John Billingsley ("Dr. Phlox") has been cast in a pilot for a new series, as yet untitled, produced by Warner Bros. TV for ABC. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the drama chronicles the lives of nine strangers, one of them played by Billingsley, after they were held hostage in a botched bank robbery.

No word yet as to when the show is slated to air.

The Hollywood Reporter has also announced that Matt Frewer ("Rasmussen" in "A Matter of Time") will co-star in Eureka, a Sci-Fi Channel original series premiering this summer. Set in the present day, the show is about a group of scientists conducting top-secret research for the government from a small northwestern town. Eureka also features Rob LaBelle, who played three guest roles in Star Trek: Voyager.

Moore to Speak at Gaming Conference

Ronald D. Moore — former writer/producer for Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and currently executive producer of Battlestar Galactica — will be the keynote speaker at a gaming convention next month in northern California. He will appear at the Game Developers Conference 2006 (GDC) at noon on Wednesday, March 22, at the San Jose Convention Center.

Moore's keynote address is entitled "Building a Better Battlestar," and he'll discuss the challenge of reinventing an existing intellectual property — specifically, Galactica — while bringing a new sense of realism to the sci-fi genre. He will use clips and props from the show as references.

"His example of creating one of the most brilliant and successful science fiction masterpieces in recent Hollywood history is a perfect inspirational case study to capture the imaginations of the game creation leaders who attend GDC," said Jamil Moledina, director of the conference, in this GameDaily Biz story.

Following Moore's presentation, Moledina will moderate questions from the audience. Find out more at the GDC Web site.

Orion Girl Stars in Valentine Film

Changing her color scheme from green to red, Crystal Allen — who played the Orion Slave Girl "D'Nesh" in "Bound" — is starring in a romantic made-for-TV movie on the Hallmark Channel in celebration of Valentine's Day.

In "Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door," Allen leads a cast that includes Patty Duke, Patrick Duffy, Shelley Long and Bruce Boxleitner. Allen and Mark Lucas play a young couple whose overbearing parents ruin their wedding plans and possibly their future together. It will air on Saturday, February 11, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 Pacific, on the Hallmark Channel (check your local listings).

The movie also features Brigid Brannagh, who played the waitress "Ruby" in "First Flight," and Jim O'Heir, who played a small part in Voyager's "Critical Care." Visit HallmarkChannel.com for more info.

Doohan Launch Update: Another Delay

As we've been reporting for a few months, the Memorial Spaceflight that will take a portion of James Doohan's ashes into orbit on a Falcon rocket cannot commence countdown until the first Falcon vehicle is successfully launched. The twice-delayed liftoff of that inaugural flight was scheduled for today, but it's been scrubbed for at least two weeks. Preliminary systems checks yesterday did not yield satisfactory results.

"After analyzing data from the static fire countdown, we decided to postpone the launch. The vehicle is being lowered for further investigation," states Elon Musk of SpaceX, the private firm developing the Falcon. He estimates the next countdown attempt will be in two to four weeks.

It is only after a successful first launch of the Falcon that Space Services Inc. (SSI) can plan the "Explorers Flight" and concurrent events, including a public memorial for Doohan. SSI says the launch will occur no earlier than March.

By the way, SSI is still accepting tribute messages to Doohan — which will accompany his remains into space — at this link. The late astronaut Gordon Cooper is also part of this flight, and tribute messages for him are also being collected. More info is available at this link as well as this Space.com story.

Doohan's Son in "Bonaduce"

Those of you who attended Jimmy Doohan's Farewell Convention in August of 2004 may have met one of his sons, Chris Doohan, or saw him perform during the opening-night party with his band "Muddflaps." Chris has informed us that he and his band will be featured in Season 2 of Breaking Bonaduce, a VH1 reality show following the daily life of former Partridge Family bassist Danny Bonaduce.

For more about Chris and his band, visit www.myspace.com/chrisdoohan or Muddflaps.com.

So Did You See Nimoy During the Super Bowl?

No doubt he got paid well for it. Leonard Nimoy's latest role is playing himself in a 30-second commercial for the pain reliever Aleve, which premiered last Sunday during the Super Bowl, and continues to run on TV. Nimoy is backstage at a theater, talking to his agent on a cellphone complaining that he "can't do it" because his hand hurts, and he'll have to cancel the date. He agrees to try Aleve. He then steps out on stage before an expectant crowd — some dressed in Starfleet and Klingon outfits. Without saying a word, Nimoy takes the podium, looks before the crowd, lifts his hand and separates his fingers into the Vulcan salute. The crowd goes nuts. "That's good news, that's Aleve," Nimoy states in voice-over.

During the game we also spotted Richard Herd ("Admiral Owen Paris" in Voyager and other parts) in an ad for NFL Mobile. Herd is in the produce section of a market, and he approaches another sports fan who is checking scores on his cellphone. "You know, there was a time when you couldn't just stand there holding a papaya checking scores on a cell," he states dramatically. "It was a different time — we ate non-organic foods, and we liked it. If you wanted a score, you did it the old-fashioned way: you went ... on the Internet!"

You can see all the Super Bowl commercials at www.ifilm.com/superbowl. Nimoy's spot is listed under the heading "Bayer." Herd's commercial is listed under "NFL" and titled "NFL: A Different Time." Nimoy's ad also appears on Aleve.com.