Television News Briefs

Oct 12, 04:30 PM

Current Headlines: `DRESDEN FILES' STAR TREKS TO `JUNGLE'

Paul Blackthorne, who's currently doing a guest stint on "Big Shots," will be joining another new series later this season.

The "Dresden Files" star has signed on to be a regular on NBC's midseason show "Lipstick Jungle." He'll be playing the husband of Brooke Shields' character.

Elsewhere, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Melissa Peterman ("Reba") and Charles Malik Whitfield ("The Guardian") have joined the cast of Cedric the Entertainer's comedy pilot at ABC.

"Lipstick Jungle," based on Candace Bushnell's novel, stars Shields, Kim Raver and Lindsay Price as close friends with high-powered careers in New York. Blackthorne is taking over the role of Shields' husband from Chris Wiehl, who played the part in the show's pilot.

Blackthorne is currently playing Terrence Hill, a rival to Dylan McDermott's character on ABC's "Big Shots." He also had a recurring part on the third season of "24."

At ABC, the Cedric pilot will feature the "Original Kings of Comedy" star as a husband and father who has to adjust when his wife (Regina Hall) starts making more money than him. Whitfield will play his best friend and Peterman a neighbor.

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FISHER STEVENS TAKES CALL FROM `LOST'

The guy on the satellite phone in last season's "Lost" finale will be more than just a voice come next year.

Actor and producer Fisher Stevens has taken a recurring role on the ABC series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stevens will play a character named Minkowski. He is somehow connected to Marsha Thomason's Naomi, who brought the satellite phone onto the island and who says she's part of a ship's crew there to rescue the crash survivors.

Viewers know that Naomi is lying about her claim that Penny Widmore (Sonya Walger) is backing the rescue effort, but the show hasn't tipped its hand as to who actually is behind it. A number of "Lost" fan sites have also seized on the name of Stevens' character, noting that he shares it with Hermann Minkowski, a German physicist who theorized that time exists as a fourth dimension in the early 20th century.

The role will be Stevens' first TV appearance in several years. His previous small-screen credits include "Early Edition" and guest appearances on "Frasier," "Friends" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

He co-directed the documentary "Crazy Love" and has appeared in such feature films as "Factotum" and "Undisputed"; his producer credits include "A Prairie Home Companion" and the upcoming "Awake."

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TV HOST DREW CAREY ENGAGED

With Drew Carey stepping in as the host of "The Price Is Right," he's also entering a new era in his personal life.

The actor, comedian and host extraordinaire proposed to and was accepted by his new fiancee, Nicole Jaracz, on Tuesday, reports People.

"It will be the first marriage for both. No date for a wedding has been set yet," said publicist Christina Papadopoulos in a rather dry statement. "They are both very happy and excited about their future together."

Jaracz recently graduated from culinary school.

Carey, 49, officially replaces Bob Barker when he debuts as the host of "The Price Is Right" on Monday, Oct. 15. He will also reprise his duties as host for "The Power of 10" game show when it returns sometime midseason.

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`ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT' VETS BRING RELIGION TO FOX

Fox is ready to fill the pews at "The Church of Reggie."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network has given a put pilot commitment to the comedy, which comes from "Arrested Development" producer Ron Howard and Chuck Tatham, a writer-producer on the Emmy-winning favorite.

Howard originally generated the idea of a guy who starts a religion in his garage and went to Tatham to write the pilot script, which will be produced through 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV.

Tatham reportedly began writing the script this week, changing the founding location for the central religion from the guy's garage to his back porch.

Before going to work on "Arrested Development," Tatham's credits included "Full House" and "Less Than Perfect." He's currently serving as co-executive producer on "Back to You."

Howard, Brian Grazer and David Nevins' Imagine TV is already having a big development season with Fox. The network is also behind "The FBI" and an untitled crime procedural from Imagine.

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CBS GIVES `PASSWORD' TO REGIS PHILBIN

CBS has ordered up six episodes of "Million Dollar Password," an update on the game show classic.

Set for midseason, the new "Password" will be hosted by Regis Philbin and produced by FremantleMedia North America.

"`Password' is one of the all time classic game shows and we're thrilled to bring it back to television," says Ghen Maynard, CBS' alternative programming guru. "And what better person to host it than one of today's preeminent personalities, the ever enthusiastic and beloved Regis Philbin."

The original "Password" was hosted by Allen Ludden and aired on CBS in both daytime and primetime from 1961 to 1967. "Password" evolved into "Password Plus" and "Super Password" and aired from 1971-1989.

"Million Dollar Password" will film in New York and will keep the basic formula from the original show. Two teams, each composed of a semi-celebrity and a contestant, will attempt to guess a secret password. The team with the high school and roll over their money for the chance at a final round prize worth potentially a million bucks.

"We're very excited to re-introduce one of the greatest game shows in the history of American television to a whole new audience," says FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz ("American Idol"). "With new twists, higher stakes, a one million dollar grand prize and the one and only Regis Philbin at the helm, we're confident viewers will tune in to re-discover the format that helped to define the game show genre as we know it."

Philbin's hosting credits include "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," "America's Got Talent," all manner of special events and, of course, the daytime show currently known as "Live with Regis & Kelly."

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