Roles

Alyson Hannigan (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) has signed to appear in CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother.” Neil Patrick Harris (“Doogie Howser, M.D.”) and Jason Segel (“Freaks and Geeks”) will also appear in the comedy pilot from 20th Century Fox TV. “Mother” focuses on a middle-aged married man looking back on his single life. Carter Bays and Craig Thomas (“American Dad”) are writing and executive producing the project.

… Jane Leeves (“Frasier”) will star in “Best Laid Plans” for The WB. Ms. Leeves will play a woman who must deal with the repercussions after her daughter meets her anonymous sperm-donor father. 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV are producing the pilot. Jeff Kleeman and Michael Saltzman wrote the script and will serve as executive producers.

… Danny Glover has signed to guest star on the NBC drama “ER.” Mr. Glover will play Charlie Pratt, estranged father of Mekhi Phifer’s character, Dr. Gregory Pratt. Mr. Glover will appear in the May 19 episode and will make multiple appearances next season.

… Lil’ JJ (“Coming to the Stage”) and Shelbie Bruce (“Spanglish”) inked holding deals with Nickelodeon. The network will develop original projects for each actor and feature them in guest appearances on Nickelodeon’s current series.

… Michelle Trachtenberg (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) will star in the Lifetime original movie “The Dive From Clausen’s Pier.” The telefilm is based on Ann Packer’s novel about a young woman’s quest to find herself after her fianc%E9; is paralyzed in a diving accident. The movie is produced by Con Artists, the television arm of Icon Productions, in association with Fox Television Studios. Bruce Davey (“Braveheart”), Nancy Cotton (“Kevin Hill”) and Brenda Friend (“Joan of Arc”) will executive produce. Harry Winer (“Veronica Mars”) will direct.

… Rick Schroder (“NYPD Blue”) joins the cast of Lifetime Television’s medical drama “Strong Medicine.” Mr. Schroder will appear in the series’ sixth season, which starts in June. “Strong Medicine” is produced by Sony Pictures Television.

… Claire Forlani has been tapped to star opposite John Leguizamo in an untitled drama pilot for CBS. The David Diamond and David Weisman project from 20th Century Fox TV and Paramount Network TV centers on the lives of a sports agent and his wife, a magazine editor, as they juggle careers and parenthood.

… Quint Kessenich has joined ESPNU as a commentator. Mr. Kessenich will cover college lacrosse, serve as a play-by-play commentator for college basketball and report on college football and wrestling. … Will Smith and Ludacris will headline at MTV base’s 100th “LIVE!,” a concert to celebrate the launch of MTV base, MTV’s first pan-African music channel and MTV Networks’ 100th channel worldwide. Highlights of the show will be carried on MTV channels around the world in May.

… “America’s Next Top Model” judge Janice Dickinson, former slugger Jose Canseco, Sandi Denton of Salt-N-Pepa, Bronson Pinchot from “Perfect Strangers,” Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth from the first season of “The Apprentice,” British model Caprice and motocrosser Carey Hart will star in the fifth installment of VH1’s “The Surreal Life.” Production is under way, with the show set to debut Sept. 4.



Directors

Horror film directors lined up to direct installments of Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” series include Dario Argento (“Opera”), John Carpenter (“Halloween”), Larry Cohen (“It’s Alive”), Roger Corman (“Little Shop of Horrors”), Don Coscarelli (“Phantasm”), Joe Dante (“Gremlins”), Mick Garris (“Riding the Bullet”), Stuart Gordon (“Re-Animator”), John Landis (“An American Werewolf in London”), Tobe Hooper (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”) and George Romero (“Night of the Living Dead”). The pay cable network plans to run at least 13 of the one-hour telefilms. Mick Garris, Andrew Deane and Keith Addis will serve as executive producers. Principal photography will begin in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, in late April.



Executives

Aaron Meyerson has been named Oxygen’s senior VP of development and production, and Cynthia Ashworth is the new senior VP of marketing. Mr. Meyerson will oversee development and production for Oxygen. Ms. Ashworth will oversee the network’s consumer and affiliate advertising sales and online marketing. Both will report to Debby Beece, president of programming and marketing.

… Tiffany Smith was promoted to director of publicity for CBS Entertainment. Ms. Smith will continue to work on publicity campaigns for CBS series, specials and movies. She will report to Phil Gonzales, VP of communications for CBS Entertainment.



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