"Beverly Hills, 90210" alum Jason Priestley has joined CBS' romantic drama pilot "Love Monkey," while Emily Deschanel ("Boogeyman") will star in Fox's hourlong pilot "Bones."
Also on the casting beat Friday, Patricia Wettig joined ABC's "Introducing Lennie Rose," which happens to be exec produced and directed by her husband (and former "thirtysomething" castmate) Ken Olin. Vondie Curtis-Hall ("Chicago Hope") also has joined the show. Other thesps recently scoring roles include Mark Feuerstein, Busy Philipps, Lindsay Price and Dondre Whitfield.
Priestley joins Tom Cavanagh ("Ed") on "Love Monkey." Based on Kyle Smith's novel, the lighthearted project revolves around the relationships of employees at a record label.
Project, from Sony TV, Gran Via and Paramount, is exec produced by Michael Rauch and Mark Johnson. Priestley's recent credits include "Standing on Fishes" and telepic "I Want to Marry Ryan Banks." He starred on "Tru Calling" and guested on "Quintuplets."
Deschanel, meanwhile, is set as Brennan, a character based on forensic anthropologist Kathy Reich, on "Bones."
Barry Josephson and Hart Hanson exec produce the 20th Century Fox drama. Deschanel's credits include feature "The Alamo" and telepic "Stephen King's Rose Red."
Over on "Lennie Rose," Wettig has been cast as the title character's mother, with Curtis-Hall playing her boss. Sudser, which revolves around twentysomethings in New York, comes from Touchstone TV and Krista Vernoff.
Wettig has a recurring role on "Alias" as Judy Barnett; her last regular series was CBS' "Courthouse." Curtis-Hall, meanwhile, recently starred in the Lifetime telepic "Deceit" and directed FX's "Redemption." He also helmed features "Glitter" and "Gridlock'd."
Feuerstein ("Good Morning Miami") has signed on to star opposite Dylan McDermott in the CBS drama pilot "3 Lbs."
Barry Levinson, Paul Stupin, Tom Fontana and Peter Ocko are behind the Paramount project, set in the world of brain surgeons.
Feuerstein is in the middle of a story arc on NBC's "The West Wing." He'll next be seen in the Curtis Hanson-helmed feature "In Her Shoes."
Philipps is set to star as Maddie in ABC's untitled Peter Dinklage pilot, with "The Station Agent" star playing a teacher. Don Todd and Stu Bloomberg exec produce for Touchstone TV.
Philipps appeared in the feature "White Chicks" as well as skeins "Dawson's Creek" and "Freaks and Geeks."
Another "90210" alum, Price, has joined the cast of the WB pilot "Pepper Dennis."
Gretchen Berg, Aaron Harberts and Shawn Levy exec produce the 20th Century Fox TV project. Price appeared on NBC's short-lived "Coupling" and has guested recently on "Las Vegas" and "The Mountain."
As for Whitfield ("Mr. 3000"), thesp will play Jefferson Graham on Fox drama pilot "Briar & Graves."
Twentieth Century Fox TV/Adelstein-Parouse project, from Paul Sheuring, Marty Adelstein and Dawn Parouse, revolves around a priest and a scientist who investigate religious mysteries.
Whitfield also starred in "Hidden Hills" and "Inside Schwartz," as well as the feature "Two Can Play That Game."
Also joining the cast of "Briar & Graves" are Graham Beckel ("L.A. Confidential") as Marco and Angel Desai ("Black Knight") as Saralee.
In other castings, Julie Ann Emery ("Hitch") has joined the cast of ABC's "Commander in Chief" as Secret Service agent Joan Greer.
Move reunites her with exec producer Rod Lurie, who produced skein "Line of Fire," which also starred Emery. Emery also was seen in "Taken" and "ER." (As reported by VARIETY)
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