In 20 seconds, the promo for Tuesday’s episode of Reaper clearly illustrates the type of off-the-wall humor this series is known for. “Nothing’s more disgusting than bugs….and old people,” the announcer deadpans. Ha! What the spot really doesn’t do is alert you to a key mythology development: the introduction of the devil’s “other” son, Morgan. Armie Hammer makes his debut as the suave and spoiled offspring of Ray Wise, and Sam (Bret Harrison) is charged with showing his new half-bro the family biz. Expect a little sibling rivalry—and you just know that Wise is gonna have fun with this storyline. Hammer Time then continues next week on Gossip Girl, when the 6’5” jet-setter catches the eye of Serena (Blake Lively). It’s not long before the two begin a whirlwind romance that media accounts have likened to the real-life roguishness Anne Hathaway recently experienced.

Among the CW fall pilot contenders, A Beautiful Life grabbed the headlines this week with some blockbuster casting announcements. The drama is another project from network fave Ashton Kutcher, and centers around a group of young models struggling to hit runway paydirt in New York City. Storylines promise to unmask the industry’s rarely-seen dark side. Media magnet Mischa Barton (Marissa on The O.C.) was first to sign on, and is now joined by ‘80s supermodel Elle Macpherson—who’ll head the Focus Models agency with a rather fierce management style. High School Musical fans are abuzz with the news that Corbin Bleu is set to play a male-model with the Lenny Kravitz-type vibe, reports Zap2it; while Sara Paxton, fresh off rave film reviews for Last House on the Left, returns to TV as a novice poser in the Big Apple. Other roomies include Ashley Madekwe (Secret Diary of a Call Girl), Ben Hollingsworth (Cutting Edge 3; pictured), and newcomer Nico Tortorella, who could quickly become a breakout CW heartthrob. Off-camera, Hollingsworth shares an apartment with fellow Canadian Nina Dobrev, who he met on the set of Degrassi, IMDb notes. Nina recently won the female lead role in The Vampire Diaries series pilot. A cast this noteworthy will be difficult to keep off the schedule in September.

This is an exciting time of year in the TV industry. Networks have chosen the new series they’d like to see produced into pilot episodes, and the first step entails assembling a noteworthy cast—with various roles announced almost daily. The four newest stars to join the CW fray are certainly not strangers to our young adult viewers. Brooding Steven McQueen (pictured, left) will play a key role in Vampire Diaries; fans of Everwood remember him as Ephram’s piano protégé, Kyle. Brittany Snow (Meg on American Dreams) has landed the title role in Lily, the Gossip Girl spinoff tracing Lily van der Woodsen’s rebellious teen years in the ‘80s. And no one can argue with the first two residents of the new Melrose Place: beautiful Katie Cassidy (Ruby on Supernatural) and Michael Rady (pictured, right), who swept Alexis Bledel off her feet as Greek hottie “Kostos” in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Who would you like to see join the cast of these dramas, each considered an early favorite to win a spot on the fall schedule?

You’ve seen his face on TV and in films for over four decades—but starring in what? Ed Begley, Jr. has been a Hollywood chameleon, the type of character actor who is memorable, yet easily transitions from role to role. WBNX fans may recall him as Hank, the doctor who married Eric Camden’s sister, Julie, while appearing in 16 episodes of 7th Heaven. Or maybe his five-week arc as Rev. Belknap on Jack & Bobby. Most recently, he was seen on The CW as Cyrus O’Dell, the dean of Hearst College who was murdered on Veronica Mars. Ed and his wife, Rachelle Carson, are also semi-experts on “eco/green living,” and he’ll be speaking at the Akron Home & Flower Show tomorrow, with meet-and-greet autograph sessions to follow. You can hear Ed on Saturday at 1pm and 5pm at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron—and while you’re there, be sure and stop by the WBNX booth and register for a chance to win a Martha Stewart prize pack.

Tyler Perry’s House of Payne swept four of the five comedy categories at the 40th annual NAACP Image Awards, winning for Best Comedy, Lead Actor (LaVan Davis), Supporting Actor (Lance Gross, pictured) and Supporting Actress (Keshia Knight Pulliam).  Tracee Ellis Ross claimed Lead Actress honors for her work on The CW’s Girlfriends, which ended last year after eight seasons.  The Game was recognized for Best Comedy Writing, and Jamie Foxx scored a musical win as Outstanding Male Artist.  On the big-screen, Will Smith (Fresh Prince) again reigns as Best Actor, and The Secret Life of Bees—featuring WBNX stars Tristan Wilds (90210), Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill) and Queen Latifah (Living Single)—captured awards for Best Motion Picture and Best Director.

It’s Pilot Season—you know, those jittery three months for fans when TV networks decide what current series they’ll renew and which fresh projects will be given a place on the Fall schedule.  Officially, The CW will announce its 2009-10 lineup at the Upfront presentation on May 21, though leaks prior to the event are inevitable.  According to the Futon Critic, the network thus far has eleven new shows under consideration: which ones interest you the most, and which programs already on the air are “untouchable” in your view?

Hitched or Ditched: Six episodes are ordered from reality guru Mike Fleiss.  A couple at a crossroads in their relationship must decide—in a week’s time—whether or not to proceed with a lavish wedding.

Gossip Girl spinoff: Prequel series set in ‘80s L.A. during the ‘Valley Girl’ era, focusing on young Lily van der Woodsen and her rebellious sister, to be played by Krysten Ritter (Lucy on Gilmore Girls; pictured).

Melrose Place: Revival of the off-the-wall ‘90s hit, featuring characters with ties to the original series.  EW.com reports that The CW is aggressively pursuing Heather Locklear and Grant Show.

Operation Fabulous: America’s Next Top Model buds Jay Manuel and Jay Alexander criss-cross the country giving makeovers to deserving young women.

Light Years: A foster teen (Brittany Robertson) tracks down her birth parents, who’ve got their own maturity issues.  Shiri Appleby, Kerr Smith and Kristoffer Paloha co-star.

The Body Politic: Young interns navigating the wild world of Washington, D.C.

Vampire Diaries: Adapted from the best-selling novel series, with rival vampire brothers, romance, some werewolf action and more.  If well-produced, this series would fit well with CW favorites Supernatural and Reaper.

The Vineyard: Groups of real-life friends ‘rock the boat’ with the rich and famous this summer on Martha’s Vineyard.  Cameras will capture all the fireworks.

Nanny Dallas: (script order)  Dramedy about four nannies and the unusual families they service in a Dallas gated-community.

Chloe Gamble: (script order)  Texas beauty queen heads to Hollywood, where her dreams of stardom don’t turn out the way she expected.

The Beautiful Life: (script order)  Drama centered on aspiring male and female models living together in NYC, with exploration of the industry’s dark side.

Sometimes you hear an idea for a new TV series, and you just know right off the bat: this is gonna be good.  The new CW project, The Vineyard, breaks new ground for the network, placing groups of real-life friends in a fabulously rich environment—and watching the drama escalate.  The posh setting is Martha’s Vineyard, an historic, picturesque island off the coast of Massachusetts and the vacation retreat for many of the country’s ultra-elite.  Groups of 19-28 year old preppies will spend the summer there comingling, as cameras capture their antics and relationship issues.  Think of it as the East Coast version of Laguna Beach or The Hills. The CW teases, “The friends you choose, the parties you attend, and the decisions you make will define who you are.”  If you’ve got a unique clique who wouldn’t mind living the high life for three months, then click here and apply!  Casting for The Vineyard is taking place this month. 

The CW has picked up a series pilot that’s sure to please fans of several genres, greenlighting The Vampire Diaries, based on L.J. Smith’s best-selling novels first published in 1993.  With the current vampire craze stoked by Twilight and other fanged tales, this dark romantic drama would hit the small screen at fever pitch.  The story revolves around a young woman torn between two vampire brothers—one good, one evil—battling for the souls of her small town residents, says Variety.  The original four-book installment recently returned to the NY Times Bestseller’s list, and three additional novels are in the works, the first of which—Nightfall—will be published this Tuesday.  More good news: Kevin Williamson (Dawson’s Creek, Scream) has been tapped to write and executive produce!  The Vampire Diaries comes from Alloy, whose past book series led to CW shows Gossip Girl and Privileged.  While the debate rages, many fans concede that The Vampire Diaries is superior to the Twilight franchise and likely provided inspiration for the Stephenie Meyer books that followed more than a decade later.  The CW’s predecessor, The WB, had breakout success with both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and spinoff Angel.  This new foray into the Dark Shadows-esque realm has potential to become the network’s biggest crossover hit yet.

The CW has two interesting projects in development from Ashton Kutcher’s production company.  Based on the real-life accounts of aspiring model-turned-writer Adam Giaudrone, The Beautiful Life exposes the darker side of the modeling world in NYC, “the side that’s kind of awful, and yet so unbelievably alluring,” says Kutcher’s partner, Karey Burke.  The ensemble show centers around male and female models who live together, with focus on a 22-year-old male hottie destined for catalog posing; and a 15-year-old girl being hyped as the “next Heidi Klum.”  A former model himself, Kutcher has already offered plenty of untold stories to the scriptwriters.  The second pilot, Chloe Gamble, is based on a coming trilogy of young adult books by Ed Decter—beginning with The One, which debuts March 10.  It follows a Texas beauty queen’s move to Hollywood with her mother and twin brother in the hopes of achieving stardom.  This drama is told from a future/flashback point-of-view, where it’s clear that things didn’t turn out well for Chloe.  Burke says “there’s a whole web component” for the series, as well.  “We may even cast Chloe over the web.”  Kutcher previously created Beauty & The Geek for The CW.

The CW has cracked open the MGM film vault, releasing the first eleven titles we’ll see on the network’s new Sunday Night Movie—and the varied lineup includes a lot of laughs.  If you haven’t seen Revenge of the Pink Panther in awhile, Peter Sellers (as Inspector Clouseau) and Herbert Lom (as “the madman Dreyfuss”) are in peak form.  And for those who love parodies, Mel Brooks gives Star Wars and sci-fi classics a fitting send-up in Spaceballs.  Prefer horror flicks?  It doesn’t get much creepier than Sissy Spacek’s Oscar-nominated Carrie.  Here’s a rundown of the upcoming features: