Tag Archives: TV stills

‘How To Make It In America’ begins season 2 production

Right on schedule HBO has begun production on the second season of How To Make It In America, the dramedy that follows 20-somethings (Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk) who are trying to make it big in the fashion industry in New York City. Pictured above is Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) and Greenberg. Cudder posted it on his new Tumblr site, and he promises fans that Domingo Brown will have more of a presence in the upcoming season. And this is already being proven–check out the gallery below to sneak a peek of Cudi and female lead Lake Bell walking the streets of NYC (specifically East 12th Street) filming a scene. HTMIIA season two is set to premiere this summer.

[Via CudLife; DatNewCudiDNAInfo]

ABC moves ‘No Ordinary Family’ penultimate episode to a Saturday

If the episode order cut wasn’t enough to make you accept the fact that ABC is just about ready to remove No Ordinary Family from its schedule after this season, this should: the network has bumped the first season’s penultimate (second-to-last) episode to Saturday, March 26th at 10PM. An airing of Dancing with the Stars has been selected to take over NOF‘s normal slot Tuesdays at 8PM starting March 29. It’s being reported that Lucy Lawless will return in the Saturday episode “No Ordinary Future” as the mysterious Mrs. X. As things stand now, the season (likely series) finale is set to air on Tuesday, April 5th at 8PM. So mark your calendars accordingly. And if you haven’t started to mourn the loss of this fun superhero family show, let them tears roll now.

Update: Everyone’s favorite pop-soul artist Sara Bareilles guest stars in this week’s upcoming ep “No Ordinary Animal”! Check out stills in the gallery below.

[Via IGN 1, 2]

TV Reminder: ‘The Event’ returns tonight on NBC [Update: Low ratings]

After an extended three month hiatus, NBC’s sci-fi drama The Event returns to the airwaves tonight. After a promising start (remember–what happened to that plane?!), the mysteries started piling on top of each other with no cohesive plot thread tying them together and this resulted in contrived, lackluster plotlines that failed to challenge the viewer intellectually (or in any way for that matter). Save for the handful of character-driven episodes the first half of the season was dominated by run-of-the-mill action sequences, cheesy dialogue, and lots of running (Sean and Leila need more to do!). As the show’s creativity lost its touch early on, viewers dropped in significant numbers. The long hiatus provided the show’s creators plenty of time to retool things; I have faith that the show can transform itself from a rollercoaster of good-decent-filler episodes into a reliable mystery drama that’ll make me want to tune in every week. But first things first–they’ve got to tell us what the event IS! Perhaps episode 15 will provide some answers.

The Event returns tonight at 9PM on NBC. It’s a 2 hour, erm, event, so set your DVRs accordingly. Check out photos from “And Then There Were More” and “Inostranka” in the gallery below. Beware of minor spoilers. Need a refresher? Jump after the break to watch a brief recap.

Update: To the surprise of no one The Event returned not with a bang but as a bust. Though the two-hour return was (for the most part) fast-paced with some fun action segments, the writing is still poor and the story is, well, uneventful. The ratings agree: the show drew a 1.4/4 in the 18-49 demo and 5.2 million total viewers. That’s down 26% from its last original airing back on November 29. If these numbers don’t start to steadily increase and stabilize between now and April, you can kiss this thrill-less sci-fi thriller goodbye.

[Images via IGN; Deadline]

Continue reading TV Reminder: ‘The Event’ returns tonight on NBC [Update: Low ratings]

Reminder: ‘Breakout Kings’ premieres tonight on A&E [Update: Strong ratings!]

I consider the 2005-2009 FOX series Prison Break to be one of the most thrilling and entertaining serialized programs produced for television. The Break writer/producer team Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora is ready for a second outing in a familiar setting. Tonight is the series premiere of Breakout Kings, an 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. “It takes a con to catch a con” is the show’s slogan–sounds like a fun concept. If you’re a loyal Break fan then obviously you know what to expect from Olmstead and Santora; namely edge-of-your-seat action sequences and smart, witty dialogue. Though Kings will play out more like a procedural (the show will focus on a new criminal each week), it is being described as a character-based show so the relationships and personalities that form amongst the ensemble cast of cops and convicts will play an integral part in the show’s development. If you need a solid reason to tune in each week here it is: Break’s Robert Knepper will be reprising the brilliantly sinister Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell later this season in a four episode arc!

Breakout Kings begins its 13-episode season tonight at 10PM on A&E. Check out stills from the pilot below, and click here to read more about show.

Bonus! Click here to watch the producers discuss the round table writing process.

Update: The Breakout Kings premiere received the highest demo numbers for an A&E drama series–1.5 million adults 18-49 and 1.6 million adults 25-54. That’s up 25% and 14%, respectively, from the network’s previous ratings record holder The Glades (which premiered in July 2010). In terms of total viewership, Kings‘ 2.9 million viewers did not beat out The Glades‘ undisputed record of 3.6 million. Says Bob DeBitetto, President and general manager of A&E and BIO: “Breakout Kingsis a smart, action-packed drama with great storytelling and authentic well-drawn characters. Clearly the series has struck a chord with the younger viewers.” Yes, yes it has.

[Images via IGN; Deadline]

‘Fringe’ returns tonight at 9PM on FOX [Update: Solid ratings!]

Great Scott!  Fringe returns tonight with a brand new episode.  In “The Firefly” Christopher Lloyd (Back from the Future) guest stars as Roscoe Joyce, an 80s keyboardist who happens to have many bizarre connections with Walter.  If you’re a long-time Fringe fan, I have no doubt you’ll be following it to its new night.  If you’re a newcomer to the epic sci-fi series, do not hesitate in giving it a shot.  If you’re a supporter of good TV, join the fun and let’s keep this show chugging for many years to come.  If the show retains its Thursday night ratings and manages to attract some new viewers, the Friday night “death slot” can be reinvented.  Let’s do it!

Look in the gallery below to see stills from tonight’s episode, and jump after the break to watch a FOX-produced Fringe music video that nicely summarizes what’s been going on lately and another video featuring the producers talking about the big move.  Fringe Fridays does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Update: Last night’s Fringe drew a 1.9/6 in the coveted adults 18-49 demo making it the highest rated program of the night!  And everyone was worried that the move to Friday nights was going to be a bad thing.  Get this: Fringe was up 12% from its last original airing on Thursday December 9, attracting 4.83 million viewers.  Simply put, the show attracted more viewers than it did when it aired on Thursday.  Death slot, be gone!  With the season premiere of Kitchen Nightmares as a lead-in, both shows helped FOX win the night and give the network its highest-rated Friday since May 2008.  If Fringe can keep this up for the next few weeks, we can surely expect to hear news of renewal soon.  But here’s the thing: Fringe was up against back-to-back repeats of CBS’ CSI: NY; the competition is bound to get more intense when CBS and The CW (Supernatural) air new episodes next week. (Oh, and this was neat: Christopher Lloyd’s stellar performance added his name to Twitter’s list of Trending Topics during and after the east coast airing of “The Firefly.”)

Update 2: Things just keep getting better for Fringe!  According to Nielsen, the show gained an additional 42 percent in ratings thanks to DVR playback.  This information was gathered three days after the live airing of the Friday episode.  As reported above, “The Firefly” drew a 1.9 rating in the adults 18-49 demo; if you add the DVR spike in viewership that rating shoots up to a 2.7!  (Compare this number to CBS’ Blue Bloods which drew a 2.4 rating on the same night.)  This is fantastic news for Fringe fans; if the show can keep this up (and perhaps perform better) it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

[Via TVLine; IGN; Deadline; EW]

Continue reading ‘Fringe’ returns tonight at 9PM on FOX [Update: Solid ratings!]

TV Reminder: ‘Parks & Recreation’ returns tonight at 9:30PM on NBC

Finally, finally!  The Pawnee gang led by the one and only Leslie Knope returns tonight!  In the season 3 premiere “Go Big or Go Home” Leslie is trying to convince newcomers Chris and Ben (Rob Lowe and Adam Scott) to give the Parks Department more money.  Prepare for the premiere by watching this informative and hilarious preview, and look in the gallery below for character profiles.

BONUS! Hop after the break to watch Rob Lowe flip out at the cast of Parks and Rec, presented by Funny or Die. NSFW warning is in full effect (language).

Update: Parks and Rec hit a series-high rating–6.2 million people tuned into the season 3 premiere.  That’s up 52% from its fall season premiere in 2009.  The Office lead-in helped; Parks retained 71% of its viewers.

[Images via IGN; Deadline; TVLine]

Continue reading TV Reminder: ‘Parks & Recreation’ returns tonight at 9:30PM on NBC

‘Terra Nova’ preview night lands a date, producers talk about its promise

Mark your calendars, people.  The Steven Spielberg/Peter Chernin sci-fi drama Terra Nova will air its preview event across two nights: May 23 and May 24 at 9PM.  Just like FOX did with Glee, the network is going to preview the new show before its fall 2011 debut in attempt to generate buzz.

Refresher: Terra Nova follows Jim Shannon (played by Jason O’Mara), a man who is sent back in time to prehistoric Earth with his family in an attempt to save the human race.  At the Television Critics Association press event, the producers screened an action-packed trailer; unfortunately it did not reveal the dinosaur design since production on the pilot episode recently wrapped and the special FX have yet to be finalized.  However, many people connected to the show shared their thoughts on what to expect.  Executive producer Brannon Braga (24FlashForward) explained, “Earth is essentially dying – most animal life is extinct. They’re hoping to re-start humanity through this time fracture they’ve discovered.”  The plan for the Shannons and over 1,000 time-travelling colonists is to re-colonize the planet in the past.  “What effect that will have on the future, they hope it’s a positive one,” said Braga.  “The characters are hoping for a second chance.”  The show will have “continuing elements of suspense…[but] at the core of this show is the Shannon family.”  Director Alex Graves (Fringe) says that Terra Nova is “not a scary show. It’s an adventure show. My kids have seen some of it and they love it.”  He continued, “You’re going to see dinosaurs you haven’t seen before.”  When asked to compare this show to groundbreaking series Lost Graves said, “It’s so made for a massively broad audience, I cannot tell you.”  Insinuating that Lost catered to a very specific audience he then noted, “Terra Nova, more than anything I’ve ever done in my life, is for everybody.”

Then Braga shared some concluding remarks about the promise of this show. “It’s just a great concept. Philosophically, it’s the closest thing to Star Trek I’ve worked on since I read that show years ago. I wanted to gravitate back to a science-fiction premise with big, humanistic ideas. ” He is compelled about the focus on “people from the distant future coming to the distant past.”

The show is being shot in Australia, so you can expect a beautiful backdrop.  After watching the teaser trailer, IGN described certain aspects of the show as having a Jurassic Park meets Aliens vibe.

Today FOX released some stills from the two-part pilot episode slated to air this May; check ’em out after the break along with some character profiles.  And if you’re interested in reading about the trailer shown at the TCAs today click the source link.

[Via IGN] Continue reading ‘Terra Nova’ preview night lands a date, producers talk about its promise

‘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]

Get hyped for tonight’s epic ‘Fringe’ episode “Entrada” with this movie-style trailer plus stills

Normally I do not post trailers for specific show episodes, but this one is a unique exception.  The entire third season of Fringe has led up to this moment.  Ever since “over there” Olivia swapped places with our Olivia in last season’s grand finale we’ve been patiently waiting for our Olivia to realize the switch actually occurred.  And now that she knows who she really is, it’s time for her to come home. While our Olivia tries to figure out a way to do just that, “over there” Olivia has been compromised; thanks to a terse yet all-important message from our trapped Olivia, Peter knows that he’s been sleeping with the enemy and it’s time for answers and ultimately payback. Expect “Entrada” to be one of those pivotal, emotionally-charged epic episodes that cannot be missed. Watch the movie-style trailer edited together by FOX, check out the episode stills in the gallery, and get hyped!  It’s gonna be a wild, exciting journey home.

Fringe airs Thursdays at 9PM on FOX.  Starting January 28 it will air on Fridays.

[Via EW; IGN]

Animation Domination premieres tonight on FOX

Need your animation fix?  The Simpsons (8pm), The Cleveland Show (8:30pm), and Family Guy (9pm) premiere tonight (9/26) on FOX!

In “Elementary School Musical”, Lisa goes to performing arts camp where she meets friends (voiced by Glee‘s Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Amber Riley) and artsy counselors (Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords).  The 22nd season of The Simpsons will be jam packed with guest voices.

In “Harder, Better, Faster, Browner”, Cleveland helps struggling rapper Kenny (aka Kanye) West by encouraging him to record a new hit single.  Get a taste of “Be-Cleve in Yourself” here.  The episode also packs other Kanye references including a humorous nod to the Swift incident and a montage backed by Late Registration‘s “Touch the Sky.”

The one-hour Family Guy premiere “And Then There Were Fewer” plays out like a cinematic murder-mystery in a case of whodunit.  James Woods invites virtually all of Quohag to his ominous mansion where all the light drama unfolds.  Fun fact: Family Guy has finally gone HD this season!

Glance at the premiere stills above, and get ready for three hours of animation domination tonight on FOX.  (American Dad fans–your show premieres next Sunday, October 3).

[Via IGN, here, here & here; FOX]