Patricia Arquette and Joey King star in ‘The Act’ (Photo by: CZ Post/Hulu)
Hulu’s original series The Act explores the true crime case of Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Dee Dee was committing Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy on her daughter, Gypsy. Gypsy ultimately met an online boyfriend who killed Dee Dee to help Gypsy escape.
Patricia Arquette plays Dee Dee in season one of The Act opposite Joey King as Gypsy. This comes right after she played the real life Tilly Mitchell in Showtime’s award-winning Escape at Dannemora. Arquette spoke with reporters after the Television Critics Association panel for The Act. New episodes of The Act premiere Wednesdays on Hulu.
Lifetime did a version of this story a few months ago with Marcia Gay Harden.
Patricia Arquette: “I heard. I didn’t get to see it. I really want to see it and I love her as an actress. I want to see it. I think it’s very different from ours. Obviously, we have eight hours to explore, they had two hours.”
After these last two roles do you want to play a really glamorous high society role next?
Patricia Arquette: “Well, I did do a little comedy in between that’s not quite so heavy as all of these things. She’s still like a hippie lady but I don’t know. I just have to shake all this out of my mind. These are intense people and kind of depressed and heavy. Their survival mechanisms are really intense, so I just want to take a break for a minute.”
As a mom is it hard to relate to this mindset of someone who loves their child so much they don’t want to ever let them leave??
Patricia Arquette: “Yeah, I mean, I think it’s a natural instinct to worry about your kid and love them. What was great about this was we started this, I guess, in September. That was right when my daughter was going away to school. So I was like I’m going to put all my crazy missing of my daughter, and then I’m going to expand it by 1,000, all my missing of her, all my worry about her, all my everything about her. So it’s taking I think a natural, normal thing to a distorted level. I really deeply believe this in these moments, the stakes were very high for Dee Dee in these moments.”
How necessary is it for you to relate to characters like this?
Patricia Arquette: “That’s a really interesting question. I have in the past felt like oh, we all have human behavior but we have distortions of human behavior in different ways or different ways of explaining it. Now that you say that, I’d like to play one character once that doesn’t believe it, that doesn’t have a commitment to that.”
Have you spoken to Tilly since Escape at Dannamora came out?
Patricia Arquette: “No, no. I wish her well but she’s very upset and so I understand. I understand.”
Joey King and Patricia Arquette in a scene from season 1 of ‘The Act’ (Photo by: Brownie Harris/Hulu)
Have you paid a price emotionally or mentally to play these two roles so close together?
Patricia Arquette: “I think it is a little bit heavy to carry around emotionally that stuff. I definitely feel like my mind and heart needs a break. Not that I’m crazy. I can leave it at the end of the day, but there is a little residual because when you go home, then you’re working on tomorrow. So it never exactly goes away but physically more than anything.
It’s very hard. There was a point where I thought I was going to have a heart attack from gaining weight, keeping it all this time. We were up in high altitudes and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t breathe great. This is kind of not good.'”
How are you taking care of yourself physically now that you’re done with these roles?
Patricia Arquette: “We just wrapped two days ago so I’m going to go into this more healthy program of just going back to healthy eating, vegetables.”
If The Act comes back with a different story, would you stay in the company?
Patricia Arquette: “I thought that was a very interesting concept but I really can’t even think of anything right now other than just downloading, figure out who I am, who are they.”
Is this better than network television which you’ve also done?
Patricia Arquette: “I think so. On a network show, 22 episodes, you’re constantly working but you’re also having to tie every story up every episode. With this, you’re doing more in depth discovery of the characters and I do like that.”
What female character on TV really inspires you?
Patricia Arquette: “I’m actually behind. I’m really behind, just trying to catch up on movies and everything.”
How about of the past?
Patricia Arquette: “There’s a lot of them. I’m a Game of Thrones maniac so I’m excited they’re back. Elisabeth Moss in Handmaid’s Tale, that’s obviously a great part. I love Westworld.”
How’s the food at awards shows?
Patricia Arquette: Food? It’s okay but okay, it takes a long time to get through the red carpet. I think it’s the Golden Globes, they take away all the plates if you don’t eat before the show starts. So all the talent gets there and then there’s no food. There’s just a bunch of champagne so that’s why Melissa McCarthy smuggled in a bunch of sandwiches, sent them to everyone’s table.”
The 100 returns to The CW’s primetime lineup on April 30, 2019 and will once again be changing up the world that greets the survivors. Season five ended with Clarke (Eliza Taylor) and Bellamy (Bob Morley) waking after spending 125 years in cryosleep. Monty and Harper stayed awake to monitor their journey and ultimately discovered a new planet that could be the group’s home because the Earth was no longer an option. Both Monty and Harper have died, however their son, Jordan, is already awake and along with videos explains what happened while those on board ship slept.
The 100 season six will pick up with Bellamy, Clarke, and the survivors making their way down to this new planet.
In our interview at the New York Comic Con, Bob Morley talked about what fans of The 100 can expect from the new season, the status of Bellamy and Clarke’s relationship, and how Bellamy has matured and changed over the seasons. He also discussed making his directorial debut with an episode of season six.
Do you like the fact The 100 constantly reinvents itself?
Bob Morley: “I mean, I think it’s amazing for me. It’s probably a lot of work for Jason (Rothenberg) and the writing team. But, like, being able to explore the actual physical world of what is going on in Jason’s mind is pretty surreal. I hadn’t really thought of it like that until just now, but yeah. It’s tricky for us as actors and it’s tricky for the crew to get used to new sets just because there’s practical reasons that it can be tricky. But in terms of performance and that and going to new worlds – like Mount Weather and Polis – it’s really exciting. It just kind of spices up the seasons and the episodes. I really love it.”
And it throws a new Bellamy into the mix because you have to transform for each new season, right?
Bob Morley: “Yeah. He definitely changed a lot last season, season five, into a much more, I guess, mature leader. Trying to use his head and his heart. I’ve always enjoyed playing Bellamy as the hothead which he hasn’t really been for a little while now. So, there’s part of me that’s kind of hoping that will come back for a bit, you know?
But it’s going to take a lot for him to turn back to being the bad guy because he’s gone through so much and he’s dealt with a lot. He thought Clarke was dead for six years and that made him be like, ‘Okay, I need to be a stronger leader with my head and my heart.’ It’s hard for him to just revert back to old ways after six years of trying to be a better man, I guess. (Laughing) There are no good guys or better people, so yeah.”
Will Bellamy and Clarke be co-leaders again?
Bob Morley: “I think that both of them… It’s pretty tricky to say. A lot of water’s passed under the bridge, but they’ve still got to mend that bridge. I think they take on what Monty has said about being the good guys and doing better than what we did on the other planet, which is going to be easy considering we blew up the last planet.”
The bar is pretty low.
Bob Morley: “Yeah, we’ve set the bar very low. I think that they want to respect Monty’s wishes to try and do better and work as a team. I mean, there’s a reason he woke up the two of them. I think that he thinks those two work better when they’re working together. To respect Monty and Harper’s wishes, I think that’s something they need to do. I think they’re aware of that.”
Did your injury affect shooting?
Bob Morley: “Yes. It’s better now. I had a lot of different doubles come in and run and walk for me. There’s a lot of Bellamy scenes where he’s sitting down. (Laughing) Having an injury sucks. I like to be physically active and all that stuff. To not be able to walk since July 20 until (September) is pretty frustrating. So, it affected me in a big way…and maybe a little bit of the show. They pushed shooting a week for me. (Laughing) It doesn’t hurt but mentally the scarring will never end.”
No matter the season, Bellarke fans remain interested in the relationship. Are there any sweet moments this season?
Bob Morley: “Yeah. No, absolutely. The chemistry that Eliza (Taylor) and I have working I’ve never really had with anyone else. It’s such an easy, comfortable thing.
I think it comes back to season one, this is just in terms of sweet moments and working with Eliza. We’re both from the same city in Australia. It’s both our first American gig. I think we intrinsically just trusted each other. I’m really glad that we get to do that. Even if the characters were at odds, I think that we can still find moments that the truth of Bellamy and Clarke is still there. They are two people who need each other and rely on each other. So, yeah, there will be sweet moments. There will be bad ones and sweet ones.”
Is there a direction you wanted season six to go for Bellamy?
Bob Morley: “Look, I don’t want Bellamy to be a dog towards Echo. I want Bellamy and Clarke to be working together as a team. In terms of romance and stuff like that, obviously it comes up a lot and the fans rightly feel that way about it because the two of them work really well together. But I only think about it, really, if Jason throws it up there. Then it’s something that I have to consider because I do believe that Bellamy’s a good man in terms of that kind of stuff, in terms of relationships and that. I do believe that he wants to make it work with Echo.”
Is there anyone you pushed for him to have more scenes with?
Bob Morley: “I always push to work with Richard Harmon. He’s like my best mate so any time we’re on set together it’s a lot of fun. Maybe a little too much fun. Maybe that’s why they don’t let us work together. We muck around too much. Yeah, always want to work with Richard.”
And you’re directing this season?
Bob Morley: “Yes.”
Which episode?
Bob Morley: “I think I’ll be directing episode 11.”
This is your first time directing?
Bob Morley: “I wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else, first-time directing. I’ve been on this show for six years, known this crew for six years, and the cast are like some of my best friends. I can’t imagine a better place for me to kind of try and achieve those goals. Everyone is very supportive. It’s very heartwarming to know that Jason and the writing team has set up a way for me to do it. It’s definitely not easy and it’s definitely terrifying. We’re such a family there – we kind of have to be with the amount of stuff we’ve all gone through, you know? I couldn’t imagine a better place to do it, to be honest.”
At the end of The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico season one episode nine we learned there’s another alien living among the citizens of Roswell. And not only is there a fourth alien hiding out in the town, this unknown alien is apparently a serial killer who’s murdered at least a dozen people.
Season one episode 10 begins with Max (Nathan Dean Parsons) reaching into Isobel’s pod and pulling her out. Her memories are intact, and Liz (Jeanine Mason) immediately injects her with what she hopes is the cure.
Flash-forward a few weeks and Isobel (Lily Cowles) is doing much better. Liz isn’t sure what the side effects will be, but so far everything seems stable. After Liz leaves the house, Isobel goodnaturedly makes fun of Max’s newfound happiness with Liz.
Max races out to say goodbye before Liz takes off. She’s fine being around him, but she’s still not sure how to accept being around Isobel since they still believe she killed Rosa.
Jenna (Riley Voelkel) arrives and Liz heads off to work. Jenna’s still hunting an alien killer and shows Max her research on the 14 dead people. Max wants to discuss the elephant in the room, and she accepts his apology for lying to her about being an alien all this time.
Meanwhile, Alex (Tyler Blackburn) pumps Michael (Michael Vlamis) for answers. He wants to know all about Max, Liz, and Michael’s relationship. Michael explains how he was passed around as a kid, while Max and Liz ended up with great adopted parents. Michael reveals he’s glad he ultimately ended up reuniting with his siblings.
Michael allows Alex to see his alien artifacts, confessing that if anyone is going to destroy him it might as well be Alex. He then uncovers the ship’s broken console which he’s never shown anyone before. Michael believes it’s the key to everything.
Michael explains he’s trying to find all the missing pieces, and Alex realizes Michael’s trying to find a way to return to his planet. Alex abruptly says he has to leave and after taking a seat in his truck, he pulls out the item he found at Kyle’s dad’s cabin. It’s definitely a missing piece of the console.
Next, Kyle confronts his mom about his dad’s death. Kyle knows his father didn’t die from cancer but instead considers the death suspicious. His mom still believes it was cancer and cries as she admits she wished she could have done something to save him. They also discuss Rosa, and Kyle breaks the news that Rosa Ortecho was his dad’s daughter. Kyle’s mom hands over her husband’s letters, hoping Kyle can make sense of his drawings.
Jenna and Max show up at the bar and ask Maria (Heather Hemmens) about her door stamp being on the murder victims’ arms. They only stamp on Ranchero Night, a special night that helps addicts and the disenfranchised. Ranchero Night happens twice a month. She suggests they check out racist Hank Gibbons whose band always plays on Ranchero Night for free because they’re terrible.
Jenna and Max question Hank about what he did last Cinco de Mayo. He asks if it’s about Carla, and he admits she was talking to some guy. Hank got jealous, got wasted, and wound up with a drunk and disorderly charge. Hank fought the guy, describing him as off. There was something about his eyes.
Isobel’s back at home and she adjusts her makeup, preparing for her reunion with Noah. When he arrives, she tells him there are things he needs to know. Noah pulls out a gun, confessing he saw her in an egg. He bought it because he was freaked out he’s married to an egg person. Isobel asks him to put down the gun. “I come in peace,” she says, which is what we’ve come to expect an alien to declare in order to lure you into a false sense of security.
Isobel goes over her story and Noah (Karan Oberoi) attempts to absorb it all. She admits she doesn’t know where they’re from. Noah demands to know if Isobel got into his head and made him love her. She claims she’s never used her abilities on him and that she truly, honestly loves him.
Noah, apparently deciding his wife is still his wife even if she’s an alien, says he loves her, and they kiss. Relationship sort of repaired, they prepare a picnic basket. Holding a bottle of wine brings up the memory of sitting with Rosa as she drew on a pavilion in a park. They didn’t know each other at the time, but both admit they’re sick of being who they are thought to be. Rosa doesn’t care what the town thinks of her. To prove she’s also not who people think, Isobel also draws on the pavilion. It’s the same design Max has been asking about.
Isobel tells Noah she now remembers being friends with Rosa Ortecho.
The picnic’s off (there’s snow covering the ground anyway) and Isobel accompanies his wife to the medical center to see Liz. Protesters stand outside the building and Isobel uses her alien powers to part the crowd and quiet them so they can enter the building in peace.
Isobel describes her friendship with Rosa to Liz, and Liz thinks parts of her brain that had gone dark are regenerating. That’s why she’s regaining her memories. Isobel wants to use more of the antidote so she’ll remember what she did. When Liz refuses, Isobel reminds her she could just jump into her mind and make her do it. She’s not going to resort to that because she knows how much Max cares for Liz.
Liz reluctantly agrees to give her another small dose to help kick-start her brain. As Liz is about to inject Isobel, the siren goes off and an announcement over the speakers instructs everyone to evacuate. Liz thinks it’s just an active shooter drill but then shots ring out before they can leave the lab. Noah’s hit and the trio are forced to hide behind a counter.
It’s Alex’s turn to visit Maria at the bar. He claims he’s having a standard run-of-the-mill boy problem, and Maria gets the feeling he’s hopeful again. She jokes that it’s not like he’s hooking up with Wyatt Long or Michael Guerin, and Alex is forced into admitting it’s Michael. Maria touches the spot on her neck where her necklace should lie and tries to assure Alex her hookup with Michael was nothing more than a drunken one-night stand. Even that wouldn’t have happened if she’d known Alex was into Michael.
Alex’s next stop is to reunite with Kyle to go over his dad’s letters. Alex shows off the fragment of the UFO Kyle’s dad left in the cabin. The symbols on the fragment match the symbols on Kyle’s dad’s letters. They think maybe it’s a coded message. Alex scans it into the computer and it’s determined part of the message reads: “Hi Magoo I love you.” Magoo is Kyle’s nickname. The scan continues, finding more letters as another message appears.
Sheriff Valenti and her officers help evacuate the building as Max and Jenna arrive. Max doesn’t wait for the SWAT team to determine it’s safe and instead heads inside.
The bullet only grazed Noah and the sound of someone attempting to get in the room quiets the trio. When the lights flicker, Isobel realizes it’s Max who’s trying to enter the locked room. She lets him in and then Max leads the group outside before heading back in to locate the shooter.
The shooter trashes Liz’s lab before setting it on fire.
Max follows bloody handprints and a trail of blood through the building.
Outside, Noah’s treated by the paramedics and he’s going to be fine. Isobel admits she’s not sure Liz administered a large enough dose to revive her memories before the shooter interrupted them.
Liz is frantic because Max is still in the building, and Jenna confirms he’s not answering his radio. Liz spots smoke rising from the research wing and mutters in Spanish which Isobel overhears. It jogs her memory of being on the roof of the café with Rosa when she was fuming about how the town treated her family.
Isobel also dredges up the memory of Rosa confronting her about acting as though she doesn’t know her. Isobel apologized and admitted she wanted to be who she was with her all the time. She then recalls seeing Rosa upset about having her car graffitied.
She returns to present day and Michael rushes up, giving her a hug. He asks if she and Max are okay and learns Max is still inside the hospital.
Speaking of Max, he continues to track the blood trail warning whoever’s leaving the blood that he’s armed. He finally finds a man with a gun but with no idea why he’s got it or how he got inside the building. He remembers being outside with his Invasion of the Baby Snatchers poster but doesn’t recall entering the building or why he has a weapon. Max continues to warn him to set the gun done, and finally he does.
He claims he doesn’t like guns. He then begins convulsing.
Later, the forensic team collects evidence inside the hospital. Jenna tells Max the guy they arrested works as a barista. He draws UFOs in the foam and wouldn’t do anything like this, and Max admits the guy doesn’t remember anything. Jenna then tells Max Liz was really scared for his safety.
Isobel’s over at Michael’s place confessing she has memories of Rosa and that she believes she wanted her. Michael welcomes her to the bisexual alien party. Isobel really wants her memories back and fortunately Michael happens to have swiped some of Liz’s antidote. “Liz isn’t so bad, but I don’t trust anyone. If she’s got an alien poison, I’m going to squirrel away the antidote,” explains Michael.
Isobel drinks some and Michael stops her before she can down the whole container. Isobel’s ready to leave to go home to Noah, but Michael’s not sure that’s a wise idea given that she has this antidote inside her that will trigger suppressed murder memories. Isobel’s response: “He loves me.”
Back at the station Kyle asks his mom if Caufield means anything to her. Apparently, it’s mentioned repeatedly in his dad’s letters. It’s a prison 100 miles north of Roswell that’s been shut down for decades. It’s where Kyle’s grandfather started his career.
The bar’s closed when Michael shows up with Maria’s necklace. He fixed the clasp and wants free booze to celebrate. Maria confesses she wouldn’t have slept with him if she’d known he and Alex had a history. She sends him off without pouring a drink.
Liz finally gets a look around her trashed lab and it’s pretty much destroyed. Max joins her and she gives him a hug, glad that he seems perfectly fine. He agrees he’s okay if she’s okay. Max believes the lab was targeted because it’s the only section of the hospital that burned. Max explains a pacifist who likes doing latte art was responsible, but he doesn’t remember anything. Max believes his story that he doesn’t recall what happened.
Liz thinks the attack took place to get her serum and antidote, which are missing, and not in response to the other research that’s drawn the protesters to the building. She also believes Wyatt’s attack at the storage facility and this one by the coffee dude were perpetrated by the fourth alien getting into their minds. Both attacks occurred when the attackers were blacked out – one from drinking, the other from seizures as a result of epilepsy. Even Isobel has a history of blackouts, so one murderous mind-influencer could be behind all of this.
Liz now believes Isobel isn’t responsible for Rosa’s death. There’s someone else pulling the strings and making people do his/her bidding.
Isobel’s preparing to go to bed when she has a vision of the night Rosa died. Rosa was in the cave looking for her ticket so she could leave town. In the vision Isobel doesn’t sound like herself when she tells Rosa she doesn’t have to leave and that she took care of it. Isobel asks Rosa to come with her and then says, ‘This isn’t me, Rosa. This isn’t my body. I can be anything you want me to be.”
Whoever is in control of Isobel’s body tells Rosa he’s not Isobel. It calls itself a man, saying he wants to protect Rosa and will never leave her. The alien controlling Isobel’s body then admits he killed Rosa’s two former friends just for Rosa. Rosa tries to run from Isobel’s body and Isobel’s hand burns bright red across Rosa’s face. Saying, “Everything was for you,” Isobel tosses Rosa to the ground. Michael arrives as it happens, and Isobel’s manipulator says, “She couldn’t be trusted,” before passing out.
Mark Proksch as Colin in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (Photo by John P Johnson/FX)
FX’s comedy What We Do In The Shadows not only introduces all new vampire characters, but it also introduces new kinds of vampires. In the TV adaptation of the film, Mark Proksch plays Colin Robinson, an energy vampire. We all have coworkers or friends who keep talking to us and drain our energy. Well, Colin’s powers are literally supernatural.
Energy vampires can drain both humans and vampires, so it’ s a recipe for comedy when Colin lives with the other vampires. Proksch did not drain our energy when we spoke to him at FX’s What We Do In the Shadows party for the Television Critics Association. Meet Colin when the show premieres Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT on FX.
When they told you this role was an energy vampire, did you consider that a legitimate vampire?
Mark Proksch: “Yes and no. Anyone who’s worked in an office has met one or two of these people that come up to you and just corner you and drain your energy by talking about their health issues or their family issues or company politics. It legitimately takes a little bit of energy out of you, so I just found it very clever when Jemaine (Clement) and Taika (Waititi) came up with that character. The supernatural side of it is very new. I don’t think anyone’s ever done that idea. That gave me a little bit of room to put my own stamp on the character.”
And it’s like who could be deadly to another vampire? An energy vampire.
Mark Proksch: “An energy vampire, which I find very funny that I can take these vampires that everyone’s so terrified of and simply by talking to them, I could kill them essentially. But at the same time, I want friends. I feel like he wants to be friends with these people because they are kind of a family in this house, as odd as that sounds. They all live together and they don’t have friends outside of this house so it’s kind of this weird dichotomy of him wanting to be friends but unable to be friends.”
Energy vampires in real life usually aren’t self-aware, are they?
Mark Proksch: “No. The ones I know have never been, not at all. So that’s another interesting angle is that my character, Colin, knows that he is this being. I would like to see him take on a non supernatural energy vampire. Maybe I’ll pitch that for next season.”
He’s doing it on purpose, unlike the ones we know.
Mark Proksch: “Yes, he has to. Otherwise he dies. So, just like we eat to survive, he has to talk to these people and drain their energy. Now the difference is is he doesn’t kill them. He just takes enough to move onto the next person.”
Mark Proksch as Colin Robinson in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (Photo by Matthias Clamer/FX)
What funny stuff is coming up for Colin?
Mark Proksch: “I think it only gets better and I’m being sincere about that. You’re really gonna see the world grow and move beyond the house, move beyond just the mansion and my office. You’ll see us out and about in the real world and I think that’ll be a big area for stories.”
How does an energy vampire face off against a werewolf?
Mark Proksch: “I don’t know. I’m not scared of werewolves for whatever reasons, Colin. The other vampires hate the werewolves and I end up not too sure about it. I think that’s another area that can be explored in further episodes.”
Does Colin have a favorite roommate whose energy he likes the most?
Mark Proksch: “That’s a great question. Probably Laszlo because Laszlo is the easiest to annoy. If I can annoy Laszlo, that’s like a quick snap. That’s going to the cupboard and getting an Oreo, whereas with Nadja or Nandor, I have to work a little bit to get their energy.”
What’s your background in comedy?
Mark Proksch: “I started on The Office and after that, a lot of guest starring roles on like New Girl. I did some stuff on Better Call Saul, a few episodes. Before that I didn’t really do improv comedy or any training. I have no theater background or anything. I just got lucky, I think.”
Do you think there’s more comedy in your future?
Mark Proksch: “Oh yeah. I’ll always stick with comedy. I love being a character actor and I think that’s where I’ll stay. I love to do a little bit of drama but I haven’t dipped my toe too deeply in that yet.”
The CW’s The Originals spinoff Legacies finishes up its first season on March 28, 2019 with an episode titled “There’s Always a Loophole.” Season one episode 16 was directed by Mary Lou Bellucci from a script by Brett Matthews.
The season one cast includes Danielle Rose Russell as Hope, Matthew Davis as Alaric Saltzman, Jenny Boyd as Lizzie Saltzman, Kaylee Bryant as Josie Saltzman, Demetrius Bridges as Dorian, and Quincy Fouse as Milton Greasley/MG. Aria Shahghasemi is Landon Kirby and Peyton Alex Smith plays Rafael Waithe.
The “There’s Always a Loophole” Plot – IT’S HERO TIME — When a group of unwelcome visitors descends upon The Salvatore School, Hope (Russell) leads the charge to keep her friends safe. Meanwhile, MG (Fouse) uncovers a secret about his mother and Josie (Bryant) finds herself in a dire situation.
The Season One Plot:
“For the last decade, the iconic heroes and villains of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals have captivated audiences worldwide. They left an enduring legacy of love and family in their wake, which continues in Legacies, a thrilling new drama that tells the story of the next generation of supernatural beings at The Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted. It’s here that Klaus Mikaelson’s daughter, 17-year-old Hope Mikaelson; Alaric Saltzman’s twins, Lizzie and Josie Saltzman ; and other young adults — including high-energy vampire MG, newly-triggered werewolf Rafael Waithe and the mysterious Landon Kirby — come of age in the most unconventional way possible, nurtured to be their best selves…in spite of their worst impulses.
Will these young witches, vampires and werewolves become the heroes they want to be — or the villains they were born to be? As they fight to protect their secret, their town of Mystic Falls and eventually the world, they will have to rely on ancient folklore and tales to learn how to battle their far-reaching enemies.”
Hannah Alligood, Olivia Edward, and Pamela Adlon in ‘Better Things’ (Photo by Suzanne Tenner / FX)
FX’s critically acclaimed half-hour comedy series Better Things has been renewed for a fourth season. Season three, which is currently airing on Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT, sits at a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Season three has eight new episodes left, wrapping up on May 16th. Season four is expected to premiere in 2020.
Better Things was created by Pamela Adlon and Louis C.K. Adlon stars in as well as directs and produces the series which has earned two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category. Adlon also earned a Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Golden Globe nomination.
“With every season, Better Things becomes more vital, engaging and revelatory, cementing Pamela Adlon’s status as one of the most accomplished creative forces in television today,” stated FX Networks and FX Productions Chairman John Landgraf. “Rarely has there been a show that is so personal and, at the same time, so thoroughly universal in the way it explores modern parenting, family and life. We are thrilled to extend the series for a fourth season and to continue this incredible partnership with Pamela, her creative team and the amazing cast of Better Things.”
Commenting on the renewal, Adlon said, “I am humbled, grateful and excited to tackle another season of stories and continue my creative partnership with my fearless FX team.”
In addition to Adlon, season three stars Hannah Alligood as Frankie, Mikey Madison as Max, and Olivia Edward as Duke. The cast also includes Rebecca Metz, Adam Kulbersh, Alysia Reiner, Jeremy K. Williams, Diedrich Bader, Celia Imrie, and Matthew Broderick.
The Better Things Plot:
Better Things is the story of Sam Fox (Adlon), a single mother and working actor with no filter, raising her three daughters, Max (Mikey Madison), Frankie (Alligood) and Duke (Edward) in Los Angeles. She also looks after her mother, Phil (Imrie), an English expat with questionable faculties who lives across the street.
Whether she’s struggling to keep her daughters close or trying to push one of them out of the nest, Sam approaches every challenge with fierce love, raw honesty and humor. At the end of the day, Sam’s just trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters’ changing lives, survive her family, have fun with a friend or two, and also – just maybe – squeeze in some private time.
CBS has set its summer primetime lineup premiere dates for returning shows Elementary and Instinct, as well as newcomer Blood & Treasure. The network confirmed the seventh and final season of Elementary starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu will debut on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. The second season of Instinct with Alan Cumming and Bojana Novakovic will premiere on Sunday, June 16th at 9pm ET/PT.
The action adventure drama Blood & Treasure bows on Tuesday, May 21st with a two-hour premiere airing at 9pm ET/PT. The series will kick off immediately following the season finale of NCIS. CBS also announced the season finale of NCIS: New Orleans will move up a week to May 14th at 10pm ET/PT. Blood & Elementary will slip into its regular time slot of Tuesdays at 10pm ET/PT on May 28th.
In addition, CBS released details on the upcoming seasons of the three summer series:
Elementary – In season seven, Holmes (Miller) and Watson’s (Liu) new careers as consultants for Scotland Yard are disrupted by news that a member of their inner circle has been gravely wounded in the United States. As Holmes’ stateside legal trouble – the result of a confession to a murder he didn’t commit – threatens to keep them from returning to New York, their greatest foe to date, tech billionaire Odin Reichenbach (James Frain), waits on the horizon to test their limits.
The final season cast also includes Aidan Quinn and Jon Michael Hill. Rob Doherty, Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, Jason Tracey, Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Robert Goodman executive produce.
Instinct – In season two, NYPD consultant Dylan Reinhart (Cumming) is reinstated after being put on leave, just in time to join his partner, NYPD detective Lizzie Needham (Novakovic), on their new case, the “Sleeping Beauty Killer.”
Season two of the series based on the novel by James Patterson also features Daniel Ings, Naveen Andrews and Sharon Leal. Cumming, Patterson, Michael Rauch, Marc Webb, Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin, Bill Robinson, and Leopoldo Gout are the executive producers.
Blood & Treasure – The serialized drama stars Matt Barr and Sofia Pernas as a brilliant antiquities expert and a cunning art thief, respectively, who team up to catch a ruthless terrorist who funds his attacks through stolen treasure. As they crisscross the globe hunting their target, they unexpectedly find themselves at the center of a 2,000-year-old battle for the cradle of civilization.
Joining Barr and Pernas in season one are Michael James Shaw, Katia Winter, James Callis, Oded Fehr, Alicia Coppola, and Mark Gagliardi. Blood & Treasure is executive produced by Matthew Federman, Stephen Scaia, Taylor Elmore, Ben Silverman, Marc Webb, Mark Vlasic, and Howard T. Owens.
Photos and plot details have been released for ABC’s Station 19 season two episode 11 airing March 28, 2019 at 9pm ET/PT. “Baby Boom” was directed by Marcus Stokes from a script by Molly Green and James Leffler.
Season two of Station 19 stars Jaina Lee Ortiz as Andy Herrera, Jason George as Ben Warren, Boris Kodjoe as Captain Sullivan, Grey Damon as Jack Gibson, Barrett Doss as Victoria Hughes, Alberto Frezza as Ryan Tanner, Jay Hayden as Travis Montgomery, Okieriete Onaodowan as Dean Miller, Danielle Savre as Maya Bishop, and Miguel Sandoval as Captain Pruitt Herrera.
Stacy McKee (Grey’s Anatomy) serves as showrunner and executive producer, along with Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. Paris Barclay (Pitch and Sons of Anarchy) is a producing director and executive producer.
The “Baby Boom” Plot: When an RV crashes into Station 19, the team races against the clock to save lives and secure the building’s compromised structure. Meanwhile, a surprise delivery arrives at reception.
The Station 19 Plot:
“Station 19 follows a group of heroic Seattle firefighters as they put their lives and hearts on the line. The latest series from the executive producers of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder takes us inside the tough, tight-knit and sometimes heartbreaking world of the city’s bravest first responders.
Season two of Station 19 will return with answers to all of our burning questions. With a massive skyscraper fire raging, can Andy (Ortiz) lead her team to safety? Will her former flame Jack (Damon) and teammate Travis (Hayden) survive after an explosion sends them both into jeopardy? And when the dust finally settles, who will win the race for the captain position at Station 19?”
Barrett Doss and Jay Hayden in ‘Station 19’ season 2 episode 11 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)Boris Kodjoe in season 2 episode 11 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)Jaina Lee Ortiz and Kyla-Drew Simmons in season 2 episode 11 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)Danielle Savre in season 2 episode 11 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)Brett Tucker in season 2 episode 11 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)
CBS’s action drama SEAL Team continues season two with episode 15 airing on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT. “You Only Die Once” was directed by J. Michael Muro from a script by Julian Silver and Reiss Clauson-Wolf.
Season two episode 15 guest stars include Tony Curran as Brett Swann, Michael Weaver as Col. Smith, Samantha Sloyan as Victoria Seaver, Christopher Watson as Andre, and Susie Abromeit as Jamie. Chloe Dworkin, Melissa Collins, Claire Chapelli, Jamie Martz, and Sammy Horowitz also guest star.
The SEAL Team cast is led by David Boreanaz as Jason Hayes. Max Thieriot is Clay Spenser, Neil Brown Jr is Ray Perry, and AJ Buckley is Sonny Quinn. Toni Trucks plays Lisa Davis, Jessica Paré is Mandy Ellis, and Judd Lormand is Lieutenant Commander Eric Blackburn. Tyler Grey plays Trent in a recurring guest star role.
The “You Only Die Once” Plot – Bravo Team sets out on a special ops mission to take down the financier and mastermind behind several terrorist attacks.
The SEAL Team Plot:
SEAL Team is a military drama that follows the professional and personal lives of the most elite unit of Navy SEALs as they train, plan and execute the most dangerous, high-stakes missions our country can ask of them. Jason Hayes is the respected, intense leader of the Tier One team whose home life has suffered as a result of his extensive warrior’s existence. His team includes his trusted confidant, Ray Perry, the longest-tenured operator with whom Jason shares an ingrained shorthand; Sonny Quinn, an exceptional, loyal soldier with a checkered past who still combats self-destructive tendencies; and Clay Spenser, a young, multilingual, second-generation SEAL with insatiable drive and dedication.
Vital to the team’s success are troop commander Lt. Cdr. Eric Blackburn, who serves as a leader and confidant both on and off the battlefield; CIA analyst Mandy Ellis, who has sacrificed everything in her drive to root out evil and take down terrorists; and Lisa Davis, a no-nonsense, take-charge logistics officer and unofficial den mother responsible for outfitting the team with the necessary gear for each mission. Deployed on clandestine missions worldwide at a moment’s notice, and knowing the toll it takes on them and their families, this tight-knit SEAL team displays unwavering patriotism and fearless dedication even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Kayvan Novak as Nandor in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (Photo by Matthias Clamer / FX)
If you liked the New Zealand comedy film What We Do In The Shadows, you’ll be happy to know there are more vampires living together with a film crew following them. FX’s new series What We Do In The Shadows follows a group of bloodsuckers in New York.
Kayvan Novak plays Nandor, a warrior who has to put up with much lamer vampires for roommates. Novak is British but created a more ancient sounding voice for Nandor. We spoke with Novak at FX’s What We Do In The Shadows party for the Television Critics Association. The show premieres Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 10pm ET/PT on FX.
What funny stuff is coming up on What We Do In The Shadows?
Kayvan Novak: “We’ve got a werewolf episode. We all get together.”
Do your vampires have the same animosity towards werewolves as the New Zealand ones?
Kayvan Novak: “Yeah, there’s a rivalry there definitely. I don’t know how many episodes I can give away. There’s loads of good sh*t, man.”
How did you come up with your vampire voice?
Kayvan Novak: “Because I love the movie and I read it, I was like this character’s kind of a mix of Taika (Waititi’s) character and Jemaine (Clement’s). He’s goofy but he’s a warrior. So I did my goofy warrior voice and it felt right with the script. And I just did the audition and I got the part and they never told me to change it.”
It’s a comedy. Do they ever let you be badass?
Kayvan Novak: “Yeah, there are some badass moments, definitely. Actually, Jemaine would sometimes have to remind me that I am a badass because naturally as a comedian you go against the badass and you just go towards goofy.”
Have you ever done wires and harnesses before?
Kayvan Novak: “I’ve never done that and I really enjoyed it. The stunt team in Toronto are amazing, totally just lovely to work with and professional, super professional, very cool.”
Is it hard to be funny when you’re doing that technical work?
Kayvan Novak: “When your balls are being crushed, yeah, you get past the pain barrier and you can muster your comic muscle.”
What scene did you audition with?
Kayvan Novak: “It was a monologue. It was one of the talking heads, you know, when they do the interviews to camera. It was a long one of those.”
Kayvan Novak and Harvey Guillen in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ (Photo by John P Johnson / FX)
What was the first time you got to try on your costume?
Kayvan Novak: “Doing the pilot, loads of costumes. And then in the series the costumes just got bigger and better and more amazing.”
Are they all comfortable or do you have to suffer for the comedy?
Kayvan Novak: “No, I really enjoyed wearing my costumes. They’re big and heavy but it was wintertime in Toronto so I was kind of grateful for it.”
Do you have a background in comedy?
Kayvan Novak: “Yeah, I started off as a straight actor and then in 2007, I made a show that won a BAFTA. It was basically a crank-call show. It was animated, called Fonejacker. I did two seasons of that. Then we made a spinoff called Facejacker where I would play the characters that I played on the telephone but with heavy prosthetics in real life situations. Did two seasons of that, so that was kind of my career up to that point.
Those were the best things I’ve done and I did a couple comedy movies. I did another series for Channel Four. This kind of playing a character far removed from myself in a semi-improvisational environment but that’s also scripted, it’s like the best of everything I’ve done in one job.”
So you’ve done voices before.
Kayvan Novak: “Yeah, I’ve been doing voices since I was five years old.”
When you’re with the whole group is there a good balance of sharing the funny lines with all your castmates?
Kayvan Novak: “It’s all there in the script, really. I guess we give Jemaine enough options that he’ll go away in the edit and everyone will get a bite of the cake.”
