Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

NBC is developing a supernatural drama project with horror film producer Jason Blum (Insidious and The Purge) and TV executive-turned-producer Christina Wayne (Copper) called The Inn. This project is a classic ghost story, following a group of strangers drawn to an isolated hotel by fate. Compelled to find the truth behind the horrors that haunt them and answer the question of why they were brought together, the ensemble soon discovers that The Inn is aware of their pasts and presents and is using them to force the guests to confront themselves and each other. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

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

Question: Are we going to see any changes in Pan’s relationship with Rumple in the next episode of Once Upon a Time? – Miles

TV Scoop Team: Funny you should ask! We just got off the phone with the TV’s most evil 17-year-old, Robbie Kay, and he tells us that we will definitely see some father/son shifts in this Sunday’s brand-new episode. “You are going to see a change in the relationship in the mid-season finale. So they will touch upon that and it will be very interesting to see where they go from there in terms of their relationship as the season progresses.” Hmm, perhaps this means that Pan will be sticking around after the winter hiatus?

Question: Hart of Dixie spoilers are desperately needed, please and thank you! – Hilary

TV Scoop Team: Ever wondered what the French version of Bluebell would be like? Well, your dreams are about to come true as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of ChlocheBleu will be visiting their sister city in episode 16. While Deputy Mayor Jean Claude will have his eye on one of our favorite Southern Belles, mayor Eloise, a former ballerina, may not take as much of a liking to the charming town we’ve grown to know and love.

Question: Anything interesting coming up for DiNozzo on NCIS? –Mel

Mitovich: Fielding your query, show boss Gary Glasberg says, “Tony has had a year of real change and growth so far. Ziva said goodbye. Bishop said hello. Tony’s friendship with McGee got stronger and his bond with Gibbs wasn’t weakened by change, it was reinforced. And now, for a special 250th episode, Anthony DiNozzo Sr. (returning guest star Robert Wagner) will be back. And along with a riveting crime to solve, Tony will discover there’s a new mystery woman in his father’s life.”

Question: Do you know who ‪Rebecca Mader is playing on ‪Once Upon a Time? I know you can’t reveal, but curious as to how hush-hush this is. — @e_vanquill

Mitovich: I know that series creators Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis are happy to have brought her on, seeing as the last time they wrote for Rebecca Mader on Lost, they killed off poor Charlotte. “We’ve had her in mind for this for a while,” says Horowitz, “and the time finally seemed right.” Also: I am told that Rebecca will keep her British accent – whether that’s a clue is for you to decide.

Question: I’m so happy NBC already picked up The Blacklist for a second season. Any scoop about the next episode in January. Is Ressler already back on the job? –Daisy

Mitovich: “Agent Ressler isn’t going anywhere,” EP Jon Bokenkamp wants to assure you. “That said, the injuries he’s sustained and the revelations made about his character in the fall cliffhanger will certainly impact the show going forward.”

Question: Please, can you give a scoop for Person of Interest? –Harkanwar

Mitovich: I chatted up Kevin Chapman the other night at CBS’ holiday party here in NYC, and after thanking TVLine for the recent Performer of the Week recognition, he previewed Fusco’s new BMOC status at the NYPD. “Because of the taking down of HR, we have a lot of old detectives going out and new detectives coming in, and they’re all kind of looking to Fusco for guidance,” he said. “He’s now become the ‘mentor’ of the office.” To set the best example, the once-sketchy lawman will take a cue from the late Joss Carter, whose admirable legacy he recounted to Simmons before taking the HR goon in. “He’s kind of following that model going forward.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

FX has given a series order to the new drama Tyrant from Gideon Raff, the creator of Homeland. Tyrant will revolve around the son of a Middle Eastern dictator who returns to his home country with his American family after 20 years in the U.S. Once there, he’s drawn into political and familial turmoil. Tyrant is anticipated to have a summer premiere. (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

Actor Brett Cullen (Devious Maids and Friday Night Lights) will have a recurring role in Revenge, playing Jimmy, the biological father of Victoria’s (series lead Madeleine Stowe) love child Patrick (Justin Hartley). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Eddie Matos (All My Children and General Hospital) will have a recurring role on Hart of Dixie, playing Enrique, the gorgeous Latino driver for Grandma Bettie Breeland (Maree Cheatham), who is saving money to attend poetry school. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Showtime has pulled the plug on the drama pilot The Vatican that was to star Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) in a provocative contemporary genre thriller about spirituality, power and politics set against the modern-day political machinations within the Catholic Church. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

WGN America has landed a new suspense drama project from David Shore, the man behind the long-running medical drama House. This project is called American Dream and it will chronicle the cat-and-mouse game that erupts when a Manhattan homicide cop suspects one of America’s top CEOs of being a killer. The relationship becomes mutually dependent: the CEO who needs psychopathic games to refuel himself personally and professionally, and a cop who exploits the game to make inroads into a world he’s always wanted to inhabit – that of the rich and famous. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC is developing a straight-to-series adaptation of the Stephen King short-story Grand Central that deals with a widow who answers a phone call from her husband who died two days earlier in a plane crash. The husband predicts two tragedies that later come true and helps his wife avoid death. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Watch: ‘Earth to Echo’ Trailer Contains Spielbergian Sci-Fi Adventure

Second Colorful, Upbeat Full Theatrical Trailer for Blue Sky’s Rio 2

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

For those who missed it or want to watch it again, NBC will reair The Sound of Music Live on Saturday, December 14 at 8 PM. (Deadline)

Actress Gail O’Grady (NYPD Blue) will appear in Revenge as the ex-wife of Conrad Grayson (series regular Henry Czerny). Divorced from Conrad, who left her for Victoria, for over 25 years, O’Grady’s character will be “West Coast posh” paying a surprise (and very unexpected) visit to her former hubby. (Tierney Bricker at E! Online)

Actor Patrick J. Adams (Suits) will make a guest appearance on the acclaimed BBC America series Orphan Black [he has been a vocal fan of the show via Twitter], playing a character named Jesse, who lands in a ton of trouble when the clone characters (played by lead star Tatina Maslany) enter his life. Orphan Black will be back for its second season on April 14. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actress Emily Rios and actor Matthew Lillard have been promoted to series regular on the FX drama The Bridge for the show’s upcoming second season. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Robert Knepper (Prison Break, Heroes and Cult) will play the “plum role” of master criminal William Tockman aka “Clock King. He will appear in the same episode that finds actress Alex Kingston (ER and Doctor Who) returning to Starling City. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

ABC Family is developing a high-concept family drama with thriller elements called Into the Air with Lizzy Weiss, the creator of the network’s popular series Switched at Birth. Details on this new developing are being kept under wraps, though. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

The Sundance Channel and Entertainment One are teaming together to co-develop a TV series based on the groundbreaking Israeli format Reaching for Heaven, a family drama about what happens to a marriage and family when one parent suddenly becomes religious. (The Futon Critic)

Spike TV is developing a drama with a comedic bent called Basket Case that is based on the best-selling novel by author and journalist Carl Hiaasen that centers on a great investigative reporter who has trouble dealing with authority, change, women, success, and most of all, corruption. After he savages his paper’s powerful new owner, he is demoted to the obituary desk, which gives him a unique window into suspicious deaths and weird goings on in crime-ridden Miami. Using an unusual team of friends, relatives, an ex-wife, newspaper misfits, and his beautiful new boss, he strives to regain his investigative credibility and a saner life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Colm Feore (Revolution and The Borgias) has joined the cast of the upcoming indie film called Painkillers. He will play Dr. Troutman, a military doctor who treats soldiers with post-traumatic distress disorders. Actor Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica) and actress Lesley-Ann Brandt (Spartacus) will also star. (The Deadline Team)

Actor Omar Epps (House) will star in the neo-noir thriller called One Small Mistake that is about a man searching for truth and justice in a bigoted small town. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Official Trailer for Edge of Tomorrow

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

Question: What’s the scoop on Nashville? Is someone really going to die? — Janet

ADAM: It sure seems that way. But don’t expect to know exactly who at the end of TONIGHT’s midseason finale. That’s because the person displaying the tell-tale signs of impending TV death — including drastic, dangerous behavior — could be a bait-and-switch. In possibly related news, Juliette’s attempt to profess her love for Avery will be suddenly cut short.

Question: Do you have anything on Scandal’s midseason finale? — Jason

NATALIE: Olivia & Co. will do everything in their power to track down the truth about Mama Pope. Naturally, Rowan will be one avenue for answers, but he’ll be preoccupied by a very unexpected standoff where his words will cut someone deeper than that hole he threw Huck and Jake in.

Question: Can you tell me who shoots Emily on Revenge? — Sam

NATALIE: I can tell you that a familiar face returns for Emily and Daniel’s wedding, and said person will not be the shooter. This special guest will also help bring the whole Grayson family — Victoria included — together on the big day, but he or she will also stumble upon a big secret!

Question: Will more people learn the truth about Oliver’s identity on Arrow? — Deidre

NATALIE: “Over the course of the season, a couple more people will find out,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg teases. But Barry being let in on the secret without Oliver’s knowledge will change the way he goes about things in the future. “We get to a point later in the season where we think that someone else should be told about my identity, but that has to be put to a vote because I lose my mind when I discover that [Barry] knows my identity,” Stephen Amell tells me. “We let Team Arrow decide.”

Question: I can’t wait for Psych to return for Season 8! Got any hints? — Cal

ADAM: Look for Psych to jump on the zombie bandwagon when the show does what James Roday calls a “kitchen-sink horror episode” that features nods to many of the scary-movie franchises the show has yet to cover. But don’t expect newfangled World War Z-type monsters: Roday assures us that Shawn and Gus will be battling “throwback George Romero-style” brain-eaters.

Question: Loving Season 3 of Revenge. Any scoop on what to expect from this Sunday’s wedding/midseason finale? —Alex

Ausiello: You can expect two romantic reunions (one far more anticipated than the other), one nice moment between Emily and Jack and approximately 37 awkward run-ins (almost all of them involving Victoria).

Question: I’m loving this season of Once Upon a Time and was wondering if you guys had any spoilers about what’s coming up for Neal and Emma? I heard the first episode after the winter break is set in NYC. — Heather

Ausiello: We asked the Once creators about the midseason premiere, which airs March 9 and is titled “New York City Serenade.” But other than confirming that the Bruce Springsteen fan in him had a hand in coming up with that title, Adam Horowitz would only confirm, “There’s a lot of Emma in that episode that is for sure.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Actress Frances Fisher will guest star in a 2014 episode of Castle that will be very Devil Wears Prada-esque. She will play Matilda King, a fashion mogul who runs this magazine, Modern Fashion, who crossed paths with Beckett when she briefly flirted with a career as a model. (TV Guide and Give Me My Remote)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Patrick Heusinger (Royal Pains and Gossip Girl) has landed the lead role in the NBC drama pilot called Tin Man that is a psychological crime thriller, focusing on fugitive robot Adam (Heusinger) accused of first-degree murder, who may hold the key to the future of human evolution, and the young female public defender forced to fight for his cause. Adam, a robotic valet, became a murder suspect after his builder and master was found stabbed to death. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Legendary actress-singer Bette Midler will star in the under-development-at-HBO film about Mae West, who rose to stardom when she took New York by storm after writing and starring in her scandalous Broadway show Sex. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Callum Keith Rennie (The Killing) will appear in the box office movie Fifty Shades of Grey as Ray Steele, the stepfather of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson). (Rebecca Ford at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Ben Wishaw (Skyfall and The Hour) will star as Freddie Mercury in the upcoming biopic about the legendary late frontman of the band Queen. (MTV and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: The Wachowskis’ Jupiter Ascending

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The cable network AMC has canceled their new drama Low Winter Sun after one season. (Variety)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

CBS has given the greenlight to a new four-hour historical mini-series from actress Roma Downey (Touched By An Angel) and her uber-producer/series creator husband Mark Burnett called The Dovekeepers that is based on the 2011 novel by Alice Hoffman. The story chronicles the struggles of four women during the siege of Masada, when 900 Jews held off Roman soldiers for months after being forced out of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The network is aiming for a 2015 premiere. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Frozen – $31.6 million
2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – $27 million
3. Out of the Furnace – $5.3 million
4. Thor: The Dark World – $4.7 million
5. Delivery Man – $3.8 million
6. Homefront – $3.4 million
7. The Book Thief – $2.7 million
8. The Best Man Holiday – $2.67 million
9. Philomena – $2.3 million
10. Dallas Buyers Club – $1.5 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Evan Rachel Wood and Scott Speedman in ‘Barefoot’ Trailer

Q&A SECTION (with TV Scoop Team at E! Online, Matt Roush at TV Guide and Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: New episodes of Sherlock are almost upon us! Got anything I need to know? – Kyle

TV Scoop Team: Have you ever imagined Sherlock standing up in front of a room full of people and talking about how much he loves his best friend John? Because that’s totally happening in season three! Well, kind of. Sherlock will be John’s best man in his wedding to Mary, and yes, he will have to give a toast. But that’s not the only thing he has to worry about: someone at the reception wants the happy couple to suffer, so Sherlock has to give a winning speech and solve a case at the same time. Who else thinks he’s more worried about expressing his feelings for John than about catching a killer?

Question: Revenge me, people! – Shawn

TV Scoop Team: Episode 14, awesomely titled “Payback,” will feature the super lavish and over the top birthday party for Charlotte. (Ah, they grow up so far, don’t they?) And she’s going all Super Sweet 16 with it by having a major pop star sing “Happy Birthday” to her. Of course, she doesn’t have time to plan this event on her own, so expect to see an Ashley 2.0 running around the Hamptons.

Question: Almost Human has quickly become my favorite network show, right behind The Good Wife (best season ever). But how is it doing in the ratings? I hear it is not doing too well. What are Almost Human’s chances of lasting the season? — Gary

Matt Roush: The odds of lasting the season? Probably pretty good. Fox should give this one some time to work out its kinks, but it’s obviously not the breakout hit Sleepy Hollow was. Few shows are. Its fate will likely become clearer when it’s paired next month with The Following (which has its own damage control issues for Season 2).

Question: LOVED Barry Allen on Arrow, Sandra. I was honestly ready to hate on him, but he’s so cute, and I don’t just mean physically. I thought the character himself was really charming and the opposite of a cocky superhero I was expecting. I would love some scoop. — April

Sandra: I loved that Barry was essentially a bit of a fanboy himself, and I think that added to the “cute”ness you reference. That said, in this next episode, Barry’s going to learn that meeting your heroes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Extra dish: Something VERY concerning happens to Roy in this episode. Well, Roy and another person, now that I think about it. These incidents aren’t related, but the effects of both could(/will) be life-changing.

Question: I’m dying after watching Supernatural’s mid-season finale!! I need scoop!! — Tiffany

Sandra: While we all know that Dean has a hard task in front of him, dealing with Kevin’s death and also tracking down Gadreel (aka the angel inside his brother Sam), but in lighter news, I hear the second half will see the return of Garth (DJ Qualls). We’re going to get an answer about where the heck he’s been and I think you will be surprised. Spoiler Alert: There will be hugs. Elsewhere, and on an unrelated note, I hear the second half will see some people we absolutely did not expect to see.

Question: Any scoop from Teen Wolf premiere? — Nancy

Sandra: There’s a heart-stopping opener featuring Stiles that will freak. you. out. I’d go out on a limb, in fact, and say this is one of the scariest episode they’ve done all season.

Question: My jaw is on the floor from Scandal. I know ANY mid-season finale tease you give me is going to be vague, but I want it anyway!! — Lizzie

Sandra: When I spoke with Guillermo Diaz about the episode, he claimed, “I think Shonda’s outdone herself. Characters end up doing things you wouldn’t expect. It’s a wild ride. We can’t wait for the fans to see it and experience what we’re shooting now. It’s good. It’s so hard to say! There’s so much we’ve shot, so I’m trying not to reveal too much.”

TV SCOOP (with Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

‘SLEEPY HOLLOW’: FOUR BURNING QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Sleepyheads, I adore you and all your questions. And I promise there’s much more from my chat with executive producer Alex Kurtzman coming. Look for some great stuff Monday and in an upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. For now, here are four of the questions you sent me via Twitter, answered!

After the introduction of Capt. Irving’s family & the announcement of Ichabod’s father, will there be more family members added? – SHollowSource

Well, as you pointed out, Ichabod’s dad is on the way and will be played by Victor Garber. Beyond that, though, Kurtzman said they “very well might” explore bringing in Abbie’s father next season. “There’s definitely a story to be had there and a deep and impactful one for Abbie and Jenny. So it’s entirely possible that we will,” he says.

I loved Tom Mison’s brilliant sword fighting scenes. Will we see a lot more of him fighting in future episodes/season 2? — @savvyanna10

The upcoming season finale is “massive,” according to Kurtzman. And he means that in more ways than one. “What we love about it is that it’s massive both emotionally and size and scope,” he says. “I think one of the things we’ve always felt is that one of the first questions we always ask when breaking an episode is what is the story about emotionally? It’s not what’s the monster of the week. It’s what’s going on with our characters.”

Will we learn what happened to Baby Crane? At least his name? Thank you! — @Dionysius1

Yes. You’ll find out what happened to his son in the next episode. The next episode is going to be about Ichabod finding out what happened to him.

Anything about Abbie’s storyline in particular we can look forward to? — @shiftingnewton

We’re going to learn some more details about her family AND answer some major questions about Abbie and Jenny’s encounter with Moloch. “One of the big things we’re going to start tackling is what they don’t remember about what happened to them in the forest that day,” teases Kurtzman. “They only remember seeing Moloch and then they blacked out and woke up by the side of the road and then don’t remember what happened. So the mystery of what happened to them is something we’re going to play out. And that may provide us with some answers for some of the bigger threats that are coming.” That’s right…BIGGER. No wonder they needed a two-hour finale.

‘REVOLUTION’ BOSS TEASES MONROE’S SON

An exciting mid-season finale on Revolution is going to lead into a second half that will see Monroe on daddy duty! As you may have heard, Mat Vairo is set to play his son, named Connor, in a recurring role when the show returns on January 8.

“Trusting that guy into the position of father has brought out some really unexpected and interesting colors in the character,” teases executive producer Eric Kripke.

And not long after we meet Conner, he adds, he will find himself among the group of people hoping to bring down the season’s big bad. “The second half of the season is part of our group marshaling their forces and pulling everyone together — that includes Monroe’s son and Neville — and bringing everyone together against the bad guys,” he says. “Meanwhile, the bad guys’ plan becomes terrifyingly clear as well as the audience getting to know really the big bad of the season, which is the president of the ‘United States’ — in quotes. All the chess pieces are moving into position for a final confrontation.”

Bonus scoop: Look out for the addition of a female warlord named Duncan (played by Katie Aselton), who, Kripke teases, “has a war clan similar to Titus, except she’s not completely bird-sh– crazy.” “Our heroes — though they were battling war clans at the beginning of the season — find themselves in the interesting and uncomfortable position of allying themselves with a war clan in the second half of the season in order to defeat the patriots”.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Regina King (Southland) will recur on the new FX drama series The Strain from director Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan and Carlton Cuse (one of the men behind Lost). The drama is a high-concept thriller that tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (actor Corey Stoll), the head of the Centers for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called on to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism. King will play Ruby Wain, the smart and accomplished manager of philandering rock star Gabriel Bolivar. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Due to the fact that Kerry Washington is pregnant the folks over at ABC have decided to reduce the episode order for Scandal from 22 episodes down to 18. It’s not because the powers that be over there are upset with the show (or even her pregnancy); but it is getting harder to hide her baby bump and the long hours are becoming hard for the mommy-to-be. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Looks like there will be two new recurring agents on the new ABC drama Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. No casting announcements have been made, but the two new agents will be an African-American, who specializes in combat/weapons and the other will be a high-level munitions expert with past ties to both Coulson and Ward. (Entertainment Weekly and Dark Horizons)

Actor Jon Tenney (The Closer and King and Maxwell) will join the cast of Scandal as a rumored love interest for Mellie, the First Lady. His casting has been confirmed, but no other details have been made available at this time. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

TV TRAILER

Hot TV Teaser: Death Comes To Pemberley

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

It looks like the Terminator just might be coming to the small screen again as the folks behind the upcoming Terminator film are looking to expand the popular franchise to TV with a new series that will be written and executive produced by feature film writers Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller with the writers of the upcoming Terminator film – Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier serving as executive producers. This version will follow a critical moment from the original 1984 film, taking it in a completely different direction than the film. But plot details for this small screen version as well as the revamped big screen one are under wraps. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Looks like MTV is moving forward with a script-to-series commitment to Shannara, a drama series based on the popular fantasy books by author Terry Brooks. The story is set in our world, thousands of years after the destruction of our civilization, centering around the Shannara family, whose descendants are empowered with ancient magic and whose adventures continuously reshape the future of the world. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Jenna Mullins at E! Online)

Question: So excited for Rebecca Mader on Once Upon a Time! Can you spill anything on what she’s playing? –Monica

Jenna: She’s one of the best female villains of all time, and not just in recent Disney history. This one even has her own theme music! Also, we can tell you that she is being brought in because now that Rumple and Regina have made peace, the writers felt they needed a new Big Bad and Mader’s character will definitely be at odds with Regina.

Question: Devious Maids is my guiltiest pleasure, so any season-two scoop you have would be perfection. – Alia

Jenna: Want to hear about the terrible people you’ll meet in season two? Of course you do! We’ll meet an ex-stripper who married an older man for money and instead of taking care of her ailing hubby, she just has affairs. But she’s not the worst one. Wait until you meet the charming man whose wife died under very mysterious circumstances.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a really nice weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

[From a couple days ago] NBC has renewed The Blacklist for a second season. (TV Guide)

Actress Rebecca Mader (Lost) will play the newest villain on Once Upon a Time. She will appear in multiple episodes when the show returns in the spring for the rest of its current season. She will play a major character with a major story arc, but no other specific details are being released. (Leanne Aguilera and Kristin Dos Santos at E! Online)

Actress Alexandra Metz (The Originals and Chicago Fire) will play Rapunzel in Once Upon a Time sometime in 2014. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Tom Everett Scott (Southland and That Thing You Do!) will have a recurring role on Beauty And the Beast, playing Sam, an archaeologist with a short fuse who has been in isolation for many years, who crosses paths with Catherine and Vincent. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Elyse Levesque (Stargate Universe and Cedar Cove) will have a recurring role on The Originals, playing the seductive and deceptive Genevieve, who returns to New Orleans with a mysterious agenda and some unfinished business with Rebekah and Marcel. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Syfy has officially greenlit the scripted drama Dominion, which is the current working title of this small screen adaptation of the box office film Legend. The series will be an epic supernatural drama set in the year 25 A.E. in a transformed post-apocalyptic future where an army of lower angels, assembled by the archangel Gabriel, has waged a war of possession against mankind. The archangel Michael, turning against his own kind, has chosen to side with humanity against Gabriel. Rising out of the ashes of the 25 year-long battle are newly fortified cities which protect the human survivors. In Vega (formerly Las Vegas), the largest of these cities, two houses vie for control and the stage is set for political upheaval and a dangerous power shift. Meanwhile, a rebellious young soldier begins a perilous journey as the war between the human race and the fallen angels hell-bent on their domination escalates. The series will star Christopher Egan (Kings), Tom Wisdom (300), Roxanne McKee (Game of Thrones), Alan Dale (Lost), Anthony Stewart Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Luke Allen-Gale (The Borgias). (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Alan Ruck (Spin City) and Byron Mann (Arrow) will co-star alongside actor Shane Coffey (Pretty Little Liars) in the USA Network drama pilot called The Novice that will center on Kyle (Coffey), a recent college graduate who is forced to move back home with his parents and soon lands a position with a Korean crime organization. Ruck will play Bill Jones, Kyle’s father, a decent and hard-working professional machinist willing to put aside his pride and work as a day laborer in order to pay the bills. Mann will play Johnny Joo, the impeccably dressed owner of a popular dining establishment and a careful, yet dangerous, man who offers Kyle a position within his organization. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Dylan Neal (Arrow, Blood Ties and Cedar Cove) has joined the cast of the big screen adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. He will play Bob, the stepfather of Anastasia Steele. (Bruna Nessif at E! Online)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Full Length Trailer for Paul W.S. Anderson’s Disaster Epic Pompeii

INSIDE SCOOP (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Question: Did I miss something on Once Upon a Time? I though Charming couldn’t leave Neverland…. –Javiera

Mitovich: A few weeks back, Rumple revealed that once back in Storybrooke, he could fashion an elixir to ward off the fatal side effect of the Neverland spring’s healing waters. And though Neal/Bae goaded his dad into doing it gratis, “There will be favors that need to be paid,” EP Adam Horowitz teases. Adds Eddy Kitsis: “Rumple very rarely gives anything away for free. He likes nothing more than having someone owe him.”

Question: Once Upon a Time‘s Rumple and Belle fans are really down right now because they’re always separated (by memory loss or worlds). Please tell us they’ll at least be in the same world in the second half of Season 3! –V

Mitovich: I brought your Q to the boys, and Horowitz assures the Rumbelle fans, “In the second half of the season, they are going to be in the same world for an extended period of time.” But Kitsis then chimed in: “If you’re a fan of Rumbelle, the second half of the season will further explore their relationship – in whatever state that is.” :-O

Question: Thanks for the opportunity to ask about the Haven finale (airing Dec. 13). I know Jennifer is from the same world as Audrey and William and thus is one of the people needed to open the portal so they can send William through. Will we find out who the fourth person is? Also, how much is the end of the episode going to make us scream? I’m predicting some bad stuff for Nathan. –Andrea

Mitovich: Yes, you will find out who the fourth person is — but will he/she gladly go along with this scheme? Yes, the final moments will make you scream – in part because, yes, what happens could very well be described as “some bad stuff for Nathan.” Oh, and there’s also one, possibly two deaths.

Question: Loving Arrow this season. What can you tell us about the midseason finale (airing Dec. 11)? –Jennifer

Mitovich: Barry Allen may have found his way into his hero’s lair, but it won’t be all gee-whiz geekery. As EP Andrew Kreisberg previews, “[Barry is] getting to see that sometimes it’s better not meeting your heroes, because they’re complicated and cranky… and maybe jealous of the way you’re looking at their assistant.” That said, “At the end of the day, Oliver just wants the job done and Barry helps get the job done — and that’s sort of the saving grace for him.”

Question: Anything on Reign? Bash and Mary are my favorites. – Jenny

Mitovich: Then consider this an early Christmas/belated Hanukkah gift! By the fall finale (airing Dec. 12), Mary will make a decision that will forever change her relationship with Francis and push her closer to Bash.

Question: Other than the return of Centipede, what’s going on with the S.H.I.E.L.D. team? –Mahika

Mitovich: Episode 14 will introduce two recurring characters: an African-American agent who specializes in combat/weapons, and a high-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agent/munitions expert who has past ties to both Coulson and Ward.

Question: Beauty and the Beast’s Vincent always seems to get love interests, while Cat has always been loyal, never showing interest in Evan, Gabe, etc. Will there be an arc for Cat’s ex-lover coming back to her life? Or a new love interest? –Stephanie

Mitovich: Though it’s pretty obvious to Cat that she and her beast are on the outs, I am hearing that before she can fall in love with anyone else, she’s going to go on a journey of self-discovery to better understand who she is and what she wants out of life — without Vincent. In the process of doing so, she’ll take a cooking class and (ahem) “heat some things up” with her handsome instructor.

Question: Will we ever see Finch reunite with his love on Person of Interest? Will Grace at least find out why he had to leave, since they obviously still love each other? –Norma

Mitovich: Carrie Preston, who pops up now and again as her real-life husband’s TV soulmate, agrees with you, saying, “It would be really wonderful to have Harold and Grace meet up in the present day. He’s protecting her by not letting her know, but maybe there could be some way for him to let her know that he is OK. It would be nice to see Harold have that love in his life.” That said, between carefully portioned Good Wife encores and her No. 1 True Blood commitment, there are no plans for a POI return at this time.

Question: Do you have any scoop on whether they kicked Scottie to the curb on Suits? Please tell me that Harvey came to his senses! –Sami

Mitovich: I’m sorry, have you seen Scottie? [Dreamy sigh] Yeah, she will most definitely be back.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Brianna Brown (Devious Maids) will guest star in an early 2014 episode of The Mentalist, playing Krystal Markham, a woman connected to a case that the FBI is working on; and much to everyone’s surprise Jane (series lead Simon Baker) asks Krystal out on a date – the first one the widower has had in years. The Mentalist will air its fall finale on December 8. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

The History Channel is teaming with executive producer John Shiban to develop a mini-series tentatively entitled Jamestown that is inspired by the 2007 Benjamin Woolley book “Savage Kingdom: The True Story of Jamestown, 1607, and the Settlement of America”. The mini-series will explore the true story of the beginnings of America, following the dreamers and schemers who settled in the new colony of Jamestown. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Marcia Gay Harden (Trophy Wife) will appear ad Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey, the adoptive mother of Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) in the box office adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. (Bruna Nessif at E! Online)

Actress Gal Gadot (from the Fast and the Furious franchise) will play Wonder Woman in the as-yet titled Batman vs. Superman movie. (Variety)

The Veronica Mars movie will hit theatres on March 14, 2014. Mark your calendars!  (Kickstarter)

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: I need Scandal scoop! Gimme anything you’ve got. – Becca M.

TV Scoop Team: One lucky lady is getting a new love interest. We’re not going to tell you who will be romanced, but we will tell you that Andrew is handsome, charismatic and extremely intelligent. Keep an eye out for him in episode 11.

Question: I seriously need Felicity and Oliver to get together, like yesterday, on Arrow. Is there any hope? – Cady

TV Scoop Team: Expect the introduction on Barry Allen, who makes his debut tonight, to have a major impact on Felicity and Oliver’s relationship for the remainder of the season. “That relationship is really moving in a new direction,” Stephen Amell says of the duo. “It’s one of those things where, guys do this all the time, you don’t realize the depths and levels of your feelings for someone until someone else likes them.”

Question: Cannot believe I have to wait six weeks for The Blacklist to return! Scoop me please to dull the pain! – Thomas

TV Scoop Team: Prepare to learn a whole lot more about Lucy Brooks, the woman Red looked into (and had a photo of) several episodes ago. And you can expect it to intersect with Tom’s storyline.

Question: I’ll take anything I can get on Teen Wolf’s Derek! – Farrah

TV Scoop Team: How about that he will finally take on a real big brother role in season 3B for Scott, with Tyler Posey telling us it’s his “favorite relationship” right now on the show. As for when Derek will be back in Beacon Hills, let’s just say you’ll find out where he is in the season premiere and who he’s with is pretty surprising.

Question: How about something on Hart of Dixie? – Claire

TV Scoop Team: Prepare for one of the most epic mug shots in TV history. One of our Bluebell residents will be facing some time in the slammer, and it will cause all kinds of chaos. Seriously, everyone on the Rammer Jammer will be talking about this crime. Curious? Well, let’s just say that it involves boys, cars, and stolen property.

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

NATALIE: By the end of the mid-season finale, you’ll find out exactly who Brother Blood is working for, but Oliver won’t be privy to that information anytime soon. “He finds out about his Brother Blood persona before we wrap the fall run, but he doesn’t discover that that person is connected to Sebastian,” Stephen Amell says. Complicating matters is Blood’s burgeoning relationship with Laurel. “They start running into each other more,” Katie Cassidy says. “They do get involved in a certain way.”

Question: Is Castle done with the Sen. Bracken-Beckett story? — Nina

ADAM: Not if the show wants to keep leading lady Stana Katic happy. “I think that story needs really great closure,” she tells us of Beckett’s series-long search for her mother’s killer. “They did a really nice job of developing this ‘sleeping dragon’ story, and [the end] of that should be done with justice to all of the years that they spent developing that.” The good news? Creator Andrew W. Marlowe insists that he has plans to bring Jack Coleman’s dirty politician back — but only when the perfect story comes up.

Question: Do I sense some chemistry between Kennex and Stahl on Almost Human? — Jason

NATALIE: You’re not the only one. “There’s huge potential there,” Karl Urban tells me. “There’s definitely a spark between those two characters.” Co-star Minka Kelly echoes that sentiment, explaining that Stahl really admires Kennex. “She’s been a really big fan of his for a really long time, so she’s in awe of him returning to the office,” she says. “They’re very like-minded when it comes to wanting to save the world.”

Question: How long before people figure out that Peter Pan is in Henry’s body on Once Upon a Time? — Missy

NATALIE: It won’t be very long at all. “Emma can tell immediately something is off and tries to justify it because he’s been through a lot; he’s been traumatized in certain ways. He’s been with Pan and the Lost Boys in the forest for so long, so there’s a lot of justifying going on basically,” Jennifer Morrison tells me. “She’s not sure what but she knows something’s wrong.” Look for the famous storybook to help Emma figure it out.

Question: Any update on new Arrow villains arriving soon? —Harry

Ausiello: Yes, Clock King’s time has come! Sources confirm that the CW hit will introduce the pivotal DC Comics baddie (aka William Tockman) later this season. The casting notice calls for an actor in his 40s or 50s to play the criminal mastermind who has “the mind of a chess grandmaster, and can envision all the interlocking pieces of Starling City and adjust them in favor of his crimes.”

Question: Can you offer up any clues on the location/setting for the second half of Once Upon a Time Season 3 (premiering March 9)? Will it take place entirely in Storybrooke, or will there be trips to another never-before-seen world? — abz

Ausiello: Better than clues, we have cold, hard facts. More akin to Season 1′s storytelling, “The second half [of Season 3] will take place between Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest,” series co-creator Eddy Kitsis told Matt Mitovich. In other words, EP Adam Horowitz underscored, “It’s not a ‘journey to another land’ paradigm” à la the Neverland arc concluding Dec. 15. “We always have the ability and the desire to dip into other lands, which it’s more than likely we shall do,” Horowitz added, “but it will be in the way that we’ve done it in the past, as opposed to locking all of our characters onto a boat and sending them [to a new realm].”

Question: On Sleepy Hollow, are we ever going to find out who vouched for Ichabod when Luke called Oxford? –Irene

Ausiello: Executive producer Ken Olin tells TVLine that the episode’s script originally revealed that Capt. Irving set up the charade to throw a suspicious Luke off Ichabod’s trail… but that tidbit never made it to screen. “I didn’t edit it, but I think it was probably removed for time,” Olin says. As for the loose end – whether created on purpose or by a pressed-for-time editing staff – the EP admits, “I don’t know whether now that will be paid off, but it was certainly left hanging.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Actress Alex Kingston (Doctor Who and ER) will reprise her role of Dinah Lance, the mother of Laurel Lance (series regular Katie Cassidy) on Arrow later this season. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Sydney T. Poitier (Veronica Mars and the daughter of legendary actor Sidney Poitier) has landed a five episode arc on the upcoming NBC sequel series Chicago PD, playing a new detective, a role that will cross over on Chicago Fire. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Matthew Goode (Watchmen and Leap Year) will have a major recurring role on The Good Wife, playing a prosecutor who befriends Alicia (series lead Julianna Margulies) after having a crisis of faith and deciding to chart a new direction for his career. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Martin Donovan (Homeland and Boss) and actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield (The Newsroom and Eureka) will both have roles in the Lifetime dystopian thriller pilot The Lottery that features a world staring down the barrel of impending extinction. Remarkably, 100 embryos are successfully fertilized and a national lottery is held to pick the surrogates. As conflict, control and mystery unfold over this important scientific breakthrough, government interests and power begin to dominate one of the most personal and basic elements of humanity: the right to have a family. Donovan will play the series regular role of Darius Hayes, the calculating director of the country’s Fertility Commission who is willing to use any strategy to achieve what he believes is the greater good. Meanwhile, Richardson-Whitfield will recur as Gabrielle, the first lady of the United States who is desperate to have a child of her own. The show has yet to be given a greenlight to series by the network. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items from the long holiday weekend:

TELEVISION

BBC America has renewed their new series Atlantis for a second season after only one episode airing. (The Wrap)

Actress Melissa Ponzio (Teen Wolf) has landed a recurring role on the NBC drama Chicago Fire playing Donna, a love interest to Chief Wallace Boden (Eamonn Walker). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Kevin Ryan (Copper) will have a recurring role in the upcoming series Crossbones that will focus on legendary pirate Blackbeard (to be played by John Malkovich). Ryan will play Finnegan, a heavily-tattooed, hard and solemn pirate who becomes involved with Blackbeard. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Barbara Hershey will reprise her role of Cora, The Queen of Hearts in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. (William Keck at TV Guide)

Actor Victor Garber will appear in at least one upcoming episode of Sleepy Hollow, playing Ichabod Crane’s father. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner (The Cosby Show) will appear in at least two episodes of Major Crimes, playing Lt. Chuck Cooper, a SIS (Special Investigation Section) supervisor brought in to help protect Rusty from his stalker. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Kirk Acevedo (Fringe) will appear in the Syfy drama pilot 12 Monkeys, based on the feature film of the same name that will center on a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in the present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

NBC is developing a potential new series for its Friday night timeslot based on the 2010 feature film The Wolfman from Daniel Knauf, the executive producer and head writer of the new NBC series Dracula. The drama will explore what it means to be a man and to be human, centering on Lawrence Talbot, who is afflicted by an ancient curse and jacks into the powerful, primordial soul of the alpha-predator. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MINI-SERIES NEWS

The History Channel is developing a mini-series tentatively titled Hannibal that will tell the story of the greatest generals in antiquity: Hannibal Barca and his archrival Scipio Africanus, who went head-to-head in the Second Punic War. One of the executive producers on this project is actress Halle Berry. (The Futon Critic)

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (the duo behind the upcoming live staging of The Sound of Music) are developing an event program for NBC; an 8-hour mini-series called Nemesis about famous Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. The project will tell the true story of Ness in 1935, post-Untouchables, as Cleveland’s newly appointed Director of Public Safety. When bodies have started turning up, each one decapitated and dissected with a doctor’s skill and a madman’s bent, the police are baffled and the population is terrorized over America’s first serial killer. Ness is forced to take over the case, but the more energy he pours into the investigation, the more it takes over and threatens to destroy his life. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – 74.5 million
2. Frozen – 67.4 million
3. Thor: The Dark World – 11.1 million
4. The Best Man Holiday – 8.2 million
5. Homefront – 6.9 million
6. Delivery Man – 6.8 million
7. The Book Thief – 4.9 million
8. Philomena – 3.67 million
9. Black Nativity – 3.66 million
10. Last Vegas – 2.7 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

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