You’re on the right track when the national media takes note of your diverse new projects, “all boasting a lot of star power,” both in front of and behind the cameras.  THR reports two more familiar names have landed prominent roles in CW fall pilots, Shane West and Scott Porter.  Best known for extended work on ER and Once and Again, Shane will costar opposite Maggie Q as a recruitment agent sent to bring in the rogue Nikita.  Acting is only half of the career equation for Shane, who replaced lead singer Darby Crash in The Germs after playing him in the punk group’s 2007 film bio, What We Do Is Secret.  Conversely, Scott gained a fanbase on Friday Night Lights and his all-American boy looks often place him in discussions to portray a big-screen superhero.  He’s the first of three leads cast in Ridley Scott’s adrenaline-fueled Nomads—backpackers working undercover for the CIA.  In a plot wrinkle, Scott’s character is also determined to find his missing brother.  Together with top-shelf teams of producers—and Sean Faris inked for The Wyoming Project—AOL suggests “the crop of talent that The CW is amassing this pilot season is arguably the strongest it has had since the network’s inception.”

How awesome does this sound:  Sean Faris on a dude ranch with Gilmore Girls mastermind Amy Sherman-Palladino feeding him quirky dialogue?  It’s happening, folks.  The Parma native is the first male to score a lead role in one of The CW’s new series pilots.  The Wyoming Project might be described as Party of Five on the Prairie—and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Sean will play a 22-year-old horse trainer who becomes patriarch of the ranch when his parents are killed, leaving him suddenly responsible for his three younger sisters.  As he again demonstrated in his recent three episodes as “Ben” on The Vampire Diaries, Sean is an actor who owns the small screen; while Amy is considered one of television’s premier writers.  For Northeast Ohioans, this creative pairing elevates the family drama from “flying under the radar” to “much-anticipated.”  Another film star is being recruited to head the network’s Nikita reboot.  The pending hire of Maggie Q (MI:3, Live Free or Die Hard) “signifies the highest-profile role for an Asian actress on a broadcast drama series,” reports THR.  James Frain (The Tudors, True Blood) is in rumored negotiations to join the Nikita cast, says KSiteTV.  The CW has also ordered a pilot presentation from Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator) and David Zucker (Numb3rs, The Good Wife).  Nomads centers on a group of nearly-broke young backpackers traveling the world—who agree to take on lucrative secret missions for the CIA.  With TV’s annual Upfront announcements only 12 weeks away, all series pilots must be staffed, filmed, edited and evaluated for a spot in the Fall lineup.  There’s a lot of work just ahead, and these fresh ideas and stars are only the beginning.

It’s Pilot Season, the time of year when TV networks begin sifting through new series proposals for their fall lineups.  Generally, the process begins with a script order—The CW currently has 13 of those in the pipeline—and from there, the most promising concepts are given the greenlight to produce a trial episode.  The first five CW dramas chosen to advance are now auditioning stars, so we can expect frequent casting announcements for awhile.  Two shows with immediate buzz are a departure from typical teen angst:  Nikita is a sequel to the 1997 USA action/thriller Le Femme Nikita, in which Peta Wilson was falsely imprisoned for murder and recruited as a covert assassin.  In the new series, Nikita has gone rogue and a replacement takes over—perhaps tracking the fugitive.  Then, based on the 2007 novel, Betwixt will follow three teenagers who discover their eerie changeling nature and intertwined destinies.  Both sound like intriguing companions to The Vampire Diaires, Supernatural or Smallville.  In addition, Gilmore Girls creators Amy Sherman-Palladino (pictured) and Dan Palladino are producing a sudsy Midwest drama set on a horse ranch; and two other projects are filming condensed pilot presentations: Hellcats, Tom Welling’s expose of competitive cheerleading; and HMS, Hayden Panettiere’s intimate look at the Harvard med freshman class.  Are there any former network stars you’d like to see in these casts?  A few available favorites come to mind, such as Kelly Bishop, Keri Russell, Jason Dohring, Charisma Carpenter and Holly Marie Combs.  You can read about some of the other CW scripts in development here and here.

When popular supernatural dramedy Reaper ended its two-year run on The CW last season, fans were left with key unanswered mythology questions.  Series creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters provided closure this week in a rare post-mortem Q&A.  Here’s the shocker:  Sam (Bret Harrison) was not the devil’s son.  “Sam’s dad (Andrew Airlie) was a demon, who made a deal with the devil,” they tell CliqueClack.  “He fell in love with Sam’s mom and wanted to marry her, so the deal was, fine, you’re not a demon anymore.  But he was never fully human, either, which is why you can’t kill him.”  Part of the deal was that he could never tell Sam the truth—and that’s what was written on the contract pages Dad mysteriously ripped out and burned.  Sam’s special abilities came from his father, and the devil paid so much attention to him because he “was really worried that this kid was going to be his downfall.  Throughout the series, he’s trying to tempt Sam to be bad (so he) isn’t a threat anymore.”  Here are a few other interesting nuggets:  

Buffy the Vampire Slayer favorites Anthony Stewart Head (Giles) and James Marsters (Spike) both read for the role of the devil, “but as soon as Ray Wise auditioned, he was the one.”  The Akron native embodied what the producers were looking for.  “He was amazing, he just blew people away.” 

Andi (Missy Peregrym) gambled her own soul in the finale to try and save Sam.  Had the show continued, she would’ve worked in the DMV alongside Gladys.  “Christine Willes is just so much fun, and we thought she and Andi had a great way of sparring with each other.” 

The character of Ben became a dark-horse favorite of the writers.  “He had such an interesting love story with Nina; and more than any other person on the show, (Rick Gonzalez) formed that character.  Ben became a much different person toward the end.”  

Ben and Sock were not secret guardians of Sam.  “Tyler Labine had this storyline worked out that he and Rick were like archangels, but we had never intended for that.  They were just good friends helping out their buddy.” 

Reaper would’ve had a happy ending.  “Sam would have gotten the girl and he would have gotten out of his deal with the devil.  We would’ve found a way to get there.”

The list of long-departed characters heading back to their CW series continues to grow, and each new announcement brings more excitement than the last.  Which star are you most anxious to see? 

It’s been more than five years since we’ve heard from “Lydia James,” mother of Haley, Taylor and Quinn on One Tree Hill.  The always-radiant actress returns February 8 with a shocking announcement for her girls.  Are there even more siblings out there?  How many recall that rock star Huey Lewis played Haley’s father back in Season Two?  And can it really be three decades since Bess stole our hearts in her film debut opposite Alan Alda and Carol Burnett in The Four Seasons? 

Remember when Supernatural sent Dean sent back in time to meet his young parents—and his grandfather (Mitch Pileggi), who turned out to be possessed by Azazel?  Next Thursday, both Winchester boys find themselves in 1978 trying to prevent the murder of John (Matt Cohen) and Mary (Amy Gumenick).  The previous flashback was one of the series’ best episodes, and Sam’s first encounter with his disco-era folks will be emotional.  On a side note, how is Matt Cohen not a series regular somewhere on The CW?

Martha Kent has been one hard-working congresswoman, absent from the Smallville farm for nearly three seasons.  And Perry White, last seen in ‘03?  It’s about time he starts barking orders at the Daily Planet.  The real-life married couple returns with some big news in May, EW reports, and there’s online speculation it has something to do with “government agent/villain” Amanda Waller (Pam Grier).

You didn’t think we’d seen the last of Clay’s deceased wife, Sara, on One Tree Hill, did ya?  It was the season’s most heartfelt love story and certainly ended too soon.  Foreshadowing a new mystery, E! Online says we’ll see Sara again…but she won’t be Sara.  Hmm.

Last season, the Canton, Ohio native delivered one of the unlikeliest twists ever seen on Supernatural.  Turns out, Sam and Dean had a secret half-brother their dad never mentioned…and the kid led a normal, monster-free childhood.  Well, until a ghoul ate him.  On a press tour this month for Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Jake revealed that “Adam” comes back to play a pivotal role in an upcoming episode.  

Lookin’ for love?  As the song goes, Tree Hill might be the wrong place.  The seaside town has had more than its share of failed romances—not that we’re complaining.  Normal, happy couples don’t make for very interesting drama.  Since Lucas and Peyton drove off into the sunset, One Tree Hill’s most stable couple has been Nathan and Haley…and even their marriage was rocked by cheating headlines this season.  The one relationship that trumped the Scotts’ involved a ghost: Clay (Robert Buckley) and Sara (Amanda Schull) were heart wrenching in their short story arc, in which Clay could not get past his wife’s sudden cardiac death.  Beyond that, Millie cheated on Mouth with Owen (who’s soon returning!); Dan and Rachel’s nuptials were a scam of greed; and Quinn (Shantel VanSanten) never quite made it clear why she dumped her hubby, David (Scott Holroyd).  Well, guess who’s coming to dinner?  Haley and Quinn’s wild-child sister, Taylor (Lindsey McKeon), returns tonight with a new boyfriend that will send shockwaves through the family, for sure.  Another juicy showdown involves Brooke—still fuming over Julian’s blind obsession with Alex (Jana Kramer).  The Clothes Over Bros owner returns after six weeks apart with a new blue-eyed blonde model named “Alexander” (Mitch Ryan, pictured), and we’re guessing it won’t be long before he’s comforting the boss after work.  Austin Nichols agreed to return as a series regular if creator Mark Schwahn would give Julian and Brooke “a really powerful love story, the greatest happy ending ever,” TV Fanatic reports.  Maybe someday, in the finale.  But until then, most fans find the messy, zigzag hurdles far more addictive .        

Rashida Jones is so naturally low-key, it’s easy to overlook the mysteries beyond her girl-next-door beauty.  As Karen on The Office, she’s the ‘other woman’ from the Stamford branch who lost her heart to Jim (John Krasinski).  In real life, she’s a Harvard graduate; the daughter of legendary composer Quincy Jones and actress Peggy Lipton (The Mod Squad); a 3-time People’s Most Beautiful honoree; and a guy-magnet who’s been engaged to Spiderman (Tobey Maguire) and dated stars like Krasinski, Josh Hartnett and John Mayer.  She’s currently linked with White House speechwriter Jon Favreau.  Rashida has also now transferred a bit of hidden girl power to a new comic book heroine loosely based on—ready for this?—socialite Paris Hilton.  Frenemy of the State will be published early this year, featuring a young heiress who works undercover for the C.I.A.  Rashida tells Vanity Fair she developed the idea from the “funny notion that (Hilton) was actually some crazy genius who knew exactly what she was doing.”  Apparently Hollywood likes the premise, as well, since Universal snapped up the spy series for a big-screen film months before the first issue was ever printed!  The actress and her writing partner, actor Will McCormack, will pen the screenplay.  The moral of this story is:  if your TV boyfriend chooses the receptionist over you, grab a ream of Dunder-Mifflin paper and start writing.

It was a bittersweet milestone for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank: distributing a record amount of food to families in need during 2009.  All of which made the 8^th annual WBNX/Akron Middle Schools Food Drive results more poignant than ever.  With one less school in the mix, students rose to the occasion by collecting over 12,000 non-perishable goods (8,863 pounds), almost a nine-percent increase over the previous year.  The two-week campaign was held just before Christmas and ranks as the Foodbank’s seventh most-successful effort of the entire year, enabling nearly 7,000 meals to be served.  Overall, this partnership has translated into more than 83,000 meals since 2002.  As an incentive, students and teachers compete against other homerooms and middle schools to see who can collect the most items.  The winning class at each school receives a Gionino’s Pizzeria party, with the district’s #1 class also featured in a WBNX promo on-air.  Congratulations to Mrs. Laura Genemans’ homeroom at Hyre Middle School, which tallied 756 donations, and a special shout-out to the entire Hyre faculty and student body for their combined total of 3,204 items.  The other schools participating include Litchfield, Innes CLC, Perkins, Roswell Kent, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame School.  At a time when so many local families are struggling themselves, this remarkable display of generosity by our young people is to be commended.

For Global Frequency, the path from print to primetime is laden with as much mystery and intrigue as the graphic novel itself.  The spy series is back in business after some industry-changing hurdles which stretch back half a decade.  In early 2004, The WB ordered a trial episode based on the popular 12-part comic book series created by Warren Ellis, starring Michelle Forbes as agent Miranda Zero, with Josh Hopkins and Aimee Garcia in team roles.  But while the pilot was being filmed, the network changed presidents and took a new direction.  Global Frequency and Angel were left off the schedule—The WB’s final season—in favor of lighter fare such as Related and Twins.  In a covert twist at the time, someone illegally leaked the entire 45-minute Global pilot onto the internet, which incensed studio execs, Ellis blogged, as the industry was just coming to grips with the computer age.  The highly-stylized video became (and still is) an international sensation online, but the groundswell of support went nowhere…until now.  The CW has commissioned sci-fi guru Scott Nimerfro to write a new script, Production Weekly reports, introducing the intel system that exists to counter world governments’ secret projects, ranging from rogue military threats to paranormal phenomena.  There are reportedly more than a thousand field agent “experts” on the Global Frequency, but their identities are unknown until they meet on a mission.  If you were a fan of Jennifer Garner in Alias, this series should be on your radar.  Ellis’ stand-alone comic stories were compiled into two paperback volumes, Planet Ablaze and Detonation Radio.  Time will tell if this high-profile project crosses over to television—a clandestine story of survival.

They sing, they dance, they spy, they cheer…and, of course, they look really good doing it!  They’re players in the game of TV development, with six new scripted series being prepped for 2010 consideration by The CW.  Here’s a sneak peek, courtesy of THR: 

Confessions of a Backup Dancer:   Based on an anonymous 1989 expose, this drama explores the glamorous and gritty behind-the-scenes world of a major pop tour from the point of view of the star’s dance troupe.  Ilene Chaiken, edgy creator of The L Word, is penning the project. 

Nashville:   Mark Schwahn (creator of One Tree Hill) is teaming with country superstar Brad Paisley and creative indie producer Neal Dodson for a show set in Music City USA.  It centers on a young female singer destined for stardom and a young male songwriter whose career path is uncertain.  Schwahn is also working on a CW drama about a spy school for girls.  

Plymouth Rock:   A sci-fi soap from Veronica Mars mastermind Rob Thomas (pictured), the series is set aboard a spaceship and revolves around young people headed to a distant planet with a mission to colonize and repopulate to save the human race. 

The March Sisters:   Described as Sex and the City meets Little Women in Manhattan, the dramedy is headed by Jill Gordon, a writer/producer from The Wonder Years and My So-Called Life.  Here, working-class siblings try to make it in the wealthy, glamorous world of Park Avenue. 

Last week, the network also gave the greenlight to Cheer!, a pilot from Tom Welling based on Cheer: Inside the Secret World of College Cheerleaders (see blog entry).

 There certainly are some talented execs behind these six projects—and a lot of variety.  Talk about it.