Earl Is Out of Luck

Twentieth Century Fox TV has announced that My Name is Earl is officially over. As reported on Pop Wenches a couple of days ago, Fox and TBS were in talks to bring Earl back from cancellation. After crunching the numbers to see if the Jason Lee-starring comedy could be produced on a basic cable budget, both Fox and TBS agreed that it wasn't feasible and ended negotiations.

"As none of us (creator Greg Garcia included) want the show to go out on anything but a high note, we regret that we must put to rest any speculation that Earl will continue," said the studio. [Variety]

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TV News: House's New Roomie, Starbuck Don't Know Jack (but will!), Heroes Adds Cast Members

- Dr. Gregory House will have a new roommate when the sixth season of House begins this fall. Tony Award-winning actor Lin-Manuel Miranda has been tapped to play the crochety doctor's roommate as he begins his stay in a psychiatric hospital. Mirada is best know for writing and starring in the Broadway musical In the Heights. [Entertainment Weekly]

- Coming on the heels of last week's slew of 24 casting news, Katee Sackhoff (aka "Starbuck" from Battlestar Galactica) has also signed on to join Kiefer Sutherland in the Fox drama. Sackhoff will be a regular cast member during the eighth season, playing "Dana Walsh, a smart, competent, expert data analyst at CTU with a secret past." Walsh is involved with CTU agent Davis Cole, played by Freddie Prinze Jr. [Hollywood Reporter]

- Lots of Heroes casting news too. Prison Break's Robert Knepper will be a new villian, Samuel, who is "the key figure in the death carnival, the primary new setting and storyline for season four."Californication's Madeline Zima will be splitting her time between the Showtime series and Heroes. Zima and former Days of Our Lives actress Rachel Melvin will play Claire Bennet's (Hayden Panettiere) college roommates. [E! Online][Hollywood Reporter]

- A new :50 video sneak peek at Stargate Universe, the upcoming new series in the Stargate franchise, has been posted at the show's official site. The clip features new footage and soundbytes from SGU stars including Robert Carlyle, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ming-Na. [Stargate Universe]

- Cable network TBS is in talks with Fox to revive cancelled comedy My Name Is Earl for a 13-episode season. TBS currently airs Earl reruns. Discussions like this often happen after broadcast shows are axed, but often don't pan out so Earl fans shouldn't get their hopes up too high just yet. [Variety]

- David Letterman and CBS are said to be close to inking a deal that would extend the late night host's contract through 2012. Letterman's show has aired on CBS since he left NBC in 1993. [Reuters via Yahoo! News]

- Kathy Bates, Tim Curry and Colm Meany are starring in SciFi Channel's reimagining of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Simply titled Alice, the four-hour movie event is written and directed by Nick Willing, who directed the Emmy-winning mini-series Tin Man that aired on SciFi in 2007. [SCI FI Wire]

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TV News: ABC announces fall lineup, The Unit and My Name Is Earl canceled...

- ABC has presented its fall lineup, which will include returning shows like Grey's Anatomy and Dancing with the Stars. There will also be a Wednesday night, two-hour block of comedies (including Cougar Town). Scrubs and Better Off Ted are supposed to appear midseason. For more about the network's fall lineup, go here. [The Hollywood Reporter]

- Meanwhile, NBC has decided to cancel My Name Is Earl, but 20th Century executives are speaking to FOX and ABC about picking it up. The peacock network has also passed on ordering another season of Medium, but those rumors that show owner CBS could pick it up are still alive and kicking. Meanwhile, CBS has decided not to pick up The Unit. [Entertainment Weekly]

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