Make sure you tune in!

Rebecca: Is Cougar Town in danger?
Depends who you ask. ABC did not put the show on its midseason schedule, as you probably heard, but I’m told by multiple show and network sources that the series will most definitely return this season. Just a bit later than expected. I’m told Cougar Town’s return date will be announced in January at ABC’s day during the Television Critics Association Press Tour. Also hearing some awesome things about the new season, including a very funny storyline for Sarah Chalke and a plot that sends a main character to the hospital.

Sources confirm to TVLine exclusively that the Scrubs MVP is joining ABC’s wine-soaked comedy for a major arc as a love interest for Brian Van Holt’s Bobby. The gig reunites Chalke with her former Scrubs boss (and C-Town co-creator) Bill Lawrence.

Her character, Angie, is described as a natural beauty with a cool vibe who meets Bobby through his son Travis (she’s his photography professor at college).

I’m told Chalke, who last headlined CBS’ short-loved sitcom Mad Love, is signed for multiple episodes of the show’s still-unscheduled (grrrr) third season.

This marks the third Scrubs vet Lawrence has welcomed into the cul-de-sac crew, following stints by Ken Jenkins (as dad to Courteney Cox’s Jules) and Sam Lloyd (reprising his role as Scrubs‘ Ted). The number jumps to four if you include Zach Braff’s “cameo” last spring and Scott Foley’s Season 1 arc as Jules’ boyfriend.

Source

20th TV first got in business with Chalke when she recurred on the studio’s CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother from 2008-09 and then cast her as a lead in Greg Malins’ 2010 ABC pilot Freshmen. After the pilot didn’t make the cut to series in May 2010, the studio wanted to sign Chalke in a deal right away, but she was cast in CBS’ midseason comedy series Mad Love, so 20th TV brass were “determined to get her this year,” studio’s chairman Gary Newman said. “She is incredibly talented as a comic force — she can do physical comedy and has great timing. There is almost a Lucy quality to her,” he said, referring to comedy icon Lucille Ball.

Sarah Chalke will start meeting with writers shortly. Once she and the studio settle on a concept, the focus will be on developing that project but 20th executives will also keep an eye on other comedies in the works with characters that could be right for her. “She is incredibly castable,” Newman said. “We hope that the project we develop for her goes, but if it doesn’t, we will cast her in one of our other pilots.”

Indeed, Chalke, repped by UTA and John Carrabino, has been in great demand. In her first pilot season after Scrubs in 2010, she was cast in two pilots, Freshmen and CBS’ Team Spitz, the latter in second position. But ever since she started as a child actress on Roseanne, Chalke has always been cast into existing projects. “I’ve always been curious what would it be to develop and get involved in the project from the very beginning; I think it will be neat,” said Chalke, who also liked working with 20th on HIMYM and Freshmen and is a fan of the studio’s roster of series. She said she’d love to collaborate with How I Met Your Mother creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, who “have a rare ability to find a balance in creating a characters that are funny but also make you care about them.” As for a possible return on HIMYM, “I have no idea (whether that can happen), but I would do it in heartbeat,” she said.

Source

Source

Mel Brooks, Sarah Chalke, Rebecca Romijn, Jenna Elfman and Freddy Rodriguez are among the stars who have signed on to provide guest voices on the animated preschool series.

The star-studded episodes will air the week of April 4 on Disney Channel’s Disney Junior block. In one episode, Brooks will play a sleepy grandfather, while in another Romijn is featured as a department store clerk. Also, Elfman plays a safety-conscious mom, Rodriguez is a health-minded dad, Chalke is a preschool director and Doris Roberts is a forgiving grandmother.

“I did Special Agent Oso because my five-year-old grandson Henry watches the show,” says Brooks. “I wanted to surprise him with an appearance.” Special Agent Oso stars Sean Astin as the voice of Oso, a stuffed panda bear who completes his missions with the help of young viewers. The show airs weekdays at 6:30 a.m and 1 p.m.

Source

This short film follows the comic adventures of Santa’s stealthiest elves Lanny and Wayne. In the film it is only a few short days from Christmas, Mrs. Claus voiced by the iconic Betty White, and Magee voiced by Sarah Chalke enlist Wayne voiced by Dave Foley and Lanny voiced by Derek Richardson on a secret mission. Lanny and Wayne are asked to find a mysterious item hidden deep within Santa Claus office. The intrepid duo must acquire the item in time before being discovered by the Big Guy voiced by Morgan Sheppard.

Last year we saw Wayne getting ready for an anticipated promotion and leaving Prep and Landing only to discover his former partner got the promotion instead. We are then introduced to Lanny a new rookie to train as his new partner. Their antics almost cost a young boy Timmy his Christmas, but at the last minute they save the day and give Timmy a happy Christmas.

Source

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will be releasing the show’s final season, complete with the season’s 13 episodes plus bonus features, including deleted scenes and bloopers.

Other features include “Scrubbing In,” a bonus feature that allows viewers to meet the newcomer actors, along with insights from creator Bill Lawrence and stars Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke; and “The Todd’s High Five Scrubs Trivia Challenge,” a contest led by Dr. Todd Quinlan (Robert Maschio) that challenges viewers to a test knowledge of all nine seasons.

The packaging of the DVD will be a delight to fans as well. It includes a collectible X-ray/Lenticular cover of the cast, official Sacred Heart Hospital ID badge in-pack, and photo booth strip of the cast.

In its ninth and final season, the show now focuses at a med school led by Lucy (Kerry Bishe), a med student who takes over the narrating of the show from JD. Donald Faison and John C. McGinley were the only cast members who came back as series regulars in the latest season.

Also starring were Eliza Couple, Michael Mosley, and Dave Franco.

The complete ninth and final season will be released September 28.

Source

Actually, he’s got five! And if you’re still a megafan of that other bit of TV magic Bill created back in the day (ahem, Scrubs!), this casting scoop will cause loads of woo-hooing, jumping high-fives and maybe even a fit of glee. Don’t say we didn’t warn ya…

J.D., Turk, Elliot, Carla and Dr. Cox are coming to Florida…well, kinda. Just not in that order. And not all of them. But some for sure!

“I promise you either Sarah Chalke, Zach Braff, John C. McGinley, Donald Faison or Judy Reyes will be on the show this year,” Bill tells us of his favorite Scrubsers infiltrating the Cougar crew’s second season.

Sadly, The Janitor is out of the equation because, as Bill puts it: “It can’t be Neil Flynn because he betrayed me and took another job on the same network,” referring, of course, to The Middle. The nerve!

But hey, we’ll take what we can get—and so will Bill! “I would kill for them to [guest star].” he adds. “[And] I guarantee you at least one of those guys.”

The show runner extraordinaire tells us he wouldn’t be against an onscreen reunion between John and Christa Miller (Scrubs supercouple Perry & Jordan), saying: “I think enough time has passed that they’re not husband and wife anymore.”

Bill’s also got a thang for hiring “within the family,” as he puts it—which means get ready for more Scott Foley and, as we first reported last week, Ryan Devlin on Cougar Town, too!

“We call it the Friends of the Family policy,” Bill tells us, “which is, I generally only bring on guest stars that are my friends or friends of the other actors or the crew so that we all know what they’re like.”

Just call ‘em the Bill Lawrence Players. And Busy Phillips (Laurie) is for it.

“Bill has been doing this for so long and is so good at what he does,” she gushes, “And he knows that when you have people who have worked together before, you don’t have to wait for any chemistry to build. He came to all of us and said, ‘If there any friends you’d like to get on the show, I’ll be coming and asking you about casting,’ and he really does. Everybody always wants to know if one of the Friends are going to be on the show, but truthfully, it’s exciting to get everybody’s friends involved!”

So really, the only thing left to say is: How the heck do we become part of the Friends of the Family gang?! C’mon, Bill, you know we love ya. Let’s make this thing happen.

From E! Online

The story of a blind date that starts off promising — but for one major flaw.

Mad Love follows four single friends living in New York City – two who are falling in love and two who despise each other… at least for now. I hope the latter two are Judy Greer and Tyler Labine, now that would be perfect.

Matt Tarses and Jamie Tarses are the executive producers for Sony Pictures Entertainment in association with CBS Television Studios. Pamela Fryman directed the pilot.

Great cast and potential cute story, this has officially peeked my attention.

From Daemon’s TV

Mad Love is an ensemble comedy about four friends in New York – Henry (Jason Biggs), Kate (Chalke), Larry (Tyler Labine) and Connie – who are looking for love. Connie was played in the pilot by Lizzy Caplan as a guest star and that role is now being recast as Caplan couldn’t commit to the series.

This is the second round of re-castings on Mad Love, which replaced Dan Fogler with Labine and Ashley Austin Morris with Caplan just before the pilot was shot. Chalke’s character Kate is described as a pretty, clean-scrubbed Midwestern who is a sweet but strong-willed romantic. She falls in love with Henry at the top of the Empire State Building and often tackles her cousin and best friend, Connie, to the ground in order to get her way.

Mad Love, produced by Sony TV and CBS Studios, is expected to be joined by the 20th TV-produced mid-season drama Chaos, whose pickup deal at CBS is said to be nearing completion. Shalke was in demand and did two pilots this year, ABC’s Freshmen and CBS’ Team Spitz, which also was produced by Sony.

From Deadline

Sources confirm to me exclusively that the in-demand Scrubs vet — who already scored a starring role in the ABC sitcom pilot Freshman — has booked a second pilot, the high school-set CBS comedy Team Spitz.

Chalke, who is technically billed as a guest star since the project is in second position to Freshman, will play a guidance counselor. The cast also includes Daily Show alum Rob Riggle as football coach.

From the Ausiello Files