Channel Surfing: "Lost" Resurrects a Dead Character; Some Life Still Left in Rob Thomas' "Good Behavior," and More

Good morning and welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

Everyone wanted to talk about yesterday's announcement that ABC had picked up five series (three dramas and two half-hour comedies) and had seemingly passed over Rob Thomas' Good Behavior (based on the Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune). But there's still hope for the Catherine O'Hara-led dramedy. ABC says that it hasn't yet made a decision on Good Behavior, half-hour comedy Never Better (starring Damon Wayans), or the untitled legal drama from David Hemingson (the script of which I quite enjoyed)... and it still has yet to screen Prince of Motor City and Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas. Keep your fingers crossed, Rob Thomas fans. (Variety)

SPOILER ALERT! Lost will resurrect--for one episode, anyway--one of its dead characters, likely as a flashback, vision, or ghostly apparition. And, no, it's not Artz. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Why does Battlestar Galactica seem to be gaining in viewer popularity even as its Nielsen ratings seem to be plummeting? (Associated Press)

Survivor fans will have to wait a week for the launch of Survivor: Gabon -- Earth's Last Eden. CBS has delayed the start of the latest Survivor iteration for a week, shifting the premiere to September 25th.

CTV has renewed cop drama Flashpoint--starring Enrico Colantoni, Hugh Dillon, and Amy Jo Johnson--with new episodes to appear sometime in 2009... but CBS, which airs the series in the States, has only committed to one season of the drama thus far. (The Globe and Mail)

A stack of casting notices: Megalyn Echikunwoke (The 4400) has been upped from recurring status to series regular on CBS' CSI: Miami, where she plays medical examiner Dr. Tara Price; Jill Flint (Six Degrees) has been cast in USA's dramedy pilot Royal Pains opposite Mark Feuerstein; Anjelah Johnson and Juliette Goglia will co-star in the untitled Dave Caplan comedy pilot for TBS with Valerie Bertinelli; and Jared Kusnitz and G Hannelius will appear in the CW's Media Rights Capital comedy Surviving Suburbia as the kids of Steve (Bob Saget) and Anne (Cynthia Stevenson). (Hollywood Reporter)

Marvel superheroes are hitting the small screen... in Japan, at least. The comic book publisher has signed a deal with Madhouse to create several series based on their popular stable of superheroes, the first four of which will launch in 2010. Characters, such as Wolverine and Iron Man, will be tweaked with new looks and histories that touch upon Japanese culture and history. (Variety)

Mario Lopez will host live music competition series MTV's Top Pop Group on, well, MTV. Series is set to launch on Thursday, September 11th, though you can catch a casting special on August 28th. (Futon Critic)

Lifetime has ordered three unscripted programs for daytime: 20-episode half-hour cooking series Mom's Cooking (launching in December as a strip); five half-hour episodes of Lisa Williams, featuring the famous psychic in a reformatted version of Lisa Williams: Life Among the Dead to launch as a week-long special event in October; and Fat Friends, a docuseries launching in January that follow a group of five California friends as they try to lose weight together before one of their number gets married. (Hollywood Reporter)

Fremantle has signed a two-year overall deal with America's Got Talent executive producer James Sunderland to continue in his current role on the NBC reality series and develop original series for the distributor. He's also developing the untitled Osbourne family variety series for FOX. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); America's Got Talent (NBC; 8-10 pm); Smallville (CW); Wipeout (ABC); House (FOX)

9 pm: Big Brother 10 (CBS); Reaper (CW); Wanna Bet (ABC); House (FOX)

10 pm: CBS News: Democratic National Convention (CBS); Dateline (NBC); Vote 08 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8:40-9:20 pm: Gavin & Stacey on BBC America.

If my gushing review of this bittersweet (yes, it's literally bitter AND sweet) comedy wasn't enough, why not tune in yourself to see just how wonderful the brainchild of writer/co-stars Ruth Jones and James Corden really is? On tonight's series premiere, Gavin and Stacey finally plan to meet face to face in London after months of phone conversations and their best friends Smithy and Nessa tag along to provide moral support.

10 pm: Million Dollar Listing on Bravo.

I can't look away, no matter how hard I try...

Jeffrey Tambor, Gary Cole Try on "Good Behavior" for Rob Thomas

My spider sense was tingling this morning as I perused the latest casting listings.

Imagine my surprise when I had a full on geek attack upon noticing that, just days after Baby Buster landed recurring roles on both Chuck and Samantha Who, George Bluth Sr. himself was just cast in one of the few midseason pilots that I am eagerly anticipating.

Apparently, it pays to be an Arrested Development vets these days. Jeffrey Tambor was cast in Rob Thomas' ABC dramedy pilot Good Behavior (based on the Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune), where he'll guest star as Hy, Jackie West (Catherine O'Hara)'s sleazy partner at a low-end pawn shop. I cannot wait to see Tambor and O'Hara face off against one another and hope that he'll stick around in a recurring capacity should the pilot get ordered to series.

Also joining the cast of Good Behavior: Desperate Housewives' Gary Cole, who will play Jackie's no-good husband who is sentenced to five years in prison, leading Jackie to push her family onto the straight and narrow path of decent members of society.

I have been super-excited about this pilot since I first read Thomas' brilliant script (back when Renee Russo was circling the role of Jackie West) and the above casting, paired with Catherine O'Hara and Mae Whitman (yay, Arrested Development mini-reunion!), and my love for Rob Thomas' work, make me hope that Good Behavior gets ordered to series post-haste.

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); My Name is Earl/Last Comic Standing (NBC; 8:30-10 pm); Smallville (CW); So You Think You Dance (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); Supernatural (CW)

10 pm: Swingtown (CBS); Fear Itself (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

10 pm: Swingtown.

I wasn't crazy when I first saw the pilot to the 1970s-set drama last year but they've had a lot of time to retool so I will give it a second chance. On tonight's series premiere ("Pilot"), Susan and Bruce Miller move their kids into an upscale Chicago suburb and fall into the lure of an open marriage when they meet their sexy new neighbors.

Casting Couch Scoop: O'Hara Tries "Good Behavior" for Rob Thomas

Ooh, do I have a hot casting scoop for you today.

Remember Good Behavior, the highly anticipated drama pilot from Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas? (How could you not, as I've been talking about it incessantly since I read the pilot script a few weeks back.)

No shortage of leading ladies have circled this project in recent weeks, with many naming Rene Russo as the frontrunner for the pivotal role of Jackie West, the tough-as-nails matriarch of the criminal West family who forces her family to become pillars of the community after her husband is sentenced to five years in prison. Mae Whitman (Arrested Development) and Patrick Adams (Lost) have already been cast in the drama pilot.

So who has locked up the role of Jackie West, in a casting move that has my heart all aflutter?

According to my source, none other than Catherine O'Hara, whose star turns in multiple Christopher Guest movies (take your pick: Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, Waiting for Guffman, For Your Consideration) have not only made her a favorite of mine but whose comedic sensibilities will come in handy with this gutsy, headstrong female role, a real rarity these days in Hollywood. Then again, the project is from Veronica creator Thomas, who has shown a penchant for creating tough, three-dimensional female characters.

Production on the pilot of Good Behavior, based on Kiwi series Outrageous Behavior, starts May 20th, with Charles McDougall (Desperate Housewives) directing.

Fingers crossed that this gets a greenlight to series ASAP.

Former Bluth Foil Mae Whitman Tries on "Good Behavior"

Her?

In an inspired bit of casting, ABC has snagged Mae Whitman for drama pilot Good Behavior. Written and executive produced by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and based on Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune, the plot revolves around the Wests, a Las Vegas family of thieves and low-lifes who are forced by their headstrong mother to become model members of society after their patriarch lands in prison with a five-year sentence. (For a more detailed look, here's my rundown of Thomas' hysterical pilot script.)

Whitman, best known perhaps for her star turn as George-Michael's devout girlfriend Ann Veal (a.k.a. Egg, Yam, and Ann-Hog) on Arrested Development, will star in Good Behavior's pilot as 16-year-old Roxy West, a plucky teen who creates a business out of selling the hall passes and excuse slips she has blackmailed from her high school's principal.

It's a role that Thomas would have undoubtedly cast Kristin Bell in a few years ago and I think Whitman will be absolutely perfect in this part. Those of us who saw her performance as Jamie Sommers' deaf sister in the original pilot of Bionic Woman know that Whitman can definitely pull off that chip on my shoulder the size of the Ritz sort of teen angst with ease and I think she'll be a good fit with the quirky comedy and soap antics of Good Behavior.

Also cast in the pilot: Patrick Adams (Lost, Friday Night Lights), who will play diametrically-opposite twins Van and Haden West (and, yes, their names' similarity to Van Halen is very, very intentional); one of whom is a sleezy lowlife and the other a successful lawyer who has tried to stay out of the family's, er, "business."

Still no news if Rene Russo has been cast in the critical role of West family matriarch Jackie. Fingers crossed that ABC does manage to lure Russo to television with this dynamic role... and that Good Behavior lands a series order.

Stay tuned.

CW Circles Sachs and Judah for "90210," Rob Thomas to Take Back Seat on Drama Pilot

I am very happy to read that Rob Thomas will be taking a back seat on the upcoming drama pilot for the spin-off of Beverly Hills 90210 to focus on his other projects.

Whew.

I read the script for 90210 yesterday and was less than thrilled. I know that Thomas wrote it extremely quickly (a week, according to The Hollywood Reporter) on a rather tight deadline as CBS Paramount Network Television fast-tracked the project. The Veronica Mars creator then found himself in high demand, with two other projects getting ordered to pilot at ABC: the revival of his own series Cupid and Good Behavior, the US adaptation of Kiwi series Outrageous Behavior.

90210 was an iconic series and managed to completely tap into the zeitgeist of the 1990s in a way that no other series--especially one geared towards teens--had managed to do. It also went on to influence such series as The O.C., Gossip Girl, and, well, every other teen drama that came after it.

So why was Thomas' rushed script for 90210 such a letdown then? For one, it felt completely flat and formulaic, as though the multi-cultural characters were dictated by committee rather than created organically. It also has a tough act to follow: while 90210 felt cutting edge and different at the time, this feels extremely derivative, especially after the pop culture savviness of The O.C. and the over-the-top absurdity of the CW's own Gossip Girl.

Sixteen-year-old characters Annie and Dixon don't have the appeal of Brendon and Brenda Walsh, though their origins are somewhat similar as they move from the Midwest (Wichita, Kansas) to Beverly Hills. (Here, they and their parents--including West Beverly Hills High principal Harry and Olympic bronze medalist Celia--move in with their aging actress grandmother Tabitha after her most recent Betty Ford stint.)

It also lacked the wit and ambition of Thomas' own Veronica Mars. While the class warfare element is still there, it's all rather subdued, with the action and plot all very much on the surface. We don't get a sense of any inner depth to these characters, most of whom remain archetypical rather than function as three-dimensional, fully developed characters.

Personally, I'd rather see Thomas focus on the far superior Good Behavior and Cupid. CW and CBS Paramount are in talks with Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah (Freaks and Geeks) to come aboard 90210 and do a rewrite on Thomas' script. Thomas would remain an executive producer on the pilot and the potential series; he has been attending casting sessions. (So far the only casting attachment are Runaway's Dustin Milligan, who will play popular jock Ethan, and AnnaLynne McCord as bitchy Queen Bee Naomi Bennett.)

In other Rob Thomas news, Charles McDougall (Desperate Housewives) will direct the pilot for Thomas' dramedy Good Behavior, about a family of career criminals who are forced by their mother to go straight after the pater de familias ends up in prison.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Biggest Loser (NBC; 8-10 pm); Beauty and the Geek (CW); According to Jim/According to Jim (ABC); American Idol (FOX)

9 pm: Big Brother 9 (CBS); Reaper (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC); Hell's Kitchen (FOX)

10 pm: 48 Hours Mysteries (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Last Restaurant Standing on BBC America.

On the eleventh episode of this addictive British import, the couples must focus on the customer, devising ideas that will "surprise and delight" every customer who walks through the door, but quickly realize that what pleases one customer alienates another; Jess and Laura attempt to put on a high-spirited dance routine, which upsets some clients, while a singing performance at another restaurant leads to embarrassment. Still bigger problems loom: one couple can't seem to fill their restaurant and control the staff, while another discovers that their food is ending up in the bin.

10 pm: The Riches on FX.

On tonight's installment ("Trust Never Sleeps"), Wayne receives an unexpected visitor at work in the form of a private investigator attempting to track down Pete while Dahlia discovers that maintain her double life is not only difficult but dangerous.

(Rob) Thomas Guide: Russo's "Good Behavior," Cannavale to Play "Cupid"?

I spent this weekend catching up on reading the growing stack of pilot scripts in my living room, a daunting challenge given how many scripts I still have to read but I was propelled forward by the fact that I did at least have a script written by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) to look forward to.

The alternately hilarious and touching Good Behavior script, for Thomas' US adaptation of New Zealand series Outrageous Fortune set up at ABC, was a thing of beauty: fast-paced, quick-witted, and, well, pretty damn fun. (It's like The Riches crossed with Shameless, blended together with the bleak humor of Veronica Mars, and served straight up in a chilled martini glass.)

The plot revolves around the West family who, after their father is arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, are forced to go straight by their domineering mother. There are hints of some of the familiar themes of Veronica Mars at work there: class warfare, morality struggles, and the exploration of a city's seedy underbelly (here, greater Las Vegas). There's also a character in teenager Roxy who completely reminds me of Veronica in the best possible way, complete with her grifting ways and maturity way beyond her years.

But the very best role in Good Behavior is that of series lynchpin Jackie West, the long-suffering mater familias who is a hellion on wheels, a woman not above wielding a shotgun to deter a man threatening one of her kids or smacking some sense into them herself. This is the sort of role that people claim doesn't exist for women over 40: brave, bold, and unflinching. E!'s Watch with Kristin claims that Rene Russo is circling this role and, if I were ABC, I'd do anything and everything in my power to get Russo to sign those papers. She would kill as Jackie.

That said, I was really hoping that this was the Rob Thomas project that Kristen Bell was allegedly interested in joining, but I don't really see a role here suitable for her in Good Behavior, other than the small part of Tawny West. This is at its heart an ensemble piece and I don't see Bell taking a role that's so second banana at the moment, especially coming off of her upcoming turn in feature Forgetting Sarah Marshall or her role on Heroes.

Tawny, a bit of a slutty tearaway, would be a different type of role for Bell, who would have nailed the grittier role of Veronica-esque Roxy a few years back, but I don't know that she would want to take on another teen role after the demise of Veronica Mars. (That scene of her sauntering through the deserted halls of her high school while calmly sucking on the straw of her soft drink contained memories of our girl V, especially when she pulls out that hall pass, obtained by blackmailing the school principal.)

Which leads me to wonder if the project that will reunite Bell and Thomas is in fact ABC's Cupid. Casting is underway on the Rob Thomas-scripted remake of his 1998 series, which starred Jeremy Piven and Paula Marshall; the pilot will be directed by Bharat Nalluri (Life on Mars, Spooks, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day). I could definitely see the brainy but beautiful Bell pull off the role of Dr. Claire Allen, psychiatrist and possible love interest for Trevor Hale, a man claiming to be the god of love. It would be ideal casting, in fact.

Meanwhile, sources tell me that an offer has been made to Bobby Cannavale (The Station Agent) to star in Cupid as the aforementioned Trevor. I like the genial Cannavale but I am having a hard time imagining him as the is-he-crazy-or-is-he-really-Cupid series lead here. It's a challenging role and whoever is cast will really have to work hard to distance themselves from Piven's memorable performance in the original series.

Still, I can't help but think that Cannavale and Bell would look pretty darn cute together on a poster...

UPDATED: The Hollywood Reporter has once again confirmed one of my scoops: Cannavale will star in the Cupid pilot.