CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:

THE 'L' WORD (Showtime) - Lisa Gay Hamilton ("The Practice") has signed on for a guest arc on the pay channel's lesbian drama, which premieres in January 2004. She'll play an artist who has an affair with Jennifer Beals' character on the show, about the lives and loves of a group of West Hollywood women. The drama also stars Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman, Mia Kirshner, Karina Lombard, Eric Mabius, Katherine Moennig and Pam Grier. A two-hour pilot has been completed with production on 12 additional one-hour episodes currently underway.

STRIP SEARCH (HBO) - Emmy winner Ellen Barkin, Tony winner Patti LuPone, Rashida Jones ("Boston Public"), Kerry Washington ("Against the Ropes") and Robert Clohessy ("Oz") have all signed on to the already all-star cast of Sidney Lumet's upcoming telefilm about crime and punishment in the wake of the September 11 attacks. The group joins the previously cast Glenn Close, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Daniel Sauli, Oliver Platt and Justin Bartha.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (WB) - Leslie Grossman ("Popular") has joined the cast of the Frog comedy. She's set to play a co-worker of Jennie Garth's character in a New York public relations firm. Grossman had previously appeared in the role in a guest appearance last season. The laffer moves to Thursdays at 9:00/8:00c when it returns for a second season this fall.

WONDERFALLS (FOX) - Lee Pace ("Solider's Girl") is set to join the cast of FOX's midseason dramedy. He'll replace Adam Scott on the series as Caroline Dhavernas' witty brother, a religious theory professor. No reason was given for the switch. The series stars Dhavernas as an underachieving twentysomething souvenir shop worker who receives cryptic messages from inanimate animal figures that allow her to help those in need.

Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters