ABC Rescues Ugly Betty

...Ugly Betty, that big bright TV journey into a very specific gay man's head, has been struggling in the ratings department, the most important department, since it got moved to Friday to make room for ABC's more successful shows like Hank and The Forgotten. Well, it now seems that the network has realized the error of its ways and is moving Betty back to a real, valid primetime slot. The show will air on Wednesdays starting in January, right after Cougar Town, another strange gay thesis on Lady Business. This is good timing, as the show has been on a creative high this season, what with Mark's non-coming out and Betty's makeover and that murder. Cue braceface music. [Variety]

...Ol' Chuckie Gibson will retire from ABC's World News Tonight! on December 18th. He had kinda been filling in for a while, a long while, and now he's done. His replacement will be Diane Sawyer, which is interesting, in that it makes two of the three lead network news anchors female. And that sorta makes Katie Couric a non-issue, doesn't it? Like, wasn't her whole shtick that she was the lady who did the news when everyone else was dudes? Now she's just... Katie Couric. Network defector. Terrible, scheming gotcha journalist. Forbidden gin-dancer. Empires crumble, I suppose. [THR]

...Brad Falchuk, one of the three co-creators of Fox's buzzy new hit Glee, has signed a deal with the network to develop and direct other series, while still working studiously on the musical show. Supposedly the contract is in the seven figures range. So while I sit in this New York cubicle wasting away, this guy gets to go make Glee and get paid millions of dollars to make other shows. That's cool. Not jealous. At all. [Variety]

...Ken Tucker thinks you are going to love this show called Justified. No, it is not a televised version of Justin Timberlake's debut solo album, though that'd be pretty cool. Actually it's an FX show that used to be called Lawman, starring the always-terrific Timothy Olyphant and based on an Elmore Leonard character. Elmore Leonard is, like, the best, so that immediately gets my attention. Plus there's a preview clip that makes the show look like crackling good fun. Ken Tucker? For once I agree with you. [EW]

...NBC is developing a project called Tommy Supreme. It is either about a real-life lawyer who's been in front of the Supreme Court 21 times, or it's about your local pizza place. You decide. [Variety]

...Simon Cowell, the wedge-haired king of all media, is looking to bring his hit Brit shit The X Factor to Las Vegas. Basically what he'd do is this: Have a talent show like twice a week, and then charge people a pay-per-view fee to watch it. Because if they're willing to watch it for free on ITV, they're probably willing to pay for it? I don't see the connection there. Oh well. Because it's important to be current, the idea also has something to do with the internet. People use the internet, right? [Variety]