NBC has been promoting the crap out of their new summer adventure series, The Philanthropist, for weeks now. Starring James Purefoy as Teddy Rist, a billionaire playboy who decides to save the world, The previews held absolutely no interest for me. Now, after having seen the pilot, I realize that my first impression was the correct one.

Premiering tonight at 10 PM, The Philanthropist is basically an hour of an insufferable rich dude talking about how awesome he is. We watch the premise of the show unfold through the eyes of Rist himself, as he tells his tale of heroism (saving a Nigerian boy from drowning; surviving a shoot-out and a snake bite in order to deliver some Cholera vaccines to a village) to a bored bartender.

When I first heard that there was a show coming up called The Philanthropist (which isn't an easy word to type out, by the way), I thought it was another reality show. Maybe something where a contestants compete to see who wins more money for charity or something. But it actually stars James Purefoy as a rich guy who goes around the world helping people. It also stars Jesse L. Martin and Neve Campbell. Here's a scene from the pilot. It starts June 24.

Wow, is this right? Jesse L. Martin was on Law and Order for nine seasons? How could that be? Where has the last decade gone? I feel really old.

Martin was indeed on the hit NBC drama for that long. He left last season, in a storyline involving a gambling addiction, a murder, and a court trial. But now he might actually be coming back to the same network. Martin is in negotiations to play the James Purefoy's sidekick on the midseason replacement series The Philanthropist, about a rich man who helps people with his dough. The character's name is Philip Maidstone.

Martin must really like NBC. He's also going to be in a new Muppets movie this Christmas season on the network.

It will be interesting to see how big this sidekick role will be, because you would think at this point that Martin would be getting or going for the lead roles, not the buddy ones.

Here's something I didn't know: it's cheaper to film in England and Africa than it is to film in Hollywood.

NBC has announced that their new midseason drama The Philanthropist (a real pain to spell, by the way) won't be filmed in the U.S. at all. Instead, the production will save money by setting the show and filming the show in London, with some filming also being done in Africa and the Czech Republic. Executive producer and writer David Eick, however, will stay in Los Angeles. The first episode will be directed by Peter Horton.

Hello! The Saint is rising again. The venerable character, who was created by writer Leslie Chareris in novels in the 1920's, will be back on television in a contemporary setting, and actor James Purefoy (Rome) has been in talks to play Simon Templar, the suave, British "good guy" thief. Aside from Purefoy, the Hollywood Reporter writes that the production team includes first class talent: Homicide's Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana (Oz), writer Jorge Zamacona, Bill Macdonald, and the original TV Saint himself, Roger Moore, and his son Geoffrey Moore.

The Showtime pilot based on the British hit Manchild has its four leads now. Julia reported that John Corbett (Lucky, Northern Exposure) had been cast. Now comes word that he will be joined by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, etc.), James Purefoy (Rome), and Paul Hipp (Carnivale). According to the Hollywood Reporter, Smith will play Paul, an angry, divorced, 40 something guy who hates his ex-wife and her new husband. I can totally see that working out perfectly. Purefoy is cast as Joe, the leader of the group. He's a good looking rich guy who revels in his single lifestyle.

It's still just a pilot project, but that is some serious casting. I'm always a little leery when someone decides to adapt a British show for a U.S. audience. The track record for doing that isn't exactly stellar. But given this cast, I'm certainly interested to see their take on the story.

HBO announced that the second season of Rome will be the last. Apparently, Rome was originally planned as a mini-series but HBO was so blown away by the quality of the first episode that it picked up an entire season. HBO says logistics of shooting overseas and a very high price tag--first season topped out at $100 million--were reason enough to shut down the show.

Season two is currently filming at the Cinecitta Studios in Rome and it premieres January 7 on HBO.