Adam Baldwin

New weblet the CW has picked up its first pilot since the announcement that the WB and UPN would fold, while Madeleine Stowe ("We Were Soldiers") will lead the Fox drama "Southern Comfort."

Also, NBC has greenlit the John Wells comedy pilot "Prodigy/Bully," and TV superhelmer James Burrows is in talks to direct Fox comedy pilot "’Til Death."

At the CW, incoming net entertainment toppertopper Dawn Ostroff has ordered "Runaway," from Sony Pictures TV. Frog/Eye execs took pains to point out that the netlet’s first purchase came from an outside supplier, rather than parents CBS or Warner Bros.

Drama, from exec producers Darren Star and Ed Zuckerman, revolves around a family who become fugitives in order to prove the innocence of the family’s patriarch — who’s convicted of murder. Chad Hodge ("Tru Calling") wrote the pilot, which was originally developed by Ostroff and her team at UPN.

Meanwhile, "Prodigy/Bully," from Warner Bros. TV, is a single-camera half-hour about a family whose genius son uses his smarts to get what he wants. Wells will exec produce with Hank Perlman ("New Jersey Turnpikes"), Paris Barclay ("The West Wing") and Jon Feldman ("Reunion"). Perlman wrote the pilot with Steve Elliott and also will direct.

Meanwhile, on the casting beat:

* Stowe will play Charlotte in "Southern Comfort," which comes from 20th Century Fox TV. She plays a Mississippi woman who becomes a top Dixie Mafia player when her husband goes to jail. Stowe’s credits include "The General’s Daughter""The General’s Daughter" and "Impostor."

* Adam Baldwin will star opposite Taye Diggs in ABC’s "Day Break." He’ll play grizzled police vet Chad Shelton in the Touchstone TV pilot. Baldwin’s TV credits include "Firefly," "The X-Files" and "The Inside." He appeared in features "Serenity" and "The Patriot."

* Jonathan Silverman ("The Single Guy") will star as Henry in ABC’s "In Case of Emergency." Touchstone TV project, which has a six-episode commitment, revolves around four childhood friends realizing life didn’t turn out as expected. Silverman joins previously announced stars Greg Germann and Kelly Hu. His recent credits include the feature "Just a Little Harmless Sex" and the telepic "Deacons of Defense."

* Coby Ryan McLaughlin ("Jack & Jill") will play Brian and Krysten Ritter ("Veronica Mars") is set as Melinda in CBS’ untitled Port & Wiseman comedy. Project, about a young couple who have to deal with the wife’s extended family, comes from NBC Universal TV. Pam Fryman is onboard to direct.

* Jay Paulson ("Imaginary Heroes") has joined the cast of ABC’s "October Road," about a novelist who returns home, from Touchstone TV.

* Rashida Jones ("Little Black Book") will star in the ABC pilot "Our Thirties," from Touchstone TV and the Littlefield Co.

As for Burrows, the helmer — always in demand during pilot season — will direct "’Til Death" depending on his schedule. Comedy comes from Sony Pictures TV.

Other directors added to the mix are Adam BernsteinAdam Bernstein ("Rescue Me"), who will helmhelm laffer pilot "The Singles Table" for NBC and producer 20th Century Fox TV; and Breck EisnerBreck Eisner ("Taken""Taken"), who is directing the Fox pilot "Beyond."