civil war

There's something very romantic about letters and written accounts from pivotal times in history. It's like reaching back and being there when you read them. On 'Auction Kings' (Tue., 9PM ET on Discovery), Paul Brown got to see some Civil War letters and diaries with a special bonus of historical significance.

Historians love first-person accounts from the Civil War, but these letters went that extra step by mentioning John Wilkes Booth. The letter was dated three years prior to Booth's assassination of President Lincoln, so it was simply a genuine statement about his fame as an actor.

"I had no idea really that Boothe was that well known as an actor," Brown said. "Evidently, he was."

Nigel Lythgoe is apparently not content to dominate the televised singing competition space with 'American Idol' and the televised dancing competition space with 'So You Think You Can Dance.'

Since the man seemingly won't sleep until he controls every successful TV talent show out there, he's launching a new country music comeptition series on CMT.

'CMT's Next Superstar' will debut its 10-episode first season in April, Entertainment Weekly reports.

"This isn't just a singing competition. The contestants will also be judged on their songwriting, radio interviews and music videos," Lythgoe said in a statement. "We're looking for more than just a singer. We want the complete creative, talented package -- performer, personality and writer. We want the next country superstar."

In other TV news ...

• The CW picked up another pilot, based on 'Vampire Diaries' author L.J. Smith's 'Secret Circle' series. That's not the only TVD connection; co-creator Kevin Williamson just joined the project as an executive producer. No vampires in this one, though. Just witches. [The Hollywood Reporter]

• Kerry Washington has booked the lead role in 'Grey's Anatomy' creator Shonda Rhimes' new pilot. Washington will play Olivia Price, a high-powered crisis-management consultant in 'In Crisis.' [Deadline]

• The 'Top Chef All Stars' finale will take place in the noted culinary capital of ... the Bahamas? Maybe the crew just wanted to get out of the snowy disaster that has been New York City for the past few months. The four-part finale will begin airing next month. "The setting gets the contestants excited because it takes them out of their element and gives them great ingredients," judge Gail Simmons said. [TV Guide]

At a special panel over the weekend at Comic-Con, Devil's Due Publishing presented the new "season" of Jericho, coming this October to a comic shop near you. And they've brought the original writing team from the series to the comic book. Which means, this will be about as true a continuation of the true ongoing vision for Jericho as you can imagine.

Executive producers Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz revealed that the new series will take the characters right into the Civil War that was brewing in the second season. They're excited about the possibilities the comic format allows them. As a comparable example, when IDW brought "season six" of Angel to comics, they transported much of L.A. to a plane of hell, something that would have been cost prohibitive in a live action series.

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Marge: It took the children forty minutes to locate Canada on the map.

Homer: Marge, anyone can miss Canada, all tucked away down there.

More than anything, this episode shows just how poorly-lacking public schools are when it comes to funding. We begin with a bus ride taking place on a bus that really shouldn't even be in use. Bart and Milhouse watch as a hole in the bus floor becomes wider, forcing them to leap into the next seat while their old one is sucked under the bus. When it comes time to stop, the kids have to hold their coats out the windows like drag chutes.

When they arrive at the Civil War reenactment, it turns out it's no longer free. Since they have no money to get in, they watch from over the fence until one of the actors spots them and everyone chases after the kids for trying to learn without paying first.