The Pawnee gang returns in two weeks! Watch this four minute sneak peek of Parks and Rec season 3; it neatly reminds you about what went down in season 2 and at the same time reveals some new, hilarious content. Rob Lowe and Adam Scott are perfect additions to this fabulous cast. January 20, 9:30PM, where are you? You need to be right now.
It’s official: Robert Knepper will reprise T-Bag in A&E’s ‘Breakout Kings’, bringing Lost’s Jacob with him
Good news all around! Back in early October Prison Break producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora shared their interest in reviving Prison‘s ultimate villain Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell for their new fugitive-themed drama Breakout Kings. And guess what? Since 20th Century Fox approved the character crossover, actor Robert Knepper has agreed to bring him back. Not only has he agreed, he’s overly excited to do so. In an interview with Give Me My Remote, he shared his elation about working with Olmstead and Santora again. It’s going to be a pretty wild ride. It’s a very trusting thing I have with these guys,” said Knepper. “We spent four years together. All the writers and I, we always wrote back and called each other and said really positive things to each other in those four years. I have tremendous faith in them and I’m not worried at all about what they’re going to do.” He continued, “It may be career suicide, but I loved playing T-Bag. This is a very, very funny, deep, complex character who really scared the sh– out of people and yet people loved him.” If you’re a Prison Break fan, you should read the entire interview; Knepper goes down memory lane reminiscing about how much he loved playing T-Bag, especially in season one which he describes as “sheer gold.” He also says that he might land a part in J.J. Abrams’ upcoming series Alcatraz–now wouldn’t that be something! He says that T-Bag is locked into at least one episode, but if all goes well I’m hoping that the guest role becomes something more substantial.
Lost fan are you now? According to TV Line, the man who played Island protector Jacob–Mark Pellegrino–has been cast as a “trained assassin” and will appear in episode ten of the series. Pellegrino is Virgil Downing, “a notorious international contract killer who always gets the job done…Although he’s suspected in at least-three dozen other killings, his only conviction was for murdering a police commissioner — six years prior to breaking out of his maximum-security cell.”
Breakout Kings is “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.” Originally pitched to FOX but later picked up by A&E, the series is set to premiere on Sunday, March 14 at 10PM.
[Via GiveMeMyRemote; TVLine]
J.J. Abrams is pitching another show, this one’s called ‘Pulp’
The man who built Bad Robots Productions has another drama up his sleeve. J.J. Abrams is prepared to pitch Pulp, described by TV Line’s Michael Ausiello as “an hour-long crime drama set in a slightly heightened reality,” to the networks as early as next week. In pure Abrams fashion, he’s working with longtime collaborators including Monica Breen and Alison Schapker (Alias, Lost, Fringe) who wrote the script and will serve as executive producers if the show gets picked up. Ear is to the ground with this one.
If you need a quick refresher, Abrams has three other series in the works: FOX’s Alcatraz, NBC’s Odd Jobs, and a CBS crime thriller called Persons Unknown. Next fall can’t come soon enough.
[Via TVLine]
Last night’s Mega Millions winning lotto combination contained 4 of the 6 mysterious LOST numbers
Talk about mysteriously wicked news! The January 4 Mega Millions drew the following numbers: 4, 8, 15, 25, 47, and 42 (the Mega Ball #). Compare that to the mysterious Lost numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Crazy I know! Last night 41,763 people chose the four Lost numbers and they were awarded $150 each for their participation. The generation-defining show has been off the air since May, but its closure will never stop fans from picking those numbers when they purchase lotto tickets. The $380 million jackpot was reportedly split as follows: 323 people correctly guessed four balls plus the Mega Ball and won$10,000; 67 people matched the first four balls and won $250,000; and just two tickets, purchased in Idaho and Washington, matched all six numbers to split the massive jackpot. As of today those winners have yet to claim their prize, but maybe that’s because they know how unlucky the numbers are. Nobody wants to find one Tricia Tanaka dead tomorrow morning, now do we?
Lost producers Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse responded to the lotto Lost tie-in, and even actor Jorge Garcia (who originally picked the numbers as Hugo Reyes) humorously commented on it on his personal blog.
‘V’ returns tonight at 9PM on ABC [Update: Visitor skin revealed]
“Red Rain” is about to fall out of the “Red Sky”. Anna’s vengeful act at the end of season one will be addressed head on during tonight’s one hour season premiere of V. We’ll also be introduced to Anna’s mother Dianna who is played by Jane Badler, the original V baddie from the 1980s miniseries.
In an interview with EW star Elizabeth Mitchell promises that the season two 10 episode arc will be grander than the first season. “If you were frustrated by the last season, which you probably were — I was, a little bit — I think that this will be far more satisfying,” says Mitchell. There is far more action and there is far more of what you want in an alien-invasion story, where the aliens are out to use us as food and take our technology and do everything bad you can think about. There’s more of that wonderful thing of “Us-Against-Them” stuff, which is always so satisfying in a fictional sense. And also, there’s some good sexy stuff!”
“I think the last three episodes [of season 1] were a good indicator of where this season is headed,” Mitchell continues. “Instead of people sitting around talking people were actually accomplishing things. I wanted to be an action hero, not an exposition hero! I spent all that time training, learning to kick ass, and then all I did was talk. I was like, “I’m so bored! I wanna hit people and kiss boys!” The first one comes in quickly, and it’s eerie, what happens and the way they go about it. It starts just like a movie, which is the way that you want it to. The effects in it are just gruesomely good.”
Less talk, more action. I like it.
THEY RETURN tonight at 9PM ET on ABC. Peer into the galleries below to view stills from the episode and character profiles.
Update: If you watched the fantastic season premiere (spoiler alert), then you know that the producers finally decided to reveal more of what’s hiding underneath the V’s human skin. First we saw Anna take her long, scaly tail out of hiding and kill a disloyal V ship captain, and then we caught a glimpse at Ryan’s alien/human hybrid baby. USA Today managed to get their hands on an image coming directly from executive producer Scott Rosenbaum that shows what the Vs look like if you found them on their home planet stripped of their human skin. If you think that V skeleton featured in the episode was revealing, you haven’t seen nothing yet. Note: USA Today reports that the V’s physical appearance will be revealed piecemeal over the 10-episode second season, and the full alien body will show up in the season finale. If you don’t want to spoil the surprise, don’t look after the break. Otherwise, click here: Continue reading ‘V’ returns tonight at 9PM on ABC [Update: Visitor skin revealed]
Kanye West: ‘Watch the Throne’ coming this week?; unreleased track “Eyes Closed” leaks; The Muppets sing “Monster”; and more
Ever since Kanye West’s magnificent album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy released on November 22, things have been pretty quiet on the West front. Besides downloading the holiday-themed G.O.O.D. Friday joint “Christmas In Harlem” and watching a leak of the upcoming “Monster” music video hitting the ‘Net, fans have been sitting idly by rocking out to “Dark Fantasy” in anticipation of another major release dubbed Watch the Throne. It’s a collaborative album between rap gods West and his mentor Jay-Z. Originally ‘Ye billed it as a 5-track EP but after time he admitted enough tracks would be made to consider it a full-length album. Sweet music to fans’ ears. So what’s all the hub-bub about it spreading around the Internets today? Well… at a New Years Eve party in Las Vegas West (drunkenly?) announced, “Watch the Throne, coming in one week!” So what does that mean? One of two things, in my humble opinion: (1) The album will come out this week (highly unlikely since Ye’s Def Jam record label has not even confirmed its existence); (2) West was referring to a possible lead single called “Watch the Throne” (highly more likely). I’ve heard whispers that case #2 is the winner, and the album is looking at a March drop. Whatever the case, though, something is going down soon so be ready.
Update (1/6): Looks like I was right. Today ‘Ye posted a Twitpic of the elaborately designed lead single artwork and it’s called “H-A-M.” The track will drop 1/11/11, that’s next Tuesday.
Side note: The New Years Eve party I mentioned earlier… it took place at Las Vegas’ Marquee Nightclub and so many celebrities made an appearance. Besides ‘Ye and Jay Z, Rihanna, Diddy, 50 Cent, J. Lo and many others enjoyed the night’s festivities. Click here to browse through a gallery of hi-res photos from the party. And look after the break to watch some videos from it (one includes ‘Ye screaming the “one week” announcement).
Next up is an unreleased track featuring vocals from West and John Legend. “Eyes Closed” made its rounds today, spreading like wildfire in an unfortunately tagged now tagless version. Sources say the track was originally intended to be included on Twisted Fantasy but in the end it didn’t make the cut. Rumor has it that the West-produced beat will be handed off to Snoop Dogg who will use it (with Legend in tact) for his upcoming record Doggumentary Music, due out March 8. Preview and download the track below. If the lyrics sound familiar to you that’s because you’ve heard that before in the BET Cypher video and West’s “Dark Fantasy” track.
Download: Kanye West – “Eyes Closed”
[audio: Kanye West – Eyes Closed.mp3]This news bit is short but sweet. Over at Amazon you’ll find a preorder page hyping a “G.O.O.D. Friday [Import]” audio CD. Is West prepping an album to publicize his free G.O.O.D. Friday tracks? There better be some bonus tracks or slick artwork and packaging or what’s the point?
Two more things. Today two video cropped out that are West-related must-sees. The first features classical vocalist Josh Groban belting out Kanye West tweets, and the other is a Muppets mashup of the Twisted Fantasy track “Monster”. Yes, Piggie Minaj makes an appearance. Watch the videos after the break. Continue reading Kanye West: ‘Watch the Throne’ coming this week?; unreleased track “Eyes Closed” leaks; The Muppets sing “Monster”; and more
Music video: Lupe Fiasco – “The Show Goes On”
Five months after Lupe Fiasco announced his new album was complete, Atlantic Records has finally confirmed a release date for the rapper’s oft-delayed third studio album Lasers: March 8, 2011. “The Show Goes On” is the lead single off the record, and the music video for it is embedded above. iTunes download right here. No word whether or not previously released tracks “Shining Down” and “I’m Beamin” will be included on Lasers.
Disney opening vault to release classics and modern flicks in Blu-ray 3D for 2011
If you’ve purchased a 3DTV then you already know that exciting 3D content is annoyingly absent from the retail space. You can’t even pick up the best 3D feature film Avatar unless you buy it with a Panasonic set. But I’ve got some good news for you, so listen here. Walt Disney Studios has made plans to release “at least” 15 Disney films in 3D this year. The selection includes older classics such as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast as well as modern hits such as Tangled and Tron: Legacy. Disney promises that the latter two films will release in 3D day-and-date and packaged with the Blu-ray 2D version. Be sure to look after the break for the full PR which lists other Disney hits getting the Blu-ray 3D treatment in 2011.
[Via Engadget] Continue reading Disney opening vault to release classics and modern flicks in Blu-ray 3D for 2011
Nickelodeon renews ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ for season number nine
Nickelodeon, my favorite network growing up, just decided to greenlight another season of one of my most treasured cartoons, SpongeBob SquarePants. When the 26-episode ninth season airs in 2012, it will breeze past the coveted 200 episode milestone. Says Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group: “SpongeBob‘s success in reaching over 200 episodes is a testament to creator Stephen Hillenburg’s vision, comedic sensibility and his dynamic, lovable characters. The series now joins the club of contemporary classic Nicktoons that have hit this benchmark, so we’re incredibly proud.” Hillenburg, who still serves as an executive producer, handed off day-to-day responsibility to director/writer Paul Tibbitt after the series found its long-lasting success. “We never imagined we would be on for that long but we’re going to keep going,” Tibbitt said. “The trick is to try to keep the episodes funny and simple and press from there.”
SpongeBob has ranked as the #1 animated TV series with children (ages 2-11) for a whopping ten consecutive years. Season 9, I’m ready!
2011 Midseason TV Preview
Doesn’t it feel like you were just reading my 2010 Fall TV Preview back in mid-September? You know what they say–time flies…when you’re watching so much TV. I’m going to run through the new network shows that I’m most anticipating and I’ll let you know which returning shows you should be watching. In addition, I will comment on the new shows that debuted this fall and let you know when they return from holiday hiatus, as well as say goodbye to the ones that prematurely got axed. Cable TV gets some love down there, too. Feel like skipping past my opinions and want to see the midseason schedules for the big four networks? They’re right here: CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC.
CBS: The most watched network is introducing two new dramas with Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Chaos, a comedy in Mad Love, and marking the the return of Paula Abdul with her reality series Live to Dance. If you’re a fan of Criminal Minds, you’ll likely want to tune into the new spinoff series starring Forest Whitaker. Chaos is being described as a “comedic drama about a group of rogue CIA spies” and it stars Eric Close (NCIS), James Murray (UK’s Primeval), and Kurtwood Smith (That 70s Show). Sounds like a typical CBS procedural to me. Mad Love is hoping to break out in CBS’ Monday night comedy lineup; it stars American Pie‘s Jason Biggs, Judy Greer (Arrested Development), and Sarah Chalke (Scrubs). Do you find yourself obsessing over reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance? Abdul’s Live to Dance will be right up your alley.
This fall saw the premiere of a handful of new CBS series, but the one I was most looking forward to was Hawaii Five-O. The explosive and highly entertaining pilot led into many other exciting episodes. It did not take very long for me to realize that a CBS procedural had become my favorite new network series. Alex O’Loughlin does a fine job at playing Steve McGarrett, but it’s Scott Caan’s Danno (who recently received the Best Supporting Actor nomination) who steals the show with quick wit and perfect compatibility with his partner O’Loughlin. With Victor Hesse pulling strings behind bars and the introduction of the infamous TV villain Wo Fat at the end of the latest episode, there’s much to look forward to when Hawaii Five-O returns with all new episodes Monday, January 3 at 10PM.
NBC: This network is still trying to find its feet after last year’s Jay Leno Show fiasco. Midseason premieres include David E. Kelly’s Harry’s Law (starring Kathy Bates), America’s Next Great Restaurant, Perfect Couples, and The Cape. I am most looking forward to the latter two programs. NBC actually ran a preview episode of the comedy Perfect Couples last week and unfortunately it didn’t fare so well with me. The jokes it tried to make were rather bland and the interesting assortment of characters did not share much in common. If you can think back to the fantastic Modern Family pilot, that is what I was sort of expecting here; three distinctly unique couples with a common thread tying them together in a way that makes you care about their relationship to one another. This was, however, a preview and I’m hoping that the actual pilot contains a spark to keep in interested in these characters and their lives; also, let’s hope the jokes get funnier. Perfect Couples premieres January 20 at 8:30PM.
Next up is The Cape. If you watch TV you’ve likely seen many commercials promoting the superhero drama. David Lyons (ER) stars as Vince Faraday, a cop who is framed for a series of murders and sets out to become “The Cape”, a comic book superhero, and he “takes the law into his own hands.” The most recent preview I saw on TV revealed a wide range of villains Faraday will be fighting against; James Frain is Peter Fleming, The Cape’s nemesis. And don’t forget about Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) who stars as Orwell, an investigative blogger and The Cape’s ally. It looks like a spooky action-packed drama that should take the place of the ill-fated Heroes and the sub-par new series The Event while it’s on hiatus. The Cape‘s two-hour premiere airs Sunday, January 9 at 9PM; it’s regular time slot is Mondays at 9PM.
Parks and Recreation finally returns January 20 at 9PM. After an admittedly lackluster first season, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the entire Pawnee Gang picked up the slack and contributed toward a stellar second season. No sophomore slump here! Every single character is flawed in one way or another, but they also each have rewarding qualities that make you want to cheer them on. Knope, for example, may come off as a dimwitted, idiotic political figure, but at her core she cares about her friends at the Parks Department and she’s willing to fight against all injustices within the town of Pawnee. With the departure of fan favorite Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider), season three will more prominently feature Rob Lowe and Adam Scott, two characters with much potential who were introduced late last season. The fourth episode is titled “Ron and Tammy II”, and if it plays out anything like its season 2 counterpart (stellar performances by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally) I have full faith Park and Rec will continue to shine for years to come.
I had high hopes for The Event, but it’s quickly becoming the next FlashForward. (In fact, I enjoyed ABC’s sci-fi drama a whole lot more.) The network hyped The Event to be the next big hit, but in doing so it attached it to two other high profile series and the comparison made was ill-advised. A commercial boasted, “If 24 and Lost had a baby, it would be The Event.” The Event certainly tried to become the next Lost, with intermittent flashbacks for storytelling purposes but it failed to do it right. After the first few episodes it started to feel like the show was trying to mimic Lost instead of branch off in a new direction. With that said, I am happy to report that the show has learned from its early mistakes and is attempting to make good on them with intriguing character stories and mythos-packed action sequences. The seemingly random flashbacks have been scrapped and replaced by detailed and emotional stories that shed light on the prominent characters; the Simon Lee and Blake Sterling stories proved to be the series best episodes thus far. And speaking of mythos–as much as I am interested in Sophia’s plan for her people, one can only watch a show called The Event for so long without having an inkling as to what the event is. Also, Sean and Leila have been on the run for way too long; here’s to hoping that the producers give them something more to do when The Event returns from an extended hiatus on March 7 at 9PM. I admit I am hooked to the series, but only by a few weak threads. Continue reading 2011 Midseason TV Preview
Fox turns down ’24’ movie script
24 fans, the wait for a feature film just got a bit longer. According to EW, 20th Century Fox has turned down the 24 movie script penned by Billy Ray (State of Play). The show’s long-time executive producer Howard Gordon commented on the matter. “As far as I know, it is in suspended animation,” said Gordon. “There is talk about re-approaching it. I understand [director/producer] Tony Scott is meeting with Kiefer [Sutherland] to talk about ideas. People are still talking about it.” He continued, “I was disapppointed [Fox] passed on the script but I’m certainly hopeful that the movie will get made at some point. Anecdotally, I’ve heard from people who are really missing the show and I do think there is more life in Jack Bauer.”
Back when FOX the network announced that season eight would be the last for the series, star Kiefer Sutherland shared his excitement over the possibility of making a 24 movie. “We wanted to create a definitive end for Jack Bauer,” said Sutherland. Since we do have the intention to make the feature film, it would lead into that and certainly set that up. Something we’ve dealt with in the series is how the crisis always has to come to us because we don’t have time to move anywhere in a real time world. In a two-hour (movie) representation of the 24 world, planes, trains, and automobiles all of a sudden become a factor because you are not required to go scene by scene in real time. That’s something I can say I am very excited about.”
Although the script was thrown out, this isn’t all bad news. At least we’re receiving assurance that Gordon, Sutherland, and Tony Scott are still in talks about it. The wait for it got longer, but there’s still hope a 24 movie will get made. No word if Billy Ray will be replaced with a new screenwriter.
[Via EW]
These unofficial movie posters are better than the real ones
2010 was packed with some great movies including the mind-bending Inception, the action-packed Tron: Legacy, the Western True Grit, and the thriller Black Swan. For the most part film posters do a fine job at advertising movies before and during their theatrical release. But there’s something about these unofficial, “alternate” posters imagined by graphic designers and illustrators that instantly captivates my interest. Many of them are overly simplistic and yet very effective at the same time. Check out my favorite fan-made film poster for Inception above, and then peer into the gallery below to see a bunch more. Don’t you agree that these alt-posters are intrinsically better than the real ones? (After the break you’ll find a listing of all the contributing illustrators.)
[Via Flavorwire]
Continue reading These unofficial movie posters are better than the real ones