Jane Fonda signs on to ABC pilot; what does it mean for her ‘Newsroom’ future?

If you are a major fan of Jane Fonda, then you are probably celebrating the latest news that has just come out. However, you may not be celebrating as much if you were hoping to see plenty of her as Leona Lansing on “The Newsroom” for many years coming up.

According to a new report from Variety, the Hollywood legend has signed on to appear in what is her first TV starring role on an ABC pilot entitled “Now What?” from former “Pushing Daisies” writer Abby Gewanter. The show revolved around a mother (Fonda) who moves in with her daughter to work out their differences after the daughter publishes a blog entry pretty much listing all of the reasons why she hates her so much. This half-hour comedy does not have any other cast members just yet, but Fonda’s appearance alone makes things interesting.

So how much Leona could we see on HBO because of this? Since you have to remember that this pilot is for the fall 2013 season, it’s likely that she will still still have as many appearances open for “The Newsroom” as Aaron Sorkin wants. What may be a bit more troublesome is if this new show is picked up to series, and “The Newsroom” is picked up for a third season. In that case, Sorkin may need to either write Fonda out, or limit Leona to just an appearance or so a season based on her schedule.

Regardless of how it may impact the world of ACN and Will McAvoy, are you still thrilled that Fonda is going to be heading back to TV in such a big way?