CSI: NY will add Claire Forlani to the cast this fall in a recurring role. To me, Forlani is best remembered for her role in Mallrats, a classic Kevin Smith film, for which I found her performance to be flat and uninspired. She also played a higher profile part opposite Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins in Meet Joe Black. I’m not too familiar with her other acting roles, but she will be the latest addition to CSI: NY, playing the new medical examiner, Dr. Peyton Driscoll. Her character will have a history with Gary Sinise’s character, Detective Mac Taylor. Forlani was last seen on the small-screen in TNT’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes, the series based on Stephen King’s short stories. Look for Forlani in the premiere of CSI:NY on September 20th. Her next upcoming film will be For Your Consideration, the latest from comedy genius Christopher Guest (scheduled for a November release).
Read More 
| Zap2it
Gallery: Claire Forlani Joins CSI: NY
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Diff’rent Strokes, the hit 1970s show about two Harlem orphans who were adopted by a rich businessman, will be the subject of a new NBC movie. The movie, titled Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Diff’rent Strokes, takes a behind-the scenes look at the show that aired from 1978 to 1986. Specifically, the movie looks at Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Dana Plato and the pitfalls of child stars. Coleman and Bridges appear in on-camera interviews, but sadly, Plato passed away in 1999, the result of an overdose/suicide attempt. I was watching one of those “child star” shows on E! the other day and saw an interview with Dana Plato—she addressed how her life had taken a downward turn as she battled drugs and alcohol. It was such a sad look at someone who was on top at a young age and lost it all. The movie hopes to shed more light on the rise and fall of childhood stars. The movie will air on Monday, September 4th.
Read More | Access Hollywood
Gallery: NBC to Air Diff’rent Strokes Movie
Rob Lowe to Star in TNT Movie
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Cable, TNT-HD, West Wing, The,
Good news for Rob Lowe fans—he’s returning to the small screen, starring in the TNT movie A Perfect Day. The movie is an adaptation of Richard Paul Evans’ best-selling novel, and will be part of TNT’s “Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation.” Former Johnson & Johnson features include The Wool Cap and Door to Door.
Michael Wright, head of original programming at TNT said of Lowe, “After having worked with Rob Lowe on previous TNT productions, we are thrilled to have him in the lead role for A Perfect Day. We couldn’t hope for a better actor to bring to the screen this heartwarming drama about one man’s journey through self-discovery.” Lowe’s character is Richard Harlan, who gets fired from his job, writes a novel and becomes an overnight success. His journey allows him to refocus on his life priorities.
Lowe was on the first four seasons of The West Wing, which he earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for. Call me crazy, but I never tire of seeing his ageless beauty. Look for A Perfect Day, airing on TNT in December.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Rob Lowe to Star in TNT Movie
Chance of Survival for New Fall Shows
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Drama, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC,
If you’re like me, you can’t wait for the fall TV season to begin. The summer programming has grown tiresome—our favorite shows will soon return, as well as some freshman offerings. The Programming Insider has released their odds for survival for the new series, with 1-1 being a sure thing and 10-1 considered a long shot. The odds are calculated by looking at the time slot competition, lead-in show, the “current viewing climate” and the quality of the show.
- Shark (CBS) – Thurs. 10 p.m.: 1-1
- The Class (CBS) – Mon. 8 p.m.: 2-1
- ‘Til Death (Fox) – Thurs. 8 p.m.: 3-1
- Brothers & Sisters (ABC) – Sun. 10 p.m.: 4-1
- The Nine (ABC) – Wed. 10 p.m.: 4-1
- Vanished (Fox) – Mon. 9 p.m.: 4-1
- Day Break (ABC) – Wed. 10 p.m. (filling in for Lost beginning on Nov. 15): 5-1
- Six Degrees (ABC) – Thurs. 10 p.m.: 5-1
- Smith (CBS) – Wed. 10 p.m.: 5-1
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (NBC) – Mon. 10 p.m.: 5-1
- Heroes (NBC) – Mon. 9 p.m.: 6-1
- The Game (CW) – Sun. 8:30 p.m.: 7-1
- The Knights of Prosperity (ABC) – Tues. 9 p.m.: 7-1
- 30 Rock (NBC) – Wed. 8:30 p.m.: 7-1
- Stand-off (Fox) – Tues. 8 p.m.: 7-1
- Twenty Good Years (NBC) – Wed. 8 p.m.: 7-1
- Friday Night Lights (NBC) – Tues. 8 p.m.: 8-1
- Happy Hour (Fox) – Thurs. 8:30 p.m.: 8-1
- Help Me Help You (ABC) – Tues. 9:30 p.m.: 8-1
- Justice (Fox) – Wed. 9 p.m.: 8-1
- Kidnapped (NBC) – Wed. 10 p.m.: 8-1
- Runaway (CW) – Mon. 9 p.m.: 8-1
- Men In Trees (ABC) – Fri. 9 p.m.: 9-1
- Ugly Betty (ABC) – Fri. 8 p.m.: 9-1
- Big Day (ABC) – Thurs. 8 p.m.: 10-1
- Jericho (CBS) – Wed. 8 p.m.: 10-1
- Notes From the Underbelly (ABC) – Thurs. 8 p.m.: 10-1
Read More | Yahoo! TV
Gallery: Chance of Survival for New Fall Shows
American Idol Winner’s Upcoming Movie
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Music, Prime Time, Cable, FOX, American Idol,
American Idol‘s third season winner, Fantasia Barrino, will bring her life story to a TV movie titled Fantasia: Life is Not a Fairy Tale. Fantasia has made it well known that her past was difficult, first in a book and now in a Lifetime movie to air on August 19th. In the movie, American Idol producers are shown urging her to withdraw from the competition because she was an unwed mother and high school dropout. Fox is not taking the accusation lightly, with Idol executive producer Ken Warwick telling the New York Post, “We knew she had a baby right from Day One, and she was always strongly tipped to win the competition because she was so good. I can absolutely refute that nothing was done, or even remotely suggested to her that she shouldn’t take part in the competition. It’s a complete fabrication.”
Fantasia will play herself in the movie, and hopes to inspire others to overcome the obstacles they face.
Read More | People
Gallery: American Idol Winner’s Upcoming Movie
Another New Lost Cast Member Promises Romance
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Lost, News,
Elizabeth Mitchell is joining Lost as a potential new love interest for Jack (played by Matthew Fox). Mitchell was Kerry Weaver’s girlfriend on ER, and interestingly enough, the lesbian lover to Angelina Jolie’s Gia. Mitchell will play Juliet, who has the potential to upset the previous Jack-Kate-Sawyer love triangle that was established in the first two seasons of the series. According to Carlton Cuse, Lost executive producer, “I wouldn’t call [Season 3] the season of sex, but I will say that romance will play a much more active part of the show this year.” It’s unclear as to whether Mitchell’s character will be on the island, part of a flashback, or in the parallel “real world” that the show is starting to reveal. And still, there is one more casting announcement yet to be made, as Cuse previously said that three new people would be joining the cast (we previously mentioned the casting of Rodrigo Santoro).
Read More | E! Online
Gallery: Another New Lost Cast Member Promises Romance
It was only a matter of time before someone made a movie ‘o the week about the pandemic. Who doesn’t love a little doom and gloom as the world is overtaken with disease? And who will save us from the deadly virus? The Hallmark Channel is currently producing a movie called (appropriately) Pandemic—with an all-star cast: Tiffani Thiessen, Vincent Spano, Faye Dunaway, Eric Roberts, French Stewart, Bruce Boxleitner, Renee Taylor and Bob Gunton. The movie will follow the snowball effect of a young man’s death from flu-like symptoms as he travels from Los Angeles to Australia. The passengers are quarantined, but of course, the doctor from the Center for Disease Control (played by Thiessen) has to stop the spread of the virus and save the world. Gotta love the casting—French Stewart plays another doctor, Eric Roberts is the mayor of Los Angeles, and Faye Dunaway is the governor of California. No word yet on an air date.
Read More | comingsoon.net
Gallery: Hallmark Channel Features Pandemic
Mark Wahlberg Introduces New HBO Project
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Cable, HBO, Entourage, News,
Mark Wahlberg has done great things for HBO, by bringing the mega-popular Entourage to the network as an executive producer. Wahlberg’s latest gig as executive producer is for a new half-hour drama titled In Treatment, also for HBO. The series is based on an Israeli series of the same name—a therapist who treats his patients calmly and professionally is actually a complete mess who has to seek therapy for himself. HBO has ordered five episodes, but has yet to commit to putting the series on the air. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the episodes will be presented as one long pilot. The pilot will be directed by Rodrigo Garcia (Six Feet Under, Big Love), so there’s definitely potential.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Mark Wahlberg Introduces New HBO Project
Prison Break to Fill in the Gaps
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, FOX, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break, Talent,
With the announcement that Patricia Wettig will be leaving the series, many fans are left wondering how Fox can fill the void left on Prison Break. Patricia Wettig will be joining Brothers & Sisters, and John Billingsley (who plays Wettig’s brother—the victim of the set-up that framed Lincoln Burrows) is leaving for The Nine. Billingsly’s face was never really revealed on the show, so it was easy enough to replace the actor with Jeff Perry, who has appeared on Grey’s Anatomy and Nash Bridges. According to series creator Paul Scheuring, Wettig is “not out of the picture yet.” The plan is for her storyline—and that of the conspiracy to set up Burrows—to take a backseat during the initial episodes, as the focus now will be on the manhunt for Lincoln, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and the other escapees. Scheuring says, “In the early part of the season, it’s really going to be much more about the immediacy of having to get the hell away from the pursuit.”
Luckily, we don’t have to wait too long for the new season to start. Prison Break begins on Monday, August 21st.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: Prison Break to Fill in the Gaps
Coming Soon to Amazon: TV and Movie Downloads
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Drama, Music, Internet, News,
Amazon.com is jumping on the bandwagon. Where once they considered getting into the downloadable music scene, Amazon wised up and saw that iTunes held the lion’s share of that market. With Amazon Digital Video, however, they have more of a playing field to conquer, offering full-length movies and TV shows for download. According to AdAge, the service will be launched next month, with subscription or pay-per-view options. The details about the cost of a subscription or per download have yet to be disclosed. Similarly, the variety of downloads that will be offered for download are not yet known.
Read More | TV Squad
Gallery: Coming Soon to Amazon: TV and Movie Downloads
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