All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

- He’s back: Jay Leno hosts his first Tonight Show since the Conan O’Brien debacle tonight, with guests Jamie Foxx, Brad Paisley and Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn.

- Sorry, Joe Flanigan fans; the star of The Rockford Files remake has been cast, and it’s big-screen vet Dermot Mulroney. Not a name I ever would have thought of for the show, but an interesting choice, no?

- Rumors say Anderson Cooper may be headed to CBS, but his “people” say it’s not true that he’ll replace Katie Couric as the CBS evening news anchor.

- During tonight’s season finale of The Bachelor (8PM ET), ABC will announce the cast of the next Dancing With the Stars season, which premieres on March 22. I may actually have to watch if it’s true that Beverly Hills 90210 diva Shannen Doherty is among the new D-list hoofers.

- Snoop Dogg on One Life to Live, James Franco on General Hospital and now, Julianne Moore may make an appearance on As the World Turns, the show that helped launch her career, before the CBS soap ends next fall.

- The cast of Glee is indeed embarking on that rumored concert tour, with stops in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Phoenix.

- The Office funny guy Craig Robinson will be the new host of Last Comic Standing when it returns to NBC this summer.

- Marcia, Marcia, Marcia … because she and Jan, a.k.a. Brady Bunch stars Maureen McCormick and Eve Plumb, are still fighting, a planned Bunch reunion that was scheduled to happen this week is a no-go.

- American Idol season five alum Elliott Yamin – my all-time fave AI contestant – has been updating via Twitter about his experience being trapped in Chile after last Saturday’s earthquake.

- A Lost-themed amusement park attraction? It might actually happen.

- More Lost news: John Locke and creepy Ben as hit men? It’s a brilliant idea that Lost Emmy winner Terry O’Quinn is shopping, a drama about a pair of hit men who live in the suburbs. The show would star O’Quinn and fellow Lostie (and fellow Emmy winner) Michael Emerson, a duo that’s been responsible for a big chunk of Lost’s most memorable moments in the last few seasons.

- Zooey Deschanel is joining her Bones sister Emily Deschanel as a primetime star. Zooey will star in HBO’s series adaptation of Pamela Des Barres‘ famous band groupie memoir I’m With the Band.

- The new Doctor Who – with Matt Smith as the new Doctor – will debut on BBC America on April 17.

- Will Johnny Depp make a cameo in the upcoming 21 Jump Street movie? He tells Entertainment Weekly he hopes to, which just adds some points to his already full cup o’ coolness.

- Saturday Night Live hosts and musical guests for March: Zach Galifianakis and Vampire Weekend on March 6, and Jude Law and Pearl Jam on March 13.

- George Lopez is starring in a big-screen, live-action/CGI SpeedyGonzalez movie , and he says it won’t feature the stereotype-projecting Speedy of the original 1950s cartoons.

- And, though viewers seem to love the guilty pleasure aspects of kiddie beauty pageant shows like Little Miss Perfect and Toddlers & Tiaras, not so much for grown-up beauty contests: the Miss America pageant has yet again found itself homeless, as TLC has dropped the annual event from its primetime plans.

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• Filed in Boob Tube to Big Screen, Lost, Saturday Night Live, TV News
• Tags: Glee concert tour, Johnny Depp 21 Jump Street movie, Leno returning to Tonight Show, Pearl Jam Saturday Night Live, Rockford Files Dermot Mulroney, Zach Galifianakis Saturday Night Live

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

- Howard Stern as Simon Cowell’s replacement on American Idol? It’s such an out-of-left field idea, but potentially interesting enough that I’d definitely watch. You?

- More Idol buzz: Fox released a snippet of footage of Ellen DeGeneres in action as the newest judge. Her official AI debut is Feb. 9 (8PM ET).

- It’s about time: The always awesome Gary Cole is getting his own series again. He’ll play a Philly homicide detective who partners with his rookie nephew in the TBS comedy Uncle Nigel.

- Who will fill James Arness‘ boots in the big-screen movie version of Gunsmoke? Brad Pitt and Ryan Reynolds are reportedly the top contenders.

- HBO is developing a comedy about a female Hollywood blogger.

- Start planning your send-off party now: The Lost series finale will air on May 23.

- Wish as we might, the Simpson family (not Homer and company) isn’t going away anytime soon: Papa Joe Simpson is developing an autobiographical comedy for Nickelodeon, while Jessica Simpson’s VH1 reality series The Price of Beauty debuts on March 15.

- Charlie Sheen’s legal woes continue, as TMZ reports that he’ll be charged with felony menacing re: that Christmas Day incident with his wife.

- The cast of Jersey Shore will guest on The View on Feb. 23.

- R.I.P. Days of Our Lives star Frances Reid, a.k.a. Grandma Alice Horton, who died on Wednesday at age 95. Reid’s last appearance on DOOL was in 2007, but her character will always be remembered for keeping her family together (she was always a key supporter of supercouple Bo and Hope) and for her homemade doughnuts.

- Rumor has it that Tiger Woods may return to golf later this month, in an Arizona tournament that will be broadcast by NBC. Who would have imagined the PGA tour turning into an US Weekly hotspot?

- It’s a bummer that Bryan Batt won’t be back on Mad Men as Sal next season, but the actor/interior designer is keeping busy: He just designed “The Hef,” a loveseat to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Playboy Clubs.

- Though its fourth season has some iffy storylines unfolding – really, you didn’t think anyone would find out about that whole polygamy thing until after the election, polygamist/state Senate candidate Bill?!? – Big Love has gotten a thumbs up for a fifth season at HBO.

- The next cast of Dancing With the Stars will be revealed during the March 1 season finale of The Bachelor, but rumor has it that Pam Anderson will be one of the D-list top tappers when the new season of DWTS premieres on March 22.

- And Jonas brother Joe is going to be a flashback guest on Brothers & Sisters, playing the younger version of Balthazar Getty’s Tommy Walker.

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• Filed in American Idol, Boob Tube to Big Screen, Daytime TV, Lost, TV News

I’m with all the Lost fans who decided not to spoil tonight’s sixth season premiere (9PM ET, ABC), despite the availability of the leaked footage from the first hour of tonight’s episode. We’ve waited this long, right? The premiere, and its promise of answers to old questions (and, undoubtedly, new questions to ponder), is event viewing, so why spoil the fun of what is the last season of the greatest watercooler series ever?

But, for those looking to avoid spoilers while still doing something Lost-worthy on the Web today, check out Dispatches from the Island, the personal blog of one of my favorite Lost-ies, Jorge Garcia. Garcia, a.k.a. Hurley, shares photos, details on his household projects, travel scoop and random musings on his life and his adventures with his girlfriend, and in general provides yet more proof – if his charming interviews and the fact that he’s a fan of Ace of Cakes didn’t already seal it – that he’s probably the Lost star you’d most want to be stranded on a desert island with.

Josh Holloway’s killer abs aside, of course …

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• Filed in Lost
• Tags: Hurley Lost, Jorge Garcia blog, Lost, Lost final season, Lost season 6, Lost season 6 premiere

Actually, eight minutes and 15 seconds, but still, this is a pretty pithy catch-up for the first five seasons of Lost, meaning there’s plenty of time to watch this quickie clip and still check out a few actual episodes before the show’s sixth – and final – season premiere on Feb. 2.

PS – If you’re still on the fence about trying to jump into the Lost universe before the final season, I highly recommend watching the series pilot, which still gets my vote as the all-time best drama series premiere (yes, even better than Alias or Felicity - J.J. Abrams is the pilot king). If you watch that action-packed pilot – which is as good as and better than most big-screen movies – and aren’t hooked, Lost probably just isn’t the show for you.

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• Filed in Lost, Ya Gotta See This!
• Tags: Lost, Lost final season, Lost recap, Lost season 6, Lost series finale, Lost video

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

- Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Emmys … that should definitely happen.

- Let no angle in the Michael Jackson story go uncovered: Anderson Cooper got the scoop on Bubbles the chimp last night on CNN.

- Speaking of celeb deaths, the sad trend continues for TV stars. Streets of San Francisco star (and Oscar winner) Karl Malden got all the press yesterday, but Broadway, big screen and tube star Harve Presnell – he was Dawson’s cantankerous friend/mentor Mr. Brooks on Dawson’s Creek – died on Tuesday at age 75.

- Bravo’s premiering a second season of The Rachel Zoe Project on Aug. 25.

- Christian Slater’s My Own Worst Enemy flopped, but the Heathers star may be headed back to the tube in ABC’s fall drama The Forgotten. Slater would play a cop-turned-private detective whose daughter was kidnapped.

- Coyote Ugly star Piper Perabo (a fellow Ohio University alum – Go Bobcats!) has signed on to star in the USA drama pilot Covert Affairs, which sounds an awful lot like Alias. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

- Prison Break star Wentworth Miller will be on the other side of the law – playing an NYPD officer – on the season premiere of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Sept. 23, NBC).

- Lost star Michael Emerson predicts a sad ending for the show, with (more) major character deaths and what he describes as a “series finale for grown-ups.”

- Kiefer Sutherland confirms that 24 will shoot some season eight scenes at the real United Nations. Jack Bauer’s next really long day will unfold in New York City (Jan. 17, 2010).

- This certainly trumps the Flintstone vitamin in TV-related pharmacology: Homer Simpson ecstasy.

- Billy Mays‘ infomercials will continue to air, and Discovery Channel has planned a tribute to the late pitchmen for July 9. Meanwhile, the New York Times has a rundown of five memorable moments from last night’s Pitchmen season (series?) finale.

- There’s official So You Think You Can Dance confirmation that Katie Holmes will be tapping her toes – for a new dance education charity she co-founded – on the show’s 100th episode, July 23.

- And tonight in primetime:

- William Shatner stops by G4’s Attack of the Show (7PM ET) to chat about his new Tek War comic
- A military couple who has spent a lot of time apart is shipped home and given a dream wedding on TNT’s Wedding Day (8PM)
- ABC has back-to-back new eps of the sadly canceled Samantha Who? (8PM)
- Kelly Clarkson sings “I Do Not Hook Up” as the top 14 becomes the top 12 on So You Think You Can Dance (Fox, 9PM)
- A teen who wants to join the Air Force may have her dreams dashed when she becomes preggers on the latest ep of 16 & Pregnant on MTV (10PM)
- Shea becomes a full-on bridezilla on Southern Belles: Louisville on SoapNet (10PM)
- TV Land has a new installment of She’s Got the Look (10PM)
- Science Channel’s Science of the Movies examines 3-D animation (10PM)

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• Filed in Award shows, Lost, Reality, TV News
• Tags: 24 season 8, 24 United Nations, Anderson Cooper, Billy Mays, Billy Mays Pitchmen, Billy Mays tribute, Bubbles the chimp, Christian Slater The Forgotten, Emmys, Harve Presnell, Homer Simpson ecstasy, Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Emerson Lost, Michael Jackson, Neil Patrick Harris, Piper Perabo Covert Affairs, So You Think You Can Dance Katie Holmes, The Rachel Zoe Project, Wentworth Miller, William Shatner