Category Archives: Television

Comic Con: ‘Once Upon a Time’ readies fans for ‘Frozen’ arc

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Don’t hold your breath, Oncers. Though ABC is touting this as the official “Season 4 Trailer” it serves simply as a series recap and does not contain new footage. Bummer, I know. But here it is nevertheless, and it will get you amped for what’s to come in Storybrooke this fall.

Major takeaways from this year’s Once Upon a Time panel at Comic Con: Giancarlo Esposito, fresh off his three year stint on NBC’s now-cancelled Revolution, will return as Regina’s Mirror. Actor Michael Socha, who played the Knave in the short-lived spinoff Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, will make his way to Storybrooke. Colin O’Donoghue’s Hook will begin to sport modern attire in the new season. A musical episode is not in the cards (for now). And in terms of the hyped Frozen storyline, showrunners Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz presented a brief clip (not available online) of Anna and Elsa (played by Georgina Haig and Elizabeth Lail, respectively) leaving flowers at their parents’ grave. Frozen characters joining the show include the aforementioned queen and princess, Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster), Hans (Tyler Jacob Moore), and Grand Pabbie the Troll King (voiced by John Rhys-Davies).

[Via TVLine]

Comic Con: ‘Bates Motel” unearths actors’ “audition tapes”

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Those who attended the Bates Motel panel at this year’s Comic Con were privy to never-before-seen “audition tapes” headlined by series stars Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Nestor Carbonell, Olivia Cooke, and Max Thieriot. You’re probably wondering why those words are in quotations; well, I won’t ruin the surprise. Just got a box of tissues ready because soon enough tears of laughter will be streaming down your face. This here is pure gold.

Also during the panel it was announced that Kenny Johnson–who plays Caleb, Norma’s brother and Dylan’s biological father–will return as a series regular in season three. Also, Nicola Peltz–Norman’s friend-that-he-would-do-anything-for Bradley Martin–will return to the show after leaving early on in season two to shoot the new Transformers movie; again, unfortunately, she will not be present full-time but she’s expected to enter the fold later in the season.

Bates Motel returns to A&E this fall.

Comic Con: ABC celebrates ‘LOST’ 10 years later

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The groundbreaking drama LOST premiered to a room full of eager fans at 2004’s San Diego Comic Con. Ten years later the Alphabet network that fostered it produced a short yet impactful two minute commemorative video featuring some of the series most memorable scenes bookended by words from showrunners Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. The video embedded above ran on a loop at ABC’s booth during this year’s Comic Con. If you couldn’t make it out this year watch it now and relive the emotional bliss that was and forever will be LOST. Jack’s bearded rallying cry “We have to go back,” Charlie’s hand inscribed with the message “Not Penny’s Boat,” Jack and Locke’s heated faith argument, Jack’s “Kate, dammit, run!,” Ben tearfully pushing the donkey wheel with all his might to (boom) move the Island–it’s all there. Enjoy.

FX renews ‘Fargo’ & ‘Louie’

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FX has renewed Fargo and Louie for a second and fifth season, respectively.

EP Noah Hawley took big risk adapting and twisting the Coen brother’s classic film for the small screen and it paid off. Fargo on FX, starring Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton, proved to be a highly addicting, violent, and incredibly intriguing character study. Hawley thinks there’s more to explore in this inspired world he brought back to life and in its second season we will travel back in time to revisit Keith Carradine’s character Lou Solverson, albeit at a younger age. The 10-episode Fargo was always billed as an event series, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a new season will play out sort of like FX’s other series American Horror Story with new characters and an entirely new plot. Though Fargo season 2 will deviate from AHS in that it will take place in the world as its first season and will carry over familiar characters (played by different actors, of course). Lou will be much younger in 1979, and his daughter Molly (portrayed by the talented Allison Tolman in season 1) will be but four years old. In terms of plot, the new season will explore the “Sioux Falls” incident that Lou mentioned a couple times in the show’s first year. Expect more Fargo in 2015.

Moving on to Louie, the comedian produced (and directed and wrote and edited and starred in) arguably the best season of his dramedy this year. Standouts “Elevator” and “In the Woods” pushed the envelope in terms of pure creativity. FX head John Landgraf puts it nicely: “Louie’s fourth season was once again groundbreaking. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking — always thought provoking. The show went to narrative and cinematic places no comedy has gone before and we look forward to seeing what Louis comes up with next.” A 7-episode fifth season is expected to air in Spring 2015.

[Via TVLine 1, 2]

‘Homeland’ showrunner teases season 4 (first trailer inside!)

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“I can guarantee that Dana Brody will not be back for Season 4.”

Let’s start with that choice quote from Homeland executive producer Alex Gansa at the TCAs on Friday. Moving on…

With the demise of the show’s male lead Damian Lewis (who so elegantly played Nicholas Brody), Homeland‘s fourth season serves somewhat as a series reboot. This time around the action takes place in the Middle East and it follows Claire Danes’ Carrie Mathison in the field dealing with political ramifications that comes with US troops withdrawing from the area.

“It’s about seeing Carrie Mathison for the first time doing the job she was trained to do — being a case officer in a foreign capital,” Gansa shared in an interview with EW. “We’re going to see what an intelligence officer does on the ground. How she recruits assets, how she deals with the foreign government and her country team — the people she works with in the embassy — and the host country’s intelligence services. That is a complicated and murky world, one that we hope is filled with intrigue and drama and adventure.”

What else? “About six months” have passed since season 3 ended; Carrie’s had her baby but it’s left back in the States so, no, you won’t be seeing her balancing motherhood and taking down terrorists. In terms of her mental stability, “she’s quite stable,” says Gansa. “Where she is managing her grief about her loss of Brody is a different question.” Speaking of Brody, Gansa says it isn’t outside the realm of possibility for Lewis to reprise his role via flashbacks. “He was such as significant part of Carrie’s life that just to drop him completely would feel wrong, because Carrie is grieving for his loss.”

Gansa also commented on the status of fan favorites Saul Berenson and Peter Quinn. “Saul plays a central role this season, albeit a different role, a reversed role. Saul in the past was Carrie’s boss. Now that he’s in the private sector he finds himself working underneath her and at her behest, so there’s a role reversal that takes place there.” And then: “Everybody is clamoring for a relationship between [Quinn and Carrie]. And it is certainly something we’re toying with. However the question is whether Carrie is in any kind of emotional state to be open to a romance of any kind and does Quinn realize that’s the case. But it’s enough to say he watches over her this season because he cares about her so much.”

For more on season 4, check out the interview with Gansa in full at EW.

Now, jump after the break to glimpse what’s in store. It’s true: There’s no place like Homeland. Which returns October 5 on Showtime. And how incredible is that season 4 key art hanging above? Best one yet. Continue reading ‘Homeland’ showrunner teases season 4 (first trailer inside!) →

More ‘Better Call Saul’ details emerge

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Breaking Bad‘s Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould showed up at this year’s TCAs to promote their next venture, spinoff Better Call Saul, and some interesting tidbits surfaced.

First off, the series is set in 2002; but like Breaking Bad, it will bounce around in time. “I think the best way to answer this is that you saw, from Breaking Bad, we like nonlinear storytelling,” shared Gilligan. “I would definitely point you in the direction of anything that is possible on Breaking Bad is possible on Better Call Saul. It’s fun for us to be as nonlinear as possible.” Also, when we meet Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman in the pilot that won’t be his name; much like Walter White’s transformation into Heisenberg, viewers will witness Jimmy McGill’s transformation into Saul Goodman.

An official show description sheds some more light: “The series is set six years before Saul Goodman meets Walter White. When we meet him, the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and, often, against Jimmy, is ‘fixer’ Mike Ehrmantraut, a beloved character introduced in Breaking Bad. The series will track Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts ‘criminal’ in ‘Criminal lawyer.’”

Since the show will bounce around in time, there is a possibility for Breaking Bad favorites like WW to enter the fray. In fact, one Bad character in particular was discussed at the TCA panel: Giancarlo Esposito’s Gustavo Fring. On his potential to show up in Saul Gould said, “There’s always a chance, yeah…with Gus there is so much more to say about that character, and we certainly love Giancarlo. Having said that, we’re trying to make something that stands on its own that has an entertainment value that’s not just seeing a series of old favorites. It’s not the series equivalent of a clip show. So we try to balance these things out. But I agree there’s so much to be said about Gus — although in the series it always seemed to me that Saul didn’t know Gus directly. He knew a guy who knew a guy.”

Better Call Saul premieres on AMC in 2015. Eye two new images from the production above and after the break (below, that’s Odenkirk with Michael McKean who plays Saul’s brother Chuck in the series).

[Via Deadline; TVLine; EW] Continue reading More ‘Better Call Saul’ details emerge →

Three ‘SNL’ featured players booted prior to 40th season

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Rookies Brooks Wheelan and John Milhiser will not be making their way back to Studio 8H this fall when Saturday Night Live returns to celebrate its 40th season on air. It’s no surprise, really, since Lorne and his creative team did not give the first-year players much screen time to begin with. What is surprising, however, is that second year featured player Nöel Wells has also been given the slip. She might not have bee as strong as other female SNL cast members like Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong, but she certainly showed promise here and there. It’s a shame we never got to see her Dana Brody.

Also exiting (after five seasons) is Nasim Pedrad who is moving on to star in the new Fox sitcom Mulaney. We won’t soon forget you, Bedelia and Shallon.

As SNL’s September premiere looms on the horizon, more casting changes are likely to be announced. Deadline reports that SNL writer turned featured player Michael Patrick O’Brien has a hazy future with the show; he may either get booted or return to writing duties behind the scenes.

[Via Deadline; image via Hollywood]

TV teaser: Sleepy Hollow season 2

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Sleepy Hollow returns with great force this September; at the end of last season’s thrill ride Detective Abbie Mills was locked in purgatory, Ichabod Crane was buried alive, and it was revealed that all along the enigmatic John Noble was not just some sin eater but actually Ichabod and Katrina’s son Jeremy (who also happens to be the Horseman of War). The brief yet oh-so-tantalizing teaser embedded above previews “war” coming to Sleepy Hollow, as does this hot poster making its debut at Comic Con. But, as the cleverly sinister Jeremy Crane said in his most epic diatribe during the final minutes of last season’s finale: “War isn’t coming to Sleepy Hollow; it’s been here all along.”

Sleepy Hollow returns Monday, Sept. 22 at 9PM on Fox.

Oh, and look, new cast photos!

Fox teases Comic Con presence with fresh series posters

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Fox is taking a number of its most vital series to San Diego Comic Con next week and to celebrate their imminent arrival the network released key art hyping the new seasons of shows like Sleepy Hollow, The Following, and Family Guy. New series Gotham and Wayward Pines are also included in the mix. Long-running animated series The Simpsons is accounted for twice; one to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary, and the other promotes the anticipated crossover with Family Guy. Check ’em all out in the gallery below.

[Via EW]

Visual reel takes a magnifying glass to ‘Game of Thrones’ digital universe

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So much of the universe featured in HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones is made up of computer generated content you probably didn’t even know it! It’s true; the series has traveled to distant lands like Iceland and Scotland to capture actual vistas of beauty. But not everything is as it seems on screen. Visual effects house Macklevision has released a beefy reel that peels back the layers of what’s real and what’s fake in the televised version of Westeros. So sit back and let the “movie” magic unravel.

2014 Emmy nominations: ‘Game of Thrones’ & ‘Fargo’ earn the most

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On July 10 this year’s Emmy nominations were announced. HBO’s Game of Thrones leads the pack with 19 total nods, followed closely by FX’s Fargo (18), American Horror Story: Coven (17), and Breaking Bad (16). Snubbed yet again is Orphan Black‘s insanely talented Tatiana Maslany; also NBC’s Hannibal came up empty with zero nods with not even a recognition for its brilliant cinematography. Click here to view the entire rundown of nominees.

The 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards airs live, Monday, August 25 at 8PM ET on NBC hosted by Seth Meyers.

‘Sherlock’ renewed for series four, a special in the works

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It’s official: Everyone’s favorite high-functioning sociopath and his trusty sidekick are returning for more adventures. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are set to reprise their roles as William Sherlock Scott Holmes and Dr. John Hamish Watson, respectively, in a fourth series plus a one-off special. In other words, four feature-length installments of Sherlock are in the works!

Series co-creator, writer and executive producer Steven Moffat: “A special, plus a new series of three episodes – it’s a record-breaking run! Of course, it’s far too early to say what’s coming, but we’re reasonably confident that the very next thing to happen to Sherlock and John, is the very last thing you’d expect…”

Co-creator, writer, executive producer, and co-star Mark Gatiss: “Series Four! At last ! It’s always special to return to Sherlock but this time it’s even more special as we’re doing… a Special! Not only THAT, we’ll then be shooting three more episodes which will take Sherlock and John Watson into deeper and darker water than ever before. The whole Sherlock team are terrifically excited to return for four new adventures. The Game is on – again!”

Executive producer Sue Vertue: “It’s taken a little while to get the dates sorted as none of the boys are exactly sitting back twiddling their thumbs but there was unanimous goodwill to make this work, so we’re thrilled that 221b is going to be inhabited again.”

Though it did incorporate some head-scratching cases inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the most recent series of Sherlock deviated from the show’s usual formula in order to really explore the relationship between the sleuth partners. It was all handled with grace and humor (a Sherlock staple), and now that the show has truly defined their harmonious accord it can test its limits. In the words of Gatiss, The Game is on–again!

The special shoots in January 2015 (with rumored signs pointing to a Christmas 2015 air date), and production on series four will begin later next year (with a likely 2016 air date). What I should have said before: The Wait is on–again!

[Via BBC]