the hollywood reporter

I may have just died and gone to heaven. I'm only speculating here, because The Hollywood Reporter didn't exactly say for sure, but it's a pretty good bet that Alan Tudyk and Joshua Jackson have been cast in the same drama that's being created for CBS. Earlier this month, I reported on Jackson landing the lead in a Carol Mendelsohn law drama about a young lawyer whose career takes a turn when he takes a death row case. The Hollywood Reporter is now saying that Alan Tudyk (aka 'Wash' in Firefly) has been cast "in CBS' untitled Carol Mendelsohn drama". It describes the show as being about brilliant legal minds and that Tudyk will play "a competitive and arrogant Ivy League graduate." That sounds like the same show to me. Now, if only David Duchovny would join the cast.

Despite his career-long hesitation to work in series television, Ray Liotta has signed on to a new crime drama on CBS. Virginia Madsen, who had a stint on Frasier and co-starred in the wine-soaked flick Sideways, has also signed on to the project. The series, called Smith, is a crime drama told from the point of view of a crew of career criminals. Amy Smart and Franky G are also on-board this project.

Liotta may have decided to come to television because of the producer and director on Smith. The producer is John Wells and the director is Christopher Chulack, both of whom Liotta worked with when he had a guest appearance on ER. Wells is an ER producer and Chulack directed Liotta's episode, called Time of Death.

I like the idea of a crime show from the other perspective. Sure, there's The Sopranos on HBO but we haven't seen a new episode forever and they're about to end the series. I'm tired of all the cop and court shows on television. It's time to root for the bad guy!

[Via The Hollywood Reporter]