Start TV — A New Channel for Strong Women
f you, like I, are exhausted on Labor Day from all the work you weren’t supposed to be doing over the holiday weekend, today might be the day to curl up on the couch and veg, allowing yourself to indulge in watching some of your favorite female lead procedurals on the brand new network called “Start TV.”
Weigel Broadcasting (click here for the Weigel station nearest you) has teamed up with CBS to bring you back-to-back faves like The Closer, Medium, The Good Wife, Crossing Jordan, Cold Case, Profiler and The Division. It all kicks off on Labor Day.
Personally, I’m particularly partial to The Good Wife, which has always been one of my favorite shows since episode one. But I’m also fond of The Closer because, hello? Kyra Sedgwick. Oh, and the fact they shot a lot of it in my neighborhood—those craft services people are always very kind to Frankie.
Anyway, I’d like to welcome Start TV to the wonderful world of television. Now, when I can work no more and just need a little distraction to help me unwind, I have something more to watch, in addition to HGTV.
Find out more about Start TV here.
The ‘Downton Abbey’ Movie is Getting Real
We’re getting that much closer to seeing the latest on Lady Mary. Focus Features and Carnival Films just announced the start of principle photography on the Downton Abbey movie.
Joining the all-star returning cast will be Academy-Award® nominee and multi-award winning actress Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pride), starring alongside Geraldine James (Anne with an E, Beast), David Haig (Killing Eve, Penny Dreadful) and Tuppence Middleton (War and Peace, The Imitation Game).
Academy-Award® winner Julian Fellowes, who created Downton Abbey, wrote the film’s screenplay and will produce alongside Gareth Neame and Liz Trubridge.
In case you forgot, the television series Downton Abbey followed the lives of the Crawley family and the servants who worked for them at the turn of the 20th century in an Edwardian English country home. Over its six seasons, the series garnered 3 Golden Globes, 15 Emmys, a Special BAFTA award and 69 Emmy nominations in total, making Downton Abbey the most nominated non-US television show in the history of the Emmys.
What Will Become of ‘Shameless’ Once Emmy Rossum Departs?
Poor Fiona Gallagher! It looks as though we’re about to see the last of her mercurial self, as Showtime has just announced that Emmy Rossum will be leaving the hit trigi-comedy Shameless after the upcoming ninth season.
“We were saddened when Emmy Rossum let us know that the upcoming ninth season of Shameless would be her last,” said Showtime Networks president of programming Gary Levine. “But we are filled with an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude for Emmy’s inspired work on our series, of course in front of the camera but also behind it.”
Whatever will become of the Gallagher clan without its heart? Could an Emmy nomination next year possibly tempt her to come back? I mean, really, she gets so much more screen time than William H. Macy, who is a perpetual nominee for best actor in a comedy, and Fiona is actually likable.
At least they’re not killing her off, if what she wrote on Facebook is any indication: “Try not to think of me as being gone, just think of me as moving down the block.”
‘Mr. Robot’ is Running Down
It looks like the USA tech drama Mr. Robot has run its course. It was just announced that the series will end after its fourth season, set to air in 2019.
At first, critics, including my own colleagues who vote for the Critics Choice awards, loved it. Personally, I thought the first season was riveting, but the show sort of lost steam after that.
Still, a whole pile of awards and nominations went to stars Christian Slater and Rami Malek.
I think Mr. Robot creator and showrunner Sam Esmail is a wise man. He had this to say about the series finish:
“When I first created the world of Mr. Robot, I thought it would be a niche television series with a small, cult following. Over the past three years, it has become so much more, and I am continually humbled by the show’s recognition and by the amazing cast and crew that work tirelessly to help bring my vision to life…Everyone on the creative team, including the amazing people at USA and UCP, didn’t want to say goodbye, but we ultimately have too much respect for Elliot’s journey to extend past its inevitable ending. Therefore, season four will serve as the final chapter of the Mr. Robot story. To fans of the show: thank you for the past three years, and I can’t wait to share this exciting final season with you.”
‘True Detective’ Fan? You’re Gonna Love This Season 3 Trailer!
Season One of the HBO anthology series True Detective was fab, Season Two was a bit of a let down, and now, after viewing the trailer for Season Three, I’m thinking the third time might be a charm. Set to premiere January 2019, it stars compelling Oscar winner Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), Ray Fisher (Justice League), Scoot McNairy (Halt and Catch Fire—one of the most underrated shows on TV), Stephen Dorff (Blade), and Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife).
All we know about Season Three we get from the trailer below, but it has been revealed that it will take place in the Ozarks and span decades, as did season one.
Get more info at BusinessInsider.com.
“House of Cards” to Kevin Spacey: Doin’ Fine Now, Withoutcha Baby!
The Powers That Be at House of Cards have made such a casting coup that they might want to rethink this being the sixth and final season. It was just announced that Academy Award® nominees Diane Lane and Greg Kinnear are joining the cast as Annette Shepherd and Bill Shepherd, a sister and brother who inherited a leading industrial conglomerate, and whose family foundations exert a powerful behind-the-scenes force in the American political landscape. The two share a vision for the future of America, as well as a complicated past with the Underwoods.
Rising star Cody Fern (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, American Horror Story: Apocalypse) stars as Duncan Shepherd, Annette’s ambitious and devoted son, who represents the next generation of DC power players.
Golden Globe winner and Emmy Award nominee Robin Wright returns as President of the United States, of course, and she’ll be joined by your HOC favorites including Michael Kelly, Academy Award® nominee Patricia Clarkson, Emmy Award Nominee Constance Zimmer, Derek Cecil, and Campbell Scott, among others.
A premiere date hasn’t been announced yet, but I’ll make sure to keep you posted.
House Of Cards Season 6
Where’s Tami Taylor/Rayna Jaymes/Connie Britton Now?
Some of you will always think of Connie Britton as Tami Taylor, the Coach’s wife on Friday Night Lights. I finally got over that, and accepted her as Rayna James on Nashville, and I’m pretty much stuck there. I never did take to her sad sack Abby Clark character on 9-1-1. I’m thinking she knew that wasn’t her best role, and that’s why she only signed on for a year.
In between all that, she starred as Vivian Harmon in American Horror Story: Murder House, which was the first season of the anthology series. And it looks like she’ll be coming back again for the eighth season, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, which is reported to be some sort of a mishmash between Murder House and Covenant (Season 3).
The Wrap reports that Vivian’s husband, Ben Harmon, played Dylan McDermott, is also returning. Something tells me they’ll be a somewhat ghostly couple, however, as neither one of their characters survived Season One.
Other AHS favorites reported to be returning for Apocalypse include Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd, Emma Roberts, Billy Eichner, Cheyenne Jackson, and, best of all, Jessica Lange! They’re also throwing Joan Collins and Cody Fern into the mix. Woo hoo!
Get more details on TheWrap.com.
Season 12 Will Be the Last Big Bang
Damn! I love this show, and didn’t ever want it to end! But it was just announced a few hours ago that CBS’s The Big Bang Theory will wrap after the end of season 12. That will make it the longest-running multi-camera comedy series in TV history.
Warner Bros. Television, CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions said in a joint statement, “We are forever grateful to our fans for their support of The Big Bang Theory during the past twelve seasons. We, along with the cast, writers and crew, are extremely appreciative of the show’s success and aim to deliver a final season, and series finale, that will bring The Big Bang Theory to an epic creative close.”
The final season of Bang launches Monday, September 24 at 8pm, moving to its regular Thursday time period on September 27.
Oh Sheldon, we hardly knew ye!
Making It More — Amy and Nick Get a Second Season
I’m not a particularly crafty person myself, but I’m a great admirer of the resourceful people who are, so I was totally intrigued the first time I saw Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman’s Making It on NBC. Those contenders could survive and thrive on a desert island for months with little more than a square of felt and a glue stick, and make everything look fabulous.
It’s just been announced that the show was such a hit that it will return for a second season. It seems it’s the most-watched new summer series on broadcast TV among total viewers and it’s a huge hit among viewers in the 18-49 demo.
“We’re sew excited to be Making It again,” said Poehler and Offerman in a joint, pun-intended statement. “We promise season two will have you glued to your seat.” Get more details at HollywoodReporter.com.
L.A. is Getting It’s Own 24-Hour News Channel! Could This Be Frankie Feldman’s Big Break?
Yoo Hoo! Frankie and I are ready for our close-ups! If you need anything on movies, TV, real estate or dogs, we’re at your service!
I’m speaking, of course, to Charter Communications, which is launching its NY1-style 24/7 news channel for Los Angeles in November. Everyone who subscribes to Spectrum cable, formerly known as Time Warner Cable, will be able to see local news day or night on the as-yet-unnamed channel. That’s about 1.5 million of us.
It will be based in El Segundo, so I’m sure the newsroom will be well sound-proofed to keep out out all the ruckus from those noisy jets flying overhead. They’ll be staffing up with about 125 people, no word yet on how many dogs.
I’ll keep you posted on it’s progress.
Real Housewives of Hollywood Hills? The Cast of “The Hills” to Re-Unite — Get a Sneak Peek
I’m not one to watch the VMA’s. Those are the Video Music Awards on MTV for those of you, like I, who only see videos online once in a great while when we think about searching for them. But I couldn’t miss the biggest takeaway from last night’s festivities:
“The Hills” cast reunited at the MTV Video Music Awards on Monday to announce a reboot of the iconic reality show coming in 2019.
Cast members of the original series, including Spencer Pratt, Heidi Montag and Audrina Patridge, appeared at the awards show to announce “The Hills: New Beginnings,” which will reunite original cast members, alongside their children and friends, and follow their personal and professional lives while living in Los Angeles.
The show is set to premiere in 2019.
That from The Wrap.
So I’m wondering, now that they’re relatively “all grown up” (okay, in their 30’s) will fans find their foibles interesting? Will they follow them? Aren’t there dozens of shows already out there that cover the exact same thing? Will they perhaps get a bit more diverse?
Whatever. I hope it works. Even though MTV has gone about as far from it’s video, “I want my…” roots as it can get, I still have warm fuzzy ’80’s feelings for the network.
Renee Zellweger Signs On to Her First TV Series
Although she was great in the Bridget Jones films and so many others, to me Renee Zellweger always be the beleaguered Dorothy Boyd, uttering “You had me at hello.” Now, for the first time ever, she’s taking to the small screen, starring in an anthology series called What/If.
It’s a ten episode drama described as a social thriller about the ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things, and explores the power of a single fateful decision to change the trajectory of an entire life.
Not much is known about her co-stars, but it has been revealed that Mike Kelley, who created ABC’s Revenge and CBS’ Swingtown, will the showrunner and writer, and will also executive produce with Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke, among others.
Get more info at HollywoodReporter.com.
