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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
Looking to keep track of all the various projects in development? Click here to visit our signature "Devwatch" section. There visitors can view our listings by network, genre, studio and even development stage (ordered to pilot, cast-contingent, script, etc.). It's updated every day!
BURN NOTICE (USA) - Coby Bell ("Third Watch") has joined the cast of the show's upcoming fourth season. He'll play Jesse Garcia, "a cocky and sarcastic counterintelligence expert with a chameleon-like ability to assume different cover identities and an intense desire to see bad guys get punished." His character will then ultimately find a kindred spirit in Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan). "Notice," which wrapped its third season last week, returns in June.
COVERT AFFAIRS (USA) - Sendhil Ramamurthy ("Heroes") has joined the cast of the upcoming drama, about "a young CIA trainee (Piper Perabo) who is thrust into the inner sanctum of the agency when she is unexpectedly promoted to field operative." He'll play a CIA agent in the hour, due later this year. His casting fills the void left by Eric Lively, whose character, Conrad Sheehan III, is being written out. Anne Dudek, Christopher Gorham, Eion Bailey, Kari Matchett and Peter Gallagher also star.
CUTTHROAT (ABC) - Sarah Wynter ("Damages") has scored a role on the drama pilot, about Nina Cabrera (Roselyn Sanchez), "an upscale Beverly Hills widow and soccer mom who runs an international drug cartel." She'll play Sophia, a Hollywood mom whom Nina befriends and helps take care of her cheating, soon-to-be ex husband, who refuses to move out of the house. Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters co-created the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which also stars Escher Holloway, Jon Seda and Peggy Lipton. Bronwen Hughes is directing.
EDGAR FLOATS (ABC) - Tom Cavanagh ("Trust Me") has been tapped for the title role in the drama pilot, about a police psychologist who becomes a bounty hunter. He'll play said man, Edgar Floats, who always wears "Clark Kent glasses, a bow tie and a short sleeve shirt." Cavanagh joins the previously cast Alicia Witt, Derek Webster and Robert Patrick in the Warner Bros. Television-based hour, to be helmed by Jace Alexander from a script by Rand Ravich.
ENTOURAGE/HUNG (HBO) - Dania Ramirez ("Heroes") and Lennie James ("Jericho") have each booked recurring roles on the pay channel comedies, respectively. Ramirez will play Alex on "Entourage's" seventh season, a new love interest for Turtle (Jerry Ferrara). James then is set as a potential love interest for Tanya (Jane Adams) on "Hung's" sophomore run. Both series return this summer.
HAWAII FIVE-O (CBS) Emmy-nominee Jean Smart ("24") has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police headed by Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin). She'll play Governor Pat Jameson, who taps McGarrett to form "a federalized unit empowered by the Patriot act, with full blanket authority to hunt big game and get 'em the hell off [her] island." Her character is further detailed as "a rather beautiful woman in her early 40's; local Hawaiian with a Washingtonian's backbone, she's a
unique mix of brilliance, grace, and compassion." Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park, Scott Caan and Taryn Manning co-star in the CBS Television Studios-based hour, which comes from director Len Wisman and co-creators Alex Kurtzman, Peter Lenkov and Roberto Orci.
KINDREDS (NBC) - Brittany Snow, who toplined last year's "Gossip Girl" spin-off, has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about "a curmudgeonly ex-patent lawyer (Kathy Bates) and her group of misfit associates as their lives come together to form an unconventional kind of law practice." She'll play the woman's assistant, Jenna Backstrom, in the hour, which comes from Warner Bros. Television. Bill D'Elia is directing from a script by David E. Kelley.
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER (CBS) - Kyle Bornheimer ("Romantically Challenged") has booked the male lead in the comedy pilot, about a Pittsburgh couple who are mulling the next stage of their relationship. He'll play Tommy ("30's, lovable if slightly unkempt"), one half of said couple, in the half-hour, which comes from co-creators Carter Bays, Craig Thomas, Kourtney Kang and Joe Kelly. Bornheimer's involvement is in second position to the yet-to-premiere ABC comedy. Joe Manganiello also stars in the half-hour, which is set up at 20th Century Fox Television. Pamela Fryman is directing.
LUCK (HBO) - Nick Nolte is in talks to join the cast of the drama pilot, which "takes a look at the worlds of horse racing and gambling through a diverse group of characters surrounding a racetrack." He'll play a role only referred to as "The Old Man," the trainer of a top racehorse, which in turn is only referred to as "The Big Horse." Meanwhile, Kevin Dunn, Kerry Condon and Tom Payne have signed onto the hour, which Michael Mann is helming off a script by David Milch. Dunn is believed to be playing Marcus, the scooter-bound, oxygen-tank-assisted leader of the Syndicate, a group of track regulars. Payne then is set as Leon Micheaux, an apprentice jockey referred to as "Bug Boy," with Condon as "The Exercise Girl," The Big Horse's exercise rider who has a crush on Bug Boy. Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Farina and John Ortiz also star.
SONS OF ANARCHY (FX) - Kenny Johnson ("Saving Grace") is set to recur on the show's upcoming third season. He'll continue on as SAMCRO member Kozik, a role introduced in the second season finale. The new season of "Anarchy" is expected to roll out in September.
THE WHOLE TRUTH (ABC) - Rob Morrow ("NUMB3RS") has joined the cast of the pilot, a legal drama that shows the defense and prosecution sides equally. He'll play Jimmy Nolan ("one handsome devil in vintage red Reeboks"), "an exuberant, larger-than-life, extremely successful defense attorney who is frequently pitted against Kathryn Pearle (Joely Richardson), a successful New York prosecutor." Morrow's involvement is in second position to his duties on the CBS drama. Eamonn Walker and Sean Wing co-star in the hour, which comes from Jerry Bruckheimer Television and Warner Bros. Television. Alex Graves is directing from a script by Tom Donaghy.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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