Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Veteran actor Peter Coyote (currently recurring on Intelligence) will guest star in season 3 of the TNT drama Perception, which is slated for this coming summer. He will play James Alan Pierce, dad of Daniel Pierce (series lead Eric McCormack), who comes to town with some stunning news. The second half of the show’s current, second season will be back on TNT starting on February 25. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

The Lifetime dramedy Drop Dead Diva, that received life-support for its fifth season, will not be coming back after its upcoming sixth season, which starts on March 23 with a two-hour premiere. There will be 13 final episodes of the fan favorite before it comes to its final end. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

The CW has given early renewal orders to the following five shows: Arrow, Reign, Supernatural, The Originals and The Vampire Diaries. The fate of their other remaining shows, though, including Beauty And the Beast, Hart of Dixie, The Carrie Diaries and The Tomorrow People are still up in the air and most likely won’t known until the May upfronts. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Christina Chang (Nashville) and Jeffrey Nordling (Body of Proof and Killer Women) have joined the cast of the ABC pilot Sea of Fire, which chronicles the fallout from three teenage girls starring in a pornographic film, an event that tears their families apart and leads to a disappearance and a murder. Nordling will play Reverend Bobby McAllister, the father of the missing girl, Jane (who is yet to be cast) while Chang as Dr. Kristen Harper, the mother of Jane’s troubled boyfriend, Xander (also yet to be cast). Jack Davenport and Jennifer Carpenter will star. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jamey Sheridan (Homeland and Arrow) has joined the cast of the TNT action-drama pilot called Agent X that will star Sharon Stone as America’s first female Vice President, Natalie Maccabee, and her secret weapon, Agent X (Jeff Hephner). Sheridan will play FBI Director Stanton, who is inclined to be patronizing and disdainful, especially in Natalie’s direction. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Juliette Lewis (The Firm) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot Secrets & Lies that will center on a patriarch (Ryan Phillippe) who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. Lewis will play Andrea Cornell, the unflappable, somewhat formidable detective conducting the investigation into the slaying of 4-year-old Tom Mullen who has her sights set on Ben (Phillippe), the loving father who found the boy’s body. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Matt Barr (Hatfields & McCoys mini and Hellcats) has landed the male lead role in The CW drama pilot Identity that will center 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 (Barr), 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. As Davis bonds with his newfound sister, he begins to question his family’s nefarious plans. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Vondie Curtis-Hall (Chicago Hope) has joined the cast of the NBC drama pilot Tin Man, which is a futuristic thriller, centering on robot Adam Sentry (Patrick Heusinger from Revolution and Royal Pains), accused of the first-degree murder of his creator. Curtis-Hall will play Det. Jack Garrison, a veteran homicide investigator called in to investigate the murder, who places Adam under arrest. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Patrick Fabian (Big Love and Veronica Mars) has landed a recurring role on Grey’s Anatomy, playing a pediatric surgeon who comes in to help Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Grey’s Anatomy will be back on ABC on February 27. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Emily Rose (Haven) will have a recurring role on the USA Network drama Graceland, playing Jessica Foster, one of Mike’s (series lead Aaron Tveit) superiors in Washington, D.C., but also his ally. Actress Brianna Brown (General Hospital and Devious Maids) will also recur on the show as Kelly Badillo, the widow of Juan Badillo, murdered by Briggs and Mike’s former control agent. And, actor Benito Martinez (The Shield) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the show as Alfredo Armas, the head of the Caza Cartel. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor C. Thomas Howell (Southland) will make a guest appearance on Grimm later this season, playing FBI agent Weston Steward. Grimm will be back on NBC starting on February 28. (Sadie Gennis at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

BBC America is developing a Game of Thrones reinvention of the classic Robin Hood story called Nottingham. The project will be written by Cole Haddon (the series creator of the recent NBC series Dracula) and it will center on the Sheriff of Nottingham whose wife is killed by King John’s men. When no one is brought to justice, the Sheriff launches a one-man war against the Crown. By day, he remains the reviled Sheriff, loyal servant of the King, but by night he puts on a hood and, using the intelligence he gains from his office, attacks the King where it hurts the most – his coffers. As Robin Hood, he systematically raids the King’s men, his noble loyalists and political allies, giving the spoils to the starving peasantry and starting a rebellion that will change England forever. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor John Wesley Shipp (Dawson’s Creek and the 1990s TV series The Flash) has been added to the cast of the CW pilot The Flash that is in the works right now. There are no details on what character he would be playing, though, should the show get picked up. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Ahna O’Reilly (The Help and Fruitvale Station) has landed the lead role in The CW drama pilot called Identity that centers on Mia (O’Reilly), a grounded, whip-smart but restless young New Yorker who finds her world upended when she learns she needs an organ transplant to survive and her only living relative is a newfound half-brother from a wealthy and powerful family in Charleston, SC. She connects with the family only to find they’re the target of a CIA investigation, and the agency wants her as their newest informant. Her loyalty and morality are tested as she slowly builds a case against the family who saved her life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Donal Logue (Vikings and Terriers) has joined the cast of the FOX Batman prequel pilot Gotham. He will play Det. Harvey Bullock, the rough-around-the-edges partner of the future Commissioner Gordon to be played by Ben McKenzie (Southland and The O.C.) (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

HBO is developing a pilot for a potential new show called Utopia, a US adaptation of another British series that revolves around the die-hard fans of an iconic, underground graphic novel who are suddenly launched into their own pop-culture thriller when they learn that the author has secretly written a sequel. Unfortunately, the new manuscript is much more than just a book and those on the hunt for it suddenly find themselves in a game of shifting loyalties, conspiracy and shocking twists as the true meaning of the book is slowly revealed. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Michiel Huisman (Nashville and soon to be seen in Game of Thrones) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film The Age Of Adaline that will star Blake Lively (Gossip Girl). The film follows the miraculous life of 29-year old Adaline, who stops aging after recovering from a near-fatal accident. Over the course of the 20th century she embarks on an epic but isolated worldwide journey, keeping her secret, until she meets a man who forever alters her life. Huisman will play that man. (The Deadline Team)

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

Question: Will we see Peter Pan in the second half of Once Upon a Time Season 3? I was thinking that even if he’s dead, that doesn’t mean he can’t show up in flashback or maybe in Rumpelstiltskin’s subconscious. —Natalie

Ausiello: Series co-creator Eddy Kitsis shares your fandom of Robbie Kay’s run as Pan, saying, “We definitely would like to see him in a flashback, because the character was so much fun to write. I’m not sure it will happen this season, but there is a potential.” Concurs Adam Horowitz: “We would hate to not be able to use him again.”

NOTE: Once Upon a Time will be back on March 9 after its extended winter break.

Question: Can you give me any scoop on Stiles from Teen Wolf? He’s my favorite character. –Amy

Ausiello: Scott and Stiles’ friendship will be tested to the limit this season… possibly with fatal results.

Question: Not going to be picky — I’ll take anything you have on Arrow. —Josh

Ausiello: How ’bout I give you everything I have: Cynthia Addai-Robinson will next appear as Amanda in the mid-March episode “Suicide Squad,” which flashes back to Dig’s days in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, we’ll find out what Ollie’s biz partner (and sometimes business partner) Isabel Rochev has been up to when Summer Glau resurfaces in Episode 18.

Question: I’m begging for some scoop on Pretty Little Liars! I’d like information about Ezra, but I’ll take anything! –Estee

Ausiello: Now that Spencer has told Hanna and Emily about Ezra, it’s only a matter of time before Aria finds out. But given Spencer’s recent dalliance with pills, Aria vehemently refuses to believe her soul mate is evil. (Fun fact: I don’t have the foggiest idea what I just wrote.)

Question: I love The Fosters. Got any scoop? — Cora

Ausiello: We’re only halfway through the season, but you might want to start bracing yourself for the winter finale, airing March 24. When we brought up the episode with exec producer Peter Paige at the Family Equality Council’s Annual Los Angeles Awards Dinner this past Saturday, where he and fellow EP Bradley Bredeweg were being honored, Paige got choked up. “I literally almost cried, just now standing here talking to you,” he said. “It’s a freight train. And it’s coming for your heart.” Added young star Hayden Byerly: “It’s so dramatic. It’s so heartbreaking for Callie and Jude, especially. Something terrible happens to both of them.”

Question: Do you have any scoop on Season 6 of Royal Pains? Will Hank ever get a love interest? —Laura

Ausiello: Not sure about Hank, but I hear Jeremiah is going to get some action courtesy of Natalia, a drop-dead gorgeous immigrant who is spending the summer working as a bartender in the Hamptons. And it looks like their romance will be semi-serious; the character is slated to appear in roughly seven episodes. Casting is underway.

Question: Any new information on Fitz and Mellie’s two oldest children on Scandal? —Dan R.

Ausiello: Jerry and Karen (as played by Dylan Minnette and Madeline Carroll) will buck the episodic drama’s annoying teen trend and be “complicated, substantial and interesting people” in their own right, according to their onscreen dad Tony Goldwyn, who adds that their arrival from boarding school “really escalates” things for the Grant household.

Question: Please make my day with some Scandal scoop. —Whittney

Ausiello: When the show returns on Feb. 27, Cyrus will be in full-tilt damage-control mode, both on the home and work fronts. “He has rocked his marriage to the core and he also screwed up every chance he has of keeping Sally on the ticket,” explains his portrayer, Jeff Perry. “Cyrus is more scared of what he’s done than we’ve ever seen him, and he’s scrambling like hell to get out of it.”

Question: Any Pretty Little Liars scoop about my favorite TV bad boy, Ezra? – Laur_darb

TV Scoop Team: Sounds like the season finale will be a game changer, with Ian Harding even wondering where the hell the show can go next. “I don’t know what I’ll be doing next season,” he admits, adding that things will never be the same in Rosewood. “They just can’t after what happens.”

Question: Seriously concerned for Teen Wolf’s Stiles! Is he really the big bad this season? – Thomas

TV Scoop Team: Not according to Tyler Posey, who dishes, “The ninjas are definitely the main villains of the season.” But that doesn’t mean we should stop worrying about Stiles. “You’ll definitely see [him] go more in the direction that you can already see him going in,” Posey spills. “Of course, It’s Teen Wolf, so we’re going to pop up with a couple of different villains in there, so there’s no shortage of evilness to come.”

Question: In desperate need of info on Reign! – Ashley

TV Scoop Team: A new suitor is coming to French Court! The CW period drama is currently looking to cast a very gorgeous and masculine visiting nobleman who will woo one of our ladies. And get this? He may be sticking around for quite some time, like possibly for season two.

Question: Can you tell me more about the Beckett episode coming up on Castle? — Julie

Natalie: Beckett’s going undercover — with potentially disastrous complications. “Beckett thinks she’s pretending to be one person, but discovers that [the criminals] think that she’s somebody else completely,” creator Andrew W. Marlowe says. “She has to navigate those waters and figure out who she’s supposed to be, and any misstep could get her killed.” Adding an extra layer of danger? As the undercover operation unravels, Beckett will once again come into contact with some familiar faces from the Johanna Beckett murder investigation. Any guesses?

Question: Please share some Scandal news. — Aidy

Natalie: Sally Langston is far from being out of the picture after killing off her husband. In fact, she’ll redouble her efforts to maintain a sense of power in the White House by working closely with Leo to plan her next career steps. In related news, the midseason premiere is called “Ride Sally Ride.”

Question: When it comes to Downton Abbey, I’m on Team Downstairs! Now that Alfred got accepted to the culinary school at the Ritz, is that love triangle with Ivy and Daisy done? — Sarina

Natalie: Daisy still carries a torch for the ginger-haired former footman, and his absence doesn’t necessarily make it easier for her to get along with Ivy. Daisy will soon catch somebody’s eye, though, and each girl will have to make a major decision that could change their lives forever after receiving two very promising proposals. I’ll just say this: By the end of the season, somebody could be packing their bags.

Question: Please share some Arrow scoop. — Jeremy

Natalie: If you’ve also been thinking that Moira has been getting away with far too much — in particular, lying about Thea being the daughter of Malcolm Merlyn — then you’re in for a real treat. “She still really hasn’t had her come-to-Jesus moment, despite what you think would be rock-bottom… and that’s coming,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg says. Her fractured relationship with Oliver over the big lie will have far-reaching implications for every character. “The cold war between Oliver and Moira is not going to go unnoticed by anyone.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Barry Watson (7th Heaven) will have a recurring role on Hart of Dixie this coming April, playing Davis Polk, a southern gentleman who is handsome, quick-witted, and a little bit shy. Hart of Dixie will be back on March 21, its new night (Fridays). (Leanne Aguilera at E! Online)

Actress Idina Menzel will perform the single “Let It Go” from the animated film Frozen on the Oscars, which will air on March 2. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke will appear in at least two episodes of the new, upcoming Hallmark Channel hour-long series Signed, Sealed, Delivered, playing the supervisor of the team of mail detectives in the Dead Letter Office. This role will be revolving with different actors playing the supervisor. Actress Valerie Harper will appear as the team’s supervisor in the first two episodes of the show’s debut, which is set to air in the Spring. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Annie Wersching (24 and Heroes) will have a recurring role on the upcoming CBS summer series Extant that will star Halle Berry as Molly Watts, an astronaut trying to reconnect with her family after returning from a year in outer space. Her mystifying experiences in space lead to events that will no less than change the course of human history. Wersching will play Femi Dodd, a member of the Yasumoto Corporation board who endeavors to insure that in our race toward a technologically advanced future, we don’t leave our humanity behind. Her position makes her a powerful adversary to Molly’s husband John (Goran Visnjic from ER), a developer of humanoid robot prototypes. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

MTV has given a 10-episode order to a new drama called Eye Candy that will feature Disney star Victoria Justice in the lead role of a beautiful but reclusive hacker whose blog exposes everything from terrorist plots to suspected killers. Convinced by her roommate to begin online dating, Lindy (Justice) is targeted by a dangerous cyberstalker and believes one of her suitors to be the culprit. When things take a deadly turn, she teams up with the city’s cyber-crime unit to catch the killer. MTV has yet to set a premiere date for the series. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

Lifetime has given a 10-episode order to the conspiracy thriller drama The Lottery that is set in a dystopian future where women have stopped having children. The series reveals a world staring down the barrel of impending extinction. Remarkably, 100 embryos are successfully fertilized and a national lottery is held to decide the surrogates. As conflict, control and mystery over this global crisis unfolds, the government’s interests and power begin to dominate, igniting a highly controversial debate over our fundamental and personal freedom to raise a family. The series will star Marley Shelton (Eleventh Hour) as Dr. Alison Lennon, the brilliant fertility specialist whose scientific breakthrough may have life-and-death consequences; Michael Graziadei (American Horror Story) as Kyle, a recovering alcoholic and single father of one of the last children born in the country; David Alpay (The Vampire Diaries) as James, Alison’s colleague and lab assistant; and Martin Donovan (Homeland) as Darius Hayes, a calculating government official willing to use any strategy to achieve what he believes is the greater good. (TV By the Numbers)

Actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Once Upon a Time and Privileged) has landed one of the lead roles in the straight-to-series adaptation of the Lily Koppel 2013 best-selling book Astronaut Wives Club that will air on ABC. The series will follow a group of women who support their star-bound husbands during the 1960s space race. Swisher will play Betty, the wife of one of the original astronauts, who has a down-home appeal, which endears her to the public. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Titus Welliver (The Good Wife, White Collar and Lost) will guest star in the upcoming TNT drama The Last Ship, which is based on the William Brinkley novel and executive-produced by Michael Bay. The series will focus on a global catastrophe that nearly decimates the world’s population. The inhabitants of Navy destroyer U.S.S. Nathan James survive the tragedy, however, leaving its crew and captain to confront the reality of their new existence in a world where they may be among the few remaining survivors. There are no real details on what role Welliver will play though. The Last Ship will debut on TNT this summer. (Michael Slezak at TV Line)

Actress Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones and Suits) has joined the FOX event series 24: Live Another Day, taking over the role that was to be played by Judy Davis, who had to bow out of the projection due to personal matters. Fairley will play Margot, a British national and the widow of a notorious terrorist. 24: Live Another Day will debut on FOX on May 5 at 9 PM. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

NBC will be offering fans of their dramas Grimm, Chicago Fire and Parenthood original digital series of the four shows that can be streamed on NBC.com, Hulu and YouTube. Chicago Fire will air the 4-part series “I Am A Firefighter” On February 11 that will focus on Dawson (series regular Monica Raymond) while she awaits the next phase of her firefighter training, as seen in recent episodes. Parenthood will air the 4-part series “Friday Night at the Luncheonette” on February 13 that will focus on Amber (series regular Mae Whitman) who is tasked with keeping an eye on her cousin Max (series regular Max Burkholder), while also working after hours at the Luncheonette. Grimm will air the 4-part “Love is in the Air” on February 14, finding Rosalee (series regular Bree Turner) and Juliette (series regular Bitsie Tulloch) gathering their girlfriends for a Valentine’s Day spa party, only to discover a Zieglevolk casting a love spell among the group. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Courtney B. Vance (FlashForward) has joined the cast of the ABC medical drama pilot called Warriors that will center on the doctors and nurses at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center who treat returning soldiers. Vance will play Dr. Hennessy Fiske, an orthopedic surgeon with a sub-specialty in neurology who is a genius at designing prosthetics. This project already includes actress Eloise Mumford (The River and Lone Star) as part of the cast. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Tom Cavanagh (Ed) has joined the cast of The CW drama pilot-spin-off The Flash that will be an origin story about Barry Allen, aka The Flash (Grant Gustin from Glee), a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. Cavanagh will play Harrison Wells, a rock star in the world of physics and the mind and money behind Central City’s S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator. He becomes a pariah after the lab’s explosion, but he charts his path to redemption when he discovers that his failed experiment had the unintended consequence of creating the world’s fastest man. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Edwin Hodge (The Purge) has joined Australian newcomer Sarah Snook and legendary actor David Strathairn (Alphas) in the ABC drama pilot called Clementine, which centers on troubled 28-year-old psychic Clementine Ross (Snook) who sees her life begin to change in unexpected ways when she decides to stop running from her past. Hodge will play, Dr. Anthony Little, Clementine’s best friend and confidant. A doctor by trade with a wicked sense of humor, he stands by his psychic friend no matter how complicated life gets. Also, actor Kevin Alejandro (True Blood and Arrow) has joined the pilot where he will play Charlie Madsen, Clementine’s ex-boyfriend and father to her young daughter, Lucy, a former bad-boy who transformed into a responsible man when he realized he was going to have to raise Lucy on his own due to Clementine’s personal struggles. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Eloise Mumford (The River and Lone Star) has joined the cast of the ABC medical drama pilot called Warriors that will follow the best and brightest active duty military doctors and nurses as they practice trailblazing medicine. Mumford plays Stacey, a surgical resident who is sometimes overwhelmed by the sadness and emotional toll of her job. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Ben McKenzie (Southland and The O.C.) has landed the role of Detective James Gordon in the planned FOX Batman-themed drama pilot Gotham that will be an origin story of Commissioner James Gordon and the villains that made Gotham City famous. The pilot will include younger versions of Bruce Wayne, Alfred, the Riddler, Catwoman, the Joker and the Penguin. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Maggie Q (Nikita) will headline a limited series called Red Flag that is set in the early 1800s, centering on Ching Shih, a beautiful young Chinese prostitute who goes on to become one of history’s most powerful pirates and head of the most successful crime syndicate in China. With over 100,000 sailors and 1500-plus vessels, Ching controlled the South China Sea while taking on the Imperial Chinese navy, the Portuguese navy, and the all-powerful British navy to eventually conquer them all. There is no word on what network may air this series in the US however. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Lucas Black (Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift) has joined the cast of the planned CBS spin-off to NCIS that will be set in New Orleans. He will play NCIS Special Agent Lasalle, a no-nonsense agent with a work hard, play hard motto, who is a longtime resident of New Orleans. (Michael O’Connell at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. The LEGO Movie – $69.1 million
2. The Monuments Men – $22.7 million
3. Ride Along – $9.39 million
4. Frozen – $6.91 million
5. That Awkward Moment – $5.54 million
6. Lone Survivor – $5.29 million
7. Vampire Academy – $4.1 million
8. The Nut Job – $3.8 million
9. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – $3.6 million
10. Labor Day – $3.23 million

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

Question: What’s going on with Thea on Arrow, we haven’t seen much of her lately! – Bea P.

TV Scoop Team: Relationship drama! Roy’s new status as member of Team Arrow will definitely impact the young couple’s romance. “He has to continue to lie to her, and he told her that he wasn’t going to lie to her anymore, which was obviously a lie,” Colton Haynes teases. “If you’re a fan of Dawson’s Creek, and the relationships in Dawson’s Creek, then you will know how the relationship is going to go between Roy and Thea.”

Question: Got anything on Nashville? – Natasha

TV Scoop Team: Prepare to meet the son of a country superstar! In episode 18 we’ll meet Colt, a spoiled rich and brooding 16-year-old. The handsome teen prefers Twitter and technology over conversations and connections. To make matters worse, it looks like Colt is ready to abandon his country roots to focus solely on hip-hop music, something that his parents are not too proud of.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Lifetime has picked up the drama series Un-Real for a 10-episode order. The dark comedy gives a behind-the-scenes look at the chaos surrounding the production of a dating competition program. The series comes from Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro and will star Shiri Appleby (Life Unexpected and Roswell) as Rachel, a young staffer whose sole job is to manipulate her relationships with and among the contestants to get the vital dramatic and outrageous footage the program’s dispassionate executive producer (Megyn Price from Rules of Engagement) demands. The series co-stars Freddie Stroma (Pitch Perfect); and Arielle Kebbel (The Vampire Diaries) will guest star. (TV By the Numbers)

Actor John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C and The Good Wife) has joined the cast of the WGN America 13-episode drama series called Manhattan that is set during the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, NM, following the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families. It centers on Frank Winter (Hickey), a brilliant and self-destructive physics professor tapped to help lead the Manhattan Project, a mission that will jeopardize his family and his sanity. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Nathalie Emmanuel has been promoted to series regular on Game of Thrones for the show’s fifth season NOT this upcoming fourth season that is set to start on HBO on April 6. She plays Missandei, the clever translator to Daenerys Targaryen (series regular Emilia Clarke). (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Paul Bettany has signed on to play the Vision in upcoming box office film The Avengers: Age Of Ultron. (The Deadline Team)

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

Question: I can’t believe Revolution‘s Charlie hooked up with Connor! There’s no way I imagined the chemistry between her and Monroe. Does this mean there’s no hope for Charloe (that is Charlie and Monroe for those unfamiliar with all the nicknames) now? –Rosie

Mitovich: “Never give up hope,” executive producer Rockne S. O’Bannon responds. “Sure, Charlie and Connor are a natural hook-up. But there’s no denying that Charlie and Monroe have history. And certainly that’s on Monroe’s mind. Stay tuned.”

Question: Not sure if I’m the only one, but I can’t stop thinking about when Once Upon a Time‘s Regina is going to meet her true love (aka, Robin Hood). I’d like some inside info. –Diana

Mitovich: Already, I scooped for you that the “soul mates” will finally come face to face in the second episode back, airing March 16. But here’s a little something new, from co-creator Eddy Kitsis: “They meet under interesting circumstances – heightened, intense circumstances — as one does on our show.”

Question: Arrow is on fire! In TVLine’s January 9 interview, Stephen Amell teased an Oliver/Laurel encounter unlike one we’ve ever seen before on the show. Any idea which scene he was referring to, or if it has even aired yet? –Joanne

Mitovich: The aforementioned “encounter unlike one that we’ve ever seen” has not yet aired.

Question: Do you have any scoop on Arrow? –Ashley

Mitovich: The “Birds of Prey” episode airing March 26 finds The Huntress “consumed by this vengeance that she has for her father,” says EP Andrew Kreisberg, and as such she is now all but rid of her Helena identity and looking “very haggard.” When she goes to dispatch with Daddy dearest once and for all, “Laurel gets caught in the crossfire,” prompting Canary to fly to the rescue. “It’s a fun episode in that you get a lot of Laurel with the Canary, not realizing that it’s Sara,” says Kreisberg. “It’s really an episode about Sara realizing where she’s at in her evolution as a hero.”

Question: I really, really need some Pretty Little Liars scoop — possibly on the game changing season 4B finale.—Jon

Mitovich: The finale is titled “A is for Answers” and that’s precisely what fans will get. Some of the biggest questions y’all have been asking since Season 1 will be answered by none other than Alison D, in the flesh, as she finally (finally!) reveals intimate details of what happened the night she went missing.

Question: My favorite character from Graceland Season 1 was Abby, and it’s killing me that I don’t know if she’s going to be in Season 2 or not. –Sonja

Mitovich: While Mike Warren will have plenty to deal with on the romantic front in Season 2, a source says that at this point in time it’s only “possible” that Abby will resurface.

Question: How long will Scotty be sticking around on Suits? I think Harvey is better off without her (and with Donna!) –Kellie

Mitovich: She’d better be sticking around, seeing as the midseason premiere finds her grappling with a half-million dollar buy-in to join the firm.

Question: It is time on NCIS for Rule 38: “Your case, your lead.” Will we see Tony DiNozzo in the lead again? –Ann

Mitovich: Cross your fingers, because you just might get something resembling a Tony-centric Season 11 finale. As show boss Gary Glasberg told me at TCA, “I’d really like to focus on and come up with something for the season finale that has a strong Tony element to it – in fact, we’re about to sit down and talk about that.”

Question: Drop Dead Diva me please! – Alex

TV Scoop Team: Viewers will meet Seth, an old friend of Grayson’s who recently lost his wife. He turns to Grayson and Jane to help fulfill her last wish, but the two clash over the request.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Lance Reddick (Fringe and Intelligence) will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Blacklist, playing “The Cowboy,” one of Red’s (series lead James Spader) many assets, but when Red gives him a new assignment, the results will leave Red in shock. (TV Guide)

Actor Hank Azaria and Twin Peaks alum Sherilyn Fenn will appear in multi-episode arcs on the Showtime drama series Ray Donovan that is set to return for its second season this summer. Azaria will play James Cochran, the ambitious head honcho of the Los Angeles FBI who becomes a thorn in Ray’s (series lead Liev Schreiber) side. Meanwhile, Fenn will play Cochran’s frumpy wife, Holly Cochran. (The Deadline Team)

ABC has made a 10-episode straight-to-series order for their pilot The Astronaut Wives Club that is based on the best-selling novel by Lily Koppel. Executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will oversee the project that tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history during the height of the space race. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Dylan Minnette (Lost) and Madeline Carroll (the box office film Flipped) have landed the roles of the Jerry and Karen, the kids of Fitz (series regular Tony Goldwyn) and Mellie (Bellamy Young) on Scandal. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings) will have a major season-ending arc on Parenthood, playing Evan Knight, a hip new teacher at the school Kristina founded and will be a potential love interest for Julia (series regular Erika Christensen). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Syfy is developing a new drama series based on the DC comic book DMZ that is set in the near future, centering on a young man trapped in Manhattan, which has been turned into a demilitarized zone (DMZ) after a second American civil war. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome) has signed on to the ABC drama pilot Secrets & Lies, joining actor Ryan Phillippe. The pilot is an adaptation of the upcoming Australian crime mystery series that centers on a family man (Phillippe) who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. He has no choice but to try to find the real killer as his marriage, his kids, his reputation, and his sanity are all at stake. Martinez will play Jess, the child’s devastated mother. (The Deadline Team)

AMC is developing a drama series adaptation of the DC/Vertigo comic book Preacher that follows Reverend Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas minister on the verge of losing his faith when he merges with a spiritual force called Genesis, making him more mighty than the Almighty. Able to command the obedience of those who hear his words and joined by his gun-toting girlfriend Tulip and the hard-drinking Irish vampire Cassidy, Custer begins a violent journey across the country in search of answers from a disenfranchised God. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Aja Naomi King (Emily Owens, M.D.) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot called How To Get Away With Murder that comes from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. The pilot is a thriller that will center on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot. King will play Michaela Pratt, one of the law students. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Peter Facinelli (Nurse Jackie) will star alongside Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) in the NBC drama pilot called Odyssey that will center on three families whose lives are torn apart when a stranded female soldier (Anna Friel), a disillusioned corporate attorney (Facinelli), and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Kate Winslet has joined the cast of the upcoming crime thriller flick Triple Nine that already includes Chiewetel Ejiofor and Casey Affleck as part of the cast. The film is about a group of thieves who plan to kill a young LAPD officer to divert the police away from a daring heist they’re perpetrating across town. Also actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) has also joined the cast. (Deadline and First Showing)

Young actress Sophie Nelisse (The Book Thief) will appear in the upcoming film The Great Gilly Hopkins, which is the adaptation of the award-winning book of the same name by Katherine Paterson. The story focuses on a wisecracking, gum-chewing 12-year-old named Gilly, who is moved from foster home to foster home, outwitting them all. But when placed in the home of Maime Trotter, the most unorthodox foster mom yet (Kathy Bates), Gilly fights her way out, but her life takes an unexpected turn. The cast of this film already includes Glenn Close, Danny Glover and Octavia Spencer. (First Showing)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Legendary actress Judy Davis has bowed out of the anticipated FOX mini-series 24: Live Another Day due to personal family matters. The producers will recast the role that she was to play. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

After being on the air for eight seasons, the USA Network is bringing Psych to an end on March 26 with an hour-long after show to immediately follow that finale that will feature a Q&A with the cast and series creator Steve Franks. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actresses Franka Potente (The Bourne Identity and Copper) and Elizabeth Rodriguez (Orange Is The New Black) and actor Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) have joined the cast of the Cinemax drama pilot called Blanco that already includes Shiloh Fernandez (Evil Dead and Red Riding Hood) as part of the cast. The pilot will center on Ruben (Fernandez), an uptown gangster, nicknamed Blanco for being a light-skinned Dominican, who uses his status as a confidential informant to turn the tables on law enforcement and build his criminal empire. Potente will play Leslee, Blanco’s girlfriend Leslee. Nolasco will play Jesus, Blanco’s brother while Rodriguez will play NYPD detective Stephanie Gomez. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Universal TV is adapting the Stephen King short story Ayana into a TV drama. The story is set in the world of miracles, featuring complex and powerful characters who are touched with just a hint of unexplained magic that triggers profound change in their lives. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

Actor David Strathairn (Alphas) has landed the lead role in the high-concept ABC drama pilot called Clementine that centers on the lead character Clementine, 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. Strathairn will play Henry, her father. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor John Shea (Gossip Girl and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) has joined the cast of the TNT drama pilot called Agent X that already boasts Sharon Stone and Jeff Hephner as part of the cast. The drama focuses on Natalie Maccabee (Stone), the newly elected Vice President of the United States who is tasked with protecting the Constitution in times of great crisis with the aid of her Chief Steward and a secret operative designated “Agent X” (Hephner). Shea will play President Thomas Eckhart, a Southern politician and a salt of the earth man who gives Natalie the key to her new mansion and introduces her to Malcolm Millar, and later chairs the emergency Cabinet meeting after Missy Stanton is kidnapped. Actor Mike Colter (Ringer) also stars. (The Hollywood Reporter and The Futon Critic)

Actress Daniella Pineda (The Originals) 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, a disillusioned corporate attorney and a disrespected political activist are pulled into the same shocking international military conspiracy. Pineda will play Molly, a reporter for Time magazine who becomes a love interest for a leading protester against the G8 summit. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Legendary actress Sissy Spacek will co-star opposite Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) and Linda Cardellini in the upcoming Netflix 13-episode psychological thriller that is currently untitled. The project centers on a close-knit family of adult siblings (Chandler and Cardellini) whose secrets and scars are revealed when the black sheep oldest brother returns home. Spacek will play their mother. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Alexandra Daddario (White Collar, Parenthood and True Detective) has landed the female lead role opposite The Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson) in the upcoming box office film called San Andreas. The Rock plays a chopper pilot who sets out to rescue his estranged daughter (Daddario) after a massive earthquake hits California. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actor Chad Lindberg (Supernatural and The Fast & the Furious) has been cast in the music biographical picture called Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story where he will play Joseph “Red Dog” Campbell, the real life rock ‘n’ roll roadie who had a character named for him in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. (The Deadline Team)

Actress Hannah Ware (Betrayal) will star opposite Rupert Friend (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Heroes and Star Trek) in the upcoming box office film Agent 47, which is a reboot of the film Hitman. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actresses Octavia Spencer (The Help), Quvenzhane Wallis (Beast of the Southern Wild) and Diane Kruger (The Bridge) will join actor Russell Crowe and actress Amanda Seyfried in the romance epic Fathers and Daughters that will deal with two different time periods in the lives of a father and daughter who live in Manhattan. The first period is in the 1980s in which a famous novelist and widower (Crowe) struggles with mental illness as he tries to raise his 5-year old daughter. The second follows that now 30-year old daughter (Seyfried) who battles her own turbulent childhood demons in contemporary New York. Spencer will play the head of the psychiatric clinic where Seyfried counsels troubled children. Wallis will play a patient who has been mute since her mother was murdered. And, Kruger will play the sister-in law of Crowe’s character, who blames him for the death of her sister. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

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

Question: I’m completely addicted to Reign. What can you share about the upcoming episodes? Thx. –Betty

Ausiello: How about this? Executive producer Laurie McCarthy tells us that in Thursday’s outing, “you’ll find out that Catherine’s love life is perhaps richer than any of us would have guessed.”

Question: I’m hankering for some scoop about Arrow‘s Oliver and Felicity. Got any interesting news? —KE

Ausiello: Felicity will be forced to make a tough decision in this Wednesday’s episode — and it has the potential to damage her relationship with Ollie. Also, fans of Ms. Smoak take note: Something for which you’ve been clamoring is about to happen (hint: *a****o**.)

Question: Any scoop on Arrow? —Jen

Ausiello: Get ready for baddies galore. “[Episodes] 14 through 18 are villain, villain, villain. Great, big villains one after the other,” teases executive producer Andrew Kreisberg. “You’re going to see a couple of returning favorites and a couple of amazing new ones.”

Question: I would like something on one of my three favorite couples: Casey and Dawson from Chicago Fire, Elijah and Hayley from The Originals, or Oliver and Felicity from Arrow. Pretty please! —Noel

Ausiello: Enjoy an Originals-centric gift pertaining to this week’s episode: With the full moon out, Hayley invites her cursed werewolf family over for a party — and in the process, learns some information about the wolf who’s been protecting her. (Let’s just say Elijah is not going to like this news.)

Question: Please tell me that Joel won’t be around for the entire season of Hart of Dixie! Joel and Zoe are so boring together. She belongs with Wade, or at least someone who isn’t a total snooze. —Jamie

Ausiello: He will not be around for the entire season. No promises about Zoe and Wade though.

Question: Got anything on The Blacklist? —Bradley

Ausiello: Fans of Diego Klattenhoff, mark your calendars and tune in live for Episode 15. That installment will focus on Mako Tanida, a Japanese Yakuda crime boss put away for seven consecutive life sentences (!) thanks to the work of Agent Ressler’s Reddington task force. As scary TV villains sometimes do, though, Mako will escape from Abishiri prison, and his first order of business will be vengeance against those who dishonored him. In addition to Mako (who’s described as being in his mid-30s-50s), the show is also casting the role of Bobby Jonica, a former partner of Ressler’s in his 30s or 40s. The agents reconnect at a wake, then team up to try to put Mako back in the clink. Along the way, though, Ressler will make a discovery about Jonica that will change their relationship forever. (Alas, Bradley, it’s unlikely that Jonica is Keen’s father.)

Question: Can you give us any new clues as to who bites the dust on Nashville? —Clarlee

Ausiello: The death hits Teddy the hardest. Bonus Scoop: As foreshadowed in last week’s episode, Scarlett will be taking a new lover in the very near future.

Question: Maybe something on Revenge about Victoria’s love life? Or something scandalous about Scandal? —Kokoniasta

Ausiello: Scandal it is! Know how we told you that First Kids Jerry (Jr? The III? IV?) and Karen are being cast? Well, the teens reading for those roles best be ready to Shut. It. Down. Jerry shows up with a chip on his shoulder that makes him less than receptive to talking the talk that’s being fed to him by a media consultant. Karen, meanwhile, initially comes off as very much her mother’s daughter – she might even wonder aloud why Mellie puts up with that man — but said simpatico tune quickly changes when she finds out about [spoiler].

Question: Are Tom and Liz headed for divorce on The Blacklist? — Lola

Natalie: It’s not looking good. Tom invites Liz to go on a trip for a teachers’ conference, but her job once again interferes. Don’t worry though, the mysterious Jolene will also be on the trip to help Tom pick up the pieces. Actually, maybe you should worry…

Question: Do you have any scoop on Nashville? — Laurie

Natalie: Producers are looking to cast the role of Luke Wheeler’s son Colt, a “too-cool-for-school” brooder who couldn’t care less about his dad’s music — or any country music for that matter. His tastes skew more toward EDM and rap. Though he’s initially skeptical of “Nashville princesses” like Maddie, he can’t help but be impressed by her musical talents, and the two end up bonding over their mutual embarrassment of their parents’ relationship both on and off the stage.

Question: What’s coming up on Arrow? — Andrea

Natalie: It’s finally time for Nyssa al Ghul (Katrina Law)! She’ll make her way to Starling City this week and will return later this season. In related news, we’ll learn much more about what — and who — has been occupying Sara’s time over the last six years. Expect to see a few flashbacks to the weeks surrounding the accident on the Queen’s Gambit.

Question: What’s going to happen to Cyrus on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland? — Sam

Natalie: An upcoming episode will explain Cyrus’ back-story, including how he ended up in that bottle. “Cyrus is described as very arrogant and selfish,” Peter Gadiot teases. “He’s quite the opposite of the romantic Cyrus we see. He’s going to be a complete d— basically, and he’s going to be punished for it by going into the bottle. After spending centuries in there to mull over his choices, he’s realized it’s good to be good.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Dylan Sprayberry, who played young Clark Kent in the box office film Man of Steel, has landed a recurring role in the MTV thriller Teen Wolf, playing Liam, an arrogant but big-hearted high-school freshman. With an enviable athletic prowess, he’s got perfect grades, perfect charm and is utterly unprepared to face the supernatural adversity of Beacon Hills. He will show up in the show’s fourth season that is planned for later this year. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Ashley Zukerman (the TV shows Rush and Underbelly) has landed one of the lead roles in the WGN America scripted drama called Manhattan that is set during the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, NM. The series follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families. Zukerman will play Charlie Abrams, a super-bright, self-described numbers guy with an IQ of 180 and a good sense of humor. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Eddie Cahill (CSI: New York) has joined the cast of the CBS summer drama Under the Dome as a series regular. He will play the reclusive EMT brother-in-law of Big Jim (Dean Norris), who will reportedly form a bond with Julia (Rachelle Lefevre). Under the Dome will be back on CBS on June 30. (Michael Slezak at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FremantleMedia North America has acquired the book rights to acclaimed author Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel American Gods for television. In the book, a war is brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. The story centers on Shadow Moon, an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actresses Zoe McLellan (JAG and Dirty Sexy Money) and CCH Pounder (Warehouse 13 and The Shield) have joined the CBS spin-off pilot NCIS: New Orleans that already includes Scott Bakula. The potential series will focus on the NCIS team that handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. McLellan will play Special Agent Brody, a mid-western transplant, the show’s fish-out-of-water character. She comes to New Orleans looking for a fresh start and a safe haven to heal old wounds. Pounder will play Dr. Wade, the Jefferson Parish Medical Examiner who is as eccentric as she is smart and also is intuitive and incredibly connected to Louisiana. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly, Deadline and The Futon Critic)

Actor Ryan Phillippe is in final negotiations to star in the ABC drama pilot Secrets & Lies that will center on a family man (Phillippe) who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. He has no choice but to try to find the real killer as his marriage, his kids, his reputation, and his sanity are all at stake. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Candice Patton (The Game) has joined the cast of The CW spin-off series The Flash that will star Grant Gustin in the lead role. This potential series is an origins story about Barry Allen aka The Flash, a Central City assistant police forensics investigator who arrives in Starling to look into a series of unexplained robberies that may have a connection to a tragedy in his past. Patton will play Iris West, Allen’s fast-talking, quick-witted best friend who is also the daughter of Detective West (Jesse L. Martin), who serves as a surrogate father to Barry. Rick Cosnett and Danielle Panabaker have already been cast in the pilot. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

Actors Louis Gossett, Jr., Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Lyriq Bent (Rookie Blue) and actress Aunjanue Ellis (Ray and The Help) will star in the BET mini-series The Book of Negroes based on the 2007 best-selling novel by Lawrence Hill. The story centers on Aminata Diallo, who is taken by slave traders from West Africa to South Carolina. It follows her through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of Nova Scotia and the jungles of Sierra Leone, before she ultimately secures her freedom in England in the early 1800s. Cast also includes Ben Chaplin and Jane Alexander. (The Deadline Team)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

The Netflix online series House of Cards has been renewed for a third season before the second season of the web series has even premiered. (Variety)

Actress Linda Cardellini (Mad Men) will co-star alongside Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) in the as yet titled13-episode psychological thriller from Damages creators Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Glenn Kessler and Sony Pictures TV. The web series will center on a close-knit family of adult siblings whose secrets and scars are revealed when the black sheep oldest brother returns home. Cardellini will play the youngest of four siblings, Meg, a skilled attorney who’s also warm, caring and fun but, beneath her buoyant exterior, she is a complex woman with secrets. Chandler plays the middle brother. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

New Trailer for Divergent (Due in Theatres April 4)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Grace Gummer (The Newsroom) has joined the cast of this summer’s new CBS drama Extant that will star Halle Berry as Molly, a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. Gummer will play one of the principal partners in building robot prototypes with Molly’s husband John (Goran Visnjic). Camryn Manheim will also star. (Entertainment Weekly and The Futon Critic)

Actor Colin Salmon (Arrow) has joined the cast of the FOX event series 24: Live Another Day that will pick up the story four years after the series finale, which left Jack Bauer (series lead Kiefer Sutherland) as a fugitive from justice, this time in London. Salmon will play General Coburn, an intelligent, powerful and fiercely loyal man who does not suffer fools no matter what rank. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Willie Garson (White Collar) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the TNT legal series Franklin and Bash, playing Dr. Alex Schwartzman, a plastic surgeon who loves what he does, primarily because his skills allow him access to women normally out of reach. Dr. Schwartzman is sub-leasing space from Franklin & Bash and is stunned to discover that their newest client is his wife, Gretchen, who wants a divorce. However, Alex doesn’t want to lose his wife and is hoping her attorneys (aka his landlords) can dissuade her from pursuing any legal action. (Kate Stanhope at TV Guide)

TV TRAILER

24: Live Another Day: First Promos

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Jack Davenport (Smash and Pirates of the Caribbean) has taken one of the lead roles opposite actress Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) in the ABC drama pilot called Sea of Fire. The pilot is about what happens when three teenage girls star in a pornographic film that ends up tearing their families apart and leading to a disappearance, a murder and host of other secrets boiling under the surface in a small town. Davenport will play Marty Kesowich, the local sheriff who teams with FBI Agent Leah Pierce (Carpenter) to unravel the mystery of the girl’s disappearance. But as their investigation deepens, dark secrets emerge and the list of suspects grows ever larger. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Scott Bakula (Star Trek Enterprise and Quantum Leap) has been cast as the lead in the new NCIS spin-off NCIS: New Orleans. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Zachary Quinto (Heroes and Star Trek) will appear in the box office sequel to the 2007 film Hitman that will star Rupert Friend (Homeland) in the lead role. (First Showing)

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

1. Ride Along – $12.3 million
2. Frozen – $9.3 million
3. That Awkward Moment – $9 million
4. The Nut Job – $7.6 million
5. Lone Survivor – $7.2 million
6. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit – $5.4 million
7. Labor Day – $5.3 million
8. American Hustle – $4.3 million
9. The Wolf of Wall Street – $3.55 million
10. I, Frankenstein – $3.52 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Super Bowl Ad: Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier Trailer

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Trailer

CONDOLENCES

It was announced on Sunday morning that renowned actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his apartment in New York City by an apparent drug overdose. And, legendary actor Maximilian Schnell also passed way this weekend in Austria. Condolences are extended to their families, friends and fans.

ME: Moment of silence, please…

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

Question: What’s going on with Spencer in Pretty Little Liars? I’m starting to really worry about her.

TV Scoop Team: You should be! We’ve all seen our Spencer fall down the crazy hole in the past, but the stress of uncovering Ali’s secrets have put her on a very dangerous path. In the highly anticipated noir-themed episode, executive producer Joseph Dougherty tells us that Spencer’s struggles are “very different from her troubles with Toby.” The PLL boss continues, “Where Aria’s danger has always been being possibly too romantic, Spencer’s danger may be being too analytical.” We’re only going to say two things about the noir episode: First, it’s amazing and incredible and you’re going to want to watch it over and over again—especially the scenes with Ali. And second, Spencer struggles with whether or not she should reveal the truth to Aria.

Question: So excited Roy is finally part of Team Arrow, even if Oliver doesn’t want to call it that!

TV Scoop Team: So are we. Colton Haynes, too, who tells us it’s “fun to work with all the different personality dynamics between everybody” on the team, adding that Roy adds a new dynamic as “everyone’s kind of sassy and quippy,” and he’s, well, not. Of course, Haynes, who is BFFs with Emily Bett Rickards, says having Roy and Felicity in the same room is “fun” and quite comedic.

Question: Loved that Mary’s ladies got more to do in last week’s episode of Reign! What’s coming up for Lola, Greer and Kenna on Reign?

TV Scoop Team: How about some fresh spoilers on each lady-in-waiting? For Lola, Laurie McCarthy teases, “she’s the first of our girls to be really driven to find a husband,” so expect some new love interests. Greer, of course, will “continue with Leith…their affection for each other will deepen into love and it really becomes just more impossible the deeper they go, with explosive results,” McCarthy previews. As for Kenna, well, the former mistress to the King will “continue to get herself into trouble. She remains involved with the king,” but an “arranged marriage” is on the horizon.

Question: I’m in desperate need of Once Upon a Time spoilers please!

TV Scoop Team: It’s time to get to know Daddy dearest a little bit more. We all know that Snow White is the daughter of the great King Leopold, but have you ever wondered what the ruler was like before he became the father to the fairest lady in the land? When the magical drama finally returns after it’s wickedly long hiatus, we’ll be treated to a flashback starring young Prince Leopold. Did we mention that he’s single in these scenes? Get ready to watch the charming lad’s quest to find a suitable queen for the kingdom.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Toni Trucks (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2) will have a seres regular role in the TNT legal dramedy Franklin & Bash when it returns for its fourth season later this year. She will play Anita Herrera, the new recruit attorney for the Franklin & Bash offices, a tough, smart and attractive Georgetown lawyer with a great sense of humor who can hold her own with the big boys. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jocko Sims (Crash) has been promoted to full-time status on the upcoming TNT drama The Last Ship that will revolve around the crew of a lone naval destroyer after a global pandemic who must find a way to pull humanity from the brink of extinction. Sims plays Dalton Burk, a charismatic, fit and tough Navy lieutenant in charge of Tac Group One. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire) will have a major role in the NBC drama Hannibal, playing Mason Verger, an unstable wealthy patient of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) who begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the deadly serial killer. Hannibal will be back on NBC starting on February 28. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

NBC has ordered two more episodes of the mid-season drama Chicago P.D., bringing the total to 15 episodes. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Damian Lewis (Homeland) is expected to play the role of King Henry VIII in the BBC Two and Masterpiece adaptation of the Hilary Mantel’s prize-winning historical fiction novel Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Matt McGorry (Orange Is The New Black) has joined the cast of the ABC drama pilot How To Get Away With Murder from Shonda Rhimes that will center on ambitious law students and their brilliant and mysterious criminal defense professor who become entangled in a murder plot. McGorry will play one of the students. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Mike Colter (The Good Wife and Ringer) has joined the cast of the TNT action-drama pilot Agent X that will star Sharon Stone as America’s first female Vice President, Natalie Maccabee and her secret weapon, Agent X (Jeff Hephner). Colter will play Speaker Of The House Miles Lathem, who is privy to Natalie’s secret responsibilities and charged with oversight of them. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

French actress Carole Bouquet (the Bond franchise film For Your Eyes Only) and Christina Cole (Hex and What a Girl Wants) have joined the cast of the NBC four-hour mini-series Rosemary’s Baby that is an adaptation of the 1967 best-selling suspense novel by Ira Levin. The mini will center on Rosemary Woodhouse (Zoe Saldana), a young wife and would-be mother who, with her husband Guy (Patrick J. Adams), who move into a Paris apartment that has a dark past. After finally getting pregnant, she becomes increasingly suspicious that both her husband and their mysterious neighbors have ulterior motives about the future of her child. Bouquet will play Margaux Castevet, a sophisticated and beautiful Parisian socialite who befriends young Rosemary while Cole will play Julie, Rosemary’s spirited girlfriend. Jason Isaacs also co-stars. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Chadwick Boseman (42 and Lincoln Heights) will appear in the box office film Gods Of Egypt that already includes Gerard Butler, Geoffrey Rush, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Brenton Thwaites as part of the cast. The film is based on Egyptian mythology. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actors Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons have joined the cast of the much-buzzed-about Man of Steel sequel Superman vs. Batman. Eisenberg will assume the role of Lex Luthor while Irons will play Alfred, Batman’s loyal butler. (Adam B. Vary at Buzz Feed)

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

Question: Could you please get some scoop on what’s coming up for “Captain Swan” in Once Upon a Time Season 3B? –Kim

Mitovich: As already hinted, Hook will have a tough time getting back in Emma’s good graces, especially given how their first NYC “reunion” went. “She will be very wary” of this stranger, co-creator Eddy Kitsis previews. “I mean, if someone knocked on your door wearing leather and guyliner and tried to kiss you…? He’s lucky he didn’t get a baseball bat to the head!” Adds Adam Horowitz: “Emma’s a tough cookie when she has her memories. So without them, it’s not going to an easy road for him.”

Question: This Once Upon a Time hiatus feels like forever! Got any scoop to help make the remaining month-plus wait more bearable? –Stefanie

Mitovich: If you’re in your mid-30s to early 40s and look like a young Richard Schiff, call your agent now. A flashback in Episode 18 — the same hour that brings back Rose McGowan’s Young Cora, hmm — will introduce us to Prince Leopold aka the man who will one day be Snow White’s father. The younger Leo is described as grounded, humble and not afraid to open his heart, coveting more from marriage than just a political arrangement. Interestingly, I hear that Rena Sofer will not reprise her role as Eva for this episode.

Question: What can you hint about the upcoming episodes of Scandal? –Lindsey

Mitovich: I got Darby Stanchfield to elaborate for me – a bit – on the scenes she recently filmed with a cast member she’d never worked with before. “It has to do with the other world, the White House world,” she said of the first-time pairing. “It’s a role that Abby’s not used to being in, but sometimes Olivia Pope is busy and short-staffed. so Abby’s got to step in. It made for some really nice scenes.”

Question: After this week’s almost-revelation on Teen Wolf, is there any romance (with boys or girls — how radical!) on the horizon for Stiles? –Emony

Mitovich: The answer is an emphatic yes. While last week’s scene pointed to a moment of questioning for Stiles, there will be one person in particular in Episode 20, titled “Echo House,” to whom Stiles finds a mutual attraction… and more.

Question: I’ll take anything you’ve got on Graceland, please. –Jess

Mitovich: For Season 2, the USA Network drama is casting the recurring roles of Kelly, an alcoholic who meets Briggs at AA (but has no idea of his link to her own tragic past), and Vera Walker, Mike’s new FBI supervisor… and perhaps more. You’ll also meet Zagurski, the Fed now laying claim to Mike’s Graceland room – unless, that is, Mike can convince his new boss to let him return to the house and hunt down a very big fish.

Question: I would love some scoop on my favorite show, Beauty and the Beast! –Larissa

Mitovich: Believe me when I say that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to archaelogist Sam (guest star Tom Everett Scott), whom we meet this Monday.

Question: What is going on with NCIS‘ Jimmy Palmer? It seems that the show has toned down his involvement this season. –Sherry

Mitovich: Show boss Gary Glasberg reminds, “We’ve had this [storyline] runner that we started, about his personal life and his wanting to adopt. That’ll continue through the season,” ultimately leading to “an emotional bit of closure.”

Question: The latest episode of the Tomorrow People was my favorite yet, mostly because it featured Astrid and John. Anything else coming up for them? –Mahika

Mitovich: I have no fresh scoop on John and Astrid. But Luke Mitchell did tell us that an upcoming episode will reveal how John met Cara.

Question: I am really into Reign on The CW. Any scoop? –Niki

Mitovich: The next handful of episodes will gradually remove the proverbial bag from the mysterious Clarissa’s face. “We’ll learn how it is that she’s rooted to this castle, who it is that she’s kind of related to, and we’ll learn a back story that even she doesn’t know — and that back-story will anger her,” says EP Laurie McCarthy. As for her protection of Mary, McCarthy says, “It’s a little bit like having the Mafia as your best friend. Her moral compass is not quite set at the right angle and when she perceives a slight, she reacts pretty violently.”

Question: I do have a major question about Revenge: Will we have a new flash-forward in Episode 14? –Michael

Mitovich: Though showrunner Sunil Nayar had (long ago) told us he was considering possibly dropping a new “WTF Just Happened?” flash-forward teaser at midseason, it would appear he elected not to. Instead, I am told, the midseason premiere (airing March 9 at 10/9c) picks up right where the finale left off.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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