TV Bits: ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Arrested Development’, ‘Archer’, ‘Dexter’, ‘Bates Motel’, ‘Tron: Uprising’, ‘Shameless’, Wonder Woman, Sam Mendes, Stephen King, And More
Based on the header image, can you guess who’s coming back forBreaking Bad’s final stretch? Also after the jump:
Despite that fanciful-sounding premise, Showtime president of entertainmentDavid Nevinsexplains that the tone will be “very realistic and very grounded, not Bela Lugosi. All exist in human form in turn-of-century London.” Logan is set to write every episode of the series, as well as executive produce with Mendes. It’s unknown at this point whether Mendes will also direct. Production will begin in the second half of 2013 in London. [Deadline]
Having portrayed the ape revolution inRise of the Planet of the Apes,Rupert Wyattwill shoot a human one on AMC’sTurn. The upcoming drama centers around a New York farmer who, with his friends, forms America’s first spy ring during the Revolutionary War. [Deadline]
Rian Johnson’s first post-Looperproject will be a return toBreaking Bad. The director tweeted the positive news over the weekend.
Johnson previously directed the episodes “Fly” and “Fifty-One” (pictured above).
If you’ve been trying to get your friends intoTron: Uprising, now is the time to step up your efforts. Over the weekend, storyboard artistEric Canetetweetedthat the show was “sadly, ending.” He quickly clarified that he wasn’t confirming a cancellation, writing “My opinions are my own & not 100% corroborated.” But it’s clear the show is in trouble anyway.
At the TCAs, producerEdward Kitsisadmitted that the series was severely lacking in viewers. “I don’t know what the future [ofTron: Uprising] is now,” he said. “I know at the present, I can say we need more viewers. I’m so proud of that show and I love that show and anyone who watches it loves that show. The problem is, not enough people are watching it. And so I would love to sound the alarm, because I love the characters and the world and it’s really… It’s a shame that more people aren’t watching it, because I think they’re missing out.” [IGN]
Until Netflix actually puts out a teaser forArrested DevelopmentSeason 4, we’ll have to make do with the occasional set photo or still. My main takeaway from these two? Somehow, all those intervening years have not improved George-Michael’s taste in shirts.
Arrested DevelopmentSeason 4 hits Netflix in May. [viaThe Playlist]
On a tangentially related note: CouldMichael Cerabe joining his Gangy onArcher?Jessica Walter, who voices Malory Archer on the FX animated comedy, teased the possibility during an event in New York this weekend.
“Michael Cera has told me he wants to do it,” she told the enthusiastic crowd. It’s worth noting thatArcherhas featured lots ofArrestedcast members in the past — Judy Greer is also a series regular, and Jeffrey Tambor and David Cross have both voiced guest characters, too. [Cinema Blend]
Michelle Monaghanis returning to TV for the first time in a decade withTrue Detective. The series follows two detectives (Woody Harrelsonand the suddenly ubiquitousMatthew McConaughey) whose lives intersect during a years-long hunt for a serial killer. Monaghan will play Harrelson’s wife, named Maggie Hart.Cary Fukunaga(Jane Eyre) is directing all eight episodes ofTrue Detective’s first season. The idea is for the show to change the cast and story each season, similar to FX’sAmerican Horror Story. [TV Line]
There’s been some effort on DC’s part to consolidate their big-screen franchises into one cohesive timeline, but could we see a similar streamlining on the small screen? The CW presidentMark Pedowitzhinted that the upcoming Wonder Woman-centricAmazoncould just be set in the same universe asArrow.
“I think they all could exist in the same world, but whether they do or they don’t is depending on what the [Amazon] showrunner wants to do,” he said. However, it’ll be some time before we know for sure, since the project still has to lock down a script and a star before it can get a pilot order. “If we get the right script and the right casting, we’ll go right forward to pilot.”
But whatever happens with Amazon, don’t expect Batman to be part of the CW DC universe. Pedowitz confirmed at the TCAs that there were no current plans for a CW series centered around the Caped Crusader. [Coming Soon]
There’ll be some serious drama coming our way this summer. CBS has announced a June 24 release date forUnder the Dome, a sci-fi drama based onStephen King’s novel of the same name. The series centers around a small New England town that’s suddenly and mysteriously cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible dome. The first episode comes from directorNiels Arden Oplev(the originalGirl With the Dragon Tattoo) and writerBrian K. Vaughan(Lost). [viaShock Till You Drop]
Then, just a few days later, Showtime will kick off the eighth and possibly final season ofDexteron June 30. That putsDexter’s premiere about three months earlier than expected; the previous seven seasons have all debuted around September 30, give or take a few days. [EW]
A&E has just released five new teaser posters for its present-day Psycho prequel seriesBates Motel. The images aren’t too revealing, but they set an appropriately ominous tone and hint at the motifs we might see throughout the first season.
StarringFreddie HighmoreandVera Farmiga,Bates MotelpremieresMarch 18.
Season 2 of the hit web seriesMortal Kombat: Legacyis getting started in just a few weeks, and we have a new cast photo below thanks to directorKevin Tancharoen’sTwitter.
Said cast includesHarry Shum, Jr.,Casper Van Dien,Brian Tee,Mark Dacascos,Ian Anthony Dale, andCary Tagawa.Mortal Kombat: Legacywill hit Machinima sometime this year. [viaShock Till You Drop]
Showtime continues their recent tradition of releasing season premieres online with the first episodes ofCalifornicationSeason 6 andShamelessSeason 3. Watch below if you missed them on air last night.
[viaVulture]
