Weird news. Masterpiece Theatre (spelled with an ‘re’ — of course) is getting a few new hosts, at least one of whom is someone who I would imagine might raise a few eyebrows.

Take a guess and then go to the jump for the answer.

If you’ve been in a mall lately or walked down a city street, there’s a chance you’ve seen the new ad campaign for the Gap. It’s called “People Dan loves dressed in shit from the Gap — mostly scarves.”

First and foremost, there’s the one-two punch of Amy Poehler and Will Arnett mugging comically for the camera.

Poehler and Arnett, also known as the couple you and your significant other will never be cool/witty/awesome enough to invite over for dinner and perhaps a few rounds of Boggle, seem to be pretty aware that they’re modeling for The Gap. Their expressions are pretty hysterical, lending some hipness and edge to a brand that became synonymous with mall brattiness (accentuated by a sketch on the show Poehler is on now — SNL).

Then there’s our good friend John Krasinski, brandishing what we all know as the John Krasinksi Impish Smirk ™. He’s looking pretty adorable, but the ad makes his charm seem a bit calculated. I don’t know how to feel about it.

I suppose that it’s okay that John, Amy and Will are shilling for The Gap. I’m generally agreeable to the idea of selling out in the name of keeping food on the table. I just ask myself if I would say no to gobs of money in exchange for a few hours of wearing a rainbow scarf. It doesn’t take me long to decide.

I refuse to believe I’m too old for rock concerts.

• Don’t worry, Alex Trebek is okay.
• Gossip Girl is “dangerous for America.” Meanwhile, TV Guide is having a love-fest with the show.
• David Chase is testifying in court to prove he didn’t steal the idea for The Sopranos.
• The TV Critics’ Press Tour is kaput due to the strike.
• Journeyman has been canceled.
• Joss Whedon and his disciples are joining the picket line.
• A new Ask Ausiello has news on Friday Night Lights. (although commenter Sara advises against reading it)
• There will be another Idol Gives Back.
• What is the status of Lost?
• TV Guide and Jeff Probst weigh the options to determine the winner of Survivor.

A while ago I went to see the new Aaron Sorkin play, The Farnsworth Invention. Just the fact that it’s a play by television impresario Aaron Sorkin would be enough for me to mention it here, but it’s also about the invention of television and the history of why we watch the way we watch. In other words, the most interesting topic in the world.

As another show might put it, the facts are these: Philo T. Farnsworth, a scarcely-trained farmboy from Utah, transmitted the first moving image using the process we still use today (sort of). But he never quite got his television to work quite right, and his patent ended up embroiled in a dispute with GE/RCA/NBC and its leader, David Sarnoff. (Philo=Josh/Sam/Danny/Matt, Sarnoff=Jack Rudolph.) In the meantime, Sarnoff was busy laying the groundwork for regulating advertising and deciding what types of things would eventually be shown on television, once it eventually existed.

I know — good stuff, right? Or is that just me?

I found that I really enjoyed myself at the play, despite the things said in these reviews, which are all true. After a season of Studio 60, it may be that I am hardened to Sorkin’s ticks and pitfalls, and now accept them without question. Or it may be that I’m so engrossed in the topic that I don’t actually care that much about the “characters” or “structure.”

I’m leaning toward the latter explanation, because I was just watching a Modern Marvels on the History Channel about Wiring America and I realized I was just about excited that as I was about The Farnsworth Invention, in the exact same way.

I will say: Jimmi Simpson and Hank Azaria are killer. There’s a classic drunken, silly, romantic scene I rather enjoyed. And there was a truly amazing dramatization of the 1929 stock market crash. Make of that what you will.