NEW YORK (Nov. 26) - Former “Nightline” host Ted Koppel and his
documentary team are taking a buyout from the Discovery Channel six
months before the end of their contracts.

Both sides said it was clear there was no interest in continuing
to work together. Koppel’s last project, a documentary about
lynching in the United States called “The Last Lynching,” aired a
few weeks ago.

Canceled Shows in 08

Show: ‘Pushing Daisies’
Network: ABC
Seasons On-Air: 2

Ron Tom, ABC

Show: ‘Eli Stone’
Network: ABC
Seasons On-Air: 2

Richard Cartwright, ABC

Show: ‘Dirty Sexy Money’
Network: ABC
Seasons On-Air: 2

Michael Desmond, ABC

Show: ‘Lipstick Jungle’
Network: NBC
Seasons On-Air: 2

Nicole Rivelli, NBC

Show: ‘Boston Legal’
Network: ABC
Seasons On-Air: 5

ABC

Show: ‘King of the Hill’
Network: FOX
Seasons On-Air: 13

FOX

Show: ‘My Own Worst Enemy’
Network: NBC
Seasons On-Air: 1

Paul Drinkwater, NBC

Show: ‘Do Not Disturb’
Network: FOX
Seasons On-Air: 1

Ray Mickshaw, FOX

Top management at both the network and its parent company,
Discovery Communications Inc., has changed since Koppel arrived
there from ABC’s “Nightline” in January 2006.

The new management is more interested in projects that can be
rerun for a long period of time both in the U.S. and
internationally, and news programs have a shorter shelf life, said
company spokesman David Leavy.

Celebrity TV Casting

Emilio Estevez cast in ‘Two and a Half Men’ (CBS)
The ‘Mighty Ducks’ star will play brother Charlie Sheen’s old drinking buddy in an upcoming episode. The pair’s dad has also guest starred on the hit comedy.

Joe Thomas, Getty Images

Danneel Harris cast in ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (CBS)
She’ll play the (very hot) sister to Ted’s fiancee Stella (Sarah Chalke) on a episode to air during November sweeps. Another conquest for Barney? Perhaps. But we wouldn’t be shocked if she somehow comes between the (possible) future Mr. and Mrs. Moseby.

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George Clooney NOT cast in ‘ER’ (NBC)
Despite how badly showrunner David Zabel wants to page Dr. Ross back to ‘ER’ for it’s 15th and final season, George Clooney still says thanks … but no thanks.

Getty Images

Mary McDonnell cast in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ (ABC)
The ‘Battlestar Gallactica’ star is in final negotiations to join the medical drama for a three- to five- episode arc this fall/winter.

Getty Images

Scott Wolf cast in ‘CSI: NY’ (CBS)
The ‘Party of Five’ alum joins Chris Daughtry and Rumer Willis in the show’s 100th episode. They all play people named Mac Taylor — yep, a name shared by show lead Gary Sinise. Wouldn’t be so bad, except there’s a serial killer who’s decided he doesn’t really like Mac Taylors, so he’s offing them one by one.

Getty Images

William Fichtner cast in ‘Night & Day’ (TNT)
He’s signed on as the lead — an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms — in ‘24′ creator Joel Surnow’s pilot. Don’t worry, though — there are currently no plans to kill of Fichtner’s Mahone on ‘Prison Break.’ Fichtner will only star on the show should ‘Prison’ not return for a fifth season.

Getty Images

Anthony Edwards cast in ‘ER’ (NBC)
Dr. Mark Greene is returning to ‘ER,’ via flashback. Anthony Edwards was killed off the long-running hospital drama back in 2002 (it was a tumor), but will make an appearance in the show’s final season in a scene with new regular Angela Bassett. Sadly, it seems George Clooney won’t join him.

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Oprah Winfrey cast in ‘30 Rock’ (NBC)
She’ll appear as herself on an upcoming episode of the Emmy-winning sitcom.

APTN / AP

Seth Green cast in ‘My Name Is Earl’ & ‘Heroes’ (NBC)
On ‘Earl,’ he’ll play Buddy Zaks, a former Make-a-Wish child whose dream of starring in an action movie was ruined by Earl. And he and buddy Breckin Meyer are in for a multi-episode stint as a pair of comic book geeks on ‘Heroes.’

Getty Images

Lauren Conrad cast in ‘Greek’ (ABC Family)
The leading lady of MTV’s ‘The Hills’ will give the accepted definition of “acting” a go — though she won’t have to stretch much — when she plays herself in a dream sequence for ‘Greek’s’ second season finale on Oct. 28.

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Among his work at Discovery: a four-hour documentary on the
changes to Chinese society, which aired before the Olympics this
summer, and “Living With Cancer,” a piece that chronicled the
health fight of former “Nightline” colleague Leroy Sievers.

Koppel’s documentary unit is breaking up, but not his
professional relationship with longtime producer Tom Bettag.

“Ted and I have worked together for a long time and hope to
continue to do more good news programming,” Bettag said Tuesday.
“We just don’t know where it will be at this point.”