Nicholas Brendon

In the News: Arrested Development, Terminator and More!

ARRESTED NO, PRISON YES: Variety is reporting that Fox has cut back its episode order for the Emmy-winning yet ratings-anemic Arrested Development, has advised Kitchen Confidential execs that the freshman series will not be picked up for a full season, and - here comes the salt - is pulling both shows from the schedule for at least the remainder of November sweeps. Fox will air Prison Break repeats in the 8 pm/ET Monday slot for the time being, unless, that is, Jason Bateman gives up Fibonacci.

I’LL BE BAAACK: Or, at least, she will. Variety reports that C2 Pictures, which gave us Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, has inked a deal with Fox to develop The Sarah Connor Chronicles, a spin-off series set between the second and third Terminator films and focusing on apocalypse-phobe Sarah (played by a mad-ripped Linda Hamilton on the big screen) and her savior scion, John. War of the Worlds scribe Josh Friedman will pen the pilot and exec-produce the project. C2 Pictures also confirms that it is in "the final phases of development" of a fourth Terminator feature that could be the first entry of a new trilogy. It probably all depends on the outcome of a certain 2006 gubernatorial election.

LOST LOVE: ABC’s Lost followed through on its promo’d promise to dispatch a major castaway when, in last night’s episode, Maggie Grace’s babe-a-liscious brat, Shannon, bit the bullet by taking one in the torso - and from "tailie" Ana Lucia’s gun, no less! And right after Sayid professed his love!! And not long after those two kids kicked boots!!! The moral of this story, folks? Listen to Walt. Sure, he talks backwards and all, but still....

REEGE WILL BE BAAACK: Regis Philbin is returning to ABC prime time as the host of This Is Your Life, a revival of, like, one of the first reality programs ever. Having originated on radio in the ’40s before crossing over to TV, This Is Your Life recapped guests’ lives, replete with surprise walk-ons by long-lost relatives and such. ABC will air the new version in 2006 as a series of specials, which, if popular, will be run into the ground à la Millionaire.

DVD EXTRAS, HAVE I MUST, MMM: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, thus far the year’s biggest theatrical release, has been no slouch at the video-store counter, either. In its first week, the DVD edition moved 5.3 million units, totaling $117.6 million in sales - that’s more than Sith’s opening weekend box-office grab. Now let’s see if those clowns on The Apprentice can somehow screw all that up and lose Lucas some coin in tonight’s Sith-related task.

DON’T BE A DINK AND DRIVE: Paris Hilton escaped unhurt when a Bentley driven by her beau, Stavros Niarchos - while he had a jacket pulled over his head - crashed into an SUV. Witnesses say it was like watching Paris’ life.

HOLLY-LUJAH!: CBS’ NCIS has promoted Season 3 addition Lauren Holly to series regular, effective with the Nov. 22 episode. With her new status, Holly was given a new Peter Pan ’do, which can be seen on Page 8 of the new issue of TV Guide, right beneath something called "The Ausiello Report."

24 BADDIE TURNS SNOOP: Paul Blackthorne, aka bad guy Stephen Saunders in Season 3 of 24, has landed the lead in Sci Fi Channel’s TV-movie adaptation of The Dresden Files, the best-selling series of novels about a Chicago P.I. with special abilities.

SEAWORTHY: Nickelodeon has ordered 20 more episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, bringing the series’ total run to 100 underwater misadventures. And yet my twin sons will still insist on watching the same TiVo’d episode over and over. And over. And over.

IN THE WORKS: USA Network has ordered a pilot for Underfunded, a dramedy about a Canadian Secret Service agent, eh?... ABC has made a pilot commitment to a half-hour comedy from Friends show-runner Shana Goldberg, about two sisters raised in very different (i.e., rich versus poor) environments.

TOP MODEL DISH!: This Friday’s The Tyra Banks Show promises juicy behind-the-scenes secrets from America’s Next Top Model when Season 2’s Shandi Sullivan appears with Eric, the never-before-seen guy she cheated on while in Milan. I’ll let the publicist make the joke on this one: "Hmm, hot Italian model guy on a motorcycle, or jealous boyfriend guy crying on the other end of the phone - who would you choose?"

GET A LOAD OF THIS $#!@: According to a new report from the FCC, complaints about raunchy TV and radio programming quadrupled in the third quarter of 2005 compared to the previous three months, abruptly reversing a trend of declines. When did Britney and Kevin: Chaotic air?