[Televisionary]

Everybody now: Pop Pop! Last night marked Community 's second time at the annual Paley Festival and the evening, moderated by The A.V. Club's Todd VanDerWerff, was a celebration of the off-kilter NBC comedy and its cast and crew, which came out in full force (save Donald Glover and Alison Brie, who were shooting) for this hysterical and fun session. The evening began with a screening of this week's upcoming episode of Community ("Custody Law and Eastern European Diplomacy"), written by Andy Bobrow, which featured guest star Enver Gjojak ( Dollhouse ) as Luka, a friend of Troy and Abed's with whom Britta becomes romantically involved. I don't want to give too much away about the episode--it was hysterical, after all--but I will say that it involves war crimes, kidnapping charges, Chang smoking a pipe, and Kickpuncher III , as well as Gillian Jacobs' Britta creating chaos in her wake and the pregnancy/paternity subplot swirling around Yvette Nicole Brow

It's Friday, which means a brand-new episode of FOX's Fringe is heading to your screens tonight. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, " Fringe Under Fire," in which I talk to executive producers Jeff Pinkner and Joel Wyman about Fringe , its renewal prospects, why science fiction dramas have proven tricky at the broadcast networks of late, lessons learned from Lost and Alias , and the show's innate philosophical leanings (something I've written a great deal about at this site). Also, Pinkner and Wyman answer eight burning questions about Fringe --from Olivia's powers and stepfather to the Observers, Sam Weiss, and Peter's doomsday device, and more--in the gallery-based sidebar . Fringe airs tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on FOX.

Looks like even tiger blood couldn't keep Sheen on his sitcom after his latest batch of outspoken and erratic behavior. Warner Bros. Television has today announced that it has fired Charlie Sheen from his CBS sitcom, Two and a Half Men . The studio issued the news via a tersely worded statement that read, "After careful consideration, Warner Bros. Television has terminated Charlie Sheen’s services on Two and a Half Men effective immediately." No mention was given to the ultimate fate of the WBTV-produced comedy, which could continue on next season without Charlie Sheen's participation or could be canceled altogether. What is your take on the news? Was WBTV right to get rid of Sheen? Would you watch Two and a Half Men without him? And are you hoping that the media's obsession with Sheen soon abates as a result of his firing? UPDATE: Sheen has fired back at WBTV, offering yet another bizarre comment to TMZ : "This is very good news. They continue to be in br

The fans are hungry for blood. Or, in this case, more True Blood , which doesn't return for another few months yet, sadly. However, the cast and crew of HBO's seductive vampire drama was on hand last night for the Paley Festival's True Blood panel, which brought together an astonishing 17 actors from the series on stage with creator Alan Ball. The evening, moderated by TV Guide Magazine 's Debra Birnbaum, kicked off with a selection from the Paley Center's archives--in this case, a fitting scene from the pilot episode of the similarly fanged Buffy the Vampire Slayer --before presenting a sizzle reel from the first three seasons of True Blood ... and a scene from the upcoming fourth season. So just what did we lucky attendees get to see from Season Four? The scene that Ball presented was set outside Fangtasia as a mob gathered outside the club to protest, chanting "Steve Newman's right; you're devils of the night." (Hmmm, any chance we might get to

Winter is coming a little earlier than expected... HBO will give Game of Thrones fans a chance to catch 15-minutes of the April 17th series premiere a few weeks early, with a one-time airing on April 3rd at 9 pm ET/PT. The 15-minute teaser, or "exclusive preview" in HBO parlance, will air on HBO's linear channel just once, before it's made available the following day on HBO.com, HBO on Demand, and via the premium cable channel's subscriber-only online service, HBO Go. The series itself, meanwhile, is slated to kick off its ten-episode season on Sunday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. The full press release from HBO can be found below. HBO PRESENTS 15-MINUTE GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW APRIL 3 HBO will present – for the first time – a sneak peek of the first 15 minutes of the first episode of a new series when GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW debuts SUNDAY, APRIL 3 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Following this one-time-only play, GAME OF THRONES EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW will be

The Charlie Sheen media frenzy continues onwards, it seems, with no end in sight. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, a strongly-worded essay entitled "Charlie Sheen: Stop Putting Him on TV!" As the dek reads, "It’s not strange that people want to see Sheen’s crazed rants wherever they can... but it sure is disgusting that mainstream media outlets are giving him a platform." What's your take on the media's role in this feeding frenzy? When it is time to say enough?

A trio of leading actors are heading back to television this pilot season. Former 24 star Kiefer Sutherland has been cast in FOX drama pilot Touch , from creator/executive producer Tim Kring ( Heroes ) and 20th Century Fox Television. The project revolves around Sutherland's character, a father "who discovers that his autistic, mute son can predict events before they happen," according to Deadline 's Nellie Andreeva. Production is slated to begin in late May or early June, due to Sutherland's Broadway commitments. (He's currently on stage in a revival of That Championship Season .) Touch will be directed by Charles McDougall, who has become quite the go-to pilot director in recent years, having directed pilots for such series as The Good Wife, The Chicago Code, Desperate Housewives, The Tudors , and many others. Elsewhere, Minnie Driver ( The Riches is also heading back to television , this time to star in CBS drama pilot Hail Mary , where she will play &qu

Tyra Collette, here's your lasso of truth. Former Friday Night Lights mainstay Adrianne Palicki, who starred in FOX's short-lived drama Lone Star earlier this season, has been selected to play Diana in David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman pilot for NBC. The project, written by Kelley, will be directed by Jeff Reiner, who previously worked with Palicki on Friday Night Lights . Putting aside my thoughts on the project itself for a second, I think that Palicki should be a much bigger star than she is. Her performance as Tyra Collette, which she briefly reprised on Season Five of Friday Night Lights was electrifying: a tough-as-nails teen who fell into an unexpected romance on the show with a most unexpected partner (keeping the FNL plot points to a minimum here). And while I wasn't a fan of FOX's Lone Star , Palicki's performance was a standout and it was fantastic to see her in a more mature, adult role. But Palicki should know what she's gotten herself into:

Yes, last night marked the end of Friday Night Lights and television--and perhaps the world--is a little sadder for its loss. I have two connected features over at The Daily Beast that tie into last night's series finale ("Always") of Friday Night Lights . The first is "Goodbye, Friday Night Lights ," a eulogy for the show, in which I examine the series' legacy and talk (briefly) to executive producer Jason Katims and series lead Connie Britton about the show's influence and its passing. The second is a fan-centric gallery-style feature , in which I talk to Katims and Britton about some of the more nitty-gritty aspects of the show. Just what was the deal with Hastings Ruckle? Why wasn't there a finale scene between Jason Street and Tim Riggins? Do they think the Julie/Derek storyline worked? Does Katims still stand behind Season Two's controversial Tyra/Landry plot? Was it tricky to play with the dynamic of Tami and Eric this season? How import

Yes, Charlie Sheen, the troubled star of CBS’ Two and a Half Men , has finally entered rehab, amid a production shutdown on his CBS sitcom, produced by Warner Bros. Television. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, entitled, "Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men , and the Hollywood Machine," in which I talk to television industry insiders--from writer/producers to household name showrunners--about why the hell it took so long for Sheen to go into rehab. And I look at the self-perpetuating system that enables stars like Sheen to indulge in such bad behavior as showrunners and producers--speaking on condition of anonymity--discuss their own culpability in the issue.

There's been a lot of furor in the last few days about MTV's adaptation of British teen drama Skins , particularly whether the show crosses the line into "child pornography." Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, entitled " Skins Is Not Kiddie Porn!" As you might expect from the title, I examine, whether or not, despite the hype, MTV’s Skins breaks child-pornography laws. While I'm of the firm mind that it does not legally do so, I say that the show, a pale imitation of the original, still has plenty to be ashamed of. The conversation reminds me that just because you might disagree with something, or find it to be immoral, doesn't mean that it is in fact illegal. And that the parties who are throwing around the term "child porn" might actually have better things to do with their time: such as actually focusing on preventing and prosecuting distributors, producers, and suppliers of actual child pornography, rather tha

The moment many have been waiting for is finally here. The Paley Center for Media has this morning unveiled its full lineup for the 2011 Paley Festival, taking place March 4-17 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA. (The annual festival moved to its new digs last year.) Among the offerings for the 2011 festival, which is always standing room only: Community, Parks and Recreation, True Blood, White Collar, The Walking Dead, American Idol, Supernatural, Eastbound and Down, Raising Hope , a Freaks & Geeks/Undeclared Reunion, an evening with Jimmy Fallon, and more. Tickets will go on sale to members on January 21st and to the general public on January 23rd at 9 am PT via Ticketweb. The complete Paley Festival 2011 lineup, with event dates, can be found below: March 4th at 7 pm: The Walking Dead March 5th at 7 pm: True Blood March 7th at 7 pm: White Collar March 8th at 7 pm: Hot in Cleveland March 9th at 7 pm: Parks and Recreation March 10th at 7 pm: Eastbound and Down March 11th

Ask just about anyone in Hollywood what they had thought of The Kennedys , the History Channel miniseries about the Kennedy clan, and they’ll tell you it was so far off their radars that they didn’t give it a thought. That changed last week when the History Channel, a division of A&E Television Networks, announced that it had opted to shelve the project—from 24 co-creator Joel Surnow, director Jon Cassar, and writer Steve Kronish—stating that the “dramatic interpretation [was] not a fit for the History brand.” Over at The Daily Beast, you can read the rest of my latest feature, entitled "8 Crazy Scenes From The Kennedys ," in which I pick out eight salacious bits from the script for the first episode of the miniseries, which is currently being shopped to a variety of cable networks. (Showtime, FX, Starz, and a few others are rumored to have already passed.)

"I'd be heartbroken if it went away." That's FOX President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly talking about sci-fi drama Fringe as the TCA Winter Press Tour rolls on, with FOX's Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice addressing the press. One topic widely expected to be discussed was the fate of FOX's Fringe , which will move from Thursdays to Fridays later this month. Among the other topics raised at the low-key (a change for FOX, given the previous years', uh, traditional hubbub) executive session: the future of Lie to Me, House , and Bones , Terra Nova , Lone Star , and more. So what did the two have to say? Let's take a look. Fringe : "I beg you not to write the eulogy prematurely," said Reilly. "It's been in a four-way scripted race. I want that audience to transfer to Fridays." And just like many of us, Reilly seems to really like Fringe : "I'd be heartbroken if it went away." Reilly said that, with the move to the Friday

On Friday, Russell T Davies, Eve Myles, Bill Pullman, and Mekhi Phifer gathered at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour to tease some details about Starz/BBC's upcoming Torchwood launch, which had been codenamed Torchwood: The New World . Up until now, very little information had been available about the ten-episode project, which is set to air Stateside on Starz beginning July 1st, airing day-and-date with the United Kingdom. John Barrowman's Captain Jack and Eve Myles' Gwen Cooper were back, some new characters were in the mix (look for Pullman, Phifer, Dichen Lachman, and others), and the action would be split between Cardiff and the United States. So just what is this new season about? And how is it connected to Torchwood: Children of Earth ? Read on. For one thing, the title isn't Torchwood: The New World , but rather Torchwood: Miracle Day and the plot revolves around a very strange set of circumstances that connect both to the fate of the planet

PBS' venerable anthology series Masterpiece celebrates its 40th birthday today. Over at The Daily Beast, in my latest feature ( " Masterpiece , Icon of PBS, Turns 40 Today" ), I talk with Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton, who has been in the top job since 1985, about the 40th anniversary, the 2008 rebrand, and looking toward the future of this franchise. I also pick 12 of the best shows from the last four decades of Masterpiece , no small feat given the thousands of hours produced, co-produced, and acquired by the PBS series. (I could easily pick 50 of my favorites, so, yes, there are quite a few worthy ones that didn't get selected.) I am curious to know: what are your memories of Masterpiece (and Masterpiece Theatre )? What does the franchise mean to you? And what are your favorite Masterpiece programs from the last four decades?

The date we've been waiting for is finally here. HBO today announced a launch date for Game of Thrones , its adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novels. That date? April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT. (The pay cable network also announced the start date for its upcoming Kate Winslet-led miniseries Mildred Pierce , which will air its first installment on March 27th. The sizzle reel they showed made the mini look insanely amazing.) As for Game of Thrones , I watched the 15-minute clip reel that HBO assembled and think that it looks extraordinary. Entire scenes have been reshot since the original pilot I saw last summer and several roles (in addition to the two major ones) have been recast. I also sat down with George R.R. Martin and David Benioff and Dan Weiss earlier today as a few of us joined the author and the series' executive producers for a series of roundtable discussions. More on that to come! Stay tuned.

AMC ANNOUNCES NEXT ORIGINAL SERIES, “THE KILLING” TO PREMIERE SUNDAY, APRIL 3rd AT 10PM/ET From Writer and Executive Producer Veena Sud Starring Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell, Joel Kinnaman, Michelle Forbes and Brent Sexton Pasadena, CA – January 7, 2010 – AMC announced today, from the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California, the premiere of AMC’s next original series, “The Killing,” on Sunday, April 3rd at 10pm ET/PT. From writer, executive producer and series’ showrunner Veena Sud (“Cold Case”), “The Killing” is based on the wildly successful Danish television series “Forbrydelsen.” It tells the story of the murder of a young girl in Seattle and the subsequent police investigation. Season one consists of thirteen, one-hour episodes. “The Killing” ties together three distinct stories around a single murder including the detectives assigned to the case, the victim’s grieving family and the suspects. Set in Seattle, the story also explores local politics a

Former producer David Nevins stunned many Hollywood insiders when he announced that he was stepping down from his role at Imagine Television and taking the top job at Showtime, recently vacated by Robert Greenblatt. Now five months into his term at Showtime, I sit down with Nevins over lunch in a new feature at The Daily Beast, entitled "Showtime's New Mastermind, David Nevins," in which he tells me about his “girly taste in television,” and why it’s “fun to be naughty” as a programmer. We also discuss what's coming up for the network, what's in development (Damian Lewis/Claire Danes psychological drama Homeland, House of Lies , starring Don Cheadle), the challenges and opportunities facing Showtime, which is on a growth trend, and, um, selling Time Life books over the phone.

Oh, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, you do love to make me laugh. The HFPA this morning announced their nominations for the 68th Annual Golden Globes, which will be telecast on Sunday, January 16th. Among the recipients, such worthy nominees as Mad Men, The Good Wife, Modern Family, Boardwalk Empire , and others. But as always, the voting board--which tends to be relentlessly populist and/or follows certain Emmy trends--went off-track completely in some categories, such as the nomination of Piper Perabo. Yes, Piper Perabo. The star of USA's espionage drama Covert Affairs was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series, where she will be competing against the likes of The Good Wife 's Julianna Margulies, Mad Men 's Elisabeth Moss, Sons of Anarchy 's Katey Sagal, and The Closer 's Kyra Sedgwick. It's really a case of which one of these things just doesn't belong? It's not a slam against Perabo or her USA series, but it's also indicative of the f