TV Chatting

Las Vegas and General Hospital star Vanessa Marcil is joining CBS’ Without a Trace for a multi-episode arc as a NYC social worker and potential love interest for Eric Close’s character, Martin. Marcil will appear in the 17th episode of the season set to air this March.

Laura Prepon of That 70’s Show and October Road has signed on to play Ted’s high school/college girlfriend in at least five episodes of How I Met Your Mother this season.  Her character is described as a beautiful snob who has a reputation for cheating on her lovers to avoid having to explain why she’s dumping them.  Is it possible that she could be the Mother?

Tony winner Patti Lupone has been cast as the mother of Judah Friedlander’s character, Frank, on 30 Rock.  Lupone, a Broadway legend, also guest starred recently as Marc’s mother on Ugly Betty.

Serinda Swan has been cast as the DC Comics magician Zatanna for the season’s 17th episode of Smallville, "Hex."   Swan stars as a magician who grants Chloe a birthday wish to switch places with her cousin, Lois. She will also grant Clark a wish.

Hilary Duff will appear in an upcoming episode of Ghost Whisperer as a "beautiful woman of mystery" who may or may not be involved with the death of a man.  Duff has also been announced as the star of the new comedy Barley Legal. Her sister, actress and singer Haylie Duff, has reportedly been cast to play her big sister in the show. 

NBC announced yesterday that they have given renewals to 3 of their most popular shows - The Office, 30 Rock and The Biggest Loser - for the 2009-10 Television season.  The network would not commit on a renewal for Heroes, saying only that the show was "safe" for now.

Also announced was a new title for the John Wells project, previously known as Police and LAPD.  The series is now called Southland and it will take over the ER timeslot after that show’s series finale.  The premiere for Southland is scheduled for April 9.  ER’s season finale will be April 2 and will be a three hour event.  A two hour finale will follow a one hour retrospective on the long-running show.

With Southland taking ER’s slot, that means the new drama Kings will move to Sundays with the two hour premiere set for March 15 from 8-10pm ET.

The new series, currently referred to as the "Untitled Daniels/Schur/Poehler Series," was also presented at yesterday’s TCA panel.  The show from the executive producers of The Office, Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, is a new mockumentary-style sitcom set in the exciting world of local government.  Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana.  Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza also star.

Also new next season, a new cooking competition show, The Chopping Block. The show will feature celebrated chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White who gives hopeful chefs/restaurateurs working in couples the opportunity to compete in America’s greatest restaurant challenge. 

Gail O’Grady, who starred as secretary Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue and mom Helen Pryor on American Dreams, will be joining the cast of Desperate Housewives in a recurring role this season. Gail’s character will reportedly be a "Mrs. Robinson" type who seduces one of Lynnette’s rapidly aged teenage twins.

Looking to relive their glory days, ER has announced that several former cast members will be making guest appearances on the 15th and final season of the show. Noah Wyle (Dr. John Carter) will return for 4 episode and, shockingly enough, Anthony Edwards will return as Dr. Mark Greene. "Isn’t he dead," you ask?  Well yes, he is, and he is staying dead. Dr. Greene will return in flashbacks that will establish a County General history for the new chief, played by Angela Bassett.

30 Rock’s list of guest stars keeps growing. Gossip Girl stars Leighton Meester and Blake Lively are close to a deal to guest-star in a November sweeps episode of 30 Rock.  Ausiello is reporting that the girls will play former high school classmates of Liz Lemon’s in a flashback sequence which will reveal that she was a Mean Girl! Blake’s older sister, Robyn Lively, is being considered to play the older, high school reunion version of Blake’s character.

Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson will try her hand at acting on an episode of ABC Family’s new hit show, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The gymnast will play herself in the episode that airs next Tuesday, September 9.

E! Online is reporting that Oprah Winfrey is in final talks to guest star on NBC’s 30 Rock this fall. Word is that she has already been written into the script for the second episode!

The initial plan for her guest spot is for her to play herself, with all of her scenes opposite Tina Fey’s character, Liz Lemon. Her story would also fuel a feud between Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) and Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) that will continue through several episodes.

As we reported last week, Jennifer Aniston and Will Arnett are both slated for guest roles on the show as well.  Arnett will return as Devin Banks in the season premiere and Aniston will have her turn in the third episode of the season. She will be playing Liz’s ex-roommate who starts stalking Jack (Alec Baldwin).

30 Rock premieres October 30 on NBC.

Must-See-TV is getting one of its Friends back…for one episode anyway.

Jennifer Aniston, who starred as Rachel Green on Friends for 10 seasons, will appear on an episode of 30 Rock this fall.  Aniston is busy shooting the episode now. Her guest role will most likely be part of the first or second episode of the season. Her publicist declined to reveal anything specific about her character but Aniston could, in fact, be playing herself as many guest stars do on the show.

Aniston is the second Friends star to pay a visit to the show.  David Schwimmer (Ross) guest-starred as Greenzo on last season’s environmental episode.

30 Rock premieres October 30 at 8:30 pm ET on NBC. Will Arnett returns as Devin Banks on the first episode.