mercy

February is Black History Month, and what better way to celebrate than to pay tribute to television's brightest young African-American actors.

Most of you are already fans of critically acclaimed vets like Chandra Wilson ('Grey's Anatomy'), Anthony Anderson ('Law & Order') and Regina King ('Southland'), but there is a new wave of up-and-coming black stars ready to make their mark. Here are 12 of our favorites. Who are yours?

Here's tonight's TV lineup (all times Eastern).

• At 8, ABC has 'A Charlie Brown Valentine,' followed by new episodes of 'The Middle,' "Modern Family,' 'Cougar Town,' and 'Ugly Betty.'
• CBS has a new 'Old Christine' at 8, then new episodes of 'Gary Unmarried,' 'Criminal Minds,' and 'CSI: NY.'
• NBC has a new 'Mercy' at 8.
• FOX has new episodes of 'Human Target' and 'American Idol.'
• PBS has a new 'Faces of America' at 8.
• TCM has 'Kiss of Death' at 8, followed by 'Pickup on South Street.'
• HBO has 'Temple Grandin' at 8.
• At 9, DirecTV has the season finale of 'Friday Night Lights.'
• Fine Living has a new 'Whatever, Martha' at 9.
  
• Discovery has a new 'Man vs. Wild' at 9.
• History Channel has a new 'MonsterQuest' at 9.
• Showtime has a new 'Inside the NFL' at 9.
• Also at 9: Syfy has a new 'Ghost Hunters International.'
• At 10, TNT has a new 'Leverage.'
• USA has a new 'Psych' at 10.
• There's a new 'Nip/Tuck' on FX at 10.
• Bravo has a new 'Shear Genius' at 10.
• TBS has two new episodes of 'Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns' at 10.
• MTV has a new episode of 'The Real World' at 10.
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new 'Tosh.0.'

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Here's tonight TV lineup (all times Eastern).

• At 8, CBS has 'Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2010,' followed by new episodes of 'Criminal Minds' and 'CSI: NY.'
• NBC has a new 'Mercy' at 8.
• FOX has a new 'Human Target' at 8, then a new 'American Idol.'
• At 8:30, ABC has a new episode of 'The Middle,' followed by new episodes of 'Modern Family,' 'Cougar Town,' and 'Ugly Betty.'
• At 9, Travel Channel has a new, two-hour 'Man vs. Food Live.'
• DirecTV 101 has a new 'Friday Night Lights' at 9.
• Food Network has a new 'Throwdown with Bobby Flay' at 9.
• Discovery has a new 'Man vs. Wild' at 9, then a new 'Solving History with Olly Steeds.'
• History Channel has a new 'MonsterQuest' at 9.
• Showtime has a new 'Inside the NFL' at 9.
• At 10, NBC has a new 'Jay Leno Show.'
• USA has a new 'Psych' at 10.
• TBS has two new episodes of 'Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns' at 10.
• FX has a new 'Nip/Tuck' at 10.
• Also at 10: MTV has a new episode of 'The Real World.'
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new 'Tosh.0.'

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

Alex O'Loughlin may not be off the airwaves for long. The actor, last seen on the recently canceled medical drama 'Three Rivers,' is reportedly being considered for a role on the upcoming CBS remake of 'Hawaii Five-O.' Insiders claim that "talks are ongoing" and that the network "really wants to do another series with him." Last week, CBS officially greenlit the series (more on that here). [Ausiello Files]

More casting news after the jump.

NBC is already doing a pretty good job of destroying itself, from its failure to develop new hit shows to the extraordinary bad will it's generated through the Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien fiasco. (indeed, whether you're on Team Jay or Team Coco, we all agree that NBC has screwed our guy over.)

Still, the fourth-place network is hanging in there, so clearly, there's a lot left to do if NBC is really going to destroy itself. While it's hard to come up with ideas that are even more smack-your-forehead stupid than the ones coming out of the NBC executive suites, we do have some suggestions.

• At 8, CBS has a new Old Christine, then new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
• NBC has a new Mercy, followed by new episodes of Law and Order: SVU and The Jay Leno Show.
• FOX has a new American Idol at 8.
• PBS has a new episode of The Human Spark at 8, followed by a new Great Performances.
• At 8:30, ABC has a new episode of The Middle, then new episodes of Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Ugly Betty.
• At 9, DirecTV 101 has a new Friday Night Lights.
• TBS has four new episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns at 9.
• History Channel has a new, two-hour MonsterQuest at 9.
• There's a new Ghost Hunters International at 9 on Syfy.
• Showtime has a new Inside The NFL at 9.
• At 9:30, A&E has a new Dog The Bounty Hunter, followed by a new Steven Seagal: Lawman.
• At 10, TNT has the premiere of Leverage.
• FX has a new Nip/Tuck at 10.
• Bravo has a new Launch My Line at 10.
• TV Land has the season premiere of High School Reunion at 10.
• Also at 10: MTV has a new episode of The Real World.
• At 10:30, Comedy Central has a new Tosh.0.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

• At 7, ESPN has The GMAC Bowl, Central Michigan vs. Troy.
• At 8, ABC has two new episodes of The Middle, followed by new episodes of Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Ugly Betty.
• CBS has a new I Get That A Lot at 8, then The People's Choice Awards.
• NBC has a new Mercy at 8, followed by new episodes of Law and Order: SVU and The Jay Leno Show.
• PBS has a new episode of The Human Spark at 8, then a new episode of The Emotional Life.
• At 9, DirectTV 101 has a new Friday Night Lights.
• Discovery has a new Man vs. Wild at 9.
• Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters International at 9.
• Showtime has a new Inside The NFL at 9.
• At 9:30, A&E has a new Dog The Bounty Hunter, followed by a new Steven Seagal: Lawman.
• At 10, FX has a new Nip/Tuck.
• MTV has a new Real World at 10.
• Bravo has a new Launch My Line at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

James Van Der Beek has landed a recurring role on NBC's 'Mercy.' The 'Dawsons Creek' alum will play Dr. West on the freshman medical drama series, a "cocky" and "womanizing" doctor who is also harboring a major secret. If all goes well, Van Der Beek -- who has recently guested on shows like 'Ugly Betty,' 'The Forgotten' and 'One Tree Hill' -- could become a series regular. In the meantime, no word on when he'll officially scrub in. [Ausiello Files]

More casting news after the jump.

• At 8, ABC has Shrek the Halls, followed by new episodes of The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town and then Barbara Walters Presents The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009.
• CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, then new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
• NBC has new episodes of Mercy, Law and Order: SVU, and The Jay Leno Show.
• FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance at 8, followed by the fall finale of Glee.
• ABC Family has Santa Claus is Comin' To Town at 8, then Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer & The Island of Misfit Toys.
• Also at 8: BBC America has a new Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares.
• At 9, Bravo has the season finale of Top Chef, followed by a new Launch My Line.
• DirecTV 101 has a new Friday Night Lights at 9.
• Discovery has a new Mythbusters at 9.
• A&E has a new Dog The Bounty Hunter at 9, then two new episodes of Steven Seagal: Lawman.
• Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters at 9, followed by a new Ghost Hunters Academy.
• History Channel has a new episode of The Nostradamus Effect at 9, followed by a new MysteryQuest.
• Showtime has a new Inside the NFL at 9.
• At 10, FX has a new Nip/Tuck.
• TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns at 10.
• There's a new Dinner: Impossible on Food Network at 10.
• Sundance has a new Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... at 10.
• At 11, G4 has the series premiere of Campus PD.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

• At 8, ABC has The CMA Awards.
• CBS has a new Old Christine at 8, followed by new episodes of Gary Unmarried, Criminal Minds, and CSI: NY.
• NBC has new episodes of Mercy, Law and Order: SVU, and The Jay Leno Show.
• FOX has a new So You Think You Can Dance at 8, followed by a new Glee.
• The CW has a new America's Next Top Model at 8.
• There's a new Secrets of the Dead on PBS at 8, then a new P.O.V.
• Cartoon Network has a new Destroy Build Destroy at 8.
• G4 has the season premiere of Human Wrecking Balls at 8.
• At 9, TBS has two new episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne, followed by two new episodes of Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns.
• DirectTV 101 has a new Friday Night Lights at 9.
• Syfy has a new Ghost Hunters at 9, then the series premiere of Ghost Hunters Academy.
• Discovery has a new Mythbusters at 9.
• Fine Living has a new Whatever, Martha at 9.
• History Channel has a new Nostradamus Effect at 9, then a new Mystery Quest.
• Showtime has a new Inside The NFL at 9.
• At 10, FX has a new Nip/Tuck.
• Bravo has a new Top Chef at 10.
• Comedy Central has a new South Park at 10, followed by the season finale of Secret Girlfriend.
• Food Network has a new Dinner: Impossible at 10
• Also at 10: Spike has a new Ultimate Fighter.

Check your local TV listings for more.

After the jump, the late night talk shows.

A couple of weeks ago, I did a post about the shows that were "on the bubble," the ones in danger of being canceled. Now AOL TV has given the odds on what shows might not be coming back.

A lot of shows on the list won't surprise us: Hank, The Forgotten, Numb3rs, Gary Unmarried, and 'Til Death (each either gets low ratings or has been on for a while), but there are several that I think will actually make it to a another season, including The Good Wife and Parks and Recreation.

The other day I wrote about watching Mercy during a mini-marathon that aired last Saturday on Bravo. Is it possible that someone at NBC Universal was reading my plaudits for the company using Bravo to promote an NBC drama series? I think so, because today comes to the news that two of the Real Housewives of New Jersey will guest on Mercy.

That's right; you didn't read it wrong. Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita, the two who were having babies in season one of the show, will appear as themselves on the NBC medical drama, according to the Ausiello Files.

A funny thing happened when I turned on Bravo over the weekend. Instead of an avalanche of Flipping Out flip outs or Real Houswives' table-flipping or Tabitha's disgusting beauty salons, there was drama on the cable net. Bravo aired NBC's medical drama Mercy on Saturday morning.

On Saturday morning there really wasn't a lot going up against Mercy. In fact, it had the field pretty much to itself for any viewers looking for a quality, fresh TV show.

I say fresh because unlike the reruns of House or NCIS on USA, I hadn't seen these episodes of Mercy. So, rather than watch infomercials or pre-game college football chatter or animated cartoons, I watched Mercy.

NBC isn't giving up on scripted series just yet. After making the decision to put 'The Jay Leno Show' on five nights a week, NBC was able to drastically scale back their new series development.

But now, with some series like 'Heroes' and 'Trauma' sagging in the ratings, NBC is back at the development drawing board. The network also ordered more episodes of new fall shows 'Community' and 'Mercy.'