That's what the movies would have us believe, anyway. Also today: HBO goes on a comedy-ordering bonanza, Terra Nova is not on terra firma, neither is Law & Order, and a new reality show actually sounds... good?

Great comedy convergence! HBO has ordered a pilot produced by Ben Stiller, and written by/starring funny fellows Justin Theroux and Steve Coogan. No word yet on what the show is about, but you can guess it's about funny men who bumble around either being arrogant or clueless or both. That seems what these fellows like to do most of all. HBO is on a comedy spree right now, prepping that show, a Julia Louis-Dreyfus program created by In the Loop's Armando Iannucci called Veep, and the Judd Apatow-produced series created by Lena Dunham, the young writer/director/actor behind the indie Tiny Furniture. Which ones will survive, which will be killed? Stay tuned to the HBO Comedy Thunderdome to find out. (Maybe they all will get picked up?) [Deadline]

Aw, sad chung-chung noise. NBC's Law & Order shows reached ratings lows last night, each falling about 21% from their last new episodes. I know people are on the fence about Law & Order: Los Angeles, but I like it. It's not reinventing the wheel, obviously, but the actors are likable and it blessedly hasn't been singularly focused on the flashy-flashy LA bullshit. And SVU? I mean, what can you say about SVU? While watching last night's pretty good episode (Maria Bello! Olivia gets a kid!) a friend and I were extolling the virtues of that show. It's just always so watchable. "In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially entertaining..." Awful, but sadly true. [THR]

Ohhh dear. Gird ya loins. Teen abrasion Miley Virus will be starring in a new action comedy (yes) called So Undercover. As in "I'm soooo undercover!" As in that. The plot of this blessed tract of celluloid? "Cyrus will play a tough, street-smart private eye hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority." Ha. Hahaha. That is terrific. If there's one thing we've all been dying to see it's Milly Papyrus playing a "tough, street-smart" ANYTHING. Private eye, seasoned hobo, tramp, doesn't matter. As long as she's both tough AND street-smart, well that sounds just perfect. Because clearly she will be so good at playing those qualities! Nothing says "tough" or "street-smart" quite like a demon in a wig, screaming at you. [Deadline]

Known television network the Fox Channel is developing a comedy with John Hamburg, the guy who wrote I Love You, Man. That movie was funny! The plot of the as-yet-untitled show? A recently divorced guy moves in with his recently divorced son. So it's basically the boat scene in You've Got Mail, with Tom Hanks and Dabney Coleman. Which is fine! I like that scene a lot. Actually, I would really watch this show if they somehow managed to wrangle Tom Hanks and Dabney Coleman into doing the series. I think Dabney Coleman is one of our most criminally underrated Dabneys. Wouldn't you agree? [Variety]

Speaking of criminally underused, fine actress Joan Allen has been cast in a multi-episode run on HBO's upcoming Michael Mann/David Milch series Luck. You know, the horse-racing one. (Horses. HBO. SJP. Let's just get it out there.) This series has quite a cast: Allen, Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte, John Ortiz, Kerry Condon from Rome. I am pretty excited about it. Not sure how much a show about horse-racing is really going to hold attention for too long, but... you never do know. [Deadline]

Oh dear. Fox has let go of most of the writing staff for their much-maligned dinosaur series (yes) Terra Nova. The production has been plagued with problems, but this one seems extra serious. And that's too bad! I think a show about a family from the future that travels back in time to restart civilization in dinosaur times sounds like just the project we need right now. I mean, think about it. The conservatives have won! They have us beat, so they get to do what they want to do. And what do they want to do? Preserve the family unit (check) and travel back in time to dinosaur times to start civilization all over again (check). This is the show that these times demand, nay need. Trouble is, it ain't cheap. It's rumored to be costing Fox some $20m just to produce the pilot. Making things look like dinosaur times is expensive! I mean, that was six thousand years ago!! Everything was soooo different. What with people in togas and all those triceratops saddles. Those don't grow on trees. (Evil magic apples do, though.) [The Wrap]

Emperor of reality television Mark Burnett is creating a new show for ABC called Expedition Impossible. The setup? "Teams of three will solve problems while racing across deserts, over mountains and through rivers. Each week a new stage of the expedition will be revealed. After ten stunning legs of competition, one team will cross the finish line first to claim victory." Holyshit that sounds amazing. The Amazing Race meets Survivor meets Indiana Jones. Yes, ABC. Yes, I will watch the poop out of that. [Deadline]

In an ironically expected twist, The CW's Life Unexpected may be reaching the end of its life. [EW]