• Erik Hyman and Max Mutchnick [NY Times]

"Our show does not need stunt casting in order to succeed...I worry that if they start `Will and Grace'-ing us too much, that the show will suffer...I think we have a great show going, and I hope it's not screwed up by the desire for 700,000 more viewers."

Though NPH has a valid and somewhat dignified point about the desperate nature of stunt casting, we're not sure he has all the facts straight regarding exactly how much attention Britney Spears brought to the show. As he continues, "I think we have a great show going, and I hope it's not screwed up by the desire for 700,000 more viewers." In fact, Yahoo reported recently that the Britney Spears episode hauled in 10.6 million viewers, as opposed to the 7.6 million HIMYM had been averaging until that fateful night. And while he laments the show's decision to stunt cast, he backtracks by lauding Spears' performance: "It was a great character and I think she played it well. ... I'm glad that we didn't sensationalize the character in any way." And finally, did he really knock the incredibly successful run that W&G had? We hope, and should think Harris hopes the same, that HIMYM makes it to an eighth season, or even scores half as many Emmys as the NBC show did. Stunt casting, as proven by canonized shows like W&G and Friends, can be just dandy if done right...right?

• STAR WANTS NO PART OF BRITNEY ON 'MOTHER' [AP]

· As we mentioned on Friday, Will & Grace series creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick reached a surprise settlement with NBC Studios after a near mistrial was called moments before the verdict in their $55 million lawsuit was to be read. Both the tossed verdict and settlement deal remain undisclosed, but TMZ is reporting that the jury had awarded them $48.5 million plus punitive damages. [Variety]
· Upcoming World's Biggest Comedy Movie Star Seth Rogen (Carell had his turn) plays an oafish stoner with a hot blonde love interest in a Judd Apatow-produced movie. Only this time, it's called The Pineapple Express, not Knocked Up. [THR]
· Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival turned into a weekend-long tribute to the populist film critic, who's recovering from reconstructive jaw surgery after a bout with thyroid cancer. It even included a screening of Russ Meyers' Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, for which a young Ebert wrote the Triple-D-rated screenplay. [Variety]

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Warren Ettinger was confronted with a mistrial motion filed by NBC's legal team, alleging [jury foreman Dean] Hartwell's misconduct in concealing a "bias" during voir dire.

NBC claims in the motion that it discovered Hartwell's [corporation-critical] Web site, www.deanhartwell.com, the night before the verdict was to be read. The jury had been deliberating since April 16. [...]

The announcement that deliberations would have to begin "anew" was greeted with gasps and sighs by the jurors. A female juror sat with her mouth open, shaking her head.

And the twists keep coming: A surprise settlement was reached today by both parties. Luckily, the writers' new studio, Warner Bros. Television, has no corporate ties to CBS, home of their upcoming autobiographical sitcom, guaranteeing that no conflicts of interest will interfere in netting them top dollar for every hilarious script about writing partners buddies who spend their time unsuccessfully trying to duplicate their success and suing the network who launched them for obnoxious sums of money.

• Verdict, Foreperson Tossed in 'Will & Grace' Trial [THR Esq.]

"[There was] a big meeting about 'Don't play up the gay too much...This is a show about friendship. This is a show about an ensemble.' We were afraid of America not tuning in right from the beginning," McCormack said. [...]

"The next thing you know, the gay of the show is allowed to have his own life," McCormack said...

It didn't take long before "gay" became the fifth, and arguably most popular, W&G series regular, popping in week after week as the colorful, outrageous topic who lived next door. NBC, having long since shed their Nervous Nellie attitudes, have signed the hilarious orientation to a 5-year development deal, and there's talk of a backburner midseason replacement, Life With Gay, making its way onto next year's schedule.

• Say goodnight, Gracie (& Will) [GlobeandMail.com]
• When Will (Like Grace) Was Straight [Deadline Hollywood]

Sean Hayes: Before each show I have a PSP. Not a Sony Playstation. I have a pre show poop. Because I get a nervous stomach.
Debra Messing: And we cannot start the show until he has had his poop. So we check in.
Megan Mullaly: We had to wait a couple of times...
Oprah: Everybody's laughing, but isn't a poop so freeing?

It's a refreshing, candid moment, though perhaps crosses a line when Winfrey encouraged her guests, in the name of series closure, to join her in squeezing one out on national television. Luckily, they chose to demure, though they did compromise by recreating the very difficult to achieve quadruple auto-fellative maneuver pictured on the series finale advertising.

• Will and Gracing Oprah's Couch [The Malcontent]

Despite mixed reviews for her 2002 flick "Crossroads," after her recent stint on "Will and Grace" Spears is hoping to become a TV star, reports In Touch Weekly.

The show's Megan Mullally told the mag that Spears was "fantastic" to work with — adding that she's invited the pop star to be a guest on her new talk show.

Producers were "pleasantly surprised" by Spears' acting skills, an insider told the mag — and the source also claims that the show's co-creator, Max Mutchnick, is hoping to snag Spears a spot on one of his other shows currently in development, or even a sitcom of her own.

Like a Seinfeld curse for showrunners, the Will & Grace jinx has seen every subsequent series from its creators (Good Morning, Miami and, more recently, Four Kings) disappear with a swirl down the toilet bowl of failed sitcom history. Tailoring a project around Spears, however, could just be radical enough to reverse the bad luck; maybe they could even follow Tori Spelling's lead and place their star at the center of a self-parodying faux reality show. Following Spears' misadventures as she accidentally leaves her baby on various KFC counters along the PCH practically guarantees big laughs.

• Britney looks to acting [MSNBC.com]
• Previously: Britney Spears And 'Will & Grace' Team Up To Try To Make Us Care About Either [Defamer]

Karen walks in looking as gorgeous and young as ever. She's now off the booze and head-over-heels in love with a rather scary looking Rosario who's now become a full-fledged leather jacket wearing, beer chugging, bull dyke! Extremely funny lesbian jokes ensue. Then an extremely tan, George Hamilton looking, Jack enters wearing a bridal veil and proudly announces that he's finally gotten married! Thanks to then President Chelsea Clinton who just signed the gay marriage bill into law!

For those W&G fans getting misty eyed at the thought of this being the last time they'll ever glimpse a cross-dressing Sean Hayes setting back the gay movement several decades, fret not: We don't expect that NBC executives have learned anything about letting go of their characters once their shows come to a natural end, so expect that Jack, the spinoff-crossover hybrid about Jack's move to Los Angeles to save now-destitute onetime sitcom star Joey Tribbiani from a life of turning tranny tricks on Santa Monica Blvd.

• 'Will & Grace' Finale Spoiler! [Mr. Nightlife]
• Previously: Britney Spears And 'Will & Grace' Team Up To Try To Make Us Care About Either [Defamer]

She was "surprisingly" funny, says the show's executive producer, Gary Janetti. She plays a conservative co-host on Jack's gay-themed talk show. [...]

On the set, Spears was "skilled as a comedic actress," Janetti says. She adapted to script changes and played to the live audience. "She knows where the joke is."

Janetti calls her "charming," "plucky" and "out there." And "we really respond to her in the writers' room."

Knowing "where the joke is" isn't something that can be taught—it's an innate sixth sense that all good comedians have. A natural like Spears, however, takes it even further, not only locating all the jokes in the script but drawing happy faces around them with Crayola fruit-scented markers, then sprinkling them with glitter.

• Britney is back for more [USA Today]
• Previously: First Look: Britney Channels Her Inner Hag [Defamer]

• Screen Caps of Britney's appearance on Will and Grace! [mykeywood]
• Previously: Christians And The Gays At It Again [Defamer]

[AFA] immediately raised objections to the planned episode, saying it "mocks the crucifixion of Christ" and will "further denigrate Christianity" by airing the night before Good Friday.

"NBC does not treat Jews, Muslims or other religions with such disrespect," the Mississippi-based group said on its Web site. "Yet the network demonstrates a deep hostility toward followers of Christ." [...]

The advocacy group called on its supporters to urge network affiliates to refuse to run the episode and to write letters of protest to NBC executives. It also included an appeal for a "small donation to help us in this effort."

The conservative group is undoubtedly still feeling residual adrenaline from their contribution to the successful K.O.ing of another NBC series, The Book of Daniel, a cancellation NBC blames on ratings, not protests. Regardless of whether or not their latest censorial effort proves successful, however, with just a few episodes left until the W&G series finale, we imagine it's purely a matter of time before the group claims another victory, proudly announced with a press release entitled, "Christian Group Successfully Ends NBC's 8-Year 'Must-See' Nightmare Journey Down Sodom's AIDSy Hellhole."

• Group says 'Will & Grace' will mock crucifixion [Reuters]
• Previously: Will & Grace & Britney [Defamer]

In what will be Britney s first primetime television episodic appearance, she guest-stars as a Christian conservative sidekick to Jack (Sean Hayes) on the episode Jack Talk, set to air on Thursday, April 13.

In the episode, when Out TV is bought by a Christian Television Network, Spears is brought on to be Jack s new religious co-host until Will (Eric McCormack) and Jack loosen her up.

Contingent to Spears' appearance was the requisite cameo role for husband Kevin Federline, whose single "PopoZao" (our Portuguese is limited, but we think it translates roughly as "Daddy is Stoned,") is currently the most downloaded song on kevinfederline.com. Set reports have Britney in good shape, though a jittery K-Fed has been spotted endlessly running through his single line as Starbucks Barista #2, a crucial bit of dialogue which sets up Sean Hayes' hysterically innuendo-laced punchline to follow. You'd be amazed how many different ways one can deliver the three words, "Room for milk?"

UPDATE: A million little Britney corrections after the jump.

We stand corrected. A reader informed us that Britney appeared as herself on episode of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch in 1999, making that turn as delightful comic foil to Melissa Joan Hart her primetime, scripted TV debut. Also, a beloved character from The Simpsons (or at least a reader masquerading as such) sent us this further correction:

Britney Spears previously guested on a 2000 episode of "The Simpsons," where an award-show kiss from her caused a fatal heart attack to the oldest Springfieldian. Rumor has it that she also is a regular uncredited guest on the show as "Brandine," the common-law wife of Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel.

Worst blog post ever,
Comic Book Guy

• Britney Spears to guest-star on Will and Grace [MSNBC/Access Hollywood]

Case in point: Megan Mullaly has just sold her syndicated talk show to the four rainbow-flaggiest markets in the country:

The not-yet-titled series has been picked up by NBC owned-and-operated stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution announced this week.

Mullally has "unique talents as a host, singer and Emmy Award-winning comedic actress," Barry Wallach, president of NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution, said in a statement.

"The feedback we have received from the advertising and broadcasting communities is one of excitement, as they clearly recognize Megan as a fresh new personality for daytime," he said.

Mullally's daily, one-hour show will air from Los Angeles.

The show seems a natural fit for Mullaly, who has had eight years of experience dealing with a constant stream of random celebrity guests popping by on W&G for no other reason than to prove to the world how utterly hilarious they are. So rest easy, Megs, the gays will never let you go hungry. Same for Sean Hayes and Debra Messing.

Eric McCormack, on the other hand, might want to consider "diversifying his investment portfolio," which is business manager speak for hitting the dinner-theater circuit, kid.

• Mullally Talk Show Sold in 4 Top Markets [AP]
• Previously: All Good Things Come To End; So Does Will & Grace [Defamer]