Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Chi McBride has been promoted to series regular on Hawaii Five-0. He plays Captain Grover, who recently moved his family from Chicago to Oahu and heads up the island’s SWAT team. (Tim Kenneally at The Wrap)

SPOILER ROOM (with Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

‘SCANDAL’: COLUMBUS SHORT TEASES HARRISON’S BACKSTORY

As last week’s episode of Scandal proved, just when you think we’ve learned everything there is to know about the characters on this show, yet another crazy secret about their past comes to light. And soon, teases Columbus Short, it’ll be Harrison’s turn when an upcoming episode teaches us just how this Gladiator earned his armor. “You’re going to see a different side of Harrison — a more edgy, dark, and very, very interesting side of Harrison,” he says. “I was talking to [executive producer] Betsy [Beers] about this, but how did he start buttoning his armor? Harrison never lets himself get worked up, and when he does, he kind of always pulls it back together. Why is that? What is it in him that he never let himself go Incredible Hulk? It’s because of something in his past. He lost it and made a mistake and did something he regretted in the past.”

And the challenge was one Short was more than up for, considering Harrison has been such an enigmatic character up until this season. ”Where Harrison’s going is so special and so interesting,” he says. “I’m excited to see where it goes.”

Meanwhile, creator Shonda Rhimes and the writers are hard at work on the midseason closer, which she says will — as we probably expected — blow our minds. “What I love about how we’re gonna sort of close out 2013 with these characters is I feel like where we started at the beginning of the year and where we’re taking it by the end of 2013, they’re in such completely different places,” she says. “It’s so surprising in terms of all of them, really, and where they all end up by the end of the season. I feel like hopefully we’re gonna have another one of those moments where people are going to be saying, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe they’re going there.’”

‘ARROW’ EP ON ‘BERICITY’

If your heart broke for poor Felicity after Oliver and Isabel’s hook-up, you’re not alone! But rest assured, she’s not going to spend the next batch of episodes crying into a bucket of Häagen-Dazs. As it has been reported, Barry Allen, who debuts in the Dec. 4 episode, is going to be catching Felicity’s eye, and while loyal Olicity shippers might not be excited about that news, Andrew Kreisberg is confident they’ll win you over yet.

“I think that as many people are shipping Olicity, halfway through episode 8, there are going to be just as many people shipping Bericity,” he says. “They’re amazing together…we always know Grant [Gustin] was destined to be Barry, but once we saw him and Emily [Bett Rickards] together, it was even more clear because they’re just so good together.”

As for Oliver and Felicity, Kreisberg says they will remain on unsure ground. “I think they’re taking baby steps toward feeling each other out about the possibility of maybe one day that maybe something maybe could possibly maybe be something more than friends and co-vigilantes,” he said, laughing at his extra-cautious phrasing. “They’re as star-crossed, in a way, as Oliver and Laurel. But star-crossed is a good thing for a superhero. It means we need a lot more episodes to get to that.”

Q&A SECTION (with Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: Any McGee scoop? I don’t feel like he’s gotten enough to do on NCIS lately.– Jacinda

Sandra: “He’s going to play a really big part after the holidays,” EP Gary Glasberg assures me. “And Delilah’s still around. He’s got his work cut out for him in some stuff coming up.” And speaking of the holidays, you won’t want to miss the Dec. 17 outing. It’s a nail-biting hour that will find the team trying to crack the case of a strange outbreak occurring within military families. “It’s an Abby-centric story. So it’s Abby and Carol [Meredith Eaton] and Palmer really focused in the lab to try to focus on what’s going on,” Glasberg teases. There’s also a “really, really loving” story involving Vance, who is celebrating his first Christmas without his wife.

Question: So I’m in love with Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., especially the relationship between Skye and Agent Ward. Their chemistry is amazing. Are we going to see anything happen between them anytime soon? -Jillian

Sandra: Well, if you saw Tuesday night’s episode, you know there’s a chance that Ward may have spent the evening with, ahem, another member of the team, and I’m guessing he and Melinda weren’t up all night braiding each other’s hair. Regardless of the complications that this possible Mayward hook-up could cause, Chloe Bennet says she’s on board for any and all Skyward action. “The chemistry is obviously there, and they’re terribly perfect for each other, is what I like to say,” she says. “They’re so opposite and so similar in the same way. They’re both kind of loners and they’re both kind of out for themselves, but they both have such big hearts and they both genuinely want the best — they just go about it in different ways. So yes, I definitely ship Skye and Ward!”

Question: I missed The Blacklist this week. So can you get me through this show-less week with a little scoop? — Liliana

Sandra: I hear there’s a two-part story coming up soon. According to Diego Klattenhoff, who plays Agent Ressler, “Episodes 9 and 10 are going to be big. We’re definitely going to have a big episode.” In fact, he says, “I would say it’s our best episode of the season so far.” Let’s just say this: I hear the episode involves Red in the hands of someone who isn’t very happy with him. But how does Red get kidnapped while he’s being tracked? Well, that gets, gulp, dealt with.

Question: HOLY TWIST, Sleepy Hollow!! The whole Headless Horseman twist was just awesome. I LOVE THIS SHOW. Please give me some scoop! — Amy

Sandra: According to Mark Goffman, if you want to be shocked, just wait until the season finale. “The best I can say is it’s going to be epic,” he says. “[It’s] a pretty spectacular finish, which is going to leave all of our characters in a very precarious place.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The USA Network has cancelled the Callie Thorne-led drama Necessary Roughness after three seasons. (Variety)

Actress Christine Evangelista (Lucky 7) will have a recurring role on Chicago Fire, playing Allison Rafferty, a new paramedic at the station. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Julian Sands (24) will have a major recurring role in the upcoming NBC pirate drama Crossbones that will star film legend John Malkovich in the lead role. Sands will play William Jagger, an aristocrat-turned-privateer and governor of Jamaica who dispatches Tom Lowe (actor Richard Coyle) to accompany inventor-mathematician Benedict Nightingale and his Marine Chronometer to England by way of a secret convoy. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Katrina Law (Spartacus and the recent Hallmark film Snow Bride) will play Nyssa al Ghul, the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, in an upcoming episode of Arrow. Nyssa is a powerful member of the League of Assassins who comes to Starling City in pursuit of The Canary (recurring guest star Caity Lotz). (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Robert Gant (Queer as Folk) will appear in two upcoming episodes of the new CW series The Tomorrow People, playing Peter, a new boyfriend of Stephen’s (series lead Robbie Amell) mom. But Peter may be too good to be true and have ulterior motives for dating Stephen’s mom. Also, actress Elizabeth Hurley will lend her voice to The Tomorrow People, as the counterpart to TIM, the computer used by The Tomorrow People (which is voiced by Downton Abbey alum Dan Stevens. Hurley’s “character”, however, will be the voice of ULTRA’s own super-computer dubbed Alice. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Tierney Bricker at Entertainment Online)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The cable network Starz is developing a ballet-themed drama called Flesh and Bone that will follow a young ballet dancer, Claire Robbins, who has a distinctly troubled past, as she joins a prestigious ballet company in New York. The dark and gritty series will unflinchingly explore the dysfunction and glamour of the ballet world. Ethan Stiefel (who played Cooper Nielsen in the classic film Center Stage) will be a consultant and choreographer on the series. Sascha Radetsky (who played Charlie in Center Stage and is a current American Ballet Theatre soloist) as well as several other well known ballet artists have joined the cast, but national auditions are underway for the lead role. (TV By the Numbers)

Actor Michael Chiklis (Las Vegas and The Shield) is teaming with IDW Entertainment to develop and produce Pantheon, a scripted, live-action TV series based on his own comic that is a dark and stylized story of ancient Greek gods returning to a ravaged, chaotic near-future Earth, where they battle for the fate of mankind. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Laurence Fishburne will star in a new development from HBO based on the novels by Walter Mosley and centered on his character Socrates Fortlow, an ex-convict who seeks redemption–while battling inner demons and external forces–after serving 27 years in prison. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Bill Murray has joined the cast of the HBO mini-series Olive Kitteridge, which stars Frances McDormand (Fargo) in the lead role and is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Elizabeth Strout. The story tells the tale of a seemingly placid New England town fraught with illicit affairs, crime and tragedy, as chronicled through the eyes of Olive who is tough on the outside but has a strong moral center. Murray will play Jack Kennison, a local widower whom Kitteridge befriends. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Nick Eversman (Missing and The Tomorrow People) has been cast as Mick Jagger in the upcoming biopic centering on James Brown that will star Chadwick Boseman (42) as the Godfather of Soul. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Rachel Boston (Witches of East End) will star in the indie romantic comedy called A Ring by Spring where she will play an independent career woman who sets out on a romantic exploration through her past when a psychic tells her that she will be engaged by spring. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Reese Witherspoon is Hysterical in West Memphis ‘Devil’s Knot’ Trailer

Hot Trailer: ‘Muppets Most Wanted’

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

Question: Got anything on my new TV obsession Reign? – Debbie

TV Scoop Team: Someone’s going to learn about Nostradamus’ prophecy (you know, the one in which Francis will die if he marries Mary?) very soon. And the fallout will be pretty freaking epic.

Question: Scandal is my everything this season. But can it really top last week’s episode?! – Jean

TV Scoop Team: Yes, it most certainly can and shame on you for thinking otherwise! “Buckle your seats, Gladiators, because if you were missing any kind of adrenaline rush, it’s coming. It’s coming. It’s crazy!” Jeff Perry teases. And fans can look forward to more amazing scenes between Perry and Bellamy Young as he spills, “Mellie and I are aggressively trying to fight off all challengers and create a Fitz reelection and some of our strategy gets us into tremendous hot water. It gets me into domestic hot water with James.

Question: In desperate need of scoop on The Blacklist! – David

TV Scoop Team: Hell hath no fury like Red scorned…which someone in an upcoming episode will learn when they help one of his enemies betray him in a big way. Like, taking-a-hit-out-on-our-fedora-wearing-baddies’-life big way.

Question: I need to know about the Teen Wolf winter premiere! What can you spill? – Thomas L.

TV Scoop Team: How about that it opens on a sweaty Stiles in bed? And that he’s not alone? Of course, we’re not going to spill if it’s a dream sequence or not. But we can share with you that Stiles is in a pretty dark place, and we can’t even recall a single snappy one-liner he’s known to drop. We’re also going to be visiting Beacon Hills today so leave your burning questions in the comments!

Question: Any dirt on Nashville you’re willing to part with would be greatly appreciated! – Kimberly

TV Scoop Team: Is the ice between Rayna and Juliette thawing…for good?! In an upcoming episode, viewers will see Rayna make a big sacrifice in her professional life to stand out for her one-time rival. Could this mean Juliette be switching record labels in the very near future?

Question: Always in need of Beauty and the Beast spoilers. – Klein

TV Scoop Team: In episode 11, one of our main characters will be smack dab in the middle of a terrifying hostage situation that could put them in serious danger, or worse, the morgue! We’re happy to tell you it’s not Vincent or Catherine, although they are definitely involved with the deadly drama. But on the bright side, out of this crazy ordeal comes a new…wait for it…hero!

Question: Will the group learn the truth about Peter Pan’s identity on Once Upon a Time? — Sarah

NATALIE: Yes, and when they do, they may actually feel bad for the Rumple, despite the fact that he’s caused them all strife at one point or another. “When I learned Pan was his father, it all made sense to me why he is the way he is and how he turned out that way,” Lana Parrilla says. “As Regina, I had compassion for his character. It’s heartbreaking when a parent abandons their child, but the way he did it was just so evil and so sinister. He is more evil than the Evil Queen and Rumple because there’s no remorse.”

Question: Do you have anything on Sleepy Hollow? — Andrew

NATALIE: Abbie’s former flame Luke will definitely be spooked by his run-in with the literally-dead-man-walking Andy. “Like all the characters who are suddenly touched by the supernatural and by the reality of what’s actually going on right under the surface of that town, what it does to your mind is a big question,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman tells us. “He’s going to have to face that.”

Question: What’s the deal with that head on Almost Human? — Doug

NATALIE: In the original pilot, the head actually belonged to Kennex’s father, so the switchover to it being a woman was a shock even to me. “Why Insyndicate wanted this head and for what will become clear,” J.H. Wyman tells me, cautioning that the mystery won’t be revealed any time soon. “They’re in a process of literally having to take every single piece of evidence and having to cross-check it,” he says, likening the building to the warehouse in Indiana Jones. In other words, they’ll probably find the lost Ark before they find the head.

Question: Will Huck find out about Quinn killing that guy on Scandal? — Heather

NATALIE: It won’t be long before Huck realizes that something is off with his protégée. “This Quinn is different than Quinn in Season 1, and she’s learned a lot of things about covering up,” Katie Lowes says. “But obviously covering a murder is going to be very hard to do.” Still, just because Quinn killed off OPA’s only lead in the Remington investigation, Lowes teases that Olivia Pope will find a way to get to the truth about the plane crash.

Question: I’m excited but also scared about the final season of Nikita! Can you at least please tell me that Michael and Nikita stay together? — Claire

ADAM: For Nikita’s swan song, your favorite rogue agent will not have it easy — and that extends to her love life. But who has time for romance? In the packed-to-the-gills final six episodes, brace yourself to see allies turn on each other, a ballistic missile strike, a slew of double-crosses (not just courtesy of Amanda), assassinations, guest star Judd Nelson making a surprising connection and the shocking death of a main character. Sounds dangerous, right? We’d encourage you not to expect a typical happily-ever-after.

Question: What can you tell me about NCIS‘s 250th episode? —Marsha

Ausiello: I can tell you that someone from Gibbs’ past will resurface around the time of the CBS phenom’s landmark episode. Sources confirm to me exclusively that Susanna Thompson is set to reprise her role as Jethro’s ex, Hollis Mann, this January. And, show boss Gary Glasberg, teases: “She is coming back in an unexpected way.”

Question: Any info on Grimm? Specifically, on Juliette and Nick? —Veronica

Ausiello: Not so much on the reunited lovebirds, but I can tell you about one of the vet’s past infatuations: Capt. Renard is planning an extended trip overseas. Maybe that’s when he’ll first see Adalind’s baby bump with his own eyes?

Question: When is Nashville‘s Scarlett going to get over her stage fright? –Anne

Ausiello: Looks like that’s going to be a two steps forward/one step back process – and star Charles Esten tells TVLine that this Wednesday’s episode will find Deacon and Rayna arguing over what’s best for the new Highway 65 artist. (Deacon thinks the tour is too much, too soon for Scarlett.) “She’s my niece, she’s [Rayna’s] protégé, so we’re fighting over her almost as a proxy of how it might be to battle [over Maddie],” he says. “And in a real sense, we’re both right.”

Question: Any scoop on what Deeks will be up to (and with whom) while Kensi is off on her mission to Afghanistan? —Jan

Ausiello: First off, it hasn’t been officially confirmed that Kensi is, in fact, hopping a plane to the Middle East. Let’s see what executive producer Shane Brennan has to say on the subject. “Kensi and Deeks face their biggest challenge, both professionally and personally in coming episodes,” teases the boss. “The emotional ripple that started with their unexpected kiss at the end of last season is about to turn into a tsunami that doesn’t just impact them, but the whole team. As a result, one of them will be reassigned.” OK, now it’s officially confirmed. (I think.) Now here’s a Bonus Scoop to make up for the fact that I totally side-stepped your original query: I have uncovered fresh information about the new tech officer being played by Bones’ Andrew Leeds. Per sources, his character, Booker, is a member of a special task force hunting down an elusive terrorist.

Question: Any scoop on Season 2 of Devious Maids? —Fernando

Ausiello: With the “Who killed Flora?” mystery all wrapped up and Marisol’s true identity as a college professor revealed, Lifetime’s guilty-pleasure sudser is restocking its pantry, so to speak, by casting three new domestic workers and one wealthy head of a Beverly Hills household — all of them series regulars, and all but one of ‘em sexy males. Nicholas is described as “a handsome, charming Latino” businessman/philanthropist in his 40s and (brace for a possible hint at Season 2′s central mystery in 5, 4, 3, 2…) a man whose first wife “died under mysterious circumstances.” Opal, his Caucasian, 40something maid, has been in his employ since his previous marriage, and she’s a secretive, conniving woman “reminiscent of Mrs. Danvers from Hitchcock’s Rebecca.” Wait, did Mrs. Danvers have a hot, naughty, dark-haired son who just turned 18 and works as a pool boy? Because Opal does, his name is Ethan, and he’s the third of the Season 2 cast additions. Finally, there’s Tony, a dark, swarthy, European hunk in his mid-30s with a Special Forces past and the athletic physique that goes with it. The macho man will find work as a bodyguard/chauffeur.

Question: I am really loving The Tomorrow People. Scoop?! —Vanessa

Ausiello: This Wednesday’s episode is the show’s best yet, according to leading man Robbie Amell. “It shows this lighter side of Stephen even though things really kind of go to hell at the beginning of the episode,” explains the actor, before adding that the hour will offer fans a glimpse of “what the show is going to be about for the next 14, 15 episodes. We introduce Jedikiah’s boss (played by Spartacus‘ Simon Merrells). You get a lot more backstory about my dad and John and Jedikiah. We further the storyline about trying to find my dad in present day.”

Question: Nikita‘s final season starts in just a few days and I need some reassurance that we’ll get some decent Nikita/Owen interaction in these last six episodes. Reassure me —Caroline

Ausiello: I would. If I could. But, alas, I can’t. “There are only six episodes [left] and there’s so much that Nikita has to run from, wrap up, come to terms with, triumph over — and none of those things really have to do with Owen,” star Maggie Q shares with a laugh. “I don’t think there was any room for [their friendship].”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Tom Cavanaugh (Ed) and actress Rebecca Budig (All My Children) will appear on Blue Bloods, playing Mickey, a longtime pal of Danny’s (series regular Donnie Wahlberg) who comes into town harboring ties to a crime family and Mickey’s wife Connie, a lovely woman who has moved back East with her family, ostensibly to be near her ailing parents. Their episode is expected to air on December 20. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Marla Sokoloff (The Practice) will have a recurring role on the new ABC Family drama The Fosters, which is set to return for the rest of its debut season on January 13. She will play a sober companion for Mike (series regular Danny Nucci). (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actress Daisy Betts (Last Resort and Persons Unknown) will appear in multiple episodes of Chicago Fire, playing a love interest for Severide (series regular Taylor Kinney). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

FX has picked up the high concept thriller The Strain, which is based on a vampire novel trilogy Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll from House of Cards), the head of the Center for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. As the strain spreads, Eph, his team, and an assembly of everyday New Yorkers, wage war for the fate of humanity itself. The cast also includes Mia Maestro (Alias and the Twilight franchise), Kevin Durand (Lost and Dark Angel) and Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings franchise). (AJ Marechal at Variety)

Former NFL star turned actor Fred Dryer (from the classic cop show Hunter) will have a recurring role in the NBC mid-season drama Crisis that centers on Washington’s most powerful players as they are pulled into an international conspiracy when an unlikely puppeteer brings everyone from CEOs to the president of the United States to their knees by threatening the things they hold most dear. Dryer will play Thomas Jefferson Smith, a powerful and imposing and confident wise seasoned CIA agent who, while he’s in his 60s, can still kick butt. The cast includes Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) and Rachael Taylor (666 Park Avenue and Charlie’s Angels). (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FX is developing a six-hour mini-series called Desperadoes about one of the most dangerous gangs of the Old West: the Dalton Brothers. The mini will be based on the 1979 novel by Ron Hansen that chronicles the infamous Dalton Gang’s dangerous crime spree in the 1890s, as seen through the eyes of the youngest brother Emmett Dalton. The gang, which included three Dalton brothers, specialized in bank and train robberies. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The CW is developing an as-yet-titled terrorism project ala Homeland and Hostages that would center on a young female FBI agent with the New York City Joint Terrorism Task Force whose undercover assignment at a prestigious New York university becomes the focus of the entire agency when she discovers a vital terrorist cell hiding in plain sight.  An official airdate for Crisis has not bee announced yet.  (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

HBO is developing a drama series project to be written by Billy Ray (the writer of this year’s box office film Captain Phillips) that will be based on the final, but unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that will be inspired by the life of film mogul Irving Thalberg. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

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

Question: Arrow is ridiculously good this season. What’s coming up for my favorite character Roy? – Jenna

TV Scoop Team: Answers and revelations! Colton Haynes previews, “He’s getting really busy still trying to find Arrow, but at the same time, he is slowly starting to find out who the Arrow is and that it could possibly be Oliver.” Hmm…combine that tease with Haynes’ super-secret fitting coming up and it seems like Team Arrow may have another full-fledged member on its hands soon.

Question: Will we see more scenes between Katrina and Abbie on Sleepy Hollow? – Barbara

TV Scoop Team: Katia Winter tells us she hasn’t shared another scene with Nicole Beharie since their encounter in episode six, “but I’m pretty sure we’re going to meet one day,” she says with a laugh. And for now, Winter assures Katrina harbors no ill will towards the Leftenant. “There’s not much jealousy there yet. I think she’s more grateful for her taking care of Ichabod and helping him.”

Question: Please give me anything you can on Beauty and the Beast! That show is perfection. – Cameron

TV Scoop Team: Are you loving this season? Great! It’s only going to get better and better from here. By episode 11 prepare to meet two of the biggest bads in BaTB history. Vlad and Omar are two of Eastern Europe’s most dangerous men and they will go to great lengths to get what they want—Even if that means harming some of New York’s finest police officers….

Question: I love Scandal scenes involving Mellie and Olivia! Will we get to see any more scenes like that any time soon? – Tamara

TV Scoop Team: According to our chat with Bellamy Young, that doesn’t seem to be out of the question, “I don’t know that she’s a person to draw lines in the sand like that, because she’s playing the long game, so any sort of short-term casualties are like pawns, right, they can be sacrificed within her tribe. She sacrifices her tribe constantly to get to her ultimate goal of this identity that she has of being in the White House, so you know, I wouldn’t put anything past her.” As a little bonus – Young says that there’s some stuff involving Quinn in episodes 3×09 and 3×10 that she “doesn’t even know how to prepare [us] for.”

Question: Ravenswood is the only thing getting me through the week! Please tell me you have spoilers? – Layla

TV Scoop Team: This week it’s the mid-season finale of Ravenswood, and even though we’re so sad to say goodbye to our ultra-creepy town, we can’t wait to learn more about Caleb’s past. We recently chatted with star Tyler Blackburn and he promises that this flashback-filled episode is packed with vital information. “Original Caleb and Miranda were in love, very deep in love,” he revealed. “And it’s an interesting point that they look exactly like modern Caleb and Miranda, whereas the other members of the curse, their relatives don’t look anything like them. So it sort of raises the question of, is it them? Are they just the same people but reincarnated?” Dun dun dunnnn!

Question: I’m super excited that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to deal with what happened in Thor 2! What can you tell me about that episode? – Shannon

TV Scoop Team: We’re glad you asked, because we just got the scoop from Chloe Bennet herself: “It is the aftermath of Thor, and we kind of go to clean up the mess that these great-looking gods so easily came down to make, and we find an Asgardian relic, and that relic, when you touch it, it makes you have this internal and external rage, and it emotionally and physically kind of, for lack of a better word, effs you up. … It’s a big episode for Ward. I can’t wait for people to learn more about his backstory. And ladies can expect to see Brett Donovan with no shirt on, so if you didn’t have a reason to watch it, you now do.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The Killing which was cancelled by AMC last year but then brought back from the dead for a third season has been, once again, cancelled by the network; but it will be coming back for a six-episode run on Netflix. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Frank Grillo (Prison Break) will star in the new DirecTV original drama called Navy St., a 10-episode straight-to-series order from the network over the summer that is a gritty family drama set against the backdrop of a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym in Venice, California. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Nicholas Lea (The X-Files and Kyle XY) will guest star in two upcoming episodes of Arrow, playing Mark Francis, Walter Steele’s close associate, who will have a crucial part in the surprising twist that Moira’s life will take after her murder trial. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW is taking a different direction with the character The Flash, who is set to appear in a couple of upcoming episodes of Arrow. Actor Grant Gustin (Glee) will play this character, but rather than appearing in three episodes of the hit CW series, he will appear in two episodes and then a traditional stand-alone pilot will be made instead of a Flash-centric episode of Arrow, allowing the powers-that-be at Arrow to better flesh out the superhero’s story and his world. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Stephanie Szostak (Iron Man 3) and Blair Redford (Switched at Birth and The Lying Game) will co-star alongside Matt Passmore (The Glades) in the as-yet-titled Sean Jablonski USA Network pilot that follows investment banker Neil Truman (Passmore) and his wife, Grace (Szostak), as they struggle to sift through their stagnant marriage, looking for the spark they once had. When Neil discovers that Grace has been seeing a debonaire male escort (Redford) his entire world is turned upside down. As he gains a new perspective on life and what motivates women, Grace contemplates her own needs and whether her marriage is worth saving. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

It looks like AMC is going to order a pilot for a TV adaptation of the Garth Ennis acclaimed graphic novel series Preacher, which follows a down-and-out Texas preacher possessed by Genesis, a supernatural entity conceived by the unnatural coupling of an angel and a demon. Given immense powers, the preacher teams with an old girlfriend and a hard-drinking Irish vampire to set out on a journey across America to find God, who apparently had abandoned his duties in heaven and hold him accountable for his negligence. (IGN and Dark Horizons)

Actress Bonita Friedericy (Chuck) has joined the cast of the Marti Noxon Lifetime pilot Unreal that goes behind the scenes of a hit competition dating series to follow the experiences of a young staffer (Shiri Appleby from Roswell and Life Unexpected) whose lone job is to manipulate the relationships with (and among) the contestants in order to get the vital dramatic and outrageous footage producers demand. Friedericy will play Dr. Wagerstein, the network-mandated show psychologist. The cast includes Francia Raisa, Megyn Price and Freddie Stroma [among others]. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Thor: The Dark World – 34.9 million
2. The Best Man Holiday – 34 million
3. Last Vegas – 7.9 million
4. Free Birds – 7.5 million
5. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – 7.2 million
6. Gravity – 6.2 million
7. Ender’s Game – 5.6 million
8. 12 Years A Slave – 4.6 million
9. Captain Phillips – 4.3 million
10. About Time – 3.2 million

It would seem, for whatever reason, Star Partners and Hummingbird Prods. are collaborating on a production of a sequel to the classic 1946 movie It’s a Wonderful Life that would be entitled It’s A Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story. (Don’t shot the messenger, okay?!) The plan is for Karolyn Grimes, who played George Bailey’s daughter Zuzu in the original film to return as an angel who shows Bailey’s unlikeable grandson (also named George Bailey) how much better off the world would have been had he never been born. (Dave McNary at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Emily Swallow (Monday Mornings) has been promoted to series regular on The Mentalist two weeks before her first episode is even set to air. She will play a character named Kim Fischer, who will have a profound impact on Jane’s (series regular Simon Baker), but little else is known about her character. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Shelley Hennig (The Secret Circle) will appear in the MTV thriller series Teen Wolf when it returns on January 6. The show will introduce a new mythology, but what part Hennig’s character plays in that is shrouded in mystery as is anything about her character. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Actress Michelle Tractenberg (Buffy and Gossip Girl) will guest star in a holiday episode of NCIS: Los Angeles, playing Lily, a smart, witty, charming and physically capable environmentalist-slash-private chef. When a scary home invasion turns Lily’s life upside down, she does her best to keep a brave face, despite dangerous and uncertain circumstances. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC Studios and Amblin TV are working on a series adaptation of the acclaimed Spanish hospital drama called Polseres Vermelles (Red Band Society) for FOX. The story is a coming-of-age drama set at a big-city hospital, exploring with dark humor the daily life of a group of teenage kids living in a hospital who become unlikely friends. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

FX is working on an event series called Rasputin that will tell the story of the Russian peasant and mystic who became an adviser to the Russian Imperial family. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Heaven Is For Real Trailer Arrives

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

Question: Ah, I’m still obsessing over Bash and Mary’s first kiss! Please tell me he won’t be involved with anyone else on Reign! – Jasmine

TV Scoop Team: Hello, this is a teen drama. Are you new?! When we asked Torrance Coombs about Bash’s previously flirty interactions with Mary’s ladies-in-waiting Kenna and Lola and whether or not they could go somewhere, he teases, “I certainly would think that’s a possibility. We’re laying the groundwork for anything to happen, but we go off pretty strongly in one direction pretty soon.” (And the Francis and Mary shippers go wild!)

Question: Got anything on the 24 reboot miniseries? I’m SO pumped for that!! – Jill

TV Scoop Team: Unfortunately, spoilers for Jack Bauer’s return have been hard to come by, which is fine by us (for now) as we don’t want to face the wrath of Kiefer Sutherland. But we did manage to get Kiefer to tell us that they start filming in January in London, and guess what? That movie that was supposed to happen before the miniseries was announced might still happen! “We’re doing 12 episodes, so that’s exciting in itself,” he says. “And then perhaps the movie.” We’re all for as much Jack Bauer as we can get!

Question: I need Ravenswood scoop…like now! – Melanie

TV Scoop Team: Demand and you shall receive! We recently chatted with the dead darling of Ravenswood, Nicole Gale Anderson, and she promises that Tuesday’s midseason finale will help fill us in on some of the town’s oldest and darkest secrets. “In episode five you kind of get to learn more about their past and their mysteries,” the actress teases. “There are also some really awesome flashbacks that we got to do that revealed the original Miranda and Caleb and you kind of get an idea why they have this instant connection.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a really nice weekend!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Actress Dee Wallace (E.T.) and actor Chris Mulkey (Friday Night Lights) will play parents to Monroe on Grimm. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

AMC has renewed Hell on Wheels for a fourth season. (Variety)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

A small screen adaptation of the 18th century novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses (aka Dangerous Liaisons) with producers Tony Krantz and Colin Callender at the helm. The series will be based not only on characters from the novel but also from other novels from the 18th century French libertine literary movement. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage will write and produce a live-action movie based on the Mattel doll franchise Monster High, which is centered on the imperfect teen children of the world’s most famous monsters with characters like Frankie Stein (daughter of Frankenstein), Clawdeen Wolf (daughter of the Wolfman), and Deuce Gorgon (son of Medusa). (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

First Trailer: Noah

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

Question: Do you know something about a beloved character dying on Once Upon a Time? –Anna

Mitovich: Reports of such a death are greatly exaggerated — or at least “not exactly on target,” sources tell me. That said, Peter Pan’s shadow is going to do something pretty horrific, quite soon, and the ramifications will be felt deeply among our heroes and villains.

Question: I am dying for some juicy scoop on my favorite TV show, Beauty and the Beast! Could I have some, please!? –Larissa

Mitovich: Contrary to some speculation out there, our first female beast, Tori, was not previously aware of (and thus concealing) her own cross-species DNA. “She’s never seen her eyes glow like that — and it’s sort of unclear what triggered it,” Amber Skye Noyes says. “That is definitely the first time that she has gone through a change like that.” And yes, the B&TB newbie assures me, we will see Tori go full-beast very soon. (Check back Monday for much more from Noyes, including the latest on the Vincent/Tori bond and her episode count.)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Andrew Leeds (Bones) will have a significant recurring role on NCIS: Los Angeles, playing Booker, the team’s newest tech operator who is smart, guarded, focused and curt. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Gideon Raff (creator of Homeland) and Tim Kring (creator of Heroes) have signed a 6-episode deal with USA Network for a new drama series called Dig that will be set in Jerusalem. This thriller will be about an American FBI agent named Peter who, while investigating the murder of a woman, he stumbles into a 2,000-year-old conspiracy embedded in the archeological mysteries of the ancient city. The series is set to premiere in late 2014. (Debra Kamin at Variety)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Paramount TV is developing a TV series remake of the 1990 box office film Ghost that starred Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg in the original story that dealt with loving couple Sam and Molly Jensen who are attacked by a mugger one night during which Sam is killed. Now a ghost, he tries to reconnect with his fiancé with the help of a charlatan medium. (Dark Horizons)

Syfy is developing a drama series adaptation of the classic Old English epic poem Beowulf that will further examine the hero’s rise to power and his feud with the monster Grendel. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Warner Bros. is negotiating to bring the video game Temple Run to the big screen. The story would center on an explorer who, having stolen an idol from a temple, is chased by demonic forces. (Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg (the Twilight franchise) is attached to the Jennifer Jones-Netflix project with the expectation that she will be writer and executive producer on the online series. Meanwhile, writer Drew Goddard (Lost and Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is in final negotiations to writer and serve as showrunner of the Daredevil online series that is also set up at Netflix. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Trailer: ‘Maleficent’

Divergent Worldwide Trailer

ME: I read the first book in this series and I am impressed by how closely they have adapted the movie from the book. Good job!! I’m not a big Shailene Woodley fan, but I do love Maggie Q and really like Theo James so I’ll be there to see this movie when it opens on March 21!

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

Question: Pretty please for any spoilers on The Blacklist! – KatieNicole11

TV Scoop Team: Prepare for one epic two-parter on the NBC breakout hit as Ryan Eggold teases the first part “has a supreme cliffhanger. The first one is so killer. Tom is not in it very much because it’s really about the FBI, but it’s the most intense episode I think.” So what can we expect? “James Spader has these incredible speeches, there’s an incredible villain and Diego Klatenhoff has some amazing stuff.” And the villain will cause “a lot of struggle” For Red

Question: So happy the CW picked Reign up for a full season! What’s coming up for my favorite couple, the King and Kenna?! – Danielle N.

TV Scoop Team: Their (hot and steamy) affair is no longer a secret! At least not to one of the girls, as Kenna finally comes clean about her relationship with King Henry II to one of her friends, who has a less than ideal response. Too bad Kenna doesn’t really care!

Question: I’m happy we finally got Harrison’s back-story on Scandal. Do you have any scoop on what’s next? —Hayley

NATALIE: Suffice it to say, Adnan Salif is not going to disappear, which will severely affect Harrison. “Harrison is completely consumed and stricken with an impending doom [about] Salif’s arrival into the country,” Columbus Short says, teasing that we will find out how Cyrus uncovered Harrison’s Kryptonite. Still, Short is pleased to finally get info on his character, even if it leads to disastrous results. “I was cautiously optimistic at first, given that a character’s back-story could ultimately lead to getting killed off,” he says.

Question: I can’t believe Person of Interest is killing off one of their own! How will the rest of the team react? — Nathan

ADAM: Not well, as you might imagine. “We’re talking real damage here,” executive producer Jonathan Nolan tells us, hinting that someone may act out as a way to deal with his or her grief. “For the first time, a number comes up [and] the perpetrator might be one of our own team. That’s a fresh wrinkle on our show and points to the fallout from all of these events.” Even worse, the team may no longer be able to rely on each other. “It will pull the team apart a little bit,” Nolan says. “This season is about uncertainty and sacrifice, and we’re kind of out in the wild blue yonder in the second half of the season.”

Question: What’s the deal with Robin Hood and Regina on Once Upon a Time? — Maggie

NATALIE: As of two weeks ago when I was on set, Lana Parrilla told me nothing had come up in scripts between the two of them, but she expected it to happen toward the end of the season — though it might not be as easy as we’d all hope. “She’s closed her heart off to any romance,” Parrilla says. “She doesn’t look at anyone with lust or desire. But I do hope that Regina opens her heart again to love. It’s been many, many years. As much as she loves Henry, he can only fill that void for so long before he moves on and has a life of his own separate from her.” Do you want to see Regina and Robin Hood together?

Question: Any scoop on Nashville? — Wesley

ADAM: Wedding bells are ringing this week for Peggy and Teddy, but don’t count on a happily-ever-after just yet. After all, Peggy is lying to Teddy about being pregnant with his child after she miscarried. “She’s trying to get pregnant, but it’s not working,” Kimberly Williams-Paisley says. “She’s in crunch time. She gets a little crazy.” How crazy, you ask? We hear she will go to disturbing lengths to keep her secret from coming out.”

Question: What can you tell me about the serial killer targeting Lanie and Esposito on Castle? Is it 3XK? — Diana

ADAM: Great minds think alike! When I asked creator Andrew W. Marlowe if the elusive Triple Killer — last (not) seen after Castle shot him in Season 5 — was again taunting the team at the 12th Precinct, he didn’t exactly say no. “Clearly, that’s something we’re going to talk about in the episode,” he says. “From Beckett’s point of view, 3XK is dead; from Castle’s point of view, he’s still out there. The specter of that always hangs in the back of folks’ head when they see people targeted.” The question, Marlowe insists, is why would 3XK be targeting Lanie and Esposito?

Question: It’s so great to have a new Whedon show on the air! Please, please, with a Smurf on top can I have some Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. scoop? —Amy

Ausiello: The show will be stepping foot inside the famed S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, where preternaturally brilliant youths are groomed to be potential agents. My theory: This will be a flashback episode that shows how Agent Coulson entered S.H.I.E.L.D.’s ranks.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the few news items for today:

TELEVISION

The CW has given a back-nine order to their new drams The Originals, The Tomorrow People and Reign. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

It looks like the cable network SOAPnet will go 100 percent dark at the end of the year. (TV Line and The LA Times)

Actress Camyrn Manheim (The Practice and Ghost Whisperer) and actor Saul Rubinek (Warehouse 13) will appear in an emotional plot that will play out over multiple episodes of Person of Interest starting in 2014. Manheim will play Diane, a devoted wife whose husband, the brilliant Arthur (Rubinek), is slowly losing his mind. While the team risks putting her in danger, they must rely on Diane to break through to her husband in order to save both their lives. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC is preparing a limited series based on the Robert Massie best-selling novel “Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman” that chronicles the Russian empress’ rise to become the world’s richest and most powerful woman of her time. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Idris Elba (Thor franchise and TV’s Luther) will star in the upcoming thriller film called Bastille Day that will revolve around a U.S. operative who is tasked with interrogating and eventually making a young American boy “disappear” in order to avoid embarrassment to the U.S. government after the boy is linked as the prime suspect to an attack on the Paris metro. After several more attacks, the operative realizes the boy is innocent and also may be the only link to the person actually orchestrating the attacks. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Downton Abbey has been renewed for a 5th season. (Variety)

Actor Hiroyuki Sanada (the original Takeda on Revenge) will co-star opposite Halle Berry in the upcoming CBS summer drama Extant that will center on an astronaut (Berry) who returns home from a year-long solo mission in space and tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history. Sanada will play a wealthy technological genius who puts his wealth to work privatizing the world’s space programs into a single entity. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Sinqua Walls (Teen Wolf and Once Upon a Time) and actress Katherine Narducci (The Sopranos) have joined the Starz drama series called Power, that tells the story of wealthy New York City nightclub owner James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), who caters to the city’s elite. He wants to build an empire and turn the club into a Fortune 500 business, but there’s just one problem: He is living a double life. When he is not in the club, he is the kingpin of the most lucrative drug network in New York for a very high-level clientele. Walls will play Shawn, once a promising college basketball player, who was injured and now works as Ghost’s personal chauffeur. Narducci will play Frankie, a sexy lesbian with a high-level government job, a U.S. Attorney, in charge of an ongoing investigation into the drug trade, and she is Angela’s (Lela Loren) boss. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

M*A*S*H star Alan Alda will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Blacklist as an enemy of Red (series lead James Spader). He will play Mr. Crowley, a nemesis from Red’s past who threatens to kill Red if he gives certain information to Liz (series lead Megan Boone). (Liz Raftery at TV Guide)

Actress Elisabeth Rohm (The Client List and Law & Order) will appear in a four-episode arc of Beauty And the Beast as Dana Maron, an FBI agent who is dedicated to cleaning up the FBI, who arrives in town to spearhead a series of investigations into a string of undercover operations. She will team up with Catherine (series lead Kristin Kreuk) after being led to believe the detective has a special connection to the cases. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Thor: The Dark World -$86.1 million
2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $11.3 million
3. Free Birds – $11.2 million
4. Last Vegas – $11.1 million
5. Ender’s Game – $10.25 million
6. Gravity – $8.4 million
7. 12 Years a Slave – $6.6 million
8. Captain Phillips – $5.8 million
9. About Time – $5.2 million
10. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 – $2.8 million

Actor Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey and The Tomorrow People [he’s the voice of the AI machine Tim) will appear as Lancelot in the upcoming sequel Night At The Museum 3. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Eva Longoria has set up a drama project called Blackout at Lifetime through her production company. The project centers on a woman whose failed career leads her to return home after 10 years to the small blue collar town run by her estranged siblings. She tries to make amends with her family and her past but the murder of a teenage girl forces her to face her own demons. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CBS is developing an untitled drama project with former network head of current programming David Brownfield and actor Robert De Niro that would center on a counter-insurgency expert who comes back from Afghanistan to his old police precinct and begins to use techniques he employed overseas to try to control gang violence at home. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Alex Kingston (Doctor Who) and actors Peter Firth (Spooks) and Tom Cullen (Downton Abbey) have joined the cast of the upcoming box office film called If You See Her that will also star Janet Montgomery (Human Target) and Sara Paxton (Blue Eyed Butcher) as a pair of estranged friends who reconnect at a wedding. (Screen Daily and Dark Horizons)

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

Question: I’m addicted to Reign, and need a fix. Do you have a juicy scoop? – Caria

Mitovich: As if Mary’s betrothal to Francis hasn’t been tested enough already (most recently by Tomas), next week’s episode finds a beautiful, blonde blast from the would-be king’s past standing in his doorway unexpectedly, and she is all too ready to assume the position (minds out of the gutter!) of his mistress (OK, maybe a little gutter). It’s all enough to drive poor Mary to drink… lots… and then maybe engage in an illicit encounter of her own.

Question: Loving the new season of White Collar. But will Diana be coming back? –Adriana

Mitovich: Now that both Diana and her portrayer Marsha Thomason have delivered their babies, you can expect the character to resurface in this season’s final two episodes — and she won’t be alone. As Tim DeKay teases, “Eventually there’s a new cast member on the show — Diana has a baby, and it is the baby who helps one of our characters in an episode. That’s all I can say.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a really nice weekend!!

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