ABC Appoints Field To 'Bench'

The verdict is in: Sally Field is going back to the small screen. After lengthy negotiations, the two-time Oscar winner has struck a deal to play a liberal U.S. Supreme Court justice in the ABC/Touchstone TV drama pilot “The Bench.”

If the pilot is ordered to series, sources said Field will command a hefty salary — in the neighborhood of $150,000 an episode. “We’re incredibly excited to have an actress of Sally’s caliber in a piece like this,” Touchstone executive vp Steven McPherson said.