TV News Roundup – June 2009 – Week 2
TV roundup: Every sci-fi and fantasy show to watch this summer
Several beloved series return and a few new shows pop up hoping to win our affections. Here’s the complete summer lineup in the order they premiere.
Three sign on for ‘Pillars of the Earth’
Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane, Donald Sutherland in miniseries
‘Pillars of the Earth’, the historical novel set in 12th century England involves war, religious strife and power struggles as well as two interwoven love stories penned by Ken Follett, will see life as an 8-hour TV maxi-series. The premiere is set for the second half of 2010.
True Blood creator Alan Ball reveals what’s coming in season two
According to Ball, the vampire series will continue to explore the “terrors of intimacy, in that when you really, really open up and let another person into your life and your psyche, it can be terrifying-especially when that person is a vampire. … And then there’s just the whole exploration of the dark side of human nature.”
Zima joins ‘Heroes’ for recurring role
Actress to play multi-episode arc
“Californication” co-star Madeline Zima has been tapped to play Gretchen, an edgy outsider and college roommate to Claire (Hayden Panettiere).
‘Heroes’ casts new villain
Robert Knepper joins NBC drama in fourth season
Coming off a role as bad guy Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell on Fox’s “Prison Break,” Knepper has been tapped as the new lead villain on NBC’s “Heroes” next season. In at least six episodes of the series’ fourth season, Knepper will play Samuel, a Jim Jones type — charismatic but evil, with a twisted sense of humor — who will veer into the lives of all heroes. The character had been referred to as “Carnival Barker” in the series breakdown released last month.
A&E’s ‘Beast’ gets canceled
Swayze-starring series had soft ratings
Sources indicate the Patrick Swayze starrer about a rogue FBI cop in Chicago has been canceled after 13 episodes. Ratings were soft for the Sony-produced series that got off to a rough start when Swayze was diagnosed with cancer. At the Television Critics Assn. panel for the series in January in which he was supposed to appear and promote the show, he was hospitalized with pneumonia.
Sarah Connor creator Josh Friedman on why the show won’t be coming back
“What am I most proud of? Most weeks I was just proud we got a show onto the air. It’s f–king difficult. But I guess I’m proudest that we never took the easy way out of a story problem, and we gave the audience credit for being able to follow us no matter where we went.”
‘My Name Is Earl’ might see new life on TBS
Cable network in talks to order 13 new episodes
TBS is in preliminary talks to order 13 new episodes of Earl. Still, sources stressed that the conversations between 20th TV and TBS for new episodes are in the very early stages, and a deal is far from a lock as the sides have to figure out whether an expensive network single-camera series can be produced under a basic cable network’s economic model. Also, while still under a hold at 20th TV, “Earl’s” cast has not been lined up for a lower-budget reincarnation.
Kathy Bates, Tim Curry headline cast of SCI FI’s upcoming Alice
Kathy Bates and Tim Curry are among the stars cast in SCI FI’s upcoming four-hour movie event Alice. Bates stars as the Queen of Hearts, and Curry is Dodo in the movie event, a modern-day spin on the classic stories by Lewis Carroll. The movie centers on Alice Hamilton, a fiercely independent twentysomething who suddenly finds herself on the other side of a looking glass. She is a stranger in an outlandish city of twisted towers and casinos built out of playing cards, all under the rule of a deliciously devilish Queen who’s not very happy about Alice’s arrival.
Katee Sackhoff to co-star on ‘24′
Actress cast as a regular in the drama’s next season
Katee Sackhoff, best known for her role as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace on “Battlestar Galactica,” has been tapped to co-star on another series with a big fan following, Fox’s “24.” Sackhoff will play Dana Walsh, a smart, competent, expert data analyst at CTU with a secret past who is involved with CTU agent Davis Cole (Freddie Prinze Jr.).
Battlestar’s Olmos reveals why The Plan will leave you gasping
Edward James Olmos says of Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, the upcoming DVD movie, “I gotta tell you, not to give anything away, it is exactly what you think it is… You see the complete opposite of the first 281 days of what we went through, … seen through the eyes of the Cylons, and it is breathtaking. It’s fantastic. It’s not fun, but I will say that you will sit there [gasping].”
Rachel Melvin moves to ‘Heroes’
‘Days of Our Lives’ star up for Daytime Emmy
“Days of Our Lives” co-star Rachel Melvin has been tapped to guest star and potentially recur on “Heroes” next season, playing Annie, who also will share sleeping quarters (and maybe more) with Claire.
‘Heroes’ recruits Sue Thomas, Darth Maul
British actor Ray Park, whose role as Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace made him an icon to fanboys far and wide, is joining the cast for a sizeable arc. Additionally, Deanne Bray (Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, The L Word) has inked a deal to come on board for multiple episodes.
Exclusive: Comedy Central Goes Back to the FUTURAMA
“Futurama” has been given a 13 episode order by Comedy Central.
Though still technically a rumor at this point, word is that “Futurama” production offices have already opened and that casting is about to move forward.
‘Entourage’ adds three to guest list
Matt Letscher, William Fichtner, Scott Caan land roles
“Eli Stone” alum Letscher plays Dan Coakley, a handsome, arrogant TV studio executive who oversees Drama’s (Kevin Dillon) TV series. “Prison Break” co-star Fichtner plays Phil Yagoda, a slick TV producer who had a hit teen series in the 1990s and is trying to remake it with Drama. Caan plays Scotty Lavin, a cocky and highly competitive manager who acts tough and trash talks to cover up how insecure he is and sees E (Kevin Connolly) as a threat.
The Fine Print
This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive roundup of the entire weeks’ news. All stories are chosen by me for no other reason than that they got my attention and might capture yours. If something you think is more important chime in on the feedback; we’d love to hear comments and have a conversation about it.
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