My colleague Mike Hogan wrote about last night's 'Homeland' here and I recommend his weekly review, but I couldn't resist adding a few comments about the Showtime drama's outstanding Sunday episode.

If you're not watching 'Homeland,' you really need to catch up on this gripping drama (which I reviewed here). I already thought 'Homeland' was the best new show of the year, but Sunday's hour was in a different league from what came before it.

As I said in last week's Talking TV podcast, I was a little alarmed by a development in last week's episode -- I thought what happened between CIA agent Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and former prisoner of war Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) might have been the kind of mistake that would force this promising show down cliched or unsatisfying paths.

I couldn't have been more wrong, and Sunday's episode proved that 'Homeland' knows exactly what it's doing. Within the context of a complex tale about the challenges of combating terrorism, 'Homeland' has proven it knows how to tell a rich, emotionally nuanced tale about the dangers of connection and the price of loneliness.

Fictional terrorists beware! Claire Danes will remain on your tail for another season. Showtime has renewed the political thriller for a second season.

'Homeland' stars Danes, Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin and is executive produced by '24' guru Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa. Danes plays Carrie Mathison, a CIA officer who becomes convinced rescued POW Nicholas Brody (Lewis) has been turned by Al Qaeda.

After much anticipation, the star-studded 'Homeland' (Sun., 10PM ET on Showtime) finally premiered, and it delivered on every level. Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin are a revelation together, with Danes absolutely smashing a very unpredictable and uncertain role.

Carrie Mathison is already one of the most fascinating lead characters on television. We come out of this premiere with no real grasp on whether she's crazy and grasping at straws, or crazy but on to something really big. Yes, we're pretty sure, she's crazy, but it's the kind of crazy that draws you into her world.

Sometimes an actor takes an average role and, through skill, technique and pure presence, transforms it into something much better. Once in a great while, an actor takes a very good role and produces something extraordinary.

That's what occurs in 'Homeland' (10PM ET Sunday, Showtime), which would be worth watching if all it had going for it were the tremendous work being done by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis. But 'Homeland' also manages to be both an addictive espionage thriller and a compelling character study, as well as a well-constructed exploration of the difficulties and ambiguities of fighting terrorism a decade after Sept. 11. Without a doubt, it is one of the finest new shows of the year.

Danes and Lewis both portray guarded, damaged characters who have trouble knowing whom to trust, and the parallels and contrasts between them are fascinating. Lewis plays Nicholas Brody, a Marine who returns home after eight years as the captive of Islamic radicals, and his wariness may be the result of understandable re-entry difficulties -- or it may indicate something more sinister.

This year's Emmys are just a few days away, and to whet our appetite ahead of Sunday night's ceremony, organizers have announced the names of six new presenters.

'Two and a Half Men' star Jon Cryer, who is up for a Best Supporting Actor award this year, will be joined on the presenting roster by actors from both established shows and upcoming new ones.

The other five presenters announced Wednesday are: Bryan Cranston ('Breaking Bad'), Scott Caan ('Hawaii Five-0'), Claire Danes ('Homeland'), Kerry Washington ('Scandal') and Jason O'Mara ('Terra Nova').

Can't wait to sink your teeth into Showtime's new political thriller starring Claire Danes? Now you don't have to! The network has put the first episode, set to air Oct. 2 at 10PM, online for your viewing pleasure.

The cable network has done this in the past with other big shows like Laura Linney's 'The Big C.'

Also starring Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin and Mandy Patinkin, the new drama from Howard Gordon and the producers of '24' follow Danes as a CIA officer who suspects a rescued American prisoner of war has been turned by terrorists.

Watch the full episode below.

Fans of psychological thrillers, you just have to hold out a few more months! Showtime's Claire Danes-fronted drama, 'Homeland,' kicks off Oct. 2 at 10PM but we've got one tantalizing new trailer to hold you over until then.

The new series from Howard Gordon and the producers of '24' follows Danes' Carrie Anderson, a CIA officer who suspects a recently recovered American prisoner of war has been turned by terrorists. Damian Lewis, Morena Baccarin and Mandy Patinkin also star.

Below, watch the new trailer -- filled with spying, secret talks, pills, sex and so much more.

Morena Baccarin wasn't out of work for long. Just a short while after ABC canceled 'V,' she's been cast as a series regular in Showtime's hot new drama, 'Homeland.'

Baccarin joins Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin and Damian Lewis in the political thriller, which tells the story of Scott Brody (Lewis), an American POW who is rescued from the Middle East.

Meanwhile, a suspicious CIA operative (Danes) thinks he may have been turned into a terrorist and released intentionally.

According to Deadline.com Baccarin will take on the role of Jessica Brody, Scott's smart, strong wife. She replaces British actress Laura Fraser, who played the role in the pilot.

Showtime's kicking it up a notch with its new series, 'Homeland.' The political thriller starring Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin and Damian Lewis tells the story of an American POW who is rescued from the Middle East ... but was he released intentionally?

In this new trailer, Danes' character, Carrie Anderson works diligently to put her suspicions at ease. Was Scott Brody (Lewis) released for a reason? Has he been turned against the U.S.?

'Homeland' comes from '24' executive producer Howard Gordon and is based on the Israeli TV series 'Prisoners of War.'

This marks Danes' return to series TV, her first since 'My So-Called Life.' The actress recently picked up a slew of awards, including an Emmy, for her work in HBO's 'Temple Grandin.'

Check out the full trailer below and a 3-minute scene here.

With Snooki, Paris and those glitzy 'Gossip Girls' skankin' up the tube, it's nice to know that 'My So-Called Life''s sensitive and smart grunge girl, Angela Chase, has returned to TV.

What's that? You have no idea who Angela Chase is? And you've never heard of 'My So Called Life,' which began airing on the Sundance Channel last night and will continue every Tuesday at 9PM. Well, stop texting for two seconds you pretty young thing and I'll tell ya all about it ...

'My So-Called Life' was a beloved and acclaimed TV drama from a strange and wonderful time called "the '90s." You might have heard of the '90s; it was a time when we had to watch our favorite shows when they were on (because who wanted to program the VCR, really?), people could actually see Nirvana perform live, and people still wanted to see Metallica perform live. It was a joyous time, but being a teen in the '90s could be rough, what with everyone using their parachute pants to smuggle guns and Walkmans into school every day. Luckily, Angela Chase, played by Claire Danes, was there to share our pain.

Angela was smart, introspective and sensitive, and she helped pave the way for a number of deep and clever young TV ladies that followed. In celebration of Angela's return to the small screen, here's a list of five smart young female characters from the past several years of TV history.

One thing is clear from this first look at 'Homeland' -- this isn't Showtime's typical quirky, female-driven series. Far from it.

In the just-released three-minute scene, we get our first look at Claire Danes as a very suspicious CIA officer. After a presumed-dead American POW (Damian Lewis) is found in the Middle East, Danes' character voices her concerns over his possible connection to terrorists.

Look for Mandy Patinkin as Saul, a CIA veteran and mentor to Danes' character.

The new series starts production this summer.

Watch the preview after the jump.

On Thursday, Showtime ordered 12 episodes of 'House of Lies,' a half-hour comedy starring Don Cheadle as a "self-loathing," cutthroat management consultant and Bell as one of Cheadle's razor-sharp employees.

The network also ordered the hour-long psychological thriller 'Homeland,' which stars Claire Daines as a CIA officer "battling her own demons" and Damian Lewis as a soldier who may be connected to an Al Qaeda plot. The show comes from Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Gideon Raff. Gansa and Gordon both used to work on '24,' and the show is based on Raff's Israeli drama, 'Prisoners of War.'

Both shows begin production this summer.

Among the '17th Annual SAG Awards' winners, 'The King's Speech' took top honors for outstanding male actor (Colin Firth) and cast performance.

'The Fighter' won two of its four nominations, as Melissa Leo and Christian Bale received statuettes. Dickie Eklund, the man whom Bale played in the biopic, surprised him onstage. "How do you like me now?" Eklund joked.

In television, notable wins included Betty White for female actor in a comedy series ('Hot in Cleveland'), and Alec Baldwin's fifth consecutive SAG victory for '30 Rock.'

The 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were held tonight at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. During the evening, SAG honored their own, giving awards to the year's best performances in both television and motion pictures.

Our friends at Moviefone will give you the results from the movie side of the ledger. On the TV side, there weren't many surprises. HBO's 'Boardwalk Empire' won two awards: Steve Buscemi for Best Male Actor in a Drama, and the cast for Outstanding Drama Cast. 'Modern Family' won for Outstanding Comedy Cast, while Alec Baldwin of '30 Rock' for Best Male Actor in a Comedy and Julianna Margulies of 'The Good Wife' won for Best Female Actor in a Drama.

The winner for Best Female Actor in a Comedy was a mild surprise, as Betty White took home the statuette for her performance in 'Hot in Cleveland.' It's a surprise given the competition she was up against (Tina Fey, Jane Lynch, Edie Falco and Sofia Vergara), but given the roll White has been on over the last year, it makes sense that the acting community would take the opportunity to honor her again.

The complete list of television winners can be found after the jump.

Don't underestimate the power of 'Jersey Shore.'

While The Situation is still making headlines in Hollywood after his stint on 'Dancing With the Stars,' his BFF Pauly D has been busy causing riots in his home state of Rhode Island.

According to E! Online, the reality star stopped by a dorm at the University of Rhode Island to visit a friend. Once the students caught on to his presence, they stormed the building.

In other TV news ...

• Adrianne Palicki will star in a special episode of 'Criminal Minds.' The 'Friday Night Lights' and 'Lone Star' actress will play one half of a murderous couple in a tribute to 'Natural Born Killers.' [Deadline]

• Beau Bridges will guest star on 'Brothers & Sisters' as a love interest for Sally Field. Other news from the drama: Calista Flockheart will be missing from three upcoming episodes so she can spend more time with her family. [E! Online]

• 'Teen Mom' star Amber Portwood was charged with two felony counts and one misdemeanor for domestic violence and battery this morning. The reality star was captured on film hitting her ex-fiance. MTV was subpoenaed in the case, and provided footage to Indiana authorities. [Hollywood Life]