ABC show won't shoot in Philly after all; Alycia Lane expecting 1st child

 VIOLA DAVIS  won't be taking up residence in Philadelphia any time soon.

The Philadelphia-set ABC show "How to Get Away with Murder," created by Shonda Rhimes ("Scandal"), was scheduled to shoot in the city but will now relocate to Los Angeles.

The show, starring the Academy Award-nominated Davis, is still set in Philadelphia and the pilot, which will premiere in a block after Rhimes' "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal" in the fall, will still feature scenes from our fair city. (For more on Rhimes, see Ellen Gray's column on Page 31.)

In the meantime, the Greater Philadelphia Film Office is trying to court "Empire" - the drama about a hip-hop mogul (Terrence Howard) from director Lee Daniels - away from its Chicago shooting locale.

Alycia Lane is expecting.

The former embattled CBS3 anchor is expecting her first child, a girl, in June. Lane told me that she found out she was pregnant just as her contract was not renewed with KNBC in Los Angeles.

"I am so tickled pink!!!" Lane told me in message. "Feeling so incredibly blessed. I thought it might never happen for me. Thanking God."

Lane told me she would start thinking about her next career move after the birth of her babe, but added she is glad she doesn't have to get up at 2 a.m. for a broadcast with a bun in the oven.

"I've wanted so badly to be a mother and finally I am!!!" Lane added. "Hoping to visit Philly with the lil pumpkin in the fall so she can meet her Philly family."

Hat tip to PhillyChitChat's HughE Dillon for the scoopage.

Did the Nutter administration hurt our chances of getting Jimmy Fallon to broadcast "The Tonight Show" from Philly? Mayor Nutter said he wanted Fallon here for Fourth of July celebrations, but a snafu with Frank Stallone may have blown it.

Stallone, former Philadelphia resident and brother of Sylvester, was eager to play his hometown for the Wawa Welcome America festivities on July Fourth. Sure, he would not have fit in demographically or musically with headliners like Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran and Jennifer Hudson, but in February, before those headliners were announced, Stallone and his manager, Randi Siegel, tried to get on the bill.

Siegel's talks with Desiree Peterkin-Bell, city representative and the mayor's director of communications, were originally promising, but Peterkin-Bell stopped responding to Siegel's calls and emails. The city rep claimed that she'd sent Siegel other options for Stallone, but when pressed by Siegel did not provide them.

"The acts have already been selected," Mark McDonald, press secretary for the mayor's office, said about the concert. "Mr. Stallone is a gentleman who has seen a number of winters and he knows, as we all do, that there is always next year. So get your application in early and make your case and let sweetness prevail."

The issue? Siegel used to manage Fallon through his time at "Saturday Night Live." She said it was ironic that just as the city was courting Fallon, it was ignoring someone close to the host, whose house band, the Roots, curates the musical festivities.

* Ginger Zee, of "Good Morning America," will broadcast from Atlantic City today from 7 to 9 a.m. Zee will do four live weather segments and preview up-and-coming summer goings-on in A.C.

* Brad Trackman, a teacher at the Philadelphia Comedy Academy, at Helium (2031 Sansom St.), will be on "The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson." The show starts at 12:35 a.m. on CBS3.

Filmgoers will notice a familiar face in Jon Hamm's new movie, "Million Dollar Arm." Former Inquirer Phillies beat writer/current ESPN MLB writer Jayson Stark has a cameo in the flick, in theaters on Friday. It's a good month for Stark. His collected writings, Wild Pitch, just hit bookstores. Hear Stark, along with Pat Gallen, every Monday from 6 to 7 p.m. on 97.5 the Fanatic.

* Jenny McCarthy and the ladies from her "Dirty Sexy Funny" comedy tour partied it up at MIXX nightclub at the Borgata (1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City) after their show on Saturday night. McCarthy was heard lamenting that her fiance, Donnie Wahlberg, was on tour in Europe with New Kids on the Block and not with her.

* Eagle Jeremy Maclin stopped by the Pop Shop (729 Haddon Ave., Collingswood, N.J.) yesterday and tweeted out his pleasure with the soda fountain.

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