Just because George Clooney is leaving "ER" this year doesn't mean he'll be idle next season: CBS has just committed to the first TV show from his production company for next fall. "Bloodline," which Clooney will executive produce, is a drama about a contemporary Mafia family. (Does this mean they order hits via e-mail?) Clooney is just one of the high-profile names that CBS has commissioned to create series next year: It's also working with Glenn Gordon Caron (creator of "Moonlighting") and director Gary Fleder ("Kiss the Girls").

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg aren't through with World War II yet. The "Saving Private Ryan" star and director teamed with producer Mark Johnson ("Donnie Brasco," "Bugsy") to option two books by WWII historian Stephen E. Ambrose, including one about a company of paratroopers. Most likely the trio will turn the tomes into a TV miniseries. First "Schindler's List," then "Ryan," and now this project: It seems Spielberg is to the second world war what John Hughes is to bumbling crooks.

Tim Burton has signed to develop a new syndicated drama called "Lost in Oz," based on more than 40 books written by L. Frank Baum about the Emerald City and environs. The show will center around the lesser known characters from the series, as opposed to old favorites like Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion. If Burton's take on this children's classic is anything like his take on "Batman," expect the Lollipop Guild to be doing a lot more brooding.

Noah Baumbach ("Mr. Jealousy") will write and direct two comedies: The first is "The Wishbones," for Fox 2000, about a group of men in their mid-30s who play in a wedding band instead of getting "real" jobs; the second is "First Kiss," for Fine Line, about a mathematician who, upon hitting 30, panics and dumps his wife to search for every woman he's ever dated. Baumbach is also scripting a pilot for Imagine called "Glam!" about two guys just out of college who form a glam-rock band.