Now the second longest running sitcom currently on television, “King of the Hill” has been renewed. Variety has the story:

The animated comedy, which has been presumed dead, then quickly revived several times in recent years by Fox and producer 20th Century Fox TV, has now seen its reign extended by another season. Fox confirmed Thursday that it has ordered 13 more episodes of the skein.

Pickup hinged on a deal with exec producer and star Mike Judge (who provides the voice of “King” patriarch Hank Hill). With Judge reupped, many of the show’s long-running scribes went back to work last week.

I am fan of “King of the Hill”. It is smarter satire than “The Simpsons”, and provides very ‘nice’ entertainment. King doesn’t get the press that “South Park”, “The Simpsons” or “Family Guy” gets, but it deserves to be in that group. I always watch, and I’m glad to see it’ll continue.

The new “Star Wars: Clone Wars” animated series will be broadcast as part of a Friday night “action/adventure block” on Cartoon Network. IO9.com has details from Lucas on the upcoming series.

Clone Wars is “Star Wars starring an 11-year-old girl,” according to George Lucas, referring to Ahsoka, the “feisty” apprentice to Anakin Skywalker in the cartoon. He showed clips of an acrobatic Yoda, a more menacing version of the evil General Grievous, Anakin and R2D2. Lucas also said that instead of making the show look like Beowulf or The Incredibles, he reached to Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds for inspiration. And he said the big advantage of doing television is that if you make a mistake, people will forget it a week later, when the next episode airs. (Clearly, Lucas doesn’t spend much time on the internet.)

I think I’m going to like the animation style of “Clone Wars”. It seems more inviting than some of the current animation styles out there.

Lucas may be a little naive about television that “people will forget it a week later”. But people do forget it you make up for your mistakes…be it a few weeks later.

With previous reports of “Scrubs” talking with ABC, and NBCs recent schedule not including it it looks more like “Scrubs” will be moving over.

Also, rumor has come out that ABC is in talks to get “The New Adventures of Old Christine” away from CBS. TVGuide’s Ausiello has this:

According to several insiders, all of whom asked not to be identified because they would prefer to keep their jobs, execs at ABC have been engaged in informal talks with Warner Bros. Television about picking up Old Christine should CBS decide not to renew it. The third-year laffer, which earned its highest ratings of the season this week, remains very much on the bubble at CBS.

CBS Monday night is a full 2 hours of comedy and works in so many ways. I understand that they Christine doesn’t get the ratings they want, but maybe juggling the schedule (move Men to 9:00) would help.

Old Christine would fit nicely with “Miss Guided” if it sticks around, or even “Samantha Who?”. Half-hour comedies really need something to pair with, and I can’t think of another ABC comedy that would fit.

Does it matter which network “Scrubs” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” are on?

“Dollhouse” casting is picking up with the casting of Olivia Williams. Variety is reporting:

In “Dollhouse,” Williams will play the beautiful but ruthless woman in charge of the venue where drones are programmed to perform various missions in the real world. Eliza Dushku stars as Echo, one of the “dolls” who starts to become self aware.

I’ve seen many of the films in her credits, but she’s not familiar to me at all. Not much to say about this casting news other than she looks the part. Any news is good news when it come to this project, it good to hear it’s on its way.

Anyone familiar with Williams? What do you think of her?

After the successful fan revival of “Jericho”, fans have worked very hard to save their shows from cancellation. SaveJourneyman gave it a shot, and today conceded defeat.

The news we have been dreading is finally here. We have information from very trustworthy sources (no fooling this time) that Journeyman will not be returning to the air on any network. Kevin Falls has signed a development deal with another studio, and NBC and Fox are not interested in continuing the show. Their disinterest is moot without the availability of Falls, in any case. There is no word on a DVD release.

“Journeyman” was a great attempt at reviving the “Quantum Leap” genre, with a more dramatic twist. I’m not sure why it didn’t catch on. It would seem that with a reduced budget, a show like “Journeyman” could survive on a cable network where niche programming is more successful.

Why did “Journeyman” not survive?

In what can be considered rumor (but honestly, Ausiello is almost always right), Britney Spears, and by association Sarah Chalke, may be coming back to “How I Met Your Mother”. TVGuide’s Ausiello has the scoop:

Britney Spears and How I Met Your Mother are looking to rekindle their mutually beneficial relationship later this season. According to multiple sources, Brit’s in talks to reprise her role as Barney’s fraternal twin Ted’s stalker in at least one more episode. “It all depends on her availability,” whispers an insider.

Britney’s appearance did garner higher ratings (which was the point) and she did a decent job in the part. I’m not adverse to seeing her again, but I worry that they’ll increase the role.

Having Britney back doesn’t necessarily mean her on-screen boss, Chalke, would return, but one could hope. I really enjoyed Sarah on the show and would welcome her to be a regular guest in the future.

The release of the NBC schedule is imminent. TVGuide.com has the scoop on the lineup. Of particular interest are some of the new shows (in caps).

FALL 2008

WEDNESDAY
8-9 pm: KNIGHT RIDER
9-10 pm: Deal or No Deal
10-11 pm: Lipstick Jungle

THURSDAY
8-8:30 pm: My Name Is Earl
8:30-9 pm: 30 Rock
9-9:30 pm: The Office
9:30-10 pm: The Office/SNL THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE*

FRIDAY
8-9 pm: CRUSOE

WINTER 2009

THURSDAY
8-8:30 pm: My Name Is Earl
8:30-9 pm: 30 Rock
9-9:30 pm: The Office
9:30-10 pm: THE OFFICE SPIN-OFF

First, “Knight Rider” teamed with “Deal or no Deal” and “Lipstick Jungle”? That is strange. They might as well admitted that most the audience would be watching via DVR.

Then there is a “The Office” spin-off. This was hinted way back in October. Having it back to back with “The Office” is very Happy Days/Laverne and Shirley of them. Even though none of the current cast is leaving to join the spin-off, I expect that there will be some occasional crossover.

And “Thursday Night Live”? I hadn’t heard of this one before. One can guess that it’ll be very political, and be more a spin-off of Weekend Update. SNL has a hard enough time being consistent on Saturday night.

Finally, “Friday Night Lights” get its reprieve and is renewed (as previously reported).

Go check out the entire list. There is a lot to talk about.

It appears that the charismatic Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Dr. Horrible) has writing talents to compliment his acting talent. The fan site NathanFillion.org has info on the show he penned that was picked up by ABC.

With the working title of “Repo Brothers” the comedy tells the story of two brothers who become repo men and was inspired by an incident where Nathan was picking locks with friend Alan Tudyk. Nathan mentioned last year in an interview with SFX magazine that he had penned the pilot and a couple of episodes of a TV show and would some day like to write and direct a movie.

Fillion is an underrated actor who just can’t seem to cut a break. Both “Firefly” and “Drive” were cancelled before their time, and “Slither” was sinfully overlooked. Hopefully his recent success on “Desperate Housewives” is just the start, and he can continue success with this new pilot.

Rob Thomas has to be the busy showrunner in Hollywood right not. First, the 90210 spin-off, then a revival of “Cupid“. Now, he is bringing Veronica’s Kristen Bell along for a new pilot, the re-imaging of the New Zealand series “Outrageous Fortune“. EOnline has the exclusive:

Kristen herself tells me (with a big ol’ Veronica-like, canary-eating grin) that, “yes, there is talk” of her signing onto one of Rob’s new TV series for this fall.

In case you hadn’t heard, Rob is one-upping Josh Schwartz in his plot to take over television (the world?) and helming three fall pilots: the CW’s Beverly Hills, 90210 remake, ABC’s Cupid remake and ABC’s dramedy based on the New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune.

I am a big fan of “Veronica Mars” and still say it’s one of the best written and acted shows on TV in the last 10 years. Having Bell in a Thomas developed show has me excited.

Teen drama has been a big winner for the networks over the last few years. The last time we had this long a run of teen shows was in the days of “Beverly Hills, 90210″. The new spin-off , penned by Veronica Mars‘ Rob Thomas, it moving along briskly. This weeks Ask Ausiello has a scoop:

Question: What is up with the 90210 spin-off rumor? I heard “Meet the Mills” is the name and that none of the original characters are coming back. Why don’t they just call it The O.C. 2.0? — Fenster

Ausiello: Fenster, you don’t hear so good. As far as I know, the show is still untitled, but I’d be very surprised if producers didn’t go with… Beverly Hills, 90210. A glance at Rob Thomas’ script for the pilot tells me that Hannah Zuckerman-Vasquez (the spawn of Andrea and Jesse) now helms the news desk at the “West Beverly Blaze,” which is now apparently a TV show. Also roaming the halls of West Bev is Kelly Taylor, who teaches fashion design. (Wait, wasn’t Donna the fashion designer? Oh right, she’s now the proprietress of Bao Thai.) Whether or not Jennie Garth would ever sign on to be this show’s “Nat” is unclear. The pilot also reveals that one of the protagonists is David Silver’s niece (but wasn’t David an only child before the arrival of little Erin?). And if Kelly Bishop isn’t cast as the show’s hard-drinkin’, faded, ’70s-movie-star grandma, it will drive me to drink. Fun fact! Navid, the Persian guy who runs the TV station, says he doesn’t drink because of his religion: Scientology.

Ausiello always has a comic slant on his posts, but you can read through the lines to get the info. I have to honestly say that the only reason I am interested in this is because of the involvement of Rob Thomas. He is a great writer, and I crave anything written by him. I have hope that he can make a sequel better than the original…something I’ll want to watch ’til the end.

Who is looking forward to this new series? Why? Were you a fan of the original?

“How I Met Your Mother” is working hard to bring in the ratings. After a successful guest stunt by Britney Spears, HIMYM has landed James Van Der Beek (”Dawson’s Creek”). EOnline has the story:

In the meantime, I must break in with the fabulous news that our old friend Dawson Leery, aka James Van Der Beek, has officially agreed to guest star on How I Met Your Mother’s upcoming “Robin Sparkles” episode. I’m hearing he plays the Canadian pop star’s crush, but I have yet to get confirmation on that little detail. Sounds about right though, no?!

As I’ve said before, Mother deserves another season, and if they have to pull in guest stars to keep it on the air then ok. They’ve shown with the Spears episode that they can have high-profile stars without overshadowing the main characters (in that case, Ted). My criticism is that the Spears episode wasn’t a typical episode. Therefore, 1st time viewers didn’t get a real taste of HIMYM.

The Robin Sparkles episode was one of the greats, and I think the character deserves to be revisited. New viewers to HIMYM should go back an check out that episode.

Last night was a typical episode, and it was great. Using tournament brackets to search through Barney’s past conquests was legen - wait for it - dary! Also, even characters as shallow as Barney can show growth without the show changing too much. And then, not having the payoff was risky but effective. Now there are 2 mysteries: who is the mother and who is Barney’s revenge seeking conquest? I’m not sure how long the second will last, but I’ll enjoy the ride.

“My Name Is Earl” leading lady, Jaime Pressly, and Jim former Office girlfriend, Rashida Jones, have landed a new film. ComingSoon has the story:

Jaime Pressly has landed a lead role in I Love You, Man, the DreamWorks comedy starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.

Written and being directed by John Hamburg (Along Came Polly), “I Love You” centers on a guy (Rudd) about to be married whose fiancee (Rashida Jones) is calling all her friends to be in the wedding. Realizing he has no friends, he starts to go on man-dates to find a best man; he finds one in Segel.

For almost 10 years, two of my favorite actors have Jaime Pressly and Jason Lee. So, needless to say, “My Name Is Earl” was on my radar from first announcement. Jaime is often unfairly stereotyped, but she is great at what she does. From her large roles in “Ringmaster” to smaller roles like “Tomcats”, Earl’s Joy is a combination of much of her prior roles, which is why her talent is sometimes dismissed. I’m really glad she is getting movie roles, and she should have great onscreen chemistry with Rudd.

Rashida Jones was wasted in “Unhitched”. I haven’t mentioned this new show on the site before because it is just that awful. I watched it for Jones, but couldn’t really make it through the pilot. Hopefully she returns to “The Office” next season, with or without Jim-Pam being an issue. I enjoy her acting, and hope we see more of her.

(Via TMB)

Comedian Ray Romano had a hit right out of the gate with “Everybody Loves Raymond”. TVGasm is reporting that Ray may be returning to Television on TNT.

The ever so funny Ray Romano (doesn’t his voice just put your to sleep?) is returning to TV. TNT is going to pilot his new show, a comedic one-hour drama called, Men of a Certain Age. Guess what it’s about? You guessed it: guys going through their “midlife crisis.” The one-hour comedic drama has been compared to the movie, Sideways,

I’m a fan of Ray, but for me he needs a good cast to make him great. The cast of Raymond was very strong, and allowed his humor to shine without getting [too] old. The premise doesn’t seem much of a stretch for Romano, but “dramatic comedy” may be. This could get interesting, and with it being on TNT, it has much more room to grow.

Alex’s on again off again love interest on Grey’s, Ava (Elizabeth Reaser), has lander her own pilot for CBS. Variety has news of her casting:

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Reaser (”Grey’s Anatomy”) is set to play the leading role of Annabel on “Mythological X.” Pilot revolves around a woman who discovers via a psychic that she has already dated and dumped the man she was supposed to marry.

I really like Elizabeth Reaser, and her performance in Grey’s has been great (even though I don’t always enjoy the character). The premise for “Mythological X” seems interesting, and I’ll definitely give it a shot if it makes its way to prime-time.

“The New Adventures of Old Christine” is consistently enjoyable. The ensemble cast, and the teaming of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Wanda Sykes makes this a winner. Last night, that all was challenged when Jason Alexander stopped by for a guest spot to create a mini-Seinfeld reunion. And it was hilarious.

What made it even better was that George and Elaine…um I mean Jason and Julia shared the scenes alone. They played off each other perfectly, and had me nearly rolling with laughter. The 2 scenes were short and bookended the show, which was perfect. It was more a cameo than a guest spot, and it was great.

The entire episode was a great Old Christine episode. Christine in ‘roid-rage’ made for some very funny scenes. And only Julia could turn spending nearly 5 minutes in nothing but a bra and stretch pants into comedy gold. She deserves another Emmy.

Yes, I watch “Army Wives”, and yes, my wife made me do it. But, I grew to completely love “Army Wives” by the middle of last season. So, I’ve hated that there has been so much behind the scenes drama. Ausiello at TVGuide has this scoop:

Army Wives’ top lieutenant is stepping down. Show-runner Dee Johnson was relieved of her duties over the weekend, sources confirm to me exclusively.

Johnson’s ouster — the result of creative differences with producer ABC Studios — marks the third show-runner change the Lifetime drama has weathered in a little over a year. Samantha Corbin-Miller was the first to go AWOL in Dec. 08. She was replaced a few months later by Jeff Melvoin (Alias), who stuck around until last August, at which point Johnson took over.

This latest exec shuffle couldn’t have come at a worse time: Army Wives — which ranks as Lifetime’s No. 1-rated drama series of all time — is only two weeks into production on its highly-anticipated 18-episode second season.

One of the worse thing that can happen to a show is that it looses focus. When showrunners leave, sometimes writers are lost. Hopefully enough of the vision stays with the turnover of leaders. I’d hate for someone to come in and muck with it.

If you’ve never seen “Army Wives”, give it a chance. It is a genuinely good show, and deserve a bigger audience than it has.

The guy who had his apartment used as Doctor Horrible’s lair during filming of Joss Whedon’s new web series, “Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”. He posted a diary on LiveJournal:

Anyway, Joss needed a lair for his Supervillain and I happen to *live* in one.. They were incredulous when Otto told him that he knows someone who lives IN the exact place he needed. My friend Otto was the AD on this film and was actually the reason they were shooting at my house. Joss wanted / needed an apartment that had been turned in to a Evil Super Villain Lair with a couch and place for a computer.

Apparently they didn’t really believe him that he knew someone with Just The Place- they thought he might have just known someone who had a lab bench set up in their house or something. Oh no. When they saw the pictures from the location scout, they were *very* pleasantly surprised.

It must have been a surreal experience for the guy. He goes on to describe part of the filming and what went on. I wonder if Captain Hammer needs a place to hang out?

Last year, Trey Parker and Matt Stone (creators of “South Park”) made an unprecedented deal with Comedy Central that allows them to maintain complete control over their show, while still giving them tons of money. Part of the fruits of that deal have been announced that puts all the episodes of “South Park” available for free on their site.

NEW YORK, March 25, 2008 — South Park Digital Studios LLC, the joint venture between “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and COMEDY CENTRAL, a division of MTVN Entertainment Group, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), announced today the launch of the new southparkstudios.com, which will feature free, streaming, full-length episodes and clips from the entire 12 seasons of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning animated series. The site which rolled out a beta version last Wednesday has already received over three million page views, over two million video plays, and more than a million streams of full episodes.

This is a great approach to digital distribution. Instead of a clearing house like Hulu, you go right to the source to get your shows…support the artist, so to speak. The only negative is not being able to download an episode to your iPod/Zune/Archos for that plane/car ride. But overall, “sweeeeet”.

Fans of “Jericho” hand managed to bring the show back from the dead for a second season. But hopes of a third were squashed by CBS. This hasn’t stopped the shows creators from looking to continue the series in other forms. SciFi Wire has an interview with Carol Barbee, executive producer:

If Jericho is not picked up for another season by a TV network, Barbee said that she could envision it living on in some other form. “There’s definitely an Internet series to be had, and we always talked about a graphic novel, and … a movie,” Barbee said. “I mean, there are lots of things that I could easily see as a way to continue the story.”

The article also describes the 2 separate endings that were filmed. One cliff hanger, and the one that was aired–the series ender. It seems that they’re going to attempt to keep the show alive with a movie (didn’t work for “Serenity”) or web series. I can see it working as a web series because they don’t need mass appeal. Podcasts/WebSeries’ serve a niche, and aren’t required to have broad appeal.

Personally, I didn’t watch a single episode, but the show did interest me. I didn’t have room for it on my TV-watching schedule, but had planned to pick up DVDs one day. It looks like that time has come.

Was it time for “Jericho” to go?

Last night was the reported episode of “How I Met Your Mother” with Britney Spears guest starring. HIMYM has been struggling in the ratings, and CBS used the high-profile guest appearance in an attempt to boost ratings. Well, it worked. Variety has:

A guest appearance by Britney Spears propelled CBS laffer “How I Met Your Mother” to the highest demo ratings in its three-year run Monday…
…
According to preliminary nationals from Nielsen, “How I Met Your Mother” (4.5 rating/12 share in adults 18-49, 10.6 million viewers overall) was a solid second to ABC’s “Dancing” in the 8:30 half-hour among adults 18-49 and total viewers and edged out the hoofing hit in adults 18-34 with the night’s highest rating in that category (3.6/10).

It looks like they got what they wanted, but will it stick? I don’t know. The episode wasn’t a typical episode as the ensemble was not as involved as usual. It wasn’t a bad episode, but I don’t believe it was a good episode for new eyeballs to see.

Britney was fine in her performance. She didn’t get in the way as I feared she might. The role could have been filled by just about any actress, which is good, and she pulled it off. Sarah Chalke was very good in her role (replacing Alicia Silverstone) as the tattoo removing doctor. Her and ‘Ted’ had good chemistry, and the “2 minute date” at the end was great. I just felt it was an uneven episode…not the best one to bring in new viewers.

What did you think?