Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Former Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip co-stars Steven Weber and D.L. Hughley are reuniting on TNT. Weber and Hughley have  been tapped as the two leads of TNT’s untitled pilot from Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps writer Allan Loeb. In other TNT pilot casting, Arjay Smith has landed a lead role opposite Eric McCormack in the network’s drama Perception.

Based on Marshall Karp’s novel The Rabbit Factory, the Lionsgate TV-produced Allan Loeb project centers on recently widowed police Detective Mike Lomax (Weber) and his newly married partner, Terry Biggs (Hughley), who delve into a world of mystery, intrigue and occasional hijinks. Lomax, who continues to receive humorous and heartfelt weekly letters from his wife a year after her death, tries to navigate the singles world while also maintaining his pedigree as one of L.A.’s finest. Loeb wrote the pilot script and is executive producing with Steven Pearl. Ken Topolsky is co-executive producing. Weber, repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment, is already in business with TNT. He has a 3-episode arc on the network’s upcoming sci-fi series Fallen Skies. Hughley, who has an arc on TBS’ upcoming comedy series Glory Daze, is with ICM and 3 Arts.

Perception centers on Dr. Geoffrey Pierce (McCormack), an eccentric, frequently erratic and absolutely brilliant neuroscientist who helps the FBI solve complex cases. Smith (TNT’s Saving Grace) will play Pierce’s TA, a perpetual student who has spent nine years in college and has had sixteen majors and not a single degree.

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