Don't worry, "Dawson's Creek" and "Don't Trust The B In Apartment 23" fans: James Van Der Beek has booked a CBS comedy pilot and could be heading back to TV next season!
In the wake of the recent unofficial cancellation of "Apartment 23," Van Der Beek has been tapped to star in the "Friends With Better Lives" pilot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The CBS comedy from "Friends" writer-producer Dana Klein revolves around a group of thirtysomething friends who each think they're better than the other. THR reports that Van Der Beek will star as Will Stokes, a partner in a gynecology practice who finds out thats his wife cheated on him with his therapist. Should the show get picked up, Van Der Beek's "smart, sarcastic and cynical" character (as THR calls him) could allow him to stretch his acting legs after playing the smarmy version of himself on "Apartment 23."
Van Der Beek's "bitch"-y former co-star Krysten Ritter could also be back next TV season after booking the starring role on NBC's pilot "Assistance."
In more pilot news ...
Melanie Lynskey joins "Togetherness." The "Two And A Half Men" actress has been cast in the HBO comedy pilot, which follows “two different couples who are living together and are each trying to keep their relationships going while still working toward their own individual goals and dreams.” Lynskey's character in the comedy from Mark and Jay Duplass is described as a good-hearted, full-time mother of two, who yearns for more out of life as her marriage crumbles. [EW]
Margo Martindale just can't stay away from TV. The Emmy-winnng actress --who's booked roles on "The Americans," "New Girl" and "Masters of Sex" already this year -- has joined the cast of CBS's Greg Garcia pilot. Martindale will play Carol, "a vibrant but meddlesome and controlling woman who has her finger in every pie." The comedy stars Will Arnett as her character's recently divorced son Jack. [THR]
NBC’s "Hatfields & McCoys" has found its lead. Jesse Lee Soffer of Fox's late "Mob Doctor" will star in the drama pilot, which is a modern take on the infamous feud depicted in History's hit miniseries. The "Hatfields & McCoys" pilot, which is executive produced by Charlize Theron, kicks off when Patrick McCoy (Soffer) returns home after many years and his father is gunned down. As evidence points to the Hatfields, the murder "re-ignites the feud between these two legendary families, unleashing decades of resentment." [Deadline]
"Treme" star nabs "Second Sight." Kim Dickens will play Ross Tanger's (Jason Lee) partner in crime in the CBS pilot, which is based on the UK series of the same name. Dickens will play Detective Sammy Wilde, who's described as "a likable back-country cougar with a fondness for men and liquor -- a sharp-tongued free spirit with plenty of free time to follow her heart's desires." [THR]
