[Televisionary]

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. It was only a matter of time, really. Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello (who is soon to depart the magazine/website ) is reporting that Starz has begun the search for a replacement for Spartacus ' Andy Whitfield, who was forced to drop out of the production due to a recurrence of cancer. "According to the just-released casting notice, producers are searching for a Caucasian male in his mid to late 30s to play the 'smart, intense, passionate' title role," writes Ausiello. "Interested parties must have an authentic British accent and be prepared to sign a three-year contract." ( Entertainment Weekly 's Ausiello Files ) The Hollywood Reporter 's James Hibberd is reporting that Syfy has renewed Warehouse 13 for a third season, with 13 episodes on tap for next season. Additionally, Jack Kenny will remain aboard the series as the showrunner and has signed a development deal with the cable...

Syfy has had a lot of success of late with quirky, humorous dramedies where the science fiction often takes a backseat to the trappings of traditional drama. Think of them more as extraordinary dramas than say, purely speculative fiction. This is particularly true with Syfy's original series Eureka and Warehouse 13 , both of which return to the schedule this week with new seasons. In their own ways, both series have served to push the network further into the mainstream, fusing together the supernatural/speculative elements of the genre with mass appeal to create a new sub-genre that's heavy on the humor and light, well, in general. While Eureka focuses on a town of super-scientists hidden in the Pacific Northwest, Warehouse 13 using somewhat similar trappings: a tiny town in the middle of nowhere hides a massive government-sponsored secret. In this case, that secret is the Warehouse itself, a depository of arcane and mysterious artifacts, each with their own abilities. It...

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Entertainment Weekly 's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Rand Ravich's ABC drama pilot Edgar Floats , which recently received an order for six additional scripts, will be completely reconceived, with nearly all of the original cast--including series leads Tom Cavanagh and Alicia Witt and supporting players Derek Webster, Alex Solowitz, and Raoul Trujillo--getting the axe. (Only Robert Patrick will remain.) Deadline's Nellie Andreeva, meanwhile, has some further insight into the decision made by ABC. "People have been divided on Cavanagh's performance, while Patrick has been almost universally hailed as the pilot's scene stealer," she writes. "I hear ABC brass like the idea of Edgar Floats and the central character but the project is being re-conceived, with the six additional scripts still being written." [Editor: seeing as Edgar Floats was my favorite broadcast pilot of the development cyc...

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. Ahead of its publication, Entertainment Weekly has released some excerpts from Michael Ausiello's in-print Q&A with former Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigl, in which she dishes about why she left the ABC medical drama, Emmygate, Isiahgate, and, well, a heap of controversies. "Yeah, I think so," said Heigl when asked if the parting was amicable. "I think it was a little bit shocking for everybody, and a little bit like, 'Can’t we find a way to work it out?' And I really wanted to, but at the same time I just felt like I couldn’t sacrifice my relationship with my child. Naleigh and I will always be a little bit complicated. I really had to work on bonding with her because I was obsessed with her, but she could really do without me. [Laughs] It was really hard because she loved Josh so much but she just kind of tolerated me. And I want this child to know that she will forever have me in her corn...

Want a sneak peek at the new episode of Warehouse 13 , which just happens to feature a very glam Agent Myka Bering (Joanne Kelly)? On Tuesday evening's episode of Warehouse 13 ("Duped"), written by Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes, Myka and Pete head to Las Vegas to retrieve an artifact from some gamblers and Myka finds herself accidentally trapped in author Lewis Carroll's mirror, unleashing a malevolent entity that was trapped inside. And if that weren't enough incentive for you, Eureka 's Erica Cerra and Niall Matter guest star as well as said Vegas gamblers. But what are you waiting for? Head to Sin City, roll some dice, and take a look at a spoiler-filled episode clip and the network promo for Tuesday's episode of Warehouse 13 below. Warehouse 13 airs Tuesday night at 9 pm ET/PT on Syfy.

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Following an announcement that actress Maura Tierney would require an eight-week medical evaluation for an undisclosed condition, NBC has pushed the start of its drama Parenthood , which was slated to debut on September 23rd, to midseason. The Peacock will instead push up the launch of its midseason medical drama Mercy to the fall, although it is still unclear whether Mercy will inherit Parenthood 's Wednesdays at 8 pm timeslot. The production shutdown on Parenthood , meanwhile, will give writers additional time to complete scripts. ( Hollywood Reporter ) UPDATE : "In an effort to guard my privacy, it seems that the wording of NBC's press release has unfortunately caused some confusion and undue alarm about my health," said Maura Tierney in an official statement. "I have discovered a tumor in my breast which requires surgery. I will not know either my exact diagnosis or course of treatment until that surgery i...

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. I was lucky enough to see an advance screening of upcoming film Julie & Julia last night and urge all you film-loving foodies to head out and watch it when it's released. Just make sure you eat beforehand! Comedy Central has ordered ten episodes of an untitled multi-camera comedy series starring Jon Heder ( Blades of Glory, Napoleon Dynamite ). Project, about an unemployed IT specialist who returns to his smalltown to move in with his parents and younger brother, will be written by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy. Series hails from Debmar-Mercury and Gary Sanchez and will have an initial run on Comedy Central; if it scores with audiences, another 90 installments will be automatically picked up with Comedy Central having the first window while Debmar-Mercury will sell the series into first-run syndication at the same time. ( Variety ) ABC has announced that it will launch FTVS' internationally produced drama ser...

Enchanted combs. Houdini's wallet. A warehouse filled with arcane objects with mysterious power. I'm talking of course of Syfy's new series Warehouse 13 , which kicked off last night amidst the network's metamorphosis from Sci Fi to, well, Syfy . You read my advance review of the two-hour pilot of Syfy's Warehouse 13 but, now that it's aired, I am curious to hear what you think. (Missed the two-hour pilot? You can watch the whole thing over at Hulu or after the jump.) What did you think of the partnership between Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly's mismatched Secret Service agents Pete Lattimer and Myka Bering? Was it more Philadelphia Story than X-Files ? Were you intrigued by the sci fi-lite plot that had these two becoming custodians for a repository of powerful objects with seemingly supernatural abilities? Or were you turned off by the glacial pacing? Are you enamored with Saul Rubinek's manic Artie? Did you find the concept refreshing or repetit...

Tomorrow Sci Fi will morph into Syfy, dropping its generic name in favor of a unique term that can be trademarked globally as the channel rolls out its brand to territories around the world. The metamorphosis of the channel--at least in terms of its name--will coincide with the launch of dramedy series Warehouse 13 , which stars Joanne Kelley ( Vanished ), Eddie McClintock ( Bones ), and Saul Rubinek ( Frasier ). Warehouse 13 , executive produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins, isn't your conventional sci-fi series, but rather a sci-fi-tinged screwball dramedy about two very mismatched Secret Service agents who are forced to work together after they are transferred to a mysterious South Dakota warehouse. Said warehouse houses all manner of dangerous artifacts and powerful items that are best kept under lock and key. Overseen by punctilious caretaker Artie Nielsen (Rubinek), the Warehouse contains an arsenal of arcane objects that could wreak chaos in the wrong hands. It's his ...

After weeks of anticipation (and speculation), Syfy has finally announced which series they will be bringing down to San Diego Comic-Con next month. The cabler will be offering panels based around Caprica and telepic Battlestar Galactica: The Plan , Eureka , Sanctuary, Warehouse 13 , and Stargate Universe . Additionally, Syfy will be taking over the Hard Rock Cafe and will re-brand the eatery as Eureka ’s own “Cafe Diem” for entire breadth of the convention. Cafe Diem will be the focal point for many of Syfy's planned activities throughout the convention. The full press release from Syfy can be be found below, along with dates and times (and descriptions) of each of their panels. SCI FI FEATURES FAN FAVORITE SERIES AND STARS AT COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2009 New York, NY – June 30, 2009 – In keeping with its longstanding tradition of hosting some of Comic-Con’s most popular, crowd-pleasing events over the years, SCI FI Channel will once again feature some of its biggest hits – as we...

“IMAGINATION, n. A warehouse of facts, with poet and liar in joint ownership.” - Ambrose Bierce Sci Fi--or Syfy as it will be known then--will next month launch its newest drama, Warehouse 13 , which stars Joanne Kelly ( Vanished ), Eddie McClintock ( Bones ), and Saul Rubinek ( Leverage ). As executive producer Jack Kenny describes it, Warehouse 13 is an "action adventure proceduromedy." Kelly plays Myka Bering, an analytical secret service agent whose cool head keeps her above the fray, while McClintock is Agent Pete Lattimer, who's more used to using brawn over brains to get out of scrapes. Both are transferred rather unexpectedly to their new assignment: Warehouse 13, a top-secret government warehouse in the middle of South Dakota that houses arcane and dangerous artifacts. Brainy logic meets brawny cocksure attitude. (Or as McClintock succinctly put it, "That’s why Joanne and I are so like suited for our characters because it’s true. She is the mathematician an...

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Battlestar Galactica 's Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan, and Mark Sheppard have signed on to guest star in Syfy's upcoming series Warehouse 13 , which launches July 7th. Helfer will play a Chicago-based FBI agent on the drama series, while Hogan has been cast as the father of Joanne Kelly's Myka, with her mother played by Hogan's real-life wife Susan Hogan. Finally, Sheppard will appear as an "enigmatic figure who represents the organization that controls the Warehouse." ( Entertainment Weekly 's Ausiello Files ) Nikki Finke is reporting that cabler AMC has told producers of drama series Mad Men that they will have to shave off roughly two additional minutes of content per episode next season in order to insert more commercial ads, a decision which has angered some staffers on the drama series. "That might not sound like such a big deal, but it's galling given how well the show has done, how carefu...

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. While everyone is buzzing about last night's presidential debate, there are more than a few television-related news tidbits to discuss as well. Following several months of discussions, FX has confirmed that it will not be renewing drama series The Riches for a third season, due to falling ratings for the drama. In its second season, which was shortened to seven episodes due to the writers strike, viewers dropped 44 percent in the key 18-49 demo. The move is hardly a surprise: showrunner Dmitry Lipkin is currently working on his HBO pilot project Hung and I had assumed for a while now that The Riches would sadly not be returning to the cabler. ( Variety ) TV Guide talks to Pushing Daisies star Lee Pace about what to expect for Season Two, a certain game of "slap jack" between Ned and Chuck that never made it to the screen, and the Pie Maker's family. ( TV Guide ) Sadly, there might not have been a new episode ...