Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

So, what is the consensus of my new layout for the daily updates? Like, dislike, indifferent? Please let me know your thoughts. I hope to continue to make improvement as time goes on, while still bringing you the breaking news for each day.

With that being said, let’s get into the update for today:

MOVIES

Current rumor has it that Amber Heard could be playing the character of Mystique in the upcoming movie X-Men: First Class that is set to star James McAvoy has Professor Xavier The movie is to open in theaters nationwide on June 3, 2011. (ScreenCrave)

Sources are reporting that director Sam Raimi will direct the Wizard of Oz prequel called Oz: The Great and Powerful, which tells the story of a circus wrangler who is carried by a tornado to the marvelous land of Oz where he’s mistaken for an all-knowing wizard. Rumor has it that Robert Downey Jr. could be playing said “wizard”. This movie will be in 3D. (TheWrap.com and Variety)

TELEVISION

The third season of FOX’s drama Fringe will introduce Olivia’s mother in a story arc that is expected to stretch three to four episodes. The character is described as loving, stable and sweet. She dotes on Olivia since her other daughter died at birth. No casting has been announced yet. (William Keck at TV Guide)

It looks like the new ABC drama Edgar Floats, the highly-touted character-driven procedural from Life creator Rand Ravich is getting a major overhaul (and not in a good way). No official announcement has been made by the network yet, but the series, which received a six-episode script order from ABC, is being completely reconceived with only Robert Patrick remaining from the original cast, which was to include Tom Cavanagh and Alicia Witt [among others]. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Fans of Friday Night Lights will be happy to know that not only will Zach Gilford be back for the show’s fifth and (likely) final season but also Adrianne Palicki and Taylor Kitsch will return as well. Jesse Plemons is also in talks to appear in the fifth season. As previously announced, Scott Porters will be back for one episode next season. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

It looks like actress A.J. Cook will not be coming back to Criminal Minds, as the “producers have opted not to pick up her contract”. In entertainment speak that means she’s been fired. Ouch! Fellow cast member Paget Brewster, however, is in talks to remain as a series regular, but with reduced episode-appearances. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Mekia Cox (90210) has been cast in the upcoming NBC drama series Undercovers, where she will play Lizzy, the sister of Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Samantha, who is unaware of her sister’s professional capacity as a CIA agent. Cox replaces Jessica Parker Kennedy, who appeared in the role in the pilot. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Brian Benben has been promoted to a full-fledged series regular on Private Practice. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

FALL TV REVIEW

THE FUTON’S FIRST LOOK: “LOVE BITES” (NBC)

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/rant/2010/06/14/the-futons-first-look-love-bites-nbc/20100614_lovebites/

ON-LINE VOTING

And the Most Anticipated New TV Show of the Fall Is…

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b185694_most_anticipated_new_tv_show_of_fall.html

INTERVIEWS

Jeffrey Donovan, Matt Bomer and Mark Feuerstein — The Boys of Summer

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Jeffrey-Donovan-Matt-1019616.aspx

We Take a Trip Down Memory Lane with EVERWOOD’s Gregory Smith

http://thetvaddict.com/2010/06/15/we-take-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-everwoods-gregory-smith/

‘Twilight’ screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg talks Kristen Stewart, Bill Condon and ‘Breaking Dawn’

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/06/twilight-melissa-rosenberg-talks-breaking-dawn.html

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

Question: If Idina Menzel returns to Glee next season, any chance her hubby, and fellow Broadway star, Taye Diggs will join her? And if so, can Fox cast you as the third party in their love triangle?

Kristin: We just chatted up Taye and asked him the exact same question—and Spoiler Alert—he’s onboard! “I would love to do it,” Taye gushed at the prospect of guest starring on Glee. “I love the show; I’m a straight up fan. It’s so enjoyable to watch and to see a show for people who to sing and dance. Plus, I love how they integrated Idina into the show, and I would love to be a guest.” Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, are you guys hearing this?! Clearly, we need a Glee/Private Practice crossover.

Question: I’m so glad you loved the Glee finale as much as I did! Do you know if Jonathan Groff will be back?

Kristin: I’m hearing that producers “definitely want him back” at some point, so yay! My bet? He’ll show up as the new coach of Vocal Adrenaline, or an assistant coach now that Shelby has a newborn at home and can’t spend so much time devoting herself to kids who can’t even look like they can cure cancer. By the way, Ian Brennan (the writer/exec-producer who writes most of Sue’s awesome lines) saw my Tweet on finale night [“I think we all learned a valuable lesson tonight: Purell up so you don’t catch poor. #JaneLynchForEmmy #GleeWritingForEmmy”] and emailed me: “So glad you liked it. Finale is my favorite episode. And get that baby immunized against poor.” Don’t think I didn’t already book an appointment with my son’s pediatrician.

Question: Any update on your scoop that ABC is working on a new Alias? And by the way, that Pick Your New Fave thing was so bogus because JJ’s new show wasn’t there. What gives?!

Kristin: The Alias idea is just that for the time being—an idea. I’m told it most likely would be a complete reboot and not include any of the original cast (though something tells me if Jennifer, Bradley, Victor or Michael wanted to take part, they wouldn’t be kicked out of the casting session). As for JJ’s new show Undercovers, it did rank as the second most anticipated NBC show, so that’s something! JJ himself tells me it’s a “very different show” from Alias. “It’s definitely in the same genre,” JJ says, “but it’s much more a throwback to like the Hart & Hart days of like, really light and fun kind of breezy romantic sexy type show. It’s not heavy mythology at all.” No Rambaldi?! Damn! I actually just got a copy of the pilot so I’ll be watching that tonight.

Question: With The Event coming out this fall, is Jason Ritter done with Parenthood for good?

Kristin: Obviously if The Event has as much success as it should (trust me!), Jason’s time on Parenthood will be few and far between. Still, he wants it out there that he did not abandon the lovely Lauren Graham. “Hey, first of all, she broke it off with me,” he jokes. “That door is not necessarily closed because we’re both NBC shows, so I hopefully can do both. Maybe some crossover episodes.” Having seen The Event pilot, something tells me that’s not a very real possibility.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Starting today I will now be posting my daily entertainment news updates at my very own blog. You can visit: https://ruebensramblings.wordpress.com/ – to read my updates and much more whenever you have the chance. And, please feel free to leave a comment as I’d love to hear what you have to say.

For many years now, I’ve been preparing my updates in a fashion that I thought was as easy to read as possible, including links when articles or stories were too long or reducing down those that could be simplified. However, starting today and from here on out, I will be trying what I hope will be a more user-friendly update; but this set-up, which is not perfected yet and will require the usual tweaking, is still a work in progress so please bear with me.

As in years past, I would state each site for which the news items were gleaned from and I will still be doing that, but that will be a bit more subtle (I hope).

Without further adieu, here is today’s news:

MOVIES

Glee star Lea Michele is putting on Judy Garland’s ruby slippers, playing Dorothy Gale in the animated film Dorothy of Oz. The movie is based on a children’s book by Roger Baum, the great-grandson of “Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum. The story finds Dorothy returning to Oz to find the magical land in a state of decay and her old friends Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion disappeared. The voice cast also includes Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer and Martin Short. (TV Guide)

The following list is the top box office movie results for this past weekend (Entertainment Weekly):

1. The Karate Kid, $56 million
2. The A-Team, $26 million
3. Shrek Forever After, $15.8 million
4. Get Him to the Greek, $10.1 million
5. Killers, $8.2 million
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, $6.6 million
7. Marmaduke, $6 million
8. Sex and the City 2, $5.5 million
9. Iron Man 2, $4.6 million
10. Splice, $2.9 million

TELEVISION

ABC will air the final two remaining episodes of the recently defunct series The Forgotten on July 3 at 9 and 10 PM. The episodes are titled Designer Jane and Living Doe. (The Futon Critic)

President Obama will address the nation tomorrow night (Tuesday, June 15) about the BP oil spill. The 10-15 minute speech will begin at 8 PM (7 PM Central). Check your local listings for all of the major channels that will air coverage of this address. (The Futon Critic)

Raven-Symone (That’s So Raven) and Joanna Garcia (Privileged and Reba) will star in the ABC Family Channel movie Revenge of the Bridesmaids on Sunday, July 18 at 8 PM. The movies is about two childhood friends who attempt to thwart the wedding of a no-good, money hungry ex-friend by going undercover as bridesmaids so that true love can prevail. (The Futon Critic)

Gabrielle Union has been cast in a pivotal role in the planned spin-off to the popular Lifetime series Army Wives. An “embedded pilot” within Army Wives will set up the spin-off with series regular Pamela Moran (Brigid Brannagh) returning to her former career and becoming a detective with the Atlanta police department. Union will play her partner, Detective Gina Holt. (The Hollywood Reporter)

AMC has closed a deal to renew the AMC drama Breaking Bad for a fourth season. The network was expected to make the official announcement today. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Veteran actor Ed Asner (the voice of the lead character in the animated movie Up and the classic TV series The Mary Tyler Moore Show) has been cast in CMT’s comedy pilot Regular Joe. Asner will star as an outspoken father who recently began dating after separating from his longtime wife. Tom Arnold has also been cast to play his son Joe. (TV Guide and The Hollywood Reporter)

Stephen Collins (7th Heaven) has been promoted to series regular on the upcoming ABC drama No Ordinary Family, who will play the boss of family matriarch Julie Benz. (The Hollywood Reporter and TV Guide)

Lindsay Wagner (the original Bionic Woman) will appear as Dr. Vanessa Calder on the popular Syfy series Warehouse 13. Calder is the official doctor for the Warehouse agents, who is quite worldly and knows lots of secrets. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Faran Tahir (Star Trek – the J.J. Abrams reboot) will appear in a multi-episode arc of Warehouse 13, appearing as Adwin Kosan, one of the mysterious and powerful Regents tasked with keeping the Warehouse safe. Adwin, who arrives to handle an escalating crisis, makes a shocking pronouncement that threatens to tear apart the team. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

Five actors are said to be in talks to join the cast of the HBO Broadway-set drama pilot Miraculous Year. They include Norbert Leo Butz, Hope Davis, Frank Langella, Eddie Redmayne, and Patti LuPone. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Maura Tierney (ER) will star in the new fall ABC legal drama The Whole Truth, replacing Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) The new series chronicles the building of a case from the perspective of both the defense and the prosecution. Tierney will play Kathryn Peale, a deputy bureau chief in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Rob Morrow (Numb3rs) will co-star as Kathryn’s primary opponent, rising criminal attorney Jimmy Brogan. (Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly)

CONDOLENCES

Jimmy Dean, country music singer and sausage king, passed away at the age of 81 in his Virginia home. Dean had one smash hit in 1961 with “Big Bad John,” a song about a quiet, working-class miner who saves his colleagues in a cave-in but is himself lost. The song won Dean a Grammy. Dean was also on various television programs in the ’50s and ’60s, including “The Jimmy Dean Show,” which started on CBS and then moved to ABC from 1963 to 1966. In 1969, he started the Jimmy Dean Meat Co. in his hometown, though the company was sold to Sara Lee Corp. in 1984, which famously dropped Dean as its spokesperson in 2003. (Zap2It)

NEW IN DVD

House

http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/House-Season-6/13900

TELEVISION REVIEW

Television Review: ‘Unnatural History’ on the Cartoon Network

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-unnatural-history-20100612,0,1423578.story

AWARD WINNERS

Tony Awards 2010: All the winners

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/06/tony-awards-2010-all-the-winners.html

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

Question: Justified is taking away some of the pain from the demise of Deadwood. From the setting to the action to the actors to the dialogue, it puts me back in that happy Al-Swearengen-y place. And that finale…I was gripped from the start. How fun was that scene between Boyd and Ava? She was so confused and pissed off, and then how tragic that it was that encounter that made her drop her guard when Bo and Johnny came around. And the finish, with Boyd making Raylan tear up. Outstanding, thoroughly enjoyable, and can’t wait for season 2! — Nika

Matt Roush: What a week we just went through (and it’s June, for crying out loud!), with the finales of Breaking Bad, Glee and Justified — not to mention Showtime’s brilliant Nurse Jackie. For me, Justified has been such a happy and refreshing surprise, a purely entertaining show that maintains its light and wry touch regardless of all of the violence and twisted family ties. Raylan Givens is a terrific TV hero, and much as I admire many of FX’s darker melodramas, I’m glad the network has finally given us someone we can root for without wanting to take a shower after.

Question: How can ABC cancel FlashForward and keep V? I am a fan of both, but FlashForward is such a better, more complex and interesting show. Is there any chance to save it? When I heard that both of them might not make the fall schedule, I thought for sure they would keep FF!!! And this from the network that gave us LOST??? — Don

Matt Roush: FlashForward was pretty much over from the time ABC put it on a long midseason hiatus, with that move acknowledging that the network that gave us Lost knew it didn’t have another Lost on its hands. I know the show had its champions, but I wasn’t among them, finding neither the characters nor the mystery worth the bother. I can see how by comparison V seems shallow and cartoonish, but it was kind of designed that way. That show needs to raise its game in the second season and kick into high gear quickly to prove that it’s a keeper, but looking at it from a purely commercial perspective, V at least makes sense to still be on the air.

Question: I’m really loving the new doctor on Doctor Who, along with his cute little sidekick. I didn’t think anyone could fill David Tennant’s shoes, but Matt Smith seems to be pulling it off. I was wondering how the ratings were. I read where the premiere set a BBC America ratings record, but I haven’t seen anything for the next few episodes. Although I’m guessing, considering the longevity of the series, we should expect it to stick around? P.S. Thanks for your recommendation of Justified. I’m really loving that show, too. Being a Texan myself, I usually cringe at the Southern drawls actors attempt, but with Timothy Olyphant, I’ve never heard it sound so sexy. — Camille

Matt Roush: Yes, no need to worry about Doctor Who’s future. I haven’t been keeping abreast of its ratings myself, but my understanding is that BBC America is happy with the Doctor’s performance, and the critical and fan reception to the new Doctor and his companion appears to have been largely positive as well. And on the other subject: Three cheers for Timothy Olyphant’s drawl!

Question: I know you have been an ardent supporter of Friday Night Lights throughout its entire run, and if there was any justice, everyone would be heralding it as one of the best shows to ever grace the small screen. Even though the strength of the show is its ensemble cast and understated approach to everyday problems, I think it possible that Zach Gilford’s performance in “The Son” last week was the absolute pinnacle of the show for me. Do you have any hope that Emmy voters will finally see fit to honor this show and this actor specifically? Considering they have also neglected Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton each year, is there any chance Zach can get their attention, or is FNL just too under the radar for the Academy? With just one more season to go, they are rapidly running out of time. — Galen

Matt Roush: If only more Emmy voters watched this show. It’s an ongoing travesty for this show to be so shamefully neglected by the industry, but that has probably only intensified since its first-run status moved from network to satellite TV and NBC’s out-of-season run of the show on Friday nights. You really can’t get much more under the radar than that. A shame all around, because Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton and so many of their young co-stars have delivered some of the best (if often understated, as you note) dramatic work of the last few years. Zach Gilford’s wrenching performance in “The Son” is a great case in point, and we’ve cheered and lauded it from as many angles as possible. But it would be nothing short of a miracle if Friday Night Lights and any of its principals were to get noticed this year. It somehow doesn’t seem to register to anyone but its ardent fans.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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