Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

FINALLY! The BBC and BBC America will simultaneously air the season premiere of Doctor Who on Saturday, September 1. American fans can watch it at 9 PM on the cable network. Fans should also take note that a 5-part web prequel mini-adventure called “Pond Life” will go online daily starting next Monday. (Dark Horizons)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has put in development an hour-long dramedy called Between Park & Lex that comes from writer Maria Maggenti (the box office film Monte Carlo) and produced by ABC Studios, Allan Loeb’s DarkFire TV and actor Ryan Reynolds (yep, you read that right!). The project centers on a mother and daughter who team up as amateur sleuths, who balance their day jobs and regular lives with solving crimes on the side. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The cult British adventure/sci-fi series Blake’s 7 is getting a reboot at Syfy with a script-to-series commitment, which means that if the cabler likes the script, it will greenlight the project as a 13-episode series. The series centered on hard-core renegades and criminals who escape from a prison planet, battling humans and aliens alike – and becoming heroes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CBS is developing a reboot of the classic western series Have Gun Will Travel, which will be written by David Mamet, who will also direct the potential pilot. The original series starred Richard Boone as Paladin, a top-notch gunfighter who preferred to settle problems without violence but stood his ground when provoked. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Anthony Zuiker (the creator of the CSI franchise) is teaming with Gossip Girl executive producer Sara Goodman for a new drama project called Taboo that has been sold to CBS. This potential series is a sexy soap that centers on a stay-at home-mom who goes back to work as an undercover psychological profiler for the FBI, but the job isn’t nearly as dangerous as the sexual obsession she falls into with the man she’s investigating. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Looks like Disney Pictures is going to attempt a reboot of the period adventure film The Rocketeer. The 1930’s set original film followed a racing pilot (Billy Campbell) who discovers a rocket-pack prototype having been hidden inside his stunt plane by gangsters. (Vulture and Dark Horizons)

Actor Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsman and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) has been cast in the role of Finnick in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

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

Question: Will Castle and Beckett being together change the kinds of cases Castle features? — Melanie

ADAM: Not really, but it could change the location of the show a bit. “It opens us up to brand-new territory,” creator Andrew W. Marlowe tells us. “There are ways that are organic to get Castle and Beckett out of New York; they can go away for the weekend.” Case in point: An upcoming episode will feature a romantic getaway in the Hamptons! Well, it’s romantic until the town’s fresh-faced police chief calls on Beckett and Castle to assist with his first-ever homicide investigation.

Question: How long will it be before Elena starts embracing her vampirism on The Vampire Diaries? — Amy

NATALIE: Not long. Once the transition starts, there’s no turning back. Fortunately, she’s got a ton of friends who have already been through it themselves! In the season premiere, Stefan will have a heartfelt chat with Elena about her new strengths and weaknesses. He’ll also present her with her first daylight ring — made especially for her by Bonnie.

Question: What can we expect from Jimmy Palmer on NCIS now that Brian Dietzen has been made a series regular? — Marc

ADAM: With Ducky sidelined by his heart attack, look for Palmer to jump scalpel-first into his job as acting coroner. “He really has to take over the reins, [and] it points out both Palmer’s strengths and weaknesses,” executive producer Gary Glasberg says. But what happens when Ducky comes back? “They work so brilliantly together as a team,” Glasberg says. “[But] Palmer is assuming a certain role. Inherently, there are moments [of conflict]. There’s a great episode down the road when Ducky has to rediscover his mojo.”

Question: Now that Michael knows the name of the man who killed his brother on Burn Notice, will he actually be able to find him? — Rebecca

ADAM: Sort of. During Thursday’s midseason finale, Michael will come face-to-face with the man he believes to be Tyler Gray. But Michael will be forced to question the legitimacy of his intel when he learns a very surprising (and life-threatening) revelation about someone close to him.

Question: Now that Bree Turner is a series regular on Grimm, please tell me that the hinted-at romance between Rosalee and Monroe will finally get a kick in the butt! — Leslie

ADAM: The Blutbad-Fuchsbau moment you’ve been waiting for will finally arrive when Monroe and Rosalee go out on a date. But while we were hoping for an enchanting, furry encounter à la Lady and the Tramp, danger in the form of another Wesen interferes. But don’t worry about their safety: Rosalee will reveal an unexpected side of herself.

Question: Any scoop on Once Upon a Time? —Rae

Ausiello: Something will happen this season that will ensure Mary Margaret and Emma get a lot of mother-daughter bonding time, whether they like it or not. Bonus clue: Think Lost.

Question: Can I get a spoiler on Season 2 of Person of Interest? —Andres

Ausiello: Finch going missing in the Season 1 finale raises a big question about the Machine’s identification of the next POI — and viewers will get that answer when the hit drama returns Sept. 27. ”[Exec producer] Jonah [Nolan] and [writer] Denise [Thé] have found a really novel, interesting way to present the number in the absence of Finch. Who does the Machine turn to?” says EP Greg Plageman. “And that is answered in the premiere, per the title [‘The Contigency’].” Wait, so it’s not simply some pneumatic tube like at the bank drive-up? “We toyed with that!” Plageman admits.

That’s it. Enjoy!