Meanwhile, Amy Poehler isn’t the only cast member of “Parks and Recreation” keeping herself in the spotlight. While the comedian is off giving speeches at Harvard, her costar Nick Offerman (who plays her boss and meat-lover Ron Swanson) has been wooing Oprah to come play his first ex-wife next season.  As he told the Huffington Post:

“I think Oprah would be the only, she’s the only person we can think of that might be intimidating to Megan Mullally. It would be so good.”

He then added, “I can assure you if it’s not Oprah, I will quit.”

And while that’s doubtful, Oprah should actually consider it. She did cameo on “30 Rock,” so it’s only fair.

Rounding out the news cycle is Danny Pudi, who plays Abed on “Community.” Anyone who still thinks that show isn’t being taken seriously should check out Variety right now, where “Abed” has been given a column in-character for Emmy season. He’s predicting who will win the awards based solely on his extensive knowledge of television and film (despite never having seen the shows in question), as well as his more savant-like tendencies:

I sort the last four into two groups: a) shows that have won an Emmy, so it seems like they’ll win again, and b) shows that haven’t won yet, so it seems like their turn. Sorting every winner since “I Love Lucy” in 1953:

 B A B B A B A B B AA B B AB B A A B B AA A B A A B B A B B A B AB                              A A B B A A A A B B B B B B A B B A A B

The “ABBA” pattern emerges soon and repeats often, as people’s urge to shake up a system always results in systemic shaking. I totally get it: I once missed a week of school by trying not to touch my chin 7,000 times. The stretches of non-ABBA you see are “cable scares,” like when we just kept giving Emmys to “Frasier” until “Larry Sanders” went away. Think of TV as Rain Man getting through HBO’s smoke alarm by chanting “I like the guy from Cheers.”

The whole article is amazing, and by far my favorite post-finale offering from an NBC comedy actor. Then again, I’m a little biased.

Episode 1: Soft Served! (With Brian Williams)

Episode 2: Iced!

Episode 3: Rokered!

Well, at least now there is always a possibility for a Marvel spin-off.

CNBC President Mark Hoffman said Haines was “always the unflappable pro.”

“He was an authentic voice in business media,” said Eric Jackson, who runs the hedge fund Ironfire Capital. “He resonated with so many people because he would speak out, and with opinion. Too often the media lets the corporate PR army and highly trained CEOs get their points across without question. He wouldn’t let that happen.”

Barry Ritholtz, head of the research firm Fusion IQ and frequent guest on CNBC, said Haines was “a no-nonsense straight shooter. He knew what questions to ask and how to ask them.”

Ritholtz said that the biggest complaint about CNBC in the 1990s was that its anchors cheered on the stock-market bubble. He said the exception was Haines, who was always skeptical.

“He was trained as an attorney,” Ritholtz said. “He brought that keen lawyer’s eye to everything he did. It wasn’t something often seen in the financial media.”

Haines had a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, CNBC said.

Haines is also remembered for calling a bottom to the stock market decline on March 10, 2009, his first call of the recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average never closed below its level of March 9.

Haines is survived by his wife, Cindy, his son, Matt, and daughter, Meredith.

CNBC said funeral arrangements have yet to be made.

——

AP Business Writer Rachel Beck contributed to this story.

From NBC:

1.”Up All Night”

With Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, and Christina Applegate. It’s about babies, which all three of these actors have, so at least they are working with the source material. Here’s hoping it’s not another “Running Wilde” for Arnett.

2. “Bent”

We mentioned last week that this show starred Amanda Peet as a rich divorcee in love with her contractor. We forgot to mention “Arrested Development’s” Jeffrey Tambor costars though, so that might be an incentive. (He’s not the contractor.)

3. “Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea”

Starring Laura Prepon as a Chelsea Handler stand-in who works at a bar. And sounds exactly like Donna from “That Seventies’ Show” and nothing like Handler. But still props to NBC for making such a female-centric comedy lineup. Let’s just see if Prepon can pull it off.

 4. “Free Agents”

This American remake of a British comedy will hopefully make Hank Azaria recognizable to audiences as more than just the voice of Apu. Here he’s a PR consultant battling workplace drama and romance. Expect banter. 

 5. “Smash”

Pairs up Debra Messing with “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee and the guys who did “Chicago.” And it’s a musical. SOLD!

 6. “The Playboy Club”

It’s like  “Mad Men,” but with more Playboy Bunnies. At least, that’s what NBC is going to try to sell you on.

7. “Awake”

Wins best show on its concept alone: a man wakes up from a car crash straddling two realities, each carrying its own set of personal tragedies. He solves crimes in both of them, but with different partners. In one world, his wife is dead, and in another, it’s his son. “Awake” sounds like “Sliding Doors” but with Lucius Malfoy from “Harry Potter” instead of Gwyneth Paltrow … and also amazing. Too bad it doesn’t premiere till mid-2012.

 8. “Grimm”

Reimagines classic fairy tales as supernatural criminal activity happening all around us.  So like “True Blood” meets “Law and Order?” Could be awesome, or it could be incredibly corny.

 8. “Whitney”

Finally gives gut-busting comedienne Whitney Cummings a showcase for her talents. Too bad the preview makes it look like she’s doing a one-woman show of “Perfect Couples.” Off-topic, but did they already cancel “Perfect Couples?”

10. “Prime Suspect”

Another quirky police drama starring Maria Bello. Is she a dog psychic? No? Snooze. However, Dame Helen Mirren originated this role in the British version, so Maria actually has some big shoes to fill despite the over-saturated market in police procedurals.

Meanwhile over at Fox, we have a whole bunch of new spooky mysteries to unravel (over the course of seven seasons, the network hopes).

1. “Alcatraz”

You’d think that “The Event’s” failure would have taught studios that we’re not ready for another “Lost” knockoff, but what about one that is produced by “Lost’s” J.J. Abrams and actually stars a former cast member? Jorge Garcia and Sam Neill team up to track down time-traveling prisoners who were able to dig their way through time and space with only a spoon and a picture of Rita Hayworth.

 2. “Terra Nova”

Deals with time travel as well, but this time a bunch of scientists are going back to fix civilization, like they made Bruce Willis do in “Twelve Monkeys.”

 3. “Finder”

A spin-off of “Bones” starring Geoff Stults as a guy who is basically House, except for locating stuff instead of figuring out rare diseases. (At this point, I feel like Fox creates characters with a giant Mad Libs game. “So he’s a ____ who is almost psychically good at deducing ____, which makes it hard for him to relate to ____.”)

 4. “New Girl”

Is for all you hipsters out there who were waiting for someone to give Zooey Deschanel a show already. Who cares what it’s about? Look at her glasses! She’s so fun … but you can tell, there’s a real depth to her too.

 5. “I Hate My Teenage Daughter”

Stars Jaime Pressly and Katie Finneran as moms who tell it like it really is. In other news, “S#*t My Dad Says” has been canceled. Parents rule! Take that, 18-25-year-old demographic!

6. “Napoleon Dynamite”

The cartoon cashing in on the film’s zeitgeist just in time.

7. “Allen Gregory”

Fox’s other new animated series, created and starring Jonah Hill. We have a little more hope for this one, but can Hill carry off a production all by himself?

So what do you think folks? Which one of these shows will sink, and which ones will become our new favorite thing to TiVo?

Meanwhile, three other shows have been picked for the peacock’s lineup, including “Free Agents,” an American remake of a British comedy about the romantic lives of P.R. executives. Exciting! Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn star in the Americanized version along with Anthony Head (Giles from “Buffy”), who will be reprising his role from the original series.

Then there is “BFFs,” which I refuse to discuss until it starts spelling itself correctly. You’re a TV show, not a text message. Get it together, iCarly.

“Bent” is a divorced Amanda Peet falling for her contractor, David Walton. What’s keeping them apart? She’s rich and he’s a surfer. I’m giving it two episodes before that gets tired.

Out of all these shows, I have the most hope for “Free Agents,” which NBC is clearly hoping will have the same cross-pond success as “The Office.” Azaria hasn’t been given a lead for a long time, and has been wasted in countless movies as the douchey boyfriend of the female love interest.

I’ve saved the best news for last: “Outsourced” has been canceled! Thank the lord. So has “The Event,” proving that, no, America wasn’t really dying for a show that combined “Lost,” “24″ and aliens.