Tuning In

Curtains for ’Pirate’

CBS is making “Pirate Master” walk the plank.

According to Variety, the network has pulled the Mark Burnett-produced reality series from its lineup, effective immediately. The show premiered to weak numbers in May and had been sinking ever since, despite a shift to a Monday night slot earlier this month.

Five episodes of “Pirate Master” remain unaired. Those will be streamed via CBS.com and the CBS Audience Network, with new segments posting every Tuesday.

It’s been a tough summer for Mr. Burnett. His Fox collaboration with Steven Spielberg, the film competition series “On the Lot,” was scaled back to one episode per week after failing to generate much interest from viewers.

On the positive side, Mr. Burnett recently landed a renewal for NBC’s “The Apprentice,” which will air a celeb-filled edition next year.

New docs on ’House’

After its third-season finale hinted at a major cast shake-up, “House” has cast a quintet of potential fresh faces.

Olivia Wilde, Kal Penn, Peter Jacobson, Anne Dudek and Edi Gathegi will appear on the Fox drama this fall, though it remains to be seen how long each of the actors will stick around.

When last we left the brilliant but prickly Dr. House (Hugh Laurie), all three members of his previously stable team (House’s “condos” or “cottages” in online parlance) had departed. Dr. Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) had quit to avoid becoming like House. Then House fired Dr. Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), saying that the young doctor had learned everything he could in his fellowship. Finally, feeling that her decision wouldn’t change House’s life anyway, Dr. Allison Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) also quit. At least House got a new guitar.

Although the characters played by Mr. Epps, Mr. Spencer and Miss Morrison may have fled the fold, all three actors are expected back this season. Yet when “House” kicks off on Sept. 25, the titular character will be looking for new doctors for his fellowship program — which brings us to Miss Wilde and Miss Dudek and Messrs. Penn, Jacobson and Gathegi.

Miss Wilde is a Fox casting favorite, having done tours of duty on “Skin” and “The O.C.” Her latest credits are NBC’s short-lived “The Black Donnellys” and the feature “Alpha Dog.” Mr. Penn appeared on four episodes of “24” last season and also did the pilot “The Call” for ABC this past development run. His feature credits include this spring’s “The Namesake” as well as “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and its upcoming sequel.

Mr. Jacobson was a co-star of Fox’s “Method & Red” during its brief 2004 run. His other TV credits include “In Justice” and “Law & Order,” and he can be seen on the big screen in “Transformers.”

Miss Dudek has been seen in “Big Day” and “Bones”; Mr. Gathegi appeared on “Lincoln Heights” and has a supporting role in the upcoming feature “Gone Baby Gone.”

Glaring omission

In last Thursday’s list of major nominees for the 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Associated Press erroneously omitted Ricky Gervais from the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series category, the news cooperative said yesterday.

The correct nominations, along with their shows and networks in that category, are Mr. Gervais, “Extras,” HBO; Tony Shalhoub, “Monk,” USA; Steve Carell, “The Office,” NBC; Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock,” NBC; and Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS, AP said.

’Bee’ strong for NBC

Television’s top five shows for the week of July 16 through 23, from Nielsen Media Research are:

1. “Singing Bee,” NBC.

2. “America’s Got Talent,” NBC.

3. “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC.

4. “So You Think You Can Dance” (Thursday), Fox.

5. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” CBS.

Compiled by Robyn-Denise Yourse from Web and wire reports.