'Jersey Shore' continues to shatter ratings records for MTV.

According to the Live Feed, Thursday's episode, featuring the Snooki arrest fallout and JWoww's breakup, was seen by 8.9 million viewers. This is MTV's largest audience for a series telecast ever -- the previous record was set a few weeks ago after the season 2.5 premiere. Last week's episode had 8.6 million viewers.

'Jersey Shore's' audience is about two times the size of NBC's 'Community.' Just sayin'.

In other TV News ...

• The cast of CBS's 'Criminal Minds' sorta hopes the new spinoff series, 'Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior,' fails. Say what? Series star Shemar Moore is quoted as saying, "I'm flattered that we've done such a good job that they would like to do another show, but there's another part of me that wants it to fail." [TV Guide Canada]

• Jaren Brandt Bartlett will play Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle on 'Smallville.' Look for the relatively unknown actor to appear in episode 17, 'Booster.' [Entertainment Weekly]

• First Lady Michelle Obama will sit down with Oprah Winfrey for an episode of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.' Obama's interview will focus on the launch of a campaign to support families with somebody serving in the military. The show is set to air on Thurs., Jan. 27. [Hollywood Reporter]

Tricia Helfer has booked a guest spot on an upcoming episode of 'Two and a Half Men.' The 'Battlestar Galactica' alum will play a close friend of Charlie's fiancee, Chelsea, who crashes at the Harper house after a bad breakup. Helfer's guest spot will air Nov. 16 on CBS. [Ausiello Files]

(more headlines after the jump)

Damages has lived up to the hype. After a jaw-dropping debut season that garnered Glenn Close an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her turn as Patty Hewes, the FX legal drama roared back in January amid speculation regarding whether or not the unique storytelling techniques used in season one could be re-created again. The result? Eight episodes into the new season and Damages is as thrilling as ever.

However, after learning that Patty is indeed the person being held at gunpoint in last week's final moments, it proved one thing - Patty isn't the only one in the hot seat. The creative team behind Damages should be sweating too.

(S02E01) "Actually, I take that back. You should be scared. You should be terrified." - Ellen

Payback's a bitch, ain't it? Not if you're Ellen Parsons - then it's a slow, methodical, patience-testing process where it apparently takes six months before you get to shoot a gun. And thus begins the second chapter in the twisted law legacy of Ellen Parsons. After one episode, David Connor's killer is no longer the issue at the top of everyone's mind.

(S03E03) This is shaping up to be a pretty dark season. Not to say that the first two were all sunshine and lollipops but we're on course for some pretty big confrontations. The one that has me most interested is Mike. His "probie" status is coming to an end and we know he's been tossing around the idea of transferring to another house. As many had correctly speculated, we found out at the end of the episode that Mike is indeed gay. At least it seems that way. He has some sort of a boyfriend and the two of them like to drink beers and cuddle at the end of the day... so, I'm not sure how else to interpret it.

It would seem then, that his decision to file for a transfer has more to do with his fear of everyone finding out his secret. And they will. We know that this isn't the most tolerant group of guys, but I'm thinking that when they find out, they might cut Mike some slack. He really respects these guys and I think it's killing him that he might lose that respect. Here's to hoping that Tommy and the rest of the crew don't let Mike down.

Alicia Silverstone agreed to play the lead role in an ABC comedy, Pink Collar, which is about women's relationships in the workplace. Silverstone was last on television during the short-lived Miss Match on NBC in 2003, unless you count the constant reruns of Clueless on cable. Silverstone had seemed to drop off the face of the earth until she popped up again this year in, of all things, Beauty Shop.

Further proof that Joey won't be returning next fall, Jennifer Coolidge, who plays the agent on Joey (and is wickedly funny), has been cast in the FOX comedy pilot, If You Lived Here, You'd be Home by Now. It's about a bunch of people living in temporary housing in L.A. Let's hope it gets a new name.

Other casting news: