The Casting Call 11.04.09

The Casting Call brings together the latest casting news to keep you informed on who is showing up on which show. Find out who is joining your favorite show as a series regular, a recurring character, a guest star or special cameo. The Casting Call could reveal upcoming story-lines, so be aware, there may be spoilers ahead.

30 Rock
James Franco has signed on for a guest role. Franco will play himself and will carry on a fake romance with attention-starved “Girlie Show” star Jenna (Jane Krakowski), a scheme concocted by their respective agents.

Castle (ABC)
Abigail Spencer (Mad Men) has signed on to guest star on the November 23 episode. She will play a murder victim’s fiancée. When Perrey Reeves (Entourage) turns up as the victim’s wife, catfighting understandably ensues.

Jack and Dan (Fox)
Colin Hanks has signed on to lead Jack and Dan, Matt Nix’s new 13-episode hourlong series for Fox. The show centers on Jack (Hanks), an ambitious, by-the-book detective whose habit of undermining himself has resulted in a dead-end position at the Los Angeles Police Department. Worse, he has been partnered with Dan (Bradley Whitford), a drunken, lecherous, wild-card cop who hangs onto his job only because of a heroic act years before.

Law and Order: SVU (NBC)
Naveen Andrews (Lost) has signed on to film a guest spot on an upcoming episode. The details of his role are being kept under wraps for now, but the episode starts filming in the next week or so in New York. Andrews’ SVU episode will air in January 2010, right around the time that Lost’s sixth and final season premieres.

NCIS (CBS)
Robert Wagner is joining the show in a guest role. He will be playing the father of Michael Weatherly’s TV detective, sources confirm to me exclusively. Wagner will appear in an episode scheduled to air in January.

Robert Patrick (The Unit) is joining the show. He will play Col. Merton Bell, a former tank commander who now runs a powerful private-military contracting firm with business in Iraq and Afghanistan. Patrick’s character is led away in handcuffs at episode’s end for his pursuit of Gibbs’ mentor’s Iraqi daughter-in-law, but he might return.

The New Adventures of Old Christine (CBS)
Blair Underwood has signed on to reprise his role as Christine’s former flame, Daniel for one episode. Daniel might be coming back to cause some trouble between Christine and her current beau, Max (Eric McCormack). Underwood’s comeback is scheduled to air in December or January.

Ugly Betty (ABC)
Fisher Stevens is joining the show in a potentially recurring role. He will play Mr. Z., Betty’s new landlord.