Biggest TV News Of January 2011

When it was announced that Live! With Regis & Kelly was losing its longer-time cohost, we invited you to guess who would fill his seat. Exactly zero of you guessed Michael Strahan, while another Michael — Ausiello — amassed three votes.

As TVLine would regularly and reliably do, we kept you apprised of the latest Castle developments — starting with an exclusive sneak peek of Rick and Kate's first kiss. The context for the liplock was suspect, but the chemistry wasn't.

Even in 2011, the word "reboot" was getting tossed around, this time with regards to a Charlie's Angeles reimagining. Rachael Taylor, Minka Kelly and Annie Ilonzeh starred as the new and improved Angels... who only appeared on America's TV screens for eight episodes before the show was axed that fall. (Sorry, Charlie!)

Exclusive: Gossip Girl Flirts with Dan/Blair Romance

Dan Humphrey and Blair Waldorf, together? That was enough to make some Gossip Girl fans recoil, after executive producer Stephanie Savage hinted in 2011 that romance could be on the horizon for the show's pair of frenemies. Lo and behold, Dan and Blair did eventually act on their feelings for each other — but Blair chose Chuck Bass in the end.

Homeland — which, at the time, was only a pilot at Showtime — found its male lead in Life actor Damian Lewis. The show, of course, would go on to clean up at the Emmys with its first season, including wins for Lead Actor, Lead Actress and Outstanding Drama Series.

As is tradition on the ABC series, Castle recruited a buzzy guest star for its February sweeps two-parter: Adrian Pasdar. Sandwiched between Dana Delany in 2010 and Jennifer Beals in 2012, Pasdar appeared in the big episodes as FBI Agent Eric Fallon — his first major TV role since Nathan Petrelli was killed off Heroes.

After months of anticipation, it was finally announced that George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels would reach the small screen on April 17, 2011. GRRM couldn't have known this back then, but he really should have sped up his writing process at this time five years ago. (Also: R.I.P., half of the men in this photo!)

On the heels of Addison and Sam finally getting together on Private Practice, showrunner Shonda Rhimes made it clear that the couple wouldn't be welcoming a little one for a looong time. In the end, Addison adopted son Henry (and Sam often watched over the boy), but thethey never exactly parented a child as a couple.

CSI Brings Bieber Back For February Sweeps

The TV landscape suffered a major case of Bieber Fever, as the then-16-year-old's songs were featured on Glee just weeks before he reprised his CSI role of serial killer/bomber Jason McCann. The Biebs' character was killed off in his second episode, but that floppy teenage haircut is forever burned in our memories.

ABC president Paul Lee was just as excited as comic-book lovers when the Alphabet network partnered with Marvel TV, adding that he "would love to make a Marvel franchise work on the network." Just two years later, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would make its way onto ABC's pilot slate.

Ricky Gervais Makes a Decision About Hosting Next Year's Golden Globes

After emceeing the Golden Globes for two consecutive years, comedian Ricky Gervais insisted "twice is enough" for the hosting gig. Not only did Gervais ultimately return for the 2012 ceremony, but he'll take the reins for a fourth time, this Jan. 10.

Hot in Cleveland's Victoria Chase finally faced her rivalry with Susan Lucci head-on when the TV Land series crossed over with All My Children. But their bad blood was nothing compared to Lucci's harsh words for ABC Daytime's then-president Brian Frons, whom Lucci held responsible for AMC's cancellation later that year.

How I Met Your Mother dipped its toes into more dramatic waters with the sudden death of Marshall's father — which, in hindsight, wasn't that sudden, as the series' creators included a hidden "countdown" to Marvin Eriksen's demise throughout the Jan. 3 episode. Nonetheless, his passing was a sobering moment in the series (and, as dedicated HIMYM fans know, merely a precursor to an even more upsetting death in the series finale years later.)

NCIS' "Tiva" fans got their first big scare when Brothers & Sisters alum Sarah Jane Morris was cast in the recurring role of EJ Barrett, a fellow agent who would "spark" with DiNozzo. Indeed, there was some chemistry, but EJ's choices proved too volatile for Tony and the pair never found traction.

Breaking: Liam McIntyre Is the New Spartacus

After Andy Whitfield was forced to step away from the title role (due to Non-Hodgkin lymphoma), Aussie actor Liam McIntyre filled the plum part in Season 2 of Starz's action series. Spartacus would go on to have a third season, as well, with the series finale airing in April 2013.

David E. Kelley's foray into the comic-book world wasn't exactly successful, as all five broadcast networks passed on his script for a Wonder Woman reboot. Later in the year, NBC gave the project a pilot order, with Adrianne Palicki in the title role, but the potential series was ultimately scrapped for a second time.

Ausiello revealed one of his first TVLine Blind Items — that The Closer was the not-so-dead drama series, that it might live on in some other form, possibly minus star Kyra Sedgwick. Five years later, Major Crimes recently earned its pickup for Season 6.

TVLine readers did a "double" take when Sarah Michelle Gellar signed on to play twins in a CBS pilot. Ringer ultimately landed on The CW and failed to slay in the ratings, lasting just one season. Its legacy: the bad CGI by which all other green-screening shall be measured.