Cast of ‘The Get Down’ (Photo Credit: Baz Luhrmann)
Baz Luhrmann just revealed the first four cast members of his 13 episode dramatic series The Get Down. The music-driven series will air on Netflix in 2016, with Luhrmann serving as executive producer and directing three episodes (including the finale). The first cast members to be announced are TJ Brown, Justice Smith, Shameik Moore, and Skylan Brooks.
“The characters these young actors play in The Get Down unwittingly become a band of brothers. Any great group is always made up of distinctly different characters, and the actors we are privileged enough to invite into the roles of Ezekiel, Shaolin Fantastic, Boo-Boo and Ra-Ra all have the distinction of being from such diverse backgrounds — from performing in subways in the Bronx to the music scene of Atlanta and of course Los Angeles,” said Luhrmann, announcing the first four male leads. “I know they’re collectively on the beginning of a thrilling journey with a big story to tell.”
The Plot:
The Get Down will focus on 1970s New York City – broken down and beaten up, violent, cash strapped — dying. Consigned to rubble, a rag-tag crew of South Bronx teenagers are nothings and nobodies with no one to shelter them – except each other, armed only with verbal games, improvised dance steps, some magic markers and spray cans. From Bronx tenements, to the SoHo art scene; from CBGBs to Studio 54 and even the glass towers of the just-built World Trade Center, The Get Down is a mythic saga of how New York at the brink of bankruptcy gave birth to hip-hop, punk and disco — told through the lives and music of the South Bronx kids who changed the city, and the world…forever.
Unveiling the names of The Get Down cast, Luhrmann and Netflix also provided details on the actors and characters they’ll be playing:
– TJ BROWN is “Boo-Boo,” a mechanically-minded kid who wants to get down, he is an irrepressible 40-year old in a 14-year old body.
14 years old, TJ lives in the Bronx, NY. An aspiring rapper and dancer, TJ hones his craft by performing in the NYC subway, where he was discovered by The Get Down’s casting team.
– JUSTICE SMITH is “Ezekiel,” a smart, resourceful teen brimming with untapped talent and unrequited love who is determined to make his mark in this world.
19 years old, born & raised in Anaheim, CA, Justice is one of the stars of Paper Towns, which will be released by Fox 2000 this June.
– SHAMEIK MOORE is “Shaolin Fantastic,” a child of the streets, thrill-seeking, unpredictable, eccentric but above all, enigmatic.
19 years old, born & raised in Atlanta, GA, Shameik is the star of the 2015 Sundance hit Dope, and was named by Indiewire as one of the ’12 Major Breakouts’ of the festival.
– SKYLAN BROOKS is “Ra-Ra,” a loyal, respected, protective friend and brother with his head screwed on tight, he’s the voice of reason beyond his years.
16 years old, born & raised in Los Angeles, CA, Skylan is the star of the film The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete, for which he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actor in a Feature Film. He will next be seen opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams in Antoine Fuqua’s Southpaw.
Michael Gambon stars in ‘The Casual Vacancy’ (Photo: BBC / Bronte Film and Television Ltd)
HBO will air the three-part miniseries The Casual Vacancy, based on the book by J.K. Rowling, on April 29 and 30, 2015. Sarah Phelps adapted the book for the miniseries and Jonny Campbell directed, with Michael Gambon and Julia McKenzie leading the cast. Keeley Hawes, Rory Kinnear, Rufus Jones, Emily Bevan, Simon McBurney, Monica Dolan, and Abigail Lawrie are also featured in the drama set in the fictional English village of Pagford.
Rowling was involved as an executive producer and, according to HBO, the author gave screenwriter Phelps free rein in adapting The Casual Vacancy into the three part miniseries. Paul Trijbits, Rick Senat, and Neil Blair also executive produced the HBO series.
The Plot:
Pagford is a quaint, picturesque town in the Cotswolds, a seemingly idyllic English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind the pretty façade, however, is a town at war: rich vs. poor; parents vs. children; wives vs. husbands; and teachers vs. pupils.
The Casual Vacancy is also the story of a village tearing itself apart, revealing the townspeople’s idiosyncrasies, and addressing social responsibility and one’s response to the poor and disadvantaged. At times darkly funny, it portrays a town whose residents are selfishly stuck in their beliefs and traditions, unaware they have the power to change. This sadly comical selfishness comes to play an important role as events unfold.
The Casual Vacancy Air Dates:
Part 1
Debut: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: May 3 (2:00 p.m.), 8 (noon) and 12 (6:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 6 (8:00 p.m.) and 17 (9:30 a.m.)
As Pagford Parish Council prepares for a vote on what will become of Sweetlove House – a town institution and community center serving poorer residents – chairman Howard Mollison (Michael Gambon) and his wife, Shirley (Julie McKenzie), who want to turn it into a tourist-destination spa, look to neutralize the threat of everyman council member Barry (Rory Kinnear), a solicitor and defender of the current Sweetlove House mission. When Barry’s sudden death leaves a “casual vacancy” on the council, the race to fill his seat, and determine the fate of Sweetlove, stirs up drama among residents.
While Howard and Shirley push their submissive son, Miles (Rufus Jones), to run for election, Barry’s friend and doctor, Parminder (Lolita Chakrabarti), rallies behind reluctant school headmaster Colin (Simon McBurney), while Barry’s bullying half-brother, Simon (Richard Glover), looks to capitalize on the family tragedy. Elsewhere, Terri (Keeley Forsyth), Barry’s former neighbor and a struggling meth addict, finds it hard to stay clean, while her troubled daughter, Krystal (Abigail Lawrie), takes drastic measures to help. Later, Simon’s teenage son, Andrew, aka Arf (Joe Hurst), looks to expose the hypocrisy in Pagford by bringing his Uncle Barry back from the dead.
Part 2
Debut: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: May 3 (3:00 p.m.), 8 (1:00 p.m.) and 13 (6:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 6 (9:00 p.m.) and 17 (10:30 a.m.)
As the town of Pagford mourns on the day of Barry’s funeral, candidates for his council seat are shocked to find their darkest secrets revealed online. Amidst struggles with her mom, Krystal recalls a fond memory with Barry and finds herself pursued by a rebellious classmate, Stuart, aka Fats (Brian Bernel). New student Gaia (Simona Brown) takes an interest in Andrew, who faces the consequences of outing his father’s unsavory ways online. Meanwhile, Barry’s widow, Mary (Emily Bevan), crashes a dinner to discuss Sweetlove House; Miles worries about his wife Samantha’s (Keeley Hawes) behavior; and Parminder butts heads with Howard, who is later plagued by visions of his own mortality.
Part 3
Debut: THURSDAY, APRIL 30 (8:00-9:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: May 3 (4:00 p.m.), 8 (2:00 p.m.) and 14 (6:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 6 (10:00 p.m.) and 17 (11:30 a.m.)
As the council election approaches, Mary tries to talk Colin out of running, while his wife, Tess (Monica Dolan), puts her heart into campaigning. Andrew keeps his distance from home and stands up to Fats, whose interest in Gaia leaves Krystal annoyed. After unbearably close election results, the Sweetlove House matter is swiftly decided, and Miles gets a shock at home. During Howard’s birthday party, Samantha and Shirley have a confrontation about their family, and Arf catches two couples in compromising positions. Finally, after Terri gives in to temptation, a desperate Krystal seeks refuge, precipitating another tragedy that rocks the town.
June 12, 2015 – that’s when Orange is the New Black‘s third season will be available for your binge-watching pleasure on Netflix. And today, Netflix has unveiled the first look at the upcoming season, showing off a little of each of the central characters, including Taylor Schilling, Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne, Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Selenis Leyva, Laura Prepon, and Taryn Manning in the third season’s official trailer.
In addition to showing off the first trailer, Netflix released three photos teasing scenes from the third season. The new pics show Piper and Alex back together in jail, cast newcomer Ruby Rose, and Big Boo getting a new hairdo.
Robert Buckley was leery his character in iZombie would turn out to be a one-dimensional, clichéd ex-boyfriend sort of role when he first read the script. But after speaking with co-creator/executive producer Rob Thomas, any hesitation he had about tackling the role of Major Lilywhite in The CW series was put to rest.
“When the script first came through, and I read it, I was very sort of cautious because it seemed to me that role could have very easily been just the guy who’s there to come on for one or two scenes an episode to be like, ‘I love you!’ And she’s like, ‘But we can’t,’ and then the audience goes, ‘Awww,’ and that’s it,” explained Buckley during our interview at the 2015 WonderCon in Anaheim, CA. “I got the chance to talk to Rob on the phone and I said, ‘I want to make sure that’s not what you have in mind for this role because if so that’s not what I’m looking to do.’ He was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no. This guy is going to have his own world independent of Liv.'”
“We were at the San Diego Comic-Con walking between panels and he was like, ‘I want to pitch you an idea I’ve got for the finale,’ and absolutely…absolutely…he told me and it was so cool. From the point of view of the show, wanting people to enjoy the show and for the show to be good, as an actor, as my inner eight-year-old, all of it – it was such a cool concept that I was like, ‘If we do half of what he’s pitched, it’ll be awesome.’ And, we did all of what he pitched. The episode ending up being that we had to add an extra day because there was so much to it. In all the shows I’ve worked on, this is the best finale I’ve ever been a part of. Not lip-service, genuinely. It’s strong.”
“We did South by Southwest, and Rob and his wife were kind enough to have us over to the house one night, and we watched episodes 12 and 13,” said Buckley. “I mean, they knocked it out of the park. They finish strong.”
Buckley also provided a little insight into Major’s arc in season one and what audiences can expect. “There has to be an organic move or transition for Major to go from…he has to change lanes from being the potential romance and ex-fiance to whatever you’re going to be having him do. You can’t just sort of have that happen on a dime. So, there’s not as much of him. But as we start to see in episode four, there’s some signs of his life-changing. Ravi’s going to move in with him; he’s seeing a new girl. Once we start to find out about what he does and his job, that’s really where his story becomes his own. He doesn’t exist in relation to Liv (played by Rose McIver), he has his own stuff. Obviously I’m biased and selfish, but it was for me so exciting. The second half of the season is when it got good for me,” explained Buckley.
Transformation specialists and trainers Chris Powell and his wife, Heidi, return for more “Extreme Weight Loss” (Photo: ABC / Rick Rowell)
Four new shows will be part of this summer’s lineup on ABC, joining returning series The Bachelorette, Celebrity Wife Swap, Extreme Weight Loss, Mistresses, Rookie Blue, and Bachelor in Paradise. The summer season will kick off on May 18th at 9pm ET/PT with the premiere of the new season of The Bachelorette. On May 20th, 500 Questions premieres at 8pm, with Celebrity Wife Swap airing at 10pm. Extreme Weight Loss returns on May 26th at 9pm and The Whispers will air its first episode at 10pm on June 1st.
Mistresses arrives on June 18th at 9pm. Celebrity Family Feud premieres on June 21st at 8pm followed at 9pm by BattleBots. Rookie Blue kicks off its new season at 10pm on June 25th. And Bachelor in Paradise will have a two-hour premiere on August 2nd.
Here’s the details on ABC’s summer lineup, courtesy of the network:
THE BACHELORETTE:
Will it be Kaitlyn or Britt? ABC’s hit romantic reality series, The Bachelorette, will kick off its 11th season with one of the biggest surprises of all: there will be two Bachelorettes greeting their suitors for the first time ever. The charming, charismatic beauty, Britt, who captivated Chris Soules and the rest of Bachelor Nation with a memorable hug on that first night at the Bachelor mansion, and Kaitlyn, the gorgeous, fun-loving, warm-hearted, but irreverent firecracker who let down her guard only to have her heart crushed will take their place in Bachelorette history. Who will the men prefer? Eventually, only one woman will be left to hand out the final rose. Chris Harrison hosts.
500 QUESTIONS: 500 Questions is an all-new game show event where the smartest people in the country try to achieve the seemingly impossible task of answering 500 of the most difficult general knowledge questions ever devised. There’s only one simple rule: never get three wrong in a row — or you’re gone. No saves, no helps, no multiple choice, 500 Questions will keep you on the edge of your seat to see if any of these geniuses can do it. It is the ultimate test, where intellect, strategy and stamina are all equally essential in order to win. The innovative “genius game show,” hosted by CNN’s Richard Quest (“Quest Means Business”), will air nine hours over nine nights, premiering on Wednesday, May 20 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), with its season finale set for Thursday, May 28.
CELEBRITY WIFE SWAP:
Season four of ABC’s Celebrity Wife Swap is back bringing viewers more of its signature spin on the critically-acclaimed reality series, Wife Swap, by revealing the various ways celebrities live their lives. In this series, two members of celebrity families swap lives (but not bedrooms), and embark on a journey like no other to experience another family’s way of life, including raising children, cultural and religious traditions and family dynamics, all while dealing with life in the spotlight. In the end, the couples have the opportunity to reflect and re-discover their connections and what brought them together in the first place.
EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS:
The hit series Extreme Weight Loss, a unique, non-competitive show about weight loss that documents the unprecedented 365-day journeys of courageous, “super-obese” people, launches its 5th season. Season 5 will intersperse three special editions of EWL — “Extreme Weight Loss: Love Can’t Weight” – throughout its run. Hosts and trainers Chris and Heidi Powell will help three couples get in shape together, both physically and emotionally, for each of their upcoming weddings. Guest-starring as each couple’s “Wedding Dream-Team” are David Tutera as the wedding planner; Rocco DiSpirito will cater the weddings; and “Duff” Goldman will design the wedding decadence. Participants for both formats will be announced at a later date.
In addition to working one-on-one with Chris and Heidi, each EWL participant also will spend the first 90 days of his or her weight loss journey at the renowned University of Colorado Anschutz Health and Wellness Center in Aurora, CO. Chris and Heidi, along with CU Anschutz Health and Wellness Center Medical Director and CU Associate Professor of Medicine Holly Wyatt, MD, will guide participants on their journeys to safely lose up to half their body weight.
THE WHISPERS:
We love to play games with our children. But what happens when someone else starts to play with them, too? Someone we don’t know. Can’t see. Can’t hear. In The Whispers, someone or something – is manipulating the ones we love most to commit the unthinkable. In the country’s center of political power, Washington D.C., several kids have been talking about their imaginary friend, Drill. What the parents don’t know is that this friend is not as imaginary as they think. And when the mysterious games Drill convinces them to play turn dangerous, FBI child specialist Claire Bennigan is called in to investigate. What is it that Drill wants, and why does he – or it – only communicate with children? As the clock counts down, a suspenseful race will begin to save not only their families, but the world. Before it’s too late.
The Whispers stars Lily Rabe as Claire Bennigan, Barry Sloane as Wes Lawrence, Milo Ventimiglia as John Doe, Derek Webster as Jessup Rollins, Kristen Connolly as Lena Lawrence, Kylie Rogers as Minx Lawrence and Kyle Harrison Breitkopf as Henry Bennigan. The series is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank and Zack Estrin.
MISTRESSES:
Based on the hit UK television series of the same name, Mistresses returns for a third season with a special two-hour premiere. The provocative and thrilling drama continues to focus on the scandalous lives of a sexy and sassy group of girlfriends, each on their own path to self-discovery. When it comes to love, these girlfriends find support and guidance with each other as they push the limits, test their boundaries and discover just how far they are prepared to go. They are willing to brave love’s turbulent journey, as well as its excitement, secrecy and betrayal, all the while bound by the complex relationships they’ve created. Jennifer Esposito joins the cast in the role of Calista Raines and Rob Mayes in the role of Marc with returning series stars Yunjin Kim as Karen Kim, Rochelle Aytes as April Malloy, Jes Macallan as Josslyn (“Joss”) Carver and Brett Tucker as Harry Davis.
CELEBRITY FAMILY FEUD: Celebrity Family Feud, a primetime celebrity version of Family Feud, is based on one of television’s most popular and enduring game show formats. The six-episode special series will feature fan-favorite celebrities competing with their families for charity on the famous stage of Family Feud. Hosted by the highly popular multi-hyphenate standup comedian, actor, author, deejay and Emmy Award-winning talk show host Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud will pit celebrities against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey-type question posed to 100 people.
BATTLEBOTS: BattleBots is a reimagined take of the killer robot combat sport from Whalerock Industries and the creators of the original BattleBots franchise, Ed Roski and Greg Munson. The homeade robots will battle against each other, in a single elimination tournament style format, until there is one champion. The six episode series features next generation robots – bigger, faster and stronger than ever before. The show will have a greater emphasis on the design and build elements of each robot, the bot builder backstories, their intense pursuit of the championship and the spectacle of the event. Separate weight classes will be eliminated so that robots of all sizes will battle against each other. State of the Art Onboard Technology and Cameras will provide audiences with enhanced viewing and combat analytics. There will be cash prizes for winners in the Championship Rounds.
ROOKIE BLUE:
Last season the officers at 15 Division unearthed their sins of the past – dug through it, aired it out, and paved the way to move forward. They have all grown and are more resilient than ever. This season, they will have to learn to embrace living in the gray areas, because life is complicated and the best laid plans are just that. But sometimes it’s the unpredictable things life throws our way that turn out to be exactly what we need.
Rookie Blue stars Missy Peregrym as Andy McNally, Gregory Smith as Dov Epstein, Charlotte Sullivan as Gail Peck, Enuka Okuma as Traci Nash, Travis Milne as Chris Diaz, Peter Mooney as Nick Collins, Matt Gordon as Oliver Shaw, Ben Bass as Sam Swarek and Priscilla Faia as Chloe Price.
BACHELOR IN PARADISE:
The long awaited second season of last summer’s #1 new unscripted hit series, Bachelor in Paradise returns to ABC. The cast comprised of former fan favorites and controversial characters from the Bachelor franchise are back looking for a second chance at love. They all left The Bachelor or The Bachelorette with broken hearts but now they’ll travel to a romantic paradise hoping to turn a potential summer fling into the real thing. Over the course of the season, we’ll follow cast members as they explore new relationships and viewers at home will watch as they fall in love or go through renewed heartbreak. If last season was any indication, Bachelor in Paradise will feature shocking twists, surprises, unexpected guests and some of the most unlikely relationships in Bachelor history. In true Bachelor fashion, it’s sure to be an “amazing journey.”
‘Suicide Squad’ Cast Photo (Courtesy of David Ayer)
Writer/director David Ayer (End of Watch) tweeted out a photo of the big ensemble cast of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Suicide Squad which is about to go into production. The cast was together for a table read and although Jared Leto was, sadly, absent (he’s touring with his band), Ayer offered everyone a look at the rest of the official cast who’d assembled to prepare for shooting.
Suicide Squad will open in theaters on August 5, 2016. The cast includes Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, Cara Delevingne as Enchantress, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jim Parrack, Adam Beach, Ike Barinholtz, and Jay Rodriguez.
Charles Roven (The Dark Knight trilogy) and Richard Suckle are producing the action drama based on the DC Comics property. Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Colin Wilson and Geoff Johns are executive producing.
Dichen Lachman and Ruth Negga in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Photo Credit: ABC / Kelsey McNeal)
This week’s episode of ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. titled “Afterlife” saw our team of agents split up and spread out across the globe. So rather than give a blow-by-blow of the episode, I’m going to give each character set their own storyline.
Skye
Skye (Chloe Bennet) wakes up with nothing on but two strips of silk and a whole lot of acupuncture needles that light up with her energy. A young man walks in and introduces himself as Lincoln (Luke Mitchell). Skye tries to get up, but she can’t move thanks to the needles. Lincoln explains that she’s there for her protection, and to learn how to use her new gift. She asks him about Raina and her father, but he dodges those questions. (I had to look up Mitchell’s IMDB page during the episode because he is a blonde copy of Grant Gustin on The Flash. Eerily similar.)
Later he takes her through the compound, which is a beautiful Asian garden with arches and small houses. Skye realizes everyone is staring at her. When she asks about it, Lincoln tells her they are jealous because the others have been working toward earning their gifts since birth, and she got hers very quickly AND from the Diviner. She tells him she’d happily switch places.
He takes her to a mountaintop and explains that once someone is chosen to train her, that’s where she will learn how to use her gifts. He shows her his gift, which is creating and controlling an electric current. He uses it to float her off the ground.
At night he takes her to her room. She is agitated, wanting to get a message to her friends, but he tries to explain that there’s no reason for her to reach out to them, that she’s being hunted and she is safe where she is. He tells her that she can go anytime, but he hopes she’ll stay.
The next day Lincoln slips up and Skye figures out that Raina (Ruth Negga) is living in the same compound. Skye bursts into what seems to be an abandoned house and finds Raina. Raina taunts her and tells her how miserable she’s become. (It hurts just to look at her!) Raina starts to vibrate and it’s clear that Skye is using her power on her. When everything begins to shake, a woman enters and Skye stops. (It’s her mom, but Skye doesn’t know! We thought she was dead, but apparently, she’s even tougher than anyone realized. She’s got Frankenstein scars but she’s okay!) She introduces herself as Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) and tells Skye that she will be her trainer.
Fitz, Simmons, Bobbi, Mack, May, and Gonzalez
At SHIELD, Robert Gonzalez (Edward James Olmos) is telling Fitz (Iain de Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) that he wanted to recruit them originally, but that Coulson (Clark Gregg) got to them first. He asks them to stay on with him. Fitz tells everyone he’s packing his bags and leaving. Simmons looks sad, but she stays. (Hmmm.)
Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) tells Gonzalez that he’s going about interrogating May all wrong and that he should use a different approach. Meanwhile, Bobbi talks to Simmons, who still seems sad that Fitz is leaving. However, when Bobbi brings up the toolbox, Jemma tells her that they’ve been trying to crack into it the wrong way. She says rather than thinking “tech,” they should think “bio.” Bobbi lights up.
Mack (Henry Simmons) approaches Fitz and asks him not to leave, but Fitz is adamant. However, Mack lets it slip that Jemma is working on the box. Fitz is startled. He pulls up a screen to see what Simmons is working on. He realizes what she’s doing and goes after her. In the lab, he confronts her in front of Bobbi and Mack. He grabs the box, saying that there’s no way she’ll be able to crack it, and even if she could, she shouldn’t. She argues with him while he tosses the box around. Finally, he puts it down and walks out.
Later, Jemma tells Bobbi and Mack that she did everything she could think of to replicate Coulson’s DNA in order to open the box, but she failed.
Elsewhere, Gonzalez tells May (Ming-Na Wen) he’d like her to sit on their executive board. He slides a loaded pistol to her and says that she is welcome to shoot him. She chooses not to, but she’s skeptical about his offer. He tries to tell her that he just wants to bring Coulson in and that she can help them keep Coulson safe.
It’s time for Fitz to leave. The group sees him off as he walks out, becoming a civilian. Simmons is particularly emotional. At the end of the episode, however, Fitz pulls the box from his duffel bag (along with Jemma’s signature sandwich). They pulled the ol’ switcheroo! (I knew it, by the way, the whole time. They’re way too loyal to Coulson for Jemma to turn sides.)
Hunter and Coulson
Coulson is checking out used cars and talking to a salesman. (The car salesman is Stoney Westmoreland, who went to college with me. I see him in stuff once in a while.) While they’re talking, Hunter (Nick Blood) pulls up in the salesman’s own car. He and Coulson take off in it, leaving the shouting salesman behind.
They end up at the cabin where Coulson hid Skye. They discuss their inadequate plan over whiskey. Hunter says if all the good options won’t work, maybe it’s time for a bad one and pours himself another drink.
In the morning, Hunter wakes up to SHIELD landing aircrafts outside the cabin. Coulson tells Hunter he has called for backup, but in the meantime, they’ll use icers to stun the agents. SHIELD uses a battering ram to break through the door. The agents burst in to find Coulson and Hunter playing cards. It’s a trick! It’s only holograms! Hunter and Coulson take out the agents with the icers. Wearing the tactical uniforms taken from the agents, they head out to where the aircraft landed. They realize they are surrounded. Just as they are being taken prisoner, someone starts taking out the other aircraft and all the agents. It’s Dethlok! (J. August Richards) And he’s wearing a cool, new suit!
Dethlok downloads the plane’s specs. He pilots them out of the forest and away. When they’re in the air, he tells Hunter that what he had said the night before about bad options made sense to him. He has decided they should choose the bad option, in this case, finding Grant Ward (Brett Dalton). (As for me, I can’t figure out Grant’s end game. He just seems crazy at this point.)
Nat Faxon as Russ and Judy Greer as Lina in ‘Married’ (Photo by Prashant Gupta / FX Networks)
FX’s summer lineup will include the premiere of the new series Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, created by and starring Denis Leary, along with the second seasons of Tyrant, The Strain, and Married. Tyrant returns on June 16th at 10pm ET/PT, with Married back for season two on Thursdays at 10:30pm beginning July 16th.
Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll will arrive on July 16th and air on FX on Thursdays at 10pm ET/PT. The premiere of The Strain‘s second season will be announced at a later date.
Along with announcing the summer premiere dates, FX released details on the upcoming seasons of their summer series:
Tyrant:
Tyrant is the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the inner workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Bassam “Barry” Al-Fayeed (Adam Rayner), the youngest son of a war-torn country’s controversial dictator, returns to his homeland after a self-imposed 20-year exile in America, only to be forced back into the treacherous familial and national politics of his youth. When his brother, Jamal (Ashraf Barhom), assumes the presidency, Barry becomes a powerful force within the government, fueled by visions of bringing humanitarian freedoms to his homeland.
Upon realizing that Jamal lacks any sense of justice or morality, Barry colluded with members of the U.S. government on a failed attempt at overthrowing his tyrannical reign and was arrested on charges of treason. Having been betrayed by the West, Jamal now sets his sights on the East, developing an alliance with China that he hopes will make Abbudin a global power. But Barry continues to be a thorn in Jamal’s side, becoming a symbol of freedom for the increasingly vocal insurgency.
Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll:
Denis Leary stars as “Johnny Rock,” lead singer of a legendary early 90s New York band called The Heathens. Known for living up to their name, the band partied so long and so hard that even Keith Richards thought they needed to slow things down. The Heathens were on the brink of becoming famous for their kickass live shows and the release of their highly anticipated first album. Until they broke up. The same day the album dropped. Because lead guitarist Flash (John Corbett) found Johnny in bed with his wife. So the band became legendary for all the wrong reasons – like self-destructing sooner than any group in rock ‘n’ roll history.
25 years later, the only thing bigger than Johnny’s ego is his prostate. The drugs he really needs now aren’t cocaine and marijuana – they’re Crestor, Cymbalta and Cialis. He’s out of work, out of money and out of show business options. That’s when a massively talented young singer named Gigi (Elizabeth Gillies) shows up – with a burning desire to be famous, a throwback appreciation for The Heathens only album, and a stack of cash big enough to bring the whole band back into the studio. Only this time, SHE’S the lead singer and Johnny’s just a behind-the-scenes songwriter. John Ales, Bobby Kelly and Elaine Hendrix round out the rest of this dysfunctional rock and roll family. The race is on to see who gets famous first – and for what reason.
Married:
Married is a half-hour comedy about a couple who are happy they have each other to blame. Russ (Nat Faxon) and Lina Bowman (Judy Greer) have changed almost everything about themselves in order to be responsible parents, but once in a while they find time to remind each other of who they used to be. The show also features Russ and Lina’s circle of friends who include: the divorced AJ (Brett Gelman), who is trying to chart his next move after a lost year of addiction; the May/December couple of Jess (Jenny Slate) and Shep (Paul Reiser), who are finding that age isn’t the greatest challenge in their relationship; single mother Abby (Sarah Burns) whose desperate need for approval keeps getting her in trouble; and the enabling Bernie (John Hodgman) who’s always willing to go along for the ride.
The Strain:
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, sending new and even more terrifying breeds of bloodthirsty creatures after our team. They need to find a way to defeat him before the transformation has become widespread, irreparable…Before they become monsters themselves.
Kathy Bates as Ethel Darling in ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ (Photo by Michele K. Short / FX)
Jessica Lange’s out but Kathy Bates is in. FX just confirmed Kathy Bates is returning to the AHS world for the third time with a role in American Horror Story: Hotel. Bates joins a cast that includes Lady Gaga, Matt Bomer, Cheyenne Jackson, Wes Bentley, and Chloë Sevigny.
The fifth season of American Horror Story will film this summer in LA and will premiere in October. And season five of Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology series will consist of 13 episodes.
Bates previously starred in American Horror Story: Coven and American Horror Story: Freak Show, winning an Emmy in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her performance in Coven.
Fox’s half hour comedy series The Last Man on Earth starring and created by Will Forte has been renewed for a second season, as just announced by Fox Broadcasting Company President of Entertainment David Madden. The decision to bring the show back for a second season makes sense as the ratings have been stellar for the series’ first season, with The Last Man on Earth ranking first in its Sunday time slot among adults and teens.
In addition to Forte, season one has featured Kristen Schaal, January Jones, and Mel Rodriguez. The LEGO Movie‘s Chris Miller and Phil Lord are involved as directors and producers.
“We knew we had something special with The Last Man on Earth. It’s one of those rare shows that continues to add depth and dimension to its unique premise, week after week,” said Madden. “We are so thrilled that this incredibly bold, original and inventive series has been embraced by both fans and critics, and we cannot wait to see where the creative genius and inspired vision of Will, Phil and Chris take us in Season Two.”
The Plot:
The Last Man on Earth chronicles the life and adventures of Phil Miller (Forte), an average guy – and humanity’s last hope – who discovers what life is like when no one is telling you what you can and cannot do.
