Behind The Screen – 3rd April 2009

Well, when I’d heard today that Wolverine had leaked on the Web I thought it was some sort of bizarre sexual superhero party.

Anyway, first up a bit of ‘Lost’ news. I’ll have to be clever here with spoilers so I’ll tease out a bit what I know and if you need to know the whole story you’ll have to message me! Former ‘Dexter’ star Mark Pellegrino has landed a role on the show, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The actor – who played Rita’s drug addled abusive ex in ‘Dexter’ – has been cast in a pivotal role on the cult series; and I’ll leave it at that. I feel like you’ve given me your number and I’ve said I’d call but I know I wont. god I’m a TV cock tease.
Also concerning ‘Lost’, Ian Somerhalder, who played the character Boone Carlyle on the show is apparently set for a role in The CW’s ‘Vampire Diaries’ pilot.
‘Vampire Diaries’ is an adaptation of the novel series by the same name, which follows a teenage girl torn between two blood-sucking brothers. One of the boys, Stefan (Paul Wesley, ‘Everwood’), is clearly good; the other, Damon (Somerhalder),  isnt. Looks like there may be a ‘Twilight did really well at the box office, lets make loads of Vampire stuff’ agenda in the offing. Which isn’t too bad is it?  The pilot is being written by ‘Dawson’s Creek’s’ Kevin Williamson and ‘Kyle XY’’s Julie Plec.  Also on board are Zach Roerig, better known to me as ‘Friday Night Lights’’ cowboy Cash, and Kayla Ewell formerly of the ‘The O.C.,’ ‘Entourage’, who will be brother and sister on the series.

And talking of ‘Friday Night Lights’, (see what I did there?) NBC and DirecTV have ordered two more seasons of the show. I admit, I really enjoyed it when ITV2 showed the first season over here in the UK, then for some reason they cut it and insist on showing shows about fat kids and dumb criminals. I watched series two online but its been hard work to carry on downloading or streaming it. I do mean to catch up though.  Anyway, the network and the satellite provider finished an agreement on Monday to bring back the show for two more seasons of 13 episodes each. As was the case this season in the US, episodes will debut on DirecTV’s 101 Network in the fall, then run on NBC later in the season.  Leads Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton are expected to return. Several of the show’s younger characters, including Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford), Tyra Collette (Adrianne Palicki) and Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly) are on track to graduate from Dillon High; it’s not clear whether they’ll return for any episodes next season. Hope Lyla does, she’s hot. Saying that, so’s Tyra.

Moving on….’Friday Night Lights’ ends its current season on NBC on Friday, April 10

After ‘Battlestar Galactica” ended last week, fans of the series will only have to wait a year for more drama set in that universe.
The new prequel series ‘Caprica’ has been given the go ahead for 20 hours of programming, including a two-hour pilot it has been announced.
In the world of “Caprica,” set 50 years before “Battlestar,” two rival families — the Graystones and the Adamas — grow, compete, and thrive in the vibrant world of the 12 Colonies. Politics, intrigue, sexual scheming and corporate conspiracy will deliver the drama to the series.

“‘Caprica’ will build on ‘Battlestar Galactica’s’ acclaimed legacy of gripping drama and extraordinary characters,” says Sci Fi President Dave Howe who sanctioned the series. “It’s the beginning of a brand new epic saga that will appeal to both new viewers, totally unfamiliar with the Battlestar franchise, as well as existing loyal and passionate Battlestar fans.”  Mark Stern, Executive Vice President, Original Programming for Sci Fi adds that ‘Caprica’ won’t be as dark as ‘Battlestar,’ but possesses “smart, dimensional characters who grapple with issues of love, sex and politics from a world in transition.”  Production on the series will begin in Vancouver in Summer 2009 for a 2010 premiere!

Starz’s new series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” have signed up former ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ Amazonian Lucy Lawless! The series will update the story of Spartacus for the “300″ generation and is being produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, who also produced ‘Xena’. Australian actor Andy Whitfield will play the title role.
“Spartacus: Blood and Sand” will follow the former Roman soldier, now a slave, as he’s sold to Batiatus, the owner of a gladiator camp, and his wife Lucretia (Lawless). It’s based on the true story of a slave who led a revolt against Rome in 73 B.C. (and memorably played by Kirk Douglas in Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 movie), but Starz says the show “will tell a new set of stories rich in character, action, sex and combat.”
The series is scheduled to premiere in January 2010, will rely heavily on virtual scenery a la ‘300’ or ‘Sin City’ – Oooo I like!
In addition to Whitfield (”McLeod’s Daughters”) and Lawless, who’s coming off “Battlestar Galactica,” the cast also includes Erin Cummings (”Dollhouse”), Peter Mensah (”300,” “The Incredible Hulk”), Manu Bennett (”30 Days of Night”), Craig Parker (”Legend of the Seeker”), Antonio Te Maioha (”Xena,” “Hercules”) and Nick Tarabay (”Crash”). Good cast eh?

‘Watchmen’s’ Rorschach will be coming to our TV screens soon also. It has been announced that Jackie Earle Haley has joined the cast of the Fox’s ‘Human Target’ along with Chi McBride.
‘Human Target’ is an action TV show based on a DC comic book, and stars Mark Valley as Christopher Chance, a freelancer who saves people who are targets of assassination by assuming their identity.
In the show, Haley would play Chance’s “information gatherer” (I assume this is downloading illegal stuff via Vuze or Limewire), while McBride will be Chance’s partner.

UK TV channel Dave recently got into the April fools’ spirit with a ‘Red Dwarf’ based spoof. When video clip similar to the early ‘Transformers’ movie trailer appeared on the BBC website on April 1st, people who saw wondered what was going on. A second video appeared a few hours later… revealing Danny John Jules’ cat talking nonsense on a Mars landscape. See the two clips below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfc6MpZBpYw&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuXJhWSMgU4&feature=player_embedded

Lastly some sad news in that Andy Hallett, who famously portrayed Lorne the green-skinned demon on the cult US TV series Angel, has died of congestive heart disease aged 33.
As earlier posted on the site, Hallett was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after having problems breathing and died there on Sunday, his agent said. It follows a five-year battle with the heart condition.
Born and raised in Osterville, Massachusetts, Hallett moved to LA when he was 23 and went on to become an assistant to the wife of Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon – who had Hallett audition for the part of Lorne on Angel after seeing him perform karaoke.
Hallett proved himself a fan favourite on the show as the show tune loving, red-horned demon who could read a person’s aura when they sang, revealing their problems and futures.

I was myself pretty disappointed this weekend when I thought I’d beaten my sexual personal best after going for an hour and a quarter. Then I realised the clocks went forward. Shoot.

Have a good weekend!