Shenae Grimes has been cast as the new Brenda in The CW remake of Beverly Hills 90210.

Shenae’ne’ currently plays Most Likely to Go Postal Christian good girl gone disturbed, Darcy Edwards on Degrassi The Next Generation (the best thing to emerge from Canada since ketchup-flavored potato chips). I guess this means my fave train wreck will no longer be falsely accusing teachers of inappropriate touching. I can’t imagine anyone replacing Shannon Doherty, but I’m looking forward to seeing her try, espec. with Rob Thomas at the helm.

(Random awesomeness – Jessica Walters is set to play Booze Hound/Walsh Family Matriarch, Tabitha. Walters, if you recall, played the superbly manipulative Booze Hound/Bluth Family Matriarch, Lucille on Arrested Development.)

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It’s been a very long time since I’ve posted on the Bee, mostly because due to the strike I felt there wasn’t anything worth watching, nor commenting on. Three nights ago, that changed. David Cook gave of the best performances ever on American Idol with his cover of Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby.” David Cook – thank you for restoring my love for AI. I will be tuning in religiously as per usual.

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Yay! Yay! Yay! Comedy is back on TV. VH1′s fresh new improv-esque show Free Radio is now officially my favorite program. It’s Extras meets The Office meets Borat.

The plot is simple: an idiot intern randomly takes the place of a low-rent radio station’s resident shock jock after he defects to satellite. Lance Krall is a complete buffoon and yet the audience loves him – mainly because he’s so blissfully unaware of his own idiocy. He insults celebrities, orders his replacement to flush toilets all day, and makes backhanded comments to his weary co-host (brilliantly played by Anna Vocino).

Choice Lance Krall moments: Informing Howie Mandel that he’s got a “mouthgina”, anointing the L Word‘s Daniela Sea a “lesbian Forest Gump”, and regaling Kiefer Sutherland with tales of how he and his high school bud repeatedly choked each other after seeing Flatliners.

Watch full episodes on VH1.

I was expecting some serious New Bern asskicking last night. What I got were some lame flashbacks and a whole lot of boring. Back to the touchy feely drama that killed off viewers early on in season 1. Gone are the cool characters. (Deaf kid-sister Bonnie and against all odds, this would never happen in real life had it not been a post-nuclear attack teen couple, Dean and Skylar are nowhere to be seen.) Aside from crazy Mimi, the show now lacks any and all charisma. Even Skeet phoned it in.

I know your budget’s been cut, but there have to be some creative ways to get around this. Focus more on government conspiracy and less on the icouldreallycareless backstories of Jericho citizens. Get us into the President’s office, let us know what’s happening in the world outside of Jericho, not just through a TV broadcast, but actual war room situations. Think West Wing meets Mad Max. I’m counting on you.

I just caught up last night both new episodes and I am happy to say the old Lost is back, better than it has been in a long time. This is in most part due to the casting of our four new friends. Ken Leung, who I’ve been following since Welcome to the Dollhouse and Keeping the Faith (in a hilarious role as a shyster karaoke salesman), is a terrific. Jeremy Davies ( aka Elllliooootttt) is perfect as the uneasy physicist. I also like the fact that these characters are not all ass kickers. They have depth and seem just as bewildered as the flight 815 folk were when they landed on the island.

Ben is still quite the manipulator and appears to be invincible. We’ll see though – that last shot of him made him appear to be dead. You know they won’t kill him off though – unless, he comes back as Mini-Ben to Tall Walt. Can’t wait to find out.

Poor Hurley (now Hugo). I have to admit I did shed a tear or two when he revealed the news to Claire. How good did Charlie look though in Hugo’s hallucination? Apparently, shave and a haircut really does the trick. I continue to have my love/hate relationship with Charlie. Whiny and hot. Loved the reference to his Po5 beard btw.

Next week – more flashbacks and flash-forwards!