Some big names are featured in today's round-up of television casting news.
The news in this edition will see Matthew Perry working again with a Friends executive producer, Hayden Panettiere is in Nashville, NBC has cast doctors for County and Do No Harm, and comedy pilots all over pick up a few more stars. Check out the full list right after the break.
Deadline reports that former co-host of The Talk Leah Remini will be the only female cast member in the comedy pilot White Van Man. The show is based on the British series and is centers around a man that is forced to shelve his dreams and pick up the family business of being a handyman. Kyle Bornheimer plays the lead and J.K. Simmons will play his father, Tony. Remini is set for the role of Tony's happy massage therapist sister.
Sara Rue will be co-starring opposite Reba McEntire in the upcoming ABC comedy pilot Malibu Country. The Less Than Perfect star will play a neighbor of Reba's who is described as a "share-too-much, hug-too-freely, trophy wife." McEntire plays the lead, a woman who is cheated on by her rock star husband. After finding out he's also spent almost all their money, she grabs her kids and moves from Nashville to Malibu.
But going back to Nashville, TVline says that Hayden Panettiere will be starring in ABC's drama about the musical city. The Heroes cheerleader is set to play the teen singer Juliette Barnes who is on her way to stardom as another star is on the decline. Jonathan Jackson and Powers Boothe have previously been cast in the country music soap.
According to Variety, Matthew Perry will be the lead in NBC's comedy pilot Go On. The show is centered around Perry's character, an "irreverent yet charming sportscaster," who deals with his loss with the members of his mandatory group therapy sessions. Julie White and Suzy Nakamura will co-star. Perry will be reuniting with Friends executive producer Scott Silveri who wrote the pilot and will be acting as executive producer on the pilot.
Deadline has the scoop that Saxon Sharbino will play the lead in Fox's untitled drama pilot from Karyn Usher. The newcomer will play Jane Forsythe, an orphaned daughter of a CIA operative who is picked up by a mysterious rogue agent who becomes her professional mentor and a surrogate father. Brett Ratner will be directing the pilot with a script from Usher.
NBC has cast Norbert Leo Butz in the drama pilot County from Jason Katims. Butz will star opposite Jason Ritter in the show which revolves around a group of medical professionals in an underfunded, yet very busy LA County Hospital. Butz will play an intern who would rather be partying than working
Cosby Show alum Phylicia Rashad will be playing the Chief of Surgery in the medical drama Do No Harm. The NBC show is said to be Jekyll & Hyde-esque and Rashad's character is described as "powerful, cutting, and intimidating."
Aly Michalka (Hellcats) has joined the uplifting Fox comedy Rebounding, which follows a man recovering from the death of his fiancée with help from his pickup basketball league. The actress will play the girlfriend of one of the team’s members.
