Fourth-place broadcast network NBC really demonstrated its determination to remain in that lowly position during The Peacock’s “Infront” presentation earlier today. Apparently, it cares not a lick about genuinely original yet thoroughly entertaining programs, as the confirmed cancellation of the stellar Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi cop dramedy Life proves.

Also confirmed as canceled are the God-awful remakes Kath & Kim and Knight Rider. It actually pains me to see a terrific series like Life lumped together with two shows that never should have made it past go in the first place. Given the upcoming primetime Leno fiasco, NBC is now officially a network that I won’t be taking seriously again anytime soon, Chuck renewal or not.

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Never fear, my fellow Life superfans. Note how the title of this post states that series star Adam Arkin, who plays endearing white-collar ex-con Ted Early on NBC’s dramedy gem, is moonlighting on — not moving to — the FX biker-gang series Sons of Anarchy during its upcoming second season. Since both shows are high on my Must Watch Every Episode list, this is great news to me.

E! Online reports that Arkin will play a character on SOA who couldn’t be much more different from sweetie pie Ted. The role will find him portraying a white supremacist who wanders into Sam Crow territory to open a store, which you can bet will actually be a cover for activities far shadier than the entrepreneur will initially let on.

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It’s been nice watching Damian Lewis’ Detective Charlie Crews partner with guest star Gabrielle Union’s Detective Jane Seever, but I’m sure other fans will be as thrilled as I am that Sarah Shahi’s Detective Dani Reese is back big time during tonight’s Season Two Life finale “One.”

Also dropping by for a little criminal intrigue is Terminator: The Sarah Chronicles regular Garret Dillahunt, who reprises his recurring role as Crews’ supremely evil nemesis, Russian crook Roman Nevikov. Just how evil is Nevikov?

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It was great having Reaper and Dark Angel’s Valarie Rae Miller on tonight’s episode of Life called “Shelf Life.” Things are going to be even nicer, if that’s possible, next Wednesday on “3 Women,” when the series welcomes special guest star Gabrielle Union (Night Stalker, Bad Boys). As previously reported, the newcomer is visiting for an extended arc while Sarah Shahi’s Dani Reese continues helping out the FBI to help hide the pregnant actress’ growing midsection.

Union plays Charlie Crews’ (Damian Lewis) latest partner, Detective Jane Seever, and judging by the episodic photos, she’s more than up to getting the job done. It should be fun to learn how well she gets along with one-of-a-kind Crews, since the success of their partnership will depend on it.

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As attentive Comedy Centric readers may know, I can’t get enough of NBC’s quirky sophomore cop show Life, which is consistently one of the most refreshing and entertaining series on television nowadays.

It seems the smart folks who live in Spain share my immense appreciation of the dramedy and its cast, led by London native Damian Lewis and his Iranian-Spanish American costar Sarah Shahi. According to Variety, the series follows only proven franchise hits and fellow Telecino network staples CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and CSI: New York in the overall number of viewers tuning in to it each week since its February 16 premiere.

As a result of the three shows’ combined performance winning their respective time slots on Monday nights with about a quarter of all viewers, Telecino is the place to be on Spanish TV the first day of the week. How about that?! And, to think the only reason Life is in the lineup is because the last writers strike shorted the number of available CSI: Miami episodes.

But, wait, there’s more!

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I was checking out upcoming episodes for Life, one of my current favorite television series, when I happened upon the photo above. According to the NBC caption, that woman looking snazzy while lounging poolside in a blue bathing suit is Reaper’s very own Valarie Rae Miller, also known as Josie. She’ll be appearing on the cop dramedy Wednesday, March 11.

During the episode called “Shelf Life,” Detective Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) and his pre-prison partner Officer Bobby Stark (Brent Sexton) investigate a murder involving a soldier stabbed to death while on leave in Los Angeles.

Miller plays a character named Erin Corday, and that’s all I can tell ya because that’s all the information NBC has released. I guess we’ll just have to watch Life in a couple of weeks to find out the rest, which isn’t a bad proposition in the least. So, mark your calendars, Reaper fans.

Life airs Wednesdays on NBC at 9pm EST and Reaper will air Tuesdays on The CW at 8pm EST beginning next week, March 3.

Talk about oldies but goodies! Next week’s February 18th new episode of Life called “I Heart Mom” will guest star the one and only Charlotte Rae, the actress better known to hordes of classic sitcom fans as lovable Edna Garrett on the 1979–1988 NBC comedy The Facts of Life. How’s that for a blast from the past?

After a man is found beaten and shot dead with a mouth full of money in a house with no roof, partners Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) and Dani Reese (Sarah Shahi) soon discover the victim was running an elaborate construction scam that left his clients without roofs or money. While interviewing the duped customers, they meet an eccentric man with a violent streak and the intimidating son of an old woman with a long rap sheet.

I’d bet money the “old woman” just mentioned is Rae’s character Mary Ford, pictured above with a bunch of tough-looking bikers. If you’re an admirer of the petite comedy icon, make sure to tune in to NBC next Wednesday at 9pm EST sharp to catch her on Life, one of the best and funniest shows on television, hands down.

Hooray for Life! When the NBC cop dramedy returned on Wednesday for its first fresh episode of 2009, the (inexplicable) bubble series earned ratings that were 30 percent more impressive than the numbers it got for its last new new episode way back in December.

I personally want to thank the smart, witty, gorgeous, and supremely wonderful 6.76 million viewers who took the time to watch the best thing on television at that time. Seriously — I’ll be checking out Lost and Lie to Me, the show’s main 9pm EST competition, online this weekend (thank goodness for Internet streaming!).

There’s another unexpectedly nice change coming to Life, as well, in the form of Night Stalker and film actress Gabrielle Union. Since series lead Sarah Shahi (Dani Reese) is four months along with child, Union has been snatched up for a multi-episode arc. Her character will be partnered with Zen master Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) while Dani is off hiding her belly cooling her heels on an FBI task force, thanks to some as-yet unspecified tension between her and her current partner.

Shahi won’t be pregnant on the show, but I’ve no doubt that Union is going to do a fine job helping out with continuity during the upcoming plot twist. Bring her on!

Life airs Wednesdays on NBC at 9pm EST.

It’s ridiculous how much I love NBC’s fantastically quirky cop dramedy Life, and I bring good news for other viewers who adore the show, too. Fresh episodes begin for 2009 with tomorrow night’s “Re-Entry” at 9pm EST. Can’t wait.

This time around, partners Charlie and Dani tackle outer space … sort of. When a retired NASA pilot is shot to death mid-flight (Ouch!), Charlie and Dani work to narrow down the list of suspects who include the dead pilot’s son and his current business partner. They must also take into consideration the pilot was about to pay the Russians 35 million dollars to take him back into space. Meanwhile, Tidwell tries to get Crews to remember who shot him.

Get warmed up for the episode with the video after the jump, a highlights clip for “Trap Door,” the last episode of Life that aired on December 17.

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Fewer people are watching television these days, which isn’t translating to good Nielsen numbers for one of my favorite shows in recent seasons, NBC’s always entertaining Damian Lewis and Sarah Shahi police procedural Life.

Thank goodness, then, that instead of bailing out, the network is demonstrating its support by moving the cop show from its current dreadful Friday-night time slot to Wednesdays at 9pm EST during an all-new “crime night.”

As a result, Life will air after Knight Rider, starting on November 5, the same night that the long-running staple Law & Order opens its impressive 19th season.

Moving into Life’s old home is the dramedy Lipstick Jungle, which is also struggling and will probably do so even more after the change. Two new episodes of Lipstick are currently slated to air this week: one in the old time slot of Wednesdays at 10pm EST and one at the new Friday time.

If you’re a Charlie Crews fan, make sure to mark your calendar now, and also note the series is not on the schedule for Friday, October 31.