CW greenlights 'Melrose Place' pilot

[Brian Damage]

The CW's update of "Melrose Place" has received an official pilot order, and Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim has come on board to direct it.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Jeffrey Nachmanoff has signed on to direct the Fox drama pilot "Masterwork."

In pilot castings, Zosia Mamet, daughter of playwright-filmmaker David Mamet, has landed her first starring role on Fox's comedy pilot "Absolutely Fabulous." Toni Trucks also has been cast in "Ab Fab."

Elsewhere, Jason George and Sarah Drew have joined ABC's drama pilot "Inside the Box," and Diego Klattenhoff has been added to NBC's drama pilot "Mercy."

The CBS Par-produced "Melrose Place," an remake of the '90s series about a group of twentysomethings living in the trendy Melrose neighborhood of Los Angeles, was written by Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin ("Smallville"), who will serve as exec producers/showrunners. Endeavor-repped Guggenheim, who won an Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth," will exec produce as well.

Guggenheim, who is under a deal at CBS Par, is known for directing edgier dramas such as "Deadwood," "24" and the pilot for "The Unit," but early in his career, he helmed lighter fare including Fox's "Party of Five."

For his TV debut, Nachmanoff, who most recently wrote and directed "Traitor," will tackle the international "Da Vinci Code"-type adventure "Masterwork," from 20th TV.

"Inside the Box," from ABC Studios, revolves around an ambitious female news producer and her colleagues at a Washington network news bureau. George ("Eli Stone") will play an on-camera correspondent. He is repped by TalentWorks and Management 360. Drew ("Everwood") will play a new peon at the network. She is with Innovative and Kritzer Levine Wilkins.

Based on the British series, the Sony-produced "Ab Fab" revolves around neurotic fashion publicist Eddie (Kathryn Hahn) and her best friend Patsy (Kristen Johnson), an outrageous fashion editor, who drive Eddie's sensible teen daughter, Saffron (Mamet), up the wall with their wild behavior.

ICM-repped Mamet did a multiepisode arc on CBS' "The Unit," created and exec produced by her dad David.

Trucks (Showtime's "Barbershop") will play Eddie's assistant. She is repped by Henderson/Hogan and Rugolo Entertainment.

The UMS-produced "Mercy" revolves around three nurses who bond through the ups and downs of their professional and personal lives.

Klattenhoff will play a contractor and blue-collar worker who is married to one of the nurses.

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