Valderrama Returns to TV With 'Ernesto'
By James Hibberd and Kimberly Nordyke,
Reuters
Posted: 2008-06-19 13:54:42
LOS ANGELES (June 19) - Wilmer Valderrama is
back at Fox in a new comedy.
The network has ordered a one-hour pilot for "The
Emancipation of Ernesto," in which the former star of "That
'70s Show" plays an innocent man embarking on an epic quest to
find his father amid a Los Angeles landscape polluted with
excess. The story is said to be in the spirit of the Steve
Martin comedy "The Jerk."
Danneel Harris cast in 'How I Met Your Mother' (CBS)
She'll play the (very hot) sister to Ted's fiancee Stella (Sarah Chalke) on a episode to air during November sweeps. Another conquest for Barney? Perhaps. But we wouldn't be shocked if she somehow comes between the (possible) future Mr. and Mrs. Moseby.
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George Clooney NOT cast in 'ER' (NBC)
Despite how badly showrunner David Zabel wants to page Dr. Ross back to 'ER' for it's 15th and final season, George Clooney still says thanks ... but no thanks.
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Mary McDonnell cast in 'Grey's Anatomy' (ABC)
The 'Battlestar Gallactica' star is in final negotiations to join the medical drama for a three- to five- episode arc this fall/winter.
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Scott Wolf cast in 'CSI: NY' (CBS)
The 'Party of Five' alum joins Chris Daughtry and Rumer Willis in the show's 100th episode. They all play people named Mac Taylor -- yep, a name shared by show lead Gary Sinise. Wouldn't be so bad, except there's a serial killer who's decided he doesn't really like Mac Taylors, so he's offing them one by one.
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William Fichtner cast in 'Night & Day' (TNT)
He's signed on as the lead -- an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms -- in '24' creator Joel Surnow's pilot. Don't worry, though -- there are currently no plans to kill of Fichtner's Mahone on 'Prison Break.' Fichtner will only star on the show should 'Prison' not return for a fifth season.
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Anthony Edwards cast in 'ER' (NBC)
Dr. Mark Greene is returning to 'ER,' via flashback. Anthony Edwards was killed off the long-running hospital drama back in 2002 (it was a tumor), but will make an appearance in the show's final season in a scene with new regular Angela Bassett. Sadly, it seems George Clooney won't join him.
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Oprah Winfrey cast in '30 Rock' (NBC)
She'll appear as herself on an upcoming episode of the Emmy-winning sitcom.
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Seth Green cast in 'My Name Is Earl' & 'Heroes' (NBC)
On 'Earl,' he'll play Buddy Zaks, a former Make-a-Wish child whose dream of starring in an action movie was ruined by Earl. And he and buddy Breckin Meyer are in for a multi-episode stint as a pair of comic book geeks on 'Heroes.'
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Lauren Conrad cast in 'Greek' (ABC Family)
The leading lady of MTV's 'The Hills' will give the accepted definition of "acting" a go -- though she won't have to stretch much -- when she plays herself in a dream sequence for 'Greek's' second season finale on Oct. 28.
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Joss Stone cast in 'The Tudors' (Showtime)
The British soul singer takes on her biggest acting gig to date, playing Henry VIII's plain-looking fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, on the upcoming season of Showtime's racy royal drama.
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The script was written by Emily Kapnek, who created the
Emmy-nominated Nickelodeon series "As Told by Ginger" and ABC's
"Emily's Reasons Why Not."
"The writing jumped off the page; it has a really unique
original tone," Susan Levison, senior vp comedy development at
Fox. "It was a mix of real emotion with hard comedy. She has
crafted a character we have never seen before."
One-hour comedies are increasingly popular on broadcast,
but if "Ernesto" is greenlighted, the show would be the first
of the format on Fox since "Ally McBeal." "There are a lot of
wonderful places where we want the contours of this piece to
go, we just didn't feel like it could fit in a half-hour
format," she said.
"That '70s Show" ran for eight seasons on Fox until 2006.
Valderrama has since appeared in feature films "Fast Food
Nation" and "Unaccompanied Minors."
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2008-06-19 10:33:54
