All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– The CW wants viewers for its new teen vampire series The Vampire Diaries … and it wants their blood, too. The network is partnering with the American Red Cross for a series of blood drives at high schools and colleges across the country, where those who donate can watch clips from the show, get show swag and, in some places, meet Vampire Diaries cast members. The show, adapted from a series of novels by L.J. Smith and produced and written by Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson, debuts on Sept. 10.

– Another interesting promo effort: The House “Snakes on a cane” campaign that fans have been guessing about all summer. Turns out that House star Hugh Laurie was behind the idea, and even sketched the original logo for the campaign.

– Explain this logic: Michael Jackson‘s death has suddenly made his wackadoo sister LaToya a sane choice to be a guest host on The View and now a Barbara Walters interview subject? Worse: The Walters/LaToya chat will air on ABC’s 20/20 on 9/ 11, a date when there are certainly more relevant topics for discussion …

– Speaking of the Jacksons people really only care about in the wake of Michael Jackson’s death, A&E will debut its reality series starring the family, Jackson Family Dynasty, later this year.

– The next TV show being adapted as a big-screen movie: Soul Train (?!).

– Tony Danza has begun his orientation to become a high school English teacher in Philadelphia, which will be the basis of his new reality show for A&E.

– The Real Housewives will be a syndicated series for fall 2010.

– Neil Patrick Harris as an American Idol judge? Why not? Everybody loves NPH, and besides, after Quentin Tarantino, anything makes sense.

– Chuck Bass is reportedly going to be involved in a same-sex lip-lock this season on Gossip Girl. It appears to be a one-time scenario though, unlike in the Gossip books, where Chuck was bisexual.

– And another same-sex TV romance, Guiding Light‘s Olivia (Crystal Chappell) and Natalia (Jessica Leccia) will live on online – sorta – even after the daytime soap’s Sept. 18 series finale. Chappell, who’s reprising a role on Days of Our Lives after Light ends, and Leccia, will co-star in a new Web series called Venice, and will play two new characters engaged in a romance.

– If Animal from The Muppets was a judge on America’s Got Talent, I think it would look something like this.

– And tonight in primetime:

– It’s the continuing story of Wipeout and the big red balls on ABC at 8PM ET
– Get a look at the Lego factory in Travel Channel’s Extreme Mega Factories (8PM)
– What’s car bowling? Find out on the new series Crash Course (9PM, ABC)
– Wil Wheaton guest stars on Leverage (9PM, TNT) as Nate and the gang try to snag valuable art back from a band of thieves
– The top 20 is set after tonight’s America’s Got Talent (9PM, NBC)
– Bear goes to Vietnam where he eats a scorpion and tussles with a snake on Man vs. Wild (9PM, Discovery)
– The Biography channel has a new Biography episode on Metallica (9PM)
– Real World: Cancun tonight (10PM, MTV) = a threesome. And not with the three you might be thinking …
– Adam‘s in San Francisco and plans to finish the two-gallon Kitchen Sink Sundae at the San Francisco Creamery Co. on Man vs. Food (10PM, Travel Channel)
– Michael Biehn guest stars on a new Dark Blue (10PM, TNT) in which the crew goes after a crooked cop
– It’s men vs. women on Top Chef: Las Vegas (10PM, Bravo)
– Criss tries to levitate an entire Las Vegas audience on Criss Angel: Mindfreak (10PM, A&E)
– On Dinner: Impossible (10PM, Food Network), Robert has to turn amusement park food into fancy fare at Six Flags
– More kiddie beauty pageant creepiness on Toddlers & Tiaras (10PM, TLC)
– Michael & Michael Have Issues (10:30PM, Comedy Central) with appearing on a rival’s comedy show in their first season finale