Season 5 runner up Katharine McPhee has landed another TV role after NBC's two-season run of "Smash." Now she's on CBS in "Scorpion." She plays a waitress whose son she considers "challenged" but is actually a genius. Ho does she find out? A genius tells her so. It's a show full of socially awkward geniuses helping solve complex problems. It sounds very much like a show CBS would embrace and is based loosely on a true story.

"Scorpion" debuts Monday, Sept. 22. Here's an extended trailer culled from the first episode:

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Caleb Johnson and Jena Irene somehow work well as a duo. Check this cover of Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" they released last week:

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Former season eight  "American Idol" finalist Jasmine Murray made the top 10 of the Miss America pageant Sunday night as Miss Mississippi.

MISS AMERICA 2015 - Miss America returns to Atlantic City's famous Boardwalk Hall, with live coverage of the final night of competition airing SUNDAY, SEPT. 14th (8:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network. The pageant which started in 1921 in Atlantic City, NJ, will again be hosted by Chris Harrison ("The Bachelor") and Lara Spencer ("Good Morning America"). (ABC/ Ida Mae Astute) MISS MISSISSIPPI JASMINE MURRAY MISS AMERICA 2015 - Miss America returns to Atlantic City's famous Boardwalk Hall, with live coverage of the final night of competition airing SUNDAY, SEPT. 14th (8:00 p.m. ET) on the ABC Television Network. The pageant which started in 1921 in Atlantic City, NJ, will again be hosted by Chris Harrison ("The Bachelor") and Lara Spencer ("Good Morning America"). (ABC/ Ida Mae Astute) MISS MISSISSIPPI JASMINE MURRAY

Credit: Rodney Ho

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Credit: Rodney Ho

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Jordin Sparks was recently in an Excedrin ad I saw on TV. Totally random:

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Paul McDonald of season 8 performed on Craig Ferguson's late show last week:

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