alyssamilano

'Extract,' the new Mike Judge comedy opening in theaters this weekend, stars Jason Bateman as a bored factory manager. Those of us who grew up on '80s TV are thrilled that former child star Bateman's become such a success as an adult -- especially since we still think of him as Ricky Schroder's rambunctious best friend on 'Silver Spoons.' (Did anyone else watch 'It's Your Move' religiously? Just us?)

It's quite a feat for Bateman to have come this far, as the list of former child stars is littered with tales of drug abuse, DUIs, anorexia, obscurity and death. And then there are those who pop up in the news for doing random things, such as Soleil Moon Frye resurrecting Punky Brewster to celebrate her massive Twitter following.

But why dwell on the negative and the bizarre? Here's a list of 10 formerly famous tykes who bucked the odds and emerged from childhood TV stardom -- often after long periods in which they took time off or struggled to find work -- and became famous adults in their own right. We couldn't be more proud.

Alyssa Milano's career resurgence continues (or begins, it depends on your perspective, I guess). ABC is expected to order 13 episodes of Romantically Challenged, a sitcom about a thirtysomething man dealing with his new girlfriend (Milano) and his needy best friend. If picked up, the series will air midseason on ABC, around the same time the network plans to premiere three dramas, Happy Town, V, and The Deep End.

This news comes almost a year after the network dumped Milano's last shot at a sitcom, Single With Parents. Romantically Challenged almost ended up on ABC's fall schedule, reportedly due to the strong buzz surrounding Milano's performance. But the network decided to push it back, presumably to make room for its other new comedies, including Bill Lawrence's Cougar Town and Hank, starring Kelsey Grammer.

ABC is close to picking up 'Romantically Challenged,' a new comedy series starring Alyssa Mliano.

Also in the news today: Fox confirms Kara DioGuardi will return to 'American Idol,' while CBS reveals its plan for 'Flashpoint.'

See more of today's top TV headlines after the jump.

We all watched her grow up on Full House and then we watched her disappear from our television screens, seemingly forever. I don't know if I'll go so far as to say Candace Cameron was to the early '90s what Alyssa Milano was to the late '80s, but that's because I'll be forever loyal to my boyhood crush on Samantha Micelli. But while Milano has been on the airwaves virtually every season since the question of Who's the Boss? was answered when the network canceled it, not so for Cameron.

She got married and went off to raise her kids for ten years, giving us only a few appearances in that time. Now 33 and ready to get back to work full time, Candace Cameron Bure will be one of the stars in ABC Family's gymnastic-themed Make It or Break It, premiering tonight at 9pm ET.

Former Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd is talking about strapping on the ol' proton pack one more time for a third Ghostbusters movie. Aykroyd is saying his co-stars from the first two films -- Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson and Sigourney Weaver – are also on board, and that production could start as soon as this winter.

Aykroyd wants the new movie to introduce a team of five younger Ghostbusters, including several female members. He's hoping to land Dollhouse star Eliza Dushku and Alyssa Milano to be a part of the "next generation" of Ghostbusters.

While I've not seen official word that CBS's Worst Week has been canceled, it doesn't look like its star has much faith, as he's been cast in a new comedy pilot. ABC has tapped Kyle Bornheimer to star opposite Alyssa Milano and Eric Christian Olsen in a new comedy from Family Guy writer Ricky Blitt. Now that's no Seth MacFarlane, but it is one of the manatees on his team. And it has Alyssa Milano and we haven't fallen out of love with her yet, so I'd say it has a good chance of not being total crap and maybe even making it onto my TV screen.

I thought Bornheimer was pretty funny in Worst Week as the unluckiest bumbling fool on television in a long time. The rest of the show, however, kind of got boring for me after a few weeks. The article says that Bornheimer would stick with Worst Week if it's renewed, but you know he's rooting for it to die. Ratings weren't great and this pilot has him playing second banana to lead Olsen (Brothers & Sisters), which I see fitting his manic energy well. And did I mention Alyssa Milano?

Last spring, ABC had high hopes for a new sitcom starring TV fave Alyssa Milano. Today, not so much.

ABC decided to dump Alyssa Milano's show, Single With Parents, claiming that there were creative differences between the show's creator, Kristin Newman (How I Met Your Mother), and the rest of the producers. Ouch. Can't we all just get along?

Actually, if there are problems at this stage of the game -- after just producing a pilot -- it might be better for the network to pass on this and consider working with Alyssa on something else down the road. We've seen far too many shows make it to air that should have never gotten the greenlight, so maybe in these tough economic times, caution is wise these days.

I am about to write something that I normally don't do when it comes to the way networks program their primetime schedules. It's something that will shake your foundations, rock the world, turn Republicans into Democrats (and vice-versa) and make Amy Winehouse finally get sober. Ready? ABC is being smart with its programming schedule.

There, it's done. Now to sit back and wait for the accolades.

Seriously, after years of relying on only a handful of shows to carry the schedule throughout the year, ABC has been filling out their schedules with a number of backup shows to fill those gaps that always appear when a fall premiere tanks. Granted, some of these mid-season replacements also tank, but at least the network is letting them try. Because of that we have been lucky to enjoy shows like Samantha Who? and Eli Stone. This time around, ABC has five new series - all scripted - that will be premiering during the 2008-09 season. You'll find a brief explanation of each after the jump.

(S03E21 / S03E22) "Whoa, not on the menu!" - Earl Hickey

In the entire run of this series, I have never been more sympathetic to any of Earl's situations than the one he is in now. What is a man to do when he has a full-on hottie in his bed and everything she does drives him nuts? I see now why Billie and Frank got along so well.

The sad part is that it seems like Earl is destined to be shackled to women who are just plain evil. Karma takes him to Billie, he can't seem to get away from Joy and any time he meets a woman who seems half way sane, his list gets in the way. I can only hope this is all part of karma's master plan.

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(S03E18) " I got shoulder-humped by a doberman...to completion." - Tiffany Henson

I was wondering when the hospital would get around to giving Earl the boot. It only makes sense that Camden County's health care facilities are run just like everything else in the area. I love the idea of Camden Cash. I think I'll pitch the idea to some of our overcrowded hospitals here in Los Angeles.

Remember a few weeks ago, when I said how much I envied Jason Lee? Well, after seeing him wedged in that shopping cart and bounced around in that wheelchair, I am forced to rescind that statement. It's good to see Mr. Lee is still willing to work for a living.

(S03E16) "This is what someone told me reading a book is like." - Randy Hickey

I really can't decide if the writers for Earl are geniuses or drunks. Right when people start to complain that the show is getting stale they take it in a new direction that no one could see coming and yet is perfectly believable.

A big part of why I love this show is seeing the flashbacks where Earl was a complete reprobate. Even better is seeing Randy as the same kind of reprobate and yet just as simple. Joy, of course, remains exactly the same, no matter where or when she is, even if she's only in Earl's imagination.

(S03E13) "There's no room at the motel and it's Christmas eve. Just like Jesus' baby." -- Randy Hickey

I don't know about you but I really have a problem watching holiday episodes after New Years. I guess, like many people, I have just had enough "holiday cheer" and when I see those references, I feel like I'm watching an old episode. Maybe I should just be happy that there are new episodes at all.

As I've said before, I always love to see recurring characters. Seeing Ralph and gay Kenny actually crossing paths was one of the high points of this episode.

AOL TV released a list of the top 18 TV witches. The list is exhaustive including everyone from classical TV witches to daytime witches and BBC witches.

This list even made me a little nostalgic. After reading about Miss Cackle and Mildred from the 1986 TV movie The Worst Witch, I think I might have to check my TV listings to see if the movie will get an encore presentation in the days leading up to Halloween. I totally forgot that Mildred was played by Fairuza Balk who obviously used her Worst Witch time to develop her later role in The Craft. With those piercing blue eyes, dark hair and bright red lipstick, she really does make a good witch.

Charmed fans rejoice! Alyssa Milano will be back on the small screen this fall. However, it will be in a role and in a TV series quite opposite of what her role of Phoebe Halliwell and Charmed were all about.

Since The WB's Charmed ended in May 2006, Milano has not done much acting, leaving her dedicated fans out cold. Actually, if you look at her IMDb profile, you can notice that she had a role in a TV pilot that wasn't picked up and has two upcoming movies. But still nothing her fans can chew their teeth on in the near future. This will change when Milano guest stars in NBC's My Name Is Earl.

Spoilers after the jump!