Category Archives: Television

HBO picks up Damon Lindelof’s next TV project ‘The Leftovers’

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Following in the footsteps of his former Lost collaborator Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof is trekking to the land of cable to produce his next TV series. Also like Cuse (who went on to make A&E’s Bates Motel, based on Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Psycho), Lindelof is basing his next project on already existing material, in this case a novel. The Leftovers is a book published in 2011 and authored by Tom Perrotta that chronicles life on earth after the Rapture takes place. Like the book, Lindelof’s adaptation “takes place after the Rapture happens, but not quite like it’s supposed to. It is the story of the people who didn’t make the cut — and a world that never will be the same.”

HBO picked up the series for 10 episodes to air sometime next year. Many well-known actors are attached to the project, namely: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, Liv Tyler, Chris Zylka, Brad Leland, Max and Charlie Carver, and Emily Meade. Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) directs the pilot and executive produces alongside Lindelof, Perrotta, Sarah Aubrey, Ron Yerxa, and Albert Berger.

More as this project develops.

[Via Deadline; TVLine]

Preview ‘Revolution’ season 2 ahead of next week’s premiere (inside J.J. Abrams teases new supernatural element)

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NBC’s action-packed drama that poses the question “what would happen if the lights went out” returns for its second season next week so there’s no better time to catch a new preview of what’s to come in Revolution. At Comic Con we learned that the nukes set off at the end of season 1 do in fact go off and decimate large sections of North America. We also learned that the lights will turn off again, and this time for good. In the new preview clip embedded above you’ll hear from the cast and they spill s’more season 2 details: time jumps three months into the future, our main band of survivors makes camp at a fictional town in Texas named Willoughby, and you’ll also catch glimpses of Rachel’s encounter with her dad (played by Stephen Collins), Monroe’s fight club, and Neville’s beard. “It’s the same Revolution everybody knows and loves,” says Tracy Spiridakos (Charlie Matheson), “but with a different little kick to it.”

What might that kick be? Executive producer J.J. Abrams teases it in an interview posted after the break. When the power goes out for good early in the season, Abrams describes a “rip” in reality that occurs. In essence, a supernatural element is being introduced into Revolution this season and Abrams says it will provide the launchpad for more compelling storytelling and higher stakes. Get the tantalizing scoop after the break; below that is a season 1 recapper.

Revolution returns Wednesday, September 25 at 8PM on NBC. Continue reading Preview ‘Revolution’ season 2 ahead of next week’s premiere (inside J.J. Abrams teases new supernatural element) →

John Noble to join the cast of FOX’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’

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Normally I wouldn’t report on casting updates, but this one’s real special. Actor John Noble, who famously and delicately portrayed the mad scientist licorice lover Walter Bishop for five seasons on Fringe, is boarding the new FOX drama Sleepy Hollow. On Monday the show about Ichabod Crane and the fight against the evil four horsemen of the apocalypse premiered to big ratings; 10.1 million people tuned in making it FOX’s most-watched fall drama debut in seven years. News of Noble entering the mix will surely stir the pot some more and attract more eyeballs.

Here’s what we know. Noble will appear later in the season as Henry Parrish, a kind and reclusive man who possesses supernatural powers that have the potential to help Crane. If there’s anything we know about Noble it’s that he can most certainly play “reclusive” and “kind.”

Noble joins the cast of Sleepy Hollow as a recurring guest-starring role (which will hopefully turn into a series regular part) and this occasion marks a creative reunion–Sleepy Hollow executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Heather Kadin all worked on Fringe as well.

Sleepy Hollow airs Monday nights at 9PM on FOX.

‘SNL’ season 39 cast locked in (6 new members!), Cecily Strong to co-anchor ‘Weekend Update’

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Later this month Saturday Night Live kicks off its 39th season and fans of the late-night sketch comedy show are bracing for a major overhaul in terms of talent. After veterans Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, and Jason Sudeikis moved on from the show last season, SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels was tasked with finding a new crop of potential stars who have the comedic chops to rock Studio 8H.

This August report has been confirmed: Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, Noël Wells, John Milhiser, and SNL writer Michael Patrick O’Brien are all being added to the cast. Also confirmed is stand-up comedian Brooks Wheelan, a contributing writer at CollegeHumor. A grand total of six new comics are joining the SNL cast this season, and Lorne Michaels is well aware of the importance of finding the right mix of people to fill his cast.

“You can’t be famous before you’re famous,” he told The New York Times. “It’s one thing to be on a stage in Chicago or L.A.; it’s another thing to be standing in 8H. It’s like standing in Yankee Stadium. They can all play baseball, but this is something different. And the weight of all that was just more palpable to me this summer, more than ever before.”

In addition to confirming the six new cast members, Michaels dropped an even bigger bomb: in only her second year on the show, breakout featured player Cecily Strong is joining Seth Meyers at the Weekend Update desk as co-anchor. Famous for her Weekend Update character “The Girl You Wished You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party,” Strong will join Meyers at the desk in the upcoming season premiere. Michaels makes it seem like the decision was an easy one: “Cecily, from the first show, was right there,” he said. “She exploded.”

If all goes according to plan, Strong will take over as the sole Weekend Update anchor when Meyers departs SNL to host Late Night when Jimmy Fallon departs his show to run The Tonight Show. Michaels hopes, however, that Meyers will stay in his seat for the entirety of this transition season before relinquishing his title to Strong. Technically Meyers can pull double duty–Late Night only shoots Monday through Thursday leaving Friday and Saturday open for Meyers to write and anchor. As it stands, Meyers is poised to leave SNL in late February when his own late night show takes off.

Elsewhere, last year’s rookie Tim Robinson is stepping off the stage to contribute behind the scenes in the writer’s room and Colin Jost and Rob Klein will share the head writer title, the job formally held by Meyers.

SNL premieres September 29 on NBC with host Tina Fey and musical guest Arcade Fire.

[Via NYT]

2013 Fall TV Schedule: NBC

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The majority of NBC’s fall lineup hits the airwaves the week of September 23–the official premiere week. Perhaps the fall’s buzziest new drama The Blacklist starring James Spader premieres Monday, September 23 at 10PM following The Voice. Revolution returns on its new night Wednesday, September 25 at 8PM. The Peacock’s new Thursday night comedy lineup doesn’t air in full until October 3 when Welcome to the Family and Sean Saves The World enter the mix; the week before NBC will air the one-hour premiere of Parks And Recreation followed by two episodes of The Michael J. Fox Show. Drama Ironside with Blair Underwood premieres Wednesday, October 2 and Dracula with Jonathan Rhys Meyers comes later paired with Grimm on Friday, October 25.

Click here to preview the new shows.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule. Browse the gallery below for key art.

Continue reading 2013 Fall TV Schedule: NBC →

2013 Fall TV Schedule: FOX

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FOX is getting a jump on the other big broadcasters by premiering the majority of its show one week before the official premiere week of September 23. The X Factor and Masterchef already started on Wednesday, September 11. And this Monday, Sleepy Hollow gets its big debut at 9PM following Bones (the Emily Deschanel/David Boreanaz crime dramedy relocates to Fridays at 8 starting November 8). The net’s Tuesday night comedy lineup premieres September 17 with Seth MacFarlane’s Dads, the fall’s buzziest new comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine with Andy Samberg and Andre Braugher, New Girl, and The Mindy Project. Glee enters the scene with a tribute to The Beatles the following week on Thursday, September 26 at 9PM and Masterchef Junior sees its series premiere on Friday the 27th at 8. Starting Sunday, September 29 FOX’s Animation Domination lineup premieres with The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, and American Dad. J.H. Wyman’s new sci-fi crime drama Almost Human is being held until Monday, November 4 (it will take Bones‘ place at 8PM) and Greg Garcia’s sitcom Raising Hope comes to the schedule Friday, November 8 at 9PM. Rookie army comedy Enlisted was supposed to debut that Friday too, but FOX has pushed it to midseason.

Click here to preview the new shows. Browse the gallery below for key art.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule.

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Continue reading 2013 Fall TV Schedule: FOX →

2013 Fall TV Schedule: ABC

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Much like NBC, the Alphabet network is premiering most of its shows during the official premiere week of September 23. A few shows enter the ring before that week: Reality series Dancing with the Stars kicks off Monday, September 16 and on Friday the 20th Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing returns along with The Neighbors and Shark Tank. Enter premiere week: Tuesday the 24th introduces four brand new shows–sitcoms The Goldbergs and Trophy Wife sandwiched between buzzy drama Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Lucky 7; Wednesday the 25th is home to The Middle, new Bad News Bears inspired sitcom Back in the Game with James Caan and Maggie Lawson, the one-hour season premiere of Modern Family, and Nashville. ABC’s sudsy Sunday night lineup premieres the following week on September 29 with Once Upon A Time, Revenge, and new marital drama Betrayal. Three shows won’t make their mark until October: the new Rebel Wilson half-hour Super Fun Night (Wednesday, October 2), Shonda Rhimes’ red-hot Scandal (Thursday, October 3), and the spinoff Once Upon A Time In Wonderland (Thursday, October 10).

Click here to preview the new shows. Browse the gallery below for key art.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule.

Continue reading 2013 Fall TV Schedule: ABC →

2013 Fall TV Schedule: CBS

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Not including Survivor (returning Wednesday, September 18 at 8), almost every show on CBS will start on premiere week. On Monday, September 23 buzzy drama Hostages headlined by Dylan McDermott and Toni Collette premieres along with Chuck Lorre’s latest sitcom Moms, 2 Broke Girls, and How I Met Your Mother (the final season kicks off with a one-hour premiere). Person of Interest gets comfortable in its new timeslot on Tuesday the 24th at 10PM following the NCIS‘. On Thursday the 26th buzzy new comedy The Crazy Ones with Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar is bolstered by two new back-to-back episodes of The Big Bang Theory; Two and a Half Men and Elementary enter the fold that night as well. Hawaii Five-0 airs on Fridays this season starting Sept. the 27th and on Sunday the 29th The Amazing Race, The Good Wife, and The Mentalist return. New sitcoms We Are Men starring Tony Shalhoub, Kal Penn, and Jerry O’Connell and The Millers starring Will Arnett and Margo Martindale come to the sked Monday, September 30 and Thursday, October 3, respectively. Sci-fi action drama Intelligence with Josh Holloway and Marg Helgenberger is being held until Monday, February 24 when it will replace Hostages in the 10PM slot.

Click here to preview the new shows. Browse the gallery below for key art.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule.

Continue reading 2013 Fall TV Schedule: CBS →

2013 Fall TV Schedule: The CW

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Just like last year, The CW is letting the big four networks premiere their fall lineups ahead of its own October debuts. CBS’ sister network begins the fall season on Thursday, October 3 by airing The Vampire Diaries and that show’s spinoff The Originals back-to-back from 8-10PM (The Originals moves to its regular Tuesday at 8 timeslot on October 8). The week of October 7 sees the premieres of new series like The Tomorrow People and Reign.

Click here to preview the new shows. Browse the gallery below for key art.

Jump after the break to view the full fall schedule.

Continue reading 2013 Fall TV Schedule: The CW →

A mysterious danger lingers in ‘The Walking Dead’ season 4

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The Walking Dead‘s season 4 premiere is creeping closer and AMC is giving fans another inside look at the new episodes. We learn quite a bit from this new teaser. Six-to-seven months have past since we last saw our band of survivors…Carl makes friends his own age…Carol becomes a teacher of sorts lecturing the kids about the use of knives, of course…and the prison begins to fall apart. “It’s not really walkers and it’s not other people,” says co-exec producer Denise Huth. The dangers is “from inside,” hints special FX lead Greg Nicotero. Every character will be pushed to their breaking point, remarks TWD creator Robert Kirkman. And for those of you hoping for happy ending, new showrunner Scott M. Gimple has these morose words for you: “There might not be any hope.”

The Walking Dead returns October 13.

Jimmy Fallon is Falsenberg in ‘Breaking Bad’ parody “Joking Bad”

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Jimmy Fallon and the team at Late Night are back again with yet another highly entertaining digital short parodying a popular TV series. This time J.F. takes on the popular AMC series-coming-to-an-end Breaking Bad. Fallon is Walter White, naturally, and announcer Steve Higgins is his PIC Jesse Pinkman. Instead of dealing meth they’re giving away good jokes, hence the title “Joking Bad.” It’s certainly not the best BB parody I’ve seen but it’s worth a watch since it’s packed with great nods to the show that fans will surely gobble up as fast as Tuco Salamanca can snort Blue Sky off a sharp knife. A slew of super special guests participated in this and I won’t comment on them so as not to ruin the surprise. Bitch.

‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff series starring Saul Goodman is happening!

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For those of you who are experience great anxiety as we near the end of Breaking Bad, I have some very, very exciting news for you. After the AMC staple concludes, one of its most memorable characters will live on. That’s right, I’m talking about the one and only Saul Goodman. Walter White’s fast-talking lawyer and absolute scene-stealer is getting his very own spinoff series imagined by Breaking Bad mastermind Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, the man who invented the sly comic relief character.

Perhaps the aforementioned phrase “live on” isn’t so appropriate here. Goodman very well may die a bloody death before the series comes to a close and yet the spinoff will remain in tact. Are you connecting the dots here? The spinoff is a prequel series meaning it will take place before Goodman was even acquainted with The One Who Knocks. Tentatively titled Better Call Saul, the prequel spinoff “will focus on the evolution” of the well-connected lawyer. Bob Odenkirk, the comic who currently portrays Goodman, is expected to sign on to reprise the role.

The Goodman spinoff will be a one-hour drama despite its main character being as funny as Odenkirk can be. In an exchange with EW, Gould shares his early vision and tells Breaking Bad fans to expect–what else–the unexpected. “We’re using the kind of storytelling that we did on Breaking Bad but in a really new way. When people think of a Saul Goodman spin-off, they tend to think in terms of a laugh-a-minute comedy, and we’re going for something that has a very very unique tone. To play with a main character who has the unique morality that Saul Goodman does is going to be in its own way as much of an experiment as Breaking Bad was.”

When asked why give someone like Saul Goodman his own series, Gould was quick to answer: “He’s not a character I’ve seen before. So much of Breaking Bad is about playing out ideas of morality and how you live in the world, and this is a guy who has a philosophy which is internally consistent but is also kind of strange. In addition to the fact that he always amuses us and we’re always ready to see more, the guy is a problem solver. He solves problems in his own way. He’s just as innovative as Walt is, so that really gives us a lot of stories and a lot of places to go with him.”

AMC and Sony Pictures Television reached a licensing agreement to make the show, and in time a pilot and/or series order is fully expected to be greenlit. Stay tuned.

[Via Deadline; EW]