Category Archives: News

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]

Jason Mraz’s new album ‘YES!’ inspires a short film about love

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Jason Mraz’s fifth studio album YES! hit shelves on Tuesday and you can pick up a copy today digitally at iTunes and physically at Amazon. Jason’s collaborative effort with Raining Jane boasts 14 tracks led by the charming single “Love Someone” which now is featured in a three-part short film posted on YouTube. “We Can Take The Long Way” is essentially a long-form music video featuring three songs from YES!: “Love Someone,” “Hello, You Beautiful Thing,” and “Long Drive.” It follows a pair of good looking youths finding, embracing, and giving back love. Jason describes the short like this:

Making a music video is challenging. To me a song is personal: its story, message, or melody resonating uniquely with each listener. And adding moving pictures can sometimes paint a mood or suggest an attitude that is different from the way the listener may hear the song in his/her heart. “We Can Take The Long Way” is an effort to not make one finite music video, and instead tell a story about love and life with several songs from ‘YES!’ playing a supporting role. I recommend you turn down the lights, crank up the volume, snuggle up to your beloved, and enjoy the film.

His YouTube channel also includes live renditions of 12 tracks from the album recorded at his very own Organics’ Avocado Ranch. Also, check out a stripped down version of the single at Time; in addition to the performance Jason shares the inspiration behind the track and the new album in general.

The #SummerOfYES! has arrived.

‘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]

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.

First look: ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’

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Here’s your first look at Marvel’s next big bag coming to the big screen. It’s Ultron, as in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the super intelligent AI performed by veteran actor James Spader int he upcoming Avengers sequel. The ‘bot covers the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly along with Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America. Across two articles posted online, EW shares Ultron’s origin story that has been tweaked from the comic books.

For better or worse (trust us, it’s worse), his Tony Stark has devised a plan that won’t require him to put on the Iron Man suit anymore, and should allow Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the Hulk to get some much needed R&R as well. His solution is Ultron, self-aware, self-teaching, artificial intelligence designed to help assess threats, and direct Stark’s Iron Legion of drones to battle evildoers instead. The only problem? Ultron (played by James Spader through performance-capture technology) lacks the human touch, and his superior intellect quickly determines that life on Earth would go a lot smoother if he just got rid of Public Enemy No. 1: Human beings.

Learn more at EW (here and here), and click this link to view a batch from fresh pictures from the Age of Ultron set.

The Avengers sequel zooms into theatres May 1, 2015.

Harry Potter returns!

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…In a Rita Skeeter column penned by J.K. Rowling. It’s a 1500 word “article” posted at Pottermore.com written in the voice of the fictional Daily Prophet gossip columnist who is known to report false information more often than not. Though the article and its contents must be taken with a grain of salt like anything else Rita Skeeter writes, it’s a short-lived fun look at what Potter and his closest pals have been up to since the Battle of Hogwarts.

It’s the Quidditch World Cup Final and “Dumbledore’s Army” has shown up in support. Harry is “about to turn 34″ and “there are a couple of threads of silver in the famous Auror’s black hair, but he continues to wear the distinctive round glasses that some might say are better suited to a style-deficient twelve-year-old,” rambles Skeeter. “The famous lightning scar has company: Potter is sporting a nasty cut over his right cheekbone.” Intrigue!

The post also catches Potterheads up with Ron Weasley and his family, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. Though the post was orignially locked into Pottermore.com and required registration to read, the Internet (read: Reddit) has provided an easier way to view it in full: click here.

At the TCAs promoting his upcoming comedy A Young Doctor’s Notebook & Other Stories, real life’s Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe commented on the new HP material that surfaced. “I don’t know. My inclination is to say ‘No,'” said Radcliffe when asking if he’d ever reprise the role on the big screen again. “It’s not even hypothetical at the moment. What she’s written, I haven’t read it yet. I am going to read it. But [it is], as I understand it, a very short piece that I’m not sure it, of itself, worthy of adaptation to film.” Later, he added, “He’s at least sorta 12 years older in it than I am now, so I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that for a long time, I’m hoping.”

Here’s to hoping Rowling steps into Skeeter’s slippery shoes again for another update on our favorite albeit aging wizards.

[Quotes via HitFix]

‘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]

TV reminder: 5 premieres to look out for in July

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Summer has arrived! Now that you’ve binged OITNB and revisited the Dome, it’s time to jump into new worlds including Halle Berry’s Extant and Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain. Skip after the break for the full rundown of anticipated July premieres you can’t miss. Continue reading TV reminder: 5 premieres to look out for in July →

‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff ‘Better Call Saul’ coming in 2015, renewed for season 2, may incorporate ‘Bad’ favorites

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Better Call Saul is coming soon and here’s your first look at the Breaking Bad prequel series starring Bob Odenkirk as the scheming lawyer Saul Goodman. Standing to his right are executive producer Peter Gould (a former Bad exec producer and the inventor of the Saul character) and Bad mastermind Vince Gilligan (who will serve as co-showrunner on Saul alongside Gould and direct the series pilot).

Some new information has surfaced since AMC announced the highly anticipated Breaking Bad spinoff. First of all, the new series was originally intended to premiere this November, but the network decided that more time was needed to prep so now Saul Goodman won’t return to our screens until early 2015. Such news typically stings, but AMC is putting a damper on that by greenlighting a 13-episode second season before the first 10 episodes even launch! That’s right–Bad fans who intend to flock to Saul are already guaranteed a healthy serving of 23 episodes of Gilligan and Gould’s next drama.

Also, there’s this: Jonathan Banks aka Bad‘s dearly departed Mike Ehrmantraut is joining Odenkirk as a series regular! And that’s not all. Gould recently spilled to The New York Daily News that “perhaps some of [Better Call Saul] takes place before Breaking Bad, during Breaking Bad, and after Breaking Bad.” So what does this mean? “That gives us the ability to bring back characters that were killed on Breaking Bad.” Boom. All hail Walter White and his prodigal son Jesse Pinkman?

As exciting as that may sound–Bad favorites, dead or otherwise, returning to the small screen–Gould assures viewers that his new show “stands on it own, is its own story, and is a brand extension” and will not rely on flashy guest spots from Bad alumni. Still, leaving the door open for Mr. White and Jesse “Magnets, Bitch!” Pinkman to return for more mayhem is an exciting proposition to say the least.

AMC president Charlie Collier said the following surrounding the news of Better Call Saul‘s premiere date shift and early season 2 renewal: “Production on Better Call Saul is underway and we could not be more proud of nor more excited about the work to date. We join the fans in eager anticipation for this series and today we happily confirm that our initial Saul order is for two seasons and a total of 23 episodes. When introducing any series, especially one with the DNA of Breaking Bad, there are countless factors to consider in making sure the show gets the launch it deserves. We have a strong history with Vince, Peter, Bob, the studio and so many involved with this production; we are enjoying the process on ‘Saul’ and all share a focus on making it a true television event. No half measures.”

Community revived! Sixth season coming to Yahoo this fall

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Darkest timeline begone! Not even two months after NBC cancelled cult-comedy Community an online suitor–namely, Yahoo–stepped up to the plate to revive it for a 13-episode sixth season. That’s right, Human Beings; we are one step closer to fulfilling our #sixseasonsandamovie destiny.

Everyone is on board for the new season that will debut online at Yahoo Screen this fall; that includes show creator Dan Harmon and executive producers Chris McKenna, Russ Krasnoff, and Gary Foster as well as the cast: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Ken Jeong, and the Dean himself Jim Rash. Chevy Chase exited the show prior to season 5, and Donald Glover set sail early last season; Harmon had publicly stated that if a season 6 were to get greenlit he would pursue Glover for a Troy Barnes comeback.

What makes this special announcement even more exciting is that it truly did come down to the wire. After the Peacock network axed it, backing studio Sony Pictures TV almost immediately started shopping it around to various suiters, network, cable and otherwise. Shortly after talks broke down with Hulu last week, hope really began to wane since Sony had until June 30 (today!) to get the series picked up somewhere before cast’s contracts expired. So, in a truly 11th hour decision, Sony sold a sixth season to Yahoo and now you can breath a heavy sigh of relief and allow anticipation to ramp up.

Dan Harmon released the following statement today: I am very pleased that Community will be returning for its predestined sixth season on Yahoo. I look forward to bringing our beloved NBC sitcom to a larger audience by moving it online. I vow to dominate our new competition. Rest easy, Big Bang Theory. Look out, Bang Bus!”

“The fans spoke and we listened. Thanks to Yahoo, and the amazing team that makes Community great, we’ve avoided the Darkest Timeline yet again and plan to deliver a fantastic season,” said Zack Van Amburg, president of programming and production at Sony Pictures TV. Added Jamie Erlicht, president of programming and production: “You can’t get to six seasons and a movie without a 6th season. Yahoo is the perfect home for the continuation of this journey.”

And frontman Joel McHale reminds Community fans that an online-exclusive season might bring a very interesting twist to the sitcom. “The reports of our cancelation have been greatly exaggerated.’ —Mark Twain (The other version of this quote has been wrong for years). # SixSeasonsAndaMovie is real. Thank you Sony. Thank you Yahoo. Thank you Dan Harmon.  And thank you to the greatest f%$#ing fans in the history of the human race. It’s the Internet. We can swear now.”

[Via Yahoo; Deadline; EW]