Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

TELEVISION

Actor Johnathon Schaech (That Thing You Do) will star as bounty hunter Jonah Hex on the new CW series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actor Mark Consuelos (Kingdom) has landed a recurring role on the upcoming USA Network drama Queen Of The South that is based on the best-selling book by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. It tells the story of Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga), who, when her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico, is forced to go on the run and seek refuge in America, where she teams with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the drug trafficking ring that has her on the run. He will play Teo Aljarafe, a lawyer hired to organize financial affairs. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Jennifer Beals (Proof) has landed a major recurring role on NBC’s medical drama The Night Shift, playing Dr. Syd Jennings, a Major in the Army, who worked with the Culture Support Teams (CST) in conjunction with Ranger and Special Forces units in addition to her medical duties. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Harold Perrineau (Lost) and Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs) [among others] will star alongside Dougray Scott (Ever After), Kim Raver (24) and Mariana Klaveno (Devious Maids) in the third season of DirecTV’s anthology drama Full Circle: Miami that revolves around a dramatic political conspiracy that unfolds inside a posh Miami hotel. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Meagan Good (Minority Report) has landed a recurring role on Code Black, playing Dr. Grace Adams, the ex-flame of Neal (series regular Raza Jaffrey) and a fearless and ambitious attending physician who recently returned to Angels Memorial after volunteering a year of humanitarian work in Haiti. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Brandon Jay McLaren (Graceland) has landed a recurring role on Chicago Fire, playing a former gangbanger-turned-politician. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Ryan McPartlin (Chuck) will have a recurring role on Devious Maids, playing Kyle, a sweet, fun, and impossibly sexy new neighbor. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Olga Fonda (Agent X) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Hawaii Five-0, playing Anna Novik, a spy who uses deadly tactics to obtain important stolen intel. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

STREAMING TV

Netflix has picked up the 10-episode series called Altered Carbon that is based on the 2002 book of the same name that is set in the 25th century, focusing on the human mind being digitized and the soul being transferable from one body to the next. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Robbie Amell (The Flash and The Tomorrow People) and Rachael Taylor (Marvel’s Jessica Jones) have joined the cast of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller Arq. The film is set in a near future where all the oil has run out. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

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

Question: I’ve been a longtime fan of yours and I’m dying for Arrow scoop. —Lisa

Ausiello: When Nyssa returns on Feb. 3, the League member “is going to take on Malcolm in a really ambitious and full-scale way, and she’s going to be asking Oliver to do some pretty dark things,” previews EP Wendy Mericle, who adds that the topic of Nyssa’s onetime lover Sara’s recent resurrection won’t come up in the “gangbusters” episode — partly because “she is off time traveling on Legends [of Tomorrow]!”

Question: I love Once Upon a Time and I’d love any scoop about Milah’s return. —Audrey

Ausiello: Being the dearly departed ex of both Rumple and Hook, Milah “has a big connection to two of our main characters,” co-creator Eddy Kitsis reminds. As for how she folds into the heroes’ trip to the Underworld, “We don’t want to spoil anything, but… wouldn’t it be weird if she met Emma? She and Emma might be an awkward meeting.” Just as fun is the prospect of long-dead Milah getting the 411 on the fantastically twisted family tree that branched off of her. Hints co-creator Adam Horowitz, “I love the idea of Milah learning just how she is connected to all our characters!”

Question: What can you tell me about Riff, the new guy on Nashville? —Trish

Ausiello: Portrayer Steve Kazee tells us that his former-country-star character is old friends with Luke Wheeler, who “pulls me out of retirement.” So does that mean he’s Wheelin’ Dealin’ Records’ newest artist? “I don’t know about that,” Kazee says. “We’ll have to wait and see how that goes.”

Question: Any scoop on the identity of Zoom on The Flash? —Katy

Ausiello: Now that Zoom is in cahoots with Harry and has someone to talk to, more info about the Big Bad will come to light. “We get a little bit more of his personality,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg previews, “and a little bit more about what he wants and why he wants it. All that is going to come to a, hopefully, very exciting head.”

Question: Is the business with the male clones pretty much over with on Orphan Black? —LaShawna

Ausiello: Even though Rudy and several of his brothers died, executive producer Graeme Manson warns, “We’re not finished with our male clones. Mark’s still out there, and Ari Millen’s still in the cast for Season 4, I guarantee.” And with the last surviving Castor clone (that we know of) having earned Sarah’s trust, the question becomes, “If we can find our own cure, can we cure Mark? Is that a possibility for next season? Is Mark the one brother who’s earned the right to call himself a brother?”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

TELEVISION

Actress Laura Vandervoot (Bitten and Smallville) has landed the role of Indigo in the CBS series Supergirl. [Viewers will recall that Vandervoot starred as Kara on Smallville.] Indigo is a living, strong-willed supercomputer that was sentenced to Fort Rozz after turning against the people of Krypton. Now on Earth, Indigo will let nothing stand in her way. Also actor Jeff Branson (The Young and the Restless) will have the recurring role of Master Jailer, the forceful and unrelenting jail guard on Fort Rozz, who showed no mercy. Also now on Earth, he is hell-bent on catching all of the Fort Rozz escapees and brutally bringing them to justice. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

Actors Jim Beaver and Steven Williams will be reprising their roles of Bobby and Rufus (respectively) on Supernatural, appearing in flashbacks. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly and TV Line)

Actor Aaron Douglas (Battlestar Galactica) will appear in The Flash as villain The Turtle, a meta-human who can slow time. It turns out that Cisco (series regular Carlos Valdes) has been hunting this villain the entire series, but keeping it secret from Barry (series lead Grant Gustin). (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor B.J. Britt (Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD) has been cast in the Lifetime drama UnREAL as Darius Hill, a professional quarterback who is the first black suitor on the fictitious reality series Everlasting. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Rutina Wesley (True Blood) will star in the OWN original series Queen Sugar, which is about Nova Bordelon, a formidable journalist and activist based in New Orleans, who undergoes a significant change when her sister, Charley, returns to Louisiana from Los Angeles to help run the family sugarcane farm. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Eva Longoria will guest star in the Lifetime drama Devious Maids (for which she is one of the executive producers. She will be joined by former Desperate Housewives’ co-star James Denton, who will have a recurring role in the show’s upcoming fourth season. There are no details as to what role Longoria will play but Denton will play Peter, the charming, confident head of a movie studio who falls hard and fast into a new relationship this season. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Giles Marini (Switched at Birth) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Teen Wolf on MTV, playing Sebastien, a French soldier who returns home to the countryside of Gévaudan, only to discover that a vicious beast has been terrorizing the people he loves, including his younger sister. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Veteran actor Danny Glover will guest star in an upcoming episode of Criminal Minds, playing the father of Shemar Moore’s character, who has been long established as dead. It will be interesting to see how that story plays out. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Brooke Shields will guest star in the last two episodes of When Calls the Heart on the Hallmark Channel, playing the mother of Mountie Jack Thornton, an Annie Oakley-type frontier woman who’s well-versed in sharpshooting, horsemanship and the ways of the West. (Riely Haven at Parade Magazine)

Scream Queens has been renewed for a second season by FOX. The network also renewed Empire for a third season. (Variety)

FOX has official announced that Prison Break will return as an event series with Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell reprising their roles as brothers Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows. No premiere date has been set yet though. Nor have any plot details been released as yet. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Jessica Jones has been given a 13-episode second season renewal by Netflix. (Variety)

Actor Boris Kodjoe (Undercovers and Resident Evil movies) has landed a recurring role on Code Black, playing Dr. Will Campbell, a suave surgeon whose surgical skills and personal charm are only outweighed by his ego. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Matt Cedeno (Days of Our Lives and Devious Maids) will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Originals, playing a callous, smart and manipulative vampire from the Mikaelsons’ past who comes to New Orleans seeking vengeance. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Debra Messing (The Mysteries of Laura) will star opposite Abigail Breslin (Scream Queens) in the 3-hour remake of Dirty Dancing coming to ABC. She will play Marjorie Houseman, mother of Baby (Breslin) and Lisa, a meticulous 1960s housewife who takes great pride in her family and is using their summer vacation to try to rekindle her romance with her workaholic husband. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The next NBC live musical franchise movie will be Hairspray, which tells the story of Tracy Turnblad, an overweight Baltimore teen with dreams of landing a spot on a TV dance show and bringing racial integration with her. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Connie Nielsen Connie Nielsen (The Following) has landed the role of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons and mother of Princess Diana, aka Wonder Woman, who will be played by Gal Gadot (from the Fast and Furious franchise). The much anticipated Wonder Woman movie will be out in June of 2017. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Do you know who this Reverse-Flash is that’s popping up on The Flash this season? — Claire

Natalie: Despite theories that he hails from Earth-Two, this actually is the Reverse-Flash we’ve come to know and hate — but with a twist. “Time on our show does not unfold linearly,” EP Andrew Kreisberg says. “Sometimes you’ve seen events from one direction and then you start to see them from the other. This Reverse-Flash is not exactly the Reverse-Flash that we saw disintegrate at the end of the year. It’s a Reverse-Flash from an earlier timeline. It’s not the Earth-Two Reverse-Flash, it’s the Reverse-Flash. That is, hands down, one of our best episodes.”

Question: How will Regina handle facing the people she killed when Once Upon a Time goes to the Underworld? — DJ

Natalie: Though it will be a little overwhelming considering how many lives Regina is responsible for taking, she is ready to face them. “She wants to confront these souls and these people that she has hurt, that she has killed,” Lana Parrilla says. “She’s on the right path, and she’s still on the path of redemption. She still wants to make amends with people and still trying to do the right thing. She’s really embracing the hero within her.”

Question: Anything on Scandal? — Raina

Natalie: In case you missed it, Scandal will be jumping ahead six months, where we’ll find that Fitz is very much alone in the White House — Olivia has moved on, and Mellie is campaigning for presidency. So, how will America feel about a divorced POTUS? “It’s an interesting question that is dealt with,” Tony Goldwyn says. “It is discussed. We don’t know yet what the public response is, but it’s an issue we do talk about.”

Question: Any Blacklist scoop outside of Liz now being a free woman? — Jenny

Natalie: Yeah, Red will soon be in hot water over his suspected connection to the FBI. “There is an episode coming up which shines a light on the way that criminals communicate and network in an odd way,” EP Jon Bokenkamp says. “We posit that perhaps criminals that have business interests aligned would get together and solve differences. There is a really interesting look behind the curtain of the way that Red operates and works with some of his criminal counterparts.”

Question: Elizabeth Henstridge says Jemma’s feelings for Fitz get stronger on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Anymore scoop on that? — Ditchthel

Natalie: It’s been roughly three months since the events that happened on Maveth, but Simmons is “still in the grieving process,” Elizabeth Henstridge tells me. “She’s experiencing some survivor’s guilt. Fitz has been so supportive throughout the whole thing. She’s going further down that path with him and her feelings. She loves him and wants to be with him. She hasn’t forgotten about Will, but it’s more the guilt she’s carrying. They’re taking things slowly on whether they’re going to get together or not.”

Question: Did any of the Quantico characters we actually care about die in that explosion? — Jayma

Natalie: Bad news, Jenna: Not everyone made it out alive. “There will be people who you know who won’t be a part of this anymore,” Priyanka Chopra reveals, “and that will affect Alex and her friends in a huge way.”

Question: The Factory on Colony does not sound like a fun place to be. Will we get to see what happens there? — Mike

Natalie: Yes, and much sooner than you think. “You’ll learn more about it, for sure,” executive producer Carlton Cuse says. “It’s a little bit like North Korea. If you step out of line, you and your family get sent to reeducation farms and labor camps. That’s a great stick to wield for control.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the last 10 days:

TELEVISION

Actor Michael Weatherly will be leaving the long-running NCIS franchise at the end of this current season on CBS. (Debra Birnbaum at Variety)

E! has renewed The Royals for a third season. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Being Mary Jane has been renewed for a fourth season by BET. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

TNT has decided to pull the plug on its long-running drama Rizzoli & Isles after the upcoming 7th season. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actress Jewel Staite (Firefly and Stargate Atlantis) has landed a guest-starring role in the upcoming CW drama Legends of Tomorrow, playing Rachel Turner, a tech genius and roboticist from the future who just so happens to be a descendant of an established DC Universe character. (Sadie Genis at TV Guide)

Actress Summer Glau (Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) and legendary actor Gerald McRaney (the recently defunct Agent X) will both appear in upcoming episodes of Castle. Glau will guest star in one episode, playing Kendall Frost, a provocative private detective in Los Angeles who competes with Castle to solve a deadly mystery. On the other hand, McRaney will appear in multiple episodes as Mason Wood, the head of a legendary and secretive private detective society. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Wes Brown (Hart of Dixie) will take over the role of Gaston on Once Upon a Time, appearing in a flashback episode chronicling “an ostensibly sexier, more chiseled slice of Belle’s life. (Mark Snetiker at Entertainment Weekly)

The SundanceTV drama Rectify will end after its upcoming 4th season that will air this fall. (Variety)

Actress Maya Stojan (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Castle) will appear in a February episode of NCIS as one of four privately commissioned deep sea divers who, after a retired petty officer dies under fishy circumstances, must remain in the diving chamber for four days to decompress (alongside the deceased’s body) while the NCIS team attempts to crack the case from land. She will also appear in an upcoming episode of Grey’s Anatomy in a role that has yet to be revealed. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

WEB SERIES NEWS

Actor Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) has landed the male lead in the Hulu original drama Shut Eye that takes a darkly comedic look at the underground world of Los Angeles storefront psychics and the organized crime syndicate that runs them. The story revolves around a disgruntled player in the organization who finds his cynical world view challenged when he starts to experience visions that may or may not be real. Donovan will play Charlie Haverford, a failed magician who now works as a psychic/conman overseeing a number of fortune telling parlors in Los Angeles. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Actor Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones) has joined the cast of the upcoming Discovery Channel mini-series Harley and the Davidsons. He will play Walter Davidson. The story of the mini-series will follow how Milwaukee schoolyard pals built, and rode, the machines that rule the road. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items from December 21 through December 31:

TELEVISION

Actor Greg Germann (Ally McBeal) will appear in Once Upon a Time when it returns with new episodes in March, playing Hades, the devilish dictator of the Underworld. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

It looks like Pretty Little Liars will come to a close after its 7th season on ABC Family, which will soon be known as FreeForm as of January 12 – the very date when PLL returns for the rest of its current, sixth season. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actress Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) will appear in an episode of iZombie (which was brought to the small screen by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas). There are no details yet on who Bell will be playing in the episode though. (Ira Madison, III at Vulture)

Syfy has given a second season renewal to the mini-series The Expanse, giving it a 13-episode order. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actor Dougray Scott (Taken 3) and Kim Raver (24) will join the third season of Full Circle, the original anthology drama from DirecTV. The third season will explore the dark underworld of national politics with Scott, playing the rugged and charismatic U.S. Senator Davis Faulkner who is poised to win the Florida Presidential Primary; and Raver playing Faulkner’s wife Jane. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) has landed a recurring role in the second season of the Netflix drama Marco Polo that will air sometime in 2016. The series follows Marco Polo’s (Lorenzo Richelmy) adventures, as he fights greed, betrayal and rivalries in Kublai Khan’s court. Yeoh will play a mysterious figure from Hundred Eyes’ (Tom Wu) past. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

That’s it.

Enjoy

PS: Happy New Year!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the last few weeks:

TELEVISION

The Blacklist has been renewed for a fourth season. (Variety)

TNT has given renewals to The Librarians and Major Crimes, but the network has cancelled Legends, Agent X and Public Morals. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

FOX has given a season two order to Wayward Pines. (The Futon Critic)

Showtime has given renewal orders to Homeland and The Affair. (The Futon Critic)

Crackle has given a second season order to the streaming series The Art of More. (The Futon Critic)

Amazon has given a second season order to both web series Hand of God and The Man in the High Castle. And, Amazon has also given series orders for two new shows: Good Girl Revolt and Patriot. Good Girl Revolt will be set in 1969, following a group of young female researchers at “News of the Week,” who simply ask to be treated fairly. The cast will include Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect and True Blood) and Grace Gummer (Extant). Patriot follows the complicated life of intelligence officer John Tavner. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Megalyn Echikunwke (The 4400 and The Following) will appear on Arrow as Vixen, an African orphan who inherited the ability to mimic any animal. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Jaime Ray Newman (Drop Dead Diva) will have a recurring role on Bates Motel, playing Rebecca Hamilton, an old flame of Alex Romero (series regular Nestor Carbonell) with whom she’s still very much in love. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Looks like Kiefer Sutherland may be coming back to the small screen this time as President of the United States. Designated Survivor is the new conspiracy thriller from ABC that will find Sutherland, playing a lower level United States Cabinet member who is suddenly appointed President after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union kills everyone above him in the Presidential line of succession. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Scottish actor Richard Rankin has landed the role of Roger Wakefield in the second season of Outlander. Roger is the adopted son of Reverend Wakefield, who was introduced in the first season of the much buzz-about Starz series. Roger is a professor at Oxford with a keen interest in history and all the secrets and insights its presents. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Italia Ricci (Chasing Life) will appear in Supergirl in the recurring role of Siobhan Smythe, the latest hire by Cat Grant (series regular Calista Flockart), who at first becomes a work nemesis for Kara (series lead Melissa Benoist), but later proves a more deadly foe for Supergirl as the DC Comics villain Silver Banshee. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Tom Welling (Smallville) may be coming back to the small screen in the starring role of the CBS drama series project Section 13, which centers on a CIA black ops officer-turned-private contractor (Welling) who, after a personal tragedy, joins a covert organization devoted to carrying out the most difficult and dangerous high-stakes assignments. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Teri Reeves (Chicago Fire) will have a recurring role on Once Upon a Time as the grown-up version of Dorothy Gale, who was last seen in the series as a teenager. This time around Dorothy is a “brave warrior for good” who returns to Oz to save the magical city from the most wicked of witches. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights) will appear in Nashville in a major arc, playing music sensation Autumn, “a respected singer who’s paid her dues and who’s managed to both cross over to pop and thrive in the era of bro country.” Also, actress Meg Steedle (Boardwalk Empire) will guest star in the ABC series as a single mom that Avery sparks to after they have a charming first encounter. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Rebecca Iannuci at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Diego Boneta (Scream Queens) will guest star in Jane the Virgin as Dax, a genius techie and hipster skateboarder who takes a look at Jane’s computer and ends up surprising her — in more ways than one. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Melinda Clarke (The O.C. and Nikita) has landed a recurring role on Gotham, playing Grace Van Dahl, a power-hungry woman who plays the perfect hostess and wife while she plots how to cheat — and kill! — to get what she wants. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line and E! Online)

MOVIE NEWS

Actor Chadwick Boseman (42 and Draft Day) will star as the highly respected Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the upcoming box office film based on the first African American judge on that court. (Anita Busch at Deadline)

It would seem that director James Gunn is eyeing Kurt Russell for a key role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Russell is being considered for the role of Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) father. (Ross A. Lincoln at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

It’s been a very busy month news wise and I became terribly behind in following all of it. So the following are just some of the top news items for the month of November.

TV RENEWALS AND CANCELLATION

Fargo renewed for a 3rd season by FX. (Variety)

FX has canceled The Bastard Executioner after one season. (Variety)

ABC pulled Wicked City from the line-up after three episodes. (Variety)

Syfy has renewed Z Nation for a third season. (The TV Addict)

Blindspot has been given a second season order by NBC. (Variety)

NBC has also given renewals to Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. (Variety)

American Horror Story has been given a sixth season renewal by FX. (Variety)

Murder in the First has been given a third season order by TNT. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

TELEVISION

Actor Bailey Chase (Longmire) has landed a recurring role on Grimm, playing Lucien Petrovich, the leader of a Wesen revolutionary group. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Arjay Smith (Perception) has landed a recurring role on Major Crimes, playing Dennis Price, but no other details are available on his character. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Tom Amandes (Everwood) will appear in a multi-episode arc on Arrow, playing Noah Kuttler (The Calculator), a criminal mastermind and technical genius, who uses his advanced skills in computer science and internet manipulation to blackmail Roy (Colton Haynes) out of retirement to do his bidding, which leads to an epic battle with Team Arrow. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Matthew Morrison (Glee) will appear on the second season of Younger on TV Land. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actor Gaius Charles (Friday Night Lights) has landed a guest starring role in Friday Night Lights, playing Charlie Napier, an Army sergeant who has something mysterious in common with Jane Doe (lead star Jaimie Alexander). (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings) has joined the cast of the new ABC drama Quantico, playing FBI Agent Hannah Wyland. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actor James McDaniel (NYPD Blue) will appear in Sleepy Hollow as Ezra Mills, the absentee father of Abbie and Jenny. Sleepy Hollow will be back on FOX on February 5. (Erik Pedersen at Deadline)

Actor Blake Jenner (Glee) will join his real-life wife Melissa Benoist in Supergirl, appearing as Adam Foster, a handsome stranger from Cat Grant’s (series regular Calista Flockhart) past whose arrival in National City tests Kara and Cat’s relationship like never before. He will be a potential new love interest for Kara. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Syfy has picked up a 13-episode sci-fi small screen adaptation of Van Helsing that will center on Vanessa Helsing, the daughter of famous vampire hunter and Dracula nemesis Abraham Van Helsing, who is resurrected five years in the future to find out that vampires have taken over the world and that she possesses unique power over them. The series is set to premiere in Fall 2016. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Supernatural and Extant) will play the infamous villain Negan on The Walking Dead. Negan is the leader of the Saviors, a ruthless group that demands food and supplies from other communities in “exchange” for protection from the walkers. (Maane Khatchatoruian at Variety)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actress Sonia Braga has joined the cast of the Netflix online series Marvel’s Luke Cage. She will play Soledad Temple, the mother of Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson). (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actor Jason Mamoa (Game of Thrones and The Red Road) will star in the Netflix online series Frontier that is an action-packed adventure drama following the chaotic and violent struggle to control wealth and power in the North American fur trade in the late 18th century. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Matt Bomer (White Collar and American Horror Story Hotel) will star in the Amazon pilot called Tycoon, based on the unfinished F. Scott Fitzgerald novel The Last Tycoon. Bomer will play 1930s movie mogul Monroe Stahr. The series will follow Monroe’s rise as a studio executive, a journey which eventually puts him at odds with studio head Pat Brady — who also happens to be Monroe’s mentor. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

Before Ash vs. Evil Dead even aired its debut episode, Starz renewed it for a second season. (Variety)

Netflix has given the former A&E drama Longmire, which the streaming network picked up for a fourth season, an order for a fifth season. (Variety)

The Walking Dead has been given a seventh season order by AMC. (Variety)

Actor Nathan Darrow (House of Cards) has landed the recurring role of Victor Fries (aka Mr. Freeze) on Gotham. Actress Kristen Hager (Being Human) will play Victor’s wife Nora while actor B. D. Wong (Law & Order: SVU) will recur as Hugo Strange, the psychiatrist hired to run Arkham. (Michael Ausiello and Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Nick Romano at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Elisabeth Rohm (Stalker) has landed a recurring role on The Last Ship, playing Allison Shaw, the highly intelligent and capable Chief of Staff to President Michener (recurring guest star Mark Moses). (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Jessy Schram (Falling Skies) has landed a recurring role on Nashville, playing Cash Gray, a singer songwriter who is just starting to come into her own, having co-written a few songs with Kacey Musgraves. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Cassidy Freeman (Smallville and Longmire) will guest star in an episode of Stitchers will returns for its second season on ABC Family, which will be taking on the new name of Freeform in 2016. She will play Ellie, a hacker who uses her “impressive skills” to taunt the Stitchers team. Meanwhile, actor John Billingsley (True Blood) will recur on the show, playing Mitchell Blair, an NSA executive who arrives on the scene as part of an “abrupt change” to the Stitchers’ organization. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Actress Jessica Camacho (Last Resort) has been promoted to series regular on Sleepy Hollow where she plays Sophie Foster, who has experience obtaining artifacts and a connection (however murky) to the dearly departed Sheriff Corbin. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line and The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Henry Czerny (Revenge) will appear as Winslow Schott (aka the Toyman) on Supergirl. (Andy Swift at TV Line, ComicBook.com and Supergirl.TV)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) will star opposite Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis in the upcoming sci-fi film Colossal that follows a woman who moves back to her hometown after losing her job and boyfriend in New York, only to discover that she is somehow strangely connected to a giant creature that has materialized over Seoul and is wreaking havoc on the city. Stevens will play the ex-boyfriend who originally scorns her only to later fight to win her back. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

TV TO BOOK NEWS

The TV series The Librarians is getting a spin-off book that will be published in October 2016. The book “The Librarians and the Lost Lamp” will toggle between the past, as Flynn Carsen tries to find Aladdin’s Lamp before an ancient criminal organization known as the Forty Seals gets hold of it, and the future, when Eve Baird and a new group of Librarians — protectors of ancient artifacts like King Arthur’s sword Excalibur — stumble on a mystery in Las Vegas that seems to relate to the Lamp and the powerful djinn it can summon. (Andy Lewis at The Hollywood Reporter)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: With Charlotte Ross returning to Arrow soon, can you tell us anything about her relationship with Oliver, Felicity, and if she’ll finally meet Quentin Lance? –Tina

Mitovich: Stephen Amell shared at the set last week that Oliver has formed a bond with Mama Smoak, especially since he was living the suburban life with her daughter Felicity. “I had always imagined that Oliver in his nice, easy-going state would have a dialogue with Donna Smoak, which was proven correct and leads to some funny moments,” he said. “The dynamic between the two of them is excellent.” As for any possible meeting of Donna and Quentin, Paul Blackthorne joked as he came away from filming the fall finale, “Do I have lipstick on my cheek? [Then again] it’s a Christmas episode, so of course, everybody’s kissing everybody.” Hmmm.

Question: When will Arrow fans learn about Felicity’s father? –Kyle

Mitovich: Not anytime especially soon, it sounds like. “I don’t know anything about my dad,” Emily Bett Rickards said on set last week, “except that he’s probably going to be a villain and he’s rich and that he comes in this season.”

Question: Do you have any new Castle scoop? –Alie

Mitovich: During our November Sweep preview chat, I was sure to ask the co-showrunners what exactly Kristopher Polaha will be up to on the series, besides being tall. “He’s playing a public defender who comes in [during the fall finale ‘Mr. & Mrs. Castle’] and presents with some unexpected complexity,” said Alexi Hawley. “He’s a little bit more than what he seems. “The design of his character,” Terence Paul Winter added, “is that he’s immediately at odds with the folks at the 12th, while representing a murderer. He’s trying to do his job while the 12th is trying to do theirs.”

Question: Do you have any scoop on where Castle‘s Beckett will be when Stana Katic was in Milan? –Laura

Mitovich: For the next new episode, “Cool Boys” (airing Nov. 9), Beckett is “out of town at a meeting for a couple of days, at a work-related function,” Alexi Hawley told me. The EP then made clear that she is off doing “real work, not secret work” related to the LokSat mystery.

Question: Any clues as to whether Once Upon a Time viewers are literally going to “hell” aka the Underworld, and if so, as a whole cast? Or is it possible it comes to Storybrooke? –Karen

Mitovich: Details — on any confirmed trip to Hell or otherwise – are scarce thus far, but this much I can share: For an early Season 5B episode, the ABC series is guest-casting the roles of a “dashing, strapping young man” who is “single-minded in his pursuit of his destiny: to be the greatest hero who ever lived” and a “plucky, 18-year-old female adventurer with a sly sense of humor and a tough, no-nonsense spirit.”

Question: Is it too early for scoop on Beauty and the Beast Season 4? –Anna

Mitovich: Back in August when this email first came in? Yes. But now? Not so early! At the very least, I can report that the Season 4 aka series finale will be titled, fittingly, “Au Revoir.”

Question: It’s very exciting that we’re going to get some members of the Lane family in Supergirl‘s first season, but is there any hope for Lois herself? And if not a guest-starring role or even a cameo, will we at least hear about her life onscreen? –Tatiana

Mitovich: As a matter of fact, not only does Clark Kent get name-checked in Episode 2, but his lady love Lois also is mentioned. (Jenna Dewan-Tatum then of course debuts as little sister Lucy aka James’ ex the following week.)

Question: Do you have any scoop on CBS’ Supergirl? –SuperSurfSurf

Mitovich: Episode 11 will introduce the potentially recurring character of Senator Miranda Crane, a dynamic, persuasive and dangerous ideologue who is preparing for a White House run based on an anti-alien platform.

Question: What does it mean for Supernatural‘s Dean that he and The Darkness are bound? What plans does Amara/Darkness have for him? Can one be killed without hurting the other? –DeMara

Mitovich: One can definitely be injured without affecting the other. “It’s not like a voodoo doll” (or “twinsies,” as Jared Padalecki jokes) “or anything like that,” star Jensen Ackles clarifies. “We will see… what exactly that relationship is” between Dean and The Darkness, Ackles adds. “I don’t think that he knows what to make of it. What it all means and how it’s all going to tie into his destiny and his future and what that means for the brothers, he’s very nervous about. Obviously, those nerves are something that he’s going to be hiding, but we will see it get fleshed out a bit.”

Question: Supernatural‘s Sam and the Reaper — is there more to this story? –JJ

Mitovich: Interestingly, Dean will also be meeting Billie the reaper (played by Lisa Berry), in the fall finale. “To be honest… we have not shot those scenes yet, so I don’t know how intense it’s going to be,” Jensen Ackles said on set last week. “But I’m excited to work with her.”

Question: Do you happen to have any scoop on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that isn’t Secret Warriors related? –Dee

Mitovich: Exec producer Jeffrey Bell affirms that May is “really angry” after her and Hunter’s attack on Ward wound up getting Andrew (seemingly) incinerated. And she’s not only mad at the menfolk. “Look, she was part of that plan, so she’s culpable,” Bell notes. “Knowing May, she’s more angry at herself than anybody else.” Asked if Andrew’s unclear fate will be confirmed sooner, or later, Bell hedged, “We will absolutely address his fate sooner or later!” (BTW, the Secret Warriors detected and do not appreciate your shade!)

Question: I would love to have any spoilers you can give on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Fitz and Simmons! — Jenna

Mitovich: It sounds like they will keep their mission to somehow rescue Will from the planet on the down low, which of course on this show tends to backfire in spectacular fashion. “Like any kind of secret, it starts with one person knowing something,” says EP Jeffrey Bell, “and then over time there are twist and turns and complications.”

Question: Where is Gotham‘s Harvey Dent? Isn’t he supposed to be around more this year? –Drew

Mitovich: Dent (played by series regular Nicholas D’Agosto) resurfaces this Monday in “Mommy’s Little Monster,” and from there on will appear “on and off,” says EP John Stephens. “We’re not playing any full Harvey Dent stories right now, but he’s a part of our world, that’s for sure.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

ABC Family has given a season five order to Switched at Birth. (The Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has officially cancelled The Whispers after one season. (Variety)

The episode order for Blood & Oil, the new ABC drama starring Don Johnson and Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford has been dropped down to 10 episodes. (Variety)

The Player, the new NBC drama starring Wesley Snipes and Philip Winchester, has had its ordered trimmed down to 9 episodes. (Variety)

Limitless has been given a full season order by CBS. (Variety)

CASTING NEWS

Actor Kurtwood Smith (That 70’s Show) has joined the cast of the second season of Marvel’s Agent Carter, playing Vernon Masters, a veteran of the War Department with a keen understanding of how to work the system. Agent Carter is set to premiere in 2016. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse and The 100) has landed a recurring role on The Last Ship for the show’s third season. She will play Jesse, a helicopter pilot who lives off the grid. Also, actress Bridget Regan (Jane the Virgin and Legend of the Seeker) has landed a series regular role on the show, playing Sasha, a former Navy Intelligence Officer now operating under diplomatic cover in China for the newly reformed United States government. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Carlos Gomes (The Glades) will have a recurring role in the new upcoming USA Network drams Queen Of The South that chronicles the rise of Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga) from the rough streets of Mexico to her life as a drug kingpin in Malibu. He will play drug lord Javier Acosta, who calls the shots from his compound in Colombia. The series is slated to premiere in 2016. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Lindsay Wagner (The Bionic Woman) will guest-star in an episode of NCIS as the mother of Ellie Bishop (series regular Emily Wickersham), who makes a Thanksgiving trip back to Oklahoma. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Anne Heche (Men in Trees) will guest star in an episode of Quantico, playing Dr. Susan Langdon, a former FBI agent and medical examiner who is now a bestselling author and pundit. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Mario Lopez (Saved By the Bell) has landed the role of Vince Fontaine, the host of the teen dance show “National Bandstand” in the upcoming NBC Grease: Live special that will star Aaron Tveit (Graceland) as Danny, Julianne Hough (Dancing with the Stars) as Sandy and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musicial) as Rizzo. (Joe Otterson at The Wrap).

Actor Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil) will play the Wizard of Ox in the upcoming NBC series Emerald City that follows 20-year-old Dorothy Gale (Adria Arjona from True Detective) and her K9 police dog from Kansas who, after a tornado, are transported to another world far away — a mystical land of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, wicked witches, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

MOVIE TRAILER

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

Question: Any scoop on next week’s “Baby” episode of Supernatural? Any bromantic scene we should be looking forward to? —Eleni

Ausiello: TVLine’s resident Supe-heroine Vlada Gelman has seen Wednesday’s anticipated hour and she tells me exclusively that it’s an “Impala love letter” featuring “a surprise that should delight longtime fans.” She also reports that the hour boasts “several fantastic music cues, a rather poignant talk between the brothers in their beloved car and Baby’s first valet experience!”

Question: Any scoop on possible romances for the Winchesters on Supernatural this season? —Emmerentia

Ausiello: Dean will be involved in a surprising (albeit one-sided) romance of sorts in Episode 11 when The Brothers W investigate a murder at a posh nursing home. One of the residents — saucy, sassy 60-year-old Mildred — launches a major, outrageous, PG-13 flirtation attack on Jensen Ackles, and I hear it’s hilarious. And hot as hell. I’m calling it: This is the love story for which Supernatural fans have been longing.

Question: Any new Once Upon a Time scoop? —Patti

Ausiello: The show is casting a mysterious, dangerous and vindictive God-like figure known obscurely as “Distinguished Gentleman” or “DG.” Given that series co-creator Eddy Kitsis summed up Season 5B as “hell,” which quickly sparked speculation that the ABC series next will brave the Underworld, one must wonder if they’re thusly casting a very dapper Devil.

Question: Anything on Bay/Emmett from Switched at Birth? —Rissa

Ausiello: Let’s just say it’s a good thing the show was recently renewed for a fifth season, Rissa, because you’re definitely going to want to find out where Bay and Emmett stand after Monday’s Season 4 finale. As you already know, Emmett is none too pleased that Travis is making a play for his ex, and all that tension is going to come to a head in this final hour — right in the midst of several important, stressful events, might I add.

Question: What’s the scoop on Grimm? —Thomas

Ausiello: The NBC series is bringing in Monroe’s uncle, a German man named Felix Dietrich who is described as “bespectacled, bookish [and] slightly off-center.” (Shocker, right?) In the course of his work as an antiquarian bookseller, Felix will come across some very old volumes about Grimms — which is helpful, considering Juliette destroyed a lot of that kind of thing when she torched the trailer — then find himself followed by those who are willing to kill in order to secure the books. He’ll show up in the United States to ask for Monroe’s help. Look for Uncle Felix to make his debut in Episode 10.

Question: Do the NCIS writers/producers already have plans for the 300th episode (this season’s 18th episode)? —Daniel

Ausiello: Since it’s not until Episode 18, as you note, and the CBS series is only now filming No. 10, “We’re starting to knock some ideas around,” says showrunner Gary Glasberg. “It’s an episode that I think we’re going to put some military and Navy attachment to, that may have to do with a veterans scenario that we’ve been intrigued by, is really heartfelt and could be something that Gibbs connects with.” Plus, as one might expect for such a milestone, “We’ll also probably bring on a bunch of surprise guest stars, as well.”

Question: I loved the first significant scenes of Chris Chalk’s Lucius Fox on Gotham. How much can we expect to see of this awesomeness during the season? Any spoilers you can share? —Nicole

Ausiello: As established in next week’s episode (though he’s off camera), Lucius is getting
ever closer to fixing Thomas Wayne’s secret computer, so it’s just a matter of time until he resurfaces to keep Alfred on his toes and help mentor young Bruce. “What Sean [Pertwee] and I find exciting about the Lucius/Alfred dynamic,” says Chalk, “is it’s two people who can match each other. Usually Alfred is the smartest man in the room, the most dangerous man in the room, and now he has an intellectual counterpart who’s like, ‘I can go all day with you.’” The Wayne Enterprises tech-spert’s connection to Bruce, meanwhile, “is pure loyalty,” says Chalk. “His dad was for the greater good, and having not previously pledged his loyalty in a more active way, Lucius now has a chance to do that with Bruce, to be an adviser in a way.”

Question: I love Sleepy Hollow‘s Jenny and Joe working together. What do you have on that front? –JoAnna

Ausiello: Series newbie Zach Appleman tells us that one of the “most fun” things he’s gotten to do so far is a top-secret scene in Episode 7 in which “we both got to use our martial-arts training.” And how about a vague-but-intriguing one-word tease about the midseason finale, courtesy of Greenwood: “Help!” she cries.

Question: Any Flash scoop on Iris? Will we see her at her job as well as mixed up in the action? —Lucy

Ausiello: Affirmative. As Candice Patton explains, “We know Iris as the iconic reporter from Picture News, but she’s now kind of a part of Team Flash, which is really cool. I’m enjoying seeing her at S.T.A.R. Labs and feeling that she’s no longer kept in the dark. You’ll definitely see more of that this season, but it’s important to remember that she is a reporter and that’s how we know her. We will hopefully start to see her show up in Picture News.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

Quantico is the second new fall drama to receive a full season order. (Variety)

Rosewood is the third new fall drama to receive a full season order. (Variety)

The CW has announced that Beauty and the Beast will have one more season, its fourth, and then it will end. (Variety)

Defiance has been cancelled by Syfy after three seasons on the air. (Variety)

ABC has cancelled Rookie Blue after six seasons on the air. (Will Robinson at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Kris Polaha (Life Unexpected) has landed a recurring role on Castle, playing Caleb Brown, an idealistic public defender whose criminal clients put him at odds with Beckett (series lead Stana Katic) and the 12th Precinct. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Aaron Tveit (Graceland) has landed a role in the CBS sci-fi drama BrainDead that is expected to air next summer. The comic thriller centers on brain-eating aliens who attack Washington, D.C. Tveit will play Gareth, a Republican operative who serves as the legislative director to a top Republican senator. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: Excited to see Whitney Frost (actress Wynn Everett) on Agent Carter. Is there anything you can share about her character? — Janie

Natalie: “She’s our villain this year with our Cinematic Universe/1940s spin on the character sort of like we did with Dr. Fenhoff, who was a more modern character, and we’re pulling her through time,” executive producer Chris Dingess tells me. “She and Peggy’s stories compliment and inform one another.” Of course, she won’t initially be the bad guy. “She’s a very complicated person,” adds EP Tara Butters. “Through the course of the season, you get to see how she moves to that side. It’s not a very simple question of her being a villain.”

Question: Do you have details on the Once Upon a Time episode featuring Merida, Mulan and Ruby? — Natasha

Natalie: Much will be revealed during the outing, which takes place during the two-parter slated to air during November sweeps. “We’re going to get to see more of Merida’s backstory in it,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “It’s an epic adventure.” As for how Mulan and Ruby factor into that, Horowitz teases coyly, “You will have fun and adventure,” he says. “We do address where Ruby has been all this time, and that’s part of the story.”

Question: I doubt they’re going to kill off Jane Doe, but that trailer for next week’s Blindspot freaked me out a little bit. What can you tease? — Heather

Natalie: Yes, big bad Carter does take aim at Jane with a sniper rifle during a highly tense situation involving terrorists in a graveyard, but a surprising person will come to her rescue.

Question: What does Jay Garrick’s role on The Flash look like moving forward? — Sam

Natalie: I’ll let Teddy Sears take this one: “Jay finds himself wonderfully ingratiated into the group at S.T.A.R. Labs,” he says. “He becomes an extra spoke in the wheel for their doing battle with the metahuman-of-the-week. Jay’s background as a scientist allows him to accomplish things in a way that perhaps the team wasn’t able to do before. That said, Caitlin Snow is also a scientist and the two of them find themselves teaming up on whatever needs to be done to help defeat the villains, and they also begin to share a closeness that neither one of them could’ve anticipated.”

Question: Do you happen to have any spoilers about the winter episodes of Major Crimes? Especially about the development of Sharon and Andy’s relationship? –Maayan

Mitovich: It appears that a work-related injury will somewhat sideline Andy for a few episodes… and find him convalescing at a certain female colleague’s apartment. Other storylines include a super-twisty murder mystery with a long, disparate list of suspects (airing Nov. 2); the return of Sharon’s ex-husband Jack (on Nov. 9); and a suspicious death during the taping of a reality-TV show.

Question: What’s going to be learned about Jenny this season on Sleepy Hollow? –Bella

Mitovich: We, too, wanted to know more about how Jenny would be woven into Season 3, so we went straight to the source: Lyndie Greenwood. “The writers this year have found a really organic way of bringing her into the fold,” the actress told TVLine, adding that she’s been in every episode this season “so far.” She teased a special moment for the Mills sisters, in Episode 7, that highlights that “it’s not all tension and sadness and all that anymore. We see some good times with them, as well… They’re a good unit, and I think there are quite a few moments the fans can enjoy.”

Question: (Do you have) any Scorpion scoop. Anything is welcome, but I was wondering if we will see more of Happy’s dad this season? —Amanda

Mitovich: We will definitely be seeing more of Happy’s dad as the season progresses. What’s more, in an upcoming episode we see Toby’s first boxing match that goes… well, just about as you’d expect it to… while the big secret Happy’s been hiding from the team is finally revealed.

Question: Please make my day with some scoop on Blindspot‘s Weller and Jane aka Taylor please. —Naazneen

Mitovich: EP Martin Gero says that an eventual romance ‘tween the two is not off the table. After all, he points out, “They’re arguably the most important person in [each other’s] lives, and that’s a heady, heavy, complicated thing. So, seeing them try to navigate that is a lot of fun. They’re going to make a lot of mistakes, there are going to be some ups and downs, and there will be some really confused emotions. It’s a roller coaster.”

Question: I can cross my fingers for a Ray/Sara hookup on Legends of Tomorrow? I think Caity Lotz and Brandon Routh have a good chemistry already! –Jenny

Mitovich: EP Phil Klemmer all but confirmed a Ray/Sara pairing during the midseason series’ New York Comic Con panel, when he said in addressing a fan Q on that topic, “Any time you’re in in close, life-or-death quarters [about a time-traveling vessel], weird things happens with people.” Bonus scoop: Legends Episode 6 is casting a hulking, brawny a character who is poised to “pick up his father’s mantle and become a powerful villain,” as well as an African-American or biracial male who “decides to put on the uniform of a missing hero who once stood for justice and hope.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

TELEVISION

FOX has cut the episode order for Minority Report to 10 episodes. (Variety)

FX has renewed Tyrant for a third season. (Variety)

AMC has renewed Halt and Catch Fire for a third season. (Variety)

Blindspot has received a full season order by NBC. (Deadline)

Rosewood has been an order for 3 more scripts. (Deadline)

Actor Francois Arnaud (The Borgias) has landed a recurring role on Blindspot, playing a mysterious character from Jane’s (series lead Jaimie Alexander) past. Also actor Lou Diamond Phillips (Longmire) will recur in the series as Saúl Guerrero, a feared criminal and pivotal character from Bethany Mayfair’s (series regular Marianne Jean-Baptiste) past that will send shock waves through the FBI. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Four actors have been added to the cast of Marvel’s Agent Carter, which will return for a second season on ABC later this season. They include actresses Wynn Everett (The Newsroom) and Lotte Verbeek (Outlander) and actors Currie Graham (Pompeii) and Reggie Austin (Devious Maids). Everett will play the storied Marvel comics character Whitney Frost, a Hollywood actress and brilliant inventor; Verbeek will play Ana Jarvis, the free-spirited wife of Edwin Jarvis (series regular James D’Arcy), who immediately befriends Peggy (series lead Hayley Atwell) and helps her to adjust to life in Los Angeles; Graham will play Whitney’s husband Calvin Chadwick, a high-powered businessman and Austin will play Jason Wilkes, a quirky yet charismatic scientist who instantly charms Peggy. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Carl Lumbly (Alias) will recur on the upcoming NBC spin-off series Chicago Med, playing the recurring role of Bert, husband to Sharon (series regular S. Epatha Merkerson), who is the head of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, where much of the show’s action takes place. Chicago Med premieres November 17. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Scottie Thompson will be back as Jeanne Benoit on NCIS. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Adrian Pasdar (Heroes and The Lying Game) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the new FOX drama Rosewood, playing Dr. Derek Foster, whom Rosewood and Det. Villa suspect of killing two of his patients. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Paul Reubens (aka PeeWee Herman) will appear on the FOX drama Gotham as the father of Oswald Cobblepot (aka the Penguin). (The Futon Critic via New York Comic Con)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actress Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) has joined the cast of the Playstation series Powers, playing the recurring role of FBI Special Agent Lange, who, like the comic book character, shares a history and palpable sexual tension with Detective Walker (series lead Sharlto Copley). (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: What is Arrow‘s Diggle willing to do to find the truth about Andy’s death? Will flashbacks with Andy parallel his current life (as Oliver’s tend to)? –Ann

Mitovich: First of all, the possibility of there being Diggle/Andy flashbacks this season is currently at “maybe,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says, and there’s a reason for that. “In Season 1, we broke format and did a flashback from Moira’s perspective, in Episode 21. That worked out so well, we did more non-island flashbacks in Season 2,” he explains. And that worked so well, we thought, ‘Let’s do more in Season 3’ — but for my money, we ended up doing too many. Every time you did a non-island or non-Hong Kong Flashback, you stop that story so it prevents that story from gaining momentum.” As such, the first flashback to break away from format this season won’t happen until Episode 8.

Question: Any scoop about Felicity’s father on Arrow? –Sara

Mitovich: Like, whether we’ll learn any information about the elusive figure now that Donna Smoak’s visit has been extended? “We’re hoping,” executive producer Wendy Mericle responds. Adds EP Marc Guggenheim: “We’re always talking about it, but we have to find the right story and the right moment. We trust that it will come to us when it’s meant to come to us.” Maybe it’s a good thing the daddy issues haven’t come up yet, because funny Felicity is back “with a vengeance” in Season 4, Guggenheim reports. “[Emily Bett Rickards is] on the top of her game. She’s hysterical. We’re definitely writing jokes for her, but she’s also finding humor in lines that weren’t intentionally humorous.”

Question: We know that Castle‘s Vikram Singh is a tech guy, and he’ll be working with the 12th Precinct. I was wondering if we’re going to see Tory (played by Maya Stojan) again. Is she still at the 12th? –Michelle

Mitovich: “Unfortunately, we might not be seeing Tory” any time soon, co-showrunner Terence Paul Winter reports. As Alexi Hawley explains, “Adding Vikram (as the 12th’s new digital investigator) takes that slot a bit, and because he serves a bigger storyline” — helping Beckett hunt down LOCKSAT — “it’s more productive for us to use him.” But speaking of recurring characters, I do have good news for Inside Line e-mailer Sarah: You’ll “definitely” be seeing Dr. Perlmutter again.

Question: I’m dying for a scoop on the Bones and Sleepy Hollow crossover event. –Cordell

Mitovich: In addition to all that we have reported thus far, the official Fox synopsis for the Oct. 29 event says that in the Bones hour, titled “The Resurrection in the Remains,” Brennan, Booth, Abbie and Ichabod must figure out how to work together to discover the identity of a 200-year-old headless corpse and how it is linked to a contemporary murder victim. Then in the Sleepy Hollow half, “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” Pandora unleashes a force to awaken the dangerous Red Coat General Howe, forcing the two teams of crime solvers to find a way to save the titular town from the British Army of the Undead. “Can the power of Booth and Brennan combined with Abbie and Crane be enough to stop Pandora’s evil forces?”

Question: Loved the season premiere of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Do you have any scoop on what or who is chasing Simmons on that other planet? –Michela

Mitovich: You will get some answers about Jemma’s otherworldly predicament this Tuesday, though I must warn you: The episode’s cold open, which is set a long time ago, will leave you fearing the very worst for Fitz’s “lost” love. Also in the surprisingly eventful Week 2: Ward kicks a whole lotta ass and you will learn what skill May excelled at when she was a young girl. Any guesses?

Question: The Quantico twist that has me most curious so far is the twins (played by Yasmine Al Massri). Any scoop on what that is all about? –Meaghan

Mitovich: Nimah and Raina aka the twins-posing-as-one “were one of the very first things I thought about [when creating Quantico],” showrunner Josh Safran told me. And though the double take may seem far-fetched, Safran says, “It’s based on a KGB tactic that was used during the Cold War as a way to…. Um, I actually don’t want to say any more, because I was about to give it away! But you will discover why they were recruited, and it is very integral to the plot.”

Question: Will we be seeing Lily back on Once Upon a Time this season? –Aidy

Mitovich: Like Eion Bailey’s August, who also was in the mix as Season 4 came to a close, Lily (played by Agnes Bruckner) is theoretically “hanging out there somewhere [in Storybrooke],” series co-creator Adam Horowitz tells me. “We have a plan to pick up her story, though it’s not going to be right away. It may be the second half [of Season 5].”

Question: Will Once Upon a Time‘s 100th episode be the conclusion of the [Dark Swan] arc, or will it be more of a retrospective clip episode? –Linda

Mitovich: The ABC series’ milestone hour in fact will kick off Season 5B in the spring.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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