Category Archives: Tv shows

Grant Imahara, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci To Leave MYTHBUSTERS

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Well here’s one that’ll leave you shocked: following the conclusion the show’s latest season, Discovery has announced that Grant Imahara, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci, better known as the M7 Build Team, will no longer be featured on the network’s hit series, MythBusters. The behind-the-scenes reasoning for the change is unknown, but based on the following video message, it appears the plan isn’t to replace the cast members, but rather to take the show back to its season one roots that featured only Adam and Jamie as the mythbusting team:

 

MythBusters        ? @MythBusters

We want to thank @KariByron @GrantImahara @ToryBelleci for their tireless work, and wish them all the best. https://amp.twimg.com/v/78aa5ea2-9cdb-4b56-9166-2d0cda206eff …

While Savage has said in the past that 2015 was going to be a reboot for the series in terms of look, it’s surprising to learn the reboot also includes a cast shake-up. The Build Team’s been around since the second season, and it’s hard to imagine MythBusters without them. They will certainly be missed, but at least there will always be Netflix and YouTube to remind us of how awesome Kari, Grant, and Tory were.

Kari Byron        ? @KariByron

The show is taking a new direction. It was an amazing run. I learned so much about myself and the world. I love you all @MythBusters

Kari Byron        ? @KariByron

I am sad for an ending but there will be exciting new adventures for us.

Grant Imahara        ? @grantimahara

Thanks @MythBusters for allowing us to teach science in a whole new way. Also, explosions. Now, on to the next adventure!

There’s currently no word on what the trio will be up to next, or even if that next phase will feature them all working together, but whatever it is, we know we’ll be there to check it out.

What Build Team tested myth is your favorite? What’s your favorite Kari, Grant, and Tory moment? Let us know in the comments.

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https://i2.wp.com/www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/66869/true_blood_66869.jpg?resize=471%2C240It’s hard for fans not to be thinking of True Blood this week, as we are all too aware of the fact that on Sunday night HBO will be airing the final episode of the popular vampire series. Not just the final episode of the season, the final episode ever. While the show may be ending, the ratings have been doing quite well for the subscription cable network, prompting us to wonder why HBO is canceling one of its best performers. Luckily, HBO programming director Michael Lombardo has a reasonable answer to that question.

The suited up network man spoke with THR this week to discuss why Season 7 will be True Blood’s last. At the heart of his reasoning, he talks about about how numbers are not the guide for HBO, but rather, storytelling is.

“This season, True Blood is one of the highest rated shows across the board, it gets over 10 million views an episode. But the minute you feel you’re airing it for the numbers we start questioning it.”

Once a show becomes wildly popular but peaks creatively, there are really two ways a network can go with a show. A company can choose to go the How I Met Your Mother or Grey’s Anatomy route and push into new territories and storylines beyond the original scope of the idea, often with a loss of quality. Or, a network can go out with a bang, choosing to end a series before many fans are quite ready to let that series go, a la Breaking Bad or Six Feet Under. Both options have their pros and cons, but clearly HBO is more worried about creative storytelling than how many people tune in each week.

“Every season we sit down with the creator and say ‘Tell us what the next year will be like.’ And if there aren’t exciting, unbelievable, undeniable ideas in the coming season, we’re questioning. And I think in the case of True Blood, it just felt like we had reached a place where the storytelling was hitting a wall.”

Over the years, HBO has developed a roster that is the envy of most other programming stations. Instead of quantity, HBO is known for a reasonable episode count. Instead of choosing safe programs, HBO is known for going out on a limb. What’s probably most telling about the success of this format is the company’s once slogan, “It’s not TV, it’s HBO,” now simply, “It’s HBO.” Part of the reason the subscription network can do this is because it isn’t catering to the same clientale or using the same business model as most of the other TV stations. It relies on subscriptions rather than advertising rates. So, it makes sense that HBO would care more about its 99 Emmy nominations than the number of eyeballs hopping over each week. It’s a pretty enviable position to be in.

Still, in the case of True Blood, creativity actually peaked a few seasons ago yet has continued to do pretty well in the ratings, so I don’t think HBO has totally eschewed giving fans what they want. In any event, the network really seems to know what it is doing, and should continue to do so as it puts together future programming for that summer Sunday slot. In the meantime, if you’d like to tune in for what is likely to be a memorable episode of True Blood, you can catch it on Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET.

Brian Patrick Wade Joins Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. As Absorbing Man!

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Marvel Entertainment has revealed that “Teen Wolf” actor Brian Patrick Wade has joined the cast of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” as Carl “Crusher” Creel, AKA Absorbing Man! As his name implies, Creel’s powers allow him to take on the properties of any surface or object he touches, making him super strong as well as nearly indestructible. You can check out the first official image of Wade in the role below.

Wade joins a number of guest stars for the upcoming sophomore season of the series including Adrianne Palicki (Bobbi Morse, AKA Mockingbird), Lucy Lawless (Agent Isabelle Hartley), Reed Diamond (Daniel Whitehall), Nick Blood (Lance Hunter), Henry Simmons (Alphonso “Mack” Mackenzie), and Kyle MacLachlan (Skye’s father).

The “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” cast includes Clark Gregg as fan favorite Phil Coulson, along with Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Agent Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as Skye, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz and Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons.

The series is executive produced by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jeffrey Bell and Jeph Loeb. Season 1 of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” will debut on DVD and Blu-ray on September 9, with season 2 set to premiere on September 23.

Watch THE WALKING DEAD Season 4 Alternate Ending that Andrew Lincoln Fought For

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When the fourth season of The Walking Dead ended with Rick Grimes saying, “They’re going to feel pretty stupid when they find out … that they’re screwing with the wrong people,” fans went nuts. It was such a badass line and a great ending to an amazing season. Of course, right after it ended, I know that the people I watched it with and I wished they would have dropped the F-bomb instead of “screwed.” It’s just a more powerful and forceful word, and of course, it’s what he said in the comic. But, you can’t drop the F-bomb on basic cable… yet. Well, guess what. They did film an alternate ended where he does drop the F-word, and it’s so much more effective and powerful.

During an interview with THR Andrew Lincoln told them that he had to push to get that scene shot with the F-bomb.

“The gloves certainly came off this season with Carol’s episode, Carl, losing Hershel and now this. I thought it would be an incredible moment to see the moral cop lay that one down. I think we’re going to save that for the hardcore fans. I did a few takes and said, ‘It’s done!’ and [showrunner] Scott [M. Gimple] said we had to do the other one. I said, ‘It’s amazing, we have to leave this in!'”

You can watch the alternate ending below, and if you want to see the trailer for season 5 click here. The alternate ending will be included in the DVD and Blu-ray release.

‘Big Bang Theory’ Trio Inks New Deals, Securing Hefty Pay Raises

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The Big Bang Theory Cast Restaurant - H 2014Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco have reached new deals with studio Warner Bros. Television. Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar, meanwhile, are still working out new agreements.

Following prolonged negotiations that resulted in a brief production delay, stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco have inked rich new three-year deals to return to the CBS hit, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Simon Helberg and Kunal Nayyar are still in negotiations, but an agreement is expected to be reached this week. Warner Bros. Television declined to comment.

The show, which was renewed for three additional seasons through its 10th run, likely resumes production Wednesday after a one-week delay that occurred when the five stars refused to return to work without new deals. (Their contracts expired in May at the end of season seven.)

Emmy-winner Parsons, Galecki and Cuoco negotiated together and were seeking big salary increases. Sources tell THR that the trio, who currently earn $325,000 per episode, likely secured about $1 million per half-hour with an increased cut of the show’s backend. The deals are said to bring the three into the Friends region, with that cast negotiating together and locking in $1 million per episode with studio WBTV. (Big Bang Theory is a massive hit in syndication, with TBS’ repeats regularly topping the weekly syndication ratings.) The pacts are also said to include a greater percentage of the show’s back-end, overall deals and more.

Co-stars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch previously inked new deals with WBTV, with both earning big raises in September when the cast’s contract talks began.

It’s unclear if the one-week delay will result in a reduced episode from the show’s standard 24, though it typically takes three weeks to turn in a completed episode and the delay could likely be overcome during the season.

The three-season renewal gave the cast considerable leverage — especially considering Big Bang is TV’s No. 1 comedy among total viewers, a metric it has held since the 2010-11 season. Season seven regularly topped 20 million viewers per week, up 4 percent year-over-year, with an impressive 6.1 rating among the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic. The show is also a hit in syndication on TBS, with repeats often topping some of the Big Four broadcast networks’ original fare. Big Bang is again nominated for best comedy series, but the show has yet to take home that trophy. Parsons — a three-time winner — is nominated for the seventh time for his starring turn as Sheldon Cooper.

The cast was a no-show last month at San Diego Comic-Con, where for the second year in a row, the panel consisted of series writers. Last year, Galecki made a surprise appearance with Rauch moderating. Parsons was at Comic-Con the day before the show’s panel to DreamWorks Animation’s Home, in which he has a voice role.

Meanwhile, showrunner Steve Molaro has a three-year overall deal (his first) with WBTV, and co-creator/EP Chuck Lorre is also under contract with the studio. Securing Big Bang Theory‘s future was a top priority for CBS, which last season bade farewell to Monday staple How I Met Your Mother. CBS recently scored rights to Thursday night NFL games, pushing Big Bang Theory to Mondays for the first few weeks of season eight, before it returns to Thursdays. The network, which sources say did not have a contingency plan in place had the cast not reupped, is looking to The Big Bang Theory to help launch rookie drama Scorpion on Mondays at 9 p.m., after abandoning its two-hour comedy block that night.

For his part, Lorre didn’t see the contract negotiations as a problem. “There are people at Warner Brothers Television and people representing the actors who have done this before,” he told THRthis month. “This will work itself out. I think it’s great; I want them all to be crazy wealthy because nobody deserves it more than this cast. It’ll work out.”

The cast’s new deal comes after the Modern Family co-creator/EP Christopher Lloyd staged a walkout before — missing the first week of work in the writers room — until he had reached a new deal with studio 20th Century Fox Television. The Emmy-winning comedy’s cast also had a well-documented and contentious contract renegotiation in 2012 that threatened to delay production, which concluded with the six adult actors earning major pay increases.

J.R. Ramirez Cast as Wildcat for Arrow Season 3

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It was revealed this weekend at the San Diego Comic-Con that “Arrow” would be bringing along another DC hero – Ted Grant, AKA Wildcat. Now, Deadline reports that “House of Payne” and “Power” star J.R. Ramirez has been cast in the role, which will be “a pivotal role in Laurel Lance’s arc this season.”

Created by Bill Finger and Irwin Hasen, Wildcat first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 in 1942. A former boxer, Wildcat used his fighting skills in place of his lack of superpowers, though at one point he was given the ability to return from the dead up to nine times.

Wildcat isn’t the only DC hero that’s getting added to the ranks of “Arrow” this season either as former Superman Brandon Routh has also joined the cast as Ray Palmer, AKA The Atom.

“Arrow” airs Wednesdays at 8 P.M. ET/PT on The CW with the new season set to premiere on October 8.

Bruce Campbell Confirms He Will Star in EVIL DEAD Series

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This past weekend, during a surprise panel for the live-action adaptation of The Last of Us that Sam Raimi is producing, Raimi also announced that he is currently writing an Evil Dead TV series with his brother Ivan and franchise star Bruce Campbell. To what extent Campbell would be involved in the show was unclear, but yesterday the actor confirmed that he will indeed star in the new series.

Campbell tweeted the following response to a fan’s comment:

Bruce Campbell        ? @GroovyBruce

“@DeaditeBill: Only if @GroovyBruce is the STAR of this new tv series will I accept. That’s the plan. pic.twitter.com/m7EkBFpl1b

click here) or what will come first, if those films are still in the pipeline at all. Raimi has enough clout in Hollywood to make pretty much any project he wants, which makes it all the more puzzling that it has taken so long to continue the saga that launched his and Campbell’s careers. With most of the daring and provocative storytelling now being done on TV anyway, perhaps Raimi and co. figure they can give hungry fans continuous years of Evil Dead as a series, rather than a movie every couple decades.

ARROW Season 3 – Full Action-Packed Comic-Con Trailer

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http://static.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/t/53d3443fe4b03a8ade9980d9/1406354507620/arrow-season-3-full-length-comic-con-trailer?format=500wThe CW has released the first full trailer for Arrow season three online for all its fans to enjoy! This is the trailer that was screened at San Diego Comic-Con. This has been such a great series to watch, and season three is going to be spectacular! The trailer features a ton of adrenaline-fueled new footage that is sure to get fans excited. Some of that footage include our first look at Brandon Routh in the role of Ray Palmer, Count Vertigo, the return of the Canary, and a lot more! The new season is set to premiere on October 8th.

http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=c2508988874844638276d75e18f990f6&ec=hhMTk5bzrqyVEDcs7OjLAQWi9OhKQbH7

Guillermo del Toro Says JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Will Be Separate from Other DC Projects

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During a interview with Guillermo del Toro at Comic-Con SHH asked the director about the Justice League Dark project that he’s been developing. He was asked if this would connect with any of the other DC properties currently in development, like Constantine or Sandman. This was what he said,

“I’m still working on it. Sandman doesn’t figure in the Dark Universe. We have Deadman, we have the Demon, we have Swamp Thing, we have Zatana, we have Constantine, but DC and Warners have been very clear that they are trying to keep those properties separate so when the time comes they can unite them, once they know they’re quantifiable. Batman, Superman, Green Lantern… everyone eventually will come together. Right now, they’re allowing us independence.”

When it comes to the Constantine TV series that’s coming out and how that figures into the equation he said,

“No, I had that conversation when the Constantine show was pitched. I said, ‘Do I have to have continuity with that?’ and they said, ‘No, feel free to continue the way you’re going.”

He added, “Swamp Thing for me is my favorite superhero of all times. I always like the monsters.” That comment led him into talking about the Hulk, “I love the Hulk,“ which was followed by an update on the Hulk TV series that he was working on with Marvel. Unfortunately, he says that the show has been cancelled, and he thinks the reasoning behind is because they were having so much success with Mark Ruffalo’s version of the character in the movies.

what are your thoughts on all this

Comic-Con: Arrow Season Three Trailer Reveals Villain Ra’s al Ghul!

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Comic-Con: Arrow Season Three Trailer Reveals Villain Ra’s al Ghul! New Contantine, The Flash, and Gotham Videos Debut“Arrow” fans were in for a special treat at yesterday’s Night of DC Entertainment (of which you can read our full recap by clicking here) when series star Stephen Amell pressed play on the previously-released preview trailer from the action-packed series’ upcoming third season, featuring footage of Colton Haynes in the Arsenal costume, Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer and Karl Yune as Maseo. But Amell also had a Saturday night surprise up his sleeve — a new ending to the trailer which revealed that a nightmare is coming: Ra’s al Ghul! Check it out below! “Arrow” returns Wednesday, October 8, at 8/7c on The CW.