Cartoon Network is continuing its brand evolution, as the channel broadens out and adds more live-action fare to the mix.

The network's black-and-white checkerboard design scheme remains, but it's been streamlined. And the channel has added a new tag line: "CHECK it." (I assume, as in, "Chickity check yo'self before you wreck yo'self." Or "check the rhyme." Then again, I may just be showing my age.)

Above, Cartoon Network's original logo, and its more recent version. According to Cartoon Network, the channel's new "brand expansion" will take place across all platforms (on-line, on-air, outdoor, etc) and kicks off on Saturday morning, May 29, everywhere.

As part of the makeover, Cartoon Network has also redesigned its offices -- and the channel's entire staff were given black/white checkered Vans this week to celebrate the new look.

Here's how Cartoon Network describes the new look: "We are embracing our brand’s visual heritage of the checkerboard, but imbuing it with new meaning. The checkerboard provides a thruline to connect Cartoon Network’s wide breadth of new content that continues to grow (animation and live-action). The new logo reflects this nod to the checkerboard as well."

Redesign comes as Cartoon Network preps to launch its latest live-action entry, "Unnatural History," on June 13.

In case you weren't around and wonder why people fell in love with Gary Coleman, here's a small hint:

The show obviously feels dated now, so it's hard to communicate how unique and energetic Coleman was. But you always wanted to see what he would do next — and you waited for him to say his signature line with the same anticipation each week. (In this video, I really like his delivery on the "If this was Heaven ..." line.)

And I'll always remember "The Kid From Left Field."

Sad ending ...

Well, there goes yet another piece of our childhood. "Diff'rent Strokes" star Gary Coleman has died, at the age of 42.

It's been a rough life for the child superstar, so let's hope he's now found some peace. RIP, Arnold!

How awesome was local TV news in the late 1960s/early 1970s? Not only did they cover real news back then, but they had a groovy time doing it. I assume it's because they were all liquored up before hitting the air -- which makes it all so much better. But check out, above, the snazziest newscast opening of all time -- from Baltimore's WBAL-TV. And most importantly, wait until the end, when it turns out one of WBAL's weathercasters is...a puppet. Why don't people do this anymore?? Sure, Dallas Raines is fine. But Dallas Raines and a PUPPET? I'm watching every night.

From the early 1970s, Duluth's WDIO-TV boasts a funky cool theme song -- so funky cool, that WDIO's weatherman can't resist gettin' down. AWESOME.

The unfortunate timing of Disney's Disney Junior announcement -- in which it was also announced that SoapNet would shut down in 2012 -- means that poor SoapNet is stuck being a lame duck network for two more years.

For now, that means business as usual, as the channel's not going anywhere until then.

Today, for example, SoapNet announced a "Star Spangled Marathon," a ten-hour "Beverly Hills, 90210" stunt featuring famous faces before they were stars:

Everyone had to start somewhere, whether it was big or small. Some celebrities launched their careers thanks to the show, such as Vanessa Marcil, who played Gina for three seasons, and Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank, who portrayed single mom Carly. Others were already famous when they dropped by to make an appearance, like Christina Aguilera, Babyface and Wild Orchid (featuring a pre-Black Eyed Peas Fergie). Ryan Seacrest, Daniel Dae Kim, Jessica Alba, Matthew Perry, Vivica A. Fox, Denise Richards and Eva Longoria also appear. Many of today's hottest celebrities visited "Beverly Hills, 90210". Pull up your couch and come get star-struck! The marathon airs Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 from 8AM – 6PM (EST/PST).

Meanwhile, Temple Street Productions announced that it had started production on season three of "Being Erica," the CBC Television series that airs here in the U.S. on SoapNet.

Fans of the show wondered whether the SoapNet shutdown would affect "Erica" -- but again, the channel won't be going off the air for another two years, so who knows if "Erica" will even be around at that point. (Besides, it's a Canadian series that could always find a home elsewhere, like ABC Family.)

Looks like ABC couldn't make the economics work in acquiring CBS' recently canceled "Ghost Whisperer."

Things were looking up for the Jennifer Love Hewitt skein, particularly because ABC Studios co-produces the show, along with CBS TV Studios. What's more, the show looked like a good fit for ABC's Friday night 8 p.m. slot, as a lead-in to newcomer "Body of Proof." And exec producers Kim Moses and Ian Sanders already have an overall deal with ABC Studios, where they developed three projects last year.

But "Ghost" was ending its fifth season -- and that's when shows get more expensive, as production and talent fees rise. ABC execs were also leery of running "Ghost" opposite CBS' "Medium," fearing that "Ghost" wouldn't ultimately be worth the investment.

Here's a statement from "Ghost Whisperer" exec producers Kim Moses and Ian Sander (above, with Hewitt):

“After five wonderful seasons and over 100 episodes, we are disappointed to announce Ghost Whisperer will not be returning for a sixth season.  We’ve had an incredible experience and owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved.  We continue our relationship with ABC Studios and look forward to developing many more successful projects together in the future.”

Read Cynthia Littleton's 2009 profile of the show, "'Ghost Whisperer' beats the odds," here.

Peter Caranicas wrote about "Ghost Whisperer's" special effects team here.

And Keith Marder wrote about "Ghost Whisperer's" passionate online fanbase here.

Warner Bros. TV, meanwhile, is still holding out hope on reviving "The New Adventures of Old Christine" -- although ABC is seen as a longshot.

CBS is going the comedian route with "Pyramid" this time out, as Andy Richter has been tapped to host the Eye's potential revival of the gamer.

Eye has had success in utilizing comedians, rather than old-fashioned big-grinned hosts, to emcee its gamers. Drew Carey, of course, took over for Bob Barker on "The Price is Right," while its new "Let's Make a Deal" is hosted by Wayne Brady.

Last year, Eye, Sony Pictures TV and exec producer Michael Davies shot two "Pyramid" pilots, one with "Lois and Clark" star Dean Cain and another with Tim Vincent. CBS ultimately picked up "Let's Make a Deal" instead of "Pyramid" to fill the hour left over when "Guiding Light" was canceled.

Now, the network is in the midst of another daytime bakeoff, as "As the World Turns" spins no more. "Pyramid" is back in contention, as is a show starring Emeril Lagasse, and a "View"-esque gabber (centering on parenting issues) starring Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert.

Meanwhile, as first reported by Vulture, word comes that Chen and Gilbert will be joined by Sharon Osbourne and Holly Robinson-Peete. Because I'm sure the parenting experience of financially well-off stars is something that your average stay-at-home mom can relate to.

While the local L.A. Kings are long gone from the playoffs, the Stanley Cup Finals begin Saturday night as the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers take to the ice, with the Hawks hosting the first two games.

The Flyers’ miraculous comeback against the Bruins — down 3-0 in games, and down 3-0 in the pivotal game 7 — will have them inspired, while the Blackhawks, which haven’t won the Cup since 1961 and their 49 years without a title is the longest active drought in the league.

Doc Emrick will handle play-by-play, while former Blackhawk Eddie Olczyk serves as analyst.

NBC and Versus will share coverage, per the schedule below. All times are ET.

Game 1     Sat. May 29     NBC    8 p.m.
Game 2     Mon. May 31   NBC    8 p.m.
Game 3     Wed. June 2     Versus 8 p.m.
Game 4     Fri. June 4    Versus 8 p.m.
Game 5     Sun. June 6   NBC    8 p.m.
Game 6     Wed. June 9     NBC    8 p.m.
Game 7     Fri. June 11 NBC    8 p.m.

Bravo’s staying in the kitchen.

Net that already has “Top Chef” is looking to add “Rocco’s Dinner Party” to the mix. Show, in development at the NBC Universal cabler, would star Rocco DiSpirito as he eliminates one of four chefs every week as they prepare for a dinner party.

At the end of each episode, DiSpirito announces the dinner party’s theme and the remaining three chefs present a menu for the soiree.

DiSpirito has a history at NBC. In 2003-04, he starred in the Peacock’s reality skein “The Restaurant,” and has acted as a guest judge of Bravo’s “Top Chef.”

Dave Noll, Chachi Senior and Linda Lea are exec producers, with DiSpirito as producer.   

 
Make it work!

Santino Rice, the season two "Project Runway" contestant whose Tim Gunn impression made him a star, is heading back to TV -- and partnering with another "Runway" contestant, Austin Scarlett.

Seriously -- "Scarlett" and "Santino." You can't make that up.

The Santino/Austin series will follow the quirky duo as they cross the country finding women in need of a fashion makeover. Lifetime is also developing a show starring "Runway" host Heidi Klum and her pop star hubby Seal -- but that show is in an earlier stage of development.

Both have used their "Runway" fame as a jumping board to careers in fashion as well as additional TV work. Rice has appeared on "RuPaul's Drag Race," while Scarlett has been hired as a fashion correspondent for multiple networks.

"Project Runway" alum Rich Bye, who worked on the show early in its run, is on board to exec produce the show.

Bye is no stranger to series starring "Runway" alums, having worked on Bravo's "Project Jay," featuring season one winner Jay McCarroll, and the Bravo pilot "Laura Bennett," starring the season three contestant.

But seriously, has anybody seen Andrae? Where's Andrae?

The producers behind Daytime Emmy Awards are putting the finishing touches on next month's kudocast -- including a tribute to Dick Clark.

The Awards show, which is set for Sunday, June 27, on CBS, will salute Clark by honoring his iconic TV series "American Bandstand."

On board to pay tribute will be Barry Manilow, Garth Brooks, Simon Cowell, Jay Leno, Cher, Marie Osmond, Frankie Avalon, Ann-Margret and the Spinners.

While "Bandstand" was a daytime staple -- intitially on weekdays, and later on Saturdays -- Clark also hosted the daytime gamer "$25,000 Pyramid" for several years.

"It was time for us to talk about Dick Clark and his influence on on daytime," said Daytime Emmys exec producer David McKenzie. "He had a huge influence on television, and was a tremendous cornerstone of the music business as well. We couldn't pass up the opportunity."

McKenzie, who saved the Daytime Emmys last year when the kudocast was on the brink of disappearing, is promising a two-hour event heavy on performances.

Besides the Clark tribute, the awards show will take advantage of its new home in Las Vegas, tapping Sin City talent including the Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, Wayne Newton, Cheech & Chong and Jeff Foxworthy.

Regis Philbin is hosting the 37th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, which will be broadcast live from the Las Vegas Hilton.

"This will be a fast-moving, entertaining awards show," said McKenzie, who serves as president of Associated Television Intl. "Last year we tried to step up the pace, and make it a glamorous and fun event.

"My mantra has been, the Daytime Emmys are an important part of our industry," he added. "And we need to support them. We took it from death's door last year, and we want to kick start it again, so it continues forever."

Disney announced plans Wednesday to dump SoapNet in two years and replace the channel with the new, preschool-oriented "Disney Junior."

That's sure to rock the programming world of our household. I probably have not watched a single second of SoapNet -- no offense to the folks behind the channel, I'm just not the target demo.

I do have a 9 month old, however. And by the time Disney Junior launches in 2012, he'll be nearly 3. I get the feeling I'm going to be watching a lot of Disney Junior.

Disney Junior enters a 5-and-under field that has gotten crowded in recent years. Nickelodeon operates the 24-hour Nick Jr. preschool channel, while PBS Kids Sprout is a joint venture between Comcast Corp., HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame Workshop. The digital channel Qubo, an alliance between Scholastic, ION Media Networks, NBC Universal, and Corus Entertainment, also targets the preschool crowd. And BBC Worldwide America has been looking to distribute a U.S. version of the kiddie channel CBeebies here.

As for Discovery’s upcoming joint venture with Hasbro, dubbed “The Hub,” that channel will be geared toward a slightly older kid audience.

Disney already operates a preschool block on the Disney Channel, called “Playhouse Disney.” That brand will be renamed “Disney Junior” in early 2011. Disney plans to rename its 22 Playhouse Disney channels and blocks outside the U.S. as well, starting in 2011.

According to insiders, the name change was made in order to make it more clear to consumers that “Disney Junior” offers programming that is younger-skewing than the Disney Channel.

Disney Junior won’t run advertising, but will follow the Disney Channel model of including promotions and other programming material between programs. Rival Nick Jr. also doesn’t accept advertising, while PBS Kids Sprout does -- but only for products geared toward parents, such as diapers, household items and reading programs.

Meanwhile, you gotta hand it to those crafty folks at Disney. They buried the lede -- the press release for Disney Junior doesn't mention the demise of SoapNet UNTIL THE SIXTH PARAGRAPH! That led many of us to believe this was simply a channel launch announcement at first -- until, holy crap, there's more to the story! A reminder to always listen to your third grade teacher and read things through!

Team Coco is inching closer to TBS.

The cabler announced Wednesday that Conan O'Brien sidekick Andy Richter will join with several veteran O'Brien writers, as well as comedian Reggie Watts, to host a special as part of TBS' and Just For Laughs' upcoming comedy festival in Chicago.

The one-hour special" Team Coco presents Conan’s Writers Live" (working title) will be taped on June 17 and run on TBS ten days later -- June 27, at 10 p.m.

Show is similar to one that the O'Brien scribes have already produced to sold-out auds in Los Angeles. The eccentric Watts, meanwhile, has been opening for O’Brien on the once-and-future late night host's "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour."

VH1 is giving a second season order to three of its new reality skeins: “Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business,” “Basketball Wives” and “What Chilli Wants.”

News comes as “Basketball Wives” and “What Chilli Wants” end their frosh seasons this Sunday, while "Brandy & Ray J" winds down season one on June 27.

“VH1 viewers connected strongly with these three new series this year, and we’re so happy that we can continue to share these real-life stories from the worlds of music and celebrity," said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Production at VH1.

“Basketball Wives” centers on a group of friends married to Miami Heat players. A new batch of ladies will be added to the second season, which resumes shooting this summer in Miami.

“What Chilli Wants” stars TLC partner Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas as she looks for love. And "Brandy and Ray J" follows the Norwood siblings and their family as they run Rn’B Productions.

“Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business” comes from EPs Mark Cronin and Cris Abrego and their 51 Minds Entertainment shingle a part of Endemol. Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes and Kristen Kelly also EP. Shed Media is behind “Basketball Wives,” exec produced by Nick Emmerson, Jennifer O’Connell, Alex Demyanenko and Sean Rankine, as well as VH1's Olde, Jill Holmes and Noah Pollack.

And “What Chilli Wants” is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Larry Barron, Kevin Williams, Bill Diggins and Chilli are EPs, along with VH1's Jim Ackerman, Dave Hamilton and Olde.

 

News: ABC goes rogue and adds images to end of "Lost" finale, confusing viewers.

Reaction: We need an investigation.

--Was "St. Elsewhere" really a figment of Tommy Westphal's autistic imagination, or did NBC add the scene of the snowglobe to help its viewers "decompress" before late local news.
--Did CBS plop in Suzanne Pleshette at the end of the "Newhart" finale?
--Who spelled out "Goodbye" on "MASH"? B.J., or some fun-lovin' crafts services guy?
--Was David Chase just expecting someone from HBO to fill in the blanks?

TV fans are going to start demanding answers.

We won't have "Lost" to look forward to anymore. 

Sigh. 

Luckily, if you're in New York, you still have a chance to celebrate the now-gone series. 

On display now at Gothams's Vilcek Foundation: props and other memorabilia from six seasons of "Lost."

The org, which celebrates the contribution of immigrants and first-generation Americans to science and the arts, is behind "The Vilcek Foundation Celebrates LOST: The International Artists and Filmmakers of ABC’s Hit Show." 

The free exhibit features "Lost" items ranging from the show's 1970s-era blue VW van to the atomic bomb nicknamed "Jughead." 

The donkey wheel, Hurley's Mr. Cluck outfit, Sawyer's letter to himself, Ben Linus' forged passport, it's all here. 

The main reason for the exhibit, however, is to celebrate the show's unique status as a crossroads for talent (both in front of, and behind, the camera) from all over the world. Exec producer Carlton Cuse -- who was born in Mexico City -- is part of the exhibit, as areas are Jorge Garcia (“Hurley”), Yunjin Kim (“Sun”), Nestor Carbonell (“Richard”), Dominic Monaghan (“Charlie”) and Daniel Dae Kim (“Jin”). I got a chance to write up the bio info for the accompanying booklet to the event -- which looks great (kudos to the photographers and booklet designer). 

Hurry -- the exhibit concludes at the end of next week. After that, it doesn't sound like the props will be on display in such a major way anywhere else. 

"The Vilcek Foundation Celebrates LOST"

Dates: May 20 – June 5, 2010

Location: 167 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 12–6 p.m.

 

(Photos courtesy The Vilcek Foundation.)

Jane Lynch has been tabbed to host VH1’s Do Something Awards.

The actress has been making headlines and garnering buzz for her role as the nasty cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester on Fox’s “Glee,” as well as a guest spot on Starz comedy “Party Down.” She also has a voice role in the current bigscreen pic “Shrek Forever After,” which opened Friday.

Kudos, set to air July 19, are geared to honor twentysomethings and younger who make a difference in their community.

OK, you can now plan your summer. CBS has unveiled this year's broadcast pattern for "Big Brother" -- Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 8 p.m.

CBS also announced airdates for its summer scripted entries, including the third season return of Canadian co-production "Flashpoint," which runs Fridays at 9 p.m. starting June 4. (Show later moves to 10 p.m. on Fridays beginning July 16).

Eye's other Canadian co-prod, the police drama "The Bridge," will join Saturday nights at 8 p.m. starting 8 p.m. Then there's the burnoff of CBS fave Alex O'Dreamy's previous drama "Three Rivers," which returns on June 5 to air its final four episodes.

As for "Big Brother," the reality vet returns for its annual voyeuristic summer trip starting Thursday, July 8 at 8 p.m. The Sunday and Wednesday debuts follow.

As always, Julie Chen is host. Thursdays will go live, as Chen oversees the eviction show.

"Big Brother" is coming off a strong performance last summer, as it bumped up 7% with viewers (7.08m from 6.60m) and up 4% with adults 18-49 (2.5/8 from 2.4/7).

"Big Brother," from Endemol USA, is exec produced by Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan.

Straight from Showtime: "Paying homage to actor and style icon Brad Pitt’s ultra bohemian, off-screen look, 'Californication' guest star Rob Lowe plays unpredictable mega-watt movie star Eddie Nero, a contender to play Hank (series star David Duchovny) in the film version of his blockbuster novel."

Lowe, who just joined the team on NBC's "Parks & Recreation," has signed on to appear in three episodes of "Californication's" upcoming fourth season.

In comparison, here's a shot of Pitt below. I'd say the wardrobe and makeup team at "Californication" pretty much nailed it (other than the lack of grey in Lowe's goatee. Looks like somebody's been using 'Just for Men'!).

 

CBS is anxious to spread the word: It's once again tops in total viewers.

With three days left in the 2009-2010 TV season competish, the Eye is far enough ahead in total viewers that even a mega finale for "American Idol" wouldn't bump it out of the lead.

Here's how the viewer race is shaping up: CBS in first, with 11.8 million viewers, followed by Fox (9.9 million), ABC (8.6 million) and NBC (8.2 million).

Among the other bulletpoints being touted by CBS:

CBS has the season's top three new programs—"Undercover Boss," "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "The Good Wife"

"NCIS" is #1 scripted program in viewers

"The Big Bang Theory" is #1 scripted series in adults 18-49

CBS notches seven of the Top 10 dramas and the top two comedies

CBS will win the May sweep in viewers for the eighth consecutive year and ninth in the last 10 years

Meanwhile, through Sunday night, here's how the other races are faring:

Adults 18-49 (ratings/share)

Fox -- 3.6/10

CBS -- 3.2/9

ABC/NBC (tie) -- 2.7/7

Adults 18-34

Fox -- 3.2/10

ABC/CBS/NBC (tie) -- 2.2/7

Adults 25-54

CBS/Fox (tie) -- 4.1/10

ABC/NBC (tie) -- 3.2/8

Fox was a little more cautious this morning, touting only that it was "closing in" on another season win in 18-49.

Over at L.A. Weekly, our blog pal Jessica Ritz has come up with a fun list of TV's top ten fictional eating establishments. 

Some of the picks: Mel's Diner, from "Alice";  the Peach Pit, from "Beverly Hills, 90210"; and, of course, Arnold's, from "Happy Days."

Can you guess which spot landed at No. 1? Any spots that Jessica left off the list? Go check out the Weekly's Squid Ink blog for more.

P.S. A few more that I can think of, off the top of my head: The sea captain's Frying Dutchman eatery on "The Simpsons"; Tim Reid's short-lived but still-loved "Frank's Place"; and the biggest omission of them all: Jack's Bistro, from "Three's Company."

Has there ever been so much written about a TV show title before it ever even hit the air?

Countless stories and blog posts have already been written about CBS' "$#*! My Dad Says" -- the William Shatner laffer based on the Twitter feed "Shit My Dad Says."

Around here, live from atop of the mighty Variety Tower, we've been on a mission to dub the show "Shat My Dad Says" -- thanks to the presence of the almighty Shat himself in the lead. (Well, OK, some of us have. Variety editors aren't too keen on using "Shat," I've slowly discovered.)

I'd love to see the memos that went back and forth between Eye and Warner Bros. execs and CBS' lawyers in the days and weeks leading up to the upfronts, as the network decided what they'd be able to actually use.

To their credit, the Eye didn't wimp out and call the show "Stuff My Dad Says." Or "That's My Papa!" Or "The William Shatner Show." Or "Shat Attack!" (Actually, that last one would have been awesome.)

Instead, they found a compromise, and it involves borrowing from the comics pages -- where swear words have been uttered via typography for years.

"$#*! My Dad Says."

The even better abbreviation "$#!+" didn't pass muster (apparently that looks a little too much like the word "Shit"), yet the almost-abbreviation "$#*!" was deemed OK by the powers that be. The key, of course, is the dollar sign -- as long as "$" is there, people will get it.

For its part, CBS has been very careful in not publicly referring to it as "Shit My Dad Says." 

The word "shit" was bandied about quite often (actually, rather surprisingly so) at CBS' upfront presentation last week Many of those mentions, however, were utilized by research chief David Poltrack, whose reference to "bullshit numbers" at a winter conference was turned into a dance remix. (Really.)

But Nina Tassler made sure never to say "Shit My Dad Says" during the upfront  -- sticking with CBS' preferred pronunciation: "Bleep My Dad Says." Actually, Nina never came close to saying the title at all. (An announcer referred to "Bleep My Dad Says" in the cutdown, and Tassler did quip that "we have some really funny shit" after "Big Bang Theory" on Thursdays.)

Yep, CBS will forever pronounce "$#*!" as "Bleep" -- although you and I (wink, wink) know what it really stands for. 

That apparently has satisfied the lawyers, as there's no FCC rule against using a dollar sign, pound sign, asterisk and exclamation mark and pronouncing it as "Bleep" over the broadcast airwaves. (And that's actually someone saying the word "Bleep" -- not an audio tone censoring something more unsavory.)

And, as we also learned last week, that's enough for the PTC to send out a press release, protesting the title. (Honestly, shouldn't they be more offended by the title to "The Big Bang Theory"?)

And finally... "Lost Untangled" offers up the catchy -- and helpful -- tune "Lessons of Lost." Enjoy.

And so it goes. Now that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have blown our freaking minds with that strong two-and-a-half-hour ender, the duo have gone into hiding -- as promised (and as inspired by David Chase's disappearance post-"Sopranos" finale).

Now that Lindelof and Cuse are almost as well known as the show's stars, I'm not sure they'll be able to go incognito, no matter where they went. (Particularly given Disney's decision to run the "Lost" finale day-and-date across the globe.)

So American tourists, if you run into Lindelof or Cuse, let 'em enjoy some peace and quiet. But if you REALLY need to know more, I suppose they'll humor you if you find them. Cuse is heading to the Swiss Alps, while Lindelof is off to Italy. Shh.

There has been a lot of reminiscing about series finales the past few days, with "Newhart" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" getting deserved attention. One that seems to have been forgotten too soon is the finale of "Six Feet Under." Every time I start this clip — every time — I start to choke up.

CBS is entering the crowded TV dance space, picking up the new series “Got To Dance.”

As part of the greenlight, Paula Abdul has joined the show as a judge.

Abdul will serve as one of several expert judges on the show, which aims to find the nation’s hottest dancers. “Got To Dance” will focus on individuals performing a wide variety of dances -- “from ballroom to breakdance, bhangra to ballet and tap to tango,” the network said.

The success this season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” which saw ratings growth thanks to the addition of contestants such as Erin Andrews and Kate Gosselin, has spawned renewed interest in the dance space.

Abdul had been rumored to land in several places, including an ABC revival of “Star Search” and Simon Cowell’s 2011 Fox entry “The X-Factor” (a gig she could still very well be up for). 

Abdul will also serve as an EP on the show. Reveille is behind the show, which also comes from EPs Elisabeth Murdoch, Howard T. Owens, Mark Koops and Robin Ashbrook.

In a live chat befitting the crazy nature of the series, Variety's Justin Kroll, Stuart Levine, Cynthia Littleton, Michael Schneider and I whipped through an hour's worth of "Lost" questions, answers, memories and minefields. Relive the glory here:

With its season-one finale still two weeks away, “Glee” has been renewed for a third season.

Move by Fox is just another example of showing enormous faith in the series that has been the highest-rated new show of the season. “Glee” launched as a sneak peek last May after an installment of “American Idol” and has been a hit ever since.

This season’s finale airs June 8. Tuesday's episodes features the music of Lada Gaga.

Monday night update, after a second viewing: I revise my thinking a little bit. It's not that the flash-sideways is strictly Jack's construct to ease his passage to death -- (or reincarnation, I got a strong "next chapter" vibe this time around.) But the flash sideways world is the construct that all of them need at their moment of death, whenever that is. As viewers we need to get over the notion of linear time -- as Christian sez, some died before you, some died long after. There's no strict calendar for this passage, but that is why Hurley speaks to Ben about their island time in the past tense. And it's also why Ben has the option of opting out, as it were, at least for that moment. He's still working through his personal construct. But unlike on the first viewing, I do believe they're all moving on together -- hence the white light flooding the church.

The shots of the wreckage over the credits are still gnawing at me. I'm 85% sure it's old glimpses of Oceanic 815. I need to get out season one and study the early wreckage scenes to be absolutely sure. Though I suppose even if it is meant to be Aljira, we know how it winds up for Kate and Sawyer.

By Cynthia Littleton

(Jon Weisman's initial thoughts posted below)

And in the end ... the hero sacrifices himself for the greater good.

In hindsight the ending of "Lost" should have been clear, based on all the hero's journey sagas going back to Homer et al.

It is a credit to the show's depth and breadth of characters and storytelling that it wasn't. Jack was our hero from the start, of course, but the show took so many twists and turns, and characters like Locke, Sawyer, Ben and Desmond took the spotlight at various times that by season six it was easy to lose sight of Jack's central role. But they never really knocked Jack out of the center of the action for too long, from the role he played in rounding the Oceanic 6 up to go back to L.A. to detonating the atom bomb to the fact that season six opened with a flash-sideways from Jack's P.O.V. Live together, die alone -- except Jack didn't die alone, in his mind.

Here's my first stab at what we learned in the final 15 minutes or so, formulated with the help of my fellow "Lost" finale viewing comrades, Variety's Stuart Levine and Priscilla Levine, who kindly hosted our party at their house, and Variety's Justin Kroll and Rick Kissell.

The flash-sideways that we saw this season were Jack's fantasy visions of what became of the core Oceanic 815 group. It was part of the "letting go" process that Jack went through after he died. I believe Jack died on the island after he stuck the role back in the hole plugging the rock back into the hole that allowed the beautiful white light to come back, rather than the fiery color and the quaking and shaking the erupted after Desmond pulled out the rock -- which Kroll quickly observed symbolized the cork in the wine carafe that Jacob used as a visual aid to explain the evil-containment imperative to Richard.

The exact timing of Jack's death may be open to interpretation. But it's impossible to quarrel with how they handled it -- Jack lays himself to rest in the bamboo field, the very same spot where he first woke up on the island that was to provide him with the biggest awakening of his sorry life. Closing one eye carefully in the same way it popped open with a start all those seasons ago. And just as Vincent was there when he first awoke, so the faithful hound lies down to see Jack off into the next world. His fellow castaways do the same thing in his flash sideways, that's why Kate and others urge Jack to come when he's "ready" to leave.

ABC has rescued the Miss America Pageant.

Under a three-year deal, the event returns to the Alphabet net in January. Pact reps a return to broadcast TV for the pageant, which moved to cable after ABC dropped it in 2005 due to low ratings.

The Miss America Organization board chairman Sam Haskell and prexy/CEO Art McMaster are set to announce the arrangement today. In re-establishing the relationship with ABC, Haskell said the network "shares many of our same ideals and tradition."

ABC's decision to bring back the pageant comes as the networks continue to experience ratings growth for big events -- including the Super Bowl, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys. Some of that success has been attributed to the growth of social networking.

Miss America also saw a ratings uptick this year on TLC, thanks in part to a decision to tap Rush Limbaugh as a judge.

"It had been a goal of mine to build up an audience base again so we'd look attractive to a broadcast network," Haskell said.

As part of the setup, Tall Pony Prods. ("Radio Music Awards," "Fashion Rocks") is on board to handle the live telecast. Anthony Eaton and Lauren Harris are exec producers.

NBC carried Miss America for 30 years, but dumped the pageant in 1997 as it struck a partnership instead with Donald Trump and rival Miss USA.

ABC then took over the event in 1997, only to see ratings for the pageant drop nearly 50% over the course of nine years -- finally opting not to renew after Miss America 2005 was crowned in late 2004. Miss America found itself on hard times after that, moving to niche-oriented cablers. First stop was country music outlet CMT, where it hit rock bottom in 2007 -- averaging just 2.4 million viewers. TLC ran the pageant over the past three years, bringing the aud up to 4.5 million this past year.

But TLC's option was up, and while there was some initial interest from the cabler in renewing the deal, the two sides could not come to terms.

Former mega-agent Haskell had his eyes set on pitching his old pals at broadcast -- and given the fact that Miss America's median age had declined while on cable, he thought the timing was right.

The organization had also been taking several steps in trying to revive the event -- moving the contest from its longtime Atlantic City base to Las Vegas in 2006, for example, and adding a reality competition at one point (though not this year) to the TLC run.

"For the organization to thrive, we need young girls to continue to grow up to want to be Miss America," said Haskell, whose wife, Mary Donnelly Haskell, was once Miss Mississippi. Haskell works pro bono for the Miss America org.

Haskell and Miss America were assisted in the ABC negotiation by former Alphabet business affairs chief Mark Pedowitz (now of Pine Street Entertainment), as well as Haskell's former William Morris colleague John Ferriter (of Octagon Entertainment) and the Buckeye Group's Billy Goldberg and Kevin Kroos.

Deal comes just in time for Miss America's 90th anniversary, Haskell noted.

Meanwhile, in differentiating his pageant from Miss USA, Haskell touted Miss America's scholarship credentials.

"Our girls require community service and must have a talent," he said. "There's also a requirement to be in college. And we make sure that every single one of our women leave with scholarship money."

Haskell declined to comment on ABC's new license fee for the pageant. The Alphabet net paid $5.6 million for the telecast when it last aired Miss America in September 2004.

UPDATED AT 4 P.M. FRIDAY WITH NEW SALES INFO

The Canadians have picked up a handful of shows at the L.A. Screenings as they fly back home today and over the weekend.

While leading networks Global, Rogers and CTV are normally tight-lipped about what they’ve bought, a few acquisitions have leaked out.

Global purchased reboot “Hawaii Five-0” from CBS Studios Intl., while also buying the J.J. Abrams drama “Undercovers” from Warner Bros.

Net also acquired Twentieth’s Texas oil drama "Lonestar" and "Ride-Along" from creator Shawn Ryan, as well as sitcom "Raising Hope." Laffer is from "My Name Is Earl" exec producer Greg Garcia.

Rogers, which owns the City-TV stations, has gone ahead and opened their checkbooks for NBC Universal’s “The Event,” starring Jason Ritter and Blair Underwood.

CTV’s new programming slate includes a mix from several studios. Tom Selleck starrer “Blue Bloods” and “The Defenders,” with Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell, — two of the three dramas the network picked up — are from CBS Intl. “Law & Order: Los Angeles” was bought to replace the “Law & Order” mothership that was a CTV staple but canceled by NBC on Monday. CTV also is facing the loss of “Lost.”

On the comedy side, CTV bought “?@#$ My Dad Says” and “Mike & Molly” from Warner Bros. Third sitcom “Mr. Sunshine,” with Matthew Perry as the manager of a sports arena, was purchased from Sony.

CTV's secondary "A" network picked up Warner Bros. femme-skewing dramas "Hellcats" and "Nikita." 

Canada’s networks often premiere their skeins day and date with the U.S. All three webs will announce their new lineup at the Canuck upfronts the first week of June.

 
"Lost" star Jorge Garcia penned this first-person retrospective for Variety on the lifechanging experience he had on the ABC series:

At 5 a.m. on April 24, I became unemployed.

I just wrapped my six-season run on "Lost." The job that went above and beyond anything I could have imagined was over.

When I auditioned for "Lost," I was just another out-of-work actor struggling to land a pilot. When I first went in to meet the producers, there wasn't any material for me, except a few sides they had for the character Sawyer.

I felt great about the audition; so great, in fact, that getting the part wasn't important because I knew I couldn't have done any better. Then I got the call that I was going to test, and that they were going to write scenes specifically for me. I remember noticing I was the only Hurley in the room waiting to test. I called my agent from the parking lot afterward and said, "I don't know what it meant but it felt like a good thing."

When I got hired I hadn't even seen the pilot script. All I knew was that it was a J.J. Abrams show and that it would shoot in Hawaii. I figured, if anything, I had just scored an extended Hawaiian vacation.

Moving to Hawaii was a dream come true. When I worked the magazine stand at Borders in Westwood, I remember seeing a picture of Kelsey Grammer in his Hawaiian home on the cover of Architectural Digest and thinking that having a home in Hawaii was a good benchmark for success. Not two months in my new apartment in L.A., I was trying to figure out what to pack for a show that I had no idea how long would last. Now six years later, I walk around my house trying to figure out what to pack from all of the stuff I have amassed in Hawaii over the show's run.

During the pilot and the first summer of shooting we bonded quickly as a cast. After all, not unlike the show's premise, we literally found ourselves on an island with one another. We'd go to each other's houses on the weekends and nights when we weren't shooting. When the shows started airing, we would usually gather at the house of whomever the show was going to feature that week to watch and congratulate each other.

We had no information about what was going on beyond what we read in the script each week. We knew we were making TV that was not like anything seen before and crossed our fingers hoping we would find an audience who liked what we were doing.

The series premiere brought in better numbers than we anticipated and I remember saying to the other actors the next day, "I hope you like it in Hawaii because we may be here for a while."

As the seasons progressed, moments of being recognized on the street grew exponentially. There was a time during season one when all I had to do was tie my hair back to become invisible. Obviously, that does nothing for me now; neither does wearing a hat and sunglasses. At times both Daniel Dae Kim and Terry O'Quinn remarked how they enjoyed disappearing when they were around me as I would be the only one getting recognized.

Hawaii has been a wonderful place to hide for six years. Sometimes I could almost convince myself that "Lost" was a just a little show I did with friends in the jungle. I always liked to think of us as the tinkers in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" until something would shake that fantasy and I'd be forced to recognize how huge the show was becoming, like getting nominated for a Golden Globe. J.J., always the consummate mensch, wanted my experience to be enjoyable and easy at the awards, so he gifted me my first custom-tailored tuxedo.

I think the time spent under the cast tent on set will be what I'll miss the most. We sang songs to Terry and Naveen's guitar playing, made valiant group efforts to complete a Friday edition of the New York Times crossword puzzle and played a lot of Scrabble.

My last day on "Lost" was also my longest: 20 hours. Without going into details, I can say the shoot was dangerous, physical and wet. But what could be more appropriate? How else could we end this epic show without an epic marathon night of shooting? At the end of it all we all remarked how we expected the end to be more emotional for us, but we were too tired to cry.

I'll admit I got a little teary with Matthew Fox. I thanked him for everything he taught me, including taking me on his trip to Japan to see Green Day that first summer of shooting. At the time, flying at the last minute to a foreign country was way out of my comfort zone, but then again nothing on "Lost" was ever in my comfort zone.

I stuck around after even after I wrapped to see the martini shot of the entire show. I could feel director Jack Bender's resistance to call "print" on that last take. In fact I'm pretty sure he asked for one more take to delay the inevitable.

I still don't think the end of it all has hit me yet. Maybe I'll feel it when the finale finally airs Sunday. Or maybe it will hit me when I board the plane at Honolulu Airport for the last time as a Hawaiian resident.

I have no clue what my next adventure is going to be, I just know this job is going to be a hard one to follow.

4        Number of late-night hosts on stage (Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O'Brien, George Lopez)

2        Number of those hosts who came on stage with a guitar (Fallon, O'Brien)

100%        Percentage of presentations that used Ke$ha's "Tik-Tok" at one point

100%        Percentage of upfronts attendees who now can't get that terrible song out of their head

2,000        Number of people invited to Adult Swim's party, featuring M.I.A. (approx.)

2,000        Number of people who showed up to Adult Swim's party (approx.)

36        Number of times the word "shit" was uttered at CBS' upfront presentation (educated guess)

0        Number of times the actual sitcom title "Shit My Dad Says" was uttered at that same event (the network legally refuses to utter the word "shit" in conjunction with the title)

2        Pop stars wearing wacky specs on stage (M.I.A. at Adult Swim, and Katy Perry at The CW)

2        Number of clip reels featuring Mike O'Malley ("Parenthood," "Glee")

0        Number of shows in which O'Malley is actually a regular star on

Most obscure trends, tie: Moustaches (Tom Selleck in CBS' "Blue Bloods"; Fox's "The Good Guys") and hyphens ("Detroit 1-8-7"; "Ride-Along"; "Hawaii Five-O")

Biggest star revelation: "Nikita's" Maggie Q, who improvised her speech at the CW presentation and charmed the crowd

Best pre-taped piece, tie: CBS' reimagining of research chief David Poltrack, whose comment at a convention last winter about "bullshit numbers" was turned into a rap; and NBC's opener starring Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy.

Biggest missed opportunity: With no party after the ABC event, the Alphabet should have screened that night's amazing penultimate episode of "Lost" for media buyers after its presentation.

Biggest victory lap, tie: The cast of "Glee," which performed "Like a Prayer" at the Fox upfront; and the cast of "Modern Family," the only cast to be flown out and placed on the ABC upfront stage.

((Check out Variety's complete Upfronts 2010 coverage here.))

Featuring a cast list that just won't quit, Rob Corddry's "Childrens Hospital" will premiere on Adult Swim at 10:30 p.m. July 11.

"Childrens" is a pseudo-parody of medical dramas like "Grey's Anatomy" and "House." One line from the official announcement is too irresistible not to quote: "Their dedication to their personal lives is relentless, interrupted only by the occasional need to treat sick children."

Malin Akerman, Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel, Ken Marino, Megan Mullally and Henry Winkler are among the regular cast, with guests that will include Ed Begley Jr., Lizzy Caplan, John Cho, Rachael Harris, Ernie Hudson, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Nick Kroll, Nick Offerman, Marion Ross, Will Sasso, Paul Scheer, Kurtwood Smith, Abigail Spencer, David Wain, and Matt Walsh.

"Childrens" is based on Corddry's TheWB.com digital series, with new episodes produced by Abominable Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. TV. Corddry exec produces with Jonathan Stern and Wain (director of "Role Models" and "Wet Hot American Summer"). Adult Swim will show both the new episodes and the preceding webisodes.

The 2 1/2-hour finale of “Lost” is now eligible for Emmy.

The board of governors at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences amended a rule Wednesday night that previously stated an episode of any series that runs more than double in length of an ordinary episode would not be eligible for consideration. “Lost” usually runs an hour, but in order to allow exec producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse to fully flesh out the story of what happens to the island’s inhabitants, ABC allowed 150 minutes for the finale.

The move in lengthening the episode’s running time was also self-serving for the Alphabet, as it attempts dominate the night’s ratings and cash in on additional high-priced commercial time. A special two-hour “Lost” clip show will air from 7-9 p.m., while the finale won’t end until 11:30. At that point, latenight host Jimmy Kimmel — a huge fan of the drama — will invite a handful of cast and crew to discuss what just transpired.

The inclusion of the finale allows categories such as director, writer and all actors to be considered.
Also, in another rule change, the Academy has allowed now episodes aired after the June 1-May 31 eligibility period to be eligible as long as it airs on the Internet before its telecast.

Starz applied for an exemption and asked the Academy to amend the rule because the final episode of comedy series “Party Down” was scheduled to air June 25 — more than three weeks past the deadline — but the net wanted attention for guest star Jane Lynch. The series itself was already eligible because more than half the episodes aired before May 31.

With the new “hanging episodes” rule, Starz will now schedule a time to webcast the episode. The voting period for the primetime Emmys ends June 21.

In a final Emmy change, makeup achievements in nonfiction programming will now be eligible in the makeup for a single-camera series category; likewise hair achievements in nonfiction programs will now be eligible in the hair for a single-camera category.  Both categories’ prior rules limited eligibility to makeup or hair achievements in a single episode of a drama or comedy series.

The CW is set to unveil a sked today that boasts all originals for the first time.

Net has opted not to run its usual "America's Next Top Model" repeat on Fridays, in order to fit two new dramas to its 10-hour week sked, in addition to the return of both bubble shows, "One Tree Hill" and "Life Unexpected."

In the net's one major sked change, the combo of "90210" and "Gossip Girl" will move to Monday nights, while "Hill" and "LUX" move to Tuesday.

New skein "Nikita" scores a plum spot behind returning series "The Vampire Diaries," while fellow newbie "Hellcats" lands behind "Top Model."

Here's The CW's fall 2010 schedule:

MONDAY
8 - 90210
9 - Gossip Girl

TUESDAY
8 - One Tree Hill
9 - Life Unexpected

WEDNESDAY
8 - America's Next Top Model
9 - HELLCATS

THURSDAY
8 - The Vampire Diaries
9 - NIKITA

FRIDAY
8 - Smallville
9 - Supernatural

MTV has given the go-ahead and greenlit “Teen Wolf” to series.

Based on the 1980s cult film starring Michael J. Fox, skein will star Tyler Posey as a high school student whose animal instincts kick in after being on the receiving end of a wolf attack.

Jeff Davis (“Criminal Minds”) wrote the pilot and will exec produce with Rene Echevarria, Marty Adelstein and Michael Thorn.

MTV is set to premiere “The Hard Times of RJ Berger,” an adolescent version of HBO’s “Hung.” Series will launch June 6.

If the Turner upfront at the Hammerstein Ballroom was opulent, its after-party in the evening (in honor of Adult Swim) was decadent.

The surreal atmosphere at Gotham Hall included trippy animation of Stewie Griffin as a giant caterpillar projected on the walls and peep show boxes featuring live, nude rodents.

M.I.A. performed.

-- Sam Thielman

Here's Variety ratings guru Rick Kissell's take on CBS's new schedule:

This figured to be a season of change at the normally stable CBS, and that proved to be the case: Five new programs (nothing odd there), but another five that are also changing timeslots. And it could have been even more if the considered slot flop of "CSI" and "The Mentalist" materialized.

The biggest moves ("Survivor" to Wednesday and "The Big Bang Theory" to Thursday) seem to suggest that the net believes "Survivor" is heading into its final year or two and that it has the goods in comedy to not only plant its flag on Thursday with "Bang," but perhaps establish a four-comedy block there in the near future.

Looking at the nights, Monday is a bit risky given that "How I Met Your Mother" and "Rules of Engagement" are both only so-so performers and are probably heading into their final couple of seasons. And although the likable "Mike and Molly" could blossom into a hit at 9:30, it seems like veteran 9 p.m. anchor "Two and a Half Men" will be asked to prop up the comedy block this season.

After being initially skeptical about "Hawaii Five-O," the early clips and still photos — along with its hospitable Monday 10 p.m. timeslot — make me more bullish about its chances. It also helps that in "CSI: Miami," CBS auds were already watching a similar kind of program in the timeslot, and they may look at "Hawaii" (with its scenic locale and pretty people) as simply a fresher take of the same show.

On Tuesday, the "NCIS" duo staying put was a no-brainer, but retaining "The Good Wife" at 10 was something of a surprise; in the end, it probably came down to wanting to keep a night of programming intact. Also, while "Good Wife" has fallen off in the ratings this spring and is mismatched with its more male-skewing lead-in, the competing dramas on ABC (new "Detroit 187") and NBC ("Parenthood") aren't powerhouses.

Wednesday is one of a few nights with the potential for growth for CBS. "Survivor" — strong numbers for its just-concluded all-stars edition notwithstanding — is slowly running out of gas, and its move to a new night will only accelerate its declines.

Still, it's the right time to move the show since it will perform better than the net's comedies of last season (and could put another timeslot win in the net's column). "Criminal Minds" should again fare well at 9, and then there's "The Defenders" — the net seems high on this show, but its premise and casting seems like it would be better suited for ABC. Still, a winning lead-in and two serious law/crime shows airing opposite it could work in its favor.

"Big Bang" should have no problem winning its new 8 o'clock half-hour on Thursday, although comedy competition from "Community" will drag it down some; and "Bleep My Dad Says" seems well-positioned between "Bang" and the older-skewing "CSI." (I'd probably be more enthusiastic about "Bleep" if William Shatner wasn't the lead). Add in "CSI" and "The Mentalist," and the Eye could see slight gains on Thursday, but more importantly now has several youngish pieces on the night.

Another possible reason for the comedy move by CBS is that unlike on Wednesday, where ABC's formidable "Modern Family" appears poised for a lengthy run in the 9 o'clock slot, the competition isn't as tough on Thursday, where NBC's 9 o'clock anchor "The Office" is aging and the Peacock hasn't shown any signs that it has anything else that can fare nearly as well.

I've never been a fan of New York crime stories, but Friday newbie "True Bloods" could change that; the show is well cast, looks great and will benefit from a compatible lead-in from the transplanted "CSI: NY." It also won't face much competition at 10 opposite NBC's "Outlaw" and ABC's "20/20." As for "Medium," well something had to lead off the night.

Sunday's lineup may be the Eye's strongest in more than a decade, with the "Amazing Race"-"Undercover Boss" pairing to benefit from football promotion. I also like "CSI: Miami as a 10 p.m. show that should pick up football fans flipping over during half-time of the NFL primetime game on NBC.

But for the love of all that's holy, CBS, won't you please do something about the football overruns causing shows to start at such unusual times in most of the country; every other net figured this out years ago, and would never let one of its top entertainment series start late due to sports. It's time that "60 Minutes" either go live and produce a show that fits a certain time allotment (maybe expanded to 90 minutes some nights when "Race" doesn't air or trimmed to 40 minutes on others so "Race" can start right at 8). Any attempt to get the trains running on time will be especially helpful this fall as the 9-11 p.m. block is especially strong. Just try something!

One other thought: There's been a lot of hand-wringing about the numerous bubble shows that CBS canceled, but it made the right choices in each case. I would, however, suggest that the net consider occasional two-hour movies of "Cold Case," whose emotional storylines and impressive use of music would be both promotable and might land some big-name thesps.

Overall, it looks like Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday could be gainers for CBS, whose schedule once again makes more sense than its rivals.

The syndie world has been put on geek alert.

Producers of former WB reality skein “Beauty and the Geek” have created half-hour strip “Geek Meets Girl,” where a beautiful woman has two dates with a nerdy guy. At the end of each half-hour episode, the two reveal if any romance has been sparked.

Show, to be sold for a 2011 fall launch, is from Fox 21 and Trifecta Entertainment. Ashton Kutcher, Jason Goldberg and Nick Santora are exec producers.

“Beauty and the Geek,” hosted by Mike Richards, aired for five seasons.

Craig Kilborn, who anchored an early incarnation of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” for two years in the 1990s, is returning to television with a show similar in tone to the current Jon Stewart version.

Produced by Twentieth Television, the half-hour “The Kilborn File” will make a six-week run on Fox Television Station O&O’s in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelpha, Boston, Phoenix, Austin and Detroit beginning June 28. Depending upon the city, show will air at 6:30, 7 or 7:30 p.m. and replace the current syndie sitcom airing at that time.

Kilborn was host on CBS’ “The Late Late Show” for five years, and was often talked about as a possible latenight fixture but left the show in 2004 and has been off the air since. Previously to being the first host of “The Daily Show,” Kilborn was a popular anchor on ESPN’s signature show “SportsCenter.”

“The Kilborn Files” will have the host offer opinions on pop culture and current events. He’ll also have guests and a “power panel” that will weigh in on the issues of the day.

While Twentieth wasn’t specifically looking for a show that tackled current events in a humorous fashion, Kilborn pitched the show and found the studio very interested.

“From a conceptual standpoint, this is his baby,” Frank Cicha, senior VP of programming for Fox Television Stations, told Daily Variety. “He delivered on every comic concpet he described to us. It’s very well thought out.”

As for the test episodes shot for Twentieth execs, Cicha thought there was enough potential in the show to go forward.

“Comedy is hard, and doing it five days a week is near impossible, but enough was delivered,” he said. “You knew there was something there. Did you bust a gut at every utterance?  No, but that’s not true for any show.”

Chicha also said the comparisons to “The Daily Show” might be slightly premature. Also, with “The Daily Show” on basic cable, Stewart and his team have more leeway in terms of language and content than Kilborn on Fox’s O&Os.

“I’m not sure it’ll be as political as that,” he said. “I don’t know if it's going in that direction. It might be less politics and more pop culture.”

Show, produced by Lon Rosen, will tape in Los Angeles before a live audience.

With "$#*! My Dad Says" getting picked up at CBS, William Shatner has now toplined shows on each of the Big Three nets.

"Star Trek": NBC, 1966-69

"Barbary Coast": ABC, 1975-76

"T.J. Hooker": ABC, 1982-87

"Boston Legal": ABC, 2004-09

(He actually headed a short-lived legal drama on CBS in 1965, "For the People," but that was before he was "TV's William Shatner")

Now if only he'd done a Fox sitcom back in the day...

 

Roth (l) with Chuck Lorre and Bruce Rosenblum

Warner Bros. TV prexy Peter Roth admits he feels some "trepidation" about CBS' decision to move "The Big Bang Theory" -- one of three CBS/Chuck Lorre sitcoms the studio now produces -- to Thursday nights at 8 p.m.

But after digesting the decision a bit more, Roth has quickly become a fan.

"It's a very bold and aggressive move," he said. "I understand it, and I'm hoping it's for the best."

Roth said CBS execs told him that they felt the night was up for grabs, and that the competition in the hour is relatively weak -- a good reason to strike now.

"I applaud them for their audacity," Roth said. "CBS zinged while the others zagged."

Roth has reason to be upbeat: "The Big Bang Theory" just sold for mega bucks to TBS and the Fox stations over the weekend.

Also, as it moved "Bang," CBS has handed Warner Bros. TV plum slots for two of the studio's new sitcoms, "Mike and Molly" (which will air behind "Two and a Half Men" on Mondays) and "Shat My Dad Says" (which runs behind "Big Bang Theory").

The exec was also celebrating the return of four out of Warner Bros.' five bubble shows -- "Chuck," "One Tree Hill," "Human Target" and "V." Roth said he's currently tackling the possibility of reviving the fifth, "The New Adventures of Old Christine," but said it was premature to discuss whether it might end up at ABC or another outlet.

NBC, of course, dominated Thursdays with comedy in the 1990s, but the night has been much more competitive ever since CBS slotted "Survivor" there and ABC moved "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" there in the early 2000s. After that, networks have used Thursday -- the most important night of the week for advertisers -- to make bold statements with red-hot properties.

Most recently, ABC made noise by moving "Grey's Anatomy" to the night. And while "Bones" and "Fringe" weren't the same kind of major players when Fox moved them there, those two shows have also given Fox its first success on the night in years.

The guest cast for the series premiere of NBC romantic anthology "Love Bites" this fall has a little something for, well, not everyone, but a lot of people: Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Ghost Whisperer"), Greg Grunberg ("Heroes"), Craig Robinson ("The Office"), Jason Lewis ("Sex and the City"), Lindsay Price ("Lipstick Jungle"), Larry Wilmore ("The Daily Show"), Charlyne Yi ("Knocked Up"), Pamela Adlon ("Californication"), Stacy Galina ("Hidden Hills"), Brian Hallisay ("Privileged"), Kyle Howard ("My Boys" and the upcoming NBC sitcom "Perfect Couples") and Steve Howey ("Bride Wars"). 

The series stars Jordana Spiro ("My Boys") and Becki Newton ("Ugly Betty"). Here's a clip with Hewitt (playing herself) and Grunberg (not playing himself):

The CW has confirmed that "Smallville's" upcoming tenth season will be its last.

"Smallville" star Tom Welling revealed the news this morning.

News isn't a huge surprise, as the show is aging, and an end date appeared to be in the works for some time. "Smallville" appeared ready fly from the airwaves after this season -- but the show performed well enough to earn a 10th season renewal back in March. Show had been tops in its timeslot with hard-to-reach men 18-34 and men 18-49.

For Welling, the word that "Smallville" will officially wrap next year comes as he's also celebrating a new project at the CW: The drama "Hellcats," which his shingle produces.

"Smallville" first aired in October 2001 on the WB, and made the transition to the CW in 2006 when that new netlet launched.

"Smallville" was developed by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson are executive producers, along with James Marshall, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Joe Davola. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.

After nine seasons, "Smallville" has produced 195 episodes.

Announcement will allow the CW to prep a final marketing push to send the show out. Once "Smallville" departs, "Supernatural" and "One Tree Hill" will rep the final two shows on the CW left over from the WB days.

Besides "Smallville," See-Dub has already picked up "The Vampire Diaries," "Gossip Girl," "90210," "Supernatural," "One Tree Hil," Life Unexpected" and "America's Next Top Model" for another season. New shows include "Nikita" and "Hellcats."

The CW will announce its schedule Thursday at Madison Square Garden.

Syfy series "Eureka" and "Warehouse 13" will team up for a pair of crossover episodes to air Aug. 3 and Aug. 6.

In the first, Neil Grayston's Douglas Fargo character from "Eureka" will visit Warehouse 13 to update its aging computer system, only for a computer virus to cause him to be trapped inside the warehouse in a lockdown. Rene Auberjonois guest in the episode as well.

Three days later, Allison Scagliotti (left) heads to "Eureka," with her Claudia Donovan becoming caught up in a mystery of technological wonders.
 

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

The CW has picked up the summer reality series "Plain Jane."

British "fashion expert" Louise Roe hosts the show in which Roe transforms an average woman both physically and emotionally. That person then goes out on a date with a guy who she's been crushing on.

Show comes from "Big Brother's" Allison Grodner, as well as Rich Meehan and Pete Tartaglia.

Sony Pictures TV is the studio.