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Undercovers: What Should the Recently Out of Work Cast Do Next?

Undercovers was finally put out of its misery yesterday by NBC, despite high hopes by the network that it would become its new tentpole series. Obviously, maybe they should have put some thought into the actual making of the show other than "We'll just say the name J.J. Abrams in the commercials a lot!" if they expected anybody to like it, but what's done is done. So, now that the show's failure has put some perfectly good actors (and Lizzy) out of work, it's time for us to play headhunter and place them on other existing shows where they could potentially thrive.

Boris Kodjoe (Steven Bloom)
Really, really ridiculously good-looking late-'30s guy with a professional air about him? He seems tailor-made for ShondaLand. I would advise against putting him and Taye Diggs on the same show (as the "Antonio Banderas Show" would say, "Nooo! It's too sexy!"), so does anybody need a boyfriend on Grey's? Bailey? She has to be kicking herself for getting rid of that last hot guy and ready for round two by now.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Samantha Bloom)
The odd thing about Mbatha-Raw's casting is that while she is eye-meltingly gorgeous, that's kind of all I got from her. And because she didn't do much on Doctor Who and what I've seen of MI-5 didn't happen to feature her, I have no idea what her acting strengths are or what her personality is even like, because she didn't infuse either into her Undercovers role. Maybe she could play a lawyer on Law & Order: Los Angeles or a Rizzoli & Isles-type show where she'll be employed forever while not really being required to do much. I have no idea. Brits? Anglophiles? Want to try and sell me on her?

Gerald McRaney (Shaw)
McRaney is an old-school man's man with a (fake) military background. Clearly he's a fit for Mad Men in that way -- maybe he could play a new military client who makes casual jokes about deserters that could send Don Draper into panic attacks in the middle of meetings. Or, you know, Major Dad could get himself a motorcycle license and impose some much-needed discipline unto SAMCRO.

Ben Schwartz (Bill Hoyt)
I suspect it wasn't entirely the actor's fault, but Schwartz's sycophantic Bill Hoyt was one of the most irritating new characters of this fall, and though the writing on Undercovers was indeed terrible, it can't be entirely not his fault. I say ship him off to India where he can follow his new boss Todd around like a puppy dog on Outsourced.

Carter MacIntyre (Leo)
Leo was by far the best thing about Undercovers, cracking wise and managing to actually be compelling every time he was on-screen, so I'd hate to see him wasted on a procedural somewhere. He's also too grown-up for a teen show like Glee or TVD, and while I think his goofy sarcasm would fit in perfectly on Cougar Town, something about him makes me feel like this guy's got "vampire show" written all over him. If I were in charge of the TV, I'd send him to True Blood, where he can be a shirtless smartass and still throw punches.

Mekia Cox (Lizzy)
Ahh, Lizzy. The show's other relentlessly annoying person. I'd send her to Life Unexpected (where annoying characters go to die), but that show's essentially as good as cancelled at this point. Wait a minute -- that's exactly where I'd like to send her. Pack your bags, Lizzy! You're going to Oregon if and when there are additional Life Unexpected episodes made some day!

Your casting ideas? Sentiments about Undercovers' swift cancellation? Leave them all in the comments!

Check out these other suggestions for new gigs for stars fleeing cancelled shows.

11 Comments

November 5, 2010 5:32 PM
Chaz
Reply

Maybe I'll get drummed out of TWOP for saying it, but I didn't think Undercover was so bad. Nowhere near other Abrams series, of course, but fun, light entertainment. I am hardly despairing over the cancellation, but I did enjoy it.

November 6, 2010 2:17 AM
Andy Bluebear
Reply

Gerald McRaney would be a good fit for SOA...

November 6, 2010 10:38 PM
Chelsea
Reply

I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Gerald McRaney show up on Sons of Anarchy at some point - pretty much everyone else from Deadwood has.

November 7, 2010 1:03 AM
Amber
Reply
replied to comment from Chaz

It wasn't worse than "What About Brian". Or "Six Degrees".

November 8, 2010 10:21 AM
sarah
Reply

I would watch anything with Boris Kodjoe. He is so ridiculously lip-smacking good lookin' (I don't even talk like that about men normally, but he warrants it).

November 11, 2010 7:45 PM
MyLisa
Reply

I'm going to miss it. Boris and Gugu definitely brought the sexy to my TV screen. I'd like to see Boris go to 5-0 and give McGarret 2.0 a run for his money as a recurring arch-nemesis (or is he?) Gugu could go with him (I love them together), or perhaps The Event needs another mysterious female?

November 11, 2010 9:21 PM
John
Reply

It was as though they were recycling the most boring parts of Alias and hoping we'd just be distracted by the attractive people and the name JJ Abrams. It wasn't bad, just boring. Even Alias had a supreme evil entity and some weird conspiracy, and the number 47. This had none of that. Like JJ tried to do normal. But JJ, all your good stuff is not normal. That's the point. if i wanted normal, i'd watch something else.

November 12, 2010 12:57 PM
Sherry
Reply

NBC blew their chance to have a great Wednesday night "tentpole show" when they canceled LIFE.

November 12, 2010 11:00 PM
Kelly
Reply

Let's throw Carter MacIntyre over on Burn Notice as a spy playing against Michael. That seems like it would be awesome - he has the charisma for the show.

November 13, 2010 12:55 PM
Nate
Reply

I think Gugu Mbatha-Raw should just be in a perpetual coolest name ever contest with Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch. It's a really close call.

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