Loose Bond: Quick Thoughts About FX's Animated Comedy "Archer"

Just a few quick thoughts about FX's new comedy series.

While the comparison between FX's new animated comedy Archer and James Bond is an obvious one, the comparing this series, from creator Adam Reed (Sealab 2021), to Better Off Ted would be more apt.

While Archer follows the high-flying exploits of a suave James Bond-esque secret agent man, at its heart the series is a deliciously loopy and perversely raunchy workplace comedy.

Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin) is Codename: Duchess (and, yes, his less-than-virile codename is the source of constant amusement), an insufferable superspy working for a top-secret organization called ISIS that just happens to be run by his tartly vindictive mother Malory (Arrested Development's Jessica Walter). Between globe-spanning missions and snuffing out world domination plans, the plot focuses on office politics, double-agents, health care plans, and the absurd love triangle that has developed between Archer, his deadly black ops ex-girlfriend Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), and stuffy ISIS comptroller Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell).

Throw in Judy Greer, some cool 1960s style (I'm in love with Archer's single-button suit), a portly HR executive with a girl-crush on Lana, an almost zombified butler/punching bag (George Coe), poorly conceived spy gadgets, and more double-entrendres, single-entendres, and blatantly raucous dialogue than you could spit at and you begin to approximate the subversive fun of Archer.

It's worth taking an aim at tonight.



Archer premieres with two back-to-back episodes tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on FX.

Lights Off, Hair Up: Judy Greer Heads to "Modern Family"

As if Modern Family hasn't already had a deft hand with their guest casting, the producers have outdone themselves with the addition of former Arrested Development co-star Judy Greer.

Greer, who is currently lending her voice to FX's animated comedy Archer and will forever be Kitty Sanchez to me, is set to guest star on ABC's Modern Family later this season, according to TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck.

"Judy will pop up on an upcoming episode as Denise, an ex-girlfriend of family man Phil (Ty Burrell) who reconnects with him on Facebook," writes Keck. "Though Claire (Julie Bowen) feels Denise's approach was a bit inappropriate, the ex is still invited over for dinner to meet the Dunphys."

And, most likely, hijinx ensue.

What do you think of the casting? Will Greer make an admirable if short-lived addition to the Modern Family cast? Discuss.

Channel Surfing: Jennifer Morrison Returns to "House," FOX Rumors Swirl for O'Brien, Possible Curtains for "Crash," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jennifer Morrison will return to FOX medical drama House later this season. While the nature and timing of Cameron's return are unknown, Ausiello quotes an unnamed House insider who said, "You will see Cameron again on House before the end of the season." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Rumors are swirling that Conan O'Brien could be beating a path to FOX to launch a latenight franchise to rival The Tonight Show but it's not exactly a smooth ride. "There are still a slew of obstacles standing in his way at Fox, including those same network affiliates. And several Fox insiders wonder whether it would even be possible to launch a latenight Conan O'Brien franchise anytime soon," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Still, once O'Brien manages to settle out of his NBC contract -- and that's the route he and his reps appear to be taking -- it's entirely possible that Fox could carve out a home for him, sources close to the situation believe." But there are some sizable financial consequences to such a move, including giving up revenue from syndicated shows in the 11 pm timeslot, wariness on the part of local affiliates, and the time it would take to get the series going into production and clear it in the markets. (Variety)

[Editor: For a great take on what NBC needs to do post-Conan, head over to The Chicago Tribune to read Maureen Ryan's insightful thoughts here.]

The fate of Starz drama series Crash is said to be up in the air, according to The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva. "Speculation is mounting that the dark Starz drama won't be renewed for a third season," writes Andreeva. "The pay cable network declined comment Wednesday beyond noting that new president and CEO Chris Albrecht began work just three days ago and is still getting a grasp of the place. It is believed the Crash cancellation likely will be among the first programming decisions made by the former HBO honcho." (Hollywood Reporter)

Rob Zombie (Halloween) will direct an upcoming episode of CBS' CSI: Miami, set to air on March 1st. Move marks the television directorial debut of Zombie and the episode will feature the team heading to Los Angeles to investigate a case that involves "secret tape recordings and evidence tampering." (Hollywood Reporter)

Pilot casting alert! Carla Gallo (Bones) and Jose Zuniga (CSI) have been cast in FOX comedy pilot The Station, from executive producer Ben Stiller and 20th Century Fox Television. (Meanwhile, Jordan Peele, who guest starred in the pilot, has been promoted to regular.) Gallo will play "the smart but loopy director of operatives who oversees the undercover field officers in the Central America outpost and has feelings for Eric" (Justin Bartha) while Zuniga will play "a trained field officer tasked with running the import/export cover office but who is dying to get a position inside the station." (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, Ben Schwartz (Accidentally on Purpose) has been cast in J.J. Abrams' NBC drama pilot Undercovers opposite Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who play Steven and Samantha, a pair of married spies who are reactivated by the CIA. Schwartz will play a "young CIA agent who is wildly respectful of Steve's career as an agent" on the Warner Bros. Television-produced pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lifetime has announced that Season Four of drama series Army Wives will launch on April 11th. (Variety)

TLC has ordered six episodes of docuseries Addicted, which will follow invention specialist Kristina Wandzilak as she helps people kick their addictions. Series, from Asylum Entertainment, will launch in March. (Variety)

FOX has quietly announced that Gordon Ramsay-led Kitchen Nightmares will debut on Tuesday, January 26th, directly behind American Idol. The scheduling change, reported by Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan, "is part of a two-week stunt to showcase the series - which will still regularly air on Fridays at 9 pm - after American Idol." (Futon Critic)

The corporate restructure at News Corp's Fox Network Group has consolidated entertainment oversight under Peter Rice, who will report to Tony Vinciquerra and will now oversee FX Networks under the new organizational chart. (John Landgraf previously reported to Rich Battista, whose role within the newly reorganized group is unclear.) (Variety)

Style has ordered ten episodes of home-makeover series Tacky House, hosted by Thom Filicia. Series, from Lynchpin Prods., is expected to debut this spring. (Variety)

Former ITV Global Entertainment executive Peter Iacono has been hired by Lionsgate as managing director of international television. Replacing the position vacated by Craig Cegielski, Iacono will report to Kevin Beggs and will be based in Los Angeles. (Variety)

Diane Robina has been hired as EVP of development, acquisitions and programming strategy at TV Guide Network. The former MTV Networks executive will also retain her title of president of FearNet and will report to Ryan O'Hara. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Food Porn: My Night at "Top Chef" Michael Voltaggio's Restaurant

After a day of interviews and covering press sessions at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, I had the honor of dining at Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio's restaurant, The Dining Room at The Langham, in Pasadena.

I've been dying to eat there since Top Chef ended... and what an evening it was. I was joined in this culinary adventure by several fellow television journalists/foodies including: my editor at The Daily Beast, Kate Aurthur; Denise Martin of The Los Angeles Times; Zap2It's Hanh Nguyen; and St. Louis Post Dispatch TV columnist Gail Pennington.

Arriving at the Dining Room, we were greeted with several warm welcomes by the restaurant's manager and the hotel's PR executive. We sipped on some lovely glasses of non-vintage champagne while we perused the menu and ultimately decided to go with a five-course chef's tasting menu, with the dishes to be expertly selected by Michael Voltaggio, with whom we visited in the kitchen following the conclusion of dinner. (Affable and warm, Voltaggio came off nothing like the arrogant upstart he appeared on Top Chef last year.)

A restaurant thrives or dies on the details and here every little detail was expertly thought out. The precision of our five-person waitstaff--who set down and removed all of our plates in unison every time--and the attentiveness of the sommelier and manager were complemented by some nice touches during the service. Not one but two bread courses, each with separate butter pairings. (Yes, each bread came with two separate butters, adding up to four total butters offered to us during the course of the evening.) A warm bacon bread crackled with saline porky goodness while a black truffle roll offered a luscious hit of umami flavor.

The modern style of the cooking was at contrast with the Old World clubbiness of the restaurant itself as damask curtains and shadow boxes containing antique ships competed with molecular gastronomy. It's worth noting that the restaurant is due to undergo a remodeling (which was wisely delayed after ex-Bazaar at the SLS Hotel chef Voltaggio won Top Chef) but there was something fun and off-kilter about the stylistic disconnect if I'm being honest.

What did we feast on? Read on to discover each of our expertly prepared courses and check out photographs of each course. (Apologies for the darkness of the photos. Took these snapshots with my iPhone in the dimly lit restaurant.)

Amuse bouche:

Sesame "bagel" with smoked salmon and horseradish powders.

A fantastic way to kick off the meal and a novel reinvention of the humble bagel with lox and cream cheese. The "bagel" itself was a remarkable colloidal substance formed in a tiny ring mold. Given its sesame flavor, I can assume that it's made from a tahini-like substance which is then whipped up and given body by the addition of a thickening agent. Breaking it with the tiny accompanying spoon (which, like the small bell-shaped glass, had its own resting plate on the slate dish) and mixing it with the powders created the sensation of biting into a bagel with lox and cream cheese. The horseradish powder didn't give you the hit of heat of regular horseradish but somehow approximated the cool, creaminess of cream cheese. Delicious.

First Course:

Langoustines with egg and lobster mousse ravioli with bouillabaisse.

My mouth was already watering when the waiters set down this dish in front of me and then I could barely contain myself when the waitstaff delicately poured a piping hot bouillabaisse into the bowl. The sweet lightness of the langoustine was nicely contrasted with the richness of the egg and lobster mousse, contained under a tiny rectangular ribbon of pasta. Wisely anticipating the need to get every last drop, the waiters arrived with spoons, which we gratefully used to carry every last drop of the heady bouillabaise to our lips. The dish is a skillful one, demonstrating boldness of flavor, precision of presentation, and a subtle hand.

Second Course:

Skate wing with scrambled cauliflower and caper and brown butter powders.

I've never had skate wing before (I know!) so I wasn't sure what to expect with this dish, which made a believer out of me. Despite already being wowed with the powders from the amuse dish, I was worried that these two powders might be overkill but they worked perfectly here and didn't seem gimmicky. I also appreciated that, being dry "sauces," they didn't moisten the skate, which was perfectly flaky inside and crisp on top. (See, a logical use of molecular gastronomy at work.) The saline hit of the caper powder was offset beautifully by the richness of the brown butter powder (the latter of which I could have quite happily eaten an entire bowl). The scrambled cauliflower was a nice touch as well, transforming itself into something between cauliflower and mashed potato, at once vegetable and starch.

Third Course:

Pastrami pigeon, Swiss cheese puff, rye jus, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts reduction gel.

Had we done the individual tasting menu, this was one dish that I had my eye on so I was overjoyed to see it come out of the kitchen for us. While it sounds like an odd combination, it was essentially a deconstructed Reuben sandwich and absolutely knocked my socks off. The pigeon breast was perfectly cooked and had the exact flavor of seasoned pastrami. Taking a bite of it with each of the other elements on the plate created the exact flavor of a well-crafted Reuben. In awe of the Swiss cheese puff (essentially, Voltaggio somehow added air to a piece of Swiss cheese, puffed it up, and then crisped it creating a light and airy chip), I was absolutely blown away by the "sauerkraut" component: the Brussels sprouts reduction gel. Salty and vegetative, it had the brisk flavor of sea air and the sourness of sauerkraut; Voltaggio had cooked down sprouts and reduced it to the point of a broth and then added gelatine to create an aspic cube. The rye jus on the plate added just the right hint of earthiness to the dish. A truly accomplished and confident plate.

Fourth Course:

48-hour sous-vide of Wagyu short rib with butter and masala, Nantes carrots, white ketchup gels, and smoked tots.

This was heaven on a plate, manna for the foodie. Voltaggio rendered the Wagyu so smooth and silky from a 48-hour sous vide process and infused it with masala and butter, turning out tender ribbons of short rib onto the plate. I've been craving expertly cooked carrots and these were little crisp batons of beta carotene goodness. The white ketchup gels were fantastic: little liquid spheres containing... a yellow tomato ketchup? An approximation of ketchup? I'm not sure, but these little savory gumdrops peppered the plate with earthiness. And the smoked tots? Heavenly little cheesy potatoes that put all memories of childhood tater tots out of my mind forever.

Pre-dessert:

Yuzu and raspberry.

The perfect palate-cleanser, really, and one that recalled Dippin' Dots to everyone at the table: individual pearls of yuzu and raspberry sorbets that melted as soon as it came into contact with any sort of heat, whether that be your mouth or even the metal spoon. Cool, creamy, and sweet-tart, it was exactly what was required after such an extensive and rich meal.

Dessert #1:

"Fool's Gold": hazelnut praline, salty caramel, chocolate ganache, hazelnut spread, milk sorbet.

A heady and complex dessert that had me ready to lick the plate. It also showcased the playful, whimsical side of Michael Voltaggio with the inclusion of gold flakes festooning the rich chocolate lusciousness of the slightly V-shaped ganache. The praline itself, underneath the ganache was delectable and I used my fork to scrape up every last little morsel on the plate. Sweet, salty, creamy, it was divine and blended together some of my favorite flavors into one dish. I would have been more than content with this as my final course, but...

Dessert #2:

Sticky toffee pudding, lime foam, banana pudding, and jasmine "rice cream."

I'm a huge sticky toffee pudding fan and this was absolutely delicious. Despite the oddness of the ingredients, I thought these components worked quite beautifully together on the plate. The date cake element was rich but oddly light at the same time and lacked the stodgy heaviness that have ruined many a sticky toffee pudding in the past for me. The banana pudding, piped onto the plate in curls, was rich and comforting and the sweetness cut subtly by the inclusion of the lime foam. In a play on the traditional custard or ice cream accompanying sticky toffee pudding, the faux ice cream (derived from jasmine rice) was cool, creamy, and soothing. A fantastic dessert.

Petits fours:

Passionfruit pate de fruit in edible rice paper wrapper, fennel pollen macaron with lemon curd, and chocolate on stick with a surprise.

While some at the table didn't care for the overt sweetness of the passionfruit pate de fruit, I actually quite enjoyed it (but it might have been because of my undying love for passionfruit in general). The least successful of the petits fours was the middle item, the teeny-tiny fennel pollen marcaron with lemon curd; it wasn't bad but it was such a tiny bite that it was hard to get a sense of the flavor profiles as anything else was obliterated by the tartness of the lemon curd. Last, the "surprise" of the chocolate stick was the inclusion of pop rocks. I've had chocolate-covered pop rocks in the past but this was a nice bite at the end of the meal: sweet and effervescent at the same time with an auditory component as well.

All in all, a truly sensational meal that had Michael Voltaggio showcasing his considerable talents, the staff effortlessly anticipating each and every whim ahead of time, and a convivial, clubby atmosphere. I'll definitely be coming back in the future.

Channel Surfing: Conan O'Brien Turns Down NBC Proposal, "Lost" Returnees, J.J. Abrams Taps Former "Doctor Who" Co-Star, "Glee," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Yet another twist in the NBC latenight drama: Conan O'Brien has rejected NBC's proposal that he shift The Tonight Show to 12:05 am in order to accommodate a half-hour Jay Leno format at 11:35 pm. The move, announced via a slightly tongue-in-cheek statement, did not indicate that he had quit and The New York Times' Bill Carter cited an unnamed source that the network that indicated that O'Brien would depart after a financial settlement had been reached. "After only seven months,” said O’Brien in a statement, “with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime time by making a change in their long-established late-night schedule." (New York Times)

Season Six of Lost will feature two more familiar faces. Appearing at yesterday's Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse announced that former cast members Harold Perrineau and Cynthia Watros will be returning for the final season of Lost. Just what that means and whether we'll actually see a resolution to Libby's mysterious backstory remains to be seen. (Televisionary)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Doctor Who, Bonekickers) has been cast as the female lead in J.J. Abrams' NBC espionage drama pilot Undercovers, opposite Boris Kodjoe and Gerald McRaney. Mbatha-Raw, who played Tish Jones in Season Three of Doctor Who, will play Samantha Bloom, a woman married to Kodjoe's Steven who shares a career with her husband: they're both spies who are "reactivated by the CIA." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files, Hollywood Reporter)

In an unsurprising twist, FOX has announced that it has renewed musical comedy Glee for a second season, set to launch this fall. "The early pickup will allow the show's producers to start planning Season Two now," wrote Variety's Michael Schneider, "and will also allow Fox to conduct a nationwide casting search to fill three new roles on the show." That search will be part of an interactive episodic special which will air late in the summer and will allow audiences to participate in the casting process. (Variety)

Pilot order alert! ABC has ordered a pilot for single-camera comedy Mr. Sunshine, starring Matthew Perry as a sports arena manager who finds himself in a mid-life crisis when he turns 40. Project, from Sony Pictures Television, Fan Fare, and Shoe Money, will be directed by Thomas Schlamme and is written by Perry, Alex Barnow, and Marc Firek, who will executive produce. (Variety)

HBO's Big Love launched its fourth season and improved on the season premiere of Season Three by 49%, luring in more than 1.7 million viewers versus the 1.1 million who tuned in to the start of Season Three. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Desperate Housewives' Dana Delany will join the cast of ABC's Castle for a two-episode story arc, where she will play Federal Agent Jordan Shaw. Her first appearance is slated to air Sunday, March 21st in a special airing while her second episode will air the following night in Castle's regular timeslot. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

James Parriott (Grey's Anatomy) has come on board USA espionage drama series Covert Affairs as an executive producer. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Family has renewed The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Make It or Break It, both of which will launch new seasons this summer. (Variety)

Additionally, the cabler's comedy 10 Things I Hate About You is set to return to the lineup with ten new episodes on Monday, March 29th at 8 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Valerie Bertinelli (One Day at a Time), Jane Leeves (Frasier), Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me), and Betty White (The Golden Girls) have been cast in TV Land comedy pilot Hot in Cleveland. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere at the network, TV Land has ordered six episodes of docudrama Harry Loves Lisa, which will follow married actors Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna. (Variety)

Lifetime has officially cancelled comedy Rita Rocks after two seasons. (Hollywood Reporter)

MTV has ordered twelve episodes of docudrama The World of Jenks, set to launch this summer. Series, executive produced by Andrew Jenks, Mike Powers, Brent Haynes, and Brooke Posch, "follows documentary filmmaker Andrew Jenks as he lives the life of a different real-life person each week, from a rapper to a homeless teenager." The cabler also announced late summer launch dates for The Hard Times of RJ Berger and Warren the Ape. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

ABC Renews "Modern Family," "The Middle," and "Cougar Town"

Breaking from TCA Winter Press Tour:

Stephen McPherson, ABC Entertainment Group President, has announced the second season renewals for Modern Family, The Middle, and Cougar Town. McPherson also indicated that each of the series would air more than the traditional 22 episodes this season.

The full press release from ABC announcing the pickups can be found below.

ABC ANNOUNCES EARLY PICK-UPS OF HIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT COMEDIES
“COUGAR TOWN,” “THE MIDDLE” AND “MODERN FAMILY” FOR THE 2010-2011 SEASON

Stephen McPherson, president, ABC Entertainment Group, announced early pick-ups of hit Wednesday night comedies “Cougar Town,” “The Middle” and “Modern Family” for the 2010-2011 Season today at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.

“Cougar Town” (Wednesdays from 9:30-10:00 p.m., ET)

Courteney Cox, who was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for her role on the show, stars as Jules, a newly divorced single mother exploring the honest truths about dating and aging in our beauty and youth obsessed culture. While most women in their twenties go through life experiencing the challenges and often humorous pitfalls of meeting men, Jules took on the responsibilities of marriage and raising a son. Now in her forties, she embarks on a journey to self-discovery.

The second-most-watched new comedy on television this season, behind only “Modern Family,” ABC’s “Cougar Town” ranks No. 2 on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. in Adults, Men and Women 18-34. The freshman comedy is also improving the time period year to year for ABC by wide margins across the key Men demos: M18-34 +50%, M18-49 +63% and M25-54 +43%. On its most-recent telecast (1/6/10), “Cougar Town” marked its highest viewer and young adult numbers in nearly 2 months – since 10/14/09.

“Cougar Town” stars Courteney Cox as Jules, Christa Miller as Ellie, Busy Philipps as Laurie, Dan Byrd as Travis, Josh Hopkins as Grayson, Ian Gomez as Andy and Brian Van Holt as Bobby.

Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Spin City”) serves as executive producer/writer/director, Kevin Biegel (“Scrubs”) as executive producer/writer, and Courteney Cox and David Arquette are executive producers. The series is produced by ABC Studios.

“The Middle” (Wednesdays from 8:30-9:00 p.m., ET)

Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations.

Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero — not unless you count getting her kids out the door for school every morning as a superfeat. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact. Frankie has a job selling cars at the town’s only surviving car dealer, while her husband, Mike, is a manager at the local quarry. In between juggling shifts and picking up fast food dinners eaten in front of the TV, Frankie and Mike raise their kids with love and solid Midwestern practicality.

Building on its lead-in Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. among viewers and young adults, “The Middle” is delivering solid year-to-year improvement to the time period for ABC. On average, “The Middle” is boosting ABC’s numbers in the half-hour over the same point last season by +1.2 million viewers and by +5% in Adults 18-49. On its most-recent telecast (1/6/10), “The Middle” hit series highs in key Adults (AD18-49/AD25-54), Men 18-49 and across all key Women demos (W18-34/W18-49/W25-54).

“The Middle” stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob.

Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline are the creators and executive producers of “The Middle,” which is a production of Warner Bros. Television.

“Modern Family” (Wednesdays from 9:00-9:30 p.m., ET)

Today’s American families come in all shapes and sizes. The cookie cutter mold of man + wife + 2.5 kids is a thing of the past, as it becomes quickly apparent in the bird’s eye view of ABC’s half-hour comedy, “Modern Family,” which takes an honest and often hilarious look at the composition and complexity of family life today.

TV’s most-watched new comedy overall this season, ABC’s “Modern Family” is a strong competitor on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. The ABC freshman comedy is a solid second in its half-hour to CBS’ veteran “Criminal Minds” in viewers and young adults, while ranking No. 1 with key Men (M18-34/M18-49). On its most-recent airing (1/6/10), “Modern Family” posted best-since-debut numbers in viewers and young adults, while hitting series-high ratings with key Men (M18-49/M25-54).

In its first season, “Modern Family” has already been honored with some of the industry’s most prestigious award nominations. Thus far the show has been nominated for a Golden Globe, Writers Guild, Directors Guild and Art Directors Guild awards, and the cast has received a SAG nomination for their performance. The series was also recognized by the AFI as one of the top 10 TV programs of 2010.

“Modern Family” stars Ed O’Neill as Jay, Julie Bowen as Claire, Ty Burrell as Phil, Sofía Vergara as Gloria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell, Eric Stonestreet as Cameron, Sarah Hyland as Haley, Nolan Gould as Luke, Ariel Winter as Alex and Rico Rodriguez as Manny.

The series is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television in association with Levitan Lloyd Productions. Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd are executive producers/creators. Jason Winer is co-executive producer.

The Return: "Lost" Cast Unite at Television Critics Association Press Tour

No new footage and precious little information about the sixth and final season of Lost, launching on ABC on February 2nd, but showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and cast members Emilie de Raven, Daniel Dae Kim, Josh Holloway, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn, Michael Emerson, and Jorge Garcia did tease some information about Season Six.

And Team Darlton had one specific announcement that might just be catnip to Lost's legion of obsessed fans: "Harold Perrineau will be back on the show this year," said Lindelof. "Cynthia Watros will be back!" said Cuse.

You heard it here first.

And some other changes are afoot as well. "We're doing something different narratively in this season," said Cuse, which that doesn't require either a deep investment or in-depth knowledge about the series. (Just what that could mean? Hmmm....)

So what can fans expect from the beginning of Season Six of Lost? "The season premiere picks up right after the finale," said Cuse. "We've been very circumspect about the sixth season... We don't really want to give away what this season is." (And Team Darlton has done a phenomenal job at keeping the lid on Season Six. We don't know when it's set, where it's set, what the new narrative device is that's being employed... or, well, very much at all.)

"The story of the sixth season has to go back to the beginning to examine a lot of things," said Lindelof. "We want to show the audience the before [for the characters] and then how far they've come."

"The premiere is definitely like WHAT? Wait. What? Let me read that part again," said Garcia.

As for Cuse, he teased that the final season will offer a "healthy cocktail of mysteries, answers, surprises, and character resolution." But don't look for every single mystery to be tied up neatly with a ribbon.

"Not all questions will get answered," said Cuse. "There's a fundamental sense of mystery in our lives and these characters'." It wouldn't be true to the series, Cuse felt, if he and Lindelof spelled out the answer to every single one of the series' lingering mysteries. Likewise, Lindelof feels that there is bound to be some division among the ranks about the ending itself. "I don't think it would be Lost if there wasn't an ongoing debate about whether it was a good ending or a bad ending," said Lindelof. "This is the ending that we wanted to do on the terms that we wanted to do."

But whatever happens, this is the end of Lost, at least in this incarnation.

"They have not pressured us at all," said Cuse about whether ABC has asked about spinoffs or pressured any of the actors into signing onto a spinoff or sequel. "I mean, the network has been fabulous, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to Steve McPherson again just for this whole notion of ending the show... We are definitively ending this story of these characters and the show that we wanted to tell in May, and there's not going to be an implanted sequel. There's not going to be a secret back-door pilot embedded in that. The story of Lost that we've been telling for these six seasons is coming to a close this May."

But the final image of the final episode is one that Cuse and Lindelof had had in mind since nearly the beginning of the series. "We came up with the final image of the show a long time ago back when we were first plotting out the mythology in the first season and then we started adding elements to that as we went along," said Cuse. "We kind of knew what the end point was, but as you move towards the end point, you add elements. And obviously, the end is not yet written, and there are certain sort of mythological, architectural elements that are intact for that ending, but a lot of character stuff will get worked out as we go along. I mean, that's part of the discovery process of writing."

Let the guessing begin.

Best quote: "I have lots of found memories of breathless confrontations in small rooms." - Michael Emerson, when asked about his favorite moment from filming the series.

Meanwhile, the producers revealed that Terry O'Quinn had no idea about the plot twist revealed at the end of Season Five (which revealed that Locke was in fact dead and O'Quinn was playing a new character). "I think if we had called Terry during the shooting of 'The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham,' which is around the sixth episode of the season, and said, 'Hey, Terry, we do not want to confuse you, but the Locke that you are now playing on the island is not actually John Locke anymore," because thousands and thousands of years ago... He'd say stop," said Lindelof. "But instead you put in the script, 'There's something about Locke that's different,' and Terry plays something about Locke that's different. And you keep it simple and you trust your actors, and it's worked out pretty marvelously for us."

As for the cast, the race to the end is getting under way and each of them will have to deal with the series' passing in their own way. "I am going to cry like a baby when this show ends," said Lilly.

You and me both, Evangeline.

[Keep refreshing for latest info. More tk after my on-camera interviews with the Lost cast for Sky1.]

Season Six of Lost begins February 2nd at 9 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Angels and Demons: Doctors Without Borders on "Chuck"

Another night, another great episode of Chuck.

The two-night third season launch of Chuck continued last night with another brand-new installment ("Chuck vs. the Angel de la Muerte"), written by Phil Klemmer and directed by Jeremiah Chechik, which found the action-comedy returning to its regular Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT timeslot. (And I couldn't be happier with that: Mondays just haven't been the same without Chuck.)

Last night's episode dealt head-on with the season's new status quo... then seemingly inverted it by the end of the installment, which featured a cliffhanger that was then quickly spoiled by the promo for next week's episode. (Way to contain any suspense, NBC.)

So what happened and what did I think of last night's episode? Let's discuss. (Note: while I've seen the first five episodes of Chuck's third season, I'm keeping the discussion limited strictly to the first two installments.)

Since Devon found out about Chuck's secret identity in Season Two, I've been waiting for this subplot to pay off and last night's episode definitely put the focus onto the relationship between Chuck and his brother-in-law. From the opening flashback sequence that showed the first, er, meeting between Devon and Ellie (a hospital supply closet played a rather significant role) to the episode's final moments, Captain Awesome was front and center in a way that he hasn't been in the first two seasons: out in the field with Chuck and the spy team.

Devon and Ellie have represented something very specific in the world of Chuck: they're the domestic sphere that our Mr. Bartowski aspires to on the one hand, representing the comfortable stability of marital bliss. (It's a state of being that one can help but think Chuck would like to engage in with Sarah.) But despite the rosiness of Chuck's glasses, Devon and Ellie have hit a bit of a rut in their relationship, with Ellie moaning about the lack of passion since their wedding and Devon expressing the need for some adrenaline in his life. Despite that both are top notch doctors, each is looking for excitement in their own way.

Which bring us to Chuck then. For Devon, Chuck represents something unknown and dangerous, the literal embodiment of being a spy. He engages in world-spanning missions, deals with bad guys, and is on the front lines saving the world. Despite being Captain Awesome, Devon wants to be a real-life superhero. But in this episode, he quickly learns that having a double-life means giving up part of your real one. There was a nice parallel between the conversation between Chuck and Awesome and that of Ellie and Sarah at the embassy ball. The truth is harder to deal with than the illusion and there's more than a hint of sadness when Chuck tells Devon, "It's our job to fool people," about his cover relationship with Sarah.

I quite liked the change of pace with Chuck being engaged as Devon's handler as it were in this mission. Chuck has been a fish-out-of-water in the spy world for the last two seasons so it's nice to see him explain the intricacies of the spy game to someone with even less experience than he has... And it was just nice to see Devon brought into the central storyline and exist in Chuck's world.

And Chuck's world is hellishly complex. Putting aside the actual Intersect-flashing, ability-stealing, duck-and-cover aspect of being a superspy, there are unsettling emotions to deal with as well. The discussion between Chuck and Sarah was nicely done as they agree to remain "friends" (for now, anyway) rather than use a romantic relationship as their cover.

It's a life that also puts you in constant danger as Devon discovers at the very end of the episode. Just as we put the episode to bet, the Ring poisoner who had attempted to assassinate the Generalissimo (Armand Assante), turns up with a gunshot wound at the hospital... and Devon walks right into his clutches. While that would have been suspenseful enough, the fact that Sarah then whispers something into Chuck's ear (as Ellie hovers anxiously before asking if they've seen her husband) amps up the tension. Is Devon alive? Dead? Missing? I only wish that the NBC promo department had let the cliffhanger sit for the next week rather than spoil the outcome with a revealing promo for next week. (Grr.)

What did I like about this episode? Casey's Angel of Death storyline, in which we learned that he had attempted--and failed--three times to kill Goya, only to have to provide a blood transfusion to save the life of the reformed communist leader; the potential assassin montage at the party; Goya's mention of Chuck's "delicate features" and how they look better on a woman; Chuck and Sarah's Intersect-assisted dance; that Costa Gravan cigars are "rolled on the thighs of virgins"; "You stole my blood!"; and the general camaraderie between our superspy troika and Devon.

All in all, "Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte" was a fun installment that effectively sets up next week's superlative installment and provided a nice change of pace for the action-comedy, switching up Chuck's role within the group and raising the stakes for the civilians in Chuck's life.

What did you think of this week's episode? How did it compare to the two-hour season premiere? Just what happened to Devon? Discuss.

Next week on Chuck ("Chuck Versus Operation Awesome"), Chuck becomes Awesome's handler and shows him how to be a real spy; Morgan is forced to deal with Jeff and Lester's latest pranks after getting promoted to assistant manager.

Into the Unknown: FOX Officially Announces "X Factor" Order and Launch Date

FOX has officially announced that it has given a series order to a US version of musical competition series X Factor, which will launch in fall of 2011.

As a result, Simon Cowell will depart American Idol at the end of the upcoming season and will take over as host and executive producer of X Factor.

"I’m thrilled that we have put a date on the launch of the U.S. version of The X Factor, and delighted to be continuing to work with FOX," said Cowell in a statement. "We have a fantastic relationship, a great team and are all very excited about this."

The full press release from FOX can be found below.

“THE X FACTOR” TO LAUNCH ON FOX IN 2011

FOX announced today that THE X FACTOR will launch in the U.S. in the fall of 2011. Simon Cowell, who created and launched THE X FACTOR in the U.K. in 2004, will serve as both executive producer and judge on the U.S. version, which will be produced by Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America.

THE X FACTOR is currently shown in 17 countries worldwide with a global audience of more than 500 million, and is the No. 1 TV entertainment format in Europe. Cowell will continue to serve as both executive producer and judge on the U.K. version. THE X FACTOR format is owned by Syco, a global music, television and film production joint venture between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment.

“I’m thrilled that we have put a date on the launch of the U.S. version of THE X FACTOR, and delighted to be continuing to work with FOX,” said Cowell. “We have a fantastic relationship, a great team and are all very excited about this.”

Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, said, “We have had a very successful relationship with Simon Cowell for many years, and we’re absolutely delighted to continue our relationship with him. THE X FACTOR has been a massive success around the world, and we can’t wait to bring it to the U.S. in 2011.”

“THE X FACTOR has enjoyed an unparalleled success in its U.K. home market and globally,” said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America. “We are truly excited to bring it to the U.S. and look forward to building another entertainment franchise in the marketplace.”

About Syco/Simon Cowell
Syco, with offices in London and Los Angeles, is a global music, television and film production joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment.

Syco Television produces the BAFTA Award-winning “The X Factor,” which has topped the charts in Europe and in the U.K., where Cowell continues to serve as both executive producer and judge. Syco Television is also the owner of the “Got Talent” television format. Versions of both “The X Factor” and “Got Talent” are co-produced by Syco and shown in more than 40 countries.

“The X Factor” 2009 in the U.K. reached audiences of 20 million (60% audience share), and in Denmark, the audience share reached a record high of 80%.

Cowell also executive produces “America’s Got Talent” and judges and produces “Britain’s Got Talent,” which in 2009 launched the global singing career of Susan Boyle. Her debut Syco album sold over 8 million units in six weeks, making it the world’s biggest-selling album of 2009 and the fastest-selling album in history.

Syco is also the record label home for such diverse international recording stars as Leona Lewis, Il Divo and Paul Potts. Cowell has worked with artists selling more than 180 million albums and delivering more than 150 No. 1 records.

In 2009, Cowell was named No. 1 in Hollywood Reporter’s Top 50 Most Powerful in Reality TV and one of Entertainment Weekly’s Top Entertainers of the Year.

About FremantleMedia North America
FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative programs for network, cable, syndicated and online platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon AMERICAN IDOL (FOX), “America’s Got Talent” (NBC), “Can You Duet” (CMT), “The Chilli Project” (MTV), “Secret Girlfriend” (Comedy Central), “Let’s Make A Deal” (CBS), “Family Feud” (syndicated), and the longest-running game show in television history, “The Price Is Right” (CBS). In the U.K., “The X Factor” is produced by talkbackThames, a division of FremantleMedia, and Syco Television.

AMC Announces Season Three Start for "Breaking Bad"

Time to take another walk on the dark side.

AMC has finally announced a launch date for Season Three of critically-acclaimed drama series Breaking Bad.

The cabler will launch the third season on Sunday, March 21st at 10 pm ET/PT and will offer a "best of Breaking Bad" marathon on Friday, March 19th.

The full press release from AMC can be found below.

AMC ANNOUNCES “BREAKING BAD” SEASON THREE PREMIERE SUNDAY, MARCH 21 AT 10PM ET/PT

Back-to-Back Emmy® Winner Bryan Cranston Directs Season Premiere
“The Best of Breaking Bad” Marathon Begins Friday, March 19 at 8pm

“Top 10 Baddest Moments” and Other Exclusive Content on AMCTV.com

New York, NY – January 11, 2010 – AMC will premiere the highly anticipated third season of “Breaking Bad” on Sunday, March 21 at 10pm ET/PT. Back-to-back Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston will serve double duty as director of the premiere episode, “No Mas.”

Leading up to the highly-anticipated new season will be a “Best of Breaking Bad” Marathon, featuring six of the series’ best episodes, on Friday, March 19 beginning at 8pm ET/PT. In addition, season two will be available On Demand beginning in February.

“Breaking Bad” season three will also be complemented by a variety of exclusive online material at AMCTV.COM. Among the special digital content is a “Top 10 Baddest Moments” video special, counting down some of the series most outrageous scenes to date; an interactive graphic novel game, in which users can grill a suspect; all-new “webisodes;” Inside “Breaking Bad” videos; and a Criminal Aptitude Test.

Created by acclaimed writer/producer/director Vince Gilligan (“The X-Files”), “Breaking Bad” follows Walter White (Cranston), a milquetoast high school chemistry teacher who discovers he is dying of lung cancer. Desperate to secure his family's financial future, Walt teams up with a former student, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), to turn a used RV into a mobile drug lab.

Filmed on location in Albuquerque, NM, “Breaking Bad” season three stars Emmy® Award winner Bryan Cranston, Emmy® nominated Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito and Jonathan Banks. “Breaking Bad” is produced by Sony Pictures Television is association with AMC.

FOX Slates June Start for Action-Comedy "Code 58" From Matt Nix

FOX has announced a start date for the thirteen-episode action-comedy Code 58 (formerly known as Jack and Dan), from creator Matt Nix (Burn Notice) and Fox Television Studios.

The series, which stars Bradley Whitford, Colin Hanks, Jenny Wade, and Diana Maria Riva, will officially launch on Monday, June 7th at 8 pm ET/PT but Code 58 will have "special previews" on Wednesday, May 12th and Wednesday, May 19th.

"I’m incredibly excited to be doing the show at FOX," said creator Matt Nix. "It’s a network that’s known for pushing limits, and that’s what we’re doing here. They’ve really embraced the quirkier, more unconventional aspects of the show, and even encouraged me to go further with them."

The full press release from FOX can be found below.

“CODE 58 (working title)” PREMIERES MONDAY, JUNE 7,
WITH SPECIAL PREVIEWS WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, AND
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, ON FOX

New Series from Matt Nix Stars Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks

CODE 58 (working title), the new action-comedy from Matt Nix (“Burn Notice”), will have special previews on two nights, Wednesday, May 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, May 19 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), before making its series premiere Monday, June 7 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

“I’m incredibly excited to be doing the show at FOX,” said Nix. “It’s a network that’s known for pushing limits, and that’s what we’re doing here. They’ve really embraced the quirkier, more unconventional aspects of the show, and even encouraged me to go further with them.”

CODE 58 (working title) is a comedic look at what happens when an old-school cop and a modern-day detective try to expose the big picture of small crime. DAN STARK (Bradley Whitford, “The West Wing”) was once a big-shot Dallas detective. Thirty years later, Dan Stark is a washed-up detective who spends most of his time drunk or re-hashing his glory days. Dan’s new partner, JACK BAILEY (Colin Hanks, “Mad Men,” “Numb3rs”), is an ambitious, by-the-book and overall promising detective, but is sometimes a bit too snarky for his own good. His habit of undermining himself has earned him a dead-end position in the department. Jack may not see it, but he has little chance of getting out of his situation; his knack for making enemies at the station has assured he is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Jack’s only ally is ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY LIZ TOWNSEND (Jenny Wade, “Reaper”), a quick-witted former girlfriend whom Jack hasn’t quite gotten over and the one person he turns to for help with his current professional predicament. Not helping matters any is Jack and Dan’s boss, LIEUTENANT ANA RUIZ (Diana Maria Riva, “Side Order of Life,” “Castle”), who has committed herself to seeing that Jack and Dan spend the remainder of their days in the Property Crimes Division, assigned to investigate seemingly minor crimes in order to keep them – and the department – out of major trouble.

CODE 58 (working title) is produced by Fox Television Studios. Matt Nix and Mikkel Bondesen serve as executive producers. Tim Matheson will direct the pilot episode.

Sing a Song Only You Can Hear: FOX Renews "Glee" for Second Season

Glee fans: it's time to sing.

In a completely unsurprising move, FOX has officially announced that it has renewed musical comedy Glee for a second season.

"We’ve loved Glee ever since it was a pilot script, so it’s been an incredible thrill to watch the show take root and see audiences embrace these characters in such a huge way this season," said Kevin Reilly, FOX President, Entertainment. "The show is a true and rare gem in television. We couldn’t be more proud of what Ryan Murphy and the Glee team have created so far, and can’t wait to see what they come up with for Season Two."

Glee's first season, meanwhile, is set to return to the schedule on Tuesday, April 13th at 9 pm ET/PT.

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

GLEEKS REJOICE! FOX PICKS UP SECOND SEASON OF “GLEE”

NATIONWIDE OPEN CASTING CALL FOR “GLEE” BEGINS FEBRUARY
AND WILL AIR AS MULTI-PART SPECIAL THIS FALL ON FOX

Series Returns with All-New Episodes Tuesday, April 13, on FOX

FOX has ordered a second season of the genre-defying comedy GLEE, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company. GLEE has become a bona fide cultural phenomenon boasting winning ratings, critical acclaim, a rabid fan base of “GLEEks,” two certified Gold albums and more than 4 million song downloads. The series has received four Golden Globe nominations, including one for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series; two Directors Guild of America Award nominations; and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Series and Best New Series. Additionally, the American Film Institute named GLEE one of the Top 10 TV Programs of the Year, and the series also recently won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy.

“We’ve loved GLEE ever since it was a pilot script, so it’s been an incredible thrill to watch the show take root and see audiences embrace these characters in such a huge way this season,” said Reilly. “The show is a true and rare gem in television. We couldn’t be more proud of what Ryan Murphy and the GLEE team have created so far, and can’t wait to see what they come up with for Season Two.”

GLEE has also launched the acting and singing careers of its young, talented cast, and turned them into international sensations. Replicating and expanding on the process used to discover the stars from Season One, the series’ executive producers will begin a nationwide casting search this February to fill three new roles that will be added to the show’s second season.

Building upon the show’s incredibly supportive community of GLEEks and with the hope of bringing fans even closer to the series, auditions will be open to amateur individuals as well as professionals between the ages of 16-26, and all hopefuls will be able to submit auditions online. Additional details to be announced soon, please check www.fox.com/glee for updates.

This unique casting search and process will be chronicled in a multi-part special that will air leading up to the premiere of the series’ second season in fall 2010 on FOX, and the new cast members will be revealed in the premiere episode.


-more-
“GLEE” PICKUP AND CASTING – Page 2

“GLEE has always been about finding new fresh exciting voices. Our second season search for young talent will be in the vein of our first season. We launched a nationwide search for talent for our first season with great unexpected results, and Season Two expands that search in an even bigger way,” said executive producer and creator Ryan Murphy. He added, “Anybody and everybody now has a chance to be on a show about talented underdogs. No matter who you are – a Broadway talent or a struggling singing waiter with a dream in the Midwest – you now have an opportunity to make that dream come true by posting your talent video and showing us what you can do. ALL the roles will be chosen from the video audition process, which is exciting and unprecedented. We want to be the first interactive musical comedy on television, and the search is ON.”

“GLEE is the hottest new show of the season, and it’s amazing to look back at the audition tapes of those stars as they were being discovered,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment for FOX. “Just like GLEE, there’s never really been an unscripted program like this on television before. The stakes are real, and it’s going to be incredibly compelling to watch the lives of these unknowns transformed before our eyes.”

GLEE returns with all-new episodes on a new night beginning Tuesday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

GLEE follows an optimistic teacher who – against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach – inspires McKinley High’s Glee Club to conquer the world one singing competition at a time. GLEE stars Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz.

GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan serves as co-executive producer.

Spies Don't Fall in Love: A Tale of Two Cities on "Chuck"

Hard choices and tough consequences would seem to be the overarching themes of the two-hour season premiere of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Pink Slip" and "Chuck Versus the Three Words"), which picked up the dangling plot threads of last season's cliffhanger and wove them together into a strong forward-moving plot that touched on not only the solitary nature of being a spy but also the weight of the profession's responsibilities.

Chuck's new Intersect 2.0-derived abilities might make him potentially more valuable in the field but, once again, his emotions get the better of him. Not just in the adrenaline-pumping sense of being in mortal danger but also that his feeling for Sarah Walker can cloud his judgment. And clearly the reverse seems to be true as well for Sarah.

Despite the fact that the opening two-hour installment is actually comprised of two separate episodes--the first written by Chris Fedak and Matt Miller and the second by Ali Adler and Scott Rosenbaum--they actually function quite effectively as an opening act for the season, coupling the action-driven subplot of Chuck's new capabilities with the Chuck-Sarah romantic subplot. And, rather than begin the season directly from the kung fu-laden cliffhanger, Fedak and the writing staff wisely jumped ahead six months, slowly revealing just what happened between the almost-couple in Prague and then, in the second half, why things took the turn they did.

So what did I think of "Chuck Versus the Pink Slip" and "Chuck Versus the Three Words"? Let's discuss. (Note: while I've seen the first five episodes of Chuck's third season, I'm keeping the discussion limited strictly to the first two installments.)

The first hour functioned more or less as a reintroduction to the Chuck universe, valuable given the time lapse between the end of Season Two and the beginning of Season Three (it was also a nice jumping on point for new viewers as well), but it also cleared the decks as it were for some new story possibilities. Poor Emmett Milbarge was killed off, Big Mike brought back to oversee the Buy More (in the second episode), and things were more or less reset to where they were: Chuck and Morgan got their jobs back, Sarah and Chuck's relationship was once again on the rocks, and Casey... Well, Casey was still his gun-toting, grunting self.

But while it seemed as though little had changed since the second season, there were some nice character shifts going on under the surface. The first two episodes found Chuck getting what he always wanted... and realizing that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. For a series that's functioned largely as a wish-fulfillment fantasy, that's a pretty big leap. Chuck has always wanted to be a superhero and, with the Intersect, he achieved that goal; he's a kung fu fighting, mariachi-playing superhero sans tights.

But Chuck learned that old lesson from Uncle Ben: great powers come with great responsibility and so finds himself at the edge of a moral precipice with Sarah. It's a turning point for Chuck Bartowski: he can either fulfill his duty or follow his heart. Leaving her at the railway station in Prague, Chuck chooses to turn his back on Sarah, to not run away with her, to accept adulthood and the responsibilities therein.

For Sarah, it's an opportunity to have the life she's been so desperate to lead. The two have been on opposite trajectories for so long: Chuck wanting a life of action and intrigue, Sarah yearning for normalcy, for the quiet life she's never, ever had (first as the daughter of a con man and later as a world-traveling spy).

To say that Chuck breaks her heart as he gives her back the ticket and his passport is an understatement of the highest order. When we pick up with Sarah, she's icy, cut off, and emotionally distant, having thrown herself into her work and believing intently with Carina's cardinal rule of spying: don't fall in love.

Yet, Chuck's not exactly happy either; he's too emotional to handle the rigors of the new Intersect abilities, designed for a trained spy with mastery of their feelings under intense pressure. And when he gets pink-slipped by General Beckman, he's a pale shadow of himself, a bearded, bathrobe-clad loser who spends his day loafing on the couch and stuffing his face with cheese balls.

But this is Chuck after all and so Mr. Bartowski ends up crossing paths (none too coincidentally) with Sarah and Casey and finds himself once more attempting to play the spy game. It's a game made all the more dangerous by the emergence of an assassin, a kidnapping, the murder of Emmett Milbarge (to the tune of Wilson Phillips' "Hold On," no less), and a means to prove his zip-line abilities once more.

While the first episode works quite effectively as a season opener, it's the second hour, "Chuck Versus the Three Words" that really started to heat things up. I'm extremely chuffed that the producers opted to bring back Mini Anden's Carina; I think she gels really well with the rest of the Chuck cast and brings not only an unpredictability but also a nice change of perspective as well. Her sultry, devil-may-care attitude conceals a heart of steel. (She might flirt and pout, but usually she's just reaching for her gun.)

Carina's pert looks were contrasted nicely with the guest casting of Vinnie Jones, here playing the deadly Karl Stromberg (very obviously a shout-out to the Bond villain of the same name in The Spy Who Loved Me). I loved Casey's avuncular manner and his interminable toast, as well as Stromberg's wish that his and fiancee Carina's first child will be a "masculine child" (yes, a Godfather shout-out, to boot). (And that's saying nothing of Carina and Sarah's lingerie scene where they seductively slip into their dresses and strap on some knives and guns.)

Some nice continuity with the return of Chuck's mom's bracelet, here picked up insensitively by Carina and which Sarah must have been keeping around all this time. But it's Chuck's videotaped confession--and Sarah's resulting realization at the end of the episode--that show the depth of feeling between the two of them. Both is clearly in love with the other but the pull of duty compels both of them to restrain from acting upon it.

As for that confession, that it occurs while Chuck is sealed inside a vault secreted within Stromberg's house (from which he had to employ some awe-inspiring acrobats to grab a gold suitcase) and is being dosed with some sort of gas is testament to the strengths of Chuck, fancifully combining the romantic with the comedic and the, er, spy-riffic.

Plus, there are some nice subplots building as well: just who is Shaw (glimpsed flicking an old school lighter) and why does Beckman want to warn the team? What will Morgan, now Chuck's roommate, make of his frequent disappearances and long absences? Can there ever be anything permanent between Chuck and Sarah?

All in all, the two-hour opener represents a fantastic start for what promises to be the best season yet of Chuck.

What did you think of the Chuck season opener? Was it all that you expected? Did it live up to the hype? Discuss.

Tomorrow night on another brand-new episode of Chuck ("Chuck Versus the Angel de la Muerte"), Chuck must protect a visiting dictator from an assassination threat; Devon is excited about the idea of being a spy when he finds himself entangled in the latest mission.

New Beginnings and Old Ghosts: All is Well on the Season Premiere of HBO's "Big Love"

Some baggage can't be left behind.

It was a particularly harsh lesson for the Henrickson clan to grasp in last night's sensational season premiere of Big Love ("Free at Last"), written by series creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer and directed by Daniel Attias, which also featured a new opening title sequence and a new theme song ("Home" by Engineers).

As the fourth season opens, the polygamist family is closer than ever to achieving its dreams of financial security in the form of the casino deal that Bill brokered with the Blackfoot tribe. But the opening hour isn't just about the corporate but also the celestial, as Bill presides over a new storefront church, paying off the ending of Season Three in which he received a testimony to call together his own congregation.

However, even as the family looks towards a brighter future, their first steps towards claiming control of their own destiny are overshadowed by reminders of the past they've left behind, the seething power struggle about to erupt at the Juniper Creek compound, and cracks forming in their own solidarity.

You had a chance to read my advance review of the first two episodes of Season Four of Big Love but, now that the season premiere has aired, we can discuss the episode in specifics. (Note: while I've seen the first two episodes, I'll keep my thoughts restricted solely to discussing "Free at Last.")

After the intensity of last season, the premiere episode offered an opportunity for the audience to catch its breath a bit while it caught up with the Henricksons. Additionally, the slight jump ahead in time--six weeks--gave the writers just enough time to keep the status quo fresh enough while moving along some notable subplots such as the construction of the casino and Cara Lynn's new status in the Henrickson home(s). The sting of Nicki's betrayal last season continues to cast a pall over the communal environment, despite her admission of her wrongdoing... and the reveal that much of her behavior could be attributed to her underage marriage to JJ (Zeljko Ivanek) and her birthing of a daughter. (Her marriage, one might recall, was subsequently unsealed.)

Likewise, the blossoming of Margene into an independent and outspoken woman in her own right has continued apace as well. Given her success on a home shopping network, she's having to juggle the demands of her own career as well as that of Bill's, while also at least giving the illusion of lending a hand at home. Her handling of Barb--goading her into realizing that her problems at the casino stem not from anti-Mormonism or misogyny but from their dislike of her--end up producing an unexpected realization from Barb as well. Despite Margene making leaps towards fulfilling her potential, Barb feels rudderless, lost, drifting in the darkness.

But Barb isn't the only one finding herself in the darkness. Even with Bill's efforts to create a beacon of light for his family, some members of his flock are slipping further away. Sarah continues to pull away from her parents' chosen path; despite attending a service at Bill's new church, Sarah makes it clear that she and Scott will not be sealed there, regardless of Barb's not-so-gentle coaxing. The eternal question that the series poses is how a family--whether traditional or non-traditional--stays together or falls apart when faced by adversity. Sarah's tenuous connection to her family could weaken even further as the season goes on...

Bill and Nicki's relationship is fractured, possibly forever; they've yet to reconnect (emotionally or sexually) since the events of Season Three. Not that Nicki has adjusted her abrasive ways; she's just as argumentative and confrontational as ever but there are moments of clarity, such as her breakdown in the car ("fry sauce" not withstanding), which reveals a loosening of Nicki. (It's gently assisted by a looseness of her look as well, with her hair flowing and less severe and her clothes slightly more contemporary.) Still, Nicki's handling of her daughter Cara Lynn amounts to little more than kidnapping, especially given the fact that it takes JJ trespassing on the Henricksons' property to make her admit that she's been avoiding him and a discussion about Cara Lynn's future. As for Cara Lynn, she might just be her mother's daughter; the ease with which she tells JJ that she doesn't like living there was staggering. Just who is she lying to? And for what purpose? And is she serious about leaving the Henricksons when JJ goes back to Kansas?

I thought that Olsen and Scheffer did a remarkable job at keeping the plot moving while not revealing the fate of Roman Grant right off the bat. Despite the fact that we clearly saw Joey Henrickson smother Roman Grant to death in the third season finale, Roman is a slippery fellow; he's survived assassination attempts, a kangaroo court, and a tumble down the courthouse stairs in the last two seasons. But let's just mention the elephant in the room: Roman Grant is dead. There's no amount of manipulation, guitar-strumming, or cheese that can resurrect the former prophet of Juniper Creek.

Adaleen used the confusion about Roman's "disappearance" to keep the lid on his passing, stashing him in the walk-in freezer amid the bacon. (Naturally, it's Adaleen who has been depositing money into a bank account in Nicki's name, looking for yet another escape route in case of danger.) That Adaleen allowed Nicki to walk into the freezer and come face to face with her father's frozen corpse doesn't exactly make her a likely candidate for mother of the year, despite her intense desire to make Nicki a BLT sandwich. Desperate? You bet. Misguided? Hell yes.

Alby, ever the opportunist, used Roman's death as yet another way to get back at Bill and he and Lura deposit the corpse at the casino tent site. Not that Alby doesn't have enough to deal with already, considering that his one-time park hook-up ended being Dale (Ben Koldyke), the state-appointed trustee on the UEB board. The look of sheer horror as Alby realizes that he's been caught out--and Dale's own look of shock--was palpably played by Matt Ross. It's echoed subtly but provocatively when Bill thinks he's deflected Alby's attack on him by returning Roman's corpse to the compound... only to be handed undeniable proof of his involvement in a conspiracy in the form of Roman's hat.

It's a reminder that the past will always catch up to you, whether that be Alby coming face to face with Dale or Bill getting handed Roman's signature white cowboy hat. The effect is that of a scarlet letter, branding them both with a sense of shame that's keenly felt.

As to what the future will bring, that remains to be seen. Self-determination appears to be a major overarching theme of the season, with the family attempting to seize control of their own destiny (it's a theme that's subtly explored via their relationship with the Native American Blackfoot tribe). Whether Bill will be able to find the societal freedom for his family that he so desperately desires, along with advancing their own political status, seems like a compelling story that will unfold over the course of the next eight episodes. Let's just hope that the Henricksons can find the escape velocity to get past all of their baggage.

Next week on Big Love ("The Greater Good"), Bill contemplates running for the Utah State Senate; Sarah and Scott decide to forgo a wedding in Bill's church; Margene confronts Nicki about her feelings for Ray Henry.

Channel Surfing: "Lost" Here to Stay?, NBC Unveils New Strategy, "Day One" Cut Down to Backdoor Pilot, "The Borgias," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Variety's Michael Schneider takes a look at how ABC executives are attempting to stake out a strategy for the future of Lost, which will wrap up its run in May... but might be sticking around via ancillary products and potential sequels. "We've been talking about this for a couple of years now," ABC marketing exec VP Mike Benson told Schneider. "We want to keep it alive but make sure we maintain the integrity of the franchise. We're not about milking this thing for all that it is right now; it's important to see this live for years to come... What Lost becomes after it ends its run is up in the air. It really depends on who comes in to interpret it next." But whatever that future might hold, whether it be novels and comicbooks or indeed a spinoff series down the line, it won't involve current Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who will end their oversight on the franchise once the series wraps this spring. "Damon and Carlton laid such groundwork, it's going to be a challenge for us, and we have to rise to the occasion," said ABC marketing EVP Marla Provencio. "We have to find different, creative and innovative ways to keep the fans happy and to keep the franchise healthy." (Variety)

[Editor: in other Lost news, Obama's State of the Union Address will NOT delay ABC's intended February 2nd launch date for Season Six of Lost. It's back on track.]

Speaking yesterday at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, NBC's Jeff Gaspin announced that The Jay Leno Show would no longer hold its weeknights at 10 pm timeslot after February 12th and unveiled potential plans to shift Jay Leno to 11:35 pm, move Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show to 12:05 am, and Jimmy Fallon to 1:05 am. Additionally, Angela Bromstad gave critics a peek at the Peacock's current development slate, which includes J.J. Abrams' espionage drama Undercovers (which he'll direct), David Tennant-led legal dramedy Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, remakes of Prime Suspect and The Rockford Files, David E. Kelley-created legal drama Kindreds, thriller The Event, Jerry Bruckheimer action-procedural drama Chase, and the untitled Adam Carolla comedy. Plus, loads more info from the press tour, to boot. (Televisionary)

In other NBC-related news, the sci-fi drama series Day One, which had been cut back to four hours late last year, has had its order sliced in half again. Rather than air a four-hour mini-series as indicated by the network back in September, Day One will now air as just a two-hour backdoor pilot, with no further episodes to be shot beyond the pilot. "The pilot will still air after the Winter Olympics as was the plan for the Day One mini," writes Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, "and NBC still keeps the door open to picking up more episodes for next season should the pilot does well." (Hollywood Reporter)

Showtime has ordered thirteen episodes of historical drama The Borgias, which will revolve around the infamous 15th century Italian crime family and will star Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia. Project, which is being viewed for a 2011 launch, is written by Michael Hirst (The Tudors), who will executive produce with Neil Jordan; the latter will direct the first two episodes. "I can guarantee you've never seen a family quite like this before," said Showtime entertainment president Robert Greenblatt, "and nor could you make up the outrageous twists and turns of their epic saga." (Hollywood Reporter)

The Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin and Joe Flint are reporting that FOX will announce a US version of Simon Cowell's UK talent competition series The X Factor will premiere in 2011. Cowell would serve as host and executive producer of the US format. "News could be made official as early as this week, people familiar with the situation said," wrote Martin and Flint. "As a result, the acid-tongued star judge of American Idol" is unlikely to stay on Fox's long-running juggernaut full time beyond the ninth season, which premieres Tuesday." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

The Wrap's Joe Adalian is reporting that David Nutter (The Mentalist) is in advanced talks to sign on to direct Jerry Bruckheimer's NBC action procedural pilot Chase, from Warner Bros. Television. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Kathy Bates is heading to NBC's The Office, according to E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos, who got the scoop from Office executive producer Greg Daniels. She'll play the CEO of the company that buys the struggling Dunder Mifflin. "She's a larger than life character," said Daniels of Bates' character. "She has two giant Great Danes that accompany her to the office, and she's very funny. Fantastic actress. We're very excited to have an Academy Award [winning] person on the show." Meanwhile, SPOILER! Dos Santos also gets the scoop on Pam's upcoming labor pains. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Bravo reality series Flipping Out has been renewed for a fourth season. Also returning: The Rachel Zoe Project, picked up for a third season, and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List for a sixth. The news was announced at yesterday's Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, where Bravo's Frances Berwick also announced series orders for two reality projects: Thintervention, starring Work Out's Jackie Warner, and Bethany's Getting Married?, featuring Real Housewives of New York City's Bethany Frankel. In other news, Gail Simmons will host Top Chef spinoff Top Chef: Just Desserts and Top Chef: Masters will return for a second season on April 7th. The network will also launch 9 by Design," which follows husband-wife design team Robert and Cortney Novogratz and their seven children, on April 5th and Double Exposure, which follows photographers Markus Klinko and Indrani and stylist G.K. Reid, in April. (via press release)

FlashForward executive producer David S. Goyer remains optimistic about a second season renewal, despite flagging ratings for the first half of the freshman season. He also teased details about what Season Two might be about in a recent interview. "You're going to start meeting some of the faces of the enemy, starting with episode 11," said Goyer. "We'll meet a bunch of them in the second half of the season. One of the other interesting things is we'll start to let you in on who the people that engineered the blackout are and why. There are a couple more that are coming and assuming we go into season two, one of those guys will be a series regular in season two." (via Digital Spy)

Series order! ABC has given a greenlight to Scoundrels, ordering eight episodes of a US remake of Kiwi drama series Outrageous Fortune, from ABC Studios and writers Richard Levine and Lyn Greene, who will executive produce alongside John Barnett, Francie Calfo, Michael Larkin, and Michael Goldstein. Series, which revolves around a family of criminals who are forced to go straight by the family matriarch after their father lands in prison, was previously adapted for US television by Rob Thomas in 2008 and a pilot was shot with Catherine O'Hara starring. (Hollywood Reporter)

Syfy will air mini-series Riverworld and The Phantom later this year, according to The Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan. Elsewhere at the cabler, Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke have been hired to write the network's thirteen-episode supernatural thriller Haven, which is based on the Stephen King's "The Colorado Kid." That project, as well as the US adaptation of British supernatural drama Being Human, could launch as early as this summer. (Futon Critic)

FOX has ordered a pilot presentation for an untitled sketch comedy project to star Dana Carvey, who will develop and executive produce the project with Spike Feresten which will feature a "strong online component." (Variety)

Maz Jobrani (Better Off Ted), Marjan Neshat (Mercy), and Harach Titzian (24) have been cast in ABC single-camera comedy pilot Funny in Farsi, which will be directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. (Hollywood Reporter)

Oxygen announced its development slate yesterday at the TCA Winter Press Tour, unveiling several new series--including Fashion Drop, Hair Battle Spectacular, House of Glam, Russell Simmons Project, When Charlie Met Sarah, and Jersey Couture--as well as returning series The Bad Girls Club, Dance Your Ass Off, and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, set to return for its fifth season in the spring. Former Spice Girl Mel B., meanwhile, will take over hosting duties for Season Two of Dance Your Ass Off. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Peacock Feather: Jeff Gaspin and Angela Bromstad Oversee NBC's Executive Session at TCA Winter Press Tour

NBC made the right call in trotting out Jeff Gaspin to answer questions alongside Angela Bromstad at this morning's NBC executive sessions here at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena.

While critics were eager to get some answers on the still-developing schedule changes afoot at the network (which would have Jay Leno potentially moving to a half-hour timeslot at 11:35 pm--after the local news--and Conan moving The Tonight Show to 12:05 am, followed by Jimmy Fallon at 1:05 am), there wasn't the same baying for blood that marked the August appearance of Bromstad and reality czar Paul Telegdy.

Anticipating the need for concrete information about the Leno-O'Brien situation, Gaspin began the session by stating unequivocally, "I can confirm that, starting February 12th, Jay Leno will no longer air at 10 pm." He also confirmed reports that the current proposal has Leno shifting to 11:35 pm, Conan retaining The Tonight Show title and moving to 12:05, and Fallon moving to 1:05 am. (As for where that would leave Carson Daly, Daly will be a part of "the NBC family regardless of what happens," said Gaspin.)

In other news, Gaspin announced that NBC will go back to the traditional upfront presentations and has settled on the morning on May 17th for their upfront (so long, "in front!") and that the Jerry Seinfeld-produced reality series The Marriage Ref will air immediately following the closing ceremonies of the Olympics.

And J.J. Abrams will be directing the pilot for espionage drama Undercovers, marking his first television pilot directing gig since he helmed the pilot for ABC's Lost.

The potential latenight switch will net at least two additional hours of drama, another of reality, and another hour of Dateline in the 10 pm timeslot through the week. Gaspin, meanwhile, said that he will working on the schedule until the last possible second. Of the decision to put Jay Leno at 10 pm in the first place, Gaspin said, "We wanted an alternative to 10... We still think it's a tough time period. I think, over time, it might have grown."

As for how long it might take for NBC to bounce back from its downturn, Gaspin said, "I almost don't care how quickly it happens as long as it happens."

"Everyone knows we are struggling in primetime," said Gaspin. "But we have Biggest Loser, great Thursday night comedy lineup with The Office and 30 Rock [and new comedies Community and Parks and Recreation], we still have Law & Order...Beyond that, have to work harder. We are happy with the quality of the shows we have on the air... but we want to see bigger ratings."

As for what's coming up, NBC touted the new drama series Parenthood, which launches in March, and said that there were some other projects, including the David Tennant-led legal dramedy Rex is Not Your Lawyer, that could "theoretically" be ready in time for March. (Or Rex could be in contention for an early fall slot on the schedule.) Executives will watch a cut of pilot of Rex is Not Your Lawyer this week. Gaspin said he is "not sure" if Rex or other contenders will make it on the schedule this spring.

"Instead of trying to reinvent, going back to basics is probably best," said Gaspin. "We are not going to do 5 new dramas at 10 pm." Gaspin said that he has "complete confidence" in his development team, while Bromstad said, ""We have absolutely dedicated our resources to fortifying and building up our development slate... We have been able to bring tremendous talent back to NBC."

"We've had a great working relationship with Warner, great talent, Sony... It's been a tremendous year for us," said Bromstad, who announced several pilot pickups, including (courtesy of the NBC release):

• Prime Suspect: Based on the award-winning BBC series centering on a courageous female detective who investigates complex mysteries in a politically explosive big city. Casting will be announced later. The pilot is produced by Universal Media Studios and ITV. Hank Steinberg (“Without a Trace”) and Erwin Stoff (“The Blind Side”) are the executive producers.
• The Rockford Files: the successful NBC drama from the 1970s is re-imagined by executive producers David Shore (“House”) and Steve Carell (NBC’s “The Office”). The title character, Jim Rockford, remains a roguish private eye who tackles the dangerous, quirky and unpredictable cases that no other detective wants to handle. The pilot is from Universal Media Studios and Carousel Productions.
• The Event: a thriller with a unique storytelling device that features multiple points of view concerning a decent, regular fellow who battles against mysterious circumstances that envelope a larger conspiracy. Universal Media Studios produces the pilot that includes Steve Stark (“Medium”) as the executive producer; Nick Wauters (“The 4400”) is the co-executive producer/writer. Casting will be announced later.
• Undercovers: a domesticated husband and wife return from years in retirement and are re-activated as CIA agents. As they work together for the first time on new cases, they discover new aspects from their past - even as they re-ignite their passion for each other. J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” the 2009 feature film “Star Trek”), Bryan Burk (“Lost,” “Star Trek”) and Josh Reims (“Dirty Sexy Money”) are the executive producers; Abrams and Reims are the writers. The pilot is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Bad Robot Productions.
• Chase: a new action-procedural drama from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer (the “CSI” franchise, “The Amazing Race,” “The Pirates of the Caribbean” feature films). “Chase,” based on a real-life group and set in the American Southwest, follows a crucial fugitive apprehension team comprised of U.S. Marshals that tracks down the nation’s most notorious criminals. Tension builds as the cat-and-mouse game of the ultimate search escalates in each episode. The series is from Warner Bros. Television and Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Joining Bruckheimer as executive producers are Jennifer Johnson (“Cold Case”) and Jonathan Littman (“CSI,” “Cold Case”).
• Kindreds: created by Emmy Award winner David E. Kelley (“Boston Legal,” “The Practice,” “L.A. Law”), follows a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer and his group of misfit associates as their lives come together to form an unconventional kind of law practice. The series is from Warner Bros. Television and David E. Kelley Productions. Kelley is the writer and executive producer.
• Love Bites is an hour-long romantic comedy produced by Universal Media Studios and Working Title Films. Writer Cindy Chupack (“Sex in the City,” “Everybody Loves Raymond”), Timothy Bevan & Eric Fellner (both for “Love Actually,” “Bridget Jones’ Diary”) and Shelley McCrory are the executive producers. Casting and producer credits will be announced later.
• Untitled Adam Carolla comedy project: features the humorous radio and TV personality Carolla (“The Man Show,” “The Hammer”) as a contractor who sets out to re-build his life following a divorce. The pilot is produced by Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun. The executive producers are Carolla, Kevin Hench (The Hammer”), Jon Pollack (NBC’s “30 Rock”), Jimmy Kimmel (“The Jimmy Kimmel Show”), Gail Berman (NBC’s “Mercy”), Lloyd Braun (NBC’s “Mercy”), Daniel Kellison (“The Jimmy Kimmel Show,” “The Man Show”) and James Dixon (“Ace in the Hole”).

There was no mention of midseason comedy 100 Questions or sci-fi event miniseries Day One. Additionally, NBC has not indicated when it will return Friday Night Lights to the schedule, though Gaspin has indicated that the series will become available to them beginning March 1st.

(UPDATE: NBC has since indicated that Day One will air as a two-hour backdoor pilot only and 100 Questions will air before the end of the season.)

Asked about whether Heroes will return for a fifth season, Bromstad said, "Heroes is a show that we love and so we are sitting down with Tim Kring and he is pitching his view of the new season." Once they look at the current crop of pilots, they will make decision on the fate of Heroes. But it's looking likely that it will be returning, said Bromstad. "

As for Southland, which has moved to TNT, Bromstad was slightly cagier. "Southland was a really tough decision," said Bromstad. "However, we did launch the show at 10, it did fall off considerably in ratings because of its serialized nature... It probably found a better home in cable."

"We have to remember that it's not like we ripped off a bunch of high-performing dramas at 10 pm to put Leno on," said Bromstad, who clearly didn't recall Law & Order: SVU used to air in that timeslot.

Speaking of Wolf's franchise, it's highly likely that the original flagship will continue on past this season. "It's highly possible that Law & Order will go on beyond this year," said Bromstad, who pitched Dick Wolf an LA-based Law & Order series, which he is lovingly referring to as LOLA (read: Law & Order: LA).

And, lastly, David Hasselhoff's replacement on reality competition series America's Got Talent has been named: it's Howie Mandel. Mandel will join returning judges Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan along with host Nick Cannon.

All in all, Gaspin definitely brought poise and confidence to the executive session, answering questions honestly and not offering double-talk when he was unaware of the answer or didn't have one yet. Certainly, a huge improvement over last press tour's disastrous executive session. Can NBC turn their fortunes around? Time will tell but they are clearly willing to shake things up and slay some sacred cows in order to attempt to achieve their goals.

Stay tuned.

Real American Hero: Televisionary Talks to Ryan McPartlin of NBC's "Chuck"

The countdown to Chuck Season Three continues!

I had the opportunity to visit the set of Chuck back in the fall, when the start of Season Three seemed uncertain (remember when we weren't going to get any Chuck until March?), and had the chance to sit down with the cast for a series of video interviews. (You can view my interview with Zachary Levi here and my interview with Yvonne Strahovski here.)

Watch as I sit down with Ryan McPartlin on the set of Chuck (specifically Casa Bartowski) to talk about what's coming up on Season Three of Chuck, the eleventh hour renewal, Devin entering the spy world, action and adventure, and more.



Season Three of Chuck launches January 10th at 9 pm ET/PT with a two-hour premiere before moving to its regular timeslot Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT on January 11th..

The Daily Beast: "Big Love Returns"

Big Love returns on Sunday evening with its fourth season and a hell of a lot of neck-snapping plot twists to come.

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my latest piece, entitled "Big Love Returns," which is actually a gargantuan Q&A-style interview with Big Love creators/executive producers Mark V. Olsen and Eric Scheffer.

And when I say gargantuan, I mean it. Olsen and Scheffer talk about the role of identity this season, the paths that Bill, Barb, Nicki, and Margene each take in Season Four, as well as subplots relating to Alby, Roman, Cara Lynn, the power struggle at the fundamentalist compound, Bill’s campaign for public office, Sissy Spacek's character, and more.

So head over there and check it out. And be sure to head to the comments section to discuss what you're most looking forward to about Season Four and where you think the story is heading.

Season Four of Big Love begins Sunday evening at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Televisionary is TCA-Bound

Yep, it's that time of year again as television critics and reporters descend on Los Angeles en masse for the annual Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, being held once again in Pasadena.

I'll be attending again as I have for the last few press tours. Look for me to be filing stories directly from Pasadena beginning tomorrow, as well as live-tweeting several sessions and doing some one-on-one interviews for upcoming features.

Wondering what the executives have to say about the network's upcoming midseason programming? Want to hear what Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have to say about Season Six of Lost? Want some tidbits from the cast and crew of NBC's Parks and Recreation? You've come to the right place. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and keep refreshing the main page here at Televisionary for the latest information, gossip, and intel from the TCA Press Tour.

Stay tuned.

The Direction We Are Moving: An Advance Review of "Return to Cranford" on "Masterpiece Classic"

Every now and then a literary adaptation comes along that is so pitch-perfect, so precisely cast and beautifully written and directed, that it stands as a piece of art in its own right.

Masterpiece Classic kicks off its latest season with the superlative Return to Cranford (which aired in the UK several weeks ago under the title Cranford Christmas), based once again on the "Cranford" novels of Elizabeth Gaskell and here adapted by Heidi Thomas and directed by Simon Curtis.

As in the original Cranford, life in the sleepy English town of Cranford is in peril, thanks to the winds of change. The railroad--the focus of the first "Cranford" adaptation--has nearly reached the town and brought with it the unstoppable fumes of progress. The prim streets of the village have been filled by unruly railway workers and modern ideas have begun to seep into the minds of the town's most staunch residents. In other words: the industrial revolution has arrived.

Despite the unstoppable nature of change, several of Cranford's distinguished ladies have drawn a line in the sand, attempting to stand up to the railway and other ideas that they deem unsuitable. (That comes to include, later on, an unexpected romance that crosses classes, among other social conceits.) Returning to reprise her role as Miss Matty Jenkyns, Dame Judi Dench slowly begins a remarkable transformation, coping with the numerous losses she endured in the first Cranford miniseries and reeling from the specter of change in its many forms here. Despite the traumas she's encountered, Matty is just as sweet and saintly as ever and Dench turns in a remarkably nuanced performance as the charming old maid.

Also returning for this go-around, numerous familiar faces including Imelda Staunton, who plays the seething gossip Octavia Pole, the sweet Mrs. Forrester (Julia McKenzie) with her grey flannel-clad cow, uppity social climber Mrs. Jamieson (Barbara Flynn), Augusta Tomkinson (Deborah Findlay), dowager landowner Lady Ludlow (Francesca Annis), local lad Harry Gregson (Alex Etel), and many others. Meanwhile, Celia Imrie, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Sharp, and Tom Hiddleston comprise the expanded cast this time around, playing characters that take up the reins of the numerous romantic, social, and domestic subplots of Cranford.

The result is an extraordinary mix of social commentary, domestic satire, romantic drama, and condition-of-England plot. Even if you haven't seen the original Cranford, it's impossible not to be swept up in the compelling storytelling and dynamic plots of Return to Cranford. It's truly a Sunday evening treat and the perfect way to wind down your weekend. Once you set foot in the charming Cranford, you'll never want to leave.

Part One of Return to Cranford airs Sunday evening at 9 pm on PBS' Masterpiece Classic. Part Two airs the following week. Check local listings for details.