TVSquad

When I interviewed Susanne Daniels, the President for Entertainment at the Lifetime Network, she was high on the success of Army Wives, and anxious to bring more comedy to the network.

"Viewers tell us that they love our comedies, our movies, Army Wives. I would argue that more people identify Reba and Will and Grace with our network now than the networks that launched them. And I was at the WB when Reba launched!" she said in TV Week. Well, now she's launching a new comedy, this time for Lifetime.

Lifetime has ordered 13 episodes of a new sitcom called Rita Rocks for this fall and cast Nicole Sullivan as Rita. The show will be part of a one-hour comedy block with Reba. "We've assembled a fantastic team in front of and behind the camera," said Ms. Daniels in a statement today.

ABC is turning back to an old favorite, hoping to rekindle some comic magic for the network. Funny, irreverent and -- two snaps and a swish -- occasionally brilliant comic Damon Wayans has been tapped by ABC for a new single-camera sitcom pilot called Never Better. Damon starred as a family man in the five-year hit My Wife and Kids, doing a Cosby-esque turn from 2001-2005.

The new show, Never Better, is being directed by Marc Buckland (My Name Is Earl, Ed) and centers on another family man, only in this incarnation, Damon is a guy who's struggling to be a good father and spouse despite his flaws and mistakes.

A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.

• Henry Cele: He was probably best known for his role in the classic TV miniseries Shaka Zulu in 1986. He also starred in several movies, including The Ghost and the Darkness, Point of Impact, and two other Shaka Zulu movies. Before becoming an actor he was a pro soccer player. He died of a chest infection at age 58.

A new study at Marymount Manhattan College has concluded that real-life dads are less supportive and accepting than dads on sitcoms. Happy Father's Day!

The study went like this: a communications researcher showed episodes of various TV comedies, including The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, My Wife and Kids and George Lopez, to 108 college students and then asked them how the TV dads compared to their real-life dads. In every instance, the TV dad was better than the real dad.

Denis Leary, who executive produces and stars in F/X's critically acclaimed Rescue Me, has a new comedy pilot in the works for FOX. The untitled pilot, which will be written by Don Reo (he co-created My Wife and Kids), focuses on a teenage thief who moves in with his grandfather. The twist? His grandfather is a thief too. No news about casting for the show was released.

Leary recently wrapped the third season of Rescue Me, but the show will return for a fourth season in spring 2007.