Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The Hallmark Channel has given an official order to their first primetime series called Cedar Cove that will star Andie MacDowell (Jane By Design) and Dylan Neal (Blood Ties). A two-hour special preview is expected to air on January 19 with the series premiere set for spring 2013. (Broadcasting & Cable)

NBC has pulled the new comedy Animal Practice and will replace it with – of all things – the comedy Whitney. The fan favorite comedy Community still does not have an airdate. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has picked up two more dramas projects. The first is a medical drama called Warriors that will follow the best and brightest of active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine on critically wounded warriors returning home from Afghanistan, on military families and veterans, as well as administering to Washington’s government elite while juggling their complicated personal lives, and trying to maintain their sense of perspective, humor, and sanity. The second is a legal drama called Grievances that is described as an unvarnished look at a complicated, co-dependent, no regard for boundaries female friendship between a single woman and happily married mother of three, who start their own law firm when they’re screwed over by their male bosses. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jake T. Austin (The Wizards of Waverly Place) has joined the cast of the ABC Family drama pilot called The Fosters that revolves around Stef (Teri Polo) and Lena Foster (Sherri Saum), a mixed-race lesbian couple who are parents to a biological son Brandon (David Lambert) as well as several adopted children. He will play Jesus Foster, a bilingual fraternal twin who is not as book smart as his sister but is more sensible and pragmatic than she is. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) will star in the TNT drama pilot called Legends that follows Martin Odum (Fraser), a deep-cover operative who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE FOR TV MOVIE NEWS

Actor Graham Patrick Martin (Major Crimes) has landed the role of Anna Nicole Smith’s son Danny in the Lifetime original movie The Anna Nicole Story, which is based on the true life story of Vickie Lynn Hogan (Agnes Bruckner), a pretty but plain girl growing up in a small Texas town who transforms herself into Anna Nicole Smith — a voluptuous, Marilyn Monroe-esque Playboy pin-up and model. Determined to be noticed for good or ill, Vickie gets her wish, but it comes at a steep price, both for her and her beloved son. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors David Duchovny (The X-Files) and Timothy Hutton (Leverage) and actress Hope Davis (The Newsroom) will star in the upcoming film called After The Fall that is based on the true story of John and Brenda Fareri, grieving parents who used the unexpected death of their young daughter Maria as the impetus to build a world class state of the art children’s hospital where families are welcomed into the healing process. Duchovny and Davis play the parents, while Hutton plays Komiske, who helped them obtain funds for the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actor Ewan McGregor (Star Wars prequel films) will star in the upcoming romantic comedy called Born To Be King and actress Kate Hudson is in negotiations to star as well. The film has McGregor playing a movie extra who looks almost identical to a big star. Hudson would play a famous Hollywood actress who is battling with her co-star on her latest project but begins to develop feelings for the extra. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online)

Question: Anything on the most adorable couple ever: Zoe-Wade from Hart of Dixie? – Sooriclover

Team Watch with Kristin: Wade and Zoe fans, meet your new enemy: Meatball, a Jack Black-type who is friend of Wade’s and used to be in his band. Why won’t you like him? Well, it seems like he picks on Wade for choosing to hang with Zoe (orange-picking to be precise, which is a very couple-y activity to do, no?) over hanging with the guys. Here’s hoping Wade rises above his bud’s snickering!

Question: Any Pretty Little Liars scoop that’s not about the Halloween special? – Noelle

Team Watch with Kristin: After the Halloween episode, which will reveal the death of one Rosewood local, Ashley Benson teases, “[The] second half of the season is just finding out who the A Team is, and we don’t know who to trust. We don’t even trust each other anymore, because we find out that Toby is working for ‘A.’ It’s just crazy! We don’t know who’s on our side, who’s not. We’re kind of all in danger now, because I’m like, ‘Oh my god! Is Caleb…?!’ We don’t know what the closest ones to us, what they’re doing or what their agenda is.”

Question: Nashville news, if you got it! – Lena

Team Watch with Kristin: Someone else may be after Deacon besides Juliette! Later on in the season, we’ll meet a mega-successful Jon Bon Jovi-esque rocker who is looking for a new guitar player to join his band. That Deacon will be fighting admirers off with a guitar pick!

Question: You’ve been slacking on the Grimm scoop lately. Please share the goods! – Liam

Team Watch with Kristin: Your wish is our command! The NBC show will be introducing a vicious, scorpion-esque creature (called an Istsa Sitan) in the form of Cole, the leader of a lack of troublemakers. Even worse? He’s got a Bonnie to his Clyde, his girlfriend Krystal, who’s also an Istsa Sitan, and helps her love commit robberies.

Question: Any NCIS spoilers? – Christina

Team Watch with Kristin: The show will be introducing a secret service special agent who is beautiful and tough, pretty and professional. She’s an expert in currency-related crimes and viewers may just see her pop up throughout the season.

That’s it. Enjoy!