Michael Imperioli joins cast of ABC drama

The reshaping of "Life on Mars" is continuing at ABC.

The show, which has already undergone a change in location and with its executive producers, has now added a new member to its cast. Former "Sopranos" star Michael Imperioli has joined the ensemble as a tough, crude detective, the showbiz trade papers report.

"Life on Mars" stars Jason O'Mara as Sam Tyler, a present-day cop who's transported to the early 1970s after being hit by a car. Imperioli will play Detective Ray Carling, one of his new colleagues in the '70s, who's distrustful of Sam's unorthodox methods and believes Sam took a position that was rightfully his.

The series is based on a BBC show of the same title. Dean Andrews played Carling in the British version.

Imperioli's casting is the latest of a number of changes the show has undergone since being picked up. David E. Kelley, who wrote and executive produced the original pilot, has stepped away from the show, which will now be run by the "October Road" team of Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg. Some recasting and reshoots are also expected.

Production has also shifted from Los Angeles, where the pilot was shot, to New York.

Imperioli won an Emmy in 2004 for his work on "The Sopranos." He starred in the ABC movie "For One More Day" last season and recently finished working on "The Lovely Bones" for director Peter Jackson.