Posted Nov 6th 2009 12:38PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
There's some good news and some bad about
The Golden Girls. First the good:
Betty White will be returning to The Bold and the Beautiful to resume her recurring role as Stephanie's mother, Ann Douglas. She'll be appearing on a few episodes of
B&B, but it could be extended even longer depending on storyline developments.
Sadly, the bad news is that Betty's
Golden Girls costar,
Rue McClanahan had to cancel a Castro Theater event in San Francisco on November 14 -- a salute in her honor called "Golden: A Gala Tribute to
Rue McClanahan" -- because she's had to undergo heart bypass surgery in New York.
Continue reading Golden Girls update: Betty White and Rue McClanahan make news
Posted Nov 4th 2009 3:27PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: Other Reality Shows, OpEd, Casting
The other day
I wrote about watching Mercy during a mini-marathon that aired last Saturday on Bravo. Is it possible that someone at NBC Universal was reading my plaudits for the company using Bravo to promote an NBC drama series? I think so, because today comes to the news that two of the
Real Housewives of New Jersey will guest on Mercy.
That's right; you didn't read it wrong.
Teresa Giudice and Jacqueline Laurita, the two who were having babies in season one of the show, will appear as themselves on the NBC medical drama, according to the Ausiello Files.
Continue reading Real Housewives of New Jersey to guest on Mercy
Posted Nov 4th 2009 3:01PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Celebrities, 30 Rock, Casting, Reality-Free
Allison already gave you the news that
James Franco is going to guest star on 30 Rock, and now Kristin over at E! has done a little detective work and has news about another casting coup for the NBC show (possible spoilers follow).
An E! correspondent
talked to Alec Baldwin on the red carpet at an
Elle party and Baldwin told her that he's getting a new love interest on the show. When asked who, he wouldn't say, but looked around and said it was someone who was near to them.
Continue reading Alec Baldwin is getting a new girlfriend on 30 Rock
Posted Nov 4th 2009 9:28AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, Celebrities, 30 Rock, Casting, Reality-Free
Wouldn't you love to know who's giving actor
James Franco career advice these days? I'm not knocking him or her, but I'd love to figure out the strategy. Or maybe this is just Franco being Franco (like Manny being Manny, for you baseball fans out there)?
James has just started filming his two-month arc on
General Hospital -- check out the first pic (right) -- and now Michael Ausiello reports that
James Franco will do a guest spot on 30 Rock.
How's that for a career trajectory -- from box office bonanza (
Spider-Man) to Oscar feature (
Milk) to daytime soap (
General Hospital) to Emmy-winning sitcom (
30 Rock). He's like a human pinball machine looking for a perfect score!
Continue reading James Franco goes from movies to soap to 30 Rock
Posted Nov 3rd 2009 6:01PM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Video, Celebrities, Pickups and Renewals, Casting
Attention, attention! This is not a joke. It's not a spoof or a gag.
Kathy Griffin will host a dance show for ABC. That's right, the funny lady of Bravo's
My Life on the D-List, has said yes to hosting
Let's Dance, a new celebrity reality show in which stars compete with one another by re-creating classic routines from pop culture. That means someone is going to try and do Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" dance from
Motown's 25th Anniversary Special, don't you think?
I am not a
Dancing With the Stars fan, but this show sounds like something I'd be interested in watching for a couple of reason. Number one is Kathy Griffin. I think she's hilarious. She also loves celebrities, so I could see her really getting into this show and being the perfect built-in zingmeister. She'll say whatever comes to her mind, and -- fortunately -- that's usually pretty funny.
Continue reading Kathy Griffin dances her way into new ABC series
Posted Nov 3rd 2009 3:04PM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Celebrities, Pickups and Renewals, Casting, Reality-Free
Former
According to Jim star Jim Belushi is moving to a drama series. He's been
tapped to star in a legal drama created by
Murphy Brown mastermind Diane English and
Homicide and
Oz exec-producer Barry Levinson. The show is loosely based on the memoir "How Can You Defend These People?" by TV commentator and lawyer Mickey Sherman.
This is an excellent way for Belushi to wash the stench of
According to Jim from his person. If presented as a dramedy (much like many of the popular dramas today), this could be a winner.
Continue reading Jim Belushi goes dramatic
Posted Nov 3rd 2009 1:04PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Casting, Reality-Free
I consider this a huge coup for NBC. After traveling through time and space in the TARDIS the past several years, it looks like
Doctor Who's David Tennant is heading stateside to take the lead in Rex is Not Your Lawyer. Tennant will star as Rex, a top Chicago litigator who becomes so crippled by anxiety that he takes to coaching his clients into representing themselves.
The idea is completely madcap, but I think Tennant has just the right kind of wacky tenacity and cavalier bravado to pull off the role. In fact, it was apparently difficulty in casting the role that delayed the project until Tennant bounced in and nailed it.
It'll be interesting to see what they do about his accent. Tennant is Scottish, but adopted an
"Estuary English" accent for his role as the Doctor. I think the Doctor's accent would work tremendously with the comedic role described here, but I can see the showrunners pushing him to make like Hugh Laurie (
House) and so many others and go American with it.
Posted Nov 3rd 2009 9:33AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, NCIS, Casting, Reality-Free
There's good casting and then there's great casting.
NCIS has had a propensity for great casting when it comes to the father's of the core characters. Michael Nouri has been spot on as Ziva's autocratic Israeli father. Ralph Waite was a surprising, but superb, choice as Jethro's down to earth father.
Now, we've just heard the news that there's another pop coming to
NCIS.
If you haven't read about the famous TV star chosen and you don't want to know about it, please, don't read any further. However, if you can handle casting without feeling like the story lines are spoiled, follow after the jump.
Continue reading NCIS casts Tony's dad... and he's someone you know
Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:13PM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Law and Order, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
It seems like we have new casting news and/or rumors about
Law and Order: Criminal Intent every week or so. Here's the latest.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio has been cast as the new captain on the show. She replaces Eric Bogosian who has left after a few seasons on the USA Network show. She'll join another new cast member, Saffron Burrows, who replaces Julianne Nicholson, who decided not to come back to the show after having a baby.
Continue reading Law & Order: CI replaces Eric Bogosian
Posted Nov 2nd 2009 9:55AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, 24, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free
You know, I thought we didn't have Charles Logan to kick around anymore. You know, the Nixonian disgraced President from
24? Well, I was wrong.
24 has cast Gregory Itzin to reprise Charles Logan in the upcoming new season.
Itzin -- who's currently been a semi-regular on
The Mentalist -- was Emmy-nominated for President Logan, and he really gave it all the shadings and complexities of a dark, corrupt politician. He was a guy you loved to hate, but he had a soft spot and that was his love for his wife. His unbalanced spouse, Martha. When last seen on the show, Martha had stabbed Charles.
Continue reading President Logan returns to 24
Posted Oct 31st 2009 8:17AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, NCIS, Casting, Reality-Free
One of my favorite actresses is joining the cast of America's most watched drama series. That means about 20 million viewers a week will get to see her in action. The actress is
Rena Sofer and she's been cast on NCIS as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense lawyer. The role could be long term or recurring, they're not saying yet.
In fact, they're not giving much away at all. Not even the character's name or when she starts. Thus far, it's hard to see where a lawyer would be needed in the current storylines, so it's likely that there's an arc on the way that will bring her along as a key element.
Rena has a load of primetime experience, having appeared on
Heroes, 24, Couples, Blind Justice, Just Shoot Me... but for me she was never better than when she was on
General Hospital as Lois Cerullo.
Continue reading Rena Sofer cast on NCIS
Posted Oct 30th 2009 2:30PM by John Scott Lewinski
Filed under: Sports, Music and Variety, Casting, Reality-Free
I try to cover professional wrestling here on TV Squad only when something happens that hints at a ratings spike, a celebrity tie-in or a television publicity war. Today, we have news that could score a pin on all three fronts, "Brother!"
Hulk Hogan (in yellow, right), the 80s legend that put
WWF WWE on the
mat map, announced this week that he's returning to the squared circle and joining the ranks of
Spike TV's TNA Wrestling. It's a big step up in exposure for the Florida-based promotion as it struggles to pull away a little market share away from Vince McMahon's Connecticut Death Grip.
While the WWE has either live or taped shows on various cable outlets Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights (with occasional weekend specials on NBC), TNA has used the last couple of years to build an ever-growing following in Spike's Thursday night schedule.
Continue reading Hulk Hogan shakes up TV wrestling with move to TNA
Posted Oct 28th 2009 1:02PM by Jane Boursaw
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Programming, OpEd, Daytime, Casting, Reality-Free
I used to be a devoted fan of
General Hospital, and some of my favorite episodes involved Luke and Laura, and later, their son, Lucky. In fact, now that I think about it, I started to stray from the show about the time that Jonathan Jackson, who played the first Lucky, left the show in 1999.
The other actors who played Lucky -- Jacob Young and Greg Vaughan -- did a fine job, but I so associated the role with Jackson that it was impossible for me to accept anyone else as Lucky.
As luck would have it, I just happened to flip on
One Life to Live yesterday and saw a promo for Jonathan Jackson coming back to
General Hospital as Lucky. What a stroke of "luck" for me!
Continue reading What's Hot on SlashControl: Jonathan Jackson's return to General Hospital
Posted Oct 28th 2009 11:37AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: OpEd, Spoilers Anonymous, Casting, Reality-Free
Some
True Blood spoilers
have surfaced online in the form of a casting list for next season. Not having read the books, I cannot comment as to whether or not season three of the show is loyally following the third Sookie Stackhouse mystery novel "Club Dead". Historically, the show has remained true to the spirit but has gone in its own directions.
I talked with someone who
has read the novels, and it turns out that some of the characters in the casting list don't appear in the books. This includes Sam Merlotte's lost-long brother.
It does give something of a hint as to how next season is going to progress. We know Bill Compton was kidnapped (and since the character is still in the cast list for next season, it's unlikely to have been anything else) and we know that at least three female characters are trying to seduce Jason Stackhouse. Tara is going to start hanging out with some vampires herself and probably still be at odds with her mother (who is befriended by a Reverend Daniels).
Next season is starting to look good; I'm looking forward to it. How about you folks?
Posted Oct 28th 2009 8:03AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, Casting, Emmys, Reality-Free
Tuesday was
Jonathan Jackson's first day back on General Hospital in the role of Lucky Spencer. It's a role he originated (as a youngster), coming onto the show in 1993 when Luke and Laura -- Anthony Geary and Genie Francis -- made their much-heralded return. Jonathan stayed on
General Hospital till 1999, winning three Daytime Emmys in his tenure, and basically stamped the character as his own. That's why when he decided to return now, it's been a big deal.
Continue reading Lucky's back ... Jonathan Jackson's terrific return to General Hospital
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