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"Kath & Kim" Finds Lead in Selma Blair

While the town was abuzz today about which pilot projects had been gutted by CBS' recent announcement that they've pulled the plug on about twenty pilots (with other networks supposedly slated to follow suit), one pilot was moving ahead and had secured the second of its two series leads.

NBC's comedy pilot Kath & Kim, based on the Australian series about a woman's dysfunctional relationship with her adult daughter, has finally locked down the missing piece of its cast puzzle. Pilot, which was originally developed for the 2007-08 season, was pushed to summer when it couldn't cast its two leads in time.

Enter Molly Shannon, who was cast as Kath & Kim's abrasive Kath back in October, after a new writer--Michelle Nader (The King of Queens)--was brought in to rewrite the script. But since then, the project has languished as the search for the pilot's other female lead continued.

That search is over as Selma Blair (Hellboy) has now signed on to play Kim, opposite Shannon. Blair is no stranger to the small screen, having starred on the WB's Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane.

I haven't read the Nader's draft of the pilot script for Kath & Kim yet, but I do have to say that I am more intrigued now that both Shannon and Blair have signed on as the deliciously amoral mother/daughter double act.

Stay tuned.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: NCIS (CBS); Biggest Loser (NBC; 8-10 pm); Reaper (CW); Just for Laughs/Just for Laughs (ABC); American Idol (FOX)

9 pm: The Unit (CBS); One Tree Hill (CW); According to Jim/Carpoolers (ABC); House (FOX)

10 pm: 48 Hours Mystery (CBS); Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC); Boston Legal (ABC)

What I'll Be Watching

9 pm: Life on Mars on BBC America.

The brilliant UK import Life on Mars concludes tonight with its series finale. On tonight's installment, the team investigates the murder of a miner, with all fingers pointing towards a notorious cop killer. While Gene and Morgan both race to arrest the killer, Morgan makes Sam a tantalizing proposition in order to bring him home...
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Hmmmm....I tried to get into K&K, but never did.

I love the casting of Molly Shannon. I generally like Selma Blair, but comedy chops?
1/22/2008
Anonymous said…
Wait, is Molly Shannon even ten years older than Selma Blair? And they're supposed to be mother/daughter? That seems...odd.
1/22/2008
Danielle C.F. Maris said…
I read an earlier version of this script and it was truly, truly awful. Hopefully the rewrites have put it in better shape. It must have improved to get two such great actresses.
1/22/2008
Anonymous said…
I've never seen the original show, but, as Liz pointed out, according to IMDb Molly and Selma are only 8 years apart in age. How is that going to work?
1/23/2008
Anonymous said…
I live in Australia, and Kath and Kim is one of the most loved shows here, I hope it can translate well to a USA version. Just to let you all know, Jane Turner and Gina Riley, creators of the show and the actresses who play Kath and Kim, are merely months apart in age, in fact, Gina, who plays the daughter, Kim - is actually a few months older than Jane, who plays Kath.
1/24/2008
Melissa said…
There is no way the magic of this show is going to translate to U.S.
1/28/2008
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