MOONLIGHT VAMPIRE SOCIETY

I'm not sure how I feel about this, I'll watch to support Alex but I'm still on the fence.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-storie ... -22065973/

Danny Dyer set to remake of classic 70s cop show Hawaii Five-O
By Tim Oglethorpe 24/02/2010

Brit actor Danny Dyer is in the running to be booked in as Danno in the planned remake of classic 70s cop show Hawaii Five-O.

Danny, best known for movies such as Football Factory, is on the shortlist to fill the shoes of James MacArthur, who played Detective Danny "Danno" Williams in the original series.

"America has opened up for me a little bit - I've got a manager and an agent over there - and I'm chuffed to bits to be considered for this role," says Danny, whose movie Dead Man Running is released on DVD next month.

The American accent would be no problem for Danny - he'll be appearing as a New Yorker in a western with Val Kilmer called Guns Of The Dead, which will be shot later this year.

The original Hawaii Five-O - set and filmed in Hawaii - spawned one of TV's most memorable catchphrases, "Book 'em, Danno", which was spoken to Danny Williams at the end of each episode by his boss, Detective Steve McGarrett.

http://www.timryansreelhawaii.com/?p=3525
Tim Ryan’s Reel Hawaii
Hawaii Film Industry Weblog

The Hawaii Five-0 production office has been up and running at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Kalia Tower for several weeks preparing for a March 15 start film date…That date apparently was pushed from March 8…Filming on Oahu is about 17 days…
Here’s casting thus far: Australian Alex O’Loughlin (above) plays lead character Steve McGarrett; Daniel Dae Kim plays Chin Ho Kelly, the character played by the much older Kam Fong in the original series.

The latest hire is Taryn Manning (above) from Hustle & Flow as a cast regular playing Mary Ann McGarrett, the younger sister of O’Loughlin’s McGarrett, who heads up a special unit of the Hawaii State Police…The role of Daniel “Dano” Williams has not been cast but in the script we do learn how he got his nickname…The McGarrett character is supposed to be about 35 while Chin Ho Kelly played by Kim is about 45 though the actor is 35…Manning’s character is described as funky and edgy with dyed hair and some facial piercings…

The pilot’s screenwriters are Fringe co-creators Alex Kurtzman and Robert Orci and CSI: NY executive producer/co-showrunner Peter Lenkov…Pat Crowley is line producer…Director is Len Wiseman, husband of actor Kate Beckinsale .

According to the current version of the script, the character of Kono – originally played by the beefy Zulu - is now a woman as is the character for Hawaii’s governor…According to several sources in Hawaii and in Los Angeles, actresses being considered for the Hawaii governor role, include Demi Moore, Tia Carerre, and Kelly Hu…The original Hawaii Five-0 theme music will be used, sources confirmed…

Local crew hired so far include the indefatigable Angie Laprete, production supervisor; Rick Romer, set decorator; Stephanie Spangler, locations manager; Margaret Doversola, Hawaii casting; and Private Security headed by Charley Long, considered Hawaii’s most experienced and reliable production security company…A special congrats to veteran casting director Doversola who began her career in Hawaii on the original Hawaii Five-0…

The Five-0 pilot reportedly will include a large number of second unit filming and special effects, including land and water chases and a Striker Force vehicle (s?) that’s blown into the air where it spins around violently, several sources said…The Five-0 production is still locking down locations but has rented half of a large warehouse for sets in Mapunapuna near where NBC’s Hawaii TV series had its stage set…

In the pilot’s back story, McGarrett is a naval commander working in Korea. His father is alive and living in Hawaii but his mother is deceased…McGarrett returns to Hawaii bringing back a criminal of European descent - Anton Heffe…who….That’s enough spoilers for now. The production requires a lot of military support in Hawaii primarly from the U.S. Coast Guard and Army…Expect a lot of local military in the cast…The production likely will have two will have two “first” units shooting at same time though from different perspectives…

According to L.A. sources, “this is a wait and see pilot and not a a pre sold deal that will not automatically be picked up”…”It may not even air publicly but just be seen by CBS execs,” a source said….”But (production executives) are talking like they’re going to be here a long time,” A Hawaii source said. Producer Lenov was overheard saying “We’re going to be here a long time and (locals) are going to get a lot of work”…

http://www.timryansreelhawaii.com/?p=3596
Hawaii Five-O Casting Winding Down; Grace Park Newest Addition
Feb 28

Posted by Tim Ryan in Hawaii

BUT WHO WILL PORTRAY THE ICONIC DANNO?

Battlestar Galactica’s Grace Park has joined the cast of CBS’s updated Hawaii Five-O slated to start filming on Oahu March 8 or 15….Park will play Kona Kalakua, niece of squad member Chin Ho Kelly, who will be played by Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim. In the pilot, Park’s character is a champion surfer in the police academy who’s recruited to join the police unit run by Steve McGarrett played by Alex O’Loughlin.…

Kalakaua is 23-27 years old… In the script she’s described as “a spectacular Asian/Hawaiian beauty…with the smarts to match her amazing physical prowess”… Kalakaua’s primary interest in the pilot is becoming a cop. She’s about to graduate from the police academy when McGarrett recruits her to join his team. Kalakaua goes undercover as a downtrodden immigrant girl looking for help from a notorious human trafficker, a dangerous assignment – it involves sex slavery “that takes a disastrous turn”…

Is Park’s character based on the original Kono role played by Zulu? Remotely, at best…

SPOILER ALERT/HAWAII FIVE-0: When Naval Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett’s father is taken hostage and killed by a notorious human trafficker and criminal kingpin, McGarrett is determined to bring the killers to justice. The only way he sees doing that is to become the head of a special federal task force in Hawaii where he will hand-pick his team to fight crime, drugs and terrorism in this region…

BUT: McGarrett will use his special powers to solve the baffling mystery that emerges after his father’s murder…

The McGarrett character is a former Navy SEAL whose background includes being a special investigator and working with Naval Intelligence. McGarrett’s been tracking the infamous Hesse brothers for years, but when his father is taken hostage and slain during his investigation, he’s determined to have justice. He accepts Hawaii governor Pat Jameson’s offer to run a federal task force centered in Hawaii, and given special rights not granted to the police rank and file….McGarrett is determined to trace some baffling clues his murdered father left behind that seems to go back to an unsolved mystery stretching all the way back to his mother’s death, years previously likely an automobile accident…

DETECTIVE DANNY “DANNO” WILLIAMS, in his thirties, is a veteran cop from the Baltimore Police Department. He’s just gone through a difficult divorce and has transferred to Hawaii to be near his seven-year-old daughter. To give you a clue about his character, “Danno” is described in the script as a real “working man in paradise,” and ”only guy on the island (Oahu) without a tan and always looks like he slept in his clothes”… He’s “gruff and driven, with plenty of raw courage and a 24/7 work ethic”… Danno has alienated the laid-back native Hawaiians in his department, and when McGarrett comes in and takes over Danno’s present murder investigation, he’s very resentful…Danno is forced to be McGarrett’s partner and the former Baltimore cop is not pleased…But slowly Danno likes his new boss’s style, and the pair become friends. Danno becomes an indispensable and trusted member of McGarrett’s elite team…

CHIN HO KELLY is “a tough, capable Asian man in his mid 40s,\ a 20-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department and was a close friend of McGarrett’s cop father.” But Kelly was recently forced out of the department for accepting payoffs, though he was innocent of these charges. In the pilot he works as a security officer in Pearl Harbor and clearly grateful to McGarrett for offering him the chance to clear his name and get back into active duty. Kelly is a smart cop with lots of connections on Oahu. He becomes an important member of McGarrett’s federal task force…
GOV. PAT JAMESON is a bright, beautiful woman in her early 40s, a “local Hawaiian with a Washingtonian’s backbone.” Jameson is “a completely honest politician”…She offers McGarrett the unique opportunity to run a task force with special federal powers beyond the run-of-the-mill police department…Tia Carrere, Demi Moore, and Kelly Hu (below l-r) reportedly are being considered for this role…

MARY ANN MCGARRETT (below) is McGarrett’s younger sister, “a punked-out young woman with a checkered past, including stints in rehab and several brushes with the law”… She’s been acting out ever since her mother’s early death when she felt deserted by her father… When she shows up stoned at their father’s funeral, Steve McGarrett is furious, but still has a deep, caring bond with his sister…Mary eventually realizes that her father’s neglect may have actually been his attempt to protect her from harm seems to inspire Mary to turn her chaotic life around…This character is a reoccurring and can possibly become a series regular,sources said…

NOTE: Scott Caan is James Caan son.


http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... e0983f0101

Scott Caan is 'Hawaii Five-O's' Danno

Appeared in the three 'Ocean's Eleven' films
By Nellie Andreeva
March 4, 2010, 08:27 PM ET

Scott Caan, co-star in the "Ocean's Eleven" movie franchise, has been tapped for the role of Danny "Danno" Williams on CBS' updated version of "Hawaii Five-O."

The new "Hawaii," from CBS Studios, "Star Trek" writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and "CSI: NY' executive producer Peter Lenkov, centers on an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police headed by Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin).

Williams, who was played by James MacArthur on the original series, is a New Jersey cop who has recently undergone an acrimonious divorce and has transferred to Hawaii to be near his 7-year-old daughter. Forced to partner with McGarrett, Danno is initially leery of their association -- but as he grows more familiar with his maverick new boss, he begins to appreciate the opportunity to work with McGarrett.

The character's name was immortalized by McGarrett's catchphrase, "Book 'em, Danno!" which closed most episodes of the original series and is expected to live on on the new show.

Caan will be a guest star on the "Hawaii" pilot because of his commitment to HBO's "Entourage."

Caan is regular on the showbiz comedy for the upcoming seventh season, reprising his role as tough-talk manager Scott Lavin introduced in an arc last season.

He will then segue to "Hawaii" as a regular if the pilot is picked up to series.

Caan is probably best known for his role as Turk Malloy in the three "Ocean's Eleven" heist movies from Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney.

He will next be seen in IFC Films' "Mercy," which he also wrote and produced.

Caan is repped by Paradigm and attorney Robert Offer.

David Blue tweet:

I am getting excited to see all the "big" names in this show -- hopefully CBD will make this one work for Alex!

I think that they will! This the type of show that CBS knows and loves. (THEY BETTER)!

From The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.thrfeed.com/2010/03/qa-cbs-nina-tassler.html

THR: "Hawaii Five-O" will be Alex O'Loughlin's third series on CBS in three years. So I assume you're thinking, "Right guy, wrong shows so far"?

Tassler: We definitely think he's the right guy. He's certainly an incredibly talent, but we've also watched him develop and evolve. In our business, actors being given opportunities usually bodes well. George Clooney did well with all the chances he was given.

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/03/0 ... -os-danno/

Caan he really be Hawaii Five-O’s Danno?
Posted on March 6, 2010

According to THR, actor Scott Caan has been tapped for the role of Danny “Danno” Williams on the CBS remake of Hawaii Five-O. Williams is a New Jersey cop who has recently undergone an acrimonious divorce and has transferred to Hawaii to be near his 7-year-old daughter. He is forced to partner with Det. Steve [...]
According to THR, actor Scott Caan has been tapped for the role of Danny “Danno” Williams on the CBS remake of Hawaii Five-O. Williams is a New Jersey cop who has recently undergone an acrimonious divorce and has transferred to Hawaii to be near his 7-year-old daughter. He is forced to partner with Det. Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) and is initially wary of the partnership.
The character’s name was immortalized in the original series by McGarrett’s catchphrase, “Book ‘em, Danno!” which closed most episodes of the original series. The catchphrase is expected to be used in the new show!

However, the news is that Caan will only be a guest star on the Hawaii Five-O pilot because of his commitment to HBO’s Entourage. He’s all set to be a regular on that show for the upcoming seventh season, reprising his role as tough-talk manager Scott Lavin, who was introduced last year. Should Hawaii Five-O be picked up for series he will then become an official series regular…

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... +departure

Posted on: Sunday, March 7, 2010
'Hawaii Five-O' may step into economic gap of 'Lost' departure
By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Villains, crime lords and con men beware. Steve McGarrett is back on the job.

CBS plans to start filming a pilot tomorrow for a remake of "Hawaii Five-0," and with ABC's "Lost" about to conclude its six-year run in the Islands, the local film and TV community is hopeful the scowling detective will save the day.

The state estimates that a typical TV series contributes about $70 million a year to the local economy, so the show, if it's picked up, could help pick up where "Lost" leaves off as a financial boon. But "Five-0" has more than economic value.

"Five-0" was groundbreaking TV, and it put the Islands front-and-center in millions of living rooms for a dozen years. It was such a big part of Hawai'i's self-image that it comes with a warm haze of nostalgia attached.

Next phenom?
During its successful run, the show fashioned a local film industry from almost nothing, put minority faces into prime time and sold the Islands as a tourist destination.

The networks had never filmed a TV show entirely on location, as CBS did with "Five-0," and the series was credited with pouring $100 million into the local economy.

"People have been asking me, how do you follow 'Lost'; how do you follow a global phenomenon?" said Walea Constantinau, Ho-no-lulu Film Office commissioner. "I think we have the answer: We bring back one of the most beloved series of all time with some of the best creative minds in the industry."

"Five-0" aired from 1968 to 1980. In the years that followed, rumors routinely arose predicting its revival. In 1997, CBS filmed a pilot in Hawai'i starring Gary Busey — although not as McGarrett. It never aired.

Last fall, however, CBS hired a pair of writers skilled at crafting new versions of old favorites: Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who had teamed up on feature films that include "Star Trek" and "Mission Impossible III."

The possibilities are exciting to ponder, said Margaret Doversola, who worked on the original series as the producer's assistant and now serves as a casting director for the remake.

"It's very action-oriented, which makes it very 'Hawaii Five-0'-like," she said. "Reading the script, I could see McGarrett standing there."
The show will keep its familiar, brassy theme music, as well as McGarrett's familiar phrase, "Book him, Danno," but Doversola still wants to know what uniform the cops will be wearing: McGarrett's coat and tie, or an aloha shirt?

CBS wants local flavor, she said. "The producers want to use as many local actors as they can," she said. "Maybe someone wasn't quite right for the pilot, but they are all going to get a chance to work because (the producers) ... want to be here for a long time."
Despite Doversola's optimism, nothing is guaranteed. CBS will decide in May whether it wants to add the pilot and a "Hawaii Five-0" series to its fall lineup.

"I think Hawai'i needs it now," Doversola said. "Not just for us working here, but for all of us. It is public relations we can't buy. And people are dying to see it again."

The show's creators could be envied for the task ahead of them. Much has changed in the 30 years since the show's finale, including the reinvention several times over of prime-time police dramas. But that responsibility can cut both ways, said Robert Thompson, the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

"When you decide to remake 'Hawaii Five-0,' you are treading on pretty sacred territory," he said.

The original "Five-0" was a "well-written, meticulously executed program," he said. Via the magic of re-runs, most TV watchers are aware of the show. But that also means generations of TV viewers are wed to it as it was.

"Generally these remakes don't work very well," Thompson said. "You bring with it expectations and comparisons that are always going to be disappointing. It will take the first season to get over the fact that this isn't my old 'Hawaii Five-0.' "

The current competition in cop shows is pretty tough.
"We have seen this narrative territory done so beautifully and so exquisitely and so brilliantly that when the new plot of 'Hawaii Five-0' struts out, it is going to be watched in the context of a decade or two of extraordinarily good programming in the crime genre," Thompson said. "... There is so much else out there that we are going to be comparing it to."

Son of Chin ho
CBS passed on one chance to connect the old with the new. Honolulu actor Dennis Chun auditioned for the role of Detective Chin Ho Kelly, the role originally played by Kam Fong — his father. Instead, CBS cast "Lost" star Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho.
"It was extraordinary and rather meaningful for me," said Chun, who works for the state Judiciary and acts in local theater. "When I said the line 'I am Chin Ho Kelly,' it was one of the hardest lines for me to say, simply because for me, my father had always been Chin Ho Kelly."

His father, a former Honolulu police officer who died in 2002, was proud of his "Five-0" role.

"I am very greatful for the new show to even let me have a chance to do it," Chun said. "Just for one day I was able to touch it, and it felt really good."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.

http://www.tvscape.net/news/2010/remake ... ii-five-o/

Remake of Hawaii-Five-O
Published: Mon, Mar 8, 2010 | Author: Millan

Hawaii- Five-O is CBS long run¬ning series about fic¬tional state police depart¬ment of Hawaii. Orig¬i¬nal series run from 1968 to 1980 and had 12 sea¬sons and 278 episodes. Remake is tar¬geted for the next sea¬son 2010⁄2011 and for the past 2 months many cast news have emerged but the details about the sto¬ries are yet unknown. And with announced cast and show run¬ners looks like that this remake will be a good one.

Peter Lenkov (best known for his work on CSI: New York) will serve as showrun¬ner of the series, with Alex Kurtz¬man and Roberto Orci (Fringe, Trans¬form¬ers, Star Trek) are hired to write the pilot episode and pos¬si¬bly more dur¬ing the first season.

As for the cast Scott Caan (son of James Caan) will play Danny “Danno” Williams. Alex O’Loughlin (best known for great series Moon¬light) plays Danny’s part¬ner Steve McGar¬rett. As pre¬vi¬ously announced, Daniel Dae Kim (one of the stars of Lost, play¬ing Jin) will be in role of Chin Ho Kelly. Taryn Man¬ning is cast in the role of Mary Ann, Steve McGarett younger sis¬ter. And Grace Park (Bat¬tlestar Galactica’s Boomer/Athena) is cast as Kono Kalakaua, niece of Chin Ho Kelly and young recruit.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/artic ... FE/3070309

Posted on: Sunday, March 7, 2010
Hawaii Five-O then and now
By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

It was stiff, serious and anything but real, yet somehow, "Hawaii Five-0" became an indelible part of its tropical setting.

From 1968 to 1980, it ruled the genre of TV police dramas even as it created a vision of the Islands that was never close to the truth but was always fun to watch. Hawai'i residents reveled in the exposure the CBS drama gave their ethnic diversity. If the dialog was a bit stilted or the pidgin mangled, no one seemed to mind.
Tomorrow, CBS plans to challenge nostalgia and begin filming the pilot for a modern remake of "Five-0." It could be a daunting task — a lot has changed in the 30 years since the original series finale.
We took a look at the "Hawaii Five-0" of an era past and asked a filmmaker, commentators and a retired detective to envision an updated version of the city, cops, cars, clothes and culture of the successful series.

city lights

THEN: The original opening sequence of "Hawaii Five-0" offered a sense of place that went against stereotypes, but probably still felt exotic for TV viewers anywhere but here.

Not yet a decade into statehood when the series began, Hawai'i came across as modern tropical. It had a skyline, a sense of innocence and an undercurrent of danger.

NOW: Brett Wagner, the Honolulu filmmaker who wrote and directed the acclaimed short feature "Chief," said an updated intro — one that is faster but simple — would work best for CBS.
"Hawaii Five-0" is more about urban Honolulu than lei-wearing tourists or coastal panoramas, he said. "A few beauty shots will set the stage, but I would mostly focus on people — on the spectrum of faces and styles that define street culture on this island.
"Keep it real, keep it gritty, keep it interesting. Nothing that looks like a travelogue. This show should be about the Hawai'i that Mainlanders haven't seen."

And Wagner wouldn't tinker much with the signature sound of "Hawaii Five-0," which he called one of the best in TV history.
"It doesn't need to sound techno or hip-hop or anything else," he said. "I would hire Jack White from the White Stripes to update the sound just a little, but keep it rootsy and raw."

'Book 'em, Danno'

THEN: Detective Steve McGarrett was the stoic face of "Hawaii Five-0," a cop so square, he did everything by the book, right down to the knot in his tie.

But the real Honolulu cops snickered at his body language and the way he emphatically stated the obvious, said Gary Dias, a retired Honolulu Police Department detective and the co-author of three books on local crime.

"It seemed stiff and a little comical," he said. "It seemed like McGarrett was not in the Hawaiian islands. It was more like he was in a very formal place. It was more like the FBI in Washington, D.C., than a unit in Hawai'i."

NOW: The modern crime fighter needs a reality check every now and then, said Dias, whose 27-year tenure included homicide, scientific investigations, robbery and hostage negotiations. Give McGarrett a sophisticated crime lab — can you say C.S.I. Honolulu? — but have him worry about funding.

"That would be much more interesting and much more realistic," Dias said. "Forensics is a field that continues to grow. You don't make investigations like they were doing long ago, where all you did was take photographs and talk to witnesses."

brawny Mercury

THEN: McGarrett drove a black, boxy Mercury. It might not have been as sexy as Don Johnson's "Miami Vice" Ferrari, but it was brawny, and its 345-horsepower engine packed so much muscle that the car's tires squealed even in the sand.

NOW: The modern McGarrett needs a modern ride, but what to choose: form or function? These days, a lot of police officers drive SUVs. They may go fast enough, but they look slow getting there.
Instead, Danny Luis, a supervisor at Ron's Performance Center, suggests the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. It's a sexy beast, with 426 horsepower and Bluetooth technology.

"It looks fast," Luis said. "And I think soon there are going to be cops in real life who are going to be driving them. They shouldn't use a Corvette. A Corvette would be a little too much."

Sharp-dressed man

THEN: If the "Five-0" unit seemed a bit formal, blame it on the suits. At a time when 1970s polyester fashions invited men to dress with leisure and comfort in mind, McGarrett and his crime-fighting crew often chased bad guys with their collars buttoned at the neck.
Of course, McGarrett sometimes indulged in long-sleeved aloha shirts, bright colors, wide collars and bell bottoms. He was dapper in his day, even when he wore a carnation lei.

NOW: Aloha attire long ago became the uniform of choice for just about every working professional in Hawai'i, says Andrew Reilly, an assistant professor at the University of Hawai'i-Mānoa Apparel Product Design and Merchandising program. Wear an aloha shirt in a classic design with jeans or khakis and McGarrett will be stylin'.
"That's what a typical cop would wear," Reilly said. "Anywhere else I would put him in a coat or jacket, but I don't see many people wearing jackets here, and I don't think it would be comfortable or necessary. A court is the only place you see a suit."

Kono's a WOMAN

THEN: None of the major players in the original cast belonged to the fairer sex. Women in the 1970s were victims for McGarrett to save.

And despite his good looks (and perfect hair), McGarrett never seemed interested in romance.

NOW: TV police dramas have evolved immensely since "Hawaii Five-0" — and gender equity is the norm, says Robert Thompson, the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

Thompson expects that more women will be fighting crime alongside McGarrett, and indeed, two of the first actors cast for the pilot are women, including Grace Park as Kono. That role was originally played by former beachboy Zulu.

But viewers should expect something more than just a pretty face who's a crack shot, Thompson said.

"Whenever a show is set in a tropical environment, where the average temperature is 82 degrees in the winter and the average temperature in the summer is 83 degrees," he said, "it is going to be populated by women who are scantily dressed."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/con ... 1af8285ba1
Duo secure roles on 'Hawaii,' 'Edgar'
Jean Smart to CBS remake; Tom Cavanaugh tapped as lead
By Nellie Andreeva
March 8, 2010, 04:30 PM ET

Jean Smart and Tom Cavanaugh (Getty)
From a First Lady to a Governor.

Jean Smart, who earned two Emmy nominations for her role as Fist Lady Martha Logan on Fox's "24" has joined CBS' "Hawaii Five-O" remake, playing Hawaii Governor Pat Jameson.

In other pilot castings, former "Ed" star Tom Cavanagh has closed a deal to play the lead in ABC's drama pilot "Edgar Floats."


The new "Hawaii" centers on an elite branch of the Hawaii State Police headed by Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) and answerable only to the governor (Smart) who is described as "a local Hawaiian with a Washingtonian's backbone" and a completely honest politician.

With women having made great strides in politics in the forty years since the original series, the creators of the updated "Hawaii," "Star Trek" writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and "CSI: NY' executive producer Peter Lenkov, went for a gender switch. On the original, Gov. Paul Jameson was played by Richard Denning.

Smart, who is billed as a guest star in the "Hawaii" pilot, most recently co-starred on the ABC comedy "Samantha Who?" which earned her an Emmy.

"Edgar Floats" is about a police psychologist (Cavanagh) who becomes a bounty hunter.

The project was close to setting up a "Friends" reunion.

David Schwimmer was approached for the role, which would have brought him to the same network that houses his former cast mates Courteney Cox (freshman series "Cougar Town") and Matthew Perry (pilot "Mr. Sunshine").

Cavanagh, who has recurred on the NBC/ABC comedy "Scrubs," most recently starred on the TNT drama "Trust Me."

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/03/09/jean- ... ii-five-o/

Jean Smart Joins 'Hawaii Five-O'
Posted Mar 9th 2010 1:01PM by Allison Waldman

The other day when it was announced that Scott Caan would be Danno on 'Hawaii Five-O,' it struck me that this new revamped version of the CBS crime drama was going to be fast-tracked for the fall. It just seems like 'Hawaii Five-O' is this pilot season's 'NCIS: Los Angeles' -- a veritable sure thing.

It's even more of a mortal lock today with this addition to the cast: Jean Smart will be joining 'Hawaii Five-O' as Hawaii Governor Pat Jameson. She will be the one person to whom Steve McGarrett has to answer. This is a direct link back to the original series, in which Jack Lord as McGarrett reported to the Governor, then played by Richard Denning.

In keeping with the advent -- the rise -- of women in politics, co-writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and executive producer Peter Lenkov, decided that it would be more accurate to cast a woman in the role. Move over, Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, not to mention President Allison Taylor on '24.' This will be a formidable character and a dynamic woman was needed.

Jean Smart, fortunately, is that kind of an actress. She's a firecracker. She most recently won an Emmy for 'Samantha Who,' and was twice nominated for her incendiary performance as First Lady Martha Logan on Fox's '24.'

According to the story in The Hollywood Reporter, Jean's character is from Hawaii, but she has a "Washingtonian's backbone" and is a completely honest politician. That should be great for a maverick like McGarrett.