Other notable dates on the fledging youth-centric network: Gossip Girl (April 21, for nine new episodes); One Tree Hill (April 22, for six new episodes); Reaper (April 22, for five more episodes), Smallville (April 17, for five more episodes) and Supernatural (April 24, for four more episodes).

Also, it has been confirmed by NBC that Heroes and Chuck won't re-appear until the fall, while 24 isn't back on the clock for the Fox network until January.

Matlin on `Dancing With the Stars'

LOS ANGELES - Priscilla Presley, Kristi Yamaguchi and Marlee Matlin are catching dance fever.

They are among the dozen celebrities who will compete on the next season of "Dancing With the Stars," ABC announced Monday night.

The other contestants are Adam Carolla, Shannon Elizabeth, Steve Guttenberg, Monica Seles, Penn Jillette, Mario, Jason Taylor, Cristian De La Fuente and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

"Dancing" returns March 17.

'24' fans must wait until Jan. 2009

NEW YORK - Fans of the Fox drama "24" will have to wait until next January to see Jack Bauer again, this television season's most prominent casualty of the Hollywood writers strike. The network has committed to air a full season on consecutive weeks, and had been planning to start last month.

But if it had started airing new episodes soon, the season finale would not have taken place until the summer, when TV networks rarely show their high-profile programs.

Even though eight episodes for this season had already been filmed before the beginning of the writers strike, producers would have had to ramp up production soon to complete the season.

A January 2009 start seemed the best way to comply with viewers' wishes that a season's episodes run without interruption to conclusion, Fox said on Thursday.

The company that produces the series, 20th Century Fox Television, also confirmed that creator Joel Surnow was leaving as one of the executive producers. Fox is owned by News Corp.

Surnow told Daily Variety that he had "decided it was time to see if there were other opportunities I wanted to pursue."

Surnow leaves '24'

"24" co-creator/executive producer Joel Surnow is leaving the Emmy-winning Fox drama.

Surnow's departure is effective immediately. He served as an executive producer on the first eight episodes of the real-time thriller's seventh season that were produced before and into the strike but will not be creatively involved in the remaining 16 episodes, slated to begin filming shortly.

Surnow's overall deal with "24" producer 20th Century Fox TV was up April 30. This week, the writer-producer asked the studio to release him early, and it agreed.

Instead of signing a show deal to continue providing services on "24," Surnow decided to go for "a clean break" and leave altogether to focus on new projects. ("24" co-creator/executive producer Robert Cochran's overall pact with 20th TV also expired last year, but he continues to work on the series.)

Surnow began contemplating an exit from "24" in the summer, when the show was starting production on Season 7, but made the final decision during the strike.

"I did some soul-searching," Surnow said. "I took it as an opportunity to write on my own and do other things."

Surnow said he is not sure what exactly he will do next, but one thing is certain: "24" will be a tough act to follow.

"After doing '24,' I don't know if I want to do a mainstream show again," he said. "I like what's going on in cable; there is an opportunity to stretch dramatically there, which is something I'm trying to do."

As for his departure, Surnow said it was hard to leave the show that had been "a life- and career-changing experience" but knowing that "24" was in "the capable hands of Howard Gordon" made it easier. Gordon has run "24" since Season 6.

'Saturday Night Live' to return Feb. 23

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC's Saturday Night Live, the only late-night show completely shelved by the writers' strike, is planning a Feb. 23 return if the writers ratify a contract agreement and head back to work.

No host guests or guests have been announced for the return.

How long has Saturday Night Live been gone? So long that it opened its second-to-last show before the strike with a skit about a Halloween party at presumed president-in-waiting Hillary Clinton's house. The real Barack Obama made a cameo.

"It's been a long dry spell without Saturday Night Live on the air," Rick Ludwin, head of late-night entertainment at NBC, said Tuesday. "They've been sitting on the sidelines watching all this happening in politics and the primaries. SNL thrives during an election year, and they can't wait to get back on."

While the Tonight show and Conan O'Brien's Late Night returned in January without writers and did shows with skeleton crews, SNL is so dependent on its writers that it couldn't return without them.

When Your Favorites Will Return!

At long last, a strike chart you can get excited about!

With an end to the three-month-old WGA strike imminent (yay!), the networks have quietly begun outlining plans to salvage what's left of the current TV season. At the same time, I've been quietly picking at my moles to get a preview of those plans — the results of which appear in chart form below.

Keep in mind that the following information remains extremely tentative and is subject to change (and probably will). In other words, I strongly suggest you refresh your browser at least once an hour to ensure that you're getting the most up-to-date scoop possible.

24
Expected to return this fall or January '09.

30 Rock
Expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.

Back to You
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Future TBD*.

The Big Bang Theory
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Big Love
Expected to go into production on Season 3 in March. Airdate info is TBD.

Big Shots
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Bionic Woman
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Bones
Four pre-strike episodes left. Unclear whether additional episodes will be produced for this season.

Boston Legal
Expected to shoot 4 or 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Brothers & Sisters
One pre-strike episode remains. Expected to shoot 4 or 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Burn Notice
Production on Season 2 expected to get underway in late April. New episodes could start airing as early as July.

Chuck
No new episodes until fall.

The Closer
Expected to kick off its fourth season this summer.

Cold Case
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Criminal Minds
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI: Miami
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

CSI: NY
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Desperate Housewives
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Dirty Sexy Money
No new episodes planned until fall; three remaining pre-strike episodes will undergo some tweaking and kick off fall run.

ER
TBD.

Everybody Hates Chris
Twelve pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.

Friday Night Lights
No new episodes expected for this season. Future TBD.

Ghost Whisperer
TBD.

Gossip Girl
Expected to shoot up to 9 new episodes to air in April/May/June.

Greek
Kicks off second half of Season 1 on March 24. Still awaiting Season 2 pickup.

Grey's Anatomy
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May

Heroes
TBD.

House
Expected to shoot 4 to 6 new episodes to air in April/May.

How I Met Your Mother
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Jericho
Seven episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.

Journeyman
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Las Vegas
Two pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.

Law & Order
TBD.

Law & Order: CI
TBD.

Law & Order: SVU
Production resumes in early March. Remains unclear whether episodes produced will be for this season or next.

Life
No new episodes expected until fall.

Life Is Wild
No new episodes expected. Ever.

Lost
Six pre-strike episodes remain. Six additional episodes could air this season.

Medium
Six pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected this season.

Men in Trees
Eleven pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected this season.

Moonlight
No new episodes expected until fall.

My Name Is Earl
Expected to shoot 8 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.

NCIS
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes, only three of which may air this season.

The New Adventures of Old Christine
Seven pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected this season.

Nip/Tuck
Season 5 concludes Feb. 19. Production on the show's eight-episode sixth season expected to start up this summer. Airdate TBD.

Numbers
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes, only three of which may air this season.

October Road
Five pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

The Office
Expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.

One Tree Hill
Six pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Prison Break
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Private Practice
Slim chance it could return with 4 or 5 new episodes this season. Either way, it'll be back in the fall.

Pushing Daisies
No new episodes until fall.

Reaper
Three pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Samantha Who?
Three remaining pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot an additional 4 to 8 episodes to air after the new season of Dancing with the Stars.

Saturday Night Live
Could be back on the air as early as Feb. 16.

Scrubs
Four pre-strike episodes remain. Four additional episodes will likely be shot; unclear whether they'll air on NBC or go straight to DVD.

Smallville
Four pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 3 to 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Supernatural
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 3 to 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Five pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Two and a Half Men
Expected to shoot 5 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Ugly Betty
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Without a Trace
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.

Women's Murder Club
Shocking development: A deal to bring the show back this season is being hammered out as I write this. Stay tuned...

* TBD = To be determined

Here Comes Mike Judge to ABC

ABC has picked up an animated series from "King of the Hill" co-creator Mike Judge, even though not a word has been written yet.

The network has ordered 13 episodes of an animated comedy called "The Goode Family" from Judge ("Office Space," "Idiocracy") and fellow "Hill" veterans John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky. The show is being produced by Media Rights Capital, which recently signed an interim deal with the Writers Guild that will allow scripting on the show to begin.

It hasn't yet, however -- ABC bought the show based on a pitch, the showbiz trade papers report. In a normal year, that would be a pretty rare occurrence, but the writers' strike is causing networks to shake up the way they order new product.

"The Goode Family" will tell the story of a family that's obsessed with doing the right thing, politically, socially and otherwise. It being a comedy, their good intentions tend to have unforeseen consequences.

As he does on "King of the Hill," Judge will also provide voices for some of the characters on "The Goode Family."

ABC's recent history with prime-time animation has been spotty, to say the least. The network last tried its hand at the genre with "Clerks," which lasted only a few weeks in the summer of 2000; prior to that, it aired the first season of "The Critic" in 1994-95.

KITT Gets a New Voice: Val Kilmer

NBC is making some last-minute changes under the hood of its "Knight Rider" update, bringing in Val Kilmer as the voice of KITT.

The "Top Gun" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" star is taking over voice-over duties from Will Arnett ("Arrested Development"). Instead of the usual "creative differences," though, Arnett's departure was caused by the fact that he's already the voice of a different kind of vehicle.

In the new "Knight Rider," which NBC is calling a sequel to the 1980s series, KITT is a Ford Mustang. Arnett, however, has done commercial voice-overs for GMC Trucks for several years, and General Motors asked him to withdraw from the project, in which Ford is a marketing partner.

"I was very excited at the prospect of playing the part of KITT in the new 'Knight Rider' movie," Arnett tells Variety. "However, because of a long relationship with General Motors as the voice of GMC Trucks, I had to respectfully withdraw from the project."

Kilmer has done a fair amount of voice-over work in his career. He starred in the 1998 animated movie "The Prince of Egypt" and has lent his pipes to several commercials. His recent on-screen credits include "Comanche Moon," "Alexander" and "Wonderland."

"Knight Rider" is scheduled to air Sunday, Feb. 17 on NBC, and if the movie does well it could become a weekly series.

Meet Your 'Big Brother 9' Cast

For the first-ever winter edition of "Big Brother," CBS has assembled the show's biggest cast ever -- and they're all looking to hook up.

In fact, they'll have no choice but to do so. All 16 players are single, but the wrinkle in the game this season is that when they enter the house, each will be paired with a "soul mate." Whether they end up liking one another or not, their fate in the house will be tied to their partner.

Each pair will also live together as a couple -- which means, per CBS, that they will "sleep in the same bed, hold Head of Household as a couple, be nominated for eviction as a pair, and if the time comes, say their goodbyes together upon eviction."

"Big Brother" has eschewed its more typical mix of ages for this season; all but one of the houseguests is under 30. The only exception is Sheila, a former model and self-professed cougar who's 45.

The crew includes a couple of students, a paparazzo (26-year-old Parker), an electrician and a "bikini barista." What's that? Pretty much what it sounds like -- someone (in this case, 28-year-old Natalie) who serves coffee while wearing a bikini. Finally, there's 21-year-old James, a Floridian who says he's riding his bicycle around the world.

Julie Chen will be back as host of the show, which premieres Tuesday, Feb. 12 and will air Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday nights, with Wednesdays being eviction episodes starting Feb. 20.

Your contestants are:

Name: Adam
Age: 29
Hometown: Delray Beach, Fla. via Cherry Hill, N.J.
Occupation: Public relations manager

Name: Amanda
Age: 23
Hometown: Fridley, Minn.
Occupation: Paralegal

Name: Alex
Age: 24
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
Occupation: DJ company owner

Name: Allison
Age: 28
Hometown: Boston
Occupation: Pharmaceutical sales rep

Name: Chelsia
Age: 21
Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Occupation: College student

Name: Jacob
Age: 23
Hometown: Dallas, Ga.
Occupation: Electrician

Name: James
Age: 21
Hometown: Sarasota, Fla.
Occupation: Riding bicycle around the world

Name: Jen
Age: 26
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Occupation: Bartender

Name: Joshuah
Age: 25
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Occupation: Advertising media buyer

Name: Matt
Age: 23
Hometown: Charleston, Mass.
Occupation: Roofing foreman

Name: Natalie
Age: 28
Hometown: Salem, Ore.
Occupation: Bikini barista

Name: Neil
Age: 29
Hometown: Los Angeles
Occupation: Realtor

Name: Parker
Age: 26
Hometown: Northridge, Calif.
Occupation: Paparazzo

Name: Ryan
Age: 27
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Occupation: College student

Name: Sharon
Age: 23
Hometown: Realtor
Occupation: Olathe, Kan.

Name: Sheila
Age: 45
Hometown: Reseda, Calif., via Memphis, Tenn.
Occupation: Former model

Television gearing up for post-strike return

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - With a deal taking shape to end a three-month walkout by Hollywood writers, the strike-hobbled television industry is scrambling to get back on its feet and salvage what remains of the broadcast season.

Churning out fresh episodes of hit dramas and comedies after a lengthy production shutdown is more complicated than simply hitting the "power-on" button of a remote control.

Industry executives say it will likely take eight weeks to restore favorite shows like "House," "CSI," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Desperate Housewives" to prime time once the strike ends.

Even if the labor dispute were settled by next week, as some have anticipated, viewers would be unlikely to see original episodes of returning hourlong dramas before early April. The same is true for single-camera comedies such as "The Office" or "Scrubs," which like dramas, are shot more like a film and without live audiences.

Multi-camera sitcoms like "Two and a Half Men" and "Back to You" take less time to make -- three to four weeks from start to finish -- and could be on the air before mid-March.

The film industry, which operates on a production cycle of months or years, has seen a handful of pro