FALL 2013: DAYTIME TALKER 'KATIE' CANCELED

Katie has been canceled.

The daytime talk show will end in June 2014 at the conclusion of its second season. Both Disney/ABC and Katie Couric have stated that ending the show was a mutual decision.

Rumors surfaced last spring that Couric's talk show was on cancellation watch due to low ratings, as well as Couric's interest in looking for a new network. The renewal for a second season came down to the wire.

FALL 2013: MATT LAUER AND ANN CURRY'S 'TODAY' SHOW DRAMA IS HEADED TO LIFETIME

Just when Matt Lauer thought the whole Today show "Operation Bambi" fiasco saga was behind him, word has come that a made-for-TV movie based on author's Brian Stelter's "Top of the Morning" is in the works.

Stelter's behind-the-scenes view at morning television, and the years-long battle between NBC's Today show and ABC's Good Morning America, is being developed into a Lifetime movie. While the book mostly focuses on NBC's botched, public ouster of anchor/host Ann Curry, it also exposes ABC's formation of its current morning team and rise in the ratings war.

The production is still in the early stages so no tentative release date or potential casting has been released. If this movie turns out as good as HBO's mid-90s movie The Late Shift (based on the Leno-Letterman battle to be Johnny Carson's successor on The Tonight Show), Lifetime will be showering with a ratings hit.

WINTER 2014: ORIGINAL CAST MEMBER DANN FLOREK EXITING 'LAW & ORDER: SVU'

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is about to lose another veteran this season.

Dann Florek, who has portrayed Captain Donald Cragen since the show's inception 15 years ago, as well as six seasons on the flagship Law & Order show, announced he is leaving the procedural drama. The revelation occurred Monday via Twitter with Florek confirming the taping of his last scenes last Friday. No details were given regarding Capt. Cragen's final episode but it is scheduled to air in January on NBC.

Earlier this year, veteran Law & Order actor Richard Belzar became a recurring player after his character, Sgt. John Munch, retired.

FALL 2013: CABLE NETWORKS ENCORE & Me-TV OFFERING MORE CLASSIC TV SHOWS IN DECEMBER

Cable networks are making some changes and bringing more classic television shows to the menu.

Encore is making several changes to some of its channels. Those with the Starz package from their local cable company know that Encore offers over 10 channels, each geared towards a specific audience or genre. Beginning December 2, Encore Drama will cease to exist and will be replaced by Encore Black, which will showcase programming for the African-American community. Apart from movies, Encore Black will air sitcoms What's Happening!!, Diff'rent Strokes, 227, and Amen, among others.

Additionally, Encore Classic will replace Encore Love and be geared to the Baby Boomers with movies and television shows like Murphy Brown, Magnum P.I., and Night Court. The December 2 re-launch will present new logs and graphics as the premium cable package reinvents itself before the new year.

Classic TV channel Me-TV, on the other hand, has obtained the off-network rights to two shows from the world of Sid and Marty Krofft. A staple of Saturday mornings in the early 1970s, both H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost will begin airing on Me-TV next Friday, November 29. Also, the rare Sid & Marty Krofft & Me special will air on Christmas morning before the shows join the network's Saturday morning line-up.

FALL 2013: USA NETWORK CANCELS 'NECESSARY ROUGHNESS'

USA Network is pulling the plug on its low-rated sports-centered drama Necessary Roughness. The show's third season ended back in August and yesterday it was announced that it wouldn't be returning for a fourth season.  

Necessary Roughness tried to attract new viewers to the show last season by casting John Stamos as Dr. Santino's new boss. Despite the casting coup, change in setting, and new tension for the show's main antagonist, it didn't result in higher ratings.

FALL 2013: AMC'S 'THE KILLING' IS COMING BACK TO LIFE...TO NETFLIX.

The Killing is coming back to life...again.

The mystery drama that was canceled twice by AMC will be returning for a short fourth and final season thanks to the good folks at Netflix. The highly praised third season concluded several months ago with a cliffhanger of sorts. Fans took to the internet to vent over the network's decision to cancel the show a second time without giving Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder a proper ending.

Netflix has picked up the series for a 6-episode final season to wrap up all the loose ends. The streaming service stated that "the rich, serialized storytelling in The Killing thrives on Netflix, and we believe it is only fitting to give Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder a proper send off."

No date has been given for the show's return.

FALL 2013: 'BREAKING BAD' ALTERNATIVE ENDING REVEALS IT WAS ALL A DREAM

Breaking Bad fans are still missing the hit drama that ended last month. Well don't fret fans, an alternative ending has been released and gone viral.

In true Newhart fashion, it turns out that the five-season run of Breaking Bad was all just a dream by Malcolm in the Middle's Hal Wilkerson (We're going to go with Wilkerson, as it was given in the pilot episode, but the running gag of the show was that the family had no last name). Hal wakes up from his dream and tells his wife Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) of being Walt and running a meth lab. Despite being off the air now for seven years, both Cranston and Kaczmarek pick up their Malcolm characters with ease and begin dropping the inside references of the FOX comedy. Wait for the ending and you'll hear the hook of the catchy theme song.

Life is unfair.

FALL 2013: THE CW TO REBOOT '80s "TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE"

Remaking old shows has become the latest trend for networks. Following previous news of Remington Steele, Murder, She Wrote, and Charmed reboots, it was revealed yesterday that The CW is interested in bringing back Tales from the Darkside.

Tales from the Darkside was a syndicated horror anthology series from George A. Romero. The series ran for four seasons during the mid-1980s and frequented the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Following similar formats seen on The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, each episode of Darkside was an individual short-story that typically ended with a plot twist.

(The episode "Halloween Candy" is considered one of the scariest episodes from the series)

The CW is interested in rebooting Tales from the Darkside to boost its current horror/fantasy line-up that has generated viewers and ratings over the years. Joe Hill (Stephen King's son) has been tapped to pen the project.

FALL 2013: 'ALL MY CHILDREN' CANCELED (AGAIN); SOAPNET TO GO DARK BY END OF YEAR

Daytime soap opera All My Children's return from the television grave has been cut short. The online revival series has been officially canceled and confirmed by several veteran actors who made the TV-to-Internet transition. The 41-year old sudser based in fictional Pine Valley, PA aired on ABC before it was canceled in September 2011. The show was picked up by a new production company in 2013 and aired on The Online Network for six months before it went on hiatus. Despite offering the episodes via streaming sites like Hulu and iTunes, the revival failed to generate enough interest and buzz.

The bad news for soap fans continues rolling with today's announcement that cable network SOAPnet will go 100% dark by the end of this year. The network premiered 14 years ago when daytime soap operas were more numerous and relevant. In addition to re-airing same-day episodes of ABC soaps, SOAPnet gained a loyal following by airing classic daytime (Ryan's Hope, Another World) and primetime soaps (Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, The Colbys, Dynasty, Dallas, Hotel, Sisters). Over the years the network phased out classic television in favor for teen-driven dramas.

TV: MARVEL UNIVERSE TO EXPAND ON THE SMALL SCREEN; NETFLIX PLANNING TO STREAM ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING

We're getting word that an amazing collaboration between Netflix and The Walt Disney Company is in the works and will bring several Marvel Comics characters to the streaming service in live-action series formats.

The ball will tentatively get rolling in 2015 with a 13-episode live action series revolving around the Daredevil/Matt Murdock character. The last time Daredevil was seen on screen was back in 2003 when Ben Affleck took on the role of the blind vigilante. Once the Daredevil series concludes, another series, this time focusing on Jessica Jones, will premiere. As part of the multi-year agreement, two more series, focusing on Luke Cage and Iron Fist, will follow suit.

But the fun doesn't end there. Once all four proposed shows stream and conclude on Netflix, they will be followed by a miniseries event that unites the heroes (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist) into one team. Reports are claiming that the assembled team will be a reimage of The Defenders. Marvel Comics fans may recall that The Defenders was consisted of several individual members harboring their own agendas. While originally conceived as a group of anti-team or non-team outsiders, The Defenders brought heroes together to battle mystic and supernatural threats. Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have been part of The Defenders at one point or another in the comics canon. 

The multi-year deal is noteworthy considering the size and scope of the project. Marvel is determined to increase its domain on the small screen and Netflix is more than capable to stream original programming after its considerable award-winning ventures this past year (House of Cards, Arrested Development, Orange is the New Black).

FALL 2013: DAMON WAYANS JR.'S 'COACH' WILL CONTINUE ON 'NEW GIRL'

New Girl fans don't fear, Coach isn't leaving anytime soon.

Damon Wayans Jr.'s return to the FOX comedy has just been extended. Wayans Jr.'s original four-episode arc started this past Tuesday, but we are now getting word that Coach will be sticking around for the remainder of the season. But don't worry if you're Team Winston, there are no plans for Coach to be a replacement. It just appears that the foursome will expand to a dynamic fivesome, at least for the rest of this season.

Wayans Jr. will continue to be billed as a "Special Guest Star" despite the extension.

FALL 2013: 'SCANDAL' CASTS KHANDI ALEXANDER AS OLIVIA'S DEAD MAMA

Scandal is bringing Olivia Pope's mama to the small screen.

The ABC drama has cast Khandi Alexander in the recurring role of Maya Lewis, Olivia's late mother. The character will appear in flashbacks starting with this Thursday's episode, and if Scandal fans recall last week, things were put in motion regarding mama Maya's ties to Operation Remington.

FALL 2013: 'MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D' PLANS 'THOR' CROSSOVER

Marvel really wants box office success when Thor: The Dark World hits the big screen on November 8.

It's been announced that ABC's superhero powerhouse Marvel's Agents of SHIELD will crossover with the Thor sequel two weeks after the movie premieres. Now before you get your hopes up, don't expect Thor or any of the other movie characters to appear on the television show in the November 19 episode. The Agents of SHIELD episode will deal directly with the fallout of the movie's plot which potentially "threatens to destroy a member of the team."

Now time to speculate. The November 19 episode is titled "The Well." Could this be a reference to Agent Coulson's miraculous return to the living after the events of The Avengers? We can't say for sure that anything relating to Coulson will be mentioned in the new Thor movie but since it is the first Marvel movie to premiere since The Avengers, one would expect some kind of explanation even if its after the end credits. One thing's for sure, whatever happened to Coulson in Tahiti will be slowly revealed in the show's freshman season.

FALL 2013: ABC ORDERS MORE 'GOLDBERGS' 'TROPHY WIFE' 'SUPER FUN NIGHT'; CANCELS 'BACK IN THE GAME'

ABC is finally making some decisions on its new comedies, and boy do they look desperate!

The alphabet network has given full-season orders to The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife. The greenlight request for additional episodes would bring each show to 22 episodes. While not necessarily out-of-the-ballpark hits, ABC seems to have been pleased with the ratings. How else could we explain the network's sudden vote of confidence?

Meanwhile, ABC is really desperately rooting for Rebel Wilson. An additional four episodes have been ordered for Super Fun Night. The new comedy hasn't proven to be ratings gold in spite of the heavy promos focusing on the plus-size popular Australian actress. Aside from a botched pilot episode and poor quality scripts, Super Fun Night has been slammed by critics. ABC, however, still has faith that Rebel Wilson will draw in more viewers. We'll see what happens with this comedy but keep the life-support machine plugged in.

The network has benched the freshman family comedy Back in the Game...permanently. The baseball-themed comedy starring Maggie Lawson has been cancelled. But don't fret fans, ABC will finish airing whatever remains of the show's 13 episodes. Back in the Game was semi-decent, compared to some of the other shows mentioned above, but just couldn't find its footing.

FALL 2013: CBS PREPPING 'HOW I MET YOUR FATHER'?

CBS wants to keep a sure-thing going with its popular hit How I Met Your Mother.

The network is already preparing a shoot-off of the sitcom, but from the female perspective. Tentatively titled, How I Met Your Father, the show would incorporate the same concept but with a new cast led by the female protagonist who tells the story of how she met her future husband and father of children. While none of the current cast would be included in the spin-off, there has been buzz that the character may appear in the series finale of How I Met Your Mother next spring. One element that may crossover to the new sitcom is McLaren's Pub. The frequent watering hole by Ted Mosby and company could also be the setting for the new gang of characters.

We only have one wish for the CBS executives and co-creators to consider: Bring in Barney! Barney Stinson has slept with so many women over the years that it would only be natural that he would have had a one-night stand with the future female Ted Mosby-character. Don't you think so?

FALL 2013: IS 'GLEE' PHASING OUT LIMA, OHIO FOR FULL-TIME NYC?

FOX's Glee has had a difficult year with the passing of original cast member Cory Monteith, who portrayed quarterback Finn Hudson. The loss has forced creators to reexamine the show's endgame in next year's final season.

One idea that is currently being mulled on the set is making a full-time move to New York City. Now before you East Coasters start jumping for joy, it doesn't mean that the show's production is going to move from LA...though on-location shoots most likely will increase. What it means is that the Lima, Ohio setting will be phased out and the show will entirely be set in NYC. The switch is being considered for all of next season but there have been several hints that the change could occur as early as this current season.

Currently, Rachel, Kurt, and Santana are the only McKinley High characters living in NYC. Decisions will have to be made on which Lima characters would make the sojourn to the Big Apple, and exactly how they would fit in.

If the show decides to move in this direction, it would be a refreshing change for the weakening musical drama.

FALL 2013: KERRY WASHINGTON ANNOUNCES PREGNANCY; WHAT ABOUT OLIVIA POPE?

Could a baby storyline surface in the near future for ABC's political drama Scandal?

News broke that actress Kerry Washington and new husband Nnamdi Asomugha are expecting their first child. According to a source, Washington is about four months pregnant. Since several months remain for the taping and production of Scandal, many insiders are wondering if the show will take advantage of Washington's pregnancy and incorporate it to her alter-ego, Olivia Pope. Now that the President's affair has been exposed, it would only be naturally dramatic to have a "Who's your Daddy?" storyline.

It'll be interesting to see what the show plans to do with this news but definitely expect a pregnant Olivia Pope waddling in Prada or a ton of shots of Kerry Washington standing behind a piece of furniture. Congratulations to the expecting parents!

FALL 2013: 'VERONICA MARS' MOVIE RELEASES A NEW PROMO

The much anticipated Veronica Mars movie has released a new promo featuring all your favorites - plus many Veronica and Logan moments. Check it out!

FALL 2013: 'LAW & ORDER'S ADA CONNIE RUBIROSA HEADING TO 'L&O: SVU'

Fans of the Law & Order-verse will soon see a familiar face pop up on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Alana de la Garza will be reprising her role as Connie Rubirosa for a guest run on SVU. She first appeared on the original Law & Order in 2006 as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA). She remained on the show until its cancellation in May 2010, lasting for four complete seasons. In September 2010, Connie was transplanted to the short-lived Law & Order: LA as a series regular with a new role, Deputy District Attorney.

Apparently during the two-year gap from LA's cancellation to the present day, Connie returned to New York as a federal prosecutor and is now leading a joint task force on underage sex trafficking.

No official date or episode has been given for de la Garza's return.

FALL 2013: 'THE SIMPSONS' TO RETIRE EDNA KRABAPPEL IN WAKE OF MARCIA WALLACE'S PASSING

Comedic actress Marcia Wallace, best known for her roles as wisecracking secretary Carol Kester on The Bob Newhart Show and Mrs. Edna Krabappel on the long-running The Simpsons, passed away Friday, October 25 due to complications from breast cancer.

In wake of the actress' passing, The Simpsons executive producer Al Jean released a statement, "I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the passing of the brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace. She was beloved by all at The Simpsons, and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character."

This wouldn't be the first time The Simpsons has retired a character due to the death of a voice actor. In 1998, the animated comedy retired shyster attorney Lionel Hutz and B-movie actor Troy McClure after Phil Hartman's death, though the characters continue to appear in clip shows. It will be interesting to see how Bart's fourth grade teacher will make her exit from Springfield Elementary, if they formally retire her from the school.

Shortly after news of Wallace's passing, this YouTube video of Krabappel's Ha! moments began trending.