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Channel Surfing: Lindelof Teases Season Six of "Lost," Justin Theroux Heads to "Parks and Recreation," Morris Chestnut Talks "V," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

E! Online's Jennifer Godwin caught up with Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse last night at the DVD release party for Star Trek to see if they had any clues about what viewers should expect for the sixth and final season of Lost. "The questions that count will be answered, and the questions that the fans don't want answered won't be answered, but I think what they're looking for is a real sense of resolution, particularly on a character level," said Lindelof. "Who's going to live, who's going to die, who's going to hook up with who, why were they all brought here in the first place, was it arbitrary, is there meaning behind it? That's the kind of stuff [we] have to answer, or [we] should be prepared to get rocks thrown at [us]." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Justin Theroux (John Adams) is joining the cast of NBC comedy Parks and Recreation in a recurring role, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. Theroux will play a friend of Rashida Jones' Ann who becomes a love interest for Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope. His first episode will air in early 2010. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to V star Morris Chestnut about his role in the alien invasion drama and whether Visitor traitor Ryan will be organizing an anti-V group called the Fifth Column as in the original miniseries. "For those who don't know, it's like an army of traitor aliens on Earth to fight against the actual Vs," Chestnut told Abrams. "The Fifth Column got together before and things happened so bad before, people don't want to get back into the fight. Ryan is trying to get people together for the Fifth Column and hopefully they will be back together." (TVGuide.com)

Mad Men's Abigal Spencer has joined the cast of the David Tennant-led NBC dramedy pilot Rex Is Not Your Lawyer, where she will play Lindsey Speers, the fiancee of the titular character (Tennant) and a lawyer at Rex's law firm. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello talks to Jennifer Morrison about her departure from FOX's House. "I find the entire situation sort of confusing," she said. "I don’t know anything about anything. That’s the thing. Everyone expects me to have an answer and there’s no answer to have because there’s... no answer." Likewise, E! Online's Jennifer Godwin tried to get some answers from Morrison as well, such as whether she is still a series regular on House. "I'm still a series regular, technically," she admitted. "I really don't know. All I know is that I don't know. And they keep making it very clear to me that I don't know. I feel bad [because I wish] that I had an answer for people. But, uh, anything could happen I guess." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files, E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Orlando Jones (Rules of Engagement) has landed a guest role on FOX's House, where he will play Marcus, the estranged brother of Omar Epps' Foreman and an incarcerated convict. Jones' episode, which has already been shot, is slated to air in February. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos) has joined the cast of TNT's drama pilot Rizzoli, where she will play Angela, the mother of Angie Harmon's Rizzoli. (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has given a script order to comedy Assisted Loving, about a gay man who, after the death of his mother, sets out to find his father love. Project, from Sony Pictures Television, is a family affair: Jay Tarses and his son Matt Tarses will write the script and executive produce with Matt's sister Jamie Tarses. (Variety)

Los Angeles Times' Maria Elena Fernandez talks to Heather Locklear about her return to Melrose Place, the struggling revival series on the CW. Producers hope that the return of Locklear's iconic Amanda Woodward spark a ratings surge... and the series' writers do address just where Amanda's husband Peter is. "They do address it, but you can't blink," Locklear told Fernandez. "You'd think Amanda would be a little more content on that island and change, but she really couldn't stand it. She is who she is and she had to get off that island. She's a girl who needs to be in the middle of the action. A woman, actually. Amanda is a woman now." (Los Angeles Times)

A&E has ordered seven one-hour episodes of unscripted series Bob Saget's Strange Days, in which the comedian will explore America through some offbeat groups including biker gangs, mail-order brides, Amish teens, and survivalist cults. Project, from Tijuana Entertainment's Troy Searer and John Foy, is set to premiere sometime in 2010. (Variety)

Melissa McCarthy (Samantha Who?) will guest star in an upcoming episode of ABC's Private Practice, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, who writes that McCarthy will play a pregnant patient of Chris Lowell's Dell in an episode slated to air in January. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Chris Elliott has been cast as the lead in live-action comedy pilot Eagleheart for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, where he will play the star/creator/executive producer of an action series (also entitled Eagleheart) who is described as "a veteran action star past his prime who uses the show as a soapbox for his right-wing politics" who becomes enmeshed in a battle of wills with a television executive. Elsewhere at the network, Nate Corddry (The Invention of Lying) has been cast as one of the lead voices on animated series Horrorbots. (Hollywood Reporter)

Nickelodeon has ordered single-camera comedy pilot Summer Camp from writer Peter Barsocchini (High School Musical) and director Lev L. Spiro. As the title suggests, the plot will revolve around a sleep-away camp. Production on the pilot, from Reveille and E1 Entertainment, is slated to begin later this month. (Hollywood Reporter)

David Janollari is said to be in talks with MTV to join the network in a senior development role, likely landing the title of SVP. The former WB Entertainment president is thought to be likely to report to Tony DiSanto, though what such a move would mean for MTV series SVP Liz Gateley isn't immediately clear. (Variety)

Comedy Central is said to be in talks with former New Line executive Kent Alterman about joining the network as the head of original programming, which would have Alterman succeeding the outbound Lauren Corrao. The catch: Alterman first needs to be released from a producing contract with FOX's feature film division. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Comments

Ramona said…
I don't want to throw rocks at Damon and Carlton but I certainly want a satisfying ending to Lost. (I'm still trying to get over the disappointing Battlestar Gallactica finale.)

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