Lady Gaga, as seen at the 87th Oscars, is set to star in “American Horror Story: Hotel”

A tale of two terrors: Twisted, scary and off the wall, but also oh so entertaining. FX's "American Horror Story" would feel right at home with any of those descriptions hovering over it. No doubt, so would pop music superstar Lady Gaga.

The outspoken singer with an oftentimes outrageous fashion sense has signed on for the upcoming fifth season of the hit anthology series. "American Horror Story: Hotel" isn't scheduled to premiere until the fall, but with this unexpected casting announcement, the show's fans are already buzzing.

"American Horror Story: Hotel" will be Lady Gaga's first regular TV gig, but if she brings the same gusto and drive to it that she does to her music career, audiences had better watch out for something great.

With 27 million albums and 125 million singles sold around the world, the "Poker Faced" performer is one of best-selling music artists of all time. She has six Grammys to her name, and even holds over a dozen Guinness World Records.

She's also a tour de force on Twitter, with more than 40 million followers. "I am so excited to be a part of American Horror Story's hardworking cast. A twisted fantasy. My favorite kind," she tweeted to them when her casting was announced.

As part of an anthology series, each season of "American Horror Story" is a self-contained entity with virtually no ties to previous seasons. Last season's "American Horror Story: Freak Show," which wrapped up in January, told the story of one of America's last freak shows and dealt with the theme of discrimination in society.

For now, though, this horror story is all about Lady Gaga. More casting details for "American Horror Story: Hotel" are expected as we draw closer to the expected fall premiere date.

Summertime reunion: There's nothing like a summertime family reunion.

Actress Marg Helgenberger will be staging a reunion with CBS this summer, the network that she called home for more than a decade. The "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" alumna is joining the third season of "Under the Dome" as a major recurring character, it has been announced.

With a premiere date of June 25 set, CBS's summertime hit will no doubt be drawing in lots of returning fans from its previous two seasons.

"Under the Dome," which is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, is set in the small town of Chester's Mill, which is suddenly cut off from the rest of the world when a transparent and indestructible dome envelopes the town.

Starring Mike Vogel ("Pan Am"), Rachelle Lefevre ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon," 2009), Colin Ford ("We Bought a Zoo," 2011) and Dean Norris ("Breaking Bad"), "Under the Dome" portrays the townsfolk's struggle to survive as their resources dwindle, and as tension rises.

Exactly what Helgenberger's role will be is still a mystery. After playing Catherine Willows in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" for 12 seasons, she finally parted ways with the investigative drama in 2012 (although she returned as a guest star for one episode in season 14). She returned to CBS in 2014, starring alongside Josh Holloway ("Lost") in the ill-fated "Intelligence," which only lasted a single season.

Things are growing increasingly desperate in Chester's Mill, and Helgenberger will soon be part of the drama. "Under the Dome" premieres on June 25.

The running of the pilots: It's that time of year! The TV pilot news is flowing, with the major networks all placing their bets on what could be their next big hits.

There will be winners and there will be losers, and it's impossible to determine which is which from so early a vantage point.

One pilot series that stands out, though, is ABC's "Runner." Based on the Turkish series "Son," "Runner" will delve into the sinister and deadly world of Mexican cartels and the trade in illegal guns between the United States and its neighbor to the south.

Paula Patton has been cast as the series lead, a woman whose husband has died in a plane crash -- or so she believed. When she finds out that he's very much alive, she's plunged into a sinister and deadly world that she may not make it out of in one piece.

Patton starred in the hit romantic comedy "Hitch," (2005) and in the comedy "Swing Vote," (2008). In "Runner," she'll be joined by Adam Rodriguez as her not-so-dead husband.

Rodriguez previously starred in "CSI: Miami" and "Brooklyn South." On the big screen, he's starred in "Magic Mike" (2012), "I Can Do Bad All by Myself" (2009) and "About Last Night," (2014).

As a pilot, there's no guarantee that "Runner" will ultimately be ordered to series, but the show is attracting a lot of online buzz. If it does find a home on ABC, it will likely premiere this fall.