Hey All,
Wow, can you guys believe it is the first full week of December and the holidays are this close – hard to believe, huh? Enjoy today’s news:
CONGRATS
One [SUPERNATURAL] Fandom to Rule Them All
PALEY FEST 2011
Though it’s not official, it looks like a reunion of the TV series Freaks and Geeks just might be on tap for the 2011 Paley Festival. The first official announcement about Paley Fest 2011is scheduled for next week. (Variety)
TELEVISION
Actress Dawn Olivieri (True Blood and Heroes) will guest star on The Vampire Diaries as Andie Star, a local newscaster for Mystic Falls. (The Vault and Televixen)
Sadly, FX is not renewing their acclaimed new series Terriers (due to low ratings). (Twitter)
ABC is finally pulling the plug on The Whole Truth, taking it off the schedule with 7 episodes remaining to air. There is no word if these episodes will be available online. Episodes of Modern Family and Cougar Town will fill the open time slot. (The Live Feed at The Hollywood Reporter)
Actress Rachel Nichols (Alias and G-I Joe: The Rise of Cobra) is set to become a series regular on Criminal Minds, playing FBI cadet Ashley Seaver. This comes on the heels of the departure of former regular A.J. Cook and the currently questionable status of Paget Brewster. (TV Overemind)
MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS
Actor Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13) will star in the upcoming Syfy movie The Boogeyman, which is scheduled to air on Syfy in 2011. The movie is a modern-day retelling of the Cain and Abel story, co-starring Emma Samms (Dynasty, General Hospital). The story centers on a deadly supernatural creature who escapes into the world after its keeper suddenly dies, killing indiscriminately while hunting for a new human to be its brother. It finally targets a young boy – the son of a widowed cop, played by McClintock. (The Futon Critic)
A sequel to the box office movie Mean Girls will be airing on the ABC Family Channel on January 23 at 8 PM. The movie stars Meaghan Martin (10 Things I Hate About You and Camp Rock 1 & 2), Maiara Walsh (Desperate Housewives and The Vampire Diaries), Jennifer Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place), Nicole Gale Anderson (Make It or Break It), Claire Holt (H20: Just Add Water) and Diego Boneta (Pretty Little Liars). The movie is about new girl Jo (Martin), who arrives at North Shore High School, with her main goal being to skate under the radar to survive her senior year and definitely not get involved in any of the typical high school trappings. But her plan goes awry quickly when she meets Abby (Stone), a girl stuck at the low end of the high school food chain and favorite target of “The Plastics” (Walsh, Holt and Anderson). After defending Abby against the queen bee of the school and lead Plastic, Mandi (Walsh), Jo is dragged into the very same girl drama she was hoping to avoid. T im Meadows returns as the school’s principal, Mr. Duvall. This sequel will be available on DVD on February 1. (The Futon Critic)
The Hallmark Channel movie Smooch – loosely based on the Brothers Grimm short story The Frog King – will air on February 5 at 9 PM. In this version, Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) plays Zoe, a young girl obsessed by fairytales and happy endings who is searching for the perfect man for her widowed mother Gwen (Kellie Martin). It is Zoe’s belief in a frog’s potential charm that compels her to abduct one from her middle school science class, carrying him to Golden Gate Park in a water-filled lunchbox where she intends to set him free. Having skipped class, Zoe is surprised to see another schoolmate at the park, and in her anxiety, accidentally loses her green friend into a pond. As she surveys the scene, a male monarch (Simon Kassianides) in full royal regalia and who was mugged the night before, appears in a dinghy. The dazed prince, sporting a goose egg on his head, has little memory of who he is or how he got into such a predicament. But he is in luck. Zoe knows precisely how this fairytale ends. (The Futon Critic)
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
The search for a Smallville replacement continues: First with talk of a Blue Beetle TV project and now with the CW looking to one of the Teen Titans for a possible TV series in the form of the DC Comics character Raven, a half-demon also known as Rachel Roth, who has empathic abilities and divine secrets. But, nothing has been confirmed yet and the presumed project is still in the talking phase. (Variety and K-site TV)
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Courtesy of Box Office Mojo, here are the top 10 movies from this past weekend:
1. Tangled, $21.5 million
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, $16.7 million
3. Burlesque, $6.1 million (tie)
3. Unstoppable, $6.1 million (tie)
5. Love and Other Drugs, $5.7 million
6. Megamind, $5 million
7. Due Date, $4.2 million
8. Faster, $3.8 million
9. The Warrior’s Way, $3.1 million
10. The Next Three Days, $2.7 million
Actor Irrfan Kahn (Slumdog Millionaire and The Namesake) is negotiating to take the role of Van Atter, a villain that no fan seems to be aware of in the Spider-Man universe. Meanwhile, Campbell Scott (Royal Pains) and Julianne Nicholson (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) will play Richard and Mary Parker, the parents of Peter Parker. Annie Parisse (Rubicon) is also negotiating to play Van Atter’s wife. But who is this unknown villain anyway? The theorgy is that Van Atter might be Proto-Goblin, a villain who only ever appeared in one Spider-Man comic book. (Heat Vision and First Showing)
Q&A SECTION (with Matt Roush at TV Guide)
Question: I was wondering if you’ve seen the new Game of Thrones trailer that aired before Boardwalk Empire. It looks like HBO is putting a lot of promotion into the series, but I’m wondering if TV audiences will give a fantasy show, even on HBO, a chance. The series isn’t fantasy in the Lord of the Rings style of high magic, magical races and so on, so I’m hopeful that many people who are turned off by classic fantasy tropes may give it a try. It seems like many people dismiss fantasy as a genre out of hand, which puzzles me, because isn’t True Blood a fantasy series? Vampires, werewolves and fairies aren’t exactly reality. Game of Thrones is a character-driven series with captivating characters, compelling story arcs with many twists and turns, and some fantastic acting talent including Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey and more. Do you think audiences will give it a chance? — Rob
Matt Roush: If the series is anywhere near as good as the books, I hope and trust the HBO faithful will check this out. Game of Thrones (and here I’m only talking about the source material, having seen nothing but the alluring trailers at this point) is no more a typical fantasy epic than Deadwood was a standard Western or Rome an everyday costume drama — or Sopranos, to bring up another story of families under siege, a clichéd mob drama. Even True Blood veers from many of the usual vampire cliches with its sexy Southern Gothic excesses and anything-goes supernatural framework. The HBO audience has been conditioned to expect something different, something more, in the channel’s various detours into classic genres, and I would doubt that a predisposition against fantasy would keep them from at least sampling it. The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises appeal to all kinds of people, and if executed properly, this very adult saga should do the same. I know I can’t wait to see it.
Question: In reference to the recent passing of Stephen J. Cannell, who do you think should be the newest member of the writers-only poker game on Castle? My vote? Stephen King, of whom I am a HUGE fan, with Dean Koontz coming in a close second. With Castle and his Nikki Heat books, King and/or Koontz (BOTH!! Eeek!) would be perfect fits for the group! — Shelley
Matt Roush: I forwarded the gist of this question to ABC, and executive producer Andrew Marlowe responds: “We do plan to have another poker game after an appropriate amount of time has passed. We are aiming toward the end of season. No word yet on who else will be joining us. Would love to hear the fans’ suggestions.” So consider yourself heard. Personally, I’d like to see some action at the table from some of the great female crime writers: Laura Lippman, maybe, or Patricia Cornwell. But whenever they bring back the poker game, I’m sure they’ll pay due respect to the empty seat once held by one of TV’s great crime-drama visionaries. On another Castle note: To the person who asked if the 12th precinct is a nod to Barney Miller (sorry, I lost the original question), the answer is yes.
Question: I have loved your column for years — thanks for the great critiquing of our real “national pastime.” I was fortunate to buy a season pass to Luther, and my gosh, it did not disappoint. I read the criticism from across the pond that it had a bit of a “deus ex machina” quality to it or that it was silly and not realistic. I get that — it’s that critic’s opinion. But wasn’t Ruth Wilson amazing in one of the most chilling, most, dare I say, flirty roles written for a female psychopath? When she uttered “There is love in the world,” I gasped. It was just amazing work from a mesmerizing actress. Is there a chance she could be nominated for an Emmy or is the award just for American television? — John
Matt Roush: Thanks for those kind words. And for the opportunity to plug Luther one last time. Yes, the show was extreme in its plotting and twists, but Idris Elba and Ruth Wilson were mesmerizing, and I can’t wait to see how they continue the story next year. As for American-based awards, British actors and shows are eligible, if submitted, and since BBC America is already targeting the trades with “for your consideration” ads regarding Luther and its stars, you may just get your wish. The show may not be on many Emmy voters’ radar, though, so it could be a tough sell. (The Globes, being an international group, tend to be a little more welcoming to foreign product.)
That’s it. Enjoy!
Rueben's Ramblings 