Archive for category Casting alert
TCA Quick Hits: Set visits to “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Dollhouse”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert, Commentary, TCA Summer Press Tour 2009, TV News, Tune In Info on August 3rd, 2009
This post was originally going to be titled “Quick Shots of False Hope,” in both homage to comedienne Laura Kightlinger’s entertaining essay collection, and in acknowledgment that even good TV news amounts to so much dust in the wind when one takes the industry’s 80 percent-plus failure rate into account. But pretty much all of what you’ll read here is good news, or at the very least interesting, so we’ll save the false hope for this week, when the broadcast networks present. Let the good times start a-rolling with…
– Pauley Perrette is guest starring on the second episode of “NCIS: Los Angeles,” in a cameo that executive producer Shane Brennan characterized as being “directly involved in helping us solve the case. Pauley is very excited to be joining us, and I think it’s something that the fans are going to absolutely really enjoy.”
On a side note, Brennan delivered this news from the ground floor of the “NCIS: Los Angeles” set, built to resemble an old Spanish mission but, to TV viewers, looks all too much like the courtyard on “Melrose Place.”
Brennan explained that since the original ops center was compromised (in part 2 of the “NCIS” crossover episodes) they had to find another undercover location. So from the outside it looks like a charming piece of old California, but inside and upstairs is state-of-the-art equipment specially built for the unit (and actually, the series itself) by technology giant Lockheed Martin. This includes a gigantic touch-interactive screen that critics were allowed to play with by waving are hands across it and pretending we were in Minority Report. We discovered fake identification for one character in an upcoming episode, to be played by former “Six Feet Under” star Mathew St. Patrick.
– On the same day we visited “NCIS: LA” we headed over to the Fox lot to see Joss Whedon in the “Dollhouse.” This may be a comfort to “Dollhouse” fans: Whedon shared that when season two opens, Echo (Eliza Dushku) will be deeply impacted by Alpha downloading all of her personalities into her at once, which means she’ll actually have a persona instead of being a passive blank slate. Although lacking a personality is central to being a “doll,” that feature made it nearly impossible for viewers to connect to Echo. When I brought that up during the session, Whedon acknowledged a major correction was due.
“We will see that she has a cohesiveness and a mission that make every engagement mean a great deal more to her and she has, as Echo, her own agenda which is something she didn’t quite have,” Whedon explained, “and we did sort of build to that in Omega where she had been dumped with all the personalities and we heard her say her name. At the end this episode we are going to see how far she’s come and it’s a little further than the people around her know.”
So, I asked to establish complete clarity, even after each episode’s wipe she is going to have a distinct personality?
“We are going to see her as we know her, and then we are going to see something very different,” Whedon said. “And that is pretty much all I can say.”
–After the main session Whedon confirmed to me and a few others that Alan Tudyk would be returning for several episodes over the course of season two. Whedon said he couldn’t confirm an exact number because Tudyk does not like to be pinned down in any particular series. To wit: He has a fairly substantial role in the pilot for ABC’s midseason series “V.” Whedon also hinted that this season would head outside of the main Dollhouse to, perhaps, visit other branches. Hmm….
– While walking out a Fox publicist dashed past and told us the big “Futurama” news we hope you already know, which is that all of the original cast had signed on for its resurrection.
Up next: CBS.
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“Dexter” Gets a New Playmate
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert, TV News, The Pick-Up Game on June 10th, 2009
John Lithgow. Courtesy of Wire Image/Dimitrios Kambouris.
When the TV news cameras come calling, people tend to describe any serial killers discovered to be living in their area as polite, private but personable, a guy seemingly incapable of hatcheting humans into ground chuck. No, not in a million years, they say, and to think all that was happening two doors down? Shocking.
That’s why it makes perfect sense for “Dexter’s” producers to have tapped the ever-so-pleasant John Lithgow to portray a man with the same grisly hobby as our favorite Miami Police Department blood-spatter analyst. Lithgow is set to appear in all 12 of season four’s episodes.
According to Showtime’s press release, Lithgow will play Walter Simmons, “an unassuming, mild-mannered suburbanite who has been living a dual life as one of America’s most prolific and deadliest serial killers. Dubbed the “Trinity Killer” because of his proclivity to kill in threes, he relocates to Miami after being tracked by F.B.I. Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine).”
Naturally dear Dexter, a murderer who takes pride in his work, is bound to feel a special connection and fascination with Mr. Simmons.
One also wonders if the “trinity” business is part of a larger theme for season four, what with Dexter on the verge of fatherhood, and his dad’s spirit looming large in his thoughts. Father, son, unholy ghost…and the Trinity Killer? Can’t wait to see what happens.
“Dexter’s” fourth season kicks off on Sept. 27 on Showtime.
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ABC Reveals Fall Line-up; “Castle”, “Better Off Ted”, “Scrubs” to Return
Posted by Heather Campbell in Cancellations, Casting alert, TV News, The Pick-Up Game, Tune In Info on May 19th, 2009
Nathan Fillion stars in "Castle" (photo credit: ABC)
ABC held its upfront presentation this afternoon, introducing 11 new programs that will fill out the schedule alongside the network’s 17 returning series.
Four series that were considered to be on the bubble can now be counted among the returning shows: “Castle“, “Better Off Ted“, “Scrubs” and “True Beauty“.
Items that stood out: Neither “Cupid” or “The Unusuals” were not mentioned at all, making it pretty safe to assume they will not be returning next year. Christina Applegate’s “Samantha Who?” was previously announced as not returning. “Ugly Betty” will be relocated from its prime Thursday real estate to make room for “Flash Forward”.
ABC led off their presentation by sharing the first act of new show “Flash Forward”, the Ralph Fiennes thriller/mystery centered on an mysterious event during which every person in the world blacks out, each seeing 2:17 of their future during that time. The show creators came in with complete show bible, meaning that like “Lost“, the entire story has been created in advance, ensuring a defined roadmap for the future of the show’s story.
The pilot episode of the new Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd produced sit-com “Modern Family” was shown in its entirety, giving a first glance into the sort-of-scripted, sort-of-not feeling show that follows the dynamics of 3 families via faux-documentary footage and interviews.
Check out ABC’s fall schedule after the jump:
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NBC Renews “Chuck”, Announces Next Year’s Schedule
Posted by Heather Campbell in Casting alert, TV News, The Pick-Up Game, Uncategorized on May 19th, 2009
Chuck Bartowski has plenty of reasons to smile today.
A collective sigh of relief was heard ’round the (TV) world this morning, as NBC announced Tuesday morning that “Chuck” would be returning to their network next season. Crediting the strong support of fans and their participation in the Subway “Save Chuck” campaign, NBC revealed that Chuck Bartowski and friends will continue their special brand of fighting evil for at least 13 more episodes — which likely won’t reappear on screens until next spring, after the network’s Winter Olympics coverage has ended. “Chuck”’s return was also bolstered by a special sponsorship deal with Subway, which will involve a franchise being integrated into the show itself.
NBC followed the “Chuck” announcement with the release of their full schedule for next season, which will be split into two as a result of their aforementioned Olympics coverage. Of the other shows on the bubble, only “Law and Order” will be returning, with “My Name Is Earl” and “Medium“, and the much-beloved “Life” canceled. Since “The Jay Leno Show” will be occupying an hour of the primetime line-up each night, the number of new shows premiering will be limited to “Trauma“, “Parenthood“,”Community”, “Mercy”,”Day One” and “The Marriage Ref”.
See a full breakdown of the split-in-two NBC season after the jump:
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Happy Returns: Summer TV’s Almost Here!
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert, Commentary, Tune In Info, Uncategorized on May 9th, 2009
Reaching the end of a TV season, even one as mediocre as 2008-2009’s has been, can be bittersweet. The forced break from our favorite series — for three months in most cases, seven or more in others — is bad enough. Worse is the sting that accompanies the permanent loss of a favorite show. (Every Wednesday evening this writer mourns the death of her “Life.”)
But for every pain, there is a balm…and for couch potatoes, it’s knowing that summertime brings its own special brand of boob tube crutches that make the living even easier. Here are are few things we’ll be looking forward to, ranked in order of excitement level:
Jeffrey Donovan in "Burn Notice."
1. The return of USA’s “Burn Notice.” That would be at 9 PM ET/PT on June 4, less than a month away, and if you have yet to discover this show, you’re missing out one of TV’s greatest pleasures. Action, comedy, a little romance — all of that (and Bruce Campbell too!) makes the adventures of former spy/ current badass Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) a must-see on hot nights (and cold ones; the second half of this past season made midwinter bearable).
Last season ended with Michael jumping into the ocean from a helicopter in defiance of the shadowy organization that ruined his life. We don’t yet know if the third season premiere picks up with him mid-swim, but it’s a safe bet that a few “Burn Notice” fans hope it will at least include a few shots of Donovan in a wet shirt.
2. The return of “True Blood” at 9 PM ET/PT on June 14, which we’re hoping also means the return of Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), easily the most entertaining character on a show that grew from a guilty pleasure into an utter addiction over the course of its first season. His loss would be a heartbreaker, but not a deal-breaker — the buzz about season two sounds too good to give this thing up.
3. A new season of TNT’s “The Closer” kicks off at 9 PM ET/PT on June 8. Surely at some point we’ll tire of watching Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) frighten the living bejeesus out of perps in the interrogation room…but not yet. Plus, she just got married, adding a new dynamic to her already complex personal life.
4. At long last, the return of “Project Runway“ at 10 PM ET/PT on August 20, this time on Lifetime. So what if its final season on Bravo felt as if it had been phoned in from Valiumland? We’re still suckers for this series, especially after watching “The Fashion Show”…sorry, Bravo.
5. The live action episode of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” we repeat, the live action episode of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” with rapper T-Pain playing Frylock, actor Jon Benjamin portraying Master Shake, and contest winner Dave Long Jr. making his network television debut as their hairy, desperate neighbor Carl, will air on Adult Swim for the first of what is sure to be many, many times at 11:45 PM ET/PT on May 31. Meatwad, by the way, will be played by the renowned character actor Exercise Ball.
6. Showtime’s “Weeds” kicks off its fifth season at 10 PM ET/PT on June 8, followed by the series launch of “Nurse Jackie“ at 10:30 ET/PT. Granted, my “Weeds” buzz has worn off a touch, but the fourth season certainly did end in an interesting place. Plus, Jennifer Jason Leigh is set to appear in at least two episodes this summer playing Nancy Botwin’s (Mary-Louise Parker) sister Jill Price-Gray. As for “Nurse Jackie,” the pilot left a bit to be desired, but something in us is pulling for Edie Falco to score a solid post-”Sopranos” hit.
7. The five-part miniseries “Torchwood: Children of Earth,” is due at some point this summer — June, we hear? — but BBC America still hasn’t announced a date. Regardless, we can’t wait for the sci-fi swashbuckler’s return — Captain Jack Harness (John Barrowman) is one the most exciting heroes on TV at the moment, and the preview clip makes “Children of Earth” look like a cross between a souped up “X-Files” episode and “Village of the Damned.”
Others as-yet-unscheduled-but-traditionally summertime series we’re looking forward to? AMC’s “Mad Men” and HBO’s “Entourage.”
8. A new season of VH1’s “Tool Academy” is up on August 2. Some of you may be wondering why anyone would celebrate the continued existence of this program. The answer is…honestly, there is no 100 percent defensible answer, save that it may be the only series outside of Dr. Drew’s rehab franchise attempting to do the world a service: It is waging war against the d-baggery epidemic as opposed to perpetuating it. And that must be encouraged.
9. Fresh episodes of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance“ step out on Thursday, May 21. Even non-fans tune in to this show at some point over the summer because a.) it’s on twice a week; b) it’s a handsome combination of the two most successful unscripted behemoths on television; and c) in terms of reliability and entertainment value, this thing is to television what Japanese economy automobiles are to the world of cars: it gets us from point A to point B without requiring us to expend much energy in the process.
10. Finally, NBC premieres the limited series “Merlin“ on June 21. Will it be a smash-hit? We doubt it. Will it be slightly goofy? You can pretty much count on that. What would summer be without a little scripted cheese? Then again, we should not not pooh-pooh this thing before it even airs — it features the excellent Anthony Stewart Head portraying Uther Pendragon. We’re always happy to see Giles on our TV screens.
Keep reading for a list of other summertime premiere dates…
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Will Ferrell Joins Bear Grylls on “Man vs. Wild”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert, TV News, Tune In Info on April 16th, 2009
Adventure brother: Will Ferrell joins Bear Grylls on "Man vs. Wild."
You’re welcome, America.
In a move that makes perfect sense in terms of corporate synergy but sounds absolutely ludicrous to the average person, Will Ferrell is joining Bear Grylls on an upcoming “Man vs. Wild” special.
During the episode, which is set to air in early June on the Discovery Channel, Ferrell spends 48 hours frolicking with Grylls in the icy glacier ranges of northern Sweden. The pair will rappel down hundred foot frozen waterfalls and sleep in sub-zero temperatures. Urine will be gulped and reindeer eyeballs shall be chomped. Yes. That’s going to happen.
The Discovery Channel press release even attributed the following quote to Ferrell: “To be able to participate in an episode of ‘Man vs. Wild’ was the thrill of a lifetime, even though I did get urine-drunk, which is sad.”
To ask why Ferrell, recently revealed by Parade magazine to have earned $31 million in 2008, would do such things is a perfectly valid question. Thanks to Discovery, we have the answer.
Can Ferrell keep up with Bear Grylls?
Ferrell’s latest movie “Land of the Lost” hits theaters on June 5. It’s a Universal Pictures movie, and Universal has a deal with Discovery Channel to create programming that ties into its film releases. A recent “Cash Cab” episode was tied to “Frost/Nixon,” and last summer’s “Wanted” joined forces with “FutureWeapons.” The hope is that the indelible memory of Ferrell ingesting horrible things will make you say, “Now that we know what that ‘Step Brothers’ guy is capable of, let’s round up the kids, head to the multiplex, and watch him survive in an undiscovered country filled with dinosaurs and monkey people. And hey — order popcorn with extra butter stuff. Mmm, mmm!”
Discovery is calling this episode “the most fully integrated to date” in its partnership with Universal, but methinks Ferrell got the short end of the stick here. There’s a huge difference between roughing it with a craft services table nearby and, well, that business mentioned above.
Are we going to watch? You bet.
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Is the story intensifying on “Dollhouse”?
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert, Commentary, TV News, Uncategorized on March 16th, 2009
Eliza Dushku stars in Fox's "Dollhouse," Fridays at 9 ET/PT.
We want it to work. We drooled over the buzz…and yet, so many fans seem disappointed in Fox’s “Dollhouse.” True, it has served up a weak brew in its initial episodes, and ratings aren’t what they should be (although last Friday’s numbers were up — a good sign). Even so, it’s a Joss Whedon series, and knowing that is enough to keep the faithful hanging on. The man hasn’t broken our hearts yet, which is more than you can say of many TV auteurs.
Now Whedon wants to assure us that our patience will soon be rewarded. In a recent note to critics, he promised that this week’s episode, “Man on the Street,” will increase the intensity. If that tease isn’t tasty enough for you, how about this — io9.com has pictures from the set of the actor rumored to be playing Echo’s mysterious nemesis Alpha. For that matter, he’s already listed in the credits for an upcoming episode on IMDb. So if you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t click here, or here, or here. Consider yourself warned.
Check out previous episodes on IMDb whenever you want, and discuss the series with other users on our message boards.
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Henry Rollins guests on “Sons of Anarchy”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert on March 16th, 2009
Henry Rollins guest stars on "Sons of Anarchy."
Punk rock pioneer. Spoken word artist. Talk show host. And now, biker baddie? Heck, why not — the role’s not exactly out of line with Henry Rollins‘ image.
The word from FX: Rollins (and the tattooed pythons he calls his arms) will guest star in six episodes of FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” when it returns in the fall for its second season. According to a press release Rollins, best known as the frontman of the seminal punk band Black Flag, will play an antagonist “who poses a deadly threat to the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. ” Can’t wait to see him play off of Ron Perlman and Charlie Hunnam.
His last regular TV gig was hosting IFC’s “The Henry Rollins Show.”
While FX is likely to air the first season’s episodes prior to the second season premiere, you can find video recaps and other clips from past episodes on IMDb.com by clicking here.
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Life’s Too Short: The CW Yanks “The Beautiful Life: TBL”
Posted by Melanie McFarland in Casting alert, Commentary, Tune In Info on September 26th, 2009
Zac Posen to model-in-waiting: "Wait...wait...never mind, show's over."
Oh Mischa Barton, we were so looking forward to seeing you on our TV screens again. Just not in this tragedy.
The CW decided to spare us more episodes of “The Beautiful Life,” the Ashton Kutcher-produced series about models pursuing their big break. That makes “TBL” the first casualty of the 2009-2010 season, and makes me glad that I didn’t put money into an office pool. Having seen Fox’s “Brothers,” which makes its hideous debut this evening, I thought for sure that it would win that honor. But alas, “TBL” couldn’t even survive long enough for other U.S. viewers to make that discovery for themselves.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Wednesday night’s “TBL” episode, its second (and last), only attracted about 1 million viewers. Now, in seasons past, low opening numbers weren’t enough to make The CW cancel a show so early on…but Kutcher has nearly 3.7 million devoted followers on Twitter. Clearly the math was never going to add up. The announced pick-up of “Fly Girls,” the reality series following Virgin Air flight attendants, and a docu-soap following the life of celebutante Tinsley Mortimer, didn’t help “TBL’s” situation either.
Besides, the network’s higher-ups appear to be throwing their mojo behind the “Melrose Place,” which is struggling in the ratings as well. But as of this week, the new “MP” hooked Heather Locklear for a guest star arc that starts November 17, in the midst of sweeps.
Other late-breaking news on Friday: Vincent D’Onofrio confirms that he’s leaving “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
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