UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- No matter which network is presenting at the Television Critics Association winter press tour this week, all the chatter will be about NBC and its decision to program "The Jay Leno Show" at 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, beginning in the fall.

Last week during a PBS press conference for "George Carlin: The Mark Twain Prize" (Feb. 4), Richard Belzer, one of the stars of NBC's "Law & Order: SVU," slammed his employer.

"It may be good for comedy in a limited way but it's a terrible, terrible trend for television," Belzer said of NBC executives' decision. "It's a network that's desperate. I'm already signed so they can't really [do anything to me]. It's the last gasp of a dying network that could turn out to be brilliant in terms of finances, but in terms of actors, producers, all these people, it's a tragedy actually."

At Fox's presentation yesterday, Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly, who held the same position at NBC almost two years ago before getting fired and replaced by the current team that installed Leno, was asked about NBC's move.

"NBC, for me, is like the crazy ex-wife I can't get away from," Reilly said.

The move surprised Reilly, although he congratulated the network on keeping Leno in the NBC fold and said it might make financial sense for a network "in a very, very troubled place." But Reilly noted a flaw in NBC's plan: "The network historically has struggled in establishing scripted shows at 8 p.m. It's been a historical challenge for NBC, even at its height.

"If 8 is a place of struggle and they don't program Friday, Saturday and Sunday half the year [due to football], for a network that was a premiere brand for scripted television, that's a little bit of a sad statement."

In addition to "Lie to Me" (Jan. 21, review in TV Week Sunday) and Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" (Feb. 13), Fox will premiere a new animated comedy, "Sit Down, Shut Up" (April 19), about the dysfunctional faculty and staff at a Florida high school from "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz.

The network is also likely to debut "Glee," a comedy-drama from writer Ryan Murphy ("Nip/Tuck") about a high school show choir, behind "American Idol."

Viewers won't see "Moment of Truth" -- 24 episodes remain on the shelf, awaiting a time slot -- and animated "Family Guy" spinoff "The Cleveland Show" will hold until fall.

"Prison Break," starring former Pittsburgher Wentworth Miller, will end its run when the show's final episodes begin airing April 17.

Appearing at a reception for the Director's Guild of America Monday night, "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner said he's not sure whether he'll return for the third season of the acclaimed AMC show that won a Golden Globe Sunday for best drama series. He's in negotiations for a new contract to write and executive-produce the program.

"I wish I had an answer for you," Weiner said. The dispute is largely monetary. "There are a lot of issues that go together but mostly it's monetary. I'm trying to work it out."

Is he optimistic about a positive resolution?

"I don't know," Weiner said. "But it will come to a head soon."

Last week, AMC president Charlie Collier said he remained optimistic that Weiner will continue to be part of "Mad Men."

At The CW's press tour party at West Hollywood's Kokomo Cafe -- which plays the exterior of The Peach Pit on "90210" -- CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff talked about the network's plan to develop an update of another '90s hit: "Melrose Place."

Contrary to published reports, "One Tree Hill" creator Mark Schwahn will not write the revamp, she said. "We can't announce yet who the writers are going to be but we're talking to a team we're very excited about."

Ostroff said the timing may be right for a new "Melrose."

"When you look back at the original 'Melrose Place,' it's really fascinating because it took place at a time not unlike what we're going through now," she said. "In the pilot of the original 'Melrose Place,' they talked about the building being foreclosed on, people not having jobs. It took place in a very similar time, a time when the economy was in a downturn."

She said the new show will attempt to capture life in Los Angeles' Melrose neighborhood, which the original did not, Ostroff said. As with "90210," the proposed "Melrose 2.0" will feature a mix of new and returning characters. Which ones might return remains an open question.

"We've talked about everybody but we haven't spoken to anybody yet," she said. Heather Locklear is near the top of the list. "Heather would be one of the people you talk about because when you think of 'Melrose,' one of the first people you think of is Heather."

But will this be the earnest "Melrose" of season one or the nutty Kimberly-blowing-up-the-apartment-complex of later years?

"We've actually had that exact conversation," Ostroff said. "In the beginning you've got to get invested in the characters, but I also think it can't be so dramatic and sleepy that not enough is going on. Our fans really love that heightened drama as you can see when you watch 'One Tree Hill' and 'Gossip Girl.' So the job is to get them emotionally invested in the people and then do storytelling and have twists and turns and surprises you wouldn't have expected."

Of course, the new "Melrose" is a long way from reality. New writers have to be hired, a pilot shot and a series commissioned.

Ostroff said the network is "pretty happy" with the performance of underrated drama "Privileged."

"The testing has been really good," she said. "It usually takes a year or two for us to launch something. The creative [aspects of the show] we've been very happy with. … The decision won't come down 'til May, but I think it's a real contender for next year otherwise we wouldn't have picked up [additional] episodes."

Ostroff said no decision has been made about the future of "One Tree Hill," although ratings have been strong so it seems like a shoo-in for renewal. One sticking point: The network has to renegotiate with the show's stars, whose contracts are up at the end of this season.

A Comcast technical glitch Sunday night resulted in an interruption of WQED's "Masterpiece Classic" presentation of the conclusion of "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." The episode will be rebroadcast at 10 p.m. Jan. 25.

KDKA celebrated its 60th anniversary of broadcasting Sunday with a few on-air reports over the past week. There are no plans for a prime-time special marking the occasion. ... The Bill Strickland interview on PBS's "Tavis Smiley" will air tonight at 11 p.m. on WQED's The Create Channel, not Thursday as previously reported. The schedule at WQED.org listed the wrong air date. ... Ratings for "The Golden Globe Awards" were up from last year's non-show press conference but down compared to the last full broadcast two years ago, garnering its lowest ratings in 13 years, according to Variety. ... Last night's "American Idol" premiere featured what appeared to be home video of members of a Canonsburg family reacting to last year's "Idol" winner.

First Published: January 14, 2009, 10:00 a.m.