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Alyssa Milano's career resurgence continues (or begins, it depends on your perspective, I guess). ABC is expected to order 13 episodes of Romantically Challenged, a sitcom about a thirtysomething man dealing with his new girlfriend (Milano) and his needy best friend. If picked up, the series will air midseason on ABC, around the same time the network plans to premiere three dramas, Happy Town, V, and The Deep End.

This news comes almost a year after the network dumped Milano's last shot at a sitcom, Single With Parents. Romantically Challenged almost ended up on ABC's fall schedule, reportedly due to the strong buzz surrounding Milano's performance. But the network decided to push it back, presumably to make room for its other new comedies, including Bill Lawrence's Cougar Town and Hank, starring Kelsey Grammer.Continue reading ABC set to pick up Alyssa Milano comedy for midseason

 

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Josh Cooke has been tapped to co-star in NBC's drama pilot "Lost & Found," which Michael Engler has come aboard to direct.

Meanwhile, Jessica St. Clair has joined ABC's midseason comedy series "In the Motherhood" as a regular.

"Lost & Found," from Wolf Films and Ums, centers on Tessa (Katee Sackhoff), an offbeat Lapd detective who, after butting heads with the higher-ups, is sent as a punishment to the basement to work on John and Jane Doe cases.

Cooke will play Max, a psychiatrist treating Tessa who had a crush on her when they were in school together. He is repped by Apa and Untitled.

Engler recently directed the pilots "Single With Parents," a comedy for ABC, and the drama "Privileged," which was picked up to series by the CW.

"Motherhood," from ABC Studios, stars Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines in an adaptation of the online series based on real-life stories of moms throughout the country.

A new show starring Alyssa Milano has been pulled by ABC and ABC Studios even before it hits the screen. "Single with Parents" that was due for midseason 2009 premiere faces an obstruction which according to Variety is a form of creative differences. The studio said that the creative direction cannot be agreed upon and thus they have to pull the plug.

"Single with Parents" is a comedy that puts Milano as the main character named Lou. She is a thirtysomething woman who was trying to juggle her life while dealing with her dysfunctional family. The show is written by Kristin Newman who previously enrolled in "That '70s Show" and "How I Met Your Mother". Other cast in the show includes Annie Potts ("Men in Trees"), Beau Bridges ("My Name Is Earl"), and Vanessa Hudgens' younger sister, Stella Hudgens ("According to Jim").

"Single with Parents" was on ABC's agenda along...

It's a no-go for ABC's midseason series "Single With Parents."

ABC and ABC Studios on Wednesday pulled the plug on the comedy over creative differences with the show's producing team, led by creator/executive producer Kristin Newman.

ABC Studios/DreamWorks' "Single With Parents" -- in which Alyssa Milano stars as a woman juggling her dysfunctional family, friends and boss -- was one of five pilots ABC ordered in August to series for midseason.

However, production on the project, co-starring Annie Potts and Beau Bridges, had been postponed several times over disagreements about the show's creative direction.

Ultimately, the disagreements could not be resolved, and ABC on Wednesday opted not to proceed with "Single" beyond the pilot.

Newman executive produced "Single With Parents" with Matthew Carlson and DreamWorks TV's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.

ABC has three other half-hours on tap for midseason -- Internet transplant "In the Motherhood," Victor Fresco...

While most of Hollywood is getting into vacation mode as mid-August approaches, it's crunch time at ABC, which shifted its pilot production to early summer as a result of the writers strike. Screenings are scheduled for next week, but already there is early buzz on some pilots that are completed.

On the comedy side, three single-camera half-hours -- the untitled Victor Fresco project, "Never Better" and the untitled Kristin Newman project (aka "Single With Parents") -- are considered strong contenders for pickup.

In a vote of confidence for the Victor Fresco office comedy, starring Jay Harrington and Portia de Rossi, ABC's sister studio ABC Studios recently inked an overall deal with Fresco. Family comedy "Never Better" would mark the return to ABC of "My Wife and Kids" star Damon Wayans, while the Kristin Newman project stars Alyssa Milano as a thirty?something woman trying to break free of her overbearing family.

On the drama side, "The Castle," starring Nathan Fillion as a horror novelist working for the NYPD, and Rob Thomas' "Good Behavior," toplined by Catherine O'Hara as the matriarch of a family of criminals, have tested well, while the large-cast Shakespearean drama "Prince of Motor City" is said to have potential.

A few high-profile pilots, including the Max Mutchnick/David Kohan comedy and "Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas," have not been delivered. ABC has been taking its time, asking for episodic story lines for most of the pilots before making series pickup decisions.