TV News Roundup – March 2010 – Week 2
MacFarlane wanted Mr. T to replace Cleveland (video)
Who did Seth MacFarlane want to replace Cleveland Brown after the character left “Family Guy” for a spinoff? Mr. T. “It would be like Mr. T was in the show as Mr. T, and he’s just the fourth guy in the group,” MacFarlane said. Except, MacFarlane said, Mr. T is a born-again Christian, so it “didn’t really work out.”
Firefly stars reunite on Warehouse 13!
Remember Firefly/Serenity’s Jewel Staite revealed that she’ll guest-star on Syfy’s Warehouse 13? Looks like she’s bringing a crew member along with her: Sean Maher, who played Dr. Simon Tam, joins her in the episode “Mild Mannered.” Maher will play a regular guy who undergoes “a shocking physical change” after encountering one of the mysterious objects; Staite will plays his unrequited love. (Kind of a reversal on their Firefly roles, a nice touch.)
SyFy’s ‘The Phantom’ Miniseries To Air In June
According to a post on SyFy’s official Twitter account (via Phantom Site), the two-part “Phantom” miniseries will air in June. The miniseries may also serve as a backdoor pilot for a TV series, depending upon the ratings and fan reaction. The original “Phantom” comic strip followed Kit Walker — the 21st member of the Walker family to wear the costumed mantle over the course of 500 years. The new Phantom as portrayed by Ryan Carnes is Walker’s son, who discovers his legacy after the death of his adopted parents. Sandrine Holt, Jean Marchand, Cas Anvar and Isabella Rossellini are also set to star in the project.
Alan Tudyk books ‘Rockford’
‘Firefly’ alum will co-star opposite Dermot Mulroney
“Firefly” alum Alan Tudyk is set to co-star opposite Dermot Mulroney in NBC’s pilot “Rockford Files,” an update of the classic 1970s P.I. series. Tudyk will play Det. Dennis Becker, a friend of Rockford’s who is a bit embarrassed by that since all the other cops hate Rockford.
FlashForward is back: spoilers, answers and a sneak peek!
When will that finale air? “I don’t want to say exactly when it will happen, because I hope it will be a fun surprise when the audience catches up to it,” executive producer Jessika Borsiczky said. “The timing’s not exactly concurrent with reality, but I feel like we’re making it, especially now when we’re coming back in a week, it, we’re making it very clear where we are in time as we go, and how far away we are from that April 29th date.”
Syfy’s Riverworld debuts in April in one 4-hour block!
Syfy has set an April 18 premiere date for Syfy’s upcoming four-hour TV movie Riverworld, which will air in one block starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT. The movie, starring Battlestar Galactica’s Tahmoh Penikett and V’s Laura Vandervoort, is based on the books by Philip José Farmer and takes place on a world where everyone who has ever lived on Earth is resurrected simultaneously in an unusual afterlife.
More Lost spoilers: Who’s making a comeback
“I’ll be back. I’ve shot one, and I’ll be back again.” It’s important for Sonya Walger to complete her arc as Penny. “Oh, for me it was just lovely to be back,” she said. “I’m delighted to be able to go and sign this character out. I’ve had so much fun dropping in and playing her all these years that I would have felt very sad not to be able to go and pay my respects, as it were.” “I think that’s more of a question for the writers, you know?” Dominic Monaghan (who plays Charlie Pace) said. “When I started interacting with them this year, specifically [Lost executive producer and co-creator] Damon Lindelof, he said, ‘Look, I want to keep this as close to our chests as possible, so just keep your secrets.’ So I think if you got that out of Damon, that would probably be more of a worthwhile place to go.”
Summer Glau moves to ‘The Cape’
Glau, who has probably starred in more cult sci-fi series than any other actress, with stints on Fox’s “Firefly,” “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” and “Dollhouse,” has joined NBC’s superhero-themed drama pilot “The Cape” in a leading role. In the pilot, directed by Simon West, a former cop (David Lyons) is set up as a criminal and becomes a masked hero, the Cape, to clear his name.
‘V’ finds its theme: How far two mothers will go to protect their children
“You’ll learn more about the Vs anatomically in my first episode back than you did in the first four episodes and get an understanding of how they work, why they’re different. Everything is like that. The plan, why they’re here. We’re really going to dive into that kind of stuff. … That first episode coming back, just in Acts 5 and 6, there’s four huge reveals, just in two acts of that show alone.” Said writer Scott Rosenbaum.
‘Glee’ at Paleyfest
Co-creator/executive producer Ryan Murphy spilled that a show about the “power of theatricality” is in the works for the series’ second half that will include a Lady Gaga song. “She’s arguably the most important pop star right now,” noted Murphy. In revealing even more of what’s to come when the series resumes, Matthew Morrison (Will) spilled the beans about what the second duet he’ll be performing with guest star Neil Patrick Harris.
James Callis joins ‘Eureka’
“Battlestar Galactica” veterans continue to pick up new gigs. Now fan favorite James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar) has joined the cast of Syfy’s “Eureka.” Callis will appear during the show’s upcoming fourth-season as Dr. Grant, a former resident of the town whose return is a cause for alarm. His character will have a romantic interest in Allison Blake (Salli Richardson-Whitfield), which causes friction with Sherriff Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson).
HBO puts ‘The Pacific’ online
HBO has put Sunday’s first hour of its WWII mega-budget production “The Pacific” on its site. Don’t get used to it, though, the other nine hours will only air on HBO (until the DVD release, of course). Since HBO is a pay channel that re-runs its best content for decades, it rightfully tends to be shy about putting content on the Internet. The network has uploaded the pilot episode of some series online, though not movies. The amount of violence and profanity in “The Pacific” is a concern, so registration is required to watch.
More heroes, ‘Battlestar’-verse for Syfy
The network has ordered a 90-minute pilot, “Three Inches,” from Fox Television Studios, writer Harley Peyton (“Twin Peaks”) and executive producer Bob Cooper. It centers on an underachiever who gains the power to move any object using his mind, but only for a distance of three inches. He recruits a team of fellow heroes, each with their own less-than-spectacular abilities. The network also is looking to order another “Battlestar”-related project. Details were slim, but Stern said the title would mark a return to the franchise’s space-opera roots.
Ultimate sci-fi TV pilot guide: Your favorite shows of the future
Here’s our list by network of the sci-fi and fantasy pilots, shows with the possibility of sci-fi and fantasy in them and shows that have been ordered to series. We’ve rated them on how we’re guessing they’ll do based on interest, star power and idea originality on a scale of 0-100 percent. (Possible spoilers ahead!)
‘Spartacus’ halts production
Star Andy Whitfield diagnosed with cancer
Starz’s freshman drama “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” has halted series production due to star Andy Whitfield being diagnosed with cancer. Whitfield plays the title role in the show and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will begin treatment immediately.
But Wait, There’s More…
- Judy Greer joins Fox’s ‘Tax Man’, Jerry O’Connell, Jason Biggs also land pilot roles
- Nickelodeon greenlights ‘Supah Ninja,’ ‘Everyday Kid’
- Elisha Cuthbert joins ‘Happy Endings’ ABC pilot
- Several pilots expand casts, Traylor Howard, Lyndsy Fonseca among those landing roles
- Why is Seth MacFarlane flashing back to FlashForward?
- 13 things you’ll want to know about The Vampire Diaries
- First Trailer for STARGATE UNIVERSE Season 1.5 – Premieres April 2 on Syfy
- Betty White to host ‘SNL’ in May
- Nickelodeon announces six new series
- Castings lift contingency on TBS’ ‘In Security’
- NBC pilots flesh out casts, ‘Friends With Benefits,’ ‘Rockford Files’ expand
- Jon Voight joins Fox’s drama pilot ‘Midland’
- Betty White takes ‘Middle’ ground, will guest star on comedy’s season finale
- Interview: Leo Allen from ‘Community’
- If Fox cancels 24, it could move to NBC
- Three solidify cable series roles, Join USA’s ‘White Collar,’ FX’s ‘Lights Out’ and HBO’s ‘Hung’
- USA gives series order to ‘Facing Kate’
- Mary Steenburgen tapped as ‘Southern’ mom
- Larry David working on more ‘Curb’
- MTV sets premiere for ‘Hard Times’
- ‘True Blood’ sets Season 3 return date, June 13
- ‘Lie to Me’ slated for summer return
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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