Once Upon a Time just got a little more magical! ABC’s fairy tale drama just promoted Emilie de Ravin to a series regular, so get ready to see more Belle in the second season. The Lost vet is a welcome addition to an already really great cast that features Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, Lana Parrilla, and Robert Carlyle. This is the second such promotion in recent weeks as the show upgraded Meghan Ory to a series regular. Ory portrays Ruby aka Little Red Riding Hood.

Burn Notice just got a little more awesome as John C. McGinley is joining the show for five episodes (maybe more?). You should remember McGinley from his scene stealing roles in Scrubs and Point Break. In Burn Notice he’ll be taking on the role of Tom Card, a CIA training offer who taught Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) everything he knows and was a mentor/father-figure of sorts. Michael turns to him to help get Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) out of prison. Tune in to Burn Notice tonight at 9p on USA to see how McGinley fits into the mix.

I guess Unforgettable might not be as forgettable as CBS thought it was as the network is in talks to revive the show, only weeks after not renewing it. The procedural starred Poppy Montgomery as a detective with an uncanny memory- they took the idea of a photographic memory to a cartoon like place by having her remember every piece of everything she ever sees tot he extent that she can even walk through the memories. It plays out more like a super power rather than a grounded detective show. The series co-stars Nip/Tuck‘s Dylan Walsh. We will have to wait and see if CBS ends up ordering more episodes and what impact it will have on the show’s budget and cast.

Yeah, I know… American Idol returns tonight.  I could do an article about it and get a lot more visitors than writing about Better Off Ted and Scrubs, two great shows that are on the blink of cancellation. But I’ll say it, I hate Idol.  I’ve caught two whole seasons, and I think it is completely overhyped and filled with fake buzz. The seasons act as advertisements for the Idol tour and record deals.

Anyway, back to Better Off Ted and Scrubs. Tonight at 8pm on ABC we start with an old Scrubs, followed by a new Ted, new Scrubs, and a second new Ted.  It seems like ABC is just burning off episodes of both shows, but if enough people watch them, maybe we can get additional episodes. We can hope, can’t we?

Also on tonight:

8PM

• CBS: NCIS (Crime Drama)
• NBC: Biggest Loser: Couples (Reality)
• MNT: Are Your Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Game Show)
• SPIKE: UFC Unleashed (Fighting)

9PM

• CBS: NCIS: Los Angeles (Crime Drama)

10PM

• ABC: The Forgotten (Crime Drama)
• CBS: The Good Wife (Legal Drama)
• NBC: Jay Leno Show (Talk/Sketch Comedy)
• SYFY: ECW (Wrestling)

I have really been off my game lately. Not only did I miss the first two episodes of the revamped Scrubs, but I also forgot to watch/Tivo the final episode ever of Monk. Thankfully, most of the networks put their shows online, so if you miss something, you just have to wait a week or two and you can see it.

The new episode of Scrubs, introduced us to a few new faces; med students Lucy (Kerry Bishe), Drew (Michael Mosley), and Cole (Dave Franco). Lucy is taking over the narrator duties and crazy fantasies that we grew to love Zack Braff’s JD for. Denise Mahoney (Eliza Coupe), the ice cold intern from last season returns in a larger role, advising the new med students.  Donald Faison and John C. McGinley have returned full time, with Ken Jenkins and Sarah Chalke returning from time to time, and Zack Braff appearing whenever he feels like it (labeled as a regular, but only slated for around 6 episodes for the season so far… but that will likely increase). You can watch the two new episodes of Scrubs here, the series airs every Tuesday at 9pm.

Even though I haven’t watched Monk regularly in a while, I was interested in the final episodes and finding out the mystery of who killed his wife. You can watch the first part of the final Monk by clicking here, part two will be up later in the week.

I don’t know what I’d do without full episodes being online.

We shut down the offices for a two week fall break and television news explodes! Not only do we have to catch up on our overloaded Tivo, but we gotta swim through all of the news, rumors, casting, and drama.  So I present, a special TV-inspired Pit.

• No new word on its start date, but Chuck fans can rejoice, we just got an additional 6 episodes for the new season bringing us at least 19 episodes for the third season of the spy/adventure/romance/comedy.

• I don’t know about you, but I’ve been enjoying Melrose Place, matched with 90210, it fills my guilty pleasure quota (left by The OC).  So it saddens me that due to ratings (blah, the system blows) The CW is revamping the series, making it much lighter (good-bye murder mystery) and clearing out part of the cast (wait and see, I don’t want to spoil the mystery like other sites).

• The new Turk (Donald Faison) and Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) led Scrubs will be premiering on December 1st at 9pm on ABC.   The series sifts its focus from Sacred Heart Hospital to a medical school where Turk and Dr. Cox are teaches, others including Zack Braff and Sarah Chalke will be making guest spots throughout the season.

• Watch Dollhouse! Go, now, watch it! It is the most improved show of the season and at this rate it is likely to be canceled due to low ratings.

• ABC Family has set the start dates for The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Make It or Break It, and Greek. They will air in that order starting at 8pm on January 25th.

• While the news about Dollhouse is a little grim, there is some light at the end of the Joss Whedon tunnel, he will be helming an episode of my favorite new series, GLEE! I can’t think of a better director for them to use.

More TV news will be coming soon, along with the continuation of the TV Flipped column. Thanks for the continued support of the site.

Today was a big day for shows on the bubble as Scrubs was granted a ninth season by ABC and Joss Whedon’s told to be dead series Dollhouse was granted a second season by FOX. Both shows will be cutting costs in order to survive.

In the new season of Scrubs, Zack Braff and Sarah Chalke will both be returning for six episodes, while Donald Faison, John C. McGinley and Neil Flynn will all return as regulars, reports THR. Apparently, the show will get some retooling with Braff and Chalke’s episodes helping the transition.  If all goes well, we can likely expect a version of Scrubs to continue long into the future.

Dollhouse was granted a 13 episode second season, regardless of low ratings. The show really hit a good stride starting with its 5th episode and continued to get better all the way through its awesome season finale “Omega”. I can’t wait to see where Whedon takes the series next year.

Also just renewed: Better Off Ted and Castle (a Nathan Fillion show getting a second season? Now that is shocking!)

Your best best tonight is to put on ABC and leave it on. At 8pm we have the finale of Scrubs followed by a new Lost at 9pm.

For Scrubs, notice how I didn’t say series finale? Well, ABC hasn’t been saying it either in any of its advertising, which leads me to believe that the rumors of another season are true. As much as I love the current cast, I can picture the series continuing with new faces. If dramas like Law & Order and ER can do it, why can’t creative comedies? The writers got us to love these characters, why is to say that they can’t do that with a new round of doctors? In tonight’s episode, J.D. bids goodbye to Sacred Heart. But before he goes he wants to A) get a hug from Dr. Cox, and B) learn the Janitor’s name. You know what? I want to see those things also.

After Scrubs, hold on to your butt for the new episode of Lost. Last episode (spoiler) tragically took the life of Daniel Faraday, but not before he was able to figure out how to change the future.  Tonight, Jack and Kate struggle and fight over what to do next; risk killing everyone on the island to change the future or just let it happen…

Also on tonight (not that it really matters)…

8PM

• CBS: New Adventures of Old Christine/Gary Unmarried (Comedies)
• CW: America’s Next Top Model (Reality)
• FOX: Lie to Me (Drama)
• NBC: Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Crime Drama)
• MNT: World’s Funniest Moments (Clipshow)

9PM

• CBS: Criminal Minds (Crime Drama)
• FOX: American Idol (Reality)

10PM

• ABC: The Unusuals (Crime Drama)
• CBS: CSI: NY (Crime Drama)
• NBC: Law & Order (Crime Drama)

I’ve been so focused on whether or not Chuck would be returning next season that this news piece fell under my radar. ABC is in talks with Scrubs executive producer Bill Lawrence about ways to lower the costs of the show and bring it back for another season. According to Variety, Zack Braff has expressed interest in returning for a hand full of episodes should the series return. Other key cast members, including John C. McGinley, Donald Faison and Neil Flynn, have all starred in new pilots, but it is unknown if any will be picked up for next season. Should they, the actors are all expected to return on at least a recurring basis. This would make room for some fresh blood that could possibly take the show into future seasons.