Unkilled?

Hold on to your umbrellas, Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman – The Killing could live.

Yes, the acclaimed and polarizing crime drama is on the optimistic end of television life support, thanks to Netflix .

Through a proposed partnership between the show’s network, the cabler AMC, and the streaming/delivery provider, The Killing could see the light of a third season.

Showrunner Veena Sud is still attached to the project and reportedly has pitched a well-received story, and Enos and Kinnaman are still on board, so it could very well happen.

And I hope it does. I need to see more of Kinnaman’s Holder.

Photo: Collider.com.

Who Runs the Show

Eli Manning to the stage, Eli Manning to the stage.

The New York Giants quarterback has been tapped to host Saturday Night Live on May 5. This will be his first time running the live-from-New York show, but his second time in Studio 8H (he made an appearance on SNL in 2007 when his brother Peyton played host with the most).

Rihanna will make her third appearance as musical act that night.

The funny thing is, with the rumors of Andy Samberg’s departure gaining strength, I was afraid we would never see her playing the badass sidekick to his Shy Ronnie. I guess the universe is taking care of that concern of mine.

Photo: HottyToddyBlog.blogspot.com.

A World Without the Dowager Countess

Say it isn’t so!

Julian Fellowes, the creator of the wildly addictive PBS hit Downton Abbey, has confirmed that Maggie Smith, a.k.a. the awesome Dowager Countess, has expressed a desire to leave the show after its third season.

Evidently, the actress feels that three seasons is enough, she wants to focus on her stage and film work (do look out for her Best Exotic Marigold Hotel next month, and she wants to leave the party while the party’s still going strong (so she can leave them wanting more – smart lady).

Fellowes reportedly managed to persuade the dame to come back for the show’s Christmas special following Season 3, though, so the countess might not be the one who bites the dust next time we see Downton Abbey....

How could she – that lady is made of something else.

Photo: AVClub.com.

Good Going, Teddy

They sure are keeping Trevor Donovan busy over on 90210 now that his character, Teddy, has swung open the door of the closet.

Donovan is getting a new love interest in the form of newcomer Freddie Smith later this season, but first lover boy’s gonna run into a former prep school roommate that Teddy used to crush on during a Spring Break-themed episode.

And who’s the hunk playing this blast from the past, who may have a surprise announcement of his own?

That’d be Alan Ritchson, a.k.a. Smallville’s Aquaman.

Nice....

Photo: CeedSmith.blogspot.com.

Lawyering Up

America Ferrera is Ugly Betty no more.

The actress is actually moving on from her star-making role rather nicely and into quite the grown-up territory with a three-episode guesting role on The Good Wife, one of my favorite TV shows.

Ferrera will play a grad student who catches the eye of Alan Cumming’s character, in the romantic way.

I gotta say, this piece of casting news has me super-excited...and it is just so true to the inspired choices the show makes on regular basis.

In other words, I totally don’t object.

Photo: WebHush.com.

TV’s Ever the Golden Girl

Betty White’s much-anticipated outing as a Saturday Night Live host – at last! – a couple of nights ago was met with deafening applause…and it delivered both quality and ratings.

In other words: It was a hit! Thanks, in no small measure, to the actress’ professionalism and enduring talent. And I have to say that bringing back several of the shows female MVPs – hey there, Maya Rudolph, Anna Gasteyer, and Rachel Dratch…so nice to see ya! – was a stroke of genius that guaranteed a night full of laughs. (Jay-Z, you were pretty good, too.)

Especially memorable to me was the digital short tribute from the cast to B.W., to the tune of the Golden Girls’ theme song, “Thank You for Being a Friend”:



It just sums up the episode so nicely, and shows White at her gamest.

Is That You, Astronaut Mike Dexter?

Ever since I heard Matt Damon would be guesting on the May 20 season finale of 30 Rock I’ve been anticipating with breath that is bated finally – at last! – meeting Astronaut Mike Dexter, Liz Lemon’s (Tina Fey) wishful-thinking boyfriend.

As we learned from laughstastic last night’s Mother’s Day-themed episode, Liz could’ve been Buzz Aldrin’s son…which means her mom, too, had a thing for space men.

I love that the fascination runs in the family.

So maybe, just maybe, Damon will be playing the man of her Liz’s dreams, Astronaut Mike Dexter. His costume for the episode sure points that way.

Photo: People.com.

Update: Turns out Damon did not play Astronaut Mike Dexter, after all.

Simply Irresistible, Pt. 46

What is a Tahmoh Penikett – and how do I get myself one?

That’s the only burning question I had after watching the first couple of episodes of Joss Whedon’s new Fox show, Dollhouse, which airs on Fridays at 9 p.m.

What a hot stud and a half!

If you ever thought you needed a reason to watch Dollhouse, I’ll give you one that comes with a six-pack (of abs): Penikett (who can also be seen on SciFi’s Battlestar Galactica, btw).

Photo: TahmohPenikett.blogspot.com.

Can’t Wait for March

I have a shameful confession to make: Right now, my TiVo is holding several episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Ugly Betty.

I mean, like a month’s worth.

I said it was shameful.

But I just read I needn’t fret: I haven’t missed Stephanie March’s return to SVU quite just yet. While her six-episode arc was supposed to kick off on Feb. 17, she will be seen on the show beginning on March 10.

And as March (pictured at right with her husband, Bobby Flay, and local news gal Laurie Jennings) told me on Sunday at an Oscar party, and as I told a little bird, the actress is thrilled to go back to the show because, “I love it there – they are so good to me.”

And she is so good to it.

Photo: SoBeFest.com.

Ready to Go Right Now

The CW has given its upcoming reboot of Melrose Place the green light – in more ways than one: The up-and-coming network has hired green-minded director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) to helm the show’s pilot.

Like the original-flavor show, Melrose Place 2.0 will follow twentysomethings living in a trendy section of Los Angeles. But with Guggenheim helming the pilot, they may recycle and drive Priuses this go-round and pass one another around, natch.

Actually, they did that way back when, too. Some things never change, after all.

And how’s this for one-degree of separation: Guggenheim’s brother-in-law is original cast member Andrew Shue, a.k.a. Billy Campbell.

Pictured at right are some of my favorite classic characters. Now click here for the deets on the new ones.

Photo: Flickr.com.

I Give Up

The Jonas Brothers were the musical guests on last night’s Saturday Night Live, and I’m not ashamed to say they got themselves a new fan.

Click here to see them perform “A Little Bit Longer.”

Resisting them was as futile as resisting the charms of Facebook. I’m hooked.

Photo: SodaHead.com.

The Prince of Late Night

Former SNLer Jimmy Fallon is taking over NBC’s Late Night when funnyman Conan O’Brien vacates the spot, moves west, and takes over The Tonight Show later this year (Fallon will visit O’Brien tonight, btw).

The choice of Fallon has proven controversial, but the budding late-night host says what truly will set him apart from the bunch is his youthful love of all things pop culture.

“My monologues will be more entertainment focused,” he told W magazine. “I really don’t know much about politics and sports.

“I’ve started reading all the papers, but before I did ‘Weekend Update’ [on SNL], I only read USA Today. I liked the colors.”

That just might work.

Photo: WMagazine.com.

Stripping Off Their Scrubs

Grey’s Anatomy’s Seattle Grace Hospital soon will look a lot different (although some may say it already does).

James Pickens Jr., who plays Dr. Richard Webber, a.k.a. the Chief, confirmed the rumors that both Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight will leave the show.

“Yes, she is,” Pickens told Us Weekly. “Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best.

“He’s going, too. He just wanted to pursue other career paths.”

A source told the magazine that Knight has had numerous talks with executive producer Shonda Rhimes, and that the “writers are scrambling to find a believable exit for [his character, underused this season], one that would leave the door open for him to come back someday.”

Good luck with that. I understand both Heigl and Knight have grown out of love with the show that made them household names – and I don’t blame them. Although I still watch Grey’s Anatomy, her ghost-seeing storyline has been incredibly taxing, and his sporadic appearances have been a great disservice to his talent and to the audience.

Photo: UsMagazine.com.

Update 1: Did James Pickens Jr. jump the gun when he said what he said about his co-stars’ leaving?

Update 2: Eric Dane, a.k.a. Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan, opened up a little to Ellen DeGeneres on her show after she asked him if his Grey’s Anatomy co-stars are, indeed, leaving the show.

“I don’t really comment,” he said. “I worked with them this morning, and they were both very present. I know you want to know, and I get it, but until the boss [Shonda Rhimes] says this is going down, it’s not happening.”

Time will tell, I guess.

Update 3: Shonda Rhimes said it is all “a rumor.” Uh huh.

The Re-invented Ms. Richie

And she continues to surprise us….

Former reality TV star Nicole Richie (The Simple Life), will guest star this fall on an episode of NBC’s Chuck.

Richie, who has left her wilder ways behind for motherhood and philanthropy, has been tapped to play a “snarky and spiteful girl who tortured” Yvonne Strahovski’s character (Special Agent Sarah Walker) in high school. In the episode, Sarah must face her fears when she is forced to attend her 10-year high school reunion for a mission with costar Zachary Levi’s Chuck as her date.

“Nicole auditioned for the part and was very funny,” said Chuck executive producer Josh Schwartz. “This role is a great opportunity for her to show off her comedic skills and be diabolically evil and kick some butt. It’s going to be really fun.”

I bet.

Photo: People.com.

The Teacher Is In

This fall, as you may have heard (unless you live under a nice big rock), The CW will premiere a remake of Beverly Hills, 90210.

The new 90210 stars a cast of young newcomers, as well TV veterans such as Rob Estes (Melrose Place), Lori Loughlin (Full House), and Jessica Walter (Arrested Development).

Among the new faces is bright-eyed Ryan Eggold (FX’s Dirt), who will play Ryan Matthews, a fresh-out-of-college teacher at West Beverly High.

Eggold recently told TVGuide.com that Mr. Matthews is “kind of a kid himself. [There are] a lot of options there.”

One of those “options” will play out in the show’s pilot (which will feature original 90210 cast members Jennifer Garth and Tori Spelling).

“There is some tension between a student and myself,” Eggold said. “I’m not sure where they’re going to go with it. I do have a love interest, [but] I can't say [who] yet.”

Can class begin already?

Photo: DayLife.com.

Will You Be There for Him?

Matthew Perry has found a friend in veteran producer Peter Tolan (The Larry Sanders Show, Rescue Me), and the two are teaming to produce a Showtime pilot titled The End of Steve in which TV’s onetime Friend will star.

Perry will play the host of a local talk show who, thoroughly embittered whenever the cameras are off, strives to find professional and personal happiness – and that includes attempting a romantic relationship with a co-worker.

Could you be more excited about this? I know I couldn’t.

Perry always was my favorite Friend, and I’ll be glad to see him back on the tube since Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip shut down after just one (uneven) season.

Photo: Channel4.com.

Hollywood on Strike: The Sequel?

Ominous Reports are beginning to surface really, seriously warning of the worst: another possible strike, this time an actors strike.

“Talks between the Screen Actors Guild and the studios [are] at a stalemate,” says TVGuide.com, “and unlikely to gain ground by the June 30 expiration of SAG’s current contract.”

Say it isn’t so.

No, really – say it isn’t so. I need my Pushing Daisies.

Photo: TVJab.com.

Update 1: Sandra Oh (TV’s Grey’s Anatomy) has gone to bat for SAG. Last week, James Cromwell (Babe) did the same for the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

And just like that, negotiations are heating up.

Hopefully tempers – and egos – will stay in check, though, and fairness – and my stories (I gotta have my stories) – will prevail.

Update 2: Tom Hanks is urging AFTRA members to ratify their proposed contract, adding that “if this contract doesn’t pass, it will set us back to a place from which we may not recover.” SAG is campaigning against ratification of the tentative AFTRA deal.

R.I.P. Ms. Mars

Oh, Veronica Mars, we hardly knew ya…but I will miss ya.

Photo: TheCW.com.

Nostalgia, Pt. 11

TNT’s The Closer returns next Monday at 9 p.m. for its third season with a premiere free of commercials – yay!

You know, I’ve missed Kyra Sedgwick’s lovable and tough Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson – I adore her so.

But oh, how I’m going to miss the Tom Everett Scott-starring Saved. The last time we saw his Portland, Ore., paramedic Wyatt Cole, his and his friends’ jobs at LifeShield hanged in the balance, he finally had admitted to himself his true feelings for Alice (Grey’s Anatomy guest star Elizabeth Reaser), and he had been hit with a stroke of fate – a speeding truck! – that would alter his life forever.

That was last summer. This summer all I have is an urgent question: Where is Saved, TNT? I thought you knew drama.

Even though the show debuted with what I would imagine was a healthy 5.1 million viewers, Saved was not renewed for a second season. Not frakkin’ cool.

Photo: Cable360.net.