Alyssa Milano sitcom nears pickup at ABC

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - ABC and Alyssa Milano will be "Romantically Challenged" this midseason.

The network is close to ordering 13 episodes of the comedy centering on a thirtysomething man who is torn between his new girlfriend and needy best friend.

The pilot, which was shot in the spring, was a serious contender for a berth on ABC's fall schedule, with Milano getting strong buzz for her performance as the new girlfriend.

Kyle Bornheimer co-stars as the best friend, and Kelly Stables as Milano's younger sister. The other roles are expected to be recast.

"Challenged" marks ABC's first midseason comedy series order this year. All four of the network's new comedy series picked up in May -- "Modern Family," "Cougar Town," "Hank" and "The Middle" -- are set to launch in the fall as a Wednesday night block. ABC has three new drama series on tap for midseason: "V," "Happy Town" and "The Deep End."

(Editing by dean.goodman at Reuters)