wesley snipes

This memo has been floating around the web for a few years, but it was brought to the surface again today by the websites The Daily What and Letters of Note, and I thought it would be a fun item to give you at the end of a slow pre-Emmys, pre-fall-premiere week.

After the jump is an internal Paramount casting memo for 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' that was sent to the studio's television head in the spring of 1987, a few months before the series was set to debut. The memo lists actors who were being considered for each of the show's major roles with some notes as to how the auditions were going so far.

Looking at the memo, the "what might have been" possibilities are tantalizing... and at the same time, shows how easy it can be to ruin a show with misguided casting.

(S04E15) "This is an exciting time for NBC. Not 'Friends,' 'Seinfeld,' 'ER' exciting, more like 3-D episodes of 'Merlin' exciting.' - Jack

I wonder if NBC killed off Don Geiss (that's him in the Han Solo-like cryogenic freeze thing above - another 'Star Wars' reference) because of Rip Torn's real-life problems? Sure, this episode was probably filmed before his latest escapade, but similar things had happened in the past, and maybe they didn't want to have to have him come back on the show now and then. Then again, Geiss had a lot of health problems in the past and almost died once already, so maybe his death was already in the works. And it certainly works as a sign that things are changing at NBC now that GE has sold it to Kabletown.

Wesley Snipes addressed his ongoing legal problems on 'The View' (weekdays, syndicated), saying that he's not at all worried about winning an appeal of his 2008 conviction that included three years in jail for failing to file Federal income tax.

"At this point, I'm at great peace with how I live my life and the blessings the good Lord has bestowed upon me," Snipes said serenely. The action star, who is currently out on bail, added, "We're going to win this."

Watch the video after the jump.

Jimmy Fallon sure has a lot of fun on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon' (weeknights, 12:37AM ET on NBC). On last night's show, he challenged Wesley Snipes to a shoot-off to see who could get the most random stuff -- lamps, food items, who knows what else -- through the basketball hoop.

Really, there's no way of knowing who won, but they looked like they had a blast. Snipes even took his leather coat off, so you know he was into it. We just hope there was no one standing behind the hoop!

Watch the video after the jump.