Image Credit: Ali Goldstein/NBCMichael Sheen isn’t ready to say goodbye to Wesley Snipes, his 30 Rock alter-ego, just yet. The Wales-born actor told EW exclusively on Thursday that there is “a very strong chance that he will make another appearance.”
“We have talked about it and we kept it open,” Sheen said while attending the 19th Annual BAFTA LA Britannia Awards in Los Angeles. “We’ve all enjoyed the character and I loved working with Tina. She’s quite brilliant and writes some of the best jokes to poke fun at Brits. But she’s currently romancing that damn Matt Damon character so I am on the sidelines for a while.”
In the meantime, Sheen said he’ll start donning the red contacts in December to play Aro Volturi in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. parts 1 and 2. “I don’t know if they are going to shoot them simultaneously or not. They may do all the Volturi parts in one swoop,” he told EW. “I think that makes financial sense because it is such a huge task to get it all up and running and coordinate this huge cast, especially as they have all got quite full dance cards.” – With reporting from Carrie Bell
Image Credit: Ray Mickshaw/FoxOlivia Wilde — aka the beloved Thirteen — has some good news for House fans: She will definitely return to the Fox drama this season! Wilde took a leave of absence this fall to shoot a starring role in the big-budget sci-fi Western Cowboys and Aliens but confirms to EW that her comeback is already in the works.
“I am coming back to House. This season, as a matter of fact. It is a done deal,” Wilde told EW while attending the 19th Annual BAFTA LA Britannia Awards Thursday in Los Angeles. “I have been really lucky this year to be offered all these great film opportunities and I was also blessed to have a job in TV that really worked with me to get me to a place where I could do those films and not miss those opportunities like Tron.
“They have it all worked out and the viewers will find out where she went and why she left,” Wilde continued. “I think it is an interesting progression for her. Thirteen has been through a lot so it has to be escalated. She has Huntington’s. She had a brain tumor and went blind. She had a bad breakup. She’s sexually ambiguous. She had problems with drugs. I thought, `What else can (creator) David Shore possibly come up with?’ They had to take it to a whole new level. They are really taking some big risks this year, which is exciting.”
Until then, Wilde said she’s working on the body-swapping comedy The Change Up with Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann and Jason Bateman. “We’re shooting in Atlanta. It is so boring and dull. No one laughs. We just sit around and cry all day. [Laughs]. No, it is absolutely the funniest job.” — With reporting from Carrie Bell
For more on Wilde:
‘House’ exclusive: Thirteen will be MIA for ‘a while’
Image Credit: Michael Caulfield/WireImage.comWelcome back to TV, T-Bag! Robert Knepper told EW exclusively that he has closed a deal to resurrect his classic Prison Break convict T-Bag in the A&E fugitive-themed drama Breakout Kings. The decision by Prison Break producers Matt Olmstead and Nick Santora to court Knepper for their new A&E show was first reported by The Ausiello Files. “We’re done. We inked a deal. I’m gonna do it! T-Bag will live again!” Knepper told EW on Thursday. “What I realized by saying yes to that is that now they’ll entertain the possibility of a T-Bag spinoff. Like a Hannibal Lecter-type series. Or a doll line. It’d be big with the kids!”
He’s kidding…we think. Anyway, Knepper told EW he’ll begin filming right after Thanksgiving. Kings, which is described as an “action-packed ensemble drama following an unconventional partnership between the U.S. Marshals’ office and a group of convicts as they work to catch fugitives on the run,” received an 11th hour reprieve last spring from A&E after Fox opted not to pick it up. It’s set to premiere in early 2011.
“I have to dust off the Southern accent. I have not seen a script. I am putting my faith in these guys’ hands. The only thing I asked was that T-Bag doesn’t die. And they said, ‘Oh, no don’t worry. He won’t.’ He came close many times but managed to cheat and escape death. He’s Teflon.” — With reporting from Carrie Bell
Image Credit: Liane Hentscher/Fox; Adam Larkey/ABC; Harper Smith/NBCCBS’ unstoppable block of comedies helped the Eye take another Thursday, according to early estimates. The network won the night in viewers (13.5 million) and adults 18-49 (3.4 rating/10 share) thanks to strong performances by The Big Bang Theory (up 10 percent, to a 4.6/14 and 13.8 million viewers) and $#*! My Dad Says (up 10 percent to 3.4/10 and 10.9 million). Face it guys — The Shat and his (rather stale) selection of jokes are here to stay. CSI was flat versus last week (3.3/9, 13.8 million) and The Mentalist was down 9 percent to 2.9/8 — its lowest-rated episode this season — but still attracted 14.2 million.
Each 18-49 ratings point represents 1.3 million.
ABC was second in viewers (8.7 million) and the demo (3.1/9). Attention must be paid to the stellar numbers earned by Grey’s Anatomy at 9 (up 10 percent to a 4.3/11, 11.6 million) and Private Practice (up 44 percent to a 3.9/11 and 10.1 million). Über-creator Shonda Rhimes has still got it going on; let’s hope we can count on more of the same from her third ABC drama, Off the Map, set to premiere in January.
Fox’s Thursday night dramas returned after a two-week hiatus due to baseball playoffs, and Bones earned a 2.5/7 and averaged 9.0 million, while Fringe posted a 1.8/5 and 4.9 million viewers. Fox finished in third place with 7.0 million viewers but was barely hanging on to fourth behind NBC with a 2.2/6 in the demo (the numbers should improve when finals come out this afternoon).
NBC earned a 2.3/6 and 5.2 million for the night, with Community down 21 percent to a 1.9/6 (4.5 million), followed by 30 Rock (up 9 percent to a 2.4/7 (5.2 million), The Office (3.7/10, 7.6 million), Outsourced (2.7/7, 5.7 million), and The Apprentice (1.4/4, 3.9 million).
The CW hit season highs among female teens and matched its season-best rating among all teens with its block of The Vampire Diaries and Nikita. Overall, the network averaged 3.0 million viewers.
Image Credit: Patrick Wymore/Fox; Randy Tepper/Showtime; Glenn Watson/USA Network; Liane Hentscher/FoxI’ve always said that if I had a crystal ball, I wouldn’t use it to see what my future holds, learn how I die, or to ask for lottery numbers — I’d demand to know what’s coming up on my favorite shows. That’s the only future that really matters. The bad news is I don’t have a crystal ball. (I’m working on it.) The good news: I do know what’s coming up on four of your favorite shows—and you get it free of charge. (…while supplies last. All sales final. Void where prohibited.)
HOUSE
(Nov. 15 episode, “A Pox on Our House”)
What you know:
A girl is admitted into Princeton Plainsboro with smallpox-like symptoms. And after a man from the Center for Disease Control prevents House’s team from getting close enough to work the case, House makes a move that puts him in great risk. Noticeably missing from much of the action? Wilson, who is busy having adorable scenes with a 6-year-old chemotherapy patient.
What you don’t know:
* House enlists the services of a Dutch woman who works in the online sex industry.
* New doc Masters (Amber Tamblyn) calls someone the “sexiest American man.”
* One character starts thinking about babies.
* House calls someone “a passive-aggressive bitch.”
DEXTER READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Ron P. Jaffe/CBS; Monty Brinton/CBS; Ron Tom/CBSI am so done with NaOnka and still can’t believe Dan remains in Nicaragua but I (and millions of reality-loving readers like yourselves) certainly can’t get enough of Survivor: The show was up 6 percent in the adult 18-49 demographic (3.7 rating/11 share) and averaged 12.2 million viewers on Wednesday, enough to help CBS post another win in the key demo (3.3/9) and total eyeballs (12.1 million).
Criminal Minds also had a super night, averaging 3.7/11 (up 12 percent) and 14.2 million, while The Defenders posted a 2.3/7 (up 10 percent) and lured 9.9 million. (Full disclosure: I’m an unabashed supporter of Jim Belushi and think he was born to play a pinky-ring wearin’, fist-punchin’ lawyer from Sin City). Both shows won their timeslots in viewers and (mostly) in 18-49. (We can’t forget Modern Family’s astonishing winning streak at 9, but more on the ABC comedy in the next paragraph).
ABC finished second in the demo for the night (2.8/8) and viewers (8.2 million), even though two of its comedies lost adults versus last week. The Middle was flat (2.9/9, 9.4 million), as was Better With You (2.5/7, 7.9 million). But Family was down 6 percent (4.8/13, 12.2 million) as was Cougar Town (3.0/8, 7.5 million). Still, the Emmy-winning sophomore comedy at 9 continued to win its slot in every last demographic, including persons 12-17. Modern Family, good clean fun for the whole clan!
ABC aired the special In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts: All-Access Nashville at 10, which averaged a 1.9/5 and 6.1 million viewers.
NBC was third for the night in the demo (1.8/5, 7.1 million). Undercovers – which still hasn’t received a full-season pickup – was down 7 percent to a 1.3/4 (its lowest-rated telecast ever). It averaged 5.8 million. Law & Order: SVU earned a 2.1/6 and 7.9 million, and L & O: LA averaged 1.9/6 and 7.7 million.
Fox came in fourth for the night after airing a two-hour repeat of Hell’s Kitchen.
Image Credit: Gene Page/A&E NetworkThe Glades star Matt Passmore promises the second season “might get a little darker” and “the danger might become a little more immediate” when the Floridian crime drama returns for a second season as early as the spring of 2011. The Australian actor plays Jim Longworth, a former Chicago cop who moves to a south Florida town and joins the state police.
Production on year two of the series, which first bowed on A&E in July, is expected to begin in March. “I think it’ll still keep the same voice. They found a really great voice for the show,” Passmore told EW while attending an TV Academy event in North Hollywood, CA this week. “I think there might be a couple of villains who can really fence with Jim one on one, so I think we might see some of that. And I think we’ll see some of the other characters on the show get really fleshed out like Colleen Manus (Michelle Hurd) and young Daniel (Jordan Wall).”
And what about the new romance between Jim and Callie (played by Kiele Sanchez)? “There will definitely be a rocky and bumpy road along the road of love,” the actor admits, in reference to the fact that Callie’s husband is behind bars. “We’re definitely going to deal with that whole situation of the husband in jail. Yeah, it’s going to get messy.”
The drama, which wrapped its first season on Sept. 26, broke records for the cable net by averaging 3.88 million. “I think word of mouth got the show even more popular. We always improved our audience,” says Glades co-star Carlos Gomez (Carlos Sanchez), who also attended the TV Academy event. “I think for the second season, A&E’s going to do a really great push on it. We’re going to elevate to a whole different level.”
Passmore says the Florida locale makes the cops-and-bad-guys stuff all the more fascinating. “I think it’s the only place in America where you can tackle a guy and cuff someone in a blazer and a T-shirt and still look good doing it with a bit of a blow wave. That’s what I’m going to try out for series two – the blow wave hair and a blazer,” he says. “Florida is just an open book for state on a story. It’s so eclectic. It’s so weird and beautiful and crazy. There’s so much money, and there’s so much not money. There’s so many different elements down there, it makes almost a cesspool for stories.” – With reporting from Vlada Gelman
Image Credit: Peter Sorel/FoxFox announced today that it will debut The Chicago Code (formerly Ride-Along) on Monday, Feb. 7. Shot on location in Chicago, the drama starring Jason Clarke (Brotherhood) and Jennifer Beals (The L-Word) follows city cops as they fight crime and corruption in the Windy City. The drama’s from Shawn Ryan (The Shield) and Tim Minear (Dollhouse).
The new series will air in the timeslot currently occupied by Lie to Me, which has been averaging 6.1 million viewers (its predecessor, the short-lived Lone Star, only averaged 4.5 million viewers after two airings). Fox said Lie to Me will return to the schedule at a later date.
Image Credit: Adam Larkey/ABCElection coverage prompted the broadcast nets to mostly air repeats on Tuesday, so a 90-minute Dancing with the Stars results special helped ABC to win the night in adults 18-49 (2.4 rating/7 share) and viewers (12.1 million), according to preliminary ratings.
The Stars installment that sent Rick Fox packing averaged a 3.1/9 in the key demo and 16.7 million, while the ABC News Vote delivered a 1.7/5 and lured 7.3 million (due to nature of live election coverage, the numbers are approximate). Each 18-49 rating represents 1.3 million viewers.
NBC finished second for the night in the demo (2.1/6) and third in viewers (6.5 million). The Biggest Loser averaged a 2.5/7 and 6.9 million viewers, while NBC News 2010 Election Night earned a 1.8/5 and 6.2 million viewers from 9-11 p.m.
CBS finished third in the demo (2.0/5) and second in viewers (9.5 million) after airing repeats of NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles. CBS’ Campaign 2010: Election Night posted a 1.3/4 and averaged 5.9 million. Fox ranked fourth for the night in the demo with its Glee rerun and Fox News: America’s Election Headquarters, which earned a mere .9/2 in the demo and 2.9 million eyeballs.
Image Credit: Sonja Flemming/CBSCSI stalwart Marg Helgenberger thinks its “kind of remarkable” that her procedural has held up so well after so many years. But even if it remains a global phenom (and one of CBS’ top performers), it’s hard for her to imagine working on the veteran show beyond this year. ”I’m only actually negotiated for this season. That’s all I’m really thinking about right now is just finishing up this season,” Helgenberger told EW at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Presents: Primetime TV Crimefighters event on Monday in California. “So no, I don’t … not much longer. Not much longer.”
Helgenberger admits that working with Laurence Fishburne (“the consummate professional”) has been fun, and that her co-star should have no concerns about CSI’s former leading man William Petersen coming back for an extended stay. ”If I were to put money on it, no. He would never come back on any kind of full-time way,” she said. “He might come back to do an episode or two towards the end of the entire run, but no. He was ready to go.”
The actress teased that pin-up model Dita Von Teese is doing an upcoming episode. “I’m assuming she’s playing a burlesque character,” the actress says of Von Teese, who is a friend of CSI co-star Eric Szmanda and is known for her ”woman in a giant martini glass” routine.
Helgenberger is particularly thrilled with her storyline this season. ”I’m getting the opportunity to play different colors this season because I have a boyfriend on the show, played by Alex Carter. He’s been great. I’ve enjoyed it because it hasn’t been like all cerebral stuff. It’s been passionate. It’s been vulnerable. It’s been emotional. It’s been taking me to places that I don’t get to do on the show. That’s kept it fresh. And I enjoy working with him.” – With reporting from Vlada Gelman
Image Credit: Rick Stephens/PR PhotosSean Young was busy playing a scheming heart-breaker named Meggie on The Young and the Restless when she got the call to join ABC’s inaugural Skating With the Stars. It wasn’t the first time the net’s reality suits had attempted to recruit the No Way Out star: Young was approached in 2007 to participate on Dancing With the Stars, but she didn’t make the cut. “They picked the lady with the one leg over me,” Young tells EW, in reference to the ex-Mrs. Paul McCartney, Heather Mills. “I couldn’t quite understand. I was like, ‘What?’ You can understand my confusion. But that’s show business for you.”
So when Young got the call to do SWTS, she was understandably reticent. “I said, ‘You have to give me Skating With the Stars, but you couldn’t give me Dancing with the Stars?’” Young says, laughing. It took an hour-long training session with Randy Gardner (who was offered up by ABC) before Young would commit to the six-episode run of SWTS that begins Nov. 22. She joins musician Vince Neil, reality star Bethenny Frankel, All My Children‘s Rebecca Budig, Olympic skier Jonny Moseley, and actor/rapper Brandon Mychal Smith.
“This has been a very challenging and really rewarding experience so far, and that’s the God’s honest truth,” says Young, who began rehearsals with her partner (whose identity she’s not allowed to divulge) two weeks ago. READ FULL STORY »
James Hibberd
@James_Hibberd
Lynette Rice
@EWLynette
