the quickening

It's great to see A&E getting into more scripted shows and not just concentrating on reality shows and documentaries. But they're not just taking everything. This week they're passing on one drama but going ahead with another one.

The drama 'Sugarloaf' has been given the green light. It's about a Chicago cop who gets accused of something he didn't do so he decides to move to a small Florida town and become an officer there.

The drama the network passed on? 'The Quickening.' No, it wasn't another version of 'Highlander,' it was actually about a homicide detective who is bipolar. Sounds a bit like 'Monk' only maybe a little bit more serious? Anyway, we probably won't be seeing that one.

Like a lot of people who live in New England, every single time I hear the name 'Sugarloaf' I'm going to think of a cold ski resort, not a warm small town in Florida.

Hey, remember that guy you liked on that show who you thought was going to become a big star but never got the break he deserved? Well, according to the Hollywood Reporter, two of television's "that guys" are finally getting their chance.

Amaury Nolasco, who is probably best known to audiences as Fernando Sucre on 'Prison Break,' and who also has been putting in time on shows like 'Southland' and feature films like the upcoming 'Armored,' will be joining the cast of 'The Quickening,' a new pilot for A&E. He'll be playing the ex-husband of fellow-detective Maggie Bird (Radha Mitchell), who is relegated to deskwork after she develops bipolar disorder.

Tricia Helfer has booked a guest spot on an upcoming episode of 'Two and a Half Men.' The 'Battlestar Galactica' alum will play a close friend of Charlie's fiancee, Chelsea, who crashes at the Harper house after a bad breakup. Helfer's guest spot will air Nov. 16 on CBS. [Ausiello Files]

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