Casting Couch: Burrows Makes It "Legal," While Rapaport Bunks With "Earl"

A quick post today as I am off in a few minutes (yes, bright and early!) for a Producers Guild breakfast for The Office, with executive producer Greg Daniels and producer Kent Zbornak talking about how they transformed this unlikely hit into a network defining comedy. (I can't wait, though I do have to get packed for Comic-Con before long!)

Putting that aside for now, let's turn our attention to some casting notices buzzing about town.

Saffron Burrows has been upgraded to series regular on ABC's legal drama Boston Legal. She'll play Lorraine Weller, a sexy litigator (is there any other kind on television?) and former lover of Alan Shore (James Spader). Suffice it to say that things are more or less unresolved between them.

Burrows, who was originally hired to do a multi-episode arc on the series, was upped to regular status three weeks into production on Boston Legal's fourth season. She is best known for her feature work in such films as Circle of Friends, Wing Commander, Deep Blue Sea, and Troy.

In other casting news, Michael Rapaport has joined the cast of NBC's My Name is Earl as a recurring cast member. Rapaport recently signed a development deal with studio 20th Century Fox Television, under which they will develop a project for the actor for the 2008-09 season.

Rapaport recently starred in 20th Century Fox Television's pilot The Stumps of Hollywood (formerly known as Fugly) for CBS, which was created by Greg Garcia, who just happens to also be the creator of My Name is Earl.

Rapaport will recur on My Name is Earl in a role created for him by Garcia; he'll play a convict in the prison where Earl is incarcerated as the series' third season begins.

His last series work was on FOX comedy The War at Home, which (thankfully) will not be returning next season...

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The King of Queens/The King of Queens (CBS); Most Outrageous Moments (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); The Next Best Thing: Who is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX; 8-9:30 pm)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Last Comic Standing (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); American Inventor (ABC; 9-11 pm); Don't Forget the Lyrics (FOX; 9:30-10 pm)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Dateline (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

10 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.

On tonight's episode of Top Chef ("Watch What Happens"), it's a reunion as Bravo maven Andy Cohen sits down with past and present contestants of Top Chef in an attempt to stretch out this season. Yawn.