CBS is clashing with ABC over a new reality show -- claiming ABC's newest reality project "Glass House" is a "Big Brother" rip-off ... and if ABC doesn't pull the plug on it stat, CBS will sue.

Lawyers for CBS fired off a cease and desist letter to ABC on Friday, claiming "Glass House" -- about contestants living in a house, filmed round-the-clock, and voted out by viewers -- is strikingly similar to "Big Brother."

CBS says it's no coincidence either -- claiming 18 former "Big Brother" staffers are now working on the new ABC project.

CBS writes, "In the strongest possible terms, we must admonish ABC and anyone involved in the development or production of `Glass House' that they will be acting at their own peril if they continue to proceed in this manner."

ABC had no comment.

Ted Nugent WENT OFF on a male CBS news reporter during a sit-down interview this week ... claiming he's a "damned nice guy" ... and to prove it, he offered oral sex.

It all went down during a sit-down interview with Jeff Glor ... when Glor suggested he was not a moderate.

Nugent exploded, "I'm an extremely loving and passionate man, and people who investigate me honestly, without the baggage of political correctness, ascertain the conclusion that I'm a damned nice guy ... and if you can find a screening process more powerful than that, I'll s*ck your d**k."

Nugent then turned to Glor's female producer and said, "Or I'll f**k you, how's that sound?"

After the interview, Glor said Nugent's wife came out and told the former rock star that he needed to apologize. And he did.

Glor later identified the producer as Molly Kordares ... who looks like this:

Ashton Kutcher's new commercial for Popchips has officially been PULLED amidst allegations of racism ... after the actor donned brownface makeup to play a goofy Bollywood producer.

The ad -- which debuted on the Popchips website -- featured Ashton playing a variety of characters in a spoof "dating" commercial ... including a biker, a hippie, and an Indian guy named Raj.

The ad pissed off a whole bunch of people -- including blogger Anil Dash ... who called the ad, "a hackneyed, unfunny advertisement featuring Kutcher in brownface talking about his romantic options, with the entire punchline being that he's doing it in a fake-Indian outfit and voice."

Dash explained on his blog, "I think the people behind this Popchips ad are not racist. I think they just made a racist ad."

In the wake of the backlash, Popchips took down the ad ... and Popchips CEO Keith Belling issued a statement saying, "We did not intend to offend anyone. I take full responsibility and apologize to anyone we offended."

Dateline NBC pulled a fast one in a hidden camera investigation last night -- but instead of targeting pedophiles, they took down middle schoolers cheating on a phys ed. test ... and the kids' parents were in on the sting.

Here's the premise: the kids were told they have to complete an obstacle course to audition for an "ultimate challenge" TV show. Unknown to the kids, Dateline is secretly recording the test ... and they've planted an actress who encourages the kids to cheat by inflating their scores. Also, their parents are sitting in a nearby room watching the whole thing go down.

The first time through the course the kids try to stop the actress from lying ... and insist on posting their real results. However, the second time, some of them give in and agree to fudge the numbers.

Natalie Morales then walks out -- playing the Chris Hansen role -- and tells the kids they've been set up to see if they cheat. The shocked looks on their faces are priceless ... especially when they hear their parents were in on it.

Dateline said the report was intended to show how peer pressure affects kids. But here's the thing -- shame on NBC and the parents for setting up the kids on national tv to teach 'em the lesson.

What happened to talking to your kids at home?

For the first time in 16 years, ABC's "Good Morning America" edged out NBC's "Today" in the morning show ratings last week -- and this morning, ABC News rubbed it in NBC's face ... throwing a champagne-popping victory party.

All the big swinging chicks at ABC were present ... including Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer, and Lara Spencer -- in addition to ABC News President Ben Sherwood, Senior EP Tom Cibrowski, former "GMA" host Charlie Gibson, George Stephanopoulos, Sam Champion ... pretty much the whole crew.

We're told Robin Roberts toasted the entire "GMA" team, saying, "We're the face of it, but it's all you. Everyone in this building is a team."

We're guessing the "Today" staff got bagels.

The people behind the "Real Housewives" franchise are poking around in Calabasas, CA ... searching for Christian women to star in a new reality show inspired by "GCB" ... TMZ has learned.

We've confirmed ... producers have already reached out to several members of the Calabasas elite who live in the same extremely private gated community Justin Bieber will soon call home.

We're told producers are looking for "accomplished and upscale women in the Calabasas area who have fabulous lives, are very social, are involved in the community, but also have a very deep commitment to their faith."

The community is loaded with stars ... including Travis Barker, Shanna Moakler, Gary Sinise, D.L. Hughley, Kourtney Kardashian, Keyshawn Johnson and Nikki Sixx.

So far, it's unclear if producers have reached out to the stars ... but they probably should.

Nobody watched Ryan O'Neal's reality show on the OWN network ... NOBODY ... not even Oprah Winfrey ... this according to Ryan O'Neal.

The 70-year-old Hollywood star -- who starred with his famous daughter on "Ryan and Tatum: The O'Neals" -- was out in L.A. yesterday when we asked how he felt about O's admission that she wasn't ready to launch her network.

O'Neal replied, "I wish we had known that ... she should have told us."

When we asked if he was worried that the extremely low-rated reality show would tarnish his reputation .... he simply shot back, "No because nobody saw it ... I don't know if Oprah saw it."

We're guessing there won't be a Season 2.

The guy who played exceptionally well-hung high school nerd R.J. Berger on the MTV show "Hard Times of R.J. Berger" just revealed he's gay ... but admits he's still attracted to women.

23-year-old Paul Iacono just came out publicly to "The Village Voice" ... saying, "I think it's the right time to say something."

Iacono explains, "I grew up in a really old-school Italian traditional family in New Jersey. I tried coming out a couple of times as a kid, from 13-14 on, and was always squashed on."

He adds, "I was just coming to terms with the fact that I was bisexual, which culturally I do identify with as a gay man -- I am attracted to girls, I'm just attracted to guys much more."

"It was not until I was 18 that I came out with my mom and 20 with my dad. I was older and able to address it from a different perspective."

Paul also says part of the reason he came out publicly was to be a role model to kids so they "won't have to grow up and be afraid of their sexuality."

Keith Olbermann is a liar, a bully ... and worst of all -- he's just plain MEAN ... this according to Current TV.

The network has fired back at the "Countdown" host ... claiming his $70 million lawsuit is "false and malicious."

Current also says Olbermann was a crappy employee ... and got the chop due to "serial, material breaches of his contract, including the failure to show up at work, sabotaging the network and attacking Current and its executives."

A rep for the network added, "As the old adage says: 'When the law is on your side, you argue the law. When the facts are on your side, you argue the facts. When neither the law nor the facts are on your side, you pound the table.'"

He continues, "We will be happy to engage on the law and the facts in the appropriate forum. It is well established that over his professional career Mr. Olbermann has specialized in pounding the table."

The network concludes with one final shot ... "We hope Mr. Olbermann understands that when it comes to the legal process, he is actually required to show up."

Keith Olbermann says it's his fault his Current TV gig ended in disaster -- but only because he should've known the network was way too cheap for him.

On tonight's "Late Show with David Letterman" Olbermann speaks out for the first time about getting canned from Al Gore's network.

Olbermann compared himself to an expensive decoration Gore just couldn't afford, saying ... "If you buy a $10 million chandelier, you should have a house to put it in."

As TMZ reported, Keith felt Current TV was a mismanaged "ragtag operation."

Olbermann sarcastically told Letterman, "I screwed up really big on this. It's my fault that it didn't succeed."

The people behind the TruTV reality show "Inside American Jail" are being sued by a former DUI arrestee who was featured on the show ... who claims producers did NOT have the right to put her on the air ... because she was TOO WASTED to sign the waiver form.

The woman behind the lawsuit is Lenette Beall ... who was arrested for DUI by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department on April 10, 2010.

According to the suit, Beall claims an "American Jail" camera crew recorded footage while she was being booked and processed at a Clark County detention center. Beall claims the footage was then edited to portray her in a negative light ... "to embarrass and incriminate [her]."

Here's the rub ... Beall claims she was "extremely intoxicated" at the time ... and does not recall signing a release or waiver which would've given producers or LVMPD permission to use her image.

But even if she DID sign a waiver in her drunken state, Beall says the waiver is invalid because she was "not mentally competent" to enter into an agreement at the time.

Beall says she was labeled as "Naughty Girl" on the show ... and says she's been the subject of "an avalanche of personal ridicule, scorn and unwanted recognition" ever since it aired.

In her suit, Beall also says the Sheriff allowed producers to shoot because the production company, Langley Productions, donated $10,000 to his re-election campaign in 2009.

Beall is suing TBS (which owns TruTV) ... as well as Langley, the LVMPD and Sheriff Douglas Gillespie. She's demanding more than $10,000 in damages.

So far, no word back from TruTV. A rep for the LVMPD tells TMZ, "We do not comment on pending litigation."