New Fox drama “Lone Star” sizzles
"Lone Star" cast, from left, Bryce Johnson, Jon Voight, Mark Deklin, Adrianne Palicki, James Wolk, Eloise Mumford and David Keith. - Fox Photo
On the surface, Fox’s new series “Lone Star” might appear to be an updated version of “Dallas,” with its story line involving a Texas oil family.
But the Texas oil family is only the tip of the iceberg, and “Lone Star” is so much more than a new take on “Dallas.”
“Lone Star’s” central character is Bob Allen (James Wolk), who has been raised to run cons with his dad John (David Keith.)
The series begins with Bob living two lives.
In one, he’s married to Cat Thatcher (Adrianne Palicki), the daughter of oil company owner Clint Thatcher (Jon Voight) in Houston.
In the other, he’s dating Lindsay Holloway (Eloise Mumford), a nursing student in Midland.
The most fascinating part is, though both women started out as marks in Bob and his father’s scams, Bob is in love with both women and wants to make both lives with them work.
Of course that means he has to keep both lives totally separate.
Though Bob charms one of Cat’s brothers, Drew (Bryce Johnson), and her dad, there is a Thatcher family member who senses something’s not on the up and up about Bob – Cat and Drew’s brother, Trammell (Mark Deklin).
Trammell displays protectiveness of his family in trying to find out Bob’s ulterior motives and he seems to be the only one who doesn’t completely trust Bob right off the bat.
This show has everything a TV fan could ask for – phenomenal acting, writing and production.
Despite the fact that he’s a con artist, Bob is a completely sympathetic character.
Wolk brings an innocence to Bob and a sincerity that he really wants to make things right with the people in both of these lives and that he really does care about them.
I absolutely can’t wait to see if Bob will be successful at sustaining two separate lives and loves – and will both lives be meaningful – can they be?
“Lone Star” premieres at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20 on Fox.
– Melissa Hayer
Oklahoma City has chance to host screening of NBC’s new fall series “The Event”
Jason Ritter in "The Event" - NBC Photo
Oklahoma City TV fans can help their city host a screening of NBC’s new fall series “The Event,” according to a news release.
“The Event” is a conspiracy thriller that follows Sean Walker (Jason Ritter), an everyman trying to find out what has happened to his would-be fiancee who has disappeared. In his investigation, he unknowingly starts to expose the biggest cover-up in U.S history, according to information provided by NBC.
Click here to cast your vote to have a screening here.
The top five markets across the country with the highest votes will host a local screening.
The contest will end at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3.
“The Event” premieres at 8 p.m. Sept. 20 on NBC.
Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley return as hosts for the 44th Annual CMA Awards
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood host the 43rd Annual Country Music Awards" Nov. 11, 2009 in Nashville, Tenn. - AP Photo
Brad Paisley and Oklahoma’s Carrie Underwood will return to host the 44th Annual CMA Awards at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 on ABC, according to an ABC news release.
This will be the third time the pair have hosted the awards show.
Both were quoted in the news release lauding the event:
“The CMAs are different from any other awards night,” Brad Paisley said. “You’re looking at a roomful of people who love each other. And any new viewer will be pleasantly surprised at what they relate to on the Awards and what they like that they had no idea they would like. For that reason alone, this is the most important night of the year for country music.”
“It’s all about country music,” Carrie Underwood said. “We all live here. This is our community. The CMA Awards are in Nashville, the home of country music. It’s great to come here and celebrate that every year.”
AMC to premiere newest series “The Walking Dead” on Halloween
Andrew Lincoln in "The Walking Dead" - Photo by Scott Garfield © TWD productions LLC
AMC’s new drama series “The Walking Dead” will premiere on Halloween night, Sunday, Oct 31 at 9 p.m, according to an AMC news release.
The debut will be a 90-minute episode, with subsequent shows lasting an hour.
AMC has released a trailer previewing the series, which was seen at Comicon.
The trailer can be seen at www.amctv.com.
“The Walking Dead” will premiere during AMC’s Fearfest thriller and horror film marathon.
To celebrate Fearfest’s 14th anniversary, AMC will air 14 consecutive days of themed programming with more than 50 movies.
“The Walking Dead” is AMC’s first wholly-owned original series, and is based on the comic book written by Robert Kirkman and published by Image Comics.
The six-episode series follows a group of survivors after a zombie apocalypse.
The leader of the group searching for a safe home is is police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).
Other members of the group include Grimes’ partner Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal) and Grimes’ wife Lori (Sarah Wayne Callies).
Syfy picks up “Eureka” for a fifth season
The series “Eureka” has been renewed by the Syfy channel for a fifth season, according to an NBC Universal news release.
The premise of “Eureka” is that though it seems to be like any other Pacific Northwest town, it’s actually a secret community of geniuses gathered by the government to administer top-secret research.
Stars of the show include Colin Ferguson, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Joe Morton and Eric Cerra.
“Eureka” airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on Syfy.
A&E Network greenlights non-scripted pilot “The Explained” featuring Oklahoman
Producer/director Doug Liman - AP Photo
A&E Network has given the greenlight to a documentary pilot from producer/director Doug Liman (“The Bourne Ultimatum, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”), according to an A&E news release.
“The Unexplained” will focus on strange phenomena and paranormal experiences and will be executive producer Liman’s first foray into non-scripted television.
Possible topics for these first-person accounts include past life regressions, hauntings, near-death and out-of-body experiences.
The pilot features a five-year-old boy from rural Oklahoma telling his mother extensive details about his past life.
The boy says he lived in Hollywood during the 1930s, claiming he was wealthy and was friends with people like Rita Hayworth.
After she hears these details from her son about an era he should know nothing about, the mother checks out some library books about early Hollywood.
When she shows the books to her son, he pauses on a page with a black and white film still without a caption and points to a man in the picture and screams, “That’s me! You found me mommy! That’s me, and that’s George!”
The man he was pointing at was an actor and “George” ends up being George Raft in the 1932 movie “Night After Night.”
The story follows the family’s journey to understand what they believe to be their son’s previous life identity.
“Friends” Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox reunite on “Cougar Town”
Jennifer Aniston - AP Photo
Jennifer Aniston will guest star on the second season premiere of ABC’s “Cougar Town,” starring her former “Friends” cohort Courteney Cox.
This will be the first time the pair have worked together since Aniston appeared on Cox’s 2007 FX series “Dirt,” according to an ABC news release.
“Cougar Town” centers on Cox’s character Jules, who is a recently divorced working mom navigating life in her forties.
Josh Hopkins, Busy Philipps, Brian Van Holt and Dan Byrd are among the show’s co-stars.
“Cougar Town’s” Season Two premiere is Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
Courteney Cox - AP Photo
Summer TV viewing has been sunny
Matt Passmore of "The Glades" - A&E Network Photo
Labor Day’s almost here and summer’s coming to a close.
Some TV shows are ending their seasons as well.
This summer has had more options for TV fans than ever, I think.
Here are a few of my favorites:
“Covert Affairs,” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on USA Network: This is a fun new show with a smart, resourceful heroine, rookie CIA agent Annie Walker (Piper Perabo), who is aided by her equally interesting cohort Auggie Anderson (Christopher Gorham). Auggie, who was blinded during a CIA mission, has become Annie’s mentor and friend as she begins her CIA service. These two have good chemistry and each episode is an adventure.
“Drop Dead Diva,” airs Sundays at 8 p.m on Lifetime: In its second season, this is an inspiring, heartwarming, intelligent series. Brooke Elliott has perfected playing a character in another character’s body. Elliott portrays Jane Bingum, a clever, shy attorney who has been taken over by the spirit of Deb Dodson, an outgoing model wannabe, due to a heavenly mix-up. The new perspective Deb gets through being Jane is always enlightening.
“Royal Pains,” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on USA: Also in its second season, this is simply an enjoyable show. Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) is a concierge doctor in the Hamptons. His brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) is CFO of the “HankMed” practice. Their relationship is engaging, and watching Hank figure out what’s ailing his patients and how he can treat them, often in “MacGyver”-type ways, is absorbing.
“Pretty Little Liars,” aired Tuesdays at 7 p.m. on ABC Family: This show was totally addictive. Recently ending its premiere season with an exciting finale, “Pretty Little Liars,” based on a series of books, centers on four teenage girlfriends getting messages from “A,” who seems to know all of their secrets. “A” is also the initial of the first name of their friend whose body is found at the beginning of the season. The storylines also involve issues including parents separating, romance, self-esteem and sexuality.
“The Glades,” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on A&E: Last, but not least, this is my favorite series this summer. Matt Passmore’s portrayal of relocated to Florida homicide detective Jim Longworth is fresh, hilarious and brilliant. The show’s plots are pretty smart as well, and watching Longworth ferret out the murderer each week is fascinating. The episode featuring the detective attending a class reunion and questioning suspects, without them knowing, of course, was superb, from Longworth sampling the food on the buffet (I laughed out loud at that scene) to him being hit on and mistaken for an actual class reunion member – again, I have to say, this is an awesome show.
Did you enjoy any of these shows also, or do you have others you liked?
– Melissa Hayer
Michael J. Fox to guest star on “The Good Wife”
Michael J. Fox - AP Photo
Michael J. Fox will face off against Julianna Margulies in an upcoming fall episode of “The Good Wife,” according to a news release from CBS.
In “The Good Wife,” Margulies plays attorney Alicia Florrick, a wife and mother who has taken over full responsiblity for her family and re-entered the workforce after a political scandal lands her husband, Peter (Chris Noth), in jail.
As the second season begins, Alicia is still redefining herself after Peter has come back home and is planning to run for office again.
Fox will play Simon Canning, a shrewd and cynical lawyer whom Alicia (Margulies) faces in a massive class action suit.
Canning is willing to use anything in court, including his neurological condition symptoms, to create sympathy for his client – a big pharmaceutical company.
The second season of “The Good Wife” premieres Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. on CBS.
Oklahoma’s Trisha Yearwood and Blake Shelton among “Today” show co-hosts next week
Blake Shelton - AP Photo
Country music stars will be joining Hoda Kotb as guest co-hosts during the fourth hour (10 a.m.) of the “Today” show next week, according to a news release from NBC.
Appearance dates and co-hosts are:
Monday, Aug. 23: Blake Shelton
Tuesday, Aug. 24: Martina McBride
Wednesday, Aug. 25: John Rich
Thursday, Aug. 26: Trisha Yearwood
Friday, Aug. 27: Josh Turner
