chemotherapy

Actress Maura Tierney has been forced to abandon Parenthood, the NBC ensemble series in which she was cast last spring. Tierney had been diagnosed with breast cancer, had surgery and now must have treatment – chemotherapy and radiation.

The producers had pushed back production when Tierney's health crisis arose in July, but now that her condition requires prolonged treatment, she's walking away from the project and they will move on without her.

Maura released a statement saying that she was disappointed about not being able to do Parenthood, but she was confident that she would recover and resume her career after her treatments are complete.

(S04E11) "It's what you do. When you're a hammer, everything in the world looks like a nail." -- Pope to Brenda

Did you notice, as I did, that Brenda was more distressed and unfocused while making decisions for the wedding than she was working on the case? By the end of the episode, Brenda finally settled on the when, the where and the how, so all things considered, it was a good day for Brenda...except for that little thing that happened to Daddy.

Meanwhile, returning after a few months off, the cliffhanger was resolved early on and priority homicide was back at work. However, when is an apparent suicide not a suicide? More on that and the cliffhanger after the jump. Also, Clay Johnson.

Not sure how this story didn't catch my attention sooner: yesterday, representatives of Farrah Fawcett announced that the former Charlie's Angels star has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Fawcett is currently undergoing radiation treatments in preparation for surgery and chemotherapy. According to Extra, she is apparently trying to keep a normal routine, as the show documents the fact that she worked out with longtime boyfriend Ryan O'Neal on Monday. But I'm sure she's freaking out a little about what she's about to face. I sure would be.

The article goes on to point out that Fawcett was the spokesperson for the American Cancer Society in the 1980s. Her older sister died of lung cancer eight years ago.