Networks hire actors for fantasy projects

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - With the pilot season truncated to three months because of the writers strike, some broadcast networks are hiring actors for projects that may not even get shot.

British TV actor Toby Stephens ("Jane Eyre") was cast Wednesday as the lead in Fox's drama "Inseparable," a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde tale. However, the project has not yet been picked up to pilot.

"Inseparable" was pitched before the strike by creator Shaun Cassidy. The network asked for a revised draft, which Cassidy couldn't complete before the three-month stoppage began on November 5. To get a head start when the strike concluded, Fox in January gave its blessing for casting to begin, but delayed the official pilot order until it read Cassidy's new draft.

In similar fashion, two comedy projects, Fox's "Don't Bring Frank" and CBS' "Ex Life," were cleared to begin casting Friday before the projects have been picked up to pilots.

The moves allow the networks to get an early start on the casting process, avoiding the mad rush when "everyone will be trying to tap the same talent pool," one agent said. "That pool gets depleted very quickly."

Network executives have promised major shakeups of the costly and inefficient pilot process in the wake of the writers strike. But so far, aside from some minor tweaks like jump-starting casting, the biggest news this post-strike pilot season seems to be how business-as-usual it has been.

"They said they won't be picking up pilots, and they're doing just that," one agent said.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter