Looking for a big break?
Here are the shows that are casting around the Studio City area this month. Some of them will be shot in other cities, some right in the neighborhood, but the casting directors and teams are local—as listed below.
$#*! My Dad Says. Local resident William Shatner doesn't have to go too far from home to get to work at the CBS Radford Studios these days because he'll be playing the spicy-tongued dad in the CBS comedy that was inspired by a Twitter feed. The book that also inspired this show has a more R-rated four-letter word in it, and for TV purposes it's going to have a lot of strange characters in its place. Shatner stars as the dad who reluctantly lives with his son, played by Ryan Devlin.
Casting is handled by Tracy Lilienfield, through Bonanza Productions, 4024 Radford Ave., Bldg. T, Studio City, CA 91604.
Breakout Kings. This is a one-hour drama for the A&E Channel that stars Domenick Lombardozzi and Laz Alonso as two convicts who are great at breaking out of prison. They are recruited into a team of expert bounty hunters whose mission is to track down escaped fugitives. Shooting will be done primarily in Toronto and begins in late September. The premiere is scheduled for 2011.
Casting is being done by Scott Genkinger in Los Angeles, through the Junie Lowry-Johnson Casting, 100 Universal City Plaza, Bungalow 5165, Universal City, CA 91608.
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior. Local resident Forest Whitaker is starring in this spinoff of the popular Criminal Minds series. This FBI profiling one-hour drama for CBS will also star Michael Kelly.
Casting is handled by Erica Silverman, at ABC Studios, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Production Bldg., 3rd Fl., Burbank, CA 91521.
Enlightened. An HBO comedy centers on a self-destructive woman who has a life-changing revelation that she has a treatment center. It changes her life so much, she becomes bound and determined to turn her life around and see enlightenment. Shooting has started, and no premiere date is set.
Casting is handled by Cami Patton and Jennifer Lare at Cami Patton Casting, 4640 Lankershim Blvd., Ste. 511, North Hollywood, CA 91602.
Gigantic. Nickelodeon has a drama/comedy that opened to praise this summer. The story is about a privileged girl whose famous movie star parents take her away for two years on a major movie shoot. When they return, the girl finds out that everything and everyone she knew has changed, and that her life is not returning to normal.
Casting continues to be handled by Scott Genkinger and Deborah George through the Junie Lowry-Johnson Casting, 100 Universal City Plaza, Bungalow 5165, Universal City, CA 91608.
The Glades. Filming for this takes place in and around Miami for this drama on A&E. It is about a charming Chicago homicide detective who is exiled to a small and not-so-idyllic Florida town. The show premiered early this summer.
Casting is being handled by Susan Edelman in Los Angeles, through Susan Edelman Casting, 13273 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 210, Studio City, CA 91604.
Hawaii Five-0. The re-imagining of the 1960s popular detective series will be shot mostly in Hawaii, naturally, but it's being cast right here at the Radford CBS Studios. The one-hour drama for CBS is premiering Sept. 20, and is considered a contemporary take on the classic detective genre and will star Daniel Dae Kim and Scott Caan.
Casting in Los Angeles is being helmed by Jennifer Cooper at Jennifer Cooper Casting, 4024 Radford Ave., Bldg. 1, Ste. 100, Studio City, CA 91604
Lone Star. A series that will mostly be shot in Dallas, but the main casting office is in Valley Village. The one-hour drama for Fox centers around a con artist with a complex double life that begins to unravel. James Wolk stars as the con artist whose brother-in-law suspects that he isn't everything he claims to be, and police are also closing in on the real story. Mark Deklin and Jon Voight are also in the cast, and the premiere is set for Sept. 20.
Casting is being handled locally by Robert Ulrich, of Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting, 4705 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Ste. 301, Valley Village, CA 91607.
Mike & Molly. Produced by Chuck Lorre, this comedy for CBS is about an overweight couple struggling with life, love and overeating. The show is already set to air Sept. 20.
Casting is being handled by Nikki Valko and Ken Miller at Valko/Miller Casting, 3500 W. Olive Ave., Ste. 780, Burbank, CA 91505.
Outlaw Country. The FX drama takes place in the rural South and begins shooting in Nashville this month. The story focuses on a group of small-time hustlers and thieves taking advantage of the locals.
Casting is being done by Junie Lowry-Johnson and Libby Goldstein at Junie Lowry-Johnson Casting, 100 Universal City Plaza, Bungalow 5165, Universal City, CA 91608.
Outsourced. Diedrich Bader and Ben Rappaport star in this NBC comedy that has a Sept. 23 premiere date. It's about a guy from the Midwest who is the sales manager of a novelty gag items. He has to go to India to train the new call center team about his products and educate them about the company.
Casting is handled by Mary Gail Artz and Shani Ginsberg at Artz & Ginsberg Casting, 100 Universal City Plaza, Trailer 6139, Universal City, CA 91608.
Persons Unknown. Star Trek's Commander Riker, Jonathan Frakes (who directed two of the Next Generation movies), is directing this story of a group of strangers who wake up in a ghost town. The people don't remember how they got there or who put them there, but they soon realize that they cannot leave. This drama series premiered on NBC this summer and is continuing, written by Linda McGibney.
The casting is being done by Junie Lowry Johnson and Libby Goldstein through Junie Lowry-Johnson Casting, 100 Universal City Plaza, Bungalow 5165, Universal City, CA 91608.
Rizzoli & Isles. A TNT drama that takes place in Boston, this series follows a medical examiner and a detective, played by Angie Harmon and Eric Dawson, who work closely together to solve crimes. The show already debuted in July and is continuing.
Casting is helmed by Eric Dawson and Liz Dean at Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting, 4705 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Ste. 301, Valley Village, CA 91607.
Shameless. William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum star in this Showtime drama that is scheduled to premiere on Jan. 9 of next year. The story centers on the life of a working-class Chicago family. An unpleasant situation with an alcoholic father and the always-absent mother forces the oldest daughter to take care of her siblings.
Casting is through Melanie Burgess at John Wells Prods., 4000 Warner Blvd., Bldg. 17, Rm. 106, Burbank, CA 91522.
Terra Nova. A futuristic drama for Fox shows how humans have used up all the resources of Earth in the not-too-distant future and are trying to figure out how to survive. Scientists have opened up a time travel portal to prehistoric Earth, and a group of settlers have been sent back in order to give humanity a second chance. Shooting began in August, but there is no release date yet.
The casting agents for this show are Christal Karge and Cami Patton at Cami Patton Casting, 4640 Lankershim Blvd., Ste. 511, North Hollywood, CA 91602. Shoots in August. Premiere TBA.
Undercovers. An NBC drama that is set to debut on Sept. 22, this series centers on two former spies who met on the job and fell in love and who get drawn back into their world of espionage when a friend and fellow spy ends up missing. Action producers J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk and Josh Reims are involved with this one.
Casting is held by April Webster and Veronica Rooney at April Webster & Associates, 4000 Warner Blvd., Bldg 228, Burbank, CA 91505.
Unnatural History. The Cartoon Network is brancing into its first scripted live-action series with this comedy that already debuted over the summer and is continuing. The story follows the world-traveling son of two anthropologists, who doesn't always listen to authority. The boy is sent to live with his uncle to attend high school in Washington, D.C.
Casting is by Cami Patton at Cami Patton Casting, 4640 Lankershim Blvd., Ste. 511, North Hollywood, CA 91602.
