TV Bites: HBO Joins Kevin Spacey's Cult Following

Also in this morning's TV Bites: CBS gives Undercover Boss a companion... Who Wants to Be a Millionaire loses its seat... Joel McHale gets to the Emmy Awards... and more.

· Back in June when it was announced that Kevin Spacey was shopping a series called The Crux to cable outlets, it was assumed Showtime had the edge. Maybe he didn't like The Big C either. Spacey and his production company, Trigger Street, have signed a first-look deal with HBO that includes The Crux, though no pilot order was given. Developed in conjunction with Rod Lurie, the series would star the Spacey as a charismatic cult leader and give HBO yet another Oscar-winner/nominee to write about in the company newsletter. [Deadline]

· Buoyed by the success of Undercover Boss, CBS has ordered a new pilot series from its makers. The untitled show would follow two employees at the same company as they try for a promotion. This is real. [THR/The Live Feed]

· Who Wants to Be a Millionaire has changed some rules for next season. For starters, there won't be any seats -- both contestants and host Meredith Vieira will have to stand. Questions will also be randomly ordered in the first round and a new lifeline ("Jump the Question") has been created. And they said you couldn't reinvent the wheel. [Courant/TV Eye]

· How much more does Joel McHale have to do to get an Emmy nomination? The Community star has been added as a presenter on the show, this after previously waking up at 5:30 a.m. to announce the nominees last month. Can't they find some kind of Emmy to give him? Best Team Player? [Vulture]

· Teri Polo, of Meet the Parents fame, has been added to Law & Order: Los Angeles as the wife of Skeet Ulrich's Det. Rex Winters. She'll be both recurring and put-upon. [Deadline]

· Get ready for some easy stereotyping! Lainie Kazan will join Desperate Housewives next season for a multi-episode guest starring arc. [THR/The Live Feed]