House First Look: Jeffrey Wright Puts Dr. House on Trial!

Jeffrey Wright and Hugh Laurie Just how important is Jeffrey Wright's upcoming guest role on House? "Jeffrey's character really decides the fate of the series - he puts House's process on trial," executive producer Greg Yaitanes tells TVGuide.com of Monday's episode, "Nobody's Fault."Get more scoop on your favorite shows in our Winter TV previewWright plays Dr. Walter Cofield, a renowned neurologist and the former mentor of Omar Epps' Foreman. When one of Princeton Plainsboro's patients is involved in a violent incident, Cofield questions House (Hugh Laurie) and his team about their particular style of practicing medicine. At the very least, his ruling could cost House his license and possibly send him back to the slammer."These are questions we've never really asked of the series before, one of which is: What is the responsibility of everybody in an environment of recklessness?" Yaitanes says. "I think every character is forever changed by the events that take place in that episode."In the first-look video below, which features clips from the upcoming episode, Yaitanestakes us behindthe scenes for the making of this pivotal hour. In particular, he notes the importance of casting Wright, who won an Emmy for his role on Angels in America.Jeffrey Wright checks in to House"I needed somebody across the table from Hugh Laurie that was formidable," Yaitanes says. Laurie, meanwhile, was less impressed. "I'm very jealous, by the way, because I wanted to play Cofield," he jokes."Nobody's Fault" airs Monday at 8/7c on Fox. Get your first look at the episode below.

Universal counts to 'Thirteen'

Universal has pre-emptively bought "13," a spec by Benjamin Magid, and arrange it with Uni-based Strike Entetrainment and Brooklyn Weaver at Energy Entertainment.Veteran production professional Kristel Laiblin introduced the project into Strike's Eric Newman and can oversee."13" focuses on possession and it is understood to employ a combination of found-footage reason for sights. The storyline is similar to 1990's "Flatliners," which starred Jennifer Aniston and Kiefer Sutherland as school of medicine students experimentation using the line between existence and dying. Purchase closed Friday evening. Magid composed "Pan," a supernatural undertake J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan," that is scheduled to enter production later this season with Chris Tuffin, Renee Tab and Weaver creating and Ben Hibon pointing. Magid's repped by WME and handled by Energy Entertainment. WME and teamed on last week's spec purchase of Kaira Ingelsby actioner "Run Through The Night" to Warner Bros. inside a preemptive deal. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

'White Collar' sees ratings dip

Posted: Wed., Jan. 18, 2012, 12:25pm PTUSA Network staple "White Collar" took a hit Tuesday night in its premiere episode for the second half of season three. Skein, starring Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay, drew 3.2 million total viewers. That was good enough to just edge past FX's "Justified" in the same 10 p.m. timeslot, but it was down 600,000 viewers, or about 16%, from a year ago. In the 18-49 demo, the episode scored 1.4 million viewers, down from the 1.3 million viewers from last January. Also competing in the same timeslot Tuesday was TNT cop drama "Southland" as well as new episodes of NBC's "Parenthood" and ABC's "Body of Proof." CBS aired a repeat of "Unforgettable." As is the case for all cable series, numbers for "White Collar" will increase during the week when multiple telecasts and DVR viewing is accounted for. The first half of the third season of "White Collar" aired during the summer. USA Network, with an ever-expanding lineup of original shows, is considering not breaking up seasons as it has often done in the past. Series, from Fox Television Studios, was created by Jeff Eastin, who exec produces with Mark Goffman. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Lookout! Records wooden wooden shutters

Lookout! Records, the Berkeley, Calif.-based indie label that released early efforts from such key third-wave punk bands as Eco-friendly Day, Operation Ivy, the Mr. T Experience as well as the Donnas, has shuttered. News in the closing was revealed by singer-songwriter Ted Leo, whose band Ted Leo as well as the Pharmacy specialist was signed for the label from 2001-2006. The label will be in dire straits lately, ceasing to create audio in 2006, and may now cease to reprint its back catalog material too, with lots of Lookout!-distributed music getting already disappeared from digital retailers and streaming services. Founded later by David Hayes and Ray Livermore, the label will be a key hub for bands inside the pop-punk genre that skyrocketed around the rear of Eco-friendly Day's major-label jump to Reprise inside the mid-1990's. The label was later handicapped having a spate of complaints over delinquent royalties in the heart of yesteryear decade, with bands for instance Squealing Weasel, Avail, and lastly Eco-friendly Day all declaring back rights for his or her masters. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com