“Someone said to me today, ‘Everybody loved PUSING DAISIES,’ I said, ‘No, they didn’t— that’s why I’m here today talking about a new show.’” — Chi McBride pontificating on the harsh reality of the TV biz at last week’s TCA event for his new FOX series HUMAN TARGET

MELROSE PLACE stars Michael Rady and Sean Sipos

CW President Dawn Ostroff with MELROSE PLACE’s Jessica Lucas, Colin Egglesfield, Laura Leighton, Sean Sipos, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, Katie Cassidy

ONE TREE HILL’s Robert Buckely and Sophia Bush

Dawn Ostroff, President of Entertainment, The CW with LIFE UNEXPECTED’s Kristoffer Polaha, Shiri Appleby and Britt Robertson

MELROSE PLACE’s Katie Cassidy and Sean Sipos

MELROSE PLACE’s Katie Cassidy and 90210’s Jessica Stroup

ONE TREE HILL’s Austin Nichols, Sophia Bush, Shantel Van Santen and Robert Buckley

Photo Credit: Joe Magnani/The CW

5:25PM: Although V executive producer Scott Peters is quick to joke that his secret plan is to try and attract every single Sci Fi fan by turning V into what one critic calls the LOVE BOAT of science fiction courtesy of a cast that includes alum from FIREFLY, THE 4400 and LOST, he promises he really did go with the best actors we could find.

5:27PM: Elizabeth Mitchell reconfirms what every LOST fan already knew: That she is indeed returning to the island (the island, of course being Hawaii, where the show shoots) — more than once — and naturally cannot speak to the fate of Juliet, “I can’t say whether Juliet is alive or dead, but as with all things LOST, it will be tricky.”

5:29PM: Another reporter notes that Morena Baccarin was perfectly cast as the V’s idea of what earth people want to see. Well, duh.

5:32PM: The cast, which we should mention seem to genuinely like each-other, announce their series premiere date in unison (Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 8PM.) A dramatic reading that would have been far more exciting had TV MoJoe not already broken the news hours ago.

5:33PM: A reporter asks the first of far too many questions with regards to V’s place in a post 9/11 world. VVVVvvvvv sorry, ZZZZzzzzzzzz (Yeah, it’s been a really long day!)

5:34PM: Original fans will be thrilled to learn that this V reboot will pay homage to the miniseries by having Baccarin’s character eat a rat. Something that surely would mean far more to us had we actually seen the original miniseries. Plus, there has been talk of incorporating some of the original V actors in different roles (Think: Richard Hatch in BATTLESTAR GALACTICA).

5:35PM: Scoop! The producers tease that the V will NOT have the same agenda as the V from the original series and promise that we will in fact be seeing Alan Tudyk’s character again. Adds Mitchell, “Oh he’s so good!” Yeah, Elizabeth Mitchell is pretty much awesome.

5:39PM: “We’ve set up the season so that by the end of the first season you know what the V agenda is and which side of the line each character will end up on,” reveals executive producer Jeffrey Bell. “The second season will have an entirely different arc.”

5:41PM: Sign #21 that this is the final TCA panel of the tour comes from the reporter who asks if the Lizards brought down Oceanic 815? “Maybe,” jokes Mitchell who goes on to explain that ‘maybe’ is her standard LOST go-to answer.

5:43PM: Bell reassures skeptical critics that like every good Cylon, the producers have a plan. One that will last take at least 3 to 4 years. Fingers crossed.

4:41PM: The EASTWICK promotional reel is using the TRUE BLOOD ‘Bad Things’ theme for their clip package. Not cool ABC, not cool at all.

4:43PM: Luckily for Rebecca Romijn, husband Jerry O’Connell is currently in Hollywood pergatude courtesy of the train-wreck that was his short-lived FOX ‘comedy’ DO NOT DISTURB taking some time off to take care of the twins she gave birth to mere weeks before shooting the pilot.

4:46PM: In response to a reporter calling EASTWICK “DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES with Magic,” executive producer Maggie Friedman responds, “Not at all.” Which we’re gonna have to agree with. After-all, Wisteria Lane featured four lovely leading ladies, whereas EASTWICK only features three. See, totally different.

4:48PM: Unlike the movie, which was very much a product of its time (that time being the 80’s), Friedman promises that EASTWICK is contemporary, where three ordinary women are dealing with being given extraordinary powers based on their life’s journey. Quick, somebody call Tim Kring’s lawyer, line one!

4:50PM: Fun Fact: If the show’s town looks familiar, it should. It was previously home to GILMORE GIRLS’ Stars Hollow…. moment of silence.

4:51PM: Cast members get asked the dreaded question HEROES stars undoubtedly still have nightmares about. What it’s like to have powers.

4:52PM: Scoop! Sara Rue’s supporting player Penny, also known as the only character to not exhibit powers in the pilot — may in fact do so in the future.

4:54PM: “The theme in season one is empowerment, discovering who these women are and learning to embrace and control their powers,” reveals Friedman, who adds when asked about where the show fits within the world’s created in both the book and the film, “We sort of wink at the fact that Darryl [Paul Gross] may have been in EASTWICK twenty years ago and Cybil Sheppard, who was a witch in the 80’s will be making an appearance in multiple episodes.”

4:59PM: Sign you know actress Lindsay Price is the nerdy character: She wears glasses and has a bun! Which suits the actress just fine, who claims that playing Joanna Frankel is more herself than any character she’s ever played.

5:01PM: Similarly to Price’s character, Romijn calls Roxie the closest character to her real-life persona, revealing that it’s “nice to play a woman again after all the Trannies and mutants!”

1:00PM: Just how enjoyable is the FLASHFORWARD pilot? I’m freezing cold, exhausted and hungry, yet still loving it.

1:01PM: Good News: Executive Producer David S. Goyer promises that “by the end of the first season, most of the questions raised in the pilot, including the one you see at the very end will be answered.” Bad News: The overarching mystery surrounding the cause of the blackout won’t come out until the end of the series, which Goyer hopes will last three seasons to really do the show justice.

1:05PM: On the lessons learned from LOST, Goyer shares that, “LOST taught me that you can do a show with a large ensemble cast and tell a big cinematic story.” Tell that to the creators of THE NINE, INVASION, SURFACE, JERICHO, KIDNAPPED etc…

1:08PM: Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim teases that while the first season will tell the story of April 29, 2010…. April 29 isn’t necessarily the season finale.

1:10PM: Star Dominic Monaghan claims that while there are obviously similarities between FLASHFORWARD and LOST, “I don’t think we’re necessarily dealing with the same deeply rooted mythology.” Begging the question… has Monaghan seen the premiere?

1:14PM: Scoop! FLASHFORWARD Robert J. Sawyer will write an episode in the first season. And since we’re on the subject of the source material, producers tease that the book and TV show are very different.

1:16PM: Goyer on the pilot’s biggest mystery, “The Kangaroo is a ‘thing,’ will be back more than once [in episode six], and people like it.”

1:17PM: “The significance of April 29, 2010 is one of the mysteries of the show,” explains Guggenheim when prodded by a reporter as to what’s the deal with the day. “And as far as what’s going to happen after April 29, well, that’s another mystery of the show and it would be a disservice to our audience to spoil it.” Drat!

1:18PM: Scoop! FAMILY GUY’s Seth MacFarlane will be back playing an FBI agent (Apparenely it pays to be friends with executive producer Brannon Braga) so to will ER’s Alex Kingston (No word on the status of her friendship with Braga!) While Gabrielle Union has has just wraped filming the third episode of the season.

1:24PM: British thespian Joseph Fiennes half-jokingly says, “that it’s nice to get off the horse and out of the fancy t-shirt.”

1:25PM: Goyer comes from the Hitchcock school of filmmaking, where actors are told very little with regards to where their characters are going. Which you know, should make for some really interesting interviews later today at the ABC cocktail party.

1:28PM: Courtney B. Vance recounts that while reading episode 5 on the train home from San Diego Comic Con, he couldn’t breath. Adds Guggenheim, “You never thought your character would do those kind of things with a kangaroo!”

1:33PM: Scoop! “There is a reason why some of the characters happen to be looking at their characters in their flash forwards,” hints Goyer. Adding, “Although we’ve said the blackout lasts for 2:33, at most the pilot only shows maybe 37 seconds. Which is going to be a lot of the fun — revealing what happened during the rest of the time — whether it was at the beginning or the end of the character’s flash forward, may change the audience’s perspective.”

1:35PM: Actress Sonya Walger doesn’t know whether or not Penny will be returning to LOST. And if she did, she wouldn’t share!

9:10AM: Watching clips from MODERN FAMILY, also known as the Fall’s funniest new show.

9:11AM: Spoiler-Alert! The three separate families portrayed in MODERN FAMILY are actually all related. A plot point that critics are now allowed to share with you ever-since ABC research indicated that one of the strengths of the show is that everybody is related.

9:13AM: Even though it works brilliantly, Executive Producer Steven Levitan admits to being initially wary with regards to employing the documentary style now ubiquitous across NBC’s comedy line-up.

9:15AM: “What people don’t understand is that DO NOT DISTURB [last season's short-lived incredibly unfunny 'laugher' on FOX] was really a three-part miniseries and we told the story we wanted to tell,” jokes star Jesse Tyler Ferguson when asked what it feels like to jump from a really awful show to MODERN FAMILY.

9:19AM: Attention right wing — with regards to 33% of the MODERN FAMILY cast (Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stronestreet’s hilarious same-sex couple and their adoptive newborn) — Steven Levitan welcomes criticism from you.

9:20AM: On the difference between comedy and drama, star Ed O’Neill treads dangerously close to Katherine Heigl territory when answering that getting paid millions of dollars to spend 14 hour days on the set of an hour-long procedural such as DRAGNET is a lot of work. Boo-hoo.

9:23AM: Fun Fact: Three alum (Ty Burrell, Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer) of FOX’s far-too-short-lived comedy BACK TO YOU all find themselves on ABC’s Wednesday night comedy block this fall.

9:27AM: Non-shocker of the morning: A room full of middle aged white guys are really interested in asking series star Sofia Vergara questions. Ditto for Julie Bowen.

9:27AM: On playing a mother of three, star Julie Bowen reveals that it’s much more interesting for her than playing the ‘love interest.’ In other-words, don’t expet her to show up on LOST anytime soon.

9:29AM: Sighting David Milch’s JOHN FROM CINCINNATI, Ed O’Neill believes a really good drama has a lot of comedy in it. Something normally we’d agree with, except for, did you see JOHN FROM CINCINNATI?

9:32AM: Levitan calls the talented child actors the show’s “antagonists and an integral part of the show.” Just not integral enough to get an invite to TCA.

The Observer crashes the party

BONES’ David Boreanaz and LIE TO ME’s Mekhi Phifer

The cast of LIE TO ME Kelli Williams, Exec. Producer David Nevins, Brendan Hines, Monica Raymund and Chairman Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Co. Peter Rice

Kevin Reilly, with HOUSE cast member Hugh Laurie, HOUSE creator and executive producer David Shore and executive producer Katie Jacobs

DOLLHOUSE cast member Dichen Lachman

HOUSE’s Lisa Edelstein and Peter Jacobson

Photo Credits: CR: Frank Micelotta/FOX

Despite a 2 million dollar book deal, two Emmys for MY LIFE ON THE D LIST and a Grammy nod for her shameless, albeit very funny comedy CD “For Your Consideration”, Kathy Griffin still considers herself a D-Lister heart. So much so that the headline-grabbing queen of hilarity still deemed it necessary to bring along a sign (see above photo) to Wednesday night’s NBC Universal TCA Party in an effort to ensure she wouldn’t get lost in a sea of famous faces that included stars from THE OFFICE, CHUCK and more. An effort that paid off, with said sign catching your very own TV Addict’s eye, allowing us to join a gaggle of TCA reporters for a quick Q&A.

What brings you to tonight’s TCA party?
I’m campaigning for an Emmy. I’m nominated for two of them and I want to win more than anyone on the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Having already won an Emmy, is campaigning not beneath you?
Let me tell you something, to me, the Emmy is like a hot blond to an older guy. I never get tired of it. Really. I get a boner for an Emmy year after year after year.

What is about the Emmy?
It’s my middle finger to everyone who tortured me throughout grade school, high school and my early career… and anyone who tortured anyone everywhere. I feel like it’s a revenge of the nerds moment. I also feel that I care about the statue more than anyone on DIRTY JOBS, which is something I’ll say right to their faces… if I ever see them or can recognize them.

If somebody left an Emmy in the ladies room…
It’s going home with me. Yeah, I’m talking right to you [Teri] Hatcher. Do not leave your Emmy in the bathroom.

Are you looking forward to hosting this year’s Creative Arts Emmys?
You mean “The Schmemmys?” I’m beside myself with the excitement. Two years ago [when I won] I told “Jesus to ‘Suck it!’,” and this year, they asked me to host the same show. Who would have thunk it? Being offensive does pay off every so often and you know why, because I’m a big believer in the truth. Big truth teller… let’s just spin it that way.

Moving on to the big news of the week, what was your reaction when you heard about Bill Clinton successfully negotiating for the release of two Current TV reporters from North Korea Paula Abdul not returning to AMERICAN IDOL?
It was very tough for me emotionally. I can’t imagine my life without Paula. In a way that Paula can’t imagine her life with let’s say a little Vicodin. Grief, denial, it was like the seven stages for me. I don’t believe it yet because I don’t want to believe it.

If asked, would you consider replacing Paula?
I would only consider replacing Ryan.

Did you have a similar reaction to the Sarah Palin resignation?
I have a lot of emotions about Sarah Palin. I would love to get her on MY LIFE ON THE D LIST. And you know, I think she might do it at this point, let’s be honest. I enjoy watching Sarah Palin because she is so unpredictable, a wild-card. I would not say a maverick, she would. But I do enjoy her press conferences.

At the end of August, you’re trekking an hour north of Toronto (Canada) to play Casino Rama. Should a star such as yourself not be playing a splashy downtown Toronto venue instead of a small town North of Canada’s largest city?
I hear Rama is beneath me, but I’m reaching out to the Native Canadian gay community one casino at a time. I think the Native Canadian gays are going to find me. They’re my peeps. Look, any A-lister can play Toronto, it takes a true talent to get the gays to drive to Rama.

Photo Credit: Source

5:05PM: It only took three minutes for Ryan to get in his one-and-only dig at CBS when explaining his reason for jumping on board LIE TO ME. “Not only did I really enjoy the show, after THE UNIT was unceremoniously dumped by CBS, I found myself with a little time on my hands.” Ouch!

5:07PM: Mekhi Phifer, who appeared on two episodes last season has joined the cast as a series regular this year as Special Agent Ben Renyolds who Phifer describes as “the guy with the gun and the badge in an effort to bring some of these cases home.” Added Baum, “We needed someone who wouldn’t get blown off the screen by Roth. A man, who had gravity.”

5:11PM: Star Kelli Williams promises a great start out of the gate with the season’s first episode featuring a woman with a multiple personality disorder — played by special guest star Erika Christensen.

5:17PM: First Shawn Ryan and now we find out that PRISON BREAK’s Matt Olmstead is writing for the show! When did LIE TO ME become the Ellis Island of TV series and is there any room for Rina Mimoun?

5:27PM: Ryan asks the TCA attendees to twitter that LIE TO ME wants to start a rivalry with THE MENTALIST. Something that normally we’d be happy to do, if only twitter wasn’t down right now.

5:29PM: Star Tim Roth reveals that the first season was killer in terms of the workload. But unlike ungrateful GREY’S ANATOMY star Katherine Heigl, says that it’s a privilege to be on the show and that he’s so incredibly happy to be at work.

5:33PM: Garrett Dillahunt will be back…. on FOX, with the panel revealing that he’s set to guest star on an upcoming episode.

5:34PM: The producers stress that they’re looking for world class actors to guest star, not Paris Hilton. Which is somewhat awkward considering SUPERNATURAL just announced this.

2:26PM: Those worries that FRINGE’s self-contained easy-to-follow episodic adventures are about to jump into mythology-heavy LOST territory, fear not. According to executive producer Jeff Pinkner, FRINGE is only going to tell the story of two universes — our own — and what the writer’s refer to internally as “over there.” Adding, “No time travel!”

2:27PM: “Leonard [Nimoy] will be back as much as he wants,” revealed Pinkner. That said, [Spoiler Alert!] having seen the the show’s second season premiere — we’ve got some bad news for you. Nimoy while alluded to, does not make an appearance in the premiere.

2:30PM: Did you know that the average television viewer only watches 3 to 4 episodes of a show per season. No really! Which is why season one seemed to re-set itself every three to four episodes. And also why co-creator/writer Alex Kurtzman promises that season 2 will have a more prominent mythology. But not to prominent, with Pinkner being sure to add that FRINGE will not stray into ALIAS territory, where ‘Rambaldi’ overtook the story just a wee bit.

2:33PM: With FRINGE moving from New York to Vancouver, Jackson admits that he never thought he’d experience the gift of being able to take a show back to his hometown. All together now, “Ahhhhhhhhhh.”

2:39PM: Kurtzman admits that “we never intended to reveal the alternate universe until season 3. But when we saw that the audience were open, ready and far more ahead of us we thought, ‘Why stall it?’ Let’s throw down the challenge and try to get to a place where we can take the story even further.”

2:40PM: The panel tip-toes around the crazy jaw-dropping twist that befalls a series regular in the closing scene of the second season premiere. So do we in a post from earlier today.

2:48PM: Joshua Jackson + John Noble = Real-life friends. Adorable.

2:52PM: Rest assured, even after writing two of the summer’s biggest movies (Star Trek and Transformers 2) the panel does a fairly good job of keeping the dynamic due of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci’s ego in check. With Executive Producer J.H. Whyman joking, “Did you see Transformers? Actually, we read the reviews, so umm… no.

2:54PM: On the future of ‘Panna’ or is it ‘Anter?’ (and yes, we’re well aware that Peter and Anna aren’t exactly the next ‘Brangelina’) “As long as the emotion is true, we’re open to anything,” explains Pinkner. Adds Orci who is quick to throw out what has undoubtedly become buzz word of TCA 2009, “We try and observe a little bit, we want it to be organic, not something we planned.”