[Televisionary]

As if the similarities between CBS' new fall drama Moonlight (formerly known as Twilight ), about a vampiric private detective, and the much-mourned Angel weren't blatant enough, just wait until you see who's been tapped to run the series... Yep, you guessed it: none other than David Greenwalt, the co-creator (along with Joss Whedon) of Angel . Greenwalt has been brought in as executive producer/showrunner on Moonlight as the horror/mystery skein undergoes a major overhaul (including some recasting) before launching on Fridays at 9 pm this fall. As already reported, the female lead, a nosy reporter with a mysterious link to Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin)'s past, played by Shannon Lucio in the original pilot presentation, will be recast . (I also noted that Amber Valletta, who played Mick's sire, will most likely also be recast.) Having seen the original pilot presentation of Moonlight , I can say that Greenwalt has definitely got his work cut out for him. O

Greetings, gentle readers. I can't believe that a week has gone by, filled with the Kevin Reilly/Ben Silverman situation (wow!) and the announced cancellation of Battlestar Galactica , whilst I was away partaking in way too much wine ("El vino did flow") and way too much fantastic food. In other words, I'm back from Napa now, rested and relaxed and ready for the summer season, albeit with more than a few series to catch up on as my choice of retreat didn't come with a television set. (Shock, horror!) So what have I missed? What do I need to catch up on? And what does everyone think about this craziness at NBC?

You read that right. I'm off, post Upfronts and LA Screenings, for a much-deserved break and some down time. Confession time: we're off to Napa and there isn't even a television in our hotel room. (Quelle horreur!) For those of you who understand that a television-free existence (even for just a week) is akin to a form of Geneva Convention-forbidden torture, rest assured that I'll return in a week's time, rested and ready to talk about all things Pirate Master (which launches Thursday night at 8 pm on CBS). In the meantime, be sure to visit Televisionary's brand spanking new MySpace profile page and check out what I'll be watching this summer , as well as some of my recent advance pilot reviews, including Pushing Daisies , Chuck , and The Return of Jezebel James . I promise to get to Dirty Sexy Money , Sam I Am , Bionic Woman , Sarah Connor Chronicles , and several others (I've now seen ALL of the pilots for the new fall season) when I return next wee

Remember when summer television was an oxymoron? Now, instead of warmed-over reruns and stale burn-offs, broadcast and cable networks are increasingly giving us fresh fare during the warmer months. Will CBS' Pirate Master be the latest reality juggernaut to launch during the summer, following in the footsteps of Survivor , American Idol , and The Amazing Race ? (Fingers crossed that it's a bona fide hit.) Will we get sucked into the topsy-turvy world of high stakes litigator Patty Hughes (Glenn Close) on FX's Damages ? Turn up the A/C, grab an ice cold caipirinha, sit back, and relax... Here are the series that I'll be watching this summer. MA Y Hidden Palms (CW) After a disastrous viral ad campaign , the CW has unceremoniously dumped its latest teen drama in a summer slot with barely any promotion or advertising (sorry but those Three Stooges-inspired 8-second "commercials" don't count); but don't count this Desperate Housewives meets The OC out

I'll admit it. I was rather sucked in by the CW's eight-episode teen drama, Hidden Palms , the latest offering from Kevin Williamson ( Dawson's Creek , Scream ). For those of you who missed my original review of the pilot last May, below is an updated version of that review, now that I've seen the actual series. While Williamson's last few series have failed to click with viewers ( Wasteland , Glory Days ), he's returned with this series to the blend of thriller/mysteries and teen angst that he's best known for. The result is something along the lines of Desperate Housewives crossed with The OC . (Though I am seriously baffled by critics' recent usage of Twin Peaks as a reference.) Back in Seattle, Johnny Miller ( The OC 's Taylor Handley) was the perfect son: studious, well behaved, and clean-cut. But that was before his drunk father (guest star Tim DeKay of HBO's Carnivale ) shot himself right in front of Johnny's eyes. Two years and a s

The networks may have only just announced their fall schedules last week but that doesn't mean that there won't be a slew of recasting as series make their way into production in the next few weeks. In fact, several roles are already being cast and a few of those series that didn't make the cut onto the fall schedule (like FOX's Saving Sam , formerly known as Deeply Irresponsible , and CW's Eight Days a Week ) aren't exactly dead yet. Look for some retooling and recasting on a couple of those programs "missing" from the network lineups. Over at CBS, the Angel / Forever Knight ripoff Moonlight (which previously went under the moniker Twilight ), about a vampiric private investigator torn between his conflicting desires of redemption and bloodlust (sound familiar?), is looking to recast its female lead. The pilot presentation 's nosy reporter role was played by The O.C.' s Shannon Lucio but the network is now reporting that Lucio is out and th

In one of the, er, oddest bits of casting recently, Showtime announced that Mary-Kate Olsen will join the cast of drama Weeds , which returns for its third season of pot-scented shenanigans August 13th. Mary-Kate Olsen (remind me, is that the blonde one?) will play Tara, a Christian who moves into a new planned community sponsored by a local evangelical church, located next to the Botwin's Agrestic. Tara will quickly become a new love interest for Nancy's son Silas (Hunter Parrish) and Olsen is already contracted to appear in 10 of the 15 episodes ordered for Season Three. " Weeds isn't your eight-o'-clock family fare," says creator Jenji Kohan. "It's an adult show with adult subject matter and we're confident Mary-Kate is right for the role. She came in and read with Hunter and was absolutely charming and real and seemed like a great fit. Audiences have seen only one side of Mary-Kate but here, we'll see her in a whole new light." (I co