BIG NEWS
… Memphis Beat is eating a fried peanut butted sandwich on the toilet. TNT has decided to cancel the series after two seasons. The drama, which starred Jason Lee as a Elvis-impersonating detective, had been on the bubble after its second season concluded in August. [Variety]
… Can’t wait to see NBC’s fairy-tale cop drama procedural (yes, you read that right) Grimm? Well stop Tweeting about your boring trip to Walgreen’s or McDonald’s and start following the show’s official Twitter account (@NBCGrimm)! Starting today, those who follow the show on Twitter will get a direct message with information on how to watch the premiere early. If you follow me, I will give you a direct message with information about my cats. [Associated Press]
… The Rich Guy’s Highlights for Kids, better known as Forbes, has tallied the highest paid actors in TV this year. And topping that list are three guys who are no longer on TV. Wait, what? Yup, Charlie Sheen, Ray Romano, and Steve Carell were 1-2-3 on the Top 10. This may not make sense, but neither did paying Charlie Sheen $ 1.25 million per episode of Two and a Half Men. [Radar Online]
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
… Shonda Rhimes is still producing TV shows like there’s no tomorrow. Her latest is headed to Fox and was written by Diane Ruggiero (The Ex List), who I’ve interviewed and is a fascinating person. The dramedy is set in the 1980s and follows a teenager who poses as an adult so she can work at a bar in New Jersey. [Deadline Hollywood]
… NYPD Blue creators Steven Bochco and David Milch are developing a new drama for NBC. The untitled drama follows a lawyer in Washington D.C. with a dark secret. As if there are D.C. lawyers without any dark secrets. Fact: 1 in every 3 D.C. lawyers have buried a dead hooker in their backyards. The other 2 have buried live hookers in their backyards. [TV Guide]
… You know who is funny? Aasif Mandvi, the guy from The Daily Show and those Taco Bell commercials. He’s sold a comedy to CBS starring himself as a marriage counselor who is recently divorced. Wait a second, does CBS know he isn’t white? [Deadline Hollywood]
… Super cool network FX is working on three new projects: Bunker is about a female cop psychologist, Laredo is a crime drama set on the Texas/Mexico border, The Americans is an espionage drama set during the 1980s, and Scar Tissue is based on Red Hot Chili Peppers’ frontman Anthony Kiedis’ life. No shows about pot-smoking dogs? Ehhh… [THR]
CASTING NEWS
… One of my favorite shows that I can’t watch anymore because I don’t have DirecTV and because I’m an honest citizen is adding some firepower to its cast. Damages has recruited Ryan Phillippe to play a major role in the fifth (and final?) season of the legal thriller. He’ll play a Julian Assange-type character that asks Ellen for help. I approve of this casting. [TV Line]
… Saturday Night Live‘s Taran Killam is heading to Greendale Community College! He’ll guest star as the choir director in this season’s Christmas episode of Community. [TV Line]
… Alan Dale (Lost‘s Charles Widmore) will face off against Ben again! Dale has booked a role on CBS’ Person of Interest, where the opportunity to see him share the screen with Michael Emerson again is making my head throb. Get him Ben! [EW]
‘LIKE, DUH’ NEWS
… A former producer on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives says host and celeb chef Guy Fieri is an anti-Semitic homophobic jerk. Like, duh! [OC Weekly]
Follow TV.com writer Tim Surette on Twitter: @TimAtTVDotCom
