It has been a while since we took a trip into The Pit and I can honestly say that I’ve missed writing the column. What started as a way to throw out some opinions on various news stories turned into a fun way to spotlight multiple topics without the need to do a full blown articles on any of the subjects. I can’t promise that I’ll be able to write this column daily, but I’m going to try to make it a weekly thing.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is getting closer and closer (the movie is only a little more than 6 months away!!!). New photos from the movie has been released online, you can check them out in a Gallery on the movie’s official website (the site also features the movie’s trailer and some other goodies).

A new rumor cropped up today via Heroic Hollywood that Warner Brothers is so trilled with Ben Affleck’s performance that they want even more Batman in the film and are working to make that happen. Personally I hope they don’t over do it. Sometimes, less is more. If the movie is working and Batman is the standout, keep it that way. Don’t try to force more of a good thing, just let it happen organically. Either way, I’ll be seeing  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on opening night.

Unfortunately, Hugh Jackman is sticking to his story that Wolverine III will be his last movie as the beloved gruff X-Man. On the plus side, there is rumor has it that he has a role (or cameo) in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse, so while Wolverine III might be his last ride as the hero, it will not be the only movie we have to look forward to with Jackman in the role.

Another awesome rumor is that we will see the return of Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth, in the new solo Wolverine outing. Creed was played by ex-wrestler Tyler Mane in X-Men, but recast with Liev Schreiber in the prequel X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Schreiber was easily the best part of a otherwise disappointing first Wolverine solo outing, but I’d welcome seeing him have another go at the villain. Hopefully the material in the new movie will be up to par (it better be if its the last time we’ll see Jackman as the Wolverine.

We are just a month and a half away from the premiere of Ash vs Evil Dead on STARZ! I can not wait to see Bruce Campbell return to the iconic role and face-off with a new crop of Deadites!

The series has a new official description: “Ash vs Evil Dead follows Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.” The show also has a new behind the scenes video, click here to watch the “First Look” for Ash vs Evil Dead.

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We are currently living in the golden age of television. Just like in the 40s with comics, television is giving audiences unprecedented access to content that no audience in history has been able to have. From shows about cops to shows about the beginning of man, television seemingly has it all, and that is an overwhelming positive. We are also living in an era where lots of television shows are lost in the mix as shows get straddled with airing on upcoming networks or just getting lost in the shuffle of new management of a network. This is going to be the first article in a new column that is called Shows You Aren’t Watching But Should. This is the inaugural article, so brace yourselves, and don’t tread lightly because chances are, you’re most likely not watching the shows that I’ll be spotlighting weekly. I’m hoping that changes. All of these shows I take a look at are currently airing right now or have just wrapped their current seasons and have either been renewed or awaiting renewal.

Magic City
Starz. The new kid on the block. Its claim to fame is that it was the home to the cult classic comedy Party Down before scrapping it in favor of going to an only drama primetime lineup. Sure, Starz has a long way to go before it can catch up to Showtime and HBO as a true player in the pay cable world but it has been doing well in getting a footing in an increasingly crowded market. It also has to fight off direct ompetition from Cinemax. The network has started getting some notice thanks to airing Torchwood: Miracle Day, Spartacus, and snagging Kelsey Grammer for the lead in its award winning series Boss, wherein Grammer won a Golden Globe for his work beating out the likes of Jon Hamm and Bryan Cranston. Their show that is the most underrated, but is truly a feast for the eyes, is its Miami set gangster drama Magic City.

Written by Mitch Glazer and starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Steven Stait, and Danny Huston amongst others, Magic City is a sprawling tale of corruption and power set in late 1950s Miami. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is our hero, playing hotelier Ike Evans, a man trying to balance his dealings with the mob underworld (as seen through his interactions with Huston’s gangster Ben Diamond) and making sure that his business is, well, legitimate in the eyes of the law. It is a balancing act that propels this series as it gets into darker and darker territory. Ike is a man that is being hunted by both sides of the law, meaning he has nowhere to hide or turn too. The law wants him because of his shady business dealings and the wanted seek the cut that Ike has hastily talked his way out of giving. It is a dynamic that has rarely been seen before. A man pushed into a corner and only has one option. Fight his way out or die trying.

The writing here is sharp. Mitch Glazer has a passion for the era and it shows in the first season. Detail that only a local with passion (yes, Glazer grew up in Miami) could really hit the marks the way this show does. Glazer, in fact, wrote every single episode in the show’s short (eight episode) first season. The storylines do not drag out for too long, and events move at a good pace. Also, thanks to it airing on Starz, this show does not shy away from nudity and while some paycable shows overdo it in the nudity department, this show shows off the buff at an appropriate level. And though it may seem unnecessary to mention the nudity, I only bring it up because there are certain people who are privy to nudity, and well, the statement was both a warning and a heads up, depending on where you fall when it comes to the category that is nudity on TV.

For people yearning for a good old fashioned gangster drama set in a place and time that has not been seen on television in a long, long time, then Magic City is the show for you. It is both sexy and tantalizing while it features a great cast in a compelling ensemble setting. This is definitely worth a shot. It is good, so check it out already! Especially since the show is in production of its second season and will feature the likes of Esai Morales and James Caan in the new season, which is set to premiere in the Spring of 2013.

From our friends at 141tv…

“In the final chapter of One Tree Hill, the tenth anniversary of Tric brings old faces and new possibilities for the Tree Hill family.” The CW series stars Antwon Tanner, Austin Nichols, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Gavin DeGraw, Jackson Brundage, James Lafferty, Lee Norris, Lisa Goldstein, Mark Schwahn, Robert Buckley, Shantel VanSanten, Sophia Bush, Stephen Colletti, and Tyler Hilton. Watch the One Tree Hill series finale here.

“As Ike Evans rings in the New Year at his luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, Havana falls to Castro’s rebels. It’s a turbulent time in Miami, but it’s THE place to be. The Kennedys, the mob and the CIA all hold court here. And Ike, he’s the star of his hotel. But everything comes at a price. To finance his dream, he sold his soul to mob boss Ben “The Butcher” Diamond. Ike’s wife Vera, a former showgirl, and his three kids think he’s an honorable man, but he can’t break his pact with the devil. His life is a façade. In fact, nothing at the Miramar Playa is what it seems. By day, it’s diving clowns and cha-cha lessons. By night, escorts have secret liaisons with husbands in the family cabanas, while Miami’s seedier residents and the law drift together to hear legendary singers, musicians and comics. As Ike’s world threatens to implode, he fights for his family, and the Miramar Playa, in Magic City.” The new Starz series stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Danny Huston, Olga Kurylenko, and Steven Stait. Watch the pilot of Magic City here.

Lots of stuff is going on in the world of entertainment. The NBC late-night drama continues, shows are coming and going, and Avatar is finally being challenged at the box office. Welcome to The Pit.

• The Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman post-apocalyptic thriller The Book of Eli managed to edge out James Cameron’s Avatar out of the top spot at the domestic box office on Friday  by about a million dollars. Can it beat it on Saturday and Sunday to take the weekend? Maybe.  I have a feeling that Avatar might keep the top spot thanks to the 3D and Imax showings.

• Earlier this week it was announced that Peter Sarsgaard was in final talks to take on the villainous role of Dr. Hector Hammond, a villain that I never really cared about in the comics. He is a great actor, I just wonder where they are going to go with the character.  I’m still not sold on Blake Lively as Carol Ferris, she seems too young and just not suited for the role.  Today it was revealed that Mark Strong is up for the ultimate GL villain, Sinestro. That my friends, could be perfect casting.  Strong vs Ryan Reynold’s Hal Jordan in a space battle with two of the most powerful weapons in the universe? Badass.

• Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock full on kissed at the Critics Choice Awards after they tied for Best Actress. Ewwwwww.

Moving on to TV, there have been lots of renewals, included in the mix is:

• ABC: The Middle, Cougar Town, Modern Family
• CBS: The Good Wife, NCIS: Los Angeles
• Fox: Glee
• Starz: Spartacus: Blood and Sand
• TNT: Men of a Certain Age

What is really interesting about this is the second season pick-up for Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which hasn’t even started its first season. The show looks like a pretty cool cross between 300 and Gladiator and co-stars Lucy “Xena” Lawless.  If I got Starz, I’d totally watch it, but as it is I’ll have to wait for it to come on Netflix.  None of the other listed shows are really surprising, I love Glee and ABC’s new comedies have been doing good.  Modern Family is hysterical and has an awesome cast.  Men of a Certain Age hasn’t been killing in the ratings, but with the talent behind it I’m not surprised that it is continuing.