Washington Goes From 'Grey's' to 'Bionic Woman'

Los Angeles -- July 16, 2007— -- Isaiah Washington, the embattled star fired from ABC's Grey's Anatomy last month, is back to work — at NBC.Washington will guest-star on the network's high-profile remake of 1970s drama Bionic Woman this fall, and has signed a development deal to star in a potential action drama he pitched to the network for the 2008-09 TV season.

The network is expected to announce the deal today at a TV critics meeting here.

Washington, 43, was fired last month from the hit medical drama after on-set conflicts including use of an anti-gay slur, which later was connected to co-star T.R. Knight. Washington initially denied missteps, then apologized and underwent counseling at ABC's insistence.

But in subsequent interviews after his firing, he said racism might have been a factor and accused Knight of manipulating the controversy.

Katherine Pope, president of NBC's Universal Media Studios, says that despite the public baggage, Washington is "a brilliant actor," and she believes viewers will re-embrace him. "I think people watch characters on TV, not personalities" in the news, she says.

Washington won critical praise for his role as Dr. Preston Burke, who was written out of Grey's at the end of its third season in May, when he walked out on Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) moments before their planned wedding.

On Bionic, he'll play an outsider with a mysterious agenda who is introduced early in the series and may either help the superpowered Jamie (Michelle Ryan, in the role first played by Lindsay Wagner) or take her down.

Washington has signed on for at least five episodes of the new drama, considered NBC's strongest shot this fall, in a crop developed by former entertainment president Kevin Reilly, who has since moved to the same post at Fox.

The Washington deal marks the first stamp of new NBC co-chairman Ben Silverman, who also is an executive producer of The Office and Ugly Betty.

Silverman also is expected to resurrect The Apprentice, which was expected to be canceled, as part of a broader push into reality. Besides Heroes, the network's biggest hit last season was Deal or No Deal.