Pushing Daisies may be officially over on ABC, but fans should be happy to learn that series star Chi McBride has a new gig lined up for the 2009—2010 season on the upcoming Fox action series Human Target.

Based on the popular DC Comics graphic novel, Human Target revolves around Christopher Chance (Mark Valley, Fringe), a unique private contractor and security guard. When there’s an unusual or imminent threat that can’t be solved through “normal” means of protection, clients hire Chance to completely integrate himself into their lives to become the human target. Assisting Chance on each job are his business partner Winston (McBride) and his hired gun Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen).

One of the show’s executive producers is Joseph McGinty Nichol, better known as McG, who occupies the same role on NBC’s dear and beloved Chuck. And that’s not the only Chuck connection, either, because one-time Buy More visitor Tricia Helfer also guests on the pilot episode of McG’s latest series.

Check out the four preview videos after the jump to see her, McBride, and the rest of Human Target’s cast in action. I have a feeling I’m really going to enjoy this midseason show during the 13-episode run that starts in January.

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It looks like Married… with Children’s Al Bundy — or at least Ed O’Neill, the actor who played him — is heading back to broadcast TV.

Reports indicate the ABC has picked up its first series of the 2009–2010 season unusually early, and it’s Twentieth Century Fox TV’s Modern Family. Formerly called My American Family, the ensemble project is from writers and producers Steve Levitan (Back to You, Just Shoot Me!, Wings) and Chris Lloyd (Back to You, Frasier, The Golden Girls).

According to Variety, the show “scored a great response” during pilot screenings, “giving the net reason to go ahead now and pick up 13 episodes for fall.” Moreover, despite ABC’s continuing determination to air some dreadfully unfunny supposed sitcoms — I’m primarily talking about you, Surviving Suburbia! — the network “hopes the early series order sends a message as it heads into the upfronts that the net is making comedy a priority.”

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Am I a happy TV comedy fan right now or what?!

USA Network officially announced some great news today with a press release detailing its 14-episode pickup of White Collar, an original dramedy filmed on location in New York and starring Chuck’s Bryce Larkin, better known in real life as actor Matthew Bomer (pictured at right above, with Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski).

Says USA’s Executive Vice President of Original Scripted Programming Jackie de Crinis: “‘White Collar’ is the perfect complement in our hot summer line up of character-driven originals that continue to draw loyal audiences to USA Network. The strength of the show’s lead characters, smart writing and crisp direction are key elements that we believe are the tentpoles of another compelling series.”

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Former Firefly star, recent Desperate Housewives cast member, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog villain Nathan Fillion has a new ABC series premiering tonight, the mystery novelist/cop romantic dramedy Castle.

The premiere episode “Flowers for Your Grave” — which was directed by X-Files veteran Rob Bowman, I should add — introduces viewers to Fillion’s renowned mystery novelist Richard Castle . Bored to tears with his popularity and success, Castle gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shake up his life when he learns that a copycat killer is staging actual murders from scenes depicted in his best-selling novels.

After smart, tough, and persistent NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic, The Spirit) questions Castle with regards to the crimes, he somehow manages to wiggle his way into her investigation. People in the know are repetedly mentioning the classic Cybill Shepherd/Bruce Willis 1980s detective dramedy Moonlighting when they discuss Castle. Apparently, the discordant, push-pull relationship between Castle and Beckett has more than a few similarities to that between Shepherd’s Madelyn “Maddie” Hayes and Willis’ David Addison Jr. on the earlier show.

Sounds good to me. Tune into Castle’s premiere tonight at 10:02pm EST and follow the jump for an extended promo clip and a sneak peek at the first 13 minutes of the debut episode. Although I don’t feel instantly hooked, I’m definitely giving the newbie a shot.

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And I can’t wait to visit. Just by checking out a few video clips, I think I’m going to like ABC’s upcoming single-camera sitcom Better Off Ted, which is sort of but not quite like NBC’s The Office.

The instantly recognizable workplace series — thanks to its quirky premise — stars Jay Harrington (Private Practice, Desperate Housewives) as Ted, the lucky guy who manages the Research and Development division at a morally questionable company called Veridian Dynamics. If thoughts of Eureka’s zany and often hazardous Global Dynamics immediately cross your mind upon hearing that name, join the party.

Ted is successful at his job, where the motto is that any and every invention is achievable, no matter how bizarre or unorthodox. ABC throws out examples like cow-less meat grown in a test tube and pumpkins that also double as weapons of mass destruction to give us an idea of what to expect.

Single father Ted loves his job, as well, and I bet his adorable seven-year-old daughter Rose (Isabella Acres, The Mentalist) does, too. I know I would if I were her. However, it’s because of his status as a parent that Ted eventually begins having doubts about Veridian’s dubious practices.

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As Comedy Centric has noted previously, TNT has a new dramedy coming up this season called Trust Me, starring Will & Grace alum Eric McCormack and Ed alum Tom Cavanagh.

The two comedy veterans play happily married, mature art director Mason and happily single, immature copywriter Conner, respectively, two advertising professionals and best friends whose relationship is rocked when Mason gets a promotion that makes him Conner’s boss at their Chicago agency.

Considering that the series is executive-produced by the same creative minds responsible for giving the world TNT’s hit crime drama The Closer, Trust Me has oodles of potential. Airing in the post-Closer time slot certainly helps, as well, although I do find the procedural-comedy combination a bit unappealing. I’m sure the shows will make it work, though.

Both make their 2009 debut next Monday, January 26, with Trust Me airing the series premiere “Before and After” at 10pm EST. Sneak a peek at what’s in store beforehand in the two-minute preview clip after the jump. I definitely can’t complain after watching it.

NOTE: If you haven’t already, you can also meet the cast of the series in the earlier post “Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh Want Us to Trust Them.”

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Kelsey Grammer’s previously reported ABC sitcom pilot Roman’s Empire is no more after the network failed to move forward with it. No worries, though, because now he’s been given another chance to return to the tube with a second, currently untitled ABC comedy pilot.

The latest project stars Grammer as a wealthy businessman derailed by a downsizing that leaves him without his high-power job. As a result, he finds himself with lots more time to hang out with his family.

Fingers crossed the four-time Frasier Emmy winner has better luck with this potential series, although I’d watch him in just about anything.

Neil Flynn, the versatile actor who plays the notoriously nameless Janitor on Scrubs, has just landed a starring role in Patricia Heaton’s forthcoming ABC sitcom pilot called The Middle.

Flynn will play the husband of Heaton’s character, both middle-class parents who live in middle America and struggle to bring their three children up properly. Obviously, the family comedy’s title is extremely accurate, and the lead pairing sounds like a promising match.

I hope this one makes it through the pilot process for a pickup and fares better than Heaton’s most recent sitcom, Back to You on cancel-em-quick Fox.

If you’re a big fan of Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel, NBC has something right up your alley tonight. At 8pm EST, the network will air the series premiere of its new Punk’d-style prank reality show Howie Do It. Cute title.

I happen to like Mandel quite a lot, but after checking out the previews, this series seems a bit too obvious to me. There’s just a certain sense of spontaneity and genuine surprise missing that’s been replaced with what looks like sheer silliness instead.

But, that’s just me. Take a look at the four sneak peeks after the jump and judge for yourself.

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Will & Grace veteran Eric McCormack and Ed and Eli Stone alum Tom Cavanagh have a new hourlong series coming up on TNT called Trust Me.

It’s hard to tell from the somewhat silly promos, however, if the show is really just a sharp and witty drama, as the network is billing it, or actually more like a dramedy, which the two leads’ antics during the trailers seem to indicate. I’m betting on and hoping for the latter since it’s clear the two actors can bust more than a few comedy moves.

Trust Me revolves around mature, happily married art director Mason (McCormack) and juvenile, swinging-single copywriter Conner (Cavanagh), best friends who work alongside each other at the successful, stressful Chicago-based advertising agency Rothman Greene & Mohr.

All is apparently hunky-dory between the polar-opposite buddies, until Mason gets a promotion that makes him Conner’s boss. Talk about a friendship disaster waiting to happen, and that’s not even factoring in the testosterone.

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