Breaking news

Forget politics, the war in Iraq and the bird flu, this is real news, courtesy of our good friends at "Access Hollywood":

OVER HALF OF "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" VIEWERS POLLED PREFER ACTRESS SIENNA MILLER'S HAIR SHORT


SHOW AIRS ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2005


BURBANK, Calif. - November 22, 2005 - A website poll conducted by "Access Hollywood" reveals that over half of the hit entertainment newsmagazine's participating viewers prefer actress Sienna Miller's new cropped coif to her former long locks. The story airs on "Access Hollywood" on Tuesday, November 22, 2005.

Yesterday, "Access Hollywood" asked viewers to go to www.accesshollywood.com, and weigh in on whether or not they prefer Miller's new haircut.

56-percent voted in favor of the actress's short hairstyle, while 44-percent preferred her hair long.

On yesterday's "Access Hollywood," New York Correspondent Tim Vincent asked Miller which look she likes better. "Long probably," she said. "Long is more me, but to be honest, it's fun to have a change. I'm young...it was quite liberating cutting it all off."

Euro trash

That'll be me come February, when I'm off to Berlin for 2 weeks to cover the Berlin Film Festival for Variety.

We put out a daily paper there for the fest and it'll be a busy time. Never been before but it should be a memorable experience.

If anyone has hotel, restaurant or sightseeing recommendations, I'm all ears.

Intelligent ladies

I spoke on the phone with Claire Danes and Scarlett Johansson this week, for Oscar profile for their respective films, "Shopgirl" and "Match Point."

Both women were very nice, well spoken and gave a lot of thought to questions regarding their characters, the relationship they had on set with their directors (Scarlett was directed by Woody Allen) and how they prepared for their roles.

It's always nice to see a film and then talk to the actor about your thoughts on it and how they, as actors, played out certain scenes that resonate long after the movie's over.

Celeb sighting

Had lunch at Canter's Deli today and, upon walking in, almost bumped into Dustin Hoffman ordering from the counter.

Movie marathon

Saw 4 movies over a 48-hour period last week.... short synopsis...

Jarhead: Good but nothing particularly earth shattering or new. I'm not sold on Jake Gyllenhaal in such a complex role. Peter Sarsgaard, as always, was very good.
Grade: B

Prime: Like chicken soup, being Jewish will help. Uma Thurman is gorgeous and Meryl Streep hands out the guilt with the best of any Jewish mother.
Grade: B-

Brokeback Mountain: Heath Ledger is a hands-down Oscar nominee in this story of gay cowboys. Director Ang Lee paints a beautiful portait of love in the strangest of situations.
Grade: B+

Match Point: Woody's back. Wish all his movies of the past 5 years could be this good.
Grade: A-

Ball's back in court

If you're a Six Feet Under fan, take note...

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31, 2005 - HBO has concluded an exclusive two-year television deal with "Six Feet Under" creator Alan Ball to develop and produce original programming for the network, it was announced today by Carolyn Strauss, president, HBO Entertainment. Ball's first project under the agreement will be an hour-long series based on the popular "Southern Vampire" books of Charlaine Harris.

"HBO and Alan Ball are battle-tested, a perfect creative fit," noted Strauss. "His new show promises to be every bit as original and provocative as 'Six Feet Under,' which was a landmark series for the network."

"I'm thrilled to be working with HBO again," said Ball. "I picked up 'Dead Until Dark,' the first book of the 'Southern Vampire' series, on impulse and could not put it down. The same was true of the remaining books. Charlaine Harris has created a rich world filled with unique characters, a world that's as terrifying as it is hilarious, as well as sexy, generous and profound. I'm humbled she put her trust in me and I look forward to bringing her vision to television."

Ball will executive produce the project, as well as write and direct the pilot, with other talent to be announced as it is confirmed. The series will take place in the rural South, at a time when vampires have made their existence known to the world following the Japanese development of synthetic blood.

New blood

Nice to see the Astros and the White Sox in the World Series. (Granted, I would've much prefered the Yankees or Angels but it wasn't meant to be).

Don't have a particular rooting interest but I'll probably pull for the 'Stros, with former Yanks Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens on the staff.

New Commander in Chief

The TV show, not the president. Creator Rod Lurie was fired by ABC/Touchstone and was replaced by small-screen legend Steven Bochco, who'll hire his own staff to write and direct "Commander."

Word has it that Lurie was late in delivering episodes on time, which cost Touchstone (the TV division of Disney) a lot of extra money. Touchstone didn't want to get in an Aaron Sorkin/"West Wing" scenario, when Sorkin was way over deadline in delivering scripts, costing Warner Bros. big bucks.

Baseball playoffs

My heart was divided in the Yankees-Angels series but now that the Halos have won, I'll be able to devote my encouragement solely for the Angels.

I don't really have a strong opinion on who'll win the National League series, except that I'll be rooting for the Astros. Me thinks Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa comes off as too smug and seems to believe he's smarter than everyone else. And I'd like to see former Yanks Roger Clemens and Andy Petite back in the Series.

Tough choice

Now that my two favorite baseball teams -- Yankees and Angels -- are battling in the first round of the playoffs, I'll root in full force for whoever comes out of that.

If Game 1 is any indication, the Bombers are looking good.

The final 3

My hometown Yanks and Bosox decide the season this weekend at Fenway. Nothing like a season-ending series between these to rekindle my hatred of the Sox.

Geez, they win a World Series for the first time in about 80 years and we're supposed to stop Earth from spinning, just for them. Enough with Stephen King essays the heartache of being a Sox fan. Boo-friggin-hoo. We've won 26. When you catch up, let me know.

"Here's the pitch to Bucky.... it's a long drive and it's over the Green Monster in left..."

First week

Now that most of the new and returning shows have had their season premiere, a look at the ratings after week #1:

-Total Viewers:
CSI (CBS, season premiere: 29.02 million)
Desperate Housewives (ABC, season premiere: 28.36)
Lost (ABC, season premiere: 23.47)
Criminal Minds (CBS, Thursday 10 p.m. preview: 19.57)
CSI: Miami (CBS, season premiere: 19.21)
Grey's Anatomy (ABC, season premiere: 18.98)
Survivor: Guatemala (CBS: 16.98)
Law & Order: SVU (NBC, season premiere: 16.82)
Invasion (ABC, premiere: 16.43)
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (ABC: 16.41)
60 Minutes (CBS, season premiere: 16.35)
NFL Monday Night Football (ABC: 16.10)
NCIS (CBS, season premiere: 15.48)
Destination Lost (ABC: 15.27)
My Name Is Earl (NBC, premiere: 15.25)
Two and a Half Men (CBS, season premiere: 15.04)
ER (NBC, season premiere: 14.37)
Cold Case (CBS, season premiere: 13.68)
House (Fox: 13.64)
Out Of Practice (CBS, premiere: 13.18)
Crossing Jordan (NBC, season premiere: 13.08)
Law & Order (NBC, season premiere: 13.03)
Medium (NBC, season premiere: 12.69)
Las Vegas (NBC, season premiere: 12.49)
Ghost Whisperer (CBS, premiere: 11.25)
Surface (NBC, premiere)
Numb3rs (CBS, season premiere: 11.18 each)
How I Met Your Mother (CBS, premiere: 10.94)
Dancing With the Stars: Dance-Off (ABC, 10.91)
CSI R (CBS, Wednesday: 10.75)

Serious cinema

Now that the Toronto Film Festival has ended, all the award-contending films are screening here in town. So far, I've been impressed.

"Good Night, and Good Luck" is terrific. Directed by George Clooney -- who also co-stars -- its a look at Edward R. Murrow and his influential news program, "See It Now." Both he and the show railed against Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the height of the Communist scare and blacklisting in the States.

Murrow is played by veteran character actor David Strathairn, who's poised, stoic presence makes him an Oscar nom in my book. One of the best performances of the year, in one of the best movies of the year.

Speaking of Oscar noms for best actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a front-runner in the category for his portrayal of Truman Capote in "Capote." Some people like the movie a lot more than me, but his perf is unquestionably great.

More to come soon...

Emmy reaction

And the Emmmys wonder why they don't get the respect that Oscar does.

People make fun of the Golden Globes but at least they have the guts to select new shows and performers and be a bit forward thinking.

Nobody's a bigger "Raymond" fan than me but "Desperate Housewives" was the most talked about show in TV this year and it should've been rewarded as such with best comedy. (Though it's really not a comedy but that's another rant for another time.)

And don't even get me started on William Shatner and James Spader. If there was any justice in the world, "Deadwood's" Ian McShane should've won. But when he didn't, he should've let loose a classic Al Swearengen expletive to let the whole audience know how robbed he was.

Horrible vs. terrible

I was having a discussion with someone talking about which event is worse: the 9/11 attacks or Hurricane Katrina.

What do you think? Why?

All hail Caesar!

After only three episodes, HBO renewed "Rome" for a second season.

This was really a no-brainer for HBO, considering all the money it spent on production and marketing (over $100 million). Even if the numbers were poor, which they're not, the network would want to give it a second season to appeal to as many viewers as possible — and save face.

The ratings so far have been pretty good, but not "Sopranos"-level good. That's OK, though, as the viewing audience remains a bit more diluted than even a couple of years ago. And with "Desperate Housewives" dominating Sunday night viewing, HBO can't expect huge numbers anymore.

When talking to HBO about ratings, the network is always quick to point out that, unlike broadcast networks, they look at culmulative numbers -- viewers totaling up during an entire week, the when the episode is run 3 or 4 times. To just look at the Sunday premiere of a new episode, especially in the time where "Housewives" is so dominant, isn't particularly fair.

Are you watching? I've been enjoying it. I don't think it's in the realm of "Sopranos," "Deadwood" or "The Wire," but it's certainly compelling.

Here's the HBO official release:

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2005 - HBO has renewed its epic drama series ROME for a second season, it was announced today by Carolyn Strauss, president, HBO Entertainment. Production of the 12-episode second season will begin next March, with the debut set for 2007.

"Although the first season of ROME is just underway, we're affirming our support for this exciting and ambitious series by preparing for a second season now," noted Strauss. "I'm delighted that critics and subscribers share our enthusiasm for the show."

The initial episodes of ROME have inspired legions of critical praise. TV Guide hailed it as a "feast for the eyes" and a "ripping good story," as well as a "shamelessly enjoyable historical romp." USA Today called ROME "as extravagant, enticing and chaotic as Rome itself," adding, "you may never want to leave." The Washington Post described the series as "ravishing and wickedly shocking," and "a feast for the senses that includes generous portions of food for thought."

Chronicling the fall of a republic and the rise of an empire, the 12-episode first season of ROME kicked off Aug. 28 on HBO. New episodes debut Sundays (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT); throughout the series run, the previous week's episode will air Sunday (8:00-9:00 p.m.), leading into the debut of that week's new episode.

A co-production between HBO and the BBC, the first season of ROME began shooting in Rome in March 2004, with production for the series based at Rome's Cinecittà Studios. Among the actors starring in the first season are Kevin McKidd ("Kingdom of Heaven") as Lucius Vorenus, Ray Stevenson ("King Arthur") as Titus Pullo, Ciarán Hinds ("Road to Perdition") as Gaius Julius Caesar, Kenneth Cranham ("Gangster No. 1") as Pompey Magnus, Polly Walker ("Patriot Games") as Atia of the Julii, James Purefoy ("Vanity Fair") as Mark Antony, Tobias Menzies ("Foyle's War") as Marcus Junius Brutus, Lindsay Duncan ("Under the Tuscan Sun") as Servilia of the Junii, Indira Varma ("Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love") as Niobe, Max Pirkis ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World") as Gaius Octavian and Kerry Condon ("Angela's Ashes") as Octavia of the Julii.

The new TV season

As a purveyor of much of the new TV season in advance, several folks have asked me what are the best new shows are to watch this fall.

The short answer is … there's nothing all that compelling. That's a lot different from last year, when you could easily tell that "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" were standout hits from the pilot.

Interestingly, with TV being a copycat business, you'd think that the networks would try to imitate "Housewives" but what happened is that the supernatural elements of "Lost" became the element that everyone wanted. There's something like 4 or 5 new shows dealing with the spooky.

There's ABC's "Invasion," CBS' "Threshold" and "Ghost Whisperer," NBC's "Surface" and WB's "Supernatural." Of those "Invasion" and "Threshold" are best but nothing that really makes you salivate, waiting until the next episode.

Other non-scary dramas that have potential include Fox's "Prison Break" and ABC's "Commander-in-Chief." I really wanted to like this Geena Davis as president series but I think it comes off as a cheap "West Wing". But I'll watch the first few episodes to see if I can be swayed.

For the first time in countless years, comedies are better than dramas this fall, in terms of new shows. I highly recommend UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris" and CBS' "How I Met Your Mother." Both made me laugh, which isn't easy to do.

Not as good as the top two, but not bad are Fox's "Kitchen Confidential" and NBC's "My Name Is Earl." NBC, which fell in the toilet last year, really needs a hit and is counting on "Earl" as a savior.

My bad

Geez, I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted. What kind of self-respected blogger can I be??? Vacation, busy at work, school starting, blah, blah, blah … no excuse.

Sorry for the delay. I'll post a couple of choice items now...

More Tony and Carm

HBO ANNOUNCES EIGHT BONUS EPISODES OF THE SOPRANOS FOR 2007

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2005 - HBO announced today that in addition to THE SOPRANOS' upcoming sixth season, which will include 12 episodes, HBO will produce an additional eight bonus episodes, to debut in January 2007.

Currently filming its sixth season, the critically acclaimed, Emmy(r)- and Peabody-winning THE SOPRANOS will continue in production for these eight additional episodes. The sixth season is slated to launch in March 2006.

"We are obviously delighted that we will be able to extend THE SOPRANOS' series beyond its slated 12 episodes," said Chris Albrecht, chairman and CEO, HBO. "When something is as remarkable as THE SOPRANOS, our audience would like to see it continue as long as possible, so we are thrilled that David Chase felt there are more stories to be told."

"With every season, this series continues to creatively evolve and grow. We are all looking forward to spending more time with 'The Sopranos'," said Brad Grey, executive producer of the series.

HBO's hit drama series stars three-time Emmy(r) winners James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Edie Falco as Tony's wife Carmela, plus Lorraine Bracco as therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi, Michael Imperioli as Tony's nephew Christopher Moltisanti, and Dominic Chianese as Uncle Junior.

In Sept. 2004, the series won four Emmys(r), including Drama Series; Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Michael Imperioli); Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Drea de Matteo); and Writing for a Drama Series (Terence Winter, "Long Term Parking").

Drama series

I wrote some capsules on the drama series Emmy nominees for today's Variety. Let me know what you think:


Deadwood

Network: HBO

Exec producers: David Milch, Gregg Fienberg

Emmy series pedigree: None

Millions of viewers: 5.6 (cumulative over best week)

Why it could win: There would be little arguing that "Deadwood" is the most intelligently written show on TV. The acting is superb (despite the lack of supporting noms) and everything from the set design to wardrobe to language is so authentic, you can practically feel the dust coming through your screen.

Maybe not: Even the most ardent supporters thought the storyline about the annexation got a bit dense and hard to follow.

Quote: "I don't think that Swearengen has any more of an articulate understanding of what moves him than Bullock does; it's just that his compulsions do not invoke a legal framework," says Milch to Salon.com.

Critically speaking: "Deadwood itself is almost a breathing organism -- a muddy, grim landscape of freewheeling brutality, where death comes quickly and pigs literally devour the evidence. Meticulously shot and scored, it's a perfectly realized backdrop to Milch's exploration of the depth to which people will plunge -- or not -- in lawless surroundings," says Brian Lowry, Variety.


Lost

Network: ABC

Exec producers: J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Carlton Cuse, Jack Bender

Emmy series pedigree: None

Millions of viewers: 15.9

Why it could win: In the copycat world of broadcast television, here was something new and imaginative. Abrams, who has managed to delight auds with "Felicity" and "Alias," is building up a reservoir of goodwill at the TV Acad.

Maybe not: Not that it's unprecedented, but winning with a freshman series isn't easy. Voters like shows that have established themselves. Most Emmy-winning dramas of the recent past have a bit more gravitas to them ("The West Wing," "The Sopranos").

Quote: "Basically one of the things that we realized very early on in doing a show about a plane that crashes on an island (was) that we didn't want to do the 'Gilligan's Island' treatment, where every single week somebody else is washing up on shore and it's the theater pro one week and the Russian cosmonauts. So we realized ... we had to populate the island with a very, very large cast because these are the people that we're going to be with," says Lindelof.

Critically speaking: " 'Lost' provides the best sustained mystery since 'Twin Peaks,' and seems more intricately plotted than made up on the fly. Even '24' doesn't seem as planned or as shocking. I have no idea where 'Lost' is going, but, so far, I've loved every step of the journey," says David Bianculli, New York Daily News.

Six Feet Under

Network: HBO

Exec producers: Alan Ball, Robert Greenblatt, David Janollari, Alan Poul, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Rick Cleveland

Emmy series pedigree: Two noms (2002, '03)

Millions of viewers: 6.2 (cumulative over best week)

Why it could win: As the show bows out after this season, an Emmy win would be a nice sendoff. While the show has at times floundered in the past, it's often been a water-cooler skein through good times and bad.

Maybe not: The self-loathing and whining became a little too much at times and some voters might not feel the same passion for the show as when it began in 2001.

Quote: "If you're very, very lucky, when you work on something, if you have all the right elements, the collaborative project will take on its own life. And when that happens, if you're smart, you recognize it and get out of the way. You stand back and allow it to unfold organically. And that's really what happened here," said Ball to About.com.

Critically speaking: "This acclaimed series appeals to our fascination with death but is more deeply rooted in a time-honored television winner: great characters," says Tim Goodman, San Francisco Chronicle.

24

Network: Fox

Exec producers: Brian Grazer, Joel Surnow, Robert Cochran, Howard Gordon, Evan Katz

Emmy series pedigree: Three noms (2002, '03, '04)

Millions of viewers: 11.9

Why it could win: Series refocused on its strengths, ditching Jack Bauer's hapless daughter Kim and going all-out on an action-packed terrorism storyline. The pace and intensity of the show remain unmatched on primetime TV.

Maybe not: The real-time format has gone from high-concept to gimmick rather quickly. Also, repetition and a limited bag of tricks that writers keep dipping into to create weekly cliffhangers might have stretched credulity too far for serious-minded Emmy voters.

Quote: "People felt we had a resurgence since the second half of last season, and I have to tell you we're very surprised. Fans who regularly watch us tell us this is our best season. ... We look for different ways to tell suspense stories. What we do now is what we've always done: Keep fans on the edge of their seats," says Surnow.
Critically speaking: " '24' is not as richly woven as 'The Wire' on HBO, but it is still one of the best shows on television. It is certainly the best secret-agent show," says Alessandra Stanley, New York Times.

The West Wing

Network: NBC

Exec producers: John Wells, Christopher Misiano, Alex Graves

Emmy series pedigree: Four wins (2000-03), nom in '04

Millions of viewers: 11.1

Why it could win: Talk about spending your well-earned political capital: "The West Wing" had a brilliant 2004-05 season, taking the action out of the Beltway and into the heartland. The race for the presidency, from the perspectives of the leading Democratic and Republican candidates, was great drama.

Maybe not: The show has already won four times and seemed to be on its last legs before this season. It'll be tough to win back those viewers who turned away last year.

Quote: "People seemed to be really engaged. ... In dealing with the primaries, it was one of the areas during the first five years of the show that we hadn't explored. One of the things you're constantly doing is look for places in the story you haven't done sometime before," says Wells.

Critically speaking: "For two years the show was in steep decline but this year they told stories you could care about. The campaign episodes took you back to the better times," says Matt Roush, TV Guide.

Dodgers dilemma

For the first time in 26 summers, I haven't been to a Dodgers game. Not on purpose but just haven't gotten around to buying tickets -- or nobody's given me any at the last minute, which also often happens -- and weekends have been fairly crazy.

Weekdays are mostly spent going to movies, an event for work or just heading home and spending time with the family. Plus, the joy of paying $10 for parking, and $10 for a hot dog and Coke hasn't overwhelmed me either.

So now the question is should I try to go out to the Ravine and catch at least one game as to not break the streak or do I boycott the season as I think owner Frank McCourt is a money-grubbing selfish jerk.

Your call???

Agony of de-feet

Since going to New York in March and walking a ton, I've had constant foot problems.

Just a short note alerting you to not take your feet for granted. They get you where you need to go and hardly ever complain.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....

ABC party

The ABC bash last night at the Abbey in West Hollywood was a swarm of TV writers and celebrities.

As soon as I walked in, I practically crashed into Patrick Dempsey (aka Dr. McDreamy) from "Grey's Anatomy." After sitting down with three other journalists for dinner, I wandered the room and passed by Eva Longoria, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross of "Desperate Housewives," plus newest "Housewive" Alfre Woodard; William Shatner of "Boston Legal," Jorge Garcia of "Lost," and from the new shows: Kyle Secor of "Commander in Chief" (and of one my faves of all time, "Homicide"), William Fichtner of "Invasion" and the beautiful Heather Graham of mid-season entry "Emily's Reasons Why Not." I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

These network-sponsored parties give out-of-town journalists -- and those in town too if they choose -- an opportunity to interview the stars of these shows in an informal manner, just shooting the breeze.

The problem is that the party gets so loud, it's almost impossible to hear anyone. But that's a minor quibble. It's a fun night out of celebrity oogling.

One From Keith

Here's one of the one-liners from my friend Keith's presentation at last week's TCA presentation:

"We here at the WB are happy to see that Tom Cruise is dating one of our alumni, Katie Holmes from our hit show 'Dawson's Creek.'

"Of course, we always thought if he ended up dating someone from Dawson's, it would've been James Van Der Beek, but we're happy nonetheless."

WB holds court

The WB, home to one of my favorite shows of all time, "Felicity," took center stage at today's Television Critics tour. Like all the other nets, they were touting their new shows this fall — Don Johnson returns to TV in a Jerry Bruckheimer lawyer drama, "Just Legal" — but the highlight of the event was the first WB exec on the dais, my good friend Keith Marder.

Keith, whom I worked with at the Los Angeles Daily News many years ago when he was the paper's TV critic, has been at the WB for about 6 years now as corporate communications guru. For the past several TCA's Keith leads off the presentation with jokes about the TV industry that make even the most cynical critics laugh.

As he always does, Keith's material went over well and was top notch. The jokes are a bit too industry-inside for anyone to appreciate here but huzzahs to Keith and may he be the next Jerry Seinfeld in another life.

Next up for me at TCA, ABC on Tuesday.

Tiger on the loose

With his win Sunday in the British Open, Tiger now has 10 Grand Slam wins and is only 8 behind Jack Nicklaus. In what was once thought of as impossible, it now seems that Tiger has an excellent chance to break the record.

I've said it before... and will say it again... the best sporting event every year is any of the four major golf tournaments -- Masters, US Open, British Open, PGA Championship -- in which Tiger is in contention.

It's not TV. It's HBO

I attended HBO's state of their network address Friday at the Television Critics Tour at the Beverly Hilton. Twice a year, all the broadcast and cable networks come to L.A. to tout their new shows and talk about about how their networks are doing better than ever.

"Entourage" has been renewed for a third season and the way HBO chairman Chris Albrecht was talking, it'll probably be around a lot longer than that. This season, from my point of view, has been great. I'm rooting for Jeremy Piven to take home the Emmy.

March 2006 marks the new-season premiere of "The Sopranos." While series creator David Chase has often said this would mark the end of "Sopranos," he may be softening his stance a little. He's contemplating another season after this one, which is currently filming back in New York.

And for all you Larry David fans out there, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" debuts at the end of September.

As for "Rome," which I covered the nighttime party for Variety, this series is the network's next big thing. It took me a little while to understand who was who in first episode (which premieres Aug. 28) but the prognosis is good. Curious to see what everyone thinks about it.

Movies 2005: Halfway home

Now that we're just past the halfway point of 2005, why not take a look back at the best movies over the last six months. While it may be tough to put a list of 10 together -- it's been a fairly uneventful season so far -- I'll give it my best shot.

And, as always, this is just a list of films that I've personally seen, which doesn't include the well-reviewed "Batman Begins" and highly regarded documentaries such as "Mad Hot Ballroom" and "Murderball," among many others.

Anyway, if you've missed any or all of these and are looking for a night at the cinema (or available on DVD), you shouldn't be disappointed.

In alphabetical order, not preference:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: A dessert for the senses, Depp and Burton once again team up for an unorthodox winner.

Cinderella Man: Russell Crowe, as usual, was rock solid as Depression-era fighter Jim Braddock. His underdog story was noteworthy but director Ron Howard failed to deliver a knockout punch.

Crash: Well-intentioned and thoughtful look at the racial and class structure of Los Angeles. It has its faults but "Million Dollar Baby" playright Paul Haggis is on his way to an impressive directorial career.

Fever Pitch: I hate the Red Sox but still was enamored with this tale of a Boston fan who can't decide between his two passions: baseball or Barrymore.

Hitch: Who knew Kevin James could be this funny? Nothing lasting about it but at least its original and has the gorgeous Eva Mendes too.

Hostage: Bruce Willis, in one of his best roles, in a taut action thriller about a family under seige by a group of moral-less teens.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: Based on the popular teen book, this could've gone all wrong but somehow manages to charm anyway.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith: Uber-geek George Lucas closes out his "Star Wars" legacy -- finally -- with an effort that made everyone happy.

War of the Worlds: Sure, nobody's thrilled with the ending and enough with Tom Cruise already. But Spielberg's special effects wizardry overcame it all.

The Wedding Crashers: Probably the funniest film of the past couple of years. Buy stock in Vince Vaughn now.

So what did I miss? Am I totally off base?

Best burgers

In this month's GQ magazine, they list the best burgers, fries and shakes/malts around the country. Our local joint, The Counter in Santa Monica, was ranked No. 14 in all of the country for their burgers -- which are delicious, I might add -- and the their malts ranked an astonishing No. 2!!!

If you're in the neighborhood of Santa Monica/West LA, check it out. It's on Ocean Park Blvd., just west of Centinela on the north side of the street next to a Starbucks. Yummmm!

Star sighting

Had a good one this morning. On my way to the post office, I spotted Jerry Seinfeld and his wife browsing through magazines on the newsstand on Beverly, between Wilshire and Olympic... if that means anything to you.

Drama's golden age

Folks:
Wrote this in today's Daily Variety and thought I'd share. I'd love to know your thoughts.

BY STUART LEVINE
No matter where you flip the dial these days, you're bound to land on a great drama.

There's been no shortage of compelling dramas throughout TV's seven-decade history -- be it about cops, docs, lawyers or crooks -- but one could make the case that there's no time like today. While the 1950s may be referred to as the Golden Age of drama, the gold standard is back in a big way.

"One thing you can look at is that one (program) sometimes inspires another," says HBO entertainment topper Carolyn Strauss. "It shows you what's possible."

Broadcast and cable are carrying the banner with equal aplomb.

Procedurals -- those self-contained stories that wrap everything up in a nice, tidy bow at the end of 60 minutes and make a mint for the studios in syndication -- have caught on like wildfire and are, generally, well executed. "CSI" has been the most-watched show on television for the past few years: Its producer, procedurals guru Jerry Bruckheimer, will have an astonishing nine such shows on the air next season, plus one comedy.

NBC, though in tough times now, still offers up solid "The West Wing" and has made a killing with the venerable "Law & Order" franchise since 1990. ABC got back in the game last season with "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy" and dramedy "Desperate Housewives" (though that skein is being submitted for Emmy consideration as a comedy). Fox's real-time "24" has managed to remain compelling over four seasons.

Then there's the wired world, where HBO set the stan-dard high with what some might consider a game changer in "The Sopranos." Since launching in 1999, it became the ultimate water-cooler show and speculation from creator David Chase that the mobster saga might go on to a seventh season -- one beyond what many believed would be its last -- made for front-page news a few weeks ago.

Also at HBO there's "Six Feet Under," current critical fave "Deadwood" and little-seen but highly regarded "The Wire."

On the basic cable side, FX broke the mold in 2002 with "The Shield," which earned Michael Chiklis a win for lead actor. The net also has done well with "Nip/Tuck" and "Rescue Me."

Strauss and FX's new prexy-G.M., John Landgraf, agree that there's no winning formula that works every time in gestating a hit show.

"As I say to a lot of people who pitch, it's having all the stars aligned," Strauss explains, "the way an idea is presented, how it's put together, how it's shot. One misstep is all it takes to derail. The cast is wrong or there's a missed tone in the pilot."

"It's the freedom encouraged by creators and writers to take risks, to make shows as good as they are," says Landgraf, who took over the net after Peter Liguori moved to Fox. "The standards are very high right now."

Strauss' comments about the importance of casting are well taken. While it's impossible to say whether "Sopranos" would've worked without James Gandolfini, or "Deadwood" without Ian McShane or "NYPD Blue" without Dennis Franz, those actors have become the faces of their series in a way that allows auds to connect in a passionate way.

"Casting is crucial," Strauss elaborates. "Look at 'The Sopranos.' There were no second choices."
While cable has the ability to stretch the parameters of drama to include nudity, language and violence -- though that might be up for discussion now as the Federal Communications Commission has signaled it might be willing to reconsider whether cable fare is under the same strict guidelines as its over-the-air counterpart -- broadcast has managed to enliven the genre, even with major constraints.

Broadcast nets don't have the luxury of launching only one or two dramas a year, and having its marketing departments put their efforts into just those series. Toppers such as CBS' Les Moonves and NBC's Jeff Zucker order dozens of pilots, only to whittle the number down to a few for the fall sked.

Landgraf, who was VP of primetime series at NBC from 1994-99, realizes the pressure network execs are under to satisfy critics and Madison Avenue. While they strive for quality, demos are a higher priority.

"Networks are factories that produce a product called television," he says. "When you're doing that many episodes to appeal to that big of an audience, you have to round corners and edges. And you can say that about furniture. When you look at a little network like ours, it's more like handcrafted programming."

Where the networks have taken the lead over their cable counterparts is with procedurals. CBS is the leader in this category, be it with the "CSI" franchise or Thursday night stalwart "Without a Trace."

Says Laverne McKinnon, the Eye's top drama exec, the key to quality dramas in these days of fragmented audiences is a willingness to listen to those outside TV's traditional training ground.

"The quality of storytelling has improved. From a drama perspective, I think we've been able to tap into a larger talent pool of writers: features, theater, book authors and essayists. There's no longer the stigma from five to 10 years ago about crossing over mediums."

Everyone knows that TV is a cyclical game -- just ask the folks over at ABC -- and the current comedy famine/drama feast could turn at a moment's notice. That being said, upcoming dramas from cable and broadcast indicate the change may not be coming all that soon.

HBO has high hopes for "Rome," which is costing the net a lot of coin (though it's a co-production with the BBC) and begins in September. On July 27, FX launches Steven Bochco's Iraq War series, "Over There."

Fox is generating buzz for "Prison Break," which stars Wentworth Miller as a desperate man who breaks into jail in order to help his death-row brother break out; ABC has Geena Davis starring in Rod Lurie's "Commander-in-Chief"; and NBC is hoping Bruckheimer's magic rubs off on "E-Ring," about life at the Pentagon.

And, as always in TV, the pressure's on. Sure, the networks might have a handful of drama superstars in their current lineups but if the genre's going to continue to thrive, it's all about finding the next big hit.

"These shows are representing us," says HBO's Strauss. "We have to get them right."

The worst job

Here in Hollywood, that would be as an assistant to an executive or actor. Here's the latest story from the trenches:

I used to work for a C-list actor who wasn’t a screamer really, he was worse. He had bizarre brain synapses and he was obsessed with vegetables.

He was working on a now-cancelled FBI show. We were shooting in Santa Monica and he had a hankering for Koo Koo Roo:

Actor: I want the turkey dinner
Me: okay.
Actor: The turkey dinner. With the carrots and gravy
Me: (tuning him out. I know what’s in the turkey dinner.) Right.
Actor: And get whatever you want.

So, I went to the Kook in Venice. Ordered the turkey dinner, and a BBQ chicken salad without peppers for me. I returned to the trailer, and put his turkey dinner in the fridge. I was happily munching away on my salad, slightly peeved that they’d forgotten to take out the peppers, when Actor returned from set.

Actor: Where’s my turkey dinner?
Me: In the fridge.
Actor: Why is it in the fridge?
Me: Because you were still shooting.
Actor: (accusatory) It’s really hot outside.
Me: (??) I know. That’s why I put it in the fridge.

He fetches his damn turkey dinner, and I return to my salad and my To Do list. Munch munch munch…suddenly, I hear:
Actor: Green beans.
Me: What?
Actor: Green beans.
Me: (??)
Actor: (getting agitated) Green beans, green beans green beans.Me: (??)
Actor: I asked for GREEN BEANS with my turkey dinner.
Me: (He did? Oh shit.)

I looked him straight in the eye. Then down at my salad. Then back at him. I waved my fork towards my lunch:

Me: And I asked for no peppers in my salad. (Too bad, buddy. Life’s not fair. Sometimes you don’t get what you asked for.)
Actor: (glaring silence.)

He fired me the next day. Now whenever I hear “green beans” I cringe and then chuckle.

Name of the day

In Variety, we run a column of notable births in the industry. Think this child will be the next SuperGirl??

Emily and Penn Jillette, a girl, Moxie CrimeFighter Jillette, June 3, Los Vegas. Mother is non-pro; father is comic/magician and half of the performing duo Penn & Teller.

TV's best

San Francisco Chronicle TV critic offers up some thoughts on the best TV shows on the air now. This is his top 10 list of best shows on the air, in order of greatness.

-- "Deadwood"
-- "The Wire"
-- "The Sopranos" (returns next spring)
-- "Arrested Development"
-- "The Shield"
-- "Rescue Me"
-- "Lost"
-- "Desperate Housewives"
-- "24"
-- "MI-5"

If you've been reading this blog at all since its launch several months ago, you know my feelings on Deadwood. But here's what Goodman says too... so you know it's just not me:


Call it Monday mourning. "Deadwood" ended last night and the only thing one can blurt out at a moment like this is all too obvious to anyone who has seen the show:
"You -- suckers! Why only 12 episodes?"

Television's most profane -- and easily one of its most magnificent -- offerings is over, and what a satisfying, orgiastic little run it was. Twelve episodes, three months and thousands upon thousands of f-bombs, or so it seemed. Only "Deadwood" could drag you through the mud of evil men, bad women and offensive language and make you feel glad about paying for the pleasure.

And just now, right in this instant of having the magnitude of this Shakespearean effort wash over us, who's to deny that "Deadwood" is the best show on television, bar none? (If you're keeping track, by the way, that puts three dramas and one comedy from HBO in the top 10 - at least.) Who's prepared to walk away from the table without voting David Milch's astonishing Western the best thing ever? The acting is, across the board, fall-down-on-the-ground great. From Ian McShane's Emmy-deserving turn as Al Swearengen to W. Earl Brown's layered bear of man that is Dan Dority to Paula Malcomson's angry, tart, devoted and dangerous hooker, Trixie. Not just those three -- all of them. Cameo performances on this show have the sheen of magnificence and that's damned hard to do.

Is "Deadwood" the best show on television?
Who knows. You can get weary parsing out that stuff. "Deadwood" -- despite that nagging, beautifully corrupt sense of Shakespeare -- is utterly original, like nothing else on TV. This is a television series playing in its own stratosphere, defined by genius all around it. Number it as you will, just bring it back as soon as possible.

Emmy season

No, really, it is.

We're cranking up our Emmy stories now that the voting period has begun. I'll post a few of my efforts here over the next week or two if you'd like to check them out.

By STUART LEVINE,
Tue., May 31, 2005, 10:00pm PT

With the Bartlet administration on the way out, there were some industry observers who believed at the beginning of last season that "The West Wing" was nearing its end as well.

The handoff from show creator Aaron Sorkin to John Wells in 2003 made many hardcore viewers nervous. That's no knock on Wells, who has been a writer and exec producer on such series as "ER" and "China Beach," but Sorkin's shoes would be tough to fill.

"We thought we were done after Aaron left," says two-time Emmy nom Janel Moloney, who plays Donna Moss. "It takes time for a show to deal with a big change like that. We knew the shows would have a different tone."

Also making the transition difficult was that ratings were dipping and "Wing" is an expensive show to produce. With NBC paying Warner Bros. approximately $6 million per episode (before recent negotiations knocked that number down to about $3 million), the series seemed ripe for cancellation.

Then came the election: no, not Bush-Kerry, but the race between Rep. Matthew Santos (D-Texas) and Sen. Arnold Vinick (R-Calif.). The storyline, which took the action out of the White House and into the frozen fields of Iowa and New Hampshire, revitalized the show.

The Democratic and Republican primaries, at which Santos and Vinick (Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda, respectively) won their parties' nominations, were embraced by longtime viewers. While ratings were still down, the numbers were bright spots for the Peacock, whose viewership tumbled this season.

"For two years the show was in steep decline but this year they told stories you could care about," says TV Guide critic Matt Roush. "The campaign episodes took you back to the better times. It's back on track, though still not what it used to be."

Says Wells: "People seemed to be really engaged. ... In dealing with the primaries, it was one of the areas during the first five years of the show that we hadn't explored. One of the things you're constantly doing is look for places in the story you haven't done sometime before."

Equally intrigued by the storyline was Smits, who met with Wells about playing Santos. "John's idea was to give insight about what goes into particular points of the campaign," the thesp says. "We talked about the power of the media and show how great it would be to have young people aspire to be in politics."

Wells was quick to realize that it was important in casting Vinick, a likable Republican centrist. "I sat down with Alan before the season and talked about a political campaign," recalls Wells. "It was clear that, for the Republican candidate, we would need people that had the same stature as Martin (Sheen)."

It wasn't just "West Wing" that critics say enjoyed a comeback season. Other rebounding skeins include "Gilmore Girls" and "24."

"Gilmore Girls," which just wrapped season No. 5, was rejuvenated when it's two leads -- Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) -- parted ways. Lorelai, busy with a new relationship, and Rory, off to college, had new challenges to confront.

And the ratings went up. "Gilmore" improved in most key demos for the young-skewing WB, and the series saw a hefty 30% jump in women 18-49.

" 'Gilmore Girls' came back," opines Roush. "If there was ever a show to break into the comedy category, it would be this. They figured out how to tell stories with Rory at college. This show's in good shape."

Series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino says she knows why the show took off this year.

"Apparently America has just been waiting to see Rory whore it up," she jokes. "I guess that the storylines that we chose this year really clicked with people. It was more of a romantic comedy year than we've done before, and people really seem to enjoy that, especially the Luke/Lorelai situation."

Over on "24," Kiefer Sutherland is trying to save the world from annihilation ... again. After the much-buzzed-about first season, some viewers thought "24" was losing its steam. Those same people believe this season (No. 4) the skein recovered its mojo.

"People felt we had a resurgence since the second half of last season and I have to tell you we're very surprised," says exec producer Joel Surnow. "Fans who regularly watch us tell us this is our best season. ... We look for different ways to tell suspense stories. What we do now is what we've always done: keep fans on the edge of their seats."

The lone wolf

Priscilla and Zoe were back east for the Memorial Day weekend, so I bachelored up and did all the guy things that would barely past muster if the girls were around.

Friday night was spent at Hollywood Park with my friend Jay, who's a writer with the Daily Racing Form. You would think he'd be able to select some winners but no. Nice expert, eh?

Saturday night was poker and, after all was said and done, I pocketed a hefty $8. Got to know when to hold and fold em, my friends.

Sunday and Monday was spent catching up on Tivo, riding my bike to the beach, going to the gym and, some might say in a shocking development, cleaning up around the house and doing laundry.

After nearly 15 years of marriage -- our anniversary is this week -- I'm well trained.

It's Carrie!

So, as Zoe predicted all along, it was Carrie who took home the crown last night as this year's American Idol. After Bo's beautiful solo number last week, I thought Carrie was toast but the Oklahoma girl came through. Way to go Carrie!!!

Fox

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2005(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8:00-8:30 PM ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
8:30-9:00 PM KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
9:00-10:00 PM PRISON BREAK

TUESDAY
8:00-9:00 PM BONES
9:00-10:00 PM HOUSE

WEDNESDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THAT '70s SHOW
8:30-9:00 PM STACKED
9:00-10:00 PM HEAD CASES

THURSDAY
8:00-9:00 PM THE O.C.
9:00-10:00 PM REUNION

FRIDAY
8:00-8:30 PM THE BERNIE MAC SHOW
8:30-9:00 PM MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE
9:00-10:00 THE GATE (working title)

SATURDAY
8:00-8:30 PM COPS
8:30-9:00 PM COPS
9:00-10:00 PM AMERICA'S MOST WANTED
11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT MADtv

SUNDAY
7:00-7:30 PM Animated Encores
7:30-8:00 PM KING OF THE HILL
8:00-8:30 PM THE SIMPSONS
8:30-9:00 PM THE WAR AT HOME
9:00-9:30 PM FAMILY GUY
9:30-10:00 PM AMERICAN DAD

The following new dramas will premiere on FOX this fall:

PRISON BREAK (Monday, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT)
MICHAEL SCOFIELD (Wentworth Miller, "The Human Stain") is a desperate man in a desperate situation. His brother, LINCOLN BURROWS (Dominic Purcell, "John Doe," "Blade: Trinity"), is on death row and scheduled to die in a few months for a murder Michael is convinced Lincoln did not commit. With no other options and time winding down, Michael holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated alongside his brother in Fox River State Penitentiary. Once he's inside, we learn that Michael – a structural engineer with the blueprints for the prison – has hatched an elaborate plan to break Lincoln out and prove his innocence. Senior correctional officer BELLICK (Wade Williams, "Collateral") offers some prison wisdom as Michael arrives. Then, with the help of his cellmate, SUCRE (Amaury Nolasco, "Mr. 3000"), Michael begins to align himself with a disparate group of prisoners, including former mob boss JOHN ABRUZZI (Peter Stormare, "Fargo," "Minority Report") and CHARLES WESTMORELAND (Muse Watson, "I Know What You Did Last Summer"), a man some believe to be the infamous skyjacker D.B. Cooper. On the outside Michael has only one ally, his defense attorney and longtime friend, VERONICA DONOVAN (Robin Tunney, "The Craft," "End of Days") – who is Lincoln's former girlfriend. Meanwhile, Lincoln's 15-year-old son, LJ (Marshall Allman), is now adrift without his Uncle Michael's positive influence. Rounding out the cast are Sarah Wayne Callies ("The Celestine Prophesy") as prison doctor SARA TANCREDI, whom Michael ends up visiting more often than he should, and Stacy Keach ("Titus," "Mike Hammer") as the powerful WARDEN POPE, who forges a close, almost father-son relationship with the new convict. This intriguing new series promises to reveal additional pieces of the puzzle each week as Michael carries out his daring plan to mastermind the ultimate PRISON BREAK – and solve the far-reaching national-scale conspiracy that landed him there in the first place.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, Adelstein-Parouse Productions, Original Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Paul Scheuring, Dawn Parouse, Marty Adelstein, Neal Moritz, Brett Ratner
WRITER: Paul Scheuring
DIRECTOR: Brett Ratner
CAST: Wentworth Miller as Michael, Dominic Purcell as Lincoln, Robin Tunney as Veronica, Sarah Wayne Callies as Dr. Tancredi, Peter Stormare as Abruzzi, Amaury Nolasco as Sucre, Wade Williams as Bellick, Marshall Allman as LJ

BONES (Tuesday, 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT)
From executive producers Barry Josephson ("Hide and Seek," "Like Mike") and Hart Hanson ("Joan of Arcadia," "Judging Amy") comes the darkly amusing drama BONES, inspired by real-life forensic anthropologist and novelist Kathy Reichs. Forensic anthropologist DR. TEMPERANCE BRENNAN (Emily Deschanel, "Boogeyman"), who works at the Jeffersonian Institution and writes novels as a sideline, has an uncanny ability to read clues left behind in a victim's bones. Consequently, law enforcement calls her in to assist with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless. Brennan's equally brilliant colleagues at the Jeffersonian's Medico-Legal Lab include earthy and bawdy ANGELA MONTENEGRO (Michaela Conlin, "The D.A."), who's created a unique way to render an original crime scene in a three-dimensional computer image; Brennan's assistant, ZACK ADDY (Eric Millegan), a young prodigy whose genius IQ actually gets in the way of his finishing the several doctorates he has begun; "the bug guy," DR. JACK HODGINS (TJ Thyne, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), who's an expert on insects, spores and minerals, but conspiracy is his hobby; and Brennan's boss, imposing lab director DR. DANIEL GOODMAN (Jonathan Adams, "American Dreams"). Brennan often finds herself teamed with Special Agent SEELEY BOOTH (David Boreanaz, "Angel"), a former Army sniper who mistrusts science and scientists when it comes to solving crimes. Brennan and Booth clash both professionally and personally, but so far the chemistry between them has only played out in a fictionalized account in Brennan's latest mystery novel.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Barry Josephson, Hart Hanson
WRITER: Hart Hanson
DIRECTOR: Greg Yaitanes
CAST: Emily Deschanel as Brennan, David Boreanaz as Booth, Eric Millegan as Zack, TJ Thyne as Dr. Hodgins, Michaela Conlin as Angela, Jonathan Adams as Dr. Goodman

HEAD CASES (Wednesday, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT)
Bill Chais ("The Practice," "Family Law") created this comedic drama starring Chris O'Donnell ("Scent of a Woman") as attorney JASON PAYNE, whose superstar career at a prestigious Los Angeles law firm backfired when his wife, LAURIE (Krista Allen, "Unscripted"), kicked him out of the house and, to make a bad day even worse, he had a nervous breakdown. After three months at a "wellness center," Jason found himself with no job, no place to live and no support system. Enter SHULTZ (Adam Goldberg, "A Beautiful Mind," "Saving Private Ryan"), an unkempt, unpredictable sufferer of explosive disorder, assigned to be outpatient "buddies" with Jason by their mutual therapist, DR. ROBINSON (Rockmond Dunbar, "Soul Food"). A low-rent lawyer who usually represents deviants and petty criminals, Shultz eagerly latches onto a very reluctant Jason, inserting himself in all aspects of Jason's personal and professional life. The intrusion is the last thing Jason needs, preoccupied as he is with trying to re-establish a relationship with his 8-year-old son, RYAN (Jake Cherry, "Miracle Run"), reach some kind of accord with Laurie, and lend emotional support to KATE (Rachel Leigh Cook, "She's All That"), a troubled young woman he met at the wellness center. For Jason and Shultz, what begins as a bumpy alliance gradually turns amicable as each helps steer the other toward against-all-odds legal victories. Ultimately, they hang up their shingle together and set out to take on underdog clients while attempting to keep each other "sane."
PRODUCTION COMPANY: 20th Century Fox Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Bill Chais, Jeff Rake, Barry Josephson
WRITER: Bill Chais
DIRECTOR: Andy Fleming
CAST: Chris O'Donnell as Jason, Adam Goldberg as Shultz, Krista Allen as Laurie, Jake Cherry as Ryan, Rachel Leigh Cook as Kate, Rockmond Dunbar as Dr. Robinson

REUNION (Thursday, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT)
Part character drama and part mystery, REUNION marks a groundbreaking concept in series television as it chronicles the lives of a group of six friends over the course of 20 years – all in just one season. From the hopes and dreams of 18-year-olds to the realities that irrevocably mark those lives two decades later, REUNION's stories are of love and loss, marriage and death, triumph and scandal. WILL (Will Estes, "U-571," "American Dreams") longs to leave his small town behind. Aided by an athletic scholarship, he will be the first in his family to go to college. CRAIG (Sean Faris, "Life As We Know It"), handsome and privileged, looks forward to the Ivy League with his girlfriend, SAMANTHA (Alexa Davalos, "The Chronicles of Riddick"), whose ambition is surpassed only by her looks and intelligence. The beautiful and sensual JENNA (Amanda Righetti, THE O.C.) dreams of becoming an actress; behind his cynicism, AARON (Dave Annable, "Little Black Book") dreams that his relationship with Jenna will go beyond friendship. CARLA (Chyler Leigh, "Not Another Teen Movie"), innocent and quirky, must choose between loyalty to her father and staying near her best friends. REUNION opens in 2005 at the funeral of one of the friends, whose death is being investigated by DETECTIVE MARJORINO (Mathew St. Patrick, "Six Feet Under"). Before the identity of the deceased is revealed, we're transported back to 1986, as the group is celebrating their high school graduation. The pilot episode follows all six through the summer of 1986, and we witness the formative events that alter their dreams and desires forever. Episode two finds the group a full year later, in 1987; episode three tells the story of a seminal event in 1988, and so on – culminating in the season finale at the friends' 20th high school reunion. REUNION also will build toward answering two important questions raised in episode one: Which of the friends is dead? And how did that death occur?
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Warner Bros. Television, Class IV Productions
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jon Harmon Feldman, Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin
WRITER: Jon Harmon Feldman
DIRECTOR: Jon Amiel
CAST: Will Estes as Will, Sean Faris as Craig, Dave Annable as Aaron, Alexa Davalos as Samantha, Amanda Righetti as Jenna, Chyler Leigh as Carla, Mathew St. Patrick as Detective Marjorino

THE GATE (working title) (Friday,, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT): Created by Josh Berman ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"), THE GATE (working title) tells the chilling stories of bizarre crimes committed by San Francisco's most aberrant criminals. The series centers on Detective GRAHAM HALE (Johnny Messner, THE O.C.) of the San Francisco Police Department's Deviant Crime Unit. Intense and private, Hale is haunted by personal demons, and he chose this assignment after going AWOL for a year following his partner's death in the line of duty. Hale's new partner is rookie Detective AVA LYFORD (Marguerite Moreau, "Life As We Know It," THE O.C.), whose no-nonsense demeanor and by-the-book tenacity hide both her insecurities and her secrets. Unbeknownst to Hale, she has a hidden agenda – and it might lead to his downfall. In the course of investigating his cases, Hale works closely with his boss, the likable Lieutenant MATT CAVANAUGH (Chi McBride, "Boston Public," "The Terminal"), and with DR. FRANCINE KLEPP, a forensic pathologist in the Coroner's lab and the former roommate of Hale's late partner, Meg. Exploring the idea that "behind every monster there's a mystery," the stories of THE GATE remind us that the "monsters" are everyday people, hidden in plain sight – and that, in each of us, a monster may lurk just beneath the surface.
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Regency Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Russel Friend, Garrett Lerner
WRITER: Josh Berman
DIRECTOR: Rob Lieberman
CAST: Johnny Messner as Det. Graham Hale, Marguerite Moreau as Det. Ava Lyford, Chi McBride as Lt. Matt Cavanaugh

Comedies
THE WAR AT HOME (Sunday, 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT)
When DAVE (Michael Rapaport, "Hitch," "Small Time Crooks," "Boston Public") and VICKY (Anita Barone, "Daddio," "The Jeff Foxworthy Show") were growing up, their parents had it easy. Back then, there were no "time-outs," no one had any "boundaries" and "parenting" wasn't even a word. Parents also had no idea what their kids were really up to; ignorance truly was bliss. Now Dave and Vicky have teenagers of their own, and anything their kids might even think about doing, Dave and Vicky have already done … at least twice. But knowledge isn't power – it's a giant pain! Every day is a battle to keep the kids in line. Fifteen-year-old LARRY (Kyle Sullivan, MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE) isn't exactly a frequent diner at the cool kids' table in the cafeteria, while 16-year-old HILLARY (Kaylee Defer, QUINTUPLETS, "Listen Up") knows it all and is just emerging onto the dating scene. Meanwhile, at 13, MIKE (Dean Collins, "Jack & Bobby") is all hormones and video games. Dave and Vicky figure if they can send these three off to college without a police record or kids of their own, they've done their job. This witty, irreverent show from Rob Lotterstein ("Will & Grace," "Ellen," "Dream On") goes inside the heads of a modern family through the use of a confessional space where the characters reveal everything they could never actually say to one another – as they do their best to win THE WAR AT HOME.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: ACME Productions, Warner Bros. Television
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis
WRITER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Rob Lotterstein
DIRECTOR: Andy Cadiff
CAST: Michael Rapaport as Dave, Anita Barone as Vicky, Dean Collins as Mike, Kaylee Defer as Hillary, Kyle Sullivan as Larry

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL (Monday, 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT)
Based on renowned chef Anthony Bourdain's best-selling autobiography, KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL explores the deliciously crazy world of upscale restaurants. Chef JACK BOURDAIN (Bradley Cooper, "Alias," "I Want to Marry Ryan Banks") found enormous success at a young age, but his culinary genius also led to a lifestyle of boozing, womanizing and drugs. After hitting rock bottom and deciding to sober up, the only job he could get was slopping soggy pasta for the masses at a tacky opera-themed restaurant. Out of the blue, Jack is offered an opportunity to get back in the game as head chef at a top New York restaurant. There's just one problem: the owner gives Jack a mere 48 hours to fully staff his kitchen and prepare to dazzle over 300 customers – including the food critic for the New York Times (who also happens to be a jilted ex). Jack hastily assembles a renegade crew of colleagues from his past, including chefs STEVEN DAEDALUS (Owain Yeoman, "Troy"), SETH KLEIN (Nicholas Brendon, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and TEDDY WONG (John Cho, "Harold & Kumar"). Also along for the ride are TANYA (Jaime King, "White Chicks," "Pearl Harbor") the hostess, a rookie pastry chef named JIM (John F. Daley, "Freaks and Geeks"), and the owner's daughter, the gorgeous MIMI (Bonnie Somerville, "NYPD Blue"), who can't wait for Jack to fail. In KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL, executive producers Darren Star ("Sex and the City") and David Hemingson ("Just Shoot Me," AMERICAN DAD) expose the secrets of the restaurant business through the delectable story of a talented chef who's determined to climb back to the top of the food game.
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: 20th Century Fox Television, New Line Productions, Inc., Darren Star Productions, Inc.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Darren Star, Jim Rosenthal, David Knoller
WRITER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: David Hemingson
DIRECTOR: Darren Star
CAST: Bradley Cooper as Jack, Bonnie Somerville as Mimi, Owain Yeoman as Steven, Nicholas Brendon as Seth, John Cho as Teddy, Jaime King as Tanya, John F. Daley as Jim

CBS

Monday

8:00 p.m. The King of Queens (new day and time)
8:30 p.m. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men (new time period)
9:30 p.m. OUT OF PRACTICE
10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. NCIS
9:00 p.m. The Amazing Race
10:00 p.m. CLOSE TO HOME

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Still Standing (new day)
8:30 p.m. Yes, Dear (new time)
9:00 p.m. CRIMINAL MINDS
10:00 p.m. CSI: NY

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Survivor: Guatemala
9:00 p.m. CSI
10:00 p.m. Without A Trace

Friday
8:00 p.m. GHOST WHISPERER
9:00 p.m. THRESHOLD
10:00 p.m. Numbers

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
9:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday
10:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

Sunday
7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes
8:00 p.m. Cold Case
9:00 p.m. Sunday Night Movie

The new dramas are (all times ET/PT):
GHOST WHISPERER (Friday, 8:00 PM) stars Jennifer Love Hewitt ("Party of Five") in a drama, inspired by the work of famed medium James Van Praagh, about Melinda Gordon (Hewitt), a young newlywed with the unique ability to communicate with the earthbound spirits of people who have died and who seek her help. Melinda uses her gift to relay significant messages and important information to the living, but sometimes the messages she receives are
intense and confusing. As a result, she is often met with questions and skepticism by the survivors. But when Melinda is able to help both the lost souls who contact her and those who are still alive, she knows that her unique talent is an asset and not a liability. David Conrad ("Profiler") and Aisha Tyler ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") also star. John Gray ("Helter Skelter," "Martin & Lewis"), Ian Sander and Kim Moses ("Profiler") are executive producers for Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television.

THRESHOLD (Friday, 9:00 PM) stars Carla Gugino ("Sin City"), Charles S. Dutton ("Something the Lord Made"), Brian Van Holt ("House of Wax"), Robert Patrick Benedict ("Felicity") and Brent Spiner ("The Aviator") in a suspenseful drama about a team of experts who are assembled when the U.S. Navy makes a chilling discovery: an extra terrestrial craft has landed in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey (Gugino) is a government contingency analyst whose job is to devise response plans for worst-case scenarios. When her plan called THRESHOLD is activated upon the news of the UFO, she and her hand-picked team of eclectic specialists get to work deciphering the intention of the craft and preparing for the possibility of a crisis situation -- an alien invasion. Brannon Braga ("Enterprise"), David Heyman ("Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban") and David Goyer ("Blade: Trinity") are executive producers for Paramount Network Television.

CLOSE TO HOME (Tuesday, 10:00 PM) stars Jennifer Finnigan ("The Bold and the Beautiful") in a legal drama that tears away the facade of suburbia to reveal that sometimes quiet and tranquil streets can hide the darkest of crimes. Annabeth Chase (Finnigan) is a young, aggressive prosecutor with a perfect conviction record who tries the cases that take place in her own backyard. Returning to work after having her first child, Annabeth is ready to take on the most difficult cases, fueled by her passion to protect her community and her family. Kimberly Elise ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman"), John Carroll Lynch ("The Drew Carey Show") and Christian Kane ("Friday Night Lights") also star. Jerry Bruckheimer ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Without A Trace"), Jonathan Littman ("Cold Case," "The Amazing Race"), Jim Leonard ("Thieves") and Simon West ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider") are executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television.

CRIMINAL MINDS (Wednesday, 9:00 PM) stars Emmy and Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin ("Chicago Hope"), Thomas Gibson ("Dharma & Greg") and Daytime Emmy Award winner Shemar Moore ("The Young and the Restless") in a suspense thriller about an elite squad of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next move before they strike again. Each member of the team brings their own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in order to stop them. Matthew Gubler ("The Life Aquatic") and Lola Glaudini ("The Sopranos") also star. Mark Gordon ("The Day After Tomorrow," "Grey's Anatomy") and Ed Bernero ("Third Watch") are executive producers, and Jeff Davis and Deborah Spera ("Fathers and Sons") are co-executive producers for Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television.

The new comedies are (all times ET/PT):

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (Monday, 8:30 PM) is a comedy about Ted (Josh Radnor) and how he fell in love. It all started when Ted's best friend, Marshall (Jason Segel, "Freaks and Geeks"), drops the bombshell that he's going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, Lily (Alyson Hannigan, "American Pie"), a kindergarten teacher. At that moment, Ted realizes that he had better get a move on if he hopes to find true love, too. Helping him in his quest is Barney (Neil Patrick Harris, "Doogie Howser, M.D."), a friend with endless, sometimes outrageous, opinions, a penchant for suits and a fool-proof way to meet women. When Ted meets Robin (Cobie Smulders, "Veritas: The Quest"), he's sure it's love at first sight, but destiny may have something else in store. With voice-over by Bob Saget ("Full House"), the show is told through flashbacks from the future. Carter Bays & Craig Thomas ("Late Show with David Letterman") are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.

OUT OF PRACTICE (Monday, 9:30 PM) is a comedy about a family of physicians who share the same profession but have little else in common. Ben Chase (Christopher Gorham, "Felicity") is an earnest young couples' counselor whose family doesn't consider him to be a "real" doctor because he doesn't have "M.D." after his name. But despite their lofty credentials, Ben might be the best prescription for the future of this family. Stockard Channing ("The West Wing"), Henry Winkler ("Happy Days"), Ty Burrell, ("In Good Company") and Paula Marshall ("Spin City") also star. Joe Keenan ("Frasier") and Christopher Lloyd ("Frasier") are executive producers for Paramount Network Television. Multiple Emmy Award winner Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier") directed the pilot.

The midseason series are:
EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT MEN stars Jenna Elfman ("Dharma & Greg") in a comedy about Bex Atwell (Elfman), an attractive secretary with simple goals: find true love, have an exciting career and a normal relationship with her father. But in a world where men behave like, well…men, she realizes that she may be overly ambitious. Now, Bex is determined to figure out what men are all about while wondering why women even bother to try to understand them in the first place. Brady Smith ("Just Pray"), Hugh Bonneville ("Doctor Zhivago"), Rhea Seehorn ("Romy and Michele: In the Beginning"), Lauren Tom ("Friends") and Dabney Coleman ("Nine to Five") also star. Fred Barron ("According to Bex," "Caroline in the City") is the executive producer for Touchstone Television in association with Paramount Network Television. Multiple Emmy Award winner James Burrows directed the pilot.

THE UNIT stars Dennis Haysbert ("24"), Scott Foley ("Felicity"), Robert Patrick ("The X-Files") and Golden Globe Award winner Regina Taylor ("I'll Fly Away") in an action drama that follows a covert team of special forces operatives as they risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their families maintain the homefront, protecting their husbands' secrets. Max Martini ("Saving Private Ryan"), Michael Irby ("Piñero"), Demore Barnes ("The Associates"), Abby Brammell ("Revenge of The Middle-Aged Woman") and Amy Acker ("Catch Me If You Can") also star. Pulitzer Prize-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated writer David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross") and Emmy Award-nominated writer Shawn Ryan ("The Shield") are executive producers for Twentieth Century Fox Television.

ABC

MONDAY

8:00 p.m. "Wife Swap" (through January. New night and time)
9:00 p.m. "Monday Night Football" (through January)
(the following will premiere after MNF)
8:00 p.m. "The Bachelor" (new time)
9:00 p.m. "Emily’s Reasons Why Not" (new comedy series)
9:30 p.m. "Jake in Progress" (new night and time)
10:00 p.m. "What About Brian" (new drama series)

TUESDAY

8:00 p.m. "According to Jim" (new time)
8:30 p.m. "Rodney" (new time)
9:00 p.m. "Commander-in-Chief" (new drama series)
10:00 p.m. "Boston Legal" (new night)

WEDNESDAY

8:00 p.m. "George Lopez" (new night and time)
8:30 p.m. "Freddie" (new comedy series)
9:00 p.m. "Lost" (new time)
10:00 p.m. "Invasion" (new drama series)

THURSDAY

8:00 p.m. "Alias" (new night and time)
9:00 p.m. "The Night Stalker" (new drama series)
10:00 p.m. "Primetime Live"

FRIDAY

8:00 p.m. "Supernanny" (new night and time)
9:00 p.m. "Hope & Faith"
9:30 p.m. "Hot Properties" (new comedy series)
10:00 p.m. "20/20"

SATURDAY

8:00 p.m. "ABC Movie of the Week"

SUNDAY

7:00 p.m. "America’s Funniest Home Videos"
8:00 p.m. "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
9:00 p.m. "Desperate Housewives"
10:00 p.m. "Grey’s Anatomy"



Descriptions of the 12 new entertainment series joining ABC’s primetime schedule next season, listed in alphabetical order, follow (all times are Eastern):

"Commander-in-Chief" (one-hour drama, Tuesday, 9:00 p.m., ET) -- Mackenzie Allen has a lot on her plate… She has twin teenagers and a six-year-old at home, an ambitious husband at the office, and she is about to become the first female President of the United States.
Before that happens, however, Mackenzie, who serves as Vice President, has to decide whether or not to go against the dying wishes of the current President, who has asked her to step down and let someone "more appropriate" fill his shoes in the Oval Office. Not only does the President want her to resign, so does the entire party that elected her in the first place.
But when the moment of truth arrives, Mackenzie isn't willing to be a mere footnote in history. Instead of allowing her detractors to keep her down, she decides to trust her instincts and accept the most powerful job in the world.
"Commander-in-Chief" stars Academy Award®-winner Geena Davis and comes from Rod Lurie, acclaimed writer/director of the Oscar-nominated film, "The Contender," and creator of the critically acclaimed ABC series, "Line of Fire."
Cast:
Geena Davis ("Thelma and Louise"): Mackenzie Allen
Donald Sutherland ("M*A*S*H"): Nathan Templeton
Harry J. Lennix ("Ray"): Jim Gardner
Ever Carradine ("Once and Again"): Kelly Ludlow
Kyle Secor ("Homicide: Life on the Street"): Rod Allen
Julie Ann Emery ("Line of Fire"): Joan Greer
Andrew James Allen: Horace Allen
Caitlin Wachs: Rebecca Allen
Jasmine Anthony: Amy Allen
Credits:
Executive Producer/Writer: Rod Lurie ("Line of Fire")
Executive Producer: Marc Frydman ("Line of Fire")
Director: Rod Lurie
Production Company: Touchstone Television, Battle Plan Productions

"Freddie" (half-hour comedy, Wednesday, 8:30 p.m., ET) -- Four women to every man are great odds when you're a single guy out on the town, but not ideal when it comes to your living situation. Freddie is a young, successful chef with his own restaurant, a stylish bachelor pad and a trust fund baby for a best friend. The world should be Freddie’s oyster at this stage in life, but bachelorhood isn’t working out exactly as he envisioned.
Freddie loved growing up in a house full of women. He loved the energy of everyone running around, loved cooking for them all, but now he's finally realizing why his father used to lock himself in the bathroom just for some peace and quiet. Still, Freddie believes family always comes first, which is why he insisted his sister, sister-in-law, niece and grandmother come live with him after his brother passed away. Slowly but surely they are taking over his domain, and voicing their many opinions about his love life. Freddie will have to learn to balance his role as provider, brother, grandson, and uncle, all while trying to enjoy what should be his swinging single days.
The creative forces behind "The Drew Carey Show" and "George Lopez" serve up a comedic dish based on the raucous femme-filled real life of star Freddie Prinze, Jr. ("She's All That," "Scooby Doo").
Cast:
Freddie Prinze, Jr. ("Scooby Doo"): Freddie
Jacqueline Obradors ("NYPD Blue"): Sofia
Brian Green ("Beverly Hills, 90210"): Chris
Jenny Gago: Grandma
Chloe Suazo: Zoey
Credits:
Executive Producers/Writers: Bruce Helford ("The Drew Carey Show," "George Lopez"), Freddie Prinze, Jr., Bruce Rasmussen ("The Drew Carey Show")
Producer/Writer: Conrad Jackson
Executive Producer: Deborah Oppenheimer ("The Drew Carey Show," "George Lopez")
Production Companies: Warner Bros. Television, Mohawk Productions, The Firm

"Hot Properties" (half-hour comedy, Friday, 9:30 p.m., ET) -- In a Manhattan real estate office, four very different women cater to high-end clients while coping with their own personal predicaments. Married to a handsome 25-year-old, fortysomething Ava Summerlin wants to start a family, while self-improvement junkie Chloe would settle for any guy who can remember her the next day. Recently divorced, after being married ten years to a gay man, voluptuous Lola dreads jumping back into the dating pool, and the latest addition to this eclectic work group is rich girl Emerson Ives, who instantly bonds with the women upon learning that her supposedly virginal fiancé was anything but. And the ladies' office neighbors from down the hall, therapist Dr. Sellers Boyd and plastic surgeon Dr. Charlie Thorpe, help keep things lively around the water cooler.
In the tradition of "Designing Women," "Golden Girls" and "Sex and the City" comes an uninhibited comedy with real career women trying to have real relationships. One of the Emmy Award-winning producers of the mega-hit "Frasier" reveals just how exciting the world of New York real estate can be.
Cast:
Audra Blaser: Emerson
Stephen Dunham ("Monster-in-Law"): Charlie
Evan Handler ("Sex and the City"): Sellers
Gail O'Grady ("NYPD Blue"): Ava
Nicole Sullivan ("King of Queens"): Chloe
Sofia Vergara ("Chasing Papi"): Lola
Credits:
Executive Producer/Writer: Suzanne Martin ("Frasier")
Production Company: Interbang Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

"Invasion" (one-hour drama, Wednesday, 10:00 p.m., ET) -- For centuries man has searched the skies for signs of intelligent life… but to no avail.
What if the explanation lay in the fact that aliens were already here... already among us? And what if all of the natural disasters we’ve been experiencing of late were smokescreens designed to mask something far more ominous?
When yet another devastating hurricane threatens Florida, temporarily cutting off a small town at the edge of the Everglades, U.S. Park Ranger Russell Poole takes heroic measures to keep both the town’s citizens and his family safe. In the middle of the violent storm, his young daughter is the only one to see small lights floating towards the water, seemingly unaffected by the vicious winds. At the time he thinks nothing of her claim, but begins to suspect that something may indeed be amiss when his missing ex-wife is found naked, with no memory of what happened during the storm.
As the tiny town struggles to recover while his nemesis, the Sheriff, quarantines the entire area, Poole begins to investigate the strange goings on, unwittingly beginning a fight for the survival of the human race.
Veteran writer/producer Shaun Cassidy and celebrated director Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing") bring you the suspenseful tale of a blended family that finds itself at the center of a conspiracy to mask an alien takeover that is happening one neighbor at a time.
Cast:
William Fichtner ("Black Hawk Down"): Sheriff Underlay
Eddie Cibrian ("Third Watch"): Russell
Kari Matchett: Mariel
Lisa Sheridan: Larkin
Tyler Labine ("That Was Then"): Dave
Alexis Dziena: Kira
Evan Peters ("The Days"): Jesse
Ariel Gade: Rose
Credits:
Executive Producer/Writer: Shaun Cassidy ("American Gothic")
Pilot Executive Producer/Director: Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing")
Production Company: Warner Bros. Television, Shaun Cassidy Productions

"The Night Stalker" (one-hour drama, Thursday, 9:00 p.m., ET) -- There are things in the dark, things adults deny but children are right to fear…
When a pregnant woman is snatched from her home, the shocked citizens of L.A. believe it’s an act of domestic violence. But crime reporter Carl Kolchak suspects that the truth is far more complicated. That’s because 18 months ago Kolchak’s wife was killed in a bizarre fashion and he has been the FBI’s no. 1 suspect ever since.
Kolchak's determination to find the truth behind his wife's mysterious murder has led him to investigate other crimes that seem to have some kind of supernatural component. But he's trying to piece together a puzzle that keeps changing shape. Who or what is committing these crimes? How are they all related? And why do some victims end up with a strange red mark on their hands in the shape of a snake? With sidekick Perri Reed, a sexy if skeptical fellow reporter in tow, Kolchak will go to any lengths to answer these questions. But when he does discover the truth – will anyone believe him?
Cast:
Stuart Townsend ("League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"): Carl Kolchak
Gabrielle Union ("Something the Lord Made"): Perri Reed
Eric Jungmann ("Not Another Teen Movie"): Jain McManus
Cotter Smith ("X2"): Tony Vincenzo
Credits:
Executive Producer/Writer: Frank Spotnitz ("The X Files")
Executive Producer/Director: Daniel Sackheim ("The X Files")
Production Company: Touchstone Television


MIDSEASON

"Crumbs" (half-hour comedy) -- Family is enough to drive anyone a little crazy. Children keep secrets from their parents so they won't upset them, dads leave for other women and moms try to run over dads with the car. Actually, that was the point that the Crumb family realized Mom was crazy.
Estranged brothers Mitch and Jody Crumb reunite in their small hometown to deal with their mother, Suzanne, who is being released from a psychiatric country club and has yet to discover that her ex-husband, Billy, is about to have a baby with his new girlfriend. They have issues… major issues. Central to everything is the dynamic between these two brothers: Mitch is the prodigal son who is returning home after a failed Hollywood career, and Jody is the older brother who has stayed in the confines of their small New England town to run the family business. Together for the first time as adults, this family will have to stick by one another despite their combustible relationships.
The creator of "Caroline in the City" mines his own WASP family for comedy that's smart, funny and surprising. The series stars Fred Savage ("The Wonder Years") and Jane Curtin (two-time Emmy Award winner for "Kate & Allie," "SNL," "3rd Rock from the Sun") and is from the producers of "Smallville" and "One Tree Hill."
Cast:
Fred Savage ("The Wonder Years"): Mitch
Eddie McClintock ("The Sweetest Thing"): Jody
Maggie Lawson ("Pleasantville"): Andrea
William Devane ("Knot’s Landing"): Billy
Jane Curtin ("SNL," "3rd Rock From the Sun"): Suzanne
Credits:
Executive Producer/Writer: Marco Pennette ("Caroline in the City")
Executive Producers: Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola -- ("Smallville," "One Tree Hill")
Production Company: Touchstone Television

"Emily’s Reasons Why Not" (half-hour comedy, Monday, 9:00 p.m., ET – after Monday Night Football) – Emily Sanders is a successful young woman with terrific taste, great friends and a fabulous job in publishing. She didn’t get to this place in life by accident. She worked hard and always followed a set of self-imposed guidelines referred to as the "Reasons." Reasons why not to take that new job offer, reasons why not to tell a vacation fling to look you up if he’s ever in Los Angeles, reasons why not to trust your crafty, back-stabbing former assistant, Glitter Cho. However, when Emily crosses professional lines and gets involved with the roguishly handsome, two-timing author of their new bestseller, there’s no denying that somewhere along the way her internal GPS system crashed. She’s got to get back on track, and once again be heedful of the trustworthy reasons that help her navigate her way through life.
Based on the bestselling novel of the same title, Heather Graham stars in this comedy about one independent woman’s adventures in life, friendship, love and their infinite possibilities…
Cast:
Heather Graham ("Scrubs," "Boogie Nights"): Emily
Nadia Dajani ("Ned and Stacey"): Reilly
Khary Payton: Josh
Smith Cho: Glitter
Credits:
Writer: Emily Kapnek ("As Told by Ginger")
Executive Producers: Gavin Polone ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), Vivian Cannon ("Thief"), Robin Schiff ("The Bad Girls Guide")
Production Companies: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pariah

"The Evidence" (one-hour drama) -- People lie. The evidence doesn't. It's the foundation of every conviction – with evidence, justice is possible; without evidence, guilty men walk free.
Acclaimed producer John Wells, ("ER," "The West Wing," "Third Watch") and director Gary Fleder ("Blind Justice," "Runaway Jury") put a twist on the standard police procedural. At the top of each episode, all of the clues (a locket, a phone, a severed finger) are revealed in a videotaped evidence log. The show then flashes to the day the crime was committed and invites viewers to play along with the heroes as they find each clue, determine its meaning, put the pieces of the puzzle together and figure out who done it.
No one knows the importance of evidence more than Inspector Sean Cole. After he lost his wife in a brutal murder, the only evidence the cops had was accidentally destroyed, and it ruined his faith in the system. Fortunately his partner and best friend, Bishop, is there for him, pulling him back to work, pushing him forward, as they both try to solve these complex cases set against the beautiful streets of San Francisco.
Cast:
Orlando Jones ("Mad TV," "Runaway Jury"): Cayman Bishop
Nicky Katt ("Boston Public"): Inspector Sean Cole
Martin Landau ("Ed Wood"): Dr. Sol Gold
Credits:
Executive Producers/Writers: Sam Baum, Dustin Thomason
Executive Producer/Director: Gary Fleder ("The Shield," "Runaway Jury")
Production Company: John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television

"In Justice" (one-hour drama) -- There are a lot of procedurals on the air that focus on putting people in jail. This is a show about getting them out.
very year, hundreds of innocent men and women get convicted of crimes they didn't commit. Sloppy police work. False testimony. Biased juries. In the blink of an eye an innocent man can lose his life to the mistakes of an imperfect system. And every year the number of innocents who live without hope behind bars multiplies, while the real criminals walk free.
The innocent have finally found a champion in a blustery but charismatic attorney named David Swayne. A legendary litigator, Swayne is the head of the Justice Project, a high-profile, non-profit organization made up of hungry young associates who fight to overturn wrongful convictions, liberate the falsely accused and discover the identity of those really to blame. Whether the ego-driven Swayne is doing this in the pursuit of justice or publicity remains to be seen. Thank goodness he has his partner, crackerjack investigator and ex-cop Charles Conti, to keep him honest. He's the serious to Swayne's swagger, and together they work to rectify the mistakes of the justice system one case at a time.
Using real life stories as inspiration, the producers of "life as we know it" have created a legal drama reminiscent of "Reversal of Fortune," in which clients who are presumed guilty must ultimately be proven innocent.
Cast:
Jason O'Mara ("The Agency"): Charles Conti
Kyle MacLachlan ("Twin Peaks," "Sex and the City"): David Swayne
Constance Zimmer ("Good Morning, Miami"): Brianna
Daniel Cosgrove ("Beverly Hills, 90210"): Jon
Larissa Gomes: Tina
Credits:
Executive Producers/Writers: Robert King and Michelle King
Executive Producer: Stu Bloomberg ("life as we know it")
Production Company: Touchstone Television

"The Miracle Workers" (one-hour alternative series) -- "The Miracle Workers" are an elite team of physicians who embrace revolutionary medical treatments many never knew existed. Each week, the show will focus on a single patient with a serious medical condition and follow as this dream team of medical professionals changes his or her life forever through treatment. The team will utilize their extraordinary expertise in cutting edge medical technology to restore not only the health but also the hope of the patient. Each episode will feature some of the world's most renowned medical experts performing breakthrough procedures to heal those who need it most, making possible what was previously thought impossible. For individuals who otherwise would never have access to elite medical specialists or the ability to afford costly procedures, "The Miracle Workers" will make possible what was previously thought impossible.
Credits:
Executive Producers: Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, co-heads of DreamWorks Television; David Garfinkle and Jay Renfroe from Renegade 83 Entertainment
Co-Executive Producer: Bill Guttentag
Production Companies: Dreamworks Television and Renegade 83 Entertainment

"Sons & Daughters" (half-hour comedy) -- Family is always unpredictable, so why write a family comedy when you can live dangerously and improvise instead? Like real families, you never know what will happen when you give characters total freedom.
Adult siblings Cameron, Sharon and Jenna have many years of shared history in this small town. Like every other family on the planet, their history includes many mistakes. This is proven by the multiple marriages and many children in their close extended clan. Sharon has postponed her mid-life crisis for the sake of her kids, but her sexless marriage, slacker son and nosey daughter don't make things easy for her. Jenna, the youngest, wanted to be a singer, but instead is a single mom who still lives at home. Luckily her parents love babysitting their grandson. Middle child Cameron, despite having kids from two marriages and a difficult relationship with his oldest son, Henry, is the glue that holds the family together. With all the messy interpersonal relationships, rivalries and religious differences, everyone needs someone to be the family's designated driver.
Leading this three-ring family circus is executive producer Lorne Michaels, the comedy veteran behind the long-running "Saturday Night Live."
Cast:
Fred Goss ("Significant Others"): Cameron Walker
Gillian Vigman ("Mad TV"): Liz Walker
Alison Quinn: Sharon Fenton
Jerry Lambert: Don Fenton
Desmond Harrington ("Taken"): Wylie Blake
Corri English: Jenna Halbert
Dee Wallace ("ET, the Extra Terrestrial"): Colleen Halbert
Lois Hall: Aunt Rae
Noah Applebaum: Ezra Walker
Alexandra Gold Jourden: Marni Walker
Trevor Einhorn ("BASEketball"): Henry
Eden Sher: Kerry
Greg Pitts: Tommy White
Max Gail ("Barney Miller"): Wendal Halbert
Credits:
Executive Producers/Writers: Fred Goss, Nick Holly
Executive Producer: Joanne Alfano, Lorne Michaels ("Saturday Night Live")
Production Companies: Broadway Video in association with NBC Universal Television Studio
Director: Fred Goss

"What About Brian" (one-hour drama, Monday, 10:00 p.m., ET – after Monday Night Football) -- Brian is the guy everyone wants as a best friend. He's the guy who'll stand by you at your wedding, drive you to the hospital, cheer your kids on at their little league game... the guy whom every wife dotes on and every husband wants to either grab a beer with or live vicariously through. But as all of his friends pair off and Brian emerges as the last bachelor standing, questions begin to arise in his head: Is there such a thing as Mr. or Mrs. Right? Why does love have to be so complicated? What is his problem with commitment? And the most pressing question of all -- could all of his problems stem from the fact that he is harboring a crush on his best friend’s girl?
At 34, Brian is the last single guy in his group of friends: his best friend, Adam, was going to break up with picture-perfect Marjorie, but proposed instead. Brian's sister, Nic, and her boy-toy husband, Angelo, are trying hard to have kids. The bohemian Dave and Deena have three little girls and no sex life. And, like all married people, they can't wait for Brian to join their "club," though they're not exactly sure why. As for Brian, well, he's a serial monogamist but still holds out hope that one day he'll open the door and be blinded by love.
"What About Brian" is from the producers of "Lost" and "Alias" and the screenwriter of "City of Angels" and "For Love of the Game."
Cast:
Barry Watson ("7th Heaven"): Brian
Matthew Davis ("Legally Blonde"): Adam
Polly Shannon ("Street Time"): Marjorie
Rick Gomez ("Band of Brothers"): Dave
Amanda Detmer ("Kiss the Bride"): Deena
Raoul Bova ("Under the Tuscan Sun"): Angelo
Rosanna Arquette ("Pulp Fiction"): Nic

Credits:
Executive Producer/Writer: Dana Stevens ("City of Angels")
Executive Producers: J.J. Abrams, Thom Sherman, Bryan Burk ("Alias," "Lost")
Executive Producers/Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo ("Arrested Development")
Production Company: Touchstone Television, Bad Robot

The WB

THE WB's 2005-2006 PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (All times ET)

Sunday
5:00-5:30 p.m. Easy View presentation of “What I Like About You”
5:30-6:00 p.m. Easy View presentation of “What I Like About You”
6:00-7:00 p.m. Easy View presentation of “One Tree Hill”
7:00-7:30 p.m. “Reba” (encore presentation)
7:30-8:00 p.m. “Reba” (encore presentation)
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Charmed”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Blue Collar TV”

Monday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “7th Heaven”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “JUST LEGAL”

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Gilmore Girls”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “SUPERNATURAL”

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “One Tree Hill”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “RELATED”

Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “Smallville”
9:00-10:00 p.m. “Everwood”

Friday
8:00-8:30 p.m. ‘What I Like About You”
8:30-9:00 p.m. ‘TWINS”
9:00-9:30 p.m. ‘Reba”
9:30-10:00 p.m. ‘Living With Fran”

CAPS AND BOLD DENOTE NEW SERIES Italics denote returning show with a new day and/or time period

Monday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “7TH HEAVEN"Returning for its record-breaking tenth season on The WB, the series stars Stephen Collins, Catherine Hicks, David Gallagher, Beverley Mitchell, Nikolas & Lorenzo Brino, George Stults and Tyler Hoechlin. Brenda Hampton, Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent serve as executive producers on the series produced by Spelling Television, Inc.

9:00-10:00 p.m. “JUST LEGAL"
“Just Legal” is a fast-paced procedural drama with humor starring Jay Baruchel (‘Undeclared," ‘Million Dollar Baby”) and Don Johnson (“Miami Vice, ” “Nash Bridges”) as lawyers who save their clients, and in the process, save themselves. David “Skip” Ross (Baruchel), 19, a brilliant legal prodigy, dreams of becoming a great trial lawyer. When he can't land a job at a prestigious L.A. firm because he's too young, Skip ends up working for Grant Cooper (Johnson). Once a great lawyer, now burnt-out by the realities of life, Cooper is barely scraping by in his beachfront law office. Together, Skip and Cooper become defenders of the accused and crusaders for the unjustly wronged. Their cases vary from stories ripped from today's headlines to clever mysteries with procedural twists. Skip's middle-class parents, Deborah (Veanne Cox, “Erin Brockovich”) and Lenny Ross (Raphael Sbarge, “The Guardian”), and his under-achieving younger brother Tom (newcomer Michael Mitchell), are all extremely proud of Skip's accomplishments, but are also concerned for his well-being, especially when his first case involves proving the innocence of a young woman named Paradise (Peyton List, “The Greatest Game Ever Played”) who has been falsely accused of a gang-related murder. Always the underdogs, forced to do the gritty work of finding clues and tracking down witnesses in the beautiful, but often dangerous world of Southern California, Cooper teaches Skip to be a lawyer and a man, while Skip renews Cooper's faith in the law and himself. Jerry Bruckheimer (“CSI, ” “Cold Case, ” “Without a Trace”), Jonathan Littman (“CSI, ” “Cold Case, ” “Without a Trace”) and Jonathan Shapiro (“The Practice, ” “Boston Legal”) are executive producers for Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “GILMORE GIRLS”
Returning for its sixth season on The WB, the series stars Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Scott Patterson, Keiko Agena, Yanic Truesdale, Liza Weil, Sean Gunn, Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann. Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino and Gavin Polone serve as executive producers on the series produced by Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions and Hofflund/Polone in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.
9:00-10:00 p.m. “SUPERNATURAL”The WB has a long tradition of interweaving character dramas and the world of the supernatural. It began with “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and continues with hits like “Smallville” and “Charmed. ” This fall, The WB will take viewers on a completely new kind of thrill ride; a journey into the dark world of the unexplained that will deliver the terror of films like “The Ring” and “The Grudge. ” Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki, “Gilmore Girls”) has done his best to escape his family's eerie history, but, along with his older brother Dean (Jensen Ackles, “Smallville”), Sam is bound by tragedy and blood to a dangerous, other-worldly mission. Criss-crossing the mysterious back roads of the country in their `67 Chevy Impala, the Winchester brothers search for their missing father – and hunt down every evil supernatural force they encounter along the way. From Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. in association with Wonderland Sound and Vision, with executive producers McG (“Charlie's Angels” “The O.C. ”), writer/executive producer Eric Kripke (‘Boogeyman") and director/executive producer David Nutter (“Without a Trace, ” “Smallville, ” “Roswell, ” “Band of Brothers, ” “The West Wing, ” “ER, ” “The X Files”).

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “ONE TREE HILL”
Returning for its third season on The WB, the series stars Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Lenz, Paul Johansson, Sophia Bush, Barbara Alyn Woods, Barry Corbin, Craig Sheffer and Moira Kelly. Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and Mark Schwahn serve as executive producers on the series produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.

8:00-9:00 p.m. “RELATED”
The four Sorelli sisters are a bundle of contradictions. These quirky young women are best friends one minute and bitter enemies the next. They confide in one another, yet manage to keep a lot of secrets. They worry about each other, give advice and push each other's buttons. First-born sister Ann (casting TBD) is a 33-year-old legal aid lawyer and the nurturing mother hen of the group. Ann works out of a run-down office, helping people who have no voice, while her closest sibling, Ginnie (Jennifer Esposito, “Crash” “Spin City”), also an attorney, spends her days in a high-powered law firm working for huge corporations. While Ann worries about her long-time relationship with chef and restaurant-owner Danny (Jon Hamm, “The Division” “Kissing Jessica Stein”), Ginnie is trying to figure out how to tell her husband Bob (Callum Blue, “Dead Like Me” “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement”), her bosses and her family that she is pregnant. Next in line is 23-year-old Marjee (Lizzy Caplan, “Mean Girls”), a special events coordinator who stresses out over her demanding celebrity clients while secretly yearning for respect and approval from her older sisters. The youngest sister, Rose (Laura Breckenridge, “Boston Public”), is a 19-year-old college student who just switched her major from pre-med to experimental theater and is afraid to deliver this news to her over-achieving family. A comedic ensemble drama, “Related” is a poignant reminder that family is what life is all about. From Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. and Class IV Productions with executive producers Marta Kauffman (“Friends”), Steve Pearlman, Andrew Plotkin, director/executive producer Mimi Leder (“ER, ” “Pay It Forward”) and writer/co-executive producer Liz Tuccillo (“Sex and the City” and the best-selling book, “He's Just Not That Into You”).

Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. “SMALLVILLE”
Returning for its fifth season on The WB, the series stars Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Allison Mack, John Glover, Annette O'Toole and John Schneider. Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Greg Beeman, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola and Ken Horton serve as executive producers on the series produced by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.

9:00-10:00 p.m. “EVERWOOD”
Returning for its fourth season on The WB, the series stars Treat Williams, Gregory Smith, Emily VanCamp, Debra Mooney, John Beasley, Vivien Cardone, Chris Pratt, Stephanie Niznik, Merrilyn Gann, Scott Wolf, Sarah Drew and Tom Amandes. Greg Berlanti, Mickey Liddell and Rina Mimoun serve as executive producers on the series produced by Berlanti/Liddell Productions, Everwood Utah, Inc. in association with and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.

Friday
8:00-8:30 p.m. “WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU”
Returning for its fourth season on The WB, the series stars Amanda Bynes, Jennie Garth, Wesley Jonathan, Nick Zano, Leslie Grossman and Allison Munn for Tollin/Robbins Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.

8:30-9:00 p.m. “TWINS”
Having explored the hilarious complexities of sexuality with the wildly successful “Will & Grace,” Emmy Award-winning producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick bring their unique take on contemporary relationships to The WB. This time, they're targeting societal stereotypes and perceptions of brains vs. beauty with a bitingly funny comedy about twin sisters. Mitchee (Sara Gilbert, “Roseanne”) has the intelligence and the determination of a successful businesswoman. Her twin sister Farrah (Molly Stanton, “Passions”) is a stunningly perfect lingerie model. Mitchee and Farrah are about to inherit their parents' undergarment business, which gained world-renown for form-fitting inventions that make every woman look and feel like a goddess. These anything-but-identical twins are true reflections of their parents. Mitchee takes after their father, Alan (Mark Linn-Baker, “Perfect Strangers”), a brilliant designer who built the company up from nothing, while Farrah is the image of their mother, Lee (Melanie Griffith, “Working Girl”), a beautiful former lingerie model who is not a deep thinker. There are loyal staff members, especially the flamboyant Neil (Chris Fitzgerald, “Personal Velocity”) and hot new marketing exec, Jordan (Steve Braun, “True Calling, ” “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”), but with Mitchee and Farrah in charge, this business – and this family – are going to need a lot of, um, support. From KoMut Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. with executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (“Will & Grace, ” “Boston Common”).

9:00-9:30 p.m. “REBA”
Returning for its fifth season on The WB, the series stars Reba McEntire, Christopher Rich, Melissa Peterman, JoAnna Garcia, Steve Howey, Scarlett Pomers and Mitch Holleman. Kevin Abbott, Mindy Schultheis, Michael Hanel and Matt Berry serve as executive producers. Chris Case, Pat Bullard, Reba McEntire, Patti Carr & Lara Runnells and Don Beck are co-executive producers on the series produced by 20th Century Fox Television and Acme Productions.
9:30-10:00 p.m. “LIVING WITH FRAN” Returning for its second season on The WB, the series stars Fran Drescher, Ben Feldman, Ryan McPartlin and Misti Traya. Robert Myer, Jamie Kennedy, David Garrett & Jason Ward and Fran Drescher serve as executive producers on the series produced by Regency Television.
Sunday

8:00-9:00 p.m. “CHARMED”
Returning for its eighth season on The WB, the series stars Alyssa Milano, Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs, along with Brian Krause and Dorian Gregory. Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent and Brad Kern serve as executive producers on the series produced by Spelling Television, Inc.

9:00-10:00 p.m. “BLUE COLLAR TV”
Returning for its second season on The WB, the series stars Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy, Brooke Dillman, Ashley Drane, Ayda Field, Heath Hyche, Peter Oldring and Gary Anthony Williams. Fax Bahr, Adam Small, Jeff Foxworthy, J.P. Williams, Garry Campbell and Brian Hartt serve as executive producers on the series from Bahr/Small Productions and Parallel Entertainment in association with Riverside Productions, Inc., distributed by Warner Bros. Television.

MIDSEASON SERIES
“PEPPER DENNIS”
Feature film star and supermodel Rebecca Romijn (“X-Men, ” ‘Just Shoot Me”) stars as Pepper Dennis, a beautiful and ambitious reporter with her sights set on anchoring Chicago's top-rated evening news broadcast. Pepper's career is her top priority, but she does have close friends, especially the station's makeup artist Kimmy (Lindsay Price, “Beverly Hills, 90210”) and cameraman Chick (Rider Strong, “Boy Meets World”), who has a secret crush on Pepper. Complicating Pepper's daily life is the fact that her spoiled, needy and recently separated sister Kathy (Brooke Burns, “North Shore," ”‘Baywatch”) has moved in with her. Worst of all, the hot guy Pepper woke up with this morning, Charlie Bishop (Josh Hopkins, “The Perfect Storm, ” “Ally McBeal”), just showed up in the newsroom, grabbed her dream job and is now practically her boss. She's trying to despise him, but Charlie is smart, handsome, funny, available and interested. Office romances can be so complicated. From 20th Century Fox Television and writers/executive producers Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts (“Wonderfalls, ” “Roswell, ” “Beverly Hills, 90210”) and director/executive producer Shawn Levy (“The Pink Panther, ” “Cheaper by the Dozen, ” “Big Fat Liar”).

“THE BEDFORD DIARIES”
“The Bedford Diaries” explores contemporary New York City-based college life through the unique prism of a provocative Human Behavior and Sexuality class. Controversial and charismatic Professor Macklin (Emmy Award-nominated Matthew Modine, “And the Band Played On, “ “Any Given Sunday”) will challenge and inspire the show's youthful ensemble of students as they explore their identities, relationships and sexuality in the most exciting city in the world. Among the students is the smart and attractive Sarah (Tiffany Dupont, “Cheaper by the Dozen”). Sarah has everything going for her until her brother Owen (Penn Badgely, “The Mountain”) walks into class. It's one thing to share in class, but Sarah hadn't planned on discussing her sexuality in front of a sibling. Owen's new class partner is Natalie, “The Jumper” (Corri English, “The Dale Earnhardt Story”). Two years ago, Natalie had a change of heart mid-dive off the roof of the Student Union. Now physically recovered, she has to face the gossip mill and her ex, Richard (Milo Ventimiglia, “Gilmore Girls, ” “American Dreams”). The quintessential Park Avenue bad boy up until the moment his girlfriend jumped, Richard is now a semi-changed man – sober, attending class and editor-in-chief of The Bedford Bugle. In stark contrast is the working-class Lee (Ernest Waddell, “As the World Turns”), who has a noble heart, an artistic soul, a serious girlfriend and a fascination with Zoe (Victoria Cartagena, ‘Baby Fat”). Zoe talks a fast, flirty and kinky game, but despite her brash veneer, she's still a virgin. Also starring Audra McDonald (‘Wit, ” ‘Law & Order”) and Peter Gerety (“The Legend of Bagger Vance”). From HBO Independent Productions, Warner Bros. Television Production Inc. and The Levinson/Fontana Co. with executive producers Tom Fontana (“Oz, ” “Homicide: Life on The Street”), Jim Finnerty (“The Jury," “Oz") and Julie Martin (“Homicide: Life on the Street”), along with executive producer Barry Levinson (“Rain Man, ” “Diner”).

"MISCONCEPTIONS"
Amanda Watson (Jane Leeves, “Frasier”) was more than a little shocked to find out that all her teenage daughter Hopper (Taylor Momsen, “Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams”) wanted for her birthday was to meet her biological father. After all, Hopper has always heard that her dad is well-bred, handsome, athletic, well-educated and a successful doctor. The only problem is Amanda never actually met him, she only knows him from the profile she was given at the Ivy League sperm bank. After discussing the situation with Horace (French Stewart, “3rd Rock From the Sun”), her best friend and co-worker at an art museum in Chicago, Amanda decides it's time to track down the father of her child and is mortified to discover that her supposedly ideal donor was not the Olympic medalist, Yale-educated surgeon that she has imagined all these years. Meet Eddie Caprio (Adam Rothenberg, “Coyote Beach"), a man who needed a little cash after junior college and lied about his identity. Eddie has a certain undeniable charm, yet he's too scattered and immature for Amanda's taste. He can't hold a job, he prefers beer to fine wine, and his idea of dressing up is wearing a clean baseball cap. In Amanda's eyes, Eddie is barely capable of taking care of himself, let alone Hopper. However, when Eddie tracks her down, Hopper falls head-over-heels for her fun-loving dad, and Amanda is forced to allow him to be part of their lives. Could Eddie's appeal be getting through to Amanda, too? Apparently, they're going to have plenty of time to find out. From Imagine Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television with executive producers Brian Grazer (“Arrested Development," “24, “A Beautiful Mind"), David Nevins (“Arrested Development," “24," “Miss Match"), Jeff Kleeman (“Titanic," “Golden Eye," “Sleepy Hollow") and Michael Saltzman (“The Pink Panther," “The Naked Truth," “Murphy Brown," “Wings").

‘MODERN MEN”
Tim (Josh Braaten, “Less Than Perfect"), Kyle (Max Greenfield, “Veronica Mars") and Doug (Eric Lively, “The L Word") are childhood friends who are at different stages in their lives when it comes to women. Doug can't move on from his ex-wife, Kyle is a womanizing bachelor, and Tim's relationships keep falling apart due to...well, he doesn't actually know. Tim's sister Tina (Marla Sokoloff, “Desperate Housewives," “The Practice"), a confident young law student, tries to make him understand that today's career-minded, self-sufficient women don't need a man for support, they're looking for a deeper and more meaningful connection. Though their situations are different, each of these guys has come to the same realization -- it takes a lot more than they expected to keep a woman happy and satisfied. After getting no help from Tim's dad Tug (George Wendt, “Cheers"), who's stuck in the Stone Age when it comes to the opposite sex, Tim, Kyle and Doug are just desperate enough to seek the help of Dr. Stangl (guest star Wendie Malick, “Frasier," “Just Shoot Me"), a renowned life coach. Now the question is whether these guys are capable of taking Dr. Stangl's advice and applying it to their every day situations. This fresh, male perspective on modern relationships is from Emmy Award-winning executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer “CSI," “Cold Case," ‘Without a Trace"). Joining Bruckheimer are executive producers Jonathan Littman (“Without A Trace," the “CSI" and “The Amazing Race" franchises) and Marsh McCall (“Just Shoot Me," “The Naked Truth"), along with co-executive producers Ross McCall and Aaron Peters (“Just Shoot Me," “The Simple Life"). From Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television Production Inc.