Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

There was a bit more news to share with all of you today than the last couple of days so please sit down and read on:

TELEVISION

Looks like actors Aml Ameen and Brittany Snow won’t be returning to the NBC legal drama Harry’s Law when it returns this fall for its second season. While the exact reasons for the split have not been announced it was a “mutual decision” with producers and the actors have been invited to return as guest stars. (TV Line)

Actor Laurence Fishburne has not opted to renew his contract with the long-running CBS drama CSI. The question now is who will replace him? (Deadline and E! Online)

Twin Peaks alums Madchen Amick and Dana Ashbrook will show up on separate episodes of White Collar. Amick will play Selena Ellis, a sultry femme fatale who is suspected of marrying wealthy men for money. The very next week, Ashbrook will appear as Carlisle, a millionaire playboy who loves to spend big bucks on extravagant, over-the-top objects that label him as a status symbol of wealth. Additionally, Robert John Burke (Gossip Girl) will play an Irish mob boss who is in direct competition with the Deluca family, a Detroit mafia organization who is after Mozzie (Wille Garson). (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Cristian de la Fuente (In Plain Sight) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Haven, playing Cornell, a straight-laced, conservative, mild-mannered banker who is hiding a double life. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Child actor David Mazouz (the Lifetime movie Amish Grace) will play the younger lead opposite Kiefer Sutherland in the Fox drama pilot Touch that is considered a lock for a midseason series order. The project centers on Martin (Sutherland) who discovers that his genius son Jake (Mazouz) is communicating with him through a complex series of numbers and may even be able to predict events before they happen. Jake rarely shows emotion, refuses to be touched, and instead busies himself with cast-off cell phones, able to see the world with something akin to the eye of God, where every action, thought, breath is interconnected. (Deadline)

BOX OFFICE MOVIE NEWS

Young actor Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In and The Road) is in discussions to play Romeo’s cousin Benvolio in the latest adaptation of the Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet. Benvolio is Romeo’s cousin who futilely tries to keep the peace between Tybalt (Ed Westwick) and Mercutio. Hailee Steinfeld and Holly Hunter have already been cast as Juliet and her nurse respectively. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Filipina singing sensation Charice (Glee) will play the character of Malia Dela Cruz, a musical brainiac student, in the upcoming comedy film called Here Comes The Boom that follows a high school teacher whose school is facing drastic budget cuts. He decides to moonlight as a mixed martial arts fighter to win prize money. Kevin James, Salma Hayek and Henry Winkler also star. (Zezbiz and Dark Horizons)

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams and Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

Question: Any scoop on the new season of True Blood? — Renee

NATALIE: On a show where the term dead is, to say the least, fluid, we’ll discover yet another permutation when we witness a chilling resurrection. Tara has a new ‘do — and a hilariously entertaining new job. And if I were to tell you that the hottest human-vampire couple among the Bon Temps faithful is no longer Jessica and Hoyt, would you be as sad as I am? Eric wouldn’t be.

Question: Is it just me, or did Brennan seem shocked that Booth was happy about her being pregnant on Bones? — Josh

ADAM: It’s not just you. “There was a little something in that,” executive producer Stephen Nathan says. “She’s spent six years slowly becoming more and more in touch with a softer side of herself. And this was sort of one final emotional touch from Booth that says, ‘You can enjoy this. You can accept this as the most wonderful thing in the world.'”

Question: I can’t wait for Burn Notice to return! What’s happening with Michael? — James

NATALIE: Michael has been quite busy tracking down the organization involved in burning him — this time alongside the CIA and a sly handler played by Grant Show. He’ll make it back to Miami in the premiere, if only briefly, long enough to get a very warm welcome from Fiona.

Question: Will Grayson ever find out about Jane on Drop Dead Diva? — Mina

NATALIE: Creator Josh Berman is taking over my job this week to answer your question, Mina: “Absolutely … although for Jane and Grayson to ever have a successful romantic relationship, he needs to fall in love with Jane — not just because she is Deb, but because he loves the person she has become.” But something unexpected will complicate that goal. “There is also a second half to that equation — Jane must continue to be in love with him.”

Question: I hear the Pretty Little Liars girls have to see a therapist in the new season. True? — Katelyn

ADAM: True, and while the girls are naturally skeptical at first, they will soon realize how beneficial the relationship could be — that is, until one of the girls discovers a clue in the shrink’s office that suggests that A is, as usual, one step ahead of them.

Question: Any good scoop on Rizzoli & Isles? — Sarah

NATALIE: Maura Isles has a lover! Ian is a ruggedly handsome doctor who works in the Third World — but when he’s in America, he’s all about Maura, their passionate affair and the secret they’ll be attempting to hide from Jane.

Question: Can we Leverage fans count on some good Parker-Hardison scenes this season? ¬— Doug

ADAM: If you take executive producer Dean Devlin at his word, you sure can! “The Parker-Hardison relationship really goes to a much higher level this year — much deeper intensity,” Devlin says. He adds that the season will be much more emotional. “The fun is still there, the heists are still there, but … [the team’s] relationships are going to develop in ways that are profound.”

Question: It’s been a while since you’ve given us anything on Psych. ¬— Anne

NATALIE: Who wants to meet Juliet’s father? An upcoming episode will find Shawn and Gus trying to repair her relationship with her estranged con-man dad. His hard shell will be softened by some new information Juliet has to share — perhaps enough to give up his life of crime.

That’s it. Enjoy!