Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The USA Network has given a series order to a new sci-fi series called Colony that will be executive produced and written by Carlton Cuse (Lost and Bates Motel) and Ryan Condal (Hercules). The series is set in the near-future of 2015 that follows the residents of Los Angeles, who are living under alien occupation; some collaborate with the alien authorities and benefit from the new order, while others rebel and suffer the consequences. (Zap2It and Blastr)

NBC has given a third season order to Hannibal while they have cancelled Revolution as well as canceling the new dramas Believe and Crisis. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

ABC has renewed the following existing dramas: Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and Castle. The network also gave second season orders to new dramas Resurrection and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The new dramas that have been picked up to series include the following:

American Crime

CAST | Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Timothy Hutton (Leverage), Benito Martinez (Sons of Anarchy), W. Earl Brown (Deadwood), Penelope Ann Miller (Mistresses), Richard Cabral

Set in California’s Central Valley, it centers on a racially charged murder and the subsequent trial, which are examined through the personal lives of the players involved. The case takes on greater meaning in the community, bringing to the forefront America’s hardened views on race, class and gender politics.

Forever

CAST | Ioan Gruffudd (Ringer), Judd Hirsch (Damages, Numb3rs), Alana de la Garza (Law & Order), Joel David Moore (Bones), Barbara Eve Harris, Donnie Keshawarz

Dr. Henry Morgan is New York City’s star medical examiner, but what no one knows is Henry studies the dead for a reason: He is immortal. With the help of detective Jo Martinez, the show peels back the layers of Henry’s colorful and long life through their cases.

How to Get Away With Murder

CAST | Viola Davis, Matt McGorry (Orange Is the New Black), Liza Weil (Scandal, Gilmore Girls), Aja Naomi King (The Black Box), Charlie Weber (90210), Katie Findlay (The Carrie Diaries), Billy Brown (Hostages), Tom Verica (American Dreams), Jack Falahee, Alfred Enoch, Karla Souza

A sexy, suspense-driven legal thriller about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot that will rock the entire university and change the course of their lives.

Marvel’s Agent Carter

CAST | Hayley Atwell

Set in 1946, this drama tells the story of Captain America‘s Peggy Carter, who goes on secret missions for Howard Stark while adjusting to losing the love of her life.

The Whispers

CAST | Lily Rabe (American Horror Story), Barry Sloane (Revenge), Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), Derek Webster, Brianna Brown, Catalina Denis, Kylie Rogers, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf

A drama about an alien invasion, in which earth’s enemies possess children’s bodies to take down humanity.

(Cynthia Littleton at Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and TV Line)

Actors Patrick Fabian (Joan of Arcadia and Veronica Mars) and Michael Mando (Orphan Black) and actress Rhea Seehorn (Franklin & Bash) have joined the cast of the upcoming AMC series Better Call Saul, a prequel to Breaking Bad that will center on criminal lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) before he become Walter White’s lawyer. Full casting details are being kept under wraps. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

TV MINI-SERIES NEWS

HBO has cast actor Casey Affleck (younger brother of Ben) in the six-hour mini-series Lewis And Clark that will tell the story of America’s first contact with the land and native tribes of the country west of the Mississippi River. The mini-series will chronicle the epic journey of the Corps of Discovery and its captains Meriwether Lewis (Affleck) and William Clark traversing uncharted territory on a mission to deliver President Jefferson’s message of sovereignty as they search for his fabled all-water route to the Pacific. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Nikki Reed (the Twilight franchise) will star in the independent film called The Sunday Horse that is based on the true story of Debi Connor, an equestrian rider from the wrong side of the tracks who overcame the odds and a near-fatal accident to win the U.S. championship on a horse saved from slaughter. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Actress Julia Stiles (the Bourne franchise) has joined the cast of the big screen adaptation of the Katherine Paterson novel The Great Gilly Hopkins that will star Sophia Nelisse (The Book Thief) as Gilly, a young girl who dreams of being reunited one day with her mysterious and exotic mother, who will be played by Stiles. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!!