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This and that from a TV critic's notebook:

* Explosive: Look for Johnny Knoxville to go back to series TV for MTV in 2009.

This time, though, our lovable "Jackass" star isn't in front of the camera. He's behind it.

Knoxville, ne PJ Clapp of South Knoxville, is the executive producer for "Nitro Circus," a new reality series chronicling the life of Travis Pastrana, one of the world's best freestyle motocross riders since age 14.

His Nitro Circus franchise includes video games and licensed merchandise. But his true knack is for unusual stunts such as jumping out of an airplane without a parachute or being the first person ever to double back flip a motorcycle.

"Unlike 'Jackass,' the Nitro Circus guys actually are professionals, but that doesn't mean they got all their marbles, because they don't. I am wondering if these yahoos got any," Knoxville is quoted as saying.

A premiere date has not been announced yet.

* Good whaling: Whale hunting has been good for Knoxville-based Rivr Media this season.

On the heels of the news that "Whale Wars," the series the firm produces, will be back for another season, the firm has learned that "Whale Wars" has emerged as the most-watched series in Animal Planet history, the cable channel has announced. The distinction is certainly a feather in Rivr Media's cap.

The maiden season earned the best performance of any series in the network's history among adults ages 25 to 54 (529,000 viewers) and men 25 to 54 (309,000 viewers). The series averaged a 0.7 household rating for the season, a 75 percent increase over the year-ago timeslot average, and delivered an average of nearly a million viewers (946,000, ages 2 and up) across its seven premieres.

"Wars" is an environmental adventure series following the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an organization founded by former Greenpeace member Paul Watson, who uses unconventional and radical methods to eradicate alleged illegal whaling operations.

Spotlighting the controversial whaling trade and the tactics that Sea Shepherd and its staff and volunteers use to cripple it, the series documents the group's 2007-2008 three-month sojourn across the icy Antarctic waters at the far end of the globe.

Rob Lundgren, Lori Stryer and Liz Bronstein are the executive producers of the series for Rivr Media.

Terry Morrow may be reached at morrowt@knoxnews.com or 865-342-6445. His blog can be found at blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/telebuddy/. He contributes to "Style" on WBIR, Channel 10, and "The Marc & Kim & Frank Show" on WWST-FM, 102.1.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel
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