Smallville

Underbelly sued

The makers of crime series Underbelly are being sued by a woman who claims that some incidents involving the character based on her never happened. Former NSW policewoman Wendy Hatfield is filing the lawsuit against TCN Channel Nine Ltd for defamation after a previous legal attempt failed to allow her to access to the footage before it screened.

Xzibit joins Extreme Makeover

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition bus is about to get a whole lot more crowded with news that rapper Xzibit and ex-Bachelorette Jillian Harris are climbing aboard to offer their design services to the show. The pair have previously made guest appearances on the show, but will take up permanent roles next season.

Janet Jackson on Americal Idol?

The American Idol finale already has a bundle of major international talent set to perform on the Thursday night show but the rumour-mill is suggesting Janet Jackson is a possibility to appear. If so she would join Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Kris Allen and Enrique Iglesias on the three-hour finale.

Smallville team join Charlie’s Angels

The team behind recently cancelled Smallville are jumping behind the new television version of Charlie’s Angels. Executive producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar will take over scripting duties of the Drew Barrymore produced reboot series which is expected to be a fresh take on the Farah Fawcett classic.

Paula Abdul returning to TV

Ex American Idol judge Paula Abdul will return to television on a new talent competition called Got To Dance. Abdul will take up a producer, creative partner, mentor, judge and coach role on the series which will look to find the next big dance talent in a similar fashion to the plethora of existing televised reality competitions already on our screens.

World Cup nightmare TV scenario

New Zealand and North Korea have been named as the “nightmare” pairing for a football World Cup final in terms of television audience. In the unlikely event that the two teams would meet in the final, the worldwide television audience would be worst of all that matchups in the competitions according to research conducted by the tournament’s broadcasters. England versus Brazil would be the most popular audience-wise.

Lost technical hitch

A technical hitch left thousands of UK Lost fans fuming when the screen blacked out during Sky1’s live simulcast of the finale episode. Screening at 5am in order to coincide with the West Coast of the US, the UK channel suffered an unknown technical issue which caused a disruption to the picture. The network has apologised and will re-screen the episode several times during the week.

Extended Lost ending on DVD

There has been talk that the season 6 Lost DVD could include an extended finale. A source at ABC leaked the information, saying the box-set will feature an additional 20 minutes of footage. They went on to say that the producers of the show had wanted to include the additional scenes in order to answer some of the questions that fans may still have after the finale screens towards the end of May.

MacLachlan leaving Wisteria Lane

Another Wisteria Lane resident is set to leave, with news today that Desperate Housewives regular Kyle MacLachlan, who plays wheelchair-bound Orson Hodge, will depart the series. MacLachlan follows fellow cast members Drea de Matteo (Angie) and Dana Delany (Katherine) in leaving the show next season.

Bad reality show idea

Here’s another addition to the list of reality shows that really shouldn’t have been made: Auction Heroes. Ordered by American network Spike, the show takes two ordinary friends who each purchase a storage container full of stuff and have to re-sell the contents off at pawn shops for a profit. It is described as being as “cutthroat as Wall Street”.

Twitter sitcom

A new sitcom is in the works at American network CBS which has been based on a Twitter page. The series entitled “Bleep My Dad Says” is inspired by the supposedly hilarious utterances of a retired doctor posted on a Twitter page by his son. Signed on to play the dad is none other than William Shatner.

Heroes movie?

Heroes creator Tim Kring has planted a small seed of hope for fans of the cancelled series by saying he is investigating a number of ways in which they he can “keep the Heroes universe alive for its fans”. In short, he is not ruling out a possible movie or mini-series wrapping up the Heroes story.

Susan Boyle on Glee?

It has been confirmed that reality show sensation Susan Boyle has been offered a guest role on hit musical series Glee. The show’s creator Ryan Murphy says the idea has been pitched and while he would love the Britain’s Got Talent runner-up to appear on the show he doesn’t even know if she’s interested.

Madonna sequel on Glee?

In related Glee news, Murphy has also announced that a follow-up to the hit Madonna episode of the series may take place next season. He says the “sequel” episode will be a part of next season but is unsure as to whether the singer herself will make a cameo appearance despite being a fan and avid supporter of the show.

Smallville ending

American network The CW has confirmed the final season of drama series Smallville. The show, which charts the early years of Clarke Kent as he eventually becomes Superman, has run for nine seasons to date with a tenth and final on the cards this year.

8.30pm Thursday / August 14

Kara tells Lex he is destined to defeat the Traveler and offers to take him to the Fortress to learn how. Clark is stunned that Kara would go to Lex, but it is revealed that Brainiac is impersonating Kara, and she is actually trapped in the Phantom Zone. Chloe is arrested by the Department of Domestic Security and Lana awakens from her comatose state. Meanwhile, in an epic turn of events, Clark and Lex face off in the Fortress, and Lex learns Clark’s secret.

8.30pm thursday / August 7

After Lex is attacked by a mysterious stranger, he and Clark both discover the last surviving member of the Veritas group who holds the secret to controlling the Traveller.

8.30pm thursday / july 31

Clark discovers that Kara sent messages from Krypton in the past that indicate that Brainiac wants to kill baby Kal-El so Clark will not exist in the future. Clark is torn; he thinks the world might be better off if he had never arrived in Smallville. Jor-El arranges for him to see what life would have been like if Clark hadn’t existed: Lex is president of the United States, Kara is raised by the Luthors, Lana is happily married, Chloe and Lois are ace reporters and more.

8.30PM THURSDAY / JULY 10

Kara decides to teach Clark how to fly in order to strengthen his chances against Brainiac (recurring guest star JAMES MARSTERS), but Brainiac appears to have the upper hand against the super cousins. And some of Clark’s loved ones are caught in the crossfire.

8.30PM THURSDAY / JULY 3

Lionel arranges to have Clark kidnapped and held in a kryptonite-lined cell at a LuthorCorp facility. After Chloe and Lana find a military electric probe at the farm, they confront Lionel, who throws suspicion onto Lex. Chloe and Lana take Kara to the Fortress and beg Jor-El to restore Kara’s memory, as she is the only one who can save Clark.

8.30PM THURSDAY / JUNE 26

Kara and Jimmy attend a ONE REPUBLIC concert, and it turns out that one of the roadies is former Smallville resident Pete Ross (recurring guest star Sam Jones III – “ER”). Pete unwittingly chews some kryptonite-laced gum and develops super powers. Clark and Chloe are thrilled to meet up with their old friend but warn him against using his powers in public. When Lex discovers Pete’s powers, he threatens to reveal Chloe is a meteor freak if Pete doesn’t help him break into Lionel’s safe.

8.30PM THURSDAY / JUNE 19

Lois follows Lex to Detroit and discovers he has found Kara, who has amnesia. However, Finley (guest star Corey Sevier – “House of Fears,” “North Shore”), a busboy who has become obsessed with Kara, fears Lex will take her away, so he shoots Lex and holds Kara and Lois captive. After finding Lex’s comatose body, Chloe offers to heal him, but Clark refuses to let her.

8.30PM THURSDAY / JUNE 12

While secretly working for Oliver, Chloe intercepts one of Lex’s project files, but she is attacked by the Black Canary, a mystery woman with a subsonic cry. Dinah Lance, Black Canary’s alter ego, is a conservative talk show host who is working at the Daily Planet and clashes with Lois. Lex convinces the Black Canary that the Green Arrow and his team are terrorists so she launches an attack on the Green Arrow and Clark. Meanwhile, Lois discovers Oliver’s secret.