The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder is back in the supernatural world of blood-sucking creatures with a starring role in V Wars. The new Netflix series, based on the bestselling books by Jonathan Maberry, just unveiled a full trailer along with a new poster featuring Somerhalder.
Joining Ian Somerhalder (“Dr. Luther Swann”) for season one are Adrian Holmes (“Michael Fayne”), Jacky Lai (“Kaylee Vo”), Peter Outerbridge (“Calix Niklos”), Kyle Breitkopf (“Dez”), Laura Vandervoot (“Mila Dubov”), and Kimberly-Sue Murray (“Danika Dubov”).
Somerhalder’s also keeping busy behind the scenes as director of episode nine and as an executive producer. Additional first season directors include Brad Turner (101, 102, 108, 110), TJ Scott (103, 104), Kaare Andrews (105), Marita Grabiak (106), and Bobby Roth (107). William Laurin, Glenn Davis, Brad Turner, Eric Birnberg, Thomas Walden, James Gibb, Lydia Antonini, Matthew McCluggage, Paul Harb, Ted Adams, and Jonathan Maberry also executive produce.
The vampire series is a High Park Entertainment in association with IDW Entertainment production. William Laurin and Glenn Davis guide season one as showrunners.
The first season of the horror/thriller consists of 10 episodes and is set to premiere on December 5, 2019.
The Plot:
“Dr. Luther Swann (Somerhalder) enters a world of untold horror when a mysterious disease transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne (Holmes), into a murderous predator who feeds on other humans. As the disease spreads and more people are transformed, society fractures into opposing camps pitting normal people against the growing number of these ‘vampires.’ Swann races against time to understand what’s happening, while Fayne rises to become the powerful underground leader of the vampires.”
Poster for ‘V Wars’ starring Ian Somerhalder (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
A&E Network has set 2020 season and/or series premiere dates for Project Blue Book, 60 Days In, Alaska PD, and The First 48. Season two of History’s Project Blue Book will debut on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT. The second season of the series from Robert Zemeckis will consist of 10 episodes and is based on real-life stories from Roswell and Area 51.
Alaska PD will make its primetime debut on A&E with a special two-night premiere on January 1, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT and January 2nd at 9pm ET/PT. 60 Days In returns to A&E on Thursday, January 2nd at 10pm ET/PT, and the 15th season of The First 48 will kick off with an anniversary special on January 1st at 8pm ET/PT followed by new episodes on Thursdays at 8pm ET/PT beginning January 2nd.
In addition to confirming the new season premiere dates, A&E Network has put out official descriptions for Project Blue Book, Alaska PD, The First 48, and 60 Days In.
Project Blue Book:
Project Blue Book is inspired by the personal experiences of Dr. J. Allen Hynek (Aidan Gillen), a brilliant college professor recruited by the U.S. Air Force to spearhead this clandestine operation (Project Blue Book) that researched thousands of cases, over 700 of which remain unsolved to this day. The ten-episode sophomore season will find Dr. Hynek and Captain Michael Quinn (Michael Malarkey) on a dangerous quest for the truth and delve deeper into themes of global conspiracy, touch on how UFOs have impacted the evolution of our nation’s military practices and technology and lean into the nostalgia of the 1950s.
It will also kick-off with a deep dive into two of the most well-known UFO cases in US history: Roswell, New Mexico where a rancher claimed to have found mysterious wreckage on his property thought to be a UFO and Area 51, a government-run location in Nevada historically rumored to be a magnet for paranormal events and UFO-related activity.
Other episodes this season take Hynek and Quinn further into the secrets and conspiracies of the 1950s, with stories about the haunting Skinwalker Ranch (a 512-acre property reputed to be the site of numerous paranormal and UFO-inspired events), the mysterious Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter (where a rural Kentucky family claimed to have been visited by aliens), the CIA’s infamous mind-control experiments, and an episode which follows Hynek in his role as expert consultant to the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Alaska PD:
Alaska PD brings viewers to America’s Last Frontier, where the line between civilization and lawlessness can be razor-thin. Chronically shorthanded police departments across the state must turn to officers from the Lower 48 to fight a soaring crime rate. For the “newbies” it is a trial by fire as they learn first-hand that policing, like everything else, is different in Alaska.
In a state where guns are carried as part of everyday life, officers often have to protect an entire town by themselves while enforcing laws many are unwilling to follow. They face numerous dangers found only in Alaska, not just from people who want to be free from the rules of society, but also from encounters with predatory animals roaming through town and sub-zero conditions that can be deadly and unrelenting.
The First 48:
For the last 15 years, The First 48 has followed thousands of homicide investigations in 27 cities across the country as detectives work relentlessly to solve murders in the critical first 48 hours of a crime. Over the course of the series’ run, viewers have been given unprecedented access to crime scenes, forensic processing, and investigations as detectives follow leads and uncover evidence and witnesses in order to identify the killers.
To kick off the new season, an anniversary special will bring viewers along as detectives work to solve the murders of two women in Tulsa, Oklahoma who were gunned down in broad daylight. Commemorating 15 years on the air, the two-hour special will also include interviews with some of the most prominent homicide detectives featured in the series to-date as they look back on the some of the most memorable cases of their careers.
60 Days In:
For the first time in 60 Days In history, more participants struggle to survive the intense program and are forced to quit the program early, as the newly elected Sheriff takes over one of the worst facilities the series has ever seen. After two decades, the Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama is under new management and the newly elected Sheriff is determined to make a change. In his first week, he decided to shakedown the facility and in one day alone, found more than 200 broken door locks, drugs and removed more than two tons of contraband. With no time to lose, Sheriff Horton along with Chief Peek and select members of their team have agreed to embed innocent participants to uncover the issues that plague the facility.
This season, the participants will face the biggest challenge of their lives in an effort to rid a jail, that is in dire need of help, of contraband and corruption before it is too late.
BBC America’s confirmed new cast members for their upcoming series, The Watch, based on the Discworld novels by Sir Terry Pratchett. New to the cast are Anna Chancellor, James Fleet, Ingrid Oliver, Ruth Madeley, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and Bianca Simone Mannie. In addition to announcing the new cast members, BBC America confirmed the characters each will be playing.
The six new The Watch cast members join previously announced series stars Richard Dormer (“Captain Sam Vimes”), Adam Hugill (“Constable Carrot”), Jo Eaton-Kent (“Constable Cheery”), Marama Corlett (“Corporal Angua”), Lara Rossi (“Lady Sybil Ramkin”), and Sam Adewunmi (“Carcer Dun”).
Directors Brian Kelly (Outlander) and Emma Sullivan (Doctor Who) have also just signed up to helm episodes of the series, joining Craig Viveiros as directors. Simon Allen (The Musketeers) is the show’s lead writer.
“It’s been so exciting to join such a wonderfully creative team – from writer Simon Allen to the stunning production design and a truly talented group of actors – to help realize Terry Pratchett’s brilliantly anarchic yet strangely real and moving world,” said Anna Chancellor. “With the combining characteristics of Dracula and Elvis – Lord Vetinari has sprung to life in the most alarmingly joyful way.”
Commenting on his casting, James Fleet said, “I’m delighted to be playing the Archchancellor. I think the writing and design catch the spirit of Terry Pratchett’s work and create a world of jeopardy and humor.”
The eight episode season one of The Watch is expected to premiere in 2020. Filming is currently underway in South Africa.
The series is co-produced by BBC Studios and Narrativia. Richard Stokes, Hilary Salmon, and Ben Donald for BBC Studios, Rob Wilkins for Narrativia, Simon Allen, and Craig Viveiros are executive producers. Johann Knobel produces and Simon Rogers (Doctor Foster) is the production designer. The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography John Pardue (Luther), costume designers Colleen Kelsall (Tolkien) and Dihantus Engelbrecht (Noughts and Crosses), and hair and make-up designer Amanda Ross-McDonald (Black Sails).
The Watch Plot and Characters:
“Set in a fictional city where crime has been legalized, The Watch is a genre-busting series that follows a group of misfit cops as they rise up from decades of helplessness to save their corrupt city from catastrophe. Uniquely anarchic and thrillingly entertaining, the character-driven drama follows several of Sir Terry Pratchett’s best-loved creations on a riotous and emotional odyssey.
Anna Chancellor (Pennyworth) is set to star as Lord Vetinari, The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, and architect of the city’s normalized wrongness and ramshackle system of governance. James Fleet (Outlander) will play The Archchancellor, a wizard, magical advisor, and the Head of the Unseen University. Ingrid Oliver (Doctor Who) stars as the Head of The Assassins’ Guild, Doctor Cruces.
Ruth Madeley (Years and Years) will portray the wiry Throat, the city’s best snitch, with a gang of freelance henchmen at her beck and call. Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Dynasty) will play Captain John Keel, former leader of The Watch and mentor to Sam Vimes, determined to save the corrupt and chaotic city. Bianca Simone Mannie (Homeland) stars as the cunning Wonse, a wizard hopeful in waiting that is frequently underestimated.”
The new trailer for Universal Pictures’ Cats just arrived and I’m sorry but these “cats” are still freaking me out! The just-released minute and a half trailer for the musical shines the spotlight on each of the key cats, including Taylor Swift as Bombalurina.
In addition to Taylor Swift, James Corden as Bustopher Jones, Dame Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy, Jason Derulo as Rum Tum Tugger, Idris Elba as Macavity, Jennifer Hudson as Grizabella, Ian McKellen as Gus The Theatre Cat, and Rebel Wilson as Jennyanydots. Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward makes her feature film acting debut as Victoria in Cats. The cast also includes Robbie Fairchild, Laurie Davidson, Les Twins (Larry and Laurent Bourgeois), Mette Towley, Royal Ballet principal dancer Steven McRae, and Bluey Robinson.
Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Lee Hall. The film’s based on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular Broadway musical which was inspired by Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot.
Writer/director Tom Hooper’s behind the scenes team includes Tony Award-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights). Hooper produces with Debra Hayward, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner. Andrew Lloyd Webber, Steven Spielberg, Angela Morrison, and Jo Burn serve as executive producers.
Universal Pictures has set a December 20, 2019 theatrical release date.
More on Cats, Courtesy of Universal:
“One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, the stage musical Cats received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 years and earned the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983, the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and ran for an extraordinary 18 years.
Since opening in London in 1981, Cats has continuously appeared on stage around the globe, to date having played to 81 million people in more than fifty countries and in nineteen languages. It is regarded as one of the most successful musicals of all time.”
Fox’s 9-1-1 returns after a two week break with season three episode nine, “Fallout.” Episode nine will air on Monday, November 25, 2019 at 8pm ET/PT.
The cast of season three includes Angela Bassett as Athena Grant, Peter Krause as Bobby Nash, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Maddie Kendall, and Oliver Stark as Evan “Buck” Buckley. Aisha Hinds plays Henrietta “Hen” Wilson, Kenneth Choi is Howie “Chimney” Han, Rockmond Dunbar is Michael Grant, and Ryan Guzman is Eddie Diaz.
The “Fallout” Plot – The 118 responds to debris from a meteor shower crashing into an apartment building and a deadly fire caused by a hazardous waste truck crash inside a tunnel. Meanwhile, Hen struggles with guilt over her ambulance accident, Bobby introduces Eddie to an old friend to help with his anger and Maddie receives an urgent call for help.
9-1-1 Series Description, Courtesy of Fox:
Creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear reimagine the procedural drama with 9-1-1, exploring the high-pressure experiences of police officers, firefighters and dispatchers who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives.
Shaun and Carly’s relationship is front and center in ABC’s The Good Doctor season three episode nine. Directed by Marisol Adler from a script by Brian Shin, “Incomplete” will air on Monday, November 25, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT.
Episode nine guest stars include Sheila Kelley as Debbie Wexler, Sharif Atkins as Kane Omar, Irene Choi as Jeanie Kim, and Hayden Szeto as Tony Liu.
Season three of the popular medical drama features Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne, Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neil Melendez, and Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews. Richard Schiff is Dr. Aaron Glassman, Christina Chang is Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann is Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee is Dr. Alex Park, Paige Spara is Lea Dilallo, and Jasika Nicole plays Dr. Carly Lever.
“Incomplete” Plot – Shaun is ready for the next step in his relationship with Carly; however, he continues to struggle as they grow closer and more intimate, and is dealt some troubling news about a deeply personal issue. Meanwhile, a young patient must decide on a treatment that could save her life or possibly destroy her marriage.
The Good Doctor Description, Courtesy of ABC:
Dr. Shaun Murphy (Highmore), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, continues to use his extraordinary medical gifts at St. Bonaventure Hospital’s surgical unit. As his friendships deepen, Shaun tackles the world of dating for the first time and continues to work harder than he ever has before, navigating his environment to prove to his colleagues that his talents as a surgeon will save lives.
Freddie Highmore and Sheila Kelley in ‘The Good Doctor’ season 3 episode 9 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Sheila Kelley and Freddie Highmore in season 3 episode 9 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)Freddie Highmore and Irene Choi in season 3 episode 9 (ABC/Jack Rowand)Sharif Atkins and Antonia Thomas in season 3 episode 9 (ABC/Jack Rowand)Freddie Highmore and Sheila Kelley in season 3 episode 9 (ABC/Jeff Weddell)
A murder case is overturned in season one episode nine of CBS’s legal drama, All Rise. Directed by Cheryl Dunye from a script by Gregory Nelson, “How to Succeed in Law Without Really Re-Trying” airs on Monday, November 25, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT.
Episode nine guest stars include Patricia Rae, Mitch Silpa, Suzanne Cryer, Audrey Corsa, Ever Carradine, John Ales, Tamara Clatterbuck, and Michael Graziadei. Jon Jon Briones, Nikki McCauley, Dalila Ali Rajah, Benjamin Leasure, James Austin Johnson, Akila Hotep, and Kevin Covais also guest star in the November 25th episode.
Season one of the drama stars Simone Missick as Lola Carmichael, Wilson Bethel as Mark Callan, Marg Helgenberger as Lisa Benner, Jessica Camacho as Emily Lopez, J. Alex Brinson as Luke Watkins, Lindsay Mendez as Sara Castillo, and Ruthie Ann Miles as Sherri Kansky.
“How to Succeed in Law Without Really Re-Trying” Plot – When one of Lola’s former murder cases is overturned on appeal, Mark helms the retrial and struggles to keep the bomber in jail, while Lola fears she may have prosecuted an innocent man.
Details on All Rise, Courtesy of CBS:
“All Rise is a courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal process. Among them is newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael (Missick), a highly regarded and impressive deputy district attorney who doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench in her new role, but instead leans in, immediately pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be.”
A scene from ‘Fast & Furious: Spy Racers’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Netflix is entering the world of the Fast & Furious franchise with a new animated series, Fast & Furious: Spy Racers. The streaming service just announced new details on the animated action series, including the first season voice cast, plot description, and teaser photos.
Teen Wolf‘s Tyler Posey along with Camille Ramsey, Luke Youngblood, Charlet Chung, Jorge Diaz and Manish Dayal will voice the main characters. Similce Diesel (franchise star Vin Diesel’s daughter), Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jimmy Tatro, Carlos Alazraqui, Eric Bauza, Grey Griffin, Kevin Michael Richardson, Fred Tatasciore and Tru Valentino will lend their voices in guest-starring roles.
Netflix has set a December 26, 2019 premiere date for the DreamWorks Animation production. Season one will consist of eight 30-minute episodes.
Tim Hedrick (DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender) and Bret Haaland (All Hail King Julien) guide the series as showrunners. Hedrick and Haaland also serve as executive producers along with Fast & Furious film franchise executive producers Vin Diesel, Neal H. Moritz, and Chris Morgan.
The Plot:
“Teenager Tony Toretto follows in the footsteps of his cousin Dom when he and his friends are recruited by a government agency to infiltrate an elite racing league serving as a front for a nefarious crime organization bent on world domination.”
A scene from ‘Fast & Furious: Spy Racers’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)A scene from ‘Fast & Furious: Spy Racers’ (Photo Courtesy of Netflix)
Adam Driver stars in ‘The Report’ (Photo by Atsushi Nishijima / Amazon Studios)
Scott Z. Burns’ The Report joins All the President’s Men, and more recently The Post, in providing a detailed look at corruption in the highest levels of the U.S. government. The Report is based on the true story behind “The Committee Study of the Central Intelligent Agency’s Detention and Interrogation Program” (aka “The Torture Report”), an in-depth examination of the use of torture to extract information from enemy combatants.
The 2019 drama stars Adam Driver (the Star Wars film franchise, BlacKkKlansman) as Daniel J. Jones, a Senate staffer who works for California Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening). Daniel’s assigned the task of gathering material and putting together a report on the C.I.A.’s post-9/11 handling and treatment of captured suspected terrorists. His team of investigators take a deep dive into the C.I.A.’s torture program but find themselves repeatedly stymied as they’re denied direct access to officials who were in charge or who would have had direct knowledge of the implementation of the enhanced interrogation techniques.
Despite stonewalling and threats, Jones and his small team were able to comb through more than 6 million classified documents. Jones’ commitment and obsession with uncovering the truth ultimately led to a scathing final report. Generated for the Senate Intelligence Committee, the report was a comprehensive indictment of the unsuccessful use of torture to extract any important statements from prisoners.
Writer/director Burns, screenwriter of The Informant!, The Mercy, and Side Effects, acknowledges the influence films like All the President’s Men, Three Days of the Condor, and The Parallax View had on him and on The Report. Burns said that with The Report he wanted to focus on a character who “confronts falsehood rather than perpetrates it,” something the real Daniel J. Jones did with the voluminous “The Torture Report” and continues to do today.
Burns’ dramatic film is, unfortunately, a timely tale of greed and corruption. Jones stood up against those in power, compelled to expose the harm done by the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. And Adam Driver hits all the right emotional beats as Jones, a dedicated public servant who refused to back down no matter the personal or professional cost.
Amazon Studios’ The Report is disturbing in its efforts to realistically expose torture techniques, and uncompromising in its depiction of the steps taken by members of the government to keep fellow lawmakers – and thus the public – in the dark as to the lack of success using these unethical and immoral methods. It also successfully shows corruption on both sides of the aisle, making the film accessible to both Democrats and Republicans even in this deeply divided political era.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: R for some scenes of inhumane treatment and torture, and language
Release Date: November 15, 2019
Running Time: 118 minutes
Cast: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Corey Stoll, Maura Tierney, Ted Levine, Michael C. Hall, and Tim Blake Nelson
Crime doesn’t take a break for the Thanksgiving holidays so the guys are kept busy on CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 season 10 episode nine. The Thanksgiving-themed episode was directed by Ron Underwood from a script by Paul Grellong and Noah Evslin. “Ka lā‘au kumu ‘ole o Kahilikolo,” Hawaiian for “the trunkless tree of Kahilikolo,” will air on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 8pm ET/PT.
Dan Amboyer, Ellen Hollman, Kyle Leatherberry, Kepa Kruse, David C. Farmer, Frank Hunt Blaney, Cassandra Hepburn, and Levy Aliifua guest star in episode nine. The guest cast also includes Ty Elam, Atticus Todd, Marisol Ramirez, Damien Diaz, Colleen Sayers, and Eric Scanlan.
Alex O’Loughlin leads the cast as Steve McGarrett. Scott Caan plays Danny “Danno” Williams, Ian Anthony Dale is Adam Noshimuri, Meaghan Rath is Tani Rey, and Jorge Garcia plays Jerry Ortega. Beulah Koale stars as Junior Reigns, Chi McBride is Captain Lou Grover, Katrina Law is Quinn Liu, Taylor Wily plays Kamekona, Dennis Chun is Sgt. Duke Lukela, and Kimee Balmilero plays Dr. Noelani Cunha.
“Ka lā‘au kumu ‘ole o Kahilikolo” Plot – It’s Thanksgiving, and while Junior and Tani track down the thief who robbed his parents’ home, Five-0 investigates the murder of a beloved philanthropist and the theft of his ultra-valuable koa tree. Also, Danny moves in with McGarrett.
The Series Description, Courtesy of CBS:
“Hawaii Five-O is a contemporary take on the classic series about an elite federalized task force whose mission is to wipe out the crime that washes up on the islands’ sun-drenched beaches. Detective Steve McGarrett, a decorated Naval officer turned cop, returned to Oahu after Hawaii’s former governor persuaded him to head up the new team: his rules, no red tape and full blanket authority to hunt down the biggest “game” in town.
Joining McGarrett are Detective Danny “Danno” Williams, a relocated ex-New Jersey cop who is committed to keeping the islands safe for his children; Captain Lou Grover, who formerly headed Hawaii’s SWAT unit; Jerry Ortega, the islands’ local conspiracy theorist; Tani Rey, a bold, recent police academy graduate; Junior Reigns, a former SEAL who comes to McGarrett looking for a job, Adam Noshimuri, a friend with old ties to a deadly crime family and Quinn Liu, a former Staff Sergeant with Army CID who was recently demoted for insubordination.
Helping them is Kamekona, a local entrepreneur who has his pulse on the Island; Sgt. Duke Lukela, a trusted member of the HPD; and medical examiner Dr. Noelani Cunha. The state’s brash Five-0 unit, who may spar and jest among themselves, remain determined to eliminate the seedy elements from the 50th state.”
‘The Watch’ cast (Photos Courtesy of BBC America)
