Tuning In to TV

Duff to ‘Gossip’

“Gossip Girl” has racked up another casting coup, signing Hilary Duff for a guest arc in the fall, Zap2it.com says.

Miss Duff’s casting, confirmed by the CW on Wednesday afternoon, follows Joanna Garcia’s addition to the show as Nate’s (Chace Crawford) new love interest. Word is that Miss Duff’s character may be cozying up to one of the “Gossip” guys, too.

Miss Duff, of course, is a former child (or teenage, anyway) star, too, having shot to fame as the star of “Lizzie McGuire.” She’s been taking on more grown-up roles lately, guesting on “Ghost Whisperer” and “Law & Order: SVU” last season. She’s also attached to a retelling of “Bonnie and Clyde” that’s supposed to begin shooting later this year.

‘Neighborhood’ set

CBS has announced plans to air its new reality show “There Goes the Neighborhood” in August, the Hollywood Reporter notes.

The Mike Fleiss series traps eight families behind a 20-foot wall in their suburban neighborhood. The show will run for seven hour-long episodes starting Aug. 9 at 9 p.m.

Cut off from electronic communication and entertainment, the families will have to work together and compete in family-friendly games for the grand prize of $250,000. Matt Rogers (a 2004 “American Idol” finalist) will host.

SoapNet, BBC team

SoapNet will adapt BBC Worldwide’s non-scripted series “Bank of Mom and Dad” for a September launch on the Disney-owned cable channel.

Additionally, SoapNet picked up a second season of BBC Worldwide’s scripted hour-long “Being Erica” and ordered 10 episodes of the reality series “Holidate,” which ABC’s daytime production arm, ABC Media Productions, will shepherd.

“Bank of Mom and Dad” invites the parents of women in their 20s and 30s to move into the women’s homes for a week and exert influence over their finances - and, with some amount of conflict, their lives. Demo-friendly money consultant Farnoosh Torabi (“Real Simple. Real Life.”) will provide guidance each week, beginning Sept. 30 at 10 p.m., Variety reports.

SoapNet is hoping “Mom and Dad” piggybacks on the success of “Southern Belles: Louisville.” Nearly half of the audience of the reality series is made up of new viewers.

“We’re growing our audience while servicing our core viewer,” said Ann Lewis Roberts, senior vice president of ABC Media Productions and SoapNet alternative programming and development, to Variety. “And so we believe this new viewer is going to flow into the new programming that we have.”

“Being Erica,” which centers on a 30-something woman whose mysterious therapist helps her relive and learn from a past regret each week, received a 12-episode renewal for early 2010. Erin Karpluk stars.

Story Continues →