Leslie Bibb and Annie Potts have booked leading roles in ABC's 'Good Christian Bitches' pilot.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, 'Popular' alumna Bibb will play Amanda, a divorced mom of two. She moves back to her childhood neighborhood and finds herself at the center of gossip.

'Ghostbusters' veteran Potts will play Bibb's overbearing mother. Deadline reports she fielded three pilot offers and has been approached to guest star on The CW's 'Hart of Dixie.'

In other casting news ...

• Jamie King has joined the cast of The CW's 'Hart of Dixie.' King will play a debutante-type woman opposite Rachel Bilson. [Deadline]

• Stephen Tobolowsky will star opposite Minnie Driver in 'Hail Mary.' Tobolowsky will play the role of Cox in drama about a mom and hustler private investigator duo. [Hollywood Reporter]

• Christina Ricci has signed on the dotted line for 'Pan Am.' Ricci will play Maggie, a flight attendant in the sky and an earthy bohemian on the ground. [Deadline]

(S07E03) So far this season, Two and a Half Men has been sailing along, continuing to provide plenty of laughs and just enough vulgarity to keep its crown as a raunchy pleasure. Tonight, however, they hit an iceberg. Too bad really, but half the show -- no pun intended -- was spot on. If only the other half had been as good.

For some reason, the writers have this idea that Alan as the object of affection to older women is funny. No, not really. It didn't work when Carol Kane guested as the mother of a girl Alan was dating and it didn't work tonight with Annie Potts as Judith's mother, Lenore.

Last spring, ABC had high hopes for a new sitcom starring TV fave Alyssa Milano. Today, not so much.

ABC decided to dump Alyssa Milano's show, Single With Parents, claiming that there were creative differences between the show's creator, Kristin Newman (How I Met Your Mother), and the rest of the producers. Ouch. Can't we all just get along?

Actually, if there are problems at this stage of the game -- after just producing a pilot -- it might be better for the network to pass on this and consider working with Alyssa on something else down the road. We've seen far too many shows make it to air that should have never gotten the greenlight, so maybe in these tough economic times, caution is wise these days.

I am about to write something that I normally don't do when it comes to the way networks program their primetime schedules. It's something that will shake your foundations, rock the world, turn Republicans into Democrats (and vice-versa) and make Amy Winehouse finally get sober. Ready? ABC is being smart with its programming schedule.

There, it's done. Now to sit back and wait for the accolades.

Seriously, after years of relying on only a handful of shows to carry the schedule throughout the year, ABC has been filling out their schedules with a number of backup shows to fill those gaps that always appear when a fall premiere tanks. Granted, some of these mid-season replacements also tank, but at least the network is letting them try. Because of that we have been lucky to enjoy shows like Samantha Who? and Eli Stone. This time around, ABC has five new series - all scripted - that will be premiering during the 2008-09 season. You'll find a brief explanation of each after the jump.

(S02E11) Many weeks ago (man, it's been a while since we've had a new episode) I shared my dream of a Dixie Carter-Vanessa Williams showdown. This week, Amanda visited a psychic played by another Designing Women cast member, the wonderful Annie Potts. So close! It's great to have Ugly Betty back, at least for now. The sad truth--that there are only two episodes left--is beginning to sink in. Who's panicking?

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Jaime Ray Newman has been cast as the lead in the new CW drama pilot I Am Paige Armstrong. Newman plays a congressional aide who decides to run against her crooked boss.

The comedic drama Babylon Fields, about a town where the dead have come back to life, recently added Kathy Baker to the cast. Baker will play a housewife who must contend with her zombie husband, whom she killed with an ax.

Kevin Dunn has been added to the ABC comedy pilot Sam I Am, about a woman (Christina Applegate) suffering from amnesia who must piece her life back together.

(S01E17) After feeling like we've been treading water over the last few episodes, this one really felt like the show started moving forward again. Jack and Lynn are getting married, Mai and Sylvia are planning a wedding, Sarah is moving on with her career, Annie and Patrick are meeting her parents, and Marin is having boy troubles of a different kind. I have to admit that I was getting a little tired of this show after last week but this episode was invigorating.

Lots of casting news today in The Hollywood Reporter. Dylan McDermott has joined the cast of the ABC drama, A House Divided. It's about a rift between a midwestern farming community and the federal government. I wish I knew more because, wow, that sounds like a snoozer. Sarah Clarke (aka 'Nina' on 24) is also part of the cast. She plays the wife of the lead character, which might just be McDermott.

Wendie Malick, of Just Shoot Me and Jake in Progress, has been cast in the ABC comedy pilot, A Day in the Life. The show is about a young couple's wedding day, from different points of view (I imagine it'll have to advance past the wedding day). Malick plays the mother of the bride.

Other casting news: