Defying the odds once again, Fox’s sci-fi drama Fringe has been renewed for a fifth and final season of 13 episodes. The news broke on Thursday after long and painstaking negotiations between the network and the production companies Warner Bros TV and J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot.
With summer fast approaching, USA Network has announced premiere dates for its returning series Royal Pains, Necessary Roughness, Burn Notice, Suits, White Collar and Covert Affairs.
TV Guide reports that Amy Acker (Angel, Alias) will guest star in the season finale of CBS’s freshman series Person of Interest. Acker will play a psychologist whose patients have means and power. Meanwhile, NBC’s Grimm has promoted Bree Turner to series regular.
Deadline reports that Scottish actor Dougray Scott is in negotiations to play a lead in Netflix’s upcoming original series, Hemlock Grove. Based on Brian McGreevey’s recently published gothic novel, the 13-episode series centers around the murder of a young girl in a ravaged Pennsylvania steel town called Hemlock Grove.
Deadline Hollywood reports that Fox has renewed three more series for an additional season: the young adult comedy New Girl, musical comedy Glee and family comedy Raising Hope for a second season, fourth season and third season, respectively.
NBC’s Grimm and ABC’s Castle have cast guest stars for their season finale. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) will guest star in the season finale of Grimm.
J.J. Abrams’s pilots have finally cast their leads after what seemed to be very extensive searches. Billy Burke will play the lead in NBC’s JJ Abrams/Eric Kripke drama pilot (formerly known as Revolution), and Zachary Abel (Make It Or Brake It) has landed the role in the CW’s Mark Schwahn/J.J. Abrams drama pilot.
It worked for Fox’s New Girl, so ABC is also hoping to capitalize on an early Internet success for its new comedy, Don’t Trust The B—- in Apt 23. The network has released the show’s pilot on Hulu ahead of its broadcast debut on April 11.
HBO has released a 22-minute long video to help catch up on what happened in the first season of the epic fantasy series Game of Thrones. The video features executive producers and writers, as well as actors who provide some insights into the world of Westeros and paint an intimate portrait of the main characters, presenting their motivations and values while brushing on the actual events of the first season.
Almost exactly a year ago, on March 24, 2011, Fox announced the renewal of Fringe for a full fourth season of 22 episodes. Now, with the pilot season in full swing and the May deadline approaching ominously, there is no such news, but executive producers Jeff Pinkner and J.H. Wyman have a plan B in case the ax of cancellation hits home.
