· Squashing speculation that Ellen DeGeneres would inherit The Oprah Winfrey Show's time slot on ABC, Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution has renewed The Ellen DeGeneres Show for three more seasons on NBC's 10 owned-and-operated stations. DeGeneres responded to the news by doing a funky chicken dance and releasing this statement: "I'm so excited to sign on for three more years at NBC. They were the ones that believed in my show from Day 1. So, I'm thrilled to know I'll be here 'til at least 2014. Things will be a lot different by then. I won't be dancing over my coffee table anymore. Through the magic of 3D, I'll be dancing over yours!" One can only hope not. [THR]
Hawaii Five-0 books its lead, Friday Night Lights finds its ending, and more TV Bites after the jump.
· As predicted, Alex O'Loughlin of the short-lived CBS medical drama Three Rivers will star in the network's Hawaii Five-O remake along with Lost's Daniel Dae Kim. Fringe co-creators and burgeoning Hollywood power brokers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are behind the project. [THR]
· There's no way to sugarcoat it, folks: The fifth season Friday Night Lights will be its last. [EW]
· Numb3rs star David Krumholtz has been cast as the lead in Ron Howard's untitled IRS pilot at Fox. The multi-cam workplace comedy was written by Office scribe Brent Forrester. Howard will executive produce with Imagine's Brian Grazer and David Nevins. The casting leaves speculation that Numb3rs will not be returning to CBS next season. [EW]
· In other casting news, Oscar-nominated actor David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck.) will play the lead in ABC's drama pilot Matadors.
· While still in its first season on ABC, FlashForward has appointed its third team of show runners: Jessika Borsiczky, Lisa Zwerling and Timothy J. Lea. Congratulations (and preemptive condolences) to them. [zap2it]