FX’s critically acclaimed series American Horror Story returns for season three with the title of American Horror Story: Coven and a premiere date of October 9, 2013 at 10pm. The date was revealed at the end of the short (as in 30 seconds) teaser trailer titled “Stakes.” Yes, it’s all about witches this coming season and returning for more grisly fun are Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Denis O’Hare, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, and Taissa Farmiga. The cast also includes Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Patti LuPone, and Emma Roberts.
The Plot:Coven tells the secret history of witches and witchcraft in America. Over 300 years have passed since the turbulent days of the Salem witch trials and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves. Wrapped up in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe (Farmiga), who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona (Lange), the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town, determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.
David Morrissey in ‘The Walking Dead’ (Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC)
David Morrissey – The Walking Dead‘s evil governor – has signed on to the pilot episode of Line of Sight. Both shows are set up at AMC, and Morrissey would be working on both series at the same time.
“We are huge fans of David Morrissey and are glad he’ll be doing double duty for AMC viewers through his work on The Walking Dead and our pilot for Line of Sight, both of which are produced in Atlanta,” stated AMC executives.
Line of Sight was created by Blake Masters (2 Guns) who will also be writing and executive producing. Jonathan Demme is on board to direct the pilot and executive produce. The series marks the network’s first original sci-fi show, but not the first time they’ve tapped a Walking Dead actor to headline a series that doesn’t involve zombies. The Walking Dead‘s Lennie James (Morgan in seasons one and three) now stars opposite Mark Strong in the network’s new dramatic series, Low Winter Sun.
The Plot:
Line of Sight is the story of Lewis Bernt, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator who survives a mysterious plane crash, bringing him on a quest to discover the accident’s cause.
“Sometimes it takes a hustler to change the world.”
Matthew McConaughey lost 40 pounds to tackle the lead role in Dallas Buyers Club directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (The Young Victoria) and based on a true story. And Focus Features has faith that this one will attract some awards attention, moving the film up to a November 1, 2013 theatrical release and setting it up for an awards run.
The Plot: Matthew McConaughey stars in Dallas Buyers Club as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal.
Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts – who he once would have shunned – and established a hugely successful “buyers’ club.” Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience.
Are you still mourning the end of Starz’ gritty, riveting dramatic series Spartacus? If so, then we have the perfect way to cheer you up. Spartacus: War of the Damned is arriving on Blu-ray and DVD on September 3, 2013 and Anchor Bay has provided us with a few copies of the Blu-ray release to give away to Spartacus fans.
Here’s the contest details:
– (THE CONTEST IS NOW OVER. Send an email with “Spartacus Contest” in the subject line. Your email address will not be added to any lists.
– You must be 18 years or older to enter and reside in the continental United States. Only one entry per email address will be accepted. The contest ends on September 2, 2013 at 10pm PST. Winners will be notified on September 3rd.
The Plot: Spartacus: War of the Damned – The Complete Third Season takes place following the defeat of Roman commander Gaius Claudius Glaber. Spartacus and his men have amassed major victories against the Romans after the Battle of Vesuvius. These victories have not only forged the legend of Spartacus, but have greatly increased the ranks of the rebellion slaves to more than 30,000. Rome is indeed beginning to tremble at the threat Spartacus now represents.
The Bonus Features:
– SPARTACUS: The Legend Retold
– The Price Of Being A Gladiator
– A Bloody Farewell
– The Spoils Of War Revealed: Visual Effects
– Adorning The Damned
– The Mind Behind SPARTACUS
– BLU-RAY™ EXCLUSIVES – Extended Episodes and Audio Commentaries!
Paulina Rubio and Kelly Roland during THE X FACTOR panel session (Photo Credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX)
The women will be ruling the judging panel on this upcoming season of Fox’s The X Factor, and Simon Cowell’s actually fine with that. During the summer 2013 Television Critics Association press event, Cowell said that the idea of being placed on a panel alongside three female judges is working exactly how he anticipated it would.
“We said at the time it’s a girls’ world at the moment in the music business,” explained Cowell. “So many girls doing so well in the charts, we thought the panel should reflect it…but be careful what you wish for.”
Joining Cowell at the TCA event was returning judge Demi Lovato and The X Factor newbies Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio, who talked about being a part of the popular singing competition.
On the final votes and why 3rd or 4th place winners often have a better career than the actual winner:
Kelly Rowland: “It’s actually happened a long time. I remember it even a long time ago, when the ladies and I went up for Star Search years ago, we lost against a Country rock band. You know, it’s just the way, I think, America kind of votes. I think that that’s just sometimes what those voters might be wanting at that time, and [there’s] nothing wrong with that. But, I mean, we were completely R&B, got up there, hip-hop, ‘Yeah, one, two, one, two,’ and lost – and then went on to have great careers. So, it happened. I think that, no matter how it happens, I still think that we gain respect because we have great artists that have come to perform on the show and shown America their best and they’re proud of it. And then we get something special out of it later.”
On approaching the role of a judge:
Kelly Rowland: “Definitely constructive when it comes to criticism, you know, because you know what that ‘no’ feels like, especially when it’s just the no flat-out and no one gives you a reason why. I think that watching Demi even last year, every time she told someone why she wasn’t a fan of what they did, she would give them a reason why and tell them what they should work on.
I’m thinking that’s really constructive because then you leave someone with a hope that they can go away and have something to work on, and it makes them better. And I think that’s what I really love about the panel this year is, you know, Simon may tell someone no five times, but they come back because they believe it’s okay, that sometimes we’ll get a no. But we believe in a lot of people that come up as well.”
On the return to the original X Factor categories of Boys, Girls, Over 25s, and Groups:
Kelly Rowland: “I know, for me, it didn’t matter which category I got. I was just going to be happy because there’s a winner in each one. Do you know what I mean? So I just felt like, ‘Oh, well, we’ll just take this. It will be easy. This will be great.'”
On her background and why she wanted to be an The X Factor judge:
Paulina Rubio: “Well, first of all, I started with a recording deal when I was seven years old. That along the way gave me a little perspective, and I wanted to transmit that to the new talent. When Simon first called my people, I was really, really excited. I was coming from doing The Voice kids, which we broke all of the ratings in NBC Telemundo. And then when he invited me to come to this new journey, I was really, really excited.
We have a lot of fun right now. The three girls and I bonded immediately. We agree sometimes with Simon. We don’t sometimes. That’s part of the chemistry and the yin and yang that we want in the panel table. And then when I met Andrew [Llinares[ and Robert [Wade] and the rest of the producers, we thought that we were going to be friends and we were going to be partners, and that’s what we are doing now.”
On her Telemundo experience:
Paulina Rubio: “I’m always really positive about everything that I do, and most of the things that I have [done] being with The Voice kids, it’s unpredictable. The kids are between 10 and 17. So one of my two passions in life is kids, as I’m a mom of a two year old, and music, which I’ve been doing it all my life. So it was instantly a yes for me when Simon invited me to this project.”
* * * * *
The X Factor season three premieres on September 11, 2013 at 8pm ET/PT on Fox.
Nick Jamerson and Kris Bentley of Sundy Best. Photo Credit: Allison May
They come from Appalachia. Their friendship dates back to elementary school. Their voices blend like bourbon and soda. Listening to their debut album on eOne Music, Door Without a Screen, produced by Coleman Saunders and released Aug. 2, you get the feeling that Kris Bentley and Nick Jamerson were born to make music together.
Apparently, they were also destined to represent their beloved home state to the world through their songs. Co-writing every track, they visit the theme of Kentucky’s wonders repeatedly, always with a twinge of nostalgia but also from a variety of perspectives. “Home” captures the ache of a country boy stuck in the city, with only memories of running “barefoot up a holler, in the shadows of the pines.” “Mountain Parkway” is a panorama of images seen through the windows during a cruise through their backwoods paradise. Then, on “Prestonsburg,” the very first lyrics declare, “I just got off the parkway,” and this time the singer is back home, where he — and maybe all of us — belong.
What else do Bentley and Jamerson share? Each began singing in church as kids; aside from a short-lived Christian rock band, that was their only musical outlet for years. Both were active in sports through high school and college — Bentley played basketball, Jamerson excelled at football. They enjoy shifting tempos to underscore different parts of songs. And they love acoustic textures. From scratchy banjos to sad or stompin’ fiddles, their music sounds the way a weather-worn barn looks — rough, sweet and tactile, all at the same time.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
MUSICAL HERO
BOTH: “Tom Petty or Bob Seger. Chris Stapleton – fellow East Kentuckian – is a beast too!”
DREAM DUET PARTNER
BOTH: “Female – Sheryl Crow. Male – Chris Stapleton.”
PHRASE YOU SAY OVER AND OVER
BOTH: “Do what?”
FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
BOTH: “Roller blades.”
PET PEEVE
BOTH: “Bad grammar.”
FIRST GIG
BOTH: “Pikeville, Ken., at a bar called Champs. We drank beer for three hours before it started. They told us it went great.”
13 NFL players have been chosen to represent the league as part of the Sunday Night Football opening number on NBC. Carrie Underwood takes over as the artist handling the football broadcast’s theme song, “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” – set to Joan Jett’s “I Hate Myself for Loving You” – following in the footsteps of Faith Hill and Pink.
13 players representing 12 NFL teams were selected to join Underwood for the SNF on NBC theme song, with the group accounting for “55 Pro Bowl selections, six Super Bowl rings and four Super Bowl MVP trophies,” according to NBC Sports Group. Underwood and company’s debut is set for Sunday, September 8, 2013 when the Dallas Cowboys will take on the New York Giants.
NFL Players Participating in the SNF Opening Theme Segment:
· Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald
· New Orleans TE Jimmy Graham
· Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson
· Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck*
· New York Giants QB Eli Manning*
· Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning*
· Green Bay Packers LB Clay Matthews*
· Philadelphia Eagles RB LeSean McCoy
· Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
· Baltimore Ravens LB Terrell Suggs*
· Dallas Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware
· Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt*
· San Francisco 49ers LB Patrick Willis
2013 SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thurs. Sept. 5 NFL Kickoff Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos
Sun. Sept. 8 Week 1 New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Sept. 15 Week 2 San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Sun. Sept. 22 Week 3 Chicago Bears at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun. Sept. 29 Week 4 New England Patriots at Atlanta Falcons
Sun. Oct. 6 Week 5 Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers
Sun. Oct. 13 Week 6 Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Oct. 20 Week 7 Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts
Sun. Oct. 27 Week 8 Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Sun. Nov. 3 Week 9 Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans
Sun. Nov. 10 Week 10 Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints
*Sun. Nov. 17 Week 11 Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
*Sun. Nov. 24 Week 12 Denver Broncos at New England Patriots
**Thurs. Nov. 28 Week 13 Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
*Sun. Dec. 1 Week 13 New York Giants at Washington Redskins
*Sun. Dec. 8 Week 14 Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers
*Sun. Dec. 15 Week 15 Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers
*Sun. Dec. 22 Week 16 New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens
*Sun. Dec. 29 Week 17 TBA
Expect more ghosts, beasts, and otherworldly creatures as well as a series about body art painting as part of Syfy’s 2013 fall program lineup. Two new series are set to premiere in the next two months, alongside returning shows and new original movies. The network’s also planning its 6th annual “31 Days of Halloween” spook-a-thon featuring 600 hours of theatrical and original films.
Syfy’s 2013 Fall Programming Schedule Highlights:
SEPTEMBER
GHOST MINE (SEASON 2 PREMIERE)
Returns Wednesday, September 4 at 10PM – In Season 2, the hardened team of gold miners and paranormal investigators return to Eastern Oregon’s notoriously haunted Crescent Mine to continue their quest for gold and evidence of ghosts. The investigators and miners delve further into the mine’s mysterious history revealing new information about the recurring Masonic symbols, Native American presence and the spirit of “Joe,” all while battling the elements in hopes of striking it rich.
This season, they’ve revamped the popular Remote Investigator of Paranormal Activity (RIPA) and brought in a surprise new addition to the team. The Season 2 premiere will be preceded by the 9PM one-hour special, Ghost Mine: Back on the Mountain, hosted by Adam Copeland (Haven), in which the miners and investigators gather ‘round the campfire to reminisce about the highs and lows of last season.
RAGIN CAJUN REDNECK GATORS (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres Thursday, September 5 at 9PM – Contaminated moonshine dumped in a Louisiana swamp turns the bayou’s gators (and the people who eat them) into deadly mutants. The movie stars Victor Webster (Continuum) and Jordan Hinson (Eureka).
HAVEN (SEASON 4 PREMIERE)
Returns Friday, September 13 at 10PM – Season 4 of Haven picks up six months after the devastating events of the Season 3 cliffhanger in which the town was pummeled by a violent meteor storm. Audrey (Emily Rose) and Duke (Eric Balfour) vanished into thin air, leaving an injured Nathan (Lucas Bryant) marooned in Haven. This season, Colin Ferguson returns to Syfy playing William, a handsome mysterious stranger, whose secret agenda leads him to Audrey.
Haven, based on the novella The Colorado Kid from renowned author Stephen King, follows former FBI agent Audrey Parker, who becomes a cop in the small town of Haven, Maine, and soon discovers the town’s many secrets – which also hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of her lost past.
During its third season, Haven was the #1 cable drama (based on Live + 7 data) in Adults 18-49, Adults 25-54 and total viewers in its Friday 10PM time period.
ROBOCROC (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres Saturday, September 14 at 9PM – A military nanotech experiment goes awry, infecting a huge crocodile in a zoo and transforming it into a metal killing machine. Robocroc stars Corin Nemec (Stargate SG-1) and Dee Wallace.
FANGASM (SERIES PREMIERE)
Premieres Tuesday, September 24 at 10PM – Syfy celebrates superfan culture with Fangasm, a new docuseries that follows seven very different people whose uber-obsessions from comic books and collectibles, science fiction and fantasy to cosplay and live action role-playing have brought them together for the summer experience of a lifetime: living together and interning together at Stan Lee’s Comikaze. Known as Los Angeles’ largest pop-culture convention, the cast must contend with oversized personalities and conflicting passions as they vie to impress the organization for a once-in-a-lifetime dream job within Lee’s staff.
OCTOBER
31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN (6TH ANNUAL EVENT)
Returns Tuesday, October 1 – Thursday, October 31 – 31 Days of Halloween will unleash nearly 600 hours of bloodcurdling programming with original series, a trio of terrifying Saturday Original Movies and theatricals.
GHOST HUNTERS (FALL SEASON PREMIERE)
Returns Wednesday, October 9 at 10PM – Get into the Halloween spirit with the Ghost Hunters as Season 9 continues with a month of brand-new investigations at all-new locations. Jason, Steve, Tango, Amy, Adam and Britt continue their mission of helping ease the minds of homeowners and public institution employees alike when they investigate a mansion in Monticello, AR, with a dark history of secret love and suicide; the Rendall Building in Shreveport, LA; a former insane asylum and animal testing lab in Scott Township, PA; The Surf Hotel on Block Island, RI, and historic Hyde Hall in Cooperstown, NY.
SCARE TACTICS (SEASON 5 MARATHON)
Premieres Monday, October 21 from 8-11PM – Tracy Morgan is back! He’s hosting a special marathon of all-new episodes of Scare Tactics, the hidden camera show with a sci-fi twist that pulls outrageous pranks on unsuspecting friends and family. In this batch of episodes, our subjects will be subjected to post-Voodoo ceremony zombie attacks at a cemetery, a meat-eating fly experiment gone horribly wrong and a homicidal comedian at a comedy award show that Tracy “hosts.”
NAKED VEGAS (SERIES PREMIERE)
Premieres Tuesday, October 29 at 10PM – Set amidst the fast-paced glitter of life on the Las Vegas Strip, Syfy will transport viewers inside the provocative and imaginative world of body painting art in this new six-part docuseries. When casinos, clubs, events, conventions, celebrities, magicians, fashion designers – or anyone in between – wants to throw a memorable opening, they call the Skin Team.
These five accomplished artists – including Nicholas “Nix” Herrera from Syfy’s hit series Face Off – comprise Las Vegas’ hottest and most innovative body painting company, creating amazing displays of artwork on naked female and male models. Each hour-long episode of Naked Vegas will highlight the chemistry and creative skills of the artists’ different personalities as they collaborate on a major client job while navigating the economics of the business.
SCARECROW (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in October – A group of teens and their teacher are stranded in the countryside when they discover that the local legend of a murderous scarecrow creature is real – and the creature is after them. Scarecrow stars Robin Dunne (Sanctuary) and Lacey Chabert.
THE RITUAL (working title) (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in October – An American college student studying in Japan risks her own life to save the spirit of her dead mother who killed herself in the notorious Suicide Forest. The Ritual stars Cassie Thomson and Graham Wardle.
ZOMBIE NIGHT (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in October – Two families in a small American town face off against zombies in a long night of horror, torn between helping each other and saving themselves. Zombie Night stars Darryl Hannah, Anthony Michael Hall and Shirley Jones.
NOVEMBER
HAUNTED HIGHWAY (SEASON 2 PREMIERE)
Returns Wednesday, November 27 at 10PM – In an unprecedented first, the premiere episode of Haunted Highway will feature our two teams – Jack Osbourne & Dana Workman and Jael de Pardo & Devin Marble – partnering up to take on their biggest investigation yet: a journey to the remote island of Dry Tortugas. Located 80 miles off the coast of Florida, the four will conduct their own first-person investigation into an abandoned military fort that’s rumored to harbor the ghost of a possible Lincoln assassination conspirator.
Fueled by eyewitness interviews and evidence collected with state-of-the-art equipment, this new season will push our two teams further off the beaten path and self-document harrowing face-to-face encounters with the paranormal in some of America’s darkest and most remote regions. Cases include investigations into the ghosts of the famous Donner party, werewolf-like creatures in the bayous of Louisiana, ghosts and Iowa’s own Black Angel of Death.
BERING SEA BEAST (ORIGINAL MOVIE PREMIERE)
Premieres in November – While prospecting for gold, a brother and sister accidentally disturb a colony of sea vampires in an underwater cave. Cassie Scerbo (Sharknado), Jonathan Lipnicki and Kevin Dobson star in Bering Sea Beast.
Season two of the animated dragon adventure series DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk, based on the blockbuster animated film How to Train Your Dragon, will premiere on September 19, 2013 at 7:30pm on Cartoon Network. The new season is titled DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk and features a voice cast that includes Jay Baruchel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, America Ferrera, and T.J. Miller – all from the feature film.
Additional voice cast actors include Tim Conway, Chris Edgerly, Mark Hamill, Andree Vermeulen, Nolan North, Zack Pearlman, Stephen Root, and Tom Wilson.
Details on Season Two:
In the new season, DreamWorks Dragons: Defenders of Berk Hiccup (Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless lead the way as the gang graduates from experienced riders to confident defenders. The group will face a surprising enemy, rare and wild dragons and exciting adventures.
As an unforeseen villain emerges, the trainers must develop their skills and defend the Viking Island of Berk. The kids take it upon themselves to protect Berk and form a secret “Dragons Flight Club” to battle old foes with new dragon knowledge and flying skills. Hiccup tries his hand as an inventor, while Fishlegs (Mintz-Plasse) becomes the most popular man in town. The group also learns the important lesson of not taking your dragon for granted.
Daniel Radcliffe – forever known to millions of Muggles as Harry Potter – stars in the dramatic film Kill Your Darlings, currently showing off a brand new poster. Directed by John Krokidas and heading to theaters on October 18, 2013, the Sony Classics film also features Dane DeHaan, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Elizabeth Olsen.
The Plot:
Kill Your Darlings is the previously untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe), Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston), and William Burroughs (Ben Foster) at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that would lead to their Beat Revolution. This is the true story of friendship and murder that led to the birth of an entire generation.
