Letterman news

Diva TV which begins broadcasting in October have confirmed details of their Late Show screenings. They say they will be running episodes anything from two to six weeks after their broadcast in the US. This means they can get them shipped rather than satellited over therefore making it a cheaper proposition. The show will air five days a week at 9pm (until they move it to 1am probably).

Living have bought Viva Laughlin from CBS. British actor Lloyd Owen takes the role played originally by David Morrissey when the series was British and set in Blackpool. Madchen Amick is among the co-stars. Its been tipped for early cancellation by most TV critics.

24 fans will be interested to know that Reiko Aylesworth is joing the cast of ER as a potential love interest for John Stamos. Yes, ER is still on the air.

Channel 4 have doubled the screenings of Brothers and Sisters to twice a week, now airing first look on E4 from Mondays at 10 and then on Channel 4 on Wednesdays at 10. My Name is Earl moves from Thursdays at 10pm to Fridays at 10.35pm.

Big news on Heroes, Sopranos and a bit of 24

Heroes are coming to town, Greg Grunberg, Ali Larter and several others will be in London for three days from August 30th as part of a Heroes world tour..........The Sopranos is back. The final nine episodes begin on E4 on Sunday September 2nd at 10pm.....and finally some 24 news, Jeneane Garofolo is the surprise addition to the cast of the new series which continues to get delayed in production as producers try and recover from the disaster of the last season......

Casting Around

Portia Di Rossi will join Nip/Tuck next season, she'll play the love interest for Joely Richardson, and no you didn't read that wrong......Kristin Bell, formerly of Veronica Mars, has been linked with Lost in recent weeks but she won't be showing up on the island, she's heading for Heroes next term, as is David Anders who played Sark in Alias......Marin Hinkle of Once and Again and Two and a Half Men will show up in Brothers and Sisters as Rob Lowe's ex-wife.....James Masters is to take a recurring role in Without A Trace next season, maybe he will be the father of Sam's baby, Poppy Montgomery's pregnency will be written into the series.....

Lots of schedule news

Loads of shows starting or returning in September......Kyle XY is back on Trouble from Monday September 3rd....The L Word is back on Living from Friday September 7th.....Law and Order Criminal Intent returns to Hallmark from Friday September 21st.......The third season of Entourage airs on ITV2 from Thursday September 27th.....The first season of the Showtime drama The Tudors begins on BBC2....SKY One will premiere the next season of Prison Break the week after its starts in the US and show the shortlived Kevin Williamson drama Hidden Palms from October 4th...and The Sopranos opens up its final run on E4

Criminal Update

Its not Harvey Keitel after all. Joe Montegna will take over from Mandy Patinkin in Criminal Minds.

The 67 year old Keital was nearly locked in to the part when negotiations reportedly fell apart

Montenga signs on for what will be his third regular tv role. He starred alongside James Garner in the shortlived First Monday and then two seasons of Joan of Arcadia for CBS.

Patinkin will apparently return for just one episode.

Criminal casting

What's going on over at Criminal Minds? Producers are continuingh to scramble around looking for a replacement for the suddenly departed Mandy Patinkin. It seems Geena Dabis was first in the frame but that went away, probably when they realised she's killed two network shows already. Then Michael Keaton apparently turned the gig down and it seems Bob Hoskins may have been on a list. But now its an even more surprising name linked with the show - Harvey Keitel. Seems hard to believe doesn't it. Harvey Keital starring a weekly network TV show but it looks like it might just happen.......Some schedule news, Hallmark premiere the news series of Law and Order:Criminal Intent next month once the new series of SVU is done.....and the fourth run of the L Word begins on Living also in September.

The Riches and K-Ville picked up

The Riches has been purchased by Virgin Media for their new Virgin 1 channel

The FX drama which stars Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver has already been picked up for a second season in the US.

The pair play a couple of con artists who decide to settle down in the Deep South.

Given the involvement of Izzard and Driver its somewhat surprising that the series was not picked up by a terrestrial network or, dare I say it, a more prominent boradcaster.

In addition K-Ville has been picked up by Channel Five. The police drama is set in New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina and stars Anthony Anderson. It premieres on FOX in the US this autumn.