withoutatrace

Fans of the Tiffany network can do the happy dance. CBS has renewed 11 scripted shows for the 2008-2009 TV season. The lucky 11 are: CSI; CSI: Miami; CSI: New York; NCIS; Criminal Minds; Cold Case; Without a Trace; Ghost Whisperer; Numb3rs; Two and a Half Men; and The Big Bang Theory.

There are not a lot of surprises in this bunch, although it's great news that The Big Bang Theory, CBS's rookie Monday-night sitcom from Chuck Lorre's stable, made the cut. Still in limbo, however, are three other Monday-night comedies from the network: How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. The story speculates that Mother will get the greenlight for a fourth season soon, but Rules and Christine seem to be in competition for the 9:30-10:00 half-hour slot.

Actress Poppy Montgomery's real-life pregnancy will be written into this next season of Without a Trace. Montgomery, 35, is expecting a son in December with her boyfriend Adam Kaufman. Montgomery told TV Guide that her character, FBI agent Sam Spade, will be pregnant on the show. Her character will be put in several life-and-death situations, which will be so much more dire than usual because she's carrying a child.

The biggest mystery, however, is who is Sam's baby daddy? I'm a little behind on my Without a Trace, but I know she has had affairs with both her boss and her co-worker, but I thought those were both over. Montgomery is having a hard time keeping that a secret. She says, "I have to bite my tongue because I'm busting to tell everybody. There are a number of people in the mix. I think it will be quite surprising." Sounds like Sam's been sleeping around!

[Via CBB]

James Marsters' official website confirms that the actor is joining CBS' hit series Without a Trace. Marsters, who is best known for portraying Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has been guesting on various TV series and acting in movies in the past years. Most notably, Marsters has impersonated Professor Milton Fine, also known as Brainiac, in a few episodes of The CW's Smallville.

Slight Without a Trace spoilers after the jump!

• At 7, CBS has a new 60 Minutes, followed by new episodes of The Amazing Race, Cold Case, and Without A Trace.
• ABC has a new America's Funniest Home Videos at 7.
• NBC has a new Dateline at 7.
• At 8, FOX has the two hour premiere of Drive.
• The CW has a new 7th Heaven at 8.
• Discovery has two new episodes of Planet Earth starting at 8.
• Also at 8: Food Network has a new Challenge, with footage of the Food Network Awards.
• At 9, ABC has a new Desperate Housewives, then a new Brothers & Sisters.
• HBO has a new Sopranos at 9, then a new Entourage.
• At 10, Lifetime has a new Blood Ties.
• Comedy Central has a new Mind of Mencia at 10, then a new Reno 911.
• Showtime has a new ep of The Tudors at 10.

Check your local TV listings for more.

Here are the weekly TV ratings, in number of viewers.

1. American Idol - Weds (FOX)
2. American Idol - Tues (FOX)
3. American Idol - Thurs (FOX)
4. House (FOX)
5. Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? (FOX)
6. Deal Or No Deal (NBC)
7. Without A Trace (CBS)
8. CSI (CBS)
9. Cold Case (CBS)
10. Heroes (NBC)
11. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
12. CSI: Miami (CBS)
13. Extreme Makeover (ABC)
14. Survivor (CBS)
15. Criminal Minds (CBS)
16. 24 (FOX)
17. Deal Or No Deal (NBC)
18. Rules of Engagement (CBS)
19. Lost (ABC)
20. NCIS (CBS)

Heroes (Mon., 9PM ET, NBC)
Last week's Heroes? Best episode of any TV series all year. And prepare for another explosive installment before the show goes into rerun hell for several weeks. We return to Isaac's studio, where an accidentally-shot Simone lays dying. Or is she? Hiro continues his quest for the samurai sword, while Mr. Bennet gets to know his new partner, Candice. And in a scene we've all been waiting for, Nathan goes to meet the elusive, mysterious Mr. Linderman.

Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (Tue., 9PM ET, The CW) series premiere
Don't you wish your girlfriend were hot like the Pussycat Dolls? If she already is, maybe she should've tried out for this new reality competition. Eighteen hopefuls sing, dance and shake their booties for the judges, but only nine will get chosen to be finalists. No doubt the claws will come out as they live together, rehearse together and compete against each other to be the new, seventh member of the hit group.

(S05E09) For the first time in a month and a half, we finally have a new Family Guy. I'm not sure I understand the thought process behind the programming at Fox, but the bright side is it means we'll have plenty of new episodes for the second half of the season.

The FG team went back to familiar territory this week, bringing us another "Road to..." episode. If you close your eyes really tight, you can almost see the eventual special edition DVD commercial. Like "Road to Rhode Island" and "Road to Europe" before it, this one was split into two separate stories that had virtually nothing to do with each other. And also like those that came before, I preferred the Stewie and Brian story.

There's a tongue-in-cheek article over at The New York Times about a theory among television critics that all the procedurals on CBS are an homage to Les Moonves. I'm starting to subscribe to this theory (and feel a little jealous that I didn't come up with it first!). The columnist argues that procedurals such as all the CSI franchises, Without a Trace, Criminal Minds, Shark and NCIS all have a lead male character in his 50s who is a workaholic and young minions eager to please him. The writer suggests that this is how CBS chief exec Les Moonves sees himself.

The article points out that while guys like Jerry Bruckheimer produce many of the series, it's Moonves who does the hand-picking of the series that make air. And he chooses the man who will play the 'fatherly' lead roles. The writer notes that, like Moonves, none of these lead actors is bald (except Stanley Tucci, but 3 lbs was canceled after thre episodes). And, Moonves' marriage to Early Show anchor Joey Chen reflects the common storyline in these series about young, beautiful women falling in love with the married-to-work men.

Is it a waste of newsprint? Maybe. But it's still a cute poke at Moonves and all the similar series he has on CBS.

Responding to a fine of $3.3 million from the Federal Communications Commission, CBS has said that none of the complaints regarding a recent episode of Without A Trace came from actual viewers. The network says that all of the 4,200-plus complaints labeling the episode as "indecent" came from the Parents Television Council and American Family Association, two socially conservative advocacy groups. CBS claims in its appeal that to be valid a complaint must come from an actual viewer of th show. Ironically, the broadcast of the episode that drew the complaints was a repeat. When the episode was originally aired no complaints were filed. The appeal from CBS seeks to rescind the fine, the largest ever doled out by the FCC over an indecency issue. A PTC spokesperson says that this is just legal manuvering and that the will of the people must be recognized. That might be true but the complaints are hardly valid if they didn't watch the show, are they? And where were the complaints the first time around?

Roselyn Sanchez is new to Without a Trace this season but she's just been in the background the whole time. She apparently has some sort of a past with Danny Taylor (Enrique Murciano)... I think they used to date. And she was brought over to the FBI from the NYPD vice squad. Initially, there were some fireworks between her and Sam Spade (Poppy Montgomery). But, all of this happened in her inaugural episode and she has just disappeared into the background since then. Her bio on the show's webpage says she's a beauty queen and has only had a few acting roles. Everybody else got a storyline this season. Maybe she's just eye candy?

CBS' Without a Trace was among a handful of television programs awarded for its accurate portrayal of drug and alcohol addiction and tobacco use at the 10th annual Prism Awards. Kelly Rowan, relapsing alcoholic on The O.C., George Engel of Everybody Loves Raymond, S. Epatha Merkerson for HBO's Lackawanna Blues, and Lori Loughlin for WB's Summerland all received acting honors at the awards show, which was sponsored by the Entertainment Industries Council, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health and the FX Network. The movie, Walk the Line, also received an award.

If Without a Trace is so realistic, maybe it'll win something for that teen sex orgy scene.