Now this one is really bumming me out. Ausiello has just learned that Merrin Dungey, who played Addison’s best friend in the pilot episode of PRIVATE PRACTICE, is being replaced with Broadway actress Audra McDonald. WHAT?! Nooo…I was so excited to have Merrin Dungey back on TV. We haven’t seen much of her since ALIAS ended, and I think she’s great. I happen to be a huge fan of Audra McDonald, but I can’t see how she is right for this role. I just don’t see it.

Bye Francie. I hope we see you soon!

Word on the street is that a major role in the upcoming NBC drama BIONIC WOMAN is being recast.  Mae Whitman (Arrested Development) played Becca, the deaf sister of the Jamie, the lead character in the pilot.  But Ausiello is now reporting that Whitman is out and they are looking for someone to take on the role of Becca.  Rumor has it that Becca might not be deaf by the time the pilot hits the air in the fall.

I’m ok with this change.  I actually thought Becca was one of my least favorite parts of an otherwise incredible pilot.

I was one of the few people that truly enjoyed STUDIO 60 right from the start. I remember reading the pilot script the summer before it aired and I thought it was brilliant. I waited, I watched, I got involved in the show and then slowly watch its deterioration from great TV to whatever was last night’s series finale.

I’m not going to pretend to know exactly what happened with Studio 60. But from my perspective, as a fan, I have to think that it had something to do with how uneven and wildly self indulgent it often was. In hindsight, I never really knew what the show was about. In the extraordinary first episode I thought it was about the politics and happenings behind the scenes on an SNL’esque show. Being the lover of all things TV that I am, I thought this show was tailor made for me. But that brilliance quickly faded and the show seemed to evolve into a drama that was more about the love lives of the people that ran the show.

Studio 60 was heavy handed - to a fault. Although I often agreed with Sorkin’s POV on political and social matters,  it sometimes felt like he was preaching from the top of a 20 story soapbox. If I were taken aback by it, I can only imagine how others that didn’t share similar viewpoints enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy as the case probably was) the show.

Had the show remained a curtains pulled back commentary on the inner workings of TV, I think it could have been successful. But whether it be Sorkin’s ego, his lack of vision or the network’s interference that influenced the outcome, Studio 60 never lived up to its potential. There were moments of genius, but it wasn’t consistent enough to keep an audience engaged.

Better luck next time Sorkin. Looking forward to seeing you soon Bradley Whitford and Matthew Perry. And Nate Corrdry…I will miss you the most.

In the coming weeks, GiveMeMyRemote.com will be sharing our take on all the new shows coming to TV this Fall. How many will make it past the first 2 weeks? Will any of these shows be the next Grey’s Anatomy or Lost? It’s anyone’s guess.

Since I know GMMR readers are all TV connoisseurs, I’m interested to see which Fall shows you are most excited about seeing based on the early buzz. Take a few seconds and partake in the poll below. You don’t have to pick just one show, but only picks the shows you are truly excited for.

Feel free to leave a comment and tell us why you’re excited about a particular show. And if there are shows in the list that you’ve never heard of, let us know that too.

WANT TO KNOW WHO WAS VOTED OFF SYTYCD TONIGHT? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT!!

And you thought there was drama last night on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE! Tonight was very interesting as two couples I didn’t expect to see in the bottom three were dancing for their lives.

But first up was the group number choreographed by Tyce D’Orio. Tyce really loves infusing his dances with an African influence and tonight it was brilliantly done to a piece from the stage show of The Lion King. I wasn’t sure if I was going to love it at first, but I’ve watched it a few times now and I think it was brilliant. And am I crazy or was Cedric not in the routine? I looked for him each time I watched it but had no luck finding him.

Jessi Peralta is out of this hospital and back on the stage. As she didn’t perform last night, she is dancing for her life tonight (their unfortunate words not mine). Then again, about her solo Jessi said she planned on “killing it” so…But before she could put her heart on the line (that was all mine and bad) she and Pasha got to perform the Cha Cha they missed last night (watch it here). Let me tell ya, they were smokin’. We certainly got an abbreviated version of the dance last night with Pasha and guest-dancer Melanie. Jessi and Pasha were sexin’ it up on the stage.

Then it was time to send some people home. As Cat brought the couples to the stage in groups of two, Lacey & Kameron, Dominic & Sabra, Hok & Jaimie and Cedric & Shauna were told they were…safe. Yes, Cedric was safe (seems that speech last night was quite effective).

With those couples safe it left Danny & Anya, Jesus & Sara, Jessi, and Neil & Lauren dancing for their lives.

Each performed their 30 second routines, and based on the solos alone, I would send Anya or Lauren (they both sucked) and Neil home (I’m going to duck for cover now). But am I right?

Going home tonight are…

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A little OFFICE Thursday to keep us happy today. If you have any suggestions for next week’s installment (trivia, games, contests, etc), leave a comment and let me know. I am so looking forward to watching my Dunder Mifflinites tonight.

The Office - Office Olympics, Booze Cruise and The Secret
Tonight we’ve got another OFFICE marathon, and this time we get to see three of the best episodes of S2. So excited!! Tonight’s episodes are hosted by John Krasinski with a little help from his OFFICE and LICENSE TO WED co-stars Angela Kinsey and Brian Baumgartner. Mindy Kaling also stars in the movie and I wish she were hosting tonight as well because I love me some Kelly Kapoor.

The Big Winners…
So it’s OFFICE Thursday. What to do, what to do. First let me say that I was SO impressed with how many of you got the correct answers to last week’s mini-Office Olympics. Some of those questions were tough. I listed all the names of the winners in a hat and Heather B of San Diego, CA was the big winner. Heather chose a Flonkerton hoodie from the GMMR store. And in other contest news, I am happy to announce that Laura R. was are big winner in the GMMR/Steve Almighty giveaway. Laura will receive S1 & S2 of THE OFFICE on DVD as well as The 40 Year-Old Virgin.

Summer Fun Word Find…
No big prize for this week’s game, but you will get a virtual pat on the back for a job well done. There are 20 “Office-related” words or phrases hidden below. All the words are in a straight line, but the direction is up for grabs. If you need any help leave a comment and I’ll give you a hint.

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Talk about starting the day off right. I’ve just learned that former VERONICA MARS star Jason Dohring has just landed himself a role on CBS’s new vampire-drama MOONLIGHT.

In MOONLIGHT, Alex O’Loughlin stars as a private investigator who happens to be a vampire. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dohring will play ancient vampire Josef. He replaces 60-year-old Rade Serbedzija, who played the part in the pilot presentation before the character was reconceptualized as a young, mischievous hedge-fund trader.

As promised, here are my two favorite dances from last night’s SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. If you are reading this post and aren’t a fan of the show I still think you should take a minute to check out these videos. See what you are missing out on.

Hok Konishi & Jaimie Goodwin
Jazz Routine by Wade Robson
Song: The Chairman’s Waltz (Memoir of a Geisha Soundtrack)

Dominic Sandoval & Sabra Johnson
Rumba by Jean Marc Genereux
Song: Stickwitu by the Pussycat Dolls

For ALL the latest SYTYCD headlines, visit Blogging SYTYCD.

Burn Notice
Jeffrey Donovan scores as a cashiered spy trying to make a new life in Miami, with idiosyncratic sidekicks and his mother always looking over his shoulder.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - SERIES FINALE
In the series finale, a stressful night involving a hostage crisis and a premature birth comes to an end. In the midst of this turmoil, Matt and Harriet find the strength for (another) new beginning.

So You Think You Can Dance
Fergie and Ludacris perform, and two dancers are eliminated from the competition.

Talk Show Round Up…The Late Show with David Letterman
Robin Williams, Julie Chen

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Dr. Phil McGraw, Velvet Revolver

Late Night with Conan O’Brien
Jake Gyllenhaal, Lance Armstrong, Bayside (R 2/27/07)

Jimmy Kimmel Live
George Foreman, Jennifer Esposito, Tiger Army

Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Ludacris, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Bobby Valentino

Last Call with Carson Daly
Cheryl Hines, Midnight Movies (R 5/3/07

The Daily Show
Claire Danes

The Colbert Report
Doug Bailey

Sooo happy. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE makes me happy. That’s all I can say. And what a show tonight. Some fantastic dancing, some mind blowing choreography and some serious drama. Let’s get to it, shall we?

Joining Mary and Nigel at the judges table tonight, is the uber-talented Debi Allen. Debi is fun and fierce and I hope this isn’t the only time we see her as guest judge this season. Her personality was a perfect fit for this show and you can tell she is a big fan who watches like the rest of us at home. But it’s not all about the judges, so let’s talk about the dancers.

Sara Von Gillern and Jesus Solorio are kicking things off tonight with a Krump routine choreographed by Lil C, one of the original creators of Krumping. I can’t say I know for sure what Krumping is and how it differs from hip hop, but I thought there routine was a lot of fun. There was some much energy from beginning to end. This style is more in Sarah’s element, but Jesus really stepped up tonight in this new style. The judges were all about Sarah and Jesus tonight. Way to start off the show kids.

Cedric Gardner and Shauna Nolland are up next with a contemporary routine by Mia Michaels. Based on the backstage drama and Mia not wanting Cedric to perform, I was actually kind of scared to watch. I thought it was, well, interesting?! Shauna really showed me something tonight. Cedric wasn’t utterly horrible, but he certainly didn’t embrace the beauty of contemporary dance. He acted the part well, but there was no fluidity to his movement. And it was interesting that there were a few measures where he just sat in the corner and watched Shauna take the stage solo. I can’t help but think that it was by design. That being said, as a complete dance moron I enjoyed it for the story. Bravo Mia Michaels. As for the judges, Debi Allen loved it. Mary loved Shauna but thought Cedric let his partner down. Nigel was gracious in saying that Cedric has done a service by trying, but that he is probably going home. Cedric had an opportunity to respond and he was passionate and reflective of his time on the show, and supported the judges in their critique, but also tried to get dancers watching at home and in the audience to listen to the importance of training and trying new styles of dance. Bravo Cedric - very gracious of you. Oh and Debi Allen just offered Cedric a full scholarship to her dance academy if he is voted off. I love her!!

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