Rueben's Ramblings

Here is a list of the programming options to expect on TV this week:

The new Syfy series Defiance will debut on Syfy at 9 PM. This series is set in the near future in an exotically transformed planet Earth, its landscapes permanently altered following the sudden — and tumultuous — arrival of seven unique alien races. A newly-formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully.

Also on April 15, the final two episodes of Dallas will air on TNT starting at 9 PM.

Awkward. will return to MTV with a new season, starting with back-to-back episodes on April 16 at 10 PM and 10:30 PM.

On April 17, Southland will air its season finale on TNT at 10 PM.

The entire 13-episode new Netflix series called Hemlock Grove will debut online on April 19. This online series is a gripping tale of murder, mystery and monsters set in a ravaged Pennsylvania steel town that starts 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 (Landon Liboiron from Terra Nova) from the wrong side of the tracks, who tells his classmates he’s a werewolf. Or it could be Roman (Bill Skarsgard, brother of Alexander Skarsgard from True Blood), the arrogant Godfrey scion, whose sister Shelley is disturbingly deformed and whose mother, Olivia (Famke Janssen from the X-Men franchise), the otherworldly beautiful and controlling grand dame of Hemlock Grove.

On April 20, the Hallmark Movie Channel film After All These Years will debut at 8 PM. Audrey Brandon (Wendie Malick from Hot in Cleveland) has just celebrated her 30th anniversary with her “perfect” husband, Michael (Barclay Hope from The Killing), when he leaves her for a younger woman. Soon after, Audrey is shocked to find Michael murdered on her kitchen floor. When Audrey is named as the primary suspect, she becomes a fugitive on the hunt for the real killer. With some help along the way from best friends Anita (Andrea Martin from My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Phyllis (Martha Burns), former student J.J. (Matt Ward from Red Riding Hood) and former love David (Gregory Harrison), Audrey investigates the case to clear her name.

Also on April 20, the Lifetime movie Call Me Crazy: A Five Film will debut at 8 PM. This film includes an all-star cast, focusing on the five interwoven stories of powerful relationships built on hope and triumph when dealing with a loved ones struggle with mental illness.

The 3-part murder mystery The Bletchley Circle mini-series will debut on PBS on April 21 at 10 PM. The mini follows Susan, Millie, Lucy and Jean, ordinary women with extraordinary ability to break codes, a skill honed during World War II when they worked undercover at Bletchley Park, site of the United Kingdom’s main decryption establishment. Now, in 1952, the four have returned to civilian life, keeping their intelligence work secret from all, including family and friends. But, a series of ghastly murders targeting women reunites the team as they set out to decode the pattern behind the crimes. This mini-series will air each Sunday through May 5.

Also on April 21, the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie Remember Sunday will air on ABC at 9 PM. Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls) will star as down-on-her-luck waitress Molly, who meets jewelry store clerk Gus (Zachary Levi from Chuck), but complications ensue thanks to Gus’s memory problems: a brain aneurysm that gives him a blank slate the second his alarm clock wakes him up each day.

Lovestruck: The Musical will also debut on ABC Family on April 21at 8 PM. The film tells the story of Harper (Jane Seymour), one of the best dancers Broadway has ever seen; but an injury caused her to leave the spotlight, becoming a choreographer and raising her daughter Mirabella (Sara Paxton). When Mirabella, the star of Harper’s next big production, decides to quit the show to get married abroad, her mother is determined to put a stop to the wedding and show Mirabella that she cannot give up her career for love. After the long flight to the Italian wedding site, Harper takes a swig from a strange bottle that is supposed to dull the pain of an old dance injury. Instead, the elixir magically changes Harper to be 30 years younger. Harper’s younger appearance (Chelsea Kane) allows her to secretly infiltrate the wedding – only to confront a huge obstacle in Mirabella’s father, Ryan (Tom Wopat), who immediately recognizes his ex-wife. After he too experiences the reverse-aging effects of the elixir (Drew Seeley plays Young Ryan), Ryan teams with Harper to reverse the damage she’s done to Mirabella and Marco’s relationship, hopefully in time to save the wedding.

Lastly on April 21, Once Upon a Time will be back with all new episodes on ABC at 8 PM.

Mark your calendars!