Development News - March 7, 2019
ABC's Heart of Life, Untitled Leslie Odom Jr. & Untitled Hank Steinberg; CBS' Broke, Our House, The Republic of Sarah, Under the Bridge & The Us Project; The CW's Untitled Nancy Drew; FOX's Deputy, Prodigal Son & Richard Lovely; and NBC's Council of Dads & Sunnyside.
CBS' UNDER THE BRIDGE
- Jennifer Morrison will play the lead role on the drama pilot written by Rina Mimoun. She previously starred for six seasons in FOX's House and six seasons in ABC's Once Upon a Time. She also had a recurring role on CBS' How I Met Your Mother.
- She will play Caitlin Lancaster, a cardiothoracic surgeon who has managed to be ambitious without offending anyone, a skill set one acquires as a woman. Curious and open but never naive, she is forced to return to work after a self-imposed sabbatical when her husband is voted out of the medical practice they created together with their group of friends.
ABC's UNTITLED LESLIE ODOM JR. PROJECT
- Kelly Jenrette has been cast as the female lead on the comedy pilot starring Leslie Odom Jr. She received an Emmy nomination for her guest performance in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. She next stars in Facebook Watch's upcoming drama Limetown opposite Jessica Biel.
- She will play Hope, Omari's (Odom Jr.) wife. Together, they run a modern ministry and share an even more eclectic and chaotic home life with a combined four children.
FOX's DEPUTY
- Yara Martinez and Brian Van Holt have joined the cast of the drama pilot starring Stephen Dorff. Martinez currently stars in Amazon's The Tick, which returns for its second season in April. She also recurs on The CW's Jane the Virgin and CBS' Bull. Van Holt starred for five seasons in ABC/TBS' Cougar Town and in the Syfy limited series Ascension.
- Martinez will play Dr. Paula Reyes, Bill Hollister's (Dorff) wife, a trauma surgeon. Strong-willed yet sensitive, she's a good match for her husband.
- Van Holt will play Deputy Cade Walker, a former Marine who serve in Afghanistan and is eight years sober. He works MAJORS - "the Delta Force of the LASD." He's tough with a highly developed gallows humor.
THE CW's UNTITLED NANCY DREW PROJECT
- Maddison Jaizani and Alex Saxon are set as series regulars on the drama pilot starring Kennedy McMann. Jaizani starred for three seasons in Ovation's Versailles and currently recurs on AMC's Into the Badlands. Saxon starred for two seasons in MTV's Finding Carter and recurred on Freeform's The Fosters. He next stars in ABC's upcoming drama The Fix, which debuts later this month.
- Jaizani will play Bess, a refined young woman whose wealthy background sets her apart from Nancy Drew (McMann). When they both become suspects in the same murder, Bess proves to be a spirited ally in the search for the real killer, all the while doing whatever it takes to keep her own dark secrets hidden.
- Saxon will play Ace, a charming dishwasher with a philosophical bent. His provocative insights on the murder investigation will lead Nancy to conclude that there's much more to this supposed burnout than meets the eye.
ABC's HEART OF LIFE
- Harry Shum Jr., Katie Findlay and Dave Annable will star in the drama pilot written by Ben Queen. Shum Jr. starred for two seasons in FOX's Glee and three seasons in Freeform's Shadowhunters. He also appeared in the hit 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians. Findlay starred for two seasons in The CW's The Carrie Diaries, one season in ABC's How to Get Away With Murder and one season in FXX's Man Seeking Woman. Annable starred for five seasons in ABC's Brothers & Sisters as well as the Freeform film No Sleep 'Til Christmas.
- Shum Jr. will play siblings Brendan, a self-centered world traveler who is good at getting by on his father's money and is often the voice of reason.
- Findlay will play Sydney, who is ambitious, caring and awkward with a type-A personality who takes over her father's architecture firm.
- Annable will play Wesley "Wes" Reid.
CBS' BROKE
- Natasha Leggero has been cast as the third lead on the comedy pilot starring Jaime Camil and Pauley Perrette. She was the co-creator and star of Comedy Central's Another Period, which ran for three seasons. Her latest stand-up special, The Honeymoon Stand Up Special which she performs in alongside her husband Moshe Kasher, is available on Netflix.
- She will play Elizabeth, Jackie's (Perrette) refined and slightly snobby sister who married Miguel (Camil), a wonderful and wealthy man, and moved to Mexico City. However, she and her husband have burned through Miguel's trust fund and now, without money or prospects, the two have landed on Jackie's doorstep, in need of a place to live. Despite the slightly elitist mentality, Elizabeth is a loving woman who hasn't entirely forgotten her humble roots.
FOX's RICHARD LOVELY
- Thomas Lennon has landed the lead role on the comedy pilot written by Billy Finnegan. He was the co-creator and star of Comedy Central's Reno 911!, which ran for six seasons. He also starred for three seasons in CBS' The Odd Couple and currently recurs on FOX's Lethal Weapon.
- He will play Richard Lovely, the disgruntled author of the best-selling children's book series, "Mr. Mouse." He doesn't hate children, but rather just everything about them. After a publicity fiasco involving an unexpectedly savvy 9-year-old kid, Mr. Mouse appears in Richard's real life as he is forced into an unlikely father/son relationship that will change his life forever.
FOX's PRODIGAL SON
- Bellamy Young has joined the cast of the drama pilot starring Michael Sheen. She previously starred for seven seasons in ABC's Scandal. She next appears in an episode of Netflix's upcoming anthology Dolly Parton's Heartstrings.
- She will play Jessica Whitly, Bright's mother, an elegant WASPy New Yorker who wields sarcasm like a samurai sword. As the wife of a serial killer, she is a disgraced member of high society, but she refuses to hide from her truth, and she wishes her son would follow suit.
CBS' THE REPUBLIC OF SARAH
- Kirsten Nelson and James Lesure will co-star on the drama pilot starring Sarah Drew. Nelson previously starred for eight seasons in USA's Psych as well as its two follow-up movies. Lesure starred for five seasons in NBC's Las Vegas and three seasons in TBS' Men at Work. He currently recurs on NBC's Good Girls and HBO's Divorce.
- Nelson will play Francine, Morrisville's sheriff. Unflappable and resolute, she lives her life according to old-school principals of honor and duty, and isn't afraid to speak her mind when she feels those principals are being ignored. She is an important member of Sarah's (Drew) new government, but that position becomes imperiled when her illicit romance with a married Morrisville citizen goes public.
- Lesure will play Tim, an aloof banker who splits his time between Wall Street and a rustic getaway in New Hampshire. He has always been the smartest and most powerful guy in any Morrisville room, until the town chooses - against his advice - to put its faith in Sarah and her plan for independence. He quickly becomes a thorn in Sarah's side as he fights to stop her and her brand new nation.
NBC's SUNNYSIDE
- Kiran Deol, Moses Storm, Diana Maria Riva, Samba Schutte, Poppy Liu, Joel Kim Booster and Tudor Petrut have scored series regular roles on the comedy pilot starring Kal Penn. Deol directed the short films Woman Rebel and American Haze. Storm had a recurring role on YouTube Premium's Youth & Consequences. Riva starred in the first season of CBS' Man With a Plan. Schutte appeared in the film The Tiger Hunter. Liu starred in the web series Mercy Mistress. Booster serves as a writer on Comedy Central's The Other Two. Petrut appeared in the film Momentum.
- Deol will play Mallory. Storm will play Brady. Riva will play Griselda. Schutte will play Hakim. Liu will play Mei Lin. Booster will play Jin Hao. Petrut will play Drzen.
CBS' OUR HOUSE
- Malcolm Barrett has booked the male lead role on the comedy written by Brendan O'Brien. He previously starred for two seasons in ABC's Better Off Ted, two seasons in NBC's Timeless and one season in AMC's Preacher.
- He will play Shawn, a kind-hearted and open-minded "super dad" who, along with his wife Bridget, is committed to raising his children in a home where emotions can be shared freely - the opposite of how Bridget was raised. He recently moved his family from California to New York's Rockland County, where he now lives and works as a therapist out of his wife's family home. With his old-school in-laws and wife's siblings back in the picture, Shawn finds his patience fading fast. He's always wanted to be closer to Bridget's family, but this might be closer than he bargained for.
NBC's COUNCIL OF DADS
- Michael O'Neill, Steven Silver, Emjay Anthony and Thalia Tran have been cast on the drama pilot starring Sarah Wayne Callies. O'Neill has previously recurred on ABC's Grey's Anatomy and SundanceTV's Rectify. Silver recurred throughout the first two seasons of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. Anthony's film credits include Krampus and Bad Moms. Tran is a relative newcomer.
- O'Neill will play Larry Malvern, a calming presence who is used to being in charge.
- Silver will play Evan, a smart, caring young man with a great sense of humor who has been taking care of his sick mother.
- Anthony will play Theo Perry, Scott's son who thinks the world is against him and that he can't do anything.
- Tran will play Charlotte Perry, Robin (Callies) and Scott's daughter.
ABC's UNTITLED HANK STEINBERG PROJECT
- Indira Varma will play the female lead on the drama pilot starring Nicholas Pinnock. She previously starred for three seasons in HBO's Game of Thrones. She next appears in Amazon's upcoming drama Carnival Row opposite Orlando Bloom.
- She will play Kate, a self-made woman. Confident, tough, progressive but pragmatic, she is the warden of the Pennsylvania prison where Aaron (Pinnock) is incarcerated. She's a hard-charger with aspirations to reform the prison system and advance her own career in the process. She shares two kids with her wife, Anya. Anya is running for Attorney General and Kate's championing of Aaron will put them into conflict.
CBS' THE US PROJECT
- Sisters Vanessa Marano and Laura Marano have scored series regular roles on the comedy pilot starring Parker Young. Vanessa Marano previously starred for five seasons in Freeform's Switched at Birth. Laura Marano starred for four seasons in Disney's Austin & Ally.
- Vanesa Marano will play Nell, the older daughter of Kevin and Holly. She is the leader of the sisters.
- Laura Marano will play Jen, Kevin and Holly's younger daughter who idolizes Nell so much that she pretends they're twins.
