TV pilots get recast all the time -- CBS recently fired nearly everyone but star Alex O'Loughlin from its vampire series "Moonlight," for instance -- but eyebrows were nevertheless raised when the CW first announced it was replacing Patrick Breen, the actor who originally played the father in its comedy "Aliens in America," with the "Gilmore Girls'" Scott Patterson.

Nothing against Patterson -- who grew up outside Philly, in Haddonfield -- but he's such a different type from Breen, who was damn near perfect in what's one of my favorite shows of the fall, that it could actually affect the tone of the show.

Usually, all we ever hear in these matters is "We decided to go in a different direction," so kudos to Patterson for actually explaining that he'd had a "holding deal" with Warner Bros., which produced "Gilmore Girls," and that when the show wasn't picked up for an eighth season, his contract called for him to be placed on another Warner Bros. show. ("Aliens" is produced by CBS Paramount and Warner Bros.)

Can't blame him for picking one of the best of the bunch.