ABC keeping Dirty

For ABC's Dirty Sexy Money, the show must and will go on. Although most news of late from the television industry involves shows shutting down production, ABC has given word on a full-season pickup of the campy drama, according to Variety.

The network has ordered nine more episodes of the show, which gives it a 22-episode first season. Whether production of the new episodes will ever actually happen--because of the writers strike--is anyone's guess. This is the first series pickup since the strike began two weeks ago.

ABC has already ordered full seasons of three other new shows: Private Practice, Pushing Daisies, and Samantha Who?

The unapologetically over-the-top Dirty Sexy Money stars Peter Krause (Six Feet Under, Sports Night) as attorney Nick George, who is employed by the ultrarich Darling family in New York City. While attending to their every unreasonable whim, he also investigates the possible murder of his father.

With more episodes come more characters. Signing on to play a potential love interest for Darling clan patriarch Tripp, played by screen legend Donald Sutherland, will be Lolita Davidovich, says The Hollywood Reporter. The role should be a cakewalk for Davidovich, given that she has experience quickening the pulse of silver-haired men. The redhead's breakout role was playing a stripper opposite Paul Newman in 1989's Blaze. In a strange bit of coincidence (conspiracy theorists take note), Davidovich also starred in a 2006 film titled Kill Your Darlings.

Also picked up today was the Web-based program Quarterlife. The show will move from its eight-minute shorts on MySpace to NBC as a one-hour drama early next year. Because of its "ownership structure," the program is unaffected by the writers strike, reports The New York Times.

Quarterlife follows a group of Internet-savvy mid-20-year olds and how their lives are portrayed on the blog of the main character.

Dirty Sexy Money airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. on ABC. For more information on the show, read TV.com's previous coverage or watch a recent exclusive TV.com video interview with stars William Baldwin and Natalie Zea.