Rueben's Ramblings

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!

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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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Hey All,

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

TELEVISION

Actor Gerald McRaney (Major Dad and Promised Land) will appear in at least five episodes of the TNT cop drama Southland, playing Det. Hicks, a retired police officer who was Officer John Cooper’s (Michael Cudlitz) training officer. He now drinks a little too much and lives on a boat in Marina Del Rey. (Lynette Rice at Entertainment Weekly)

Doctor Who alum David Tennant will star in the three-part legal thriller called The Escape Artist that is set to air on BBC One in the U.K. [fingers crossed that BBC America will provide the mini to us here in the States!] Tennant will play Will Burton, a lawyer nicknamed “The Escape Artist” thanks to his ability to get people out of tight legal corners. But when his talents acquit the prime suspect in a horrific murder trial, his brilliance comes back to bite him. The telefilm will also star Ashley Jensen (Ugly Betty), Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) and Toby Kebbell (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time). (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Tom Welling (Clark Kent on Smallville) will co-star in the upcoming box office film called Parkland, the ensemble drama about the hours following the assassination of JFK in Parkland Hospital. The cast already includes Paul Giamatti, Zac Efron, and Billy Bob Thornton (among many others). (Mike Fleming, Jr. at Deadline)

Actor Sam Worthington will star in the upcoming action-thriller called For The Dogs that is about an assassin who agrees to help a college girl exact revenge on the murderers of her parents and younger brother. (The Deadline Team)

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

Question: Any Once Upon a Time scoop? I’ve been hearing rumors that Jamie Dornan is returning, please tell me it’s true! – Kendra

Team Watch with Kristin: “Thrilled to be able to confirm that we have Jamie Dornan returning to appear again in an episode of Once Upon a Time,” co-creator Adam Horowitz tweeted of our Hot Hipster Sheriff. “So excited.” We can also tell you that Dornan was recently spotted filming with Lana Parrilla (aka Regina) in Sheriff Graham gear, not Huntsman gear. (Oh, how we missed that vest!)

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

BBC America is co-producing a TV-movie that will chronicle the genesis of the legendary TV series Doctor Who and the Time Lord’s maiden voyage on November 23, 1963. The movie will be called An Adventure in Space Time and will star David Bradley (Argus Filch from the Harry Potter franchise) will portray William Hartness, the show’s first Doctor while Brian Cox (The Bourne Identity) will play Sydney Newman, the BBC’s Head of Drama credited with the creation of the show. The cast also includes Jessica Raine (Call the Midwife) and Sacha Dawan (History Boys) as producer Verity Lambert and director Waris Hussien, who helmed the “An Unearthly Child” pilot. The 90-minute movie will premiere later this year. (Matt Mitovich at TV Line)

Actress Katie McGrath (Merlin) and actor Nonso Anozie (Game of Thrones) will star opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the upcoming NBC drama series Dracula that re-introduces Dracula (Meyers) as he arrives in London, posing as American entrepreneur Alan Grayson who maintains that he wants to bring modern science to Victorian society. In reality, he hopes to wreak revenge on the people who ruined his life centuries earlier but falls hopelessly in love with Mina Murray (Jessica De Gouw) who appears to be the reincarnation of his dead wife. McGrath will play Lucy Westenra, Aristocratic London’s sexy, social butterfly and Mina’s best friend who has a penchant for gossip, flirting and all things glamorous. Anozie will play R.M. Renfield, Alan Grayson’s fiercely loyal confidante. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Melinda Clarke (Nikita and The O.C.) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the new CBS drama Vegas, playing the mother of Mia Rizzo (Sarah Jones). Her character will be Lena, a charismatic, shrewd, strong woman who is attracted to even stronger men. Although Mia’s father (Michael Wiseman) insisted that Lena died when Mia was a baby, she’s alive and well, having been forbidden to see or contact her daughter. Naturally, her arrival at the Savoy will ruffle a few feathers. (Adam Bryant at TV Guide)

SUMMER TELEVISION

ABC has picked up the Canadian drama Motive and plans to air the crime drama this summer. The series has “a unique twist” focusing not on who did the crime, but why the crime was committed in the first place. Here is the basic premise behind the show: When murder is committed, Angie Flynn, a loving, single mother and a damned good detective, along with her partner, Detective Oscar Vega, are on the case, looking for clues that will lead them to the killer. The cast includes Kristin Lehman (The Killing), Louis Ferreira (Stargate Universe), Lauren Holly (NCIS), Roger Cross (24, Continuum and Arrow) and Cameron Bright (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2). (The Futon Critic)

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

Question: Will the secret that the Five rigged the presidential election come out on Scandal? — Hailee

NATALIE: That’s what the — oh my goodness, I love what Shonda Rhimes calls them — Illuminati will hope to prevent in the coming episodes. “There’s a splintering of the Illuminati in terms of everyone’s agendas and what they’re willing to do and who they feel is to blame,” she says. “It becomes more fractured as it goes along, and it starts to feel like, for Olivia, that this is the one problem that she can’t fix.”

Question: What’s coming up for Oliver’s love life on Arrow? — Clark

NATALIE: Sorry to disappoint the Laurel and Oliver fans, but this week’s episode will introduce McKenna Hall (True Blood’s Janina Gavankar), a former party girl and Oliver’s old friend. “She isn’t the same person she used to be, so both of them are rediscovering each other,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim says. “She’s a very cool and interesting foil for Oliver, as well as a very different kind of love interest, both in terms of what her past is, as a completely crazy party girl who could keep up with the old Oliver Queen, as well as her present day existence as a cop.”

Question: What’s coming up for Juliette on Nashville? — Andrea

ADAM: Although things seem to be looking up for Juliette and her addict mom at the moment, don’t count on that to last — especially when Mommie Dearest finishes her rehab stint and moves back in with her daughter. Although one rough patch will force Juliette to hire a sober coach for her mom, Juliette might be the one who truly benefits from his work. Look for her to open up to him about a painful childhood memory — an exercise that perhaps both explains Juliette’s troubled relationship with her mom and finally helps Juliette repair it.

Question: Jeremy and Bonnie seem to be close again on The Vampire Diaries. Any hookups in their future? — Gabi

NATALIE: They’ll have some pretty intense scenes coming up, but not romantically. “It’s more partnership and companionship than anything too sexual,” Kat Graham tells us. “Even if they wanted to take another stab at it, Bonnie has so many trust issues stemming from her parents and some of her friends that she has a bit of a wall up now and she’s like, ‘Let’s just be friends for now.'”

Question: How long before Catherine’s family finds out about Vincent on Beauty and the Beast? — Jacob

NATALIE: Cat’s sister Heather will soon find herself heavily involved in their relationship. Not only will she finally meet Vincent (under false pretenses of course), but Jay Ryan tells us their meeting will turn deadly. “Heather has got herself in with a bad crowd and so Vincent has to save her life. In doing so, he mistakenly kills someone very close to one of our series regular cast members. It’s going to have the whole city after this guy because they think he wrongfully killed this man.”

That’s it. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Brant Daugherty (Pretty Little Liars) will have a major recurring role in Army Wives, which returns to Lifetime on March 10. He will play 2nd Lt. Patrick Clark, son of Jackie (Kelli Williams) and Kevin (Robert John Burke), who is described as an intelligent, capable infantry officer freshly minted from West Point eager to prove himself in combat. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actress Annie Wersching (24) will guest star on Revolution, playing Emma, the first love of Miles (series regular Billy Burke). The series returns to NBC on March 25 and Wersching’s episode will air on April 22. (Sadie Gennis at TV Guide)

Actor Eric Mabius (Ugly Betty) will guest star on an upcoming episode of Blue Bloods, playing Richard Rourke, a likable and sexy multi-millionaire philanthropist with an unblemished record who may not be as perfect as he appears. (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

Actor Scott Wolf (Party of Five and V) will have a recurring role on the TNT drama Perception, playing Donnie, a charismatic, fast-rising Assistant U.S. Attorney recently transferred back to Chicago, who just happens to be the soon-to-be ex-husband of Special Agent Kate Moretti (series regular Rachael Leigh Cook). (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

Cinemax renewed their new drama Banshee for a second season (already). (Kimberly Roots at TV Line)

It looks like BBC America is heading toward a renewal of their new period piece drama Ripper Street, as BBC 1 (one of the main networks in the U.K.) has announced the show will get a second season. (Jon Weisman at Variety)

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

Question: Could you tell me something about the aftermath of NCIS’ double death? What are the long-term effects that they have on Ziva and Vance? — Jenny de Jong

Sandra: Vance will continue to have a tough time as he struggles with grief, and as executive producer Gary Glasberg teases, it will make for quite a few heart-tugging moments. “There’s a tremendous amount for him to tackle and then come back to work,” says Glasberg. “We introduced the Deputy Director Craig character (Greg Germann), who will be around for a while and will come at things in a little bit of a quirkier way than Vance does and that will be present over the next few episodes. And there are definitely some very touching, heartfelt moments that are coming.” But the traumatic loss of Vance’s wife has given both the writers and actor Rocky Carroll just the dramatic meat they were hoping for, he adds. “When Rocky and I first spoke about this arc, the goal was to really open some doors for the Vance character and have him deal with some very personal matters for him as a father and a widower,” says Glasberg. “Vance has to continue raising his kids and going about his life and [we’ll explore] how that affects him at home and at work. It’s going to carry through well through the end of the season.”

Question: Anything more involving Jacob and/or Paul on The Following? – jmnzl

Team Watch with Kristin: Prepare for flashbacks! We’ll learn more about Jacob and Paul’s complicated relationship and what went down when Emma wasn’t around for three years. Fans should also prepare to see Paul do something less than smart when he finally cracks and can’t stand being a third wheel any longer.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

GENERAL NEWS

Congrats to the winners of the Screen Actors Guild awards that were announced last night, including (but limited to) Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway, Argo, Downton Abbey, Claire Danes and Game of Thrones.

TELEVISION

Actress Britt Robertson (Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle) has joined the cast of the upcoming summer CBS series Under the Dome based on the Stephen King novel. The series follows residents in the Chester’s Mill community as they deal with the post-apocalyptic conditions that ensue when a strange barrier mysteriously encapsulates the town. Robertson will play Angie, an attractive young waitress and aspiring nurse who has always dreamed of escaping Chester’s Mill. (Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter)

Actor Elias Koteas (Combat Hospital) has joined the cast of the AMC series The Killing that is returning to the network even after its cancellation and then resurrection by the network. He will play Sarah Linden’s (Mireille Enos) ex-partner Ed Skinner. (Lesley Goldberg and Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

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

1. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, $19 million
2. Mama, $12.9 million
3. Silver Linings Playbook, $10million
4. Zero Dark Thirty, $9.8 million
5. Parker, $7 million
6. Django Unchained, $5.005 million
7. Movie 43, $5 million
8. Gangster Squad, $4.2 million
9. Broken City, $4 million
10. Les Misérables, $3.9 million

Actor Shawn Ashmore and actresses Anna Paquin and Ellen Page will be joining the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past movie that will also feature Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen as well as returning X-Men: First Class cast members James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence. (The Deadline Team)

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

Question: Any Vampire Diaries scoop you can share, preferably about Bonnie? – Janet

Team Watch with Kristin: Take it away, Kat Graham: “I can tell you that Bonnie is going to take a different turn and is going to make some choices that are going to affect the rest of the characters. It’s really, really huge,” she teases. Dark Willow, anyone?!

Question: Will we see more stuff between Ryan and Claire on The Following? I love them together. – Dawson

Team Watch with Kristin: This week’s episode is light on the Ryan-Claire stuff, but coming up you can definitely expect more interaction between those two. And did someone order a flashback to when they first got together? Coming right up…in a couple of weeks. And if you’re (for some odd reason) a fan of Joe and Claire together, they’ve got a really intense scene in an upcoming episode that’ll surely leave you breathless (but not in the sexy way).

Question: I read that Switched At Birth is going to do an all-American Sign Language episode sometime in March. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this! And what’s even better, this doesn’t feel like some kind of gimmick episode. This completely fits into what they’ve already been doing and the storylines that have been set in place. I can’t wait!!! — Lindlee

Matt Roush: It does sound special, doesn’t it? Though not in the “very special episode” sense of so many other TV stunts. Switched at Birth exists in a world where being able to communicate with ASL connects so many of the characters (or not). This promises to be a peak moment for one of TV’s very best family dramas. And in case you want to set your DVRs already, the airdate is March 4.

That’s it. Enjoy!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actress Brooke Shields will have a role in the 7th season of Lifetime’s Army Wives that returns on March 10. She will play Air Force Colonel Katherine “Kat” Young, a C-17 pilot who clashes with Army General Michael Holden (Brian McNamara). (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline)

Actor John Pyper-Ferguson (Alphas, Caprica and Brothers & Sisters) will guest star in an upcoming episode of Once Upon a Time, playing Ben, a widower who wants nothing more than to help his young son heal from the loss of his mother. (James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actress Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) will pay a visit to Grey’s Anatomy in an episode set to air this spring, but details are fuzzy on what role she will play. (Michael Ausiello at TV Line)

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

The British adaptation of the Scandinavian series The Bridge, which will become a 10-part mini-series called The Tunnel, will star actress Clemence Poesy (Harry Potter) and actor Stephen Dillane (Game of Thrones) in the lead roles. The drama will be set primarily in Folkestone and Calais where detectives Karl Roebuck (Dillane) and Elise Wassermann (Poésy) are called to investigate the death of a French politician. When a shocking discovery is made at the crime scene, the pair is forced into an uneasy partnership as they seek out a politically-motivated serial killer who draws them into his own personal agenda. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

More cast members have joined the cast of the British biopic called Fleming that will star Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia) as author Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond and actress Annabelle Wallis (Pan Am) as Muriel Wright, the original inspiration for the Bond Girl. The additional cast members include Lara Pulver (Sherlock and the upcoming Starz series Da Vinci’s Demons), who will play Ann O’Neill, with whom Fleming had a long-term on-off relationship before she became his wife in 1952. Actor Samuel West (the upcoming mini-series Mr. Selfridge) will play Admiral John Godfrey with whom Fleming worked during WWII and who put him in charge of Operation Golden Eye. British actress Lesley Manville (Vera Drake) will play Fleming’s mother Eve and British actor Rupert Evans (World Without End) will play his brother Peter. Also Anna Chancellor (The Hour) will play Lieutenant Monday, an inspiration for Miss Moneypenny. (Nancy Tartaglione at Deadline)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actor Campbell Scott (Royal Pains) is set to direct and star in the box office adaptation of the Joan Didion novel called “A Book of Common Prayer, which centers on two American women whose paths cross in a fictional Central American country on the verge of revolution: One married into one of the families that dominate politics in Boca Grande; the other has seen her marriage fall apart and her daughter run off with a group of Marxist radicals. (Dave McNary at Variety)

Director-series creator J.J. Abrams has been selected to direct the next movie in the Star Wars franchise. (The Wrap and Dark Horizons)

Actress Chloe Moretz (the upcoming Carrie reboot and the Let Me In) will star in the film adaptation of the Gayle Forman novel called If I Say, which follows a relationship between a young classical musician (Moretz) and her indie rock boyfriend. (Variety and First Showing)

The long list of actors have been assembled to star in the upcoming JFK assassination film called Parkland. Among the already announced cast are Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, Jacki Weaver, Marcia Gay Harden, Zac Efron, and Jeremy Strong. And the newly announced cast includes Jackie Earle Haley, Colin Hanks, Ron Livingston, James Badge Dale and David Harbour. The film will be based on the Vincent Bugliosi book called “Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy.” The film will recount the chaotic events that occurred at Parkland Hospital in Dallas following JFK’s assassination on Nov. 22, 1963. (Greg Gilman at The Wrap)

BOX OFFICE TRAILER

Kirsten Dunst & Jim Sturgess in ‘Upside Down’ Sci-Fi Romance Trailer

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

Question: How will Colton Haynes’ exit be addressed when Teen Wolf returns? – Brendan

Team Watch with Kristin: Thanks to a handy-dandy four month time-jump, Jackson’s absence in Beacon Hills won’t be weighing down any of our characters that much and we’ll learn what happened to him thanks to a quippy explanation from Lydia. In the same vein, look for Isaac to have more of a presence in season three now that Jackson is gone.

Question: Is it too soon to ask about Awkward? – Jayna

Mitovich: Actually, no – because the show has just put out a Season 3 casting call for the role of Collin, a surprisingly charming classmate who will distract Jenna some, even to the point that she ignores Matty’s calls. Then again, Jenna as a whole is not quite herself when the MTV series returns. Something about not getting much sleep at home.

Question: This is not really a scoop request (or maybe it is), but the press release for the NCIS episode “Canary” (Episode 10×14) seems to be lacking guest cast. –Daniel

Mitovich: You seem crafty, Daniel, so maybe you already dug this up. But if not, that guest cast includes Chuck alum/imminent Bones guest star Vik Sahay (playing a computer hacker), Ethan Rains (General Hospital: Night Shift) and Geoffrey Wade (aka Don’s Mad Men dentist).

That’s it. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!!

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Hey All,

Here are the news items for today:

TELEVISION

Actor Sean Patrick Flanery (The Dead Zone and The Young & the Restless) and veteran British actress Charlotte Rampling (the mini-series Restless) will both have recurring roles in the upcoming 8th season of Dexter. Flanery will play Jacob Elroy, the ex-cop owner of a private investigation company in Miami while Rampling will play a neuro-psychiatrist who specializes in working with young psychopaths and profiling criminals in unorthodox ways. (Nellie Andreeva at Deadline and James Hibberd at Entertainment Weekly)

Actor Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes and Covert Affairs) has been promoted to series regular status on Beauty And the Beast. He will play Assistant District Attorney Gabe Lowen starting on February 28. (Philiana Ng at The Hollywood Reporter)

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Actress Dakota Fanning has been cast in the upcoming box office film The Last Of Robin Hood alongside actor Kevin Kline, who plays the leading role of legendary actor Errol Flynn. Fanning will play teenage actress Beverly Aadland, who was 17-years-old and by Flynn’s side when he died at the age of 50 in 1959. Actress Susan Sarandon will play Beverly’s mother. (The Deadline Team)

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

Question: I need to know what’s next for Spencer now that she knows about Toby on Pretty Little Liars! I felt so bad for her! – Madison

Team Watch With Kristin: Spencer is about do take a dark turn! Creator Marlene King teases, “When she accepts that Toby is in the ‘A’ Team she has nothing left to lose, so she does things that we would never expect Spencer to do.” Bonus PLL scoop: King says fans will learn how the Uber “A” assembled the team’s members in the finale. Blackmail or recruitment? Hmmm…

That’s it. Enjoy!

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