News

Exclusive: CBC has put a third season of time-bending anthology drama Plan B into production.

Kotv its returning to produce the season, which will feature a new lead cast of Carolina Bartczak (Painkiller, X-Men: Apocalypse), Arnold Pinnock (The Porter, Combat Hospital) and Ennis Esmer (Children Ruin Everything, Blindspot).

Additional casting includes Arianna Shannon making her screen debut, Jaeden Noel (Orphan Black: Echoes, Invasion), Carolyn Taylor (Baroness von Sketch Show, I Have Nothing) and Grace Lynn Kung (Sort Of, Fallout).

Production is now underway in Montreal, with six episodes planned. The show is an adaptation of the French-language drama series of the same name, which is now in its fourth season for Radio-Canada.

The season will follow Abigail Walker (Bartczak), the host of Canada’s top morning TV show, who is grappling with the devastating loss of her teenage daughter, Lucy (Shannon), to suicide. Tormented by grief and regret, Abigail uses...

Watching it in 2023, one might find themselves a little baffled as to why Martin Brest's 1984 crime comedy "Beverly Hills Cop" was such a massive success. Made for a modest $13 million, "Beverly Hills Cop" caused a sensation, earning over $234 million domestically which is, when adjusted for inflation, closer to $700 million. It made Eddie Murphy a household name and more or less codified an emerging genre of R-rated buddy cop movies that would remain ascendant throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. The success of "Beverly Hills Cop" might confuse people, however, as it seems wildly basic these days. The jokes are not particularly funny, and while Murphy is as charismatic as they come, his Snobs vs. Slobs shtick seems trite and tired.

It seems that "Beverly Hills Cop," however, was merely outstripped by its imitators. In the wave of imitators that spawned, filmmakers pushed the action and the humor to higher and higher degrees,...

Exclusive: NBC has put in development Uncivil, a comedy from Roast Battle creator Rell Battle; Mideast Minute creator and star Pardis Parker; Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner’s Hazy Mills; and Universal TV, where Hazy Mills is based.

Written by Battle and Parker, Uncivil revolves around a pair of friends – a city prosecutor and public defender – who find that their personal squabbles spill into the courtroom and their professional disputes follow them home.

Battle and Parker executive produce with Hayes and Milliner via Hazy Mills, and Bradley Gardner, former development executive and producer for Hazy Mills and now SVP of Orion Television. Universal TV is the studio.

Battle, an alum of Fox’s Diversity showcase, created Roast Battle, an energetic live show that subsequently was adapted for TV and aired on Comedy Central, with Battle as executive producer. He also wrote on Comedy Central’s Hood Adjacent and since has...

Exclusive: Chicago P.D. alum Elias Koteas is set as a series regular opposite Gabriel Bateman and Adrian Grenier in Syfy’s AI drama pilot Cipher from Allison Miller (Strange Angel) and Universal Content Productions. Rough House Pictures (Halloween) is executive producing.

Written by Miller, in Cipher, following the recent death of his mother, 13-year-old video game junkie Asa’s (Gabriel Bateman) life changes yet again when his brain is implanted with one-of-a-kind computer technology, and the boy and his father John (Grenier) unwittingly find themselves at the center of the next great war – over artificial intelligence.

Koteas will play Hal Berek, a Texas rancher with a strong opinion about how John and Asa should face the challenges ahead of them.

Kyla-Drew Simmons and Sydney Morton co-star.

Miller will executive produce via her overall deal with Ucp. David Gordon Green, Danny McBride, Jody Hill and Brandon James will executive produce for Rough House Pictures.

Aladdin is a whole new world with a whole new cast.

The live-action remake of the popular Disney film has raked in $207 million worldwide since its release on Friday and has earned $112 million at the U.S. box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

And at the forefront of the film’s success are the film’s new stars, Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott’s Jasmine.

The stars were cast in their roles in July 2017 — and neither are strangers to the screen.

Massoud, 27, got his start on a pair of Canadian dramas, as the actor was born in Cairo,...

Exclusive: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is set to star opposite Dakota Fanning in the Zeresenay Berhane Mehari-directed Sweetness In The Belly based on the bestselling novel by Camilla Gibb.

Adapted for the screen by Laura Phillips, the film is a powerful love story that explores an immigrant’s life from a unique perspective. In a story that is relevant to today’s cultural landscape, Fanning stars Lilly Abdal (a role which Saoirse Ronan was originally attached), who was orphaned in Africa as a child and escaped to England as a refugee, fleeing civil war. Lost in this cold new world, Lilly embraces the immigrant community in London, attempting to reunite people with their scattered families. However, Lilly’s mission isn’t purely selfless: A passionate lost love affair is revealed between Lilly and Aziz (Abdul-Mateen II), an idealistic doctor. But can Lilly let go of the past?...

Global has picked up a third season of suspense drama series Ransom for premiere next year on Global in Canada and CBS in the U.S.

Created by Frank Spotnitz and David Vainola, the series hails from Entertainment One, Big Light Productions, Sienna Films and Korda Studios. The 13-episode Season 3 will begin shooting in October in Budapest, Hungary. The principal cast includes Luke Roberts, Nazneen Contractor, Brandon Jay McLaren and Karen LeBlanc

Ransom is inspired by the professional experiences of crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert, who, along with his partner, Marwan Mery, are among the top negotiators in the world. They travel the globe to help multinational corporations and government agencies with complex negotiations and conflict resolution. Season 3 follows the world of international crisis and hostage negotiating with Eric Beaumont (Roberts) and his elite team as they save lives when no one else can.

Production has begun in Toronto on Ransom, the 13-episode drama created by David Vainola (Combat Hospital) and Frank Spotnitz. From eOne, Spotnitz’s Big Light Productions, Sienna Films and Wildcats Productions, the series has added principal cast to join Luke Roberts as hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont. Sarah Greene (Penny Dreadful) will play Maxine Carlson, a young newcomer eager to prove herself; Brandon Jay McLaren (The Killing, Chicago Fire) is Oliver Yates, a…...

CBS has placed a 13-episode, straight-to-series order for Ransom, a dramatic thriller from X-Files/Man in the High Castle Ep Frank Spotnitz starring Black Sails‘ Luke Roberts.

The pickup comes just weeks after Spotnitz abruptly parted ways with Man in the High Castle in the middle of production on Season 2.

RelatedCBS’ Fall Schedule: NCIS: La on Move, Michael Weatherly’s Bull Paired With NCIS

Ransom follows crisis and hostage negotiator Eric Beaumont (Roberts), whose team is brought in to save lives when no one else can. Eric understands criminals better than they do, and uses his insight into human...

CBS has come on board as the U.S. broadcaster of Ransom, a 13-episode drama series starring Luke Roberts (Black Sails, Game Of Thrones), from Entertainment One and The X-Files alum Frank Spotnitz. CBS joins TF1 (France) and Corus' Global (Canada) which also will be carrying the suspense series, originally announced at Mipcom 2014. Created by David Vainola (Combat Hospital) and Spotnitz, Ransom is inspired by the professional experiences of crisis negotiator Laurent…...

CBS is adding another drama to its slate.

The network has handed out a straight-to-series 13-episode order for <em>Ransom, </em>a drama from Entertainment One, France's TF1 and Canada's Corus Global, <em>The Hollywood Reporter </em>has learned. <em>Black Sails' </em>Luke Roberts will star.

Co-created and exec produced by Frank Spotnitz (<em>The X-Files, Man in the High Castle</em>) and David Vainola (<em>Combat Hospital</em>), <em>Ransom</em> is inspired by the professional experiences of crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert who with his partner, Marwan Mery, are among the top negotiators in the world. Together, they travel around the globe to help multinational corporations and governmental agencies ...

Entertainment One Television (eOne TV) is teaming up with TF1 in France and Canada's Shaw Media to develop and produce Ransom, a new drama series based on the life of renowned crisis negotiator Laurent Combalbert. Frank Spotnitz, the showrunner on TNT's Transporter action series and an Emmy-nominated writer of such series as The X Files, co-created Ransom with David Vainola (Combat Hospital). Both will act as executive producers on the series. “The real-life cases Laurent undertakes make for nail-biting suspense and incredible human drama,” Spotnitz said. “This is going to be a thrilling series.”

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Endemol is expanding its scripted programming business with the acquisition of Wales-based drama production house Artists Studio. The company makes such series as Gillian Anderson-starrer The Fall for BBC Two, the channel’s most successful drama ever with more than 4M viewers per episode during the first season run. Under the deal, Endemol will distribute Artists Studio product including the 2nd season of The Fall which goes into production this year; as well as other projects in development for UK and U.S. broadcasters. Previous Artists Studio credits include Combat Hospital for ABC and Thorne for Sky UK. Gub Neal (Prime Suspect, Queer As Folk) co-founded Artists Studio in 2009 with former Box TV colleagues Justin Thomson-Glover and Patrick Irwin. Artists Studio will come under the Endemol UK banner. The acquisition also includes Far Moor Media, an executive producer packaging service for international drama producers whose credits include the currently...

The revolution was televised after all — or at least the first season of it. With blood, guts, power and a true blast of a cliffhanger, NBC’s Revolution (2.0/5) wrapped its freshman cycle last night with a 5% bump over last week. Despite a big break over the winter, the Jj Abrams-produced post-apocalyptic drama was the second-highest-rated new show of the 2012-2013 season after Fox’s The Following in the adults 18-49 demo. Not counting last night’s finale, the show’s most current season averages are a 4.2/11 rating with 10.9 million viewers overall. It helped NBC win Monday in total viewers and the demo. On ABC and also at 10 Pm,Mistresses (1.2/3) began its summer run after being pushed back from its scheduled May 27 debut. The steamy soap starring Alyssa Milano, Yunjin Kim, Rochelle Aytes and Jes Macallan was watched by just 4.42 million viewers and was the lowest scripted debut for ABC...

Can’t we all just get along?

That question is raised by Syfy’s Defiance, premiering Monday at 9/8c and presenting a 2046 Earth that has received an extreme makeover via terraforming and the colonization by seven alien races (collectively dubbed Votans).

The title refers to the St. Louis-adjacent town where humans coexist alongside milky-skinned and aristocratic Castithans (fronted by Tony Curran and Warehouse 13′s Jaime Murray as Datak and Stahma Tarr), Steampunky Irathients, bulging Biomen, the vicious Volge and other species.

Video | Syfy’s Defiance Explores a ‘Brave’ New World

Julie Benz (Dexter, Angel) plays Amanda Rosewater, the newly...

Justin Timberlake is bringing sexy back to Saturday Night Live… again.

The Emmy-winning singer/actor has been tapped to host the late-night staple for a fifth time, NBC announced Thursday. Pulling double duty, Timberlake will also act as the March 9 installment’s musical guest, performing tracks from his upcoming comeback album The 20/20 Experience.

Related | Saturday Night Live Vet Kristen Wiig Joins Arrested Development Revival

And now, the burning question on everyone’s minds: Will Andy Samberg resurface for the episode? Perhaps even if just for another “Dick In A Box”-ish Digital Short with his old pal Jt? Hit the comments with your predictions.

Set in 1961 London, Breathless is a six-part drama created by Paul Unwin whose credits include British series Casualty and Combat Hospital. ITV has just commissioned the ITV Studios production that follows the lives of a group of doctors and nurses in a gynecology ward at a period when Britain was on the brink of the 60s revolution. Smash‘s Jack Davenport stars as Otto Powell, a brilliant and charismatic surgeon who believes he can make a difference to women’s lives. Otto and his elegant wife preside over an ensemble of characters with more cast announcements to come. Unwin will direct the first two episodes. His co-creator is Peter Grimsdale who will also script with Simon Tyrell. Breathless is produced by Jolyon Symonds; ITV Studios’ Kate Bartlett will executive produce with Unwin. Shooting starts in April. ITV Studios Global Entertainment is handling internationally.

AMC's "The Killing" is making some classy casting choices for Season 3, adding Golden Globe nominated actor Peter Sarsgaard and rising indie film star Amy Seimetz to a mostly fresh ensemble.

It's the first series regular role for Sarsgaard, who earned critical acclaim for the films "Shattered Glass" and "Kinsey." He'll play a death row inmate and lifelong convict, according to TVLine.

Meanwhile, TVLine also reports Seimetz -- who made a splash in this year's buzzy Sundance Film Festival entry "Upstream Color" -- will play the struggling single mother of a missing teenager.

Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman will reprise their roles as Detectives Linden and Holder, while other new cast members include Elias Koteas ("Combat Hospital"), Max Fowler ("The Hour") and newcomer Bex Taylor-Klaus.

The Killing‘s Season 3 cast continues to take shape.

Peter Sarsgaard (An Education, Kinsey) is set to tackle his first recurring TV role in AMC’s dark crime drama, playing Tom Seward, a death-row inmate for whom the clock is ticking down. Described as “a lifelong convict born into poverty and crime,” Sarsgaard’s character has “been in and out of the system for violent crimes since he was 10.” Determined to never be seen as weak, Seward approaches every interaction with the goal of dominating it.

Related | Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Vampire Diaries, NCIS, Once, Scandal, Himym, Big Bang and More!

The Killing is adding actress-writer-director Amy Seimetz to its Season 3 call sheet as a series regular, TVLine has learned exclusively.

The indie darling (The Off Hours, Revenge for Jolly) will play Danielle Lutz, a hard-living, financially strapped single mother whose 14-year-old daughter goes missing.

Seimetz joins fellow Season 3 newbies Elias Koteas (Combat Hospital) and Max Fowler.

The new season of The Killing (which AMC ordered only months after cancelling the series) picks up a year after the events of the Season 2 finale and will focus on a single mystery which — unlike the Rosie riddle — will resolve over the course of 12 episodes.

"Combat Hospital" star Elias Koteas has joined the cast of "The Killing" for Season 3, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He'll play Ed Skinner, Sarah Linden's (Mireille Enos) former partner, who is described as "well-regarded and well-respected. Prosecutors relax when they see his name on the docket because they can trust his work."

When Season 3 picks up, Linden will no longer be a detective and it will be a year after she closed the Rosie Larsen case. Linden will find herself drawn back into her old life after her ex-partner, Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman), discovers a string of murders that connect to one of Linden's old investigations during his hunt for a runaway girl.

After being cancelled by AMC last July, "The Killing" had a miraculous resurrection, initially being touted for a Netflix revival similar to "Arrested Development," before ending up back at AMC. Writers started work on Season 3 in November last year.

Trading in Jason Morgan’s edgy leather jacket for a prim and proper peacoat, Steve Burton is headed to The Young and the Restless — and we have a sneak peek touting his arrival.

The promo finds the General Hospital alum arriving in Genoa City this week as Dylan McAvoy, Avery’s presumed-dead veteran ex who returns to town to take over the family business. And if, in the interim, he swipes his former ladylove away from resident stud Nick Newman, so be it… right?

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

• Erstwhile Walking Dead inmate Nick Gomez has...

Elias Koteas has signed on for The Killing Season 3.

The veteran actor (Combat Hospital, CSI: NY, Unforgettable) will jump on board the resurrected AMC drama as Ed Skinner, the intense ex-partner of Mireille Enos' Sara Linden. TV Guide describes the character as generally "upstanding," but also hints at a short-term affair he kept from his wife.

With Linden, perhaps?

The Killing Season 3 will pick up one year after Linden and Holder solved the Rosie Larsen murder, with AMC promising a different, self-contained story and mystery.

When we next see Linden, she'll no longer be a detective… until Holder pulls her back in via the case of a runaway girl and its connection to a string of homicides.

The Killing is shoring up its new cast. Elias Koteas has closed a deal to join AMC's revival of the mystery drama as a series regular, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Koteas, who most recently starred on ABC's Combat Hospital, will play Ed Skinner, the former partner of Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos). Well-regarded and well-respected, prosecutors relax when they see his name on the docket because they can trust his work. Story: It's Official: 'The Killing' Being Revived at AMC AMC, which had canceled the drama in the summer after its second season, made a rare reversal, deciding

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Directed by Richard Rose, and co-starring Lisa Berry, Hannah Moscovitch's This Is War plays at Toronto's Tarragon Theatre until Feb. 3. Tarragon's website provides the following synopsis for the stage production: It is 2008. Canadian Forces are holding Panjwaii, the most volatile region of Afghanistan, with very little support from Nato-isaf. Captain Stephen Hughes is always looking for the next threat, knowing it can come at any time from any direction. He just didn’t expect it would come from within. Berry (Combat Hospital, Nikita) plays the role of Master Corporal Tanya Young, and star alongside co-stars Ari Cohen, Sergio Dizio and Ian Lake.

Independent studio Entertainment One Television has tapped Carrie Stein for the newly created position of Evp Global Production. She joins July 2 based in the company’s Los Angeles office and will report to eOne Television’s CEO John Morayniss. Stein will work with the company’s television divisions to package and pre-sell half-hour and hour series and miniseries, as well as identify international co-production opportunities and secure financing for new and existing projects. Stein previously headed up the global management and packaging arm for 3 Arts Entertainment, where she sold Combat Hospital to ABC and Sony International. Before that, Stein spent four years as head of Alchemy TV, which specialized in international co-productions, and was Head of Television Longform Packaging at ICM for 11 years.

Will NCIS climb back up any family trees? What sort of “welcome” does a Falling Skies hero get? How will Five-0‘s McGarrett juggle business with pleasure? Read on for answers to those questions plus other teases from fall and summer shows.

NCIS | As I was hopping on the horn with showrunner Gary Glasberg, one of y’all tweeted me to ask about the “Abby’s brother” storyline touched on early in Season 9. “I can tell you that we are far from done with Abby’s brother,” Glasberg assured. “That’s something we will definitely be touching on in Season...

Along with every other network, NBC rolled out its 2012-2013 schedule this week - but before we get to the fall, there's some new programming on the way for the Peacock this summer.

On June 7, we'll meet the doctors of Saving Hope, a drama that stars Michael Shanks as the coma-ridden Chief of Surgery who actually wanders the halls of his hospital... as a ghost? As a figment of his own imagination? That's the question at the heart of the series.

It also features Erica Durance (Smallville),Daniel Gillies (Vampire Diaries), Huse Madhavji (Combat Hospital), Julia Taylor-Ross (Rookie Blue) and Kristopher Turner (The Listener). 

Watch an extended trailer now and decide if you'll tune in:

Saving Hope Promo...

Living up to his promise to infuse his struggling network with more original programming, the CW Network has picked up five new pilots to series. The Sex And The City prequel The Carrie Diaries, the Green Arrow reboot Arrow, a Beaty And The Beast re-imagination that shares the same name, a mystery thriller called Cult and a medical drama First Cut. Full series synopsis of which can be found after the jump.

The Carrie Diaries

It’s 1984, and life isn’t easy for 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw. Since their mother passed away, Carrie’s younger sister Dorritt is more rebellious than ever, and their father Tom is overwhelmed with the responsibility of suddenly having to care for two teenage girls on his own. Carrie’s friends – sweet, geeky Mouse, sarcastic and self-assured Maggie and sensitive Walt – make life bearable, but a suburban life in Connecticut isn’t doing much to take her mind off her troubles.

The CW has decided which of its pilots will receive series orders for next season. There are five pickups, being announced all at once. You ready?

Here’s the winners list: Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries, comic book adaptation Arrow, the fairy tale update Beauty and the Beast, the medical drama First Cut and the investigative drama Cult are all receiving series orders.

The one somewhat surprising omission from the pickup list? The Hunger Games-esque drama The Selection. We also have new detailed official descriptions of each new show below:

“The Carrie Diaries”

It’s 1984, and...

The CW has picked up five new hourlong series for fall, including the Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries, a reboot of Beauty and the Beast and the superhero saga Arrow. Also getting a green light are dark thriller Cult and medical dramedy First Cut.

Conspicuously missing from the pack is the Hunger Games-esque The Selection.

Descriptions of the new shows are below.

The Carrie Diaries

It’s 1984, and life isn’t easy for 16-year-old Carrie Bradshaw. Since their mother passed away, Carrie’s younger sister Dorritt is more rebellious than ever, and their father Tom is overwhelmed...

Call it "Melrose Place" meets "Fame" ... meets Canada.

Young showbiz hopefuls from up north make their way to Los Angeles to seek stardom, while occupying neighboring apartments, as The CW gives the seriocomic Canadian series "The L.A. Complex" its American premiere Tuesday, April 24. The initial six stories already have aired in the show's native country, where a 13-episode second season has been ordered.

Some of the ensemble cast will be familiar to U.S. viewers, including Cassie Steele, who worked with the same producers on the youth-oriented "Degrassi" franchise. She now plays Abby, who goes on acting auditions while resisting her boyfriend's pleas to return home. Jewel Staite ("Firefly," "Stargate Atlantis") also stars as Raquel, who's been there and back -- and wants to get there again, to the point of boldly suggesting that a producer change a character's ethnicity to accommodate her.

Chelan Simmons ("Kyle Xy") calls her own...

"The Office" actress Kate Flannery is putting Meredith on hold: She has landed her own standup series titled "StandUp In Stilletos" for TV Guide, set to air on June 16 at 10 p.m Et.

"We are continuing to invest in original series and exclusive programming that will draw entertainment fans closer to their favorite stars," TV Guide Network chairman Allen Shapiro said in a statement, referencing "StandUp" and the network's other new series, "Rove La." "'StandUp in Stilettos' and 'Rove La' will offer viewers fresh comedy programming with some of the best-known celebrities in Hollywood today, as well as up-and-coming talent."

The woman-centric 10-episode series will feature three comedians per installment to be be filmed in front of a live audience.

In addition to "The Office," Flannery's other TV credits include "The Life & Times Of Tim," "The Christmas Pageant," "The Soup" and more.

In other casting news ...

Jordan Belfi is headed to "Grey's Anatomy.

"The Office" actress Kate Flannery is putting Meredith on hold: She has landed her own standup series titled "StandUp In Stilletos" for TV Guide, set to air on June 16 at 10 p.m Et.

"We are continuing to invest in original series and exclusive programming that will draw entertainment fans closer to their favorite stars," TV Guide Network chairman Allen Shapiro said in a statement, referencing "StandUp" and the network's other new series, "Rove La." "'StandUp in Stilettos' and 'Rove La' will offer viewers fresh comedy programming with some of the best-known celebrities in Hollywood today, as well as up-and-coming talent."

The woman-centric 10-episode series will feature three comedians per installment to be be filmed in front of a live audience.

In addition to "The Office," Flannery's other TV credits include "The Life & Times Of Tim," "The Christmas Pageant," "The Soup" and more.

In other casting news ...

Jordan Belfi is headed to "Grey's Anatomy.

Eventful week. To play catch-up:

The big news that every site reported in a slightly different way is that Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome will be a digital series and a TV film, but not a TV show, at least not one produced by Syfy/Universal Cable Prods. You have probably read the Deadline article by now.

With the possibility that Universal may still shop B&C around, it doesn't sound like they have any immediate plans to make more of it beyond the existing pilot/web series/Mow.

No word yet on a release date, but Battlestar Wiki reports that we'll be seeing Blood & Chrome as a web series first and then as a TV movie.

Doug Drexler posted this the other day (full post at the link):

If sets had been built for this show, it would have cost 6 million easily, instead of only the 2 million it did cost,...

Film vet and Combat Hospital alum Elias Koteas will guest-star in the season finale of CBS’ Unforgettable as a man whom Carrie Wells comes to believe killed her sister all those years ago, TVLine has learned exclusively.

As viewers of the freshman drama know, Carrie (played by Poppy Montgomery) saw a man in the woods the day of Rachel’s murder but has never been able remember his face — ironic for someone otherwise boasting a super-memory.

Poppy Montgomery Hails Her Unforgettable New Foil and ‘Cool’ Season Finale

But as Carrie follows clues to be laid by the mysterious Walter Morgan...

NeNe Leakes' guest spot on "Glee" definitely left an impression. The musical dramedy's creator Ryan Murphy has cast "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star on his new comedy pilot, "The New Normal," Deadline reports.

The half-hour single-camera comedy that stars Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha as a gay couple who hire a surrogate (Scottish actress Georgia King), with Ellen Barkin as her mother.

On "Glee," Leakes played hard-ass synchronized swim coach Roz Washington, another rival for Cheerios Coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Should "The New Normal" get picked up, the Bravo celebrity will have a recurring role.

Find out more about Leakes' latest gig on Deadline..

In other casting news...

Serena Williams is trading the tennis court for TV to guest star on Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva." Williams will play Kelly Stevens, a lawyer who represents Elisa Shayne (Brandy Norwood) in a custody battle against Jay Parker, played by Josh Stamberg.

NeNe Leakes' guest spot on "Glee" definitely left an impression. The musical dramedy's creator Ryan Murphy has cast "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star on his new comedy pilot, "The New Normal," Deadline reports.

The half-hour single-camera comedy that stars Andrew Rannells and Justin Bartha as a gay couple who hire a surrogate (Scottish actress Georgia King), with Ellen Barkin as her mother.

On "Glee," Leakes played hard-ass synchronized swim coach Roz Washington, another rival for Cheerios Coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). Should "The New Normal" get picked up, the Bravo celebrity will have a recurring role.

Find out more about Leakes' latest gig on Deadline..

In other casting news...

Serena Williams is trading the tennis court for TV to guest star on Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva." Williams will play Kelly Stevens, a lawyer who represents Elisa Shayne (Brandy Norwood) in a custody battle against Jay Parker, played by Josh Stamberg.

Looks like McGarrett’s ladylove isn’t going anywhere.

Michelle Borth, who has been recurring on Hawaii Five-0 for the past two seasons, will enter Season 3 as a full-fledged series regular, Deadline reports.

The Combat Hospital alumna has appeared in five episodes of Five-0 as Lt. Catherine Rollins, the longtime girlfriend of Alex O’Loughlin’s Steve McGarrett.

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

• Former Justified Big Bad Margo Martindale — who most recently co-starred in A Gifted Man — has booked a guest spot in the upcoming second season of Suits, EW.com reports. The Emmy winner will...

Michelle Borth has been promoted to a series regular on Hawaii Five-0. The Combat Hospital actress has appeared in five episodes of the CBS drama as Catherine Rollins, the love interest of Steve McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin). Borth will reprise the role full-time in the show's third season, Deadline reports. Hawaii Five-0 was officially renewed by CBS earlier this month, along with 17 other shows. Borth is the second recurring star to be promoted to series regular (more)...

Exclusive: Steve McGarrett’s love life is looking up. Michelle Borth, who appeared in five episodes of Hawaii Five-0‘s first two seasons as McGarrett’s squeeze, will join the CBS procedural as a regular when it returns for a third season in the fall. She will reprise her role as McGarrett’s girlfriend, Lt. Catherine Rollins. Borth, repped by CAA, New Wave Entertainment and Marcy Morris, first guest starred in the fourth episode of Hawaii Five-0‘s first season and was most recently seen in an episode last month. She previously starred on ABC’s The Forgotten and Canadian-produced Combat Hospital. Borth is the second recurring guest star to be upped to regular on Hawaii Five-0 following last year’s promotion of Masi Oka. She joins Grace Park as the second female regular cast member on the show.

"I Helu Pu:" The Reckoning

To the dismay of Lori Fan Club such as myself, it's official: she's gone. It's also official: I'll miss her, as it seemed Lori had finally found her niche in the last few episodes.

Granted, Lori's "confession" to Steve that she had let things slide due to her feeling for him felt completely contrived. I was rolling my eyes throughout the exchange. There was no need to make Lori suddenly have a half-ass confession of attraction because was leaving. It didn't add anything.

That disappointment aside, this was one of the best episodes of the season. The use of the commercial breaks to show the current events for a bit, then switching to “what happened” works really well for this type of story.

I was also glad to see Catherine Rollins (Michelle Borth) back for a visit. Given that Combat Hospital was officially cancelled in December,...

2011 was a pretty big year for the TV world in general. Oprah said farewell to her beloved daytime chatfest. Regis bid adieu to mornings with Kelly and Gelman. And Kim Kardashian broadcast her "fairytale" wedding for all the world to bask in. Here in Canada, we had some pretty memorable small screen moments of our own.

Perhaps most notably, our Canuck quest for global TV domination continued to gain momentum with homegrown shows like "Rookie Blue,""Todd and the Book of Pure Evil,""Lost Girl" and "Republic of Doyle" steadily growing their international audiences around the world (and we also reinforced the global stereotype that Canadians are an attractive bunch, with the likes of Anna Silk, Missy Peregrym and Allan Hawco representing us on the world stage).

Since it’s that time of year (yes, list time), we've compiled a list of the top 11 most memorable moments in Canadian TV this year.

Mea Makamae: precious object, treasure.

On Hawaii Five-0 this week, the team must uncover what "Mea Makamae" a salvage diver was going after that got him killed.

The episode offered an impressive list of guest starts, most notably Patty Duke and Peter Fonda. The former was great in her portrayal of Sylvia Spencer, and although the latter didn't receive a great deal of screen time, he still made an impression as Jesse Billings.

I did have one main problem with the Princesa treasure story. That being when Dr. Asano (Autumn Reeser) stated that the Princesa was a Spanish trade ship that had ducked into Hawaii to make repairs and sank there. I'm pretty sure a Spanish trade ship carrying thousands of gold pieces wouldn't have been anywhere in Pacific Ocean, much less close enough to Hawaii during a gun battle that it made a reasonable safe harbor.

As a Spanish trade ship in the 1700s,...

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

"America's Got Talent" improved slightly in viewers over last week (and was steady in adults 18-49), and the performances of the Top 10 acts carried NBC to a ratings win Tuesday night.

NBC delivered 9.2 million viewers and a 5.7 rating/9 share in households for the night, beating CBS (8.4 million, 5.5/9) for the top spot overall. ABC came in third with 4.4 million viewers and a 2.7/4. Fox (2.4 million, 1.6/2) was fourth with a night of repeats, while The CW averaged 836,000 viewers and a 0.5/1.

The Peacock was the only network to finish above a 2.0 rating in the 18-49 demographic, finishing with a 2.3. CBS' 1.6 was good enough for second, edging ABC's 1.4. Fox drew a 0.8 and The CW a 0.4.

Tuesday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

CBS: "NCIS" rerun (9.3 million viewers, 6.1/10 households)

ABC: "Wipeout" rerun (6 million, 3.6/6)

NBC: "It's Worth What?" (4.7 million, 3.1/5)

Fox: "Glee" rerun (2.5 million, 1.7/3)

The CW: "90210" rerun (1 million, 0.6/1)

18-49 leader: "Wipeout" (1.9)

9 p.m.

NBC, the only English-speaking broadcast network to offer an all original lineup on Tuesday, won the night in 18-49 (2.3.6) and total viewers (9.2 million). It was paced by a two-hour America’s Got Talent (2.9/8), which was down a tenth from last Tuesday’s fast national 18-49 rating (down 6% from the final as the reality series is normally adjusted up). Opening for Talent was It’s Worth What? (1.1/3), which was down a tenth from last week. Following a Wipeout rerun (1.9/6), which once again was ABC’s top-rated program Tuesday, the network aired the finales of Take the Money and Run (1.5/4) and Combat Hospital (0.9/2), both even with last week. ABC (1.4/4) finished fourth for the night in the demo behind CBS (1.6/4), whose rerun lineup tied Univision for second place in the demo.

NBC's "America's Got Talent" took the night's top ratings on Tuesday, giving the network an overall win for the night, while the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced reality show "Take the Money & Run" and the drama "Combat Hospital" finished their seasons flat, according to preliminary numbers. Airing from 9 to 11 p.m., "Talent" received a 2.9 rating/8 share in the adults 18-49 demographic and 11.4 million total viewers, making it the evening's top-rated show and pushing NBC to the number one spot with an average 2.3/6 in the demo and 9.1 million total...

Just as I really got into Combat Hospital, it's over. "Do No Harm" was the season finale and it left us with plenty of compelling storylines to consider.

As I watched this episode, I sincerely hoped this wouldn't be the last time I saw Luke Mably's Simon, as it's questionable whether the series will be picked up for a second season. I wasn't sure how much potential this character had when I viewed the pilot, but several weeks later, I only want more.

Simon was simply adorable as he tried to do the decent thing and not take advantage of a vulnerable Rebecca. Of course, it didn't take much convincing from her to push him over the edge. The snippet of a love scene that we got only whetted my appetite for the real thing.

And I couldn't believe Simon picked up a book and pretended to be reading...

Fast National ratings for Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011

"America's Got Talent" was down a little from its performance last week, but the show still led NBC to a ratings win Tuesday night, beating out a fairly solid night of repeats on CBS.

NBC drew 8.8 million viewers and a 5.6 rating/9 share in households in primetime. CBS was not far behind with 8.3 million viewers and a 5.7/9. ABC (4.4 million, 2.7/4) came in third. Fox took fourth with 2.4 million viewers and a 1.6/3, while The CW (647,000, 0.5/1) was well off the pace.

In the adults 18-49 demographic, NBC's 2.4 rating was a point better than the 1.4 for ABC and CBS, which tied for second. Fox managed only a 0.8 with its repeat lineup. The CW drew a 0.2.

Tuesday hour by hour:

8 p.m.

CBS: "NCIS" rerun (8.9 million viewers, 6.1/10 households)

ABC: "Wipeout" rerun (5.9 million, 3.5/6)

NBC: "It's Worth What?" (4.5 million, 3.0/5)

Fox: "Glee" rerun (2.6 million, 1.8/3)

The CW: "90210" rerun (749,000, 0.6/1)

18-49 leader: "Wipeout" (1.9)

9 p.m.

NBC: "America's Got Talent" (10.6 million,...

NBC’s America’s Got Talent (3.0/8 in adults 18-49, 10.9 million viewers from 9-11 Pm) was down 9% in 18-49 from last Tuesday but still topped the night in all key measures and led NBC to a nightly win. (Its lead-in, It’s Worth What? was up a tenth to a 1.2/4). Once again, a rerun of Wipeout (1.9/6) at 8 Pm outperformed the ABC originals that followed it: new reality series Take the Money and Run (1.5/4) and drama Combat Hospital (0.9/3), both down a tenth from last week. ABC (1.5/4, 4.4 million) finished tied for third place in the demo with CBS (1.5/4, 8.3 million), which aired all reruns. They were edged by Spanish-language Univision (1.6/5, 3.8 million), which finished second for the night in 18-49.