A reliable source has just revealed a skeletal line up for MADtv's impending 300th episode guest cast. As the title suggests, some of you may be shocked at the purported line up, some may be delighted and many will be disappointed. Either way you look at it, it is not what many of us were expecting, to say the least. So far, a longstanding source of mine, affiliated with the FOX network, has provided four names to whet the appetites of eager fans waiting for any bit of information pertaining to the (hopefully) spectacular 300th episode.

As we've known for a few days now, Will Sasso was announced, and confirmed, as returning. In addition to Will, I have learnt that his partner in crime, Alex Borstein will also be putting in an appearance on the November 17th show.

Speaking of partners in crime, would any milestone celebration be complete without Michael McDonald's original counterpart, Mo Collins? It appears not, as she appears to be returning for episode 300 as well.

And as the title suggests, there is a shocking return, the news of which should delight a number of forum regulars. Though this person was not expected to return to the show in any capacity, she appears to have had a change of heart. That's right, the original and best Oprah impressionist will be gracing that MADtv stage once more. At this stage, Debra Wilson is the fourth guest star in the alumni line up.

So there you have it. Whether these four castmembers are the only alumni returning in any capacity remains to be seen. For now, the information available to us suggests that they are, and it brings into question why the likes of such big names in MADtv history are not on the roster. The most notable omissions in my mind, Nicole Sullivan and Stephnie Weir, may be appearing on the show at some point further in the season, or their attendance may be announced in the coming days. Either way you cut it, this is where we stand for now. Additions and retractions are possible, as we await more information from more sources.

Let the discussion begin!

Because things tend to pile up with so many MADtv cast members making their rounds in showbiz (50 and counting), I've decided to kick off what will likely become a regular feature here at the site: "Rapid-Fire Appearances". In short, these articles will dispense with (most of) the usual journalistic fluff and cut straight to the chase on the latest cast appearances set to grace your television/movie screen in the near-future. Got it? Then let's begin!

First off, Artie Lange announced on Conan O'Brien a few weeks back that he will once again be appearing on Rescue Me this season. The usual first-stops for guest star listings -- IMDb, TV.com, et al -- were less than helpful at the time (and still are, in fact), but we've just learned that Artie's first appearance aired on July 25th. He, apparently, has a recurring role, so those who are interested will want to check out tomorrow night's episode. Rescue Me airs at 10:00pm EST Wednesday nights on FX.

Coming to ABC Family this August is Slacker Cats -- a new animated series featuring everyone's favorite long-departed cast members, Nicole Sullivan and Alex Borstein! For the benefit of those who didn't immediately skip ahead to the next item after seeing "ABC Family", here's the overly-detailed synopsis:

"Slacker Cats" follows two buddy cats, Buckley and Eddie, who slack their way through various unimpressive adventures. The half-hour, prime-time animated comedy series features the voices of Harland Williams, Sinbad, Kiersten Warren, Nicole Sullivan, Niecy Nash, Alex Borstein and legendary cult stand-up Emo Philips.

Does the show's prime-time slot indicate that we're in for something potentially appealing to those over the age of six? Tune in next month to find out!

Anyone remember Simon Helberg? Me neither. Nonetheless, this former MADtv featured player has landed himself a gig on the new CBS show, The Big Bang Theory, which features a premise I can only assume was lifted directly from my life:

THE BIG BANG THEORY is a comedy from the Emmy Award nominated Co-Creator and Executive Producer of "Two and a Half Men" Chuck Lorre, about brainy best friends Leonard (Johnny Galecki, "Roseanne") and Sheldon (Jim Parsons "Judging Amy"), who can tell you anything you want to know about quantum physics, but when it comes to dealing with everyday life here on earth they're lost in the cosmos. Neither fully understands that scientific principles don't always apply in matters of the heart - until they meet their sexy new neighbor Penny (Kaley Cuoco, "8 Simple Rules..."), a friendly screenwriter/waitress from the midwest who also happens to be newly single. She quickly makes an impression on the other members of Leonard and Sheldon's geek squad - Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), who portrays himself as the Casanova of Cal Tech, and fellow whiz kid Rajesh Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar, "NCIS"), who is rendered speechless around anyone unprepared to converse about the Theory of Relativity or other scientific jargon. The chemistry between this gaggle of geniuses and a delightful damsel is about to undergo a stimulating series of inter-personal experiments.

The Big Bang Theory, eh? Oh, CBS -- what a wicked web of punnery you weave! Monday nights starting September 24th. 8:30pm EST. CBS. Be there. [Or not.]

Frank Caliendo fans will be pleased to learn that his new show, "The Frank Show" (one of the more imaginative titles to ever come out of Hollywood), is set to premiere on TBS "this fall". November 20th is the tentative premiere date, but this is subject to change between now and then. To whet your appetite, a number of preview clips have been made available for streaming on TBS.com. Why not check them out? Frank would do it for you if *you* were on TV!

Finally, in Phil LaMarr and David Herman news, details on the return of Futurama have finally surfaced! According to TV Squad:

Futurama is back, and now we know in what form. The show will return on November 27th as a full-length high-def film sold on DVD. It will be followed by three additional films, and each film will be divided into four episodes each to be aired on Comedy Central. So, that's 4 DVD movies or 16 new episodes depending on how you look at it.

Exciting news indeed for Futurama fans and nerds in general! I can almost count the number of days before the inevitable leak!

Special thanks go out to mizzimad for the Slacker Cats and Big Bang Theory leads. Join us again next time for another episode of Rapid-Fire Appearances!

According to Will's official website, www.hamfatter.com, Will Sasso, along with what he describes as "an old colleague", have started a new film company entitled "Lord Mucker Entertainment". Their first feature film is entitled "For Christ's Sakes" and stars Will himself, Sara Rue, Jed Rees, and... Alex Borstein! The film is currently in pre-production and filming begins on June 18th.

Thanks to TheGooseGoblin for sharing this information with us!

Alex Borstein has a supporting role in the upcoming Wayans Brothers movie "Little Man," in which a wannabe Dad (Shawn Wayans) mistakes a vertically challenged criminal left on his front door step (Marlon Wayans) as his newly adopted son. Hilarity ensues.

You can watch the trailer, which briefly features Alex, here.

Alex Borstein will be guest starring on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson January 4th at 12:37am on CBS. She will be talking about Family Guy, Good Night Good Luck and plugging her new comedy DVD "Drop Dead Gorgeous in a Down-to-Earth Bombshell Sort of Way."

Alex is one of my favorite castmembers. I can't wait to see this, because it's been so long since I've seen her in anything.

That's right MADtv trick-or-treaters. You can actually get rewarded for your costume this year. Win a signed copy of "Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story" autographed by Alex Borstein and Seth MacFarlane! This from www.alexborstein.com:

"You have to dress as someone, why not Ms. Swan? Last year a fan sent me a photograph of him dressed as Ms. Swan from a Halloween party in West Hollywood. The pic was so hilarious I often thought of holding a Look-Like-Swan contest. Now that I have a real website, that can finally happen! So, thanks to Marc (whom you see below) it's now proven Swan lives! So get out your old wardrobe, tackle the sewing machine, fire up the camera and get busy! Enter my Look-Like-a-Swan contest, just in time for this year's Halloween! Good luck, let's see what you can do!"

And here's some Ms. Swan costume advise from Alex herself...

"To become Miss Swan, I don a housecoat one can purchase at Sav-On for $19.99. (My grandmother wears the very same housecoat around her Santa Monica apartment). I wear knee-high pantyhose and black leather slippers from Italy. As the character is a manicurist by profession, I wear a checkered apron with little feet on it. I wear a black wig, peppered with gray strands, that is cut in the style of a chin-length bob. (This wig actually resembles my own hairstyle quite a bit). The makeup that I use is a regular base from Cinema Streets. It is the exact color of my natural skin tone."

Finally, your opportunity to dress and/or crossdress, enter the "Look-Like-a-Swan" Costume Contest! Post your picture here and it'll be judged with the other entries after Halloween by Alex. Don't forget to make that stop to the fabric store, nail salon, Sav-On, Cinema Streets and Italy!

Also, if you live near L.A., please stop by the Halloween Comedy Night at the Acme Comedy Theatre hosted by Alex on Friday, October 28th. Show her your costume in person and get another chance to win a prize for best costume. For more information and ticket info please click here.

EDIT: The deadline for "Look-Like-a-Swan Costume Contest" entries is Sunday, November 12th.

Ohlone College, located in Fremont, California, will be holding a gala marking the 10th anniversary of the construction of their performing arts center. Hosting this event is none other than Alex Borstein. Not only is Alex hosting the event, but she will also perform a stand-up comedy routine.

The event is set for this Saturday, March 17th. More information can be found here.

It sounds like an awesome event, especially with Alex hosting!

According to Alex Borstein's website, she will be appearing on Comedy Central's latenight talk show, "Too Late with Adam Carolla." Her appearance is set for this Tuesday, August 16, at 11:30pm EST.

In case you won't be able to see the show on Tuesday, Alex's website will provide a clip which will be available for viewing in the video section.