"Idol" starlet Katharine McPhee lands TV pilot

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "American Idol" alumna-turned-actress Katharine McPhee is making her TV-pilot debut with a lead role in NBC's comedy "The Pink House."

The project centers on Midwesterners John "Fitz" Fitzgerald and Rob "Bernie" Burnett who move to L.A. and rent a house right on the beach, determined to find jobs they actually love and make the most of their twenties.

McPhee will play Emily, a down-to-earth Midwest girl who lives in an apartment behind the guys' house and finds her healthy figure at odds with the California beach-bunny standard. The male lead roles have not yet been cast.

The singer/actress, a Los Angeles native, was the runner-up on the fifth season of "Idol" (behind Taylor Hicks), co-starred in the comedy feature "The House Bunny," and made her TV acting debut in an episode of "CSI: NY." She will next be seen in the romantic comedy "You May Not Kiss the Bride." She recently released her second album, "Unbroken."