Thanks to TVGuide for leaking the pictures of the new BIG BROTHER contestants. That’s right folks, it’s winter but we’re about to embark on a new winter themed version of our summer obsession. Big Brother 9 starts February 12th (I believe) and the Chenbot returns as host.

Here are our newest group of exhibitionists house guests. Click on each picture for a larger view and their names.

Wow, check out the boobs on that Natalie! So gross. Boston’s represented in 2 players so that’s always fun. I’m finding Joshuah’s smile to be damned adorable. As for the rest, I’m sure I’ll love and hate them all at some point. Bring on Big Brother!

*Update: The Big Brother 9 Twist Is Revealed.

Here are a bunch of pictures from this past weekend’s Fashion Week event, The Heart Truth featuring a ton of TV’s favorite leading ladies. The West Wing’s Allison Janney, The Practice’s Camryn Manheim, Curb’s Cheryl Hines, The Office’s Jenna Fischer, Project Runway’s Heidi Klum, Ugly Betty’s Ana Ortiz, E!’s Lisa Rinna, Grey’s Sara Ramirez, Las Vegas’ Molly Sims, 24’s Mary Lynn Rajskub, and others joined First Douche Laura Bush to raise awareness for women and heart disease with The Red Dress Collection 2008.

Day 92 of the WGA Strike and still no concrete evidence of the picket lines coming down any time soon. Rumors. The Hollywood Reporter just posted a good article about where the networks stand and which shows would be poised to return first if and when the WGA comes to a tentative agreement with the AMPTP.

You’ll surely be happy to learn shows like The Office and Lost could be fast tracked back into production and that the summer shows could seemlessly return but some of our faves are dead in the water until Fall where they may or may not have extended seasons. Read on my friends…

After a three-month lull, agents’ phones began ringing off the hook again Monday as word about an imminent end to the writers strike spread around Hollywood during the weekend.

The talks are still in the exploratory stage since the deal between the writers and the studios is still being finalized, but contingency plans put in place by the TV networks and studios will have existing series return on the air on average four weeks (for multicamera comedies) to six weeks (for dramas) after the official end of the strike.

How quickly each show can go back to production depends on the condition of the scripts started before the strike. The prep time needed is said to be two weeks for multicamera comedies and four weeks for more elaborate productions.

However, networks are not expected to ask every series to produce more episodes this season, which doesn’t necessarily mean that those shows will be automatically canceled.

“Each network needs to decide what shows it needs for the rest of the season,” one network executive said.

Some freshman and bubble series and heavily serialized dramas may not do more original episodes this season but would get pickups for next fall to give the creative team time to work on them, some sources said. Among the series rumored to possibly resume production in the summer are NBC’s serialized hit “Heroes,” which could do an extended run next season, and ABC’s promising freshman “Pushing Daisies.”

However, others cautioned that the networks may want to get more episodes of all of their series in the can as a contingency in case of a SAG strike in the summer.

Fox’s “24″ is among the shows expected to go back to production first. Despite the fact that the real-time drama won’t air new episodes this season, it will ramp up production quickly to avoid losing some of the actors needed for the entire 24-episode arc whose options will be up soon.

Also expected to resume production quickly are ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Brothers & Sisters”; CBS’ “CSI” franchise, “Without a Trace” and “Cold Case”; and such multicamera comedies as CBS’ “Two and a Half Men” and “The Big Bang Theory” and Fox’s ” ‘Til Death.”

NBC’s “The Office” has a script ready to shoot as production on the episode, which was slated to film the first week of the strike, was shut down because star Steve Carell refused to cross the picket line.

The end of the strike also will bring resolution to low-rated freshman series whose future was put in limbo because of the strike. No orders are expected for new episodes of such series as ABC’s “Big Shots,” CBS’ “Cane,” NBC’s “Journeyman” and Fox’s “K-Ville,” though some sources indicated the jury is still out on “Cane,” which has several scripts ready.

Things are murkier on the development front. All broadcast networks except NBC terminated a portion of their development last month, citing lesser needs because of the strike. The broadcast networks can still opt for a truncated pilot season, but by the time the strike is over, they will be at a point where they will have normally ordered all their pilots. To get pilots up and running, the nets will have to rely heavily on first drafts since very few scripts had been delivered before the work stoppage.

A few pilots, including Fox’s “The Oaks” and NBC’s movie/backdoor pilot “Knight Rider,” were filmed during the strike. Several more, including NBC’s “The Man of Your Dreams” and Fox’s dramas “The FBI” and “Saint of Circumstance,” are slated to go into production shortly after the strike ends.

Additionally, studios are prepping pitches to go out as soon as the strike is over.

An imminent end to the strike would mean virtually no disruption of cable networks’ scheduling plans.

Should the strike end in the next month or so, writing would start right away on TNT’s “The Closer” and “Saving Grace,” which would be back on track for their summer runs as originally scheduled.

As for USA, a spokesperson said that the network’s summer programming also would remain pretty much intact if the strike ends over the next few weeks. Premiere dates for certain shows likely have to be pushed back but only by a few weeks.

With the second season of “The Tudors” wrapped, filming on “Brotherhood,” “Dexter” and “Californication” not scheduled to begin until June and “Weeds” in production with a waiver for producer Lionsgate, Showtime’s filming schedule also won’t be affected.

If you’re one of the twenty plus states heading to the polls today, good luck. I’ll be heading out after work to fill in my little scantron for one Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton which is funny because I think Jon and I will cancel each other out as I’m pretty sure he’s voting for Obama.

The real reason for this post is not one of a political nature but one of annoyance at the PRE-pre-empting of tonight’s The Biggest Loser . Twice since the primaries have been gearing up, The Biggest Loser has been cut short here in Massachusetts to give polling results by our local NBC affiliate and tonight I’m pretty sure the two hour episode will be cut in half (at least). If they were willing to interrupt the show for Iowa and New Hampshire, I’m pretty damn positive they’re going to ruin my whole night of television for our own state. Just a hunch.

So if you’re a Masshole addicted to The Biggest Loser, don’t count on seeing much of the slowly thinning cast tonight. That makes me sad as it’s pretty much my #1 obsession right now.

Get out there and VOTE!