TV Hot Spot: News

Wahlberg Enters 'Kill Pit'

Post by: Sal

Former "Boomtown" star Donnie Wahlberg, lately (and briefly) seen on The CW's "Runaway," will move to cable for his next series job.

Wahlberg will star in Spike TV's limited-run show "The Kill Pit," opposite John Leguizamo. The show has also signed director Steve Shill, a veteran of "Deadwood," "The Wire" and "Law & Order: SVU," to helm the first four hours.

"Donnie is an incredibly versatile actor with a tremendous amount of soul," says Pancho Mansfield, head of original programming of Spike TV. "He is a great addition to the show, and we know that his character will resonate with our male viewers."

"The Kill Pit" centers on a bank robbery planned and executed by a group of Iraq war veterans. Things go sideways, as you might expect, setting up a standoff between the robbers, a dozen or so hostages and a negotiator on the outside. The eight-hour series, written by James DeMonaco ("The Negotiator," "Assault on Precinct 13"), is scheduled to premiere in the summer.

Wahlberg will next appear in the A&E movie "Kings of South Beach," which airs in March. Other recent credits include ABC's "Path to 9/11," "Annapolis" and "Saw II."