The Weekly Round-Up (Oct. 12 to 16)

By Rueben | October 16, 2009

Here are the entertainment news items for this week (October 12 to 16):

NEWS

NCIS isn’t exactly known for its music, but the successful drama released a soundtrack in February and another one – NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack, Vol. 2 – will come out this winter.

Glee will wrap its initial 13-episode run on December 9 at 9 PM.  The new action series Human Target will take over that time slot in January.  Glee will then return for the back half of its freshman season in the spring.

A Glee music tour has been confirmed by executive producer Ryan Murphy and should be scheduled for next summer.

Just days after the abrupt cancellation of Southland by NBC, it is looking somewhat promising that the gritty cop drama may find a second home at TNT.

Laurence Fishburne is set to guest star in all three CSI franchise shows, starting with CSI: Miami on November 9, CSI: NewYork on November 11 and CSI on November 12.

As of right now FOX does not plan to cancel any shows through the fall, but that’s not to say they won’t simply pass on ordering the “back 9” for any of the new shows.

Mark your calendars:  HBO has set a return date for drama series Big Love, which will launch its fourth season on January 10th.

It looks like Jorga Fox’s alter ego, Sara, will extend her comeback on CSI. Rather than making just a five episode visit it looks like her visit has been extended indefinitely. No exact number of episodes has been announced yet, but don’t expect to see Sara’s husband, Grissom (William Peterson) to join his wife, though.

NEW DEVELOPMENT SLATE

Showtime has given a pilot order to a US adaptation of Paul Abbott‘s British drama series Shameless, which will star William H. Macy.  The series will be set in present-day Chicago among a blue-collar family where an 18-year-old daughter is tasked with keeping her five younger siblings in line and must contend with her alcoholic father (Macy).  Production on the pilot is set to begin in December.

Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino will write and executive produce an untitled dramedy project for HBO about the complicated relationship between three adult sisters, all writers sharing the same upper east side apartment building, and their mother, a domineering literary lioness who reserves most of her affections for their ne’er-do-well brother.

FOX has given a script order to an untitled drama pilot from writer/executive producer Ben Watkins (Burn Notice) about an undercover female investigator of mixed heritage who questions her own identity, having been adopted as a baby.

A&E has given a pilot order to cop drama The Quickening, about a female LAPD detective who suffers from bipolar disorder.  Radha Mitchell (Surrogates) will star in the lead.

Matthew Perry (Friends) will co-write, star, and executive produce an untitled single-camera comedy pilot about a self-involved manager of a second-rate sports arena who begins to re-evaluate his life on his 40th birthday.  This project has been picked up by ABC.

Jake Kasdan (Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) will direct the pilot for the FOX drama Worthy, about an Arizona politician who finds himself being blackmailed by a mob boss after a hit-and-run accident.

The CW announced their development slate for the 2010-2011 season.  It includes:

• Spy School for Girls, from writer/executive producer Mark Schwahn, about female spy trainees;

• Nashville – from country music singer Brad Paisley, Mark Schwahn and writers Matthew Bomer and Neal Dodson, which is about a female singer and a male songwriter looking to make it big in the country music capital;

• Confessions of a Backup Dancer, about a woman who lands a job as a backup dancer to major music star, from writer/executive producer Ilene Chaiken;

• The March Sisters, an update of Little Women about a group of working-class sisters who are looking to strike it rich in Manhattan, from writer/executive producer Jill Gordon;

• Family soap Bitches in Britches, about the equestrian (yes, horses) set; and,

• An untitled drama about the life of socialite Sloan Barnett, who worked in the Early Case Assessment Bureau in Manhattan.

ABC has given a script order to dramedy Go Girls, a US adaptation of the Kiwi series about three women in their twenties and their male childhood friend who “dissatisfied with their lives, make challenging promises to one another that they set out to fulfill.” This project will be written by Liz Tuccillo and executive produced by Tuccillo, Julia Franz, and John Barnett.

NEW SEASON TALLY

What have been the highs and lows for the new season thus far? For CBS, it is returning hit NCIS as well as its spin-off series NCIS: Los Angeles and Tuesday night companion The Good Wife.  The latter two both being picked up for a full season recently.  The lows for the network however, are Three Rivers and Cold Case.

Over on ABC, Grey’s Anatomy may have dropped in the ratings since last season, but it is still holding its own and newcomer FlashForward is not quite a ratings gangbuster, but it, too, received a full season order and can be crowned the top new series for the network. The lows include the new comedies Hank and The Middle (which surprisingly received a full order despite less than good ratings) and new drama Eastwick, which is struggling.

NBC has its work cut out with The Jay Leno Show already eating up 5 hours of primetime programming.  The only real highlight for the network is the continued success of half-hour comedy The Office. Unfortunately, one-time hit Heroes and the new medical drama Trauma are both failing in their timeslots.

FOX has perennial hit House to lead the pack, but don’t overlook the power of Bones, as it beat ABC new favorite FlashForward in the ratings last week.  The losers for the network are the comedy Brothers and the drama Dollhouse, which despite losing a considerable amount of viewers in its short two week run (and which already struggled to make a renewal last season) has their DVR viewers to thank for its hanging on by a thread.

Lastly, there is the CW, which can already boast the first cancellation of the season in The Beautiful Life. On the other hand, the new series The Vampire Diaries is off to a tremendous start, beating out all other shows on the network. T he low light can be shone on the reimagined series Melrose Place, which is struggling in the ratings.  The same could be said of the long-running series Smallville, but like FOX’s Dollhouse, this series has its DVR viewers to thank.

BOX OFFICE NEWS

David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) are teaming for the lead roles in the period comedy Burke and Hare based on the true story about the famous graverobbers.

Rachel Nichols (Star Trek, GI Joe) and Jackson Hurst (Drop Dead Diva) have joined the cast of the indie romance The Loop, which is an adaptation of Joe Coomer’s 1992 novel that follows a New Mexico highway patrolman, obsessed with a mysterious talking parrot, whose world collides with a free-spirited college librarian.  Filming kicks off next month.

Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer are set to star in the movie the Beginners.  Shooting kicks off next month in Los Angeles.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are set to star in the newly titled comedy Knight & Day (which had previously been known as Wichita and Trouble Man). The movie centers on a lonely woman (Diaz) whose seemingly harmless blind date suddenly turns her life upside-down when a super spy (Cruise) takes her on a violent worldwide journey to protect a powerful battery that holds the key to an infinite power source. The movie also stars Peter Sarsgaard (An Education), Viola Davis, Olivier Martinez, Maggie Grace (Lost) and Mark Blucas (Buffy).

Julianne Hough has joined the cast of Burlesque, a musical about a young small-town singer (Christina Aguilera) who becomes a star at a Hollywood burlesque club owned by Tess (Cher).  Hough will reportedly play a fellow dancer. Filming starts early next month, with the flick due to hit theaters next Thanksgiving.

Chris Pine is set to play CIA analyst Jack Ryan in the reboot of the franchise based on the Tom Clancy novels.

Justin Long has joined the cast of Robert Redford‘s historical drama The Conspirator about Confederate sympathizer Mary Surratt (Robin Wright Penn), who was tried as a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination.  He will play a soldier who lost a limb in the Civil War.

Clive Owen and Catherine Keener have joined the cast of the dark drama Trust, playing the parents of a 14-year-old girl (Liana Liberato) who are stunned to discover she has been victimized by an online sexual predator who gained her trust posing as a teenager on a chat room.  Former Friends star David Schwimmer is directing and penned the story which Andy Bellin turned into a script.

Ben Foster and Donald Sutherland are set to co-star in the remake of The Mechanic.  Foster plays a young man who becomes an apprentice to a hitman (Jason Statham).  Sutherland will play the role of Foster’s father and Statham’s handler.

Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas, Transformers) is attached to star in the buddy comedy What’s He Got?. Story details are being kept under wraps, though.

Amber Heard (The Stepfather) and Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) are attached to star in Cowgirl Bandits, a young version of Thelma & Louise, with Jessica Manafort is to direct.

MADE FOR TV MOVIE NEWS

The Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, A Dog Named Christmas, starring Bruce Greenwood, Linda Emond and Noel Fisher will air on CBS on November 29.

The ABC Family Channel original movie The Dog Who Saved Christmas will premiere on November 29, starring Dean Cain, Elisa Donovan, Adrienne Barbeau and the voice of Mario Lopez (as dog Zeus).

Shannen Doherty (Charmed) will appear in the Hallmark Channel original movie Growing the Big One, which has started production and will air on the network in 2010.

AS HEARD ON/MUSIC NEWS

Songs featured on the finale of Army Wives included “Fields of Gold” by Eva Cassidy and “Time After Time” (from Cyndi Lauper) by character Viola.

The songs played during the finale of Drop Dead Diva were “Don’t Wait” by Dri; “If You Wanna Go” by Joy Williams, “Definition” by Alex Mills, “I Like You Baby” by Oh Darling and “Piece of Mind” by Castaneda.

The songs that aired in this past weekend’s episode of Brothers & Sisters included “3 AM” by Gregory Alan Isakov, “Too Many Days” by Matt Ellis and “Have A Little Faith” by Michael Franit.

The songs featured on this past week’s episode of Glee included “Hate on Me” (from Jill Scott), “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (from The Supremes), “No Air” (from Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown) and “Keep Holding On” (from Avril Lavigne) and “Ride With Me” (from Nelly).

Garth Brooks is dusting off his Stetson and coming out of retirement.

A new Lifehouse single out “Halfway Gone” will be released on October 27 and their new album “Smoke & Mirrors” will come out on December 8.

CASTING SCOOP

Stephen Collins (7th Heaven) is taking over for Barry Bostwick on Private Practice as Addison’s uptight dad, Captain Montgomery.  Bostwick exited the show due to scheduling conflicts.  And, JoBeth Williams will appear as Forbes Montgomery, Addison’s mother.

Billy Campbell (The 4400) is coming to Melrose Place, joining the show at year’s end to woo Heather Locklear’s Amanda Woodward. His character is a powerful dot-com billionaire named Barrett McMillan.

Alan Thicke will guest star as himself in an upcoming episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Mandy Patinkin has signed up to guest star on an upcoming episode of the medical drama Three Rivers, playing an ALS patient who asks to be taken off life support following a car crash, so that his organs can be used to save others.

Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order and The Cleaner) has signed on to guest-star in the ABC comedy, Modern Family, playing ex-husband to Gloria’s (Sofia Vergara).

Steve Harris (The Practice) has booked a recurring role on Friday Night Lights, playing Vernon Merriweather, an ex-football star and the father of East Dillon newbie Jess (Jurnee Smollett).  He will appear in roughly seven episodes of the upcoming fourth season, which premieres on DirecTV on October 28.

Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) will guest star in an upcoming episode of the CBS comedy Two and a Half Men, playing a gal pal of Charlie’s fiancée.

Krysten Ritter (Breaking Bad), Ivan Sergei (Charmed), Ving Rhames (Surrogates), Rachel Hunter (among others) will appear in the Starz ten-episode ensemble dramedy series Gravity, about a group of suicide survivors who receive treatment together in an outpatient program.

Peter Fonda will appear in the November 8 episode of Showtime‘s Californication, playing himself.

Lucy Hale (Bionic Woman, Privileged) has landed a part in a new project called Pretty Little Liars, which is based on a series of books. No other details are available.

Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) will guest star on NBC‘s medical drama Mercy, playing Lucy Morton, a cancer patient who has lost her hair from treatment. Her episode will air on Novenber 4.

Paige Turco (Damages) and Barry Bostwick (Spin City) have been cast in NBC‘s two-hour backdoor pilot The Mountain.  The project revolves Dana (Turco), a single mom with three kids who inherits a remote mountain cabin from a supposedly dead uncle.  But when she heads off to the cabin, she discovers that her Uncle Henry (Bostwick) is very much alive, and they set out to keep an evil buyer from gaining access to the mountain that holds secrets and treasures.

Veteran actor Joel Grey will appear in a November episode of Grey’s Anatomy as Izzie’s old high school teacher.  This will be Heigl’s only episode in November sweeps

RUMOR PATROL

Angelina Jolie is apparently in talks to replace Charlize Theron in the thriller The Tourist, which is a remake of a 2005 French thriller, centering on an American tourist who, on behalf of Interpol, goes undercover to entrap a former lover who’s a suspected global criminal.  Aussie hunk Sam Worthington took over for Tom Cruise in the titular role and remains attached to play the lead male role.

Shonda Rhimes is reportedly considering bringing back Sharon Lawrence as Izzie’s trashy mama, Robbie Stevens, on Grey’s Anatomy.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The new cable show White Collar, starring Matthew Bomer and Tim Dekay will debut on the USA Network on Friday, October 23 at 10 p.m.

MOVIES

The PBS movie Masterpiece Mystery! Inspector Lewis: The Point of Vanishing will air on Sunday, October 18 at 9 PM and is about a death-by-drowning case.

Sorority Wars, starring Lucy Hale (Privileged) and Courtney Thorne-Smith will air on Lifetime at 9 PM on Sunday, October 18.  The movie is about rival sororities doing battle after a sorority legend’s daughter (Hale) decides to pledge a different house.

NEW EPISODES OF EXISTING SHOWS

Here is a list of new episodes for the series that are finishing up their summer runs and most of the returning and new fall shows that are just getting their season started:

Saturday, October 17:
Robin Hood on BBC America at 9 p.m.

Sunday, October 18:
Mad Men on AMC at 10 p.m.
Desperate Housewives on ABC at 9 p.m.
Brothers & Sisters on ABC at 10 p.m
Three Rivers on CBS at 9 p.m.
Cold Case on CBS at 10 p.m.
Dexter on Showtime at 9 p.m.

Monday, October 19:
House on FOX at 8 p.m.
Lie to Me on FOX at 9 p.m.
Heroes on NBC at 8 p.m.
Trauma on NBC at 9 p.m.
Castle ABC at 10 p.m.
CSI: Miami CBS at 10 p.m.
Lincoln Heights on ABC Family at 8 p.m.
Greek on ABC Family at 9 p.m.
One Tree Hill on the CW at 8 p.m.
Gossip Girl on the CW at 9 p.m.

Tuesday, October 20:
NCIS on CBS at 8 p.m.
NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS at 9 p.m.
The Good Wife on CBS at 10 p.m.
The Forgotten on ABC at 10 p.m.
Sons of Anarchy on FX at 10 p.m.
90210 on the CW at 8 PM
Melrose Place on the CW at 9 PM

Wednesday, October 21:
Mercy on NBC at 8 p.m.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit on NBC at 9 p.m.
Criminal Minds on CBS at 9 p.m.
CSI: NY on CBS at 10 p.m.
Eastwick on ABC at 10 p.m.
Glee on FOX at 9 p.m.
Nip/Tuck on FX at 10 p.m.

Thursday, October 22:
FlashForward on ABC at 8 p.m.
Grey’s Anatomy on ABC at 9 p.m.
Private Practice on ABC at 10 p.m.

Friday, October 23:
Dollhouse on FOX at 9 p.m.
Ghost Whisperer on CBS at 8 p.m.
Medium on CBS at 9 p.m.
Numb3rs on CBS at 10 p.m.
Law & Order on NBC at 8 p.m.
Smallville on the CW at 8 p.m.
Ugly Betty on ABC at 8 p.m.
Stargate: Universe on Syfy at 9 p.m.
Sanctuary on Syfy at 10 p.m.
Monk on USA Network at 9 p.m.
Crash on Starz at 10 p.m.

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!