Thursday, October 23, 2014
Steve Coogan Tapped for Happyish Pilot for Showtime; Lifetime's Lizzie Borden Movie Turning Into Limited Series
Noted for his range of comedic and dramatic roles, Oscar(R) and Golden Globe(R) nominee Steve Coogan (Philomena, Alan Partridge) is set to star in the Showtime comedy pilot Happyish. He'll succeed the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in the project. The half-hour single-camera comedy pilot will be filmed in New York this December. Happyish is a comedic, soul-searching examination of our pursuit of happiness, a pursuit that might just be the very thing causing our unhappiness in the first place. Coogan will star in the lead role of Thom Payne, a 44 year-old man whose world is thrown into disarray when his 25 year-old "wunderkind" boss arrives, saying things like "digital," "social" and "viral." Is he in need of a "rebranding," as his mentor insists, or does he just have a "low joy ceiling," as his corporate headhunter suggests? Maybe pursuing happiness is a fool's errand? Maybe, after 44 years on this ludicrous planet, settling for happyish is the best one can expect. Should this pilot be picked up to series, we will let you know. So, stay tuned...
Lizzie Borden takes another whack... Lifetime has ordered the limited series Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles, in which Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award nominee Christina Ricci (Pan Am, Monster) will reprise her haunting role as the notorious murder suspect she portrayed in the network's hit original movie Lizzie Borden Took An Ax (#LizzieBorden). Screen Actors Guild Award® winner Clea DuVall (Argo) will also reprise her role in the series as Lizzie Borden's sister, Emma. Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles delivers an intense and fictionalized account of actual events and people surrounding Lizzie's life after her controversial acquittal of the horrific double murder of her father and stepmother in 1892, when the exonerated figure lives a life awash in newfound celebrity. But when numerous people close to Lizzie – ranging from her half-brother to Broadway luminaries and the head of the criminal underworld -- start to mysteriously die under brutal and strange circumstances, legendary Pinkerton detective Charlie Siringo (Cole Hauser, Good Will Hunting) becomes determined to prove her involvement in their ultimate demise. Emmy nominee John Heard (The Sopranos) will portray William Almy, the business partner of Lizzie's murdered father Andrew, while Lizzie's half-brother William will be played by Andrew Howard (Hatfields & McCoys). Six-one hour installments of Lizzie Borden: The Fall River Chronicles will air on Lifetime in 2015.
In its January 25, 2014, world premiere, Lizzie Borden Took An Ax averaged 4.4 million Total Viewers. Among social media, it was the evening's most-tweeted program across television, while it also drove the highest traffic to a movie premiere on mylifetime.com since November 2012. In 2014 YTD, it is ad-supported cable's second most-watched movie telecast among Women, second only to the Lifetime Original Movie Flowers in the Attic.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, April 29
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to the Name Drop" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT)
Marty and Courtney's baby name gets spread around because nobody can keep a secret; Dave is assigned the ever-complicated task of assembling the diaper changing table.
Bob Hearts Abishola - "Olu! I Popped!" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT)
Bob and Abishola plan a trip to Las Vegas for Kemi’s wedding and Kemi and Chukwuemeka get into an argument over his mother.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of April 29)
Monday, April 29
- Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men/Togetherness) - Watch Melanie on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. She also talks about The Tattooist of Auschwitz on NBC's Today some time between 7-9am.
- Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - Jean is a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS. She will also be on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
- Gayle Rankin (GLOW) - Gayle appears on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert at 11:35pm on CBS.
- Caroline Rhea (Sydney to the Max/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Pride & Joy) - Caroline is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Jim Gaffigan (The Jim Gaffigan Show/My Boys/The Ellen Show/Welcome to New York) - Jim stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC. He also chats with the ladies of The View on ABC at 11am ET/10am CT-PT.
- Caroline Rhea (Sydney to the Max/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Pride & Joy) - Caroline is a guest on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Rachael Harris (Surviving Jack/In the Motherhood/Notes from the Underbelly) - Rachael appears on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen at 3:30am on Bravo.
- Drew Barrymore (Santa Clarita Diet) - Co-host Gayle King sits down with Drew on CBS Mornings some time between 7-9am.
- Laura Benanti (Younger/The Detour/Go On/Starved) - NBC's Today catches up with Laura in the 9am hour.
- Rocky Carroll (Roc/Welcome to New York) - Rocky tells Sherri about the hit CBS show NCIS on Sherri, so check your local listings.
- Bebe Neuwirth (Cheers/Frasier) - Bebe talks about Cabaret at the Kit Cat Club on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
- Nicole Ari Parker (And Just Like That.../Second Time Around) - Nicole discusses her Gymwrap sweat band line on Access Daily with Mario & Mit, so check your local listings.
- Seth Rogen (Platonic/Undeclared) - Seth is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
- Brandon Scott Jones (Ghosts/The Other Two/The Good Place) - Brandon talks about Ghosts on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
New on DVD/Blu-ray
12/05 - Father Knows Best - The Complete Series
12/05 - The Odd Couple - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
12/12 - The Dick Van Dyke Show - The Complete Series
12/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 2 (Blu-ray)
12/12 - That Girl - The Complete Series
12/15 - Letterkenny - Season 11
12/19 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Official Restored Complete Series
12/22 - Three's Company - The Official 40th Anniversary Collection (includes The Ropers and Three's a Crowd)
01/09 - South Park - Seasons 11-15 (Blu-ray)
01/16 - Ghosts (UK) - Season Five
02/13 - Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/27 - The Really Loud House - Season One
03/12 - Ghosts (UK) - The Complete Series
03/12 - Looney Tunes Collector's Choice - Volume 3 (Blu-ray)
03/12 - Rick and Morty - Season 7 (Blu-ray Steelbook) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
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