TV Tidbits 68 - Medium, Chuck

Good news! CBS has confirmed that it's picking up Medium next season!!! TVGuide.com reports:

CBS announced eight brand-new series for the 2009-10 TV season, including ones starring Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J, Julianna Margulies and Alex O'Loughlin, and swooped in and picked up NBC's castoff Medium.

The Eye ordered a full 22-episode season of Medium, slotting it after Ghost Whisperer on Fridays. As CBS entertainment boss Nina Tassler says, "If Ghost Whisperer and Numbers had an offspring, Medium would be it."

CBS also has tinkered with its Monday lineup in unexpected ways. How I Met Your Mother will now lead off the night, leading into the new Jenna Elfman comedy Accidentally on Purpose. The Big Bang Theory boys will now geek out at 9:30, following Two and a Half Men.

Asked about the Big move, Tassler told TVGuide.com that it's a bid to further bolster the surging sitcom, and offer Men a solid lead-out.

NCIS: Los Angeles, starring O'Donnell and Cool J, will air after NCIS on Tuesdays. That means The Mentalist will now see Thursdays-at-10 as its new home.

The Good Wife, starring ER alum Margulies as a woman who returns to work as a lawyer when her hubby is incarcerated, will air Tuesdays at 10. (Without a Trace is canceled).

CBS' Wednesday roster remains unchanged: Old Christine, Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds and CSI: NY. Thursday kicks off with Survivor: Samoa, followed by (of course) CSI and The Mentalist.

On Sunday, The Amazing Race will lead into Three Rivers, a medical/organ transplantation drama starring Moonlight's O'Loughlin. With The Unit canceled, Cold Case gets moved to the 10 o'clock slot.

Slated for midseason are Rules of Engagement, Miami Trauma, The Bridge, and a pair of new reality series.

The dumbest thing about the new schedule is putting NCIS 2.0 (which I guess is now officially known as the much cooler NCIS: Los Angeles) on right after NCIS (NCIS: D.C.?). CSI:New York doesn't air directly after CSI:Miami and that doesn't air right after CSI! So why not leave The Mentalist - you know, the #1 rated new series from the past season, in its own slot (where it's clearly done quite well) and put NCIS: Caca on in Without A Trace's old slot? Give our brains an NCIS rest, eh?! Sheesh! But no one asked me (the nerve!) so the schedule remains as is. Whatevs.At least Joe Dubois lives on. And that makes me happy.

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Ausiello has a Q&A with Chuck executive producer Josh Schwartz on the 3rd season:

I don't know about you, but NBC's official renewal of Chuck has been the highlight of upfront week for me. (ABC's cancellation of According to Jim finishes a very close second.) But it's time to bring the victory celebrations to a close and get down to business -- the business of asking questions. Will a tighter budget lead to a less awesome (and populated) show? Does the massive Subway deal mean an end to Sarah's yogurt shop? Will the midseason launch kill the show's momentum? Will Chuck and Sarah start dating for real? Will exec producer Josh Schwartz answer all of these and then some in the following exclusive Q&A? I can tackle that last one: Yes!

NBC said the show's budget will remain unchanged from last season. I'm hearing different. What's the deal?
JOSH SCHWARTZ: I can tell you that [Warner Bros.] asked us to make budget cuts to meet a decrease in the NBC license fee. That's how it was presented to me. That's as far as I know. My job is to then be able to produce the show at the number the studio is able to deficit it for.

How will the cuts affect what we see?
SCHWARTZ: Hopefully, you won't be able to tell. I don't think the look of the show is going to change. We might have certain episodes where Chuck's mission is such that we don't get the opportunity to go to the Buy More [as much]. We love our cast and, obviously, we want to use them as much as possible in as many episodes as possible.

I heard Julia Ling [Anna] might not return. True?
SCHWARTZ: No. We have plans for Anna to return.

Has she been taken off contract?
SCHWARTZ: We actually haven't finalized all of our actor deals yet. It's all being sorted out. But, like I said, we're going to do whatever we can to try to keep the ensemble together.

Will the show's central trio be in every episodes?
SCHWARTZ: Yes. Chuck, Sarah, and Casey are in all episodes.

Will Sarah be working at a Subway next season?
SCHWARTZ: [Laughs] You know, I don't know the full details of the Subway integration yet. I know it will be significant. Chuck is a show that happens to be well positioned for effortless product integration, especially because Chuck works at an electronics shop in a strip mall. If Sarah or someone worked at a Subway it would hopefully be no more intrusive or unrealistic than Liz Lemon working at NBC.

Are you concerned at all about the show being off the air for 10 months?
SCHWARTZ: It was really a tough choice that the network faced: Put us on Friday or [hold us until] midseason. I really believe Chuck is the little show that could. Our fans are clearly passionate, clearly loyal, and hopefully all we'll do is get them more and more [excited] for our return. And we'll come up with fun ways of stoking the fans throughout the fall. We also have something very, very fun planned for Comic-Con this year.

How about a season 3 spoiler in honor of the show's renewal?
SCHWARTZ: The biggest thing, obviously, will be dealing with the ramifications of how we ended the season. What does it mean for Chuck [and] how will it manifest itself? And I think for anyone who is concerned that he's no longer going to be the Everyman, or an accidental hero, fear not.

Will Chuck and Sarah start the season off as a full-fledged couple?
SCHWARTZ: I don't want to give anything away, but obviously, Chuck having the Intersect in his head will severely complicate their ability to be a couple. Oh, here's something: Look for a potential new love interest on the show.

Really? For who?
Someone who could triangulate between a couple of characters.

Male or female?
SCHWARTZ: Gosh, isn't it more fun to tease?

I guess.
SCHWARTZ: Teasing is what you're good at.

TV Tidbits 63 - Chuck & Medium

First thing this morning, this is what I found on TVGuide.com re: Chuck and Medium's chances of renewal (given that today is the day of NBC's schedule unveiling):

Chuck fans hoping to have their anxiety about a Season 3 pick-up put to rest come Monday might want to brace themselves for a bit more waiting.

Though NBC is expected to discuss its fall season plans at a Monday "infront" presentation, there is talk that the final word on Chuck, among a few other series, could be delayed.

Series lead Zachary Levi told E! Online at a Friday event, "I just got an email from [Chuck executive producer] Josh Schwartz, and he said stay positive, [but] we're not going to find out on Monday. It could be another week or two."

Flying in the face of what Schwartz told Levi, Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood blog — albeit without a lick of elaboration — claims that NBC is set to renew Chuck, Medium and Law & Order on Monday.

Any hold-up in unveiling a full fall slate this week is partly due to a glut of pilots that NBC brass are still wading through. The days-long screening process was halted on Thursday, when NBC programming executive Nora O'Brien suddenly died of a brain aneurysm while visiting the set of prospective series Parenthood.

In an interview with TVGuide.com last week, Schwartz predicted a tough decision ahead for NBC, which he said "has always really loved [Chuck]." Addressing the ongoing fan campaign to save the action-comedy, he said, "It's not lost on [NBC], the fan reaction, the critical support, and this grassroots movement that's taken hold. All of that is very significant in indicating momentum for the show, growth for the show, and a really loyal and fervent fan base for the show."

The aforementioned Parenthood, based on the 1989 film, is one of many pilots being eyed by NBC. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the one with the best buzz thus far is Community, starring Chevy Chase, while David E. Kelley's Legally Mad and Dick Wolf's Lost & Found look like good bets.

The future looks bright for Allison DuBois.

On the eve of its Monday "infront" presentation of 2009-10 TV season plans, NBC renewed Medium for a sixth season, says the Hollywood Reporter. An NBC rep has no comment on the report.

The new season of Medium is expected to fall in the 13 to 18 episode range, as NBC (like its peers) struggles to cut down costs while cementing its fall schedule.

However - in the amount of time it took me to copy-and-paste those quotes, TVGuide.com updated their site with this:

NBC has revealed "Part 1" of its plan for the 2009-10 TV season, and it includes a second season of Parks and Recreation, a half-dozen installments of Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday, and four new dramas.

In addition to renewing Parks and Rec, NBC also officially picked up Heroes for a fourth (albeit likely shortened) season. Previously announced returns include The Office, 30 Rock, Law & Order: SVU, Friday Night Lights, The Biggest Loser and Celebrity Apprentice.

Conspicuously missing from NBC's press release is Medium, despite one trade mag's weekend report that it would be back for a fifth season. NBC sources tell TVGuide.com that in fact a decision on Medium has not yet been finalized, but that the network may announce additional pickups on May 19.

New drama series en route to the Peacock's schedule are as follows:

• Parenthood, based on the 1989 film comedy and starring Peter Krause, Maura Tierney, Dax Shepard, Erika Christensen and Craig T. Nelson (as the family patriarch).

• Trauma, from Friday Night Lights producer Peter Berg and revolving around first responder paramedics. The cast includes Derek Luke, Anastasia Griffith (Damages) and Jamey Sheridan (Law & Order: CI).

• Mercy, a medical drama told through the eyes of three nurses (played by Michelle Trachtenberg, Jamie Lee Kirchner and Taylor Schilling). The cast also include James Tupper, Diego Klattenhoff (Supernatural) and Guillermo Diaz (Weeds).

• Day One, an "event series" slated to air after the 2010 Winter Olympics wrap, and concerning life on earth in the wake of a global catastrophe. The cast includes Adam Campbell, Carly Pope (Popular) and Catherine Dent (The Shield).

On the comedy front, here is the new fare you can expect:

• Community, set at a community college and starring Chevy Chase and Joel McHale (The Soup).

• 100 Questions, starring Sophie Winkleman (Peep Show) as an unlucky-in-love woman who joins an online dating site.

New reality programming earning a slot on NBC's schedule include Jerry Seinfeld's The Marriage Ref, Breakthrough with Tony Robbins, and Who Do You Think You Are?, in which celebs climb their ancestral trees.

NBC's complete 2009-10 schedule will be announced on May 19.

So there you go. That gave me absolutely no clarification whatsoever on any of the shows I actually watch.

TV Tidbits 46 - The Office, Medium, NCIS

Not a ton of scoopage this week, but a little.

Question: Where are you hiding your Office scoop, and can we have some?
Ausiello: In my office, of course, and yes, also of course. We caught up with occasional Office director Ken Kwapis at Monday's premiere of She's Just Not That Into You and he told us that he helmed "a two-part special episode that will air this Thursday and next Thursday the 12th, titled 'Lecture Circuit.' And come April," he added, "I will be directing the 100th episode of the series." In that case, maybe he could tell us a little bit about what happens in it? "A lot of romantic foibles including with Jim and Pam," he said. "But in the next few episodes, everybody will have an emotional pratfall. I have not seen a script for the 100th yet, but I am sure they will outdo themselves.”

Question: The Office seems like the equivalent of Fort Knox these days. Are there any JAM spoilers?
Ausiello: Sorta. Although Jenna Fischer swears (up and down) that she doesn't know for sure if Jim and Pam will tie the knot in the season finale, she concedes, "We have 11 more episodes to shoot before the end of the season, so it is very possible." That said, she hopes they don't marry this season. "I hope it's next season," she confirms, because "I would like to see them address this engagement more. I feel like it happened so quickly at the end of a random episode, and then we don't talk about it that much. I don't want it to become another Pam/Roy scenario, where she is engaged for seven years. We need to make some forward motion." Besides, she concludes, "I think she and Jim really are soul mates and meant to be together."

Question: What can you tell me about Jim and Pam's wedding?
Ausiello: For real? Nothing. So far as anyone knows -- or is saying -- it hasn't yet been conceived. For unreal, however, I can give you this: Jenna Fischer, like any TV bride-to-be, has a few ideas about what should go down. "I really want Jim and Pam to get married at Schrute farms," she says. "And I also want there to be something about the wedding that you don't see on camera. Maybe you just hear it, or there is a photo at the end, or someone recounts it. But I want Jim and Pam to have a private moment at some point. Because they are a part of the documentary all the time, I think it would be nice for them to have some little thing that is just theirs. That would make all the romantics in our fan base happy.”

Question: I'll take one large Medium scoop to go, please.
Ausiello: The show will air a special two-hour episode in May that tackles an issue I know a little something about: crazed stalkers. "Allison's public now, and along with that comes certain complications," explains executive producer Glen Gordon Caron. "And one of them is that there is a gentleman [played by Underworld's Tony Curran] who authentically believes that her very existence runs contrary to the will of God. He threatens to kill her, so she starts to require police protection. The episode takes some very interesting turns."

And, a random little ending blurb on NCIS: In an upcoming episode, McGee goes on an eBay tear when he tries to replace a coworker's prized possession that he destroyed.

TV Tidbits 45 - Reaper, Medium

I know, it's not Wednesday but I came across a few blurbs on TVGuide.com and figured it wouldn't hurt to pass'em along.

1. A cute Q&A with Medium's Jake Weber and Patricia Arquette:

Medium returned for its fifth season [last night] with an appropriately ghostly murder mystery featuring guest star Max Casella (The Sopranos) as a mysterious suitor who goes to great lengths for true love. Future episodes will mark a shift in how Allison "sees" things (look for a True Blood star to cameo), as the line between the corporeal and ethereal worlds is blurred. On the homefront, Joe's got a sweet new job, Ariel's teen years are ready to rear their ugly head and Bridgette is drawing naked pictures in art class. TVGuide.com listened in as Arquette and her TV hubby bickered like a real married couple, along the way teaching us the difference between a psychic and a medium, how they keep the show — and their TV marriage — fresh, and who their dream cast would include.

TVGuide.com: There are a lot of psychics —real and fake — on TV these days. What's the difference between a psychic and a medium?
Patricia Arquette: I think they're the same thing actually. But, you know, for some reason Allison DuBois, the real Allison, didn't like the word psychic; it conjured for her images of people who were taking advantage of people and some kind of hippy thing. And she wasn't like that, like crystals and incense.

TVGuide.com: Going into your fifth season, how do you keep the show fresh?
Arquette: I've taken to pinching and hitting Jake. That helps me. Like, I stomp on his toes right before we roll or pinch him hard or something like that; that helps.
Jake Weber: Yeah, it's just like going home now. It's been five years and I think that Patricia and I see more of each other than we do our own families. I think one of the advantages of doing a show for as long as we have and working with the same people as long as we have is you just don't get nervous anymore. It's all sort of relaxed and you just want to have a good time at work.
Arquette: You have a lot of directors who come and go, but because you're consistently working with each other and the crew, you have a very safe place to go, "Did that suck? What do you think? Do you think I got there? Should we go again?"
Weber: You've never asked me that.
Arquette: I have too.
Weber: Never in five years.
Arquette: Because you're not reading my mind. [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Things in the DuBois household seem to be getting back to normal with both parents back to work. How long do you think that's going to last?
Weber: I don't know. It was so dark for a couple of years, which I kind of love, but I think it's good to give them a little bit of relief. They're still in the same spot that the country is in, but they have a light at the end of the tunnel. It's nice to give them a little bit of happiness.
Arquette: The sad reality is that crime is good business during times like these.

TVGuide.com: What makes Joe and Allison's marriage work?
Weber: I think they make each other laugh; they tease each other. I think that they fight hard but they make up very easily. I think there's an unspoken quality that all relationships: goodwill. A lot of times the actions that people take in a relationship indicate to you the lack of goodwill one partner has toward the other: "Hey, could you take out the trash?" "Sure."

TVGuide.com: At the SAG Awards, Meryl Streep spoke pretty forcefully about how many great roles there were for women this year. Within the context of your sister Rosanna's 2002 documentary Searching for Debra Winger [about the lack of roles for middle-aged actresses], do you think things have gotten better? How has your experience on Medium influenced that opinion?
Arquette: Well, I think television has long been a strong supporter of women in leads, from Lucille Ball on. The last couple of years have shown that there have been better roles, but I think Meryl Streep is at a little bit of an advantage. There are many great actresses will never get in the room for a Meryl Streep part. But I'm glad to see more actresses having more powerful parts to play.

TVGuide.com: If you look at the traditionally successful TV genres — crime, drama, medicine — right now there are a lot of those series that are led by women, whether it be Glenn Close on Damages or Grey's Anatomy...
Arquette: I think it's always great when there's good work out there, I guess, and I think it helps other actresses. The people that make decisions are bankers, and they look at models that are financially lucrative and then they make decisions on future projects according to a model they've seen make money [in the past]. So when someone goes in a room and pitches something as being "like The Closer," you know, look at how well The Closer has done for them.
Weber: Especially on television, it's not so much a patriarchy; it always seems that there's a smart, strong woman calling the shots and her doofus husband. In the sitcom world, it's almost a cliché that the women have the common sense, going back to The Honeymooners. Plus, I just think the writing is getting better. Television is getting much more complex. The writers ask for more of a commitment from their audiences. They don't really allow you to just check in once in a while; you have to follow these shows. I think that is working across the board in both men and women's favor.

TVGuide.com: Speaking of doofus husbands, Jake, what will Joe be up to this season?
Weber: Oh, Joe's in a good spot; he's got this investor who's putting up the dough for him to run his own company. And he's working in a big fancy warehouse. He has some problems finding people to work for him because he's had some bad luck with that. But he's in a good spot; he's in a big pot of honey this year.

TVGuide.com: Any favorite episodes or scenes so far this year?
Weber: I really liked [an episode that Arquette directed]. I thought it was a really good storyline. There were some directorial problems...
Arquette: You rat bastard.
Weber: She's got this weird fixation with food. She makes her actors eat food all the time.
Arquette: I do.
Weber: Every f---ing scene that I was in I had to be eating an apple or a piece of pizza or I don't know what else.
Arquette: You haven't even seen my cut yet, Jake, so just zip it.

TVGuide.com: Any interesting guest stars coming up?
Arquette: We have some great guest stars: Blythe Danner, David Morse, Tracy Pollan, James Van Der Beek, Amanda Detmer, Kevin Corrigan, my son Enzo Rossi and Kurtwood Smith.

TVGuide.com: Do you have any pie-in-the-sky guest-star casting fantasies?
Arquette: I've always wanted to explore Allison's relationship with her mom, which we've never seen. She alludes sometimes to how lonely she was in discovering her abilities and how she wants it to be different for her daughter. I was always hoping that we could get Gena Rowlands. That's one of my little private fantasies.
Weber: I have a fantasy...

TVGuide.com: Let's try to keep it to the casting fantasies, OK?
Weber: It involves Juliette Binoche as my new French assistant.

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2. Reaper is coming back earlier than expected:

[The CW] is bringing the devilish series back for its second season on March 3, a couple weeks earlier than originally planned, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The change will cause some shake-up in the CW's schedule. Reaper will now air at 8 pm/ET on Tuesdays, pushing 90210 back an hour, perhaps to help the teen drama avoid the ratings behemoth that is American Idol. Reaper's early return also means that Privileged's season finale will now air Feb. 24. The possibility of Privileged returning for a second season still hasn't been decided, so "keep your fingers crossed."

Reaper will air all of its 13 episodes without interruption, as originally planned.

Hmm. I think we're supposed to think this is a good thing - like the CW wants to bring back early to make people happy. Reading between the lines, it looks to me like the CW is bringing it back early to put it up against Idol and protect 90210 from the inevitable ratings crushing. Which means the CW is trying to kill Reaper. And that is not a good thing.

TV Tidbits 42 - The Office, Life on Mars, Medium...

Chuck, Pushing Daisies, The Mentalist and Monk!! That's right - it's time for some Wednesday scoopage. Here's what I've culled from TVGuide.com and EW.com this morning:

Question: I am absolutely in love with the Jim/Pam relationship on The Office! My body is just itching to see their wedding. Will it be this season, or are the writers going to make us wait?
Ausiello: I assumed it would take place this season... until, that is, I spoke to exec producer Greg Daniels. "If people assume it'll happen this season, then I don't want to do it," he countered with a laugh. "There are so many stories about a couple getting married that I want to explore." The post-Super Bowl episode on Feb. 1 will introduce one such story when Pam learns that her parents are having marital problems, causing her to wonder, "If they can't make it work, what chance do Jim and I have?"

Question: The Office? Pretty please.
Ausiello: BJ Novak confirms to me that Ryan will make a "dramatic" return later this season as part of a top-secret storyline. Theories? Post 'em in the comments!

Question: Chuck. Any scoops on upcoming episodes?
Ausiello: Exec producer Josh Schwartz is hesitant to use the words "game changing" to describe this season's final batch of episodes -- even though it's wholly appropriate. "Everyone uses that term," he harrumphs. "Let's call it show changing. Or Chuck changing...Let's just say someone is going to start figuring out the truth in Chuck's world." Schwartz adds that he's cramming "three seasons worth of stories into the next 10 episodes," in part because there's no guarantee the show will see a third season. (Note to NBC: The forecast calls for a s--tstorm in the event Chuck is axed.) "We're leaving nothing on the table," he says. "We're taking nothing for granted. We're going for it." To wit, did you see who they got to play Chuck's dad?!

Question: Anything new on Chuck?
Ausiello: This just in: Jordana Brewster's returning as Chuck's ex Jill in the season finale!

Question: How about you give us a, ahem, large scoop on Medium? (See what I did there?!)
Ausiello: Hey, no fair -- that's my shtick! Eh, I suppose I have a big enough, ahem, shtick to go around. (See what I did there?!) Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I have some, ahem, large Medium scoop for you: Upcoming Private Practice guest star Amanda Detmer has been cast as Joe's sister! "She comes to visit at a time when her marriage is falling apart," previews exec producer Glenn Gordon Caron. "And it's awkward for Joe, because he genuinely likes his brother-in-law. But his sister is convinced he's been unfaithful." Further complicating matters, "Allison starts to get impressions about what might have happened." And here's another Medium tidbit, and this one is size XL: James Van Der Beek has signed on to guest star later this season. His character seeks Allison's help when his mother goes missing.

Question: When is ABC going to air the last episodes of Pushing Daisies?
Ausiello: Based on Steve McPherson's remarks at press tour last week, I'm guessing sometime between never and when hell freezes over. Something tells me those final three eps won't see the light of day until Daisies' season 2 DVD drops -- assuming it does drop. In far happier news, Warner Bros. has give Bryan Fuller the okay to keep Daisies alive in comic book form. Now it's just a matter of Fuller ironing out all the details with DC Comics. I suspect there will be something official to report by month's end. [Lauren's note: WTF?!!! This is ridiculous!!!!!!!!! I still have the last 3 episodes on my TiVo because I didn't want to watch them too far in advance of whenever the final episodes air. And now I find out that's going to be, uh, NEVER?!!!! That sucks!! The episodes are already done - you're telling me ABC can't sacrifice a crap hour or two on a Saturday night (when no one's watching TV anyway) just to make fans happy? Really? Ugh. I'm disgusted. Some of us don't want to read a friggin' comic book!! Some of us just want to watch TV shows the way they were intended... on TV!]

Will they ever catch Red John on The Mentalist? And will Lisbon and Jane ever hook up?
MICKEY: Ever watch Moonlighting after David and Maddie did the deed? (Less sexual chemistry than the Clintons.) According to series creator Bruno Heller, the answer to both of those questions is no, at least not for a very long time.

If what's coming up this summer is Monk's last season, will we find out what really happened to his late wife, Trudy?
TIM: Yes, Lesa, a show rep confirms that "we'll definitely find out who killed Trudy."

Is there any word on the rest of Life on Mars' first season? I want to know if it really ends differently than the British original.
MICKEY: You can wait and find out when Mars returns on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 10 pm/ET (following Lost), but all signs point to a very different reason behind Sam Tyler's time-tripping. "In this next installment [of episodes], you'll see that the mythology is not as per the British version," ABC prez Steve McPherson said at the TCA winter press tour.

TV Tidbits 33 - Medium

Good news for us Medium fans - NBC just ordered 6 more episodes. Yay! According to TVGuide.com:

Now that two of its shows are on their way out, NBC saw need to fortify its current lineup. Midseason replacement Medium has received the go-ahead for six more episodes, The Hollywood Reporter reports

The half-dozen order will bring the supernatural series' total to 19 for its upcoming fifth season.

Now, all that's left to know is when Patricia Arquette & Co. will return to the air. A January premiere seems likely, as is a home at the Monday 10 pm slot now that current inhabitant My Own Worst Enemy has received its pink slip. Ironically, the Peacock had given Medium a shorter season this year believing they had a strong fall lineup with Enemy in the mix. Oops.

TV Tidbits 32 - Mini-Spoilers & Season Updates

It's been quite a few Wednesdays since I gave you any scoopage but after chatting with my parents earlier this week, I realized once again that I may be in possession of TV-related knowledge that may be of interest to others. And so I have assembled some tidbits here for you, after which I'll update you on which shows are already canceled - and which ones will soon join them. Here goes!

First up: Mini-spoilers (courtesy of TVGuide.com's Matt Roush and EW.com's Michael Ausiello).

NUMBERS:

Liz Warner paired with the "new guy," Nikki worked quite well in the episode "Scan Man." Will they team up again?
Matt: Do you want the good news first? Of course you do. "Nikki and Liz will definitely be teaming up again," exec producer Ken Sanzel tells the Buzz. But for how much longer is the big question, seeing as Liz has a job transfer pending. "That will be addressed in the next few episodes," says Sanzel, "as a big opportunity comes her way."

...is done with the "Charlie needs to get his clearance back" arc, so why must Agent McGowan still be in the episodes? And do you have any "Chamita" scoopage?
Matt: Do you want the bad news first? Of course you do. Agent McGowan's three-episode arc is now done, but, Ken Sanzel shares, "We have plans for a future storyline that would involve Keith Carradine's return." This is where I soothe that sting with the scoop that Charlie and Amita's relationship will definitely continue to mature.

MEDIUM:

Any "OMG, I totally didn't see that coming!" twists we can look forward to on the new season?
Ausiello: As I reported on Monday, Family Ties' Tracy Pollan has signed on for a three-episode arc as a corporate intuitionist who offers Allison a big-bucks job at her company. But that's not the OMG! part. This is: Girlfriend's up to no good!

GHOST WHISPERER (I don't watch this show - and haven't for some time - but Hottie McHusband Jim just died last week and it's "big happenings" for those who do still watch the show. Like my mom. As such, I threw this in...):

I am going to have to give up watching Ghost Whisperer for good. I can't believe they actually went ahead and killed Jim! I am done. Unless you can give me a reason not to be?
Ausiello: I gave you two months' notice and a come-to-Jesus talk with the show's producers and still you were surprised? There's no winning with you people. And here's your reason to keep watching: Jim's not going into the light without a fight. This Friday, his ghost drops a metric ton of angst all over his grief-stricken widow when he refuses to cross over to the other side. By episode's end, he pulls a morally questionable move on a dead guy in an effort to join the living again.

THE OFFICE:

Ask Ausiello has been lacking in Office scoop lately! Spill!
Ausiello: I've got bad news: Turns out Amy Ryan is not returning in the near future. Total bummer. Now for some better news: Another beloved character is!

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Oooookay. So, now we move onto cancellations and would-be-canceleds.

Pushing Daisies is the biggest on-the-bubble show right now. Like it's fellow 1 season strike-shortened brother Chuck, Pushing Daisies has been going down in the ratings every week its second season. However, unlike Chuck, Pushing Daisies does not already have a full-season pick-up and, therefore, is in real danger of being canceled. Viewers are currently at around 6 million/week, which isn't fantabulous, and production on the last ordered episode (#13) is set to end within the next couple weeks - and there's been no order for further episodes placed by ABC yet. On one hand, we shouldn't worry yet - officially, ABC has until January to exercise its options with the show. On the other hand, Lost will be coming back in January... in Daisies' day and time slot. Prognosis? Still unclear. Oh, and worse news? If Daisies' 13th episode does wind up being its series finale, word is that it'll be a less-than-satisfying end to the show (much like The Sopranos' finale). Whee.

If you are a fan of Life, however, the news is much better - its next 9 episodes were just picked up by NBC. (Oh, and Knight Rider's gotten a full-season order, too. Rejoice.)

Like Lipstick Jungle? Start saving up to by the DVDs because new episodes are likely to stop coming - supposedly, NBC moving the show to Friday night is just the first nail in Jungle's coffin. Sorry, guys.

And finally - a refresher list of those that have already passed on: Do Not Disturb, Opportunity Knocks, The Ex List, Easy Money and Valentine.

TV Tidbits 09 - Potpourri

1.) Okey doke, the shows covered in this post are: NCIS, Medium, SVU, The Office, House, Bones, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, October Road and HIMYM. I only watch the first 4 myself so those are, naturally, first. :o) There's not a lot of info - just scooplets from TVGuide.com's Ausiello (if you don't like spoilers, skip, skip, skip!). I'm trying to cover things I know people that actually read the blog regularly but my parents (well, actually, my mother) watch just about every stinking show on TV (even According to Jim! Yes, my mom is that one person.) so I'll have to pick and choose somewhere... sorry, Dad. ;o)

• Question: I need to know who is getting murdered in NCIS! I want answers! — Irv
• Ausiello: Actually, word around NCIS is that the buzzed-about death won't be the biggest surprise of the season. Consider this line from Director Vance to Gibbs from the two-hour season finale: "If you think you can protect them forever, Jethro, you are mistaken. There's already been one casualty. There will be more." What does it mean?! Beats me!

• Question: What is going to happen to Medium? I heard it may leap to CBS. — Nicole
• Ausiello: Not true. NBC's already renewed it for next season — a decision that is proving eerily prescient considering that in recent weeks the show has been enjoying some of its best ratings and press since Season 1.

• Question: With Diane Neal leaving L&O: SVU, what are the odds of Stephanie March returning as Alex? — Judith
• Ausiello: Officially, an SVU spokesperson denies that March is returning next season. Unofficially, I'm hearing that the actress is engaged in very preliminary talks with The Wolfster to appear in a handful of episodes next season.

• Question: You've been awesome with The Office scoop recently, but you haven't said much about Ryan. He's been getting himself into trouble recently. How much more trouble should we expect? — MB
• Ausiello: Let's just say he has a brush with the law, but not for the reason you think.

• Question: No disrespect intended, but you've been really slacking on the House scoop lately. — Ellen
• Ausiello: That hardly qualifies as disrespectful, Ellen. No, disrespectful is telling me (as Aushole Jason did) that I deserve to be "run over by a New York City bus" for ignoring House these past few weeks. See the difference there? Anywho... I'm jumping back on the House scoopwagon in a big way this week with news that Fox, in collaboration with producer NBC Universal, is quietly developing a House spin-off for next season. As I understand it, producers are introducing a new male character for a multi-episode arc and, assuming the actor they find really pops in the role, he may be spun off into his own show. But there's a twist, and it's a big one: Per multiple sources, this newbie is not a doctor, but rather a private investigator! And no, his name isn't Twitter. I'll have more details as they become available…

• Question: Thanks for the awesome interview with Jesse Spencer, but did he offer any assurances about Chase getting more screen time on House next season? — Deb
• Ausiello: He sure did, and his exclusive comments appear in this week's Ausiello Report vodcast!

• Question: Is Thirteen going to have a relationship anytime soon on House — perhaps with another female considering the fact that she's bisexual? It would definitely spice things up a bit. — Zachary
• Ausiello: I don't believe she'll be taking in a lover, but I can confirm that she'll be getting something nearly as important: a name! I'm told in this Monday's episode we'll, for the first time, hear Thirteen's real name. My guess: Tenplusfourminusone.

• Question: I'm a huge fan of Bones. I have one question: Is one of the two deaths you mentioned in last week's Ask Ausiello not real?— Rita
• Ausiello: Good question. It actually might not be. Shortly after AA went live last week, a Bones insider e-mailed me to say, "There are actually two casualties coming up — only one of which leads to death." My mole's tip was all but confirmed by co-star Eric Millegan at TV Guide's Sexiest Stars Party. Actually, Millegan had a lot to say about this season's final two episodes (airing May 12 and 19), paying specific attention to the fate of his character, Zack, and the evil Gormogon.

• Question: Is Ken Jenkins really gone from Scrubs? — Drew
• Ausiello: Well, he's really gone from Sacred Heart, but not from Scrubs. Although it's unclear whether Jenkins will remain a series regular, I hear we'll see glimpses of Kelso's life as a retiree. In the meantime, Bill Lawrence is said to be looking for a new Chief to succeed Kelso, and word is he wants a name.

• Question: Is Rebecca Romijn really going to leave Ugly Betty? What other big changes are they planning for the show? — Linus
• Ausiello: ABC and the show's producers keep insisting that she'll be back in a recurring capacity, but that's assuming Romijn will be available. I have a feeling she'll be snapped up in no time by another show.

• Question: What's the scoop on October Road? Will it be back next season? — Drew
• Ausiello: Nothing official from ABC, but all indications are the show is toast. And I would like to think I was at least partially responsible. Oh, who am I kidding — it was all me.

• Question: Sarah Chalke was, once again, bedazzling on Monday's How I Met Your Mother. Please tell me that wasn't the last we'll see of her. — Gina
• Ausiello: That wasn't the last we'll see of her. Sources confirm that Sarah/Stella will be back for the season finale, which can only mean one thing: OMFG she’s the mother! I think.

2.) I was reading this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly during lunch and was able to gloss over oodles of pages devoted to cover girl Ellen Pompeo and American Idol. I thought you AI people might be interested in this article:

• Why Song Selection is Important