Angrod TV: March 2010

March 31, 2010

ABC builds third Castle

A great week for Castle fans. After the female lead survived a huge explosion, Monday's episode was the highest rated episode of the series. Reason for ABC to renew the show with a lot of die-hard fans for a third season.

ABC Family announces summer schedule

The snow is melting, flowers are blossoming and little Bambi's are running around in the fields; spring is here, which means that your favorite shows are coming to an end. But no need to worry, because for everybody who hates the sun, getting twitterpated or season finales, ABC Family has got some nice shows to get you through that horrible season that is summer.

Teasing: Lost reveals final episode title, True Blood season three poster, Glee promo

All good things must come to an ..., but not before it's been teased the frak out of. Though Glee and True Blood are still very much alive, Lost's final season has been a multimedia explosion and if you find a TV site that doesn't pay any attention to it on a weekly base, well, than it's not a very good one. But there's no denying to it anymore, the final episode title has been revealed and folks, it's ok to cry a little at the thought that this genius show is going to ..., especially with a gripping title like...

True Blood has just released it's season three poster (the one you saw before reading this, can't miss, yep, that's the one). Anybody else craving coffee?

In other news, Glee released a hyped up video about the show's return April 13th. I'm gleeking-out over here, how about you?

But on to the real deal. This is it. The moment you'll admit that there will never be another episode of Lost. You can still click away. Save yourself. No? Well, here it is. The title of the series finale of Lost is...

'The End'.

March 24, 2010

Review: 90210 S02E15 - What's Past Is Prologue

When will people learn from their mistakes? 90210 isn't about to tell us, because Silver decides to spy on Teddy, Adriana gives singing a shot, Navid finds a new girl and Dixon is bonding with his birth mom. But we all know how this ends...

Is it that time already? Gossip Girl's youngest subject is ready and willing to loose her V, but is everybody else going to let her? And why is Chuck's creepy uncle Jack back, just when he's sued for sexual harassment? Does Rufus know anything about parenting? Is history catching up on Serena and Nate? This is what the upper east side has been wondering, what the frak did you do with your week?

Confession; the Braverman family is kind of growing on me. It's not groundbreaking or realistic, but it does touch upon subjects that aren't always as played out it's concept. In this episode, grandpa Braverman is actually a fun comic relief, Mae Whitman proves she's Lauren Graham mother/daughter-bonding worthy and awkward situations are made (somewhat) bearable.

In this episode of Chuck, the titular hero has another decision to make; is he going to pull through and be a spy? His final exam will force him to an ending we never see coming. Is this really the end of Chuck as we know him?

Some things are unavoidable. Sometimes it's a cancellation of a critically acclaimed show, sometimes the departure of cast members due to budget cuts. And sometimes it's just something that has been concluded months ago, but wasn't finalized until recently. The cancellation of 'Til Death, Scrubs, the production company of the folks about brilliant teen dramas and the departure of the number five best paid female movie star in the world, all belong to that last category.

There are only a few things I like more than season finales of teen dramas. They are dramatic, full of cliffhangers and shocking revelations and childish stuff. The season finale of The Secret Life Of The American Teenager does OK on all fronts, except maybe the part that makes you want to see the resolution of it all.

Review: United States Of Tara S02E01 - Yes

In a very decent season premiere, I was reminded why I liked this show when it just started. It's all about family and less about Tara's condition. And some neat story telling.

Nurse Jackie is a nice cable show with humor and good acting, but it's not as engaging as I would've liked or as interestingly developing. There is drama, mixed with quick talk and weird relations. Stepping in as a new viewer, the second season premiere is interesting, but doesn't taste for more.

How I Met Your Mother probably owns the rights to comedy flashbacks and gets storytelling right in a way few other shows manage to. 'Say Cheese' has the ingredients of every HIMYM episode, funny side notes, hilarious Barney comments, an overexcited Marshall, Ted searching for love and a trip down memory lane. The last one takes home the award, with such a great look in the past even some of Ted's ex-girlfriends return to guest star just for flashback purpose only. Gotta love bigger budgets.

What to do with perfectly good food? How to out yourself to thy neighbors? Am I replacing my son with my dead-husbands bastard? Is selling chocolate at a I-survived-cancer party OK? All of these questions (and more) could've made up for much more interesting documentary's than Sunday's installment of Desperate Housewives. In an episode that exceeded every expectation of the show's capability of not just stopping progress, but actually get stuck in lame-story land and reside their until future notice...

Review: The Simpsons S21E15 - Stealing First Base

It goes without saying that the first five minutes of 'Stealing First Base' had 10x more sincerity and humor to it than the entire episode of Family Guy. I think The Simpsons is lifting me to a much higher form of animated humor and quality and I, for one, love it. In this week's episode, Bart gets a girlfriend, Lisa gets an F, many gay kisses are seen and Michelle Obama makes an appearance.

It's that time of year again! Actors are jumping ship or just crawling ashore as networks add roles to their fall pilots. This time it's Christian Slater who'll try again after The Forgotten and Tate Donovan who returns after Damages send him packing.

Aziz Ansari to host MTV Awards

It's all Glee, Betty White and Parks & Recreation these days. Now, The Los Angeles Times broke the news that Parks' star Aziz Ansari is in talks to host the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

Apparently, that's the latest on Glee's musical adaption, you know, the only news AngrodTV shared in the past few days? The idea of a musical version of McKinley High was a hot topic over the past few days, but now it seems that it's absolutely NOT happening...

Glee: coming to a stage near you

What to do with a hit TV show? Turn it into a movie? No, that's after cancellation. Publish it in novel form? That stuff only works the other way around. No, Glee already had the standard success of two albums, expanded it to a concert tour across the nation and now, the show is ready to take stage for a true musical adaption...

Review: Justified S01E01 - Pilot

A policedrama about a lone Deputy U.S. Marshal named Raylan Givens who doesn't tie any knots around it. Away from fancy crime solving, this show takes Middle America and shows it the way it is. Rough around the edges, but a decent moral inside.

Parenthood continues to struggle with it's big, but talented cast, as some stories are reproduced fastfood meals, while others are intriguing and compelling. The characters start to grow on me in the third week, but the show never gets to the level that you look forward to seeing more of.

In case you escaped the many promo's of The CW showing you much of the episode titular scene, it might come as a happy surprise to see a classic girl fight. It's Naomi and Ivy hitting the sand to settle once and for all who gets Liam. And as much as I love girl fights, it wasn't even all the good stuff. Because Dixon gets what he deserves and Jasper is getting creepier by the second.

Even though I'm a little late to the party, I just saw The Pacific and was bedazzled by it's beauty, terror and, somehow, simplicity. A miniseries that pushes the boundaries of television, grabs reality and turns it into an event you can not miss. A story about a war, nobody was prepared for.

It's that time of year again, when all the actors in Hollywood gather around casting calls and hope for a lead in one of the 80-something pilots that are ordered for this fall. Others expand their horizon and join running shows in their prime or just swing by for a guest stint. Here's a look at who's going where...

Rachael Harris is joining the cast of My Boys. Harris (Notes From The Underbelly, 'The Hangover') will play Mike's neighbor and love interest, Marcia. She will appear in the latter half of Season 4 and will have an integral part in the season finale. The new season of My Boys premieres Sunday, July 25th on TBS.

Tom Selleck is ready to return to the small screen again. After gainging fame with Magnum P.I., the star was last seen as a regular on the final season of Las Vegas. Now he is nearing a deal to play the lead in CBS' untitled Burgess/Green drama pilot (previously named Reagan's Law). The show centers around a multigeneration family of New York cops, of which Selleck will play Michael, the chief of police who lives with his father, Patrick (Len Cariou), while his son, Brian (Donnie Wahlberg) is a detective.

Michaela McManus, known from her role as Linsey on One Tree Hill and later Kim Greylek on Law & Order: SVU has scored the female lead in The CW's drama pilot Nomads. She'll play a brave and resourceful Army Brat determined to earn a place in the CIA. The show follows a group of young backpakcers who earn extra money working secret missions for the CIA. Ken Sanzel (Numb3rs) wrote and directed the pilot.

Ashley Scott, former Jericho star, caught a guest spot on the ever popular NCIS. Scott will play a missin ZNN reporter who becomes the subject of an NCIS investigation, according to Entertainment Weekly. The episode, which is scheduled for May, Agent DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) will take a special interest in the case.

In other NCIS news, Marco Sanchez joins the CBS' drama as a recurring role. He will play Alejandro Rivera who is with the Justice Department in Mexico and is in DC to help set up an international law enforcement task force. Sanchez most recently appeared in episodes of Bones, The Mentalist and Dollhouse.

Shannon Woodward, who played Di Di Malloy on The Riches, has been cast in the pilot Keep Hope Alive, Variety reports. Which role she'll be playing isn't clear yet.

30 Rock funny guy and impossible star, Tracy Morgan is returning to Syfy to host the fourth season of Scare Tactics. He will also step in as executive producer of the show. "Tracy has his finger on the pulse when it comes to comedy, and having him on board as executive producer just adds another layer to the huge success of our show," exeuctive vp programming Mark Stern said to The Hollywood Reporter.

E.R. alum Goran Visnjic is in negotiations to star opposite Katee Sackhoff in the ABC drama pilot Boston's Finest. Visnjic gained fame with his nine year stint on the medical drama as Dr. Luka Kovac.

Dougray Scott and Molly Parker are set to star in CBS drama pilot Quinn-Tuplets. The show follows the personal and professional lives of the Quinn-Tuplets. Scott will play Michael, the documentary filmmaker who has chronicled the quint's lives. Parker will play their mother, who was single when she had them in-vitro but subsequently married Michael and had another daughter... Sounds messed..up.

In short updates:

Josh Henderson (Desperate Housewives) is leading the cast of CW's Betwixt
Randall Park has joined the FOX comedy Tax Man
Omid Abtahi has boarded FOX drama Pleading Guilty

March 16, 2010

Review: Chuck S03E10 - Chuck Versus The Tic Tac

There's no show on the air that changes it's game as much and with such convincing attitude as Chuck. Whether it's moving characters to Africa, promoting them, vanishing them to the background or inserting your main characters in kung-fu skills, this show pulls it off. And no matter how sure you are that all will end well, at the time, it feels like everything is about to be lost.

Forget what I said about not having pace. This episode of Gossip Girl went way ahead of any progress we thought we made. Parent trouble reached it's tipping point, a relationship gets serious, another gets complicated, someone is leaving and while everybody is giving all their secrets away, all we can do is enjoy.

It's been all update and no looking back with the casting for pilot season and new regulars on running shows on fire these days, and two names have dominated these casting updates; Betty White and Parks & Recreation. How could there possibly be more from them? Here's how...

After hosting Saturday Night Live and appearing on the season finale of The Middle, Betty White will become a regular on TV Land's first scripted series, Hot In Cleveland. The show, which is slated for a June premiere, centers around four gals from Los Angeles who end up in Cleveland and decide to stay there because the locals consider them glamorous. White will play the group's caretaker. Opposite star Valerie Bertenille, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick.

The six-time (!) Emmy winner previously was attached to the project for just the pilot.

Meanwhile, it's getting pretty crowded at Parks & Recreation. The branch of government which suddenly became very popular, is adding Natalie Morales. Exactly, the same Morales who ended her stint on the USA drama White Collar and got re-replaced by Marsha Thomason, is now heading to Pawnee for a multi-episode arc. She'll play Lucy, a smart and funny busgirl at a local bar. The news broke just days after it was announced that series regular Paul Schneider wasn't returning and Rob Lowe and Adam Scott were booked for recurring roles.

Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets, which of the two will have more casting updates sooner, Betty White or Parks?

March 15, 2010

Grab your calendar: True Blood, Gossip Girl and more

Really, you thought your agenda could get a day's rest now most of your favorite shows are back and running? Really? As awful as it may seem, you do want to know when they are going off the air...no? I understand. But as The CW announces it's season finale dates, one other show has a definite date coming back, so get that calendar in your webbrowser and start typin'...

Monday, April 12

Life Unexpected, Season One Finale (possibly Series Finale)

Tuesday, April 13
Melrose Place, Season One Finale (likely Series Finale)

Thursday, May 13

The Vampire Diaries, Season One Finale

Supernatural, Season Five Finale

Friday, May 14

Smallville, Season Nine Finale

Monday, May 17

One Tree Hill, Season Seven Finale (possibly Series Finale)

Gossip Girl, Season Three Finale

Tuesday, May 18

90210, Season Two Finale

Sunday, June 13

True Blood, Season Three Premiere

Got it? Getting all sentimental about Life Unexpected, One Tree Hill, ~~Melrose Place~~? Can't wait 'till True Blood comes back? Or are you worried about Arlene?

Review: Desperate Housewives S06E17 - Chromolume #7

A decent episode that jumps ahead (or way back) with story lines and characters in a big way, leaving you neither surprised nor satisfied. But it wasn't all bad either, leaving you in the middle wondering if this was either a case of the shark or nice progression.

Don't let the outdated spoof on The Jetsons fool you, this is easily the best episode of The Simpsons in years. Sure, there are millions of fans who are happy to disagree, but here's why I think that this episode, was truely magnificent...

In one of the most hilarious Family Guy episodes of the season, Stewie auditions for the American version of Jollyfarm. Unfortunately, they only have an open spot for a girl. Obvious turn of events don't matter when the episode offers up scenes of Stewie fighting with his sister, and Meg finally getting a boyfriend. Apparently, FG hasn't lost it yet.

Doing my good deed for the day, I gave this lost cause a shot. Posting below 5 million viewers yesterday, having one actor already ready to jump aboard pilot season, Sons Of Tucson is anything but promising. And if you think this is the part where I tell you to give it a go anyway, well, it's not.

The fourteenth episode of season one has yet to air, but sometimes, a show is just too big of a hit to stay in the present. Besides being the earliest full-season pick-up, Glee also got renewed months before most other shows do. Now FOX is looking at going one step further and expanding the show's second season.

It's good to be a gleek these days. Where most fans are still going crazy whether their show is being renewed for the 2010/2011 season, Glee is pretty sure of it's future. And at the PaleyFest this weekend, creator Ryan Murphy confirmed that the future is indeed bright.

"We are talking about doing 25 episodes as opposed 22." Why stay at the same episode-order rate as normal shows when you're an international hit show? Exactly. Though, in my humble opinion, three episodes extra isn't exactly extraordinary (last season low-rated shows such as Heroes and Gossip Girl hit 25 too), or as drastic as the 27 FOX rewarded to Family Guy or The O.C., but still. Glee is ruling, and you gotta love it.

Also, Murphy hopes to get out of McKinley for at least one episode. "I loved it when The Brady Bunch went to Hawaii. I want New Directions to go to some competition in New York."

Like the idea? Perhaps they could have a sing/dance-off with the kids from 'Fame', I wonder who'd win... Are you happy with 25 episodes? Worried that this might affect the quality of the show?

Curb Your Enthusiasm for eight season

Things are looking up for an eigth season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David, series creator and star, spoke at Sunday's Paley Festival about the chances of another season and Toyota.

"I'm leaning towards it, so I would say there's a good chance," David says at the Paley Festival. "It's not definite yet, but we're working on it." David, who stars as the lead and creates an outline for all episodes, is optimistic. And considering the seventh season finale posted the best ratings for the show to date, I'm guessing HBO is more than happy to give it another go.

For it's seventh season, the show reunited the Seinfeld cast. If the show would continue, David said guest star JB Smoove would likely return and that he would give consideration to an arc concerning the Toyota Prius he drives on the show.

Personally, I wouldn't mind another season of a show I don't watch. But what about you? Do you think Curb has run it's course? Or are you excited for a possible eight season?

(Pilot) Casting updates: Mary Steenburgen, Battlestar Galactica and more

Busy times continue for the industry, as everybody is shaping up to both end this season and start the next one. While most supporting actors hope for a lead in pilot season, others are just grateful they get a recurring spot. It's the endless circle of TV, and here's the latest...

Another veteran of the cult-hit Battlestar Galactica landed a role on a new series. After Katee Sackhoff joined 24 and Grace Park signed on for CBS' Hawaii Five-O remake, it's now James Callis' turn to return to Sci-fi (or Syfy, if you wish). Callis is about to join the cast of Syfy's Eureka. Best known for his role as Dr. Gaius Baltar, Callis will now appear as Dr. Grant on the upcoming fourth season about the small little town full of nutty professors. Dr. Grant is a former resident of Eureka and now returns to shake things up and one of those things happens to be Allison Blake's romantic lovelife, causing friction with Sheriff Jack Carter. Eureka is slated to return July 9th.

Marsha Thomason is coming back to White Collar in it's second season. Thomason, who starred in Las Vegas and appeared on Lost, played FBI agent Diana Lancing in the show's pilot, but was then replaced by Natalie Morales' character. For the second season, Morales will be leaving and Thomason will come back.
Billy Brown has been added to FX's new drama series Lights Out as a regular. Brown, who most recently was seen in 'Star Trek', will play Raymond Reynolds, the current heavyweight champion and longtime rival of the main character, Patrick Leary.
Gregg Henry is promoted to series regular on HBO's comedy Hung. The show centers around the well endowed high school basketball coach Ray who moonlights as a male prostitute. In it's first season, Henry played Ray's assistant coach.
Colm Feore is about to sign a deal to co-star opposite Jeremy Irons on Showtime's upcoming drama series The Borgias. Set in 1492 Italy, the show focuses on a powerful crime family headed by Rodrigo Borgia. Feore, who recently recurred on 24, would play the role of Borgia's nemesis, Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere.
Mary Steenburgen has been cast in ABC's comedy pilot Southern Discomfort. The show centers on a father whose life is turned upside down when his grown kids move back in with him. Steenburgen will play his wife.
Carly Pope and David Ramsey are set to star opposite Jimmy Smits in NBC's untitled John Eisendrath drama pilot. Ramsey will play Smits best friend since childhood.
Ian Reed Kessler landed a lead on NBC's comedy Friends With Benefits as an oversexed womanizer.
Lindsey Broad has signed on ABC's comedy pilot Who Gets The Parents? in which she'll play one of the adult children of a divorcing couple who were married for 30 years.
Kerri Reno 911 Kenney joins FOX's Tax Man as a human resources rep.
Xander Berkely has been added to CW's Nikita as the Machiavellian leader of the show's main star.
Odette Yustman is set as the female lead on FOX's untitled Adam Goldberg comedy pilot. The single-camera comedy, directed by Seth Gordon, revolves around twentysomething geniuses who crack security systems. Yustman, who starred on October Road, will play a member of the team and an expert in safe cracking and demolition.

That's a wrap folks. Happy with the new additions? Glad to see the Battlestar-cast back to work? Getting more interested in the reboots? Just glad to see Steenburgen on the small screen again? I'm all of the above.

Mission: Impossible star Peter Graves dies

The star of the hit tv-series Mission: Impossible, Peter Graves, has died of an apparant heart attack outside his Los Angeles home on Sunday.

Graves, who was most famous for the role of Jim Phelps in the original, and hugely popular Mission: Impossible which ran from 1967 to 1973. In the series, Phelps was assigned a seemingly impossible mission, which largely invovled going behind enemy lines, but after the hour, the mission, of course, was always possible.

After the series ended, Graves starred in films such as the successful 'Airplane!' and it's sequel. He returned to the small screen to play Fred in The Winds Of War and several roles in Fantasy Island.

Later, in 1988, he was the only original cast member to return for a second Mission: Impossible series, that ran until 1990.

In recent years, Graves appeared in shows such as House and 7th Heaven.

Peter Graves, who was born as Peter Aurness, was married to Joan Endress with whom he had three children. He died one week before his 84th birthday.

March 14, 2010

A spoiler-free look at what's next on Glee

Are you having Glee withdraws? Done celebrating over winning sectionals? Realized life indeed s*cks without them? Here's some scoop to get your gleek back on for the April 13th premiere of televisions hottest new show. Kristin Dos Santos met up with the cast and producers of FOX popculture hit Glee for those who don't know, is 'High School Musical' done right, with actual story, moral and loveable characters. Imagine that! Being away since December 9th, fans have been waiting patiently for the second-half of the season to start. And there's lot's of goodies coming our way. Besides the special Madonna episode, some new characters (and potential love interest), new hairdo's and what's that about Julia Roberts?

Lady Gaga is coming to Glee! Ok, maybe not in person (and looking at her performance on Gossip Girl, that might not be such a bad thing) but one of her songs is. She was asked to lend one of her songs over to the talented cast of Glee and said "yes, I'd love to be a part of it". Dance on Gaga!
Where Gaga just got the sympathy of seven million people, Coldplay and Bryan Adams might lost it. Both of the iconic performers said no to a Glee-pimp of their song. It's not like our gleeks need fixin' anyway!
Puckleberry, as the kids call it these days, will be back on. Ryan Murphy confirms that the hyped up Puck and Rachel, will be back on in the back-half of season one. But then again, Puck will be on with every girl on the show.
Kurt will get a boyfriend. Well, that you might already know, but did you know it's going to be completely out of reality? Where Kurt was dumped in the trash in the pilot, he will no become "popular and confident and a role model", according to Murphy. "He's very different, but equally fabulous. I want them to be the power couple of the school." I'm all for openly gay, happy couples. (Carizona anyone?) But ignoring their common place in high school sounds like a topic HSM would do, not our edgy Glee, right?
There will be song. Once the magnificent NPH (do I still need to fully spell his name?) and Matthew Morrison will get their rivalry going. "He got all the girls and the good songs. He's on the school board and trying to take down the glee club. We have two duets, Aerosmith and Billy Joel" Morrison says.
We will learn about Terri and why she is so..."special needs".
Parents will get some attention when Kurt tries to hook his dad with someone elses mom.
Will won't be meeting Rachel's two gay dads this season.
Is Julia Roberts coming to McKinley High? "I just finished a movie with Julia, 'Eat, Pray, Love'. She saw the rought cuts and fell in love with the show. I don't know if Julia's gonna do it, maybe. But she loves the show." Could Miss. Roberts actually be a part of it all? She wouldn't even need to sing. She could just sit down and smile for 40 minutes.
In the first episode back, newbie Jonathan Groff is going to sing the titular song Hello, by Lionel Richie.
The Madonna episode is going to be the second episode back. They have 10 songs of her and Jane Lynch is going Vogue.
Kristin Chenoweth is coming back in the third episode. [insert happy dance here]

Can't wait to see our favorite gleeksters back again? Did this help anything with your addiction? No? Understandable. Only 30 more days people!

March 13, 2010

Parks & Recreation: Someone is leaving the department

If there's one less-rated show on the air that still has a smooth running, it's Parks & Recreation. The show revolving around Leslie Knope in the parks department got off on a rocky start last spring, but is on a roll in it's second season. Just picked up for it's third, the show added Rob Lowe and Adam Scott to it's cast. But not everybody is going to be there to see it happening. The L.A. Times had an exclusive interview with this executive producer Mike Schur who revealed that someone is definitely leaving the NBC comedy.

Rumors have been flying around Parks & Recreation. Why did Adam Scott abandon Party Down for this? Why did Rob Lowe abandon Brothers & Sisters for this? And is it true that Paul Schneider, who plays Pawnee's city planner Mark, is leaving the show? The answer is "yes". Scheinder is definitely leaving Pawnee, but this ain't Grey's Anatomy and his exit is quit clean, humane and actually very promising. Summing up the interview, the full version you can read here, this is why:

- In the beginning, Mark is based on an actual guy who used to work for the government, but got fed up with the bureaucracy and went on to work in the private sector. That didn't really turn out, and so he moved back and forth between jobs. When Schneider was cast, this was the idea for him. So this is, in fact, a rare case of a planned exit.

- "[Mark] is going to remain in the world of the show in a way that not only allows but hopefully demands that he'll reenter it. He's not going to be killed in some weird accident." Schur states. No bloody season finale for P-Rex!

- Schneider is going to focus on his film career. After being in hits such as 'Lars and the Real Girl' and 'The Assassination Of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford', he has a promising set-up for the movie world. Hopefully he can fill his time and still come back to Pawnee once in a while.

- Adam Scott will not replace him. Nor is he a definite love interest for Leslie. But there's always hope for our way too busy Leslie.

- Scott and Lowe will come in and help the department with budget issues.

Sound's good? Not really, I'll miss Mark, but I have enough confidence that everything will be fine and hopefully, the on/off thing will work and we haven't seen the last of him yet.

Casting updates: Betty White, Summer Glau and more

While most actors are busy to get themselves tied down to one of the fall pilots that are casting right now, other, somewhat bigger names are satisfied with just a guest stint or a five-hour miniseries. See which stars will be coming to a small screen near you...

Evan Rachel Wood might not be entirely available for the role of Queen Sophie-Ann on True Blood because she's been tapped to star opposite Kate Winslet in Mildred Pierce, a five-hour miniseries for HBO directed by Todd Haynes. And she's not the only one who's joining. Guy Pierce has been cast in the miniseries too, together with Melissa Leo, James LeGros and and Brian F. O'Byrne.

Mildred Pierce is an adaption of James M. Cain's classic noir novel, which centers on Mildred Pierce Beragon (Winslet), a wife who seperates from her unemployed husban, Bert (O'Byrne) and takes a job as a waitress while struggling to earn her daughter Veda's (Wood) love during the Great Depression in middle-class Los Angeles. Pearce will play Mildred's lover, a wealthy playboy. LeGros will play Bert's former business partner. Oscar nominated Leo will play a good friend to Mildred. Morgan Turner has been cast as the 10-year old version of Veda.

Annabeth Gish can test her knowledge of global conspiracy theories again soon on a guest appearance on ABC's FlashForward. Her role is still a secret, but the episode is expected to air late April or early May.

Summer Glau, the woman who made many Sci-fi fans drool on Dollhouse, Firefly and The Sarah Connor Chronicles will return to TV in the superhero series The Cape for NBC. Glau will play an investigative blogger who fights crime and corruption from behind a mask, like the show's lead star (David Lyons) who fights bad guys as a masked hero called The Cape. The pilot will be directed by Simon West (Human Target).

TV legend Betty White keeps herself occupied. After it was announced earlier this week she'll be hosting Saturday Night Live, White will also guest star on the season finale of The Middle. The 88 year-old, four-time Emmy winner was recently seen on 'The Proposal' and 30 Rock.

March 12, 2010

Review: Grey's Anatomy S06E17 - Push

Relationships are being created, examined and put to the test on a weekly base on Grey's Anatomy, this week is no different, except perhaps that it was one of those episodes where everybody of this (perhaps way too big) ensemble drama had a proper place and role in the stories that were told. As if there might actually be some structure to the big entanglement of love, sex and medicine that is Seattle Grace.

At least, that's the latest from Aussiello who reports that Katherine Heigl is thisclose to exit her contract with the show. Heigl, who has played Izzie Stevens for six years, took time off from the show to shoot a movie and spend time with her new daughter, but by the looks of it, she's never coming back.

Heigl has wanted to get out of her contract with ABC for quit a while now, following a series of public outings against creator Shonda Rhimes, her long work days and colleagues. From all the drama that goes on at TV's juiciest set, Heigl was responsible for at least half. So if anything, ABC wouldn't worry too much about losing the woman who gave the publicists a lot of overtime. So where's the problem?

Izzie. Heigl claimed she loved playing her, and Rhimes certainly wasn't ready to let her off, after almost killing her last season finale, but bringing her back only to get her fired and break up with on/off relationship with Alex. Word was that, after taking off a couple of months to stay home with her new adopted daughter and shoot a movie, Heigl was expected to return to Grey's on March 1st. She didn't. And as the season draws to a close, she's not expected to make a return this season and when her contract ends, never again. So story lines with Izzie are likely to end the way E.R. perfected; mentioned in a brief conversation without ever looking back.

It's not exactly a surprise since Heigl became one of the five most paid actresses after her success with 'Knocked Up' and other comedies, but to happen it this way? Personally, I'm saddend that Izzie (and Alex) will never get a proper ending, but it certainly was predictable. What about you? Sad you'll probably never see Alex and Izzie together? Happy you're finally rid of Heigl?

Review: Ugly Betty S04E15 - Fire And Nice

For the Modern Family fans this episode might sound like an unoriginal rip-off, but for the Ugly Betty fans, at least, it is certainly not. In fact, this episode moves the show into a direction that will lead to a satisfying end for the funnest ensemble telenovela on the air.

Alan Tudyk joins Rockford Files

After previously reported that Dermot Mulroney will star as the lead in NBC's reimaginging of the seventies hit series Rockford Files, Michael Aussiello confirms that Alan Tudyk has signed on the project.

Tudyk, best known for his roles in Firefly and more recently Dollhouse, was killed off on another remake series V last november. With Dollhouse ending, there was space for him to climb aboard the new pilot, produced by David Shore.

What the new show exactly will entail is still up in the air, but Tudyk has been cast as LAPD sergeant Dennis Becker who is a close friend to lead Jim Rockford (Mulroney).

Are you getting excited about Alan Tudyk joining Rockford Files? Or are you going to wait before jumping on another remake-wagon?

Review: Cougar Town S01E17 - Counting On You

If you're not watching Cougar Town, start now, because it's just too fun to miss out on. Inside jokes of the week, returning Barb, sequences that are incredibly funny and random, there are just a part of the fantastic comedy plot that is Cougar Town. Forget the title about dating younger guys, this show is about friends..and catfish.

In the second episode, Parenthood doesn't shy away from story lines that have been explored on TV before, forced family time and no sincerity at all. There's potential, but aside from Graham, Christensen, Shephard and the kids, there's not much going on.

In an exciting, thrilling homage to Alfred Hitchcock, Psych bows out it's season with a finale worthy of such a theme. 'Mr. Yin Presents' is one that catches back to everything you knew, and twists it around for it's own amusement.

In the second week, Southland focuses more on character development, private lives and only one big case that's quit heavy. The show that is heading towards a seemingly inevitable unsatisfying end is just getting better.

As the castings continue actors who appear only in secondary or returning roles hope to catch a lead in one of the 80-something pilots that have been ordered for fall season. And today, there are two ~~famous~~ well known TV daughters making their way to a lead. Oh, they grow up so fast.

Elisha Cuthbert, who's best known for her role as daughter of Jack Bauer on 24 (and of course 'The Girl Next Door'), will star on ABC's comedy pilot Happy Endings. Cuthbert will play a bride who, after breaking up with her groom at the altar, must figure out how to maintain relationships with their group of friends.

Second, Lyndsy Fonseca who perfected surprised, grossed out or shocked looks as Ted's future daughter on How I Met Your Mother will co-star opposite Maggie Q in The CW's Nikita.

Off-topic, Will Sasso and Stephanie Lemelin joined CBS' twitter-show Sh*t My Dad Says while Traylor Howard has been cast as the female lead on an untitled comedy pilot for ABC. Maria Thayer, Laureen Weedman and Mahaley Hessam have been cast in Larry Charles' NBC comedy pilot Our Show. James Frain has landed a lead in NBC's drama The Cape. Stephen Rea has boarded CBS's drama Chaos while David Gallagher joined CW's Betwixt. Sonja Sohn joins ABC's Body Of Evidence and Raoul Trujillo has been cast in ABC's Edgar Floats.

March 10, 2010

Review: 90210 S02E13 - Rats And Heroes

90210 returns with all-new episodes, while continueing story lines that have already been set up months ago. It results in an episode that has great pace, many stories and enough twists to keep the bar this show set for itself this season, as high as a guilty pleasure is supposed to.

Keri Russell is coming back to a small screen near you, at least, that's the latest from Michael Aussiello who reports that Russell is in talks to play Will Arnett's love interest in the comedy pilot Wilde Kingdom.

Russell, who starred as the titular herione in Felicity, put her focus more on a movie career in recent years. Now, she might come to FOX, joining Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz and already signed lead Will Arnett.

Kingdom revolves around Steve Wilde (Arnett), a wealthy, self-centered Beverly Hills playboy who falls for a selfless humanitarian (Russell).

In other exciting casting news:

Judy Greer has been tapped to star opposite David Krumholtz in FOX's comedy pilot Tax Man.
Jerry O'Connell gives TV another try opposite Jim Belushi in the CBS pilot Defenders
Jason 'American Pie' Biggs takes the lead in CBS' comedy pilot True Love
Madchen Amick has joined FOX drama Pleading Guilty
Brooke Bloom and Vanessa Minnillo have been added to NBC's comedy This Little Piggy
Anna Chlumsky scored a lead in CBS' drama Quinn-Tuplets
Melinda "Julie Cooper" Clarke joins Aaron Stanford in CW's Nikita
Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Hayes MacArthur have come aboard NBC's pilot Perfect Couples
Debra Jo Rupp boarded ABC's untitled Shana Goldberg-Meehan comedy pilot
Jay Hernandez and Michael Beach have been cast in CBS' untitled medical drama pilot
Jimmy Smits signs on to an untitled legal drama pilot for NBC, not just as a star but also as an executive producer

Any shows get way, way more interesting (Nikita perhaps)? Excited Russell is coming back to the small screen?

March 9, 2010

Review: Gossip Girl S03E13 - The Hurt Locket

Gossip Girl returns to the airwave with an episode that is juicy, sexy, full of twists, but misses the pace that made last season so good. It's a new beginning, unfortunately, it resolves around shaky marriages, old flames and one mother of a secret.

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