[Televisionary]

I'll admit it: I just turned 30, which puts me a little outside the intended audience for the CW's newest teen drama, Gossip Girl , which launches tonight on the netlet at 9 pm ET/PT. That said, I was completely hooked on the early seasons of The OC , which is probably a good thing as Gossip Girl , based on the ever popular line of novels, comes from showrunners Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage. Before you ask, yes, that is Veronica Mars ' Kristen Bell lending her voice as the eponymous Gossip Girl, a sort of Perez Hilton for the Noxzema and Marc Jacobs crowd, who dishes out dirt on the Upper East Side denizens via her popular website. Into her withering gaze comes former It Girl Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), who fled Manhattan following a mysterious incident, and has now returned home after time at boarding school. Her return to the rarefied world of upper crust Manhattan causes turmoil of all kinds, especially towards her former best friend Blair Waldorf (Leigh

Wondering where Lauren Graham, late of the CW's now-canceled Gilmore Girls, would turn up next? Look no further. The actress, who played the adorably motormouthed Lorelai Gilmore on the series from 2000 to 2007, has signed a seven-figure development deal with NBC. The network will develop a series tailor-made for Graham who has, according to Variety , "been in demand at several nets and studios in part because of her perceived ability to topline either a comedy or drama project." NBC is already at work locating writing talent to pair with Graham as the development season ramps up. Before headlining Gilmore Girls on the WB (and later CW), Graham had guest starred on a number of notable NBC comedies, including Seinfeld, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Caroline in the City , and NewsRadio , before starring in a number of doomed series (i.e., MYOB, Townies, Conrad Bloom , etc.), so she is no stranger to the Peacock. Considering several studios and networks were fighting over the love

It's rather depressing to me that the end of USA's seminal sci fi series The 4400 sort of came and went without very many people even noticing. Sure, part of that is what comes from airing a season (or is it series?) finale opposite the Emmys but the other is that The 4400 has long been overlooked by most people . Which brings me to Sunday night's season finale of The 4400 ("The Great Leap Forward"), which played things rather like an episode of the old Twilight Zone, complete with a zinger of an ending that sort of tied things up in an unexpected way but left the door open for an eventual return to the concept, while also possibly being the very last thing we'll ever see of The 4400 . USA, which was always a strange home for this daring, smart series, hasn't yet decided the fate of the series and is said to be in some discussions for ordering a fifth season of futuristic mayhem, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Sure, there are still several dangling

Wow, talk about a boring Emmy Awards. I mean I had my doubts when it was announced that Ryan "I'm about as deep as my spray tan" Seacrest would be hosting, but it's FOX, so who else were they going to get to MC this bloated thing, anyway? Paula Abdul? Hardly. (Please bring Ellen DeGeneres back. Please?) Whose misguided idea was it to hold the Emmys in a circular stadium? I felt like I was watching a basketball game rather than a TV awards ceremony. Badly, badly done. It looked cheap, tacky, and possibly very fitting with the Emmys' new home on FOX. Plus, that Death Star-designed black disco ball freaked me out. Did you notice how FOX seemed to make it out of the opening Family Guy song and dance relatively unscathed? Hmm, coincidence? In any event, there were a few bright spots, like the writing award for The Office 's Greg Daniels, Helen Mirren winning for the superlative Prime Suspect: The Final Act , and Lost 's Terry O'Quinn finally receiving some

I've been an ardent supporter of the new incarnation of Doctor Who since it launched back in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role of the time-traveling Doctor. Since then, there have been a number of casting changes (goodbye Eccleston and Billie Piper, hello David Tennant and Freema Agyeman) but what has remained consistent is the series' undying creative spark and the scope of its vision and its constant need to take risks with storytelling. That last element was never more clear than in the most recent episode of Doctor Who ("Blink"), written by frequent Russell T. Davies collaborator Steven Moffat, who has consistently written my favorite episodes of each season so far. (He wrote the fantastic WWII-set two-parter "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" in Season One and the mind-blowing "Girl in the Fireplace," guest starring Sophia Myles , for Season Two.) Still, nothing prepared me for how surprised and shocked I woul

Fans of USA's procedural mystery series Psych have a reason to be, well, psyched this morning. The cabler has ordered a third season of the dramedy, which stars James Roday, Dule Hill, Corbin Bernsen, and Maggie Lawson. "We are thrilled to bring Psych back for a third season," said USA Network's Jeff Wachtel. "The series has been a critical and ratings sensation since it premiered last summer and continues to gain new viewers and grow its fan base." USA has ordered 16 new episodes for the third season of Psych , which it plans to roll out in Summer 2008. I guess it didn't take a psychic, fake or otherwise, to predict that announcement.

Sure, there are eBay auctions all the time, offering you the chance to claim a collectible related to your favorite series, but what if there was a way to own a one-of-a-kind item from, say, The Office, Desperate Housewives, Doctor Who, or Ugly Betty , and have the proceeds go to charity? I'd say you came to the right place. The fine folks at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the home of the Emmys) and BAFTA/LA are conducting an auction right now over at CharityFolks.com to benefit the non-profit educational foundations of both organizations. In addition to your usual gift baskets and walk-on roles, also up for grabs in this British-themed auction (BAFTA/LA is, after all, a sponsor) are one-of-a-kind celebrity designed teapots, signed by the casts of many of your favorite series, including the aforementioned series along with Brothers & Sisters, Jericho, CSI, The L Word, House, Medium, American Idol, Dexter, Californication , and Family Guy , among others. The Offi