As is always the case on Friday night before the Up Fronts, lots of news of renewals are coming out of LA –

First up, and most shocking to me, not because I hate the show anymore, but because I didn’t think the viewership was there – there’s a rumored Season 2 pickup coming for DOLLHOUSE!  Along with the renewal comes some serious cost cutting, according to network sources.  It should be an interesting Monday when FOX has it’s announcement!

Also coming out of FOX in the past few days – pilot pickups / other news for:

• HUMAN TARGET, starring Mark Valley, Chi McBride, and Jackie Earle Haley.
• SONS OF TUCSON, starring Tyler Labine
• BROTHERS, starring Michael Strahan (yep, the NY Giant)
• PAST LIFE
• BONES got the unofficial official pickup today – Hart Hanson said he got the call this morning.

ABC has some news of its own, picking up SCRUBS for a 9th season (against my wishes, naturally), where Sarah Chalke and Zach Braff are slated to appear in 6 episodes, with Neil Flynn, Donald Faison, and John C McGinley slated to be there all season.  It seems like Judy Reyes wasn’t asked – how do they do SCRUBS without Carla?  News from James Hibberd.

Also apparently picked up / renewed, according to The Hollywood Reporter:

• CASTLE is probably coming back for Season 2 – I don’t see how they couldn’t renew this show, so good on them!
• HAPPY TOWN starring Amy Acker, Geoff Stults, Dean Winters, John Patrick Amedori, among a big list of others.  I am midway through the pilot, but casting alone is making me excited about it. 
• Bill Lawrence is making out like a bandit tonight as his COUGARTOWN starring Courteney Cox, is apparently a go.
• Sounds like V has been picked up – the remake of the old V stars Scott Wolf and Elizabeth Mitchell – the initial pickup is only 6 episodes, but at least EM will be back on TV!
• In better news – according to EW’s Michael Ausiello, BETTER OFF TED has been renewed!  No official episode number, but that’s almost the best news I’ve heard all day!!
• More info still coming out of ABC this morning – sounds like Kelsey Grammar’s pilot HANK has been picked up (let’s hope he fares better this time around)
• EASTWICK is apparently a go (starring Rebecca Romijn) as is the Jerry Bruckheimer produced FORGOTTEN
• Alyssa Milano reports on twitter that her pilot was not picked up, but that they are still in talks for midseason.

Still waiting on word from the networks about the status of a whole lot of shows.  PRIVILEGED renewal talk is ramping up, and I’m hearing good things.  I just wish someone would let me know what’s going on with CHUCK, I’d be cool as a cucumber!

Will keep you posted throughout the weekend as more late-breaking news comes up.  And stay tuned Monday for FOX’s announcement.  NBC and ABC announce their new schedules on Tuesday; CBS Wednesday and CW Thursday!