Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor JR Bourne (Teen Wolf) has landed a recurring role on Revenge when the soap returns for its second season on ABC. He will play Raymond, a magnetic, self-assured, Hamptons resident who tries to hide his rough edges behind his fancy clothes and Mercedes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Perception has been renewed for second season on TNT with 13 new episodes slated to air in 2013. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Michael Mosley (Pan Am) has joined the cast of this fall’s new ABC thriller Last Resort. The new series follows a renegade crew of a nuclear submarine, led by Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age), who goes on the run after defying an order to fire nuclear missiles. They find sanctuary at a NATO base, where they declare themselves the world’s smallest nuclear nation. Mosley will play Chief Engineer Anders, one of the crew aboard the U.S.S. Colorado who is put under pressure when Marcus (Braugher) orders him to turn on a prototype cloaking device named Perseus. The series debut on September 27 at 8 PM on ABC. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Majandra Delfino (Roswell and State of Georgia) has been cast to play the sister of Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) on the spinoff project for The Office. The spin-off is to be called The Farm; and Delfino will play Fannie Schrute, Dwight’s younger sister who once fled the family farm for Boston but is back, divorced and with a child. (Nellie Andreeva at TV Line)

Actor Jeff Fahey (Lost) will guest star in an early episode of the new fall NBC drama Revolution as a character named Hutch. Few other details are available at this time on his character. Revolution revolves around a post apocalyptic Earth where, 15 years prior, “the lights went out,” forcing people to make do without electricity and other power sources. Billy Burke (the Twilight franchise) plays a former military type who leads a band of survivors and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) as the enforcer for a dictatorship which has taken over parts of America. The series is set to debut on September 17 at 10 PM. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has given script orders to three very different drama projects. The first is Finn & Sawyer, a contemporary take on Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This project is an adventure-themed reinvention that revolves around the two famed literary characters who re-meet as young men in their 20s and form an investigative firm in a bustling and steampunk New Orleans. Second, the network has also picked up The Outsiders, a family drama pitch from Smallville’s Ken Biller. The project is inspired by a true story and revolves around a woman who moves with her family from Atlanta to New York to start a new life and ends up becoming the de-facto mother to nine underprivileged kids. Lastly, ABC has bought the supernatural mystery drama called Gothica from Matt Lopez (Race to Witch Mountain). The project centers on a woman searching for her own identity in modern-day San Francisco who delves into a world of supernatural mystery and horror, guided by an enigmatic playboy named Dorian Gray. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

CONDOLENCES

Blockbuster film director Tony Scott passed away over the weekend. Sadly, his body was found after an apparent jump from the Vincent Thomas Bridge spanning the Los Angeles Harbor in San Pedro. He was 68. (Variety and E! News)

Emmy winning actor William Windom passed away late last week from congestive heart failure. He was 88. (The Wrap)

Comedian Phyllis Diller has passed away. She was 95. (The Wrap)

ME: Rest in Peace, Mr. Scott, Mr. Windom and Ms. Diller. Condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

It looks like an all-female take on The Expendables is being developed with Dutch Southern set as the writer. No other details are available at this time; but let the speculation begin as to which kick-ass actresses would be cast in this film. (Jeff Sneider at Variety)

Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without A Trace) is set to play Karen Dean, the Detroit Chief of Police, in the remake of Robocop that stars Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) in the lead role. Other cast members include Hugh Laurie, Samuel L. Jackson and Gary Oldman. (Dark Horizons)

Here are the top 10 box offices movies for this past weekend from Box Office Mojo:

1. The Expendables 2 – 28.7 million
2. The Bourne Legacy – 17 million
3. ParaNorman – 14 million
4. The Campaign – 13.4 million
5. Sparkle – 12 million
6. The Dark Knight Rises – 11.1 million
7. The Odd Life of Timothy Green – 10.9 million
8. Hope Springs – 9.1 million
9. Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days – 3.9 million
10. Total Recall – 3.5 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Jeffrey Nordling (24 and Body of Proof) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Necessary Roughness, playing a media relations guru named Glen Purlman. The team encounters a major crisis and only Purlman’s PR expertise can get them out of it. The show airs its mid-season finale on August 29 and will be back with more new episodes this winter. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

Actress Tina Majorino (Veronica Mars and Napoleon Dynamite) will have a guest starring role on Grey’s Anatomy, but no details are available on what her role will be in the show. The long-running medical drama will return for a new season on ABC starting on September 27. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Ciarán Hinds (Rome and Political Animals) will guest star as Mance Rayder on Game of Thrones, who is the leader of wildings. Season 3 of Game of Thrones is set to premiere March 31, 2013. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

ABC Family has given a third season pick-up to its sitcom Melissa & Joey, a second season pick-up to comedy Baby Daddy and the drama Switched At Birth and a back-order pick-up for Bunheads. But the bad news is that the network has opted to cancel the drama Jane By Design. (TV By the Numbers)

Actor Enver Gjokaj (Dollhouse) will be guest starring in the new CBS drama Made in Jersey, playing U.S. attorney Tommy Ligand and the ex-boyfriend of the lead character Martina (Janet Montgomery), a working-class woman trying to make it as a first-year associate at an uber-competitive prestigious law firm in New York. Made in Jersey will debut on September 28. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

MATT’S INSIDE LINE [AKA INSIDE SCOOP ON FALL TV] (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: News about Mad Hatter/Jefferson? – @RumpleFacts

Mitovich: When I recently spoke to Sebastian Stan (currently playing a different kind of a bad boy on Political Animals), he was totally game to take another trip down the ABC drama’s rabbit hole. “I love that character, and it’s a great show – a very different thing than I’ve ever done,” he raved. “So if the timing works out, maybe!” The better news: The timing worked out. A well-placed source assures me that the manic milliner “is indeed coming back” in Season 2 (premiering Sept. 30).

Question: With Brian Dietzen being promoted to series regular (on NCIS), does this mean we’ll see more of him in Season 10?

Mitovich: Show boss Gary Glasberg told me that Dietzen’s upgrade “was simply long overdue, and something we’d been talking about for a very long time.” The intimation of a steadier presence for Palmer just so happens to make sense storyline-wise, as Ducky is forced to take new stock of life after his season-ending health scare. “Palmer also has an eye-opening experience in the first few episodes [starting Sept. 25], where he really has to step up his game and recognize his own strengths and weaknesses,” Glasberg previews. “He’s basically the acting coroner, and it’s a lot to take on — and that will carry over in the way he handles himself and the rest of the team.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Hiroyuka Sanada, who played Satoshi Takeda – Emily’s mysterious revenge master – on the first season of Revenge will not be back in the role because of his every-growing, busy schedule. His role will be taken over by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who has appeared in episodes of Heroes and Hawaii Five-0 among countless other TV shows and movies. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Actor John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C) will have a recurring role in the new FOX medical drama The Mob Doctor, playing Mark Easton, the dad of Dr. Brett Robinson, who will be played by series regular Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights). Mark is a federal prosecutor who is feared by both the corrupt politicians and the mob. The series stars Jordana Spiro (My Boys) as a young female thoracic surgeon with roots in Bridgeport, Conn., where she juggles her career and her lifelong debt to the South Chicago mob. The Mob Doctor will debut on FOX on September 17 at 9 PM. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Michael Grant Terry, best known for his recurring role as “squintern” Wendell Bray on Bones, will have a multi-episode arc on Grimm this fall. He will play Ryan Smulson, a wide-eyed and enthusiastic student starting his internship with the Portland Police Department. His goal is to someday become a detective, and therefore he is looking to model himself after his idol and one of Portland’s finest: Nick Burkhardt (series star David Giuntoli). Grimm is currently airing all new episodes on NBC on Monday nights at 10 PM before moving back to its regular night and time (Fridays at 9 PM) on September 21 on NBC. (Hanh Nguyen at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has picked up a potential new medical drama from former Supernatural co-showrunner Sera Gamble and Brother & Sisters executive producer/Political Animals creator Greg Berlanti. The project will center on world-renowned neurosurgeon named Dr. Steven Saylor, who becomes a medical anomaly himself after suffering a traumatic brain injury. He is forced to re-specialize as an internist at the hospital where he was once king. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor-writer Danny Strong (formerly of Buffy and writer of the recent telefilm Game Change), film director David O. Russell and Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro have team for a legal drama that has been sold to CBS. The project is inspired by Murray and Stacey Richman, a famous New York father/daughter lawyer duo. The project would center on a fictionalized version of the Richmans’ Bronx firm, where clients as notorious on the street as they are on Page Six. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) and Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road and the upcoming Premium Rush) are teaming up for the film adaptation of The Long Red Road, which is based on the stage play by Brett C. Leonard. The story starts with Sam (Hardy) attempting to drink away his demons on an Indian reservation in South Dakota; but when a visitor from his past arrives, Sam has to take a hard look at the man he’s become and the life he left behind. Shannon will play Sam’s older brother. (Variety and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: First Trailer for ‘The Last Stand’ Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger

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

Question: Derek is my favorite on Teen Wolf! What’s coming up for him in season three? – Brittany

Watch with Kristin: You can expect to see a big change in the Alpha when the MTV hit returns for its third season. “He definitely needs to redeem himself. He’ll definitely be a different guy when we find him again in season three,” executive producer Jeff Davis teases. “There are bigger twists in store for him and possibly some romance too.” While he wouldn’t say who Derek’s love interest might be, we’re putting our money on Erica.

Question: I will take anything you have on Once Upon a Time! – Faith

Watch with Kristin: You know how we’ve been pushing for Joanna Garcia to play Ariel since pretty much the beginning of time? Well, we are happy to report that our favorite TV redhead just might make this happen. “That show is exceptional. Jennifer Morrison is one of my dearest friends,” Garcia tells us. “I would love to do the show. I just think the show is incredibly crafted and well-acted. The masterminds behind it are so extraordinary. I would love to do it. It’s on my wish list!”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, who originated the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls will be playing the mom to Jennifer Hudson (who is an Oscar-winner for the 2006 theatrical remake of Dreamgirls) in the upcoming season of Smash. Hudson will play Veronica Moore, a Tony-winning star who reached her Broadway dream but paid a price for it; and Ralph will be her mom Cynthia. Smash is expected back on NBC during mid-season. (Vulture)

Actor Enrique Murciano (Without a Trace) has landed a multi-episode arc on the new ABC drama 666 Park Avenue. The premise of this new series is about an innocent Midwestern couple (Dave Annable from Brothers & Sisters and Rachael Taylor from the short-lived Charlie’s Angels) who get hired as resident managers of an Upper East Side apartment building in New York owned by Gavin (Terry O’Quinn from Lost) and Olivia Doran (Vanessa Williams from Desperate Housewives). Unbeknownst to them, the residents have all made deals with the devil to have their desires fulfilled. Murciano will play Dr. Todd Scott, a handsome young surgeon living at The Drake. 666 Park Avenue debuts on September 30 on ABC at 10 PM. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Lara Jean Chorostecki (Camelot) has joined the cast of the upcoming mid-season series Hannibal, base on the legendary literary character Hannibal Lecter. The drama comes from Bryan Fuller, the man behind Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies; and stars Hugh Dancy as FBI agent Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen as his mentor Dr. Hannibal Lecther. Chorostecki will play Freddie Lounds, a tabloid reporter (who had been previously played by Stephen Lang and Philip Seymour Hoffman in previous incarnations of the character). (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor John Barrowman (Torchwood) will have a recurring role on the new CW drama series Arrow that focuses on the life of billionaire offspring Oliver Queen, who is found alive after being presumed lost at sea for five years. Details on Barrowman’s character are being kept under wraps except for these tidbits: he will play a “well-dressed man” who is “as mysterious as he is wealthy and he is an acquaintance of the Queen family and a prominent figure in Starling City”. Arrow debuts on The CW on October 10. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Miriam Shor (from the short-lived GCB) will recur as a reporter covering the Florrick campaign on The Good Wife. The CBS drama will be back with new episodes starting on September 30. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

TV TRAILER

Downton Abbey Season 3 Trailer

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Lennie James (Hung and Jericho) will co-star alongside Mark Strong in the AMC drama pilot called Low Winter Sun that is a contemporary story of murder, deception, revenge and corruption that starts with the murder of a cop by fellow Detroit detective Frank Agnew (Strong). Seemingly the perfect crime, in reality the murder activates forces that will forever alter that detective’s life and pull him into the heart of the Detroit underworld. James will play Joe, who is described as part cop, part perp. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Joe Anderson (Across The Universe and The River) has been cast in the other drama pilot from AMC that is currently unnamed; but is an ensemble legal drama/thriller that is centered on Adam Powell, a District Attorney who uncovers new evidence that prompts the reinvestigation of a sensational murder case. Anderson will play Terry Kaminski, a man of Polish descent convicted of a crime. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

FOX has won a bid on a new as-yet untitled hour-long comedy project about a quirky single female attorney by Parenthood duo Jason Katims and Sarah Watson. The project is an edgy, twisted romantic comedy set in a Chicago law firm that is centered on a single 30-something attorney working at the firm. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Tim Roth (Lie to Me) will play Monaco’s ambitious and strong-headed Prince Rainier III in the upcoming box office film called Grace of Monaco that will star Nicole Kidman in the lad role. The film will be set six years into Grace’s marriage to the monarch of the wealthy but small European nation; now retired, Princess Grace is called upon to save Monaco from an escalating situation regarding its standing as a tax haven. Rainier initially lets his emotions get in the way of his work and marriage, but eventually lets Kelly guide him in decision-making. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Morris Chestnut will play the male lead role opposite actress Halle Berry in the upcoming film called The Hive that focuses on a 911 call center. Berry plays a veteran operator who takes a call from a kidnapped teen stuffed a trunk. Using her considerable skills to keep the girl calm, she tries to find the kidnapper before it’s too late. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Tobey Maguire will star in the upcoming box office film Z for Zachariah, which is a post-apocalyptic story about a girl who lives alone and operates a farm in the last breathable section of a nuclear-ravaged land. Her world is rocked when two strangers stumble in from the forest, though. Maguire will play a scientist that she nurses back to health. (Variety and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Craig Bierko (Necessary Roughness) and actress Molly Price (Third Watch) will both show up in an upcoming episode of the new CBS drama Elementary, which of course, is the modern day take on the legendary Sherlock Holmes, starring Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone) and Lucy Liu (Southland) as the man himself and his “sober companion/investigative assistant” Dr. Joan Watson. Bierko will play Fowkes, the imposing and fit COO of a top Wall Street financial firm who is involved in a murder investigation led by Sherlock while Price will appear as Donna, Fowkes’ trusted executive secretary. Elementary will debut on September 27 at 10 PM. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) will reprise her role of Alexandra Eames during the upcoming season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Eames, now working for a joint City/Federal Homeland Security Task Force, crosses paths with the SVU squad when their investigation of a sex trafficking ring uncovers a connection to terrorists. The series returns for its 14th season on NBC on September 26. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Actor (and Robot Chicken creator) Seth Green has joined the cast of the upcoming four-hour mini-series called Delete from Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie (writers on Stargate SG-1). The film depicts a near future where the World Wide Web has turned on mankind. He will play a character named Lucifer, who is a hacker activist. Other cast members include Keir Gilchrist (United States of Tara), Matt Frewer (Eureka), Janet Kidder (The Killing), Erin Karpluk (Being Erica), Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal) and Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary). (Dominic Patten at Deadline and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

CONDOLENCES

Actor Ron Palillo, who played Arnold Horshack on the classic 70’s series Welcome Back, Kotter, passed away in Florida. He was 63. (CNN)

ME: Rest in Peace, Mr. Palillo. Condolences are extended to his family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

NBC has bought a drama pilot called The Blacklist that will be centered around an international, Kaiser Soze-like criminal who mysteriously surrenders himself to the Feds and offers to help hunt down the very men he’s spent his entire life protecting. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

A new hour-long project by Matt Ross (the executive producer of Body of Proof) is in development at ABC. The project is called Burns & Cooley and revolves around two top neurosurgeons at a New York hospital who find themselves competing on every level—both personally and professionally—as they handle some of the toughest medical cases in the world involving the brain. The problem? The bitter rivals are ridiculously attracted to one another. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) turned film writer is in negotiations to write the film adaptation of the David Wroblewski novel “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle”. The story centers on a mute boy who is the son of dog breeders. When his father mysteriously dies, circumstances force the teen to run away from home, three dogs in tow, into the woods where he plots a return to expose his uncle as the killer. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Violent Red Band Trailer for ‘End of Watch’ with Gyllenhaal and Peña

Watch: First ‘Inescapable’ Trailer with Alexander Siddig and Marisa Tomei

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Shiri Appleby (Roswell and Life Unexpected) is finalizing a deal for a recurring role on the new NBC firefighter drama Chicago Fire, playing Clarice, the ex-girlfriend of Shay (Lauren German) who is pregnant and married to a rich husband. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Legendary actor Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian himself – that’s his character from the Star Wars franchise, by the way) will be showing up on NCIS as the man for who Leroy Jethro Gibbs gets his name. Williams will play LJ, a World War II veteran and close friend of the Gibbs family in an October episode. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Actress Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (Prison Break) will guest star on an upcoming episode of Castle, playing Kristina Coterra, a sexy and voluptuous reporter who takes a liking to Castle (Nathan Fillion). Castle will be back for its fourth season on September 24 at 10 PM on ABC. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

Actress Annabella Sciorra (The Sopranos) will guest star on an upcoming episode of The Good Wife. She will play a tough, smart gangland lawyer who’s a doppelganger of Alicia (Julianna Margulies). The Good Wife is back for its fourth season on CBS on September 30 at 9 PM. (Liz Raftery at TV Guide)

Actor Mike Dopud (Smallville, Continuum and Stargate Universe) will have a recurring role on the upcoming ABC mid-season soap opera Mistresses (that is set to debut next May). He will play Olivier, a good-looking European who buys Josslyn’s (Jes Macallan) real estate firm. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor (and executive producer over on Grimm) Sean Hayes will have a multi-episode arc on Smash this mid-season, playing Terrence Falls, a comedic TV and film star who is making his Broadway debut in a musical called Liaisons, but due to a series of comedic circumstances, he becomes a thorn in the side of Ivy (Megan Hilty) and other characters. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress and Tony nominee Marin Ireland (Mildred Pierce and Homeland) will play the female lead in an as-yet untitled AMC pilot that is an ensemble legal drama centered on Adam Powell, a District Attorney who uncovers new evidence that prompts the reinvestigation of a sensational murder case. Ireland will play Christina Rosa, an attractive, aggressive and impulsive woman of Italian-German descent who works with the Innocence Project. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC has landed Cleopatra, a period drama about the famous Egyptian queen. This project is being described as an epic romance set in a world of sorcery, gods and monsters, centering on Cleopatra, Mark Antony and Julius Caesar. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CBS is developing a drama pilot called Island Practice from Mystic Pizza and Beethoven writer Amy Holden Jones, which tells the true story of colorful, contrarian doctor Dr. Timothy Lepore, who has worked in the upscale island retreat since the 1980s. The TV project will center on an eccentric maverick who practices medicine on an island off the coast of Seattle using tactics that are frequently as controversial as they are heroic. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The creators of the short-lived CW drama Ringer, Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder, are behind a new Southern Gothic thriller at NBC with producer Peter Traugott. This project will be set in New Orleans and will be rich with tradition, superstition and murder. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress-Director Jodie Foster is set for her first foray into TV with the Showtime dram project called Angie’s Body, which centers around a shrewd, sexy and, when necessary, lethal woman who runs a family-based crime syndicate. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC is developing the high-concept drama from actor turned director Peter Berg called Hench, which centers on a regular guy who, in order to support his family, gets jobs temping for super villains. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. The Bourne Legacy, $40.3 million
2. The Campaign, $27.4 million
3. The Dark Knight Rises, $19.5 million
4. Hope Springs, $15.6 million
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, $8.2 million
6. Total Recall, $8.1 million
7. Ice Age: Continental Drift, $6.8 million
8. Ted, $3.3 million
9. Step Up Revolution, $2.9 million
10. (Tie) The Watch & The Amazing Spider-Man $2.2 million

Actress Keira Knightley is in negotiations to star opposite Chris Pine in the upcoming reboot to the Jack Ryan franchise. The story centers on ex-Marine and Moscow-based financial analyst Jack Ryan (Pine), who uncovers a plot by his employer to finance a terrorist attack designed to collapse the U.S. economy. Ryan must race against time to save America and his wife (Knightley). (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Roush at TV Guide)

Question: I was wondering if you have found time to tune in or catch up on MTV’s teen supernatural drama Teen Wolf or the comedy Awkward. I have been back watching both again recently and am officially hooked. With Teen Wolf being picked up for a 24-episode season next year [and Awkward for 20] and the laundry list of new scripted dramas on the horizon, what do you think of MTV scripted shows and are they in it for the long haul? — Sharday

Matt Roush: I had fallen behind on both shows during the recent critics’ press tour, and one of the more pleasurable tasks of the last week was catching up on them. Awkward in particular, which is one of the best romantic comedies anywhere on TV. I like these characters so much (and the snappy writing) that I’m almost dreading this Thursday’s episode, where it looks like we’ll see the fallout from awful Sadie spilling the beans to nice-guy Jake about his sweetheart Jenna and BFF Matty having been a secret item before they got together. Awkward indeed! (And in writing that little summary: Yes, I feel like a high-school gossip.) Teen Wolf has also exceeded most of my expectations for the genre, and like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (though nowhere near as deeply) has gone far beyond the original source material to deliver a gripping, unpredictable, amusing, sexy and at times very scary thriller. With Jackson as the killer Kanima, Lydia bringing Peter the former Alpha back from the dead, and a grieving Allison going all Super Hunter, this season’s twists have been fun to watch — although last week’s fateful lacrosse game was beyond incomprehensible — and I’m looking forward to tonight’s season finale (10/9c).

Question: I couldn’t agree more with your assessment of Falling Skies as the most improved show this summer. Heck, I can’t think of any show since Buffy that has made such a leap between its first and second seasons. Really impressive. I truly “believe” Noah Wyle’s character. And yes, the kid who plays Ben is definitely going places. Love him! Super talented. — Debi

Matt Roush: Not really a question here, but gives me an opportunity to recommend this Sunday’s finale, titled “A More Perfect Union,” which seems to refer less to the new government in Charleston than to the collaboration of the 2nd Mass and the rebel Skitters as they prepare for a pivotal battle. A strong end to a surprisingly rocking season.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Odette Annable (House) will have a recurring role on the upcoming mid-season drama Golden Boy on CBS. This drama is about the meteoric rise of a cop (Theo James) from his days as an officer to detective to police commissioner. Annable will play ADA Kat O’Connor, a young, attractive Assistant District Attorney with a complicated marital history who prosecutes cases brought by the squad. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Shelley Hennig(The Secret Circle) will recur on the upcoming MTV comedy series Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous, playing Christy, the cute girl next door type whom Zach Stone (Bo Burnham) tries to woo in any way possible. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Author Michael Koryta has sold one of his books as a TV series for CBS. The network has acquired “A Welcome Grave” and will develop the private eye storyline for a series. This book is actually the third book in Koryta’s award-winning Lincoln Perry series that follows the private investigator as he finds himself in the crosshairs of two police investigations when an old rival is brutally murdered. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Lifetime is developing a two-hour back-door pilot based on the book by Rhonda Saunders called “Whisper of Fear”, which was published in 2008 and revolves around a criminal prosecutor who penned the law on stalking in California and is based on the true story of a hot-head cop and polished district attorney who team to bring a stalker obsessed with her former lover to justice. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Saorise Ronan (Hanna) will play the title role in Mary Queen Of Scots in the planned box office film that is currently in production. Crowned the queen of Scotland before she was a year old, Mary added to that pedigree when her first husband became France’s King and she became queen consort in 1559. Despite that auspicious start, things didn’t go well from there. She later married her first cousin, a bad match that ended with his murder. When she quickly married the man suspected of orchestrating the killing, an uprising against the couple resulted in her imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. Forced to abdicate her throne to her year-old son, she failed in an attempt to wrest back the throne and fled for the protection of her cousin, England’s Queen Elizabeth 1. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Young actress Hailee Steinfeld (Oscar-nominee for the recent adaptation of True Grit) will be adding another film to her roster. She will star in the upcoming film called Dead of Winter that follows a father who takes his begrudging teenage daughter (Steinfeld) and her new stepmother out to a cabin in the woods for some family bonding, but they have to put aside their differences and work together to stay alive when a dangerous fugitive posing as a park ranger drops by unannounced. Steinfeld already has the latest adaptation of Romeo & Juliet coming up soon as well as the adaptation of the book Ender’s Game and the romantic comedy Why We Broke also upcoming. (Variety and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Red Dawn – Official Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me) has joined the cast of Smash for the show’s second season, playing a new love interest for Julia (Debra Messing). The show is not expected to return to NBC until mid-season. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

FX has picked up the drama pilot The Americans for a 13-episode debut season. The series will star Keri Russell (Felicity) and Matthew Rhys (Brothers & Sisters) in this period drama about the complex marriage of two KGB spies posing as Americans in suburban Washington DC shortly after Ronald Reagan is elected President. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Syfy has put a drama called Clandestine into development. The project comes from actor-writer Todd Stashwick (Heroes) and artist Dennis Calero. It is being described as a swash-buckling space drama/adventure that revolves around mercenaries who masquerade as part of an Intergalactic fleet. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES NEWS

BBC Two, one of the major networks in the U.K. has hired writer-actor Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) to write a historical drama telefilm about the creation of the classic TV series Doctor Who in the 1960’s. With the shows impending 50th anniversary, this telefilm is well-timed. (Airlock Alpha and Dark Horizons)

Q&A SECTION (from TV Line)

Question: I need some Zoe and Wade scoop! What’s coming up for my favorite Hart of Dixie couple? – Erin

Answer: You may want to look away, Zoe and Wade fans, ’cause we don’t have good news for you as it looks like Zoe will be going on a date with a smart and handsome guy named Zach, who happens to be the cousin of her new friend Ruby (played by Girlfriends actress Golden Brooks). In case you weren’t sold on the smart and handsome part, Zach is on town to check in on the environmental clean-up. What a catch! However, we’re hearing Zoe might be a tad distracted on their date. (Could that distraction just happen to have washboard abs?)

Question: What’s this I hear about Nolan getting a new love interest on Revenge?! – Matt

Answer: Yes, our favorite billionaire genius is getting a love interest (a female one, by the way!), and if Gabriel Mann had his way, Nolan would have more than one. “The more, the merrier! I mean at this point, Nolan has established nothing is off limits, so I hope for a panning shot that comes from the end of the bed and strangely there are eight set of feet in there!” As for non-romance scoop when it comes to Nolan? Well, prepare to see a different side of him. “You’re going to see a little bit of a transformed, bigger, badder Nolan of sorts,” Mann teases.

Question: Got any Nikita scoop? – Adam

Answer: In episode four, which is forebodingly titled “Consequences,” we’ll meet a former Division agent who is working for Amanda and Percy. She’s cool, intimidating and an incredibly dangerous agent that Nikita should not cross paths with. But of course, she probably will, and something tells us that this new foe will be around for a lot longer than we’d like.

Question: Got anything on Grimm? – Harold

Answer: The Portland police are getting an intern! Grimm fans will meet the eager Rick in episode eight and can expect him to stick around for several episodes. Now go fetch Nick and the rest of the precinct some coffee!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (24 and FlashForward) will have a recurring role in the new fall FOX drama The Mob Doctor, which will center on a young surgeon (Jordana Spiro) who is working to pay off her debt to the Chicago Mob. Aghdashloo will play Dr. Jayana Baylor starting with the fourth episode of the new series. (Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Pablo Schreiber (A Gifted Man and Weeds) will show up on an upcoming episode of White Collar, playing JB Bellmiere, a brilliant and volatile avant-guarde artist who studied under a legendary New York sculptor. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

BET has picked up the hour-long pilot called Being Mary Jane that will star Gabrielle Union as a successful talk show host – Mary Jane Paul who is looking to one day become the No. 1 nightly news anchor while searing for Mr. Right. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Joss Whedon has signed on to help ABC and Marvel Television develop a live-action TV series set within the Marvel Universe (and he will direct the box office sequel to The Avengers) (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Deadline)

Neil Cross, the creator and executive producer of the acclaimed BBC series Luther, which starred Idris Elba, is looking to create a potential mini-series centered around the character Alice who was the focal point of the first season of Luther. Alice, played by Ruth Wilson (The Prisoner) was a beguiling serial killer who went toe-to-toe with Luther in the TV series. It should be noted that there are no confirmations on this mini-series yet; but it is being reported that Elba would not be part of Alice, at least not initially. (Jon Weisman at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers is in negotiations to join the cast of the film adaptation of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones the young adult fantasy novel by Cassandra Clare. He is expected to play Valentine Morgenstern, a powerful but insane Shadowhunter looking to make the world pure at any cost. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Actor Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern) will star in the upcoming box office film Queen of The Night, playing a father whose daughter went missing when she was just nine-years old, but years later some disturbing clues pop up that indicate she may still be alive, so he goes on a quest to find the now 17-year old. (First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Watch: First ‘Trouble with the Curve’ Trailer Starring Clint Eastwood

First Trailer for Soccer Charmer ‘Playing for Keeps’ with Gerard Butler

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

Question: Can you give me any more information about the senator Beckett will meet on Castle? — Riley

ADAM: The character, played by Heroes alum Jack Coleman, will have “compelling information” about Beckett’s mother’s murder — compelling enough that she will likely call on him throughout the season, creator Andrew W. Marlowe tells us. But Beckett may not like all the things she learns as she finally closes her mom’s case. “”It’s going to spin our characters in a different emotional direction,” Marlowe says. “Once Beckett has that knowledge, what’s she going to do with it and who is she going to become?” In other words: Closure may not exactly equal contentment.

Question: I’m so excited for Person of Interest to come back. Any spoilers you can offer? — Dana

ADAM: The new season is all about The Machine, creator Jonathan Nolan tells us. That’s fitting, given that in the Season 1 finale, Reese appeared to be communicating directly with the machine after Finch was kidnapped. “Our relationship with The Machine has been one that we haven’t questioned too much,” Nolan says. “We think we understand what it is, but the idea in the second season is to challenge those assumptions. [We want] to take that fifth character, who’s largely been a silent partner, and start [letting Reese know] how that works. ‘What is the machine, really?’ is a huge question for Season 2.”

Question: How is Callen going to get away with shooting The Chameleon on NCIS: Los Angeles? — Kyle

ADAM: Who says he is? Although the Season 4 premiere, which takes place the following day, opens with Callen walking out of jail, he will still be suspended for the duration of the investigation. And it sounds like things go from bad to worse. “The deeper we get into this story, the further Callen seems to fall,” executive producer Shane Brennan says. However, Callen’s fall may also be an act of honor. “Callen makes a choice to protect Hetty,” Brennan teases. “In doing that, Granger puts out an arrest warrant on Callen. It plays to the closeness of these two characters.”

Question: What’s the latest on the Friday Night Lights movie? —Tony

Ausiello: “I’m just doing a little tweaking to it,” reports Katims. “A million things have to come together, but we’re hoping to if everybody is on board with doing it we’re hoping to find a time for everybody’s schedule to shoot it. It’s definitely something we’re trying to make happen.” Meanwhile, the picture’s leading lady, Connie Britton, is still waiting for someone to send her said script. “I haven’t seen it yet,” the star of ABC’s upcoming Nashville tells me. “I do know that they have one and they’re all really excited about it.” My prediction: The FNL film will go into production next spring.

Question: I’m really excited for Suits‘ flashback episode this week! Got any scoop? —Nikki

Ausiello: The time-tripping hour goes back five years to when Jessica and Hardman ran the business together. “We get to understand why [Hardman] was forced to leave the firm,” previews Sarah Rafferty, who play Donna. “That definitely forwards the plot in terms of the balance of power issues that are happening at Pearson-Hardman, but it also speaks to big character issues with all the main characters.” As for Rafferty’s former secretary, we’ll get some insight into why Donna “is important to not just Harvey, but the firm — what her value is and why she’s valuable.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Phoebe Tonkin (The Secret Circle) has landed a recurring role on The Vampire Diaries where she will play Hayley, a wild friend from Tyler’s (Michael Trevino) past. She will first appear in episode three of the new season. (Watch with Kristin at E! Online)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FOX has bought The Beach, a drama based on the 1996 novel by Alex Garland and the 2000 movie directed by Danny Boyle that starred Leonardo Di Caprio. The story is about a group of young people feeling disconnected and disenchanted from society who try to start over in paradise but discover that while creating the perfect world is hard, protecting it is even harder. Andrew Miller, who wrote the original script for the now defunct CW series The Secret Circle, will write the pilot. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CONDOLENCES

Oscar-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the theme song and score for box office film The Way We Were, passed away yesterday after a brief illness. He was 68. (TV Guide)

ME: Rest in Peace, Mr. Hamlisch. Condolences are extended to his family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

It seems that actor Kevin Costner is making a bit of a comeback after the recent success of the TV mini-series Hatfields & McCoys. He has landed the co-lead in the upcoming reboot of the Jack Ryan film franchise that will now star Chris Pine (Star Trek) in the lead role. Costner will also be seen as Papa Kent in the much-anticipated Man of Steel and could be playing a dying assassin in the upcoming action thriller called Three Days to Kill. (First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Elizabeth Olsen and Josh Radnor in First ‘Liberal Arts’ Comedy Trailer

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

Question: Love me some Awkward on MTV! Got anything to share about Thursday’s episode? – Conor

Watch with Kristin: Oh, how about that it is a can’t-miss episode with some major moments between Matty and Jenna and Jake and Jenna?! Warning: you may find water falling from your eyes during the episode. Need some more? Well. Sadie commits one of her worst acts yet, horrible, horrible bridesmaid dresses are worn (with even worse hairstyles) and Ringer’s Kris Polaha swoops in to woo Jenna’s mama (he’s totally her Matty). Yes, he’s ridiculously good-looking, charming and wears a suit. You’re welcome.

Question: I’m obsessed with Scandal! Anything you can tell me about season two? – Diana

Watch with Kristin: Funny you should ask, because that’s the exact question we had for star Columbus Short, who tells us he’s looking forward to meeting “Harrison’s love interest.” Finally! But is it someone we know? “Maybe,” he teases. Aside from some much-needed romance, Short tells us, “[Harrison] is up to some business this year. It’s going to be fun. I’m excited as an actor to play it.”

Question: You’ve been lacking on the Supernatural scoop! Make it up to us, please? – Melissa

Watch with Kristin: While Misha Collins is set to appear in “a minimum of eight” episodes, per CW president Mark Pedowitz, it seems like fans will only be seeing him (at least in the beginning of the season) in flashbacks to purgatory. “You’re certainly going to see more of him in terms of understanding what happened in purgatory, and that’s as far as we’re going, because it’s fairly significant what happened in purgatory,” new showrunner Jeremy Carver teases of Castiel’s role in season eight. As for Dean’s mental state post-purgatory and if it will at all resemble his post-hell experience in season four? “Purgatory has a very different effect—and different types of beings that are down there,” Carver tells us. “Just because he’s driven and he’s very into hunting, it doesn’t mean all is well.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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