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Is there anyone out there who didn’t watch the Royal Wedding…but me?

Anyway, here are a few not so royal news bites, from TVLine.

- NBC has finally set a date for its long-delayed midseason comedy “Love Bites”. The show starring Becki Newton (“Ugly Betty”), Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”) and Constance Zimmer will debut this summer for a nine-week run on Thursday, June 2 at 10/9c PM.

- Ed Asner (“Up”) has been cast in USA’s “Royal Pains” for two episodes. He plays Ted Roth, Hank and Evan’s grandfather and Eddie’s father. The third season of “Royal Pains” is set to debut June 29 at 9/8c PM.

- Dylan McDermott (“The Practice”) has landed the male lead alongside Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”) in “American Horror Story”, the drama pilot for FX that is developed by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. McDermott plays the husband of Britton’s character.

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The CW has announced today that it has handed out pickups for five of its successful series.

“Gossip Girl”, “90210″, “The Vampire Diaries”, “Supernatural” and reality program “America’s Next Top Model” will all be coming back next season.

Not that it’s a surprise, really. All shows have been performing well for The CW in some way, be in the coveted 18-34 women demo, or in DVR, or in general.

After signing many of its stars on for another season, “One Tree Hill” is pretty likely to come back as well, leaving “Nikita” and “Hellcats” on the bubble. The CW is expected to at least cancel one of them to make room for something new next season.

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TVLine reports today that several “One Tree Hill” regulars have signed on for a potential ninth season of the veteran drama.

Sophia Bush, Austin Nichols, Robert Buckley, Lisa Goldstein and Jana Kramer have all signed on for another year, as has Bethany Joy Galeotti.

Still missing from that list: James Lafferty. But if the show gets picked up for another year, which is now much more likely than before, he is probably going to return at least part-time.

Additionally, Lauren Stamile (“Grey’s Anatomy”) has signed on for a multi-episode arc on the new season of “Burn Notice”, which bows June 23 on USA. She will play Kim Pearce, a brilliant CIA operative who investigates the murder of one of their own. First she leans on Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) to help him, but things between the two start to get complicated once she starts to suspect that Michael might be involved in the case himself.

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Originally, Elisabeth Harnois (“Miami Medical”, “Point Pleasant”) has been cast as a guest star on the upcoming May 5 episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, playing the estranged daughter of Conrad Ecklie (Marc Vann), who works for the LAPD and comes in to help the Las Vegas crew hunt down serial killer Nate Haskell.

Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva now reports that Harnois not only be back for more, but will be added to the cast as a full-fledged series regular, if the show comes back for a 12th season next fall. And even though CBS has not yet officially renewed the veteran procedural, it is expected to do so come upfront time in a few weeks.

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Showtime has just announced that it has picked up its freshman series “The Borgias” for a second season.

10 new episodes will be coming next season, to debut in 2012.

“The Borgias has become Sunday night appointment viewing for a broad swath of our subscribers,” said Showtime president David Nevins. “Neil Jordan’s cleverly crafted tale of a 15th century papal family has proven quickly addictive. It’s a tribute to his incredible skills as an auteur and to the extraordinary cast led by Jeremy Irons that this show fits so seamlessly into our line-up of quality shows.”

In addition, TVLine’s Nellie Andreeva reports today that “Chase” lead actress Kelli Giddish has signed on for a guest spot on CBS’ “The Good Wife”.

She will play the “provocative” role of an investigator for Lockhart Gardner who used to work with Kalinda (Archie Panjabi).

There’s talk for her to return in the fall – if the show makes it to season three. CBS has yet to renew it.

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Well, the season began with “Lone Star” being canceled after two episodes, and now, near the end of the same season, a second show has suffered the same fate.

The Hollywood Reporter reports today that NBC has officially canceled its comedy “The Paul Reiser Show”, after the second episode didn’t manage to improve in the ratings with a 0.9 demo rating, compared to the abysmal 1.1 rating for the premiere.

Repeats of “The Office” will fill the vacant slot beginning next week.

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Two things worth mentioning, courtesy of TVLine’s Meg Masters.

- USA will hold its Upfront presentation on May 2, and a released guest list for the event features “Fairly Legal” lead Sarah Shahi. Which brings AdWeek to the conclusion that USA will officially announce the renewal of the show for a second season at this point. Why else bring Sarah out for the festivities, right? Right.

- Kevin Alejandro (“True Blood”, “Shark”) has been tapped for a guest spot on the upcoming sixth season finale of “Bones”, where he will play a “flashy, arrogant man obsessed with bowling”, who, after the brutal murder of a league member, becomes a suspect.

- NBC has officially renewed “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” for another season, the show’s third.

- A&E has announced the premiere date for the second season of “The Glades”. The show returns Sunday, June 5, a 10/9c PM.

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FX has announced its premiere dates for summer.

The cable network is set to launch the second season of its successful comedy “Louie” on Thursday,  June 23, at 10.30 PM ET/PT, following the premiere of “Wilfred” at 10 PM ET/PT.

Wilfred, starring Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Jason Gann, is a live-action comedy series based on the critically acclaimed Australian series of the same title. Wilfred was adapted for FX by David Zuckerman (Family Guy, American Dad), who wrote the pilot and serves as Executive Producer/Showrunner. Elijah Wood stars as “Ryan,” an introvert struggling to make his way in the world until he meets “Wilfred” (played by Gann, co-creator of the Australian series), his neighbor’s canine pet. While the world sees Wilfred as a dog, Ryan sees Wilfred as a man dressed in a dog suit. Co-stars include Fiona Gubelmann as “Jenna,” Ryan’s attractive neighbor and Wilfred’s owner and Dorian Brown as “Kristen,” Ryan’s uptight sister.

And then there’s the start of the seventh and  final season of “Rescue Me”, which FX has set for Tuesday, July 12, at 10 PM ET/PT.

Dear folks,

Sometimes, news reporting of any kind just isn’t a fun thing to do…

The BBC reports today that Elisabeth Sladen, who gained world-wide recognition as Sarah Jane Smith, one of the first companions of “Doctor Who” from 1973 to 1976, and later starring in her own series, “The Sarah Jane Adventures” for four seasons, has passed away on Tuesday at the age of 63.

Sladen had been battling cancer for some time.

Hit the link above for a detailed obituary on her work.

People reports today that after taking a long absence due to her stay in rehab, Demi Lovato has now decided to leave “Sonny With A Chance”, the Disney show that made her a star, for good.

“It made sense for me to go ahead and leave the show to focus on my music,” the 18-year old Lovato tells the mag in this week’s issue. “It’s kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn’t be a better time for me to move on.”

She goes on to say, “I don’t think going back to Sonny would be healthy for my recovery. Being in front of a camera would make me nervous.”

And while many fans might be sad to see her go, Lovato has the Disney Channel backing up her decision.

“We respect Demi’s decision to focus fulltime on her music and not immediately return to her acting career,” a rep for the channel said in a statement. “She is a talented young woman and our hearts are with her as she continues to take action to improve her health and bounce back from adversity.”

Despite exiting “Sonny”, Lovato will still be part of the Disney fold, as she will continue to make records under the label.

What do you think? Can you agree with Demi’s decision, or would you have preferred that she returned to her breakout hit show?

Hello Folks

Well, the ratings certainly did please HBO, it seems…

After getting 2.2 Million viewers for its premiere episode in the first airing, and totaling 4.2 Million over the three times it has aired altogether, HBO has picked up its new fantasy series “Game of Thrones” for a second season.

The new season will debut next year, and will be based on “A Clash of Kings”,  George R.R. Martin’s next book in the “Song of Ice and Fire” series.

“We are delighted by the way David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have brought George R.R. Martin’s amazing book series to the screen, and thrilled by the support of the media and our viewers,” said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo. “This is the continuation of an exciting creative partnership.”

Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reports today that after three low-rated episodes, CBS has pulled its freshman CIA dramedy “Chaos” from the schedule, effective immediately.

Repeats of “CSI: NY” will fill the 8 PM void for the next two Fridays, and on May 6, CBS will return “Flashpoint” with new episodes in the slot.

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Some various TV-related items.

- The Hollywood Reporter reports that BET has picked up a fifth season of “The Game”. The show, which ran for three seasons on The CW before landing at the cable network, which is no surprise, as the show has been a ratings success.
In addition, BET has also renewed comedy “Let’s Stay Together” for a second season, and has picked up a new scripted show, “Reed Between The Lines”, a sitcom starring Tracee Ellis Ross as a psychiatrist dealing with both her professional and personal life.

- The Futon Critic reports that FX will burn off the four remaining episodes of “Running Wilde”. The show, which ran on FOX but was canceled quite quickly. FX will air the episodes on Thursdays at 10/9c PM as follows: “Jack’s Back” on April 28 (with an encore of “One Forward Step” at 10:30/9:30c), “Alienated” on May 5, “The Pre-Nup” on May 12 and the series finale, “Basket Cases,” on May 19.

- TVLine’s Michael Ausiello reports that  Griffin Dunne has joined the cast of “Damages” for multiple episodes of the upcoming fourth season. The story centers on a wrongful death lawsuit against the head of a military security firm (John Goodman over an incident in a war zone. Dunne plays a foreign correspondent who wants to write a story about the company in peril.

- Also from TVLine’s Michael Ausiello comes the news that TV Land is developing a spin-off to its successful comedy “Hot In Cleveland” that will star Cedric The Entertainer as a minister. The character will be introduced in the summer on “Cleveland”.

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Looks like we really haven’t seen the last of JJ Jareau.

Various sources report that after stories of her being in talks surfaced on the internet, A.J. Cook has now officially signed on to return to CBS’ “Criminal Minds” as a regular for the next two years. Her next appearance is set for the sixth season finale on May 18.

After her option for a contract renewal wasn’t picked up, Cook has left the show at the beginning of this season, and only returned for one episode a few weeks ago, when Paget Brewster had her final episode.

While Cook has signed for two more years with producing ABC Studios, CBS has yet to officially renew “Criminal Minds” for next season alone. But with the above development, a renewal for at least one more year is pretty likely.

As for Brewster, she is likely to return to “Minds” too, if her NBC pilot “My Life As An Experiment” doesn’t get picked up.

Original cast members Thomas Gibson and Shemar Moore are still in negotiations for new contracts to keep them in the fold.

According to TVGuide’s Joyce King, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be guest starring on “30 Rock” in an upcoming episode.

“We have another few amazing cameos,” Tina Fey said on NPR’s Leonard Lopate Show. “One, I’m going to make an executive decision that I’m allowed to talk about this — we have Condoleezza Rice coming up in a couple weeks on the show.”

She will play Jack’s (Alec Baldwin) ex-girlfriend on the show. Back in season one, Jack talked about having hooked up with Rice when he said he was dating a “high-ranking African-American member of the Bush Administration”.

Syfy has announced its summer lineup today, including the premiere dates of its new and returning shows.

Monday, July 11 is the big date to mark if you’re looking for the return of “Eureka”, which launches the second half of its fourth season at 8 PM ET/PT. Then at 9 PM ET/PT, “Warehouse 13″ bows its third season, and at 10 PM ET/PT, Syfy launches its new series “Alphas”.

The show follows a team of ordinary citizens with extraordinary mental and physical abilities. Taking the law into their own hands, the unlikely team, led by Dr. Leigh Rosen (Emmy Award-winner and Oscar nominee David Strathairn) investigates cases that suggest other Alpha activity to uncover what the CIA, FBI and Pentagon have not been able, or willing, to solve. These gifted individuals must balance their quirky personalities and disparate backgrounds with their not always visible powers as they work to solve crimes, stop the ticking time bomb and catch the enemy. “Alphas” also stars Malik Yoba, Warren Christie, Laura Mennell, Ryan Cartwright and Azita Ghanizada.

Another returning series, “Haven”, begins its second season on July 15 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Aside from that, Syfy announced the dates for various reality programs and Saturday Original Movies, which you can find below, directly from the press release.

Saturday Original Movies

Red Faction: Origins — Saturday, June 4, at 9PM (ET/PT) — Robert Patrick (Terminator 2), Brian J. Smith (Stargate Universe) and Kate Vernon (Battlestar Galactica) star in Red Faction: Origins, based on the hugely successful Red Faction video game franchise. Twenty-five years have passed since Alec Mason (Patrick) led the Martian Colonies to freedom and 12 years since vengeful enemies killed his wife, kidnapped his daughter Lyra (Tamzin Merchant), and left a broken hero in their wake. Jake Mason (Smith), Alec’s only son and an officer in the Red Faction Militia, has his world turned inside out when he discovers that now, 12 years after her kidnapping, his sister is still alive. As a powerful new enemy swarms across the planet, Jake goes out to find her, only to learn that his lost sister is one of them — a cold-blooded soldier sworn to destroy the Red Faction. Vernon portrays The Matriarch, leader of the tribal Marauders sect. Red Faction: Origins is produced by Universal Cable Productions and UFO Films.

Ice Road Terror – Saturday, June 11, at 9PM (ET/PT) — Truckers (Brea Grant, Michael Hogan) face a deadly ice creature on the frozen roads. A production of ARO Entertainment.

Swamp Shark – Saturday, June 25, at 9PM (ET/PT) — Kristy Swanson, D.B. Sweeney and Robert Davi star in the story of mutant sharks terrorizing the Louisiana bayous. A production of Active Entertainment.

Age of Dragons – July – Danny Glover stars in a re-imagining of Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick, set in a mythical realm where Captain Ahab and crew hunt dragons for the vitriol that powers their world. A production of Dragon Quest Productions LLC.

Super Eruption — July — A scientist and a park ranger (Juliet Aubrey, Richard Burgi) try to stop the eruption of a massive volcano under Yellowstone Park. A production of MarVista Entertainment.

Reality Series

HAUNTED COLLECTOR **NEW ORIGINAL REALITY SERIES**

Wednesday, June 1, at 9PM (ET/PT) — Ghosts and spirits inhabit more than just homes and buildings — they can also live in objects. In the new Syfy reality series Haunted Collector, a family of paranormal investigators hunt down haunted items bedeviling their owners. For 30 years John Zaffis, eminent paranormal researcher and demonologist, has been consulted on countless hauntings for clients all over the country, desperate to return their lives to normalcy. Author of the critically acclaimed book “Shadows of the Dark,” Zaffis has amassed thousands of possessed objects that reside in the bizarre museum which he built next to his house in Connecticut. Along with his son Chris, daughter Amy, and paranormal investigators Beth Ezzo and Brian Cano, Zaffis tracks down haunted items such as paintings, guns, jewelry and antiques. Once identified, the items are collected and stored in the museum. Haunted Collector is produced by Gurney Productions. Executive producers are Scott Gurney and Dierdre Gurney.

HOLLYWOOD TREASURE MID-SEASON RETURN

Wednesday, June 1, at 10PM (ET/PT) — All new episodes of Hollywood Treasure, which premiered its first season in October, introduced Joe Maddalena, owner of Profiles in History and the world’s largest auctioneer of original movie, television and pop culture collectibles. In these new episodes, Joe tracks down one-of-a-kind pieces from Forbidden Planet and Lost in Space. He also works with Debbie Reynolds, who entrusts Joe with the task of selling her multi-million dollar collection. Hollywood Treasure is produced by Zupon Entertainment, LLC. Mark Zupon is executive producer. Joseph Boyle is co-executive producer.

LEGEND QUEST **NEW ORIGINAL REALITY SERIES**

Wednesday, July 13 @ 10pm (ET/PT) — This fast-paced action-adventure series follows Ashley Cowie, an archaeological explorer and expert in ancient symbols, as he travels the world in search of some of history’s greatest and most mysterious artifacts. From King Arthur’s famous sword to the Lost Ark of the Covenant, all of the elusive items are believed to hold hidden powers and mystical significance for ancient and modern cultures. Each of the six episodes will include Indiana Jones-type adventure and Da Vinci Code-style puzzle solving as the secreted truths and alternative theories of these mythical relics are explored. Cowie and his team leave no stone unturned as they hack through dense jungles, squeeze through tiny caves and trek through forbidding deserts to find their next clue. Their expeditions will reveal secrets that have been guarded for centuries and are still being protected today. Legend Quest is executive produced by John Brenkus and Mickey Stern for BASE Productions.

GHOST HUNTERS INTERNATIONAL SEASON 3

Wednesday, July 13 @ 9pm (ET/PT) — Ghost Hunters International — The GHI team kicks off the third season traveling deep into the rainforest of Trinidad, where it’s reported that the spirit of Count Lopinot, a cruel slave master, rises from the grave of his cocoa plantation. Ghost Hunters International features a squad of paranormal investigators who use their principles of scientific techniques to explore some of the most legendary haunted spots around the world. Each week the team travels to the far corners of the globe, searching for answers to bizarre supernatural mysteries. The team of investigators is led by Barry FitzGerald and Kris Williams and also stars Joe Chin, Susan Slaughter, Paul Bradford and Scott Tepperman. Ghost Hunters International is produced in association with Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Films and Television (Dirty Jobs, The Ultimate Fighter, My Fair Wedding). Piligian and Thomas Thayer, along with Rob Katz and Alan David, serve as executive producers.

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Per TVLine’s Michael Ausiello, Julia Ormond has been cast in all eight episodes of the tenth and final season of USA’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”.

Ormond plays Dr. Paula Severin, a psychologist who will conduct mandatory sessions with troubled Det. Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio).

The final season of “Criminal Intent” is set to launch on Sunday, May 1.

Well, after the shocking news about ABC’s daytime soaps, there’s still a few casting news I’d like to report, from TVLine’s Megan Masters and Nellie Andreeva.

- Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (“Prison Break”, “Nash Bridges”) has been tapped for a guest spot on “Law & Order: Los Angeles”. In the season’s 20th episode, “Angel’s Knoll”, O’Keefe is booked for a “central role”.

- Jessica Lange has been tapped to co-star in “American Horror Story”, the FX drama pilot from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The premise of the project is being kept under wraps, but it involves two main characters, sensitive therapist Ben Harmon and his gorgeous wife Vivien (Connie Britton), a force to be reckoned with, despite her vulnerable appearance. Lange plays their nosy neighbor.

- Jane Kaczmarek (“Malcolm In The Middle”) has joined FX’ upcoming comedy “Wilfred” for a guest spot as a woman who gets into a car accident with the character played by Elijah Wood.

- Mike Tyson will guest star on the first season finale of FOX’ sitcom “Breaking In”. He plays a client who gets involved in a cyber bullying case.

Various sources report that Nickelodeon has picked up a fifth season of its successful comedy “iCarly”.

The series starring Miranda Cosgrove as an online celebrity teen with her own web show, is currently in its third season, and has pulled 7.4 Million viewers for its latest episode.

Production on the fourth season is set to begin in May, and the fifth season will air sometime in 2012.

Cosgrove is looking to attend college next year, and it is unclear yet on how that will affect production. Things might get even more complicated if she chooses New York University, one of her top choices.

Hello Folks

ABC has announced that it has officially canceled two of its long-running daytime dramas, “All My Children” and “One Life To Live”.

“All My Children” will end its 41-year run in September, and after 43 years, “One Life To Live” will come to an end in January.

The Alphabet will debut two new shows, “The Chew” and “The Revolution”, and “General Hospital” will be the only daytime drama left on ABC.

Descriptions for the new shows from the press release:

“The Chew” will focus on food from EVERY angle — as a source of joy, health, family ritual, friendship, breaking news, dating, fitness, weight loss, travel adventures and life’s moments. Produced by Gordon Elliot, the Emmy Award-winning executive producer of “Paula Deen’s Home Cooking” and “Down Home with the Neelys,” this new one-hour series combines entertaining takeaway with memorable personalities to create a live show where viewers get the dish on anything and everything related to the world of food and beyond. Whether it’s new trends like food trucks and urban gardens or how pesticides in our food may affect our health, we can’t stop talking about it. The hosts who will guide the hour include Mario Batali (Restaurateur, Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” and author); entertaining expert Clinton Kelly (TLC’s “What Not to Wear”); Carla Hall (Bravo’s “Top Chef”); Michael Symon (Restaurateur and Food Network’s “Iron Chef America”), and nutrition expert Daphne Oz, who simplifies often confusing information about food.

“The Chew” premieres in September.

“The Revolution” [is] a daily show about health and lifestyle transformations. The show is hosted by a team of experts and rotating guest contributors who help viewers transform all areas of their lives, from relationships to family, food, style, home design, finance and more. This dream team, led by fashion expert Tim Gunn, also includes celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak and American Idol alum Kimberley Locke. The show features a unique concept: each week one woman’s five-month weight loss journey will unfold in just five days, with daily results and a final transformational reveal on Friday. “The Revolution” is a one-stop shop for better living.


“The Revolution” will bow in January.