Moviefone Editorial

Tag: starz

‘American Gods’ May Be 2017’s Most Eagerly Anticipated Show

“American Gods” is shaping up to be one of the most eagerly awaited television events of 2017 — even for the actors appearing in it.

With an enormously alluring pedigree that includes renowned fantasy author Game of Thrones” and “Westworld” — even before the series’ official premiere date has been announced.

Among a prestigious cast that includes Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, Emily Browning, Crispin Glover, Gillian Anderson, Cloris Leachman, and Kristin Chenoweth, members of the series’ acting ensemble on the series — which depicts an epic showdown between the gods of old and new, with modern deities in forms like Media and Technology — are also abuzz with anticipation.

Actor Kingdom” co-star who previously collaborated with Fuller on “Hannibal” and an unsold TV pilot, reteams with the writer/producer to play Low-Key Lyesmith, who for viewers who haven’t read the novel comes with many a surprise up his sleeve.

“I loved this idea,” Tucker told Moviefone of his enthusiasm for the material and the relevancy of its of-the-moment themes. “We’re always battling tradition and the old guard with progress and with the new temptations. That’s certainly the case at this point. There’s also this idea that Greed and Technology and these new gods — the gods of today in Neil Gaiman’s book — we’re still wrestling with those issues, even though it’s been 20 years since the book.“There’s a lot of people who feel very left behind, on both sides of the political spectrum,” he continued. “You always know that the source material is on point when the themes can carry forward 20 some odd years after it was originated.”

“I’m geeking out!” admitted actress Criminal Minds” and “NCIS,” and who considers herself a major fan of Gaiman’s works. Badaki plays another elder deity, Bilquis, the Goddess of Love, caught up in the brewing war between the old and new gods.“I’d already read the book when it originally came out, and the first thing that hit me was that it is an immigration story,” Badaki explained. “I’m originally from Nigeria, and only recently became a citizen. And there’s so much with all the stories of these old gods being brought into present day. You see all these different immigration stories, so that was the one thing that resonated immediately for me.”

“There’s a lot of power in it,” said Badaki. “And it’s interesting because a lot of women have been reaching out, even before our show has opened, and they’re all really empowered by it, and they’re really excited to see where Bilquis is taken.”

The actress says that one of the behind-the-scenes thrills of her role has been watching Fuller bring all of his creative powers to bear on Gaiman’s story. “We already know Bryan’s an amazing, incredible, just joyful human being, and he is a master storyteller,” she said. “He loves what he does, and he loves asking the difficult questions. He doesn’t shy away from that.”

“It’s really inspirational to see somebody that has been in this business for so long hold that same passion, hold themselves that accountable to the role that storytelling plays, and to do it with such joy,” she added. “It’s just incredible to watch.”

“Bryan Fuller has been a long-time collaborator of mine, and I would say I’m one of his biggest fans,” agreed Tucker. “We have a very close relationship. I would serve coffee on a Bryan Fuller set! So when he called up to have a conversation about this character, I leapt.”

December 30, 2016
50 Cent Threatens to Quit Starz’s ‘Power’ After Golden Globes Snub

While the nominees for this year’s Golden Globe Awards shared their excitement on social media on Monday, there was one star who didn’t earn a nod from the Hollywood Foreign Press Associated who was equally vocal online.

Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. Power,” took to Instagram after the nominations were announced, sharing some choice words for the Globes, the HFPA, and even his own network.

A photo posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on Dec 12, 2016 at 8:56am PST

“Golden globe’s [sic] can s*ck a d*ck,” the rapper-actor began his post. “I accept my series POWER was not intended to be a signature show for the network but it is the highest rated show.”

Jackson went on to say that he was done putting additional effort into promoting the series, and even hinted that he wanted his character, Kanan, to die, so he could leave the show entirely.

“I got other sh*t to do,” he said.

In a second Instagram post, Jackson shared what appeared to be some fake artwork for season four of “Power,” featuring boxer Floyd Mayweather. The star said he was “off the POWER train,” and noted, “I gotta do something different.”

I’m off the POWER train, champ is gonna do the show. Go to him for more info, I gotta do something different. #EFFENVODKA

A photo posted by 50 Cent (@50cent) on Dec 12, 2016 at 11:13am PST

In a statement, Starz didn’t address Jackson’s threat specifically, but noted that it was unconcerned with the show’s lack of love from the Golden Globes, citing its connection with viewers as its most important achievement.

“We are grateful for the excellent work being done on ‘Power’ by the producers, cast and crew,” the statement said. “We certainly think this exceptional show has been overlooked by various awards committees, but the fans have made it the second most watched show on premium cable in 2016…and those are accolades that mean just as much if not more.”

Variety also noted that an unnamed source from the network said that “there is no internal concern” at Starz that Jackson is actually leaving “Power,” and that the cable net believes “the rapper/actor is extremely committed to the show.”

[via: 50 Cent, 50 Cent, Variety]

Photo credit: Getty Images for DuJour

December 12, 2016
‘Blunt Talk’ Creator Reveals Season 2 Guest Stars

It’s time for Walter Blunt to make some rain in the world.

The good-hearted but oft-misguided TV newsman played to razor-sharp perfection by Blunt Talk” tilting his share of windmills as he attempted to put his debauched life back together and make a difference to society, and, in Season 2, series creator Jonathan Ames promises Walter will be taking on an even bigger, season-long challenge: the California drought.

As the first season of Starz’s frequently hilarious and surprisingly poignant series — concocted by novelist and TV auteur Ames (“Bored to Death”) and executive produced by Family Guy”) — arrives on home video Aug. 30, Ames joined Moviefone to reveal the intriguing surprises of the show’s freshman evolution and to offer a glimpse at the upcoming follow-up season, which returns on Oct. 24, along with an assortment of top-tier guest stars.

“We’ve got a really wacky, fun second season,” says Ames. “I think the first season was a good achievement, and the second season just kind of really goes even further.”

Moviefone: What were the fun discoveries along the way, from point A to the finale, as you put this show together?

Jonathan Ames: Well, I think the Walter/Harry relationship, and the chemistry between Patrick Stewart and Adrian Scarborough was just delightful from the get-go. So that was wonderful, and it was like … so that was just magic from the start.

And then also, just the family feeling of the whole cast. How not only was there chemistry between Walter and Harry, but that as time went on, the “Blunt Talk” family, the fictional one and the real one, felt so similar. That Jim, Celia, Martin, Shelly, Rosalie, Bob Gardner, and the actors themselves, all of them playing these characters, it was like our world mirrored the world in the show.

So it was great how everyone just sort of came together. The fake work environment and the real work environment — there was a kind of beautiful similarity.

You have an ability to effectively juggle tones and go from some really uproarious, hilarious moments to some very poignant scenes. Can you tell me about your experience getting there and being able to have that fluidity of tone in “Blunt Talk”?

Certainly. With Rosalie and her husband’s storyline we got in that first season, it went somewhere just very beautiful. I think, perhaps, if we’re able to go from comedy to what might seem like poignancy is that the comedy never comes from mocking the characters, but sort of loving them and loving their flaws.

So that when more real things are said, or things happen, we’re with them, because we haven’t been laughing at them. We’re sort of laughing with them, I guess, and crying with them. So I think by trying to approach all the characters with humanity and forgiveness, that we’re then maybe able to go to sadder places.

What was the big surprise you discovered while working with your literal and figurative anchorman, Patrick Stewart?

I don’t know if it was a surprise, but just how incredibly present he was, day after day, scene after scene. How much consideration he put into each moment. It was really like watching a great athlete, or a master artist.

Then also, there would be things that I would write that were funny, but then the comedy that he would bring from his own playfulness, or improvisation, or emphasis. So I think it was just, it was like watching something perfect out of nature, like watching a panther — I don’t know, I’m using a lot of metaphors!

What we can we expect in Season 2? You had a lot of themes and topics that you explored in Season 1, and I’m curious how many of those are going to carry over, and then what are some of the newer themes that you want to explore?

Well, I think, in Season 1, what we did is we really learned the world: we found out who everybody was, and I think we established that Walter is a little bit of a Don Quixote, that he wants to do right by the world and by people.

And in the second season, we tell a more serialized story. Basically he’s sort of working on one big news story having to do with the drought in Los Angeles. We kind of pay homage to “Chinatown,” which famously was about water and the use of water in LA. It continues to be a pressing issue.

So I think very much we continue the theme of, in terms of news topics, the more serious topic we tend to look at is what’s going on with our world and the environment. Because we can’t be current events, because when we shoot and when we air, there’s a lag. So again, we’re looking at the environment.

Then, in terms of the issues between characters, I think we really delve into everyone’s love lives and romantic lives this season. So that we found out who everybody was in Season 1, and now Season 2, we just explore everyone’s romantic and sexual lives this season, as well as giving them one mission, one big news story that they’re primarily working on.

In Season 1, you definitely tread some new ground in exploring the fluidity of sexuality among many of the characters and their pairings. Does that continue enthusiastically in Season 2?

Yeah, I guess, no pun intended, there’s a lot of fluidity to the sexuality on “Blunt Talk.” And no real judgment, maybe working on the Jungian principal of, in some ways, we’re all perhaps capable of bisexuality. But also, not even wanting to label anything that way.

But the men are men, and the women are women, but then sometimes everything gets all shuffled around, and I think it more has to do with them falling in love, as well as whatever physical needs they might have. There’s a lot of playing around with that this season.

One of the other things that I really enjoy about this series is how you’ve expanded the universe. The cast of characters is getting almost Springfield-level in your deepening bench of recurring folks. Are we seeing a lot of them come back, and are we seeing new faces added to that group?

We see a lot of returning characters. Obviously our core cast, they’re all back. Then we have Erik Griffin, who was Walter’s sponsee, who Walter met at a sex and love addiction meeting — we have him back. Brett Gelman, who’s the neighbor, who is a pornographer, but also turns out to be a lawyer, he comes back. The therapist that Walter saw at the end of the season, played by Fred Melamed, he returns. Jason Schwartzman returns. Moby returns. Golden Brooks returns. Yeah, a lot of those characters come back.

Then we’ve added a bunch of stars, too … visiting stars. We have The Office.” Oh, and Trace Lysette who played Gisele [in Season 1]. Yeah, so we brought back so many of the people from last season, and added a bunch of those new names I mentioned. So we have an incredible number of guest stars this year.

You had some fun with Brent Spiner, without getting too meta. Will he or any of Patrick’s other “Star Trek” costars join this season?

Brent Spiner is back, and yeah, so we get to see him again, which is great — I’d like to find more for him to do!

I found, by the end of this season, that my feeling about Walter had changed pretty dramatically, and I found him a very genial, endearing guy. I just really enjoyed him, despite all of his problems. How tricky is it to keep him going, and keep him that guy, but also put him in these very comical situations that play off of his ego, his reputation, and his bad decision-making?

Where he begins in Season 1, he’s hit bottom. And as he says in Episode 2, “I’ve been given a second chance. I need and want to be a better father for the American people, and my own children.” And we see him do that over the course of the season.

He’s bounced back from this bottom, that nadir that we see in the opening of Season 1, and he sort of becomes the man that he always was, or maybe meant to be. Someone that tries to do the right thing, and even if he has flaws. In Season 2, it very much continues in that vein. We explore his romantic past a little bit. And really, Walter’s biggest flaw, but it’s a good flaw to have, is that he loves all the people around him, no matter how loony they are. He doesn’t give up on anybody.

So I think the show is less about Walter being a bad boy, because he’s not. He’s a man who enjoys his drinks, and he enjoys his romance, but he’s also committed to getting out important news and wants to make a difference. He’s someone we should root for. Again, it’s an overused parallel, but he’s very much a Don Quixote. He’s a knight — even if at times if he’s a deluded knight.

How has writing the show and overseeing the show challenged you and evolved your writing?

I mean, writing for television can just be very stressful because there’s so much — the time, and all sorts of logistical factors. You want to make things fresh, especially when you have all these great actors. You want to give everybody something really good to do, and give everybody their moment. So that’s always a fun challenge.

It’s like, “Okay, as I’m going to have this platform, I want it to be unique, and beautiful, and interesting.” So you just always have to challenge yourself. With people like Patrick Stewart, you can’t give him banal scenes, or banal things to say. You want to give him good things. But still, it’s a lot of writing over these two seasons, written with the help of an excellent writing staff: 600 pages of scripts! … It’s all a challenge, but it’s a good challenge.

No matter how much time that you’re given to tell Walter’s story, do you know the end, roughly? Do you have the end vision in mind for his tale?

I don’t know the overall big picture, if we got five seasons or three seasons. But I tend to know the big picture each season before I enter into it, before I start planning everything. I usually have in mind where I want him to begin and where I’d like him to end. So I just kind of go season by season. That’s the nature of the TV life: you might not get another season.

August 29, 2016
‘Outlander’ Producer Teases ‘Amazing’ Season 2 Finale

The battle lines have been drawn, the Battle of Culloden appears to be an inevitability, and Jaime (Sam Heughan) and Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) continue to struggle with the tide of history.

The season finale of the increasingly epic second season of “Outlander” airs July 9th, a supersized 90-minute extravaganza that reintroduces the underlying time-traveling conceit in a big — and potentially heartbreaking — way. Even better, now that the show’s network, Starz, has renewed the series for not one but two seasons (taking it to the halfway point in author Diana Gabaldon’s eight-book series), allowing the creative team the leeway to play a longer-form game. Executive Producer Maril Davis offered a teasing peek at the road ahead.

Moviefone: Give me a little tease on what’s left for everybody who’s been with you on the journey in Season 2.

Maril Davis: We’re getting closer to Culloden and closer to war, and we’ll see a lot of old favorites come back. It’s war time, and we know what happens with war, and people are divided and loyalties are torn. So I think the last two episodes are amazing, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how everyone reacts.How challenging was that, to go to the scale you needed to go to to depict a war?

Well, we won’t actually see [the war yet], we don’t quite get to Culloden in these last two episodes. It’s kind of towards the eve of it. So I’m not sure we’ll get to the “Game of Thrones” battle that they had. But it was a really emotional time, these last two episodes, and really powerful performances. I think we’re all so proud of these last two.

What has it meant to you to know that you have a lot of storytelling left to do? You’ve got a nice extended pickup for two more seasons.

Yeah, I’m so excited about it. It’s so rare that you have something where you’re not constantly searching for story and you’re not in the room. Kind of like, what is next? And what are we going to do? And knowing that you have so much material down the line. So I find it personally liberating.

How does that pickup affect the way you tell the story? Does it affect it, the knowledge that you have two seasons? Is that going to change the way you pace things out?

No, I mean, I think it’s personally gratifying, and kind of like, “Oh, okay. We can relax in terms that we don’t have to also have the fans asking us constantly, ‘When is Season 4 coming?” when Season 3 is on. [Laughs] Honestly, we haven’t changed our game plan. We are kind of sticking to a book a season. So that hasn’t changed. It’s just changed the amount of work we have to do.

What does it mean to see where you’ve expanded a little bit beyond what Diana Gabaldon put in the books, and to see the fans respond to that and to be able to take things a little bit further and explore little corners that interest you guys?

Yeah, I think it’s fun for us. I’m actually a huge book fan. But I think there’s been so many moments I’m proud of. Like, in the first season, when we see kind of what Frank’s doing back home searching for Claire that we don’t get to see in the book. I think filling in those gaps that maybe Diana didn’t have time for, for us is really rewarding. Especially when we get it right.

The “Outlander” Season 2 finale (“Dragonfly in Amber”) airs Saturday, July 9th on Starz.

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June 30, 2016
‘Outlander’ Renewed for Seasons 3 and 4

The epic love story between Claire and Jamie will continue for the foreseeable future: Starz has renewed time-travel drama “Outlander” for two additional seasons.

The pickup means that the show — based on the ongoing book series of the same name by author Diana Gabaldon — will be back for seasons three and four, which will adapt the plots of the books “Voyager” and “Drums of Autumn,” respectively. “Outlander,” which stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, is currently in the midst of its second season, which set ratings records for Starz when it premiered back in April.

“The audience has rewarded ‘Outlander’ with their praise and loyalty, and we know we will deliver the best seasons yet in the years ahead,” said Sony Pictures Television execs Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg in a statement.

Starz CEO Chris Albrecht released his own statement announcing the pickup:

“Outlander” is like nothing seen before on television. From its depiction of a truly powerful female lead character, to the devastating decimation of the Highlander way of life, to what is a rarely seen genuine and timeless love story, it is a show that not only transports the viewer, but inspires the passion and admiration of its fans. On this 25th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the U.S., we are thrilled and honored to be able to continue the story that began with author Diana Gabaldon, and is brought to life by the incredibly talented [producer] Ronald D. Moore. There are no better storytellers for “Outlander” than this team, both in front and behind the camera.

No word yet on when season three of “Outlander” is set to debut. Season two wraps its run this summer.

[via: Variety]

Photo credit: Starz

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June 2, 2016
Here Are AMC, Bravo, WEtv Winter 2015-2016 Premiere and Return Dates

Break out your special Daryl Dixon-themed calendar, ’cause it’s time to mark down some premiere and return dates. Winter schedules were recently released for multiple networks, including AMC, Bravo, Crackle, Starz, and WEtv. On the AMC side, you’ll get the 2016 return date for “The Walking Dead” Season 6, after its midseason break. Over on Bravo, we have reminders on premiere dates for “Top Chef” Season 13 and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Season 6, among others.

Here are highlights from the networks’s winter schedules:

AMC

• “The Walking Dead” Season 6B Premieres Sunday, February 14th at 9:00PM ET/PT
Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics, “The Walking Dead” reigns as television’s most watched drama for Adults 18-49. “The Walking Dead” tells the story of the months and years that follow after a zombie apocalypse, and follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes, who travel in search of a safe and secure home. The series stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes; Steven Yeun as Glenn; Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon; Chandler Riggs as Carl; Lauren Cohan as Maggie; Danai Gurira as Michonne; Melissa McBride as Carol; Sonequa-Martin Green as Sasha; Lennie James as Morgan. For season six, Scott M. Gimple will return as the series’ showrunner and executive producer along with executive producers Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert, Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse.

• “Better Call Saul” – Season 2 – Early 2016
“Better Call Saul” is a prequel to the award-winning series “Breaking Bad,” whose creator Vince Gilligan and writer/producer Peter Gould serve as co-showrunners of the premiere season. The story is set six years before Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) meets Walter White. When we meet him, the man who will become Saul is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny and hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside and often against Jimmy is fixer Mike Erhmantraut (Jonathan Banks), a beloved character first introduced in “Breaking Bad.” The series tracks Jimmy’s transformation into a man who puts the criminal in “criminal attorney.” Joining Odenkirk and Banks as series regulars are, Michael McKean (This is Spinal Tap) as Chuck McGill, Rhea Seehorn (“Franklin & Bash,” “House of Lies”) as Kim Wexler, Patrick Fabian (“Big Love,” “Grey’s Anatomy”) as Howard Hamlin and Michael Mando (“Orphan Black,” “The Killing”) as Nacho Varga – characters that will represent both legitimate and illegitimate sides of the law.

• “Comic Book Men” Season 5B Premieres February 2015
In its fifth season, AMC’s popular unscripted series “Comic Book Men” takes another dive into geekdom by following the antics in and around master fanboy Kevin Smith’s New Jersey comic shop, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash. Leading the fearless team behind the shop’s counter are Walt, Mike, Bryan and Ming, who geek out over mind-blowing pop culture artifacts and the legends behind them. Special guests this season include comic book mastermind Stan Lee, artistic genius John Romita Jr., and the gentle giant inside Chewbacca, actor Peter Mayhew. And in a “Comic Book Men” first, Kevin Smith drops by William Shatner’s personal office to pick the brain of Captain Kirk himself. Whether it’s buying and selling memorabilia or embarking on wild adventures away from the store, The Stash cast shares all the juicy details with Kevin during their hilarious podcast, which is woven throughout the series.

BRAVO

• “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce” – Season Two Premieres on Tuesday, December 1 at 10pm ET/PT
Created and executive produced by Marti Noxon, the series follows self-help writer Abby McCarthy (Lisa Edelstein) as she navigates being single once again in her 40s. This season, as a new chapter in Abby’s professional life seems promising, her personal life remains chaotic and all-consuming as her adventures in dating become even more unpredictable. When she becomes ‘the face of divorce’ for chic lifestyle website SheShe, Abby is once again forced to live a lie hiding her complicated relationship with estranged husband Jake (Paul Adelstein). But as Abby finds success preaching the pros of divorce to her readers and portraying a fabulous single life on social media, she is torn over whether her marriage is worth saving or if she should chart her own course. Throughout Abby’s ups and downs, the one constant in life remains her incredible girlfriends. While Delia (Necar Zadegan) grapples with following the rigid traditions of getting married, Phoebe (Beau Garrett) tries to leave her demons in the past as she looks to find her true self and Jo (Alanna Ubach) deals with her ex-husband and his new wife encroaching on her new LA life.

Joining the cast this season is Retta (“Parks and Recreation”) playing Barbara, a rival editor at SheShe who is less than thrilled with Abby’s optimistic approach to divorce, Megan Hilty (“Smash”) as Charlene, a southern belle who is married to Jo’s ex-husband Frumpkis, played by Maury Sterling, and Mark Valley as confident and charming TV personality Dr. Harris, who pursues Abby. Carrie Fisher returns as Abby’s book agent Cat. Barry Bostwick and Lesley Ann Warren guest star as Abby’s parents George and Dina.

• “Top Chef” Season 13 – Two-Night Premiere Event on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Bravo Media’s Emmy and James Beard Award-winning “Top Chef” embarks on an epic gastronomic road trip up the coast of California, kicking off with a two-night premiere event on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. With nearly 1000 miles traveled, the unprecedented six-city expedition challenged the cheftestants’ culinary skills like never before as they journey across the Golden State, stopping in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the series first began, along with San Diego, Santa Barbara, Oakland and the Greater Palm Springs area. Returning to the judges table for season 13 are host Padma Lakshmi and head judge Tom Colicchio, alongside judges Gail Simmons, Richard Blais and Emeril Lagasse. The series will air regularly Thursday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Throughout the season, the chefs will be tasked with serving up food for culinary stars and celebrity guest judges including: Hugh Acheson, Max Silvestri, Ludo Lefebvre, Dana Cowin, Michael Cimarusti, Jose Andres, John Besh, Art Smith, Javier Plascencia, Antonia Lofaso, Michael Voltaggio, Jacques LaMerde, Bill Chait, Jonathan Waxman, Martin Yan, Adam Fleischman, Traci Des Jardins and Hubert Keller.

• “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” Season 6 – Premieres Tuesday, December 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT
Bravo Media’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” returns for season six on Tuesday, December 1 at 9:00pm ET/PT with jaw-dropping bling, wild fun, shocking drama and a few surprises along the way as Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Yolanda Foster, Lisa Rinna and Eileen Davidson are joined by new housewives Erika Girardi and Kathryn Edwards. A friend of Yolanda’s, Erika Girardi is a blonde bombshell married to one of the highest-powered, top-earning lawyers in the United States, who happens to be 32 years her senior. Erika leads a rich paradox of a double life, overseeing a breathtaking estate by day and performing as an over-the-top, hit-making, sexy star named Erika Jayne by night. New housewife Kathryn Edwards knew Lisa Rinna twenty years ago when they were both starting to make waves in the LA scene. Now married without children to retired football player, Donnie Edwards who is nine years her junior, the pair leads an enviably stress-free life of fun and excitement, splitting their time between Brentwood and San Diego.

This season, Yolanda’s struggle with Lyme disease continues as she goes to extremes in search of a cure, which leads the other women to question her actions. Longtime friends, Lisa Vanderpump and Lisa Rinna, are also in the crossfire as gossip and secrets erupt into a deeply personal conflict between the two. New to the group, Kathryn tries to befriend Erika, but they quickly become embroiled in their own drama and sparks fly when they start speaking the truth. Kyle is just trying to keep her head above water while expanding her store, maintaining friendships with the women and dealing with unexpected personal matters. Reeling from the recent death of her father-in-law, Eileen seeks a much needed apology after questions and details about her marriage arise from another housewife. Whether driving Ferraris in Italy, staying at a glorious house in the Hamptons or receiving VIP treatment at the world’s tallest building in Dubai, nothing will keep the Beverly Hills housewives from shedding tears and hurling accusations while still keeping up impeccable appearances.

CRACKLE

• “Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee” Season 7 – Premieres January 2016
Comedy legend Jerry Seinfeld assembles an incredible lineup of comedians to join him for a seventh season of the highly anticipated series. New episodes will anchor Crackle’s late night time slot. Sponsored by Acura, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” is executive produced by Jerry Seinfeld and Embassy Row. Seasons one through six are currently streaming on Crackle.

STARZ

• “Black Sails” Season 3 – Jan 23, 2016 at 9 pm
The ten-episode third season of the authentic high seas drama, returning in 2016, follows the most feared pirate of the day, Captain Flint (Toby Stephens), and takes place twenty years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic “Treasure Island.” Ray Stevenson joins the cast as the iconic pirate Blackbeard. In the wake of the burning of Charles Town, all the New World lives in fear of Captain Flint. But when his campaign of terror crosses over into madness, it falls to John Silver to locate the man within the monster before it’s too late. Meanwhile, with Eleanor Guthrie in prison, Jack Rackham oversees a new Nassau, hoping to secure his legacy as a king among thieves. All will be tested when a new threat arrives, one the pirates could never have anticipated. It knows them. It understands them. And in the blink of an eye, it will turn them against each other.

WETV

• “Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars” Season 4 Premieres December 4, 2015 @ 9PM
“Marriage Boot Camp Reality Stars” places five couples together under one roof to undergo intense counseling and exercises which test the boundaries of their relationships. Boot Camp Directors Jim and Elizabeth Carroll push the couples to their limits, both physically and emotionally, in order to save their troubled unions. Sean and Catherine Lowe (“The Bachelor”), Mama June & Sugar Bear (“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”), Benzino and Althea Heart (“Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta”), Sunday Carter and Cedric (“Basketball Wives: LA”), and Sarah Oliver and Jimmy “Inkman” Coney (“Bad Girls Club”) move into the house for season four of the hit series.

• “Tamar & Vince” Season 4 Premieres December 2015
The couple is under pressure as they try to keep up with Tamar’s ambitious agenda. They struggle to find balance between work, marriage and parenthood, and with stress at an all-time high, the couple argues more than ever. With so much on the line, they realize they must fix their communication problems before it’s too late.

• “Growing Up Hip Hop” Premieres January 7, 2016 @ 10pm ET/PT
“Growing Up Hip Hop” follows the next generation of hip hop royalty as they attempt to step outside the shadow of their famous families. Music legends Damon Dash, Rev. Run, Master P, El DeBarge and Pepa are always nearby as each up-and-comer tries to build their own life and fortune in careers ranging from music to acting and fashion. At every turn they are challenged with maintaining their own identity while evolving the hip-hop sound and culture they come from. “Growing Up Hip Hop” spotlights the dynamic between this group of well-known hip hop legends as they attempt to school the next generation including Romeo Miller, Angela Simmons, Damon “Boogie” Dash, Kristinia DeBarge, Egypt Criss and TJ Mizell.

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November 11, 2015
5 Things to Expect From Starz’s ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’

It’s been several decades since Ash vs. Evil Dead.”

Thirty years after first stumbling across the Necronomicon and awaking something evil in the woods, the snarky, sex-crazed demon hunter is back in business. He’s much older and worse for the wear, of course, but none of that will stop him from fighting the good fight (and bedding any distressed damsel he can find).

Moviefone screened the first few episodes of the new series, which we think may appeal to lifelong fans of the franchise and newer audiences alike.

Here are five spoiler-free things to expect from the Halloween premiere:

1. Bruce Is Back and Groovier Than Ever
Bruce Campbell isn’t just this show’s titular hero and top-billed executive producer; he’s the heart and soul of the entire “Evil Dead” franchise. So, for this new Starz series to have any chance of succeeding, he will have to knock it out of the park on a weekly basis. That’s no easy feat for any actor, let alone one who’s pushing 60 and hasn’t played an action hero in several decades.

Thankfully (if not miraculously), Bruce pulls it off. His quips are perfectly timed and his stunts are believable – he plays the funny, fearless scoundrel to perfection. Has he aged? Sure, but that’s a large part of the show’s charm. Yes, Bruce is back and he’s groovier than ever.

2. Perfect Blend of Horror and Humor
Contrary to popular belief, hilarity and horror aren’t mutually exclusive. A lot of horror offerings try to be funny (and vice versa), but rarely does a film or movie succeed on both fronts. Well, “Ash vs. Evil Dead” is the exception to the rule. The show is funny -– really funny -– and it has plenty of legitimately frightening moments.

For example, when Ash spanks a woman with his wooden hand while making puns, you’re probably going to laugh. But when she turns around and shows him her demon face (and screams “I’m coming… TO GET YOU!”), it’s genuinely creepy.

3. Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Motif
The world has changed since Sam Raimi made the first “Evil Dead” in 1981, but Ash most certainly has not. From the opening scenes of “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” it’s clear our atypical hero’s only motivations are getting laid, getting drunk and/or high, and doing it all to Deep Purple’s “Space Truckin.’”

You’d think an undead invasion would bring about a shift in priorities -– especially after we learn his excessive partying might actually have caused the evil dead to return -– but you’d be wrong. Ash is and will always be Ash.

4. Badass Women
One way in which “Ash vs. Evil Dead” surpasses its cinematic predecessors is in its portrayal of strong women. The “Evil Dead” films were centered a demon-slaying chauvinist (however endearing), so it was smart of Starz to bring aboard a few tough females who can more than hold their own.

There is Amanda (“Sleepy Hollow’s” Jill Marie Jones), a cop who is confronted with “deadites” early on and doesn’t hesitate to pump them full of lead; Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo), one of Ash’s ValueStop co-workers who nearly breaks his wrist after he tries hitting on her; and then there’s a mysterious woman named Ruby, played by the Warrior Princess herself, Lucy Lawless.

5. Meta-Humor and Self-Awareness
“Ash vs. Evil Dead” isn’t “Mad Men” or “The Wire” and doesn’t try to be. The Starz series knows it’s the sequel to a few dusty old cult films about a demon hunter with a chainsaw for a hand, and it’s never afraid to poke fun at itself.

Whereas the heroes of most action-filled offerings are blessed with great strength or intellect, “Ash vs. Evil Dead” makes a running joke of Ash’s lack of wisdom and poor physique. He was no world-class athlete even his evil-slaying prime, after all, so it makes sense that, now, after decades of unhealthy living, he’s barely able to muster up enough stamina for sex in a bar bathroom.

“Ash vs. Evil Dead” premieres Halloween night on Starz at 9 p.m.
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October 30, 2015
Mila Kunis and Rob Zombie Team Up for Starz Series ‘Trapped’

Two unlikely stars are teaming up for a new show on Starz: Mila Kunis and Rob Zombie.

The pair will produce a new horror-tinged series for the premium cable network called “Trapped.” The entire show takes place over the course of one night, in the home of a wealthy family that’s under attack by a murderous cult.

Zombie is set to direct and executive produce “Trapped,” while Kunis will produce through her company Orchard Farms Productions. The series, described as a half-hour comedy-horror hybrid, was written by “Arrested Development” alum Joey Salmon.

As Ash vs. Evil Dead,” which is also being billed as a horror-comedy show. The network is known for its lavishly-produced period-piece series like “Spartacus” and “Outlander”; branching out into comedy (and horror) could bring in a whole new audience to the cabler.

No word yet on when production will begin or when the show is set to debut. Stay tuned.

[via: Variety]

Photo credit: Getty Images for Burberry

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September 22, 2015
‘Blunt Talk’ Creator Talks ‘Remarkable’ Patrick Stewart and Making Cable News Funny

After turning the journalistic, fiction, memoir and graphic novel worlds on their heads with his distinctively quirkily charming, self-analytical writing style, author Bored to Death,” earning praise for unique characterizations and attention to comedic details.

Now the wordsmith is returning to TV with “Blunt Talk,” a brand-new, decidedly non-memoir-ish series executive produced by Seth MacFarlane and set in the world of cable news punditry, starring Patrick Stewart as a barely-held-together news personality grappling with his many personal demons while aspiring, usually misguidedly, to do good in the world. To be blunt, Blunt’s a trainwreck, and that’s exactly where Ames like to start with a leading man.

Moviefone: Where was the point of inspiration that made you want to spend this much time in this world?

Jonathan Ames: I got an email from my agent that Seth MacFarlane was looking for an idea for comedy for Patrick Stewart. And this was very intriguing: a chance to work with Seth MacFarlane and a chance to work with Patrick Stewart. And the night before my phone call with Seth, I happened to be channel surfing, and I saw Piers Morgan on CNN. And I was kind of struck. I hadn’t maybe looked at a news show for a while. I don’t know why. I was kind of struck by like the electric blue pop of his set. I thought, “Wow, you know, Patrick Stewart would look really cool in front of such a background. Patrick Stewart could play a cable news host, and we could live behind the scenes.” I’d always loved the show “Larry Sanders.” And so for me, it wasn’t so much about the news, but an environment where characters could gather, and we could study this central character, this Walter Blunt.

As far as creating Walter and figuring out who he was, keeping it of the world, but also funny, what did you want to say with him?

Well, through this character, I wanted to create a hero. Maybe a deluded hero, maybe a Don Quixote, but someone who would like to do good in the world, to take his position and try to help humanity in some way, because I like to create characters that you root for and I want the viewer to enjoy rooting for these characters, to love them and I guess maybe one of the original definitions of the word catharsis, to experience catharsis. Are they going to make it? Am I going to make it? And then creating a world around him of people who have issues and problems, but they try to help each other with these issues and problems.

So again, wanting to create something where human beings feel less alone, and that there are characters out there like this. And then ultimately, always having the goal to entertain, to create an entertainment. I see myself as a clown, so the rationalization for my existence is to maybe, in my own way, contribute by making a few people -– who have access to premium cable -– laugh a little. And so, then there’s just the joy in making something. So I’m in the arts to entertain.

I’m sure you were confident that Patrick Stewart could do just about anything, but he’s just brilliant in this role. When did you realize there was a real special alchemy between actor and character here?

I think the very first time we heard him reading the script. We rehearsed, and also, his immediate chemistry with Adrian Scarborough’s Harry. I just think from the get go, he just was this man. And it seemed special from the very first shot, from the very first rehearsal.

What did you get to learn about Patrick, himself?

I think it was really wonderful. I mean, all the actors we worked with are talented, gifted, and hard working. But just the commitment that Patrick brought to every scene, this training, this attention, that perfectionism. So I think that was really remarkable to watch day after day, how much he brought to this continuously, and brought to his fellow actors as a listener, a responder. So it was like launching a great athlete or a great dancer, and just very impressive, day after day.

As you dug into the news talk format, what were things that you found there that you wanted to explore or tweak?

Yeah, that’s a good question. I guess I was more into these characters than the world of the news. And in later episodes, we begin to address serious topics like the death penalty, genital mutilation. We come back to the environment. The impact of the Internet on journalism. PTSD. Shifting human sexuality. So I enjoy having this bully pulpit myself in a comedy, to be able to actually look at some important topics. And it’s kind of like the iron fist in the velvet glove: it’s a comedy, but we were bringing up these issues. So I think my observations of the news world -– I don’t think I was so fascinated by anything so much that, but I was more intrigued by [the film] “Network,” and the idea of news as entertainment and the idea of an eccentric newscaster. So I think it was more about those things rather than being intrigued by what goes on actually at Larry King or these kind of shows.

Are you still intrigued by like a cocktail conversation with Piers Morgan, and see what he might have to say?

Oh, sure. I would love to meet him. I would love to see what he thinks of the show. And I’d love to get him on the show.

What do you love about the TV format?

Well, having come from the world of books, I really like the opportunity to make some really fun images. To make moving pictures. Whether it be having cars that are beautiful colors, to having a silly sword fight scene like out of Peter Sellers. To doing a beautiful shot of the Venice Canals. Splitting the screen in two and having two Walter Blunts. Later episode, we pay homage to Laurel and Hardy on the staircase with the piano. So we shot out in the desert, and I really liked getting these beautiful desert shots. So I really like coming up with these visuals and trying to pull them off.

You have such a deep bench in your ensemble. Tell me about assembling your cast. Was it difficult or easy to get that talent all in one place?

Well, I don’t know about easy, but Jacki Weaver was interested in being in it. And so I met with her, and we talked. And I guess I sold her on the idea of doing it, so that was like a first big coup. And then I saw [Timm] Sharp audition, and I thought he was fantastic. I met Dolly [Wells] in New York, but then had her come audition. I just was drawn to these actors who are also interesting human beings, and I think they bring that to the characters. Patrick Stewart had worked with Adrian Scarborough and had worked with him, so it all sort of came together. I do all the casting for the show with my fellow producers, but ultimately, I make the choices. And I kind of used this Lillian Gish principle, which I had heard that she said, “Movies are about faces and music.” And so I always try to look for interesting faces in the smaller parts or the larger parts. And then interesting faces could translate as interesting human beings. Who isn’t interesting? Everyone’s interesting, but a combination of interesting face, acting, being able to be vulnerable -– these are, I guess, some of the qualities that I look for. And yeah, we just pulled together this beautiful ensemble.

Seth has characterized his role as just making the introduction and letting you guys run with it. What has been interesting about being in business with him?

Well, he made all this possible by introducing me to Patrick Stewart. I should have done something on the panel about, [singing] “Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match…” So he very much played matchmaker between Patrick and I. And then, yeah, he’s just kind of been like, “Hey. This is great. Keep going, keep going.” And then he’s been very busy with his own stuff.

So I think he’s a fascinating fellow. He’s one of the most successful people in the industry, but he’s really just a humble, sweet guy who wants to make interesting work. And so I’m just very lucky to get to associate with him and find him personally, kind of fascinating. In some ways, he’s a little bit like a Gatsby figure. He catapulted to such levels of success at a fairly young age, but he wants to keep experimenting and trying new things. And also, he’s got a variety of talents. He sings. He dances. Voices, drawing, I mean, he really is a Renaissance man.

And that relationship with Seth and Patrick is so interesting because he’s such a fan of “Star Trek.” And to see that they’ve become friends, that’s got to be kind of fun to see that happening in front of your eyes?

Yeah, well, I mean, they’ve been working together long before I came on the picture. They’ve just been working on “Family Guy” for years. And I think that did come out of Seth being such a Trekkie. But yeah, Seth just adores Patrick, and vice versa.
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August 22, 2015
Timm Sharp and Dolly Wells on What Sets ‘Blunt Talk’ Apart

Blunt Talk,” but he’s also been surrounded by an ensemble of characters who despite their media elite jobs are finding life equally full potential pitfalls.

Enlightened,” she of the current “Doll & Em”) sat down with Moviefone to offer a tease at the behind-the-scenes dysfunction ahead, even as they admitted their own not-so-successful ability to recognize the real-life news references their characters spout.

Moviefone: There’s so much talent involved in this project that I can see why signing on would be an easy yes. But creatively, what was the thing that made you say “I’m going to have fun with this character?”

Timm Sharp: Jonathan let me know very early on that my character was going to have a slew of really complex issues. And I thought that would be so fun to play somebody who had all these issues. You’ve seen the first four episodes, right? So you only know of two so far. There’s more.

Dolly Wells: It’s like a treasure hunt. “Hey, I found some of Timm’s problems!”

Sharp: A scavenger hunt.

Wells: I was quite jealous of all his issues. I want some more issues. No. I’ve got issues. Remember that bit where they were asking me to say “iss ues” [leaving out “h” sound in an overly British pronunciation]. But I was trying, but I had issues with saying “iss ues.”

Sharp: There was one where the director was like -– it was an American director -– and he was like, “This doesn’t sound right. Can you try doing it, just saying ‘iss-ues?” And you’re like, “Um…”

Wells: And also, not that I’m 15, but you have to be well over 60. It’s a generational thing. My mother, you say, “sex-ual” and “iss-ues,” but I don’t. I couldn’t say it.

Sharp: She was saying it through the door.

Wells: I was saying, “We all have iss-ues.”

Sharp: And then I said, “Why are you saying issues like that?” Maybe that will be on the DVD. Oh, yeah, it is on the blooper reel.

Wells: Anyway, my answer to that would be, because I haven’t lived in America for very long and this is my first American show, I feel like she’s actually a very evolved woman in that you can show all her problems and confusions about everything. But you can also have her sleep with a bunch of people or try to find boyfriends on Tinder, but without there being any judgment, like “Oh my God, that’s quite weird.” But as I say that, I’m seeming quite old because I’m thinking, she does loads of shows probably in England, but America, women are like that. But that’s why I found her attractive. She was very intelligent, very successful. I mean, she’s a senior producer there, on this great show. That’s a very good job to have. She’s only one underneath Rosalie [Jacki Weaver]. So she’s doing a really important job, and she’s necessary. And she’s only been doing it for six months. She’s moved from England for a year. She used to work at the BBC.

Sharp: I think you play it very well. You play that without the heaviness on the acting. That’s just something about you, and you move on.

Anybody would jump at the chance to work with Patrick Stewart. This is Patrick Stewart comedically unleashed in a way we’ve never seen him before and he’s doing brilliantly, so tell me about seeing that happen in front of your face and not just either stop and watch him go -– or kind of lose your mind inside?

Sharp: That was all part of it. The first two weeks, I saw more breasts than I think I’ve ever seen in my life.

Wells: But also, you feel so lucky. I remember the first day or one of the first days when it was in the porn studio, and Patrick’s in that yellow windbreaker or whatever you call it here. Wind-slicker or something you call it here. And I thought, “My God, even if I didn’t have a single speaking line, the fact that I’m standing this close to such a fantastic actor, that not only have I heard he’s a fantastic actor, but now I’m really seeing up close what a phenomenal actor he is.”

Sharp: He’s incredible.

Wells: He’s really brilliant. And I mean, each take, there’s something different. And he’s so inclusive and you’re such a part of it all. And he’s got a little -– not little — huge, twinkly eyes. All the sort of fun and chaos that’s happening, I think he was enjoying as much. He was saying, “I haven’t in my whole career done as many ridiculous things as I’ve done in the last three months.” And he’d giggle. But you felt like you were all part of it together. It was exciting watching everybody. It was exciting for me watching Timm, watching Mary, watching Kara, watching Adrian. Because you see everyone’s work a little bit. But it’s like, wow. Honestly, you feel proud of yourself, like I’m allowed to be a part of it. You feel like you’re gate crashing a party.

Sharp: Yeah, we’re part of something that’s never… I think there’s nothing like this show on TV. It’s weird in all the great ways, and yeah, I’m honored to be a part of it. And it’s fun watching all the Jonathan’s neuroses come out through us.

Wells: I know. It’s an honor to show them.

The world of news network is so rich for stories. Were you a news junkie before or just watched it casually as most of us do?

Wells: I feel very ashamed to say this, but I’m getting better. But I find it’s almost like someone starting to learn Danish later in life or something. I just have always found the news so frightening that I’m not up to date. It made my friends laugh. I mean, of course, I know what’s going on sort of, but I’m not someone that’s very -– I read the newspapers, and I feel really sad.

Sharp: What’s funny about that is I’m the exact same way. I loosely follow what’s going on in the world, and we are both playing the senior producer and head writers of this show [laughs]. And we don’t know what the hell is going on.

Wells: Like when we were doing that walking along. Do you remember?

Sharp: Oh, yeah.

Wells: And it felt like I was just going “Uh, uh, uh…I didn’t know the countries I was speaking about. I mean, it’s all sort of laughing and going, “I know nothing about the world.” I don’t mean that.

Sharp: Yeah, “Timm Sharp and Dolly Wells are idiots.”

Wells: “Proud to know nothing about current affairs.”

Tell me about the intersection of the two talents, Seth MacFarlane and Jonathan Ames, that make this show uniquely pop?

Sharp: I think Seth MacFarlane is smart, very smart force. And he basically just introduced Patrick and Jonathan and let those two do their thing. Creatively, Seth wasn’t as involved as Jonathan and the writing staff.

Wells: But it’s almost like his work was done before that. First of all, he’s an incredible comedic talent. I mean, I can’t believe, like I can’t believe he’s sticking around. He’s really hilarious. But I think and also, there’s a humility. I think that’s just as creative and exciting. And she’s thinking, OK. Patrick Stewart, hilarious, brilliant. I’ve watched him on “Extras.” Wasn’t Patrick’s voice on “Family Guy?”

Sharp: There’s an interview -– I can’t remember who he was quoting -– but Seth was like “Somebody great said to me, ‘The key to success is to just put all your favorite people together and let them do their thing. And you can reap the rewards,’ or whatever. Seth’s amazing. And he loved the show.

Wells: He knew to put those together -– to me, that’s a creative decision. Or it’s even like people that non stop give the best parties or whatever: “Who knows: if I have that person and that person, something exciting is going to happen.” It’s like a creative party.

Sharp: Seth is an incredible party host for us.
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August 21, 2015