TBL -- The Show Must Go On (Without Mischa?)
There are signs Mischa’s on the mend. E Online! quotes the actress’s rep Craig Schneider as saying she is “improving and still under care, with the intentions of being able to resume production on The Beautiful Life next week.” The troubled star, 23, was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's psychiatric department last week with an as-yet unconfirmed condition.
But what does this mean for her role in the new Fall TV series? A spokeswoman for The CW insists that the start of production was delayed more than a week -- from July 22 to July 31 -- due to a few sets not being camera ready, and not because of Ms. Barton’s recent medical issues.
Ok, that’s all fine and good… except EW’s Michael Ausiello delivered new dish from the TBL end of things. It sounds like the producers aren’t leaving their fate up to the thesp and her doctors. They’re readying a contingency plan: create another character, similar to Mischa’s -- without actually recasting her Sonja Stone role -- and let “Jane” (tentative name) fill the gap until/if the actress returns.
What do you think of this new turn of events: outraged that they’d (sort-of) replace Mischa while she’s in crisis or relieved that production of the new show won’t be interrupted? Talk in the comments!