Channel Surfing: ABC Renews "Castle," "Fringe" Producers Talk Parallel Universe, "30 Rock" Lands Matt Damon, and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Nathan Fillion fans, rejoice! ABC yesterday announced that it had ordered a full third season for procedural drama Castle, picking up the Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic-led series for a full season of 22 episodes. The pickup came a day after Castle hit a ratings high (14.5 million total viewers and 3.7/10 in the key demo) and as well as broke a record for scripted series at ABC on Mondays at 10 pm ET/PT and its best key demo ratings in the timeslot since 2001. (via press release)

Meanwhile, The Wrap's Josef Adalian has a quick Q&A with ABC chief Steve McPherson about Castle's renewal. "We all believed, on both the production side and the network side, we believed in the creative on this show from the get-go," McPherson told Adalian. "We loved the casting, we loved Andrew (Marlowe, executive producer) and the work he was doing on the story-telling. It's a great story of patience. It's good to see the ability of broadcast networks to be patient when they can." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Entertainment Weekly talks to Fringe producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman about what's coming up on the FOX sci-fi drama, which returns with new episodes on Thursday. [Editor: you can read my advance review here.] "We want them to come away compelled and absolutely ready to see where we’re going next year," said Wyman when asked about what fans will take away from the end of the season. "We will open up a new chapter at the end of this season like we did last year. That will be entirely satisfying, I hope, for those who stuck with it and could be entirely engaging for a whole new crop of viewers." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Matt Damon is set to guest star on an upcoming episode of NBC's 30 Rock. Series creator/star/executive producer Tina Fey had previously indicated her desire to snag the Green Zone star for a guest appearance on 30 Rock . "Although the specifics of his appearance are being kept hush-hush, I hear the Oscar winner’s episode will be one of the season’s last," writes Ausiello. "If I were a betting man, I’d wager that Ben Affleck’s other half would follow in James Franco’s footsteps as another fleeting love interest for Jenna (Jane Krakowski)." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Good news for NBC, bad news for Party Down. Former Veronica Mars star Ryan Hansen--currently part of the ensemble cast of Starz's Party Down--has landed one of the leads in NBC comedy comedy pilot Friends With Benefits. Hansen will play Ben, described as "an Everyman who, while waiting for Ms. Perfect, enjoys a relationship with Sara (Danneel Harris), a doctor trying to find Mr. Right." He replaces Patrick J. Adams, who was originally cast in the role, which is said to be in second position to Party Down, which has yet to be renewed for a third season. (Hollywood Reporter)

One thing stands in the way of NBC's Law & Order coming back for a record-breaking 21st season: TNT. The cable network, the home of the off-net syndicated run of the procedural drama, isn't under obligation to pick up any additional seasons past the 20th season... and NBC can't take Law & Order anywhere else, under the terms of their deal. But NBC needs the syndicated coin in order to defray production costs and make up the deficit. Which leaves TNT with all of the leverage, it would appear. Neither side would comment on the negotiations. (Hollywood Reporter)

SPOILER! Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has details about a major upcoming plot on the CW's Smallville, which I won't reveal here. But if you're into that sort of thing, head on over and see what Ausiello has to say about the May 14th season finale. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting roundup: Orlando Jones (Rules of Engagement) has been cast as one of the leads opposite David Krumholtz and Martin Short in FOX IRS comedy pilot Tax Man; Mircea Monroe (Drive) has joined the cast of Showtime's upcoming comedy series Episodes, where she will play "42-year-old actress who looks 24 after having a lot of work done," in the project, which stars Matt LeBlanc, Claire Forlani, and Stephen Mangan; and Ritchie Coster (Virtuality) has scored one of the leads in David Milch and Michael Mann's HBO horse-racing drama pilot Luck. (Hollywood Reporter)

Irritated by last night's on-screen bug during Lost trumpeting the return of sci-fi series V? You're not alone. The Wrap's Josef Adalian takes a look at the fallout from running on-screen clutter during one of the final episodes of Lost and offers reactions from critics, viewers, and pundits alike. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Universal Media Studios has signed an overall deal with Desperate Housewives writer/producer Alexandra Cunningham, under which she will develop projects for the studio. As a result, she will depart Wisteria Lane to focus on her new development deal. "I've been wanting to work with Alex since the first play I read by her," said Laura Lancaster, EVP of drama at NBC Entertainment/Universal Media Studios. "She's an incredibly gifted and versatile writer (who is) able to draw complicated, complex characters and situations within both drama and comedy genres." (Variety)

UK's ITV is looking at several series to replace the long-running but now axed cop drama The Bill, including a UK remake of FOX supernatural series The Oaks, a series which never actually made it to the air in the US. (Broadcast)

WeTV unveiled its new slate of reality programming yesterday at its network upfront in New York, including Downsized, Sunset Daze, Mother Knows Best?, Girl Meets Gown, and You're Wearing That? (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Doctor Who" Feature Possible, J.J. Abrams Talks "Fringe," Rainn Wilson, and More

Good morning and welcome to your Monday television briefing.

Steven Moffat, who has taken over the reins at Doctor Who from Russell T. Davies, has said that he wouldn't rule out a feature film spin-off of Doctor Who so long as it didn't interfere with production on the series itself. "It would be good to see it in the cinema so long as it was great and fantastic," said Moffat, speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival. "But a film is on [for] 90 minutes and that is not as important as the series. But so long as it doesn't get in the way of the show we could do it. If it got in the way of the show that would be appalling." The series itself has already had two feature spin-offs in the 1960s: Doctor Who and the Daleks and Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 AD, both of which starred Peter Cushing as the Doctor. (The Guardian's Organ Grinder)

There's a fantastic interview with J.J. Abrams about his new FOX drama Fringe and about the differences in telling stories with self-contained episodic storylines like Fringe and the Byzantine plots of series like Lost and Alias. "I just got tired of hearing people say to me, over and over, ‘Yeah, I was watching it, but I missed one, I got really confused, and I stopped watching it,’” Abrams said in a recent phone interview. He goes on to discuss just went wrong with Alias. And no it wasn't the giant orange floating ball that was supposedly Rambaldi's endgame. (New York Times)

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times has interviewed Shawn Ryan about the end of The Shield, which kicks off its seventh and final season next month. Ryan, of course, was on the picket line when the series finale of the series he created (which launched FX as a destination for quality drama) was shot, as was the pilot for the doomed FOX supernatural series The Oaks (which never made it to air), which Ryan was on board to produce. He talks about his decision to view pencils down as a refusal to perform editing duties as well as writing services, the end of The Shield, and the strike itself. (Los Angeles Times)

If that weren't enough interviews for you, here's one with The Office's Rainn Wilson about his role in the feature film The Rocker and, of course, Dwight Schrute. (New York Daily News)

James Cromwell (24) has been cast in NBC's new drama series My Own Worst Enemy, where he'll be playing the enigmatic head of a covert government agency that is tinkering with Christian Slater's dual-identity husband/superspy Henry/Edward. Does he play the head of Janus (i.e., Mavis' mysterious employer)? Only time will tell. Cromwell joins a cast that includes Christian Slater, Madchen Amick (herself turning up in several episodes of Gossip Girl next season), Saffron Burrows, Mike O'Malley, and Alfre Woodard. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX will be streaming the series opener of Fringe and the season premiere of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles online... if you're a college student, that is. Users who log onto Fox.com from college-based .edu domains will be able to watch a simul-stream of the opener of Fringe and Sarah Connor at the same time as they launch on-air, as well as behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews, and music videos. It's a novel concept, but why wouldn't students just, er, watch the episodes on the linear channel? (Variety)

In other fall launch news, FOX and CBS will respectively not air the original pilots for comedy Do Not Disturb and drama Eleventh Hour until later in the season. Instead, the networks will air subsequent episodes when they launch Do Not Disturb on September 10th and Eleventh Hour on October 9th. Having already seen both of these pilot episodes, I can honestly say that the networks are making the right decision as both were just awful. (Futon Critic)

Lifetime has given a six-episode order to reality competition series Blush: The Search for America's Greatest Makeup Artist, to launch in November as a potential companion for its poached Project Runway. Series, produced by IMG, will follow eight makeup artists as they live together in LA and compete for a one-year contract with Max Factor, $1,000 in cash, and the opportunity to style a magazine cover shoot. (Variety)

Paris Barclay (ER) has been promoted to executive producer on HBO's In Treatment; he'll direct at least ten episodes of the therapy drama next season. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has announced the cast for the latest iteration of reality competition series Dancing With the Stars, which kicks off on September 22nd. Susan Lucci, Toni Braxton, Lance Bass, Cloris Leachman, Kim Kardashian, Ted McGinley, Brooke Burke, NFL champ Warren Sapp, Olympic athletes Misty May-Treanor and Maurice Greene, chef Rocco DiSpirito, Cody Linley (Hannah Montana) and comedian Jeffrey Ross will compete for the top spot. (Variety)

Songwriter Kara DioGuardi will join American Idol as a new judge for Season Eight, alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: The Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother (CBS); Deal or No Deal (NBC); Gossip Girl (CW); High School Musical: Get in the Picture (ABC); Prison Break (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS); America's Toughest Jobs (NBC); One Tree Hill (CW); Samantha Who?/Samantha Who? (ABC); Prison Break (FOX)

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

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Gossip Girl.

Looking to relive the freshman season of the teen soap? On tonight's first season finale ("Much 'I Do' About Nothing"), Blair comes to Serena's defense and faces off with Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg); Lily prepares for her wedding but can't stop thinking about Rufus; and Serena finally tells Dan what's really going on with her.

10 pm: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on Travel Channel.

This week on No Reservations, Tony travels to Egypt, one of the oldest civilizations on Earth and spends some time with locals in order to get an understanding for what it means to be Egyptian.

10 pm: Weeds on Showtime.

On this week's episode of Weeds ("Head Cheese"), Nancy deals with the aftermath of Shane's exploits and another confrontation with Guillermo; Celia tries to find a new rehab facility; Doug and Maria's relationship hits the skids and they turn to Andy for help; Silas' new business is growing too fast.

Where Pilots Go to Die: FOX's "The Oaks"

It's always sad when you watch a botched pilot of a script that you really, really loved and are just wholly disappointed by what you see.

In this case, I'm talking about the pilot episode for FOX's supernatural drama The Oaks, which wasn't picked up to series. Last I heard, studio 20th Century Fox Television was attempting to shop the project to other networks, but I would be surprised if anyone picks it up after what I've seen. (You can read my original review of the pilot script here.)

It's not that there isn't an interesting story there because there is. I was utterly captivated by David Schulner's gorgeously nuanced script for The Oaks, which tells the story of three very different couples living in the same house in three different decades: there's twenty-something couple Mike (Matt Lanter) and Sarah (Shannon Lucio) who have recently weathered the death of their young daughter and have fallen apart as a couple; middle-aged blue collar parents of two Frank (Michael Rispoli) and Molly (Romy Rosemont, who replaced Gina McKee) whose daughter Lucy (Mackenzie Milone) seems troubled and whose son Brian (Kyle Kaplan) is prone to spying on his developmentally challenged teenage neighbor Jessica (Shanna E. Braddy); and expectant professional couple Dan (Jeremy Renner) and Hollis (Bahar Soomekh) who are in the midst of completing renovations on their historic home even as they interview midwives for the arrival of their child.

Some interesting stories and the action often transitions seamlessly from each decade to the next, their plots often overlapping as they serve a dual purpose: the first to explore the invisible thread that seems to connect these couples to one another through time (the ghost story) and the second to explore that most fragile of states: wedlock. Each of the couples faces an enormous hurdle in their married life, from the loss of a child to the non-existence of a sex life to long-buried secrets that, in the case of Dan and Hollis, could threaten to derail the life they've build for one another.

See, Dan did Something Bad as a teenager growing up in the very same neighborhood that he has now moved back into with his wife, something that 1988's Little Brian witnessed and something that involved taking advantage of Jessica, who--in 2008--is all grown up but still living in her parents' house right across the street from Dan and Hollis' new house. Dan claims that he doesn't remember Jessica but it's clear that he does, even if Hollis isn't quite suspicious enough.

Add to this a secret room, an oak tree planted by Sarah in 1968 that refuses to be cut down in 2008, whispers and visions in the water, and characters showing up in various eras seemingly by chance and you have the makings of an interesting and provocative supernatural-tinged drama, albeit one that seems more designed for a limited run than an open-ended series.

So what doesn't work? The majority of the casting for one, sadly. While the script brings these characters to life in vivid detail, many of the actors seem strangely out of place or unbelievable in the roles. Yes, I get that Mike and Sarah are a young couple but I found it extremely difficult to accept Lanter and Lucio as adults old enough to own a house (even with his father's help) and have had raised and lost a child, even as producers have tried to age up Lucio a bit with some period-appropriate makeup, hair, and clothes. By the reverse token, I had a hard time feeling connected to Rispoli and Rosemont's, er, dumpier characters who seemed to have zero chemistry between them whatsoever; while their sexless marriage is a huge element to the plot, I didn't see the whiff of any previous attraction between them evident in their interactions.

As for Jeremy Renner, he just looks... distractingly odd in the 2008 segments and I wanted to see him express some sort of moral conflict going on inside him. Or anything really. Renner's Dan is meant to be wholly emasculated by his Blackberry-obsessed career-driven wife Hollis (Soomekh) but we don't even see a clue about this dynamic between them. They just seem like any other tech-savvy modern couple expecting a baby and paranoid about disabilities and end up little more than ciphers on screen.

The direction was also disappointing. I'm usually a fan of Michael Cuesta (Dexter) but here I didn't see any elements of his trademark flair; camerawork was pretty straightforward and pulled some cliche zooms and close-ups right out of the 1980s horror flick handbook. For such an evocative and imaginative script, the produced pilot of The Oaks felt wholly flat and unrewarding, a scenario that may have occurred since both writer David Schulner and executive producer Shawn Ryan (The Shield) were not on set during production, due to the writers strike.

I can understand why The Oaks didn't make it to series at FOX and I can also understand why studio execs would possibly want to scrap the filmed version, recast, and start over again at another network: the script and the characters are intriguing and the concept is original and thought-provoking. But like several of the characters in The Oaks, after watching this, I couldn't quite shake the feeling that I needed a bath to wash off my disappointment.

Sigh.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular (CBS); Baby Borrowers (NBC); America's Next Top Model (CW); Wife Swap (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX; 8-10 pm)

9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Baby Borrowers (NBC); Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious (CW); Supernanny (ABC)

10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Celebrity Circus (ABC); Primetime: Crime (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9-10 pm: Secret Diary of a Call Girl/Weeds on Showtime.

As I am still catching up on telly that I missed during my honeymoon, I actually missed this week's episodes of Secret Diary of a Call Girl and Weeds on Showtime, so I'll be watching them tonight. On Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Belle is booked by a return client for the entire evening and gets to test out her time management skills. Over on Weeds ("The Whole Blah Damn Thing"), Nancy makes her first official run across the border for Guillermo and Celia is offered a deal by Captain Till.

Casting Couch: Of Acorns and "Oaks"

Whither Gina McKee?

That's the question on my mind after learning of the latest two cast additions on FOX's supernatural drama The Oaks.

Michael Rispoli (The Black Donnellys) and Romy Rosemont (Prison Break) have been cast in The Oaks, which started production on its pilot last Monday in Pasadena. Neither creator David Schulner nor executive producer/showrunner Shawn Ryan, both not performing writing or producer duties as part of the WGA strike, have been involved with the shoot. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the final cast decisions were made by executive producer Gina Matthews.

Rispoli and Rosemont will play a married couple with two children in 1988 in the FOX series about three couples linked in time by a spirit that haunts the home they share in three different time periods.

Rosemont replaces British actress Gina McKee as Molly. Allegedly, the 1988 portion of the series will be taken "in more comedic, blue-collar direction."

Hmmm. That's really not at all apparent in the script draft that I read back in early August... and I am not too sure, just based on the description, that I want a comedic dimension to this gripping, unusual series. But we'll see how I feel once I get my greedy hands on the latest draft of The Oaks' pilot episode.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: How I Met Your Mother/The Big Bang Theory (CBS); Chuck (NBC); Everybody Hates Chris/Aliens in America (CW); Dancing with the Stars (ABC; 8-9:30 pm); Prison Break (FOX)

9 pm: Two and a Half Men/Rules of Engagement (CBS); Heroes (NBC); Girlfriends/The Game (CW); Samantha Who (ABC; 9:30-10 pm); K-Ville (FOX)

10 pm: CSI: Miami (CBS); Journeyman (NBC); The Bachelor (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Chuck.

On tonight's episode ("Chuck Versus the Truth"), Chuck finds himself falling for a new girl named Lou (guest star Rachel Bilson) who appears to be interested in the real him and they double-date with Ellie and Captain Awesome; Sarah wants to take her cover relationship with Chuck to the next level; a poison specialist attempts to uncover codes to nuclear facilities.

10 pm: Journeyman.

It's Kevin McKidd (Rome) as a time-traveling newspaper reporter in a drama that's more about human interactions and the nature of choice than, say, technicolored time machines. On tonight's episode ("Winterland"), Dan goes to a key party in the past where he meets a girl with ties to a murder, while Katie makes a shocking discovery about Livia.

10 pm: Weeds on Showtime.

The third season of Showtime's acclaimed comedy, Weeds continues. On tonight's episode ("Protection"), Nancy deals with her sons, Doug battles Sullivan, and Celia turns to Heylia for instruction from the master.

Casting Couch: FOX Snags Brits for "Oaks" Cast

In an interesting twist, FOX has decided to cast relatively unknowns in its new drama series, The Oaks, the first project from newly installed network president Kevin Reilly. (For my review of the pilot script, click here.)

The Oaks, written by Tell Me You Love Me's David Schulner and directed by Dexter's Michael Cuesta, has secured the talents of two British actresses for its diverse cast of characters. The project revolves around three couples--in 1968, 1988, and 2008--who all live in the same house and are connected through the decades by a restless spirit and a mystery which haunts their home.

Gina McKee, best known for her feature roles in MirrorMask, Notting Hill, and Croupier, will play Molly, a frazzled mother of two children in 1988 whose marriage to gruff Frank has fallen into a passionless state. She will next be seen in Atonement, opposite Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Brenda Blethyn, and Vanessa Redgrave.

Sienna Guillory (Eragon) will play Jessica, the neighbor of 2008's Dan and Hollis, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome and shares an enigmatic secret with Dan. She'll next be seen in the feature adaptation of Inkheart.

The announcement of McKee and Guillory appearing in The Oaks comes on the heels of cast additions Bahar Soomekh, Matt Lanter, and Shannon Lucio in three starring roles.

Casting Couch: FOX Plants Roots with "The Oaks"

FOX has had a rather auspicious day, securing three actors as leads for its new supernatural drama The Oaks, from writer David Schulner (Tell Me You Love Me) and director Michael Cuesta (Dexter).

The Oaks revolves around the intertwined stories of three couples in three different decades--1968, 1988, and 2008--who live in the same house; their stories are connected by the house's possible haunting. It's a fascinating and compelling conceit that mines both the supernatural and the quotidian, in the form of each of the couples' relationship issues. (For my exclusive review of the pilot script for The Oaks, click here.)

In the first casting notice for the drama pilot, which goes into production in November, FOX has locked the acting services of Shannon Lucio, Matt Lanter, and Bahar Soomekh.

Shannon Lucio (The OC) and Matt Lanter (Commander in Chief) will play Sarah and Mike, a young married couple in 1968 who grieving after the death of their young daughter, Amelia. Lucio was most recently in the original pilot for the new CBS drama Moonlight; her part was recast by Doctor Who's Sophia Myles. Lanter recently completed story arcs on both NBC's Heroes and CBS' Shark.

The final member of this casting troika, Bahar Soomekh (Crash) will play Hollis, the Blackberry-obsessed half of a 2008 power couple, who is pregnant with the couple's first child. Soomekh co-starred last season on ABC's Day Break.

Still to be cast: Soomekh's other half, the emasculated Dan; 1988's sexless Molly and Frank; and some very important key characters who advance the plot. (Sorry, folks, but I gotta keep some things under wraps.)

Stay tuned as we get closer to the November start date for The Oaks, which received a serial commitment (with hefty penalty) by FOX last month.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: CBS Sneak Peek/Two and a Half Men (CBS); 1 vs. 100 (NBC); Friday Night SmackDown (CW; 8-10 pm); America's Funniest Home Videos: No Business in Show Business (ABC; 8-10 pm); Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (FOX)

9 pm: Jericho (CBS); Las Vegas (NBC); Nashville (FOX)

10 pm: NUMB3RS (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); 20/20 (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

8 pm: Doctor Who on Sci Fi.

This week on Doctor Who ("Blink"), it's the Steven Moffat-scripted episode that will have everyone talking as the Doctor reaches out from 1969 to help a present-day photographer (Carey Mulligan) through some cryptic warnings about bleeding when people begin to disappear. Do not blink.

8 pm: CBS Sneak Peek.

Sure, I've seen every single network pilot for this fall, but if you haven't, take a sneak peek at CBS' fall schedule, loaded to the brim with vampire private detectives (no, not Angel), singing casino owners, and child labor law scofflaws (hello, Kid Nation!).

Televisionary Exclusive: First Look at FOX's "The Oaks" Script

Ask and ye shall receive. That's always been my motto and there's a reason why it's true.

In this case, I'm talking about the script for FOX's just-announced new series The Oaks, the first series order for newly installed president Kevin Reilly, which will pit The Shield creator Shawn Ryan on a network series that's... high-concept, to say the least.

By Monday afternoon, I had gotten my greedy hands on David Schulner's script for The Oaks and eagerly devoured the supernatural/relationship drama. It's ambitious, layered, and eerily suspenseful; nothing like it currently exists on network television (in the States, anyway). It certainly doesn't feel like a FOX series, but I think that's Reilly's intention: to steer the audience away from those stereotypes of what makes a FOX series just that.

The quick 411 on The Oaks, which comes from 20th Century Fox Television: it's about three married couples who live in the same house in three different decades. The three couples, separated by time, are linked by spirits that seem to haunt the house that they all share. It's an overlapping narrative that presents three distinct time periods side-by-side and will definitely test the strength of the production crew to carry off three period feels (not to mention having to constantly age and de-age the house, depending on the scene).

Some more specifics but I refuse to spoil anything concrete (sorry!). In 1967, estranged couple Sarah and Mike live in the house but both harbor deep feelings of resentment and isolation towards each other following a certain family tragedy. In 1987, the house is inhabited by sexually frustrated Molly and Frank and their two children, Lucy and Brian. Finally, there's the expectant couple Dan and Hollis, who move into the house in 2007 and, during their ongoing renovations, quickly make a discovery that shines a light on just what exactly is going on inside the house.

The pilot script is titled "Amelia," and there's a clear and concise reason for selecting that title. It also goes a long way towards explaining just what is haunting this house and why, along with setting up several intriguing mysteries along the way. People are continually drawn to this house and drawn BACK to it; several characters have unexpected connections to the past in some very novel ways. But lest you think that this is a ghost story, it delves deeply into the relationships between the central couples, making this an emotional exploration as much as a metaphysical one.

What I read was an early writer's draft of The Oaks and the script should go through several revisions before a pilot is shot in November. But in the meantime, I can't help but wonder what director Michael Cuesta (Dexter) and showrunner Shawn Ryan have up their sleeves. While several networks have made announcements about pilot orders and the like, The Oaks is definitely one project to watch during the course of the next development season.

Stay tuned.

From Little Acorns, Mighty "Oaks" Grow

Ah, how fast they grow into the job.

Recent hire Kevin Reilly, late of NBC, has planted his first seed as the new FOX entertainment president, ordering a series that every major network in town has been vying for over the past few weeks.

The project, The Oaks, was given a series commitment by Reilly, along with a substantial seven-figure penalty. (Ouch.)

Series, from writer David Schuler (HBO's Tell Me You Love Me) is a high-concept relationship drama with strong supernatural elements; it will revolve around three couples who live in the same house during three different time periods (1967, 1987, and 2007) who are linked by enigmatic spirits who haunt the building.

Reilly was quick to hire a high-profile showrunner to oversee The Oaks, snagging The Shield creator Shawn Ryan to executive produce, and hiring Dexter's Michael Cuesta to direct the pilot and exec produce.

Production on The Oaks' pilot will begin in November. Given the general near-hysteria looming over LA about a possible strike-related work stoppage, it only made sense for FOX to push The Oaks straight into series and bank a bunch of episodes. Reilly and FOX are already seeking additional writers to join the staff straightaway.

Lest you readers fear, I am already attempting to snag a copy of the pilot script.