All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– I was skeptical about Scrubs returning next season with most of the cast MIA, but the show’s radical makeover, which will shift much of the action from the hospital to the classroom as Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) and Turk (Donald Faison) become medical school professors, will finally give the oh-so-Emmy-worthy McGinley a chance to get the leading man props he deserves.

– All these guessing games, but really, what else could the big Jon & Kate Plus 8 announcement be on tonight’s episode (9PM ET, TLC)? It’s gotta be a separation/divorce confirmation of some sort, doncha think?

– Here’s a story I hope is just conjecture: Legendary TV news man Walter Cronkite is reportedly “terribly ill.”

– Dancing with the Stars pro Julianne Hough will star opposite People mag’s Hottest Bachelor, Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford, in the upcoming Footloose remake, though rumor has it that producers are hoping she’ll improve her acting skills before filming begins.

– In addition to the cast of Seinfeld, Meg Ryan will also guest star on the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

– Ryan Seacrest confirms via Twitter that he is talking to Lindsay Lohan about starring in a reality show he would produce. Seems like her best option for making some cash these days, as her personal life and professional reputation seems to continue on the downward spiral.

– Simon Cowell has ‘fessed up to making some mistakes as a judge and producer in a lengthy mea culpa published in the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday.

– The West Wing‘s Bradley Whitford and Malcolm in the Middle and Raising the Bar‘s Jane Kaczmarek: one of the most surprising celeb divorces in a long time.

– And free wireless Internet access in New York City is just one of Sci Fi’s promos for its campaign to rebrand itself as the Syfy network.

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• Filed in TV News
• Tags: Bradley Whitford, Chace Crawford, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Donald Faison, Footloose, Jane Kaczmarek, John C. McGinley, Jon & Kate Plus 8 divorce, Julianne Hough, Lindsay Lohan reality show, Meg Ryan, Ryan Seacrest, Scrubs, Simon Cowell, Syfy, Walter Cronkite

This’ll get you even more excited about the June 8 fifth season premiere of Weeds: a commercial for “The University of Andy,” the school of thought by Weeds scene stealer Andy Botwin (Justin Kirk), where you can study such disciplines as Pleasing the Opposite Sex, Holding Your Liquor, Surviving Animal Attacks, Crazy Girls, Archery, Foreign Chicks, Daytime Television, Electrical Engineering, and, of course, TV/VCR Repair.

The Weeds cast is a stellar one, with Mary-Lousie Parker, Elizabeth Perkins and Kevin Nealon all Emmy-worthy, but I think the fact that Kirk hasn’t even received a nomination for his role as Andy is right up there with the inexplicable snubbing by the Emmy folk of Scrubs star John C. McGinley. It’s just kookie!

Check out the University of Andy clip, and I’ll see you in the checkout line when I’m snagging a U of A pennant.

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• Filed in Dramedy, Ya Gotta See This!
• Tags: Andy Botwin, Elizabeth Perkins, Emmy, John C. McGinley, Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon, Mary-Lousie Parker, Scrubs, University of Andy, Weeds, Weeds season five

A rundown of what is/isn’t/might be popping up on the 2009-10 primetime schedule at CBS during this week’s Upfront presentation …

CBS (Upfront presentation: Wednesday, May 20)
Returning series: The Amazing Race, The Big Bang Theory, Survivor, Two and a Half Men
On the bubble series: Cold Case, Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Eleventh Hour, Flashpoint, How I Met Your Mother, The Mentalist, NCIS, New Adventures of Old Christine, Numb3rs, The Rules of Engagement, The Unit, Without a Trace, Worst Week
New series:

– Accidentally on Purpose (Comedy)
Plot: A San Francisco movie critic gets preggers after a fling with a younger dude
It stars: Jenna Elfman, Grant Show
It’s like: Cougar Town: San Francisco

– The Good Wife (Drama)
Plot: A politician’s wife forges her own career as an attorney
It stars: Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Chris Noth, Matt Czuchry, Josh Charles
It’s like: The Hillary Clinton Story

– Miami Trauma (Drama)
Plot: Trauma surgeons at a Miami hospital
It stars: Jeremy Northam
It’s like: ER, Grey’s …

– NCIS spin-off (Drama)
Plot: Los Angeles-set NCIS
It stars: LL Cool J, Chris O’Donnell
It’s like: NCIS. With LL Cool J and Chris O’Donnell. In Los Angeles

– Three Rivers (Drama)
Plot: Medical drama about organ transplants, as told from the donors’ and recipients’ perspective
It stars: Alex O’Loughlin, Julia Ormond
It’s like: Grey’s Anatomy-meets-Extreme Makeover

– Undercover Boss (Reality)
Plot: An exec goes undercover as an entry-level employee at his own company
It’s like: Candid Camera-meets-The Apprentice

…Read more

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• Filed in Comedy, Drama, Reality, TV News
• Tags: Accidentally on Purpose, Alex O'Loughlin, Anna Chulmsky, Back, CBS, Chris Noth, Chris O'Donnell, Fall season, Happiness Isn't Everything, House Rules, Jenna Elfman, John C. McGinley, Julianna Margulies, LL Cool J, Miami Trauma, NCIS, Richard Dreyfuss, Skeet Ulrich, T.J. Miller, The Good Wife, Three Rivers, U.S. Attorney, Undercover Boss, Upfront, Waiting to Die