Rueben's Ramblings

The following are descriptions of the five new dramas from The CW; three that will air this fall, the fourth that will debut in January 2013 and the last one, Cult, that is expected to premiere during mid-season. There are cast photos for all five new dramas below but only trailers for the three dramas that will air this fall are currently available:

ARROW – (Wednesday Nights at 8 PM)

PREMISE: After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. By day, Oliver plays the role of a wealthy, carefree and careless philanderer he used to be – flanked by his devoted chauffeur/bodyguard, John Diggle – while carefully concealing the secret identity he turns to under cover of darkness. However, Laurel’s father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver’s own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

CAST: Stephen Amell (Private Practice and Heartland), Colin Donnell (Pan Am), Katie Cassidy (Melrose Place and Supernatural), David Ramsey (Blue Bloods), Willa Holland (The O.C.), Susanna Thompson (Once and Again) and Paul Blackthorne (The River).

CREATIVE TEAM: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and David Nutter are executive producers. David Nutter directed the pilot.

UPDATED:
TRAILER FOR ARROW:

ARROW

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST – (Thursday Nights at 9 PM)

PREMISE: Detective Catherine Chandler is a smart, no-nonsense homicide detective. Several years earlier, Catherine witnessed the murder of her mother at the hands of two gunmen. Catherine would have been killed too, but someone – or something – saved her. No one has ever believed her, but she knows it wasn’t an animal that attacked the assassins…it was human. Years have passed, and Catherine is a strong, confident, capable police officer, working alongside her equally talented partner, Tess. While investigating a murder, Catherine discovers a clue that leads her to a handsome doctor named Vincent Keller, who was reportedly killed by enemy fire while serving in Afghanistan in 2002. Catherine learns that Vincent is actually still alive and that it was he who saved her many years before. For mysterious reasons that have forced him to live outside of traditional society, Vincent has been in hiding for the past 10 years to guard his secret – when he is enraged, he becomes a terrifying beast, unable to control his super-strength and heightened senses. Catherine agrees to protect his identity in return for any insight he may have into her mother’s murder. Thus begins a complex relationship between Catherine and Vincent, who are powerfully drawn to each other yet understand that their connection is extremely dangerous for both of them.

CAST: Kristin Kreuk (Smallville), Jay Ryan (Terra Nova), Max Brown (The Tudors and MI-5), Nina Lisandrello (Nurse Jackie), Nicole Gale Anderson (Make It or Break It), Austin Basis (Life Unexpected), and Brian White (Men of a Certain Age)

CREATIVE TEAM: Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper, Bill Haber, Paul J. Witt, Tony Thomas, Ron Koslow and Gary Fleder are executive producers.

PREVIEW CLIP FOR BEAUTY AND THE BEAST:

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

EMILY OWENS, M.D. – (Tuesday Nights at 9 PM)

PREMISE: At long last, Emily Owens feels like she is an actual grown-up. She can finally put her high school days as the geeky-girl-with-flop-sweats behind her; she’s graduated from medical school and is now a first-year intern at Denver Memorial Hospital, where she’ll have the chance to work with world-famous cardiologist Dr. Gina Beckett – and where, not-so-coincidentally, her med-school crush Will Rider is also an intern. So why does everyone keep warning her that the hospital is just like high school? Emily soon finds out the hard way – her high school nemesis, the gorgeous, popular Cassandra Kopelson, is also just starting out at Denver Memorial, and it seems like they’re rivals all over again – not only as surgical interns, but for Will’s attention. Fellow intern Tyra Granger warns Emily that the cliques at Denver Memorial are all too familiar: the jocks have become orthopedic surgeons; the mean girls are in plastics; the rebels are in the ER, and Tyra has her own awkward place as the principal’s kid – her father is the chief resident. Emily’s the new kid all over again, and it’s just as awkward as high school. Only this time around, Emily will have to balance the personal and emotional turmoil of social politics with the high-stakes world of life-and-death medical decisions. At least she has fellow intern Tyra and nerdy-but-cute resident Micah, to count on as friends. Emily is growing to realize that although she may be a geek, she may also grow to be a great doctor, flop sweats and all.

CAST: Mamie Gummer (Off the Map), Justin Hartley (Smallville), Michael Rady (Melrose Place and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), newcomer Aja Naomi King, Kelly McCreary (White Collar) and Necar Zadegan (24 and The Event).

CREATIVE TEAM: Jennie Snyder Urman, Dan Jinks and Bharat Nalluri are the executive producers. Bharat Nalluri directed the pilot.

PREVIEW CLIP FOR EMILY OWENS, M.D.:

EMILY OWENS, M.D.

THE CARRIE DIARIES – Mid-Season (Expected to Air Monday Nights at 9 PM Starting January 2013)

PREMISE: It’s 1984, and life isn’t easy for 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw. Since their mother passed away, Carrie’s younger sister Dorritt is more rebellious than ever, and their father Tom is overwhelmed with the responsibility of suddenly having to care for two teenage girls on his own. Carrie’s friends – sweet, geeky Mouse, sarcastic and self-assured Maggie and sensitive Walt – make life bearable, but a suburban life in Connecticut isn’t doing much to take her mind off her troubles. And even though the arrival of a sexy new transfer student named Sebastian brings some excitement to Carrie’s world, she is struggling to move on from her grief. So when Tom offers Carrie the chance to intern at a law firm in Manhattan, she leaps at the chance. Carrie’s eyes are opened wide at the glamour and grit of New York City – and when she meets Larissa, the style editor for Interview magazine, she’s inspired by the club culture and unique individuals that make up Larissa’s world. Carrie’s friends and family may have a big place in her heart, but she’s fallen in love for the first time with the most important man in her life – Manhattan.

CAST: AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer), Austin Butler (Switched at Birth and Life Unexpected), Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Katie Findlay (The Killing and Stargate Universe), Stefania Owen (Running Wilde and The Lovely Bones) Brendan Dooling (An Elf’s Story: The Elf on the Shelf), Chloe Bridges (90210), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who and Law & Order: UK) and Matt Letscher (Eli Stone and Scandal).

CREATIVE TEAM: Amy B. Harris, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Len Goldstein and Candace Bushnell are executive producers. Miguel Arteta directed the pilot.

UPDATED:
TRAILER FOR THE CARRIE DIARIES:
THE CARRIE DIARIES

CULT – Mid-Season (No Night or Timeslot Scheduled Yet):

PREMISE: Investigative journalist Jeff Sefton has learned to laugh off his brother Nate’s relentless string of obsessions, especially his latest rant that a hit TV show intends to harm him. However, when his brother mysteriously disappears, Jeff takes Nate’s paranoia seriously, and in the process uncovers the dark underworld of the TV show “Cult” and its rabid fans. The only person who seems willing to help Jeff with his investigation is Skye, a young research assistant for “Cult,” who has also started to grow suspicious of the increasingly dark happenings surrounding the show. The fictitious show, centered on the cat-and-mouse game between charismatic cult leader Billy Grimm and LAPD detective Kelly Collins, has become an obsession for its viewers – and now some of its devotees seem to be taking their fixation to deadly extremes in the real world. As Jeff and Skye dig deeper into the fan world, they discover that the gruesome plot twists on television are much more than fantasy for some very unfortunate people. The hardcore fans of “Cult” would kill to see what happens next.

CAST: Matt Davis (The Vampire Diaries), Jessica Lucas (Melrose Place and Cloverfield), Alona Tal (Supernatural and The Killing) and Robert Knepper (Prison Break).

CREATIVE TEAM: Rockne S. O’Bannon, Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, Len Goldstein (“Hart of Dixie”) and Jason Ensler are the executive producers. Jason Ensler directed the pilot.

UPDATED:
TRAILER FOR CULT:

CULT

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The following are descriptions of the four new CBS dramas; three that will air this fall and the fourth that is set for mid-season. There are cast photos for all four new dramas below but only trailers for the three dramas that will air this fall:

ELEMENTARY – (Thursday Nights at 10 PM)

PREMISE: Detective Sherlock Holmes Dr. Joan Watson are a modern-day crime-solving duo that cracks the NYPD’s most impossible cases. Following his fall from grace in London and a stint in rehab, eccentric Sherlock escapes to Manhattan where his wealthy father forces him to live with his worst nightmare – a sober companion, Dr. Watson. A successful surgeon until she lost a patient and her license three years ago, Watson views her current job as another opportunity to help people, as well as paying a penance. However, the restless Sherlock is nothing like her previous clients. He informs her that none of her expertise as an addiction specialist applies to him and he’s devised his own post-rehab regimen – resuming his work as a police consultant in New York City. Watson has no choice but to accompany her irascible new charge on his jobs. But Sherlock finds her medical background helpful, and Watson realizes she has a knack for playing investigator. Sherlock’s police contact, Capt. Tobias “Toby” Gregson, knows from previous experience working with Scotland Yard that Sherlock is brilliant at closing cases, and welcomes him as part of the team. With the mischievous Sherlock Holmes now running free in New York solving crimes, it’s simple deduction that he’s going to need someone to keep him grounded, and it’s elementary that it’s a job for Watson.

CAST: Jonny Lee Miller (Eli Stone), Lucy Liu (Southland and Ally McBeal) and Aidan Quinn (Prime Suspect)

CREATIVE TEAM: Rob Doherty, Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Michael Cuesta are all executive producers. Michael Cuesta directed the pilot.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES TRAILER FOR ELEMENTARY:

MADE IN JERSEY – (Friday Nights at 9 PM)

PREMISE: Martina Garretti (Janet Montgomery) is a young working-class woman who uses her street smarts to compete among her pedigreed Manhattan colleagues at a prestigious New York law firm. After just a few weeks, firm founder Donovan Stark, takes note of Martina’s ingenuity and resourcefulness, as does her sassy secretary Cyndi Vega. With the support of her big Italian family, including her sexy older sister Bonnie, Martina is able to stay true to her roots as a bold, passionate lawyer on the rise in a new intimidating environment.

CAST: Janet Montgomery (Human Target), Kyle MacLachlan (Desperate Housewives and Twin Peaks), Erin Cummings (Spartacus: Vengeance) and Toni Trucks (All of Us and Barbershop).

CREATIVE TEAM: Jamie Tarses, Kevin Falls, Julia Franz and Mark Waters are the executive producers. Mark Waters directed the pilot.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES TRAILER FOR MADE IN JERSEY:

VEGAS – (Tuesday Nights at 10 PM)

PREMISE: This a new drama inspired by the true story of former Las Vegas Sheriff Ralph Lamb, a fourth-generation rancher tasked with bringing order to Las Vegas in the 1960s, a gambling and entertainment mecca emerging from the tumbleweeds. Ralph Lamb wants to be left in peace to run his ranch, but Las Vegas is now swelling with outsiders and corruption which are intruding on his simple life. Recalling Lamb’s command as a military police officer during World War II, the Mayor appeals to his sense of duty to look into a murder of a casino worker – and so begins Lamb’s clash with Vincent Savino, a ruthless Chicago gangster who plans to make Vegas his own. Assisting Lamb in keeping law and order are his two deputies: his diplomatic, even-keeled brother Jack and his charming but impulsive son, Dixon. Ambitious Assistant District Attorney Katherine O’Connell, who grew up on the ranch next to the Lambs, also lends a hand in preserving justice.

CAST: Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow), Michael Chiklis (No Ordinary Family and The Shield), Jason O’Mara (Terra Nova and Life on Mars), Taylor Handley (The O.C.), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix franchise)

CREATIVE TEAM: Nicholas Pileggi, Greg Walker, Cathy Konrad, Arthur Sarkissian and James Mangold are executive producers. James Mangold directed the pilot.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES TRAILER FOR VEGAS:

GOLDEN BOY – Mid-Season (No Night or Timeslot Scheduled Yet):

PREMISE: The meteoric rise of an ambitious cop who becomes the youngest police commissioner in the history of New York City, and the high personal and professional cost he pays to achieve it is focused in this new drama. As he’s interviewed for a story about his career, Walter William Clark, Jr. flashes back on his hard-fought journey from street kid to the most powerful man in law enforcement. After only three years as a beat cop, Clark’s heroics on the job make him bold enough to ask for and receive the unheard-of promotion to Homicide Detective, angering the members of his new department who are eager to see him fail. Clark’s disappointed to be partnered with veteran Detective Don Owen, a gruff lifer just two years shy of retirement. He would rather team with First Grade Detective Christian Arroyo, the alpha dog in the squad who’s just as ambitious as Clark, but without a moral center. Arroyo’s partner is Detective Deborah McKenzie (Bonnie Somerville), a tough third-generation cop and the only female detective in the unit. Also on the team is Detective Joe Diaco, well-connected with tremendous resources which Clark might find useful. Though laser-focused on moving up the ladder, Clark’s soft spot is serving as the sole caregiver and supporter of his sister, Agnes, a teenager demonstrating increasingly dangerous behavior.

CAST: Theo James (Bedlam and Underworld: Awakenings), Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies), Bonnie Sommerville (The Ugly Truth), Holt McCallany (Lights Out), Kevin Alejandro (Southland and True Blood) and Stella Maeve (The Runaways).

CREATIVE TEAM: Greg Berlanti, Nicholas Wootton and Richard Shepard are executive producers. Richard Shepard directed the pilot.

NOTE: There is no trailer available yet for Golden Boy.

NOTE: The above photo of Theo James is credited to Getty Images.

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