"Suddenly Red-Hot" Betty White Now Cure Of All TV's Ills

If you’re desperate to get back in America’s good graces (Jay Leno) or looking to perk up your network’s first original sitcom (TV Land), these days there’s only one solution: Betty White.

TV Land has just ordered 10 episodes of Hot In Cleveland, which stars three sitcom pros, all of whom happen to be women over 45: Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves (from Frasier), Wendie Malick (from Just Shoot Me). The show is written by a woman, Frasier‘s Suzanne Martin, and executive produced by Will & Grace‘s Sean Hayes. The three play Los Angeles natives who unexpectedly land in Cleveland and decide to stay. White plays the cranky caretaker of the house; The Wrap reports she’s not a member of the regular cast yet, but producers are trying to get her on board for more episodes.

Meanwhile, Jay Leno prefers to pretend that his planned exile from 11:35pm was all a bad dream. If he can’t quite emerge from the mess unscathed, at least he can get White to drop by and use the phrase “ratty-ass barn” to distract everyone.

This is after Facebook campaign to get White to host SNL led to reports that she will probably co-host the show in a “Women Of Comedy special with Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Molly Shannon. Not to mention that she starred in one of the most popular Super Bowl ads. Not bad for 88.

TV Land Greenlights Betty White Sitcom Pilot [The Wrap]
TV Land Picks Up Hot In Cleveland [HR]
Jay’s Cold Opening [NBC]

Earlier: Golden Girls Of SNL: Betty White May Host Alongside Fey, Poehler, And Shannon
The Campaign To Get Betty White To Host SNL
Does Sexism Sell? With Super Bowl Commercials, Not Really
“You’re Playing Like Betty White Out There”: A Golden Girl Is Tackled In The Name Of Candy
From Teenage Girls To Golden Girls, Betty White Reflects On Her Career