Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

UK actress Jenna-Louise Coleman has been chosen to play the new companion to Doctor Who when current companion as played by Karen Gillan bids adieu to the show later this year. Coleman will make her first appearance in the 2012 Christmas episode. (Twitter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The new gripping tale of murder, mystery and monsters set in a ravaged Pennsylvania steel town called Hemlock Grove that will star Famke Janssen will be available for Netflix members beginning early in 2013. The series will start with the body of a young girl, mangled and murdered in the shadow of the former Godfrey steel mill. Some suspect an escapee from the White Tower, a biotech facility owned by the former steel magnates. Others believe the killer could be Peter, a 17-year-old Gypsy kid from the wrong side of the tracks, who tells his classmates he’s a werewolf. Or it could be Roman, the arrogant Godfrey scion, whose sister Shelley is disturbingly deformed and whose mother, Olivia (Janssen), the otherworldly beautiful and controlling grand dame of Hemlock Grove. As the crime goes unsolved and outlandish rumors mount, Peter and Roman decide to find the killer themselves, confronting unspeakable truths about themselves and Hemlock Grove as the mystery unfolds. There will be 13 episodes of Hemlock Grove. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

Actor Noah Emmerich (White Collar and Super 8) will co-star opposite Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys in the FX 1980’s-based drama pilot called The Americans that centers on two KGB spies (Russell, Rhys) posing as Americans in suburban Washington, DC in the early 1980s. Emmerich will play their new neighbor, a Counter Intelligence FBI agent who grows suspicious of the couple next door. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Eriq La Salle (ER) will guest star (and possibly recur) in the CBS drama pilot called Widow Detective that revolves around Denny, a decorated police officer (John Corbett) who becomes a surrogate husband, lover and father to families of three partners lost in the line of duty. La Salle will play Lt. Lutrell, a loyal friend who came up through the ranks with Denny. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Jack Coleman (Heroes) has been cast the drama pilot for The CW called First Cut that centers on Emily (Mamie Gummer), a newly minted doctor who, glad to leave her nerdy past behind for a fresh start in the adult professional world, discovers that, sadly and comically, life at the hospital where she works is no different than high school. Coleman will play Chief Tim Granger, the demanding and intimidating chief of staff at Denver Memorial Hospital. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DirecTV is looking into venturing into original scripted series as they pick-up Rogue, a 10-episode drama for which actress Thandie Newton is in talks to star. The project centers on an undercover cop (Newton) who takes on a gangster after her young son is killed in a drive-by shooting. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE MOVIE NEWS

Actress Jessica Biel has landed the second female lead in upcoming box office film Alfred Hitchcock And The Making Of Psycho, playing the role of Vera Miles, who played Lila Crane in the 1960 classic. Anthony Hopkins plays Hitchcock while Scarlett Johansson will play Janet Leigh. Helen Mirren will play Alma Reville and James D’Arcy is reportedly up for the role of Anthony Perkins. Actors Toni Collette and Danny Huston (among others) are in negotiations to play roles in the film as well with Collette potentially playing Peggy Robertson, the director’s longtime assistant and Huston portraying Whitfield Cook, a friend of the director’s wife, Alma
Reville (Helen Mirren). (Movie Web and Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actress Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey) has been cast in as the leading lady in the film adaptation of the 1983 Mark Helprin novel Winter’s Tale. She will play a dying young woman who falls in love with a thief who breaks into her home, a palatial West Side mansion, in a drama that takes place in 19th Century and contemporary Manhattan. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

It has been confirmed that actor Russell Crowe will play Noah in the upcoming biblical epic about the prophet. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Anthony Head (Buffy and Merlin) will replace Pierce Brosnan as centaur Chiron in the upcoming sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters that has Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario reprising their roles. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

TRAILER PARK

Dennis Lee’s ‘Jesus Henry Christ’ Trailer with Toni Collette

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome Trailer

NOTE: It was announced this afternoon that Syfy has decided not to pick up Blood & Chrome as a series, but the 90-minute pilot that was shot will air as a movie on the network; but it’s airdate is still unknown. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

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

Question: How long will Bonnie be mad at Elena for causing her mother to turn on The Vampire Diaries? —Michelle

NATALIE: Elena’s actions may have led to Abby’s transformation, but she certainly didn’t plan for it to happen! Ultimately, Bonnie will understand that, but perhaps not as well as Caroline. “Caroline realizes she’s made decisions that have affected people’s lives, so she’s not one to judge Elena for having to make big decisions, whether they turned out well or not,” Candice Accola tells us. “We’ll definitely see more beautiful friend moments as the season comes to a conclusion.”

Question: What can you tell me about what’s next on NCIS? — Tyler

ADAM: Oh, you know, just another day of saving the entire country! The team will be called in to work closely with the Chief of Naval Operations to stop an imminent attack against the U.S. They’ll also be collaborating with an eccentric businessman whose son was killed in a terrorist bombing. He must be quite an asset: I hear he will recur this season and possibly next.

Question: The car chase scene in the Alcatraz finale looks awesome. What can you tell us about the Tommy-Rebecca showdown? — Samuel

NATALIE: Prior to the big car chase — which has been likened to Steve McQueen’s Bullitt (see awesome clip here) — Rebecca and Diego will discover more about Tommy’s involvement in the bigger mystery, which will be the catalyst for the desperate hunt to track him down. More importantly, Ray’s change of heart about Tommy will be explained.

Question:  I’m really loving Awake. Got any teases for me? — Jared

ADAM: Michael’s dual realities will work together in a way that puts him on the trail of a serial killer who everyone — including the FBI profiler who followed him for 12 years — thought was dead. In an effort to find out just how Michael cracked a previously uncrackable case, the killer starts digging into Michael’s private life and uncovers a deep-dark secret.

Question: We haven’t seen Beckett’s psychiatrist, Dr. Burke, in a while on Castle. Got any clue if guest star Michael Dorn will be making an appearance before season’s end? —Ivy

Ausiello: I’ve got one word: yes! He’ll appear in late April/early May.

Question: Any Ryan-centric Nikita scoop! I was very happy to see him rejoin the team last week. —Cady

Ausiello: Pray extra hard that Nikita gets renewed, Cady. I’m told if the show comes back for a third season, Noah Bean (a.k.a. Ryan) will be promoted to a full-fledged series regular.

Question: How did Toby know how to contact Dr. Sullivan in the finale of Pretty Little Liars? If she was that easy to locate, wouldn’t the girls have found her already? —Lori

Ausiello: We put your burning question in front of exec producer Oliver Goldstick, who explains, “Toby hiding his valiant effort to protect Spencer was very connected to Jenna because he really was hoping that if she was indeed treacherous, he could find something from the inside. So, that’s what that was about. All of the loved ones of the PLLs were aware of Dr. Sullivan, and her sudden disappearance from Rosewood would have sparked interest and curiosity among them. Again, Toby had been clued in that someone was torturing the girls, so he made the connection that that person could have been holding Dr. Sullivan at bay. I can’t explain all of that to you now — it will certainly unfold — but he knew there was a time she could come back and confirm who indeed was tormenting the girls. Obviously, Mona was seeing Dr. Sullivan, too, if you remember the episode where she was looking through her files and realized who ‘A’ was.”

Question: Do you got any info about the new season of The Killing? I’m dying; April can’t get here soon enough. —Kristal

Ausiello: Season 2 picks up immediately after the finale, with Linden, having skedaddled off the airplane, learning about Richmond’s shooting via an airport TV. Holder meanwhile is still riding around with the mysterious someone — soon revealed — who hooked him up with the fake photo that triggered the councilman’s arrest. In fact, Holder’s agenda in sealing Richmond’s fate is immediately confirmed, and it just may surprise.

That’s it. Enjoy!