BIG SKY CRIME: A&E is bringing author Craig Johnson's popular Wyoming sheriff, Walt Longmire, to the small screen for the first time. Even though his portrayer is an Australian actor and filming will actually take place a couple of states farther south in New Mexico, the series is already earning industry buzz for its top-notch ensemble cast.

"Longmire" will star Robert Taylor in the title role, with Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase and Cassidy Freeman filling other principle roles. Filming is set to begin in Santa Fe next month, with the show slated to premiere on the network this summer.

Taylor is probably best known to American viewers for his role as Agent Jones in "The Matrix" (1999), but he's found far more success Down Under. In recent years, he's appeared in the Aussie series "Killing Time," "Satisfaction" and "MDA" as well as the Irish dramedy "Ballykissangel."

Sackhoff has landed the female lead as deputy Victoria Moretti, who helps Longmire bounce back just a year after his wife's death, to get focused on his re-election. Sackhoff is widely known for her lead role as Lt. Kara Thrace in "Battlestar Galactica," and her strong role in "24."

Phillips will portray Henry Standing Bear, Longmire's close friend who steps in to help when deputy Branch Connally (played by Chase) decides to run against Longmire for sheriff. Phillips has done well for himself since leading the cast in 1987's "La Bamba," with memorable TV roles in "Numb3rs," "24" and "SGU Stargate Universe." Meanwhile, Chase's career highlights include roles in such cable hits as "Damages" and "Saving Grace."

Freeman, who was a series regular on "Smallville," will play Longmire's daughter, Cady.

Johnson has written seven novels in his Walt Longmire series, so there is plenty of material for A&E to play with as it launches the new crime thriller.

WORLDS COLLIDE: Hollywood and the video game industry have been intimately linked for decades, each providing inspiration for the other. There have been hit games that have become big silver-screen sellers, such as the "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and "Resident Evil" franchises. It's gone the other way too, with 1995's "GoldenEye" and ABC's "Lost" inspiring hit video games.

Soon, Syfy will make history by releasing a new sci-fi series, "Defiance," with its online game simultaneously. Collaborating with Trion Worlds for the project, the network boasts that the show and massive multiplayer online (MMO) game will "exist in a single universe, evolving together over time to tell an overall story that is more powerful together."

Syfy has announced that New Zealander Grant Bowler has landed the role as the show's lead character, Jeb Nolan. He is a former marine living in the near future who took part in the war between humans and aliens. Now, the two races live together in a new world that has been transformed by the aliens' machines. Since losing his family in the war, Nolan has become a wanderer in the wild, but he ends up staying in a frontier town when he's hired to keep the peace.

"Grant's charismatic charm and his depth as an actor make him the perfect anchor as we build the ensemble for this sweeping adventure series," said Syfy's Mark Stern.

Bowler is best known to American audiences as Connor Owens, Wilhelmina's love interest in "Ugly Betty." He also starred as Cooter in "True Blood" and was part of the ensemble cast in "Killer Elite" (2011). Fans of foreign fare would have spotted him in "Blue Heelers," "Adrenalin Junkies" and "Outrageous Fortune."

"Defiance," which is being written and executive produced by Rockne S. O'Bannon ("Alien Nation," "Farscape"), will begin filming in Toronto this coming April.

OWN EXPANSION: Three new shows with seemingly different concepts -- women in a male-dominated industry, the search for true love, and answering life's big questions -- have found common ground in Oprah Winfrey's world.

The TV legend's network, OWN, has given the green light to three new series to boost the young station's catalog as it grows through its second year on the air. "Lives on Fire," "Lovetown, USA" and "Are You Normal, America" will join the lineup this year.

"Each of our new shows is right on brand and aligned with Oprah's intention to bring our audience meaningful, entertaining programming," said OWN co-president Sheri Salata.

"Lives on Fire" points the camera at four remarkable female firefighters as they handle the hoses in an industry monopolized by men, and one that is fraught with danger. Stationed in California, these women tackle some of the state's worst disasters and put their lives on the line to rescue civilians caught in the wake. Each woman brings a different level of experience to the job, and the cameras also take a look at their personal lives between the risky shifts.

After a nationwide search, the town of Kingsland, Ga., was selected as the base for "Lovetown, USA." This new reality series follows matchmakers Paul Carrick Brunson and Kailen Rosenberg as they head to the town for 30 days to help eight local singles find love in their own neighbourhood. The network is dubbing the show as "the biggest dating challenge in TV history."

"Are You Normal, America" will answer certain questions about supposedly average human behavior through polling, a "jury" of real Americans, hidden-camera shoots, man-on-the-street interviews and studio demonstrations for this truly unique game show. By exploring various issues, contestants will reveal how normal or abnormal they are in a quest to earn a money prize.