Jane Seymour's last major starring TV role was Dr Quinn, Medicine Woman, but that hasn't kept the actress away from TV roles in recent years. She's worked her way through a slew of high profile guest stints, and now she's being rewarded with a big comedy pilot that is being set up at CMT. If all goes well, Jane Seymour could be starring in His Wives & Daughters, a new family comedy with a country music twist.
The network announced this week that it managed to sign on Jane Seymour to His Wives & Daughters. So far, the former Medicine Woman seems to be the only big name who has been cast. The network is describing the comedy as more of a soapy comedy, so I'm assuming it will have over-the-top dramatic elements, as well. The show will be about Eddie Ray Banks' rather large family. The country singer and "notorious womanizer" has ended up with a slew of wives and kids under his belt by the time the series kicks off.
Jane Seymour is expected to play one of the former wives of Eddie Ray Banks. Her character will be Lorna, a woman with singing talent and ambitions who married Eddie Ray Banks as a young woman. The two kicked off as a duo and, after splitting, Lorna Larson Banks became one of the most famous women in country music thanks to a prolific solo career. A lot of shows that look at womanizing country singers often show us women who are less famous than their husbands, but that won't be the case with Lorna. CMT says Lorna Larson Banks isn't almost famous; instead, she may be more famous than her ex.
His Wives & Daughters will feature a veritable family reunion of sorts, although we don't know exactly how many exes Eddie Ray Banks will actually have. We do know that he also has a daughter with Lorna, but familial relations will be strained at the start of the series as that daughter, April, has published a tell-all book about her family life.
There's no telling if this one will make it all the way to series, although we will note that cable networks are a bit more prudent about throwing money into pilots than the major networks are. Whether or not a series is ordered after the pilot is screened for CMT largely depends on quality, and we'll have to wait and see whether or not that pans out.
The good news is that His Wives & Daughters sounds as if it will be a good fit in the network's scripted lineup, which currently includes Still The King and the upcoming pick-up of Nashville Season 5. A Varsity Blues remake is also in the works at the network. CMT also has limited series Million Dollar Quartet on the way.
As for Jane Seymour, this role would be a big step up from the minor recurring roles she's had on Jane the Virgin and Franklin & Bash in recent years. Here's hoping it all pans out. For now, check out what is heading to TV with our fall TV premiere schedule.
