Pilot news: Stars added to new shows

I honestly can’t believe the stars that are basically coming out from the woodwork and signing up for new TV pilots.

If some of these shows truly do make it on air (and a good number of them will), we are going to have some really good TV seasons in the near future. That is, if the pilots are suited for the actors. Let’s hope they are.

Richard Dreyfuss (Stakeout) and Jason Biggs (American Pie) have been cast in a CBS comedy pilot Happiness Isn’t Everything, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The show will revolve around adult siblings and their parents who are too involved in each other’s lives. (Sound like your family?) Dreyfuss will play the pushy but loving patriarch of the family (I think he will do well in a comedy like this), while Biggs will play his son. Playing Biggs’ older brother will be Ben Schwartz.

And have your heard Moonlight star Alex O’Loughlin is now headed to CBS drama pilot Three Rivers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The only thing wrong with that is he won’t be a vampire. Instead, he will play a workaholic doctor who head of the team of organ donor transplants. He’s separated from his wife and lives in a motel near the hospital. Sounds like he’s complex! Others joining O’Loughlin on Three Rivers include Katherine Moenning and Daniel Henning. CBS has two other medical pilots in the works, Miami Trauma and The Eastmans. According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS hopes to launch one as a series this fall. Elisabeth Harnois will join Miami Trauma.

Back over at Melrose Place, Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield, 90210) has been cast as resident Riley Richmond, a rich and beautiful 24-year-old who works in an inner-city elementary school as a teacher, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She is engaged to Jonah (Michael Rady) but is having second thoughts. She joins Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Katie Cassidy.

Instead of joining Melrose Place, Mischa Barton (The O.C.) has joined CW pilot The Beautiful Life about a group of models living together under the same roof. Barton will play a “bitchy” model named Sonya.

Smallville’s Lex Luthor Michael Rosenbaum and Lost alum Nick Agosto will star in an untitled NBC comedy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Also from Lost, Noah Gray-Cabey has been cast in ABC’s performance-arts drama Limelight.

Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) will play the lead on ABC’s untitled comedy pilot. Melinda McGraw (Mad Men) has landed the female lead oppposite of him.

Worst Week star Kyle Bornheimer will play the lead on ABC’s untitled Ricky Blitt comedy pilot. I guess Worst Week is over, huh?

Bornheimer joins Alyssa Milano, Eric Christian Olsen, Kelly Stables, Kurt Patino and Brad Small on the cast.

Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg) and Jon Foster will star opposite of each other on ABC’s comedy Accidentally on Purpose. Elfman will play a movie critic who gets pregnant after a fling with a younger man (Foster).

Alfre Woodard (My Own Worst Enemy) has joined FOX’s Maggie Hill where she will play chief of cardiothoracic surgery, mentor to Maggie (Christina Cole), a brilliant surgeon with schizophrenia.

There are a TON of more pilots in the works that I will discuss in the near future.

Credit: The Hollywood Reporter (flurry of casting for several projects)

Richard Dreyfuss photo: splashnewsonline.com

Alex O’Loughlin photo: Bauer Griffin