For savvy TV fans, this is the biggest week of the entire season.  Not only do we learn what shows have made the Fall 2008 schedule, but we’ll also GASP! again and again at the Season Finale shockers.  Beginning tomorrow, The CW will roll out ten series eye-poppers over the next eight nights.  Turn off the cell-phones, unplug the computer and don’t answer the door.  This is gonna be good.  Beauty & The Geek offers an unexpected romantic battle—presumably over Tommy, whose “geekiness” escapes us—before awarding the big payoff.  Wednesday, will Tyra choose Top Model’s first-ever “plus size” winner?  After seven years, Michael Rosenbaum bids farewell to Smallville, but only after Lex finally learns Clark’s secret in a huge showdown at the Fortress!  And Dean Winchester?  Yikes!…Guess who’s come to collect on his Supernatural soul-deal?  The Sunday comedies leave on a high note, with Everybody Hates Chris and The Game poised to return next season.  On Gossip Girl, will Lily go thru with her grand wedding—or run to Rufus?  And what are the “bigger” secrets Michelle Trachtenberg (Georgina) promises are yet to come?  One Tree Hill, as usual, tosses every character into the drama blender, with one person’s survival, well…suspect, at best.  But next week’s Reaper finale may contain the most chilling revelation of all.  Yeah, this sprint-to-the-finish makes the TV marathon worthwhile.  Feel free to vent nightly, as needed…

In New York, Jeanine Pirro has challenged the big boys in statewide races.  Hillary Clinton.  Andrew Cuomo.  Her supporters have included Donald Trump, Gov. George Pataki and Tommy Hilfiger.  Opponents marvel at her ability to dodge the many controversies that have followed her 30-year legal career.  And they’ll all be really interested to see this political celebrity doling out justice afternoons this fall on The CW.  Judge Jeanine Pirro joins WB comedy vets The Wayans Bros. and The Jamie Foxx Show in September to form the network’s new 3-5pm weekday lineup.  Ms. Pirro was the first woman to be elected Judge and later District Attorney in storied Westchester County, where she gained exposure working on high-profile domestic abuse cases.  Five years ago, she authored To Punish and Protect: One DA’s Fight Against a System That Coddles Criminals, a book endorsed by none other than Judge Judy Sheindlin.  Pirro’s tell-all “debunks the psychobabble of excuses for criminals, and it serves as a battle cry for the rights of victims.  I knew I liked Jeanine Pirro’s style—now I am a fan,” Sheindlin writes.  Jamie Foxx and Shawn and Marlon Wayans established themselves as TV stars on The WB Network, with each of their series reaching the 100-episode plateau.  They’ve gone on to enjoy tremendous success on the big-screen, as well.  The verdict on this upcoming afternoon block?  Looks like a winner.

Justin Hartley and Joanna Garcia just scored leading roles in two series pilots to be filmed in April for The CW.  Both actors have been high-profile network favorites, Justin appearing as Oliver Queen on Smallville and Joanna co-starring as ditzy daughter Cheyenne on Reba.  Now, Justin’s attire will include the green scrubs of a hospital emergency room, with the 31-year-old blonde the first cast member selected for Simon Fuller’s real-time medical drama, Austin Golden Hour.  (I wouldn’t be shocked if that title changes.)  “Doc Hartley” probably lays to rest any thoughts of a Green Arrow spinoff for this fall.  Joanna made comedy look easy as a clueless teenage cheerleader-turned-mother.  In a role-reversal, she’ll play a Yale-educated life coach trying to steer two heiresses down the proper paths in How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls.  Lucy Hale (Bionic Woman) and Ashley Newbrough (The Best Years) are her charges—with looks and attitude to spare.  These two shows will compete for a place on The CW’s 2008-09 lineup, which will be unveiled May 15.

UPDATE!  Dustin Milligan is the first actor to be cast in the Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff.  CW fans will recall him as the brooding teenage son from last season’s drama, Runaway.  Dustin will play “Ethan,” a popular star athlete in the new series pilot from writer/producer Rob Thomas.

Maggie Wheeler has carved out a nasally-niche as Chandler’s recurring nightmare/girlfriend “Janice” in 19 episodes of Friends (including Thursday night).  Is recent Grammy winner Amy Winehouse trying to clone the actress’s look, or what?  Interestingly, Maggie auditioned for the role of “Monica” on Friends and “Debra” on Everybody Loves Raymond, later appearing as different characters on each comedy.  The Friends cast is now engaged with big-screen projects, such as Matthew Perry’s “rewind” to become Seventeen Again—and look like Zac Efron—set to premiere in August.  Zac’s gal pal Vanessa Hudgens is filming the music comedy Will with Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe) and David Bowie; while Courtney Cox (Monica) is on-set with Adam Sandler in the Christmas release, Bedtime Stories.  Busy Jennifer Aniston has two flicks in-progress and two on-deck; and moviegoers this weekend will see David Schwimmer’s (Ross) directorial film debut, Run, Fatboy, Run, a comedy shot entirely in England.  Yes, there’s life after Friends, but few sitcoms connect with an audience like that one does, so I’m glad we’ve got the nightly reruns to savor.  Janice and all.

TV’s development season continues to heat up with the news that American Idol creator Simon Fuller is filming a medical series pilot for The CW. Austin Golden Hour will apply the real-time format used on 24 to a close-knit team of emergency room surgeons and EMTs. Set in Texas, the drama chronicles the adrenaline-filled 60-minutes that follow a trauma, as well as the love lives, jealousies and rivalries among the young staffers. Additionally, Tori Spelling has expressed great interest in being part of the new Beverly Hills, 90210 cast—which may be ideal, since two of the sequel’s student characters share the last name “Silver.” Tabloid fave Spelling rose to fame on the original ‘90s teen soap, produced by her father, Aaron, portraying innocent Donna Martin. Later, she married Brian Austin Green’s character, David Silver. A cornerstone of the spinoff will be the multigenerational Mills family, led by matriarch Tabitha Mills, 60-something actress/alcoholic who was a major star in the 70s. I hope the casting director has considered our beloved Kelly Bishop (Emily on Gilmore Girls) for the role. One veteran already locked up at the network is four-time Oscar-nominee for Best Actress, Marsha Mason. WBNX viewers may know her as Martin’s edgy girlfriend, Sherry, on Frasier; but she’ll go highbrow to play the wealthy guardian of two heiresses in How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls. More casting news is on the way…stay tuned.

The formula sounds great. A feisty relationship, a la Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd, combined with the spirit of legal crusader Erin Brockovich, the role that won Julia Roberts her Oscar. Mix in some appealing young talent and bizarro cases, and you’ve got The CW’s newest series pilot headed for production, tentatively titled Wrecking Ball. The drama centers around a novice politician (from a Kennedy-esque dynasty) who becomes derailed by scandal. An outspoken campaign aide—a beautiful new law school grad—then urges the attorney to pull some strings for a cancer patient battling the medical establishment. Which, of course, leads to the duo opening a small firm devoted to seemingly “lost causes,” says Variety. Elsewhere…an evil small town. A lakeside retreat with a creepy secret. An abandoned cabin in the forest. They’re classic horror settings being considered for 13, a new reality hybrid The CW is now casting to premiere this summer. Jay Bienstock (Survivor) and Spiderman film director Sam Raimi are co-producing the eight-episode thriller, which will eliminate weekly participants in the scariest challenges imaginable. Horror franchises like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street were inspiration for the series, Bienstock notes. “We want to put people in a place like that, where they have to deal with their fears and anxieties.”

Tinsletown is abuzz with The CW’s announcement of a potential spinoff/remake of Beverly Hills, 90210. The teen soap defined the Decade of the ‘90s, producing a mind-boggling 292 episodes and making household names of young actors like Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth (now a co-star on WBNX comedy What I Like About You). Veronica Mars fans are pumped that the drama’s mastermind, Rob Thomas, is negotiating to write the fast-tracked project, with a decision on filming a pilot expected within weeks, says The Hollywood Reporter. Such a high-profile series is likely to attract attention from all corners of the industry, and it’s always fun to play “casting director” at home. For instance, if the new show heads back to West Beverly High, young teens like Logan Lerman (Jack & Bobby), Vivien Cardone (Delia on Everwood) and Emma Roberts (Unfabulous) would make intriguing students, wouldn’t they? Got any heartthrob suggestions of your own? Reviving the storied 90210 franchise makes sense as a complement to popular CW serials Gossip Girl and One Tree Hill; plus, Degrassi has proven for decades that school backdrops are a great place to introduce teen issues, hit music, and a stream of fresh talent.

CW devotees are breathing much easier with this week’s early announcement that six series will definitely return for the fall season: Smallville, Supernatural, One Tree Hill, America’s Next Top Model, Everybody Hates Chris, and rookie sensation Gossip Girl. That leaves 7½-hours yet to fill, and it’s very possible that one or more current shows will also make the cut—such as The Game, Reaper or Aliens in America. One slot could be taken if the network likes the pilot it just ordered for How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls, about a young ex-tabloid reporter hired to be the live-in tutor/life coach for a cosmetic mogul’s granddaughters. Will reality fare Beauty & The Geek, Pussycat Dolls or Crowned get another life? The still-untitled fashion magazine competition is a firm “go,” but which of the network’s other look-see projects will dazzle the programmers? Answers come within ten weeks, as the 2008-09 Upfront Presentation is set for May 15. Tracking potential development slates, The Futon Critic lists four dramas and two comedies on the CW radar:

• The Collection: a dramedy based on the life of famed designer Isaac Mizrahi
• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: romantic misadventures of a female advice columnist
• Undercover: an updated version of 21 Jump Street
• Maria Sharapova project: drama set inside the world of women’s pro tennis
• Sherri Shepherd project: comedy about a married woman—and her husband’s “other family”
• Nanny Dallas: dramedy about four nannies and the rich families they service

Though 13 episodes were previously ordered for star-laden midseason comedy Eight Days a Week, the writer’s strike seems to have thrown the series in limbo. Hopefully it’s a candidate for this fall. Remember, new ideas for shows are pitched almost daily, so the above choices can quickly expand. What are your thoughts or predictions for The CW’s third season schedule?

The conclusion of a nearly four-month-long Hollywood writers strike has TV fans asking one question:  What does this mean for my favorite shows?  In most cases, the news couldn’t be better, according to trade sources Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, TV Guide, Mediaweek and E! Online.  Let’s start with the dramas: Smallville has four new episodes finished (including tonight’s), and will now produce five more this season.  Supernatural will air its remaining two new eps this month, and add another five or six for spring.  One Tree Hill will stockpile six more hours to the six already completed.  Reaper still has three new shows ready, with five or six more ordered—and you can expect the rookie dramedy to delve much deeper into the “deal” mythology when it returns.  Breakout freshman hit Gossip Girl has aired everything produced, but will quickly resume work on up to a half-dozen more stories.  Variety reports that the Upper East Siders may even get an early Season Two launch this summer, following the successful pattern of The O.C.  Life is Wild has ceased production at this time.  On the comedy front: The Game received a solid vote of confidence, with a pickup of eight or nine more episodes—to go with its four remaining new shows.  Everybody Hates Chris (12) and Aliens in America (eight) have enough new laughs in the can, so they won’t produce any more for this season; and Girlfriends, currently the longest-running network comedy, will bid adieu after eight years with a likely one-hour retrospective now in discussion.

Clevelanders searching for their 15-minutes of fame have had plenty of recent opportunities, with open casting calls for Top Model, Beauty & the Geek, Pussycat Dolls, Crowned and Farmer Wants a Wife.  But the newest CW reality competition offers more than just TV exposure: the winner gets a job in the fashion industry!  The series (still untitled) is looking for men or women, ages 18-28, who aspire to become an assistant at a fashion magazine.  Intelligence, hard work and a sense of style will serve you well, but no experience is necessary to qualify.  If you prefer to audition in person, the nearest Casting Call is this Saturday, Feb. 9, from 11am to 4pm in New York City.  Or you can save the gas money by returning a completed application, along with your three-minute VHS presentation, by February 16.  Click here for details.  Judges will then evaluate the applicants, and shooting is set to begin in April.  This eight-week series from the producers of Top Model and Project Runway will take you “behind the velvet rope,” as contestants work with a who’s-who of high fashion.  Get ready for a CW jet-set showdown like you’ve never seen before.