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Marina Benedict, who played an ice-cold assassin on Fox’s Prison Break revival, now has Gotham in her crosshairs.

Also new for Season 4 of the comic books-based drama is Benjamin Stockham (About a Boy‘s… boy), who will befriend young Master Wayne.

TVLine has learned exclusively that Benedict is set to recur as Cherry, the owner of a fight club in The Narrows aka Gotham’s most dangerous neighborhood. Described as edgy and tough, Cherry’s club represents the seat of power in an otherwise lawless part of the city. As Ed Nygma, Solomon Grundy (fka Butch) and other characters move through the fight club,...

In the age of branding and franchises, every existing story has added value. But not every film is fit for TV.

The challenge of adapting movies to a new medium is a tricky one with no clear-cut way to do it. Many new series credit “Fargo” as their benchmark, citing its tone and setting as inspiration for creating a new world around the best parts of what came before. That’s all well and good, but there are as many failed attempts to replicate Noah Hawley’s strategy as successes.

Similarly, some carbon copies — using the same characters and plot points as the preceding movie — are just as good, if not better than their cinematic predecessors. Because any way can work, many various attempts have been made. There’s no right way to do it, but there are a lot of wrong ways; as evidenced by the growing pile of canceled shows based on movies.

CBS on Wednesday announced its fall 2017 schedule and offered first looks at its new shows, including Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon and the Shemar Moore-led S.W.A.T. remake.

RelatedCBS Fall Schedule: Young Sheldon Lands Post Big Bang Slot

Also among the newly released sneak peeks: Me, Myself & I, a single-camera comedy starring Saturday Night Live‘s Bobby Moynihan and The Librarians‘ John Larroquette, and 9Jkl, a family comedy featuring Royal Pains‘ Mark Feuerstein, About a Boy‘s David Walton, The Good Wife‘s Linda Lavin and Ray Donovan‘s Elliott Gould.

RelatedCBS Trailers: Our Knee-Jerk Reactions...

TBS is going back to the island this summer.

Season 2 of the network’s survival comedy Wrecked will premiere with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, June 20 at 10/9c.

VideosClaws Trailer: Niecy Nash & Co. Keep Crime Cute in TNT’s New Dark Comedy

In the half-hour series — which stars Zach Cregger (About a Boy) and Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords), among others — a group of airplane passengers are stranded on an uninhabited island without modern comforts like indoor plumbing, Wi-Fi and Chipotle.

Ready for more of today’s newsy nuggets? Well…

* IFC has acquired the satirical comedy series Baroness von Sketch Show,...

When it was announced that there would be a Last Jedi panel at Star Wars Celebration this year, the only confirmed panelists at the time were director Rian Johnson and producer/LucasFilm President Kathleen Kennedy. Naturally, most fans knew there would be many more surprise guests who would be showing up during this hour-long panel, with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Daisy Ridley (Rey) and John Boyega (Finn) also stopping by. While many fans were expecting those beloved actors to show up, fans were also introduced to one of the newcomers to the Star Wars universe, with actress Kelly Marie Tran making her Star Wars Celebration debut, unveiling the first look at her character, Rose.

One of the countless rumors to surfaced before, during and after production on Star Wars: The Last Jedi revealed that Kelly Marie Tran plays a character named Rose, who was said to be accompanying Finn on...

Melissa McCarthy has welcomed Michael Urie into her showbiz family, tapping the Ugly Betty alum to play the titular role in her Fox comedy pilot Amy’s Brother, TVLine has learned.

Exec produced by McCarthy and her producer-husband Ben Falcone, the potential series centers on an unconventional family consisting of type-a man Matthew (Urie), his estranged sister Amy (About a Boy‘s Annie Mumolo) and her two children.

RelatedPilot Season ’17: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them

Saturday Night Live alum Jim Cashman penned the script with actor-writer Mitch Silpa, and both will serve...

David Walton is moving in next door to Royal Pains star Mark Feuerstein.

The About a Boy alum has been cast in the CBS comedy pilot 9J, 9K and 9L, based on Feuerstein’s life, our sister site Deadline reports.

RelatedPilot Season ’17: Scoop on This Fall’s (Possible) New Shows, Who’s In Them

The multi-cam project — written by Feuerstein’s wife Dana Klein (Friends With Better Lives) — is inspired by the time when he lived in an apartment sandwiched between his parents’ unit and that of his brother, sister-in-law and their baby. Walton will play the successful, narcissistic...

Former About a Boy star David Walton has been cast in 9J, 9K and 9L, a multi-camera family comedy from the husband-and-wife team of Dana Klein and Mark Feuerstein and toplined by the former Royal Pains star. 9J, 9K and 9L, produced by Aaron Kaplan's Kapital Entertainment and CBS TV Studios, was written by Friends With Better Lives creator Klein and Feuerstein inspired by a time in Feuerstein's adult life when he lived in apartment 9K in the building he grew up in…...

Minnie Driver's last comedy series, About A Boy, was beloved by many but had poor ratings so it was cancelled by NBC after two seasons. How will Speechless, her new sitcom for ABC, perform in the ratings? Will it be cancelled or renewed? Stay tuned.On Speechless, Maya Dimeo (Minnie Driver) is a no-nonsense mom who will do anything for her loved ones and fights injustices -- both real and imagined. The family includes husband Jimmy (John Ross Bowie), brainy Ray (Mason Cook), athletic Dylan (Kyla Kennedy), and teenager Jj (Micah Fowler), who has cerebral palsy. Moving to an upscale school district, Maya's searching for just the right person to give Jj his "voice." Could the school's groundskeeper, Kenneth (Cedric Yarbrough), be the person to do that?Read More…...

Weddings can sometimes be rather predictable and boring – but not if you’re a Huang and really, really love the movie “Ghost.”

On the Season 3 premiere of “Fresh Off the Boat,” Gene (Ken Jeong) tied the knot with his fiancee Margaret (Ann Hsu) in Taiwan. During the reception, Gene presented the couple’s wedding video, introducing it with the sweet but rather prosaic words, “Please enjoy the story of how Margaret and I met and fell in love.”

And then this chyron appeared on the screen:

To the strains of “Unchained Melody,” a mini macabre melodrama unfolded that very loosely mimicked the Patrick Swayze/Demi Moore 1990 supernatural romance “Ghost.” But this time it was Gene and Margaret as the loving couple, and Gene who was the victim of a drive-by stabbing. All this was presented with shoddy, circa-1990s VHS video quality.

Ghost Gene then haunted Margaret and even helped her with pottery until,...

We are approaching a milestone in America: Hillary Clinton is on pace to become the first female President of the United States. It’s a landmark achievement thats weight has somehow been trumped by our need to avoid the end of the world (pun intended), but the far-reaching impact of a woman holding our nation’s highest office will be felt long beyond the lives of anyone reading these words. Not only is it historic — it’s significant.

Now, comparing that achievement with America’s first female professional baseball player may seem like a stretch. Even more so considering this ballplayer only exists on television, within the fictional world of “Pitch” created by Dan Fogelman and Rick Singer. Yet the connection is made within the series itself, as one of the first images we see is a vase of flowers delivered to freshly called-up San Diego Padres pitcher Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury,...

Last Week’S Review: American Horror Story: My Roanoke Nightmare’: Season 6 Gets Off To a Spooky Good Start

Fact vs. Fiction

The first episode of “My Roanoke Nightmare” was intriguing, not just because the ads were maddeningly vague (to the point where assuming Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck simply hadn’t thought of an idea yet was not out of the question), but because once the set-up of the season was revealed, it was such a departure for “American Horror Story.” Sure, at its core it’s another one of ‘Ahs”s patented haunted houses, but the docu-series angle was a fresh twist.

Still, it’s a set-up with some concerns, most particularly how this conceit will play out over an entire season of television. Did they honestly hire Lily Rabe and Andre Holland just to provide running commentary? Doesn’t the fact that all of the characters...

Last Week’S Review: ‘Mr. Robot’ Season 2 Goes Full David Lynch As We Prepare for the End

In Elliot’s Head, Two’s A Crowd

We begin with another view of a scene from last season, with Mr. Robot talking to Tyrell. Except now we see Elliott delivering the same words, and planting the idea in Tyrell’s head that “you’re only seeing what’s in front of you. You’re not seeing what’s above you.” Then Tyrell tells us the significance of the “Red Wheelbarrow” — a reminder of a father he doesn’t want to resemble — which highlights Elliott’s decision to give that name to the notebook he used to distance himself from his own unacceptable father figure.

And we finally learn the details of Stage Two, a Wisdom-esque attempt to wipe out all of E-Corp’s backup paper records and prevent them from rebuilding their...

For anyone who’s seen “Rectify,” Fox’s “Lethal Weapon” TV series is exactly what you’re expecting.

Developer and showrunner Matthew Miller translates the precedent-setting film franchise for wise-cracking buddy cops into a precedent-citing police procedural on wise-cracking buddy cops. The name “Lethal Weapon” still packs a punch, even 18 years removed from the last film entry, as do partners Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh. But — aside from some impressive action honorably shot on the streets of L.A. — only Clayne Crawford elevates himself to the heights of the original “Lethal Weapon” films (1 and 2), while the rest of the series ably settles, quality-wise, somewhere around No. 4.

Read More: ‘Designated Survivor’ Review: Kiefer Sutherland Is Here To Save You From Electing the Next President

In terms of plot summary, “Lethal Weapon” largely sticks to the original script — two new partners in the Lapd must come to terms with opposing lifestyles through...

Minnie Driver yelling, “Oy! Oy!” at people she disapproves of is, quite simply, a thing of beauty. But more than that, it’s an act we need to support each and every opportunity we get. Sheer joy is experienced by all within earshot when she tosses her English colloquialism like a grenade at unsuspecting offenders, and simple pleasures like this are in such short supply how dare you, I or anyone deprive the world of even one?

It’s with this in mind that I throw my full endorsement behind “Speechless,” Driver’s new ABC comedy wedged between “The Goldbergs,” “Modern Family” and “Black-ish” as the missing piece of the network’s award-worthy (and award-winning) family night lineup. Yes, there are a few pacing issues in the 22-minute pilot, and recommending a series based on one episode of television is a risky gamble critics are asked to make far too often.

Minnie Driver's sitcom, About a Boy, was cancelled last year after two seasons on NBC. Now she's back, with her Speechless TV show on ABC. You can watch the new family sitcom on ABC.com and via the ABC app, ahead of its September 21st primetime linear premiere .Speechless stars: Minnie Driver, John Ross Bowie, Mason Cook, Micah Fowler, Kyla Kenedy, and Cedric Yarbrough. Guest stars in the Speechless TV series premiere include: Marin Kinkle, Paul Bates, Darcy Shean, Daniel Zolghadri, Dina Spybey-Waters, Cyrus Deboo, Skyler James, Jonathan Slavin, Jay Chandrasekhar, Lukita Maxwell, and Daniel Nelson. Read More…...

Ex One Direction star Zayn Malik will work with Law & Order creator Dick Wolf to make a new hour-long drama series about a boy band. Zayn Malik To Create TV Drama About Fictional Boy Band The show, which will be called Boys and will premiere on NBC, will focus on a boy band thrust into fame and […]

The post Zayn Malik To Make TV Drama About A Boy Band appeared first on uInterview.

“Mary + Jane”

September 5 on MTV

What Is It? From the writer/directors behind the cult favorite “Josie and the Pussycats” adaptation, this series follows two “ganjapeneurs” who run a weed delivery service in Los Angeles.

I’ll Like It If I Like… The “Broad City” influence is pretty clear, as the show is focused on the tight friendship between Jordan (Scout Durwood) and Paige (Jessica Rothe) and their stoner antics.

Why Should I Care? Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont’s unique approach to satirizing La hipster culture really help this show stand out from the pack of other female-led comedies, while also promising a more surreal touch. Durwood and Rothe also make for an enjoyable pairing. For fans of the pot comedy genre, it’s an easy sell.

“Atlanta”

September 6 on FX

What is it? Donald Glover of “Community” fame returns to TV in his most ambitious project yet, which he produces,...

Masters of Sex has reached into Masters’ mysterious romantic past and pulled out Broadway vet Kelli O’Hara.

TVLine has learned exclusively that the Tony-winning actress is joining the Showtime drama’s ’70s-set fourth season as a long-lost love of Michael Sheen’s tightly wound sex researcher. O’Hara’s character, Dody — who will be around for multiple episodes — surfaces to clear up a mystery about their abrupt parting many years ago.

VideosMasters of Sex‘s Groovy Season 4 Trailer Ushers in the Swinging ’70s

This is hardly the first time Masters of Sex has raided The Great Way way...

After its polarizing third season, Masters of Sex looks poised not just to get its groove on in Season 4 but to get its groove back.

RelatedMasters of Sex Taps David Walton for Major Recurring Role in Season 4

Yeah, sure, Bill appears to be in dire straits early on in the trailer Showtime released Tuesday. However, there are also some (hot, half-naked) hints that the sexual revolution and swinging ’70s will be good for the series as well as the doctor and partner Virginia.

If nothing else, it’s gotta be a good sign that even former hooker Betty looks...

The one and only Mr. J himself and Batman's trusty Boy Wonder make their lego debut in 'The Lego Movie' spin off 'Lego Batman Movie.'

Zach Galifianakis will voice The Joker with Michael Cera taking on Robin, director Chris McKay dropped a hint on how the relationship will be between the The Joker an Batman

The Joker sees himself on the same level as Batman, a peer, at the top of the game,, but Batman says that’s not the case, which sends Joker into a spiral trying to prove to Batman that he is indeed the greatest enemy.That's kind of The Joker's General Patton car, where he can survey the battle," McKay says. It’s loud and flashy, the inner view of himself writ large in car form with crazy, zebra-striped seats.And on Robin.

"Robin is a super-positive kid who always sees the glass as half full.

Last week, just after the full Comic-Con schedule was announced, Warner Bros. confirmed which movies it will be presenting in its massive two-hour Hall H panel. The studio's superhero movies Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman are among the most anticipating previews of this panel, but the DC Comics universe will be represented in another way with The Lego Batman Movie, the first of several spinoffs of the 2014 blockbuster The Lego Movie. A new trailer for The Lego Batman Movie will be unveiled during this panel, but while we wait for this footage to arrive, 12 new photos have surfaced, giving us a new look at The Joker (Zach Galifianakis) and the Boy Wonder himself, Robin (Michael Cera).

USA Today debuted these first-look photos, while speaking with director Chris McKay, who shed some light on The Joker's rivalry with Batman. Will Arnett reprises his voice role as the Dark Knight from The Lego Movie,...

Who'd've thought that a movie like The Lego Movie could turn out to be such a damn fine flick? In one fell swoop, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller managed to shut up everyone who criticized Warner Bros. for producing what seemed like an obvious cash-grab movie. Rather than simply be a cheap commercial for the Lego building blocks, the Lego Movie managed to provide a fun little commentary on the joy that these building blocks can give to adults and children alike (and yes, it was still an incredibly successful commercial for Lego).

Now, with the impending release of The Lego Batman Movie, most seem to be excited by the tongue-in-cheek commentary the film will make about both Lego and the dozens of iterations of the Caped Crusader.

Set to join Will Arnett, who voices Batman/Bruce Wayne in the film, in the cast are Zach Galafianakis and Michael Cera,...

"Masters of Sex" is getting some legal advice from David Walton.

The About a Boy actor will recur on Season 4 of the Showtime series as Abe Perlman, Masters and Johnson’s high-powered attorney in a case that pits science against the State, our sister site Deadline reports.

Having represented the Black Panthers and Weathermen, the charming and handsome Perlman loves a highly publicized legal battle. He would be considered cocky if he didn’t have the brains and expertise to back up his reputation.

Season 4 of Masters (premiering Sunday,...

About a Boy alum David Walton has been tapped for a major recurring role on the upcoming fourth season of Showtime’s drama series Masters of Sex. Season 4 of Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan as real-life pioneers of human sexuality, William Masters and Virginia Johnson, kicks off in 1968 and will chronicle the "swinging '70s." Walton will play Abe Perlman – Masters and Johnson’s high-powered attorney in a case that pits science against the State. A…...

In the new short film “More Than Four Hours,” young algebra teacher Bill Whiting (Zach Cregger) is very nervous about his first day of school. On the morning of, his wife (Schuyler Fisk) tells him to take a Xanax to calm his nerves, but when he arrives at school, he realizes that he has accidentally taken Viagra instead.

Amidst his frayed nerves, he must now contend with the problem in his pants as he faces a class of scary, judgmental students for the first time. It also stars Wilfredo Ruiz Jr. (“Street Stories”) and Andrew Edison (“Bindlestiffs”). Watch “More Than Four Hours” above.

Read More: ‘Wrecked’ Trailer: TBS Launches Comedy Series ‘Lost’ Spoof, Toplined By Rhys Darby — Watch

“More Than Four Hours” is written and directed by Bryan Poyser. His previous credits include “Love & Air Sex,” about a brokenhearted man who travels to Austin to win his girlfriend back during the weekend of the Air Sex World Championships, which premiered at the 2013 South by Southwest Film Festival, and “Lovers of Hate,” starring Chris Doubek and Alex Karpovsky as two brothers who fall for the same woman, which premiered at Sundance in 2010.

Star Zach Cregger is best known as a member of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’Know, who had a IFC TV series from 2007 through 2012. He also had recurring roles on sitcoms like “Friends With Benefits,” “Guys With Kids,” and “About a Boy.” He also wrote, directed, and starred in “Miss March” opposite Whitest Kids U’Know member Trevor Moore. Cregger can currently be seen in the TBS half-hour comedy “Wrecked.”

“More Than Four Hours” first premiered at Fantastic Fest last September.

Read More: ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Directors Creating a Weed-Themed TV Comedy for Showtime

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Related stories'Captain America: Civil War' Directors Creating a Weed-Themed TV Comedy for ShowtimeTribeca Film Acquires Bryan Poyser's 'Love & Air Sex,' Previously Titled 'The Bounceback,' Plans 10-Day Air Sex CompetitionSXSW Panel: Indie Career Advice from Filmmakers Candler, Poyser and Zobel...

Wrecked premieres with back-to-back episodes Tuesday, June 14, at 10/9Ct on TBS. Sure, Lost was some seriously iconic television, but it was also just so … earnest. For their new TBS comedy Wrecked, creators Jordan and Justin Shipley also bring down a plane on a deserted isle, but swap out the supernatural navel-gazing for a whole bunch of funny. In the half-hour laugher, which filmed in Puerto Rico, a goofy batch of Thailand-bound travelers must learn to live with one another — and without modern comforts — post-plane crash. Among your companions on this ill-fated trip: • About A Boy‘s Zach Cregger … Continue reading →

The post Wrecked — Lost Meets Laughs in New TBS Comedy appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.

Minnie Driver has a complicated relationship with her neighbor in the TV show “About a Boy,” but in real-life it is downright toxic. The British actress has now responded to the lawsuit filed last week by Daniel and Mary Lou Perelmutter, who claim that she has made their lives a living hell since they decided to buy property next to her Los Angeles home. “He can make allegations. I’m just a person. I’m a single mom,” Driver told Et on Wednesday. “I would ask him to stop if only for my kid.” Also Read: Minnie Driver Paint-Bombed Her Neighbors' Home,...

This is about another boy... Minnie Driver is starring in the Speechless TV series pilot at ABC. Mason Cook is set to co-star. Driver recently starred in About a Boy. In the second season, NBC cut the episode order, then later cancelled About a Boy, leaving six episodes unaired.

Cook played Sean Bean's son, in the Legends TV series. TNT cancelled Legends in December 2015, after two seasons of 20 episodes.

Read More…...

Minnie Driver‘s next primetime gig is about another boy.

RelatedBill Bellamy to Star in Fox’s Interracial Family Comedy Pilot

The actress has been cast as the female lead in ABC’s comedy pilot Speechless, TVLine has learned.

The potential series from writer Scott Silveri (Go On) centers on a family with a special-needs child. Driver will portray Maya, the overbearing mother who moves her family from town to town in an effort to find the right school for her non-verbal son, Jj.

RelatedGrey’s Anatomy‘s Jerrika Hinton Nabs Lead in Shondaland Comedy Pilot

Mason Cook (Legends) joins Driver as Ray,...

Minnie Driver has been cast as the lead in the ABC comedy pilot “Speechless” from writer Scott Silveri. Mason Cook has also been cast as one of Driver’s sons in the pilot, which follows a family of a special-needs child that is as good at dealing with the challenges it faces as it is at creating new ones. Driver, who recently starred in the “About a Boy” adaptation on NBC, will play Maya, the loving but fiercely protective mother of her non-verbal son Jj. She makes it her mission to find the perfect school for him, repeatedly moving her family from town to.

Former About A Boy star Minnie Driver is set as the female lead in the ABC comedy pilot Speechless, from Scott Silveri and 20th Century Fox TV. In addition, Mason Cook (The Haunting Hour) has been cast as the project’s young lead. Speechless centers on a family with a special-needs child that is good at dealing with the challenges it faces and excellent at creating new ones. Driver will play the mother, Maya. Fiercely protective of her non-verbal son Jj, she makes it her…...

If you’ve been wondering about a boy New Girl‘s Jess once dated, wonder no more.

David Walton will bring Dr. Sam back to the Fox comedy for a multiple-episode arc, TVLine has learned exclusively.

The About a Boy star debuted in Season 2, when Jess mistook his character for the blind date she was supposed to meet. Sam and Jess dated for a while before breaking up after Nick and Jess kissed.

RelatedNew Girl Stars Tease ‘Weird’ Wedding Plans, New Energy, a Big Shift and More

Walton’s episodes will air in March.

In addition, Lucy Punch (Ben and Kate...

Jason Katims’ Path has Aaron Paul at the end of it, and that’s enough to make us want to see what comes next.

But just in case you want a better sense of the upcoming drama, Hulu has released the first photos from the Friday Night Lights Ep’s latest series — starring the aforementioned Breaking Bad alum, Michelle Monaghan (True Detective), Hugh Dancy (Hannibal) and Rockamund Dunbar (The Mentalist).

RelatedCable/Streaming Renewal Scorecard 2016: What’s Coming Back? What’s Cancelled? What’s On the Bubble?

The 10-episode series centers on a family involved in a Scientology-like cult “as they struggle with relationships,...

Gersh has upped talent agent Nick Collins to partner. Collins has been a rising star at the agency, where he started as an assistant in 2005, working for co-head Bob Gersh. He was promoted to agent in 2007. Collins has built a roster of clients that includes Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney; The Blacklist‘s Megan Boone; Emmy winner Eric McCormack; Liam James, who stars in the upcoming ABC series The Family; David Walton (About a Boy) and Meagan Good (Minority Report, Think…...

Gersh has upped talent agent Nick Collins to partner. Collins has been a rising star at the agency, where he started as an assistant in 2005, working for co-head Bob Gersh. He was promoted to agent in 2007. Collins has built a roster of clients that includes Chicago Fire star Taylor Kinney; The Blacklist‘s Megan Boone; Emmy winner Eric McCormack; Liam James, who stars in the upcoming ABC series The Family; David Walton (About a Boy) and Meagan Good (Minority Report, Think…...

We should be so very, very grateful for Melissa McCarthy. Following the runaway success of Bridesmaids – her role in which earned her a well-deserved Oscar nomination – she has firmly and repeatedly answered the call for female-led studio films, with great performances in great movies. Now, we have the first trailer for her next release, newly re-titled The Boss, and it is clear that this glorious route to big box office is set to continue.

“Academy Award-nominated star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy) headlines The Boss as a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she’s caught insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.”

With Ben Falcone in the director’s chair, The Boss is written by McCarthy, Falcone, and Steve Malloy – and features an impressive, all-star cast.

60 years ago today, one of the most iconic cinematic depictions of youthful rebellion and alienation, “Rebel Without a Cause,” opened in theaters. The film debuted less than a month after the premature death of James Dean (who plays troubled teen Jim Stark in the film) at age 24 in a car accident. “Rebel Without a Cause” came out at a time when pop culture was fascinated with the juvenile delinquent, though director Nicholas Ray looked not so much to recent films about troubled youths (like 1954’s “The Wild One”). He has said that he strove for a classical tone and that he found major influence in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” which Ray once called “the best play written about ‘juvenile delinquents.’” Other notable October 27 happenings in pop culture history: • 1947: “You Bet Your Life,” the radio show hosted by Groucho Marx, premiered. It was later a TV show on NBC.

Alfred Molina (Chocolat), Dylan Baker (The Good Wife, Spider-Man 2 & 3), Al Madrigal (About A Boy, The Daily Show), Jon Daly (The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, Kroll Show), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown), and Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull) are set as guest stars for Showtime's dark comedy pilot I'm Dying Up Here. Molina, Baker, Madrigal and Daly will recur if the pilot goes to series. Written and executive produced by Dave Flebotte and executive produced by Jim Carrey, I'm Dyi…...

Last year, British charmer Minnie Driver teamed up with Mazda and NBC for their Drive4Good campaign, which sought to help people give back to their community (Good4Her). No, she wasn't asked to do this because her last name is Driver and it's about cars (what a cute guess of you); it was because she was on NBC's About a Boy at the time (Rip, NBC's About a Boy). Lucky for me (and you), this ad appears to be making the rounds again, as Minnie Driver doesn't say "2014" in it once, allowing it to be repurposed for this year's Drive4Good campaign (very clever of her).The idea is it's a sort of charity contest that awards whoever's best at charity. Again, this was last year, so I can tell you who was deemed best at charity: Braeden Quinn (cool name) is a nice young man from Delaware who,...

Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t… resist a good dance number?

NBC is developing an hour-long musical drama exec-produced by Friday Night Lights/Parenthood boss Jason Katims, our sister site Deadline reports.

RelatedParks and Rec Producers Re-Team for Interracial Family Comedy at NBC

Created by Julia Brownell — who wrote for Parenthood and Katims’ short-lived comedy About a Boy — the potential series focuses on a mother and daughter who run a funeral home and approach their memorial services as positive celebrations of life, complete with song and dance.

The project is inspired by the real-life Boyd Funeral Home in South Los Angeles,...

A decade after Six Feet Under ended its run on HBO, another funeral home family drama with an unusual twist is headed to TV. NBC has put in development an hourlong workplace soap with musical elements from Jason Katims’ True Jack Prods. and Craig Zadan and Neil Meron’s Storyline Entertainment. Created/written by film/TV writer and playwright Julia Brownell (About A Boy), the one-hour project is inspired by the real-life Boyd Funeral Home in South Central La. The drama…...

We’ve got another busy week of horror and sci-fi home entertainment releases on the horizon as August 11th has a great variety of titles both new and old to get excited about. Scream Factory is releasing their Collector’s Edition Blu-ray for Wes Craven’s The People Under the Stairs and Kino Lorber has dug up another great cult classic, War-Gods of the Deep, and given it an HD overhaul as well. Unfriended is also coming home on Blu and DVD and Universal is finally releasing James Wan’s Dead Silence on Blu-ray, featuring an unrated version of the underrated film. And for all you DC Comics fans out there, get ready for a ton of titles making their debut this week on Blu courtesy of Warner Home Video.

The People Under the Stairs: Collector’s Edition (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)

Wes Craven, the director of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream,...

Starring Sarah Lind and Devon Sawa, the unrated Blu-ray and DVD of The Exorcism of Molly Hartley will be released on October 20th. Two clips from Unfriended, a new trailer for June, and DVD release details for the zombie flick A Plague So Pleasant are also in this morning's round-up.

The Exorcism of Molly Hartley: Press Release: "Molly Hartley (Sarah Lind; Wolfcop) is all grown up, but the unholy demon inside her lives on in this all-new, Unrated sequel that takes terror to the next level! Six years after graduating high school — and discovering that a secret pact assigned her soul to the devil — Molly is suspected of murder and confined to a mental hospital, where she wreaks supernatural havoc on the staff and patients. Her only hope is an exorcism by a defrocked priest (Devon Sawa; Final Destination) looking to redeem himself and save Molly's life before her hideous "transformation" is complete.

Ben Barnes has already conquered Narnia — but is he ready for Westworld?

The Prince Caspian actor has joined HBO’s upcoming sci-fi drama, which takes place at a futuristic theme park where robots go nuts and attack the guests.

PhotosWestworld First Look: Anthony Hopkins Presides Over HBO’s Sci-Fi Drama

Per EW.com, Barnes will replace Once Upon a Time‘s Eion Bailey in the role of Logan, a louche bachelor and veteran Westworld guest whose hedonistic romp through the park is motivated by self-indulgence and a desire to help his friend, William.

Bailey, whose casting was reported just one week ago,...

HBO has picked up Us. (sic), an hourlong relationship drama pilot from Parenthood and About a Boy executive producer Jason Katims. This marks the first premium cable project for Emmy winner Katims, who also recently expanded into the digital space with drama series The Way at Hulu starring Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan. Created and written by Katims from an original idea, Us. is described as a sweeping examination of the often baffling, sometimes unexpected but…...

Katherine McNamara, who has been cast as Clary Fray in Shadowhunters

Ahead of network upfronts next week, a number of channels put in notices for pickups and cancellations over the week. Fox’s Backstrom, CBS’ Battle Creek, The McCarthys, and Stalker, NBC’s Marry Me, One Big Happy, State of Affairs, and Constantine all became one-season shows. NBC’s About a Boy also got a cancellation notice this week, as did Fox’s The Mindy Project and The Following.

Fox has also given series orders to Minority Report and Lucifer, while CBS has picked up Supergirl. Among returning shows, The Simpsons got a two-season renewal, while IFC renewed Comedy Bang! Bang!, and The Playstation Network gave its original series Powers a second season. NBC also renewed The Mysteries of Laura and The Night Shift, as well as the sitcom Undateable, whose entire third season will consist of live episodes.

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Syfy...

Sometimes, TV shows that are based movies can be big successes. Sometimes not. About a Boy was not and now NBC has cancelled it after two seasons without even airing all of the episodes.

About a Boy revolves around San Francisco songwriter Will Freeman (David Walton) who had a big hit. It set him up for life financially -- and gave him a lot of freedom and free time. His world is turned upside down when a charming boy named Marcus (Benjamin Stockham) and single mom named Fiona (Minnie Driver) move in next door.

The sitcom debuted in February of 2014 with a special preview episode that attracted a healthy 2.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 8.26 million viewers. In its regular timeslot a week later, the ratings rose a bit to a 2.47 rating with 8.36 million. The numbers started falling after...

The current state of affairs is not looking good for Katherine Heigl.

The ex-star of Grey's Anatomy found out Friday that her freshman drama State of Affairs won't see another season on NBC.

Her political drama was one of several series that were canceled to make way for lots of new ones on TV this fall. She sent this Tweet out to fans on Friday night: "So grateful to all the cast, crew & fans of #StateOfAffairs for your support. Working hard to find a new home - stories still to tell!"

So grateful to all the cast, crew & fans of #StateOfAffairs for your support.

And then there was only one. On Friday (May 8), NBC officially cancelled "About a Boy," "Marry Me" and "One Big Happy," leaving "Undateable" as the network's only hope to avoid going into the 2015-2016 season without a single returning comedy. [There's some pretty wild, if not implausible speculation out there about the nature of a potential third "Undateable" season and I've been told it's nowhere close to locked down. That doesn't mean it won't happen. It just means that I'm trying to be professional and only report things I can confirm and I can't confirm a darned thing about "Undateable," which is good news in this case.] Neither "About a Boy" nor "Marry Me" has aired since February and even with many/most of their airings boosted by "The Voice," neither had the numbers to  generate much of a renewal conversation. "Marry Me" averaged 3.8 million viewers and a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 -- again, boosted by "The Voice" -- while "About a Boy" slipped to 3.5 million viewers and a 1.0 key demo rating in its second season.  This is "About a Boy" showrunner Jason Katims' second series to end on NBC this year after the slightly-more-planned close to "Parenthood." Katims has a direct-to-series order for "The Way" at Hulu, so he's Ok. In what ended up being its series finale last Tuesday,...