FALL 2013: A&E CANCELS 'THE GLADES'

A&E has pulled the plug on The Glades. The procedural drama about a Chicago detective relocating to south Florida had just finished its fourth season on a ratings high. The season finale marked a season-high 3.4 million viewers making the episode the most watched of the entire fourth season. Despite the good numbers for the network, it wasn't enough to keep the ax from swinging. Fans of the police drama will most likely be upset since the season (and now series) finale was a cliffhanger. Detective, and groom-to-be, Jim was shot by an unknown assailant and left to die. Now it looks like viewers may never find out who shot Jim, and if he survived.

FALL 2013: 'AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN' KEEPS TEASING AUDIENCES

American Horror Story: Coven isn't slated to bow until early October but fans are being teased with trailers just about every other week. The latest installment, Coven, will be a 13-part miniseries about the secret history of witches and witchcraft. Taking place 300 years since the Salem witch trials, those witches who escaped are now facing extinction and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans. AHS staple Jessica Lange returns for this story as Fiona, the Supreme witch that is determined to protect the Coven no matter at what cost, and whoever she has to eliminate. Kathy Bates, Frances Conroy, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Dennis O'Hare, Gabourey Sidibe, Patti Lupone, Emma Roberts, and Leslie Jordan are just part of the ensemble cast. Below are some of the teases that have been slowly released on social media.

American Horror Story: Coven is set to premiere October 9 on FX.

FALL 2013: 'FRIENDS' KUDROW JOINS ABC'S 'SCANDAL'

ABC's Scandal will have a new face joining its ranks this coming fall. Friends star Lisa Kudrow is joining the political drama in a recurring role. Not much detail has been given about her character but she will be playing a powerful politician (rumored to be) named Shelley Meyers. We'll have to wait and see if Kudrow's character will bring new problems to Olivia Pope's complicated world.

Scandal's third season premieres October 3.

WINTER 2014: ARE TINA FEY AND AMY POEHLER RETURNING TO HOST THE GOLDEN GLOBES?

The showstopping, dazzling dynamic duo from last January's Golden Globe Awards are actively being pursued to repeat the hosting duties for this winter's award show. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have not been formally invited to return and host...yet. Fey and Poehler are currently busy with their individual projects at NBC and that has prevented the awards show from formally extending the invite. The comedic duo, however, is being informally asked in order to gauge interest, if any, in returning to the star-studded and boozy gala.

Personally, we are keeping are fingers crossed!

The 71st Golden Globe Awards is scheduled to take place on January 14, 2014.

DARK HORSE COMICS BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO CULT FAVORITE 'FIREFLY'

Fans of the short-lived FOX space drama Firefly have been clamoring for a reunion or revival ever since it was cancelled in 2002. Though the show only lasted for 14 episodes, the fan base of the Joss Whedon production has only increased thanks to reruns and the release of the complete series on DVD. Well fans are about to see their wishes come true...sort of.

Dark Horse Comics has been teasing fans on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram about the return of Mal and the Serenity crew in an upcoming continuation of the show. It wouldn't be the first time that Dark Horse Comics has continued the life of a cancelled television show. Other popular Joss Whedon productions, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer and Angel, gave fans new seasons after leaving the airwaves. Though it can't beat a live-action reunion of the departed shows, comic books bring forth a new life for the characters and allows the writers to tell stories of great magnitude, which normally couldn't be confined within the budget of a television show.

No exact date has been given yet for the Firefly release...but Stay Tuned for future updates.

FALL 2013: 'VAMPIRE DIARIES' IAN SOMERHALDER 'NOT THRILLED' ABOUT SPIN-OFF 'THE ORIGINALS'

It's been quite some time since the last time fans eagerly anticipated a television spin-off. Fans of The CW's The Vampire Diaries are counting down the days for the premiere of its spin-off, The Originals. Set in New Orleans, the upcoming new show will focus on the world's original vampires, the Mikaelson siblings: Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. One cast member from the flagship show, however, is not necessarily thrilled at the idea of a spin-off.

Ian Somerhalder, who portrays evil vamp Damon Salvatore, is less than excited for the spin-off. In an interview with Digital Spy, Somerhalder was happy for his co-stars' latest success but is worried how the loss of these actors will impact his character. "I'm excited for Julie Plec, and for Joseph Morgan, and all my people, but I'm a selfish actor --I'm not a producer on the show, I'm not a writer. My only concern is Damon, and my show." Somerhalder further expressed his concern over removing these pivotal characters from The Vampire Diaries and leaving a villainous void that has to be filled. The actor even took an apparent shot at network The CW, "Who are the other people who are gonna be coming on the show? Are they gonna be good? Because it's The CW, and everyone has to be pretty, and there aren't a lot of pretty people that can act well." Ouch!

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out but Somerhalder isn't too far off the mark regarding television spin-offs. Efforts and talent are removed from the flagship show and focused primarily on the new venture, and often results in a decline in quality for the original show.

The Vampire Diaries returns October 3 at 8 pm. The Originals premieres the same night at 9 pm.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

STAGE, SCREEN, AND TELEVISION LEGEND JULIE HARRIS PASSES AWAY AT 87

Julie Harris, famed stage, screen, and television actress whose career spanned 60 years, passed away yesterday of congestive heart failure. Noted for her acting range and intensity, Ms. Harris was one of few actresses that went from the Broadway stage to the big screen. Some of her most memorable films include The Member of the Wedding, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, and East of Eden, which set the stage for her close friendship with co-star James Dean.

Despite a successful film career, Ms. Harris' true calling was the Broadway stage and she was repeatedly acknowledged for her talent on the stage. She received ten Tony Award nominations, more than any other performed, and won five Tony Awards for her various works. In 2006, Ms. Harris spoke of her love for the stage; "The Stage! I knew it was where I wanted to be, I loved it all. It became this great source of nourishment, spiritual nourishment, for me. I want to touch people with the meaning of life. What is thrilling about the theater is that it's a forum where people come and for those two or three hours belong to something, to ideas, to a feeling of being a member of the human race."

On television, Ms. Harris frequently had episodic work and appeared and various shows in guest-starring roles. In 1980, Ms. Harris accepted the role of Lilimae Clements on the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing.

For seven years, Ms. Harris portrayed Lilimae Clements, mother to the show's main heroine Valene Ewing. Lilimae was a second-rate saloon singer who pursued her musical dreams at the cost of her children, abandoning them at a young age. The mother-daughter relationship was estranged when Lilimae was first introduced but the two reconciled shortly. During her run on the nighttime soap, Lilimae provided support and love to her daughter Valene's problems and dilemmas (Poor Val always had something happen to her each week). Lilimae confronted her own problems on the show as well. She runs over a murderer, Chip Roberts, after learning he killed a popular singer, and then she is carted off to a psychiatric hospital in order to avoid jail time. Upon her release, she meets her new son-in-law Ben Gibson and immediately is at odds with him on just about everything. Things slowly begin to improve when her abandoned son, Joshua Rush, arrives in town. Things are going swell until he marries a pretty lady named Cathy and becomes a televangelist. Joshua becomes unstable and violent towards his wife and is about to kill her when Lilimae stops him, and causes him to fall off the roof during an argument. Ms. Harris had some great moments on the show, and it further demonstrated the caliber of an actress that she was on and off screen.

Julie Harris was 87.

SATURDAY MORNING SERIAL: 'BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURES'

Earlier this week, Stay Tuned mentioned the release of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures, a 1990 animated spin-off from the feature film, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. The cartoon was an interesting venture because it retained the film's original actors to provide the voice work. Keanu Reeves voiced a toon? Who'da thunk it! The characters of Bill and Ted were riding the popularity tide and thanks to the film, every kid wanted to be some version of the laid back dudes.

Picking up where the movie left off, the animated Bill and Ted continued having time travel adventures and almost every week the pair traveled to certain period for help with their assignment and/or predicament. The cartoon only lasted for two seasons and all the original actors vacated their roles for the shortened second season. A live-action version of the film was scheduled to premiere after the animated show ended but production was delayed thanks to the underwhelming sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey.

For today's Saturday Morning Serial, we present the first episode (One Sweet and Sour Chinese Adventure to Go) of the animated Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures. Enjoy!

FALL 2013: 'CHICAGO FIRE' SPIN-OFF RECRUITS TWO MORE ACTORS

Chicago PD, the spin-off to NBC's successful firefighter drama Chicago Fire, continues adding series regulars to its cast. The midseason cop drama has recently recruited Sophia Bush, from One Tree Hill fame, and The 4400's Patrick Flueger to boost its cast. Bush will portray Detective Erin Lindsey, a member of the Chicago Police Department's investigative team, and Flueger will play Kyle Ruzek, a short-tempered rookie who becomes part of the department's undercover unit.

The new characters of Chicago PD were introduced last May in one of the final episodes of Chicago Fire's first season. It was a rather quick decision to approve a spin-off from a show that hadn't been on the air for more than one season, but considering creator and producer Dick Wolf's track record with the Law & Order franchise, NBC didn't need much convincing.

Chicago PD is slated to premiere midseason.

FALL 2013: TV LAND CANCELS 'HAPPILY DIVORCED'

After two season, TV Land ends its relationship with Fran Drescher's Happily Divorced.

After a very loooong waiting period -- Happily Divorced aired its last episode in February -- TV Land brought out its ax and cancelled the low-rated comedy. The series, loosely based on Fran Drescher's real life marriage with Peter Marc Jacobson, was lauded as one of the network's new original series. TV Land has been successful with its original half-hour comedies but Happily Divorced remained one of the low rated shows on its lineup. This past season saw some big-named guest stars pass through the Lovett household but even that wasn't enough to boost viewership.

The first season of Happily Divorced is currently available on DVD. No word on a release of Season 2.

FALL 2013 UPDATE: HBO'S 'TRUE BLOOD' CANCELLED

Is True Blood reaching its end?

True Blood wrapped up its sixth season last Sunday night, and while viewership on the HBO vamp fest has steadily decreased in the past couple of years, the drama raked in pretty decent ratings for the finale. Not even a week has passed and discussions of the show's future are set to begin, specifically after the next season.

In the next couple of weeks, showrunner Brian Buckner will find out through discussions with the show's writers if there is material to warrant a continuation past Season 7. These eyebrow raising questions aren't necessarily surprising given the mixed reviews of the last season, declining quality being the biggest concern. Are viewers becoming bored with the supernatural world of Sookie Stackhouse? So far, viewers are split between continuing the show and ending the show on a high note. We'll see what news the next few weeks will bring...Stay Tuned!

UPDATE 9/3/13

Well it's official, HBO has announced today that True Blood's next season will be its last. There has been no set date for the show's last episode but the seventh season isn't set to premiere until Summer 2014. Now that the swan season has been determined, it gives writers plenty of time to plot the end of Sookie Stackhouse.

FALL 2013: A SNEAK PEEK AT THE CW'S 'THE TOMORROW PEOPLE'

One of the CW's newest fall shows has released an intriguing sneak peek. The Tomorrow People is based on the British series of the same name and follows a group of adults who possess powers as the result of human evolution. Whether the show will follow in the steps of Heroes or X-Men remains to be seen. You can watch the sneak peek and judge for yourselves, and share a comment below if this new show piques your interest.




The Tomorrow People premieres October 9.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

FALL 2013: 'TRUE BLOOD'S STEPHEN MOYER CAST IN NBC'S 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC'

NBC's live television production of The Sound of Music is beginning to form its cast. Last year, it was announced that Carrie Underwood would play the lead role, Maria Von Trapp. Well today it was revealed that True Blood's resident vampire Stephen Moyer has been cast as Captain George Von Trapp.

Moyer is no stranger to the theater. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Moyer recently headlined the Hollywood Bowl production of Chicago. The planned three-hour production will be based on the original 1959 Broadway production. No other cast details have been provided. NBC's live version of The Sound of Music is scheduled to air on December 5.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on this story as well as anything and everything television.

FALL 2013: 'SNL' LOOKING AT NEW TALENT FOR NEW SEASON

Saturday Night Live is attempting to fill some very big shoes thanks to the departures of several long-time cast members. With the show's 39th season just around the corner and on the heels of Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, and Jason Sudeikis' exits, as well as Seth Meyers' impending mid-season departure, SNL is on the hunt for some new not-ready-for-primetime players. This time around, the show's producers are looking at some members of the improv and sketch comedy group Upright Citizens Brigade. Last year's influx of new cast members were all former Second City performers. The show is specifically eyeing four members of the comedy troupe: Beck Bennett, Kyle Mooney, Noel Wells, and John Milhiser. Readers can search YouTube for videos of these talented comedians and impressionists. Our money would probably be on Beck Bennett...a.k.a. the AT&T guy.

Saturday Night Live starts its new season on September 28.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

TBT: DISCOVERY CHANNEL TO UPDATE 'NORTH AND SOUTH'; STAY TUNED REVISITS THE 1985 MINI-SERIES

Discovery Channel and Lionsgate are working on the cable network's next mini-series, North and South. Based on the trilogy of novels written by John Jakes in the 1980s, North and South is set in the era of the Civil War and focuses on the friendship between two friends as they fight on opposing sides. Orry Main of South Carolina and George Hazard of Pennsylvania become best friends while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point prior to the Civil War. The Main family, northern factory owners, and the Hazard family, southern plantation owners, soon find themselves on opposing sides during the war and living with the repercussions after it ends. The stark differences between the two families in regards to slavery fuels the tension and ensuing battle between the Confederacy and the Union.

This wouldn't be the first time North and South has been adapted into a television production. Today's news arrives almost 30 years after ABC originally aired the first part of the trilogy in 1985. The follow-up sequel, Book II, was released a year after in 1986 and the final part, Book III, aired in 1994.

Multi-evening mini-series events were huge ratings winners for broadcast networks in the 1970s and 1980s. After the reception and critical acclaim that Roots received for its production, networks clamored at assembling mega events featuring film and television's biggest names at the time, as well as spotlighting rising Hollywood stars. Patrick Swayze was cast in the lead role of Orry Main, while Kirstie Alley took on the role of outspoken abolitionist Virgilia Hazard. For Swayze, North and South was his first major success and placed him on the map for his future film role in Dirty Dancing.

Numerous Hollywood screen legends also participated in the expanse production including Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Mitchum, Gene Kelly, Jean Simmons, Jimmy Stewart, Lloyd Bridges, Johnny Cash, Olivia de Havilland, David Carradine, and Peter O'Toole.

The events of North and South occurred from 1842-1866 and each episode was dedicated to specific period of time, as it related to the events of the Civil War. Due to the stellar writing, acting, and production values, the mini-series received many award nominations and was awarded an Emmy for its costuming. The trilogy was released as a complete collection on DVD in 2004. The mini-series also recently aired on Starz.

As a Throwback Thursday treat to the news of a new version, we have provided a snippet from the first episode of Book I.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

DAYTIME FALL 2013: KIMBERLY MCCULLOUGH RETURNING TO 'GH'

Daytime television fans will enjoy hearing the news that a fan favorite will be returning this fall to 50-year old soap opera General Hospital.

Kimberly McCullough, a staple of the long-running soap opera since 1985, is reprising her role of Robin Scorpio Drake this fall. While presumed dead to the denizens of fictional Port Charles, Robin has been held captive in Switzerland since late 2011. McCullough's status when she returns will be on contract so her character will be sticking around for a while, especially since her presumed demise ties in to various storylines involving the Scorpio-Devane-Drake clans. No tape or air dates have been given.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

'PRISON BREAK' STAR WENTWORTH MILLER COMES OUT AS GAY IN RESPONSE TORUSSIA

Prison Break star Wentworth Miller has publicly come out as a gay man against the Russian government's recent attitude and treatment of gay men and women. In a letter addressed to the St. Petersburg International Film Festival, Miller declines participating in the celebration while the host country and government stands behind such anti-LGBT law. Miller's announcement follows a recent string of opposition from artists, athletes, and world leaders in response to Russia's open declaration. 

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

WACKY WEDNESDAY: NBC RENEWS 'HOLLYWOOD GAME NIGHT'

Audiences really like Hollywood Game Night, as does NBC.

NBC's surprising summer hit has been renewed for a second season. Hollywood Game Night was certainly a gamble for the network, especially introducing a game show format into the primetime lineup. It sure has paid off and NBC has renewed the celebrity-infused game show for a 10-episode second season, which will most likely return next summer. Glee's Jane Lynch hosts the hour-long competition show that pits two teams against each other. Six celebrities, mostly from television, are invited to participate each week as they try to win money for a charity of their choice. The success of Hollywood Game Night has ignited interests in reviving the variety/entertainment show format though we cannot forget the disastrous Jay Leno variety show.

Hollywood Game Night airs Thursday nights on NBC.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

WACKY WEDNESDAY: 'THE SOUP' CELEBRATES THE BIG 5-0-0!

E! celebrates a milestone today...the 500th episode of the long-running The Soup.

The Joel McHale vehicle that looks back on the day's best snippets and clippings will celebrate with not only one but two live episodes today. The live episode will air at 10 pm EST and then again at 10 pm PST. There will be a different celebrity cameo for each half hour feed, and most likely a bunch more shenanigans typically associated with the show. Could any former Talk Soup hosts pop up for the celebration? Remember that Greg Kinnear, John Henson, Hal Sparks, and Aisha Tyler were all former hosts of The Soup's predecessor.

Keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

NEW RELEASE TUESDAY! LOADS OF RELEASES TODAY, CHECK IT OUT!

It's New Release Tuesday and this week has some decent TV-on-DVD releases. So without further ado let's run down the list of our picks!

Drama Pick-of-the-Week

The Good Wife - The Fourth Season

The political drama's fourth season follows Alicia Florrick's continuing rise as a litigator. This season she is promoted as an Equity Partner of the law firm but changes are afoot as Alicia plans on venturing solo. Meanwhile, the political action of the season leads up to the night of the Illinois gubernatorial election and the shocking results.

Comedy Pick-of-the-Week

Mike & Molly - The Third Season

The third season of the CBS comedy sees recent newlyweds Mike and Molly return from their honeymoon and adjust to the married life. Hilarious adventures occur throughout the season (and how could it not with Melissa McCarthy?!?) while Mike and Molly spend half the year working on making a baby. The season ends with a bang as a tornado hits Chicago and the super couple each reveal some important news. Could Molly finally be pregnant? You'll have to tune in and watch.

Family Pick-of-the-Week

Parenthood - The Fourth Season

Critically-acclaimed but low rated Parenthood's fourth season continued the saga and drama of the Braverman family. The different stages of parenting and relationships are demonstrated with the cohesive ensemble cast of the show. Since NBC only approved a half-order pickup of the show last season, this set only contains 15 episodes. But it is one of television's few feel-good shows currently on the air.

Kid (or Kid-at-heart) Pick-of-the-Week

CatDog - The Fourth and Final Season

'90s babies will remember the Nickelodeon cartoon of the conjoined cat-dog twin hybrid where each end was a head and neither had a tail. Cat and Dog are best friends even though they are polar opposites in just about everything. The final 8 episodes of the toon are presented in this one-disc set. Relive the wackiness of old-school Nick toons!

Retro Pick-of-the-Week

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures - Best of

In 1990, CBS and Hanna-Barbera capitalized on the popularity of the Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure movie by creating a follow-up cartoon. The move wasn't too surprising since many successful films of the '80s and '90s were converted into Saturday morning cartoons. What made this cartoon a particular feat was the inclusion of original stars Alex Winter, Keanu Reeves, George Carlin, and Bernie Casey providing the voice of their original characters. They only performed in the toon's first season before being replaced with other artists. Bill and Ted continue their excellent adventures traveling to different time periods and meeting famous people in this animated format.

Crime Drama Picks-of-the-Week

NCIS - The Tenth Season

NCIS: Los Angeles - The Fourth Season

Perennial police procedural drama NCIS, and its spin-off NCIS: Los Angeles, see simultaneous releases this week. The flagship series continues its criminal investigations involving the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and the show showed no signs of losing steam during its tenth year. The spin-off series focuses on an elite, undercover division based in Los Angeles that is currently holding its own but remains forever in the shadow of its parent show. Still, these are the best dramas currently on CBS and network television.

Soapy Pick-of-the-Week

Revenge - The Second Season

Revenge had a rough sophmore year and the drama entered into soap opera territory with its complicated and convoluted storylines (i.e. The Initiative, a long-lost son, corporate takeovers). While the new season promises to return to the elements of its first year, fans should probably revisit the twists and turns of the second season...at least to get your mind in-sync with what's coming next. If only we could insert a dream season in its place.

Blu-ray Pick-of-the-Week

Star Trek: Enterprise - The Second Season

While the DVD version of this Star Trek installment was released in 2005, this is the premiere date of the Blu-ray version. Paramount usually does a more than stellar job in transferring Star Trek shows over to Blu-ray and this installment is probably not an exception. The sophmore year of the show continued the adventures of the Enterprise in space. Trekkies will sell their mothers to afford a copy of this set.


Well that wraps up our looooong New Release Tuesday post. There are a lot of goodies out today, so which one(s) are you looking to purchase? Don't forget to comment below and share your choices.

Remember to keep it locked to Stay Tuned for future updates on anything and everything television.

FALL 2013: 'BREAKING BAD' STAR HEADING TO 'COMMUNITY' COLLEGE

Mike Ehrmantraut keeled over after being fatally wounded by Walter White on AMC's frenzied Breaking Bad, but his portrayer isn't take a break from acting. Jonathan Banks will be crossing networks, and genres, when he pops into NBC's Community this season as a community college professor. But don't expect a totally humorous role for Banks on the underdog comedy. According to Entertainment Weekly, his character Pat Nichols is described as "an intense Criminology professor with a mysterious background in military and police work"...hmmm, sounds familiar. We're betting his intensity will bring the laughs.

Community returns sometime during the midseason, most likely early 2014.

R.I.P. ELMORE LEONARD; REMEMBERING HIS CONTRIBUTION TO TELEVISION

Did you know crime novelist Elmore Leonard inspired several television productions based on his written work? Several of his novels were adapted to TV movies including Gold Coast, Split Images, Glitz, and Pronto. Aside from his extensive film credits, Leonard was the brains behind Maximum Bob, Karen Sisco, and FX's Justified.

Maximum Bob was a short-lived television series based on Elmore Leonard's 1991 novel of the same title. The series was set in the backwoods of Florida, specifically a town called Deepwater. The comedy-drama centered on Judge Bob Gibbs and his world at home and in the courtroom. Eccentric characters shuffling through the court fueled most of the episodic plots. Interestingly, shades of Maximum Bob can be seen in Saturday Night Live's hit-or-miss skit 'Maine Justice.'

Karen Sisco was an adaptation of an adaptation based on another adaptation. It was another short-lived yet considered cancelled-too-soon television drama from 2003. Karen Sisco was a United States Marshal based on Elmore Leonard's character from various novels, as well as the same one featured in the film adaptation of Out of Sight. Based in Miami, the crime drama revolved around Karen Sisco tracking down fugitives in South Beach and Palm Beach.

Justified, which is currently airing on FX, broke the one-season curse for Elmore Leonard. Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is based on the popular character from Leonard's novels Pronto and Riding the Rap, as well as the short story "Fire in the Hole." Set in Lexington, Kentucky during modern times, Givens is a lawman influenced by the Old West style of enforcement and justice. His own brand of justice makes him the target of criminals. Additionally, Givens has to reconcile with his personal demons when relocated back to his hometown in Kentucky, a place he left behind for good.

Elmore Leonard, dubbed the "Dickens of Detroit," passed away today due to complications from a stroke he suffered on July 29, 2013. He was 87 years old.