Exclusive: Awesome 'Burlington' Casting Scoop!

Burlington Coast Factory's casting gurus are firing on all cylinders for the show's first season!

As I previously reported, the ABC spymedy (new word, thoughts?) will feature Rumer Willis in the lead role of Chrona, a Burlington worker who travels through time to uncover a mystery surrounding the store. Olympia Dukakis has also been touted to play Arabella Burlington, the last remaining member of the Burlington dynasty looking to expose the store's secrets in order to gain her fortune back. I can now exclusively reveal that Danny Glover, Idina Menzel, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Danny Slavin have all been cast in roles for the upcoming pilot.

Glover, most recently seen as Sally Field's love interest on Brothers and Sisters will play Mr. Molasses Groom, the current owner of the Burlington franchise. Menzel, fresh off a stint reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in the West End production of Wicked, has been cast as Rachel Cosby, the owner of a Jewish deli where Chrona does much of her research. Gellar, who hasn't done much of anything since Buffy, has a star turn playing Penelope Wilkes Booth, a teacher with murderous tendencies and a fetish for winter coats. And finally, Slavin, who once protected civillians as a Power Ranger, will now protect civillians as the store's day shift security guard Boyd Leonard.

ABC is still mum on casting for other major roles, such as a post-op transexual and a Hanson-lookalike, but rumor has it that Make Me A Supermodel's Casey Skinner and Heroes' Nick D'Agosto are both vying for the part. Which part? You be the judge.

Exclusive: 'Burlington' welcomes new cast members

ABC's Burlington Coat Factory Stores has some new hires!

Sources confirm to me exclusively that Christine Baranski-- last seen strutting her stuff to "Dancing Queen" in the megahit Mamma Mia! alongside Meryl Streep -- is joining the cast in the recurring role of Grizelda, a post-op transexual who sues the store when an employee directs her to the Gentlemens section. Baranski (who is contracted to appear in eight out of the initial 13 episodes ordered by ABC) is said to be "elated but terrified" at the idea of playing a transexual, but added that it "certainly cannot be much more of a mess than Mamma Mia, that's for damn sure".

In perhaps more surprising news, the much coveted role of Jon-Jon, the childish wallflower employee described as "a smooth chested Hanson lookalike with the sex appeal of Hugh Jackman and the self confidence of Latoya Jackson" has finally been cast. The part - which became a hot commodity in TV land with such names as Nick D'agosto, Ian Somerhalder and Mickey Rooney reportedly campaigning for the it - was given to newcomer Casey Skinner, who up until now is mildly known for a brief stint on Bravo's Make Me a Supermodel.

Both characters will first be seen in this season's third episode, which also marks the first meeting between Rumer Willis's Chrona and Olympia Dukakis's Arabella - an encounter that production crew members described as "explosively fluffy."