Spartacus: Blood and Sand

This week Foxtel will show favourites such as LA Law, Privete Practice Season 2 and Law & Order Season 20, while premiering America’s Next Top Model All Stars and Come Dine With Me Canada. Here are this week’s premieres on Foxtel. Continue reading »

People we lost in 2011

Pete Postlethwaite
The British English stage, film and television actor, Pete Postlethwaite passed away on 2 January 2011 at the age of 64 due to pancreatic cancer. He appeared in Criminal Justice, Minder and even Coronation Street.

Amy Winehouse
The voice of the popular award-winning song, ‘Rehab”, Amy Winehouse, passed away in her London home on Saturday, 23 July, at the age of 27. The song “Rehab” appearred in the pilot of Glee.

Elizabeth Taylor
At the age of 79, the prominent British-American actress, Elizabeth Taylor passed away. She was the the voice of Maggie Simpson, in the episode “Lisa’s First Word” when she spoke for the first and the last time.

Ryan Dunn
Best known for his stunts on the MTV series, Jackass, Ryan Dunn was killed in a car crash in Pennsylvania at just 34 years old.

Bill Hunter
One of Australia’s most talented and best known actors, Bill Hunter; remember for his many film, television and theatre credits for over 35 years, passed away on 21 May 2011 at the age of 71. He had appearedin  All Saints, Water Rats and most recently Small Time Gangster

Jeff Conaway
American actor, Jeff Conaway died of pneumonia on the 27th of May 2011 at the age of 60. He was in Taxi, Babylon 5 and The Bold and the Beautiful. He was most recenetly known for his addiction to painkillers on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.

Rex Mossop
Rex Mossop was an Australian rugby league and rugby union football player as well an Australian television personality,sports commentator and reporter.

Bubba Smith
Former American professional football player, Bubba Smith, passed away on 3 August 2011. Best known as Hightower in th Police Academy franchise, he also appeared in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Family Matters and Married…with Children.

Andy Whitfield
Spartacus:Blood and Sand superstar, Andy Whitfield earned the title of warrior on screen and off screen. He battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma but tragically Whitfield died in Sydney, Australia, on 11 September 2011, 18 months after his initial cancer diagnosis.

Peter Falk
The iconic detective, Columbo, played by Emmy Award winning American actor, Peter Falk, passed away on 23 June 2011 at the age of 83. Falk’s cause of death was revealed as cardiorespiratory arrest, with pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease as underlying causes.

Jon Blake
Blake is largely recognized for his role in the television soap opera, The Restless Years and A Country Practice. On 1 December 1986, Blake was badly injured in a car accident, and not expected to live. He sustained permanent brain damage in the accident and was left paralysed and unable to speak. Blake passed away on 30 May 2011 at the age of 52 due to complications from pneumonia.

Steve Jobs
On October 5th the world lost one of its most influential and iconic figures when Steve Jobs succumbed to a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He gave us Apple TV, iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, and iPad and a whole new may to watch media.

John Neville
From 1995-98, Neville had a prominent recurring role in The X-Files television series as the Well-Manicured Man, and in 1998, he reprised his role in the feature film The X-Files: Fight The Future. Although he made numerous other television appearances and occasional film roles, the main focus of Neville’s career was always the theatre. Neville died “peacefully surrounded by family” on 19 November 2011, aged 86.

Doris Belack
From 1990 to 2001, she played the tough, sharp-tongued “Judge Margaret Barry”, a recurring role on Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Doris also provided the voices of Mrs. Dink and Mrs. Wingo in the Nickelodeon show Doug. Her last television appearance was on a 2003 episode of Sex and the City. She passed away on October 4th, 2011 aged 85.

Alan Fudge
Alan has scores of credits, including appearances on Hawaii Five-O, M*A*S*H, Charlie’s Angels, Wonder Woman, Cagney & Lacey, The A-Team, Dallas, MacGyver, L.A. Law, The Wonder Years and Dawson’s Creek. Most recently he was seen on How I Met Your Mother, Big Love and The Office. Fudge died from cancer on October 10, 2011.

Michael Showers
Michael Showers was an American actor who was best known for his role as Capt. John Guirdy on the television series Treme. He also appeared in The Vampire Diaries and Breaking Bad. On August 24, 2011, Showers’ body was discovered in the Mississippi River near the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans police speculated that Showers had been dead for at least two days when his body was found. Autopsy results confirmed that Showers’ death was caused by drowning.

Frank Potenza
Frank Potenza was an American retired police officer for the New York City Police Department and former security guard. He later became a television actor and comic relief for the late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He appeared as Jimmy Kimmel’s real-life Uncle Frank on the ABC show as a regular from 2003 to 2011. Rice died of cancer on January 21, 2009. In a Twitter message, Kimmel thanked Potenza’s fans tweeting, “Thank you for your kind words about a very kind man” and “RIP Uncle Frank, his comic timing took a lifetime to earn. Today I eat cake for him”

Francesco Quinn
From 1999 to 2001, Francesco (son of film actor Anthony Quinn) appeared on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless and his TV guest starring roles have occurred in Criminal Minds, ER, CSI: Miami, The Glades, Navy NCIS, Alias, Crossing Jordan and The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones. Quinn also portrayed the final criminal/villain, Guillermo Beltran, in the long-running F/X series, The Shield. He died of a suspected heart attack on 5 Aug 2011 while walking with his son near his home in Malibu, California.

Tom Aldrege
Aldrege’s TV stinits include Ryan’s Hope, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Sopranos, Damages, Boardwalk Empire. Aldredge died July 22, 2011 in a hospice in Florida from lymphoma, aged 83.

James Arness
James was famous for his performances on Gunsmoke, How the West Was Won and McClain’s Law. Arness died of natural causes at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles on June 3, 2011.

Jackie Cooper
The original child star whose credits include M*A*S*H, McCloud, Ironside, The F.B.I., Columbo, Kojak and The Invisible Man, passed away on May 3, 2011, at the age of 88. According to his agent, Cooper died after a short illness. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in honor of his naval service

Len Lesser
Best known as Uncle Leo from Seinfeld, his TV credits also included Dragnet, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, The Wild, Wild West, The Munsters, My Favorite Martian, Get Smart, Green Acres, The Bill Cosby Show, The Rockford Files, Thirtysomething, Mad About You, Everybody Loves Raymond, ER and Castle. On February 16, 2011, Lesser died of cancer-related pneumonia.

Kenneth Mars
His last television gigs were that of Otto, the German dude ranch owner on Fox’s Malcolm in the Middle, an appearance on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, and a reprisal of his role as Grandpa Longneck in The Land Before Time television series.Mars died aged 75 from pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles, California on February 12, 2011

Bill Erwin
William Lindsey “Bill” Erwin was an American film, stage and television actor with over 250 television and film credits. As a veteran character actor, he was widely known for his role of Sid Fields, an embittered, irascible man on Seinfeld– for which he received an Emmy nomination – as well his appearances on shows such as I Love Lucy and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Bill Erwin died on December 29, 2010 in Studio City, Los Angeles from natural causes, near the production lot where Seinfeld was filmedBill Erwin died on December 29, 2010 in Studio City, Los Angeles from natural causes, near the production lot where Seinfeld was filmed.

If any one has accidently not been acknowledged, sincere apologies.

Bones renewed for seventh season

Bones actor David Boreanaz has confirmed that a seventh season of the crime series has been ordered. Boreanaz, who plays Seeley on the show, confirmed the news via Twitter: “Oh, Season 7 is GO for Bones.”

Spartacus recast Naevia role

Spartacus execs have recast the part of Naevia after actress Lesley-Ann Brandt decided to leave the series in February. Cynthia Addai-Robinson will take on the role for the second season of the series that hits screens next year.

Tyler to debut video on Idol

American Idol judge Steven Tyler will debut the video for his first ever solo single on an episode of the show next week. The song is believed to feature former Pussycat Doll singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Nixon to guest on Law & Order: CI

Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon has signed on for a guest role in Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Nixon is best known for her role as Miranda in Sex and the City but has appeared recently on The Big C.

ABC deny Brothers and Sisters axe rumours

ABC in the US has denied rumours that Brothers and Sisters has been cancelled, instead saying that no decision has been made yet regarding the show’s future. Actress Rachel Griffiths fuelled speculation over the weekend by joking at the Logies: “I’m soon to be unemployed, so I checked in with [benefits centre] Centrelink… and said, ‘Looks like I’m out of a job and wanna sign up’.”

HFPA president labels Gervais’ performance “unacceptable”

Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk has labelled Ricky Gervais’ performance at the recent Golden Globe Awards as “unacceptable”. Berk, who was the butt of one of the comedian’s jokes, said that he believes Gervais crossed the line but that you expect the unexpected when you hire the likes of him.

Boardwalk Empire producer hints at second season 

Boardwalk Empire executive producer Terence Winter has hinted at the second season of the series, saying that the main story for the second run will continue to develop the stories from the first season. Winters confirmed that while there will be new characters, the same core cast will remain on the series.

New Spartacus lead announced

Australian actor Liam McIntyre has landed the lead role in the second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, replacing the departed Andy Whitfield. The former Neighbours actor, who also featured on The Pacific last year, will begin work on the series in a couple of months.

Morgan bans Mills from CNN show

Piers Morgan has banned several celebrities from ever appearing on his new CNN talkshow, with Heather Mills at the top of the list. Morgan claimed his reasoning was due to the fact that it was him who introduced her to Paul McCartney in the first place.

Former Neighbours actor Liam McIntyre has been officially named as the new lead for the second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

The Australian was today confirmed as Andy Whitfield’s replacement after a lengthy casting process.

“Since no one can really replace Andy, we realized that we should instead find an actor who can truly lead Spartacus forward,” said Starz president and CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement. “It was important to us to have Andy endorse the idea of recasting this part, which he did in the same heroic manner that he’s dealt with his whole ordeal. And that, coupled with our fortune in finding a young actor with the gladiator credentials and the acting ability of Liam, makes it easier for us to keep this hit franchise going.”

McIntyre played Bradley Hewson on Neighbours in 2010 as well as appearing in Steven Spielberg’s war epic The Pacific.

Source: EW

Glee’s Harry Shum Jr. and So You Think You Can Dance’s Stephen “tWitch” Boss have paired up in a short film that hit the internet this week.

The talented pair are a part of ‘3 Minutes’, a short film by up and coming American director Ross Ching which is described as an “exciting, non-stop action thriller”.

The film, not surprisingly, is just three minutes in length and also features a cameo from Spartacus: Blood and Sand actress Katrina Law.

Check out the official website here.

Fifth season of Mad Men planned

American network AMC has confirmed that a fifth season of Mad Men is in the early stages of planning. Although there is no deal yet between Lionsgate TV and the show’s creator Matthew Weiner, AMC executive Joel Stillerman announced that the celebrated drama is likely to return but no timeline has been set.

Spartacus close to signing new lead

The Pacific actor Liam McIntyre is believed to be close to sealing the lead role in the second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. McIntyre is the frontrunner to replace Andy Whitfield in the series who had to pull out to undergo treatment for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The second season is expected to air later this year with a prequel series Gods of the Arena screening soon.

Survivor contestants to return

A pair of former Survivor contestants are set to return to the series for its next season which will also take place in Nicaragua. The upcoming season, entitled Survivor: Redemption Island, will feature the returning pair alongside a bunch of new hopefuls who will vie for the million dollar prize with a new twist in that eliminated contestants will be given a second chance on a “redemption island”.

Survivor winner heads back to court

The winner of the very first season of Survivor, Richard Hatch, is returning to court after allegations he has violated terms of his probation. Hatch was convicted in 2006 for failing to pay tax on the $1 million prize money he won on the reality show with a three year jail stint following. He could get more time behind bars should the judge determine that he failed to re-file his taxes from the early 2000s.

Spartacus producer Steven S. DeKnight has teased the upcoming prequel series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.

DeKnight said in the official Starz interview that the prequel will act as a standalone series, saying that it can be enjoyed by itself.

“The great thing about the prequel is, it stands by itself as a story,” he said. 

“If you didn’t see season one, you can [still] completely enjoy and understand everything that’s going on. All the information is there, everything’s filled in [and] all the characters are introduced.

“Everybody is trying to get ahead…so there is a lot of maneuvering. There’s a lot of lying, cheating [and] murdering… and many surprises as well [in terms of] who’s doing what to who.”

DeKnight also mentioned that the series will not lose the in-your-face nature of the first season.

“We will go places that other television shows fear to tread.

“We don’t shy away from the sexuality [or] the violence. We try to portray it as realistically as possible.”

Source: Digital Spy

New Spartacus trailer

The trailer for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena has been released. The new season will act as a mini-series prequel to the popular Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

Hatcher to leave DH

Desperate Housewives actress Teri Hatcher has reportedly told colleagues that she is planning on ending her stint on the show following its next season. The news comes in the wake of creator Mark Cherry’s comments that beyond its ninth season, he has no further plans for the show.

Former Batman signs on for Cartoon Network series

Former TV Batman actor Adam West has joined the voice cast of Cartoon Network series The Super Hero Squad. West will portray the character Nighthawk alongside former Seinfeld actor John O’Hurley who voices The Grandmaster.

Glee reach number two on singles list

The cast of Glee have reached second on the all-time Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart with the number of singles charted. Glee is second to only Elvis Presley in the number of singles to hit the chart following the show’s cover of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream on the recent episode in the US.

Grammer pilot picked up

A new Kelsey Grammer pilot has been picked up by American network Starz which will focus on the life of the Mayor of Chicago. Grammer is believed to have landed the lead role in the pilot which will be directed by Gus Van Sant.