For the last few days, network television suits have been wooing TV critics out in Los Angeles during a bi-annual event known as the Television Critics Association press tour (or TCA, for short). We’re still a little miffed that our invitation got lost in the mail, but we pushed past our hurt feelings long enough to run down the highlights from panel discussions that occured over the last 24 hours or so. Enjoy!
• United States of Tara creator/executive producer/writer/brand-new redhead Diablo Cody has confirmed that she’s set to appear on an upcoming episode of 90210. She’s not exactly sure of what kind of role she’ll be playing in her cameo appearance, but we can only hope that those homefries over at the CW let her write her own totally boss dialogue. Or, at the very least, let her slip some Euphoria in Kelly Taylor’s coffee. [BuzzSugar]
• Although we won’t get any official word from NBC on the closely guarded details of the new Amy Poehler show until tomorrow, Korbi Gosh of Zap 2 It is reporting that the show will be shot in the familiar style of a one-camera documentary and is “set in the parks & recreation department of a local city government in some podunk town. Poehler will play a delusional employee, totally unaware that she doesn’t work in high ranking politics.†Sounds like hilarious yet familiar territory, seeing as how she played a similar character in cult fave Wet Hot American Summer (just swap “theater director†for “parks & rec employee†and whammo! Instant show!). [Zap 2 It]
• Unlike the rest of America, CBS wasn’t the least bit scared by the Rosie O’Donnell variety show that aired last Thanksgiving. To wit, they just announced plans to move forward with their long-rumored John Mayer variety show. No air date has been set yet, but a backdoor pilot (which isn’t nearly as dirty as it sounds) will be taped this spring. [TV Week]
• In other CBS news, the network has officially offed the seventies swinger series Swingtown. Man, Steve Miller is gonna be so pissed. [Ausiello Files/EW]
• The breakout hit of this winter’s TCA seems to be Ryan Murphy’s upcoming comedy/musical show for Fox, Glee. Set in high-school and scored with today’s hottest Top 40 hits, it seems like it’ll basically be American Idol, only scripted. [Live Feed/THR]
• Speaking of Fox, Entertainment chairman Peter Liguori said that he was “not satisfied, but pleased†with the 30.1 million people who tuned into the season eight premiere of Idol last night. [TV Week]
• And lastly, Mr. Paulie Bleeker himself, Michael Cera, is said to be the lone remaining cast member from Arrested Development who has yet to commit to the proposed film version. It can’t be any worse than working all day in a frozen banana stand, can it? [Fancast via Defamer]