Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

NBC has renewed Grimm, Chicago Fire and its spin-off series Chicago P.D. for next season. These shows join newcomer The Blacklist on the prime-time line-up next fall; but there is no word, yet, on whether Law & Order: SVU, Revolution, Hannibal or Dracula will be renewed or not. (Rick Kissell at Variety)

Actor Desmond Harrington (Dexter and Gossip Girl) has joined the cast of the upcoming summer series The Astronaut Wives Club, playing the competitive and steely Alan Shepard, one of the first astronauts in space. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actress Amanda Righetti (The Mentalist) will reportedly set to appear in upcoming crossover episodes of Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., but there are no specific details yet. (Marc Malkin at E! Online)

Veteran actor Treat Williams (Everwood) will guest star in an upcoming episode of CSI, playing Sam, someone who as a Sheriff’s Deputy back in the late 1980s demonstrated a knack for invention and an aptitude for forensic science. As such, he pioneered methods of crime scene investigating in ways that put him decades ahead of his time. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash) has joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot State Of Affairs that will star Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) as Charleston Whitney Tucker, a key CIA attaché who counsels the president on high-stakes incidents around the world. Odom will play Mitchell Manning, Chief of Staff to the President of the U.S. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Veteran actor Sam Shepard (August: Osage County) has joined the cast of the upcoming 13-episode untitled Netflix psychological thriller drama that will center on a close-knit family of four adult siblings (Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Norbert Leo Butz) whose secrets and scars are revealed when their black sheep brother (Mendelsohn) returns home. Shepard will play the patriarch of the family while veteran actress Sissy Spacek will play his wife. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: Do you have anything for us NCIS: LA/Densi fans? –Krisztina

Mitovich: When I spoke with Barrett Foa and Renée Felice Smith (aka Eric and Nell), they confirmed that there will be “some transition issues” when Kensi eventually makes her way back to the States, ones that affect her partnership with Deeks. “Hetty kind of encourages Kensi to stay close to home, in ops,” Smith previewed. “So she and Eric Beale get to share some time together, which gives Nell and Deeks some time together out in the field.”

Question: Any clue what is going on with Neal on Once Upon a Time? His fans are worried! –Sara

Mitovich: Patience, dearie. Within the next few episodes, the mystery of what’s been going on with Neal in Storybrooke will be answered.

Question: On Once Upon a Time, is there any chance that Snow and Charmings’ new baby is “Dorothy” in this Oz story? –Tom

Mitovich: Funny, Ginnifer Goodwin told me that she and Josh Dallas have batted around that same theory – though at the time we chatted, they were warming up to the Emma-as-Dorothy speculation. But through the filming of Episode 18, at least, there have been no hints either way.

Question: A little bird told me that the Major Crimes cast is coming back to work on Monday. Do you have any inside info on Season 3? –Ilona

Mitovich: Ugh, Sharon’s back. No, not Raydor. (We love her.) I’m talking about Rusty’s other “mother.”

Question: Anything on Season 2 of Orphan Black? –Leia

Mitovich: The Season 2 premiere is, as expected, bananas in all the best ways, quickly bringing us up to speed on (in this order) Sarah, Rachel, Cosima and Allison (whom I possibly heart more than ever). Also, by the end of the hour, there will be a new addition to the “Clone Club” team.

Question: I’ve seen recent promo pictures of George and Lemon from Hart of Dixie (which returns this Friday at 8/7c). Are they just working together as friends or is their hope that it will turn into more? —Tracie

Mitovich: I can confirm that George and Lemon will find themselves increasingly in each other’s orbit, and there will be flying sparks. I can’t confirm, however, whether they’re sparks of love or sparks of hate.

Question: Please get some scoop on Longmire — anything. –Ucano

Mitovich: The Season 3 premiere, “The White Warrior,” is named for a new recurring character that will be introduced in that episode — a young-looking Native American man dressed in white-grey war paint, whom we first meet as he takes part in an almost-forgotten Cheyenne religious ceremony.

Question: I absolutely loved last night’s episode of Arrow. The Suicide Squad was great to see. Is there any chance it could have been a quiet backdoor pilot? –Rick

Mitovich: I like and share your thinking, but with The Flash destined to race onto our screens in the fall, I’d put a pin in any further spin-off plans. Yet as hinted in last night’s final scene, Deadshot et al shall return. “I don’t want to spoil too much where we’re headed,” EP Marc Guggenheim says, “but you haven’t seen the last of Amanda, and you haven’t seen the last of the Suicide Squad.”

Question: Any scoop on Switched at Birth? –Darla

Mitovich: When we spoke to Max Adler, he warned of “some rocky times ahead for Tank and Bay,” ultimately leading to an event that will “leave your jaw dropped and is very shocking and heartbreaking for one of the characters…. What happens in the finale is pretty gut-wrenching stuff.”

That’s it. Enjoy!