The Weekly Round-Up for Dec. 20 to 24

Here are the entertainment news items for this past week:

TELEVISION NEWS

The new costume drama Camelot will debut on Starz on April 1 at 10 PM. The 10-episode retelling of the classic medieval tale of King Arthur stars Joseph Fiennes as Merlin, Jamie Campbell Bower as Arthur, and Eva Green as the darkly powerful Morgan.

CSI: Miami will have a new home on Sundays at 8 PM at least for the next three episodes, starting on January 2. Check your local listings for further details.

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

Will Smith is developing a crime series set in China with Fox and Overbrook Entertainment. The project centers on a college student in China who doubles as a crime-fighter.

Actor Damian Lewis (Life) has joined Claire Danes in the Showtime pilot Homeland, where he will play a former prisoner of war being investigated by a C.I.A. agent (Danes) for a suspected terrorist plot.

CONDOLENCES

Actor-comedian Steve Landesberg (from Barney Miller fame) passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer. He was 65.

MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE…

BOX OFFICE NEWS

Director Terry Gilliam and visual effects artist Tim Ollive are teaming for the movie 1884, which is described as a mixed-media adventure-espionage story set in an alternate 1884 where the industrial revolution went a lot further and faster along than it has – resulting in a futuristic imperial metropolis beset with steam-powered flying cars and the scientific advancement of mankind. The story will mix animation, live-action puppetry and CGI while the backgrounds will blend period photography, miniatures and graphics.

CASTING SCOOP

Actress Amy Carlson will be promoted to series regular on Blue Bloods should the freshman drama return for a second season. She would continue to play Linda Reagan, the wife of Donnie Wahlberg’s character.

Actress Illeana Douglas will appear in two episodes of the new NBC series The Cape, playing a nurse named Netta who for years has taken care of a mysterious patient inside The Orchard asylum. Netta ends up in a fierce battle with Orwell (Summer Glau) after Orwell’s investigation takes her inside the creepy facility.

Actress Michaela McManus (most recently seen on The Vampire Diaries and One Tree Hill) will appear in a February episode of Hawaii Five-0, playing a tough district attorney named Kathleen Roberts who will work alongside Kono (Grace Park).

Actor Joel David Moore (Bones and Avatar) will also guest star in Hawaii Five-0 as a deputy director of a tsunami tracking center whom the team calls on in a crisis.

Actress Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13) will appear in an upcoming episode of the new ABC series No Ordinary Family, playing Rachel Jacobs, an Internal Affairs agent who begins investigating Jim Powell (Michael Chiklis) after reports of a rogue cop begin to surface. This episode is slated to air on January 18.

Actress Mary Lynn Rajskub (24) will guest star on the comedy Raising Hope, playing the never-before-seen wife of Cousin Mike (Skyler Stone). The episode is scheduled to air in February.

Actor Billy Baldwin is headed back to Gossip Girl to reprise his role as William van der Woodsen, father to Serena (Blake Lively) and Eric (Connor Paolo) and the ex-husband of Lily (Kelly Rutherford). He is slated to appear in at least two episodes.

Actor Jason Wiles (Persons Unknown and Third Watch) will guest star on Castle this February, playing an old friend of Castle’s (Nathan Fillion) who becomes a prime suspect in a murder.

RUMOR PATROL

It has been rumored that wrestler turned actor John Cena is being considered for the new ABC TV series based on James Cameron’s 1994 film True Lies.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

With the fall season fully upon us, there is a lot of programming for which to keep track. The list below covers most of what you can expect this coming weekend and next week:

Saturday, December 25:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Doctor Who marathon on BBC America (check local listings for air time)

Sunday, December 26:
NCIS marathon on USA Networks (check local listings for air times)

NOTE: There are a lot of repeats this coming week so I will only be focusing on the new episodes of the TV dramas, the made-for-TV movies that are either new or reairing and a few other special events.

Monday, December 27:
Chuck Three-peat on NBC at 8, 9 and 10 PM
The Closer on TNT at 8 PM
Men of a Certain Age on TNT at 9 PM
Ice Quake movie on Syfy at 10 PM
An Old-Fashioned Christmas movie on Hallmark at 8 PM

Tuesday, December 28:
Tower Prep on Cartoon Network at 8 and 9 PM (Finale)
Glory Daze on TBS at 10 PM
Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle movie on Hallmark at 8 PM

Wednesday, December 29:
Undercovers on NBC at 8 PM
Battle of the Bulbs movie on Hallmark at 8 PM

Thursday, December 30:
Burn Notice marathon on USA Network (check local listings for start time)
Farewell Mr. Kringle movie on Hallmark at 8 PM

Friday, December 31:
House marathon on USA Network (check local listings for start time)
The Good Witch’s Gift movie on Hallmark at 8 PM
Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam-Freestyle Jam movie on Disney at 8 PM

NOTE: Please check your local listings for the correct air dates and times for all of the above.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Holiday!