All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Among the TV shows that will host panels at the San Diego Comic-Con in July: Chuck, Dexter, Dollhouse, Lost, MythBusters, Psych, True Blood, Supernatural and Smallville.

– There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there are free TV comedy episodes to watch while you’re noshing. Thanks to Sitcoms Online.com for the heads up about iTunes’ summer sale, which includes free episodes of Arrested Development, Reno 911! and The State, 99-cent eps of The Office, 30 Rock and The Larry Sanders Show, and, best of all, the entire five-episode first season of The State for $3.96.

– Fox has announced its fall 2009 premiere dates, kicking off its season on Sept. 16 with Glee and (another) new season of So You Think You Can Dance.

– Speaking of SYTYCD, why would Katie Holmes be performing on the show? Right? Yet, the rumor persists that she’ll be shaking her moneymaker on a July episode.

– American Idol season five vet, and one of the show’s most successful artists, Chris Daughtry, talks about his second album, which will be released on July 14.

– America’s Got Talent kicks off next week on NBC (June 23, (9PM ET), but will the show find its own Susan Boyle? Even though the Internet sensation was the runner-up on the latest season of Britain’s Got Talent, she’s reportedly earning more than $160,000 for a 12-minute performance at corporate events. In comparison, former President Bill Clinton gets between $140,000-150,000.

– NPH – Neil Patrick Harris, of course – is going to be a villain called The Music Meister in a fall episode of Cartoon Network’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Wouldn’t he be great in the next big-screen Batman, too …

– Gossip Girl is the big TV nominee at this year’s Teen Choice Awards.

– Heidi Pratt says Al Roker made her cry. So does dry shampoo … in other words, what doesn’t? Did being chastised by Whoopi Goldberg also make her shed tears?

– Dave Letterman apologizes, again, for the Palin jokes on tonight’s Late Show.

– Heroes star Sendhil Ramamurthy will guest star in the upcoming “Bollywood Homicide” episode of Psych, which premieres (not soon enough) its fourth season on Aug. 7.

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• Filed in TV News
• Tags: 30 Rock, Al Roker, America's Got Talent, American Idol, Arrested Development, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Chris Daughtry, Chuck, David Letterman, Dexter, Dollhouse, Fox fall premiere dates, Fox premiere dates, Glee, Gossip Girl, Heidi Pratt, Katie Holmes, Lost, MythBusters, Neil Patrick Harris, NPH, Psych, Reno 911!, San Diego Comic Con, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Smallville, So You Think You Can Dance, Supernatural, Susan Boyle, Teen Choice Awards, The Larry Sanders Show, The Office, The State, True Blood, Whoopi Goldberg

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– “Jon Gosselin, American Hero”? Bleccch. If there was any lesson to be learned from last night’s Jon & Kate Plus 8 season premiere, it’s that both Gosselins are big ol’ messes and that neither of them is truly better off with the money, fame (infamy?) or freebies their reality show has brought them. But, for all the nasty behavior we see on-screen from the brittle Kate, let’s be honest: Mr. Gosselin doesn’t appear to be much of a prize, either. So, “American hero”?! Again, bleccch. That word is tossed around all too lightly, particularly given that we just celebrated Memorial Day.

– Remember when Friday night used to be one of the best TV-watching nights of the week, back when J.R. was getting shot by Kris-ten (as Sue Ellen called her sister) on Dallas and Don Johnson was rocking his white suits, pastel tees and mandals on Miami Vice? USA Today points out that, with 10 scripted series on the Friday night schedule next fall, it may no longer be one of the most skippable viewing nights.

– Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter is sizing up next fall’s biggest timeslot battles, including the Friday night, 9PM race, which pits Southland vs. Medium vs. Dollhouse vs. Ugly Betty, or, as THR writer James Hibberd calls it, “The Island of Broken Toys.” Funny. Though I’d argue that Southland shouldn’t be lumped in with the other, has-been, series.

– The New York Times says, if their TV show ratings are a reliable indicator, the Jonas Brothers may be headed the way of ‘N Sync, 98 Degrees and LFO.

– Twitter may become a TV show, though the specifics of how are still sketchy.

– We’ve got the Real Housewives of the O.C., Atlanta, New York City and New Jersey, and while there are already rumors of a Beverly Hills version in the works, Bravo is also reportedly looking to find the Real Housewives of D.C., too.

– And Clay Aiken‘s recent anti-Adam Lambert statements, followed by his sarcastic follow-up/pseudo-backtracking make one thing clear: He’s kinda a big tool.

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• Filed in American Idol, Comedy, Drama, Reality, TV News
• Tags: 'N Sync, 98 Degrees, Adam Lambert, American Idol, Clay Aiken, D.C., Dallas, Dollhouse, Fall schedule, Fall TV schedule, Friday night, Jon & Kate Plus 8, Jon Gosselin, Jonas, Jonas Bros., Jonas Brothers, kate Gosselin, LFO, Medium, Miami Vice, Real Housewives, Real Housewives of Washington, Reality, Southland, The Gosselins, timeslot battle, Twitter, Twitter TV, Ugly Betty

Here’s the official line-up from Fox, followed by the network’s description of its new series:

FOX PRIMETIME SCHEDULE: FALL 2009
(All Times ET/PT)

MONDAY
8PM – House
9PM – Lie to Me

TUESDAY
8PM – So You Think You Can Dance performance show

WEDNESDAY
8PM – So You Think You Can Dance results show
9PM – Glee

THURSDAY
8PM – Bones
9PM – Fringe

FRIDAY
8PM – Brothers
8:30PM – ‘Til Death
9PM – Dollhouse

SATURDAY
8PM – Cops
8:30PM – Cops
9PM – America’s Most Wanted
11PM – The Wanda Sykes Show (working title)
Midnight – “Animation Domination” encores

SUNDAY
7PM – The OT (NFL post-game show)
8PM – The Simpsons
8:30PM – The Cleveland Show
9PM – Family Guy
9:30PM – American Dad

…Read more

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• Filed in 24, American Idol, Comedy, Drama, Late Night, Reality, TV News
• Tags: 'Til Death, 24, America's Most Wanted, American Dad, American Idol, Bones, Brothers, Cops, Dollhouse, Family Guy, Fringe, Glee, House, Human Target, Lie to Me, NFL, Past Life, So You Think You Can Dance, Sons of Tucson, The Cleveland Show, The OT, The Simpsons, The Wanda Sykes Show

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Did Joan Rivers really deserve to be named Celebrity Apprentice instead of Annie Duke, who raised three times as much cash for her charity? Cast your vote at AOL TV. I think Annie should have won, though Rivers’ dedication to and affection for her charity, God’s Love We Deliver, was touching.

– Chef Jamie Oliver and Ryan Seacrest are teaming for an ABC reality series in which they’ll give the citizens of America’s unhealthiest towns nutrition and exercise makeovers. Hmmm … Maybe Seacrest isn’t aspiring to be the next Dick Clark; he’s trying to be the Dude Oprah.

– The ratings for Dollhouse‘s season finale suggests the Joss Whedon series probably won’t return to Fox next season.

– Tonight’s episode of Gossip Girl sets up what could be a spin-off series, following the life of young Lily, Serena’s wild child mama.

– More spin-off news: G4 is doing its own take on E!’s The Soup, called Web Soup, a weekly round-up of the best of/worst of viral videos.

– Loooooove 30 Rock and Tina Fey, but have to call BS on the story that last Thursday’s Mamma Mia mentions didn’t amount to a plug. It was a very, very clever tie-in, but both the show and the movie are NBC Universal properties … coincidence? I think not.

– Jon Stewart‘s producing a special on the U.S. naturalization process for the History Channel.

– Alex and Hugh are back for the third season of Ice Road Truckers on the History Channel (May 31), and they’ll be joined by the first female driver to be a full-time driver on the show.

– What a great idea: Editing Lost into a “dummies” version that would have events unfold chronologically.

– Al Bundy’s back to be a TV papa again. Ed O’Neill (a fellow alum of Ohio University – go Bobcats!) will play a dad in ABC’s fall 2009 mockumentary-ish sitcom Modern Family.

– And Chuck star Yvonne Strahovksi is certainly keeping busy while she awaits news on whether or not the show will get a third season go from NBC.

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• Filed in 30 Rock, Celebreality, Chuck, Comedy, Drama, Lost, Reality, TV News
• Tags: 30 Rock, Annie Duke, Celebrity Apprentice, Chuck, Dollhouse, Ed O'Neill, Gossip Girl, Ice Road Truckers, Jamie Oliver, Joan Rivers, Jon Stewart, Joss Whedon, Lost, Mamma Mia, Oprah, Ryan Seacrest, The Soup, Tina Fey, Yvonne Strahovski