The daily gossip: The next Transformers movie will probably have robot dinosaurs in it, and more

1. The next Transformers movie will probably have robot dinosaurs in it

If you need proof that Hollywood is run by and for 12-year-old boys, look no further than Transformers: Age of Extinction, the just-announced title of the next entry in the inexplicably popular blockbuster franchise. The title hints that the Dinobots, a team of dinosaur-robot hybrids, will be introduced in the next film. Though little else is currently known about the sequel, MTV News reports that Mark Wahlberg will replace Shia LaBeouf in the lead role, a move that demonstrates director Michael Bay's impressive commitment to a squeaky-voiced leading men. [MTV News]

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2. Sofia Vergara is still the top-earning actress on television

Ratings aside, it's hard to get too excited about Sofia Vergara's shrill, one-note performance on ABC's Modern Family — but who needs good reviews when you have cold, hard cash? According to Forbes, Vergara is the top-earning actress on television for the second year in a row, with a whopping $30 million this year alone. The report adds that the majority of Vergara's earnings come not from her acting, but from a series of lucrative endorsement deals. So if you're suddenly craving a Diet Pepsi, consider her salary well earned. [Extra]

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3. Dancing with the Stars has given Snooki a new platform

In news that brings ABC's definition of "stars" to a new and perilous low, the network has announced that Jersey Shore alum Snooki will be a contestant, moving her career from "annoying person on odious reality show" to "annoying person on marginally less odious reality show." E! Online has the full list of new stars, which also include Bill Nye the Science Guy, who presumably accepted the offer as part of an experiment to see just how much American viewers will put up with before changing the channel. [E! Online]

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4. U.C. Irvine students can take a class about The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead isn't just the highest-rated show on cable; it's the most ridiculous college course in America. According to the Associated Press, U.C. Irvine students can enroll in an eight-week course based on the AMC drama, which will begin the day after the show's October 13 premiere, because nothing says "quality education" like "corporate synergy." Topics will reportedly include "the hierarchy of needs in a crisis, the physiology of stress, and population modeling to predict a species' survival." Not on the list, sadly, is a class on searching the barn for missing children before you've wasted half a season looking for them. [Associated Press]

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5. The Newsroom will be back to annoy critics in 2014

HBO's The Newsroom is in the midst of its second season, and while the show's audience has stayed fairly consistent, the critical reaction remains less than stellar. But in the face of such long odds, Will McAvoy and his team remain doggedly unshakeable. In a tweet on Tuesday night, star Jeff Daniels revealed that the series will officially return for a third season next year — an exciting development that will surely make excellent storytelling fodder for The Newsroom's fifth season, when it inevitably arrives there. [USA Today]