'West Wing,' 'Rescue Me' Actresses to Star in Jennifer Lopez's ABC Family Pilot

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Teri Polo and Sherri Saum

The West Wing alum Teri Polo and Rescue Me vet Sherri Saum have landed the lead roles in ABC Family drama pilot The Fosters.

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The one-hour project from producer Jennifer Lopez revolves around Stef and Lena Foster, a mixed-race lesbian couple who are parents to a biological son as well as several adopted children. When Lena decides to take in Callie, a troubled teen with an abusive past, the girl's disruptive ways threaten to turn the Fosters' lives upside down. The Fosters is currently in pre-production.

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Polo, who recently starred in ABC's Man Up, will portray Stef, who is described as a tough but kind police officer not eager to add to the large family. She soon realizes that her family might be Callie's best hope for a better life.

Saum, who also appeared on HBO's In Treatment, will play Lena, an altruistic school principal determiend to save as many kids as she can. She agrees to take Callie in without Stef's knowledge.

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Bradley Bredeweg and Peter Paige penned the pilot, which will be executive produced by Lopez's Nuyorican Productions. Simon Fields, Bredeweg, Paige and Greg Gugliotta also serve as EPs.

ABC Family officially ordered The Fosters to pilot in August. The cable network also ordered Gavin Polone's Socio, an adaptation of Mexican format Terminales and two comedies for possible series contention.

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