The Sci Fi Channel has announced that Jack Kenny (Book of Daniel) and David Simkins (The Dresden Files) have joined the writing staff of Warehouse 13, a new dramatic series scheduled to run for 11 episodes on the channel in July.

The series begins production this February in Toronto and stars Eddie McClintock (Bones), Joanne Kelly (Jeremiah), Saul Rubinek (Frasier), and CCH Pounder (The Shield). It was conceived by Farscape’s Rockne O’Bannon and the two-hour pilot was written by   O’Bannon, Jane Espenson (Battlestar Galactica) and D. Brent Mote.

The network describes the series this way:

After saving the life of the president, two Secret Service agents find themselves abruptly transferred to Warehouse 13, a massive top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota that houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker, Artie (Rubinek), charges Pete (McClintock) and Myka (Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the Warehouse itself.

Kenny and Simkins join co-executive producer Dana Baratta (Runaway), supervising producer Drew Greenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), co-producers Matt Federman and Stephen Scaia (Jericho) and staff writers Bob Goodman (The New Batman/Superman Adventures), Tamara Becher (Crash) and Ben Raab and Deric Hughes (The Operator, Afterworld).

In talking with What’s on Stage, actor David Morrissey gave away part of the plot for the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

“I play a character called The Doctor – a man who believes himself to be a Time Lord,” he revealed. “It was great to be on board, because I’m a huge fan of the program and of David Tennant. As for any talk of me taking over as the next Doctor, well, if or when they do choose someone, they would have to totally different to David, which I am!”

He makes his return to the stage in the European premiere of Neil LaBute’s In a Dark Dark House.

The studios and networks are asking their producers to save money on their shows.  ABC yesterday ordered a 2% across the board cut for all their prime time programming.  Other networks have ordered similar trims as the economy makes the advertising revenue iffier.

The alphabet network also trimmed their orders for two midseason replacement series indicating they have excess inventory for the second half of the current season.  Rather than the usual 13 episodes, Castle, with Nathan Fillion as a crime author, and The Unusuals have had their orders cut down to ten.  This follows Samantha Who?’s order being cut to 20 rather than the normal 22 episodes comprising a full season. They also canceled the midseason comedy Single With Parents over creative problems.

ABC is negotiating to sign actress Reiko Aylesworth (24) for a “major recurring role” on Lost, according to The Hollywood Reporter. If signed, she would portray Amy, described as a smart and successful professional woman with a love for the outdoors who is looking for the right man.” The role is envisioned as a four-episode assignment.

Amy Price-Francis (Californication) has also found a recurring role but on Fox’s 24. The six-episode story arc would have her playing a ruthless attorney working for Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight).