Finally, pilot screeners are starting to land on my desk. Here's my first impressions of CBS drama "The Good Wife."

(I emphasize that these are first impressions, not a full-fledged review nor a hit-or-miss prediction. Most pilots at this stage of the game are very much works in progress.)

Pro: Julianna Margulies, a very original premise, sharp writing from creators/exec producers Robert King and Michelle King

Con: There's not much to not like here. It's not ground-breaking or mind-blowing TV, but it's very well crafted.

I liked "Good Wife" far more than I thought I would. The premise is such a natural. What happens to the political wife after she's humiliated at the press conference where she serves as a prop for a philandering husband confessing his sins. This is a show for everyone who watched former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's press conference last year and asked out loud how his wife, Silda, could stand to be up there with him.

Margulies plays a political wife, Alicia Florrick, who's not only humiliated but pressed to return to the workforce to be the breadwinner for her two kids after her worse half gets sent to the clink post-scandal. She deals with issues of ageism -- fighting younger hot-shots in the law firm where she's brought on as a junior associate -- and the lingering political fallout from her husband's transgressions, and his political enemies.

I suspected "Good Wife" would be a show with a lot of lofty speechifying from Margulies' character. Happily, it is not -- not at all. Margulies plays her vulnerability and insecurity and anger at her husband just right in the pilot, even as, of course, she comes in with the eleventh-hour "Perry Mason" save on her first case. The show is greatly enhanced by a solid supporting cast: Chris Noth, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, Josh Charles and a new face to me, Archie Panjabi (a femme), who plays the law firm's wily in-house investigator.

I felt like I got to know Alicia in the pilot, and she's someone I'd check in with again for sure.

Finally, pilot screeners are starting to land on my desk. Here's my first impressions of CBS sitcom "Accidentally on Purpose."

(I emphasize that these are first impressions, not a full-fledged review nor a hit-or-miss prediction. Most pilots at this stage of the game are very much works in progress.)

Pro: Jenna Elfman, Jon Foster, Ashley Jensen, Grant Show.

Con: I didn't get any real laughs out of it. The premise and dialogue felt very flat, even when the elements were all there for it to pop. Elfman is good at the screwball sitcom thing, and that makes her fun to watch. But her character, 37-year-old S.F. newspaper film critic Billie, doesn't get very fleshed out in the first seg.

There's more telling than showing about her predicament of getting pregnant from a one-night stand with a younger guy (Foster) just as her former commitment-phobic flame and current boss (Show) decides he'd like to rekindle their relationship. Jensen is entertaining as Billie's Scottish best friend, but she's still a caricature of a party girl.

Overall, there just isn't much to hang on to yet with any of these folks. Elfman deserves a more dynamic character. So does Show.

Writer-producer Michael Ross, a name that I recognized from great "All in the Family" segs as well as "The Jeffersons" and "Three's Company," was in the obituary section of the L.A. Times this morning. He died Tuesday at the age of 89.

Being a regular reader of the Times' paid obits, I couldn't help but notice the item taken out for Ross that was written, with obvious love and appreciation, by his comedy writer pals Paul Wayne and George Burditt.

The man born Isidore Rovinsky in New York in 1919 -- a full-fledged member of the Greatest Generation who served as a B-17 bomber pilot during the WWII -- must've been a helluva good guy. It sure comes through in Wayne and Burditt's copy. (Click here for the link.)

Mick was a non-believer. But just in case there is Something, we can't help but envy the Angels for acquiring a man of talent and integrity; also, if the Bible is any true indication the occupants in Paradise are in need of a good lesson in joke construction and comedy-timing, and Mickey will be arriving not a moment too soon; and furthermore we trust that with any luck our Mick will find, regain and embrace some semblance of his original true given name.

Jay Leno signed off "The Tonight Show" on a high note, delivering the best ratings of his 17-year run for a Friday night telecast.

Leno's swan song averaged an 8.8 household rating/20 share in Nielsen's 56 overnight metered markets, which cover more than 70% of U.S. TV households. That marks a 126% hike over the show's metered-market average (3.9) during the past quarter.

But it didn't match the mark Leno set just two months ago, when President Obama guested on the show on March 19, his first visit since he was elected prez. That Thursday seg drew an 11.2/26 in the overnights, which was Leno's best since his tribute to his "Tonight Show" predecessor Johnny Carson following his death in January 2005, which delivered a 12.4 household rating.

Back in 1992, Carson wrapped his 30-year "Tonight Show" tenure with a 31.9 rating/62 share in the metered markets.

Leno's guests on Friday included his "Tonight Show" successor, Conan O'Brien (pictured above), who takes the helm on Monday. Variety's Michael Schneider has all the color on the final seg right here.

Leno's farewell, of course, is muted because the host is heading right back to NBC's air this fall with a nightly 10 p.m. variety show.

Leno's coattails took NBC's fledgling "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" to its second-best number (3.8/12) since Fallon's March 2 debut. Fallon's best to date (3.9/13) was the night of Obama's appearance on "Tonight Show."

"Weeds" takes a violent turn at the start of its fifth season -- a little too violent in parts for my taste.

But as always, Mary-Louise Parker is fantastic -- no matter how fantastic the storyline -- and Justin Kirk is icing on her cake. Jennifer Jason Leigh is well cast as Nancy's uptight suburbanite sister in Oakland, who winds up taking in her younger nephew Shane because of circumstances down south for Nancy.

Elizabeth Perkins also looks to be in for another eventful season as Celia's situation  spins wildly out of control. The thesps who play Nancy's teenage sons, Alexander Gould and Hunter Parrish, continue to grow tremendously in their roles.

"Weeds" fires up its 13-episode run for Showtime on June 8, in tandem with the bow of Edie Falco's "Nurse Jackie."

The "Weeds" opener is nicely written by creator/exec producer Jenji Kohan and helmed by Scott Ellis. The second seg gets a little hard to take, tonally speaking, in parts ... but nevertheless, it's "Weeds." I'm hooked.

I think the first powwow between CBS execs and Emmy telecast exec producer Don Mischer was held today on the question of who will host the kudocast. After last year's debacle with the painfully un-funny reality-group approach, this year's emcee had better be good -- damn good.

I vote for Craig Ferguson. For one, he's in the CBS family, and I think he'd bring just the right folksy-funny charm to the evening, as he does most every weeknight on "The Late Late Show" in his observational-conversational monologue. And here's a thought -- why not deputize Ricky Gervais to serve as the night's sole award presenter? Now that would be fun.

Hearing that CBS is still eyeing another drama pickup for midseason -- even after loading up with "The Good Wife," "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "Three Rivers" for the fall and "The Bridge" and "Miami Trauma" for midseason.

Word is that CBS TV Studios' untitled U.S. Attorneys drama from scribe Frank Military and helmer Mimi Leder is still the top contender. But don't count out the drawing power of the freshman class of the House, or the "House Rules," the ABC Studios pilot from scribe Michael Seitzman and the prolific Mark Gordon.

On the half-hour side, I'm told it's unlikely that CBS is taking a second look at any of its pilots....but never say never.

With the word spreading about Jim Wiatt's likely segue into an emeritus role at WME, there's talk inside the WMA-Endeavor camp that the board seat vacated by Wiatt will go to WMA vet Mark Itkin.

The merger agreement between Endeavor and WMA created a nine-member board to govern the agency, with five seats for WMA and four for Endeavor (though Endeavor's seats reportedly have a little extra voting power in order to give both camps equal weight). With Wiatt's eventual departure all but assured, the obvious WMA candidate for the seat is Itkin, the head of WMA's powerhouse unscripted TV department. There's no official confirmation of this yet but it makes perfect sense.

It was a big surprise last month that Itkin wasn't on the board when the final merger details were being hashed out. That led to all kinds of chatter that he was going to pull up stakes and join a rival talent rep firm -- and he had plenty of options.

But in the end it's said that Itkin wasn't eager to leave all of the business he's developed during his more than 25 years with WMA. He's also cut from the cloth of the old-school WMA leaders who were raised to be fiercely, unendingly loyal and focused on the greater good of the Morris office.

WMA insiders were buzzing with admiration about how Itkin was said to have made an impassioned statement to the WMA board on the day (April 27) they voted 19-1 on whether to approve the merger. Although Itkin had been squeezed out of what many felt was his due, a seat on the new board, he is reported to have described himself as being only a small part of the history of a great agency and that after considering the deal on the table, he realized that the Endeavor merger was a good thing for WMA over the long term, despite his personal situation.

A characteristically classy move from a classy guy was how his colleagues described Itkin's comportment that day. Classy indeed.

CW is partying like it's 1992, slotting its "Melrose Place" revival behind "90210" on Tuesday nights as part of its sked makeover for the 2009-10 season. And it will send "Smallville" into battle on Fridays to get the net back in biz on the night.

CW reps would not confirm the skedding moves circulating on Wednesday. CW rounds out upfront week with presentation to advertisers in Gotham on Thursday.

The original Aaron Spelling-produced "Melrose Place" launched in July 1992 on Fox in the Wednesday 9 p.m. berth behind its Spelling sibling "Beverly Hills, 90210." CW is counting on its revival of "90210's" old skedmate to bolter its Tuesday fortunes. (The thesps pictured in the "Melrose" cast shot above were probably in kindergarten or thereabouts when the original bowed. Sigh.)

This season's revival of "90210" performed well enough to quiet all of the chatter about the entire network facing the ax.

Monday remains stat with the youth sudser combo of "Gossip Girl" and "One Tree Hill."

"America's Next Top Model" will continue to anchor Wednesdays, followed, natch, by the new ensemble drama about models in Gotham, "The Beautiful Life."

CW's hopes its "Twilight"-esque new drama "Vampire Diaries" can aid its battle on Thursdays against the big guns on the Big Four. "Vampire" will open the night followed at 9 p.m. by the veteran "Supernatural."

"Smallville" slides from Thursday 8 p.m. to Friday at 8 p.m. CW has had no traction on Fridays since it parted ways with "WWE Smackdown" last year. A "Top Model" repeat will round out the night at 9 p.m.

The net has ceded Sunday night entirely as of the fall in an effort to boost its overall perf and concentrate on fortifying its Monday-Friday lineup.

CBS gets casting kudos from me for planting some of my favorite thesps in supporting roles in new shows.

For starters, I'm glad to see that the swinging couple Tom and Trina, dearly departed of "Swingtown," have found work. Grant Show (pictured right) has landed on Jenna Elfman's "Accidentally on Purpose." She's a film critic at a newspaper (there's a disappearing breed, eh?), and he plays her charming boss who's trying to rekindle their relationship. Bet he's not so charming when the review comes in half-hour late and 20 inches too long...

Lana Parrilla (pictured left) has traded Trina's sexy frocks for the scrubs of "Miami Trauma," where she plays a brilliant, workaholic surgeon. During the Paley Festival "Swingtown" sesh Parrilla commented on how distressed she was about having such a bland wardrobe on "Trauma" compared to "Swingtown."

(It's been a good pilot season for the core "Swingtown" troupe: the other two male leads, Josh Hopkins and Jack Davenport, wound up on ABC's "Cougar Town" and "Flash Forward," respectively. Michael Rady, who played the hgh school teacher who had an affair with his teenage student, is on CW's "Melrose Place." Britt Robertson, who played the daughter of the coke-head mom, is the lead of CW's midseason drama "Parental Discretion Advised." Molly Parker is on board the HBO pilot "The Wonderful Maladays." And Miriam Shor has her hands full with her very own production, due to arrive in late summer.)

A thesp who first impressed me some years ago on "Gilmore Girls," Matt Czuchry (pictured right), is going to be vying for power and position at the "Good Wife" law firm where Julianna Margulies will be working this fall. Czuchry (pronounced Zoo-cree) was great in his brief run in "Friday Night Lights" two seasons ago. I've never seen him give a sub-par perf. Here's hoping this is the role that puts him over.

And finally, Julia Ormond (pictured left), a classy actress of notable range, is now the head of transplant surgery on "Three Rivers."

The predictions were true! CBS' hot-shot drama "The Mentalist" is bound for the post-"CSI" berth on Thursday. That should make things interesting on the night. ("Mentalist" star Simon Baker and CBS boss Leslie Moonves pictured above.)

Another big move that I surely didn't see coming was the shift of my fave comedy "The Big Bang Theory" to Monday 9:30 p.m. behind "Two and a Half Men." Just call it Chuck Lorre's hour of power.

I didn't think CBS would move "Big Bang" because it's been such a stronger starter for the night at 8 p.m. But rock on with your bad selves, Chuck, Bill Prady, Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, et al. Not only is the "Big Bang" mob the best cast and creatives in sitcomville, they're also the nicest bunch of folks you'd ever want to meet (or conduct a panel sesh with).

Here's the sked. New series descriptions and links to clips after the jump.

(N means new show; NT means new time period)

MONDAY

8:00-8:30 PM              HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (NT)

8:30-9:00 PM              ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (N)

9:00-9:30 PM              TWO AND A HALF MEN

9:30-10:00 PM            THE BIG BANG THEORY (NT)

10:00-11:00 PM          CSI: MIAMI

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              NCIS

9:00-10:00 PM            NCIS: LOS ANGELES (N)

10:00-11:00 PM          THE GOOD WIFE (N)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-8:30 PM              THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE

8:30-9:00 PM              GARY UNMARRIED

9:00-10:00 PM            CRIMINAL MINDS

10:00-11:00 PM          CSI: NY

THURSDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              SURVIVOR

9:00-10:00 PM            CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

10:00-11:00 PM          THE MENTALIST (NT)

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              GHOST WHISPERER

9:00-10:00 PM            MEDIUM

10:00-11:00 PM          NUMB3RS

SATURDAY

8:00-9:00 PM              CRIMETIME SATURDAY

9:00-10:00 PM            CRIMETIME SATURDAY

10:00-11:00 PM          48 HOURS MYSTERY

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 PM              60 MINUTES

8:00-9:00 PM              THE AMAZING RACE

9:00-10:00 PM            THREE RIVERS (N)

10:00-11:00 PM          COLD CASE (NT)

Whoa -- haven't even had a chance to sort all of this out but here's the raft of development projects unveiled today by TNT and TBS at their upfront, at which execs talked up the slew of new and returning series they have on the pathos/bathos cablers.

Michael Wright, programming czar for the Turner cablers, is a busy guy!

TNT development:

   UNTITLED ALIEN INVASION PROJECT – Six months after a worldwide alien invasion, a group of everyday heroes must rise up to fight for their survival – all while maintaining their humanity in the process.  This project has been ordered to pilot and comes to TNT from DreamWorks Television and filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who will serve as executive producer along with DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank and screenwriter Robert Rodat.  Rodat, who earned an Oscar® nomination for his screenplay for Saving Private Ryan, is writing the script for the pilot from an idea he co-conceived with Spielberg.

      CLASS ACTION (working title) – Steven Bochco, the mastermind behind many dramas, including TNT’s Raising the Bar, joins with Stephen Godchaux (Spin City) for this project, which follows a down-on-his-luck attorney as he fights for the disenfranchised.

      ZAPATA, TEXAS (working title) – The husband-and-wife team of Kyra Sedgwick (TNT’s The Closer) and Kevin Bacon co-conceived and will executive-produce this project, which is the story of a small Texas border town and its newly elected sheriff, “favorite son” Zeke.  ZAPATA, TEXAS will follow Zeke as he navigates the equally treacherous waters of small-town politics and the volatile world of the U.S./Mexico border.  Bacon is attached to direct the pilot.

      UNTITLED MATT WILLIAMS FAMILY DRAMA – Matt Williams, creator of Roseanne and co-creator of Home Improvement, takes a personal, passionate and ultimately heroic look at a loving, middle-American family that is keeping it together at a time when everything is trying to pull them apart.

     UNTITLED DANIEL PYNE NOIR DRAMA – Daniel Pyne’s many credits as a writer include The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Any Given Sunday and Pacific Heights.  This project from Warner Horizon Television is set in 1954 Los Angeles, where a private detective tries to do the right thing as the ever-changing world makes it more difficult.

   PASTOR JAZZ – This drama focuses on a minister, his music and his passion for people’s hearts and souls, from the neediest to the wealthiest.  Charles S. Dutton (The Express, Roc) is Pastor Jazz in this project, which is from Warner Horizon Television, Dutton, Mitchell Burgess (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure) and Robin Green (The Sopranos, Northern Exposure).

   MACALISTER – Henry Shepard is a washed-up-novelist-turned-professor who tries to inspire the boys of The Macalister School.  F.J. Pratt (Less Than Perfect) and Dan Cohen (Less Than Perfect) look into the minds and mischief of students at an all-boys school in upstate New York, showing how one man can have an impact on children of wealth and privilege.

  PROOF – Dr. Geoffrey Pierce is an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex cases.  With an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the mind, this quirky, crime-solving doctor pulls lessons from an odd and imaginative view of the world.  This project comes from ABC Studios, Kenneth Biller (Legend of the Seeker, Star Trek: Voyager) and Mike Sussman (Star Trek: Voyager)

TNT is also developing these unscripted dramas:

 THE MAYO CLINIC – When someone is ill and has been told nothing more can be done, there is one place to go – the renowned Mayo Clinic, where hope springs eternal.  This project will chronicle the lives of Mayo doctors and their patients.  Bill Guttentag (Nanking) and David Kanter (Rendition) are executive producers.

     TRIP OF A LIFETIME – Everyone has a dream or a wish unfulfilled.  TRIP OF A LIFETIME will bring together extended, disconnected and deserving families.  It could revolve around a lost family member, an unknown child, a missing brother or simply a returned keepsake.  The project will be executive-produced by acclaimed author and travel expert Peter Greenberg and Rich Heller (Dallas: War of the Ewings)

TBS development:

   THE GAME OF LIFE – This half-hour sitcom follows four Pittsburgh friends as they reunite in their early 30s, only to discover life didn’t turn out quite as planned.  THE GAME OF LIFE comes to TBS from Sony Pictures Television, executive-produced by Kevin James (The King of Queens, Paul Blart: Mall Cop), Rock Reuben (The King of Queens) and Jeff Sussman (The King of Queens, Paul Blart: Mall Cop).

      BIG TOW – This animated project from Sony Pictures Television, Tantamount and executive producer Clay Graham (The Drew Carey Show) will follow the life of J.D. Biggs, a small-town Tennessee single dad and local hero who runs a towing company.

     WEE HOURS – From Second City TV and executive producer Lowell Mate, this slice-of-life sketch comedy employs the talents of the legendary Second City comedy troupe to tell stories of Chicagoans during the wee hours of midnight to 6 a.m.

By all accounts, it's a true standoff between thesps Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni and NBC/Universal Media Studios over a new deal to bring them back to the show for an eleventh season. Neither camp has budged in weeks.

Buzz is building that CBS' hot-shot frosh drama "The Mentalist" could be bound for the post-"CSI" Thursday 10 p.m. slot.

The Simon Baker starrer took off in the Tuesday 9 p.m. slot behind "NCIS" this season but imagine what it would do with a "CSI" lead-in. It would bolster CBS' Thursday fortunes for sure.

Elise Henderson wasn't out of work for long. The WMA alum has moved to UTA as an  agent in the TV lit department.

Henderson was highly regarded as a rising star at WMA but was caught in the shuffle of layoffs resulting from the WMA-Endeavor merger. She’s expected to bring some of her scribe clients along with her in the move to UTA, though the specifics are still being hammered out.

Henderson joined WMA in 2002 in its New York mailroom. She segued to Los Angeles about a year later and has been a TV lit tenpercenter for the past four years.

At various points during the past 72 hours, the prospects for all three of those shows looked to be improving. But the word from on high today is that it's RIP time.

"Without a Trace," in its prime under creator/exec producer Hank Steinberg, was a very entertaining whodunit bolstered by a strong cast. It will undoubtedly be a mainstay in syndication for years to come.

"My Name is Earl" and "Medium" may have been booted by NBC but are still kicking, as Variety's Michael Schneider reports.

Hearing that the mood in the WMA offices remains very somber, and that the building is thick with moving boxes as pinkslipped staffers, many of them long-termers, prepare to clear out.

I've heard been numerous complaints that the pinkslippers no longer have access to the company's central email address and telephone number database, which many relied on in lieu of keeping their own personal files because it was so comprehensive.

And this is second hand, but I'm told there was some gallows humor found in the fact that a small group of new summer interns WMA hires, mostly assistants, were given a tour of the building early this morning.

Some of my fave thesp discoveries from recent years are popping up in ABC's new series.

Elizabeth Mitchell tops the list. The fantastically talented "Lost" player toplines "V." Oh Juliet, we miss you already.

Ty Burrell (pictured right) -- this dude is a comedy star. He's back with Levitan and Lloyd on "Modern Family." (Burrell's an alum of L&L's "Back to You.")

Jack Davenport -- aka Bruce from "Swingtown" is in "Flash Forward"

Sonya Walger (pictured left) -- aka Penny from "Lost" -- is also in "Flash Forward"

Josh Hopkins -- aka Roger from "Swingtown" is in "Cougar Town"

Brian Van Holt (pictured below left) -- the charming rogue from "John from Cincinnati" also resides in "Cougar Town."

Melinda McGraw (pictured below right) -- the sleazy Bobbie Barrett from "Mad Men" -- has gone domestic opposite Kelsey Grammer in "Hank." That should be a fun pairing.

Reiko Aylesworth -- late of "Lost" and "24" -- is on the case of "The Forgotten."

Here's ABC's new sked. Wednesday is loaded up with sitcoms. "Castle" and newbie "The Forgotten" get plum drama launchpad slots after "Dancing With the Stars."

I find it kinda funny that the "Back to You" gang is back together, sort of, on the same night with Kelsey Grammer's "Hank," Patricia Heaton's "The Middle" and Steve Levitan-Chris Lloyd's latest "Modern Family," featuring "Back to You" alum Ty Burrell. 

MONDAY: 8:00 p.m.  “Dancing with the Stars” (two-hours)
 10:00 p.m. “Castle”
  
TUESDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Shark Tank”
 9:00 p.m. “Dancing with the Stars the Results Show”
 10:00 p.m. “The Forgotten”

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 p.m.  “Hank”
 8:30 p.m. “The Middle” 
 9:00 p.m. “Modern Family”
 9:30 p.m. “Cougar Town”
 10:00 p.m.  “Eastwick”

THURSDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Flash Forward”
 9:00 p.m. “Grey’s Anatomy”
 10:00 p.m. “Private Practice”

FRIDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Supernanny”
 9:00 p.m. “Ugly Betty”
 10:00 p.m. “20/20”
  
SATURDAY: 8:00 p.m. “Saturday Night College Football”
 
SUNDAY: 7:00 p.m. “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
 8:00 p.m. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”
 9:00 p.m. “Desperate Housewives”
 10:00 p.m. “Brothers & Sisters”

“The Bachelor” will air Monday nights from 8:00-10:00 p.m. following the run of “Dancing with the Stars,” and “Scrubs” and “Better Off Ted” will air at 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively, following the run of “Dancing with the Stars The Results Show.”

New series descriptions after the jump:

Here's NBC's sked. "Trauma" gets the best drama launch pad out of "Heroes." New comedy "100 Questions" gets a good midseason shot coming out of "Biggest Loser." And NBC has high hopes for "Community" bolstering its Thursday comedy block.

"Southland," the best hard-boiled cop drama to come along in YEARS, gets the Friday beat but that's OK, that could be a very good slot for the show.

(NBC's new series were announced two weeks ago. Click here for all the info.)

MONDAY

8-9 p.m. – “Heroes”

9-10 p.m.—“TRAUMA”

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

TUESDAY

8-10 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser” (two-hour edition)

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

WEDNESDAY

8-9 p.m. – “PARENTHOOD”

9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

THURSDAY

8- 8:30 p.m. – “SNL WEEKEND UPDATE THURSDAY” (multi-episode run)

8:30-9 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”

9- 9:30 p.m. – “The Office”

9:30-10 p.m. – “COMMUNITY” (moves to Thursdays 8-8:30 p.m. after multi-episode run “30 Rock” returns)

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

FRIDAY

8-9 p.m. – “Law & Order”

9-10 p.m. – "Southland"

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

SATURDAY

8-9 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

9-10 p.m. – “TRAUMA” (encore broadcast)

10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY

7- 8:20 p.m. "Football Night in America"

8:20-11 p.m. "NBC Sunday Night Football"

NBC MID-SEASON 2010 SCHEDULE

(2010 WINTER OLYMPICS preempt regularly scheduled programming from February 12-28, 2010)

*New programs in UPPER CASE

MONDAY

8-9 p.m. – “Chuck” (season premiere)

9-10 p.m.—“DAY ONE”

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

TUESDAY

8-9:30 p.m. – “The Biggest Loser” (90-minute edition)

9:30-10 p.m. – “100 QUESTIONS”

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

WEDNESDAY

8-9 p.m. – "MERCY"

9-10 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

THURSDAY

8- 8:30 p.m. – “COMMUNITY”

8:30-9 p.m. – “Parks and Recreation”

9- 9:30 p.m. – “The Office”

9:30-10 p.m. – “30 Rock”

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

FRIDAY

8-9 p.m. – “Law & Order”

9-10 p.m. – "Southland"

10-11 p.m. – “THE JAY LENO SHOW”

SATURDAY

8-9 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

9-10 p.m. – “Southland” (encore broadcast)

10-11 p.m. – “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (encore broadcast)

SUNDAY

7-8 p.m. – “Dateline NBC”

8-9 p.m. – THE MARRIAGE REF

9-11 p.m. – “The Celebrity Apprentice” (season premiere; two-hour edition)

CBS has settled on its new series pickups, spreading the good word to producers Monday morning on orders for four dramas, a comedy and a reality skein for the 2009-10 season.

Dramas getting the nod from the Eye include three from CBS TV Studios: “The Good Wife,” starring Julianna Margulies as a legal eagle; Alex O’Loughlin starrer “Three Rivers,” a medical-themed drama about organ transplants from the eyes of donors and recipient; and the spinoff of “NCIS” starring LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell.

Warner Bros. TV’s fast-paced medical drama “Miami Trauma,” from Bruckheimer Television, also got the nod.

It looks like the lone new laffer on CBS fall 2009 slate will be Jenna Elfman starrer “Accidentally on Purpose,” from CBS TV Studios and BermanBraun. It revolves around a film critic in San Francisco who gets knocked up from a fling with a younger man.

The reality skein in the works at the eye is workplace-centric “Undercover Boss,” from All 3 Media, involving a top exec who goes undercover in an entry-level job at his or her own company.

Although Eye’s pickups are already drama-heavy, there was chatter that two more drama projects were still in contention for midseason orders: the untitled U.S. Attorneys drama from scribe Frank Military and “House Rules,” which would follow a freshman class of politicos in Congress.

CBS unveils its 2009-10 sked on Wednesday.

Variety's Michael Schneider has all the details.

Here's the Fox sked and new series pickups. The move of "So You Think You Can Dance" into the fall is getting the headlines, but the biggest news as far as I'm concerned, is the faith the net is showing in "Fringe" by moving it into the Thursday 9 p.m. line of fire against "CSI" and "Grey's Anatomy."

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2009
(All Times ET/PT) New shows indicated in bold

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE 
9:00-10:00 PM LIE TO ME 

TUESDAY
8:00-10:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Performance Show

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Results Show  
9:00-10:00 PM GLEE  

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES 
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE  

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE  

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS 
8:30-9:00 PM COPS 
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED 
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES 

SUNDAY
7:00-8:00 PM THE OT (NFL post-game) 
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 
8:30-9:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW 
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD  

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: MIDSEASON 2010
(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-9:00 PM HOUSE 
9:00-10:00 PM 24  

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Performance Show
9:00-10:00 PM PAST LIFE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM AMERICAN IDOL Results Show  
9:00-10:00 PM HUMAN TARGET (January) / GLEE (spring)  

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM FRINGE

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM BROTHERS
8:30-9:00 PM ‘TIL DEATH
9:00-10:00 PM DOLLHOUSE  

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS 
8:30-9:00 PM COPS 
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA’S MOST WANTED 
11:00 PM-Midnight THE WANDA SYKES SHOW (working title)
Midnight-12:30 AM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES 

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM ANIMATION DOMINATION ENCORES
7:30-8:00 PM AMERICAN DAD
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS 
8:30-9:00 PM SONS OF TUCSON
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY 
9:30-10:00 PM THE CLEVELAND SHOW
  

NEW SERIES SYNOPSES -- Follow after the jump:

13 episodes for "Cold Case" -- case closed. "Without a Trace," on the other hand, is still officially a missing persons case, we'll probably know the show's fate for sure on Monday but it's kinda looking grim.

Latest bubbling out of CBS today was heat for two more drama pilots, "Miami Trauma," a medical drama from the Bruckheimer shop; and the untitled U.S. Attorneys drama from scribe Frank Military. Both shows are actively staffing.

Here's my question about all of the dramas CBS is seriously eyeing -- where are they going to put 'em all? Especially if the chatter about "Medium" possibly being rerouted from NBC to CBS (thanks to deal issues) is true.

"Medium" is produced by CBS Television Studios (fka CBS Paramount Network TV, a mouthful of a moniker that I never liked anyway) so it would make sense for the show to land there if the deal issues at NBC prove insurmountable.

Sunday afternoon update: It's official. "Chuck" renewed for 13 episodes. Fans, ye have been heard.

Those Save Chuck campaigns for sure had an impact on the decision-making. The Nielsen numbers may be modest, but Peacock execs realized they'd be foolish to throw away a show that is just starting to get pop culture traction. In some ways, the renewal drama may have helped "Chuck."

Another big hero in this drama: Warner Bros. TV prexy Peter Roth, who fought "tirelessly" to keep hope alive for "Chuck," according to those in the know.

Previously on 'Chuck':

It ain't over 'til it's over, but people who are in a position to know say that confirmation of  "Chuck" third-season renewal deal between NBC and Warner Bros. TV is expected later today.

ABC's been busy doling out series pickups tonight. Dramas "The Forgotten," about amateur detectives, and "Eastwick," a redo of "The Witches of Eastwick," are picked up or virtually picked up. Same goes for comedies "The Middle," starring Patricia Heaton, and "Hank," starring Kelsey Grammer. All four shows come from Warner Bros. TV.

Let's review what ABC has on its plate so far:

New dramas: "Flash Forward," "Happy Town," "The Forgotten," "Eastwick," "The Deep End" (fka untitled Dave Hemingson), and "V" as a13-episode limited-series.

New comedies: "Modern Family," "Cougar Town," "The Middle," "Hank"

Renewals of shows on the fence: "Better Off Ted," "Castle," "Scrubs," possibly "Samantha Who" 

Fun fact: Both "Flash Forward" and "Happy Town" came from spec scripts.

Just call him the Iron Man of primetime.

With ABC's pickup of "Eastwick," helmer-producer David Nutter has gone 15-for-15 on pilots that he's directed getting ordered to series. And by all accounts, including my own, he's a good guy to boot.

Here's the Nutter stats:

1. SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND (Fox, 1995)

2. MILLENNIUM (Fox, 1996)

3. SLEEPWALKERS (NBC, 1997)

4. ROSWELL (WB, 1999)

5. DARK ANGEL (Fox, 2000)

6. SMALLVILLE (WB, 2001)

7. WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS, 2002)

8. TARZAN (WB, 2003)

9. DR. VEGAS (CBS, 2004)

10. JACK AND BOBBY (WB, 2004)

11. SUPERNATURAL (WB, 2005)

12. TRAVELER (ABC, 2007)

13. TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (Fox, 2008)

14. THE MENTALIST (CBS, 2008)

15. EASTWICK (ABC, 2009)

As the town awaits word from ABC on its official pickups -- the calls are expected to come this evening or tomorrow morning -- here's some other chatter making the email rounds:

CW's "Gossip Girl" spinoff -- probably midseason.

CBS' "The Unit" -- No kidding, I hear it's got a very good shot at coming back. Also "Cold Case," but that one's been expected for a while. "Unit's" revival is a surprise.

Now for ABC's picks -- Our best intel at this hour is:

Comedies: "The Middle" (Patricia Heaton); "Cougar Town" (Courteney Cox); "The Law" (Cedric the Entertainer); maybe Kelsey Grammer's "Hank" and a dark horse: the couples comedy from writer Jeff Strauss starring Leah Remini. And don't forget the already picked up "Modern Family." Alyssa Milano's "Romantically Challenged" appears to have cooled off (which doesn't mean it won't heat back up again).

Dramas: "The Forgotten" (Bruckheimer); "Happy Town" (murder mystery); "Eastwick" (movie redo); "V" (midseason as an event mini); and maybe "Inside the Box" (TV news exec produced by Shonda Rhimes). And don't forget the already picked up "Flash Forward."

Finally had the chance to watch the "Lost" finale again. What a treat for the eyes, ears and brain. I wish I was more of a Biblical scholar to decipher some of the allegory at work with Jacob et al. It's like a stew of Biblical references, C.S. Lewis, Ionesco and a little Stephen King thrown in for chilling effect.

The opening sequence, which was so confounding on the first viewing, makes a lot more sense once you've seen the two hours. But its significance is so weighty -- it seems to be a road map to the dynamic of next season -- that I couldn't help but want to transcribe it for further study. And a shout-out is due to Mark Pellegrino (Jacob) and Titus Welliver (man in black).

We open on Jacob in a white flowing shirt and sandals, working at a loom in his under-the-statue digs. He's working on the hieroglyphics tapestry that we will see later in the seg.

Cut to outside on the shore, where Jacob wades into the water to grab a fish out of a handmade basket. He guts it and cooks it on rocks heated by a campfire. He puts his cooked hunk of fish on a big leaf, sits down on the sand and gazes out at a clipper ship on the horizon.

Up walks a bearded man in a black flowing shirt.

"Morning," the man in black says.

"Morning."

Sony Pictures TV half-hour about an NFLhot shot who returns to his hometown of Houston to reconnect with his family just got the official nod from Fox.

"Brothers" was penned by Don Reo and hails from the hot shop Tantamount Studios, the Sony-based shingle run by Eric Tannenbaum, Kim Tannenbaum and Mitch Hurwitz.

OK, picking up where I left off in the wee hours of Thursday out of sheer exhaustion and from thinking so much about what transpired in Wednesday night's "Lost" finale...

Clearly, one of the big questions we're left to chew on is this "loophole" business and how it affected the corporeal John Locke. Or New-bad Locke as we've taken to calling him. (Round of applause here for Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson's fanastic work in this seg.)

Clearly, we need to figure out why there was such bad blood between Jacob and the other guy with the salt-and-pepper beard that he was verbally sparring with in the opening sequence. The other dude's promise that he would "find a loophole" to come back and do bodily harm to Jacob kicked things off on a nasty and oh-so-mysterious note. Are we to presume that salt-and-pepper is the guy who's inhabiting Locke's body?

 And what the heck was the time period ofthat opening segment? Jacob and Angry Guy were speaking in contempo argot but the presence of a clipper ship (similar to the ship in the bottle Richard was building in last week's ep) and the full-bodied statue certainly hinted at Black Rock era of the late 1800s (I think?).

Even more tantalizing was the other guy's Jacob's comment about how "they come, they fight, they destroy, they corrupt -- it always ends the same" as he looks out on the ship. So we're to assume that motley crews have been arriving on the island for a long time? That would explain a lot, I suppose.

Cleary, we still need to figure out the Richard (Ricardos) connection in all this. And the Ben connection to Richard. I still can't shake the feeling that they are still working together despite everything that's gone down -- and Ben's promise to his vision of Alex a few episodes back.

Clearly, I need to watch the episode again to formulate anything like a coherent analysis of what we learned last night and where we're going in season six. Until then, let's review the great moments:

No. 1: The long scene with Jack and Sawyer in the jungle. First they communicated with each other like never before -- Sawyer opening up about his childhood, Jack expressing his love for Kate and regret for losing her -- and then they fought like never before. Chopsocky in the jungle! If it's a "Lost" finale, then somebody's getting beaten to a bloody pulp, but this one is by far a record for bloodied heads.

Word is spreading this a.m. that Warner Bros. TV drama "Past Life," from scribe David Hudgins, is a go at Fox.

Son of a bitch!

(Stop immediately if you haven't seen the "Lost" finale yet.)

Thursday update: "Lost" finale averaged 9.3 million viewers and 4.3 rating/12 share in adults 18-49 demo from 9-11 p.m. Not bad, but I still find it hard to believe that 12 million people thought "CSI: NY" was more compelling!

Straight up, folks: I can't do these two atomic hours of television justice without a second viewing. Just can't be done. My skin was tingling and my heart was racing for the last 15 minutes of "Lost's" fifth-season finale, "The Incident, Parts 1 and 2." I could barely catch my breath as I watched Juliet fall down the Swan's rabbit hole.

For now, about all I can handle is noting some of the great moments, killer lines and what the #$$%@ just happened bits that we'll be pondering all summer and fall. It almost seemed like ABC was rubbing it in with the title cards flashed over the end credits: "Destiny Found" and "2010."

Oh how I dig this show. The auspices of the finale don't get any better: Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse wrote the first hour while the credit for the second hour was flipped to Cuse and Lindelof. And both hours were helmed by Jack Bender, for whom I am on record as raving about, and tonight was no exception. As I said to one keen-eyed "Lost" fan in an email a few weeks ago: "Jack Freakin' Bender. How can he be so talented?"

In fact, "Destiny Found" is a pretty good summation of one of the big plot threads we dealt with in this finale. With Jacob now appearing to us in the flesh (?) in a mysterious, Zelig-like way, we now seem to have evidence that our core group of characters are connected not at random but for a larger reason. We don't know what that reason is yet, but it's no accident that Jacob encountered them in their pre-island pasts (all but Hurley), at pivotal moments in their development.

Buzz is building at ABC for the Patricia Heaton starrer "The Middle."

The Warner Bros. TV half-hour,penned by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, tells the story of a middle-class Midwestern family through the eyes of a harried mom with a quirky (is there any other kind?) family. It's said to have a certain sweetness to it, or what was described as "Malcolm in the Middle" meets "The Wonder Years."

Single-cam project is a redo of the pilot WBTV produced for ABC a year ago with Ricki Lake as the lead.

Alyssa Milano starrer "Romantically Challenged" remains high on ABC's hot list, as is Courteney Cox's "Cougar Town." Still in the mix is Kelsey Grammer's "Awesome Hank."

A surprise bit of news from today's trolling is that the 1980s remake "V" looks like a midseason drama contender for ABC.

This is getting kind of ridiculous. "Nightline" has come up with a Web-only show hosted by its on-air team for its Twitter follows to discuss issues of the day "through the prism of Twitter," according to James Goldston, "Nightline" exec producer.

Program dubbed "NightTline" will bow on the"Nightline" web page and the ABC News Now digi-net at 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The topic du jour: "Is torture ever acceptable."

"Nightline" claims more than 1 million Twitter followers.

Good AP interview with Michael Emerson. Click here.

Just like in the real world of medicine, there's been an over-supply of doctors in primetime for years but a severe shortage of nurses fronting their own shows.

That will change next month as Showtime raises the curtain on Edie Falco as"Nurse Jackie" while TNT delivers Jada Pinkett Smith as "Hawthorne"

I haven't seen either show yet, but on paper they sound awfully similar. She's a tough, talented, dedicated, compassionate RN who's willing to buck the medical bureaucracy to do what it takes to help their patients. Smith plays Christina Hawthorne, who seems to have more of a home life with her oncologist husband and daughter; Falco is Jackie O'Hurley, described as a lapsed Catholic with an occasional weakness for Vicodin. (I'm guessing O'Hurley uses more anatomically specific language.) 

We know the casting is great for both shows. "Hawthorne" hails from seasoned scribe John Masius, with Jamie Tarses and Glen Mazzara among the exec producers for Sony Pictures TV. "Nurse Jackie" was birthed by Liz Brixius, Linda Wallem and Evan Dunsky for Lionsgate TV.

So it'll come down to execution. The half-hour "Nurse Jackie" arrives first, on June 8. Hourlong "Hawthorne" bows June 16. I'm writing myself a prescription to track down screeners for both, STAT. Here's hoping that one or both will be worthy of a refill.

-30-

My all-time favorite TV nurse? The husky voiced, no-nonsense Miss Julie London as the husky voiced, no-nonsense Nurse Dixie McCall from the under-appreciated 1972-1977 NBC drama "Emergency."

London usually played opposite her real-life husband, musician Bobby Troup (of "Route 66" fame), as the head nurse in the hospital frequented by paramedics Gage and DeSoto and their clientele. Interesting too that London was cast in the series by her ex-husband, and Troup's longtime pal, producer Jack Webb.

"Flash Forward" got the official pickup nod from ABC late Friday (though in reality, the promos for the show that ran in last week's "Lost" were about as official as it gets).

The time-bending fantasy drama stars Joseph Fiennes, Courtney B. Vance and Sonya Walger ("Lost's" dearly beloved Penny). Variety's Michael Schneider has all the info right here. Undoubtedly ABC hopes it has another "Lost" on its hands.

Congrats to co-creators/showrunners Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd on their latest pilot pickup. The buzz is very strong on this mockumentary-style show, from 20th Century Fox TV, revolving around three suburban couples.

Pilot was helmed by Jason Winer.

The core cast members: Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill, Eric Stonestreet and Sofia Vergara.

This episode of "Lost" was a study in contrasts. The leadership skills, character styles, motivations and powers of persuasion of the show's original alpha-male pillars -- Jack, Sawyer and Locke -- were deftly dissected in an hour that was already so full of action and intrigue it made my head spin more than once.

A lot of it came together for me after I looked up the title of the seg on the ABC press site: "Follow the Leader." All in all, a hell of an episode from writers Paul Zbyszewski and Elizabeth Sarnoff and director Stephen Williams. It worked on many levels and demands multiple viewings, especially because it involved all of our key main characters. We're on the runway for next week's two-hour fantasmic finale fer sure.

Thursday update: A second viewing was incredibly helpful, particularly for all of the Locke stuff.

So what'd we learn tonight?

** Jack can't get Kate to put her faith in him for nothin'. And really, can you blame her?

** Sawyer has finally grown up enough to be a do-right, all-night man. (Of the many great versions of that song, it's the Flying Burrito Brothers' rendition that puts a lump in my throat every time. Thanks Gram.)

** Locke has more faith than sense. (OK, we already knew that.)

** Richard Alpert and Ben are still somehow in cahoots toward some common goal, or common enemy. Of this, I have faith.

It was disconcerting in several scenes in this seg to see the magical, mystical Richard Alpert looking very, very confused. (I'm confused about how his stubble manages to grow in such a perfect line across the bottom half of his face. Radiation side effect?) Ben describes him as an "a kind of advisor." Yeh, like Rasputin was to the Romanovs.

Some pics that land in your inbox are just too sweet to delete. First lady Michelle Obama went to the "Sesame Street" set in Gotham on Tuesday to shoot a PSA with a certain cuddly red co-star. She's tubthumping her "Healthy Habits for Life" campaign, designed to encourage healthy eating and exercise for moppets (and Muppets).

NBC is loading up on dramas next season, even as its primetime real estate shrinks with the addition of Jay Leno's new variety hour at 10 p.m.

Peacock has ordered four new dramas: "Trauma," "Parenthood," "Mercy" and "Day One." "Day One," from "Heroes" alum Jesse Alexander, is billed as an "event series" that will bow on the heels of the winter Olympics next year. It's interesting that NBC gave the official nod to two projects that are still filming their pilots, "Parenthood" and "Day One."

NBC has two frosh comedies on deck, "Community" (pictured above) and "100 Questions" (pictured right). Peacock also plans six "Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday" half-hour specials.

During the weekend, NBC also picked up the fledgling drama "Southland" and returning utility player "Medium." Still awaiting final decisions are "Chuck" and "Law & Order," though both seem like a good bet to come back.

NBC said more new and returning series will be unveiled on May 19 when it announces its 2009-10 season sked.

Detailed show descriptions and links to vid clips (for all but "Day One") follow after the jump. Click on the titles for the links.

Saturday update: Insiders confirm the E! report that decision on "Chuck" is likely to be delayed beyond Monday's announcement. And word has surfaced that although it looked to be dead, NBC and 20th Century Fox TV are negotiating for a fifth-season pickup of "My Name is Earl."

Looks like the cops on "Southland" will be back on the beat in the fall.

Word is that NBC has picked up the Warner Bros. TV/John Wells Prods. drama for 13 episodes, probably for a fall slot. NBC execs are hunkered down in New York this weekend making fall pickup decisions in advance of Monday's "Infront" programming presentation to advertisers in Gotham.

There's also chatter at this late hour that Warners is in the midst of a big ol' deal with NBC that includes "Southland" plus a third-season renewal for "Chuck" and greenlight for David E. Kelley pilot "Legally Mad" -- after all three projects took a slight haircut in budget. But that's just email chatter at this point, no confirmation yet. (Sorry all you "Chuck" devotees.)

Ensembler "Southland," created by Ann Biderman and exec produced by Biderman, John Wells and Christopher Chulack, has delivered solid numbers to NBC in the Thursday 10 p.m. time slot since its debut April 9, and the show has been warmly received by critics. Hard-boiled cop drama will presumably slide to a 9 p.m. berth in the fall, as NBC plans to strip "The Jay Leno Show" Monday-Friday at 10 p.m. hour.

Reps for NBC and Warner Bros. TV could not immediately be reached for comment late Friday.

"This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire," Edward R. Murrow famously said of the small screen.

Thursday night's second annual Television Academy Honors presentation at the BevHills Hotel devoted to celebrating a clutch of writers and producers who took Murrow's observation to heart. The night was dedicated to Bea Arthur, in recognition of how her fearless portrayals of strong women have influenced generations of viewers.

TV Acad Honors, presented to programs that designed to raise awareness of social issues and effect change, is the brainchild of TV Academy chairman John Shaffner, who wanted to find a way to recognize worthy programs outside of the competitive frenzy of the Emmy Awards derby.

"When we take the time to take a step back and look at the incredible work that's done on television and the passion that goes in to it from the people who feel like they have to tell these stories -- it's just inspiring," said Shaffner.

"We feel it's important to highlight the impact that television can have so that all of us  (working in TV) have the chance to feel that we're putting our shoulder to a wheel that matters. When you combine concern and passion for a subject that matters to the skills that we bring as a creative community to telling that story to millions of people ... It's just the magic of television," he enthused.

This year's honors were CBS' 10th annual broadcast CBS adoption-themed concert special "A Home for the Holidays"; HBO's "Breaking the Huddle," a docu about the integration of college football; ABC's "Brothers and Sisters" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"; "God on Trial," PBS' "Masterpiece Contemporary" telepic; "Stand Up to Cancer," the Laura Ziskin-produced telethon that ran on ABC, CBS and NBC last September; Morgan Spurlock's FX docu series "30 Days"; and Animal Planet's "Whale Wars."

(Pictured above left, John Shaffner and Laura Ziskin. Pictured right, Morgan Spurlock)

The Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors hosted a panel sesh Monday night at CBS Television City examining the ins and outs of buying and selling reality programs. Variety's Michael Schneider, far left, moderated the lively discussion among Fox Reality chief David Lyle, ABC exec veep Jeff Bader and producer Peter Engel.