More info on Edie Falco’s new Showtime series
Remember back in February when we told you that Edie Falco was signed for a new dark situation comedy from Showtime about a harried nurse?
Well, they’ve started filming the show in New York and given it a tentative title, Nurse Jackie. What’s more, the cast surrounding Edie includes some familiar faces.
Nurse Jackie will have a boyfriend and he will be played by Paul Schulze. The name may not be familiar, but the face sure is. Paul was Father Phil on The Sopranos, the priest who spent a lot of time with Carmella and had her thinking they were going to replay The Thornebirds.
On this Showtime series, he’s Eddie and he works in the hospital in the pharmacy. That’s important because reportedly Edie’s character has a problem with drugs.
What’s this, she’s a female House? Could she be popping Vicodin as prodigiously as he does? Could anyone?
Other actors in the pilot are West Wing veteran Anna Deavere Smith as a hospital administrator, Mrs. Akalitus, Merritt Wever (NCIS) as Zoey, a young nurse working with Jackie, and Haaz Sleiman (Veronica Mars) a gay Muslim nurse.
The original scoop compared this comedy to Weeds, in particular, the way it’s going to be filmed and the satiric tone. The latest bit also includes more about Jackie’s character, saying that she “has an almost-clairvoyant ability to figure out what’s wrong with her patients even before doctors can — making her a much-sought-after commodity in the ER.”
Caryn Mandabach, an experienced, Emmy-award winning showrunner, is executive producing. Her credits include Grounded for Life, 3rd Rock from the Sun, That ’70s Show and The Cosby Show.
If Showtime likes what they produce, Nurse Jackie — or whatever it’s finally called — could be on the air in Spring 2009, maybe sooner. Considering the quality of the talent, I think we’ll see it sooner rather than later.
Exclusive: P.I. Lucas to Be New Love Interest for Cuddy on House
Sources tell me the new character on House, private detective Lucas, has a crush on one Dr. Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein)! Apparently, love, like Legionnaires’ disease, is an infection that travels through the air—and the contagion is spreading through Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital!
As you may remember, Lucas (played by Six Feet Under’s Michael Weston) is the character being introduced for a multiepisode arc this season to act as a foil for the doctors and possibly be the main character in a House spinoff. In the meantime, however, it looks like he’s going to be another side in the love polygon surrounding Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie).
Is it just me, or is charming, blue-eyed rogue House not going to take too kindly to some charming, blue-eyed rouge moving in on his very favoritest hottie hospital administrator?
It’s OK, though, because if you ask me, persnickety and passionate House is the best kind of House there is. What do you think of this development? Do you think jealousy will finally drive House to declare his intentions to Cuddy? Post your take in the comments!