Is Paula returning to 'Idol?' Simon Says Yes!

Paula Abdul and her agent are saying that she might not be returning to 'American Idol.'

Paula's agent David Sonenberg told the LA Times, "Very sadly, it does not appear that she's going to be back on 'Idol.'"

Abdul hasn't received a proposal to return to the hit FOX series, and Sonenberg says of the delay, "I find it under these circumstances particularly unusual; I think unnecessarily hurtful," and added, "I find it kind of unconscionable and certainly rude and disrespectful that they haven't stepped up and said what they want to do."

Both Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest have signed lucrative deals to continue on 'Idol.' Cowell told the TV show 'Extra,' "She'll be fine. She'll be on the show," adding, "I don't get a lot of say. I've just made it clear that I want Paula on the show."

Seacrest wants Abdul back behind the judging table too, saying "I think as far as I know, you'll see everybody back. I hope so."

Emmy nominations announced... Same Old Story.

The nominations for the 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced today.

As usual, the TV Academy seems to be incredibly out of touch. The only surprises were the people and shows that were not nominated. The nominations contained alot of the same old names as in recent years.

NBC's '30 Rock' led the pack with 22 nominations, the most of any comedy series in TV history. Best Comedy Series was among the shows nominations.

Last year's Best Drama winner, 'Mad Men' had 16 nominations, including Best Drama Series once again.

Joining "30 Rock" in the best comedy category are HBO's long-running "Entourage," Fox's ribald animated "Family Guy," HBO's quirky "Flight of the Conchords," CBS' popular "How I Met Your Mother," perennial NBC nominee "The Office" and the Showtime drug comedy "Weeds."

Competing with "Mad Men" in the best drama series category are HBO's polygamy melodrama, "Big Love," and AMC's dark "Breaking Bad" – the two have never received nominations in this category before. Also nominated in this category: FX's legal drama, "Damages"; Showtime's lovable serial killer, "Dexter"; Fox's grouchy doctor, "House"; and ABC's enigmatic "Lost."

Notable snubs included no major nominations for the FX Drama 'The Shield.' The show's final season was a hit with critics and audiences alike.

HBO's True Blood was expected to garner many nominations, but instead received no major nominations as well.

Friday Night Lights was, as usual, also ignored in the major categories. The Academy continues to miss the boat on this one.

Critical favorite, but ratings challenged, 'Chuck' was also virtually ignored.

The TV Academy really needs to look at what they are doing. It's one thing to nominate the same people year after year if they are deserving. I can almost forgive 'The Shield' not getting a Best Drama series nomination because of the stiff competition in that category. But to give William Shatner another nomination at the expense of the magnificent performance of Walton Goggins is inexcusable.

Tony Shalhoub again? Really? Why not infuse the Best Actor in a Comedy Series with some new blood, although Jim Parsons for 'Big Bang Theory' was a step in the right direction. Zach Levi from 'Chuck' would have fit very nicely in this category. Adam Baldwin also would have been a nice mention in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, although I really can't complain about any of the nominees there.

In the Best Actor in a Drama category, Simon Baker for 'The Mentalist' was a bit of a surprise here. I would have gone with the often overlooked Matthew Fox who has yet to receive an Emmy nomination for his role as Jack on 'Lost.'

The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy's will air September 20th on CBS and will be hosted by nominee Neil Patrick Harris.

Will Survivor 20 be a Tournament of Champions?

A couple of years ago, Jeff Probst was quoted as saying that he would like the 20th edition of Survivor to reunite all past winners and have them compete for the title of 'Ultimate Survivor.'

Well it appears as though CBS may be headed that way.

Original 'Survivor' winner Richard Hatch, who is finishing out the final days of home confinement, stemming from tax evasion charges, has asked the courts permission to travel to Samoa to particpate in Survivor 20.

Samoa is the site of the 19th edition will wrap filming next month and then almost immediately begin filming the 20th edition in the same location.

As a long time fan of the show, I personally love this idea. A true all-out battle on the shows 10th Anniversary to determine the series ultimate player.

The previous version of 'Survivor: All Stars' was one the best 'Survivor's' to date. Not to mention ratings gold for CBS.

Aside from Hatch, another past winner that may have problems participating is 'Survivor: Africa' winner Ethan Zohn. Zohn was diagnosed with cancer last month and is currently undergoing treatment.

Survivor 20 will premiere in February on CBS.

UPDATE: Now the rumor is... 'Survivor: Heroes vs Villians.' Ugh. I like the Champions theme better.

Mystery illness delays 'Parenthood'

'Parenthood' the new NBC series that was supposed to debut this fall is now reportedly being pushed back to midseason because of an illness that has hit Maura Tierney, one of the stars of the show.

The show, from producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, is a retelling of the 1989 movie starring Steve Martin. Production was supposed to start on July 27th.

The production start has been postponed for eight weeks to late September "due to medical evaluation that (Tierney) is undergoing," NBC said. "We are unable to release further details and ask that you respect her privacy at this time."

This is the second time filming on 'Parenthood' has been put on hold following unfortunate circumstances. In April, production on the pilot was shut down for two days after NBC VP of Drama Nora O'Brien died unexpectedly on the Berkeley, Calif., set of the show.

Michael Jackson Memorial watched by nearly 31 million in US

Tuesday's memorial service for Michael Jackson was watched by 31.9 million viewers in the United States.

A total of 19 networks carried the proceedings live from about 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., including the major English- and Spanish-language broadcasters and cable news outlets, as well as MTV, VH1 and others.

While Jackson's celebrity spurred worldwide interest in his death, the ratings for his memorial did not quite match those for the 1997 funeral of Princess Diana, which, despite airing during the early morning hours in the U.S., drew an average of 33.2 million viewers. President Reagan's burial in 2004, which happened during prime-time in much of the country, was watched by 35.1 million.

These Jackson figures, however, do not include viewers who watched live by streaming online, which likely accounted for at least several million more users.

TV News and Notes

Here are some tidbits from the world of TV....

• CBS revealed the Big Brother 11 contestants.
• Neil Patrick Harris is in talks to host the Emmys
• 'Prison Break's Wentworth Miller will guest on the season premiere of 'Law and Order: SVU'
• 'Ally McBeal' is finally coming to DVD

'Sopranos' star headed to Wisteria Lane

Drea de Matteo, who played Adriana, the girlfriend of Christopher on 'The Sopranos' is joining the cast of 'Desperate Housewives.'

Entertainment Weekly confirms that de Matteo will be playing the head of an Italian family that moves to Wisteria Lane. Also inhabiting her house: a landscape architect husband and a neurotic son who have yet to be cast.

de Matteo won an Emmy in 2004 for her role on 'The Sopranos.'

Oscar and Emmy winner Karl Malden dies

Academy Award winning actor Karl Malden died of natural causes on Wednesday at the age of 97.

Malden won a supporting actor Oscar in 1951 for his role as Blanche DuBois' naive suitor Mitch in "A Streetcar Named Desire" — a role he also played on Broadway.

He was nominated again as best supporting actor in 1954 for his performance as Father Corrigan, a fearless, friend-of-the-workingman priest in "On the Waterfront." In both movies, he costarred with Marlon Brando.

Malden, however, may be best known to modern audiences for his role as Detective Mike Stone on the TV series 'The Streets of San Francisco' in which he co-starred with Michael Douglas. He was nominated for an Emmy 5 times for that role.

He also became known for his series of commercials for American Express and made the phrase "Don't Leave Home Without It!" popular.

He won an Emmy in 1985 for his role in the TV Miniseries 'Fatal Vision.'

He acted very rarely in recent years, appearing in 2000 in a small role on TV's 'The West Wing.'

Malden married actress Mona Greenberg on December 18, 1938, whom he was married to until his death. Their marriage is one of the longest marriages in Hollywood history.

Besides his wife he is also survived by his, daughters Mila and Cara, his sons-in-law, three granddaughters, and four great grandchildren.

Sci Fi Channel to remake 'Alien Nation'

The Sci Fi Channel, just as it did with 'Battlestar Galactica,' is remaking another sci fi franchise.

'Alien Nation' centers on the partnership between a veteran cop and his alien detective partner, set against the larger tale of alien "newcomers" who move to Earth and attempt to assimilate into society.

Fox 21 topper Chris Carlisle said he believed 'Alien Nation' could rep the next franchise revival for Sci Fi, which found huge success in dusting off 'Battlestar Galactica' and reworking it for today's auds. Carlisle said 'Alien Nation' works both as a sci-fi piece and a procedural drama.

"It's absolute perfect timing for this type of show," Carlisle said. "They're looking for more grounded sci-fi and close-ended episodes, and at the heart of 'Alien Nation,' it's a cop movie. It's grounded. And it has a tremendous amount of dramatic possibilities and humor."

The new 'Alien Nation' would include a mythology that evolves over time and will also touch on some of the issues of the day, such as the immigrant experience and how society integrates an incoming culture.

The original film, which took place in 1991, was helmed by Graham Baker and written by Rockne S. O'Bannon (with an uncredited revise by James Cameron). Mandy Patinkin and James Caan starred as alien cop Sam Francisco and his reluctant human partner, respectively; Terence Stamp also starred.

In 1989, 20th Century Fox TV and Kenneth Johnson Prods. adapted the movie for Fox, with Eric Pierpoint and Gary Graham in the lead roles. The show lasted just a single season but spawned a series of books.

The TV show was revived in 1994 as a series of telepics for Fox, starting with 'Alien Nation: Dark Horizon.' Five TV movies were ultimately aired; the last, 'Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy,' ran in 1997.