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
Saturday, May 17
none scheduled
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of May 12)
Friday, May 16
- Lunell (Lopez) - Watch Luenell on a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC. She will also be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:39am.
- Benito Skinner (Overcompensating) - Benito appears on a repeat of Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Mayan Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) and Jerry O'Connell (We Are Men/Do Not Disturb/Carpoolers/My Secret Identity) - Mayan and Jerry are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- Luke Kirby (Étoile) and Gideon Glick (Étoile/The Other Two) - Luke and Gideon talk about Étoile on NBC's Today in the 9am hour.
- Stanley Tucci (Central Park) - Stanley talks about his new series Tucci in Italy with GMA co-anchor Michael Strahan on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am and on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm. He will also be on ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis at 7pm.
- Howie Mandel (Good Grief) - Howie talks about America's Got Talent on Live with Kelly and Mark (check your local listings) and on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your lcoal listings.
- Marissa Jaret Winokur (What We Do in the Shadows/Retired at 35/Stacked) - Marissa talks about her latest project Mama I'm a Big Girl Now on Sherri, so check your local listings.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
01/28 - Wait Till Your Father Gets Home - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
02/04 - The Wayans Bros. - The Complete Series
03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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