Rueben's Ramblings

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office flick X-Men: Days of Future Past, but details on the character he will play has yet to be announced. (First Showing)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Full Theatrical Trailer for Justin Lin ‘Fast & Furious 6’ Packs a Punch

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

Question: Any chance of Klaroline in the spinoff? – Joinacruise

Team Watch with Kristin: We asked the very charming Joseph Morgan that very question regarding The Originals, and we’re sure fans of Klaus and Caroline will like his answer! “There are going to be characters that cross over between the two worlds. The whole world is going to be richer,” he explains. “It would imagine all the fans that have been so generous to me are going to want to see what happens with Caroline…I feel like I owe it to the fans for there to be some resolve and for her to possibly turn up in New Orleans at some point. I know there’s already talks about different characters that can come over to New Orleans and then go back.” For more TVD scoop from Morgan, check back with us later today!

Question: Scandal scoop please. – kimma_S

Team Watch with Kristin: Our scandalous world is expanding, y’all! Fans will meet two members of one of our character’s family in episode 18. Vague? OK, fine. We’re meeting Hollis’ wife and daughter! His wife Deborah is described as smart and fabulous, while his daughter Nikki is a wild child. Uh-oh!

Question: After the last episode of Revenge, I’m having some serious anxiety. I need scoop! – Yvonne

Team Watch with Kristin: Yeah, that anxiety probably won’t go away anytime soon. “After every wedding, you must have a death, so someone’s dying.” Ashley Madekwe tells us. “The life expectancy on that show is insane. In the first season, we didn’t know who was dying. We just knew somebody was dying, because we had that body on the beach. But in this season, we knew in advanced who was dying.” Who do you think it is, Revenge fans?

Question: Any scoop on Stiles in Season 3 of MTV’s Teen Wolf? Is he gonna find love? –Rachelle

Mitovich: “Determined to grow out of his crush on Lydia, Stiles will definitely try to find love this season,” executive producer Jeff Davis tells the Inside Line. “His efforts, however, are exactly what lead him and Scott into the new mystery of the season. While other teenagers just discover the pain of heartache, Scott and Stiles discover dead bodies.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Film star Peter Sarsgaard has joined the cast of the returning AMC drama The Killing. He will play Tom Seward, a death row inmate for whom the clock is ticking down. A lifelong convict born into poverty and crime, Seward’s been in and out of the system for violent crimes since he was 10. Not ever wanting to appear weak, every interaction is a challenge, and one he must dominate. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (24) has landed a recurring role on the NBC fairytale drama Grimm, playing Stefania Vaduva Popescu, a powerful ally sought out by Adalind (Claire Coffee). Stefania is referred to as the “Zigeunersprache,” or Queen of the Schwarzwald Gypsies, and her family’s roots run deep in the woods of Austria. Grimm returns with new episodes starting on March 8. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Actress Cara Buono (Mad Men) will guest star in an upcoming March episode of Castle, playing Siobhan O’Doul, a beautiful bar owner who has found herself in too deep with the Staten Island Mafia. She will share a mysterious past with Detective Ryan (Seamus Dever). (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actor Eric Mabius (Ugly Betty) has landed a guest role on Scandal where he will play a powerful senator who turns to Olivia Pope and Associates for help in his time of need. (Megan Masters at TV Line)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

John Cusack & Malin Akerman in First ‘The Numbers Station’ Trailer

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

Question: Is Rayna headed for a breakdown on Nashville? – Amy in Ohio

Team Watch with Kristin: Possibly. But maybe Katie Couric will help pull her out of it. Or Rayna will appear on Couric’s talk show to try and fix her image after her breakdown. Either way, the real Katie Couric is appear on an upcoming episode to speak with Rayna. The storyline that leads to the interview is too good to spoil.

Question: So excited Arrow was renewed for season two! Got any scoop to help me celebrate? – Ethan

Team Watch with Kristin: China White will be returning next week! Yes, Kelly Hu returns after Oliver’s mother, Moira, requires China’s skills for a certain task. It may or may not involve murder. Don’t worry; it’s not all murder attempts as Oliver will find time to go on a date, as does Diggle!

Question: What’s going on with Once Upon a Time?! Please tell me anything you might now! – TigerLily2736

Team Watch with Kristin: Mr. Gold is finally cashing in his favor! Yep, Emma must finally do a solid for Gold and let’s just say fans might be a bit disappointed at first when it’s revealed after such a long wait. Not disappointing? The bounty of emotional reveals the favor leads to. Have tissues on hand.

Question: Any Nikita scoop? – Caitlin

Team Watch with Kristin: It’s time for some back-story on Amanda! Episode 18 will tell us more about Amanda’s past and we suggest viewers rewatch season two’s “Power” before tuning in as the flashback to Nikita and Amanda’s first meeting will play into the episode.

Question: Why is David Rosen being framed for murder on Scandal?! — Kate

NATALIE: We were just as shocked as you by the promo, so we got Josh Malina to fill us in — sort of. “First of all, can we really be surprised? After everything poor David Rosen has been put through, wouldn’t it be a disappointment if he didn’t wake up next to a dead woman? And, sure, the promo suggests he’s been framed, but all we see is Olivia saying that. She could be wrong. You feel me?” Let the conspiracy theories begin!

Question: Any Klaus scoop before he heads to New Orleans on The Vampire Diaries? — Rachel

NATALIE: Can we say hot hybrid sex? Joseph Morgan’s wishes have been granted and in an episode to air in March, Klaus is finally getting some lovin’.

Question: Do you have any news on the upcoming NCIS: LA spin-off? — Bradley, via Twitter

ADAM: In the backdoor pilot episode of NCIS: LA, our merry band of agents meet the NCIS: Red team when a Marine’s murder in Idaho bears a striking resemblance to that of a suspected terrorist in Los Angeles. Sam and Callen head to Idaho, where they spend the night (in perhaps uncomfortably close quarters!) at the mobile unit’s makeshift headquarters. Although there is some mild flirtation between Callen and Kim Raver’s Agent Paris, it seems she’s not exactly over John Corbett’s retired analyst. But it’s not all about the new team: Look for that mysterious box that was addressed to Kensi in “Kill House” to reappear — this time on Deeks’ desk!

Question: Can’t wait for Body of Proof to come back! What’s the dynamic like between Megan and Mark Valley’s new character Tommy? — Lisa

ADAM: Although the premiere doesn’t give us too much of Megan and Tommy’s back-story, it’s clear from Megan’s icy demeanor that she’s still a bit heartbroken. But she’s got bigger problems to worry about, including… her daughter being kidnapped! When Megan’s maternal instincts cloud her judgment and her daughter is put in harm’s way, look for Tommy to literally save her life. That ought to melt the ice a bit!

Question: I can’t wait for this week’s Once Upon a Time! Is there anything you can tell us about Mr. Gold’s reunion with his son? — Dakota

NATALIE: The details of how this reunion takes place were actually foretold long ago, as a flashback will reveal — and that’s not a good thing, at least for one series regular. Suffice it to say, do not miss the final 30 seconds of Sunday’s episode.

Question: Got any spoilers about the new season of Psych? — Heath

ADAM: Relationship troubles abound! Look for Shawn to be majorly uncomfortable when Juliet is forced to go on a number of dates for an undercover case she’s working. (Making matters worse, she’s dating mature, successful guys while Shawn is home sitting on his parents’ couch!) Elsewhere, Gus’ new relationship might be over before it starts once Shawn becomes convinced that she’s a serial killer.

Question: Is there any chance we’ll see Tony’s Bucket List again anytime soon on NCIS? Maybe even Tony doing something from the Bucket List? —Caro

Ausiello: Either you have the NCIS production offices bugged or, as exec producer Gary Glasberg suspects, you’re “reading the writers’ collective minds.” Either way, Glasberg confirms that the topic of Tony’s Bucket List “recently came up as we were discussing the season-ending arc.” The boss says no decision has been made whether they’ll revisit that particular story this season, but he does offers another piece of intel to satisfy your scoop craving. “Prepare to see an aspect of the Gibbs mythology the audience has never seen before,” he teases, before adding this telltale clue: “Ever wonder where Gibbs gets his hair cut?”

Question: The synopsis for this Sunday’s Once Upon a Time says, “Rumplestiltskin realizes his destiny while fighting in the Ogre Wars.” What does this mean, and what does it have to do with the seer(s) that have been cast for this episode? —Bezi

Ausiello: What it means is that a seer shares with Rumplestiltskin a warning about his fate… but neglects to include some extremely pertinent details. What follows is a painful, painful* lesson in, “Always ask follow-up questions!” (*The second “painful” is for the back-story you’re about to get on Rumple’s limp.)

Question: I need some scoop on The Lying Game! Any new love interests on the horizon for Laurel now that Jordan is out of the picture? —Stacie

Ausiello: Who says Jordan is out of the picture? Certainly not Allie Gonino (aka Laurel), who tells us the twosome “end up doing something together” in the very near future. “It’s not anything serious,” she clarifies. “Laurel just goes along with it.” OK, sounds like he is out of the picture. Regardless, Gonino says Laurel is “pretty apathetic” about romance at the moment, adding, “She’s a strong girl. I don’t think she seeks validation or associates who she is with whatever guy she’s involved with. She’s kind of just along for the ride.”

Question: Scandal scoop, pretty please! Anything on POTUS if you have it. —Mandy

Ausiello: If you thought that Cyrus got a free pass from “enlightened” Fitz — and that is why we didn’t get to see the president confront his chief of staff about the rigged election — Shonda Rhimes is here to set the record straight. “That is not true,” she told us. “When we come back [this Thursday] and it’s 10 months later, you begin to see the aftereffects of what happened with Fitz and his relationship with Cyrus. You will see how that consequence is played out.”

Question: I would dearly love some hints to narrow down who’s dying soon on The Vampire Diaries. Is it a male or female character? And does the death stick? —Audrey

Ausiello: Fun fact: Lost amid all this departure chatter is the potentially bigger news of an imminent, shocking and much-anticipated return.

Question: I need some Castle scoop. Is it true that Molly Quinn (Alexis) is leaving the show? —Laura

Ausiello: Hadn’t heard that one. But I did a little digging and multiple sources assure me that it most definitely is not true. Those same sources suspect the rumor probably got started because Alexis gets kidnapped in the Feb. 18 episode, the first half of the annual February sweeps two-parter.

Question: Spoilers for Beauty and the Beast please! – EWOK

Sandra: The grim reaper is paying a visit — VERY soon.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

The period piece drama The Hour has been canceled by the BBC after two seasons on the air. (Dominic Patten at Deadline)

FX has picked up the Scandinavian import sans US remake The Bridge as a 13-episode series that will star Demian Bichir and Diane Kruger as a pair of detectives – one from the U.S. and the other from Mexico – who work together to hunt down a serial killer. (Stuart Levine at Variety)

Actress Emily Bett Rickards has been promoted to full-time status on the hit CW series Arrow when it returns for its second season this fall. She plays IT girl Felicity Smoak. (Jarett Wieselman at Entertainment Online)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

The BBC has ordered Burton & Taylor, a 90-minute made-for-TV movie about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor that will star Dominic West (The Hour) and Helena Bonham Carter (the Harry Potter franchise) in the lead roles. This version of their tumultuous lives will chronicle their lives during their ill-fated appearance in a 1983 revival of the Noel Coward play, Private Lives. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Warner Horizon has picked up Red Brick Road, from producers Roy Lee and Adrian Askarieh, which takes a more sci-fi approach to the L. Frank Baum tale. Plot details of the series are being kept under wraps, but is being described as a dark and edgy sequel to the Wizard of Oz with a futuristic take on characters like a robotic Tin Man. Warner Horizon TV’s current roster of shows includes Rizzoli & Isles, Dallas, Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game (among others). (Marc Graser at Variety)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: Greg Kinnear and Lily Collins in Josh Boone’s ‘Writers’ Trailer

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

GENERAL NEWS

Congratulations are extended to all the winners at last night’s Grammy Awards, including (but not limited to) the following: Goyte, Mumford & Sons, fun., Adele, Kelly Clarkson, The Black Keys, Carrie Underwood and the Zac Brown Band.

TELEVISION

Arrow, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries have been each given an early renewal order by The CW for next season. (Give Me My Remote)

Actress Lisa Edelstein (House) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Scandal, but no details are known on who she will play. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Holliday Grainger (The Borgias) and actor Emile Hirsch will play the infamous bank-robbing couple Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in Bonnie & Clyde, an upcoming four-hour mini-series on Lifetime. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Syfy has finalized a deal to adapt the Philip K. Dick Hugo Award-winning novel “The Man In The High Castle” into a 4-hour mini-series. The story is set in a world in which Nazi Germany and Japan were victorious in World War II. The year is 1962 and the Axis Powers occupy the United States, where fascism rules and the few surviving Jews hide under assumed names. (The Futon Critic)

Actor Chris Cooper will star in the first-ever, scripted mini-series on the Discovery Channel called Klondike (the working title), playing the role of Father Judge. The mini-series is based on the Charlotte Gray novel “Gold Diggers: Striking It Rich in the Klondike”, bringing to life the tale about six strangers and their collective fight for survival and wealth in a small, frontier town in the remote Klondike. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Kim Raver (24 and Revolution), actor Scott Grimes (Party of Five and ER) and actress Gillian Alexy (Damages) have all joined the cast of the NCIS: Los Angeles spin-off. Raver will play the female lead, Special Agent Paris, opposite the previously announced John Corbett (Northern Exposure and The United States of Tara). Grimes will play Dave, a highly capable agent who has an eye for clues, a nose for lies and is the team’s forensic specialist while Alexy will play Special Agent Claire, who graduated at the top of her class at Harvard and trained with the Navy SEALs, lived with a British SAS soldier and loves all things military. Actor Kenneth Mitchell (Jericho) will have a potential recurring role as well. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and Philiana Ng and Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Australian actress Adelaide Kane (Neighbors and the online series Pretty Tough and will be seen in a major recurring role in the upcoming season of Teen Wolf) has landed the lead role in the CW drama pilot Reign that chronicles the rise to power of Mary Queen of Scots when she arrives in France as a 15-year-old, betrothed to Prince Francis. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top ten box office movies for this past weekend based on estimates from Deadline:

1. Identity Thief – 36 million
2. Warm Bodies – 11.7 million
3. Side Effects – 9.4 million
4. Silver Linings Playbook – 6.4 million
5. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters – 5.7 million
6. Mama – 4.2 million
7. Zero Dark Thirty – 3.9 million
8. Argo – 2.4 million
9. Django Unchained – 2.1 million
10. Top Gun 3D – 2 million

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Must Watch: Full UK Trailer for Pixar’s ‘Monsters University’ Debuts

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

Question: Anything on Fitz and Olivia! – Tina

Team Watch with Kristin: They broke up, so they are done. Forever. Fake out! Of course Fitz and Olivia’s story is far from over (have you ever watched a Shonda Rhimes show?! This will-they-or-won’t-they dynamic is her bread and butter!) We can tell you that Fitz’s new secretary is not starting off on a good foot with Mellie when the First Lady finds out she’s been making time in the president’s schedule for phone meetings. We repeat: Phone meetings, which is totally Fitz and Olivia’s thing, no? Hurts. So. Good.

Question: Any Hart of Dixie scoop would be lovely! – Marissa

Team Watch with Kristin: We’re going to be meeting Tansy’s three older brothers in an upcoming episode, and you’ll never guess what their names are: Rudy, Rocket and Chicken! Rudy is the oldest and a Chris Pratt-type who is the family’s protector, Rocket is a little quieter than the others, at least until he starts drinking, and Chicken is a little off, the “odd duck.” Good luck, George!

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the few news items for today:

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

The upcoming PBS mini-series Mr. Selfridge, that will star Jeremy Piven as Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridges department store, set in London in 1909 has been give an 10-episode second season order. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Watch: US Trailer for Wayne Blair’s ‘The Sapphires’ with Chris O’Dowd

Watch: Eric Heisserer’s ‘Hours’ Trailer Unveiled Starring Paul Walker

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Brooke Langton (Melrose Place) and actor John Reardon (Continuum) will guest star in the February 27 episode of Supernatural. Langton will play Hayley, a single mom desperate to find a cure for her son’s strange affliction while Reardon will play Shane, a bearded drifter full of courage and integrity whose true identity is unknown, even to himself. (Vlada Gelman at TV Line)

Actor Amaury Nolasco (Prison Break) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Rizzoli & Isles, playing Lt. Det. Rafael Martinez, the newly appointed head of the Boston Police Department’s drug unit who has a professional and personal history with Jane (Angie Harmon). His arrival forces her to relive a painful experience from her past. (Joyce Eng at TV Guide)

Actor John Noble (Fringe) will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Good Wife, playing a mysterious man from Alicia’s (Julianna Margulies) past. (Hit Fix and TV Guide Canada)

The original BBC series Being Human will come to an end at conclusion of this current season. (The Deadline Team)

MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE NEWS

Actress Holly Hunter and actor William Hurt will both star in the Lifetime made-for-TV movie Bonnie & Clyde that is, of course, based on the true story of the famed bank robbing couple Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Hunter will play Bonnie’s mother Emma while Hurt will play Frank Hamer, the Texas ranger credited with tracking down and killing Bonnie and Clyde. (Deadline and The Futon Critic)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Matt Smith (Doctor Who) has landed the lead role in the directorial debut by Ryan Gosling called How to Catch a Monster, which is a contemporary fairytale set against the surreal dreamscape of a vanishing city. Billy (Christina Hendricks), a single mother of two, is swept into a macabre and dark fantasy underworld while her teenage son discovers a secret road leading to an underwater town. (Variety and Dark Horizons)

Actors Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies), Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In) as well as actress Elle Fanning (Super 8) will star in the futuristic thriller called Young Ones that is set in a violent near-future where water has become the most precious — and fastest-dwindling — resource on the planet. (John Hopewell at Variety)

Actress Katherine Heigl will star in the romantic drama A Moment to Remember, which is a feature remake of a Korean movie. The story centers on a fashion designer who is stricken with a disease that wipes away her memory, forcing her husband to desperately try to give her one last memory of their love. (Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter)

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

Question: I haven’t seen Nashville scoop in a while. Pony up! – Shannon

Team Watch with Kristin: A sexy new singing cowboy will be rolling into two to stir up trouble between a couple characters who will remain nameless (spoilers!). And he’s every bit as charming as Blake Shelton, if you can believe it.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today (there is actually a lot of news to share this time so sit back and read on):

TELEVISION

Actor Donal Logue (Terriers and Life) has joined the cast of Copper, which will return for its second season on BBC America later this year. He will play Brendan Donovan, a General who has recently returned from the battlefields of the Civil War to his station in Five Points. His character is the political boss of the Sixth Ward, reasserting himself as one of the most influential and powerful men in the city’s political machine. (TV By the Numbers)

Actor Timothy Busfield will guest star in an upcoming episode of Revolution, playing Dr. Ethan Camp, a brilliant doctor protecting a devastating secret. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee) will guest star in an upcoming episode of The Good Wife, playing Jaine Ludwig, the tough, smart and elegant grieving widow of an Illinois Supreme Court Justice who died in a car accident. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Brooke Smith (Grey’s Anatomy) will have a recurring role in the new Showtime drama Ray Donovan. She will play Frances, the nurse and potential love interest for Ray’s (Live Schreiber) brother, Terry (Eddie Marsan), who is struggling with Parkinson’s disease. The series will revolve around a professional “fixer” for the rich and famous in Los Angeles. The series is set to debut alongside Dexter on June 30. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

ABC Family has picked up two of its drama pilots to series: The Fosters, which is to be executive produced by Jennifer Lopez and Socio, which has been renamed Twisted. Twisted is a mystery centered on a charismatic sixteen-year-old (Avan Jogia), with a troubled past who recently reconnected with his two female best friends from childhood. He becomes the prime suspect when a fellow student is surprisingly found dead in her home. The Fosters is about a multi-ethnic family mix of foster and biological kids being raised by two moms. Both shows are expected to have summer debuts. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor Miguel Ferrer has been promoted to series regular on NCIS: Los Angeles. This promotion will begin next season. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Matt Barr (The Hatfields & McCoys mini-series) has joined the cast of the upcoming box office film Parkland that already boasts an incredible cast including Paul Giamatti, Jacki Weaver, Jackie Earle Haley, Marcia Gay Harden, Colin Hanks, Ron Livingston, Mark Duplass, Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Welling (among others). Barr will play surgeon Paul Mikkelson in the JFK assassination drama that chronicle the hours immediately following the fatal shooting of the President. (The Deadline Team)

It looks like the box office film Hitman, the live action film adaptation of the hit video game – is getting a reboot with actor Paul Walker (Fast and Furious franchise) taking over the lead role. Justified star Timothy Olyphant had the lead role in the 2007 film. (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actor Sean Been will star in the upcoming box office film Jupiter Ascending, playing Stinger, a Han Solo-type character. He is joining Eddie Redmayne, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis in the film. (Mike Fleming, Jr. 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: Mikita scoop! – Tanya

Team Watch with Kristin: How about a brand new clip from this week’s episode of Nikita? Michael puts the pressure on Birkhoff to reveal Nikita’s secret plans. Ruh-roh!

Question: Vampire Diaries spoilers, I am begging you! What’s coming up for Elena and Damon? – MaryAnne

Team Watch with Kristin: What’s coming up is big, big changes. “Something happens in the near future, something pretty tragic and terrible and kind of show changing,” Nina Dobrev tells us. “It’s going to really affect every single person. It’s going to especially affect Damon, Elena and Stefan in a pretty crazy, controversial way. The whole show is going to shift. It’s going to be explosive.” That sounds ominous. Any guesses as to what’s about to go down?

Question: I am obsessed with The Following. Please give me some spoilers on what’s next? — Chase

ADAM: Things get even more personal in the next episode when newly outed follower Maggie lures Ryan back to Brooklyn… by kidnapping his sister! Although the episode does a great job at highlighting Ryan’s past pain as the reason he pushes everyone away, it also puts him in mortal danger by way of one of the show’s most inventive killing methods yet. (Hint: Remember how Homeland’s Brody killed the vice president?)

Question: What kind of Valentine’s Day shenanigans can we look forward to on Castle? — Gina

ADAM: Let’s just say that Castle learned his lesson at Christmas when he foolishly didn’t buy Beckett a gift even though she told him not to. “This time, I think he might be overcompensating,” creator Andrew W. Marlowe says with a laugh. “Castle’s trying to outdo himself, and of course Castle’s best-laid plans go awry.” But don’t expect Castle and Beckett to have all the V-Day fun. “If [Esposito] has plans, he’s keeping them very secretive,” Jon Huertas teases. “Castle’s investigating Javier’s plans and constantly nagging him about… who he’s hanging out with. [He’s] trying to see if my plans are not as good as his, not as romantic.”

Question: Where have Tyler and Caroline been the last two episodes of Vampire Diaries? I need them back! — Jessica

NATALIE: The good news is that they’re back on screen Thursday. The bad news is that Caroline is put in perhaps her most dangerous situation yet and by someone pretty shocking.

Question: What time will the Once Upon a Time Lightning Round article be posted? —Hannah JoAnn, via Twitter

NATALIE: Soon, Hannah. Better yet, because I’m feeling generous today, I will give you a sneak preview! Will poor Belle ever get her memories back? The answer is… yes! “If it was permanent, that would be the most bleak end,” executive producer Edward Kitsis says, noting that how Gold helps her gets her memory back will certainly be a story line to watch out for. Let’s take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. Good? OK.

Question: Is there any hope for Laurel and Oliver on Arrow? — Sarah

NATALIE: We’ll certainly see some hope as Laurel begins to rely more on the Arrow’s help — even in secret — in trying to clean up the city. “Her dealing with the Arrow is going to complicate her relationship with Tommy,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says. “It’s also going to have a massive impact on her relationship with her father.”

Question: What’s going to happen on Nashville now that Rayna and Deacon are out on the road together? — Shelly

ADAM: Adultery is definitely in the air on Wednesday’s episode, but you might need to look beyond the tour bus to find the culprit. Then again, Rayna and Deacon do have a number of awkward moments in elevators during the episode. Might the words of that immortal prophet Steven Tyler ring true once more?

Question: If Scandal’s Hollis didn’t put the hit on Fitz, then who did? —Dani

NATALIE: If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. But you will find out this week in an episode that would’ve served perfectly as a season finale had ABC not picked up the series for a full season. But even more shocking will be which of the couples do — and do not — end up together, especially when it comes to the sacrifice that one character makes for his/her job. You think I’m talking about Fitz, right? Wrong.

Question: Please. I’m begging you. Anything Scandal-related would be greatly appreciated. —Mateo

Ausiello: Thursday’s insane Season 2A climax features two reunions, three (possibly four) **e****s and at least one **a**. There’s also tons of male nudity, if, you know, you’re into that sort of thing.

Question: Got any Once Upon a Time scoop for us? — Susan

Ausiello: Yes! While speaking with Josh Dallas about this week’s David/Charming-heavy episode, Matt Mitovich picked his brain about Brothers & Sisters alum John Pyper-Ferguson’s character, who thus far has only been described as the widowed father to a young boy. “I can’t tell you anything,” Dallas hedged. “Just know that he’s an outsider.” Speaking of outsiders, Dallas was slightly more forthcoming with a status report on wayward driver Greg Mendell, played by Ethan Embry. “In this Sunday’s episode, you see Greg grilling Belle about what she actually saw that night at the car accident,” he said, musing: “Hmm, why does he want to know…?”

Question: Any Nikita scoop on Alex? —Ross

Ausiello: Sean will be “fuming from the ears” when Alex and Owen get paired on a mission together, previews Devon Sawa. But chillax, “Salex” fans, things remain strictly platonic between the agents. Allow Sawa to explain: “Owen attempts a joke that is only funny because it’s so awkward, but at the same time the intercom is on and Sean’s listening in.” Hence the jealous ex-Navy SEAL’s reaction.

Question: Take pity on me. Throw me a bone with some Grimm scoop. I have to make it another month until it’s back. —Mike

Ausiello: No one pities you more than I do, Mike. It’s in that spirit that I ask you: Is primetime big enough for two Rumpelstiltskins?! We’ll find out later this season when the NBC drama spins a story inspired by the classic fairytale antagonist (currently being played by Robert Carlyle on Once Upon a Time). In possibly related news, that same episode — Season 2′s 16th — features a guest turn by Lost‘s Eric Lange. He plays Dominick, the owner of software company whose staff falls victim to dark circumstances and will do whatever he needs to do to help Nick and Hank resolve this case.

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Aisha Hinds (Detroit 187 and the upcoming CW series Cult) has been added to the cast of this summer’s Under the Dome, based on the Stephen King novel that will focus on Chester’s Mill, a small New England town that is suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Aimee Garcia has been promoted to series regular status on Dexter when it returns this summer for its 8th season. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Castle has been given an additional episode for its current 5th season, bouncing the total number up to 24 episodes. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Chris Pratt (Parks & Recreation and Zero Dark Thirty) has landed the lead role of Peter Quill in the upcoming box office film Guardians of the Galaxy, beating out contenders like Joel Edgerton, Jack Huston, Lee Pace and Jim Sturgess (among others). (First Showing)

Q&A SECTION (with Team Watch with Kristin at E! Online and Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Question: In dire need of some Scandal scoop! – Noelle

Team Watch with Kristin: Do not miss Thursday’s game-changing episode. In fact, watch it live to avoid being spoiled because everything changes. Not only is there a death, but Charlie, Cyrus’ assassin, once again returns to possibly take out someone major. Yikes! Oh, and someone also asks Huck to make a kill on their behalf as well.

Question: Anything on Zoe and George on Hart of Dixie? I haven’t given up on them! – Claudia

Team Watch with Kristin: Though George is currently happy with Tansy, it doesn’t mean he isn’t still looking out for Zoe. When George teams up with Wade for the Battle of the Bands concert, he doesn’t like what he sees when he spots Wade chatting up a groupie. Ruh-roh!

Question: I have a question about the Men of Letters: Will this plot mean that we’re done with the tablet stuff? And is Sam going to tell Dean about his conversation with Larry? He warned him to destroy it all but Sam seems to have done the opposite. Thanks! I love your recaps! – Kat

Sandra: They’re not done with the tablets by any means. In fact, Supernatural consulting producer Ben Edlund, who wrote this week’s episode, says Sam feels finding this information center is just what they needed. “He leaps into the library and the data banks of this place,” says Edlund. “It for him represents a kind of well because he’s convinced it’s going to give them leads and information…[so while] it doesn’t directly affect the tablet story but it builds in on [that] as time passes.” As for Dean, Edlund says, “Sam if anything is a little starry-eyed and voracious like he was at Stanford…But it may come to pass later as thorns start to grow down there that Dean will bring up that point independently but not [this week].”

Question: Would love some NCIS scoop! Any great Feb sweeps teases you can share about Tony and Ziva? I have been loving this season so far! – Cheryl

Sandra: “There’s definitely more Tony/Ziva stuff that’s coming down the road,” Glasberg tells me. But patience will continue to pay off. We’re currently in the midst of some pretty classic episode of NCIS, but it’s building. “It will be little bits and pieces here and there and some more significant stuff as well. And Ziva’s continued desire and interest in revenge for her father will continue and hopefully that will dovetail into something toward the end of the season as well,” he says.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Here are the top 10 box office movies from this past weekend courtesy of Exhibitor Relations:

1. Warm Bodies, $20 million
2. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, $9.2 million
3. Silver Linings Playbook, $8.1 million
4. Mama, $6.7 million
5. Zero Dark Thirty, $5.3 million
6. Bullet to the Head, $4.5 million
7. Parker, $3.2 million
8. Django Unchained, $3 million
9. Les Misérables, $2.44 million
10. Lincoln, $2.4 million

Actress Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) and actor Sam Claflin (Snow White and the Huntsman) will star in the upcoming romantic comedy film called Love, Rosie that is based on the Cecelia Ahern novel called “Where Rainbows End”. Collins will play Rosie with Claflin as her best friend and star-crossed lover Alex, who are planning to head to the States for college together when Rosie discovers she’s pregnant after a crazy night out with the most popular boy in school. She encourages Alex to go without her and over the next 12 years their lives change but an undeniable connection remains. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

It looks like Revenge star Emily VanCamp has landed the female lead in the upcoming Captain America sequel. (Mike Fleming at Deadline)

SUPER BOWL SNEAK PEEKS

Super Bowl Spot: ‘Fast & Furious 6′

Super Bowl First Look: Marvel’s ‘Iron Man 3′

Super Bowl Spot: ‘The Lone Ranger’

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Hot International Trailer: ‘Byzantium’

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

Question: What’s your take on the new FX drama The Americans? I’m sort of cautiously optimistic because I love several FX shows, but this one didn’t grab me like Justified and the others have. I thought there was way too much action before I got any sort of character development — it drove me nuts to have to follow the opening sequence for so long without any context. I also found myself fascinated by the next-door neighbor/FBI agent (what is the story with his undercover assignment?!) and less so by Phillip (the husband), but Elizabeth (the wife) left me sort of cold. I hope it improves with more episodes. — Amy

Matt Roush: My initial review of The Americans was quite positive, and I enjoyed this week’s second episode just as much — lots of positive buzz in my office regarding next week’s episode as well (haven’t had time to watch yet), which introduces the great Margo Martindale as the couple’s new handler — but ambivalence toward these characters is understandable, not necessarily a flaw. Many of FX’s better series focus on anti-heroes who make you queasy for even trying to empathize or identify with them. I’m actually impressed that they’ve made Keri Russell’s character (Elizabeth) such an emotionally remote cold fish of a hard-line Russian patriot. And I had no trouble with the first episode throwing us immediately into the action, revealing them first as spies engaged in dangerous exploits and only then showing us the deceptively ordinary world they inhabit. My biggest problem with the pilot was the overly contrived twist of having the FBI agent moving in across the street, but Noah Emmerich plays him disarmingly enough that it undercut the cliché. The American feels to me like a good fit for FX, and I’m glad it got off to a decent start.

Question: I am furious with ABC and Mike Kelley regarding Revenge’s second season. A year ago I signed up for a clever, stylish and original prime-time soap. During Revenge’s first season I thought the characters, the plot, the twists and the thrill was amazing (not since the original Melrose Place went off the air have I appreciated a guilty pleasure as much as I did Revenge). My favorite part was when Victoria and Emily went against each other within a social and glamorous context. Revenge’s world was something unique and special that I felt privileged to be part of on a weekly basis. However something has happened on Season 2. The continuous scheming from the two leads has been replaced by a pathetic Mission: Impossible storyline that I find out of place and not in sync with what the first season promised the audience. I have endured the return of Emily’s boring mom, the complicated Initiative plot, the addition of unwelcome new characters (e.g. Nolan’s CFOs) and the boredom caused by baby Carl. I was willing to stick with the show just because Madeleine Stowe and Emily VanCamp’s performances are so much fun to watch; nonetheless, the last few episodes continue depicting Emily as some sort of Alias spy girl, which is not believable and does not support the show’s original premise. So now I am thinking about giving up on the show once and for all. I was wondering where do you stand on this issue, and if you believe Season 2 has been such mess as I think it has?

On another unrelated note, I would like to mention that Nikita has been reaching new levels of excitement with every new episode. I am so glad The CW has supported this show no matter the ratings. I am hopeful that Nikita will be renewed for a fourth season. This is a show that has delivered on its promise and exceeded my expectations like I didn’t think was possible. — David

Matt Roush: Seriously, could they just put a pin in the eye-glazing Initiative plot and get back to the core of the show, which is Emily vs. the Graysons? Can’t argue with any of your complaints, and it’s a sign of how disengaged I’ve become that I have yet to catch up with the last two January episodes (which aired against big-ticket programming, which not surprisingly damaged Revenge’s ratings), because it’s just not as fun anymore. Headline: Scandal is the new Revenge. Trust me on that one.

Regarding Nikita: This is my favorite season since the first. It’s tighter, with more purpose behind the plotting, and the missions to take down the “Dirty Thirty” have been generally exciting, with very high (and often emotional) stakes. With Fringe gone, it’s the only show on Friday that feels like appointment TV to me.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Ellen Muth (Dead Like Me) will guest star in an episode of the upcoming NBC drama Hannibal. She will play Georgia in the series that is a contemporary take on the characters from the Thomas Harris novel “Red Dragon” that will focus on the fledgling relationship between FBI agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Lecter, his mentor. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actor Lee Majors (The Six Million Dollar Man) will appear in two episodes of Dallas, playing Ken Richards, an old flame of Sue Ellen’s who finds himself crossing paths with her once again for business matters. (Sandra Gonzalez at Entertainment Weekly)

Lifetime has picked up the drama Witches of East End that will star Julia Ormond (Mad Men), Jenna Dewan-Tatum (American Horror Story), Rachel Boston (In Plain Sight) and Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks). Based on the Melissa de la Cruz best-selling novel, the series will center on the adventures of Joanna Beauchamp (Ormond) and her two adult daughters Freya (Dewan-Tatum) and Ingrid (Boston) — both of whom unknowingly are their family’s next generation of witches — who lead seemingly quiet, uneventful modern day lives in Long Island’s secluded seaside town of East Haven. When Freya becomes engaged to a young, wealthy newcomer, a series of events forces Joanna to admit to her daughters they are, in fact, powerful and immortal witches. Amick stars as Joanna’s mischievous witch sister Wendy. (The Futon Critic)

Actress Michaela McManus (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) will guest star in an upcoming episode of CSI, playing Kelly a former Mean Girl who was once BFFs with the class queen found murdered at a reunion. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

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

Question: Could I get some scoop on The Vampire Diaries‘ Caroline Forbes? Possibly about Klaroline or Steroline? –Amy

Mitovich: Amy, I found you something behind Curtain A. Or, more accurately, show boss Julie Plec did. “Caroline will find herself stuck in the middle of the terrible tensions between Klaus and Tyler,” Plec says in response to your query, “leading her to put her own life on the line to try to resolve their issue.”

Question: Please tell me you have some NCIS scoop, especially if it’s related to Tony and/or Ziva and what we could expect for them as the season goes on? – Marla D.

Team Watch with Kristin: Starting in the episodes airing next month, Tony and Ziva’s relationship will reach a turning point, especially in the Feb. 19 episode where Vance will be grieving over the loss of his wife. We advise you to not miss any more episodes for the rest of the season!

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a fantastic weekend!

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