Fringe: Meet Henry Ian Cusick's Secret Agent Partner

Though no official toxicology report has been released stating that the late Whitney Houston died from substance abuse, the singer's sister-in-law and manager says she believed drugs would take part in her demise. "The handwriting was kind of on the wall," Patricia Houston says in a special interview with Oprah Winfrey airing Sunday on OWN. Winfrey asked... Read More > Other Links From TVGuide.com Oprah WinfreyBobbi Kristina BrownWhitney Houston

Nicole Kidman Signs For Your Railway Guy

She's Colin Firth's new wife...It's all regulated controlled change, please for one of the main roles in drama The Railway Guy as Rachel Weisz' participation has fallen victim to annoying organizing issues. While she was prepared to co-star alongside Colin Firth, Weisz will have to spend her time on reshoots for Oz: The Fantastic And Effective as well as the Bourne Legacy. But her timing misfortune is lucky for Nicole Kidman, as she's walking directly into accept part.Jonathan Teplitzy is pointing the film, which follows the harrowing real-existence story of Eric Lomax. Taken prisoner with the Japanese forces throughout World War Ii, Lomax was tortured and instructed to pay attention to the well-known "dying railway" using what was once known to as Burma. War Horse's Jeremy Irvine is aboard to see the greater youthful Lomax, with people moments shot on Australia's Gold Coast.Before that happens, Teplitzy and also the crew will begin shooting in Scotland this April to produce the present-day areas of the film, which finds Lomax (Firth) and also the wife Patti (Kidman) facing around the mental scars of his captivity and finding some reconciliation using one of japan authorities.

Alcon Ent. taps Sharon Hall to head TV prod'n

Alcon Entertainment, best known for "The Blind Side," is moving into TV production and has tapped Sony Pictures TV exec Sharon Hall to head the effort. It's formed Alcon Television to develop, finance and produce original programming and plans to retain domestic and international rights -- as it does with its feature productions. Alcon said Friday that it's in talks with Hall come on board. She's been at Sony since 2005 and was promoted to exec VP of drama development in 2009. During her tenure she helped develop such skeins as "Unforgettable" for CBS, "Pan Am" for ABC and "Necessary Roughness" for USA, "Damages" for the FX and the 101 Network, "Breaking Bad" for AMC, "Justified" for FX and "Drop Dead Diva" for Lifetime.Alcon signaled in September that it was heading toward expanding beyond movie production and into TV when it launched Alcon Management Enterprises to invest in talent management through a controlling interest in literary talent management company Madhouse Entertainment. Alcon Management Enterprises has been designed as a holding company for as many as six talent management companies Alcon intends to acquire.Alcon toppers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson told Variety that the launch of the holding company opened the door for Alcon to begin moving into TV production."We feel Alcon Entertainment is uniquely positioned to compete in today's burgeoning television marketplace," Kosove and Johnson said in a statement issued Friday. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Sharon, whose track record of overseeing both creatively and commercially successful shows, is very impressive."Prior to joining Sony, Hall was veep of programming for MTM Television, overseeing syndicated and children's TV production, and VP of programming at BBDO Worldwide. She also directed multiple episodes of the AMC series "The Lot" and won a Peabody Award for the MTV-Fox special "Rock The Vote." Cynthia Littleton contributed to this report. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

Amy Smart Joins NBC Pilot Bad Women, Matt Lauria Cast In Fundamental steps Gilded Lilys, ABC Family Series Baby Father Recasts Lead

Amy Smart and Karolina Wydra are actually cast in NBCs drama pilot Bad Women. Modified within the extended-running Uk series, the project, from John Wells Prods and Warner Bros TV, follows the intricacies of countless unlikely women in the federal prison: a scandalous female warden, her new protg and numerous inmates some moms, some pals who have trouble with loyalties to people inside and outdoors. Smart may have “the perfect blond Barbie dolls dolls toy from Oc” serving time for stealing her friend’s bank card and accumulating for the max. Wydra may have a speaking, sultry inmate. Smart, repped by Gersh and Untitled, is recurring on Showtime’s Shameless. Wydra, repped by IFA and Artist Management, recurs on Fox’s House as Dr. House’s eco-friendly card wife. Friday Evening Lights alum Matt Lauira has grew to become part of KJ Steinberg and Shonda Rhimes ABC period drama Gilded Lilys. Occur 1895, it concentrates on the Lilys, that are searching to create back their familys fortunes by opening most likely probably the most lavish hotel in NY history while their beautiful daughter Crimson (Sarah Bolger), engaged being married to wealthy family friend Charlie (Lauria), falls crazily deeply deeply in love with charming lowly ships servant John Kidd (Extended). Furthermore to competing for Crimson’s heart, Charlie is yet another business partner of her father (Bran F. OByrne). Lauria, repped by Principal Entertainment andBauman Redanty Shaul, recently co-starred inside the Chicago Code and did arcs on CSI and Person Of Curiosity. Lately acquired ABC Family’s multi-camera comedy series Baby Father is certainly going through recasting. Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Kyle XY) remains cast since the lead, Ben, replacingCameron Deane Stewart, who carried out the part inside the pilot. In addition, Melissa Peterman remains upped with a regular, joining pilot regulars Chelsea Kane, Derek Theler and Tahj Mowry. Created by Serta Berendsen, Baby Father concentrates on Ben (Bilodeau) who, within the 20s, becomes an unexpected father with a young girl when shes left on his doorstep by an ex-girlfriend. Ben decides to enhance the newborn using his mother Bonnie (Peterman), his brother Danny (Theler), his best buddy Tucker (Mowry) and also the close female friend Riley (Kane), who's holding a secret crush on him.

Oz's Cordell Jigsaw, Zapruder's merge

SYDNEY -- Australian mid-size production companies Cordell Jigsaw and Zapruder's Other Films have merged to create the country's finest individually possessed producer. Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder will probably be most likely probably the most prolific companies of local skeins with 14 shows on air, including "The Gruen Transfer," pubcaster ABC's finest-rated show, and "Mega Truck motorists," successful for paybox A&E Australia. The merger provides the organization the heft it has to undertake rival production leaders. "How will you deal with the kind of Shine, possessed by News Corp., Endemol, possessed by Mediaset or Fremantle, possessed by RTL?... That's who we're rivaling which is without their format books and depending only on our own ideas," mentioned Cordell Jigsaw's Nick Murray. The answer wound up being to band together to ensure that they've got more effective mix-pollination of development ideas, simpler retain staff and possess an positive knock-on effect for worldwide distribution, per Andrew Denton, topper of Zapruder's Other Films. Cordell Jigsaw launched a distrib arm a year ago now, with local hit documentary series "Go back to That You Came from FromInch as well as the rights of "The Gruen Transfer" recently returning to Zapruder's, it provides a strong slate. "That which you have is an extremely interesting catalog of finished shows and formats that we'll be dealing with promote at MipTV in April the first time,In . Murray mentioned. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Scott Foley To Star In Goodwin Games, Forces Boothe Joins Nashville

Felicity alum Scott Foley has grew to become part of Becki Newton one of the three leads in Goodwin Games, Fox’s single-camera comedy within the Generate Income Met Your Mother trio of Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris. The 20th TV-produced project involves three siblings and siblings — a few them Newton and Foley — who reunite following a dying from the father because he leaves them his fortune — only once they accept his terms. The project reunites Foley with 20th TV after starring inside the studio’s CBS military drama The Machine. The actor, repped by ICM and Brillstein Entertainment, most recently recurred on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. Deadwood alum Forces Boothe remains cast in Fundamental steps musically driven drama pilot Nashville put together by Callie Khouri and directed by RJ Cutler. The ABC Art galleries-produced pilot is centered on the Nashville music scene which is rising and diminishing stars. Boothe, repped by Paradigm and Brillstein Entertainment, may have the patriarchal, effective and controlling Lamar Hampton, who disapproves of his daughter Rayna’s stellar career just like a country singer. He recently wrapped feature Straight A’s as well as the History small Hatfields And McCoys.

'X Factor' to use two hosts for new season

CowellWhile the question of who will be at the judges' table for the second season of "The X Factor" remains a mystery, two things are certain: Both those new judges will be women and hosting duties on the show will handled by two people. So said Simon Cowell during a conference call Wednesday to promote the upcoming auditions for the Fox musical competition series. In looking to replace recently fired judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, Cowell wouldn't deny that Britney Spears and Janet Jackson have been put in the mix, but so have many others. "We will meet with a number of people over the next few weeks," he said. "There is loads of speculation. There are a lot more people who have entered the fray this year. We wanted to see who would contact us before we contact people. That's a good place to be." When asked about whether the late Whitney Houston might have been a candidate to be a judge, current judge L.A. Reid said: "We would have considered it but it never quite came to that. We never actually had meetings about it." Cowell also addressed his preseason boasting on "The X Factor" ratings. For its debut season, the show averaged 12.7 million viewers and a 4.4 rating in the 18-49 demo in its Wednesday telecasts, and 12.6 million and a 4.2 for Thursdays. While those numbers were healthy, they were far below what Cowell had expected. "We were coming off a massive year with 20 million in the U.K. and I should have keep my mouth shut," he said. However, he wasn't backing down in his expectations for the coming fall season and the show's second go-around. "For every show I've been on, it grows over the years. I absolutely expect the second season to do better than the first." As for who will replace Steve Jones as host, Cowell said the job has become too big for one person and that a man and woman will share the emcee responsibilities for the new season. "What we learned is that because you have so much information to deliver, it's almost impossible for one person. It's more fun way to do it with two people. It's a different chemistry. I've always wanted a boy and a girl and that will definitely happen." Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com