All the tube news that’s fit to surf …
– Think you have an idea for a great new Simpsons character? Send a description of the new Springfieldian to producers at TheSimpsons.com and you could see your creation drawn into a January 2010 episode of the ‘toon. But hurry: The contest ends Oct. 24.
– American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert is the cover boy on the November issue of Details mag, where he talks about kissing girls, his wild pre-Idol days and the trip that led him to trying out for American Idol.
– A TV producer is spilling about his experience with Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene, who sounds shadier and creepier every day.
– Tube hostess Brooke Burke, the CEO of ModernMom.com, has signed on as the “mommy correspondent” on The Doctors.
– IFC has picked up the rights to all three seasons of Arrested Development, and will begin airing them on Sunday and Tuesday nights.
– The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels is starring in a spin-off series, Losing It With Jillian, in which she’ll move in with families and help them adopt healthier eating and exercise habits.
– Fox is planning two more new hour-long dramas, one about a group of housewives who become criminals (based on the British series Daylight Robbery) and one about a polygamist who lives with his two wives.
– The man responsible for the iconic Green Acres and The Addams Family theme songs, Vic Mizzy, died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 93.
– The Hollywood Reporter has a rundown of the cast for HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin‘s Game of Thrones.
– Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has been given the legal thumbs up to compete on the third season of Celebrity Apprentice. Um, yay?
– Michelle Obama will play along with Jay Leno‘s 10-questions bit on Friday’s The Jay Leno Show.
– But the news continues to be bad for Leno’s show, especially for the NBC affiliates whose ratings have taken a hit thanks to the lackluster viewership for Leno as an 11PM news lead-in.
– Big Brother winner Adam Jasinski has been arrested for allegedly dealing drugs.
– Buffy and Dollhouse daddy Joss Whedon will direct an episode of Glee.
– Mischa Barton says she’s done with TV after her recent flop The Beautiful Life on The CW, but I don’t think TV’s gonna miss her one little bit.
– And tonight in primetime:
– It’s the Shark Tank season one finale on ABC (8PM ET)
– Was a practical joker Marine killed on Halloween because of a prank? The NCIS (8PM, CBS) team aims to find out
– New Biggest Loser installment on NBC (8PM)
– Annie’s up to no good on 90210 (8PM, The CW)
– It’s game four of the American League championship series on Fox (8PM)
– Original Melrose-r Jo the photog (Daphne Zuniga) returns to Melrose Place (9PM, The CW)
– New NCIS: Los Angeles (9PM) episode on CBS
– Tonight’s Dancing With the Stars ep (9PM, ABC) includes a tribute to Michael Jackson
– Mike recycles toilets on a truly literal Dirty Jobs episode (9PM, Discovery)
– Flipping Out wraps its third season on Bravo at 10PM
– With the fellas in jail, it’s up to Gemma to secure bail – with help from the rich, SAMCRO-indebted Elliott – on Sons of Anarchy (10PM, FX)
– Back-to-back new eps of Parking Wars on A&E at 10PM
– Jackie and Alicia tangle over whether the kids should visit their dad in prison on The Good Wife (10PM, CBS)
– New ep of The Forgotten (10PM) on ABC
– Heidi worries her sister’s boozing too much on The Hills (10PM, MTV)
– Parsnips and crackers are among the ingredients on a new Chopped (10PM, Food Network)
– “Marriage agencies” are the topic on The Secret Lives of Women (10PM, WE)
– Andrew meets up with sponge divers and mermaids in Florida on Bizarre World (10PM, Travel Channel)
– Erin continues to be suspicious of Olivia on The City (10:30PM, MTV)
Charlie Sheen, Russell Brand and Louis C.K. are getting most of the attention, but I’m most excited that one of the best new shows of last TV season — Wilfred — returns for its second season on FX tonight (10PM ET). Season one of the series ended with a cliffhanger — had Ryan (Elijah Wood) […]