Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

BBC One is moving ahead with an eight-episode series loosely based on the Emile Zola novel Au Bonheur Des Dames. The series will be called The Ladies’ Paradise and will be set in England’s first department store. It will follow the rags-to-riches story of Denise Lovett, a young girl who works in the store and gets caught up in the charms of the modern world. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights) has landed a major recurring role on the upcoming fifth season of Breaking Bad. He will play Todd, a dependable, innocuous, working-class guy, but his character may not be what he appears to be. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Sam Claflin, Matthew Goode and Tom Wilkinson as well as actresses Miranda Richardson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sarah Gadon and Emily Watson have all joined the cast of the upcoming film Belle, a biopic of Dido Elizabeth Belle. Dido (Mbatha-Raw) was the half-black illegitimate daughter of renowned Admiral Sir John Lindsay, who was eventually taken in and raised as an aristocratic lady in 18th Century England by Lindsay’s uncle William Murray, the Earl of Mansfield. Gadon and Claflin will play Belle’s cousin and love interest respectively, but no other cast details are known. (Screen Daily and Dark Horizons)

Actress Keira Knightley will replace Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming film Can A Song Save Your Life?, where she will play a singer who moves to New York with her boyfriend only to be dumped by him and subsequently discovered by a producer. Hailee Steinfeld also stars. (Screen Daily and Dark Horizons)

Actor Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia!) will star opposite Pierce Brosnan in the long-gestating dream project called November Man. The film is an espionage action-thriller based on the Bill Granger novel There are No Spies. Brosnan would play an ex-CIA operative who finds himself pitted against his former pupil (Cooper) in a deadly game involving high-level CIA officials and the Russian president-elect. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Actress Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan and The Hunger Games) will play the lead role in the remake of the remake of the 70’s horror classic Suspiria, which follows a young girl who travels to Europe to attend a world-renowned school, only to learn that the academy is a front for a coven of witches. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor James Badge Dale (24 and Rubicon) has joined the cast of Iron Man 3. He will play a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army put in charge of Project: Ultra. After stepping on a land mine, cybernetic surgery is performed on him and he’s resurrected as the cyborg Coldblood. (Variety and Coming Soon)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Maggie Gyllenhaal & Viola Davis in First Trailer for ‘Won’t Back Down’

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Richard Burgi (Desperate Housewives and One Tree Hill) will appear as a villain in an upcoming episode of Burn Notice as Morris, a duplicitous, backstabbing loan shark with a vile temper who’s looking to move up the criminal ladder. Burn Notice will be back with its new season starting on June 14 at 9 PM on the USA Network. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Lorraine Toussaint (Saving Grace) will guest star on a July episode of Drop Dead Diva, as law professor, Gretchen Daily, who invites her former student, Jane, and Grayson (Jackson Hurst) to deliver a lecture to one of her classes at Stanford Law School. The attorneys decide to help one of the students with a complicated case against a Silicon Valley company. But, the pupils will have to take on their mentor when the company hires the best attorney they can find: Gretchen Daily. Drop Dead Diva will be back with a new season on Lifetime on June 3. (Jethro Nededog at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC is also pursuing its long-gestating plans for a Hulk TV series (seems the Hulk’s popularity is bigger than ever because of the success of the box office film The Avengers. And, while the “Hulk” series didn’t come together in time for the 2012-13 season, it could be a possibility for the season after that. (Tim Molloy at The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) and Megalyn Echikunwoke (House of Lies and The 4400) have joined the supporting cast of the upcoming film A Good Day to Die Hard that will star Bruce Willis and Jai Courtney as John McClane and his estranged son Jack (respectively) who take on Russian villains. Nolasco will play Willis’ friend early in the film while Echikunwoke’s role is unknown at this time. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Channing Tatum (Dear John) will appear in the upcoming action thriller called White House Down. He will play a Secret Service agent and single dad who must save the president when his official residence is taken over by paramilitary group. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Actor Alan Rickman has landed the lead role as famed New York nightclub owner Hilly Kristal in the upcoming film called CBGB that will tell the real-life story of how Kristal’s CBGB club impacted the underground music scene and made famous such talents as Talking Heads, the Ramones and Blondie. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Mark Deklin (GCB) has joined the cast of the 3D/CGI motion-capture film Tarzan in which he will play Tarzan’s father, who is exploring the site of a mysterious ancient meteorite and is on the brink of a discovery when he dies alongside his wife (Jaime Ray Newman). Kellan Lutz and Spencer Locke will play Tarzan and Jane respectively. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (3D) – 4 MINUTE SUPER PREVIEW:

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Maggie Grace (Lost) has landed a major arc on Californication, playing Faith, an innocent Catholic school girl who’s been exposed to the evils of rock and roll. As a music groupie, she’s been on the road for years, acting as a muse to elite artists and falling heads over heels in love with them. Despite her fondness for sex, drugs and rock and roll, not to mention, a friendship-turned-more with Hank Moody, Faith remains religious. The network is considering a possible spin-off based on this new character. Californication is back in 2013. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

NBC has given a direct-to-series order to a new drama called Crossbone, which is an adaptation of the Colin Woodard novel The Republic of Pirates that is set in the 1700s during the Golden Age of Piracy and revolve around legendary pirate Blackbeard. NBC has ordered 10 episodes of the series. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Late last week and over the weekend the major networks revealed the shows that are being renewed and cancelled as well as the new pilots that are being picked up to series. Here is how much of those announcements broke down:

NBC: Cancelled Harry’s Law and renewed 30 Rock.

The CW: Renewed Nikita, Hart of Dixie and Gossip Girl while they picked up five new series, including The Carrie Diaries, Arrow, Cult, First Cut, and Beauty and the Beast. They cancelled Ringer and The Secret Circle, though.

ABC: Renewed Scandal, Body of Proof and Private Practice and picked up three new pilots Red Widow (formerly known as Penoza), Nashville and Zero Hour. They cancelled GCB, Pan Am, Missing, and The River though.

CBS: Renewed CSI: NY, but cancelled NYC 22, Unforgettable, A Gifted Man and veteran CSI: Miami. The new pilots that were picked up include Elementary, Vegas (formerly known as the Ralph Lamb pilot), Made In Jersey (formerly known as Baby Big Shot) and Golden Boy.

NOTE: Full details on renewals, cancellations and pilot pick-ups can be found in the separate posts I will be making throughout this week in conjunction with the network’s upfront presentations.

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. The Avengers, $103.2 million
2. Dark Shadows, $28.8 million
3. Think Like a Man, $6.3 million
4. The Hunger Games, $4.4 million
5. The Lucky One, $4.1 million
6. The Pirates! Band of Misfits, $3.2 million
7. The Five-Year Engagement, $3.1 million
8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, $2.7 million
9. Chimpanzee, $1.6 million
10. Girl in Progress, $1.4 million

Actor Taylor Lautner will play Cam, a bike messenger who gets in hot water with the mob in the upcoming film called Tracers. The film is set in the world of parkour, the physical discipline that centers on moving efficiently around obstacles, be it by jumping, climbing or running. (Brent Lang at The Wrap)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are all of the news items for today:

TELEVISION

ABC has renewed Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, Once Upon a Time and Revenge. (The Wrap)

Cougar Town will indeed be going over to TBS for its fourth season. (E! Online)

CBS has made it official: A Gifted Man will not be back for another season (Variety)

Parenthood has been picked up for another season by NBC. (The Wrap)

Actor Johann Urb (Eastwick and Resident Evil: Retribution) has been cast in a major recurring arc Californication. He will play Robbie Mac, an openly gay movie star who is picked up for representation by Charlie (Evan Handler). (Deadline)

Actress Jorja Fox will remain with CSI for its upcoming season. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Ian Gomez (Cougar Town) will make a guest appearance on Drop Dead Diva this summer, playing Warren Patton, a wheelchair-using con man who is suing Harrison & Parker’s newest client after being hit in a crosswalk by the defendant’s gourmet food truck. Being a bit of a legal eagle-slash-lizard, Warren argues his own the case and in doing so proves to be both crafty and manipulative. Drop Dead Diva will be back on Lifetime with an all new episodes starting on June 3. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Awake has been canceled by NBC. (The Hollywood Reporter)

FALL PICK-UP ORDERS

NBC has given the pilot Do No Harm, which stars Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me) a series order for fall. The series revolves around a brilliant neurosurgeon who wrestles with his dangerous alter-ego that threatens to wreak havoc with his personal and professional life. (The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter)

NBC also picked up the drama Infamous (formerly known as Notorious) for the fall. This series will follow a female detective who returns undercover to the wealthy family she grew up in — as the maid’s daughter — to solve the murder of a notorious heiress who was once her closest friend. (The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has joined the cast of the upcoming film RED 2, the sequel to the hit action comedy about a group of contract killers drawn back into action after they’ve retired. She will join returning cast members Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Mary-Louise Parker. There are no details, though, on the part she will play. (The Hollywood Reporter)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Thandie Newton (Mission Impossible 2 and Crash) will star in the first original scripted drama from DirecTV. The 10-episode series revolves around a morally and emotionally conflicted cop, Grace (Newton), who is tormented by the possibility that her own actions contributed to her son’s death. Her search for the truth is further complicated by her forbidden relationship with the crime boss who may have played a hand in the crime. (The Futon Critic)

Fox has canceled the comedies I Hate My Teenage Daughter and Breaking In and canceled the dramas Alcatraz and The Finder while giving a second season nod to Touch. (Deadline, E! Online and TV Guide)

Actress Parminder Nagra (ER and Alcatraz) will join the cast of the USA dramedy Psych next season as major new love interest for Gus (Dule Hill). She will appear in multiple episodes as Rachel, a beautiful and charming woman who Gus falls for. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Treat Williams (Everwood and Against the Wall) will join the cast of White Collar on a recurring basis, playing Sam, a gruff and elusive undercover officer from D.C. who has some deeply rooted ties to Neal’s past (speculation is he perhaps be Neal’s dad?) White Collar returns to the USA Network on July 10. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

FALL PICK-UP NEWS

FOX has given series orders to the Kevin Williamson pilot now called The Following, that stars Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy, in a story about a serial-killer and the agent who is brought in to track him down. The network also picked up The Mob Doctor, a drama that will star Jordano Spiro (My Boys) and Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights) is a story about surgeon who is forced to moonlight as a mob doctor. (Deadline, The Futon Critic and E! Online)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) has joined the cast of the upcoming film The Wolf Of Wall Street, which is an adaptation of the Jordan Belfort memoir, that is set to star Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill. DiCaprio is set to play Belfort, who experiences a dramatic rise on Wall Street and gets lost in the hard partying lifestyle that comes with that scene. He then fell from grace, spending 22 months in jail before straightening out his life. Chandler will play FBI agent Coleman, who built the case against Belfort and took him down. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

New Trailer for Disney’s Whimsical ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

NBC has renewed Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for a 14th season. It will be back this fall. (The Hollywood Reporter)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

The cast has been revealed for the groundbreaking digital event about the growing threat of cybercrime, identity theft and vulnerabilities in our highly connected lives called Cybergeddon, from Anthony E. Zuiker, the creator of the CSI franchise. Cybergeddon will be released exclusively on Yahoo! and will star actor Olivier Martinez (Unfaithful) as the elusive cybercriminal Gustove Dobreff, and actress Missy Peregrym (Rookie Blue and Reaper) as FBI agent Chloe Jocelyn. Additionally, Manny Montana (Breakout Kings) and Kick Gurry (Speed Racer) will play FBI Agent Frank Parker and former cybercriminal turned good-guy Chase ‘Rabbit’ Rosen respectively. The story of Cybergeddon follows agent Chloe Jocelyn as she investigates a slew of seemingly unrelated cyber-attacks with fellow agent Frank Parker and incarcerated master hacker Chase ‘Rabbit’ Rosen. Chloe and her team must crack the worldwide cybercrime ring led by Gustove Dobreff before it is too late. In a world where everyone is connected, everyone is at risk. Cybergeddon will premiere globally on Yahoo! in September 2012 as a series of sequential installments. (The Futon Critic)

FALL PICK-UP NEWS

NBC has ordered the pilot of Chicago Fire to series for the fall. The hour-long series is set in a Chicago fire station and will explore the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. Among the cast are Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries) and Jesse Spencer (House). (The Hollywood Reporter)

CONDOLENCES

Renowned hair stylist Vidal Sassoon passed away this morning, of natural causes. He was 84. (The LA Times)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Jessica Chastain (The Help) is out and Rebecca Hall (The Town). Looks like Hall is in talks to play the new sexy scientist in the planned Iron Man 3 film. The flick isn’t set to hit theaters until May 3, 2013, though. (Brandi Fowler at E! Online)

Actress Susan Sarandon and her daughter Eva Amurri Martino have joined the cast of the independent film called Mother’s Day that will follow 12 sets of Mothers and daughters over the course of a single Mother’s Day. (Deadline)

Actor Cole Hauser (Pitch Black and K-Ville) has scored the cast of the upcoming film A Good Day to Die Hard. He will play the pivotal supporting role of a villain named Collins who tangles with John McClaine (Bruce Willis) and his son (Jai Courtney). (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Legendary actress Shirley MacLaine is in negotiations to join the cast of the fairytale film Mother Goose where she would play the title character, the queen of a magical kingdom in which siblings Jack and Jill try to figure out three riddles that will allow them to return home. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Sean Bean (Game of Thrones and Missing) is set to star in the film adaptation of the book Devil’s Peak by Deon Meyer in what is planned to be a trilogy of films based on Meyer’s novel series. Bean will portray Detective Benny Griessel, an aging alcoholic inspector tasked with stopping a dangerous vigilante who brutally killed a child abuser and is standing up for the children of Cape Town. Both Griessel and this avenger find their paths crossing when a young prostitute lures them both into a dangerous scheme. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Logan Marshall Green (soon to be seen in Prometheus) will play Tennessee Williams in the upcoming feature film called Lonely Hunter, which is based on the life of Southern gothic novelist Carson McCullers (to be played by Jena Malone). Williams was the best friend and longtime confidante of McCullers. (Deadline)

Actress Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger) is set to appear in the sequel (of sorts) to the box office film 10 Things I Hate About You (that was a loose contemporary adaptation of the Shakespearean story of The Taming of the Shrew). It is said this pseudo-sequel will be about two relatable, ordinary people with normal jobs and normal desires whose seemingly great lives have become unmanageable. (Variety and First Showing)

A GREAT THANK YOU TO FANS

Joss Whedon Thank You Letter to Fans

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Dylan Baker (The Good Wife) has joined the cast of the six-episode USA Network drama Political Animals that centers on Elaine Barrish (Sigourney Weaver), a divorced former first lady and current Secretary of State, who is struggling to keep her family together while simultaneously dealing with the crises of the State Department. Baker will recur as Vice President Fred Collier, supporting President Paul Garcetti (Adrian Pasdar). The series will debut on July 15 at 10 PM. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Matthew Lillard (Scream and Scooby Doo franchise) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Leverage where he will play Gabe Erickson, a corrupt businessman who has successfully evaded jail until Nate and Co. find him. Leverage will be back with its new season starting on July 15 on TNT. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

TELEVISION PICK UP NEWS

NBC has given a series order for the J.J. Abrams/Eric Kripke drama called Revolution (the title may change to Blackout, but that has not been confirmed yet) that will star David Lyons (The Cape), Billy Burke (Twilight) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad and Once Upon a Time) [among others] is story set in a world where all energy sources have mysteriously disappeared. (Jenna Mullins at E! Online)

TNT has given the green light to the new drama called Monday Mornings (formerly known as Chelsea General) from David E. Kelley that will be set at the fictional Chelsea General Hospital in Portland. The 10-episode first season will follow the lives of doctors as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. The cast includes Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica), Jennifer Finnigan (Better With You), Bill Irwin (CSI), Keong Sim (Glee), Sarayu Rao (Lions for Lambs), and Emily Swallow (Southland). The series is set to premiere in summer 2013. (TV By the Numbers)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Singer-Actor Andre 3000 (aka Andre Benjamin) is developing and is set to star in a feature biopic about rock star Jimi Hendrix. The project is titled All Is By My Side and will focus on Hendrix’s period in England over 1966 and 1967 when he worked on his debut album. (IFC and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch Now: Bearded Ben Affleck Goes Retro in New Argo Trailer

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Judy Greer will be making a guest appearance on an upcoming episode of Royal Pains where she will play a professional matchmaker named Veronica Sullivan who seeks treatment from Hank Med for a heart condition, and ends up making Hank (Mark Feuerstein) and Divya (Reshma Shetty) reevaluate their own romantic lives. Royal Pains is back on the USA Network starting on June 6. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor James Cromwell will join the cast of American Horror Story, playing Dr. Arden, a foil to the new character to be portrayed by returning cast member Jessica Lange, who will be Arden’s boss at a mental institution. (Joyce Eng at TV Guide)

Lifetime has renewed The Client List for a second season. (TVDoneWright.com)

TV SHOW TRAILER

Watch Now: Teen Wolf Season Two Trailer Promises More Scares, Romance and Monsters

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

The online series Aim High will be back online with a second season, starring Jackson Rathbone (from the Twilight Saga franchise) as government operative Nick Green. Aim High tells the story of a young man leading a double life – juggling his studies by day and serving as a government operative by night. The entire first season can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/aimhighseries. (Warner Bros. Digital Distribution)

CONDOLENCES

Actor George Lindsey, best known for his role as Goober on The Andy Griffith Show passed away yesterday after battling an undisclosed illness. He was 83. (E! Online)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the box office estimates for the top 10 movies from this past weekend courtesy of Deadline:

1. Marvel’s The Avengers – 200 million
2. Think Like A Man – 8 million
3. The Hunger Games – 5.7 million
4. Pirates! Band of Misfits 3D – 5.4 million
5. The Lucky One – 5.4 million
6. The Five-Year Engagement -5.2 million
7. The Raven – 2.6 million
8. Safe – 2.5 million
9. Chimpanzee – 2.3 million
10. The Three Stooges – 1.8 million

Actor John Hawkes (Deadwood and Winter’s Bone) has joined the cast of the independent film called Too Late that follows the tangled relationship between a troubled private investigator (Hawkes) and the missing woman he’s hired to help find. The cast includes Rider Strong (Boy Meets World), Natalie Zea (Justified) and Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse and Being Human) [among others]. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

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

Question: I really enjoyed your review of BBC’s brilliant Sherlock and its amazing cast. It’s so satisfying to see a show where everything delivers on all levels and the audience isn’t taken for granted and are treated as proper mystery and Conan Doyle aficionados. Do you think the show has a chance for any Emmy nods, especially in the acting category? Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman were at their absolute best with such true and emotional performances. I know it’s hip to be a Downton Abbey fan, but Sherlock is so much more fulfilling, mentally and visually (I could also stare at Cumberbatch’s face for the whole 90 minutes of the show!). I do hope I hear some Sherlock Emmy nominations come July.

On another note, is CBS really going ahead with its own version of modern-day Sherlock with Elementary? Is this a definite pick-up? I know both Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu are fine actors, but the Sherlock comparisons are going to be persistent. It has already ruined the Sherlock movies directed by Guy Ritchie for me. The only Sherlock and Watson are, in my mind, Cumberbatch and Freeman. What do you think? — Sonal

Matt Roush: Hard to predict with the Emmys, but now that Downton Abbey is putting itself in the drama series race (as opposed to movie-miniseries), that would seem to open the door for Sherlock to get more notice. (The highest-profile nomination last year, well-deserved, was for Steven Moffat’s writing.) Cumberbatch and Freeman couldn’t be more delightful, and this season the work by Lara Pulver (as Irene Adler) and Andrew Scott (Moriarty) are worth celebrating as well — and for those following the series, this Sunday’s episode (“The Hounds of Baskerville”) features an enjoyable turn by Being Human’s Russell Tovey, whose fear of creatures in the woods is rather ironic given his past employment. Regarding CBS’ Elementary: No word yet on whether it will be picked up or not — this network tends to keep these decisions under wraps until very close to the upfront announcement, which will be next Wednesday — but I agree it may be difficult to embrace this show on its own merits unless it’s as well executed as this version (which would be a small miracle). To be fair, though, CBS tends to operate on such a mass scale I doubt they’re worrying too much about the BBC/PBS adaptation impacting their pilot one way or another. It does seem awfully superfluous, though.

Question: In response to the talk recently in your column about the endgame of Once Upon a Time: Isn’t it a bit early to be talking about that? The show is still new, and I’m still thoroughly enjoying it on a regular basis, so I don’t really find myself itching for Regina to be taken down just yet. I trust that the writers have some kind of plan here, and I’m perfectly happy to enjoy the ride for the time being. I think it’s also a mistake to assume the show is over when the curse is broken; remember how everyone initially thought Lost would be over when they got off the island? Lost was always extremely successful at taking the story in a new direction when the viewers least expected it, and I’m sure the Once writers learned a thing or two from their time on that show.

Off the top of my head, I wonder what breaking the curse even means. If/when everyone becomes aware of their previous lives, what happens if some of them like this life better, or don’t want to leave? What about Emma and Henry, who don’t really have a place in the fairy-tale world? Even for those who do want to return to their old life, it probably won’t be that easy to snap their fingers and go right back to the way things were before the curse happened. Let’s just let this sort itself out. I’m going to be watching the show next year no matter what they do, and that’s what matters here. They’ve entertained me this year and I see no reason to doubt their ability to do so next year. — Jake

Matt Roush: Of course it’s too early in a successful new show’s freshman season to be too worried about the ultimate end game, and your desire to just go along with the ride for now is the best option. But it’s fair game to acknowledge the growing pains of any show’s first season, which for me with Once involves many things involving Storybrooke, in part because most of the characters are only living half-lives there, as opposed to the richly realized revisionist doings back in fairy-tale land. Once Upon a Time is especially well suited to reinvent itself when the time comes, depending on what happens with this curse. (Which doesn’t necessarily have to be the last curse, especially if we go back to a world of magic.)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

The news is pretty short today, but still there are a few good items to share:

TELEVISION

TNT has renewed their police drama Southland for a 10-episode fifth season. (TVDoneWright.com)

Showtime has given a third season order to their Renaissance drama The Borgias. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: Third Trailer for Marc Webb’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’

Q&A SECTION (with Sandra Gonzalez from Entertainment Weekly)

Question: I’ve been feeling a major lack of Vampire Diaries dish, specifically on Caroline! Help a girl out! — Kirsten

Sandra: I have endless love for Vampire Barbie, so I’m happy to help. Too bad Alaric doesn’t share my adoration. As we saw last night, after his plan to have Elena stake Caroline failed, Alaric called a Council meeting to announce that Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Lockwood were the mothers of a vampire and a hybrid and to reveal his own supernatural status. And as we head into next week’s season finale, this leaves Caroline and Tyler in a severely compromising position. ”Caroline and Tyler learn that there’s a target on their back and that if they stay in Mystic Falls, they could very well end up dead. So they have to decide what they’re gonna do about that,” says executive producer Julie Plec. “There’s a lot of choices that each of the characters need to make about their future. Do they stay and fight to the death? Do they run and get the hell out of dodge?” (Side note, when last night’s episode ended, Stefan and Damon were on their way to dump Klaus’ desiccated body into the Atlantic Ocean. Why am I not convinced that plan won’t be an epic fail?)

Question: Can’t end Castle season 4 without asking you one last time for Scoop! What do you have for us? Will the finale be as jaw-dropping as last year’s? I know there is so much speculation about a Castle/Beckett hookup in the finale, but I am curious about the fate of my other favorite duo on the show, Ryan & Esposito. Does something shocking happen to them? Thanks! — Cheryl

Sandra: Last year’s finale — with the reveal that the chief was involved in Beckett’s mom’s murder — was several years in the making, as you’ll recall. And I can most definitely say the same thing about this year. So yes, definitely as jaw-dropping — and probably more. As far as Ryan and Esposito, you’ll find them at a point come season’s end that will give them a very interesting launching point next season — and I wouldn’t count out a little drama between those two.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a fantastic weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub (24) and Patrick Fischler (Lost) will guest star in the penultimate episode of Grey’s Anatomy. They will play a couple in the midst of their third honeymoon when they come to Seattle Grace complaining of mysterious symptoms. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor William Mapother (Lost) will make a guest appearance on Burn Notice as Garret Hartley, the leader of a team of mercenaries hired to kill money launderer Barry Burkowski (Paul Tei). He will appear in the sixth episode scheduled to air in mid-July. Burn Notice will be back on the USA Network on June 14. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

The CW has given early pick-up orders for The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and 90210 for next fall. (Press Release from The CW)

Starz has given the green light to Black Sails, a straight-to-series project from filmmaker Michael Bay. The eight-episode series is a pirate adventure that will center on the tales of Captain Flint (the most brilliant and most feared pirate captain of his day) and his men. It will take place twenty years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic Treasure Island. Flint. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

AMC has given pilot orders to two potential series called Low Winter Sun and an as-yet untitled series from Richard LaGravenese and actor Tony Goldwyn (currently starring in the ABC series Scandal). Low Winter Sun is based on the 2006 two-part British mini-series that will be a contemporary story of murder, deception, revenge and corruption that starts with the murder of a cop by a fellow Detroit detective. 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. The latter project is a legal thriller centered on a District Attorney who uncovers new evidence that prompts the reinvestigation of a sensational murder case. It explores personal morality and how people struggle with the shades of grey found in the absence of a simple, ordered moral universe. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jeff Fahey (Lost) and director David Cronenberg will guest star in the Syfy drama pilot called Rewind. The project features a team of military field operatives and civilian scientists who use untested technology to travel back in time in order to change the future and avoid a devastating terrorist attack. The cast includes Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) and Jennifer Ferrin (The Cape) [among others]. Fahey will play a former NASA aerospace engineer with Zen-like wisdom who serves as the spiritual backbone of the time travel team. Whereas, Cronenberg will play a brilliant scientist and Nobel Prize winner who becomes unhinged after his wife’s death. He comes up with a dangerous plot to change the course of history. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actors Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter franchise) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men) will star as the same character in the four-part British TV mini-series that follows Russian doctors after the first World War. Hamm will primarily narrate the story with Radcliffe portraying the younger version of the main character. (The Sun and Dark Horizons)

Actor Rob Lowe (Brothers & Sisters) will star in the Lifetime movie tentatively called Prosecuting Casey Anthony. He will portray Jeff Ashton, the Florida prosecutor in last year’s controversial Caylee Anthony murder trial and author of the best-selling book Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony, for which the movie will be based. (TV By the Numbers)

Singer/actress Jewel will portray the late, legendary country singer June Carter Cash in the Lifetime movie tentatively entitled The June Carter Cash Story. The telefilm will follow June from early childhood growing up in the rural mountains of Virginia to her relationship with Johnny Cash. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Wes Bentley (The Hunger Games), Michael Cudlitz (Southland) and Mark Moses (The Killing) [among others] have joined the cast of the upcoming independent drama biopic Chavez. The film will follow Cesar E. Chavez (Michael Pena) who organized the largest non-violent protest in U.S. history to obtain basic human rights for over 50,000 farm workers in California. Bentley will play fearless attorney Jerry Cohen; Cudlitz will play a sheriff who lets his personal opinions cloud his judgment and Moses will play seasoned organizer Fred Ross who mentors Chavez. Other cast members include America Ferrera and Rosario Dawson. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Kellan Lutz (the Twilight Saga franchise) will star as Tarzan in the fully animated CGI with motion capture film. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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