'Cougar Town's Dan Byrd Gets Lead In CBS Comedy Pilot, Two ABC Dramas Add Casts

Another Cougar Town co-star has booked a pilot in second position. Dan Byrd has closed a deal for the lead in CBS’ untitled Louis CK/Spike Feresten multicamera comedy pilot, an ensemble of young people trying to achieve their creative dreams in these tough financial times. It centers on Fred (Byrd), a bright but broke film editor who can’t stand stupidity and serves as a sardonic observer of people and their foibles. Louis CK and Feresten wrote the pilot, which will be directed by Andy Ackerman. BermanBraun and CBS TV Studios are producing, Byrd, repped by ICM and Dan Spilo at Industry, plays Courteney Cox’s son Travis on Cougar Town. He joins fellow co-star Josh Hopkins, who also signed on for a pilot (NBC’s Kari Lizer comedy) as Cougar Town appears unlikely to be renewed.

Over at ABC, Annabeth Gish has been cast in drama pilot Americana, a family soap that centers on iconic fashion designer Robert Soulter (Anthony LaPaglia), the patriarch of a sprawling family who just welcomed a new member, Alice Clarke (Ashley Greene), a young designer whose shocking arrival turns the family and the legendary label inside out. Gish will play Alice’s mother, a fading beauty, in the pilot, written by Michael Setzman and directed by Phillip Noyce.

Luke Goss (Hellboy II) has joined another ABC drama pilot, the Melissa Rosenberg-written Penoza. Based on the Dutch format, it centers on Martha, the widow of an assassinated criminal who is forced to adopt her husband’s role in a crime syndicate in order to protect her family. Goss will play the bodyguard of Martha’s mobster father who is assigned to look after her and her children. For Brit Goss, repped by Luber Roklin and UK’s DW Management, this marks the first foray into television.