Bad News for Leno, a Plus for Letterman

The early casting call would seem to confirm reports that "BB9" is part of CBS's secret Writers Guild strike contingency plan and will debut during the "official" TV season, long before its usual summer run. CBS, like all TV networks, is looking to fill time slots crying for original programming when it runs out of original episodes of "Two and a Half Men," "CSI," "Criminal Minds," etc., owing to the pencils-down-ishness of striking writers.

Who needs writers when you've got exhibitionists willing to live cheek by jowl in a "house" wired with cameras and microphones in every room, recording their every tantrum, sexual encounter and bodily function, 24/7, with which you can fill about three hours of prime time a week.

People who just want to be "famous."

People who won't start whining about residuals when an episode shows up on CBS.com, or on your cellphone.

People who can't even spell "residuals."

Heck, "BB9" is the Practically Perfect Writers' Strike Show.

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In other writers' strike news:

The casts of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" will perform episodes of both strike-shuttered shows this weekend at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, the theater publication Playbill reports.

Saturday night's performance of "SNL" will feature a collection of sketches from that show, performed by the entire current cast. Monday's "30 Rock" performance will feature Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski and Tracy Morgan performing an episode from the primetime comedy.

The live performances of both shows, which are exec-produced by Lorne Michaels, have already sold out, and all proceeds will benefit the Writers Guild strike fund, the publication says.

No word on how NBC Universal, which owns both shows and which is a member of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers that the writers are striking against, feels about having its material used as a writers' guild fundraiser. NBC declined to comment yesterday.