Category Archives: News

Jorge Garcia to guest star on ‘Fringe’

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Hurley is coming to Fringe! Jorge Garcia is Island-hopping from Lost to Alcatraz, and somewhere in-between he has managed to find time to land a guest role in an upcoming episode of Fringe. (These are all shows from mastermind J.J. Abrams, mind you.) According to EW, he will play a Massive Dynamic employee. Beyond that, you’ll have to watch next week’s episode “Os” to find out how he fits into the puzzle. But just look at the still sitting above–Hurley and Walter deep in conversation!  Who knew such worlds would one day collide?

Frothing at the mouth for more? Again, that’s it for the Hurley scoop; but jump after the break to watch a brand new promo spot produced by FOX for the greatest sci-fi show out there. It succinctly tells the tale of the parallel universes and subtly hints at the impending war that’s coming.

Fringe airs Fridays at 9PM on FOX.

[Via EW] Continue reading Jorge Garcia to guest star on ‘Fringe’ →

Jim Caviezel is Abrams’ ‘Person of Interest’

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Jim Caviezel, the man who famously played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, has been cast as the lead in Person of Interest, the CBS drama from J.J. Abrams and Jonah Nolan. He joins Lost alum Michael Emerson who was also selected to play a prominent role in the show just last month. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show “centers on a paramilitary CIA officer (Caviezel) who is presumed killed in the line of duty, but resurfaces in New York City where he teams up with an eccentric billionaire (Emerson) to clean up the city’s violent underworld.” With Abrams and Nolan attached to it, it’s something you should be following very closely. Now we wait for a teaser…

[Via THR]

ABC takes back ‘No Ordinary Family’ episodes, cancellation in our midst?

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Well this is a real bummer. ABC’s take on the superhero genre isn’t fairing well in the ratings and for that reason they’ve decided to cut two episodes from its previously increased 22-episode order. In October the alphabet network granted No Ordinary Family the safety cushion that is known as the back nine, increasing its episode count from 13 to 22. It’s all about the ratings game in TV land, and unfortunately Family is not winning. The so-so pilot attracted about 10.7 million viewers in late September, and that number has significantly dropped since. The latest episode “No Ordinary Love” which aired this past Tuesday garnered a measly 4.77 million viewers, despite hotties Tricia Helfer and Lucy Lawless making special guest appearances. The next two weeks ABC will air repeats of the show, and then it is set to return March 23 and will air its last three episodes of the season (the season finale falls on April 5).

Why I am telling you all of this? Because if happen to be a fan of this show like me (rocky start but recent surge in intriguing mythology), I thought it’d only be proper to prepare you for the inevitable. I hate to say it but ABC’s lowest-rated scripted program is likely to get the axe come this spring.

[Via TVSeriesFinale]

The Cape’s (likely) series finale will air online exclusively

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The adventures of Vince Faraday, his nemesis Peter Flemming, and Max Malini’s carnival of crime are coming to a close… online. Early last month NBC cut The Cape‘s episode count from 13 to 10 and decided more recently not to air the 10th and final episode of the season. The terribly rated superhero drama ran its ninth episode this past Monday “Razer” which was originally intended as a two-parter to close out the season; at the last minute NBC yanked the second hour from the schedule and placed a rerun of Chuck in that slot. Nothing against Chuck, but yeah, that’s how badly the Peacock wants this show off the air–they wouldn’t even let it whimper before killing it. So Cape fans (all five of you), the plan to release episode ten goes like this according to the official site:

Flash: The creators of The Cape are prepping an exclusive episode just for online fans! Keep watching this site in the days ahead to see a full-length special episode.

And that’s all we know. NBC has yet to officially cancel the show, but if they are so against airing one more episode to close things out for the season, I have much doubt we’ll be seeing Faraday and friends in the fall. When NBC announces the online-only air date for the finale you’ll know about it as soon as it makes itself known.

The Event will take over the Monday night 9PM slot starting next week (3/7). Curious to see how this one will perform after its lengthy and much needed hiatus.

[Via Deadline; TVSeriesFinale]

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo talk ‘Arrested Development’ movie, tease new Will Arnett pilot

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The Brothers Russo should ring a little bell inside your head. They’ve been credited for directing the Arrested Development pilot and helming several episodes of that spectacular, short-lived series. Recently they helped kick-start Mitch Hurwitz’ other failed FOX program Running Wilde and today they are called upon to direct episodes for NBC’s Community. The talented duo sat down with Vulture to talk about their Community gig and that show’s upcoming epic finale. Towards the end of the conversation, though, Joe and Anthony Russo were asked about the highly anticipated and long-awaited Arrested Development movie. When asked why they were not chosen to direct the flick Joe responded, “We’re very close with Mitch. This is Mitch wanting to stretch a different muscle and get a more intimate approach to his own material. He understands the medium as well as any show-runner we’ve been around, so I believe it’s a natural progression for him.” He continued, “There’s always going to be some sort of collaboration, whether it’s completely on the periphery or more formally involved. Anything we can do to help him, we will do.” And if you have any doubt about the movie’s conceptual existence, please keep reading. When asked if he believes the movie will get made Joe said, “I think so. Mitch is very committed and very focused. I think the next six months of his life will be about that film. It’s a very complicated concept to encapsulate into two hours. There are so many stories you could tell from that [series]; it’s difficult to pull the thread through. But I think everything’s finally lining up.” Hooray!

In the same jam-packed interview, the Russo brothers let slip news about a potential new show for Arrested and Wilde‘s funny man Will Arnett. “We love Will,” said Anthony. “We’d do anything for him. We’re actually talking about doing another show with Will — something very edgy, something very different on cable. We’re talking about a very funny concept where there’s not a lot of limitations, where he can swear and do dangerous material. Hopefully HBO or Showtime, that’s what we’re talking about. Will’s just a funny motherfu–er.”

And there you have it; more proof that the Bluths are alive and kicking.

[Via Vulture]

‘Community’ is planning a “Modern Warfare” sequel, Lost’s Josh Holloway to cameo?

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Fans of Greendale Community College, listen here! TVLine has learned that NBC’s Community is planning a much-desired sequel to last year’s spectacular “Modern Warfare” paintball episode. According to the site the second inaugural paintball epic will be included in the show’s two-part season finale. But unlike last year’s action flick-esque episode, the game will not dominate the entire hour. An entirely new premise will take hold and “a bigger conspiracy” will reveal itself. It is noted that Alison Brie’s Annie will be central to the story, though the rest of the gang will play their part too. There’s a surprise twist that comes at the end of the finale that’s “just too, too good to spoil.”

In an interview with Vulture, Community directors Joe and Anthony Russo commented on what to expect from the upcoming ep (that has yet to be titled). “The question is, do we go right back at that and try do outdo the original? Or do we do something in the same voice as that, but something different?” asks Joe. “We’ve got a few cards hiding up our sleeves. I think there will be something as interesting and ambitious as “Modern Warfare” hitting the air soon.” Adds Anthony, “The one thing you know we won’t do is literally “Modern Warfare 2.” It will be that plus something else.” I guess the Russo brothers will replace Justin Lin (Fast & Furious) as directors of the MW followup.

Oh, and there’s this. According to EW, Lost‘s Josh Holloway (Sawyer) is interested in making a cameo in the finale. They say his “character will emerge as a mysterious figure who shows up on campus during another game of paintball.” Community‘s second season will surely end on a high note.

Community airs Thursdays at 8PM on NBC.

[Via TVLine; Vulture; EW]

Oscar winners: ‘The King’s Speech’ receives top honors

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Hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco failed to bring excitement to this year’s Academy Awards. Despite all the hype leading up to the film industry’s biggest night, the young pair did not leave up to the promise of injecting the show with a younger, hip vibe. Hathaway tried too hard (so much giddy giggling) while Franco didn’t try hard enough (was the soap actor high as a kite or what?). Most jokes fell flat, including the opening Inception-y dream sequence. The auto-tuned bit was quite enjoyable, however. But let the numbers speak for themselves: In the 18-49 demo, ratings dropped twelve percent from last year (11.7 rating vs. 13.3); this year’s ceremony attracted 37.6 million viewers compared to last year’s Alec Baldwin/Steve Martin treat which garnered 41.7 million. Since the show itself really wasn’t all that memorable, let’s just skip right past it and onto the winners.

The King’s Speech ruled the night with wins in the major categories including Best Picture, Best Actor (Colin Firth), and Best Director (Tom Hooper), and Best Original Screenplay (David Seidler). The Social Network took home three wins; Aaron Sorkin was recognized again for Best Adapted Screenplay, as was Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Best Original Score. The film also received Best Achievement in Film Editing. Though it’s still a damn shame that Christopher Nolan was not nominated for his directing, Inception did managed to snag four awards including Best Achievement in Cinematography, Visual Effects, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was not ignored; it won Best Achievement in Art Direction and Costume Design.

Other notable winners include Natalie Portman as Best Actress (Black Swan), Christian Bale and Melissa Leo as Best Supporting Actors in The Fighter, and Best Animated Feature was Toy Story 3. The animated flick was also recognized for Randy Newman’s “We Belong Together” original song. Sadly Banksy’s Exit Through the Gift Shop did not receive Best Documentary. Look after the break for the rest of the Oscar winners. Continue reading Oscar winners: ‘The King’s Speech’ receives top honors →

Apple rewards MacBook Pro line a deserved refresh

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It has been close to a year since Apple rejuvenated its MacBook Pro line of laptops with fresh processors and graphics chips. This go around the engineering team decided not to change the lappy’s aesthetics but instead upgrade only the internals. Neatly hidden inside the aluminum unibody MBPs are Intel’s latest Core i5 and Core i7 “Sandy Bridge” dual/quad-core processors, Intel HD Graphics 3000, and AMD’s beefier Radeon HD graphics, depending on the screen size (13, 15, and 17 inches). Take note that Apple has ditched NVIDIA’s mobile graphics cards for AMD’s latest and greatest.

Another new addition to the MacBook Pro lineup is a port called Thunderbolt I/O. Apple teamed up with Intel to invent a rehashed version of the DisplayPort with dual copper wire-based Light Peak technology; it doubles as a video out port and a way to transfer data with speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. For comparison’s sake, Thunderbolt can move data to and from peripherals up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) and more than 12 times faster than with FireWire 800. It also happens to best Intel’s next-gen USB 3.0 which promises to reach speeds of up to 5 Gbps. With existing adapters Thunderbolt can support all kinds of throughput including DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, and VGA; Mini DisplayPort support is native. Thunderbolt can daisy-chain up to six peripherals; and speaking of which LaCie and Promise are currently developing Thunderbolt-ready RAID arrays and high capacity external hard drives. Though the MBPs are the first products to include the Thunderbolt port, Intel expects other manufacturers to build it into their computers by early 2012. It’ll be interesting to see if Apple can pioneer the adoption of yet another new display/transfer port. They did it with FireWire way back when, so we’ll see. With Intel on board, they’ve got a fighting chance.

New processors, graphics, Thunderbolt I/O, higher capacity hard drives, and an improved FaceTime 720p HD camera find their way into the refreshed MacBook Pros. Hop after the break to find a full rundown of the new 13, 15, and 17-inchers, including specifications and price. They are all available to customize and purchase today.

[Via Apple]

Continue reading Apple rewards MacBook Pro line a deserved refresh →

Windows Phone 7 Arrives on Sprint March 20 for $199.99

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When Microsoft unleashed its sleek, new mobile OS unto the world back in October 2010, it did so only on GSM carriers in the U.S. including AT&T and T-Mobile. Come next month, Windows Phone 7 will finally become available on a CDMA network. No, not Verizon, I’m talking about Sprint, the “Now Network.” The handset is dubbed the Arrive, it’s built by HTC, and here are its specs: 3.6-inch WVGA capacitive multitouch display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 5MP camera with flash, autofocus, and digital zoom capable of 720p HD recording, 16GB of internal memory, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and of course a sliding full QWERTY keyboard with a tilt-up display. Oh and get this–the Arrive will be the first phone to ship with the upcoming WP7 update that brings copy-and-paste functionality to the OS. You can pick up the Arrive on March 20 for $199.99 (after $100 mail-in rebate) if you sign a new two-year contract with Sprint. Get a closer look at the sexy slider in the gallery below, and jump after the break for the official PR. Verizon Wireless customers will have to wait another day to experience “Glance and Go” goodness.

[Via Engadget]

Continue reading Windows Phone 7 Arrives on Sprint March 20 for $199.99 →

TBS cancels ‘Glory Daze’

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Tear. After its 10-episode debut season, TBS has cancelled the ’80s college comedy Glory Daze. The culprit is ratings, of course. When the show premiered in November it attracted 1.8 million viewers (with a 1.0/3 rating in the 18-49 demo) and that number would dwindle down to a low 1.1 million when the season series finale aired. It’s a bummer because Glory Daze managed to capture by attention every week with its grounded in reality take on fraternity life. Plus the ’80s backdrop was just downright nostalgic. If you missed out on the first season when it aired, the DVD box set is must-have. This show’ll make you laugh and it always left me feeling great after every episode–it’s one of those feel-good programs, you know? Now we’ll never find out if Joel gets with Christie; ah well, ’tis the nature of television.

[Via Deadline]

Simon Cowell explains ‘The X Factor’

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Former American Idol judge Simon Cowell takes time to explain his new show The X Factor. He describes it as “a singing competition with a twist.” Auditions are open to anyone, no matter your age. Performers will be separated into the following four categories: young guys, young girls, older singers, and singing groups. Auditions will take place in LA, Miami, Newark, Seattle, Chicago, and Dallas; contenders will sing not only for the judges but also in front of 3,000 to 4,000 audience members. Think of it as Idol meets America’s Got Talent. The grand prize is a $5 million recording contract. Cowell says, “I can assure you one thing: you will have never seen a show like this before in America.”

The X Factor airs this September on FOX.

Kiefer Sutherland returns to FOX this fall in Tim Kring’s ‘Touch’

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After sitting out one broadcast cycle to mull over a 24 feature film and produce a web series, Kiefer Sutherland is ready to return to primetime network TV. And he’s coming back to his former home FOX, no less. He will star in Touch, a drama from Tim Kring (Heroes). The story will focus on a father (Sutherland) who discovers that his autistic, mute son can predict events before they happen. Though the network has only committed to producing a pilot, Sutherland’s touch (pun intended) is expected to launch it into episodic treatment. In a similar fashion to 24, FOX will air Kring’s latest creation in midseason. Why, you ask? Well that’s because production is being delayed to late May-early June so that Sutherland can continue to pursue his Broadway career in a revival of Jason Miller’s That Championship Season. In addition to starring in Touch, Sutherland will serve as executive producer along with Peter Chernin and Kathrine Pope. Charles McDougall (Desperate Housewives, The Good Wife, The Chicago Code) has been tapped to direct the pilot.

Need your Kiefer fix right now? Look out for his upcoming web series The Confession premiering on Hulu next month.

[Via Deadline]