Alicia Silverstone is joining the “Real Housewives” world — kind of. Also in today’s TV news roundup, a “Nashville” alum has booked a role on Fox’s “Rosewood.”
CASTING
Alicia Silverstone has been tapped to star in the TV Land comedy pilot “American Woman,” which is based of the life of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kyle Richards. The “Clueless” alum will star as Bonnie Nolan, a mother with two daughters who finds herself facing an entirely new world after she leaves her husband. The single-camera comedy is set in the 1970s amid the sexual revolution and the rise of feminism.
Scout Taylor-Compton, who recently had an arc in ABC’s “Nashville,” has booked a major recurring role on Fox’s “Rosewood,” Variety has learned exclusively. She will play Christa, the receptionist at Magic City Lab, who is described as a young Kat Von D type.
Prior to “Nashville,” Taylor-Compton had guest roles in “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Major Crimes” and “NCIS.” On the feature side, she starred opposite Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning in “The Runways,” and was in the recent “Halloween” movies. Coming up, she has a slew of film roles on deck.
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Taylor-Compton is repped by The Gersh Agency, Luber Roklin Entertainment and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein.
Luke Mitchell and Michelle Hurd are joining the cast of “Blindspot” Season 2, creator Martin Gero announced at the Comic-Con panel for the NBC series this past weekend. They will play operatives from Jane Doe’s (Jamie Alexander) past.
DEVELOPMENT
David Semel is set to direct and exec produce the opening episode of the upcoming “Star Trek” reboot series on CBS All Access. The episode will air on CBS for a broadcast debut of the series in January 2017, before it moves to its permanent digital home.
DEALS
Fox Audience Strategy has announced that writer Ester Lou Weithers has been selected as this year’s Fox Writers Intensive Fellow. Chosen from the fifth annual group of FWI finalists, Weithers has received a script development deal with Fox Broadcasting Company and Twentieth Century Fox Television. Launched in 2011, the Fox Writers Intensive is an advanced initiative designed to nurture experienced writers who have diverse voices, backgrounds and life experiences, and create a strong pipeline of well-rounded talent for potential staffing on Fox television shows, films and other in-house projects.
Weithers previously worked at MTV in New York before relocating to Los Angeles to embark on her writing career. She first was an assistant in the writers’ room of “House of Lies” and in 2015, co-created and directed the web series, “Sexless” and “Chef Julian.” Weithers’ script, “Sparrow,” resulted in her being named this year’s FWI Fellow.
