Friday, December 6, 2013

TV News - ABC Trims 'Scandal's Episode Order; 'Sleepy Hollow' Finale Expanded to 2 Hours; Plus 8 More Updates!

Additional Updates for:
ABC's Scandal; FX's The Strain; NBC's About a Boy; FOX's Dads; and AMC's Low Winter Sun.

Pilot Castings:
TV Land's Younger.



ABC has trimmed the episode order of Scandal's third season from 22 episodes to 18 - likely as a way for the show to logistically deal with leading lady Kerry Washington's real-life pregnancy. Next week the series airs its tenth episode of the season with the final eight episodes to air without interruption starting February 27.

In more Scandal news, the drama has tapped Jon Tenney (The Closer, King & Maxwell) to recur on the second half of the season. Details weren't immediately released but he is rumored to be playing a new love interest for Mellie (Bellamy Young).

Southland alum Regina King will recur on FX's new drama series The Strain. She will play Ruby Wain, the smart and accomplished manager of philandering rock star Gabriel Bolivar (Jack Kesy). Also joining the series as a recurring guest star is Melanie Merkosky as Sylvia, Jim Kent's (Sean Astin), who is suffering from cancer.

Real-life married couple John Ross Bowie and Jamie Denbo have been tapped for recurring roles on NBC's new comedy About a Boy. They will play a married couple and business partners in an organic toy company, who hire Fiona (Minnie Driver) to work for them.

FOX is expanding the season finale of breakout hit Sleepy Hollow to two hours. The series was originally set to air three weeks of originals next month - on Jan. 6, Jan. 13 and Jan. 20. Now the drama will return on January 13 and air its final two episodes of the first season back-to-back on January 20. The expansion pushes back the time slot debut of The Following. The Kevin Bacon-starrer will still premiere its second season on January 19 after the NFC Championship game. But now, it won't debut in its regular Monday at 9 time slot until January 27.

AMC has canceled Low Winter Sun starring Mark Strong and Lennie James after one low-rated season. The news comes after the cop drama concluded its first (and only) run in early October.

After picking up the comedy series for a full 22-episode season, FOX has trimmed the episode order of Dads to 19 episodes for its first season.

Bunheads star Sutton Foster has landed the lead role on the TV Land comedy pilot Younger from Darren Star. The project tells the story of a suddenly single housewife and mother (Foster) in her early 40s who, unable to restart her career, decides to lie about her age and successfully passes herself off as a 20-something. Armed with a makeover and new resume, she wins a position at the city's hottest publishing company.