TV News

Falling Skies Renewed!

For the 4 million or so American television audience members still gluing their eyes to TNT’s alien invasion drama Falling Skies
on Sunday nights, the week has brought some good news. After 4 episodes
of more than acceptable ratings, the network has seen fit to give you
all more of what you love. The show has been renewed for a second season
10-episode run in 2012. “Falling Skies
is a true standout series, from its ambitious storytelling,
high-profile cast and production team, to its phenomenal success when it
comes to international and time-shifted viewing,” said Michael Wright,
executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner
Classic Movies. “We’re reaching new audiences with Falling Skies and look forward to seeing where this fascinating and exciting series takes us next.”

Fringe at Comic-Con 2011 Without Joshua Jackson: Bad News?

Fox has released the list of panel members for the shows
that the network will be promoting during the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con,
and this year’s announcement came with a little surprise for some Fringe fans. The
renowned and very popular convention is now the platform of choice for
generating some fan buzz around TV shows and other productions of the
entertainment industry. This year’s edition will be held from July 21 to
July 24 at the San Diego Convention Center. On Saturday, July 23 from
4:15 to 5:00 p.m., sitting in Ballroom 20 for a Q&A session will be Fringe
cast members Anna Torv, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole, and
John Noble who will be joined by executive producers Jeff Pinkner and
J.H. Wyman.

NBC Unveils Premiere Dates for Fall 2011

NBC has announced its prime time programming premiere dates for fall 2011. After the finale of America’s Got Talent, Up All Night and Free Agents will move to their regular time slots of 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. respectively. It also appears that with Chuck moving to Fridays 8 p.m., and the new fantasy series Grimm fending it off at 9 p.m. with other genre shows — Supernatural (The CW) and Fringe (Fox) — Friday nights will now have a distinct sci-fi/fantasy feel…

James Spader Joins The Office!

After
months of speculation over who would take the place of Steve Carell’s
Michael Scott on NBC’s long-running British comedy remake The Office, the wait is finally over. Today NBC has announced that James Spader has signed on as a regular cast member – the new boss around town. 

Spader, widely known for his roles in shows such as Boston Legal along
with countless films, joins the cast of the flagship series after a
relatively short period as a front runner for the role. He, along with many other famous faces,
appeared in the seventh season finale of the show (Carell’s final
episode), but was not widely reported as being in talks for the role
until recently.

The Walking Dead Casting News

With production in full swing for the
second season of AMC’s breakout hit, The Walking Dead, new
characters are being cast. These roles also confirm for fans of the
ongoing comic series that Rick Grimes and his ragtag band of
survivors would be heading into familiar territory, which was
welcomed news to those that were itching for more storylines from the
comics.

Veteran actor Scott Wilson (In Cold
Blood) has been cast as Hershel Greene, owner of the farm Rick’s
group comes across while on the road. With forty-five years of
acting experience under his belt, Wilson should be a good addition to
the cast. Hershel is a man determined to protect his family, while
at the same time struggling to accept the cold realities of the world
he now lives in. Grabbing the role of Hershel’s daughter, Maggie,
was Lauren Cohan (Supernatural).
The character is a rebellious, free spirit, with an acidic tongue
and sarcastic wit.

Breaking Bad Season 4 Preview

With less than two weeks until the
fourth season of Breaking Bad begins, fans are chomping at the
bit for the return of the series. AMC recently released a trailer
for the newest installment of one of television’s most acclaimed
shows. Though mostly a “tease” featuring footage and audio from
previous episodes, the preview still helped remind fans of the dark
atmosphere and dire consequences facing most of the characters.

ABC Fall Premiere Dates

ABC recently released their fall
premiere dates. Wednesday nights we will
see a bit of a shake up. Cougar Town
was pushed back to mid-season to make room for the new comedy,
Suburgatory. You will have to wait until after the New Year to see new shows: Apartment 23, Good Christian Belles,
and The River.

Charlie Sheen Dead!!! Sort of…

Following mountains of cocaine, 7 gram rocks and a horde of loose
women, Charlie Sheen had a little bit of a downward spiral in the last
year. It’s not news to anyone with ears anymore, but his antics off the
screen with his “goddesses” landed him out of a job on the CBS comedy
titan Two and a Half Men. After a couple of months of
speculation as to whether Sheen would return to the show or who might
replace him, Ashton Kutcher was announced as his successor. The only
question at that point was how exactly would Sheen suddenly be gone, and
where on Earth did Ashton Kutcher’s character come from?

James Spader in Negotiation to Join The Office

Entertainment Weekly reports James Spader is in talks to join The Office as the CEO of Sabre. He will replace Jo Bennett, who was played by Kathy Bates. Bates is leaving her role as a guest star to focus on NBC’s second season of law-comedy, Harry’s Law. Spader’s role as Robert California in the seventh season finale was more significant than the other guest stars. Spader is one of the few actors who wasn’t attached to other projects.

Unlike Bates, who appeared in occasional guest spots, Spader’s role as CEO would be increased to weekly appearances. A source close to the show said they didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to recruit Spader after he was “so funny” in the finale. Sources also say, as CEO, California will have a strong impact on the Office employees, introducing them to his fondness for manipulation and a disturbing sexual vibe.

Showtime Finds Writer and Executive Producer for Adaption of 100 Bullets.

Showtime has signed David S. Goyer to both pen and produce a new show being adapted from the comic series 100 Bullets. Goyer’s writing credits include working with Christopher Nolan on his Batman films; including the the newest installment, The Dark Knight Rises, which will be released in 2012. He also wrote all three of the Blade films, so it’s safe to say the man is familiar with a comic adaption. His production credits on the small screen aren’t as glamorous. However, having created several shows that never made it out of their first year. Including Flashforward, on which he also served as a writer and co-creator.

The comic written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso ran from August of 1999 to April 2009. It garnered critical acclaim and several awards from both the Harvey and Eisner Awards. 100 Bullets is a story about a one man conspiracy to take out rich and influential families secretly controlling the world. It also poses a question of morality, as the main character -the mysterious Agent Graves- goes about his task by giving the victims of hardship the opportunity to take their revenge by murdering the people that wronged them.