Michael Schneider, Jon Weisman and Stuart Levine continue their tweeting from the Television Critics' Association gathering in LA.

Variety's own Michael Schneider, Stuart Levine and Jon Weisman will tweet live from TCA in LA starting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

AMC has teamed with "John Adams" scribe Kirk Ellis to develop a miniseries about the 1920s Teapot Dome scandal.

Project will be adapted from the book "The Teapot Dome Scandal" by Laton McCartney. Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank will exec produce with Ellis. Falvey and Frank previously worked with Ellis on the epic TNT mini "Into the West."

Story revolves around the scandal that stemmed from members of President Warren G. Harding's administration and their dealings with oil tycoons and the leasing of oil-rich federal lands in Wyoming. A Senate investigation raised the veil on corruption in the Harding administration.

"What's not to like here? Crooks, con-men, wildcatters, disgruntled secretaries and mistresses, yellow journalists and a philandering president," Ellis said.

Project is tentiatively titled "Black Gold: The Teapot Dome Scandal."

The "Party Down" gang is jazzed to be getting back together again for season two, to debut April 23.

Starz's cult-fave comedy, about the antics of showbiz wannabes who work for a catering company, will open the season with the group catering an "Eyes Wide Shut"-esque orgy. Other episodes involve a party for Steve Guttenberg's 50th birthday, a bash for a Marilyn Manson-style rock star who's getting tired of the grind, a community theater's opening night and a party for the former writing partner of the character Roman who has hit it big with a movie.

There's also a company picnic episode that will give fans the chance to see the characters in civilian clothes for the first time. Adam Scott, who plays the high-strung Henry, noted that he fought hard to make sure his character got to wear shorts.

Megan Mullally steps in this season as a regular in place of Jane Lynch, who was a standout in season one but is now committed to Fox's "Glee." Mullally said she was happy to be working "with good people and good material," making what seemed to be a snide reference to her short-lived ABC comedy from last year, "In the Motherhood."

"I learned that the scripts actually have to be good - or there actually has to be a script," she joked. She plays a woman from the Midwest who has just moved to Hollywood to turn her 14-year-old daughter, Escapade, into a star.

Peter Bart and Peter Guber are at TCA today to pitch their new Encore series talkshow "In the House," which bowed last month.

Bart, veep and editorial director of Variety, called "House" a "serious but entertaining show about the business of entertainment." Guber, chief of Mandalay Entertainment, said the goal is to make "it feel like the audience is eavesdropping on our conversation."

The duo spent six years doing a similar show for AMC, "Shootout." "House" is aimed at a broader aud than "Shootout" but Bart assured the scribes it was not going to veer into gossipy territory.

Rather, the show aims to talk to major players on both sides of the camera and analyze industry trends like the impact of "Avatar's" success. James Cameron's sci-fi epic is "a game-changer" and will undoubtedly spur the majors to throw more money at big vfx-driven projects, probably at the expense of smaller dramas and even comedies, Bart said.

With so much of the industry in flux, "it's a good time to be doing a show like ours," Bart said. "The landscape is changing so much."

Chris Albrecht has just made his first TCA appearance as the big boss of Starz.

After two weeks on the job, Albrecht didn't have a lot to say about new projects or strategy. But he did make a point of saying the original series are not the only way that Starz can burnish its brand, especially when so many other outlets are fielding original skeins.

"It's a trap to think only of series as the way you define your network," he said, referencing specials and event movies - the kind of things that helped put HBO on the map.

Albrecht joked that in the early days of HBO's efforts at original programming he used to tell his boss Michael Fuchs that "there's never a specific and exact science to measuring success in the pay TV business. We'll just say they're successful and keep ordering them. Who's going to know?"

But now that the pay TV biz is such a fertile landscape for original fare, Albrecht said he's not going to have to "convince" creative talent to work at Starz. He said he was "a fan" of the three original skeins Starz has on tap for this year - drama "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," which bows next week, the sophomore year of "Party Down" and new dark comedy "Gravity," from Eric Schaeffer, about a group of suicide-attempt survivors.

"Party Down" and "Gravity" will bow on April 23 in the 10-11 pm slot.

BY STUART LEVINE

Because I'm a home-game player, G4's TCA panel "2 Months, $2 Million" intrigued me.

Premise: Four online poker players move to Vegas for a couple of months and use their own money to try and earn a cool $2 mil in 60 days.

That's a lot of coin but whether they're able to accumulate that amount isn't really the point. The fact that four twentysomethings are all professional players and don't blink an eye on having to pony up $10,000 to enter a tournament -- and these guys often plays 2-3 tournaments a month -- is mindbogging.

The poker craze began when amateur Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker six years ago and it's difficult to say whether the phenomenon has continued. G4 is smart to focus and market the show on how these guys enjoy a bachelor's lifestyle in Vegas. Yup, that means girls, extravagance, clubbing, and more girls wiill be featured more than poker strategy.

Show launches Aug. 16 and will air Sunday nights at 9 p.m.

BY STUART LEVINE

Fox Reality's "Househusbands of Hollywood" features the guys doing daily chores and being with the kids while mom is at the office, but clearly the show will get plenty of traction as long as Jillian Reynolds is in the mix.

Reynolds (pictured right), formerly Jillian Barberie and a mainstay on the Fox morning news show forever, wasn't shy about letting the world -- i.e. assembled crix -- know that she and new hubby Grant like to get it on as much as possible.

The declaration came when a journo asked the couple about their response to the L.A. Times piece by James Rainey, who questioned her TV qualifications amid layoffs at the net. And then there was her explicit chat with Howard Stern about her sex life

"It was in the Monday Times, which is pretty skinny right now," Grant snapped back, a shot at the troubled newspaper environment these days on Spring Street.

Jillian didn't back away either. Being in front of the camera is natural to her, and it took a bit of persuasion to get him on board to participate in "Househusbands," which some have equated as a male version of the "Real Housewives" franchise

"Grant didn’t want to do the show but I was very open to it," she explained. And then, a little more about their bedroom activities.

"Do we fight? Hell ya, but we have great makeup sex too," which must account for her announcement that she's pregnant again.

Amy Poehler has been played hundreds of different characters since joining “Saturday Night Live” in 2001 and now she’s content to settle for just one.

 

“I was excited about the idea of turning the volume down a little bit and sit with a character,” said Poehler in shifting her sensibilities from latenight to primetime in the new untitled Greg Daniels sitcom set to launch on April 9.

Daniels, creator of “The Office,” and co-creator/exec producer Michael Schur, says the show will be similar to the Steve Carell starrer in that it will offer the make fun of the mundane. Skein centers around Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, a midlevel bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, Ind.

“It’s based on Santa Monica city council meetings,” he explained. “That kid of world. We intend to populate it with fun personalities and the conflicts that occur. It’s about  decisionmaking on a local level.”

In coming up with ideas, Daniels said he was looking to stay in the comfort zone of “The Office,” and not populate a world of flash and substance.

 

“We would sit and think of shows and say, ‘No that’s too glamorous.’ We wanted something more boring.”

 

Even though this mockumentary is up and running, that doesn’t mean a spinoff to “The Office” is out of the question. He won’t be able to participate on a day-to-day basis, but he’s still interested in the concept.

 

“I am talking to people at ‘The Office’ for another idea and to Stephen Merchant (creative partner of Ricky Gervais),” Daniels explained. “I think it would be cool to produce it without me giving my blood.”

 

As for Poehler, this will certainly keep her busy as well, and she doesn’t anticipate returning to the sketch comedy show that made her a star. And she was certainly appreciative of the musical sendoff the folks at “SNL” gave her at the end of that night’s Weekend Update.

 

“I watched it from my hospital bed with my son,” she recalled. He was born at 6 p.m. and I watched it at 11:30. I was uncontrollably sobbing. You really become a family and to have been there during an amazing season and for my friends to do such a tribute was very emotional and beautiful.”

 

-- Stuart Levine

Angela Bromstad’s message to fans of NBC’s critically beloved but ratings challenged shows: We love these programs too, but people need to start tuning in.

 

“There’s an affinity and appreciation for those shows and not something I would cavalierly toss aside even if they weren’t meeting expectations. We can’t stop striving for that but we won’t replace shows beloved by fans,” she said. Minutes earlier, however, she told journos gathered at TCA: “We live in a world we have to have both (quality and ratings). We have to have ratings."

 

If the messages seem contradictory, it might be the only way Bromstad, the Peacock’s newly crowned primetime entertainment chief, could handle the inevitable questions.

 

On other networks, shows such as “Friday Night Lights,” “Life” and “Chuck” would probably have an extremely hard time to return but the NBC numbers have been so poor, it could be worth it – maybe for nothing more than pleasing a small but hardcore fan base – to bring these shows back.

 

That being said, with Jay Leno now taking up five primetime slots, competition for the remaining hours will be fierce, especially among scripted shows since reality takes up a sizeable chunk of the Monday-Friday schedule.

 

Bromstad is well aware that the network didn’t do itself any favors this past fall with shows such as “Kath & Kim” and “Knight Rider” – “The were a fair try but not holding up and may or may not come back. We’re going to try and beat that.” – and that quality of future programming will have to be held to a higher standard if the network is to recapture its glory days.

 

As to how that philosophy will help shape the fall lineup, everything’s up for grabs at this point.

 

“There’s not going to be any hard and fast rules. I’m not making any proclomations about specific shows.”

 -- Stuart Levine 

Craig Ferguson knows the water very well in which Jimmy Fallon is about to swim or sink, and he urged writers at Wednesday’s TCA session to be kind to his upcoming 12:30 a.m. rival.

“Give Jimmy a month before you review him,” Ferguson asked. “That would be fair. I would’ve given me a couple weeks. I think you should give him a chance.” 

Certainly, Ferguson, (flanked by producer Michael Nadius, left, and exec producer Peter Lassally), who recently became a U.S. citizen and just got married a few weeks ago, has made the most of his chance when he started his post-midnight shift three years ago. He is arguably the hottest latenight host, according to both critics and the burgeoning ratings.

Ferguson’s trademark has become his unstructured opening monologue, which is a sort of free-form rant on what’s on his mind that night. It can offer anything from the typical potshots at celebrities, a cerebral look at the political issues of the day or, as was the case a few weeks ago, a catharsis on the death of his mom.

As for that particular show in which he talked about his mother, Ferguson recalled: “I didn’t concern myself with what the audience wanted to hear. What I try to do — and what I try to do 99 out of 100 nights — is amuse you before you go to sleep. That night, though, I didn’t feel like that. I try to be as truthful as possible. That’s why I approached it that way.”

His sense of humor, Ferguson said, comes from a very dark place.

“I think if you’re happy as a person it would be impossible to do comedy at all,” he explained. “My psychiatrist said — and this is true — that I have reserves of unhappiness equal to Saudi Arabia’s reserves of oil.”

Certainly, and Ferguson isthe first to acknowledge this, the show has greatly benefited from having talkshow veteran Lassally at its side. The classy Lassally, who spent decades with Johnny Carson, acts as a stabilizing force and voice of reason.

When asked about his thoughts of Jay Leno taking his show five nights a week at 10 p.m. on NBC, Lassally offered up this insight:

“It’s very brave of NBC but a big gamble. If Jay succeeds at 10 p.m., my concern is will people go to sleep after that? NBC affiliates would be very unhappy for the 11 o’clock news ratings to slip, and what would it do for the 11:30 and 12:30 shows?

“It could shake things up tremendously. Competition on latenights shows isn’t the opposition, but sleep. Audiences will have to decide whether they want to stay through the next show or not. Also, there will be five latenight shows in L.A. all going after the same guests. It’s quite a change this year.”

— Stuart Levine

Nina Tassler took the stage at TCA Wednesday morning in a position of great strength.

 

The network’s entertainment topper arrived at the podium with the Eye seeing an increase in both total viewers and demos from a year ago. It’s an impressive feat in the continuing defragmentation of viewers moving away from broadcast to cable and the Internet.

 

“Network TV still works. Ad dollars are being put into network TV. It’s the most efficient buy for a mass audience,” Tassler said. “Twenty-eight million people watched the Olympics and 30 million watched ‘American Idol’ last night. You don’t see these numbers on cable or any other medium. Good content and storytelling make great business.”

 

Network rival NBC has clearly given up on storytelling in the 10 o’clock hour with its move of bringing in Jay Leno five nights a week. Business-wise it might make sense but writers, actors and agents are, obviously, unhappy. Her thoughts on a primetime talkshow? And would that effect what CBS airs in the hour?

 

‘My first reaction was to say thank you. Our 10 o’clock programs do extremely well. It’s a coveted time period. The creative community was shocked. So many top tier talents vie for that time period,” she said, while adding that she didn’t see the need to rebuild the hour’s template because of the Peacock’s past errors. “Why should one network’s failure in development redirect an entire schedule strategy?”

 

Clearly, CBS has found success in delivering crime procedurals, and it makes no apologies in sticking with the format. “CSI,” “Without a Trace,” “NCIS” and now the season’s top-rated new show, “The Mentalist,” have all worked because they don’t stray far from what they promise on a weekly basis: Delivering a singular star – be it Anthony La Paglia, Mark Harmon, and now Laurence Fishburne replacing William Petersen -- who helps catch the bad guys.

 

Not to say everything the Eye does is perfect. When the network leaves its comfort zone – aka no murders in an episode – shows can flop. Despite a likeable star in Elizabeth Reaser, “The Ex List” was a bust.

 

“It failed in its execution,” Tassler admitted. “People liked the concept but it didn’t find its pulse.”

 

And “Swingtown,” about sexually liberated couples of the ‘70s, was certainly a better show than “The Ex List” but never caught on either. Maybe it was the time slot or the concept, but "Swingtown" didn’t make it and isn’t coming back.

 

“We were extremely proud of the execution and are happy to report that it ended up on over a half-dozen top 10 lists in 2008,” Tassler said. “In many regards, that was a victim of the writers strike. It was a risk and we’re proud of it, and we would do it again.”

 

As for what’s ahead, Tassler said plans for a “NCIS” spinoff are continuing and should be ready for fall, musician John Mayer is working on a variety show that could either be a special or series, and she’s not sure how or if David Letterman will tweak his show when Conan O’Brien takes over “The Tonight Show.”

 

As for recent transitions, Tassler said she was “thrilled” with how Drew Carey has taken over daytime staple “The Price Is Right” -- despite falling ratings and some fan unhappiness -- and didn’t anticipate any changes on the gameshow.

-- Stuart Levine

Credit Kevin Reilly for keeping his sense of humor in tough times.

 

The Fox programming chief was contemplating a question from a scribe at TCA about what he thought of NBC running Jay Leno five nights a week at 10 p.m. He thought about it awhile and responded, “NBC is the crazy ex-wife I can’t get away from.”

 

Reilly’s tenure at NBC ended a few years ago the moment Jeff Zucker decided to bring in wunderkind Ben Silverman (how’s that working out, by the way?), yet he smartly takes the high road when commenting on anything Peacock related.

 

“I give them a lot of credit for signing up Jay. It’s a smart strategic move for them.” He was quick to add, however, that NBC has struggled with scripted programming at the 8 o’clock hour going all the way back to “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," and having Leno at 10 isn't going to panacea for all that ails the folks in Burbank across the primetime landscape.

 

While Fox remains in strong shape as behemoth “American Idol” starts up tonight, and other dramas continue to perform well – “Fringe,” “Bones,” “House” – the live-action comedies continue to be a drag on the network.

 

Despite a renewal of “Til Death” – a decision that feels based much more on economics than creativity – there is little in the pipeline to generate much enthusiasm.

 

Again, Reilly used humor to deflect reality.

 

“We made a lot of year-end lists with ‘Do Not Disturb.’ Our comedy brand is the animation block, but we need to rebuild the live-action brand. It’s down to a low-pulse level. It’s very tough when you lose your blocks and protection. I give CBS credit. Their Monday comedies, like ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ are one of the best stories of the year.”

 

He added: “We’re going to be methodical. We’ve order five half-hour pilots. We’ll see whether one makes it on the fall schedule.”

 

-- Stuart Levine

So maybe it took a while, but somebody finally noticed how good “In Treatment” is.

That somebody was the Golden Globes, and the HBO shrink series got some love from the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. with five nods after Emmy pretty much said thanks but no thanks in the fall.

At Friday’s TCA panel, exec producers Steve Levinson and Warren Leight chatted up the new season. Noticeably absent, however, was top doc Gabriel Byrne, who was suffering from strep throat and a stomach bug and couldn’t make it. Geez, these thesps will do anything to avoid the grilling of the assembled press.

The first order of business discussed was that telecast structure of the second season has been revamped. No longer will it be one half-hour each weeknight. Rather, two episode will air on Sunday nights and then another three the next day on Monday.

Programming topper Sue Naegle said the net found that viewers were watching multiple episodes on Tivo anyway, so why not stack ’em up themselves, and put it on Sunday to start, the cabler’s signature night.

“People like to dig in and watch more than one at a time,” she said. “It’s easier this way for people to find it. It was tough to get into the swing of thing five nights a week.”

The clips for the new season looked intriguing. Byrne’s character, Dr. Paul Weston, has seen his marriage disintegrate and now he’s practicing therapy out of Brooklyn brownstone apartment. His new clients include CEO John Mahoney (“Frasier”), attorney Hope Davis, a young woman suffering with a cancer diagnosis and a teenage boy whose parents are getting divorced.

Also returning are Dianne Weist as Byrne’s own shrink and confidant, Michelle Forbes as his wife and Emmy winner Glynn Turman as Blair Underwood’s grieving father. The series begins in April.

The theme for the new season? Leight, who arrives to the show after years on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” said it’s all about finding out what’s bubbling underneath.

“These are people in pain, in need,” he explained. “What’s the subtext? How did they get to this point in their lives now? These are characters in crisis. Instead of acting out (as they would in “L&O” with a gun or some other harmful way), they see a therapist.”

We’ll also learn more about Dr. Weston’s backstory, and how he got to this place in his life. His children will also make more of an appearance.

“Our challenge is to understand this guy and keep his voice consistent,” said Leight in writing the character, “but Gabriel knows the voice better than any writer would. That’s a help to us.”

-- Stuart Levine

Oh what a treat. HBO's telepic rendition of "Grey Gardens" with Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange looks fabulous, absolutely fabulous.

I don't say that lightly because I love love love the Maysles' brothers 1975 docu. It's a gem that my husband found late night on cable years ago -- many moons before the Broadway show -- and made me watch.

The telepic, skedded to bow in April, traces the early years of Big and Little Edie Bouvier Beale (aunt and cousin of Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis) through their time as members of New York's high society in the 20s and 30s through the decades they spent together living in squalor in the East Hampton home that Big Edie refused to leave any other way than "feet first."

Barrymore and Lange both looked incredible on stage at TCA Friday. Really glowing and beautiful in a happy rather than made-up way. They gushed, like only actresses can, about how much they loved each other and loved working together and how they "bonded" over the strains of doing the picture. (It took many hours in the makeup chair for both of them for the later 60s and '70s scenes in the mansion.) But I believed it, just based on their body language and their glow.

Lange looked elegant in a black knee-length cocktail dress. Barrymore seemed to be channeling a happy version of Kate Winslet's character in "Revolutionary Road," wearing an orange and yellow print sling dress with one shoulder bare.

Barrymore bubbled with tales of how she'd never worked harder on a part in her entire career and how grateful she was to have had the chance. Yes, it's a well-worn cliche for actors but she put it over. I believed her.

"I believe that I have not proven myself yet. Michael taking this chance on me is one of the greatest opportunities I have had in my life... I worked harder on this than anything I've worked on in my life," Barrymore gushed.

Lange was a little more restrained, allowing Barrymore to take the spotlight, but she was also effusive about her experience, in contrast with her other recent work.

"It's the most difficult role I've had in a long time as an actor. If you don't flex your muscle, you get flaccid and lazy," Lange said. "I've been very lazy as of late. It was wonderful to really work hard again in an way that I was accustomed to at one time."

A few minutes later, Barrymore wanted to make sure that everyone in the room was crystal clear on how she felt about the part, the picture and her co-star and director.

"I've never had this kind of dramatic role" that involved her aging from 18 to 58 and "embodying another human being who is so well-documented," she said. "I've never laid anything on the line or worked so hard for anything in my life. I've never been given this chance before. I wanted to do nothing but not let them down."

Lange noted that the Grey Gardens manse is now owned by Washington Post's Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, who let them spend a few days out there soaking up the atmosphere. Lange came away understanding why Big Edie was so attached to the place.

"It's one of the most beautiful houses. It's not this kind of cold mansion. It's one of the most beautiful, warm houses and gardens. It's really lovely," she said.

Barrymore said she was glad to have the experience of sleeping in Little Edie's bedroom, except that "Little Edie wouldn't let me sleep."

"Grey Gardens" telepic was spearheaded by writer-director Michael Sucsy, whose makes his feature-length helming debut on the project. His background is helming commercials, but he began working on his vision of "Grey Gardens" the day after he first saw the docu about seven years ago.

Although he was a tyro feature helmer, there was never any question from HBO brass that he would direct "Grey Gardens," Sucsy happily assured reporters.

 

"A fun way to send him off" -- that's how Will Ferrell described his decision to reprise his George W. Bush impersonation and head to Broadway for a limited run in "You're Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush."

Ferrell and his producing partner Adam McKay, who wrote and will direct "You're Welcome America," promised in a satellite appearance at TCA on Friday that the show, which will have a live presentation  March 14 on HBO, will probe W.'s record but also take a few fictional talents. Ferrell handled Bush-spoofing duties on "Saturday Night Live" in the early years of W.'s first term.

People who hate Bush will probably think it goes too easy on him, McKay said, and people who idolize him will probably think its way to harsh. But why do it now, just as Bush is exiting the Oval Office? "You're Welcome" begins its run at the Cort Theater on Barack Obama's inauguration day, Jan. 20.

McKay, in a moment of seriousness, said he thought it was "a healthy thing that after eight years people look back at this," and he opined that one reason W. and Dick Cheney felt free to run amok was that people tended to "ignore the crimes of past administrations" after a regime change in the White House.

The premise of the play is actually somewhat generous to the outgoing prez, McKay explained:
"Before you close the book of history, let the man have his say." With Ferrell as the conduit.

HBO's "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" has two comely and charming stars in Jill Scott and Anika Noni Rose, but the most prominent player in the dramedy may be its host country, Botswana.

Scott and Rose raved about the experience of working in the African nation during the sesh on the show, a coproduction of the BBC, Weinstein Co. and HBO, at TCA on Friday.

The two-hour telepic/pilot for "Detective Agency," which bows March 29, was among the last project that Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack worked on before their deaths last year. It was important to Minghella and Pollack that "Detective Agency" reflect "the wonder of Africa as a place and the gorgeousness of its people," said exec producer Richard Curtis, who co-wrote the telepic screenplay with Minghella. (Curtis appeared via satellite from South Africa.)

"I didn't completely get it until I saw Botswana and I saw people who looked like me," said Scott (pictured above). Rose said tackling such a specific accent was tough until she "really got to be around the people of area and take those rhythms into my person."

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Having attended most of the panels over a two-week period at the Beverly Hilton, here's one man's view of the best and worst of TCA 2008:

Number of times an actor said "we're all a family. It's a pleasure to come to work every day": 4,567 (a slight exaggeration)

Number of questions asked about the dead "Deadwood" movies: 259 (not-so-slight exaggeration)

Amount of time it takes for critics to get from their seats to the afternoon cookie spread: 3.5 seconds

Best comeback: During the ABC showrunner sesh, the first question was addressed to "Grey's Anatomy" showrunner Shonda Rhimes (pictured left) about Katherine Heigl's comments on not having good material to submit for Emmy consideration. Immediately, "Lost" exec producer Damon Lindelof shot back: "Gee, I didn't this one coming."

Don't tease us like that: "Scrubs" showrunner Bill Lawrence on Sarah Chalke's role on "How I Met Your Mother," "They don't want me to say it, but she's the mom."

This sounds like an awards show TV fanatics could love. Television Without Pity, the Bravo-owned website  for TV nuts, proudly announces (drum roll here) the Tubey Awards. It's billed as a TV kudofest "for viewers who love TV when its good -- but love to hate it even more when it's bad."

There are 60 categories -- some conventional (best new show, favorite actor, etc.) and some not (wost new show, most overrated show, best badass, most ludicrous plotline, etc.), and it's the latter that promise to make this one fun. The nominees were selected from suggestions by TWP's regulars. The plan is to hold online voting in various categories each week through Aug. 31. (Only catch -- you have to be a registered TWP user to vote.)

Winners will be unveiled in mid-September (look out Emmys!). The whole list of nominees is posted right here on TWP. Naturally, given the profile of TWP users, the picks tend to be generous to the genre fare that is more often than not snubbed by Emmy voters. Turnabout is fair play, I say.

Among the highlights:

Most overrated show:

"American Idol"
"Grey's Anatomy"
"Gossip Girl"
"Heroes"
"Lost"

Most underrated show:

"Friday Night Lights"
"How I Met Your Mother"
"Journeyman"
"Psych"
"Supernatural."

Character most in need of being killed off:

Izzie Stevens, "Grey's Anatomy"
Maya Hererra, "Heroes"
Thirteen, "House"
Jack Shephard, "Lost"
Kate Austin, "Lost"

Most overhyped big name guest appearance:

Jerry Seinfeld, "30 Rock"
Britney Spears, "How I Met Your Mother"
Robin Williams, "Law & Order: SVU"
Lindsay Lohan, "Ugly Betty"
Victoria Beckham, "Ugly Betty"

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Marc Cherry said once again on Thursday that he'd like to set an end date for "Desperate Housewives" but the network isn't going for it. On a panel of ABC showrunners at the Television Critics Assn. tour in Beverly Hills, Cherry (pictured right) said that the series would end after seven seasons.

The show is about to embark on its fifth season, meaning if creator-exec produced Cherry had his wish, "Housewives" would end in 2011. An ABC representative and a high-level network exec said that there were no firm plans for the show to end at that point, and that Cherry was in no position to declare a finale for the series.

This isn't the first time Cherry has spoken to the press about his desire for the show to have a solid wrap-up date, but his discussions with the media haven't swayed the network. "Lost" exec producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse were also on the panel, and Cherry's comments came after segment on how Lindelof and Cuse have been able to focus on their storytelling now that they know exactly when the show will end. There are two more seasons of "Lost," and it will conclude in 2010.

"Housewives" was a kudos and ratings powerhouse when it launched in 2004, receiving a nomination for best comedy. Although it hasn't been nominated since, the show continues to draw a significant amount of viewers. On the panel, Cherry said the first season of the show was very strong creatively but then dipped in season two. According to Cherry, seasons three and four have been an improvement. Cherry is currently contracted to ABC Studios until May 2011 and commented on ending the show when he signed that deal: "I think that, at the end of my deal, and after seven seasons, it will be a good time to call it quits," he said.

"I don't want anyone else to run the show, and I don't want us to fade away. But I'm serious in my intent to end it after seven years," Cherry said. "I don't want to overstay my welcome."

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Now, finally, J.J. Abrams feels your pain.

Abrams, who exec produced "Alias" way back when, now  knows what it was like to be on the other side.

While visiting buddy Greg Grunberg's house awhile back, the two were hanging out and "Alias" popped up on TV. Abrams (pictured right) was watching intently, and, like millions of others who scratched their heads watching the tail end of that series, he couldn't quite figure out who was good, who was bad and what the hell was going on.

"It was so confusing, it was impenetrable," Abrams admitted at Monday's "Fringe" session at TCA. "It was, 'Who the fuck is this guy?'"

Funny stuff, especially for the guy who birthed Sydney Bristow and knows where she started, but no so much where she ended up.

Anyway, point of the story was that don't expect "Fringe," Abrams' new show on Fox that's receiving the most buzz of any fall skein, to fall into the "Alias" dilemma.

Unlike "Lost" -- another Abrams series -- and "Alias," "Fringe" won't necessitate compulsive viewing to follow along.

"'Lost' has received and garnered a reputation for being a complicated show," he said. "'Fringe' is an experiment for us; a show with an overall story and end game. This is a show where you don't have to watch episodes one, two and three to understand episode four. This show will have a different paradigm. We're trying very diligently that this doesn't require the insane dedication that if you miss an episode, you have no idea what's going on."

Abrams recognizes that "Fringe" is being talked about a bunch and he takes that as a challenge.

"I do feel, ultimately, that any pressure or expectations for this or any show can ruin a show. If you expect it to change your life (as a viewer), it'll inevitably be disappointing," he continued. "I'm hoping we create a show that's entertaining, and hope and think it is. I don't think one show can save the fall."

Crix got their official look at the show Sunday, as Fox screened it at the Beverly Hilton. Some, though, have seen it previously online, as the pilot was leaked on to the Internet. None of the exec producers on stage -- Abrams, Alex Kurtzman (pictured left), Roberto Orci (pictured right), showrunner Jeff Pinkner and Bryan Burk -- were happy with the early exposure and all denied leaking it.

"We didn't put the pilot online," Burk said. "We hate putting it out there until it's done. That's why you didn't get advance copies. We keep working on our stuff until it airs. Often I'm working on 'Lost' 24 hours before it goes up."

So with the banter in the TV community calling "Fringe" the top dog, plus a primo timeslot -- 9 p.m. Tuesdays after "House" -- the pressure's on. Failure, it would seem, is not an option.

"We have no excuses," said Orci. "We can't say Fox didn't promote it. It's our fault if it doesn't work."

Starz enters the scripted drama game in October with "Crash," and if the premise of reinventing the Oscar-winning film for TV doesn't drawn in viewers, maybe watching Dennis Hopper talking to his penis will do the trick.

Hopper plays eccentric record producer Ben Cendars, an off-wall-character -- yeah, that's a big change for Dennis -- who tries to remain professionally relevant but has a difficult time understanding his time may have passed.

"He's crazier than any of them," Hopper said in comparing the bizzare-o characters he's portrayed over a stellar career to this one. "Totally out of control. Phil Spector and I shared offices for 10 years." Enough said.

While the show is loosely based on the movie, there are new characters introduced and this shouldn't considered a sequel by any means.

"I hope people are excited by the show and think it has something to offer, but if they're expecting to see the movie over 13 episodes, they're not going to see that," said exec producer Don Cheadle, who co-starred in the theatrical release and may appear in the show at some point. Anger and unresolved issues are the theme for the series.

"We came to the realization the show has to stand on its own. In the movie, we had 90 or 100 minutes to create these characters and resolve their arcs, and now we have 13 episodes. It's much more exciting for the actors," Cheadle said.

"Crash" showrunner/exec producer Glen Mazzara, an alumnus of "The Shield," acknowledged the primary challenge of figuring out how to plot the multiple character arcs and how they all intersect.

"With the movie you can have the characters intersect within two hours. Over the course of a show, you can plot out if and when they meet each other. It's really nice to have the 13 episodes to plot that out. It won't be a gimmick every week," Mazzara said.

-- STUART LEVINE

Nothing says TCA like stars in awkward situations. (See pic at left of "House" star Hugh Laurie in a bumper car at Fox's TCA party on the Santa Monica pier last summer.)

Yep, the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour is upon us, starting Tuesday at the Beverly Hilton hotel. The January TCA gathering was scuttled by the writers strike, so undoubtedly there will be pent-up excitement (agitation? irritation? ultra-obnoxious lines of questioning?) than usual among the scribes, execs and stars who make TCA go 'round.

As we did last year, On the Air will offer team coverage of this fortnight of frothing about shows to come and the strike-interrupted season that just was, and any other issues that crop up between Tuesday and July 22. Variety's Stuart Levine plans to park himself at the BevHilton for the duration, while our TV leader, Michael Schneider, reporter Daniel Frankel and myself will also be availing ourselves of the hotel's free Wi-Fi to cover the events...and drink. I'm guessing it's a safe bet that the tradition of TCA bingo (in which attendees track the over-use of buzz words by panelists) will include the phrase "writers strike" this year.

It all starts Tuesday with a heavy rotation of cable presentations, including Hallmark Channel, HD Net, BBC America and E! nets.

Wednesday's lineup includes: AMC and WE; MTV Networks; A&E Networks

Thursday: Discovery Networks; ESPN; Sundance Channel; HBO

Friday: Turner Broadcasting; Fox Reality Channel; Starz; Lifetime

Saturday-Sunday: PBS -- whose talent roster includes none other than Sir George Martin, plugging his series "On Record: The Soundtrack of Our Lives."

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."

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

You know how when a jury hears something they shouldn't, and the judge asks them not to consider that piece of evidence in deliberations.

Attorneys say no matter a judge's instructions, you can't put the genie back in the bottle. Well, even though the pilot screened by critics isn't actually the pilot to be shown later in the fall, you can't put the "Cavemen" back in the, uh, cave.

So while the original pilot left many scribes underwhelmed, the public will never know what they missed.

With a new lead recast and a pilot being reshot because "it was too far into the development of the characters," according to ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson, "Cavemen" still has other issues to face.

For example, a few critics felt the Cavemen were actually euphemisms for black people — the characters are superior athletes, are excluded from high-society events and looked upon as second-class citizens.

"We're aware the pilot leans in that direction, but the characters don't stand for one group," explained exec producer Josh Gordon (pictured left).

"But is that a concern?," asked exec producer Mike Schiff (pictured right). "Absolutely. Could it be an issue? Yes. But we want to show these stereotypes as incorrect."

"This is a story about acclimation," added co-exec producer Joe Lawson. "We write the stories from that point of view."

The show, which arrived at ABC very late in the development stage, is based on the popular Geico commercials. And, no, there are no plans for the gecko to appear in future episodes (and, yes, Allstate or other sponsors selling insurance are welcome to buy spots).

To get in proper Cavemen mode, the actors are in makeup for three hours every day and look nothing like the characters they play without their facial hair added. That might work to their advantage if the show doesn't last, as they won't be broad-brushed with a failed series. Though if it's a hit, conversely, they may not be able to cash in.

"I'm not an attractive man, so to be hidden behind makeup is fine with me," joked actor Nick Kroll.

-- Stuart Levine

POSTED BY JON WEISMAN

In whimsical ABC fall entry “Pushing Daisies,” romantic leads Ned and Chuck  are forbidden to touch. So, how will the young lovers played by Lee Pace and Anna Friel (pictured left) endure what Friel called “the longest foreplay ever?”

At TCA on Wednesday, series creator and exec producer Bryan Fuller mentioned that auds would see “Saran-Wrap kisses” and “dancing in beekeeper suits” after floating a much more provocative suggestion for an 8 p.m. show.

“Mutual masturbation,” Fuller said. “It’s very now. We’re trying to bring masturbation back.”

That would certainly help get a show launched.

But even without the afterplay, “Daisies” will be one of the most talked-about shows of the upcoming season, having won over the hearts and minds of a great many critics. Expert pie-baker Ned has a unique ability to bring dead folks back to life with a single touch – only to kill them for good if he touches them a second time. Resurrecting the love of his life puts Ned in what Fuller calls an “impossible romance.”

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.

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

It's been brought to our attention that offense was taken at the observation in the post below that ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson's joking suggestion that TCA attendees go to Comic-Con to find out the news about "Lost" went over "as well as a Michael Richards routine at the Laugh Factory." While there was never any intention to equate the substance of the two incidents, in the spirit of the concession made by McPherson and "Lost" producers to divulge the news that they planned to hold back for Comic-Con, we'll concede that Richards at the Laugh Factory was not a particularly apt comparison for what transpired re "Lost" during McPherson's TCA sesh.

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

A fantastic time was had by all at Fox's post-TCA party on the Santa Monica pier on Monday night, as evidenced by this pic of "House" star Hugh Laurie in action on the bumper cars. The network took over the whole pier and gave TCA-ers the run of the joint, which had to fulfill childhood fantasies of anyone who ever spent time on the pier as a kid and ran out of quarters. TypePad's power-outage woes and a busy day back in the office kept me from weighing in on much of anything today. But this Laurie pic was too cool to pass up.

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

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.

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."

Seth MacFarlane and the gang have assembled at TCA to do a live table reading of the upcoming 100th episode "Stewie Kills Lois" for our lunchtime pleasure. The room is loving it. Alex Borstein and MacFarlane are fascinating to watch. MacFarlane does a mean imitation of Ringo Starr....It's especially fun to watch MacFarlane doing Stewie, and then shifting into other characters.

Now the episode is really getting good, because we're getting to the part that they never could've done on Fox -- even by this show's standards. Let's just say the part we're in right now involves Stewie, and fantasies and riding crops, and Lois. It's just plain crazy, which is what this show's always been known for...

Now we're into Peter telling a story about a one-handed abortionist...I'm not kidding.

Oh no, Stewie's just pulled out a gun and has shot Lois while the family is on a cruise ship.

Now James Woods and Rob Lowe have entered the scene, in night caps, Ernie and Bert style. MacFarlane does a mean James Woods!

Now it's Harrison Ford running around grabbing random people and saying "I want my family back!"

Alex Borstein has managed to crack MacFarlane up with a bit about cancer of the vagina. Peter is now trying to date, now that it's been a year since Lois' death.

Now Stewie is admitting that he shot Lois despite having led everyone to believe that  Lois' death was accidental. "Good luck proving that," Stewie says.

Meg wearing lingerie is opening a package of Jumbo Hot Dogs....when the room groans, MacFarlane breaks character and admonishes: "C'mon, it's either this or Herman's Head folks, you make the choice?"

Now Barbra Streisand is blowing $100 bills out of her nose. Don't even ask!

Now the story is turning so that it looks dangerous that Peter took out a life insurance policy against Lois, just before they got on the cruise ship. But Brian knows the truth and is determined to bring Stewie to justice.

The cops are convinced that Peter did it, especially after finding damning evidence that actually comes from Stewie.

Now there's a scene of Jesus and Lazarus trying to settle up for Lazarus bringing Jesus back to life. Don't ask.

Now Peter's on trial for the murder of Lois. Carter Pewterschmidt, Lois' father, is testifying that Peter confessed to him. It comes with a video featuring an Asian hooker. Don't ask!

Now Peter's on the stand. "I certainly think I'd remember killing her," he says. "I plead the fifth of Jack," he quips when asked if he's a drinker.

Peter's just about to be convincted and .. the Kool-Aid guy bursts through the courtroom. Big oops, he leaves.

Now, the courtroom door flings open and there's a silhouetted figure...it's Lois! She turns and fingers Stewie as the real killer. Cut to black, a chyron slate reads...."To be continued."

OK, table read's over. Questions begin.

MacFarlane confirms that much of it was edited out from the episode that has already been produced and slated to air in the fall. The wild and wooly version we've just seen will run in all its glory on the DVD set, MacFarlane assures. He also confirms that James Woods and Rob Lowe have committed to film a live-action sequence of their little bit -- and yes he's serious. (Woods and Lowe have been on the show before.)

"It's fun because it kind of mixes up the medium a little bit," he says.

"I do know that certain members of the Brolin family were amused by the last gag we did," MacFarlane responded when asked about the show's incessant Barbra-bashing.

"Do you think your comedy works better when it offends people," one questioner asks, earnestly. MacFarlane takes a moment to give it some thought.

"We try to walk a balance of both. I try to have the balance between the classic and the edgy. We do a lot of poop jokes but at the same time we use a 45-piece orchestra every week. We don't try to shock for shock's sake. If something's not funny, we'll cut it out."

MacFarlane notes that the show's ultimate taste barometer is the table reads that they have on each script, which are well populated by writers, actors, network and studio execs.

"No one is shy about gasping in horror if we've crossed the line," MacFarlane says.

So what shocks and offends him? MacFarlane's answer was no surprise to regular viewers of "Family Guy."

"Oh, the Bush administration, I guess." 

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.)

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Fox is one Sanjaya away from bringing "American Idol" back to its former glory.

That's not to say that "Idol" has fallen off the map and is barely breathing. It remains the 800-lb. gorilla that other networks fear when Fox puts it on the schedule every January. It grabs headlines, magazine covers, gossip columns and gobs of Internet chatter.

But, no matter how you spin it, ratings were down last season from the Taylor Hicks-Katharine McPhee season before that, and the finale in which Jordin Sparks was crowned champ, especially, took a big dip in both numbers and viewer engagement.

Fox entertainment chairman Peter Liguori said at TCA the viewer totals weren't as bad when you account for those who watched the finale on TiVo, and that the right contestant -- a heartthrob, hottie, troublemaker or anyone that can rally the masses in either a love/hate way -- can draw huge attention can spike the ratings in a big way.

"We're one watercooler contestant away from another surge," Liguori said. "There's still a feeling about an upcoming 'Idol' season."

Fox needs "Idol" to continue to dominate. Dating back to January, the network has now won 24 straight weeks in the 18-49 demo and is about to break a 25-week record set by NBC in 1996, but October through December has always been problematic for the network -- shows either being interrupted by the baseball playoffs and/or not connecting at all. "Prison Break" and "Bones" have come out of the game strong but even "House" started slow and needed the post-"Idol" timeslot to give it a kickstart.

"We have to do better in the fourth quarter," Liguori said bluntly. "We have the biggest show on TV and have to take advantage of that."

The beginning of 2008 should be huge for Fox, with "Idol" and "24" starting up, but, as if they needed it, the nework will air the NFC championship game in January and Super Bowl in February, with "House" landing the plum-Super Bowl slot.

Whether the Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton comedy "Back to You" or Anthony Anderson New Orleans-based "K-Ville" catch on remain to be seen, but at some point Fox will have to find other shows to give it year-round consistency, rather than just relying on "Idol" adulation.

-- Stuart Levine

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

Kevin Reilly came to the Beverly Hilton on Sunday, tanned, ready and relaxed -- and refusing to engage in any major NBC bashing. Goodness knows, Fox's new entertainment prexy (pictured left) was given plenty of chances by the questioning during the opening exec Q&A sesh with Peter Liguori, who was upped to Fox Entertainment chairman earlier this month to make room for Reilly's arrival. "You're just picking at that scab aren't you," Liguori (pictured right) quipped as TCA-ers tried to lure Reilly into some snark about NBC, or the "previous place," as Reilly put it, where he was unceremoniously squeezed out with the arrival of Ben Silverman as NBC Entertainment chairman in early June.

The closest thing Reilly allowed was a little skepticism about NBC's decision to revamp its fall Tuesday sked to include new reality series "The Singing Bee," given that the decision was made after the show had one promising airing and then "shluffed off" in the second week. But that was it -- at one point Reilly even stuttered and stammered and made a joke about how hard it was for him to answer such leading questions. He was classy and high-road guy all the way, the characteristic's we've always appreciated about him.

All in all Fox's TCA sesh felt like it was 2001 all over again, the days when Liguori and Reilly where in the same roles they are now except at FX sted the big-leagues of Fox Broadcasting Co. The two looked comfortable together, and even wardrobe coordinated in casual blazer-and-jeans set up. Pressed to reflect on his recent tumultuous experience, Reilly firmly kept the focus on the future, reiterating his appreciation for the "restless" Fox corporate culture and News Corp.'s entrepreneurial DNA. Reilly made it clear that he hasn't blown on to the Fox lot with an "everyone back up, I'm here to fix things'" mentality," he said. "The cheapest advice anyone gives you when you do into these jobs is 'Go with your instincts, stick what you believe in'. I feel like at a certain point during my (NBC) run I was not playing that game, and it was not right for me, and it didn't work for the network. So that's what I'm taking in the door with me" in settling in at Fox.

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")

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.)

POSTED BY ELIZABETH GUIDER

They went “nuts” to get it back but now the big question is whether the online fans will go bananas for the return of “Jericho” in January.  The even bigger question is whether the CBS series can lure enough new viewers to convince the Eye network to extend the series order beyond the current commitment of seven new episodes.  (Some 3 million TV viewers had deserted the show by the end of the spring, leading to its cancellation.) 

Exec producer Carol Barbee is one who thinks the trick can be pulled off — and her quickly reassembled production team is poised to gun it if the greenlight order does come down. One thing that might help: The release of season one on DVD beginning Oct. 2 and this summer’s repeats of the cult fave on CBS. Plus a whole bunch of promotion, courtesy of the Eye’s newly pumped up promotional partnerships with some two dozen online platforms, from Comcast to Joost. 

The seven episodes that will be shot during the next two months will be, per Barbee, “greatly compressed’ but also “quick-moving,” with the focus laregely on the town of Jericho itself as it struggles to rebuild itself.

“Obviously we had to become lean and mean and our attention will now be on fewer characters,” Barbee told journalists at the ongoing Television Critics Tour Thursday in L.A. She also said that there would be less time to shoot, seven days per episode, but that the team would try to deliver “the same punch.”

(Pictured above, left to right, Barbee, "Jericho" stars Skeet Ulrich, Lennie James and Ashley Scott.)

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.

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

Bob Barker, you're priceless... and, it seems, irreplaceable.

That's the message CBS entertainment topper Nina Tassler was telling a roomful of critics, when one of them (yours truly) asked why it's taken so long for the network to find a replacement for Bob Barker as the host of classic gameshow "The Price Is Right."

Barker held the skinny mic at "Price" for an astonishing 35 years and retired over a month ago but gave notice in 2006. Granted, finding someone to fill those shoes is a tough assignment -- almost as difficult as winning a Showcase Showdown -- but there doesn't seem to be any sense of urgency over at the Eye to get a new guy (or gal) in place for the transition.

Drew Carey is currently the leading candidate but sources say they're stuck in contract negotiations.

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.

POSTED BY JOSEF ADALIAN

Jeff Zucker didn't feel the need to check out Ben Silverman's TCA debut Monday. But Leslie Moonves managed to lend CBS Entertainment prexy Nina Tassler (pictured left) some moral support today by catching her session with reporters -- most of whom had no idea Moonves was in the house.

Moonves apparently waited until the house lights dimmed before sneaking into the back of the BevHills Hilton ballroom where Tassler met the assembled scribes Wednesday morning. And just as quietly as he arrived, Moonves was gone a few minutes after Tassler wrapped up her controversy- and blunder-free appearance.

Despite his elevated role, the Eye supremo still feels obligated to schmooze the nation's TV press. He's expected to be at the net's all-star party Thursday night. We're hoping wife Julie Chen will be there, too, with some fresh "Big Brother 8" gossip.

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?

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

POSTED BY STUART LEVINE

CBS will launch the majority of its new fall schedule the week of Sept. 24.

Except for "Kid Nation" (pictured), which bows Sept. 19, and "Survivor: China," which unfurls the following night, the new lineup will kick off on Sunday, Sept. 23 with the 40th edition of newsmagazine "60 Minutes." James Woods starrer "Shark," which moves to Sundays from Thursdays, starts its second season that night at 10 p.m.

The network is waiting a while to premiere its new musical drama "Viva Laughlin." The series will launch on 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18 before moving to its regular 8 p.m. Sunday time slot three days later.

-- Stuart Levine