Jason Dohring

Ooh, now here's a pilot pairing I like: Minka Kelly and Jason Dohring have been hired for the CW's Body Politic, a show about DC political life through the eyes of young up-and-comers.

Kelly will play Hope, who moves to DC from Michigan after her mother's death and joins the staff of the newly appointed attorney general (Tim Matheson) — who just happens to also be her long-lost father. Dohring's coming aboard to play a reporter with The Washington Post.

Never fear, Friday Night Lights fans: Since Lyla's a senior this year anyway, Kelly's casting doesn't mean anything about that show's chances for renewal. Dohring was supposed to be in another DC-set pilot — HBO's The Washingtonienne — so I'm not sure what's going on there, but I like the idea of him sharing a screen with Kelly.

What say you? Could this casting make you interested in the show? And is anyone else getting kind of a Sammy's Hill-ish vibe from the description so far?

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• Apparently, Dr Pepper intends to make good on the promise to hand out free cans of soda when the Guns 'n' Roses album Chinese Democracy is released in November. — Popwatch
• The best and worst of TV voiceovers. — Clique Clack TV
• Charlie Kaufman talks about Synecdoche, New York. — Vulture
• Check out the new Decemberists' song, "O, New England." — Stereogum
• Will Clint Eastwood rule the Oscars once again? — Cinematical
• A second, more positive look at Sons of Anarchy. — TV Squad
• Want to look truly outrageous this Halloween? Get Jem's beauty look and watch out for Misfits. — BellaSugar
• Celebrating Jason Dohring's return to TV. — Give Me My Remote

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• TV Squad wants to know why some people seem to hate Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
• Cinematical wonders how you feel about it when famous people play themselves.
• You Ain't No Picasso has the video of Prince covering Radiohead's "Creep" at Coachella.
• The TV Addict has a chat with Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr.
• PopSugar wonders whether you love or hate Scarlett Johansson's new video for "Falling Down."
• Stereogum chats about Tegan and Sara's witty onstage banter, complete with video evidence.
• Seat42f has an interview with Moonlight star Jason Dohring.
• Speaking of Moonlight, Popwatch saw that show's shirtless opening scene last week and now wants to know about some of the other most gratuitous moments in TV history.
• The MTV Movies Blog talks to Emile Hirsch about whether a Speed Racer sequel is inevitable.

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• Tube Talk has an interview with Moonlight's Jason Dohring.
• According to MTV Movies Blog, the Lance Armstrong biopic is still on the table, and Matt Damon is still the name being tossed around as the actor to play the athlete.
• Stereogum is announcing the results of the reader-submitted 2007 Gummy Awards, starting with Album of the Year: Radiohead's In Rainbows.
• LAist has seen the set of the new American Gladiators — and the gladiators themselves. Is it wrong that I'm jealous?
• Popwatch is rooting for the song "Falling Slowly" from indie musical Once to triumph at the Oscars over the tunes from Enchanted.
• TV Squad introduces us to the new, Will Arnett-voiced, Ford-manufactured KITT for the Knight Rider TV movie.
• Pop Candy rustles up a blog post about hidden jokes in Pixar movies.
• The Walrus has another new Magnetic Fields song, "California Girls." Let's just say it's not an ode to bikini-clad blondes.
• TV with MeeVee makes me wonder: Should I care about the new direct-to-Internet Jackass movie?

Photo courtesy of CBS

One of the most mysterious series of the fall is "Moonlight," which premieres tonight on CBS. I even put it on my list of five toss-up shows simply because it's been thoroughly overhauled since we first heard about it at the upfronts back in May. The only constants: star Alex O'Loughlin and the basic plot, about an immortal vampire-slash-private eye.

I finally got the chance to check out the first episode of "Moonlight," and in a word, it's ridiculous. In fact, it's "New Amsterdam"-style ridiculous. Like "New Amsterdam," though, "Moonlight" has the potential to be kind of fun, in that "hey, I'm not doing much on Friday night; let's open some wine and poke fun at this show'" kind of way.

Two reasons to watch for real: O'Loughlin, who's pretty easy on the eyes, and Jason Dohring — late of "Veronica Mars" — who has some of the best scenes in the first episode. To check out a brief "interview with the vampire," just read more

So far, "Moonlight" is winning the award for most retooled pilot. Nearly every main character — except for lead vampire/private eye Alex O'Loughlin, one of this fall's supernatural crime solvers — has been recast since the show was announced in May. As a result, CBS didn't send out an early screener of the pilot, so I can't give you a proper Pilot Watch on the show. But I can share a couple of clips from the network — including an "interview with the vampire" (yuk yuk) with O'Loughlin in character as Mick St. John.

"Moonlight," which is set to air Fridays at 9 p.m., also stars Jason Dohring (most recently of "Veronica Mars"), Shannyn Sossamon (of "Dirt") and Sophia Myles. To watch the clips, read more

• Pop told me this morning that the Spice Girls are planning a reunion tour. Spice up your life!
• Speaking of which, Best Week Ever lists the top 10 most anti-climactic band reunions ever. Van Halen and The Police made it on there, along with, shockingly, The Backstreet Boys.
• Cinematical was told by Elisha Cuthbert herself about her next project, a comedy titled Six Wives in which a young woman must "organize her father's funeral in the midst of dealing with six ex-wives."
• Reality Blurred has the details on the new cast of "Big Brother."
• Stereogum tells us where to hear some of the soundtrack for Ethan Hawke's The Hottest State online.
• Give Me My Remote is pumped that "Veronica Mars" star Jason Dohring has a new job.
• Check out The Movie Blog's interesting review of Die Hard 4 because I probably won't be seeing it.
• The TV Addict has high hopes for Lifetime's new miniseries based on several VC Andrews books.
• Merry Swankster serves up a six-pack of songs for Summer.
• John Cusack-themed performance art? Popwatch fills us in.

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No show has had more mixed messages about its fate this season than "Veronica Mars." First, it was rumored to be canceled. Then it was going to come back but be set four years in the future. Then that pitch was dropped. Then it wasn't. After all that, plus an eight-week absence to make room for the Pussycat Dolls show, I'd understand it if "Mars" fans were feeling a little put out right now.

So here's the good news: "Veronica Mars" will show five new episodes in a row now, starting tonight and ending May 22. Whether the two episodes airing on May 22 will serve as the season or the series finale won't be known until the CW announces its fall schedule on May 17, but I'd say fans should seize their time with the young supersleuth while they can. In tonight's episode, Veronica is hired to help solve a hate crime, and a death outside a bar prompts Keith to do his own investigation into the fake ID situation in Neptune. To see the first few minutes of the episode, read more