TVSquad

The CW's TCA panels today were full of beautiful people. It seemed like all the shows were about young pretty things in scandalous situations. Even the highly-anticipated Vampire Diaries didn't look much different, except some of the over-sexed high schoolers were vampires. But one show shined through the pretty clutter in the CW's new slate. Too bad we won't see it until early 2010.

That show is Life Unexpected, which CW programming head Dawn Ostroff described as "Juno meets Gilmore Girls." After seeing the pilot, I can agree with that description. It's sweet, warm, even a little bit hokey. In fact, it feels like a show that would have been on the old WB network. What the heck is it doing on the CW?

(S02E16) "I'm not pathetic. I'm a man. A man with asthma." - Sam

The second hour of the Private Practice/Grey's Anatomy crossover was as action-packed as the first hour (read the review here)! Was Archer going to make it? Why was Jen having troubles breathing? Was Sam having asthma attacks because he couldn't let go of Naomi? What were Pete, Violet, Dell, and Cooper up to back at Oceanside?

Answers and my two cents about the episode coming up!

(S05E15) "I need you to be a God." - Addison to Derek

The Private Practice/Grey's Anatomy crossover reached its peak this week with a two-hour event. Both episodes were so action packed, thanks to patients Jen and Archer who were part of the two episodes, that this week you not only get a review for the Grey's Anatomy installment but also one for the Private Practice episode.

So let's get to it, shall we?

First he shaves the porn 'stache and now Grant Show has signed up to guest star on Private Practice. Is there something Show isn't telling us about the fate of Swingtown?

Well, hopefully not. Despite the fact that Swingtown's rapidly disappearing audience does not bode well for the fate of the series, Show's extracurriculars don't mean that anything is definite. As of now, Show is only signed on to appear in one episode of Private Practice early on in the season. He plays a flirtatious doctor who has ties to a series regular's past.

I've recently become a big fan on Swingtown, so even though the odds are against it, I'm really pulling for its return. However, if it doesn't work out, I definitely wouldn't mind him coming to Private Practice on a more regular basis. For me, that show's first season was super weak and quite frankly, it could use all the help it can get. Grant Show wouldn't even have to grow the mustache back--although it would be pretty awesome if he did.

I can't believe it's gone. I've been watching for weeks now and the damn thing has grown on me, not to mention the polyester pants and paisley shirts. Are you lost? I'm talking about Swingtown. There are but two episodes left of the series and unless there's a dramatic spurt in the ratings, I don't think CBS is going to re-up the show. Add to that the fact that Grant Show has shaved his moustache. That could be a signal that Swingtown is not coming back.

Grant actually named the Fu-Manchu moustache, Sebastian. "[It'd] gotten out of control. The moment they called wrap on the last episode, I shaved it off," he told the New York Times. "I feel like myself again. People who didn't know me looked at me like, 'What the hell are you doing?' I was at a restaurant the other day, and a woman asked me if I was a porn star."

Schools in! For 11 seasons, Beverly Hills 90210, was a ratings hit and trend-setting youth soap opera for Fox. Now, a mere eight years later, the CW will spin-off Beverly Hills 90210, coming up with a contemporary version of the well-loved, if corny, teen drama.

The original, executive produced by the late Aaron Spelling, and created by Darren Star (Cashmere Mafia). The new CW version is not connected to Star. Rob Thomas, who created Veronica Mars, has been approached to take on the project.

Way back in July 2007, TV Squad wrote about a bunch of shows CBS previewed and were slating for the upcoming season, including Swingtown. It was supposed to premiere in mid-season, but then mid-season came and it was nowhere to be found. The network will announce today their plans for the serial drama; it's going to run this summer. Instead of taking that move as a lack of faith in the show, executive producer Carol Barbee told The Hollywood Reporter that a summer run creatively suits the project. "A summer launch is perfect for Swingtown since the pilot takes place on the Bicentennial Fourth of July," Barbee said. Barbee has most recently been working on Jericho.

CBS is on a good run, being the most watched network for the last five years, but they have taken a bit of heat for the formulaic way they have gone about doing it. Not arguing with success, the whole family of CSIs, and their crime based cousins, will be back, but the network is trying to branch out with some edgier programming. Most notably, Swingtown, Viva Laughlin, and Moonlight.

Returning: The Amazing Race, Cold Case, 60 Minutes, How I Met Your Mother, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Two and a Half Men, Rules of Engagement, CSI: Miami, NCIS, The Unit, Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, Survivor, CSI, Shark, Without A Trace, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, 48 Hours Mystery.

New: Viva Laughlin, Swingtown, Moonlight, Cane, Big Bang Theory, Power of 10, Kid Nation

Out: King of Queens, Jericho, The Class, Close To Home

Moving: Without A Trace moves back to Thursday at 10. Shark heads to Sunday at 10.

Welcome to TV Squad Lists, a feature where each blogger has a chance to list his or her own rundown of things in television that stand out from the rest, both good and bad.

A few summers ago, I discovered reruns of Melrose Place on the Style Channel. The show had always been a sort of kryptonite for me, since I never watched it during its original run. Basically, if anyone wanted to "Stump the King" all they had to do was ask me a Melrose question. Since it was summer and I had little to watch, I decided to give it a look. Well, I fell in love with it. When I told people that I had been watching the show and loving it, they were shocked. I was hard pressed to come up with concrete reasons why I was so taken with the show but here is what I came up with.

1. I'm watching my friends.
Even though the stories are ridiculous (Michael trying to kill Sydney, Kimberly blowing up the building, etc.), I can't wait to see what happens to these characters, because I have so much invested. Andrew Shue can play soccer and pretend he's a philanthropist till he's dead for all I care, but Billy Campbell has became a dear friend and if I go too long without seeing him, I miss him (yes, in a gay way).

I mentioned the other day that Harold Perrineau had joined the CBS pilot Demons. They've now cast the main character, Gus, and the winner is Ron Eldard. If you were paying attention, you might have seen him in the short-lived Men Behaving Badly or Blind Justice. Otherwise, think of him as the paramedic with issues that was dating Carol early in the ER run. It's not the best piece of casting I've ever seen. Eldard has never proven that he can be the dramatic lead for a show, but stranger things have happened.

Meanwhile, over at CBS, Hugh Jackman (Wolverine!) is producing something called Viva Laughlin. Lloyd Owen (Miss Potter) will star as a family man trying to open a casino in Laughlin, NV. Word is that Jackman will appear in the pilot and may have a recurring role on the series. Given just that bit of knowledge, I'm intrigued by the possibilities.