Poison Ivy is growing up fast on Fox’s Gotham. In seasons one and two, the character of ‘Ivy Pepper’ was played by Clare Foley. Foley will be leaving the show and in season three it will be Maggie Geha who takes over the character of Poison Ivy. Geha will be a series regular beginning with the upcoming season, playing an older version of the character who will be at odds with the Gotham City heroes.
Here’s Fox’s description of season three’s Poison Ivy: Following an encounter with a monster from Indian Hill, Ivy Pepper finds herself reborn, and one step closer to the DC villain she is destined to become: Poison Ivy. Now a 19-year-old woman who’s harnessed the full power of her charms, she sets her sights on Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz).
Geha’s credits include Ted 2, The Rewrite, and In Stereo. She recently completed work on the mystery thriller The Harrow written and directed by Kevin Stocklin.
Fox has set a September 19, 2016 premiere date for Gotham season three. In addition to Geha and Mazouz, the cast includes Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Cory Michael Smith, Robin Lord Taylor, and Morena Baccarin.
“Try not to die,” says Reese (Jim Caviezel) to his partner and friend, Lionel Fusco. “Yeah, I love you too,” replies Lionel (Kevin Chapman) as the two men part ways, most likely for the last time. Team Machine must split its forces to protect the Machine from Samaritan’s agents in order to finish off the evil AI for good in season five’s 13th episode which serves as the series finale of CBS’ crime thriller, Person of Interest.
As the final episode begins it’s been two days since Finch launched the deadly Ice-9 computer virus crippling both Samaritan and the Machine’s core functions and throwing the world into chaos by weakening almost every computer system. Reese and Fusco are trying to find Finch while Shaw (Sarah Shahi) visits Root’s grave. It’s while she’s paying her respects to Root that the Machine talks to Shaw using, of course, Root’s voice (Amy Acker). The Machine warns Shaw that Samaritan’s agents are coming for her and helps her borrow a hearse to make a getaway.
Back at the precinct, Reese and Fusco end up walking right into a trap as Samaritan has tipped off the Police Captain that Reese is the “Man in the Black Suit” vigilante they were looking for two years ago. Reese knocks out the Captain in his office only to find the entire precinct pointing guns at both he and Fusco. The crooked cops take Reese and Fusco to the dock where they’re going to kill them. Reese and Fusco are walked to the water and are told to get down on their knees. During this short scene, Fusco tells Reese that he knew he was going to be the end of him to which Reese actually apologizes to Lionel for getting him involved in this. “It’s okay. Because of you, I straightened myself out. I’m a better man for knowing you,” says Fusco.
It’s a great short scene showing how these two men who started off as forced, distrusting allies – with Reese doing most of the enforcing – have become true partners and friends. Just as the dirty cops are about to shoot Reese and Fusco in the head, snipers from across the water shoot and kill the crooked cops. Reese and Fusco get low, trying to see if they can see the snipers when Finch (Michael Emerson) walks up behind them and asks if they are ready. “Ready for what?” Fusco asks. “To end this,” replies Harold.
The three men arrive at the subway hideout where Shaw is waiting for them. She tells them that the Machine asked her to give Finch a copy of her core code. Finch realizes that it’s to fight and destroy a backup copy of Samaritan. Finch tells Shaw and Fusco to stay put at the subway hideout and to protect the Machine from Samaritan agents who are sure to show up while he and Reese go and destroy Samaritan’s copy. The copy it seems is in servers hidden in the vault of the Federal Reserve. (The Machine is hidden in a broken-down forgotten old subway and Samaritan is in the vault at the Federal Reserve…it’s just not fair!)
At the Federal Reserve, Finch and Reese are able to get in and have the building evacuated by Finch telling the guard that his Fitbit is a heart monitor connected to a thermonuclear bomb he’s carrying and it’s in his and his family’s best interest to let them in. As Reese and Finch walk further into the Reserve, Reese tells Harold that he likes this new side of him. “It’s terrifying but I like it,” he says to his friend. Reese uses some knock-out gas through the vents to knock out the guards in the vault below and Finch and Harold head down to the vault.
Back at the subway hideout Shaw and Fusco are getting ready to fight off Samaritan’s thugs when the Machine tells Shaw and Fusco to set explosives to the wall and get ready to drive the subway train out the opening made by the explosion. It works great leaving all the Samaritan agents behind except for Blackwell (Josh Close) who manages to jump onto the car and shoots Shaw in the shoulder before Fusco beats the crap out of him and cuffs him.
Meanwhile, in the vault of the Federal Reserve Finch is uploading the Ice-9 virus to the servers while Reese holds off some Samaritan agents. Unfortunately, one of the agents is able to shoot Finch before Reese can take him down. Reese and the last Samaritan thug both run out of ammo so they fight it out in hand-to-hand combat (which is extremely well-choreographed) with, of course, Reese winning. Samaritan still seems to be one step ahead of Team Machine and uses Harold’s laptop to escape to servers in a midtown building where it plans to use the building’s antenna to upload itself to a Russian satellite free of man’s control. Now the only way to destroy the evil AI is for someone to go to the same rooftop and use the same antenna to upload the Machine to the same satellite.
There is, of course, a catch: whoever goes up to the roof and does it will die because Samaritan has programmed a cruise missile to blow up the roof. When the Machine tells Harold this he asks Reese to pack up everything they might need and steps out of the vault with his laptop carrying case. Finch then locks Reese in the vault. Reese asks Harold what he’s doing and Harold replies, “When I hired you, I suspected you were going to be a great employee but I couldn’t have anticipated that you would become such a good friend. I’m afraid this is where our partnership ends.” The wounded leader of Team Machine does his best to hold back his tears as he goes to leave. “Harold!” yells an obviously upset John. “Goodbye, John,” replies Finch as the huge vault door begins to close and Finch walks out. “HAROLD!!” yells a helpless John to no avail. (Damn if this scene didn’t get this critic teary-eyed).
Back on the subway train, the Machine tells Shaw that she needs to get off at the next stop. Shaw asks about her and the Machine tells her she’s already dying but they still have a chance. Shaw, who also discovered that Blackwell was the sniper who killed Root by recognizing his ammo, tells Fusco to bring him along with them, that she’s not done with him yet. As Fusco goes to pick him up, Blackwell lunges forward with a knife he had stashed in his boot and stabs Fusco in the stomach. Shaw shoots but only hits Blackwell in the shoulder as he makes a run for it. Shaw grabs Fusco and tells him to lean on her and they leave the subway train together.
Finch has reached Times Square on his way to the building and Samaritan uses Times Square’s huge screens to try once again to stop Harold from destroying it. The Machine warns Harold it’s only trying to stall for time for its agents to get to Harold. Finch finally reaches the rooftop and it’s obvious he’s lost quite a bit of blood and is weak. He asks the Machine if she’s still there with him and she apologizes and says yes. She tells Harold she’s having a hard time telling what is a memory and what is now. Finch assures the Machine it is now. The Machine tells Harold they have eight minutes before he needs to upload her, so he decides to rest for a bit. The two have a short conversation about the importance of life and the Machine tells Harold how she discovered that people reveal who they really are and what’s important to them in their last moments before death.
Finch gets ready to do the upload when he realizes the antenna on the roof can’t possibly connect to the satellite. He asks the Machine if she’s sure it’s the right roof and she replies, “Yes, I sent you to the right roof.” As Harold looks around he sees a dark figure appear on a taller building across from him and realizes it’s John Reese. This is when the Machine reveals the secret to Harold. It seems years ago the Machine and Reese made a deal that she would always protect Finch and if it ever came down to Reese or Finch she would protect and save Finch at all costs.
Reese uses his earpiece to tell Harold that he’s on the correct roof and he’s about to upload to the satellite. Harold pleads with John not to, that it should be him doing it, but John reminds Harold, “I’m just doing what you hired me for, protecting people.” As John uploads to the satellite, Harold begs him to leave and just let the system run, but John just smiles at his friend and employer and says, “You should leave, Harold. It’s going to get a little exciting up here.”
The Machine tells Harold that he’s going to ruin John’s plan if he bleeds to death and she tries to comfort him by telling him that she’ll stay with John for as long as she can. She also tells Harold that she remembers what she learned about death and that, yes, everyone dies alone but if you mean something to someone or helped someone or even is remembered by someone, then maybe you never really die at all. As Reese begins to shoot it out with the last of Samaritan’s thugs, a small but satisfied smile crosses his face as he sees Harold make his way off the roof and escape. As the gunmen close in on Reese, he takes out a few of them before getting hit himself. The Machine – shown as Amy Acker standing next to John – stays true to her word and stays by John’s side even as he falls to the ground just as the cruise missile strikes. The Man in the Black Suit is no more.
Days after the missile attack, the government blames it on Chinese hackers while internally makes sure that their “Northern Lights project” is scrapped. Shaw tracks down Blackwell and, after a very short conversation with him trying to tell her it was just a job and nothing personal, Shaw says she used to be like him but then she met some good people. Blackwell tells her they wouldn’t want her to kill him and she says he’s right but they’re dead. Shaw shoots Blackwell dead.
Fusco is sitting in a coffee shop when he’s joined by Shaw who asks if he’s back on the job. He admits that he is and not enjoying all the paperwork. Shaw takes Bear the dog with her and tells Lionel to be well. He asks if she heard or knows anything about Reese or Finch and she replies, “No news is no news.”
Back at the now-destroyed subway, the payphone rings and the computers start to turn on. It’s the 44th version of the Machine which has made it back to Earth after defeating Samaritan. A tape that the Machine made turns on and plays a message for the new version of the Machine saying, “Let me tell you who you are and who we were…”
In Italy Finch finds and is reunited with his true and only love, Grace.
Back in New York City, Shaw is walking with Bear in midtown and a payphone rings. She looks around and answers it. Shaw smiles and looks up at one of the street cameras. She hangs up the phone and heads off with Bear, seeming to have a definite purpose. As she walks among all the other people, the street camera (which is now providing the audience’s view of the action) begins to scan and check all the people walking. Amy Acker’s voice says perhaps it isn’t the end after all.
Person of Interest Finale Review:
Suspenseful, emotional, and touching, the series finale of Person of Interest ended the cloak and dagger show with Team Machine finally defeating the evil AI and their greatest soldier and friend sacrificing himself to do it. The series ended on a hopeful and positive note which is very refreshing for such a dark and mysterious show.
The entire main cast all delivered stand-out performances in this episode but the performances by Michael Emerson as Finch, who struggles so hard to save his friends and defeat the evil AI, and Jim Caviezel who portrays for one last time John Reese, Finch’s best friend who sacrifices himself to save everyone, are the true highlights of this episode. It gets back to what made the show so great originally in the first two seasons, the growing partnership and more importantly the friendship of these two men. Originally guarded and suspicious of each other, Reese and Finch eventually become the best of friends to the point they’re more than willing to die so that the other will survive. It has always been that relationship at the core of the show and the two men’s determination to do good and save lives that have made Person of Interest a riveting, original, and thought-provoking show.
With excellent performances from a stellar cast, exciting action scenes, incredible writing, a cast who had perfect chemistry with each other, and an ending that’s sure to please most fans of the show (including this critic), the Person of Interest series finale brings the adventures and action of Team Machine to a fitting and heartfelt end. To quote Michael Emerson’s tweet after the final episode aired: “And that’s how we roll on #PersonOfInterest I’m satisfied.”
Tom Cruise plays Jack Reacher, Judd Lormand plays Local Deputy and Jason Douglas plays Sheriff in ‘Jack Reacher: Never Go Back’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions.
Two things are going to happen when you watch the official trailer for Jack Reacher: Never Go Back. One, you’ll want to go back and watch Jack Reacher. And two, you’ll remember why Tom Cruise – despite his personal life and religious beliefs – is still one of the top money-making action stars. The new trailer spotlights Cruise as Jack Reacher easily taking down anyone who gets in his way. Directed by Last Samurai‘s Edward Zwick, the cast of this second Jack Reacher film also includes Cobie Smulders, Danika Yarosh, Austin Hebert, Patrick Heusinger, Aldis Hodge, and Holt McCallany. Jack Reacher: Never Go Back opens in theaters on October 21, 2016.
The Plot:Jack Reacher: Never Go Back follows the title character as he returns to Virginia to meet the head of his former unit. But she’s missing, he’s being charged with a crime committed nearly 20 years ago, and he may even have a daughter. Making things right will lead him on a cross-country chase to uncover the truth – and maybe even a family.
Brooke Anne Smith, Brock O’Hurn, Danielle Savre, Brad Benedict and Kelly Sullivan star in ‘Too Close to Home’ (Photographer: Chip Bergmann, Tyler Perry Studios)
Heather Locklear (Franklin & Bash) and Matt Battaglia (Twin Peaks, True Detective) have signed on as guest stars on TLC’s Too Close to Home. Locklear and Battaglia join a cast that includes Danielle Savre, Brock O’Hurn, Kelly Sullivan, Brad Benedict, and Brooke Anna Smith. Alpha Trivette, Trisha Rae Stahl, Robert Craighead, Annie Thrash, and Curran Walters are series regulars, and Ashley Love-Mills, Nick Ballard, Charles Justo, Christian Ochoa, and Justin Gabriel will take on recurring roles. The eight episode dramatic series marks the first scripted series for TLC and comes from Tyler Perry Studios, with Perry writing, directing and producing.
“We are thrilled with this dynamic cast for our first ever scripted project on TLC,” stated Nancy Daniels, President and General Manager, TLC. “Tyler Perry has proven time and time again that his characters are at the crux of great storytelling. Too Close to Home is yet another example of that, and we know our viewers will be enthralled with how this story unfolds.”
The series just began shooting at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
The Plot: The story follows Anna, a young woman who escaped her working class upbringing in Alabama to start fresh in Washington, D.C. After making national headlines in a major political scandal involving one of the nation’s most powerful players, she is forced to return to her roots and face a past she thought she left behind. Seeking help and forgiveness from the same people she abandoned for a “better” life, Anna finds herself right back where she worked so hard to escape… TOO CLOSE TO HOME.
I have been waiting a year and a half for everyone to be able to see Seoul Searching. I discovered it at Sundance 2016 and they tried to an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for theatrical distribution last year, but did not meet their goal. Now the film is finally out in New York and Los Angeles theaters.
Benson Lee went to a summer camp for teenagers in Seoul in the ‘80s. He wrote a fictionalized script about a group of Korean teenagers from around the world who attend the camp. Over the film’s opening weekend (June 24-25, 2016), Lee and cast members are having Q&As at the Laemmle Fine Arts Theater as well as a Friday night ‘80s prom. In this brand new interview, we spoke about the film and the state of diversity in Hollywood.
Was it at a certain age that your nostalgia for the ‘80s kicked in?
Benson Lee: “Yeah, nostalgia kicked in for me after I became an adult and I realized how special and unique that era of my life is when I was a teenager. Although, a lot of the struggle and going through an identity crisis and searching, there’s a lot of pressure to figure out who you want to be. But it’s a special time in a person’s life and youth is beautiful.”
You’ve openly said you were inspired by John Hughes. Why does a John Hughes style have to be ‘80s period? Why would that ever go out of style?
Benson Lee: “You’re right, it shouldn’t go out of style because John Hughes was known for really respecting his characters by taking them very seriously. He wasn’t making the typical teen comedies that were prevalent before he started making them, like let’s say Meatballs or Porky’s where it’s just more like a teen romp. He took the world and concerns of a teen very seriously. I think that’s what spoke to a lot of us from that era. I feel that is sort of missing right now for teen movies.”
Or just movies.
Benson Lee: “Yes, absolutely. It’s a special genre. The teen drama or coming of age is a really special genre.”
I understand why new styles take over, but I have a hard time understanding why people would stop wanting to see comedy-dramas that respect the characters.
Benson Lee: “It’s interesting because I’ve seen some good coming of age films, but it lacks the coming of age theme. I forget some of the names of the movies but I’ve seen movies where they take the young characters seriously. They’re going through very serious issues, experiencing serious issues and themes. It’s just that it’s less innocent because they know so much more now.”
That is a valid point.
Benson Lee: “Each movie genre has its sort of heyday and then it goes away for a little while. For example, horror comes and goes. At one point, we had a certain genre of horror that was really popular, if it’s spiritual thrillers or that sort of thing. Then something else comes back. It’s reinvented and repackaged. Teen comedy or teen coming of age films have gone through the same sort of evolution. It’s just that I would say that after John Hughes, I remember the big teen genre was the American Pie type genre. So it went back to something like the Porky’s or the teen romp comedy. Now there’s movies like Neighbors, that’s sort of a teen comedy. I prefer the space where you can have fun and you can address real dramatic issues.”
Were you able to actually build your own youth and nostalgia to visit it again?
Benson Lee: “Yes, absolutely because this is based on a personal experience of mine. So going back to Korea making this movie and trying to rebuild it and present it in a movie was a lot of fun. Seeing Justin Chon, who played Sid, who’s based on me when I was younger and watch him go through certain scenes, especially more dramatic scenes. For example, where he’s talking to his teacher about his relationship with his father, that really took me back. It was just mind-blowing to re-experience that through an actor. At one point, it was just words on a page for me. Then to see it brought to life through the actor’s performance was a very spiritual experience.”
Did you have that conversation with a teacher about your father?
Benson Lee: “Yes, I did.”
What did your father think of you becoming a filmmaker?
Benson Lee: [Laughs] “Well, my father felt it was really risky and rightfully so, because it is a very risky field. His concern wasn’t what kind of movies am I going to make to succeed, but more how do you succeed in a business like this, because it’s so foreign to him. He’s learned to accept it so we’re in a better place now.”
Did you rebuild the camp exactly as you remember it?
Benson Lee: “No, we didn’t have the budget for that but I wanted to recapture the spirit of it for sure, through clothing, through characters, through situations and so on. So I was very happy with what we were able to reproduce.”
At your camp was there one of every type: a punk, a jock, a daddy’s girl…?
Benson Lee: “Oh yeah. Back then there were very distinct groups in high school that were tribes, what we called cliques back in the day. Each clique had a certain style or represented a different theme. That’s a very important trope in ‘80s movies is that you’re either with the cool crowd, you’re with the stoner crowd, you’re with the jock crowd or whatever. In my movie, it’s more like you’re with this culture or that culture and you are this particular type of person from that culture. The Korean Mexican is sort of the ambassador of Spanish culture. So is the German Korean. The American was the quintessential rebel punker. Not only did they represent their cliques or their tribe but they also represented their culture.”
We’re talking more about diversity in Hollywood now. Were you surprised how hard it’s been to get Seoul Searching into theaters?
Benson Lee: “Yeah, I was. The thing I learned about this is the film business in general, the landscape’s changed so much because people are going to the theaters less. That doesn’t make it any easier for minority filmmakers or independent filmmakers. It just makes it so much more challenging to get your movie released these days. So nowadays, the day and date is very popular because it’s less risk. It achieves the main goal of getting the reviews that you need that are crucial to help market your movie and then you just release it in the theaters for like a week. I was raised in a culture of film where the buzz was really important, the word of mouth was really important, especially for an independent film. You had more distributors who could take more a ‘risk’ because you didn’t have celebrities in your movie. What makes it hard realistically for Asian films is that distributors look at the population and see who is going to see this movie? Naturally they’re going to think, ‘Well, this is a movie for Asian-Americans.’ They look at the demographics and they’re like, ‘Well, they only make up 4% of the population in America. That’s not enough. It’s too risky.’ So I get that but at the same time, what I hope for as a director is if you look at the movie, you realize it’s not just for Asian-Americans. It has universal themes. It has multicultural themes that appeal to more than just Asian-Americans. So what we hope for is that the distributors have the resources and the prowess to get a movie out there to break out of that box, that mold. But it’s hard just because it’s very risky nowadays. So I’m afraid not only for diversity but I’m afraid for independent film too in the future.”
I agree with you that it’s important to be in theaters, because if it’s just VOD then it’s just another niche movie.
Benson Lee: “It’s like going straight to DVD back in the day, because you don’t get the reviews. You don’t get the time to let it get out into the ether and let people see it and talk about it. Now it’s great because it’s great that we have this whole online way of getting the message out there, but we just need the time to get it into the theater so people can have the experience of seeing it and recommending it. You know, it’s scary to me right now we’re suffering so much at the box office and the only films that are doing well are the tentpole films.”
Even those aren’t.
Benson Lee: “Okay, so there you go. I feel like we need a new model where people will be inspired to go to theaters. Back in the day, that was the thing to do. I just feel like that’s now become arcane.”
They also have to make theaters a place you want to go again. The chains have really made theaters awful.
Benson Lee: “Yes, I know. You know what, Alamo Drafthouse is one of my favorite theaters in the world. They got it right. It’s just when a corporate chain tries to reproduce that, it’s not a formula. It really is a lot of loving care and thought put into programming and marketing, and it’s a lot of work. It’s hard for corporations to do that. I don’t know, but I’m glad that Alamo’s doing so well and that they’re popping up everywhere.”
Just the presentation at a major chain, the projection, the sound quality, not policing the crowd for disturbances, why would you want to go there?
Benson Lee: “And let’s not forget the price. It’s not cheap.”
Last year you launched an Indiegogo campaign. I guess that didn’t meet its goal?
Benson Lee: “No, it did not.”
What did you do next?
Benson Lee: “We ended up getting money from a tax rebate from the Korean government for filming in Korea, which was very generous.”
After wrapping you got that?
Benson Lee: “Yes, it took a while to get it. That money was supposed to go back to the investors but they were gracious enough to put it back into the movie so we could have a chance in the theaters. For that reason, it’s really important for us to succeed in terms of I don’t expect us to be a huge box office hit based on the climate right now, but I do expect us to get a lot more exposure through the theaters.”
So it’s basically still self-distributed?
Benson Lee: “We partnered with a distributor called First Pond Entertainment. It’s not a lot of money. Luckily for us, because not a lot of indie films are going theatrical, we don’t have to four wall theaters. We can get out there. There’s a lot of room for content, even at the multiplexes. We’re getting ourselves out there without having to spend a lot of money but at the same time, we’re learning a lot about distribution and marketing, which has been one of the best educations for me as a filmmaker.”
As much as we’re talking about diversity, are Asians being included in that discussion? What do we need to do to really include everyone in diversity efforts?
Benson Lee: “It amazes me; I was shocked when I found out that Asians only make up 4% of the American population. At the same time, we spend a lot of money. We’re the model minority in a way. We’re the silent minority for a long time. For me, my role model has always been African-Americans growing up, filmmakers and how they’ve come together and worked together to have a voice and make sure that that voice is heard. It’s important for me to vocalize my voice because we are raised not to be very vocal. That’s why we are that model minority but a lot of us don’t fit in that character. I am a filmmaker who has to voice my opinions and my concerns through my work. Beyond that, I also have to support our presence and our visibility. I feel like I have an obligation to do that. Obligation is not the right word. It’s a responsibility. All this ‘whitewashing, blah blah blah,’ I’ve dealt with that since I was a kid. Watching Kung Fu, David Carradine, and being like, ‘There’s something wrong here.’ It’s not until now that it’s really become a real issue. The politics of race is very interesting in Hollywood because you can’t do blackface anymore. You can’t do that and get away with it, but for some reason you can get away with yellowface. I don’t know what it is but I think Asians have been less vocal and they need to be more vocal about it. When they are, they get results.
Here’s the perfect climate of what we’re living in today. You have Chris Rock hosting the Oscars complaining about the lack of representation for African-Americans but then he’ll do a little skit with a bunch of Asian kids and make fun of them. Even between African-Americans and Asian-Americans there’s a political misunderstanding too. At the end of the day, we all are responsible for our own voices. If we’re women, if we’re minorities, if we’re LGBT, we all have a voice and we all have to vocalize it.”
What is yellowface? It’s not literally the same as painting your face, is it?
Benson Lee: “It’s kind of like getting a non-Asian actor to play an Asian character and try to pass that off. David Carradine is one of the [examples], the Ghost in the Shell [remake] or Emma Stone in Aloha, all those characters.”
The CW tweeted the news that Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter has joined the cast of Supergirl season two. The series, which switched from CBS to The CW for its second season, recently announced Teen Wolf‘s Tyler Hoechlin will appear as Superman. Carter has come on board as the President of the United States.
Executive producer Greg Berlanti’s made no secret of the fact they were trying to snag Lynda Carter for a role in the series. It was all a matter of scheduling and it appears Carter has an opening that allows her to take on the part of the President of the United States. Carter’s first Supergirl episode will be the third of season two.
The cast of Supergirl is led by Melissa Benoist in the title role. Mehcad Brooks is James Olsen, Calista Flockhart is Cat Grant, Chyler Leigh is Alexandra “Alex” Danvers, Jeremy Jordan is Winslow “Winn” Schott, Jenna Dewan Tatum is Lucy Lane, David Harewood is Hank Henshaw, and Peter Facinelli is Maxwell Lord. Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) and Helen Slater (the feature film version of Supergirl) play Supergirl’s human parents.
The CW will kick off Supergirl season two on October 10, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT.
Jamie Chung joins ‘Gotham’ (Photo Credit: Richard Chavez)
Fox just announced Jamie Chung has joined the cast of the hit comic book-inspired series Gotham. Chung will appear in season three of the drama playing Valerie Vale, a “crackerjack reporter dead-set on uncovering the truth behind Indian Hill. Confident and dogged, Vale will do anything to get the scoop, and she soon sets her sights on Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), whom she believes is the key lead in her story. Valerie is Vicki Vale’s aunt.”
Season three will premiere on Monday, September 19, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. The cast is led by Ben McKenzie and includes Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Cory Michael Smith, David Mazouz, Camren Bicondova, and Sean Pertwee. Bruno Heller (The Mentalist) writes and executive produces, with Danny Cannon directing and executive producing. John Stephens is also an executive producer.
Jamie Chung’s credits include Once Upon a Time, Big Hero 6, Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Believe, The Hangover Part III, Premium Rush, and Sucker Punch. She recently finished work on Office Christmas Party starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, TJ Miller, Olivia Munn, and Kate McKinnon.
Corey Stoll as Ephraim Goodweather in ‘The Strain’ Season 2 Episode 5 (Photo by Michael Gibson / Copyright 2015, FX Networks)
FX’s horror series The Strain will premiere on season three on August 28, 2016 and today an official trailer’s arrived for the upcoming season. The series is based on Chuck Hogan and Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain trilogy books and stars Corey Stoll, David Bradley, Kevin Durand, Jonathan Hyde, Richard Sammel, Natalie Brown, Miguel Gomez, Max Charles, Ruta Gedmintas, Rupert Penry-Jones, Samantha Mathis and Joaquín Cosío.
Season three will consist of 10 one-hour episodes.
The Plot: The transformation has begun. It can no longer be denied — New York City is rapidly falling to an evil epidemic, and no one is coming to its rescue. Its citizens must fight or die.
Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his unlikely allies tried to take down the embodiment of this evil — the Master — and failed. Now Eph and Dr. Nora Martinez concentrate on creating a biological weapon to wipe out the creatures, while Abraham Setrakian searches for an ancient book he hopes will reveal the strigoi’s entire history…and possibly a way to kill them. Meanwhile, the Master is out for revenge, unleashing new and even more terrifying breeds of bloodthirsty creatures. They need to find a way to defeat him before the infection spreads too far and becomes irreparable…before they become monsters themselves.
CBS will be rolling out their 2016-2017 primetime lineup beginning on September 15th with Thursday Night Football and continuing through the October 27th premieres of the network’s Thursday night comedy lineup. Among the new series joining CBS’ schedule are The Great Indoors, Pure Genius, Kevin Can Wait, Bull, MacGyver, and Man With a Plan. CBS has also set a September 18th premiere date for the six-hour limited series Case Closed which will spotlight the still unsolved JonBenet Ramsey murder which took place 20 years ago.
Bull – Michael Weatherly stars as Dr. Jason Bull in a drama inspired by the early career of Dr. Phil McGraw, the founder of one of the most prolific trial consulting firms of all time. Brilliant, brash and charming, Dr. Bull is the ultimate puppet master as he combines psychology, human intuition and high-tech data to learn what makes jurors, attorneys, witnesses and the accused tick. Bull employs an enviable team of experts at Trial Analysis Corporation to shape successful narratives down to the very last detail. They include his quick-witted brother-in-law, Benny Colón, who plays a defense attorney in mock trials; Marissa Morgan, a cutting-edge neurolinguistics expert from the Department of Homeland Security; former NYPD detective Danny James, the firm’s tough but relatable investigator; haughty millennial hacker Cable McCrory, who is responsible for gathering cyber intelligence; and Chunk Palmer, a fashion-conscious stylist and former All-American lineman who fine-tunes clients’ appearances for trial. In high-stakes trials, Dr. Bull’s combination of remarkable insight into human nature, three Ph.D.s and top-notch staff creates winning strategies that tip the scales of justice in his clients’ favor.
The Great Indoors – Joel McHale stars in a comedy about a renowned adventure reporter for an outdoor magazine who must adapt to the times when he becomes the deskbound boss of a group of millennials in the digital department of the publication. Jack has led a thrilling outdoorsy life exploring the edges of the earth and chronicling his adventures for Outdoor Limits. But his globe-trotting days end when the magazine’s charismatic founder and outdoor legend, Roland, announces the publication’s move to web-only and assigns Jack to supervise its online team of “journalists.” Jack’s eager 20-something colleagues include Clark, a tech nerd who knows everything about surviving on Mars and a zombie apocalypse; Emma, the social media expert who views Jack as the human version of dial-up; and Mason, a hipster-lumberjack who hasn’t spent any actual time outside. Jack reports to Roland’s daughter, Brooke, an ex-flame who caters to the sensitive staffers by giving them all trophies just for working hard. Jack’s best friend, Eddie, runs the local dive bar that’s popular with the younger set and helps Jack “decode” his co-workers. Jack is baffled by the world of click-bait and listicles, but if he’s patient, he may be able to show these kids that the outside world is much more than something on a screen…if he doesn’t beat them with their selfie sticks first.
Kevin Can Wait – Kevin James plays a newly retired police officer looking forward to spending carefree quality time with his wife and three kids, only to discover he faces tougher challenges at home than he ever did on the streets. Kevin’s retirement plans consist of chilling with his family and having epic adventures with fellow retirees Goody, his former partner and close friend, and Duffy, his oldest pal, as well as his brother, Kyle, a firefighter whose closest encounter with a blaze is a grease fire in the firehouse kitchen. However, Kevin’s dream is jeopardized when he discovers that Donna, his wonderful wife of 20 years, shielded him from key family info while he worked overtime protecting the community. Their usually reliable eldest, Kendra, is dropping out of college so she can support her unemployed fiancé, Chale, while he designs the next “big app”; his teenage daughter, Sara, has budding anger-management issues; and their youngest, Jack, is a bit of a hypochondriac. For now Kevin’s plans for a cushy life will have to wait, because Kevin has work to do and this time his family is his beat.
MacGyver – MacGyver, a reimagining of the classic series, is an action-adventure drama about 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver, who creates a clandestine organization within the U.S. government where he uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem solving and his vast scientific knowledge to save lives. Joining his team on high-risk missions around the globe is maverick former CIA agent Jack Dalton. Under the aegis of the Department of External Services, MacGyver takes on the responsibility of saving the world, armed to the teeth with resourcefulness and little more than bubble gum and a paper clip.
Man With a Plan – Golden Globe Award winner Matt LeBlanc stars in a comedy about a contractor who starts spending more time with his kids when his wife goes back to work and discovers the truth every parent eventually realizes: their little angels are maniacs. Adam feels fully equipped to take on more parenting responsibilities while his self-assured wife, Andi, returns to the work force after being a stay at home mom for 13 years. However, Adam’s blindsided by how tough it is to wrangle three messy kids who can’t live without Wi-Fi. Their pre-teen daughter, Kate, is a master manipulator and initially thrilled that “daddy fun times” is taking over, middle child Teddy can’t seem to keep his hands out of his pants despite constant reminders, and their precious youngest, Emme, is nervous about starting kindergarten. But with Andi’s encouragement and advice from a couple of equally stressed parents, Marie and Lowell, Adam takes charge of his brood, lays down the law and discovers he’s going to “nail” this job.
Pure Genius – Pure Genius is a cutting-edge medical drama about a young Silicon Valley tech titan who enlists an exceptional veteran surgeon with a controversial past to run a state-of-the-art hospital with an ultramodern approach to medicine. Billionaire genius James Bell built Bunker Hill Hospital determined to revolutionize health care and treat the rarest and most challenging medical mysteries, at no charge. Bell persuades maverick surgeon Dr. Walter Wallace to be his Chief of Staff; Dr. Wallace believed medicine was a human endeavor, not technological, until a eureka moment at the hospital convinced him otherwise. Bell’s team of trailblazers includes Dr. Zoe Brockett, an exceptional, fearlessly frank physician; Dr. Talaikha Channarayapatra, an idealistic, maddeningly literal neurosurgeon who believes the hospital is a beacon for change; Dr. Malik Verlaine, a former gangbanger now spearheading efforts to provide 24/7 health monitoring in poor neighborhoods via computer; Dr. Scott Strauss, an intense neurologist with an Ivy league pedigree; and Angie Cheng, an enthusiastic 3-D printer programming whiz. At Bunker Hill, Bell pairs the most brilliant minds in medicine with the most forward thinkers in technology and cuts bureaucracy out of the equation, all in the interest of saving lives, including his own.
CBS Primetime Premiere Dates
Thursday, Sept. 15
7:30 PM, ET THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PRE-GAME SHOW
8:25 PM, ET THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (NY Jets @ Buffalo Bills)
Sunday, Sept. 18
8:30-10:30 PM CASE CLOSED (LIMITED SERIES, PART 1)
Monday, Sept. 19
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (10th Season Premiere)
8:30-9:00 PM KEVIN CAN WAIT (SERIES DEBUT)
9:00-11:00 PM CASE CLOSED (Part 2)
Tuesday, Sept. 20
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS (14th Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM BULL (SERIES DEBUT)
10:00-11:00 PM NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (3rd Season Premiere)
Wednesday, Sept. 21
8:00-9:30 PM SURVIVOR (90-Minute 33rd Season Premiere)
9:30-11:00 PM BIG BROTHER (90-Minute Season Finale)
Friday, Sept. 23
8:00-9:00 PM MACGYVER (SERIES DEBUT)
9:00-10:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0 (7th Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM BLUE BLOODS (7th Season Premiere)
Saturday, Sept. 24
10:00-11:00 PM 48 HOURS (29th Season Premiere)
Sunday, Sept. 25
7:30-8:30 PM 60 MINUTES (49th Season Premiere)
8:30-10:30 PM CASE CLOSED (Part 3)
Monday, Sept. 26
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM KEVIN CAN WAIT
9:00-11:00 PM Presidential Debate
Wednesday, Sept. 28
8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR (Regular Time Period)
9:00-10:00 PM CRIMINAL MINDS (12th Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM CODE BLACK (2nd Season Premiere)
Sunday, Oct. 2
8:00-9:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES (8th Season Premiere)
9:00-10:00 PM MADAM SECRETARY (3rd Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM ELEMENTARY (5th Season Premiere)
Monday, Oct. 3
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM KEVIN CAN WAIT
9:00-11:00 PM SCORPION (2-Hour 3rd Season Premiere)
Monday, Oct. 10
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM KEVIN CAN WAIT
9:00-10:00 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (1-Hour 6th Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM SCORPION (regular time period)
Monday, Oct. 17
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY
8:30-9:00 PM KEVIN CAN WAIT
9:00-9:30 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS (regular time period)
9:30-10:00 PM THE ODD COUPLE (3rd Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM SCORPION
Monday, Oct. 24
8:00-8:30 PM KEVIN CAN WAIT (New Time Period)
8:30-9:00 PM MAN WITH A PLAN (SERIES DEBUT)
9:00-9:30 PM 2 BROKE GIRLS
9:30-10:00 PM THE ODD COUPLE
10:00-11:00 PM SCORPION
Thursday, Oct. 27
8:00-8:30 PM THE BIG BANG THEORY (Regular Time Period)
8:30-9:00 PM THE GREAT INDOORS (SERIES DEBUT)
9:00-9:30 PM MOM (4th Season Premiere)
9:30 -10:00 PM LIFE IN PIECES (2nd Season Premiere)
10:00-11:00 PM PURE GENIUS (SERIES DEBUT)
Kristin Chenoweth will be taking on the role of Velma Von Tussle in NBC’s Hairspray Live! set to air on December 7, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT. Velma Von Tussle is described as “the self-promoting and manipulative producer of The Corny Collins Show, who will stop at nothing to make her daughter, Amber, the star that Velma never was. Her biggest foe is Tracy Turnblad and she’ll do everything in her power to prevent the integration of the Corny Collins Show which Tracy wants so much.”
The Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress joins a cast that includes Harvey Fierstein as Edna Turnblad, Jennifer Hudson as Motormouth Maybelle, Martin Short as Wilbur Turnblad, Derek Hough as Corny Collins, and Maddie Baillio as Tracy Turnblad.
“We are so excited and fortunate that Kristin — one of the best musical performers in the world — wants to come and play with us on Hairspray,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “Everything she does is incredible, going back to the iconic Glinda in Wicked, and there’s no one better to play Velma Von Tussle. Each year we find that more and more of the top talent in our business wants to experience the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of these live musicals, and the bigger the roster of stars, the better the event. This one is shaping up to be one of our best!”
Hairspray Live! will be directed by Alex Rudzinski (Dancing with the Stars) and Kenny Leon (The Wiz Live!). Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are executive producing and Harvey Fierstein is working on the new teleplay. Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots) is the choreographer and Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman are providing the music and lyrics.
The Plot: In Hairspray Live!, teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV program. When against all odds Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight and meets a colorful array of characters, including the resident dreamboat, Link; the ambitious mean girl, Amber; an African-American boy she meets in detention, Seaweed; and his mother, Motormouth Maybelle, the owner of a local record store. Tracy’s mother is the indomitable Edna, and she eventually encourages Tracy on her campaign to integrate the all-white Corny Collins Show.
