Cynthia Littleton On The Air

TCA: No strike fever here among SAG members

It's an unscientific survey of three, but it seems telling about the mood of working thesps regarding the Screen Actors Guild contract stalemate.

Dennis Hopper, Don Cheadle and Shirley MacLaine, when asked during TCA seshes on Friday for their thoughts about situation, none of them raised a fist, literally or figuratively, in support of the guild's position. Can't help but notice how markedly different this is to the attitude among scribes last fall.

Hopper got a big laugh during his sesh for the Starz drama "Crash" in noting that taking a side would amount to him having "to get between Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks...and I’d have to side with Jack." (After all, Hanks wasn't in "Easy Rider.")

"I think the unfortunate thing is that in there are 120,000 actors in SAG and only 7,000 make a living acting... I hope it doesn't come to vote for a strike because I'm afraid that we'll go out on strike," Hopper said.

Cheadle, also part of the "Crash" panel, evinced a little more concern about the contract terms at stake but was still way cautious on the strike front.

"Last time we gave up the farm on some things," Cheadle said of SAG's previous contract negotiation with the majors. "These residuals, that's our life blood for actors. I'm fortunate that I work pretty consistently. But a lot of people rely on (residuals) to get them through month to month. I agree with Dennis -- I hope we're able to come to some sort of agreement without calling for a strike. A great number of people in the city hope that it comes out that way as well. It's not just the actors that are going to be hurt if this happens -- caterers, cleaners, restaurants, valets -- everybody really takes a big hit," he said.

MacLaine, who was tubthumping her Lifetime biopic on Coco Chanel, volunteered her thoughts on the situation while answering a loaded question ("what's wrong with Hollywood?") from a journo. Her remarks reflected the feeling that in many respects there's already a de facto strike going on, and she noted its impact on showbiz workers other than actors.

"Let's settle this strike," she said. "Let's think about other people. Let's think about the problems and the people who will be very, very badly suffering if this strike occurs."

"Return of Jezebel James" recruits Dianne Wiest

I'd buy Dianne Wiest as Parker Posey's mom, easily. The Oscar-winning thesp has signed on for a recurring role on Fox's midseason comedy "The Return of Jezebel James," which means that creator Amy Sherman-Palladino has another solid actress and intriguing character to write for.

Wiest will play Talia, the mother of the two very different sisters, Sarah and Coco, played by Posey and Lauren Ambrose, around which the "Jezebel James" conceit is built. Wiest hasn't done much TV since her 200-2002 stint as D.A.  Nora Lewin on NBC's "Law & Order." She bagged an Emmy in 1997 for her guest shot on Disney Channel's "Road to Avonlea" to go with her two supporting actress Oscars, for 1986's "Hannah and Her Sisters" and 1994's "Bullets Over Broadway."

There's still no firm preem date set for "Jezebel James" but it's expected to land around the time Hurricane "Idol" hits Fox in January. For a peek at "Jezebel James," click here for your entry into Clip Madness.

"Two and a Half Men's" 100th and seven days of vacation

This time next week Warner Bros. Television and CBS will be celebrating the taping of the 100th episode of "Two and a Half Men."

Good grief, can it really have been four seasons-plus since the show debuted? (Just for fun here's Brian Lowry's dead-on first Variety review of the show from September 2003) Warners is inviting some industry folks to the taping at the studio, followed by a champagne and cake soiree. It ain't a 100th episode party if you don't have a big-cake cutting photo to show for it. So congrats to Chuck Lorre, Lee Aronson, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones, Conchata Ferrell and the rest of the folks behind the show that is not only TV's top-rated comedy but also Emmy-nommed this year. (Here's a highlights reel from last season). In these lean times for sitcoms (especially good ol' fashioned multi-camera sitcoms) the 100th seg is a real milestone (and as always a happy sign of the syndie coin that's soon to flow).

I'm sorry that I won't be able to make the "Men" taping, but not too sorry. I'm going to be out of town -- out of BlackBerry radar, even -- next week on vacation. During my absence, On the Air will be in the good hands of Variety's Stuart Levine, who did yeoman's work in this space in July during the long march of the Television Critics Assn. tour.

Take it away, Stu...!

"Pushing Daisies": Chuck and Ned smooch at the cemetery

I'm told a splendid time was had by all last night at the "Pushing Daisies" screening at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Pilot was said to have been enthusiastically received by the non-pros in the audience, just as it has been by industry insiders during the past few months since it was picked up by ABC back in May. Pilot helmer and exec producer Barry Sonnenfeld looks like he was having a good time, all decked out as a pink cowboy. And here's a pic at left of something we're unlikely to see anytime soon on the show -- stars Lee Pace and Anna Friel smooching!

"Daisies" revolves around a guy, Ned, with an unusual talent to bring the dead back to life with the touch of his hand -- with the catch that if he touches them again, they're back to .... pushing daisies. Chuck happens to be Ned's long-lost childhood sweetheart who Ned reconnects with, unfortunately a little too late when she's already been bumped off. He revives her and the flower of their youthful love re-blossoms in a big way...but only if they don't actually touch.

"Pushing Daisies" has a few tough tasks ahead of it. It's got great industry buzz that it has to live up to. It has to open a night for ABC (Wednesday) at 8 p.m.; and it has to build on the Ned-Chuck storyline without the "no touching" rule feeling tired, and it has to keep the franchise murder-mystery element of Ned reviving murder victims to catch their killers from running out of steam too. If anyone's up to the task, it's "Daisies" creator Bryan Fuller, a man with a naturally sunny-morbid disposition who spent the past season on "Heroes" and has a loyal cult following for his previous offbeat dramas "Wonderfalls" and "Dead Like Me." And he's got formidable help from fellow exec producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen (who flank Sonnenfeld and Fuller in the pic at right, with Bruce on the far right). Go, Bryan, go...

(Group pic by Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage.com)

How many Van Dykes does it take to make a Hallmark pic?

Yes, it's true. If Richie Petrie of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" had been a real person, he could be a grandfather today (at least he would if he'd had kids while in his early 20s and his offspring produced grandchildren fairly early.) Don't ask me why but that's the first thing that sprang to mind when I opened an email from Hallmark Channel with this picture attached. Dick Van Dyke and his son Barry Van Dyke have been frequent costars over the years, working together on CBS' "Diagnosis: Murder" and most recently, the "Murder 101" pics. Now Barry's son, Shane, is getting into the family business with a guest starring role in the third entry in the "Murder 101" series, "If Wishes Were Horses," set to bow Aug. 18. "I've taken nepotism about as far as it can go," Dick Van Dyke quips...but then again maybe not. He has lots of other grandkids, though so far Barry is the only one of D.V.D's four kids to carry a SAG card. Shane has also landed an acting gig, apart from his dad and grand-Dyke, in "Shark Swarm," which Hallmark is promising will be a three-hour, teeth-gnashing "event" in May.

Pictured: A trio of Van Dykes, from left, Dick, Barry and Shane.

TCA: 'Grey's Anatomy' starts fresh

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

The dark gloom of Seattle skies turn bright this season for Shonda Rhimes (pictured left), as she brings her "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff to Los Angeles in the form of "Private Practice."

The overcast weather analogy seems appropriate for the past season of "Grey's" in many ways. The tone of the series was ominous in a bunch of episodes, including arcs on the tenuous relationship between Meredith and McDreamy, George's by-the-threads marriage to Callie, Richard's divorce and Burke's ultimate dismissal of Dr. Yang as a life partner.

And that's just the on-screen tumult.

Of course, nothing got bigger headlines than Isaiah Washington's meltdown and anti-gay remarks, which ultimately led to his dismissal off the show.

(When asked about Ben Silverman's comments, that NBC had talked to Washington about a possible role on "Bionic Woman" while he was still under contract to ABC Studios, Rhimes answered, "I wasn't aware of any conversations." And when prodded for a response on his arrival at the Peacock primetime lineup, she rose above the fray, answering, "He's very talented and I hope he and the show do well, but not as well as 'Private Practice.'")

"It was a dark journey," said Rhimes of the past year, who added later on that it was a "dark season, but I want to get back to having fun."

On Wednesday, ABC topper Steve McPherson agreed, having said "Grey's" would arrive this fall with a slightly lighter tone.

"There was a lot of difficult stuff and emotional stuff going on for a multitude of characters. And I think we're going to get away from some of that  just because of the nature of the storytelling that she (Rhimes) is going to do," he said.

That's not to say Rhimes wasn't happy with the how the stories turned out. She remained on the creative course she set out from Day 1.

"We started with Meredith helping Izzy out of her wedding dress and ended with Meredith helping Christine out of her wedding dress," Rhimes said in bookending the season.

And, yes, she was aware of the unhappiness of some of the hard-core fans — though she didn't necessarily agree with them — those who followed the show to Thursdays from Sundays in a risky programming move by ABC that paid huge dividends.

"I read the blogs," she explained. "I take very seriously what the fans say. They care about the show."

Zac Efron groupies stalk Disneyland for "HSM2" preem

Disneyland is prepping for an invasion of Zac Efron groupies. Disney Channel has set Aug. 14 as the premiere party for "High School Musical 2," to be held at the AMC theater in the Downtown Disney complex that abuts the happiest place on earth. (No matter how many times I go to the park I still choke up a bit at the plaque with the quote from Walt: "Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America.") It'll be followed by an invitation-only party by the pool at the complex's Grand Californian hotel. All the hoopla for "HSM2" marks the first-ever telepic premiere for Disney Channel at Disneyland, which is still recovering from the buccaneers bacchanal it hosted in May for the "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" preem. (Don't forget, details of Disney Channel's plans for "HSM2" bow on Aug. 17 appeared here two long TCA-filled weeks ago, thanks to Variety's hard-working Steven Zeitchik.) And of course, a new live "HSM2: School's Out!" stage show "springs to life," according to Disney's PR missive, at the California Adventure park starting Aug. 18.

Will Ferrell's FunnyorDie coming to comedy club near you?

Had some fun this morning at the LATV Festival panel on how digital media is changing the face of TV. Not sure if we answered that question in 75 minutes, but the panelists were a good cross-section of the biz and they were talkative, which made my job easy. Chris Henchy, veteran writer-producer and head of Will Ferrell and Andy McKay's Gary Sanchez Prods., was one of the panelists, yakking about FunnyorDie.com, the comedy Web site that launched stealthily in April with some very funny Ferrell shorts and an open invitation for undiscovered comic geniuses to submit their own shorts. In "American Idol" fashion, users are invited to vote on their fave/least fave shorts, some of which become "Immortal" and some of which are banished to "the Crypt," never to be seen again.

It's kinda mind-boggling but the Ferrell short "The Landlord" (featuring a pic-stealing performance from McKay's toddler-daughter Pearl) has been viewed more than 40 million times since FunnyorDie.com bowed in mid-April. Henchy (pictured above at right with Ferrell), who's also busy juggling feature projects and an HBO pilot, said they're in the midst of trying to partner with a local comedy establishment to bring some of the undiscovered talents on FunnyorDie out of their basements and bathrooms to a showcase event that would be streamed live, natch, on FunnyorDie. And he confirmed that most of the Gary Sanchez-produced stuff on the site is filmed in under an hour, and slapped up on to the site while the DV cam is still warm. Gotta love the digital age.

Another panelist, "Heroes" co-exec producer Jesse Alexander, promised that the show had lots of fun in store for fans this weekend and Comic-Con and when season two of the NBC hit bows in September.

TCA: 'Lost' goes forward ... and back

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Putting the exec session brouhaha aside, there were some actual news about "Lost" to report.

As noted previously, Harold Perrineau will return as Michael. We haven't seen him on the island since the end of season two, when he betrayed Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley. They were captured by the Others while Michael and his son Walt were allowed to leave the island.

And then last season concluded in grand fashion, with a flash-forward sequence where we see Jack and Kate in the present in a major American city. Jack is distraught over the death of someone he has read about in an obituary.

So where do we go from here? McPherson said exec producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse haven't let on what happens next when the series premieres in February for 16 consecutive episodes.

"They haven't released any news about whether we go flash-forward or flashback," McPherson said.

"Lost" has been one of the most buzzworthy series since it launched three years with an expensive pilot -- simulated plane crashes don't come cheap -- that proved worth every penny. And now Lindelof and Cuse have the luxury of knowing when the series will wrap and can write 48 storylines storylines that build up to the finale in 2008.

"Since the show began, Damon and I have talked about how does it end," McPherson said "We've asked is this a traditional series (and should it end) in a traditional way?"

Unlike many shows that start strong and struggle to the finish, the bet here is that there will be plenty of viewers still around when Lindelof and his writing staff wrap up the plight of the Others, castaways and the mysterious Jacob. McPherson is smart to realize Lindelof needed to stay on board and continue the tone he has set forth.

It was imperative to "keep Damon attached until the end of the series," McPherson said.

That being said, the show took some hits in midseason from critics and fans who felt the the plot wasn't moving forward fast enough and seemed to be going through the motions. And ratings fell from year's past as well, but McPherson said the numbers were misleading.

He stated that while the show gets a 4.2 rating in Los Angeles, if you include Live Plus Seven ratings (those who watch on DVRs within seven days of the original airing), the number jumps much higher to 7.2.

Yet, the legacy of "Lost" will never be about viewer totals or demos, but "Can you believe last night's episode"-type discussion often heard among devotees at the office on Thursday morning. In the Variety newsroom, the show probably accounts for about 50-plus "Lost" geek-out what does it all mean emails, and always a few from people begging for no spoilers because they haven't picked it up on TiVo yet or via streaming on ABC.com.

-- Stuart Levine

TCA: 'Lost' fuels fiery critics

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

There's nothing like a standoff between a network exec and sleep-deprived critics to make TCA invigorating on its next-to-last day.

So when ABC topper Steve McPherson (pictured) let out that a major announcement involving the upcoming season of "Lost" would be divulged at Comic-Con tomorrow -- and not here at the Beverly Hilton with the country's TV press assembled -- well, lets just say the news wasn't well received by TCA-ers. (And for more TCA sound and fury, read what was on McPherson's mind in the post-Q&A huddle courtesy of Variety's Michael Schneider.)

McPherson was visibly pissed. In time spent where he could be promoting ABC's new fall lineup, which incidentally has promising new titles in "Pushing Daisies," "Dirty Sexy Money" and "Big Shots," he was forced to keep the wolves at bay who kept pressing on why sci-fi nerds heading to San Diego were more important to them -- and to their readers.

McPherson started the brouhaha accidentally. When one reporter asked about what might happen next on "Lost," McPherson said he couldn't give any details and that a major announcement was coming in San Diego. That's when the blood hit the water and the sharks began circling.

After a a woman questioned why the announcement was being withheld, McPherson kidded her about driving down to San Diego together to hear the news firsthand. Though he was joking, it went over as well as a Michael Richards standup routine at the Laugh Factory.

A few minutes later, Rick Kushman of the Sacramento Bee -- in a very reasonable and well-thought way -- asked McPherson how should newspaper editors, who are spending thousands of dollars to send their critics to Beverly Hills for two weeks in a time when papers are being crushed financially, should feel when networks are withholding information from them.

McPherson tried to make light of the situation and said, "I started talking to him before he was available, and I don't know what happened there, but I've cast Don Imus on 'Lost.'" It was a retort that sounded eerily similar to Ben Silverman describing how Isaiah Washington came aboard NBC's "Bionic Woman."

Soon after that, ABC publicist Hope Hartman whispered into McPherson's ear that "Lost" co-creator and exec producer Damon Lindelof had been told of the brewing controversy and allowed McPherson to spill the news that Harold Perrineau, who plays Michael, would be back. (Sorry for burying the lead, but the jostling was too good to pass up.)

-- Stuart Levine

TCA: Hugh Laurie is master of the "House"

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

There's enough reason to be taken with Hugh's Laurie's performance on "House" by just watching him on Tuesday night. Listening to him at the TCA panel on Monday makes Laurie's mystique even more impressive.

Born and raised in the U.K., Laurie is as much a Brit as Winston Churchill or Benny Hill. And hearing his strong Blighty accent in person makes one really admire the way he's able to turn that off when the cameras go on.

"I don't know if there's a secret to it or if other people use dialect coaches," he sheepishly explains, remaining incredibly humble.

Laurie's role as the good doctor back in 2004 was the start of a trend of English actors coming to primetime. This fall there's Damian Lewis on NBC's "Life," Kevin McKidd -- most recently of "Rome" fame -- leading the charge in "Journeyman," Michelle Ryan as the title character in "The Bionic Woman" and Lena Headey in Fox's "Sarah Connor Chronicles."

"I can only apologize," Laurie said of the British invasion. "I can't explain it."

But will House use that Americanized acerbic tongue to lash out at a new team of docs this season? With his team -- Cameron, Foreman and Chase -- tired of taking House's abuse and saying goodbye, how does the show's tone shift as it enters season four?

In the season opener, 40 applicants are in line for the the three vacated positions. Unable to remember any of their names, House has each of them wearing a number. So, he's basically just as warm and personable as ever.

"We'll be playing a 'House' version of 'Survivor,'" says executive producer Katie Jacobs. "I'm hoping viewers will be satisfied. David (Shore, co-executive producer) and I talked a long time about not want to cheat the audience."

Among the new actors who are vying for positions at the prestigious Princeton hospital and who might turn into regulars are Kal Penn ("Harold & Kumar," "The Namesake") and Peter Jacobson (most recently he played Debra Messing's husband in "The Starter Wife), who is a plastic surgeon and is able to look at patients much differently than House.

As for the regulars, Foreman has left and is in charge of his own staff of researchers, while Cameron and Chase have also said goodbye, moving to Arizona.  But, this being broadcast television where the boat can rock only so much, each will return eventually, though it's still unclear -- filming is currently two episodes in -- when they will come back and for what reasons.

"We know we'll be back, but we don't know in what capacity," said Jesse Spencer, who plays Dr. Chase. "I don't things will ever be the same (for the characters). It kind of feels like a new show."

Not going anywhere is Dr. Wilson, played by Robert Sean Leonard. And despite the fact that Wilson might receive more abuse from House than anyone else, where other people feel House is insufferable, downright mean and often antagonistic, Leonard considers him a great guy.

"I don't see what's so wrong with House," Leonard confided. "I think he's extremely likeable. As a friend, I would seek out someone just like him."

Laurie can see Leonard's point.

"Though House can be awkward and abusive, people are entertained by him. He's a character worth putting up with. I don't claim to know him well. He's as enigmatic to me as he is to the audience."

-- Stuart Levine

TCA: "Jezebel James" -- chicks talking together

Any sesh with writer-producer Amy Sherman-Palladino is always a treat for the ear, and eye if you share her hat fetish. She talks as fast and with a rapier wit; she is her own best character. Amy and her husband Dan Palladino are up for the big second act following the WB Network's beloved "Gilmore Girls" in the coming season with the new Fox half-hour "The Return of Jezebel James," starring Parker Posey as a successful book publisher who hires her slacker younger sister to carry her baby after learning that she cannot conceive.

It's hard to believe that anyone could channel Amy's spirit and words as well as "Gilmore's" Lauren Graham, but Posey surely does with her own trademark sweetly goofy free-spirit. Posey, known as the queen of indie film, said she'd never seen "Gilmore Girls" but was taken with the "Jezebel James" script when she read it in a laundromat in Albuquerque, New Mexico while filming the upcoming feature "The Eye." Posey had no experience in series TV but she's found she likes the rhythms of the work on the Gotham-based production. It's in the get-it-done spirit of indie pics done on a shoestring budget.
"I like to work," Posey said. "This work is tight...clear...calm...assertive...like (dog trainer) Cesar Millan. I don't want to go in my trailer and be all moan-y all the time. You get bored when you're working on big movies and not doing anything. I really like this" shooting sked, Posey said.

TCA: "Heroes'" Zach wanted steady work, that's all

Controversy, what controversy? "Sarah Connor" co-star Thomas Dekker was peppered with questions regarding his now-departed character from "Heroes," Zach, the friend and confidant of Hayden Panettiere's Claire. You get a bunch of rabid fans on the Internet talking about a show with lots of nooks and crannies, and conspiracy theories are going to arise, especially when fan-fave characters leave the scene without much explanation. There was talk that Dekker (pictured in his Zach persona) grew uncomfortable with the role because writers kept portraying him as gay, albeit without explicitly saying so. Dekker said the truth of the matter is as simple as him wanting a steady paycheck, and being offered one on "Sarah Connor."

Dekker was never a regular or even semi-regular on "Heroes." Zach was only supposed to appear in the show's pilot, but even after producers found more to do for the character, Dekker was being retained on a week-to-week basis.

"It was something that got blown out of proportion as far as what happened with the character," Dekker said with a heavy sigh. "From Day 1, in every possible way (Zach) was meant to be ambiguous. We felt that every one of the main characters in the series was so clear in who they were, it was nice to have side characters be a little more open. Me not appearing on the show anymore has nothing to do with anything about the character...I was hired as a guest star in the pilot. I was surprised every week that they called me back. But when something like ('Sarah Connor') comes along, I had to take this opportunity....I have a feeling 'Heroes' will do just fine."

TCA: A kinder, gentler Terminator in "Sarah Connor"

A kinder, gentler Terminator? Well, that's not quite what they're going for in Fox's upcoming smallscreen rendition of the action-pic franchise, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles." But the Terminator who in this incarnation is hellbent on protecting Sarah Connor and her John will be in touch with her feelings in a way that the mean-spirited robo played by Arnold Schwarzenegger the three "Terminator" pics never was. And for sure, actress Summer Glau, who masquerades as John's high school classmate Cameron (har har), has a different set of curves than Arnie's muscle-bound Terminator of pics past. "Mine will be the most human of the Terminators so far," Glau promised during "Sarah Connor's" TCA sesh on Monday, suggesting that she'll be very much in touch with her nuts and bolts even though her character "can't genuinely feel emotion."

(Pictured, left to right: "Sarah Connor" stars Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, Summer Glau and Richard T. Jones.)

TCA: '24' finds a new leader

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Cherry Jones has beaten Hillary Clinton to the punch.

Jones (pictured) has been cast as the next U.S. president in Fox's long-running drama "24." She'll play Allison Taylor in the seventh season of the series.

A woman president is nothing new on primetime. Geena Davis took on the role as leader of the free world a few years back in ABC's "Commander in Chief," but the show only lasted one season.

In "24" tradition, it's impossible to say when Jones' character will be "with us or against us," as real-life President Bush might say. Past presidents in "24" have shown to be traitors against the United States.

Jones has previously co-starred in "Ocean's Twelve," "The Perfect Storm" and "The West Wing."

Kiefer Sutherland will be back in action, of course, when the series begins in mid-season, and although the format will be the same, expect other changes after the show fell out of favor last season with hardcore fans and journos.

After winning the Emmy for best drama last year, the show didn't even garner a nomination last week, and it also fell precipitously on the critics' poll.

"Discussions are being made to reinvent the franchise, although it's way too early to talk about specfiics," said Fox topper Peter Liguori on the dais Sunday morning at TCA with newly appointed entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly.

Ligouri was careful not to agree with questioners that the show needed an overhaul, rather saying the franchise is a "living beast" and that the time-clock format creates tension that can be good for the creative process of the show

"I wouldn't categorize my view of the show as disappointing," he said. "Part of the high-wire act is the process of putting it together."

-- Stuart Levine

TCA: "Friday Night Lights," "Dexter" get a high five from scribe tribe

What Emmy didn't giveth on Thursday morning, the TCA Awards bestowed on Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton.

NBC's "Friday Night Lights," conspicuously snubbed by Emmy voters, got its due in nabbing best new program. Michael C. Hall of Showtime's "Dexter," another near no-show in the Emmy derby, was deemed best drama actor at the ceremony hosted by "Daily Show's" John Oliver.

Overall the Peacock swept the Television Critics Assn. kudofest with four trophies, including best comedy for "The Office," natch, and Alec Baldwin of "30 Rock" for top dog among comedy actors.TCA-ers didn't overlook NBC's other big frosh drama of last season, picking  "Heroes" the program of the year.

(Pictured: Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler of "Friday Night Lights")

TCA: "Reaper" a 'thrillomedy'

The pilot of CW's "Reaper" has been one of the pleasant surprises in this year's crop of new shows. Everyone I talked to about it says virtually the same thing, that they didn't expect to like it as much as they did. It's hard to describe in a logline, which is usually a good sign for a show. The CW has heard all the industry buzz about the show and thus skedded it as the last of their day at TCA Friday, in an effort to get writers to stick around a dark hotel ballroom around on a beautiful Friday afternoon. Show is particularly well cast, with Brett Harrison playing a slacker dude, Sam, who learns on his 21st birthday that mom and dad inadvertently sold his soul to the devil. Devil shows up to enlist Sam in his new chores of helping him track down nasty souls who have escaped from hell.

Ray Wise, known for his role as Leland Palmer on "Twin Peaks" and a plenty of feature character roles, is utterly charming in his role as the Devil, and he turned on that wicked charm (and ultra-bright teeth) for the scribes on Friday. So did Tyler Labine, who is very good in the role as Sock, Sam's rambunctious friend and fellow coworker in a dead-end retail job at the local big-box Home Depot-esque store. Kevin Smith helmed the pilot seg but he was not on hand for the sesh. Exec producer Mark Gordon said Smith would be around to "help us out once and a while" but didn't sound too emphatic about Smith's ongoing participation. Nonetheless, he set a cool funny-scary tone in the pilot.

(Pictured above, left to right, top row: "Reaper" exec producers Deb Spera, Mark Gordon, Tara Butters, Michelle Fazekas. Bottom row: stars Valarie Rae Miller, Rick Gonzalez, Tyler Labine and Brett Harrison. Pictured below, Ray Wise.)

"John from Cincinnati": Curiouser and curiouser

Amid all the TCA and Emmy craziness, I finally caught up with this week's "John from Cincinnati." As Johnny Bravo would say, whoooaaa momma!

"His Visit, Day 5" is television of the absurd. Ionesco-TV. Samuel Beckett could've written the closing scenes with the motley crew hanging out in the motel parking lot, with assorted dead-gray ghosts and fantasy figures. You gotta give HBO credit for having the corporate courage to pay for it and put it on the air. It's TV that keeps on giving. Once you've seen it, you can't help but spend hours turning it all over in your head trying to answer the question "what just happened?!"

In fact, amid all of the mega-bizarro stuff, there were some discernable, and disturbing, plot-moving points served up, along with some important backstory details dropped in "Day 5." John's spacey soliloquy at the end is full of clues, at least I think they are after spending the past few days thinking about them, even when I was trying not to.

Emmys: Cowboys and Indians, oh my!

Click here to get the lowdown on all the noms from Variety.com

Wow, didn't see that coming. HBO's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" overcame its critics, historians and otherwise, to clean up with some 17 Emmy bids, including a bid for best made-for but not one for the pic's star Adam Beach. Go figure. Still, exec producer Dick Wolf (pictured left on "Knee" set with actor August Schellenberg, who played Sitting Bulland earned a supporting nom) is a happy guy today, with the "Knee" bounty plus a lead drama actress bid for "Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay. AMC's period Western "Broken Trail" did well too, coming in second to "Wounded Knee" with a total of 16 Emmy chits, including a lead actor bid for the evergreen fave Robert Duvall. Cowboys and Indians indeed. (I was in the minority among TV pundits in generally liking HBO's filmed take on the landmark 1971 historical tome by Dee Brown, as I discussed with Wolf in this column back in May.)

All in all it's been a good year for new series ("Heroes," "Ugly Betty," "30 Rock") and another breakthrough year for basic cable, especially over at FX with Minnie Driver snaring a lead drama actress bid for "The Riches" and Denis Leary getting his due for "Rescue Me." Bravo flexed some muscle with two entries in the reality-competition race, "Project Runway" and "Top Chef." Kyra Sedgwick is back for a second year for TNT's "The Closer," and of course Tony Shalhoub is the one to beat for lead comedy actor for USA Network's "Monk." USA also looked sharp with "Starter Wife" a contender for mini and lead actress bid for Debra Messing. Lifetime deservedly earned a nom for its "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy," one of its better telefilm efforts in recent years. I think "Mastectomy" star Sarah Chalke deserved a seat in the lead movie/mini actress category, but the competition was tough. Gena Rowlands tough.

The drama and comedy series noms went as we might've predicted last night. The absence of "24" on the drama side is a little surprising, and with all due respect for David E. Kelley, I've just never quite gotten "Boston Legal" but Emmy voters to love him so. "Heroes" (pictured right) was something of a surprise but not undeserved, by any means. The Acad likes to reward any new show that gets people talking about primetime TV. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the snub of critical, Peabody-winning darling "Friday Night Lights," especially in the lead acting categories for Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton. (This should teach me to go out on a limb with Emmy predicts, as I did earlier in the week after "FNL's" TCA sesh.) "FNL" did land bids for casting and for directing, for the pilot helmed by exec producer Peter Berg.

Also in the near-shutout category is Showtime, which mounted huge campaigns for "Dexter" and "The Tudors," both of which were held to a handful of noms each in tech categories.

"Lost" to my mind was snubbed, but I can't say unexpectedly. It would've been a nice surprise if voters got over the rough patches at the start of this past season to honor the show's fine second half, but so be it, and just wait 'til next year. Good to see Terry O'Quinn and Michael Emerson recognized for their work in the supporting drama actor heat, but really couldn't they have thrown Dominic Monaghan a bone -- he died already! At least Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse got a writing nom and helmer Jack Bender got a directing nom for their work on the wonderful two-hour finale, "Through the Looking Glass."

Peacock's "30 Rock" (pictured left) impressed by scoring a comedy series bid -- it certainly would've been enough for the first-year show to land bids for star-creator Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, whose much publicized parenting issues obviously didn't get in the way of Emmy voters evaluating his work. Ricky Gervais was a surprise in that category as well for HBO's "Extras." Would've expected Zach Braff to pop up in the funny-men heat but he was probably elbowed out by Gervais. Very, very cheered to see Rainn Wilson and Jenna Fischer break into the supporting field on the comedy side for "The Office."

No surprise whatsoever to see "Sopranos" clean up with 15 noms in its swan-song year. Who could deny the show a deserved last hurrah? James Gandolfini, Edie Falco and Michael Imperioli, Aida Turturro and Lorraine Bracco all are deserving of the recognition, as is Tim Daly, who played the writer friend Christopher Moltisanti whacked during his downward spiral in his last days and is up for guest actor. "Sopranos" as usual dominated he drama writing field with three noms, including one for capo David Chase and the much-discussed finale, "Made in America."

TCA: "Big Bang Theory" not that '70s show

POSTED BY JON WEISMAN

Chuck Lorre didn't even own a TV in the 1970s, so any similarities between his new CBS sitcom "The Big Bang Theory" and the swinging late '70s icon "Three's Company" are completely coincidental. Really, Lorre insists.

Lorre, co-executive producer Bill Prady and the cast of "Big Bang" seemed a little taken aback to find themselves in the unexpected position of being asked to compare and contrast their program to that of Jack, Janet and Chrissy during the "Big Bang" TCA sesh on Wednesday.

Tops on the list: Three decades after Suzanne Somers redefined the role of the dumb blonde on "Three's," is it possible that Kaley Cuoco's Penny (pretty small-town gal befriended by two neighbors who are Caltech physicists) is ... dumberer? (Pictured from left, "Big Bang" stars Jim Parsons, Cuoco, Johnny Galecki)

No way, said Lorre.

TCA: 'How I Met Your Mother' lovers unite

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Despite the informal press conference setting, Neil Patrick Harris knew there was only one way to dress for the "How I  Met Your Mother" chat session: suited up!

So there was Harris (pictured left) on the dais positioned between show creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, all three discussing the awesomeness that is Barney, how Ted and Robin cope after their breakup and what's in store for newly married couple Marshall and Lily.

Critics, at least the ones here at the Beverly Hilton for CBS TCA seshes, weren't shy expressing their fondness for all the characters and were hoping for answers to the big question -- who, exactly, is the mother of "Mother"?

The first installment of season three, which airs Sept. 24, may just start to unravel the secret.

"Episode one will show that we haven't forgotten about the title of the show," said Thomas, not giving away more than that.

TCA: Mandy Patinkin, we've sung this song before

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

The hot topic at the Nina Tassler panel at TCA on Wednesday was Mandy Patinkin's mysterious exiting of "Criminal Minds." Questions came in different forms but CBS Entertainment prexy Tassler stayed on point, saying only that Patinkin (pictured left) "came to me and asked to be released for personal issues."

Is it that Patinkin wanted out to work on another project? Was it health-related? Does he get just tired of the series grind and decides enough's enough?

Tassler wouldn't budge. She said several times that she hoped that Patinkin would come out in the near future to tell his version of events, but it doesn't seem likely. What's in it for him by explaining why he wanted out?

TCA: 'Jericho' ... these people are nuts

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

When CBS entertainment topper Nina Tassler went for a checkup a few months ago and the doc handed her a bag of peanuts instead of test results, she knew it was time to give "Jericho" its second-season pickup.

The Skeet Ulrich series started out well in the ratings last fall but soon began to fade. Then when it went on a three-month hiatus from November to February, pretty much any momentum the show might've had left was quickly evaporated.

"Maybe it wasn't good for the show and maybe it had an impact," Tassler said of the hiatus. You think, Nina?

Once CBS decided not to renew, the emails from outraged viewers came flooding into the exec's offices on Beverly Boulevard. I wonder if the Eye IT guys were able to install a "Jericho" spam filter to allow Tassler and Leslie Moonves to view non-"Jericho" messages in a more timely manner?

Though she wasn't convinced enough the series was viable enough to be put on the fall schedule, Tassler decided "Jericho" was worthy of a midseason slot. CBS has ordered seven new episodes, as Variety reported last month.

"The emails had reached a certain pitch and I thought that maybe this show needs a second chance," said Tassler (pictured left). "I went on the message boards and read the emails. It seemed like a segment of the population felt they weren't being counted."

Certainly "Jericho" fans aren't the first group to sound howls of protest when their favorite shows are canceled. If viewers voices were always heard by network schedulers, "Freaks and Geeks," "Veronica Mars" and "Deadwood" would still be on the air.

Whether the "Jericho" renewal begins a new trend on how much viewer reaction will play into the decision-making process for renewals remains to be seen, but its nice to realize that voices are being heard.

In the first episode back, Tassler said Stanley (Brad Beyer) would be getting engaged.

(Pictured above: Shaun Daily, a Nevada disc jockey who led one of the many fan-fueled "Save 'Jericho'" campaigns.)

-- Stuart Levine

TCA: "Friday Night Lights" feels the love

Big panel, big show, big challenges.

The "Friday Night Lights" cast and crew were well-received by the TCA-ers in the show's sesh on Tuesday. The crix weren't overly gushy but there was a general consensus that this Peabody-winning show is a fine example of quality triumphing over anemic ratings. Getting a wider audience to appreciate the show had become something of a mission for the previous steward of NBC Entertainment, before Kevin Reilly hustled out of Burbank in June following the Ben Silverman shakeup.

To Ben's credit, in the eyes of "FNL" fans, he's vowed to support the show and one of his first bulletins on Monday in his exec Q&A was a time slot switch for the show that at least takes it out of the vortex of 10 p.m. Friday (where only CBS has found the right mathematical equation to get a decent number lately with "Numbers"). Now "FNL" is due to get a little hammock support at 9 p.m. on its namesake night between "Deal or No Deal" and "Las Vegas." And Silverman's co-topper, Marc Graboff, praised the show for being "efficiently produced," which was another thing that helped it survive for a second season.

TCA: Dick Wolf does double panel duty

Dick Wolf was busy today. He started the day with the "Law & Order" panel at TCA on Tuesday, breaking the news that Linus Roache is joining the mothership-show's cast in the upcoming season as executive assistant D.A., or the successor to Jack McCoy now that Sam Waterston's character has advanced to the big D.A. gig.

Wolf then hopped from TCA Central at the Beverly Hilton a few blocks down Wilshire Boulevard to the Regent Beverly Wilshire to moderate the "State of the Industry" sesh for the Hollywood Radio & TV Society. The HRTS panel was lively, and Wolf had plenty to say about the state of the biz he's in. Not surprisingly, much of the conversation revolved around the words "online video" and "new platforms."

As Variety's Michael Schneider reports, Wolf recounted for the HRTS aud the “horrifying moment” he discovered that not only does his 14-year-old son not watch network TV, but none of his son’s classmates do either. “At the end of the day, are we eating our young?” Wolf asked.

TCA: 'The Office' meets '30 Rock' meets ...

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Does the fact that viewer totals are excruciatingly low mean NBC's stellar Thursday night comedy lineup has little chance to be placed in the same class as in the days of "Cheers," "Friends" and "Seinfeld," all of which were ratings behemoths?

Ratings, mind you, have never come close to being equated with quality. Geez, "Veronica's Closet" and "The Single Guy" probably have higher numbers than "The Office" or "30 Rock" will ever do ... combined.

But after a TCA panel with the creator and star of each of the four comedies that air on Thursday -- "My Name Is Earl," "Scrubs," "30 Rock" and "The Office" -- it's quite obvious these guys (and lady) are funny. Really funny. What exactly does somebody have to do these days to get people to tune in?

"It's our job to make the shows good and Ben's job to make them watch," said Lorne Michaels, exec producer of "30 Rock" and "Saturday Night Live" godfather, about the job new NBC topper Ben Silverman has ahead of him.

When a reporter asked "30 Rock" star/creator/exec producer Tina Fey (pictured) whether she was confident last fall that hers was the NBC show-within-a-show would survive to see a second season, unlike Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," Fey didn't hesitate in her response.

I was 100 percent sure," she said. "I have a nasty streak in me."

(Pictured above, from right: "Office" exec producer Greg Daniels, Lorne Michaels, Tina Fey and "My Name is Earl" exec producer Greg Garcia.)

TCA: 'Friday Night Lights' gets new timeslot

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Like a greased football, "Friday Night Lights" keeps moving around.

After NBC announced at the May upfronts that that the small-rated but well-reviewed drama was shifting its timeslot to Friday at 10, network topper Ben Silverman announced at TCA on Monday that "FNL" is now moving up an hour to 9 p.m.

Net's new Friday night lineup now shakes up this way: "Deal or No Deal" at 8, "Friday Night Lights" at 9 and "Las Vegas" at 10.

Filmed in Austin, Texas, "Friday Night Lights" -- TCA-nominated for program of the year and a Peabody Award winner -- has a rabid fan base but was never able to generate any type of ratings momentum. The show was very much on the bubble as far as returning for a second season.

One reason the show came back is that it's relatively cheap to produce compared to other one-hour dramas.

"It's produced effiicently," Silverman said. "We're always looking at finding responsible ways (to get these type of shows on the air). It's less expensive than 'Heroes.'"

Added co-topper Marc Graboff: "You want to stay with the shows you're most passionate about. We don't want 'Friday Night Lights' and '30 Rock' to become quality shows that never caught on, like 'Arrested Development.'"

NBC is hoping the late August release of the first season DVD will create more audience awareness that will carry over into season two.

Graboff went on say the series has received a full-season (22 episode) order, meaning if ratings aren't stellar coming out of the gate this fall, don't expect immediate talk about cancellation. And the Friday night slot means the stakes for drawing huge numbers aren't as high as other nights of the week.

Silverman also said that the network will be marketing the show differently this season that last, when the promos were mostly based on the on-field activities. This year, Silverman said, much of the ad dollars would be put toward the family dynamics and interaction of the students at Dillon High.

"We want to see the family demo," he said.

-- Stuart Levine

TCA: Jerry Seinfeld back at "30 Rock"

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Jerry Seinfeld is coming home to the Peacock.

Comedian-actor, whose show became a signature for the network, will appear as himself in the first episode of "30 Rock" when the sitcom returns on Oct. 4.

NBC is hoping the appearance of Seinfeld will give the highly praised comedy a ratings shot in the arm. The show, which stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, returns at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, as part of the Peacock's comedy block, in addition to "My Name Is Earl," "The Office" and "Scrubs."

"Thursday night is a poweful comedy lineup for NBC. To have Jerry join '30 Rock' for the second-season launch is impressive, to him return even for one night in his old Thursday night turf is just classic," said NBC topper Ben Silverman.

"I think it's going to be so refreshing for me to be playing myself in a show that has nothing to do with neurotic, dysfuctional New York characters," Seinfeld quipped, tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Added Fey, who also acts as exec producer: "Finally, my parents have an excuse to watch the show."

-- Stuart Levine

TCA: "Battlestar Galatica" minisodes on the way from Sci Fi

To your Web battle stations, "Battlestar Galactica" fans. Sci Fi Channel confirmed Sunday during its TCA sesh that it will launch an eight-week series of Web mini-sodes leading in to the rest of the series' fourth and final season. The two-to-three minute shorts are set to bow in October as a preamble to the Nov. 24 debut of "Battlestar Galactica: Razor," described as a special extended seg that will lay the foundation for the events that take place in the second half of mothership "Galactica" season. Can't say I'm a rabid fan of the new-model "Galactica" (one of these days I will catch up with it on DVD and see what all the buzz is about, if for no other reason than I've always loved Edward James Olmos) so I'm gonna defer to the Sci Fi press verbiage describe what exactly goes on in the minisodes and "Razor":

These shorts will provide a sneak peek into the original Cylon War, when a young pilot named William Adama (Nico Cortez) discovers a dangerous Cylon weapon that will come back to haunt him and his crew 40 years later. Filmed as part of the extended episode, the mini-sodes will be included in the unrated Universal Home Video release of Razor. They will also be available on SCIFI.COM after their on-air debuts. Battlestar Galactica: Razor will tell the story of Lee Adama's (Jamie Bamber, pictured above left) first mission as commander of the Battlestar Pegasus and will reveal the story of how Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes, pictured right) served her ship during the original Cylon attack on the Colonies.

Sounds like good fun for the fans.

TCA: USA greenlights Shiri Appleby drama

You loved her in "Roswell" -- now she's all grown up and has intimacy issues to boot. USA Network confirmed during its TCA presentation Sunday that it has given a 12-seg order to the Shiri Appleby starrer "To Love & Die" from Lorne Michael's Broadway Video Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Series is set to bow next year. Revolves around Appleby (pictured) as a young woman, Hildy, who becomes convinced her misadventures in dating will never end until she makes peace with the father she's never really known. Tim Matheson plays that AWOL dad; Frances Fisher plays Hildy's overbearing mother who's on husband No. 7 at the time her daughter begins her quest for dad, who happens to be a professional hit man. USA Network programming guru Jeff Wachtel bills it as a light-touch drama about a "high concept character with a slightly twisted soul." "Love and Die" hails from tyro creator/exec producer Sara Goodman (Fox's short-lived "Reunion.")

"Mad Men" and the misconceptions of another era

He grew up yearning to write for “Playhouse 90” and “The Twilight Zone.”

Unfortunately for Matthew Weiner, he was born about 35 years too late, and as it happened, his break as a TV writer came in sitcoms, not high-end dramas.But Weiner was nevertheless determined to pursue his vision for a series that would capture all of his fascination with American culture in the finger-snapping era of Camelot and the Cuban Missile Crisis, of skinny ties and steel-tipped bras, of the Rat Pack and Sputnik.

By day, Weiner was working on the CBS sitcom “Becker.” By night, with the added motivation of the approach of 35th birthday, he poured himself into penning the pilot of his period-dreams. That was seven years ago. On Thursday, after many a twist and turn his Weiner’s life and that of his pilot script, his baby is set to make a splashy entrance on the heels of effusive reviews and a big marketing push from AMC. The film-centric basic cabler picked Weiner’s “Mad Men,” from Lionsgate TV, last year as the show to lead  the channel into the scripted series realm.

“No network quite got this show until AMC,” Weiner says, and that’s in keeping with the spirit of the show. “This show is all about misconceptions, and our contemporary culture’s misunderstanding of this period in American history and how it influenced who we are today,” Weiner says.

CONTINUE READING TO WATCH A VIDEO CLIP OF "MAD MEN" CREATOR MATTHEW WEINER DISCUSSING THE PERIOD SETTING OF THE SHOW.

TCA: 'Californication' dreamin'

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

The truth is out there, and David Duchovny aims to find it at Showtime.

Five years after "The X-Files" ended its nine-year run, Duchovny returns to the airwaves -- though this time viewers will have to pay to see him -- in "Californication," a half-hour comedy about an author who has serious intimacy problems.

So what brought him back to TV?

"It was the script Tom (Kapinos) wrote, though I didn't think that if you do a pilot, you also have do the show, too," Duchonvy kidded. "I wasn't necessarily looking for a comedy but I was open to it."

Pilot episode has Duchovny character Hank Moody bedding many women while simultaneously trying to be a good father to his daughter, Becca (played by Madeleine Martin, who said of being part of the very adult drama, "I listen to my iPod during table reads").

Nudity and sex is a hot topic at TCA this year, with HBO's "Tell Me You Love Me" also generating headlines for its risque manner of filmmaking.

"It's a family show," clarified creator/exec producer Kapinos said of "Californication," "but a fractured, f---d up family."

Duchovny most recently starred in the bigscreen indie "The T.V. Set," which received generally good reviews. He scored two Emmy noms for "X-FIles," and also has one each for "The Larry Sanders Show" and for a guest spot in "Life With Bonnie." In 1997, he won a Golden Globe for his role as Fox Mulder.

Kapinos says the title comes from the 1970s term that citizens of Oregon used when they were concerned that the high influx of Californians would ruin their state. "This couldn't be set in another state."

When asked if his wife Tea Leoni might find her way into a few of the episodes, Duchovny -- who also acts as an exec producer -- said, ""We've always tried to not work together. It's mostly because she doesn't want to work with me."

Series, which also stars Brit Natascha McElhone, Evan Handler ("Sex and the City") and Madeline Zima, begins Aug. 13.

-- Stuart Levine