News Round-up

Is TV suffering from Antihero Overload?
From 24's Jack Bauer to MAD MEN's Don Draper to Dexter Morgan, have Tony Soprano's spawns become too prevalent and predictable? First the dotcom bubble, then the housing bubble and soon the antihero bubble. As these characters are transformed from innovative to imitative, viewers will inevitably tire of them, if they haven't already.

71 shows will premiere in January
This figure, of course, includes new show premieres for all the tried-and-trues, like ONE TREE HILL tonight, or NIP/TUCK, back after nearly a year's hiatus tomorrow. December was essentially dead in front of the tube, as it is every year, and so a lot of new product is hitting the screen this month. In fact a lot more than usual, and I suspect one reason is that television has finally cleared away the wreckage of the Writers' strike. What you're about to see, starting immediately, is a fully cocked-and-loaded network TV industry that is absolutely desperate, desperate, to get viewers back.

New Year Brings TV Time Slot Tussles
A list of some of the most intriguing new time-period face-offs on the midseason schedule, along with predictions on which show will emerge as more popular with viewers.

SARA A. BIBEL: Things Are Getting Weird
"Daytime has taken a turn for the the strange. That's a good thing, in my opinion. In an era of overly safe pregnancy and instant romance stories, it's nice to see two shows (OLTL & ATWT) willing to writing something I haven't seen 1000 times before. Even if it makes me a little uncomfortable."

TOM CASIELLO: Great Marland's Ghost! - Part One
"Recently in my cleaning, I've discovered a treasure trove of long stories I've accumulated from different shows over the years. Some of them are long stories that made it to air... some of them didn't. Some of them were written by the head writers who were working for the show at the time, and others were 'auditions' by people who hoped to one day hold the title.

But there is one I value more than any of the rest, and that's Douglas Marland's proposed long story from 1985."

Taking 3-D to a new dimension: the TV
At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, companies such as Panasonic Corp., Samsung and Texas Instruments Inc. will show off TV technology capable of displaying 3-D-like pictures. The industry is billing it as the next big leap in TV technology.

SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER returns tonight
The show's first season averaged 3.5 million viewers -- trumping media darling GOSSIP GIRL. When it returns Monday, viewers can expect Amy's baby drama to intensify as she gets closer to her due date. Is the baby a boy or a girl? Will she give it up for adoption?

Is SECRET TV's best teen drama?
Linda Stasi of the New York post believes it is: " ABC Family's No. 1 original series of all time, "The Se cret Life of the American Teenager," returns tonight with all the quality intact, and it remains, as it was last season, simply the best teen drama on TV."

GREY'S ANATOMY star is pregnant
TVGuide.com reports that representatives for Chyler Leigh, who plays Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) half-sister Lexie in the series, confirmed that she is expecting.

LIPSTICK's Buckley joining PRIVILEDGED
Robert Buckley, who immediately made waves on NBC's LIPSTICK JUNGLE as Kirby, Kim Raver's strapping young boy on the side, is joining the cast of PRIVILEGED.

"Clearly, I can't get enough cute guys on this show!" PRIVILEGED creator Rina Mimoun quipped while sharing the news.