[Televisionary]

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Another one bites the dust: Melina Kanakaredes is the latest star to leave their CBS drama series, following in the footsteps of A.J. Cook, Eddie Cibrian, and Liz Vassey. Kanakaredes, who has starred on CBS' CSI: NY for six seasons, has announced that she will not be returning for a seventh go-around as Detective Stella Bonasera. "We hoped Melina would return to CSI: NY for another season, but we respect her decision to move on," said CBS Television Network and CBS Television Studios in a joint statement released yesterday. "Her amazing talent and invaluable contribution to the success of the series are greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten. She will forever remain a friend to the network and studio and we wish her the very best." ( E! Online's Watch with Kristin ) Meanwhile, yesterday's rumor appears now to be a fact: Sela Ward is joining CSI: NY , following Kanakaredes' departure. ( Ent

"Appetite, a universal wolf.” - William Shakespeare HBO's seductive vampire drama True Blood has often placed a certain emphasis on the hungers of its characters, both human and otherwise. But last night's riveting installment ("9 Crimes"), written by Kate Barnow and Elisabeth R. Finch and directed by David Petrarca, brought this underlying theme directly to the surface, exploring the way that bloodlust--in its many forms--make the characters tick and offering up a compendium of crimes, from murder and kidnapping to treason and falsifying evidence, that swirl around the denizens of Bon Temps like so much cigar smoke. The episode also featured some very warped looks at the way that certain relationships can go off the rails, whether it was the painful breakup between Bill and Sookie (which we'll discuss at length in a bit) or the unrequited love that Alcide has for his ex-girlfriend Debbie Pelt. Not to mention the severely creepy obsession that Franklin is h

It's that time of year again: Emmy nominations. Modern Family 's Sofia Vergara and Community 's Joel McHale were on hand bright and early this morning to announce the Primetime Emmy Award nominations. (I stayed home to watch E! Online's stream of the press conference rather than drive over there bleary-eyed and unable to conceal my frustration about overlooked performances and series in person.) While Vergara ultimately walked away with a nomination for supporting actress for Modern Family (as did most of her co-stars, in fact), McHale was sadly shut out of the nominations, as was Community , a real slap in the face (along with that for Parks and Recreation ) considering that Community and Parks were both streets ahead of The Office and 30 Rock this season. Grr. So which series did the best overall? HBO's The Pacific walked away with an impressive 24 nominations, followed closely by FOX's Glee at 19 nods, AMC's Mad Men at 17, and 15 nominations

Having originally watched the third episode of True Blood 's third season over a month ago, it's been impossible to scrub that final image from my memory. Now that the episode has aired, it's rather likely that you too now have that same problem. The final scene of the episode ("It Hurts Me Too"), written by Alexander Woo and directed by Michael Lehmann, might just be one of the most disturbing images ever to air on television and I can promise that it will sit with you a long time after the final credits have rolled on this week's installment. True Blood has long been an exploration of how the characters cling to or cast off their humanity and the tenuous thread that often keeps these supernatural entities bound to their mortal lives. While the final scene was graphic and, yes, twisted, it was also an absolutely necessary stepping stone for one character as he came face to face with what he despised about both his maker and himself... and the lengths he was

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Judy Greer ( Miss/Guided ) is heading to CBS. The actress--whose voice appeared this season on FX's animated comedy Archer --has signed on to star in CBS ensemble comedy Mad Love , which has been picked up for thirteen episodes and will launch in midseason. Greer replaces Lizzy Caplan, who had only signed on to appear as a guest star in the pilot, and will star opposite Sarah Chalke (who herself replaced Minka Kelly), Jason Biggs, and Tyler Labine (who replaced Dan Fogler). Project, from writer/executive producer Matt Tarses, revolves around a group of Manhattan friends looking for love. ( Variety , Deadline ) Deadline's Nellie Andreeva is reporting that David Strathairn ( Matadors ) is in talks to topline Syfy's action-adventure pilot Alphas , which revolves around a team of people with extraordinary abilities. Strathairn would play the "the overseer/team leader/prescribing doctor and all around mother hen to the tea

As the Summer Solstice has come and gone now, the hot months of summer are officially in full swing as the broadcast and cable networks bring out their slate of originals and burn-offs during the sweltering season. While I'm sinking my teeth into quite a bit of programming this summer (including HBO's True Blood , Bravo's Top Chef , and my latest obsession, BBC America's upcoming Come Dine With Me ) and catching up on some others (cough, Friday Night Lights , cough), I'm curious to know just what you are watching right now... and what you intend to watch this summer. Are you hooked on USA's dramedies? Can't wait for the return of Entourage ? Trembling at the thought of more True Blood ? Intrigued by Work of Art ? Spooked by the thought of Syfy's Haven ? Head to the comments section to discuss what's on your season pass this summer, what's failed to click with you so far, and what new and returning television series you are most looking forward to

It's official: HBO has renewed True Blood for a fourth season. It's hardly a surprising twist of fate for the vampire drama series, which has brought the pay cabler some of its highest ratings since The Sopranos and has tapped into an insatiable public appetite for all things vampiric. "The new season of True Blood is off to a terrific start, as enthusiasm for this unique show continues to build among both subscribers and critics,” said Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming, in a statement. "We’re looking forward to more chills from Alan Ball and his gifted team next year." "I am beyond thrilled to be able to continue working with this amazing cast and crew," said creator/executive producer Alan Ball. "This is the most fun I have ever had." Production on Season Four of True Blood is slated to get underway next January, with the fourth season set to air next summer. The full press release from HBO, announcing the renewal, can be fou

Suffering isn't just the provenance of the living within the world of True Blood . In fact, everyone--whether human, vampire, or shifter--must make their way through the world carrying their own pain and misery in their bones. That truth--one spoken ages ago by the Buddha himself--is the underlying thread within this week's episode of True Blood ("Beautifully Broken"), written by Raelle Tucker and directed by Scott Winant, in which several characters attempt to come to grips with the sources of their suffering: anguish over a lost loved one, abandonment during childhood, and the haunting of some bitter memories better left buried. When the Buddha wrote that life was dukkha , he didn't mean "pain" or suffering precisely (though Lafayette quotes him as saying such). Rather, he posited that life was analogous to disquietude--to interruptions--the way a potter's wheel might skip rather than turn smoothly. But the intent is the same. What we're seein

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. It's official: former Life on Mars star Jason O'Mara has signed on to topline FOX's new action-adventure series Terra Nova , following the successful close of his deal, according to Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Series revolves around a family from the future who travels back in time to the Earth's prehistoric past in order to save mankind. O'Mara will play Jim Shannon, described as "a devoted father with a checkered past who guides his family through this new land of limitless beauty, mystery and terror." (The role was reportedly offered to Friday Night Lights star Kyle Chandler prior to O'Mara.) Alex Graves ( Fringe will direct the pilot. ( Deadline ) Back Stage's Jessica Jardine has an interview with True Blood 's Mariana Klaveno, who plays Bill's maker, the devious vampire Lorena. "That's one of the really brilliant things about the show," said Klaveno. "[The wr