Lucy Liu has joined the cast of TNT's critical darling 'Southland.'

According to TNT, the 'Ally McBeal' veteran will appear throughout Season 4, billed as a special guest star. Liu will play a member of the LAPD alongside Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy, Regina King and Ben McKenzie.

Season 4 is set to debut in January 2012.

Besides 'McBeal,' Liu's TV credits include the short-lived 'Cashmere Mafia' and 'Dirty Sexy Money.'

If there's one thing America loves more than lawyer shows, it's nostalgia.

That's why it's unsurprising that this summer's latest addition to the growing crop of courtroom series on TV, TNT's 'Franklin & Bash,' has done so well for the network that TNT has ordered a second season.

That means next year, we'll have ten more episodes of Zack Morris Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer's too-cool-for-rules lawyer duo and their oh-so-unconventional law practices.

Update: At the end of this post, there are comments about the cancellation from 'Men of a Certain Age' co-creator and executive producer Mike Royce.

In terrible yet not completely unexpected news, TNT has canceled 'Men of a Certain Age.'

In a statement, the network said: "TNT has been proud to be a part of 'Men of a Certain Age' for two seasons. While the show has featured great storytelling and impeccable performances, the audience simply hasn't built to the point where we can continue the series. This was an extremely difficult decision for us. We wish Ray Romano, Mike Royce and the terrific cast and crew of 'Men of a Certain Age' the very best and look forward to exploring new programming possibilities in the future."

Truth be told, this one really hurts. A lot.

Get ready for a return to 'Dallas.' TNT is bringing the classic drama back from its oil-drenched grave for a 2012 reboot, and there are plenty of familiar characters and plot points to please long-time fans.

The new trailer features Bobby (Patrick Duffy) and J.R. (Larry Hagman) at odds, with their sons Christopher (Jesse Metcalfe) and John Ross (Josh Henderson) also squabbling. Like father like son!

Watch the minute-long preview below and be on the lookout for Sue Ellen (Linda Gray), some slaps, a shove or two, a shotgun-wielding mama and so much more. Is it summer 2012 yet?

I posted my Emmy prediction story Friday, and you may have been surprised by the amount of attention I gave to 'Men of a Certain Age' in that piece.

The real surprise is this: The TNT show, which concluded its terrific second season last week, is in danger of cancellation. And I'm terrified it could die before it gets a realistic shot making an impression on TV viewers.

Despite recently winning a Peabody Award, 'MOACA' may not return next year, which is why I'm hoping that if the show gets some Emmy nods on Thursday, TNT executives will have one more reason to give the drama a third season.

To say it deserves to stick around is the understatement of the year. 'MOACA' is without question one of the best shows on television, and this lovely, bittersweet drama dying now would be like 'Friday Night Lights' going away after its first season. It's simply unthinkable.

'Dallas' reboot is a go! TNT has picked up the series.

"TNT has explored the possibility of an updated version of 'Dallas' for several years, but it wasn't until we read Cynthia Cidre's outstanding pilot script that we knew we had the foundation for a great new series," Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), said in a statement. "It is incredibly exciting to see both new and familiar characters in the hands of a dream cast under the guidance of the enormously talented Cidre and Mike Robin. We couldn't be more pleased with how 'Dallas' has come together."


The new series focuses on the children of the original Ewings -- J.R.'s son John Ross and Bobby and Pam's adopted son Christopher. Josh Henderson ('Desperate Housewives') plays John Ross, while Jesse Metcalfe stars as Christopher.

It appears the alien invasion on 'Falling Skies' won't be resolved quite yet. Noah Wyle and co. will live to fight extraterrestrials for at least one more season, TNT announced today. The network ordered a 10-episode Season 2 that will air in the summer of 2012.

"'Falling Skies' is a true standout series, from its ambitious storytelling, high-profile cast and production team to its phenomenal success when it comes to international and time-shifted viewing," Michael Wright, executive vice president in charge of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies, said.

"We're reaching new audiences with 'Falling Skies' and look forward to seeing where this fascinating and exciting series takes us next," he continued.

There are plenty of law-abiding characters on TV, but we're particularly fond of the ladies who wield badges and shout "objection!" in courtrooms to keep our airwaves safe.

With the return of 'Rizzoli & Isles' (Season 2 premieres Mon., July 11, 10PM ET on TNT) -- where stars Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander battle Boston bad guys as a detective and medical examiner team -- we salute those cops and lawyers who help maintain law and order (some of them are even on 'Law & Order') on TV.

Of course, all of the current TV cops on our list have some iconic legal ladies to thank, including 'Police Woman''s Pepper Anderson (Angie Dickinson); Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) on 'The Shield'; and the dynamic duo of 'Cagney & Lacey' (Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly), just to name a few.

And we can't forget their legal counterparts either, with beloved barristers like Susan Dey's Grace van Owen on 'L.A. Law'; Sarah McKenzie (Catherine Bell) on 'JAG'; the ladies of 'Boston Legal,' 'The Practice' and 'Ally McBeal'; Markie Post's Christine Sullivan on 'Night Court'; and Harmon herself, as 'Law & Order''s ADA Abbie Carmichael.

These pros all helped pave the moral way for what's now one of the most popular professions for women on TV. Here, 11 of our current favorite female TV cops and lawyers.

'Falling Skies' was watched by 5.9 million viewers, making it the highest cable premiere of the year.

According to TNT, the alien drama from DreamWorks and Steven Spielberg was seen by 2.6 million adults in the 18-49 demographic and 3.2 million adults 25-54.

'Falling Skies,' starring Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood, is set in a world following an alien attack.

"The enormous success of Falling Skies demonstrates what can happen when you partner with the best people in the business and give them what they need to do their very best work," Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and TCM, said in a statement.

It's hard to look at Noah Wyle and not see Dr. Carter from 'ER' ... but 'Falling Skies' might finally change that.

The new TNT drama (premieres Sun., June 19, 9PM ET) gives Wyle a hero's badge you can't earn in a hospital: He's helping save the world from an alien invasion. Add to that the fact that his wife was killed after the invastion and one of his three sons has been taken hostage by the visitors' spine-sucking mind-control devices that are basically a death sentence.

To say that Wyle's Tom Mason is having a rough time is an understatement.

I caught up with Wyle to talk about his career's new action star direction and why this alien invasion drama shouldn't get pegged with the sci-fi label too quickly. "I think it's TNT's attempt to try to have their cake and eat it, too -- to try and branch out and grab an audience that doesn't currently exist on their network, while still honoring the one that does by giving them what they tune in for, which is well written character pieces. I think there is something for everybody in here."

Keep reading for more ...

Two sci-fi pilots debuting this weekend don't bother with the pretentious throat-clearing and cryptic interludes that have tripped up many of the 'Lost' imitators of the past few years. These new shows start well after terrible disasters have mostly destroyed Earth.

'Outcasts' (9PM ET Saturday, BBC America) deftly sketches a portrait of a settlement that humanity has created on another planet after leaving Earth, and 'Falling Skies' (9PM ET Sunday, TNT) also has a refreshingly basic premise: Aliens are here and they're trying to kill us. That's what I'm talking about.

But just as aliens tend to turn up where they're least wanted, problems invade each drama fairly early on.

'Franklin & Bash' (9PM ET Wednesday, TNT) has at least one thing going for it -- it's not nearly as dour and clunky as the last TNT legal drama Mark-Paul Gosselaar appeared in, Steven Bochco's 'Raising the Bar.'

On that show, Gosselaar played an idealistic lawyer whose long hair was meant to signify that he was not a tool of the Man. On the new show, Gosselaar's locks are tidily trimmed, but his character, Peter Bash, and Bash's law partner, Jared Franklin (Breckin Meyer) are supposed to be "offbeat," in the words of a TNT press release.

The trouble is, that word doesn't mean what TNT appears to think it means.

1. The first reason to watch 'Men of a Certain Age'? Well, if you don't want me hounding you -- yes, you personally -- to check out the show's terrific mix of bittersweet humor and low-key but effective drama, then you had better get with the program when 'Men' returns 10PM ET Wednesday on TNT.

2. The second reason to watch the show, which recently won a Peabody Award: Star Ray Romano says it's not hard to jump right in with the new set of six episodes TNT is airing this summer, even if you've never seen 'Men' before.

"It's not too convoluted," the former 'Everybody Loves Raymond' star said in a recent interview. "It's easily catch-up-able."

It feels like both Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Breckin Meyer have been on a whole lot of TV shows, doesn't it?

But when the stars of TNT's new lawyer dramedy 'Franklin & Bash' (premieres Wed., June 1 at 9PM ET) sat down with AOL TV to talk about the show, Gosselaar took pains to mention that, despite the presence of such flame-outs as 'Inside Schwartz' on Meyer's IMDb profile, his co-star has been in less TV shows than people think.

"I'm gonna put him in his place," joked Gosselaar, who's starred in everything from 'Saved By The Bell' to 'NYPD Blue.' "He hasn't had a long TV career. I think he's more known for his films, because what, B, you only had two shows?"

Meyer's semi-self-deprecating reply shows that the two have an easy chemistry, even off-screen: "Yeah, two shows. Except for some reason, I think people think I've done a lot, which is flattering and offensive."

The stars play unconventional lawyers Peter Bash (Gosselaar) and Jared Franklin (Meyer), guys' guys who take any and every case they can get and run their firm out of the man cave they live in. That is, until Stanton Infeld (Malcolm McDowell) asks them to join his huge firm to shake up its stodginess.

Mary McDonnell will star in 'Major Crimes,' a new spinoff from TNT's wildly successful police drama 'The Closer.' Can we get a "frak yeah," 'Battlestar Galactica' fans?

'Major Crimes' will launch after 'The Closer' wraps its final season with 15 episodes in 2011 and six during the summer of 2012, the network announced this morning. TNT also introduced several new projects, such as 'The TNT Tuesday Night Mystery' series, at its Upfront presentation.

'The TNT Tuesday Night Mystery' -- a working title -- will showcase six crime dramas, including both true crime and fiction mysteries. As part of the new movie block, TNT is working on an adaptation of Scott Turow's novel 'Innocent,' Richard North Patterson's 'Silent Witness,' Sandra Brown's 'Ricochet,' Lisa Gardner's 'Hide,' 'April Smith's 'Good Morning, Killer' and Mary and Carol Higgins Clark's 'Deck the Halls.'