All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Farrah Fawcett‘s death has seemingly taken a backseat to Michael Jackson coverage in the media, but TV Land will air the first two episodes of the late Charlie’s Angels star’s 2005 celebreality series Chasing Farrah on June 27 at 9PM ET. NBC will re-air Farrah’s Story, the recent two-hour documentary that followed her battle against cancer, tonight at 9PM, while the Bio Channel will air Bio Remembers: Farrah Fawcett June 29 at 10PM.

– The deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson apparently sparked some Internet pranksters to start rumors about the deaths of Law & Order: Criminal Intent star Jeff Goldblum and Harrison Ford. Weird, random totally untrue.

– The Sarah Palin hubbub helped David Letterman best The Tonight Show in the ratings for the first time in more than three years.

– It’s a go: Noah Wyle will star in Steven Spielberg‘s alien-invasion pilot for TNT.

– The Scientologists are taking to the airwaves again with a new series of TV commercials, including one that aired Wednesday night during 360 with Anderson Cooper on CNN.

– Privileged star Joanna Garcia will pop up on the new season of Gossip Girl as Bree Buckley, a nasty Southerner who’s rumored to have a little somethin’-somethin’ going with Chace Crawford‘s Nate.

– NBC has announced its fall schedule premiere dates, including the premiere of The Jay Leno Show on Sept. 14 and the Sept. 17 premiere of Community, the best new sitcom to hit the tube since 30 Rock (which, by the way, returns to the network’s line-up on Oct. 15).

– If American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert doesn’t drop a great debut album, it won’t be because of a lack of talented collaborators. Among those writing and performing with Lambert on his disc are One Republic‘s Ryan Tedder and Idol judge/songwriter Kara DioGuardi, but also musicians who’ve worked with Evanescence, David Archuleta, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, Jason Mraz and Britney Spears.

– Jeri Ryan will play a new con woman on TNT’s Leverage.

– The U.S Postal Service is releasing a new series of stamps that will honor classic TV stars and shows. The Aug. 11 release will find stamps featuring Groucho Marx, Rod Serling, Howdy Doody, Lassie, The Lone Ranger, The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy.

– And, a Fraggle Rock comic book?! Yep, it’s happening.

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• Filed in Celebreality, Reality, TV News
• Tags: Adam Lambert, American Idol, Chace Crawford, Charlie's Angels, David Letterman, Farrah Fawcett, Fraggle Rock, Gossip Girl, Groucho Marx, Howdy Doody, I Love Lucy, Jeff Goldblum, Jeri Ryan, Joanna Garcia, Kara DioGuardi, Lassie, Leverage, NBC Community, Noah Wyle, One Republic, Rod Serling, Ryan Tedder, Scientologists, Scientology, Steven Spielberg, The Honeymooners, The Jay Leno Show, The Lone Ranger, The Tonight Show

10 quick facts about the late Ed McMahon, one of pop culture’s all-time greatest sidekicks …

1. His full name: Edward Leo Peter McMahon, Jr.

2. McMahon is best known for The Tonight Show and his role as the American Family Publishers sweepstakes spokesman, but he was also a spokesman for Budweiser, co-host of the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon and hosted Star Search from 1983-1995, where he helped launch the careers of Search contestants like Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Drew Carey, Brad Garrett, Dave Chappelle, Kevin James, Martin Lawrence, Dennis Miller, Alanis Morissette, Rosie O’Donnell, Ray Romano, Adam Sandler and Usher.

3. The Tonight Show wasn’t the first McMahon/Johnny Carson co-starring gig. McMahon was hired as the announcer on the ABC game show Who Do You Trust?, hosted by Carson, in 1958.

4. Among his other jobs: a circus clown on a Philadelphia TV show, veggie slicer salesman on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, door-to-door cookware salesman, shoe shiner, dry cleaner, bingo caller and a World War II flight instructor and Korean War pilot.

5. His great-great-great-grandfather, Patrice de Mac-Mahon, duc de Magenta, served under Napoleon and later served as the President of France from 1873-1879.

6. McMahon claimed that mayonnaise was originally called “Macmahonaise” and was named after his great-great-great-grandfather, who loved the condiment.

7. McMahon’s classic “Heeeere’s Johnny!” catchphrase inspired the Weird Al Yankovic song “Here’s Johnny,” a parody of the El DeBarge Short Circuit movie soundtrack hit “Who’s Johnny.”

8. McMahon was a fan of The O.C.

9. He also co-hosted a TV Land talk show with ALF.

10. McMahon played Duncan, the big baddie who was causing trouble for Jim Brown‘s titular character in the 1973 blaxploitation flick Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off. “They’re gonna get Slaughter, or get slaughtered!” says the announcer in the movie’s trailer.

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• Filed in Late Night, TV List o' the Day
• Tags: Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson, Star Search, The Tonight Show

Conan O’Brien‘s debut as Tonight Show host may have gotten mixed reviews, but the episode did get the highest ratings for a Monday night Tonight installment in four years. Some people were down on the fact that much of the episode seemed like an introduction to Conan, but, hello, a lot of the regular Tonight Show audience doesn’t stay up for the post-Tonight hour.

I thought it was totally appropriate, particularly the clever cold opening, which had Conan running across the country, from his old New York City home to his new Hollywood studio.  It was a nice nod to the fact that Conan and crew realize they’re playing to a broader audience on Tonight than they were in their 12:30 timeslot.

What did you think? Is Conan Tonight Show-worthy? Will the new Tonight Show be a nightly appointment for you?

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• Filed in Late Night, TV News
• Tags: Conan, Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show, Tonight Show, Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien

As if you could forget , Conan O’Brien takes over The Tonight Show, uh, tonight (NBC, 11:30PM ET), and this preview, in which he pokes fun at his pale-ness, is still cracking me up …

– Meanwhile, though there’s been no lack of press for the big guy, the LATimes.com has an interview with Conan sidekick Andy Richter about his return to late night.

– The New York Post has some words of wisdom, sorta, from various celebs to Conan.

– O’Brien himself assures fans that his trademark quirkiness will continue, including, eventually, the Masturbating Bear.

– A video collection of Conan’s greatest hits from his old gig.

– And New York Times late-night TV expert Bill Carter has a preview of Conan’s first Tonight night, which will include guests Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam.

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• Filed in Comedy, Late Night, TV News
• Tags: Andy Richter, Conan, Conan O'Brien, Masturbating Bear, Pearl Jam, The Tonight Show, Will Ferrell

Here it is, Conan O’Brien‘s Tonight Show set, where he’ll begin hosting the talk show on June 1.

What do you think? I kinda dig the orange and blue thang he’s got going. Do you suppose the orange accents are a nod to his hair?

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• Filed in Comedy, Late Night, TV News
• Tags: Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show