Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

So, Comic Con 2014 came to an end on Sunday afternoon and I spend nearly all of Monday and part of today putting together the following list of news that includes trailers shown at Comic Con and so much more:

TELEVISION

Actress Lucy Lawless (Xena and Spartacus) and actor Reed Diamond (Dollhouse) will appear on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this fall. The character that Lawless will play is being kept under wraps while Diamond will play Hyrda villain Daniel Whitehall, the big bad of season two. (Chris Harnick at E! Online and Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress-singer Lea Michele (Glee) will guest star on an episode of Sons of Anarchy, playing Gertie, an empathetic truck stop waitress and single mother, who connects with Gemma during a difficult time. (Chris Harnick at E! Online)

Teen Wolf has been renewed by MTV for a 20 episode fifth season. Also, actor Dylan Sprayberry, who plays new werewolf Liam, will be a series regular for that new season. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Actress Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones and 24: Live Another Day) will have a season-long arc on the returned ABC drama Resurrection this fall, playing Margaret Langston, the formidable matriarch of the Langston clan, the mother of Henry and Fred (Kurtwood Smith, Matt Craven), and dead for over three decades, she will reappear in Arcadia as one of the returned. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) will have a recurring role on The Blacklist this fall, recurring as a character named Naomi Highland, but no other details have been released. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actors Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) and Alexander Siddig (Da Vinci’s Demons) have been added to the cast of Game of Thrones for the show’s upcoming season. Pryce will play the High Sparrow, a pious man whose fellow believers have swarmed King’s Landing, ministering to the lowest and decrying the corruption of the highest. Meanwhile, Siddig will play Doran Martell, Oberyn’s older brother. (Dominic Patten at Deadline and Dark Horizons)

Actor Michael Landes (The New Adventures of Lois & Clark) will star in the ABC straight-to-series drama Members Only (formerly The Club) that is an upstairs/downstairs drama set at a private country club. He will play Malcolm, an athletic, charming, recently-widowed pediatrician and father of two who has mixed feelings about the Club. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development) will have a recurring role on Scandal this fall, playing a role that is “top secret”. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Meaghan Rath (Being Human) will have a recurring role on the upcoming ABC mystery series Secrets & Lies that is based on the Australian series that will star Ryan Phillippe as a family man who finds the body of a young boy and quickly becomes the prime murder suspect. Rath will play Nicole, the younger but more mature sister of Jess (Natalie Martinez from Under the Dome). Also actress Melissa Gilbert will play Lisa Daly, a loving and hardworking mom taking care of her two sons on her own. (The Deadline Team and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Anthony Hopkins and actress Evan Rachel Wood will play the leads in the new HBO drama Westworld that is inspired by Michael Crichton’s 1973 sci-fi movie set at an amusement park that is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Elisabeth Rohm (Law & Order) has a landed a series regular role in the new CBS fall thriller Stalker that stars Dylan McDermott (The Practice) and Maggie Q (Nikita) as detectives from the Threat Assessment Unit who investigate cases of stalking. Rohm will play Amanda, a Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney who works with the Threat Assessment Unit and a mother to a 10-year-old boy, whose attempt at a new life in L.A. suddenly is derailed when she discovers her past has followed her cross-country. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Sonya Walger (Lost) and actor Zak Orth (Revolution) will both guest star in upcoming episodes of Elementary. Walger will play Angela White, an Assistant U.S. Attorney whose high-profile case is derailed when her defendant is murdered. Meanwhile, Orth will play Gabe Coleman, a distraught father whose family was torn apart by tragedy. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Syfy has announced casting for its new upcoming sci-fi drama called Killjoys. Actors Aaron Ashmore (Warehouse 13) and Luke Macfarlane (Brothers & Sisters) [as well as British stage actress Hannah John-Kamen] will play a trio of fun-loving and hard-living bounty hunters who chase warrants in outer space. (Tim Surette at TV Guide)

Actors Tyler Jacob Moore (Shameless and GCG) and John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings franchise) will both be appearing in Once Upon a Time this fall. Moore will play Hans (from Frozen), the one-time suitor of Anna while Rhys-Davies will provide the voice of “grandpa” rock troll Pabbie. (E! Online)

Actress Regina King (Southland) has joined the cast of the upcoming ABC mid-season drama American Crime in a recurring role. The series centers on a racially charged murder and the subsequent trial, which are examined through the personal lives of the players involved. Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Timothy Hutton (Leverage), Benito Martinez (Sons of Anarchy) and Penelope Ann Miller (Mistresses) star. King will appear in at least seven episodes as the devoutly religious sister of a murder suspect. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Sarah Lancaster (Chuck) will have a recurring role in Witches of East End, playing Raven Moreau, who arrives in East End as part of a life-long “secret mission,” though she quickly develops a physical attraction to one of the Gardiner boys. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Actress Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine and True Blood) will have a recurring role on Covert Affairs, playing a Russian agent named Olga Akarova, who will continuously cross paths with Annie (series lead Piper Perabo). (Michael Slezak at TV Line)

Actor Joseph Fiennes (American Horror Story and FlashForward) will appear in an hour-long drama called Nostradamus that will follow the well-known clairvoyant on a quest for vengeance after his family is murdered. (Samantha Highfill at Entertainment Weekly)

TV TRAILERS

Starz’s Outlander Opening Credits

USA Network’s Dig

Trailers for Vikings – The Originals – The Knick – Bones

Sneak Peek at FOX’s Sleepy Hollow

The CW’s Reign

FUN COMIC CON VIDEO

Tricia Helfer and Zachary Levi Recreate The Princess Bride and Talk Comic Con

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Actor Peter Sarsgaard and actress Mary-Louise Parker will star in the NBC 8-hour mini-series The Slap that is based on the 2011 Australia series of the same name that looks at how one small incident: when a man slaps another couple’s misbehaving child. Sarsgaard will play Hector, a husband and father who loves his wife and family but shows signs of weakness when he finds himself succumbing to the advances of his wife’s teenaged receptionist during his own party. Parker will play Anouk, a close friend of Hector’s who’s the head writer on a TV show and is now dating the younger leading man. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

AMC has ordered the pilot White City, which follows Western diplomats and journalists in Afghanistan. (Sadie Gennis at TV Guide)

The USA Network is developing a pilot called Colony (that includes Carlton Cuse of Lost and Bates Motel fame as one of its executive producers. The series looks at a family torn by opposing forces and making difficult choices as they balance staying together with surviving the struggle of the human race. Set in the near future, the story takes place in Los Angeles, which exists in a state of occupation by a force of outside intruders. Some collaborate with the authorities and benefit from the new order, while others rebel and suffer the consequences. (The Futon Critic)

TV SERIES TO COMIC BOOK NEWS

Orphan Black Comic Book

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actress Blair Brown (Fringe) will appear in the third season of Orange Is the New Black, but details about who she will be playing are being kept under wraps. (Chris Harnick at E! Online)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Aaron Tveit (Graceland) will star in the rom-com Stereotypically You, playing Charlie, who goes on a hallucination-fueled post-breakup quest in New York City to find new love — and himself. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Actor Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film called Sicario. He will star alongside Benecio Del Toro and Emily Blunt, playing Steve Forsing, a no-nonsense DEA Agent who engages in an all-out firefight at the Juarez border while transferring a prisoner. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Here are the top 10 box office movies from last weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Lucy – 43.9 million
2. Hercules – 29.8 million
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – 16.8 million
4. The Purge: Anarchy – 10.5 million
5. Planes: Fire & Rescue – 9.5 million
6. Sex Tap- 6.1 million
7. Transformers: Age of Extinction – 4.7 million
8. And So It Goes – 4.6 million
9. Tammy – 3.5 million
10. A Most Wanted Man – 2.7 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Fort Bliss

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

Question: Is Harrison really going to die on Scandal? — Pamela

Natalie: Sorry to break it to you, Pamela, but executive producer Shonda Rhimes confirmed that he is. All the Gladiators will be deeply affected by Harrison’s death, Rhimes says, but especially Abby. “It’ll be devastating for Abby, but in a surprising way,” she says. “I think you’ll see how she’s coping with it in a very different way than you would expect.”

Question: I need something on Sleepy Hollow, STAT! — Dennis

Natalie: Henry will waste no time waging a psychological war when Season 2 returns. “He’s trying to break up the entire community of Sleepy Hollow to pave the way for the apocalypse,” Tom Mison tells me. “How best to do that? He masquerades as a lawyer. He becomes a respectable member of society and starts planting seeds of doubt.”

Question: Can you tell me who ran Castle off the road in last year’s Castle finale? — Diana

Natalie: Nope, but I can certainly tell you who didn’t. For fans convinced that last year’s fiery cliff-hanger was brought on by either existing nemeses Bracken and 3XK or even Castle’s own father, allow new showrunner David Amann to burst your bubble. “The mythology we’re getting into is going to go past all that into some new territory,” he says. “Those are all fair game, but it’s not going to be what the opening of the season is about.” What the new season is about is unearthing new secrets about Castle. But how will that impact the Castle-Beckett relationship? “Things that are going to come to light that are going to be unsettling for Beckett,” Amann teases. “But we’re committed to that relationship. I don’t think what happened to Castle is going to disrupt the trajectory of that relationship, at least not in the long term.”

Question: Do you have any Agent Coulson scoop for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? — Clark

Natalie: Don’t call him an agent anymore. Because there’s a small time jump going into Season 2, he’ll already be in the process of rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. as the new director — but that might not be so easy since the alien serum is affecting his brain. “As director, he’ll be faced with some tough decisions, harder decisions than he had to make as an agent,” executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen tells me. “We’ll see the emotional consequences of that and we’ll see the shifts in dynamics between the characters because of that.” (Also: Did you see this?)

Question: Thank you so much for the Arrow scoop, but there was not enough on Felicity! — Mark

Natalie: Let me fix that. The producers are planning a series of Felicity-centric flashbacks that they call “the secret origin of Felicity Smoak.” “We are absolutely going to get to know her,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim tells me. “We know that she went to MIT, we know that her mom was a cocktail waitress in Vegas and we’re going to meet that mom. And we also know that her dad is not in the picture.” Any theories on the identity of Dear Old Dad?

Question: What can you tell me about the new season of NCIS? — Katie

Natalie: Though the show seems to tease as much every season, DiNozzo is definitely getting a new love interest this year. “It’s going to happen early on, probably around Episode 4,” executive producer Gary Glasberg promises, noting that the pair will meet through a case Tony is working. And it sounds like he might finally be ready for a serious relationship post-Ziva. “I think he’s moved past being the wounded bird,” Michael Weatherly says. “[Last year,] we decided to whip that guy into shape and get him excited about the future and not holding on to the past. Tony is making choices that are not passive. He’s not content to sit on the side and cash his check until it’s time to retire. I think he’s going to have more fun than he’s ever had.”

Question: Any info on the crossover episodes of Flash and Arrow? — Leona

Natalie: I hear the shows’ overall narrative arcs will be somewhat related this season, enough so that the crossover will make sense. “Something will happen at the end of Episode 7 of Arrow that will send the Arrow team to Central City and they will discover it was a wider plot, which will drive them all back to Starling City,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg tells me.

Question: Any new info on Arrow’s Ray Palmer would be appreciated! –Rida

Mitovich: Hmm, I do like to be appreciated. Playing the Arrow newcomer, onetime Superman Brandon Routh is (like onetime Lois Lane Teri Hatcher) “spectacular,” EP Marc Guggenheim tells TVLine. “He has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. And what’s fun about the way Brandon interacts with everyone is we wanted someone who would offer a bit of what Grant Gustin did — someone who’s a little more on Felicity’s end of the spectrum in terms of color, and at the same time is very different from Grant. And Brandon, he’s just this change agent that shakes up everybody.” That said, a guy’s gotta have his secrets. “You’re going to see that there’s a lot going on with him,” Guggenheim hints. “He’s not what he initially appears to be.”

Question: Any more Supernatural scoop coming out of press tour or Comic-Con? –Deb

Mitovich: If you’re a fan of the Men of Letters, count on seeing them again this season — just not right away. “One of the reasons for that,” EP Jeremy Carver explains, “is that the boys are on the road actually for a good portion of the first run of episodes. It takes them a while to get back to the Men of Letters.”

Question: I would love any scoop on Longmire’s remaining episodes, especially the finale. –Michelle

Mitovich: Just as a key discovery is made in the David Ridges case, Walt cannot deny that Branch’s erratic behavior is intensifying, making him a danger to himself and others. Meanwhile, as Vic’s marriage continues to unravel, she is forced to make an important decision about her future in Absaroka County.

Question: Are we going to get the backstory on how Abby and/or Ducky started with NCIS? Also, What is the title of Episode 1? –Barbara

Mitovich: I’ve got nada on Abs thus far, but showrunner Gary Glasberg says that Episode 3 is “a Ducky origin story, where people learn all kinds of things about his past and see a younger David McCallum, so we’re excited about that.” The Season 12 premiere, meanwhile, is titled, “20 Clicks.”

Question: Whatever happened to the ABC Family horror drama The Final Girls, with Jamie Lee Curtis, that was announced last September? –Vince

Mitovich: Still in development, I am hearing.

Question: Since Scott Michael Foster is now cast on Once Upon a Time, does that mean he is toast on Chasing Life? –Sarah

Mitovich: For one, I reckon that an ABC Family summer series has a very different, non-overlapping schedule with Once, which just started shooting Season 4. But then there’s this, from Chasing Life EP Patrick Sean Smith: “We don’t want to [kill Leo]. But every character has its purpose on the show.” That said, he notes, “We’re finding so many new opportunities in his relationship with April that we hadn’t considered before.”

Question: Any scoop on Castle’s Esplainie?–Marine

Mitovich: In a word from series creator Andrew W. Marlowe, “Yeah” – but I truly believe him, based on some body language I picked up on as he said. It. “We do have a couple of things that we’re working on, in that relationship,” he added. (To which I suggested: They should quickly make use of the wedding venue! He laughed: “If only we could go back there and afford the location fee!”)

Question: Will Wilke be coming back to Switched at Birth now that The Carrie Diaries is cancelled? –April

Mitovich: Exec producer Lizzy Weiss allows that, since Austin Butler is no longer busy as Ms. Bradshaw’s beau, such an encore could happen. “Like the fans, we love Wilke!” she effuses. “So yes, it’s entirely possible.”

Question: I am a fan of ABC Family’s Twisted — is it coming back? –Erin

Mitovich: “We love Twisted,” ABC Family president Tom Ascheim said when I asked about a possible Season 2, “but we’re going to announce pick-ups toward the end of the summer.”

Question: Will Homeland address the passing of James Rebhorn (Carrie’s father) this season? –Melinda

Mitovich: Remembering Rebhorn as “one of the kindest, most supportive and wonderful men to work with,” EP Alex Gansa was mum at TCA on how exactly the show will write in his absence. ”We want to honor him,” he said, “but how we actually go about doing that, I’d rather not say.”

Question: Got any juicy scoop about Homeland? I love Carrie and Quinn — what’s in store for them in Season 4? –Jane

Mitovich: Again, top secrecy. “We’re all very much invested in the Quinn character,” is all that EP Alexander Cary would say at TCA. But as a consolation prize, Jane, I offer this from Gansa: “I can say unequivocally that Dana Brody will not be back for Season 4.”

Question: Can you give any scoop on Sleepy Hollow? —Kate

Ausiello: Look for Jenny and Abbie’s relationship to “get deeper” in Season 2, per Nicole Beharie. “They’re a lot closer because they’ve faced the tribulations, and they’re learning more about their family — mom, dad, all that kind of stuff,” she explains. “But a few people step into the situation and put a wrench into it, and they end up butting heads.”

Question: I need something to survive the Supernatural hellatus! —Katherine

Ausiello: Here’s your scoop: Scottish actress Ruth Connell is joining the cast in the pivotal recurring role of Rowena, a mysterious old-school witch who, rumor has it, is looking to reclaim her power base.

Question: Do you have any scoop on Supernatural and Demon Dean? —Joanna

Ausiello: Wondering how Cas will handle his buddy’s new persona? Well, first he’ll have to find out about it. “He doesn’t know what happened to Dean,” executive producer Jeremy Carver tells TVLine. “You’ve got to remember, Sam put Dean down on the bed dead. [He] comes back in the room [and] Dean’s not there. So no one knows what happened.”

Question: Have you got any scoop on Season 12 of NCIS? —Tara

Ausiello: As showrunner Gary Glasberg previously told TVLine, coming off a season that 1) wrote out Ziva, 2) added Bishop, 3) planted the seed for a new spin-off and 4) accounted for Ralph Waite’s passing— and thus ended on a quiet, cliffhanger-free note — “the idea was to come out with a bang.” And the Sept. 23 premiere will do just that. “We’ve got a really significant season opener that brings Gibbs and McGee to Russia for a really big story. A crisis comes up and we immediately launch with a significant adversary who will pop up throughout the rest of the season,” played by Russian actor Alex Veadov.

Question: I’m still not over the death of Downton Abbey‘s Matthew. Please tell me we won’t be losing anyone else in Season 5! —Kate

Ausiello: You might want to sit down for this one, Kate. “No one’s safe,” executive producer Gareth Neame tells TVLine — rather bluntly — about the PBS drama’s fifth season, which premieres Stateside on Jan. 4. “We’ve lost so many key characters already. Although the show’s only been on for four years, we’ve actually covered 10 to 12 years, so it’s reasonable that within any family, there’d be deaths in that timeframe.” (In other words, have your funeral attire ready, just in case.)

Question: Any chance you have a scoop on The Blacklist? —Stephanie

Ausiello: Because it’s never too early to be talking about the NBC hit’s midseason time slot change, EP John Eisendrath told us that while the Super Bowl episode will pick up the fall finale’s cliffhanger (airing Nov. 10), that super-special Sunday showcase also needs to be accessible to noobs. “We need to have a reason for people to need to come back when we move to Thursdays [at 9/8c, starting Feb. 5],” he allows, “but… we hopefully design a story where if you’ve never watched the show, you still will be able to enjoy it.” Because unlike 2013’s post-Super Bowl show, Elementary — which, being on CBS, is less-serialized — “We have to be more judicious. That is the challenge.”

Question: Do you have any scoop on any DC heroes or villains coming to Arrow or The Flash? —Michael

Ausiello: I’ve got some explosive scoop on this one (you’ll see what I did there in a minute): Sgt. Bette Sans Souci – AKA Plastique – will make her way to The Flash this season. The series’ incarnation of the metahuman is a fetching young redhead who was a bomb specialist with the Army before she was injured by an IED in Iraq. Since being exposed to the Central City explosion, she can turn any object into a bomb with just a touch of her hand – not a bad comrade for The Flash to have on his team, eh?

That’s the end of a week’s worth of news. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

FX has given their new drama Fargo a 10-episode second season renewal. This new story will feature different characters, a new time period and a different “true crime” story. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actor Brian Hallisay (The Client List) will have a heavily recurring role on ABC’s Revenge this fall, playing Ben, a local cop and a new friend of Jack (series regular Nick Wechsler) who is fun-loving, easygoing and drawn to Jack’s world and especially to the people in it. It is possible that Hallisay’s character is being eyed as a potential new love interest for Emily Thorne (series lead Emily Van Camp). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies from this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – 36 million
2. The Purge: Anarchy – 28.4 million
3. Planes: Fire & Rescue – 18 million
4. Sex Tape – 15 million
5. Transformers: Age of Extinction – 10 million
6. Tammy – 7.6 million
7. 22 Jump Street – 4.7 million
8. How to Train Your Dragon 2 – 3.8 million
9. Maleficent – 3.3 million
10. Earth to Echo – 3.2 million

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

Question: What are your thoughts on the direction Falling Skies has taken? The writing of the show this season has been so far-fetched it is bordering on ridiculous. What made my husband and I fans of the show in the beginning was the fact that it seemed as though what was happening would really happen if aliens took over the planet. They told the story from the human perspective. Now we have alien/human hybrids and aliens that squeeze dirt and speak to each other in English on their own planet. I read somewhere that Steven Spielberg stepped back and let someone else take over. Do you think there is any hope that he will come back and save the show? The last season of True Blood is a testament to the fact you cannot separate most of the core cast members and expect the show to last. The show keeps telling us that they are all going to be together soon, but that cannot happen quickly enough. Am I missing something here? Are you enjoying the show this season? I try to suspend my disbelief as much as possible when watching this type of show, but it has gone from plausibly realistic to campy in one season and I miss having the cast together. — Susan

Matt Roush: I’ve received several comments like this about the current season, which I’ll admit I haven’t been following. (Too much new summer TV, and something’s gotta give.) From what I remember from where I left off with this show, it did seem like something was lost when the characters began to scatter, and maybe it’s the best thing for everyone that next season will be the last. [Note: I’m told next Sunday’s episode does a great deal to bring many of the characters together, so stay tuned.] Stories like this aren’t meant to go on indefinitely, and perhaps by working toward a definite end point, the producers will find a way to give loyal and even lapsed fans a satisfying finish.

Question: Is it too soon to know if Continuum will get a fourth season? It’s a great show with a terrific cast that really holds your attention. They recently ended their third season with a big cliffhanger, so I was wondering about their renewal chances. Your thoughts? — Tony

Matt Roush: That decision will be made not by Syfy but by the Canadian broadcaster from which Syfy acquires the show. As far as I can tell, a decision is imminent later this summer, and I’d be surprised if a fourth season isn’t produced. And if it is, I imagine Syfy will carry it.

That’s it. Enjoy!

PS: I am leaving for Comic Con tomorrow so my daily updates will be on hold until next week!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

TNT has given a 13-episode second season order to their new drama The Last Ship while Major Crimes will be back for a 15-episode fourth season and Falling Skies will be back for a 10-episode fifth and final season. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me) will appear in two episodes of The Good Wife this fall, playing Elfman, one of the top campaign managers in the country who Eli Gold (series regular Alan Cumming) is trying to convince to run Alicia’s (series lead Julianna Margulies) possible campaign. The Good Wife will be back starting on September 21. (The Deadline Team)

Veteran actor Ernie Hudson will guest star in an upcoming episode of the new Lifetime drama The Lottery, which is set in a dystopian future where women have stopped having children, threatening extinction of the human race. Hudson will play Randall Mitchell, a former Attorney General. The Lottery premieres on Lifetime on July 20. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Ryan Sands (The Wire) will guest star in a fall episode of Castle, playing Tagger, a Hamptons police sergeant who helps Beckett investigate the most difficult case of her career. Castle will return to ABC on September 29. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Josie Loren (Make It or Break It) will have a major recurring role on The Mentalist, which is slated to return to CBS sometime during the mid-season of the 2014-2015 TV season. She will play Michelle Vega, the newest addition to Patrick Jane’s (series lead Simon Baker) FBI crew. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Wentworth Miller (Prison Break) will appear in an upcoming episode of the new CW series The Flash, playing Leonard Snart also known as Captain Cold to comics fans. The Flash is set to debut on October 7. (Chris Harnick at E! Online)

Actress Jodi Lyn O’Keefe (Nash Bridges and Hit the Floor) will appear in The Vampire Diaries this fall, playing a doctor named Jo. The Vampire Diaries will return to The CW on October 2. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

TV TRAILER

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Nickelodeon star Alexandra Shipp has taken over the role of Aaliyah in the upcoming made-for-TV movie on Lifetime that will take a look at the late singer who died in a plane crash. She takes over the role from Disney star Zendaya. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

CW SPOILERS (with Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Beauty and the Beast Bounty: “They’re out in the public, they’re a couple, they have to find a life together,” Pedowitz spilled of Vincent and Catherine in season three, which will pick up “a couple of months later.” He also revealed that Vincent will “get his license back,” and become a medical doctor again. But he wasn’t done: “Spoiler alert: the sister comes back.” He also confirmed Nicole Anderson will be a series regular.

Supernatural Spinoff Saga: Though the network didn’t pick up Bloodlines spinoff last season, the president is still hoping to expand the Supernatural universe. “We have told Jeremy [Carver] and Eric [Kripke] and Bob Singer that we are very open to do another spinoff. We are waiting for them to come in with whatever the new idea or concept is,” Pedowitz said. “I would love to get a Supernatural spinoff done, it’s a great franchise that has a lot of life to it.” Spinoff or not, Pedowitz made it clear he’s not looking at Season 10 as SPN’s final season. “I would love to see Supernatural go beyond Season 10. I am a big fan of the show, I’ve seen every episode…big fan of Jared and Jensen,” he said. “If the show continues the way it’s doing, and the boys want to do it, we’re in.”

Hart of Dixie: Rachel Bilson’s country charmer is set to return at midseason for a 10-episode season, which Pedowitz isn’t currently looking at as its last. “We are looking forward to see what happens,” he said. As for addressing Bilson’s real-life pregnancy on the show, Pedowitz spilled, “[Creator] Leila Gerstein is planning to have a pregnancy eventually happen to the character of Zoe Hart.”

Cancellation Explanation: Pedowitz addressed the net’s decision to ax several shows, including freshman dramas Star-Crossed and The Tomorrow People. “I did receive 90 boxes of pasta,” said of Star-Crossed fans’ attempts to save the show. “We appreciate the fans and everything they do. I gather that they were upset, there just weren’t enough of them to keep the show going forward.” As for The Tomorrow People, he explained, “It did not generate on-air as much as we hoped and it did not generate digitally as much as we hoped.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Rob Kerkovich (he plays Dominic’s roommate on Chasing Life) has landed the series regular role of Sebastian Voll, the morgue assistant on the upcoming spin-off series NCIS: New Orleans, which debuts on September 23 on CBS. (Andy Swift and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actress Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood) has landed the female lead in the upcoming Netflix series Daredevil, based on the Marvel Universe character. She will play Karen Page, the longest-running love interest of Daredevil’s alter ego Matt Murdock. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

TV TRAILERS

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

Question: Will there be more fallout from Juliette and Jeff’s hook-up on Nashville? Please tell me it won’t break up her and Avery! — Nat

Ausiello: Downside: I hear Juliette will likely find herself with child (a move that would mirror Hayden Panettiere’s still-unconfirmed real-life pregnancy) when Season 3 picks up, but by whom? You’ll recall, she knocked cowboy boots with both Jeff and Avery near the end of the season. Upside: Both Ms. Barnes and her producer boyfriend will have plenty of songwriting fodder for months to come..

Question: Could I please have some scoop on Scandal? —Kyle

Ausiello: The Season 4 premiere, airing Thursday, Sept. 25 (now at 9/8c), will pick up “about two-and-a-half months later,” Shonda Rhimes tells us — effectively spanning the time from Election Day to Fitz’s second inauguration.

Question: Have you heard any possible spoilers for season 2 of The Blacklist? —Robert

Ausiello: Showrunner Jon Bokenkamp confirms that Peter Stormare will absolutely be back as Berlin, effusing, “He has been and will continue to be great” in that role. And when we asked about Tom’s unclear fate, he hedged that it “will be confirmed during the season,” one way or the other, “though I don’t exactly know when.” (Something to think about: Bokenkamp let slip that for one brief, hot second, the writers imagined Tom would one day be revealed as No. 1 on the Blacklist, yet ultimately decided he wasn’t worthy. Hmm.)

Question: Anything for my favorite shows, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Once Upon a Time? —Niky

Ausiello: S.H.I.E.L.D. producers are typically mum on details for Season 2, even when it comes to how much time will have passed since Coulson was appointed Director of TFOKAS (The Former Organization Known As S.H.I.E.L.D.). “There is a jump,” EP Jed Whedon allows. “It might be a little skip, it might be just a hop-skip-jump…. But yes, a little time has passed.” As for an overall theme for Season 2, EP Maurissa Tancharoen shares, “There was a word that came up a lot towards the end of the season — evolution — and that is something we will be exploring.”

Question: Any word yet on whether B.J. Britt will be a full-time member of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Season 2? —Olivia

Ausiello: According to exec producer Jed Whedon, Triplett “will be around a lot” when the ABC series returns on Tuesday, Sept. 23 (now at 9/8c). Chiming in on how Britt instantly sparked with fans (as well as Miss Simmons), EP Jeph Loeb says, “You always have hope for characters, then when people ‘pop,’ you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s cool’ and you steer toward that.”

Question: Any Chasing Life scoop? Preferably about which guy April will choose? — Kate

Ausiello: I hope you like love triangles, Kate, because this one’s going to be playing out for a long time — and it looks like the balance is shifting in Leo’s favor. “There’s going to be a wedge driven between Dominic and April before she tells him she has cancer, and it has nothing to do with Leo,” star Italia Ricci says. (A little bonus scoop hidden in there: She does eventually tell Dominic about her cancer.)

Question: Anything on Downton Abbey Season 5? —Andrea

Ausiello: Mr. Bates and Anna won’t be dealing with anything “as heavy as last season’s [rape] storyline,” previews the latter’s Emmy-nominated portrayer, Joanne Froggatt. “I don’t think anything can come close to that, really. But, at the same time, the clouds haven’t fully parted. Understandably. There are still some trials and tribulations for Anna and Bates but there is some happiness too.”

Question: I was wondering what White Collar‘s final-season storyline will be about. —Michael

Ausiello: Sounds like a Q perfectly tailored to the show’s perfectly tailored leading man Matt Bomer. “It revolves around the greatest crime ring in the world, which is a group that actually exists, called The Pink Panthers,” he explains. “Neal is trying to become a mole in their organization in order to get his freedom from the FBI. Old characters come back and new characters are introduced. Drama ensues.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Leslie Hope (24 and Revolution) has landed a recurring role on the FX drama Tyrant, playing Lea Exley in the final three episodes of the season. (The Deadline Team)

Veteran actor Raymond J. Barry (Justified) will have a recurring role on The CW drama The 100 this fall, playing Dante Wallace, a passionate painter and leader, but no other specifics on his role have been revealed. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Elizabeth Rodriguez (Orange Is the New Black) will appear this fall on Grimm, playing Special Agent Chavez, one of four FBI agents assigned to investigate the recent homicide of Weston (recurring guest star C. Thomas Howell). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor John Boyd (24) has landed a recurring role on Bones, playing James Aubrey, a junior FBI agent working under Booth (series lead David Boreanaz). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Veteran actor Robert Forster (Alcatraz and Last Man Standing) will appear in the upcoming mid-season FOX drama Backstrom that centers on Everett Backstrom (series lead Rainn Wilson), an overweight, offensive, irascible detective who’s engaged in a constant struggle with his self-destructive tendencies. Forster will play Everett’s dad, Sheriff Blue Backstrom. (The Deadline Team)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Actor Peter Shinkoda (Falling Skies and the recent Godzilla remake) will have a major recurring role on the Netflix drama series Daredevil, based on the Marvel Universe character, that is set to premiere in 2015. Shinkoda will play the character Hachiro. (The Deadline Team)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Cote de Pablo (NCIS) will star in the upcoming four-hour CBS mini-series event The Dovekeepers that is expected to air in 2015. The event series is based on the acclaimed historical novel by Alice Hoffman about four extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival at the siege of Masada. de Pablo will play Shirah, one of the four women, who is a sensual, mysterious and fiercely independent single mother with uncanny insights and a quiet and mysterious power. (The Futon Critic)

TV TEASER TRAILER

Q&A SECTION (with Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Question: Anything on The Blacklist? — Michelle

Natalie: While everyone has been focused on the mystery of Liz’s father, Season 2 will also explore who Liz’s mother was. “If the part about my dad wasn’t true, what is the truth, if any, that I need to learn about my mom?” executive producer John Eisendrath says of Liz’s mindset this year. In other news, there will be a small time jump when the show returns, but Berlin will still very much be in the picture as the main villain in the “first portion of the year,” Eisendrath adds.

Question: Will Molly’s alien boyfriend Marcus pop up again on Extant? — George

Natalie: Yes, and the fact that whatever this entity is appeared to Molly as her dead first love is key to the big mystery of the show. “She’s reminded that her past is as important as what’s going on in her present because it’s all relative,” Sergio Harford, who plays Marcus, says. “You’ll slowly start to figure out their past and the relationship that they had makes sense to what’s going on currently in her situation, even with her family.”

Question: Is it too much to hope that Caity Lotz will be back on Arrow next season? — Katrina

Natalie:  Even though our favorite Canary passed off her leather jacket to Laurel and disappeared into the ether with Nyssa, I hear Sara will be back for the Season 3 premiere.

Question: Anything on the new season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? — Denise

Natalie:  Let’s play a game. I’ll give you a description and you guess which Marvel character this newcomer might be. I hear they’re casting for a ruggedly handsome, physically fit actor to play a character who can escape any situation, is a bit of a wild card and, though he’s mostly interested in personal gain, always ends up doing the right thing.

Question: Will Felicity ever make her way over to The Flash? — Manuel

Natalie:  “That’s our hope,” executive producer Greg Berlanti tells me. “Our hope is to get some crossovers going sooner rather than later with all the shows.” Interestingly enough, the producers had discussed the possibility of Felicity and Barry dating across shows — a la Lindsay and Severide on the Chicago shows — but it sounds like they have something else in mind. “We have all sorts of romantic possibilities for both of them on both shows,” he says. “Hopefully the first time Felicity comes to town, we’ll deal with all that stuff.”

Question: When are we going to meet that new alien race Defiance promised us? — Kithma

Natalie:  Soon! Episode 7 will introduce us to the Gulani, a sexy, energy-based race of aliens. “They’re kind of like the boogie man,” Grant Bowler says. “They’re what everybody is terrified of. The Gulani were never meant to come to Earth.” But when one of the Gulani escapes their energy prison on The Ark, it goes on the run around Defiance wreaking havoc.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Colin Ferguson (Eureka and Haven) will be showing up on The Vampire Diaries this fall in a role that has yet to be specified, but he will be giving “Caroline’s mom a run for her money”. (Sydney Bucksbaum at Zap2It)

Actress Cara Buono (Mad Men) will have a heavy recurring role on Person of Interest this fall, playing a femme fatale, who is uniquely qualified to navigate the new world order of the drama. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Michael McManus (Awake) and actor David Meunier (Justified) have joined the cast of the NBC mid-season 1960’s set Charles Manson drama Aquarius that will find actor David Duchovny (The X-Files and Californication) playing a Los Angeles police sergeant investigating a then-unknown young cult leader named Charles Manson (Gethin Anthony). McManus will recur as his ex-girlfriend whose daughter has gone missing while Meunier will play a menacing biker who serves as Manson’s enforcer. (The Live Feed and Dark Horizons)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Spike TV will be working with Irish DreamTime (the production company of actor Pierce Brosnan) [among others] on an event series based on the Crusades. The series will take place during the Third Crusade, after the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin’s armies, centering on two very different knights who journey from Scotland to the Holy Land for very different reasons. There, bound together in the crucible that is war, politics and betrayal, they will encounter and be forced to overcome, among others, Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, the Hashshashin and ultimately their own personal demons. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Q&A SECTION (With Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Question: Got any scoop on Teen Wolf? – Penelope

Tierney: While we’ve still got a whole lot of craziness to get through before the finale, newcomer Dylan Sprayberry told us viewers “don’t even know” the insanity that will come in the season four closer later this summer. “The finale will wrap some things up and start some new crazy, crazy relationships.”

Question: Confession: I am still obsessing over Revenge’s finale! What’s next for Emily now that she’s gotten her revenge? – Meg

Tierney: Our heroine will attempt to put all the lies and revenge behind her and will be “living in truth,” this season, per executive producer Gretchen Berg, with EP Aaron Harberts adding that “having to deal with the blowback from what she’s done, how does that push her relationship forward? She’s going to have to own a lot of the things she’s done.” And that will definitely be happening with Charlotte. And bonus scoop: there won’t be a time-jump in the premiere. “Everything we left the audience with, we want to explore,” Harberts said.

Question: I’m glad to see Downton Abbey get so much Emmy love this year, even if last year was a bit of a downer for my faves Anna and Mr. Bates. Are they back on the track to happiness? – Zoe

Tierney: Funny you should ask because Joanne Froggatt, Anna Bates herself, gave us a call after receiving her second Emmy nomination, sharing “Anna and Bates do start season five in a more positive place than they were in season four, but obviously such an event is not something that dissipates or goes away. It’s something that people live with for the rest of their lives,” Froggatt told us. There’s still a cloud over Anna and I think she’s definitely changed after what’s happened to her, but with her and Mr. Bates, they’re both trying to get through each day and rebuild their lives together, but as I said there is a cloud hanging over them still.

Question: Please tell me we will get to see Felicity on The Flash! I like her with Barry, not Oliver! – Olivia

Tierney: Relax, Arrow and The Flash are definitely not going to shy away from some travel between Starling City and Central City. “There are going to be crossovers from both shows,” Grant Gustin spilled, adding that fans may see a cross-show love triangle. “It’s sounding like that’s what they’re building up for.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Latina actress Angelica Celaya (Dallas) has landed the female lead role of Mary “Zed” Martin on this fall’s new NBC drama Constantine. Zed is an artist who becomes John Constantine’s (lead Matt Ryan) lover and joins his fight against the forces of darkness. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

Actresses Zuleikha Robinson (Lost and Homeland) and Cynthia Stevenson (Dead Like Me and Men in Trees) and actors M. C. Gainey (Justified and Revolution) and Bryan Callen (In Plain Sight) have joined the cast of the DirecTV series Kingdom, the mixed martial arts drama that will star Frank Grillo (The Gates and Captain America franchise), Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights) and Kiele Sanchez (The Glades). Robinson will play Allison, a charming and ultimately ruthless woman looking to go into business with MMA gym owner Alvey (Grillo). Stevenson and Gainey will play the parents of Ryan Wheeler (Lauria), a world-class athlete who had it all, including Lisa Prince (Sanchez), until his spiraling drug addiction landed him in prison. Callen will play Garo, a fight promoter who is a little “street” but also a savvy businessman. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line and The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Raza Jaffrey (Smash) will show up on Elementary this fall, playing Andrew, Joan Watson’s (series lead Lucy Liu) new boyfriend. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Legendary actor Ben Kingsley will star in the Spike TV event series Tut, playing Ay, the Grand Vizier to King Tutankhamun, who wields tremendous power and influence as the top advisor to the young Egyptian ruler. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Kristen Connolly (House Of Cards) has landed a series regular role on the ABC thriller The Whispers, replacing Brianna Brown (Devious Maids and Graceland), who played the role in the pilot but exited the drama in June. The series focuses on an unseen force that is manipulating society’s most innocent – our children – to act in favor of its cause. Connolly will play Lena Lawrence. (The Deadline Team)

Veteran actor William Sadler will appear in the new fall drama The Flash, playing ruthless CEO Simon Stagg. (Twitter and Dark Horizons)

Actress Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) will appear in next season’s Game of Thrones as one of three daughters of slain Oberyn Martell. (New Zealand Herald and Blastr)

LIVE TV SPECIAL

Legendary actor Christopher Walken will play Captain Hook in the planned Peter Pan live musical special set for this fall on NBC. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The cable network Pivot has announced their first original scripted drama called Fortitude that will star fan favorite actor Stanley Tucci. The 12-episode series will tell the story of the small, Arctic town of Fortitude whose peaceful existence is shattered after a brutal and shocking murder. Sheriff Dan Anderssen (Richard Dormer from Game of Thrones) leads the investigation and is forced to work alongside DCI Morton (Tucci), a detective who’s flown into Fortitude. As the search for the killer progresses, the list of suspects – and suspicions – grows. The cast will include Michael Gambon (Harry Potter), Christopher Eccleston (Thor: The Dark World and The Leftovers), Sofie Grabol (The Killing) and Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife). (The Futon Critic)

AMC has given a straight-to-series order to the new drama Badlands that will be very loosely based on the Chinese tale “Journey to the West”. It will tell the story of a great warrior and a young boy who embark on a journey across a dangerous land to find enlightenment. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

The USA Network has given a pilot order to the drama Mr. Robot that will center on a young programmer named Elliot, who suffers from a debilitating anti-social disorder and decides that he can only connect to people by hacking them. He wields his skills as a weapon to protect the people he cares about. Elliot will find himself in the intersection between a cybersecurity firm he works for and the underworld organizations that are recruiting him to bring down corporate America. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

TV TRAILER

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey) has landed the female lead role opposite Vin Diesel in the upcoming box office film called The Last Witch Hunter that will find Diesel playing a semi-immortal witch hunter wandering the streets of modern New York City who is forced to partner with his natural enemy, a female witch (Leslie). The two must stop a villainous witch queen from obtaining a relic and unleashing plague upon humanity. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

Here are the top 10 box office films courtesy of Box Office Mojo:

1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – 73 million
2. Transformers: Age of Extinction – 16.5 million
3. Tammy – 12.9 million
4. 22 Jump Street – 6.7 million
5. How to Train Your Dragon 2 – 5.8 million
6. Earth to Echo – 5.5 million
7. Deliver Us From Evil – 4.7 million
8. Maleficent – 4.1 million
9. Begin Again – 2.9 million
10. Jersey Boys – 2.5 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The Knick has been given a 10-episode second season order before the series even debuts on Cinemax. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actress Lucy Griffiths (True Blood) has been written out of this fall’s new NBC drama Constantine. She plays Liv, an offbeat woman who finds herself teamed with John Constantine (series lead Matt Ryan) after she is marked for death by a powerful demon. But rather than recast, the network will simply move beyond her in subsequent episodes and focus on the more familiar comic character of Mary ‘Zed’ Martin, a woman who starts out a foil for Constantine but ends up becoming his right-hand woman. The role has not yet been cast. (The Live Feed and Dark Horizons)

British actress Ophelia Lovibond (the mini-series Titanic: Blood and Steel) will have a recurring role on Elementary this fall when the show returns for its third season on CBS. She will play Kitty Winter, Sherlock’s (series lead Jonny Lee Miller) new protégé and rival to her predecessor Joan (series lead Lucy Liu). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Luke Mitchell (The Tomorrow People) and actress Jaime Lee Kirchner (Mercy) have joined the cast of the upcoming drama The Club, which received a 12-episode straight-to-series order by ABC. The series is an upstairs/downstairs soap, centering on a private country club that will star Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad) and Boris Kodjoe (Undercovers) in the lead roles. Mitchell will portray Jesse, a new employee at the club who is from the wrong side of town and appears as if he doesn’t have it together but does—more than anyone realizes. Kirchner will play Diana, the wife to Kodjoe’s Deacon who is finally getting the stable family she has always wanted. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Craig Parker (Spartacus and Legend of the Seeker) has landed a recurring role on the second season of Reign, playing Narcisse, a devout Catholic with a “death grip” on French Court. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Actor Josh Stamberg (Drop Dead Diva and Parenthood) has joined the cast of the upcoming Showtime drama The Affair that will star Dominic West (The Hour) and Ruth Wilson (Luther). Stamberg will play Max, a friend of Noah’s (West) from the city, who is currently separated from his wife and on the prowl. The Affair explores the emotional and psychological effects of an extramarital affair. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Thomas Jane (Hung) will star in the Syfy drama The Expanse that is a thriller set 200 years in the future that follows the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective (Jane) and a rogue ship’s captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

MTV has given a 10-episode order to a new pilot called Shannara that will be adapted from the fantasy book series by Terry Brooks. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Lifetime has cast Jill Scott (Steel Magnolias), Eve (Single Ladies) and Regina Hall (Think Like a Man Too) in the made-for-TV movie called With This Ring that is a romantic comedy that will center on three single best friends (Scott, Eve and Hall), who attend the lavish wedding of a fourth friend on New Year’s Eve, and desperation pushes them to make the vow to be married within the year. Each woman starts the year with hopes of what will happen over the next 12 months. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Bailey Chase (Longmire) will appear in the independent film Kill For Me where he will star as Charlie Sundstrom, a newly released ex-con who must navigate the criminal underworld to save his son, unaware he’s being set up to pay for his crimes all over again. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Actor Michael Fassbender and actress Rachel Weisz will appear in the big screen adaptation of the M.L. Stedman novel The Light Between Oceans. The story follows a lighthouse keeper and his wife in Western Australia after World War I when they find a dead body in a rowboat along with a 2-month old baby girl. While the husband wants to report the deceased and the baby, his wife decides it’s a gift from God. (The First Showing)

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

Question: I’m loving the Hook/Swan thing on Once Upon a Time, but something is bothering me: How long will Emma put up with his choice of clothing? Come on, they’re not in FTL anymore and no one else is dressed as such. A shower and some nice clothes just might move Emma in the right direction. —Linda

Mitovich: Aye, we may just find out if (new) clothes indeed make the man. I can exclusively report that there are plans to get Hook out of his pirate gear and into clothes befitting our world — and that his new look will be debuted in the early part of Season 4.

Question: I’m curious to know about the Demon Dean personality through the first half of Supernatural Season 10. —Levana

Mitovich: Indeed, Dean has a bit of the devil in him — as will be evidenced by an intense fling he has in the second episode back, with a tough but sympathetic roadhouse cocktail waitress named Ann Marie.

Question: What is going on with Arrow? Anything new? —Alamin

Mitovich: Season 3’s second episode will find Oliver hunting down a vicious killer and mercenary who is wanted for murder in seven countries and now is targeting victims who are associated with a specific company.

Question: What can you tell me about Stephen Amell’s cameo in the pilot for The Flash? —Kat

Mitovich: I can tell you that it’s a nice enough, if obvious, moment, where Barry seeks out the nudge he needs to be the hero he now can be. Now, if I can interest you in some Episode 2 scoop, I am hearing that the second meta-human The Flash will face off against might make us all feel a bit… well, Mist-y.

Question: Any scoop on Outlander? —Cristina

Mitovich: I shall turn this one over to TVLine’s Kim Roots, who has seen the pilot and reports that the Starz series “stays very true to the novel in that most of the first episode details protagonist Claire’s 1940s-era marriage to Frank and her involvement in World War II. For nonreaders this part may prove a little slow, but it’s worth sticking out; things pick up when Claire goes back in time and we finally meet Highlander Jamie Fraser. The series nailed the casting — Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are perfect as the “sassenach” Claire and her redheaded love interest — and it’s gorgeously filmed. Very much looking forward to upcoming eps.”

Question: Is there anything good for Teen Wolf’s Sterek fans to look forward to? Are they ever going to have interactions again? —Suaine

Mitovich: I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re asking about Sterek’s romantic relationship, that’s a no-go. Stiles and Malia’s budding romance will continue to heat up, while Derek will find himself… well, let’s just say ole golden eyes won’t be lonely forever. On a platonic note, the looming threats of Season 4 — including Kate Argent and the supernatural deadpool — will force everyone in Scott’s pack to unite in new, exciting ways. (So,long story short, yes, there will be interactions.)

Question: Any word on White Collar Season 6? —Linda

Mitovich: Series boss Jeff Eastin told me that while he was at first a “little disappointed” by the six-episode order, “What we ultimately realized was we had just enough time to do one really good story, so this year there’s really no ‘Case of the Week.’ This year it’s really going to focus on character, and the relationships, and moving that forward in a real nice sort of ‘limited series.’”

Question: Please tell me Hilarie Burton will come back for final season of White Collar. One episode is all I need. – Simona

Mitovich: I’m sticking by my previous report that Sara is not set to resurface during the USA series’ farewell run. That said, Matt Bomer teases that within the last six episodes, “There is a little [time for romance], but I’m not going to tell you too much about it!”

Question: What are the chances we will see another season of 24? —Ron

Mitovich: I for a moment feared they were nonexistent, after hearing third-hand about some interview where Kiefer Sutherland allegedly said he’s getting too old for this… stuff. But once I found his actual quotes, I see that he never went nearly that far. EP Manny Coto, meanwhile, said in a Reddit AMA this week, “As of now, there are no plans to continue the show next year but we remain open to the possibility. We had a great time doing it this year and would love to take another crack at it.” So, I’d say the chances are better than 50-50. UPDATE: I screened the finale on Thursday afternoon, and it is no less than fantastic. Your heart will race, your eyes will well up, your fists will pump, you will wish it lasted longer. And yes, it accounts for the 12 “missing” hours. All told, a gripping, emotional finish to one of the TV season’s great comeback stories.

Question: I hope you can find time to squeeze in more info on Graceland. It’s such a great show. —Chris

Mitovich: If you suspect that Jessica taking control of Mike’s op could have an ill effect on his rekindled romance with Paige, you’d be right. As glimpsed in the promo for next Wednesday’s episode, “Jessica comes to the house,” series creator Jeff Eastin told me, “and the triangle starts crashing and burning.”

Question: How many Major Crimes episodes will Ever Carradine be in? I am hoping not many. I wanted to punch out Rusty’s mom for her “I forgive you for being gay” speech. —Marijke

Mitovich: Carradine will resurface, at the very least, in the TNT hit’s summer finale (airing Aug. 11).

Question: Anything to share on Last Ship? —Greg

Mitovich: We may be rid of the Russians (for now), but the next threat to the James’ mission will be of a more home-grown variety. In this Sunday’s episode, “There is some dissension among the ranks,” series star Eric Dane previews. “People want to get off the ship!”

Question: NCIS: Los Angeles hiatus is killing me. I’m dying for any scoop on the Densi front. Help a girl out? —Mahnoor

Mitovich: A little birdie tells me that if you thought the season finale’s “three-way” encounter between Deeks, Kensi and DEA Agent Talia was tense, just you wait until Season 6 opens!

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

BBC America has renewed Orphan Black for a third season and the mini-series Broadchurch for a second season. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Actress Gina Gershon (Rescue Me) will guest star in an episode of Elementary when it returns this fall on CBS. She will play Elana March, a socialite whom Joan (series lead Lucy Liu) suspects of running a notorious drug cartel. Unable to prove Elana’s ties to the cartel’s operations, Joan hopes to turn one of Elana’s accountants into a key witness for the prosecution. But Joan’s pursuit of Elana quickly becomes personal, with Elana demonstrating the lengths to which she’s willing to go in order to avoid prison. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Ryan Kennedy (Caprica and Defiance) will play Ricky Raydor, the son of Capt. Sharon Raydor (Mary McDonnell) on Major Crimes. Ricky is a Stanford grad and software engineer on the verge of his first big payday. However, Ricky comes back home to weigh in on some of his mom’s recent personal decisions. Those decisions will undoubtedly involve the recently out-of-the-closet Rusty (series regular Graham Patrick Martin) and Sharon and Ricky may not see eye to eye. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

El Rey Network has already given a 13-episode second season order to their new drama Matador before the series has even debuted on the network. It will air its series premiere on July 15. (The Deadline Team)

The sixth and final season of the FOX musical dramedy Glee will consist of 13 episodes, which will run consecutively in mid-season. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Lifetime has ordered a drama pilot for The Clan of the Cave Bear that is based on the Jean M. Auel series of best-selling novels. The books take place at a time in prehistory more than 25,000 years ago when Neanderthals shared the Earth with the first early modern humans and a band of cave dwellers adopt blond and blue-eyed Ayla, a child of the “Others.” As Ayla matures into a young woman of spirit and courage, she must fight for survival against the jealous bigotry of Broud, who will one day be clan leader. The pilot is set for a potential 2015 launch. (The Futon Critic)

Syfy has given a green light to a pilot for The Magicians that is an adaptation of the best-selling fantasy book trilogy by Lev Grossman, which revolves around a group of New York twentysomethings who, while studying magic, discover the fantasy world they read about as children is all too real and poses a grave danger to humanity. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE MOVIE NEWS

Actress Rebecca Ferguson (The White Queen) will play the female lead opposite Tom Cruise in the upcoming film Mission: Impossible 5. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Young actress Bailee Madison (young Snow White on Once Upon a Time) has joined the cast of the upcoming Hallmark Channel drama The Good Witch, which is based on the network’s popular movie franchise. (CelebsVibe via Tumblr)

Actor Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad and Revolution) will reprise his role of Sidney Glass in Once Upon a Time when the show returns for its fourth season this fall on ABC. How Sidney (aka The Magic Mirror) will return to the storyline, however, is being kept under wraps. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Robbie Amell (The Tomorrow People) has landed a recurring role in the new CW Arrow spin-off series The Flash, playing Ronnie Raymond (aka Firestorm), a maintenance worker at S.T.A.R. Labs and Dr. Caitlin Snow’s (series regular Danielle Panabaker) fiancé, who will play an integral part in the particle accelerator accident that transforms Barry Allen (series lead Grant Gustin) into The Flash. (Laura Prudom at Variety)

BBC America is producing an 8-episode historical drama adaptation of the Bernard Cornwall best-selling “Saxon Stories” novels that are set in the year 872, when many of the separate kingdoms of what we now know as England have fallen to the invading Vikings. The great kingdom of Wessex has been left standing alone and defiant under the command of King Alfred the Great. Against this turbulent backdrop lives our hero, Uhtred. Born the son of a Saxon nobleman, he is orphaned by the Vikings and then kidnapped and raised as one of their own. Forced to choose between the country of his birth and the people of his upbringing, his loyalties are ever tested. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal) has joined the cast of the upcoming 6-hour Syfy limited series Ascension that tells the story of a ship that was launched into space by the U.S. government in 1963 to populate a new world. The series picks up 50 years into the mission, as a mysterious murder causes those on board to question the true nature of their mission. Bellows will play the son of Abraham Enzmann, the founder of the Ascension mission, who is determined to continue his father’s work. Ascension will debut on Syfy in November. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The Hallmark Channel is teaming with author Charlaine Harris (the woman behind all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels on which True Blood is based) for a new series for the cable network that will center on another book series of hers: the 8-book “Aurora Teagarden” series. Actress Candace Cameron Bure (Full House) will star as the lead character, a librarian who is also a crime buff, a lover of mystery novels and a member of the Real Murders Club who meet to analyze famous crimes and mysteries. Her insight into true crime ends up putting her at the center of different crimes that happen in her community. (The Live Feed)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Matthew Rhys (The Americans) will star in the upcoming independent film called Darling Buds of May that will follow a stranded British army officer (Rhys), who teams up with a German fugitive to find his son in Nazi-occupied France. (Anthony D’Alessandro at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

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

Question: Do you have any scoop on the new season of The Blacklist? — Charlie

Natalie: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? Red Reddington will learn that the hard way when a ruthless female Mossad agent, who’s been hunting him for some time, finally tracks him down. But even though Red will once again get the best of his enemy, I hear it’s not all bad news for her. After all, there is a vacant slot on Red’s team…

Question: I need Sleepy Hollow scoop! — Bridget

Natalie: I hear there are several new characters the producers aren’t revealing in advance of Season 2 in order to maintain some element of surprise. But we were able to squeeze the following hints out of executive producer Mark Goffman: “We’re going to be digging into Abbie’s past a lot more and getting to know more about her family and her heritage, which is a big part of the show this season. We’re also going to be filling out the town even more, so we’ll get to see what the people of Sleepy Hollow are like.”

Question: When will we find out what happened to Annie on that beach on Covert Affairs? — Sina

Natalie: There won’t be a flashback episode, but pieces of the puzzle will be peppered throughout the season before culminating in the midseason finale. “There’ll be a little something at [Episode] 10 that I think people will be waiting for and will be very revealing, so to speak,” executive producer Matt Corman says. “It answers questions fans will have and it will be something to propel us forward.”

Question: Will there be more death on Under the Dome? — Jamie

Natalie: Unfortunately, I hear the Grim Reaper isn’t through with the folks of Chester’s Mill just yet — especially once the dome decides to randomly change its shape.

Question: How will Stahma respond to Datak’s attempted matricide on Defiance? — Etienne

Natalie: To say she doesn’t take it well would be putting it lightly. While she initially attempts to make the best of a tricky situation, after Alak gets hurt in the fallout of Datak’s return, Stahama sets out to upset the patriarchal Castithan status quo, fighting violence with violence. But will the other Castithans follow a woman’s lead?

Question: Any word on who will be writing Castle‘s season premiere? —Ben

Ausiello: The good news: Newly coronated showrunner David Amann is penning the Season 7 opener. The even better news: Rob Bowman is directing. And now, the provocative news: Castle will return with a two-parter, and to that end is casting the guest-starring role of “Henry,” a highly intelligent yet unassuming gent who’s deft at blending into a crowd. (A spook-y nemesis of Jackson Hunt’s? 3XK with a new face c/o Dr. Niemann? Discuss.) Also being guest-cast for the premiere are a Hamptons police sergeant, a doctor, a shrink and… a Coast Guard captain?!

Question: Dying to know who sent Dash that e-mail in the Witches of East End premiere! Any hints? —Char

Ausiello: Hold tight because the big e-mail mystery will be resolved over the next couple of episodes. However, it sounds like the entire East End gang is in for much bigger trouble come Episode 10, when a mysterious woman named Raven Moreau arrives in town to investigate a string of murders. Smart, intense and not at all opposed to having a one-night stand, Ms. Moreau has dedicated her entire life to accomplishing a “secret mission.” In a nutshell, this is bad news for everyone.

Question: Anything on the Devious Maids finale? —Christian

Ausiello: I’ve got two scoops for you, both of them courtesy of co-star Tiffany Hines. “For those people that are Rosie and Spence supporters, we will get to see Rosie and Spence move forward now that Reggie is no longer in the picture. I believe that we may see another major character’s life hanging in the balance at some point (too).”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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