Television News Briefs

Jun 18, 04:00 PM

Current Headlines: LEGION OF `HEROES' KEEPS GROWING

The ranks of NBC's "Heroes" have expanded again, with actor Nick D'Agosto taking a recurring part in the show's second season.

D'Agosto ("Election") will play Claire's (Hayden Panettiere) boyfriend in the coming season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He's the second actor to join the cast in recent weeks, following Dania Ramirez ("The Sopranos"), who will be a regular next season.

The show is also looking to add a couple other recurring characters, including an Irish mobster and a woman who was a surrogate mother for Niki (Ali Larter).

Details of D'Agosto's character are, naturally, being kept close to the vest. However, according to the HR he will have "a very cool superpower."

The casting also ends a string of bad pilot luck for D'Agosto, who's appeared in pilots each of the past three seasons (ABC's "Joint Custody in 2005, CBS' "Orpheus" in `06 and CBS' "The Rich Inner Life of Penelope Cloud" this year) _ none of which were picked up.

His other credits include the indie film "Rocket Science," which is scheduled for an August release, and a number of TV guest spots, including roles on "Without a Trace," "House," "Related" and "ER."

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`SKATING WITH CELEBRITIES' STAR ARRESTED

Kristy Swanson was arrested for alleged assault, but she's the one who is claiming injuries.

The "Skating With Celebrities" champ was arrested Saturday in a Kingston, Ontario, police station after her companion Lloyd Eisler's ex-wife filed a complaint against Swanson, reports People.

"I had to go the police station where I had an appointment at 9 p.m. to begin the process of being arrested," confirms Swanson, who was subsequently released on $500 bail.

Eisler's ex, Marcia O'Brien, filed a complaint against Swanson, but the actress claims that she was the one attacked and plans to press charges. The police reportedly documented the injuries by taking photos of Swanson's back and upper extremities.

Swanson, 37, and former world champion pairs skater Eisler, 44, began a romance when they were partnered up for Fox's reality series "Skating With Celebrities" in 2006. This created a scandal when Eisler left O'Brien, his pregnant wife, for the actress. The new couple welcomed a baby boy, Magnus Hart Swanson Eisler, in February.

Swanson is best known as the big-screen "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Her other credits include "The Chase," "Big Daddy" and "Dude, Where's My Car?" She recently played a thinly veiled version of blonde bombshell Anna Nicole Smith on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

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`LAW & ORDER' COP STAYS ON BEAT

Amid a flurry of cast shakeups, NBC's "Law & Order" is keeping one of its longest-serving detectives around for next season.

Jesse L. Martin will return for his ninth year playing Detective Ed Green on the venerable series, the showbiz trade papers report. He'll appear in at least 13 episodes next season, which will be his ninth. He'll be joined on the "Law" side of the show by Jeremy Sisto, who's replacing Milena Govich as Green's partner.

With "Law & Order" getting an 11th-hour pickup for next season _ it will return on Sunday nights in January, after NBC's NFL commitment ends _ there was some question whether Martin would be back with it. He has a couple of film projects in the works, including the lead role in "Sexual Healing," a biopic about Marvin Gaye.

The new deal ensures that he'll be around for at least part of the season, and there's the possibility that he could appear in more than 13 episodes.

The series, which is entering its 18th season, has gone through a number of casting changes in recent weeks. Govich and Fred Thompson, who's preparing for a likely run at the Republican presidential nomination, are out, and Sisto, who starred in NBC's "Kidnapped" last season, is in.

Meanwhile Sam Waterston's character, Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy, will reportedly move up to district attorney to replace Thompson's Arthur Branch. There's no word yet on who might fill Waterston's prosecutorial shoes alongside the returning Alana de la Garza.

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