or


[03/24/04 - 12:00 AM]
Actors Set Backup Plans for Fall
By Brian Ford Sullivan (TFC)

CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- With pilot season in full swing, actors on struggling series are hedging their bets by signing onto new projects in the hopes of remaining employed come fall 2004.

Said attachments are done in what's referred to as "second position," that is to say that if their current show gets renewed they'll return to that series since any other project commitments are secondary to their existing gigs. Generally speaking however producers who cast actors from current shows rarely do so unless it's widely believed they'll be available next season as they don't want to have to recast and reshoot their own projects.

Here's a breakdown on all the movements of principal cast members on yet-to-be renewed series:

ALL ABOUT THE ANDERSONS (WB) - Aimee Garcia (ABC's "Untitled Jessica Simpson Project")

BECKER (CBS) - Alex Desert (ABC's "Harry Green & Eugene"), Jorge Garcia (ABC's "Lost")

BOSTON PUBLIC (FOX) - Chi McBride (ABC's "Countdown"), Jeri Ryan (CBS' "Sudbury")

CROSSING JORDAN (NBC) - Ivan Sergei (NBC's "Hawaii"), Kathryn Hahn (NBC's "My 11:30")

THE DREW CAREY SHOW (ABC) - Diedrich Bader (CBS' "Center of the Universe"), Cynthia Watros (CBS' "Saint Louie")

ED (NBC) - Julie Bowen (NBC's "The Friendlys")

GOOD MORNING, MIAMI (NBC) - Constance Zimmer (CBS' "Cooking Lessons")

THE HANDLER (CBS) - Joe Pantoliano (CBS' "Dr. Vegas"), Anna Belknap (NBC's "Untitled Jason Horwitch Project")

THE HELP (WB) - Camille Guaty (ABC's "Gramercy Park")

JEREMIAH (Showtime) - Malcolm-Jamal Warner (CBS' "Shut Up and Listen")

LINE OF FIRE (ABC) - Anson Mount (The WB's "The Mountain")

MISS MATCH (NBC) - David Conrad (UPN's "Beck & Call")

RUN OF THE HOUSE (WB) - Kyle Howard (ABC's "The Furst Family")

THE STONES (CBS) - Lindsay Sloane (ABC's "DeMarco Affairs"), Jay Baruchel (FOX's "The Robinson Brothers")

THREAT MATRIX (ABC) - Jamie Denton (ABC's "Desperate Housewives")

And on a similar note, actors from three series yet to even premiere have already taken up residence elsewhere:

COME TO PAPA (NBC) - Jennifer Aspen (ABC's "That's My Rodney"), Steve Carrell (NBC's "The Office")

NAKED JOSH (Oxygen) - David Julian Hirsh (FOX's "Mr. Ed")

THE ORTEGAS (FOX) - Al Madrigal (NBC's "Home & Hardware")

Finally, for those interested, here's a look at where actors from this season's canceled crop have moved on to:

10-8 (ABC) - Travis Schuldt (ABC's "Gramercy Park"), Miguel Sandoval (NBC's "Medium"), Christina Vidal (UPN's "Beck & Call")

BOOMTOWN (NBC) - Mykelti Williamson (ABC's "The Secret Service"), Jason Gedrick (CBS' "Wanted"), Neal McDonough (NBC's "Untitled Jason Horwitch Project"), Vanessa Williams (UPN's "Beck & Call")

THE BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, N.H. (CBS) - Mare Winningham (CBS' "The Clubhouse")

COUPLING (NBC) - Rena Sofer (ABC's "Blind Justice"), Jay Harrington (CBS' "The Amazing Westerbergs"), Colin Ferguson (NBC's "Home & Hardware")

JAKE 2.0 (UPN) - Christopher Gorham (NBC's "Untitled Jason Horwitch Project")

K STREET (HBO) - John Slattery (The WB's "Jack & Bobby")

KAREN SISCO (ABC) - Robert Forster (CBS' "Untitled Hughes/Milbauer Project")

L.A. DRAGNET (ABC) - Eva Longoria (ABC's "Desperate Housewives"), Ethan Embry (FOX's "Lucky Us")

THE LYON'S DEN (NBC) - Elizabeth Mitchell (ABC's "Gramercy Park"), James Pickens Jr. (ABC's "Surgeons"), Rob Lowe (CBS' "Dr. Vegas"), David Krumholtz (CBS' "Numbers")

A MINUTE WITH STAN HOOPER (FOX) - Eric Lively (NBC's "The Men's Room")

SKIN (FOX) - D.J. Cotrona (FOX's "Hollywood Division")

SOUL FOOD (Showtime) - Boris Kodjoe & Nicole Ari Parker (UPN's "Second Time Around")

TARZAN (WB) - Sarah Wayne Callies (ABC's "The Secret Service"), Leighton Meester (FOX's "Hollywood Division"), Mitch Pileggi (The WB's "The Mountain")

WANDA AT LARGE (FOX) - Wanda Sykes (Comedy Central's "Untitled Wanda Sykes Project")

For more information about any of the pilots mentioned here, be sure to check out our detailed production chart listings by clicking here.





  [march 2004]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· 10-8 (ABC)
· ALL ABOUT THE ANDERSONS (WB)
· AMAZING WESTERBERGS, THE (CBS)
· AMERICANA (NBC)
· BECK & CALL (UPN)
· BECKER (CBS)
· BLIND JUSTICE (ABC)
· BOOMTOWN (NBC)
· BOSTON PUBLIC (FOX)
· BOUNTY HUNTER (CBS)
· BROTHERHOOD OF POLAND, NH, THE (CBS)
· CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE (CBS)
· CLUBHOUSE (CBS)
· COME TO PAPA (NBC)
· COOKING LESSONS (CBS)
· COUNTDOWN (ABC)
· COUPLING (NBC)
· CROSSING JORDAN (NBC)
· DEMARCO AFFAIRS (ABC)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· DR. VEGAS (CBS)
· DREW CAREY SHOW, THE (ABC)
· ED (NBC)
· FRIENDLYS, THE (NBC)
· FURST FAMILY, THE (ABC)
· GOOD MORNING, MIAMI (NBC)
· GRAMERCY PARK (2003 VERSION) (ABC)
· GRAMERCY PARK (2004 VERSION) (ABC)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· HANDLER, THE (CBS)
· HARRY GREEN & EUGENE (ABC)
· HAWAII (NBC)
· HELP, THE (WB)
· HOLLYWOOD DIVISION (FOX)
· JACK & BOBBY (WB)
· JAKE 2.0 (UPN)
· JEREMIAH (SHOWTIME)
· JESSICA (ABC)
· K STREET (HBO)
· KAREN SISCO (ABC)
· LA DRAGNET (ABC)
· LINE OF FIRE (ABC)
· LISTEN UP (CBS)
· LOST (ABC)
· LUCKY US (FOX)
· LYON'S DEN, THE (NBC)
· MEDICAL INVESTIGATION (NBC)
· MEDIUM (CBS)
· MEN'S ROOM, THE (NBC)
· MINUTE WITH STAN HOOPER, A (FOX)
· MISS MATCH (NBC)
· MOUNTAIN, THE (WB)
· MR. ED (FOX)
· MY 11:30 (NBC)
· NAKED JOSH (OXYGEN)
· NUMB3RS (CBS)
· OFFICE, THE (NBC)
· ORTEGAS, THE (FOX)
· PRACTICAL MAGIC (CBS)
· ROBINSON BROTHERS, THE (FOX)
· RODNEY (ABC)
· RUN OF THE HOUSE (WB)
· SAINT LOUIE (CBS)
· SECOND TIME AROUND (UPN)
· SECRET SERVICE, THE (ABC)
· SKIN (FOX)
· SOUL FOOD (SHOWTIME)
· STONES, THE (CBS)
· TARZAN (WB)
· THREAT MATRIX (ABC)
· WANDA AT LARGE (FOX)
· WANDA DOES IT (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· WANTED (CBS)





[12/06/25 - 02:46 PM]
Paramount and UFC Announce New Seasons of "Dana White's Contender Series" and "The Ultimate Fighter"
Beginning in 2026, Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, and Australia will become the exclusive home for all episodes of both series.

[12/06/25 - 02:27 PM]
Video: "School Spirits" Returns - Paramount+ Drops First Look at Season Three Premiering January 28
The date was unveiled alongside first look images at today's Paramount+ CCXP panel in São Paolo, Brazil featuring series lead and executive producer Peyton List.

[12/06/25 - 02:12 PM]
Video: Oscar-Nominee Paul Giamatti Surprises Fans at CCXP and Reveals Exclusive Scene from "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy"
The series will premiere globally with two episodes on Thursday, January 15 on Paramount+, and in Japan on Tuesday, January 23.

[12/06/25 - 10:47 AM]
Hulu Debuts First-Look Images from "The Testaments" Out of Brazil Comic Con
"The Testaments," a new chapter from the showrunner and executive producers of "The Handmaid's Tale," is coming in April 2026 to Hulu.

[12/06/25 - 10:31 AM]
Video: Date Announcement & Teaser Debut - Hulu's "Paradise" Season 2
The second season of the Emmy Award-nominated series premieres Monday, February 23 with three episodes, followed by new episodes weekly on Hulu and Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the US and Disney+ internationally.

[12/05/25 - 03:31 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers
"Nightline" improved on the previous week in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, hitting nine-week highs in both measures.

[12/05/25 - 03:30 PM]
In Anticipation of "Avatar: Fire and Ash," ABC News to Premiere Two New Specials This December
First up: "Avatar: A New Era - Special Edition of 20/20" premieres Friday, December 12 on ABC.

[12/05/25 - 02:05 PM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Best College Football Regular Season Since 2011; "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Scores Most-Watched Season Ever
ESPN networks aired the most-watched game in 34 of 42 key Saturday windows, including seven of 14 noon windows, 13 of 14 late afternoon windows and all 14 prime windows.

[12/05/25 - 12:35 PM]
2025 CFB Viewership Surges on FOX & FS1
The 2025 regular season wrapped with big numbers for "Big Noon Saturday," "Big Noon Kickoff" and more - including year-over-year gains across the board.

[12/05/25 - 11:00 AM]
CBS Premiere Week Episodes Post Gains and Lead In Live Plus 35-Day Multiplatform Viewership
"Tracker" delivered 17.3 million viewers, up +6% versus its year-ago premiere.

[12/05/25 - 10:05 AM]
"Landman" Booms Into a Third Season Renewal and Breaks Viewing Records on Paramount+
The second season is set to be a top three series among all original content the week of November 17 and a top two series for the week of November 24 according to Nielsen preliminary data.

[12/05/25 - 09:45 AM]
Video: "Taylor" - A CW Documentary Special - Trailer
The special - airing Saturday, December 13 - explores the global phenomenon of Taylor Swift and digs deep across the musician's 20-year career, a period that has seen her transcend the realm of pop star to become a cultural icon like no other.

[12/05/25 - 08:45 AM]
ESPN Delivered Most-Watched Women's College Volleyball Season on Record
Said coverage averaged 190,000 viewers, up 36% from the 2024 season.

[12/05/25 - 08:31 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Monkeypaw Productions' "Him" Beginning December 19
The film stars Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies and more.

[12/05/25 - 08:01 AM]
BET+ Original Film, "Vera's Holiday Flop," Premieres Thursday, December 18
The film stars Charity Jordan, Terri J. Vaughn, Griff, Chrissy McDaniel, Tyler Chronicles, Algebra Blessett, Jelani Akil, Scotty ATL, and Saycon Sengbloh.