Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

There was a bit more news to today than yesterday, funny how a holiday can slow down the news process, huh? Regardless, here are the news tidbits for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Erica Durance (Smallville) has landed the lead role in a CTV (Canadian broadcaster) drama called Saving Hope. The show begins production in Toronto on June 22. Many CTV dramas like the TV series Flashpoint has aired in the US as well, so it is possible that US audiences could see this new show if it should get picked up. Saving Hope is described as a sexy, fast-paced drama set in a Toronto hospital. (Kryptonsite)

Actress Morena Baccarin (V, Firefly, Stargate: SG-1) has landed a role in the upcoming fall series Homeland, which will air on Showtime. The series centers on Marine Sergeant Scott Brody (Damian Lewis), who returns home eight years after going missing in Iraq, and Carrie Anderson (Claire Danes), a driven CIA officer who suspects he might be plotting an attack on America. Baccarin will play Jessica Brody, Scott Brody’s smart, strong wife. She replaces Laura Fraser who played the role in the pilot. (Deadline)

Canadian viewers will get to see World Without End, which is based on Ken Follett’s multi-million best seller of the same name, as it will air on the Canadian channel known as Showcase in 2012. The eight-hour special event takes place in the same fictional town as Pillars of the Earth — Kingsbridge — and features the descendants of some Pillars characters two centuries later. The plot incorporates two major historical events, the start of the Hundred Years’ War and the Black Death. (Spoiler TV)

Actor Sam Waterson (Law & Order) has joined the cast of the tentatively-titled More As This Story Develops, which is the Aaron Sorkin-HBO drama pilot that is set behind the scenes at a cable news network. The much-buzzed-about project stars Jeff Daniels as Will McCallister, the host of a popular cable news show. Waterston will play McCallister’s boss. The cast also includes Olivia Munn, Alison Pill, and possibly will also include Emily Mortimer. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse) will guest star on an upcoming episode of White Collar, playing a very sexy woman who works for Matthew Keller (Ross McCall). The series is back with all new episodes on the USA Network on June 7. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

While the news broke over the past few weeks, Life Unexpected creator Liz Tigelaar and former Buffy producer Jane Espenson have both joined the team behind the upcoming fall ABC series Once Upon a Time. Tigelaar is a consulting producer while Espenson will co-executive producer. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

It looks like actress Halle Berry just might be doing a TV series on one of the pay cable networks if the current buzz about town is true. Rumor has it that a spec script called Higher Learning is being shipped around to cable networks such as HBO and Showtime (among others). The only detail on the story is that Berry would play a college professor and that the script was written by 30-year industry veteran Lee Rose. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CONDOLENCES

Actress Clarice Taylor, who had a pivotal recurring role on The Cosby Show, passed away on Monday, succumbing to heart failure at the age of 93. Her career spanned the stage, the big and small screen, and radio, including the original Broadway cast of The Wiz and a supporting role in Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty For Me. (Entertainment Weekly)

ME: Rest in Peace, Ms. Taylor. Deepest sympathies to her family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Seth Green and Michelle Trachtenberg will join actress Katee Sackhoff in the independent film called Sexy Evil Genius. The film centers on a group of strangers brought together in a downtown Los Angeles bar by their mutual ex-girlfriend (Sackhoff). The woman is mysterious about her intentions, but by the night’s end, revenge will be had, romance kindled and the wronged woman will have delivered on her reputation as the sexy evil genius at the center of all their lives. Also among the cast are Billy Baldwin and Harold Perrineau Jr. (The Hollywood Reporter)

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

Question: What’s up with Sookie and the fairies on True Blood? — Sarah

NATALIE: When the show returns, Sookie will reconnect with some familiar faces in Fairyland. But the glowing lumières the fairies offer up as a snack notwithstanding, it won’t be all sweetness and light. Sookie will have a lot of questions for Claudine, her fairy godmother. First up: If she’s supposed to be Sookie’s protector, where the heck has she been all this time?

Question: What do you have on White Collar? Will we have to wait long to learn who stole the treasure? — Joshua

ADAM: Nope. In fact, the June 7 premiere deals almost entirely with Neal’s dilemma with the pilfered Nazi booty. And Peter won’t make it easy: After the U-Boat explosion, he’s much less trusting of his con man compadre. Not only will Neal have to figure out how to get to the loot out of the country, he’ll also have to fool Peter’s polygraph.

Question: Tell me more about this lawsuit Brenda’s facing on The Closer! — Christine

ADAM: She won’t have to face it alone. She’ll hire a sharp lawyer who specializes in defending cops. He’s a former city attorney who’s now a very successful partner at a private firm. The good news: He’s never lost a case. The bad news: He sees right through Brenda.

Question: I can’t wait for Rizzoli & Isles to return. Got any spoilers? — Erin

NATALIE: Jane and the rest of the Boston PD will have to pull out all the stops when an undercover officer’s daughter is kidnapped. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Jane’s busybody mom has a theory about the missing kid, but can you believe that she actually cracks the case?

Question: What’s coming up on In Plain Sight? — Rosie

NATALIE: It’s Brandi’s wedding day, and a very pregnant Mary has to work… of course. She’ll have to choose between her sister and an endangered witness, and I think we all know how that’s going to go. The upside: Bridezilla Brandi is a veritable TV treat.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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