Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The USA Network has cancelled the Callie Thorne-led drama Necessary Roughness after three seasons. (Variety)

Actress Christine Evangelista (Lucky 7) will have a recurring role on Chicago Fire, playing Allison Rafferty, a new paramedic at the station. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Julian Sands (24) will have a major recurring role in the upcoming NBC pirate drama Crossbones that will star film legend John Malkovich in the lead role. Sands will play William Jagger, an aristocrat-turned-privateer and governor of Jamaica who dispatches Tom Lowe (actor Richard Coyle) to accompany inventor-mathematician Benedict Nightingale and his Marine Chronometer to England by way of a secret convoy. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Katrina Law (Spartacus and the recent Hallmark film Snow Bride) will play Nyssa al Ghul, the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, in an upcoming episode of Arrow. Nyssa is a powerful member of the League of Assassins who comes to Starling City in pursuit of The Canary (recurring guest star Caity Lotz). (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Robert Gant (Queer as Folk) will appear in two upcoming episodes of the new CW series The Tomorrow People, playing Peter, a new boyfriend of Stephen’s (series lead Robbie Amell) mom. But Peter may be too good to be true and have ulterior motives for dating Stephen’s mom. Also, actress Elizabeth Hurley will lend her voice to The Tomorrow People, as the counterpart to TIM, the computer used by The Tomorrow People (which is voiced by Downton Abbey alum Dan Stevens. Hurley’s “character”, however, will be the voice of ULTRA’s own super-computer dubbed Alice. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Tierney Bricker at Entertainment Online)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The cable network Starz is developing a ballet-themed drama called Flesh and Bone that will follow a young ballet dancer, Claire Robbins, who has a distinctly troubled past, as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. The dark and gritty series will unflinchingly explore the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world. Ethan Stiefel (who played Cooper Nielsen in the classic film Center Stage) will be a consultant and choreographer on the series. Sascha Radetsky (who played Charlie in Center Stage and is a current American Ballet Theatre soloist) as well as several other well known ballet artists have joined the cast, but national auditions are underway for the lead role. (TV By the Numbers)

Actor Michael Chiklis (Las Vegas and The Shield) is teaming with IDW Entertainment to develop and produce Pantheon, a scripted, live-action TV series based on his own comic that is a dark and stylized story of ancient Greek gods returning to a ravaged, chaotic near-future Earth, where they battle for the fate of mankind. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Laurence Fishburne will star in a new development from HBO based on the novels by Walter Mosley and centered on his character Socrates Fortlow, an ex-convict who seeks redemption–while battling inner demons and external forces–after serving 27 years in prison. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Bill Murray has joined the cast of the HBO mini-series Olive Kitteridge, which stars Frances McDormand (Fargo) in the lead role and is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Elizabeth Strout. The story tells the tale of a seemingly placid New England town fraught with illicit affairs, crime and tragedy, as chronicled through the eyes of Olive who is tough on the outside but has a strong moral center. Murray will play Jack Kennison, a local widower whom Kitteridge befriends. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Nick Eversman (Missing and The Tomorrow People) has been cast as Mick Jagger in the upcoming biopic centering on James Brown that will star Chadwick Boseman (42) as the Godfather of Soul. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Rachel Boston (Witches of East End) will star in the indie romantic comedy called A Ring by Spring where she will play an independent career woman who sets out on a romantic exploration through her past when a psychic tells her that she will be engaged by spring. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Reese Witherspoon is Hysterical in West Memphis ‘Devil’s Knot’ Trailer

Hot Trailer: ‘Muppets Most Wanted’

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

Question: Got anything on my new TV obsession Reign? – Debbie

TV Scoop Team: Someone’s going to learn about Nostradamus’ prophecy (you know, the one in which Francis will die if he marries Mary?) very soon. And the fallout will be pretty freaking epic.

Question: Scandal is my everything this season. But can it really top last week’s episode?! – Jean

TV Scoop Team: Yes, it most certainly can and shame on you for thinking otherwise! “Buckle your seats, Gladiators, because if you were missing any kind of adrenaline rush, it’s coming. It’s coming. It’s crazy!” Jeff Perry teases. And fans can look forward to more amazing scenes between Perry and Bellamy Young as he spills, “Mellie and I are aggressively trying to fight off all challengers and create a Fitz reelection and some of our strategy gets us into tremendous hot water. It gets me into domestic hot water with James.

Question: In desperate need of scoop on The Blacklist! – David

TV Scoop Team: Hell hath no fury like Red scorned…which someone in an upcoming episode will learn when they help one of his enemies betray him in a big way. Like, taking-a-hit-out-on-our-fedora-wearing-baddies’-life big way.

Question: I need to know about the Teen Wolf winter premiere! What can you spill? – Thomas L.

TV Scoop Team: How about that it opens on a sweaty Stiles in bed? And that he’s not alone? Of course, we’re not going to spill if it’s a dream sequence or not. But we can share with you that Stiles is in a pretty dark place, and we can’t even recall a single snappy one-liner he’s known to drop. We’re also going to be visiting Beacon Hills today so leave your burning questions in the comments!

Question: Any dirt on Nashville you’re willing to part with would be greatly appreciated! – Kimberly

TV Scoop Team: Is the ice between Rayna and Juliette thawing…for good?! In an upcoming episode, viewers will see Rayna make a big sacrifice in her professional life to stand out for her one-time rival. Could this mean Juliette be switching record labels in the very near future?

Question: Always in need of Beauty and the Beast spoilers. – Klein

TV Scoop Team: In episode 11, one of our main characters will be smack dab in the middle of a terrifying hostage situation that could put them in serious danger, or worse, the morgue! We’re happy to tell you it’s not Vincent or Catherine, although they are definitely involved with the deadly drama. But on the bright side, out of this crazy ordeal comes a new…wait for it…hero!

Question: Will the group learn the truth about Peter Pan’s identity on Once Upon a Time? — Sarah

NATALIE: Yes, and when they do, they may actually feel bad for the Rumple, despite the fact that he’s caused them all strife at one point or another. “When I learned Pan was his father, it all made sense to me why he is the way he is and how he turned out that way,” Lana Parrilla says. “As Regina, I had compassion for his character. It’s heartbreaking when a parent abandons their child, but the way he did it was just so evil and so sinister. He is more evil than the Evil Queen and Rumple because there’s no remorse.”

Question: Do you have anything on Sleepy Hollow? — Andrew

NATALIE: Abbie’s former flame Luke will definitely be spooked by his run-in with the literally-dead-man-walking Andy. “Like all the characters who are suddenly touched by the supernatural and by the reality of what’s actually going on right under the surface of that town, what it does to your mind is a big question,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman tells us. “He’s going to have to face that.”

Question: What’s the deal with that head on Almost Human? — Doug

NATALIE: In the original pilot, the head actually belonged to Kennex’s father, so the switchover to it being a woman was a shock even to me. “Why Insyndicate wanted this head and for what will become clear,” J.H. Wyman tells me, cautioning that the mystery won’t be revealed any time soon. “They’re in a process of literally having to take every single piece of evidence and having to cross-check it,” he says, likening the building to the warehouse in Indiana Jones. In other words, they’ll probably find the lost Ark before they find the head.

Question: Will Huck find out about Quinn killing that guy on Scandal? — Heather

NATALIE: It won’t be long before Huck realizes that something is off with his protégée. “This Quinn is different than Quinn in Season 1, and she’s learned a lot of things about covering up,” Katie Lowes says. “But obviously covering a murder is going to be very hard to do.” Still, just because Quinn killed off OPA’s only lead in the Remington investigation, Lowes teases that Olivia Pope will find a way to get to the truth about the plane crash.

Question: I’m excited but also scared about the final season of Nikita! Can you at least please tell me that Michael and Nikita stay together? — Claire

ADAM: For Nikita’s swan song, your favorite rogue agent will not have it easy — and that extends to her love life. But who has time for romance? In the packed-to-the-gills final six episodes, brace yourself to see allies turn on each other, a ballistic missile strike, a slew of double-crosses (not just courtesy of Amanda), assassinations, guest star Judd Nelson making a surprising connection and the shocking death of a main character. Sounds dangerous, right? We’d encourage you not to expect a typical happily-ever-after.

Question: What can you tell me about NCIS‘s 250th episode? —Marsha

Ausiello: I can tell you that someone from Gibbs’ past will resurface around the time of the CBS phenom’s landmark episode. Sources confirm to me exclusively that Susanna Thompson is set to reprise her role as Jethro’s ex, Hollis Mann, this January. And, show boss Gary Glasberg, teases: “She is coming back in an unexpected way.”

Question: Any info on Grimm? Specifically, on Juliette and Nick? —Veronica

Ausiello: Not so much on the reunited lovebirds, but I can tell you about one of the vet’s past infatuations: Capt. Renard is planning an extended trip overseas. Maybe that’s when he’ll first see Adalind’s baby bump with his own eyes?

Question: When is Nashville‘s Scarlett going to get over her stage fright? –Anne

Ausiello: Looks like that’s going to be a two steps forward/one step back process – and star Charles Esten tells TVLine that this Wednesday’s episode will find Deacon and Rayna arguing over what’s best for the new Highway 65 artist. (Deacon thinks the tour is too much, too soon for Scarlett.) “She’s my niece, she’s [Rayna’s] protégé, so we’re fighting over her almost as a proxy of how it might be to battle [over Maddie],” he says. “And in a real sense, we’re both right.”

Question: Any scoop on what Deeks will be up to (and with whom) while Kensi is off on her mission to Afghanistan? —Jan

Ausiello: First off, it hasn’t been officially confirmed that Kensi is, in fact, hopping a plane to the Middle East. Let’s see what executive producer Shane Brennan has to say on the subject. “Kensi and Deeks face their biggest challenge, both professionally and personally in coming episodes,” teases the boss. “The emotional ripple that started with their unexpected kiss at the end of last season is about to turn into a tsunami that doesn’t just impact them, but the whole team. As a result, one of them will be reassigned.” OK, now it’s officially confirmed. (I think.) Now here’s a Bonus Scoop to make up for the fact that I totally side-stepped your original query: I have uncovered fresh information about the new tech officer being played by Bones’ Andrew Leeds. Per sources, his character, Booker, is a member of a special task force hunting down an elusive terrorist.

Question: Any scoop on Season 2 of Devious Maids? —Fernando

Ausiello: With the “Who killed Flora?” mystery all wrapped up and Marisol’s true identity as a college professor revealed, Lifetime’s guilty-pleasure sudser is restocking its pantry, so to speak, by casting three new domestic workers and one wealthy head of a Beverly Hills household — all of them series regulars, and all but one of ‘em sexy males. Nicholas is described as “a handsome, charming Latino” businessman/philanthropist in his 40s and (brace for a possible hint at Season 2′s central mystery in 5, 4, 3, 2…) a man whose first wife “died under mysterious circumstances.” Opal, his Caucasian, 40something maid, has been in his employ since his previous marriage, and she’s a secretive, conniving woman “reminiscent of Mrs. Danvers from Hitchcock’s Rebecca.” Wait, did Mrs. Danvers have a hot, naughty, dark-haired son who just turned 18 and works as a pool boy? Because Opal does, his name is Ethan, and he’s the third of the Season 2 cast additions. Finally, there’s Tony, a dark, swarthy, European hunk in his mid-30s with a Special Forces past and the athletic physique that goes with it. The macho man will find work as a bodyguard/chauffeur.

Question: I am really loving The Tomorrow People. Scoop?! —Vanessa

Ausiello: This Wednesday’s episode is the show’s best yet, according to leading man Robbie Amell. “It shows this lighter side of Stephen even though things really kind of go to hell at the beginning of the episode,” explains the actor, before adding that the hour will offer fans a glimpse of “what the show is going to be about for the next 14, 15 episodes. We introduce Jedikiah’s boss (played by Spartacus‘ Simon Merrells). You get a lot more backstory about my dad and John and Jedikiah. We further the storyline about trying to find my dad in present day.”

Question: Nikita‘s final season starts in just a few days and I need some reassurance that we’ll get some decent Nikita/Owen interaction in these last six episodes. Reassure me —Caroline

Ausiello: I would. If I could. But, alas, I can’t. “There are only six episodes [left] and there’s so much that Nikita has to run from, wrap up, come to terms with, triumph over — and none of those things really have to do with Owen,” star Maggie Q shares with a laugh. “I don’t think there was any room for [their friendship].”

That’s it. Enjoy!