TVSquad

I've been pretty hard on NBC of late, like calling for Jeff Zucker's head when NBC announced it will present Jay Leno every weeknight in prime time next fall, but I think I'm going to have to tip my cap to the network for how ER is coming to an end.

Not only have the producers lured George Clooney and Juliana Margulies back for a last go-round, they've also cast Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon for a guest turn. George, Julianna and Susan will all appear on ER on March 12.

I'm curious to see their appearances, but here's the casting that will have me definitely tuning in: Alexis Bledel is booked for ER two-hour finale on April 2.

When TV shows have made the leap to the big screen, the results have not always been great, except when they keep the same cast and come up with a good story that builds on the series, like Sex and the City and Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. The same is true of some TV movies that have built on a show's lingering appeal even after it's been canceled. James Garner came back for a couple of Rockford Files movies, for instance, and The Return of The Man from UNCLE with David McCallum and Robert Vaughn was excellent. Of course, it doesn't always work -- the Rhoda and Mary reunion was painful to watch -- but I'm still a fan of the follow-up TV movie.

Here's my ideas for ten TV shows I'd like to see as TV movies.

Oh, Festivus, Oh, Festivus, the holiday for TV fans. How exciting that once a year we can close our eyes, click our heels and make our wishes for the magical ways television can be made better in the year to come. Still, there are more than a few changes that I think need to be made to make TV better ... not to say that it's bad. It just that everything can be better.

This is a great opportunity to get a little Scrooge-y and vent about what I want to see corrected/improved/altered in TV in 2009. Is it wrong that I hope the bigwigs at the networks and cable companies are surfing the net and take my grievances to heart? Is it wrong that I still believe they care about what viewers think? Yeah, probably, but here's my wish list anyway:

I used to get a lot of flak from my friends simply for being a dude who watched Gilmore Girls. The jabs about my ever-fading manliness would stop whenever I forced one of these Gilmore bashers to actually sit and watch the show. If they weren't drawn in by the witty dialogue, its amazingly sap-free wholesomeness, or its addictive plot lines, they were always impressed with star Lauren Graham's performance as Lorelai Gilmore.

If we lived in a perfect world, Graham would have a bookshelf full of awards for her seven-year run as Lorelai. When the show ended in 2007, Graham headed to the movies, usually landing small roles that failed to fully display her talent. Now, she's returning to TV.

Guest stars can be good and guest stars can be not-so-good, but this one sounds like a winner to me. EW's Michael Ausiello has an exclusive report that Florence Henderson will be on Samantha Who?

And if you think Christina Applegate kind of looks like she could be related to Florence, you're not alone. The Brady Bunch veteran has been cast as Samantha Newly's grandmother, Jean Smart's mama. And if that's not blonde goodness and potential hilarity for you, TVGuide.com has another exclusive; Christine Ebersole will play Sammy's aunt. In the very same storyline!

I've long since given up hope for those flying cars we were all supposed to be piloting in the new millennium. Now, I'll settle for that other years ago future dream, all of TV at your fingertips whenever you want it. We're still a ways away from that one, but the new WB is another step in that direction.

The site is still in beta, so the amount of content leaves a little to be desired, but most of it seems to be working, and it gives a good idea of what will be waiting for everybody when the site goes live. They finally came through with my beta invite, and I've been poking around. Hit the gallery for the bigger screen shots of the various areas and interface, and join me after a jump for a quick tour in text. A word of warning, the embedded video after the jump will autostart. Beta.

Last fall, Gilmore Girls' David Sutcliffe appeared in two episodes of ABC's Private Practice, the Grey's Anatomy spin-off. His guest starring stint as a potential love interest for lead character Addison (played by Kate Walsh) was set to last a few episodes but was cut short due to the writers strike.

Since the last episode of PP's short season aired, it was unknown if the actor would return as Officer Kevin Nelson, a cop that caught Addison's interest. The actor's schedule could have changed, the writers could have decided to bench his character, who knows?

Sutcliffe fans, fear not! In the latest edition of the "Ausiello Report Vodcast Scoop," Michael Ausiello interviewed Sutcliffe (the interview starts at the 1:17 mark in the video below) and was able to get confirmation that the actor will return to Private Practice.

The name Melissa McCarthy doesn't ring a bell? No, she's not Jenny McCarthy's sister (she's her cousin). You probably know Melissa under the name Sookie St.James, Lorelai's best friend on Gilmore Girls.

This gifted actress has appeared in over 20 different TV and movie projects in the past 10 years but mostly devoted her time to Gilmore, appearing in more than 150 episodes of the series.

The 37-year-old actress from Plainfield, Illinois, first performed on stage. She started her acting career by doing stand up and improv in New York. She attended The Actors Studio, where she studied drama. This led to a bunch of acting gigs in stage productions. When she moved to Los Angeles, the actress joined The Groundlings as a main cast member of this improv and sketch troupe.

So, while we've been speculating here on our own about The Office spinoff, others are doing the same. TV Guide's Michael Ausiello, one of my favorite TV chatters, was asked in his column about said Office spinoff and whether it may be the perfect spot for Lauren Graham. Hmm...very interesting.

Ausiello agreed with the writer, that especially in light of the big deal Lauren inked with NBC, it makes sense. He wrote, "It would be insane not to at least consider Graham for the gig. Are you with me?"

(S01E01) I'm not quite sure what to make of this show. It's hard to decide what I like and don't like considering that the show is really not that unique. For example, I've always been a fan of Chris Parnell but his work on Miss Guided pales in comparison to the stuff he does on 30 Rock. The same goes for Brooke Burns but if I had to choose, I'd rather see her in those jeans she wore on Dog Eat Dog.

Judy Greer is super funny. Her guest spot on Two and a half Men was brilliant in my opinion. So when she got her own show, I was interested to say the least.

If you're a fan of Amy Sherman-Palladino -- which pretty much means you were a fan of Gilmore Girls -- you've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new FOX sitcom, The Return of Jezebel James.

Unfortunately, if you're a fan of Sherman-Palladino's, you're going to end up pretty disappointed. The two episodes that FOX sent out for review were not only devoid of laughs, but uncomfortably paced as well. The pacing is something that's important to note, given the unique dialogue that AS-P and her husband, Daniel Palladino, are known for.

But the most disappointing thing about the show is that it's miscast, in the biggest way possible.

The coffee at Luke's Diner is perking again. Well, sort of. The WB television network is being resurrected it as a new web site. The WB, tentatively called wb.com, will offer free streaming episodes of Gilmore Girls, Everwood and What I Like About You, to start.

Those are all shows that were WB-produced during 1995-2006, before the WB merged with UPN to become the CW. It has yet to be determined if other series, including Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Felicity and Dawson's Creek are slated for the wb.com stream. Like other online streaming venues that allow people to watch for free, the shows will be paid for by ads. In addition to the shows, the site is also going to create new, short (approximately five minute) vignettes targeting the old WB audience, primarily women 12-34.

To call 2007 a stellar year of TV would be a mistake, because it was a very bleh year in many respects. Shows that had previously riveted us to our seats made missteps and mistakes. New shows were either mediocre or just unmemorable. A writers' strike made people anxious and depressed all at once. And the aspects of the TV world that have generated low expectations continued on their merry lowbrow way (I mean, who expected Tila Tequila's search for love to be anything but a skankfest)?

But in a year of abject mediocrity, some highlights and lowlights poked through. Like last year, I'm going to make up categories instead of doing traditional "Bests" and "Worsts." It hurts my brain less...

Every week, TV Squad offers you a crop of the latest TV spoilers via the Spoilers Anonymous feature. Even if a lot of shows and fans dislike spoilers, no one can argue when I say that spoilers have a definitive impact on the TV world. When a bombshell such as the Lost fast forward gets leaked, a buzz is generated: people talk about the show and the validity of the spoiler at the watercooler, on boards or in blogs. Spoilers give you a glimpse of what's to come, allow you to come up with your own theories, get you excited about an upcoming episode or turn of events, etc. Here is a list of the best and/or most talked about spoilers released in 2007 via Spoilers Anonymous or special spoilers articles here at TV Squad.