Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Barbara Niven (One Life to Live and The Bold and the Beautiful) has joined the cast of the upcoming Hallmark Channel first-ever scripted series Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove. She joins Andie MacDowell (Jane By Design), Dylan Neal (Blood Ties) and Bruce Boxleitner (Scarecrow & Mrs. King) in the series that will focus on Judge Olivia Lockhart (MacDowell) whose Cedar Cove Municipal Court is the professional milieu and social microcosm of issues the judge will face in her own day-to-day life with family and friends. Niven will play Peggy Beldon, the wife of Bob Beldon (to be played by Boxleitner). (The Futon Critic)

Eight of the best words put together in one sentence: Neil Patrick Harris to return as Emmy host. (Twitter)

NOTE: This fact alone might be the only reason I watch the awards show, which I have not watched in YEARS!!

Actor Warren Kole (The Following and Common Law) will have a recurring role on White Collar when it returns for its 5th season later this year. He will play Agent David Seigel, Neal’s overly ambitious new FBI handler who takes over for the now-jailed Peter. In addition, actor Richard Thomas (The Americans and The Waltons) will guest in an upcoming episode of the season, playing the patriarch of a wealthy family. (HuffPost TV and TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones) will star opposite actor Logan Marshall-Green in the Cinemax drama pilot Quarry that is based on the series of novels by Max Allan Collins. The pilot is set in the 1970s, centering on a Marine sniper (Marshall-Green) who, upon his return home from Vietnam in 1973, finds himself shunned by those he loves and demonized by the public. Taylor will play Buddy, a hitman who helps Quarry learn the ropes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: ‘Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters’

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

Question: Only two episodes of Game of Thrones left this season! Give me some scoop or I’m going to weep manly tears into my ale! — Jorge

NATALIE: Get ready to make love and war with a new colorful yet charismatic warrior, as the producers are looking to cast Oberyn in Season 4. This highly skilled and cultured man with a vendetta will run afoul of at least one of the Lannisters, while cultivating another to his side. But will his bloodlust overshadow his lust for a string of diverse lovers? Let’s just hope he doesn’t peak too soon!

Question: What’s Jane’s history with the new guy on Rizzoli & Isles? — Rebecca

ADAM: You won’t have to wait very long to find out. All will be explained via flashback in the new season’s second episode, when Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez (Amaury Nolasco), the new head of the Boston PD drug unit, arrives. The case-of-the-week involves the drowning of Martinez’s confidential informant. The ordeal brings back painful memories of a case Jane was involved in nearly a decade earlier. Let’s just say she clearly understands what Martinez is going through.

Question: How does Wonderland fit into the world of Once Upon a Time? — Betty

NATALIE: Let us take a look back to what executive producer Edward Kitsis told reporters before the show was picked up to series: “Wonderland takes place post-curse, so the pilot actually starts when magic comes and the Wraith happens.” Note the Wraith, because that’s very important to where the spin-off actually picks up, with fans seeing a different character’s point of view that won’t make you angry. Also look for the spin-off to feature other lands in a mash-up style similar to Once that may make you question who a past character really was.

Question: How is Agent Coulson alive in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? — Matt

NATALIE: Gregg promises the reveal will be realistic and won’t undermine the integrity of The Avengers. In my very humble comic-book-nerd opinion, I would put money on Coulson being a Life Model Decoy.

Question: What’s next on White Collar after Peter’s arrest? — Maria

ADAM: Surprisingly, It doesn’t take long for Peter to get back into the FBI’s good graces, and once he does, he looks into starting a new joint task force with the NYPD for large-scale busts. In the meantime, Peter and Neal will fall into their old routine quickly. In fact, before you know it, Neal will be posing as a butler for an affluent family Elizabeth knew way back when so that he can investigate the rebellious eldest son. Call me crazy, but I’m not so sure that Neal will be very good at taking orders.

Question: Do you know if Thea or Roy will become Speedy on Arrow? — Zach

NATALIE: Even though DC Comics fans have always suspected that Roy would go on to become Oliver’s sidekick Speedy, the Season 1 finale seemed to indicate that he might skip over that and go on to become Red Arrow or Arsenal. (He is always wearing that red hoodie!) “One of the fun elements is what I call the comic book destinies for each of the characters and seeing how much they’ll follow those destinies and how much they’ll deviate,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says of Roy’s future. “As we’ve probably shown a couple times in Season 1, we like to be unpredictable.”

Question: I’m going through serious Suits withdrawal. Please say you have a scoop! —Emily

Ausiello: I have a scoop! The July 16 premiere finds Mike and Rachel trying to “navigate a relationship,” reveals Meghan Markle. “There is an episode that is sort of like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, where Mike comes to the Zane household, which will be pretty great to shoot.” Rachel, meanwhile, is still coming to terms with Mike’s big Harvard bombshell. “It’s a lot to take in,” Markle acknowledges. “And also, you have to think, Donna knew about it, so that really challenges Rachel and Donna’s friendship, that she wouldn’t reveal that to her. This season is a lot of Rachel trying to determine who has been truthful with her and if she can forgive them.”

Question: Longtime reader and fan. Is it too early to ask for some Sons Of Anarchy scoop? I will take anything you got. —Rachel

Ausiello: Here’s what I got: Beauty and the Beast head-turner Bridget Regan has signed on to appear in a relatively minor multi-episode arc, sources confirm to me exclusively. There are zero details on her character, but Kurt Sutter previously told us Season 6 would delve deeper into the escort world so I’m thinking maybe possibly she’s playing what my Aunt Joan still refers to as a streetwalker?

Question: I’m curious about NCIS‘ four-month time jump in the finale — will the show flash back to those intervening months when it returns this fall? —Jacob

Ausiello: Not sure if we’ll get actual flashbacks, but exec producer Gary Glasberg promises that “everything that happened that led up to Gibbs looking through that rifle will be explained,” adding, “All the pieces will fit together.”

Question: With so many Vampire Diaries peeps migrating to the Originals spin-off, what kind of new characters can we expect to populate the show next season? —Warren

Ausiello: Prepare for a rush of college kids! “We’re definitely going to be entering an entire new world at Whitmore College, so we’ll get to meet new friends and new enemies,” reveals exec producer Julie Plec. “There’ll be a lot of new people entering our universe that we’ll get to know well — and then also maybe some new romantic interests for some of our characters.”

That’s it. Enjoy!