TVSquad

• TV Guide's Matt Roush predicts the winners of tonight's Emmy Awards.
• Speaking of the Emmys, Joan Rivers won't be on the red carpet this year...she's blogging instead!
• Jaime Weinman compares various seasons of several Miller-Boyett shows, including Perfect Strangers, Angie, and Full House.
• Did you know that Mike Nelson has a blog?
• Nikki Finke is still not a fan of Jon Stewart hosting the Oscars.
• Anthony Bourdain is blogging Top Chef.
• The Futon Critic lists the 10 things you need to know about the new season.

This is becoming more of a soap opera than that whole "who is going to replace Rosie O'Donnell on The View?" stuff.

We reported yesterday that Joe Mantegna is going to replace Mandy Patinkin on Criminal Minds (Patinkin didn't want to return to the show). Now Michael Ausiello over at TVGuide.com reports that Patinkin will in fact return to the show...for one epsiode, to explain what happened to his character.

OK, it's not going away immediately, a la Smith or Kidnapped, but after the next two episodes, Traveler is gone for good, and this news comes from the creator himself.

Creator/producer Dave DiGilio has been keeping a blog over at TVGuide.com, and he reveals that the network has let the contracts of the actors on the show lapse and that the next two episodes of the show (the show returns July 11) mark the end of the series. And while it's not the final final decision on the show, when the creator of a show says it's true, that's definitely a sign. Though it's not like they didn't see it coming, after the show was put in as a summer replacement, the episodes cut, etc.

He also gives some cool behind-the-scenes scoop of epsiode "The Reunion."

Short but good interview with Jericho star Skeet Ulrich over at TVGuide.com. He talks about how surprised he was by the intensity of the fan support the show received after it was canceled. He says his mom first alerted him to the campaign (everyone say it at once: awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!).

He says the "nuts" line was actually the hardest line he had to deliver all season, because "it's such a non-sequitur," so he finds it funny that it was that line that inspired fans.

He also reveals that Gerald McRaney was ready to leave the show. In fact, he was frustrated throughout the season because he wanted more to do.

[via Pop Candy]

• Check out Oprah Winfrey doing some improv with the gang from Thank God You're Here.
• What do Zach Braff, Rob Lowe, Paul Rudd, Claire Danes, and Amy Adams have in common?
• Whitney Matheson has a quick interview with SNL/30 Rock star Jason Sudeikis.
• For some reason, Erik Estrada got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday.
• X-Files star Gillian Anderson doesn't like television.
• TV Guide.com's Ken Fox catches Avril Lavigne on Letterman and calls her a fraud.

There are a lot of celebrity blogs over at TV Guide. Most of them aren't updated on any kind of regular basis, but when they are, they're a treat for fans. Like this blog entry from Kate Flannery, who plays Meredith on The Office. She previews tonight's Christmas episode. I'm a sucker for all Christmas episodes of TV shows and The Office, so tonight should be a great show (it's a special one-hour show starting at 8.)

The blog entry is a little spoiler-ish, but it's not too bad. Just a quick sketch of what the episode is about. She does say that the episode was directed by Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, SCTV, etc) and involves Benihana and a waitress. She also talks a little about her boobs.

Also, I didn't even know that Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks, Arrested Development, Unaccompanied Minors) was a regular director on The Office. I guess I should pay more attention to the credits.

• David Thomas over at FireJeffZucker.com wonders why the Sci-Fi Channel isn't in HD.
• For election day today, TV Newser is going to update his blog every hour, with the latest TV News news and analysis. Check out the real Wolf Blitzer and the cardboard Wolf Blitzer.
• Great article over at TV Party about the original pilot for The Twilight Zone.
• TV Guide's Matt Roush has a rundown on all of the midseason comings and goings.
• Over at PopWatch, George Lucas says he's done with big screen movies and will be focusing on TV now. As a moviegoer, I applaud this. As a TV lover, it makes me cringe.
• Great episode of Heroes last night, eh? TV Addict has an interview with stars Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia.
• I don't believe this story at all. It just seems like some bs someone made up because Mario Lopez is doing so well on Dancing with the Stars.

Don't panic, William Petersen fans, don't panic! It's only temporary.

Petersen is taking a break from the show for a handful of episodes starting January 12, and Schreiber will play another investigator who comes in to solve bizarre murders in Las Vegas.

I wonder if this is a tryout for Schreiber. It's often been rumored that Petersen would not stay with CSI forever, so maybe producers are taking this break as an opportunity to try out someone else in the role if Petersen decides to move on. I'm kinda surprised that Schreiber took the gig, since he's been focusing on movies and the stage for several years, but he could add something interesting to the show. Though I don't watch the show anymore. Is there anything interesting happening on any of the CSIs these days?

What's in this week's issue of America's favorite TV mag?

• Lost isn't on the cover, and neither is Desperate Housewives. So it must be Grey's Anatomy.
• How the new season stands so far, the winners and the losers.
• As The World Turns is finally going to deal with the death of soap vet Benjamin Hendrickson, who committed suicide earlier this year. His character Hal Munson will also die on the show.
• Matt Roush likes 1 vs. 100.
• An interview with horror master Wes Craven.
• Will Saxondale be another Brit comedy hit for NBC?
• In the print edition: a look at Ugly Betty (a surprising hit for ABC in the Thursday 8pm slot), and yet another damn article about Dancing with the Stars.

Our weekly roundup of what's inside America's favorite TV magazine:

• On the cover: Marcia Cross. You know, if TV Guide gave one tenth the coverage to other shows that it gives to Desperate Housewives (or Lost, or Grey's Anatomy, or CSI), maybe some shows would get a chance to succeed instead of being canceled so quickly. Imagine if they had put Kidnapped on the cover?
  
• The Without A Trace/Nancy Grace connection. You can probably guess what it is.
  
• Has Bones jumped the shark?
• A preview of Battlestar Galactica's third season. Which, yeah, started last night, but read it anyway.
  
• Speaking of third seasons, Penn & Teller's Bullshit is out on DVD, and the mag interviews the magic duo.
• Surfer Girl gets a call from Dwight Schrute!
• In the print edition: a look inside Amanda Peet's wedding, and a profile of Brooke Shields.

• TV Guide has the scoop on what we can expect on CSI this season.
• Yet more news about Meredith Vieira and The Today Show.
• Matt Roush reviews Brothers and Sisters (he says it's so-so) and PBS' Andy Warhol documentary (he loves it).
• Casting news: An ex-Ed star is joining 24, while Surface's Lake Bell is coming back to Boston Legal.
• By the way, who thought the TV Guide site redesign was a good idea? The main tvguide.com page is fine, but the magazine page doesn't seem to have as many features (or at least they're not easy to find with the new navigation), and certain sections (Today's Highlights, Cheers and Jeers) are in PDF?! Gah.