Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today (few though they are):

TELEVISION

TNT has given the Michael Bay drama thriller The Last Ship a 10-episode order. The series will revolve around a submarine crew that survives a nuclear disaster, starring Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy) as Captain Tom Chandler, a career Navy man who is authoritative and decisive, but also fair and courageous. The cast also includes Rhona Mitra (Strike Back) as Rachel Scott, a strong-willed, intelligent and fearless paleomicrobiologist; Adam Baldwin (Chuck) as Slattery, the ship’s second-in-command who occasionally clashes with Dane’s Captain Chandler and Tracy Middendorf (Boardwalk Empire) as Darien Chandler, the captain’s wife. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and Cynthia Middleton at Variety)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Jada Pinkett-Smith will produce and star in the upcoming box office film called Salsa that will co-star Latin hunk (and former Dancing with the Stars alum) William Levy. Amy Heckerling (the woman behind the cult classic film Clueless) will write and direct the film. The movie is about a woman (Pinkett-Smith) at a turning point in her life who meets a salsa teacher (Levy). Through the dance of salsa she begins to get her life back on track. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actress Sophia Myles (Moonlight and Underworld) will have a major recurring role in the upcoming box office film Transformers 4. She will play a scientist in the film, though the specifics of her role are unknown. The cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Kelsey Grammer also star. (The Wrap and Dark Horizons)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online)

Question: Beauty and the Beast scoop if you’ve got it! – Andy

Team Watch with Kristin: Now that the show’s been officially renewed for a second season, executive producer Jennifer Levin says fans can expect to see more of Vincent and Catherine’s relationship struggles next year. “We spent this season really bonding Cat and Vincent, and they are so strong together,” she explains. “I think next year we want to put some obstacles in their way and really challenge their relationship, so that’s what we’ve been talking about, how to do that.”

Question: Got anything on Grimm? – Sebastian

Team Watch with Kristin: The Grim Reaper is a-comin’ for a visit in the finale! When we chatted with David Guintoll, Silas Weir Mitchell and Bree Turner recently, they revealed that one of the three of them might not make it out of the finale alive. Gulp!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Luke Evans (the upcoming Fast & Furious 6) will play the title role in the remake of The Crow that originally starred the late Brandon Lee in the revenge story based on the James O’Barr comic book series. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actor Benjamin Bratt (Private Practice) will take over the reins of Al Pacino in the animated sequel Despicable Me 2, providing the voice of villain Eduardo. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Here are the top 10 movies at the box office for this past weekend from Box Office Mojo and TV Guide:

1. Iron Man 3 – 175.3 million
2. Pain and Gain – 7.6 million
3. 42 – 6.2 million
4. Oblivion – 5.8 million
5. The Croods – 4.2 million
6. The Big Wedding – 3.9 million
7. Mud – 2.1 million
8. Oz the Great and Powerful – 1.8 million
9. Scary Movie 5 – 1.4 million
10. The Place Beyond the Pines – 1.3 million

NOTE: There wasn’t any update on Friday by the way, as it was a very slow news day.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for yesterday and today:

TELEVISION

Actor Tom Berenger (Hatfields & McCoys) will appear in at least three episodes of Major Crimes when it returns for its second season this summer. He will appear as Captain Sharon Raydor’s estranged husband of 25 years, Jackson Raydor, who is a brilliant lawyer. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Catherine Bell (JAG and Army Wives) will show up on the new TNT series King & Maxwell that is set to debut on June 10. She will have a multi-episode arc as Joan Dillinger, ex-lover of Sean King (series lead Jon Tenney). (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

BBC America has renewed the new sci-fi drama Orphan Black for a 10-episode second season that will air in 2014. (BBC America)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actresses Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) and Gillian Jacobs (Community) as well as actor Adam Brody (The O.C.) are set to star in the box office comedy called Life Partners. The comedy is about a co-dependent friendship between two very different girls – type-A Paige (Jacobs) and lesbian slacker Sasha (Meester). Paige has vowed that she won’t get married until Sasha has the same legal right and that works out fine until Paige meets Tim (Brody), a young and charming doctor. As a crucial vote on gay marriage approaches, the threesome struggle with issues of love, friendship, and loyalty. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Entertainment, Natalie Abrams and Adam Bryant at TV Guide and Michael Ausiello and Matt Mitovich both at TV Line)

Question: Suits scoop would be lovely! – Emily

Team Watch with Kristin: Harvey’s father is coming to town! Kind of! Fans will meet Gordon Specter in a flashback to ten years ago, which will show exactly where Harvey got his good looks and awesome negotiation skills. Gordon is described as a Jeff Bridges type who is warm and compassionate, so let’s dream cast the role in the comments, shall we?

Question: I loved the first 10 minutes of Sunday’s Once Upon a Time! Please give me some scoop on that episode! — Sharlene

NATALIE: Regina is in a very shocking position, but it’s who comes to her aid that’ll really shock you. In an attempt to fix her blackened heart, Snow and Charming will enlist Rumple to help track her down. But all magic comes with a price: This particular spell will connect Regina and Snow in a very dangerous way.

Question: Is Klaroline totally over now that The Originals was picked up? — Lisa

NATALIE: Not necessarily, and certainly not this season! When we asked Joseph Morgan about the “surprising encounter” that’s being teased between the two this week, he told us, “It’s going to come in the guise of an olive branch, and then it’ll start as something that I think people have wanted for a long time — but we’ll see where it goes.” Could this be the kiss that some of you have been waiting for?!

Question: I need some NCIS: LA scoop on Kensi and Deeks. Will the box return? — Chelsea

ADAM: Sort of. Executive producer Shane Brennan says that what the box symbolizes will be explored. “If you look at the box as a ratcheting up of their personal relationship, you will not be disappointed,” Brennan says. “There is a very poignant moment between Kensi and Deeks in the finale that will surprise everyone.” How poignant, you ask? Let’s just say that people do crazy things when they’re about to die.

Question: Why don’t you ever show Doctor Who any love? — Noah

ADAM: Well, in the upcoming episode, “The Crimson Horror,” the good Doctor meets someone who develops quite a dangerous crush on him. (She even gives him a funny pet name!) What’s more, we’ll see the Time Lord lock lips with a lovely lady… who isn’t his companion Clara! As for the episode’s titular “horror,” let’s just say that one character has a very close (and kind of disgusting) relationship that is key to solving the episode’s mystery.

Question: Do you have anything about the season finale of Scandal you can share? —Daniela

Ausiello: Conventional wisdom points to the elusive mole being unmasked in the May 16 finale. Kerry Washington, meanwhile, points to it being the person you’d least expect. “It’s so shocking,” the actress tells us with a huge, hearty laugh. “So, so shocking. And so good. One of the things the show does so well is they mostly do these, like, one-two or one-two-three punches. So it’s not usually one cliffhanger; it’s usually a shock, and then another couple of shocks — and that’s kind of how that goes down.”

Question: I have a Q about Once Upon a Time and its potential spin-off: If we decide not to watch the spin-off, will we still understand everything that’s going on in Once Upon a Time? Or are the two shows completely connected? Thanks! —Emily

Ausiello: Worry not. Should the Wonderland-based limited-run offshoot get the green light from ABC on May 14 — and even though Barbara Hershey’s Cora and even Lana Parrilla’s Regina could appear in flashbacks — “It is intended to exist as its own thing,” says Once co-creator Eddy Kitsis. Adds Adam Horowitz, “If you’ve never seen Once, you can actually watch Wonderland and not worry.”

Question: Got any scoop on Revenge, Once Upon a Time, Nashville, Hannibal or Orphan Black? —Danae

Ausiello: On the Once Upon a Time front, expect to see Mulan, Aurora and Prince Phillip once again, before the season is over. And lest you think Regina’s “trigger” to implode Storybrooke is just a MacGuffin for us to gaze upon and imagine its potential, “We’re definitely going to see what that black diamond does,” EP Eddy Kitsis warns.

Question: So we know there are ghosts appearing on The Vampire Diaries soon. Do you know if any characters are actually getting resurrected permanently? Or are they all just ghosts? —Audrey

Ausiello: Rumor has it that one resurrection may stick.

Question: I need some Vampire Diaries scoop on Caroline. —Calleigh

Ausiello: These 15 words will leave her mouth in the May 16 season finale, per exec producer Julie Plec: “Come hell or high water, hell will freeze over before I let anybody cancel graduation.” As Plec explains, “The instinct to miss graduation is going to be on [everyone’s] minds because there’s greater things afoot. And Caroline, as we know, finds these moments and high school events very precious and gets very angry when anybody tries to mess with them.”

Question: What does NCIS: LA have in store for Nell and Eric? —Sophiaq

Ausiello: For the remainder of this season? Not much. For next season? At least one juicy episode. “We’re actually [about to] shoot one episode [for Season 5] that’s apparently an Eric-Nell episode,” Barrett Foa shares. “We haven’t really checked in with them after the big Christmas-under-the-mistletoe [incident] — there hasn’t been a ton of stuff with the two of us — and I think it’s time to get that back, because I figure fans are really ready for that.”

Question: Should we be worried that The CW hasn’t renewed Nikita yet? —Soso

Ausiello: I don’t think so. I’m told the reason Nikita wasn’t included in last week’s CW pickups was because series creator Craig Silverstein was in Virginia shooting his AMC pilot Turn and therefore unable to pitch his Season 4 plan to the network. He’s now back in L.A. and due to meet with CW brass in the coming days. Bottom line: The show is still a safe bet for a (shortened) fourth season.

Question: Long time reader, first time question asker. I am so glad to know that you too are an Orphan Black fan. Any scoop to share? —Vanessa

Ausiello: Party at Alison’s house this week, and it’s a doozy! As the characters and storylines converge on her abode, “Clone antics ensue,” previews EP Graeme Manson with a laugh. “And Felix is right in the middle of it, which is fun, too.”

Question: My heart broke when Zoe/Wade broke up on Hart of Dixie. They didn’t get nearly enough time “together.” Please tell me Zoe gives Wade another chance! —Lauren

Ausiello: Executive producer Leila Gerstein insists Wade’s infidelity and the pair’s subsequent breakup “was never intended to be the end” of their story. “It is a long series [and] we expect to do many, many, many more episodes of this show,” she adds of the recently renewed dramedy. “And they’re not even done for this season! There will be another connection between Zoe and Wade before the season is over. I would certainly tell ‘Zade’ fans out there that they should not be giving up hope.”

Question: Any Suits tidbits? –Megan

Mitovich: Midway through the coming season, we’ll meet Harvey’s yet-to-be-cast father Gordon, in an origins flashback to when Harvey was working at District Attorney’s office and he caught his boss Cameron burying evidence on his cases. Of note during the father/son chat: They bring up two family members that have been hinted at only a little thus far, Harvey’s cheating mother and his little brother Marcus.

Question: We’re three episodes into Defiance and Irisa doesn’t even seem to like her dad. Will this change? –@justinmwykes

Mitovich: Alas, save for one fleeting scene, Irisa is MIA in next week’s episode. (In fact, I hope they shot the scene during a busier day for poor Stephanie Leonidas, lest she spent hours in makeup to not say a word!) What you do get this Monday is a wonderful (and then suddenly intense) scene between Amanda and Stahma, and some sexytime for Nolan and Kenya (interrupted, amusingly, by madame mayor). There’s also a tiny mythology dump (what’s up with that golden gizmo McCawley’s ill-fated son discovered?), and you’ll learn the Bioman’s first (only?) name.

Question: I’m in serious need of some Emma/Neal scoop on Once Upon a Time! Do you have anything? –Meredith

Mitovich: This Sunday’s episode very well may be everything you’ve ever wanted (and more), when the exes finally have a heart-to-heart. As Michael Raymond James previews, “Neal still feels some guilt” for bailing on his love 10 years ago, “but he felt he didn’t have a choice in the matter. I mean, we’re talking about her saving a townful of people that he grew up with, people from Fairytale Land. So in Neal’s mind, he jumped on a grenade in the name of the greater good.”

Question: Are we ever gonna see Greg/Owen’s dad again on Once Upon a Time? I can’t say I’d be shocked if being locked up somewhere in Storybrooke post-curse hasn’t aged him a day. –Estee

Mitovich: Kurt Flynn resurfaces this Sunday. And… that’s all I got.

Question: Any scoop on Castle? Are there any scenes coming up with Alexis or Martha, or Lanie with Kate? –Valentina

Mitovich: I like your thinking, that as Kate gets to wondering about her and Rick’s future, she might consult with her gal pal. So I am happy to confirm that we will get another of the all-too-rare Kate/Lanie scenes before this season is over.

Question: Will the Castle ‘shippers that have a vested interest in the Caskett relationship be happy or angry at the end of the season finale, “Watershed”? –Gary

Mitovich: The Castle ‘shippers that have a vested interest in the Caskett relationship will… have a very strong reaction at the end of the season finale, “Watershed.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

TNT has renewed Dallas for a third season. (Tim Kennally at The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Sam Worthington will star alongside Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld and Nicole Beharie in the upcoming box office film The Keeping Room that is set in the dying days of the Civil War. Worthington will play a soldier who has broken off from the fast-approaching Union Army and encounters women who have been left to fend for themselves. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actress Lily James (Downton Abbey) has landed the plum role of Cinderella in the upcoming live-action version of the classic fairy tale that will be directed by legendary actor-director Kenneth Branagh. Cate Blanchett is set to star as the evil stepmother. (Marc Graser at Variety)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch With Kristin at E! Online)

Question: Excited that Beauty and the Beast was picked up for a second season. Give us some scoop to celebrate! – Jeremy

Team Watch With Kristin: Well, we’re not sure you are going to want to celebrate after we share what executive producer Jennifer Levin told us about the season-one finale. “We are building towards someone that we really care about, their life is in jeopardy,” she teases. “We are building towards a secret being revealed about Cat’s family that is not what you might think.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

PS: There will be no news update tomorrow as I have the day off, taking a much deserved “me day”, but I’ll be back with the news on Thursday.

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

ABC will burn-off the remaining episode of the short-lived drama Zero Hour this summer starting on June 15 at 8 PM. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies for this past weekend courtesy of Box Office Mojo and E! Entertainment Online:

1. Pain and Gain, $20 million
2. Oblivion, $17.4 million
3. 42, $10.7 million
4. The Big Wedding, $7.5 million
5. The Croods, $6.6 million
6. G.I. Joe: Retaliation, $3.6 million
7. Scary Movie 5, $3.5 million
8. Olympus Has Fallen, $2.8 million
9. The Place Beyond the Pines, $2.7 million
10. Jurassic Park 3D, $2.3 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: ‘Fast & Furious 6′

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

When Major Crimes returns for its second season this summer, Captain Raydor’s (Mary McDonnell) estranged, not-quite-ex-husband Jackson Raydor will be showing up. There has been no casting announcement made yet, but his character is being described as a charming and devilish rascal on hiatus from his career as a lawyer to pursue his main passion: gambling. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actors Sam Page (Switched at Birth and Mad Men) and Sinqua Walls (Friday Night Lights and Teen Wolf) as well as actress Kate Miner (Hellcats and Persons Unknown) have joined the cast of Necessary Roughness. Miner will appear in at least four episodes in the recurring role of Sheera Kane, an up-and-coming model with a wild streak who catches TK’s (Mehcad Brooks) eye. Walls will in at least one episode as basketball player Devon Langer, the son of Lana (who will be played by guest star Garcelle Beauvais). Page will appear in at least two episode, playing Sam Conte, a V3 agent who represents one of Dani’s (Callie Thorne) clients. A talented agent, Sam would love to mix business and pleasure with Dani. He will appear in two episodes, the first of which will be episode four. Necessary Roughness will be back on the USA Network on June 12. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

NBC has given the following dramas renewals for this fall: Parenthood, Revolution, Chicago Fire, Grimm and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. (Variety)

The short-lived NBC drama Do No Harm that was pulled after only two episodes earlier this year will actually get a chance to burn-off the rest of its episodes this summer. It will start airing those remaining episodes on NBC starting on Saturday, June 29 at 10 PM. (The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: First Trailer for Judy Blume’s ‘Tiger Eyes’ Feature Adaptation

Watch: Full ‘RED 2’ Trailer Puts Willis & Malkovich Back into Action

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

Question: Welcome to your new email address! I’m still reeling from the NCIS cliffhanger. What else can you tell us about the upcoming episodes? –Cheryl

Mitovich: And congrats to you, Cheryl, for being the one of 100-plus NCIS emails I chose. This much I can share: Next Tuesday’s episode picks up right where we left off, with Tony and Ziva in the crashed car; no time-jump into a hustling-bustling hospital ER room here. Also, viewers won’t have to wait long to find out who it was that Michael Vaughn’d their vehicle.

Question: Tell us Castle and Beckett are not breaking up in the finale! OK, I know you can’t answer that, but give us something to make us feel better? –Rida

Mitovich: Hmm. Would it make you feel better to have insight into how Andrew W. Marlowe decided wherever it is that Kate and Rick end up at 10:55 pm on May 13? When first planning a finale, the series creator explains, “You have a great map, but it’s like driving through fog a little bit – the closer you get, the clearer it gets. So about seven or eight episodes out, I knew ballpark where I wanted to land.” And versus yet another capper tied to Beckett’s mother’s murder, “I wanted a quieter, more emotional finale, without the fireworks,” he says. “In this one, something comes out of left field that both characters have to wrestle with, something that would be a challenge to any relationship.”

Question: Got any scoop on Once Upon a Time? –Mundo Magico

Mitovich: In an upcoming TVLine Q&A, Lana Parrilla has plenty of wonderful things to say (and tease) about the final three episodes, including how the May 12 finale features “a very sobering moment, where the audience will be very surprised to see some characters have to come together, to work together, to save one another.”

Question: How will Royal Pains handle Hank’s medical situation when the show returns in June? Last we saw, he had suffered a stroke-like emergency from the explosion at Shadow Pond. Will the show pick up with his recovery? –Laura

Mitovich: I have four words that may point you in the right direction: Five. Month. Time. Jump.

Question: The Nikita writers wouldn’t do anything as obvious as killing off Michael in a finale titled “Til Death Do Us Part…” would they? –Lora

Mitovich: “We have some pretty big deaths coming up,” EP Craig Silverstein spilled in out May Sweeps/Finales Scoopapalooza. And the finale itself, he added, uncorks “one of the most WTF shocks” of the season.

Question: Can you please get info on Vikings? –Lyn

Mitovich: Oh, I’ve got tons, and it’s all coming your way soon. But until then, I shall taunt you with this context-free quote from series creator Michael Hirst, that despite what happens in Sunday’s finale, “I’m very happy to reassure audiences that Lagertha will continue to be a very, very important and major character in the show, for a very long time.”

Question: I love the dynamic between Defiance’s Amanda and Nolan, they make such a good pairing. Any scoop you could share about them? – Lily

Team Watch with Kristin: Absolutely! When we talked with Grant Bowler and Julie Benz about their characters’ arcs for the season, they remained pretty coy. But we managed to drag one thing out of them: Fans of Amanda and Nolan’s chemistry will not be disappointed by the final episodes of the season.

Question: Awkward is better than ever this season! Any scoop to share? – Conor

Team Watch with Kristin: Awkward is getting its election on! Things will get pretty crazy at Palos Hills High School when it’s time for student council elections and the competition will be fierce. Expect to see one freshman girl encounter the wrath of a certain upper classman when she tries to run for treasurer. Poor girl, she’s going to be eaten alive!

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a terrific weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

British actor and musician Max Beesley (Hotel Babylon) has landed a major recurring role on Suits, which will be back for its third season on the USA Network on July 16. Beesley will play Stephen Huntley, Edward Darby’s (recurring guest star Conleth Hill) charismatic right-hand man and Harvey’s (Gabriel Macht) British counterpart, who arrives in the New York office following the merger. The existence of two Harveys will complicate the already precarious personal dynamics at Pearson/Darby. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Erika Alexander (Living Single) will have a recurring role in this summer’s new AMC drama Low Winter Sun that focuses on the aftermath of a cop murder by fellow Detroit detective Frank Agnew (Mark Strong). Alexander will play Louise “LC” Cullen, a strong and intimidating cop who is matter-of-fact and straightforward in everything she does. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Armie Hammer (who will be seen this summer in The Lone Ranger) will star alongside Tom Cruise in the remake of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. The original version of the classic 1960’s TV series starred Robert Vaughan and David McCallum, who played Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin, two agents of the United Network Command for Law Enforcement. Hammer would play the Kuryakin role in the remake. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

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

Question: Anything for Grimm-sters? — Jordan

Sandra: Chew on this like a hungry Wesen: “It’s insane,” David Giuntoli says of the cliffhanger. “Let’s just say, one of the main characters might be dead.”

Question: I’m SO happy Supernatural is back this week. Can you give me any new info on the finale? — Anna

Sandra: Well, the description for the finale released today let it slip that the boys will indeed go into “one last play” against Crowley, who is “poised to undo allthe good they’ve ever done as hunters.” So how will it all play out? “I think you owe your fans and your audience a sense of resolution and while we know we’re coming back, we’re leaving certain things open,” reveals Jeremy Carver. “That’s sort of a generic way of saying s–t gets resolved and s–t gets cliffhanged.”

Question: NCIS was wild. Please more on Tony and Ziva. — Lisa

Sandra: Here’s what de Pablo told me about Tony and Ziva in the following episode. “Let’s say this is one of the sweetest moments we’ll see because then things get messy again — as things do between these two characters,” she says. “They get really nice and mushy and then they get really messed up.”

Question: Anything on Revolution? — Jim

Sandra: Executive producer Eric Kripke is the king of the tease, so I present his comment on the upcoming season finale, uninterrupted: “There’s a pretty huge — I don’t want to give anything away — but there’s a series of fairly massive, seismic events that happen that will change everything for season 2. So I think it’ll obviously have its same DNA and same characters but there will be new quests, new adventures, new problems and really an entirely new landscape that they have to deal with.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Marilu Henner (Taxi and Evening Shade) will appear in at least three episodes of the A&E drama The Glades, playing Detective Jim Longworth’s mother. The Glades will be back for the start of its new season on May 27. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Singer Brad Paisley will appear in the season finale of the new ABC drama Nashville that is set to air on May 22. Ironic or not, he is married to recurring guest star Kimberly Williams-Paisley. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

Actor Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) will guest star in the May 16 season finale of the new CBS drama Elementary, playing Christos Theophilus, a Greek shipping magnate with a criminal past whom Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) believes is in league with the mysterious Moriarty. (Natalie Abrams at TV Guide)

ABC Family has given a series order to the new drama called Chasing Life (formerly known as Terminales). It is set to debut in early 2014 with a 13-episode order. The series is an adaptation of the successful Televisa Spanish-language Mexican television series that will star Italia Ricci (Unnatural History) as April, an ambitious young newspaper reporter who tries to balance her career aspirations with her family – her widowed mom Sara (Mary Page Keller), rebellious little sister Brenna (Haley Ramm) and her grandmother. Just as things start to look up at work, home and on the romance front with co-worker Dominic (Richard Brancatisano), April gets the devastating news from an estranged uncle that she has cancer. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

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

Question: What’s the deal with Gabe on Beauty and the Beast? I really hope he isn’t trying to steal Cat away from Vincent! – Allie

Team Watch with Kristin: No, no, no. The ADA has more important things on his mind than wooing Cat, although executive producer Jennifer Levin says the duo has “a legitimate connection. Gabe knows more about Muirfield than Catherine ever anticipated, and not in the way that you would imagine,” Levin teases. “His connection to Muirfield is really surprising to Catherine and to us.”

Question: Need my Arrow fix! – Carson

Team Watch with Kristin: Prepare for pre-island flashbacks! Yes, we’ll get to see Oliver and Laurel when they were together and contemplating taking a big step in their relationship before he decided to run off with her sister. Also, fans can expect major developments in the following relationships: Laurel and Tommy, Oliver and Moira and Oliver and Diggle.

Question: Once Upon a Time scoop would be great! – Keegan

Team Watch with Kristin: Of the two-part finale, titled “Second Star to the Right” and “And Straight On ‘Til Morning,” Edward Kitsis tells D23.com, “We are going to be finding out a bit about Baelfire, and Captain Hook. There’s no coincidence with those titles.” Adam Horowitz adds, “Baelfire/Neal and Hook have a connection that we’ve already hinted at, and that’s something that’s explored in the final two hours of the season. And that may involve a second star to the right.

Question: Got any more scoop on the Once Upon a Time finale? —Michelle

NATALIE: “This season has been about this reluctant family who has been torn asunder and pulled in 15 million different directions by circumstance, who at the end of the season must find some way to come together,” executive producer Adam Horowitz says. You all know what those beans that Regina found do, right? Well, if/when they do their thing, there will be many painful choices to be made.

Question: Thanks for the scoop on the Arrow finale. Will everyone survive the season? — Jonah

NATALIE: Unfortunately, no. In fact, someone we’ve known since the beginning will meet their maker before the season finale. I’ve been sworn to secrecy, but I can reveal that the death will not be… Oliver!

Question: Will Elena get her humanity back this season on The Vampire Diaries? She really sucks! — Tanya

NATALIE: That remains to be seen, but in next week’s episode, Damon will put one of Elena’s friends in extreme (aka life-or-death) danger in order to get some emotion — maybe even tears! —out of her. But who’s the pawn in Damon’s plan? Hint: He’s a dying breed on the series.

Question: I’m so excited about Irene Adler on Elementary. Got any scoop? — Harold

NATALIE: Elementary’s version of Sherlock’s true love works in art restoration, which is how Mr. Holmes will first meet her when he enlists her to consult on a case. “For the first time, we’re going to see actual moments from his past,” executive producer Rob Doherty says. “It’s really about how he came to meet and fall for Irene Adler. So we will tell the story of their courtship, and take the flashbacks all the way up to her demise in the U.K.” If a guy like Sherlock could fall for her, it makes us question whether she’s trustworthy. Hm.

Question: I can’t believe Evan died before the Beauty and the Beast finale. Is something even bigger coming? —Heather

ADAM: Here’s a hint from executive producer Jennifer Levin: “We had seen in the pilot that what [Muirfield did to Vincent] had been done to other people, so we had talked about there being another survivor.” Could another Beast be lurking around?

Question: Is it too early to ask for scoop on Major Crimes scoop? — Marc

ADAM: Never! After doing some digging, I landed some exclusive casting intel. Ben Feldman, who most recently grew a wicked mustache as copy writer Ginsberg on Mad Men, will guest-star in a Season 2 episode as Jason Andrews, a budding television writer who goes on a ride-along with Tao and Sanchez. Naturally, things go sideways when the cops make a discovery they’d rather not have Jason around to witness. (If he’s anything like Ginsberg, I hope they bring earplugs!)

Question: Any NCIS: LA scoop? —Kria

Ausiello: The May 14 finale will be a veritable Big Badapalooza. “It’s like a supervillains episode,” teases Barrett Foa. “Basically, every bad guy we’ve ever done battle with [is] coming back for the finale.” The returning evildoers include traitorous CIA vet Isaak Sidorov (played by Sons of Anarchy‘s Timothy V. Murphy) and “The Chameleon” (Highlander‘s Christopher Lambert). “Big nuclear things are going down,” the actor adds. “It leaves you on the edge of your seat [and] is, of course, a great cliffhanger.”

Question: Will Tommy discover his father’s Dark Archer identity on Arrow before the season ends? —Jacob

Ausiello: Barrowman was a skosh more forthcoming about that. “He’s desperate to tell Tommy,” shares the actor. “But anytime he goes to do it, something happens. We already had one of those moments when Malcolm was almost assassinated in his office. But I’m sure there will be others.” Speaking of the finale, Annie Ilonzeh (Charlie’s Angels) is confirmed to return in the May 15 season ender, as Laurel’s colleague Joanna. “We’re very excited to have her back,” says EP Andrew Kreisberg. “She’s a big part of the Arrow family.”

Question: I’ll take any Once Upon a Time scoop you can share. —Estée

Ausiello: The prospective spin-off, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, will be — no surprise — “a little more Wonderland-y” than original flavor Once, per consulting producer Jane Espenson. The offshoot, envisioned as an American Horror Story-style 13-episode standalone that would ostensibly bridge the original series’ winter hiatus, will also be “more adventurous” and boast “a lot of humor [and] a lot of spectacle. It’s really going to be gorgeous.”

Question: Have we seen the last of Marco on Revenge? I’m convinced — or at least I was convinced — he’s the Falcon. —Drew

Ausiello: We put your question to departing (sigh) series creator Mike Kelley, who declined to comment on Marco’s role moving forward beyond acknowledging, “He definitely does have knowledge of Nolan and that can come into play at any time.”

Question: Big Vikings fan here. Any news on what is in store for Ragnar and his family in the last episode of Season 1? —Mary

Ausiello: Most simply said, if you ship (Viking humor!) Ragnar and his fiercer half Lagertha hard, Sunday’s season ender will put you to the test. As foreseen by the seer and during Ragnar’s visit to Gotaland, “A new woman comes into Ragnar’s life,” series creator Michael Hirst told Matt Mitovich, “and it is unexpected because so much of the first season has been about this rock-solid relationship between [Ragnar and his wife].” Back home, meanwhile, Lagertha deals with yet another crisis. As for Ragnar’s brother Rollo, if you suspected that Siggy lit a fire under her new honey after the King Horic dis, you’d be right — and in the finale he launches a bold power play.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

The Canadian series Bomb Girls, which is airing its second season on Reelz Channel right now, will be coming to an end with a two-hour movie event coming in the winter of 2014. (The Futon Critic)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

FX has bought a drama pitch from author James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential) and producers Joe Roth and Clark Peterson that will be based on Ellroy’s 2012 novella called Shakedown. The project is set in the tabloid world and underbelly of Los Angeles circa the late 1950s, centering on the city’s top informant/operator/wire tapper/fixer, Fred Otash, who lives and works where the glamour and the grime intersect. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Liam McIntyre (Spartacus) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film Hercules 3D that will star Twilight Saga actor Kellan Lutz in the lead role. McIntyre will play the young army captain Sotiris who becomes Hercules’ most trusted battlefield companion. (Heat Vision and Dark Horizons)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot Trailer: ‘Thor: The Dark World’

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Teryl Rothery (Stargate SG-1 and Kyle XY) has joined the cast of the upcoming first-ever Hallmark Channel series Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove, which focuses on Judge Olivia Lockhart (Andie MacDowell) whose Cedar Cove Municipal Court is the professional milieu and social microcosm of issues the judge will face in her own day-to-day life with family and best friend Grace (Rothery). Dylan Neal plays Jack Griffith, the new editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle and budding love interest for Judge Lockhart. (The Futon Critic)

Actresses Jessica Tuck (True Blood) and Robin Givens (Head of the Class) have joined the cast of the upcoming, new ABC Family drama Twisted in recurring roles. Tuck will play Gloria, the mother of deceased student Regina Crane while Givens will play Judy, Lacey’s (series lead Kylie Bunbury) hip and outgoing mother. Twisted will debut on June 11 at 9 PM. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Oblivion, $38.1 million
2. 42, $18 million
3. The Croods, $9.5 million
4. Scary Movie 5, $6.3 million
5. G.I. Joe: Retaliation, $5.8 million
6. The Place Beyond the Pines, $4.7 million
7. Olympus Has Fallen, $4.5 million
8. Evil Dead, $4.1 million
9. Jurassic Park 3D, $4 million
10. Oz the Great and Powerful, $3 million

Actors James Caviezel (Person of Interest) and Michael Chiklis (Vegas) as well as actress Laura Dern (Enlightened) will star in the upcoming inspirational high school football film called When the Game Stands Tall. Caviezel and Chiklis star as Bob Ladouceur and Terry Eidson, the visionary coaches who led De La Salle High School’s struggling football team to unparalleled national record-breaking success by teaching them to stand for something greater than winning. The team had a 151-game winning streak from 1992 to 2003. Dern will play Caviezel’s supportive wife. The film is set to be released in the fall of 2014. (Jeff Sneider at The Wrap)

Q&A SECTION (with Matt Roush at TV Guide)

Question: What is your prediction for Syfy’s new Defiance? I was completely engaged for a majority of the two-hour premiere, and the ending’s battle scene literally had me on the edge of my seat! I was a little disappointed when I realized the show was just about one town in a huge new world, but I hope that the characters will find a need to branch out of the town and give the viewer a broader scope of this new earth. I love the idea of learning more about the different alien races and how the conflicts between them and the humans play out. And what’s with all the video game hype when they clearly stated that it would not affect the TV show? — Shannon

Matt Roush: My prediction is that Defiance will be around for a while. It opened strong, and some of that may be attributable to the video-game tie-in, which might have helped it break through the TV clutter (which on Mondays is considerable). The good news is that you can enjoy one without the other, although the interactive element of Defiance is a hook that calls attention to it, and these days, where’s the harm in that? What I liked about the next few episodes, even more than in the pilot, is that Defiance the town serves as a microcosm to explore the various alien races and the conflicts within. It’s possible the show will expand its scope, especially where outside threats are concerned, but I’d give it some time to get on its feet before asking it to reach for the stars (where Syfy hasn’t gone in far too long).

That’s it. Enjoy!

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