David Letterman to Joaquin Phoenix: 'So What Do You Have to Say for Yourself?'

· It has been 17 months since Joaquin Phoenix kicked off his "lost year" on David Letterman's couch and tonight the merry prankster returns to The Late Show without his beard, but with a movie to plug. Does Phoenix receive a comeuppance, Letterman-style? If this clip of the proceedings is any indication, not really. [CBS]

· iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove will play a troubled pop star on The Good Wife. I'm sure Kalinda Sharma will have some droll one-liners to impart about her. [EW]

· You can stop pretending the American X Factor will rule. Simon Cowell's co-panelists might just be the benign Cheryl Cole and Nicole Scherzinger. [ONTD]

· Mark Jan. 9, 2011 on your Google Calendar. That's when Showtime will premiere Shameless (with William H. Macy), Episodes (with Matt LeBlanc) and new episodes of Californication. [Press Release]

· Last Idol update of the day, I swear: The contestants will have an in-house mentor this year, chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Jimmy Iovine. Maybe that's just a clever anagram of "Paula Abdul is Back & Kickin'!" Someone check that for me. [TV Guide]