· Fox has picked up J.J. Abrams's Fringe, about a female FBI agent who "tackles unexplained medical and scientific phenomena," and Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, both for mid-season debuts meant to be bolstered by American Idol's return, an effect Fox internally refers to as "the Drunk-Paula Boost." [Variety]
· The CW makes it official: The Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff is a go, with Jennie Garth reprising her role as Kelly Taylor. New York magazine will eventually go on to declare the series "mankind's greatest single achievement since the Wright brothers perfected human flight." [THR]
· ABC, meanwhile, has ordered "quirky sci-fi thriller" Life on Mars, a new animated series from Mike Judge called The Goode Family, and Ashton Kutcher reality show Opportunity Knocks. Unlike last year's Cavemen, none are based on an insurance commercial—though Allstate, a "drama with supernatural elements" starring Dennis Haysbert as a creepy guy who has a way of always showing up at highway accidents, is said to be a possible mid-season replacement. [Variety]

· As for NBC, Saffron Burrows has been cast opposite Christian Slater in My Own Worst Enemy, and Battlestar Galactica EP David Eick is in talks to take over showrunner duties on The Philanthropist, about "a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need no matter what the risks or costs," a sort of gender-reversed, serialized-drama take on Paris Hilton's life story. [THR]
· CBS ordered the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced Eleventh Hour, The Mentalist (starring Simon Baker) and The Ex-List (about a woman who tries to figure out which or her exes is the one a psychic told her she was meant to marry), as well as sitcoms Worst Week and Project Gary, and John Turteltaub's Harper's Island, a "horror drama." [THR]
· And in movie news, The Hills background player and self-leaked nudie-photo-scandal-victim Audrina Patridge will make her feature straight-to-DVD debut with Into the Blue 2: Even More Into The Blue for MGM Home Entertainment. [THR]