This past week was a big week for some of Hollywood’s ladies of televison with several lovely and big name stars scoring guest roles on hit primetime television series and moving into producing new new shows slated for the 2008 Fall TV season. Announcements were made this week about new roles and new projects for Oprah Winfrey, Cybill Sheppard, Jada Pinket-Smith and Danneel Harris.
Cybill Sheppard, well known for her role as Maddie in the hit series Moonlighting, is making a return to television with a guest appearance in the ABC comedy Samantha Who, which stars Christina Applegate. Sheppard along with “Dancing with the Stars’’ professional dancer, Mark Ballas, will be playing a ruthless dance team out to beat Samantha and her mother in an upcoming dance competition.
Jada Pinkett-Smith will be coming to TNT for a new drama pilot titled ‘Time Heal’s. Pinket-Smith, who will also be executive producer, is set to play a nurse and single mother who always puts the pain and issues of others first causing conflict for her family and those around her.
NBC’s ’30 Rock’ has scored a guest appearance by the queen of Daytime TV herself, Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey will guest-star in an episode of NBC’s “30 Rock.” The episode, which will air on November 6th, will be just in time for sweeps week.
And speaking of sweeps week, the hit CBS series How I Met Your Mother has announced that they have recast the guest character of Stella’s sister Nora, who will be appearing in an episode set to air in November. Summerland actress Sara Paxton had originally been announced for the role however series showrunners Craig Thomas and Carter Bays felt that the part called for someone older and tapped actress/Maxim model Danneel Harris to take on the role. Harris, who is known best for her former role as troublemaker Rachel Gatina on One Tree Hill, will also be reuniting with fellow Harold and Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay actor Neil Patrick Harris.