B Positive Promotes Linda Lavin and 2 Others — Plus, Meet the 6 New Cast Members Joining for Season 2

Ryan Schwartz and Rebecca Iannucci
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

B Positive‘s ensemble just got a lot larger — and that includes big promotions for three existing cast members.

CBS on Wednesday confirmed that Linda Lavin (Norma), David Anthony Higgins (Jerry) and Darryl Stephens (Gideon) have all been elevated to series-regular status for Season 2. They join returning series regulars Annaleigh Ashford (Gina), Thomas Middleditch (Drew), Kether Donohue (Gabby), Sara Rue (Julia), Izzy G. (Maddie) and Terrence Terrell (Eli).

More from TVLine

In addition, the network has released a statement by executive producer Chuck Lorre, who reveals the central premise of Season 2:

“Having donated a kidney and saved a man’s life, Gina has learned that happiness is in the giving, not the getting,” the statement reads. “She puts this principle to work by trying to improve the lives of the elderly residents of Valley Hills, the assisted living facility where she’s been working. In the meantime, Drew is struggling with a strange new feeling. Post-surgery, he’s convinced he’s in love with Gina. It’s complicated.” (Meanwhile, Gideon — formerly a dialysis nurse — will now work alongside Gina as the head of nursing at Valley Hills, the network also revealed.)

What’s more, CBS has announced six new recurring cast members, with familiar faces from The Kominsky Method, Last Man Standing and Supernatural:

* Hector Elizondo (Last Man Standing) will play Harry, a gruff, no-nonsense resident at Valley Hills, fighting to keep his terminally ill wife, Meredith, comfortable.

* Jane Seymour (The Kominsky Method) will play Bette, an aging beauty who is incapable of coming to terms with her senior status.

* Ben Vereen (The Good Fight) will play Peter, a brilliant, retired professor struggling with a failing memory.

* Celia Weston (Dead Man Walking) will play Meredith, who is dealing with her terminal illness as best as she can while trying to help her husband, Harry, move.

* Jim Beaver (Supernatural) will play Spencer, a former NYPD transit cop who was a 9/11 first responder. Politically and socially, he finds it difficult to behave appropriately.

* Anna Maria Horsford (Hacks) will play Althea Ludlum, the no-nonsense administrator of Valley Hills. She’s a thorn in Gina’s side, but Gina needs help running the place.

B Positive returns for Season 2 on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 9:30/8:30c. Which piece of casting news excites you most for the new episodes?

Launch Gallery: Who's In? Who's Out? TV's Major Casting Moves for Fall (and Beyond!)

Best of TVLine

Get more from TVLine.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter