Showrunner Bill Lawrence is no stranger to rolling with the punches and preparing for a series finale more than once within his actual series’ run. With Scrubs, he had a self-proclaimed “crazy” nine-year run that involved receiving new seasons after being sure the show would be canceled. And now again with Cougar Town, he braced for an abrupt end only to be revived with a new season (and potentially a much longer partnership) with TBS.

As Cougar Town enters into its fourth season overall but its first for the cable network, Lawrence told Celebuzz that he was still making the same show and therefore hoped the same fans would flock to it.

“Look, if the same amount of people that were watching the show on the network were to watch us on TBS, it would be a great hit and success story for TBS, so that’s all I want, you know? I would kill to have a mass appeal television hit — Spin City was like that for a while, and it was cool, but I don’t know how guys like Chuck Lorre or Modern Familydo it. I haven’t been able to crack that code. So for me, it’s about doing niche shows that hopefully have a loyal enough fan base to stay alive,” he said.

Cougar Town always nods to its loyal fans nicely. When ABC pushed its third season to the mid-season schedule, Lawrence threw in a meta jab that had the characters celebrating Thanksgiving late in the year because their “schedules got all mixed up,” and they were worried they wouldn’t be back, all together, during that time the following year anyway. Season 4 opens in a similar fashion: with the cul-de-sac crew walking into Jules’ (Courteney Cox) house and breathing in how happy they are to return — only for Travis (Dan Byrd) to point out they were only over at Ellie’s (Christa Miller).

But once that wink and nod is over, Lawrence said that the season jumps right back into business (and wine drinking!) as usual.

Jules and Grayson (Josh Hopkins) married on the Season 4 finale, and the first chunk of the season, Lawrence said, would be dealing very heavily with their lives adjusting to their shared space.

“The way we have always written is we map out the year on two levels: episode to episode, and then we always say, ‘What are three major arcs that involve character dynamics changing that we’re going to follow?’ We always start with a mild one, because we don’t like to hammer people at the start. But for us this year, it was dealing with marriage [immediately],” Lawrence said.

One example of that is how “Grayson’s house has been refurbished, and we deal a lot with them trying to sell it.” However, Lawrence shared that the issue of young Tampa Jill is not one to really come up again on the season. Of course, the characters don’t forget all about her (an upcoming episode features Grayson being asked, “You still have a kid, right?”), but we won’t see Jules and Grayson parenting.

“One of the only changes we made for TBS this year was production-wise, we shoot quicker. We didn’t want to change any of the creative, cast, any of it, but the show’s a little faster, and kids are a production nightmare! Every time that kid steps on set, you have to add about three hours to your day,” Lawrence said.

Like Tampa Jill, Season 4 of Cougar Town will provide a reference to Nezzie again, though Lawrence was willing to commit to saying we would never see her on-screen again.

Jules and Grayson aren’t the only ones whose relationship is changing, though. Laurie (Busy Philipps) and Travis (Dan Byrd) will finally address a very real possibility of them hooking up in the middle of the season, per Lawrence, who noted that it “just felt like it was time,” and even Tom (Bob Clendenin) gets a girlfriend for an episode.

“His character’s a little more well-rounded this season,” Lawrence said. “We’ve de-creepied him to make him more well-liked!”

Lawrence brought up the three story points for the season, and while the first two (Jules and Grayson, Laurie and Travis) have to do with romantic relationships, he revealed that the third is more familial in nature.

“The end one you’ll see Jules and her dad, which changes a lot of dynamics in the show for the last five episodes, going into next year,” Lawrence said.

And we love his optimism on the “next year” note!

Cougar Town premieres Tuesday on TBS at 10PM.

How will you celebrate Cougar Town’s return? Tell us in the comments below!

– Danielle Turchiano

Cougar Town’s cul-de-sac crew may have gotten a new address, but they are the same old, Penny Can-playing, wine-chugging, idiom definition-changing group we loved on ABC.

Last we left Jules (Courteney Cox) and her gang there, she had just married Grayson (Josh Hopkins), and her son Travis (Dan Byrd) drunkenly told one of her best friend, Laurie (Busy Philipps), he loved her. Bobby (Brian Van Holt) was still living on his boat, Andy (Ian Gomez) was still hanging on Bobby’s every word, and Ellie (Christa Miller) was not-so-silently judging them all.

Now, though, Cougar Town lives on TBS, and the fun is just getting started for Season 4. What can you expect from the cul-de-sac crew this season?

Note: Spoilers!

1. Now that Grayson and Jules are married, routine becomes a very key player in their relationship. Things start out simply enough on the season premiere that is only a week out from their beach wedding last year. Anything that Grayson does twice becomes a precedent set for the rest of their marriage, but there may be a thin line between a routine and a rut and when Jules worries the passion is dissipating. She enlists Ellie’s help to pick a fight with Grayson. You know, just for fun. Ellie’s power cannot be stopped, though, and soon Grayson is pressuring Jules to — gasp — take his last name!

2. Terms like “slap out of it” and “cake walk” are not all this group are changing. Realizing that four out of seven is a majority, they decide to start making new rules that stretch into what each other can wear, how they can eat, and what they have to say when certain members walk into the room. Of course, it doesn’t take long for alliances to form and the game to be manipulated…

3. The cul-de-sac crew flashes back to see how they met … cute. Jules becomes a bit obsessed with wanting a “meet-cute” moment for her and Grayson since they are now going to be together forever. And in order to prove her point, the gang tells stories of how they ended up becoming friends. Series creator Bill Lawrence had previously said he didn’t know that he could ever do such an episode because there might always be a little comparison to Friends’ flashback Cox, but he found a way that is equally unique and memorable. Step aside, Fat Monica; here comes Hillbilly Jules!

4. The cul-de-sac crew gets a new member. Yes, that’s right, since Bob Clendenin has become a series regular this season, Tom gets to come in from simply stalking Jules outside her window. Change approved! And ‘tis the season to learn more about Tom than we ever needed to when we meet both his cat and his girlfriend (guest star Ali Wentworth).

5. The wine flows even freer — and now in unique locations! Season 3 brought the “on deck” wine glass, but Season 4 brings wine spikes: bottles of wine, two at a time, stashed on the corners of lawns around the cul-de-sac, “like fire hydrants but useful.” You know, just in case you’re taking a walk and get a little thirsty.

6. Wade and Laurie take the next step — but telling Travis is the hardest part. Though Travis and Laurie do deal with what he said to her on the last season finale, and he is still there for her when she is obsessively worrying about Wade (guest star Edwin Hodge) in the war, ultimately they are still just friends. Nobody wants to break the bad news to Travis when Laurie and Wade end up moving in together, but in true Jules Kiki Cobb form, she can’t avoid the “harsh truth” forever.

7. More fun with the show’s title cards. Much like Chuck Lorre’s end of episode vanity cards, Lawrence previously took a moment and an extra line or two under the Cougar Town logo to make a joke at the network’s treatment of his show’s expense or his own title. These days the messages are a little different, but they’re still an important part of the show for any die hard fan, so make sure to pause your DVR so you don’t miss out on any in-joke!

8. It’s on cable now, so Cougar Town has fun with nudity! In an attempt to keep things spicy in their marriage, Jules and Grayson instigate naked day, full-on Austin Powers-style with fruit covering the sensitive areas in wide shots. It would be a lot hotter if Tom — and later Bobby and Andy — wasn’t leering through the kitchen window, though.

Cougar Town premieres on TBS  on Tuesday at 10PM.

What are you most excited to see when the cul-de-sac crew returns? Sound off in the comments below!

– Danielle Turchiano

Fans of the comedy with the unfortunate name, Cougar Town, are definitely thrilled that the show was saved from cancelation by shifting from ABC to TBS. But, that joy may pale in comparison to that of the show’s producers and cast.

“I’ve been trying to kill this show for years, as some of you may know,” co-creator and executive producer Bill Lawrence jokes at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, Calif. on Friday.

“And the fact that TBS brought us back, and I don’t know if you guys saw it. There’s, like, commercials for the show now. It’s insane. It’s very odd,” he adds.

The biggest difference may be best represented by the fact that Cougar Town has a panel at the Television Press Tour at all. Last year, Lawrence famously complained that ABC didn’t do a panel for the show and then threw his own event at a local bar on his own dime.

“Speaking for the cast, I think we were all curious as to how the transition would be,” star Busy Philipps, who plays Laurie, adds.

“Immediately from going to the Upfronts [a presentation for advertisers] last year, being so embraced by TBS, and having all the executives and marketing team be so enthusiastic, have so many ideas, made us feel like, ‘Oh, right, we knew the show is funny, we like what we’re doing, and now somebody wants to embrace it and try to get the word out.’ It was really refreshing,” she added.

Lawrence stresses that the show, which last saw the marriage of Jules (Courteney Cox) and Grayson (Josh Hopkins), shouldn’t be any different on its first TBS season, except for maybe more skin?

“When we first started doing the deal, [TBS] said, ‘All we really wanted was for you to do the same show like the previous three years,’” Lawrence shares of the differences. “Other than that, there’s a little nudity. That’s the only thing. I heard somebody’s podcast saying one big difference is we’ve shifted from Brian Van Holt not wearing his shirt all the time to Josh Hopkins.”

Plus, Cox has a new directive in which her cleavage takes on a larger role. “You will not see one scene where I will not show my boobs,” she declares.

“I’m getting older,” the 48-year old EP and star elaborates. “I’ve decided at this point that I’m taking focus off the face. By the time I’m much older, I’ll be absolutely naked.”

Cougar Town debuts Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 10PM on TBS.

FOX’s The X Factor host Mario Lopez has some extra time to relax now that one of his hosting gigs, America’s Best Dance Crew, is coming to an end. MTV is canceling the Randy Jackson-produced dance show after seven seasons from 2008 to 2012. [THR]

E! has renewed Married to Jonas for Season 2. The show, which features Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle, is produced by Ryan Seacrest productions. The second season will follow Kevin and his brothers as they finish their new album and head back on tour. The series is set to return in spring of 2013. [E!]

ABC gave a nod to its much beloved new series, Nashville. The network ordered nine more episodes from the musical drama to complete its full season. The series is the highest watched of the network’s freshman dramas with an average 9.4 million viewers. [EW]

CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 is paying tribute to its predecessor yet again by filming an updated version of fan favorite episode, “Hookman.” The episode, which aired almost 40 years ago, won an Emmy in 1974 for Best Music Composition. Peter Weller will star on the episode as the title villain and is also set to direct the episode. [EW]

Fans of FOX’s Fringe , get excited. The Science Channel is about to broadcast the series in its entirety beginning next week on Tues. Nov 20. On Tuesday, the network will air the two-hour pilot and one episode then will air the first season in full on Nov. 23 and 24. Season 2 will begin airing the following Tuesday with three hours of Fringe every Tuesday from then on. The block of shows will include featurettes, entitled “Science of Fringe,” in which real scientists explain the phenomona tackled in the show. [EW]

Shirley Jones, the matriarch of the Partridge Family is coming to the Cul-de-Sac on TBS’ Cougar Town. Jones and her better half will buy the house next to Jules (Courtney Cox) on the condition that they are welcomed into the crew. Season 4 of Cougar Town kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 10 PM on TBS. [TVLine]

Bachelor Ben Flajnik is reportedly heading back to TV with a new series on E! The reality star is in talks with the cable channel for his own series. It will feature Flajnik and his co-workers at his Sonoma based winery, Envolve. His friends and family will also be a part of the show. [Wetpaint]

The voice behind Elmo, Kevin Clash, is taking a leave of absence. In a statement released by the Sesame Workshop, it was a revealed a now 23-year-old man approached executives in June with a claim that Clash engaged in a sexual relationship with him when he was 16. Though the company’s investigation “found the allegation of underage conduct to be unsubstantiated,” they did find him guilty of using poor judgment and breaking internet usage policies. Clash denies all allegations and issued a statement to TMZ saying, “I had a relationship with [the accuser]. It was between two consenting adults and I am deeply saddened that he is trying to make it into something it was not.” [TVLine]

ABC’s Once Upon a Time took a dive in the ratings Sunday night after three straight weeks of gains, falling a total of 23 percent with only 8.7 million viewers. Meanwhile the network’s freshman supernatural drama, 666 Park Avenue, remained steady but matched a series’ low. NBC won the night with Sunday Night Football and 18.7 million viewers. [TV Guide]

Though FX’s Louie won’t be back until Season 4, HBO has announced they will broadcast a new stand-up comedy special from Louis CK in 2013. The Emmy-winner’s special will be taped at one of his 16 stops on his sold out tour. [HBO]

The cougars will tune up their roars on next season of TBS’ Cougar Town — according to one of its stars, Ian Gomez.

“We’ve noticed it in the scripts, we can push it a little further — so that’s great,” Gomez told Celebuzz at Tuesday’s premiere of The Words, in Hollywood.

Why is Cougar Town able to push the boundaries on TBS?

“We used to be on ABC, they’re owned by the Disney corporation. They’re a very family organization,” Gomez said. ”So, we could only get away with so much.”

“A little risque — the language, the situations, references to sex, references to incest, which is so funny — but if it’s with people on the show, it’s OK. In real life, it’s not funny,” Gomez explained.

Cougar Town migrated from ABC to TBS after it became clear it wouldn’t get picked up on its original network. Its last episode was broadcast on ABC in May, wrapping up the show’s third season. It returns with Season 4 in January 2013.

While basic cable offers more creative possibilities, it may offer limitations on pay and resources.

In an environment when even the kids are getting $70,000 an episode on ABC’s Modern Family, executive producer Courteney Cox and co. — including Gomez — may be living on borrowed time — and less money — with the TV show on TBS.

“We haven’t renegotiated for more money. We’re happy we got another season,” Gomez told Celebuzz.

“After this, I don’t know if we’re going to have another season. We’re happy we’re back on the air with TBS.”

He joked, “Next season, we’re getting big bucks.”

So what form is the compensation coming in?

Illegal narcotics, Gomez jokes, instead of money.

“We’re getting more cocaine on Cougar Town,”  Gomez said. “We’re not getting money, we’re getting actual drugs. In baggies. But, they’re like the nice thick baggies. Not the cheap ones. They’re Ziplock.”

David Arquette — Cox’s ex-husband and father of their daughter, Coco, and an executive producer on the show — guest-starred last year, even after the couple split.

And Arquette continues to be a presence on set — bringing Coco to see her mom in action.

He may be back this season, Gomez hints.

“Coco will come by and yell, ‘Action!’ Then, ‘Cut!’” Gomez said.

“She was born to be a director. She has talented parents. I’m sure she will be directing next season.”

Are you going to watch Cougar Town next season — or has the show jumped the shark? Does its being risque make you want to watch?