[08/04/11 - 10:52 PM] Development Update: Thursday, August 4 By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC)
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest development news, culled from recent wire reports:
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90210 (The CW) - Brandy Norwood has landed an arc on the show's forthcoming fourth season. She'll play Marissa Jackson-Lewis, "a charismatic young politician running for congress in California against Teddy's (Trevor Donovan) conservative uncle," who "hires Silver (Jessica Stroup) to create a video campaign to reach the youth vote."
AMERICAN HORROR STORY (FX) - Jamie Harris ("Rise of the Planet of the Apes") has snagged a role on the upcoming drama. He'll play "a sociopath killer named R. Franklin." No other specifics were given.
CRIMINAL MINDS (CBS) - Isabella Hofmann ("Homicide: Life on the Street") has booked a two-episode arc on the veteran crime drama. He'll play Rossi's (Joe Mantegna) first wife who comes to her former hubby for help in the show's fifth episode this season.
EUREKA (Syfy) - The cable channel has commissioned a six-episode sixth season of the veteran sci-fi drama. "Bruce Miller and Jaime Paglia have brought a creative vitality to Eureka that has kept it fresh and inventive," the network said in a statement released to the press. "Although we do not have a commitment beyond six episodes for the sixth season, we are hopeful that this will not be the end of the franchise." The series wraps its fourth season on Monday, September 19 with a holiday special due in December followed by 12 more episodes from season five in 2012.
EXTRA (Syndication) - Maria Menounos is departing "Access Hollywood" for said rival syndicated newsmagazine. There she'll serve as co-host alongside Mario Lopez as well as an on-air personality on "Dr. Drew's Lifechangers" as part of a multi-year deal with producer Telepictures. Menounos will likewise develop new series projects for the company.
GOOD MORNING, KILLER (TNT) - Catherine Bell ("Army Wives") is set to star in the Tuesday Night Mystery movie, based on April Smith's novel of the same name. The thriller follows FBI Special Agent Ana Gray (Bell) as "she hunts for a kidnapper. As Ana develops a rapport with the kidnapper's latest victim, the suspect suddenly changes his pattern. Now Ana must race to find him before he strikes again." Smith herself penned the adaptation and is executive producing alongside Frank von Zerneck.
GOSSIP GIRL (The CW) - Simon Miller is set to return to the netlet's signature soap. The actor appeared as Patrick Roberts - Dan's (Penn Badgley) romantic rival for Olivia (Hilary Duff) - in two episodes during its third season. No other details were given about his reprisal.
NCIS/NCIS: LOS ANGELES (CBS) - Lily Tomlin and Bridget Regan are set to guest star on the respective arms of the "NCIS" franchise. The former will play Penelope McGee, the grandmother of Sean Murray's character, a science nerd and an admiral's wife for many decades. Details about Regan's character in "Los Angeles" however weren't released.
THE PROTECTOR (Lifetime) - The cable channel has quietly relocated the series once again, this time to Mondays at 11:00/10:00c. The newcomer, which opened on Sunday nights at 10:00/9:00c on June 12, moved to Mondays at 10:00/9:00c last week, where it delivered a series low 849,000 viewers.
REVENGE (ABC) - Phillip Noyce, who helmed the drama pilot, has inked a first-look deal with the network and ABC Studios. The pact gives the corporate siblings first crack at Noyce's output as well as calls for him to direct another pilot for the duo.
TERRA NOVA (FOX) - Ashley Zuckerman ("The Pacific") and Emelia Burns ("The Elephant Princess") have both landed recurring roles on the freshman drama. The former will play Lucas, "a mysterious and enigmatic character connected to Stephen Lang's Cmdr. Nathaniel Taylor," in four episodes with the latter as Reilly, "a soldier under Taylor's command."
