V Star Morena Baccarin Headed for Showtime’s Homeland

Now that ABC has sent the Lizards packing for home in its aborted remake of V, series star Morena Baccarin has been looking for a new gig. And she’s found it. The former V and Firefly star has signed on to star in a major role opposite Claire Danes and Damian Lewis in Showtime’s new, one-hour drama series Homeland, the network has announced.

Baccarin will play the role of Jessica Brody, Sgt. Nick Brody’s (Lewis) intrepid and complicated wife. Homeland begins production this month and will be executive produced by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, known for long stints on FOX’s 24.

Homeland, which was written by Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Gideon Raff, centers on an American soldier (Lewis) taken prisoner during the Iraq invasion in 2003. Left for dead, he miraculously returns to the U.S. after years in captivity. Carrie Anderson (Danes), a driven CIA officer battling her own psychological demons, becomes convinced that the intelligence that led to his rescue was a setup and that this national hero may be connected to an Al Qaeda plot to be carried out on American soil. Patinkin plays Saul, a veteran CIA Division Chief who is Carrie’s boss and mentor.

The series certainly sounds as if it has all the makings of an intriguing skein; it’s timely, has significant showrunner talent, and a powerful cast.

The series is produced by FOX 21.