Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

As we gear up for upfronts next week (that’s the presentations made by the networks to the advertisers in New York where each network announces their plans for the new TV season, including what shows have been cancelled, renewed and picked up), here are some early announcements:

Fox has cancelled comedies Dads, Enlisted and Surviving Jack and the drama Rake. (Variety and The Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has renewed Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a 16th season and they have picked up the DC Comics/Warner Bros. TV adaptation of Constantine as well as Mysteries of Laura (that will star Debra Messing). (Entertainment Weekly and Variety)

The CW has canceled dramas The Carrie Diaries and the new dramas Star-Crossed and The Tomorrow People but renewed Beauty And the Beast and Hart of Dixie. They have picked up the new dramas The Flash, Jane the Virgin, Zombie, and The Messengers, but the Supernatural spin-off is NOT happening. (Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Christian Cooke (the short-lived BBC supernatural drama Demons) has joined the cast of Witches of East End, which will start its second season on Lifetime on July 6. He will a stranger who arrives in town. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV TRAILER

Extant

TV MINI-SERIES NEWS

Lifetime is jumping on the bandwagon of bible-themed projects with a small screen adaptation of The Red Tent, which is based on the best-selling novel by Anita Diamant. The two-night mini-series will tell the story of Dinah (Rebecca Ferguson from The White Queen), the daughter of Leah and Jacob, who is only briefly referenced in the Old Testament. The cast will also include Mini Driver (About a Boy), Morena Baccarin (Homeland and Firefly) and Debra Winger. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Luke Kleintank (Bone and Pretty Little Liars) has joined the upcoming family adventure film called Max that will follow a Belgian Shepherd Malinois military dog who returns from Afghanistan traumatized by his handler’s death. Adopted by the soldier’s family, he bonds with his fallen partner’s 14-year-old brother. Kleintank will play a returning vet who worked with Max. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: Please, any scoop about Revenge? —Julien

Ausiello: Sunday’s season finale isn’t just gonna be nuts, it’s gonna be an entire display case of Payday bars. We’re talking handcuffs for one major character, toe tags for two others, the emergence of a new scheme team and a scene that’s so horrifying, it’ll make Pascal’s death-by-helicopter-blade seem mercifully tame by comparison.

Question: Is there any hope for Bash and Mary on Reign? —Sara

Ausiello: Don’t shoot the messenger, Sara, but star Toby Regbo tells TVLine that Reign‘s original love triangle is no more. “The writers might come back and turn it on its head, but for the most part, the show has entered a different [chapter],” he explains. “I don’t think people expected things to settle down that quickly; Francis and Mary were married by Episode 13. So this whole Team Bash/Team Francis thing they set up … that part of the show has shifted.”

Question: I love Major Crimes and I can’t wait to watch it again! Do you have some spoilers or info for us? –Luana

Ausiello: Jon Tenney will reprise his role as G-man Fritz in at least one early episode of Season 3, which opens June 9. Alas, still no signs of wife Brenda Leigh!

Question: Are we going to meet Will’s “friend” from Texas on Nashville this season? They keep alluding to him. —Kelly

Ausiello: We put that question to series creator Callie Khouri and here’s what she said: “Not this season.” (I’ll take that to mean we’ll be meeting him next season. Or never.)

Question: I know it’s probably early yet, but anything on the huge, final season of Haven? –Amy

Ausiello: Could the Syfy series possibly end with the titular town cured of all its troubles? That’s something to ponder as the show sets out to cast the recurring role of a military vet/doctor who comes to suspect that science might be able to snuff the supernatural.

Question: Even with addition of the Knave next season on Once Upon a Time, is there any chance Robin Hood could become a series regular? I love him and Regina together! —Robyn

Ausiello: Even though series co-creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis are both fans of Sean Maguire’s work as the Prince of Thieves, “It’s too soon to say,” Kitsis answered when we ran your Q by them. “I would wait and see.”

That’s it. Enjoy!