EW’s Michael Ausiello is reporting that McKean has been tapped to reprise his role as the Daily Planet Editor-in-waiting.

Executive producer Brian Peterson told EW:

“We’re thrilled to have Michael back on the show  and to be able to link it with the anticipated return of Martha Kent is just a phenomenal way to gear up to the end of the season.”

Peterson also reveals that the iconic character’s latest trip through Smallville will bring him “closer to his destiny” than ever before. Reveals Peterson: “We finally get to see the legendary introduction between Perry White and the intrepid Lois Lane.”

This season is turning into one of the best so far!

The Oscar Nominee is guest starring in an episode to be directed by the shows star, Hugh Laurie.

“He’s a patient who has scenes with Dr. House,” explains executive producer Katie Jacobs. “I’m excited to [watch] the two of them in a room together.”

Strathairn, who scored an Oscar nomination for the role of Edward R. Morrow in Good Night, and Good Luck will be in the shows 17th episode of this season.

Well, who didn’t see this coming? There have been rumors swirling around that this would be Simon Cowell’s last season on American Idol – - now the reason why has been confirmed….

“THE X FACTOR” TO LAUNCH ON FOX IN 2011

FOX announced today that THE X FACTOR will launch in the U.S. in the fall of 2011. Simon Cowell, who created and launched THE X FACTOR in the U.K. in 2004, will serve as both executive producer and judge on the U.S. version, which will be produced by Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America. 

THE X FACTOR is currently shown in 17 countries worldwide with a global audience of more than 500 million, and is the No. 1 TV entertainment format in Europe. Cowell will continue to serve as both executive producer and judge on the U.K. version. THE X FACTOR format is owned by Syco, a global music, television and film production joint venture between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment.

“I’m thrilled that we have put a date on the launch of the U.S. version of THE X FACTOR, and delighted to be continuing to work with FOX,” said Cowell. “We have a fantastic relationship, a great team and are all very excited about this.”

Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, said, “We have had a very successful relationship with Simon Cowell for many years, and we’re absolutely delighted to continue our relationship with him. THE X FACTOR has been a massive success around the world, and we can’t wait to bring it to the U.S. in 2011.”

“THE X FACTOR has enjoyed an unparalleled success in its U.K. home market and globally,” said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America. “We are truly excited to bring it to the U.S. and look forward to building another entertainment franchise in the marketplace.”

About Syco/Simon Cowell

Syco, with offices in London and Los Angeles, is a global music, television and film production joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment.

Syco Television produces the BAFTA Award-winning “The X Factor,” which has topped the charts in Europe and in the U.K., where Cowell continues to serve as both executive producer and judge. Syco Television is also the owner of the “Got Talent” television format. Versions of both “The X Factor” and “Got Talent” are co-produced by Syco and shown in more than 40 countries.

“The X Factor” 2009 in the U.K. reached audiences of 20 million (60% audience share), and in Denmark, the audience share reached a record high of 80%.

Cowell also executive produces “America’s Got Talent” and judges and produces “Britain’s Got Talent,” which in 2009 launched the global singing career of Susan Boyle. Her debut Syco album sold over 8 million units in six weeks, making it the world’s biggest-selling album of 2009 and the fastest-selling album in history.

Syco is also the record label home for such diverse international recording stars as Leona Lewis, Il Divo and Paul Potts. Cowell has worked with artists selling more than 180 million albums and delivering more than 150 No. 1 records.

In 2009, Cowell was named No. 1 in Hollywood Reporter’s Top 50 Most Powerful in Reality TV and one of Entertainment Weekly’s Top Entertainers of the Year.

About FremantleMedia North America

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. production division of global media giant FremantleMedia. Based in Burbank, California, FMNA produces entertaining and innovative programs for network, cable, syndicated and online platforms, including the Emmy-nominated musical/reality phenomenon AMERICAN IDOL (FOX), “America’s Got Talent” (NBC), “Can You Duet” (CMT), “The Chilli Project” (MTV), “Secret Girlfriend” (Comedy Central), “Let’s Make A Deal” (CBS), “Family Feud” (syndicated), and the longest-running game show in television history, “The Price Is Right” (CBS). In the U.K., “The X Factor” is produced by talkbackThames, a division of FremantleMedia, and Syco Television.

In what seems like no-brainer of the season-to-date (well, except the CW canceling TBL! ), FOX has decided to give the freshman show another year to delight the key demos!

Press Release:

GLEEKS REJOICE! FOX PICKS UP SECOND SEASON OF “GLEE”  

 

NATIONWIDE OPEN CASTING CALL FOR “GLEE” BEGINS FEBRUARY

AND WILL AIR AS MULTI-PART SPECIAL THIS FALL ON FOX

  

Series Returns with All-New Episodes Tuesday, April 13, on FOX

FOX has ordered a second season of the genre-defying comedy GLEE, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company. GLEE has become a bona fide cultural phenomenon boasting winning ratings, critical acclaim, a rabid fan base of “GLEEks,” two certified Gold albums and more than 4 million song downloads. The series has received four Golden Globe nominations, including one for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series; two Directors Guild of America Award nominations; and a Writers Guild of America nomination for Best Comedy Series and Best New Series. Additionally, the American Film Institute named GLEE one of the Top 10 TV Programs of the Year, and the series also recently won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy.

“We’ve loved GLEE ever since it was a pilot script, so it’s been an incredible thrill to watch the show take root and see audiences embrace these characters in such a huge way this season,” said Reilly. “The show is a true and rare gem in television. We couldn’t be more proud of what Ryan Murphy and the GLEE team have created so far, and can’t wait to see what they come up with for Season Two.”

GLEE has also launched the acting and singing careers of its young, talented cast, and turned them into international sensations. Replicating and expanding on the process used to discover the stars from Season One, the series’ executive producers will begin a nationwide casting search this February to fill three new roles that will be added to the show’s second season.

Building upon the show’s incredibly supportive community of GLEEks and with the hope of bringing fans even closer to the series, auditions will be open to amateur individuals as well as professionals between the ages of 16-26, and all hopefuls will be able to submit auditions online. Additional details to be announced soon, please check www.fox.com/glee for updates.

This unique casting search and process will be chronicled in a multi-part special that will air leading up to the premiere of the series’ second season in fall 2010 on FOX, and the new cast members will be revealed in the premiere episode.

“GLEE has always been about finding new fresh exciting voices. Our second season search for young talent will be in the vein of our first season. We launched a nationwide search for talent for our first season with great unexpected results, and Season Two expands that search in an even bigger way,” said executive producer and creator Ryan Murphy. He added, “Anybody and everybody now has a chance to be on a show about talented underdogs. No matter who you are – a Broadway talent or a struggling singing waiter with a dream in the Midwest – you now have an opportunity to make that dream come true by posting your talent video and showing us what you can do. ALL the roles will be chosen from the video audition process, which is exciting and unprecedented. We want to be the first interactive musical comedy on television, and the search is ON.”

“GLEE is the hottest new show of the season, and it’s amazing to look back at the audition tapes of those stars as they were being discovered,” said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment for FOX. “Just like GLEE, there’s never really been an unscripted program like this on television before. The stakes are real, and it’s going to be incredibly compelling to watch the lives of these unknowns transformed before our eyes.”

GLEE returns with all-new episodes on a new night beginning Tuesday, April 13 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

GLEE follows an optimistic teacher who – against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach – inspires McKinley High’s Glee Club to conquer the world one singing competition at a time. GLEE stars Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley, Mark Salling and Jenna Ushkowitz.

GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20^th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan serves as co-executive producer.

ABC has confirmed that Elisha Cuthbert has joined the cast of The Forgotten in a recurring role.

According to the press release ABC issued earlier today, Cuthbert will play Maxine Denver, a strong and successful Chicago professional who is forced to put her skepticism of “amateur detectives” aside when The Forgotten Network begins investigating a case close to home.

Cuthberts eps are slated to begin airing in February and will presumably run until pretty much the end of the season (Althouhg I can’t see it making much difference to the ratings…!)

Press Release:

Cuthbert is slated to debut on the ratings-challenged freshman drama in February, which is not long after she wraps up her multi-episode 24 return.

Getting back to the question I posed in the headline: Can Kim Bauer save The Forgotten? Or at the very least, will she get you to start watching (if you’re not already)?

Big Love’s closet villain is due, Alby (Matt Ross) is due for a love interest in what will be “a career defining season” says EP Will Scheffer.

An interview with co-creators Will Scheffer and Marc V. Olson, revealed more deets in what is promising to be a controversial season (via EW’s Michael Ausiello)

The character is “being groomed for an incredible season,” teases co-creator/executive producer Will Scheffer. Adds counterpart Marc V. Olsen: “Alby’s boyfriend, Dale (Benjamin Koldyke), is appointed head of the UEB — a trustee. They stumble into a relationship, and this guy is [just like Alby] struggling with his urges. He’s been going to [reparative therapy] for several years… unsuccessfully. There’s a provocative nature to what we’re doing. It’s more than just the Mormon culture. We’re highlighting certain aspects of the church’s relationship with its gay members that I think, as the story unfolds, is going to cause no [small] amount of controversy.”

Much to my (and a lot of other peoples joy) ABC has announced that LOST is returning on February 2, 2010 with a 2 hour premiere special for its 18 episode final season. Here’s the press release:

ABC ANNOUNCES THE PREMIERE OF THE SIXTH AND FINAL SEASON OF “LOST,”

WITH A SPECIAL ALL-NIGHT EVENT ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2

ABC announces the premiere of the sixth and final season of “Lost,” with a special all-night event on Tuesday, February 2. A recap special will kick off the night from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET, followed by the much anticipated two-hour premiere from 9:00-11:00 p.m.

The series will then air in its regular time period – Tuesday nights from 9:00-10:00 p.m., ET – beginning the following week, on February 9.

“Lost” stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Nestor Carbonell as Richard Alpert, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Ken Leung as Miles, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Terry O’Quinn as Locke and Zuleikha Robinson as Ilana.

“Lost” was created by Jeffrey Lieber and J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof. Abrams, Lindelof, Bryan Burk, Jack Bender, Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Jean Higgins and Carlton Cuse serve as executive producers. “Lost,” which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii and premiered on September 22, 2004, is from ABC Studios.

The Brothers Jonai have been rewarded for their hard work and given a second season of the moderately successful TV series.

Disney channel has ordered a second season of the pop stars’ comedy series “Jonas”, on which production slated to begin in February for a premiere in the middle of next year

The show has also tapped new executive producers: showrunner Lester Lewis and director Paul Hoen.

Several media outlets are confirming that TNT has indeed picked up cancelled NBC drama ‘Southland’. The show will begin airing against The Jay Leno Show on January 12th at 10pm

The drama series, starring Ben McKenzie and Michael Cudlitz was in limbo after it was cancelled prior to the start of its second season. This led to John Wells (E.R), the executive producer of the show to shop the remaining 6 completed episodes to other networks.

TNT is, of course a Time Warner network and Southland is a WB produced show so a deal was likely to go ahead. The series will be shown in its entirety on TNT, starting with the original 7 episodes that aired on NBC and then showing the 6 brand new episodes that are in the can. TNT is expected to begin airing them after Christmas.

via Press Release:

“This is a great win for fans of SOUTHLAND and a perfect opportunity to introduce the series to new viewers,” said Steve Koonin, president of Turner Entertainment Networks.  “It’s also another outstanding example of how TNT has established itself as the go-to place for the best dramas on television.”

“We are extremely pleased that TNT has acquired all 13 episodes of SOUTHLAND, giving devoted fans the opportunity to watch a show that they passionately support,” said Peter Roth, president of Warner Bros. Television.

“We’re delighted that TNT has stepped forward to pick up SOUTHLAND.  We are all extremely proud of the show,” Wells said.

Heroes dunnit. Gossip Girl dunnit. Why shouldn’t 90210? News coming through the grapevine is that there’s a new lesbian storyline coming our way.

In January,the show will introduce a same-sex storyline that will pair Gia, played by Rumer Willis, with another major (and therefore currently straight) female character. Executive producer Rebecca Sinclair had this to say:

“This isn’t a fling. We’re coming at this from a genuine place and not going, ‘Let’s do a titillating story that will grab some promotion.’ This is a real aspect of teenager life that’s interesting… And there’s been a real void in the 90210 universe in terms of gay and bisexual characters.”

Are you looking forward to it? Does anyone watch The CW any more?