'Dog' is likely to get his deal

IF THERE'S a third season of A&E's "Dog, The Bounty Hunter" -- and you can count on it -- filming begins here Nov. 28. A deal, which will include more money, a bigger rented house, and likely take Duane "The Dog" Chapman and partner Beth Smith through a fifth season, is very close to being signed.

Chapman will film a History Channel special for a week this month on Oahu titled "Dog's History of Bounty Hunting" ...

Producer Lee Fulkerson interviewed several people here associated with the 1988 Aloha Airlines in-air accident for the History Channel's documentary "Flight 243," scheduled to air Dec. 11.

Those interviewed include passengers Patricia Aubrey; Shayne and Bob Nichols, daughter and son of passenger and Kailua resident Robert Nichols, who took the dramatic photos of escaping passengers at the Maui airport; Joyce Fountain, sister of chief flight attendant Clarabelle "C.B." Lansing, who died in the incident; and Maui fire crew member Rodney Kilborn.

Producers praised Aloha Airlines for its cooperation, including spokesman Stu Glauberman ...

Casting in Los Angeles continues for Outer Reefs Limited's "Pipeline," with filming on Oahu set to begin here next month through part of January. That includes a lot of North Shore surf sequences, says producer Jordan Alan ...

"Hawaii" alumnus Eric Balfour joined the cast of "Conviction," NBC's midseason drama series from "Law & Order" creator Dick Wolf. Balfour will play an assistant district attorney. Balfour most recently starred on UPN's short-lived "Sex, Love & Secrets" ...

Marika Dominczyk, formerly of Fox's "North Shore," joins the cast of NBC's "Heist" ...

"Lost" ad infinitum: Maggie Grace's character, Shannon, is really dead, according to co-star Dominic Monaghan, who says, "I think if you get shot in the chest on an island with no real medical help, you're gonna croak."

No other deaths, including Sawyer, are in the works for the remainder of this season ...

Michelle Rodriguez will be featured in an upcoming TV Guide, and Brittany Perrineau, wife of co-star Harold Perrineau and who plays Mary Jo, will be back for a third episode.

Reel News unspools every Wednesday. Contact Tim Ryan at tryan@starbulletin.com.