Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters, The Crow and more recently The Secret Life of the American Teenager) will appear as the dad of Bluebell Mayor Lavon Hayes (Cress Williams) in an upcoming episode of Hart of Dixie. He plays, ironic or not, Ernie, who visit Bluebell with not so good news for his son Lavon. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

Actor Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica) will appear on the MTV drama Teen Wolf as Allison’s grandfather, a lethal werewolf hunter with plans to draw her into the family business. Also actor Stephen Lunsford (Private Practice) will appear as a Beacon Hills High School student with a knack for photography and an eye for Scott’s girl and actor Daniel Sharman (The Nine Lives of Chloe King) will play a lacrosse teammate of Scott’s, and Alpha Derek’s dangerous new pet project. There is another role that is still to be cast: a mystery lady who may figure into a love triangle for Scott and Allison. (Damian Holbrook at TV Guide)

INSIDE LINE (Scoop from Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Burn Notice: I cued up the Season 5 finale (airing Dec. 15) this morning, and it’s got Michael, Fi and the gang jumping through all kinds of hoops, largely because of a big reveal that’s uncorked at the close of the preceding episode. The good news is that the good guys find evidence that links Anson to the explosion/deaths he’s been threatening to pin on Fi; the bad news is that said “smoking gun” might not be around long enough to prevent Fi from turning herself in. Why now, more than before, is Ms. Glenanne compelled to “confess”? Let’s just say that Anson is going to ask Michael to do the unthinkable.

Once Upon a Time: Fans of ABC’s fantastical freshman series geeked out more than a little when Emma Caulfield was cast as the Blind Witch from Hansel and Gretel lore. And the show’s bosses share that enthusiasm. “We’ve been huge fans of hers since Buffy, so we’re very excited to have her on the show,” Adam Horowitz told me. Added Edward Kitsis: “We couldn’t think of anyone better to trap two children in a house and try to eat them” than the portrayer of a onetime vengeance demon. Though the EPs were hesitant to share much more about Caufield’s Episode 9 storyline, I’m hearing it will be revealed that the Blind Witch has a none-too-friendly past with the Evil Queen – something having to do with an item that one of the villainesses stole from the other.

Awkward: Dipping into the reader mailbag, Raissa asks: “Any Awkward scoop?” Oh, honey, everything I do is awkward. TVLine recently met up with the MTV charmer’s creator, Lauren Iungerich, and she confirmed that Sadie (Molly Tarlov) will for sure get a love interest in Season 2 — namely a fella who is “a lot different than Sadie, although very confident. He has to have enough of a backbone to take her on.” Iungerich typified the romance as “very surprising” and – wait for it – “definitely love.”

Q&A SECTION (with The TV Addict)

Question: Does admitting to you that I’m a thirty something gal obsessed with ABC Family’s PRETTY LITTLE LIARS warrant any scoop about the show’s January return? — Brenda

The TV Addict: Indeed it does! And you’ll be happy to know that when the hit ABC Family show returns for the second half of its sizzling second season on January 2nd, it will make up for lost time by delivering an incredibly action-packed episode. Emphasis being on the physical fireworks that doesn’t just go down when Ezra and Aria decide to fess up to Aria’s not-so-receptive parents about their relationship, but also when the girls finally come face-to-face with a certain letter of the alphabet. Suffice it to say, there will be blood. There will also be a long overdue development that may finally give the girls the upper hand in the battle to bring down A!

Question: Now that ONCE UPON A TIME has solidified itself as my favorite new show of the season, I could really use some scoop? — Brandon

The TV Addict: Us to! Unfortunately, co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz spent six years learning about the LOST art of secret keeping from Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse so they know a thing… or five about keeping secrets. Which means, all we have to share with you are some brief teases culled from across the internet that has Sunday offering up a very Charming episode that will see our favorite new prince being forced to choose between Mary Margaret and Kathryn. More exciting still, when ONCE closes out the first half of its 2011 season, it will do so on a decidedly hopeful note when another resident of StoryBrooke begins to remember his (or her!) fairytale past.

That’s it. Enjoy!