The LA Times reports:

Hollywood’s film and TV writers and major studios have agreed to go back to the negotiating table on Nov. 26 in hopes of ending a bruising strike that began two weeks ago, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Writers, however, haven’t agreed to put down their picket signs. They will continue to strike as planned next week.
Although the talks are a positive sign, the two sides have huge hurdles to overcome to reach a new contract to replace one that expired Oct. 31.

I have a feeling that this is already a disaster, though.

Lampshades are better than hats.

• NBC has picked up that awful Quarterlife.
• If anything gets a full season this year, Dirty Sexy Money will too.
• There are arrests in the attack on Josie from Top Chef.
• LC: “This is really my life.”
• Kristen Bell and Hayden Panettiere talk to TV Guide about Heroes.
• Inconceivable! Lesbians love Wallace Shawn.
• Michael C. Hall talks Dexter.
• 30 Rock and Office actors might face suspensions.
• Here’s an uncomfortable item about the black girl and the Asian girl on Gossip Girl.

Another week, another blog. Here’s more of what people are saying around the TV blogosphere.

BuzzSugar: This week, we debated the greatest TV icons (no Sesame Street or Saget?), felt a little underwhelmed by the new Lost mobisodes, and wondered if late-night shows should have guest hosts to save jobs during the writers’ strike.

Daemon’s TV: Sandie welcomed everyone to the Chuck train after watching Gossip Girl. Araya realizes what it’s like to feel things after watching Friday Night Lights. And after watching Heroes Araya wished he had a power.

Give Me My Remote: It broke our hearts to recap what could have been the last episode of The Office this season (a moment of silence). At least we still have Pushing Daisies to make us happy, at least for a few more eps. And before hitting the scene this weekend, check out our Cocktail Party Primer and be in the loop on the latest TV soundbytes.

Glowy Box: When she wasn’t on strike to support the WGA, Liz shuddered over a pencil in the eye on Grey’s Anatomy and enjoyed Tyra’s attempt to overshadow the Project Runway premiere on America’s Next Top Model.

Mikey Likes TV: IFC’s bizarre role-playing documentary, Darkon, premiered this week, and Mikey wishes more reality TV would explore characters who are that uniquely crazy. He also lamented the premature (and seriously depressing) season finale of The Office.

RTVW: On the strike side of things, we wondered how fans would feel about episodes penned by scabs and offered up ideas on how fans can support the writers. After watching Prison Break, Rae questioned why some of the shows she enjoys fail to leave her anxious to see the next installment.

Scooter McGavin’s 9th Green: Now that the new shows have a few episodes under their back Scooter has gone back and reevaluated the best new shows of the season. It hasn’t been the best year for music, but could Alicia Keys be the first to get the coveted Severe Terror Alert Rating, check out the review for As I Am. And with the holiday earlier this week, Scooter pays tribute to current and future Veterans.

Tapeworthy: Vance was guest blogging on another site and refreshed his current TV Top 10 List to introduce himself. After the TV bloggers strike, it was nice to see Pushing Daisies again to brighten up the day and to prove why the writers deserve better compensation in the first place. Finally, there were a lot of THAT GUY this week, on Bones, on House, from Gossip Girl to Heroes (which, has completely lost/confused Vance at this point) and the CBS comedies (the good ones with long names HIMYM and TBBT).

Televisionary: This week, Jace was pre-occupied with the WGA strike but his spirit was buoyed by the fantastic news that FX’s Damages was picked up for two more seasons, the return of Bravo’s sartorial showdown Project Runway, and a kick-ass episode of Chuck that featured Rachel Bilson.

TiFaux: This week, TiFaux had more than a little Project Runway on the brain. After giving a preview of all the contestants, Dan gave a rundown on the first episode including thoughts on the contestants’ fascination with the celebrity of being on Project Runway. In other news, we plotted various male characters (from Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Dirty Sexy Money, etc) on a chart based on their annoyingness and machismo.

TV Filter: Kate tried to figure out who Gossip Girl is and Raoul interviewed Ambreal from America’s Next Top Model.

he TV Addict: Fell in love with Wednesday’s PUSHING DAISIES, took bets on when the WGA Strike would end and posted some incredibly sexy pics of new TERMINATOR on the scene Summer Glau.

Yesterday, the Boston Globe had an article, with the cringe-worthy title “On TV, men are the new weaker sex,” stating that ABC’s Thursday night line-up has a playground of whipped men and overpowering women. It’s a bit of an uncomfortable read — full of gender-based assumptions — but it does have its point. ABC is appealing to a demographic of women who enjoy empowered female characters to the point where the women are horrible (Meredith Grey, Izzie Stevens) and the men are pansified pushovers.

It has become a night of emasculated men and emasculating women. If the classic male pinup was the strong, silent, unattainable type, tonight’s TV dream man is addled and fawning. And the empowered woman - once a happy departure from older stereotypes - has become not just self-sufficient, but kind of mean.

On that note, let’s put it all out there. Below, you’ll find a graph of TV men the macho and the sensitive compared with the annoying and the tolerable. Let’s see how it all plays out.

I want to be one of those old rich dudes with the antique car license plate.

• SNL and 30 Rock cast members are hitting the stage for a night.
• Battlestar Galactica and The Bionic Woman have shut down because of the strike.
• Variety talks about the strike and late night talk shows.
• Pitch your TV idea on MySpace.
• Remember that Friday Night Lights/ESPN link from yesterday? Nevermind.
• Edie Falco talks about her guest stint on 30 Rock.
• Look at what the strike has done to poor Angie Harmon.
• Hayden Panettiere is a fugitive.
• Project Runway ratings are up.
• Get ready for a new season of Big Brother to fill up air time.

Via Defamer, it seems like a gaggle of gay writers will be hitting the picket line. C. Jay Cox and Chad Darnell are behind the effort.

Chad and I came up with an idea we’re calling “Gay Gate.” We’re inviting our WGA and SAG (and anybody else who wants to carry a picket sign) friends who are also members (or friends of) the Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans Community to join us for a specific picketing shift. So basically we’ll still be carrying on the struggle: picketing, chanting, honking, et al. but we’ll also get a chance to catch up with some old friends, oh-so-casually check out some potential new ones, and make snide comments about one another’s attire. It will totally be “Norma Rae” meets the Abbey.

Writer Neal Pollack’s five-year-old son explains the nuts and bolts of the writer’s strike.

From a layman’s perspective.

Okay — so, let’s hash it all out. Oh, and, uh, spoiler alert.

• First of all, in retrospect, Simone totally seems like the kind of person where — in 10 weeks — you’ll think “remember that Simone chick?” Think Stacey Estrella. Think whatever that woman’s name was who made the outfit out of her grandma’s scarves and then showed up at the reunion pregnant. Not a big personality and a safe decision to send home (although I have to agree with Heidi — I did really like her color choices).
• As far as the winner goes, I would have picked Christian over Rami. Admittedly, I am a sucker for plaid, but I wasn’t wild about Rami’s color and, in general, I’m not big on fake fabric flowers (especially Victorya’s gigantic metal daffodil thing — I’m surprised that was deemed to be in the top tier). While I have a feeling Christian himself might wear on me, I did think his jacket was cool and the whole get-up was well thought-out.
• Marion: I can’t tell if he’s kind of creepy or if I’m nursing a mild crush. One or the other. Maybe both.
• What is with all the dreamboat gay designers with the gigantic arms? Not that I’m complaining.
• One thing I noticed is that there were a lot of garments that were, for lack of a better word, “floofy.” The big, billowy, high-volume style is apparently in, but it makes all those skinny-ass models look like whales.
• Elisa — I can’t imagine she’s going to make it more than a few rounds. You can kind of see the glazed crazy in her eyes. But now that I say that she’ll probably turn into this season’s rosette-wielding Angela and stick around til close to the end.
• The season preview: Jack’s big secret intrigues me. I don’t think it has anything to do with his health status — I’m thinking it has to do with some sort of Keith-ian misdeed that he comes clean to Tim about. But, then again, my instincts on these things are consistently wrong. So, y’all should know that by now.
• I don’t anticipate this being as dramatic a season as last season. Also, it seems like the designers are bit caught up in the celebrity of Project Runway — like they’re much more aware of it this season than in previous seasons.

So, thoughts? Who do you like? Who do you not like? Leave it in the comments.

Shiny.

• Rainn Wilson is one of People’s sexiest men.
• Letterman is footing the bill for his staff.
• Supermanny will be a spin-off of Supernanny, except with male child care workers. Get it?
• The NY Times tracks the rise of racial humor.
• Stars speak out on the strike.
• News on ER, including the return of Luca.
• Meredith Grey got married.
• Brian Williams got a ratings bump from SNL.
• Jack McBrayer talks to Pop Matters.
• Could Friday Night Lights move to ESPN? Meanwhile, Logan from Gilmore Girls will be joining the cast.
• Tonight’s Back To You recalls an episode of This American Life.
• Buy a painting at the Heroes auction.
• And also, Most Serene Republic has a new video. You should watch it.

This unaired iPhone parody starring Jason Sudeikis has popped up.  It’s some refreshing new SNL material — good stuff.