Tag Archives: TV notes

Wentworth Miller the next ‘Spartacus’?

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According to EW’s Michael Ausiello, Wentworth Miller–better known as Michael Scofield, star of FOX’s breakout hit Prison Break–has expressed interest in taking over the lead role in Starz’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand.  The original Spartacus Andy Whitfield dropped out of the show shortly after its first season to undergo treatment for early stage Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  This forced the production team to come with an ultimatum–“close up shop or recast.”  Since this news broke back in late September, the team went ahead with the latter option.  There hasn’t been any official word (or even rumors) about who would take over the demanding role, and apparently Miller has stepped forward offering a bid.  The ex-con (in Break, of course) definitely has the acting chops to pull it off.  The question is whether or not he has the physical appearence to play the part.  A smearing of body tattoos of Jolie Prison isn’t going to hide that face that Miller is not nearly as buff as the intimidating Whitfield; but as Ausiello points out a healthy regimen at the gym could make up for that.

There’s much time left for decisions to be made.  Blood and Sand is tentatively scheduled for a September 2011 air date.  But until then, you can look forward to Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a six episode prequel series, airing in January 2011.  And for those concerned, Whitfield is reported to have “a very positive outlook.”

[Via EW-AusielloFiles, here & here]

Former ‘Lost’ execs Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz pitching new drama to ABC

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The 2011-12 TV season is shaping up to be a promising must-see TV extravaganza for Lost fans.  In addition to the  J.J. Abrams/Bryan Burk/Josh Appelbaum/Andre Nemec buddy cop show starring Terry O’Quinn and Michael Emerson (aka Lost‘s John Locke & Benjamin Linus) picked up by NBC, there’s this: Former Lost executive producers and writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are currently developing a “top secret fairy-tale-themed drama series.”  According to Ausiello, the duo are about to pitch the drama to ABC Studios, since they still have an overall deal with the network.  If the show gets picked up (and I have no doubt it will–Kitsis & Horowitz are extremely talented producers with uber-successful Lost to back them up), a special someone is ready to serve as a consultant to the show.  Drumroll, please… It’s Damon Lindelof, co-creator and exec producer of Lost.  Boom, your pants just fell off.  Due to the top-secret nature of the project, Ausiello was only able to sniff out this tidbit of detail: the show will feature a female lead.  Evangeline Lilly, any takers?  OK fine, that would just be silly now wouldn’t it?  Both ears to the ground with this developing story.

[Via EW-AusielloFiles]

Robert Knepper to revive ‘Prison Break’ baddie T-Bag in upcoming A&E series ‘Breakout Kings’?!

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Well that’s the plan, according to Breakout Kings producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora.  The former Prison Break producers want veteran actor Robert Knepper to play Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell in the their upcoming fugitive-themed drama.  According to various sources, EW’s Michael Ausiello reports that 20th Century Fox, the studio behind Break and Kings has “signed off on the [character] crossover.”  All there’s left to do is get Knepper on board to play the part again.  If my memory serves me right (of course it does!), T-Bag was voted by the Brothers Scofield and Co. in the Prison Break series finale and to be forced to go back to jail.  He’s scum, and that’s where he belonged.

Though both shows revolve around the life of fugitives, Breakout Kings has a slightly altered plotline.  It’s being described as “a new action-packed ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run.”  I really hope Knepper bites the bait (former Prison Break producers are at the helm) and signs on to revive T-Bag for the new series.  T-Bag is a dark, flawed character with quick wits and a totally creepy attitude.  He’s definitely one of the best written villains in recent TV history, so to watch his character make a comeback would be beyond awesome.  Originially produced for FOX, the A&E series will premiere in 2011; 13 one hour episodes have been ordered.  Look after the break for the first teaser trailer.

[Via EW-AusielloFiles; Deadline] Continue reading Robert Knepper to revive ‘Prison Break’ baddie T-Bag in upcoming A&E series ‘Breakout Kings’?! →

Fuller wants Kristen Bell in ‘Munsters’ reboot

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This month brought news that Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller is bringing a “modern-day reboot” of The Munsters to NBC.  Today Fuller expressed interest in nabbing actress Kristen Bell, who comes from TV roots (Veronica Mars), to play the part of Marilyn, the “plain” cousin of the wacky Munster clan.  “Are you kidding me?” explaimed Fuller.  “Kristen would be perfect.”  He explains that Marilyn will have a much more pivotal role in the reboot than she did in the classic 1960s sitcom.  “She is our eyes into the world, in the sense that we all can relate to our families exhibiting some level of monstrous behavior.”  He also hinted that Eddie’s pet dragon Spot will also serve a larger purpose.  NBC has ordered a pilot to be made, and Fuller splendidly spilled some info as to what we can expect.  “This version has teeth and isn’t afraid to use them,” he said.  “For example, the story begins when young Eddie unexpectedly manifests as a werewolf on a scout camping trip and inadvertently eats two of his fellow scouts.”  Um, yes.

[Via EW-AusielloFiles]

J.J. Abrams imagines two new dramas

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J.J. Abrams, creator of Felicity, Alias, Lost, Fringe, and the upcoming NBC spy show Undercovers, is readying two new dramas for network TV.  Variety reports that FOX has picked up Alcatraz, a series based on the famous island prison that was shut down in 1963.  The spec script was written by Elizabeth Sarnoff (Lost, Deadwood).  Sarnoff will serve as executive producer along with Abrams and Bryan Burk (Alias, Lost) on the Warner Bros. TV/Bad Robot project.

Next up is Person of Interest, another Abrams-backed project that was just picked up by CBS, according to NYMag.  The source describes it as an hour-long crime thriller.  Jonah Nolan, brother of film director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), is penning the pilot script and serves as co-creator with Abrams.  Can someone say dream team?!  This marks the first time Nolan contributing to a TV series.  He is best known for his collaboration work with his brother on The Dark Knight & The Prestige; he also wrote the short story that inspired Memento.  The fact that CBS of all networks reportedly picked up this particular series is somewhat startling.  CBS is known for playing it safe by strictly airing procedural shows that people can tune into at any time without worrying about missing key plot developments (think the CSI franchise, The Mentalist, etc.).  The Abrams/Nolan series might just break the CBS mold by premiering a more serialized show that demands weekly viewing.  And that makes me very, very giddy.

As you might guess, very little to no information regarding plot and casting has leaked about these new Abrams projects.  But you can be sure I’ll report back when things start to ramp up.  If all goes according to plan, I’m hoping the new dramas will be ready to premiere next fall.

[Via Variety; NYMag; IGN, here & here]

Universal granted rights to Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’, film trilogy and TV series coming soon

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Big, big news for fans of The Dark Tower.  Deadline reports that Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Television Entertainment have been granted the rights to the enormously epic Stephen King book series (there are seven in total).  It is going to be adapted for the big and small screen with director Ron Howard at the helm.  He will be joined by his A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code cohorts Akiva Goldsman (writer, Fringe) and Brian Grazer (producer, 24, Friday Night Lights, Arrested Development).

The unprecedented plan to adapt The Dark Tower to the screen has me choked up in excitement.  A feature film will introduce the characters and universe to viewers.  A TV series will follow the first movie and act as a bridge to the second movie.  Next the sequel will hit theatres, then a second season will air on TV.  Instead of acting as a bridge to the final movie in the trilogy, season 2 will focus on the backstory of a young Deschain (the main character).  The last movie will pick up where the sequel left off, following a mature Deshain completing his journey.  Whoever is going to play Deshain (rumor has it it’ll be a big name star) will be required to carry on his role in both the feature films and the TV series.  Deadline points out that by using the same sets, cast, and crew on the movies and TV series the production team will contain costs on what promises to be an expensive undertaking.  It’s been confirmed that Howard will direct and Goldsman will scribe the first feature film and TV season.  Goldsman, Grazer, and King will serve as producers.

King originally approached JJ Abrams and Lost executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse with the idea of adapting The Dark Tower for the screen.  According to Deadline they “never cracked the sprawling plotline and all the characters”, so Goldsman wasted no time contacting his partner-in-crime Howard with the notion of helming the project.  Howard recalls Goldsman’s pitch: “Akiva said, ‘Stephen will not let go of it, but it’s like nothing else you’ve ever read.”  Howard continued, “It was frustrating because it’s one of those works where you read it, and then at odd times, the imagery and sensations just pop up in your mind.  This is going to be an amazing life experience for us, trying to do justice to the story and the universe.”

Howard shared with Deadline his thoughts on how his approach with adapting The Dark Tower compares to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Ring series: “What Peter did was a feat, cinematic history. The approach we’re taking also stands on its own, but it’s driven by the material. I love both, and like what’s going on in TV. With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television. We’ve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. It’s fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.”

King also commented on today’s news: “I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world. Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the The Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”

A shooting schedule has not been mapped out yet, but you can be damn sure I’m keeping my hear to the ground and will report back any and all information regarding the plans moving forward for The Dark Tower adaptation.  For a major studio to sign on and agree to telling a story on two vastly different platforms is a rare, unprecedented feat.  With Howard, Goldsman, and Grazer on board, I have no doubt the upcoming epic will impress.

Update: Stephen King sat down for an exclusive interview with EW and shared more thoughts on the project.  Look after the break for the goods.

[Via Deadline; EW, here & here; IGN] Continue reading Universal granted rights to Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’, film trilogy and TV series coming soon →

SNL: Jenny Slate OUT, 4 newcomers IN, Amy Poehler to host premiere

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With the unfortunate news of Will Forte’s departure still wrecking havoc in my mind, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels has decided to move forward and hand pick four new cast members for the late-night sketch comedy show.  But before he could that, someone had to be let loose.  And that someone is Jenny “I said the F-word during my first SNL sketch” Slate.  In my opinion she really didn’t bring much to the table in terms of raw comedic talent, so I am feeling good about her leaving.

Moving on to the cast additions, Michaels is bringing on Taran Killam, Paul Brittain, Vanessa Bayer, and Jay Pharoah.  If you don’t recognize these names, you’re not alone.  The only reason I know Killam is because, um, I remember him as Spalding from Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show (1999-2002).  He’s also been featured in How I Met Your Mother, MadTV, and Wild ‘N Out.  The only footage of Vanessa Bayer I could find online is this Blue Shield of California commercial on YouTube featuring just her head.  Jay Pharoah, on the other hand, can be seen doing all sorts of celebrity impressions on YouTube.  This eight minute “50 impressions” video includes some impressive parodies of Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker, Christopher Walken, and Owen Wilson.  This guy’s got major potential.  Look out for him and the other three newbies when SNL premieres later this month.

Speaking of the premiere, we’ve got our first host!  It’s SNL alum and star of NBC’s Parks and Recreation Amy Poehler.  She will kick of SNL’s 36th season premiere on September 25 with musical guest Katy Perry.

[Via EW, here, here & here]

Darabont confirms The Walking Dead season 2 [Update: Not so fast]

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I’m sorry I can’t contain myself. YES!  *Breath* Ok, that’s better.  Now where was I?  Oh, right…

Frank Darabount, showrunner/director/producer/writer of AMC’s upcoming horror drama The Walking Dead (based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman), told Fangoria magazine that a second season of the zombie apocalypse show is official.  Fans of the most anticipated new fall show must be teeming with excitement–The Walking Dead hasn’t even aired a single episode yet and the network gave it a green light to continue producing new content!  Filming for season 2 will begin February 2011.  Ready for some more good news?  Producer Gale Anne Hurd confirms that season 2 will expand the episode count.  While the first season will carry a short 6-episode arc, season 2 will contain 13 episodes.

Darabount hinted at what to expect in the second season.  Perhaps some of the “environmental elements” from volume two of Kirkman’s comics will play a pivotal role?  “It would be great not just to get out of the heat, but to present a different idea to the audience visually and tonally by having it be winter.  There’s some really cool stuff that Kirkman did, where they find the one zombie that’s frozen to the ground.  I’d never seen that before and that’s really cool.”

Yes, yes it is.  Darabont goes on to share his excitment about how the team plans on introducing a fan favorite from the comic book series.  “Or when Michonne shows up – and boy, is she a character I can’t wait to get to – when she comes striding out of the wasteland like a Clint Eastwood f***ing spaghetti western character cross-melded with some samurai movie, like the Baby Cart character with the f***ing sword, and there’s just a little drift of snow in the air.  I would love to put that on film.”

Hyped?  Me too.  The Walking Dead premieres October 31 at 10PM on AMC; it’s a two-hour episode so set your DVRs accordingly.

Update: Numerous sources say that Darabont spoke too soon.  According to AMC reps news of a second season is pure speculation and “rumor.”  Oh well.  It will be made official soon enough.

[Via ComicBookMovie; IGN]

Spielberg, Orci & Kurtzman, Friedman & Hill onboard for ‘Locke & Key’ comic book adaptation

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Locke & Key, a comic book series written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez and published by IDW Publishing, follows three teenage brothers, Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode Locke, who move to a Massachusetts mansion where they find the mystical Ghost Door which grants them powers, including the ability to separate his spirit from body and to transport between different worlds.  The modern (2008-present) comic book is about to undergo a transformation with some HUGE names at the helm.  A few months back, writers Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Fringe, Star Trek, Transformers) were approached to write a screenplay for a movie adaptation of the series.  After much speculation, Vulture breaks news that the series will be adapted for television.  In addition to Orci & Kurtzman, Steven Spielberg will serve as executive producer (via DreamWorks TV) and  Josh Friedman, who was the showrunner of the dearly missed Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, will write and exec produce.  Oh and you knnow Joe Hill, the writer of the comic book?  He just happens to be Steven King’s son.  20th Century Fox and DreamWorks TV will back the venture.  Now the wait begins to see which network is willing to scoop up all this talent and greenlight the production process.

[Via IGN; NYMag; Wiki]

HBO porn series is in the works

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Executive producers Mark Wahlberg and Steve Levinson, who currently work together on HBO’s Entourage and the upcoming series Boardwalk Empire, are teaming up with controversial writer James Frey to produce a new one-hour drama about the porn industry that will star both actors and porn stars.  According to the NY Post, “The plot will focus on a giant video company under siege from Internet competitors and a girl from the Midwest whose boyfriend convinces her to move to Los Angeles to become a star.”  Frey, who is currently writing the pilot, shares, “We’re going to make a sprawling epic about the porn business in LA.  We’re going to tell the type of stories no one else has told before, and go places no one has gone before.”  OK I’m hooked.

[Via IGN; NYP]

FOX’s ‘Terra Nova’ pushed to fall 2011

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Wahhhh!  That’s the sound I made when I read this breaking news.  The time-travelling, prehistoric journey to save mankind is being pushed back an entire year.   Terra Nova, from the minds of Steven Speilberg, Brannon Braga (24, FlashForward) and David Fury (Lost), simply isn’t ready for its big debut so FOX made a swift decision to remove it from its fall 2010 premiere slot.  Essentially the highly anticipated show is going to pull a Glee.  Remember how FOX delicately handled the rollout of arguably network TV’s most successful new hit?  Instead of premiering Glee in fall 2008, FOX aired a “preview” episode (the pilot) in May after American Idol.  This allowed the show to generate tons of buzz during the summer and resulted in a huge audience wanting to see more by the time fall 2009 rolled around.  FOX thinks they can do it again with Terra Nova; they plan to preview the pilot this May, generate buzz with an intense marketing campaign over the summer, and officially premiere the show in fall 2011.  Read what FOX President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly has to say about the situation:

“Terra Nova will be one of the most visually stimulating and dramatically grand series to air on network television.  It deserves to have an equally unique launch to distinguish that the show is unlike any other, and the spring promotional platform will give us the perfect opportunity to introduce this bold show to audiences.  ..  We went into it knowing it was going to be ambitious.  It really became apparent that we had to do this show right.  We’ll have an enormous jump on the pilot, and on the marketing side, we’ll let people understand the show.”

It will take time than anticipated for the showrunners, writers, and special FX leads to come up with “ground breaking effects” and an “entire world and mythology.”  And you know what?  I’m not so disappointed about all this.  If the creative teams needs an additional few months to make this show the best it can be, I am certainly willing to wait the extra while until things are properly locked and loaded.  This show promises to be explosive both in storytelling and visuals–I’m already hooked!  I have no doubt that the May preview pilot will wow audiences and everyone will be counting the days until its proper fall 2011 launch.

[Via IGN; EW-HollywoodInsider]

The Simpsons season 22 guest voices: House, Gleeks, Potter, Rudd, Hamm, FOTC & more

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Can you believe that Matt Groening’s 1987 creation is coming into its twenty-second season this fall?  What’s even more crazy is the awesome list of guest voices The Simpsons team plans to use this season.  In the season premiere “Elementary School Musical” Lisa goes to a performance arts camp.  There she will be greeted by artsy counselors Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame and a bunch of excited campers voiced by Glee‘s Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Amber Riley.  House‘s Hugh Laurie and Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) will lend their voices to October’s “Treehouse of Horror” episode.  Later in the season Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, baseball’s Mike Scioscia, and sports writer Bill James will appear in an episode titled “MoneyBart.”  This year’s holiday special “The Fight Before Christmas” will get a kick with Martha Stewart.  Other guest voices that will pop up throughout the season: Halle Berry, Ricky Gervais, Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live), Rachel Weisz (The Mummy), Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother), Cheech & Chong, Danica Patrick, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; also Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) will reprise his role as Fat Tony.  Excited?  The Simpsons 22 premieres Sunday, September 26 on FOX.

[Via IGN]