Here's the latest on two cool women coming soon to a small screen near you:

• Gabrielle Union is joining the cast of Flash Forward, playing a criminal defense attorney named Zoey. Zoey will be a recurring character, and she'll also have a romantic arc on the show, though there's no word on which other cast member that will involve. (But wouldn't she be cute with Joseph Fiennes? Just sayin'.) Producer David S. Goyer said he knew the moment he met her that she was their Zoey: "She's witty, soulful and beautiful." Aw!
• Alfre Woodard is joining the cast of Three Rivers on CBS. In the medical drama — which stars Alex O'Loughlin of Moonlight fame — she'll play Sophia Jordan, the head of surgery at Three Rivers Hospital, a renowned center for organ transplants. She replaces Julia Ormond, who played the role in the pilot. While Sophia wasn't a particularly major character in the pilot, I could imagine her being a bigger factor as the series goes forward.

Are you excited to see either of these women back on TV?