The Sopranos

Moving beyond Carmella Soprano, Edie Falco has signed on for a Showtime comedy where she will play a strong-willed New York City nurse who takes on the broken healthcare system while also steering an unpredictable and frustrating personal life.

The series is described as a dark comedy in the tradition of Weeds and will be shot in New York. Showtime is hoping for a premiere sometime this year. And although the unnamed half-hour comedy is just a pilot at this point, positive comments from the network's entertainment president make it sound like almost a sure bet to become a series.

Falco, who played mob wife Carmella Soprano on HBO's The Sopranos, was nominated for an Emmy six times for the best actress category and won three times.

"My time on The Sopranos was so rich and full," Falco said.  "The challenge has been finding something else that would excite me.  This character and the writing are truly thrilling."

The new Showtime project, however, isn't Falco's first dip into comedy given that she plays recurring character Celeste Cunningham on NBC's 30 Rock.

In addition to Falco, the untitled pilot has expanded to include five regular co-stars and one recurring actor.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Peter Facinelli (Damages), Paul Schulze (Journeyman), Merritt Wever (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip), Eve Best (Vital Signs) and Haaz Sleiman (24) will be regulars, while Anna Deavere Smith (The West Wing) will have a recurring role.

Schulze, who has a prior relationship with Falco stemming from his stint as Father Phil on The Sopranos, will reportedly play Eddie, the boyfriend of Falco's character, while Facinelli will play the hospital's "golden boy," Dr. Cooper.  On the other hand, Sleiman and Wever will play nurses as at the hospital, with Best as another doctor and Smith as a hospital administrator.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
(Image courtesy of HBO)