Generally speaking, what happens in the workplace usually is not meant for media consumption. Unless it's a Karen Silkwood situation, employees know that you don't blab about your fellow workers. Except in show business! Apparently, the very idea of working on a set or in the production offices where glamorous stars are toiling is a reason to yap about what you see.

This is especially true when those glittery vessels of acting have questionable personal lives that have already been selling ad space in newspapers, magazines and web sites. This is all a preface to the report filed by TMZ.com that the 'Two and a Half Men' team have been told to keep quiet about Charlie Sheen.

On October 14, Kelsey Grammer was telling the media to tune in to his ABC sitcom Hank because the show was getting better and better. More funny, he said. Well, now that Kelsey has accepted the fact that Hank is dead and buried -- except for whatever episodes ABC burns off down the road -- Kelsey's may be singing a different tune.

Kelsey pulled the plug on Hank because it wasn't funny. That's according to an interview he did in which he claims that after the Thanksgiving episode, he returned to work and the show was just not getting any laughs. "Honestly, it just wasn't very funny ... We finished and I was like, 'Oh boy, there wasn't a laugh in the house on this one.' And I called the president of Warner Brothers ... and I said, 'Listen, when can we put a bullet in this thing?'"

Recently, I spent a couple of hours watching Gilmore Girls on SoapNet. The experience put a smile on my face and reminded me that I miss the kind of dramedy that Amy Sherman-Palladino created on that show.

The show remains a near perfect blend of character, comedy, drama and emotion to me. So, when I read this morning that Amy Sherman-Palladino is doing aproject at HBO about a mother-daughter relationship, I let out a "yeah."

True, true, true, Amy's last show was the disappointing sitcom -- hell, call it like it was, dreadful -- The Return of Jezebel James at Fox. No excuses. It was a mess. Still, I'm more than willing to give this writer another chance to soar again.

In a shining example of the sort of litigation that goes on all of the time in Hollywood, Warner Brothers Television has freshly sued CBS over residuals from the show Two and a Half Men. Mind you, this sort of behavior is nothing new in the entertainment industry. Just look at what's happening with the Watchmen movie.

The creative accounting of the entertainment industry never ceases to amaze me. I recall a business class in which I learned that on paper Gone With The Wind was still showing a loss six decades after its initial release.

My favorite part of the article was CBS's response statement: "Wow, I wonder what they got the other networks for Christmas." My sentiments exactly.

It's a shame that the WB (whose own network, The CW, is in dire straits right now) couldn't get into the spirit of the holiday and wait a day to deliver the summons. Bah, humbug.

Even before I caught Twilight on the big screen, I was comparing it to Roswell, the great teen sci-fi/romance series that aired on The WB (and later The CW UPN) from 1999-2002. The Twilight ads and trailers seemed to tell the same story Roswell told more than nine years ago: A sensitive girl is saved by a supernatural hunk who makes it his mission to protect her at all costs. The two fall in love, but the relationship is complicated by his other-worldly circumstances.

It's not exactly the most original story in the world. This sort of thing goes back to Bram Stoker's Dracula, (and probably further back than that). Still, after watching Twilight, I was a bit shocked by its similarities to Roswell, especially since Roswell wasn't half as popular as Twilight. I haven't read the Twilight or Roswell book series, so I can't tell you if the similarities persist in print (but my friend Stephanie can). I can only compare the big screen and TV versions.

From major plot points to character motivations, these two franchises have a lot in common, but one clearly stands above the other. Let's compare, and you'll see what I mean:

Remember when rock 'n roll was to blame for teenagers being out of control? What about when John Lennon's quote about The Beatles being as big as Jesus drew the ire of the church and resulted in deejays advocating the destruction of LPs and singles?

Well, here's another missive from an "authority figure" about how pop culture is ruining today's youth. Sociologist Kristin Aune claims that Buffy, the Vampire Slayer is responsible for young women not attending church.

Dr. Aune, who's written Women and Religion in the West, and is a teacher at the University of Derby (that's in the U.K.), doesn't know if Buffy has also affected young men. Her research doesn't address if boys are abandoning the church, too, so I guess they're safe.

This is no joke, although it does sound like a good way to promote a book that would otherwise be ignored. Mentioning Buffy is a good way to let the world know that Dr. Aune wrote it.

Okay, I'm a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, but not a normal one. I've read all the comic books for both properties and seen the original movie that launched the phenomenon about three times over the years. And yet, for some reason I've never seen a full episode of either show.

When Buffy first came out, I lived in a city that didn't have The WB. And by the time it was available to me I was already several years behind, and I hate coming into the middle of something. Then, for whatever reason, it has remained on my "to do" list over the years.

So where does that leave me for the Retro Squad Buffy/Angel week? I want to participate, but in a way I'm a newbie to the show. So how about you guys tell me a good episode to immerse myself into the world of the Buffy-verse? In fact, maybe one from each show? I'm hearing from the Squad that 'Hush' is a good candidate.

Just days after launching a private beta of its new online video portal, The WB has announced plans to expand its online video distribution network. Honestly, the whole thing sounds a lot like Hulu, the online video portal backed by NBC and FOX.

Here's how it will work: You'll be able to visit TheWB.com or TheKidsWB.com and watch full-length episodes of classic WB shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Gilmore Girls, or you'll be able to find videos through a number of partners including DailyMotion, Sling Media, Veoh, TiVo, and Joost. The WB currently distributes some TV shows through Hulu, but not all of them.

I've long since given up hope for those flying cars we were all supposed to be piloting in the new millennium. Now, I'll settle for that other years ago future dream, all of TV at your fingertips whenever you want it. We're still a ways away from that one, but the new WB is another step in that direction.

The site is still in beta, so the amount of content leaves a little to be desired, but most of it seems to be working, and it gives a good idea of what will be waiting for everybody when the site goes live. They finally came through with my beta invite, and I've been poking around. Hit the gallery for the bigger screen shots of the various areas and interface, and join me after a jump for a quick tour in text. A word of warning, the embedded video after the jump will autostart. Beta.
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I've confessed before -- or should I say shouted from the rooftops -- that I am a Joss Whedon fan. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my all-time favorite shows and I still mourn its loss (the comic books just don't give me my Buffy fix).

This season, I was hopeful when Reaper arrived on the scene. It seemed to have some of the same elements that I liked about Buffy: demon lore, a Scooby gang, a story arc, and a lighthearted, humorous side to a subject that could be very dark.

So how does Reaper measure up to Buffy? When I actually did the breakdown, I was pleasantly surprised. A very interesting outcome, indeed....

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The coffee at Luke's Diner is perking again. Well, sort of. The WB television network is being resurrected it as a new web site. The WB, tentatively called wb.com, will offer free streaming episodes of Gilmore Girls, Everwood and What I Like About You, to start.

Those are all shows that were WB-produced during 1995-2006, before the WB merged with UPN to become the CW. It has yet to be determined if other series, including Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Felicity and Dawson's Creek are slated for the wb.com stream. Like other online streaming venues that allow people to watch for free, the shows will be paid for by ads. In addition to the shows, the site is also going to create new, short (approximately five minute) vignettes targeting the old WB audience, primarily women 12-34.

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(S04E01) Three years ago, I was asked to perform stand-up comedy at my high school reunion. I wasn't a full-time professional yet, but I was getting close; I figured I would go in there and kill. I imagined all the girls who didn't find me attractive in high school (which was, uh, all the girls) would instantly swoon for me and I'd get some measure of closure on what was a very disappointing chapter in my life. Of course, I tanked. Badly. The people at my reunion couldn't have been less interested in what I had to say if I was trying to sell them timeshares. I spent the rest of the night mixing cold medication and hard liquor, trying to find a combination that wouldn't shut down my liver but would help me forget how poorly I performed that night.

I never thought I'd regret a decision more than my accepting that high school reunion gig. Now, three years later, I've finally found a decision I regret more: accepting the assignment to review TV Land's new reality show, High School Reunion.

Online video site Hulu is already one of the best places to find full length episodes of network TV shows. And it looks like Hulu could be adding to its content library soon. Warner Brothers president Bruce Rosenblum says a deal with Hulu is "imminent." Right now, all of the content available on Hulu comes from NBC and FOX News Corp.

At first glance, that means that you might be able to find WB-produced shows that air on the CW network on Hulu. But Warner Brothers also produces TV programs that air on other networks, such as NBC's ER. The studio also produces movies, and while the movie section of Hulu isn't as fleshed out as the TV section, we might soon see a few more feature length films on the site.

If you were asked "Who is Penn Badgley?," you would probably say something like "Isn't he the guy from Gossip Girl?" Yes, he is. Others would probably answer with "The curly haired cutie from The Mountain?" Again, correct. But what did he do before that? Silence would probably be the most popular answer since it seemed as if he first made his mark during the canceled-rather-fast WB's The Mountain. But what may surprise most is that Penn Badgley has been in the business for almost 10 years!

According to a CNN article, Microsoft is going to partner with Nickelodeon and Warner Brothers to produce a library of family games and entertainment for XBox LIVE. This will include kid-friendly games as well as video entertainment

I have to admit that I don't own a gaming console of any kind, mostly because I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to tear myself away from it. This sort of merger of video-on-demand and games-on-demand with a gaming console would no doubt make it harder.