I see Tess Harding in the Diane Sawyer mold. Bring in a star-star. High glamour is required. Know who'd burn up the material?
Vanessa Williams. Totally believable as the character, and with a hot guy playing Sam, instead of a zhlub, the romance could be sexy. I still like the show, to a point; it's well crafted, and some of the specialty numbers have some charm. I liked it best with Debbie Reynolds. Williams could toss of the vocals easily.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling