Isaiah Washington gainfully re-employed

Phoenix-like, Isaiah Washington has survived T.R. Knight's insidious plot to have him ousted from "Grey's Anatomy:" NBC has cast him in its upcoming remake of "Bionic Woman."

Ben Silverman made the announcement today at TV Press Tour, and seemed oblivious to - or at least extremely unwilling to discuss - Washington's penchant for controversy. "He's a wonderful actor," Silverman declared. "He became available."

When critics laughed at Silverman's euphemistic way of putting things, he became a tad defensive. "To respond to the laughter," he said, "I started talking to him before he became available."

Well, sure, because network executives are always trying to poach stars off hit shows. Of course, Washington was bounced before Silverman took over at NBC.

* UPDATE: Silverman didn't say this at the press conference, but the press release is now only touting his appearance as a "guest-star in an arc of five episodes." Just a guess, but that might be subterfuge to justify not presenting Washington at the "Bionic Woman" press conference tomorrow, where he'd become the story and no one else'd be able to get a word in edgewise.

Other goings-on at the NBC executive session, but we'll discuss them later.