Wanna know the quickest way to get a room of TV reporters really riled up? Tell them that the scoop about Lost is being withheld —and won't be revealed until the next day at Comic-Con. Talk about a slap in the face! When ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson took the stage at TCA press tour on Wednesday, he was quickly peppered with questions about what would be happening on one of his network's buzziest shows, and at first he wouldn't budge on any details. McPherson even deflected questions by quipping that they had cast eyesore Don Imus on the intricate drama, which garnered a roomful of howls.
Only after a publicist stepped on stage and whispered into his ear did he finally reveal the big news: Harold Perrineau, who played Walt's father, Michael, on Lost in the early days, will return to the show for season 3. In what capacity? Will he return to the island, or be part of flash-forwards? And will he have Walt in tow? McPherson was mum on that, so stay tuned to EW's Comic Con coverage for all the details as they unfold.
In other news, McPherson spoke about several of ABC's other projects and fall shows:
Dancing Spin-Off
ABC will extend its Dancing With the Stars mega-brand with a new
spin-off, Dance Acts. ''It's a show that's on the air in
England,'' McPherson says. Judges from Dancing will appear on the
show, which pits competing teams of dancers against each other until only
two groups remain. No launch date has been set, but it could possibly air in
the gap between the two cycles of Dancing With the Stars this
season.
Moving to Wisteria Lane
Dana Delaney and Nathan Fillion will join Desperate Housewivesthis fall in what McPherson calls a ''great arc.'' Creator and executive
producer Marc Cherry should be turning up at TCA later in the day, so look
for further reports on what they may be doing on Wisteria Lane this fall.
Dead Pilots
When ABC revealed its fall schedule at the May Upfronts in New York City,
two highly anticipated pilots (Football Wives and Mr. &
Mrs. Smith) were nowhere to be found. McPherson quickly squashed rumors
that the shows may get second life at the network: ''There is nothing in the
future for us in terms of those shows,'' he says.
Cavemen Fixes
The Geico cavemen commercial-spin-off comedy is getting a facelift: As
previously announced, Sam Huntington (Superman Returns) has been
cast as Andy, the younger brother to caveman Joel (Bill English). Dash Mihok
(Felicity) originally played the third caveman in the pilot.
Additionally, the first episode that was sent out to TV critics will reshoot
some scenes to incorporate Huntington and actually air as the fifth or sixth
episode of the season, allowing for more much-needed exposition about the
cavemen's existence early in the show's run. ''[The pilot] jumps
way too far into the characters,'' McPherson says. ''We're gonna take it
back.''
