Recaps

The Weekly Round for March 1 to 5

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Here are the entertainment news items for this week:

NEWS

Congrats to the winners at the 41st Annual NAACP Image Awards.

TV SERIES NEWS

The second season of Drop Dead Diva will premiere on Lifetime on Sunday, June 6.

Reports state that Robert Baker and Nora Zehetner are not expected to return next season to Grey’s Anatomy. Official word has yet to come down but it looks like Jesse Williams and Sarah Drew may stick around long-term.

An all-day marathon of Drop Dead Diva will air on Sunday, May 30 from 10am to 11pm on Lifetime.

The CW renewed Smallville for a 10th season.

Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) has joined the cast of the TNT drama Dark Blue.

The Emmy Awards will air on NBC on August 29 and will be aired live on both coasts.

When Neil Patrick Harris appears on Glee when it returns this Spring, his character will be a nemesis to Matthew Morrison’s character Will Schuester.

Michelle Rodriguez will return to the island of Lost for its final season.

Ashley Jensen and Freddy Rodriguez will return to Ugly Betty and it’s possible that Chris Gorham MAY be back as Henry but there is no confirmation of his return as yet.

Do you want to see the cast of Glee perform live in concert? Their concert schedule is as follows:

May 18 – Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
May 20 – Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 21 – Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
May 25 – Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 26 – Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre
May 28 – New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall
May 29 – New York City, NY Radio City Music Hall

If you are an American Express card member, presale tickets will be available starting March 5 with tickets for the general public being available on March 12 for the Phoenix dates and March 13 for Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Visit www.gleetour2010.com for details.

NOTE: Due to overwhelming demands for Tickets, the Glee Tour added an extra stop in Los Angeles on May 22.

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Blair Underwood will play the president in the NBC drama pilot The Event, which focuses on a large-scale government cover-up.

Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck) will appear in the lead role in the CBS drama pilot ATF that follows an ATF agent who hunts down the most dangerous criminals while trying to balance life as a father to the teenage daughter who has re-entered his life.”

Eric Close (Without a Trace) has joined the CBS drama pilot Chaos which is about a group of rogue CIA operatives who combat bureaucratic gridlock, rampant incompetence and political infighting.

Jacob Vargas (Moonlight) will be seen in the CBS drama pilot The Odds about cops in Las Vegas who are as outrageous as the crimes they solve.

Amber Tamblyn, Kenneth Mitchell and Sam Witwer have been cast in roles in the CBS drama pilot The Quinn-Tuplets about 31-year-old quintuplets – Patrick, a cop; Joseph, a construction foreman; Rachel, a sports reporter; Martin, a school headmaster; Miriam, a doctor – who reunite after the death of their mother, who opted to have their childhood filmed as a reality show.

Janeane Garofalo has been added to the cast of the as-yet untitled Hannah Shakespeare CBS pilot about a mobile medical team that travels the U.S. helping those in need get through life-and-death medical crises.

Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) has a lead role in the ABC legal drama pilot The Whole Truth that shows the defense and prosecution sides equally.

Jaime King (Gary Unmarried) and Mehcad Brooks (True Blood) are the latest additions to the drama pilot Generation Y at ABC. The series is about the lives of eight young adults during a 10-year span in Austin and the events that have shaped their lives.

Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding) has been tapped for the title role in the NBC drama pilot (remake) The Rockford Files, which is about a roguish private eye who tackles the dangerous, quirky and unpredictable cases that no other detective wants to handle.

Peggy Lipton and Jon Seda (The Pacific) have joined Roselyn Sanchez in the ABC drama pilot Cutthroat, which is about an upscale Beverly Hills widow and soccer mom who runs an international drug cartel.

Fran Kranz (Dollhouse”) is the first to be cast in the NBC comedy pilot Friends with Benefits, which explores modern-day romance through the eyes of five friends, each looking for ‘the one’ but in the meantime settling for ‘friends with benefits.

Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights) and Bryce Johnson (Popular) have each landed roles on the FOX drama pilot Midland about Robert Allen (Jimmy Wolk), a con artist – who’s married to two women – that’s looking to get inside his wealthy in-laws’ oil business.

Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos), James McDaniel (NYPD Blue) and Erin Cummings (Spartacus: Blood and Sand) have booked the lead role in the ABC drama pilot 187 Detroit which focuses on Detroit’s top homicide division as seen through the cameras of a fictitious documentary crew.

Claire Forlani and Kathleen Rose Perkins (NCIS: Los Angeles) have joined the Matt LeBlanc Showtime comedy Episodes about a British couple whose hit UK show is turned into a dumbed-down American sit-com starring LeBlanc (as himself).

Jason Behr (Roswell) has landed a role on the ABC drama pilot Matadors about two feuding families’ battle against each other as one populates the state attorney’s office and the other manages an influential private law firm.”

Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood) has been tapped for the lead role in the FOX drama pilot Pleading Guilty about an ex-cop and recovering alcoholic now serving as a partner in a top-drawer corporate law firm.

Jesse Bradford (The West Wing) is the first to book a role on the NBC drama pilot Rough Justice about Cyrus Garza, a conservative Supreme Court justice who goes into private practice.

Nicole Steinwedell (The Unit) and Brooke Nevin (The 4400) are the latest additions to the FOX drama pilot Breakout Kings, which is about a team of U.S. Marshals paired with a group of convicts to apprehend recently escaped prisoners.

Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights) has been cast in the ABC drama pilot Edgar Floats about a police psychologist-turned-bounty hunter. Robert Patrick (The Unit) has also been cast in the pilot.

Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty) has joined Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Marc Blucas and Poppy Montgomery in the ABC drama pilot True Blue, which is about a group of San Francisco homicide detectives reunited to solve the murder of one of their own.

Will Yun Lee (Bionic Woman) and Richard T. Jones (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) will star in the as-yet untitled ABC drama pilot starring Katee Sackhoff as a female detective named Julia Scott who teams with Angus Martin, a disgraced ex-cop to solve crimes.

Debra Messing (Will & Grace) will star and executive produce the ABC comedy pilot Wright Vs. Wrong about a driven conservative pundit who tries to maintain her public persona despite facing her own vulnerabilities.

Dana Delaney has been invited by ABC to star in the ABC pilot Body of Evidence, but her commitment to this drama has yet to be confirmed. Also, Jeri Ryan has booked a role in this drama about a brilliant, tenacious medical examiner whose background as a neurosurgeon gives her a unique and refreshing crime-solving perspective but puts her at odds with nearly everyone.

Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) will star in Nomads, an hour-long drama pilot for The CW about a group of young backpackers who work odd jobs for the CIA.

Jason George (Eli Stone and Grey’s Anatomy) and Mamie Gummer (aka daughter of Meryl Streep) have joined the cast of Off the Map, the ABC drama pilot produced by Shonda Rhimes.

Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) and Scott Caan (Entourage) have joined the CBS drama pilot (remake) Hawaii Five-O. Caan will play Danno.

Ten episodes of the comedy series Hot in Cleveland has been picked up by TV Land and will star Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, and Jane Leeves as three women traveling to Paris who end up living together in Cleveland.

Matt Lauria (Friday Night Lights) has joined the FOX drama pilot Ridealong set and filmed in Chicago, which revolves around three groups of police officers. It’s unclear how Lauria’s involvement will affect his status on Friday Night Lights.

Alan Ruck has joined the cast of the as yet untitled CW drama pilot, which stars Sean Faris as a horse trainer who becomes the patriarch of a Wyoming ranch responsible for his three younger sisters after their parents die.”

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard will star in the next Woody Allen movie.

Jessica Biel is expected to star alongside Richard Gere in the remake of the 1948 political drama State of the Union about a businessman who must reunite with his estranged wife in order to improve his campaign run for the President of the United States.

Real-life couple Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis will star in the movie My American Dream.

Nicole Kidman will star in the romantic comedy The Wedding Doctor, playing a relationship analyst who advises couples on their interpersonal dynamics before marriage.

James McAvoy has dropped out of the untitled cancer comedy due to an undisclosed family emergency. Joseph Gordon-Levitt will step in.

CASTING SCOOP

Adam Scott (Party Down) will reportedly join the cast of Parks & Recreation next season as a lost interest for Leslie (Amy Poehler). It also looks like Rob Lowe will be leaving Brothers & Sisters for the NBC comedy.

Tom Bergeron, Bill Bellamy, Fred Willard, French Stewart, Yeardley Smith will guest star in an upcoming episode of Castle.

Margaret Cho (Drop Dead Diva) will reprise her role as a teacher of the occult in two more episodes of Ghost Whisperer.

Jewel Staite will appear in an upcoming episode of Warehouse 13. She stated on Twitter that “Browncoats are gonna freak.”

Catherine Dent (The Shield) will also come appear in a future episode of Ghost Whisperer.

Matt Frewer (Eureka) will appear as Pestilence, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, in an upcoming episode of Supernatural.

Caterina Scorsone (Syfy’s Alice movie) will appear as Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Derek’s little sister) in an upcoming April episode of Private Practice.

Edwin Hodge will be joining his younger brother Aldis in the TNT drama Leverage for its upcoming third season premiere.

RUMOR PATROL

Rumor has it that ABC will air a recap special of their series V on Tuesday, March 23 at 10 PM.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The following movies, specials and new series will debut and/or air this weekend and throughout next week:

The Hallmark Channel movie Uncorked will debut on Saturday, March 6 at 9 PM. The movie is about a workaholic (Julie Benz) who takes a business trip that unexpectedly turns into a vacation after her schedule opens up. The movie co-stars Scott Elrod and JoBeth Williams.

NOTE: This movie will reair at 9 PM on Sunday, March 7.

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will air on ABC starting at 5:30 PM (West Coast time) on Sunday, March 7. Check your local listings for time in your area.

Barbara Walters’ final Oscar interview special will also air on ABC on Sunday, March 7. Check your local listings for time.

NEW EPISODES OF EXISTING SHOWS

Here are the new episodes of the dramas that will be airing this coming week:

Saturday, March 6:
Survivors on BBC America at 9 PM
Parenthood (pilot) reairs on NBC at 8 PM

NOTE: Legend of the Seeker will air a repeat episode in syndication this weekend. Check your local listings for date, time and channel.

Sunday, March 7:
Cold Case on CBS at 10 PM
Big Love on HBO at 9 PM

NOTE: Legend of the Seeker will air a repeat episode in syndication this weekend. Check your local listings for date, time and channel.

Monday, March 8:
Castle on ABC at 10 PM
CSI: Miami on CBS at 10 PM
Life Unexpected on the CW at 8 PM
Gossip Girl on the CW at 9 PM
House on FOX at 8 PM
24 on FOX at 9 PM
Chuck on NBC at 8 PM
Trauma on NBC at 9 PM
Law & Order on NBC at 10 PM
The Secret Life of the American Teenager on ABC Family at 8 PM
Make It or Break It on ABC Family at 9 PM
Greek on ABC Family at 10 PM
Damages on FX at 10 PM

Tuesday, March 9:
Lost on ABC at 9 PM
The Forgotten on ABC at 10 PM (Finale)
NCIS on CBS at 8 PM
NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS at 9 PM
The Good Wife on CBS at 10 PM
90210 on the CW at 8 PM
Melrose Place on the CW at 9 PM
Parenthood on NBC at 10 PM
Southland on TNT at 10 PM
White Collar on USA at 10 PM (finale)

Wednesday, March 10:
Ugly Betty on ABC at 10:01 PM
Criminal Minds on CBS at 9 PM
CSI: NY on CBS at 10 PM
Human Target on FOX at 8 PM
Mercy on NBC at 8 PM
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC at 9 PM and 10 PM
Psych on USA at 10 PM (finale)
Being Erica on SOAPNet at 10 PM
Spartacus: Blood and Sand (reair) on Starz at 10 PM

Thursday, March 11:
Grey’s Anatomy on ABC at 9 PM
Private Practice on ABC at 10:01 PM
CSI on CBS at 9 PM
The Mentalist on CBS at 10 PM

Friday, March 12:
Ghost Whisperer on CBS at 8 PM
Medium on CBS at 9 PM
Numb3rs on CBS at 10 PM
Caprica on Syfy at 9 PM
Spartacus: Blood and Sand on Starz at 10 PM

NOTE: Please check your local listings for the correct air dates and times for all of the above.
Have a great weekend!

Please note that I will feature a weekly round-up of sci-fi based (and similar genres) news items at our sister site located at http://scifitvzone.com/. Please visit there as often as you can. Thanks!

Using her favorite online handle, Rueben is an East Coast-bred gal who is now a permanent Californian and a lifelong tv-oholic. She watches at least 25 TV shows a week, goes to the movies as often as possible, listens to music every waking moment, reads every day and “plays” on the internet every chance she can. Some of her current favorite TV shows are Outlander, Sweet Magnolias, Wednesday, The Mandalorian, The Equalizer, Fire Country, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The Rookie, Cobra Kai, Virgin River, The Witcher, Leverage: Redemption and School Spirits.  She is looking forward to the season premieres of Hudson & Rex on UPtv and Skymed on Paramount+ as well as the return of fall TV albeit starting in February. Follow her at @ruebenrambling or contact her at rueben@nicegirlstv.com.