TVSquad

They dominate the cable ratings almost every week, and now USA is adding more shows to its lineup.

The network of Monday Night RAW has four new projects in the works, including The Nanny Files, which is about a nanny who solves crimes (looks like they're adding another quirky detective show to go along with Monk and Psych); White Collar, about a con captured by the FBI who goes on to help them catch other crooks (sounds a lot like Catch Me If You Can); Royal Pains, about an ER doctor who becomes a doctor to the rich in the Hamptons (?); and Shirleyville, about a war veteran who comes home and becomes mayor of his small town.

Late last year, Julia told you about the TV version of the Aaron Eckhart movie Thank You For Smoking. Back then the show was being developed for NBC, but now comes word that the show will be seen on USA instead.

The TV version of the movie - which showed the ups and downs in the life of a morally flexible man who worked for the tobacco industry - will take place after the film and show the Nick Naylor character working for other people. The script will be written by James Dodson. The film was based on the novel by Christopher Buckley.

Former West Wing and Six Feet Under producer Rick Cleveland is on board to translate Christopher Buckley's best-selling book and recent film Thank You for Smoking into a single-camera television series for NBC.

The television show will pick up where the film left off - with spin doctor Nick Naylor opening his own firm. It's a great idea for a series in that Naylor can have a never-ending array of clients. Nick will, of course, always be on the politically incorrect side of whatever big business or political issue is thrown his way. The producers have discussed Naylor repping fast food companies, environmental polluters and politicos in Mark Foley-esque situations.

If you've been following the celebrity encounters that writer Paul Davidson has been chronicling for the past couple of years, you know that he has encountered everyone from Mr. T to John Tesh to Kristy McNichol. Now comes his best sighting of all.

Davidson went to see Thank You For Smoking the other night and found himself in line at the concession stand, right behind...Matthew Perry! When Perry ordered just a diet Coke and nothing else, Davidson took it upon himself to explain a few things about how the body works.