BUSINESS TIME
... The biggest news of today actually came in late last night, but the much-discussed rumblings are now confirmed: Joss Whedon is bringing a S.H.I.E.L.D. series to ABC. Whedon will co-write the pilot with his brother Jed as well as Maurissa Tancharoen, and there's a possibility that he'll direct the project as well. I'm not that familiar with the comics, but this seems like a solid premise for a series set in the Marvel world, and it should help ABC replenish its drama docket, which is full of long-in-the-tooth shows, Shonda Rhimes shows, and long-in-the-tooth Shonda Rhimes shows. [Deadline Hollywood]
... Last night's ratings: Masterchef hit a season high over on Fox (a 2.8 in the 18-49 demo, 6.5 million viewers) while America's Got Talent took a dip (2.4 in 18-49, 9.5 million). When the big three switched to Republican National Convention coverage in the 10pm hour, NBC's coverage was watched by double the amount of people. It's a good thing Jeff Zucker's gone, otherwise he might have ordered an additional 68 episodes of the RNC. [TV By The Numbers]
... Syfy has ordered a 20-episode third season of Paranormal Witness based on the ratings success of Season 2's first few episodes. Syfy calls the show a "true-terror docudrama," which is a better phrase than "Paranormal Witness is a show." [SyFy via press release]
... In today's "We're bringing an old movie franchise to television" news, Eddie Murphy and Shawn Ryan (The Shield, Terriers, The Chicago Code, and the upcoming Last Resort) are joining forces to make a Beverly Hills Cop television series happen. In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, Murphy laid out the pitch: Axel Folely's son as the lead, with Murphy's Axel occasionally appearing as the chief of police. Honestly, that's probably the best idea Murphy's had since the 1990s. [Vulture]
... It pays to be cute and precocious on a populist sitcom: Modern Family's young cast members have negotiated an impressive salary bump that more than triples their previous intakes. The kids will now make around $70,000 an episode. That's a ridiculous figure, but Nolan Gould (Luke) deserves Charlie Sheen money for as much as he carried that show last season. [Deadline Hollywood]
... CBS has purchased a script from John Ross Bowie and Kevin Sussman, two guys who became friends while recurring together on The Big Bang Theory. Titled The Second Coming of Rob and loosely based on Bowie's life, the comedy will follow a newly divorced guy looking to find himself again by reconnecting with his college buddies after some years of "marital incarceration." Get it? Because marriage is like jail, except the latter includes physical affection. Hey-o! That one's on me, CBS. [Deadline Hollywood]
... Our collective turmoil over the fate of Wipeout is over: The ABC obstacle-course show will return for a sixth season, and the even better news is that Jill Wagner is coming back as co-host after a year off (during which she was temporarily replaced by Vanessa Minnillo). I can't wait to see how the producers write her back in; I assume detailed flashbacks will be involved. [Deadline Hollywood]
... Fans of great adult drama, rejoice: Robert and Michelle King, the duo behind The Good Wife, have set up a new project at Showtime called Girls with Guns. The premise is curious—two sisters from Los Angeles move to Israel, where women are drafted in the military so I assume one or both will be—but I trust the Kings. This seems like it could pair well with Homeland. [Deadline Hollywood]
CASTING NEWS
... NBC announced today that Seth MacFarlane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Daniel Craig will be the first three hosts of Saturday Night Live's upcoming 38th season, which will premiere September 15. White dudes, shocker. If MacFarlane doesn't do some sort of musical performance during his tenure, I'll eat my hat. The musical guests are a bit better, with Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons, and Muse stopping by the show in weeks one through three. [NBC via press release]
RYAN MURPHY, FOREVER A TROLL NEWS
... The new issue of Entertainment Weekly features a cover story on American Horror Story that spills some details on the second season, which is subtitled "Asylum." The best of those details? Season 2 will involve "aliens, Nazis, and a serial killer named Bloody Face who wears a mask made out of his victims' skin along with a black nightie and opera-length gloves." I appreciate Ryan Murphy's consistent attempts to make the most outrageous and awful television shows and I love aliens, but come on, it will be tough to top Dylan McDermott cry-sterbating. [Entertainment Weekly]
Follow TV.com Writer Cory Barker on Twitter: @corybarker.
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