TV Hot Spot: News

Pilots: 'South Beach' Actor Makes 'Change'!

Post by: Sal


ABC's buddy comedy from "Old School" director Todd Phillips has found one of its leads.

Chris Johnson, who starred in the short-lived UPN series "South Beach," has been cast in "The More Things Change ...," Phillips' first TV effort. It's about four long-time friends who find themselves at different spots in their lives.

Elsewhere, TNT has added Gina Bellman ("Coupling") and Beth Riesgraf to its pilot "Leverage," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"The More Things Change ..." comes from writer Allan Loeb ("Things We Lost in the Fire"), who's also been working with Phillips on a feature called "Men." Johnson, whose credits also include "XXX: State of the Union" and guest spots on "Without a Trace" and "Shark," will play one of the four guys, who's just had a revelation that upends the relationships he has with his buddies.

"Leverage," one of a handful of pilots in the works at TNT, stars Timothy Hutton as a former insurance investigator who now runs a Robin Hood-like crew of con artists and outlaws dedicated to helping victims.

Bellman, who recently co-starred in "Jekyll" on BBC America, will play a member of Hutton's team, a con woman/community theater actress. Riesgraf ("My Name Is Earl") will play an eccentric burglar.

Take Care,

Sal