Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Chris Klein (American Pie franchise) has landed a guest spot on an episode of Franklin & Bash, playing an old high school friend of Peter Bash (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). His character will be a charming politician who wants to end his gubernatorial bid after a family scandal. (Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide)

ABC Family has renewed veteran TV series The Secret Life of the American Teenager for a fifth season to become the longest-running series ever on ABC Family, hitting the 100-episode mark. (Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor David Conrad (The Ghost Whisperer) has joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot Beautiful People that is set in the near future in a society where humans co-exist with mechanical androids that look like people but are treated like second-class citizens. Conrad will play Jerry, the head of Universal Kinematics, a Steve Jobs-type of entrepreneurial genius, expert at both high-level design and higher-level marketing of sophisticated Mechanical servants. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Jennifer Finnigan (Better with You) is the first cast member set for the David E. Kelley medical drama pilot called Chelsea General for TNT. The pilot is based on CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s upcoming novel “Monday Mornings” that follows the lives of five surgeons as they push the limits of their abilities and confront their personal and professional failings. Finnigan will play one of them, Dr. Tina Ridgeway, a neurosurgeon who has a fling with a fellow neurosurgeon. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Kate Mara (American Horror Story) has been cast in Netflix’s first original series, the David Fincher drama called House Of Cards. The political thriller stars Kevin Spacey as Rep. Frank Underwood, the Majority Whip of the US House of Representatives who, after getting passed over for Secretary of State, hatches a plot to bring down the new President. Mara will play Zoe Barnes, a reporter for a top Washington newspaper who, desperate for a break, makes a deal with Underwood for a scoop that could cost her her soul. Also, actress Robin Wright will play Underwood’s wife. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Cam Gigandet, Robert Knepper, William Fichtner, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Anson Mount and Freddy Rodríguez and actress Kathleen Robertson (among others) have joined the cast of the upcoming film called Code Name: Geronimo that follows the story of the Navy SEAL mission to kill Osama Bin Laden. (Screen Daily and Dark Horizons)

Actor John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone and Deadwood) will star alongside Mos Def in an adaptation of the Elmore Leonard 1978 crime novel “Switch”, which is a prequel to Leonard’s book “Rum Punch”, which was adapted into the 1997 feature film Jackie Brown. Hawkes and Def will play the younger versions of Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie, the characters Robert De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson played in Jackie Brown. In this film, Ordell and Louis team to kidnap Mickey Dawson, the wife of a corrupt Detroit real estate developer. When the husband refuses to pay the ransom for his wife’s return, the ex-cons are forced to reconceive their plan, and the angry housewife uses the duo to get her revenge. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actor Damian Lewis (Homeland) and Natascha McElhone (Ronin) are set to play Lord and Lady Capulet in the latest film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which will be set in the medieval time of the play (something that hasn’t been since the1968 version). Hailee Steinfeld and Douglas Booth play the doomed lovers. Also among the cast are Stellan Skarsgard, Paul Giamatti, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Ed Westwick (among others). (Risky Biz Blog and Dark Horizons)

Actor Eric Bana and actress Rebecca Hall will play former lovers in an as-yet-untitled international thriller that is to center on a pair of old flames who find their lives at risk when they work together on a terrorism trial. (Brent Lang at The Wrap)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Barbara Hershey (Black Swan) will appear on Once Upon a Time as the mother of the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla). She will first appear the queen’s mom, Cora, later this season with the option of also having a short arc in season 2 (as long as the show gets a series renewal for next season, that is). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Veronica Cartwright (the legendary film The Birds) will play a judge in upcoming episodes of Revenge. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Actress Rachel Miner will be back to play demon Meg Masters on Supernatural but details on her comeback are scarce. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Showtime has given early renewals to Shameless, House of Lies and Californication. (E! Online)

Army Wives will be back for its sixth season starting on Sunday, March 4 at 9 PM on Lifetime. (The Futon Critic)

The new FOX drama Alcatraz has been extended by two weeks while long-running medical drama House will not be on the schedule at all for March. Alcatraz will now continue until March 26 and House will be back on April 2. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has handed 4 more hour-long pilot orders to the following potential shows (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline): Devious Maids, loosely based on the Mexican telenovela The Disorderly Maids Of The Neighborhood centers on four Latina women who are maids in Beverly Hills. Gotham centers on a female cop who, after pursuing a seemingly unsolvable case, discovers a magical world that exists within New York City. Zero Hour is about a bizarre twist of fate that pulls a man who’s spent 20 years as the editor of a skeptics magazine into one of the most compelling conspiracies in human history. And, Penoza, which centers on the widow of an assassinated criminal who is forced to adopt her husband’s role in a crime syndicate in order to protect her family. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Stephen Amell (The Vampire Diaries and Hung) has been cast as Oliver Queen in the proposed Green Arrow pilot at The CW that will simply be called Arrow. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Kevin Bacon has been cast in the as-yet-titled Kevin Williamson drama pilot at FOX that is being described as an edge-of-the-seat thriller about a diabolical serial killer who uses technology to create a cult of serial killers, and a retired FBI profiler (Bacon) who finds himself in the middle of it. And, in a twist Bacon has only committed to 15 episodes rather than the standard 22. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CONDOLENCES

Don Cornelius, the former host of TV’s now defunct nationally syndicated dance music show Soul Train, has died of an apparent suicide. He was 75. (E! Online)

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

WARNING! Tread lightly if you don’t want to be spoiled

Question: You have anything on Hart of Dixie? I would love to see Zoe get together with Wade! —Muriel

Ausiello: So apparently would Wilson Bethel (a.k.a. Wade), who tells TV Line, “My sincere hope is that by the end of the season there will be something in store for the Zoe/Wade fans. In the meantime, Wade’s gonna have some personal growth. With Zoe he has to step his game up — but that doesn’t mean that he loses his Wadeness!” Bethel also confirms that Wade will get a new love interest that “will drive Zoe crazy.”

Question: Anything on Psych? Maybe about the marriage proposal that never happened? —Ginger

Ausiello: Shawn’s other significant other, Gus, discovers the ring in the Season 6.5 premiere on Feb. 28 and promptly confronts his BFF about it. Shawn shrugs the bling off as an “emergency ring” that’s only to be used if the perfect proposal moment should present itself. I also hear the episode ends with Shawn and Gus engaged in a hilariously epic slap-off.

Question: If you give me some Vampire Diaries scoop. —Juan

Ausiello: A recurring male character’s days are numbered.

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Taylor Swift is out and stage star Samantha Banks is in for the role of Éponine in the new film adaptation of Les Miserables that already includes cast members Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Eddie Redmayne. (Variety and First Showing)

Singer-actor Justin Timberlake will team up with legendary actor-director Clint Eastwood for the box office flick Trouble With the Curve. Timberlake will play a former pitcher and friend of an aging baseball scout (Eastwood). Amy Adams and Matthew Lillard will also star. (Variety and First Showing)

Young actor Max Burkholder (Max on Parenthood) and Australian actress Adelaide Kane (Neighbors) will play Charlie and Zoey (respectively) in the box office film Vigilandia that already includes Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. (Joshua L. Weinstein at The Wrap)

Actor Colin Firth will join actress Reese Witherspoon in the film Devil’s Knot, which is a dramatization of a trio of teens wrongly incarcerated for 18 years after being convicted of the murder of three younger boys. Firth will play Ron Lax, a private investigator who was the first pro bono supporter of the defendants as they headed into their first trial. (Deadline and First Showing)

The long-in-gestation film Winter’s Tale, based on the 1983 novel by Mark Helprin, looks like it might be coming back to life as big name actors Will Smith and Russell Crowe have committed to supporting roles in the film. The story is about a thief, a dying girl and a flying white horse in 19th Century and contemporary Manhattan where magic is abundant. Crowe will play Pearly Soames, a gangster boss, while Smith will play a judge. The lead roles of the thief and the dying girl still need to be cast, though. (Vulture and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Susan Sarandon has booked a multi-episode arc on season 3 of the Showtime dramedy The Big C, which stars Laura Linney as Cathy, a woman diagnosed with cancer who is determined to make the most out of her life. Sarandon will play Joy, a cancer survivor who is using her unique experience to inspire and motivate others. Season 3 of The Big C will premiere on April 8. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Tyler Blackburn, who plays Caleb on Pretty Little Liars, will find himself much busier when the show returns this summer for its third season. He has been bumped up to series regular as of season 3. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has given their new horse-racing series Luck a second season after one official episode airing. The series premiere pulled in 1.8 million viewers this past Sunday (in addition to the 1.1 million viewers who tuned in for the sneak preview back in November). The show stars Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Jason Gedrick (among others). (Variety)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has greenlit a pilot drama called Scruples to be based on the 1978 best-selling book by Judith Krantz that centers on a rich and powerful clothing designer in a world of sex, revenge and scandal. Krantz’s son Tony and actress Natalie Portman will produce. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Showrunner extraordinaire John Wells (ER, Third Watch and Southland) is back with NBC with a new potential drama called Bad Girls, which is based on the long-running UK hit series of the same name. The pilot follows the ins-and-outs of a group of unlikely women in a federal prison: a scandalous female warden, her new protégé and a host of inmates – some mothers, some friends—who struggle with loyalties to people on the inside and the outside. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The CW has the green light to three more drama pilots. First, there is the J.J. Abrams and Mark Schwahn pilot called Shelter; the Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain pilot called The Selection and the Bert Royal pilot called Joey Dakota. Shelter is set at a historic New England summer resort where the new and returning staff attend to the practical, emotional and often comical needs of the guests while navigating friendships, rivalries and romances of their own. The Selection is based on the forthcoming series of books by Kiera Cass that is being described as an epic romance set 300 years in the future, centering on a poor young woman who is chosen by lottery to participate in a competition to become the next queen of a war-torn nation at a crossroads. Meanwhile, Joey Dakota is a “romantic time-travel musical” based on the successful Israeli half-hour series Danny Hollywood that centers on a documentary filmmaker who travels back in time to the 1990s, where she meets and falls in love with the rock-star subject of her film. When she unexpectedly returns to present day, she must find her way back to the past to reunite with her love and prevent his untimely death. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

20th Century Fox has closed deals with director Matthew Vaughn and the cast of X-Men: First Class to return for a forthcoming sequel. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Actress Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) is set to play singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac member Christine McVie in the upcoming film called The Drummer that follows the last six years of the life of Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson (Aaron Eckhart). Wilson and McVie had a passionate relationship, becoming each other’s muses and confidants. Farmiga will use her classical piano training in the production and will sing in a number of duets with Eckhart. (Screen Daily and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Henry Cavill and Bruce Willis in ‘The Cold Light of Day’ Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Congrats to all of the winners of the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards that were presented last night, including Jean DuJardin, Christopher Plummer, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, The Help, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Steve Buscemi, Jessica Lange, Boardwalk Empire, Alec Baldwin, Betty White, Modern Family, Paul Giamatti, Kate Winslet, Game of Thrones and Mary Tyler Moore

TELEVISION

Actress Shiri Appleby (Roswell and Life Unexpected) will appear in a multi-episode arc of the TNT series Franklin & Bash this summer. She will play the smart and sassy associate of an Infeld-Daniels senior partner, who comes to town to investigate possible misconduct on the part of the titular attorneys; but she’ll quickly realize she’s in over her head when romantic feelings begin to develop between herself and Jared (Breckin Meyer). (Megan Masters at TV Line)

Academy Award winner Shirley MacLaine will join the cast of Downton Abbey for its third season that will premiere on ITV in the U.K. this fall and will air on PBS’ Masterpiece Classic early next year. She will play a new character, Martha Levinson, the mother of American-born Lady Grantham (Elizabeth McGovern). (The Daily Beast)

Actress Annette O’Toole (Smallville) and actor John Ashton (Beverly Hills Cop) will appear as Elaine and Franklin Sherman, the mother and father of Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults) on the new FOX drama The Finder. Real-life brother George will play Walter’s older brother, Langston, who turns up at the Ends of the Earth Bar at the behest of their father, who is dying of emphysema. Franklin’s dying wish is to say goodbye to Elaine, who has been missing for years after she and her new husband joined a cult and disappeared. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC has ordered a pilot for a potential series called Americana, which is a soap set around a legendary fashion designer and his family and business. (Variety and The Futon Critic)

The new FOX drama pilot Guilty about a brilliant, morally questionable defense attorney who, after being falsely convicted of fraud and stripped of his legal license, uses his unorthodox methods to solve the cases he’s been banned from handling and to exact revenge on the men who set him up will be executive produced and directed by McG. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Another FOX drama called Hieroglyph being billed as an adventure soap has been given an order for a pilot; but no other details about the project are available. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

ABC is on the move with another pilot – another soap opera – called Nashville that follows one star at her peak and one on the rise. (Variety and The Futon Critic)

The USA Network has greenlit a six-hour mini-series from Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters) called Political Animals that will focus on Elaine Barrish, a divorced former First Lady and current Secretary of State as she struggles to keep her family together while simultaneously dealing with the crises of the State Department. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS
Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend from BoxOffice.com:

1. The Grey, $20 million
2. Underworld Awakening, $12.5 million
3. One for the Money, $11.8 million
4. Red Tails, $10.4 million
5. Man on a Ledge, $8.3 million
6. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, $7.1 million
7. The Descendants, $6.6 million
8. Contraband, $6.5 million
9. Beauty and the Beast 3D, $5.3 million
10. Haywire, $4 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Tonight is the big night, folks!! Chuck comes to an end with a 2-hour series finale. I hope you will be watching and enjoying (and crying) along with me and the millions of other fans who will be pinned to their TV’s tonight.

In the meantime, here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Kevin Weisman (Alias) will have a recurring role on the as-yet-to-be-schedule NBC drama Awake, playing a mysterious character named Mr. Blonde, who has details on the car accident involving lead character Detective Britton (Jason Isaacs) that leads to the parallel worlds in which Britton lives. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

BBC America has committed to co-produce and air a four-episode third season of the cop serial Luther, which stars Idris Elba. (The Chicago Tribune and Dark Horizons)

Looks like actor Matt Bomer (White Collar) just might be showing up in an April episode of Glee, playing the older brother of Blaine (Darren Criss). And for those naysayers, Bomer CAN sing so expect a duet for sure. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers and Frasier) will have a recurring role on The Good Wife, playing Judge Friend, who is assigned to a case involving a battle for control of a large equity group and is placed in a rather awkward position when the top witnesses for both sides appear to be totally guilty of perjury. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Sarah Jane Morris (Brothers & Sisters and NCIS) and actor Taylor Kinney (The Vampire Diaries and Dating Rules From My Future Self) will appear in a fairytale based episode of Castle. Morris will play Leslie Morgan, a woman whose sister, Amy, is found dead in Central Park. The fairytale part of the story is that Amy was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and the victim of an apparent wolf attack. Kinney is expected to play Leslie’s husband. (Megan Masters and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights and the short-lived The Chicago Code) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Person of Interest. He will play a sharp, young trader at a major investment bank. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

CONDOLENCES

Robert Hegyes, best known for playing Juan Epstein in the 1970’s classic comedy series Welcome Back, Kotter, passed away today after an apparent heart attack. He was 60. (E! Online)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

CBS has picked up three more drama pilots: 1) the untitled period piece from Ralph Lamb, 2) a PI show and 3) the character-driven procedural called Quean. The Ralph Lamb project is set in the 1960s and is based on the true story of Ralph Lamb, a rodeo cowboy turned longtime Sheriff of Las Vegas. The PI show is based on the Ayelet Waldman mystery series Mommy Track Mysteries about a former public defender who becomes a private investigator to keep from being bored to death as a stay-at-home mom. Lastly, Quean centers on an edgy and independent Millennial hacker girl who teams up with an Oakland police detective to solve crimes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Paul Giamatti has joined the cast latest film adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. He will play the mentor-like Friar Lawrence. Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes wrote the script with actress Hailee Steinfeld and actor Douglas Booth playing the ill-fated. Actors Ed Westwick and Kodi Smit-McPhee also star. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Actor Colin Hanks, who just appeared on Dexter, will guest star in an upcoming episode of Happy Endings; oddly (or not) enough he will play Colin Hanks, a new celebrity friend of Dave (Zachary Knighton). (Dan Snierson at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Sebastian Stan (Captain America) will guest star in an episode of Once Upon a Time; but details are scarce on just who he will be playing. He is slated to appear in later March or early April. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Frances Fisher (Titanic) will guest star in an episode of A Gifted Man, playing Blanche, the overbearing mother of a photographer pal of Dr. Michael Holt’s (Patrick Wilson). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

CBS has given a pilot order to a drama called Widow Detective that centers on a decorated police detective who, after losing three partners in the line of duty, becomes surrogate husband, lover and father to their families. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Margaret Colin (Gossip Girl) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Blue Bloods as a love interest for Frank (Tom Selleck). She will play Melanie, a high profile investigative reporter for an international cable news network who has been involved with Frank in a largely long-distance and very discreet romance. The lovers’ private and professional lives collide when Melanie is targeted by a dangerous assailant and Frank is tasked with hunting the bad guy down. (Michael Ausiello and Megan Masters at TV Line)

Actress Morena Baccarin (Homeland and Firefly) will guest star in a March episode of The Good Wife, playing a high-powered executive who gets entangled with weirdo Colin Sweeney (Dylan Baker). (Tanner Stransky at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW has ordered a pilot for a potential medical drama called First Cut that focuses on a newly minted doctor who is glad to leave her nerdy past behind for a fresh start but soon discovers that, sadly and comically, life at the hospital where she works is no different than high school. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Paula Malcomson (Deadwood and Caprica) has landed the female lead opposite Liev Schreiber in the drama pilot called Ray Donovan from Showtime. The series is being described as a dark family drama with comedic undertones, centering on Ray (Schreiber), a professional “fixer” for LA’s rich and famous, the go-to guy in Hollywood who deftly solves the highly confidential problems of the city’s most intriguing personalities but can’t quite escape the damage in his own troubled family. Malcomson will play Ray’s wife Abby, a Boston tough girl who is still finding it hard to assimilate into the fast lane of Hollywood. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC has greenlit a pilot for Beauty and the Beast (not to be confused with the pilot that The CW has ordered as a remake of the CBS TV series of the same name). This ABC version will be period/fantastical reimagining of the classic fairy tale set in a mythical, dangerous world wherein a beautiful and tough Princess discovers an unlikely connection with a mysterious beast. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Alan Ball (the series creator of True Blood) is getting a new series, but this time with Cinemax called Banshee. The series is to center an ex-convict and master thief who assumes the identity of the sheriff of Banshee, PA, where he continues his criminal activities even as he’s being hunted by the shadowy gangsters he had betrayed years earlier. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CONDOLENCES

Actor James Farentino, best known for his roles in Dynasty and as George Clooney’s estranged father on ER, has passed away at the age of 73 from heart failure. (Associated Press)

NOTE: RIP, Mr. Farentino. Deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones will star in the box office film called Side Effects, a thriller that is expected to also star Blake Lively, Jude Law and Channing Tatum. The film is being described as a potboiler in the Jagged Edge-Basic Instinct mold with Zeta-Jones to play Dr. Erica Siebert. Lively would play a troubled and depressed woman who is taking serious amounts of prescription drugs, which leads her into a relationship with another doctor (Law). Her intake is ostensibly designed to help her deal with the anxiety surrounding the pending release of her husband (Tatum) from prison. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Actor Liam Hemsworth (soon to be seen in The Hunger Games film) has signed on to star in the box office film Timeless, which follows a recently married man who inherits a fortune from his late wife. Plagued by an unresolved issue between he and his wife, he uses the money to build a time travel device to see her one last time and clear the air between them once and for all. (Moviehole and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Summer Glau (The Cape and Firefly) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Grey’s Anatomy; but there are no details about what character she will play just yet. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Madchen Amick (Twin Peaks and Damages) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the final season of In Plain Sight, playing Associate Director Lisa Ruffino, the second in command at WITSEC. In Plain Sight will return to the USA Network on March 16. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Tia Carrere (True Lies and Wayne’s World) will also guest star in an upcoming episode of In Plain Sight. She will appear as Stan’s (Paul Ben-Victor) dance instructor girlfriend, Lia Hernandez. She will appear on the March 23 episode. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

NBC has ordered two dramas pilots; one from Dick Wolf (the man behind the Law & Order franchise) and the other from Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights). Wolf’s pilot is called Chicago Fire that explores the complex and heroic men and women of the Chicago Fire Department. While Katims’ pilot is called County – and is to star Jason Ritter (The Event) – will take viewers into the lives of a group of young doctors, nurses, and administrators in a frenetic underfunded and morally compromising LA County Hospital. (Variety)

CBS has given the green light to a new drama pilot from Greg Berlanti (Everwood, Eli Stone and Brothers & Sisters) called Golden Boy that is about one cop’s meteoric rise from officer to detective to Police Commissioner. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Young actress Jadin Gould (the made-for-TV movie The Wishing Well and box office film Battle: Los Angeles) has been cast in the much-anticipated box office film Man of Steel that is currently under production, starring Henry Cavill as Superman. Jadin will play a young Lana Lang in a flashback scene. (Coming Soon and Blastr)

Actress Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) has landed the female lead in the upcoming sci-fi thriller film Vigilandia alongside Ethan Hawke. Plot details are being kept under wraps as well as details about the part for which Headey will play. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Q&A SPOILER SECTION (with the Team from Watch With Kristin at E! Online)

WARNING! Tread lightly if you don’t want to be spoiled!!

Question: (I’m) loving Klaus and Caroline’s chemistry. Awesome twist! What’s going to happen with them? Anything? – Annalisa

WWK Team: I hear it’s also one of The Vampire Diaries’ writers’ favorite scenes of the season, but don’t expect a sudden relationship to be born. Caroline (Candice Accola) is still holding strong to her faith that Tyler (Michael Trevino, who will be MIA from Mystic Falls for the next five episodes) will come out the other side of his sire bond issues. However, don’t expect Klaus (Joseph Morgan) to back off, either. Word is we see more of his interest in Caroline in the Feb. 9 episode “Dangerous Liaisons”—which might explain the stills of the two of them dancing together.

Question: Stefan and Elena—is there any hope for them? – Heathmonterrey

WWK Team: The triangle definitely heats up in the next few episodes as Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) try to rebuild their relationship in spite of both brothers being in love with the same girl.

Question: Any chance Stefan will end up being badder than Klaus, and Klaus a big old softy? I like bad Stefan. – FrankLewis97

WWK Team: The producers told me they swear that Klaus won’t go soft, but that doesn’t mean we won’t start to see a more human side of him—except where his war with Stefan is concerned.

Question: When will we see Jeremy again? – Nicole_Gutierrez

WWK Team: Word has it that Steven R. McQueen is still in Atlanta, so hope is not lost for Jeremy fans!

Question: Any Revenge spoilers you can provide? – Dave_idP

WWK Team: We chatted with Christa B. Allen and Connor Paolo about episode 15, which finally reveals who was murdered on the beach. But will it reveal who the murderer is? “I think we allude to who done it but we don’t confirm,” Allen teases. Paolo adds, “There are a couple people who could have done it.”

Question: (It’s) your fault that I’m obsessed with Revenge! What’s going on in the Hamptons?! – Totallychristie

WWK Team: Now that we know Charlotte is Emily’s (Emily VanCamp) half-sibling, will she be getting in on some of the revenge? “I think Charlotte and Declan could get their hands dirty at some point if we were recruited,” Allen tells us. For now though, the couple will be keeping their hands clean. “Only so many people can be involved in this scheme without it being crazy,” Paolo explains. “You can’t have six people all trying to bring down the Graysons. I want to see them find their own line of things.”

Question: Please (provide) some info on The Secret Circle! – Pandorarevolt

WWK Team: Prepare for some good ol’ teen angst when it comes to Jake (Chris Zylka) and Cassie (Britt Robertson). “A whole lot of ‘please forgive me’ and do I need to grovel and will I grovel? That’s a good question: is Jake a groveler?” As for his rivalry with Adam (Thomas Dekker), “They’re always going to be trying to one-up each other in front of Cassie,” he says with a laugh. “It’s a nice little kindergarten war.”

Question: The other Blackwell sibling hints? – ClumsyHibz

WWK Team: Sorry, but no one is spilling details…partly because they don’t know! “I don’t. I mean I can’t wait to find out,” Zylka tells us of the Blackwell sibling. So will Jake tell the circle that two of them are related? In a word: no. “That would just cause chaos. If you were a part of a circle of witches and you had powers and you used to have a bit of individual magic and someone said, ‘Look, you could be just like her,’ I think everyone would figure out a way to be just like her. She’s the witch of the land.”

Question: Any Once Upon a Time scoop? It’s my new favorite show! – Elizabeth

WWK Team: Everyone’s dying to know what happened between the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) and Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) back in the fairy-tale world, so when we chatted with Parrilla we had to ask for anything and everything about that backstory. “I have some idea. I cannot reveal that clearly. That’s the biggest question everyone wants to know the answer to,” she teases. “I will say that you will learn soon enough.” We’re thinking it’s pretty soon considering we’ll meet Snow White’s father (aka the Queen’s husband) King Leopold in the next episode.

Question: When will Mikita reunite on Nikita? They’re meant to be and have been apart too long. – Mikitajam

WWK Team: Well, prepare to wait even longer. According to Shane West, Michael and Nikita (Maggie Q) are just not meant to be together…right now. Don’t worry, there’s a plan. “I think the focus isn’t there, honestly, for the writing,” West tells us. “I think the focus is figuring out lot of the other subplots that are very important to the show. I think they’re enjoying keeping them apart, because they know the longer that that happens, when they bring them back together, the better the reaction.” Is your reaction to this news unfathomable rage, by chance?

Question: (I’m) already obsessed with Smash now that I’ve downloaded the pilot from iTunes for free. Great cast, dialogue, etc. What’s to come this season? – Hannah in Arlington, Va.

WWK Team: More of the above! Seriously, NBC made the mistake of sending us the first four episodes of Smash, because now we are crazy-obsessed with this show. Around episode three is when you’ll see Ivy’s (Megan Hilty) true colors. In the first two episodes, you’re not so sure how you feel about her: she’s not exactly the villain, but she’s not really a good girl, either. By episode four, you’ll most likely have a rock-solid opinion about her. Regardless of how Ivy acts, Hilty continues to kill it. So does Katharine McPhee. And Jack Davenport. And Anjelica Huston. And everyone else on that show. Like we said, obsessed.

Question: Grimm!! I need to know what else is coming up! – cmcaguilera

WWK Team: We’ve already seen so many awesomely creative monsters on Grimm this season, but in episode 16 we get to meet two more: Robin Steinkeller is a very rare birdlike creature and although she is frail, she can produce an extremely valuable egg that many would go to great lengths to get. Oh but we should mention they’d have to get past her vicious alley-cat-like husband, Thomas, who won’t stop bullying his wife until she gives him what he desperately wants.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

British actor and relative newcomer Tom Riley has landed the lead role in the new original series from Starz called Da Vinci’s Demons that is being described as a historical fantasy following the ‘untold’ story of the world’s greatest genius during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence. Riley appeared in the play My City at London’s Almeida Theatre and had a role in the UK drama series Monroe. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC has given the green light to the new drama pilot called 666 Park Ave based on the book series by Gabriella Pierce that is set at historic apartment buildings in New York City and centers on a young couple who become its managers. They unwittingly begin to experience supernatural occurrences, which complicate and endanger the lives of everyone in the residence. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal and Greta Gerwig as well as actor Rhys Ifans are in negotiations to join the HBO drama pilot called The Corrections that is set to star Chris Cooper, Dianne Wiest and Ewan McGregor. The pilot is based on the acclaimed book by Jonathan Franzen, revolving around the troubles of a Midwestern couple (Cooper and Wiest) and their three adult children as they trace their lives from the mid-20th century to “one last Christmas” together near the turn of the millennium. Gyllenhaal would play the youngest sibling, beautiful chef Denise. McGregor is set to play Chip, the middle child, a journalist and intellectual wannabe screenwriter who works for a Lithuanian crime boss (Ifans) defrauding American investors. Gerwig would play Chip’s soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend, who works for a film production company. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead) is in early negotiations with TNT to tackle the lead role of L.A. cop Joe Teague in Frank Darabont’s new drama L.A. Noir. (Ace Showbiz and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Matt Dallas (Kyle YX) is among the cast of the independent sci-fi film called Life Tracker that is set in the near future and centers on a new device that has emerged to detect the time of death of every man’s life through DNA analysis, igniting fear and paranoia throughout the world. (Dave McNary at Variety)

Actress Reese Witherspoon and actor Ryan Reynolds will star in the upcoming film called Big Eyes. They will play Margaret and Walter Keane, whose paintings of large eyed children became one of the first mass marketed art sensations in the 50s and 60s, with prints sold in gas stations and every five and dime store. While Walter was the marketing genius, he also took the bows for doing the brush work, and was a regular on the TV talk show circuit, his shy wife was the actual artist in the family. When they split and she tried to get her due, they ended up in court, where a judge finally provided them with two easels and ordered them to prove it. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Here is a list of the top 10 movies at the box office for this past weekend courtesy of Exhibitor’s Relations and E! Online:

1. Underworld Awakening, $25.4 million
2. Red Tails, $19.1 million
3. Contraband, $12.2 million
4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, $10.5 million
5. Haywire, $9 million
6. Beauty and the Beast 3D, $8.6 million
7. Joyful Noise, $6.1 million
8. Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, $5.5 million
9. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, $4.8 million
10. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, $3.8 million

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

Question: This past week marked the 13th episode of the freshman series Revenge. I remember reading that the Labor Day engagement party previewed in the pilot was originally scheduled to be the 13th episode. Have the writers decided to take advantage of the series’ popularity and draw out the story by delaying that episode? Will we see the events of the engagement party before the season finale? — Tommy

Matt Roush: Yes, we’ll come full circle to the deadly events of the pilot episode very soon. Your suspicions are correct that when Revenge started strong out of the gate and got an early pickup, the producers decided to let things play out a little longer, and we’re expected to find out just who got shot and who the shooter is over the course of the next two episodes, airing Feb. 8 and 15. In this case, more is more — as in fun.

Question: Two questions for you regarding Once Upon A Time: Where did Henry get the fairy-tale book and the idea that everyone in Storybrooke is a fairy-tale character trapped there by his “mother,” the evil queen? I don’t remember this ever being addressed, yet Henry’s knowledge of and belief in the curse, and the book that has become a sort of guide to the characters, was never explained … was it? Also, if time stands still in this town, why hasn’t anyone noticed? Clock hands don’t move and nobody gets any older, but this too hasn’t been properly explained. I know, I know … nitpicking a show about suspending one’s belief and fairytales. But these two things have just bugged me all season. — K

Matt Roush: I think the reason I didn’t much enjoy Once Upon a Time until I got to the third episode (with the first major Snow White-Prince Charming back story) was that I couldn’t stop nit-picking at some of these same things, feeling that the concept was swallowing the show. Since then, I’ve relaxed and learned to just roll with it, and it’s become appointment Sunday viewing — although I much prefer the fairy-tale twists to the goings-on in Storybrooke. But to your specifics, didn’t the clock start moving again once Emma came to town? That was little Henry’s first win. And part of the overall premise is that the curse, which keeps them trapped in this town, also keeps them from noticing that they’re not aging among other things. As for the book, if its origin has been fully explained, I missed it. But it’s still early days, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a Henry-centric episode laying some of that out.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Lee Thompson Young (Rizzoli & Isles) will guest star in an upcoming episode of CSI: NY playing Kelvin, a Manhattan accountant who has become successful despite a troubled upbringing in the projects. Although viewed by many in his old neighborhood as a hero, when he becomes the victim of a violent armed robbery, the CSIs will have to dig into his new and old life for answers. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

Actress Bree Turner (Rules of Engagement and Raising Hope) is joining the new NBC fairytale-based cop show Grimm on a recurring basis. She will play Rosalee, a former drug addict who has been successful at staying clean. She comes from a long line of “Fuchsbau” (fox-like creatures) apothecaries (sort of like pharmacists), but she left the family business to pursue a career in the real world and returns when a tragedy calls her back to Portland. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Victor Garber (Alias) will guest star in an episode of The Big C when the comedy returns for its third season on Showtime. He will play a man who causes trouble for Sean (John Benjamin Hickey) when an accidental phone call leads to a harassing situation. (The Futon Critic)

Actor James Purefoy (Rome) had landed a recurring role on the new ABC soap Revenge. He will play a new love interest for Victoria (Madeline Stowe). (Megan Masters at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FOX has ordered the pilot of a spy drama/thriller that will center on the orphaned 17-year-old daughter of a CIA operative who is recruited to become an operative herself. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actresses Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) and Andrea Riseborough (Never Let Me Go) will have the female leads in an as yet untitled sci-fi picture that is to star Tom Cruise. The picture is to revolve around a soldier stationed on a future Earth, the surface of which was destroyed by aliens. When he discovers a mysterious woman in a crash-landed pod, it sets off a chain of events that cause him to question everything he knows. (Jeff Sneider at Variety)

Actors James Marsden, Thomas Jane and Billy Bob Thornton have joined the cast of the upcoming box office film called Red Machine that will center around two at-odds brothers (Jane and Marsden) who attempt to mend fences over a camping trip. Yet, instead of putting things back together, they’re literally torn apart by a relentless grizzly bear nicknamed “Red Machine.” (First Showing and Variety)

Actress Diane Kruger (National Treasure) is negotiating to star alongside Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons and Jake Abel in The Host, the film adaptation of the Stephenie Meyer science fiction novel. The film takes place at a time when a parasitic alien species called The Souls has just about wiped out the human population. If the deal goes through, Kruger will play The Seeker, who is charged with overseeing the conversion of a young rebel soldier (Ronan) whose consciousness has been infiltrated by Wanderer, a soul that has taken control of bodies and minds but who is daunted by the young human’s spirit, and obsessed with the memories of her boyfriend and her brother, and sets out to track them down. The Seeker pursues her, knowing that the conversion of the rebel will lead to the discovery and eradication of the rebel movement. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

CONDOLENCES

Very sad news broke this morning that legendary singer Etta James, most famous for the single “At Last” has passed away at the age of 73 after a battle with leukemia. Rest in Peace, Ms. James! Deepest condolences are extended to her family, friends and fans. (Twitter)

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

Q&A SECTION (with Sandra Gonzalez from Entertainment Weekly and The TV Addict)

Question: Hart of Dixie has layered in so much with each character that I can now not decide which couples I am rooting for or against. So a little inside skinny Sugar would be mighty kind! Thanks. — LA

Sandra: I don’t blame you for not knowing which pairs to root for. In fact, EP Leila Gerstein admits to being in our exact situation. “There’s lots of love triangle stuff going on [in the second half of the season],” she says. “I go from ‘Oh, I’m on Team George’ to ‘I’m on Team Wade’ to ‘I love Lemon and George!’” And look for the characters to be just as conflicted as the rest of us when the show returns. It picks up with a little bit of a time jump and not soon after, we’ll see Lemon and George hitting a rough patch in the back nine episodes as secrets (like the one regarding Lemon and Lavon!) start to come out. “I think that Lemon seeing her mom at the end of episode 10 changed her in fundamental ways,” says Gerstein. “She comes back a little bit of a different person. She’s tense and she’s snappy, and that will be the first thing that will really test their relationship. He doesn’t know what’s going on.” And as for the mad rapping Zoe Hart? “In the first episode coming back, Zoe finds out that by legacy, she’s a Belle. So she has to go thorough initiation to prove that she does belong here. She wears her whole plantation outfit, and gets hazed by Lemon.”

Question: I liked Alcatraz enough to stick around a little while longer. I’m really hoping they do something with the Doc/Rebecca friendship. She seems kind of cold as a character, but I really liked their scenes together. Any idea where they’re taking that? I just don’t feel anything for this group yet. — Eddy

Sandra: It will take a bit of time for the odd duo to come together, according to star Sarah Jones, who I caught up with during a set visit. “I like that Rebecca is not quick to trust people,” she says. “There are very few people in her life who she can trust and I like that the writers aren’t so quick to make Rebecca and Doc best friends. But there’s a relationship that’s built. Sometimes they have a moment together and sometimes she pushes him away. It allows them to get to know each other and learn how to trust each other.”

Question: Are we going to see any more Lost alums on Alcatraz? — Steph

Sandra: That’s sort of the million dollar question. But EP Jack Bender is definitely open to the idea. “I’m very protective of our family on Lost and I want them to continue to thrive … but you worry that with certain characters who were so iconic that you get screwed by the Seinfeld of it all,” he says. “If any of our other Losties want to show up down the road, great.”

Question: Thanks to your recent post pointing to a free download of the series premiere, I’m officially hooked on Smash. Which begs the question as to whether or not you have any scoop as to which actress the producers are going to reward with the coveted title role in Marilyn the musical? — Amanda

The TV Addict: Despite the fact that this by no means indicates whose name — be it Megan Hilty’s Ivy or Katharine McPhee’s Karen — will actually appear on the marquee when the Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe actually does premiere, we can assure you that the answer to your question will be known by SMASH’s second fantastic episode of the season.

Question: Huge Hart of Dixie fan here, please tell me there is any hope for those of us rooting for George and Zoe? — Jennifer

The TV Addict: Wait a second, you mean to tell me that people are actually out there shipping for George and Zoe? Alrighty then, against this Wade fans better judgment (Wilson Bethel FTW!), we’re going to throw all, err… seven (?) of you George and Zoe fans a bone by filling you in on a little secret. Not only will circumstances allow for George and Zoe to spend an awful lot of one-on-one time together when the twosome find themselves alone at a bar in Hart of Dixie’s 19th episode of the season appropriately titled “Destiny & Denial,” the episode will offer fans a glimpse of what could have been (and still might?) when the two pretend to be bright-eyed newlyweds with a couple they meet at a bar. Cooler still, the episode will not only also allow George’s portrayer Scott Porter to show off his real-life musical chops, sources close to production have let it slip that producers are hoping to snag American Idol winner Scotty McCreery for a musical performance.

Question: Noticed you tweeting about Switched at Birth this week. Now that you’re on the bandwagon might I trouble you for some scoop? —Meredith

The TV Addict: Gladly. After-all, following a week spent catching up on the fantastic first 10 episodes of this ABC Family gem, we’re as excited to find out about what happens next as you are. Or make that, was as excited, until we learned about the decidedly dark turn the Kennish’s lawsuit against the hospital is going to take when the medical institution accuses Daphne’s mom Regina of intentionally switching babies in an effort to ensure hers wouldn’t suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome as a result of her own struggle with alcohol.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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