ISAIAH WASHINGTON
It didn’t take Isaiah Washington long to bounce back from his “Grey’s Anatomy” firing. The actor is getting a second chance to flex his acting muscle on a new network—-NBC. Executives there just announced they offered Washington a role on a new drama and prospects for his own network series.
Network big wigs announced Washington would be joining its new series “Bionic Woman” for five episodes. According to NBC, Washington will play “a mysterious person who is brought into the enigmatic scientific organization” responsible for creating bionic Jamie Sommers. The actor and NBC Universal Studios also are reportedly developing an action series for him to star.
MANDY PATINKIN
Fans of CBS’ “Criminal Minds” will have to bid farewell to Mandy Patinkin. The actor says he is leaving the show due to “creative differences.”
Patinkin reportedly asked show producers to release him from his role as FBI profiler Jason Gideon last week. Network executives say the 54-year-old’s exit will be explained in an early episode this fall. A new character will be added to the show to replace Patinkin.
You may recall Patinkin won a best actor Emmy in 1995 for his portrayal of Dr. Jeffrey Geiger in the CBS medical drama.
ALICIA WITT
Alicia Witt is returning to primetime TV. The actress just announced that she would be joining the cast of NBC’s “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
Witt fans who fell in love with her on “Cybill” will be happy to know she will play police detective Nola Falacci, who will be partnered with detective Mike Logan (Chris Noth). According to show producer’s, Witt will be a temporary replacement for Julianne Nicholson, who is on maternity leave.
It will be nice to see Witt back on TV. She costarred with Cybill Shepherd on the CBS sitcom “Cybill” for three years then went on to star in films.
A final note about “Criminal Intent”—according to network execs, original episodes of the show will air first on cable’s USA network and then later, with no date yet specified, on NBC. Apparently, NBC only had room for two of the three “Law & Order” series. It brought back the highest-rated, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and the original “Law & Order.” The network said “CI” episodes that run first on USA would be a midseason replacement on NBC.