Awards Season is fast approaching and the one ceremony which relies on fan balloting needs our early input.  The 36^th annual People’s Choice Awards want to condense their list of potential nominees in each category from a dozen to the top five.  There are ten television-related groups, plus 12 for movies and nine for music.  If your favorite is not already listed, voters can also write in their own choices.  Here are the current WBNX-related names which appear on the ballot: 

Favorite Competition Show:  America’s Next Top Model

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show:  Smallville, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries

TV Comedy:  The Office, Desperate Housewives

TV Comedy Actress:  Jenna Fisher, Sarah Chalke, Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria

TV Comedy Actor:  Steve Carell, Zach Braff

TV Drama:  Lost, Law & Order: SVU

TV Drama Actress:  Blake Lively, Evangeline Lilly, Mariska Hargitay

TV Obsession:  Gossip Girl

TV Talkshow:  The Tyra Banks Show

Movie Actress:  Jennifer Aniston

Breakout Movie Actor:  Ed Helms (The Office)

Breakout Movie Actress:  Rashida Jones (The Office)

Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail received several nominations.

We know there are other CW stars and series you’d like to include, as well.  To take part in this month-long nomination process, log onto peopleschoice.com and vote often.  In December, you’ll be given the chance to select winners in each category, who will then be honored on January 6.

There’s something peculiar about cheerleading.  Something that drove a Texas mom to hire a hitman to knock off her daughter’s pom-pom rival.  Something that compelled a 31-year-old woman to steal a teen’s identity so she could make the pep squad.  Something that’s triggered hazing videos and Mardi Gras behavior.  It’s an unexplored competitive subculture—and Tom Welling says: “Bring it on!”  The Smallville star has launched his own production company, with his first project to adapt an acclaimed exposé into a CW series.  Cheer: Inside The Secret World of College Cheerleaders is the real-life account of three teams’ yearlong odyssey from tryouts to the national championships.  These are extreme athletes who fly 30 feet in the air, build dangerous human pyramids, battle daily injuries, eating disorders and steroid use…all to be judged by hundredths of a point.  Turns out, there’s more edge and intrigue to the cheerleading sect than pleated skirts and “Gimme a ‘V!’”  Assisting Tom on the series will be Emmy-winning writer/producer Kevin Murphy (Desperate Housewives, Reaper).  The book itself is quite the page-turner, Murphy gushes.  In fact, the Dallas Morning News reviewed it as “an engaging, voyeuristic narrative that suggests college cheerleaders are as close to real-life superheroes as exist.”  Hmm, we’ll see how Clark Kent interprets that.

Tom Welling doesn’t talk much to the media, so when he opens up, it’s pretty newsworthy stuff.  As Smallville begins its 9^th season this Friday, the 32-year-old star outlined his new roles—in front of and behind the camera.  Tom is now listed as a producer, though he’s contributed in that capacity for several years.  “I’ve always tried to be open and collaborative and make the show better,” he tells TV Guide Magazine.  Case in point:  Last year he walked in on a meeting in which the discussion was about how much Clark was in love with Lois.  “I sat there and said, ‘Wait a minute, Clark’s in love with Lois?  When did this happen?  Clark doesn’t know he has feelings for her.  If he does and people see it, that’s one thing, but he doesn’t know.’”   Tom also had to know where the story was heading before he signed on.  “You can definitely see that it’s a new era for the show.  Every year is a new show, (but) especially this year.  Even thinking about last year, it’s night and day.”  Events of the past decade, together with Jimmy’s death, have pushed Clark Kent into embracing his destiny as Superman.  He will immediately encounter two familiar D.C. Comics characters, Metallo (Brian Austin Green) and Zod (Callum Blue); and in November, we learn that a young Jor-El (to be played by Julian Sands) has arrived on Earth with Zod.  Smallville will reach the milestone of 200 episodes later this season, and its leading man won’t settle for the show losing credibility.  “I think this season, if anything, we’ve re-energized it.”     

Word-of-mouth can sometimes be the best advertising, and this summer The CW is relying on its tech-savvy viewers to generate buzz for new and returning series.  You want to be the first to see exclusive Fall previews for Supernatural, Smallville and One Tree Hill?  They’re being released here online long before hitting the airwaves.  Not only are bloggers thrilled with this new marketing trend, fans are reacting to the sizzling viral videos as expected—by talking and texting.  Network producers have outdone themselves with some truly creative pieces, including a faux real-estate tour of Melrose Place, “TV to Talk About” image promos for each new drama (The Beautiful Life version is great), behind-the-scenes “Making of Melrose Place” videos filmed by the cast, and several helpful up-to-speed recaps.  Smallville’s Season 9 teaser has drawn raves; check it out below, and visit our individual show pages for more fresh, first-look material.

Real-estate tour of Melrose Place
TBL promo: TV to Talk About

Have you missed any recent CW episodes or forgotten key plot points?  The network has assembled four incredible recap videos from this past season to help refresh our memories and whet our appetites for new episodes, which begin in just three weeks.  Watch the summaries of Smallville, Supernatural, One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl below.

Each summer, television critics gather in Hollywood for press sessions with network execs and cast members from their new Fall series.  The Q&A panels often yield interesting facts, and we’ve gathered ten scooplets:

• The Vampire Diaries is “not just a high school show,” says producer Kevin Williamson.  “We’re much more of a small town show, and once you get past the premise, we’ll start to develop the huge mythology.”
• A new series regular will soon join the Vampire Diaries cast.  He comes to Mystic Falls with a secret agenda, and awakens the town to the idea that undead bloodsuckers are living among them.
• One of the vampires fought in the Civil War, and the show is set in Virginia…so filming in Atlanta offers a nice Southern, small town feel.  The CW series will use the first three books by L.J. Smith as a backdrop, and then pursue its own stories.
• CW president Dawn Ostroff believes both Smallville and Supernatural have a lot stories left to tell, and would like both to return beyond the upcoming season.
• Sara Paxton’s character on The Beautiful Life: TBL is based on the real-life modeling experiences of series creator Ashton Kutcher.
• Headline magnet Mischa Barton is “very prominent” in the show, says Kutcher.  “She’s one of our lead players,” adding he’s extremely pleased with her work.  “For me, it’s the best I’ve seen Mischa Barton.”
• Melrose Place already has Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, Daphne Zuniga and Josie Bissett returning from the original series—is Grant Show next?  He talked with producers this week, and “stuff is brewing, definitely.”  Also, the door is open for Heather Locklear at any time.
• Of the new MP cast members, only 36-year-old Colin Egglesfield (pictured) has seen Aaron Spelling’s wild-n-crazy 1992-99 primetime soap.  Katie Cassidy says her parents wouldn’t let her watch because she was too young.
• Critics continue to praise midseason dramedy Life UneXpected.  EW calls the pilot “completely charming,” and says the show is “bound to capture the hearts and minds of anyone who liked Privileged and, before that, Gilmore Girls.”
• Exec producer Liz Tigelaar (Brothers & Sisters, Once and Again) feels Life UneXpected is “reminiscent of the programming that made The WB Network ‘teen drama central.’”  She adds, “The biggest thing that excites me is how flawed and how real these characters are.”

TCA reporting by the TV Addict, Zap2it, L.A. Times, THR, Variety, EW.

• Mark Pellegrino will play the devil this fall on Supernatural, beginning with episodes one and three, but last season he was a finalist for the angelic role of Castiel, reports zap2it.  Series creator Eric Kripke says Misha Collins won them over just a little bit more, and he later offered Pellegrino the dark role without an audition.
• Michelle Trachtenberg (pictured) has another show in the works, but will always make time to portray the scheming troublemaker on TV’s most popular teen soap.  “Georgina (Sparks) isn’t going anywhere,” the actress tells Daily Intel.  “She’s always going to be an element of Gossip Girl.  She’s never gonna die; there’s nothing you can do to kill her.”
• One Tree Hill apparently did a U-turn on one romantic pairing.  “Owen and Brooke were originally scripted to wind up together,” Joe Manganiello reveals to TDW.  “We shot those scenes, but the producers had other plans for them and had us reshoot a different plot.”  Brooke (Sophia Bush) eventually fell for Julian, played by new series regular Austin Nichols.
• America’s Next Top Model will soon take us to the Hawaiian paradise of Maui.  People reports that Tyra Banks is staying at a private home on the island and driving to the opulent Grand Wailea resort for filming.  This is likely the site for Cycle 14, which will air in early 2010.
• Callum Blue teases a few details about his dual character, Mason/Zod, who appears in 16 upcoming episodes of Smallville.  “He’s a younger version of General Zod,” Callum tells KryptonSite.  “He hasn’t blown up Krypton yet, he’s not in the Phantom Zone.  All of that is to come, so they can play a bit with the idea—are they going to change the future?”

It’s always great to see The CW add characters to their dramas, especially when the roles involve obvious antagonism.  What are your thoughts on this week’s six casting moves?

John Schneider: Meet the mean step-father who had Liam (Matt Lanter) hauled off to reform school in the middle of the night on 90210.  He’s a Hollywood plastic surgeon whose war at home will continue this fall.  CW fans remember John as Clark Kent’s dad on Smallville.

Kelly Carlson: What’s Melrose Place without scandal?  Kelly (Nip/Tuck) is a high-priced Hollywood madame who crosses paths with Stephanie Jacobson, the med-student who happens to need cash for her tuition.

Brooke Burns: She’s married to Dr. Michael Mancini (Thomas Calabro)—so you know how that’s gonna turn out!  They have a younger son, but how long before she’s a suspect in the Melrose Place murder mystery…or has eyes for estranged stepson Shaun Sipos?

Sebastian Stan: Okay, he’s not exactly new to Gossip Girl, but Carter Baizen will stick around NY for awhile, nurturing a strange romance with Serena (Blake Lively)!  As you’ll recall, he located the golden girl’s long-lost father in the season finale.

Nacho Figueras: The hunky Argentine polo star for team Black Watch is a real-life member of Manhattan’s social scene.  He plays himself in a Sep. 14 Gossip Girl episode filmed at the Greenwich Polo Club.  Coincidentally, Nacho is also a model for Polo Fragrances.  Next up, tortilla chips?

Adam Bertrand: This one’s intriguing. The 17-year-old model is famous for being famous.  He’s a rising reality star who hangs with the West Coast society crowd and just signed on as the face of German fashion house Escada’s fragrance and men’s brands.  Adam brings a definite edge to the young models on The Beautiful Life, and this fall he’ll also release his debut single, “World Keeps Turning.”

We see them briefly, sporadically…and then, suddenly, they’re gone.  Sometimes for years, sometimes forever.  They’re characters who become residents of TV’s mysterious ‘land of the lost.’  We’re talking about grandma Tabitha Wilson (Jessica Walter) on 90210, who’s away on the longest film-shoot in history.  Martha Kent, whose senatorial duties have apparently distracted her from an alien superhero running the farm in Smallville.  Or Dan and Jenny’s mother on Gossip Girl, the definition of “absentee parent.”  One Tree Hill folks are regular losties, with Karen, Andy and Lily circling the world on a yacht, Peyton’s brother and three fathers far, far away, and Haley’s parents a distant memory.  Amusingly, Sam’s younger brother on Reaper went off to school one day and never came home.  Television series are filled with unusual stories like that; it’s what fuels trivia game questions.  But at least two familiar faces have clawed their way back from the forgotten zone and will return to The CW this fall.  Ellen the demon hunter (Samantha Ferris) wandered the West on her own after the Supernatural season finale back in 2007.  Now she’ll lend a hand to the Winchesters in their war with the devil.  And Brooke’s unpredictable pal/nemesis Rachel (Danneel Harris, pictured) will stick around Tree Hill for at least seven new episodes.  Are there other characters you’d like to see again on the small screen?

There’s no shortage of great roles at The CW, and casting directors have been working overtime to fill out the series rosters with regulars and guest-stars.  Below are some of the recent announcements, in case you missed them.  And we’re still awaiting news on three major characters: the devil on Supernatural, new heartthrob Teddy on 90210, and wild model Alexis on One Tree Hill.

• MELROSE PLACE: Josie Bissett reprises her role as Jane Andrews Mancini, the sibling of diabolical Sydney (Laura Leighton).  Thomas Calabro (Michael) is the ex-husband of both sisters—twisted!  He and Laura are series regulars.
  Series Premiere:  Tue., Sep. 8
• AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL: Reality star Kim Kardashian is signed as a guest-judge for Cycle 13, which features contestants all 5-foot-7 and under.
  Season Premiere:  Wed., Sep. 9
• SUPERNATURAL: Remember Sam’s girlfriend, Jessica, who died on the ceiling in the series pilot?  Adrianne Palicki returns for an episode this fall.  Rob Benedict (Chuck the prophet) and Julie McNiven (Anna the angel) are also back to help the Winchesters in their new war with the underworld.
  Season Premiere:  Thu., Sep. 10
• ONE TREE HILL: Robert Buckley (Lipstick Jungle) will play Nathan’s sports agent, Clayton.  And newcomer Shantel VanSanten (The Final Destination) moves to the stump as Haley’s sister, Quinn.  Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice drops by as himself in an early episode.
  Season Premiere:  Mon., Sep. 14
• GOSSIP GIRL: Joanna Garcia (Megan on Privileged) is the new love-interest for Nate.  And Chris Riggi has his own secret agenda, returning as the supposedly-dead-but-really-alive offspring of Lily and Rufus.  Who will be cast as Serena’s long-lost father?
  Season Premiere:  Mon., Sep. 14
• THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE: Corbin Bleu (HSM) was originally slated to appear in the first episode, but he’s wisely been upped to series regular.  Corbin is the wingman to fellow model roomie and resident party-machine Jordan Woolley.
  Series Premiere:  Wed., Sep. 16
• SMALLVILLE: Callum Blue (The Tudors), pictured, has been cast as General Zod, the Kryptonian military leader sentenced to the Phantom Zone for his crimes.  The legendary DC Comics villain found an escape in the season finale, and he’ll be trouble all year.  Brian Austin Green (BH: 90210) will be introduced as Daily Planet reporter John Corben, alias Metallo—a cyborg villain powered by the green rock.  Both Metallo and Zod make their debut to kick off the new night.
  Season Premiere:  Fri., Sep. 25