“Desperate Housewives” creator Marc Cherry and Paul Lee, president of ABC Entertainment Group, made the news official during Sunday morning’s network press conference at the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour.

“It is an iconic show, we’re extremely proud of it,” Lee told the assembled reporters. “I want to make sure this show had its victory lap.”

“We’ve made this decision,” Cherry said, “and I feel so good about it.”

Cherry went on to reveal that the mystery arc in “Desperate’s” final season will revisit ideas from the first season. “We’re going back to roots of Mary Alice.”

Cherry and Lee began discussing when to end “Desperate Housewives” a year ago, when Lee took over as Entertainment President. The executive producer said he wanted the show to go out when it was still creatively strong and a force in the ratings.

“The only thing harder than creating a hit show is knowing when to end it,” Cherry said, adding that after working in TV for 23 years, he had seen enough projects limp off the air to know that he didn’t want to be on a show that overstays its welcome.

Cherry says he put calls out to cast about the decision, and spoke to about half of them.  He called the overall tone of the conversations “bittersweet and lovely.”

The executive producer shot down the idea of a spinoff or additional episodes for the finale season saying, “”I don’t want to be one of those guys who repeats himself constantly.”  But  he and Lee also confirmed that “Hallelujah,” Cherry’s previously announced pilot with an ensemble cast that includes Donal Logue, Terry O ‘Quinn,  Jesse L. Martin and  Frances O’Connor,  is being redeveloped.

In the midst of a difficult landscape for television comedies, FX has managed to cultivate three solid contenders.  Thus it came as no surprise on Saturday morning when the cable channel announced renewals for Louis C.K.‘s critically acclaimed half-hour “Louie” and its Thursday night companion “Wilfred.” Both series have been cleared for 13 more episodes.

Additionally, FX picked up its comedy hit  “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” for two more seasons, the show’s eight and ninth, with an option for a tenth. According to the network, said deal will make “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” the longest running live-action comedy in basic cable history.

FX president John Landgraf told the assembled reporters for the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour that his network’s goal is to assemble a stable of five dramas and seven comedies. Currently FX is airing nine series, with two recently announced drama pilots still under consideration: “Powers” and “Outlaw Country.”

“Wilfred” will finish its freshman season on Thursday, September 8, followed by the second season finale of “Louie.”

The seventh season premiere of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” airs  Thursday, September 15 at 10pm ET/PT.

Fox’s portion of the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour has a history of being a bit wacky. In years past, sessions have included open bars at virtually every panel, suggesting that the network realized their fall options to be so awful that a person had to be six sheets to the wind to put up with them.

The titles on deck for fall 2011-2012 season tell a different story.  It has one of fall’s best comedies in “New Girl” (premiering Sept. 20), Simon Cowell’s new reality behemoth “The X Factor” (two night premiere Sept. 21 & 22) and a potential blockbuster in the action drama “Terra Nova” (starting Sept. 26).  At Friday morning’s executive session, entertainment president Kevin Reilly predicted success in every genre. This time he’s not exaggerating.

“Terra Nova’ won’t come on quietly. It will be a force for us” whether it works or not, Reilly told the assembled TV reporters. He also declared, “We’re going to be a force in comedy this year. I know I’ve been telling you that for years.”

True, he has. Each time we chuckled, but not at Fox’s comedies. This time, thanks to “New Girl” and the return of “Raising Hope,” he might actually be right.

This is not to say there aren’t potential problems with Reilly’s predictions. Critics have only seen one hour of the highly anticipated “Terra Nova,” and the show’s premiere has been pushed back twice due to concerns with each episode’s visual effects. It has a 13 episode order, and it sounds like the polishing on each of those could potentially take up to the last moment to get it on air in time.

Fox also has a few veteran series to make decisions about. “Glee” had a creatively wobbly year and is still weathering significant backlash. But Reilly confirmed that the whispered about “Glee”-spinoff  is “still in the wind” and that the network plans to reconsider its viability in the back half of this coming season.

Reilly would not confirm that the eighth season of “House” would be its last, but said the show’s producers wanted to finish strong as opposed to watching the series sadly limp into oblivion.  The network plans to reconsider its fate later this fall.

Reilly expressed more support and enthusiasm for “Fringe” which, in the TV industry, should always be taken with a boulder of salt. He accepts that “Fringe” probably won’t grow its audience any larger, but he’s also said that if it’s able to maintain the numbers it finished with, he’ll be happy.

Keep reading for Friday morning’s other Fox-related news.

– Fox is developing a 13-part documentary series titled “Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey,” with “Family Guy’s” Seth MacFarlane. You did not misread that. The series, which pays homage to Carl Sagan, probably won’t air during the week or, we’re guessing, the regular season. Who knows, it could be perfect Saturday night filler. “Cosmos” is set to launch in 2013.

– In addition to subjecting us to a deliciously hideous panel for “The X Factor” in which judge Nicole Scherzinger made Paula Abdul look like the voice of reason (and during which Abdul and fellow judge L.A. Reid laughed in Scherzinger’s face), “X Factor” executive producer, judge and resident Dr. Evil Simon Cowell revealed that the winner will walk away with $5 million, free and clear, in addition to starring in a Pepsi spot airing during the Super Bowl.

He also denied that the judges were meaner than “Idol’s” judges on purpose.

“We didn’t make an intentional effort to be mean,” Cowell insisted while being beamed in via satellite from a secret lair festooned with pillows. “It’s just in us.”

Later he complimented Nicole Scherzinger by praising her ruthlessness in leaving the other Pussycat Dolls behind. “You’ve proven there’s nothing wrong with being selfish!” he cooed.

Cowell declared that he’s throwing every resource imaginable at ensuring “The X Factor” bests “Idol” in popularity. If nothing else, the passion play at the judges table should be worth a look.

Dates worth noting: “The X Factor” boot camp starts October 5, with finalists revealed on October 25. The first live performance show airs Wednesday, November 2.

There are two sides to being a TV  icon.  On the one hand, everyone recognizes you for a certain role that touched off a seismic shift in the television landscape. It’s an honor few working actors will ever achieve. Then again, such a role can become inescapable.  No matter how many years go by, it remains as present in your life as your shadow.

Sarah Michelle Gellar, known to most viewers as Buffy Summers, seems to be bearing that mantle with a measure of grace.   But The CW’s noir mystery “Ringer“  offers her the chance to separate herself a bit more from that lasting image of her as the stake wielding, butt-kicking Slayer.

Gellar plays two very different characters – twins -  neither of whom appears to be chosen by fate for anything other than shouldering misery.  The rich one, Siobhan, leaves a pile of emotional messes in her wake after she suddenly disappears. The other, Bridget, is the recovering addict who assumes Siobhan’s identity hoping to hide from a dangerous crime boss.

In doing so, Bridget also finds herself in the murky position of not only trying to stay alive, but redeeming both herself and her conniving sibling.

“It’s so complicated, but I love it,” Gellar said to a group of TV reporters at a network event on Wednesday night. “It brings me back to Cruel Intentions, and I think one of my favorite characters (Kathryn Merteuil) aside from Buffy that I’ve ever played, and making her sympathetic. Even though she did horrible things there was a reason behind them. That’s essentially the same thing I’m trying to bring to this.”

Read on to see what Gellar says about her work in “Ringer,” as well as how she thinks TV has changed since “Buffy” went off the air in 2003.

On whether she’s more like Bridget or Siobhan: “We all have good sides or bad sides. I’m not necessarily more like either one of the characters, because in their motivations they both feel incredibly justified. But Siobhan has the better wardrobe.”

On playing a pair of sisters who know nothing about each other: “I’m just fascinated by twins. It’s such an interesting thing. I’m an only child, so I don’t have a sibling. But you think about what siblings have, and it intensifies so much when you think about being in the womb together. These are two girls that shared everything, and were so close, and then something so tragic ripped them apart. It’s like losing a part of yourself, because twins are a part of each other. I just think that’s so interesting.”

On returning to television versus film: “I’m loving it more than I thought I would…The nomadic lifestyle does work for a lot of working parents. But for me, I’ve traveled. I’ve seen it.  I want to be able to go home at night and see my daughter. I want to be there for her first day of school, and her school recital. And they’ve been amazing about working around (my) schedule…all the big milestones, I’m there for.”

On whether being the face of The CW this fall makes her feel pressured: “Yes and no.  I’m so proud of the show, and I’m enjoying it so much. I hope it takes off with fans, and if for some unknown reason it doesn’t, I’ve had the best time and I don’t regret a minute of it.”

On what sets this show apart from other CW shows: “Have you seen the men on my show?…I tell any actress, the trick is, play all the female characters on your show, and then all the men are yours.”

“All joking aside…I’m a television watcher, and I get frustrated with shows sometimes when they set up puzzles and then they don’t give answers. And it’s just more questions, and more questions. One of the things that’s really important to all of us is that we will give answers to the questions. Yes, they may bring up some more questions and some more mysteries, but there will be answers and you will understand the motivations and the circumstances of why this happened.”

On whether she’ll have opportunities to do her own stunts: “I don’t know! I mean, I got chased yesterday in downtown L.A. And I got to hold a gun; Buffy never got a gun. So I’ve had a Skilsaw now, and I’ve had a Glock twice. So we shall see.”

On why we should empathize with Bridget or Siobhan: “Because their journeys, in  both of their minds, are justified. In terms of Siobhan…something happened that was so tragic, and all of her motivations are based on what happened to her, and how that has changed the course of her life. And for Bridget, she’s made a lot of mistakes, but ultimately she’s trying to redeem herself. I think everybody can understand what it’s like when you want to make better the mistakes you’ve made in the past.”

On how often we’ll get answers: “You’ll find something out every act break!”

On whether TV has changed since “Buffy”: “Oh, it’s changed so much. I mean, from the fact that there are so many channels available now, to spoilers…there were blogs when I was on “Buffy.” There were no weekly magazines, there was just really People. I think now, to be able to keep your secrets for your show, it’s so hard. The beauty of our show is that we have to work extra hard to keep that stuff

Next on “Two and a Half Men“! Jake and Alan Harper’s new roommate officially has a name: Walden Schmidt, an Internet billionaire with a broken heart.

Fans have been curious about Ashton Kutcher‘s character, and what his role will be on the aging veteran CBS comedy, in the wake of former co-star Charlie Sheen’s public implosion and firing. The network began capitalizing on that mystery a few weeks ago with a randy promotional poster featuring an apparently naked Kutcher hiding his naughty bits behind a banner that reads “All will be revealed 09.19.11.”

But on Wednesday, 08.03.11, we at least got a name and assurance that full details about Kutcher’s character would be revealed over the course of a two-episode arc. Beyond that, Tassler dodged just about every Sheen-related question TV reporters threw at her.

First, she tried the soft touch: “Who could have predicted that we’d be here in six months?” she asked somewhat rhetorically.

Answer: we did, particularly after the Winter Press Tour where Tassler and other executives assured us that Sheen was doing his job. If memory serves, she also told us that in spite of numerous reports of delayed episode production and bacchanalian parties fueled by hookers and cocaine, CBS had no reason to fire Sheen.

Tassler went on to dodge subsequent queries about the Sheen debacle by simply saying that the producers of “Two and a Half Men,” and the network, were only interested in moving forward. She would not confirm or deny that Sheen’s character Charlie Harper will die a fiery death in the season opener. Instead, she showered compliments on Kutcher, calling him “committed to doing the job, committed to being there,” and assured us that the show is written and produced so well that she’s confident it’ll move on smoothly.

Tassler also revealed the name of Ted Danson‘s character on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” in case you care.  The man replacing Laurence Fishburne‘s Raymond Langston is named DB Russell. What she couldn’t tell us, of course, is whether they believe Danson can halt the ratings decline the series has suffered since William Petersen‘s departure in 2009. As to the reason behind Danson’s selection as opposed to going for a younger actor, Tassler simply said “When his name came up we jumped at him. We went for the best actor.”

But as one can see from the full trailer for “Spartacus: Vengeance,” Lucretia isn’t done yet.

Lawless has been quite busy over the past two seasons – working non-stop, in fact, since the end of “Battlestar Galactica,” in which she played the Cylon D’Anna Biers. In addition to her work on this season of the Starz series and its prequel, “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” she also enjoyed a regular guest starring role on last year’s ABC series “No Ordinary Family.”

But nothing we’ve seen Lawless in before appears to be as psychologically challenging as Lucretia, a formidable woman who, in spite of her intimidating appearance, Lawless characterized as “a little fish swimming for her life with all of these sharks on every side.”

We sat down with the gracious New Zealand actress at the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour in Los Angeles to ask her about what’s in store for Lucretia, whose main source of solace this season will be playing “vicious parlor games” with her enemy Ilithyia.

(You may want to watch the trailer first…and beware that this Q&A contains mild spoilers.)

In the trailer, you’re looking a little…crazy.

A little disheveled. Here’s the thing – when you think about it, she’s lost everything …and maybe even her mind. But this show is full of surprises, so whatever you think is going on, it ain’t that. They make it very twisty.

Even more than last year?

Yeah. Well, it’s a pretty twisty situation for Lucretia because she has no allies, only enemies. And she has to figure out how to become useful.  And the people around her are her mortal enemy, Ilithyia, Ilithyia’s husband, and no slaves to speak of any more.

So, you’ve really gone from being Lady MacBeth to –

Lady MacDuff. She’s got nothing. It’s a very interesting place to find her.

Were you surprised to find that you were coming back for season two? Or did you know that all along?

No. No, no, no. Lucretia was originally slated to die. They had this lovely little story arc: Spartacus and his men all break out, and it’s over for us. They were supposed to move on. But I always thank the press very much, because they showed up to interview me. And that probably made Starz go, “Hang on a minute…she’s useful!” (Lawless laughs.) Still, that wouldn’t have saved me alone. They had to have good stories for me.

That’s what I was going to say. There have been many instances where characters have been brought back for the sake of ratings, and it hasn’t worked. But it looks like it has worked fairly naturally here.

Ilithyia and Lucretia have a lot of unfinished business, and that remains a very powerful driving force in our Roman world. It’s really about those two. So I get to work with the incredible Viva Bianca…she’s really filled the void that John Hannah left. He’s was my acting partner, and we had a wonderful chemistry. But I believe that Viva and I have a very different and very rich relationship on the screen, and in real life. Good woman. A good friend.

As you say, Lucretia will have nothing, which was so different than what she had before. Even the actors (who play gladiators) on the panel said, “we’d fight, we’d go see Lucretia…” you were in a position of power. But all of that is topsy turvy this season.

She’s really going to struggle to get back on top. However, she has a guiding light. She has a guiding principle. I wonder if you guys can guess what that is, because nothing that Lucretia does is without an endgame in mind. She has a mission, and that’ll unfold throughout the series. There is a prophesy – she was quite religious, you know – and she, in her mind, is chosen by the gods to see that the prophesy is fulfilled.

I’ve also read that they’re casting a female warrior. That must be interesting for you to see, given your legacy with “Xena” and everything…

No legacy. That was then.

Well, it’s still a very important part of popular culture. But now, you’re on the other side where you’re doing the political role while someone else is doing the physical.

I much prefer it! It’s lovely. I’m glad I’m out of that arena. I see them all sweating and grunting down there in the sand, and I pity the poor woman who has to join that fray. But she’ll have a good time. The stunt team, they’re all real gentlemen. They’re lucky if they get somebody who’s a dancer, because it’s really much more akin to dancing than fighting. But first and foremost, she has to be a great actress. Because you can stunt double somebody who isn’t great with the action yet, but they can’t stunt double the acting. But…good luck to that girl!

What you said in the panel made me think a lot about perception, on our side, versus the actor or the actress. When someone observed that “Spartacus” is filled with all these very strong female characters, you were saying that you didn’t think Lucretia was very strong at all.

Well, her strength is in her drive to survive. She has no power, is what I said.  I didn’t say she isn’t strong. She is. She has to overcome overwhelming obstacles…The whole thing in “Gods of the Arena” is that she had to make her house into a whorehouse, or they would brutalize her slaves. That really was not OK with her, but she doesn’t have any say in that society. She had to do as her husband commanded, and she was left holding the can at the end of the day when it all went wrong.

Do you see a day when Lucretia gets to return to power and make the rules?

I’m not sure she’ll ever achieve that status again. That would be her desire, but I’m not sure she will get that. But if she continues to survive, she’s winning. She’ll defy the odds every day. There are so many things I want to tell you, but I can’t!

Perhaps you can at least tell us if there’s anything that we should keep an eye on as season two develops.

Almost everything relates back to (Lucretia’s) husband, and her promise to him. From the beginning of “Gods of the Arena,” everything was about the Batiatus character, including killing his father…but the way to fulfill her promise to her husband is through Ilithyia.