Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor James Read (Charmed) will guest star in an upcoming episode of CSI: NY as the dad of Lindsay Messer (Anna Belknap). He will first appear in mid-November. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

TNT has given a 6-episode series order to the Frank Darabont period crime drama previously called L.A. Noir that revolves around the decades-long conflict between the LAPD, under the leadership of chief William Parker, and ruthless criminal elements led by Mickey Cohen, a one-time boxer who became the city’s top mob boss. Actor Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead) will play an ex-Marine working as a cop who is dealing with corruption in his own ranks. Other cast members include Neal McDonough (Justified), Milo Ventimigila (Heroes) and Jeffrey DeMunn (The Walking Dead). (Stuart Levine at Variety)

Actor Brian J. Smith (Stargate Universe) will guest star in an episode of the upcoming new Syfy series Defiance that is set to debut in April of next year. Smith will play Gordon McClintock, a NASA hero from the pre-Arkfall days who was presumed dead following a space station catastrophe; but he is discovered to still be alive when he is revived from an induced sleep, and is overcome with shock and disbelief at the dangerous new world of Defiance. The series is set in the near future and introduces an exotically transformed planet Earth, its landscapes permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of seven unique alien races. In this somewhat unknown and unpredictable landscape, the richly diverse, newly-formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Universal Television has set up a new drama project with ABC. It is called Beneath from writers Dan Dworkin and Jay Beattie (The Event and Revenge). The project is being described as a supernatural drama about the unusual changes that befall a town after an energy company comes drilling for natural gas and unleashes something far more powerful. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Tom Lenk (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) has landed a recurring role on the Lifetime pilot Witches of East End that revolves around Joanna Beauchamp (Julia Ormond) and her two adult daughters Freya (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and Ingrid (Rachel Boston), both of whom have no idea that they’re the family’s next generation of witches. They lead uneventful lives in a quiet secluded Long Island town of North Hampton but when Freya becomes engaged to a newcomer Dash Gardner (Patrick Heusinger) a series of events prompt Joanna to admit that her daughters are both powerful and immortal witches. Lenk will play Hudson Rafferty, Ingrid’s fellow librarian and gay best friend who helps her cast a fertility spell on one of their pals. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has given a script order to a new drama called Maddox that is being described as a high-concept family drama about a family that moves into an idyllic community where medicine and technology are the closest thing to Utopia — until they suspect that something darker might be afoot. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

TNT is developing a drama series based on the five Frankenstein novels by legendary author Dean Koontz. The project will be set in present-day New Orleans, following Victor Helios (Frankenstein) and his creation 200 years after they thought they killed each other in a battle in the Arctic. The creature has survived and Victor has used science to keep himself alive — and they’re now in the same city unbeknownst to each other. Victor has engineered a new race of bizarre beings who answer to him, and when the creature learns that Victor is alive, an epic war ensues built on 200 years of pent-up rage, with New Orleans caught in the middle. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire) and actress Brit Marling (Another Earth) will star in the upcoming film called Posthumous. Huston will star as struggling artist whose artwork skyrockets in value when he is mistakenly thought to have killed himself. The artist decides to keep up the charade by pretending to be his own brother, but the entire plan is put in jeopardy when he befriends an enthusiastic reporter (Marling) who begins to show him the real value of life and art. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actor Matthew Goode (Watchmen) and Paul Bettany (Priest) will star in the upcoming period piece film called Destroyer, which is based on a true story. The film will follow British Navy Captain David Hart Dyke, whose ship is led into a tense situation during the Falklands Conflict in 1982 and is bombed by the Argentine Air Force. (First Showing and Moviehole)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online, Natalie Abrams and Adam Bryant at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: Dying for some Revenge scoop on Nolan! – brittneyh10

Team Watch with Kristin: The new guy Aiden? Yeah, Nolan is not a fan and Gabriel Mann says we may see the two men vie for Emily’s attention. “He’s so suave in a way that I think drives Nolan absolutely nuts because it’s everything Nolan wishes he actually were,” Gabriel explains. “And he has a certain connection to Emily that he continues to search for that happens a little bit more organically between the two of them. I would say there could be some interesting dynamics between Emily, Aiden and Nolan. Actually I’m going to guarantee it.”

Question: Need my Scandal fix now! – Jessica

Team Watch with Kristin: Kate Burton is coming back as Vice President Sally Langston, y’all! In episode 11, we’ll meet her secretary, which could turn into a possibly recurring character. (Here’s hoping this one turns out better than former chief of staff Billy!). In the same hour, we’ll be introduced to the Head of the FBI. Uh-oh, seems like trouble is brewing on Scandal and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Question: Revolution is getting so good! Any scoop on what’s ahead? – Derek

Team Watch with Kristin: Prepare to meet more members of the rebel army, including McClusky, one of the gang’s leaders who is iron-tough and has a kind but commanding presence. We’ll also meet Sanborn, a tense scientist who loves to build intricate weaponry. Hmmm, these two roles have our minds reeling as they are set to make their first appearances in episode 11, which follows a can’t-miss episode 10. Creator Eric Kripke teases that Charlie and the gang will catch up to Danny in that episode, and Miles and Monroe will finally come face-to-face. “They still really love each other. When they see each other, they’re not really sure if they’re going to kill each other or hug each other,” Kripke teases, describing their history as “very tragic, emotional and Cain-and-Abel.”

Question: Stefan and Elena seem like they’re in a good place on The Vampire Diaries. Will they stay that way? —Farrah

NATALIE: Those two are definitely in it for the long haul. But while they had some meaningful conversations about their future in the premiere, this week’s episode will bring trouble to paradise. Expect Elena and Stefan to clash after a particular “interaction” between Elena and Damon. “It’s something unintentionally hurtful she does to Stefan that she has to then deal with the repercussions of,” executive producer Julie Plec says.

Question: Last Resort’s heating up! What’s coming next? — Brad

ADAM: A good portion of the men under Chaplin’s command are becoming a bit antsy about their current assignment. How antsy? Chaplin will have to stave off not one, but two assassination attempts by his own men. These brushes with death will force Chaplin to consider letting some of the crew leave the island and head home.

Question: So we’ve all heard it’s the “Year of Tiva” on NCIS, but what about my other favorite duo, Abby and McGee? Anything new on them? —Alyssa

Ausiello: McGee’s gonna have some explaining to do when he’s caught in a compromising situation with (drumroll please… ) Diane Sterling, aka the communal ex-wife of both Gibbs and Fornell! As exec producer Gary Glasberg explains, Melinda McGraw will reprise her role in December, and “this time she not only has to work undercover with them, she has to spend the night with Special Agent Tim McGee as well. Amidst the chaos, Gibbs and Fornell find their ex asleep on the sofa with Tim. In the words of one of my favorite films, ‘Ex Mrs. Boss, are you trying to seduce me?!’ You’ll have to wait and see what McGee has gotten himself into.”

Question: Thank you for recommending Connie Britton’s Nashville! I loved it, although the political storyline seems tacked on. Tell me I’m wrong? –Amy

Ausiello: What I can tell you is that while the mayoral campaign story is ostensibly about Teddy, it’ll be as much about his wife. Actually, I’ll let Ms. Britton tell you. “Rayna’s a self-made woman who has been basically supporting their family for most of their adult lives — and now, suddenly, she’s going to some degree be playing ‘the politician’s wife,’ and that’s going to be a really interesting conflict for her, and for them,” says TV’s erstwhile Mrs. Coach. “He doesn’t need to [run for office], and she’s also conflicted about her father being involved in it… But she also has a strong sense of allegiance and loyalty to her husband. That’s what’s interesting about playing a Southern woman — there’s always that underlying feeling of, ‘Stand by your man.’”

Question: I’ve just discovered Switched at Birth and I love it (because I am apparently a 14-year-old trapped in a 35-year-old’s body.) Any scoop? —Megan

Ausiello: Things are going to get very complicated for Daphne and Chef Jeff in next Monday’s finale. “As the season sort of winds down, the parents get more and more involved in both of the girls’ choices – and maybe they’re not the best choices,” Katie Leclerc told TVLine at the 2012 Media Access Awards. So how will the family react when the controversial relationship is exposed? “It’s a bombshell,” added Leclerc. “It’s a big blow up. Everyone wants to be a hero in this situation, so the adults have to figure out who that’s going to be and how that’s going to work out.”

That’s it. Enjoy!