Having starred in nothing that has put bums on seats the last few years, English actor Stuart Townsend ["Queen of the Damned", "Trapped"] is changing course to the Idiot Box.

Townsend, best known to some as Mr Charlize Theron, looks set to play Carl Kolchak on the new reworked "Night Stalker" series over at ABC, says FilmForce.

Gabrielle Union ["Bring it On"] will play his partner in the pilot episode.

In the original series/movies Darren McGavin starred as a reporter who stumbled upon the weird, wacky and darn-right freaky week-in, week-out.