TV Squad

We critics are a sensitive bunch. We try to think like the audiences who will watch the shows we review, and try to pick out what we think people may like or dislike. But often we're wrong, mainly because we forget that, through it all, it's our opinion that we're writing here.

I mention this because 'Outsourced' came to the TCA press tour in the same situation as CBS's 'Mike & Molly' did two days ago. Critics threw questions at the producers about 'Mike & Molly' being one long fat joke. Today, producers Ken Kwapis and Robert Borden basically got the same questions, only about the fact that many thought the 'Outsourced' pilot was one long Indian joke.

They insisted it wasn't, even though there's three different jokes about the name "Manmeet." It's a workplace comedy at its core, they say, one that will point out the cultural differences between the U.S. and India. And they swear the cultural humor will cut both ways.

Her CBS show might've been cancelled, but Jennifer Love Hewitt's career shows no sign of slowing down. The former 'Ghost Whisperer' star has one highly rated Lifetime movie, 'The Client List,' under her belt, and now TV Guide is reporting that she'll guest on the Sept. 29 episode of 'Law & Order: SVU.'

Executive producer Neal Baer told the magazine that J. Love will be playing a rape victim who is so scarred by her attacks that she is afraid to leave her house.

It's official: Paul Lee is the new head of ABC Entertainment Group.

"I'm proud of everything we achieved at ABC Family, and I'm looking forward to working with another great team at ABC Entertainment Group to bring even more compelling stories to viewers," Lee said in a statement. "ABC is a great network defined by creativity and known for delivering some of the best shows on television. I'm excited to be part of it, and deeply honored to be chosen for the unique opportunity to lead the network and the brand into the future."

Disney made the announcement via press release.

Lee served as head of ABC Family since 2004. He helped usher in original programming such as 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager,' 'Greek,' Kyle XY' and 'Pretty Little Liars.'

Lee will not serve as presidents of both networks. His replacement at ABC Family will be named at a later date.

In other TV news ...

Procedurals are a dime a dozen on primetime, but NBC is hoping to capture audiences with two new crime/legal dramas that -- according to the casts and producers at the TCA press tour -- will offer brand new perspectives on an already crowded genre.

First up was 'Outlaw,' a series starring Jimmy Smits as Supreme Court Justice Cyrus Garza, who retires his gavel to take on controversial cases from the other side of the bench. Then (after a delicious dessert break courtesy of 'Top Chef') NBC introduced 'Chase,' a Texas-based drama about a team of U.S. Marshals. Join us after the jump for highlights from both panels.

'Jersey Shore' premiered last night to its highest ratings yet, and today the show is getting another publicity boost. TMZ is reporting that breakout star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was arrested this afternoon in Seaside Heights, N.J. for disorderly conduct.

Though there are photos of the handcuffed star being escorted by police, there is no word on what led to the arrest.

After the triumphant ending of 'Lost' and the ignominious flame-out of 'Heroes,' you'd think that audiences would no longer be in the mood to buy into a complicated, serialized drama that -- most of the time -- ends up asking more questions than providing answers.

That seemed to be the mood in the room at 'The Event' panel at TCA as the producers of the new NBC series were peppered with questions from critics about the complicated nature of the pilot. It's an intricate story, with flashbacks that explain a particular scene in the present, lots of characters to keep track of, and finally the "Holy crap" moment at the end that's the actual event of the title.

The presentation of the story will be more linear going forward, however, exploring the relationships between the characters starting from Episode 2. "We're very cognizant of rewarding audience's patience," said executive producer Evan Katz. "We want to keep them hooked but asking other questions (at the same time). We're keeping mysteries open, but we're solving them. In the second episode, we'll clearly answer the two biggest questions in the pilot."

'Law & Order' is dead -- long live 'Law & Order'! Though the veteran show, which producers affectionately refer to as "the mothership," is now officially dearly departed after two decades on the air, creator Dick Wolf is back in the saddle with 'Law & Order: Los Angeles' (or 'LOLA'), and he brought executive producers Rene Balcer and Blake Masters along with cast members Skeet Ulrich and Corey Stoll to discuss the freshman procedural.

The show will premiere on Wed., Sept. 29 at 10PM on NBC. There was no footage to be previewed, so read on for highlights from the panel.

NBC's 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' has enjoyed a smooth run so far, but the show is now facing its first major controversy: A male ex-employee is accusing Fallon and his staff of sexual discrimination.

Paul Tarascio, a former stage manager for Fallon, claims he was unjustly demoted after a show executive told him "Jimmy just prefers to take direction from a woman,'' according to E! Online.

What a difference six months makes. In January, with the Leno/Conan mess blowing up all around them, NBC Universal entertainment execs Jeff Gaspin and Angela Bromstad sat before the critics and answered questions as unassuredly as people in their position could be. Gaspin, who had just been inserted in his job, tried to be honest about the fiasco and their mistakes, but really couldn't talk about how the network's future would look.

Now, though, with a development season under their belts, both executives took a more confident stance at the TCA press tour, talking about "rebuilding" the network. More on that in a bit.

First some news: '30 Rock' will air a live episode on Oct. 14. 'Parenthood' and 'Outlaw' will premiere early, after the final two episodes of 'America's Got Talent' on Sept. 14 and 15, respectively. Rob Lowe is now a permanent cast member of 'Parks and Recreation.' And there will be guest stars galore on various NBC shows, including Drew Carey on 'Community.' Finally, 'The Apprentice' comes back with a two-hour premiere on Sept. 16.

To say TNT "knows drama" is an understatement. The cable network known for churning out fan-favorite crime dramas has just renewed three shows, including 'The Closer,' one of its biggest hits.

Joining 'The Closer' in renewal is 'Leverage' and the freshman drama 'Rizzoli & Isles.' 'The Closer' and 'Leverage' received a 15-episode order each, 'Rizzoli & Isles' was picked up for 13.

"TNT has enjoyed tremendous success on Sunday and Monday nights with 'Leverage,' 'The Closer' and 'Rizzoli & Isles,'" Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, said in a statement. "All three shows feature terrific casts, sharp writing and top-notch production teams. We look forward to continued success with new seasons in 2011."

At first glance, J.J. Abrams' new NBC show 'Undercovers' sounds somewhat like 'Alias' -- if Sydney Bristow and Michael Vaughn had gotten married.

But executive producer Josh Reims told TV critics Friday that 'Undercovers' won't be 'Alias: Five Years Later.'

"Don't tell J.J., but I never really watched 'Alias,'" Reims said. "Neither one of us wanted to do 'Alias' -- he'd already done it ... and I thought it was one of the most confusing shows ever."

So, don't expect any Rambaldi-esque mythology in 'Undercovers,' but there will be more glamor and globe-trotting -- and sexy, witty banter between leads Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who play married spies Steven and Samantha Bloom.

Reims, Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw were joined by producer Carther MacIntyre and cast members Gerald McRaney, Ben Schwartz and Mekia Cox. See what they had to say about the show, after the jump ...

Like that great TV philosopher, Tracy Jordan, advised his co-worker pal Kenneth, we should all live every week like it's Shark Week.

Fortunately, this week -- starting Sunday night -- actually is Shark Week, Discovery Channel's annual lineup of programming dedicated to the sea dog (as sharks were known until the 16th century).

This year's Shark Week, the network's 23rd such celebration, kicks off with a new special called 'Ultimate Air Sharks' (Sunday, 9PM) and will be hosted by famous Shark Week devotee Craig Ferguson.

We weren't exactly the biggest Lee DeWyze fans during this past season of 'American Idol,' but we'll admit that after we interviewed him last week, we're ready to call him our new BFF.

As you'll see after the jump, the interview turned out to be, as Lee might put it, amazing. (Though, as he told us, he's ready to pick a new favorite word.)

In this special SomethingPitchy interview, watch as the season 9 champ dishes on getting new tattoos, what it's like to be the star of the 'American Idol' tour and what his new album is going to sound like. (Get ready for lots of polka!)

Then, stick around for SP's favorite girl Crystal Bowersox, who told Gaby about her son's cute mispronunciations, her budding romance with TV host Jimmy Kimmel (not!) and her thoughts on the new Janis Joplin biopic. (How was she not cast, Hollywood?!)

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @somethingpitchy (or @gabydunn and @aolandy) for more 'Idol' coverage.

This is Spoilers Anonymous, a weekly column here at TV Squad where we supply you with the dirt on some of the more popular shows on the air. We'll never put spoilers up here on the main page in order to help the reformed stay unspoiled. If you have anything to add to the group, feel free to step up and let yourself be heard, either with our tips form or by e-mailing us at tvsquad@gmail.com. Your anonymity is guaranteed, if you wish to remain as such.

This week we have spoilers for: '90210,' 'Bones,' 'Castle,' 'CSI: New York,' 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Dexter,' 'Fringe,' 'Glee,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'House,' 'How I Met Your Mother,' 'Parenthood,' 'Private Practice,' 'Supernatural,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' and 'The Mentalist.'

Who says Miracles don't happen? For Doris Roberts, they can be a recurring thing.

The Emmy award-winning 'Everybody Loves Raymond' star is slated to reprise her titular role as Mrs. Miracle in 'Debbie Macomber's They Call Me Mrs. Miracle' this fall on the Hallmark Channel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In this sequel to last December's 'Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle' (and once again based on the best-selling author's book, which will hit stores in September), Roberts again will play Emily Merkle, a.k.a. Mrs. Miracle -- the mysterious and saintly woman who swoops into troubled lives in order to work her restorative Christmas magic.