Rachel Ward, Shirley Jones and Simon Rex Join Bianca: Journey to Paradise

Rachel Ward, Shirley Jones and Simon Rex have joined Virginia Williams on Lifetime's upcoming primetime soap Bianca: Journey to Paradise. Kieran Hutchinson, Stephen Martines, Vanessa Lengies, Samantha Shelton and Matt Funke also have been cast in the series, which has a 20-episode order. Filming on Bianca begins next month on the Gold Coast of Australia. The novela, from FremantleMedia North America, is slated to premiere in October and will air Saturdays at 10 p.m., followed by reruns of ABC's hit Desperate Housewives, says The Hollywood Reporter.

"We are extremely excited to add this series to Lifetime's Saturday night lineup," Lifetime Entertainment Services president of entertainment Susanne Daniels said. "In adding this sexy new series to our schedule, we are creating a destination for TV viewers looking for a Saturday night escape with 'Bianca: Journey to Paradise' and 'Desperate Housewives' airing back-to-back."