day 323

casting news!

i know, you're excited. i haven't talked about show casting news a long time now. but with midseason filming approaching, shows are getting underway in casting for sweeps and recasting roles. first up, nbc's parenthood. parenthood was supposed to be nbc's best and brightest show of the new season, until it was plagued with problem after problem. the first problem occured when the show was filming its pilot and the nbc exec in charge of dramas dropped dead on set. that pushed production back a couple days. then, when the show was about to begin production on the regular season, star maura tierney was diagnosed with breast cancer and production was stalled again and the show was pushed from being the keystone of the fall schedule to midseason, premiering in january or february of next year. when tierney's prognosis was worse than expected, and her treatments were going to impede on the show even more, she completely dropped out of the project. it's been a little over a month since tierney's departure was confirmed and, in that time, the parenthood execs have been struggling to find a new leading lady that will renew interest in the show. in the running currently are two big names: helen hunt and lauren graham. while this would mark helen hunt's return to network tv, it looks like graham is more likely to nab the part. graham already has a contract with the network (a show was developed for her, but it didn't make it past the pilot process). graham is familiar with the single mom role she'd be playing on parenthood after 9 seasons on the wb's and gilmore girls, and seeing her in a more dramatic role would be an unseen twist. plus, graham adds some more interest as she is a tv cult-follower's dream casting coup ... and, in grey's anatomy news, the producers have landed 24 and lipstick jungle's kim raver as a new surgeon at the hospital who has a connection to owen's past. kim will pop up mid-season and be on the show in a recurring basis, with the option to become a full time cast member much like jessica capshaw's dr. arizona robbins. should be interesting, but it seems like kim has been the angel of death for many shows on television lately. hopefully she won't be grey's jump-the-shark moment.

day 25

reid rocks it to rehab

former actress and club and bar staple tara reid has gone and checked herself into rehab.  reid's spokesperson said that the wacktress checked herself into promises malibu on tuesday.  promises has such famous alum as lindsay lohan and robert downey junior.  hopefully the american pie and taradise star will be able to pull herself out of the hole she dug and get back to work.  reid most recently said she was staying out of the game until the writer's strike was over; however, the strike ended nearly half a year before she released the statement.  reid's latest movie, land of canann, is set to be released sometime next year - most likely straight to dvd.  

idol giveth, idol taketh away

american idol's eighth season kicks off in january with a new judge (kara dioguardi) and a new look.  the show will give equal screen time to the stage and behind the scenes - viewers will get an inside look at the house the contestants are living in and what all happens there.  the new direction is said to be very big brother-ish, minus the crazy competitions.  in addition to the reality show within a reality show element, the singing show is getting rid of the two year old "idol gives back" special, which raises money for different charities through viewer donations.  in the past, idol winners like carrie underwood and kelly clarkson have come back to perform, in addition to acts like heart, fergie, miley cyrus, and more.  the show is usually relatively boring and, with economic conditions the way they are, it makes sense to lose the show.  

a gilmore girl heads back to the tube

lauren graham, aka lorelai gilmore, is headed back to tv on the alphabet net.  abc has ordered a pilot starring the under-appreciated actress as a self-help guru who can't seem to help herself in the department of love.  sounds a lot like men in trees, a show abc recently dropped from their schedule.  graham, who has filled her time since gilmore's may 2007 end with guest star roles on shows like scrubs and in movies like evan almighty, as well as a few stage productions. i don't know about you all, but lorelai's return makes up (just a little) for pushing daisies being pulled off the air.  no other casting has been done, but i would say hire lee pace and kristin chenowith to star in the show too.  

a big change for a little man named oscar

the 2009 academy awards won't be hosted by a stand-up comic, as the tradition has been since the 80s.  instead, actor hugh jackman will helm the awards show.  this is the first time, as far as i can think, that an actor who could possibly be nominated (for australia) is hosting the show, too.  while jackman probably won't do any jokes, he's bound to do a song and dance number.  the people of the academy are apparently trying to move away from the era of billy crystal, the host of hosts of the show.  this could either go very well or end quite tragically.