Pilot parts scarce for newbies

There's almost no such thing as an unknown anymore in TV. Though plenty of roles remain to be filled in this season's TV pilot casting, true newcomers remain relatively few and far between. Over the past week, familiar thesps once again grabbed a healthy majority of roles, including Powers Boothe, Anthony LaPaglia, John Leguizamo, Mary McCormack, Ken Olin, Bill Pullman, Lily Tomlin and Bradley Whitford. But that was just the tip of the iceberg in a week that also saw the casting of Clancy Brown, Lucy Davis, Chris Egan, Scott Foley, Greg Grunberg, Rachael Harris, Erinn Hayes, Jay Hernandez, Kyle Howard, Tyler Labine, Brian F. O'Byrne, Lucy Punch, Judy Reyes, Brandon Routh, Roselyn Sanchez, Jurnee Smollett, Scott Speedman, Mena Suvari, Aimee Teegarden, Lee Tergesen, Ashley Tisdale, Julie White, Larry Wilmore and others. The castings come in a week in which one notable film actor, Ryan Phillippe, dropped out of a CBS pilot ("Golden Boy" with Chi McBride), while another, Mira Sorvino, entered into final negotiations to join another ("Trooper"). McCormack, whose five-season starring role on USA's "In Plain Sight" ends with a series finale in May, will shift to comedy with a lead in ABC's untitled Kari Lizer multicam project. McCormack will play a high-powered executive who finds herself out of work and focusing on becoming a full-time mom. Whitford, like McCormack a "West Wing" alum, will team with Ali Larter on Fox's CIA drama "The Asset," from Josh Friedman. Two former "Friday Night Lights" actresses are taking on new roles, with Teegarden starring in "The Selection" for the CW and Smollett in NBC's adaptation of U.K. prison drama "Bad Girls." In "Selection," from "Vampire Diaries" vets Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, Teegarden plays a poor young woman of the 24th century who could become queen of a war-torn nation, while Smollett will join the cast of the project from John Wells, Nancy Pimental and Andrew Stearn. ABC nabbed Leguizamo for another British-born skein, multicam comedy "Only Fools and Horses" from Steven Craag and Brian Bradley, about two streetwise brothers working on becoming millionaires, with Dustin Ybarra co-starring. Also for the Alphabet net, LaPaglia, Olin ("Brothers and Sisters") and Natalie Mendoza ("Hotel Babylon") entered into "Americana," the Michael Seitzman-penned soap set in the fashion design biz, while LaPaglia's "Without a Trace" co-star, Sanchez, Reyes ("Scrubs"), Angelique Cabral and Rebecca Wisocky ("American Horror Story") have conspired to join Marc Cherry's "Devious Maids," along with previously cast Ana Ortiz and Dania Ramirez. Another "Brothers and Sisters" alum, Dave Annable, will take up residence at supernatural drama "666 Park Avenue" with Terry O'Qunn, while Tomlin ("Damages") joined Reba McEntire starrer "Malibu Country" and Hayes ("Childrens Hospital") the untitled Mandy Moore project. O'Byrne ("Prime Suspect"), Matt Long, Brigid Brannagh and Maury Sterling joined ABC's 19th-century drama "Gilded Lilys," Chris Egan ("Kings") booked "Beauty and the Beast" and Speedman ("Felicity") and Dichen Lachman ("Dollhouse") are on board for Andre Braugher starrer "The Last Resort," from Shawn Ryan and Karl Gajdusek. Tergesen ("Oz") is in ABC mob drama "Penoza" from Melissa Rosenberg, and Boothe and Jonathan Jackson ("General Hospital") will travel to family soap "Nashville." Scott Michael Foster ("Greek") joined mystery drama "Zero Hour" from Paul Scheruing, and Yaya DeCosta is in the untitled drama from Roland Emmerich and Harold Kloser. Over at CBS, Routh ("Superman Returns," "Chuck"), Davis (Blighty's "The Office") and Elizabeth Regen will round out the cast for the David Kohan-Max Mutchnick comedy "Partners," in which Routh and Michael Urie play architects and lifelong friends, with Sophia Bush as the girlfriend of Routh's character. In addition for the Eye, Grunberg ("Heroes") will co-star with JoAnna Garcia Swisher in the untitled Greg Malins/Greg Berlanti project comedy about two longtime friends who might be on the verge of a relationship, while the ensemble for another untitled CBS romantic comedy, from Nick Stoller, hooked Brie Larson ("United States of Tara"). Tisdale ("Hellcats") joined the untitled Louis C.K./Spike Feresten comedy about young dreamers, and Harris did the same for the untitled laffer from Larry Dorf, Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy that stars Falcone -- McCarthy's husband and "Bridesmaids" co-star -- as a man who loses everything in the real-estate meltdown and has to move back with his parents. Should Sorvino ink the deal for "Trooper," about a mother who becomes a NY state officer, she will be accompanied by Hernandez ("Six Degrees"). "Trooper" comes from Aron Eli Coleite, with Jerry Bruckheimer as one of the exec producers. For NBC, Pullman and Brittany Snow joined Josh Gad in White House family laffer "1600 Penn," from Gad and Jon Lovett. Howard ("My Boys") and Suvari ("American Reunion") will co-star in Hilary Winston's untitled revenge-of-a-shy woman comedy, Labine ("Mad Love") and Bobby Lee ("Mad TV") signed on for Justin Kirk-fronted "Animal Kingdom," White ("Grace Under Fire") will fill out the cast for Scott Silveri penned comedy "Go On" and Melissa Davenport ("Shameless") will do the same for Anne Heche starrer "Save Me." Collette Wolfe ("Young Adult," "Cougar Town") grabbed the lead in Stephen Falk comedy "Next Caller Please," one of two "Odd Couple"-like pilots this year involving public radio hosts. Justin Bartha ("The Hangover," "Teachers") and Georgia King found "The New Normal," with previously announced Andrew Runnels in a single-cam comedy about a surrogate mom and a gay couple aiming to start a family. Zach Cregger ("Friends with Benefits") will be one of the immature thirtysomething parents in an untitled NBC multicam from Charlie Grandy with Jimmy Fallon exec producing. On the drama side for the Peacock, Taylor Kinney ("Trauma") returns to the network with Monica Raymund ("Lie to Me") in "Chicago Fire," from "3:10 to Yuma" writers Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, and Erik Jensen joined the wagon of Shaun Casssidy's period Western "The Frontier." With Fox, Foley joined Becky Newton in single-cam comedy "The Goodwin Games," from Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris. Foley and Newton play children who stand to inherit a fortune if they can abide by the indiosyncratic terms of his will. Other castings for Fox included Larry Wilmore ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"), Anna Maria Horsford ("The Shield") and Sugar Lyn Beard ("50/50") in "Living Loaded," featuring Donald Sutherland and Mike Vogel. Lucy Punch ("You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger") joined the retitled "Ned Fox Is My Manny," and Jesse Lee Soffer and James Carpinello entered the ensemble for Josh Berman and Robert Wright's untitled Fox drama about a surgeon with ties to the mob. And rounding out things for the CW, Michael Rady ("Melrose Place") and Kelly McCreary nabbed parts in the Jennie Snyder Urman and Dan Jinks hospital drama "First Cut," Austin Basis ("Life Unexpected") was added to the network's version of "Beauty and the Beast" starring Kristin Kreuk and Colin Donnell ("Pan Am") joined the ensemble for Green Arrow drama "Arrow." Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Jeanie Bacharach Casting ABC's Nashville Pilot

Jeanie Bacharach Casting ABC's Nashville Pilot By Pete Keeley February 17, 2012 Photo by Getty Images Callie Khouri ABC's drama pilot "Nashville" will be cast by Jeanie Bacharach, Back Stage has learned.The pilot, from Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios, was written by Callie Khouri, who won a best original screenplay Oscar in 1991 for "Thelma & Louise." The pilot is described as a primetime soap set in the world of country music, following one star at the top of the industry and another star on the rise. The project will shoot in Nashville, Tenn., though a date has not been set.Bacharach recently parted ways with her partner Gillian O'Neill, with whom she cast the SyFy series "Alphas" and the ABC drama "Brothers & Sisters," which ran from 2006 to 2011. U.S. casting for "Alphas," which shoots in Toronto, is now being handled by Suzanne Goddard-Smythe, who also does the U.S. casting for another Toronto-shot SyFy series, "Warehouse 13." Jeanie Bacharach Casting ABC's Nashville Pilot By Pete Keeley February 17, 2012 Callie Khouri PHOTO CREDIT Getty Images ABC's drama pilot "Nashville" will be cast by Jeanie Bacharach, Back Stage has learned.The pilot, from Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios, was written by Callie Khouri, who won a best original screenplay Oscar in 1991 for "Thelma & Louise." The pilot is described as a primetime soap set in the world of country music, following one star at the top of the industry and another star on the rise. The project will shoot in Nashville, Tenn., though a date has not been set.Bacharach recently parted ways with her partner Gillian O'Neill, with whom she cast the SyFy series "Alphas" and the ABC drama "Brothers & Sisters," which ran from 2006 to 2011. U.S. casting for "Alphas," which shoots in Toronto, is now being handled by Suzanne Goddard-Smythe, who also does the U.S. casting for another Toronto-shot SyFy series, "Warehouse 13."

Raising Hope Exclusive Start Searching: See Which Jackass Star Is Stopping By!

Our top moments every week: 14. Most Shocking Reveal, Runner-Up: As if it was not gross enough that Jess came thisclose to showing her super-sized box of condoms to experience a one-evening stand with Schmidt on New Girl, the digital camera cuts to a different side of Schmidt's door to demonstrate that he's already getting busy... with Cece! The next morning, an embarrassed Jess calls Cece to confess her close call with Schmidt, much like Schmidt will rollover and snuggles Cece's neck. Please, ladies, no catfights. It'll just make it much more pathetic. 13. Most Cliched: Ivy will receive a callback for... Discover More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Desperate HousewivesThe Daily Show With Jon StewartRicky GervaisCriminal MindsHow I Met Your MotherCastleGleeAmber RileyCougar TownParenthoodPatti StangerSmashRevengeNew GirlJon StewartWhitney HoustonGossip GirlJustifiedThe Walking Dead

Hugo Leads Oscar Nominations

First Published: January 24, 2012 9:18 AM EST Credit: Paramount Caption Asa Butterfield in Paramount Pictures HugoLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Martin Scorseses Paris adventure Hugo leads the Academy Awards with 11 nominations, among them best picture and the latest director slot for the Oscar-winning filmmaker. Also nominated for best picture Tuesday: the silent film The Artist; the family drama The Descendants; the Sept. 11 tale Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close; the Deep South drama The Help; the romantic fantasy Midnight in Paris; the sports tale Moneyball; the family chronicle The Tree of Life; and the World War I epic War Horse. The nominations set up a best-picture showdown between the top films at the Golden Globes: best musical or comedy recipient The Artist and best drama winner The Descendants. The Artist ran second with 10 nominations, among them writing and directing nominations for French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius, a best-actor honor for Jean Dujardin and a supporting-actress slot for Berenice Bejo. Because of a rule change requiring films to receive a certain number of first-place votes, the best-picture field has only nine nominees rather than the 10 that were in the running the last two years. Dujardin, who won the Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy as a silent-era star whose career goes kaput with the arrival of talking pictures, will be up against Globe dramatic actor winner George Clooney for The Descendants, in which the Oscar-winning superstar plays a dad trying to hold his Hawaiian family together after a boating accident puts his wife in a coma. Other best-actor contenders are: Demian Bechir as an immigrant father in A Better Life; Gary Oldman as British spymaster George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; and Brad Pitt as Oakland As general manager Billy Beane in Moneyball. Globe winners Meryl Streep (best dramatic actress as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady) and Michelle Williams (best musical or comedy actress as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn) scored Oscar nominations for best actress. Two-time Oscar winner Streep padded her record as the most-nominated actress, raising her total to 17 nominations, five more than Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson, who are tied for second-place. Streep went two-for-four on her first nominations, winning supporting actress for 1979s Kramer vs. Kramer and best actress for 1982s Sophies Choice. But she has lost her last 12 times, and the Globe win for her spot-on personification of Thatcher looks like her best chance yet to break that losing streak. Along with Streep and Williams, best-actress nominees are: Glenn Close as a 19th century Irishwoman masquerading as a male butler in Albert Nobbs; Viola Davis as a black maid going public with tales of white Southern employers in The Help; and Rooney Mara as a traumatized, vengeful computer genius in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Octavia Spencers win at the Globes as supporting-actress for The Help, in which she plays a fiery maid whose mouth continually gets her in trouble, could give her front-runner status for the same prize at the Oscars. The same may hold true for supporting-actor nominee Christopher Plummer, who won a Globe for his role as an elderly dad coming out as gay in Beginners. An esteemed film and stage actor, Plummer went most of his 60-year career unacknowledged at the Oscars until earning a supporting-actor nomination two years ago as Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station. If he wins this time, the 82-year-old Plummer would become the oldest acting recipient ever; Jessica Tandy now holds that position for her best-actress win in Driving Miss Daisy at age 80. Also in contention for supporting actor: Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier in My Week with Marilyn; Jonah Hill as a statistics whiz in Moneyball; Nick Nolte as a derelict dad making amends in Warrior; and Max von Sydow as a mute mystery man in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Bejo, the romantic partner of The Artist creator Hazanavicius, was nominated for her role as a new star of the sound era in the late 1920s and early `30s. The Help co-star Jessica Chastain also was nominated for her role as Spencers lonely, needy boss. Also up for supporting actress are Melissa McCarthy as crude but caring member of the wedding in Bridesmaids; and Janet McTeer as a woman posing as a male laborer in Albert Nobbs. McCarthy is a rare funny lady competing at the Oscars, which rarely honor performances in mainstream comedies such as Bridesmaids. Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Start Searching: Pauley Perrette Plays Lois Lane in the New Animated Superman Adventure

Superman, Pauley Perrette Pauley Perrette is getting away . in the lab. The NCIS star will voice Lois Lane inside the approaching animated DVD-movie Superman versus. The Elite. Using the story "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice as well as the American Way?," which went to use it Comics No. 775 in 2001, the film begins the man of Steel against a callous team of "heroes" with staggering forces. Unlike Superman, The Elite aren't afraid to take advantage of violence, including killing, to avoid anybody they consider crooks. Since the public begins to rally around these superhuman vigilantes, Superman (George Newbern, who also voiced the level of smoothness inside the Justice League Of America Of America series) must uncover a means to prevent them without compromising his concepts of (you suspected it) "truth, justice as well as the American way."Helping him have it taken care of is Lois, balancing her roles just like a Daily Planet reporter and Superman/Clark Kent's wife. "In my opinion you'll find parallels between Abby and Lois," Perrette states, evaluating this character along with her awesome NCIS forensic investigator. "Both are very smart and confident and very effective in their jobs. Both are really focused. Abby just doesn't have a very Superman."Superman versus. The Elite, the newest in many Electricity Comics-designed movies from Warner Bros. Animation, will probably be on DVD, Blu-ray, digital download so when needed. An exact release date has not been determined, but anticipate seeing it before July's Comic-Disadvantage Worldwide.Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Fox orders pilot from 'Mother' Broadened polystyrene

Fox has bought a comedy pilot from last century Fox TV and "Generate An Income Met Your Mother" executive producers Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris. "Goodwin Games" can be a high-concept family comedy of a father who leaves his fortune to his three children only if they accept his terms. Becki Newton ("Ugly Betty") is installed on play one of the leads. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Harrison: Ben and Jamie's Hug Was Most likely probably the most Horrifying Moments in Bachelor History

The Bachelor, Jamie and Ben After times of waiting to own her first hug with Ben, Jamie finally developed a move leading to one of the Bachelor's most cringe-worthy awkward moments. In this particular week's speak with host Chris Harrison, he describes the NY nurse was from her element, why the two-on-one date could've gone either in situation and the way inside a couple of days Ben finally confronts Courtney. Courtney outdid herself relating to this week's group date by basically going topless:Chris Harrison: If anybody was amazed at that, you're crazy - that was so her. But I have to admit when she's round the group dates she rules. Bless these women playing an entirely different game and being so worried about each other. As Courtney states, these group dates are similar to one-on-one dates on her behalf. I realize it's rubbing everyone the wrong method, but it's rubbing Ben the right way. VIDEO: Chris Harrison features a familiar face in your head for Bachelorette Emily Maynard Perhaps you have think Rachel had the two-on-one date with Blakeley inside the bag?Harrison: No, honestly each of them could've gone, but he was without anything with Blakeley. The higher Blakeley pressed and opened up up herself within the more he recognized, I don't think that means by relation to its you. You hate to produce this entire a game title title, but it is. You've a few then one girl is just which causes it to be easy you, adopting you, kissing you, somewhat affirmation occasionally, and also you enter another room as well as the girl is insecure and crying. Who are you attracted to? Whoever else think watching Jamie and Ben's first hug?Harrison: You'll be able to tell she's shy ... and he or she was clearly from her element. That was easily most likely probably the most horrifying moments inside the good status for that show. It absolutely was sad, horrifying, funny - it's rare you're feeling every emotion possible, however, you simply didn't get seem advice watching. VIDEO: Bachelor's Chris Harrison states if fans hate Courtney now, delay until inside a couple of days Could it have been awkward telling Casey S. she needed to return home?Harrison: The whole point along with her was which i didn't wish it to be confrontational. In no way could it have been a Bentley or Rozlyn factor, where she'd come onto trick. Through speaking for the ladies and speaking using the boyfriend [it absolutely was apparent] she was deeply deeply in love with this individual [in your house and he or she really just found the realization around the program. In my opinion she came around the program to conquer this individual, nevertheless it just didn't work. It seems as with a couple of days, Ben finally confronts Courtney.Harrison: He learns more off their ladies and thus he finally states, we're getting way late in this particular process if there's much smoke there's arrived at be something in it. So there's a confrontation inside a couple of days where everything involves a mind. Make sure to look at this week's Bachelor: The Morning After ...