3:02PM: This afternoon’s panel highlighting the “Bad-Ass Boys of the CW” includes NIKITA’s Shane West, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ Joseph Morgan, GOSSIP GIRL’s Ed Westwick, SUPERNATURAL’s Jared Padalecki, HART OF DIXIE’s Wilson Bethel and RINGER’s Kristoffer Polaha.

3:05PM: “For the moment he has tunnel vision and a one track mind to get his girl Blair Waldorf,” says Ed Westwick when asked if he misses playing up Chuck’s devious side. “So hopefully we do see his devious side, the devil within.” Interjects RINGER star Kristoffer Polaha, “Wait a second, you’re British?”

3:09PM: Rather than answer a question about what’s in store for Sam in the second half of SUPERNATURAL’s seventh season, Padalecki jokes that he’s distracted by the enormous photo of a shirtless HART OF DIXIE star Wilson Bethel that is currently being projected on the screens within the hotel ballroom.

3:11PM: “I was shocked,” says Kristoffer Polaha, referencing not so much the shocking turn of events during RINGER’s midseason finale, but rather his inclusion on this “Bad-Ass” panel.

3:12PM: Does THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ Joseph Morgan ever worry that his character of Klaus might become too soft to remain on the show? “Yes, I do worry about the writer’s making him softer or too good,” admits Morgan. “But I think they can make him more human and relatable without taking away any of his bad-assness. I think it’s possible to be somewhat of a relatable anti-hero while still tearing out hearts and breaking necks.”

3:14PM: “I’m faking it,” says a half-joking Shane West when asked about the bad-ass fighting skills he brings to NIKITA.” Maggie [Q] is kind of a phenom, it’s just embarrassing how good she is at what she does so you kind of have to live up to those expectations. I spend a lot of time in the gym and at the gun range.”

3:15PM: “I’m pretty confident that it will be a bad sign for my career when they tell me to stop taking off my shirt,” says HART OF DIXIE star Wilson Bethel when asked if he expects to take off his shirt each and every episode. “I’ll take it that my time on the CW is short-lived. Thankfully, they told me to take the cowboy hat off which I don’t think was my look.”

3:16PM: Just where will Klaus’ soon-to-be-introduced brothers fall on the scale of bad-assness? Reveals Morgan, “They’re doing well, they’ve started to master the heart-pulling-out and neck-breaking but they haven’t been around for a few 100 years so they have a lot to learn about coming into the modern world.”

3:17PM: On what they like most about the characters? Following the original NIKITA film and television show, West is honored to get to take on that lore. Morgan relishes the sociopathic nature of the character and the idea that Klaus can be in a room and you never know what he’s going to do, “he could kiss or kill you.” Ed Westwick enjoys the money, “My character’s incredibly wealthy and money can get you into a lot of trouble which makes for some interesting shorelines.” Padalecki loves the hair, before adding on a more serious note that he loves that SUPERNATURAL has no boundaries. “I’ve died, gone to hell, been Lucifer, (Interjects Westwick, “I need to tune in!”). We’ve done everything, played different versions of ourselves and we have such a forgiving fan base. We do anything and they go with it.” HART OF DIXIE’s Wilson Bethel calls his character so much fun. While Polaha loves RINGER’s twists and turns.

3:22PM: When asked who they in real-life consider to be bad-ass, the discussion goes a wee bit off the rails:
Morgan: “Gordon Ramsay is pretty bad-ass.”
Padalecki: “Gordon Ramsay?”
Westwick: “I’m english and I don’t agree.”
Padalecki: “Paula Deen is more bad-ass than Gordon Ramsay! I hope this doesn’t sound like a pat answer, but I got to say our soldiers keeping us safe around the world.”
Morgan: “Now I feel like an idiot!”
Polaha: “I was going to say Tim Tebow, but then he brought up soldiers.”
Padalecki: “Not Tony Romo right now, I’m sorry, I’m a Cowboys fan.”
West: “For me growing up, one of the bad-asses that I liked was Michael Biehn. Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, that guy was a man.”

3:25PM: Padalecki believes his co-star Jensen Ackles should be on the “Bad-Ass Boys of the CW” panel, and would be, except that he’s busy working. Said Padalecki, “I’m here representing the both of us.” Adds Polaha, “But who would win in a fight?” Counters Padalecki, “Well, seeing as though he’s not here to defend himself… I’d totally kick his ass!” Jokes Bethel pointing to the door, “Ladies and gentlemen, Jensen Ackles.”

3:26PM: Morgan says Stefan (Paul Wesley) is perhaps a little bit more bad-ass than Damon at this point in the season. Also gives Daniel Gillies a shout-out claiming, “The whole throwing coins through windows, that was a neat trick.”

3:28PM: The panel’s “Awwwww” moment came in the form of Padalecki talking about his impending fatherhood. “I’m very excited, I hope it doesn’t bleed over to my work because I have a boyish excitement about it. I’m almost worried about it like I should be more nervous.”

3:30PM: Polaha takes out his wallet and puts $20 dollars on the table for the panelist who can use the word “Bad-ass” the most in answering the next question pertaining to which of them has the most bad-ass show.
Westwick: ” I get to shoot in New York which is the most bad-ass city in the world. Plus, I live in Brooklyn which is pretty bad-ass.”
Padalecki: “I get to play this action hero, fight for what’s right and every day get to do what I love so I think that’s pretty bad-ass.”
West: “NIKITA is based around that. The entire show is bad-ass. Action, guns, cars, stunts, it’s like being a kid again. A bad-ass kid.”
Morgan: “I came into the show late and what was so bad-ass for me was on a personal note how everyone just completely welcomed me into the fold. There is no reason why I needed to stay on the show past the initial four episodes, but we’re all like a big dysfunctional family and that’s why I love it.”

3:33PM:. When asked to recount a story of bad-assness in their real lives, Westwick says, “My criminal record is available online.” While Polaha recounts a crazy childhood story about his nine-year old self, some friends and a handful of leftover fireworks. Said Polaha, “I’m a reformed bad-ass and have been so for a long time.” Says Padalecki, “I always had the opposite definition, I always thought being a bad-ass was doing the right thing.” Jokes Bethel, “I was a bad-ass when I went to Church last Sunday! Bad-ass!”

3:37PM: After a journalist inadvertently outs Bethel as a poet (Fun Fact: He used to publish a literary magazine), Bethel attempts to reclaim his bad-assness by saying, “I only write poetry while I’m riding my motorcycle, smoking weed and chasing rattlesnakes!”

Photo credit: Joe Magnani/The CW © 2011 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.

Pasadena — At this morning’s Television Critics Association Press Tour Executive Session, Showtime Entertainment President David Nevins made the most of his allotted time by highlighting the many successes of his little-cabler-that-could. In fact, be it the success of HOMELAND, to his excitement surrounding the upcoming seasons of NURSE JACKIE, THE BIG C, THE BORGIAS and EPISODES, Nevins touched on virtually the entirety of his Network’s slate. With that is the notable exception of WEEDS.

So what exactly does the future hold for a family that takes dysfunction to an entirely new level? And more to the point, is this the final season of the show? “Not definitely, but it’s a really possibility,” admits Nevins during a small media scrum following the end of his session.

Less of a possibility as it turns out, is Nevins teasing the direction of the show, which as fans will recall ended the season with Nancy as the literal target of a sniper’s sight upon sitting down to an extended family dinner with the entire Botwin clan.

“I don’t have anything definitive to say, There’s a couple of different paths that are being looked and I’m unclear exactly… Jenji [Creator Jenji Kohan] hasn’t declared herself yet.”

11:03AM: CBS Publicity kicks off the HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER panel featuring actors Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel and Showrunners Carter Bays and Craig Thomas by touting the fact that the show is enjoying its best ratings ever. What’s more, it remains the youngest skewing show on the Network.

11:05AM: Will HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER follow in LOST’s footsteps by setting an end date? “We’ve talked about it, but it’s not a high priority for us,” admits Carter Bays. “It’s hard for us to say on May 14 two-thousand-and-whatever we’ll officially be out of ideas.” Adds Segel, “We have to say if the Mayans were right also, you might meet the mother on December 21, 2012.”

11:07AM: Fun Fact: Having hit 150 episodes, Lily Aldrin will have surpassed BUFFY’s Willow Rosenberg as Allyson Hannigan’s longest running character. Jokes Thomas, “But which show do you like more!?”

11:09AM: “We have it worked out and we kind of know what the endgame of the series is,” admits Bays when asked about what whether or not the endgame involves meeting the mother, the wedding etc. “Obviously the show is built around one central question and that meeting will be a part of the endgame of the show.”

11:10AM: On what keeps Muppets movie mogul Jason Segel excited about coming to work everyday? “I really enjoy acting,” says Segel sighting last season’s emotional arc featuring the death of his television father. “I’d like to see the story come to its natural end and whether that’s 8 or 9 years I like the idea of seeing the story through to the end.” Adding on a slightly more lighthearted note, “I was so relieved when I found out there was an actual plan!”

11:12AM: Fun Fact #2: The HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER writer’s room includes a little bulletin board featuring about 18 threads (Think: The goat) that the writers need to pick up before the series ends.

11:13AM: Spoiler Alert: Ted’s lack of forward momentum in terms of the search for the mother will come to ahead during February sweeps. “We’re going to see Ted do an assessment of his life [Noting he's years the time Lily and Marshall got engaged],” reveals Bays. “He’s going to come up with what he thinks is the answer, and then we’re going to explore whether it is the right answer for him. There’s big soul-searching stuff coming up for Ted in Episode 16, 17, and 18.”

11:14AM: “We liked the idea of how a character might react when something emcees up that instead of challenge their idea of themselves, sort of confirms the idea of themselves,” was Thomas’ answer to the controversy surrounding Robin’s inability to carry a child. Jokes Hannigan recounting to her reaction at the table read to Robin’s storyline, “I’m never watching this show again, season’s pass delete! But it’s only because I care so much, why are you making me cry at the table read.”

11:16AM: Still in defensive mode as per the controversial Christmas episode, Bays clarifies the difference between Robin’s somewhat misleading narration of the episode and that of the narration of future Ted [Bob Saget] “I think our rationale was that narrator Bob Saget has never lied to us. Sure, the order in which he says things sometimes creates twist endings here and there, but ultimately he’s a pretty reliable narrator.” Adds a joking Thomas, “Not in life, don’t lend him money.”

11:19AM: Fun Fact #3: Alyson Hannigan credits Brittany Murphy with her remarkable career thus far, “I’ve been so blessed to have had two amazing show that I’ve gotten to do for years. I don’t ever take it for granted because I know what it felt like to have an empty bank account. I was about to go into some serious debt when I booked BUFFY, I couldn’t get a real job to save my life. The lovely late Brittany Murphy and her mother were really wonderful about helping to get to auditions and transform me into a girl. I was a real tomboy and they lent me girly clothes, tweezed my brows.”

11:23AM: Can the show fundamentally remain the same when Marshall and Lily move to the suburbs? “It’s not necessarily a permanent stop,” teases Bays. “But we’re definitely going to explore them being in the suburbs, away from the bar. There will be some fun arc-y stuff with these two. “Adds Thomas, “One of the first things we asked ourselves when dealing with Lily’s pregnancy was how do we keep them hanging out at the bar? And the second half of the season is going to sort of deal with that. There will be areal identity crisis now that there’s a baby on the way. Monday’s episode is all about who the two groups deal with the separation.”

THE GOOD WIFE isn’t going anywhere
Bad news for those of you who can’t seem to remember to program your DVR/PVR properly, NFL overruns are here to stay. Which is to say, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler is very happy with the performance of THE GOOD WIFE on Sunday nights. “We do hear from a lot of viewers about the overruns, but that means we have a very passionate and engaged audience,” Said Tassler of the NFL’s penchant for playing havoc with fan’s attempting to record the show. ” says of the fall NFL impact on THE GOOD WIFE. “The show feels like a better fit on Sunday night. More importantly, the audience that does watch the show on Sunday is more upscale, more female and very engaged.”

2 BROKE GIRLS to remain broken
Or at least that was our big takeaway from Tassler’s response to a question on the topic of the somewhat less than stellar supporting cast surrounding the 2 BROKE GIRLS’ hilarious Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. “We have a really great working relationship with Michael [Showrunner Michael Patrick King].” Sighting THE BIG BANG THEORY as an example of a show that took a little time to flesh out a comedy’s supporting cast, “They’re [referring to the writers] equal opportunity offenders.”

PERSON OF INTEREST to get more even more interesting
Despite characterizing her feelings with regards to the performance of PERSON OF INTEREST as “extremely pleased,” Tassler did admit to a little Network meddling when it came to the contribution (or lack thereof) of Taraji P. Henson’s character Carter. To the point that the Network had a very “creative” meeting with Showrunner Jonah Nolan requesting that his plan to bring Carter into the Reese/Finch fold be sped up to midseason. Said Tassler, “We feel that that was a key ingredient to really letting the show build and expand.”

Paul Lee is really excited about midseason.
Using the equivalent of the “Super Bowl for woman” that is the upcoming February 26th Oscar telecast as a launch pad, ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee kicked off this morning’s TCA Executive Session by touting his Network’s upcoming midseason schedule including the February 7th premiere of THE RIVER (“A really extraordinary show”), the March 4th premiere of GCB (“A really fun show brought to us by Darren Star”), the March 15th premiere of MISSING (“Marking the return of Ashley Judd to primetime”), the April 5th premiere of SCANDAL (“It’s so sticky, and it’s really sexy”) and the April 11th premiere of DON’T TRUST THE B—- IN APARTMENT 23 (“It’s one of my favorite comedies of the year”). The latter of which will get the plum post-MODERN FAMILY time slot when HAPPY ENDINGS finishes out its second season.

ABC had one helluva fall!
In an effort to ensure his excitement about his Network’s midseason lineup didn’t completely overshadow the success of ABC’s fall one, Lee singled out REVENGE and ONCE UPON A TIME as two of the strongest shows of the fall. Said Lee, “I think [Creator] Mike Kelley is doing a fabulous job with REVENGE, I adore that show. And ONCE UPON A TIME came back with a great number… is a really inventive show and [Creators] Adam and Eddie are doing a fabulous job with that show.” Also of note was Lee’s belief — after sidestepping the issue of the original cast member’s still up-in-the-air contracts, that is — in the resurgent GREY’S ANATOMY. “GREY’s came roaring back. It’s creatively still at the top of its form and Shonda [Creator Shonda Rhimes] has a vision like nobody else,” said Lee. “She knows what she’s doing, and she knows where she’s going. We’ve heard her vision, not just for the end of this season, but for beyond, and it’s really, really strong. I’m feeling very good about the show.”

COUGAR TOWN still has a home on ABC.
Not only does Lee promise that he’s a big fan of creator Bill Lawrence’s penchant for pot-stirring (“I always say to my showrunners, take a page out of Bill Lawrence’s book because he does such a great job of getting a passionate audience around a show.”), he promised that when COUGAR TOWN does launch (Tentatively schedule for March), the network will promote the show (“Well, the reality is COUGAR TOWN is having one of their best seasons to date and I think you’ll find that, when we launch it, it will bring a big strong message that we love the show.”) More interesting still Lee could one day foresee a dream situation of young comedy block featuring COUGAR TOWN, HAPPY ENDING and APT 23.

Paul Lee is still pretending WORK IT and PAN AM have futures.
Although Paul Lee gets serious points for kicking off this morning’s Executive Session by asking a roomful of tired critics what they really thought of WORK IT, the ABC Entertainment President loses some by pretending the not-so-well received show actually has a future, “I think it was right in the middle there,” said Lee referring to WORK IT’s ratings. “We’ll see where it goes in the next few weeks,” Along those same lines was his hesitancy to outright proclaims PAN AM dead on arrival, claiming that the show will run original episodes through February and that no decision has been made about the show’s future.

GENERAL HOSPITAL is not dead yet.
Despite the impending arrival of Katie Couric’s Fall 2012 chat fest, Lee isn’t ready to take GENERAL HOSPITAL off life support just yet. “I don’t know whether we’re going to make a decision on that. I’ve come in, sort of, very recently into that whole decision, so we’ll see. We will have to make a decision at some point,” said Lee. “I have to say, I started my life in soap operas. My first job was a second assistant director on a Brazilian soap at 7 o’clock. Not the greatest soap ever made, but I loved it. In Rio. And then I worked on soaps in the U.K., and I’m a fan of GENERAL HOSPITAL, but we have not made a decision, and don’t really have a time frame for it either.

10:22AM: Once thought of as a dumping ground or burning off point for shows that simply weren’t good enough for the Fall schedule, ALCATAZ’s January premiere may have been the best thing to happen to the series since the casting of Jorge Garcia. Explained Executive Producer J.J. Abrams, “One of the advantages of being a midseason show was that instead of just saying, ‘You know what would have been cool?’ you actually have the time — and if you’re lucky the ability — to make changes to this thing.” First and foremost among those changes, according to Abrams, was a far strong and more easily identifiable connection between the show’s lovely leading lady Sarah Jones (Detective Rebecca Madsen) and the infamous prison itself.

10:24AM: But just what makes what in essence is a police procedural different from the vast array of the police procedurals currently on the air? Simply put, Alcatraz housed the worst of the worst. What’s more, when the 302 prisoners who mysteriously vanished prior to the prison shutting down begin to reappear in modern times, they will present the team of Detective Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones), Dr. Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia) and Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill) with a very unique challenge. Explained Executive Producer Jennifer Johnson, “These prisoners are ghosts. They reappear with no credit records, no friends and family members, they don’t have girlfriends, children. As such, our team is really going to have to think outside the box to track them down.”

10:26AM: Much to the chagrin of those in attendance, a reporter asks Jorge Garcia what it feels like to be back on an island. To wit J.J. Abrams responded, “In theory, any land mass is an island, so you can argue every show is on one. MARY TYLER MOORE was much like LOST!” Added Garcia on a slightly more serious note, “If J.J. asks me to do anything I say yes first and read second.”

10:28AM: “It feels like a little bit of a haunted house, the look of it, the feel of it, for anyone who has ever taken the tour, this place does not feel like any other prison that I’ve ever visited… or served time in,” joked Abrams.

10:29AM: Spoiler Alert! There is a deeper reason why Sam Neill’s Emerson Hauser was so struck by the disappearances on the island in the night depicted in the ALCATRAZ pilot. Teased EP Jennifer Johnson, “Each character has an intensely personal relationship with the island. Answers for which will be revealed a little bit by the end of the first season and season 2 should we be so fortunate.”

10:31AM: The third episode of the season will shine the spotlight on Jorge Garcia’s characters connection to the Prison.

10:35AM: Echoing the sentiments of pretty much the entire panel, Sam Neill waxed poetically about the infamous nature of what most definitely should be considered a character on the show. “Just the name [Alcatraz] puts a shiver down my spine. My first time visiting was 15 years ago and I believe there was something surreally cruel about being isolated in few full view of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Imagine the insidious nature of a prison where you sit behind bars and the lovely city of San Francisco is staring back at you.”

10:41AM: Fun Fact: If you’re the type of television viewer who relishes DVR-able details, pay close attention to the cell blocks shown during the show’s flashbacks. “As we go by various cells we’ve established the background life of various inmates,” explained Executive Producer/Director Jack Bender. Added Abrams, “Because we are desperately trying to make the most entertaining show possible, the truth is we are trying to layer the show. For example, we may see a character that might not be an episode’s central bad guy show up down the line. Hopefully audiences will begin to see connections.”

10:43AM: Despite J.J. Abrams name being synonymous with serialized television, ALCATRAZ is very procedural in nature. Why? Well, after hilariously recounting a story of once sitting down at a friend’s house to watch an episode of ALIAS and have “absolutely no f—ing idea what was going on,” Abrams came to appreciate the genre’s limitations. “This show was designed very much as an episodic show with overarching mythology,” said Abrams. “Each and every one of these episodes will see the worst of the worst come back while our team has to track them down. ALCATRAZ was designed for this. It’s very different from ALIAS.” Added EP Daniel Pyne, “If you watch it occasionally, you won’t be disappointed; if you watch it consecutively, you’ll understand through lines; if you watch it piecemeal you’ll be able to understand it.”

10:45AM: In response to an all-too obvious follow-up question that had J.J. Abrams pretty much just lay out what FRINGE failed to do in its initial disappointing first season, Abrams countered, “FRINGE was a show more about a condition than a premise. From the beginning the show was a much more personal ida that had Olivia and her whole backstory, and the parallel universe…. this show has an opportunity to both episodic case of the week with big questions looming.”

3:33PM: The SMASH panel kicks off with a video greeting from executive producer Steven Spielberg who NBC Entertainment President Bob Greenblatt promises has been incredibly involved and passionate about the show. To the point that he has personally edited musical sequences. Not-so-fun-fact: Spielberg did not send a similar video prior to Fox’s TERRA NOVA panel last fall. Read into that what you will.

3:38PM: Just to give you an indication as to how good SMASH actually is. A roomful of tired, hungry and soulless television critics actually “Aaaawwwwwed” when there was a momentary technical difficulty with the video sizzle reel for the show.

3:44PM: Greenblatt teases that Marilyn’s road to Broadway will be a rocky one, with the first season culminating in the show’s out-of-town try out, and the second one — should the show be lucky enough to see a second season — revolve around how the show fares in the Big Apple.

3:46PM: Contrary to reports in a recent New York Magazine article, creator/executive producer Theresa Rebeck swears that the entirety of the team’s focus is to first and foremost make a great television show. Whatever happens in the future — referring to the rumors that Marilyn is already headed to Broadway — who knows! “This show is enough of a challenge for all of us right now.”

3:47PM: When asked by an intrepid reporter how the show’s cutthroat behind-the-scenes drama compares to her real life experience on the boards, star Megan Hilty jokes, “Give me a call later, we’ll talk!” Being sure to add on a more serious note, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been backstage and thought, ‘Where’s the camera!?’ The drama that happens behind the curtain is way more interesting than anything that happens on stage!”

3:48PM: When asked a similar question to executive producers/co-lyricists Scott Wittman and Marc Shaimain the latter proclaims, “I can’t even believe you’re asking us questions… [Pointing to the row of beautiful actors and actresses in front of him]” Look, it’s Anjelica Huston!”

3:50PM: Is the cast and creative team worried as to just how much NBC seems to have riding on their show? Not according to star Christian Borle (“Whatever the fates bring, we’re so proud and it feels so great that we’ve been able to do so much.”) or creator Theresa Rebeck (“NBC wants great storytelling, they’ve been very clear, make great television. The rest of the story is up to other forces.”)

3:51PM: Good News: NBC will release contemporary tracks from the episodes for purchase day and date with show. Bad News: The availability of original songs from the Marilyn musical set within the show are still being determined.

3:52PM: “It’s beautifully written, complete with a fantastic cast of actors and a phenomenal team of people behind the scenes. I’d be a fool not to participate,” said Anjelica Huston when asked what attracted her to the project.

3:53PM: Producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan credits the success of feature film musicals such as Hairspray with setting the stage for SMASH to occur.

3:56PM: Incredibly high praise for creator/executive producer Theresa Rebeck’s storytelling skills come from Craig Zadan who equates her writing to that of Aaron Sorkin on THE WEST WING. Said Zadan, “You feel like you’re eavesdropping in this authentic world of theater, yet get caught up in their personal lives as well.” Adds star Debra Messing, “That was one of the things that was most exciting to me about it when I read the pilot. What I related to was this woman who is very passionate about her creative life but also really is a proud mother and wants that home life balance. I love that nothing is simple. The way Theresa writes, there is such richness. My character, all of the characters go through difficulties and challenges. We’re often surprised at the table reads as we have no idea what’s happening next. It’s interesting and it all feels authentic.”

3:59PM: The amount of fun I’m having on this show is so ridiculously off the charts. Of course you can’t compare them, they’re apples and oranges,” admits Messing about the comparisons between SMASH and her former hit NBC comedy WILL & GRACE. “This cast is so accomplished and so committed, everyone is so passionate about this project. We’re working really hard but we’re laughing a lot and we’re really proud about what we’re doing. I wouldn’t even compare my experiences, I would just say I’m grateful that NBC has created a new home for me again.”

4:00PM: It took 30 minutes, but the inevitable finally happened: The obligatory comparison to GLEE question. “Just as Gypsy with Bette Midler on television sort of opened the door for TV musicals for a period of time, what Ryan Murphy did with GLEE broke a barrier,” said Neil Meron. “He allowed the Networks to really believe there was room for drama, comedy and singing in one show week after week. I don’t feel that anyone of us feel the show is like GLEE but we feel grateful to it for opening that door.”

4:06PM: Much to our chagrin, Rebeck wasn’t spilling as to which of her beautiful two leading ladies — Katharine McPhee (Karen) or Megan Hilty (Ivy) —would end up as Marilyn, except to say that they’re both amazing actresses and it was a very organic process. What’s more, as shooting continued, people on the set began forming ‘Team Ivy’ and ‘Team Karen’ camps.

4:08PM: Knowing full well that he is in a roomful of journalists with their fingers on the [Twitter] button, actor Jack Davenport was quick to sidestep the question as to just what real-life director he based his egomaniacal character on. Said Davenport, “Obviously it’s an amalgam of many directors, I couldn’t possibly have based it on one person or I’d be in court!”

4:11PM: Fun Fact: Other ideas tossed around aside from a Marilyn musical were period pieces with sword fighting and feathers as a result of creator Theresa Rebeck’s PhD in Victorian literature.

4:12PM: NBC Entertainment President Bob Greenblatt teases that the plan for season 2 — should the show be lucky enough to see one — have not been set in stone although discussions have revolved around introducing a second musical, as well as sticking with the original show should the character’s lives prove interesting enough.

4:13PM: Spoiler Alert: The actress playing Marilyn at the end of the season may not be the same actress cast in the role by the end of SMASH’s second episode.

COMMUNITY Fans: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid.
While NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt was quick to reinforce the fact that COMMUNITY has (a) not been canceled, and (b) will return to the air at a date to be determined in the Spring, he was slightly less forthright when asked about the potential of a fourth season. Translation: Fans of Greendale Community College should pretty much expect to hold their breath until the last possible moment (Read: the annual May Upfront) when a decision on the show’s future (or lack thereof) will be made based on NBC’s scheduling needs and pilot development.

“Sexytime” is coming to SVU
In a not-so-subtle attempt to re-energize the waning interest in NBC’s once dominant LAW & ORDER franchise, Greenblatt enthusiastically introduced a clip of SVU series star Mariska Hargitay expressing excitement for the show’s latest guest star Harry Connick Jr., who will be joining the show for a 4 episode arc as an assistant deputy attorney and love interest for Benson.

13 might be the new 22
In news that sure as heck won’t come as music to the ears of any of our fellow TV Addicts reading this, Greenblatt — whose previous job was that of President of Showtime Entertainment — spent an inordinate amount of time pointing to the advantages of cable. More to the point, Greenblatt foresees a day when the Networks move to more of a cable model with… wait for it… shorter seasons! “I don’t know if every show benefits from 22 episodes stretched across 9 months with all kinds of repeats,” said Greenblatt. “I think there are going to be some shows that benefit from compacted schedules and putting them on either in the fall or spring and the resting them and bringing them back the following year,”

NBC’s Fall was a Disaster
While news of NBC’s less that successful Fall probably won’t come as much of a surprise to all seventeen of you who sampled THE PLAYBOY CLUB, PRIME SUSPECT or FREE AGENTS, Greenblatt was very open about the Network’s lacklustre start to the season. And while he was quick to voice his support for the likes of WHITNEY, UP ALL NIGHT and GRIMM, he wasn’t shy about expressing his disappointment in PRIME SUSPECT (“Maybe I should just blame the hat and move on”), THE PLAYBOY CLUB (“It was just a rejected concept”) and FREE AGENTS (“Great elements don’t always equal a hit show”).

SMASH isn’t the be all or end all
Despite what the increasingly ubiquitous marketing campaign might have you believe, the fate of NBC’s midseason schedule doesn’t rest solely on SMASH’s shoulders. True, enough money to feed a mid-sized developing country has been put aside to market the show, and yes, very soon you won’t be able to turn on your television without hearing Katharine McPhee belt “Beautiful”, that said, expectations remain realistic. Said Greenblatt, “I think SMASH is going to be very important to us. I don’t believe it’s a make it or break it kind of show for us, but I think we’re proud of it and excited about what it could do.”

It’s not every day that you hear about an actor declining an offer to be a series regular on a hit television show, yet that’s precisely what GOSSIP guy Connor Paolo did when he notably turned down the opportunity to become a GOSSIP GIRL series regular in season two. Explained Paolo in an interview with TVLine, “Watching Blake [Lively] and Penn [Badgely] and the things they have to deal with as [a full-time cast members]… because they are on the posters and they are< the face of the show, is not something I’m totally ready for right now.”

So just what was it that attracted Paolo to committing to a series — in this case ABC’s REVENGE which as the title suggests chronicles Emily VanCamp’s mission to exact revenge on the nefarious Hamptonites responsible for her father’s death — that could very well see him stuck playing the same character for seasons on end?

“I was younger then and it’s just about timing in my life.” explained Paolo in a recent one-on-one with the TV Addict during last week’s Television Critics Association Press Tour in Los Angeles. “I’m not dealing with high school anymore and I’m at a point where I feel like i can commit fully to a show. Eric [GOSSIP GIRL's Eric van der Woodsen] didn’t necessarily feel like the part to do it for, where as this does.”

In other-words, despite what Paolo fondly refers to as the “one positive character in a slew of double-talkers,” the young actor won’t be shedding a tear for the role that put him on the map. “I don’t think i’m going to miss anything, it’s a new chapter now and I try never to look back,” said Paulo when asked what he’ll miss most about his time on GOSSIP GIRL. “I’m really in love with this character and I’m happy to be here.”

By “here” of course Paolo is referring to beautiful and sunny Los Angeles California. A location that won’t just give the twenty-one year old actor the opportunity to finally put that driver’s license to good use (Joked the actor, “I have had my license since i was a kid but in ever really had much use for it [in New York]“), but more importantly, his acting chops as well.

“I challenge you to find a similarity between the two kids because they couldn’t be more different,” said Paolo on the differences between his character on GOSSIP GIRL and REVENGE’s hard-working middle-class raised Declan Porter. “Eric was very much a child of privilege and while I think both of their hearts are in the right place, otherwise there’s nothing [similar]. I don’t think they’d get along in a bar, which you can’t ask for anything more fun as an actor than to have opposing characters.”

REVENGE premieres this Wednesday September 21st on ABC at 10PM (CityTV in Canada)

For seven seasons Lynette Scavo was almost single-handedly responsible for raising countless kids amidst marital strife, murder and mayhem. Unfortunately for said aforementioned housewife, this season will bring with it its biggest challenge yet: Looming unemployment.

Yes, after months or rumors and speculation the woman of Wisteria Lane will get a much-deserved reprieve from what has to be one of the country’s most ill-fated addresses as President of ABC Entertainment Paul Lee confirmed during this weekend’s executive session at the 2011 Television Critics Association Press Tour in Los Angeles that the upcoming eighth season of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES will be its last.

“I did that weird thing when you hear big news where you sort of distance yourself from it. I was with my friend [actress] Sarah Paulson who kept going, ‘How are you feeling, what’s going on, how are you feeling?’,” explained Felicity Huffman during an ABC’s cocktail party. “Then I went home, was really sad and I cried. I cried at the kitchen table with Bill [Husband William H. Macy] and then my daughter came in and asked what’s going on and he said ‘Her job is ending,’ and she went, “Oh Mamma, you’re gonna work again!’ I was like, I wish you were my agent.”

And while there’s no doubt that the talented Huffman — who first arrived on our radar playing producer Dana Whitaker on Aaron Sorkin’s brilliant-but-cancelled SPORTS NIGHT — will have no problem finding her next gig (Said a half-joking Huffman, “There’s that great quote about when you break up with someone that the only way to get over somebody is to get under somebody and I think I still miss SPORTS NIGHT but I’ve had subsequent jobs that thrill me and engage me and I feel enriched by, so I think it takes another job coming along.”), television is a tricky business. Particularly when one just spent the better part of the past decade starring in a show that at the height of its popularity could be found in upwards of 25 million living rooms every Sunday night at 9PM.

“You totally go into acting jail where they [the audience] can’t see you as anything else but Lynette and that’s tough,” admitted Huffman when asked about her level of nervousness with regards to audiences being able to accept her in other roles post-HOUSEWIVES. “All things being equal, I think you should sort of disappear for five years and then come back and sort of recreate yourself.”

Luckily for Huffman, who is currently in the midst of shooting episode three of what has very quickly just become a far more interesting season of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, the actress won’t have much time to contemplate her future career path just yet.

“Tonight I heard that I’m turning into a “cougar” which just makes my skin crawl.. yuk!” laughed Huffman when pressed for details on what fans can expect from the soon-to-be separated Scavos come the start of the season. “I don’t know what they have in store but I think the only thing we haven’t explored is what happens in divorce. What happens to the kids, and you’ve got two homes, custody, watching your husband going out with someone else, I think that is fertile ground and very true.”

Adding, “Now that it’s the eighth year you know they can bust things wide apart.”

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES returns for its eight and final season this Sunday September 25th on ABC (CTV in Canada). Catch up with past episodes you may have missed for free online at clicktowatch.tv