I mentioned the other day that Harold Perrineau had joined the CBS pilot Demons. They've now cast the main character, Gus, and the winner is Ron Eldard. If you were paying attention, you might have seen him in the short-lived Men Behaving Badly or Blind Justice. Otherwise, think of him as the paramedic with issues that was dating Carol early in the ER run. It's not the best piece of casting I've ever seen. Eldard has never proven that he can be the dramatic lead for a show, but stranger things have happened.

Meanwhile, over at CBS, Hugh Jackman (Wolverine!) is producing something called Viva Laughlin. Lloyd Owen (Miss Potter) will star as a family man trying to open a casino in Laughlin, NV. Word is that Jackman will appear in the pilot and may have a recurring role on the series. Given just that bit of knowledge, I'm intrigued by the possibilities.

Screenwriter Don Payne is just now beginning to make his mark in the movie world. His first feature, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, hits theaters in July, and he recently finished a draft of Fantastic Four 2 for the fine folks at FOX. But Don has spent several years toiling away in the TV salt mines, from a bunch of quickly-forgotten sitcom failures to his arrival on The Simpsons writing staff.

We originally sat down with Donny P. to talk movies, but c'mon. You try sitting down with a Simpsons writer and NOT bringing up the wonderful town of Springfield. Here's what Mr. Payne had to say about his experiences with Hope & Gloria, Pride & Joy, Men Behaving Badly, and (especially) The Simpsons.

Every Tuesday morning here on TV Squad , we will highlight the week's TV-on-DVD releases. Some noteworthy releases today, January 10, 2006:

• Andromeda - Vol 5.3
• As Time Goes By - Reunion Specials
• Black Books - The Complete 1st Series
• The Flash - The Complete Series
• Hee Haw - Collection Vol 5
• The House of Eliott - Series 2
• Men Behaving Badly (UK) - The Complete Series 3; The Complete Series 4
• Nighty Night - The Complete 1st Series
• Red Dwarf - Series 7
• Rising Damp - Series 1
• Strong Medicine - The Complete 1st Season
• Urban Gothic - Season 1
• Viva la Bam - The Complete 4th And 5th Seasons
• Wild Kingdom - Hunters Of The Sky; The African Wild 2