Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

TELEVISION

Actor Adam Rodriguez (Magic Mike and CSI: Miami) will have a recurring role on Jane the Virgin, playing Jonathan, Jane’s very critical writing professor who does not believe in coddling students. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Graceland has been cancelled after three seasons by USA Network. (Variety)

ABC Family has cancelled Chasing Life after two seasons. (Variety)

CBS has been given a second season order for summer 2016. (Variety)

Actor Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars and Person of Interest) has landed a recurring role on the second season of the Playstation Network drama Powers that is inspired by the graphic novels of the same name that follows the lives of two homicide detectives, Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley) and Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward), who are assigned to investigate cases involving people with extraordinary abilities, referred to as “Powers.” Colantoni will play Senator Bailey Brown, a Senator from Montana and a leader in the Anti-Powers legislation. A former Power known as Cobalt Knight, he now abstains from using his abilities to serve his country from the halls of Congress. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Kelli Williams (Ties That Bind and Army Wives) and actor Rob Morrow (Northern Exposure) will both have recurring roles on The Fosters. Williams will play Justina, a well-connected foster-care specialist who proposes a significant investment in Callie’s “Fost and Found” website. Meanwhile, Morrow will play Will, a liberal-minded free-spirit who is introduced to the Adams Foster family through Stef’s mom, Sharon (Annie Potts). (The Futon Critic)

Actress Sherri Saum (The Fosters) will guest star in this week’s episode of How to Get Away With Murder. Details about who she will be playing, however, are being kept under wraps. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MOVIE TRAILER

Brooklyn

NOTE: For those with a keen eye, they will catch a glimpse or two of Arrow star Emily Bett Rickards, who has a small role in this film.

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen has joined the upcoming FOX live production of Grease, playing Pink Lady Frenchy. (Erik Pedersen at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at TV Line and Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Anything positive for Castle‘s Caskett fans after this week’s “events”? —Mandy

Ausiello: As dire as things might appear for Rick, Kate and their marriage, you should find more than a little solace in the fact that Episode 7 — airing Nov. 16, during the heart of sweeps — is titled “Mr. & Mrs. Castle.” “It’s going to be a great episode,” co-showrunner Terence Paul Winter told Matt Mitovich. “For the fans who right now are going, ‘What the heck are Terence and Alexi [Hawley] doing?!,’ when they see that episode they’ll understand and see what we’re going for.”

Question: What is in store for Lord Narcisse on Reign next season? —Veronika

Ausiello: Well, Veronika, if you aren’t already a fan of Craig Parker’s shady character — as I suspect you are, since you asked about him — you probably will be after the Oct. 9 season premiere. Though he hasn’t always been an ally to Mary and Francis, he’ll prove most useful when their enemies begin plotting against them. As for Lola, Narcisse remains intent on winning her over, no matter the cost.

Question: I would like a good Nashville scoop — the key word there being “good.” —Kevin

Ausiello: Don’t be surprised if, at some point this season, a key character is poised on the edge of a roof — the key word there being “roof” — and looking like he or she is ready to jump. The key word there being “jump.”

Question: Could we please get scoop on Dean and his storyline on Supernatural, please? I’ll buy you cookies. —Dean

Ausiello: Dean (and Sam) will have more than just The Darkness to contend with in Season 11. According to EP Jeremy Carver, witchy Rowena will remain “very much a problem” for the Winchesters. Now that she’s got some major magical mojo, “We’ll be seeing her in the early parts of the season deciding what she wants to do with this newfound power, and you’ll see what kind of success she has with that,” he adds. “What makes her an enjoyable character is for all of her power, she’s still ruled by a certain amount of hubris.”

Question: Is Tobias Fornell coming back for NCIS Season 13? —Matthias

Ausiello: I can confirm that he who shared an ex-wife with Gibbs (and is played by Joe Spano) is set for an encore this season, though an airdate has not been set.

Question: Without giving too much out, what was your favorite moment of the Arrow season premiere? Thank you!— Em

Natalie: There’s great comedy to be had with how Felicity handles domesticity, but my favorite moment is when Diggle makes a very divisive decision that will certainly come back to haunt him. All told, the premiere has several great twists at the end that set up what is likely to be a very compelling fourth season.

Question: Who do you think is the terrorist on Quantico? — Teri

Natalie: Honestly, it’s way too early for me to even venture a guess since we still have plenty of NATs — new agent trainees — to meet. “The truth of the matter is they’re all suspects,” says EP Josh Safran. “It’s important to note that you’ll meet other NATs as the season progresses. We look at it much like Lost in that you’re meeting new people from different rows of the plane as the series progresses, so you’re meeting new trainees, and the trainees are just as much suspects as anyone you meet in the pilot.” I’d keep my eye on Brandon Fletcher (Jacob Artist), who’ll make his debut in episode 5.

Question: When will May return on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? — Harry

Natalie: Soon! “You will see May in the second episode, you just don’t know why she’s there,” Ming-Na Wen tells me cryptically, adding that May will be attempting to juggle actually having a personal life on top of her professional one. “She’s trying to figure it out and that’s why, in the first episode, no one’s really sure where her head’s at right now.” The good news is the personal and professional will collide. “Adding Andrew [Blair Underwood] into the team is really vital for season 3 because the Inhumans are no longer the exception,” she says. “They’re becoming more of the norm.”

Question: Anything Flash related? — Tommy

Natalie: What’s great about the introduction of Earth-Two is it opens up the possibility of seeing doppelgangers of our favorite characters. One I’m dying to see is Citizen Cold, the hero version of Captain Cold, who was featured in the Flashpoint comic arc. When I asked EP Andrew Kreisberg about it last month, he said it was still TBD. “There are some things that we’re planning on, there are some things we’re excited we have an idea for,” he said. “We found in breaking this season, it’s getting crazier the more we talk about it. We were afraid to really dive in in the beginning, and the more that the stories really help sell the idea of Earth-Two, in the same way that we sold the idea of time travel last year, we really feel like we can start toying with some of the more whacked out possibilities of having a parallel world and dopplegangers.”

Question: For Once Upon a Time, are we going to find out how different Mr. Gold is without the darkness inside of him? — Dina

Natalie: “That gets explored,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. “When the Darkness is removed from his heart, and if he gets out of that coma and doesn’t die, which is always a possibility, I would say that he should be a different person. His heart was shriveled with a lot of dark deeds, and so if you remove that, the person he was before the knife might rear its head.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news for the last two weeks:

TELEVISION

The ABC summer drama Mistresses received a fourth season renewal by ABC. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

TNT has canceled the Jennifer Beals drama Proof after only one season. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Devious Maids renewed for fourth season by Lifetime. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Vanessa Williams (Ugly Betty) will have a recurring role on The Good Wife, playing Courtney Boalt, an extremely successful, self-made businesswoman who is potentially interested in backing Peter Florrick’s (Chris Noth) campaign for President. In the process, she meets Eli Gold (Alan Cumming), sparking a mutual attraction. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Eric Roberts (Expendables) will appear in an episode of The Player, playing Pauly Agostino, an imprisoned ex-crime boss. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actress Tessa Thompson (Veronica Mars and Copper) have joined the upcoming HBO drama Westworld, the dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin. She will play Charlotte Hale, a mysterious and savvy provocateur with a unique perspective on Westworld. The series is slated to debut in 2016. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Vincent Ventresca (The Invisible Man) has landed a recurring role on the upcoming ABC dram, playing Jimmy, ex-boyfriend of Betty (Erika Christensen). (The Deadline Team)

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

Question: So, does that final scene of Jane Doe getting the tattoos in the Blindspot pilot mean she’s actually in on it? — Johanna

Natalie: I wouldn’t assume anything just yet. “You can read a couple things into that scene,” EP Martin Gero says. “Yes, she eventually chooses to have the tattoos [put] on, but under what circumstances, under what duress and why is something we’re going to explore pretty heavily in the first season.”

Question: I’m all for suspending logic to enjoy genre television, but how exactly does Crane get to England with falsified documents on Sleepy Hollow? — Bella

Natalie: That’s an interesting question that might be answered by this new casting for a potential love interest that comes into Ichabod’s life for a multi-episode arc. “There is a lady on the scene, her name is Zoe Corinth and she’s played by Maya Kazan,” Tom Mison tells me. “She’s introduced because she’s going to help Ichabod fill out the paperwork for his American citizenship. Of course, how could that not blossom into something when there’s something as sexy as paperwork? They’re kindred spirits, but he’s reticent, as you can imagine.”

Question: Will there be consequences for Jim’s deal with Penguin on Gotham?— Tom

Natalie: The immediate consequence is simply that Jim now has to be a cop again, and thanks to Theo breaking Jerome (and others) out of Arkham, being a cop in Gotham is about to be more difficult than ever before. But if you’re a fan of the city’s villains, I’d highly suggest you watch episode 3 live.

Question: Any info about The Flash would be great, especially Barry Allen info. Thanks! — Shelly

Natalie: The title of the season premiere is a very curious thing: “The Man Who Saved Central City.” While the residents of Central City believe that man is The Flash, and viewers believe it’s Eddie, there’s someone else that played a very big role on that day.

Question: Big fan of Heroes. Thought Heroes Reborn was great. What’s next?— Andy

Natalie: We’ll get to meet the big bad boss behind the Renautas company, who unveils global plans that can only come to fruition with the acquisition of Molly Walker. In possibility related news, Miko’s sword will soon fall into new hands.

Question: So excited to hear that Mulan will be back on Once Upon a Time. Last we saw, Robin Hood asked her to join his band of Merry Men. Any chance we will see more of her relationship with Robin Hood? –Karola

Mitovich: The whereabouts of Mulan (played by Jamie Chung), as well as Meghan Ory’s Ruby/Red, will be accounted for when each character resurfaces after so much time off-screen. “We’re not planning to drop them back in the show with no explanation and just say, ‘Oh, they were over in the corner,’” says co-creator Adam Horowitz. “We do want to give a taste of where Mulan has been and what she’s been up to and what she’s been going through. The same with Red.”

Question: I’m back on board with Gotham. Any scoop to share? –Craig

Mitovich: This Monday’s episode features a significant death, as well as an enormously entertaining dialogue between Lucius Fox (newly promoted series regular Chris Chalk) and Alfred, as the gents first meet and warily compare agendas with regard to Master Bruce.

Question: Have you seen The Flash premiere yet? If so, how is it?? –Janelle

Mitovich: I got around to it the other day, and by and large it is quite satisfying. You will (eventually) see exactly how the “singularity” was dealt with, and why that seeming victory has, sadly, splintered Team Flash in multiple directions. A highly entertaining bromance gets a big boost, one could argue that the foundation for Caitlin’s fated alter ego is laid, and there is a montage toward the end that is simply wonderful and loaded with heart. All that said, I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge a major “What the heck?” moment in the penultimate scene, a zag that actually had me yelling, “What the heck?”

Question: Sleepy Hollow‘s Season 2 finale ended with Abbie and Crane in the past. Does Jenny roam a different period at any time? –Ramon

Mitovich: So far, there’s no indication that Jenny will travel through time like her sister did last season. But she will traverse a path we haven’t seen before: gainful, legitimate employment. Lyndie Greenwood fans will be happy to hear that the job Jenny has in the premiere is an easy way to keep her deeply enmeshed in the Witnesses’ mission throughout the season. P.S. Our Kim Roots says the premiere is a “solid restart” for the Fox drama and has the potential to bring back to the fold many viewers frustrated by Season 2’s trajectory.

Question: If Sleepy Hollow‘s Crane just up and left Abbie without a word, and they’ve neither seen nor spoken to each other in nine months [at the point Season 3 opens], I imagine their reunion isn’t going to be lovey-dovey. Anything you can tell us? –Bella

Mitovich: It’s not “lovey-dovey,” but it’s also not as contentious as you might imagine — partly because of what’s happened for each of the Witnesses during their absence from each other, and partially because of the circumstances under which they reunite.

Question: I’ll take anything you’ve got on the Secret Warriors in the upcoming season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. –Joseph

Mitovich: As you may be well aware, the comic books’ Secret Warriors story followed Nick Fury as he rounded up young people with powers and safeguarded them from corrupt elements within and outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. “And the person sort of in charge of training them, under him, is Daisy Johnson,” series EP Jeff Bell points out. On the ABC series, in lieu of Fury, “Coulson’s our director, and at the end of last season he tasked Daisy with trying to find Inhumans, or powered people, to put together a team to combat the rise of these other people out in the world. And that’s a process. As you can imagine, it’s one thing to find a person who has powers; it’s another to find a person who has those skills and wants to be with you. So, the idea of putting together a Secret Warrior team over the course of the season seems like a noble goal for S.H.I.E.L.D., as they battle Inhumans.”

Question: I’m so excited for Season 4 of Arrow and Olicity. But I was wondering what we can expect from Felicity on her own? What kind of storyline will she have? –Natalie

Mitovich: As we previously reported, Felicity will be stepping up and facing challenges as Palmer Tech’s new CEO. Speaking of the company’s namesake, the discovery that presumed-dead Ray is actually alive is “a huge emotional reveal, especially for Felicity,” executive producer Wendy Mericle previews. But don’t worry, Olicity ‘shippers — “It’s more of an emotional reaction to the loss of a friend than any sort of romantic rival. She’s very happy with Oliver when we come back in Season 4, but [she and Ray] were friends and they left on good terms. It’s more just the relief of, ‘Oh my gosh, I thought you were gone and now you’re not. How exciting is that?’”

Question: Any insight to the pic that Arrow‘s Stephen Amell posted with The Flash‘s Grant Gustin, in formal wear? Funeral? Wedding?! Something else entirely? –Hannah

Mitovich: Vlada Gelman and I were debating this over IM the other day. I put $20 on “funeral.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for last week:

TELEVISION

Actress Meghan Ory will reprise her role of Ruby for multiple episodes of Once Upon a Time when the show returns for its 5th season this fall. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Dennis Haysbert (24 and The Unit) has joined the upcoming BBC One drama Undercover that will air on BBC America here in the States. This 6-part political thriller will star Sophie Okonedo (The Slap and After Earth) as Maya, who can only watch as her dearest friend and client (Haysbert) refuses to go quietly, urging her to fight the deep-grained injustices that have tainted two decades of his life. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

AMC has given a series order to Preacher, the small screen adaptation of the 1990s comic that centers on Rev. Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper from Agent Carter), a conflicted Texas minister who merges with a spiritual force called Genesis, making him more mighty than the Almighty. The 10-episode series is expected to debut in mid-2016. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Richard Armitage (The Hobbit franchise and Hannibal) and actress Michelle Forbes (The Killing and Battlestar Galactica) will star in the10-part contemporary spy series Berlin Station on Epix. The series follows Daniel Meyer (Armitage), a newly anointed case officer who has arrived at the CIA foreign station in Berlin to uncover the source of a leak who has supplied information to a whistleblower. Forbes will play Valerie Edwards, the no-nonsense administrator who serves as a Berlin Station Section Head. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Vivica A. Fox (Kill Bill and Independence Day) will appear on season 2 of Empire as Cookie’s (series lead Taraji P. Henson) older sister. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Shiri Appleby (UnReal and Roswell) will guest star in an episode of the new, upcoming CBS medical drama Code Black, playing Dr. Carla Niven. (Andy Swift at TV Line and Variety)

Actor Edwin Hodge (Chicago Fire) will appear in season two of the anthology series Secrets and Lies, playing Dr. Greg Young, a charming man who is married to defense attorney Amanda Warner (Mekia Cox from Undercovers). (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Bradley James (Merlin, iZombie and the upcoming Damien) will co-star alongside Kate Beckinsale and Theo James in Underworld 5, appearing as the male villain. (Mike Fleming, Jr at Deadline)

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

Question: Anything on The Flash would be great, especially regarding Iris West. — What Other Girls?

Natalie: How about scoop on everyone? Apparently I’m a big fan of lightning rounds because I got EP Andrew Kreisberg to give me a quick scoop for each Flash character. Ready? Set. Scoop! Barry: “New love.” Iris: “Face from the past.” Caitlin: “Brrrr.” Cisco: “Metahuman.” Wells: “Alive?” Joe: “Stalwart.” Ronnie: “Bravery.” Henry: “Heart.” Jay: “Broken.” Patty: Delightful.”

Question: Will Once Upon a Time explore any storylines for Belle outside of Rumple this season? — Kelley

Natalie: If you’re wondering whether we’ll see any flashbacks to Belle in her pre-Rumple days, “That might happen,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says. “I would say that the second half of the season is looking a lot like some of our past will come back to haunt us.”

Question: For Arrow, anything Merlyn other than his connection to the resurrection? — Raissa

Natalie: I’ll let EP Marc Guggenheim take this: “The best way to put it is its father knows worst,” he says. “Malcolm comes into the story very much more in the role of Thea’s father than in the role of the Head of the League of Assassins. It’s so much fun to play with Malcolm as dad because his choices are just very unusual. Much to the chagrin of Thea, he doesn’t handle things the way a typical father would.”

Question: How will Tom Keen fit into the new season of The Blacklist? — Karin

Natalie: He’s basically switched places with Liz. “Tom has been cleared and Liz is now a fugitive on the run,” EP Jon Bokenkamp says. “They’re completely flipped in who they are and almost also in the way they approach the situation — she’s now feeling the desperation of being a criminal and trying to operate in the shadows, and he’s trying to come clean and trying to redeem himself in her eyes. Tom was sailing off to white sands and blue beaches and felt it was over. What he doesn’t know is she assassinated the Attorney General of the United States. When he catches wind of this, he’ll have something to say about it and will not want to sit back.”

Question: Where does the new season of Gotham pick up? — Zac

Natalie: There’s a mini-time jump in the season premiere, which finds Jim working the streets as a beat cop after being demoted. He may be down, but trust me when I tell you that he’s not out. In fact, we’ll see him go to great lengths to achieve his goals, even if that means being on the wrong side of the law and getting his hands a little (or a lot) dirty.

Question: What kind of new monsters will we be seeing on Sleepy Hollow? — lilslim142000

Natalie: I’ve got three for you. 1. The show is taking on one of the greatest unsolved series of murders in modern history when an instrument of evil unleashes Jack the Ripper. 2. We’re going to meet The Abyzou, which is basically a tooth fairy — but not like one you’ve ever seen before — who has, unbeknownst to Crane, plagued his mission in both his lifetimes. 3. The undead rise in the form of Draugur, a battalion of undead British soldiers who return under the command of the demonic turncoat General Howe to finish the mission they started 240 years ago.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

TELEVSION

Veteran actor Tony Todd (Candyman) will voice the DC Comics villain Zoom in season two of The Flash. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actress Amy Okuda (The Guild) has landed a recurring role on How to Get Away With Murder, playing a character who is, of course, being kept under wraps. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Syfy has renewed both of their new series Killjoys and Dark Matter for a second season; but the fate of Defiance has yet to be announced. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Sarah Carter (Falling Skies and Rogue) has landed a recurring role on Hawaii Five-0 where she will be play Lynn, a nature enthusiast and avid explorer, who McGarrett (series lead Alex O’Loughlin) takes to a remote island on an adventurous first date, where they stumble upon a criminal hideout that puts both of their lives in danger. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Freddie Stroma (UnREAL) has landed a role in the sixth season of Game of Thrones, playing Samwell Tarly’s brother Dickon. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actress Kelly Rowan (The O.C. and Perception) will guest star on an episode of Castle, playing Carla Feller, the dean of a prestigious university that is left stunned by the mysterious death of a student. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Ally Walker (Profiler and Sons of Anarchy) has landed a recurring role in the upcoming USA Network drama Colony that is set in Los Angeles in the near future where a state of occupation by a force of outside intruders exists. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV TRAILERS

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actress Cara Buono (Person of Interest and Mad Men) has landed a series regular role in the Netflix supernatural period drama Stranger Things that is set in 1980 Indiana, where a young boy vanishes into thin air. Buono will play Karen, the mom of Mike and Nancy, two of the kids on the search for the missing boy. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Narcos, the Netflix series, has been renewed for a second season. (Variety)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

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

Question: Supernatural scoop, please! —Shirin

Ausiello: Remember how executive producer Jeremy Carver teased at Comic Con that some fan favorite characters will return in Season 11 (premiering Oct. 7), and in surprising ways? It sounds like their reappearance could be tied to the new Big Bad. “As responsible as the boys feel for having released The Darkness and how much they personally want to defeat it, they’re not going to be able to do it alone,” the EP tells TVLine. “They’re going to have to confront some figures from their past. They’re going to have to make some unexpected and unholy alliances involving folks from their past, which will have personal ramifications, as well. Because these are some pretty significant figures from their past.”

Question: Will Ziva ever come back to NCIS? —Janet

Ausiello: Isn’t that forever the million-dollar question? And while we (obviously) have no news on that particular front, Michael Weatherly — he plays Ziva’s former colleague, Tony — did tease some very special guests to come. “I have come to understand that there will be, later in the year, some guest stars that will melt the avid NCIS viewer’s brain,” he shared. (Presented with and amused by Weatherly’s provocative sell, show boss Gary Glasberg would only confirm, “We’ve got some really fine guest spots that aren’t locked in yet.”)

Question: I have a query regarding NCIS: LA. Do you know if we’ll see Nell and Eric getting together this season? –Brittany

Ausiello: In Season 7 (premiering Sept. 21), “We certainly see more of that relationship,” showrunner Shane Brennan told Matt Mitovich as part of our Fall Preview Q&A. “It’s obviously not as developed as Kensi and Deeks’ relationship, but there’s definitely more fun to be had there.” Especially when one of the techies tackles a new skill. “Sam is going to give Eric weapons training,” Brennan shared with a chuckle. “For those who have watched from the beginning, you realize this is fraught with danger — for everyone!”

Question: What’s this past history between Sleepy Hollow’s Abbie and Lance Gross’ character, Daniel? —Regina

Ausiello: Abbie and Daniel “had a very special relationship when they met,” new showrunner Clifton Campbell tells TVLine, “and it’s going to be kind of challenging to suddenly be somebody’s boss when you started out being very, very close friends.” Whether that closeness continues into Season 3 creates a “challenge” for the feds, he adds. “You want all the good of that close, trusting, intimate relationship without the messiness of it going too far, and that’s proven in the first handful of episodes so far this season to be interesting to watch.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items from the last week:

TELEVISION

Even though the VH1 series Hindsight received a second season renewal the network has reneged on that deal, canceling the show. It would seem the show is the victim of a regime change and “tighten the purse strings at VH1 and Viacom. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

The USA Network has pulled the plug on its new drama Complications after only one season. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actress Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives) will appear in season 3 of The CW post-apocalyptic series The 100, playing Queen Nia of the Ice Nation, who has reigned over her nation for many through ruthlessness and savvy. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

Actresses Lynn Whitfield (The Josephine Baker Story), Merle Dandridge (The Night Shift and Star Crossed) and Desiree Ross (Falling Skies) have joined the cast of the megachurch drama series Greenleaf that will air on OWN. The series will focus on the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch, where scandalous secrets and lies are as numerous as the faithful. Whitfield will play Bishop Greenleaf’s imperious wife Lady Mae; Dandridge is Lady Mae’s estranged daughter Grace, a disillusioned former preacher who returns home after having fled her contentious family 20 years ago and Ross will play Grace’s teenage daughter, Sophia. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Newcomer Violett Beane has landed the role of Jesse Quick (known as Jesse Chambers in the comics), daughter of Johnny Quick and Lady Bell, the first female speedster on The Flash. And, actor Demore Barnes (The Unit) will appear as Henry Hewitt (aka Tokamak), a charming but cocky scientist who was affected by the same particle accelerator explosion that created The Flash. When Caitlin Snow recruits him to join the S.T.A.R. Labs team, Henry begins to fulfill his destiny as a powerful meta-human. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic and Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actor Esai Morales (NYPD Blue and Caprica) will guest star in an episode of Blue Bloods this fall, playing Delgado, a charismatic NYPD sergeant who has a plan to increase the accuracy of police statistics by seeking the opinions of city youth, and thus earns a promotion from commish Frank Reagan (series lead Tom Selleck). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Mia Maestro (The Strain and Alias) has landed a major recurring role on Scandal, but her role is being kept under wraps. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Deadline)

Actor Matthew Willig (NCIS and veteran NFL player) will Lash, an Inhuman on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. when the show returns this fall for its third season. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Shohreh Aghdasloo (24 and Grimm) will guest star in an episode of Elementary this fall, staring as Donya Esfandiari, a glamorous international hotelier who’s in negotiations with Sherlock’s dad, Morland (new series regular John Noble), a consultant on the global scale. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actress Amy Forsyth (Defiance) has joined the cast of the upcoming Hulu online drama series The Way from series creator Jason Katims (the man behind Roswell and Parenthood). The Way examines a couple, Eddie (Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad) and Sarah Cleary (Michelle Monaghan from Source Code and True Detective) at the center of a controversial movement struggling with relationships, marriage and power. Forsyth will play Ashley Fields, Hawk’s (Kyle Allen) [son of Eddie and Sarah] smart, popular classmate who forces him to confront the confines of his own religious upbringing. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Timothy Olyphant (Justified) and actresses Shay Mitchell (Pretty Little Liars) and Britt Robertson (Life Unexpected and Under the Dome) [among others] have joined the cast of the upcoming box office movie Mother’s Day, the romantic comedy from Garry Marshall. They join the already cast Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis. This film is the latest in Marshall’s franchise that includes Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Olyphant plays Henry, the ex-husband of Aniston’s character, Sandy. Mitchell will play Tina, Henry’s new bouncy, beautiful wife, who wants nothing more than to be the perfect stepmom to Henry and Sandy’s children. And, Robertson plays Kristin, a slightly neurotic new mother to a one-year-old girl. (Patrick Hipes at Deadline)

Actress Melissa Benoist (Glee and this fall’s Supergirl) and actor Sam Heughan (Outlander) have landed the lead roles in the upcoming box office film Oxford that will find Benoist as an American Rhodes Scholar student, recently arriving at Oxford University, falls for an arrogant teaching assistant (Heughan) who is quietly fighting terminal cancer. When she finds out the reason he is so standoffish, they make the most of each day, traveling the world together. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at TV Line and Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Is this finally going to be the Arrow season that Felicity Smoak gets a code name to help protect her identity? —Julie

Ausiello: We took your Q to executive producer Wendy Mericle, who admitted that there’s a running joke in the writers room about what Felicity’s alias would be if they were to give her one. But at the moment, the tech wiz isn’t getting a second moniker. “Dig is out in the field, so there’s a necessity for [him to have one],” Mericle explains. “But not quite yet for Felicity, although you never know. We all love the idea of getting her out there more and being a badass. It’s just a question of finding the right way to do it.”

Question: I can’t wait for Season 13 of NCIS, please give me some scoop on our lovable Abbys (Sciuto or/and Borin). –Ann

Ausiello: There are no plans (yet) for another visit from Diane Neal as Abigail Borin, but we have better news regarding the other Abby: Episode 5 of the new season features what show boss Gary Glasberg touts as “an Abby/Die Hard story,” where the forensics whiz, all alone in a lab, “must use her wits” to save the day.

Question: Will fans of NCIS: LA’s Deeks and Kensi get to see their relationship develop more through Season 7? —Tony

Ausiello: That would be a definitive yes. “Things must be getting serious if he makes the choice to introduce her to his mom (played by Pamela Reed),” says Daniela Ruah, who plays Kensi. “Throughout that episode, Deeks gets calls on his phone, he doesn’t tell Kensi who it is, he doesn’t pick up… so you can see he’s making the decision about whether he wants to take this step or not. And then he ends up taking it,” previews the actress. “I like that they’ve made it a thought-out decision.”

Question: Anything new about Castle? —Rachael

Ausiello: As part of the Season 8 plan to present twentysomething Alexis as “a young woman as opposed to a child,” Rick’s daughter will find an influential new mentor, in Scotland Yard alum-turned-security specialist Hayley Shipton (new series regular Toks Olagundoye). “Hayley is going to help Alexis find herself,” says co-showrunner Terence Paul Winter, who sees the two sharing “a different kind of energy” than when Alexis interned for M.E. Lanie. “What we’ve shot with [Alexis and Hayley] together is magic, it really is.”

Question: Got any scoop on Scorpion? —Shon

Ausiello: Yes, but promise me you won’t breathe a word of it to Paige. Episode 6 will find Walter getting aggressively pursued by a disarmingly beautiful woman at a hotel bar. But wait, there’s a catch! The hottie in question is later suspected of planting a worm in a security system Walter is designing. In other words, she probably was just pretending to be interested in him. So it’s cool if you wanna tell Paige.

Question: Is there any hope that we will see Once Upon a Time‘s Robin Hood in a new adventure? When I heard Merida was coming (Amy Manson from Atlantis and Outcasts), I immediately thought that she would somehow end up related to him. –Chris

Ausiello: “We are going to see his adventure side,” series co-creator Eddy Kitsis answered when Matt Mitovich delivered your Q. As for the other ace archer entering the series’ mix, “Robin does not have a connection to Merida,” Kitsis said, “but he will interact with her.”

Question: What’s going on with Liz Keen this season on The Blacklist? — Peritta

Natalie: Discovering that she was responsible for her father’s death will really challenge Liz in the new season. “It informs this feeling deep inside that there’s a criminal instinct that she’s trying to resist and trying not to embrace, and yet she’s being forced to embrace by virtue of the fact that she’s on the run,” says executive producer Jon Bokenkamp. Still, Liz may use her new Most Wanted status to her advantage. “The idea of who she is, what her past is, who her mother was, her ties to Russia, those all play into how she’s going to have to survive.”

Question: Beyond being “Abbie’s boss,” what importance will the character Daniel Reynolds hold in this upcoming season of Sleepy Hollow? — Ramón

Natalie: Yeah, he’s not just Abbie’s boss. Reynolds (Lance Gross) and Abbie first met at Quantico as recruits, where they pushed each other, which led to a short but passionate affair before they parted ways to pursue their careers — Reynolds as a rookie FBI agent, and Abbie back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow to work for the Sheriff’s Department. It’s been four years when they reunite in the new season and now he’s her boss, so this should be interesting!

Question: Flash scoop, please! I will take anything on Iris West or Westallen. — Tatiana

Natalie: Iris will be stepping up in a big way this season now that Wells is no longer the team leader at S.T.A.R. Labs. “Iris slides into [the role] very naturally,” says executive producer Andrew Kreisberg. “She’s a born leader. One of the best things in the premiere is Barry decides that he wants to work alone because he doesn’t want to risk anyone else’s lives, and Iris is really the one who gets the band back together again. She’s the only one who can stand up to Barry.”

Question: Hi! Any scoop about Castle? — Fred

Natalie: We’re finally going to learn more about Castle’s missing time — and it appears to be way more important than even I could’ve guessed. “This year, we really do want to get into what happened when he was gone in a way that hopefully ties a lot of the threads of mysteries of seven seasons together in an unexpected and exciting way,” says EP Alexi Hawley.

Question: Anything on the new faces coming to Gotham? — Mac

Natalie: Instead of talking about one of the new faces we know — of which there are many — let’s talk about someone I can’t yet identify. When talking with my colleague Samantha Highfill about the time period in which the city of Gotham exists, executive producer Danny Cannon teased: “We have a character now who basically wants to move into the future and has a grand design of moving Gotham into a modern future, and we’re going to see if the city can handle that kind of pressure or not.” Their true intentions remain to be seen, but considering the season explores the rise of the villains, he or she is probably bad.

Question: On Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., why exactly is Mack — who has shown to be anti-alien and powered people in the past — working with Skye on a project that’s supposed to be secret and looking for powered people? — klutzy_girl

Natalie: That’s because Skye Daisy and Mack are going to be the Mulder and Scully of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In other words, “The person who’s skeptical of alien stuff and the person who has it inside of her,” EP Jed Whedon says. Taking on much more of a leadership role this season, Skye Daisy is the only super-powered person within the Secret Warriors team when the show returns — but that won’t last for long.

Question: Any Deeks and Kensi news for NCIS: LA? — Henrietta

Natalie: The Internal Affairs investigation will continue to be a point of concern between Kensi and Deeks. “It’s tough,” says Eric Christian Olsen, who remains steadfast that even he doesn’t know what Deeks did. “I think he’s covering something up, something catastrophic. I think he probably gets sent back to LAPD at some point. I think he’s hiding it from everybody, he’s been hiding it from himself. Whatever it is, I only hope he did it for the right reasons.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for about the last two weeks:

TELEVISION

The BBC has signed a deal to make five more seasons (or series as they are called in the UK) of Poldark, the period piece mini-series that aired on PBS earlier this summer, starring Aidan Turner (from Being Human and The Hobbit franchise). Let’s just hope that PBS will pick up the additional seasons so we can see them here in North America. (The Daily Mail)

Actress Daisy Betts (The Last Resort) and actor Nick Wechsler (Revenge) have joined the cast of the new upcoming NBC drama The Player. Betts will replace Cara Buono (Person of Interest) who appeared in the original pilot as the ex-wife of Alex (series lead Philip Winchester) while Wechsler will play Nick, the boyfriend of Cassandra (series regular Charity Wakefield. (Denise Petski at Deadline and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Wilson Bethel (The Astronaut Wives Club and Hart of Dixie) will have a recurring role in the new upcoming ABC drama Blood & Oil. He will play Finn, a charismatic but poor food-truck owner. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Peri Gilpin (Frasier) has landed a recurring role on Scorpion this fall where she will play Deputy Director of Homeland Security Katherine Cooper. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Haven will be back in September for the rest of its fifth season, but that will bring the show to a close as the series has been cancelled. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line and The Wrap)

Actor Eric Winter (Witches of East End) has landed a role in Secrets and Lies. He will play Neal Oliver, the best friend of Eric Warner (Michael Ealy from The Following and Almost Human) who is the prime murder suspect in the show’s second season. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Young actor Levi Miller (who will be seen in the big screen film Pan in October) has landed a role in this fall’s CBS superhero series Supergirl. He will play Carter Grant, the son of Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart). (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Annie Ilonzeh (Arrow and Person of Interest) has landed a recurring role on Graceland, playing Courtney Gallo, a beautiful and brilliant attorney who quickly grabs Jakes’ (series regular Brandon Jay McLaren) eye. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actor Vik Sahay (Chuck) will have a guest-starring role in an episode of The X-Files revival on Fox, playing a man Mulder (series lead David Duchovny) turns to for information during an investigation. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actor Jackson Rathbone (The Twilight franchise) will have a major recurring role on Finding Cater, which returns for a new season in October. He will play Jared, a charismatic guy with a good business sense, but his core values waiver when he falls for Carter (series lead Kathryn Prescott) and engages in shady/questionable business practices. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Laura Linney is expected to star alongside Tom Hanks in the box office film Sully based on Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who became an instant American hero in 2009 when he engineered a miraculous emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after a flock of geese hit the plane just after it took off from La Guardia Airport. Linney will play his wife. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

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

Question: Next time you speak with Once Upon a Time creators Adam and Eddy, can you ask them about Belle’s storyline for Season 5A? Even a small hint would be greatly appreciated. –Betsy

Mitovich: Your wish has been granted! “We’ve always wondered what would happen if Belle and Merida went on an adventure together,” EP Adam Horowitz shares. “We hope you do, too, because it’s coming!” P.S. On a related note, everything I heard from the cast at Comic-Con suggested that Amy Manson really “hits the bull’s-eye” as the Brave heroine.

Question: Getting anything on Arrow‘s Laurel Lance/Black Canary storyline for Season 4 is like pulling hens’ teeth. Have you heard any spoilers about Laurel that are not Sara- or Quentin-related? –Apple

Mitovich: Laurel is “fully arrived as Black Canary when we come back [on Oct. 7],” co-showrunner Wendy Mericle previews. “There’s no more learning curve.” But there are still struggles for Laurel as a costumed crimefighter. For one, “She has a secret identity; how does she grapple with that? And she’s an ADA, so what kind of impact is that going to have on her decisions as Black Canary — and vice versa?”

Question: Any scoop for Martha on Castle? –Barry

Mitovich: Co-showrunner Terence Paul Winter told me that although Martha has moved out of the loft and has a newly thriving career when Season 8 opens, “She’s very much a part of Castle’s life. Don’t think that just because she now has her own place and is doing well on Broadway that we’re not going to see her sharing her wisdom with her favorite and only son.”

Question: On The Flash, will see more of Iris as the investigative reporter? –Carrie

Mitovich: Iris will be coming into her own as a journalist in Season 2 (premiering Oct. 6). “She has a really cool job, and she’s going to be standing on her own two feet a bit more,” showrunner Gabrielle Stanton previews. “She’s definitely going to be part of Team Flash more this season, and we’re definitely going to see more of her work life. We’re going to see her generate stories and be really proactive.” The EP then adds, “She’s struggling with the loss [of Eddie], but instead of letting it get her down, she’s going to use it to become the woman that she knows Eddie would have wanted her to be.”

Question: Syfy has kept us in the dark about Haven Season 5B. Is there anything you can get your hands on? –Joel

Mitovich: Remember that morsel of scoop I shared along with the first photo from 5B? Well, here is the complete teaser from showrunner Matt McGuinness, for you to parse and process: “The tsunami of troubles brought by Duke has Haven-ites locked down for their own safety. The town is a war-zone, with troubles shutting off entire neighborhoods. Fortunately, Audrey and Nathan are locked down together, which is nice for them. Even in this maelstrom, they work seamlessly to protect they town they love. But, as the season progresses, they must take some dangerous solo missions — especially hard as they seem to have grown closer than ever.”

NOTE: Remember Haven has been cancelled, but we will get the remainder of the episodes from the show’s fifth season.

Question: Now that we’re in Season 2, will Gotham still keep up the Thomas and Martha Wayne investigation, or will the show move on from that? –Sofia

Mitovich: I hand-delivered your question to Bruce Wayne’s portrayer, David Mazouz, who said that the series-launching murder mystery “will be an ongoing thing” throughout Gotham‘s run. “Gordon’s not really looking into it that much anymore, but Bruce is,” the teen said. “The Top 3 things that are on Bruce’s list are: take down the corrupt side of Wayne Enterprises, find out who his father really was, and find out his parents’ murderer. And they’re all connected.”

Question: In Season 3 of Reign, will Catherine be in English court with Elizabeth? I love Megan Follows and want to see Catherine scheming and plotting. –Andrea

Mitovich: Seeing as Season 3 is “the season of the three queens” (Catherine, Mary and Elizabeth), it appears you will be satisfied. Especially seeing as Catherine, who had a fall from grace last season, will use every means necessary to claw her way back to power, including capitalizing on her alliances in other countries.

Question: Are Callie and AJ over on The Fosters because of the whole Brandon thing? Or can we expect another new love interest for Callie? –Briana

Mitovich: “There could be potential for more of that [relationship] to play out” in Season 3B, David Lambert says. “But at this point, I feel like it’s sort of done.” After all, “The moms tried to nip the whole thing in the bud and end it before it really begins,” the actor points out. “A.J. also has his own things to worry about with his brother and his living situation.”

Question: Will we learn what Metatron did with the demon tablet on Supernatural? — Alien Knights of Chaos

Natalie: I can’t speak specifically to the demon tablet, but it’s highly likely the guys will find themselves asking for Metatron’s help yet again. While discussing how the Darkness predates the Bible — and therefore there’s not much written about it — Jared Padalecki says that Sam and Dean are going to seek any and all help they can get. “We’re going to have to maybe go to Metatron for help or Castiel, and we don’t even know what they know because the Darkness predates them as well,” he says. But rest assured, “We’re going to see the boys really stop at no end to right this wrong they’ve brought onto this Earth.” Anyone else having season 5 déjà vu?

Question: Are there any new shows you recommend for the fall season? — Joey

Natalie: In no particular order, if I had to give you the top six shows — Why six? Why not six? — that I’m adding to my DVR this fall: Supergirl, Blindspot, Quantico, Limitless, The Muppets and The Player. And I just so happen to know that Daisy Betts has joined the cast of The Player as Alex’s (Philip Winchester) ex-wife, a hardworking surgeon who is presumed dead in the pilot. Originally portrayed by Cara Buono in the pilot, Ginny is the mysterious and romantic core of the show, with her “death” propelling Alex on a dangerous quest—but come on, Betts (Last Resort, Chicago Fire) is recurring, so Ginny’s likely not dead, right?

Question: Will Lexa and Clarke ever reconcile on The 100? — Timothy

Natalie: Alycia Debnam-Carey certainly thinks so. “Lexa will make it happen one way or the other,” she says. “It might not be an easy reconciliation, but it’ll happen. If Lexa wants something, it’ll happen.” However, letting Clarke back in her life could be hazardous to Lexa’s health. “She’s opening up a wound again,” Debnam-Carey says, noting that Lexa will have a great entrance in season 3. “What happened last time when she was emotionally available, her lover was killed. It’s a very dangerous position to be in, but at the end of the day, she’s only human and she’ll have that human emotion.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for this past week:

TELEVISION

Actor Travis Van Winkle (The Last Ship) will guest star in an episode of Scorpion this fall, playing Ensign Nathan Hall, who gets trapped with Walter (series lead Elyes Gabel), Happy (series regular Jadyn Wong) and Cabe (series regular Robert Patrick) in a downed submarine and must figure out how to escape before they run out of air. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Pamela Reed (Parks and Recreation) will guest star in an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, playing Marty Deeks (series regular Eric Christian Olsen) mom. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Matt Cohen (Supernatural) will have a recurring role on How To Get Away With Murder, playing Levi, an edgy working class guy, who will be introduced in the second episode. (Denise Petski on Deadline)

Actress Brit Morgan (True Blood) has been cast as DC Comics villain Leslie Willis aka Livewire on this fall’s Supergirl. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actress Rutina Wesley (True Blood) has landed a recurring role on Arrow, playing Liza Warner (aka Lady Cop), who will play a spin on the character, as she will be a member of the anti-vigilante task force. Also, actor Matt Ryan will reprise his role of John Constantine on the show to provide critical support to Oliver (series lead Stephen Amell) when arrows aren’t enough. And, actress Elysia Rotaru (Supernatural and iZombie) will play a new love interest for Oliver – but have no fear Olicity fans – she will only be featured in flashbacks as someone from his past. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly and Laura Prudom at Variety)

Pop singer Britney Spears will be appear as an arch nemesis to Rogelio on Jane the Virgin when it returns this fall for season two. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

Actress Annabeth Gish will reprise her role of Agent Reyes in the upcoming The X-Files event series. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

TNT has renewed The Last Ship for a third season. Meanwhile, Showtime has renewed Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex for another season each. (Variety)

Actors Jay Karnes (The Shield) and Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey) will appear in the second season of the Syfy series 12 Monkeys. Karnes will recur as a savvy FBI agent in the 1940s named Robert Gale, who believes a series of grisly murders may have something to do with a man named James Cole (series lead Aaron Stanford), an outsider who Gale suspects might not be from this time. Coyle will appear as Dr. Benjamin Kalman, a former Markridge bio-engineer racked with guilt over the deadly virus his team gave birth to. Also, actor Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica) will play Dr. Vance Eckland, a charismatic and intelligent scientist from the future. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Adrian Pasdar (Heroes) and Kathryn Morris (Cold Case) will appear in the new USA Network series Colony, as Nolan and Charlotte, a married power couple. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actress Jaime Ray Newman (Drop Dead Diva and Grimm) will play a series regular on the upcoming ABC anthology crime drama Wicked City that will focus on a case from a different era in Los Angeles. The first season will follow a 1982 murder case centered on the rock ’n’ roll, drug-fueled Sunset Strip. Newman will play Allison Roth (there are no other details on her character). (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Torrey DiVitto (Pretty Little Liars and The Vampire Diaries) has been cast in the new NBC drama Chicago Med where she will play Dr. Lilly Manning, a pregnant ER physician on Chicago Med, the highly anticipated Chicago Fire spinoff that will begin airing on NBC. Also, actress Rachel DiPillo (Jane the Virgin) has joined the cast of the show, playing Dr. Reese, an emergency room intern fresh out of medical school. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic and Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Gabriel Mann (Revenge) will appear in The Mysteries of Laura, playing Shane Parker, a charismatic entrepreneur who co-founded a billion dollar nano-tech company. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Actors Jesse Metcalfe (Dallas and Desperate Housewives) and Treat Williams (Everwood) have been cast in the upcoming Hallmark Channel series Chesapeake Shores based on the books by Sherryl Woods.  (Facebook)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Sugarland lead singer Jennifer Nettles and actors Gerald McRaney (Longmire) and Ricky Schroder (Silver Spoons alum) have joined the cast of the upcoming Dolly Parton NBC TV movie called A Coat of Many Colors. The telefilm will be set in 1955 in the Tennessee Great Smokey Mountains centered on the legendary country singer’s life as a 9-year-old. Nettles will play Avie Lee (Parton’s mother); Schroder will play Lee (Parton’s dad) and McRaney will play Jake Owens (Parton’s grandfather). (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and actors Elijah Kelley (Hairspray), Common (Hell on Wheels) and David Alan Grier (In Living Color) have joined the cast of the upcoming NBC TV live production of The Wiz. Ne-Yo will play the Tin Man; Kelley will play the Scarecrow; Common will portray the gatekeeper to Oz and Grier will play the Cowardly Lion. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Tobias Menzies (Outlander) has landed a major role in the upcoming Underworld V film that will find Kate Beckinsale back in the lead role. Menzies will play Marius, a mysterious new Lycan leader. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Michael Ausiello at TV Line and Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Is there going to be a time jump when Castle returns? If so, how long? —Gabi

Ausiello: “Only a few months” will have passed since the events of the Season 7 finale, co-showrunner Alexi Hawley says. And that’s not even to mention the new little one Ryan and Jenny have on the way.

Question: What information can you give us on the upcoming season of NCIS? —Marsha

Ausiello: This much you probably know: With Gibbs having been shot, “The premiere picks up right at that moment, and [guest star] Jon Cryer is coming in to do his darnedest to save Gibbs’ life,” Brian Dietzen shared with Matt Mitovich. But this next bit is probably news to the NCIS faithful: “Jimmy Palmer is some of the glue that keeps the characters together — meaning he’s the confidant, he’s the friend,” Dietzen reminds. “But by the end of the year, his friendships versus his professional obligations are really going to be tested, specifically with DiNozzo. That friendship will be super-tested.”

Question: How will Arrow’s Captain Lance and Laurel react to Sara returning, again? —Jake

Ausiello: Frankly, it could be the last thing Sara’s family needs! “Thanks to Laurel helping him see the light at the end of last season, Lance is back on the wagon for now, trying to keep on the straight and narrow,” Paul Blackthorne previews. “But that will of course be tested when Sara comes back from the dead. Because I think when your daughter’s coming back from the dead, she may not necessarily come back as quite the same person. Yeah, that’s going to be an issue for the family to deal with!’

Question: Any scoop on how The Flash‘s Wally will be related to the Wests? Brother? Cousin? And how he will appear on the show? —Cilla

Ausiello: It sounds like the spinoff will be putting its own twist on Keiynan Lonsdale’s junior speedster when it returns on Oct. 6. “We are a doing our special Flash magic where we take a comic book character and give it just a little bit of a ‘Hmmm,’ so that you’re like, “Oh!” showrunner Gabrielle Stanton says. And while she’s mum on specifics, Stanton did tease that Wally will be incorporated “in a really, really cool way… that I don’t think the audience will see coming. He will definitely have a very interesting and close relationship with Team Flash.”

Question: The Flash scoop, please! —Tatiana

Ausiello: Arrow addicts may recall Cisco and Caitlin making mention of ex-S.T.A.R. Labs employee Doctor Light when they first appeared in Season 2’s “The Man Under the Hood.” Turns out, that was some stealthy foreshadowing. Stanton tells us that the metahuman will turn up this season on The Flash — but “it’s going to be the female version” of the character.

Question: I spent the entire weekend catching up on Jane The Virgin, and I need some scoop! —Dominic

Ausiello: Just as Jane’s pregnancy served as the CW dramedy’s main storytelling engine last year, Season 2 will have an equally compelling A-story. Or two. “There’s definitely a long-term mystery that has to do with Sin Rostro,” executive producer Jennie Urman previews, adding that the season will be “building” to Jane’s wedding — but to whom? “She makes a choice in the first five [episodes]. Whether that’s the choice or a choice, I can’t say,” Urman teases of Jane’s Rafael-Michael dilemma. “We play a little bit [with the] who, and then she realizes who she wants to be with at this moment.”

Question: I’m excited for the new Prison Break series, but I still don’t quite understand how they’re going to get around the fact that Michael is dead. Any insight? —Ed

Ausiello: According to star Dominic Purcell, “When you see it, it makes perfect sense… It’s justified.”

Question: I’m psyched that Constance Zimmer is getting more work, but I’m also a huge UnREAL fan — please tell me that her S.H.I.E.L.D. gig won’t affect my new favorite show! —Janna

Ausiello: I’m happy to report that won’t be the case. “She’s committed to us and the show,” UnREAL boss Marti Noxon says. But here’s the bummer: The reason the double-duty won’t be a problem is because the Lifetime dramedy probably isn’t going to start shooting “until next spring,” Noxon laments.

Question: I was wondering if you have any new Downton Abbey scoop. —Kristen

Ausiello: I do! Michelle Dockery tells us that Mary will be in “business mode” when the sixth and final season bows in January, adding that her perpetually messy “romantic life” takes a backseat, initially. “She’s taken on the role of the estate agent because Branson’s left, so she’s a working girl. She’s not really actively looking for anyone.” Well, not until Matthew Goode’s Henry Talbot re-enters the picture. “He comes back into her life [and] it’s complicated as it always is,” Dockery shares. “It’s never plain sailing in her love life.”

Question: Any FitzSimmons spoilers for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. please? — ditchthel

Natalie: You won’t have to wait very long to find out what happened to Simmons. However, you might not be happy about what Chloe Bennet told me in regards to the search for their missing team member. “There’s been such a big time gap, so one of the main focuses is that some of the characters have almost — not given up, but have been like, ‘We’ve tried everything,’” Bennet says, noting that Fitz will still hold the candle of hope: “Fitz is that one person who’s like, ‘Not everything!’”

Question: Do you have any scoop on Heroes Reborn? — June

Natalie: This is just a theory, but the more I hear about Kiki Sukezane’s character Miko, the more I think she’s Hiro’s daughter — yes, it’s only been five years, but he’s a time traveler, so what if she’s his daughter from the future? “I’m not going to answer that question, but it’s an interesting theory,” EP Tim Kring told me when I pressed him on her identity. “His sword is in her possession somehow and that’s one of the threads we’re going to follow. She’s searching for her father. You will know the answer to that question in the very first episode.”

Question: If Barbara is over at Arkham, what’s going on with Jim Gordon when Gotham returns? — Kyle

Natalie: He’ll be trying to navigate his new position with the GCPD and his relationship with Leslie in the wake Barbara’s meltdown. “Jim has been demoted so he’s dealing with some stuff,” Morena Baccarin teases. For her part, Leslie is “a little rattled with what happened with the whole Barbara situation. They’re trying to stay steady. It’s good right now, but it seems like there might be some trouble ahead.”

Question: Is Nostradamus returning next season on Reign? — Sheri

Natalie: As exciting as it was to see Nostradamus in the season 2 finale, he’s not coming back for good. “He will be in the series intermittently, but he’s still really pissed at Catherine, so I don’t think he really feels a great desire to be under her thumb again,” showrunner Laurie McCarthy says, adding that he’s “a visitor to court.” However, Queen Elizabeth herself, Rachel Skarsten, revealed to my colleague Samantha Highfill that there will be a surprise return to French court. (And no, it’s not Condé.)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve put out an update (since July 22 to be exact), and there has been a lot of news since that time. Let’s dig into it all below:

CASTING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Actor Peter Gallagher (The O.C. and Covert Affairs) has landed a recurring role on The Good Wife, playing Irving Carter, a witty and sophisticated attorney for conservative billionaire Reese Dipple (Oliver Platt). (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

Actor Tom Everett Scott (Arrow and That Thing You Do!) will appear in Reign this fall, playing William, a trusted advisor/counselor for Queen Elizabeth. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Kenny Johnson (The Shield) will have a series regular role in the returning anthology series Secrets and Lies, which will focus on Eric Warner (Michael Ealy from Almost Human), a well-educated newlywed and heir apparent to his family’s private equity firm in Charlotte, N.C. while Eric is attending a party to honor his dad’s (Terry O’Quinn from Lost) retirement, Eric’s wife, Kate (Jordana Brewster from Dallas and the Fast & Furious franchise), is murdered — and he must turn to Det. Cornell (returning cast member Juliette Lewis) to investigate Kate’s death. Johnson will play Danny, who quickly becomes a possible suspect in Kate’s murder and complicates Eric’s life. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Olivia Taylor Dudley (Chernobyl Diaries and Arrested Development) has landed the lead role of Alice Quinn in the upcoming Syfy adaptation of the Lev Grossman books The Magicians. She will be joined by actor Rick Worthy (Battlestar Galactica) and actress Anne Dudek (House and Covert Affairs). (Keely Flaherty at BuzzFeed)

Actor Robert Knepper (Prison Break and Heroes) will appear in the second season of iZombie as Blaine’s (series regular David Anders) father Angus, a polished, articulate and successful businessman, who regards Blaine as a lifelong disappointment. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Kim Raver (24) will guest star in an episode of Bones, playing FBI Special Agent Grace Miller, who is involved in the investigation surrounding the disappearance of FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth (series lead David Boreanaz). (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Keiynan Lonsdale (the box office film Insurgent) has joined the cast of The Flash where he will appear as Wally West. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Danish actor Casper Crump will appear as Vandal Savage, the comic book villain, in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Also actor Falk Hentschel (White House Down) will appear in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow as Carter Hall (aka Hawkman), the latest reincarnation of an Egyptian Prince who is fated to be reborn throughout time along with his soulmate, Kendra Saunders (aka Hawkgirl, series regular Ciara Renée). (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actors Max von Sydow and Ian McShane (Deadwood) will both appear in season 6 of Game of Thrones. von Sydow will appear as the Three-Eyed Raven, but McShane’s role is being kept tightly under wraps. (Laura Prudom at Variety and James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum (Witches of East End) will have the recurring role of Lucy Lane, the younger sister of Lois Lane, on this fall’s CBS series Supergirl that focuses Kara Zor-El (series lead Melissa Benoist from Glee),who escaped Krypton amid its destruction years ago (at the same time as her legendary cousin), but since arriving on Earth, she has been hiding the powers. But now at age 24, she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be. Also, actor Chris Browning (Sons of Anarchy and The 100) will appear in the show as Ben Krull (aka Reactron), a deadly adversary of Superman’s from Metropolis, who wears an armored suit powered by nuclear energy. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Parker Young (Enlisted and Suburgatory) had landed a recurring role on Arrow, where he will play Alex Davis, a smart and driven young man, who will work for Oliver Queen (series lead Stephen Amell) and become a potential love interest for Thea (series regular Willa Holland). Also actor Ryan Robbins (Arrow and Falling Skies) has landed a recurring role, playing Conklin, a sadistic and ruthless member of Shadowspire who will be an adversary for Oliver (Stephen Amell) in the flashback sequences. And, actress Jeri Ryan will appear as Jessica Danforth, a friend of the late Moira Queen who has set her sights on the open mayoral position. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fantatic, Entertainment Tonight Online, Spoiler TV and Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actress Famke Janssen (X-Men franchise) will appear in a multi-episode arc on How to Get Away With Murder, playing a brilliant, revered defense attorney who takes her job very seriously. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Constance Zimmer (UnReal) has landed a recurring role on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where she will the head of a mysterious new government agency that will cross paths with S.H.I.E.L.D. as both seek out new Inhumans. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Sonya Walger (Lost and FlashForward) will replace Bethany Joy Lenz in this fall’s The Catch, the new ABC drama from Shonda Rhimes that has already seen actor Damon Dayoub be replaced by Peter Krause (Parenthood). The series will star Mireille Enos (The Killing) as Alice, a successful fraud investigator, who’s about to be the victim of fraud herself by her fiancé (Krause). Walger will play Krause’s character’s real wife and partner in crime. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actress Shannyn Sossamon (Wayward Pines and Moonlight) has landed a series regular role on Sleepy Hollow, playing Pandora, a mysterious new presence in Sleepy Hollow who seeks assistance from Witnesses Ichabod and Abbie (series leads Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie). Actress Nikki Reed (the Twilight franchise) will also appear in the show as Betsy Ross. And, actor Lance Gross (Crisis) has landed a major recurring role where he will play Daniel Reynolds, the FBI special agent in charge — aka Abbie’s new boss. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Scottie Thompson (NCIS) has landed a recurring role on the Syfy thriller 12 Monekys, playing Mantis, a calculating and menacing time traveler. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Zach McGowan (Black Sails) will play a rogue Grounder warrior on The CW thriller The 100. In addition, actor Michael Beach (Secrets and Lies and Sons of Anarchy) will also be joining the cast playing Pike – someone from the Ark we have yet to meet. (Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

Actor Brian white (Scandal and Moonlight) has landed a recurring role on Chicago Fire where he will play Dallas Patterson, the new captain of the squad. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor James Lafferty (One Tree Hill and Crisis) has joined the cast of the upcoming WGN America period piece Underground that follows a group of slaves who plan their 600-mile escape from a Georgia plantation, helped along the way by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad. Lafferty will play Kyle Risdin, a U.S. marshal who is intent on enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line and The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Riley Smith (True Blood and The Messengers) has joined the cast of the ABC drama Nashville, playing Markus Keen, the hotshot frontman of a highly successful mainstream band who signs with Rayna’s (series lead Connie Britton) record label when he decides to go solo. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actor Colin Salmon (Arrow) has landed a major, season-long recurring role in the upcoming CBS drama Limitless based on the 2011 feature that starred Bradley Cooper. The series will center on Brian Finch (Jake McDorman from Greek) — a new character that exists in the same world as the movie’s Eddie Mora (Cooper) — who discovers the brain-boosting power of the mysterious drug NZT and is coerced by the FBI into using his extraordinary cognitive abilities to solve complex cases for them. Salmon will play Jared Sands, a former intelligence officer who now works as a fixer. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

TV RENEWALS AND CANCELLATIONS

Netflix has renewed Sense8 for a second season. (Variety)

The Strain renewed for a third season by FX. (Deadline)

Black Sails renewed for season 4 by Starz while the network has also decided this will be the last season of Da Vinci’s Demons. (Variety)

Rizzoli & Isles has been given a 7th season order by TV. (The Hollywood Reporter and TV By the Numbers)

The Hallmark Channel has renewed When Calls the Heart for a 10-episode third season to air in 2016. This season will include a two-hour sneak peak in the holiday season. (Facebook)

MTV has renewed Scream: The TV Series for a second season. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige have joined the cast of the upcoming NBC holiday musical production of The Wiz Live! with Latifah as Wiz, the mysterious and powerful wizard who holds the keys to the Emerald City, while Blige will play Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West. The movie will debut on December 3. (The Futon Critic)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Hugh Dancy (Hannibal) will appear in the faith-based Hulu drama The Way that examines a family at the center of a controversial movement struggling with relationships, marriage and power. Dancy will play cult leader Cal Roberts, who is the charismatic face of the movement, known as The Way. As he battles personal demons and strives to take the organization into its next generation, Cal develops a complicated relationship with Monaghan’s Sarah and Paul’s Eddie. The cast includes Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Michelle Monaghan (True Detective). (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Yvonne Strahovski (Chuck and The Astronaut Wives Club) and actors Max Martini (The Unit) and Ryan Kwanten (True Blood) have joined the cast of the Amazon western drama pilot Edge based on the books by George Gilman, which follows Josiah Hedges, better known as Edge (Martini), a man who’s out for vengeance after his younger brother is killed by a group of his former Union army comrades, lead by his nemesis, Merritt Harknett (Kwanten). Strahovski will appear as Beth, a mysterious Pinkerton detective. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Chris Pine will star opposite actress Gal Gadot in the stand-alone Wonder Woman movie that is expected to be at the box office in 2017. Gadot will appear as the title character in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film while Pine will appear in this future film as Steve Trevor. (Garth Franklin at Dark Horizons and The Wrap)

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

Question: Do you have any spoilers for Castle you can share with us about some of the changes we can expect to see this season? —Mariana

Ausiello: Molly Quinn’s newly shorn mane is one step in a much larger, more adult makeover for Alexis in Season 8.

Question: Do you have any intel on Heroes Reborn? —Nicky

Ausiello: You already know that actor Clé Bennett (Rookie Blue and Lost Girl) has joined the NBC revival in a recurring role. But what I’m fairly certain you don’t know is that his character Harris Prime’s special power involves a certain C-word that is way less filthy than this tease suggests.

Question: Do you have any info as to who will not be returning for Gotham Season 2 as a series regular? —Alex

Ausiello: Matt Mitovich did some digging around and learned that, as suspected, neither Victoria Cartagena nor Andrew Stewart-Jones (AKA Montoya and Allen) will return as regulars. Meanwhile, though Michael Chiklis is coming on board as GCPD Captain Nathaniel Barnes, Zabryna Guevara, who plays Captain Essen, is still a series regular — and in fact will play a key role this season.

Question: SleepyHeads are dying for information about Sleepy Hollow Season 3. We are starving over here! —Regina

Ausiello: Season 3 picks up one year later and finds Abbie, having completed her training at Quantico, returning to Sleepy Hollow as a FBI agent. We will also see the return of Joe Corbin (Zach Appelman), who will team up with Jenny to aid Ichabod and Abbie.

Question: How are the Charmings dealing with Emma going dark on Once Upon a Time? — Luis

Natalie: Not well. “It is definitely going to put a strain on Snow and Charming’s relationship,” Josh Dallas says. “There are things they’re going to go through in finding their way back to Emma.” But it’s not all doom and gloom this season. “You’re going to see Charming have a big bromance with King Arthur and go on some adventures,” he says. “We’re going to see Charming at his most heroic in Camelot.”

Question: Clearly Barbara is alive on Gotham, so what can you tell me about her arc this season? — Amy

Natalie: If you thought Barbara killing her parents was bad, it’s only the beginning. “That moment where she kills her parents is the moment she sets herself completely free from every tie she ever had — her ties to Jim, to society, or maybe even sanity, you could argue,” Erin Richards says. Furthermore, she says that Barbara is headed to Arkham in episode 1, where she’ll meet “this band of emerging villains who shape who she’s going to be in this series.”

Question: Is there anything you can tease about Jay Garrick coming to The Flash? — Derek

Natalie: As the season aims to explore Barry finessing his powers, Jay Garrick’s arrival is “going to have an impact on everybody on Team Flash,” according to Danielle Panabaker. “He’s going to be a very cool mentor to Barry and he’s going to help Barry expand his powers and the things that he’s capable of doing.”

Question: I need more Blacklist scoop! — Kyle

Natalie: Liz will turn to a very unlikely place in her bid to escape, which enrages Ressler, who is very gung-ho about catching his former partner and will go to great lengths to do so, even if it means putting others in danger. Twist: Ressler will be forced to save Liz during her escape.

Question: Is there any truth to the rumor that Arrow might turn Diggle into the Green Lantern? — Kieran

Natalie: I’m going to let executive producer Marc Guggenheim definitively set the record straight: “He’s not going to be Green Lantern,” he says. “We have our own plans for Diggle that we’ve very excited about. It doesn’t benefit us or David Ramsey to let that rumor fester. What excites us is what we’re doing with Diggle this year and the fact that Diggle has become a character in the comics.”

Question: Do you know who possesses the Dark Swan’s dagger on Once Upon a Time? — Rachel

Natalie: As of this very moment, it’s to be determined. “That is a discussion [and] that is absolutely addressed immediately,” Ginnifer Goodwin says, noting that it’s probably not a great idea for the Charmings to be the one to take it. “I don’t know that I would trust us with it,” she adds. However, whoever does end up with the dagger will learn that it’s not so easy to call upon the Dark Swan. “There’s also some caveats in how and when you can control the Dark One through the dagger,” Josh Dallas says. “Somethings can be possible and somethings are impossible.”

Question: I’m really looking forward to seeing Hawkgirl come to life on Legends of Tomorrow. Is there anything you can tease? — Frannie

Natalie: Here’s the first thing you need to know: She does not know she’s Hawkgirl the next time we see her, which will be on The Flash. “She’s not bold, she’s not strong,” Ciara Renee tells me. “It’s a dichotomy of someone who is awkward and all of a sudden she has this huge power and strength and she’ll have to reconcile that within herself.” Fun fact: Kendra’s past lives will come into play eventually. “You have to keep in mind there were these other humans you were at some point,” she says. “We’re going to be able to dive into those other humans, which is cool, with the whole time travel thing.”

Question: I require information on Once Upon a Time‘s Camelot crowd! –Meredith

Mitovich: This casting notice would seem to apply: For Season 5’s fourth episode, Once is guest-casting the role of a medieval manservant who is devoted to his employer but harbors a deep resentment… that may lead him to do very bad things.

Question: If there’s anything you can tell me about Once Upon a Time, specifically on Emma being the new Dark One? –Sarah

Mitovich: The cast touched on that during our free-wheeling, at-times blush-worthy Comic-Con Q&A, but maybe there is a smidgen more to be gleaned by watching this “deleted scene,” in which everyone teases the Season 5 opener with two words:

Question: Do you have any scoops on Season 2 of TNT’s Legends? Will Ali Larter and Tina Majorino return? –Ivan

Mitovich: Neither Larter nor Majorino are returning alongside Sean Bean for Season 2, though Morris Chestnut is.

Question: Since the finale of Supernatural, fans have been wondering: Will there be consequences for Dean after he killed Death? –Ana

Mitovich: Rest assured there will be repercussions “to a certain extent — and probably in the first batch of episodes, we’ll start to address that,” executive producer Jeremy Carver teases. “You can imagine that it causes some issues.”

Question: Any scoop on where our Supernatural boys will be in Season 11? Particularly Castiel? —Meg

Mitovich: Cas has a lot on his plate, like “dealing with the effects of the attack dog spell and the stabbing of Crowley and The Darkness,” Misha Collins previews. Speaking of that pre-biblical foe, “It is a very, very big bad ominous force that angels only heard of as a scary bedtime story,” the actor explains. “Cas didn’t think that The Darkness was a real thing. So it’s that old of a force.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

There was a lot of news to report on since July 4, but the following is the short version of all that news, leaving out all the Comic Con news, teasers and/or trailers, movie news, etc.

TELEVISION CASTING

Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Supernatural and Extant) and actress Margo Martindale (Justified and The Americans) will both appear this fall in The Good Wife. Morgan will have the series regular role of Alex, a calm and experienced investigator hired by Alicia (series lead Julianna Margulies while Martindale will have the recurring role of Willa Eastman, a top campaign operative responsible for past successes by underdog presidential candidates in Iowa who hides her intelligence and cunning under a fake, folksy charm. (Dominic Patten at Deadline and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

French actress Elodie Yung (G.I. Joe: Retaliation) will appear as Elektra in the second season of the Netflix drama Daredevil. (Aaron Couch at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Nikki Reed (the Twilight franchise) will appear as Betsy Ross in the third season of Sleepy Hollow. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

The following actors will all appear in The Flash this fall: actress Shantel VanSanten (The Messengers) as Police Officer Patty Spivot, the new partner of Joe West (series regular Jesse L. Martin); actor Teddy Sears (Masters of Sex) as Jay Garrick, an enigmatic individual who arrives in Central City to warn Barry Allen (series lead Grant Gustin) and his team at S.T.A.R. Labs of a looming danger that he alone can’t stop; actor Michael Ironside (the original V and Smallville) as Lewis Snart, the estranged, abusive father – and career criminal – of Leonard and Lisa (Captain Cold and his crazy sister); and WWE Superstar and actor Adam Copeland (Haven) as Atom-Smasher, who has come to Central City to kill The Flash. (Comic Con, Anthony D’Alessandro at Deadline, Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Russ Burlingame at ComicBook.com)

Actor Peter Krause (Parenthood) will take over for actor Damon Dayoub (Stitchers) in the upcoming ABC series The Catch. He will play Kieran, a successful, longtime conman who lives the good life with other people’s money. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actor Peter Facinelli (the Twilight franchise and Nurse Jackie) has joined the cast of the upcoming CBS superhero drama Supergirl where he will play Maxwell Lord. (Comic Con)

Actors Neal McDonough (Band of Brothers and Justified) and Echo Kellum (Ben and Kate) will appear on Arrow this fall. McDonough will play Damien Darhk, a mysterious and sophisticated villain, and an adversary of the late Ra’s Al Ghul while Kellum will play Mr. Terrific Curtis Holt, the tech genius and inventor who works under Felicity Smoak at Palmer Industries. (The Futon Critic and Jamie Lovett at ComicBook.com)

Actor Aaron Tveit (Graceland) has been cast as the lead role in the made-for-TV version of Grease: Live, which will debut on FOX in January. (Patrick Hipes at Deadline)

Actress Toks Olagundoye (The Neighbors) has joined the cast of Castle as a series regular, playing Hayley Vargas, a quick-witted, free-spirited, former Scotland Yard police officer who works as a security specialist and is not afraid to cross lines to get things done. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Scott Wolf has been promoted to series regular on The Night Shift for its upcoming third season. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor Jason Dohring (Veronica Mars) will recur on The Originals where he will play Detective Kinney, a confident man who, unlike the Mikaelsons, has a clear sense of right and wrong. (Variety and Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Alana De La Garza (Forever) has joined the cast of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, which will debut during mid-season. She will play Clara Seger, a well-traveled field agent who speaks an impressive number of languages and is also an excellent judge of character. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actors Josh Hopkins and Rick Cosnett (The Flash) will appear in the new upcoming fall drama Quantico. Hopkins will take over for Dougray Scott as Special Agent Liam O’Connor, a sexy, good-looking and charming staff counselor who works with new agent trainees while Cosnett will recur as Elias Harper, an openly gay, former defense attorney who used his rhetoric and savvy against FBI cases. (Lesley Goldberg and Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) and actor Robbie Amell (The Flash and The Tomorrow People) will appear in one episode of the upcoming six-episode event series The X-Files. Character details are scarce but Ambrose will play Agent Einstein and Amell will play Agent Miller. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actor Michael Chiklis (American Horror Story) will be joining the cast of Gotham this fall, playing Captain Nathaniel Barnes, mentor and ally to Jim Gordon. (TV Line and Carissa Pavlica at TV Fanatic)

Actor Steven R. McQueen (The Vampire Diaries) will appear in a recurring role of Jimmy Borelli in Chicago Fire. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Jill Hennessy (Crossing Jordan) will appear on Madam Secretary in the recurring role of Jane Fellows, Henry’s (Tim Daly) new defense intelligence agency handler. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

RENEWALS

Lifetime has given the new drama UnReal a second season order. (Variety)

Teen Wolf has been given a sixth season order by MTV. (Variety)

Rectify has been given a third season renewal by SundanceTV. (Variety)

Salem has been given a third season renewal by WGN America. (Variety)

The ABC Family drama Stitchers has been renewed for a second season. (Variety)

Turn: Washington’s Spies will return for a third season on AMC in 2016. (The Futon Critic)

MTV has given Scream: The TV Series a second season order. (Comic Con)

The Canadian thriller Between has been renewed for a second season by Netflix. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: So wait, Merida is NOT Rumple’s mom on Once Upon a Time? — Trisha

Natalie: Correct! The producers were hoping to keep the surprise of Merida joining the show intact by throwing fans off with fake casting sides. “The only way to throw the press off and our fans off of this being Merida was to say we’re casting Rumple’s mother,” EP Edward Kitsis says. “It honestly worked because for once, this was not spoiled.” Fear not, EP Adam Horowitz says Rumple’s mother is a character they eventually want to introduce. As for Merida, “We’re going to meet her through Emma,” says Kitsis. Adds Horowitz: “It’s certainly a part of Emma’s journey as the Dark Swan and dealing with her darkness. All that is tied with how we explore the world of Camelot this year.”

Question: Are Red and Liz really on the run in the new season of The Blacklist? — Kyle

Natalie: You betcha! And it’s not all fun private flights to foreign countries without extradition treaties. No, Liz and Red are still very much in the country and must momentarily split up in an attempt to get past road blocks that Liz’s own team — along with basically every major agency in D.C. — have set up to hunt her down.

Question: Will there be a time jump on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. next season? — Sam

Natalie: The third season picks up a few months after the end of season 2. Word on the street is Coulson will meet a woman who’s more than his match. But is she friend or foe?

Question: Will the new season of The Flash explain why Robbie Amell isn’t signed on for Legends of Tomorrow? — Rienne

Natalie: Yes! According to Victor Garber, you’ll find out what’s going on with Ronnie Raymond in the season premiere. Also, the first seven episodes of both The Flash and Arrow will act as a “table setting” for Legends, says EP Marc Guggenheim. “We’re putting pieces back on the chessboard,” which includes actually introducing Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renée), aka Hawkgirl, on The Flash first.

Question: I would love some scoop on Supernatural. —Frances

Ausiello: Later in the season, a two-part “bottle” episode will find Sam and Dean “in the same location, building off the same case,” shares EP Andrew Dabb, adding that the arc will “create a little bit of serialization we don’t do a lot of.”

Question: Any scoop yet on what’s in store for Supergirl? —Stefanie

Ausiello: A whole world of hurt around Episode 3. That’s when infamous DC villain Reactron is poised to take aim at Kara. The nuclear-powered, exoskeletal chest-plated madman has a long-held grudge against Superman, but, for some reason, it’s his cousin he’s striking out against (possibly because she has her own TV series and Superman doesn’t). Fun bonus fact, free of charge: In the Superman: New Krypton comic, Reactron is responsible for the deaths of Kara’s parents.

Question: Anything on Beauty and the Beast Season 4? —Maria

Ausiello: Max Brown — AKA Cat’s morgue crush Evan Marks — is returning for an episode. Which is notable mostly because the character is, you know, dead.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for all of last week:

TELEVISION

Syfy has picked up Bitten for a third season (after the show’s home Canadian network renewed it up for a new season). (Laura Prudom at Variety)

American Odyssey has been cancelled by NBC after only one season; the same is true for A.D. The Bible Continues. (Variety)

Actor Liam Garrigan (24: Live Another Day and Strike Back) will appear as King Arthur on Once Upon a Time when the show returns this fall for its new season. (Natalie Abrams at Entertainment Weekly)

The USA Network has given Suits an order for a sixth season. (Variety)

Actress Neve Campbell (Party of Five and the Scream franchise) has joined the cast of House of Cards for the fourth season of the online series. (Aaron Couch at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Nick Zano (One Big Happy) has joined the cast of the upcoming small screen adaptation of Minority Report that will air on FOX this fall. He will also co-star alongside Stark Sands, as the now-fraternal twin brother Arthur to Sands’ character of Dash. (Sands was to play the originally planned identical twins). (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Kevin Alejandro (Arrow and True Blood) has joined the cast of the FOX mid-season drama Lucifer, replacing Nicholas Gonzalez (Sleepy Hollow) in the series regular role of Dan, a gruff homicide detective who is wary of Lucifer’s involvement with his wife (Lauren German) and daughter. The series is based on the Vertigo comic about the bored Lord of Hell (Tom Ellis), who resigns his throne and abandons his kingdom for the gorgeous, shimmering insanity of Los Angeles, where he gets his kicks helping the LAPD punish criminals. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Marisa Tomei has joined the cast of the FOX drama Empire for the show’s second season in the recurring role of Mimi Whiteman, a demanding venture capitalist who becomes involved with the Lyon family. (Kate Stanhope at The Hollywood Reporter)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break) will star alongside actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Michelle Monaghan (Source Code and True Detective) in the Hulu original drama The Way that examines a couple, Eddie (Paul) and Sarah Cleary (Monaghan) at the center of a controversial movement struggling with relationships, marriage and power. Dunbar will play Detective Abe Gaines, a thorough FBI investigator who seems to be the only agent suspicious of the mysterious religious sect that recently responded to a natural disaster. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here is the top 10 box office movies for last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Jurassic World – 54.5 million
2. Inside Out – 52.3 million
3. Ted 2 – 33.5 million
4. Max – 12.2 million
5. Spy – 7.9 million
6. San Andreas – 5.4 million
7. Dope – 2.8 million
8. Insidious Chapter 3 – 2 million
9. Mad Max: Fury Road – 1.8 million
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron – 1.7 million

Actress Stana Katic (Castle) and actor Raza Jaffrey (Homeland and Smash) will star in the action adventure film The Rendezvous, which is inspired by classic romantic capers like North By Northwest and Romancing The Stone. It is set in Jordan and follows an unlikely pair who find themselves swept up in a deadly race to find a sacred Dead Sea Scroll hidden in the ancient city of Petra. (Ali Jaafar at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actor Anthony Mackie (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) will Martin Luther King, Jr. in the HBO telefilm All the Way where he will star opposite Bryan Cranston, who is set to play Lyndon B. Johnson). (Deadline and Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

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

Question: I’m dying for news about Nashville‘s new season. –Christina

Ausiello: How about some new faces making their way to Music City? The show is casting Markus Kane, a globally successful, late-20s to 40something artist who’s looking for a new label to represent him as a solo act. Though every label courts him, Rayna’s Highway 65 is the one that’ll eventually win him over with talk of stripping away all the noise and getting to the essence of his soulful musical truth. Things are great… until Markus realizes how much Rayna’s fledgling company needs his solo album to be a hit. That’s when his controlling, narcissistic side comes out, and he’ll test his boss’ boundaries throughout the writing, recording and release of his first solo album.

BONUS SPOILER: #LoveWINS — but Will may not when Luke hires a no-BS elite media consultant named Gabriella to handle the fallout from Mr. Lexington’s very public coming-out. Though Gabriella herself (and an increasingly accepting Luke) are cool with Will’s sexuality, she serves as a giant reality check: Country-music fans may not support Will now that they know he’s gay.

Question: Got any other Flash scoop for next season? —Jeannette

Ausiello: My gut is telling me Joe is going to partake in some nookie-nookie with a woman named Olivia. In potentially related news, producers are looking for an African-American actress in her early-40s to play a troubled old friend of Joe’s. The recurring character’s name is Olivia.

Question: I’m a big fan of Iris West on The Flash. Any info on what’s to come for her in Season 2? –Leslie

Ausiello: Hopefully, more of an independent and resourceful Iris, per Candice Patton’s wishes. “She’s found her way into S.T.A.R. Labs and she’s trying to get her career off the ground at Picture News,” her portrayer says. “So I, personally, am really hoping to see Iris have more agency and more abilities to help the team and The Flash and the city that she loves so much. I want to see her stand on her own two feet and really contribute to the group.”

BONUS SCOOP: Patton teases that, following the wormhole cliffhanger, the Season 2 premiere will address “where Barry is and what that means for S.T.A.R. Labs and Iris and Joe and Eddie. It’ll pick up right where we left off.”

Question: Any West- Allen scoop to help us survive The Flash‘s hiatus? –Kaz

Mitovich: As we all surmised when I wrote this not-at-all-controversial bit, Barry is getting his own “Felicity” because it’s simply too soon for Iris to move on from Eddie — especially since Season 2 picks up right where we left off, with The Flash fighting the wormhole. “[Eddie’s death] is definitely a factor, for sure,” Grant Gustin says. “Barry wants to be there for Iris as her best friend right now. And for Barry, too. It’s too soon for everybody. Some tragic events just took place!” Interestingly, exec producer Geoff Johns added that the aforementioned (and yet-to-be-cast) CCPD noob Wendy Miller won’t be the only one shaking up the status quo when the CW hit returns. “There are a lot of new characters coming in, not just the ones that have been leaked online,” he teased. “And they all will challenge relationships, in good and bad ways.”

Question: Any info about who/what Teen Wolf‘s flashback episode (5×06, I think) will feature, aside from Scott and Kira? —Cecile

Mitovich: Show boss Jeff Davis tells the Inside Line you can expect “a heart-wrenching scene between Stiles and his mother, Claudia, where we learn just how bad things got before her death.”

Question: Did Graceland‘s Mike actually forgive Paige? Or is he playing her? –Diane

Mitovich: I’m going with Option A, suspecting that in his “death,” Mike saw the proverbial light. “One of the things that fascinated me, as a big Six Feet Under fan, is that Mike was clinically dead for six minutes,” series creator Jeff Eastin says, “and the season does hinge a great deal on what he believes happened in that six minutes.” Which is not to say that a crossover with TNT’s Proof is on tap. “We have not done any spiritual shark-jumping,” Eastin makes clear. “But it does influence the season a great deal, and I think at the end people will be very surprised by exactly how it does that.”

Question: Any scoop on Once Upon a Time? I’m not particular, I’ll take anything! –Allison

Mitovich: I’m hearing that the season opener, not unexpectedly, will pick up right where the finale left off, with Emma having vanished after taunting the disembodied Darkness with the Dark One’s dagger. Where exactly the Savior was transported to, however, thus far remains a closely guarded secret. Also, it will be sooner rather than later that we meet King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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