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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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187 DETROIT (ABC) - David Zabel ("ER") has been confirmed as an executive producer on the drama pilot, about a top homicide division as seen through the lens of a fictional documentary crew. He'll oversee creator Jason Richman and presumably serve as showrunner should it be ordered to series. Aisha Hinds, D.J. Cotrona, Erin Cummings, James McDaniel, John Michael Hill, Michael Imperioli, Natalie Martinez and Shaun Majumder all star in the ensemble, which also comes from ABC Studios and director Jeff Nachmanoff.
BETWIXT (The CW) - Blair Redford ("Passions") is the latest addition to the drama pilot, about three teens (Allison Miller, Jessy Schram and Josh Henderson) who discover they're actually "changelings," the children of mythological fairies. He's reportedly playing James "Moth" Motherwell, "an almost eerily goodlooking 19-year-old with dark, piercing eyes," who indoctrinates our heroes into the changeling world. Austin Butler and David Gallagher also star in the hour, which comes from writer Elizabeth Chandler, director Christian Duguay and producers CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television.
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS) - Mayim Bialik ("'Til Death") has booked a potential recurring role on the series. She'll play "a potential girlfriend for Sheldon (Jim Parsons) - a female version of him, a nerdy brain that he meets on eHarmony." Said character will debut in the show's third season finale, airing Monday, May 24.
BOSTON'S FINEST (ABC) - Jason Wiles ("Persons Unknown") and Miles Williams ("The Guiding Light") are the latest additions to the drama pilot, about Julia Scott (Katee Sackhoff), a detective who teams with Angus Martin (Goran Visnjic), a disgraced ex-cop to solve crimes and untangle the conspiracy that sent him underground. Wiles will play Christian Holt, Julia's boyfriend, who's "strong, confident, handsome; a prince, cut from the J.F.K. Jr. mold; he's very charming, but make no mistake - there's arrogance here, too." Williams then is set as Angus's son Miles, who Jack Holt (Treat Williams), his old partner, has adopted. Nia Long, Richard T. Jones and Will Yun Lee also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which Gary Fleder is directing off a script by Richard Hatem.
CUTTHROAT (ABC) - Real-life siblings Teo and Isa Briones have joined the cast of the drama pilot, about Nina Cabrera (Mia Maestro), an upscale Beverly Hills widow and soccer mom who runs an international drug cartel. They'll play her kids, five-year-old Alex and 12-year-old Lily. Escher Holloway, Jon Seda, Peggy Lipton and Sarah Wynter co-star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based hour, which Bronwen Hughes is helming off a script by co-creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters.
HOW TO BE A BETTER AMERICAN (ABC) - Dylan Matzke has booked a role on the comedy pilot, about a father (Jason Jones) who embarks on a journey to be a better person and drags his family kicking and screaming along. He'll play Martin, the man's nine-year-old "sensitive television and video game addicted son." Emily Rose Everhard, Johnny Sneed and Missi Pyle also star in the ABC Studios-based half-hour, which has also added Mike Sikowitz ("Rules of Engagement") as an executive producer. Brian Bradley and Steven Cragg co-wrote the project, which Adam Bernstein is directing.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE (ABC) - Christopher Sieber ("It's All Relative"), Gabriel Morales ("The Perfect Game") and Zach Mills ("Rita Rocks") have all joined the cast of the comedy pilot, about exes - Karen (Leah Remini) and Howard - who join forces to raise their 15-year-old boy, George. Sieber and Mills will play Howard and George, respectively. James Patrick Stuart also stars as Carl, Karen's new husband, with Cheyenne Jackson as Scott, Howard's boyfriend. Morales then will play George's best friend Chris. Michael Fresco is helming the ABC Studios-based half-hour, which was penned by Casey Johnson and David Windsor.
LEAPFROG (ABC) - Jake Lacy has scored a role on the comedy pilot, about two sisters at different stages in their romantic relationships - one (Jennifer Finnigan) is in a happy, long-term relationship but isn't married; the other (Joanna Garcia) gets pregnant and winds up quickly marrying her new beau. He'll play Casey, the "laid back, boyish" significant other of Garcia's character. Debra Jo Rupp, Josh Cooke and Kurt Fuller also star in the Warner Bros. Television-based half-hour, which has also added the ever-busy James Burrows as director. Shana Goldberg-Meehan is the creator.
NOLAN KNOWS BEST (A.K.A. UNTITLED DANA GOULD PROJECT) (ABC) - Lexi Jourden and Payton Lucas have both been cast in the comedy pilot, about a guidance counselor (Dana Gould) at a local high school and father to two young children, who is caught between his father's (Brian Dennehy) old school parenting beliefs and his wife's (Traylor Howard) very progressive ideals. They'll play the man's two kids, seven-year-old Abby and five-year-old Elaine, respectively. In addition, Craig Zisk ("United States of Tara") has been tapped to direct the half-hour, while Mike Scully ("Parks & Recreation") has been named an executive producer. Gould penned the pilot for Warner Bros. Television.
OFF THE MAP (ABC) - Jose Julian has joined the cast of the drama pilot, about three doctors who leave the comfort of the U.S. to work at an isolated tropical clinic. He'll play Charlie, the team's local guide and translator. Meanwhile, co-star Mamie Gummer's role has been clarified as Meena Mital. Said character was originally written for someone of Indian-American descent. She's detailed as "sexy, grew up extremely poor but you'd never know it; she's unapologetically arrogant, talks a really good game - her only sign of weakness is an asthma inhaler." Caroline Dhavernas, Enrique Murciano, Jason George, Martin Henderson and Valerie Cruz also star in the ABC Studios-based hour, which comes from creator Jenna Bans and director Daniel Minahan.
TAX MAN (FOX) - Martin Short ("Damages") is the latest addition to the pilot, a workplace comedy set at an IRS office in Fresno, California. He's set as Mike Babbit, the office's bombastic boss. David Krumholtz, Judy Greer, Kerri Kenney and Randall Park also star in the 20th Century Fox Television-based half-hour, which was created by Brent Forrester. Fred Savage is directing.
THE WHOLE TRUTH (ABC) - Christine Adams ("Pushing Daisies") has joined the cast of the pilot, a legal drama that shows the defense - led by Jimmy Nolan (Rob Morrow) - and prosecution - led by Kathryn Pearle (Joely Richardson) - sides equally. She'll play Lena Gaudet, a gorgeous commercial litigator-turned-defense attorney. Anthony Ruivivar, Eamonn and Sean Wing also star in the project, 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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