Television

BBC America Sets 9/3 For 'Luther' Return (4-Night TV Event, 2 Conflicting Crimes + A New Love)

Tambay A. Obenson — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:53:50 GMT

BBC America has announced, via press release, that John Luther (played by Idris Elba), the near-genius, emotionally-impulsive detective tormented by humanity's darker side, will be back on your TV screens on September 3, at 10pm/9c, as part of its Dramaville hour, airing on 4 successive nights - September 3, 4, 5 & 6. It's not quite "binge-watching" a la Netflix; but in 4 back-to-back days, you'll get to watch the entire season (there are 4 episodes, which is typical). Here's an official synopsis: Idris Elba returns in the title role of the acclaimed mini-series which won him a 2012 Golden Globe for “Best Actor” in this four-night television event in September - with two conflicting crimes to investigate and a ruthless ex-cop determined to bring him down. Luther’s life is his job, that is until love crosses his path and offers him a chance of happiness. Sienna Guillory (“Resident Evil,” “Love Actually”) joins the cast as Mary, a woman who works in a vintage...

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TV SPOTLIGHT: "Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters"

Greg Ehrbar — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:31:40 GMT

Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters is an animated action/adventure TV series based on the Kaijudo collectible card game developed by Henry Gilcrest and Andrew R. Robinson for Wizards of the Coast. It is produced by Hasbro Studios, animated by Moi Animation in South Korea, and premiered last year on The Hub - and Shout Factory has just released a second compilation, Dragonstrike, on DVD. The main character is Ray, a creative boy who first bridges the gap between the trials and challenges of being an adolescent in suburbia to an amazing world of dragons, spirits and heroes known as the Kaijudo – a hybrid word meaning "the way of the strange beast." He and his two friends, Allie and Gabe, live between the two worlds and are trained to become Duel Masters. The series expands on the environments and creatures of the dragon world as well as the equally challenging real world. Stories are not only very heavy on action but also touch...

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'Arrested Development' May Return for More and Other Choice Info from THR's Interview with Netflix's Heads of Content

Bryce J. Renninger — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:41:52 GMT

Today at The Hollywood Reporter, Lacey Rose published her interview with Ted Sarandos and Cindy Holland, Chief Content Officer and VP of Original Programming, respectively, at Netflix. The interview is a candid look into how the company makes its original programming decisions and what's up next for them -- and after an attention-grabbing year for the streaming platform, Sarandos tells Rose that he'd like to double the amount of originals in 2014, to eight new series. The two seem to be incredibly delighted with how things have been going so far, with Netflix subscriptions increasing. They're also got reason to be proud of the critical response pouring in for "House of Cards," the eyeballs coming out for "Hemlock Grove," and rapt anticipation for "Arrested Development." READ MORE: 10 Things We Learned About the New Netflix 'Season' of 'Arrested Development' From the Show's Stars Here are the six most interesting quotes from the interview: David Fincher...

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Don Cheadle, Regina King, Angela Bassett Are Critics' Choice TV Nominees; No 'Scandal' Love

Tambay A. Obenson — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:24:00 GMT

The list of nominees for the 3rd Annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards were announced today by The Broadcast Television Journalists Association. A hat-tip to Don Cheadle (House of Lies), Regina King (Southland), Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta), Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias), and RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race), who are all nominees this year for their work in their respective categories. No nominations for Scandal, you ask? Well, no! Sorry. Cable TV wins again (no surprise) with HBO and FX leading all nominations with 21 and 19 respectively. The winners will be revealed at the Monday, June 10 event in Beverly Hills hosted by Parks and Recreation star Retta - aka Marietta Sirleaf (her photo above; and yes, she is related to Liberia's first woman president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf). The full list of nominees...

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'Bad Teacher' TV Adaptation Starring Ari Graynor Gets Series Order From CBS

Alison Willmore — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:58:46 GMT

CBS has ordered a single-camera comedy based on the Cameron Diaz movie "Bad Teacher" to series for the 2013-2014 season, the network announced today. Ari Graynor ("For a Good Time, Call...," "Whip It"), who's really earned a bigger platform for herself after so many funny sidekick roles, will take the lead role as Meredith Davis, an unapologetic former trophy wife turned inappropriate instructor in search of a new man to support her after being left penniless by her last marriage. "The Office" alums Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky wrote the original film and are executive producing the half-hour TV series alongside Hilary Winston ("Happy Endings"), who wrote the pilot -- Don Scardino was the director. "Bad Teacher," which has been given a 13-episode order, co-stars Sara Gilbert ("Roseanne"), Kristin Davis ("Sex and the City"), Ryan Hansen ("Party Down") and David Alan Grier ("In Living Color"). Sony Pictures Television are co-producing the series with CBS...

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Watch Episode One Of 'Hit The Floor' Right Now Ahead Of Monday's TV Debut

Tambay A. Obenson — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:12:37 GMT

VH1 has made episode 1 of its scripted hour-long drama Hit The Floor, which co-stars Kimberly Elise and newcomer Taylour Paige, as well as Charlotte Ross, Logan Browninghas and Dean Cain. Sanaa Hamri directed the pilot episode of a show that will focus on the lives and loves of a team of professional basketball dancers. Hit The Floor follows the lives and loves of the Los Angeles Devil Girls, the dance team for the No.1 professional basketball team in the country. It centers on Ahsha (Taylour Paige), a sheltered young woman who joins the team against the wishes of her mother Sloane (Kimberly Elise), who knows this treacherous, tempting world all too well having been an original Devil’s Girl herself. Olivia (Charlotte Ross) is the shrewd squad manager, Jelena (Logan Browning) is the ruthless star captain of the dance team and Pete Davenport (Dean Cain) is the former All-Star who’s come back to coach his old team only to have...

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FX Orders a Pilot for Billy Crystal Comedy 'The Comedians,' Written by Larry Charles

Alison Willmore — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:59:00 GMT

At its upfront presentation in March, FX announced that it was launching a new channel, FXX, focused on comedy. "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "The League," "Legit" and "Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell" will shift to the sister network when it launches this fall, but there will also obviously be more room for new originals on both. And one of those could by "The Comedians," a half-hour, single-camera comedy starring Billy Crystal as a showbiz veteran who gets paired with an edgy up-and-comer on a late-night sketch show. "The Comedians" pilot will be directed by Larry Charles ("Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Borat"), and is written and executive produced by Charles, Crystal, Matt Nix ("Burn Notice") and Ben Wexler ("Community"). It's produced by Fox Television Studios and is an adaptation of the Swedish series "Ulveson and Herngren," which was a mockumentary starring Johan Ulveson and Felix Herngren as themselves. Carl Molinder and John Nordling of Efti AB will also EP...

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Critics’ Choice Television Award Nominations Led by HBO with 21, Surprising Omissions

Anne Thompson — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:15:37 GMT

Nominations are in for the third annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards, which will be held the evening of Monday, June 10, 2013 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) nominates and votes for the awards. For the first time the show, hosted by "Parks and Recreation" star Retta, will be webcast live on UStream. It's not surprising that usual critics' fave HBO dominated the networks in nominations with 21, but FX came on strong with 19. "American Horror Story: Asylum" (FX) and "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS) led the field with six nominations each, followed by "Parks and Recreation" (NBC) and "Top of the Lake" (Sundance) with five each, and "The Americans" (FX), "Breaking Bad" (AMC), "Game of Thrones" (HBO), "The Good Wife" (CBS), "Louie" (FX), "New Girl" (FOX) and "Political Animals" (USA) with four each. Steven Soderbergh is having a good week as his well-reviewed Cannes competition film "Behind the Candelabra" landed a nom as...

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Why Television Has Become the Medium Fueling Important Conversations About Sex

Carly Milne — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:14:32 GMT

It was a classic moment in pop culture history: Marge Simpson -- sitting up in bed watching television -- turns to Homer and says, "You know, Fox turned into a hardcore sex channel so gradually, I didn't even notice." And while Fox hasn't quite yet moved all their production to the Valley, Marge called it back in 1995: as the number of steamy scenes seems to be on the decline in mainstream film, they're finding more and more of a home on the small screen. These days, it's not just that there's tons of sex on television -- it's how explicit it's getting, particularly on cable. And maybe that's a good thing. As far as we've come in connecting, understanding and relating to our sexuality -- to the point where we're reading "50 Shades of Grey" on the subway and "Sex and the City" now seems tame -- our society still deals with a considerable amount of shame, confusion and discomfort surrounding sexual expression. While "50 Shades" (currently ramping up to a high profile film adaptation...

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Now and Then: Obituary for 'The Big C,' Starring Luminous Laura Linney

Matt Brennan — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:18:15 GMT

Cathy Jamison was a brave bitch. Through four seasons of Showtime's "The Big C," which ended its run Monday, she suffered the indignities of metastatic melanoma, chemotherapy, brain tumors, hospice, and bad insurance, yet remained steadfast in her belief that "surviving" and "living" do not necessarily amount to the same thing. She will be missed. I'm not spoiling anything by telling you that Cathy eventually succumbed to the disease. Her death was not a plot point. It was, rather, the series' structuring logic: creator Darlene Hunt's sardonic comedy of cancer thrived not on the hope for miracles but on the certainty of death. "Your insides are dying, too," Cathy tells a mall worker who makes a ham-handed effort to sympathize with her plight. "Right now. Every day." A brave bitch -- her words, not mine -- indeed. Like the other women of premium cable in recent years (Nancy Botwin, Jackie Peyton, Hannah Horvath, Amy Jellicoe) Cathy could be mean-spirited,...

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Full-Scale Gang War In 1st Trailer For Allen Hughes-Directed FOX Series 'Gang Related' (RZA Co-stars)

Tambay A. Obenson — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:07:43 GMT

Here's your first look at the upcoming Fox drama series directed by Allen Hughes, and co-starring Rza, titled Gang Related. The project follows a gang member who's sent in to infiltrate the San Francisco Police Department who rises through its ranks but must balance his obligations to his crime family with an increasing sense of loyalty to his new “family” - the SFPD’s Gang Task Force. The project comes from 20th Century Fox TV and Imagine TV, and is written by Chris Morgan (Fast Five), with Scott Rosenbaum serving as showrunner.Ramon Rodriguez stars, while Rza plays a character named Cassius, Rodriguez’s partner and best friend on the Gang Task Force, who's originally from the streets of Oakland.

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Get a First Look at Holliday Grainger and Emile Hirsch as 'Bonnie & Clyde' in A&E's Upcoming Miniseries

Alison Willmore — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:04:44 GMT

Hoping to replicate the success of History's 2012 Emmy-winning, ratings record-breaking miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys," the channel is pairing up with sister networks A&E and Lifetime on a new period piece this year, "Bonnie & Clyde." The two-part series will be simulcast on all three networks later this year, with Bruce Beresford ("Tender Mercies," "Driving Miss Daisy") directing from a screenplay by Joe Batteer and John Rice. Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are the executive producers. Holliday Grainger ("The Borgias") and Emile Hirsch ("Into the Wild") will play the infamous Depression-era outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, going up against the iconic performances of Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in Arthur Penn's 1967 film. Will they past muster? A&E Networks has released three first look photos from the miniseries suggesting the pair at least know how to strike a pose in vintage costumes. Holly Hunter, William Hurt, Sarah Hyland,...

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Interview with Tassie Cameron - Creator and Executive Producer of Rookie Blue

Melissa Silverstein — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:00:03 GMT

The summer used to be a void of new TV shows. No more. Now summer has a bunch of series -- many that star women like Rizzoli & Isles and Covert Affairs. Another one of those summer shows is Rookie Blue. Women and Hollywood got the chance to do an email interview with Tassie Cameron, the creator and executive producer of Rookie Blue. This is particularly exciting because we love the show and we don't usually hear from showrunners. Rookie Blue's fourth season begins tomorrow, Thursday, at 10pm on ABC. Women and Hollywood: The cop show is so prevalent on TV yet Rookie Blue seems fresh. How did you give this genre a reboot? Tassie Cameron: So many cop shows are about superheroes; super detectives, super action-guys, super-experienced specialists who've seen it all. I think what's different about our show is that most of our characters are complete and utter newbies. They're rookies in every way, both professionally and personally. They're going to make...

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Comedy Central Is Betting Big On Hannibal Buress - Inks Multiplatform Deal

Tambay A. Obenson — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:52:22 GMT

Hannibal Buress is a wanted man, and it must feel good to be wanted. In December, the stand-up comedian and TV writer was tapped by the ABC network to develop a cop/comedy series that he, Hannibal Buress, would star in. The yet-to-be-titled program, which was to be co-written by Buress and Rob Sheridan, was said to be inspired by Buress’ stand-up, and would see him starring as a cop in a small town. No word on where that stands currently. But no matter, because Buress has now inked what THR calls a wide-ranging, multiplatform development deal with Comedy Central, which includes a pilot commitment that Buress will exec produce and star in, as well as a recurring role on upcoming scripted comedy series titled Broad City, and a one-hour stand-up special and a nationwide tour. “It’s a bunch of things that I like to do, and they were able to put it together in an all-encompassing deal,” says Buress, who calls Louis C.K. a role career...

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HBO, 'Big Bang' and 'Horror Story' Lead 3rd Annual Critics' Choice TV Award Nominations

Peter Knegt — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:08:28 GMT

The 3rd Annual Critics' Choice Television Awards announced the nominations for the 2012-13 television season this morning, with HBO topping all networks with 21 nominations. "Behind The Candelabra," "Veep" and "Game of Thrones" all managed multiple major nominations for the network, though none were the most-nominated: CBS's "The Big Bang Theory" and FX's "American Horror Story" tied for that honor, taking six nods apiece. READ MORE: Indiewire's 2013 Emmy Award Predictions Notable snubs including recent Emmy and Golden Globe winners "Modern Family," "Girls" and "Mad Men" in the best comedy and drama series categories (though they all got nominations elsewhere). "The Americans" was the only new series to nab a series nom, though freshmen "Bunheads," "House of Cards," "Rectify" and "Bates Motel" all got acting nominations. The full list of nominations below. The winners will be announced on June 10th at a ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel hosted by Retta (of "Parks and Recreation"...

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2013 Emmy Award Predictions

Peter Knegt — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:05:00 GMT

Indiewire will provide regular updates of our predictions for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will be handed out September 22, 2013 with nominations coming July 18th. The nominations will come from an extremely competitive batch of options, from drama ("Mad Men," "Breaking Bad," "Homeland," "Game of Thrones," "House of Cards") to comedy ("Girls," "Parks and Recreation," "Louie," the final season of "30 Rock" and the return of "Arrested Development") to television movies and miniseries ("Top of the Lake," "Behind The Candelabra," "The Girl," "Phil Spector"), though keep in mind the Emmys' rather tragic history in handing out undeserving or sometimes downright bizarre nominations (and snubbing of the likes of "The Wire"). Click below for nomination predictions and commentary with regard to the drama, comedy and TV movie/miniseries categories. It's early, so check back as the nominations draw more near for updated predictions.DRAMA CATEGORY...

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Ang Lee Won't Direct the Pilot for FX's 'Tyrant' After All

Alison Willmore — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:47:53 GMT

"Tyrant," the FX drama from "Homeland" producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff, managed a serious coup when it landed Ang Lee as the director of its pilot. The announcement was made in March, less than a month after Lee won the Oscar for Best Director for "Life of Pi," and it was set to be Lee's first television venture. Alas, no longer. Deadline reports that Lee, who's currently serving as a Cannes jury member, has pulled out of the high profile project, having done some location scouting for "Tyrant" but not yet begun with more work. He released the following statement: It is with disappointment that I must confirm I have withdrawn from my commitment to direct the upcoming FX pilot Tyrant. It is one of the most brilliant ideas for a series that I’ve seen and one about which I was very excited. However, after spending over four years making and promoting Life Of Pi, I have recently realized that I need some rest . Because I cannot give 100% to this exciting project at this time, I...

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'Only Kings Understand Each Other' - Jeffrey Wright Is Dr. Narcisse In 'Boardwalk Empire' Teaser

Tambay A. Obenson — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:32:33 GMT

Boardwalk Empire is a series I just haven't quite been able to sink my teeth into; although that's mostly because there's just too much competing for my time, and just not enough hours in the day to stay current on everything. Although, ahead of our man Jeffrey Wright's highly-anticipated debut in the upcoming fourth season of the lauded HBO series, I'm going to have to play catch-up. Wright, in a series regular role, plays a character named Valentin Narcisse, Doctor of Divinity, philanthropist, student of culture and the man who runs Harlem! I smell an instant classic performance by Mr Wright. The Emmys should just slap his name on one of those trophies right now. Ok, so I'm getting ahead of myself. Season 4 of Boardwalk Empire is coming this fall. Here's a teaser featuring Wright as Mr Narcisse... uh, I mean Dr Narcisse.

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Here's What Your ABC Fall (Black) Primetime Lineup Looks Like...

Tambay A. Obenson — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:22:25 GMT

Not much new programming from ABC to look forward to next season, as far as shows with black actors in lead/starring roles are concerned. Of course both Shonda Rhimes series - Grey's Anatomy and Scandal - are returning. But both are already in ABC's arsenal. Ashley Madekwe and Toks Olagundoye will return to their respective supporting roles in Revenge and The Neighbors, respectively. There's also Robert Wisdom in Nashville. One new series of note is Resurrection, which stars Omar Epps in the the top role, in the serial adaptation of author Jason Mott's debut novel, The Returned. Although it's a mid-season replacement, so don't expect to see it until sometime in early 2014. There are a couple of new shows with black actors in them, although not necessarily front-and-center. Isiah Whitlock Jr. is a member of the ensemble cast of Lucky 7, which revolves around seven employees of a service...

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Watch Episodes 4 & 5 Of Al Jazeera's Super 'New African Photography' Series

Tambay A. Obenson — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:23:00 GMT

Al Jazeera English presents a new 6-episode series on Artscape, titled The New African Photography, which documents changes across the continent through the eyes of its photographers, in an effort to "take back control" of images of Africa with more nuanced, varied depictions of the continent, instead of the extremes we often get. The first 5 episodes are now available online to watch, and are all embedded below (preceded by descriptions of each), with one more episode to go, which will air next week. 1. Invisible Borders (22 April 2013)Nigerian Emeka Okereke is the founder of Invisible Borders, an annual photographic project that takes African artists on a road trip across the continent. Invisible Borders follows Emeka and fellow Nigerian photographer Lilian Novo on the most recent journey, from Nigeria through Cameroon and Gabon. Emeka says, “Everywhere we go in Africa,...

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Steven Spielberg Will Produce a 'Halo' TV Series for Xbox

Alison Willmore — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:18:58 GMT

There was a well publicized attempt to bring Microsoft's incredibly successful sci-fi video game series "Halo" to the big screen a few years ago. Alex Garland ("The Beach") wrote a script, Peter Jackson was going to be the executive producer and Neill Blomkamp ("District 9") was signed on to direct. The project fell apart, though fans have continued to hold out hope of seeing Master Chief and the world of the game in film form. They may not be getting their wish, but it looks like they're going to get something close. At a press event in Redmond, WA today, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the latest in its line of game consoles turned multipurpose media platform. And, in accordance with the evolution of the device, which now aims to be the "ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system," Microsoft revealed plans to begin rolling out original series. READ MORE: Why Everyone Wants a Premium Drama: DirecTV's Chris Long Talks About Getting Into the Game With...

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Not Everyone Is Happy With The Guy In NBC's 'Ironside' Reboot

Sergio — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:29:18 GMT

According to The Wrap it seems that not everyone is happy with NBC’s upcoming new reboot of their old 1970’s Ironside series, and, in particular with Blair Underwood in the lead role. Not because he’s black, but because he’s not disabled in real life. Several disabled actors feel that having an actor who isn't disabled playing the lead role in the series "is as offensive as blackface". That’s what disabled actor Kurt Yaeger (Sons of Anarchy) says, stating that having it "…would be like being in the '50s and having a white guy do blackface. At this point, You need to start having disabled people playing disabled characters. Period." O.K. that’s an extreme point of view Paralyzed actress Auti Angel, who appears in the Sundance Channel’s reality series Push Girl adds: "What are they afraid of? There are so many extremely talented individuals who are performing artists with a different ability." In fact one disabled independent filmmaker, Larry Sapp,...

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Ricky Gervais' 'Derek' Will Premiere on Netflix in September

Alison Willmore — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:17:53 GMT

Netflix has set a date for its next exclusive series (of sorts) -- all seven half-hour episodes of Ricky Gervais' "Derek" will premiere at the streaming service at 12:01am PT on September 12. Unlike "House of Cards," which premiered February 1st, "Hemlock Grove" (April 19th), "Arrested Development" (this Sunday, May 26th) and "Orange is the New Black" (July 11th), "Derek" has already aired on UK TV, premiering in Channel 4. Gervais wrote, directed, executive produced and stars in "Derek" alongside David Earl, Karl Pilkington and Kerry Godliman. Gervais plays the title character, a kind, childlike middle-aged man who loves his job working at a retirement home and his friends, coworkers Dougie (Pilkington) and Hannah (Godliman) and autograph collector Kev (Earl). The show has been described as the often professionally smarmy Gervais' attempt to shift gears and approach a subject with sincerity and compassion. READ MORE: Ricky Gervais Defends New Series 'Derek' as 'About...

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Meet the Have-Nots Of Tyler Perry's/OWN's 'The Haves And The Have Nots'

Tambay A. Obenson — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:02:49 GMT

On Tyler Perry's upcoming new OWN dramatic series, The Haves and the Have Nots, the rich get richer, and the poor get even. Get to know the "have-nots" and the actors who play them. Watch the series premiere on Tuesday, May 28, at 9/8c. I don't know about you guys, but, damn, I sure can't wait for this one!! It should be hawt!

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TV One Announces Return Of Original Comedy Series 'Love That Girl!'

Tambay A. Obenson — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:37:20 GMT

TV One has announced the return of Love That Girl!, the half-hour comedy series chronicling the life and times of Imunique Jefferson and Delroy Jones. Created by Bentley Kyle Evans (Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show), the 4th season features a cast that includes Phil Morris, Bresha Webb, Alphonso McAuley, Peter Oldring, Mark Adair-Rios, and Huggy Low Down. It looks like Tatyana Ali will not be returning however. New to the series during the upcoming season will be Reagan Gomez who'll be playing Del Jones Realty's newest employee, as well as Delroy's niece, Jasmine Russell, who discovers that making it in LA is tougher than she imagined. "Our audience has been very vocal about their affinity towards this show," explained Alfred C. Liggins, III, President and CEO of TV One. "The return of Love That Girl! speaks to the strength of the series - our viewers championed its return, and TV One answered the call." "I am delighted to continue my...

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