Two CBS comedy pilots cast female leads
Two high-profile CBS comedy pilots have found their female leads.
Lindsay Sloane has been tapped to star opposite Kyle Bornheimer on the untitled Bays/Thomas project, and Melissa McCarthy has landed the Molly role on the Chuck Lorre-produced "Mike and Molly."
Elsewhere, Marisol Nichols and Rhona Mitra have boarded ABC's series "The Gates" as leads, with Victoria Platt, Justin Miles and Skyler Samuels also cast in the project.
The Bays/Thomas multicamera comedy revolves around an unmarried couple, Tommy (Bornheimer) and Gina (Sloane), who are in love, but Tommy has commitment issues. Gina is a waitress who fantasizes about running her own business.
Sloane, repped by Gersh and Thruline, is onscreen with Bornheimer in "She's Out of My League."
"Molly" is a multicamera romantic comedy about Mike (Billy Gardell), an overweight, charming police officer, and Molly (McCarthy), a pretty and plump woman, who meet at Overeaters Anonymous.
"Gilmore Girls" and "Samantha Who?" alumna McCarthy was an early favorite for the role. She is repped by TalentWorks and Benderspink.
The supernatural crime drama "Gates," eyed for a summer launch, centers on a big-city cop (Frank Grillo) who becomes chief of police in a seemingly sleepy planned community, the Gates, where he discovers there's more to the residents than meets the eye.
Nichols, repped by Paradigm and Impression, will play a woman who relocates to the community looking for a fresh start. Mitra will play a housewife who is a vampire.
Samuels, repped by Osbrink and Mosaic, will play a teenager with a dark secret.
Platt and Miles also will play residents.
Two CBS comedy pilots cast female leads
Two high-profile CBS comedy pilots have found their female leads.
Lindsay Sloane has been tapped to star opposite Kyle Bornheimer on the untitled Bays/Thomas project, and Melissa McCarthy has landed the Molly role on the Chuck Lorre-produced "Mike and Molly."
Elsewhere, Marisol Nichols and Rhona Mitra have boarded ABC's series "The Gates" as leads, with Victoria Platt, Justin Miles and Skyler Samuels also cast in the project.
The Bays/Thomas multicamera comedy revolves around an unmarried couple, Tommy (Bornheimer) and Gina (Sloane), who are in love, but Tommy has commitment issues. Gina is a waitress who fantasizes about running her own business.
Sloane, repped by Gersh and Thruline, is onscreen with Bornheimer in "She's Out of My League."
"Molly" is a multicamera romantic comedy about Mike (Billy Gardell), an overweight, charming police officer, and Molly (McCarthy), a pretty and plump woman, who meet at Overeaters Anonymous.
"Gilmore Girls" and "Samantha Who?" alumna McCarthy was an early favorite for the role. She is repped by TalentWorks and Benderspink.
The supernatural crime drama "Gates," eyed for a summer launch, centers on a big-city cop (Frank Grillo) who becomes chief of police in a seemingly sleepy planned community, the Gates, where he discovers there's more to the residents than meets the eye.
Nichols, repped by Paradigm and Impression, will play a woman who relocates to the community looking for a fresh start. Mitra will play a housewife who is a vampire.
Samuels, repped by Osbrink and Mosaic, will play a teenager with a dark secret.
Platt and Miles also will play residents.
'Private Practice' showrunners exit series
Robert Rovner and Jon Cowan have stepped down as executive producers/showrunners on ABC's drama "Private Practice."
Rovner and Cowan took the reins of the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff after the first season and steered the series the past two seasons, which saw Kate Walsh and company excel in the ratings after moving to Thursdays behind "Grey's Anatomy" midway through Season 2.
There will be no immediate replacement for Rovner and Cowan this season as the two are departing with all episode stories for the rest of the season already developed.
"Grey's" and "Practice" creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes will continue to supervise all creative and production aspects of the spinoff as she has done throughout the show's run.
While ABC has not handed out renewals to its returning series, "Practice" is expected to be back in the fall.
Meanwhile, ABC Studios confirmed Wednesday that Katherine Heigl's final appearance on "Grey's" aired Jan. 21, four months before the show's season finale in May. The studio said Heigl was ending her run as Dr. Izzie Stevens by "mutual agreement"; the actress recently adopted a daughter.
Her departure was first reported by EW.com.
'Private Practice' showrunners exit series
Robert Rovner and Jon Cowan have stepped down as executive producers/showrunners on ABC's drama "Private Practice."
Rovner and Cowan took the reins of the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff after the first season and steered the series the past two seasons, which saw Kate Walsh and company excel in the ratings after moving to Thursdays behind "Grey's Anatomy" midway through Season 2.
There will be no immediate replacement for Rovner and Cowan this season as the two are departing with all episode stories for the rest of the season already developed.
"Grey's" and "Practice" creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes will continue to supervise all creative and production aspects of the spinoff as she has done throughout the show's run.
While ABC has not handed out renewals to its returning series, "Practice" is expected to be back in the fall.
Meanwhile, ABC Studios confirmed Wednesday that Katherine Heigl's final appearance on "Grey's" aired Jan. 21, four months before the show's season finale in May. The studio said Heigl was ending her run as Dr. Izzie Stevens by "mutual agreement"; the actress recently adopted a daughter.
Her departure was first reported by EW.com.
Six arrested over City insider dealing
Three senior City figures were among six men arrested in dawn raids yesterday as part of the biggest ever crackdown on insider dealing.
One employee of Deutsche Bank, another from BNP Paribas and a City professional at the hedge fund Moore Capital, were among those arrested in what is being described as an unprecedented attempt by the City regulator to close down a "sophisticated and long-running insider dealing ring".
As part of its battle to clean up the City, the Financial Services Authority swooped in London, the south-east and Oxfordshire in its first joint operation with the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Around 143 police officers and FSA staff were required to conduct the raids, which the authority described as its "largest-ever operation against insider dealing".
Those arrested were being held at police stations in London, Kent and Oxford and are suspected of passing inside information to traders – either directly or via middlemen – who traded based on this information and have made significant profits.
Insider dealing takes place when individuals trade on price-sensitive information not widely known in the market – such as a takeover bid – and often obtained illicitly. It is a criminal offence but has been notoriously difficult to prosecute despite the FSA's own calculations that there are "suspicious price movements" in 29% of takeovers.
Lawyers said that the FSA was now employing a new, tough approach in its attempt to end such abuses under which ordinary shareholders lose out because they are not able to make quick profits in the same way as the "insiders".
"This isn't quite a US-style dragging people off the trading floor but it's going that way," said Simon Morris of law firm CMS Cameron McKenna. "The FSA is striking to maintain the good name of the City. But the proof of the striking is in the gaoling, and we will have to wait several years before we know whether FSA has found a smoking gun or a damp squib."
In the past the FSA has relied on whistleblowers rather than use methods deployed in the US to tap phones and covert surveillance and wants firms to start recording employees' mobile phones, not just those made from their desk phones.
Hector Sants, the FSA chief executive, has warned the City to be "afraid" of the regulator and last week set out plans for a hiring spree to help bolster its investigations of insider dealing.
As he launched the FSA's business plan, Sants said this was the "key year" to demonstrate the FSA was serious on cracking down on such City crimes. There would be a "significant" increase in criminal cases and enforcement actions, he said, reiterating his view that the amount of insider dealing in the City was "unacceptable".
The FSA has been focusing on this area since 2008, with this the fifth set of arrests. Four people have been jailed – and another person received a suspended sentence – while three other insider-dealing cases are set for trial.
British Airways 'trying to break Unite union' in cabin crew dispute
A group of leading academics has accused the BA chief executive, Willie Walsh, of trying to break the Unite union.
British Airways is attempting to "break" the Unite trade union in a battle with cabin crew that could erode workers' rights across the UK, according to a joint declaration by 95 leading industrial relations academics.
In a letter to the Guardian, professors from the London School of Economics and other universities accused BA of having a radical agenda in a dispute that is set to enter its second weekend of strikes.
Unite has pledged to suspend the strikes if the BA chief executive, Willie Walsh, reinstates a peace offer that was withdrawn a fortnight ago. His failure to put the document on the table was highlighted by the academics.
"It is clear to us that the actions of the chief executive of British Airways, notwithstanding his protestations to the contrary, are explicable only by the desire to break the union which represents the cabin crew," they wrote. "What other possible interpretation can there be for Willie Walsh rejecting Unite's acceptance of BA's previous offer or indeed of his marshalling of resources, including those of bitter industry rival Ryanair, to undermine the action of his staff?"
BA mustered an effective auxiliary schedule during a three-day strike last weekend, including 1,000 cabin crew and 22 chartered jets from carriers including Ryanair. This weekend, BA claims it will do even better by running seven out of 10 long-haul services from Heathrow.
A BA official said: "We have been in negotiations since February 2009. We had been talking in the TUC for three days solid before the strikes happened. Why would we do that if we wanted to break the unions? Willie Walsh is one of the few chief executives to have given out his mobile number to union officials so they can contact him day or night."
However, time is running out for both sides to reach a deal before tomorrow afternoon. According to sources close to the talks, BA would need to secure a compromise agreement by around 2pm tomorrow in order to have a chance of reinstating its normal flight schedule. The general secretary of the TUC, Brendan Barber, has been attempting to find common ground between both sides this week but so far there is no sign of a renewal of talks.
BA's confirmation this week that it will strip all striking cabin crew of discounted travel perks has caused further friction between the airline and Unite, which now wants the move reversed as part of any deal. The academics warned about wider consequences if BA faced down Unite.
The statement read: "The wider significance of a triumph of unilateral management prerogative would be a widening of the representation gap in UK employment relations, and a further erosion of worker rights and of that most precious of commodities – democracy."
Trade union sources have said the massive publicity afforded the strike, including the intervention of Gordon Brown, has obscured the fact that both sides were close to a peace deal over cuts to staffing levels on flights. BA has stated that the three-day walkout last weekend cost the airline at least £21m, and Walsh has already asked for Unite to find further savings among BA cabin crew to compensate for that loss.
Osama bin Laden threatens US soldiers over Khalid Sheikh Mohammed trial
Osama Bin Laden has issued a threat to US troops.
Osama bin Laden has threatened to kill American soldiers if the US executes Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Pakistani alleged to have masterminded the 9/11 attacks.
An audio tape, purportedly by the al-Qaida leader, was broadcast on the al-Jazeera news channel today.
"The day America will take such decision [to execute Mohammed and any others] it would have taken a decision to execute whoever we capture," the speaker said.
A US counterterrorism official dismissed the sentiments expressed in the 74-second tape as "the height of absurdity" this afternoon.
The country is understood to be seeking the death penalty against Mohammed and four other men accused of planning the 9/11 attacks. President Barack Obama announced in November last year that the five would be tried in a civilian court in New York.
The speaker in the tape criticised Obama for "following the footsteps of his predecessor".
"The politicians in the White House were practising injustice against us and still they are. Especially by supporting Israel in its continuous occupation of Palestine."
The recording continued: "They used to think that America across the oceans is protected from the rage of the oppressed until our reaction was loudly heard at your home on the 9/11, with God's help."
The official, who wished to remain anonymous, responded to al-Qaida's threat to execute detained Americans by drawing attention to the organisation's previous treatment of captives.
"It's the height of absurdity for anyone associated with al-Qaida to even suggest that now, at long last, they're going to start treating captives badly," the official told Reuters.
"They may have forgotten Danny Pearl and all the others they've slaughtered, but we haven't."
Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was kidnapped and held hostage in Pakistan in 2002. His kidnappers made demands for the release of al-Qaida prisoners before setting a deadline for his killing.
After Pearl had been held for a month, the US state department received a videotape showing the journalist being murdered.
The US president has already faced criticism over the treatment of Mohammed, although so far it has come from closer to home. His decision to put the alleged 9/11 organiser on trial in central New York has seen the president come under pressure, with Republicans saying al-Qaida will use the trial for propaganda.
CBS orders dance-competition series
CBS is getting its own dance show.
The network is partnering with Reveille to bring U.K. hit "Got to Dance" to the States.
The competition series is billed as the first all-ages all-genres dance series. A wide variety of acts will compete for a panel of judges, with viewers getting to vote during the semifinals and finals.
CBS has greenlit the project for an unspecified number of episodes. This marks the third major network to have a dance-competition series, joining ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," with NBC's "Got Talent" also having a foot in the genre.
Sources say CBS alternative topper Jennifer Bresnan liked the relatability of expanding the genre beyond professionals to include amateurs with undiscovered talent and high aspirations.
Elisabeth Murdoch, Howard T. Owens, Mark Koops and Robin Ashbrook will executive produce the Shine Group format created by Princess Prods. and Shine TV. The British version of "Dance" debuted this year on Sky 1 and became one of the country's top-rated premium network series.
The network has yet to select "Got to Dance" judges, but CBS has expressed some interest in a certain choreographer-turned-reality TV star for the gig -- Paula Abdul. The former "American Idol" judge continues to be courted for a range of TV projects, recently ruling out a return to TV on ABC's "Star Search" reboot.
Bresnan took the reality reins at CBS two years ago and has since maintained a quiet profile in the media despite launching the season's biggest new unscripted hit, "Undercover Boss."
Though some in the industry were initial skeptical about "Boss" being a long-distance runner for the network, the series has maintained strong and consistent numbers on Sundays.
CBS orders dance-competition series
CBS is getting its own dance show.
The network is partnering with Reveille to bring U.K. hit "Got to Dance" to the States.
The competition series is billed as the first all-ages all-genres dance series. A wide variety of acts will compete for a panel of judges, with viewers getting to vote during the semifinals and finals.
CBS has greenlit the project for an unspecified number of episodes. This marks the third major network to have a dance-competition series, joining ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" and Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," with NBC's "Got Talent" also having a foot in the genre.
Sources say CBS alternative topper Jennifer Bresnan liked the relatability of expanding the genre beyond professionals to include amateurs with undiscovered talent and high aspirations.
Elisabeth Murdoch, Howard T. Owens, Mark Koops and Robin Ashbrook will executive produce the Shine Group format created by Princess Prods. and Shine TV. The British version of "Dance" debuted this year on Sky 1 and became one of the country's top-rated premium network series.
The network has yet to select "Got to Dance" judges, but CBS has expressed some interest in a certain choreographer-turned-reality TV star for the gig -- Paula Abdul. The former "American Idol" judge continues to be courted for a range of TV projects, recently ruling out a return to TV on ABC's "Star Search" reboot.
Bresnan took the reality reins at CBS two years ago and has since maintained a quiet profile in the media despite launching the season's biggest new unscripted hit, "Undercover Boss."
Though some in the industry were initial skeptical about "Boss" being a long-distance runner for the network, the series has maintained strong and consistent numbers on Sundays.
