Recaps
The Weekly Round-Up for June 14 to 18
Here are the entertainment news items for this week:
CONDOLENCES
Jimmy Dean, country music singer and sausage king, passed away at the age of 81 in his Virginia home. Condolences are extended to his family, friends and fans.
TV SERIES NEWS
ABC will air the final two remaining episodes of the recently defunct series The Forgotten on July 3 at 9 and 10 PM.
AMC has closed a deal to renew the AMC drama Breaking Bad for a fourth season.
Maura Tierney (ER) will star in the new fall ABC legal drama The Whole Truth, replacing Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) The new series chronicles the building of a case from the perspective of both the defense and the prosecution. Tierney will play Kathryn Peale, a deputy bureau chief in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Rob Morrow (Numb3rs) will co-star as Kathryn’s primary opponent, rising criminal attorney Jimmy Brogan.
Actress AJ Cook will not be coming back to Criminal Minds, as the “producers have opted not to pick up her contract”. In entertainment speak that means she’s been fired. Fellow cast member Paget Brewster, however, will remain as a series regular, but with reduced episode-appearances.
Brian Benben has been promoted to a full-fledged series regular on Private Practice.
The third season of the FOX drama Fringe will introduce Olivia’s mother in a story arc that is expected to stretch three to four episodes. The character is described as loving, stable and sweet. She dotes on Olivia since her other daughter died at birth. No casting has been announced yet.
Fans of Friday Night Lights will be happy to know that not only will Zach Gilford be back for the show’s fifth and (likely) final season but also Adrianne Palicki and Taylor Kitsch will return as well. Jesse Plemons is also in talks to appear in the fifth season. As previously announced, Scott Porter will be back for one episode next season.
Eddie Cibrian (Cardoza) is leaving CBS: Miami. Original cast member Adam Rodriguez (Delko) returns this fall, eliminating the need for his character. And, his ending will not be a pretty one.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar will appear in an upcoming episode of Weeds on Showtime, playing Jack, a rough-around-the-edges local bar owner who serves Nancy more than just a drink.
ABC has once again benched the series Happy Town. With only two episodes left to go the network has pulled the show from the line-up. Repeats of Castle will fill the empty timeslot (Wednesdays at 10 PM). It is believed; however, that these two episodes will turn up on a Saturday evening later this summer much like what ABC is doing with the two remaining unaired episodes of both The Forgotten (which will be seen on July 3) and Eastwick (which will air on July 10).
Showtime has renewed the Billie Piper-led dark comedy Secret Diary of a Call Girl for a fourth season, which would be the series’ last. It is expected to return in early 2011 and the final season would likely focus on the relationship between Piper’s Belle/Hannah and her best friend Ben (Iddo Goldberg).
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Veteran actor Ed Asner (the voice of the lead character in the animated movie Up and the classic TV series The Mary Tyler Moore Show) has been cast in the CMT comedy pilot Regular Joe. Asner will star as an outspoken father who recently began dating after separating from his longtime wife. Tom Arnold has also been cast to play his son Joe.
Gabrielle Union has been cast in a pivotal role in the planned spin-off to the popular Lifetime series Army Wives. An “embedded pilot” within Army Wives will set up the spin-off with series regular Pamela Moran (Brigid Brannagh) returning to her former career and becoming a detective with the Atlanta police department. Union will play her partner, Detective Gina Holt.
It looks like the new ABC drama Edgar Floats, the highly-touted character-driven procedural from Life creator Rand Ravich is getting a major overhaul (and not in a good way). No official announcement has been made by the network yet, but the series, which received a six-episode script order from ABC, is being completely reconceived with only Robert Patrick remaining from the original cast, which was to include Tom Cavanagh and Alicia Witt [among others].
ABC Family is developing an espionage drama called Shadows, about a secret Harvard-based program that recruits and trains young spies. The project will follow the students and faculty of this shadowy program.
BOX OFFICE NEWS
Lea Michele (Glee) will play Dorothy Gale in the animated film Dorothy of Oz, based on a children’s book by Roger Baum, the great-grandson of “Wizard of Oz” author L. Frank Baum. The story finds Dorothy returning to Oz to find the magical land in a state of decay and her old friends Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion disappeared. The voice cast also includes Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer and Martin Short.
Sam Raimi is expected to direct the Wizard of Oz prequel called Oz: The Great and Powerful, which tells the story of a circus wrangler who is carried by a tornado to the marvelous land of Oz where he’s mistaken for an all-knowing wizard. Rumor has it that Robert Downey Jr. could be playing said “wizard”. This movie will be in 3D.
Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar will write the script for a film adaptation of the Mattel property Monster High, which is described as a monster musical (along the lines of Beetlejuice or the Addams Family) set at the “frighteningly fashionable Monster High.” The story follows the sons and daughters of famous monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolfman as they undergo the usual trials of high school.
Martin Sheen (The West Wing) has joined the cast of the spy thriller The Double, which centers on a retired CIA operative (Richard Gere) forced to partner with a young FBI agent (Topher Grace) to hunt down the killer of a senator in Washington. Sheen will play the director of the CIA. Stephen Moyer (True Blood), Stana Katic (Castle), and Odette Yustman (Cloverfield) also star.
Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage have signed on to the action-adventure movie Trespass, which is about a husband and wife (Cage, Kidman) who are taken hostage by four brutal perpetrators seeking some quick cash. Unexpected discoveries of betrayal and deception lead to various complications.
Michael Hogan (Battlestar Galactica) has joined the movie Red Riding Hood, which is being directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight). Amanda Seyfried (Letters to Juliet), Shiloh Fernandez (Jericho), Max Irons (son of Jeremy Irons), Julie Christie and Gary Oldman also star in the movie set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf. The story follows a young girl (Seyfried) who is engaged to be married (to Irons) but falls for an orphaned woodcutter (Fernandez), much to her family’s displeasure.
Russell Crowe is attached to play Robert McCall, the mysterious agent made famous by Edward Woodward in the 1980s CBS crime series The Equalizer.
Final cast announcements have been made for the next Steven Spielberg movie called War Horse, including Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson (Equilibrium) and David Thewlis (Harry Potter) [among others]. The movie, based on the 1982 novel by Michael Morpurgo, traces a friendship between Joey, a horse sold into the British army and sent off to serve on the battlefields of France in World War I, and Albert (Redmayne), his young owner.
Miley Cyrus is attached to star in an adaptation of the young-adult paranormal thriller novel titled Wake by Lisa McMann. The story follows Janie (Cyrus), a 17-year-old girl with the unwanted ability to become sucked into people’s dreams. Not surprisingly, she sees things she would rather not see. But when she gets pulled into a terrible nightmare, Janie goes from mere witness to participant.
Maria Bello (Coyote Ugly) and Jason Isaacs (Brotherhood and Harry Potter) will play the parent of Taylor Lautner (Twilight franchise) in the movie Abduction.
Simon Baker (The Mentalist) and Paul Bettany are in talks to join the indie thriller Margin Call, which follows a group of employees at an investment bank during a tumultuous 24-hour period during the 2008 financial collapse. Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci and Zachary Quinto also star.
Chace Crawford (Gossip Girl) has joined the cast of the multi-generational indie drama Peace, Love and Misunderstanding, which stars Catherine Keener as a conservative New York lawyer who takes her son and intellectual daughter to visit their estranged hippie grandmother (Jane Fonda) in Woodstock after her husband asks for a divorce. The retreat quickly becomes a reminder of why she escaped her mother’s wacky lifestyle in the first place.
Christian Slater, Gary Oldman and comedian Dane Cook will star in Guns, Girls & Gambling, a stylized crime thriller, which throws Elvis impersonators, Indians, modern cowboys, a 6-foot-tall blond assassin, a frat boy, a corrupt sheriff and a prostitute into a chase for a priceless American Indian artifact stolen during a poker game at an Indian casino. Slater plays a normal guy who in a drunken stupor joins an Elvis impersonation contest. Oldman is the contest’s mega-contender, and Cook will play the sheriff.
Tom Hanks, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen, Natalie Portman, and Halle Berry will all play leads in the ensemble drama Cloud Atlas, which spans six different story lines over a millennia. Each tale is revealed to be a story that is read (or watched) by the main character in the next. The stories in order include an American notary’s voyage across the Pacific in 1850, a young English musician working as an amanuensis in 1930’s Belgium, a 1970’s Californian journalist investigating corruption around a nuclear plant, a modern day British publisher who becomes confined to a nursing home, a clone political prisoner being executed in a dystopian near future Korea, and a Hawaiian tribesman in a post-apocalyptic distant future telling a story around a campfire.
Barry Levine, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will produce a film adaptation of the Nick Percival steampunk-meets-fairy tale graphic novel called Legends. The story begins when the remains of Pinocchio are discovered. Red Riding Hood, now a noted wolf hunter, and Jack the Giant Killer partner to discover who is murdering the creatures of folklore. Along the way, they are assisted by famous characters re-imagined for a new age such as the mercenary Goldilocks and the psychic exterminators Hansel & Gretel.
Lauren Graham (Parenthood and Gilmore Girls) has joined the cast of Scream 4, joining the ensemble cast that includes Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Emma Roberts, Lake Bell and Ashley Greene.
Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum will star in box office movie The Vow, which tells the real-life story of a newlywed New Mexico couple who end up in a car crash. The wife is put in a coma, where she is cared for by her devoted husband. When she comes to, without any memory of her husband or their marriage, the husband woos her and attempts to wins her heart again.
Bradley Cooper (The A-Team) will star in an as-yet untitled baseball dramedy about a baseball player who sustains an injury that forces him to go back to the minor leagues. The only place he can find lodging is in an old folks home where he meets a retired baseball guru who helps him get back on track.
Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) will star in the movie Battleship alongside Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights, playing a “straight and narrow” naval officer.
Wendy Crewson (The Santa Clause) will play activist Mary Botha in the movie Winnie. Botha became a social worker in South Africa after witnessing a brutal police assault on a black youth. After befriending the Mandelas during the fight against apartheid, Botha is subjected to phone-tapping, police harassment and house arrest. Terrence Howard and Jennifer Hudson are set to play Nelson and Winnie Mandela.
Demi Moore has joined the cast of the indie drama Margin Call, which is set over one day, and follows the story of eight people working at a large investment bank when the financial crisis hit the US. Moore will play the chief risk management officer at the bank.
MADE FOR TV MOVIES
Raven-Symone (That’s So Raven) and Joanna Garcia (Privileged and Reba) will star in the ABC Family Channel movie Revenge of the Bridesmaids on Sunday, July 18 at 8 PM. The movies is about two childhood friends who attempt to thwart the wedding of a no-good, money hungry ex-friend by going undercover as bridesmaids so that true love can prevail.
Oscar-nominated actress Rosie Perez, Benito Martinez (The Shield, Saving Grace), Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill), Christoph Sanders (Ghost Whisperer), Martha Higareda (Street Kings) and Yul Vasquez (The A-Team) are set to star in the Lifetime Movie Network movie Lies in Plain Sight (which is the working title). The film is scheduled to premiere in the fall and follows the story of Ava and her blind cousin Sofia (Higareda), who were inseparable as children, with Ava the loyal companion who helped Sofia through her tough adolescent years. When Ava suddenly commits suicide, Sofia rushes home to her father Hector (Martinez) and Ava’s parents Marisol (Perez) and Rafael (Vasquez) to find answers. But as she delves into Ava’s life, questioning her past boyfriends Ethan (Murray) and Christian (Sanders), the more Sofia realizes that their childhood was actually filled with dark disturbing secrets. (The Futon Critic)
Jennie Garth (90210) will star in the Hallmark Channel movie called Mulligan, which was writen by her husband, Peter Facinelli (Twilight) who also co-stars along with Fred Willard (Modern Family) and Marilu Henner (Taxi). The movie is about a disgruntled actor (Ethan Eriskon from Melrose Place) wants to do more than play “Mulligan the Rabbit” on a children’s TV show and discovers life can change in a heartbeat when he causes a car accident with single mother, Annie (Garth). Facinelli plays Eddie’s mooching childhood buddy, Scott. Willard is Eddie’s slick agent, Dick while Henner will portray Annie’s well-meaning mother. The movie is slated to air in 2011.
Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) has will star opposite Tim Robbins, Diane Lane and James Gandolfini in HBO made-for-TV movie Cinema Verite, which takes a look at the real-life family who was the focus for the groundbreaking 1970s reality series An American Family.
CASTING SCOOP
Stephen Collins (7th Heaven) has been promoted to series regular on the upcoming ABC drama No Ordinary Family, who will play the boss of family matriarch Julie Benz.
Faran Tahir (Star Trek – the J.J. Abrams reboot) will appear in a multi-episode arc of Warehouse 13, appearing as Adwin Kosan, one of the mysterious and powerful Regents tasked with keeping the Warehouse safe. Adwin, who arrives to handle an escalating crisis, makes a shocking pronouncement that threatens to tear apart the team.
Mekia Cox (90210) has been cast in the upcoming NBC drama series Undercovers, where she will play Lizzy, the sister of Samantha (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who is unaware of her sister’s professional capacity as a CIA agent. Cox replaces Jessica Parker Kennedy, who appeared in the role in the pilot.
April Lee Hernandez (ER) has landed what is believed to be the last new recurring role in the upcoming fifth season of Dexter. She will play a new cop (presumably) working in the Miami Metro’s homicide department.
Matt Letscher (Eli Stone) and Camille Guaty (Prison Break) will guest star on the August 22 episode of the Lifetime series Drop Dead Diva.
Anna Camp – last seen as Sarah Newlin in True Blood – will guest star in a future episode of the new USA series Covert Affairs. The new series will debut on July 13 and stars Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly), Christopher Gorham (Ugly Betty), Kari Matchett (24), Anne Dudek (House), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes) and Peter Gallagher (The O.C.).
RUMOR PATROL
Rumor has it that Amber Heard (The Stepfather) could be playing the character of Mystique in the upcoming movie X-Men: First Class that is set to star James McAvoy has Professor Xavier. The movie is to open in theaters nationwide on June 3, 2011.
It is being reported that HBO has given an order to the made-for-TV movie Hemingway & Gellhorn, which is expected to star Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman as literary couple Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn. The story will follow the romance between Hemingway and Gellhorn as they meet in 1936 and later wed before traveling to report on the Spanish Civil War.
Kevin Spacey has begun “conversations” with Showtime (and possibly several other pay channels) about returning to the small screen in the proposed new drama series The Crux, in which the actor would play the leader of an extremely high-profile cult.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The following shows, movies and specials will air this weekend as well as next week:
The Hallmark Channel movie Dad’s Home will premiere on Saturday, June 19 at 9 PM. The movie stars David James Elliott (JAG) as a dad who loses his job and ends up becoming a stay-at-home dad.
NOTE: This movie will reair on Sunday, June 20 at 9 PM.
The new ABC dramas Scoundrels and The Gates will both debut on Sunday, June 20 at 9 PM and 10 PM respectively.
Leverage will return with a two-hour season premiere on TNT on Sunday, June 20 at 9 PM.
The movie Double Wedding will debut on the Lifetime Movie Network on Sunday, June 20 at 8 PM.
The new four-hour Syfy movie The Phantom will debut in its entirety on Sunday, June 20 starting at 7 PM.
The TNT medical series HawthoRNe returns for another season starting Tuesday, June 22 at 9 PM.
The new cop drama Memphis Beat will debut on TNT on Tuesday, June 22 at 10 PM.
ABC will debut the new cop drama Rookie Blue on Thursday, June 24 at 9 PM.
The movie 16 Wishes will premiere on Disney at 8 PM. The movie is about a girl who makes secret wishes to celebrate her 16th birthday and is astonished when they start coming true.
Here are the new episodes of the dramas that will be airing this coming week:
Saturday, June 19
Doctor Who on BBC America at 9 PM
Three Rivers on CBS at 8 PM
Sunday, June 20
True Blood on HBO at 9 PM
Treme on HBO at 10 PM
The Tudors on Showtime at 9 PM
Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime at 9 PM
Army Wives on Lifetime at 10 PM
Monday, June 21
Lie To Me on FOX at 8 PM
The Good Guys on FOX at 9 PM
Persons Unknown on NBC at 10 PM
The Secret Life of the American Teenager on ABC Family Channel at 8 PM
Saving Grace on TNT at 9 PM and 10 PM
True Blood on HBO at 8 PM
Tuesday, June 22
Pretty Little Liars on ABC Family Channel at 8 PM
Law & Order: Criminal Intent on USA at 10 PM
Ashes to Ashes on BBC America at 10 PM
Wednesday, June 23:
Unnatural History on Cartoon Network at 9 PM
In Plain Sight on USA Network at 10 PM
Thursday, June 24
Burn Notice on USA at 9 PM
Royal Pains on USA at 10 PM
Friday, June 25
Flashpoint on CBS at 9 PM
Miami Medical on CBS at 10 PM
Friday Night Lights on NBC at 8 PM
Merlin on Syfy 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!
0 comments