Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actresses Jurnee Smollett (Friday Night Lights) and Amelia Rose Blaire (90210) have both landed roles in the upcoming sixth season of True Blood. Smollett will have the series regular role of Nicole, a do-gooder who possesses the rosy outlook of someone that life hasn’t beaten down yet. She’s not concerned with money and more concerned with the doing what’s right. Meanwhile, Blaire will have the recurring role of Willa, the daughter of Louisiana Governor Truman Burrell (Arliss Howard). She has long clashed with her father over vampire rights. True Blood will be back in June on HBO. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Summer Glau (Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) will make a guest appearance on Hawaii Five-0, playing a woman involved with an underground fighting ring who also happens to be searching for the person who murdered her father. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg are developing another World War II mini-series for HBO. The untitled new project will look at the officers and enlisted men who served in the Eighth Air Force against Germany. Based in England, the men of the “Mighty Eighth” faced harsh physical, psychological and moral challenges. The story will be based in part on the Donald L. Miller book called “Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany,” as well as other books that will provide other source material. (Tim Molloy at The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films for this past weekend courtesy of Exhibitor Relations:

1. Mama, $28.1 million
2. Zero Dark Thirty, $17.6 million
3. Silver Linings Playbook, $11.4 million
4. Gangster Squad, $9.1 million
5. Broken City, $9 million
6. A Haunted House, $8.3 million
7. Django Unchained, $8.2 million
8. Les Misérables, $7.8 million
9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, $6.5 million
10. The Last Stand, $6.3 million

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Roush from TV Guide)

Question: Do you think that the incredible popularity of Downton Abbey will bring more British-made shows to America? I was a big fan of BBC America at one time, but its programming lately is lackluster at best. It has nowhere near the amount of shows it once had, and seems to mainly air Top Gear, Kitchen Nightmares and, oddly, Star Trek: The Next Generation. I love Picard and company, but it is sad to see the channel that brought us great British television like Waking the Dead reduced to airing old American reruns. Do you think Downton Abbey’s success could reinvigorate BBC America or maybe push PBS to bring us more British television? — Amanda

Matt Roush: Keep in mind that the Downton Abbeys of the world are few and far between, even in England. Its success already has inspired PBS to go outside the Masterpiece window to acquire another winner in Call the Midwife, which returns with new episodes in late March, and they just announced another multi-part drama, a mystery called The Bletchley Circle, to air in April. PBS is seeking other opportunities with international co-producers, but doesn’t have the deepest pockets, so much of what you’ll see there will likely still be contained within the Masterpiece franchise. BBC America is a more commercial enterprise (no Trek pun intended), and when you see full nights devoted to unscripted shows in constant rotation, that’s a clue about where the eyeballs and dollars are. Why the channel leans on U.S.-produced shows like TNG and Battlestar Galactica is more of a puzzle, I admit. The channel did successfully branch off this summer with a homegrown Sunday drama (Copper, which for me didn’t live up to the standards of imports like the new Ripper Street), but for now it seems like the channel is content with packaging most of its dramas in pods like the Saturday lineup of fantasy/sci-fi/thrillers (including most famously Doctor Who) and the Wednesday Dramaville banner (home of great shows like Luther and The Hour). It’s worth noting that outlets like Encore (The Crimson Petal and the White), Ovation (this Tuesday’s The Scapegoat) and Sundance (Appropriate Adult) have acquired notable British dramas in recent years, and HBO has collaborated with the BBC on next month’s Parade’s End miniseries starring Benedict Cumberbatch. I would expect Downton to spur even more interest in partnering for long-form period dramas, but it may take a while to see the results.

That’s it. Enjoy!