Squee! It’s…

Squee! It’s the beginning of the fall television season! We’ve already seen Glee take a bow (makes sense, since Fox has fall baseball to schedule around), and the CW comes roaring in tonight to fight for the young, young viewers. In addition to Vampire Diaries, which has already managed to float above the incredibly low bar Twilight set, the season openers of One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl debut tonight. If you’re part of the Gossip Girl audience, you probably had the premiere circled on your calendar–I’ve tried to love it, I really have, but I just can’t get past things like ridiculously colored men’s jackets. One Tree Hill gets less buzz than Gossip Girl, but has Gossip Girl ever had NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as a guest star? Didn’t think so (although it troubles me to think that the young, young people might only know Jerry Rice from Dancing With the Stars). Might have to check out Mr. Rice during halftime of one of the two games inaugurating the Monday Night Football season (Patriots-Bills early, Chargers-Raiders late). One Tree Hill (and Jerry Rice!) at 8pm Eastern and Pacific and Gossip Girl at 9pm, both on the CW; Patriots-Bills at 7pm Eastern and Chargers-Raiders at 10:15pm Eastern, both on ESPN. The new Jay Leno thing that signals NBC’s unwillingness to fight for its life debuts as well, but you can find that yourself if you’re so inclined. We’re not so inclined.

Bacon Bits: THE CLOSER Spin-off, the BSG movie and More

• Spin-offs are in the air: Showtime is spinning off The L Word‘s Alice (Leisha Hailey) and TNT is plotting a spin-off of The Closer, although it’s unknown whether that one will focus on an existing character or a new one.

• Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz is developing a new comedy for CBS about a family that “loves too much.” I’m already excited, although I can’t quite imagine how it’ll fit into CBS’ current comedy lineup.

• The Cylon-centric Battlestar Galactica movie starts shooting Monday, with familiar faces Edward James Olmos (Admiral Adama), Michael Trucco (Sam Anders), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol) and Dean Stockwell (Cavil), Tricia Helfer (Six), Grace Park (Boomer/Athena), Rick Worthy (Simon), Matthew Bennett (Doral) and Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben).

• Anthony Edwards will be resurrecting Dr. Mark Green in a flashback for the Nov. 13 episode of E.R.

• Fox has announced they’re working on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer massively multiplayer online game. Don’t tease a gamer girl now, ya’ll.

• Greg Berlanti continues his reign as hardest-working man in television–now he’s developing a sci-fi pilot for ABC with Rene Echevarria (The 4400, Dark Angel).

• More 30 Rock stunting casting: Gossip Girls Leighton Meester and Blake Lively are in talks to play Liz Lemon’s high school buddies in a flashback sequence.

Bacon Bits: GOSSIP GIRL, PUSHING DAISIES and More

- Can’t wait for the Gossip Girl premiere? The CW has posted the first five minutes on YouTube.

- ABC is sexing up Dirty Sexy Money and dumbing down Pushing Daisies. And NBC is upping the romance quotient on Chuck. This right here, this is how good television shows jump the shark.

- Speaking of jumping the shark, Dancing with the Stars laughs in the face of the TV Gods by signing Original Show Killer Ted McGingley! Also, Cloris Leachman, Susan Lucci, Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Rocco DiSpirito, Brooke Burke, some kid from Hannah Montana, Kim Kardashian, Jeffrey Ross, Warren Sapp and Olympians Maurice Greene and Misty May-Treanor.

- Remember when we actually wanted our MTV? Defamer lists “7 MTV-Defining Stars Who Wouldn’t Be Allowed on MTV Anymore.”

- Fox says you can watch the premieres of Fringe and Sarah Connor Chronicles online! But only if you live in a dorm.

- Lost is resurrecting Michelle Rodriguez for an episode. Oy, does this mean Nikki and Paulo are next?

PaleyFest08 to Feature Judd Apatow, GOSSIP GIRL, and PUSHING DAISIES

The Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television & Radio) has announced that Freaks and Geeks writer/producer Judd Apatow, along with two of the new season hits, Gossip Girl and Pushing Daisies, will be among the honorees at the upcoming William S. Paley Television Festival. The festival, which will take place March 14 to 27, 2008, features a series of panels during which the audience has the opportunity to interact with the creative team behind some of the best shows on television.

Additional details and the complete schedule for PaleyFest08 will be announced on Monday, Feb. 4, 2008. Tickets will go on sale to Paley Center Members on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008. Tickets will be available to the general public beginning the following Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008.