Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

It’s over the hump day. How is your week going so far? Let’s get into the news items for today, shall we?

TELEVISION

General Sam Lane (Michael Ironside) and Lucy Lane (Peyton List), the father and wild-child sister of Lois (Erica Durance), will return to Smallville in a late-October episode. Details on the duo’s arrival are sparse, though. Smallville’s 10th and final season premieres September 24 at 8 PM on the CW. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Marcia Gay Harden is making a return visit as Federal Agent Dana Lewis on Law & Order: SVU in the eighth episode of the series upcoming 12th season. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Bonita Friedericy, who plays General Beckman on Chuck, has been promoted to series regular. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Bret Harrison (Reaper) has landed a pivotal recurring role on V, playing Dr. Sidney Miller, an evolutionary biologist who may have the scoop on what caused the sky to turn red in the finale. His character will show up in the season 2 premiere (slated for November) when Erica (Elizabeth Mitchell) appears on his doorstep looking for answers. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Judd Hirsch will appear on Warehouse 13, playing Artie’s estranged father in the Syfy show’s first-ever stand-alone holiday episode. Paul Blackthorne (The Gates) will also appear in the hour as a workaholic who runs afoul of a thief with a Santa fetish. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live alum and 30 Rock star) will guest star in an episode of Eureka, playing a Global Dynamics scientist who endangers more than the office Christmas party when one of his experiments goes awry. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Kevin Alejandro (True Blood and Southland) is joining the NBC drama Parenthood for a multi-episode arc as a possible love interest for Sarah (Lauren Graham). Also, Zosia Mamet (United States of Tara‘s Courtney) will play the recurring role of Kelsey, Amber’s moneyed new best friend. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

The debut for Friday Night Light’s final season on DirecTV has been announced: October 27. Mark your calendars. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Merlin will return for a third season on Syfy with 13 all new episodes in early 2011. The series is based on the mythical legends of Camelot. (Rich Sands at TV Guide)

Edwin Hodge (Jack & Bobby and Boston Public) will guest star in early Season 8 episode of One Tree Hill, play a character who crosses paths will Clay (Robert Buckley), who remains in the hospital following his shooting in the Season 7 finale. One Tree Hill returns September 14 at 8 PM. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

A medical drama by Privileged creator Rina Mimoun has landed at CBS with a put pilot commitment. The untitled project centers on a mother who reconnects with her adult children when she joins the family medical practice. Mimoun also worked behind the scenes on Everwood, Gilmore Girls, Pushing Daisies and Eastwick. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller has just sealed a deal with Syfy to adapt The Lotus Caves for the small screen. The Lotus Caves is uber-popular book by novelist John Christopher. In it, the rebellious lunar colonists dare to take a peek beyond their borders and discover a bunch of brainiac aliens living in the caves. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Oscar winner Frances McDormand has been working behind the scenes as a producer to set up two high-profile projects. The first is a potential small screen adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, which is being set up at HBO. The book is comprised of 13 interconnected tales that involve the residents of a fishing village in Maine. McCormand is negotiating to play the town’s titular 7th-grade math teacher should the pilot go to series. Additionally, McDormand will produce a big-screen adaptation of the crime novel Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman. Diane Lane is attached to star as a detective investigating the mysterious disappearance of several children. Every Secret Thing follows two pre-teenage girls who are sent home early from a birthday party for behaving badly. As they head home, they happen upon a baby in a carriage who later turns up dead. The girls are incarcerated for seven years and once they’re released, other children begin to go missing. (Deadline Hollywood Daily and The Wrap)

Caroline Goodall (Schindler’s List) has been cast as the wife of Bruce Willis’ character in the box office movie The Cold Light of Day. The thriller, which stars Henry Cavill (The Tudors) as a young American whose family is kidnapped while vacationing in Spain, and is given hours to find them. He uncovers a government conspiracy and discovers the connection between the kidnapping and his father’s secrets. Willis will play Cavill’s father, while Sigourney Weaver will play the villain. (The Wrap)

Channing Tatum is set to produce and star in an adaptation of novel by Craig Clevenger called The Contortionist’s Handbook. He will play a forger capable of switching identities because of his adherence to a strict code of conduct. But, when he falls for a beautiful woman with a dark secret, his own troubled past threatens to re-emerge. (Deadline Hollywood Daily and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: First Trailer for Universal’s Sci-Fi Movie Skyline

CONDOLENCES

Legendary producer David Wopler passed away last night of congestive heart failure and complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Wolper was the Emmy winning producer of the ABC mini-series Roots. He also produced the children’s classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which starred Gene Wilder and directed the 1959 documentary The Race for Space, which was nominated for an Academy Award. Deepest condolences are extended to his family, friends and fans. (The Wrap)

Q&A SECTION (with TV Gurus at TV Guide)

Question: Have you learned any extra details about Sela Ward’s character on CSI: NY? — Elle

ADAM: I got a few straight from Ward’s mouth during a recent visit to the set. Her character, Jo Danville, has a son, whom she adopted from a woman she helped put away. She’s also amicably divorced, which Ward says she hopes will lead to some romantic tension between Jo and Gary Sinise’s Mac. Also, her first day on the job will be a doozy: She finds a dead body — in the crime lab!

Question: Is it really over between Rigsby and Van Pelt on The Mentalist? — Amber

ADAM: It is for now, at least on the surface. “They’re skirting around the idea. They’re pretending that they’re OK with the fact that they’re not dating anymore, but they’re not OK with it,” says Amanda Righetti, who feels the ‘shippers’ pain. “I was sad they weren’t together longer. There’s something about his protectiveness with her that I think is really charming.”

Question: What can you tell me about the returns of Brainiac and Supergirl on Smallville? — Jeff

ADAM: James Marsters returns as Brainiac 5, who, despite being a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the comic books, executive producer Kelly Souders describes as “a slippery fish” with a questionable moral compass. As for Supergirl, expect her to have a more dramatic impact this time around: “She’s going to shake up the world for our superheroes,” Souders says.

Question: When will Jesse figure out that Michael burned him on Burn Notice? — Mitch

ADAM: It will definitely happen before the finale, and things are going to get ugly — and deadly — fast. “There is a big blowout,” Sharon Gless tells us. “I can say without ruining the story that Jesse’s going to try to kill Michael.” Wow, what can’t she say?

Question: Confirm for me my suspicion that Kate is not really dead on White Collar. — Jonathan S.

MICKEY: I’ll do no such thing. Instead I’ll say only that Kate will be returning to the show in a manner that will present her character, and that plane explosion, in a very different light. It won’t be good news for poor Neal.

That’s it. Enjoy!