Shelley Long

Nothing says "Happy Birthday!" like a visit from grandma. On 'Modern Family' that means Shelley Long is returning to the mix.

According to TV Guide, the 'Cheers' alumna will reprise the role of DeDe Pritchett in early 2011 to celebrate Lily's birthday on the hit ABC comedy. Look for Long's character to be as offensive -- if not more -- as she was at Gloria and Jay's wedding.

In other TV news ...

• Darren Criss is officially joining 'Glee' as a series regular. The breakout guest star has made just one appearance on the Fox series, but he's already created quite the fan following. "Darren has become such a sensation in one week, which I love. I think there's a hunger for him and a positive relationship role model." [AfterElton]

• Daniel Sunjata has been cast as a nurse on 'Grey's Anatomy.' The 'Rescue Me' star will play a nurse in the Dec. 2 episode. Sunjata's character is recurring and a potential love interest for Bailey. [Fancast]

• Nia Long is heading to 'Chase.' Long will play Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Randolph, a character set to be at odds with Jimmy Godfrey (Cole Hauser). The actress will first appear in mid-December. [TV Guide]

Last night there was a fresh, new episode of Brothers & Sisters on ABC. I was so elated that I nearly jumped from my chair to see a non-rerun. Well, this week were sorta/kinda back from vacation as a bunch of shows will be airing new shows. For that, I say, "Hooray!"

One I'm really looking forward to seeing is Wednesday's Modern Family with Benjamin Bratt guesting as Manny's father. The reason for my anticipation is this: I haven't liked any of the guest turns on Modern Family thus far this year. I thought Shelley Long was over-the-top as Jay's ex-wife, the mother of Claire and Mitchell; Fred Willard was basically a cameo as Phil's dad; and in one episode, Elizabeth Banks and Ed Norton embarassed themselves as bizarre characters.

Elizabeth Banks is at it again.

The television cameo all-star, fresh off her hilarious turn as the boozy best friend of gay couple Mitchell and Cameron on 'Modern Family', will make an appearance as Jack Donaghy's newest flame in a four-episode arc of '30 Rock' this season.

As a tribute to Banks -- who by now should have her own show based on past performances on other programs-- we count down six other high-profile cameo kings and queens of network television that should have shows of their own.

Glee (Thursday November 26, 8 pm, Global/Fox)

Eve (rapper, designer and Gwen Stefani's best bud) guest stars as the coach of another Glee Club - one that has actual practices, with rehearsing of dance steps and singing of the same song more than once - and guess what? They are awesome. See Will, if you had an actual plan...but no. It's no use. What would a mash-up of 'You're So Vain' and 'Glory Days' sound like? Also, Kurt gives Rachel a makeover.

Modern Family is really firing on all cylinders right now and after last night's stellar episode (which seamlessly folded in Shelley Long as Jay's [Ed O'Neill] ex-wife DeDe), the show has finally taken over Community as my favorite new comedy of the season.

The episode, entitled "The Incident," was the easily the strongest episode thus far and had so many laugh out loud moments - Manny stroking his Sharpie marker goatee was hilarious. But as Jason pointed out in his review, Dylan's song for Haley and the subsequent montage of the entire family not being able to get the tune out of their heads was brilliant.

Turns out that despite Phil and Claire's objections to Hayley hanging out with Dylan (he did write a song about doing their daughter), Dylan and Hayley went and made a music video for "In the Moonlight (Do Me)." Ahh - nothing says young love like champagne flutes filled with milk. Take a look and good luck getting it out of your head - it is catchy.



[Watch clips and full episodes of Modern Family over at SlashControl.]

(S01E04) You know, I never even thought about the fact that Jay's ex-wife might still be out there. I don't know why, but I guess I figured she was dead or something, since nobody's even mentioned her prior to tonight. Now I know why that's the case. There's a lot of history to this family, and it looks like we're going to be able to piece it together.

I loved the flashbacks we did get this week, and Shelley Long as the ex-wife is just brilliant casting. And may I say she's been aging very well. She hasn't lost even a bit of her comic shops, either. I'm hoping she agreed to come back and play this role over and over again. Since she's also Claire and Mitchell's mother, there's reason for her to come back over and over again.

Every week, I'm blown away at all the little moments of humor the writers find in these three families. They pack so much in a short half-hour that I come out of it exhausted. Tonight's episode stuck to one main plot, but man was it good.

I was already looking forward to Shelley Long guest starring on tonight's episode of Modern Family. Long is playing the unstable ex-wife of Jay, played by Ed O'Neill, who I also like.

Modern Family has been one of the best new comedies this year, delivering on the hype surrounding it by establishing an appealing base of characters. And yesterday, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Benjamin Bratt signed on to play Javier Delgado, the ex-husband of Jay's new wife, Gloria Delgado-Prtichett, who is played by Sofia Vergara.

Both are great casting, and seem to be a good fit.

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