When I watch Today every morning, I wonder how some of the people that are standing in Rockefeller Plaza are able to bring signs that are blatant advertisements. I figured there was someone at the entrance to the taping area that would inspect each sign and reject ones that are inappropriate.

Turns out that's true, but Ad Age says that what's in the inappropriate category is less than you think. All the staff looks for is inappropriate language and readability. In fact, NBC doesn't seem to mind that a lot of companies are getting a ton of free advertising by asking people to bring signs and display them, hoping to get a lingering glance or even one of the hosts to come over and speak to someone reading the sign.

Despite being fired from Grey's Anatomy and blaming everyone but himself for his predicament, it looks like Isaiah Washington is landing firmly on his feet.

According to USA Today, NBC is set to announce that they've signed the actor to a development deal; under the deal, Washington will star in an action drama that he pitched the network, starting in the 2008-09 season. In the meantime, he will have a guest role on the network's upcoming remake of The Bionic Woman, playing a mysterious figure that will either help or hurt the main character, Jamie Sommers. He's signed for at least five episodes.

According to the UK site Digital Spy, Bryan Singer, director of the summer blockbuster Superman Returns, has signed a development deal with ABC. In the reported seven-figure deal, Singer will develop three pilot scripts for the network; the network is gauaranteeing Singer that at least one of them will end up being produced with him as the showrunner.

This isn't Singer's first TV venture; he was involved as an executive producer and director for House. Let's hope whatever pilot comes out of this deal is closer to the House aesthetic (and maybe that of Singer's first hit feature, The Usual Suspects) than the comic-book genre he's been involved with lately. We already have Heroes and Smallville; that's plenty for me.

[via Bloglines]