All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– The numbers are in, and more than 31 million viewers tuned in for the Michael Jackson memorial telecast on Tuesday.

– The United States Olympic Committee is launching a cable channel that will be devoted to coverage of the Olympics and Paralympics.

– The sixth season of Top Chef will take place in Sin City. Top Chef: Las Vegas premieres on Bravo on August 26.

– Lifetime has revealed the contestants for its first season of Project Runway, which will include cameos by Lindsay Lohan and Christina Aguilera.

– OZ star Terry Kinney has joined the cast of The Mentalist, where he’ll play a cop.

– Robin Williams will film his upcoming stand-up performance in Washington, D.C. for an HBO special that will air in December. It’s his first HBO solo show since 2002.

– Socialite Life has pics of Prison Break star Wentworth Miller guest starring on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, but the interesting photos are the ones of a very muscular SVU star Christopher Meloni … those are some Incredible Hulk-ish biceps. Who knew? Meanwhile, Will & Grace star Eric McCormack has signed on to play a sugar daddy in the new season’s second episode.

– Billy Mays will live on as a TV pitchman, including new spots for the Jupiter Jack, a gadget that lets you use your cell phone hands-free in a car.

– Another Real World alum is running for Congress: Real World: New York‘s Kevin Powell ran in New York last year, and now Sean Duffy, the Real World: Boston cast member who married and has five children with Real World: San Francisco‘s Rachel Campos, has announced his candidacy in Wisconsin.

– And tonight in primetime:

– Big Brother 11 premieres on CBS (8PM ET)
– ABC has back-to-back episodes of Samantha Who? (8PM)
– More dramarama with The Real Housewives of New Jersey Lost Footage special on Bravo (9PM)
– Michael’s charged with saving the lives of his fellow spies on a new Burn Notice (9PM, USA)
– Discovery Channel premieres Pitchman: A Tribute to Billy Mays at 9PM
– Hank plays doc to a family with a private island on Royal Pains (10PM, USA)
– The contestants have to make red carpet gowns on The Fashion Show (10PM, Bravo)
– On 16 & Pregnant (10PM, MTV), a teen and her mother are both preggers and getting on each other’s nerves in their small home
– The new season of L.A. Ink premieres on TLC at 10PM
– The women have to take part in a fitness shoot on She’s Got the Look (9PM, TV Land)
– The Science of the Movies (10PM, Science Channel) goes behind the scenes with the Muppets
– And Russ’ flirting lands him in some hot water on Southern Belles: Louisville (10PM, SoapNet)

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• Filed in Reality, TV News
• Tags: Billy Mays, Christopher Meloni, Michael Jackson memorial, Olympics cable network, Project Runway Lifetime, Real World Congress, Sean Duffy, Sean Duffy Congress, Top Chef: Las Vegas, Wentworth Miller

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– No worries if you’re not in Los Angeles or don’t have a ticket to the Michael Jackson memorial at Staples Center on Tuesday: Networks planning live coverage of the event at 1PM ET include: ABC, NBC, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, E! Entertainment and TV Guide Network.

– In case you thought everyone is feeling nostalgic about Michael Jackson and tuning in for every bit of MJ coverage, think again: New York congressman Peter King unleashed a YouTube rant about the rampant media coverage of the music star’s death this weekend.

– The New York Times says that instead of adapting to The Tonight Show‘s older audience, newbie host Conan O’Brien has drawn a younger audience to the show – his viewer age has dropped from 55 to 45 in just a month.

– Also in the Times: a profile of Buddy Valastro, better known as the star of TLC’s great summer series Cake Boss (Mondays, 10PM ET).

– Let’s hope William Shatner has some part in this boob tube-to-big screen makeover: A comedy movie take on 1982-86 ABC cop series T.J. Hooker.

– After her surprise weekend resignation, will Sarah Palin become a Fox News show host?

– Just as the networks seem (inexplicably) committed to putting Hilary Duff on TV on a regular basis, they also seem determined to make us watch (also inexplicably) watch Bruce Willis/Demi Moore offspring Rumer Willis. After guest gigs on Medium, CSI: NY and Army Wives, the celeb spawn has signed on for at least one episode of 90210, where she’ll play a lesbian character named Gia.

– Who’s having a great summer? USA Network, with returning hit Burn Notice and new hit dramedy Royal Pains, is on track to have the best summer ratings ever for a cable network.

– There’s a Saturday Night Live reunion happening on the big-screen comedy Grown Ups, which stars Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Norm MacDonald, Tim Herlihy and Colin Quinn in the story of a 30th-year class reunion. Sounds like a potentially good flick, but seeing that line-up together in a comedy really makes you miss Chris Farley, no?

– And tonight in primetime:

– On The Secret Life of an American Teenager (8PM, ABC Family), Amy and Ricky have have a major fight
– Is it all over for Wes on The Bachelorette (9PM, ABC)? The network promises a very dramatic rose ceremony …
– Can Brenda smooth over relations between the LAPD and some of the city’s gangsters on The Closer (9PM, TNT)?
– Alanis Morissette guests as Nancy’s gynecologist on a new Weeds (10PM, Showtime)
– Buddy bakes a Sweet 16 confection on Cake Boss (10PM, TLC)
– It’s Disco Week on Dance Your Ass Off (10PM, Oxygen) and somebody appears to have a major meltdown
– Kathy decides to write a celeb tell-all on Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (10PM, Bravo)
– Zoey dines with Dr. O’Hara and Jackie breaks (more) rules to help a little girl with a very sick mom on Nurse Jackie (10:30PM, Showtime)

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• Filed in Boob Tube to Big Screen, Reality, TV News
• Tags: Adam Sandler, Buddy Valastro, Cake Boss, Chris Farley, Conan O'Brien, David Spade, Hilary Duff, Michael Jackson memorial, Rumer Willis 90210, Sarah Palin Fox News, Saturday Night Live, T.J. Hooker, Tonight Show, William Shatner