Hershey Treks to WB's 'The Mountain'
Author: Nellie Andreeva
Date: Mar 14, 2004
Source: news.yahoo.com

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Barbara Hershey has scaled the WB Network's drama pilot "The Mountain," while Isaiah Washington and Katherine Heigl have joined the cast of an untitled medical drama pilot at ABC.

In other pilot casting news, Sharon Lawrence has come on board an untitled comedy pilot at ABC; Christa Miller has been tapped to star in an untitled comedy pilot at CBS; Reagan Dale Neis has joined Fox's comedy "The Robinson Brothers"; while Ben Gazzara has come on board CBS' drama "The Webster Report."

"The Mountain" centers on a 25-year-old who inherits his family's mountain resort when his grandfather dies. Hershey will play the young man's mother, and Anson Mount (ABC's "Line of Fire") his brother.

Hershey, nominated for an Oscar for "The Portrait of a Lady," recently starred in USA Network's TV movie "The Stranger Beside Me."

The ABC medical drama centers on female residents in a surgical training program. Washington will play Dr. Burke, a top surgeon at the hospital, and son of the hospital's chief of surgery (James Pickens Jr.). He replaces Paul Adelstein, who pulled out due to scheduling conflict. Heigl will play an intern.

If the project goes ahead, it would be Washington's first for broadcast TV. His credits include such features as "Romeo Must Die," "Out of Sight" and "Welcome to Collinwood." Heigl, best known for her role on "Roswell," next stars opposite Johnny Knoxville (news) in "The Ringer."

Lawrence's project centers on a young reporter (Colin Hanks) who makes waves at a respected magazine. The project is based on columnist Joel Stein's experience as being the youngest reporter ever at Time magazine. Her credits include the series "NYPD Blue" and "Fired Up."

Miller's CBS project centers on a blended family, in which the parents (Andrew Kennedy, Miller) have conflicting points of view. Following her seven-year stint on ABC's "The Drew Carey Show," Miller is recurring on NBC's "Scrubs."

"The Robinson Brothers" centers on two adult brothers living in an L.A. apartment building that doubles as a college dorm. Neis, star of the WB's "Maybe It's Me," will play a hot girl living in the building.

"The Webster Report" centers on an offbeat New York private investigator (Stanley Tucci). Gazzara will play the PI's father, a potentially recurring role.