Actors checking into 'Hospital'

LOS ANGELES, July 29 (UPI) -- Andrew McCarthy, Diane Ladd and Bruce Davison have signed into ABC's 15-hour series "Stephen King's Kingdom Hospital."

The series opens Thursday, Feb. 5 -- the first night of sweeps -- at 9 p.m. with a two-hour premiere. The hour-long thriller, from Sony Pictures TV and Touchstone TV, will continue in that slot in subsequent weeks, Daily Variety said.

King has already written all 15 hours of the series, which is based on the Danish miniseries "Riget" ("The Kingdom") from Lars Von Trier.

"Kingdom Hospital" revolves around a bizarre hospital where patients and staff have chosen to ignore tell-tale signs of mysticism and unseen powers. King describes the project as a cross between "ER" and his own "The Shining."

Sony Pictures Television programming chief Russ Krasnoff said King has been involved in the casting process, attending casting sessions in New York.