[Televisionary]

Could the teen private investigator be trading in her telephoto lens and snappy retorts for superpowers? Just days after rumors that former Veronica Mars series lead Kristen Bell would join the cast of Lost (sadly, a deal was never reached), NBC dropped a major bombshell of a casting notice: Bell is a lock for a multiple episode storyline on the sophomore season of Heroes , beginning in October . Say what? Bell will play Elle, an enigmatic woman with connections to the alleged death of Peter, Horn Rimmed Glasses' past, and Claire's future. Elle will commit a serious crime during her initial appearance, though whether she's good or bad is still unclear. On scoring the much-in demand Bell (who will lend her voice as the eponymous narrator in the CW's new drama Gossip Girl and will appear in Judd Apatow's Forgetting Sarah Marshall ), Heroes creator Tim Kring said in a statement, "This was not easy to pull off. But since we're an ensemble show, with many ar

Confession time. While there is a whole plethora of new summer series to watch this season (including next week's launch of Damages on FX), the one show I keep finding myself watching is none other than Veronica Mars . Yes, I've started over at the very beginning and have been steadily working my way back through Season One of Veronica Mars this summer, relishing in every single plot twist and turn as Veronica and Papa Keith investigate the murder of Lily Kane and, you know, solve a few dozen other mysteries along the way. While I never forgot how much I loved the now-canceled Veronica Mars (which, sadly, had its final send-off on the CW last Tuesday), it's been brilliant fun going back and watching all of the set up for the eventual reveal of Lily's killer. And little things too: seeing Logan and our girl Veronica go from hostile animosity to full-blown lust over the course of 16 episodes or so. Remember when he vandalized her car in the pilot episode? And when they

It's official. No matter how many marshmallows grieving Veronica Mars fans manage to send to the CW , the netlet is not reconsidering its decision to axe the noir drama. Yes, ladies and gentleman and VM fans, the Blonde One has left the building. Veronica Mars is no more. In a statement to TV Guide , Rob Thomas acknowledged the series' demise : "I'm afraid I have to report that Veronica Mars is officially dead," Thomas told Michael Ausiello. "At least in TV show form. There's really no way that it can happen now. I'm not sure the CW should've given the glimmer of hope. I think Dawn Ostroff genuinely would have liked to have continued on with a version of the show, but there was too much resistance around her. At the end of the day, it would've been kinder had the band aid simply been ripped off rather peeled away in than this agonizingly slow manner." While I do think that Thomas is being far too kind in believing that Ostroff wanted

Spurred by the recent success of the fan-based campaign to save cancelled CBS series Jericho , fans of the CW's axed Veronica Mars have organized their own attempt to resurrect their beloved heroine from cancellation. Fans of the crime-fighting college student launched Save Veronica Mars : The Mars Bars (and Marshmallows) Campaign , which aims to get CW to reconsider its position on ending the noir mystery series by blanketing the CW offices wth as many Mars bars and marshmallows as humanly possible. Inspired, no doubt, by the success of the send-peanuts-to-CBS campaign, which was a factor in the network saving Jericho , after officially cancelling it. The campaign is currently looking for donations in the form of purchased Mars bars. (As many people will tell you, US Mars bars are no longer being produced; therefore the only way of purchasing these delicious chocolate-based goodies are through online vendors.) The truckloads of bars will then be brought to CW President Dawn Ostro

I really can't believe it's over. While last night's episode of Veronica Mars was touted by the CW as a "season finale," it's clear that the series has come to the end of the road and I, for one, am completely gutted. It's one thing when a show peters out over several seasons and by Season Seven or so you become indifferent to one of your favorite series, but Veronica Mars still had a hell of a lot of potential--despite the awkward, sometimes off-putting single episode mysteries--and managed to restart itself in the two-hour finale. One of the funniest moments in last night's Veronica Mars finale ("Weevils Wobble But They Don't Fall Over"/"The Bitch is Back") was a hilariously tongue-firmly-in-cheek scathing indictment of CW-style product placement as the gang name drop Venus razors ("Veronica Mars uses a Venus razor?"), People magazine, Saturn hybrid cars, and Matchbox 20, allowing Piz to take a swipe at Veronica M

Sigh. It seems like forever ago that I was excited to watch last night's episode of Veronica Mars , but after learning that my beloved Mars wouldn't be returning next season (thanks again, CW!), I couldn't help but watch the episode feeling more than a little blue. If next week is to be the end of the smart, stylish series, I do wish that Rob Thomas and Co. had been given the opportunity to go out on their own terms and to potentially wrap up the series in the way that makes sense, both for the story and its characters and the viewers of the series. But in the end, in a twist most at home in its noir setting, Veronica Mars was betrayed by a supposed ally: the CW network. Since the move to the CW at the beginning of the season, the WBTV series has been battered around more than that damn Maltese Falcon. It launched on Tuesday nights for one story arc, then it was pulled for several months, only to return for a handful of episodes (in which V. solved the murder of Dean O

The CW has just become public enemy number one in the Televisionary household. Yes, gentle readers, the netlet has done the unthinkable and cancelled my beloved Veronica Mars . After two days of holding my breath while the networks unveiled their fall schedules, I kept hoping that somehow, some way, the CW would realize it didn't want to get rid of the only series with any critical traction left on their network and find a way (reduced episode count? flash forward in time?) to keep Veronica Mars on the air. Alas, it's official. Next week's episode of Veronica Mars will be the series' last. And I for one am not ready to say goodbye to Neptune just yet. UPDATE: TV Guide 's Michael Ausiello claims the CW may wait until June 15th to decide the final fate of Veronica Mars : "Contractually, the net has until June 15 to reach a verdict, and the extra time would allow Rob Thomas to produce an actual script for Veronica in the FBI. hat's one scenario. The other

I'm still shocked by last night's Lost but wanted to offer just a few quick thoughts about Veronica Mars . Yes, I succumbed to the temptation of watching this week's episode online at CWTV.com rather than waiting for the rescheduled telecast on KTLA on Saturday (don't worry, I plan to watch again, to keep up those all-important ratings numbers); I couldn't help myself. Still, this week's episode of Veronica Mars ("Debasement Tapes") was all about the guest star: Paul Rudd, who should by law be required to guest star on every television series I watch. Or to have a series of his own. Or, you know, release an album. The star of Clueless , Wet Hot American Summer , and The 40-Year-Old Virgin did not disappoint in his star turn this week as has-been rocker Desmond Fellows, whose band My Pretty Pony seemed an amorphous mix of 90s grunge bands like Nirvana and Mother Love Bone (who later became, yes, Pearl Jam). Rudd was fantastic as Fellows, turning him i

Those of us in LA fortunate enough to be far away from that awful Griffith Park raging fire tuned in to the CW last night hoping to get our minds off the fire by catching up with our favorite blonde sleuth. We were in for a bit of a nasty shock as the CW pre-empted the telecast in favor of the local news. The episode of Veronica Mars ("Debasement Tapes") is up on the CW's website for those of you who can't wait for the televised version, but regardless, be sure to tune in to the rescheduled airing as we need to keep those viewing numbers up. (UPDATE: KTLA will show the episode in its entirety this Saturday at 9 pm.) Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter is indicating that Veronica Mars is inching ever closer to a fourth season renewal , following a "warm reception" at the network towards the trailer focusing on Veronica as a Clarice Starling-style FBI agent in training. As previously reported, the new direction, envisioned by Rob Thomas, would propel the plot

Oh, Veronica, how I've missed you during these long, lonely, Pussycat Doll-laden months. Tuesdays just haven't been the same without you. I was a little nervous to see how last night's episode of Veronica Mars ("Un-American Graffiti"), the first of five stand-alone episodes, would play out. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how well the format worked, giving us a distinct case for Veronica to work on and solve within an hour (complete with a few unforeseen twists) as well as some romantic angst for her to process as well. The result was a well-balanced episode that worked on several levels and pushed the characters along a little bit. Plus, we actually had nearly every supporting character around this week, from Logan and Dick, to Mac, Piz, and Wallace. All this and a track from Badly Drawn Boy? Sweet. Mac. An episode with some serious Mac face time is always a good thing and our beloved Mac has turned into quite the catch. When she's not hikin

More twisty than one of the Dharma Initiative's orientation films. More needlessly confusing than the current season of 24 . Just what am I talking about? If you've been following the on-again, off-again future of the CW's Veronica Mars , you know exactly what I am talking about. It seems as though a day can't go by without someone from the cast or crew making a comment in the press about the show's fate. Then there was the previously reported new story angle, with the action for a potential fourth season taking place several years in the future, with Veronica an FBI trainee. (An angle that Rob Thomas confirmed here on this very blog .) An interesting gambit, the pitch presented the opportunity for Thomas to present two very different avenues for a potential next season to the network. Then on Friday, co-star Enrico Colantoni (a.k.a. Papa Keith) told the Toronto Star that the FBI angle had been vetoed by the network and was now as dead as poor Sheriff Lamb: "R

April and May are always rollercoaster rides of emotion for television junkies like myself, as networks begin to shape up their schedules for fall and tease us with a few series renewals and cancellations ahead of the network upfronts in mid-May. It's quite easy then to fall into a state of constant guessing as to whether your favorite shows will return next season. I was stunned to learn that, according to USA Today 's Robert Bianco, the still-on-hiatus Veronica Mars (which, thankfully, returns to the airwaves May 1st and obliterates those dreadful Pussycat Dolls) is already a goner : "San Francisco, CA: How come Veronica Mars wasn't included on the USA Today "save or axe" survey? Has its fate already been decided? Robert Bianco: Yes. According to our reporter Gary Levin, the show has been cancelled. And he's almost always right about such things." Shock, horror. But fret not, Neptune fans. This morning, Kristin at E! released the results of her s

Will Veronica be saying goodbye to Neptune? If Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas has his way, that might be just what happens next year, if the struggling mystery series is picked up for a fourth season of noir-tinged intrigue. Despite reports yesterday that Veronica Mars had been cancelled , The Hollywood Reporter has indicated that Thomas has devised a plan to "fast-forward a couple of years and have [Veronica] studying at the FBI Academy." While the series' current season has layed the groundwork for this to occur at some point in the future (criminology professor/murderer Hank Landry has pushed Veronica to apply for an internship), the change would in fact significantly alter the series, propelling the timeline several years in the future and shifting the series' locale from sunny California to Quantico, Virginia. Thomas is said to be filming a trailer for an "alternative" fourth season and will be submitting it to the CW for consideration. Network ex

Color this Veronica Mars fan extremely worried. I'm not talking about the relative success of timeslot replacement Pussycat Dolls Present The Search for the Next Doll (though it's, er, sobering to say the least), but rather the news that Veronica's (potential) love interest Piz might be moving on. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Chris Lowell has signed on for a pilot. And not just any pilot, but the much buzzed about Grey's Anatomy spin-off starring Kate Walsh, and Taye Diggs. Grey's creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes is keeping any details about Lowell's character firmly under wraps. It's assumed that Lowell's participation is in second position to his regular gig on Veronica Mars , but Lowell's agents must have been given the go-ahead for Lowell to go out for pilots this season. While it's not a definitive nail in the coffin for Veronica Mars , it's more than a little worrisome. CW still has not renewed Veronica for a fourth season an

Sigh. Can you believe that the latest pod of Veronica Mars episodes is already at a close? It seems like the beloved series only just returned from a way-too-long hiatus in the first place and now the CW have snatched the show right off the air again to bring us (ick) a reality series about the Pussycat Dolls. To cut to the chase: No new Veronica Mars episodes until May 1st. I'm heartbroken. While I am sure you'll hear me whining over the next two months about how I miss my weekly glimpse into Neptune, I did want to talk about the resolution to the Dean O'Dell murder mystery, which wrapped up neatly last night in the latest installment of Veronica Mars ("Papa's Cabin"). And, yes, just as I suspected way back when, it was creepy TA Tim Foyle. But like most good murder mysteries, writer John Enbom left us guessing until the final moments as he and the show's writers/producers did such a fantastic job at including enough red herrings, incriminating leads,

Um, wow. I don't know about you but I didn't see that one coming. I'm talking, naturally, about last night's episode of Veronica Mars ("Mars Bars"), which gave a us a much-needed one-two punch to our collective solar plexus in the form of the death of a much beloved (or maligned depending on your viewpoint) character who has been a major part of the series since the pilot. I'm extremely glad that the CW didn't blow this one by endlessly touting the death of a character in the promos, but when when the end did come it was definitely a surprise, and a really depressing one at that. I have to say that I really enjoyed the two-parter format, which gave the writers (John Enbom and Phil Klemmer) a chance to create a really intricate, multi-layered standalone mystery that managed to be engaging and thought-provoking. Unlike some of the single-episode mysteries, the basketball coach's murder offered some surprising twists and turns, enabled by the fact th

Just a brief post on Veronica today for a number of reasons, being (A) last night's episode was the first half of a two-parter, and (B) I'm as sick as a dog today. (And on Valentine's no less!) Last night's episode of Veronica Mars ("Postgame Mortem") featured Veronica and Keith working on two separate cases at the same time, one involving the murder of the Svengali-like basketball coach at Hearst College and the other being Mindy O'Dell's investigation of the murder of her husband, much missed Dean Cyrus O'Dell. It also featured Logan hanging out for the better part of a weekend with a precocious tween and Dick Casablancas getting hitched in Vegas. (Ah, young love.) And Wallace even dropped by to grace us with his presence. Well, for two scenes, anyway. Keith and Veronica continue to investigate O'Dell's murder, with Veronica learning from the ever-so-helpful Jeff Ratner at the Neptune Grand (last seen in "Hi, Infidelity") that

Ah, Veronica and Logan. Will you two crazy kids ever get together enough to have some semblance of a normal relationship? Answer: Not anytime soon, unless they want to become another so cute they're boring TV couple. I love these two starcrossed lovers together but when they're blissfully happy in one another's company, something just doesn't feel right. The latest issue between the divine Ms. Mars and Logan? His "we were on a break" encounter with the loathsome Madison Sinclair, whom you might remember has played a pretty crucial role in the lifes of our favorite kids from Neptune. Let's see, she roofied Veronica on the night of her party (leading to her rape by Cassidy and her first time with Duncan), wrote SLUT in lipstick on Veronica's windshield (which she discovered whilst staggering home), and is the actual daughter of Mac's parents (the two were switched at birth, meaning that the new Mercedes with the Gotzmine license plate should be our b