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Thursday is an all new episode of Heroes. That is something I never thought I’d say again. Check out this new teaser for Heroes: Reborn.
The continuation of the popular superhero drama is this Thursday, September 24 at 8pm on NBC. Jack Coleman returns as HRG to lead a new group of heroes and villains, included in the mix is Chuck‘s Zachary Levi.
Catch up on Heroes with the past seasons…
Hot off the news that FOX has picked up Gotham, a Batman prequel focusing on young Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon before he became the police commissioner, comes the news that we’ll be seeing a lot of comic inspired shows next season! So many show sin fact that we’ll be splitting this article into multiple parts.
Marvel’s Agent Carter (ABC)
Spinning directly out of Captain America: The First Avenger and the Agent Carter short film, Hayley Atwell returns to the role in a action series that takes place in the 1940s and recounts the origin of SHIELD. As we reported on earlier (SEE: TV News: Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter), Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas have been tapped as showrunners, with Steve McFeely, Christopher Marcus, and Jeph Loeb executive producing. ABC’s official description: The story is set in 1946 and peace has dealt Peggy Carter a serious blow as she finds herself marginalized when the men return home from fighting abroad. Working for the covert SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve), Peggy must balance doing administrative work and going on secret missions for Howard Stark all while trying to navigate life as a single woman in America, in the wake of losing the love of her life – Steve Rogers.
It should be really interesting to see how they shape the series moving forward. There are other heroes and villains from the 40s that could be interesting to see (the original robotic Human Torch or Namor for example). I wonder if they’ll tie the series into Agents of SHIELD at all. Peggy Carter stops a bad guy and finds a powerful weapon, then in the future that weapon is stolen from SHIELD and Agent Coulson’s team must find it. (possible spoiler for Captain America: The Winter Soldier). It would also be pretty cool to see the seeds of HYDRA planted in SHIELD from the beginning. Also, it’d be great to see folks like Dum Dum Dugan (Neal McDonough), Jim Morita (Kenneth Choi), and the Howling Commandos again. Plus, could we see a young Nick Fury in action? Sure, Sam Jackson wasn’t born until 1948, but in the comics Nick Fury is nearly a century old and uses the Infinity Formula to slow his aging and stay strong. Would be cool to see this element of Fury added into the mix along with seeing him rise the ranks from Agent of SHIELD to Director of the spy agency.
The Flash (The CW)
Lets change pace from Marvel Comics to DC Comics for a moment as DC is bringing one of their big guns to the small screen. Justice League member and speedster Barry Allen, the Flash, is spinning directly out of DC’s other successful CW series Arrow. Barry, as portrayed by Grant Gustin, was established in a couple episodes of Arrow as a young CSI who has a keen interest in meta crimes. The CW’s official description: The Flash focuses on scientist Barry Allen (Grant Gustin), who’s given powers that transform him into the Fastest Man Alive.
On one hand I’m surprised they cast Barry so young, I always picture him as being at least in his thirties. But on the other hand it makes sense to cast him young and let Gustin grow into the role. This could also differentiate the series from a possible Flash film series, where they can make him a bit older. I’d love to see them cross villains over between The Flash and Arrow, and it could lead to a lot of other possible DC spinoffs (Green Lantern? Wonder Woman?). In addition to Gustin, the cast includes Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Panabaker, Rick Cosnett, Candice Patton, Tom Cavanagh, Carlos Valdes, and John Wesley Shipp, the Flash of the 90s television series.
Constantine (NBC)
Three heroes. Three networks. Constantine is an anti-hero from DC Comic’s dark (and magical) corner of their universe. Forget the Keanu Reeves movie, because Matt Ryan is the striking image of a young John Constantine. Maybe they will also get the rest right. The show is executive produced by David Goyer (Writer of Nolan’s Batman flicks) and directed by Neil Marshall (who helmed such movies as The Descent and Doomsday). The Wiki description of the DC Comic character: Constantine is a working-class magician, occult detective, and con man stationed in London. He is known for his endless cynicism, deadpan snarking, ruthless cunning, and constant chain smoking, but is also a passionate humanist driven by a heartfelt desire to do some good in his life.
This show needs to be dark, gritty, and with a touch of noir. A mix between Angel and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Constantine is one of those heroes that is at his best when he is beat down and on the edge of his sanity. NBC, please do not sugar coat the series or try to make it appeal to kiddies. And I hope I’m not asking too much when I say that I need Zatanna to be part of the cast; fishnets, top hat, and all. (It might be cool to also see characters like the Swamp Thing. Just saying.)
In Part 2 we will be looking at some more Comics that are being turned into television series in the 2014 – 2015 season. Which of these three shows are you excited about?
Would YOU Get Out Alive? That is the question posed by survivalist Bear Grylls in his new NBC series and survival competition Get Out Alive! The series airs Mondays at 9/8c with its season finale hitting the small screen on August 26th!
In #GetOutAlive, “10 teams of 2 compete to survive in the beautiful New Zealand wilderness with Bear Grylls as their guide. The teams are faced with various survival tasks as they battle the terrain, mountains, gorges, glaciers, rainforests, rivers and rapids. Each week, one team is eliminated, and the last remaining duo will win $500,000!” That is a lot of green for winning and “getting out alive.” NBC was kind enough to offer our audience a giveaway that ties into the show, but first check out this awesome app…
Try it out? Enjoy the “action-packed” GIFs taken directly from the show. Did you take the WOULD YOU GET OUT ALIVE? quiz? Watch some of the videos and learn more about the show’s contestants? Lets get to that giveaway!
We have a Bear Grylls Survival Bracelet from Gerber to give to one lucky commenter! The Survial Bracelets impressive design provides 12 feet of high-strength paracord to help you out of a variety of difficult situations. It has an integrated whistle, you can adjust it with one hand, and it weights- get this- less than an ounce!
How do you enter the contest? There are 3 ways!
One lucky winner will be chosen at random!
Disclaimer (and other Details)
This contest is only open to everyone with a valid address. Prizes can not be sent to a PO Box. All comments must be made with a (working) email address, so we are able to contact you if you win. Once contacted, you have 48 hours to reply with the requested details. The winner will be chosen randomly from all of the entries. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parents permission. Prizes have been provided in promotion of NBCUniversal’s Get Out Alive. A winner will be chosen on August 26th, 2013.
While perhaps not every guest star who appeared on “30 Rock” made comedy gold, I find myself having to dig deep through all the treats to find a dud. Some guest stars made a one-off appearance on the NBC sitcom, and some did multiple episode arcs while others would appear at least once or twice a season.
It seemed like the writers found the perfect characters and wrote to each guest star’s particular strengths. They (mostly) managed to fit seamlessly into Liz Lemon’s personal universe populated by her rag-tag group of co-workers…whom she often had to treat as children.
So, while you may never see another new episode of “30 Rock” you can always look back and remember the good times. Or watch reruns. Heck, according to direct.tv you could even stream them from your DVR to your smartphone or tablet if you’re a DirecTV subscriber. Or log on to NBC.com or even Hulu.com.
Who wouldn’t want to try to join Jon Hamm in the Bubble? Between Hamm’s stints on “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock,” he proved his versatility as an actor. Add “comedic” as a prefix to “actor,” forevermore. Don Draper, took temporary steps to the side, because Dr. Drew Baird brought the laughs. Thankfully, just because Liz Lemon couldn’t handle the pediatrician’s overwhelming handsomeness–and its subtly manipulative effects on everyone around him–didn’t mean we wouldn’t be treated to repeat appearances from Hamm; handless as he eventually became.
Arnett served as the perfect nemesis for Jack Donaghy. Arnett’s portrayal of Jack Donaghy’s formidable foe, whose equally deep voice really should have resulted in a low talker contest between the two moguls, was always fun with his plays for power, as well as his weakness for the ever-naive Kenneth Parcell. With plenty of smarmy charm, it was always a whiplash-inducing tennis match watching him and Donaghy make their respective plays for dominance.
Elaine Strich was perfectly cast as Jack Donaghy’s tough mom who carried general disdain for Jackie boy’s love interests, but she did have as soft a spot in her hard-coated heart as possible for Liz Lemon. Her relative affection didn’t prevent her from giving Liz as tough a time as she gave her son. From Jack backing up and hitting her, seeing only her tights-clad legs fly in the air, to her fantastic funeral, Strich was a classy and indispensable, albeit entirely shrewish, addition to the list of recurring guest stars.
Cast as Jack Donaghy’s deeply ironic biological father, Alan Alda is always a good idea. More a self-parody role for Alda since Milton Greene is a fairly accurate portrayal of the “MASH” actor himself. The added bonus of Alan Alda’s appearance was the cavalcade of guest stars his character’s need for a kidney inspired. “Kidney Now” brought together an impressive list that included Sheryl Crowe, the Beastie Boys (Ad Rock and Mike D), Mary J. Blige, Steve Earle, Wyclef Jean and so many other musical artists and actors.
Maybe this is a cheat, but here are a few more guest stars who deserve a mention. Chris Parnell‘s Dr. Leo Spacemen was always a creepy treat.
Brian Williams, the (real life) NBC Evening News anchor, was another surprise with his dry humor and good sportsmanship.
Guest post written by Scott. Cover photo from Flickr user Daniel P. Fleming.
We’re back with some television news for you to fall into.
Only a handful of years since his last retirement from The Tonight Show, it appears that the curtain is closing on Jay Leno once again in 2014. As expected, he will be passing the torch to Saturday Night Live alum and Late Night host Jimmy Fallon. This time around it seems much more likely that Leno will not steal the show back as he did when Conan O’Brien took over the hosting duties in 2009. Speaking of Conan, his own late night show over on TBS has been renewed through November of 2015.
With Fallon moving to The Tonight Show, rumors have begun about who might replace him on Late Night with the frontrunner seemingly being fellow SNLer Seth Meyers. Personally I think Meyers would be a great fit.
USA Network has announced their summer slate premiere dates! Lets start with Burn Notice (pictured left), the spy action series will start its seventh season on Thursday, June 6 at 9pm. It will be followed by the new series Graceland, which stars Daniel Sunjata and Aaron Tveit. Like Burn, the series is an action drama (and I’m sure it will have its share of lighthearted fare). A week later on Wednesday June 12th, Royal Pains and Necessary Roughness’ new seasons begin. Pains at 9pm and Roughness at 10pm. Then you’ll have to wait almost another week for the return at Covert Affairs and Suits on Tuesday June 16th (also 9pm and 10pm).
The only standout USA Network show missing from the lot is White Collar, which will return with a new season in the fall (hey, they have to save something for their fall schedule).
Spoilers! Turn away if you have not watched the season finale of The Walking Dead. The third season of the zombie survival drama was really strong up until the last couple episodes. It went out without the bang everyone was expecting and that AMC hyped so loudly. It did have its fair share of surprises, including the fact that the season’s villain, the Governor (David Morrissey), survived. Everyone that I know (and myself) included counted on him being killed and we were taking bets on who would/should do it (Maggie and Michonne topped the list of would-be killers). AMC has announced that Morrissey will indeed be back next season as a regular. I honestly have no idea where they could take this character. I guess he can go out and build a new army to attack the prison- but how can they do this and keep things fresh? We shall see when The Walking Dead returns in October.
Bingo. The classic game that mixes puzzle and chance. It has always been one of my favorite forms of gambling (especially when when I was little and it was for prizes). The last time I played was on a cruise and I was lucky enough to win a free drink. This of course led me to want to play every round offered over the course of the vacation, which leads me to the point of this Bingo discussion. The addictive quality of Bingo has been underused in television and movies, but when it is used, it is very effective for laughs.
There are of course many ways besides cruise ships to play Bingo. There are professional tournaments, games held at churches and community centers, fairs, and nowadays you can even play online at websites such as www.partybingo.com. The options for finding your own game to join are endless. In television that is another story. You have to search high and low to find the classic game featured anywhere. Sure, there was the short lived ABC gameshow National Bingo Night in 07, followed by Bingo America on GSN, which lasted until 09. But before reading this article, did you even know these gameshows existed?
What brings about this sudden urge to chat about B
ingo? Well, just this past week NBC’s Matthew Perry comedy Go On was smart enough to feature the game in its new episode. It used a church game of Bingo attended by Perry’s character Ryan to set off the chain of events for the rest of the episode and got some laughs along the way.
Of course this pales in comparison to the hysterical use of Bingo back in the sit-com Roseanne. You remember the episode I’m talking about. Barr’s title character reluctantly goes to a game of Bingo on a girl’s night out only to win fifty bucks. From there she goes all out, with the big hair, multiples boards and markers and becomes a “pro” (pictured to the right). She only stops playing when her family literally carries her out of the game.
Any I missing any classic uses of Bingo? What is your favorite television show or movie to use the game?
Dirty Sexy Money will always have a special place in my heart because for all of its spoils. It was both a show about an outsider looking in and a show about an insider wanting out. A sexy soap that didn’t go too over the top- the series died prematurely thanks to the Writer’s Strike. Deception premieres tonight on NBC with a plot very similar to Dirty Sexy Money– however, it’s taking a cue from ABC’s soap Revenge by adding in a central murder mystery.
Starring Megan Goode, Victor Garber, and Tate Donovan among others, NBC put the pilot for the show on its website about a week ago. I saw it and I have to say, it’s a lot better then I expected. The gist of the show is that a San Francisco detective (Goode) goes undercover after the murder of the daughter of an affluence family, a family her mother use to work for and whom was close to the murdered daughter before drifting out of their lives for years. There is a twist in the investigation because it’s soon revealed that the detective isn’t just investigating the daughter’s murder but all the members of the family for another crime. Though I’m not going to give a full review of the pilot, I will say that there are definitely some stand out moments along with a few head scratchers, in the way of character choices and even acting choices. This is one of those pilots where you’re not missing much if you decide to skip it but it has enough potential to be a decent series going forward. Nothing groundbreaking here.
Offiical Description, “Pilot”: The death of wealthy party girl Vivian Bowers doesn’t add up for FBI agent Will Moreno (Laz Alonso), especially in a family as suspicious as the Bowers. Convinced that the tabloid staple’s death was a homicide, he recruits his former SFPD partner and Vivian’s childhood best friend, Joanna Padget Locasto (Meagan Good) to re-establish ties with the Bowers. Determined to find justice for her estranged best friend, Joanna infiltrates the dynasty she once considered family, and quickly begins to uncover why Vivian’s life was very much in danger.
Check Deception out at 10:00pm on NBC. What else is on tonight?
8PM
USA: WWE Monday Night Raw (wrestling)
ABC: The Bachelor (reality)
NBC: The Biggest Loser (reality)
PBS: Antiques Roadshow (docu)
ABCFAM: Switched at Birth (drama)
CARTOON: Regular Show (comedy)
VH!: Love & Hip Hop (drama)
9PM
ABCFAM: Bunheads (family drama)
FOX: The Mob Doctor (crime drama)
PBS: Market Warriors (docu)
HIST: American Pickers (reality)
HGTV: Love It or List It (docu)
OWN: Shocking Family Secrets (docu)
TLC: Cake Boss: Next Great Baker (competition)
10PM
HIST: Pawn Stars (reality)
ABC: Castle (crime drama)
PBS: POV (news showcase)
A&E: The Haunting of… (docu)
BRAVO: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (reality)
FOOD: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (docu)
MTV: Teen Mom 2 (reality)
