News Briefs: Gossip Girl, Criminal Minds, and Matt LeBlanc's new show

The next Episode.

... A New York court has dismissed Dan Rather's $70 million lawsuit against CBS News. Rather claimed that the fallout from 2004's memogate damaged his future earnings potential. Doesn't he host several shows on HDNet? What's HDNet, you ask? Guess he has a point! [Variety]

... Kevin Zegers, who is 25, will join Gossip Girl for a multi-episode role as a love interest for Jenny, played by Taylor Momsen, who is 16. "When does it air?" asked Roman Polanski. [THR]

... Criminal Minds might get more ... criminally mindful? Showrunner Ed Bernero and executive producer Chris Mundy are planning a backdoor pilot to air as an episode of Criminal Minds sometime in the first half of 2010. The potential new spinoff would likely feature a new team of FBI agents. [THR]

... Showtime will air a six-episode TV series about TV series called Episodes. The show is about a British couple who sell their TV show to an American network, only to see it ruined. Matt LeBlanc will play himself. That last part is hilarious but also true! [LAT Show Tracker]

... The History Channel must make more money by filming "history" as it's being made than it does by creating programming about actual history. The network has ordered several reality shows, including Extreme Trucking (which is a spinoff of Ice Road Truckers), and American Pickers (which is supposed to be a companion to Pawn Stars). [THR]

... So there was this article in THR this morning with the headline "Encore acquires Gunsmoke -- Rawhide, Have Gun, Will Travel also returning to TV." We thought that meant that Encore was diving into the original series market by re-imagining not one but three westerns. But the the very misleading headline actually meant that Encore has purchased the rights to those three series and will be airing them. Although it says something about network executives and television in general that we thought our first instinct plausible. It also probably says something about us, but la la la we can't hear you. [THR]