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LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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THE BILL ENGVALL SHOW (TBS) - Stephen Dunham ("What I Like About You") has booked a recurring role on the show's upcoming third season. He'll play Engvall's brother Kenny, "a likable ne'er-do-well who gets by on his charm," a role which has an option to become a series regular. The new season of "Engvall" rolls out this summer.
THE BONNIE HUNT SHOW (Syndication) - Daniel Kellison ("Jimmy Kimmel Live") has been upped to executive producer on the Telepictures-produced series. Currently serving as an executive consultant, he'll now take over the show's reins from current showrunner David Perler. There he'll serve alongside fellow executive producers Hunt, Don Lake and Jim Paratore. Kellison is a veteran of both daytime and late-night, having helped launch "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" and "The Man Show," in addition to his stints on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "Kimmel."
GARY UNMARRIED (CBS) - Executive producers Ed Yeager and Ric Swartzlander have departed the series over creative differences. The news marks the latest overhaul of the series, which is on the bubble for a second season. Co-executive producer Ira Ungerleider and consulting producer Rob Des Hotel are reportedly on track to take over the series should it return. Des Hotel joined the series after its 13th episode, which also saw co-stars Ed Begley Jr. and Jaime King dropped in favor of refocusing the show on Gary's (Jay Mohr) relationship with his ex-wife (Paula Marshall).
HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA (HBO) - Eddie Kaye Thomas ("'Til Death") has joined the cast of the upcoming comedy, about two enterprising twentysomethings (Bryan Greenberg, Victor Rasuk) who hustle their way through New York determined to achieve the American dream. He'll continue on as a guy who went to high school with Greenberg's character who "now runs a hedge fund and is extremely rich but wants to be cool -- at any price," a role which he guest-starred as in the pilot.
LEGALLY MAD (NBC) - The Peacock has formally passed on the David E. Kelley-penned drama pilot, about a father and daughter who work together at a Chicago law firm. The network's decision triggers a seven-figure penalty to Warner Bros. Television, which will likely be rolled into another project at the studio. Kristin Chenoweth, Charity Wakefield, Hugh Bonneville, Jon Seda, Loretta Devine and Kurt Fuller co-starred the hour, which was helmed by Kenny Ortega.
SUPERNATURAL (The CW) - Misha Collins, who currently recurs as hapless family man Jimmy Novak-turned otherworldly angel Castiel, has been upped to series regular for the show's fifth season. No other specifics about his full-time status were released.
UNTITLED JAMIE OLIVER PROJECT (ABC, New!) - The Alphabet has ordered six episodes of a new reality series in which British chef Jamie Oliver gives healthy makeovers to some of the unhealthiest places in America. Ryan Seacrest and his self-titled banner are behind the hourlong project, which is loosely based on Oliver's U.K. effort "Jamie's School Dinners," in which the chef set out to improve kids' nutrition at schools. The U.S. incarnation however will expand to tackle workplaces and other avenues for change. While no air date has been set, it's believed the untitled project will roll out at midseason.
Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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