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SEATTLE, Washington - Back in 2008 I steered Trophy Cupcakes regarding their schedule for offering their Peanut Butter & Jelly cupcake.

Nice, but Seattle cupcake shops are small potatoes, so I shot for a bigger target, lobbying to get Summer Glau a featured role in movies or television.

From my lips to God's Jeff Zucker's ears, the advice has been heard and heeded. Ms Glau has been awarded the female lead role in the upcoming NBC series The Cape. It's just a deal to make a pilot right now but clearly this show is destined for the fall slate.

Soon, Maureen Dowd will have to issue a retraction for saying that Zucker "could not program [a] network to save his life." (But she doesn't have to take back calling him a "condescending and arrogant East Coaster").

Summer Glau may be the Russell Branyan of science fiction

Warning: mixing of sports and science fiction ahead

NEW YORK, New York - I've finished watching Firefly and it's clearly another instance of Summer Glau not being given the chance to show her full potential. She spent most of her time prowling around the ship in her muumuu, having the occasional breakdown or uttering a cryptic comment or two. She did not have a prominent role until the final episode.

She had a beefier role in Terminator, but still was not the featured player.

And now, she's going to play second or third fiddle to Eliza Dushku on Dollhouse. Eliza Dushku!

I've questioned Glau's potential before, but after seeing a lot of her work I think she can handle something big. She's just not being given the chance.

Things like this happen in sports. Look at Russell Branyan. For years, he's only been given a chance to be a part-time player: he strikes out too much, he can't field, he can't stay healthy, he can't hit left-handed pitchers, etc.

Now Branyan has been given a chance to be a full-timer in Seattle this year, and he's having a big season. His hitting against left-handed pitchers is not great but is adequate, and he's doing everything else asked of him.

Someone needs to do this with Summer Glau. It's a shame I'm not a television producer, because I'd do it. I'd throw her into the fire, work her hard. To quote from The Mack, I'd work that broad like nobody's ever worked her before. See if she can handle it. I think I'd have a star on my hands.

The time is right for Terminator to end

POST FALLS, Idaho - All of the buzz indicates that Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is going to be canceled after one-and-a-half seasons. Now, who will be the hottest chick on television once Summer Glau is off the air? I won't know because I'll probably again retire from watching TV for 5-10 years.

SPOILER ALERT

Still - if you saw the last episode, you know that this is the time to end the series. Based on how it ended, if they did do another season it's possible that Glau would have to play a human instead of a cyborg. And if that happens, I think dear Ms Glau would end up getting exposed. Let's be honest - we're not talking about acting talent on the level of a Faye Dunaway or Kate Winslet here.

Update: a re-assessment of Summer Glau here.