Channel Surfing: Alyssa Milano Moves into "Castle", Kevin Murphy Bumped to Showrunner on "Caprica," Wilde Talks "House," "Fringe" Sneak Peek, and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Alyssa Milano has been cast as a guest star on ABC's Castle, where she will play a former love interest of Nathan Fillion's Richard Castle with whom he reconnects on her wedding day. "Castle reconnects with Kyra (Milano) on her wedding day and sparks fly," writes Ausiello. "Beckett (Stana Katic) picks up on the obvious connection between the two of them, setting up a fun little love triangle." Milano's episode is slated to air in early 2010. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives) has been promoted to executive producer/showrunner of Syfy's Caprica, where he joins fellow executive producers Jane Espenson, Ron Moore, and David Eick. Murphy was originally hired as a co-executive producer on the Battlestar Galactica prequel series and will now serve as the day-to-day showrunner on the series. (Hollywood Reporter)

TVGuide.com's Gina DiNunno talks to House star Olivia Wilde about the medical drama's current season, which some shakeups at Princeton-Plainsboro. "This season, the writers have been all about taking risks," said Wilde. "It's Season 6, which means you really have license to try things. They're doing these unpredictable things, and one was having House bring back the old team. It was a result of House being in a mental institution and coming back, so I think if we went back to business as usual immediately, viewers would get frustrated. So I think it's cool they're shaking things up. And it's great because I got to take a little break!" (TVGuide.com)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has a sneak peek at the first three minutes from this week's Observer-centric episode of FOX's Fringe. Meanwhile, FOX is pulling out of the stops for a viral campaign this week based around the Warner Bros. Television-produced series. In other words: keep your eyes peeled for Observers everywhere. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files, Variety)

NBC has given a pilot presentation order to an untitled comedy from writer/director/executive producer Larry Charles and executive producer McG, which studio Warner Bros. Television is calling a "prototype" for what the actual series would be. Project revolves around a group of small town sci-fi-obsessed fanboys who convene to shoot their own episode of a cancelled series. (Variety)

George Segal (Entourage, Just Shoot Me) has been cast in TV Land's multi-camera comedy pilot Retired at 35, where he will play the retired insurance executive father of a Manhattanite who moves to the Florida retirement community where his father lives. (Hollywood Reporter)

BBC One has commissioned comedy Big Top, starring Amanda Holden (Wild At Heart), John Thomson (Cold Feet), Sophie Thompson (A Room With A View), Ruth Madoc (Little Britain), Bruce Mackinnon (The Catherine Tate Show), and Tony Robinson (Blackadder). Series, created by Daniel Peak, follows the performers and managers of a traveling circus. (BBC)

Adult Swim fans will be able to create their own DVDs via an online initiative at AdultSwimShop.com, where fans can select 110 minutes of episodic television as well as the disc's menu and artwork and be shipped the created-on-demand disc for just $20. The Custom DVD scheme launches with 100 episodes of such series as Robot Chicken, Lucy, Daughter of the Devil, and others. (Hollywood Reporter)

Hasbro Studios has landed its first project as is developing a My Little Pony series for the nascent joint venture cable channel launched by Hasbro and Discovery. (Hollywood Reporter)

Tyler Perry's comedy series Meet the Browns, which airs on TBS, has already cleared 70 percent of the country for a September syndicated launch following a similar pattern established by House of Payne. (Variety)

Stay tuned.