Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past several weeks:

CASTING

Actress Aisha Hinds (Under the Dome and True Blood) will play Harriet Tubman in the second season of the WGN America series Underground. (The Futon Critic)

In the wake of actor Thomas Gibson being fired from the long-running CBS drama Criminal Minds, actress Paget Brewster has been promoted to series regular (a spot she hasn’t held with the show since season seven – the show is going into season 12 now), reprising her role of SSA Emily Prentiss. She was previously set to appear in multi-episodes. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Chuck fans rejoice! Both Yvonne Strahovski and Zachary Levi will be back on the small screen next year. Well, actually they’ll both be in streaming series based on books by author Margaret Atwood. Yvonne will be in Hulu’s 10-episode adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale while Zach will be in the Netflix series Alias Grace. (ChuckTV.Net)

Actress Bethany Joy Lenz (One Tree Hill) has landed a recurring role on the USA Network drama Colony. She will portray Morgan, a highly-intelligent computer whiz with a conscience who is determined to do what’s right. The role was played in Season 1 by Thora Birch, who had to exit due to scheduling conflicts. (Deadline)

Actress Phylica Rashad (The Cosby Show) will have a recurring role on Empire, playing Diana Dubois, a powerhouse from one of New York’s most prominent African American families and the mother of Angelo Dubois (Taye Diggs). (Deadline)

Actress Robin Givens (Head of the Class) will have a recurring role on the upcoming CW series Riverdale, playing Mayor Sierra McCoy and mother of Josie (from Josie & the Pussycats). (Deadline)

Actor Faran Tahir (Warehouse 13 and American Crime) will recur as Captain Nemo in Once Upon a Time. (TV Line)

Actress Alisha Wainwright (Rosewood and Switched at Birth) has joined the second season of Shadowhunters where she will play werewolf Maia, a bartender at the Hunters Moon and a new member of Luke’s (series regular Isaiah Mustafa) pack. (TV Line)

Actor Chris Payne Gilbert (The Protector) will appear in season two of Lucifer, playing Chloe Decker’s (series lead Lauren German) late father (via flashbacks). It should be noted that he is also married to series regular Lesley-Ann Brandt. (TV Line)

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

Grimm will come to an end after its upcoming sixth season that will return on January 6. (Variety)

Netflix has given Stranger Things a second season renewal that will air in 2017. (Variety)

Killjoys and Dark Matter have been given season 3 renewals by Syfy. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Devious Maids has been cancelled by Lifetime. (Variety)

With only two episodes under its belt, the new TLC drama Too Close to Home has been given a second season order by the network. (The Futon Critic)

Feed the Beast has been cancelled by AMC after only one season. (Variety)

MOVIE TRAILER

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the entertainment news items for the last week:

CASTING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Actor Will Chase (Nashville) has joined the cast of the upcoming ABC drama Time After Time, playing Griffin, an ambitious and charismatic war veteran vying to be New York’s next state senator. (Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Grey Damon (Aquarius) will play Mirror Master in The Flash while actress Joey King (Independence Day: Resurgence) will play Magenta in the show. (TV Fanatic, TV Line and Comic Book Resources)

Actress Charisma Carpenter (Buffy and Angel) will guest star in an episode of Lucifer, playing Jamie Lee Adrienne, a former Playmate with a lot of party years on her. Married to a once-successful action star, Jamie Lee’s demeanor suggests sadness and pain or that she is hiding something. (TV Line)

Actress Janet Montgomery (Salem) is joining the cast of the NBC drama This Is Us, playing a talented and sharp tongued theater actress named Erin Maine who gets involved with Kevin (series regular Justin Hartley). The role is recurring. (TV Fanatic)

Actress Jaime Ray Newman (Bates Motel) has landed a recurring role on Major Crimes where she will play Wildred Darnell, the mother of a young White Supremacist responsible for killing several mixed race couples and who got involved with a mass shooting inside the law enforcement community. (TV Line)

Actor Sean Maguire (Once Upon a Time) will guest star as James Bond author Ian Fleming in an episode of the upcoming new NBC series Timeless. (TV Guide)

Actor Corbrin Bernsen (Psych) has joined the cast of the Starz drama American Gods. He will play the character of Vulcan, an old ally of Mr. Wednesday (series regular Ian McShane) whose loyalties are uncertain, on a potentially recurring basis. (The Wrap and Dark Horizons)

TRAILER

RENEWALS

Mr. Robot has been renewed for a third season by the USA Network. (Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hi All,

There has been a lot of news since my last report on June 27 but here are the highlights from then through now:

CASTING NEWS

Actress Parminder Nagra (The Blacklist) has landed a multi-episode role on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., playing a powerful political figure who is outspoken in her distrust of Inhumans and the threat they pose to society. Also actor Jason O’Mara (Terra Nova and Life on Mars) will as the new Director on the show. (IGN and Blastr)

Actress Susan Walters (The Vampire Diaries) has been cast as Dr. Carla Tannhauser, the mom of Caitlin Snow (series regular Danielle Panabaker) on The Flash. (Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Jeremy Davies (Lost) will recur on Sleepy Hollow, which is undergoing a change of direction after the death of lead character Abby Mills. Davies will appear as Malcolm Dreyfuss, an eccentric and outspoken tech mogul who became a billionaire before the age of 30, and has since been seeking other worlds to conquer. He will be the new big bad on the show. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Zoe McLellan will not be returning to NCIS: Los Angeles for the show’s third season. Actress Vanessa Ferlito (Graceland) has been added as a new series regular, playing an FBI Special Agent. (TV Line)

Once Upon a Time has cast Oded Fehr (Covert Affairs) as Jafar, Deniz Akdeniz (Graceland) as Aladdin and Karen David (Galavant) will portray Princess Jasmine. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Floriana Lima (The Family) has landed a series regular role on Supergirl where she will appear as Maggie Sawyer. It should also be noted that Calista Flockhart will appear in season two of the show, but only in a recurring capacity [this is due to the show relocating to Canada to film now that it is on The CW.]  (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Blair Underwood will join the second season of Quantico, playing Owen Hall, an intelligent and inspirational CIA officer every fledgling operative wishes he or she could learn from. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Luke Mitchell (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) and actress Michelle Hurd (The Glades) have joined Blindspot as series regulars with Mitchell playing Roman and Hurd playing another member of the shadowy organization that sent Jane to the FBI in season one. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Jon Huertas (Castle) has landed a recurring role in the NBC fall drama This Is Us, playing Mike, co-worker and best friend of Jack (series lead Milo Ventimiglia). (Deadline)

Actor Tate Donovan (The O.C.) will have a recurring role in the Amazon streaming series The Man in the High Castle. He will play a character named George Dixon, a mysterious figure from Juliana’s (series regular Alexa Davalos) past. (Deadline)

Actress Brit Morgan (True Blood) will have a recurring role in the new scripted drama series The Arrangement that will air on E! She will play Daisy Parson, an uncompromising independent filmmaker. (Deadline)

WWE Superstar Edge (aka Adam Copeland) (Haven) has landed a recurring role on Vikings, playing Ketill Flatnose, a fierce and brave warrior, chosen by Floki to be one of the leaders of the Viking party intent on traveling to Iceland to set up a community there. (Deadline)

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

CBS has renewed Zoo for season 3. (Variety)

Ray Donovan has been given a 5th season renewal by Showtime. (Variety)

PlayStation Network has cancelled their show Powers after two seasons. (Variety)

Suits has been renewed for a 7th season by the USA Network. (Variety)

The Last Ship has been renewed for a fourth season on TNT. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Game of Thrones will come to an end at the conclusion of the show’s 8th season. Season 7 is expected to air in 2017. (Variety)

AMC has renewed Revolutionary War drama “Turn: Washington’s Spies” for a fourth and final season, the network announced Tuesday. The 10-episode final run is scheduled to premiere in 2017. (Variety)

Wynonna Earp has been renewed by Syfy for a second season. (Variety)

The Vampire Diaries will end on The CW after its upcoming eighth season. (Variety)

Bates Motel will come to an end after season 5 on A&E. (Variety)

Teen Wolf will end after season 6 on MTV. (Variety)

Daredevil has been renewed for a third season by Netflix. (Variety)

Netflix has renewed Bloodline for season 3. (Variety)

Starz has given their drama Power two more season. (Variety)

Hunters has been cancelled after one season by Syfy. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Animal Kingdom has been given a second season order by TNT. (Variety)

Preacher has been renewed for a second season by AMC. (Variety)

FOX has canceled Houdini & Doyle after one season. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

PICK-UP ANNOUNCEMENTS

Netflix has ordered Ozark, a 10-episode drama that will revolve around financial planner Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy Bird (Laura Linney) and their family’s sudden relocation from the suburbs of Chicago to a summer resort community in the Missouri Ozarks. The series will premiere worldwide on Netflix in 2017. (The Futon Critic)

Netflix has cast Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary from Downton Abbey) as the female lead in the western mini-series Godless, which is set to premiere worldwide on Netflix in 2017. The story centers on Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), a menacing outlaw who is terrorizing the West as he hunts down Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), his son-like partner turned mortal enemy. While Roy hides at Alice Fletcher’s (Michelle Dockery) ranch, Frank’s chase leads him to the quiet town of La Belle, N.M. – which is mysteriously made up of entirely women. (The Futon Critic)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are some miscellaneous news items from the last month and a half:

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

HBO has canceled their new series Vinyl. (Variety)

Younger, the Sutton Foster-led half-hour dramedy, on TV Land has been given a fourth season renewal ahead of its third season premiere. (Variety)

Orphan Black has been renewed for its fifth and final season by BBC America. (Variety)

The Americans has been renewed for its last two seasons by FX. It will end in 2018. (Variety)

The short-lived A&E thriller series Damian has been cancelled. (Variety)

The new drama Cleverman that just recently debuted on SundanceTV has been given a season two order. (Variety)

Lifetime has given a third season order to the series UnReal in advance of its second season premiere. (Variety)

Freeform has cancelled the one-hour drama Recovery Road after only one season. (Deadline)

CASTING NEWS

Actor Wilmer Valderrama (That 70’s Show) has joined the cast of NCIS as a series regular for the show’s upcoming 14th season. He will play a once-grounded NCIS field agent who accepted a deep cover assignment years ago and never resurfaced. Many agents don’t know he’s still on the job or that he’s even alive. Now, he’s back and his dedication to job and country has left him an unpredictable, charismatic loose cannon. (Variety)

Actor Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90210 and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has joined the cast of the FOX drama Rosewood for its second season. He will play Aaron Slade, East Miami Police’s newest member with a mysterious past, who will both challenge and complicate an already messy situation between Dr. Beaumont Rosewood, Jr. (series lead Morris Chestnut) and Detective Annalise Villa (series lead Jaina Lee Ortiz). (TV Fanatic)

Actress Maggie Geha (Ted 2) will take over the role of Ivy Pepper (aka Poison Ivy) in the third season of the FOX drama Gotham. Following an encounter with a monster from Indian Hill, Ivy Pepper finds herself reborn. Now a 19-year-old woman who’s harnessed the full power of her charms, she sets her sights on Bruce Wayne (series regular David Mazouz). (Variety)

Legendary icon Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman herself) will recur as the President of the United States on Supergirl, which will now air on The CW. Also, actor Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf) has landed the role of Superman (aka Clark Kent) on Supergirl. (The Hollywood Reporter and Variety)

Actress-singer Kristin Chenoweth has joined the cast of the upcoming musical TV production Hairspray Live! She will play Velma Von Tussle, the self-promoting and manipulative producer of The Corny Collins Show, who will stop at nothing to make her daughter Amber the star that Velma never was. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) has landed a major recurring role on Blindspot for the show’s second season. She will play the head of a secret division of the NSA that has been tracking the Jane Doe case from afar. (Variety)

Film star Ewan McGregor will appear in the next installment of the FX anthology series Fargo, playing the two central characters — brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy, which is supposed to be set closer to present day. Emmit Stussy is the Parking Lot King of Minnesota. A handsome, self-made, real estate mogul and family man, he sees himself as an American success story. His slightly younger brother, on the other hand, is more of a cautionary tale. Balding and pot-bellied, Ray is the kind of guy who peaked in high school. Now a parole officer, he has a huge chip on his shoulder about the hand he’s been dealt, and he blames Emmit for his misfortunes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

SERIES PICK-UPS

FX has ordered comic book drama Legion to the small screen with an 8-episode first season order. The series will center on David Haller (Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame). Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

CBS has given a straight-to-series order to Ransom that will follow crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Luke Roberts from the Starz series Black Sails), whose team is brought in to save lives when no one else can. Eric understands criminals better than they do, and uses his insight into human behavior to resolve the most difficult kidnap and ransom cases. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment are developing a new standalone movie featuring an all-star cast of female DC heroes and villains with actress Margot Robbie attached to reprise her role of Harley Quinn. The picture will also feature popular characters such as Batgirl and Birds of Prey. (Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items from April 4 through May 15 (excluding the renewals, cancellation and pick-up orders from the major networks that will be reported on over the course of the next few days):

CASTING

Actress Vanessa Williams is joining the cast of The Librarians. (Dean Devlin via Facebook)

Actress Arden Cho will not be returning for the sixth season of Teen Wolf. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Lesley Nicol (Mrs. Pattmore on Downton Abbey) has landed a recurring role on the ABC series The Catch. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Sebastian Roche (The Originals and Supernatural) has landed a recurring role on the Amazon drama series The Man in the High Castle. He will play Reichminister Martin Hausmann, a wealthy, high-ranking Nazi official based in Berlin. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Diane Farr (Numb3rs and Roswell) will recur on the upcoming Hulu drama Chance that is about a forensic neuropsychiatrist (Hugh Laurie from House), who gets sucked into a world of mistaken identity, police corruption and mental illness. Farr will appear in multiple episodes as Christina, Chance’s resentful ex-wife. (Deadline and Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actor Ioan Gruffudd (Forever) will recur on the Lifetime drama UnREAL, appearing as John Booth, a tech billionaire with his eye on Quinn (Constance Zimmer). (Variety and Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13) will have a recurring role on the CBS thriller Zoo, playing Allison, the Deputy Secretary of Defense who is actively seeking a solution to the animal crisis and who shares a surprising history with Mitch (Billy Burke). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Echo Kellum has been promoted to series regular on Arrow. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

TV NEWS

The Shannara Chronicles was given a second season order by MTV. (Variety)

Underground was been given a second season renewal by WGN America. (Variety)

Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce was renewed for a third season by Bravo. (Variety)

Fear the Walking Dead was renewed for a third season. (Variety)

Grantchester, the popular crime-fighting clergyman drama was given a third season renewal. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

Netflix has given a spin-off order for The Punisher (from Daredevil). Jon Bernthal will reprise his role of solider turned vigilante Frank Castle. (Maane Khatchatourian at Variety)

Actor John Krasinski (The Office) has landed the coveted role of the Amazon TV series that will focus on titular literary character Jack Ryan. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

The Hulu streaming series The Path has been renewed for season two. (Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Scott Eastwood (The Longest Ride) and actress Charlize Theron have joined the Fast & the Furious franchise for the next movie Fast 8. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actress Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) has landed the plum role of Lara Croft in the upcoming reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

Actor Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures and Hail Caesar!) has landed the coveted role of Han Solo in the standalone movie that revolves around that famous character. (Variety)

Actress Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Jack Huston (Ben-Hur and The Longest Ride will star in the upcoming movie thriller Above Suspicion, the chilling true story of a newly married FBI poster boy assigned to an Appalachian mountain town in Kentucky where he is drawn into an illicit affair with an impoverished local woman who becomes his star informant. She sees in him her means of escape; instead, it’s a ticket to disaster for both of them. This scandal shook the foundations of the nation’s top law enforcement agency, ending in the first ever conviction of an FBI agent for murder. (Variety)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

The following actors have joined the cast of the upcoming live NBC musical event Hairspray: Jennifer Hudson (as Motormouth Maybelle), Harvey Fierstein (as Edna Turnblad), Martin Short (as Wilbur Turnblad) and Derek Hough (Dancing With the Stars) as Corny Collins. (The Hollywood Reporter and Daniel Holloway at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items since March 21:

RENEWALS

Bosch has been given a third season order by Amazon. (Variety)

CBS has given renewal orders to the following dramas: Blue Bloods, Elementary, Hawaii Five-0, Madam Secretary, NCIS: Los Angeles, NCIS: New Orleans and Scorpion in addition to the already announced renewal of NCIS. (Variety)

CASTING NEWS

Actress Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding and its sequel) will have a recurring role on the new ABC drama The Catch. It is believed she will play Leah Wells, a neurotic but formidable counterfeiter, but those details have not been confirmed. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Patrick J. Adams (Suits) will have a recurring role in the new CW series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, but details are sketchy at this time about who he will be playing, though. (Entertainment Weekly and TV Line)

Actress Andrea Parker has been promoted to series regular for the final season of Pretty Little Liars. As viewers know she has been recurring throughout the series’ run as Jessica DiLaurentis (Allison’s mother), but she was revealed in the spring finale to also be Mary Drake, Jessica’s identical twin. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actor Sam Witwer (Being Human) will have a recurring role on Once Upon a Time, playing an overbearing warden name Jacob, who takes pleasure in tormenting his most disturbed and helpless patients. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Sarah Clarke (the Twilight franchise and 24) will guest star in the final two episodes of NCIS, playing Tess Monroe, an FBI Special Agent who has recently transferred to D.C. from New York City. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past month:

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

Vikings received a fifth season renewal from the History Channel. (Variety)

Of Kings and Prophets has been pulled from the ABC line-up after only two episodes. The network has also given renewals to the following dramas: Grey’s Anatomy, How to Get Away With Murder, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, Once Upon a Time, Scandal and Quantico. Meanwhile, the fates of Agent Carter, Castle and Nashville are uncertain. (Variety)

Gotham has been given a third season renewal by FOX, and Bones has been renewed for its 12th and final season on the network. (Variety)

Person of Interest will officially end after its upcoming fifth season on CBS; and NCIS has been renewed for two more seasons by the network. (Variety)

Better Call Saul has been given a season three renewal by AMC, and the network has also given a season renewal order to the drama Into the Badlands. (Variety)

PBS has given a second season order to Mercy Street. (The Futon Critic)

FreeForm has given a second season order to Shadowhunters; and the network also announced that Switched at Birth will end after its upcoming fifth season. (The Wrap and TV Line)

Royal Pains will end after its upcoming eighth season on the USA Network; and Satisfaction has been cancelled by the network after two seasons. (Variety and The Futon Critic)

WGN America has given their new drama Outsiders a second season renewal. (Variety)

Fuller House has been given a second season order by Netflix. (Variety)

The CW made an unprecedented announcement that all of their dramas – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Jane the Virgin, The Flash, iZombi, Arrow, Supernatural, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The 100, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and Reign – have been renewed for a new season. (Variety)

CASTING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Actor Finn Jones (Game of Thrones) has landed the lead role in the upcoming Netflix superhero series Iron Fist that focuses on Daniel “Danny” Rand, a handsome, sophisticated and independent loner who returns to New York City after being missing for years to fight against the criminal element corrupting the city with his incredible kung-fu mastery and the ability to summon the power of the fiery Iron Fist. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actress Michelle Hurd (Daredevil and The Glades) has joined the cast of Ash Vs. Evil Dead on Starz, playing the high school sweetheart of the Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell). (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Nadine Velazquez (Flight and Ride Along 2) will star alongside Barry Sloane (Revenge and The Whispers) in the 8-part History Channel military action series Six that follows a brotherhood of modern American warriors, Navy SEAL Team Six, whose 2014 mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan goes awry when they uncover a U.S. citizen working with the terrorists. Velazquez will play Jackie, a strong military wife whose husband Ricky is considering retirement from the SEAL Team Six but is called upon for one last mission. (Denise Petski at Deadline)

Actress Allison Miller (Kings and Go On) has landed one of the lead roles in the upcoming Syfy 13-episode futuristic thriller Incorporated that is set in a near future where corporations have unlimited power. The series will center on Ben Larson (Sean Teale from Reign), a young executive who conceals his true identity to infiltrate a very dangerous corporate world to save the woman he loves. But he’ll soon learn that he’s not the only one whose secrets might have deadly consequences. Miller will play Ben’s very well-connected wife Laura. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it! Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past month:

RENEWALS/CANCELLATIONS

The Magicians has been given a season two order by Syfy. (Variety)

House of Cards has been renewed for a fifth season by Netflix. (Variety)

Billions has been given a season two order by Showtime. (Variety)

Finding Carter has been cancelled by MTV. (Variety)

Manhattan has been cancelled after two seasons by WGN America. (Variety)

Colony has been renewed for a second season by the USA Network. (Variety)

Shades of Blue has been given a second season order by NBC. (TVFanatic.com)

The Good Wife will come to an end after next season on CBS. (Variety)

Mozart in the Jungle has been renewed for a third season by Amazon. (Variety)

Vinyl has been given a second season order by HBO. (Variety)

A&E has cancelled Unforgettable. (Variety)

CASTING

Actor John Barrowman (Arrow) will appear in the penultimate episode of Reign, playing Munro, a dangerous and charismatic Scottish clan leader who harbors a grudge against the Queen of Scots. (Rebecca Iannucci at TV Line)

Actress Grace Gummer (Extant) has joined the cat of the second season of Mr. Robot, playing Dominique “Dom” DiPierro, a young FBI field agent investigating the Evil Corp Hack. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Ricky Whittle (The 100 and Austenland) has landed the lead role of Shadow Moon in the upcoming adaptation of the Neil Gaiman acclaimed contemporary fantasy novel “American Gods”. (Starz PR)

Actress Sophie Skelton has landed the plum role of Brianna on Outlander for the show’s second season. Brianna is the daughter of lead characters Jamie and Claire. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Joe Morton has been promoted to series regular on Scandal. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Jason Patric (The Lost Boys) has landed the lead role in the second season of the FOX drama Wayward Pines, playing Dr. Theo Yedlin, a confident, driven surgeon whose leadership skills will prove invaluable to the residents of Wayward Pines. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actor Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) has been cast in the upcoming AMC adaptation of Preacher, which comes from the DC Comics graphic novel Vertigo, playing Odin Quincannon, a small, decrepit man with the unscrupulous iron will necessary to be the most powerful man in Annville County, Texas. The series revolves around Rev. Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper from Marvel’s Agent Carter), a badass Texas preacher who, after losing his faith, learns that God has left heaven and forsaken his duties. Jesse becomes the only one who is able to track God down and hold him responsible for his abdication. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV NEWS

Gilmore Girls will return for new episodes on Netflix (much like how Full House has returned with new episodes) with nearly all of the original cast coming back. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

NEW SHOWS

E! has given a series order to the new 10-hour-long episodes The Arrangement, a modern day Cinderella story with a complicated Hollywood twist that follows a young actress, Megan Morrison, who auditions for the female lead in a summer blockbuster to star opposite the hottest male action stars, Kyle West. After Megan’s amazing audition leads to an incredible first date — and more — with Kyle, her Cinderella story takes an unexpected turn when she is presented with a contract that would change her life forever. The cast includes Christine Evangelista (Chicago Fire), Josh Henderson (Dallas and Desperate Housewives), Michael Vartan (Alias) and Lexa Doig (Continuum). (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actresses Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost and Revolution) and Elizabeth Lail (Once Upon a Time) have been cast in the upcoming Freeform camp horror series Dead of Summer that comes from Once Upon a Time creators Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis. The show will be set in the late 1980s at Camp Clearwater, a seemingly idyllic Midwestern summer camp known for first loves, first kisses and first kills. Mitchell will play Deb, the new owner of Camp Clearwater while Lail will play Amy, a clever but nervous camp counselor who is new to Camp Clearwater. (Elizabeth Wagmeister at Variety)

Actor Ryan Phillippe (Secrets and Lies) has landed the lead role in the new USA Network drama Shooter, based on the best-selling novel “Point of Impact” and the 2007 film of the same name. Phillippe will play Bob Lee Swagger, an expert marksman living in exile who is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

TELEVISION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STREAMING TV

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

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for the past week:

TELEVISION

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

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

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

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question: Anything on Scandal? — Raina

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s it. Enjoy!

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