The star of the short-lived FOX shows
Drive and
Firefly,
Nathan Fillion, will probably be very busy now that he has a new project lined up. The actor is set to appear in one of the five new series that ABC has ordered as part of their mid-season line up. Fillion will play the lead role in
Castle, which
Variety describes as a "comedic procedural" that takes place in New York City.
The other titles that were picked up include romantic-comedy
Cupid, the Victor Fresco-penned
Better Off Ted, an hour-long ensemble comedy set in the NYPD called
The Unusuals, and the Alyssa Milano sitcom
Single with Parents.
ABC also picked up a lot of shows back in May, including
Life on Mars and
The Goode Family. This was understandable as it happened in the wake of the writers' strike, when the market was rife with pilots awaiting orders. For this batch, ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson said there might be more to come. The shows that have yet to be screened include the fantasy-driven
Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas and the Detroit-centered
Prince of Motor City.
"It was worth taking the time to go through the pilot process to really do it right," said McPherson. "They're perfect additions to our dominant core slate of shows. These are the initial pickups, but there are a number of other pilots we feel will also get the go-ahead in some form moving forward."
In
Castle, Fillion plays a novelist who helps the New York Police Department solve homicide cases. It may be the most promising of the new shows, though
The Unusuals has a great cast including
Harold Perrineau, Amber Tamblyn, Jeremy Renner, Adam Goldberg, Kai Lennox, and Terri Kinney.
The new shows will be introduced side-by-side with those returning in mid-season including
Lost,
Scrubs, and
According to Jim.
Drive was canceled after four episodes after it faced tough competition from NBC's
Deal or No Deal and ABC's
Dancing with the Stars. Let's hope Fillion has better luck over at ABC.
-Glenn L. Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source:
Variety
(Image Courtesy of The Cinema Source)
