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Channel Surfing: Anne Dudek Gets "Covert," Aaron Paul to Return to "Big Love," Emmy Reversal, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Ubiquitous actor (and Televisionary fave) Anne Dudek (House, Big Love, Mad Men) will star opposite Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham in USA's drama pilot Covert Affairs, where she will play the siter of Perabo's Annie Walker, a polyglot CIA trainee. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Emmy nominated Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul will appear in Season Four of HBO's Big Love next year, though Paul doesn't know quite what's in store for Scott next season now that he and Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) are engaged. "The only thing they’ve told me," Paul told Ausiello, "is that something big will happen to my character this season." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Variety's Cynthia Littleton is reporting that the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has bowed to public outrage over its decision to time-shift eight awards of the September 20th Emmy telecast and has announced that it will instead present all 28 categories live on the air. "This decision was made to mend relationships within the television community and to allow executive producer Don Mischer to focus his full attention on producing the creative elements in the telecast," said Academy of Television Arts and Sciences chairman-CEO John Shaffner in a prepared statement. "Our goal is to celebrate the year in television, honor excellence and this year's great achievements with the support of our industry colleagues and our telecast partner, CBS."(Variety's Emmy Central)

Add executive producer to his growing list of credits. Denzel Washington is in talks to come on board FOX cop drama pilot Billy Stiles, about a "genius gang member-turned-cop." Washington would serve as an executive producer on the 20th Century Fox Television-based project alongside Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, and Steve Tisch. Project was written by Virgil Williams (24) and was originally pitched as a cable series before landing at FOX. (Hollywood Reporter)

Lifetime has announced that its twelve-episode comedy series Sherri, which stars Sherri Shepherd (The View) as a single mom who begins dating after a divorce, will launch on October 5th at 10 pm. Series will be paired in the Tuesdays at 10 pm timeslot with the second season of Rita Rocks. (Variety)

Joe Morton (Eureka) has signed on for a recurring role on ABC's Brothers and Sisters, where he will play a Justin's "tough but nurturing anatomy professor," according to Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, in roughly seven to ten episodes next season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Comedy Central has ordered six mores installments of Tosh.0, which will return with new episodes on October 8th. (via press release)

BBC One has ordered a third season of sketch comedy series The Armstrong and Miller Show, despite the fact that the second season--already on order--has yet to launch. Season Two is expected to premiere this fall, with the third season likely to debut in 2010. (Broadcast)

Apatow Productions' Nicholas Weinstock has been hired by Peter Chernin to oversee comedy development at his nascent shingle. Weinstock will report to Katherine Pope and Dylan Clark. (Hollywood Reporter)

Notorious reality star Katie Price (a.k.a. Jordan) is starting her own production company. Pricey Media, which Price will run with Mark Wagman, will co-produce reality series What Katie Did Next with ITV Studios. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Comments

Howard said…
Very happy to hear that the Academy has decided not to shove certain categories out of the live telecast this year. That was lame!

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