Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today, few though they are:

TELEVISION

The USA Network has given the untitled drama pilot created by Sean Jablonski that will star Matt Passmore (The Glades) as investment banker Neil Truman, who accidentally discovers his wife’s (Stephanie Szostak) involvement with an escort. When Neil gains possession of the escort’s phone, he uncovers a unique perspective on his life and what motivates women to stray, as his wife contemplates whether her needs are being met and if her marriage is worth saving. The series received a 10-episode order. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actors Benito Martinez (The Shield and Supernatural) and W. Earl Brown (Deadwood) have been cast in the ABC drama pilot AMericn Crime that centers on the racially charged murder of a war veteran and the subsequent trial, which are examined through the personal lives of the players involved. Martinez will play Alonzo, a hardworking, middle-class widowed father whose son is accused of the crime. Meanwhile, Brown will play Tom, the emotionally distraught father of Lily, widow of the murdered war vet. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Young actor David Mazouz (who played Kiefer Sutherland’s son on the FOX drama Touch) has landed the role of young Brue Wayne in the FOX drama pilot Gotham. The pilot will tell the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon, who is still a detective and has yet to meet Batman, and the villains who made Gotham City famous. Meanwhile, young newcomer Camren Bicondova (a Michelle Pfeiffer look-alike) will play Selina Kyle (the future Catwoman). (Team TV Line)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

First, let’s congratulate the winners of the Oscar’s from last, including (but not limited to): Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o, Matthew McConaughey, Cate Blanchett, Frozen, Gravity, 12 Years a Slave, 20 Feet From Stardom, Alfonso Cuarón and the song “Let It Go”.

TELEVISION

Actor Dean Winters (Oz) has joined the cast of the CBS drama series Battle Creek that is expected to debut next season. The series centers on Detective Russ Agnew (Winters) and FBI agent Milton Bradley, who have very different worldviews but are teamed up to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, MI. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Dylan McDermott (Hostages and American Horror Story) has joined the cast of the as-yet titled CBS drama pilot from Kevin Williamson that is about detectives who handle stalking incidents for the Threat Assessment Unit of the LAPD. McDermott will play Detective Jack Larsen, who recently transferred to the unit from New York. (Andy Swift at TV Line)

Actress Katie Findlay (The Carrie Diaries and The Killing [season one]) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot How To Get Away With Murder which centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor (Viola Davis) who become entangled in a murder plot that could rock their entire university and change the course of their lives. Findlay will play Rebecca, the edgy, pierced neighbor to struggling law student Wes Gibbins, who become entangled in the murder saga that shakes their university. Also, actor Billy Brown (Hostages and The Following) has joined the cast of this pilot where he will play Nate, a respected police detective who is having an affair and is caught by Wes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Young actor Mason Cook (The Lone Ranger and 666 Mockingbird Lane) has landed a role in the TNT drama called Legends that centers on Martin Odum (Sean Bean from Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings franchise), a deep-cover operative who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job. Cook will play Aiden Odum, Martin’s son. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Aimee Garcia (Dexter) has joined the cast of the CBS drama pilot Red Zone that centers on retired CIA operative Holden Weller who, when a terrorist event rocks Washington, D.C., is pulled back into action, forced to investigate closer to home where the next generation of terrorists is being bred. Garcia will play Vera Bradley, a whip-smart, driven and impatient case officer with the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism department. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films for this past weekend courtesy of TV Guide:

1. Non-Stop – 30 million
2. Son of God (the pared-down film version of the TV mini-series The Bible) – 26.5 million
3. The LEGO Movie – 21 million
4. The Monuments Men – 5 million
5. 3 Days to Kill – 4.9 million
6. RoboCop – 4.5 million
7. Pompeii – 4.3 million
8. Frozen – 3.6 million
9. About Last Night – 3.4 million
10. Ride Along – 3 million

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online and Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: I can’t believe Lola and Francis hooked up on Reign! Please tell me that will not continue! We Frary fans need some hope! – Rebecca

TV Scoop Team: “Lola gets involved with Francis, but she will also move on to others,” showrunner Laurie McCarthy assures. “She’s the first of our girls to be really driven to find a husband.” And one small tease for this week’s can’t-miss (seriously!) episode? One of the other ladies-in-waiting learns of Lola and Francis’ connection.

Question: I heart Hart of Dixie. Please tell me you’ve got some scoop to sooth my soul? – Mandi

TV Scoop Team: Ding-dong-ding-dong! Do you hear that? Nope the wicked witch isn’t dead, those are wedding bells ringing in Bluebell! Grab something old, something new, and something borrowed and blue, because the season three finale of Hart of Dixie is going to feature a wedding! We can’t tell you who will be tying the knot, but we can tell you that this is one ceremony that you absolutely cannot miss.

Question: I’m going through Revenge withdrawals, got anything for me? – Patricia

TV Scoop Team: When Revenge finally comes back from their ridiculously long break, we’ll be meeting many new characters. Specifically in episode 20, entitled, “Revolution,” we’ll be meeting Brandon, one of Victoria’s terrifying and manipulative henchmen. He’s creepy and dangerous, but his good looks and charm lets him fit right in at any Hampton soiree

Question: I still don’t believe that Ezra isn’t connected to the A-team. What about the Pretty Little Liars Halloween episode?! – Jennifer

TV Scoop Team: Funny you should bring that up! We recently chatted with she-who-has-all-the-answers, Marlene King, and we asked that very same question. The executive producer revealed, “I think there were two gas masks that night.” Ooh and the plot thickens! King clarified that other than spying on the girls, we haven’t actually seen Ezra do anything devious. As for Ezra’s disappearing Ravenswood lair? The showrunner explained, “I think he followed the trail of Ali, I think Ali went to Ravenswood first and Ezra was following her trail.” So, in conclusion: Ezra = Super obsessed writer, not “A.”

Question: Got anything for Teen Wolf? – Riley

TV Scoop Team: It’s no secret that things in Beacon Hills are pretty much out of control at all times, so the powers-that-be are looking to bring in some extra law enforcement to help combat the crazy. In season four we’ll meet Deputy Haigh, and if we’re being honest… he’s kind of a dick. Let’s put it this way: He’s the kind of cop that will definitely give you a ticket after pulling you over, no matter what the circumstance.

Question: I‘m extremely excited about Castle‘s episode set in the 1970s! Does the case revolve in that particular decade (á la “The Blue Butterfly”) or are we actually going to see flashbacks of Kate and Rick‘s early years? –Martina

Mitovich: The answer is… neither! As Stana Katic explained to me the other day, “In order to get information from one of our characters, we have to pretend that we’re in that era — because he believes that he’s still in that era.” But does that mean groovy threads and ‘dos for all? “I don’t know how extreme they’re going to go,” Katic answered. “But they’ve been playing around with, like, different hair and stuff — for the guys, mostly.”

Question: You gave a lot of good stuff for Once Upon a Time premiere! Any chance you can tease something beyond New York City? Rapunzel? Blackbeard? Glinda? – Jacquelyn

Mitovich: I choose Door No. 2, Rapunzel. Josh Dallas touted that episode as “awesome,” “dark” and “very psychological, an episode where you have Charming facing a lot of his ultimate fears. He’s going to have to really look at himself, when confronted with something that challenges his strength and courage.” As for the well-tressed lass, Dallas promises, “She is, like all of our women, very strong.”

Question: Can I please, please, please get some Once upon a Time info on Belle, and Rumple? Possibly Neal, too? –Karen

Mitovich: I’ve already told you about Belle’s plan, and while Rumple’s fate isn’t explored much in the midseason premiere, watch for Episode 13 to dive deeper into that mystery. As for Neal, he is not taking his latest separation from Emma and Henry well, at all. As co-creator Eddy Kitsis explained, “In a lot of ways Neal finds himself in a similar position that his father did, which is: I’m stuck in a land and I need to get back to the people I love.’” But while “Rumple was willing to curse everybody to get what he wanted,” Kitsis reminds, “Neal has, up until this point, kind of been a really moral center for his dad… So the question is, ‘Will he follow the same path?’”

Question: I’m getting into the show The Tomorrow People. Is there any word on if it is going to be renewed for another season? –Donald

Mitovich: There’s nothing official yet, no, but the show is nonetheless setting the stage for a comeback. A casting call has gone out for the role of Natalie, an unstable and sadistic rabble-rouser/self-determined leader who speaks her mind without putting a lot of thought into the outcome. She’ll debut in Episode 20 and recur in Season 2 (if there is one).

Question: Do you know what is happening with Callie and Jude on The Fosters? –Marissa

Mitovich: As you may know, their MIA dad is about to resurface, rousing a variety of emotions. “Callie makes contact [first] so that she can protect Jude, but she ends up wanting Jude to meet him as well,” Maia Mitchell tells us. “She kind of does a 180, and it is scary in the beginning. There’s a lot of processing for them.”

Question: Did I hear right that NCIS’s Ellie Bishop is married? Are there plans to meet the husband? –Jayne

Mitovich: Though he has no hard and fast timetable in place, NCIS boss Gary Glasberg told me, “At some point we’ll spend some time with her husband, but we wanted to introduce her first and let people connect with her and understand who she is first.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Child actor-turned mom and DIY author Soleil Moon Frye (of Punky Brewster fame) will make a guest appearance on the ABC summer series Mistresses, playing a version of herself: a potential celebrity client for Joss’s (series regular Jess Macallan) new party planning business that she started with Harry (Brett Tucker). Mistresses will air on ABC sometime this summer. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Max Brown (Beauty And the Beast, The Tudors and MI-5) had landed the lead role in the upcoming 13-episode FOX action-adventure series Hieroglyph that follows Ambrose (Brown), a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharoah (Reece Ritchie), navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Aidan Turner (UK’s Being Human and The Hobbit Trilogy) will star in the BBC One 8-part adaptation Poldark, which is based on the Winston Graham acclaimed saga set in 18th-century Cornwall, Britain. It’s 1783 and Ross Poldark (Turner) returns from the American War of Independence to his beloved Cornwall to find his world in ruins: his father dead, the family mine long since closed, his house wrecked and his sweetheart pledged to marry his cousin. But Ross finds that hope and love can be found when you are least expecting it in the wild but beautiful Cornish landscape. Production will take place in April with the airing set for 2015. It has not been announced if BBC America will air this production in the US, though. (Debs Hunt at Inside Media Track)

Actor Riley Smith (90210 and Beauty And the Beast) will have a major recurring role in True Blood for its seventh and finale season, playing Keith, a sexy rock’n’roll vampire with a romantic side. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (Grimm and The House of Sand and Fog) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Bones, playing the mother of Arastoo (Cam’s boyfriend). (Michael O’Connell at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Danielle Savre (Heroes) and actor Stephen Martines (The Vampire Diaries and The Closer) have joined the cast of The CW spin-off pilot Supernatural: Tribes. The potential series revolves around the various mafia-esque monster families that unknowingly to humans “run” the underbelly of Chicago and are being tracked by a newly minted Hunter who’s trying to stop them and rid Chicago of anything or anyone supernatural. Savre will play Margo, the acting head of the leading shape shifter family, an ex-punk rocker-turned-corporate professional who feels threatened only by the return of her prodigal brother David (Nathaniel Buzolic from The Vampire Diaries) into the family. Martines will play Detective Freddie Costa, a world-weary Chicago cop who serves as a mentor to Ennis (Lucien Laviscount from Episodes and Skins) but also is secretly on the payroll of one of the powerful monster families. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Kyle Schmid (Copper) has landed the lead role opposite Meagan Good (Deception) in the NBC drama pilot called Babylon Fields that is about a town’s residents who come back from the dead. Schmid will play Thomas Wunch who works for the CDC as a scientist and is Janine’s (Good) first love. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Liza Weil (Gilmore Girls and Scandal) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot How To Get Away With Murder, which centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor (Viola Davis) who become entangled in a murder plot that could rock their entire university and change the course of their lives. Weil will play one of the professor’s two associates. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Irish actor Stephen Hagan (BBC’s Injustice) has joined the cast of The CW drama pilot Identity that centers on Mia (Ahna O’Reilly from The Help), a young New Yorker who learns she needs an organ transplant to survive and her only living relative is a newfound half-brother, Davis (Matt Barr from Hellcats and Hatfields and McCoys), the charming, privileged only son of a wealthy and powerful Charleston family. She connects with them only to find they’re the target of a CIA investigation for involvement in domestic terrorism, and the agency wants her as their newest informant. Hagan will play Jasper, Davis’ handsome, mysterious, and magnetic best friend who has chemistry with Mia from the moment the meet. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Brian F. O’Byrne (FlashForward) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Exposed that revolves around a dogged investigative reporter who is open to making questionable alliances in pursuit of stories. Details on what role he will play have not been announced yet. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Matthew Morrison (Glee) has landed the lead role in the upcoming musical theatre project called Finding Neverland, which is based on the 2004 film of the same name that starred Johnny Depp that focuses on the growing bond between playwright J.M. Barrie and the family who inspired him to create Peter Pan. Morrison will play Barrie. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Patrick Wilson (The Watchmen and A Gifted Man) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film Ant-Man that will star Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Michael Pena. Specific details on what role Wilson will play have not been released yet. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team)

Question: Tell me more about this shocking Once Upon a Time twist!! Dying to know who else is related. – Monica T.

TV Scoop Team: We will find out that two main characters are related, and because they are related, that means that two other characters are also related. Your brain hurt yet? Ours too. Still, we think this twist is one of the best OUAT has ever had.

Question: We need to start getting some answers on Red’s connection to Liz on The Blacklist! – Frank

TV Scoop Team: Come on, we all know patience is a virtue. “That’s the central relationship in the show, so the whole entire series is going to be about unraveling that mystery and there are different stages of that unraveling,” Megan Boone tells E! News of Liz and Red’s connection while accepting the Rising Star Award at Savannah College of Art and Design’s aTVfest in Atlanta. “It’s not a question that can be answered in one simple yes or no.” But she previews that we will get some answers by season’s end, as well as “a lot” of Tom and Liz stuff in the next string of episodes

Question: Anything on Teen Wolf’s finale? This season has been pretty epic so far! – Thomas

TV Scoop Team: Only the show’s best (and most gorgeous) scene yet. “There’s a fight scene that occurs in the snow. We were all really worried about how it would play, and it looks amazing, and we’re really happy about it,” Jeff Davis previews of the season finale sequence, which you can get a taste of here. “It involves a lot of our leads, so it’s pretty epic. There’s an epic fight scene in the snow that’s a lot of swords clashing.” Bonus scoop: a fan favorite might just be missing by season’s end.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

VH1 has given a 10-episode order to a new scripted drama called Hindsight that will air in 2015. The series will follow Becca (Laura Ramsey from She’s the Man), who’s approaching 40 years old and a second marriage. But she’s feeling there’s something missing, her long-estranged best friend Lolly (relative newcomer Sarah Goldberg). As she’s having mixed feelings, she wakes up to discover she has somehow traveled 15 years into the past as she’s approaching her first marriage with Sean (Craig Horner from Legend of the Seeker). (Jethro Nededog at The Wrap)

Actress Jill Hennessy (Crossing Jordan and Law & Order) will guest star in an episode of The Good Wife, playing power lawyer Rayna Hecht, who could become a potential partner in the firm. The Good Wife will be back with new episodes starting on March 9 on CBS. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

Veteran actor John Rhys-Davies (the Lord of the Rings franchise) has joined the cast of the upcoming FOX drama series Hieroglyph that is set in ancient Egypt, where fantasy and reality intertwined. The 13-episode series will follow Ambrose, a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharoah (Reece Ritchie), navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers. Rhys-Davies will play Vocifer, Ambrose’s one-time mentor who was a dashing thief back in his day. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The ABC drama series (it has a 13-episode order) that was developed by legendary film director David O. Russell (American Hustle) and Erin Brockovich writer Susannah Grant has finally been given a name – The Club – but it is losing its big name developer. Russell has left the production, while the pilot’s first cast member has been announced: Callie Hernandez (from Sin City 2). The series, as its title states, will be an upstairs/downstairs soap centered on a private country club. The role to be played by Hernandez has yet to be announced. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BET has given a second season order to its first original scripted drama Being Mary Jane. (Greg Braxton at The L.A. Times)

The Canadian channel Showcase has given a fifth season order to Lost Girl; now we here in the States just need to wait for Syfy to jump on the bandwagon, stating they will air the fifth season. (Showcase Press Release)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Relative newcomer Gina Rodriguez, who has appeared in episodes of Longmire, Rizzoli & Isles and The Mentalist, has landing the title role in The CW drama pilot called Jane the Virgin which will be about a hard-working, religious young Latina woman who is accidentally artificially inseminated. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Twilight actress Ashley Greene will star alongside Ron Livingston (Boardwalk Empire) in the upcoming box office film called Shangra-La Suite that will be set in 1974, focusing on two troubled 20 year olds who set out to kill The King, Elvis Presley. Believe it or not, Livingston will play Elvis and Green will play Priscilla. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Syfy has canceled Being Human. The series finale will air on April 7. (The Wrap).

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Greg Grunberg (Felicity, Alias and Heroes) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Warriors that centers on the doctors and nurses at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center who treat returning soldiers. Grunberg will play Dr. Leonard Mooney, an offbeat OB/GYN who uses a wheelchair and thus can no longer operate — unless, that is, he can coax the resident prosthetics whiz to help jerry-rig a state-of-the art-chair. Mooney also has a fondness for one of his patients, a widowed Army sergeant who’s having a difficult pregnancy. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Film star Viola Davis (The Help) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called How To Get Away With Murder centers on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor (Davis) who become entangled in a murder plot that could rock their entire university and change the course of their lives. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Sean Faris (the short lived drama Reunion and currently recurring on Pretty Little Liars) has joined the cast of The CW spin-off series Supernatural: Tribes that will be about the various mafia-esque monster families that unknowingly-to-humans “run” the underbelly of Chicago and who are being tracked by a newly-minted Hunter who’s trying to stop them and rid Chicago of anything or anyone supernatural. Fairs will play Julian Durant, the son of a wealthy family of lycanthropes who has no love for the shape shifting Hayden clan. (Andy Swift and Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor Erik Palladino (666 Park Avenue and currently recurring on NCIS: Los Angeles) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Agatha that follows a former convict-turned-big-city criminologist who is brought in to help local police crack a case involving a perplexing disappearance. He will play Captain Benjamin Cooper, the admired and well-respected head of Philadelphia’s Major Crimes division. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Callum Blue (Smallville, Royal Pains and Dead Like Me) has joined the cast of the TNT drama pilot called Proof, which is a supernatural medical drama, centering on a skeptical, hard science, female surgeon who is persuaded to investigate cases of reincarnation. Callum will play Ivan Turing, a technology multi-billionaire who was recently diagnosed with cancer. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Geoffrey Arend (Body of Proof) has joined the cast of the CBS drama pilot called Madam Secretary that explores the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State (Tea Leoni) as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life. Arend will play Matt, a speechwriter for Secretary of State. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Taraji P. Hanson (Person of Interest) will co-star alongside Terrence Howard in the FOX drama pilot Empire that is set in the world of a hip-hop empire, centering on Lucious Lyon (Howard), a charismatic, savvy music superstar who is about to take his company, Empire Entertainment, public. Hanson will play Cookie Lyon, Lucious’s ex-wife and former business partner. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Kenneth Choi (the short-lived remake of Ironside) has joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot called Coercion that revolves around the O’Connor family and their extremely intelligent son, Alex (Gavin Stenhouse), a decorated American war hero and newly minted CIA analyst. Unbeknownst to Alex, though, is that both of his parents and his sister are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated. Choi will play Sam Luttrell, the CIA station chief for New York. (The Deadline Team)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

The BBC series Ripper Street, which just started its second season here in the US on BBC America, was cancelled by its home network; but Amazon has stepped in to partner with the BBC to bring a third season of the period drama to a computer screen near you. Amazon Prime Instant Video has acquired the streaming rights to the show and that means a third season of the series will happen. (Leo Barraclough at Variety)

The ambitious new Netflix yet-to-be-titled Marvel Universe-based series, focusing on the characters of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, will include 13 episode devoted to each of the four main characters but will also include a four-to-eight episode mini-series centered on “The Defenders” team to wrap all the stories together. (Jordan Zakarin at The Wrap)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Bailey Buntain (the short-lived drama Bunheads) has landed the role of Carrie Dollanganger in the planned Lifetime movie sequel Petals on the Wind. She joins recently cast Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time) and Wyatt Nash (Pretty Little Liars), who take over the lead roles of Cathy and Christopher Dollanganger. (Denise Martin at Vulture)

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online and Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Question: I need some Once Upon a Time info that is not already out there. – Heather145

TV Scoop Team: There is a huge, HUGE (like, mind-blowing) reveal involving two major characters that no one will see coming. Another surprise family connection. Is it just us, or isn’t all of this starting to feel weirdly incestuous!? Everyone is related to EVERYONE! This reveal will go down before the season is over.

Question: Do you have any scoop on Reign? — Tina

Natalie: History tells us that Mary ends up marrying Francis, but it might not be so simple. Though she intends to wed Bash to save Francis’ life, Nostradamus’ vision may not be what it seems, which sparks the Queen to make a move that you won’t see coming.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

TELEVISION

The Hallmark Channel has ordered a 10-episode scripted series for their long-running made-for-TV movie franchise The Good Witch that will find actress Catherine Bell (Army Wives and JAG) reprising her lead role of Cassie Nighingale. The seventh movie in the franchise – The Good Witch’s Wonder – will air on October 25 with the new series to kick off on the cable network sometime in early 2015. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Bailee Madison (Trophy Wife and Once Upon a Time) will have a recurring role on the ABC Family drama The Fosters during the show’s upcoming second season that will air this summer. She will play a girl who is connected to Callie’s (series regular Maia Mitchell) past. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor Matt Lauria (The Chicago Code and Friday Night Lights) will star opposite Frank Grillo (The Gates) in DirecTV’s 10-episode straight-to-series drama Navy St. that is a gritty family drama set against the backdrop of a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym in Venice, California. Lauria will play Ryan, a former three-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State and an ex-Olympian, who was once on top of the world , but when he shows up at Alvey’s (Grillo) gym, he is a changed man. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actor Wyatt Nash (Pretty Little Liars and Mistresses) will take over the role of Christopher Dollanganger in the Lifetime made-for-TV movie sequel Petals on the Wind. He joins recently announced actress Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time), who takes over the role of Cathy Dollanganger, and returning stars Heather Graham and Ellen Burstyn. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Clifton Collins, Jr. (Red Widow and The Event) will join Ryan Phillippe, Juliette Lewis and KaDee Strickland in the ABC drama pilot called Secrets & Lies, which centers on Ben (Phillippe), a family man who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. Clifton will play Ben’s childhood friend and tenant in Ben’s pool house who is unwaveringly supportive of Ben. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Tim Daly (Private Practice) has joined the cast of the CBS drama pilot Madam Secretary that explores the personal and professional life of a maverick female Secretary of State (Tea Leoni) as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life. Daly will play her husband Henry, a professor of medieval religious history. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) will star alongside Meagan Good (Deception) in the NBC drama pilot called Babylon Fields in which the dead are resurrected and try to resume their former lives. He will play the dual roles of Father Harries, a local priest, and his estranged identical twin brother Graham, a junkie who returns from the dead. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Mykelti Williamson (Justified) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Clementine, which focuses on Clementine Ross (newcomer Sarah Snook), a habitual criminal who digs into the mystery of her origins after she becomes the target of a group of zealots who fear she possesses latent supernatural abilities that she will one day harness for either profound good or monstrous evil. Williamson will play Ray Allison, a hard-working, recently divorced detective with the Philadelphia Police Department. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actress Michelle Harrison (Emily Owens, M.D.) has joined the cast of The CW drama pilot The Flash that will focus on the DC Comics hero Barry Allen (Grant Gustin from Glee), a Central City assistant police forensics investigator-turned-superhero. Harrison will play his mother, Nora Allen, who will obviously be seen in flashbacks since in the story that is already known about Barry his mother was killed. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Charlie Weber (90210 and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot How to Get Away With Murder that is about a group of ambitious law students and their brilliant, mysterious criminal defense professor, Annalise Dewitt (a role that has yet to be cast), who become entangled in a murder plot that will rock their entire university and change the course of their lives. Weber is expected to play Frank Delgado, her associate, a macho, takes-no-shit type of guy, a local Philly boy done good. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Veteran actress Jamie Lee Curtis has joined the cast of the CBS drama pilot Only Human that is about four siblings who had their entire lives documented by a filmmaker until age 32, when the documentary stops and everyone comes to find the four’s real lives are quite different from the way they had been portrayed on TV. Curtis will play their mother, Caroline Lang, a part time clinician, who runs a hospital with the authority of a woman with a distinguished career behind her. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actors Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings) and David Anders (Alias and Once Upon a Time) have joined the cast of The CW drama pilot called iZombie, a supernatural crime procedural that centers on Liv, a med student-turned-zombie who takes a job in the coroner’s office to gain access to the brains she must reluctantly eat to maintain her humanity, but with each brain she consumes, she inherits the corpse’s memories. With the help of her medical examiner boss and a police detective (to be played by Goodwin), she solves homicide cases in order to quiet the disturbing voices in her head. Anders will play the show’s bad guy Blaine, an entitled rich kid who bites off more than he can chew in the drug business. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NOTE: SO iZombie is going to be Tru Calling but with a zombie as the lead. Great?! That’s a not so happy great, by the way!

Actress Lily Rabe (American Horror Story) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot The Visitors that is about a race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world by using the Earth’s most precious resource: children. Rabe will play Claire Bennigan, an FBI agent and single mother who is torn between work and home life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Michael Trucco (Killer Women and Battlestar Galactica) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Sea of Fire that follows the fallout — including one murder and a disappearance — from the discovery that three teenage girls in a small town starred in a pornographic film. He will play Pete Harper, the father of the lost girls’ boyfriend. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Ashley Judd (most recently seen on the small screen in the short-lived Missing) has joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot Salvation that follows a family that rallies together after the death of their father, the leader of a Texas mega church. She will play the matriarch of the family. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

GENERAL NEWS

Congrats are extended to the winners of the NAACP Image Awards, including (but not limited to) Scandal, Kerry Washington, LL Cool J, Taraji P. Henson, Joe Morton, Morris Chestnut, Being Mary Jane, Gabrielle Union and Idris Elba.

TELEVISION

It seems that NBC has decided to charge up their defunct series Heroes for a 13-epiosde mini-series event next year. It will be called Heroes: Reborn, but no other details have been released. A digital series will debut prior to the event series to introduce/reintroduce the series to viewers. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

British actor Samuel Anderson (Gavin & Stacey) will have a recurring role on Doctor Who alongside new incoming Doctor Peter Capaldi and current companion Clara Oswald (Jenna Coleman). Anderson will play Danny Pink, a teacher at Coal Hill School where Clara also teaches. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

Legendary actress Ann-Margaret will have a recurring role on the Showtime drama Ray Donovan, playing the ever-beautiful June Wilson, a major star back in her day who has a past with Ray’s boss Ezra Goldman (Elliott Gould). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Janet McTeer (The White Queen) will star opposite Kal Penn (House) in the CBS drama series Battle Creek that is set for next season. The series centers on a detective and an FBI agent with very different world views who are teamed up to clean up the semi-mean streets of Battle Creek, MI. McTeer will play Commander Guziewicz, Commander of the Battle Creek Police Department. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actresses Meta Golding (The Tomorrow People) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Agatha, which is about Agatha McAuliffe, a former convict turned big city criminologist who is brought in to help local police, including her estranged chief detective father, to crack a case involving a perplexing disappearance. Golding will play Stacy Soto, a smart, sassy, tough-as-nails DA who is not only Agatha’s nemesis but is dating Agatha’s father. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Matt Ryan (Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior) has landed the title role in the NBC drama pilot Constantine based on the DC Comics character. The pilot is about an enigmatic and irreverent con man-turned-reluctant supernatural detective who is thrust into the role of defending us against dark forces from beyond. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actress Sandrine Holt (Hostages and House of Cards) and actor Pedro Pascal (Graceland and soon-to-be-seen on Game of Thrones) have joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Exposed, which is about Anna Loach (a role that is yet to be cast), an investigative journalist who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, including making questionable alliances. Holt will play Jill Hwang-Joffe, Anna’s managing editor who wants her to look into the whistle blower story while Pascal will play Anna’s boyfriend Oscar Castro Vargas. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Kevin G. Schmidt (The Young and the Restless and Unnatural History) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Sea of Fire, which chronicles the fallout from three teenage girls starring in a pornographic film (one of whom goes missing), an event that tears their families apart and leads to a disappearance and a murder in their small town of Serenity Falls. He will play Xander Harper, Jane’s (a role that has yet to be cast) all-American athlete boyfriend who becomes a suspect in her disappearance. Also, actress Amanda Detmer (Necessary Roughness) has joined the cast, playing Jane’s mother. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actress Justina Machado (Welcome to the Family and The Fosters) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Warriors that is about the best and brightest active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine. She will play Anna Stonecifer, a surgical nurse. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Laz Alonzo (Breakout Kings) will star opposite Debra Messing in the NBC drama pilot The Mysteries Of Laura that follows the life and relationships of Laura Diamond (Messing), a female homicide detective who can handle murderous criminals, but not her hell-raising twin children. Alonso will play Billy, Laura’s partner in crime. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Hope Davis (The Newsroom) and Margarita Levieva (Revenge) have joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot Coercion that revolves around the O’Connor family and their extremely intelligent son, Alex, a decorated American war hero and newly minted CIA analyst who is a true patriot and loves his country and family. Unbeknownst to him, his father, his mother (Davis) and his sister (Levieva) are part of a dormant Russian sleeper cell that has just been reactivated. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Ioan Gruffudd (Ringer and the Fantastic Four franchise) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Forever that centers on Dr. Henry Morgan (Gruffudd), New York City’s star medical examiner. But what no one knows is Henry studies the dead for a reason, he is immortal. His investigative work with Detective Jo Martinez and relationship with best friend Abe (Judd Hirsch) will peel back the layers of Henry’s colorful and long life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office films from this past weekend courtesy of TV Guide:

1. The LEGO Movie – 31.5 million
2. 3 Days to Kill – 12.3 million
3. Pompeii – 10 million
4. RoboCop – 9.4 million
5. The Monuments Men – 8.1 million
6. About Last night – 7.4 million
8. Frozen – 4.4 million
9. Endless Love – 4.3 million
10. Winter’s Tale – 2.1 million

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online)

Question: I need some Pretty Little Liars scoop! What’s up with Spencer? She’s totally losing it! – Riley

TV Scoop Team: Brace yourself because Spencer’s erratic behavior is only going to get worse and worse. FYI, this is not the first time that little miss Hastings has gone off the deep end. Executive producer Oliver Goldstick explains that when it comes to the summer that Alison disappeared, Spencer’s mind was not in the healthiest state. “With Spencer, there are big gaping holes in her memory which will serve as incredibly difficult realizations about what she may have done. There are revelations and realizations that she maybe had confrontations or ugly encounters that she may have blotted out and can’t remember,” he revealed. “But there are people that are going to remind her, you better believe it! Somebody was taking notes that summer.”

Question: Do you guys have anything for Once Upon a Time? – Michelle

TV Scoop Team: Two words: Flying. Monkeys. The winter premiere of the magical ABC drama is packed with jaw-dropping moments and heart-warming scenes—especially for all you CaptainSwan shippers out there! We’re serious, after watching this hour, even the strongest Neal fan will begin to doubt their feelings and wonder if they’re rooting for the right couple.

Question: Twisted is so good this season! What’s coming up? – Laurel

TV Scoop Team: A lot of inner turmoil for Danny, that’s what. Not only is a blast from the past trying to wreck havoc on Danny’s world, he’s also going to trying to come to terms with the fact that he killed his father. “I think that’s going to be his main internal battle for some time,” Twisted star Avan Jogia spilled to us. “I think it’s something you don’t recover from ever, and but he learns how to deal with it. It’s another thing he can’t be truthful about.” But it was totally self-defense! “if you think it’s self-defense or not, there’s also other factors that come up in the season that make everyone question whether that’s the case or not.” Yikes.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

It looks like TNT is thisclose to or ordering a straight-to-series version of the network’s popular Librarian movie franchise, which starred Noah Wyle (now the lead in the network’s alien apocalypse series Falling Skies). This potential new series would center on four ordinary people with extraordinary talents who discover that they have been selected by Wyle’s Flynn to work for The Library, an ancient fellowship of knowledge and heroism. The quartet would travel the world investigating strange occurrences, battling ancient conspiracies and protecting the innocent from the dangerous, secret world of magic. Wyle is in talks to appear in the premiere and make guest appearances throughout the series. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Kip Pardue (Remember the Titans) has been cast in a multi-episode arc on the Showtime series Ray Donovan, playing FBI agent Volchek, who works for James Cochran (Hank Azaria), the ambitious head honcho of the Los Angeles FBI. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Stephen Bishop has been made a series regular on the popular new BET drama Being Mary Jane where he plays David, a man with whom Mary Jane (series lead Gabrielle Union) tries to work things out. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) and Barry Sloane (Revenge) have landed roles on the ABC drama pilot called The Visitors that is being described as a race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world by using the Earth’s most precious resource: children. Ventimiglia will play Drew Bennigan, initially a John Doe who is covered in strange tattoos and diagrams and speaks in a strange language while Sloane will play Wes Lawrence, a former FBI agent now with the Special Projects Division of the Defense department who investigates military threats that are better off solved outside the public’s knowledge. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actress Morena Baccarin (Homeland, V and Firefly) has landed a role on the ABC drama pilot called Warriors that is about the best and brightest active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine. She will play Tory Sterling, a psychiatrist who is just back from a tour in Afghanistan. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Charlie Cox (Boardwalk Empire and the box office film Stardust) has joined the cast of the as-yet titled CBS drama pilot that will be set in the world of Wall Street power and money that will be executive produced by John Cusack (among others). Cox will play Jackson, a smart, sophisticated, Wall Street hedge fund trader, who served his country in Iraq, and possesses integrity and the desire to do good. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Sherry Stringfield (ER) has joined the cast of the CBS summer series Under the Dome, which will be back on June 30 for the start of its second season. She will play Pauline, a mysterious woman who may be connected to the origins of the dome. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Bravo Media has greenlit its first original scripted series; an hour-long drama from writer-producer Marti Noxon called Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce that will star Lisa Edelstein (House). The 13-episode series will follow Abby (Edelstein), a self-help book author who hides the fact that she’s separated from her husband, as she starts to navigate her life as a single woman in her early 40s in Los Angeles. She finds herself seeking advice from her divorced friends instead of her married ones, which leads to some unexpected and life-changing experiences. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NOTE: Ironic or not, I have a friend who directed a webseries this past summer with nearly an identical storyline, based on a popular online blog. Funny how that happens and that bigger names prevail with the networks.

Actor Ryan McPartlin (Chuck) will guest star in the upcoming USA Network comedy series Playing House [NOTE: I usually don’t cover comedy, but when it comes to anyone from Chuck, I’ll excuse it]. The series will revolve around mom-to-be Maggie (Lennon Parham from Best Friends Forever) and her childhood best friend, Emma (Jessica St. Clair also from Best Friends Forever), who abandons her blossoming business career in China to help Maggie raise her baby. McPartlin will play a hunky officer who helps the women install their baby seat. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Kathleen Munroe (Alphas and Stargate Universe as well as the upcoming ABC drama Resurrection) has landed a role on the ABC drama pilot called Clementine that is about Clementine Ross (newcomer Sarah Snook), a habitual criminal who digs into the mystery of her origins after she becomes the target of a group of zealots who fear she possesses latent supernatural abilities that she will one day harness for either profound good or monstrous evil. Munroe will play Lydia Tomas, the practical, regimented, and protective fiancée of Charlie (Kevin Alejandro from Arrow and Ugly Betty), who is often at odds with Clementine. Actors David Strathairn and Edwin Hodge also star. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Veteran actor Judd Hirsch (Numb3rs) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called Forever that is about Dr. Henry Morgan, a 200-year-old man who spends his days working in the New York City Morgue trying to find a key to unlock the curse of his immortality. Hirsch will play Abe, Henry’s best (and only) friend. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actors Nathaniel Buzolic (Kol on The Vampire Diaries) and Lucien Laviscount (Episodes and Skins) have joined the cast of The CW’s spin-off series Supernatural: Tribes. The series will follow the various mafia-esque monster families that unknowingly-to-humans “run” the underbelly of Chicago, who are being tracked by a newly-minted Hunter trying to stop them and rid Chicago of anything or anyone supernatural. Buzolic will play David Hayden, a shape shifter from one of the ruling monster families who’s been living as a human, having given up the monster life years ago. Laviscount will play Ennis Roth, a resolute police academy trainee (and the newly-minted Hunter) whose fiancée is killed in the crossfire of the monster war. The tragedy leads him to the truth about what lurks in the shadows and becomes a monster-hunter himself. They will both appear in the April 29 episode of Supernatural. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Veteran actor Treat Williams (Everwood) has joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot called Odyssey that centers on three families whose lives are torn apart when a stranded female soldier (Anna Friel from Pushing Daisies), a disillusioned corporate attorney (Peter Facinelli from Nurse Jackie) and a disrespected political activist (Jake Robinson from The Carrie Diaries) are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy. Williams will star as Col. Glen, who has a significant role in covering up the assassination of the 24th Special Ops unit. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

The cast members of the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot were announced last night with the following taking on the iconic roles: Miles Teller (The Awkward Moment and Footloose), Kate Mara (House of Cards) Jamie Bell (Billy Elliott) and Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station). Mara, of course, will play Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman with Bell expected to play Ben Grimm/The Thing, Teller to play Reid Richards/Mr. Fantastic and Jordan to play Johnny Storm/The Human Torch. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

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

Question: You had mentioned that Episode 14 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would introduce two recurring characters. One of them seems to be Bill Paxton’s character, but what about the African-American role? Do you know who’s playing that, and if he is a Marvel character or not? –Andy B.

Mitovich: B.J. Britt (One Tree Hill, Being Mary Jane) wound up scoring the role of Agent Triplett, an associate of Bill Paxton’s character, who appears in the March 4 episode.

Question: Have you got anything on the Reign episode “The Consummation”? Specifically, something Mary and Francis-related? –Bree

Mitovich: Do I have anything on “The Consummation” aka the March 6 episode I watched just this morning? Oh yes. Most simply said, a lot happens. For one, Nostradamus has a new vision that, as he puts it, “changes everything.” Also, news of a significant death sets in motion events that will force Mary to make an impossible decision, and pronto, all while her deliciously devious mum (Private Practice‘s Amy Brenneman) plays puppet master in a way that must even impress Catherine.

Question: At the end of Once Upon a Time’s midseason finale, why did Emma end up in New York City, Neal’s recent home, rather than Boston, her most recent place of residence outside of Storybrooke? –R.T.

Mitovich: Hook poses that exact question in the March 9 midseason premiere – and Emma does have an explanation.

Question: Can you give us a hint as to what Belle’s “plan” might be on Once Upon a Time? –Intarr

Mitovich: Belle’s plan to get the definitive 411 on Rumple is sparked by something she has come to realize about her man’s epic clash with Pan.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today (there are a lot of development items coming your way):

TELEVISION

Actress Janel Parrish (Mona on Pretty Little Liars) will make a guest appearance on Drop Dead Diva, appearing in the show’s upcoming final season. She will play Chelsea Jones, a cheerleader for a professional basketball team who finds viral video fame after someone captures her epic on-field meltdown on camera. When she decides to sue the team, she calls in Jane (series lead Brooke Elliot) for help, but also becomes a target of bullying by the head cheerleader. Drop Dead Diva is back for the start of its last season on Lifetime on March 23 with a 2-hour premiere. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Olivia Williams (Dollhouse) has joined the cast of the WGN America 13-episode scripted series Manhattan that is set during the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, NM. The drama will follow the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families. Williams will play Liza Winter, a brilliant botanist with a complicated past who begins to notice unsettling changes to the environment when she accompanies her husband Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey) to the secret birthplace of the atomic bomb. (The Deadline Team)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Paige Turco (the upcoming CW series The 100 and Person of Interest) has been cast opposite Scott Bakula in the planned NCIS spin-off pilot that will be set at the NCIS New Orleans office. Turco will play Linda, the wife of NCIS Special Agent Pride (Bakula). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith has joined the cast of the FOX drama pilot Gotham, based on the DC Comics characters, that will focus on a younger version of Batman ally James Gordon (Ben McKenzie from Southland and The O.C.). Pinkett Smith will play Fish Mooney, a sadistic gangster with street smarts and a short temper. (Whitney Friedlander at Variety)

Actress Neve Campbell (the Scream franchise and Party of Five) has pulled out as the lead of the TNT drama pilot Guilt By Association. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Edi Gathegi (the Twilight Saga and X-Men: First Class) has joined the cast of the TNT drama pilot called Proof that will follow Katherine Russo (a part that is yet to be cast), a skeptical, hard science, female surgeon who is persuaded to investigate cases of reincarnation, out-of-body experiences and hauntings to find verifiable proof whether death truly is the end. Gathegi will play Zed, a former refugee from the Sudan with a gentle soul in an intimidatingly tall and lanky frame. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Derek Webster (Revolution) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called The Visitors that will take a look at a race against the clock to defeat an unseen alien enemy out to destroy the world by using the Earth’s most precious resource: children. He will play Jessup Rollins, an FBI agent with two disciplinary reprimands on his record and a past of difficult behavior. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Australian actor Don Hany has landed the lead role in the ABC drama pilot called Warriors that is about the best and brightest active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine. He will play trauma surgeon George Mann. Actor Courtney B. Vance (FlashForward) and actress Eloise Mumford (Lone Star and The River) also star. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actress KaDee Strickland (Private Practice) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Secrets & Lies, which is an adaptation of the upcoming Australian crime mystery series that centers on Ben (Ryan Phillippe), a family man who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. Strickland will play Ben’s wife Christy whose feelings towards Ben are complicated by the discovery of the neighbor boy’s body. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Debra Messing (Smash and Will & Grace) has landed the lead role in the NBC drama pilot called The Mysteries of Laura, which is based on the Spanish series Los Misterios De Laura. The pilot will follow the life and relationships of a female homicide detective (Messing) who can handle murderous criminals but not her hell-raising twin children. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

A&E is developing a high-concept drama called The 36 that stems from the mystical Jewish concept of the Righteous 36, which stipulates that at all times there are 36 people in the world possessing special powers who don’t necessarily know each other but if even one of them was missing, the world would come to an end. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Terrence Howard (The Butler) will star in the FOX drama pilot called Empire that is a family drama set in the world of a hip-hop empire, centering on Lucious Lyon (Howard), a charismatic, savvy music superstar who is about to take his company, Empire Entertainment, public. Raised on the streets, he has never backed away from a fight and will resort to any measures, fair or foul, to defend his beloved Empire. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actor Dylan Bruce will reprise his role of Bart Winslow in the Lifetime sequel film Petals on the Wind, based on the V.C. Andrews novel. Already announced is actress Rose McIver has been cast in the lead role of Cathy, taking over for Mad Men actress Kiernan Shipka. And, actor Will Kemp (Van Helsing) will play Julian Marquet, Cathy’s abusive boyfriend. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter and James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Jai Courtney (the upcoming film Divergent and A Good Day to Die Hard) has landed the plum role of Kyle Reese in the upcoming Terminator reboot being called Terminator: Genesis. Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke has already been announced to play Sarah Connor and Zero Dark Thirty actor Jason Clarke will play John Connor. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: Guardians of the Galaxy

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online, Natalie Abrams at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Question: Teen Wolf is insane this season! I’m almost nervous for the finale! – Carrie

TV Scoop Team: We suggest you start preparing yourselves for one epic mind game, based on what Jeff Davis tells us of “The Divine Move,” the finale. So what does it mean? “People in the know will understand that it refers to a move in the game of Go, which is the Japanese version of Chess, basically,” he explains. “It’s a Go game. Go is a very Asian game. It’s Chinese, Korean and Japanese. It’s a very difficult game to learn and compete in.”

Question: I need some Scandal scoop ASAP! — Jennie

Natalie: The campaign will be in full swing when the show returns, but Fitz may not make it out unscathed. He’ll have to deal with both someone swearing vengeance against him and resurfacing old rumors. In unrelated news, you will see some interesting nudity in the midseason return.

Question: I so envy you! I want to watch Once Upon a Time’s midseason premiere too! — Emma, via Twitter

Natalie: It was everything that I imagined and more. The midseason premiere, which jumps back a year to tell the story of everyone’s return to the Enchanted Forest, also features a shocking proposal that doesn’t quite go the way of happily-ever-after.

Question: Do you have any scoop on the Supernatural spin-off? — Jonah

Natalie: Supernatural: Tribes will air its backdoor pilot in the 20th episode of this season and longtime SPN fans will notice more than a few similarities to the original series’ pilot. After the death of a loved one, the show’s protagonist, Ennis, is dragged into the world of hunting and monsters. It comes as no surprise that Sam is far more sympathetic to the wannabe cop than his brother when they run into Ennis working a case in Chicago. And while Tribes lacks Supernatural’s beloved sibling angst, Ennis has his fair share of Winchester-level daddy issues.

Question: I’m really enjoying The Blacklist. Any idea about what’s coming up? — Nancy

Natalie: So that upcoming episode featuring both Dianne Wiest and Lance Reddick is pretty much going to be off the hook. But NBC’s description of Wiest’s character as “kind and sympathetic” is not quite how I’d put it, particularly since she has a vendetta and will make Cooper pay for a past mistake. While she’s fighting against capital punishment, she’s not above using it herself.

Question: Do you have any Chicago Fire scoop? — Brian

Natalie: Dawson and Casey are still together… for now. But the EMT-turned-firefighter-in-training will soon seek solace in her new teacher, Severide. “We really get close,” Monica Raymund says. “I need him and he’s there for me and we have this… truthful moment where I don’t want to admit something to him and he just gets it and he takes me out and brings me to the firehouse to cheer me up.”

Question: I hope I’m not too late to beg for Castle scoop! —Mandy

Ausiello: This season’s 20th episode is called “That ’70s Show,” and word on the street is it will literally be set in ’70s New York.

Question: I see Matt Mitovich visited the Once Upon a Time set. Did he get anything on Neal? —Viviane

Ausiello: He most certainly did. The good news is that Neal is resolved to reunite with Emma, some way, somehow. The bad news is that his baby momma’s parents don’t immediately agree with his agenda, since they know that Emma is now living in NYC, partially oblivious yet unarguably happy with son Henry. As Josh Dallas explained to MM on the set, “When we get back to fairytale land, Neal is determined to go find Emma, but Charming and Snow just want their daughter to be happy. So they try to say, ‘Look, this is where we live now. This is what we have and that [other realm] is where she and Henry are. We have to let them go.’” But will Neal listen?

Question: In Episode 2.05 of Once Upon A Time, “The Doctor,” there is a scene with young Regina, Rumple and Jefferson at his castle. When Rumple mentions something about the “ruby slippers,” the camera focuses on Regina’s face and she appears nervous and drops something on the table, indicating that the mention of the ruby slippers had some effect on her. Was that on purpose? Is Regina somehow connected to OZ or the footwear in question? —Ana

Ausiello: First off, the slippers you refer to “probably won’t be ruby,” exec producer Eddie Kitsis reveals. Adds fellow EP Adam Horowitz: “The ruby slippers may have been a false road because, in the books, they were silver slippers.” And Once will be “sticking to the book for legal reasons,” confirms Kitsis. Now, back to your actual question regarding Regina’s connection to OZ, I have no clue. But at least I cleared up the ruby confusion! That’s gotta be worth something!

Question: Please tell me Sara/Canary isn’t going anywhere on Arrow. I’m loving her so much! —Joseph

Ausiello: Sara/Canary is alive and well. Thus far. Though her big sister Laurel may wish otherwise. Coming out of their icy reunion, “Sara is heartbroken,” Caity Lotz tells us. “For Sara to be like, ‘I’m not dead, yet [the fling with Oliver] is still that big to you?’ It’s heartbreaking that Laurel isn’t over that [comparatively] small stuff. Sara feels like her sister would rather have her dead!”

Question: I heard that Nashville is finally bringing on Scarlett’s mom/Deacon’s sister later this season. Any scoop for the remaining Claybourne? —Jill

Ausiello: The role hasn’t been cast yet, if that’s what you’re asking. I can, however, share that mother and daughter have a very strained relationship, even by Nashville standards.

Question: Us Grimmsters still have another week to wait until the next new episode. Any word on what to expect when the show returns? –Will

Ausiello: We’re going to meet at least one more member of the royal family: King Frederick, aka Sean and Eric Renard’s father, a formidable man whom we’re guessing is going to lay down some regal smack regarding all of this Eric’s death/Adalind’s baby nonsense.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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