The principals of "Miami Medical," including creator Jerry Bruckheimer (bottom center), speak at a news conference

SPRING SHUFFLE: The start of the new season will be filled with plenty of spring cleaning over at CBS. The network is planning to rearrange and revamp more than half of the week's prime-time lineup, starting at the beginning of March.

The centerpiece launches April 2 when TV legend Jerry Bruckheimer's new offering, "Miami Medical," hits the air.

The show, which will take over the time-slot from "Numb3rs" after it wraps its season, follows a team of highly skilled surgeons who get a big rush from working at a major trauma center but who must employ wit and mockery to confront the adversity they face every day.

The action-packed medical drama features a seasoned cast of stars, such as Jeremy Northam ("The Tudors"), Lana Parrilla ("24"), Mike Vogel ("Grounded for Life"), Elisabeth Harnois ("One Tree Hill") and Omar Gooding ("Hangin' With Mr. Cooper").

Bruckheimer is of course the behind-the-scenes hero responsible for the hugely popular "CSI" franchise on the small screen and the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films on the big one.

The first day of March will be marked by the fourth-season premiere of CBS's comedy "Rules of Engagement," which will be sandwiched in the hit Monday night block that also features award-winning laughers "How I Met Your Mother," "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory."

"Rules" follows a group of five friends, played by Patrick Warburton, Megyn Price, Oliver Hudson, Bianca Kajlich and David Spade, who work their way through various relationships in different phases.

The month will close with the network's freshman series, "Accidentally on Purpose," moving to Wednesdays starting on March 31, which pairs it with "The New Adventures of Old Christine."

FRESH EYE FOR 'TALENT': The Hoff is history, but Howie is here.

Fans were surprised by the recent announcement that "America's Got Talent" judge David Hasselhoff has left the hit reality-competition show. But it didn't take long for NBC to reveal that his judging seat has been filled by comedian and "Deal or No Deal" host Howie Mandel. He will make his debut on the show and join fellow judges Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan on the panel when the show returns for a fifth season this summer.

"Howie is one of America's favorite entertainers and his sense of humor and energy are irrepressible," said NBC's Paul Telegdy. "He's passionate about new talent and his years of experience across a variety of disciplines in entertainment, not to mention the fact that he headlines and performs in Vegas all the time, will bring new depth to our panel.

"He will be a real asset to our contestants and help them take their talents to the next level," he continued. "We are thrilled to have him join Sharon and Piers and are sure that sparks will fly."

On top of his hosting work, Mandel has an extensive history in all aspects of the entertainment industry. His work on "St. Elsewhere" and "Bobby's World" garnered acclaim from the Emmy academies, he's traveled the continent doing upwards of 200 live shows a year, he's a best-selling author, runs his own production company, and he even starred in, wrote and executive produced his own reality prank show, "Howie Do It."

"Talent" is currently auditioning acts for the new season. Producers will be searching for stars in Dallas (Jan. 31), Orlando (Feb. 13-14), Atlanta (Feb. 20-21) and Portland (Feb. 28-March 1). Talent videos will also be accepted from those who can't make it to in-person auditions. More information about those submissions can be found at www.AGTauditions.com.

AN ENIGMA'S DEBUT: Country music superstar Carrie Underwood is exactly the kind of woman who would drive a man crazy -- at least, that is, according to casting directors at CBS.

The network recently announced that Underwood has signed on for a guest-starring role in an upcoming episode of the Emmy-nominated comedy "How I Met Your Mother."

In the forthcoming episode, which will air later this season, Underwood will play a beautiful but mysterious woman named Tiffany who ensnares Ted. However, she quickly pushes him to his wit's end by stringing him along and playing mind games.

This performance will mark Underwood's first foray into acting. But she's not completely inexperienced with TV work; she also hosted and performed in her own Christmas special at the end of last year, called "Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special," which aired on Fox.

Now one of the best-selling female country singers in the history of the genre, Underwood's success in the music industry all started on TV. Her career was launched when she won the fourth season of Fox's "American Idol," and she has since become the show's highest-grossing winner.

Beyond that, Underwood has proven that she doesn't have to rely on her connection to "Idol" to continue her success. Over the course of three studio albums, she has become a multi-platinum-selling artist, already with four Grammy wins under her belt and another two nominations for this week's ceremony.

The honors bestowed upon her haven't stopped there, either. In 2008, Underwood was invited by country legend Randy Travis to become a Grand Ole Opry member. Fellow country superstar Garth Brooks led the induction ceremony, which officially made Underwood the youngest member of the house.