Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Happy Tuesday! There isn’t too much news today, but I hope you find at least some of it interesting:

TELEVISION

Joan Cusack has joined the cast of the Showtime one-hour drama series Shameless, appearing in all 12 episodes of the new series. She will play the role of Sheila, an agoraphobic Chicago housewife with a sexually active teenage daughter who strikes up a special friendship with William H. Macy’s character, Frank Gallagher. The series is based on the long-running hit UK series and the cast includes Emmy Rossum (The Phantom of the Opera), Justin Chatwin (War of the Worlds) and Steve Howey (Reba) [among others]. (The Futon Critic)

Kevin Sorbo will make a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of Hawaii Five-O. (Twitter)

Eddie Izzard (The Riches) is joining the third season of the Showtime comedy United States of Tara in a major recurring role, playing Tara’s (Toni Collette) brilliant psychology professor who starts as a DID skeptic, but becomes fascinated with Tara as a subject, leading him to explore the condition further. The third season is expected to premiere in 2011. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Gregory Harrison will guest star on CSI: NY in the fifth episode of the new season, as Roland Carson, New York City’s top criminal defense attorney. When a violent heist takes place at Carson’s Manhattan penthouse, the high-priced lawyer must field questions from Mac and his team. The show returns on September 24. (Matt Webb Mitovich at Fancast)

UPCOMING TV

Soon, the cast of Glee will learn which parts they’ll be playing in their Halloween episode send-up of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. “It’s the most closely guarded secret on set at the moment,” says Naya Rivera (Santana). If it were up to the actors, here’s who they’d play:

Lea Michele (Rachel): “I’m so excited to do it. If Rachel ends up doing the Susan Sarandon role that would be really cool!”

Cory Monteith (Finn): “I might be in some Brad briefs, let’s put it that way. But I don’t know for sure.”

Jane Lynch (Sue): “I would love to be the Narrator.”

Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina): “There’s Magenta. She could be fun.”

Chris Colfer (Kurt): “I pray that I’m Riff Raff because he’s the best one. He sings ‘Time Warp.’ From the time we shot the pilot I’ve been stressing to Ryan Murphy how much I want to sing ‘Time Warp.'”

But the real question is this: Which character would you like to see suit up in lace stockings as the sweet transvestite Frank-N-Furter, originally played by Tim Curry? Matthew Morrison, I’m thinking there’s some stockings with your name on ’em! (William Keck at TV Guide)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Webb Mitovich at Fancast):

Question: Do you have any new information on Henry Ian Cusick’s ‘Law & Order: SVU‘ character, and what’s in store for him and Benson (played by Mariska Hargitay)? – Dee93

Matt: The ‘Lost’ alum was hesitant to spill too much on his ‘SVU’ stint when I saw him at the Emmys, but he did say that graphic artist Erik and Benson “first meet in a train station, there’s sort of a flirtation, and it goes on from there.” Though Cusick is around for just two episodes – the September 22 season opener and the one after that – he promises, “It’s going to be an interesting role.”

Question: I cannot wait for ‘Glee’s return – any scoop to share? – Alicia

Matt: Heather Morris – who looked positively golden at the Emmys – told me that in the Britney Spears/Brittany-centric episode airing September 29, “People will see more of what I do as an artist, which is dancing.” (If you’ve ever seen Heather back up Beyoncé, you know girl’s got mad moves.) Morris also said that while we will learn Brittany’s last name, her increasingly fleshed-out Cheerio won’t also gain a brain. “No, that’s confirmed – I will not be smarter!” she happily reported.

Question: Do you have any scoop on ‘Nikita‘? Especially on Melinda Clarke’s character? – Angela

Matt: Shortly after the CW action-drama debuts on September 9, it will be revealed that the ‘O.C.’ alum’s character, Amanda, is nicknamed “The Inquisitor” because of her very thorough interrogation skills. Meaning, if you’re a hostile being detained by the top-secret Division and you won’t talk, expect a visit from Amanda… and don’t be surprised if she comes wearing (eek) a latex glove.

Question: With the ‘Caprica‘ actors’ contracts expiring, executive producer David Eick said we’d hear a decision on Season 2 by August 15. It’s now almost September. Is the show canceled? – Pete

Matt: That deadline came and went, yes, but a source very close to Syfy’s ‘Caprica’ told me during Emmys weekend that NBC Universal worked out an “extension” that bought them until November to make a call on a pick-up. So hold out hope, Pete.

Question: At Comic-Con, John Schneider said the ‘Smallville‘ Season 10 premiere (airing Sept. 24) features “the best-written scene I’ve ever done on [the show].” Any details? – Kipper

Matt: “I agree with him,” exec producer Brian Petersen said of Schneider’s rave. “He has a great scene with Tom Welling – kind of a reunion thing.” EP Kelly Souders added that Pa Kent’s improbable “return” is designed to kick off the final season with a bit of “the warmth, the mentor and sort of moral compass that Jonathan always was in Clark’s life – and that Clark has kind of been missing. He brings that aspect of ‘Smallville’ back.” Yes, this item is brought to you by Kleenex.

Question: EW’s Michael Ausiello says that ‘Smallville’s Erica Durance is playing DC’s Isis. So, is she playing the comic/TV character or not? – history1776 via Twitter

Matt: Mere moments after I hit play on Oz’s video, I quadruple-confirmed what I had heard and posted in last week’s Big Tease. And I had it right: According to exec producer Kelly Souders, ED is doing double duty as an Egyptian goddess named Isis, but she is not the DC Comics character.

Question: Thank you so much for sharing the news about David Tennant and the ‘Fright Night’ remake during your Emmy tweets. Did he say anything about the status of NBC’s ‘Rex Is Not Your Lawyer’? – Dawn

Matt: I did ask about ‘Rex’ – which last I heard was being eyed by USA Network after NBC opted not to order the series – and Tennant confirmed what we sorta knew: It’s truly and sincerely dead. Shame, too – in addition to the former Doctor Who, ‘Rex’ also starred ‘Mad Men’ schoolteach Abigail Spencer.

Question: I read that the ‘Covert Affairs‘ season finale is in mid-September. How long will I have to live without it? And to cope during its absence, what show(s) should I add to my Tivo season pass list? – Alicia

Matt: Sad but true, ‘Covert Affairs’ double-episode season finale airs September 14 – and the spy drama won’t be back until summer 2011. In the meantime, I would suggest that you DVR/watch On Demand the new shows ‘Nikita‘ (Thursdays, The CW) and ‘Undercovers‘ (Wednesdays, NBC), both of which offer a similar mix of espionage, intrigue and romance.

Question: I was excited to hear that Gale Harold will play Marti’s law professor on ‘Hellcats‘! Do you have any scoop on his character, or any idea how many episodes he’ll be in? – Tariel22

Matt: I scooped back in July, Gale’s law professor is someone Marti (played by Aly Michalka) will look up to – but not necessarily hook up with. At least not right away, seeing as The CW series will quickly handspring the blonde bombshell into a triangle with BFF Dan (‘Harper’s Island’s Matt Barr) and fellow cheerleader Luis (’One Tree Hill’s Robbie Jones). At this time, Harold’s episode count is TBD.

That’s it. Enjoy!