Hey All,
Did everyone survive the long holiday weekend? Hope so and I hope you all had a great holiday and enjoyed the weekend. But now, it’s back to reality and here are the news items for today:
TELEVISION
It looks like Jane Badler isn’t the only original star from the original V series appearing on the new reboot. Marc Singer, who played freedom fighter Mike Donovan in the original, will play a new character named Lars Tremont, who is a member of a super top secret organization comprised of high-ranking military and government leaders from around the globe, who have long suspected that the Visitors — despite what they tell us — are very much not here in peace. Jane Badler will make her debut in the January 4 season premiere, while Marc will pop up in episode 10, which is also the second season finale. Badler and Singer will not share any screen time together, though. (William Keck at TV Guide)
Michael Weatherly will pull double duty later this season on NCIS, as he makes his directorial debut. He expects to go behind the camera for an episode filming in January, but no other details about the episode are immediately available. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)
James Franco and Anne Hathaway as hosts of the 2011 Academy Awards? Yes, according to Deadline (and every outlet on the map since the broke the news this morning) have signed on to host the Oscars. (Deadline and Fancast)
Kristoffer Polaha has signed a talent holding deal with CBS, which pretty much puts the final nail into the coffin that was Life Unexpected. See here for more details. (The TV Addict and Deadline)
It was only a matter of time until this happened. Actress-singer AJ Michalka (who recently starred in the movie Secretariat as Diane Lane’s daughter) will make her debut on her sister Aly’s CW series Hellcats. She will guest star as a girl who works at a record store near Lancer University. AJ is expected to appear in several episodes but which episodes those will be have not yet been confirmed. (Zap2It)
ARTICLES/VIDEOS ABOUT TV
‘Being Erica’: SoapNet’s Season 3 Promos Are Here!
CONDOLENCES
Legendary actor Leslie Nielsen passed away Sunday afternoon due to complications from pneumonia. He was 84 years old. (E! Entertainment Online)
ME: Condolences are extended to his family, friends and fans. Moment of silence, please…
MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS
Luke Perry and Jason Priestley (from the original Beverly Hills 90210) will reunite for the Hallmark Movie Channel film Goodnight For Justice, which is slated to debut on January 29 at 8 PM. Perry is Executive Producer and lead star of the film whose character Judge John Goodnight, a Circuit Judge, renders justice with a perfect persuasion of eloquence and deadly aim. Priestley directs the film. Here is a more broad description of the film:
In a stagecoach, a young boy creates an eidetic memory of his childhood, each sight and sound of all the days of his life recalled with stunning accuracy: Waiting outside a General Store; a candy barrel filled with peppermints; his mother and father, defeated, but still proud, hold hands as they talk about giving up the hardscrabble land they tried to call home and the excitement of new beginnings back East; an eloquent Circuit Judge, Aldous Shaw, and his elegantly-dressed wife offer solace to the Goodnight family; the judge’s six-gun and rich leather holster gleam in the sun; the slow hum of good conversation mixed with hoofbeats; out of nowhere, noise, confusion, a brilliant flash; six masked outlaws surround the coach; gunfire explodes without cessation; horses flail; Judge Shaw is felled by a pearl-handled knife; carriage overturns with deadly force; bullets fly; all are lost, except the boy and the Judge’s wife who will become his surrogate mother. The boy who hid in weeds to save his own life is now a man who walks with grandeur and purpose. He is, a Circuit Judge, hell-bent on justice. (The Futon Critic)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Here are the top 10 movies for the past holiday weekend according to Exhibitor Relations:
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, $50.3 million
2. Tangled, $49.1 million
3. Megamind, $12.9 million
4. Burlesque, $11.8 million
5. Unstoppable, $11.75 million
6. Love and Other Drugs, $9.9 million
7. Faster, $8.7 million
8. Due Date, $7.3 million
9. The Next Three Days, $4.8 million
10. Morning Glory, $4 million
Q&A SECTION (with Matt Roush at TV Guide)
Question: Please tell me that Luther’s six-episode arc on BBC America was a success and that we will be treated to a subsequent series. I can’t believe they will leave us hanging, after that wonderful season finale. Of course, this cliffhanger seems to leave the door open for more. What will happen to Luther? Will they try to pin the latest shooting (Ian Reed) on him? Will the brilliant but disturbed Alice Morgan character continue to help Luther or disappear to leave him with no alibi? Too bad Indira Varma’s character of Zoe was killed off. (A necessity as she is also now starring on Human Target?) Such interesting, eccentric characters with enough twists to keep the audience interested. The only show other than HBO’s offerings (and Mad Men) that is truly worthy on Sunday night. Six episodes are not enough! — Pam
Matt Roush: Have there ever been better last words than Luther declaring “Now what?!?” as that intense finale came crashing down around him? Sensational stuff. The good news is that the story of Luther will continue next year with two two-hour movies. Now we just have to wait for BBC America to schedule it. Perhaps easier said than done, given how far the channel has moved away from crime-drama programming — which is a pity, given how good the British are at making them (though they tend to fall short of the ratings BBCA gets with sci-fi/fantasy and reality).
That’s it. Enjoy!
Rueben's Ramblings 
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