NEWS: NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Canceled; NASHVILLE's Charles Esten Faces $1M Question; TV’s Problematic Portrayal of Aging

NASHVILLE star faces $1 million question
Charles Esten (Deacon) will appear as a contestant on WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE with new host Cedric The Entertainer on Wednesday and Thursday. He's playing to see how much he can win for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And the syndicated show reveals he's going to be the first celebrity player ever to make it all the way to the $1 million question on the daytime version of the game show.

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Canceled by USA
“We are proud of this show and its writers, which had a unique ability to address topical subjects before they unfolded in real life on the sports pages,” the network said in a statement. “We want to thank Liz Kruger and Craig Shapiro, the incredible cast led by Golden Globe nominee Callie Thorne and our partners at Sony Television.”

TV’s Problematic Portrayal of Aging
On television these days, if a character is yacking about flatulence, making randy remarks to a member of the opposite sex or being baffled by simple things, that character is likely to have some gray hair. Somehow, it seems, the TV gods have decided that characters old enough to have adult children need to be vulgar, inappropriate or moronic. Or all three.

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Season 3 Finale Preview

Photo Credit: Richard Ducree/USA Network

Season 3 of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS wraps up on Wednesday, August 21st at 10 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network.

In the episode, "Sympathy For the Devil," Dr. Dani (Callie Thorne) searches for her missing client as the V3 scandal comes to a head.

Meanwhile, TK (Mehcad Brooks) may be benched for the big game and Nico (Scott Cohen) has a surprise visitor.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS "Sucker Punch" Preview

Photo Credit: Bob Mahoney/USA Network

Season 3 of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS continues on Wednesday, August 14th at 10 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network.

In the episode, titled "Sucker Punch," Dr. Dani (Callie Thorne) trades punches with a championship boxer who wants to get back in the ring. TK seeks treatment at the V3 clinic while Nico (Scott Cohen) follows a new lead that takes him to the clinic as well. Abby is brought into the V3 fold, but it's unclear whose side she is really on.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Preview: "Bringing the Heat"

Photo by: Richard DuCree/USA Network

Season 3 of NECESSARY ROUGHNESS continues on Wednesday, July 31st at 10 p.m. ET/PT on USA Network.

In the episode, titled "Bringing the Heat," Connor (John Stamos) asks Dr. Dani to resume a course of therapy with her very first V3 client. TK struggles to shake Sheera (Kate Miner) after their break-up. Nico continues to work behind the scenes for the FBI to investigate the scandal at V3.

Watch a sneak peek video below:

USA Launches TK GETS REAL, A NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Web Series

As NECESSARY ROUGHNESS enters its third season, USA Network is debuting TK GETS REAL, a webisode series focused on Terrance "TK" King (Mehcad Brooks), the Hawk's star receiver who is on a quest to become a reality star. Fans will get a window into TK's personal life that dovetails with the on-air storyline as he looks to extend his reputation beyond football this season. He enlists the help of former Bravo REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA star Shereé Whitfield, along with Dr. Dani's new assistant Paloma (Karissa Lee Staples), to stir up some drama and create a sizzle reel to dazzle Hollywood.

Fans can watch TK's progress as he gets some guidance from Whitfield along with other members of the NECESSARY ROUGHNESS cast. As each video ends, fans will help Paloma create the marketing materials for TK's reality show pitch and then share their creations on their favorite social channels. They'll be able to fashion a tagline for his show and craft language for his billboards and promotions.

John Stamos Signs On for Multi-Episode Arc On NECESSARY ROUGHNESS

Emmy-nominated actor and producer John Stamos (GENERAL HOSPITAL, GLEE) has signed on as a recurring guest star in season three of USA’s critically-acclaimed summer series NECESSARY ROUGHNESS opposite Golden Globe-nominated Callie Thorne (RESCUE ME), Mehcad Brooks (TRUE BLOOD), Scott Cohen (GILMORE GIRLS) and Marc Blucas (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER). Produced by Sony Pictures Television, the series is shot in Atlanta and will film 10 episodes for season three.

USA Sets Winter Premiere Dates For SUITS, WHITE COLLAR & NECESSARY ROUGHNESS

USA has announced January return dates for three of its hit series, SUITS, WHITE COLLAR and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS. SUITS, the network's "most provocative drama," kicks off the second half of its sophomore season on Thursday, January 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with six new episodes. WHITE COLLAR returns for the resolution of its thrilling cliffhanger on Tuesday, January 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with six new episodes to wrap up the series' fourth season. NECESSARY ROUGHNESS fires up the back half of its second season with five new episodes premiering on Wednesday, January 23 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

NEW ROUNDUP: Kassie DePaiva Visits Ailing Father. GH Recast? 3C Infringement? Plus, Lori Loughlin, Viacom vs. DirecTV, Freddie Smith & More

"3C" cast Jake Silbermann, Anna Chlumsky and Hannah Cabell

New play "3C" concludes run despite cease and desist order from THREE'S COMPANY
Most playwrights have jitters on opening night, but David Adjmi was in a panic amid the festivities last month for “3C,” his darkly comic deconstruction of the 1970s sitcom “Three’s Company.” That same day he learned that the copyright owner of “Three’s Company” had sent a cease-and-desist letter to the play’s producers charging that Mr. Adjmi had infringed on the copyright by borrowing so many elements from the TV series, including its premise about a man who pretends to be gay to live with two female roommates.

The show went on — but the copyright fight remains far from resolved.

USA Network To Air Marathons All Next Week: SUITS, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS, BURN NOTICE

USA Network is airing marathons of its biggest shows all next week from SUITS and NECESSARY ROUGHNESS to BURN NOTICE. Check out the schedule below:

SUNDAY, JULY 1
NCIS marathon – 12/11c
Kick off July with a mini vacation. Sit back and enjoy a 12-hour marathon of NCIS investigative drama to refresh your memory on just how good our favorite undercover unit is at solving crimes and saving lives. The marathon will air from 12pm to 12am.

MONDAY, JULY 2

USA Launches THE NICO FILES, A NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Web Series

USA Network today launched THE NICO FILES, a seven-week webisode franchise tied to the hit original series NECESSARY ROUGHNESS. Fans will be able to go beyond the on-air story to peer into the role of Nico Careles (Scott Cohen), the enigmatic Hawks' employee with a job description that seems as vague as his background.

Each week they’ll interact with customized videos, created by the show’s writing team and overseen by executive producers Liz Krueger, Jeff Lieber and Craig Shapiro. Viewers will open a window into the story behind the hard decisions that Nico makes and no one else on the team can.