Televisionary

Secret Agents, Screwball, and Pseudo-Science: An Advance Review of Syfy's "Warehouse 13"

2009-07-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Sci Fi will morph into Syfy, dropping its generic name in favor of a unique term that can be trademarked globally as the channel rolls out its brand to territories around the world. The metamorphosis of the channel--at least in terms of its name--will coincide with the launch of dramedy series Warehouse 13, which stars Joanne Kelley (Vanished), Eddie McClintock (Bones), and Saul Rubinek (Frasier). Warehouse 13, executive produced by Jack Kenny and David Simkins, isn't your conventional sci-fi series, but rather a sci-fi-tinged screwball dramedy about two very mismatched Secret Service agents who are forced to work together after they are transferred to a mysterious South Dakota warehouse. Said warehouse houses all manner of dangerous artifacts and powerful items that are best kept under lock and key. Overseen by punctilious caretaker Artie Nielsen (Rubinek), the Warehouse contains an arsenal of arcane objects that could wreak chaos in the wrong hands. It's his job--and now that of Agents Pete Lattimer (McClintock) and Myka Bering (Kelly)--to safeguard these objects, investigate cases involving possible use of relics, and bring them back to the Warehouse for safekeeping. McClintock and Kelly are well cast as diametrically opposed Secret Service agents in the style of The X-Files' Mulder and Scully or indeed any of the screwball romantic leads of any George Cukor or Howard Hawks films. McClintock's Pete Lattimer is a guy's guy who tends to shoot first and ask...

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Alphabet Soup: "The Unusuals" Creator Noah Hawley Signs Blind Script Deal at ABC Studios

2009-07-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

While ABC may have canceled The Unusuals, series creator Noah Hawley has signed an blind deal with ABC Studios to write two new series projects for the studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "For his encore Hawley is looking to employ some of the storytelling elements he used on Unusuals," writes Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva, "where stories with different characters often intersected in unexpected ways. Also, he plans to continue mixing comedy and drama." With the cat out of the bag, Hawley himself addressed the ABC Studios announcement on his personal website, where he posted an explanation this morning as to why he would go into business with ABC Studios after the network canceled The Unusuals. As for the hopes that The Unusuals might end up on a cable network, Hawley downplayed any chances that the series might continue elsewhere. "While we haven't heard officially from all cable networks, I'd say the lack of a timely response means the chances of The Unusuals continuing on are slim," wrote Hawley. "So I've taken the next step toward getting a show back on the air next fall. I closed a deal with ABC Studios to develop two shows over the next few months. I'm excited to explore in greater depth some of the storytelling devices and tonal shifts I feel we perfected on The Unusuals." "As to why stay in business with ABC after they cancelled the show," wrote Hawley, "I'd have to say my relationship with the network was always very positive, and despite the...

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Channel Surfing: Team Darlton Talk "Lost" Ending, "Doctor Who" Feature Rumors Swirl, Phifer and Beals Return to "Lie to Me," and More

2009-07-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Just a few headlines to go over on the first day back after a long holiday weekend. Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse have promised viewers a definitive ending for Lost when the series wraps its run next year. "We won’t be vague and ambiguous – there will be a lot of answers," promised Lindelof, speaking at a BAFTA event in London. "We feel that if we hold anything back in the final season, it would be bad. Everyone’s come this far and they want a conclusion to the story. We’ve no plans to continue the story of Lost beyond series six. My wife says 'never say never.' I say 'never.'" That final season won't feature time travel elements but will instead feel more like the first season. "There’s a circularity to the show," said Cuse. Just don't look for a happy ending. "Bittersweet comes with the territory," said Lindelof. "The ending we’re aspiring to is fair. As a viewer, whenever you have five minutes left, there’s an intense sadness. The ending of series six will be different from other finales because there will be no cliffhanger." (Broadcast) Rumors are swirling that Doctor Who executive producer Russell T. Davies and outbound series star David Tennant will be announcing their collaboration on a big-screen Doctor Who outing later this month at San Diego's Comic-Con International. A script for a Doctor Who feature film is said to be "in development" by a BBC Films spokesperson and reports are circulating...

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Link Tank: TV Blog Coalition Roundup for July 3-5

2009-07-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

Televisionary is proud to be a member of the TV Blog Coalition. At the end of each week, we'll feature a roundup of content from our sister sites for your delectation. This week, I proposed that not all culinary-themed television series are created equal, ranking such series as Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, BBC America's F Word, Food Network's Chopped, and FOX's Hell's Kitchen in one massive food-related post. I also offered up my thoughts on the latest episode of HBO's True Blood and an advance review of PBS' Miss Marple, recounted Torchwood star John Barrowman feeling "punished" by the BBC for the reduced episode count, reviewed the Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Season Two DVD set, and offered talk backs for FOX's Virtuality and HBO's Hung. All this and news about BBC axing Robin Hood for good, the unlikeness of a big-screen Veronica Mars adaptation, Christian Slater circling ABC drama The Forgotten, Tim Minear developing a new Alien Nation series at Syfy, Comic-Con scheduling updates for Syfy, the return of Sons of Anarchy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Nip/Tuck at FX this September, Drea de Matteo moving to Desperate Housewives, and Supernatural finding its Lucifer. Elsewhere in the sophisticated TV-obsessed section of the blogosphere, members of the TV Blog Coalition were discussing the following items... Scooter is giving away an Ice Road Truckers prize pack that includes the first two seasons on DVD. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)The group dance...

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Channel Surfing: "Robin Hood" Slain by BBC, Hulu Plans September Launch in UK, Neil Patrick Harris to Host Emmys, and More

2009-07-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. Hollywood seems more or less shut down already for the Fourth of July weekend, so just a few headlines this morning. The Beeb has confirmed that it will not be bringing back drama series Robin Hood for a fourth season. The series, which starred Jonas Armstrong in the title role, saw its viewership decline to roughly four million viewers during its third (and now final) season (compared to the 8.6 million who tuned in for the series premiere in 2006). For his part, Armstrong had made it clear that the third season would be his last, stating, "It's been a great thrill, a great ride, but you can't play one part forever." (BBC News) Hulu has announced plans to launch a UK-based online video service in September and has indicated that it is close to reaching content deals with local broadcasters after offering them equity stakes in the service as well as a share of advertising revenues. Rumors are swirling that Hulu has already approached ITV about a possible stake but that has yet to be confirmed. Service would feature more that 3000 hours of US programming as well as local-grown fare but, due to rights issues, some programs--such as The Simpsons and Heroes--would be unavailable as those rights are tied up elsewhere. (Variety) Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that CBS and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has reached a deal with How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris to host the 61st Annual...

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Neptune (Not) Rising: "Veronica Mars" Feature Film Update

2009-07-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

Looks like that Veronica Mars feature film is probably not happening... I've been on tenterhooks for the last few months about Rob Thomas' plans for a feature film version of his short-lived (and much missed) UPN/CW series Veronica Mars. On the one hand, I'd be the first in line to go back to Neptune and catch up with super-sleuth Veronica, watch her drop some witty bon mots, and solve some crimes, but I wondered whether there really was a massive public interest in, you know, paying to go see Veronica Mars on the big screen. After all, the sensational Kristen Bell-led series was canceled due to low ratings and, as much I adore Veronica Mars, it did work best as a complex, ongoing serialized drama series. It turns out that Warner Bros and executive producer Joel Silver feel more or the same way, according to series star Kristen Bell, who spilled the dish to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello at the recent Saturn Awards. "I don't think it will ever happen, and here's why: [Series creator] Rob Thomas and I had a powwow, and we were both 100 percent on board," said Bell. "We took our proposal to Warner Bros. and Joel Silver told us that there is no enthusiasm [there] to make a Veronica Mars movie, and that is unfortunately a roadblock we cannot compete with." "Maybe if we bombard them with letters?" suggests Bell. "Maybe [then] they will change their tune." What say you? Should a letter campaign be started to show Warner Bros. that there is support and appetite...

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Tea Cozies, Tweed, and Murder Most Foul: An Advance Review of "Marple" on PBS' "Masterpiece Mystery"

2009-07-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

The sunshine might be more intense than ever this summer, but it's also the perfect time to curl up with a good mystery, or four in this case. This weekend, PBS' Masterpiece Mystery launches the first of four fantastic new Miss Marple feature-length mysteries, based on the spinster detective character created by Agatha Christie. Stepping into the role for the first time is the superlative Julia McKenzie (Cranford), who replaces Geraldine McEwan as the titular sleuth following McEwan's retirement after the third season of Marple, which airs in the UK on ITV. McKenzie is pitch perfect as the perspicacious Jane Marple; she might look like an elderly spinster but her tweed suits and constant knitting belie the keen mind of a true detective in every sense of the word. The four installments presented here--"A Pocket Full of Rye," "Murder is Easy," "They Do It With Mirrors," and "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"--might seem like tea cozy mysteries but the crimes they depict are anything but civil, resulting in countless poisonings, stabbings, and strangulations. Yes, the tea might always be freshly brewed here, but the body count is climbing just the same. The four Marple mysteries airing over the next four Sundays represent a virtual Who's Who among British television actors. Every episode is positively overflowing with recognizable faces. The first installment alone ("A Pocket Full of Rye") features Matthew Macfadyen (Spooks, Little Dorrit), Rupert Graves (V for Vendetta), Liz...

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Channel Surfing: Christian Slater Gets "Forgotten," Emerson Says No Happy Ending for "Lost," Piper Perabo Engages in "Covert Affairs," and More

2009-07-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. Christian Slater (My Own Worst Enemy) is in talks to topline ABC drama series The Forgotten, from Warner Bros. Television and executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer. If the deal closes, Slater would replace Rupert Penry-Jones, who appeared in the original pilot episode as a former cop whose daughter was kidnapped and went missing. Another role--that played in the pilot by Reiko Aylesworth--is also being recast. The series is set to launch Tuesday, September 22nd at 10 pm. (Hollywood Reporter) Don't look for the series finale of Lost to feature a happy ending, according to series regular Michael Emerson. "I don't think Lost will have a happy ending," Emerson told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "It's the end and I think we are going to start seeing more casualties. I would put money on major characters being killed. I believe it will be a sad ending to the show -- or at least bittersweet. I think it will definitely be a series finale for grownups." And Emerson is still trying to make sense of this season's finale. "I killed Jacob... maybe... probably," mused Emerson. "It isn't like we haven't seen plenty of other people be killed and somehow come back. And what does it mean if I did kill him? I Who the hell was he anyway? Obviously, Ben wanted a father. So much of our show is about bad fathers. It is one of our biggest themes. And Jacob disappointed in those final moments. And maybe Jacob made it easy for him....

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The Insatiable Viewer: Not All Food Shows Are Created Equal

2009-07-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Now is a very good time to be a television-loving foodie, with several networks other than stalwarts Food Network or PBS devoting air time to culinary-themed programming. In fact, it's safe to say that cuisine as a whole has entered the general zeitgeist in a way that it couldn't really have done before the public's embrace of reality programming. But there's a rather large caveat: not all food programming is equal. While television offers a bountiful cornucopia of culinary series, there's still a large difference in the quality of these programs, not to mention a staggering range of subjects being covered. There are docusoaps that focus on cake-makers, competition series pitting chefs against each other, old fashioned cook-offs, food-focused travel series, and product spotlights. While I'd never be able to offer up a comprehensive discussion of all of these series (they are too numerous to even contemplate as a whole), I thought I'd take a look at a few members of the current crop of culinary programs and offer my thoughts about how each stacks up to the competition, with Bravo's Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, Food Network's Chopped, BBC America's Gordon Ramsay's F Word, and FOX's Hell's Kitchen. So, sit back, grab yourself a plate of something tasty, and let's get cooking. Top Chef (Bravo) Top Chef really is the mirepoix of culinary programs today: that essential base that makes all others possible. And likewise, the cabler has taken this base to build an entire Top...

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Channel Surfing: Syfy Discovers "Alien Nation," ABC Falls for "Defying Gravity," "Castle" Novel Out Next Month, and More

2009-07-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing. Syfy is developing a new incarnation of Alien Nation, the 1988 feature film that spun off into a FOX drama, with writer/executive producer Tim Minear (Firefly, Drive). The project, from Fox21, will tell the story of the partnership between a veteran police officer and an alien detective in the Pacific Northwest as the two races attempt to live side-by-side on Earth following the aliens' arrival and efforts to assimilate into human society. The new version will include a mythology that will unfold over time and will use contemporary issues, such as immigration, racism, terrorism, and paranoia, in its storytelling. "It's very much in keeping with what we've been looking to do -- find themes that are more than just hard sci-fi, something that feels contemporary and relevant and invites a broad audience in," said Syfy original programming EVP Mark Stern. "It's genre mixed with procedural mixed with funny and mixed with big, giant scary," Minear said. "I love serialized stuff, but this is also a cop franchise. That Starsky and Hutch/Lethal Weapon buddy cop comedy is absent from TV right now." (Variety) ABC has acquired Fox Television Studios' thirteen-episode international drama Defying Gravity, which will air on Canada's CTV, Germany's ProSieben, and the BBC. Project, which stars Ron Livingston, Laura Harris, Christina Cox, Malik Yoba, and Florentine Lahme, follows eight astronauts from five different countries in the near...

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Comic-Con Update: Syfy Announces Panels, Talent For SDCC Next Month

2009-06-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

After weeks of anticipation (and speculation), Syfy has finally announced which series they will be bringing down to San Diego Comic-Con next month. The cabler will be offering panels based around Caprica and telepic Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, Eureka, Sanctuary, Warehouse 13, and Stargate Universe. Additionally, Syfy will be taking over the Hard Rock Cafe and will re-brand the eatery as Eureka’s own “Cafe Diem” for entire breadth of the convention. Cafe Diem will be the focal point for many of Syfy's planned activities throughout the convention. The full press release from Syfy can be be found below, along with dates and times (and descriptions) of each of their panels. SCI FI FEATURES FAN FAVORITE SERIES AND STARS AT COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL 2009 New York, NY – June 30, 2009 – In keeping with its longstanding tradition of hosting some of Comic-Con’s most popular, crowd-pleasing events over the years, SCI FI Channel will once again feature some of its biggest hits – as well as its highly-anticipated new series – at this year’s Comic-Con International, held July 23-26 at the San Diego Convention Center. Fans will have the opportunity to see their favorite SCI FI stars and get the answers to all their burning questions at each of the Channel’s star-studded panels, including Warehouse 13, Eureka, Sanctuary, Stargate Universe, and Caprica/Battlestar Galactica: The Plan. In addition, SCI FI will take over a restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel, re-branding it as...

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FX Announces Return Dates for "Sons of Anarchy," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "Nip/Tuck"

2009-06-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

Ending several months of rumors, FX has now officially announced the launch dates for its returning series Sons of Anarchy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and nip/tuck. Season Two of Sons of Anarchy will kick off on Tuesday, September 8th at 10 pm ET/PT. The second season of the Charlie Hunnam-led series will feature guest turns by Alan Arkin and Henry Rollins. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns for a fifth season of madcap adventures on Thursday, September 17th. The twelve-episode season will air Thursday nights at 10 pm ET/PT. nip/tuck returns for its sixth and penultimate season of ten episodes in October (specific date TBA). Guest stars next season will include Vanessa Redgrave, Rose McGowan, Mario Lopez, Barry Bostwick and Gilles Marini. Additionally, the network will also launch an as-yet-unannounced new comedy series as a companion to It's Always Sunny on Thursday evenings. (I'd assume, then, that the poorly-received Testees won't be back for another go-around.) The full press release from FX, announcing the launch dates, can be found below. FX SETS FALL SCHEDULE Sons of Anarchy Returns Tuesday, September 8 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Comes Back Thursday, September 17 nip/tuck’s All New 6th Season Returns in October FX Plans to Launch a New Original Comedy Series This Fall September-December Features Premieres of Blockbuster Movie Titles LOS ANGELES, June 30, 2009 – FX, home to critically acclaimed and award-winning original series, has set...

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No Brief Candle: John Barrowman Claims "Torchwood" Punished by the Beeb

2009-06-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

Torchwood: Children of Earth star John Barrowman has lashed out at the BBC for "punishing" the Doctor Who spin-off series as it moved from BBC Two to BBC One with the third season, when its episodic count was reduced from a traditional thirteen to a leaner five episodes. Barrowman made the comments in the latest issue of the UK's Radio Times, which hit newsstands today, just a few days before the launch of Torchwood: Children of Earth in the United Kingdom. Unlike in previous seasons, Torchwood: Children of Earth is being stripped five nights a week in an "event" format by both BBC One and BBC America in the States. "I'm going to get a little political and I'll probably get into trouble for it, but... we were the most successful show on BBC3, ever," Barrowman told Radio Times. "We moved to BBC2 because the ratings were so good; the ratings were great again and we were beating shows that had been on BBC2 for a long time. The decision was made to go to BBC1 – and then we were cut. From 13 episodes down to five." "The five episodes, the miniseries as I call it, are incredible – I have no doubt about that – but personally, I felt like we were being punished," said Barrowman. "Other shows move from BBC3 and 2 to 1, and they don't get cut. So why are we? It felt like every time we moved we had to prove ourselves." Torchwood creator and lead writer Russell T. Davies, however, refuted any claims of being punished by the Beeb. "Part of us thought, 'We could do another 13...

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TV on DVD: "Secret Diary of a Call Girl Season Two"

2009-06-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

Fans of Showtime's imported British drama series Secret Diary of a Call Girl might want to check out the second season on DVD, which is being released today. After all, Season Two of Secret Diary of a Call Girl finds Hannah, a.k.a. high class call girl Belle (Doctor Who's Billie Piper), branching out onto her own while juggling all matter of problems, not least of which is her confused relationship with best friend Ben (Iddo Goldberg), a flighty protege named Bambi (The Beautiful Life's Ashley Madekwe), and the prospect of genuine happiness with boyfriend Alex (Dead Like Me's Callum Blue). The only problem is that Hannah hasn't quite gotten around to telling Alex, a dashing doctor recently relocated to London, what she does for a living. (Or who she does, really.) Season Two of the witty and provocative series finds Hannah living a double-life once again, lying to Alex even as she falls for him and trying to work up the courage to reveal to him who she really is. While Season One established Hannah/Belle and the nighttime world she inhabits, Season Two of the Lucy Prebble-created drama delves deeper into Hannah's psyche, exploring whether this educated and ambitious young woman can hold down a so-called "normal job" or if her alter ego "Belle" and her prostitution really do not only define her but satisfy her. The season also features one of the most horrifically intense and gut-wrenching scenes on the series to date--I won't reveal what it is--which packs an emotional...

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Channel Surfing: Drea de Matteo Moves to Wisteria Lane, Meloni and Hargitay Return to "Law & Order: SVU," Showtime Axes "Brotherhood," and More

2009-06-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing. Sons of Anarchy's Drea de Matteo (best known as The Sopranos' Adrianna) is joining the cast of ABC's Desperate Housewives next season as a series regular, reports Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. De Matteo will play "the matriarch of a new Italian family," writes Ausiello. "Casting is underway for her landscape designer husband and their tightly wound son." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files) Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay WILL be coming back to NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit next season, after all. The duo have finally signed deals that will keep them in the lead roles on the NBC drama series for the next two seasons and will be paid just slightly less than $400,000 per episode. Neal Baer also closed a deal to remain on board the series as showrunner and Christine Lahti (Jack & Bobby) has signed on to guest star in the first four episodes of next season's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as an ADA, while Stephanie March will appear in at least ten episodes next season. (Variety, Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files) Showtime has confirmed to E! Online's Watch with Kristin that it has canceled drama series Brotherhood and will not be returning the series for a fourth season. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin) My Name is Earl creator Greg Garcia has landed a put pilot deal at FOX for an untitled single-camera comedy about a 25-year-old man who has a one-night stand with a woman on death row...

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Sex and Candy: Life, Death, and Dating on "True Blood"

2009-06-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

"And then there she was/Like double cherry pie..." I had the opportunity to watch the first four episodes of Season Two of True Blood a few weeks back but I've been rewatching the episodes as they're airing on HBO so that I don't forget any of the plot twists. I don't know about you but I thought that last night's episode of True Blood ("Scratches"), written by Raelle Tucker and directed by Scott Winant, was the best of the season so far. It's a good thing I did tune in again as it contained one of my favorite scenes of the first four episodes, the sultry entrance of Jessica (the intoxicating Deborah Ann Woll) at Merlotte's to the delicious tune of Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy," one of the most seductive and memorable sequences to unfold on the series to date. Woll's Jessica is a sight to behold. Other actresses may have made her little more than a spoiled brat turned nocturnal killer, but Woll infuses her with equal parts churlish spite and intoxicating innocence, making Jessica one of the most compelling and unpredictable characters on the series. That Jessica is so quickly drawn to the sweet sincerity of Hoyt Fortenberry (Jim Parrack) is just the icing on the cake. Jessica is a creature of extremes. Freed from the cloistered morality of family life and from, well, the mortal coil as a whole, she's experiencing sensations she's never felt before. Did she go to Merlotte's to feed? Perhaps. More likely, she did it because there was no one--no parents,...

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Talk Back: FOX's "Virtuality"

2009-06-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

I'm really bummed that more people didn't tune in to watch Friday night's broadcast of Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor's superlative two-hour pilot for Virtuality, directed by Peter Berg. You read my advance review of the gripping and haunting two-hour pilot of FOX's Virtuality but, now that it's aired, I am curious to hear what you think. (Missed the two-hour pilot? You can watch the whole thing at Hulu.) According to Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed, "The two-hour premiere of Ron Moore's sci-fi pilot drew only 1.8 million viewers and received a 0.5 adult demo rating -- tying ABC's "The Goode Family" as the lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network Friday night and putting Fox into fourth place for the evening." What I'm wondering is: why didn't more of you tune in to watch what was one of the more original and unique projects to come along in a long time? Were you put off by the twisty subject matter? Or was it the fact that it seemed pretty unlikely that it would go to series? Did you DVR the pilot and save it for later? For those of you who did tune in, I'm wondering what you thought of Virtuality overall. Were you intrigued by its through-the-looking-glass-and-down-the-rabbit-hole exploration of reality in its various incarnations? Did you spark to the characters and their virtual worlds? Was your interest piqued by the enigmatic Green Eyed Man? Did you pick up that Billie Kashmiri's alter ego was singing a Japanese rock version of The Munsters theme...

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Talk Back: HBO's "Hung"

2009-06-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Ah, the death of the American dream. You read my advance review of the first four episodes of HBO's Hung, which premiered last night after True Blood, but now that it's aired, I'm curious to know what you thought of the Dmitry Lipkin/Colette Burson-created dramedy series. Did you buy Thomas Jane as a sad sack high school basketball coach and fallen golden boy forced to rely on his, er, sizable endowment in order to make ends meet? Did you think that he and Tanya (Jane Adams) would have fallen into bed and into business together as quickly as they did? Do you think their Happiness Consultant idea has any chance of survival in these tough economic times? Did you wonder whether Ray and Jessica (Anne Heche) were ever happy together? And, most importantly, will you be tune in again to watch another episode? Talk back here.

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Channel Surfing: "Supernatural" Finds Its Lucifer with "Lost" Star, Peregrym Strikes "Copper," ABC's "Lost" to Run 18 Hours Next Season, and More

2009-06-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Mark Pellegrino (Lost) has been cast in CW's Supernatural next season, where he will play none other than Lucifer himself. Pellegrino, who will recur on Supernatural next season, is expected to first appear on the series' September 10th season premiere. Meanwhile, don't look for him to give up his other role: that of Jacob on ABC's Lost, which he could easily do as well given his recurring status on Supernatural. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files) Missy Peregrym (Reaper) has been cast as the lead in Canadian police drama Copper, which will air Stateside on ABC. Peregrym will play Andy McNally, "a newly minted cop fresh from the academy and the daughter of a homicide detective" who "is anxious about her first day on the job, which doesn't go as well as she had wished." Series is described as "Grey's Anatomy set in the world of rookie cops." ABC closed a deal to acquire 13 episodes of the series in April. (Hollywood Reporter) Meanwhile, Lost is getting slightly longer next season. Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello announced via Twitter that the ABC drama will increase to 18 hours for its sixth and final season, including both a two-hour premiere and a two-hour finale. (Twitter) Producer Craig Piligian (American Chopper) has snagged rights to the life of airplane repo man Nick Popovich, which he plans to develop into an unscripted series that he will shop to cable networks including Discovery Channel or Spike....

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Link Tank: TV Blog Coalition Roundup for June 26-28

2009-06-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

Televisionary is proud to be a member of the TV Blog Coalition. At the end of each week, we'll feature a roundup of content from our sister sites for your delectation. This week, I offered an elegy for ABC's canceled The Unusuals and offered advance reviews of FOX's Virtuality, BBC America's Doctor Who: The Next Doctor, NBC's The Philanthropist, the return of ABC's Better Off Ted, and the first four episodes of HBO's Hung. I also discussed the latest episode of Bravo's Top Chef Masters and news of AMC's latest series order for thriller Rubicon, had several updates on the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con International schedule, interviews with Virtuality co-creator Ronald D. Moore and the cast and crew of Torchwood: Children of Earth, and offered new trailers for NBC's upcoming series Community, Trauma, and Parenthood. Elsewhere in the sophisticated TV-obsessed section of the blogosphere, members of the TV Blog Coalition were discussing the following items... With network TV ratings on the decline, Buzz wondered if you — yes, you! — are watching less TV this Summer than usual. (BuzzSugar)This week, Sandie interviewed Rutina Wesley who plays Tara on HBO's True Blood. (Daemon's TV)Scooter pays tribute to Michael Jackson. (Scooter McGavin's 9th Green)Other than So You Think You Can Dance, Vance didn't have much time to watch TV last week because he was out in the park watching Twelfth Night starring Anne Hathaway, Raul Esparza (Pushing Daisies), Audra McDonald (Private Practice),...

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Exit Planet Dust: An Advance Review of FOX's Gripping Two-Hour Event "Virtuality"

2009-06-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

"I'm alive/And I'm alone/And I've never wanted to be either of those." - Chemical Brothers It's rare that a network ever airs a pilot that it doesn't intend to order to series, much less one that has engendered quite so much support from viewers ahead of its broadcast. And yet that's just what FOX is doing tonight with the gripping and sensational two-hour pilot for sci-fi drama Virtuality, from creators Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor of Battlestar Galactica fame. (You can find an exclusive interview with Michael Taylor here and a write-up of a press call with Ron Moore here.) Virtuality, gorgeously directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) is a mind-bending, acid-trip exploration of deepest space and the innermost recesses of the human heart. Deftly combining space-set action with reality television, Virtuality seeks to answer some eternal questions about the nature of reality itself. What is real? What's fantasy? And what happens when we're able to smudge the lines between the two? The crew of interstellar craft Phaeton is toeing that very line. We meet the motley inhabitants of this metal tube as they approach a major turning point on their ten-year journey to a distant star. Via the reality-show-within-a-show Edge of Never that documents their every move, we're told that their journey of exploration to investigate the possibility of life has become a journey of survival as back on Earth, environmental conditions have deteriorated to the point that the planet...

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Allons-y: Sonic Screwdrivers, Steampunk Robots, and Heartbreak on "Doctor Who: The Next Doctor"

2009-06-26T07:27:00.001-07:00

It seems only fitting that the final Doctor Who specials starring David Tennant (who will leave the series at the end of the year) should be airing on BBC America. There's a sense that the legendary sci-fi series is finally coming home and I think that as the series is so quintessentially British that it only makes sense that it should be airing on the most British of networks, BBC America. The channel is using the first two of the five David Tennant Doctor Who specials as the linchpin for the launch of its HD simulcast channel next month. Said launch will coincide with the US premiere of Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead on July 26th and spin-off Torchwood: Children of Earth the week earlier. But before all that, there's Doctor Who: The Next Doctor, which aired on BBC One in the UK last Christmas and airs tomorrow night on BBC America. It stars David Tennant as the Doctor, still reeling from the events of the Season Four finale, in which companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) sacrificed her memories in order to save the universe. Alone and shaken, the Doctor arrives in the Victorian era just in time for Christmas... and, when he meets a man claiming to be the Doctor (David Morrissey), catches a possible glimpse at a future incarnation of himself. Back when Doctor Who: The Next Doctor originally aired in the UK last winter, there were rumors swirling about just who (no pun intended) would be taking over the mantle of the Doctor when David Tennant departs the series. Since...

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Channel Surfing: David Tennant Talks End of "Doctor Who" Run, Jeri Ryan Finds "Leverage," Noah Wylie to Battle Aliens for Spielberg and TNT, and More

2009-06-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing. The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has an absolutely fantastic interview with Doctor Who star David Tennant on the eve of BBC America's airing of last Christmas' Doctor Who special "The Next Doctor." Among the topics of discussion: the end of his run on the legendary British sci-fi series, the truth behind the all-Doctors reunion rumors (false, says Tennant), and what's next for the actor (Poliakoff's Glorious 39), among other things. "I'm all finished," said Tenannt of his run on Doctor Who. "Three or four weeks ago, I filmed my last scene. So it's over. Still a long time to go before they're all broadcast, though, so I'm still clinging on for a bit. But yeah, it's done. It was very emotional, very exciting. We managed to go out with some of the best scripts I had in four years. So it was a real treat." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher) Jeri Ryan (Shark) has been cast in a recurring role on Season Two of TNT's drama series Leverage, where she will play "Tara, a smart-ass, street-wise con woman whom Sophie (Gina Bellman) calls on for help and who gets sucked into the Leverage family." (Hollywood Reporter) It's official: Noah Wylie has signed on as the lead in TNT's untitled sci-fi pilot from executive producer Steven Spielberg and writer Robert Rodat. Project is set in a future where most of humanity has been wiped out by an alien incursion; Wylie will play the leader of a small human resistance force who are attempting to...

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Comic-Con Update: Warner Bros. Television Group Announces Panels, Talent For SDCC Next Month

2009-06-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

After weeks of anticipation (and speculation), Warner Bros. Television Group has finally announced which series they will be bringing down to San Diego Comic-Con next month. All of the usual suspects--Chuck, Fringe, Supernatural, Smallville, and The Big Bang Theory--will be in attendance along with new series from the studio including V, Human Target, Past Life, Eastwick, and Vampire Diaries and animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Additionally, Warner Bros. Entertainment (WBE) will once again have a nearly 3,000-square foot, two-story booth right on the convention floor and will naturally be giving away those exclusive and ubiquitous Comic-Con Bags. The full press release from Warner Bros. Television Group, along with dates, times, and locations (as well as full descriptions) of their panels can be found below. WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP RETURNS TO COMIC-CON IN 2009 WITH STAR-STUDDED LINEUP FEATURING A RECORD 11 SHOWS Stars and Creators of “The Big Bang Theory,” “Chuck,” “Eastwick,” “Fringe,” “Human Target,” “Past Life,” “Smallville,” “Supernatural,” “V,” “The Vampire Diaries” and “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” Descend on San Diego for Panel Sessions, Media Appearances and Autograph Signings Warner Bros. Entertainment’s Two-Story, Nearly 3,000-Square Foot Booth to Host Signings, Video Game Demos and Numerous Giveaways, Including the Studio’s Exclusive Comic-Con Bags BURBANK, Calif. (June 25, 2009) – Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) returns to...

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Dreamers and Schemers: An Advance Review of the First Four Episodes of HBO's "Hung"

2009-06-25T07:51:00.000-07:00

"There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby" With the economy tanking and pink slips becoming an ubiquitous confetti in cities across America, it's no surprise that many creators are mining the potential death of the American dream for dramatic potential. Throughout his career, writer/executive producer Dmitry Lipkin has succeeded at showing the dark side of that dream. In his short-lived (albeit much missed) FX series The Riches, Lipkin used a family of Travelers, the ultimate modern society outsiders, as a means for exploring just what materialism and suburban trappings meant to the psychic landscape. In Hung, the new HBO series Lipkin co-created with Colette Burstein, the subject of the American dream looms large. This time, the focus is on Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane), a down-on-his-luck Michigan basketball coach/high school history teacher whose life is literally falling down around him. Besides for a thankless, underpaid job at his high school alma mater (where he returned after an injury sidelined his pro sports career) , Ray has got a shrew of an ex-wife to deal with (Anne Heche), two sullen teenagers (Charlie Saxton and Sianoa Smit-McPhee), and his lakeside family home catches fire in the middle of the night, leaving the family more or less homeless. I had the opportunity last week to watch the first four episodes of Hung (the first of which is directed by Alexander Payne) and was struck by...

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