A&E's 'Andromeda' fills out cast

Mini-series to star Bratt, Schroder

By JOHN DEMPSEY

Braugher

Rick Schroder, Eric McCormack, Andre Braugher and Christa Miller have joined Benjamin Bratt in "The Andromeda Strain," A&E's four-hour, $15 million miniseries, exec produced by Ridley and Tony Scott.

The biggest production in A&E's 23-year history, "Andromeda" is a remake of director Robert Wise's 1971 sci-fi thriller about a deadly virus unleashed when a satellite returning from deep space crashes near a Utah town. A group of scientists try to contain the lethal bacteria before it spreads throughout the Southwest.

Based on Michael Crichton's novel, A&E's "Andromeda," which has begun production in Vancouver, is adapted by Robert Schenkkan and directed by Mikael Saloman. Joining the Scotts as exec producers are David Zucker and Tom Thayer.