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Channel Surfing: AMC Orders "Rubicon" to Series, Callum Blue Takes on Zod for "Smallville," Eve Finds "Glee," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday television briefing.

AMC has handed out a twelve-episode series order to political thriller Rubicon, starring James Badge Dale, Miranda Richardson, Lili Taylor, Dallas Roberts, and Peter Gerety. Series, from Warner Horizon, writer/executive producer Jason Horwitch (Medical Investigation), and director Allen Coulter (Six Feet Under), revolves around an analyst (Dale) of a top-secret government think tank "whose work leads him to uncover a clue that points him toward an unfolding global conspiracy." Series, which will be shot in New York, is expected to launch in 2010. "The pilot is beautifully done and we are very, very excited to move forward with the series," said Joel Stillerman, SVP of programming and production at AMC. "It's a major challenge to find the right balance to take that into a serialized drama format, where you have to pose more questions than are answered but do it in a way that is still satisfying to the audience. Jason and Allen did a phenomenal job on the pilot, and the cast is first class." (Variety)

Callum Blue (Secret Diary of a Call Girl) has been cast as a regular on CW's Smallville, where he will play Superman villain General Zod in the series' ninth season. The role was previously performed by Terence Stamp in 1980's Superman II. (Hollywood Reporter)

Eve will guest star in two episodes of FOX's Glee this fall, where she will play a "no-nonsense girls' choir director from a rival school," according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, who writes that producers had made overtures to Whitney Huston, who turned down the role. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Meghan Markle (90210) has been cast in a recurring role on FOX's Fringe, which returns for a second season this fall. Markle will play "an attractive, brash and quick-witted junior FBI agent." (Hollywood Reporter)

Adrianne Palicki will reprise her role as Jessica on CW's Supernatural next season in one episode. "Details regarding Palicki's return engagement," writes Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "are being kept under lock and key." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

ABC has given a six-episode series order to relationship-based unscripted series Find My Family, which tracks people desperate to locate a missing relative or friend. Series, based on Dutch format Lost Without a Trace, hails from RelativityReal and RDF USA. Tim Green and Lisa Joyner will host. (Variety)

MTV has ordered an untitled docusoap pilot following The Hills' Audrina Patridge which will be executive produced by Mark Burnett. The cabler also unveiled a host of projects in development including a "reinvention" of 1980s feature film Teen Wolf; animated comedy The Awesomes from executive producer Seth Meyers; puppet-based reality series Warren the Ape; a US adaptation of Argentinian teen drama Patito Feo; comedy Hard Times; and an untitled sketch comedy starring Jamie Foxx. MTV also announced a first-look deal with actress Emma Roberts. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, MTV Networks will layoff one percent of its workforce, or about 50 employees, that will "significantly affect development and programming at its various channels, though the company does plan to hire some replacements in reconfigured positions." (Variety)

Richard Loncraine (My House in Umbria) has replaced Peter Morgan (The Queen) as director on HBO telepic The Special Relationship, which details the often fractious relationship between Tony Blair and Bill Clinton. The project stars Dennis Quaid, Michael Sheen, Julianne Moore, and Helen McCrory. Morgan--who wrote the screenplays for The Queen and Frost/Nixon--was meant to have made his directorial debut on the project and will remain on board as an executive producer. Meanwhile, Morgan will be co-writing the next James Bond feature film. (Variety)

NBC's Ben Silverman is said to be on a shortlist for possible candidates for ITV's CEO position, along with Mike Volpi of Joost, former ProSiebenSat1 head Guillaume de Posch, and former Channel 4 topper Michael Jackson. Silverman had no comment. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Comments

piemaker77 said…
Callum Blue as General Zod? How did they ever come up with that? Definitely bizarro casting (though I am a big fan of Blue).

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