Gillian Anderson returns to network TV, teams with ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ alum for pilot

Have you missed seeing Gillian Anderson on your TV sets? If so, you are not alone; the former “X-Files” star is clearly one of the most-beloved women in science fiction over the past two decades, and while she has done a great deal of work on British television and cable networks, this marks a real opportunity to return to a broadcast channel in a series regular position.

Sources are confirming that Anderson will be starring in a new drama pilot for “Life’s”  Rand Ravich, which revolves around a world in which powerful men and women are controlled by someone who develops a knack at being a brilliant puppeteer. Anderson is going to play a powerful CEO, whose daughter and classmates end up becoming a victim of mass abudction. Meanwhile, recnetly “666 Park Avenue” star and “Grey’s Anatomy” alum Rachael Taylor will play an FBI agent and Anderson’s sister, who tries to help find a solution to this problem.

While Anderson has some majorly successful TV projects behind her already, Taylor has not been entirely so lucky. Neither “666 Park Avenue” nor her remake of “Charlie’s Angels” managed to last beyond a small handful of episodes, and before that she was best known to American audiences for her role in the original “Transformers” movie as Maggie.

If this pilot is picked up by the network, we could see it on as early as the fall. Given that NBC is likely to cancel “Smash” and “Deception,” along with the fact that there is already a spot open Thursday nights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, there will be opportunities for some new programming.

What do you think about the idea behind the show, and about the casting so far? Be sure to share your thoughts below, and you can read more about what NBC has going on by heading over to the link here.

Photo: NBC