[Televisionary]

Good morning and welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. I stayed in last night with the wife and watched the first three hilarious and fun episodes of Season Two of Chuck . (More on that before the season launches.) And just a reminder: don't forget to tune in tonight to FOX's series premiere of Fringe , from J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman! Chuck has scored yet another guest star. Gary Cole ( Desperate Housewives ) will join the cast in an episode slated for November sweeps as the con man father of Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski), which means that we'll finally get some answers about Sarah's mysterious past and her true identity. (I can't wait!) After seeing how well guest star John Larroquette was used in Chuck 's second episode of the upcoming season (really, the three eps are brilliant), I have complete faith in Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak to put Cole to good use. ( Entertainment Weekly 's Ausiello Files ) In other casting

Good morning and welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Like many of you out there, I'm bummed that my three-day weekend sailed by far too quickly... but am also thrilled that the fall TV season is finally upon us. Digital Spy has a roughly 90-second trailer up for Merlin , which airs on BBC One and on NBC this winter and stars Colin Morgan, Anthony Stewart Head, Michelle Ryan, Richard Wilson, Katie McGrath, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, and Santiago Cabrera. ( Digital Spy ) 90210 mania is upon us with mere hours to go before the launch of 90210 2.0, as it were. EW.com has some behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty from their recent cover shoot. ( Entertainment Weekly 's PopWatch ) Shannen Doherty, meanwhile, sat down with the Los Angeles Times for a brief interview, in which she said that the sudden goodwill being directed towards her from the public "definitely feels good" and "also feels scary." (

Good morning one and all and welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. (Yes, the weekend is just within our grasp.) Stargate Atlantis will wrap its run on Sci Fi when the fifth season concludes in January, but the cabler has ordered an untitled two-hour telepic that will air sometime in 2009, following the series finale. An official press release from Sci Fi is said to be forthcoming. ( Multichannel News ) Joel Silver is back in television news headlines again (he's said to be in discussions with creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell about a possible feature version of Veronica Mars ): he's optioned Arthur T. Vanderbilt II's 1989 family history "Fortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt," about the famous clan's 20th century saga as they deal with "declining fortune, extravagances and social-climbing instincts." Silver plans to adapt the book into a possible series for pay cabler HBO; he and Jane Semel would executiv

Buh-bye, Henry. That's the word from ABC this morning as Ugly Betty co-star Christopher Gorham, who plays Betty Suarez's hapless romantic interest Henry, has signed on to star in CBS' midseason slasher drama Harper's Island . Gorham will replace Ryan Merriman ( Veritas: The Quest ), who appeared in the original pilot presentation of Harper's Island . Gorham will play groom Henry Dunn, whose friends and family depart for a destination wedding on the bride and groom's island childhood home, only to be picked off one by one at the hands of a psychotic killer, long thought killed by the island's sheriff... who happens to be the father of wedding guest Abby (Elaine Cassidy), Henry's best friend whose mother was one of the killer's victims during their childhood. (A nice cheery series, no?) Personally, I loathed the original pilot script and thought that the pilot presentation that CBS assembled (which was basically a chunk of scenes from the pilot script

You know when the highlight of an episode is a super-saturated flashback to Betty getting selected as a "human shield" in a high school game of dodgeball that you're in for a snoozer of an episode. Such was the case last night with the season finale of Ugly Betty ("Jump"), which didn't so much as advance the plots as it did end the series' sophomore season with some rather unbelievable "twists" and forced Betty to once again choose between former true love Henry--who, as we all know impregnated his ex-girlfriend and moved to Tucson--or new love interest/sandwich maker Gio, who apparently can afford to pay his rent on his apartment and his prime midtown location-based sandwich shop AND jet off to Rome for a month. (Apparently he keeps down his costs by being the sole employee.) Personally, I wish she'd ditch both Gio and Henry and move in with Christina (Ashley Jensen), who sadly didn't even appear in the season finale. I understand the

I didn't always hate Lindsay Lohan. There was a time, probably around the era of the Tina Fey-scripted comedy Mean Girls, where I quite liked Lindsay; she had matured from a kid actor into a sexy, self-assured bombshell of a woman with fine comedic chops and a burgeoning career. Since then, she's become a punchline of a joke no one cares about any more: trashy, crotch-flashing tabloid fodder. So I was pretty irked to see that she was joining the cast of Ugly Betty , a series which is making me slightly nauseous with all the good cheer, melodrama, and "heart" that they've been cramming down our throats since firing showrunner Marco Pennette, the man responsible for adding some much needed laughs (and for making characters Alexis, Mark, and Amanda not only likable but three-dimensional). Yes, folks, the same people that wrote the word "heart" on the white board in the writers room of Betty have chosen to cast one of the most despicable starlets not just i

ABC has opted to give nine scripted series early renewals this season, including Lost (guaranteed two additional seasons after the series' current fourth season), Brothers & Sisters, Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy , and Desperate Housewives . These series will all return next season for a place on ABC's fall schedule and have each received a full season pickups for the 2008-09 season. "The strength of our schedule this fall was unprecedented and speaks for itself," said ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson in a statement. "We're looking forward to building on that success." The Alphabet also granted reprieves to three first-year dramas and one freshman comedy; Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Private Practice , and Samantha Who? will join the above series on the schedule next season. Good news, right? Well, yes, I am happy that they've gotten another shot on the ratings merry-go-round but as of right now Pushing Daisies and these oth

I finally got around to watching last week's episode of Ugly Betty ("A Thousand Words By Friday") after a busy weekend... and a Thursday night that was filled to the brim with new episodes of Chuck . While it wasn't the greatest episode to date, it was remarkable for one thing: that simply awe-inspiring ode to parental want from Amanda, whose every scene remains one of the series' most enduring high points. Was anyone else just blown away by her singing chops and her hysterical KISS-inspired tongue-wagging while she sang a song in an effort to reach out to her biological father, Gene Simmons? Lucky for her, Gene googles himself every day so caught wind of Amanda's gig at the Beer Hole. Like father, like daughter, I suppose. This week's episode was sadly light on Marc-'n-Amanda goodness (with the exception of the hysterical scene where they attempt to write a song to the beat of a Casio keyboard), but did offer up some amusement in the form of a number

Hola, Ugly Betty fans! I've been meaning to write about Betty lately but have gotten sidetracked among the strike news and a slew of other first-run fare, but after last week's superlative episode of Ugly Betty ("Zero Worship"), from first-time Betty scribe Dawn DeKeyser, I had to write something. Last week's episode was like a breath of fresh air in a Queens subway station. Unlike the melodrama that has put the series into a bit of a nosedive for me lately, this episode was everything that Betty has been missing for a while and was effervescent, slightly tart, and filled with heart. Sure, there were things that irked a little bit, like that Mode fashion show with "real women" which could have been rewritten slightly to tone down the sappiness and the exposition about whether Daniel or Alexis rigged those scales was a little clunky, but I overlooked those minor quibbles because the episode did what Ugly Betty hasn't done in a long time: it made

Still catching up on several episodes of new and returning series that aired last week (though I do have to count my blessings that I was able to get several of them ahead of time), but I realized that I haven't even mentioned last week's installment of Ugly Betty , a huge step-up in quality from the season opener. Last week's episode ("Family Affair") was everything that I wanted out of Ugly Betty , which I find lately has a tendency to drift into the mawkish rather than remaining blissfully over-the-top. (After all, pairing gunshot victims with West Side Story death throes does not make for laugh-out-loud moments.) But last week's installment still gave us characterization and plot advances without sacrificing the humor. What worked? The Amanda storyline for one, in which she learns that her inheritance from mother Fey Sommers is little more than a rash-prone pooch and a $1000 a week stipend but has to grow to love the pooch as it's all that remains of d

I'll admit that, while I fell under the pratfall-laden charms of Ugly Betty last season, I had grown a little tired of the series' forced sentimentality by the time the season finale had rolled around last May. Or, to be more precise, of the sullen mawkishness Ugly Betty seemed to employ more often then not in lieu of the over-the-top comedy the series claims to be. So, it was with a certain curiosity that I sat down recently to watch an advance screener of Betty 's season premiere ("How Betty Got Her Grieve Back"), which kicks off tonight on ABC. Would the maudlin tone of last season's finale continue over into this season? Or would it actually be a bright, shiny new start for Betty Suarez and Co? Let's find out. What did I like? The telenovela-influenced dream sequence that opens tonight's season premiere, complete with attempted murder, jilted lovers, and one hell of an outfit was the perfect way to begin the new season, tongue-in-cheek and campy

Sure, there are eBay auctions all the time, offering you the chance to claim a collectible related to your favorite series, but what if there was a way to own a one-of-a-kind item from, say, The Office, Desperate Housewives, Doctor Who, or Ugly Betty , and have the proceeds go to charity? I'd say you came to the right place. The fine folks at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the home of the Emmys) and BAFTA/LA are conducting an auction right now over at CharityFolks.com to benefit the non-profit educational foundations of both organizations. In addition to your usual gift baskets and walk-on roles, also up for grabs in this British-themed auction (BAFTA/LA is, after all, a sponsor) are one-of-a-kind celebrity designed teapots, signed by the casts of many of your favorite series, including the aforementioned series along with Brothers & Sisters, Jericho, CSI, The L Word, House, Medium, American Idol, Dexter, Californication , and Family Guy , among others. The Offi

One of my main complaints about Ugly Betty is its tendency to become mawkish rather than revel in its fun, soapy atmosphere. Amanda and Christina getting trapped inside Fay's love dungeon? Classic. Marc getting traded to rival designer Fabia so that Wilhelmina could score her chosen wedding day at Saint Patrick's Cathedral? Hilarious. Santos getting gunned down in a store robbery and Hilda having a mental breakdown outside the auditorium where Justin performs (and dies onstage) in West Side Story? Not so much. Remember, please, that this is the series that won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy series, beating out NBC's The Office . Yes, that's best COMEDY series. What we've been seeing lately with storylines involving Ignacio's immigration problem, Daniel's sex addiction, and--yes--Santos' wrong place, wrong time murder just doesn't jibe with a show that can, at times (usually involving Marc, Amanda, Wilhelmina, or Justin) be laugh-out loud hilari

Oh, Betty, I've missed you. It seems like forever since we've been able to sit down and watch a new episode of Ugly Betty . Well, maybe not as long as that but I've missed the show's wacky charms enough to feel a twinge of separation anxiety every time I notice there's a repeat on Thursday. Fortunately, last night's episode of Ugly Betty ("Punch Out") brought us to new levels of loopiness while closing the door on some grating storylines (Constance, anyone?) and it showed us (finally) that Betty had gained enough confidence to not only tell off Christina for accepting Wilhelmina's help (especially given the price) but to tell Daniel that she was off the clock when he once again turned to her for help (after telling her off earlier). Brava, Betty. Constance. I've loathed this whole Ignacio immigration storyline since its inception way back when in the lousy HMO storyline. But I do have to say that last night's episode did offer one unexpect

Over on Ugly Betty ("Coming Out") , I was shocked, shocked, shocked that they would already have Alexis (Rebecca Romijn) reveal herself to her family as the former (and presumed dead) Alex Meade so quickly. But then again, I'm not sure how long they could have drawn out Daniel, in a very melodramatic twist, flirting with a woman who used to be his brother. (How seriously creepy was that? I still can't get that out of my head.) While I knew that Alexis and Wilhelmina were planning something big, I didn't figure that Alexis would expose herself (not literally, of course) in front of the assembled fashionista masses at Fashion Week AND have Bradford arrested for the murder of Faye Sommers all in one fell swoop. Daring divas, these. I'm still not quite sure why Alexis hates Daniel so much (though hitting on one's dead brother's ex-girlfriends isn't exactly fine form), seeing as it was Daniel who was so jealous of Bradford and Alex's relationship. (

Ugly Betty has added two actors for guest starring roles while Alias ' Michael Vartan returns to television in a new drama pilot. Lucy Liu and Jerry O'Connell (a.k.a. the future Mr. Rebecca Romijn) are set for guest appearances on ABC's hit comedy Ugly Betty . Liu will first pop up in the February 15th episode of Ugly Betty entitled "Derailed." She'll play Grace Chin, formerly known as "The Chin," an ex-classmate of Daniel Meade who was, well, rather frumpy back in high school (no Guadalajara ponchos or anything, but you get the implication). Now Daniel needs her help with a certain family matter and, well, The Chin doesn't seem to want to turn the other cheek. (Ouch, bad pun.) Liu is set to appear in two episodes of Ugly Betty this season. Also turning up in Ugly Betty 's "Derailed" episode is Jerry O'Connell, who happens to be the fiance of new castmate Rebecca Romijn (and was at one time the fat kid from Stand By Me , but

Um, wow. Seriously, just... wow. I don't know about you, but I did not see that coming. In perhaps one of the best plot twists on ABC since the hatch was revealed to contain a hard-living fitness fanatic named Desmond, the audience of Ugly Betty finally learned the identity of the mysterious Masked Woman that's been plotting a rather fashionable coup at Mode magazine. And, yes, while we knew it would end up being Rebecca Romijn all along, it was the reveal of who she really was that really had me gasping for air. Could it be that our mystery woman used to be... a man? Looks like Ms. Romijn has shifted a lot more in this role than as Mystique. Turns out that the Masked Woman is none other than Alex Meade. (Sorry, Alexis Meade now.) You know, Daniel's supposedly dead brother who perished after jumping out of a helicopter during a skiing trip and whose (mistaken) demise led to Daniel taking over as editor-in-chief at Mode in the first place. Whah? 'Tis true, though we'

Project Runway host/mentor Tim Gunn might not be confirmed for the next season of the sartorial challenge series, but he is due to pop up in an unlikely place: Mode magazine. ABC has announced that Gunn will guest star on Golden Globe-winning comedy Ugly Betty during February sweeps in not one, but two (yes, two!) episodes. Gunn will play a Fashion TV correspondent covering a grand scandale that breaks during the Mode Fashion Week runway show, beginning February 1st. The February 1st installment of Ugly Betty that introduces Gunn's character will also guest star American Idol 's Katharine McPhee, playing herself. Or better still, herself as a celebrity guest at said Mode runway show. Also said to return in that February 1st episode: Christopher Gorham, who plays Henry, the object of Betty's affections. Will Betty be forced to choose between Henry and Walter? It is February sweeps, after all, but if Gunn can teach Betty one thing, it's to come to a decision and, well

There are some things that are so rare that some are willing to search an entire world for them. The Holy Grail, a dodo egg, the mythical phoenix. In the 2006-07 season, that elusive item would be a freshman drama that's still on the air, considering the sharpness (not to mention the well-oiled frequency of use) of the cancellation guillotine the networks employed this year. One of the few new series that managed to not only sneak by Madame Guillotine, but to prosper, is the US adaptation of Ugly Betty . I had managed to avoid Ugly Betty for a few reasons: (A) I found the pilot, which I viewed back in May, to have been a little messy, an odd hodgepodge of comedy, melodrama, and outright sap, and (B) it airs directly opposite NBC's comedy crown jewel, The Office , and as any longtime reader of Televisionary knows, if there's one thing that I adore, it's The Office . But that all changed. Call karma, call it kismet, or call it the tempting hand of an 11-episode Ugly Bett