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This is not, I repeat not, an April Fools prank.

Warner Home video just confirmed that the complete second season of Pushing Daisies -- including the three final, unaired episodes -- will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 21.

The 13-episode set will retail for $675 (DVD) and $975 (Blu-ray). Now that was an April Fools prank. They'll sell for $39.98 and $49.99 respectively.

Relieved much?!

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According to Variety, "it's understood" that Showtime has decided to pass on two anticipated series: End of Steve, a Matthew Perry vehicle about a local afternoon talk show host with a chaotic personal life; and The Farm, the Ilene Chaiken's L Word spinoff following Alice (Leisha Hailey) into a state prison. Steve had tapped Rescue Me  co-creator Peter Tolan to help pen the script, while  Farm featured guest stars as Famke Janssen, Melissa Leo and Laurie Metcalf in its pilot. Showtime reps could not be reached for comment.

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Matthew Perry and Peter Tolan thought they had a home for their new series, The End of Steve, at Showtime. Not anymore. Yesterday, Showtime passed on Steve, which is described in its logline as a "dark comedy about a bitter, egomaniacal daytime talk show host who seeks to find some level of happiness and redemption in his personal life." Tolan, the Rescue Me cocreator who exec produced Steve with Perry, confirmed the bad news to EW in an e-mail sent earlier today. "Yes, Showtime passed," he wrote. "It's a wonderful pilot and when I was told the news, I almost could not process it. After twenty years in television, you'd think I could see this sort of thing coming, but this time, I'm truly flummoxed. After an evening of licking my wounds, my overpowering lust for revenge kicked in (it's really the only thing that keeps me going in the business), and I vowed that we would sell the project elsewhere -- quickly. And I truly believe that will happen. The project is just that good."

At least there's some good news. "Talks have already started with HBO," according to Tolan. (HBO could not immediately be reached for comment.)

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Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will make a special appearance on the May 3 episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the AP is reporting. The episode will feature Powell meeting with former Army combat medic Jeff Cooper, whose dilapidated home is targeted for a makeover by Ty Pennington and Co. Cooper is confined to a wheelchair but still devotes his time to causes for veterans.

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An NBC insider has told EW that the network's ambitious but poorly rated drama Kings, starring Deadwood's Ian McShane, will move from Sunday to Saturday nights at 10 p.m., beginning on April 18, for its remaining eight episodes. The network has not announced plans to renew the hour-long series yet, and Kings' move to Saturdays seems to be a silent indication that NBC has no plans to.

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Funnyman Chris Rock is planning to end the TV show based on his early life after four seasons.

Everybody Hates Chris hasn't been picked up for a fifth season and the comedian plans to make it easy for bosses at America's CW network by ending the current season with a fitting finale.

Actor Terry Crews, who plays Rock's dad in the series, says, "Chris Rock didn't graduate high school and started comedy when he was, like, 17 years old. Our Chris (Tyler James Williams) is now a sophomore in high school, so the timing is lining up pretty well. Once he becomes a comedian, the show's over."

And Williams, who is currently pursuing a film course at New York University, admits he's happy with the ending of the show, which is unofficially planned for 8 May.

He tells TV Guide magazine, "An envelope arrives (with his high-school equivalency results), but before we find out the results, we fade to black. If it ends here, we ended it the right way."

Rock agrees: "It might not be a bad way to go."

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Will Smith is reportedly teaming up with Sci Fi Channel for a new crime procedural.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network has ordered a new drama titled Unfinished Business.

The project centres on an ex-cop who starts seeing flashes of memories from the recently deceased.

"[We are] excited to begin development on Unfinished Business with Overbrook Entertainment and Will Smith," said Sci Fi's Mark Stern. "It is a compelling and thrilling drama that is perfect for our audience."

The network will apparently air Unfinished Business as a two-hour movie, which will also serve as a potential series pilot.

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Michael J. Fox jumped at the chance to play a bitter, drug-addicted character in U.S. TV drama Rescue Me - so he could ditch his reputation as Hollywood's 'Mr. Nice Guy'.

The actor plays the disabled love interest of Janet Gavin, the ex-wife of lead actor Denis Leary's character Tommy Gavin, in the gritty firefighter series, and Fox embraced the idea he'd be playing an ill-tempered bad guy.

He says, "People don't often think of me as a bitter misanthrope, so to get to play one, it's too fun to pass up."

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ABC has announced a dozen early pick-ups for the 2009-10 TV season.

The renewed scripted series are Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Lost (whew, that was a nailbiter!) and Ugly Betty.

On the reality front, Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Supernanny, Wife Swap, The Bachelor and, yes, America's Funniest Home Videos are all officially coming back.

The biggest "news" here is perhaps that Private Practice made the cut. Some considered the sophomore drama to be on the "bubble," though its numbers have been strong-ish ever since its multi-week crossover with mothership Grey's.

Also of note: Although Ugly Betty is definitely back, Samantha Who? — which recently and unsuccessfully co-opted Betty's Thursday berth — thus far is MIA from ABC's future plans.

As for new fare, ABC has ordered 13 episodes of Copper, which is described as a "youthful and heartfelt" workplace drama about five rookie cops fresh out of the police academy. Production on that series, which is being shared with Canada's Canwest Global, kicks off in June, in Toronto.

ABC's official May upfronts presentation to advertisers is slated for May 19, in New York City.

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Former O.C. star Shannon Lucio will replace Kaley Cuoco for a stint on Grey's Anatomy, say reports.

Cuoco - who currently stars in The Big Bang Theory - was scheduled to appear in the May 14 finale of Grey's, but has since pulled out.

The actresses' rep stated that she was forced to pull out due to an unforeseen publicity commitment, but it has emerged that CBS may have been behind the decision.

A source reportedly told Entertainment Weekly: "They didn't want one of their biggest stars appearing on one of ABC's biggest shows."

Lucio, who played Caleb Nichol's illegitimate daughter Lindsay in The O.C., is now scheduled to take on the role.

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USA Network has finalised a deal to pick up White Collar for a full series.

The Fox TV Studios project has received an order for 13 episodes in addition to its 90-minute pilot.

"White Collar is the perfect complement in our hot summer lineup of character-driven originals," said USA's Jackie De Crinis.

The show revolves around a brilliant con-artist who joins forces with the head of the FBI's white-collar crime unit.

Matthew Bomer will play the con-artist, while Tom DeKay is cast as the FBI head. Tiffani Thiessen and Willie Garson will also star in the series.

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Rather than canceling the struggling serialized murder mystery Harper's Island, CBS announced today it will move the show from Thursdays at 10pm to Saturdays at 9pm, starting May 2. According to a network release, the 13-week limited series showed improvement in DVR and online viewership, an indication that it had enough of an audience to sustain the show through the end of its run.

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ABC Family has cancelled comedy series Roommates.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network has decided against a second season of the show.

The four remaining episodes of the first season are expected to air back-to-back on Monday.

The series, which stars Tyler Frankavilla, Dorian Brown, Tommy Dewey and former Sister Sister star Tamera Mowry, premiered on March 23.

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The Patricia Arquette-led procedural Medium is the latest NBC show to get the greenlight for the 2009-2010 season, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter. The number of Medium episodes ordered is not known, but it's expected to be somewhere in the 13-to-18 range. While not a ratings powerhouse, Medium performs solidly for NBC, averaging 7.4 million viewers so far this season. A rep for NBC declined to comment on the report. That's not exactly surprising, since the network hosts its "Infront" presentation tomorrow afternoon, when execs will reveal their entire scheduling plan for next season.

Yesterday, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that freshman cop drama Southland was picked up for 13 episodes next season. The fates of Law & Order and Chuck -- as well as several new pilots -- are still unknown, but the network is said to be in the late stages of finalizing renewals for Thursday-night comedies My Name is Earl and Parks & Recreation. In January, NBC announced early renewals for The Office, 30 Rock, and The Biggest Loser.

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The future looks bright for Allison DuBois.

On the eve of its Monday "infront" presentation of 2009-10 TV season plans, NBC renewed Medium for a sixth season, says the Hollywood Reporter. An NBC rep has no comment on the report.

The new season of Medium is expected to fall in the 13 to 18 episode range, as NBC (like its peers) struggles to cut down costs while cementing its fall schedule.

Medium's pick-up comes one day after NBC decided to keep the cops of Southland on duty for a second cycle.

Previously, NBC has renewed 30 Rock, The Office, SVU, Friday Night Lights, Biggest Loser and Celebrity Apprentice. Though the network is expected to reveal more of its fall plans on Monday, some shows and pilots — Chuck included — may not learn of their fate until later this month


So Good News For Medium Fans Then.

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The CW will give up on Sunday programming next fall to focus on its Monday-through-Friday schedule, Variety reports. Affiliates will have to fill the evening themselves with syndicated fare, though most are in negotiations for a large movie package with MGM that would allow them to keep more of the advertising revenues on the net's traditionally weak evening. Last fall, The CW attempted another solution, allowing Media Rights Capital to provide Sunday's primetime lineup and help with ad sales; but the programming, which included Easy Money and Valentine, flopped. Recent Sunday nights have been filled with reruns of CBS' canceled series Jericho and movies

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Mel Gibson, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Billy Crystal are ready to share a last laugh with Jay Leno.

The stars are among the big-name guests lined up for Leno's final week as host of The Tonight Show, beginning May 25.

Gibson will kick things off with Lyle Lovett on the May 25 show. It will be the actor's first interview since news of his divorce from his wife of 29 years broke last month. Schwarzenegger, who announced his candidacy for governor of California on Tonight in 2003, will drop by on May 26 with Dwight Yoakam.

Other guests include Wanda Sykes and Sarah McLachlan on May 27, and Crystal and Prince on May 28.

Guests for Leno's final episode, airing May 29, will be announced on Thursday.

Conan O'Brien will take over the Tonight Show reins on June 1; Leno heads to prime-time with a comedy show this fall.

Follow TVGuide.com on Twitter for more breaking news and scoop.

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ABC has ordered Flash Forward as part of its 2009-10 season.

The show, billed as the new Lost, has been picked up for a 13-episode order.

The network recently aired promos of the show during its Lost ad breaks, suggesting a pickup was on the cards.

Sonya Walger, Christine Woods and Jack Davenport star in the drama, which focuses on the chaos following a global blackout.

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Two Desperate Housewives stars are reportedly in talks for their own series.

According to What's On TV, Kathryn Joosten and Lily Tomlin, who play elderly sisters Karen and Roberta McCluskey, have been approached by ABC for a spinoff from the show.

A source claimed that the network is currently working on getting Housewives creator Marc Cherry on board, saying: "Cherry clearly knows how to write for these two actresses. And we would love to have him involved."

It is rumoured that the show would be similar in format to Golden Girls, which Cherry worked on in the 1990s.

SOURCE

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Fox has picked up Human Target and Sons Of Tuscon to series, it has announced.

Target, based on the DC Comics title, centres on a mysterious freelancer, Christopher, who assumes the identities of people in danger.

Mark Valley, Jackie Earle Haley and Chi McBride are all on board for the project.

Tucson is a comedy about three brothers who hire a man to act as their rich father while their real one serves time in prison. Davis Cleveland, Frank Dolce and Troy Gentile are cast as the brothers, while Tyler Labine will play their fake father.

In addition, the network has renewed Lie To Me for a second season. Fox is expected to announce other new series at its upfront presentation on Monday.