Jamie-Lynn Sigler arrives at the store opening of the Los Angeles Intermix. (photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com)

Homecoming King

'John From Cincinnati' star Austin Nichols is touching down in the great state of Texas to pick up a recurring role on NBC's high-school-football drama 'Friday Night Lights.' Nichols will play a teacher at Dillon High on the show, which is shot in his hometown of Austin. Meanwhile, the vocal fans at SaveJFC.net have rallied to rush him right back to Imperial Beach, sending emails, signing petitions and taking out ads in hopes of convincing HBO execs to reinstate the series. (photo: Jason Merritt/FilmMagic.com)

[Austin360.com]

Puzzling?

McNulty takes on Pullo? No, it's not a very special episode of 'The Wire' crossing over with 'Rome.' It's the new action flick 'Punisher: War Zone,' based on the Marvel Comic. Ray Stevenson is playing the vigilante hero of the title, and according to the Hollywood Reporter, Dominic West is circling the role of his arch enemy Jigsaw, "a mob assassin whose face was torn to shreds and stitched back together like a jigsaw puzzle." (photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage.com)

[Hollywood Reporter]

Swamp Thing

While most celebrities cruise around in sleek hybrids and rail against the fur industry, 'Carnivale' actor Clancy Brown has chosen a less sexy environmental cause — befriending his local reptiles. The Urbana, OH, native made an appearance at a fundraiser to preserve Cedar Bog, a national park in nearby Mechanicsburg. "It's just what you do as a steward of the Earth and as a human being," he said. "It's one of the things you just do, like taking your kids to school. The spotted turtles and rattlesnakes are still there at Cedar Bog because of the continuity of that effort." (photo: Todd Williamson/FilmMagic.com)

[Springfield News-Sun]

Debi Mazar arrives at the launch of Yellow Tail's sparkling wine in New York City. (photo: Gary Gershoff/WireImage.com)

Nate Fisher, RIP

After several years of psychodrama, Peter Krause was ready to put Nate Fisher to rest. "If they are serialized, television series are like having another life that is parallel to your own," he told the Washington Post. "You have to surrender a little bit to what tomorrow will bring, and just one awful thing after another happened to Nate....It affects you. It's hard on you."

But 'Six Feet Under' scribe Craig Wright lobbied Krause to do another show with him and 'Dirty Sexy Money,' bowing on ABC this week, is the result. This time his parallel life will involve being a do-good attorney (apparently not an oxy-moron in the world of this show). "There is a Faustian element to Nick's journey," Krause admits. "It's an opportunity to play someone who is trying to do the right thing, but is tempted by wealth." (photo: Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic.com)

[IndyStar.com]

End of the Line

'Sopranos' captain and model-railroad enthusiast Bobby Bacala has retired to that great train yard in the sky (or maybe somewhere a little farther south...). But the model set that served as his deathbed on the show has been resurrected in Paterson, NJ. On display Sept. 30 at the North West Jersey Hi-Railers club, the blood-stained scene is expected to draw plenty of visitors, though club cosponsor Bernie Callen says the Hi-Railers' $1 million worth of model landscape puts Bobby's set to shame: "When you see the [Bacala] detail work, it doesn't compare to what's upstairs; it doesn't compare at all." (photo: Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic.com)

[Philly.com]

Bronx Cheer

Ogden Nash may have dissed the Bronx (The Bronx? No Thonx), but Robert Klein begs to differ. The comedian reminded readers of New York Magazine that he and Regis Philbin were the first group to be inducted into the Bronx walk of fame ten years ago: "They had a little parade on the Grand Concourse, three blocks long, and there were Dominicans in folding chairs, completely enthusiastic, drinking orangeade. It used to be a very Jewish neighborhood." Plus, Klein's early years (9-25) are immortalized in his memoir 'The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue.' For his life experiences post-1975 you can check out the new box set of Klein's HBO comedy specials. (photo: Mark Von Holden/FilmMagic.com)

[New York Magazine]

Robert Wisdom and Jodi Lyn O'Keefe arrive at FOX's fall Eco-Casino party in Los Angeles. (photo: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage.com)

Getting Spacey

Kevin Spacey hasn't graced the small screen since 1991 when he starred in the biopic 'Darrow.' But he'll be returning to TV this year in HBO Films' 'Recount,' about the controversy surrounding Florida's presidential election results in 2000. Spacey will play VP Al Gore's former chief of staff Ron Klain, one of the attorneys who challenged the results. He'll join an all-star cast including Laura Dern, Denis Leary, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson and Ed Begley, Jr., in depicting the machinations that went on in both the Gore and Bush camps. Look for 'Recount' just as the 2008 campaign is in full swing. (photo: Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic.com)

[Variety]

Upping Her Ante

Cheryl Hines turned 42 this week, but it wasn't wine and roses she was fantasizing about when it came to birthday gifts. The actress longed to be whisked away to Vegas. She's only been playing poker for about four years, but shooting the gambling film 'The Grand,' was her idea of heaven. "Imagine how happy I was — three or four weeks in Vegas," Cheryl said. "I didn't see a lot of shows because I'm a gambler. Not the slots or craps or roulette — only poker, Texas Hold 'Em....It's a rush." (photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic.com)

[OK Magazine]

[Parade Magazine]

Past and Future: Tense

Garret Dillahunt is dusting off his six-shooter and harkening back to his 'Deadwood' roots alongside Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck in a western with a pretty self-explanatory title: 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.' But that's not the only gun-slinging on the schedule — Dillahunt will also take up humanity's fight against sentient robots in 'The Sarah Connor Chronicles,' Fox's spin-off of the 'Terminator' series. (photo: Jason Kempin/FilmMagic.com)

[Hollywood Reporter]

[MTV]

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon at the world premiere of 'The Game Plan' in Hollywood. (photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic.com)

Carrie Bags Paris

Filming for 'Sex and the City: The Movie' is in full swing and the experts are already lining up to analyze Carrie's accessories for hints about the storyline. Glimpses of an Eiffel Tower handbag sent the NY Daily News running to understand why she would be lugging around something that evoked the horrible Paris trip that ended the series. Style guru Simon Doonan speculated: "Carrie is a resilient character. This purse could be her way of taking back the city." But it was psych professor Judith Waters who suggested sometimes a purse is just a purse: "It's not Paris' fault the trip went bad." (photo: James Devaney/WireImage.com)

[NY Daily News]

Reverse Psychology

While Adam Scott's character, Palek, has been struggling to have a kid on 'Tell Me You Love Me,' the actor has been adjusting to the exact opposite: "My boy was born two weeks after we started shooting the show," Scott says. "So I was on three hours of sleep for the series. I was running on fumes the whole time, which actually was good for the show, I think, because these people are — over the course of the season — just strained and at their wits' ends." (photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic.com)

[HBO]

Ferrell's Phys Ed

Will Ferrell has found relief for his jock itch. He and his producing partner Adam McKay have just received a six-episode order from HBO for their pilot 'East Bound and Down' a comedy series about a former athlete who returns to his hometown to be a substitute gym teacher. Any whistle-blowing and push-up orders from Ferrell will be occurring behind the camera: he and McKay will serve as executive producers while one of the show's creators Danny McBride ('Hot Rod') will play the gym teacher. (photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.com)

[The Roanoke Times]

Dane Cook and Jessica Alba on MTV's 'TRL.' (photo: Soul Brother/FilmMagic.com)

Designing Woman

You've looked everywhere for a bustier cup sundress and no luck. What's a girl to do? If you're Chloë Sevigny, you launch a 30+ piece fashion line for the boutique Opening Ceremony and design your own. In addition to Liberty print, gingham and tribal-inspired items there are black basics (skirts, dresses and Ts). "It's mix-and-match, day-to-night," she told Fashion Wire Daily. Sevigny is thrilled with the results. "If I saw a girl walking down the street in that dress, I'd want to take her and put her in my pocket," she said. (photo: Jason Kempin/FilmMagic.com)

[Fashion Wire Daily]

What Are the Odds?

Vegas is cashing in on Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s fancy footwork — but not in his December bout with Ricky Hatton. When the champ takes the stage on 'Dancing with the Stars,' 9-2 odds place him as the second favorite in the competition, right behind former Spice Girl Mel B. A $100 Mayweather bet will bring in $450.

Naturally, all this action begs the question, "Why is the world's pound-for-pound-greatest boxer busting a move alongside Wayne Newton?" Because he's a born competitor: "It's going to show my versatility," says Mayweather. "I'm up for a new challenge." (photo: Chris Weeks/WireImage.com)

[Gambling911.com]