TV Bites: Who Turned Down Dancing with the Stars?

stallone_225.jpgAlso in this morning's TV Bites: Seth Green's new reality show calls forth the apocalypse... a former Heroes star visits The Mentalist... and slightly more ahead. (Just because it's September, doesn't mean it can't feel like August!)

· Here's a little "how the sausage gets made" moment for you Dancing with the Stars fans. Before settling on this season's lot of "stars," ABC was rebuffed by Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Sylvester Stallone, Ann Coulter, Condoleezza Rice, the real Erin Brockovich, Richard Branson, Tim Allen and Suzanne Somers. "We've approached a lot of people over the years," executive producer Conrad Green told THR. "People say no for a variety of reasons. Some people like the show but think they suck at dancing. It's a lot easier to say no than it is to say yes." Not for Bristol Palin, it wasn't! [THR/The Live Feed]

· Per Deadline, here's the pitch for Seth Green's new venture with his Robot Chicken co-creator Matthew Senreich, the Ford and SprintNextel co-sponsored ControlTV: "The series, which will follow six weeks in the life of a guy in his twenties, enables the audience to vote, in real time, on every aspect of his life -- from what he wears and eats, to where he works, to who he dates." Huh. You might want to start stocking up on canned goods sooner rather than later. [Deadline]

· Casting time! The ageless Sharon Lawrence will guest star on the upcoming season of One Tree Hill, which -- spoiler -- is still on the air. [EW]

· Former Heroes star Jack Coleman (Horn Rimmed Glasses) will appear on an episode of The Mentalist this season. He'll play the prime suspect in a murder investigation. [TV Guide]

· And finally, former Friday Night Lights co-star Kevin Rankin gets around. In addition to his upcoming guest arc on The Mentalist and supporting role in Alan Ball's HBO pilot, All Signs of Death, he'll appear on the next season of Big Love. [THR]