Channel Surfing: NBC Detects US "Prime Suspect," Kristin Kreuk Flies to "Chuck," Katherine Heigl Takes Break from "Grey's," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

NBC is developing a US version of British crime drama series Prime Suspect, which starred Helen Mirren as the dogged and damaged Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison. The US version, which will be developed and written by Without a Trace's Hank Steinberg, will be shot as a two-hour presentation and is the first effort of a multi-year deal between NBC and ITV Studios, the production arm of British terrestrial network ITV. "We want to carefully choose a couple of iconic titles this year to reinvent, and our intention is to create another classic television show from this brilliant original format," said NBC Primetime Entertainment president Angela Bromstad. "Hank Steinberg was key in helping us secure this project, and we are incredibly excited about this modern vision for the show." (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that former Smallville star Kristin Kreuk has been cast in a recurring role on NBC's Chuck, where she will appear in multiple episodes as Hannah, a new potential love interest for Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) whom he meets on a plane to Paris and who ends up working at the Buy More after she's laid off from her job in publishing. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

SPOILER ALERT! Katherine Heigl is taking a five-episode leave of absence from ABC drama series Grey's Anatomy in order to shoot a new feature film role opposite Josh Duhamel in Life as We Know It. E! Online's Watch with Kristin, meanwhile, was able to learn just how producers would write Izzie Stevens out of the show to explain Heigl's absence. According to information gleaned from unnamed insiders, Jennifer Godwin is reporting that the major plotline this season on Grey's is the merger between Seattle Grace and rival hospital Mercy West. "Yep, Seattle Grace is about to double in size, bringing in a slate of new doctors and paving the way for major shake-ups in the season to come," writes Godwin. "What does this mega medical merger mean for our favorites? Well, Dr. Izzie Stevens is getting fired." The introduction of several new characters--played by Robert Baker, Jesse Williams, and Nora Zehetner, will allow Heigl to take a break from the series and will also act as a smokescreen for Ellen Pompeo's maternity leave. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin, Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has ordered thirteen episodes of procedural cop dramedy Jack & Dan from writer/executive producer Matt Nix (Burn Notice) and Fox Television Studios using the the low-cost production model the studio has established with Mental and Persons Unknown. However, this time round the studio has teamed with a US broadcaster first before taking the project internationally. Project, written by Nix and executive produced by Nix and Mikkel Bondesen, is about a procedure-minded cop who is teamed with "a drunken, lecherous, wild-card cop who hangs onto his job only because of a heroic act years before." Burn Notice fans, however, shouldn't be worried about Nix leaving the USA series: Burn will continue to be his priority and production on the series will be staggered in order to accommodate his schedule. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere at FOX, the network is also developing an untitled ensemble medical drama in Kuwait with Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah (Freaks and Geeks, 90210) and 20th Century Fox Television, a drama entitled Daylight Robbery about a group of women on a crime spree from writer/executive producer Karen Usher (Prison Break) and 20th Century Fox Television, and an untitled actioner from writer/executive producer Michael Duggan (Millennium) and Sony Pictures Television about a government agent and his older handler. (The Wrap's TV MoJoe)

HBO has given a pilot order to single-camera comedy Enlightened, starring Laura Dern as a "self-destructive woman who has a spiritual awakening and becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work." The pilot, written by Mike White, will shoot in December. (Hollywood Reporter)

Mehcad Brooks (True Blood) has been cast as a series regular on ABC's midseason legal dramedy series The Deep End, where he will play Malcolm Bennet, an associate at the high-powered Los Angeles legal firm which the series revolves around. (Hollywood Reporter)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has a fantastic interview with Diablo Cody and Jill Soloway about Season Two of Showtime comedy The United States of Tara, set to return early next year. Soloway has assumed the mantle of showrunner following the departure of Alexa Junge as head writer. "The show was getting a little bit too dark in terms of delving into her past and what happened” to Tara to cause her dissociative identity disorder, said Showtime president Robert Greenblatt. "While we ultimately want to unpeel the onion and reveal what she went through, we had to rethink how we were doing that. It’s a comedy at the end of the day. It’s not a one-hour, serious drama about this affliction." So what can fans expect? For one, Cody said that they intend to "open up the series and take it out of the house a little bit and show all these different facets of Tara’s life and her alters’ lives." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

CBS has ordered a script for an untitled multi-camera comedy project co-created by and starring Bret Harrison (Reaper) about two district attorneys, one of whom is in his twenties (to be played by Harrison) and the other in his forties, and the woman who comes between them. Project, which will be written by Robert Borden, will be produced by Universal Media Studios, Stuber Prods., and executive producer Scott Stuber. (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV has ordered eight episodes of Teen Mom, a spinoff of the cabler's 16 and Pregnant that will catch up with four of the teenagers featured on 16 and Pregnant and see how they are coping with their first year of motherhood. No premiere date has been set. (Variety)

Rick Fox (Dirt) has been cast in a recurring role on the CW's Melrose Place, where he will play the owner of the restaurant where many of the aspiring actor characters work. (Hollywood Reporter)

Hallmark has promoted Susanne Smith to SVP of marketing for both the Hallmark Channel and the Hallmark Movie Channel. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

The Shape of Things to Come: An Advance Review of the Season Two Premiere of FOX's "Fringe"

FOX's science-driven procedural thriller Fringe started off with a bang in its first season but then found itself bogged down in self-contained episodes while keeping the overarching plot treading water more than a little bit. That changed with the last few episodes of Season One, which ratcheted up the tension, suspense, and action into overdrive while also shifting its trio of leading characters into the forefront of the story.

And then there was Bell. The first season finale offered a stunning cliffhanger in which Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) finally came face to face with the elusive and enigmatic William Bell (guest star Leonard Nimoy), the former partner of mad scientist Walter Bishop (John Noble) and the founder of the multi-national corporation Massive Dynamic. That this meeting should occur in Bell's office in the still-standing World Trade Center in a parallel universe was just the icing on the cake, really.

It not only offered the producers a stunning visual but also significantly altered the fabric of the series itself, giving the writers a vast new panoply of canvases to work with and enabling them to build out the series in new and unexpected ways.

I had the opportunity the other day to watch the fantastic and gripping Season Two premiere of Fringe ("A New Day in the Old Town") which presents an intriguing new direction for the series and forces its leads to take a much more proactive role in the action.

While I won't say much about the episode's many plot twists and turns (and there are some particularly stunning ones along with a major one that I called ahead of time), I will say that the opening sequence of the season premiere might just be one of the very best--if not the best--openings in Fringe's short history. There's a shocking moment where the viewer is not only reminded of how utterly creepy and terrifying Fringe can be but also that with these first few minutes, we're being drawn back into this shadowy world where anything and everything is possible.

That action involves Olivia Dunham and what follows was shocking, exciting, and a little bit terrifying. It also draws in our other major characters, namely the Bishops: as Walter and Peter (Joshua Jackson) are called in to investigate a strange anomaly (as if there's any other kind) and wind up crossing paths with the preternaturally curious junior FBI Agent Jessup (90210's Megan Markle), clearly intended to be the replacement liaison between Fringe Division and the FBI for Kirk Acevedo's Charlie Francis. (Rest assured, however: Acevedo appears in the season opener and plays a vital role in the plot.)

While I'm not quite sold on Markle's character just yet (she seems, in this initial outing anyway, rather flat and lacking in charisma), she serves to not only shake things up with the members of the Fringe Division but also pose some questions that newer viewers might have about what's going on or refresh those faithful followers whose memories of Season One events are a bit wonky. (For those viewers who do however remember quite clearly what Fringe Division does and who these characters are, these scenes feel a little too on the nose in terms of blatant exposition.)

Viewers wondering what exactly happened in that other world between Olivia and William Bell are going to have to wait a little while to learn the truth as we're not privy to what played out between the characters and the producers have wisely (and rather coyly) managed to keep the scene between them a mystery to be solved another day. Suffice it to say, however, that something of major import went down between Olivia and Bell and that conversation will be a huge throughline for Season Two.

Peter, meanwhile, had been criticized by many (including this critic) of being way too reactive and tangential to the overarching plot in the first season. Viewers will be pleasantly surprised to see the younger Bishop take an authoritative and proactive role in this first episode, cleverly shifting the role that the Fringe Division plays in investigating the Pattern and coming to the assistance of none other than Broyles (Lance Reddick) himself. I won't say just what sort of trouble Broyles is in other than that it affects the existence of the team itself and that it will take Peter's ingenuity and craftiness to extricate Broyles from one hell of a mess. (And keep an eye out for a very interesting plot twist involving Broyles.)

Additionally, the writers are tightening the focus as it were on the interpersonal dynamics between the members of the Fringe Division and pointing a spotlight onto their pasts. The storyline introduced in Season One about Peter Bishop not being the Peter of his universe remains front and center and is most definitely on Walter's mind as he makes a cake and custard for Peter's birthday. Just how this will play out remains to be seen but there's a tantalizing poignancy to these mini-revelations, which play out in Walter's mind without Peter's knowledge.

Sadly, Astrid (Jasika Nicole) still seems to have little to do and I'm praying that this changes as the season goes on. Once again, she's reduced to little more than brainy lab help and unofficial nursemaid for Walter Bishop and I'm hoping that the writers develop her character and give her some much needed fleshing-out, something I've called for since the pilot episode.

All in all, the Season Two premiere of Fringe offers a hypnotic journey back to the trippy, mind-bending world of the Fringe Division while also deftly altering the pattern of this intriguing and suspenseful series in unexpected and gratifying ways. I can't wait to see just what happens next.

Season Two of Fringe kicks off on Thursday, September 17th at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Hello Starshine: Megan Mullally Lands "Party Down" Role

Pay cabler Starz has announced that former Will & Grace star Megan Mullally has joined the cast of its comedy series Party Down as a series regular.

The network, which also boasts such series as Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Crash, and Head Case, made the announcement via the Facebook page for Party Down.

Mullally, who toplined ABC's short-lived comedy series In the Motherhood with Cheryl Hines and guest starred on NBC's 30 Rock last season, will play Lydia Dunfree, who is described by Staz as "a middle-aged refugee from a lousy marriage who leaves small town life to move to Hollywood where her 13-year-old daughter Escapade hopes to make it as an actress. While the younger endures the audition process, her naïve and eternally optimistic mother Lydia feels honored just to be among the show business 'pros.'"

"Simply stated, we're thrilled," executive producer John Enbom told me via email earlier today about Mullally's casting on the series. "We've very excited now to start shooting."

Party Down, created by Rob Thomas, Enbom, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd, is expected to return to the Starz schedule in April of next year.

UPDATE: Starz has now officially announced the casting via press release, which can be found below.

MEGAN MULLALLY SET TO ‘PARTY DOWN’
Multi-Emmy® Winner Joins Cast of Starz’ Critically Acclaimed Original Comedy, Returning for its Second Season in Spring 2010

Burbank, CA. – September 2, 2009 – Starz keeps the “Party” hopping and the laughs flowing with the addition of one of television and film’s most beloved comediennes, Megan Mullally, to the cast of the crowd-pleasing original comedy series, “Party Down,” Starz Media EVP Originals Productions and Development Bill Hamm announced today. Production on the second season begins in mid-September in Los Angeles. The half-hour comedy about a Los Angeles catering team – Hollywood wannabes stuck working for tips while hoping for their big break -- is tentatively scheduled to return to the air on Starz in April of 2010.

Mullally (“Will & Grace,” Fame) will play Lydia Dunfree, a middle-aged refugee from a lousy marriage who leaves small town life to move to Hollywood where her 13-year-old daughter Escapade hopes to make it as an actress. While the younger endures the audition process, her naïve and eternally optimistic mother Lydia feels honored just to be among the show business “pros” of the Party Down catering company. Her search for Mr. Right only complicates matters for Lydia, but ups the laughs on the show.

She joins a talented ensemble of actors on the comedy, labeled “a must-see” by USA Today and called “straight-up funny” by Entertainment Weekly. As the first season ended, Ron Donald (Ken Marino), the aggressively dysfunctional former leader of the Party Down Catering company, was headed off to manage a Soup N’ Crackers franchise; leaving one-time actor Henry Pollard (Adam Scott) to fill the void as leader; Roman DeBeers (Martin Starr) a self-proclaimed Sci Fi visionary, was still trying to get his screenplay noticed – by anyone; while actor, musician and all round cute guy Kyle Bradway (Ryan Hansen) landed a role in an upcoming action film; and Henry’s flame Casey (Lizzy Caplan) left him at the catered altar to do a few months of stand-up on a cruise ship.

Also returning for the second season are the show’s creators and executive producers: Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars,” “Cupid”) along with John Enbom, Paul Rudd and Dan Etheridge. Starz Media, the production and distribution sibling of the Starz premium entertainment channels, is producer of the series.

“I’m so excited to be joining ‘Party Down,’ one of my favorite TV shows,” Mullally said. “I’m a big fan of the series and really thrilled to have an opportunity to work with such a terrific cast and talented group of writers.”

“Megan is quite simply one of the most talented actresses in the entertainment business today,” Hamm said. “Her impeccable comic timing and multi-faceted acting skills make her a great fit for the show, and we can’t wait to see how she interacts with the show’s terrific cast.”

Mullally won two Emmys® for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and was nominated for another five, for her breakout role on the hit comedy series “Will & Grace.” The role also earned her four Golden Globe nominations, four Screen Actors Guild Awards (and an additional three nominations), and more kudos. Other notable TV credits include “The Ellen Burstyn Show,” the TV movie “Winchell” and her daytime talk show “The Megan Mullally Show.” She has a key part in the upcoming feature film Fame, and performs a song on the feature’s soundtrack.

Equally accomplished as an actress and singer, Mullally made her Broadway debut in the 1994 revival of “Grease” and earned rave reviews starring as Rosemary opposite Matthew Broderick in the hit revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Most recently, she drew critical raves for her role in “The Receptionist” at Los Angeles’ Odyssey Theater.

Mint Meltdown: Battles Aplenty on This Week's "Flipping Out"

It was only a matter of time before Jeff Lewis broke down yet another assistant. I just didn't think it would be quite so soon.

On this week's episode of Bravo's hysterically addictive reality series Flipping Out ("Never Trust a Contractor"), Jeff learned once again that it never pays to mix business with pleasure. Or in his case that he can't continue to keep hiring his friends to work for him because it never, ever, ever ends well.

Thus was the case once again with Jeff's latest assistant, the flighty and disorganized Rachel, a friend of Jeff's hired for three days a week in order to accommodate Jenni's schedule. But the calculated demands of Jeff Lewis, constant tardiness, and a lack of mints in Jeff's car soon spelled doom for Rachel.

While I knew from the very first seconds of the season premiere that Rachel wouldn't be long for Jeff Lewis' office, I expected to see her make it through more than three episodes this season. But her tenure in the office--marked as it was by a dearth of brown salsa, some uneven wine glasses, and the twice-in-row lateness--only lasted a matter of mere weeks in the real world.

Now Jeff is the first to admit that he's a demanding boss; he's hyper-attentive to details, a self-confessed OCD sufferer, and he gives new meaning to the word particular. But Rachel, as a friend of Jeff's, knew that going into the job. She should also have known that Jeff doesn't like it when you make excuses or argue with his edicts. Or complain and try to paint yourself as a victim of his tyrannical rule. After all, it's his way or the highway and he was kind enough to give Rachel a job in the first place.

I do have to side with Jeff on the matter of Rachel's tardiness. She overslept one day and came in late. I get that sometimes things happen beyond your control; I'd have bought her an alarm clock but that's just me. But to then come in and spend twenty or so minutes doing your makeup instead of reporting for duty when you're already late is just insanity, especially in this office. But to compound matters, Rachel was then late again the very next day.

Of course Jeff is going to freak out. Of course he's going to razz you about it all day and keep harping on it until the cows come home (or the deer, one supposes) because that's his nature. Half of it is in jest and the other half is deadly serious; he's putting you in your place so you don't do it again.

Now, it was perfectly clear that Rachel was seriously unhappy at Jeff Lewis' office. That was clear right off the bat and crystallized even more as these episodes wore on. The lateness, the sluggishness, the spaciness (to wit: that check-writing incident), and the lack of care in her personal appearance all signified that she had checked out already.

And sure enough, she had. Beside for the crying jag, Rachel then pulled off the basest of betrayals in Jeff's eyes: she left him hanging by giving her notice fifteen minutes before the end of the work day on a Friday, telling him that she wouldn't be coming back the following week. Now I get that she had a full-time job on the line, but surely she knew about this gig before the end of the day, no? Suspicious...

While it's definitely time for Rachel to go (and if either of them wanted to salvage their friendship, she HAD to go), I'm curious to see just who Jeff ends up hiring next, especially as formerly clown-haired house assistant Jet has been a nonentity so far this season.

What did you think of this week's episode? Would Jeff have fired Rachel if she hadn't quit first? And whose side were you on? Discuss.

Next week on Flipping Out ("Bad Mojo"), it's not a good day at Jeff Lewis' office as one of Jeff's employees commits the ultimate act of betrayal, leading Jeff to bring in a feng shui expert to help calm the chaos.

Flipping Out Preview: Professionalism Out the Window



Flipping Out Preview: Mercedes Held Hostage

Channel Surfing: Lena Headey Crowned for "Thrones," HBO Goes to the Mattresses for "Boardwalk Empire," Pam Gets New Mom on "Office," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan is reporting that former Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Lena Headey has signed on to star in HBO's fantasy drama pilot Game of Thrones, based on the novel series by George R.R. Martin. Headey, who toplined the now-canceled Terminator, would play Cersei Lannister, described by Ryan as "a woman of royal blood who is every bit as smart, cunning and devious as the powerful men around her." She joins a cast for the pilot (directed by The Visitor's Tom McCarthy) that includes Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Mark Addy, Jennifer Ehle, and a slew of others. Headey's character is the sister of Jamie Lannister (Coster-Waldau) and the wife of King Robert (Addy). (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Elsewhere at HBO, the pay cabler has given a series order to period drama Boardwalk Empire from executive producers Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter (who also created the series). Twelve episodes (including the pilot) have been ordered and are expected to air late next year, with production starting this fall in New York. Set in the 1920s, the series follows the life of politico/gangster Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) during the growth of Atlantic City. Buscemi will be joined by Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Michael Pitt, Shea Whigham, Dabney Coleman, and Stephen Graham. (Variety)

Linda Purl (Bones) has been cast as the mother of Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) on NBC's The Office, where she will appear next month at Pam and Jim's wedding. Purl replaces Shannon Cochran, who guest starred as Pam's mom in a Season Two episode of The Office. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

AMC has ordered a fourth season of period drama Mad Men. (Televisionary)

ABC has signed two separate talent holding deals with Martin Henderson (Inside the Box) and Leah Remini (The King of Queens). Under the deals, Henderson will star in a drama pilot for the network, with Henderson meeting with writers shortly to discuss potential properties. Remini, who appeared in ABC's comedy pilot Married Not Dead this past development cycle, will appear in a comedy pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Debi Mazar (Entourage) has been cast in a recurring role on ABC's Castle, where she will play Paula Haas, Castle's book agent. Her first appearance is set for October. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

20th Century Fox Television has signed two separate overall deals with Family Guy writers Mark Hentemann and Steve Callaghan. Under the terms of the deals, Hentemann and Callaghan will become executive producers and showrunners on Family Guy (following the decision made by David Goodman and Chris Sheridan to step down as showrunners on the FOX series) and will also develop new projects for the studio. (Variety)

Saturday Night Live will add at least two new female cast members to its roster, hiring The Groundlings' Nasim Pedrad and UCB's Jenny Slate for next season, which kicks off September 26th on NBC. (The Wrap's TV MoJoe)

A. Smith and Co. have acquired the US rights to Japanese game show Pressure Study, in which seven contestants are forced to work together in order to complete seven rounds of questions that will test every facet of their combined knowledge. Series, which will be retitled Under Pressure, is currently being pitched to networks. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Memories of the Golden Smile: AMC Renews "Mad Men" for Fourth Season

Pour yourself a scotch; there's some good news for the gang at Sterling Cooper.

Cabler AMC has announced this morning that it has renewed period drama Mad Men for a fourth season. The series, created by Matthew Weiner, is currently nominated for no less than sixteen Emmy Awards.

The news doesn't come as a surprise as the third season of Mad Men, which launched three weeks ago, scored a record 4.5 million viewers overall, so a fourth season renewal was seen as pretty much a dead cert.

"We always saw the potential for Mad Men, and believed in and supported the series because of our strategy of developing cinematic television that complements our library of the most entertaining movies, from every genre, on television," said AMC president/general manager Charlie Collier in a statement. "It’s been extremely gratifying to see the show develop in to such a pop-cultural phenomenon with such a passionate fan base. With this early fourth season renewal, we’re excited to let our audience know the captivating world of Sterling Cooper will be back on AMC again next year."

The full press release from AMC, announcing the renewal, can be found below.

AMC GREENLIGHTS “MAD MEN”
FOR A FOURTH SEASON

New York, NY – September 1, 2009 – AMC announced today it has renewed “Mad Men” for a fourth season. The news comes on the heels of the premiere of the series’ third season, which debuted Sunday, August 16 to unprecedented critical acclaim and attention, and garnered a record 4.5 million viewers. The series has also recently received 16 Emmy nominations – the most for any drama series – including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama (Jon Hamm), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama (John Slattery), and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama (Elisabeth Moss). Creator, writer and executive producer Matthew Weiner has received four out of the five nominations in the Outstanding Writing for a Drama series category. Lionsgate, the leading next generation studio, produces the series in association with AMC.

“We always saw the potential for ‘Mad Men’, and believed in and supported the series because of our strategy of developing cinematic television that complements our library of the most entertaining movies, from every genre, on television. It’s been extremely gratifying to see the show develop in to such a pop-cultural phenomenon with such a passionate fan base,” said Charlie Collier, president and general manager of AMC. “With this early fourth season renewal, we’re excited to let our audience know the captivating world of Sterling Cooper will be back on AMC again next year.”

Last season, over 30 million viewers watched ‘Mad Men’ on-air, on video-on-demand as well as on iTunes. The series continues to deliver the strongest concentration of upscale adults 25-54, more than any other original drama series on basic cable. “Mad Men” has consistently ranked at the top of the iTunes TV charts, and now in its third season it continues to hold the number one spot with its premiere episode.

“’Mad Men’ continues to surpass all expectations with each new season and the series has become a signature show for Lionsgate around the world,” said Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate’s president of television programming and production. “We’re gratified by this early fourth season pick-up and salute the brilliant work of Matt Weiner, the cast, the entire creative team and our partners at AMC, who share our commitment to bringing viewers distinctive original programming of the highest quality.”

“Mad Men” burst onto the scene when it debuted on AMC in July 2007 and quickly became one of the most talked about series on television. Set in 1960s New York, “Mad Men” is a sexy and provocative original drama that follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising. The series has made history as the first basic cable series ever to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and back-to-back Golden Globes® for Best Television Series – Drama. The award-winning ensemble includes: Golden Globe-winner Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, and John Slattery and guest stars legendary stage and screen actor Robert Morse.

Sticky Wicket: Frenemies and Adversaries on the Season Finale of "Weeds"

What a weird, strange journey it's been this season on Weeds.

Between pregnancies, marriages, assassinations, overdoses, teenage STDs, and thievery, Season Five of Showtime's dark comedy Weeds has been a sometimes bizarre and uneven mix of shifting timeframes, over the top characters, and increasingly complicated inter-personal relationships. (Hell, you almost need a flowchart to keep track of the vagaries of the Nancy/Esteban/Andy/Audra storyline this season.)

Last night's season finale of Weeds ("All About My Mom"), written by series creator Jenji Kohan, looked not to shift the action elsewhere but to create a new status quo all the same that would switch up the characters, their motivations, and their state of mind.

And it did so with one hell of a croquet mallet swing.

Yes, I'm referring to that final scene in the season finale, a.k.a. the mallet swing heard round the world as the insidious Pilar (Kate del Castillo) threatened to have Nancy's "extraneous" sons Shane and Silas killed after she learned that Nancy had hired Guillermo to have her assassinated. (Note to Nancy: Pilar's probably right when she says that you shouldn't hire your enemies to kill your adversaries. It always leads to trouble.)

I half-wondered whether Nancy, in lioness-mode, would kill Pilar with her bare hands after hearing her callous threats against her beloved (if totally neglected) children but Nancy, it turns out, didn't have to do anything.

I think I actually gasped aloud when I saw that croquet mallet swing down onto Pilar's coiffured head and knock her into the pool... and then cheered when I saw that it was Shane holding the other end of the mallet. In a series overflowing with quirky characters and over the top situations, Shane has slowly become one character to root for, even as he dives into the deep end of crazy. (Holding a knife to the throat of that rich Mexican heroin fiend in last week's episode springs to mind.)

Is it strange that we can actively root for a teenage killer? You betcha but Shane also took a huge leap there not onto to the dark side but also from teenagedom to adulthood, becoming with one swing his mother's protector. Throughout the five seasons of Weeds so far, Shane has more or less been the quieter, weirder brother to Silas' more rebellious manchild. But with this action, he's developed into a compelling, complex, and dark character in his own right and I can't wait to see just where they take his character next season.

Just how will Shane react to the fact that he's seemingly killed Pilar? (After all, there was blood streaming from her head wound into the pool.) How will Esteban? Did Shane help matters for his family or make them far worse? And, most importantly, can they get away with murder?

While Shane seems hellbent on assuming a new role in the family, Celia is also looking to transform her own life... into Nancy's, that is, going so far as to assemble a team in order to form her own drug empire. While the revenge plot against Celia was fun (though it ended way too quickly thanks to Doug's big mouth), I am interested to see where this storyline goes and I like seeing these disparate characters finally united for a real purpose. Could Celia end up on top for a change? I doubt it but I think that her road to success (or failure) could be paved with comedy gold.

I'm thinking that Andy and Audra's engagement will be short-lived given the fact that Andy takes off without even thinking of his fiancee at the moment a crossbow appears. Something tells me that Audra won't take too kindly to being left on her own in an armed hostage situation.

Nancy, meanwhile, is realizing that her actions have major consequences. Esteban's anger at her using his deodorant was a nice and realistic way of showing the hold he has over her, even as she claims to love him. Nancy's learned the hard way that lovers are weak and fickle and that she can only depend on herself at the end of the day.

Let's just hope that she realizes that that there's one man in her life--Shane--who has proven he's not going anywhere and has the strength and courage to look after her.

Weeds will return next summer on Showtime.

Window Dressing: Three Weekends on "Mad Men"

Just a few quick words about this week's gorgeously evocative episode of Mad Men, which I loved.

On this week's installment of Mad Men ("My Old Kentucky Home"), written by Dahvi Waller and Matthew Weiner and directed by Jennifer Getzinger, we bear witness to three very different weekends, although all of them captured a portrait of people engaged in business-driven activities, despite the social setting.

There was the opulent Kentucky Derby-themed "soiree" of newlyweds Roger and Jane, the dinner party hosted by Joan and Greg aimed at impressing the chief of surgery at Greg's hospital, and the marijuana-fueled weekend brainstorm session between Peggy, Paul, and Smitty at Sterling Cooper. Three very different gatherings, yet there was no mistaking any of these events for anything other than an outgrowth of business itself.

So what is Matthew Weiner saying then about the true nature of social gatherings? That they're all at their heart based in commerce, whether that's overtly stated or not? It might just be. Betty's stroke-afflicted father in fact best sums up the episode's underlying theme: "You people think you can solve everything with money."

Is Jane's behavior--both her catty comments at the office and drunkenly at her own party--excusable now given her new station in life? Does Roger's money excuse the offensiveness of his blackface routine? Is Joan forced to quite literally sing for her supper now that she has a doctor for a husband? Why is Peggy's new secretary so fearful for her employer's social standing?

It all comes down to money and to public perception. Roger believes that people around him are jealous of his marriage because he's happy but Don is quick to point out that people don't think he's happy, they think he's foolish. Trudy may have felt left out when Betty and Jennifer discuss their pregnancies and babies, but it's Jennifer who is shocked and jealous when Trudy and Pete light up the dance floor with their Charleston. Could it be that Trudy is happy even without the child she so desperately wanted? That she can throw her childlessness in the face of society and prove that she too can be fulfilled without society's own expectations of what's expected of her?

Peggy realizes that she's gotten to where she's at through her own pluck and merit. She doesn't need her secretary to look out for her as though she were a child. She is strong enough to make her own choices and take her own risks in life, to experiment and test her boundaries by smoking pot with the men and defying her defined role of blender-carrier. Peggy is toeing the line between the old guard and the future, between status quo and revolution. Her very presence at Sterling Cooper, the fact that she has her name on the door of her own office and a secretary is an anomaly. But she's not another girl in the secretarial pool; she's realized her status gives her a power that Olive doesn't, hasn't, and will never have in the business world. "I am going to get to do everything you want from me," Peggy tells Olive and we do believe she shall.

(Aside: I loved seeing stoned Peggy--who does seem to work better on marijuana--almost as much as I loved catching a jubilant Pete dancing the Charleston with his wife at Roger's party.)

Joan, on the other hand, discovers that her happiness and future are inexorably tied up with Greg's. In another humiliating turn, he forces her to perform for his guests when the topic of conversation turns towards a recent failure of his during a procedure. Grabbing Joan's accordion, he turns the hostess into a plaything, a bauble to entertain the guests. That she sings and plays "C'est magnifique" is both heartbreaking and ironic. Things are far from magnificent in their household, despite their outward appearances. We can pretend that the past never happened but that doesn't mean it actually didn't; Joan and Greg may never have discussed the rape in Season Two but it doesn't mean that the slate was wiped clean for either of them.

So too do Don and Betty engage in a complicated dance of deception. They've been so focused on Betty's pregnancy that they appear to have made a concerted effort not to recall the period of separation that occurred last season. But it happened. As did Don's affair with Bobbi Barrett and Betty's rendezvous with the handsome stranger. Jane's drunken remark ("I knew you two would get back together. I never had any doubt, no matter what the problem was") cuts so sharply for its truth; they were separated, their marriage on the brink of destruction. And so it still is, judging from Betty's reaction to Henry Francis touching her belly.

We can't escape the sense that there's a tenuousness to everyone's actions, a feeling that fear and worry cloud the landscape, much like how a timid Sally Draper pretends to find Gene's missing five dollars (which she stole from him earlier in the episode). I was terrified that Gene would strike Sally or react violently but despite his tantrum Gene allows things to revert back to normal after sternly reminding Sally in his own way of her wrongdoing. That Sally would be reading "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" is a telling sign: as bad as things have gotten, they are only going to get worse.

The old guard will be pulled down, the youth will rise up, Rome will burn, and "all hell's gonna break loose" as Gene succinctly puts it. Social mores are changing, judging from Don and Pete's pained reactions to Roger's outdated and offensive blackface routine and Carla irately telling Gene that black housekeepers don't all know each other. Change is in the air. Whether for good or ill--for these characters, anyway--remains to be seen.

Next week on Mad Men ("The Arrangements"), Gene and Don cross paths; Peggy searches for a roommate; a wealthy new client has very high hopes.

Channel Surfing: "Chuck" Duo Brief ABC Legal Dramedy, Fred Armisen Heads to "Parks and Rec," Showtime Gives Them "L" as Reality Series, and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

ABC has emerged victorious from a fierce bidding war over an untitled legal dramedy from executive producers Josh Schwartz and Ali Adler (Chuck). The project, which received a put pilot commitment from the network, is about a female attorney in Los Angeles who "has observed enough misery in her divorce and family law practice to vow never to take the plunge into matrimony." Script will be written by Adler (Chuck), who will executive produce along with Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Sheldon Turner, and Jennifer Klein. (Variety)

Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen will reunite with Amy Poehler on NBC's Parks and Recreation this season. Armisen will guest star in an upcoming episode in which he'll play the counterpart to Leslie Knope (Poehler) in Pawnee's sister city. "Leslie arranges for [Armisen and his colleagues] to come for a visit, but they’re from a city in Venezuela," Parks executive producer Michael Schur told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "They’re very confused because in Venezuela the government is so powerful; their parks department travels with military escorts and motorcades and stuff. They have all the money in the world because of their oil and they [don't understand] why Pawnee’s parks department is so rinky-dink." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Showtime has ordered nine episodes of The Real L Word: Los Angeles from L Word creator Ilene Chaiken and Magical Elves' Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz that will follow the lives of six lesbians in Los Angeles. Project, which would seem to be Showtime's version of The Real Housewives franchise, is expected to launch next year. "Even though we concluded our sixth season of The L Word on Showtime this past March, I believe we are not nearly finished telling our L Word stories," Chaiken said. "Showtime has yet again come forward to continue with us this mission to entertain and enlighten and bring more L to the world." (Variety)

FOX has given a pilot commitment plus penalty to drama spec script Worthy from writer Davey Holmes (Damages, In Treatment). Project, from 20th Century Fox Television and executive producer Gavin Polone, revolves around an Arizona politician who finds himself involved in a hit-and-run accident and then is blackmailed by a local mob boss. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Michael Westen is returning to FOX's House this season as private investigator Lucas Douglas. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS has given a pilot commitment to multi-camera ensemble comedy Open Books, about an "overinvolved" female book editor and her friends, family, and clients, from writer/executive producer Gail Lerner (Will & Grace) and Warner Bros. Television. (Hollywood Reporter)

Recasting alert! Nicole Ari Parker (Imagine That) will replace Sherri Saum in ABC's midseason legal dramedy The Deep End, where she will play Susan, a crack partner at a Los Angeles law firm where her husband (Billy Zane) is the new managing partner. Elsewhere, Michael Benjamin Washington (30 Rock) has replaced Amir Talai in NBC's midseason comedy series 100 Questions, where he will play the dating counselor to Sophie Winkleman's Charlotte. (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV is said to be very close to handing out a pilot presentation order for a contemporary take on 1985 feature film Teen Wolf, about a teenager who discovers that he is a werewolf. The new project, which will be set in high school and combine horror, comedy, and romance, is written by Jeff Davis (Criminal Minds), who will executive produce with Marty Adelstein and Rene Echevarria. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lighthearted Entertainment has signed a programming partnership with Japan's Nippon TV Network, under which the two companies will co-develop and co-distribute new reality formats across all territories, with ownership of the material shared between the two. (Variety)

20th Century Fox Television has hired former ABC Studios executive Carolyn Cassidy as VP of comedy development for the studio, where she will develop comedy projects and scout for new talent. She will report to Jonathan Davis. (Variety)

Talk show host Paul O'Grady is rumored to be considering a jump to satcaster Sky1 following his rejection of a 50 percent budget cut for his Channel 4 chat show. (Broadcast)

Lifetime Movie Networks have acquired telepic Double Wedding, starring Tia and Tamera Mowry as twins who begin dating the same man. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Mysterious Ways: The Nature of Good and Evil on "True Blood"

"Don't you like vampires, little girl?"

This week's episode of True Blood ("Frenzy"), written by Alan Ball and directed by Daniel Minahan, marks the penultimate installment of the second season (though we'll have to wait two weeks for the season finale) and consequently ramped up the tension, bringing us several new alliances, the deepening of a personal vendetta, a possible romantic split, and the fragmentation of several long-standing friendships.

And, oh, a giant egg.

So just what did I think about this week's episode of True Blood? Pour yourself a Tru Blood, strap on a bandolier, gather up some feathers and yarn, and let's discuss "Frenzy."

Bon Temps has literally gone to hell, thanks to Maryann's influence and this week we finally got an answer as to why Maryann happened to stumble in the backwoods town in the first place. While it seemed as though Maryann's arrival in Bon Temps with her murderous retinue was centered around shifter Sam Merlotte, his presence in the town was purely coincidental, as we learn that Maryann herself was summoned unwittingly by Tara Thorton back in Season One when she was tricked by Miss Jeanette into believing that she was slaying her inner "demon."

While Miss Jeanette was a sham, her use of ritual was powerful enough to bring Maryann to Tara like a beacon in the night, luring her to Bon Temps via Tara's vision of her black-eyed younger self. After all, Maryann and the pig (read: Daphne) were seen by the side of the road shortly thereafter. As for Sam, his coincidental appearance amid all of this mess is a blessing in disguise for Maryann: she can get revenge against the thieving shifter and use him as a sacrifice to the god who comes. Unless, that is, she decides to use Sookie as a substitute...

Tara was a means to an end for Maryann, just as Eggs was in the last location the cannibalistic nomads traveled to. I knew that letting Tara go try and save Eggs was a terrible, terrible idea. There was certainly no guarantee that she wouldn't fall right back under Maryann's spell again (though the shuttering spell didn't quite work on her this time) and sure enough within seconds of going back to the Stackhouse place, Tara falls right back into Maryann's thrall and ends up smashing up Gran's things and building a nest for...

Well, I don't rightly know what she and Eggs are building a nest for. But there it was: a huge white egg bigger than an ostrich's. (Should we view it as ironic or fitting that Eggs himself is building a nest to house an egg?) Just what is lurking underneath that shell? I have absolutely no idea. Is it connected to Maryann's imminent sacrificial offering? Quite probably. But it freaked the hell out of me regardless. Any thoughts?

I loved the reluctant partnership between Jason Stackhouse and Andy Bellefleur, one of the most unlikely friendships ever seen on the small screen. The scene where they carbo-load before going into battle was absolutely hysterical and there was some brutal honesty in the scene where Jason acknowledged that, despite appearances, he hasn't ever had it easy in life. It's fascinating to look at Ryan Kwanten's performance here as Jason and how much he's grown as a character since we first met him at the beginning of Season One. The self-absorbed sex addict has become a Hero with a capital-H. His speech about saving his town from what it's become--and how sometimes you have to destroy something in order to save it ("it's in the Bible... or the Constitution")--is so far removed from the selfishness he's displayed in the past, yet Ball and the writers have done a remarkable job at slowly transforming him into a complex and fully realized avenger... for whom sex is just one weapon in his arsenal. He may be just as dim-witted and hormonal but clearly he means well these days.

Likewise, my favorite scene last night had to be that between Sam Trammel's Sam, Alexander Skarsgard's Eric, and Arlene's poor, neglected kids ("teacup humans") at Fangtasia. (Hell, we even got some much needed Pam in the mix as well.) The creepiness with which Eric toyed with the children ("Don't you like vampires, little girl?"), baring his fangs and making references to draining them of their blood with a playful glee was a thing to behold. Skarsgard has excelled this season at bringing Eric to the forefront of the series and at portraying him as a vengeful, quixotic, and dangerous being with an inner soulfulness. This scene brought back Eric's darker side as well as his inherent arrogance (to wit: his use of the word "tribute") but he does agree to help Sam locate information about the maenad, though once again his motivations seems to be based around his interest in Sookie.

And Eric can fly, as we learn. That sound you heard? It was thousands of True Blood fans swooning and hitting the floor as Eric leapt into the air outside Fangtasia into the dark sky.

One mystery lurking in the shadows: the identity of the father of Arlene's kids. We're told very specifically that the children have never seen him before and Arlene cut his face out of all of the pictures she has of him... but he has her name tattooed on his stomach. Could we be seeing Arlene's ex turning up at some point in the future. I definitely think so, though just who or what will he be? Hmmm....

Likewise, we're introduced to Sookie's cousin Hadley (Lindsey Haun), a consort of Queen Sophie-Anne (Evan Rachel Wood), the Yahtzee-loving Vampire Queen of Louisiana. While I suspected we'd meet her soon enough (tip-offs included that mention of her back in Season One and the use--twice, no less--of that brief mention in the "previously on" montages over the last two weeks), I never thought that she too would be caught up in the world of vampires and be quite so close to their nexus of power in Louisiana. While Hadley is startled to hear Bill and Sophie-Anne mention Sookie (the fact that Sophie-Anne knows about her at all concerns me to no end), I couldn't quite be sure whether Bill knew of Hadley's familial relationship to Sookie or not. Regardless, he's clearly intending to keep it a secret from Sookie and tells Hadley not to get in touch with Sookie. Ever.

As for Sophie-Anne herself, I thought that Wood pulled off the petulance, spite, and spoiled air required of a centuries-old vampire but lacked a certain presence on screen to warrant her role as this much-discussed royal. (It's hard not to compare her slightly predictable performance with that of the other flame-haired vamp on the series, Deborah Ann Woll's Jessica Hamby, who literally ignites the air every time she appears on camera.) I loved her day room with its faux beach backdrop and St. Tropez-style lounging but I just wanted a larger, more impressive royal presence from Wood as it felt like she was a bit swallowed up by the opulent surroundings instead of commanding it.

Loved Bill and Eric's little showdown on the steps outside Sophie-Anne's as the two continue to duel over Sookie, a battle that's more than likely to continue into next season, unless Eric is able to sway Sophie-Anne to his side of things. Which makes this viewer very, very nervous indeed.

Is it curtains for Hoyt and Jessica? It certainly looked that way after Jessica bit Maxine after losing patience with the black-eyed mother from hell but I am hoping that there is some way for the two to reconnect once all of the craziness is past. But I have to say that I am getting very worried about Hoyt; as long as he was locked up with Jessica at the Compton house, I thought they'd see the coming war through from the sidelines but with Hoyt in Bon Temps and highly susceptible to Maryann's spell, I'm worried for him. Especially now that the frenzied Maxine has unleashed not only a torrent of insults but also the truth about Hoyt's father's death. He didn't die defending his family against an intruder but took his own life. Poor, poor Hoyt.

Hoyt wasn't the only one fighting off ghosts from the past as Lafayette had to contend with the return of his post-traumatic stress disorder, triggered by Lettie Mae holding him and Sookie at gunpoint in order to free Tara. And sure enough, Lafayette was so terrified that he imagined that Lettie Mae was Eric himself come to kill him and punish him for everything he's done. But if that weren't bad enough, Lafayette quickly also falls under Maryann's frenzy at Sookie's house. I had been hoping that Eric's blood would give him some level of immunity against her spell but alas he quickly succumbs to the darkness, spurred on by his efforts to shoot Maryann... An effort that results in the unintended death of Carl when Maryann deflects the bullet.

Bill, meanwhile, may have gleaned the only way to kill the maenad: to strike her when she believes her summoning of the god who comes has succeeded, the only point in which she'll be vulnerable to attack. Sophie-Anne indicates that the only reason why Maryann is immortal is because she believes herself to be and that our ideas and beliefs not only give us power but enable us to create something out of nothing.

Whether this can in fact be turned on its head by Bill and Sookie to take down Maryann and save Bon Temps remains to be seen but I for one and going to be on pins and needles the next two weeks until True Blood's season finale.

In two weeks on the season finale of True Blood ("Beyond Here Lies Nothin'") Maryann prepares for her ultimate sacrifice, forcing Sookie to be the Maid of Honor at her bloody nuptials; Sophie-Anne warns Eric to control Bill's inquisitiveness; Jason leads Andy into battle; Hoyt struggles with Maxine's endless stream of insults; Sam places his trust, and his life, in a most unlikely ally in order to save Bon Temps and Sookie.

Mickey Mouse, Meet Wolverine: Disney to Acquire Marvel

Mickey and Co. are about to get some new super-powered friends.

Disney today announces its acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, in a deal worth roughly $4 billion, under which the Mouse House will attain control over Marvel's vast portfolio of properties and characters.

"This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories," said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company in a statement. "Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney. We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation."

The acquisition is expected to be announced at Disney's investors call at 7:15 am PT this morning; the deal--comprised of a stock and cash transaction--will still need to be approved by Marvel's shareholders. Those shareholders "would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own," according to materials released by Disney ahead of the investors call.

The full press release from Disney announcing the acquisition can be found below.

DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT

Worldwide leader in family entertainment agrees to acquire
Marvel and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters

Acquisition highlights Disney’s strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value

Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 —Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney on August 28, 2009, Marvel shareholders would receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own. At closing, the amount of cash and stock will be adjusted if necessary so that the total value of the Disney stock issued as merger consideration based on its trading value at that time is not less than 40% of the total merger consideration.

Based on the closing price of Disney stock on Friday, August 28, the transaction value is $50 per Marvel share or approximately $4 billion.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Ike Perlmutter and his team have done an impressive job of nurturing these properties and have created significant value. We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

“We believe that adding Marvel to Disney’s unique portfolio of brands provides significant opportunities for long-term growth and value creation,” Iger said.

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer. “This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world.”

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Marvel including its more than 5,000 Marvel characters. Mr. Perlmutter will oversee the Marvel properties, and will work directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build and further integrate Marvel’s properties.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Marvel have each approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, effectiveness of a registration statement with respect to Disney shares issued in the transaction and other customary closing conditions. The agreement will require the approval of Marvel shareholders. Marvel was advised on the transaction by BofA Merrill Lynch.

Channel Surfing: Zooey Deschanel Could Guest Star on "Bones," FOX Slates First "Glee" Soundtrack, NBC to Get "More Colorful," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

It seems like the stars are finally aligning. Producers on FOX's Bones are in talks with Zooey Deschanel to guest star on the procedural crime drama in December as the cousin of real-life sister Emily Deschanel's Brennan, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "We’ve been looking for an opportunity to get the Deschanel girls together," said Bones creator/executive producer Hart Hanson, "but Zooey’s rockin’ career kept getting in the way... We alluded to [her] having a cousin in Minnesota two seasons ago. I’d very much like to meet her in the Christmas episode." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

As previously reported on this site, 20th Century Fox Television is teaming up with Columbia Records on a series of soundtracks for FOX's upcoming series Glee. The first release, "Glee: The Music, Volume 1," will contain seventeen tracks from the series' first season (including Queen's "Somebody to Love," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and Kanye West's "Gold Digger") and will debut on November 3rd. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has unveiled its new marketing slogan, "more colorful," which is reportedly intended to "reference both NBC's Peacock heritage and the net's famous '60s-era bumpers, which promised 'the following program is brought to you in living color on NBC,'" according to Variety's Michael Schneider. The new tagline will launch on September 14th, the same day that the Peacock will premiere Jay Leno's new 10 pm weeknightly series. (Variety)

So Twitter. FOX will use Twitter later this week during repeat broadcasts of both Glee and Fringe, during which cast members and producers will use the social networking platform to tweet live updates during the telecasts that will be displayed on-air in a scroll at the bottom of the screen. Fringe's Joshua Jackson, John Noble, Jeff Pinkner, and J.H. Wyman will participate, while Glee's Lea Michele, Kevin McHale, Mark Salling, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, and Chris Colfer are all set to join them when FOX repeats the pilot of Glee on Friday evening. (Variety)

Casting alert! Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager) has been cast in NBC's medical drama Mercy, where she will play Jeannie Flanagan, the mother of Taylor Schilling's Veronica. Elsewhere, Jesse Williams (Greek) will appear in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, though producers are keeping details about his character firmly under wraps. Matthew Levy will star opposite Tyler Labine in FOX's midseason comedy Sons of Tucson as the eldest of the three brothers, Joshua Leonard (Humpday) will recur on Season Two of Showtime's United States of Tara as "boho-trustifarian" Ricky, and Mido Hamada (Path to 9/11) will recur on FOX's 24 as "Mehran, the leader of a group of operatives in an Islamic country working against their president." (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Garret Dillahunt (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) will guest star in USA's Burn Notice, where he will play Simon, described by Ausiello as "a scary-smart new client of Michael’s (Jeffrey Donovan) — and perhaps the first person to outsmart him." Dillahunt's episode, which also features John Mahoney, is slated to air this winter. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Brenda Blethyn (Atonement) will star in Hidden Depths, a new murder mystery series on UK's ITV based on the novel by Ann Cleeves. Blethyn will play Vera Stanhope, a detective inspector in Northumberland who is on the trail of a murderer who left the bodies of two young people in the water. Project will be adapted by Paul Rutman and executive produced by kate Bartlett. (Guardian)

It's the end of the rainbow. PBS has announced that long-running children's series Reading Rainbow aired its final episode on Friday, after a run that began in 1983. (Hollywood Reporter)

Supernatural creator Eric Kripke told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello that he is sticking to his five-year plan for the drama series and intends to wrap up the storyline at the end of next season. But there's a rather big catch. "I did set out [to] tell a five-season storyline," said Kripke. "Quite frankly, I never expected [the show] to make it to five years. But now that we’re in our fifth year, I have every intention of ending the story with a bang and not drawing it out or watering it down.... That having been said, I’m looking at this season as the last chapter in this particular story. That doesn’t mean there can’t be a new story. Buffy did it. The X-Files did it. You close a chapter on a big mythology storyline and then you begin a new one." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has given a script order to an untitled multi-camera comedy project from writer/executive producers Matt Williams (Roseanne), Carmen Finestra, and David McFadzean and ABC Studios about a sports psychologist who runs his practice out of his house and tries to juggle his career with his role as a father of three and a husband. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC Three has announced three new commissions including drama Lip Service, about the "sex lives and love affairs of twenty-something lesbians living in contemporary Glasgow" from Harriet Braun (Mistresses), comedy Mouth to Mouth, about the "complicated and sometimes funny issues of personal identity, following the year-in-the-life story of six young people," and news-based entertainment series Russell Howard's Good News, in which Howard draws conclusions from the top news stories as well as smaller stories which may not have gotten any ink (digital or otherwise). (BBC)

TLC has ordered twelve episodes of docusoap King of the Crown, which will follow Cy Frakes, professional beauty queen coach as he trains his clients "how to perfect their walk, style hair, and smile on cue." The cabler will debut the series, from Five Five Prods. and Discovery Studios, on Wednesday, September 30th. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Link Tank: TV Blog Coalition Roundup for August 28-30

Televisionary is proud to be a member of the TV Blog Coalition. At the end of each week, we'll feature a roundup of content from our sister sites for your delectation.

This week, I offered an advance review of USA's fantastic and stylish upcoming drama series White Collar, starring Tim DeKay and Matthew Bomer.

I also had an exclusive interview with Top Chef: Las Vegas competitor (and major contender) Jennifer Carroll.

Elsewhere in the sophisticated TV-obsessed section of the blogosphere, members of the TV Blog Coalition were discussing the following items...

• With his new series, What Would Brian Boitano Make?, Brian Boitano proves that while the famed figure skater may not be a master chef, he is cute as a button. (TiFaux)
• With September fast approaching, so to are 75 new and returning TV shows. And here to ensure you don't miss a moment of your favorite (or soon-to-be favorite) show is theTVaddict.com with our printable and downloadable season premiere calendar (The TV Addict)
• Hot blood suckers playing football? See, we told you The Vampire Diaries was nothing like Twilight! (TV Fanatic)
• Now that Project Runway is on Lifetime, Buzz wants to know which reality show on Bravo is your favorite. (BuzzSugar)
• This week, Sandie interviewed 90210's newcomer Trevor Donovan. (Daemon's TV)
• Since he is not a fan of conspiracy theories, Scooter is glad to see The National Geographic Channel try to dispel some of the common ones on the upcoming 9/11: Science and Conspiracy. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)
• Afro Jazz. Capoeira. Disco that doesn't suck. This is the So You Think You Can Dance Canada Top 20, eh! and Vance rates the season 2 batch. (Tapeworthy)

Knife's Edge: Televisionary Talks to "Top Chef: Las Vegas" Contestant Jennifer Carroll

Those of you who have been watching Bravo's addictive and appetite-inducing culinary competition series Top Chef: Las Vegas have undoubtedly discovered the dazzling skill, graceful presentation, and exquisite flavor profiles of 33-year-old Philadelphia native Jennifer Carroll.

Carroll, who wowed the judges in the first week of the competition with a clam ceviche and a poached halibut dish, is the chef de cuisine at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert in Philadelphia. When I first saw an early cut of the season opener, I quickly put her down as a major contender for the title of Top Chef and was impressed by her creativity, her passion, and her unwavering determination.

I caught up with Carroll earlier this week to talk to her about her career, her culinary style, what it's really like in the kitchen on Top Chef, that pastry chef comment (you know which one I'm talking about), and much more.

Televisionary: How would you define your culinary style?

Jennifer Carroll: My style is to definitely make the fish or the protein of the plate the star and anything that goes around it has to elevate it. I don't want anything to be out of harmony with each other. My style is very simple and clean and delicate. But it is also at the same time full of flavor.

Televisionary: What drew you to participating in Top Chef?

Carroll: At first, I was very nervous and a little apprehensive about doing it. But all of the PR and seeing what all of the contestants and winners in the past have done through the show and how great their lives were after, it was definitely a huge influence over me to doing it. And just getting my name out there and having people see what I can do in the kitchen.

Televisionary: Was the competition aspect of the show then more or less difficult than you thought it would be?

Carroll: I knew it was going to hard but once I met all of the other chefs and found out where they were from, I was like, "Ohhhh man, I might be in trouble here." It was definitely harder than I thought it would be.

Televisionary: And how familiar were you with Top Chef ahead of time?

Carroll: I've watched every season. Definitely knew the pressure and stress and was really worried about all of the time elements and just really not having any idea of what I'm walking into every day. I thought it would be fun... but it was definitely stressful!

Televisionary: Obviously, working in the kitchen is stressful enough but when you add in that time element and the cameras, how much more intense does it get?

Carroll: Oh my god, it was so intense. Number One, you're not working in your own kitchen, you're not working in your element, which becomes natural to you because you're there for over eight hours a day.

You're in a brand-new kitchen with brand-new pots and pans, around people you don't know. I don't have anyone to go tell to peel garlic and shallots. (Laughs) You have to do everything yourself and you're being watched by cameras. It's just even more nerve-wracking because if I screw this up or I drop this or if I cut this not perfectly, the camera and the whole world is going to see it. It's definitely added pressure.

Televisionary: In the season opener, there was a vaguely misogynistic comment in which one contestant asked if you were Eric Ripert's pastry chef. Did this get under your skin at all?

Carroll: You know... I try not to let things like that bother me. I've been working in the kitchen long enough where I'm used to those kind of comments. I was kind of surprised and taken aback, thinking that we're all professionals here, so why do you have to assume that I'm the pastry chef? But it just goes to show that in the world today, people still think that if you are a girl and you work in the kitchen that you are the pastry chef and that's just so stupid to me.

Televisionary: Do you think that male chefs are threatened by strong women in the kitchen?

Carroll: I think some are. And the ones that are I think are insecure.

Televisionary: What's the one thing that people watching at home don't realize about the competition?

Carroll: I don't think they realize how intense and stressful it really is. And I think some people--when they say, hey, you have fifteen minutes, it truly is fifteen minutes--we're not stopping and I think some people at home might think it's more acted out. But it's not. The show is for real.

Televisionary: Your background was initially in law. How and why did you make the switch to the culinary world?

Carroll: I actually didn't get to law school. I was pre-law. I always worked in kitchens and always loved to cook but always cooked for my friends and was always with my grandmom and my mom. And, I don't know, something slipped in me one summer and I told my parents that I didn't want to go back to college for pre-law, that I truly wanted to go to culinary school.

I was sitting in my house one day and a switch just flipped and I realized that this was what I wanted to do. I'm so glad that I made the change because I have fun every day at my job. It's stressful and it's hard and it's long hours, but it's fun and it's creative. At the end of a long, hard day, you feel good; you feel good about feeding people and making memories for them. That means so much more to me and I'm glad that I took this path.

Televisionary: Who then are your culinary influences or heroes?

Carroll: I would definitely have to say that my main culinary influence and mentor would be Eric Ripert. He taught me so much while I was up at Le Bernardin with him. And also the sous chef and the chef de cuisine there: Chris Muller and Eric Gestel, who are like the unsung heroes of Le Bernardin who are there on top of you every single day, making you better. They really formed me and molded me into the chef I am today.

Televisionary: If you had a signature dish that best represents you as a chef, what would it be?

Carroll: That's such a hard question. (Laughs) I think all chefs hate that question because it's so limiting, I think. I think it all depends on what your mood is that day. It would have to be simple and clean and fun and something definitely with seafood because I love cooking with it so much.

Televisionary: Do you cook at home for family or friends in your off-hours?

Carroll: I do like cooking at home. When ever I go to my mom's and she's making dinner or my sisters' and they're making dinner, I can't sit back, I have to go in the kitchen and usually they'll yell at me, "Hey, relax, no cooking for you." But I just can't help myself. What do I like to cook? It depends. (Laughs) Whatever anyone wants to eat that day. I like cooking everything.

Televisionary: What ingredients or kitchen gadgets could you not live without?

Carroll: What could I not live without? Definitely would be my chef's knife [by Misono] and my sauce spoon. I've had my sauce spoon for -- Christ, for almost eight years now. Literally, if I lost it, I'd be so upset.

And then ingredient-wise? Of course fine sea salt, a very high-fat butter, unsalted butter that would be, a very good olive oil, Espelette pepper, and basically whatever best seasonal product is in the stores.

Televisionary: If you are the winner of Top Chef, what would you do with the cash prize?

Carroll: Number One, I would definitely give some back to the community. Right now, we're selling buttons that say "Bet on Jenny" in the restaurant and 100 percent of the proceeds are going towards Philabundance, which is a local food charity. I would definitely give to the local food banks in Philadelphia, which would be one of the main things I would do with it. And then the rest? Who knows. Something to create my restaurant with some day.

Top Chef: Las Vegas airs Wednesday nights at 10 pm ET/PT on Bravo.

Murder Among the Spires: An Advance Review of Season Two of "Inspector Lewis"

Inspector Morse's dogged former sidekick Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) returns this weekend with seven new crime-packed mysteries set in the heart of Oxford's academic community of scholars, dons, and students.

Inspector Lewis (or Lewis as it's known as in the United Kingdom) kicks off on Sunday night (part of PBS' Masterpiece Mystery) with "And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea," in which Lewis finds himself enmeshed in an investigation involving art forgery, gambling addicts, and calculatedly brutal murder.

I had the opportunity a few weeks back to watch both the first two sensational installments of Inspector Lewis' second season and was immediately sucked into the clever plotting, deft characterizations, and witty banter between Lewis and his junior partner, the erudite DS Hathaway (Laurence Fox). (Confession: I attended Oxford University and met my wife there, so the setting alone for me is worth the price of admission.)

The seven episodes of Inspector Lewis which are slated to air Stateside are actually comprised of the series' second and third seasons, which PBS is airing back-to-back here. (However, I am curious what happened to the third season's fourth episode, "Counter Culture Blues," which doesn't appear to be on the schedule.) As we begin with "And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea," we find Lewis still grimly attempting to collar Oxford's criminals and keep the peace in the city of dreaming spires, despite his loathing of posh intellectuals.

He's also still trying to process the unexpected death of his partner Inspector Morse, which continues to haunt him to this day. Morse's death--or rather his life--also play a role in Lewis' second episode, "Music to Die For," and it's a somber note of reflection that underpins the relationship between Robbie Lewis and Morse.

In the first episode of the season, written by Alan Plater and directed by Dan Reed, it's a rather puzzling case of forgery, murder, and performance art that's nagging Lewis and Hathaway. It's a fantastic installment that rather marvelously uses a similar plot point to USA's upcoming crime drama White Collar to rather ingenious effect and explores the art community of Oxford with great aplomb. As an added bonus, this installment also happens to guest star former Brittas Empire castmates Pippa Haywood and Julia St. John and parts of it are set within the bowels of the venerable Bodleian Library.

The absolutely riveting second episode, "Music to Die For," written by Dusty Hughes and directed by Bill Anderson, offers a mind-bending mystery as Lewis finds himself personally involved in an ongoing investigation surrounding the murder of an aging gay lecturer (Niall Buggy), illegal underground boxing tournaments, espionage, and a decades-old secret that led one academic to his death at the hand of East Germany's ruthless Stasi. And, as mentioned above, the case hits home for Lewis as it dredges up two very painful deaths: that of his partner Morse and his wife. As Lewis encounters a second chance at romance, we're given the opportunity to see his character in a new light and gain a greater understanding at the recesses of pain that are etched onto Lewis' consciousness. (Also keep an eye out for Merlin's Bradley James to turn up as an Oxford student/bare-knuckles brawler.)

While Lewis' first season provided a fun return to the Oxford-set mysteries of Morse, these episodes establish Lewis as a force to be reckoned with in his own right and also establish Inspector Lewis as its own unique crime series. While it's still connected to Inspector Morse in spirit, it's also able to forge a new identity for itself at the same time. It's no mean feat to pull off a spin-off of a much beloved series, but Inspector Lewis manages to do so here with grace and skill, not to mention some well-crafted mysteries that would stump Morse himself.

Much of that credit goes to Whatley for his realistically sullen performance; he manages to make Lewis a lovable and sympathetic curmudgeon who's set in his ways and reeling from loss but still able to nick the right guy in the end and even crack a joke or two. Likewise, Lewis' grumbling is perfectly balanced by Fox's nuanced performance as the well-read Hathaway, whose bookish knowledge makes him a fantastic counterpoint to Lewis' street smarts.

Ultimately, the smart and sly murder mysteries that Lewis and Hathaway tackle each week are the ideal way to spend your Sunday evening and the perfect antidote to the sweltering summer heat.

Inspector Lewis's seven new episodes launch this Sunday evening at 9 pm ET/PT as part of PBS' Masterpiece Mystery. Check your local listings for details.

Fire in the Hole: FX's "Rescue Me" to End in 2011

TVGuide.com is reporting that FX drama Rescue Me will wrap up its series run in 2011, according to co-creator/executive producer Peter Tolan.

"Within the next couple of weeks, we're going to begin shooting the last 19 episodes, which will be the final two seasons of the show," Peter Tolan told TVGuide.com, with the final episodes of the Sony Pictures Television-produced series slated to air in September of 2011 in order to commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Those episodes will be broken down into two seasons, with the first batch airing next year.

"I think they're stretching the airing of it out until the 10th anniversary," surmised Tolan. "So if you put 10 episodes on next year and nine the following year, you'll land there."

Additionally, TVGuide.com also reported that Tolan is seeking to have Maura Tierney (ER, Parenthood) reprise her role as Kelly McPhee in four installments of Rescue Me's final episodes.

Rescue Me will end its fifth season on Tuesday, September 1st at 10 pm ET/PT on FX.

Sneak Peek at Season Three of BBC America's "Robin Hood"

Looking to return to Sherwood Forest?

You're in luck as BBC America brings you the third and final season of Robin Hood, slated to begin Saturday, September 12th at 9 pm ET/PT.

According to BBC America's press release, Season Three finds Robin a vengeful man following the death of his true love, Maid Marian: "Season three kicks off when Robin and his gang of outlaws return from the Holy Land. But now that he’s back, Robin wastes no time - Marian's murderer, Guy of Gisborne (Armitage), is a marked man. Robin immediately breaks with his followers, and races to Locksley Manor to avenge her death. Once there, he confronts Gisborne but does Gisborne care if he lives or dies? After all, Marian was the only woman he loved and his only hope."

A two-minute clip from the third season opener, along with more information about the new season, can be found below.

Robin Hood Season Three Preview:



Toby Stephens (Die Another Day, Jane Eyre) and David Harewood (The Vice, The Palace) join the cast of Jonas Armstrong (Teachers, The Ghost Squad), Richard Armitage (MI-5, North & South), and Keith Allen (Bodies, The Others) as Robin continues to outwit the dastardly Sheriff and his forces—but Robin’s not the same crusader he once was. Since the death of Marian, Robin’s in a downward spiral fuelled by anger and grief - he can think of nothing but revenge. Meanwhile, a wave of corruption and evil has been sweeping the land. Luckily, a mysterious new ally in the form of a traveling monk, Tuck (Harewood) arrives just in time to get the hooded hero back on track.

Season three kicks off when Robin and his gang of outlaws return from the Holy Land. But now that he’s back, Robin wastes no time - Marian's murderer, Guy of Gisborne (Armitage), is a marked man. Robin immediately breaks with his followers, and races to Locksley Manor to avenge her death. Once there, he confronts Gisborne but does Gisborne care if he lives or dies? After all, Marian was the only woman he loved and his only hope.

Armstrong talks about the darker, tougher Robin Hood, hell bent on avenging his wife's tragic end, “Robin’s back from the Holy Land but without Marian, the beat of his life. He’s questioning everything he ever lived for. Now it’s pay back time, and he’s become obsessed with killing Gisborne. It’s great to bring Robin back a darker, more mature hero and fans will see that once he’s come to terms with his personal loss, he’s a stronger more powerful force than ever before.”

Meanwhile, the wickedness of the Sheriff (Allen) continues unabated - he’s sold the local men to fight a foreign war. When a feisty Locksley girl, Kate (Joanne Froggatt, Life On Mars), objects to her brother’s forced conscription, she inadvertently gets caught up in the cause of Robin Hood and becomes an indispensable member of the gang.

The third season also brings an unexpected addition when Gisborne's little sister, Isabella (Lara Pulver), unexpectedly arrives to further complicate the lives of both Robin and Gisborne. And, as the threat of Prince John (Stephens) looms larger, Robin and Gisborne reach an uneasy truce. They soon realize they may have more in common than they thought.

Season Three of Robin Hood launches Saturday, September 12th at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Channel Surfing: Campbell Scott Briefed for "Damages," Temporary Production Shutdown on "V," Details of Kristin Chenoweth on "Glee," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Campbell Scott (Royal Pains, Six Degrees) has signed on as a series regular for Season Three of FX's serpentine legal thriller Damages. No details were immediately available about just who Scott will be playing next season on the Sony Pictures Television-produced drama series, which will return to production next month for a January 2010 premiere. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC's sci-fi drama V is set to take a two-week creative break, with filming to temporarily shut down for a two week period beginning next Wednesday. However, the move won't impact the November 3rd launch date, involve any staff changes, or, writes The Wrap's Josef Adalian, affect "the six episodes its planning for the fourth quarter." For its part, studio Warner Bros. Television wouldn't give any details about the exact reason behind the decision to shut down for two weeks but said that they want to "take advantage of our November premiere to maximize creative opportunities and deliver the audience the best show possible." Adalian says that insiders have indicated that the shutdown stems from the studio's desire to allow the writing staff time to write future scripts and get them to the same level of quality as the pilot. (The Wrap's TV MoJoe)

E! Online's Watch with Kristin has the scoop on the upcoming guest star turn by Pushing Daisies' Kristin Chenoweth on FOX's Glee, where she will play April Rhodes, who is described as "quite the alcoholic and bad influence on the glee club members" who joins the club after Rachel (Lea Michele) drops out. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) has been cast in a recurring role on NBC's Chuck next season while Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has signed on to appear in a multiple-episode story arc on FOX's Dollhouse, along with Alexis Denisof (Angel), Jamie Bamber (BSG), Keith Carradine (Dexter), and Michael Hogan (BSG). (Televisionary)

Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal) has been cast in at least two episodes of CBS' CSI: Miami next season, where he will recur as a medical examiner on the long-running procedural crime drama. (Hollywood Reporter)

Laura Linney (John Adams) is set to topline Showtime dark comedy pilot The C Word (a working title) about a woman battling cancer. Project, from Sony Pictures Television, is written and executive produced by Darlene Hunt (90210) and is slated to be shot this fall. (Televisionary)

The trades are reporting that HBO has optioned Jeffrey Eugenides' novel "Middlesex," which it will develop as an ongoing series. However, this was reported back in early July by Broadcasting and Cable, details of which can be found here.

A&E Television Networks has acquired Lifetime Entertainment Services following the closing of a deal in the works for several months. Under the terms of the agreement, Lifetime will fall under A&E Television Network management, with president/CEO Abbe Raven remaining as the head of the company, with Lifetime's Andrea Wong reporting to Raven, as will A&E's Bob DiBitetto and History's Nancy Dubuc. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Laura Linney to Star in Showtime Pilot About the Other "C Word"

Showtime has announced that Laura Linney (John Adams) has been cast as the female lead in a dark comedy entitled The C Word (a working title) about a woman struggling to live in the shadow of her cancer diagnosis.

Linney will star in the pilot of the Sony Pictures Television-produced project, from writer/executive producer Darlene Hunt (90210), which is slated to be shot this fall.

"Laura Linney is in that rare echelon of truly gifted actresses who fully embody the characters they play and we are honored to welcome her to Showtime," said Showtime president of entertainment Robert Greenblatt. "Cancer is not usually the subject of half-hour comedy, but Laura saw what we did in this complex show -- a woman who gets a wake-up call that causes her to shake up her life and family. She will no doubt make this character both heartbreaking and disarmingly funny, and we’re thrilled that she has chosen this show for her foray into series television.”

The full press release from Showtime can be found below.

LAURA LINNEY LIKES THE C WORD

Showtime Pushes Envelope With Series About Cancer

LOS ANGELES, CA – (August 27, 2009) – Laura Linney – three-time Academy Award® nominee, three-time Emmy® winner, and SAG® and Golden Globe® Award winner – is coming to series television in a provocative new SHOWTIME half-hour series about a woman diagnosed with cancer called THE C WORD (working title), it was announced today by SHOWTIME Networks President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. A pilot has been ordered and will be shot in the fall.

Linney will star in and executive produce THE C WORD, which delves into the emotional ups and downs of a suburban wife and mother forced to face reality yet also find the light side in a dark situation. A metaphor for the way we all should live, yet rarely do, this is a journey about how to seize the day. The series is created and written by Darlene Hunt, who will serve as executive producer, along with Neal H. Moritz and Vivian Cannon. It will be produced by Original Film in association with Sony Pictures Television.

"Laura Linney is in that rare echelon of truly gifted actresses who fully embody the characters they play and we are honored to welcome her to SHOWTIME," says Greenblatt. "Cancer is not usually the subject of half-hour comedy, but Laura saw what we did in this complex show -- a woman who gets a wake-up call that causes her to shake up her life and family. She will no doubt make this character both heartbreaking and disarmingly funny, and we’re thrilled that she has chosen this show for her foray into series television.”

"How one lives fully while being tested by the unpredictability of life, and what one learns in the process, is always filled with endless possibilities for an actor,” says Linney. “I am very excited to tackle such potentially rich, funny and complicated material."

Linney is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and celebrated talents, having begun her career in the theatre where she has appeared in the award-winning plays Six Degrees of Separation, The Crucible, Sight Unseen and Hedda Gabler. This January, Linney is set to star in a limited engagement of Time Stands Still, directed by Donald Margulies, at Manhattan Theatre Club. On the small screen, she was first noted for her turn in the PBS series “Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City” which continued for two more installments on SHOWTIME, "More Tales of the City" and "Further Tales of the City." She earned Emmys for her work on “Frasier” and in SHOWTIME's “Wild Iris.” She starred most recently in the Emmy®-winning HBO mini-series “John Adams” – her performance as Abigail Adams earned her Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG® Award wins. She earned Oscar® nominations for her critically acclaimed work in KINSEY, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME and THE SAVAGES. Additional film credits include THE TRUMAN SHOW, LOVE ACTUALLY, MYSTIC RIVER and THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. Currently, Linney is filming THE DETAILS, which was written and directed by Jacob Estes and also stars Tobey McGuire. Linney is represented by ICM, Brillistein Entertainment Partners and Barnes, Morris, Klein, Mark & Yorn.

Moritz has been producing film and television for nearly 20 years. His big screen credits include SWEET HOME ALABAMA, THE FAST & THE FURIOUS franchise, and I AM LEGEND. Upcoming films include the remake of the ‘80s television series 21 JUMP STREET, BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, starring Aaron Eckhart, and the popular comic book THE GREEN HORNET, starring Seth Rogen. Moritz has produced television titles as wide ranging as “Prison Break” and “Tru Calling,” and he was nominated for an Emmy® award as executive producer of the HBO bio-pic “The Rat Pack.” He is represented by CAA.

Series executive producer and creator Hunt has worked as a consulting producer on the hit CW show "90210," and has written for series such as "Will & Grace" and "Good Morning Miami." She has also developed numerous pilots for network and cable. As an actor, she's a member of the famed comedy troupe The Groundlings and starred on television in the 2006 Ted Danson series "Help Me Help You." She is represented by UTA. Executive producer Vivian Cannon’s credits include “Emily’s Reasons Why Not,” “Tell Me You Love Me,” the 2005 film LITTLE MANHATTAN, starring Bradley Whitford and Cynthia Nixon, and the 2004 film SEEING OTHER PEOPLE, starring Jay Mohr, Julianne Nicholson and Brian Cranston.

Casting Couch: Brandon Routh Targets "Chuck," Summer Glau and Alexis Denisof Move into "Dollhouse"

Man of Steel, meet Chuck Bartowski.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) has signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on Season Three of NBC's Chuck, which returns to the airwaves in midseason.

According to Ausiello, Routh--who's no stranger to secret identities himself--will play Shaw, "a mysterious new spy who takes control as the new leader of Operation Bartwoski, becoming a mentor to Chuck and a rival in his affections for Sarah."

No airdate was given for Routh's first appearance on the series, nor any specific episode count for his story arc.

Meanwhile, Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) is returning to her Whedonverse roots.

Zap2It is reporting that Glau has signed on for a recurring role in Season Two of Whedon's metaphysical action drama series Dollhouse, where she will play Bennett, "a Dollhouse employee who shares a past with Echo (Eliza Dushku)."

And, if that weren't enough Dollhouse goodness, fellow Whedonverse alum Alexis Denisof (Angel) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Dollhouse as Senator Daniel Perrin, a congressman hell-bent on exposing the Dollhouse.

Denisof joins the ranks of a slew of high-profile guest stars on Dollhouse in the coming weeks, including Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber, who will appear in the Season Two opener as Echo's new "husband" Martin Klar, Michael Hogan, who will play a man looking to end a family member's murder spree, and Keith Carradine, who will play Adelle's nemesis, a businessman named Matthew Harding.

Plus, recurring actors Amy Acker and Miracle Laurie will reprise their respective roles in multiple-episode story arcs on Dollhouse's sophomore season.

What do you think? Excited by the possibilities of what Season Two of Dollhouse could bring? And what other Whedonverse alumni would you like to see drop by Dollhouse?