By Rachel Bennett
Television Editor & Columnist
Every Friday, Rachel recaps the week’s major TV-related news, announcements, and gossip!
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TOP STORIES
• President Barack Obama will take a seat on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman Tuesday, Sept. 18. It will be his second time on the show since being elected in 2008. The same day, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will appear on ABC’s Live! with Kelly and Michael.
• NBC’s Today show is coming under fire — again. After being the only major network to not cover a moment of silence for 9/11 victims at Ground Zero (and instead airing an interview with Kris Jenner), the network defended its decision. It did, however, send a memo to network affiliates, apologizing for viewer complaints many have received.
• Despite the much-hyped additions of singers Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, the season premiere ratings of Fox’s The X Factor decreased 23 percent from last season’s premiere.
• NBC’s Saturday Night Live creator and producer Lorne Michaels announced that cast member Jay Pharoah will be taking over the role of President Obama from Fred Armisen this upcoming season.
• Actress Liza Minnelli (Cabaret) is returning to Netflix’s Arrested Development, reprising her role of Lucille Austero. New episodes are slated to air in spring 2013.
SHOW BIZ
• Showtime’s comedy Episodes, starring Matt LeBlanc (NBC’s Friends), has been given a third season.
• Speaking of renewals, A&E’s The Glades will return for a fourth season.
• Actor, rapper and comedian Donald Glover, of NBC’s Community, is developing a comedy at NBC loosely based on his life. He would also star, even though the project is in second position to Community.
• Ever wish CBS’s 60 Minutes was 60 minutes of sports? Well, you’re in luck because CBS News and Showtime are working together to create 60 Minutes of Sports, a program that will air on Showtime.
• NBC has ordered a script commitment for Under the Gun, a drama from ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and Grey’s writer Peter Nowalk.
• ABC’s new talk show Katie, headlined by former Today co-anchor Katie Couric, had the best premiere ratings for a syndicated talk show in 10 years.
• To keep up with other networks that are creating more original programming, Bravo is developing five new dramas. One is a reboot of the 1989 high school cult classic Heathers, which stars Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.
• Actress Angela Bassett (Waiting to Exhale) will executive produce and star in a NBC legal drama that’s in the early stages of development.
• NBC’s Parenthood creator Jason Katims has teamed up with X-Men: First Class producer Simon Kinberg to create a spy series titled Anonymous. The pilot is being developed for Fox.
COMINGS & GOINGS
• Following the departures of Kristen Wiig, Andy Samberg and Abby Elliott, Saturday Night Live has hired three new cast members for the fall. Meanwhile, Jason Sudeikis is returning to the sketch show, which premieres tomorrow.
• Conservative radio talk show host Glenn Beck, who left Fox News Channel in 2o11, is making a TV comeback. Dish Network is airing Beck’s online news channel The Blaze TV.
• NBC’s Parks and Recreation just got even better: Jonathan Banks (AMC’s Breaking Bad) and Glenne Headly (NBC’s ER) will guest star as Ben’s (Adam Scott) divorced parents this fall. Additionally, Ben Schwartz (Showtime’s House of Lies) will come back this season as Jean-Ralphio.
• In other Breaking Bad-related news, Giancarlo Esposito may be returning to the drama for the latter half of its final season.
• Tom Hanks (Cloud Atlas) has signed on to be the narrator, on-camera host and historical commentator of National Geographic Channel’s TV movie Killing Lincoln. The film, which is being produced by Scott Free Productions, is based on conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly‘s book Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever.
• Alfre Woodard (ABC’s Desperate Housewives) will guest star on ABC’s Private Practice as Sam’s (Taye Diggs) mother. Her episode will debut in November. Moreover, Matt Long (AMC’s Mad Men) has landed a recurring role on the series as a doctor.
• Possibly in response to criticism that there was not enough diversity on the series, ABC Family’s Bunheads will add two characters described as “sibling dancers of color who are incredibly close” when it returns in 2013.
• CBS’s The Good Wife is adding three more guest stars this season: comedian Bill Maher will make a cameo as himself, Judd Hirsch (NBC’s Taxi) will play a judge and John Shea (The CW’s Gossip Girl) will take the role of Cary’s (Matt Czuchry) dad.
• Actor Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street) will appear in this fall’s Thanksgiving episode of Fox’s New Girl as Schmidt’s (Max Greenfield) cousin.
• From broke caterer to broke girls: Ryan Hansen (Starz’s Party Down) has signed on for a recurring role on CBS’s 2 Broke Girls as a possible love interest.
• Last week, we told you singer Enrique Iglesias had been offered a seat at the judges’ table for the new season of Fox’s American Idol. Well, it seems things have changed. Fox is no longer negotiating with Iglesias, and Randy Jackson (the only original judge remaining) will be returning in the same role.
• HBO’s Entourage creator Doug Ellin is reportedly almost done with a script for the film. The movie will take place six months after the comedy’s finale, which aired in 2011. Like we haven’t heard this before…
• Khloe Kardashian, of E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians, is a frontrunner in the search for the new host of The X Factor. “It could be a Kardashian. I think that would work,” creator and judge Simon Cowell said Tuesday on NBC’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “We have to find people who have a great chemistry, but Khloe is definitely up there in running.”
• Chris Zylka, of The CW’s canceled The Secret Circle, will no longer appear on FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum. The actor was set to guest star in at least two episodes but was let go for reportedly being reluctant to shave his head for the role.
COMING UP
• ABC’s Modern Family is about to get a little bigger. Check out this promo for season four.
• The final season of Fox’s Fringe premieres Sept. 28, and here’s a picture to help make the wait a little shorter.
• Pour a glass of wine because Cougar Town is coming to TBS Jan. 8, and the cul-de-sac crew has a song to remind you.
• Worried about season four of Community? These pictures should help put you at ease.
• ABC’s Once Upon a Time returns Sept. 30, and the new promo promises that magic is coming.
• As for another of ABC’s Sunday night series, Revenge looks just as juicy as ever from these pictures. Now can we please get a good promo for season two?
• It’s time to say BYE to GTL in these promos for MTV’s final season of Jersey Shore.
• Ready for The CW’s The Vampire Diaries? I sure am, especially after looking at these pictures from season four.
• ABC’s Scandal, one of the best new series of last year, has released a promo for season two.
• It’s an ER reunion on The Good Wife, as guest star Maura Tierney acts alongside Julianna Margulies in these season four pictures.
• Here’s a promo for The CW’s Arrow, which we named one of our favorite pilots of the fall season.
• Two men and a baby: Addison (Kate Walsh) has a lot to deal with in the season six preview of Private Practice.
• ABC’s Castle returns Sept. 24, so here are some sneak peeks of season five until the dramedy returns.
Friday Fun: “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” gets a high-tech upgrade from Google.