"Football Wives": R.I.P.

AUGUST 30, 2007: Make no mistake, in my book ABC is the #1 TV network in America. And yet I don't think I will ever forgive Mickey Mouse for killing a pilot with Eddie Cibrian and James Van Der Beek playing NFL superstars who love to take off their clothes and engage in steamy Melrose Place-style shenanigans.


"Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer ("Dirty Sexy Money") helmed the brainless, but fun pilot "Football Wives" penned by "Ugly Betty" scribe Marco Pennette.

The pilot was based on the ITV sudser "Footballers' Wives" which ran for 5 trashy seasons in the UK depicting personal lives of star soccer players and their sultry wives.



Insiders initially claimed the pilot was still alive, but ABC confirmed during the TCA Tour "Football Wives" was oficially dead. Rumor has it, ABC nixed the controversial pilot (also starring Lucy Lawless) as it may not have sat well with the NFL (ABC's sister network ESPN airs Monday Night Football telecasts).

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James Van Der Beek to Guest Star on ABC's "Ugly Betty"?

His ABC pilot "Football Wives" may now be officially dead, but that doesn't mean you won't be seeing former "Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek this fall on ABC. E! Online reports the actor will guest star on the network's award-winning comedy "Ugly Betty."

Van Der Beek was the principal star of the American version of the popular, trashy and highly addictive British soap opera "Footballers' Wives" from "Superman Returns" and "Valkyrie" director Bryan Singer who is also co-executive producing ABC's "Dirty Sexy Money."

The NFL-based pilot (co-starring Lucy Lawless and Eddie Cibrian) was penned by "Ugly Betty" scribe Marco Pennette. After ABC decided not to pick it up to series, rumor had it the pilot was still alive and may resurface at midseason. ABC however confirmed during TCA Tour the show was dead.



"Ugly Betty" which often resorts to stunt casting (exec Salma Hayek, Gina Gershon, Lucy Liu, Debi Mazar, Tim Gunn, Katharine McPhee, Kathy Griffin, Rebecca Romijn's husband Jerry O'Connell and many other all appeared on the show before) will also have Victoria Beckham make a cameo appearance on the show this year.

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"Football Wives" Alive

ABC's dead pilot "Football Wives" (US adaptation of the British soap hit "Footballers' Wives") starring James Van Der Beek, Lucy Lawless and Eddie Cibrian may not necessarily be that dead after all.

I am of course very excited about this, because - from what I heard - although the pilot did not seem set to win any awards, it did feel like an old-fashioned trashy "Melrose Place"-style campy fun. And as you can imagine - I was a sucker for "Melrose Place". Well, in seasons 2-5 anyway. Besides, how can you go wrong with the double hunk power of James Van Der Beek and Eddie "The Dimples" Cibrian?

Despite its initial buzz mainly generated by those who were familiar with the British original, ABC decided not to pick up the pilot and make it one of its 11 new fall shows next TV season.

Now Hollywood press reports ABC Studios, which produced the pilot, has extended its options on the show's cast that also includes Gabrielle Union ("Night Stalker"), Kiele Sanchez ("Lost"), Arielle Kebbel ("Gilmore Girls") and Ving Rhames ("Mission: Impossible III").

The pilot was directed by Bryan Singer ("Superman Returns").

ABC has not made its final decision about the show which could end up on the network as midseason replacement, but even if it does pass on it, Hollywood Reporter claims NBC and FOX are interested in picking it up. Fingers crossed!

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Van Der Beek Joins ABC's "Football Wives"

Former "Dawson Creek" and "Varsity Blues" star James Van Der Beek has joined ABC's drama pilot "Football Wives", an American adaptation of the British hit series "Footballers' Wives".

The drama revolves around women whose lives are transformed when they marry NFL superstars.

The actor who recently appeared on an episode of CBS' "Criminal Minds" will play a rookie in the pilot.

Van Der Beek, who himself is a fan of Green Bay Packers, is married to actress Heather McComb and resides in New York City.

Gabrielle Union (7th Heaven, City of Angels), Kiele Sanchez (Related, LOST) and Lucy Lawless (Xena, Battlestar Galactica) have already been announced as the wives.

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"Footballers' Wives" Coming To ABC

Lovers of over-the-top prime-time suds beware: ABC's adaptation of British mega-hit "Footballers' Wives" is coming to ABC. "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer is loosely attached to the project.

"Footballers' Wives" is described by Variety as a campy mix of "Desperate Housewives" and "Dallas".

The series which ran on British network ITV for four seasons and also spawned a spin-off series revolved around three ordinary women whose lives are transformed by celebrity and fortune when their husbands the soccer players become sports superstars.

"Dynasty" veteran Joan Collins also appeared on the series.


ABC first ordered the script for the project on August 30.

The drama would be produced by Touchstone Television, a studio that already produces "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" for the network and has experience in production of weekly prime-time soap-opera.



The American version of the format will be set in the world of pro football rather than soccer, but will retain much of the over-the-top spirit of the original series.

The original series airs in the US on the BBC America cable network.

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