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Channel Surfing: Two Networks Interested in "Southland," Sarah Michelle Gellar's "Maladys" Might Be Ailing at HBO, FOX Enters "Rehab," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that Southland executive producer John Wells has called two of the series' actors to tell them that he is currently in talks with two networks about finding Southland a new home. However, the new network won't be producing any new episodes for the time being and will reair the seven episodes from the series' freshman season and the six unaired produced episodes from Season Two as a thirteen-episode cycle. (Hollywood Reporter)

Many viewers have wondered about the fate of Sarah Michelle Gellar's HBO dramedy pilot The Wonderful Maladys, which filmed in May and then promptly fell off the radar. Rumors are swirling that the project has failed to garner a series order from the pay cabler, with several people involved with the production--including co-star Nate Corrdry and director Alan Taylor--revealing on Facebook that the production won't be moving ahead. However, HBO, when contacted by E! Online for confirmation that Maladys was dead, said, "[We're] not able to confirm that one." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

FOX has given a pilot order to comedy Rehab, written by Sam Laybourne (Cougar Town), about a man who falsely enters a rehab program in order to get close to his former high school sweetheart, a rock star who is in rehab for treatment. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television and Chernin Enterainment, will be executive produced by Peter Chernin, Katherine Pope, and Will Gluck, the latter of whom is viewing the project as a possible directorial vehicle. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere at FOX, the network has given a script order plus penalty to an untitled comedy project that will star Wilmer Valderrama as a professional dog trainer modeled on Cesar Millan. Emily Kapnek (Hung) will write and executive produce the comedy, which hails from 20th Century Fox Television. Also on board are executive producers Barry Josephson and Cesar Millan. (Variety)

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... The Visitors? Beginning Friday, skywriters above 26 United States landmarks will create V's several times a day until ABC's new sci-fi drama V premieres on November 3rd. Let's hope the letters, which play into the series' mythology, are red. (Hollywood Reporter)

TVGuide.com talks with Trauma star Aimee Garcia, who plays former soldier and helicopter pilot Marisa Benez on the NBC drama series. "Absolutely," Garcia told TVGuide.com when asked if viewers will learn more about Marisa's backstory. "In fact, in the episode we're shooting now her Army buddy decides to go AWOL and puts her in a predicament. It's a very serious offense, and I thought I had this huge responsibility to represent soldiers accurately and I wanted to explore the bond a soldier has with another soldier that no civilian will ever understand." (TVGuide.com)

CBS has extended its first-look deal with Samuel L. Jackson's UppiTV shingle, which has set up two projects at the network. The first is an untitled multi-camera comedy from writer/executive producer Bob Kushell about the wife of a Congressman who inherits her late husband's seat after his death; also set up at the Eye is an untitled medical drama from writer/executive producer Andrea Newman about an ER doctor who uses "unconventional methods to treat his patients." (Hollywood Reporter)

Cabler TLC has sued Jon Gosselin for breach of contract, stating that the Jon and Kate Plus 8 star cashed in on his "rising notoriety by selling his services to other media, in violation of his contractual exclusivity obligation," and further violated his contract by issuing press releases without TLC's approval and failing to turn up for filming. (Variety)

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos will return for the fortieth anniversary of ABC's daytime soap All My Children, which celebrates its anniversary on January 5th. Ripa and Consuelos have filmed two episodes, which will air January 4th and 5th. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Comments

AskRachel said…
It definitely sounds like The Wonderful Maladys is dead in the water, which is too bad because it sounded interesting and I'd like to see Sarah Michelle in a decent project again.
Anonymous said…
Maladys is definitely dead. Not sure why HBO is playing this game but everyone associated with the show has known for months.

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