TVSquad

(S14E19) Now, let the speculation begin!

Did you really think that ER would end its fourteenth season with everything all honky-dory at County General? You haven't watched it recently, have you? Fact is, the season-ender for the last few years has been some sort of cliffhanger. Last season the fate of Neela was unknown. The year before it was Abby and Luka. A few years before that the fates of Pratt and Jing-Mei were undecided.

Now we have two (or three, or four) characters to consider as potential victims. But, who will be the lucky -- or in this case, unlucky -- one who will end up as a patient in their very own Emergency Room when season 15 of ER begins? Let's take a look at the candidates. Oh, by the way, spoilers ahead if you didn't watch the last three minutes of the episode.

(S13E22) And now, please welcome Stanley Tucci to the cast of ER. As we reported to you back in March, Tucci was cast as Dr. Kevin Moretti, an ICU clinical director who becomes the new ER chief of staff after Luka Kovac decides to step down (due to the fact that Goran Visnjic , who portrays Kovac, is leaving the show). Moretti officially takes over the ER next week. In this week's episode we get to meet the man and find out a little about him.

Let's analyze Kevin Moretti for a bit, shall we?

Casting news from ER: Stanley Tucci, star of the very short-lived CBS drama 3 Lbs last year, will join the show later this year for a multi-episode stint.

He's going to play "a brilliant ICU turned ER chief," in just one of many big changes that are coming to the show. TV Guide wonders if this means that Goran Visnjic will be replaced, since it has been reported that Visnjic might not return next season (though producers are trying to get him to agree to star in a few episodes here and there).

This is interesting casting, going for an older guy instead of a resident hunk (sorry, nothing against Tucci's hunkiness). This guy deserves a weekly show. I remember a TV movie from years ago, a pilot for a series produced by Tom Selleck, that had Tucci as a detective. The show never made it, so I hope this works out.

[via TV Tattle]

For the very few of you who watched 3 lbs, CBS's short-lived rip-off of House, the remaining three episodes are now available on the network's online video channel, Innertube. 3 lbs was pulled from the air after only three episodes. Starring Stanley Tucci and that guy from Good Morning, Miami, CBS had hoped that the medical drama would pull in the House crowd from Fox. After all, viewers were switching from Grey's Anatomy to ER. But the gamble didn't work. The remaining X episodes are now on Innertube.

As a sidenote, the remaining episodes of Smith are no longer on Innertube. The heist drama, starring Ray Liotta, preceded 3 lbs in the Tuesday night at 10 pm slot. Three episodes of Smith made air before the network yanked it.

[Thanks, Mike!]

No official word from CBS yet, but Broadcasting & Cable reports that it's all over for 3 lbs after only three airings. CBS launched the show, which many considered a rip-off of House, after it canceled Smith. The network actually hoped that House would provide some ratings for the show in the same way that Grey's Anatomy viewers have flipped over to ER on NBC. No such luck, though. 3 lbs actually did worse than its predecessor. Ratings for 3 lbs were 16% lower than Smith. Ouch!

I actually liked the premiere of 3 lbs, but I never remembered to watch the subsequent episodes. Starting next week, CBS will fill the 10 pm Tuesday time slot with reruns of one of its many procedural dramas.

CBS' new medical drama, 3 lbs, is looking for some ratings help from House. How is that possible since they're on different networks and are essentially the same show? It worked for ER. When ABC moved Grey's Anatomy to the 9 pm timeslot on Thursdays this fall, it unwittingly revived ER's ratings. Nielsen statistics show 32% of Grey's Anatomy viewers are switching over to NBC at 10 pm.

CBS is hoping for the same kind of success with 3 lbs, a drama about a rude-but-brilliant brain surgeon that is being called a rip-off of House (something that completely escaped me in my early review because I don't watch House). Even CBS admits 3 lbs is similar to House... but the network uses the word "compatible" to describe the similarities. CBS says it hopes The Unit provides a bunch of viewers, but it doesn't hurt that Fox's programming ends at ten, which is when 3 lbs begins.

With Kidnapped shuffled to a new night to finish out its run, and Smith pulled from the schedule completely, NBC and CBS have a couple slots to fill. The Emmy-winning Medium will return to NBC for its third season sometime in mid November, taking over the Wednesday at 10PM slot. CBS will fill Tuesday at 10PM with 3 Lbs starting on November 14th.

3 Lbs is about the relationship between a brilliant, but arrogant, neurosurgeon, and the rising star that works for him. Originally it was to star Dylan McDermott, but now will feature Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, Murder One) and Mark Feuerstein (West Wing, Good Morning Miami). I'm not sure about Feuerstein in this role, we'll have to wait and see, but I'll give anything with Stanley Tucci in it a look. This character sounds like he could have a little Richard Cross in him, which would be a good thing.