Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Happy Friday to one and all! I think I hit on the mother lode of news today, as there was quite a bit out there on the web. Let’s get into it all, shall we?

TELEVISION

As I announced yesterday in my breaking news item, Hawaii Five-0 has been given a full season order by CBS, but all the other new shows introduced by the network – Mike & Molly, The Defenders, Blue Blood and $#*! My Dad Says – have also been given full season orders. (Latter part of this from Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

Omari Hardwick (Dark Blue) will guest star on an upcoming episode of the NBC series Chase as Chris Novak, a hard luck criminal facing prison who escapes prison to exact revenge on those who betrayed him. While being hunted by Annie Frost (Kelli Giddish) and her team of U.S. Marshals, Novak cuts “a swath of terror through downtown Houston.” (Steve Gutierrez at TV Guide)

Fox has ordered two more scripts for the FOX series Human Target, which will return with new episodes starting on November 17. (James Hibberd at The Live Feed Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Daniel Faraday (Lost) will join the FX series Justified in a recurring role as the new nemesis to Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant). He will play a high school rival of Raylan’s, Dickie Bennett, who is the smartest of three brothers whose weed-trafficking family has long been at war with the Givens clan. (Mandi Bierly at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

It looks like FOX is thinking about developing a potential spinoff series to Bones built around a character that would be introduced as a recurring on the series this season. Casting for the role is expected to begin shortly. If the powers that be can find an actor who can carry a new series, the new character, Walter Sherman, will debut in the December 6 episode of Bones. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Gerard Butler is teaming up with Bob Cochran (co-creator of 24) to produce Pinkerton, a short series showcasing fictional events surrounding the man responsible for founding the first detective agency in the United States, Scottish-born officer Allan Pinkerton. Starz has already drafted a pilot script for the 8-10 hour limited show run. (Deadline and Anglophenia)

Syfy Plots Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome Pilot: Where Does that Leave Caprica?

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) joins Kellie Martin (Life Goes ON and ER) and Simon Kassianides (Quantum of Solace in the Hallmark channel movie called Smooch that is slated to premiere around Valentine’s Day 2011. The movie is an updated loosely-based, live-action homage to the Brothers Grimm short story — The Frog King. Shipka plays Zoe, a young girl obsessed by fairytales and happy endings who is searching for the perfect man for her widowed mother Gwen (Martin). It is Zoe’s belief in a frog’s potential charm that compels her to abduct one from her middle school science class, carrying him to the San Francisco Bay in a water-filled lunchbox where she intends to set him free. Having skipped class, Zoe is surprised to see another schoolmate at the Wharf, and in her anxiety, accidentally drops her green friend overboard. As she surveys the scene, a male monarch (Kassianides) in full royal regalia emerges from a dinghy in which he fell after a wild night of partying. The dazed prince looks more like Humpty Dumpty, sporting a giant goose egg on his head, courtesy of his fall from the pier. Though the prince has little memory of who he is or how he got into such a predicament, he is in luck. Zoe knows precisely how this fairytale ends. (The Futon Critic)

Bill Pullman and Matthew Modine have joined the cast of the HBO movie Too Big to Fail as two big financial CEOs. The movie dissects the 2008 financial crisis and the power brokers who brought the world’s economy to the verge of collapse. Pullman will play Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JP Morgan Chase. Modine will play John Thain, former chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch who sold the company to Bank of America to avoid following Lehman Bros. into bankruptcy. They join a star-studded ensemble cast led by William Hurt, James Woods and Paul Giamatti. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

British actor Martin Freeman will be playing Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s two-part Lord of the Rings prequel. The rest of the announced cast includes Richard Armitage, playing Thorin Oakenshield, head of the company of dwarves who are off to recapture his lost inheritance; Aidan Turner (Being Human) and Rob Kazinsky as Kili and Fili; Graham McTavish as Dwalin; John Callen as Oin; Stephen Hunter as Bombur; Mark Hadlow as Dori and Peter Hambleton as Gloin. (Natalie Finn at E! Entertainment Online)

Tea Leoni and newcomer Nina Arianda have joined the cast of the box office film Tower Heist that stars Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. The movie follows an overworked building manager who leads some low-level employees at a luxury Manhattan high-rise on a mission to even the score with a Bernie Madoff-like Wall Street crook (Alda) who looted their pensions and is now living under house arrest in a lavish penthouse apartment. Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) and Michael Peña (Crash) co-star. (Variety and Jeff Sneider at The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Liam Neeson, January Jones, and Diane Kruger in ‘Unknown’ trailer: Watch it here

SEATTLE EXHIBITION

Colonial Culture: Battlestar Galactica Exhibition Opens in Seattle

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Man, where has the week gone already, huh? It’s nearly Friday – YEAH! Hope your week is going well. Now, let’s get into the news for today:

TELEVISION

Six-time Grammy winner John Legend is lined up to appear in the season finale of Royal Pains, starring as himself. He will be the musical guest for an MS fundraiser. Royal Pains will be back on the USA Network starting on January 20. (Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

Actress Amanda Detmer (What About Brian) has been added to the cast of the new USA Network pilot Necessary Roughness, starring Callie Thorne (Rescue Me) as a tough love-dispensing therapist who lands a choice gig with a pro football team. In the wake of her success there, she quickly becomes the go-to talk-to for other big-league athletes, musicians and high-profile figures. Detmer will play the best friend of Thorne’s character. Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Concetta Tomei (Providence) co-stars. (Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

CSI show runner Carol Mendelsohn has sold a new crime drama to CBS. The project is currently untitled, but brings to the small screen a series of suspense novels from author Thomas Perry. The thrillers star protagonist Jane Whitefield, a half-white, half-Indian young woman who works as a one-person witness protection program, helping hide people who are in danger. (The Live Feed at The Hollywood Reporter)

The CW is developing two supernatural-tinged projects involving a trio of female veterans of Joss Whedon’s “camp”: Marti Noxon, Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain and one other project. One of the shows is based on a book series from L.J. Smith, the author of The Vampire Diaries. Craft and Fain (both alums of Angel and Dollhouse) are adapting Smith’s three-book Secret Circle series for a one-hour drama about a California teen who moves to her mom’s hometown of New Salem and discovers that she is a witch. Meanwhile, Noxon, a well-known Buffy and Angel writer, is shepherding the CW drama project Chloe with her production partner Dawn Parouse (Prison Break). The potential series revolves around a young female con artist who dies and returns to earth as a Divine Covert Operator. Both Secret Circle and Chloe are just pilot scripts at this point, but there’s a good chance the CW will film at least one of them this spring. Andrew Miller, who has no apparent Whedon connection but did write for the web series Imaginary Bitches, is penning a pilot script and will also exec produce. In addition to its two current CW series, Alloy is also developing the music-themed pilot Confessions of a Backup Dancer for the network. (Vulture)

The CW has also handed out a script order to an untitled drama project starring Michelle Trachtenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), which marks the actress’ producing debut. The project – from Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage – is based on an idea by Trachtenberg and would star the actress as a young criminology student with a gift for profiling and a dark past. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Meg Ryan, Curtis Jackson, John Lithgow, Kevin Zegers, Anthony Anderson, Esai Morales, Joe Anderson and Kat Dennings have all joined the drama box office movie Lives of the Saints, an ensemble tale following several intertwining stories of a group of Los Angeles residents seeking redemption for past mistakes. They soon learn to find forgiveness from unlikely places. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Dakota Fanning is in negotiations to join the supernatural thriller If I Star” based on the Gayle Forman’s young adult novel. The story revolves around a gifted musician (Fanning), and her boyfriend, a rising indie rock star. Mulling the choice between her art and her relationship, things get tougher when a fatal car accident leaves her stuck considering the choice between life and death. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Universal has picked up rights to the young adult fantasy series Sweep by Cate Tiernan, which spans 15 books and follows a 16-year-old girl who discovers she’s a blood witch, descended from an ancient and powerful line. Ultimately, she must decide whether to use her powers for good or evil. (First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

It’s over the hump day again and we only have a couple more days to get through until the weekend. Hope your week is going well so far. In the meantime, here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Mido Hamada (24) has joined the new FOX drama Terra Nova, which is being produced by Steven Spielberg and headlined by Jason O’Mara. The show is about time-traveling humans from 2149 who travel to prehistoric Earth, where a new colony, Terra Nova, has been built. Hamada will play Guzman, a security head who serves as an advisor to Frank Taylor (Stephen Lang), the first settler of Terra Nova. (Entertainment Weekly and Joyce Eng at TV Guide)

Actor Chris Klein (American Pie) will be showing up in an episode of The Good Guys, playing Jack’s (Colin Hanks) old partner, George. While not the brightest bulb, George has been using his charm and connections to climb the ranks of the Dallas Police Department. Jack, meanwhile, is stuck in property crimes. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future trilogy) will guest star in an episode of Fringe set for early next year, starring as Walter’s (John Noble) musical hero. (Damian Holbrook at TV Guide)

Robert Englund will be guest starring in an upcoming episode of Supernatural, playing a character known simply as Dr. Robert. No other details are really available. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Gilles Marini (Brothers & Sisters) will back a guest appearance in the second season-season finale of Royal Pains, starring as Niko a dance instructor tasked with teaching Divya and Raj the fine art of the tango in the days leading up to their wedding. Also, Will Chase (Rescue Me) will appear in the same episode as the found of an MS organization who makes an intriguing offer to Jill. Royal Pains is back with new episodes starting on January 20. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

FIRST LOOK AT 2011 TV

Syfy’s Being Human

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW is developing its own musical and dancing drama (ala Glee). Titled Acting Out, the project is described as Glee meets Bad Santa and explores relationships of counselors and staff of a down-on-its-luck summer camp whose new owner is a young curmudgeon in the vein of Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Gabourey Sidibe (Precious and The Big C) and Michael Peña (World Trade Center) have both joined the cast of the box office movie Tower Heist, playing employees in a luxury apartment building who attempt to rob the owner of the penthouse, a fraudulent banker (Alan Alda) under house arrest for swindling his employees. Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy also star. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Kathryn Hahn (Crossing Jordan and Hung) has joined the cast of the romantic comedy Wanderlust, which stars Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston as a married couple who try escaping modern society. Hahn will play a member of a commune Rudd and Aniston visit after moving from New York. Malin Akerman, Lauren Ambrose and Alan Alda co-star. (Variety and First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Adam and Mickey at TV Guide)

Question: When are we going to meet the Bones sniper everyone’s been talking about? — Melanie

ADAM: All signs point to very soon. The show has begun looking for an actor to play the three-episode role of an elite sniper who is suspected in the assassination of an important character. This particular suspect is an ex-Army sharpshooter who left his previous post in disgrace after being a little too trigger-happy during a hostage situation. He has been hiding under the names of other famous snipers, including Booth’s, which is ultimately what leads the FBI straight to him. Well, that and the fact that he’s the only person besides Booth who could make such an impossible kill shot.

Question: What’s next for Lois and Clark after Smallville’s amazing 200th episode? — Jason

ADAM: Look for Clark to spend some QT with Lois’ family when General Lane (Michael Ironside) and Lois’ wild-child sis, Lucy (Peyton List), return later this month. “Clark [is] getting to see a little bit more about Lois’ existence … and what a happy, messy, wrecked-up life she has and how he fits into that,” Erica Durance tells us.

Question: Gabourey Sidibe is fantastic on The Big C — what’s going on with Andrea? — Henry

MICKEY: After her run-in with Adam, she’s not a big fan of the Jamisons, but Cathy isn’t going to let her quit summer school, is she? Interestingly, Andrea tells a lie and ultimately it leads Cathy to tell Paul the truth.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All

Today’s news is laced with some goodness and some sadness so please be forewarned. Here goes:

TELEVISION

NBC has picked up both Chuck and Chase for the entire season and has ordered four more scripts for Undercovers. (Michael Ausiello and Deadline)

Cynthia Watros (Lost and House) will appear in Desperate Housewives, playing Bree’s (literally) crazy friend. Her character will be seen in the ninth episode when she accompanies Bree and new boytoy Keith (Brian Austin Green) on a double date. Rumor has it Watros’ escort for the evening is Keith’s pa, played by John Schneider. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

ABC has trimmed the episode order for the TV series V from 13 episodes down to 10. The show will be back on January 4 at 9 PM. (Deadline and TV By the Numbers)

Kyle Secor (Homicide: Life on The Street) will play the brother to Pete (Tim Daly) in an upcoming episode of Private Practice. (Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

CONDOLENCES

Legendary actor and Happy Days patriarch Tom Bosley has passed away. The sitcom star was 83. (Twitter)

ME: Condolences are extended to his family, friends and fans. Moment of silence, please…

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) and Marion Ross (Happy Days) will star in the Hallmark Channel made-for-TV movie called Randall Reunion Races, which is set to premiere in 2011. Here is a description of the movie: If you think the competitive world of fashion is tough, nothing is as intimidating as meeting the fiancé’s family for the first time. Budding designer Alicia Crosby (Kayla Ewell from The Vampire Diaries) must earn the affections of a new family and she must do so under the pressures of their annual extravaganza. The film also stars Thad Luckinbill and McKenna Jones. (The Futon Critic)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

It’s the start of another week and while there isn’t a lot of news to share with all of you, there were some interesting tidbits and, regrettably, some sad news too:

TELEVISION

Mark Sheppard has been cast in the next season of Doctor Who, playing the role of Canton Everett Delaware III. (Twitter)

Australian actress Claire Van Der Boom (The Pacific) will play Rachel, Danny’s (Scott Caan) ex-wife and the mother of their daughter on Hawaii Five-0. She will appear in November. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Jason Lee will guest star in an upcoming episode of the FOX comedy Raising Hope, playing Smokey Daniels, a washed-up rock star who is hired as the lead act at “Grocery-Palooza,” a rock concert at the supermarket where Sabrina (Shannon Woodward) works. The episode will air as one-hour special on October 26. (The Futon Critic)

David James Elliott (JAG) will guest star in CSI: NY, playing Russ Josephson, the ex-husband of Sela Ward’s new investigator, Jo Danville. (William Keck at TV Guide)

ABC Family Channel has pulled the repeats of Friday Night Lights from their schedule as of today (October 18) because “it wasn’t performing from a ratings standpoint.” The show’s final season premieres on DirecTV on October 28. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

CBS is developing a drama series based on the best-selling novel, The Pawn, the first in Steven James’ eight book series. The story follows FBI agent Patrick Bowers as he uses geospatial investigative techniques to track high profile crimes. (The Futon Critic)

CONDOLENCES

Actor Simon MacCorkindale passed away late last week at the age of 58. He was the star of the NBC series Manimal and also appeared in Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Hart to Hart and The Dukes of Hazzard. (TV Guide)

Legendary actress Barbara Billingsley, best known as the picture-perfect matriarch June Cleaver, on Leave It To Beaver passed away this past weekend. She was 94. (TV Guide)

ME: Condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans. Moment of silence, please…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

The following is a list of the top 10 movies at the box office this past weekend according to Exhibitor Relations:

1. Jackass 3-D, $50 million
2. Red, $22.5 million
3. The Social Network, $11 million
4. Secretariat, $9.5 million
5. Life As We Know It, $9.2 million
6. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, $4.2 million
7. The Town, $4 million
8. My Soul to Take, $3.2 million
9. Easy A, $2.7 million
10. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, $2.4 million

Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory”) has signed on for a role in the previously titled “I’m.mortal” box office movie, which is in a society where people are engineered to stop ageing at 25-years-old and now time has become the currency of the realm. The wealthy are practically immortal while the majority of the populous struggles to bank what extra time they can. Justin Timberlake plays a ghetto rebel wrongly accused of murder who is forced to go into hiding with a beautiful and rich hostage (Amanda Seyfried). They soon begin a steamy romance. Galecki plays the best friend of Timberlake’s character. Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Wilde, Cillian Murphy and Collins Pennie also star. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

James Tupper (Men in Trees and Grey’s Anatomy) and Clark Gregg (Iron Man) have joined the cast of the family comedy Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which is an adaptation of Richard and Florence Atwater’s beloved 1938 children’s book. Jim Carrey plays a high-powered, New York business man named Popper who suddenly inherits six penguins. Tupper is playing Rick, the eco-fanatic boyfriend of Popper’s ex-wife Amanda (Carla Gugino); meanwhile, Gregg will play Nat Jones, a no-nonsense guy from the New York Zoo. (Risky Biz Blog and Dark Horizons)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

It’s Friday, it’s Friday, it’s Friday! Can you tell I’m happy it’s finally Friday? I hope whatever you’ve got planned with friends and/or family for this weekend goes great. I’ll be holed up at my place, going through all the shows and movies on my DVR, trying to get caught up while getting as much writing done as possible.

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

TELEVISION

Oscar winner Louise Fletcher, who played Jack Nicholson’s stern caretaker in the box office movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, has been cast as Pete’s mother on Private Practice. She will appear in Episode 9. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

No Ordinary Family will move to Tuesdays at 9 PM from November 30 to December 14 and then back to 8 PM in time for V to return to the TV line-up on January 4 at 9 PM. (Twitter)

Life Unexpected has received an order for two additional scripts. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Necar Zadegan, who played the wife of IRK President Omar Hassan in the final season of 24, will play a mysterious character named Isabelle in a potential recurring role in The Event. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Looks like Prison Break star Wentworth Miller has expressed interest in replacing Andy Whitfield as the lead in the gladiator drama Spartacus: Blood & Sand on Starz. This is speculation right now, but if true Miller will need to buff up for the role. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES

John Heard and Evan Handler (Sex and the City) have joined the cast of the HBO film Too Big to Fail, which dissects the 2008 financial crisis and the power brokers who decided the fate of the world’s economy as the system teetered on collapse. Heard will play former Lehman Brothers president Joe Gregory, while Handler will portray Lloyd Blankfein, CEO and Chairman of Goldman Sachs. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Kathy Baker (Picket Fences) has joined the Lifetime pilot Against the Wall, which is a family drama set in Chicago, following policewoman Abby Kowalski (Rachael Carpani), who causes a rift with her three cop brothers when she decides to join the department’s Internal Affairs division. Baker will play Abby’s mother, a Chicago cop’s wife. Treat Williams was recently cast to play the father. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC Family has opted not to move forward with Strut, a potential pilot about a Las Vegas showgirl-turned-drill team instructor. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Looks like ABC and Marvel are developing a TV return for the Incredible Hulk. Meanwhile, another “hot property” is the possible show for ABC Family called Cloak and Dagger. No other specifics are available at this time. (Borys Kit and James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Amy Adams (Julie & Julia), Chris Cooper (The Town) and Rashida Jones has joined Jason Segel in the next new box office movie starring The Muppets. The story follows a reunion of the Muppets to put on a show in order to save a movie studio. Segel is playing the lead human character with Adams taking the role of his girlfriend who joins him in his quest to gather the Muppets. Meanwhile, Cooper plays a greedy villain who aims to buy the studio just to dig for oil buried underneath it and apparently has never found the Muppet gang to be funny at all. Jones takes the role of an ABC executive. (First Showing and Heat Vision)

It looks like The Hobbit has finally been greenlit with production to start in February with Peter Jackson at the helm as director. Jackson has also agreed to produce and write this two-part project. (Sharon Waxman at The Wrap)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

The weekend is nearly here – YAY!! And, there is some interesting news to share with you below:

TELEVISION

A new vampire is coming to town on The Vampire Diaries in the guise of actress Lauren Cohan, who appeared in Supernatural as the maligned Bela Talbot. Cohan will play a 500 year old tough, sexy vampire that might catch Damon’s eye. She will appear in episode 8. (Carina Adly MacKenzie at Zap2It)

The new ABC drama No Ordinary Family has received an order for 4 additional scripts – the first of all the new shows to receive such an order. Despite being give a reduced episode order, Brothers & Sisters also received an order for 4 more scripts because of performing solidly in the ratings. And, the as-yet to be seen new mid-season drama Off the Map received an addition script order. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIES

The premiere dates for the made-for-TV movies The Santa Incident and Gift of the Magi that will debut on the Hallmark Channel have been corrected. The Santa Incident will air on December 9 at 8 PM and the Gift of the Magi will air on December 16 at 8 PM. (The Futon Critic)

Syfy is retelling the Sinbad myth with the made-for-TV movie Sinbad and the Minotaur, which is set to air in 2011. (Televisionary and Variety)

BOX OFFICE MOVIES

Antonio Banderas, Mark Strong and Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) will star in the movie black Gold, which follows the rivalry between Arabian rulers in the 1930s just as oil is being discovered, and the rise of a young, dynamic leader who unites the various tribes of the desert kingdoms. The movie is expected to be released worldwide Christmas 2011. (First Showing)

Eddie Murphy will play opposite Ben Stiller in the box office flick Tower Heist, a crime caper about an overworked manager (Stiller) of a Manhattan luxury high-rise, who teams up with his operation and maintenance workers to stage a heist of its penthouse tenant, a Wall Street capitalist, played by Alan Alda, who defrauded the staff of their pensions. (Nicole Sperling at Entertainment Weekly)

It looks like there is talk about making a sequel to the popular 80’s flick Top Gun that could feature Tom Cruise making an appearance as Maverick, the character he played in the original. No other specifics are available at this time, though. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) will make his feature directorial debut with the indie romantic comedy Aaron and Sara, that is to feature Emma Roberts and Josh Hutcherson as the leads. The story follows a geeky guy and a popular girl who become friends as freshmen in high school and see their relationship deepen through the four years, four proms and one funeral before graduation. (Jay A. Fernandez at Risky Business via The Hollywood Reporter)

Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will join Sir Ben Kingsley in the dark thriller The Last Voyage of Demeter, which is about the journey of Dracula’s coffin from Transylvania to England. (First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: You haven’t said a word about Undercovers! Breaks my heart, it does. Will they be getting the back 9 treatment or not? —James

Ausiello: Back nine seems like an iffy proposition right now given the show’s low ratings. Personally, I hope it rebounds. I find the two leads immensely appealing. I’m also excited to hear that the show will be sprinkling in a little mythology in the coming weeks. “We’re building to the reveal of why these two were really called back to the agency,” explains exec producer Josh Reims. “And along the way, we get hints about some secret CIA programs, people who aren’t who they say they are, and some facts about Samantha and Steven’s history that turn out not to be exactly what they thought.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Happy Wednesday to everyone! Hope your week is going well and that you have some great plans for the weekend. Friday cannot get here fast enough, right?

Now, let’s get into the news for today:

TELEVISION

Bruce Boxleitner (Scarecrow and Mrs. King and Babylon 5) will guest star on NCIS, as Vice Admiral C. Clifford Chase, a high-ranking Navy official who turns to Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the rest of the NCIS team when his friend is killed. The episode is scheduled to air on November 9. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

Lindsey Shaw (10 Things I Hate About You) is joining the cast of Pretty Little Liars for at least two episodes, playing Paige McCullers, a character who is on the swim team with Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell). Paige is overly competitive, and she’s got Emily in her sights as her main obstacle to glory. (Kristin at E! Entertainment Online)

Legendary actor Richard Chamberlain will appear in a multi-episode arc on Brothers & Sisters as “someone who comes back from Saul’s past to complicate things for him in ways he won’t expect”. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

WEB SERIES NEWS

Syfy.com will premiere the award-winning, steampunk digital series Riese: Kingdom Falling beginning October 26. It will air every Tuesday and Thursday on syfy.com/riese. Each episode runs approximately seven to eight minutes and will be narrated by Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG1 and Sanctuary). The synopsis for this 10-part series follows:

Eleysia is a dying kingdom where resources are dwindling and compassion is fading. Distrust and anxiety have clouded people’s minds, causing a regression into primitive ways of thinking. People have grown restless, almost feral. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself. Riese (Christine Chatelain from Sanctuary and The Bone Collector), a wanderer, travels across the decaying lands of Eleysia with her wolf, Fenrir. Marked as a heretic by religious group The Sect and the new Empress, Amara (Sharon Taylor from Stargate Universe), Riese must evade their assassins and discover their true intentions for Eleysia. Riese is the Crown Princess of Eleysia, forced to flee into the wilds after her family was slaughtered. She will soon serve as a catalyst for a disparate group of supposed heretics, the Resistance, launching them into civil war.

The rest of the cast includes Ben Cotton (Harper’s Island), Allison Mack (Smallville); Ryan Robbins (Sanctuary and Caprica); Patrick Gilmore (Stargate Universe); Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica and Smallville) and Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary). (The Futon Critic)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Jessica Capshaw (Grey’s Anatomy) stars in the Lifetime movie One Angry Juror, which is set to premiere on November 15 at 9 PM. The movie is based on a true story, following the story of Sarah Walsh (Capshaw), a tough, opinionated, no-nonsense New Orleans attorney who has been chosen to serve on the jury of a murder trial. Reluctantly serving her duty, she is apathetic towards the defendant until she is convinced that he may actually be innocent. Unwavering, Sarah deadlocks the jury to secure a mistrial. When they retry the case, she partners with the defense attorney Donald Burston (Jeremy Ratchford from Cold Case) and detective Derrick White (Michael Jai White from Why Did I Get Married Too?) and the investigation leads them through a dangerous maze of corruption. With the support of her husband (Jonathan Scarfe from ER), Sarah begins to reconcile her own past and realize that she is one man’s last chance for freedom. (The Futon Critic)

The Disney movie Avalon High – a contemporary twist on the Arthurian legend – has been given a premiere date: November 12 at 8 PM. The movie is about Allie Pennington (Britt Robertson from Life Unexpected) who is ecstatic when her parents, traveling professors, tell her she will be staying at Avalon High until she graduates. She can finally join the track team, make new friends and be a normal high school student. But shortly after arriving, Allie discovers that something strange may be afoot. While researching a term paper on King Arthur’s legacy, she begins to notice some interesting parallels between the past and the present – from handsome quarterback Will, his cheerleader girlfriend, Jen, and their best friend, Lance, to Will’s brooding step-brother, Marco, a quirky kid named Miles and football players who act like knights of the roundtable. The deeper Allie searches, the more convinced she is that her school is a contemporary Camelot, and it’s up to her to solve the mystery of Avalon High before notorious traitor Mordred wins again. The cast includes Gregg Sulkin, Joey Pollari, Devon Graye, Molly Quinn (Castle), Chris Tavarez (Big Momma’s House 2), Don Lake (The Bonnie Hunt Show) and Steve Valentine (I’m In The Band and Crossing Jordan). (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Robert DeNiro and crime writer Richard Price have sold a police drama script to CBS called Rookies, which follows a team of six new officers who are sent into high-crime areas. (Jennifer Armstrong at Entertainment Weekly)

CBS has set its sights on Grave Sight, an adaptation of True Blood author Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly mystery series. The novels revolve around Harper Connelly, a woman who after being struck by lightning can “see” the last moments of a dead person’s life. (Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, former Lost executive producers, are developing a fairy-tale-themed drama series, which they will be pitching to ABC. IF the pilot is picked up they will be getting help from Damon Lindelof, who will serve as a consultant on the project. No other details are known at this time, however. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

ABC is picking up, for development, a retelling of William Shakespeare’s classic tale Romeo & Juliet with Catherine Hardwicke (Director of Twilight) in talks to direct the potential pilot. No other specific details are available. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

British hunk Luke Evans (Tamara Drew) and Alice Eve (She’s Out of My League) are in negotiations to join the period thriller adaptation of The Raven, which will be set in Baltimore in 1849. Evans will play a detective who partners with famed macabre author Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack) to search for a serial killer who has kidnapped the author’s fiancé (Eve) and has gone on a murder spree that mimics the author’s work. Evans replaces Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) who was tipped to take the lead but opted to do the fourth “Mission: Impossible” instead. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Greta Gerwig (Greenberg) and Adam Brody (The O.C.) will star in the movie Damsels in Distress, which revolves around a group of style-obsessed college girls who take in a new student (Gerwig) and teach her their misguided ways of helping people at their grungy university. The crux of the story is focused on the relationship between Gerwig’s character and a suitor (Brody), whom the girls are taken with but have doubts over his intentions. (Borys Kit from The Hollywood Reporter)

Q&A SECTION (with the TV Gurus at TV Guide)

Question: Can you give me some scoop about Danno on Hawaii Five-0? — Nikki

ADAM: Tired of his ex-wife’s angry phone calls? Get ready to meet her! The show is looking for a British actress to play the role, but don’t worry, she’ll still be plenty angry. In fact, she’s livid when Danny and McGarrett show up to use her home as a command center. Over the course of the stakeout, the team will realize that the tension between Danno and his ex is sexual.

Question: I can’t wait for Smallville’s 200th episode! What can you tell me about it? — Tyler

ADAM: While Clark takes a trip down memory lane with the surprisingly helpful Brainiac 5 (James Marsters), it’s his trip to the future that will most help him become the Man of Steel. What Clark sees “galvanizes his confidence,” executive producer Brian Peterson says. “He comes out [of the episode] as the leader that we know Superman to be. His leadership skills sort of jump up to the next level and that sort of maintains all the way through the rest of the season,” adds executive producer Kelly Souders.

Question: Doesn’t it seem like everyone knows everyone’s secrets on The Vampire Diaries? I wish there were more “innocents” in the cast now. — William

MICKEY: Well, I’ve got bad news, William. There’s going to be a new guy in Mystic Falls soon, and to paraphrase the bard Spears, he’s not that innocent. He’s a huge fan of the dark arts — and specifically, he knows an awful lot about the Bennett family. Put another way, Bonnie is getting a groupie, and she’s not happy about it at all!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

How is everyone’s Tuesday going? I hope it’s going well! Is everyone prepared for loads of shows to watch tonight? Coz there is a lot of programming scheduled on Tuesdays. Hope you’ve got the DVR’s (or whatever recording equipment you use) revved up and ready to go.

Anyway, here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

ABC Family Channel announced that their new hit series Pretty Little Liars and the final season of Greek will both return on January 3 at 8 and 9 PM respectively. The network’s other shows The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Make It or Break It will be back in early spring. (Twitter)

Meanwhile, Syfy has announced the holiday-themed episodes of Eureka and Warehouse 13 will air on December 7 at 8 and 9 PM (respectively) and the network’s version of the UK hit Being Human is being slated for a January debut. (Twitter)

Harold Perrineau (Lost) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the new ABC legal drama The Whole Truth. He will play Paul Braun, a psychic who leads the NYPD to the body of a young woman. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Ryan Devlin, who has appeared in guest roles on Grey’s Anatomy and Cougar Town, will be appearing in at least four episodes of Brothers & Sisters as a fun, smart, and precocious grad student in Kitty’s (Calista Flockhart) law class. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

The creative team behind the A&E series Breakout Kings (who were producers on Prison Break) are planning to resurrect Prison Break character T-Bag (Robert Knepper) for their new show. A deal has yet to be worked out with Knepper, though. The show is set to debut on A&E in early 2011. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

It looks like the CW is going to lighten up their new series Nikita in order to boost viewership among young females. The show is off to a solid start among total viewers, but is losing too many viewers in the highly-sought demographic of 18-34 year olds. Among the tweaking to be done on the show is the introduction of several new characters, including a confidant and potential love interest for Nikita who’s described as a clean-cut, all-American CIA case officer. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Alan Arkin will star opposite Jennifer Aniston in the dark independent film called Buttercup. He will play a grossly irresponsible father who, in the wake of his wife’s death, decides to get his life back on track with the help of his slightly neurotic daughter (Aniston). (Jeff Sneider at The Wrap)

The HBO original movie, which is an adaptation of the best-selling Wall Street expose “Too Big To Fail” has revealed its impressive all-star cast, which includes the following: Paul Giamatti, Topher Grace, Ed Asner, Tony Shalhoub, James Woods, Dan Hedaya, Cynthia Nixon, Michael O’Keefe, Kathy Baker and Billy Crudup. It was announced previously that William Hurt also stars in the film that will chronicle the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Paulson. (James Hibberd at Live Feed from The Hollywood Reporter)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich from Fancast)

Question: I just read that Enrico Colantoni (love him on ‘Flashpoint’!) is going to guest star on ‘Bones,’ and that the episode will have significance to Brennan. Inquiring minds would like to know more, please. – Andrea via Facebook

Mitovich: I too was happy to see Enrico book this role, because it’s a great one. He’ll be playing a Jeffersonian security guard in Episode 8, titled “The Doctor In The Photo.” This is a “special” outing told almost exclusively from Brennan’s point of view, and as such it’s a very cool character study. Enrico’s character happens to listen in on each and every heady lecture given at the Jeffersonian, so he has a lot to say and share with Temp as she puts in overtime with a corpse who, rather confusingly, “talks” to her. (P.S. The guard is named Micah Leggat, which I am convinced is an anagram. Best I can come up with is “The Magic Gal,” which could be a nod to the “talking” deceased.) And hey, a second ‘Veronica Mars‘ alum is in this episode: Francis “Weevil” Capra will play Rhino, a gang member suspected of murder.

Question: You’re my No. 1 ‘Royal Pains‘ guy. Any new scoop to share? – Dionne

Mitovich: Chung-chung! When the USA Network dramedy returns for its winter season, ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’ alumna Julianne Nicholson will guest-star as a workaholic investment bank trader who has fled NYC for the Hamptons after the tragic death of a friend.

Question: I am really anxious to see where the next season of ‘V‘ takes us. Is there anything you can tease? – Tim

Mitovich: In a nutshell: Anna will have much to answer for, having released the red sky (and the red rain that comes with it) far sooner than planned; the Fifth Column movement will go global; we’ll see more of the Visitors walking among us on Earth; and we’ll gain insight as to why Tyler was targeted by Anna. Also at NY Comic-Con, Morena Baccarin revealed that 1) just last week she worked with a 14-inch white rat and 2) she had to learn “tail acting” for a major OMG moment we got to see in the Season 2 premiere.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

It’s the start of another week and here are the news items I found for today:

TELEVISION

The Dana Delany led new ABC drama Body of Proof has been pushed to mid-season in order for the network to “find a stronger timeslot” for it. The show is about a medical examiner (Delany) who helps investigate suspicious deaths. (Variety and Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

ARTICLE ABOUT FALL TV

The Fall TV season that failed us: Are you hooked on any of the new shows?

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

NBC has ordered a pilot script for the sci-fi/espionage drama Echelon, which will revolve around the electronic eavesdropping technology that sifts through all data signals. That data will be investigated by “G.H.O.S.T. (Global Hierarchical Observation Strategy Taskforce), whose assignment it is to investigate this paranormal data. (The Live Feed at The Hollywood Reporter and Televisionary)

TNT has given a pilot order to Hollywood & Vine, a noir mystery drama, which takes place in post-WWII Los Angeles. It centers on a savvy private eye with a stoic charm and an uncompromising set of personal values who is dedicated to searching for the truth – even if it means taking on the upper echelons of power in a city balanced precariously between the glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills and the dual threat of organized crime and a corrupt police department. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Sam Trammell (True Blood) will play the lead alongside either Amy Smart or Kate Mara (who are in contention for the female lead) in the romantic comedy Shrinking Charlotte. The story deals with a psychiatrist who falls for his slightly screw-loose patient. Kathleen Turner is also set to play a role. (What’s Playing and Dark Horizons)

Rhys Ifans has been offered the villain role in the Spider-Man reboot but studio insiders wouldn’t say which villain he will be playing. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

The top 10 box office movies for this past weekend – according to Hollywood.com and The LA Times are as follows:

1. The Social Network – $15.5 million
2. Life As We Know It – $14.6 million
3. Secretariat – $12.6 million
4. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’hoole – $7 million
5. My Soul to Take – $6.9 million
6. The Town – $6.4 million
7. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps – $4.6 million
8. Easy A – $4.2 million
9. Case 39 – $2.6 million
10. You Again – $2.5 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

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