TV Chatting

EW’s Michael Ausiello is reporting that Gilmore Girls star Alexis Bledel will guest star on the two-hour finale of ER on April 2.  Bledel will play a new intern named Julia Wise in the final episode of the series, which chronicles a 24 hour shift at County General.  This will be the first major TV role for Bledel since Gilmore Girls ended two years ago. 

In other casting news, Melissa George, who just left her role as intern Sadie on Grey’s Anatomy, has been cast as the female lead in the CBS drama pilot US Attorney. She will play Susan, ADA and ex-wife to the section chief (Michael Lange). Attorney centers around a team of federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan.  Lennie James and Jason Clarke have also been cast in the show.

As you probably know by now, George Clooney will be making a much-buzzed about return to the show that made him a star.  Sources tell TVGuide.com that both George Clooney and his ER love Julianna Margulies, the supercouple Dr. Doug Ross and nurse Carol Hathaway, will appear in one episode before the show ends on April 2. Both actors are reportedly filming their scenes this week, on a closed set.

It is also being reported that Oscar winner Susan Sarandon will appear in scenes with Clooney.

Clooney and Margulies join a growing list of former ER cast members making appearances in this final season.  We have already seen Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene in a flashback in which we also saw Laura Innes, as Dr. Weaver.  Alex Kingston guested on the Jan. 15 episode as Dr. Elizabeth Corday and Noah Wyle is due back as Carter for the final four episodes.

The final season of ER will last just a little longer than expected.  NBC has ordered three more episodes of the long-running medical drama, extending the season from a shortened 19 episodes to a full 22.

The network has also ordered 6 episodes of a new series by ER executive producer John Wells, entitled Police.

It is not clear yet  when Police will run on the network, though it is possible that the show could take over the ER timeslot on Thursdays when the show ends its run. .  The new drama Kings was slated to take over the 10 p.m. slot in March, but with ER extending their season, that could change. 

Police stars Tom Everett Scott, Regina King, Benjamin McKenzie and Kevin Alejandro as a group of police officers in Los Angeles.

It is widely known that Noah Wyle will be making a return as Dr. Carter for a few episodes of ER this season, but Wyle says we can expect a few other ER docs to return.  In an interview with TV Guide, Wyle said that Eriq LaSalle, who will be directing an episode of the final season, will also be returning as Dr. Benton and he says it is his understanding that George Clooney may be back to reprise the role of Doug Ross as well.  "From what I heard, George said, ‘absolutely,’ schedule permitting," said Wyle.  Clooney’s rep would not give any comment on Wyle’s remarks.

Sara Rue, who was so perfect on the ABC sitcom Less Than Perfect, will be heading to The Big Bang Theory for a multi-episode arc as Dr. Stephanie Barnett, the new girlfriend of Wolowitz, who is “stolen” away by Leonard.

Hairspray’s Nikki Blonsky will join Ugly Betty for an episode as an assistant at Mode’s rival magazine Elle.  Her character will befriend Betty, but she may have ulterior motives.  Her episode will air before the end of the year.

Emilio Estevez will guest star on Two and a Half Men with brother Charlie Sheen.  Estevez will play a former drinking buddy of Charlie’s who comes to visit.  No air date has been announced for his appearance.

James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek) and David Denman (The Office) have been announced as co-stars for Fox’s pilot Eva Adams.  The hourlong show, from writer/executive producer Kevin Falls and Sony TV, is set at a sports agency and will center around a character named Adam who is an egotistic, sexist agent who is put under a witch’s spell and turned into a beautiful woman so he can see the other side of things.  Van Der Beek will play Connor, a friend and co-worker of Adam’s and Denman will play single dad, Paul.

ABC has pulled the order for Alyssa Milano’s new who, Single with Parents.  ABC also reduced it’s order for two other new shows, two of its midseason drama series, Castle and The Unusuals.

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.