NBC ordered full-season pick-ups last week
for the 2007-2008 season last week for four of its hit shows—The Office, My Name is Earl, Heroes, and Law & Order: Special Victims
Unit. Sorry, those of you waiting for Jim and Pam to get together, Earl to
finish crossing things off his list, and Stabler to shoot up a NAMBALA meeting
with an M-16—you’ll have to wait one more year. NBC also announced that the
game show Identity—for viewers that thought the guessing game Deal or
No Deal was too smart—would return in March. Whether host Penn Jillette
will include an Aristocrats performer or Joe Franklin on the panel remains to
be seen.
Rob Thomas revealed in an interview with
internet masters of snark Television Without Pity that Paul Rudd of Anchorman,
The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Overnight Delivery, will appear in
episode 17 of Thomas’s CW drama Veronica Mars. Rudd will play a
washed-up, brooding British rock star that thinks star Kristin Bell smells like
a burger. (My only other Rudd joke is that someone will ask someone else how
they know they’re gay, but I already used that one today.) Veronica Mars
returns to the CW on Tuesday, January 23rd.
Chokegate II: Just When You Thought It Was
Safe To Enjoy Your Crappy Yet Still Compelling Medical Drama—Washington denied
it. Knight confirmed it. ABC distanced itself from it. Heigl stormed out at the
Golden Globes over it. Preston Burke may once again be leaving Seattle Grace because
of it. Now you know about it. Let’s get over it.
Reuters and TV.com reports that Guy Richie,
better known at this point for being married to Madonna, will executive produce
and direct Suspects, a pilot for ABC. The crime drama (gee, what a
shock) follows each suspect in a case until one of them reveals the truth. No
word on whether those crimes will include directing Swept Away. (Too
easy? Too easy.) I’m anticipating the fanboy drool over a potential Jason
Statham cameo far more than the pilot itself.
HBO is attempting to fill the upcoming gaps
in its schedule once The Wire, The Sopranos, and Rome (among
others) leave the air for good by picking up two new shows, Treatment
and 12 Miles
of Bad Road.Treatment stars
Gabriel “Madigan Men” Byrne as a gifted therapist who turns into a monster once
he’s seeing his own shrink. (Not a literal monster, that was End of Days.)
It’s based on the popular Israeli series, and HBO’s ordered 45 episodes of the
half-hour show, which means it must be good, or HBO must really be kicking
themselves for canning Deadwood.
HBO’s other new pick-up, 12 Miles of Bad
Road is the story of a wealthy family who lost everything and the one son
who had no choice but to keep them all together…except with Lilly Tomlin. If
you think I’m kidding, check out the summary from Reuters: “[The show] stars Tomlin as the matriarch of a wealthy Texas family whose
real estate business and absurd wealth complicate the simplest family matters.”
And I thought Grey’s Anatomy was the only one ripping off great shows
left, right, and center.
Even when you’re dead, Jeff
Goldblum is still watching you poop. Or he will be, anyway, when his show Raines
premieres Thursday, March 15th in ER’s 10 PM slot for two
weeks before moving to Fridays at 9. Raines, created by Boomtown
impresario (there’s another show I need to watch) Graham “Hey, Dude” Yost,
features Goldblum as an LAPD detective (named, you guessed it, Michael Raines)
who uses his imagination to talk to murder victims. The series also stars Luis
Guzman, who is almost guaranteed to be the best part of the show. (Unless, of
course, Goldblum actually shows us what it would be like to have him watch
somebody poop.)
NBC ordered full-season pick-ups last week