The Office Gets Prime Superbowl Spot

NBC hit series The Office will get the live 1 hour broadcast after the Superbowl next year. The post-Bowl slot is considered the most valuable piece of programming real estate on television, exposing a series to tens of millions of viewers. NBC will air a special one-hour episode of its Emmy-winning comedy after the game concludes Feb. 1. The Office stars Steve Carrell.

NBC 2009 Schedule

Brooke Burke Dancing With The Stars Champion

(Associated Press)

Brooke Burke waltzed away with the mirror ball trophy on the "Dancing with the Stars" finale.

The 37-year-old TV personality and mother of four dominated the seventh season of the popular ABC dancing competition and bested former NFL player Warren Sapp and former 'NSync member Lance Bass during the Tuesday night finale, in which she reprised an emotional Viennese waltz routine that earned her a perfect score from the show's panel of judges.

"Unbelievable," was all Burke could muster after winning amid a flurry a confetti.

From the outset, the slinky former host of E!'s "Wild On" and CBS' "Rock Star" commanded the ballroom this season, coming in first place eight out of 10 times and receiving a 10 — the judges' top score — 16 times. Burke was crowned the latest "Dancing with the Stars" champion after the judges' scores — 88 out of 90 — were combined with viewers' votes.

"I actually can't believe it," said Derek Hough, Burke's professional partner, who's never won the competition. "I really can't. I honestly can't. The journey's been so long. It's been tough. It's been wonderful. It's been everything I could ever hope for. Wow. I can't believe we actually did it, girl."

Burke maintained an eight point lead over Sapp, the charismatic 35-year-old fan favorite whose technique was consistently criticized by the judges. Sapp still managed to hustle his way into second place with professional partner Kym Johnson, despite receiving one point less from the judges than the third place finisher, 29-year-old singer Bass.

"From the moment you start, you make me smile," head judge Len Goodman told Sapp.

Bass and his professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, were upbeat about their loss. The pair danced away after their dismissal. And he's not hanging up his dancing shoes just yet. The former boybander will join professional dancers and other former contestants for the 38-city "Dancing with the Stars" tour, which is set to kick off Dec. 17 in San Diego.

"You never took the safe road once," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bass during the finale.

Previously dismissed celebrities — actor Cody Linley; sprinter Maurice Greene; actresses Susan Lucci and Cloris Leachman; chef Rocco DiSpirito; reality TV star Kim Kardashian; actor Ted McGinley; and comedian Jeffrey Ross — also returned for a last dance. Injured volleyball player Misty May-Treanor and singer Toni Braxton remained off their feet.

ABC Cancels Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone, Dirty Sexy Money

From Entertainment Weekly Online:

Quality television took a serious hit this evening with news that ABC has opted not to order additional episodes of Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone and Dirty Sexy Money for this season. The network isn't commenting, but multiple sources confirm that all three shows have "effectively been canceled."

The one bright spot: The ratings-challenged trio will complete production on their 13-episode orders (Daisies already has, while Eli and DSM have an episode or two to go). Of course, completing the episodes and actually airing them are two totally different things.

"It's all true," Daisies creator Bryan Fuller tells me. "I'm so very proud of this show and grateful for everyone's hard work in bringing it to life."

Meanwhile, an ABC insider is confirming several long-rumored midseason scheduling tweaks. Among them:

* Private Practice will move to Thursdays at 10 p.m./ET following Grey's beginning Dec. 11.

* Life on Mars, which just got picked up for four additional episodes (bringing its Season 1 total to 17), will shift to Wednesdays at 10 p.m./ET following Lost beginning Jan. 28.

* Scrubs will join the net's Tuesday lineup on Jan. 6 at 9 p.m./ET.

Happy about Life on Mars and Scrubs. Totally bummed (but not surprised) about everything else.


EW.com

NBC Cancels Lipstick Jungle, Enemy

NBC is pulling the plug on "My Own Worst Enemy" and "Lipstick Jungle," two of its more high-profile young series, according to two network executives who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the decision.

The network will not order new episodes of either series when their current orders — nine in the case of "My Own Worst Enemy" and 13 for "Lipstick Jungle" — run out, the executives said.

"My Own Worst Enemy" was given a big promotional pitch by NBC. The psychological thriller starred Slater as a man who had two separate identities and lives, and was slowly coming to learn about the situation.

But it was just another new series that viewers shrugged their shoulders at in the lackluster new TV season. The series ranked No. 61 in the Nielsen Media Research season standings, averaging just under 5 million viewers each week.

Shields was one of three hard-driving Manhattan career women in "Lipstick Jungle," one of two series that premiered last season with clear bloodlines to HBO's "Sex and the City." It was averaging just 4.2 million viewers for each new episode this season, according to Nielsen.

If it's any consolation to NBC and Shields, "Lipstick Jungle" at least lasted longer than "Cashmere Mafia," the ABC version of the New York career women story.

The executives said it was still not clear whether all the episodes that have been shot for each series will be used.

NBC isn't the only network to say bye bye to some shows. CBS and ABC have cancelled shows after a few airings, The Ex-List and Opportunity Knocks, respectively.

Knight Rider's KITT Gets A Tune UP

KITT is getting a tune-up.

NBC's freshman drama "Knight Rider" is undergoing a major retooling, bringing it closer to the original 1980s series. Among the changes, the options of three regulars on the show -- Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Yancey Arias and Bruce Davison -- were not picked up beyond the initial 13-episode order.

"It's a reboot," "Knight" executive producer/showrunner Gary Scott Thompson said. "We're moving away from the terrorist-of-the-week formula and closer to the original, making it a show about a man and his car going out and helping more regular people, everymen."

Such a change would make "Knight" a better fit into NBC's newly rebranded crime drama Wednesday lineup alongside "Life" and "Law & Order."

The revamped "Knight" will kick off with the two-part Episodes 10-11. NBC is planning a major push, including possibly airing Episode 10 on Sunday after an NFL football game in January, with the conclusion airing the following Wednesday.

Such a move would bring "Knight" back to Sunday night, where the two-hour movie/backdoor pilot drew big ratings in February.

The series it spawned has been struggling in the Wednesday 8 p.m. slot, dropping last week to a season-low 5.1 million viewers and a 1.6 rating/4 share in adults 18-49.

The retooling had been put in motion long before the full-season order for "Knight" three weeks ago. The UMS/Dutch Oven series is now filming Episode 15.

There are no immediate plans to add new regulars to the show, which will focus on the five remaining characters: Mike (Justin Bruening), Sarah (Deanna Russo), Billy (Paul Campbell), Zoe (Smith Cho) and KITT. The producers also are looking to do stunt guest castings.

Thompson, who called Poitier, Arias and Davison "three of the most professional actors I've ever worked with," stressed that the decision to let the cast members go was a difficult one tied to the show's change in direction and had nothing to do with the actors.

Lost Returning To ABC in 2009

Salute to Stargate and Firefly

Stargate SG1 - Stargate Atlantis Convetion
Event Sponsor: Creation Entertainment
Date(s): Nov 21, 2008 through Nov 23, 2008
Event Venue:
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
Area: California (CA) - So., Hollywood

Event Description:

Stargate SG1 - Stargate Atlantis Convetion
Fri., Sat. and Sun. November 21-23, 2008
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
2500 Hollywood Way
BURBANK CA


This is gonna be one wild weekend for fans as we return to the Los Angeles area with a big salute to the amazing Stargate television franchise! The weekend will be filled with celebrities, events, contests, parties, and fellow fans from around the globe. And, the unique best part: we have other cool conventions going on the same time, one for FIREFLY fans. More fun, and attendees at one can get autographs and photo ops at any of the rest, and our Gold Patrons can visit as general admission attendees at any of the other conventions --space permitting--.
Event Title: SALUTE TO FIREFLY and SERENITY
Event Sponsor: Creation Entertainment
Date(s): Nov 22, 2008 through Nov 23, 2008
Event Venue:
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
Area: California (CA) - So., Hollywood

Event Description:

SALUTE TO FIREFLY and SERENITY


A Celebration for Fans
Sat. and Sun. November 22-23, 2008
The Weekend Before Thanksgiving
Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
2500 Hollywood Way
BURBANK CA

http://www.creationent.com/

George Clooney, Eric LaSalle Return To ER

ER alum Noah Wyle tells TV Guide to expect appearances by former castmates before the end of the series. NBC is pulling the plug on incredibly long-lived medical drama ER. The show, once a blockbusting hit, has seen ratings and interest dwindle in recent years, and its currently-airing 15th season will be its last. But a warhorse like ER deserves a hero's farewell, and it looks like it's going to get just that in the form of visits from stars past.

Noah Wyle, who played Dr. John Carter in the show's first through 11th seasons, is returning for a four-episode arc and has confirmed to TV Guide that Eriq La Salle will also return as Dr. Peter Benton. Of even more interest to ER devotees and fans of silver-fox movie stars, Wyle teased the return of George Clooney as the original "McDreamy," Dr. Doug Ross.

"From what I heard, George said, 'absolutely,' schedule permitting," Wyle stated.

Clooney's publicist has refused to comment on Wyle's declarations, but we've become familiar with the true meaning of a publicist's "no comment" and will be looking forward to Clooney's return.

Anthony Edwards, another former ER star, will reprise his role of Dr. Mark Greene in this Thursday's episode.

Source: TV.Com

Moving Back To Melrose Place???

Cast of "Melrose Place", that aired on Fox. Heather Locklear, Rob Etes, Josie Bisset, Kelly Rutherford,Daphne Zuniga, Jack Wagner, and Thomas Calabro.
(Photo)

Having done well with a remake of "Beverly Hills 90210" this season, the CW network is considering a remake of that show's spinoff, "Melrose Place."

The CW and the studio CBS Paramount Network Television are exploring whether to put the remake in development for the 2009-10 TV season, network spokesman Paul Hewitt.

Josh Whelon's Dollhouse Trailer

Here is a preview of the new show set to air on FOX in January.

NBC's Chuck

Chuck, in it's second season, airs Monday nights on NBC...

Best New Shows: The Ex-List

This adorable show on Friday nights on CBS. It follows the slightly neurotic Bella Bloom on a romantic journey to find her one when she learns during a session with a psychic that she will need to get married within a year to her soulmate or she will never get to say I do. The challenge is the lucky future groom is an ex-boyfriend. With that little to go on, she sets out to find the one by reviewing her Ex-List.
To check out more of this series, check out CBS.com:

New Fall Shows: Do Not Disturb on Wednesdays

Jerry O'Connell and Niecy Nash


He thinks he runs the place. She knows better.
DO NOT DISTURB is a workplace comedy set at one of New York City's hottest and hippest hotels: The Inn. Named one of the Big Apple's "10 Best Places to Stay," The Inn is just that – the "in" place to be, with its chic décor, stylish staff and celebrity clientele. Behind the scenes, however, the upstairs/downstairs dynamic tells quite a different story.

The hotel's top-notch reputation and sophisticated look is due in large part to NEAL (Jerry O'Connell) – at least in his opinion. Neal is the egotistical, womanizing general manager who will do whatever it takes to make sure the hotel is considered the best party in town.

RHONDA (Niecy Nash) is the head of Human Resources who also keeps Neal's demands in check. She's brash, fabulous and brutally honest and runs the HR department from her bullpen downstairs with a set of rules that are all her own. Rhonda does her best to keep the back of the house in line and the front of the house out of trouble.

At the front desk handling check-in while wearing 6-inch Manolos is NICOLE (Molly Stanton), an aging model who is svelte, cynical and slightly starving.

The downstairs staff includes MOLLY (Jolene Purdy), a reservations clerk who dreams of pop-singer stardom as much as she craves to be part of the action upstairs; and LARRY (Jesse Tyler Ferguson), the head of housekeeping, who spends more time on the phone cleaning up his messes at home than he does cleaning up after the guests upstairs.

DO NOT DISTURB, a 20th Century Fox Television production in association with Reveille, LLC and Principato-Young Productions, is written by Abraham Higginbotham ("Arrested Development") and executive-produced by Higginbotham, Howard Owens ("30 Days," "Nashville Star"), Carolyn Bernstein, Paul Young ("Reno 911!"), Peter Principato ("Reno 911!") and Brian Dobbins ("Adopted"). Jason Bateman serves as director of the pilot.
Cast of "Do Not Disturb"

DO NOT DISTURB airs Wednesday Nights on FOX.

EMMYS: The Best in TV Isn't Free Cable Dominates The Emmys

(multiple emmy winner, 30 Rock's Tina Fey)
HBO Leads 60th Primetime Emmys
30 Rock, Mad Men Take Top Series
September 21, 2008



A 1960s advertising agency, a fictional sketch-comedy show and the second president of the United States were among the big winners at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Among the twenty-eight awards handed out over the course of the Television Academy’s diamond anniversary event, which was telecast live on ABC, HBO topped the night with 10 winged statuettes. NBC followed with four.

Combined with its awards at last Saturday’s Creative Arts Emmys, HBO led for the year as well, with 26 in all.

Leading the recipients of multiple awards between the two awards ceremonies was HBO’s seven-part historical miniseries John Adams, with 13 Emmys, surpassing a miniseries record set by another HBO production, Angels in America, which won 11 in 2004, and ABC’s Eleanor and Franklin, which won 11 in 1976.

It was an evening of milestones and memories. Among the September 21 ceremony’s firsts: the Primetime Emmys’ debut in their new venue, NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, in downtown Los Angeles.

(Probst, Klum, Seacrest, Bergeron, Mandel, emmy hosts)
In another landmark, 2008 was the first time an Emmy was awarded for outstanding host for a reality or reality-competition program. The five nominees, Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Howie Mandel (Deal or No Deal), Jeff Probst (Survivor) and Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) — commemorated the new category by hosting the festivities.

In addition, a new record was set for consecutive wins in a single category when Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart prevailed as outstanding variety, music or comedy series and CBS’s The Amazing Race was named outstanding reality-competition program. Their victories marked six straight for both shows, breaking the mark of five in a row held by NBC’s Frasier in the outstanding comedy series category and CBS’s The Late Show With David Letterman in the outstanding variety, music or comedy series category.

Yet another breakthrough: in an unprecedented achievement, a basic cable production was named one of the year’s top series when Mad Men, the moody AMC network ensemble set in an early-1960s New York City advertising agency, took the award for outstanding drama series. Heretofore, only the only cable series to win this award was The Sopranos, which aired on the pay service HBO.

For the second consecutive year, outstanding comedy series went to NBC’s 30 Rock, set amid the farcical backstage antics of a network sketch-comedy show.

30 Rock’s other awards for comedy series included outstanding lead actor, which went to Alec Baldwin for his performance as officious network executive Jack Donaghy, and outstanding lead actress, which was awarded to Tina Fey for the role of harried writer-producer Liz Lemon. Fey also scored outstanding writing for a comedy series, for the episode titled “Cooter.”

In addition to Fey, others prevailing in the writing categories included Matthew Weiner, who took the award for outstanding writing for a drama series for “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” his pilot script for AMC’s Mad Men. Outstanding writing for a miniseries, movie or dramatic special went to Kirk Ellis for John Adams.

After three previous supporting actor nominations for his comedic work on the Fox comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Bryan Cranston took home the statuette for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his performance in AMC’s Breaking Bad.

In a departure from Cranston’s best known work, his character, Walter White, is a high school chemistry teacher who, when he is diagnosed with cancer, begins manufacturing methamphetamine in an effort to earn money to leave to his family upon his death.

Marking her second career Emmy among 11 nominations, Glenn Close was named outstanding lead actress in a drama series for the role of brilliant but devious attorney Patricia Hewes in FX’s acclaimed legal thriller Damages.

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series — the second Emmy of a distinguished career that also includes two Oscars — went to Dianne Wiest for her performance as psychotherapist Gina Toll on HBO’s In Treatment. Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series went to Zeljko Ivanek, of FX’s Damages, for his performance as Ray Fiske, a troubled attorney representing a volatile billionaire, played by Ted Danson, in a major lawsuit.

On the comedy side, outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series went to Jean Smart, as Christina Applegate’s mother on ABC’s Samantha Who? It was the third Emmy of Smart’s career.

Also winning his third Emmy — for the third consecutive year — was Jeremy Piven, who was named outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his performance as frenetic, foul-mouthed talent agent Ari Gold on HBO’s Entourage.

Outstanding miniseries was given to John Adams, based on David McCullough’s biography, and outstanding made-for-television movie went to yet another HBO production, Recount, about the events surrounding the disputed results of the 2000 U.S. presidential election.

Paul Giamatti was named outstanding lead actor in a miniseries or movie for the title role of John Adams, and in the same production, Laura Linney captured the award for outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie for her performance as Adams’s wife, Abigail.

John Adams also took outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie, which was given to Tom Wilkinson, who played Benjamin Franklin. Outstanding supporting actress in a miniseries or movie was won by Dame Eileen Atkins in Cranford, a production of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre.

The ultimate winner among the reality competition program hosts was Survivor’s Jeff Probst, making him, fittingly, the sole survivor of the five nominees.

Crowd favorite Don Rickles was honored for outstanding individual performance in a variety or music program for HBO’s Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project.

Greg Yaitanes took outstanding directing for a drama series for the “House’s Head” episode of Fox’s House. Outstanding directing for a comedy series went to Barry Sonnenfeld for “Pie-Lette,” the pilot episode of ABC’s Pushing Daisies. Outstanding directing for a miniseries, movie or dramatic special was taken by Recount’s Jay Roach.

Outstanding directing for a variety, music or comedy program went to Louis J. Horvitz, who accepted the award, which was given for his work on ABC’s 80th Annual Academy Awards, from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE production truck, where he was directing the very show that had just honored him with an Emmy.

Also among variety, music or comedy programming, Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report won its first Emmy when it was singled out for outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy program.

Other highlights of the 60th Primetime Emmys telecast included onstage replicas of sets from such classic series as Seinfeld, The West Wing, M*A*S*H and The Mary Tyler Moore Show; a video montage of memorable acceptance speeches; the bestowal of a commemorative Emmy to writer-comedian Tommy Smothers, presented by Steve Martin; and a reunion of five stars from the groundbreaking comedy series Laugh-In — Ruth Buzzi, Gary Owens, Alan Sues, Lily Tomlin and Gary Owens — to present the award for outstanding variety, music or comedy series.

(cast of "Laugh In" performing at the emmy telecast)Rounding out this year’s winners between the 60th Primetime Emmys show and the Creative Arts Emmys, after HBO’s 26 Emmys and ABC’s 12, were CBS, NBC and PBS with 10 each; AMC with eight; Showtime with five; Fox with four; Comedy Central and FX Networks with three; Bravo, Cartoon Network and Sci Fi Channel with two; and The CW, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, National Geographic Channel, nbc.com, Nickelodeon, SciFiChannel.com, TBS, The History Channel/VOD and TNT with one each.

Among recipients of multiple awards this Primetime Emmys season, following John Adams’ 13 wins, was 30 Rock, which took seven overall. Mad Men won six, and Damages, Pushing Daisies, Recount, CBS’s 50th Annual Grammy Awards and PBS’s The War captured three each. Breaking Bad, Cranford, In Treatment and Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project all won two, as did ABC’s 80th Annual Academy Awards, PBS’s American Masters, HBO’s Autism: The Musical, Sci Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live and Showtime’s This American Life.

A complete list of winners is available at http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2008pte/60thpte_nomswin.php

(source: abc.com)

Tina Fey Rocks Saturday Night Live as Palin

Tina Fey killed as Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Alaska Govenor Sarah Palin on the premiere of Saturday Night Live. Watch the hilarious clip of her and Amy Poehler as Hillary Rodman-Clinton as they open the shows season debut:



The show, hosted by 8 time Olympic Gold Medal Winner Michael Phelps with musical guest Little Wayne, as a whole gets mixed reviews. Better luck next week, huh? Better yet, maybe Tina Fey can come back as head writer and featured performer on the show.

'Total Request Live' ending in November

"Total Request Live" will soon shut down after 10 years on the air.The music video show will conclude in a two-hour special on a Saturday afternoon in November, Dave Sirulnick, executive producer of "TRL," said Monday. He stressed that the show wasn't ending for good, but felt now was the right time to give it a break after an unprecedented run on the cable music channel."We want to close this era of `TRL' in a big celebratory way, and 10 is a great number," Sirulnick said. "And 10 is the number that `TRL' counted down every single day for 10 years, and we hit this 10th (anniversary) and we thought, `You know what? This feels like the right time and let's celebrate it and let's reward it. And let's let it have a little bit of a rest for a minute.' Let it catch its breath! Been working hard — for 10 years!""TRL" debuted in September 1998 and became the splashy center of the teen pop music scene with Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync and other acts. From its heydey until 2008, it's been a destination for musicians, movie stars and celebrities promoting their new music, movies and other projects.Sirulnick said "TRL" — which airs weekday afternoons from MTV's Times Square studio — lost some luster as it aged. It peaked in 1999 with 757,000 viewers tuning in daily, according to Nielsen Media Research."It becomes more of a mainstay and more of an institution than — pardon the pun — the new kid on the block," Sirulnick said.For the finale, Sirulnick said he hopes to celebrate with many of the "folks who helped make `TRL' what it is — whether that's Justin (Timberlake) and his guys in N'Sync, the Backstreet Boys, Britney, Eminem — I think we would love to see all of them here." That includes former host Carson Daly.In a statement, Eminem said: "I'm going to miss `TRL.' ... Where else will I be able to start feuds, defend my honor vigorously and act like an angry teenager on national TV? Oh wait ... The VMAs!"MTV found a replacement of sorts with "FNMTV." The show debuted over the summer in a 15-episode run hosted by Pete Wentz, bassist for rock band Fall Out Boy. Taped in Los Angeles, it aired Friday nights and televised exclusive music videos and performances by such diverse acts as Slipknot and the Jonas Brothers.MTV said it was bringing "FNMTV" back for another run in mid-November. Like last time, there will be no video countdown with the 10 viewer favorites.

(pictured: TRL Hosts: Damien Fahey, Lyndsay Rodgriues) source:ap; yahoo news

Steven Bocho is Back with RAISING THE BAR

STEVEN BOCHO, CREATOR OF LA LAW, HILL STREET BLUES, AND NYPD BLUE is back on TV with a new legal drama, Raising The Bar

With a balanced scale in her hand and a cloth covering her eyes, Lady Justice represents the principles of fairness and blind objectivity. Nowhere is this symbol more relevant – and more challenged – than in the courtroom battle between district attorney and public defender.
This is the compelling foundation of TNT’s RAISING THE BAR, a powerful new legal drama from Emmy® winning producer Steven Bochco. The gripping series stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (NYPD Blue), Gloria Reuben (ER) and Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle) and follows the lives of young lawyers who work on opposite sides – the public defender’s office and the district attorney’s office – as well as those who sit in judgment on their cases. The series, which was created by Bochco and lawyer/writer David Feige (author of Indefensible), is set to premiere Monday, Sept. 1, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).
RAISING THE BAR not only looks at courtroom battles but also the relationships among people on different sides. “The primary characters are a group of young public defenders and prosecutors who go up against each other during the day, but they’re friends and hang out with each other at night,” Bochco says. “They argue and negotiate with each other. They are dedicated players within what we feel is a broken criminal justice system.”
Bochco points out that the series strives to provide a balanced view of the system and those who work within it. “RAISING THE BAR is not geared specifically toward the public defenders or the prosecutors,” he says. “We try to give equal time to both points of view, with an eye toward revealing the extent to which the system doesn’t work very well. It certainly doesn’t have all that much to do with justice. It has more to do with keeping the conveyor belt turning, the idea that if every case in the system goes to trial, the system grinds to a halt.”
In RAISING THE BAR, Gosselaar plays Jerry Kellerman, an idealistic public defender who will stop at nothing to help those who cannot help themselves. Reuben plays Rosalind Whitman, Jerry’s passionate and protective boss. Teddy Sears (Ugly Betty) is Richard Patrick Woolsley, who foregoes a cushy job in his father’s firm to work for the public defender’s office. [b]Natalia Cigliuti (All My Children) is Roberta “Bobbi” Gilardi, a new member of the team who quickly proves she can hold her own against even the toughest courtroom opponent.[/b]
On the opposite side, Melissa Sagemiller (Sleeper Cell) plays Michelle Ernhardt, an attorney in the DA’s office who struggles with balancing the need to win cases with the desire to see justice done. She works for assistant DA Nick Balco, played by Currie Graham (Boston Legal), whose razor-sharp knowledge of the law is countered by his easy manipulation of it. They are joined by J. August Richards (Conviction) as Marcus McGrath, who is relentless in putting criminals behind bars.
The courtroom arena where they face off belongs to Judge Trudy Kessler, played by Kaczmarek. She is imperious, treating the courtroom as her own private fiefdom as she prepares to make a political run to become the next district attorney. Working for her is law clerk Charlie Sagansky, played by Jonathan Scarfe (Into the West), a man with a wealth of secrets.

(source: TNT.tv)

J.J. ABRAMS TALKS ABOUT FRINGE

(Pictured:J.J. Abrams, creator of Fringe)

Lost's J.J. Abrams is returning to TV with the fall's most-buzzed about new show, FRINGE (premieres Tuesday, Sep. 9 at 9 pm/ET, Fox).

Coming off successful shows as Felicity, Alias and Lost, Abrams is understandably nervous.

As Abrams said in an interview with TV Guide: "I feel the pressure every time. I felt it on Felicity, on Alias, on Lost, and I feel it on Fringe. It goes with the territory. But I'm far more excited about people seeing it than I am nervous that they may not like it."

The show revolves around a female FBI agent who investigates bizarre cases with the help of a formerly institutionalized scientist and his equally brilliant but estranged son.

When assked if the FRINGE will have an ongoing story line be ongoing, like Lost's?

Abrams says, "For the most part, you'll be able to tune in whenever you want and get it. You'll have a beginning, middle and an end. But if you want to track the big bad guy and the big overarching story, you can do that, too."

Abrams shows have featured some strong female characters, most noteably Alias' Sydney Bristow, and now FRINGE'S Olivia. "It's funny because I don't consciously write strong women. I just hopefully write strong characters who may happen to be women. If Olivia were a guy, I don't know that you'd be saying, 'Oh, it's a strong male.' But what I love about Olivia is she's got a lot going on that's just barely alluded to in the pilot. And Anna [Torv] is so good because she's clearly the prettiest person in the room, but she's not inaccessible. She's not phony pretty. When I saw her audition, I had the same undeniable feeling I had when I saw Jennifer Garner or Evangeline Lilly", says Abrams.

Though Abrams' last few years have been focused on film having directed Mission Impossible and the upcoming Star Trek movie, he says that whenever he gets to do telievision, he feels like "the luckiest person in the world."

Source: TV Guide: To watch clips of Fringe: Online Video Guide.

Susan Lucci, Lance Bass, Kim Kardashian on New Season Of Dancing With The Stars

The Cast of seventh season on Dancing With The Stars were announced on Good Morning America this morning. Dancing this season are:

• Susan Lucci, Emmy-award winning soap opera actress, 61, and Tony Dovolani

• Toni Braxton, singer, 40, and season one DWTS champ Alec Mazo

• Lance Bass, singer, 29, and Lacey Schwimmer

• Ted McGinley, actor, 50, and Inna Brayer

• Cloris Leachman, actress, 82, and Corky Ballas

• Warren Sapp, former NFL star, 35, and Kym Johnson

• Rocco DiSpirito, chef, 31, and Karina Smirnoff

• Kim Kardashian, TV personality, 27, and reigning DWTS champ Mark Ballas

• Maurice Green, Olympic gold medalist track and field star, 34, and two-time DWTS champ Cheryl Burke

• Misty May-Treanor, Olympic gold medalist beach volleyball player, 31, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy

• Jeffrey Ross, 42, comedian, and Edyta Sliwinska• Cody Linley, 18, actor, and two-time DWTS champ Julianne Hough

• Brooke Burke, 36, TV personality, and Derek Hough

Kardashian, best known for starring in her family's reality show, "Keeping Up With The Kardashian's had a minor injury when she cut her foot in her hotel room on the eve of the announcement. "I'll definately be able to dance", when show host Tom Bergeron asked her about her injury.

Daytime Diva, Susan Lucci said the although she had been asked to compete on the show in prior season but made the decision after talking to All My Children co-star Cameron Mathison who competed for the know famous Mirror Ball Trophy last season.

Dancing The Stars seventh season begins on Monday September 22 on ABC.

American Idol Adds Fourth Judge..

Move over Paula. There's another guest at the table for Fox's American Idol.
Fox announced this morning that the show's eighth season will feature a fourth judge. It's Kara DioGuardi, a songwriter/producer who's worked with past Idol champs Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Taylor Hicks (as well as working with Davids Cook and Archuleta, Clay Aiken, Bo Bice, and Katharine McPhee), not to mention Avril Lavigne, Pink, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Natasha Bedingfield, Jewel, Marc Anthony, and a host of others. Plus, she has some contest-judging experience, from MTV's short-lived Idol-esque show The One. Her own attempt at singing stardom, in the duo Platinum Weird with Eurythmic Dave Stewart, didn't really take off, but her credentials as a hitmaker for others are solid, at least.
(photo: Getty Images)