Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Alexis Denisof (Much Ado About Nothing and Angel) will co-star in the MTV drama pilot Finding Carter that centers on Carter, a teenager (Kathryn Prescott) who learns that her mother abducted her as a child. Carter is a confident and mischievous girl who has no problem being the center of attention or the life of the party. She and her permissive single mother, Lori, have a close, sibling-like relationship. After getting into trouble with friends, Carter is taken to the police station where she learns a life-altering bombshell: that Lori is not her mother but instead the felon who abducted her when she was 3. From there she begins to know more about her biological family, which includes a twin sister and younger brother. Denisof will play David Wilson, Carter’s birth father, who frequently is the family mediator and the most levelheaded in the house. As a novelist, he saw his only real success with his true crime novel Losing Lyndon about the disappearance of his daughter. Now that his daughter is back and insisting on being called Carter, he wonders if writing a follow-up book, Finding Carter, would fix what is broken in his family. Money problems and a tenuous marriage plague him, and this memoir could be the cure. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Will Yun Lee (The Wolverine) will co-star opposite actor Shane Coffey (Pretty Little Liars) in the USA Network drama pilot The Novice that centers 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. Lee will play Big Bang, a thug with a lot of anger issues who is a major player in the Korean syndicate. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Craig Horner (Legend of the Seeker) and actresses Laura Ramsey (The Covenant) and newcomer Sarah Goldberg have been cast in the VH1 drama pilot Hindsight that centers on Becca (Ramsey) who, as she nears 40, is about to embark on her second wedding to Andy Kelly, but her joy is tempered by the absence of her old best friend Lolly (Goldberg) who’s a no-show, having dropped out of their relationship years ago. As Becca mulls over her past with Lolly and the mishap of her marriage to her first husband, Sean (Horner), she wakes up on her wedding day and discovers that it’s 15 years in the past – she’s about to marry Sean, her own parents are still married and Lolly is still in her life. Becca must now decide to either go ahead with her marriage to Sean and watch the years play out as they have before or chuck it all and try for a re-do of the history of her life that’s still in the future. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Michael Graziadei (American Horror Story), and actresses Lesley-Ann Brandt (Spartacus) and Louise Lombard (CSI) have been cast in the Lifetime dystopian future drama pilot The Lottery that is set in a world where women have stopped having children, threatening extinction of the human race. When 100 embryos are successfully fertilized, a national lottery is held to decide the surrogates. Graziadei will play Kyle, a recovering alcoholic and single father of one of the last children born in the country. Brandt will play Casey, a U.S. soldier longing for a child who jumps at the shot at being a surrogate by participating in the lottery. And, Lombard will play Tori, a formerly free-spirited artist who is now a member of the Washington power elite, an accomplished writer and spinmeister who has the ear of the president. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Wes Ramsey (Charmed and Pretty Little Liars) will star opposite Lauren Ambrose in the Lifetime backdoor pilot Deliverance Creek that centers on Belle (Ambrose), who attempts to defend her family’s land by any means necessary and is pushed into becoming an outlaw by the corrupt bank that runs their town. Ramsey will play Nate Cooper, Deputy of Deliverance, Missouri and one of the few men left behind to uphold the law during the Civil War. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Megyn Price (Rules of Engagement) and actor Bryan Batt (Mad Men) have joined the cast of the Lifetime drama pilot Unreal that centers on the outrageous duties of a staffer (Roswell and Life Unexpected alum Shiri Appleby) on a hit dating show. (The Hollywood Reporter and TV Line)

Starz is developing a half-hour scripted dramedy Heartbeats that will take an intimate glimpse into the constantly intersecting and diverging lives of Bobby and Kristen; two down-to-Earth individuals who would be perfect for each other, if only they had met at a different time. The project will explore their story with an episode format that focuses alternately on Bobby and Kristen. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Jason O’Mara (Vegas and Terra Nova) has been cast as the lead in the USA Network medical drama pilot Complications, which centers around John Ellis (O’Mara), a disillusioned suburban ER doctor, who finds his existence transformed when he intervenes in a drive-by shooting, saving a young boy’s life and killing one of his attackers. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The CW is developing another potential drama from DC Comics. This time the story will be focused on Hourman that will follow a brilliant yet troubled pharmaceutical analyst who’s mysterious visions that have followed him since childhood has led to a less than glamorous life, including a divorce that has caused his ex-wife and son to look down on him. When he discovers, however, that the visions are actually previews of events one hour in the future, he sets out to heroically prevent them from occurring. (Variety and Film Thrasher)

Best-selling novelist Patricia Cornwell is working with ABC on a drama project called Greta Stone that is based on one of her own original ideas. The project centers on a young, orphaned, highly skilled female cop who has an uncanny ability to solve crime. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Lifetime is developing a small screen adaptation of the Broadway revival hit The Trip to Bountiful that tells the inspiring story of one woman’s quest to reconnect with her past in order to ensure her family’s future. (Seat42F)

History is planning a new 8-hour Roots mini-series that would be taking from a contemporary perspective. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Jacinda Barrett (Suits and Zero Hour) has landed a recurring role on The Following, which will be back for its second season on FOX starting on January 20. She will play Julia, a very disarming and alluring woman whose mysterious intentions send several main characters in a frightening new direction. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Back in September, it was announced that actress Emily Wickersham was cast on NCIS as a possible successor to the hole left by Cote de Pablo, who played Ziva David. Now comes word that Wickersham has been promoted to series regular status two weeks before her character’s debut on the show. She will play NSA Analyst Eleanor “Ellie” Bishop, a mysterious mixture of analytic brilliance, fierce determination and idealism. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW is working with Entertainment One on a new drama project called The Cover that has received a script-to-series order, which means if the bigwigs at the network like the script it will go straight to series. The project centers on a handsome young FBI agent who goes undercover in Boston with orders to infiltrate the Irish mob. Along the way, he develops a relationship with a local girl who has a secret of her own. Soon he doesn’t know who to trust as the investigation goes sideways. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Aaron Stanford (Nikita) and Amanda Schull (Center Stage and Suits) have landed the lead roles in the Syfy drama pilot 12 Monkeys, which is based on the 1995 Terry Gilliam movie that starred Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. The TV adaptation would follow the journey of Cole (Stanford), a desperate and haunted time traveler from the post-apocalyptic near future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race. Schull will play Cassandra Railly, a brilliant doctor who is forced to choose between her idyllic life or joining Cole’s mission to uncover the dangerous conspiracy. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Ender’s Game – $28 million
2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $20.5 million
3. Last Vegas – $16.5 million
4. Free Birds – $16.2 million
5. Gravity – $13.1 million
6. Captain Phillips – $8.5 million
7. 12 Years a Slave – $4.6 million
8. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 – $4.2 million
9. Carrie – $3.4 million
10. The Counselor – $3.2 million

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

Question: I kind of hate King Henry on Reign! I hope he gets what’s coming to him soon! – Grace

TV Scoop Team: When it comes to his three ladies, fans can expect to see him commit to each even further, so tons more drama is coming. But his relationship with Francis will be even more complicated as executive producer Laurie McCarthy explains, “There’s a line that he has later, where the king says he has realized that the best gift he can give his son is his death. It’s a gift (he doesn’t) necessarily want to give, so they have a very layered and intense relationship and it seems as though the king is disdainful of Francis and (yet) he’s not. But he sees him as his usurper, just by nature of the line of succession.”

Question: Scandal is totally killing it this year! Best. Season. Ever. What else is coming up? – Shannon

TV Scoop Team: Scandal’s storylines are super top-secret, but since we love this show somuch (and we know the right people to pester) we’ve managed to get some juicy scoop from one of our favorite gladiators. Darby Stanchfield tells us that it’s finally time to get to know more about the best booty-shaker in OPA. “Harrison gets a turn in the hot water,” she promises. “It’s just the beginning but we get to learn a little bit more about him. It’s so fun what’s coming up!”

Question: I absolutely adored JoAnna Garcia (Swisher) on last night’s Once Upon a Time! Please tell me that we are going to be seeing more of Ariel? – Natalie

TV Scoop Team: You’re in luck fairytale fan! We recently chatted with The Little Mermaid and she promised us that we will definitely be seeing this fin-tastic new character in a few more episodes this season. Also did you know that JoAnna Garcia and Jennifer Morrison are off-screen besties? Emma and Ariel will soon be sharing scenes together as well.

Question: I’m a huge Pretty Little Liars fan and I need to know right away if I should be worried about all my favorite couples. Can you give me a status update? – Becca

TV Scoop Team: We’re going to have executive producer Marlene King help you out with that one. We recently chatted with the pretty little executive producer and she gave us a couple-by-couple update on what we can expect when season four returns this January. “Spoby’s solid for now. Haleb is in flux, but those two love each other,” she says. “It’s been such a roller coaster ride this year for our couples, and for us when we create the show. I love Spoby, I love Haleb, I love Ezria, and when you put these couples in the ringer as we’ve done, it’s painful for us. But If I can make myself cry, if I can give myself goosebumps, then it’s good storytelling and I know it’s effective.” And as for Ezria? Well you’re going to have to watch to find out.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break and Rizzoli & Isles) will guest star in the upcoming FOX drama Gang Related that is set to debut sometime in 2014. The series centers on Ryan Lopez (Ramon Rodriguez) a rising star in Los Angeles’ elite Gang Task Force who once belonged to a powerful Latino gang. Nolasco will play Mariano, a quiet, ruthless, terrifying sociopath who heads up a cartel. The cast includes Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Jay Hernandez (Nashville), Shantel VanSanten (One Tree Hill and Arrow) and Cliff Curtis (Trauma) [among others]. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

Actor Shane West (Nikita) has landed the lead role in the WGN America first (ever) scripted new period drama Salem that will be set in the volatile world of 17th century Massachusetts, exploring what really fueled the town’s infamous witch trials. The series will center on Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery), the beautiful, ruthless but vulnerable wife of the ancient, ailing but very wealthy George Sibley, one of the Salem town Selectmen. West will play John Alden, a hardened veteran of 10 years of war and captivity at the hands of the Indians, who returns to his native Salem to find it consumed in Witch Hunt frenzy, led by Cotton Mather (Seth Gabel). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Lifetime has canceled the Jennifer Love Hewitt-led series The Client List after two seasons on the air. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Shane Coffey (Pretty Little Liars and The Originals) has landed the lead role in the USA Network drama pilot called The Novice that centers on Kyle (Coffey), a charming and highly intelligent recent college graduate, who is forced to move back home with his parents and siblings when his job-search stalls. However, after a strange quirk of fate proves oddly fortuitous, he lands a position with a Korean crime organization. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC is developing an untitled crime thriller based on the best-selling novels by Liza Marklund that were also the basis for the hit Swedish drama series Annika Bengtzon: Crime Reporter. The project centers on a dogged, no-nonsense tabloid reporter searching for the truth while also juggling her bosses and her family. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC is developing a drama called One Kick based on the upcoming book series by Chelsea Cain, the best-selling author of the Archie Sheridan/Gretchen Lowell series of thriller novels. The basis of the story is focused on Kick Lannigan, who made national news as a child after being abducted, and later rescued, in an Elizabeth Smart-type kidnapping. Determined to never fall victim again, Kick has trained herself in martial arts and firearms. She finds her calling when a mysterious billionaire offers her the resources and high-tech tools she needs to hunt down predators and rescue other abductees. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

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

Question: I missed seeing Tinker Bell last week on Once Upon a Time. Any scoop on what’s in store for her? –Stef

Mitovich: Maybe, just maybe, the plucky pixie will get her wings back before all is said and done…? At the very least, I’m hearing we will see her confront the Blue Fairy about their past “differences.”

Question: Can Once Upon a Time fans hope for something good for Swan & Thief in one of the next episodes? –Viviane

Mitovich: In the very next episode, airing this Sunday, you’ll get a surprising development on the Emma/Neal front. Whether it’s a “good” development… well, you’ll have to wait and see.

Question: [Castle creator Andrew] Marlowe mentioned there were some Caskett moments he wanted to get to last season but didn’t. Will we see any of those this year? – Stephanie

Mitovich: The pre-hiatus episode “The Good, the Bad and the Baby” will indeed check one item off Marlowe’s to-do list. “The “really fun” hour, as he describes it, finds Rick and Kate minding an infant mysteriously deposited by a stranger in a church, at Christmastime. “If I’m the fan and I’ve been watching this show, I know a lot about Rick and Kate, but I don’t really know how they feel about more kids,” Marlowe notes. “Does Castle want more? And for Beckett, somebody who has been pursuing her career and her job so doggedly, I’m sure it’s crossed her mind theoretically — ‘Oh, sure. I’ll have kids someday’ — but someday’s coming up.” After all, I myself mused, has Beckett ever had occasion to handle a baby? “We will answer that question,” Marlowe assures, “in a fun, funny, satisfying and charming way.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Alexa Vega (Spy Kids and Machete Kills) will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Tomorrow People as a new ULTRA agent named Hillary Cole, who will become a rival to Stephen (series lead Robbie Amell), which could be a problem, because the company plans to strip the powers of whichever agent doesn’t come out ahead during training. (Trent Moore at Blastr and Zap2It)

Actress Alexandra Chando (The Lying Game) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Castle, playing a Lindsay Lohan/Miley Cyrus type who has had a big public meltdown. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Matt Passmore (The Glades) has landed the lead role in an untitled USA Network drama project that centers on Neil Truman (Passmore), an investment banker who attempts to satisfy his married mid-life crisis by quitting his job and redefining himself and his relationships. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The CW is working on a possible drama project based on the comic series The Avenger (not to be confused with the Marvel Universe The Avengers). This story focuses on Alice Benson, a young woman who, in the wake of her parents’ murder, discovers she possesses a superpower as a result of genetic bio-hacking which allows her to transform her appearance at will. Alice will use her face-altering talents to investigate the mystery of her parents’ deaths and uncover the origins of her strange ability. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC is developing a drama project based on the Alexandra Robbins non-fiction book “The Secrets Of The Tomb: Skull And Bones, The Ivy League And The Hidden Paths Of Power” that would follow two timelines: a young woman at Yale, 10 years ago, who is tapped as a member of an ultra-prestigious secret society, and the same woman in present day as a respected FBI agent in the midst of the biggest case of her life, which she discovers is linked to her past in the secret society. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Nico Tortorella (The Following) will co-star opposite actress Victoria Justice (Victorious) in the MTV cyber thriller pilot called Eye Candy that is about Lindy (Justice), a reclusive hacker whose blog exposes everything from terrorist plots to suspected killers. She is targeted by a dangerous cyber stalker and teams up with the city’s cyber-crime unit to catch him. Tortorella will play Tommy, the cyber-crime unit’s formidable and flirtatious head whose fascination with Lindy may be more than professional. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

A&E is working on a drama project with Jerry Bruckheimer Television that is being called Harvest. The project will center on a mild-mannered cemetery caretaker who finds his small-town life in jeopardy when his estranged criminal father forces him into the body-trade business. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor-Director Ed Burns (who is a regular on the new upcoming TNT drama Mob City) is working with the cabler on another period crime drama project called Public Morals. The project is set in 1967 in New York City’s Public Morals Division, where cops walk the line between morality and criminality as the temptations that comes from dealing with all kinds of vice can get the better of them. It centers on cop Terry Muldoon (Burns), who knows the line between the good guys and bad guys is thin, and he is determined to raise his sons to be honest and hardworking as he deals with the dark underbelly of the vice world. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The CW is working on another hour-long project called Badlands that is being billed as a supernatural Western about a ruthless family cursed by vengeful ghost. While ABC is working on a project called Entrapment that will tell the story of a star prosecutor accused of murder and the journey she takes when she turns to her former adversary, a streetwise defense attorney, for help with her defense. These two projects come from producer David Wilcox (Fringe). (Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter)

ONLINE SERIES NEWS

Amazon Studios has officially given a green light to the two new drama pilots Bosch and The After. Bosch is based on the best-selling book series by Michael Connelly that tells the story of a relentless LAPD homicide detective (Titus Welliver from Lost and The Good Wife), who pursues the killer of a 13-year-old boy. But Bosch is also standing trial in federal court on accusations that he murdered a suspected serial killer in cold blood. Actress Annie Wersching (24) and Amy Price-Francis (King) co-star. The After comes from Chris Carter (the creator of The X-Files) that features eight strangers who are thrown together by mysterious forces and must help each other survive in a violent world that defies explanation. Among the cast is Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue and Drop Dead Diva), Arielle Kebbel (The Vampire Diaries), Adrian Pasdar (Heroes and The Lying Game) and Aldis Hodge (Leverage). Viewers will be able to watch the pilots for free on Amazon Instant Video. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) will star as Quicksilver (aka Pietro Maximoff) in the upcoming box office film Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron, which will be directed by Joss Whedon and is expected in the box office in May 2015. (The Deadline Team)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Morris Chestnut (the remake of V and the upcoming box office film The Best Man Holiday) has joined the cast of the upcoming TNT spy drama called Legends that follows deep-cover operative Martin Odum (Sean Bean), who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job. But his own identity comes into question when a mysterious stranger suggests that Martin isn’t who he thinks he is. Chestnut will play Antonio “Tony” Cimarro, a quick-witted FBI deep cover operative. The 10-episode drama will debut sometime in 2014. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Scarlett Byrne (who played Pansy Parkinson in the final three Harry Potter movies) has joined the cast of the TNT alien drama Falling Skies as a series regular. She will play a mysterious young woman with special powers and an unusual connection to the alien invaders, who is said to be key to the story next season. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Jordana Spiro (My Boys and The Mob Doctor) will appear in The Good Wife in the potentially recurring role of Jenna, a tough, funny and smart police detective who’s not opposed to mixing business with pleasure. (Michael Slezak at TV Line)

Actors William Sadler (Homeland and Roswell) and Justin Kirk (Weeds) will both guest star in an upcoming episode of The Blacklist with Sadler playing Sam, a man from Liz’s past who is gravely ill and reaches out to her while Kirk will play Nathaniel Wolff, the founder of a movement of anti-capitalists and the next criminal on the Blacklist. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW is developing a drama series around the young adult book series The Perfectionists by author Sara Shepard (the woman who wrote the book series Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game, both of which are/were on ABC Family). The Perfectionists is a murder mystery drama. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC Family is in the early stages of potential developing the box office film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle for the small screen in the form of an hour-long drama that would tell the story of a young, attractive nanny who terrorizes a suburban family from the inside. (Lacey Rose and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter franchise) and executive producer Mark Gordon are teaming up for a private eye drama at ABC that will be an hour-long character driven-drama about a former LAPD homicide detective whose disabling injury gives him a powerful new ability to solve difficult cases. (Lacey Rose at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter himself) will appear in the upcoming box office film called Gold that is based on the Pat Butcher book “The Perfect Distance” that covers the rivalry of Olympic athletes Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett in the years leading up to the 1980 Moscow Games. Radcliffe will appear as Coe. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects and Jack Reacher) will write and direct a live-action adaptation of the space-set 1970’s anime TV series Star Blazers that focus on what happens when Earth’s atmosphere has been obliterated by a distant alien race and the survivors have one year before radiation will reach their underground refuge and wipe out the human race. The survivors get a shot of hope in the form of alien technology that can deliver a small crew across the universe and back with the means to stave off extinction. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

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

Question: Revenge is SO good this season! What’s coming up for my favorite Hamptonites?! – Cory

TV Scoop Team: Want to learn more about Aiden? You’re in luck! A gorgeous, sexy and strong woman from his past named Niko will be introduced later this season as a nurse at a hospital. Why are they reunited at a hospital? A major shooting will be going down!

Question: In desperate need of Supernatural spoilers! – Emily

TV Scoop Team: In an episode fittingly titled “First Born,” fans will meet a retired demon named Cain, who was known as the Father of Murder who used to train the Knights of Hell. So what made him quit the game? Love! But Cain may be sticking around for a bit, so we’re thinking he could return to his old ways…

Question: The Blacklist is my favorite new show of the season! I need to know who has been spying on Tom and Liz ASAP! – Denise

TV Scoop Team: Prepare for answers, just not right away! “That will unquestionably come into play, who they are and why they’re watching and the sort of Big Brother element to it,” Ryan Eggold teases of Tom and Liz’s Peeping Toms. But when will we learn exactly what’s going on?! “At some point over the next six episodes we will get into that. They will definitely answer who these guys are and why they’re watching.”

Question: Any news on what comes next for Once Upon a Time‘s Neal, now that he is in Neverland? –Stephanie

Ausiello: Though it appears that Hook will soon share with the others the news of Neal’s presence on the island, SwanThief fans might be wise to worry about the pirate losing his latest (figurative!) grab of booty. As Colin O’Donoghue notes, “Hook spent 300 years looking for revenge because he lost one woman. Who knows what would happen to him if it happened again?” For the short-term, though, the sea captain won’t be making waves. “He is desperately trying his best to be a team player, to try and help save Henry. Because he now sees there’s more to life than that side of things,” the actor previews. That said, O’Donoghue warns, “It’s very easy to go back to old habits.”

Question: Got any good scoop on Witches of East End? —Ray

Ausiello: An upcoming episode will flash back 100 years to “reveal who Ingrid was then and why she is who is she is today,” previews Rachel Boston of her character’s previous lives, adding. “Because of the choices you make in another life, you’re still retaining that wisdom and information as you go into this life.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

AMC has renewed The Walking Dead for a fifth season. (Variety)

Actor John Larroquette (Night Court) will have a recurring role on the upcoming FOX futuristic drama Almost Human, playing Nigel, a genius roboticist who is sympathetic, highly intelligent and a bit broken. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

20th Century Fox has acquired the rights to the upcoming thriller Swedish novel “De Redan Döda” by author Robert Karjel for adaptation on the small screen. The story centers on a Swedish secret service agent summoned to a remote U.S. military base to interrogate a prisoner thought to be a fellow Swede. He is drawn into the complex investigation led by a female CIA agent, where the evidence takes them from the 2004 Thailand tsunami to a terrorist attack in Topeka, Kansas, and where no one is who they seem to be. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC is developing an hour-long project based on the Harlen Coben best-selling thriller “Gone For Good” that will center on Will Klein, whose endless search for his missing and allegedly murderous brother, Ken, is filled with so many twists and turns it leaves him doubting the actions of everybody he’s ever loved. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

CBS is developing a new as-yet titled project that would center on a defense attorney who takes on the most important case of his life: defending his own brother, a successful surgeon and father of two who is accused of murdering his wife. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILERS

Hot Trailer: X-Men: Days Of Future Past

Veronica Mars Movie Sneak Peek: Will LoVe Conquer All?

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Lifetime has renewed Drop Dead Diva for a 13-episode sixth season. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line and Entertainment Weekly)

Cinemax has ordered a 10-episode fourth (and final) season of its drama Strike Back. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Noah Bean (Nikita) will have a recurring role the upcoming FOX drama Gang Related, playing Jason Manning, a Stanford educated, rich hedge fund owner. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) will guest star in the mid-season FOX series Rake that stars Greg Kinnear in the title role. Imperioli will play a successful three-star restaurateur and father of five who is charged with bigomy. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Australian actress Peta Sergeant (who was the star of the failed – twice – CW pilot The Selection) will have a recurring role in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, playing a “force of nature in Wonderland”. Details on her character are being kept under wraps at this time. (Philiana Ng and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Jamey Sheridan (Homeland) will guest star in Suits, playing Charles Van Dyke, a former name partner at the law firm, when it was still known as Gordon Schmidt Van Dyke, who has an ax to grind. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Lee Tergesen (Oz) will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Following, which is set to return on January 20 on FOX. Tergesen will play Kurt Bolen, a normal family man who Ryan Hardy (series lead Kevin Bacon) suspects may harbor a dark secret. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Janet Montgomery (Made in Jersey and Human Target) and actor Xander Berkeley (Nikita) have joined the cast of WGN America’s first scripted drama called Salem that will be set in the 17th century, exploring the town’s infamous witch trials. Montgomery will play lead sorceress Mary Sibley, the confident and powerful wife of the ancient, ailing but very wealthy George Sibley. Berkeley will recur as Magistrate Hale, a politician who believes in pomp and circumstance. The cast already includes Ashley Madekwe (Revenge) and Seth Gabel (Fringe). This new series is set to debut in Spring 2014. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Sophina Brown (Numb3rs and Ravenswood) will co-star in the Bravo pilot Girlfriend’s Guide To Divorce that follows Abby (Lisa Edelsein from House), the famous author of a best-selling self-help book series. who is hiding the fact that she’s separated from her husband as she starts to navigate her life as a single woman in her early 40s in Los Angeles. Brown will play Abby’s best friend Kate who has to decide whether to stand by her as she’s going through this divorce or risk their years long friendship. Star Wars alum Carrie Fisher will make a cameo appearance in the pilot as Abby’s book editor, Cat. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Riley Smith (90210 and the short-lived drama Drive) will appear in the backdoor pilot for Lifetime called Deliverance Creek that centers on Belle (Lauren Ambrose from Six Feet Under) who attempts to defend her family’s land by any means necessary and is pushed into becoming an outlaw by the corrupt bank that runs their town. Smith will play Toby, Belle’s old beau who jilted here and left her to marry a man she didn’t love. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC is developing an untitled hour-long drama project with former Lost alum (and current star of the summer series Mistresses) Yunjin Kim based on the Korean drama series called Nine: Nine Time Travels. This potential series will center on a man with the ability to travel 20 years back in time who, in trying to alter a murder which destroyed his family, sets off a chain of events that impact the woman he loves and threatens his own life. He embarks on an odyssey through time to make things right. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC is developing another legal drama called Law Man from executive producer Carol Mendelsohn that is inspired by the Shon Hopwood memoir that chronicles the journey of a small town basketball star from young bank robber, to federal prison inmate, where he became the greatest jailhouse lawyer in American history. He went on to join the D.C. District Attorneys Investigative Unit where his life experience gives him insight into identifying the guilty from the innocent, as he struggles to fit back into the world that left him behind. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ONLINE DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Amy Aquino (Being Human and ER) has joined the cast of the Amazon drama called Bosch that is based on the Michael Connelly novels about Harry Bosh, who will be played by Titus Welliver (Lost and The Good Wife), a veteran police homicide detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. Aquino will play Lt. Grace Billets who is Harry’s immediate supervisor on the LAPD, in charge of the detectives who work out of Hollywood Station. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Jackass: Bad Grandpa – 32 million
2. Gravity – 20.3 million
3. Captain Phillips – 11.8 million
4. The Counselor – 8 million
5. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 – 6.1 million
6. Carrie – 5.9 million
7. Escape Plan – 4.3 million
8. 12 Years A Slave – 2.1 million
9. Enough Said – 1.5 million
10. Prisoners – 1 million

Actresses Eliza Dushku (Dollhouse) and Louisa Krause (Martha Marcy May Marlene) will appear in the upcoming box office film called Jane Wants A Boyfriend that explores a week in the life of a young woman (Krause) with Asperger’s, who enlists her older sister (Dushku) to help her find her first boyfriend. (The Deadline Team)

Noomi Rapce (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) will star in the independent sci-fi drama called What Happened to Monday? that will have Rapace playing the multiple roles of septuplet sisters who struggle to stay hidden in an overpopulated world where a one-child policy outlaws siblings. The seven must overcome their own differences and avoid government execution in order to solve the disappearance of one of their own. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

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

Question: I’m a simple woman…I just want Scandal spoilers. – Wendy

TV Scoop Team: You know how every time you watch Scandal you think to yourself: ‘Damn, Olivia Pope is a real badass’? Well, in an upcoming episode, Olivia might come face to face with another woman who quite possibly is more intimidating, more badass and definitely more dangerous than her. Prepare for a tough women showdown! Let’s hope Olivia has come to win. What are we saying, she always does that!

Question: Loving The Tomorrow People. What can we expect from Wednesday’s episode? – Ethan

TV Scoop Team: Oh, you’ll just learn why John hates Jedikiah so much, thanks to some illuminating flashback reveals. “There’s a lot of history, a lot of drama there. But throughout the first season, we keep flashing back to that relationship, and that’s very exciting,” Peyton List teases of the duo’s dynamic. “It’s not just, oh this is what it was, and this is where they stand. It’s like, no this happened over years, and years, and years, so there’s a lot to play with. There’s a lot there that the both of them get to sort of figure out. It’s good.”

Question: I still can’t breathe after that unbelievable CaptainSwan kiss on last night’s Once Upon a Time! What’s next for my favorite couple?! – Michelle

TV Scoop Team: Prepare yourself CaptainSwan lovers because this ship is about to face a rough storm. Now that Neal is on the island and Pan oh-so impolitely revealed this news to Hook, we’re about to witness a heated debate for Emma’s heart. But Colin O’Donoghue exclusively tells us that Hook’s relationship with Neal is “extremely complicated.” He explains, “Even though now technically they seem to be about the same age, Hook is old enough to kind of be his father figure, and I think an element of him still sees Neal as that little boy.” This is one strange love triangle. Especially when you recall that Hook used to hook up with Neal’s mom!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Kirk Acevedo (Fringe) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Blue Bloods, playing the criminal brother of Danny’s (series regular Donnie Wahlberg) partner Maria. (Zap2It and TV Line)

Actor Kristoffer Polaha (Ringer) will guest star in an upcoming episode of CSI, playing Darryl, a blue-collar mechanic who is likable and charming, who comes to the aid of Sara (Jorja Fox), Finlay (Elisabeth Shue) and Morgan (Elisabeth Harnois) when their car breaks down, but he may have darker intentions. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The CW is working on a new project, a one-hour drama called Players that will be set against the Golden Age of Hollywood, centering on a young Midwestern woman who moves to Los Angeles to avenge her sister’s death at the hands of a predatory studio head and finds herself swept up in the Hollywood star-making machine, unwittingly becoming the ingénue in a closeted movie star’s “lavender marriage”, and a pawn in a studio fixer’s scheme against the mob. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The cable network Starz is developing a drama project called Most Wanted that will be set in the Great Plains during the 1970s, tracing the rise and demise of Nate Daniels, a talented and prolific bank robber who finds himself on a collision course with his family and crew as he becomes one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

ABC is developing a drama called American Crime that will be written by feature film from writer John Ridley (12 Years A Slave) that will be set in California’s Central Valley, centering on a racially charged murder and the subsequent trial that will be examined through the personal lives of the victims, the accused and their families. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

It looks like CBS is developing a reboot to the WB series Charmed except this version will supposedly center around four sisters who discover their destiny – to battle against the forces of evil using their witchcraft. (Vulture and AJ Marechal at Variety)

ONLINE SERIES DEVELOPMENT

Amazon Studios is developing another drama called Grand Ave, a large-scale period drama set in 1910 Los Angeles, chronicling the explosive, overnight transformation of L.A. from small town to iconic American city. The show would revolve around a powerful, ruthless family and explores, in an upstairs/downstairs fashion, how the destiny of a select few coincided with a major metropolis on the verge of its grand arrival. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Luke Grimes (True Blood and Brothers & Sisters) has been cast as Christian Grey’s brother Elliot in the upcoming box office film Fifty Shades of Grey. (Justin Kroll at Variety)

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

Question: I need Scandal scoop stat! – Ryan

TV Scoop Team: There is a “distinct possibility” that we will see a face-off between former besties and Olivia’s paramours Fitz and Jake pretty soon, Scott Foley teases. Just don’t expect to see a flashback to their days in the Navy in upcoming episodes. “We have not seen that so far,” he says. “We’re on episode nine and we haven’t seen it yet.”

Question: Totally addicted to The Blacklist, so anything you can share would be appreciated. – Quinn

TV Scoop Team: Episode eight is a big one. Don’t miss it. Oh, you want more than that? Fine. Not only does someone on the team get severely injured in the episode, but Red comes face to face with one of his mortal enemies. Someone Red is scared of? This we can’t wait to see!

Question: Teen Wolf spoilers would be lovely, thanks! – Laura

TV Scoop Team: Fans will be meeting two new Beacon Hills High students in episode 20: Oliver and Meredith, who both seem have troubled pasts. While Oliver is soft-spoken and has a quiet intensity, he’ll prove to be a valuable source of info for one of our main characters, and Meredith is a lonely misfit who probably won’t be looking to connect with anyone around her anytime soon.

Question: What can you tell me about life after Ziva for NCIS‘ Tony? –Cheryl

Mitovich: As glimpsed in this week’s episode, Tony’s still working through his issues regarding her absence, so it’ll be some time before he opens his heart again. “I’m curious to see what’s next for him in his personal life, but we’re not going to rush into anything,” showrunner Gary Glasberg maintains. “Much like a real relationship, it takes time to recover and to figure out what’s next, and the one thing we’re really trying to do is approach this from the standpoint of as if it’s real. You have to give people” – the audience included – “time to ‘mourn’ and deal with their feelings, and then re-embrace why they watch NCIS.“

Question: I love Falling Skies and can’t wait until Season 4. We know that Robert Sean Leonard will appear in at least one episode, but what is the status on Gloria Reuben’s character? –Ganon

Mitovich: File this under “interesting”: At this time, there are no plans for the ER alum to return as Marina.

Question: Will Castle and Kate will get married mid-season or at the end Season 6? –Russell

Mitovich: Ha, nice try with the trick question. You know that show boss Andrew Marlowe refuses to confirm that vows will be exchanged this season. But if we are heading for a wedding, here’s how Nathan Fillion would like to see it play out. “I am, myself, not a huge fan of the big church wedding with everybody in stuffy suits,” he told me. “I’m a fan of the beach wedding, with everybody in linen. And if it meant an episode [filmed] in a tropical location, then that would be great, too.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The USA Network has renewed Suits for a 16-episode fourth season. (Variety)

ABC has given a 10-episode order for an adaptation of the upcoming Australian series called Secrets & Lies that won’t air “Down Under” until next year. That version stars actor Martin Henderson (Off the Map) as a patriarch who becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a young boy when he finds the body. The US version is current casting and looking for a showrunner. (Michael O’Connell at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace) will have a recurring role in the NBC mid-season drama Believe that will follow the unlikely relationship that develops between a young girl named Bo (newcomer Johnny Sequoyah) with a special gift and an escaped convict named Tate (Jake McLaughlin) when he’s sprung from prison and tasked with protecting her from the evildoers who covet her power. Jean-Baptiste will play CIA Deputy Director Brandice Comstock, a dangerous political lifer who is aligned with the series’ villain Roman Skouras (Kyle MacLachlan) in a conspiracy to capture and exploit Bo. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

CBS is developing a new crime drama based on the Austrian series Fast Forward that would center on a female homicide detective who juggles the demands of her job while co-parenting and working side-by-side with her newly divorced husband, the medical examiner. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

The CW is working on a new project with former 90210 showrunner Rebecca Sinclair and Carol Mendelsohn Productions that would be a period drama set in 1961 Malibu at the onset of the Southern California surf culture as well as the wave of social change that would transform America. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Looks like NBC is in the rebooting mode, as the network is considering reviving one of the most successful TV shows: Murder, She Wrote. But this time the potential hour-long drama would star Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. The project would be a light, contemporary procedural in the vein of Bones or Fargo, following a hospital administrator and amateur sleuth (Spencer) who self-publishes her first mystery novel. Set in a day where sensational headlines inundate the news, this woman’s avid fascination with true crime leads her to become an active participant in the investigations. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC has also ordered a script for a procedural based on the Thomas Sniegoski urban fantasy novel series about Remy Chandler, an angel who, having grown weary of celestial warfare, chooses to embrace earthly life and develop a deep appreciation for humans and their vices. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Jamie Dornan (Once Upon a Time) will supposedly replace actor Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) in the film adaptation of one of the most-buzzed about books of this modern date: Fifty Shades of Grey. (Variety)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Captain America The Winter Soldier Trailer

‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Instagram Teases Trailer on October 29

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Looks like ABC might be bringing be resurrecting the recently canceled Body of Proof, the medical drama that starred Dana Delany. This return is speculation at best, but it is possible the show could be back on the primetime line-up for mid-season. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Sean Maher (Firefly) will play super villain Mark Scheffer (aka Shrapnel), a serial bomber who places Starling City in a grip of terror and threatens the life of Sebastian Blood (recurring guest star Kevin Alejandro), on Arrow in an upcoming episode. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Richard Schiff (The West Wing) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Bones, playing the “Dr. Brennan of theoretical physics”. (Entertainment Weekly)

Actress-comedienne Whoopi Goldberg will provide the voice of Mrs. Rabbit on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Francia Raisa (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) has joined the cast of the Lifetime drama pilot called Unreal, which 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. Raisa will play Inez, a lesbian producer behind the scenes of the unscripted show who has a knack for finding great talent for the show. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Rob Lowe (Brothers & Sisters and The West Wing) is working with executive producer Kevin Falls on a new drama project for ABC called The Point that would be loosely based on the actor’s years growing up in Malibu. The project centers on a single mother and her two teenagers who move from Indiana to Malibu in the summer of 1976. The Byrd family must navigate the cross currents of colorful personalities, power land grabs, dead friends and lovers, cheating hearts, and seismic cultural changes that will transform Malibu from a quirky middle-class beach town to the iconic coastal destination of today’s rich and famous. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Chris Fedak, creator of the NBC fan favorite Chuck, is back with that network working on a fantasy drama that would revolve around people from different walks of life who receive an organ donation that turns out to be from “Earth’s mightiest hero.” (Cynthia Littleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Michelle Monaghan (Source Code) will play the lead role in the film adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel The Best of Me that follows a pair of former high school sweethearts who reunite when they both return to their small North Carolina hometown. (The Hollywood Reporter and Dark Horizons)

Actor Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) will star as legendary singer Elton John in the upcoming box office flick to be called Rocketman. (Dave McNary at Variety)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Vera Farmiga Charms Andy Garcia in First Trailer for ‘At Middleton’

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

Question: How will Oliver get out of being trapped by Laurel and the cops on Arrow? — Jon

NATALIE: “He doesn’t get out of it, he lowers his bow,” Stephen Amell teases. But fear not, Oliver won’t be sitting alongside his mom in prison. “He gets out of the situation with some very unlikely assistance,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim reveals. Here’s hoping it’s Canary-related!

Question: What’s coming up for Deacon on Nashville? Will he be able to play guitar again soon? — Samantha

ADAM: While you shouldn’t expect to see Deacon picking up a six-string just yet, Charles Esten tells us that his character will get back to making music very soon. “I play a little light piano in this week’s episode,” he says. (Fittingly enough, the episode will also feature a turning point for Rayna, who is also struggling to regain her singing voice.) As for Deacon’s emotional healing, look for him to continue growing closer with his daughter Maddie in the coming weeks. In fact, I hear the two might even perform together. Will he be strumming by then?

Question; Is it too early to ask for some Justified scoop? — Caleb

ADAM: Nope, and according to series star Walton Goggins, it may soon be too late! Goggins tells us that, as executive producer Graham Yost has hinted, the show is treating its fifth season as the beginning of the end. “We’re all looking at it as 26 episodes, not 13,” Goggins says, noting that he thinks that the sixth season will be its last. “I am looking at this as the longtail of my Justified experience. We’re laying the groundwork for that.” As for what Goggins’ Boyd Crowder will be up to in the wake of his wife’s arrest in last season’s finale, it doesn’t sound pretty. “He’s angry and he feels impotent. If he can’t break through that glass ceiling, he’s going to shatter it with his bullets,” Goggins says. “He is in a place of volatility… that he’s never been before in his life, and he’s acting out in ways that I could not have foreseen.”

Question: I would love some Grimm scoop. –Stacie

Ausiello: Now that Juliette is an in-the-know member of the gang, she and Capt. Renard will probably share more screen time. But don’t expect them to rehash the insanity of their Season 2 hook-up. “Sasha [Roiz] and I have chosen to play it in a certain way where there is a subtle acknowledgement when those two characters are in a scene together, but [it’s] nothing blatant,” Bitsie Tulloch tells us. “They’re not really addressing it.” (Don’t worry, we’re sure the captain will find some other reason to take off his shirt in the coming episodes.)

Question: Do you have any scoop on Nikita? The wait is killing us. —Abbie

Ausiello: TVLine’s architecture critic Meg Masters recently stepped foot in Season 4′s “lair in the air” set and issued this exclusive-to-AA review: “It does not disappoint. While it’s hard to replace the old Division digs, the new headquarters, while cozy, bear all the Nikita staples — action figures, assorted trinkets and nerd caves included.” And in case you missed the big news, Nikita‘s farewell season kicks off in less than a month.

Question: Revolution scoop, please! —Lizzy

Ausiello: Supernatural‘s Jim Beaver makes his Revo debut this Wednesday playing “the Secretary of the Interior of the great sovereign nation of Texas” whose “got a problem with these Patriots,” explains EP Eric Kripke. “Jim’s character is a lifeline to Miles, who is like, ‘If I can get Texas, which is a nation of gunslingers and lawmen, to join me in the fight against these guys, I actually have a chance at beating them.’ So Miles needs to convince Jim’s character to join the fight. But you know twists and turns and hilarity ensue.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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