Another dark cloud over AD-- Gail O'Grady has been cast in an ABC pilot =(

[PrettyinPink55]

ABC Grabs O'Grady, McClintock for Pilots
(Thursday, March 10 12:00 PM)
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com)

"American Dreams" star Gail O'Grady and former "A.U.S.A." regular Eddie McClintock have both landed in pilots at ABC in the network's newest round of casting. Andrew Walker, Thad Luckinbill and Stephen Dunham have found parts as well.
O'Grady will head the cast of the Alphabet's comedy "Hot Properties," about the staff of a real-estate office. Dunham ("What I Like About You") has also signed onto the project, the showbiz trade papers report. They join Nicole Sullivan ("The King of Queens") and Sofia Vergara ("Chasing Papi") in the cast.

The casting of O'Grady is a further dark cloud over "American Dreams," which NBC moved to Wednesdays for the remainder of the season in a last-ditch effort to juice ratings. She is the third member of the show's ensemble, after Rachel Boston and Will Estes, to take a pilot role this development season.

O'Grady earned an Emmy nomination for each of her three seasons on "NYPD Blue" in the mid-1990s. She also starred in the successful Lifetime movie "Sex and the Single Mom" and its sequel, which aired in February.
McClintock, whose recent credits include the ABC Family movies "Picking Up and Dropping Off" and "See Jane Date," has joined the cast of "Crumbs," opposite Fred Savage. The two will play estranged brothers who re-establish their relationship when their parents (Jane Curtin, William Devane) divorce.

Also at ABC, Walker ("Maybe It's Me," "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch") has landed the lead role in "Adopted." He'll play a guy was adopted and now has two very different mothers in his life. Luckinbill ("The Young and the Restless"), meanwhile, will star opposite Kevin Sorbo in "Bobby Cannon," about a pro football player (Sorbo) on the verge of retirement.

[PrettyinPink55]

Sorry for the double post. My computer was being crazy and I don't know how to delete threads..

[Great8]

I hope this is like Will Estes' pilot, which would be secondary to "AD". I know I'm a sucker!

[PrettyinPink55]

I hope so too!!! I really really really do!!!
But that little glimmer of optimism is starting to fade away.

So far, Rachel, Will, and now Gail have signed on for new projects next season.... that doesn't sound good for the show at all.

[PrettyinPink55]

Okay, I found this piece of info:

HOT PROPERTIES (ABC) - Gail O'Grady is the latest "American Dreams" actor to score a back-up position should the family drama not return for the 2005-06 season. She's been cast as Ava Moore in the Warner Bros. Television-based pilot, about four women who run a real estate office in New York. O'Grady joins the previously cast Nicole Sullivan and Sofia Vergara, as well as the recently added Stephen Dunham ("What I Like About You") in the project, which was created by Suzanne Martin. O'Grady is the third "Dreams" regular cast in a pilot this season, the others being Rachel Boston in "Peep Show" and Will Estes in "Reunion," both at FOX.


So it looks like it is back up to American Dreams, just like Will Estes's show.

So this gives me some more hope.

Thought I'd share that with you guys.

The source for that was http://www.thefutoncritic.com/cgi/go...wswire&id=6848

[Storywriter]

Yeah they must be signing on to the next thing in case Ad doesn't return next fall its a smart move and they are all very lucky because a gig never comes up fast after you leave another.Or if one of your gigs has been cancelled or has ended their run.They are just getting prepared so they aren't on a search for another thing for a long period of time if Ad gets axed..Mel

[PrettyinPink55]

Originally Posted by Storywriter

Yeah they must be signing on to the next thing in case Ad doesn't return next fall its a smart move and they are all very lucky because a gig never comes up fast after you leave another.Oor if one of your gigs has been cancelled or has ended their run.They are just getting prepared so they aren't on a search for another thing for a long period of time if Ad gets axed..Mel

I don't blame them for wanting to secure their careers, it's just that all of this keeps making me think that the chances for another season are getting slimmer and slimmer.

[AD FAN]

Look at it this way, if American Dreams does end after this season, at least we will get our weekly dose of Will Estes.

[ILoveAmericanDreams]

that won't be so bad
I would rather see him on AD though

[newsie007]

Yes... it doesn't bode well for cast members of AD to be cast in a pilot for ABC or another network. But as actors, they're only hedging their bets IF the show is cancelled.

Acting in a TV pilot has really nothing to do with American Dreams fate, pro or con.

These actors have contracts that BIND them to American dreams... and any other TV show.... for up to 5-years if the network wants to keep the show on the schedule.

However, that doesnt prevent actors from taking acting gigs as a backup plan if their series are cancelled. A TV "pilot" in reality doesn't mean squat. Actors 'act"... and that means taking a gig on a pilot because it means a paycheck for that work... and MAYBE a new job, if needed.

EVERY season... Hollywood spends millions on TV pilots that never see the light of day as a series. PILOTS are simply test shows to present to network executives to try and sell them on the idea of the show.
Dozens of pilots are made every season... and most are never produced into series. Theyre only seen in the executive screening rooms of network executives.

Of the dozens of pilots made each year... only a few make it into actual series.
the others are just canned on a network shelf.

Case in point... earlier this TV season, one of the networks, Fox I think aired a TV special filled with clips of TV "Pilots" that never sold.
they were produced... and had BIG names in them... but they didn't sell.

That doesnt mean Gail O'Grady may actually star in a new show... but, all stars first committment is to the contract theyve signed on to first.
Only after a show is officially cancelled can they move onto a new project.

So, all fans of AD can do is wait to see if nbc renews or cancels. Beyond that, speculation on other work the actors are doing is just that... speculation.

[newsie007]

one other thing...
Let's say Gail O Grady.... or the JJ character DOES leave american dreams...
that doesnt mean it's the END of the series... just their character.
ENSEMBLE shows like American Dreams... are just like OTHER ensemble shows like NYPD Blue, CSI, etc.

This season on NYPD Blue, the actress who played Sipowicz' wife left the series... and the writers dealt with it by keeping her character alive in references by the other actors... but she was never seen. They just changed the focus on the show to other characters.
NYPD Blue survived numerous actors leaving.... David Caruso, Jimmy Smits, Rick Schroeder... ALL major characters. The writers just changed the story lines to accomdate the missing actors and characters.

CSI would have continued without two of it MAIN cast when these actors tried to get more money from the network. CBS "temporarily" fired those actors.
Other series that depend on a group of actors ALWAYS survive.

really... the ONLY characters that American Dreams could definitely NOT survive departing would be Brittany Snow's Meg. The show is seen through HER eyes... and her journey through the 60's... and those of her girlfriend.
Everyone else... though important, could be written around . so the show COULD survive the exit of Gail O grady or "JJ". It's not preferable... but it could happen if needed.

I mean... hey, they COULD have killed off JJ in Vietnam. fans might not have liked that happening... but it would have been real to the story... and the family, and the show... would have survived his loss.

so relax! :-)

[PrettyinPink55]

Originally Posted by newsie007

Yes... it doesn't bode well for cast members of AD to be cast in a pilot for ABC or another network. But as actors, they're only hedging their bets IF the show is cancelled.

Acting in a TV pilot has really nothing to do with American Dreams fate, pro or con.

These actors have contracts that BIND them to American dreams... and any other TV show.... for up to 5-years if the network wants to keep the show on the schedule.

However, that doesnt prevent actors from taking acting gigs as a backup plan if their series are cancelled. A TV "pilot" in reality doesn't mean squat. Actors 'act"... and that means taking a gig on a pilot because it means a paycheck for that work... and MAYBE a new job, if needed.

EVERY season... Hollywood spends millions on TV pilots that never see the light of day as a series. PILOTS are simply test shows to present to network executives to try and sell them on the idea of the show.
Dozens of pilots are made every season... and most are never produced into series. Theyre only seen in the executive screening rooms of network executives.

Of the dozens of pilots made each year... only a few make it into actual series.
the others are just canned on a network shelf.

Case in point... earlier this TV season, one of the networks, Fox I think aired a TV special filled with clips of TV "Pilots" that never sold.
they were produced... and had BIG names in them... but they didn't sell.

That doesnt mean Gail O'Grady may actually star in a new show... but, all stars first committment is to the contract theyve signed on to first.
Only after a show is officially cancelled can they move onto a new project.

So, all fans of AD can do is wait to see if nbc renews or cancels. Beyond that, speculation on other work the actors are doing is just that... speculation.

You make extremely good points there! And I guess in all my fear of the show's possible cancellation, I didn't really think about it, but you are so right.