Actor Nathan Fillion will be returning to television as he has just been cast as one of the leads in the upcoming series "Drive."

The series had already shot a pilot, with a complete cast, but it seems that while the network liked the show's premise, they weren't sold on the actors. So the show's executive producers Tim Minear (“Firefly,” “Angel,” “Wonderfalls,” “The Inside”) and Ben Queen set about to recast the show.

Minear says he had originally intended for Fillion ("Firefly," Serenity, Slither) to be a part of the cast, but the actor was unavailable at the time, as he was scheduled to shoot the feature film White Noise: The Light. Second time's the charm, though, as when it came time to recast the part, Fillion was available. Even handier, he had already signed a development deal with the network for a series.

Fillion will step into the role of Alex Tully, a landscaper who is forced to participate in an illegal underground road race to save the life of his wife. The role was played in the pilot by Ivan Sergei ("Crossing Jordan," "Charmed").

"Drive" is an action-filled drama that chronicles a road race in which no one is told whom they’re racing against, or even where the finish line is. Some of them have been coerced into joining The Race; others have sought out The Race themselves, hearing rumors of the $32-million prize. Each has a reason to compete and each is determined to win this cross-country competition, no matter what it takes.

Minear was kind enough to air the first eight minutes of the pilot for a small crowded room at a "Firefly" fan convention earlier this month and I can tell you the story looks very interesting. I was also intrigued by the camerawork done on the race sequences. The scenes were very fluid, with the camera zooming in and out of car windows and then on to the next vehicle. Kind of like what you would see in a movie like 2 Fast, 2 Furious, and not chopped up, like you normally see in television. If this is any indication as to what the series will be like, I will definitely be tuning in. Even more so, now that Fillion has joined the cast.

The series has so far received a half-season order for 12 episodes and will most likely debut Spring 2007 on the Fox network. For more information on Drive, visit www.fox.com/drive or drivefans.com.

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