Thanks to the impossible sexiness of Sarah Shahi, it was widely assumed that USA would renew “Fairly Legal,” a decision that the cable channel made official yesterday. But that doesn’t mean that the show won’t see some changes:

The renewal decision was made based on the show’s appealing star, Sarah Shahi, and its potential, USA’s co-presidents Jeff Wachtel and Chris McCumber said. “We think there is a creative and audience upside to the show,” Wachtel said. “Not every first season is the best, and we think it is a show that can do better.” He didn’t elaborate, but I hear the network is planning changes in the series’ creative direction for Season 2. [Deadline]

At this point in time, I’d like to direct the USA network to the photo gallery here for some creative ideas for Season 2. There’s some really great material for Shahi’s character development there: Shahi fellating a cucumber, Shahi in her underwear, Shahi working as a stripper, Shahi having lesbian sex, Shahi having heterosexual sex… Really, the options are limitless. I’d even tolerate a story arc where she has both lesbian sex AND straight sex. I’m pretty open-minded like that.

Parks and Recreation (NBC) — Season premiere. After stumbling out of the gate in its first season, “Parks and Rec” became arguably the funniest show on TV in its critically lauded but little-watched second season. There’s so much to love about this show: Rashida Jones playing straight man to Amy Poehler’s lunacy. Every deadpan comment and sarcastic look from Aubrey Plaza. Great performances from Rob Lowe and Adam Scott. Aziz Ansari. Chris Pratt. And of course: Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, probably my favorite character on TV right now. Watch this show or fade into irrelevance. [Read the Hitfix interview with Amy Poehler]

Community (NBC) — Back from hiatus! I had a dream about Alison Brie last night in which we had a long conversation about tennis. I woke up massively disappointed in my unconscious. I suppose I’m gay.

Perfect Couples (NBC) — Series premiere (I don’t count last month’s sneak preview). This is, of course, part of NBC’s all-new three-hour comedy block, featuring the two awesome shows above, “30 Rock,” “The Office,” and the execrable “Outsourced.” Pick and choose your viewing wisely.

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Pictured here is Iranian-American actress Sarah Shahi. She’s not involved with this story about an Iranian-American comedy in the works for ABC, but you’re going to need something nice to look at while this gigantic turd works its way through your system:

The network has handed out a pilot order to the single-camera comedy “Funny in Farsi,” with [Barry] Sonnenfeld on board to direct and executive produce.

Based on Firoozeh Dumas’ memoir, the ABC Studios-produced “Farsi” is inspired by the Iranian-born author’s experiences growing up in Newport Beach, Calif., during the 1970s… The book was adapted by Jeffrey Hodes and Nastaran Dibai (“According to Jim”), who penned the pilot script. [THR]

To recap: a fish-out-of-water sitcom featuring foreigners in America, from a writer for “According to Jim” and the director of RV. Remember RV? It was Sonnenfeld’s last film. Go ahead, watch the trailer.

Sonnenfeld also directed “Pushing Daisies,” which had good actors, a good premise, good writing — and a terrible plastic sheen that didn’t match the dark mood of the show. Way to go, lousy director! Here, see what you can do with these foreign accents! Add as many record scratches as you need!

(more Sarah Shahi here)

It’s been a surprisingly heartening week for TV news. First “Sons of Anarchy” beat Jay Leno in the ratings, and now Ashlee Simpson has been fired from “Melrose Place.” Not that that matters, since she’s a terrible actress on a terrible show, but it’s a nice bookend to the extra good news that Sarah Shahi has been given another leading role.

Shahi has landed the lead in USA Network’s pilot “Facing Kate,” lifting the contingency off the project.

The pilot, produced by Universal Cable Prods., centers on Kate (Shahi), a divorced San Francisco woman who leaves her job as a lawyer to become a mediator.

It absolutely infuriates me that everybody reading this post knows who Ashlee Simpson is, yet many of you have likely never heard of Shahi. She’s a former Dallas Cowboy cheerleader who most recently starred in “Life,” and before that she was on “The L Word” and had little roles in everything from “The Sopranos” to Old School. And while she’s not the second coming of Meryl Streep, she’s definitely a way better actress than Ashlee Simpson and — equally if not more important — 800 brazilian times better looking. Seriously, this fame discrepancy makes me want to line up the editors of every gossip magazine in America and punch each one of them in the throat.

Well I’m not gonna let this stand. Below: the absurd amount of sexiness that we deserve to make up for Ashlee Simpson’s fame.

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“Little help? We seem to have misplaced our cargo shorts and t-shirts.”

Hollywood is always finding new and exciting ways to rip off old series instead of producing new ideas.  Most recently, Showtime has greenlit a reality version of the scripted lesbian drama “The L Word.”  The new series, titled “The Real L Word: Los Angeles,” is slated for a nice-episode run.

Show will follow six lesbians in Los Angeles as they go about their lives — a lesbian answer to Bravo‘s “Real Housewives” franchise. Project is dependent on casting, the net said; if all goes as planned, “The Real L Word” would debut sometime next year. [Variety]

Reality show casting for lesbians + Los Angeles = no actual lesbians on the show.  What you’re going to see is six attractive struggling actresses pretending to be gay so they can get on TV.  Not that I’m complaining, mind you.  Someone else can head up the coalition to get more bull dykes on TV.  I’ll be over here, using my eyes to burn holes in pictures of Sarah Shahi.