News

The Bionic Woman is coming to Grey's Anatomy! That's right, Lindsay Wagner is officially joining the star-studded cast of everyone's favorite "Tgit" drama. On Thursday, May 3, the 68-year-old will be playing the role of Helen Karev, who is main character Alex Karev's (played by Justin Chambers) mother. According to Deadline, the episode was directed by series co-star Jesse Willams and will be titled, "Fight For Your Mind." The official description doesn't focus mainly on Lindsay's cameo, but it is a major plot point, "Alex and Jo (Camilla Luddington) go on a trip to Iowa to find Alex’s mom, whom he hasn’t heard from in a very long time. Meanwhile, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) gives a presentation on her mini-livers project, which attracts a ton of attention, while Jackson (Jesse Williams) works to rebuild the foundation after its reputation is threatened." Up to this point in Grey's Anatomy, viewers have only ever seen Dr.

Grey's Anatomy is finally introducing Alex Karev's (Justin Chambers) mom and she's being played by a TV legend. E! News has confirmed Lindsay Wagner, yes the Bionic Woman, will play Helen Karev and make her debut in the Thursday, May 3 episode of the long-running drama. Jesse Williams directed the episode. Deadline first reported the casting. Alex's mom originally appeared in a flashback as a younger woman played by Emily Rutherfurd. In the episode, "Fight For Your Mind," Alex and Jo (Camilla Luddington) travel to Iowa to find Alex's mother. The two haven't been in touch for a long time. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) presents her mini-livers project and garners attention and Jackson...

Grey’s Anatomy found a literal Bionic Woman to play Alex’s estranged mother. As confirmed by TVLine, TV vet Lindsay Wagner has been cast in the pivotal role, and is set to appear in the May 3 episode.

Our sister site Deadline first broke the news.

Directed by Grey’s co-star Jesse Williams, the episode finds Alex (Justin Chambers) and Jo (Camilla Luddington) embarking on a trip to Iowa to find Alex’s mom, Helen, whom he hasn’t heard from in a very long time. The hour is a sequel of sorts to the March 15 ep, in which we...

Exclusive: We are finally going to meet Alex Karev’s (Justin Chambers) mom. Former The Bionic Woman and Scruples star Lindsay Wagner will play the key guest role of Helen Karev in the May 3 episode of ABC’s hit medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, directed by series co-star Jesse Williams.

So far, we only had gotten a glimpse of Alex’s mom as a younger woman in a flashback during an episode earlier this season that was directed by Grey’s star Ellen Pompeo. The part was played by Emily Rutherfurd.

In the logline for the May 3 episode titled “Fight For Your Mind” and written by Andy Reaser, Alex (Chambers) and Jo (Camilla Luddington) go on a trip to Iowa to find Alex’s mom, whom he hasn’t heard from in a very long time. Meanwhile, Meredith (Pompeo) gives a presentation on her mini-livers project, which attracts a ton of attention,...

Sorry, Scrubs fans: Ground Floor will not be reuniting Christa Miller and John C. McGinley.

As EW first reported, Miller was slated to play the wife of McGinley’s Mr. Mansfield, but she had to back out because of production demands on the final season of TBS’ Cougar Town.

In her stead, Emily Rutherfurd (The New Adventures of Old Christine) will take on the role of the brassy and artistic Allie Mansfield, who is the only person able to control her husband.

Ground Floor is slated to return Dec. 9 on TBS.

News

Laverne Cox has booked an appearance on Bravo’s upcoming series Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce. She’ll play a war reporter and Lgbt activist who appears at a marriage equality gala.

Sean Hayes has joined the cast of The Millers next season. He’ll play a new pal of Carol (Margo Martindale) whose presence annoys Carol’s son Nathan (Will Arnett). On one hand, seeing Margo Martindale and Sean Hayes sharing scenes sounds amazing. I’m just not sure it will be so amazing on The Millers, considering the episodes I’ve seen.

From Sean Saves the World to The Millers. Ohboy.

With its 100th episode here, TVLine looks back at the Pretty Little Liars‘s pilot episode. Ah, remember when Aria was the mature and worldly one?

EW reports that Elizabeth Mitchell will be appearing on Once Upon a Time as part of the drama’s Frozen-inspired storyline.

ABC Family is bulking up the cast of Work Mom. Actress Lilah Richcreek, who guest-starred on Two and a Half Men and 2 Broke Girls, has been added as a new series regular on the comedy pilot from Bunheads' Grant Levy and Dominik Rothbard, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. Additionally, Desperate Housewives alum Doug Savant has been cast as a guest star. Work Mom follows Heather (Renee Olstead), who finally gets promoted at her digital marketing firm Pow! Marketing and winds up hiring her recently unemployed mother, Eden (Emily Rutherfurd). Brandon Scott also stars. Story: ABC Family Orders Comedy Pilots From

read more...

Brandon Scott (Grey's Anatomy) has landed a series regular role in the ABC Family workplace comedy pilot Work Mom from creators Grant Levy and Dominik Rothbard (Bunheads). Work Mom follows a young woman named Heather (played by Renee Olstead), who hires her recently unemployed mother (played by Emily Rutherfurd) to work for her after she gets a promotion. Brandon Scott will play a character named Craig, who is described as an employee at the company where Heather and her mother work, who possesses a sweetness and idealism in his approach to both people and work, but just not to his personal life. He's also attracted to Heather, although he hasn't...

ABC Family has tapped two familiar faces to join its comedy pilot Work Mom. Grey's Anatomy alum Brandon Scott and The Secret Life of the American Teenager's Renee Olstead have nabbed series regular roles on the workplace comedy pilot from Bunheads duo Grant Levy and Dominik Rothbard. Work Mom follows Heather (Olstead), who finally gets promoted at her digital marketing firm and winds up hiring her recently unemployed mother, Eden (The New Adventures of Old Christine's Emily Rutherfurd). Scott will play Craig, an employee at Pow Marketing who is sweet and idealistic in his approach to both people and work. He's good at

read more...

Friday Night Lights alum Jeffrey Reiner, who directed the pilot for Caprica, is back at Syfy as director and executive producer of the network’s pilot 12 Monkeys, written on spec by Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett based on the Terry Gilliam movie. Here are several other recent director hires: Michael Trim (Orange Is The New Black) is set to direct VH1′s drama pilot Hindsight, from writer Emily Fox and Timberman/Beverly. Lifetime has tapped Danny Cannon (CSI) to direct its dystopian future drama pilot The Lottery, from Timothy J. Sexton, and Roger Kumble to helm Marti Noxon’s Unreal, set behind the scenes of a dating reality show. ABC Family’s mother-daughter comedy pilot Work Mom, starring Emily Rutherfurd, will be directed by Ted Wass, and Jay Chandrasekhar will helm Amazon comedy pilot The Outlaws.

The New Adventures Of Old Christine alumna Emily Rutherfurd has been cast as one of the two leads in ABC Family‘s comedy pilot Work Mom, written by Grant Levy and Dominik Rothbard. The workplace comedy follows Heather, who finally gets promoted at her digital marketing firm, and winds up hiring her vivacious, recently unemployed mother, Eden (Rutherfurd), who mixes up the office in a way no one could have predicted. Jennie Garth is in talks to join Tori Spelling in another ABC Family comedy pilot, Mystery Girls. Sources are optimistic about the deal, which would reunite the former 90210 co-stars. Mystery Girls, penned by Shepard Boucher based on a story by him and Spelling, follows a former starlet (Spelling) who is roped into solving crimes with her former mystery TV show costar (Garth) when a witness to a crime will only speak to the infamous Mystery Girls. Spelling and Maggie Malina executive produce.

Looks like it’s time for another “inspired by true events” night at the multiplex. It’s not a heavy drama or political thriller, not even a mushy tear-jerker. Nope, this is a raucous, raunchy R-rated comedy about kidnappers. Uh, uh, felons. And it’s from that master of big screen comedy Michael Bay. Yup, fresh off the Transformers trilogy. Well, this flick is about some larger than life characters, though not several stories tall like the Autobots. Bay can do the big explosions and gun battles, but can he really dive into the Apatow territory? You’ll get to find out in Pain & Gain.

The main focus of P&G is the gang’s ringleader (mastermind is stretching things a bit), Danny Lugo (Mark Wahlberg). It’s South Beach, Florida circa 1995 and Lugo’s an ex-con (a shady investment racket) now working as a fitness trainer at Sun Gym.

Do you remember “New Christine” from The New Adventures of Old Christine? That actress‘s name is Emily Rutherfurd and she’s bringing the laughs with her as she guest stars on Raising Hope on Fox. The very funny comedy will also welcome The Middle‘s Brian Doyle-Murray.

Emily Rutherfurd’s recent work also includes guest spots on Last Man Standing, Up All Night and Drop Dead Diva. Meanwhile, comedian Brian Doyle-Murray is a Saturday Night Live vet who not so long ago appeared in The Three Stooges film and on the CW’s Supernatural.

The two guest stars will appear on Raising Hope during a February sweeps two-part episode, said TV Line. The show revolves around Jimmy and Sabrina’s honeymoon trip to Hollywood. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it isn’t so terrific when the entire Chance family decides to tag along with them. I can see it now:...

Tippi Hedren is heading to "Cougar Town."

The "Birds" legend -- who recently had a comedic run with her daughter Melanie Griffith on "Raising Hope" -- will join the cul-de-sac crew on its new TBS home, TV Guide Magazine reports.

According to the publication, Hedren will play an iconic Hollywood legend, who rubs elbows with Jules (Courteney Cox) and her father (Ken Jenkins).

In more casting news ...

"Baby Daddy" nabs Lacey Chabert ... The "Party of Five" alum will guest star on two episodes of the ABC Family series as Dr. Amy Shaw, a sports psychologist working with the New York Rangers, who'll help Danny out of a major slump. But there may be more between them. [TV Guide]

And a "Vampire Diaries" star. Recent Mystic Falls addition Grace Phipps (April) will also appear in at least two episodes of "Baby Daddy" as Megan, a daycare manager who catches Ben's eye when he drops off Emma,...

Tippi Hedren is heading to "Cougar Town."

The "Birds" legend -- who recently had a comedic run with her daughter Melanie Griffith on "Raising Hope" -- will join the cul-de-sac crew on its new TBS home, TV Guide Magazine reports.

According to the publication, Hedren will play an iconic Hollywood legend, who rubs elbows with Jules (Courteney Cox) and her father (Ken Jenkins).

In more casting news ...

"Baby Daddy" nabs Lacey Chabert ... The "Party of Five" alum will guest star on two episodes of the ABC Family series as Dr. Amy Shaw, a sports psychologist working with the New York Rangers, who'll help Danny out of a major slump. But there may be more between them. [TV Guide]

And a "Vampire Diaries" star. Recent Mystic Falls addition Grace Phipps (April) will also appear in at least two episodes of "Baby Daddy" as Megan, a daycare manager who catches Ben's eye when he drops off Emma,...

The New Adventures of Old Christine‘s Emily Rutherfurd and The Middle‘s Brian Doyle-Murray will guest-star on Fox’s Raising Hope during a February sweeps two-parter, when the Chance family tags along to Hollywood for Jimmy and Sabrina’s honeymoon.

TVLine has learned exclusively that Rutherfurd will portray Kelly, the daughter of one of Maw Maw’s dead husband’s mistresses — thus making her Virginia’s kinda-sorta aunt. Maw Maw and Barney visit Kelly’s home while the family is in the Golden State.

Meanwhile, veteran character actor...

Emily Rutherfurd has signed up for a role in a CBS pilot. The comedy stars Ben Falcone as David, a single man who is forced to move back in with his parents after losing everything in the real estate crash. Rutherfurd will play a waitress who happens to be David's old high school crush, Deadline says. The actress previously starred in The New Adventures of Old Christine and has also appeared in series such (more)...

Colin Salmon has joined the CW drama pilot Arrow, a modern retelling of the story of DC Comics character Green Arrow, as a recurring. The pilot stars Stephen Amell as the vigilante superhero who fights crime using archery, martial arts and technology under his secret identity as Oliver Queen, a wealthy playboy and billionaire industrialist-turned-outspoken politician in Star City. Salmon, repped by Lighthouse Entertainment and Curtis Brown Group, will play Walter Steele, a former business associate of Oliver’s late father Robert Queen and the No. 2 executive at Queen Consolidated. He married Oliver’s mother Susanna Thompson following her husband’s death at sea and the disappearance of her son. Salmon recently wrapped Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil: Retribution, reprising his role from the first Resident Evil film.

The New Adventures Of Old Christine alumna Emily Rutherfurd is back at CBS with a supporting role on another multi-camera project,...

Colin Salmon has joined the CW drama pilot Arrow, a modern retelling of the story of DC Comics character Green Arrow, as a recurring. The pilot stars Stephen Amell as the vigilante superhero who fights crime using archery, martial arts and technology under his secret identity as Oliver Queen, a wealthy playboy and billionaire industrialist-turned-outspoken politician in Star City. Salmon, repped by Lighthouse Entertainment and Curtis Brown Group, will play Walter Steele, a former business associate of Oliver’s late father Robert Queen and the No. 2 executive at Queen Consolidated. He married Oliver’s mother Susanna Thompson following her husband’s death at sea and the disappearance of her son. Salmon recently wrapped Paul W.S. Anderson’s Resident Evil: Retribution, reprising his role from the first Resident Evil film. The New Adventures Of Old Christine alumna Emily Rutherfurd is back at CBS with a supporting role on another multi-camera project,...

After spending untold amounts of cash on hundreds of dramas and comedies — most of which will never make it to your living rooms — the five broadcast networks will begin announcing in New York next week which projects are good enough to earn a coveted fall pickup. (NBC and Fox will present their fall schedule to advertisers on Monday, followed by ABC on Tuesday, CBS on Wednesday and the CW on Thursday).

Buzz is already strong for several projects (for more on the hot ones, click here). But every year, we always wonder what diamond-in-the-rough was left on the cutting room...

And they’re off! Casting is all but completed and production has already begun on scores of pilots for the five broadcast networks. But not every comedy and drama will go the distance. Which project has the right stuff? What pilot already has you feeling like you popped a Lunesta? Check out the mammoth slate for fall consideration. (And remember, all projects are whittled down in late April/early May before the nets present their fall slates to advertisers in New York):

CBS

The Doctor (Rina Mimoun, David Nutter). A mother (Christine Lahti) reconnects with her adult children when...

Television favorite Heather Locklear has been cast in the new CBS pilot ‘The Assistants,’ www.tvline.com is reporting. The show, whose pilot was penned by ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’s writer Tucker Cawley, will follow four assistants who serve a celebrity couple’s every need. Locklear will portray Ali, an insecure actress and the wife of the couple. While the husband has yet been cast, the assistants will be portrayed by Emily Rutherfurd (from ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’); David Henrie (of ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’); T.J. Miller (from ‘Carpoolers’) and Lamorne Morris (from ‘Brain Rush’). Locklear is known for starting her career by acting in such series as ‘Dynasty,’ where she played Sammy Jo [...]...

The Assistants will answer to no less than Heather Locklear, now that the six-time Golden Globe nominee has signed on to star in the CBS pilot of that name.

Penned by Tucker Cawley (Everybody Loves Raymond), who will exec-produce with Eric and Kim Tannenbaum (Two and a Half Men), the ensemble project revolves around the four assistants who are at the beck and call of a celebrity couple. Locklear will play Ali, an insecure actress and the female half of the demanding bosses. (The husband is yet to be cast.)

The aforementioned assistants, meanwhile, will be played by Emily Rutherfurd...

The future of "Two and a Half Men" is, let's say, cloudy at the moment.

If we had to guess right now, we'd say that the show, which is currently the most-watched comedy on TV, will be back in some form -- with or without Charlie Sheen -- for 2011-12. CBS will announce its lineup for next season in mid-May, which means the network, Warner Bros. TV, creators Chuck Lorre and Lee Aronsohn and Sheen have about two and a half months to figure out what happens next.

But what if the worst-case scenario for CBS happens and "Men" doesn't come back at all?

Yes, the network would probably suffer some in the ratings -- but it would probably also come out Ok. CBS also has the No. 2 and 3 comedies in terms of viewers in "The Big Bang Theory" and "Mike & Molly"; both shows are also in the Top 25 this...

Former "Melrose Place" star Katie Cassidy has found her next regular TV gig: She'll star in ABC's Washington-set drama "Georgetown."

Cassidy, who's coming off a recurring role on "Gossip Girl," will play a White House aide/model in the pilot, Deadline Hollywood reports. Daisy Betts ("Persons Unknown") has also joined the show, which previously cast "Lone Star's" James Wolk.

"Georgetown" follows a group of political staffers in the nation's capital. Wolk plays a presidential speechwriter, and Betts will play another White House staffer who comes from a political family. Will Fetters ("remember Me") is writing the pilot; Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage ("Gossip Girl," "Chuck") are executive producing.

Other casting news, per Deadline:

- "Perfect Couples" star Kyle Bornheimer has been cast in Fox's comedy pilot "Council of Dads," about a widow (Diane Farr) whose late husband asks several of his friends to help her out. The pilot is...

Emily Rutherfurd is set to co-star in Tucker Cawley's comedy pilot for CBS The Assistants, a young ensemble about four assistants who work for celebrity couple Mike and Ali. Rutherfurd will play Ali's friendly, a bit manic and socially awkward sister who has lived her life in her famous sister's wake and now works for her as house manager, keeping tabs on everything, including the assistants. Flight of the Conchords alum Rhys Darby has been cast in CBS' comedy pilot How To Be A Gentleman, written by and starring David Hornsby. It revolves around a magazine that has changed ownership and centers on Alan (Hornsby) who writes a column on how to be a gentleman - in all aspects of life. Darby will play Alan's  brother in law.  Darby, who played the band's manager on Conchords, co-starred in Pirate Radio and Yes Man. The actor-comedian, repped by CAA and Principato-Young,...

Veteran comedian and comedy writer Carol Leifer is taking an entrepreneurial approach with her new half-hour spec script Have a Great Day. Instead of pitching it to the networks, the Seinfeld alumna is staging a live table read for network and studio buyers and producers. Leifer has assembled a cast of actors she has worked with on other shows as well as other talent brought in by casting director Tracy Lilienfield (Will & Grace). Starring in Have a Great Day, an ensemble comedy based Leifer’s life as a comedian and comedy writer living in La with her partner and extended family, are Andy Kindler (Everybody Loves Raymond), Rachael Harris (The Hangover), Kym Whitley (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Emily Rutherfurd (New Adventures of Old Christine), Eric Allan Kramer (Good Luck Charlie) and Valerie Harper. If Have a Great Day is picked up, "it's my hope to retain this cast, subject to their availability,...

Christine Campbell (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is a neurotic single mom who has a hard time juggling her responsibilities at home and work. Others in her life include her low-key brother, Matthew (Hamish Linklater); best friend and business partner, Barbara (Wanda Sykes); young son Ritchie (Trevor Gagnon); irresponsible ex-husband, Richard (Clark Gregg); and his current love, "New Christine" (Emily Rutherfurd). Often popping up to make "Old Christine" feel even more incompetent are "mean mommies," Marly and Lindsay (Tricia O'Kelley and Alex Kapp Horner).

As you probably know, The New Adventures of Old Christine was cancelled in the spring and won't be back for season six. On the positive side, the show is coming to syndication and Lifetime.

The first two seasons of the TV show are widely available on DVD; via Amazon and retail stores. The third season has just been released but is only available...

In 2009, both Southland and Medium were cancelled by NBC but were then saved by other networks. Three long-running shows were recently cancelled last month and it looked like each had a good shot of being saved as well.

A couple weeks later, Law & Order and Ghost Whisperer have been denied a second chance and now, The New Adventures of Old Christine has as well.

The New Adventures of Old Christine follows a neurotic single mom (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who has a hard time juggling a relationship with responsibilities at home and work. Others in the cast include Hamish Linklater, Wanda Sykes, Trevor Gagnon, Clark Gregg, Emily Rutherfurd, Tricia O'Kelley, and Alex Kapp Horner.

The sitcom has been a moderate performer for CBS from the beginning and has ended up on the bubble each year. For the past two years,...

It's a bad day if you have three names and you're a U.S. TV star - Jennifer Love Hewitt and Julia Louis-Dreyfus' long-running shows have been canceled. Hewitt's spooky drama "Ghost Whisperer" and Louis-Dreyfus' comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine" have been axed as part of a sweep by TV bosses at CBS.

Comedy "Gary Unmarried", cop drama "Cold Case", "Miami Medical", "Accidentally on Purpose", and "Numb3rs" have also been canceled by the network executives.

Jennifer Love Hewitt has played opposite David Conrad, Camryn Manheim, Jay Mohr, Jamie Kennedy, Tyler Patrick Jones, Aisha Tyler and Christoph Sanders in "Ghost Whisperer". Meanwhile, Julia Louis-Dreyfus has starred alongside Clark Gregg, Hamish Linklater, Trevor Gagnon, Emily Rutherfurd, Tricia O'Kelley, Alex Kapp Horner and Wanda Sykes in "New Adventures of Old Christine".

Kari Lizer, left, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Although it has no Lgbt characters, CBS’s The New Adventures of Old Christine is one that queer audiences should be checking out — for several reasons.

This sharply written sitcom about a divorced mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who lives with her brother, recently married her female best friend and is oftentimes too closely involved in her ex-husband’s life (whose new girlfriend is also named Christine, hence the show’s title), kicked off its fourth season last fall.

Speaking by phone from Los Angeles, series creator Kari Lizer recently talked to us about how Christine came to be, and the surprising lack of controvery the show's same-sex wedding generated.

After having a semi-successful acting career up until she turned 30, Lizer turned to writing with the intent she’d write acting parts for herself. Instead of acting gigs, however, her comedic writing got her noticed and...

Claire Forlani has been tapped to star opposite John Leguizamo in CBS' untitled Diamond-Weisman drama pilot, with Craig Bierko and Michael Pena also cast in the project. In other pilot casting news, Heather Paige Kent is set to star opposite Camryn Manheim in the WB Network's untitled Ranberg/Flett-Giordano comedy, John Michael Higgins has joined CBS' untitled Susie Essman comedy and Reid Scott has been cast as one of the leads in CBS' untitled Marsh McCall comedy. Meanwhile, Emily Rutherfurd is set to co-star opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus in CBS' comedy Old Christine, Luis Avalos has been added to NBC's comedy Early Bird and Desmond Harrington, Allison Quinn and Jerry Lambert have been cast in ABC's untitled Goss-Holly comedy.

Breckin Meyer and Melissa George round out the cast of NBC's comedy pilot Coupling, from Ben Silverman's Reveille and NBC Studios. The two join Lindsay Price, Jay Harrington, Colin Ferguson and Emily Rutherfurd in the show, which revolves around the love and lust of a group of six thirtysomethings who are either involved, formerly involved or looking to become intimately involved. Based on the British series of the same name, the NBC project is eyed as a potential successor to the network's hit Friends. The writer of the British series, Steven Moffat, is penning the pilot and is executive producing with Meyer's wife Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, Silverman, Beryl Vertue and Sue Vertue. Martin Dennis, helmer of the original series, will direct the pilot, scheduled to start production next month.