Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Matthew Atkinson (Jane By Design) will have a multi-episode arc on Parenthood when the show returns for its fifth season this fall. He will play Zach, the drummer in the band fronted by new arrival Oliver (Tyson Ritter from the band All American Rejects), who bonds with Amber (series regular Mae Whitman) while recording at the Luncheonette. Parenthood returns to NBC on September 26. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. will be showing up in the new Lifetime drama Witches of East End, that is set to debut on October 6. He will play Leo Wingate, an entomologist with a chivalrous streak who has a crush on Wendy Beauchamp (actress Madchen Amick). (Entertainment Weekly and TV Equals)

Actress Allie Gonino (The Lying Game) has joined the cast of the Sundance Channel six-episode drama series The Road (previously called The Descendants). The mini-series will revolve around a weathered sheriff struggling to keep his family together while policing two clashing communities: the folks in the small town in which he grew up and those in the neighboring Ramapo Mountains. She will play Rachel, the eldest daughter of the as-yet-uncast local cop struggling to keep his family together. She has a Romeo and Juliet-type relationship with a 16-year-old Native American from the neighboring mountains. The cast already includes actors Tim Sizemore and Jason Momoa. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Doug Jones (Falling Skies and Hellboy) will appear this season on the MTV thriller Teen Wolf as a “known killer” named Barrow. He will appear in a 2014 episode of the series, which airs its mid-season finale on August 19. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Syfy has acquired the first two seasons (23 episodes in total) of the popular New Zealand scripted series The Almighty Johnsons that follows the Johnson boys, four typical fun-loving guys – who have inherited the power of Norse Gods. But these four brothers are no flashy superheroes. Everyday Gods have everyday struggles – searching for love, overcoming sibling rivalry and fulfilling their God-like destiny – while still enjoying a few beers with their mates. The series will premiere on Syfy sometime next year. (Seat42F)

Lifetime has official renewed their new soap opera Devious Maids for a 13-episode second season. This renewal was actually announced by NBC Latino back on August 1, but this is the official word from the network. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

NBC has landed a prison drama pilot from novelist-feature film writer Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) called Paradise that will be set in the late 21st century in the city of Las Vegas, which is now the world’s largest maximum-security prison, known as Paradise. Matthew Turner, M.D., is its newest inmate, who was convicted of a murder he didn’t commit. Desperate to get back to his family and prove his innocence, Matthew will have to find a strength he never knew he had, and stay alive long enough to do the one thing no inmate has ever done: escape. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Leslie Hope (24 and Revolution) has joined the cast of the FX drama pilot The Strain from director-writer Guillermo del Toro. The thriller will star Corey Stoll (House of Cards) as Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the head of a Center for Disease Control team in New York City. Unexpectedly, the group is tasked with investigating a mysterious viral outbreak with the hallmarks of an ancient, evil strain of vampirism. Hope will play Joan Luss, one of the few survivors of the outbreak. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actors Chris Diamantopoulos (The Starter Wife and Arrested Development) and Jake Sandvig (the box office film Sky High) will have starring roles in the Syfy 90-minute pilot called High Noon that is an imaginative, out-of-this-world adventure series exploring what happens when Earth establishes colonies to mine the Moon’s resources and discover a new form of life. Chaos erupts in a genuinely emotional, humorously thrilling and always unexpected fashion as the colonists of the Moon race to uncover this life form’s powerful secrets. The project is based on the novel “The Lotus Caves” by John Christopher and will be executive produced by Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls) [among others]. Diamantopoulos will portray Ian, a chief investigator for the American federal government who has been dispatched to the moon to figure out the causes of an explosion, and becomes stunned by what he discovers. Sandvig will play Marty, whose felony conviction requires that he serve prison time as a moon laborer. (The Futon Critic)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

The Weinstein Co. has acquired the TV rights to best-selling narrative nonfiction book, “The Hours of Peril” by Daniel Stashower with plans to make it a TV mini-series. The project will tell the true story of how the legendary detective Allan Pinkerton and his most trusted operative, Kate Warne, America’s first female private eye, raced against the clock to detect and prevent a plot to assassinate President-Elect Abraham Lincoln before he could take the oath of office. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Kirsten Dunst is set to play the female lead in the upcoming box office film Midnight Special, starring alongside Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton. The film will focus on a father and his 8-year old who go on the run when dad realizes the boy has some kind of special powers. There is no word yet what role Dunst has in the film though. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Australian actor Sullivan Stapleton (Strike Back and the upcoming 300 sequel) will star in the upcoming crime thriller film called Kill Three Times. There are no details available on the film at this time. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with the staff at E! Online)

Question: LOVED all the Scandal spoilers from Shonda and the cast, thank you! Anything else you can share? Will the new season actually be just as good as season two? – Brenda

E! Online: From what I’ve seen so far, the intensity does not waiver! Episode three in particular looks to be bananas, with a sniper and SWAT team and secret service galore.

Question: Literally dying for any scoop on the new season of TVD! Please deliver me some goodies! – Beth

E! Online: There will be zero deaths this season. Just kidding! Come on now, this is The Vampire Diaries, where there are more deaths than good-looking people…and that’s saying a lot! We can tell you that Elena and Caroline will experience the death of one of their fellow freshman when they hit college come October. But with mourning comes potential romance as their classmate’s death will lead one of the ladies to meet a possible new love interest: Aaron, a handsome co-ed who may have a connection the dearly departed.

Question: Revenge scoop? Is anyone else going to die? – Marrissa

E! Online: Yes, there will be at least one death this season. We can also tell you that someone notable ends up in the emergency room in episode four. It’s a life or death situation that requires defibrillator paddles, so if you’re an uberfan, you might want to have your own pair on standby!

Question: I know the first episode is pretty far off, but any chance for White Collar spoilers? – Andy

E! Online: What do you know, we were just onset to talk to the cast about the season-five premiere, and we’ll let you in a on a little secret: it’s a big episode of Peter and Elizabeth, and not in a good way. Someone from Peter’s past will show up and really put a strain on the couple’s relationship. And here’s another hint: the person from Peter’s past is a woman.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

BOOK NEWS (TV RELATED)

Showtime and Neil Jordan, the series creator of the recently defunct series The Borgias have announced the release of his new e-book “The Borgia Apocalypse”, which is based on Jordan’s original script for the show’s two-hour finale. The e-book should be available this week. (TV By the Numbers)

The next book in the Nikki Heat series, written by fictional TV character Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion in the TV series Castle entitled “Deadly Heat” will be released on September 17. The series will be back for its sixth season on ABC on September 23. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Hart Hanson, creator of the TV series Bones and Jason Horwitch, creator of the TV shows Rubicon and Medical Investigation, have teamed up for a new crime drama procedural with a romantic twist for FOX. The project, which is being called Noone, will be set in San Francisco, focusing on a female police detective and her unlikely ally. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Elysium – $30.4 million
2. We’re the Millers – $26.6 million
3. Planes – $22.5 million
4. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters – $14.6 million
5. 2 Guns – $11.1 million
6. The Smurfs 2 – $9.5 million
7. The Wolverine – $8 million
8. The Conjuring – $6.7 million
9. Despicable Me 2 – $5.7 million
10. Grown Ups 2 – $3.7 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Saoirse Ronan in First Trailer for Kevin Macdonald’s ‘How I Live Now’

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Lyndon Smith (90210) will have a recurring role in Parenthood, playing Natalie, a fellow freshman Drew’s (series regular Miles Heizer) college class at Berkeley on whom Drew quickly develops a huge crush. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Hilarie Burton (White Collar and One Tree Hill) will have a recurring role on the new fall CBS drama Hostages that will follow Dr. Ellen Sanders (series lead Toni Collette), a top-shelf surgeon who with her family is abducted by terrorists the night before she is to operate on the President of the United States. Burton will recur as Samantha, an assistant to Brian Sanders (series regular Tate Donovan), Ellen’s secret-keeping, commercial real estate-dealing husband. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Rebecca Mader (Lost) will guest star on the season finale of Drop Dead Diva, playing a dominatrix who hires Grayson (series regular Jackson Hurst) to represent her when a client refuses to pay her for services rendered. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Teryl Rothery (Stargate: SG-1 and Cedar Cove) will make a guest appearance on Arrow this fall, but there are no details as to what part she will play. (Blastr)

Actress Juliette Lewis has been cast in the upcoming limited series from FOX called Wayward Pines that follows Secret Service agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon), who arrives in the bucolic town of Wayward Pines, Idaho, on a mission to find two missing federal agents. But instead of answers, Ethan’s investigation only turns up more questions. Lewis will play Beverly, a local bartender who’s also suspicious of “Wayward Pines”. (Jethro Nededog at The Wrap)

TV SERIES TRAILER

Hot TV Trailer: ‘Homeland’ Season 3

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FOX is developing an apocalyptic event series called World War III from X-Men writer David Hayter and Hatfields & McCoys producer Leslie Greif. The project will center on what happens when a perfect storm of world events places us in the center of a global battle which may bring the world as we know it to an end. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) may be returning to the primetime line-up in a project that is being shopped to broadcast and cable networks. The project would focus on how the CIA handles hotspots around the globe, with Heigl playing an adviser/communications liaison for the U.S. president. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and USA Today)

CBS is developing a new drama project called Dorothy that is described as a medical soap based in New York City inspired by the characters and themes from The Wizard of Oz. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Hugh Grant has been cast in the upcoming box office film The Man From U.N.C.L.E. He joins Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) and Armie Hammer (The Lone Ranger). Grant will play the head of British naval intelligence. (The Deadline Team)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Judi Dench Looks for Her Son with Steve Coogan in ‘Philomena’ Trailer

Watch: Another International Trailer for ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: I’d like some Once Upon a Time scoop — especially about the “Boy Who Never Grew Up.” –Mason

Mitovich: You may be wondering, as I was, why Once‘s Peter Pan is a force “we all should fear”? (Or was Rumple overselling it?) “There’s a history between those two,” series co-creator Adam Horowitz affirms. “There is a big reason why he said if you’re going to be scared of someone, this is the guy to be scared of.” But there is also a degree of professional respect. “When you meet Pan, you’re going to see a very, very, very clever person,” says Eddy Kitsis. “And if there’s one thing Rumple admires, it’s somebody who has game.”

Question: Please help us, we are all dying here! What else can you say about Regina’s new love interest/”special someone” on Once Upon a Time? –Ana

Mitovich: Fine, fine. I doubled back with the boys and Horowitz said that this “someone” “becomes a part of the show very quickly” – within the first five episodes – “but in a way that you don’t expect.”

Question: Is there some kind of time jump in the Castle season premiere? –Sandra

Mitovich: No, Season 6 opens “right where we left off,” there at the swings, Nathan Fillion confirms. “The only difference, I think, is I’ve had a haircut or two!” But then, once the matters of the marriage proposal and Beckett’s career decision are resolved, “We do jump ahead three or four months.”

Question: Where’s the Pretty Little Liars love? Anything on Aria/Ezra? –Jeanine

Mitovich: In short, “Their worlds collide” in an upcoming episode, Lucy Hale tells us. “You find out things about Ezra that you never knew about, and he’s let into this secret world of Aria and what she’s been dealing with with ‘A’, which is very exciting for people to get to see.”

Question: With all the craziness that went down in the season finale, are we going to be seeing a whole new Haven or will it still be Audrey’s story? –Aimee

Mitovich: As Season 4 opens on Sept. 13, the titular town will be “going through some serious growing pains,” EPs Matt McGuinness and Gabrielle Stanton tell the Inside Line. “Of course Audrey will be there — Haven and Audrey are inexorably tied — but it’s a ‘difficult’ union. The real questions are: Who is Audrey? Where did she come from? Who does she really love? And we’ll deal with that big-time this season!”

Question: Revenge going to have a flash-forward this year? — Jane

Sandra: Yes. Incoming showrunner Sunil Nayar revealed to me that that’s one tradition they definitely wanted to remain intact. And according to one castmember (coughthewonderfulGabrielManncough), the kicker of the flash-forward will reveal “the mother of all bodies.”

Question: Are we ever going to see more of Jasika Nicole on Scandal? I just love her! More Huck backstory please! — Nimmy

Sandra: Guillermo Diaz would definitely be up for it! “I would love to see her again and have more scenes with her and [his son]. I hope Shonda [Rhimes] brings them back, but I don’t know yet,” he tells me. But if you dig flashbacks, you’ll love episode 2, where we travel back in time once again. “We will see Huck in the past again with Olivia and we’re going to get more of a glimpse into their relationship in the past,” Diaz says.

Question: NCIS: LA question: How does/is Hetty handling everything that is going on? — Anna

Sandra: If by “everything” you mean the massively traumatic events that we first saw in the finale and will continue to see in the premiere, then … probably not well. In fact, according to executive producer Shane Brennan, psychologist Nate Getz (Peter Cambor) will be making a grand reappearance in the second episode, which takes place three or four months after the finale/premiere. “Nate returns because people are having problems with what happened,” he says. “I know a number of months have passed, but at that point, there are still issues. It’s something that plays out for some time.”

Question: Have any Suits scoop? — Amy

Sandra: The first images from the much-touted flashback episode have arrived! As you may have read, the episode will find Mike in college and Harvey in the DA’s office. “It ties together just a lot of things from 10 years ago,” EP Aaron Korsh dishes of the episode, titled “The Other Time” (airing Aug. 20). “I will say it also deepens the insight into Mike’s relationship with Trevor in several ways. And we might also see some other old friends pop up in that episode.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Lyndie Greenwood (Sonya on Nikita) has landed a recurring role on the new FOX drama Sleepy Hollow. She will play Jenny Mills, the sister of Abbie Mills (series lead Nicole Beharie). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Roma Maffia (Nip/Tuck and Pretty Little Liars) will make a guest appearance on NCIS, playing Vera Strickland, an experienced, tough Special Agent who is on the cusp of retirement, who just might have some history with Gibbs (series lead Mark Harmon). (Liz Raftery at TV Guide)

The French TV channel TF1 is working on a 12-episode drama series called Taxi: Brooklyn South that will be set and filmed in the US with the following American TV stars: Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy), Jennifer Esposito, Ally Walker (Profiler), James Colby (Body Of Proof) and Bill Heck (Person Of Interest) and American film stars Jacky Ido (Inglorious Basterds) and Jose Zuniga (Twilight). The drama series will center on Caitlyn Sullivan (Leigh), a brilliant investigator at the Brooklyn Police Station whose stubborn character and recklessness behind the wheel have made her an outcast within the NYPD. She teams with Marseille-born Leo Romba, a happy New York Taxi driver full of energy and care for his clients, to form the most improbable and efficient partnership to solve crimes and mysteries around Brooklyn. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Tobias Menzies (Game of Thrones) has landed a role in the upcoming Starz adaptation of Outlander, based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon. Outlander follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. Menzies will play Claire’s 20th century husband Frank Randall, a professional historian with a deep interest in the 18th century and his own genealogy. He also will play Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall, Frank’s ancestor from the 18th century, a Captain in the English Army posted into Scotland during a time when rebellion was rife. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Steven Culp (Desperate Housewives) will have a recurring role on Revolution, playing clean-cut Edward Truman, a dignified authority figure. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

CBS has ordered a straight-to-series sci-fi thriller called Extant from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and CBS Television Studio. The new series will chronicle a female astronaut struggling to adapt to life on earth after a year in space. (Lucas Shaw at The Wrap)

ABC has ordered an untitled cop from Dana Calvo that is under the umbrella of Shondaland. The series will be set in one of America’s most eclectic and vibrant cities, following an unorthodox detective and his methodical new partner as they solve cases that only seem to happen in the neon wilds of Miami. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actress Jordana Spiro (The Mob Doctor) has joined the cast of the FX drama pilot Tyrant that includes actor Justin Kirk (Weeds) as part of the cast. The drama will revolve around an unassuming American Family, Barry, Molly and their kids, who are drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Spiro will play Dana, the wife to John Tucker (Kirk) and with whom she works at the American Embassy as a cultural attaché. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Kimberly Elise (VH1’s Hit the Floor) has joined the cast of the upcoming Lifetime movie A Day Late & A Dollar Short that will star Whoopi Goldberg and Ving Rhames. The movie is about a woman (Goldberg) who finds out that she has only weeks to live and sets about finding a way to get her dysfunctional but loving adult children to reconcile with each other. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Judy Greer will star alongside George Clooney, Hugh Laurie (House) and Britt Robertson (Under the Dome) in the upcoming box office film called Tomorrowland. Details on her role as well as background on the movie, however, are being kept under tight wraps. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

Actress Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film The Road Within that will follow a young man with Tourette’s (Robert Sheehan from this month’s The Mortal Instruments), who breaks out of a residential home with an anorexic woman (actress Zoe Kravitz from X-Men: First Class) and his OCD roommate (Dev Patel from The Newsroom and Slumdog Millionaire) to take his mother’s ashes to the ocean. Sedgwick will play Dr. Mia Rose, who runs the clinic where the trio are patients. (Jen Yamato at Deadline)

Actress Kate Winslet will star in the upcoming box office film called The Dressmaker that follows Tilly Dunnage, who returns after many years in Europe to her Australian outback hometown. But this isn’t your average return trip home as Dunnage has revenge on her mind. Dunnage, a talented dressmaker, is coming home after she ran away as a child, somehow being accused of murder; hoping to make amends with her eccentric mother, who will be played by Judy Davis. The film is based on Rosalie Ham book of same name. (The Hollywood Reporter and First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: First Trailer for George Clooney’s ‘Monuments Men’ Hits

Alan Rickman Runs New York’s ‘CBGB’ in All-Star Rock Comedy Trailer

Q&A SECTION (with E! Online)

Question: Loved the Scandal stories! I’m dying for it to come back. Can you fix my withdrawal with some spoilers? – Tammie in St. Louis:

E! Online: Darby Stanchfield tells us she really wants Abby to get some loving this season. “It would be nice for Abby to be happy. She’s had the school of hard knocks,” she says. “Especially at the end of last season, it was a bitter pill to swallow that David pulled one over on all of them. And what she doesn’t like is liars and cheaters!” So there’s no hope for Abby and David? “It would be interesting to see more of Abby and David, but I also want her to branch out and try someone new,” Stanchfield reveals.

Question: Will Beckett accept Castle’s proposal?! Sept. 23 is too far away! – Kasaraleann:

E! Online: We totally agree, so here’s some Caskett info to feed your frenzy in the meantime! We recently caught up with Seamus Dever and asked him if he thinks that Beckett will say “I do!” to Castle’s proposal. “I think she is going to search deep into her heart and I think she is going to consider all her possibilities and she’s going to do what’s best for Beckett,” he said. Come on Dever, you’ve gotta give us a little more than that! After a bit of soul-searching, Dever admitted, “I hope she says…The fact that they’re in love and they’re good at what they do is all about the future of this show and the idea that all these things can coexist.” Woo-hoo! Let’s hope Castle finally puts a ring on it this season.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse) will guest star on Supernatural this fall as Ezekiel, one of fallen angels from the show’s season 8 finale. Supernatural will be back with its 9th season on The CW starting on October 8. (Sydney Bucksbaum at Zap2It)

It looks like actress Amanda Righetti and actor Owain Yeoman are leaving the CBS series The Mentalist. They play special agents Grace Van Pelt and Wayne Rigsby. The network has yet to comment on their exits, though. (E! Online and TV Line)

Actor Sam Underwood (Dexter) is joining the cast of the FOX serial killer series The Following this fall, playing Luke, a very complicated and dangerous young man who may or may not be a follower of the “late” Joe Carroll. Also, Underwood will be showing up in the upcoming third season of Homeland, playing a troubled friend of Dana’s. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Manolo Cardona, who is playing Teo Braga on Covert Affairs right now, will have a recurring role on the new CW drama Reign. He will play Tomas, the dashing Prince of Portugal. Reign will debut on The CW on October 17. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Jason Dohring (Veronica Mars and Moonlight) will have guest role on the new CW series The Tomorrow People, playing Killian McCrane, a former paranormal operative who once worked with John (series regular Luke Mitchell) at Ultra, the paramilitary group that hunts down the Tomorrow People. The Tomorrow People will debut on The CW on October 9. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Ryan McPartlin (Chuck) will guest star in Hart of Dixie this fall, playing Carter Covington, a chivalrous and extremely charming Southern gentleman who is one of the most eligible bachelors in the South and every Southern Belle’s dream husband. Hart of Dixie is back on The CW on October 7. (Robyn Ross at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actor Justin Kirk (Weeds) has joined the cast of the FX drama pilot called Tyrant that tells the story of an unassuming American family (Barry, Molly and their kids), who are drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle East nation. Kirk will play a sexy, decadent and mysterious American diplomat with a hidden agenda. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Meryl Streep will join Jeff Bridges in the box office adaptation of the Lois Lowry novel The Giver. She will play the chief elder, the authoritarian charged with keeping order in a society that seems utopian. That control is endangered when a young man (Brenton Thwaites) is chosen to be the receiver of memories of life before the “sameness” movement which numbed the population and created conformism. Bridges plays the title character who delivers those memories that unlock a rebellion in the young man. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: ‘Thor: The Dark World’

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

Question: This is our last season for Nikita scoop, so spill! – Daniel

E! Online: Prepare to meet a new badass woman who will not exactly want to be best friends with our favorite spies. Ellen Crawford is a forensics accountant, and she gets her claws on Alex in episode three via an intense interrogation. Their first meeting does not go well, and Alex winds up in a possibly fatal position.

Question: Supernatural scoop, pretty please?! – Casey

E! Online: Prepare for flashbacks to the ‘30s in episode four, which is titled “Slumber Party.” In the same episode, we’ll meet a young new hunter named Dorothy, who is from a very far away land that is supposed to be fictional. Keywords here: “supposed to be.”

Question: Hart of Dixie scoop, please! – Lyla

E! Online: A new Breeland woman is coming to Bluebell: Grandma Bettie! Lemon’s grandmother hits town to help her granddaughter preserve the Breeland name. A pillar of the Southern Belle community, Bettie is strong, upscale and take-charge. Hmmm…we wonder whom Lemon gets her personality from?

Question: Any news on where Revenge will pick up when season three starts? – SavannahRidout

E! Online: Pack your bags, Hamptonites, because we’re going back to visit our favorite revenge-loving characters. Season three will pick up a few months after we last saw Victoria’s long-lost son appear on her doorstep, shocking her enough to drop her glass. However, Madeleine Stowe tells us that she and her son Patrick, played by Smallville hunk Justin Hartley, have developed a “very close relationship” over these past months together, and Daniel is not happy about it one bit. “She’s not trying to make him crazy, but she really wants to have a good, clean, honest relationship. But, of course, this is Revenge, so something terrible is going to happen,” she says. Patrick is the result of a pedophiliac relationship Victoria went through when she was around 15 years old, and it looks like these circumstances have affected her son’s psyche. “He deeply, deeply loves his mother and will do anything to take her side,” Stowe says, “I’ve been given hints and it’s quite dark.” Yikes!

Question: I’m all about Devious Maids, so any spoilers would be mucho appreciated. – Lorena

E! Online: Don’t think for a second that Devious Maids will pull a Killing season one and not wrap up big storylines in the finale. Roslyn Sanchez and Ana Ortiz tell us that we will find out who killed Flora, and everything will be resolved by the end of the season. The reveal of Flora’s murder will be the big arc in the finale, and then, hopefully, plotlines will be set up for the show’s second season.

Question: Any new spoilers on NCIS: Los Angeles? — Marc

ADAM: Executive producer (and hyperbolic quote-giver) Shane Brennan insists that the conclusion of last year’s cliff-hanger in the Season 5 premiere “will have the greatest consequence of any story we’ve told.” So what does that mean exactly? Although it’s safe to assume that Sam and Deeks will escape torture, their emotional scars won’t heal instantly. In fact, the post-traumatic stress will be too much for somebody to bear. “This season, someone will leave the team,” Brennan reports. Guesses?

Question: Do you have more details on Regina’s love interest on Once Upon a Time? — Micah

NATALIE: We’ll meet her love interest very early on in the season, which presumably means that he or she hails from Neverland. “It’s a side of the character of Regina we’ve only touched upon in the first two seasons,” executive producer Adam Horowitz says. “We’re excited to see more of that and more importantly to explore her capacity for love.” Does anyone else think she could be paired with him?

Question: Got any Castle scoop that doesn’t involve the proposal? What about Ryan’s impending fatherhood? — Gina

ADAM: The prospect of becoming a daddy will definitely affect Ryan’s work this season. “You’re going to see a lot of choices that Ryan is going to make [about] how he feels about being a cop at this point,” Seamus Dever tells us. “We’re going to see him be a little uncomfortable with being in the line of fire and being in danger’s way. It’s also going to affect his relationship with Esposito.” Does this mean that the bromance could be over? “They’re no longer single dudes,” Dever says. “Ryan is like, ‘I have to go home and see the wife. That’s the way it is.'”

Question: Any scoop on Revenge? — Harold

NATALIE: Get ready for people to switch teams! After losing Emily to Daniel, Aiden seeks other allies. “That’s what’s interesting about Aiden this year; he’s sleeping with the enemy a little bit!” Barry Sloane spilled to us. So who is he working with? “I’ve been working a lot with Madeleine [Stowe],” he teases.

Question: Thanks for the Scandal scoop. What else can you tease? — Jessie

NATALIE: While Olivia and her associates are dealing with the fallout of Mistress-gate, a flashback within the first two episodes will likely shed light on those illicit, pre-election days, Darby Stanchfield says. “We find out answers to things we thought we already knew, but they’re totally not like you think,” she says.

Question: Do you really think that Kenya is dead on Defiance? Or has Stahma squirreled her way somewhere so they can keep up their lady-loving ways? –Cinders

Ausiello: Let’s just say that production on Season 2 starts Monday, and a certain someone’s name is MIA (as in Kirshner) from this returning cast list: Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Stephanie Leonidas, Tony Curran, Jaime Murray, Graham Greene, Jesse Rath, Dewshane Williams, Trenna Keating, Justin Rain and Nicole Munoz.

Question: I’d like to know more about the new season of Once Upon A Time! –Joe

Ausiello: Lost fans just might get a sense of Season 4 deja vu when the Jolly Roger drops anchor in Neverland, and its passengers ultimately face the decision of who to follow. “You’ve got five people on a ship who all think they’re leaders, so we’ll have to see how they react when they face their first obstacle,” series co-creator Eddy Kitsis hints. Adds Adam Horowitz, “There’s certainly some friction, but there’s also a shared goal they have to achieve” — finding Henry. “The question is: Will they achieve it together, separately or at all?”

Question: We Gladiators will take what Scandal scoop we can get! —Miranda

Ausiello: Asked to describe the state of Fitz and Mellie’s marriage when the ABC hit returns next month, series creator Shonda Rhimes demurs, “That’s going to be really tough to answer without giving it away.” But after mulling it over for a few seconds, Rhimes delivers a most intriguing tease, allowing that first couple “are still together” and “Mellie is in caretaking mode.”

Question: Just wanted know about anything on Arrow season 2. —Dana

Ausiello: If you ever wondered how Oliver’s island existence, seen in flashback, could have been any worse, here’s a short answer for you: pirates.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The cable network Starz has cancelled Magic City after two seasons. The series finale will air this coming Friday. (AJ Marechal at Variety)

Fan favorite actor Mark Sheppard will have a “substantial arc” on White Collar when the popular USA Network returns this fall for its fifth season. Sheppard will appear in seven episodes, reprising a role he played in the show’s pilot. He played Curtis Hagen, a shady art forger nicknamed “The Dutchman,” who was apprehended by Peter Burke and sent to prison. Neal will strike a deal with Hagen in order to help Peter, who took the fall for the shooting of a senator at the end of Season 4. But the kinds of demands that Hagen makes of Neal could lead Neal back to his old life as a criminal and con man. (Maureen Ryan at The Huffington Post)

Actress Leslie Hope (24 and Revolution) will guest star in an upcoming episode of NCIS this fall, playing Sarah Porter, a high-level Navy official. NCIS will back for season 11 starting on September 24. (Matt Mitovich at TV Guide)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Last Resort creator and executive producer Karl Gajdusek and executive producer Shawn Ryan are teaming up for another drama series project called Freedom at ABC. The project is based on an original idea by Gajdusek who will write the script. The story will follow a group of brilliant, eclectic, freethinking Ivy League students who help create “Freedom,” the next resistance movement to government and corporate powers modeled after hacker collectives like Anonymous or Wikileaks that are now dominating the public’s attention. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Netflix has acquired the rights to Marco Polo, the upcoming 13th century-set series about the legendary adventurer that had been previously set up a Starz. The series would follow the true story of the world’s greatest storyteller, an epic and cinematic adventure of high politics, masterful manipulation and deadly warfare. The nine-episode series will chronicle the famed explorer’s journey during his early years in the court of Kublai Khan. It is believed the series will hit Netflix sometime in 2014. (Michael Schneider at TV Guide)

Bravo has ordered an hour-long dramedy pilot called Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce from Marti Noxon (of Buffy and Angel fame). The pilot is based on the book series by executive producer Vicki Iovine, following a best-selling author of a self-help book series who is secretly hiding her separation from her husband as she starts to navigate her life as a single woman in her 40s in Los Angeles. She starts to side with and take advice more from her divorced friends rather than her married ones, and it leads her to some unexpected and life-changing experiences. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

NOTE: This sounds eerily like a web series “Dating in LA and Other Urban Myths” that my friend and fellow entertainment news blogger Danielle Turchiano just directed with blogger Patricia Steffey. Ironic? I think not!

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Naomi Watts in ‘Diana’ Romantic Biopic International Trailer

Hot Teaser Trailer: ‘Muppets Most Wanted’

Must Watch: Second Trailer for Gavin Hood’s ‘Ender’s Game’ Movie

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The 12th Time Lord was announced yesterday. Scottish actor Peter Capaldi will take over the reigns as the Doctor on Doctor Who. (BBC America and Twitter)

Actress Shannon Kane (All My Children) will have a recurring role on the new CW spin-off series The Originals, playing Sabine, a wild, bold, sexy and street-smart tour guide in New Orleans who also happens to secretly be a leading member of the French Quarter’s witch community. (Kristin Dos Santos at E!)

Actress Janina Gavankar (True Blood) will guest star on The Vampire Diaries as a beautiful, exotic and self-assured woman who comes to Mystic Falls to rekindle an old flame. (TV Line)

All American Reject’s frontman Tyson Ritter will have a major recurring role in this fall’s Parenthood, playing Oliver Rome, the immature, egomaniacal, tantrum-prone lead singer of a hot new rock band that is recording at the Luncheonette. But underneath the attitude, Oliver is actually a decent guy. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MTV has renewed Awkward. for a fourth season with new showrunners Chris Alberghini and Mike Chessler at the helm. (Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Lionsgate has optioned the rights to the best-selling Crossfire series of romantic novels by author Sylvia Day, planning to turn them into a TV series. The book series centers on Eva Tramell, a young up-and comer in the advertising world, and billionaire businessman, Gideon Cross who are both trying to overcome their devastating and abusive pasts. As they are intensely drawn to one another, both physically and emotionally, the two must find a way to heal each other in order to move on and establish a healthy romantic relationship. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Maura Tierney (The Good Wife) has joined the cast of the Showtime drama pilot called The Affair that will focus on Noah (Dominic West), a good husband, devoted father of four, and New York City high school teacher whose settled, comfortable world is about to implode when he meets a woman (Ruth Wilson) he thinks is his soul mate. Tierney will play Helen, Noah’s college sweetheart, best friend, mother of his children, lover and wife of 17 years. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. 2 Guns – 27.4 million
2. The Wolverine – 21.7 million
3. The Smurfs 2 – 18.2 million
4. The Conjuring – 13.6 million
5. Despicable Me 2 – 10.3 million
6. Grown Ups 2 – 8.2 million
7. Turbo – 6.5 million
8. Red 2 – 5.8 million
9. The Heat – 4.9 million
10. Pacific Rim – 4.5 million

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

The 12th Doctor will be announced during a live special broadcast this Sunday, August 4 at 7 PM in the UK, 11 AM Pacific time and 2 PM Eastern time on BBC One and BBC America. Canadian fans should be able to see the live special on the Space Channel. (BBC One and Twitter)

Actor Antonio Sabato, Jr. (The Bold and the Beautiful) will guest star on an upcoming episode of Castle, playing Ramon Russo, an actor best known for his role on the fictional ’90s sitcom 2 Cool For School (a nod to the popular Saved By the Bell sitcom). As the cast of the fictional show prepares to reunite for a movie, the Screech-like character is murdered. Enter Castle, Ryan and Esposito, who take on the case until a familiar face returns to lead the investigation. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

Actor-singer Jeremy Jordan (Smash) will show up in an upcoming episode of Elementary, playing Joey Castro, the son of a former surgical patient of Joan’s (series lead Lucy Liu). Joan feels an affinity for Joey given their shared history, but her affections for the young man are tested when he comes to her with an unexpected request. (TV Guide and TV Line)

Actor Dylan Bruce (Orphan Black) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Arrow, playing as Laurel’s (series regular Katie Cassidy) new co-worker Adam Donner, a corn-fed, All-American lawyer. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Billy Bob Thornton will star in Fargo (based on the box office movie), the first limited series from FX. The series has only 10 episodes and will following a new case and new characters, all entrenched in the trademark humor, murder and Minnesota nice that were the film’s trademark. Thornton will play Lorne Malvo, a rootless, manipulative man who meets a small town insurance salesman and sets him on a path of destruction. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Mitovich at TV Line and Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: What can NCIS: Los Angeles fans expect in the season premiere? –Anna

Mitovich: In short, “a great episode of television,” raves Eric Christian Olsen. As he elaborated for me, “This is the darkest and the most honest and the most vulnerable and the most heartbreaking episode for Deeks, but also for the other characters. The best scene that has ever been written for [Deeks and Sam] happens in the premiere; we’ve already filmed it, and [LL Cool J] is so good. And the most honest scene that Deeks and Kensi have ever had together happens in the premiere.”

Question: On NCIS, do you think Tiva will be together in the end? Or do you think it’ll be a kiss and then she leaves? I don’t think I could handle a depressed Tony if they weren’t together. –Samantha

Mitovich: Michael Weatherly hears your concern, and shares his own hope that Cote de Pablo’s double-episode send-off “is as cathartic and therapeutic for the fans as it was for me shooting it.” As for the oft-promised “appropriate closure,” this is all DiNozzo’s portrayer would tease: “When you want something for so long, and you want and you want and you want, and it almost gets warped because you’ve wanted it for maybe longer than anybody should ever want anything, and it’s sitting five feet from you in an office…. When that is dealt with, a dam breaks and it creates a fresh new and most importantly dynamic element to the show. That eight-year ‘holding pattern’ will be dealt with, but more important than that is what happens next. Where does Tony go after that? And [the answer to that] is the most exciting thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

Question: All of us Scandal junkies need a fix! Anything? –Maggie

Mitovich: Here is anything, courtesy of Dan Bucatinsky aka Cy’s guy James. “[The season premiere] will feel seamless in terms of giving people exactly what they love about Scandal,” the Emmy-nominated actor/producer shares. “We come back and relationships are just as rich, and just as surprising, and just as tense. That’s what I noticed about the first script.” As for things between James and the hubs specifically, “It’s much as we left it. We are in a good place.”

Question: Any new scoop about Castle? –Rachael

Mitovich: Hot off the presses, I’ve got a casting call for the multi-episode role of Frank “Sully” Sullivan, a new NYPD detective in his late 20s/early 30s who’s described as “a guy’s guy.” My question: Is the name Sully a nod to Nathan Fillion’s Monsters University gig?

Question: How many episodes of Covert Affairs will there be this season before the break? –Deb

Mitovich: The original plan to run all 16 episodes straight has changed, I am told, but you have at least seven more to enjoy before any potential midseason hiatus.

Question: I am beyond geeking out over the Arrow/The Flash crossover/spin-off news. Anything more to report? –Charlotte

Mitovich: I’ve got fresh information on exactly what brings Central City PD CSI Barry Allen to Oliver’s orbit. The would-be speedster travels (not by foot, I assume) to Starling City while investigating a series of brutal slayings that he believes may have a connection to his mother’s years-ago murder — a crime for which his father has been unjustly imprisoned.

Question: I love Copper! Could I please get some Corky spoilers? –Jessica

Mitovich: Yes, but mind you, I am just the messenger: I am hearing that Corky is due to soon experience a devastating tragedy that will alter the trajectory of his life.

Question: After Hallie’s death on Chicago Fire, Casey seemed to be holding it together at work, but it turns out he was falling apart in his personal life. Will he reach out for help or continue on his downward spiral? –Stephanie

Mitovich: The answer may not be as dramatic as you envision. Rather, I’m hearing that Casey deals with Hallie’s death privately, and then moves on.

Question: I heard someone dies this week on Under the Dome. Any hints or other scoop? — Dina

Gonzalez: We bid farewell to not one but TWO of the Dome’d in Monday’s episode. One of those deaths comes after a power struggle turns ugly. The other is more mysterious and shrouded in questions, specifically about some of the Dome’s capabilities. Also, it’s sad. REALLY sad.

Question: Any Under the Dome scoop? Thanks, Sandra! — Lillian

Gonzalez: Angie’s out! But Neal Baer tells me all may not be as it seems between Angie and Junior and teases of twists to come. “You know how Junior always says, ‘Angie, you’re sick’? And everybody’s like ‘Junior, I hate him. He’s psychotic. He’s f—ed up.’ It’s like, really? Well, we’ll see…” he says cryptically. Also, he says, all viewers with questions about Joe and Norrie’s seizures will soon find some answers. “By episode 8, [the characters] will discover something that will change everything for the rest of the season,” he says.

Question: Can a girl get some Graceland scoop? — Chrissy

Gonzalez: The Is Briggs Bad tango will continue, with Mike, who like us is trying to solve the mystery of Briggs, making a very ballsy move during an agency-monitored robbery attempt in the penultimate episode. The end of said hour will leave you more confused than ever.

Question: SO excited about Flash coming to Arrow!!! PLEASE tell me more. — Reilly

Gonzalez: EP Andrew Kreisberg is probably as pumped as we are, Reilly — not only because he’s getting a chance to bring to life a great character, but also because of what Barry Allen’s arrival means for all the residents of Starling City. “He’s a great character who’s going to affect all of our characters’ lives,” he teases. Most notably, look for Barry and Oliver to have a certain amount of “friction” in their relationship.

Question: Anything on Twisted? It’s become one of my new favorite summer shows! – Anna

Gonzalez: With just four episodes to go until the end of the first part of the season, Avan Jogia teased that we’ll be seeing Danny reaching “his lowest point” in the last new episode of 2013. And while he confirmed that we will not know if Danny murdered Regina anytime soon, he says he doesn’t know the actual answer to the big mystery. “They have not told me,” he says. “We have an opportunity to make a very interesting, challenging show and that’s all I care about. I want to hold my opinion on whether I want him to be a murderer or not. There are other ways that you can be a bad guy that have nothing to do with murder and that’s what I would like to explore … of course, he may still end up being a psychopath.”

Question: Would love some Nikita scoop! — Amy

Gonzalez: Bad news for Alex. The show is currently casting a character named Ellen Crawford, a CIA case officer who’s as blunt as she is well-versed in interrogation techniques. Let’s just say Ellen and Alex are going to share some scenes in which Alex’s past comes back to haunt her. But they will also serve as a reminder (as if you needed one) of how badass Alex is.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Isabella Rossellini will guest star in the new NBC drama The Blacklist, which is set to debut on September 23. She will play Floriana Campo, an advocate and campaigner to end human and sex trafficking around the globe, who becomes the target of an assassin known as The Freelancer. The killer disguises his pre-meditated killings as everyday accidents. (Jethro Nededog at The Wrap)

Actor Martin Henderson (Off the Map) will play the lead role in Sundance Channel‘s second original scripted series called The Red Road that received a straight-to-series six-episode order. The series will revolve around Harold Jensen (Henderson), a sheriff struggling to keep his family together while simultaneously policing two clashing communities: the small town where he grew up and the neighboring Ramapo Mountains, home of the Ramapo Mountain Indians. Jason Momoa (Stargate Atlantis) and Julianne Nicholson (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) are already part of the cast. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Syfy has renewed Continuum for a third season. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Lifetime has renewed the new drama Devious Maids for a second season. (NBC Latino)

Actor Josh Cooke (Dexter) will have a recurring role on Hart of Dixie, playing Joel, a New Yorker who finds himself a new fish out of water in Bluebell. Hart of Dixie returns to The CW on October 7. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Trevor Donovan (90210) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Drop Dead Diva, playing Keith, who is being described as possibly the worst “best man” ever. Under his watch, the groom ends up across the border and then in prison. (Kimberly Nordyke at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub has joined the cast of the returning 24 limited-run series that is being called 24: Live Another Day. She will, of course, reprise her role of Chloe O’Brian alongside Kiefer Sutherland. (Eric Goldman at IGN)

A Firefly alum will be guest starring in this fall’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Which alum, you ask? None other than Ron Glass, who played Shepherd Book on Firefly. Details on what character he will play have yet to be announced, though. (The Mary Sue)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

It looks like FOX will be attempting an American version of the successful BBC long-form event series Broadchurch that is set to air here in the US on BBC America starting on August 4. (TV By the Numbers)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Peter Berg’s ‘Lone Survivor’ Trailer Featuring Kitsch & Wahlberg

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars and Flashpoint) has joined the Canadian medical drama called Remedy. He will play Dr. Allan Conner, a passionate father and doctor who is acting chief of staff at the fictional Broadview Hospital. (Etan Vlessing at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down) and actress Eva Green (Casino Royale) have joined the cast of the hotly-anticipated Showtime drama Penny Dreadful that is expected to air in 2014. Hartnett will play Ethan Chandler, a charming American who finds himself trapped in the darkest corners of Victorian London, while Green will play Vanessa Ives, a seductive and formidable beauty full of secrets and danger. This new series is being described as a frightening psychological thriller. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Kelly Reilly (Sherlock Holmes) has landed the lead role in the upcoming 13-episode limited series on ABC called The Black Box that centers on Elizabeth Black (Reilly), a world-renowned neuroscientist who appears to have it all, but is constantly haunted by her own struggle with mental illness. And that is not the only secret she’s kept locked away from her family and her new fiancé. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Marc Blucas (Buffy and Necessary Roughness) will guest star in an episode of Blue Bloods as Russell, a movie star who joins Danny (series regular Donnie Wahlberg) for a ride along to research a new role. (Chris Harnick at Huffington Post)

Actor Jim Murray (UK’s original Primeval) has joined the cast of Defiance for its second season where he will play Niles Pottinger, the new mayor of Defiance. Appointed by the Earth Republic, Pottinger is shrewd, polished and charming, but his civilized veneer hides a ruthless pragmatist who traffics in information and secrets, and mercilessly punishes those who defy him. His latest object of desire is ex-mayor Amanda Rosewater (series regular Julie Benz). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor David Conrad (Ghost Whisperer) has landed a super secret role on this fall’s most anticipated new drama: ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actor Oliver Hudson (Rules of Engagement) will have a recurring role on Nashville when it returns for its second season this fall on ABC. He will play a love interest of Rayna’s (series lead Connie Britton). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Actress Ruth Wilson (Luther) has landed the lead role in the Showtime pilot called The Affair. She will play the role of Alison, a young married woman, working in a pancake house, trying to piece her life back together in the wake of a tragedy. This pilot is being described as an intense and intimate exploration of two marriages and an affair that disrupts them – with all of the complex consequences that result. (TV By the Numbers)

Lifetime has given a greenlight to a new pilot called Unreal based on the Sarah Gertrude Shapiro award-winning independent short film called Sequin Raze. Marti Noxon (Buffy) and Shapiro wrote the pilot that goes behind-the-scenes of a hit competition dating show to follow the experiences of a young staffer whose sole job is to manipulate her relationships with (and among) the contestants to get the vital dramatic and outrageous footage the program’s producers demand. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

NBC has bought a sci-fi drama pilot from Todd Holland (Go On). The untitled project is described as an action drama about immortal humans who have existed among us for the past 3,000 years. The drama revolves around Jack, an enforcer/bounty hunter — and I-M himself. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

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

Question: So, how will NCIS actually write Ziva’s exit from the show? — Samantha

ADAM: Given that Ziva was one of three agents who resigned to protect Gibbs, it actually won’t be that far-fetched. The season will open with a two-parter that features Colin Hanks returning to threaten Gibbs, prompting a team reunion. “Ziva is out in the ether and Tony has to go off and find her,” executive producer Gary Glasbgerg says. “The second episode is really all about Tony and Ziva, and, I hope, delivers all the things the Tiva fans are going to want.” Adds Michael Weatherly: “The will they/won’t they is answered. Tony’s going to be forced to face this Sword of Damocles that’s been hanging over him since Season 3.” That’s Greek for “they’re totally gonna do it,” right?

Question: Who are the two villains coming to Arrow this season? —Casey

NATALIE: With Isabel Rochev, Sebastian Blood and Bronze Tiger being introduced — and Deadshot and Slade Wilson returning — the possibilities are endless! “Our two Big Bads of the year, we know what their endgame and master plan is,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says. “[They’ll both] feel like they’re acting from a righteous place. They will cross paths, and there’s a Venn diagram in terms of their goals and in the diagram, there is overlap.” Who do you put your money on?

Question: What can you tell me about the new season of Homeland? — Justin

ADAM: Don’t expect the crazy roller coaster you got at the beginning of Season 2. Instead, Season 3 is a measured exploration of the aftereffects of the Langley attack on Carrie, Saul and the Brody family. It’s fair to say that they’ll all be unnerved — in different ways. Saul will have to choose between Carrie and the CIA, which is heartbreaking, and Dana will take drastic action that will reveal a new side of her character — literally and figuratively.

Question: How will they rescue Henry on Once Upon a Time? —Jennie

NATALIE: Snow White and Prince Charming will find themselves trying to set a good and noble example for their daughter Emma when they head to Neverland, lest she turn to other means to get Henry back. “If the Queen’s got a better way to get Henry that may break the law, so be it. It’s prison rules,” says executive producer Adam Horowitz. That will be difficult for Snow, who is still struggling with her blackened heart. “This year, it’s about finding the hope,” he adds. “It’s the hope that Snow White always brought to us. She’s the light. I think she’s going to see a lot of darkness and realize that the best thing she can do is return the light to not just her, but to get daughter and her husband.”

Question: Any scoop on Matt and Rebekah on The Vampire Diaries or The Originals? I heart them together! —Maggie

NATALIE: While we won’t rule out the opportunity for crossover episodes, Claire Holt seems pretty sure that the two are done for now. “In the last episode, Matt told her, ‘I have to keep my life vampire-free,’ so she knew going into it that they would have a little fun, travel the world together and now she’s ready to move on and take down more men in New Orleans,” Holt says.

Question: How will Casey continue to deal with Hallie’s death when Chicago Fire returns? — Tony

ADAM: “He goes away on a sabbatical; he takes a little time out,” Jesse Spencer tells us. “But he’s going to come back with a new lease on life.” Although there won’t be a new love interest in Casey’s life, he will open himself up to new people in a slightly surprising way. “He becomes a family man,” Spencer says. “He’s able to give something back to some kids. It’s going to be an emotionally healing experience. The kids are going to help him, and it’ll be a complicated, but nice, recovery.”

Question: Any news on a replacement for Ziva on NCIS? —Cathy

Ausiello: Yep, and pretty big news at that. As exec producer Gary Glasberg revealed to Matt Mitovich Monday night, it’s going to be “a little while” before a full-time agent is brought in to fill the void left by Cote de Pablo. But in the meantime, the show — taking a page from Bones‘ squintern playbook — will “rotate some fun people” through the agency’s doors. “The first two episodes are all about Ziva’s departure,” Glasberg notes. “And then in the third episode we introduce, for instance, a woman in her 50s who is a few days away from retirement and just needs to fill the desk time. She, in theory, knew Gibbs all the way back to the days of Mike Franks. So we’re going to bring in people like that and have some fun with different characters. And then, hopefully, when people are comfortable enough, one will walk in and be The One.”

Question: I need some fall Nashville scoop. – Titan

Ausiello: Well, when you ask in such a polite fashion, how can I say no? A new thirtysomething character, Trey, is going to be hot, rich, charming, confident, self-deprecating and European — which narrows his romantic pool to Juliette, Scarlett, Zoey, Will or anyone with a pulse.

Question: Consider this a request for some general, non-specific Vampire Diaries information. —Missy

Ausiello: The show is doing the time warp again. Exec producer Caroline Dries tells us that Episode 3 will be a flashback episode. “It is a decade we haven’t seen before,” she shares. “It’s going to be very good.”

Question: Any scoop on Grimm? – Larry

Ausiello: Gypsies are known for their nomadic nature, but Queen Estefania is staying put… at least for now. Executive producers James Kouf and David Greenwalt tell TVLine that Emmy winner Shohreh Aghdashloo will appear in at least a few episodes of the NBC drama’s upcoming third season.

Question: Can you give as any news on when or how Deeks’ mother will appear on NCIS: LA? –EcoSarahFans

Ausiello: At some point during the upcoming Season 5, Eric Christian Olsen assures, “You’re going to meet his mom and get into his past” — which as any fan knows wasn’t idyllic. “We already know a little about the dysfunctional and catastrophic relationship with his father, but we’re going to find out a lot more about what makes this guy tick and how it affects, obviously, the relationship with Kensi and his inability to make that work.”

Question: I would love some scoop on Beauty and the Beast. The show ended with a ton of cliffhangers and the fans are holding their breath, waiting for some clues. –Donna

Ausiello: Not only will Sendhil Ramamurthy be back for Season 2, but “Gabe has a great arc. It’s awesome,” raves exec producer Sherri Scooper. As fellow EP Jennifer Levin elaborates, “We saw that he was shot to pieces [in the finale], so if he’s back, that would affect his point of view on life. He could be ‘born again.’”

Question: Any Castle tidbits you can give us? —Stephanie

Ausiello: The show is about to stage a kinda-sorta Saved By the Bell reunion. In an upcoming episode titled “Need to Know,” the cast of an early-’90s sitcom called 2 Cool For School is reassembling for a new movie when — egad! — its version of Screech is offed!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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