Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actors Anthony Michael Hall (The Dead Zone) and Nolan Funk (Glee) have landed roles in the upcoming season of the MTV comedy Awkward. Hall will play Mr. Hart, a sadistic creative writing teacher that pushes the students out of their comfort zones while Funk will play Collin James, a confident new prep school transfer to the high school featured in the series. A return date has not yet been announced yet. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Zoey Deutch (Ringer) [and real life daughter of Lea Thompson] will appear in at least two episodes of her mom’s show Switched at Birth. Deutch will play Elisa, an attractive young woman whom Toby (Lucas Grabeel) meets while campaigning for his father, John. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Derek Luke (Hawthorne and Friday Night Lights) will have a recurring role in the upcoming new FX drama The Americans. He will play Gregory, a civil rights activist-turned-KGB asset whose romantic past with Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) complicates his work as a trusted operative. The series debuts on January 30. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Jack Reynor may not be well known right now, but wait until the next Transformers movie is released – yes, there is going to be another one. Reynor will be taking over for Shia LaBeouf in the lead role in the franchise alongside Mark Wahlberg. Very few details are known about the story behind this latest incarnation though. (First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams and Adam Bryant at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: Will anything surprise us about the upcoming episodes of Once Upon a Time? — Megan

NATALIE: We know that the flashbacks lead to Regina enacting the curse, but coming trips to the past may surprise you. “We’re going to show you some things in our world that you didn’t even think were an option,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. Will we see flashbacks to other lands — say, Oz? Kitsis remains coy. “[They’ll] center on our characters, but in surprising ways.”

Question: Are we going to see more of Randall and Grace on Revolution? — Kevin

NATALIE: We’ll learn more about the evil mastermind holding Grace hostage very soon. “Randall starts to play a very large part in the mythology in the second half,” executive producer Eric Kripke tells us. “They’re in this mysterious location, and we’ll learn what [it] is. We’ll learn what Randall wants, what he’s doing and indeed how dangerous he is and how it’ll affect our heroes.” Bonus: Kripke also says we’ll get all those answers by season’s end.

Question: What can you tell me about Esposito’s upcoming spotlight episode on Castle? — Heather

ADAM: “He has to forge a relationship with an at-risk youth who is at the center of our investigation,” creator Andrew W. Marlowe tells us. “It gives us a bit of insight into who Esposito was before he became a cop. … I think we’re in a place where Esposito is really looking for something in his life.”

Question: I am so excited to see Jesse L. Martin back on the small screen! What can you say about his role on Smash? — Diane

NATALIE: The Law & Order alum (and Broadway vet) will play the producer of an Off Broadway theater company and will share many scenes with Karen’s new love interest Jimmy (Jeremy Jordan), the mastermind behind Hit List, this season’s new musical. “He shows some interest in our show and becomes this shepherd for our show coming into the New York theater scene,” Jordan says. “Jimmy’s not really fond of letting other people take control of his show. He’s not fond of having a director.” Uh-oh!

Question: Big-picture Lying Game question — do the producers envision a show where both twins are out in the open? —Tara

Ausiello: Big-picture answer: Yes. “I don’t want to say exactly, but from the very beginning we’ve called it The Twin Show, and that’s the logical next thing to happen,” explains exec producer Chuck Pratt Jr. “You’ll see in this season we’ve kind of already accomplished that. [Emma and Sutton] are in more scenes together than they’ve ever been; one’s living in secret and they switch back and forth a couple of times. So, we really feel like we’re already doing it. When the story of the past and what happened to Derek and all of that comes out, at some point they’ll have to find out. Mads found out [last season], and other people are going to find out this season until it gets to the point of, well, who doesn’t know? We just want to make sure we’ve gotten the most we can out of The Prince and the Pauper before we move into The Parent Trap.”

Question: Anything on Revolution? —Pete

Ausiello: On the casting front, Eric Kripke tells us we’ll be seeing “a lot more” of Colm Feore (as the mysterious Randall) and Mark Pellegrino (as militia meanie Jeremy Baker). He also had new scoop on ER alum Leland Orser’s character, John Sanborn — that he’s an old scientist colleague of Rachel’s.

Question: Looking for a Once Upon A Time scoop. —Sara

Ausiello: Your search is over. The ABC hit is casting the 20-year-old version of Regina’s father as well as his fourtysomething father, presumably to take part in the same flashback that features Rose McGowan as Young Cora.

Question: I’m in dire need for some Scandal scoop. —Mateo

Ausiello: Rumor has it the Grim Reaper’s about to make a cameo.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Legendary actor Barry Bostwick will guest star in an upcoming episode of Scandal, appearing as the father of President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn). That episode is expected to air on January 17. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Sarah Shahi (Fairly Legal) has landed a recurring role on the CBS drama Person of Interest where she will play Shaw, a fearless, sexy and witty operative in a secret paramilitary organization that tracks and eliminates terrorists before they can act. She will first appear in the February 21 episode and her role may continue into season 3. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

FOX has renewed Bones for a ninth season. (TV By the Numbers)

Actor Burn Gorman (Torchwood) will have a recurring role in the ABC soap Revenge, playing Trask, another representative of the “nefarious” Americon Initiative. (Michael O’Connell at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Box office director Brett Ratner and Law & Order veteran Barry Schindel are teaming together for the ABC drama project called Tomorrow, which has been given a script-to-series commitment by the network. That means if the pilot does well enough, the network will continue with a 13-episode order of the series, which is a high-concept law enforcement procedural about an FBI agent who gets trapped in a time travel scenario. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC has given a pilot order to a new stylized drama called Bloodline from writer David Graziano (Awake and Lie To Me) and producers Peter Berg and Sarah Aubrey. This project is set against the backdrop of modern suburbia, following the story of an orphaned young girl name Bird Benson, who, due to an accident of birth, is caught in the epic struggle between two warring families of mercenaries and killers. Mentored by a mysterious Chinese man, Bird must accept the quest to find and defeat her mother in mortal combat if she is ever to lead a normal life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

FOX and FX announced the launch of a new production unit that would supply them with high-profile limited series and/or mini-series; and it would seem they have chosen their first project. It is called Wayward Pines from feature film director M. Night Shyamalan and Chad Hodge. The project is based on the best-selling novel “Pines by Blake Crouch” and is an intense, mind-bending thriller evocative of the classic cult hit Twin Peaks. Here is the synopsis: Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrives in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, ID, on a mission to find two missing federal agents. But instead of answers, Ethan’s investigation only turns up more questions. What’s wrong with Wayward Pines? Each step closer to the truth takes Ethan further from the life he knew, from the husband and father he was, until he must face the terrifying reality that he may never get out of Wayward Pines alive. Fox plans to order at least one event series pilot this year and launch its first long-form series in 2014. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) is confirmed to be joining actor Kevin Costner as well as actress Amber Heart and Connie Nielsen in the as-yet untitled action thriller film that will star Costner as a Secret Service agent who comes out of retirement for one last mission in exchange for access to an experimental drug that could save his life, all while trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Steinfeld). Hallucinatory, narcoleptic action ensues as he tries to complete the mission while battling the drug’s side effects. (The Deadline Team)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today (few though they may be):

TELEVISION

Actor James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum) will appear in multiple episodes of the new NBC drama Do No Harm, which is a Jekyll and Hyde story about a brilliant surgeon (Steven Pasquale from Rescue Me), who struggles to contain “Ian,” a dangerous alter ego who threatens to wreak havoc on the good doc’s personal and professional lives. Cromwell will play Jason’s mentor who may or may not have his best interests at heart. The series is set to debut on January 31. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

British actor Julian Ovenden (Any Human Heart and the UK series Foyle’s War) will appear in the NBC drama Smash playing John F. Kennedy in the musical within a musical. His character will actually be Simon, the actor portraying the legendary President opposite Marilyn Monroe portrayed by Karen Cartwright aka actress Katharine McPhee. Ovenden will appear in multiple episodes of the series that is set to have it season premiere on February 5. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Looks like NBC is moving forward with a new project for summer TV (even though we are barely out of winter right now). The network has greenlit a 13-episode hour-long drama called Camp from the creator of the upcoming NBC series Deception (which will debut tonight). This summer series will be set at Little Hawk Family Camp, where parents decompress with gin while teens make mischief and fall in and out of love. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films for this past weekend courtesy of TV Guide:

1. Texas Chainsaw 3D – 23 million
2. Django Unchained – 20 million
3. The Hobbit – 17.5 million
4. Les Miserables – 16.1 million
5. Parental Guidance – 10.1 million
6. Jack Reacher – 9.3 million
7. This Is 40 – 8.5 million
8. Lincoln – 5.2 million
9. The Guilt Trip – 4.5 million
10. Promised Land – 4.3 million

Actress Anjelica Huston (Smash) and David Thewlis (Harry Potter franchise will star as Lady Astair and Count Zurov in the upcoming box office film called The Winter Queen, which is an . adaptation of the Boris Akunin best-selling novel which follows intrepid young police detective Erast Fandorin, who is looking into the suicides of several wealthy young men throughout Russia in 1886; soon uncovering an extensive plot for global domination. (Seven Arts Entertainment and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Zuleikha Robinson (Homeland and Lost) will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Mentalist, playing Dr. Sonia Kidd, a brilliant scientist specializing in the biological roots of murder who meets Jane and the team when one of her top students is killed. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Vinnie Jones (X-Men 3) and Stephen Lang (Terra Nova) have joined the cast of the upcoming movie The 34th Battalion, which will tell the story of an Australian Army unit that fought heroic battles against the Germans during World War I. Jones will play the British-born Lieutenant-Colonel who led the battalion while Lang will play as a U.S. officer. The cast includes Luke Hemsworth (older brother of Chris and Liam), Emilie de Ravin (Once Upon a Time and Lost) and Charles Mesure (Desperate Housewives) [among others]. (The Deadline Team)

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

Question: The lack of Once Upon a Time news regarding August W. Booth/Pinocchio and his current state/possible reunion with his dad is getting on my nerves. Please tell me you have a scoop about him? —Angelique

Ausiello: The best answer series co-creator Eddy Kitsis will part with, regarding August being seen again this season, is: “Perhaps.” He goes on to add, “We are hoping to have him back. August is an important part of the fabric of the story, and it’s a story that we are continuing to tell.” In the meantime, though, Kitsis confirms that “you will get the answer” to what it was that August showed Neal Cassidy to convince him of Emma’s fantastical backstory.

Question: I have a question about Once Upon a Time: Are there any chances to get the Huntsman/Jamie Dornan back? I miss him so much!!!

Ausiello: As has often been the series creators’ refrain, you will maybe someday see Dornan again in a flashback, but never in Storybrooke. “[Sheriff] Graham is dead,” asserts Kitsis, “and if we brought him back, everyone would say we were messing with continuity. We don’t want to do that.” Kitsis notes that last season revealed one love of Emma’s life — son Henry — while this cycle introduced us to another, Neal Cassidy, who likely will resurface during February sweeps. As for a certain pushy pirate? “Hook is obviously eye-candy,” Kitsis allows. “I don’t know if Emma would stare at him and think he’d be a great father to Henry, but he might be fun in Vegas!”

Question: Fans all over the globe are saddened and enraged by Matthew’s exit on Downton Abbey. It might make us feel better to know what Downton has in store for Lady Mary without him. Maybe a new love interest? —Kay

Ausiello: No maybe about it: There will definitely be a new man in her life in Season 4. The only question is, will it be someone we’ve met before or someone brand-spankin’ new?

Question: The winter break is killing me. I need some Supernatural info to save my life. —DJ

Ausiello: We already know that a murder investigation brings Dean and Sam into the wild and wacky world of live-action role playing — specifically a LARPing convention. Now I’m happy to announce that yes, the Brothers Winchester will play dress-up.

Question: I can’t believe we have to wait until March 8 for Grimm to return! At least they had the decency to actually say “Sorry” when they aired the fall finale. Please tell me something, anything to help get me though the long, dark Grimm(less) months… –Jacquie

Ausiello: I do have a whole lot of hot Grimm scoop to warm these Nick-less Friday nights, Jacquie, but it’s got to last you a while… so I’ll give you some now and keep some in reserve for another time. Sound good? First bit: Series co-creator and exec producer Jim Kouf tells TVLine that Captain Renard “gets very close” to the key in the first few episodes back after the break. Second bit: I hear there’s a good chance the captain’s Adalind-conspiring brother Eric will be in the mix during the second half of the season. And finally: The show very much wants to bring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio back as Nick’s mom in upcoming episodes, but whether that happens or not depends largely on scheduling.

Question: I’d be really grateful for a Nikita scoop that has nothing to do with romance of any kind. —Alexis

Ausiello: Pretty sure this meets your criteria: Exec producer Craig Silverstein says Isaiah “Old Spice” Mustafa will return later this season as reformed Dirty Thirty agent Cyrus. Probably. Maybe. “We want to get him back,” he says. “We still have a bunch of episodes in our back half, so we’re trying to figure out how to do it. We definitely want to see him again.”

Question: Any Revenge scoop? —Winnie

Ausiello: Here are some details from Revenge creator Mike Kelley himself. “I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Jennifer Jason Leigh,” the boss says of Emily VanCamp’s unhinged onscreen mom. “She will be involved in the show as we move forward — but I don’t want to tell you how just yet; she’s terrific.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect and The Mindy Project) will appear in a multi-episode arc on the CBS drama Vegas, playing a sexy Hollywood starlet named Violet, who is the mistress of a film studio mogul. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and actor Harold Perrienau (Lost and The Wedding Band) will both guest star in upcoming episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Vardalos will play Counselor Minonna Efron, whose client is on trial for assault and murder. D.A. Barba (Raul Esparza) thinks the case is an easy win because he sees her disorganized manner as incompetence. However, his case begins to fall apart when she thwarts his efforts repeatedly. Perrineau will play a career criminal named Brian Traymor, who is the prime suspect in a rape-murder case tied to several more investigations in the country. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

Actress Merrin Dungey (Alias and Summerland) will guest star in a February episode of 90210, playing a sympathetic therapist assigned to counsel Liam (Matt Lanter), who will be held at a courthouse after suffering some legal woes. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress-singer Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical franchise) will star alongside Nicolas Cage in the reboot of the Left Behind movies, playing Chloe Steele, the daughter of Ray Steele (Cage). The premise of the film is what happens after millions of people suddenly disappear from Earth. Chloe wanders America looking to find any remaining members of her family. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight) has joined the cast of the upcoming comedy flick called Frank that will star Michael Fassbender (X-Men First Class) as the wild title character of rock band. (Variety and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Terrence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave Sing ‘Unfinished Song’

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for the first part of this week:

TELEVISION

It’s official. NBC is not moving forward with The Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane. Series creator and executive producer Bryan Fuller announced not that long ago on this Twitter page that it won’t be continuing. It’s a shame, really, because the pilot episode that aired as a special Halloween surprise wasn’t half bad. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Lesley Nicol (Mrs. Patmore on Downton Abbey) will be showing up on an upcoming episode of Once Upon a Time, playing someone who has “a special connection to the Snow White family”. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Oscar winner William Monahan is developing a new drama for the cable network Starz called Crime that will be a study of criminal enterprise and scandal across 1960s Britain. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films for this past weekend, as posted on Monday at Deadline:

1. The Hobbit – $31.5 million
2. Django Unchained – $31 million
3. Les Misérables – $27.4 million
4. Parental Guidance – $14.4 million
5. Jack Reacher – $14 million
6. This Is 40 – $12.5 million
7. Lincoln – Weekend $7.5 million
8. The Guilt Trip – $7 million
9. Monsters Inc 3D – $6.2 million
10. Rise Of The Guardians – $5 million

Q&A SECTION (with Adam Bryant and Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Question: I can’t wait to meet Rick’s dad on Castle this February! Got any more information? — Jeannie

ADAM: You may be waiting longer than you think for that meeting. Although creator Andrew W. Marlowe confirms that there will be some further exploration of Castle’s father come February sweeps, he certainly isn’t the focus of the episodes. “I would not characterize the two-parter as being about his dad,” Marlowe says. “Hopefully we can find a great and elegant way to embrace Castle’s father’s mythology in a way that’s going to be exciting.”

Question: What’s going to happen on Person of Interest now that Reese is in the FBI’s custody? —Evan

ADAM: While Reese likely has some tricks up his sleeve — after all, he is one of four men who could be the “man in a suit” — he’ll most likely rely on the help of his teammates. Or so he might think. “Just because Reese is locked up… the numbers never stop coming,” executive producer Jonathan Nolan says. As such, we’ll be “watching Finch try to spin plates” as he goes undercover as a substitute teacher to protect the next person of interest. And Carter? She may not be much help either now that she’s joined the FBI task force. “[Agent] Donnelly’s well aware of Carter’s history as an interrogator in Iraq,” executive producer Greg Plageman says. “Now that he has Reese in custody, it’s going to be very interesting to see how Carter’s enlisted in playing both sides of the fence.”

Question: How will Tyler react to Klaus killing his friends and mother on The Vampire Diaries? — Sarah

NATALIE: Not well. But don’t expect him to go cry about it. “Tyler’s not going to stand and take it,” Michael Trevino tells us. “It’s the realization that he had his one chance of attacking Klaus and that didn’t work, which is disheartening, [but now] he has to go for broke and figure out a way to do it, whether it’s gathering people to align with again or going at it by himself.”

Question: I can’t believe Sam is actually Neal’s father! How will Neal handle that discovery when White Collar returns? — Chris

ADAM: How would you handle it? Neal is initially skeptical about whether his dad is really a good guy. His dad will try to win over Neal by explaining everything that went down back in the day, which means we get answers to all our burning questions right away. Unfortunately, the new information will send Neal on a mission to get close to those who betrayed his father — much to Peter’s chagrin.

That’s it. Enjoy!

PS: Happy New Year!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items, few though they may be, for the past few days:

TELEVISION

As everyone probably knows by now, Leverage aired its final episode last night on TNT, as the network has decided not to renew the show for a 6th season. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has pulled the remaining episodes of 666 Park Avenue from the line-up for next month, replacing it with new episodes of How I Met Your Mother and Happy Endings. There is a chance that ABC will air the remaining episodes this summer. (The Futon Critic)

It’s confirmed! Actor Dan Stevens will NOT be coming back for Season 4 of Downton Abbey. It seems that his exit from the show was explained in the Christmas episode that aired in the UK, which those of us in the States will not get to see until later in 2013. Sigh! (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box offices movies from this past weekend courtesy of Exhibitor Relations:

1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, $36.7 million
2. Jack Reacher, $15.6 million
3. This Is 40, $12 million
4. Rise of the Guardians, $5.9 million
5. Lincoln, $5.6 million
6. The Guilt Trip, $5.4 million
7. Monsters, Inc. 3D, $5 million
8. Skyfall, $4.7 million
9. Life of Pi, $3.8 million
10. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, $2.6 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas Day!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items, few though they are, for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Ron Rifkin (Alias and Brothers & Sisters) will appear in the season finale of the FOX drama Touch, playing Isaac, an imposing rabbi and true believer in destiny. Touch finally returns to FOX for the start of its second season on February 8. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW is developing a new potential drama tentatively titled Sherwood (based on the Robin Hood story) but with a slight twist. It will take place in 1072 England, following the tale of a young noblewoman who seeks help from the long-vanished Robin of Locksley to free her serf boyfriend from ruthless Norman occupiers. In doing so, she inadvertently joins up with the fabled Robin Hood and his Merry Men. Together, the group looks to inspire new hope for Nottingham and its oppressed people. (Michael Schneider at TV Guide)

Showtime has ordered its first pilot for 2013, greenlighting the project from Oscar nominees Paul Attanasio and Ridley Scott called The Vatican, which is being described as a provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic Church. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The back-door pilot The Saint (based on the original TV shows) has cast the original actors who played the lead role in the former incarnations: Roger Moore and Ian Ogilvy. This reboot stars Adam Rayner (Hunted) and Eliza Dushku (Buffy and Dollhouse) in the lead roles as well as the following: James Remar (Dexter), Enrique Murciano (CSI), Thomas Kretschmann (Wanted), Beatrice Rosen (The Dark Knight), Yani Gellman (Pretty Little Liars), Greg Grunberg (Heroes) and Sammi Hanratty (Pushing Daisies) [among others]. The pilot follows the exploits of Simon Templar (Rayner), a brilliant criminal who uses his considerable illicit skills as a modern-day Robin Hood as he infuriates local law enforcement and woos Patricia Holm (Dushku), his on-again, off-again romance. Moore will play a character named Jasper while Ogilvy will play The Banker. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific, long holiday weekend.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Rose McGowan (Charmed) will appear in a flashback/origins episode of Once Upon a Time, playing a younger version of Cora (played by Barbara Hershey). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The USA Network has ordered an 8th season of Psych, making the show the long-running scripted series on the network. The 7th season returns on February 27. (The Futon Critic and Twitter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Amanda Schull (Center Stage and Pretty Little Liars) has joined the cast of the as-yet-untitled USA Network hour-long drama that centers on Billy (Bryan Greenberg), a Miami businessman who, contemplating a run for political office, tries to increase his chances of being elected by marrying Lourdes (Stephanie Sigman), a Colombian woman who is on the run from her troubled past. What starts as a marriage of convenience quickly escalates into much more as his new wife proves to be more resourceful at “fixing” any problem the corrupt South Miami political scene throws at her husband. Schull will play Melody, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy former U.S. senator who also used to date Billy (Greenberg). Now married to the fast-rising Miami district attorney, she plays the role of socialite-political wife. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online)

Conor: In desperate need of Awkward scoop! What’s next for Matty and Jenna?!

Team Watch with Kristin: Unfortunately, the fan-favorite couple that took two seasons to finally officially get together are in a major rut when we pick up with them in the season three premiere. How bad is the rut? She’s ignoring his calls while hanging with another dude.

INSIDE SCOOP (from Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: Seeing as how Sara (played by Hilarie Burton) is (supposedly) going to be in half of this season’s remaining White Collar episodes, can we take that as a sign that she and Neal will be getting back together before the season ends? Please, say yes! Those two belong together! –Michelle

Mitovich: I can (for now only) offer you five not-so-randomly chosen words from our chat with series creator Jeff Eastin, pertaining to the aformentioned duo: “Empire State Building… fantastic moment.” (I can also reveal that the Neal/Sara smooch spied in the new promo takes place in an episode during which they’re kidnapped.)

Question: Is there any news about Once Upon a Time‘s Hook and Emma? I’m so hoping they hook up cause they make a good pair. –Jennifer

Mitovich: For starters, the wordplay whore in me will forgive and even applaud your use of “hook up” in this context. Secondly, I will tell you that I have a full-blown Q&A with Colin O’Donoghue posting closer to the show’s Jan. 6 return that will address this and other hot topics. (Something to keep in mind: Will Charming let this scoundrel anywhere near his daughter?) And lastly, here’s a random other scooplet: Sources confirm that the “Tiny” Episode 13 I told you about last week will in fact feature the return of Jorge Garcia and unspool “a story/backstory that touches many core characters in a surprising way.”

Question: Do you have any scoop on NCIS‘ two-part January episodes about Ziva? –Marla

Mitovich: When I said to showrunner Gary Glasberg that Eli’s appearances seldom bring good tidings, he countered, “You might be surprised. There are a lot of layers to what we’re going to try do this time around, and Michael Nouri was totally willing and had fun with it. I think people are going to be excited by what they see.” He also clarified that the Ziva twist I’ve been telling you about does not coincide with Eli’s latest encore. “He definitely plays a part in it, but the Ziva stuff will continue all the way through the season.”

Question: Can you give us something on when Nashville‘s Rayna tells Deacon her first child is his? –Maggie

Mitovich: Allow me to give you this quote from executive producer Callie Khouri: “Like all these family situations, [what Lamar teased in the pilot] is more complicated than I can tell you. Soon these things will start to be revealed.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »