TCA Drama, Such As It Is: "Lost" Announcement Comes Early

ABC Entertainment President Stephen McPherson is on stage this morning. He's spending much of his time answering questions about the awful "Caveman" - which the critics refer to as "the Geico show." He was pretty candid that the pilot will be entirely re-shot and one of the leads is being recast. ... The one question he wouldn't answer was about rumors of big "Lost" announcements coming at ComiCon down in San Diego tomorrow, beyond saying that they'll have news "everyone will be pretty excited about." The critics are pissed. Why give the news to fanboys and -girls who have to pay for tickets instead of us? McPherson tries to defuse it with a joke - saying Don Imus has been cast on the show. Only uneasy giggles from the critics (who have been here for almost three weeks and are getting cranky). ... I'm not sure this is over. (Anyone know what the rumors are?) ... Meanwhile I'm sitting here trying to write up our excellent set visit to NBC's "Heroes" yesterday. I'll post about that as soon as I can. ... UPDATED: A flack just walked onstage and whispered to McPherson. He says they called the executive producers of "Lost" and got permission to jump the ComiCon announcement, thereby defusing the lynch mob forming among the critics. And as McPherson just said, it's "not earth-shattering": Harold Perrineau is returning to the show as Michael.

Altogether now: "Waaaaaaalt!"