Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

How is Wednesday going for everyone? Having a good day, I hope. There is quite a bit of interesting news, some cool trailers and first look photos and more to share with you today.

Please read on:

TELEVISION

Southland will return for its third season on TNT starting January 4 at 10 PM. Mark your calendars. (The Futon Critic)

Steven Weber (Wings) and D.L. Hughley (The Hughleys) have signed on to star in the as-yet untitled TNT pilot based on The Rabbit Factory novel by Marshall Karp. The pilot follows two Los Angeles detectives. Weber will portray Detective Mike Lomax, who still receives weekly letters from his dead wife a year after her passing. Hughley will play Terry Biggs, Lomax’s newly married partner. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner (Cosby Show) will appear in an upcoming episode of Community, starring as Andre, the ex-husband of Shirley (Yvette Nicole Brown). (Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

Della Reese (Touched By An Angel) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the ABC drama Detroit 1-8-7 that is set to air on December 7. She will portray Lorraine Henderson, an urban, working class mother in her 70s, whose son’s body is found in an abandoned fallout shelter. (The Futon Critic)

Darren Criss who debuted on last night episode of Glee is in talks to become a full-fledged series regular. This promotion would likely happen at the start of the show’s third season. (Michael Ausiello via Deadline)

ARTICLE ABOUT TELEVISION

Sherlock will be back for a second series says BBC

SUPPORT A STRUGGLING SERIES

Roush Review: Give Terriers a Chance

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Ron Moore (the man behind Battlestar Galactica) has sold an action-adventure series to NBC. The show is to focus on the men and women of the fictional Coast Guard cutter The McCulloch as they travel around the world. (James Hibberd at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Patrick Fugit will appear in the box office movie called We Bought a Zoo, which is an adaptation of a memoir by Benjamin Mee. The story follows a man (Matt Damon) who used his family’s life savings to buy a dilapidated zoo in the English countryside. Mee and his children had to balance caring for his terminally ill wife and dealing with all the related animal issues including readying the zoo for a reopening. There are no details on Fugit’s role as of yet. Also, Elle Fanning will portray a thirteen-year-old worker at the zoo despite being not legally old enough to have a job. Scarlett Johansson is in final negotiations to play a zookeeper on the estate. Colin Ford will play Damon’s son, while Thomas Haden Church is Damon’s brother. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Channing Tatum is at the top of the list for the lead role in the film adaptation of the TV series 21 Jump Street. The story follows a group of baby-faced cops who go undercover at high schools. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: Thrilling Gothic Horror in Official ‘Jane Eyre’ Trailer

Watch: Epic Ancient Rome Action in First Trailer for ‘The Eagle’

BOX OFFICE FIRST LOOK

First Look: Daniel Radcliffe in Ghost Film ‘The Woman In Black’

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

QUESTION: Loved seeing Tony’s dad again on NCIS! Anything else coming up for DiNozzo? — Andrea

ADAM: You bet. After the winter break, you will see Tony like you have never seen him before: humorless. “We wanted Tony to have no sense of humor for a whole episode,” Michael Weatherly tells us. “At the end, you realize an awful thing has happened to Tony and he’s just responding this way.” He says Tiva fans won’t want to miss it. “Ziva confronts Tony about what’s going on and it’s her insight that allows him to unlock this thing that’s got a grip on him,” Weatherly says. “It’s the truest, most romantic and painful scene, and I think it may be my favorite series moment for DiNozzo.”

QUESTION: What’s the deal with McGarrett’s sister on Hawaii Five-0? — Jen

ADAM: Mary’s presence will be explained in an upcoming episode in which she’s kidnapped. McGarrett and Danno’s investigation will reveal that her disappearance is connected to the murder of McGarrett’s mother years before. The lead suspect: a businessman with significant ties to the Japanese mob who’s also a close friend — and major campaign contributor — to the governor.

QUESTION: What is the deal with Alex and Michael on Nikita? Please tell me they aren’t heading for a Alex-Michael-Nikita triangle. — Kelly

MICKEY: I think you can stop worrying for now, as the show is looking to add a possibly recurring character to play Alex’s good-looking, confident new neighbor. We’re hearing that love is in the air for Alex, perhaps because Hunk Across the Hall offers her a glimpse at life outside of the endlessly depressing Division.

QUESTION: Are we going to see more Chance flashbacks when Human Target returns? — Sam

MICKEY: Not flashbacks per se, but when Baptiste (Lennie James) returns, we’ll definitely learn more about Chance’s back story. “Chance has to go to jail and bring him back to solve this other case,” Mark Valley tells us. “They’re working together reluctantly, but you get to see what relationship they had. In doing so, you understand more about Chance’s past as well.”

QUESTION: Since Aria and Ezra reconnected in last season’s finale of Pretty Little Liars, will they be a couple this season? — Megan

MICKEY: Aria and her English teacher will continue to explore their relationship, but look for Aria’s old babysitter, Simone (Alona Tal), to come between them when Aria’s mom sets Simone
up with Ezra. Mother couldn’t possibly know about her daughter’s secret fling, could she?

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

So how is everyone’s Tuesday treating them? Well, I hope. I had quite a fun night last night, attending the Paley Center for Media’s panel for the popular USA Network series Royal Pains, which featured the entire cast and the executive producers plus a sneak peek at the first new episode that will air on January 20. It was a fun night.

Meanwhile, here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Rebecca Mader (Lost) will appear on No Ordinary Family, playing an employee of Global Tech — the company where Stephanie (Julie Benz) works — who may be hiding a few secrets of her own. This episode is slated to premiere in January. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Shohreh Aghdashloo (24 and FlashForward) will appear in an upcoming episode of Law & Order: SVU, playing Sunny Qadar, an employee of the Brooklyn DA’s office. (William Keck at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FOX has picked up a drama project tentatively called Full Nelson, which is to be set in the music industry in the 1980s and follows a woman as she rises in the business. This project comes from Jeffrey Lieber and Jerry Bruckheimer Television. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer are in negotiations, while Hilary Swank and Ashton Kutcher are circling key roles in the planned sequel (of sorts) to the movie Valentine’s Day called New Year’s Eve for which Lea Michele (Glee) and Abigail Breslin are already set to star. If the sign on, De Niro will play a bitter, dying man in a hospital; Pfeiffer would be a frustrated secretary tackling her unfulfilled resolutions; Swank would play a producer of the Times Square New Year’s Eve show, and Kutcher plays a guy who hates the holiday. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Camilla Belle is in negotiations and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) is set to star in the inspirational drama Zebras, based on the true-life story of a music producer who discovers talented young soccer players in the ghettos of South Africa. He soon forms them into a successful team dubbed the Zebras because it brings together black and white players. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

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

Bethany: If Life Unexpected doesn’t come back beyond the 13 episodes, will every storyline be wrapped up? Specifically the story between Ryan and Julia that was introduced in the premiere?

Kristin: LUX boss Liz Tigelaar promises that “every single thing we’ve set up in the course of this season will be fulfilled.” That said, The Ryan-Julia storyline certainly won’t be as fleshed out as originally planned, but fans will be pleased. “We can’t do everything that we had planned on doing, but I want to make it great,” Liz tells us. “If this is the end of the series, it’s going to be just like the beginning of the series—filled with a lot of hope. It’s just complicated and you get places in ways you didn’t expect.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Welcome to Monday! How is the start of your week going? Hope it’s good. If you don’t already know, mark your calendar for November 22 at 6 AM Pacific time for registration for Comic Con 2011. That’s when the registration will be reopened and hopefully won’t crash again!

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

TELEVSION

Actress Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter movies) will have a regular role on True Blood as Marnie, a mousy, timid and secretly self loathing storefront medium and palm reader who is taken over by the spirit of a powerful witch. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Goran Visnjic (ER) will appear on Leverage as Damian Moreau, a ruthless international financier who runs money for drug dealers, gun runners, smugglers and other nefarious groups. Nate (Timothy Hutton) and his team searched for Moreau throughout the third season at the behest of a mysterious woman known only as The Italian (guest star Elisabetta Canalis). But when the team members finally come face to face with Moreau, they will be forced to rethink their strategy to take him down and avoid retaliation from The Italian. Leverage returns with a holiday episode on December 12 at 9 PM followed by the two-part season finale on December 19. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) will guest star on Law & Order: Los Angeles, playing the father of a college student whose girlfriend’s brother is murdered. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

AMC has picked up The Walking Dead for a 13-episode second season. (Twitter)

CONDOLENCES

Actress Jill Clayburgh, who was most recently seen in the TV series Dirty Sexy Money passed away late last week at the age of 66. (Twitter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actors-turned-writers Mark Wilson and Patrick McKenna have booked an ensemble cop drama at CBS which is set in a Canadian-US cross-border town. No other details are available on this project. (The Futon Critic)

MADE FOR TV MOVIES NEWS

NBC has booked the made-for-TV movie A Walk In My Shoes, which will be the third in the Walmart and Procter & Gamble’s “Family Movie Night” franchise. It will air on December 3 at 8 PM. Previous movies include Secrets of the Mountain and The Jensen Project (which aired on April 16 and July 16 respectively). Nancy Travis will star in this new movie as Trish Fahey, a stressed-out high school teacher who can’t understand her students’ lack of effort and why their parents don’t seem to care. This is especially true of Justin (Cameron Deane Stewart), a basketball star who is underperforming in her class. All of this changes when Trish wrecks her car and wakes to find herself living in the shoes of Justin’s mom (Jana Lee Hamblin), a woman she has personally judged and criticized. With the help of a mysterious stranger (Yara Martinez), Trish discovers the real reason behind her struggles, teaching her a whole new meaning of compassion. No one is left unchanged.” Philip Winchester (Crusoe) and Jackson Pace also star. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Abigail Spencer (Mad Men), Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) and legendary actress Cicely Tyson have joined the cast of the movie called The Haunting in Georgia, which has Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill) playing Andy Wyrick, the blue collar, no-nonsense husband to a young mother (Spencer) struggling with horrifying visions, a curse she shares with her wayward sister Joyce (Sackhoff). The mother now fears they have been passed on to her young daughter Heidi (newcomer Emily Alyn Lind). (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Guy Pearce, Peter Stomare and Tom Hollander will star in the sci-fi action feature called Lockout. Pearce will play a government agent trying to save the president’s daughter (Maggie Grace) from rioting convicts in an outer-space maximum-security prison. This movie won’t be out until 2012, though. (Dark Horizons)

Kyra Sedgwick has joined the cast of the thriller movie called Man On A Ledge, which stars Sam Worthington as a disgraced cop who stands on a ledge atop a high rise threatening to kill himself. Sedgwick will play the reporter trying to figure out if he means it or if he has an ulterior motive. Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Ed Harris and Titus Welliver also star. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

Rebecca Hall (The Town) is in talks to take the lead role in the adaptation of the Tom Bradby novel Shadow Dancer, which is about a young woman who is a former IRA terrorist turned informer for Britain’s MI5. Guy Pearce may also be slated to star in this movie. (First Showing and The Playlist)

The following are the top 10 movies for the past weekend according to Exhibitor Relations:

1. Megamind – $47.7 million
2. Due Date – $33.5 million
3. For Colored Girls – $20.1 million
4. Red – $8.6 million
5. Saw 3D – $8.2 million
6. Paranormal Activity 2 – $7.3 million
7. Jackass 3D – $5.1 million
8. Hereafter – $4.02 million
9. Secretariat – $4 million
10. The Social Network – $3.6 million

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

Question: I recently heard that The Chicago Code is putting Lie to Me into another hiatus. After the first hiatus of the second season, Lie to Me’s ratings dropped and they are still falling now. I was wondering if you knew anything about it or if it might be cancelled. I would like to know if I should prepare myself for a cancellation since Fox has already pulled Lone Star off the air? — Hannah

Matt Roush: It’s probably wise to stop using Lone Star as a yardstick by which to measure any other show’s chances for success. That was (unfortunately) an ambitious but immediate noble failure, and except for the fact that Lie to Me was rushed back on the schedule to fill its time slot, the two shows have nothing in common. Lie to Me seems to me destined to be a somewhat undervalued utility player for Fox, the kind of show that often looks like it’s being taken for granted or badly used. Witness how Fox burned off so much of the second season during the summer months, and then slapped it on Mondays with very little warning. (Not that Fox had a choice.) The fact that Lie to Me will once again fall off the schedule in February when The Chicago Code premieres is hardly surprising, given that prime-time real estate is at a premium in the back half of the season on Fox once American Idol kicks in. But I’m not sure this necessarily means the show is in immediate danger. Networks need shows like this to fill troublesome holes on the schedule, and while it’s unlikely to ever be a breakout hit, I’m hoping Lie finds its place on the network as Bones eventually did.

Question: Outcasts has been on the “coming soon” page of BBC America’s website for many months now. Latest from their press website: “Currently in production in South Africa, the U.S. premiere season of Outcasts begins late 2010.” Can you shed any light on when this program will begin to air, and if you have any opinion on whether it might be worth a watch, I’d love to read it. — Mariah

Matt Roush: No firm air date yet, but look for it in early 2011, at which time I’ll offer an opinion, since I haven’t seen it so can’t possibly handicap it yet. But BBC America’s track record is fairly good when it comes to speculative fantasy and sci-fi, so I’m excited to at least sample this one. The cast is promising, including Jamie Bamber and Eric Mabius among the pioneers establishing a civilization on a new planet after Earth is no longer habitable. Not a brand-new premise, but I always look to the British to put a new spin on classic genres.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

This week sure has gone by fast, hasn’t it? And, once again, the entertainment news isn’t too voluminous. I don’t know if that bodes well or not for next week, but we shall see, right?

In the meantime, here is what I found for today:

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FX has put in development the first major series project centered on an illegal alien character. The potential series is to be about an illegal Mexican immigrant working as a private investigator. Part of the executive producer team will be Dawn Parouse and Marti Noxon. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Martin Sheen (The West Wing) has been cast as Uncle Ben in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot. Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters) is in early talks to play Aunt May. Already part of the cast is Emma Stone (Easy A) as Peter’s love interest, Gwen Stacy, Rhys Ifans as the film’s unnamed villain and Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker. (The Hollywood Reporter and Gina DiNuzzo at TV Guide)

Dame Judi Dench is set to make a cameo in the box office film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The film apparently *SPOILERS ALERT* opens with Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) on trial for piracy in London’s Old Bailey before he escapes in a Keystone Cops-esque chase sequence through the city’s streets. Dench is to play a noblewoman in a carriage who is “ravished” by Captain Jack as part of his attempted escape. The cast of the movie already includes Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane and Keith Richards. (The Daily Mail and Dark Horizons)

Aaron Eckhart is set to star in the thriller The Expatriate, playing a CIA operative who leaves the agency to start a new life as a security consultant in Belgium and to spend time with his estranged teenage daughter. The pair soon end up on the run together when he discovers the security company no longer exists and his assistant is an assassin out to kill him. To make matters worse, his daughter doesn’t trust him when she learns of his past. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Bill Nighy (Love Actually) and Jackson Rathbone (The Twilight Saga) are negotiating to star in a 3D adaptation of the Peter Straub novel Shadowland. The story follows two young boys who spend a summer with a famous magician, who teaches them more than just harmless tricks but real sorcery. (Variety and First Showing)

ARTICLE ABOUT BEING ERICA

7 Reasons You Should Be Watching Season 3 of ‘Being Erica’

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Still not a lot of news during this election week, but there were some interesting tidbits to share. Please read on:

MUSIC NEWS

There is an unconfirmed rumor that the album Glee The Music, Volume 4 will be released on November 30. Remember this is unconfirmed. (Twitter)

TELEVISION

Joan Allen has signed on for her first TV series, the upcoming HBO drama Luck. She will appear in a multi-episode arc in the series that examines the horse racing world through the owners, jockeys and gamblers. The cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina. Allen will portray a woman who runs a program that uses prison inmates to care for broken-down racehorses. (Deadline and Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

Michaela McManus (One Tree Hill and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) will appear in a multi-episode arc on The Vampire Diaries, playing a gal pal of Mason’s (Tyler Kinney) who comes to Mystic Falls looking for her missing-in-action friend. (Movieline and Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

Kurtwood Smith (That 70’s Show) has joined the cast of the CBS midseason drama Chaos, replacing Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) in the role of a covert government agency director. The series stars Freddy Rodriguez as a rookie CIA operative assigned to spy on some fellow team members. (Deadline and Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

Craig Bierko (Cinderella Man and Damages) has been cast in the USA Network pilot Necessary Roughness. The pilot stars Callie Thorne (Rescue Me) as a psychologist who becomes the therapist for a professional football team. Bierko will play her estranged husband, Ray. The pilot also stars Mehcad Brooks (True Blood), Marc Blucas (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer), Scott Cohen (Gilmore Girls), Concetta Tomei (Providence) and Amanda Detmer (What About Brian). (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The USA Network has given pilot orders to three new shows: Eden, Wild Card and Over/Under. Eden is about a young hotel worker who, with the help of his escaped con artist cousin Eddie, gets a job as the concierge at an elite NYC hotel. Together they manage to provide the hotel guests with whatever they desire, at whatever the cost. Over/Under is about a day trader with a gambling problem who’s fired from his job six months after a bad trade costs his firm millions. Shut out of the job market, he and his wife retreat to a neighborhood on the cusp of gentrification. He finds an unlikely partner and starts to turn his life around in an unexpected way. Wild Card is a Las Vegas-set procedural about people behaving badly, and two very different lawyers. These pilots join the previously announced titles, A Legal Mind, Necessary Roughness and Common Law. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) is back at NBC as the star/executive producer of Rest, a new drama project based on a comic book series he co-created. The story centers on John Barret (Ventimiglia), a normal twentysomething guy in New York City who spends every waking hour working. He enrolls in a testing program for a drug that eliminates the need of sleep and soon becomes addicted to it, which helps him accomplish more but also leads to serious consequences. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Cillian Murphy has joined Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver in the new film Red Lights. The story centers on a psychologist (Weaver), and her assistant, whose study of paranormal activity leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic (De Niro). (Shock Til You Drop and First Showing)

Rachel Weisz will star in the movie The Deep Blue Sea, a period drama that stars Tom Hiddleston (Thor) and Simon Russell Beale (MI-5). The story is about a privileged housewife (Weisz) in 1950s London society who leaves her husband (Beale) for a young ex-Royal Air Force pilot (Hiddleston). The story is an adaptation of the 1952 stage play of the same name. (The Hollywood Reporter and First Showing)

Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones) has taken the title role in Effie, a biopic on Effie Gray, the wife of English art critic John Ruskin, who became entangled in a famous Victorian love triangle. Emma Thompson wrote the script and her husband Greg Wise and Orlando Bloom are to co-star. (Production Weekly Via Twitter Update and First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Thank God the elections are over, right?! We can now watch TV and not have to put up with nearly every commercial being a political ad. Every year those things get worse and worse, don’t they?

But, despite the elections being over, the news is still a little slow, but here is what I found:

TELEVISION

The CW announced late last night that they are not picking up the remaining 9 episodes of their show Life Unexpected. What does this mean? Simply, the show will only air 13 episodes, but it hasn’t “officially” been canceled. That final decision will “supposedly” be made in May.
(Twitter)

Actor Mark Dacascos (Iron Chef America and The Crow: Stairway to Heaven) has been cast as Wo Fat (the long-time nemesis of Steve McGarrett) in the new version of Hawaii Five-0. There is no word yet on when Dacascos will make his first appearance though. (Zap2It)

Cybill Shepherd will not only show up in an episode of No Ordinary Family, but she will also guest star on $#*! My Dad Says. On the comedy, she will play Charlotte Ann Robinson, a motivational life coach. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

MID SEASON TV

The new FOX drama The Chicago Code (formerly titled Ride-Along) will make its series debut on February 7 at 9 PM. The series follows the most powerful and respected cops in Chicago as they navigate the city’s underbelly to fight crime and expose corruption within Chicago’s notorious political machine. The cast includes Jason Clarke (Brotherhood) and Jennifer Beals (The L Word) as well as Delroy Lindo, Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights), Billy Lush (The Black Donnellys) and Devin Kelley (Tease). NOTE: Lie To Me is expected to return to the schedule at a later date. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

It has been announced that James McAvoy (Atonement), Hugh Laurie (House), Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge), Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Imelda Staunton (Taking Woodstock) and Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty) will all provide voices for the Christmas themed, 3D animated, family comedy film Arthur Christmas. The film sets out to answer the question of how Santa Claus delivers all his presents in one night. The movie will hit theaters on November 23, 2011. (First Showing)

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

Question: Will Damon ever be happy on The Vampire Diaries? — Sarah Jane

MICKEY: It’s unlikely, Sarah Jane. But look for a sun-kissed beauty to lighten his mood. She won’t flinch when Damon attempts to sabotage their flirtation with his acidic charm, but that’s because her interest in him is not personal. Said beauty has come to town to investigate Mason Lockwood’s disappearance, and this lady does not have a thing for bad guys.

Question: Any chance Michael and Nikita will ever play nice? —Amy

MICKEY: Would you believe they’ll be fighting on the same side soon? In an upcoming, Michael-centric episode, Nikita will actually help Michael complete a mission — because she’s one of the few people who knows how much it means to him personally.

Question: I could really use a couple of Castle nuggets. — Mark

ADAM: Then a couple you shall have. First, remember the role I teased about an alien abduction support group leader? The show has cheekily cast Millennium star Lance Henriksen to play the character. And second, Terri Miller, who penned the Season 2 Halloween episode that was rife with Firefly references, will also take on the upcoming episode that features Brothers & Sisters’ Gilles Marini as a magician.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Much like yesterday the entertainment news is slow-moving because of election fever I guess. The same can be said for tonight’s lack of TV viewing. It is going to be a rather boring night for those few of us uninterested in anything related to politics. Am I alone in that camp?

Anyway, here are the items I found for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Renée Felice Smith has become an official series regular on NCIS: Los Angeles, after playing the recurring role of Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones this season. (Daemon’s TV)

The Shonda Rhimes-produced medical drama Off the Map, which is about young doctors working at a remote clinic in South America, will premiere on ABC on January 12 at 10 PM. The show stars Martin Henderson, Caroline Dhavernas, Mamie Gummer, Rachelle Lefevre and Zach Gilford. (Twitter and Zap2It)

Actress Christine Adams (The Whole Truth and Pushing Daisies) has joined the cast of the FOX drama Terra Nova, playing a resident of the time-traveling colony. (Entertainment Weekly and Zap2It)

Canadian actress Camille Sullivan has joined the cast of the series Rookie Blue and Lauren Holly (NCIS) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the series. Sullivan will play detective Jo Rosati in the second season. (Etan Vlessing at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV TRAILER

Want to see an impressive trailer for the upcoming new drama The Chicago Code (formerly known as Ride Along)? The series stars Jennifer Beals, Delroy Lindo, Jason Clarke (Brotherhood) and Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights) and is set to debut on FOX in February. Here’s the link to the promo trailer as provided by The TV Addict.

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Joel Edgerton (King Arthur) will play the male lead role opposite Jennifer Garner in the fantasy fable film The Odd Life of Timothy Green, which centers on a childless couple who bury all their wishes for a baby in a box in their backyard. One day, they wake up to find that a child is born – a child that is not all that it appears. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Rebecca Hall (The Town and The Prestige) is rumored to be the top contender to play Daisy in Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s acclaimed novel The Great Gatsby. Luhrmann will audition a number of Hollywood’s major actresses before making a decision with the likes of Keira Knightley, Amanda Seyfried, Blake Lively, Abbie Cornish, Michelle Williams, Natalie Portman, and Scarlett Johansson all making his current wish list. Hall has an edge however, she participated in Luhrmann’s workshop reading in the role last week alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as Nick Carroway. (Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Abigail Breslin (My Sister’s Keeper) has joined the ensemble cast of the pseudo-sequel to the romantic comedy Valentine’s Day called New Year’s Eve. There are no details known on her character at this point, but the film is supposed to be set in New York and will follow intertwining stories of characters trying to navigate their way through romance on New Year’s Eve. Glee star Lea Michele is the only other announced cast member so far. (Variety and First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Kristin at E! Entertainment Online and Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

Question: So sad that Medium is probably winding down. I love that show. Any scoop on the final few episodes? – Kelly

Kristin: Amazing news! Superawesome Ryan Hurst (who plays superawesome Opie on Sons of Anarchy) is back on Medium as Allison’s brother Michael “Lucky” Benoit for episode 11—we’re so glad to hear they were able to get him back for one before visit before the show signs off! In the episode, which is called “Only Half Lucky,” Michael, who can never quite catch a break, is semi-possessed by a dead guy with a killer sales pitch…

Question: It’s been a while since we got some ‘Nikita’ scoop. Are we ever going to dive into Michael’s back story? – Colby

Mitovich: The episode airing Nov. 11 will shed much light on how Michael came to Division. “Michael was always in the military in some sense,” Shane West previews, “and something that is truly devastating happened to him in his personal life that made him completely emotionless. That’s when Percy (played by Xander Berkley) finds him and brings him into Division.” The reveal of that backstory “changes the dynamic, at least for a while, of what’s go to happen in the present,” West says of his favorite episode to date.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Today’s news is rather short. I’m guessing that with the drama of registration for Comic Con failing miserably, final votes for the TV Guide cover and upcoming election day fervor got the better of the news outlets.

Anyway, here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Alan Dale (Lost) will have a recurring role on the NBC series Undercovers, playing James Kelvin, the boss of Shaw (Gerald McRaney) and the man responsible for bringing Steven and Samantha Bloom back to the CIA. Although the couple were told they were recruited to rescue Leo Nash, the real reason involves elements from the Blooms’ past in which Kelvin is interested. He will make his first appearance in Episode 11, but viewers will begin hearing his voice in episode 8. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

Two former 24 alumni will show up in a January episode of No Ordinary Family. Rick Schroder will appear as a man whose life is saved by big Jim (Michael Chiklis). Annie Wersching will appear in the same episode, playing Schroder’s wife. (William Keck at TV Guide and Matt Mitovich at Fancast)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Warner Bros. is developing a reboot of its 1998 film Practical Magic, which starred Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, for ABC Family. The studio and network are in the very early stages of bringing back the fantasy, which is based on a novel by Alice Hoffman. Practical Magic is about the Owens family, including two sisters and their orphaned nieces, who are the latest in an ancestral line of witches. If any of the Owens women find true love with a man, he dies tragically. (Live Feed at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Saw 3D, $24.2 million
2. Paranormal Activity 2, $16.5 million
3. Red, $10.8 million
4. Jackass 3D, $8.4 million
5. Hereafter, $6.3 million
6. Secretariat, $5.1 million
7. The Social Network, $4.7 million
8. Life As We Know It, $4.1 million
9. The Town, $2 million
10. Conviction, $1.8 million

Alex Pettyfer (from the upcoming movie I Am Number Four) and Matthew Bomer (from White Collar) have joined the upcoming sci-fi film Now (formerly titled I’m.Mortal) that stars Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, and Olivia Wilde. The film is set in the future where people can live forever, but time itself becomes a currency to prevent overpopulation. (Darrin Franich at Entertainment Weekly)

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Happy Friday everyone! The news is pretty light for today, but still some interesting tidbits to share with all of you. Here goes:

TELEVISION

Scott Foley (Felicity and The Unit) will appear in a multi-episode arc on Grey’s Anatomy, playing a patient named Henry who “stirs things up” with Kim Raver’s Teddy. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Vanessa Bell Calloway (Hawthorne) will appear in the upcoming Showtime series Shameless, which is about a far-from-stellar working class patriarch (William H. Macy) of an unconventional Chicago brood of six motley kids (headed by eldest sibling Emmy Rossum) who keep the home afloat while he’s out drinking and carousing. Calloway will play the vivacious mother of Veronica (Shanola Hampton), the best friend of Rossum’s character. (The Futon Critic)

Joseph Lyle Taylor (Close to Home) will have a recurring role in the FX series Justified when it returns in February for its second season. He will play a cop whose family consists of pot farmers and is a brother to a new character on the show, played by Jeremy Davies. (The Futon Critic)

Arnold Vosloo (24 and The Mummy movies) will be the “Big Bad” on this season’s Bones, playing an elite sniper named Jacob Ripkin Broadsky, who is accused of assassinating a pivotal recurring character. He is slated to appear in at least three episodes beginning in early 2011. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Mehcad Brooks (True Blood and the short-lived My Generation) will co-star in the new USA Network pilot Necessary Roughness, which centers on tough, sexy Long Island divorcee Danielle Santino (Callie Thorne), who, to make ends meet, becomes the therapist for a professional football team and quickly becomes sought after by other athletes, musicians, politicians and those living in the spotlight. Brooks will play one of her clients: a star wide receiver for the Hawks who has been unable to hold onto the ball recently while regularly getting into trouble with the law. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actors Marisa Ramirez, Brandon Quinn and Chris Johnson have 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. Ramirez will play Abby’s new partner at Internal Affairs. Quinn will play Abby’s younger brother Richie, a Chicago Patrol Officer. Johnson will play Abby’s longtime friend, a lawyer. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: William Monahan’s New ‘London Boulevard’ First Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

It’s a big night of television, especially for the fans (myself included) of The Vampire Diaries on the CW. What will happen next on there? Tune in to find out or enjoy whatever other programming that you will be watching tonight.

Meanwhile, here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Laura Prepon (That 70’s Show) will appear on Castle (early next year) as Natalie Gray, the actress who has been cast as Nikki Heat in the movie version of Richard Castle’s (Nathan Fillion) book Heat Wave. The book is, of course, based on Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

HBO announced earlier today that their series Big Love will end after this upcoming fifth season. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Starz has booked Spartacus: Gods of the Arena for January 21 at 10 PM. This is the six-episode prequel to last year’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Here are the details of this “prequel” (of sorts):

Before Spartacus struck down his first opponent in the arena, there were many gladiators who passed through the gates onto the sand. This six-part mini-series follows the story of the original Champion of the House of Batiatus: Gannicus (Dustin Clare) in a more ruthless time before Spartacus’ arrival where honor was just finding its way into the arena. The new series adds to the cast Jaime Murray as Capua’s sexy social climber Gaia and Marisa Ramirez as Melitta, a beautiful slave who must face the ultimate decision of the heart. Jeffrey Thomas plays Batiatus’s father Titus, the traditional and cautious Lanista, head of the Ludus. They join returning cast members John Hannah (Quintus Batiatus), Lucy Lawless (Lucretia), Peter Mensah (Oenomaus, before he becomes Doctore, the gladiator trainer) and Manu Bennett (Crixus). (The Futon Critic)

CONDOLENCES

Original Hawaii Five-0 actor James MacArthur passed away this morning, at the age of 72. No cause of death was given. (Kate Ward at Entertainment Weekly)

ME: Rest in Peace, Mr. MacArthur. Condolences are extended to his family, friends and family. Moment of silence, please…

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Looks like Charlie’s Angels is heading back to the small screen, courtesy of Smallville creators Miles Millar and Al Gough, who will executive produce alongside Drew Barrymore, Nancy Juvonen, and Leonard Goldberg. ABC has given the pilot the official greenlight with production slated to begin roughly in mid-January. Here is a casting breakdown of the three angels:

First there is Kate Prince, the team’s gorgeous African-American Angel, a former cop. Kate is an incredible athlete and possesses a razor-sharp intellect. Although the most serious of our three Angels, she also knows how to let her hair down and have a great time. Kate is an ex-cop, a master of martial arts and a strict vegetarian.

Next is Abby Sampson, the youngest of the Angels (and likely the blondest) whose street skills are at odds with her upbringing. Her beauty has always turned heads, but it’s her quick wit and quirky sense of humor that makes her stand out. She grew up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and is the daughter of a notorious Wall Street crook a la Bernie Madoff. She is an expert thief, con artist and is trained in the deadly art of Krav Maga.

Lastly, there is Marisa Valdez, the exotic Latina beauty with a buff physique and a knowledge of weaponry. She’s an orphan, an immigrant and a former U.S. Marine. She is a weapons expert and is trained in all forms of hand-to-hand combat. Marisa has a no-nonsense attitude, is a Play Station addict and self-confessed neat freak.

No word on breakdowns for Bosley or the mysterious Charlie–always heard and never seen–himself. (Televisionary)

Eric McCormack (Will & Grace) has signed up to play the lead role in TNT’s new dramatic pilot Perception, which is the working title. The series centers on Dr. Geoffrey Pierce, an eccentric neuroscientist who uses his unique outlook to help the federal government solve complex cases. With an intimate knowledge of human behavior and a masterful understanding of the mind, this quirky, crime-solving professor pulls lessons from an odd and imaginative view of the world. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Looks like Ryan Gosling will star in the political drama based on the Broadway play Farragut North by Beau Willimon. The film is to be called The Ides of March and follows a young, idealistic press spokesman (Gosling) who works for an inspiring, though unorthodox, presidential candidate (George Clooney). During the campaign, his career is done in by more seasoned politicos who thrive on poisonous partisan politics, dirty tricks and back-stabbing. Among the co-stars are Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. (Dark Horizons)

Legendary actress Angela Lansbury has joined the cast of the family comedy film Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which is an adaptation of the beloved 1938 children’s book by Richard and Florence Atwater. Jim Carrey plays a high-powered, New York business man named Popper who suddenly inherits six penguins. Taking care of the animals is difficult and he encounters many hurdles, but he soon learns the value of family and friendship both human and animal. Lansbury will play the owner of a local tavern that Mr. Popper is trying to buy. Carla Gugino, Ophelia Lovibond, James Tupper, Clark Gregg and Philip Baker Hall also star. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) has been cast to play serial killer Charles Manson in an upcoming film titled The Family, which will center on Manson and the murders he and his followers committed. (The Wrap and TV Guide)

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

Question: Could you please give some spoilers on Psych regarding Shawn and Juliet? —Steve

Ausiello: The show’s fall premiere (airing Nov. 10) will pick up shortly after the couple’s big kiss in the finale. “Our viewers are probably a little unsure of what that kiss meant,” says exec producer Steve Franks. “Will Juliet still take some time away on the Amalfi coast with Declan, or did the kiss change her mind? In the 5.5 premiere, she is still on her way to Italy, and Shawn is on his way to Canada at the request of convicted thief Pierre Despereaux [a returning Cary Elwes]. Their divergent travel plans may have derailed their romantic momentum, until Juliet unexpectedly shows up in Vancouver for Despereaux’s extradition and that spark becomes a fire. The question is, Do Shawn and Juliet believe ‘what happens in Canada, stays in Canada’? Stay tuned.”

Question: Do you know any Vampire Diaries scoop? —Savannah

Ausiello: Trent Ford and Daniel Gillies have joined the show along with Lauren Cohan as centuries-old vampires Trevor, Elijah, and Rose. “They have deep ties to Katerina Petrova,” reveals exec producer Julie Plec. “They will be heavily featured in November sweeps episodes ‘Rose’ and ‘Katerina.’

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »