TV Blasphemy: Sorry, But ‘The Walking Dead’ Sucks…

AMC’s The Walking Dead  returned Sunday after a two-month hiatus. As a fan of the series I have sat on the edge of my seat for three and a half seasons now, week-to-week, looking forward to the weekly big twist that was inevitably on the horizon that would make me want to tune in the following week. After the most recent episode, After, which featured hardly any dialogue whatsoever and just a series of awful things happening and horrible, depressing imagery, I’ve come to the only conclusion that I think any rational human being can come to:  The Walking Dead sucks and it has for quite some time.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably continue to watch if for no other reason than it’s one of the few shows that Mrs. Tastic and I can agree on so it’s at least mildly compelling and tolerable for me, but I came to the conclusion during the midseason finale that the series is not going anywhere as far as the plot is concerned and I begrudgingly accepted that fact after watching After. It’s simply not progressing the way a serial like this should.

Part of the reason why The Walking Dead became as successful as it did as quickly as it did is because it entered the television landscape at the perfect time when post-apocalyptic sci-fi/horror-themed television was on the rise and it has copied the basic premise (that is, what the show really is about at its core) of all of its predecessors and contemporary counterparts.  Despite what many fans of this show think, the show is not about surviving and it’s not even about zombies.  What the show is really about is exactly what every post-apocalyptic series is about:  How do we maintain our humanity (or if it is even possible to) when the apocalypse hits and the end of the world is at hand?  This is a very common theme on television today even on shows that aren’t technically post-apocalyptic shows.  If you want to examine this further, this theme shows up in popular literature as well, going back decades (think: Lord of the Flies).

So, that’s what the appeal of this genre is at its core.  The problem with The Walking Dead is that though it meets the core requirements of the genre on a weekly basis, there is simply no endgame in sight, in other words, there is no point to this series.  It’s just a weekly festival of stress and gore and the knowledge that any main character could be killed off at any point. This is inherently the problem of basing your serial television series off of a popular comic book serial that has been running consistently for over a decade. Comic books aren’t meant to have an endgame (unless of course they are limited-run), television serials are.  At the end of the day, what is the ultimate goal, the big payoff, the cheese at the end of the maze, the light at the end of the tunnel, etc., for The Walking Dead? Can anyone tell me?

The first season actually gave us a goal: our survivors made it to the CDC and it was hinted at that they were trying to find a cure and if I recall correctly, something about working on a cure in France. Then the CDC blew up, we were all left with this cliffhanger that just made us want more, the series got picked up for a second season and since then it’s just been nothing but a long series arguments, killing the occasional zombie and main characters dying.

As noted, there is plenty of post-apocalyptic television fare currently on television with the same theme as The Walking Dead but they all do it better than The Walking Dead if for no other reason than that we know that eventually there will be a payoff, one way or the other.

Falling Skies: Post-Apocalypse Done Right…

Examples:

TNT’s Falling Skies which is basically The Walking Dead with aliens instead of zombies but the difference is that the protagonists are taking the fight to the aliens instead of constantly running away from them and just trying to survive.  The endgame is pretty obvious: either the humans will be victorious and defeat the aliens or they won’t.

NBC’s Revolution is a typical contemporary commentary on humanity with the post-apocalyptic theme and for all of its flaws, it is obvious that there is an endgame to this even if they haven’t ultimately spelled it out completely and they throw in mysteries along the way.  Will the power go back on or not?  Will humanity be able to start over?

CBS’s Under the Dome and ABC’s former series Lost aren’t post-apocalyptic, but they share the same commentary on humanity theme that the post-apocalyptic fare does through characters in situations where a small group of people are isolated from the rest of the world and their respective series examine how their humanity remains intact.  Both series have obvious endgames.

The progenitor of the contemporary post-apocalyptic genre television series, Battlestar Galactica (2003) was nothing more than 75 episodes of morality plays and commentary on the human condition… but the endgame was made clear in the first episode.

Yes, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain…

So, without an endgame or anything else remotely resembling a goal for our protagonists, what exactly is keeping audiences so enthralled with this series? The answer is simple: smoke and mirrors.

The truth is that this series is surviving based on a purely visceral emotional reaction.  We love to be scared or more specifically we love suspense and when there are characters that we have become emotionally attached to involved in the suspense it makes the experience that much more satisfying.

One thing that the series has done very well is character development.  Character development is a key factor for the success of any series because the better that development is, the more the audience can relate to the characters, the more the audience becomes attached to the characters and thus, the more the audience becomes attached to a series. Character development seems to be the sole focus of The Walking Dead and the writers and producers appear to be hanging the continued success of the series on the audience’s emotional attachment to the characters (and average to slightly better than average subplots) hoping that they won’t notice that there really is no main plot to this series.

I’m sorry, but no series can survive on character development alone.  There has to be some substance and not only isn’t there any substance to this series, it’s just becoming more depressing every week.

THIS: Good.

One of the traps of developing characters as thoroughly as this series has done to the exclusion of everything else (because it doesn’t have much else to go on) is that when you kill them off (see: Herschel, Dale, Andrea, T-Dog, Shane, Laurie, etc.) you invariably piss off your core audience.  This is exactly why the meme “IF DARYL DIES, WE WILL RIOT” exists to begin with. The only thing that people care about on this show is the characters. You’ll never see a meme that says “IF THEY DON’T FIND A CURE, WE WILL RIOT” or any reference to anything else regarding the plot because there is no plot that the audience can discern or relate to.

THIS: Not happening… ever.

That said, the death of a main character can be overcome if the death of the character turns out to be for some greater good and the audience can justify and rationalize the loss of the character.  The problem with The Walking Dead in this regard is that all of these character deaths are simply pointless and they’ve made astute viewers like myself examine the series for what it is and what it’s missing.

Q: Why did Herschel have to die?

A: Because the writers are running out of ideas and needed to emotionally jar the audience by having the ruthless villain murder him in the most gory way imaginable in order to ensure that audience would return on February 9th for the midseason premiere.

Well, that was just fun for everyone… and right before Christmas, no less.

That was a mistake, folks, because Sunday’s episode accomplished two things: being depressing and boring the shit out of me.  It also made me be honest about the series in general, addressing what I rationally knew but didn’t want to accept during the midseason finale. After succeed in polarizing me very badly and I’m not the only one.

The truth is that even on the most dark and morbid series the audience needs some comic relief and ultimately some hope.  The Walking Dead provides neither.  As dark as Breaking Bad was, Vince Gilligan smartly inserted humor into it regularly and there was always an implied endgame to the series and there was always the hope that even if Walt were to go down that there would be some good fortune for his family.

There is simply no hope on The Walking Dead and there doesn’t appear to be any intention of providing any whatsoever.

BBC: ‘Being Human’ (U.K. Version) Canceled

Via Press Release:

BBC Three’s supernatural trio will confront the ultimate evil in the final episodes of Being Human.

It was announced today that the current series of Being Human will be the last, as the supernatural drama on BBC Three reaches an apocalyptic end, with our heroes facing their toughest adversary yet… the Devil!

Being Human first aired as a stand-alone pilot in 2008 and soon became a popular addition to BBC Three’s schedule. It has gained a loyal Sunday night audience, with a ratings high of 1.6 million and a highest average audience of 1.2 million.

Being Human’s extraordinary mix of drama, comedy and horror has earned the programme awards: The Writer’s Guild Award for ‘Best TV Drama Series’ in 2009, 2010 and 2012, as well as ‘Best Drama Series’ at the 2011 TV Choice Awards.

The show’s success is a combination of innovative storytelling and dark humour which shines a light on the human condition through its supernatural characters.

At its heart was always the supernatural trinity of a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost: three beings attempting to live normal lives among humans, often with disastrous consequences as they fight against their unearthly powers.

Rob Pursey, the show’s executive producer, Touchpaper says: “Working on Being Human has been a truly great experience. From the first one-hour pilot, all the way through to this climactic series, we’ve been given real creative freedom and encouragement. It’s a credit to BBC Three that such an unusual idea has been allowed to flourish and evolve in its own unique way.

“I’d like to take the chance to thank Toby Whithouse (creator and writer) for his incredible writing and storytelling; the other screenwriters who’ve made the series their own; the three producers who’ve nurtured the show; and the many directors who’ve helped us establish the show’s unique tone. Being Human has also opened the door to new acting talent, including some incredibly exciting younger actors, which is a legacy we all feel proud of. We will miss Being Human, but feel inspired that there is a place for series like this on British television.”

Being Human started with Mitchell (Aiden Turner), a 117-year-old vampire with the gift of the gab who refused to prey on humans; George (Russell Tovey), a reluctant werewolf with an extraordinarily high IQ; and Annie (Lenora Crichlow), a murdered woman who returns as a ghost and eventually saves the world.

The show has also attracted a great number of all-star guests, including Mark Williams, Mark Gatiss, Steven Robertson, Donald Sumpter, Lacey Turner and Robson Green, to name a few.

Zai Bennett, Controller, BBC Three, says: “Being Human has been a fantastic and faithful friend to BBC Three. It’s featured some truly exceptional actors and storylines through the years and I’d like to thank Toby and the production team for their vision and passion. However, all good things come to an end and at BBC Three we’re committed to breaking new shows and new talent and who better to pass that baton on than Toby.”

Series five sees our supernatural trio facing their own personal demons, and matters become more complicated with the return of Mr Rook, the shady figure whose government department protects the human world from otherworldly beings.

But Vampire Hal (Damien Molony), Werewolf Tom (Michael Socha) and Ghost Alex (Kate Bracken) don’t realise they face a bigger threat than the Men in Grey, when they stumble across the decrepit and repulsive Captain Hatch (Phil Davis).

Unknown to our trio, Hatch’s feeble exterior hides an ancient evil… because Captain Hatch is the Devil himself and has been trapped in human form for centuries!

Now the father of all evil is just itching to inflict chaos on mankind, but can our heroes survive the oncoming Armageddon unscathed?

Toby Whithouse, the show’s writer and creator, has posted a statement on the Being Human Blog here.

Don’t miss the ultimate apocalyptic conclusion to BBC Three’s popular fantasy drama Being Human, Sundays at 10pm.

HBO: ‘True Blood’ Season Six Premiere Date Announced

Via Press Release:

The debut date for the sixth season of the hit HBO series True Blood has been confirmed.

The ten-episode season of True Blood kicks off SUNDAY, JUNE 16 at (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT).  Based on the popular Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, this Emmy^®-nominated hit drama series was created by Alan Ball, creator of HBO’s Emmy^®-winning series “Six Feet Under.”  The show follows waitress and part-faerie Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and vampire Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård).

For more on the series, please visit facebook.com/trueblood and twitter.com/TrueBloodHBO #trueblood

AMC: ‘The Walking Dead’ Season Four Begins Shooting In May, New Showrunner Named

Via Press Release:

Season Four of AMC’S “THE WALKING DEAD” Begins Production May 6 in Atlanta

AMC Confirms Scott M. Gimple As Showrunner and Executive Producer For Season Four Greg Nicotero and Tom Luse Elevated to Executive Producers With Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert New York — February 27, 2013 — AMC announced today that the cast and crew of “The Walking Dead” return to Atlanta, Georgia on Monday, May 6th to begin production on season four. AMC also confirms Scott M. Gimple as showrunner and executive producer for the series’ fourth season to premiere in October with 16 episodes. Gimple has been on the show’s writing staff since season two. Co-Executive Producer, Emmy ® Award-winning Special Effects Makeup Supervisor and Director Greg Nicotero and Producer Tom Luse have also been elevated to executive producers.?“The Walking Dead” is based on the comic book series created and written by Robert Kirkman and published by Skybound, Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics. Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert continue to serve as executive producers for season four. “Scott has been an essential part of this show since he came aboard at the very beginning of season two. He’s contributed to guiding this show in a substantial way that has resulted in a lot of the key scenes and storylines fans have dubbed signature moments of ‘The Walking Dead,’” said Kirkman. “I am thrilled to begin work on a brand new season of ‘The Walking Dead’ with Scott at the helm, and I truly believe we could be embarking on what will be the best season of this show yet.” “Scott’s voice has been an integral one since he joined the show. Greg Nicotero is a true artist whose work is simply brilliant. And, Tom Luse has really created the machine that allows this very large show to get made week to week. We congratulate all three in their new roles on the series and look forward to ramping up production on season four,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s EVP of original programming, production and digital content. “I’m thrilled to continue the tradition of the spectacular, cinematic, horrifying, exciting and emotional storytelling of ‘The Walking Dead,’” said Gimple. “I’m a huge fan of the comics, and started with the show on the other side of the set, as an avid viewer. Over the past two years, it’s been an incredible privilege making such great television with the best cast and crew I’ve ever worked with – I can’t wait to make some more.” Gimple has written some of the most celebrated and talked-about episodes from seasons two and three including episode 306 (Hounded) and last season’s climatic mid-season finale episode 207 (Pretty Much Dead Already), which revealed Sophia in the barn. Gimple previously worked on NBC’s acclaimed series “Life” and ABC’s cult favorite “Flashforward.” “Flashfoward” began as a collaboration with David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight, Man of Steel) with whom he co-wrote both the Sony feature film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and episodes two and three in the upcoming inaugural season of Starz’ “DaVinci’s Demons.” Gimple also worked for Matt Groening’s Bongo Comics, where he wrote and edited “Simpsons Comics.” He has also written stories for the comic books “What If?” and “Spider-Man Unlimited.” Nicotero (Kill Bill, Transformers, Inglorious Basterds) and his team received the Emmy ® Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup two years in a row (2011/2012) for their work on “The Walking Dead.” In addition to leading the visual and special effects and makeup for the series, Nicotero has directed several episodes. Luse (Remember the Titans, “One Tree Hill,” Jeepers Creepers, “The Joneses,” “Everwood”) has been with the show since the beginning of production and was instrumental in setting up the production of AMC’s first owned scripted series. Based in Atlanta, he manages and oversees the day-to-day production of the series. * * * About AMC AMC reigns as the only cable network in history to ever win the Emmy ® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row. Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, the AMC experience is an uncompromising celebration of great stories. AMC’s original dramas include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead” “The Killing” and “Hell on Wheels.” AMC further demonstrates its commitment to the art of storytelling with its slate of unscripted original series, as well as curated movie franchises like AMC’s Can’t Get Enough and AMC’s Crazy About. AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Story Matters HereSM. # # #

FX: ‘American Horror Story’ Renewed For Third Season

Via Press Release:

FX ORDERS NEXT BOOK OF American Horror Story 

Network Picks Up 13 Hours of the Third Incarnation of AHS Which Debuts in Fall of 2013 

Golden Globe®, SAG® and Emmy® Award Winner Jessica Lange Set to Return 

Last Night’s Episode of American Horror Story: Asylum Once Again Topped All Broadcast Networks At 10 PM in Delivery of Adults 18-34, Men 18-34 and Women 18-34 

Asylum Ends Run on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 

Ratings for Asylum Running +19% Ahead of Its Predecessor American Horror Story 

LOS ANGELES, November 15, 2012 – FX has ordered the next book of the award-winning miniseries American Horror Story, picking up 13 hours of a new miniseries from Twentieth Century Fox Television, it was announced today by John Landgraf, President and General Manager of FX Networks. Production of the untitled AHS will begin next summer and premiere in the fall of 2013.

American Horror Story: Asylum, the latest hit in the American Horror Story saga, wraps up its run on Wednesday, January 23 at 10 PM E/P. Last night’s episode (11/14/12) of Asylum topped all broadcast networks in the 10 PM time period in delivery of Adults 18-34 (2.1), Women 18-34 (2.4) and Men 18-34 (1.7). Asylum also ranked #3 among Adults 18-34 in primetime versus all broadcast programs behind Modern Family (3.3) and The X Factor (2.7). The episode grew +30% versus prior week in Adults 18-34, driven by a +45% gain among Women 18-34, and it also posted a +9% increase in Adults 18-49 (Live+Same Day ratings, Fast Nationals, subject to change).

“With American Horror Story: Asylum, Ryan and Brad have raised the bar in every way from Murder House, the first American Horror Story miniseries,” said Landgraf. “And their original idea—the notion of doing an anthological series of miniseries with a repertory cast—has proven groundbreaking, wildly successful and will prove to be trendsetting. We can’t wait to see what deviously brilliant ideas they come up with for their third miniseries.”

Co-Creators/Executive Producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have not announced the new title or story for the next incarnation of the American Horror Story franchise. As was the case with American Horror Story and American Horror Story: Asylum, many of the actors will return in different roles next year, including star Jessica Lange, who won Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Emmy awards for her portrayal of “Constance Langdon” in American Horror Story. Starring as “Sister Jude” in AHS: Asylum, Lange will be moving to the Lead Actress category in the Golden Globe and Emmy awards this year.

“The American Horror Story anthology is a labor of love for all of us and we could not be prouder of the work our brilliant company of actors and everyone on the production team is doing this year,” said Murphy. “To John and our friends at FX and Dana Walden and Gary Newman at 20th, we thank you for your vote of confidence — and to our loyal audience, keep watching!”

Following the success of the inaugural miniseries American Horror Story, the award-winning Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Director Murphy announced that AHS would be a new show every year with no relation to any prior version of AHS. Each book will feature an entirely different theme, setting and characters, even though many of the actors will return to the program in entirely new roles.

The ratings for AHS: Asylum are showing double-digit percentage growth in every demo compared to its predecessor, American Horror Story, pacing +19% ahead of prior year in Adults 18-49 (see complete ratings data set at the bottom of this email). On a Live+7 basis, Asylum is averaging 5.23 million Total Viewers, 3.88 Million Adults 18-49, and 2.40 million Adults 18-34, which reflect respective gains of +19% in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49 and +22% in Adults 18-34. The program’s highest growth is among Women 18-49 and Men 18-34, each up +24% over prior year. American Horror Story: Asylum is delivering one of the highest audience compositions of Adults 18-49 with an average of 74% of its total audience falling within that demo. The median age of the audience for AHS: Asylum is 33 years old, and AHS: Asylum is one of the top-rated dramas on television in delivery of Adults 18-34 with a 3.54 national rating inclusive of Live+7 viewing. Live+Same Day viewing is up versus prior year, and Live+7 viewing has increased over prior year (+56%) off of a larger base audience.

American Horror Story: Asylum continues to be one of the most talked about shows on television on social media according to Bluefin Labs Social Media. Bluefin measures the total number of comments about primetime TV programs on Facebook, Twitter and GetGlue, and American Horror Story: Asylum has been cable’s #1 show on that metric every Wednesday since its debut (four weeks) and ranked among the top three programs on TV during that same timeframe.

Set in 1964, American Horror Story: Asylum takes us into a Church-run haven for the criminally insane, ruled with an iron fist by Sister Jude (Jessica Lange), a nun with a troubled past. Inside this locked down facility, danger lurks around every corner. From Nazis and serial killers, to mutants and aliens, no one is safe inside these walls. Starring Jessica Lange as “Sister Jude,” Sarah Paulson as “Lana Winters,” James Cromwell as “Dr. Arthur Arden,” Evan Peters as “Kit Walker,” Lily Rabe as “Sister Mary Eunice,” Lizzie Brocheré as “Grace,” Zachary Quinto as “Dr. Oliver Thredson,” and Joseph Fiennes as “Monsignor Timothy Howard.” Guest stars for the miniseries will include Frances Conroy, Chloë Sevigny, Adam Levine, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Mark Consuelos, and Ian McShane.

American Horror Story: Asylum was Co-Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, who serve as Executive Producers alongside Dante Di Loreto and Tim Minear. American Horror Story: Asylum is produced by 20th Century Fox Television.

20th Century Fox Television, a division of News Corp, is a leading supplier of entertainment content, domestically and around the world.

FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable network from Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in more than 98 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series Sons Of Anarchy and Justified; the miniseries American Horror Story: Asylum; the upcoming drama series The Americans (1/13); the acclaimed hit comedy series It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, The League, Louie, Archer, Wilfred, BrandX with Russell Brand, and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell; and the upcoming comedy Legit (1/13). The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network. FX’s other offerings include the acquired hit series Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother, and live sports with UFC and NCAA football.

NBC: Munsters Reboot, ‘Mockingbird Lane’ Gets Late October Premiere Date

Via Press Release:

NBC STIRS UP CREEPY CAULDRON FOR HALLOWEEN WITH A FRIGHT NIGHT FEATURING ONE-HOUR PILOT OF ‘MOCKINGBIRD LANE’ LEADING INTO HAUNTING EPISODE OF ‘GRIMM’ ON OCTOBER 26

‘MOCKINGBIRD LANE’ RISES FROM CREATIVE TEAM OF BRYAN FULLER AND BRYAN SINGER

SPECIAL ‘GRIMM’ EPISODE ALSO TO AIR ON TELEMUNDO AND mun2

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – October 11, 2012 – As Halloween nears, NBC turns Friday, October 26 into Fright Night when it premieres the pilot of the much-anticipated “Mockingbird Lane” (8-9 p.m. ET) — based on executive producer Bryan Fuller’s (“Pushing Daisies,” “Heroes”) script and directed by executive producer Bryan Singer (“X-Men” film series, “House”). The special program leads into a haunting “La Llorona” Halloween episode of “Grimm” (9-10 p.m. ET), which will also enjoy special airings on NBCUniversal’s Telemundo and mun2.
“Mockingbird Lane” is a new reimagined version of the classic 1960s comedy “The Munsters,” now as a visually spectacular one-hour drama with a darker edge and tone. The cast includes Jerry O’Connell (“The Defenders”) as Herman Munster, Portia de Rossi (“Arrested Development”) as his wife Lily, Eddie Izzard (“United States of Tara,” “The Riches”) as Grandpa, Mason Cook (‘Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D”) as Eddie and Charity Wakefield (“The Raven”) as Marilyn.

“This exciting new take on a memorable series will definitely blow out conventional wisdom and create its own legacy,” said Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. “Teaming this new show with a terrifying episode of ‘Grimm’ makes the perfect pre-Halloween fright-fest.”

In the original 1964-66 series “The Munsters,” the odd but lovable family lived on 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

In “Mockingbird Lane,” sweet little Eddie Munster (Cook) is a normal kid about to enter the horrors of puberty. Truth is, he’s about to discover that for him becoming a teenager means growing hair in truly unexpected places — as in all over his body — every time the moon is full! Eddie’s got it pretty good though. His loving, supportive, run-of-the-mill family includes his mom Lily (de Rossi), the daughter of Dracula; his dad Herman (O’Connell), who brings new meaning to “Frankenstein”; and Grandpa (Izzard), who would give Dracula a run for his money if he weren’t actually Dracula! Of course then there’s creepy cousin Marilyn (Wakefield), who’s really the odd one because she’s so completely normal.

Buying a house these days is a nightmare, so Herman and Lily are shocked that no one scooped up the rambling Victorian mansion at 1313 Mockingbird Lane that was the site of a series of grisly hobo murders. Settling into their new place, they’re quickly onto the mission at hand: to gently ease Eddie into the reality of his werewolf adolescence. But it’s not always so easy to accept that your child is a little “different” from the rest of the kids. Meanwhile, Herman, who works as a funeral director, is suffering from a heart condition. Since he’s made up mostly of spare parts, he knew his makeshift heart would eventually give out. No worries though, because Grandpa, who is pretty good at procuring body parts, is on the case. All Herman cares about is finding a new heart with the same capacity to love Lily as much as he has for so many decades.

“Mockingbird Lane” is from Living Dead Guy Productions, Bad Hat Harry Productions and Universal Television.  Executive producers include Fuller, Singer and Sara Colleton (“Dexter”).  Singer also directed the pilot.

NBC’s acclaimed drama series “Grimm” will join with Telemundo, mun2 and Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Halloween Horror Nights” in an unprecedented NBCUniversal cross-divisional event when its Halloween episode “La Llorona” is broadcast on October 26/27. The episode, featuring Kate del Castillo (Telemundo’s “La Reina del Sur”), is inspired by the haunting Latin American legend of the same name and will be broadcast in Spanish on Telemundo from 12-1 a.m. (ET) and English on mun2 at 1-2 a.m. (ET). These airings will follow the episode’s debut on NBC at 9-10 p.m. (ET) on October 26.

The legend of La Llorona (“The Weeping Woman”) is an enduring tale from Latin American folklore that tells of a distraught mother who drowned her children and then herself. The ghost of the mother emerges from water and is forced to return to haunt and terrorize the living. In addition to the telecasts of the “Grimm” episode, Universal Studios Hollywood is currently featuring La Llorona: Cazadora de Niños (Weeping Woman: The Child Hunter) maze, as part of its popular Halloween Horror Nights event.

In the episode of “Grimm,” detectives Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) and Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) take on the other worldly predator, believed to be “La Llorona,” which has abducted some of Portland’s children on Halloween. Kate del Castillo — star of Telemundo’s hit miniseries “La Reina del Sur” and the upcoming films “K11” and “No Good Deeds” — guest-stars as Valentina Espinosa, a mysterious detective from New Mexico on an obsessive mission to uncover the truth behind the bizarre disappearances and joins forces with Burkhardt and Griffin to intervene before it’s too late.

“Grimm” is a drama series inspired by the classic Grimm Brother’s Fairy Tales. After Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli, “Turn the Beat Around”) discovers he’s descended from an elite line of criminal profilers known as ‘Grimms,’ he increasingly finds his responsibilities as a detective at odds with his new responsibilities as a Grimm. The series also stars Russell Hornsby (“Lincoln Heights”) as Hank, Bitsie Tulloch (“The Artist”) as Juliette, Silas Weir Mitchell (“My Name Is Earl”) as Monroe, Sasha Roiz (“Caprica”) as Captain Renard, Reggie Lee (“The Dark Knight Rises”) as Sgt. Wu and Bree Turner (“The Ugly Truth”) as Rosalee.

“Grimm” is a Universal Television and Hazy Mills production. The series was created by Stephen Carpenter and David Greenwalt & Jim Kouf. Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner (“Hot in Cleveland”) and Norberto Barba (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) also serve as executive producers along with Greenwalt and Kouf. Marc Buckland (NBC’s “My Name Is Earl”) directed the pilot.

For embeddable clips and full episodes from NBC shows, please visit NBC.com’s official show site: http://www.nbc.com/shows/ .

Please follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NBCGrimm and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NBCGrimm .

 

NETFLIX ALERT: ‘The Walking Dead’ Season Two Coming Soon…

(Originally Posted At Vic’s Movie Den)

Netflix Alert – The Walking Dead Season 2…  Oh, Yeah!!!

There is much cause for celebration for those who subscribe to Netflix’s instant streaming service. Netflix will premiere Season 2 of the insanely popular AMC Original series The Walking Dead on September 30th.

The highly anticipated third season will premiere on AMC October 14th, so all of you TWD fans have plenty of time to catch up with the series before the premiere. You could always marathon-watch it… like I’ve been known to do with some series (Dexter, anyone?) or you can watch one or two episodes a day and still have time.  At the ‘Tastic, we like to give you options.

So, enjoy, all of you Zombies acolytes and don’t miss The Walking Dead season two on Netflix and the season premiere on AMC of Season three on October 14th! Highly recommended. Enjoy.

SyFy Renews ‘Paranormal Witness’ For Third Season

Via Press Release:

SYFY’S BONE-CHILLING HIT SERIES PARANORMAL WITNESS RENEWED FOR A THIRD SEASON 

Twenty-Episode Pick-Up Order To Premiere June 2013

NEW YORK – August 29, 2012 – Based on the ratings success of the first three episodes of Season 2 of Paranormal Witness, Syfy is ordering a 20-episode third season of the true-terror docudrama, it was announced today by Mark Stern, President Original Content, Syfy and Co-Head, Original Content, Universal Cable Productions. Season 3 is expected to air in June 2013.

The Season 2 premiere, which aired Wednesday, August 8, was a Top 10 telecast in the 10 PM hour on cable that night. The first three episodes of the season have averaged 1.2 million total viewers.

Paranormal Witness airs Wednesdays at 10 PM ET/PT. In tonight’s episode, “The Dybbuk Box,” a Portland, Oregon antiques dealer ignores warnings not to open the old curio cabinet he bought at an estate sale. He unknowingly unleashes a dybbuk, a malevolent spirit from Jewish folklore, which begins to wreak havoc on his life. This real-life story is the inspiration for the feature film, The Possession, in theaters on August 31.

Paranormal Witness recounts the bone-chilling, real-life paranormal experiences of everyday people and allows viewers to experience the terrifying moments for themselves through gritty, realistic cinematic reenactments. Actual eyewitnesses share their firsthand accounts of the inexplicable phenomena that forced them to try to make sense of the scariest, most inconceivable events of their lives. Paranormal Witness is produced by Raw TV (Locked Up Abroad and Gold Rush: Alaska). Series producers are Mark Lewis and Lucy van Beek. Executive producer is Bart Layton.

Raw TV is a multi-award winning production company specializing in great stories told with distinctive style. Over the last 10 years Raw has built a reputation for delivering gripping narratives, visual innovation and journalistic rigour – vital ingredients in every show they make. Raw has made films around the world but is best known in America for producing Gold Rush (Discovery), Locked Up Abroad (National Geographic) and now Paranormal Witness (Syfy).

Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in more than 98 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)

CONFIRMED – HBO: Premiere Dates For True Blood Season Five And New Series The Newsroom

Via Press Note:

The debut dates for the new seasons of the HBO series True Blood and THE NEWSROOM have been confirmed.

The 12-episode fifth season of True Blood will kick off SUNDAY, JUNE 10 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Based on the popular Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, this Emmy®-nominated hit drama series was created by Alan Ball, creator of HBO’s Emmy®-winning series “Six Feet Under.” The show follows waitress and part-faerie Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin), who can hear people’s thoughts, vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) and vampire Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård).

THE NEWSROOM kicks off its ten-episode season SUNDAY, JUNE 24 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). This new series centers on a cable news anchor (Jeff Daniels), his new executive producer (Emily Mortimer), his newsroom staff (John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn) and their boss (Sam Waterston). Together they set out on a patriotic and quixotic mission to do the news well in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal relationships. Aaron Sorkin created the series and executive produces along with Scott Rudin and Alan Poul.

Daybreakers (Film, 2010)

Two-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke plays Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown plague has transformed the world’s population into vampires. As the human population nears extinction, vampires must capture and farm every remaining human, or find a blood substitute before time runs out. However, a covert group of vampires makes a remarkable discovery, one which has the power to save the human race. – Lionsgate

60 out of 100

The immediate gut-reaction for a film like Daybreakers is, “Oh, great… yet another vampire film because that genre hasn’t been exploited enough over the past five years,” and to be honest, that was our reaction when we first saw trailers for this in late 2009.  The problem for Daybreakers and most likely the reason for its miserable box-office numbers ($51 million gross, foreign and domestic) is that’s also exactly how the producers marketed the film in some misguided attempt to hop on the bandwagon of the sucesses of the other popular vampire franchises such as Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries.  That was a very bad marketing decision.

Daybreakers is a very original and unique twist on the vampire genre in that it’s not really a horror film at all.  It’s a classic Science Fiction story that not only deals with science as a backdrop, it also deals with the many “what if” and “how would you react” scenarios about the questions of exploitation of others for your own immortality.  How does a society preserve its humanity when mortality has been taken away?  As far as vampire films go, there is surprisingly little graphic violence until the very end of the film because, frankly, it’s really not necessary to progress the story.

Where the film ultimately suffers is that it is very short coming in at 1 hour 37 minutes.  For a science fiction story with such an original concept there is far too little exposition.  It not only leaves a lot of questions unanswered but it’s so quick that the audience doesn’t really have an opportunity to become emotionally attached to the characters or the plot.  The performances from DaFoe and Hawke and the rest of the cast are fine but you really don’t have any sense of a vested interest in any of these characters, and of course if the audience can’t relate to the characters they have no reason to really care about the story.  Interestingly enough, this promotional clip (that was not shown in the film) gives more of a back story for the plot than the entire film does.

Daybreakers, albeit not the best film, is an enjoyable film and worth your time if you like a unique Sci Fi story.   Netflix subscribers can watch it as part of their subscription through the Netflix streaming service.

Here’s the official Lionsgate trailer for Daybreakers.  This is not the thirty-second TV spot that leads you to believe that it’s just a another vampire/horror film.