May 26 2012 02:33 PM ET

'Awake' creator answers burning questions

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Image Credit: Jim Fiscus/NBC

Fans of NBC’s Awake have now had time to process the series finale (watch it below) and form their own theories about where the show would have gone had there been a second season. We asked creator Kyle Killen to weigh in. Here are 10 things you need to know:

1. There really was an accident, this wasn’t all a dream. Some fans saw the final scene — Britten (Jason Isaacs) seeing both Rex and Hannah in the house — and mistook it as a copout ending revealing the detective had dreamt the entire 13 episodes. “The idea that we’re saying nothing happened, this is St. Elsewhere, was something we actively fought against. You can still hate the finale, you just can’t say that that’s what it did. It’s just wrong and can actually be disproven watching the last four minutes,” Killen says. The show was always conceived as the way that one particular man dealt with grief that he was completely unprepared to handle. “That’s how the season ended — while he’s able to see his wife and child together, if you take a step back, what it really represents is a further fracturing of his psyche,” he says. “You understand that you don’t see your partner in a penguin suit in any version of reality — that grew directly out of the red world in which Hannah is alive [seemingly] revealing itself to be a dream. He just can’t accept that, and then [in the conversation with Dr. Evans] backs into the idea of, Wait, what if I fell asleep in my cell and then everything that happened after that was a dream? What if for the first time I had dream-like dreams in between being awake and being asleep? Once he does that, it’s almost as if his brain seizes that moment and creates precisely the thing that psychologically he’s dying for — and that is a moment with everyone together.” READ FULL STORY »

May 25 2012 06:28 PM ET

'Cougar Town' hires new showrunner

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Image Credit: Peter Stone/ABC

Cougar Town not only has a new network, it has a new showrunner to match.

Ric Swartzlander (Gary Unmarried) has signed on as an executive producer and will oversee the cul-de-sac comedy in its fourth season — and first on TBS. The news comes on the heels of series co-creator/exec producer Bill Lawrence’s confirmation that he and co-creator Kevin Biegel were no longer planning to run the series, which aired for three seasons on ABC. Lawrence, who’s married to Cougar Town star Christa Miller, assured fans on Twitter last week that he and Biegel weren’t fully letting go of their Big Carls, quipping: “My wife is on the show — you think she’ll let me disappear? Please.” Lawrence will serve as an executive producer and executive consultant on Cougar Town while developing new projects for Warner Bros. TV, with whom he signed a deal last year. Biegel will act as consulting producer. Swartzlander’s other credits include Samantha Who? and 8 Simple Rules.

READ FULL STORY »

May 25 2012 03:05 PM ET

'Revenge': Who should play Emily's mom?

REVENGE-MOM

Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown, Astrid Stawiarz, Christopher P

During Wednesday’s high-octane finale of Revenge, it was revealed that Emily (Emily Van Camp) may not be alone in this world after all.

Her mother lives!

That means a new foe for Victoria will pop up in season 2. Oh, the possibilities! To whet our appetites, this is what creator Mike Kelley had to say about the new part to EW’s Tanner Stransky: “What we really want to do is find the perfect actor for the role. It would be really great for her to be as formidable as Madeleine [Stowe], but it’s a completely different part. What you’re going to discover about the woman who was Emily’s mother is the circumstances under which they were separated and you’re going to find that there’s some deep psychological issues with her, which I think is going to be fun for us to explore. For Emily, she’s going to start seeing some of the psychological damage that her mother has in herself.”

The challenge is finding the perfect woman who seems capable of inflicting such emotional damage (and able to go toe-to-toe mentally with the fierce Madeleine Stowe). If only Dana Delany weren’t tied up for another season in the low-rated Body of Proof; we like her chances opposite Victoria. At least there are plenty more 40-something women who could assume the part of Emily’s mother-from-hell.

Would Sigourney Weaver ever do a TV soap? Perhaps that’s wishful thinking. What about Sharon Stone? We heard rumblings that she was approached for the pilot. And what about Marcia Cross?

So many choices. Fortunately, there are plenty of 40-something women who are up for the job. Take our poll below…or add a few of your own!

May 25 2012 01:33 PM ET

'Revolution,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Go On': Scoop on new shows in Spoiler Room -- Early Buzz

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Image Credit: Bob Mahoney/NBC; Paul Drinkwater/NBC; Jan Thijs/The CW

I’m heading south, y’all! But before I head to Texas for two weeks, I wanted to bring you some fun scoop on a ton of the new fall shows that I picked up during last week’s upfronts. Thanks for sending in your questions!

I’ll see you after my vacation and I’ll come armed with fresh scoop on all our faves. Make sure you keep sending in questions to spoilerroom@ew.com while I’m gone and follow me on Twitter for scoop on…well…nothing for the next two weeks. Mostly pictures of wherever I’m sitting or what I’m eating at the time. Riveting!

READ FULL STORY »

May 25 2012 12:19 PM ET

The week in 'American Idol': Phillip Phillips crowned, Haley Reinhart's new album, and more

Newly minted American Idol, Phillip Phillips, dropped by The Tonight Show With Jay Leno Thursday night to discuss his Idol win, health issues, and why he’s scared of Jennifer Lopez. READ FULL STORY »

May 25 2012 12:00 PM ET

InsideTV Podcast: How to fix 'American Idol.' Plus: Sizing up 'Bachelorette' villains and the 'Glee' finale

Image Credit: Warwick Saint/Fox

Phillip Philips just won American Idol! Of course, we could have pretty much predicted that result when we first laid eyes on him back in January. That’s because Phillips is now the fifth straight white-guy-playing-guitar to win the show (along with David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, and Scotty McCreery). But predictability in terms of winners is just one of the problems plaguing a show which lost around 30 percent of its audience from just a year ago. Are the contestants to blame? The judges? The format? On the newest edition of the InsideTV Podcast, Jessica Shaw and I brainstorm ideas to help the reality competition show get back on track. READ FULL STORY »

May 24 2012 09:15 PM ET

JoAnna Garcia cast in NBC's 'Animal Practice'

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JOANNA-GARCIA

Image Credit: Getty Images

Hope JoAnna Garcia likes working with monkeys. The actress has been cast in the female lead role in NBC’s Animal Practice (taking over a part from Amy Huberman, who appeared in the show’s pilot).

The comedy stars Justin Kirk as a veterinarian working for his former girlfriend (Garcia), who runs an animal hospital. Garcia was a regular on The CW’s Privileged and ABC’s Better With You, and had recent arcs on The CW’s Gossip Girl and USA’s Royal Pains.

Have you seen NBC’s Animal Practice trailer yet? Check it out, along with the rest of the fall TV trailers, here.

May 24 2012 09:03 PM ET

Lindsay Lohan gets leading man for Elizabeth Taylor biopic

GRANT-BOWLER

Image Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

Lifetime provoked a frenzy of response last month when it cast Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor in its biopic Liz & Dick. In a move that probably won’t generate quite the same divided and clamorous reaction, the network has selected Grant Bowler to play Richard Burton, Oscar-nominated actor and famed lover of the Hollywood icon, EW has confirmed.

Bowler is recognizable to True Blood fans as V-addicted werewolf Cooter and to Ugly Betty fans as Wilhelmina’s love interest.

“Grant will add gravitas to our couple and bring to life one of the greatest actors who has ever lived,” the biopic’s executive producer, Larry A. Thompson, told Deadline, who first reported the news.

Burton starred opposite Taylor in Cleopatra, and their romance was making headlines not long after. The actor was Taylor’s fifth husband.

To get a look at Lohan dolled up as Taylor, check out her recently updated Twitter photo. Filming for the Lifetime biopic is set to begin June 4, with the air date yet to be announced.

Read more:
Lindsay Lohan to play Elizabeth Taylor in Lifetime biopic ‘Liz and Dick’
Judge ends Lindsay Lohan’s probation, gives back freedom
Lindsay Lohan ages 25 years in 68 seconds. Beware, this WILL keep you up at night — VIDEO

May 24 2012 07:38 PM ET

Jimmy Fallon returns to 'Downton Sixbey' tonight -- EXCLUSIVE CLIP

Downton Abbey addicts going through withdrawal will get a fix tonight as Late Night With Jimmy Fallon premieres the second episode of its spoof series, Downtown Sixbey. A.D. Miles returns as the Dowager Countess, Fred Armisen is back as Lady Edith, and, of course, ?uestlove remains the heir. But, we’re told to expect new guest stars. Watch an exclusive tease below. READ FULL STORY »

May 24 2012 04:34 PM ET

'Awake' series finale will be satisfying, Jason Isaacs and Kyle Killen promise

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Image Credit: Michael Desmond/NBC

Jason Isaacs admits he finds it “strangely ironic and amusing” to be promoting tonight’s season finale of NBC’s Awake (10 p.m. ET), given that the show has been canceled. But receiving so many calls after the first hour of the two-part finale aired last week — and ended with his Det. Michael Britten shot in the reality in which his wife survived the fatal car accident, and placed in a police holding cell in the reality in which his son lived — recharged him. “I think we burned briefly but brightly,” he tells EW. “The fact that we’re not coming back for a second season doesn’t in any way diminish what we managed to do in one season. Some really smart people put their heads together and came up with something different. NBC was very brave to make it and very supportive while we were on.” He’s proud of tonight’s episode. “We left nothing off the table. It feels like a real ending. Nobody who’s watched the show is going to come up and want their money back in the street.”  READ FULL STORY »

May 24 2012 04:20 PM ET

'Revenge' season finale: Creator Mike Kelley answers burning questions!

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Image Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC

Last night’s season finale of ABC’s delectable soap Revenge — perfectly titled “Reckoning” — was, in a word, explosive. And filled with juicy cliffhanger after cliffhanger.

With so many doors opened, there are so many questions that are begged: Is Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) really dead? What’s going on with the increasingly tangled love life of Emily (Emily Van Camp), Jack (Nick Wechsler), Amanda (Margarita Levieva), Daniel (Josh Bowman), and Ashley (Ashley Madekwe)? Is Amanda’s baby really Jack’s? Who will play Emily’s mother? And what will the character be like? How did the show so perfectly pick Florence and the Machine’s haunting “Seven Devils” to play during the episode?

To answer these questions, we went straight to the source: Revenge creator and executive producer Mike Kelley, who holds the keys to the show’s castle. As usual, he was tight-lipped about some things — but let a few other juicy tidbits slip. Read on for the answers to all your burning questions from last night’s season finale.

READ FULL STORY »

May 24 2012 02:49 PM ET

'Old School' cast to reunite at Spike TV's 'Guys Choice' -- EXCLUSIVE

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Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

You might to want to remove those earmuffs to hear this news: The cast of Old School will reunite for one night only. Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, and director Todd Phillips are slated to be inducted into the Guy Movie Hall of Fame at the June 2 filming of Spike TV’s Guys Choice event, EW has learned. (Fast Times at Ridgemont High was honored at last year’s ceremony, while the three previous inductees were GoodFellas, Fight Club, and Swingers.) READ FULL STORY »

May 24 2012 02:28 PM ET

Ratings: NBC no longer in last place?

Tags: , News
COMMUNITY

Image Credit: NBC

For the first time in eight years, NBC might avoid finishing the broadcast season in last place.

The 2011-12 season concluded Wednesday and network ratings analysts say NBC officially ranks third among the Big Four networks among the key adults 18-49 demographic. ABC has the notoriety of slipping to fourth, with NBC having edged out its rival by a mere tenth of a rating point.

Broadcasters released their traditional season-end ratings tallies today (below), but additional DVR data will continue to trickle in during the next couple weeks. There is a chance ABC’s average could round up to tie NBC, though network analysts say this is unlikely. READ FULL STORY »

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  1. Tuesday, May 1
    1. The Biggest Loser NBC, 8-9PM
  2. Friday, May 4
    1. In Plain Sight USA, 10-11PM
  3. Sunday, May 6
    1. The Amazing Race CBS, 8-10PM
    2. GCB NBC, 10-11PM
  4. Monday, May 7
    1. Two Broke Girls CBS, 8-9PM
    2. Castle ABC, 10-11PM
  5. Tuesday, May 8
    1. Last Man Standing ABC, 8-8:30PM
    2. The Voice NBC, 8-10PM
    3. New Girl FOX, 9-9:31PM
    4. Unforgettable CBS, 10-11PM
  6. Wednesday, May 9
    1. CSI CBS, 10-11PM
  7. Thursday, May 10
    1. The Big Bang Theory CBS, 8-8:31PM
    2. The Vampire Diaries The CW, 8-9PM
    3. The Office NBC, 9-9:30PM
    4. The Secret Circle The CW, 9-10PM
    5. Parks and Recreation NBC, 9:30-10PM
  8. Friday, May 11
    1. The Finder FOX, 8-9PM
    2. Undercover Boss CBS, 8-9PM
    3. Fringe FOX, 9-10PM
    4. CSI: NY CBS, 9-10PM
    5. Blue Bloods CBS, 10-11PM
  9. Sunday, May 13
    1. Once Upon A Time ABC, 8-9PM
    2. Survivor: One World CBS, 8-10PM
    3. Desperate Housewives ABC, 9-11PM, SERIES FINALE
    4. American Dad FOX, 9:30-10PM
  10. Monday, May 14
    1. Bones FOX, 8-9PM
    2. How I Met Your Mother CBS, 8-9PM
    3. Gossip Girl The CW, 8-9PM
    4. Two and a Half Men CBS, 9-9:30PM
    5. Hart of Dixie The CW, 9-10PM
    6. Mike & Molly CBS, 9:30-10PM
    7. Hawaii Five-0 CBS, 10-11PM
    8. Smash NBC, 10-11PM
  11. Tuesday, May 15
    1. 90210 The CW, 8-9PM
    2. Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
    3. NCIS CBS, 8-9PM
    4. NCIS: Los Angeles CBS, 9-11PM
    5. Fashion Star NBC, 10-11PM
    6. Private Practice ABC, 10-11PM
  12. Wednesday, May 16
    1. Suburgatory ABC, 8:30-9PM
    2. Criminal Minds CBS, 9-11PM
  13. Thursday, May 17
    1. Missing ABC, 8-9PM
    2. Community NBC, 8-8:30PM, 9-10PM
    3. 30 Rock NBC, 8:30-9PM
    4. Rules of Engagement CBS, 8:30-9PM
    5. Awake NBC, 9-11PM
    6. Grey's Anatomy ABC, 9-10PM
    7. Person of Interest CBS, 9-10PM
    8. The Mentalist CBS, 10-11PM
    9. Scandal ABC, 10-11PM
  14. Friday, May 18
    1. Nikita The CW, 8-9PM
    2. Shark Tank ABC, 8-9PM
    3. Who Do You Think You Are NBC, 8-9PM
    4. Grimm NBC, 9-10PM
    5. Supernatural The CW, 9-10PM
  15. Saturday, May 19
    1. Saturday Night Live NBC, 11:29PM-1AM
  16. Sunday, May 20
    1. America's Funniest Home Videos ABC, 7-8PM
    2. The Cleveland Show FOX, 7:30-8PM
    3. Harry's Law NBC, 8-9PM
    4. The Simpsons FOX, 8-8:30PM
    5. Bob's Burgers FOX, 8:30-9PM
    6. Celebrity Apprentice NBC, 9-11PM
    7. Family Guy FOX, 9-10PM
  17. Monday, May 21
    1. Dancing With the Stars (Performance) ABC, 8-9PM
    2. House FOX, 8-10PM, SERIES FINALE
  18. Tuesday, May 22
    1. American Idol (Performance) FOX, 8-9PM
    2. Dancing With the Stars (Results) ABC, 9-11PM
    3. Glee FOX, 9-10PM
  19. Wednesday, May 23
    1. The Middle ABC, 8-8:30PM
    2. American Idol (Results) FOX, 8-10:07PM
    3. Modern Family ABC, 9-9:30PM
    4. Don't Trust the B— ABC, 9:30-10PM
    5. Revenge ABC, 10-11PM
    6. Law & Order: SVU NBC, 10-11PM
  20. Thursday, May 24
    1. Awake NBC, 10-11PM
  21. Tuesday, May 29
    1. Cougar Town ABC, 8-9PM
    2. The L.A. Complex The CW, 9-10PM
  22. Wednesday, May 30
    1. America's Next Top Model: British Invasion The CW, 9-10PM
*Times are Eastern Daylight and subject to change

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