Nellie Andreeva

Two notable announcements from Discovery Communications’ portion of TCA’s winter press tour:

- Feature director Ridley Scott has signed on for Prophets of Science Fiction, a new eight-episode series for the Science Channel, which will profile sci-fi visionaries such as Isaac Asimov, Gene Roddenberry and George Lucas and examine how their work inspired future discoveries decades before they took place. The series will premiere in the second half of 2011. Ridley and Tony Scott are producing.

- Discovery Channel has greenlighted a Chicago spinoff of game show Cash Cab. Hosted by comedian Beth Melewski, the new series will premiere in the summer. The original New York Cash Cab with Ben Bailey returns with new episodes in the spring.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.