Giancarlo Esposito from ‘Revolution’ at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con (Photo by: Michael Yaris/NBC)
Giancarlo Esposito hopes we never have to experience anything similar in our lifetime to what the characters are going through in NBC’s Revolution. Season one found the power extinguished and life turned upside down for those trying to cope with this strange new world. But in season two, Esposito says things are going to get even crazier.
“You expect to be the big boss man and you have the ability to sort of want to control everything but you really can’t in a world that is unpredictable and vulnerable. And so I’m excited to be in a new city with new people and a different look to the show, which creates more interest and visually more eye candy for what we’re doing,” explained Esposito during our interview at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con.
As for the relationship between Esposito’s character Tom and his son, Jason (played by JD Pardo), Esposito said Tom feels letdown.
“It’s not that Tom does not like his son or take his interest into consideration, but he’s disappointed. He raised this boy to be a survivor and everything points to this young man not listening to the advice or the way that he was raised. And when your children sort of go that way…especially in a world that is so tenuous, that’s so on edge…it could mean life and death,” said Esposito.
“It’s not that he doesn’t love him; it’s just that the boy hasn’t gotten it yet. Now, in season two we start in a position where they’re thrown together once again. The roles might get reversed for a period of time because you’re in a world where the bomb has hit, cities have been wiped out and we don’t know where people we love are. So then all aspirations and machinations of being the one who controls the world are gone. Now you can only control yourself – hardly even that because of the water supply, food…”
What else can we expect from this upcoming season? Check out the full interview:
TV Land’s new pilot Jennifer Falls has set Jaime Pressly to handle the lead role. Pressly’s no stranger to series television, having previously earned an Emmy Award for her work in the My Name is Earl comedy series. Her credits also include I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Raising Hope, and Two and a Half Men.
TV Land’s Executive Vice President of Development and Original Programming Keith Cox made the casting announcement, stating: “It’s amazing to have someone like Jaime Pressly on board for Jennifer Falls. We loved this script from the moment we read it, and Jaime just brings the role to life perfectly.”
Jennifer Falls was created by Matthew Carlson (The Wonder Years, Malcolm in the Middle) and is executive produced by Carlson, Michael Hanel, and Mindy Schultheis.
The Plot: Jennifer Falls revolves around a career woman and mother (Pressly) who must move back in with her own mom after being let go from her high-powered, six-figure salary job. With her teenage daughter in tow, Jennifer has to face her new life, trying to reconnect with old friends in her hometown and making ends meet as a waitress in her brother’s bar.
Claire Coffee and Reggie Lee from ‘Grimm’ at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con (Photo by: Mark Davis/NBC)
What’s going to happen to Adalind’s baby on the upcoming season of NBC’s hit fantasy series, Grimm? Claire Coffee doesn’t have a clue, but she has ideas as to what she’d like to see happen to her character on season three of the popular show. And at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, Coffee talked to us about what we can expect from the new season.
Claire Coffee Grimm Interview
What can you say about the upcoming season?
Claire Coffee: “I can tell you that I actually came from set to the airport to here, so what we just did….there’s a lot of blood, there’s a lot of gore, and Adalind is fiercely and anyway she knows how trying to get those powers back. Adalind and Stefania [played by Shohreh Aghdashloo] are forming this alliance, and they’re both getting something out of it.”
Once they’re back, who do you think is going to get it first?
Claire Coffee: “That’s a really good question. I think Adalind has spent this time off kind of formulating her hit list. I think she just wants – more than to kill anybody – I think she wants to get as much power as possible. She wants to rise in the hierarchy, so I think it will depend on who’s at the top of the food chain and that will be first on the list.”
Can you drop a hint on the baby daddy?
Claire Coffee: “I don’t even know. I don’t even think they know quite yet. If they know, they haven’t told me. I read the first three episodes. But I was put in a life cast for the baby belly that I’m going to grow, so I know that she’s going to be carrying the baby to term. But that’s about all I can say about that.”
What’s it like actually being on the set?
Claire Coffee: “It’s great. I love being in Portland. We do a lot of night shoots so it’s a lot of night forest. I work mostly with Shohreh Aghdashloo who is probably the most lovely person on the face of the earth. I’m off in ‘Vienna’ with Shohreh.”
Why do you think Grimm has caught on with audiences?
Claire Coffee: “You know, the people who come up to me the most are people who say, ‘We watch it with our whole family. Everybody watches on Friday nights.’ So, I think it really does have something for everybody. Like, the younger audiences that kind of fantasy…it gets a little bit scary, so that keeps the people who are into gore and horror and thriller on board. But there’s heart to the show, there’s romance. I think it just kind of covers everything.”
Was there ever an episode that freaked you out?
Claire Coffee: “Yeah. The fly episode was so gory, and so that really, really grossed me out.”
Do you think that because of the number of supernatural shows on air these days, there’s a sense that Grimm has to up the ante?
Claire Coffee: “I definitely think you have to figure out your niche, your part of that supernatural element. And I think what ours is is really a police procedural, but we’re in the world that we live in. It’s like, ‘What if fantasy was in this world that we are all inhabiting?'”
Is there a fairy tale they haven’t explored yet that you’d like to see introduced into the series?
Claire Coffee: “You know, Hansel and Gretel was the one that terrified me the most growing up, and they did a great job with that. But they are doing more with the pigs, an episode with the pigs. This season I think it will be more about the serialized plot and kind of getting into the royal family and all of that mythology. I know that we’re going to be meeting new creatures, but I don’t know how specific they will be to the fairy tales this season.”
Do you like playing Adalind without her powers?
Claire Coffee: “I think without powers it’s just a new challenge because it’s frustrating for her to try and balance this need for power with these human emotions, so that’s interesting. But she’s fun no matter what. She’s so awful [laughing] and you can exorcise all of those terrible thoughts you have on a daily basis with her.”
If you had input into what’s going to be happening to Adalind down the road, what do you think she should be doing?
Claire Coffee: “I think she should be ruler of the universe! I hope Adalind will have to choose…she’s trying to sell her baby, but I hope it gives her pause. I’d like to think she has some connection to the baby and has some misgivings about selling the thing. So, I’m hoping that that comes into play.”
Juan Pablo Galavis (Photo Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin)We know the identity of the next bachelor who’ll be trying to make a lasting love connection as ABC just revealed it’ll be sexy single father Juan Pablo Galavis who will star in The Bachelor‘s 18th edition. Set to premiere next January, the former professional soccer player will be, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the first non-Caucasian Bachelor or Bachelorette in the show’s history.
Galavis was sent home by Bachelorette Desiree Hartsock but is still determined to find a wife (and a stepmother for his young daughter, Camila). Per the official announcement: “Although he was blindsided by not getting a rose, the experience of being on The Bachelorette opened his eyes to the possibility of finding a real, everlasting love. He witnessed firsthand how it worked with Desiree, and has decided that he can’t give up on love and on giving his daughter, Camila, what she wants more than anything else in the world – a brother and a sister to complete their family. Juan Pablo is ready and hopeful that he’ll find love and the missing puzzle piece to fulfill his family here on The Bachelor.”
Josh Gad and Ashton Kutcher in 'Jobs' - Photo Courtesy of Open Road FilmsAshton Kutcher tackles the lead role and Joshua Michael Stern directs Jobs, the story of visionary Steve Jobs and the company he created. Coming to theaters on August 16, 2013, Jobs also features Josh Gad as Steve Wozniak, Dermot Mulroney, Lukas Haas, J.K. Simmons, Matthew Modine, and James Woods.
The Plot:
It only takes one person to start a revolution.
The extraordinary story of Steve Jobs, the original innovator and ground-breaking entrepreneur who let nothing stand in the way of greatness. The film tells the epic and turbulent story of Jobs as he blazed a trail that changed technology — and the world – forever.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights event has just gotten a bit creepier. Universal’s just revealed Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler will be immortalized in the Black Sabbath: 13 3D maze which has been added to the Halloween Horror Nights event. This year’s scarefest will kick off on September 20, 2013 and will include Scare Zones, the Terror Tram, The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven attraction, and an Evil Dead: Book of the Dead attraction.
“We were all really excited when Universal Studios Hollywood approached us about doing a 3D ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ maze based on our music,” said Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne. “I’ve seen the drawings of what it will look like when it’s finished and it looks amazing. I can’t wait to walk through it on opening night in September.”
“Very few bands can claim to have defined a genre of music but Black Sabbaths’ remarkable influence in the evolution of Heavy Metal will go down in history,” stated John Murdy, Creative Director for Universal Studios Hollywood. “Tony Iommi’s dark, iconic riffs, Ozzy Osbourne’s haunting vocals and Geezer Butler’s foreboding lyrics provide the perfect soundtrack for ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ and endless inspiration for our new haunted attraction ‘Black Sabbath 13 3D’.”
The Black Sabbath-inspired maze is based on lyrics from the group’s biggest hits and will feature 3D video as well as ” graveyards, disturbing madhouses, and bone-chilling battlefields.”
Now that we know Ryan Seacrest’s hosting NBC’s Million Second Quiz, the next step is finding the actual contestants. NBC just released details on the casting calls for the game show which will premiere on Monday, September 9, 2013 at 8pm ET/PT. The chosen contestants will have their endurance, knowledge, and will to win put to the test in a shot at winning the largest game show prize ever offered.
The series will be taking place in a “gigantic hourglass-shaped structure in the heart of Manhattan.” Those interested in trying out for the show must be 18 years or older and a legal U.S. resident.
Details on the Series:
The Million Second Quiz will be the first fully convergent television experience, where viewers will be able to download the show’s game app and play along at home in real time by syncing to the live primetime broadcast each night. The entire competition takes place 24 hours a day for over 12 days. Contestants will be pushed to the limits of their knowledge and the breaking point of endurance as they compete in quiz bouts around the clock. Live, interactive, intense and unlike any other game show in history with the largest guaranteed cash prize in game show history, this is truly the chance of a lifetime.
2013 Audition Cities:
WASHINGTON D.C.
Saturday, August 10
10am – 6pm
Madam’s Organ
2461 18th St NW
Washington DC, 20009
BOSTON, MA
Wednesday, August 14
10am – 6pm
Tequila Rain
3 Lansdowne St.
Boston, MA 02215
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Sunday, August 18
10am – 6pm
McFadden’s
461 N. 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
NEW YORK, NY
Saturday, August 24
10am – 6pm
NBC Experience Store
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
MTV is busy filling up their schedule with new unscripted series including a show about virgins, two new shows featuring aspiring chefs (because there can’t be too many cooking shows, right?), and a series about exes. The four new unscripted shows will all premiere next year.
“We’ve got a pretty explosive line-up with this new slate of shows – virgins, food and exes – all part of the millennial palate,” said MTV President of Programming Susanne Daniels. “I’m very proud of our team who really dug deep to unearth unchartered areas or unique twists on genres that will appeal to our audience.”
Details on MTV’s New Shows:
Untitled Virgins Project:
This series follows the lives of young adults trying to maneuver the often tricky world of virginity which includes messy love lives, awkward parental sex talks, sexually active friends, and the pressure to give in to their temptations — all of which can make for a very tumultuous journey. Throughout each episode of this hour-long weekly show, MTV will explore the stories of different v-card-carrying cast members across the country, all dealing with the overwhelming question of keeping their virginity… or losing it. The series will be supported with informational resources from MTV’s Emmy and Peabody-winning “It’s Your (Sex) Life” campaign, which empowers young people to make better decisions about their sexual health.
MTV’s House of Food:
In this drama-infused take on food TV, a group of young aspiring chefs with no formal culinary training are put to the ultimate challenge. MTV’s House of Food (working title) is a one hour, weekly docu-series that combines the exciting real-life competitive elements of culinary school, with the dramatic setting of a house reality show. The cast has been chosen for their passion for cooking and food culture, and their backgrounds are as varied as their personalities. With three of the country’s best chefs as their teachers and the gastronomically diverse city of Los Angeles as their classroom, this determined group will live together and learn together but only one will win an apprenticeship of a lifetime.
Snackdown:
From the mind of Rob Dyrdek comes a new cooking competition show, which takes mundane munchies and elevates it to a fully baked art-form! Snackdown (working title) is a half hour strip, cooking competition show where a group of amateur chefs battle it out in an array of “snack” inspired challenges. Host Eddie Huang brings his culinary skills and snack-expertise to help guide our contestants through these unique challenges. Then it’s up to our three judges to decide each amateur chef’s fate. The panel consists of supermodel and foodie fanatic Chrissy Teigen, master chef Jason Quinn, and a third judge TBA. The contestants are all vying for a cash prize, their recipe published in the Snackdown cookbook, and the coveted golden spork necklace!
The Ex and the Why:
All too often relationships end with unanswered questions and hurt feelings. In every episode of this half hour strip, someone gets the opportunity to finally get closure and just maybe a second chance at happiness and love. Each brokenhearted participant will walk us through the ups and downs of their failed relationship while our producers lure their ex into a surprise meeting. When all is finally revealed, will the exes get their lingering questions answered? And is there a chance to rekindle their relationship?
David Lyons from ‘Revolution’ at Comic Con (Photo by: Michael Yaris/NBC)
David Lyons (‘Sebastian Monroe’) says that season two of NBC’s hit dramatic sci-fi series Revolution is a complete game-changer for his character. “I’ve lost everything. I’ve lost power, I’ve lost friends, I’ve lost my identity and my stability,” explained Lyons at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con where he joined his fellow Revolution cast members to discuss the show.
“When season [two] picks up, I’m not a drunkard but certainly a bit of a loner in a traveling carnival of sorts trying for coin in a whorehouse. That’s how it changes.”
And Lyons said he hopes that in season two, Monroe will develop into more of an anti-hero.
“I would love to see [that]. I think that he was alone at the top of the hill for the first days, and didn’t necessarily want to be. He was holding that tiger by the tail scared that it was going to turn around and eat him. He was just holding on for dear life, and destroying everyone and everything around him in order to hold on. Now, he’s lost that. He doesn’t need that, and I think that everyone in this show seems to be obsessed with power – I don’t think he is. I think he’s obsessed with the yearning for family, for love, and the need to be protected. I think that he’s had three months since the nuclear fall-out and that’s a lot of time to reflect on whatever it is he’s done,” explained Lyons. “So, I don’t know where they’re going to take him. I just hope that they start to move away from…we know that he can be psycho, but maybe he can be something else as well.”
Lyons also chatted about Monroe’s motivations and what took him by surprise about the character in our Comic-Con interview:
Ryan Seacrest (Photo by: Timothy White/NBC/ Courtesy of E! Entertainment Television)
Ryan Seacrest has just added another job to his résumé. NBC has tapped Seacrest to host the upcoming game show The Million Second Quiz premiering on Monday, September 9, 2013 at 8pm ET/PT. The host of American Idol will be handling hosting duties on the live game show which boasts the largest “guaranteed” game show prize in history.
Confirming Seacrest’s involvement, NBC’s President of Alternative and Late Night Programming Paul Telegdy stated: “When people see Ryan Seacrest, whether at the Emmys, the Oscars, or New Year’s Eve, he is at the epicenter of national events. He is a broadcaster, in all the traditional sense, but also in the most contemporary — he is an accomplished host of live TV and a master of social media and pop culture. This makes him perfect for The Million Second Quiz.”
“I’m so excited to be hosting this new live game show on NBC, as it’s really a fun and different format that I believe will generate lots of fans across different platforms,” commented Ryan Seacrest. “I’m looking forward to working with the other producers and everyone at NBC to make the show a success.”
The Million Second Quiz Details:
The concept for the show involves contestants playing head-to-head trivia bouts inside a massive outdoor hourglass-shaped structure in midtown Manhattan and competing non-stop for a million seconds (11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds). Each bout consists of one player sitting in the “money chair,” accumulating as much time on the chair as possible by answering trivia questions against a rival sitting in an opposite chair.
Each second a player holds the money chair is worth $10, potentially earning millions. Those who want to face off against the person sitting in the money chair can do so by physically coming down to the hourglass or by successfully answering questions online using their mobile devices or home computers.
Now that we know 
MTV is busy filling up their schedule with new unscripted series including a show about virgins, two new shows featuring aspiring chefs (because there can’t be too many cooking shows, right?), and a series about exes. The four new unscripted shows will all premiere next year.
