Brothers & Sisters

Some Brothers & Sisters news to occupy us while we cross our fingers that a last-minute bargaining session might avert the writer’s strike now scheduled to begin a minute after midnight on Monday morning.

On a cheery note, AfterElton is reporting that Eric Winter is indeed skedaddling right back to B&S after the wreck of Viva Laughlin, and will be appearing as soon as Episode 11 (for reference, tomorrow night is Episode 6). There’s kind of a melancholy interview with Winter on Hollywood Joe in which he shares how much he loved Laughlin and how, while he understands B&S fans wishing it poorly, he would have liked it to last. It makes me feel a little guilty … but not that much, ’cause I’m busy doing a little yes! dance that Jason is coming back. (Thanks to Scott for e-mailing me about the AfterElton item, and assuring me that the strike will probably not derail his comeback episode.)

Greg Berlanti, who left as B&S show-runner to start Dirty Sexy Money, will be splitting his creative self up some more by taking on directing duties for a Green Lantern movie (one of his co-writers will be Marc Guggenheim, who according to IMDb co-wrote the “Three Parties” and “Mistakes Were Made Part 2″ episodes of B&S.) Sure hope this doesn’t mean Berlanti will be even less involved in B&S’s creative direction. Of course, if the “S” word happens, nobody may be doing much of anything. Berlanti is quoted in an L.A. Times blog item as expressing concern for his many employees during the potential walk-out. “I want to keep our crew and our actors and everybody working as long as possible to make these shows great. If a strike happens, no one ever wants it to happen, I want the people that work for me to survive it.” I’m not that familiar with the Green Lantern, but doesn’t he have some powers that could be used to, like, overpower evil producers and networks and make them cough up some dough?

In other movie news, Sally Field has been cast as Mary Todd Lincoln in a Steven Spielberg-directed biopic of her husband, Abe, to be played by Liam Neeson. Emily Van Camp is appearing now in the movie Black Irish. Maxwell Perry Cotton, who plays the hyperactive Cooper, stars in the direct-to-video A Dennis the Menace Christmas as Dennis to Robert Wagner’s Mr. Wilson. And the blog Cinema Blend is suggesting that Rob Lowe may play Cliff Barnes in the movie version of Dallas, though it loses credibility points by writing as though Lowe’s B&S work is over and done, and the actor’s schedule is clear.

John Pyper Ferguson, on the other hand, does seem to be over and done with his Walker work, if his signing on to a role in the CBS series Cane is any indication. He’s going from messing with a produce empire to messing with a sugar empire, but it doesn’t sound like he’s going to be taking a turn for the straightforward and responsible. According to an Entertainment Weekly item, tomorrow night marks Joe’s last scheduled B&S appearance (too much to hope he gets hit by a truck?), and he’ll be doing three episodes on Cane as “Hudson Bracks, a sexy artist who takes a liking to Jimmy Smits’ on-screen wife.” Once a dog, always a dog.

Also getting new TV work is Roxy Olin, who played the alleged girlfriend of Jason Lewis’s character last season (and is, of course, daughter of show director-producer Ken Olin and Holly portrayer Patricia Wettig). Kristin on E! reports that The Hills, though supposedly a “reality” show, is casting for the job of Heidi’s Maid of Honor, and Olin is likely to fill the role. Isn’t that the show that Justin and Rebecca are so obsessed with right now? I wonder if Kevin will wander through one day, make a crack about reality programming, and then notice something familiar about that bridal-party member.

Roxy’s parents were listed among “TV’s Top 10 Power Couples” in the November 5-11 issue of TV Guide. Of the twosome, Greg Berlanti is quoted as saying, “Patty and Ken are smart, talented and sincere and create a family atmosphere wherever they go. I think my favorite thing about them is how in love they are. It’s totally real and sincere.” Aww. Joining the Olins on the list are Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron (!); Al Roker and Deborah Roberts; Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick; Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy; Debra Messing and Daniel Zelman; Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi; Julie Chen and Leslie Moonves; Courteney Cox and David Arquette; and Greg and Susanne Daniels. Can I just mention that Olin and Wettig have been married for longer than Hudgens and Efron have been alive?

That TV Guide issue has several other goodies for B&S fans, including a spot on the week’s Hot List for the November 11 episode; news that California wildfires caused location shooting problems for shows including B&S, which “postponed the filming of Kitty and Robert’s wedding in Simi Valley”; and a write-up on the Sunday highlights page, describing a drug intervention gathering for Justin that turns into a secret-throwing free-for-all. Whee! Will food be thrown, too?

Brothers and Sisters, ABC, casting