On October 8, the 10-episode DirecTV drama Kingdom will debut at 9 PM.
The series is a gritty family drama set against the backdrop of the renegade subculture of Mixed Martial Arts, starring Frank Grillo (Captain America) as Alvey Kulina, an MMA legend and owner of a Venice, CA-based gym. Singer-turned-actor Nick Jonas (Smash) plays Nate, Alvey’s prize-fighter son and younger brother to Jay (Jonathan Tucker). Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights), meanwhile, portrays a world-class athlete who had (and lost) it all.
Kiele Sanchez (The Glades) and Joanna Going round out the cast as Alvey’s current girlfriend and ex-wife, respectively.
The new CW series The Flash will debut on October 7 at 8 PM.
After witnessing his mother’s murder, and his father wrongly accused, Barry Allen (series lead Grant Gustin) is taken in by Detective West and his family. As Allen enters adulthood, he becomes a brilliant, yet socially awkward, forensic scientist for the Central City Police Department, whose obsession with his tragic past causes him to become an outcast among his peers.
Allen tries to uncover the truth about his mother’s murder and clear his father’s name, which leads him to Harrison Wells’ particle accelerator. When the accelerator causes an explosion, Allen is struck by lightning, and enters a coma for nine months. When he wakes up, he learns he has the ability to move at superhuman speeds, though he is not the only metahuman created in the wake of the explosion.
As the violence related to metahuman criminals escalates, though still keeping the promise of finding out why his mother murdered, Allen vows using his gift of speed to protect Central City with the help from a few close friends and associates who share his secrets.
The cast includes Candice Patton, Rick Cosnett, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh and Jesse L. Martin.
On October 1, the new thriller Stalker will debut on CBS at 10 PM.
Maggie Q (Nikita) and Dylan McDermott (Hostages and American Horror Story) star in this psychological thriller about detectives who investigate stalking incidents, including voyeurism, cyber harassment and romantic fixation for the Threat Assessment Unit of the LAPD.
Detective Jack Larsen (McDermott) is a recent transfer to the Unit from New York City’s homicide division, whose confidence, strong personality and questionable behavior has landed him in trouble before – but whose past behavior may also prove valuable in his new job.
His boss, Lt. Beth Davis (Maggie Q), is strong, focused and an expert in the field, driven by her traumatic personal experience as a victim.
With the rest of their team, young but eager Det. Ben Caldwell (Victor Rasuk from How to Make It in America) and deceptively smart Det. Janice Lawrence (Mariana Klaveno from True Blood and Devious Maids) , Larsen and Davis assess the threat level of cases and respond before the stalking and intimidation spirals out of control, all while trying to keep their personal obsessions at bay.
NOTE: This show has some very disturbing scenes. Parental discretion is advised.
With the return of the ABC fairytale drama Once Upon a Time this Sunday night at 8 PM, it is time to take a look back at the visit made at Comic Con 2014 in San Diego by the cast and creative minds behind the show.
On the panel that morning included Lana Parrilla (The Evil Queen), Jennifer Morrison (Emma Swan), Josh Dallas (Prince Charming), Emilie de Ravin (Belle), Robert Carlyle (Rumplestilskin), Colin O’Donoghue (Captain Hook), Jared Gilmore (Henry Mills) and executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.
With self-proclaimed Once Upon a Time super-fan and actress Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) acting as moderator, the panel was opened with a clip reel from season three and each of the panelists being introduced to the roar of the packed audience.
Among the subjects that were discussed included the following:
• Eddy and Adam talking about how their “true love” stories have happy endings that aren’t what views expect;
• Belle and Rumple are not going to have an easy start to their marriage because of his deception (in regards to keeping the dagger) despite his genuine love for her and Emilie shared that Belle will “be devastated” when she learns the truth;
• Jared was praised by Yvette for being the heart of the show and how “chilling” it was to see him play Peter Pan; with Jared saying “it was amazing (because) Henry is so nice and Pan would do anything to be the opposite”;
• Lana shared that she is “proud of Regina’s growth” over this past season, but with the unexpected return of Robin Hood’s believed-to-be-dead wife Marian, things are going to be complicated and there is a possibility that she could return to her “old ways”;
• Emma and Hook will attempt to work on their relationship, but Emma is also “on a journey to find herself”;
• Colin shared that for the first time ever Hook will be out of the 50-pound leather jacket that has been his common attire, getting into “regular clothes”; and,
• Josh was congratulated on the recent birth of his and Ginnifer’s real-life “prince” with him sharing that “fatherhood is the greatest thing that has ever happened to (him)”.
NOTE: It was at this time that a special video of Ginnifer was shown, as she was on set in Canada, but she wanted to say hello to all the fans at the convention. The video, of course, was a spoof of her being a ‘crazy, protective, on-set mom”. It was really quite funny!
During the audience Q&A, Colin shared that “Emma helped (Hook) find his goodness”; Lana said that she has “never been bored” playing a character that has changed from evil to good to potentially evil again and Jennifer enjoyed traveling to New York and Neverland, but she is looking forward to riding a horse because she “hasn’t gotten to do that (yet)” and she said she enjoyed “getting initiated into the fairytale world” by wearing the corsets and dresses.
One tidbit that Eddy and Adam were willing to reveal is that Henry will be going into the family pawn business with Mr. Gold; but when asked if Flynn Ryder from the animated movie Tangled would be added to the guest list, they were mum on the subject. They also shared that it is their “job, at the end of the day, to have everyone get their own happy ending” so let’s see how that works out on Sunday when the princesses Elsa and Anna from the animated Disney film Frozen join the cast.
Once Upon a Time will be back for its fourth season on ABC this Sunday, September 28 at 8/7c. If you are a true fan of the show, you will also want to watch the Once Upon a Time Special “Frozen Over” that will air at 7/6c.
PBS will air the Miss Marple “Endless Night” at 9 PM.
Acclaimed British actress Julia McKenzie (Cranford) returns as spinster sleuth Miss Marple. Miss Marple befriends a charming working-class chauffeur who recounts his romance with an American heiress. Despite being warned off by an elusive gypsy woman, they plan their dream home at a local spot known as Gypsy’s Acre. Not long after the young couple is wed, a tragic death fuels speculation of a gypsy curse. When two suspicious deaths follow, Miss Marple begins to sort out the clues, but can she solve the mystery before she finds herself in danger?
The cast includes Tom Hughes (Silk) and Joanna Vanderham (The Paradise).
The Starz series Outlander, based on the best-selling novel by Diana Gabaldon, debuted back on August 9 and over the course of the past 7 weeks has captured the hearts of TV viewers with its tale of Claire Beauchamp (series lead Caitriona Balfe), a World War II nurse in 1945, who – after touching the standing stones in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands – travels through time to 1743 where she encounters the clan McKenzie and meets young Jamie McTavish (Fraser) [series lead Sam Heughan].
Those seven episodes have found Claire adapt, as best she can, to her new surroundings – albeit forced upon her by the Laird and War Chief of the clan (series regulars Gary Lewis and Graham McTavish, respectively) – by becoming the Healer of Castle Leoch, the home of the clan.
She has become friends with Castle Leoch’s housekeeper Mrs. Fitz (recurring guest star Annette Badland) and local village woman and wife of the procurator fiscal (basically the village’s attorney/judge) Geillis Duncan (series regular Lotte Verbeek); and, to an extent, even young Laoghaire MacKenzie (recurring guest star Nell Hudson), a 16-year girl (and granddaughter of Mrs. Fitz), who has a crush on Jamie.
Unfortunately, she has several uncomfortable encounters with Captain Jonathan “Black Jack” Randall, a direct descendant of her husband Frank Randall (the dual role played by series regular Tobias Menzies), which leads Dougal to arranging a marriage between Claire and Jamie in order to save her life from the sadistic bastard, who was the cause behind the horrible wounds on Jamie’s back (two floggings within a week subjected on the young lad several years earlier).
This past Saturday’s episode, entitled “The Wedding“, was one of the most anticipated moments out of the small screen adaptation of the book and did not disappoint. And, with the mid-season finale, entitled “Both Sides Now“, only a few days away – set to air on Starz on Saturday, September 27, the anticipation for what will happen is great.
Fans can take heart that even though the series will be going on a break, it will not be for too long, as 8 more episodes of its debut season will air on Starz in early 2015, continuing on with the remainder of the story of Claire, Jamie and the clan McKenzie.
And, even better news is that Starz decided early on that the show will have a second season, following the second book in the Gabaldon “Outlander” series entitled “Dragonfly in Autumn“.
Don’t miss out on the mid-season finale this Saturday at 9 PM on Starz.
The Hallmark Channel movie Midnight Masquerade will air on September 27 at 9 PM.
A beautiful, young businesswoman (Autumn Reeser from The O.C.) inherits her father’s billion-dollar candy company and searches to find romance in the mysterious, handsome “prince” she danced with at a costume ball.
The cast includes Christopher Russell and Richard Burgi.
On September 25, the new Shonda Rhimes drama How to Get Away With Murder will debut at 10 PM on ABC.
The brilliant, charismatic and seductive Professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis from The Help) gets entangled with four law students from her class, “How to Get Away with Murder”. Little do the students know that they will have to apply what they learned to real life.
The cast includes Aja Naomi King (Emily Owens, M.D.), Jack Falahee (Twisted), Katie Findlay (The Killing), Tom Verica (American Dream), Liza Weil (Gilmore Girls and Scandal), Charlie Weber (Buffy, the Vampire Slayer), Billy Brown (Hostages and Sons of Anarchy), Matt McGorry (Orange is the New Black), Latino star Karla Souza (Instructions Not Included) and Alfred Enoch (the Harry Potter franchise).
On September 23, NCIS: New Orleans will debut on CBS at 9 PM.
The spin-off series is about the local field office that investigates criminal cases affecting military personnel in the Big Easy. Leading the team is Special Agent Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula from Quantum Leap), aka “King,” a native of NOLA who is driven by his need to do what is right. Working with Pride is Special Agent Christopher LaSalle (Lucas Black from The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift), who plays hard but works harder; and Special Agent Meredith “Merri” Brody (Zoe McLellan from Dirty Sexy Money), a charismatic and tough interrogator who transferred from the Great Lakes office in search of a fresh start. Supporting them is coroner Dr. Loretta Wade (CCH Pounder from Warehouse 13), who is as eccentric as she is smart.
The new FOX drama Gotham will debut on September 22 at 8 PM.
This series takes a look at the early years of Commissioner Gordon when he was just Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie from Southland and The O.C.) – on the job for only two weeks.
The cast includes Erin Richard (Open Grave) as Barbara Kean, Gordon’s fiancée; Donal Logue (Terriers and Vikings) as Harvey Bullock, Gordon’s partner; David Mazouz (Touch) as young Bruce Wayne; Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix franchise) as gang boss Fish Mooney; newcomer Camren Bicondova as Selina Kyle (the future Catwoman); Robin Lord Taylor (The Walking Dead) as Oswald Cobblepot (soon to be The Penguin) and Sean Pertwee (Elementary) as Wayne butler Alfred Pennyworth.
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