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There can only be one Phil Dunphy! And that man is Ty Burrell. If you believe otherwise, you’ve “gotta fix that step.” At least, that’s what Claire’s goofy yet earnest husband would tell you during his Modern Family run.

These days, you wouldn’t find Burrell making Emmy-approved waves on TV. After all, sources suggest he’s put his acting career on hold to play out the ‘cool dad’ persona in real life, courtesy of his daughters Gretchen and Frances. God bless him.

Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in a still from Modern Family | Credits: ABC

Now, most Modern Family diehards know that Ty Burrell wasn’t even ABC’s initial choice to play Phil Dunphy pre-filming. That honor belonged to fellow sitcom star Matt LeBlanc. And while it would be interesting to imagine Joey Tribbiani’s boyish charm adjusting to the silly dances of the Dunphy household,...

Ty Burrell’s portrayal of Phil Dunphy on Modern Family turned the character into one of the television’s most endearing and unforgettable dads. With his goofy charm, unrelenting optimism, and awkward attempts to connect with his family, Burrell has even earned two Emmys, solidifying his place as one of TV’s best dads. Phil is a realtor who is very confident in his work and never stops trying to connect with his family.

Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family | Credit: ABC

However, Burrell’s success in the role wasn’t guaranteed. Before landing the part, he was facing a tough financial situation that could have ended his career if Modern Family had failed.

Ty Burrell was struggling with an extreme financial battle before his breakout role in Modern Family

Ty Burrell‘s path to the role of Phil Dunphy wasn’t easy. Before his big break, Burrell...

The ABC sitcom Modern Family is one of the most popular entries in the genre. The show focused on the Dunphy-Pritchett-Delgado-Tucker family and their shenanigans as an extended dysfunctional family in LA. The series won several awards, including the Primetime Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series five times.

While the series was received positively throughout its eleven-season run, the consistency in its style seemed to drop off in the later seasons. Many shows begin to fumble after a while but the main reason for Modern Family’s problems can be chalked up to the creative ‘divorce’ between co-creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd.

Modern Family creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd had differences and ultimately split their partnership A still from Modern Family | Credits: ABC

While sitcoms are a dime a dozen, there are only a few that collectively enter the cultural zeitgeist and become permanently entrenched in pop culture. Each...

Jennifer Tilly was no stranger to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before she joined the show in a friend of role for Season 14.

The talented actress is besties with Sutton Stracke and has popped up as a guest star more than once over the years.

However, throwing Jennifer into the mix regularly has only made Rhobh fans more curious about her.

One thing on fans’ minds is her net worth compared to the other ladies in Beverly Hills.

After all, Jennifer has spent decades in Hollywood making a name for herself and showing off her incredible acting talent.

So, just how rich is Jennifer Tilly? Let’s take a look at what we know.

What is Rhobh breakout star Jennifer Tilly’s net worth?

According to online sources, Jennifer has a net worth of $40 million, and she has put her all into earning every penny of it. Most of...

In the upcoming episode of “Billie and Greg: The Family Diaries,” titled “Out of Practice,” viewers can expect a blend of humor and heartfelt moments. The episode airs on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 9:00 Pm on ITV Be. This week, Greg takes on a new job, but it quickly becomes clear that he may not be as prepared as he thought. The challenges he faces at work promise to bring some laughs, as he navigates the ups and downs of getting back into the swing of things.

Meanwhile, Billie and Sue find themselves in a more serious situation when they discover Chatty in distress. Concerned for their friend, they rush him to the hospital, leading to a tense yet emotional storyline. This subplot highlights the strong bonds of friendship and family, showcasing how Billie and Sue rally together during tough times.

As the episode unfolds, viewers will see the balance of...

Modern Family‘s Ty Burrell is plotting a return to live-action TV.

The former Phil Dunphy will star in and executive-produce Forgive and Forget, a multi-camera comedy pilot for ABC, TVLine has learned.

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The potential series will be written by Eugene Garcia-Cross (The Santa Clauses, Peacock’s Punky Brewster); Robin Shorr (Diary of a Future President, The Middle) will serve as showrunner. Both will executive-produce alongside Burrell.

Per the official logline,...

Rachel McGuire's all grown up, and looking Hot!Former "Boy Meets World" star Maitland Ward showed some serious skin at the premiere for "A Haunted House 2" in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Sporting a black sheer mini dress, sans underwear, the strategically placed panels left very little to the imagination. Clearly, Maitland has the body to pull off this risque look ... but is it too much? Ward played Eric and Jack's roommate in the college years of the hit ABC show, and went on to star in flicks like "White Chicks" and TV shows such as "Out of Practice" and "Rules of Engagement."  No word if she'll make an appearance on the "Boy Meets World" spin-off, "Girl Meets World," but she was seen on set.What do you think about Maitland's sexy look? Tell toofab in the comment section below and click "Launch Gallery" above to see even more Tgif stars then and now!

So scary! The New England Patriots feared for the worst when Tom hurt his left knee during practice on August 15. Thankfully, his injury is not being considered as serious.

Tom Brady, arguably the hottest quarterback in the NFL, suffered a bit of a setback on August 15 when he injured his knee during a pile up in a scrimmage with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tom Brady Knee Injury — Sprain During Practice

Buccaneers defensive end Adrian Clayborn charged into Patriots left tackle Nate Solder, who then fell into Tom’s left leg as the quarterback was throwing the ball. All three players hit the ground, while Tom rocked back holding his knee.

As you can see in the video below, it’s certainly a scary thing to watch. We can’t imagine how Tom felt in that moment.

Tom, 36, did, however, get up and limp off the field on his own. And...

Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford and 65th Annual DGA Awards Dinner Chair Michael Stevens today announced that director/actor/producer Kelsey Grammer will host the 65th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 2, 2013 in the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. “We’re so pleased to welcome Kelsey Grammer back as host of the DGA Awards for the second year in a row,” said Hackford. “Last year, Kelsey kept the show (and the wine) flowing while both celebrating the craft of directing and poking fun in all the right places. The audience had a rousing good time and I know we are all looking forward to seeing what Kelsey comes up with this year.” Stevens said, ?Kelsey is the consummate entertainer ? between his sharp wit and archly-raised eyebrow, and his long history in this community on both sides of the camera, the show promises to be...

Former West Wing co-star Stockard Channing has signed onto Mandy Moore’s ABC comedy pilot.

Channing has joined the untitled half-hour comedy along with Kurt Fuller (Psych) as Moore’s parents on the show. She’ll play the warm and devoted and sometimes overbearing and manipulative matriarch of the family. Fuller plays a good-natured dad who’s used to taking a backseat to his take-charge wife. Majandra Delfino and Erinn Hayes also star.

Channing has a long TV career that includes 1980′s The Stockard Channing Show and the 2005 medical drama Out of Practice.

HollywoodNews.com: Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford today announced that director/actor/producer Kelsey Grammer will host the 64th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, January 28, 2012 in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kelsey Grammer as the host of the DGA Awards,” Hackford said. “With his acerbic wit, his mellifluous voice and his long experience in the entertainment industry, the evening promises to be just as irreverent, intimate and entertaining as always. We’re looking forward to it.”

Grammer, who currently stars on the critically acclaimed Boss, became a DGA member in 1996 and was himself nominated for a DGA Award for outstanding directing in a Comedy Series for the “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz” episode of Frasier. In addition to directing nearly 40 episodes of Frasier, Grammer’s other directing credits include Everybody Hates Chris; Out of Practice; My Ex Life; Alligator Point; and Hank.

Update: 12th April We just made another massive update of the gallery. We have just added another 10,000+ images from the following shows.

8 Simple Rules, 21 Jump Street,Absolutely Fabulous, Accidently on Purpose,According to Jim, Taxi, Ally McBeal, American Dad, American Dreams, Andromeda, Angel, Angels in America, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica 1978, Band of Brothers, Bevelerly Hills 90210, Big Day, Birds of Prey, Blackadders, Blade, Boomtown, Bones, Boston Public, Brotherhood, Brothers, Buffy, Canterbury's Law, Caprica, Cavemen, Charlie Jade, Charmed, Chase, Cheers, Cold Case, Commander in Chief, Conan, Cracker, Cupid, Curb your Enthusiasm, Dark Angel, Dark Blue, Dawson's Creek, Dead Like Me, Defying Gravity, Dirt, Dollhouse, Eastwick,Es, Eleventh Hour, ER, Everybody Hates Chris, Ez Streets, Fastlane, Felicity, Flashforward, Flashpoint, Flics, Flight of the Conchords, Football Wives, Freedom, Friends, Friends with Benefits, Hellcats, Generation Kill, Ghost Whisperer, Gilmour Girls, Girls Club, Glory Daze, Green Wing, Hank, Harsh Realm, Haunted, Hawthorne, Head Case, Heroes, Hex,...

Kelsey Grammer has signed on to direct CBS' multicamera comedy pilot Vince Uncensored, which stars Michael Chiklis. The project, from veteran sitcom writer Phoef Sutton, Conan O'Brien's Conaco and Warner Bros. TV, centers on a man (Chiklis) who, after a life-changing experience, decides to take a more honest approach to his life, work and family. While best known for his TV starring roles, mainly his 20-year stint as Dr. Frasier Crane on NBC's Cheers and Frasier, Grammer has also been active behind the camera, directing TV comedy series and pilots. He helmed 37 episodes of Frasier and has directed four pilots, one of which, Out of Practice, went to series. In 1999, he received a DGA nomination for directing the "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" episode of Frasier. Grammer spent the last year on Broadway starring in the revival of La Cage aux Folles, which earned him a Tony nomination. He next...

An amazing cast of stars -- including a Grammy®-nominated rock star, a bona fide “Housewife,” a daytime diva, an Olympic champion skier, a super-suave actor and an actress who has graced some of the most unforgettable films – will compete each week on a spectacular ice rink in the sensational two-hour series premiere of Skating With The Stars, Monday, November 22 (9:00-11:00 p.m., Et) on the ABC Television Network.

All six couples will take to the ice with their professional partners for the first time in front of a live audience on Monday, November 22, with couples performing high-paced ice dancing moves and dazzling figure skating routines. Couples will need to be perfectly in sync, since the ice is unforgiving of even the smallest mistake. The couple with the lowest ranking following the judges’ scores and the public’s votes will be sent home the following week.

The six...

A quick review of tonight's "Covert Affairs" coming up just as soon as you rate this blog for enjoyment on a scale of 1 to 8... Christopher Gorham has been very likable on a lot of TV shows I didn't much like ("Popular," "Out of Practice," "Medical Investigation") or that I quickly lost interest in ("Ugly Betty," "Jake 2.0"), so I've been pleased to see him playing a central role on a show I quite enjoy, even on the superficial level "Covert Affairs" is working for me so far. But Gorham's big shirtless spotlight episode didn't do a whole lot for...

Auggie Anderson — the girl-crazy CIA agent on USA's new spy-games hit Covert Affairs (Tuesdays, 10/9c, USA)— may be blind, but TV fans sure have gotten an eyeful of the actor who plays him. In the past six years, Christopher Gorham has starred in as many series — some successful, some not so much. He was the titular human computer in Jake 2.0, the black sheep in a family of docs in the short-lived sitcom Out of Practice, a young M.D. in Medical Investigation and the secret killer on Harper's Island. But most famously, he romanced one Betty Suarez ...

Read More >...

I hope you’re still having fun with Covert Affairs, and I have another Q & A for you. This time, with Chris Gorham who plays Auggie.

I was a bit hesitant about this show after the pilot, largely because I wasn’t sure it was exactly clear which directions it was going to aim in a variety of ways. I’m pretty happy with it so far, and stay tuned, because in the next day or two I will have a preview review of the next episode, which focuses a good deal on Auggie.

Chris talked a lot about his character, past shows, and even Twitter. I hope you enjoy. Afterward, check out the preview for that episode, along with a couple of images.

By the way, very recently heard reports that the show has been renewed.

What can you tell us about Auggie and what it’s like bringing him to life?...

On Thursday, Aug. 19, Christopher Gorham got a late birthday present -- he was born Aug. 14 -- when USA Network renewed his freshman spy-caper drama "Covert Affairs."

"I got an email from one of our producers," he tells Zap2it, calling in from the show's Toronto location. "If I'd been on Twitter [as @Chris_Gorham], I'm sure I would have found out first through there, because that's where I usually find out the information on our ratings, before I hear from the producers or the network."

A veteran of several primetime shows -- including "Popular," Odyssey 5," "Jake 2.0," "Medical Investigation," "Out of Practice," "Harper's Island" and "Ugly Betty" -- Gorham has a theory why his latest show was picked up after only having premiered on July 13.

"The show has been reviewed so well, first of all, that even before we aired, we had value for the network," he says. "Because we backed it...

Henry Winkler joins the cast of USA's "Royal Pains" on Thursday (June 10) in the recurring role of Hank (Mark Feurstein) and Evan's (Paulo Costanzo) scam artist dad, Eddie Lawson.

We're definitely excited to see Henry "the Fonz" Winkler in USA's hit show -- and we're not the only ones. TV son Mark Feurstein recently told Zap2it's Korbi TV, "I love having the Fonz as my dad.... I worshipped the Fonz growing up."

Even after over a quarter century has passed since Winkler played the role of Arthur Fonzarelli, many (like his "Royal Pains" co-star) still know him as "the Fonz." Perhaps that's because most folks don't know what exactly he's been up to since his iconic role on "Happy Days." So ... we thought we'd take a closer look into Winkler's post-"Happy Days" (1974 - 1984), pre-"Royal Pains" (2010) days to answer the burning question: where in the world was Winkler for the past 26 years?...

You may remember him as egotistical plastic surgeon Dr. Oliver Barnes in the Henry Winkler/Stockard Channing medical sitcom Out of Practice. Or as the weatherman with the unpronounceable last name in the 2007 Kelsey Grammer/Patricia Heaton sitcom Back to You. Or maybe even as doomed yacht captain Steve Marcus in the 2004 remake of the zombie horror classic Dawn of the Dead.

But odds are even if you've only seen one episode of (or arguably even one commercial for) ABC's breakout comedy Modern Family, you aren't likely to forget Ty Burrell as occasionally dim-witted, always kind-hearted Dunphy dad Phil.

It's a role that the new dad believes he may have born -- or at the very least raised -- to play, as he told me in an insightful and sometimes comical interview from the set of the upcoming feature film comedy Butter, not long before Family's season finale.

— Lori Acken,...

Somebody wise once said that when it comes to movies and television (theater, too), casting is essential. If you get it right, you're half-way home. Recently, that proved true on CBS's 'NCIS' with the casting of Robert Wagner as Tony Dinozzo's dad. Perfect casting.

Here's another instance where the producers seem to have nailed it. 'Royal Pains' has cast Henry Winkler to play Hank and Evan's father, Eddie Lawson. Yes, Henry Winkler. The Fonz from 'Happy Days,' but if you know you're Henry Winkler IMDb listing, you know he's done so much more than just Arthur Fonzarelli.

In fact, in a case where the casting was off, on the CBS sitcom 'Out of Practice,' he was Stockard Channing's ex and the father of Christopher Gorham, Paula Marshall and Ty Burrell. It never quite worked.

Continue reading Henry Winkler Joins 'Royal Pains...

One hears so much about the golden age of television being a bygone era, how modernizations like TiVo and Hulu are destroying the weekly series as we know it.But anyone now watching knows that some of the best acting and storytelling is found on the small screen. And if an actor is fortunate enough to land a quality show that also finds an audience, he or she can spend years developing and exploring a character.Back Stage recently sat down with four actors who have carved indelible characters on television: some over the course of several seasons, some in just a handful of episodes. Although their shows may differ from one another, all deliver standout performances in stellar ensemble casts. They also help put to rest any idea that television is a dying medium.On Showtime's "Dexter," Julie Benz is navigating new territory as Rita, the loving spouse to...

Following the news that ABC will not be ordering additional episode of freshman drama Eastwick, costar Lindsay Price (pictured) has been named a suspected show killer. Though undeniably adorable, the actress has a long rap sheet of failed TV shows that also includes NBC's Lipstick Jungle, Pepper Dennis, and Coupling. Which other actors are on TV's Most Wanted (and Least Lucky) List? Our top offenders: • Jason Gedrick: Truly impressive versatility in terms of the number of networks he's failed on. Victims include: Fox's Class of '96; CBS' Sweet Justice, Ez Streets, and Falcone; ABC's Murder One and The Beast; and NBC's Boomtown and Windfall.

Want to know the status of a particular movie, TV show, or band? Wondering what a certain actress is up to these days? Send your entertainment-related questions to askafterellen@gmail.com — with your first name, city and country — and we'll try to answer as many as we can.

Question: I just caught the tail end of Kissing Jessica Stein on TV today and I was wondering if you could tell me what writers/co-stars Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt are up to these days? I love that movie and thought they both did brilliant jobs both writing and acting in it!

― Kelcie, Bellingham, Wa

Helen Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt in Kissing Jessica Stein

Answer: Jennifer Westfeldt has worked steadily following the success of Kissing Jessica Stein. Just last year she had a multi-episode arc as a patient on Grey's Anatomy, and this fall she'll join the cast of 24 as journalist Meredith Reed.

'Til Death writer-producers Alex Barnow and Marc Firek have inked an overall deal with the series producer, Sony Pictures TV.

Under the seven-figure pact, Barnow and Firek will be upped from producers to supervising producers on the Fox comedy " 'Til Death," which is returning for a second season in the fall. The two also will develop new projects for the studio.

Barnow and Firek's series credits include Fox's Family Guy, NBC's In-Laws and CBS' Out of Practice.

They are repped by WMA and attorney Ken Richman.

The Amazing Race has come to the rescue at CBS, switching nights to replace a pair of faltering Wednesday sitcoms. The eye said Thursday that Out of Practice and Courting Alex are being benched after two ratings-anemic weeks running at 8-9 p.m. Wednesday. Race will move from its Tuesday 10 p.m. slot beginning Wednesday.

CBS announced a flurry of midseason changes to its schedule Wednesday. The eye is giving The New Adventures of Old Christine the Monday 9:30 p.m. slot after Two and a Half Men beginning March 13. Christine, which stars Julia-Louis Dreyfus, will mark the third sitcom in that slot this season, following Out of Practice and Courting Alex. Beginning March 22, those two sitcoms will move to Wednesday from 8-9 p.m., replacing the pairing of Yes, Dear and Still Standing. Neither of those series is being yanked early; both will have fulfilled their episode orders for the season. Also new to the CBS schedule is the new drama The Unit, which starts Tuesdays at 9 p.m. beginning March 7. On Tuesday, NBC declared its intent to keep the lights on at The Office through the rest of the season. The peacock reconsidered its intent to end the sitcom's current season March 30, scheduling the season finale for May 11.

Brokeback Mountain, Capote, The Family Stone, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and Rent will all compete in the category of outstanding wide-release film at the 17th annual GLAAD Media Awards. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced its list of 113 nominees in 25 categories, along with 45 Spanish-language nominees in 45 categories, Monday at the Sundance Film Festival. For outstanding film in limited release, the group cited Beautiful Boxer, Mysterious Skin, Saving Face, Transamerica and Walk on Water. In TV, GLADD nominated Commander in Chief, The L Word, Queer as Folk, Six Feet Under and South of Nowhere as outstanding drama series. In the comedy class, it selected the series Out of Practice, Shameless and Will & Grace.

ABC's new Monday lineup got off to a good start at 8 p.m. with Wife Swap but stumbled at 9 p.m. with the comedies Emily's Reasons Why Not and Jake in Progress and the 10 p.m. return of The Bachelor. CBS had a big night, with Two and a Half Men hitting its highest adults 18-49 marks of the season with an average of 17.2 million viewers and a 5.9 rating/14 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. But the eye network is still soft at 9:30 p.m. with the rookie comedy Out of Practice (13.7 million, 4.7/11). At 10 p.m. CSI: Miami carried the rest of the night for CBS with a solid 20.2 million viewers and a 6.6/17 in the key demo.

ABC's new Monday lineup got off to a good start at 8 p.m. with Wife Swap but stumbled at 9 p.m. with comedies Emily's Reasons Why Not and Jake in Progress and the 10 p.m. return of The Bachelor. CBS had a big night with Two and a Half Men hitting its highest adults 18-49 marks of the season with an average of 17.3 million viewers and 5.9 rating/14 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. But the eye network is still facing softness at 9:30 p.m. with rookie comedy Out of Practice (13.9 million, 4.7/11). At 10 p.m. CSI: Miami carried the rest of the night for CBS with a solid19.6 million viewers and 6.5/16 in the key demo.

At the start of a week of family get-togethers, gift-giving and sundry holiday pursuits, Americans were looking for laughs in primetime. CBS' Monday comedy block hit season-high ratings in the week ending Dec. 25, which went a long way toward helping the eye network win its 14th consecutive week in total viewers and third in a row in the adults 18-49 demo derby, according to Nielsen Media Research. CBS' Monday 9 p.m. anchor Two and a Half Men, which was among the few series last week to serve up an original episode, hit season-high marks in total viewers (17.7 million) and its second-best numbers in adults 18-49 (5.6 rating/14 share). Men's 9:30 p.m. companion, Out of Practice (15 million, 4.8/12), hit highs across the board with a fresh episode. And the 10 p.m. drama CSI: Miami was the No. 1 show in a holiday-light week overall in both total viewers (20.3 million) and adults 18-49 (6.4/17).

CBS delivered its most-watched Monday of the season, with Two and a Half Men, Out of Practice and CSI: Miami hitting their highest marks of the season in total viewers. The eye network's 9 p.m. anchor "Men" reeled in 17.8 million viewers and a 5.5 rating/14 share in the adults 18-49 p.m. demographic, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. "Men" enjoyed a growth spurt from its 8:30 p.m. lead-in, How I Met Your Mother (10.5 million, 3.3/9), and helped its 9:30 p.m. companion Practice (15.2 million, 4.8/12) hit new season highs across the board. CSI: Miami (19.9 million, 6.3/17) capped the night for CBS with a dominant performance at 10 p.m.

LONDON -- ITV director of television Simon Shaps has poached Five channel head of acquisitions Jay Kandola to head his acquisitions department, it was announced Wednesday. Kandola, who has been at RTL-owned Five for just six months, had been deputy head of acquisitions at Channel Four, where she and former acquisitions chief June Dromgoole were responsible for picking up Desperate Housewives and Lost. During her brief tenure at Five, Kandola mounted an aggressive buying spree, picking up such shows as Prison Break, Everybody Hates Chris and Out of Practice among others.

CBS has given a full-season pickup to freshman comedy Out of Practice, while NBC is said to be sticking with sophomore critical darling The Office at least through May. The Paramount Network TV-produced Out of Practice, starring Stockard Channing, Henry Winkler, Christopher Gorham and Paula Marshall, has averaged 11.97 million viewers and a 3.9 rating/9 share in adults 18-49 to date, growing in the 18-49 demo in its past four original broadcasts. CBS has now given full-season pickups to four of its six freshmen series -- the comedies Out of Practice and How I Met Your Mother and the dramas Criminal Minds and Ghost Whisperer -- while new drama Threshold has received an order for additional scripts.

No doubt about it -- Prison Break is hip with the kids. Fox's jailhouse drama delivered its highest ratings yet in the adults 18-34 demographic Monday with its seventh episode and last airing until Oct. 24 while Fox makes room in its primetime schedule for coverage of postseason baseball games. Break impressed again with an average of 9.1 million viewers and 4.4 rating/10 share in adults 18-49 demographic, a major spike from its 8:30 p.m. lead-in, the new comedy Kitchen Confidential (4 million, 1.9/5) that is on life support after three airings. Among the 18-34 set, Break hit a series high (4.9/13) and ranked second in its 9 p.m. time slot only to ABC's Monday Night Football, according to preliminary estimates from Nielsen Media Research. NBC's 9 p.m. drama Las Vegas also had a strong night, reeling in 13.4 million viewers and 4.7/11 in adults 18-49. CBS was competitive from 9-9:30 p.m. with Two and a Half Men (14.3 million, 4.8/11) but ebbed in the second half of the hour with new comedy Out of Practice (12.1 million, 3.8/9).

NEW YORK -- As the networks began their second week of combat in the new season, CBS notched Monday's most-watched program with 10 p.m.'s CSI: Miami, but Fox's Prison Break earned the award for hardest-working show of the night. CSI: Miami fended off a challenge from ABC's Monday Night Football to finish with 17.4 million viewers and a 5.7 rating/14 share in the adults 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. Still, CSI: Miami and CBS' overall fortunes on Monday have taken a hit so far this season. CSI: Miami is off its game significantly in the adults 18-49 demo compared with its performance last season. The crime drama's drop is no doubt due in part to its weaker lead-in from 9:30 p.m. newcomer Out of Practice (11.5 million, 3.6/8), which dropped 25% from its lead-in, 9 p.m.'s Two and a Half Men (14.4 million, 4.8/11). Practice also was down from its premiere ratings last week, as was the case to a lesser degree with Men, which inherited the 9 p.m. berth formerly occupied by Everybody Loves Raymond.

Emmy-winning Everybody Loves Raymond writer-producer Tucker Cawley has inked a rich two-year overall deal with Paramount Network Television. Under the pact, valued in the mid-seven-figure range, Cawley will develop new half-hour projects for the studio. He also will serve as a consulting producer on Paramount TV's new comedy for CBS' Out of Practice. Paramount TV president David Stapf said it was his and his team's familiarity with Cawley's work on CBS' hit Raymond that led to the deal. Stapf, former head of current programming at CBS, and most of his executives came to Paramount TV from the eye network during the studio's management overhaul last year.

LONDON -- Five channel's new head of acquisitions, Jay Kandola, has acquired four new U.S. series from CBS Paramount, including hotly anticipated coming-of-age drama Everybody Hates Chris, it was announced Thursday. Kandola, continuing an L.A. Screenings spending spree, has also picked up the Jennifer Lopez executive-produced South Beach, a drama about three young adults living in the sexy and dangerous world of Miami's beachfront. Her shopping list also includes Sex, Lies & Secrets, a drama exploring the relationship of a tight-knit group of twenty-something friends living in a small bohemian neighborhood near Hollywood, starring Denise Richards; and comedy Out of Practice, which stars Henry Winkler and Stockard Channing as the heads of a dysfunctional family of physicians.