Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for February, 2014

The Making of a Lady

The 90-minute British drama The Making of a Lady will debut on PBS on February 9 at 10 PM.

Based on the novel by celebrated writer Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden, A Little Princess), the story is about educated but penniless Emily Fox Seaton (Lydia Wilson). During her duties as a lady’s companion for Lady Maria (Joanna Lumley), she meets her employer’s wealthy widower nephew, Lord James Walderhurst (Linus Roache).

Accepting his practical, if unromantic, marriage proposal, Emily finds solace in the company of Walderhurst’s nephew Alec Osborn (James D’Arcy) and his glamorous wife, Hester (Hasina Haque), after Lord James leaves to rejoin his regiment. But all is not what it seems as an increasingly contented Emily has no inkling her life is actually in danger. While Walderhurst risks his life overseas, Emily, alone with the Osborns, seems powerless to avoid the threat that begins to encircle her and begins to fear for her life.

Here is a trailer for The Making of a Lady.

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

7:30 PM:
Soul Surfer movie on Fox Movie Channel

7:50 PM
Black Sails on Starz (Reair)

8 PM:
Arrow on The CW (NEW)
Castle on TNT
The Gabby Douglas Story movie on Lifetime (Reair)
A Bug’s Life (animated) movie on Disney
Underworld: Awakening movie on FX

9 PM:
The Tomorrow People on The CW (NEW)
Psych on USA Network (NEW)
Banshee on Cinemax (Reair)
Black Sails on Starz (Reair)
Burn Notice on ION
Castle on TNT
Miss Congeniality movie on ABC Family

10 PM:
Nashville on ABC (NEW)
Burn Notice on ION
Castle on TNT
Underworld: Awakening movie on FX
Driving Miss Daisy movie on TV Guide Network

10:01 PM:
Chicago P.D. on NBC (NEW)

10:30 PM:
Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond mini-series on BBC America (NEW)

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Dylan Sprayberry, who played young Clark Kent in the box office film Man of Steel, has landed a recurring role in the MTV thriller Teen Wolf, playing Liam, an arrogant but big-hearted high-school freshman. With an enviable athletic prowess, he’s got perfect grades, perfect charm and is utterly unprepared to face the supernatural adversity of Beacon Hills. He will show up in the show’s fourth season that is planned for later this year. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Ashley Zukerman (the TV shows Rush and Underbelly) has landed one of the lead roles in the WGN America scripted drama called Manhattan that is set during the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, NM. The series follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families. Zukerman will play Charlie Abrams, a super-bright, self-described numbers guy with an IQ of 180 and a good sense of humor. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Eddie Cahill (CSI: New York) has joined the cast of the CBS summer drama Under the Dome as a series regular. He will play the reclusive EMT brother-in-law of Big Jim (Dean Norris), who will reportedly form a bond with Julia (Rachelle Lefevre). Under the Dome will be back on CBS on June 30. (Michael Slezak at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FremantleMedia North America has acquired the book rights to acclaimed author Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel American Gods for television. In the book, a war is brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. The story centers on Shadow Moon, an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actresses Zoe McLellan (JAG and Dirty Sexy Money) and CCH Pounder (Warehouse 13 and The Shield) have joined the CBS spin-off pilot NCIS: New Orleans that already includes Scott Bakula. The potential series will focus on the NCIS team that handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. McLellan will play Special Agent Brody, a mid-western transplant, the show’s fish-out-of-water character. She comes to New Orleans looking for a fresh start and a safe haven to heal old wounds. Pounder will play Dr. Wade, the Jefferson Parish Medical Examiner who is as eccentric as she is smart and also is intuitive and incredibly connected to Louisiana. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly, Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Ryan Phillippe is in final negotiations to star in the ABC drama pilot Secrets & Lies that will center on a family man (Phillippe) who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. He has no choice but to try to find the real killer as his marriage, his kids, his reputation, and his sanity are all at stake. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Candice Patton (The Game) has joined the cast of The CW spin-off series The Flash that will star Grant Gustin in the lead role. This potential series is an origins story about Barry Allen aka The Flash, a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. Patton will play Iris West, Allen’s fast-talking, quick-witted best friend who is also the daughter of Detective West (Jesse L. Martin), who serves as a surrogate father to Barry. Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker have already been cast in the pilot. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Actors Louis Gossett, Jr., Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Lyriq Bent (Rookie Blue) and actress Aunjanue Ellis (Ray and The Help) will star in the BET mini-series The Book of Negroes based on the 2007 best-selling novel by Lawrence Hill. The story centers on Aminata Diallo, who is taken by slave traders from West Africa to South Carolina. It follows her through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of Nova Scotia and the jungles of Sierra Leone, before she ultimately secures her freedom in England in the early 1800s. Cast also includes Ben Chaplin and Jane Alexander. (The Deadline Team)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

The Netflix online series House of Cards has been renewed for a third season before the second season of the web series has even premiered. (Variety)

Actress Linda Cardellini (Mad Men) will co-star alongside Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) in the as yet titled13-episode psychological thriller from Damages creators Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler and Sony Pictures TV. The web series will center on a close-knit family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when the black sheep oldest brother returns home. Cardellini will play the youngest of four siblings, Meg, a skilled attorney who’s also warm, caring and fun but, beneath her buoyant exterior, she is a complex woman with secrets. Chandler plays the middle brother. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

New Trailer for Divergent (Due in Theatres April 4)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

TV Ratings

It was a pretty full night of programming on the major networks last night.

Here is how the Monday night dramas fared in the overall ratings:

8 PM Shows:
Almost Human (FOX) [NEW – Return from Break] – 6.4 million
Hart of Dixie (The CW) [NEW] – 1.2 million

9 PM Shows:
The Following (FOX) [NEW] – 5.8 million
Beauty And the Beast (The CW) [NEW] – 881,000 viewers

10 PM Shows:
Castle (ABC) [NEW] – 9.9 million
Intelligence (CBS) [NEW] – 7.5 million

What did you watch last night? Please share.

Read Full Post »

Chance at Romance

The Hallmark Channel movie Chance at Romance will debut on February 8 at 7 PM.

Ever the romantic, Samantha “Sam” Hart (Erin Krakow from When Calls the Heart) is optimistically trying to find her Prince Charming on a white horse even if that means going on bad date after bad date. When she initiates an online relationship with photographer Heath Madsen (Ryan McPartlin from Chuck) after making eye contact at one of his shows, she never expects that Heath will send her a first class ticket to visit him. Upon arriving for what she expects to be a romantic weekend, she learns that her online relationship with the handsome widow was actually created by Heath’s son, Donny (Ian Andrew from The Mentalist) and their longtime housekeeper, May (Patricia Richardson from Home Improvement). Even worse, her visit is a complete surprise to Heath, who is busy struggling to find inspiration for his upcoming photo exhibit and coping with the pressure from his pushy manager, Celeste Jeffers-Johnson (Kaitlin Doubleday from The March Sisters at Christmas). Once Sam realizes that this romantic visit is nothing but a set-up manufactured by a twelve year-old, she is anxious to end her trip as quickly as possible, but a nasty bout of weather extends her stay through the end of the week. In that time, her non-relationship with Heath has a chance to become a friendship – and maybe more, if Donny and May have anything to do with it.

Here is a trailer for Chance at Romance.

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

7:30 PM:
Iron Man 2 movie on FX

8 PM:
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC (NEW – Return from Break)
NCIS on CBS (NEW)
The Originals on The CW (NEW)
Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family (NEW)
Rizzoli & Isles on TNT (Reair)
Epic (animated) movie on HBO
The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie on TMC

9 PM:
NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS (NEW)
Supernatural on The CW (NEW)
Ravenswood on ABC Family (NEW – Finale)
Awkward on MTV (Reair)
Black Sails on Starz (Reair)
Little Women (classic) movie on TCM

9:01 PM:
Rizzoli & Isles on TNT (Reair)

10 PM:
Killer Women on ABC (NEW)
Justified on FX (NEW)
Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family (Encore)
Banshee on Cinemax (Reair)

10:01 PM:
Person of Interest on CBS (NEW)
Rizzoli & Isles on TNT (Reair)

10:10 PM:
Black Sails on Starz (Reair)

10:30 PM:
Awkward on MTV (Reair)

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Grace Gummer (The Newsroom) has joined the cast of this summer’s new CBS drama Extant that will star Halle Berry as Molly, a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. Gummer will play one of the principal partners in building robot prototypes with Molly’s husband John (Goran Visnjic). Camryn Manheim will also star. (Entertainment Weekly and The Futon Critic)

Actor Colin Salmon (Arrow) has joined the cast of the FOX event series 24: Live Another Day that will pick up the story four years after the series finale, which left Jack Bauer (series lead Kiefer Sutherland) as a fugitive from justice, this time in London. Salmon will play General Coburn, an intelligent, powerful and fiercely loyal man who does not suffer fools no matter what rank. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Willie Garson (White Collar) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the TNT legal series Franklin and Bash, playing Dr. Alex Schwartzman, a plastic surgeon who loves what he does, primarily because his skills allow him access to women normally out of reach. Dr. Schwartzman is sub-leasing space from Franklin & Bash and is stunned to discover that their newest client is his wife, Gretchen, who wants a divorce. However, Alex doesn’t want to lose his wife and is hoping her attorneys (aka his landlords) can dissuade her from pursuing any legal action. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

TV TRAILER

24: Live Another Day: First Promos

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Jack Davenport (Smash and Pirates of the Caribbean) has taken one of the lead roles opposite actress Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) in the ABC drama pilot called Sea of Fire. The pilot is about what happens when three teenage girls star in a pornographic film that ends up tearing their families apart and leading to a disappearance, a murder and host of other secrets boiling under the surface in a small town. Davenport will play Marty Kesowich, the local sheriff who teams with FBI Agent Leah Pierce (Carpenter) to unravel the mystery of the girl’s disappearance. But as their investigation deepens, dark secrets emerge and the list of suspects grows ever larger. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Scott Bakula (Star Trek Enterprise and Quantum Leap) has been cast as the lead in the new NCIS spin-off NCIS: New Orleans. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Zachary Quinto (Heroes and Star Trek) will appear in the box office sequel to the 2007 film Hitman that will star Rupert Friend (Homeland) in the lead role. (First Showing)

Here are the top 10 box office films from this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Ride Along – $12.3 million
2. Frozen – $9.3 million
3. That Awkward Moment – $9 million
4. The Nut Job – $7.6 million
5. Lone Survivor – $7.2 million
6. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – $5.4 million
7. Labor Day – $5.3 million
8. American Hustle – $4.3 million
9. The Wolf of Wall Street – $3.55 million
10. I, Frankenstein – $3.52 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Super Bowl Ad: Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier Trailer

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Trailer

CONDOLENCES

It was announced on Sunday morning that renowned actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment in New York City by an apparent drug overdose. And, legendary actor Maximilian Schnell also passed way this weekend in Austria. Condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.

ME: Moment of silence, please…

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online)

Question: What’s going on with Spencer in Pretty Little Liars? I’m starting to really worry about her.

TV Scoop Team: You should be! We’ve all seen our Spencer fall down the crazy hole in the past, but the stress of uncovering Ali’s secrets have put her on a very dangerous path. In the highly anticipated noir-themed episode, executive producer Joseph Dougherty tells us that Spencer’s struggles are “very different from her troubles with Toby.” The PLL boss continues, “Where Aria’s danger has always been being possibly too romantic, Spencer’s danger may be being too analytical.” We’re only going to say two things about the noir episode: First, it’s amazing and incredible and you’re going to want to watch it over and over again—especially the scenes with Ali. And second, Spencer struggles with whether or not she should reveal the truth to Aria.

Question: So excited Roy is finally part of Team Arrow, even if Oliver doesn’t want to call it that!

TV Scoop Team: So are we. Colton Haynes, too, who tells us it’s “fun to work with all the different personality dynamics between everybody” on the team, adding that Roy adds a new dynamic as “everyone’s kind of sassy and quippy,” and he’s, well, not. Of course, Haynes, who is BFFs with Emily Bett Rickards, says having Roy and Felicity in the same room is “fun” and quite comedic.

Question: Loved that Mary’s ladies got more to do in last week’s episode of Reign! What’s coming up for Lola, Greer and Kenna on Reign?

TV Scoop Team: How about some fresh spoilers on each lady-in-waiting? For Lola, Laurie McCarthy teases, “she’s the first of our girls to be really driven to find a husband,” so expect some new love interests. Greer, of course, will “continue with Leith…their affection for each other will deepen into love and it really becomes just more impossible the deeper they go, with explosive results,” McCarthy previews. As for Kenna, well, the former mistress to the King will “continue to get herself into trouble. She remains involved with the king,” but an “arranged marriage” is on the horizon.

Question: I’m in desperate need of Once Upon a Time spoilers please!

TV Scoop Team: It’s time to get to know Daddy dearest a little bit more. We all know that Snow White is the daughter of the great King Leopold, but have you ever wondered what the ruler was like before he became the father to the fairest lady in the land? When the magical drama finally returns after it’s wickedly long hiatus, we’ll be treated to a flashback starring young Prince Leopold. Did we mention that he’s single in these scenes? Get ready to watch the charming lad’s quest to find a suitable queen for the kingdom.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

As many TV viewers may know by now, The CW is developing a spin-off series for the network’s long-running series Supernatural. The spin-off series will be called Supernatural: Tribes and will be set in the city of Chicago, which is run by five families of monsters, including (but not limited to) werewolves and shape shifters.

The folks over at TV Line posted a list of characters for this new spin-off yesterday morning, giving us all a small peek inside what this potential new series will have in store for viewers.

Here is the run-down on the planned characters for Supernatural: Tribes followed by my suggestions for the actors who could play the parts:

Ennis Roth – The de-facto star of the potential series, Ennis is “likeable, strong-willed, resolute, with a strong sense of justice.” He’s the son of a cop who grew up in poverty. He’s en route to the police academy himself when someone he is close to is murdered — presumably by some kind of monster. He meets up with Sam and Dean and “learns the staggering truth” that Chicago is run by five families of monsters. And with that, a new monster-hunter is born.

Fun fact: Producers are looking to fill this role with an African-American actor in his early 20s.

Robert Ri'chard

Robert Ri’chard

MY SUGGESTION: Robert Ri’chard

Where Have You Seen Him Before: Robert appeared on The Vampire Diaries in the small role of Jamie in season three, as the young guy who lived with Bonnie’s mom Abby, but he also appeared in the UPN comedy One on One and also a short arc on Veronica Mars.

David Hayden – A shape-shifter from one of Chicago’s ruling monster families. He’s been living as a human for some time, but a tragedy propels him back into the life. David is in his early 20s.

Alex Saxon

Alex Saxon

MY SUGGESTION: Alex Saxon

Where Have You Seen Him Before: He has been seen in the debut season of the new ABC Family drama The Fosters, playing Wyatt. He also guest starred in an episode of Ray Donovan and Awkward.

Margo Hayden – David’s “professional, strong-willed, determined, ambitious” shape-shifter sister. She’s an “ex-punk rocker gone corporate” who sets out to be the new head of the family in the wake of a tragedy. Margo is in her early 20s.

Skyler Samuels

Skyler Samuels

MY SUGGESTION: Skyler Samuels

Where Have You Seen Her Before: She was the lead in the short-lived ABC Family drama The Nine Lives of Chloe King and was a series regular on the short-lived ABC drama The Gates. She also appeared in several episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place.

Violet Durant – A werewolf and part of the wealthy, powerful Durant family. In a twist right out of West Side Story, the early-twentysomething is hot for family rival David (see above), but their love is forbidden.

Tanaya Beatty

Tanaya Beatty

MY SUGGESTION: Tanaya Beatty

Where Have You Seen Her Before: She has a recurring role in the Canadian series Arctic Air and appeared in a small arc on Continuum. She also guest starred in an episode of the Canadian series Blackstone and had a small role in the box office film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1.

Julian Durant – Violet’s “savagely handsome, strong, arrogant” twentysomething brother and Ennis’ arch nemesis.

Blair Redford

Blair Redford

MY SUGGESTION: Blair Redford

Where Have You Seen Him Before: Blair was a series regular on the now defunct ABC Family soap The Lying Game and had a recurring role on Switched at Birth. He also appeared in a small arc on 90210 and the daytime soaps Passions and The Young and the Restless. He also appeared in the box office film Burlesque.

Freddie Costa – A world-weary cop in his 30s, Freddie has a soft spot in his heart for Ennis (he knew his dad back in the day).

Todd Williams

Todd Williams

MY SUGGESTION: Todd Williams

Where Have You Seen Him Before: Todd appeared as vampire hunter Connor Jordan on The Vampire Diaries and was a series regular during the first season of the USA Network drama In Plain Sight. He also had a recurring role on the short-lived FOX drama The Chicago Code and the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth.

So, there are my suggestions for these roles, but who would you like to see play the lead roles on Supernatural: Tribes? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Read Full Post »

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

Almost Human will be back from a three-week break on FOX on February 3 at 8 PM.

After a short break, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be back on ABC at 8 PM on February 4.

Also on February 4, the season finale of Ravenswood will air on ABC Family at 9 PM

The Olympics start on NBC on February 6, running for over two weeks.

The Hallmark Channel movie Chance at Romance will debut on February 8 at 7 PM. Ever the romantic, Samantha “Sam” Hart (Erin Krakow from When Calls the Heart) is optimistically trying to find her Prince Charming on a white horse even if that means going on bad date after bad date. When she initiates an online relationship with photographer Heath Madsen (Ryan McPartlin from Chuck) after making eye contact at one of his shows, she never expects that Heath will send her a first class ticket to visit him. Upon arriving for what she expects to be a romantic weekend, she learns that her online relationship with the handsome widow was actually created by Heath’s son, Donny (Ian Andrew from The Mentalist) and their longtime housekeeper, May (Patricia Richardson from Home Improvement). Even worse, her visit is a complete surprise to Heath, who is busy struggling to find inspiration for his upcoming photo exhibit and coping with the pressure from his pushy manager, Celeste Jeffers-Johnson (Kaitlin Doubleday from The March Sisters at Christmas). Once Sam realizes that this romantic visit is nothing but a set-up manufactured by a twelve year-old, she is anxious to end her trip as quickly as possible, but a nasty bout of weather extends her stay through the end of the week. In that time, her non-relationship with Heath has a chance to become a friendship – and maybe more, if Donny and May have anything to do with it.

The UP Network movie Far From Home will debut on February 9 at 7 PM. Barry Watson (7th Heaven) will play Nicholas Bell, who angrily left his small island town after a terrible fight with the uncle who raised him and owned the local newspaper where Nick began his writing career. After cutting off all ties with his uncle and going out on his own, Bell wrote a wildly successful novel, “Broken Windows,” which led critics to declare him to be the “voice of his new generation.” After 15 years of failure to come up with a meaningful follow-up novel, Bell settles into teaching undergraduate writing at a small university. When he learns that his uncle has died, Bell returns to his hometown for the funeral, suffering one mishap after another. The local townspeople are glad to see the famous homegrown talent return, at least partially because his uncle left him the family’s local paper and key property. Eager to divest himself of the newspaper and return to teaching, Bell finds himself wedged in the middle of a bitter fight over the future of the island, and face to face with the real reason behind what sent him so far from home for so long. The cast includes Stefanie von Pfetten (Cracked) and Paul McGillion (Stargate Atlantis).

Also on February 9, The Walking Dead will be back on AMC with the rest of its current season at 9 PM.

Mark your calendars!

Read Full Post »

Trying to figure out what to watch tonight? Be it new episodes of the TV season, reairs of cable series or a movie, here are some suggestions:

7 PM:
The Incredibles (animated) movie on Starz

7:30 PM:
Crazy, Stupid, Love movie on FX

8 PM:
Hart of Dixie on The CW (NEW)
Almost Human on FOX (NEW – Return from Break)
Switched at Birth on ABC Family (NEW)
Cracked on Reelz Channel (NEW)
Bitten on Syfy (NEW)
Banshee on Cinemax (Reair)
Castle on TNT
Shooter movie on AMC
Zero Dark Thirty movie on Encore
The Gabby Douglas Story movie on Lifetime (Reair)

8:45 PM:
Rise of the Guardians (animated) movie on HBO Family

9 PM:
Beauty And the Beast on The CW (NEW)
The Following on FOX (NEW)
The Fosters on ABC Family (NEW)
King on Reelz Channel (NEW)
Being Human on Syfy (NEW)
Castle on TNT
Mrs. Doubtfire movie on CMT

10 PM:
Intelligence on CBS (NEW)
Teen Wolf on MTV (NEW)
Lost Girl on Syfy (NEW)
The Fosters on ABC Family (Encore)
10 Things I Hate About You movie on Fox Movie Channel

10:01 PM:
Castle on ABC (NEW)

10:02 PM:
Perception on TNT (Reair)

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »