TV Squad

Donald Faison introduces the new cast of Scrubs

Bob Sassone — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Scrubs, Video, Casting, Reality-Free

There are lots of changes coming to Scrubs this season. Zach Braff won't be on it that much and Judy Reyes won't be on it at all. But we will have several new characters at the hospital, and in this video Donald Faison introduces them.

[Watch clips and episodes of Scrubs and other shows at SlashControl.]

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Doctor Who star to play John Lennon

Brad Trechak — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Doctor Who, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

Former Doctor Who lead Christopher Eccleston will be playing John Lennon in an upcoming British television drama commissioned by BBC Four about the life of John Lennon between 1967 and 1971. To further the Doctor Who connection, former Torchwood star Naoko Mori (who played Tosh on the show) will be playing Yoko Ono.

There is a lot of crossover between Doctor Who fans and Beatles fans, so there is sure to be some interest in the series. The roles I know Eccleston best for are those of the Doctor and Destro from G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra, so the question is if he can pull off a Liverpudlian accent. Since in the aforementioned roles he's done a Northern British accent (I believe his natural one) and a Scottish accent, he's likely capable of it.

So what do you think? Is Eccleston a good choice for the role of John Lennon?

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Taylor Kitsch may be done with Friday Night Lights

Allison Waldman — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:32:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Friday Night Lights, Casting, Reality-Free

One of the most integral and interesting characters on Friday Night Lights may be out of the lineup for much of the rest of the season. And he may not be back for next season, either. Taylor Kitsch could be out of Friday Night Lights after the next few episodes. Michael Ausiello is reporting that executive producer Jason Katims confirmed that Taylor's conflicting schedule with a big screen project has mucked up the works.

Taylor's playing the title character in John Carter of Mars, a big screen adaptation of the famous Edgar Rice Burroughs' books, which isn't slated to be released until 2012, but will require extensive filming. It doesn't look like he'll be able to fit more of Friday Night Lights into the mix. And a lot of the predicament could be on the Disney side; will they free up his shooting schedule for John Carter to let him play Tim Riggins.

Continue reading Taylor Kitsch may be done with Friday Night Lights

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That's why I recognize Brick from The Middle!

Allison Waldman — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:09:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Video, Commercials, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

You know how sometimes you see an actor or actress and they look so familiar, but you can't remember where you saw him or her, or what the TV show was? That's how I've been with the little boy who plays Brick on The Middle. His name is Atticus Shaffer, and since the ABC sitcom began this fall, I've been scratching my head over him. Where did I see him before?

Turns out that it was on a commercial for AIG. Yes, AIG, that huge insurance company that was a big part of the economic collapse. The company that was too big for America to let fail.

Continue reading That's why I recognize Brick from The Middle!

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Family Matters meets The Young and the Restless ... casting wise

Allison Waldman — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, Casting, Reality-Free

It's taken a while, but The Young and the Restless has finally filled a role that's been vacant for too long. No, David Hasselhoff is not coming back as Snapper Foster. The role of Malcolm Winters is returning and Darius McCrary's got the Y&R role. Malcolm, the dynamic younger brother of Neil Winters, has been missing in action for a while because the previous actor in the part, Shemar Moore, has become a star in primetime.

The Winters family is an important element in the Y&R canvas and they've missed Malcolm. Shemar was asked to come back, but with his success on Criminal Minds, there simply wasn't time in his schedule for both shows. Truth be told, there probably wasn't enough money to compel him to work that hard. So,while the fans might have liked Shemar back, they'll have to get used to a new face instead.

Continue reading Family Matters meets The Young and the Restless ... casting wise

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Ugly Betty star was almost Peter Petrelli on Heroes

Bob Sassone — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Celebrities, Heroes, Casting, Reality-Free

I love hearing stories about how certain stars auditioned for certain roles and didn't get them. What would the show/movie have been like if they were cast in it instead of the person who eventually got the role? For example, did you know that Danny DeVito was almost cast as Serena on Gossip Girl?

Here's another tidbit: Ugly Betty star Eric Mabius auditioned for the role of Peter Petrelli on Heroes. It's not really clear whether he didn't get the role because Milo Ventimiglia got it or if producers of Ugly Betty grabbed him for the role of Daniel Meade before Heroes producers could sign him up. Whatever happened, he's now playing the head of Mode magazine while Ventimiglia is absorbing people's superpowers.

The interview above is rather interesting. Mabius has moved back to Massachusetts with his family (he met his wife here while in college and wants to raise his kids here). He says he doesn't have a plan for his future, though he might have to get one. I have a feeling this might be the last season for Ugly Betty.

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Brooke Shields is getting in The Middle

Allison Waldman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, OpEd, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

When you think of Brooke Shields, you think glamor and fashion and high style... Well, I do anyway. She's Suddenly Susan and one of the hot ladies on Lipstick Jungle. I do not think of her as a suburban mother of four in Orson, Indiana. However, that's exactly what she's going to be on an upcoming episode of ABC's sitcom The Middle.

As oxymoronic as it seems, I love the idea of Brooke on The Middle. She'll be going deep into the heart of the heartland to play a character who's supposed to be like Fran Heck, Patricia Heaton's character on The Middle. There's nothing as liberating for an actor as the chance to let loose and break the mold.

Continue reading Brooke Shields is getting in The Middle

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Jason Lee to sing the Delta Blues

Bob Sassone — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:04:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

When I first heard the plot of the new TNT drama pilot that George Clooney is producing, Delta Blues, I thought it might be funny at first but way too odd to watch for several episodes. It's about George Hendricks, a Memphis police officer who lives with his mom and is also a part-time Elvis Presley impersonator (I'm going to assume that he doesn't dress up as Elvis while he's on duty or this show will go be way into the red zone of the QUIRKY meter).

Well, at least they grabbed someone good for the role. My Name Is Earl's Jason Lee is going to play the lead character, and I can definitely picture that. Now I just wonder if he's going to dress up as younger, thinner Elvis (circa 1959) or older, wider Elvis (circa 1975).

The pilot will be directed by Clark Johnson, who worked on The Shield.

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Gretchen Mol to join Boardwalk Empire

Brad Trechak — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:34:00 EST

Filed under: Industry, Programming, OpEd, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

Gretchen Mol, who was last seen in last season's short-lived American television version of Life on Mars and in the feature An American Affair, will be going to HBO for the series Boardwalk Empire. She's scheduled to have a recurring role as a showgirl. The series is being produced by Martin Scorsese.

Gretchen Mol was on Life on Mars with Michael Imperioli, who was also on The Sopranos on HBO and was in Scorsese's Goodfellas. Boardwalk Empire star Steve Buscemi also appeared on The Sopranos. In short, all these people know each other and it's definitely a case of cast inbreeding. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Seriously, Gretchen Mol is a terrific actress and was fantastic in The Notorious Bettie Page. Given the talent already behind Boardwalk Empire, it was likely to be a fantastic series. Now its volume just went up to 11.

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Fred Willard checks in to Modern Family

Allison Waldman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Casting, Reality-Free, Modern Family

There's an old adage in show business that says something to the effect that casting is half the battle. If you cast a part well, you're sure to have a winning finished project. If that's true, then the casting of Fred Willard on Modern Family is sure to be a hit. I won't reveal what role Fred will be playing til after the jump, so if you don't want to know, don't read on. Suffice to say, the very funny Mr. Willard is being given a great opportunity to shine.

Willard, who was terrific on Everybody Loves Raymond, not to mention all the Christopher Guest films like Best In Show and A Mighty Wind, was on sitcom TV just last season on Fox's Back to You. In fact, it was on that show that Fred worked with Modern Family's Ty Burrell. Now they get to do it again.

Continue reading Fred Willard checks in to Modern Family

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Don Draper's mistress lands role on new NBC drama

Bob Sassone — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:09:00 EST

Filed under: Other Drama Shows, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

I know, saying "Don Draper's mistress" doesn't really narrow it down, does it?

Abigail Spencer, who played (plays?) schoolteacher Suzanne Farrell on AMC's Mad Men this past season, has landed a role on the new NBC drama Rex Is Not Your Lawyer. I guarantee that will be one of the odder titles for a new show in 2010 or whenever the show debuts. It's about a lawyer who gets anxiety attacks (that has to be a career killer) so he actually teachers his clients how to represent themselves in court. Spencer will play another lawyer.

What does this mean for Miss Farrell? Who knows. She could appear on both shows though. Alison Brie appears on two different shows too (Mad Men and NBC's Community), so it's possible that Spencer could still appear on Mad Men while on this show. Of course, I hope she's out of the picture and we see Rachel or Midge again.

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Smallville: Let's talk about that Hawkman photo

Mike Moody — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Smallville, Casting, Reality-Free

I'm sure most of you Smallville fans have already seen this preview pic of Michael Shanks as Hawkman, taken from the upcoming Justice Society episode. So why am I posting it here?

Because that photo looks weird, man!

First off, I must say that I'm really looking forward to this Smallville two-parter, and I think Stargate's Shanks is a fine pick to play Carter Hall. Smallville has been a lot of fun to watch this season, and I hope the upswing continues through next year.

Now, back to that photo ... Why does it look like a still image from a video game? Is it a mostly CGI shot? Concept art? Did somebody switch the real photo of Shanks with a fan photo manip? I'm hoping that some of you graphic designer-types can tell me what's really going on here, because ... yeah ... that photo looks weird.

Continue reading Smallville: Let's talk about that Hawkman photo

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Kathy Griffin lands guest spot on Law and Order SVU

Allison Waldman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:09:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Law and Order, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

There's another Bravo to NBC crossover afoot. First, The Real Housewives of New Jersey popped over to play themselves on Mercy. Now it turns out that Kathy Griffin is on her way to Law and Order: SVU. And, get this, she's not playing herself. The queen of the D-list will be acting.

Kathy has been tapped to play a lesbian activist in the February 10 episode. As anyone who's watched Kathy on her Emmy-award winning reality show, My Life on the D-List, Kathy is a shameless over-achiever and loves to work. She's ambitious and determined to get off the D-list. As she might say, she would go to the opening of a refrigerator if it would help her career.

Continue reading Kathy Griffin lands guest spot on Law and Order SVU

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Let's talk about spoilers ...

Jane Boursaw — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Programming, OpEd, Site Announcements, Casting, Reality-Free

Spoilers are a hot topic here on TV Squad. Nary a day goes by when we don't hear something -- good or bad -- from readers about spoilers. And it's been going on a while; Isabelle wrote this post on spoilers back in 2007.

What is a spoiler? Should they be included in titles? Should we always put them after the jump? Are casting announcements spoilers? What about short posts that only fit on the front page? What if the info is common knowledge?

Let's take a closer look at spoilers, what they are, and how we can run a great web site and all live together with these precarious bits of info known as spoilers.

Continue reading Let's talk about spoilers ...

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Battlestar Galactica star coming to Heroes

Bob Sassone — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Battlestar Galactica, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

Question: is it possible for Heroes to add enough actors and actresses from cool, hip shows so it also becomes cool and hip again?

Kate Vernon, who played Ellen Tigh (and a Cylon - hope that wasn't a spoiler!) on the Battlestar Galactica remake, is joining the cast of the NBC show. Greg Grunberg first unveiled the news on his Twitter account a couple of days ago. Seems like that's where a lot of breaking news happens nowadays, eh?

Continue reading Battlestar Galactica star coming to Heroes

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The Addams Family's latest incarnation is a Broadway musical

Allison Waldman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Casting, Reality-Free

The Addams Family is coming back. No, this times it's not a TV series, nor a motion picture. No, this time Broadway is taking Charles Addams' amazing dysfunctional gothic family and putting their antics to music. That's right, The Addams Family is becoming a Broadway musical.

One of the things that sounds really promising about the musical is the casting. The two leads seem perfect for their roles -- Nathan Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia. They're both like cartoon characters already, and in that bizarro world, they should be right at home. Hams on parade ... with music! It sounds glorious.

Continue reading The Addams Family's latest incarnation is a Broadway musical

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For All My Children's 40th anniversary, Julia Barr and more will be back

Allison Waldman — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Daytime, Casting, Emmys, Reality-Free

There's reason to be hopeful about All My Children's move to Hollywood. Oh, yes, Thorsten Kaye has decided not to go -- bye, bye Zach -- but there's a list of stars lining up for the anniversary that's pretty spectacular.

In honor of All My Children's 40th Anniversary, Julia Barr is coming back as Brooke English. Also slated to appear are a bunch of other former AMC stars, including Eva LaRue, Taylor Miller, Laurence Lau, Eden Riegel, Leven Rambin and the previously announced Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos.

Julia's return is a big get because she was such big part of the soap for so long. The two-time Emmy winner was on AMC from 1976 to her exit in 2006. This anniversary show will be a chance for fans to hear what Brooke -- Erica's rival for all those years -- has been up to.

Next in line is Eva LaRue. She's become a prime time star with CSI: Miami. She did two stints with AMC as Dr. Maria Santos Grey.

Continue reading For All My Children's 40th anniversary, Julia Barr and more will be back

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Who will die? Check out James Franco's General Hospital promo

Allison Waldman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:02:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, American Idol, Video, Celebrities, Alumni, Casting, Reality-Free

The James Franco experiment has begun on General Hospital. Actually, we have now learned that the movie actor, best known for Spider-Man and Milk and The Pineapple Express, has decided to do a two-month guest role on the ABC soap opera as part of a project he's doing with a filmmaker named Carter.

Franco and Carter are making a documentary called Erased James Franco. His guest turn on 30 Rock may also be part of the movie. Nobody knows for certain.

One thing I do know for certain is that ABC is taking Franco's appearance on GH very seriously. They're working around his schedule, giving him a strangely interesting character to play, and promoting it like mad.

Continue reading Who will die? Check out James Franco's General Hospital promo

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Smallville is getting Foxy with Pam Grier

Brad Trechak — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:27:00 EST

Filed under: Smallville, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

Pam Grier, famous for her appearances in '70s blaxploitation flicks like Foxy Brown and later for her appearances in Quentin Tarantino movies, will be stopping over in Smallville. She'll be playing the character of Amanda Waller for the upcoming two-part episode with the Justice Society of America.

Amanda Waller was created in the comics and has appeared on television already in the animated Justice League series. She was ... how shall I say ... bigger than Ms. Grier. To play the character as she was created, Grier would either have to gain a lot of weight or don a fat suit.

Actually, the creators will probably just leave her as she is. Smallville is something of its own universe (as proven by the appearance of the Wonder Twins). Her appearance is slated for the episodes written by comics writer (and writer of the previous Smallville episode "Legion") Geoff Johns, so I'm already convinced it will be a good episode. Pam Grier is just icing on the cake.

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NCIS's latest casting coup ... the Secretary of the Navy

Allison Waldman — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: OpEd, Celebrities, Casting, Reality-Free

The 'N' in NCIS stands for Naval. In case you didn't know that, I thought I'd tell you upfront, so that maybe the rest of this news will make sense. TV Guide has reported that Ray Mabus, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy is appearing on NCIS. Yes, that's right, the real United States Secretary of the Navy is going to guest on America's most watched drama series.

Oh, one more thing. He's not playing the Secretary of the Navy. He's playing an NCIS agent. So until we get more information, it seems that Secretary Mabus simply has a desire to act and CBS is giving him a chance to show his stuff. Or maybe he's a really big fan of NCIS (he wouldn't be alone).

Continue reading NCIS's latest casting coup ... the Secretary of the Navy

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