The latest development news.......

The latest development news.......

ANGER MANAGEMENT (FX) - Shawnee Smith ("Becker") has landed a role on the upcoming Charlie Sheen-led comedy, about a former baseball player with anger issues who winds up as an unconventional anger management therapist. She'll play his ex-wife, "who is searching for a life path after living in Charlie's shadow for a long time." Sheen, Bruce Helford, Joe Roth, Kevin Beggs, Mark Burg, Ramon Estevez, Sandra Stern and Vince Totino are among the executive producers. (Deadline.com)

APPLEBAUM (A.K.A. MOMMY TRACK MYSTERIES) (CBS) - Ayelet Waldman's small screen take on her literary heroine, "a former public defender who becomes a private investigator to keep from being bored to death as a stay-at-home mom," has been ordered to pilot. Chris Columbus is set to direct the CBS Television Studios-based project as well as executive produce alongside Waldman, Michael Barnathan, Jennifer Levin and Sherri Cooper. (Deadline.com)

ELEMENTARY (CBS) - Michael Cuesta ("Homeland") is set to direct and executive produce the drama pilot, a contemporary, New York City-based take on Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. Said development is part of an 18-month, seven-figure overall deal with producer CBS Television Studios. Cuesta will also shepherd is own series projects for the studio. Robert Doherty is behind "Elementary," which comes from the studio-based Timberman-Beverly Productions. (Deadline.com)

PRODIGY/BULLY (FOX) - Mike O'Malley's comedy, based on Hank Perlman's series of shorts about "a young boy genius who uses his brains and brawn to get whatever he wants," is moving forward to pilot at the network. The actor penned the teleplay from a story he conceived with John Wells, whose Warner Bros. Television-based John Wells Productions is behind the half-hour. Wells, Andrew Stearn and Paris Barclay then will executive produce with O'Malley serving as a co-executive producer. Wells previously took a stab at Perlman's shorts in 2006, penned by Perlman himself, for NBC. (Deadline.com)

QUEAN (A.K.A. UNTITLED ILENE CHAIKEN PROJECT) (CBS) - Ilene Chaiken has snagged a pilot order for her drama, about "an edgy and independent Millennial hacker girl who teams up with an Oakland police detective to solve crimes." Warner Bros. Television-based Silver Pictures is behind the hour, which Chaiken will executive produce alongside Joel Silver. (Deadline.com)

RALPH LAMB (CBS) - Nicholas Pileggi and Greg Walker's period drama, about the rodeo cowboy turned longtime Sheriff of Las Vegas in the 1960s, has been ordered to pilot by the network. James Mangold is on board to direct and executive produce alongside the duo, Cathy Konrad and Arthur Sarkissian. CBS Television Studios is producing. (Deadline.com)

SUPER FUN NIGHT (CBS, New!) - Rebel Wilson ("Bridesmaids") is set to star in a new multi-camera comedy pilot at the Eye about "three nerdy female friends on their 'funcomfortable' quest to have super fun every Friday night." Wilson also penned the half-hour and will serve as a co-executive producer for Warner Bros. Television. Conaco's Conan O'Brien, Jeff Ross and David Kissinger are the executive producers. (Deadline.com)

AMERICANA (ABC) - Michael Seitzman's drama, "a soap set around a legendary fashion designer and his family and business," has landed a pilot order at the Alphabet. ABC Studios is behind the hour with Mark Gordon and Nicholas Pepper serving as executive producers alongside Seitzman. (Variety.com)

FRIEND ME (CBS, New!) - Alan Kirschenbaum and Ajay Sahgal have scored a pilot order from the Eye for a new multi-camera comedy about "two twenty-something guys who move from Indiana to L.A. to work for Groupon." CBS Television Studios-based The Tannenbaum Co. is behind the half-hour, which the duo will executive produce alongside Eric and Kim Tannenbaum. (Variety.com)

GUILTY (FOX) - McG ("Chuck") has signed on to direct and executive produce the New York-based drama pilot, about "a brilliant, morally questionable defense attorney who, after being falsely convicted of fraud and stripped of his legal license, uses his unorthodox methods to solve the cases he's been banned from handling and to exact revenge on the men who set him up." He'll work from a script by creator Marc Guggenheim, who's likewise executive producing alongside Greg Berlanti and Wonderland Sound and Vision's Peter Johnson. Melissa Kellner Berman of Berlanti Television also serves as a co-executive producer. (Deadline.com)

HIEROGLYPH (FOX, New!) - Feature writer Travis Beacham ("Clash of the Titans") has booked a potential drama at the network billed as an adventure soap. No other details were given about the project, which was written on spec, other than it's considered one of the finalists to land a pilot order this development cycle. (Deadline.com)

HOW TO LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE (ABC) - Claudia Lonow's semi-autobiographical comedy, about "a recently divorced single mom who moves in with her eccentric parents, a couple who's full of life but knows no boundaries," is moving forward to pilot. 20th Century Fox Television-based Imagine Television is behind the hybrid multi-camera project (a la "How I Met Your Mother") with Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo executive producing alongside Lonow. (Deadline.com)

MAJOR CRIMES (TNT) - Graham Patrick Martin ("The Bill Engvall Show") has joined the cast of the upcoming spin-off of "The Closer." He'll play Rusty, a homeless juvenile character to be introduced in the parent series' finale. Mary McDonnell toplines the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, from executive producers Greer Shephard, James Duff and Michael M. Robin. (Deadline.com)

NASHVILLE (A.K.A. UNTITLED KHOURI & CUTLER PROJECT) (ABC) - The Callie Khouri-penned drama, "a family soap set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene that follows one star at her peak and one on the rise," has received a pilot commitment from the network. Production however is contingent on Lionsgate Television closing a co-production deal with ABC Studios. Gaylord Entertainment's Steve Buchanan is executive producing alongside Khouri and R.J. Cutler, who's also attached to direct. (Variety.com)

THE NEW NORMAL (A.K.A. UNTITLED ADAM SZTYKIEL PROJECT) (ABC) - Adam Sztykiel's single-camera comedy, about "a group of 24-year-old guys who move to a new city, one of them choosing to stay in relationship even though his girlfriend is now 2,000 miles away," has received a showrunner-contingent pilot order from the Alphabet. Aaron Kaplan and Sean Perrone of Kaplan-Perrone Entertainment are executive producing alongside Sztykiel for 20th Century Fox Television. (Deadline.com)

THE NEW NORMAL (A.K.A. UNTITLED MURPHY & ADLER PROJECT) (NBC) - Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler's single-camera comedy, about "a blended family of a gay couple and the woman who becomes a surrogate to help them start a family," has formally been ordered to pilot. Andrew Rannells was previously cast in the 20th Century Fox Television-based project, which Murphy will direct. Dante Di Loreto is executive producing alongside the creators. (Deadline.com)

OH F---, IT'S YOU (UNTITLED BERLANTI & MALINS PROJECT) (CBS) - Greg Berlanti and Greg Malins have scored a pilot commitment for their multi-camera comedy, about "a man who realizes after a health scare that he's in love with his female best friend and business partner of 15 years." Berlanti's Warner Bros. Television-based banner is behind the half-hour, which the duo will executive produce. (Variety.com)

ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES (ABC, New!) - Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley have received a pilot order from the Alphabet for their multi-camera import of the long-running U.K. comedy, about "the misadventures of two streetwise brothers and their aging grandfather as they concoct outrageous, morally questionable get-rich-quick schemes in their quest to become millionaires." John Sullivan was behind the original incarnation, which ran for seven seasons from 1981 to 1991 on BBC One as well as an assortment of post-series specials, the last of which aired in 2003. ABC Studios then is producing the U.S. take, which Cragg and Bradley are executive producing. (Variety.com)

PARTNERS (A.K.A. UNTITLED KOHAN & MUTCHNICK PROJECT) (CBS) - David Kohan and Max Mutchnick's latest comedy, about "two lifelong male friends whose relationship is like a weird marriage that is tested when one decides to get married," has snagged a pilot commitment from the Eye. The multi-camera half-hour is set up at Warner Bros. Television. (Variety.com)

UNTITLED DAN FOGELMAN PROJECT (ABC) - Lenny Venito ("The Knights of Prosperity") has joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about a normal family who moves into an exclusive, lush, curiously affordable gated community in New Jersey only to find out that everyone living there but them are aliens from Planet Zabvron. He'll play the clan's father, Marty, in the ABC Studios-based half-hour, who also stars Clara Mamet, Ian Patrick, Isabella Cramp, Jami Gertz, Simon Templeman, Tim Jo and Toks Olagundoye. Chris Koch is directing from a script by Dan Fogelman. (Deadline.com)

Directors Guild of America Awards 2012: Complete Winners List

Directors Guild of America Awards 2012: Complete Winners List

Patty Jenkins earns the dramatic TV series award for "The Killing," while Robert B. Weide takes the comedy TV prize for "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Michel Hazanavicius was hailed as outstanding director of the year for The Artist at the 64th annual Directors Guild of America Awards, which were held Saturday night at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. The win makes Artist, the silent movie that is storming its way through awards season, the prohibitive favorite to win the big prizes come Oscar night since there have only been six instances in the history of the DGA Awards when the guild's feature film winner has not gone on to win the Academy Award for best director.

Tom Hooper, last year's DGA winner, opened the envelop that revealed Hazanavicius' name, and Hooper went on last year to win the directing Oscar while The King's Speech was crowned best picture. "This is very moving and touching for me," Hazanavicius' said as he accepted the honor which follows victories for the Weinstein Co. release at the Producers Guild of America and the Golden Globes.

The other nominees for the feature directing award were Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Alexander Payne for The Descendants and Martin Scorsese for Hugo.

Among the ceremony's television winners, Patty Jenkins earned the drama series award for directing the pilot of AMC's The Killing; Robert B. Weide took the comedy prize for the "Palestinian Chicken" episode of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm; and John Cassar claimed movie-of-the-week/miniseries honors for Reelz Channel's The Kennedys. While Jenkins and Weide were first time recipients, Cassar received the dramatic TV series award in 2006 for an episode of 24.

As part of the evening, hosted by Kelsey Grammer, the DGA also honored several of its own: Ed Sherin will receive the 2012 Honorary Life Member Award; Katy Garretson will be presented with the 2012 Frank Capra Achievement Award; and Dennis Mazzocco will be recognized with the 2012 Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award.

DGA president Taylor Hackford kicked off the proceedings by asking everyone to stand and offer a toast to Gil Cates, the director and producer who died in October. Cates had served by as the guild's negotiations chairman during four rounds of contract talks and also as a DGA secretary/treasurer, and said Hackford, "there was no greater champion of our creative and economic rights."

Hackford also used the occasion to reiterate the guild's determination to fight Internet theft, despite the recent setback the industry experienced when two anti-piracy bills were tabled by Congress. He blamed "outright lies spread by Google and other technology companies whose business models are made all the more profitable if the work of the people in this room is stolen, made available on the Internet for free." He vowed that "we remain undeterred by last week's events, not only for those of you here tonight but also for future filmmakers who we hope will be winning DGA Awards in the years to come. Stay tuned."

Shifting to a lighter note, Grammer, who was chosen to host since he is a director as well as an actor and a producer, took over the role that Carl Reiner had played at 23 previously guild dinners. He immediately scored several jokes off last year's ceremony, a celebration of the DGA's 75th anniversary that ran long because of a program of short films celebrating the DGA's history. "Even James Cameron said it was too long," he cracked.

Rather than just show clips of its best feature nominees, the DGA first calls each nominee to the stage individually to accept a medallion.

Kathy Bates, who plays Gertrude Stein in Midnight in Paris, offered a tribute to Allen. The movie is the second of his films in which she has appeared -- she was also in 1991's Shadows and Fog. While she admitted Allen struck her as "a little neurotic" the first time she worked with him, this time around she found him "to be warm and personable and friendly -- for Woody."

While Allen wasn't present, but he did appear by videotape and had the room erupting in laughter as he explained he chose not to attend because he was afraid if he was forced to mingle, he wouldn't be able to hold up his end of a conversation."I'm the only guy who is short, who wears tweed clothing, who wears horn-rimmed glasses, who is Jewish, but is not smart," he protested.

Artist costars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo also charmed the crowd as they worked their way through a bit of a comic routine in which Bejo recounted the first time she auditioned for Hazanavicius, who would eventually become her husband, while Dujardin pretended to be her agent. They did air one complaint about the director, saying that after the tenth take of the movie's tap dance routine, Hazanavicius simply told them, "Pretty good, but could you smile more."

George Clooney was on hand to introduce Payne and The Descendants. He also chose to take a comic route, offering up mock oratory, in which he hailed "the greatest of all the Greek gods -- Alexander Uranus Payne!" That allowed him to set up the punchline: "On a night when only one god can reign supreme, this is my final plea: Pick Uranus!"

Accepting his medallion, Payne offered a touching remembrance of the Czech director Jiri Weiss, who had befriended him when he, at age 23, was just launching his career. Describing how relationships can took root between older and younger directors, Payne explained, "One envies his counterpart's wisdom, while the other his counterpart's youth. From opposite sides of their careers, both are haunted by the films they'll never make."

Ben Kingsley, who plays the director George Melies in Hugo, did the honors when it was time to celebrate Scorsese's nomination. And as he made his way to the stage, Scorsese was given a standing ovation. Scorsese, in turn, described how Kingsley brought Melies so convincingly to life that when Melies' granddaughter visited the set, although she had never known her grandfather, she looked at the actor and the two "embraced in tears."

The DGA Awards winners and nominees are:

OUTSTANDING DIRECTORIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN FEATURE FILM

*WINNER Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Directorial Team

Unit Production Manager: Antoine De Cazotte

Production Manager (FR): Segolene Fleury

First Assistant Director (FR): James Canal

First Assistant Director (US): David Cluck

Second Assistant Director (US): Dave Paige

Second Second Assistant Directors: Karla Strum, Ricky Robinson

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

David Fincher, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Martin Scorsese, Hugo



MOVIES FOR TELEVISION AND MINI-SERIES

*WINNER Jon Cassar, The Kennedys (Reelz Channel)

Jeff Bleckner, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Beyond The Blackboard (CBS)

Stephen Gyllenhaal, Girl Fight (Lifetime)

Demi Moore, Jennifer Aniston, Penelope Spheeris, Alicia Keys, Patty Jenkins Five (Lifetime)

Michael Stevens, Thurgood (HBO)


DRAMATIC SERIES

*WINNER Patty Jenkins, The Killing, “Pilot” (AMC)

Michael Cuesta, Homeland, “Pilot” (Showtime)

Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad, “Face Off” (AMC)

Tim Van Patten, Game of Thrones, “Winter is Coming” (Pilot) (HBO)

Michael Waxman, Friday Night Lights, “Always” (NBC)


COMEDY SERIES

*WINNER Robert B. Weide, Curb Your Enthusiasm, “Palestinian Chicken” (HBO)

Directorial Team:

Associate Directors: Dale Stern, Tim Gibbon

State Managers: Jonathan Harris, Jerri Churchill, Dana Jackson

Fred Savage, Modern Family, “After the Fire” (ABC)

Don Scardino, 30 Rock, “Double-Edged Sword” (NBC)

Michael Spiller, Modern Family, “Express Christmas” (ABC)

David Steinberg, Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Divorce” (HBO)


MUSICAL VARIETY

*WINNER Glenn Weiss, 65th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)

Directorial Team:

Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Robin Abrams, Debra Gelman, Ricky Kirshner

Stage Managers: Garry Hood, Peter Epstein, Andrew Feigin, Lynn Finkel, Doug Fogel, Jeffrey Gitter, Phyllis Diglio-Kent, Arthur Lewis, Jeff Markowitz, Joey Meade, Tony Mirante, Cyndi Owgang, Jeff Pearl, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class Schneider, Annette Powlis

Louis J. Horvitz, The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS)

Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live With Host Justin Timberlake (NBC)

Don Mischer, 83rd Annual Academy Awards (ABC)

Chuck O'Neil, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)


REALITY PROGRAMS

*WINNER Neil P. Degroot, Biggest Loser, “Episode #1115” (NBC)

Associate Director: Andy Nelson

Eytan Keller, The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs, “Next Iron Chef Episode” (Food Network)

Brian Smith, Master Chef, “Episode #201” (FOX)

J. Rupert Thompson, Fear Factor 2.0, “Scorpion Tales” (NBC)

Bertram Van Munster, The Amazing Race, “You Don’t Get Paid Unless You Win?” (CBS)


OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DOCUMENTARY FILM

*WINNER James Marsh, Project Nim

Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Steve James,The Interrupters

Richard Press, Bill Cunningham New York

Martin Scorsese, George Harrison: Living in the Material World


COMMERCIALS

* WINNER Noam Murro (Biscuit Filmworks)

Handle Bar Moustache, Heineken Premium Light- Wieden & Kennedy/NY
·         Unit Production Manager: James Powell Veal
·         First Assistant Director: Tommy Gormley
·         Second Assistant Director: Ian Robert Calip
·         Second Second Assistant Director: Michael King

Hot House, DirecTV – Grey/NY
·         Unit Production Manager: James Powell Veal
·         First Assistant Director: Scott C. Harris
·         Second Assistant Director: Mark R. Robinson
·         Second Second Assistant Director: Brady Sloan

Pinata, Volkswagen Tiguan – Deutsch/LA
·         Unit Production Manager: James Powell Veal
·         First Assistant Director: Scott M. Metcalfe
·         Second Assistant Director: Ty Arnold

Is It Real?, EA Battlefield 3  - Wieden & Kennedy/Portland
·         First Assistant Director: Michael David Salven
·         Second Assistant Director: Erv E. Gentry
·         Second Second Assistant Director: Eric Schneider

Lance Acord (Park Pictures)

The Force, VW Passat – Deutsch LA
Paint the Town, NIKE Basketball – Wieden & Kennedy/Portland
Sweetest Moment, NBA – Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
The Chosen, NIKE - 72andSunny

Dante Ariola (MJZ)

Parallels, Jim Beam – Strawberry Frog
Black Betty, Volkswagen – Deutsch/LA

 Gas Powered Everything, Nissan Leafe -- TBWA Chiat Day

Fredrik Bond (MJZ)

Date, Heineken - Wieden & Kennedy/Amsterdam
The Entrance, Heineken - Wieden & Kennedy/Amsterdam

Steve Miller (@radical.media)

Pommel Horse, Dos Equis – Euro RSCG Worldwide/NY
Speed Dating, Dos Equis - Euro RSCG Worldwide/NY
Pygmy, Dos Equis – Euro RSCG Worldwide/NY
Guinea Pigs, Geico – Martin Agency
Sushi, Geico – Martin Agency
Fort, Cheetos – Goodby Silverstein and Partners
Parking Lot, Ortega – Grey Worldwide


DAYTIME SERIALS

*WINNER William Ludel, General Hospital, “Intervention” (ABC)

Directorial Team:

Associate Directors: Christin Magarian Ucar, Denise Van Cleave, Penny Pengra, Peter Fillmore, RC Cates, David MacLeod

Stage Managers: Craig McManus, Crystal Craft

Production Associates: Christine Cooper, Andrea Compton

Larry Carpenter, One Life to Live, “Episode #10917” (ABC)

Casey Childs, All My Children, “Episode #10712” (ABC)

Mike Denney, The Young and the Restless, “Episode #9710” (CBS)

Scott McKinsey, General Hospital, “Episode #12364” (ABC)

Cynthia J. Popp, The Bold and the Beautiful, “Episode #6057” (CBS)

Angela Tessinari, All My Children, “Episode #10704” (ABC)


CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS

*WINNER Amy Schatz, A Child’s Garden of Poetry (HBO)

John Fortenberry, Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred (Nickelodeon)

Jeffrey Hornaday, Geek Charming (Disney Channel)

Michael Lembeck, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure (Disney Channel)

Patricia Riggen, Lemonade Mouth (Disney Channel)

Damon Santostefano, Best Player (Nickelodeon)

Glee the Michael Jackson Episode Preview

Glee the Michael Jackson Episode Preview

Today Fox released the preview for the upcoming episode of glee, the tribute to Michael episode, featuring 10 songs by the former king of pop.

Watch the preview below:

Cheryl Cole to debut new single on 'The Voice'?

Cheryl Cole to debut new single on 'The Voice'?

Cheryl Cole is reportedly planning to debut her new single on The Voice.

The Girls Aloud star and her manager will.i.am, who is a coach on the BBC One singing competition, want to showcase the track with a performance on the show, the Daily Star Sunday reports.

Cole's team is said to be finalising her promotional campaign with a spring release in mind and want her to appear on The Voice since it will be directly competing with Britain's Got Talent.

"Cheryl should be releasing her single when The Voice is on TV so it makes sense to combine the two," a source said. "Cheryl's manager will.i.am is obviously a judge on the show so he's already been talking to producers to get the ball rolling.

"The BBC are desperate to beat Cowell and Britain's Got Talent in the ratings and they know there's no better way to do that than by getting Cheryl to perform her new single for the very first time live on the show.

"Cheryl would be a massive ratings winner and scoop for The Voice. Not only will the performance be seen by millions of people, it will also be a good way for Cheryl to stick up a cheeky one finger salute at Simon."

Jessie J, Tom Jones and The Script's Danny O'Donoghue also feature as coaches on The Voice, which is due to premiere in the spring.

Cowell has previously admitted that he views the new show as competition, insisting that he'll make Britain's Got Talent better in response.

Cole and Cowell famously fell out when she was axed from The X Factor USA just days after she joined the panel.

She is said to be considering releasing a song she wrote with Taio Cruz as her new single.

'Fear Factor' NBC Debating Donkey Semen ... Episode in Jeopardy

'Fear Factor' NBC Debating Donkey Semen ... Episode in Jeopardy

The world may never see "Fear Factor" contestants chugging donkey semen -- corporate heads at NBC and its parent company Comcast are having serious 11th hour talks about pulling the episode.

As we first reported, contestants on the show -- shot last summer -- are challenged to drink a glass of donkey semen (and one of urine) ... and several of them did. The episode is scheduled to air Monday night.

According to our sources, some execs are getting cold feet, and discussions are ongoing this weekend about whether to air the episode. No word on their exact concerns, but an educated guess would be ... taste.

We've reached out to reps for NBC, Comcast, and Endemol -- the producers of FF ... so far, no word back.

Denise Welch tells Michael Madsen to "fuck off" on Big Brother spinoff

Denise Welch tells Michael Madsen to "fuck off" on Big Brother spinoff

Denise Welch had one last confrontation with Celebrity Big Brother enemy Michael Madsen on spinoff show Bit on the Side.

The Loose Women star, who won the reality show on Friday night, told Madsen to "fuck off" in a furious exchange during her post-show interview.

As host Emma Willis quizzed Welch on her time in the house, the Reservoir Dogs actor began to snore loudly, disrupting her flow.

She said: "Michael, I know you're snoring, and that's just rude. I think it's bad sportsmanship Michael, you know what I mean?"

After Madsen warned her to "take it easy", Welch told him to fuck off", before Willis tried to revert the subject back to Welch's victory.

Then the Hollywood star told Welch to "have another drink", to which she retorted, "Why don't you have another drink because you took most of the bloody drink every single night?"

Natalie Cassidy restored calm to the studio when she urged the crowd to "let Denise speak".

The Big Brother pair clashed on many occasions during their four-week stay in the Elstree compound.

While speaking to host Brian Dowling earlier, Madsen seemed to confirm his dislike for the former Waterloo Road actress.

'Only Fools and Horses' for US remake?

'Only Fools and Horses' for US remake?

Only Fools and Horses is to be remade in America, it has been reported.

Steven Cragg and Brian Bradley, writers and producers of Happy Endings and Scrubs, are said to be adapting the classic sitcom for ABC.

The US version will centre around two brothers and their grandfather as they attempt various get-rich-quick schemes to become millionaires, much like John Sullivan's original BBC show, the Radio Times reports.

David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst starred in Only Fools and Horses for the BBC.

Originally airing between 1981 and 1991 and later followed by a number of Christmas specials, it attracted audiences of over 24m at its peak.

Other shows which have been remade for US audiences include Steptoe and Son, which became Sanford and Son and ran for six seasons between 1972 and 1977, and The Office, which is currently in its eighth season on NBC.

Only Fools and Horses creator Sullivan died in April 2011 at the age of 64. He had been suffering from viral pneumonia.

'Dancing On Ice' Chico: 'X Factor acts take themselves too seriously'

'Dancing On Ice' Chico: 'X Factor acts take themselves too seriously'

Dancing on Ice star Chico Slimani has claimed that X Factor contestants ruin their chance of success by taking themselves too seriously.

The singer, who finished fifth on the show back in 2005, admitted that he successfully capitalised on his reputation as a novelty act and cited Jedward as a similar example.

"People take themselves too seriously and forget to be real. If opportunity presents itself on The X Factor, there's a timescale in which you can do it, because next year you have got another lot and nobody remembers," Slimani told The Sun.

"After 'Chico Time', I worked with some guys who wrote the song 'Hero' for Enrique Iglesias and worked with Ricky Martin. I wanted to go down that route, but my management saw something different. They wanted it to be completely cheesy and I had no choice in the matter.

"I look at X Factor as a window of opportunity and a platform," Slimani continued. "I took that ball and ran with it. You have to make hay while the sun shines. I did well out of it. I would never want to forget 'Chico Time'. You can get delirious if you take life too seriously.

"Look at Jedward. They have done amazingly and have fantastic management. I say to people that it is a conveyor belt, but if you have the machine behind you then you are cooking on gas."

Slimani added that he plans to release two albums he recently recorded, and wants the public to have a "different perception" of him after his Dancing On Ice stint.

Slimani was originally a stand-on for Dancing On Ice and replaced Chesney Hawkes after he suffered a severe ankle sprain and a fractured fibula while training.

Denise Welch's Celeb Big Brother triumph watched by 3.1m

Denise Welch's Celeb Big Brother triumph watched by 3.1m

Denise Welch's surprise Celebrity Big Brother win peaked at 3.8m for Channel 5 last night, marginally better than last year's final.

The 90-minute extravaganza, which saw Welch triumph over the likes of Frankie Cocozza and the Shannon twins, averaged 3.04m (13.3%) for Channel 5 from 9pm and around 100k on +1.

Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side followed at 10.30pm, with 1.54m (10.6%) sticking around to see Welch and enemy Michael Madsen have one last confrontation.

Despite the finale being slightly more popular than Paddy Doherty's 2011 win, the audience has dipped over the entire four weeks. Overall, the 2012 run (2.3m/11%) is down 200k on Channel 5's debut series (2.5m/12%).

Zooey Deschanel's New Girl fell back to 942k (3.9%) on Channel 4 at 8.30pm (+1: 163k/0.7%), then 1.44m (6.3%) watched another Million Pound Drop with Davina McCall from 9pm (+1: 167k/1%).

Frank Skinner's new Room 101 held a respectable 3.59m (15.2%) for BBC One at 8.30pm, after which Hustle took a solid 4.5m (19%), overtaking Law & Order: UK which had 4.48m (18.8%) on ITV1 (+1: 302k/1.6%).

Meanwhile, Mastermind provided BBC Two's highest audience, grabbing 2.24m (9.8%) at 8pm.

Overall, ITV1 topped primetime with 22.5% (+1: 0.6%), beating BBC One's 20.4%. A Big Brother-filled Channel 5 claimed third place with 7.8%, ahead of BBC Two's 6.8% and Channel 4's 4.8% (+1: 0.7%).

News Corp. Confirms Four New Arrests as Police Raid London Newspaper Offices

News Corp. Confirms Four New Arrests as Police Raid London Newspaper Offices

A statement from News Corp.'s Management Standards Committee said it had supplied police with the information that led to the arrests of “current and former” employees of The Sun.

Four “current and former” employees of Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper have been arrested as part of an ongoing corruption investigation, News Corporation said Saturday.

London’s Metropolitan Police have begun a search of News International’s London headquarters in Wapping, as well as the homes of those arrested.  A serving police officer has also been arrested as part of the same investigation.

The arrests bring to more than twenty the number of former News International staff to have been arrested in relation to phone-hacking and bribing public officials. Until now the arrests have been almost entirely limited to former staff of the new-shuttered News of the World, but the addition of The Sun reporters suggests that wrongdoing in relation to bribery may have extended further than was originally thought.

Rebekah Brooks, the former editor of both The Sun and The News of the World was arrested last year on charges related to illegal voicemail interception, while her longtime personal assistant was also arrested earlier this month, reportedly on suspicion of having attempted to delete evidence.

All five arrested Saturday are being questioned at police stations in London and Essex on suspicion of corruption and misconduct charges.

News Corporation stressed that it had co-operated fully with the police through the actions of the Management Standards Committee, its internal investigations group and had provided the police with information that led to the arrests.

“As a result of that review, which is ongoing, the MSC provided information to the Elveden investigation which led to today’s arrests,” News Corp. said in a statement.

“The Management Standards Committee gave the Metropolitan Police Service every assistance during the searches of News International premises while ensuring that all appropriate steps were taken to protect legal and journalistic privilege,” News Corp. added in a statement.

It declined to comment on the identities of those reporters arrested but said it had provided the option of immediate legal representation to those involved.

Unconfirmed social media reports have suggested that the four men arrested are a crime reporter, a former managing editor, a news reporter and a former deputy editor of the newspaper.

On Friday (Jan. 27), James Murdoch, who was formerly chief executive of News International, said he was stepping down as a non-executive director of pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithCline, while News Corp said its director of strategy and corporate affairs for international, Matthew Anderson, was stepping down. Anderson is widely regarded as James Murdoch's closest strategist.

ABC Orders Pilots for Soapy Musical, Fashion Dramas

ABC Orders Pilots for Soapy Musical, Fashion Dramas

The projects hail from the feature writers behind "North Country" and "Thelma & Louise."

After picking up three comedies earlier Friday, the network gave the green light to a pair of dramas from established writers -- including a Nashville-set musical.

The first, Americana, hails from North Country scribe Michael Seitzman and is described as a soap revolving around a legendary fashion designer and his family business. From ABC Studios and the Mark Gordon Co., the Grey's Anatomy producer is also attached to exec produce alongside Nichoals Pepper and Seitzman.

The second, titled Nashville, hails from Thelma & Louise writer Callie Khouri, who will exec produce alongside RJ Cutler, who will direct. The project, also a soap, is set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene and revolves around one star at her peak and another on the rise.

The pickup is cast contingent based on the deal closing between co-producers ABC Studios and Lionsgate. Steve Buchanan/Grand Ole Opry are also attached to exec produce through Gaylord Entertainment.

The musical also comes as NBC is preparing to launch musical drama Smash as Fox's Glee continues to be a draw for the network in its third season.

The pair of pickups join dramas 666 Park Ave., Beauty and the Beast, Shonda Rhimes' Gilded Lillys, Shawn Ryan's Last Resort and the untitled Roland Emmerich election drama in the pilot department this season.

Joe Namath documentary to air on HBO

Joe Namath documentary to air on HBO

HBO has a new documentary about football star Joe Namath. "Namath: Beaver Falls to Broadway" which will air on Saturday (Jan. 28) takes a look at Broadway Joe's life and features excerpts from over 15 hours of interviews between Namath and producers from HBO Sports and NFL Films.

Namath takes us through his life, chatting about some of his famous exploits back in the days when he wore fur coats on the sidelines and dated models, and goes deep into his lifelong struggle with alcohol, according to Sports Illustrated. He candidly reveals his life story with humor and emotion and gives us a look at what made him larger than life to football fans.

HBO and NFL films interviewed Namath's friends, former teammates and reporters for the documentary, and included images from his childhood in Beaver Falls, Penn., and footage from his time at the University of Alabama and his Jets career.

"I can remember sitting in a movie theater back in Beaver Falls back when I was 10, 11, 12, whatever the age, and vicariously living through the people I see on the screen," Namath said, talking about his return to Beaver Falls for a 50th anniversary celebration of his high school state championship team. Then to have that actually happen to me...Something's been guiding me around throughout my life," he added. "I keep saying I'm just a lucky guy."

Four-Part Series "My 600-lb Life" Premieres Wednesday, February 1 at 9PM (ET/PT) on TLC

Four-Part Series "My 600-lb Life" Premieres Wednesday, February 1 at 9PM (ET/PT) on TLC

The series follows the lives of four people, each weighing over 650 pounds, as they collectively try to lose one ton.

Seven years in the making, "My 600-lb Life" is a compelling series following the lives of four people, each weighing over 650 pounds as they collectively try to lose one ton. From being bedridden and dependent on the care of others to facing risky surgery to slowly regainingindependence and discovering who they are, the series documents their journey to regain their lives. High-risk surgery, addiction, dependency, fear, pain, helplessness, victory, pride - this story is as much about heart as it is about weight loss.

Adult Swim Announces Start of Production For "The Eric Andre Show"

Adult Swim Announces Start of Production For "The Eric Andre Show"

Eric Andre and Hannibal Buress host the late-night talk show, set in a dingy public-access TV channel within an alternate reality.

Production is now underway in Los Angeles, California for The Eric Andre Show, a new late-night talk show from Adult Swim being directed by Andrew Barchilon & Kitao Sakuri.

Just another talk show? Think again. The Eric Andre Show may be the most manic and unorthodox late night talk show ever made. The show's traditional talk show format quickly devolves into chaos as its inept and bipolar host Eric Andre (Don't Trust the B**** in Apt 23) along with his apathetic co-host Hannibal Buress (30 Rock, SNL) subvert all late-night conventions.

Taking place on a dingy public-access TV channel within an alternate reality, The Eric Andre Show creates its own distorted pop culture universe by conducting interviews with an unpredictable mix of actual celebrities, "fake" celebrities and extreme real-life weirdos. These interviews are broken up with deranged man-on-the-street segments, surreal flashes of inexplicable studio chaos, talk show desk-pieces and the general deconstruction of late night's most beloved tropes in every quarter hour episode.

The Eric Andre Show is being produced by Abso Lutely, and Executive Produced by Eric Andre, Daniel Weidenfeld (China, IL), Dave Kneebone (Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) and premieres on Adult Swim in 2012.

'TOWIE' Lydia Bright removed James 'Arg' Argent from NTAs after fight?

'TOWIE' Lydia Bright removed James 'Arg' Argent from NTAs after fight?

The Only Way Is Essex star Lydia Bright reportedly got boyfriend James 'Arg' Argent expelled from the National Television Awards after an argument.

Argent was absent from Wednesday's (January 25) ceremony and explained in a now-deleted Twitter message that his decision to pull out was "a long story", but "for the best".

It has since been alleged by the Daily Star that Bright - who was pictured at the event alongside co-stars including Lucy Mecklenburgh, Sam Faiers and Lauren Pope - asked for his VIP ticket to be revoked, forcing him to "drown his sorrows" at a nearby bar.

However, other sources have disputed the report, claiming that there were simply not enough tickets for the entire TOWIE cast.

"The Only Way Is Essex were only given ten tickets," insiders said. "Producers thought it would be better to have all the sexy girls out partying together as they'd get more attention and more coverage.

"Arg was pushed aside for the more glamorous cast members."

The Only Way Is Essex was nominated for 'Best Reality Show' at this year's NTAs, but lost out to the latest edition of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, which starred former cast member Mark Wright.

TOWIE begins its fourth series January 29th at 10pm on ITV2.

TV Tonight 29th of January 2012

TV Tonight 29th of January 2012

The daily list in alphabetical order, of all the new episodes airing.

    60 Minutes (US) S44E19: "Season 44, Episode 19"
    After Lately S02E08: "A Tale of Two Lisps"
    Alaska State Troopers S03E10: "Storm of the Century"
    America's Funniest Home Videos S22E12: "Season 22, Episode 12"
    American Dad! S07E09: "Stanny Tendergrass"
    Austin & Ally S01E07: "Managers & Meatballs"
    AX Men S05E04: "Hell Hole"
    Bait Car S05E03: "Atlanta, GA"
    Bait Car S05E04: "Atlanta, GA"
    Bakemonogatari S02E04: "Episode 4"
    Beelzebub S02E03: "And Then There Were No Delinquents"
    Birdsong S01E02: "Series 1, Episode 2"
    Brave 10 S01E04: "Episode 4"
    Cajun Pawn Stars S01E08: "Speed Demons"
    Cajun Pawn Stars S01E07: "Joker's Wild"
    Californication S05E04: "Waiting For The Miracle"
    Call The Midwife S01E03: "Series 1, Episode 3"
    Country Tracks S03E28: "Episode 104"
    CSI: Miami S10E13: "Terminal Velocity"
    Cupcake Wars S04E08: "I Love Lucy 60th Anniversary"
    Dancing on Ice S07E08: "Series 7, Show 4 (Result)"
    Dancing on Ice S07E07: "Series 7, Show 4"
    De Pappenheimers S10E12: "Season 10, Episode 12"
    Deal Or No Deal (UK) S07E145: "Episode 1825"
    Digimon Xros Wars S03E17
    Drugs, Inc. S02E06: "Pill Nation"
    Earthflight S01E06: "Flying High"
    Family Guy S10E12: "Livin’ On A Prayer"
    Finding Bigfoot S02E05: "Buckeye Bigfoot"
    Gator Boys S01E04: "Alligator Rampage"
    Got to Dance S03E31: "Live Semi Finals - 1"
    Hoarding: Buried Alive S03E14: "It's Just Sex"
    Holmes Inspection S03E23: "Steamed"
    House of Lies S01E04: "Mini-Mogul"
    Hugh's Three Hungry Boys S01E03: "Episode 3"
    Hunter X Hunter Remake S01E17: "Episode 17"
    I Survived S06E21: "Kaye / Johnny / Scott"
    I Survived...Beyond and Back S01E14: "Lucas, Eben, Darlene"
    Ich bin ein Star - Holt mich hier raus! S06E17: "Das große Wiedersehen"
    Impractical Jokers S01E09: "Season 1, Episode 9"
    Ingen Grenser S02E15: "Season 2, Episode 5"
    Kidou Senshi Gundam Age S01E16: "The Gundam in the Stable"
    Kourtney and Kim Take New York S02E10: "Goodbye, New York"
    Less Than Kind S03E05: "Reparations and Renewal"
    Lost Girl S02E15: "Table for Fae"
    Masterpiece S42E04: "Downton Abbey II: (Episode 4)"
    Million Dollar Contractor S01E10: "Upper West Side Gut Renovation"
    Mirai Nikki S01E16: "Episode 16"
    Mob Wives S02E05: "Old Friends, New Archenemies"
    Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku S01E04: "Episode 4"
    My Fair Wedding S05E11: "Shabby Chic Bride"
    Napoleon Dynamite S01E03: "Ligertown"
    Nightmare Next Door S02E03: "Trouble in Tulsa"
    NOS Studio Voetbal S10E24: "Season 10, Episode 24"
    On The Case With Paula Zahn S05E12: "Left in the Dark"
    Once Upon a Time S01E11: "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree"
    One Piece (JP) S06E17: "State of Emergency! Ryugu Palace Taken Over!"
    Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle S01E17: "Episode 17"
    Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off S01E06
    Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off S01E05
    Rinne no Lagrange S01E04: "Episode 4"
    Shameless (US) S02E04: "A Beautiful Mess"
    Ski Sunday S34E05: "Series 34, Episode 5"
    Snapped S08E36: "Courtenay Savage"
    So Random! S01E22: "The Ready Set"
    Something For The Weekend S07E04: "Series 7, Show 4"
    That Sunday Night Show S03E04: "Series 3, Episode 4"
    The Cleveland Show S03E09: "There Goes El Neighborhood"
    The Good Wife S03E14: "Another Ham Sandwich"
    The Hotel S02E05: "Series 2, Episode 5"
    The Only Way Is Essex S04E01: "Series 4, Episode 1"
    The Real Housewives Of Atlanta S04E12: "South Africa: Just Like Home"
    The Screen Actors Guild Awards S17E02
    The Simpsons S23E12: "Moe Goes From Rags To Riches"
    Time Team S19E02: "Bitterley, Shropshire"
    Top Gear S18E01: "Series 18, Episode 1"
    Toriko S01E42: "Episode 42"
    Toughest Place To Be A .... S02E01: "Bin Man"
    Undercover Boss S03E03: "Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates"
    Vegas Strip S02E05: "Season 2, Episode 5"
    Watch What Happens: Live S06E16: "Kim Zolciak and Kroy Bierman"
    Wegmisbruikers S14E04: "Season 14, Episode 4"
    Wild at Heart S07E04: "Series 7, Episode 4"
    Witse S09E04: "Babs"
    WWE Pay-Per-View S28E01
    Под прикритие S02E11: "Season 2, Episode 11"

Dermot O'Leary 'unsure of X Factor future'

Dermot O'Leary 'unsure of X Factor future'

Dermot O'Leary could be axed from The X Factor, it has been reported.

The presenter, who has hosted the show since 2007, is yet to sign a new contract and has admitted that he's unsure if he will return for the new series.

"I've not signed yet. The next month or so will be telling. I'll either be doing it or I won't," O'Leary told The Sun. "You never know. That's the thing working for Simon [Cowell] and working on that show.

"If you had told me this time last year that he, Cheryl [Cole] and Dannii [Minogue] wouldn't be there, I would have said, 'You're insane'."

O'Leary added: "I've got a lot of other things to do this year. I'm getting married, so need to juggle all these things. But X Factor kicks off earlier for me than everyone else as I'm on board a bit before the judges, so we'll see."

Meanwhile, Cowell has ruled out hiring O'Leary to host X Factor USA, saying there "would have to be an American host" if Steve Jones is axed.

'Dancing on Ice' Matthew Wolfenden reveals new injury

'Dancing on Ice' Matthew Wolfenden reveals new injury

Dancing on Ice star Matthew Wolfenden has revealed that he sustained a back injury during training this week.

The Emmerdale actor revealed on Twitter that he was forced to cancel rehearsals with professional partner Nina Ulanova after becoming the latest contestant to be hurt while participating in the show.

"Had to cut skating rehearsal short by over an hour today!" he wrote last night (January 26). "I've either pulled a muscle or trapped a nerve in my back! Whichever it is...... I can hardly stand up straight, never mind skate! I'm in agony! #owch."

However, Wolfenden insisted that the mishap would not prevent him from competing on Sunday's (January 29) show.

"My back is fine.. Really.. Just a trapped nerve, that sort of pain where you can't straighten up!" he told concerned followers. "Physio tomorrow, and will hopefully be able to get back on ice for rehearsals before the big show! #lotsofpainkillers.

"I'll be skating Sunday, even if I have to put skates on my hands and do it upside down... I will be skating!!!"

Wolfenden was previously left "shook up" after dropping Ulanova while practising a lift last week.

The things we'd like to see from Star Wars: Underworld

The things we'd like to see from Star Wars: Underworld

We've high hopes that George Lucas' long-in-the-works TV show, Star Wars: Underworld, will still be made. Here’s what we’d like to see from it…

We’ve only learned recently that George Lucas’s live action Star Wars series now has a working title – Star Wars: Underworld. Because of the cost of digital effects, the series is currently somewhere in development hell, but we’re still hoping the series will eventually emerge onto our TV screens. A large number of scripts have been finished, and plans for it are still being made.

So it looks like we will be seeing a live-action Star Wars TV show, though it will take a while. But let’s be honest, George Lucas doesn’t exactly have a spotless track record when it comes to expanding the Star Wars mythos. So, here is my list of suggestions for Star Wars: Underworld…

Make it dark

The Star Wars films are intended as space adventure tales for the whole family. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case for its spin-offs. The PlayStation 2 release of The Force Unleashed was rated 16, and there are various elements of the expanded universe that are decidedly adult. So I say let that carry over to Star Wars: Underworld.

The Clone Wars may have had more than a few dark moments, but it was still an animation mainly aimed at a younger audience. I think that George Lucas should redress the balance and give us a hard-edged Star Wars with plot elements like drug trafficking, violence, and kidnap. After all, Underworld is set during a 19-year-long period of Imperial tyranny. So logic dictates that it should have a very dark feel to it.

No comic relief characters

This is one thing that will, without doubt, kill Underworld stone dead.

A comedy character would be incredibly jarring, and would inevitably conflict with the tone of the series. Jar Jar Binks did a lot of harm to the first two prequels, and his presence in The Clone Wars was definitely not a high point, but all three of these were aimed at a family audience – we may not like Jar Jar, but he served a purpose to a certain extent.  But including a character like him in Underworld would be the equivalent of drop-kicking the series out of the nearest window.

The period between Revenge Of The Sith and A New Hope is supposed to be one of the darkest in the entire saga. Other stories that took place in this time period were suitably grim such as the comic book story that chronicled Jedi Master Quinlan Vos attempting to survive in the forests of Kashyyyk after Order 66. The character PROXY in The Force Unleashed was there for comic relief as well as exposition, but his particular brand of comedy was dark humour, not infuriating pratfalls and stepping in manure like Jar Jar.

No gratuitous fanservice

Personally, I’m not averse to the idea of a few things from the films cropping up in Underworld – in moderation, of course. But don’t build entire storylines around the appearance of a single character. If George Lucas feels he must have Darth Vader or Boba Fett making a cameo, then he needs to make sure it fits into the story instead of writing a scene with them and working backwards to make it fit.

Use varied camera angles

Anyone who’s seen RedLetterMedia’s review of Revenge Of The Sith will know that a flaw in George Lucas’s directing style in his most recent films is that he’s not putting the same effort he did in the earlier stages of his career. The behind the scenes videos for Revenge Of The Sith show Lucas shooting dialogue scenes between two characters in an incredibly pedestrian way.

He gets his actors where he wants them, and sets up two cameras, each one shooting the scene from behind one of the actor’s shoulders. The way you shoot a scene, even if it’s just two characters talking on a sofa, is crucial to the scene’s success.

If you’ve got the same two camera angles for almost an entire scene, it detracts hugely from any sense of drama or comedy that you’re trying to create. Arguably, the positioning of a camera is almost as important to crafting the emotion of a scene as the dialogue. Luke leaving Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back wouldn’t have been nearly as powerful if all of the shots of Luke had been shot from behind Alec Guinness’s shoulder.

The camerawork for the original Star Wars trilogy was amazing – and not just the camerawork on the model sequences and the fight scenes. Lucas, Irvin Kershner, and Richard Marquand all strove to get the best and most varied camera angles they could, and subsequently, have the best variety of shots for editing raw footage. This is what is needed for Underworld.

Build proper sets

If the Doctor Who crew can build such brilliant sets on what American television producers would consider a minute amount of money, then surely George Lucas (even though he’s funding the first series himself) can afford to build a couple of sets and film on location rather than doing everything in a couple of studios and totally on green-screen. An actual set not only gives a series a feel of realism (and in a science fiction series, that’s something you really need), but it also helps an actor’s performance.

Case in point: Obi-Wan’s duel with General Grievous in Revenge Of The Sith. When Grievous ignites all four of his Lightsabers, Obi-Wan doesn’t even move. The behind the scenes videos show that, for that shot, Ewan McGregor was standing in front a green-screen with a few markers on it to show him where to look, hence his total lack of reaction to something that would probably unnerve his character a fair bit.

If you want to get the best possible performance from your actors when making any kind of television, you need a certain amount of practical FX and real surroundings so they can better immerse themselves in the fictional world they are helping to create.

Let the writers play to their strengths

So far, very little is known about the writing for Star Wars: Underworld. The only information we have is that 50 hour-long episodes have been written and that one of the writers is Life On Mars co-creator Matthew Graham. That's a really good start.

So, given that the writing is all but finished, we can only hope that George Lucas has followed the choice of Graham, and recruited a team of skilled writers that are up the challenge. But regardless of how talented a writer you may be, if you don’t play to your strengths, the story you create probably won’t be up to the standard of your previous works.

Attack Of The Clones showed us that even though George Lucas is capable of writing adventure stories, love stories are something he can’t write without them being forced and cringe-inducing. 

Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes showed that Matthew Graham has a great affinity for both mind-bending story arcs, elements of science fiction, and police procedural stories. So the obvious direction to go in is to get him to write some kind of detective story set in Coruscant’s lower levels, or on the crime-ridden moon of Nar Shaddaa.

And if you want a straight-up horror story, recruit somebody like Mark Gatiss. The horror genre is Gatiss’ bread and butter. You only have to look at The League Of Gentlemen and some of his Doctor Who episodes to see that.

When constructing a television series, not only choose the right people for the job but don’t take the risk of removing them from their comfort zone when you’re series is still in an embryonic stage.

'Jersey Shore': Pauly Organizes A 'Jersey' Task Force To Get Vinny Back

'Jersey Shore': Pauly Organizes A 'Jersey' Task Force To Get Vinny Back

After a full episode without Vinny, Pauly D decided enough was enough this week on "Jersey Shore" (Thu., 10 p.m. EST on MTV). So he rallied up the troops -- AKA the "Jersey Shore" cast and camera crew -- to go to Vinny's house in Staten Island and convince him to come back to the "Jersey" house with them.

"We barge into Vinny's house like we were a SWAT team," Sammi said, and she wasn't wrong. The entire gang swarmed around Vinny, who seemed positively stunned to see them. While he left the show to work on his anxiety and depression and to get out of a funk he was in, he apparently spent some time working out and getting a new chest tattoo. The tat reads "Let Go-Let God."

"Am I 100%? I don't think so," Vinny admitted. "But I think I'm ready to just make the next step and continue working hard at recovering when I'm at the Shore."

And so he packed up his belongings and went back with the gang. "Jersey Shore" is complete once again. Did you miss Vinny while he was away? Do you think he's ready to be back?

Find out as "Jersey Shore" continues every Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST on MTV.

'Dancing with the Stars': Season 14 cast revealed February 28 on 'GMA'

'Dancing with the Stars': Season 14 cast revealed February 28 on 'GMA'

Dancing with the Stars will reveal its new cast during ABC's Good Morning America on Tuesday, February 28.

ABC's dance competition returns for its 14th season with a two-hour premiere episode on Monday, March 19, with the first results show scheduled to air Tuesday, March 27.

Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba will all return as judges, while Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke will once again co-host.

The famous faces taking to the dance floor this season will be announced live from the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood during the Tuesday, February 28 episode of Good Morning America.

War veteran and All My Children actor JR Martinez was crowned the winner of the 13th season in December, scooping the Mirror Ball Trophy alongside professional partner Karina Smirnoff.

Previous winners have included Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Grey, Donny Osmond, Hines Ward and Shawn Johnson.

'Who Do You Think You Are?' season three

'Who Do You Think You Are?' season three

Who Do You Think You Are? returns for its third season on Friday, February 3 at 8/7c on NBC, when 12 more celebrities will trace their ancestors and discover hidden stories from their past.

Martin Sheen, Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe and Helen Hunt are among the celebrities who will delve into their ancestry on the new season.

Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Rashida Jones, Jason Sudeikis, Jerome Bettis and Paula Deen will also explore their roots in the NBC genealogy show, executive produced by Lisa Kudrow.

Announcing the new series earlier this month, former Friends star Kudrow said: "We're very excited about the stories we have this season. This fantastic group of people we have will take us to countries we haven't visited before, which is thrilling and gives us glimpses into crucial details of history that not only shaped their families, but our world."