Lost Returns... Feb. 2

ABC announced yesterday that Lost will return Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 9PM CST, and will stay on Tuesday nights for the duration of its run.
Also revealed by the network: the regular cast. And, the implication of who's not in the regular cast.

According to EW's Michael Ausiello, this is the breakdown:

Regular cast: Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Nestor Carbonell (Richard), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Michael Emerson (Ben), Jeff Fahey (Frank) Matthew Fox (Jack), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Ken Leung (Miles), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Terry O’Quinn (Locke), and Zuleikha Robinson (Ilana).

Not regulars, but slated to return in some form: Elizabeth Mitchell (Juliet), Ian Somerhalder (Boone), Rebecca Mader (Charlotte), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), and Katey Sagal (Helen).

I also have it on good authority that Maggie Grace (Shannon) will make at least one appearance, while Mira Furlan (Rousseau) rejected an offer to return because of an "overseas commitment."

The Man Behind the Clown

David Lloyd, the prolific sitcom writer who penned the classic Mary Tyler Moore episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust," and was a producer and writer for other classics such as Taxi, Cheers and Frasier, died last week after a long illness. The cause was said to be prostate cancer. He was 75.

Lloyd also wrote for Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett, but his work as a sitcom writer later in life made him famous. He won Emmys for writing the Chuckles episode of MTM, and one the next year for co-penning that show's final episode. He also won for producing Frasier.

His other credits included shows such as Rhoda (he co-wrote the much-heralded wedding episode, also Emmy-nominated), Wings, Amen, The Bob Newhart Show and the drama Lou Grant.

Lloyd's son, Christopher Lloyd (not the Back to the Future actor), was the man behind Frasier and other shows, including the current hit Modern Family.

In addition to the Emmy the senior Lloyd won for "Chuckles Bites the Dust," he also had the distinction of writing the episode TV Guide has dubbed the funniest of all time.

Two Wild and Crazy Guys

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will co-host the Oscars on March 7, 2010.

Yes, you read that right.

The Academy announced today that the pair will tag-team it. Martin has hosted twice before, but Baldwin is a relative newbie to hosting duties, although he has headlined Saturday Night Live a record 14 times.

The two funny guys co-star with Meryl Streep (likely to be a nominee herself) in the Christmas romantic comedy It's Complicated, the latest from director Nancy Meyers. If the movie bombs, they should have plenty of material come Oscar night.