Timothy Olyphant of Deadwood and Hitman has joined the cast of FX's Damages, joining stars Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, and the other big Season 2 addition, William Hurt. FX is no doubt hoping that the high-profile cast boosts the ratings for the drama, which is unlikely to return until 2009.

A star of a slightly different caliber, Nicole Ritchie, will be doing a guest spot on Chuck when the cheesy-fun show returns this fall. She'll play an old high school nemesis to Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and will appear when a mission forces Sarah to bring Chuck as her date to her 10 year high school reunion.

Finally, Rutger Hauer and Aidan Quinn have joined the pilot of Prince of Motor City, a modern drama inspired by Hamlet. The cast already has an impressive line-up that includes Piper Perado, Andie MacDowell, and John Carroll Lynch. ❏