TVSquad

I used to work in a television newsroom, which is why I was interested in getting a sneak peek at the script for Action News. Fox has picked up the pilot for the fall season and has attached stars Fred Willard, Patricia Heaton, and Kelsey Grammer (and possibly Nate Corddry, but I'll get to that in a minute). The premise for the multi-camera sitcom is that egotistical anchorman Chuck Tatham (Grammer) has returned to his old stomping grounds of Buffalo, NY to reunite on-air with his former co-anchor, Patty Carr (Heaton).

Action News just got a whole lot more enticing. The initial news that Fox was picking up the newsroom sitcom, starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, made me throw up in my mouth just a little bit. Now funnyman Fred Willard has been added to the cast. He'll join the comedy vets on the desk as the sports anchor.

I was a little surprised that he's doing sports, rather than weather. Doesn't Fred Willard strike you as a goofy weather guy? He may be the one who holds the show afloat a la Alec Baldwin (wow, I really have no faith in Grammer or Heaton). Willard appeared on later episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond with Heaton when he played Robert's super religious father-in-law.

Action News is about a former anchor team that reunites on the anchor desk of a local newscast. It should appear on Fox this fall.

[Via TV Tattle]

Ooooh. I'm so on the fence about this one. Fox has given a 13-episode order to a comedy called Action News, starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. It's about an old anchoring duo who reunite on local news in some unknown city. It's being shot as a multi-camera show, which most likely means an audience and/or a laugh track (arrrgh!). Fox, ABC, and CBS all bid on it. It's planned for next fall.

On one hand, I tend to enjoy shows that are set in newsrooms because of the never-ending supply of comedic situations. On the other hand, dear Patricia Heaton drives me batty! I wish I could say it was just her character on Raymond that I didn't like, but I also have to mute the television when her grocery store ads come on. Me aside, this will probably grab some decent ratings... at least initially. Heaton and Grammer are big names in the sitcom world and there are probably a lot of Americans who will be happy to see both of them back.

The Hollywood Reporter is saying that Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer are in talks to co-star in a sitcom together. The comedy is called Action News, in which Heaton and Grammer would star as a reunited anchor team at a local television station. It's being written and produced by Steven Levitan of Just Shoot Me, Greg the Bunny and Stacked, and Christopher Lloyd of Wings and Out of Practice.

I'm always a fan of a comedy that's based in a newsroom because I think there is a bottomless supply of humor. But, Patricia Heaton drives me nuts. I didn't like her on Raymond-- by the end of that series, she was a whining, yelling shell of a housewife. And those grocery stores ads are infuriating! I'm lukewarm on Kelsey Grammer.

What do you think of the possible pairing?

Our sister sites Cinematical and Ad Jab --that's me who wrote the Ad Jab post, but when I write for Ad Jab I wear a mustache so as not to confuse me with myself-- have been all over this, so forgive us for being a bit behind, but as many of you probably know, Michael J. Fox has been appearing in campaign commercials for people who are running for senate and who support stem cell research. He's appeared in ads for Maryland's Ben Cardin and for Missouri's Claire McCaskill (clip after the jump).

To drive the point home, Fox appears in these ads, sans medication and with the involuntary tremors and shakes that are a part of his Parkinson's made obvious.* Other celebs from television, however, don't share Fox's view, and one of them is Patricia Heaton, who appears in an ad (also after the jump) that opposes the measure in Missouri. I'll let you folks watch both ads and duke it out in the comments, though my friendly advice to anyone is to not get caught up in the politics of this debate and instead read up on the actual science behind it and then make an informed decision. You may not come to the same conclusion I have, but at least you'll be well-informed and not persuaded by actors, or Rush Limbaugh for that matter.

*Fox's tremors are actually a side effect of being on his medication, not off it. Apologies for my assumption.

No, you haven't tuned into the alternate universe version of TV Squad. What you are seeing here is true blue. According to Extra, Rosie O'Donnell has been named as the replacement for Meredith Riviera on ABC's The View. Meredith is replacing Katie Couric on NBC's Today show when Katie moves to anchor the CBS Evening News this summer. Rosie was on the short list of candidates that included Connie Chung, Patricia Heaton from Everybody Loves Raymond and current CNN American Morning anchor Soledad O'Brien.

ABC will make the official announcement on Friday, April 28th. From 1996-2001 O'Donnell hosted her own syndicated daytime talk show that was a critical and popular success. She is currently executive producer of The Big Gay Show, a comedy sketch show that will appear on the Logo network.

[via Zap2It -- thanks Anthony!]

Page Six, the New York Post's bastion of truth, has reported that Patricia Heaton is the front-runner to replace Meredith Vieira on The View. As we all know, Vieira will leave the chat-fest in May and move to the anchor chair of the Today show three months later. This actually makes some sense, since Heaton has been said to be talking with Buena Vista Television about hosting a talk show. And since The View is on ABC, part of the same Disney family as Buena Vista, the move seems like it would be a natural one.

Because of Heaton's Republican views, the report goes on to say that the producers will replace Elizabeth Hasselbeck, also a Republican, with Fuse TV VJ Marianela Pereyra. A rep for the show called these reports "rumor and conjecture," saying that they won't have any replacement for Vieira until September.

I'm in favor of the move, if it happens. For some reason, I'd like to hear Pat talk about her bedroom habits. Hey, she may be a Republican, but she's a pretty sexy Republican. If she doesn't go in that direction though, I'd just like to see her slug Star Jones. Don't ask me why.

I'm curious about how all of you will react to this news. There were a lot of unkind words written when I told you about a possible talk show for Patricia Heaton a while back. Well, she's also doing a comedy next season for ABC. And, Jenny McCarthy signed on to co-star. I'm trying to think of two more annoying people, but I just can't.

The comedy, by the way, is currently untitled. It's about a widow (Heaton) who "finds friends and a new path to life through the PTA." Because a grieving family is hi-larious.

Patricia Heaton, who spent her entire time on Everybody Loves Raymond nagging at Ray Romano, may be the host of her own daytime talk show. The Hollywood Reporter says Heaton is in talks with Buena Vista Television for a show, which would debut in 2007. Luckily, the plans are for multiple hosts, like The View. I say 'luckily' because, here on the West Coast, we have to suffer through Patricia Heaton commercials for Albertsons grocery stores that make me want to throw my remote through the television set.