Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Teri Polo (Meet the Parents) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Criminal Minds as a former high school history teacher who was sent to jail after molesting one of her students. Now out of prison, “Miss Hallman” is on a mission to reunite with her young “lover” — and will kill anyone who gets in her way. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

Actor Jeff Goldblum (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) and Broadway vet Brian Stokes Mitchell have been cast as the gay, adoptive dads of Rachel (Lea Michele) on Glee. They will play Hiram and LeRoy Berry, they will first appear in the show’s Valentine’s Day episode and they will sing. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Christopher Heyerdahl (Sanctuary, Hell on Wheels and the Twilight franchise) will have a recurring role in True Blood when the show returns for its fifth season. He will play Dieter Braun, an ancient, powerful vampire who plays a large part in the intelligence of the Authority and especially enjoys enhanced interrogation. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Melinda McGraw (Mad Men) will guest star in the USA Network series Fairly Legal, which is slated to return for its second season on March 16. She will play Judge Victoria Connors, a new addition to the San Francisco Supreme Courts. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me) is set for a starring role in the USA Network untitled drama pilot from White Collar creator Jeff Eastin. The potential series follows four agents from various federal and local agencies (DEA, FBI, LAPD) who live at a former ganglord’s mansion-turned-safe house for undercover agents in Southern California. He will play Paul Briggs, an atypical FBI agent with a legendary past who has traded in his suit and tie for a more Zen existence. He is the senior agent in a house full of undercover agents. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

FOX has given a pilot order to a new project from Josh Freidman (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) called The Asset. The project is described as a character-driven drama set in the New York office of the CIA, which centers on a female agent. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Jamie Bell (The Adventures of Tintin and Billy Elliott) and actress Tilda Swinton (Chronicles of Narnia) have joined the cast of the upcoming box office film called Snow Piercer that will star actor Chris Evans (Star Trek). The film is set on a train in a future, post-apocalyptic sci- world covered entirely by snow. There are no details on what roles any of the actors will play at this time, though. (Variety and First Showing)

Actor Matthew Lillard (The Descendants) is negotiating to join Clint Eastwood in the baseball centric drama Trouble with the Curve, but it is unclear what role he will play. (Entertainment Weekly and First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Adam Bryant at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: What’s Ziva’s reaction to meeting Tony’s ex Wendy on NCIS? — Linda

ADAM: Ziva gets her claws into Wendy pretty quickly, perhaps looking for dirt on Tony. “Ziva is fascinated by Wendy because of the history, and Tony is mortified by the idea of leaving them alone,” executive producer Gary Glasberg says, adding that both Tony and Wendy still have feelings for each other. But don’t look for Wendy’s visit to completely deflate this season’s Tiva tension. “By the end of this season, they’re both going to have a better understanding of what they want from the future,” Glasberg says.

Question: So glad Justified is back! Give me some scoop on the rest of the season. — Jack

ADAM: Boyd’s plan to get back into prison and exact revenge on Dickie may seem pretty smart, but Raylan may spoil the fun when he figures out what his old coal-mining buddy is up to. But that’s just the beginning of Boyd’s problems: Look for a member of his crew to sell him out to disastrous results.

Question: Any NCIS: LA scoop? —Amy

Ausiello: Is it too early to start teasing the season finale? No? Splendid. “Someone’s gonna die that we know well,” confirms exec producer Shane Brennan. “I’ve got the target, I’m just choosing which missile to fire. And there’s a character or two coming back to tie some things up.”

Question: It’s about time you gives us a scoop for NCIS: LA. —Gisela

Ausiello: There’s a big Kensi-centric double episode coming up titled “Blye, K.” that Brennan says “goes to the very heart of why she joined NCIS” and sets the stage for the big NCIS: LA/Hawaii Five-0 crossover during May sweeps. In possibly related news, the show is looking for an actress in her late 40s to play the estranged mother of one of the show’s female characters.

Question: I just watched the pilot for Smash and I’m dying for some more. Any scoop you can part with? —Ellie

Ausiello: The second episode is just as good. I’ve seen many a promising pilot crash and burn in Episode 2, so it was an enormous relief that Smash maintained its quality week-to-week — save for one glaring plot contrivance involving Katharine McPhee standing up her onscreen boyfriend. Note to producers: There’s still time to reshoot that scene!

Question: Any information about Ringer? —Mark

Ausiello: Bridget’s going to spill the beans to Andrew, the only question is which beans will she be spilling. “Bridget has to come clean to Andrew on some really major secret that deals with identity,” says exec producer Pam Veasey.

Question: There will be a huge hole in my life after Chuck ends on January 27. Any last bit of final season spoilers out there? —Chuck

Ausiello: Zachary Levi breaks down the two-hour swan song thusly: “The first hour is super-intense drama and action and some tears are shed. And the second half also has some drama, but there’s a lot of comedy, too.”

Question: Having recently devoured all the episodes of Grimm since the winter semester ended, I am left wondering one thing: Has the engagement ring Nick purchased in the pilot been forgotten about? According to the story, he was proposing to Juliet that night, but I haven’t spied a ring on that finger. —Erin

Ausiello: “Nick did buy the ring, but his newfound Grimm abilities have interrupted his romantic plans — and his life in general,” responds EP David Greenwalt. “Nick and Juliette’s relationship will be tested this season as Nick continues to hide his new abilities — yet Juliette’s suspicions keep rising after she finds something of Nick’s…and also finds herself in danger.”

Question: I loved the Alcatraz premiere! Do you have any scoop? —Lily

Ausiello: An upcoming episode will focus on the “segregated block” of prisoners, says EP Jack Bender. “All of the black prisoners were not allowed to mingle, eat with [the rest of the inmates]. This was 1963, so we’re starting to deal with those issues.”

Question: The official CW description for an upcoming episode of Vampire Diaries said Klaus holds a dinner party. Any intel on what goes down? —Julia

Ausiello: Sounds like there will be blood for dessert. “There’s always a little bit of violence
involved in anything Klaus does — even if it starts as a sit down meal, it’s all going to end in violence,” reveals the host himself, Joseph Morgan. “There will be some things which aren’t strictly within dinner party etiquette. Also, it’s incredibly charged. Imagine having this powerful hybrid hosting a little dinner party. Who will be his guests? And what will the conversation be? And what will he serve for dinner? What will his table etiquette be? It’s a really interesting idea. We’ve seen so much of him in physical confrontation with people, it’s interesting to see a little bit more of his cultured side, his charm and his elegance there at the dinner table.

That’s it. Enjoy!