ABC and NBC have both recently picked up pilots, including one from ABC executive producer Shonda Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice).  Rhimes’ new show is Off The Map, about three doctors who leave their cushy jobs in the United States for an
isolated tropical clinic. There they face exotic and unusual medical
challenges — as well as personal ones. 
ABC also picked up Body of Evidence, a former neurosurgeon-turned-medical examiner who solves crimes and tends to clash with her superiors. Executive producer Matt Gross describes the serious as “a female postmortem House.”  Finally, NBC has scooped up the comedy, The Strip, from Reno911!’s Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, which centers on a former child-star (Lennon) who owns a Hooters-esque restaurant in a strip mall on the outskirts of Las Vegas.

via TVGuide.com

Survivor Palau’s castaway Jennifer Lyon recently succumbed to her fight against cancer, passing away Tuesday at the age of 37.  Lyon, who finished in fourth place during the tenth season of the CBS
reality show in 2005, was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer two
months after the show wrapped.  “In the summer of 2004, I felt something in my right breast that didn’t feel normal,” Lyon told
People in Oct. 2005. “I thought it was probably scar tissue related to my breast implants. So I let it go—for a long time.”  Survivor: Vanuatu’s Eliza Orlins added, “The whole time she maintained a positive attitude. She was truly an
amazing girl and I was lucky to know her.  Even just last
week when I saw her at the 10-year reunion, we were all laughing and
she had her same glowing smile on her face.”


Lost baddie Michael Emerson (aka Benjamin Linus) recently did an interview with TV Guide about the upcoming final season.  Among the topics discussed were whether there could be redemption for Ben, if he would have turned out the way he did had he not been shot by Sayid (Naveen Andrews) when he was 12, and whether or not fans will be satisfied with the last season of the show: “Some will, some won’t, I’m sure. That was bound to be,
no matter what the ending is. There will be argument about it … I
have high hopes for it being one of those things where you go, “Oh my
God, yeah!” or “Oh, it’s been that all along. I never knew what I was
looking at until now.” I hope it’s a thing that sends us back to Season
1 and makes us start looking at it all over again with new eyes.

via TVGuide.com

Fox is said to be developing and American version of the U.K. series, Torchwood.  Original series creator Russell Davies is writing the script and the original series production team is on board to shepherd this version through the American process.  Torchwood is about
a covert group that investigates and fights alien activity. 
Some of the stars, including John Barrowman (Capt. Jack Harkness) may transition over should Fox pick up the pilot.  This version of Torchwood is said to possibly involve a more global storyline compared to the localized plots of the first couple of seasons of the U.K. version.  The article also mentions that BBC honcho and show producer Jane Tranter might also try to reboot Doctor Who for the American audience as well.

via THR.com

Finally, in the ongoing Conan/Leno/NBC debacle playing out before us, Conan O’Brien is set to have his first guests on The Tonight Show, Will Ferrell and Tom Hanks, back for his final episode, which is reported to be this Friday.  Ferrell was Conan’s first guest on the inaugural show, while Hanks appeared the following night.  Adam Sandler, Joel McHale and musical guest Joss Stone will be on Wednesday night’s show,followed by Robin Williams and musical guest Barry Manilow on Thursday night.  In related news, Jay Leno says that neither Conan nor he should be blamed for the events that have transpired.  Rather, that he had asked twice to be let out of his contract, but that NBC didn’t want to let him go.

via TVGuide.com

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