Six Stars That Should Have TV Shows Again

There are so many channels now, and so many celebrities. It seems like everyone will get a TV show at some point. But there are still some TV stars that no longer have TV shows but really should. For example, someone like Tom Selleck should have a weekly series again, and luckily he is going to return to TV in a new show on CBS.

If not for that recent announcement, Selleck would have been number one on the list that follows after the jump: five stars I'd like to see on a regular TV series again.

1. Nick Mancuso. Mancuso starred in one of my favorite TV shows, 'Stingray,' and he has had a rather interesting career since then. He's been in a couple of TV shows and a slew of movies (including the 'Under Seige' films), but these days it seems like he's very content focusing on his artwork, his writing (check out his blog), and doing the occasional role in a movie.

He probably doesn't want to confine himself to one role on a TV show, but couldn't you picture him as the patriarch in a large family on a nighttime show or as the head of a corporation or an evil genius on a show like 'Lost' or 'Fringe?' It would be great to see him every week again.

2. Amy Sedaris. You know that old line "I'd watch _________ even if she just sat there and read the phone book?" I'd watch Amy Sedaris even if she just sat there and read the phone book. She was great on 'Strangers with Candy,' and we all love her appearances on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' and other shows (she just did a guest part on 'The Middle'), but she needs her own show. A talk show might be good or even some sort of cooking/entertaining show would be even better. A Martha Stewart from another dimension.

If she were to do a sitcom again I think it would be clever to actually cast her as the straight woman mom in a sitcom. A smartly written comedy where she would be the voice of reason, surrounded by a crazy family and crazy friends. That would be funny.

3. Joe Penny and Perry King. I'm baffled as to why the two 'Riptide' stars don't have their own shows. Sure, they've done shows since then. King was in the short-lived soap 'Titans' and some episodes of 'Big Love' and Penny was in 'Jake & The Fatman' and now has a role in those Hallmark mystery movies with Lea Thompson, but these guys should have lead roles in a weekly series.

And while we're at it, let's do that 'Riptide' reunion movie with Thom Bray, OK?

4. Dick Cavett. Cavett would stand out today in a TV landscape filled with talk shows and reality shows. He was sort of like 'Charlie Rose': he had a good mix of writers and directors and political figures along with celebrities on his talk show and he interviewed them with intelligence, humor, and calmness. He was on Jimmy Fallon's show a couple of months ago (they even recreated Cavett's old set), and it made me think "wow, I'd like to see him on TV again."

He keeps a blog at The New York Times.

5. Carol Burnett. The other day Allison gave her list for five shows that are like 'The Carol Burnett Show,' but the list just made me want to watch Carol & gang even more. She's a funny lady, and recent appearances on 'Desperate Housewives' and 'Law & Order: SVU' reminded us that she can do other things too. If she can't have her own variety show again (who knows if that would even fly in today's world, though she has a better shot at success than Rosie O'Donnell), she could at least have a supporting role in a sitcom or drama.