TVSquad

Judging Amy star Amy Brenneman could be back on network television as soon as next fall. She has signed a holding deal with ABC and Touchstone Television to star in a project next year. No word yet on what that project is or whether Brenneman has a large role in creating a series for herself. She was the creator and executive producer of Judging Amy, which was based on her mother, Frederica Brenneman, a single mother who was also a juvenile court judge.

Brenneman had three Emmy nominations for her work on CBS' Judging Amy from 1999-2005. Last summer, she left the cameras behind for the stage. And, next year she'll star opposite Al Pacino in the movie, 88 Minutes.

In an effort to change how viewers perceive the network, Turner Classic Movies has unveiled a collection of original programming that they are readying for 2007. Rather than being seen as the network for old movies, they want to be known as "a dynamic television destination for movie lovers of all ages", as General Manager Tom Karsch puts it.

The network has ordered a pilot for Idols, though that name isn't a sure thing yet. The series will feature actors interviewing the people that influenced them. The first episode finds Alec Baldwin interviewing Gene Wilder. Yeah, that one surprised me, but it should make for an interesting conversation.

Also in the works is a series of documentaries. One of those is Spielberg on Spielberg, a 90 minute look at his film career. There are also plans for a look back at the career of Marlon Brando through interviews with James Caan, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, and Martin Scorcese.

Which of these things is not like the other: Al Pacino, Don Cheadle, Robert Downey, Jr., Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks, and... Tim Allen? Bravo is touting all of these actors' upcoming appearances with James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio (a title that is screaming for an apostrophe!). Hanks will be the first actor to make a second appearance in the Studio, while Dustin Hoffman will be the Studio's 200th celebrity guest. No air dates are set, but the network says they'll appear this spring.

While most of the names are impressive, they might also be a bit boring. My favorite guest was Mike Myers, who did all sorts of voices and had some fun at Lipton's expense.

Who would you like to see Inside the Actors Studio?

Turner Broadcasting just inked a deal with NBC Universal that puts a bunch of movies, including this winter's King Kong, on its networks in 2008. Not sure if the NBC network had the first right of refusal on that movie, but you would think so.

Along with King Kong, Turner also bought the rights to air these movies in 2008:

• The Ice Harvest, starring Billy Bob Thornton and John Cusack;
• Doom, starring The Rock;
• Two for the Money, starring Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey;
• Prime, starring Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman.