Whitney Houston to appear on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show''s season premiere, Shelley Long returns to television, John Hawkes joins 'Lost' and more of today's top TV headlines.Whitney Houston will guest on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show''s 24th season premiere, airing Sept. 14. The interview -- Houston's first in seven years -- is already being touted as "the most anticipated music interview of the decade." Consider our expectations high. [EW.com]

'Cheers' alum Shelley Long has joined the cast of 'Modern Family' in a recurring role. Long will play the "fragile" Dede Pritchett, Jay's (Ed O'Neill) ex-wife who returns to make peace after she ruined his second wedding. 'Modern Family' premieres Sept. 23 on ABC. We guess she wanted to go where everybody knows her name. [TV Guide Magazine]

Former 'Deadwood' co-star John Hawkes has joined the sixth and final season of 'Lost.' He'll play Lennon, described as a "scruffy" and "charismatic spokesperson and translator for the president of a foreign corporation." Lennon is also said to be "far more powerful than it seems from his position," according to the casting report. Sounds about right for 'Lost.' [Hollywood Reporter]

Lifetime has given new life to the popular freshman series 'Drop Dead Diva.' The show has been picked up for 13 additional episodes, scheduled to air sometime in 2010. 'Drop Dead Diva' currently airs Sundays at 9PM. [Hollywood Reporter]


Syfy has ordered a second season of 'Warehouse 13.' 'Warehouse' -- Syfy's most-watched program ever -- will return with a 13-episode order after averaging an astounding 3.7 million viewers each week. [Variety]


Actress Jenna Dewan -- aka Channing Tatum's new bride -- has joined the cast of 'Melrose Place' for at least two episodes. Dewan will reportedly play a movie studio exec who falls for aspiring filmmaker Jonah, played by Michael Rady. Considering this is 'Melrose,' expect them to hook up immediately. [Ausiello Files]

ALSO IN TV NEWS ...

FX is adding two new comedy series to its lineup. The network has picked up 'The League,' about a group of friends involved in a fantasy football league, for six episodes. Also getting a pick-up order is the Louis CK vehicle 'Louis,' said to be about a comedian and single father who juggles two daughters in New York City. [Variety]

Don Hewitt has died. Hewitt, who created the popular news program '60 Minutes,' lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on Wednesday. He was 86. [Variety]

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