Channel Surfing: Amber Tamblin Checks Into House, Betty White Heads to Community, Dolph Lundgren Vs. Chuck, Luck, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello and Andy Patrick are reporting that Amber Tamblyn (The Unusuals) will join the cast of FOX's House while Olivia Wilde is shooting feature film Cowboys and Aliens for Universal. Tamblyn has signed on to appear in a multiple-episode story arc where she will play " a whip-smart med student House (Hugh Laurie) recruits for his diagnostic team — despite the fact that she isn’t yet 100 percent qualified to treat patients" who will "have to find a way to adjust to her new mentor’s unique bedside manner." [Editor: as someone still mourning the loss of ABC's The Unusuals, I'm glad to see Tamblyn heading back to network television.] (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Is there anything Betty White can't do? The octogenarian actress, hot off a streak that includes hosting Saturday Night Live, a slew of films, and a new sitcom (Hot in Cleveland) for TV Land, White will guest star on NBC's Community this fall, where she will play June Bauer, described as "an esteemed, albeit slightly unhinged, anthropology professor," when the series returns for its second season, appearing in the season opener. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV) will be heading to NBC's Chuck next season, appearing in a guest starring capacity in the Season Four opener, entitled "Chuck Versus the Anniversary." No details were immediately available about just who--or what--Lundgren will be playing, other than the fact that he'll face off with our own Chuck Bartowski. (Executive producer Josh Schwartz tweeted that Lundgren will "try and 'break' Chuck in Season 4 premiere.") But Lundgren isn't the only guest star confirmed for the season premiere: Ausiello also reports that Big Love baddie Harry Dean Stanton will also guest star. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO yesterday announced that it had given a series order to horseracing drama Luck, from executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, which stars Dennis Hoffman, Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Kevin Dunn, Richard Kind, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Coster, Ian Hart, Tom Payne, Kerry Condon, Gary Stevens, and Nick Nolte and features Jill Hennessy. "Michael Mann delivered a pilot from David Milch's brilliant script that took our breath away," said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo. "We are truly excited that these two artists, and our extraordinary cast headed by Dustin Hoffman, will be bringing Luck to life." (Variety)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that George Eads has signed a new deal which will keep him aboard CBS' CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Nick Stokes, citing reports from Eads' reps. Additionally, Keck said that Eads' Nick will be getting a new partner on the series, "a bombs expert named Kacey Monohan, who will be Nick's new partner on the Vegas streets." (TV Guide Magazine)

More details emerging about Piers Morgan's potential deal at CNN to replace Larry King. The America's Got Talent judge is said to be thisclose to signing a deal that will see him take over CNN's 9 pm timeslot and rake in $5-6 million per year as well as keep his position on AGT as well. (Hollywood Reporter)

As of press time, AT&T U-Verse hadn't removed Rainbow Media's cable channels--including AMC, IFC, and We--from its lineup, despite the expiration of their carriage agreement and a threat that the cable provider would ditch the channels if a deal couldn't be reached in time. (Variety)

E! Online's Watch With Kristin collects a whole bunch of tweets from the stars of CW dramas Vampire Diaries, 90210, and One Tree Hill, looking to parse some meaning--or spoilers--from the tweets that emerged this week as all three went back into production. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Nascent pay cabler Epix has hired producer Maureen Taran as VP of original programming, live events, where she will report to Laverne McKinnon. (Hollywood Reporter)

David Weintraub--who starred on A&E's unscripted series Sons of Hollywood--has been hired as VP of series development at Stone and Co., reporting to Scott Stone. (Variety)

Stay tuned.