Selma Blair’s performance at the TCA Press Tour panel for NBC’s Kath & Kim in Beverly Hills on Monday should go a long way toward dispelling any doubts that the Hellboy II actress can hold her own in a sitcom. While appearing alongside her costars Molly Shannon, Mikey Day, and John Michael Higgins, as well as executive producer Michelle Nader, Blair (pictured) instructed those who think she’s too old to play Shannon’s daughter to “squint while you’re watching,” so that she’d appear younger. (For the record, Blair, who plays Kim, is 36, and Shannon, who plays her TV mom, Kath, is 43.) But, as Blair sarcastically explained, “Actresses play different people all the time. It’s weird. It’s this thing called acting.” Referring to herself as “a girl that’s a little past her prime,” Blair acknowledged that she had to fight to get the role, since she’s not perceived as a comedic actress.”They didn’t think of her as that girl,” conceded Nader, who said that Blair secured the role by demonstrating that she can ground the character in an understanding of real American girls, who “read Us Weekly” and love Britney Spears.

Since no pilot is ready for viewing (much of the first episode is being reshot), a few minutes of never-before-seen clips provided the first evidence of how this version of the comedy series will differ from the Australian smash on which it’s based. Most obvious: Kim’s best friend, Sharon, is out, while Kim’s estranged husband, played by YouTube sensation Day, is in. Also clear: The tone of the show, which is being filmed in a single-camera format, will be less slapstick than the completely out-there original. “This will have more of an emotional underpinning [than the Australian series],” said Nader (The King of Queens), who revealed that her own life is a bit of an inspiration: Her mother gave birth to her when she was 19. “In those situations, you’re the mother sometimes, you’re the daughter sometimes.”

Jay Leno copied a routine from Jimmy Kimmel at the TCA Press Tour gathering in Beverly Hills Monday by disguising himself as a reporter and posing questions about late night to the NBC brass. (Last week, Kimmel did a similar thing at the ABC portion of the press tour.) Leno donned a bald cap and glasses to ask when “Leno” would step down from The Tonight Show (May 29, 2009) and when Conan O’Brien would succeed him (June 1, 2009). Jimmy Fallon is also expected to replace O’Brien sometime in the spring.

Once Leno left the room, NBC cochairman Marc Graboff tried to downplay industry speculation that Leno would seek work elsewhere — possibly at ABC — once his contract expires in January 2010. “We’re still talking to Jay about staying in the NBC Universal family,” he told reporters. “We’re not ready to concede (that he’s going elsewhere). And The Tonight Show will continue to dominate [once he's gone].”

In other news, NBC cochairman Ben Silverman confirmed that Greg
Daniels (The Office) is developing a new comedy — not a spinoff of The
Office — for SNL vet Amy Poehler that’ll bow this spring. That means
the coveted time slot after the Super Bowl — which Silverman said in May
would serve as the launching pad for the planned Office spinoff —
is
now open; NBC has no plans, for now, on how to fill it. “Amy is
pregnant, so it’ll be tough for her to turn a show around,” Silverman
said. “It’s much more likely that the show will launch in March.
Stylistically, it will look like The Office but it’s a different
concept.” Silverman added, however, that he still hopes to pursue an Office spinoff with Daniels.

In what seems like a move to replace Project Runway, which is moving to Lifetime after the current season, today Bravo revealed its developing new sartorial show Fashion House. The reality series, which does not yet have a premiere date, seems poised to fill the fashion void that will exist after Runway exits. In a press release, Fashion House is described as a show that “replicates the workings of the fashion business through a fashion house.” Teams of designers will live together and work to create an entire line — rather than just individual pieces — that has the potential to be purchased by commercial buyers.

CW president Dawn Ostroff stressed there is “no deadline” for the fledging network to prove itself as a competitive player in television and said that it’s “made a lot of progress” when it comes to developing profitable shows for the parent company. Talking to reporters at the annual TV critics gathering in Beverly Hills, Ostroff spoke enthusiastically about how Gossip Girl has cracked the zeitgeist, but acknowledged there is a huge disconnect between its pop culture status and the Nielsen households. “No doubt, this was a challenging year,” Ostroff said. “We have to figure out a way to count all those different viewing habits. Every viewer must be counted. No viewer should be left behind.”

Ostroff also announced that Reaper will return for midseason and that there are no plans to renew Beauty and the Geek.

Also up for discussion was the CW’s upcoming Sam Raimi show, 13: The Fear is Real, which will bow in the fall. The fright-fest reality show will attempt to scare the bejesus out of 13 teens dropped into the Louisiana Bayou. “The best way to describe the show is Blair Witch Project as a reality series,” says Ostroff. “There is a lot of tension and fear.” In a clip screened for reporters, the narrator said players will be “killed” off and the winner will win a prize of $66,666. “We’ll do anything for attention at the CW,” Ostroff said. “These people aren’t killed off. They disappear once they are eliminated and will never be seen again by the group of survivors.”

“We were shocking to see how invested these contestants were, they really felt the horror,” she continued. “You really feel for these people. You get to know them very quickly.”

Is she a slut? That was the question on the mind of some in the audience as Grey’s Anatomy alum Elizabeth Reaser introduced her new character at CBS’ TCA Press Tour presentation on Friday. Reaser stars in the freshman fall dramedy The Ex List, in which she plays a woman, Bella Bloom, who goes through her list of ex-boyfriends to find husband. (See, a psychic tells Bella that if she doesn’t get married this year, she’ll never get hitched — except that she’s also told that she has already met, and been romantically involved with, her future hubby.) The older and more prudish reporters in the crowd were quick to call Bella a slut, because of her rather large (and always seemingly growing) list of exes. But Reaser refused to give any ground. “What is a slut?” she asked, forcefully. “Who’s to say? How does one define that? It’s relative.”

The show’s exec producer Diane Ruggiero took the chance to explain the whole premise a bit more. “It’s not just people [Bella] dated, but also people she’s been romantically involved with, which gets defined in the pilot,” Ruggiero said. “It could be the kid she passed notes with in the sixth grade, but they never did it. But if they did, that wouldn’t make her a slut.”

The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken is developing a spinoff of Showtime’s
popular lesbian drama series. The news was announced by Showtime president Bob Greenblatt during the cable channel’s TCA Press Tour presentation on Friday. The new show will follow one of the series’
current characters, and its storyline will most likely be introduced during the series’ final season, with the finale leaving the door open for the spinoff. Chaiken will then keep the storyline going in an online format so that it’ll be ready if Showtime indeed opts to order the spinoff to series. Greenblatt wouldn’t say which character would be spun off, though he added that the actress in question doesn’t even know about the possible series yet.

In other Showtime news, Greenblatt announced that the network had picked up Edie Falco‘s new dramedy series, tentatively titled Nurse Jackie. Falco plays a New York City nurse who struggles to be a good person. The trailer shown during Showtime’s presentation hinted at a provocative spin on a typical medical drama, with Falco creating another indelible character.

Also looking quite promising is The United States of Tara, a comedy executive produced by Steven Spielberg (and based on his own idea) and written by Diablo Cody (Juno). Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense) plays a mother and wife who struggles with multiple personalities, while John Corbett (Sex and the City) is her patient husband.

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When CBS sent out pilots for its fall shows back in early June, the science-based procedural The Eleventh Hour — from mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and the minds behind Showtime’s Sleeper Cell — was suspiciously absent. Members of the press still haven’t seen the pilot, and details about the show are still somewhat sketchy, but executive producers Cyrus Voris and Ethan Rieff tried their best to explain the concept at a TCA Press Tour panel on Friday. “Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell) is a special science adviser to the FBI,” Rieff said of the show’s lead, who solves scientific crimes. “He’s mandated to investigate crimes and crises of a science or technological nature.” A promo reveals that the first episode will revolve around a dad who wants to clone his dead son. As the clock ticks, Hood tries to stop him, with the help of his FBI protection officer, Special Agent Rachel Young (Marley Shelton), who handles the law-enforcement side of things.

In future episodes, the show’s Michael Crichton-esque science topics will revolve around genetically altered agriculture and cancer cures that fall into the wrong hands. Despite how far-fetched some of that sounds, producers assured the press that they plan to keep the plots in the here and now. “It’s a science-facts show, not a science-fiction show,” Rieff said. “It’s science that surrounds us every day of our lives.” As for a CBS promo that said that the show’s science is “five years in the future,” Rieff retorted, “I don’t even know if it’s five years in the future. This is the world we live in now. Science and technology has gotten so advanced and expansive. But has it gotten so advanced and expansive that humans can’t control it anymore?” We’ll see when the show premieres on Oct. 9.

Promising a “DVR-proof” season of CSI, CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler confirmed today that star Billy Peterson would leave the long-running procedural drama after the 10th episode but gave contradicting comments about whether he’s actually being replaced. Speaking at the annual TV critics tour in Beverly Hills, Tassler said the network will bring in a new, yet-to-be cast actor to play a scientist who will eventually become the head of the unit, a position previously held by Peterson’s Gil Grissom. “He won’t replace Billy but will add an element that is going to inform the dynamic of the team,” Tassler said. She also described the role as someone similar to Michael C. Hall’s character on Dexter (“serial killers have the same genetic profile”), but reassured reporters that he won’t be a murderer. “This man knows about himself and [the show] will follow his journey to discover his true character.”

In other news, Tassler said she’s disappointed with the ratings for Swingtown
but has yet to decide whether to order any more episodes beyond the
initial 13 planned for this summer. (She added that there are no plans
for now to renew The Power of 10, hosted by Drew Carey.)

Tassler also explained why Gary Unmarried –- the new sitcom
starring Jay Mohr as a recently divorced dad –- won’t be at press tour
this year: he planned “over a year ago” to renew his vows with wife
Nikki Cox at this time. And she denied any so-called Internet rumors
that CBS was planning to overhaul The Price of Right. “We are
very respectful of the brand and the integrity of the show,” she said.
“Before Bob Barker left, we had a multi-year strategy to put a fresh
coat of paint on the show. Some of those games haven’t been touched in
30 years. We wanted to make minor adjustments.”

Finally, Tassler confirmed that Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) will recur on How I Met Your Mother this season but said “I don’t think she’s the mother.”

The creator of Desperate Housewives, Marc Cherry, along with his six leading ladies, discussed the new season of the hit series at the TCA Press Tour on Thursday, and true to form, he was light on details about what was in store come Sept. 28 when the series returns. He did drop a few hints, however, including news that this season’s mystery will be rooted squarely on the shoulders of new cast addition Neil McDonough, who’s supposed to be a romantic interest for neighborhood harlot Edie Brit (Nicolette Sheridan). “He’s bringing a mystery with him,” Cherry teased, “and he wants revenge on his mother.” McDonough’s character’s romantic involvement with Brit means that even though she was kicked off the street at the end of last season, the rabble-rouser is coming back. “Edie will come back to Wisteria Lane in a very surprising way,” Cherry said. “We’re not telling you any more than that.” Sheridan, however, piped up: Her return “will be hot.”

In other news, last season’s explosive finale already revealed that Queer as Folk alum Gale Harold will be the new love interest for Susan (Teri Hatcher).
But what we didn’t know until now is that Harold’s character Ken is an
“interesting, artsy guy,” Cherry said, “and very different than her
previous men.” But, he ominously added, “Susan kind of doesn’t really
want to be in a relationship.” Sounds pretty desperate, right?

Despite Susan’s new love, however, Cherry assures us that old hubby Mike Delfino (James Denton)
will still be around. And if you were hoping Susan’s daughter Julie
(Andrea Bowen) might have gotten a reprieve and moved back to series
regular, think again: The loveable Bowen is still out, for the most
part. “She’s gonna come back,” Cherry assured the crowd — and Hatcher,
who still seemed dismayed by her abrupt departure. “She just won’t be
around as often.”

The 100-day work stoppage brought on by the writers’ strike prompted the broadcast nets to usher a number of scripts straight to series. But skipping the development season doesn’t necessarily mean a project will be trouble-free. Case in point: Rumors persist that NBC’s Kath & Kim — an adaptation of the Aussie smash that stars Molly Shannon (pictured) and Selma Blair as a dysfunctional mom and daughter — will scrap most of its pilot and reshoot under a new director, now that helmer Paul Feig (The Office) has left the comedy.

But NBC honcho Ben Silverman contacted EW.com exclusively to explain that while Feig has left the project, only a “couple of scenes” will be reshot in anticipation of Kath & Kim‘s fall berth. (Silverman said he will announce the show’s time slot — which will likely be on Thursdays — during NBC’s portion of the annual TV critics press tour on Monday in Beverly Hills). “We want to open it up visually,” Silverman says of the reshoot. “We didn’t want the style to define it; we wanted to let the characters and comedy define it. When you’re feeling good about something you want to double down. The cast chemistry is unbelievable. It’s the funniest comedy I’ve seen this early in development.” (Additional reporting by Michael Ausiello)

Fear not, Life on Mars fans: The producers behind ABC’s take on the
beloved British cop drama swear that being a detective in 1973 New York is just
as interesting (if not more so!) than tracking perps in Manchester 35 years
ago. In fact, when Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (late of October Road,
but also of Alias) took the remake over from uber-producer David E.
Kelley, their first move was to change the stateside setting from L.A. to New
York. “When you think of the early ’70s cop genre, you think of New York”
Appelbaum explained to the crowd at ABC’s Television Critics Association press
tour. The new producers also gutted the entire cast, save for star Jason O’Mara
(Grey’s Anatomy, Men in Trees) — who plays Sam Tyler, the
circa-2008 cop who finds himself hurled back three-plus decades after a blow to
the head. Thus Michael Imperioli is now on board as Ray Carling, a detective
who clashes with Sam. (And the rest of the players have yet to be cast; even
seemingly pitch-perfect Colm Meaney as Sam’s ornery boss Gene Hunt is being
replaced.)

Appelbaum and Nemec feel confident they can sustain the show — despite the
complicated time-shifting construct — over several seasons, even though the
Brits wrapped it up in 16 episodes. Mainly, they said, because the end game won’t
be the same: Though Sam will still get “dispatches from 2008″ — in
the English version, he frequently heard voices from his present-day hospital
room as he lay in a coma — producers said there are “many other options”
besides Sam being simply in a dream state or crazy. “In our second
episode,” Appelbaum said, “Sam writes up 13 options that it could be.”
He declined to elaborate much on those, but he added, “it’s not a
time-travel show.” Let the obsessive blogging begin…before the pilot’s
even shot.