News Roundup: Return Dates, Casting Updates, Movies News, etc.

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Renewals, Cancellations, & Scheduling:

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Revealed will air on CNBC November 24th at 10pm. [CNBC Press Release]

All new episodes of What Not to Wear start on TLC November 29th at 9pm, and new episodes of Toddlers & Tiaras start at 10pm on December 7th on TLC.

Pretty Little Liars returns January 2nd at 8pm, The Lying Game returns January 2nd at 9pm, and Switched at Birth returns January 3rd at 8pm, all on ABCFamily. New ABCFamily show Jane by Design premieres January 3rd at 9pm

State of Play is coming December 7th at 10pm to BBCAmerica.

Jersey Shore returns with a fifth season on January 5th.

Phineas & Ferb was renewed for a fourth season.

The X Factor has been renewed for a second season.

Once Upon a Time, Last Man Standing, and Happy Endings all got full-season pick-ups, and Pan Am got 5 more scripts.

Downton Abbey has gotten a third series!

The Real L Word has been renewed for a third season.

Spartacus was renewed for a third season... before the second season even begins. [what's up with that? There have been quite a few shows to do that sort of thing these days... why not just renew it for multiple seasons at a time, like How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory?]

Sons of Anarchy added a 14th episode to their season, which now puts the finale on December 6th. [wow. what's the precedence for this type of thing? I can think of several shows that could have used "one more episode" to tidy things up...]

TVLand is adding The King of Queens to its lineup, with a marathon kick-off on November 13th.

Cast & Plot Updates:

Megan Mullally has joined the cast of Breaking In, and will play a character running Contra Security.

Nick Jonas has been cast as Kristin's dead-beat babydaddy on Last Man Standing. Look for him around the Christmas episode!

Jennie Garth has been cast in the ABCFamily Village People, where she will play a single career woman who adopts a baby from a teen mother... and ends up caring for both of them. [Um, Kelly Taylor + Valerie Tyler, anyone?]

Shows in Development & Other Fun Stuff:
Want to have a real-time twitter conversation with a Pan Am star? Karine Vanasse, who plays Colette, will be available via @karinevanasse during the east coast viewing of Pan Am this Sunday, November 13th.

Nickelodeon is rolling out "NickMom Primetime," with the site to launch November 14th and the 4-hour block to come to NickJr soon.

Andy Rooney passed away on November 4th, age 92. 60 Minutes did a tribute to the great on Sunday.

SyFy announced three new scripted projects this week... one where a cop becomes a ghost, one where a female KGB agent and a male American weapons inspector form a partnership, and one where "after decades of war, the newly formed Unity Democracy orders a volatile mix of humans and trans-humans to lead the Starship Defender on an expedition in search of lost worlds requiring law and order.

TLC's got a new show coming out next month, calling D.U.I., which will be like COPS only with drunk drivers failing sobriety tests in Oklahoma. Twelve episodes have been ordered. Look for it December 1st at 9pm.

New things to look for in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Paul Frank's iconic monkey - Julius and Sonic the Hedgehog. Some of this year's stars include Mary J. Blige, Neil Diamond, Michael Feinstein, Daniel Radcliffe, Ceel Lo Green, Avril Lavigne, Mannheim Steamroller, Power Rangers, the Muppets of Sesame Street, and the casts of Broadway shows Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Sister Act, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. We're talking 15 giant character balloons, 44 novelty/ornament balloons/balloonicles/balloonheads, 27 floats, 1600 cheerleaders/dancers/performers, 800 clowns, and 11 marching bands. [NBC Entertainment Press Release]

Stephen King's Bag of Bones will have an interactive online prequel.

Kate Gosselin will be a coupon blogger for CouponCabin.com, starting November 22nd.

CBS is remaking The Rifleman.

Alcatraz, a FOX midseason replacement, is doing some re-shooting of the seven completed episodes.

The Hannibal Lecter television drama will be on NBC... they've ordered 13 episodes.

Looking forward to The Muppets? Kermit the Frog will be appearing on The Tonight Show on Friday the 11th. Amy Adams will be on The Tonight Show on Monday the 14th. Miss Piggy will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday the 14th. Kermit AND Miss Piggy will be on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday the 16th. Jason Segel will host Saturday Night Live! on Saturday the 19th.

On the film front, there's a 3D, CGI version of Popeye coming out. There's a live-action family film planned for Where's Waldo? as well. More importantly, you can BUY your way onto the new Joss Whedon project. There's a walk-on roll for the film In Your Eyes up on Ebay... for real.

My Addiction to Animation

by Christopher Scott

Why is it that when we, as adults, see the word “cartoon” it triggers a gag reflex at first glance? What part of our psyche ensnares our childhood and holds it for ransom from the rest of our daily lives? And why is it that, no matter how adult the theme may become, cartoons will always play second fiddle to live television regardless of production value, storyline, or artistic intent?

Well, I’m tired of keeping my closet obsession with the world of animation a secret. I’m here to set the record straight and give some life to the world of cartoons so that those gems in this generation don’t get passed by. Hopefully I spark some interest in you to join the revolution and take part in some amazing journeys yourself. 

Now, rather than debate about which generation had the best cartoons and why (because we all know it was mine anyway), I’m going to focus on what is out there right now that you are missing. The first of which being ThunderCats! 

Skeptical? You should be! This is the retelling of one of the greatest cartoon storylines of the 80s, next to Transformers. Airing for 5 seasons and totaling 130 episodes, the original ThunderCats is an epic saga that is more than difficult to live up to. However, what I think is so great about this reboot is, it hasn’t been overdone yet. Unlike so many cartoons that always come back for more, ThunderCats had a great run, then faded from existence. It is the perfect reboot template! In this new show, Lion-O is the heir to the throne when, as foretold by the Book of Omens, the kingdom of Thundera is overthrown, and his father slain. Now, he must recover the Book before the evil Mumm-Ra can find it and gain access to its powers. There’s more to it than that, but I don’t want to spoil it. 

The premiere episode just recently aired on July 29^th, so catching up should be fairly simple in the next few weeks. Plus, it is being aired on Cartoon Network, which is known for long-running series on a regular schedule (i.e. Justice League, Ben 10, and Samurai Jack). Be sure to catch it on Friday nights at 8:30ET. 

Another great cartoon in its infancy is Transformers: Prime. Now, those who know anything about cartoons know that this one has had a million iterations, on a million channels, and in a million art styles. Their success has varied from time to time, but the generic story has always remained the same: good versus evil on a grand scale. This story tries to cash in on the movie franchise by having a few characters as cameos. Bumblebee is a Camaro and can’t talk, Ratchet is the ambulance and team doctor, and Optimus is … well, Optimus. 

Based on the last 5 series I wouldn’t have given this one much thought, but it is airing on a new channel, The Hub. I figured watching this was my best chance at gauging this new station, and it has yet to disappoint. The only problem I have with the show is the CG is a bit weak, and the lack of High Definition is very noticeable. I will admit though, it gives off a bit of nostalgia because of this. It’s like watching Beast Wars (another CG Transformers concept) on antenna TV as a kid. I am HOOKED! If you’re thinking about trying to enter the series this late in the game, I highly suggest investing in a DVR. I can’t find them online anywhere yet. It wouldn’t be hard to jump in right now, but there are a few details you would find useful. 

The last show I want to touch on is a great cartoon that truly captures why we love cartoons. It airs on The Disney Channel and is called Phineas and Ferb. The creative minds behind this show have put together a masterpiece of animation. It has already cemented itself as one of those shows that kids today will reminisce about in their college dorm rooms or at reunions with friends. 

The concept behind the show is so simple, it’s amazing that I can’t think of anyone having done it before. Two kids trying to make the most out of every day of their summer vacation use their creativity and engineering expertise to entertain themselves and their neighborhood. In typical cartoon fashion, this is only a mild idea of what they get into. From building roller coasters to time travel to their secret agent platypus and interesting assortment of friends, this show is a kid’s fantasy. And adults will marvel at just how much thought went into such a show. Maybe it’s the unique hypnotic songs that come up during each episode that keep me coming back for more, but this is one series I will own just to be able to pass it down to my kids someday.

Hopefully this has given some of you a newfound interest in cartoons. Maybe it has only piqued your curiosity as to what all of the fuss is about. All I can say is this: there is a cartoon out there for everyone if you only give them a chance. So turn on the TV, switch it to your favorite animated network, and enjoy being a kid again.

Christopher Scott is a contributor for the television blog TheTalkingBox. He spends much of his time watching TV intended for 8 year olds when not spending it with his family in Huntsville, AL.

Teen Dad; Camelot Canceled; Sheen Roast

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

- CBS announced its Fall premiere dates.

- MTV UK is starting a new show July 29th called Teen Dad, which will follow six young men dealing with being young parents.

- Jennifer Finnigan, whom I loved as Maddie in last season's Better With You, has landed a lead role in USA's Wild Card, where she will again play a lawyer, this time in Las Vegas.

- On the other end of the spectrum, Camelot got canceled.

- Disney will be doing a lot at Comic-Con. For instance, they're going to have the Phineas & Ferb Platy-bus there, and you can buy four Comic-Con exclusive figurines from the show. Their booth spans 25x60 feet and will be located immediately opposite the main entrance on the convention floor. There will also be panels for Phineas & Ferb, Fish Hooks, and Kick Buttowski - Suburban Daredevil.

- If you're into watching summer repeats of current shows (as opposed to long-off-the-air-shows), the CW has moved things around a bit.

- Vinny Guadagnino has left Jersey Shore.

- Charlie Sheen is going to be roasted on Comedy Central. It'll be taped on September 10th and will air on the 19th.