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If Nordic Noir hits like The Killing have taught us anything it’s that some of the best television doesn’t come from places like America or the United Kingdom but further afield. When you take the time to look a little further there are difference styles out there and for a lot of viewers burnt out by the same old shows, something like the Israeli show Hostages (Bnei Aruba) comes along and shows just how to get a grip on an audience and not let go.

When Dr. Yael Danon (Ayelet Zurer) gets the chance to perform surgery on the Prime Minister (Shmil Ben Ari) it should just be another day for her. When her home is invaded by Adam Rubin (Jonah Lotan) and his small group of masked thugs and her family held hostage, she soon finds she is given the job of killing her patient to save the people she loves.

Rejoice, Young and the Restless fans: Ashley Abbott is Genoa City-bound once more.

Current Days of Our Lives scene-stealer Eileen Davidson will soon make a trip back to the her old CBS stomping grounds, the network announced Tuesday.

Related | Prospect Park ‘Willing to Equally Share’ Oltl Vets With Gh: ‘It’s a Win-Win for the Actors’

Per Daytime Confidential, which first reported the news, the actress’ alter ego is slated to return to Y&R for a batch of “very special episodes” opposite her on-screen brother Jack (Peter Bergman) in the coming months.

Ready for more of today’s TV dish?...

Make It or Break It is coming to an end.

ABC Family not-so-subtly announced this week that the current third season of the gymnastics drama will be its last when new promos touting the upcoming season ender featured the words “series finale.”

Showrunner Holly Sorensen also took to Twitter to confirm the news, writing, “We all love you so much. And we are, very sadly, three weeks away from the series finale of Miobi.”

Make It or Break It‘s closer airs Monday, May 14 at 9/8c.

Ready for more of today’s TV dish? Well…

• The CW’s repeat airing of L.

Exclusive: Sundance Channel has assembled most of the regular cast of its first hourlong scripted series, legal drama Rectify. Abigail Spencer, Clayne Crawford, Adelaide Clements, Jonah Lotan and J. Smith Cameron are set to co-star in the six-episode series, written by Ray McKinnon and executive produced by Mark Johnson and Melissa Bernstein. Rectify centers on Daniel Holden who, after 19 years in prison, is released from Death Row when he is exonerated for rape and murder by DNA evidence. He returns to his hometown where he must readjust to his new life, including unfamiliar family members and surroundings. Cameron will play Daniel’s mother. Spencer will play his sister. Crawford will play his step-brother Ted. Clements will play Ted’s wife. Lotan will play Daniel’s lawyer, who works for the non-profit Justice Row. Spencer, repped by ICM and Untitled, will next be seen in Of Men And Mavericks and The Haunting In Georgia.

Passion, jealousy and espionage… They do it all – and they do it at 30,000 feet. The style of the 1960s, the energy and excitement of the Jet Age and a drama full of sexy entanglements deliciously mesh in this thrilling and highly-original new series. In this modern world, air travel represents the height of luxury and Pan Am is the biggest name in the business. The planes are glamorous, the pilots are rock stars and the stewardesses are the most desirable women in the world. Not only are these flyboys and girls young and good looking, but to represent Pan Am they also have to be educated, cultured and refined. They’re trained to handle everything from in-air emergencies to unwanted advances – all without rumpling their pristine uniforms or mussing their hair. There’s Dean (Jonah Lotan...

"Extra" correspondent Adrianna Costa was on the set of the new fall comedy, "2 Broke Girls," starring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs. The girls had a special shoutout for Mario Lopez, giggling, "Hi, AC!"

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The smart and funny sitcom is about two waitresses who become best friends and dream of opening a cupcake shop. Behrs, who in real life once worked at Chili's, recalled, "I dropped a whole...

The broadcast networks have more than 30 shows debuting this fall, including Steven Spielberg’s dino-mite Terra Nova, J.J. Abrams’ Person of Interest, and a U.S. adaptation of the UK’s Prime Suspect. To help you prep for it all, TVLine is offering First Impressions based on the not-for-review pilots. Next on our list is…

The Show | ABC’s Pan Am (Sundays at 10/9c, premiering Sept. 25)

The Competition | CBS’ CSI: Miami, NBC’s Sunday Night Football, Showtime’s Homeland (new, premiering Oct. 2) and AMC’s Hell on Wheels (new, premiering Nov. 6)

The Cast | Christina Ricci (The Ice Storm) as Maggie,...

The 2011 Fall TV season is shaping up to be an intriguing one. There's the CW reality show "H8R," hosted by "Extra's" own Mario Lopez; the NBC retro drama "The Playboy Club," starring Eddie Cibrian; Steven Spielberg's highly anticipated "Terra Nova" on Fox, and more.

Check out these 20 must-see shows!

2011 Fall TV: 20 New Shows to Watch!'Terra Nova' (Fox)

Who: Jason O'Mara, Christine Adams, Stephen Lang, Byron J. Brochmann, Shelley Conn; executive...

The first lady of the United States makes a guest appearance in TV Snacks today, along with some ratings news and casting bits. Eat up:

Absence apparently made the hearts of "Breaking Bad" fans grow fonder: The show's season premiere Sunday (July 17), which came after more than a year off, was the its most-watched episode ever with 2.6 million viewers. More than half of them (1.4 million) fell in the adults 18-49 demographic. [AMC]

Speaking of "Breaking Bad" (sort of), one of the show's regulars, Giancarlo Esposito, will have a recurring part on ABC's new drama "Once Upon a Time" in the fall. He'll play a newspaper reporter in the everyday world -- and the voice of the Queen's (Lana Parrilla) magic mirror in the fairy-tale world. [TVLine]

Boy, were we off in our Women's World Cup final ratings prediction: The match, in which Japan beat the United States on penalty kicks, drew 13.5 million...

Eastenders viewers complain of motion sickness caused by camera wobble

One viewer posted on Points of View: "Oh, what was with the wobbly camera? Surely, BBC isn't so bad off that it can't afford to buy Ee (Eastenders) a tripod."

Another disgruntled viewer added: "Am I the only one who thought the camera angles were bad during the Christian and Zainab scene? The camera was shaking and the angles were just all over the place."

B&B's Jack Wagner wins American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe

This is the second time Wagner, the only participant who’s not a professional athlete, won the tournament.

The Bold And The Beautiful is going to Australia to do Hands-On Audition Workshops

Los Angeles Casting Director Christy Dooley and Emmy-winning Producer and Director Cindy Popp, with 3 Emmys and 8 nominations between them, are teaming up to conduct audition workshops for Australian actors.

Actors...

Mike Vogel comes aboard the plane on "Pan Am". The 32-year-old hunk, who landed a role of Jason "Hawk" Hawkins on Matt Reeves-directed sci-fi film "Cloverfield", has been cast to replace Jonah Lotan on the upcoming ABC drama series.

Vogel will now be seen in the male lead role of Dean, a captain on Pan Am's newest plane, the Majestic, who is living his boyhood dream of being a pilot. Lotan was reportedly cut off the show because of creative reasons.

"Pan Am", created by Jack Orman, follows some stewardesses and pilots for Pan Am Airlines living double lives as spies. Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner, Margot Robbie and Michael Mosley are also featured on this period drama which will premiere Sunday, September 25 at 10 P.M.

Mike Vogel has previously starred on such TV series as "Miami Medical" and "Grounded for Life". He recently appeared on "Blue Valentine" as...

A new actor will be flying for Pan Am this fall.

In a last-minute casting switch, ABC announced this week that Mike Vogel (Grounded for Life, Miami Medical) will be taking over for Jonah Lotan on its upcoming flight attendant-based drama. The latter was let go from the series for creative reasons.

 

Pan Am Trailer

Vogel will come on board as Dean, a recently-promoted captain, as Pan Am premieres on Sunday, September 25.

Filed under: TV News

Attention passengers, you have a new 'Pan Am' pilot in the form of Mike Vogel.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 'Blue Valentine' actor will replace Jonah Lotan on the new ABC drama. Besides 'Blue Valentine,' Vogel appeared in 'Miami Medical' and 'Cloverfield.'

Vogel will play Dean, a young pilot living out his childhood dream of flying the friendly skies. The 1960s-set drama also stars Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner and Michael Mosley.

Look for 'Pan Am' to take off on ABC on Sun., Sept. 25 at 10Pm.

In other TV news ...

 

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Mike Vogel has reportedly been cast as the lead in ABC's new series Pan Am. According to Deadline, Vogel will take over the main role of Dean from actor Jonah Lotan, who played him in the show's pilot episode. Vogel's character is described as a being confident and charismatic pilot who has just become captain of a new Pan Am clipper called the Majestic, and is excited to begin exploring the rest of the world. Vogel joins an ensemble cast on the (more)...

Mike Vogel will star as the male lead in ABC's new drama "Pan Am," according to Deadline.com. In a key piece of re-casting, Vogel is stepping in for Jonah Lotan who played the role in the pilot. The show centers on a group of Pan Am pilots and flight attendants in the '60s, with Vogel's character the brand new captain of the airline's signature plane, the Majestic. Christina Ricci, Kellie Garner and Margot Robbie will also star in the show. Television vet Vogel was featured on "Miami Medical" and "Grounded For Life." On the big screen, Vogel was recently seen in...

Mike Vogel (Blue Valentine) is set to star in ABC's new drama series Pan Am, which will air on Sundays after Desperate Housewives this fall. On the Sony TV-produced show, about a group of pilots and flight attendants working at the iconic Pan Am Airlines in the 1960s, Vogel will play the male lead, the charismatic and confident Dean who had longed to be a pilot since he was a boy and has just been made the captain of the amazing new Pan Am clipper, the Majestic, living every man’s dream, exploring the world and leading the crew. Vogel replaces Jonah Lotan who played the role in the pilot. Word is the role would be beefed up with Vogel on board. Also starring on the series are Christina Ricci, Kellie Garner and Margot Robbie. Vogel, repped by Wme and manager Geordie Frey, will next be seen in DreamWorks' The Help.

ABC's Pan Am casts Mike Vogel as male lead Dean, the new drama series set to air this fall after Desperate Housewives on Sundays. Deadline reports that the show produced by Sony TV is set in the 1960s and tells of a group of pilots and flight attendants working in the iconic Pan Am Airlines. Vogel's Dean character had wanted to be a pilot since a young boy and has just made captain of the Pan Am clipper, the Majestic. Now living his dream and exploring the world at the lead of his crew. Vogel replaces Jonah Lotan who played the role in the pilot episode.

ABC's Pan Am casts Mike Vogel as male lead Dean, the new drama series set to air this fall after Desperate Housewives on Sundays. Deadline reports that the show produced by Sony TV is set in the 1960s and tells of a group of pilots and flight attendants working in the iconic Pan Am Airlines. Vogel's Dean character had wanted to be a pilot since a young boy and has just made captain of the Pan Am clipper, the Majestic. Now living his dream and exploring the world at the lead of his crew. Vogel replaces Jonah Lotan who played the role in the pilot episode.

ABC's Pan Am casts Mike Vogel as male lead Dean, the new drama series set to air this fall after Desperate Housewives on Sundays. Deadline reports that the show produced by Sony TV is set in the 1960s and tells of a group of pilots and flight attendants working in the iconic Pan Am Airlines. Vogel's Dean character had wanted to be a pilot since a young boy and has just made captain of the Pan Am clipper, the Majestic. Now living his dream and exploring the world at the lead of his crew. Vogel replaces Jonah Lotan who played the role in the pilot episode.

Cloverfield and Blue Valentine star Mike Vogel agreed to become a last-minute casting change for ABC’s highly anticipated period drama Pan Am; replacing Jonah Lotan in the role of Dean, the pilot of the new Pan Am clipper, the Majestic. According to Deadline, Pan Am producers planned to boost Vogel’s character and give him a higher profile alongside the show’s female stars Christina Ricci, Kellie Garner and Margot Robbie. Of course, ABC continued to promote the film’s cool retro setting of 1960s New York City, a swinging backdrop that owes a lot to the acclaimed AMC drama Mad Men.

Cloverfield and Blue Valentine star Mike Vogel agreed to become a last-minute casting change for ABC’s highly anticipated period drama Pan Am; replacing Jonah Lotan in the role of Dean, the pilot of the new Pan Am clipper, the Majestic. According to Deadline, Pan Am producers planned to boost Vogel’s character and give him a higher profile alongside the show’s female stars Christina Ricci, Kellie Garner and Margot Robbie. Of course, ABC continued to promote the film’s cool retro setting of 1960s New York City, a swinging backdrop that owes a lot to the acclaimed AMC drama Mad Men.

Cloverfield and Blue Valentine star Mike Vogel agreed to become a last-minute casting change for ABC’s highly anticipated period drama Pan Am; replacing Jonah Lotan in the role of Dean, the pilot of the new Pan Am clipper, the Majestic. According to Deadline, Pan Am producers planned to boost Vogel’s character and give him a higher profile alongside the show’s female stars Christina Ricci, Kellie Garner and Margot Robbie. Of course, ABC continued to promote the film’s cool retro setting of 1960s New York City, a swinging backdrop that owes a lot to the acclaimed AMC drama Mad Men.

Blake Neely is set to score the upcoming ABC drama Pan Am. The show set in the 1960′s revolves around pilots and flight attendants working at the iconic and once-dominant Pan Am airline. The drama stars Christina Ricci in her first major TV gig, as well as Kelli Garner (The Aviator), Jonah Lotan (Generation Kill), Michael Mosley (Scrubs), Margot Robbie and Karine Vanasse. Jack Orman (ER, Jag) created the show and Thomas Schlamme (Parenthood, The West Wing) directed the pilot. Orman and Schlamme are also producing alongside Nancy Hult Ganis, who was a Pan Am flight attendant herself in the 70′s. Pan Am is scheduled to premiere this fall on ABC and will airing every Sunday night at 10:00pm.Visit ABC’s official show webpage for updates on the project and check out the trailer below.

Neely (The Pacific, Life as We Know It) is coming off a busy TV season.

10. Pan Am

Description: In this modern world, air travel represents the height of luxury and Pan Am is the biggest name in the business. The planes are glamorous, the pilots are rock stars and the stewardesses are the most desirable women in the world. Not only are these flyboys and girls young and good looking, but to represent Pan Am they also have to be educated, cultured and refined. They're trained to handle everything from in-air emergencies to unwanted advances - all without rumpling their pristine uniforms or mussing their hair. There's Dean (Jonah Lotan) - a cocky, charismatic and ambitious new pilot - the first of a new breed not trained in the war. On the sly against company policy, he's dating Bridget, a stunning beauty with a mysterious past. A rebellious bohemian, Maggie (Christina Ricci) turns into a buttoned up professional for work so she can see the world.

Charlie’S Angels

According to the Official ABC Description: Everyone deserves a second chance — even a thief, a street racer and a cop who got in a little too deep. After all, the three women who solve cases for their elusive boss, Charlie Townsend, are no saints. They’re angels… Charlie’s Angels. Set in Miami, this fun, glamorous, action-packed take on the 1970s smash hit series introduces us to three new angels, all fearless detectives, head-turning beauties and close friends. There’s Abby (Rachael Taylor), a Park Avenue princess who became a world-class thief. Then there’s Kate (Annie Ilonzeh), a Miami cop who fell from grace, losing both her career and her fiancé. Finally there’s Gloria, a disgraced army lieutenant who has a way with explosives. When one of the angels’ missions ends in Gloria’s tragic death, Charlie persuades them to partner with Gloria’s childhood friend,...

ABC has a slew of new shows coming, many of which need a lot of luck if they're going to last more than a handful of episodes. The schedule has been released, so let's take a lot at what's coming.

Oddly enough, as part of the new announcement, ABC has solidified the return of several more shows, including Happy Endings, despite the fact that two other networks have shows on their slate with cast members from the show. That should be interesting. Of course, it works for me, because I'm a fan.

In other news, Desperate Housewives will not die. Are you kidding me with this show still being on?

New Series - “Apartment 23,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Good Christian Belles,” “Last Man Standing,” “Man Up,” “Missing,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Pan Am,” “Revenge,” “The River,” “Scandal,” “Suburgatory” and “Work It” Join the Lineup

Returning shows - “America’s Funniest Home Videos,...

This upcoming television season will also debut a bunch of shows set in the 1960's. I'm sure this new trend is somehow a result of Mad Men's popularity. The Playboy Club will premiere on Mondays at 10pm this Fall on NBC. Eddie Cibrian and Amber Heard star in a drama which "explores the lives of Playboy bunnies toiling at the Playboy Club in 1960s Chicago." Pan Am will premiere on Sundays at 10pm this Fall on ABC. Christina Ricci stars in this new series which promises to be "Mad Men's style meets Grey's Anatomy's entanglements in this thrilling and highly original new drama from producer Nancy Hult Ganis (a former stewardess), writer Jack Orman (ER) and director Tommy Schlamme (The West Wing)." Watch both trailers embedded after the jump. Leave your thoughts in the comments below. The Playboy Club Trailer: The Playboy Club An American icon is born.

AMC has done it with Mad Men. NBC is about to do it with The Playboy Club. And now ABC is taking a jump back to the 1960s.

On Sunday nights this fall, viewers will lift into the skies with Pan Am, a series set within the world of luxury plane travel, back when every pilot was a rock star (remember Leonardo DiCaprio in Catch Me If You Can?) and every woman dreamed of being a flight attendant.

Pan Am stars Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner, Karine Vanasse, Margot Robbie, Jonah Lotan and Michael Mosley and you can check out a scene from the premiere now:

Pan Am Clip...

Earlier we shared ABC's primetime lineup, and now we have some clips from the new drama series for you. Be sure to check out the comedy clips here. The clips include, Pan Am, Charlie's Angels, Once Upon A Time, Revenge, The River, and Scandal. At this time we don't have clips for Missing or Good Christian Belles, but we will post once they are available. I am interested in seeing The River and Once Upon A Time. Watch the clips below and share your thoughts!

Pan Am

Passion, jealousy and espionage... They do it all - and they do it at 30,000 feet. The style of the 1960s, the energy and excitement of the Jet Age and a drama full of sexy entanglements deliciously mesh in this thrilling and highly-original new series. In this modern world, air travel represents the height of luxury and Pan Am is the biggest name in the business.

Before the days of full-body scans, charges for checked luggage and $8 boxes of cheese and crackers, air travel used to be considered glamorous. ABC is hoping to recapture some of that lost era with its new drama "Pan Am."

The series, which will air at 10 p.m. Et Sundays in the fall, focuses on the stewardesses and pilots of Pan Am, the premier airline of the 1960s. It stars Christina Ricci, Kelli Garner ("My Generation"), Margot Robbie ("Neighbours"), Karine Vanasse, Jonah Lotan ("CSI: NY," "24") and Michael Mosley ("Scrubs," "Justified"). "ER" veteran Jack Orman created it and executive produces with director Thomas Schlamme ("The West Wing," "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip") and Nancy Hult Ganis.

Like NBC's new series "The Playboy Club," "Pan Am" looks like it's trying to find some of the "Mad Men" vibe with its setting and attention to period detail. It also, however, feels like the...

ABC released its fall schedule on Tuesday which includes five total soaps - Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Pan Am, and Once Upon A Time.

Come midseason, hot new soap Good Christian Belles will premiere along with The River and Scandal. ABC may be canceling its daytime soaps but the genre is alive and well at night.

Here's the lineup for fall:

Monday

8:00 p.m. Dancing With The Stars

10:00 p.m. Castle

Tuesday

8:00 p.m. Last Man Standing (new)

8:30 p.m. Man Up (new)

9:00 p.m. Dancing With The Stars Results Show

10:00 p.m. Body Of Proof

Wednesday

8:00 p.m. The Middle

8:30 p.m. Suburgatory (new)

9:00 p.m. Modern Family

9:30 p.m. Happy Endings

10:00 p.m. Revenge (new)

Thursday

8:00 p.m. Charlie's Angels (new)

9:00 p.m. Grey's Anatomy

10:00 p.m. Private Practice

Friday

8:00 p.

What do you get when you cross iconic fairy tale figures with a pair of cross-dressing men? How about a mysterious Amazon monster with a trio of Angels? Or even a bitch in a New York walk-up and a team of ’60s flight attendants? Why, that motley crew is at the center of ABC’s colorful 2011-12 TV season lineup.

Here are sneak peeks at 11 of ABC’s new shows. Take them in and then hit the comments with your snappy judgments! (Note: There are currently no previews available for Good Christian Belles and Missing.)

ABC’s Fall Schedule Revealed...

NBC and Fox have both unleashed their Fall 2011-2012 TV schedule, now ABC has released theirs. I’m excited to see Castle, Modern Family, and The Middle back in the mix. Most of the new shows they have line-up don’t really interest me, but there are a few that have caught my eye. PanAm is another 1960’s based TV show that will go against AMC’s Mad Men and NBC’s The Playboy Club. There’s a show called Revenge that sounds really interesting, but the new series I’m most excited about is is the fantasy series Once Upon A Time, a show where fairy tales collide with the modern day.

Here is ABC’s full schedule along with a description of all of their shows. Go through them below and let us know what TV series you’re most excited about seeing.

Day Time Series

Monday:

8:00 p.

Chicago – NBC & Fox released their schedules already this week and there are a few interesting highlights, but ABC has released easily the most aggressive and ambitious new slate of programs, which will feature at least one new program five nights a week. Overall, they’re debuting seven new programs in the Fall alone, clearly trying to cement an exciting schedule before the mid-season instead of holding back programs for 2012.

Charlie’s Angels

Photo credit: ABC

As far as returning series go, “Cougar Town” will not return until 2012, allowing the promising “Happy Endings” to move into a great spot, post-“Modern Family.” (Thank you ABC. Thank you.) “Happy Endings” and “Extreme Makover: Home Edition” (which will be on Fridays now) are the only returning shows moving as ABC had enough to worry about with new shows and are keeping “Dancing With the Stars,” “Castle,” “Body of Proof,” “The Middle,” “Modern Family,...

ABC hopes 13 is its lucky number. The network has picked up a baker’s dozen new shows to populate its fall and midseason schedule, which includes opening a new comedy block.

Mondays will stay the same with Dancing With the Stars and Castle. Tuesdays will open with a comedy hour that includes Tim Allen’s new sitcom, Last Man Standing, paired with another new comedy, Man Up. Wednesdays adds new comedy Suburgatory, plus soap thriller, Revenge, at 10 p.m., with Cougar Town shifting to midseason and Happy Endings getting the Modern Family lead-in. Charlie’s Angels will go into Thursdays at 8 p.

After spending untold amounts of cash on hundreds of dramas and comedies — most of which will never make it to your living rooms — the five broadcast networks will begin announcing in New York next week which projects are good enough to earn a coveted fall pickup. (NBC and Fox will present their fall schedule to advertisers on Monday, followed by ABC on Tuesday, CBS on Wednesday and the CW on Thursday).

Buzz is already strong for several projects (for more on the hot ones, click here). But every year, we always wonder what diamond-in-the-rough was left on the cutting room...

It’s pilot season in the Us. The time of year where the networks finance and film the best (well, most marketable) pilot scripts that grabbed their attention, with the hope of a few being strong enough to warrant a series commitment for 2011/12.

Many will be so heinous they’ll never air; some will impress execs enough that they’ll go to series, only to be axed amidst low ratings; a handful may be lucky enough to last a whole season on-air; and a few may even be popular with audiences and justify a second season. Well, you never know!

Below is a list of 20 pilots that have my interest right now, based solely on their premise or the talent involved. Obviously, it’s unfair to judge these pilots before we’ve seen them, but this is intended to be a quick overview of the positive and negative buzz surrounding them right now.

And they’re off! Casting is all but completed and production has already begun on scores of pilots for the five broadcast networks. But not every comedy and drama will go the distance. Which project has the right stuff? What pilot already has you feeling like you popped a Lunesta? Check out the mammoth slate for fall consideration. (And remember, all projects are whittled down in late April/early May before the nets present their fall slates to advertisers in New York):

CBS

The Doctor (Rina Mimoun, David Nutter). A mother (Christine Lahti) reconnects with her adult children when...

Jonah Lotan has signed up for a lead role in ABC drama pilot Pan Am. The project, from former ER scribe Jack Orman, will focus on the pilots and flight attendants working for the Pan Am airline in the 1960s. Deadline reports that Generation Kill star Lotan will play Dean, the charismatic captain of new aircraft the Majestic. The actor previously played the recurring role of Dr. (more)...

Jonah Lotan (Generation Kill) has landed the male lead in ABC's drama pilot Pan Am. The project, from Sony Pictures TV, writer Jack Orman and director Thomas Schlamme, is a sexy soap set against the Jet Age that revolves around pilots and flight attendants working at the iconic Pan Am airlines in the 1960s. Lotan, repped by Gersh and Luber Roklin, will play the charismatic and confident Dean, who has just been made captain of the amazing new Pan Am clipper the Majestic. Brooke D'Orsay has landed the female lead in the ABC multi-camera comedy pilot Smothered, from Andrew Reich and Ted Cohen. The Warner Bros. TV-produced project centers on young couple Zack (Kyle Howard) and Gillian (D'Orsay), who find themselves smothered by their two very different sets of parents. D'Orsay, repped by the Kohner Agency, is recurring on USA's Royal Pains as the girlfriend of Evan (Paulo Costanzo). Gabriel Mann...

I absolutely adore 24 and as a die-hard fan I think it's a brilliant show. It not only revolutionized television with its real-time format, but has been consistently entertaining since day one. Kiefer Sutherland was already somewhat of a star when the series premiered, but he became a household name synonymous with his character Jack Bauer, a hard as nails government agent out to protect the innocent and seek justice at the cost of his own life. I'm just as sorry as any fan to see the show go after eight seasons, but I'm also relieved. 24 has grown more than a little tired over the years, with story-lines and plot devices that have become incredibly familiar. That's because much of what we see has occurred before and every story line, plot thread or turn of events feels directly copied from previous seasons. Jack and his colleagues not only find themselves in the same situations,...

Right before The Twilight Saga: New Moon star Kellan Lutz began filming for 2008's Twilight, he filmed an HBO series entitled Generation Kill. That series has been nominated for an Emmy in the category of "Miniseries" alongside Little Dorrit. The series starred "True Blood" star Alexander Skarsgard, James Ransome, Lee Tergesen, Jon Huertas, Stark Sands, Billy Lush, Jonah Lotan, Wilson Bethel, Pawel Szajda, Marc Menchaca, Rey Valentin, Lutz, and many others, and had a total of seven episodes (Lutz appeared in all seven)...

Chicago – If you haven’t seen HBO’s “Generation Kill” or “John Adams,” then you haven’t seen two of the best mini-series of the last several years and the absolute best of 2008. These are both pieces of amazing television, must-sees for fans of intense, adult drama and now available on Blu-Ray.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 The brilliance of “Generation Kill” was somewhat overshadowed by the fact that HBO produced one of the most critically-acclaimed mini-series of all time in the stunning “John Adams” in the same year. With both titles finally available on Blu-Ray, now viewers who may have seen only one of the two or not had a chance to catch up with either can see both in the format most people watch HBO in nowadays - HD.

“Band of Brothers” has long been one of the most successful DVD (and now Blu-Ray releases) on the market and anyone who...

Chicago – David Simon and Ed Burns, two of the television geniuses behind “The Wire”, turned their eyes and ears from the gang-ridden streets of Baltimore to the bullet-strewn bodies of Iraq in the incredible seven-part HBO mini-series “Generation Kill”, now available in a box set from HBO Home Video.

All the buyers who turned HBO’s “Band of Brothers” into a massively successful DVD release (especially around Father’s Day and Christmas) should put “Generation Kill” on their shopping list this year. It’s easily the best fictional document that has yet to be produced about the nightmare in the Middle East. While films like “Lions For Lambs” and “Redacted” and shows like Steven Bochco’s “Over There” tried to be blanket statements for the entire war and the Bush administration’s bungling of it, Simon and Burns focus “Generation Kill” on the people on the ground. It’s incredible...

Michael Gaston, Lily Rabe, Michael Raymond-James, Fredric Lehne and Clifton Powell have joined HBO's drama pilot "Last of the Ninth" as regulars.

Additionally, Tim Guinee has joined Fox's "24" and Erin Cardillo has come aboard Disney Channel's "Suite Life" spinoff, "The Suite Life on Deck," both in recurring roles.

David Milch's "Ninth" is a gritty 1970s cop drama that centers on Joe Dalton (Jonah Lotan), a young Vietnam veteran-tuned undercover cop, and veteran detective John Giglio (Ray Winstone).

"Jericho" alum Gaston will play the lieutenant in charge of the 9th Precinct where the show is set. Rabe ("What Just Happened") will play a plainclothes cop and a potential love interest for Dalton. She is repped by Innovative and Framework.

Lehne ("Lost") will play a bright detective with a drinking problem. Raymond-James ("True Blood") will play a macho narcotics detective. Powell also will play a detective.

On "24," Guinee ("Iron Man") will play a reporter. The actor, repped by Innovative and Principal Entertainment, next appears in "Synecdoche, New York."

On "Deck," Cardillo will play Ms. Palmer, a teacher, vice principal, counselor and coach aboard a cruise ship. Repped by Stone Manners and Commonwealth, she next appears in the film "Son of Mourning."...

Lily Rabe has been cast as a series regular in David Milch's HBO crime drama pilot "Last of the Ninth."

Rabe recently completed the indie film "All Good Things" and will be seen next in Barry Levinson's "What Just Happened?" She joins previously announced cast members Ray Winstone and Jonah Lotan.

She is repped by Innovative Artists and manager Peg Donegan at Framework Entertainment.

Ray Winstone and Jonah Lotan are set to star on HBO's drama pilot Last of the Ninth from David Milch.

Ninth is a gritty drama set in 1972 in the New York Police Department, which is struggling with fiscal problems and allegations of corruption. The project centers on Joe Dalton (Lotan), a young Vietnam veteran who joins the NYPD as an undercover cop. There, veteran detective John Giglio (Winstone) takes him under his wing.

Milch wrote the pilot with Bill Clark; the duo also are executive producers. Carl Franklin is directing the pilot.

Winstone, who is onscreen in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, is repped by ICM and Michael Wiggs at London-based CAM.

Lotan, who next appears in HBO Films' miniseries Generation Kill, is repped by Gersh and Luber Roklin.

HBO Films has assembled the principal cast of its ambitious seven-part miniseries "Generation Kill", from "The Wire" creators David Simon and Ed Burns.

Alexander Skarsgard, James Ransone, Stark Sands, Jon Huertas and Lee Tergesen lead the ensemble cast of the mini, which chronicles the first month of the American-led 2003 Iraq invasion through the eyes of young Marine whose unit was part of the first wave of the U.S. military assault on Baghdad.

Susanna White and Simon Cellan Jones have been tapped to direct "Kill", which is based on Evan Wright's award-winning nonfiction book.

Also co-starring in the mini are David Barrera ("Evan Almighty"), newcomer Josh Barrett, newcomer Wilson Bethel, Nabil Elouahabi ("The Path to 9/11"), Neal Jones ("Rescue Me"), Chance Kelly ("The Departed"), Michael Kelly ("The Sopranos"), Eric Ladin ("Surface"), Jonah Lotan ("24"), Billy Lush ("The Black Donnellys"), Kellan Lutz ("Accepted"), newcomer J. Salome Martinez Jr., Marc Menchaca ("The Alamo"), Eric Nenninger ("Malcolm in the Middle"), Pawel Szajda ("Under the Tuscan Sun"), Rey Valentin ("One Tree Hill"), Brian Patrick Wade ("The Guardian") and Owain Yeoman ("The Nine" ).

Also a key member of the ensemble cast is former Marine and Iraq War veteran Rudy Reyes, who will play himself.

"One Night With the King" has all the trappings of a biblical epic with resplendent Mogul palaces of Rajasthan, India, standing in for fifth century B.C. Persia and sumptuous costumes and design elements re-creating the Persian empire in breathtaking splendor. Yet the heart of the matter, the story of Esther, an orphaned Jewish girl who becomes a queen and saves her people from annihilation, is inert.

Director Michael O. Sajbel never gets a handle on a way to make the story come alive for modern audiences. Scenes jammed with beautifully costumed extras, exotic animals and impressive vistas of the city of Jodhpur quicken one's pulse. Yet whenever the camera moves inside those palaces for intrigues associated with empire building and bloody revenge, the movie devolves into a talky, static affair featuring a cast with wildly varying accents and acting abilities.

The unfortunate upshot is that "One Night" has little chance to cross over to audiences outside its Christian demographic even when Fox Home Entertainment takes over the DVD release in the spring after its national rollout today. The film's biggest potential hook -- the reteaming of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in their first movie since "Lawrence of Arabia" -- disappears in less than a minute. O'Toole appears fleetingly in a prologue, then vanishes, sharing nary a scene with Sharif.

The screenplay by writer Stephan Blinn (basing his script on the novel "Hadassah: One Night With the King" by Tommy Tenney & Mark Andrew Olsen) is filled with plots and schemes but little real action. Not that good filmmakers can't make a banquet out of palace intrigue. But all this movie can manage is meatloaf: Actors stand in awkward-looking poses to declaim dialogue often lifted directly from the Bible. The spark of genuine drama is everywhere missing.

Another problem is casting. As Esther, young American actress Tiffany Dupont's line readings are self-conscious and modern-sounding. Nor does she understand how to use her physical presence to claim scenes that should belong to her. English-born Luke Goss as King Xerxes is competent enough -- once one gets past his ill-defined accent -- but the story confronts him with a character who is more indecisive than Hamlet.

Xerxes wants to rule over a rich culture of enlightenment and tolerance. Yet his princes successfully pressure him into military adventurism. The villain, Haman (a one-note James Callis), bribes Xerxes into issuing a decree to slaughter all Jews within the kingdom. At this juncture, neither man realizes that the king's new wife, Esther, is Jewish. The key point of the story is how Esther, persuaded by her uncle Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies) that she must intervene, goes against all protocols to sway her husband's mind. And he changes his mind in a flash.

Distinguished work is turned in by the veteran Davies and by Tiny Lister Jr., who uses his deep, gravely voice and imposing physique as the royal eunuch to powerful effect. Israeli actor Jonah Lotan is effective as Esther's childhood friend, while Sharif is persuasive as a father figure to the waffling king.

The real heroes, though, are designer Aradhana Seth, costume designer Neeta Lula and cinematographer Steven Bernstein, who furnish a perfect setting for the tale. Jac Redford's generic background music, on the other hand, won't shut up.

One Night With the King has all the trappings of a biblical epic with resplendent Mogul palaces of Rajasthan, India, standing in for fifth century B.C. Persia and sumptuous costumes and design elements re-creating the Persian empire in breathtaking splendor. Yet the heart of the matter, the story of Esther, an orphaned Jewish girl who becomes a queen and saves her people from annihilation, is inert.

Director Michael O. Sajbel never gets a handle on a way to make the story come alive for modern audiences. Scenes jammed with beautifully costumed extras, exotic animals and impressive vistas of the city of Jodhpur quicken one's pulse. Yet whenever the camera moves inside those palaces for intrigues associated with empire building and bloody revenge, the movie devolves into a talky, static affair featuring a cast with wildly varying accents and acting abilities.

The unfortunate upshot is that One Night has little chance to cross over to audiences outside its Christian demographic even when Fox Home Entertainment takes over the DVD release in the spring after its national rollout today. The film's biggest potential hook -- the reteaming of Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif in their first movie since Lawrence of Arabia -- disappears in less than a minute. O'Toole appears fleetingly in a prologue, then vanishes, sharing nary a scene with Sharif.

The screenplay by writer Stephan Blinn (basing his script on the novel "Hadassah: One Night With the King" by Tommy Tenney & Mark Andrew Olsen) is filled with plots and schemes but little real action. Not that good filmmakers can't make a banquet out of palace intrigue. But all this movie can manage is meatloaf: Actors stand in awkward-looking poses to declaim dialogue often lifted directly from the Bible. The spark of genuine drama is everywhere missing.

Another problem is casting. As Esther, young American actress Tiffany Dupont's line readings are self-conscious and modern-sounding. Nor does she understand how to use her physical presence to claim scenes that should belong to her. English-born Luke Goss as King Xerxes is competent enough -- once one gets past his ill-defined accent -- but the story confronts him with a character who is more indecisive than Hamlet.

Xerxes wants to rule over a rich culture of enlightenment and tolerance. Yet his princes successfully pressure him into military adventurism. The villain, Haman (a one-note James Callis), bribes Xerxes into issuing a decree to slaughter all Jews within the kingdom. At this juncture, neither man realizes that the king's new wife, Esther, is Jewish. The key point of the story is how Esther, persuaded by her uncle Mordecai (John Rhys-Davies) that she must intervene, goes against all protocols to sway her husband's mind. And he changes his mind in a flash.

Distinguished work is turned in by the veteran Davies and by Tiny Lister Jr., who uses his deep, gravely voice and imposing physique as the royal eunuch to powerful effect. Israeli actor Jonah Lotan is effective as Esther's childhood friend, while Sharif is persuasive as a father figure to the waffling king.

The real heroes, though, are designer Aradhana Seth, costume designer Neeta Lula and cinematographer Steven Bernstein, who furnish a perfect setting for the tale. Jac Redford's generic background music, on the other hand, won't shut up.

ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING

Gener8Xion Entertainment

Credits:

Director: Michael O. Sajbel

Screenwriter: Stephan Blinn

Based on the novel by: Tommy Tenney, Mark Andrew Olsen

Producers: Matthew Crouch, Laurie Crouch, Richard J. Cook, Stephen Blinn, Lawrence Mortorff

Director of photography: Steven Bernstein

Production designer: Aradhana Seth

Music: Jac Redford

Costume designer: Neeta Lula

Editors: Gabriella Cristiani, Stephan Blinn

Cast:

Hadassah/Esther: Tiffany Dupont

Xerxes: Luke Goss

Mordecai: John Rhys-Davies

Prince Admantha: John Noble

Hagai: Tommy Tiny Lister Jr.

Haman: James Callis

Jesse: Jonah Lotan

Prince Memucan: Omar Sharif

Samuel: Peter O'Toole

Running time -- 124 minutes

MPAA rating: PG...