Posted: Fri., Mar. 28, 2008, 2:45pm PT

Simon Baker returns to CBS

Former 'Guardian' to become 'The Mentalist'

By Josef Adalian

Simon Baker is returning to CBS, while ABC has greenlit the pilot "Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas."

Alphabet drama, from Warner Bros. TV, is a sort of mash-up of the Harry Potter books and "Pan's Labyrinth." It revolves around a girl who discovers a secret world underneath the human world.

Tom Wheeler wrote the pilot and will serve as exec producer.

On the casting tip, Baker -- who once starred as "The Guardian" for CBS -- will now play "The Mentalist" in a Warner Bros. TV-produced project. Baker's character, Patrick Jane, is a man who uses his keen sense of observation to solve crimes (Daily Variety, Feb. 27).

Joining Baker in the cast are Owain Yeoman ("The Nine") and Amanda Righetti ("The OC") Shaun Toub ("The Kite Runner") and Tim Kang ("Third Watch").