TV News Briefs: Farscape, Arrested Development, Las Vegas, Cashmere Mafia, and Password

Farscape — BOOM! Studios has signed a licensing agreement with The Jim Henson Company to publish multiple comic book series based on the sci-fi show. The group of four-issue mini-series will focus on various areas of the Farscape universe and will work with the upcoming webisodes. Single issues will be released first and then each mini-series will be compiled and made available in trade-paperback form. Farscape executive producer and co-CEO of The Jim Henson Company Brian Henson said, “Working with one of our favorite comic publishers, we know our loyal supporters will enjoy these original adventures while new audiences will have a fantastic introduction to the Farscape universe.”

Arrested Development — Series creator Mitch Hurwitz is putting together an Arrested reunion — sort of. He’s tapped castmembers Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler for his new animated FOX sitcom called Sit Down, Shut Up. It’s based on a live-action Australian TV show and focuses on a group of high school teachers who have a variety of personal and professional issues.

Las Vegas — TV Guide’s Michael Ausiello reports that there’s been no official movement on a TV movie to properly close out the NBC series. However, Vegas creator Gary Scott Thompson has supposedly put together an alternate plan. He’s the executive producer on the new Knight Rider series. If all else fails, his plan includes Josh Duhamel and Molly Simms walking through an episode of Knight Rider cradling a newborn baby.

Cashmere Mafia — If ABC doesn’t pick up the series for a second season (which is looking doubtful), Lucy Liu won’t be leaving the network. She’s in negotiations to join the cast of Dirty Sexy Money. That show’s already been renewed for a second season. If it works out Liu will play a legal opponent to Peter Krause’s Nick George.

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Password — Betty White has been added as a panelist for the new Million Dollar Password version of the classic game show. As longtime game show aficionados know, White has a long relationship with the game show. She met her future husband, Allen Ludden, on the set in 1961. Ludden was the host for the daytime and primetime versions prior to his death in 1981. An excellent player, White has appeared on all incarnations of the show. On the final episode of Super Password, noted that she’d said goodbye to the show five times and knew that it would return someday. Last year, White was awarded the first Game Show Congress Arlene Francis Panelist Legend Award in honor of her many contributions to the game show genre. Other announced Million Dollar Password panelists include Rosie O?Donnell (The Rosie O?Donnell Show), Rachael Ray (Rachael Ray), Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, MD, currently How I Met Your Mother), and Monique Coleman (Boston Public). Stay tuned!